《The wish of the dragon》


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    Oh and i''m bad at describing people appearance or what they wear so bear with me lol


    -Unknown Cave-


    ...


    ....


    .....


    There''s a boy on the floor of the cave, he wears a white t-shirt and a black pants although most of his shirt already a scrap, the boy looks skinny and with a brown hair that reach his neck, his body bloodied because he just took out 8 of his evil pieces from his body because the corruption they cause to his body and he supposed to die because there''s never a history of a reincarnated devil stay alive after they lose their evil pieces from their body. The boy name is Issei Hyodou the current host of the Sekiryuutei or known as The red dragon emperor or called Y Ddraig Gooch and he''s also known as chichiryuutei (oppai dragon) because of his love of boobs.


    Issei is your average boy but a bit more perverted than most, his dream is to be a harem king typical from a boy around his age, but he''s loyal and brave and will put his life on the line for his friends and loved ones... That''s proven from what he did so far for his teammates, well... former teammates.


    His current master Rias Gremory also most of his teammates are his beloved, Akeno Himejima, Asia Argento, Koneko Tojou, Xenovia Quarta, Ravel Phenex, Irina Shidou, Rosseweisse... aside from the girls there''s also the boys who are his friend Yuuto Kiba and his kouhai Gasper Vladi, There''s a lot more of girls who liked him but he never knows such as Kuroka also known as Koneko elder sister, Serafall Leviathan 1 of the current mao, Gabriel from the angel faction and many more but they don''t have the time to confess after sealing the trihexa they have been busy.


    Kuroka is training to be better for him, Serafall still dealing with some stuff in underworld, the same with Gabriel in heaven... Sadly they might not have the chance because the boy body is so broken beyond believe if anyone saw him now they might think he''s already dead with that 8 holes and charred skins all over his body, and his usual shiny brown hair now look darker, his face is unclear with all the blood and charred skin but you can see from his eyes he is not dead with all the fire of will contained within... the will to be alive, the will to be stronger, the will for vengeance for what he has experienced from the couple of months after the sealing of trihexa, but deep in his eyes you can also see the desire to be loved... the thing he thought he already achieved when he become a couple with his beloved master or king of the peerage Rias Gremory and most of the other girls... sadly reality once again slap him with tragedy....


    (You can read the details on the link of my note for what happen but be warned for the faint of heart its a ntr well no sex included but kinda implied when it described they spent the night on their new BF house, like i said in the note its based on that fanfic but with different route taken and a OOC (out of character) because i don''t know fully well what''s the background all that i only know their common history such as Rias as sirzechs little sister and she used to be engaged yada yada so i will and i repeat i WILL change their characters to my liking so no offence and i will also change their current BF names because i dont bother remembering their name lol)


    After the sealing of trihexa issei have been living a carefree life with his beloved but after they graduate to college thing changes... they started ignoring him or just give him uninterested look that says "sigh just a pervert like always" or "so different from him" but unknown to them although issei is a pervert he only be a pervert to those he have feelings for (1 of example when i said its gonna be OOC so be prepared for different personality), for example he used to peep with his duo friends Motohama and Matsuda but he only ever peep at Maruyama because he loved her ever since middle school he never even once look at other girls when he peep with his friends but no one knows that because that''s 1 of his biggest secret even now, but because of that he branded the perverted trio along his 2 so called friends not that he care because he wont change who he is just to look better in the eyes of others, yes that''s a rare trait from of all the man out there or even girls out there.(at least for me :p)


    But issei never mind how they treated him (as in the ORC members) and he always hang out with kiba nowadays but gasper is with valerie in the hospital because he knows that kouhai of his loved her, and unknown to them issei has been working harder than them although he never told them that because he want to surprise them with his plan, he''s working till late at night either by construction worker, a cashier at supermarket, or newspaper delivery man and many more at the cost he''s doing less devil work than kiba and that makes the girls think he''s a lazy pervert compared to their new BF(thats boyfriend if u dont know yet lol), and what his plan u might ask? he''s saving money to buy a diamond, a big diamond because he needs it to make his beloved girls a ring, a ring for proposal and you might ask why? he''s supposed to be rich from all the show he''s done(u know the oppai dragon show lol and the 1 with serafall forgot what its called).


    Well he never think of that earning of his special enough for his plan of proposal so he start working from his own sweat and blood, some people might think of him as an idiot but that''s just who he is and he wont change it. He started learning how to make rings from an expert and he also need cash for the tutor although he could ask his sensei or figurative father also known as Azazel the current fallen angel governor to teach him but he still want to learn from others because he thought he already received enough help from him hence why he don''t ask him also knowing he''s busy dealing with politic stuff.


    Now after a few months he finally did it, he made the ring he wished for to propose to his beloved girls (http://www.whiteshouse.info/best-wedding-rings/best-wedding-rings-120-best-engagement-rings-images-on-pinterest-jewelry-rings-and/ im bad at describing things like i said so i might just post a link for u guys to show what it or he/she looks like lol) each rings have different colour like for Rias its red, for Akeno its raven , Ravel golden yellow, Asia whitish yellow etc, and he already started thinking how they might react to the surprise of his with giddy skip he''s doing now.


    His 1st destination is for his beloved master and queen Rias and Akeno so he went to their college and waited till they appear because he dont want to bother them during class, and after a while he saw them and he wanted to just went to them but then he saw them went to other building direction and soon he follows them... but that''s when all hell broke lose... (read from my link if u want to know the details) he saw them kissing another guy, and his heart broke to pieces and he clutched the ring case in his hand almost broke it only for Ddraig snap him out of it then he ran from there...


    the same thing happen to all of his supposed beloved... Irina, Xenovia, Asia, Ravel, Koneko (forgot to mention Rosseweisse is in Olympus? yeah lets call the gods place that lol and no rosseweisse isnt cheating on him she''s just busy and they are still not a couple but rose have feelings for issei and planning to confess to him) he saw each of them acting intimate with some guy he never saw heck Ravel and Koneko clinging to some skinny pretty boy that almost look like gasper although not cute as gasper but still girlish and only a little bit taller than gasper. As for Kiba he''s overworking himself for covering Issei part of the devil work, so he also don''t know their little secrets (boy i told u guys my poor heart hurt as fck when i read that fanfic because the author so detailed lol so i tone it down by saying they just kissed in my work here even then this still bugs me but hey for the plots boissss bear with it)


    So that''s when his pawn pieces started corrupting him from inside out and he started to look like miasma generator with all the black aura he emit from his body, along with his broken heart that doesnt help at all when Ddraig snap at him and saying he need to remove the pieces[PARTNER, SNAP OUT OF IT!!! YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE DEVIL PIECES OR YOU''RE GONNA DIE!!!], but issei doesnt listen and asking "...what for... i don''t have anything to live for anymore... just let it be over... it hurts so much ddraig... it hurts so much.... after all i did only to be stepped on by them like that... i sacrificed my left arm for Rias... just for her... and i put my life on the line for each 1 of them all the time... even when i know how rias let me die during reynare plans... even when i almost died i clung to the hope of going back to them...(u know the arc where they think he died until his body reformed by great red) after all the sacrifices i made that''s how they repay me... haha... im so pathetic thinking just to get their love all of it is worth it... no more... no... more...." he mumbled and the miasma started devouring him even faster.


    [....Issei... i know it all hurts but that''s the truth.... but you still have me as your partner.... and even if you think its not worth it try doing it for us... or just for yourself now... you still haven''t lived long enough, you still haven''t seen what the worlds has to offer, its time to break free from your current cage and find new things or even.... new loves, i know you''re heart broken by now but not all woman are like that.... 1 of my past possessor knows that, he found true love.... now its time for you to find it... your true love or try to have a new dream... being a harem king is all good and all but there''s bigger dream to achieve out there. so please.... try to find the will to live...you are free now...] Ddraig consoled the broken boy... "....free.... yes.... i''m free now.... free from all the rope that binds me, the rope that named false love.... free from being a pawn of Rias Gremory.... free from the devil clutch.... FREE FROM ALL THAT WHORES!!!!" suddenly the boy screamed, screamed with vigor and new will to live for... and his partner happy to see him this way [YES!!! YOU ARE A FREE MAN!!! A FREE DRAGON!!! ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!] Ddraig roared for his partner new found will to live! happy for the new him! happy for what his partner will bring to the world!


    [Now partner even though you must remove that evil pieces out of you, you need a 2nd thing to do to survive because if not you''re gonna die even if you remove the pieces. And your best chances are to change your body to that of a dragon, now i offer you this choice my friend, my partner.... will you do it? We dragons cherish freedom and now i''m giving you that... the freedom to choose which Rias Gremory never gave you when he turned you into a devil.... so what''s your choice partn- no... Issei Hyoudou will you become a true dragon of domination?] Ddraig asked the boy. And as he expected the choice is obvious "Yes, i will be a true dragon of domination... not just any dragon... but the Strongest True Dragon Of Domination!!" the boy says with conviction! [HAHAHA!!! WELL SAID PARTNER!!! now i remind you this process gonna hurt like never before and your chance of surviving is below 5% because of the process is changing you as a whole from inside and out, from the marrow of your bone to your whole body. Will you take the chance still?] the dragon asked once more. "Yes, I''m sure!! whats a little pain after what iv''e been through so far how can i be the strongest dragon when that little thing block me of my true destiny! and to prove them all i''m just not some pervert and lazy they thought i am, and only by true pain there will be a true gain!!! I will never submit even in death!!!" The boy once more said with even determined conviction.(meh i tried i''m just bad at poetry words and such so don''t judge :p)


    [HAHAHA!!! Indeed! We dragons will never bow to no one even lady death herself! now go to somewhere secluded partner because the process will be long] And then he went to the forest outside kuoh town and found a cave. "Let''s do this Ddraig!". [Fumu! let''s do this partner!], then began the process so painful that issei cant even scream but inside his mind his whole life flashes before him and how stupid he was for believing them... for believing their so called love.... how they toss them aside after they have no more use of him... to trade him for some unknown guy they barely know! (its only been like 3 months give or take for the setting after the sealing of trihexa meh thats what the author said so i just use that time, as for the boys name lets just name them Ichiji (rias & akeno new BF), Niji (Irina), Sanji(Ravel & Koneko) , Yonji (Xenovia) , Goji (Asia)? yeah thats good enough for some cannon fodder no need last name its a bother remembering some scrub names).


    During his transformation his aura spread to the sky breaching the clouds but oddly the 3 faction leaders never feel his aura because only the ORC members feels it.... the feel of dread and despair also death, its like the ripper scythe are on their neck and that makes them stiffen and their new BF also feels it albeit not that intense and only feel a discomfort and chill around them and that''s only because they are near the ORC(occult research club if you don''t know, rias etc) girls member, their whole face are pale as a paper sheet and they are trembling but also feeling something have left their heart, something they have forsaken only for their selfishness, something that will make them regret for the rest of their lifes, unbeknownst to them they already lose the most important person on their lifes... the person who will stop at nothing to make them safe and happy even at the cost of his life....the person who again and again saved their life.... they will only realize what they have lost when that someone have become out of reach even though he used to always stand in front of them when they thought all hope is lost... oh how wrong they are to choose a fish eye over a diamond...


    -After 24 hours-


    (Back to the start)


    [Are you awake partner?] Ddraig asked.


    "Yeah.... is it a success?" issei asked


    [Of course its a success, if not you''re already dead by now] (jojo reference strikes again!! NANI?!)


    "Heh, you''re right... so what''s change? i feel a lot stronger and all of my senses are enhanced and boy do i need a shower... ugh... well i can say goodbye to my clothes... damn, thankfully there''s a lake nearby" he grumbled.


    [Of course you''re a full blown Dragon now even though not pure dragon since you''re a transformed one but meh good enough for me because only the people know the old you can tell you''re not a dragon from the start, and you just awaken your "Aura" congratz partner!! And before you ask "Aura" are unique because only dragons can awaken them and its very rare, if you ask me how rare it is well you can see from the millions of dragon from the past only 6 have awaken them and they are The great red, Ophis, Me, Albion, Tiamat and Tannin even then its different from each dragon, Great red for having the strongest "Aura" and Tannin being the weakest now you are the 7th... And the devil dragon "Aura" doesn''t count because to awaken "Aura" the dragon must awaken them naturally or by experiencing an extreme emotion(for details you can read the link in the note or here 1 more link https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13032812/1/The-Change-of-a-Dragon oh and my count might be different as well since iirc the original author said 11 have awaken them and idk much about the others so i don''t add them on my fanfic), and every "Aura" bearer they have trait and your trait are Dominance, and whats the effect you need to find out on your own for that, as for your other change you can see for yourself later on... but now... i need to rest since i used most of my power to transform you....see you later partner...] Ddraig explained after that he went silent most likely asleep.


    "Yeah... thank you Ddraig and good night..." Issei said after that he got up and feel like he have grown taller, then he walked to the nearby lake to wash himself.


    -NOTES-


    So that''s pretty much the prologue of mine, and i recommend you to read the original fanfic before reading mine because i''m just gonna skip most details since i don''t really memorize each details because i''m too lazy, but be warned because the original is not for the faint of heart. But its satisfying when you know how they will regret it even if its a bit OOC, now my idea is pretty much issei will transported to different world but maybe met ophis and lilith along the way :s hmm i''m still thinking about it. And the time difference maybe about 1 year in the other world 1 month in the dxd world and no for those who''s a fan of naruto/one piece/bleach i''m not gonna use that world ~_~ my world will be more from games though... like Evenicle/Bunny Black this fanfic probably short lived because i''m writing this on a whim hence why i don''t ask for power stone and doesnt really care if people read this or not like i said only self fulfillment with that said, ciaosu~

 Chapter 2 - 1

    Issei got out of the cave and look into the sky, realizing its still night he was wondering how long has it been since his transformation but meh he doesn''t really care since he doubt anyone will be looking for him, he went to the nearby lake and dive in right away.


    SPLASH!


    After a while he pops out head first from the lake and then float on top of the lake thinking what''s his next course of action should be, ''Hmm... I wonder what do i do from now on... Azazel-sensei must be still pretty busy, the same goes with the other faction leaders... guess i will think about it later''.


    So he went to the shore of the lake and realize he still hasn''t see at his new looks he got after the transformation, well he knew for sure he got taller since his pants now kinda too tight on his legs. ''Wonder what I looks like now'' so he look at the lake surface and saw his new face and body, his hair seems a bit longer now it went pass his neck also the color is a bit darker compared to his old shiny brown hair each single strand of his hair looks so soft and silky that people will think if he''s a girl just from his hair alone, and his face looks so handsome that he even wonder if that''s really him although you can still see his old looks a little bit, his skin is smooth as a baby bottom that even will make women envy, his eyes which used look goofy now looks sharp like a seasoned warrior, his eyes now changed to a wine red color and his pupil looks like a dragon eyes which is a slit but it went well with the rest of his face, his eyebrows now looks thicker and shaped sharp like a sword but also looks soft enough that you can see each single eyebrows if you look clearly, under the corner each of his eyes there''s a single black claw shaped tattoo, each and every single parts of his face is so well sculptured, his pointy nose, his thin but full lips to the edge of his chiseled face that makes you wonder if his face crafted by the God himself although everyone knows that the God is already dead but it can''t stop makes you wonder.(Go to this manga and go to last page and there u have it his new looks i based from https://mangabat.com/chapter-serie/1088904277/chap_1)


    Sadly his body is still looks skinny but you can still see the outline of each muscle from his body especially his 6 toned abs that looks firm yet soft at the same time because of his baby soft skin that glisten under the moonlight, and if he fill his body a bit more he will have the most perfect body that will make every single women blush and lost in a trance just by looking at it and his penis oh boy does he looks happy when he looks at it... he used to carry the lenght of 7 inch with 2 inch thickness but now it went to 11 inch and 3,5 inch thickness that will put every guy in shame if compared with him. "Damn... is that really me?!" The boy couldn''t help but scream out loud, and he started touching all over his body just to make sure and pinched his face to make sure this isn''t a dream "Ouch! It hurts! So it is not a dream...." with that realization he also know what happens so far is also not a dream, all of that betrayal and heart break he felt. Although he wished all that to be a dream but he knows its real and reality wont change itself, even now he still feel a bit of love to his old beloved especially his master no... ex-master Rias Gremory but then what''s come with it also come with a feeling of rage and betrayal and with that he erased whatever feelings he have for his old beloved ''I swear I will make you all regret!''.


    "Fuhhh.... I''m a bit hungry now that I think about it... luckily there''s tons of fish in this lake." So with that said he jump back into the lake and catch bunch of fish and started cooking them with his new found fire breath ''Huh cool i guess i can breath fire now since i''m mostly dragon'' sadly at the first few try he burnt the fish to ash because he can''t control his fire breath but after a few try he get the hang of it and successfully cooked some fish although not that delicious because there''s no seasoning and a bit burnt here and there but hey he doesn''t care and ate with gusto.


    After a while he''s full and started thinking once more what will he do from now on. ''I guess I should leave a message to Azazel-Sensei at least and as for Kiba and Gasper.... nah they better off without knowing what happened to me so far, can''t let them be more worried about me after what they have been through'' He know his friend Kiba cover for his work on the devil contract but there''s nothing he can do about it when Rias never give him one thinking he will fck it up just because of that 1 slip up where he ran away from the guy whose wish is to transform to a magical girl and Kiba attitude of doesn''t letting him taking some of his work also doesn''t help because he kinda feels the situation isn''t that good anymore with all that cold attitude they gave issei so he rather doesn''t let their master be more angrier than as she is now.


    ''Well i guess i just do that before i go see what the world has to offer and i especially need a new clothes hmmm guess i can buy them online through the devil service because i can''t really waltz through a clothing store and expect not be thought of as an exhibitionist now can i'' Although he doesn''t really care what people think about him but he still have some shame and sure as hell don''t want be seen as a naked pervert on top of his title of perverted trio of kuoh highschool. Unknown to him if any girls or boy(if they have special taste) saw him now they might just went to him like a pack of hungry wolf and devour him right there and then, but because he only thought of himself as handsome and not the most handsome guy that even put archangel Michael in the dust.


    So after he went to his home and see no ones home not that he care if there''s one anyway, he went to his room and order some clothes online delivered.


    (Oh he already recorded the video and leave a voice message and all that happens to him before he underwent the transformation which you should know if you have read the original fanfic which i linked from the note from the Prologue)


    He went and try to read some books only to find out he can memorize each book just from reading it once, ''Wow guess i have Eidetic memory now from that transformation'' so he started absorbing every book he can find like a sponge and when he''s out of book he started googling stuff he would like to know and after a while he stopped because he think he already have the knowledge he need, after a while there''s a flash of light and his package he ordered is here ''Huh neat with all the teleportation''. He put his old pawn pieces on a box and put it in his drawers and went to his delivered package.


    (And god damn i don''t know how to describe clothes so hey just gonna post a link to you guys what it looks like if my description is shite you can google Killia from Disgaea 5 and his outfit is kinda like that but with an addition of the black shirt)


    He opened his package and got his new outfit out from the box, his outfit consist of a a jacket with white furs on the neckline and a red dragon motif on its back, a black sleeveless shirt and a black tight jeans, a fingerless black glove and a brown combat boots. Overall he looks badass.


    After a few moments of adjustment he started finding what''s new power he posses on his body but during his investigation there''s suddenly a black rift under his feet, ''What?!'' then he fell through the rift. And the room went quiet...


    ''Kuh, what was that rift and where am I'' after he open his eyes he started looking around ''Is it a dimensional rift? Are Ophis or Great Red did this?'' so many questions going on his head and then there''s a voice in this pitch darkness, the voice sounds sultry and melodious and its obviously a woman voice.


    (Once again remember i don''t know much about the characters details and i will just made it up according to my wish so any fanboy out there no offense but if you do took offense i don''t care :D)


    ??? - Oya, now aren''t you still alive boy? I wonder what are you supposed to be doing here?


    Issei - Who!? Who''s there?! Show yourself!


    LD - Now aren''t you rude? Don''t you know the etiquette of introducing yourself first before you asked somebody else? Well I will let it slide for now since you interest me, you can call me Lady Death.


    And that''s when issei saw her, 1 of the most beautiful women he ever seen with that well endowed body, that looks like hourglass and the mature aura around her.(Just google Semiramis stage 3 but no stakes on her hand like the original, too lazy to describe ~_~)The old issei might started drooling over his boobs and beauty but not the new him, all he have in his eyes now are appreciation and not lustful like his old looks and he only out of it for 3 second. ''Hooo, that''s a first for someone snap out of it so quickly when they looked at me and his eyes doesn''t have any lust in it and only appreciation and i have to say he''s quite interesting and hmmm yeah most handsome boy i ever saw too...'' She found the boy quite intriguing and she licks her lips when she saw his face and toned body ''Wonder what''s his size down there is it as great as his body? sigh but now that he knows i''m LD(Lady Death) he might just fear me like the others...'' But even then she never saw any fear on his face only shock and wonder.


    Issei - Lady Death?! You mean the one who govern life and death that even Hades feared?!


    LD - Pfft, please Hades is only a puny god before me and he thinks he''s all that powerful just because he comprehend a tiny concept of death and life, so tell me boy why are you here when you are clearly still alive? Hmmm from your aura i can tell you''re still a hatchling a dragon hatchling if i must elaborate and quite young too from your aura, oh that''s quite interesting you awaken your ''Aura'' only recently and from what iv''e seen your not even 1 years old yet.... Now care to tell me your secret, boy?


    ''What?! How she knows that?! Wait considering if she''s the true LD then it won''t be surprising she knows that... But i''m still not sure if she''s the real deal, i need more information to prove she''s the real deal.'' Issei thought in his mind.


    LD - Hmhmhm... I can see you''re doubting my real identity boy~ now will this prove it?


    Then LD started collecting souls on her fingertip and makes them do her bidding and make them eat each other or explode themself and do stuff that even Hades can''t do and spread her aura to show him. ''She''s real!!'' then she stopped her action and asked the boy once more.


    LD - So does that prove it to you, boy? Now will you tell me your secret for little ol me? please~?


    She started teasing the boy in front of her with her voice and come closer to touch his cheeks with her soft hands and rub it softly against her hands. ''Fufu~ even then he still doesn''t fear me after i showed him a bit of my power, quite the interesting boy indeed~ either its ignorance from his young age or he''s just a plain fool? but from his eyes i can see its neither both of them and something else, pride? will? determination? and desires to be loved? maybe all of them but i can tell he will achieve great things in the future considering his young age... ohh~ what''s this he got the Sekiryuutei inside his body even though he''s a dragon himself? and i can sense a bit of death and life aura from him, which is weird because it supposed to not exist within a living being and only a being that have been dead once and live once more can possess it and even then its quite rare to see it this pure.... even Hades become partly skeleton to get where he is now but this boy on the other hand is still whole and i can''t see any defect on his body.... hmm how many mysteries are you hiding boy~? must you interest me this much? It makes me want to claim you myself if u keep interest me, Fufufu~ now that would be nice wouldn''t it~?... And maybe at last I can find my own beloved to accompany me after all this times...'' She holds a strong distrust of others, and even if one might call themself her ally, whether they be necessary to her or not, they will be dealt with. This is simultaneousy due to the fact she boasts absolute confidence in her own power (though this is restricted to her own domain) but that''s because she can feel from her so called allies fear and distrust to herself and the greed they have for her beauty, what she experienced herself from the man who swore his loves for her only to be betrayed when that said man only want her power and keep her as a trophy.... a trophy as how he can claim herself as his, not as his loved ones but only as a trophy... She doesn''t really care about powers all she wants is to be loved for who she is not what she is... sadly there''s never any man ever grants her wish but from what she feels from this boy there''s no such things, there''s distrust but what you expect from a people who just met each other? but there''s no greed or even fear from his eyes... only a pride for what he is and appreciation for her beauty she can tell he''s not pretending because as the Goddess of Death she can tell when a person is lying or not just from looking at their souls and she sees none of it inside his soul.


    His soul is so pure that it attracts her so even though she have seen a lot of souls herself she never saw one this pure... so beautiful... so enchanting... But her trains of thought stopped when the boy took a step back and it makes her heart ache when she lost her touch against his face that makes her lost in reverie, but it doesn''t show on her face and she still have her smile the whole time.


    Issei - first of all my name is Issei Hyoudou, and as for why i''m here i don''t know myself since i just suddenly got here myself and as for your other question about my secret that isn''t your business isn''t it.


    LD - Fufu~ then i will call you Ise if that''s fine with you?


    Issei - I don''t mind...


    LD - Then, Ise why don''t you fear me? Even after knowing who I am? Usually every person i met so far feared me when they know who I am? As for your secret fair enough~ its not my business but don''t you afraid if i force you to tell me, you do realize you are at my domain right? ''Hmm guess his arrival here have something to do from his aura of death and life''


    Issei - Why should i fear you? If you think you can make me beg for my life just because you''re stronger than me then you are sorely mistaken if i will do that, sure you are stronger than me especially if its in your domain but so what? If i die then i die, but i will never beg for my life i prefer DEATH over HUMILIATION! So you can stop threatening to kill me and be done with it as you see fit but know that i will never go down without a fight and even knowing i won''t win at least i die with a fight and not die like a coward who beg for his life!


    Issei stated with conviction and pride, and you can tell from his voice and eyes there''s not a single lies nor hesitation when he said all that and especially for LD who can see souls, she can tell from his soul that its all true, he meant every word he said and that makes her shiver and widen her eyes... shiver from excitement and a long lost feeling from her heart, the feelings she thought will never surface again after her betrayal, the feelings she buried deep within her heart and just by looking at the boy- no... Issei face who''s clearly eons younger than herself she can feel it threatening to burst out from her chest, the feelings called love...


    AND THAT''S ALL FOLKS!!!

 Chapter 3 - 2

    Issei is confused when she doesn''t respond after his outburst and her face seems out of focus, ''Weird... why she doesn''t say anything after all that, is she angry? No by the looks of it she''s not angry, tsk if only Ddraig is awake I can''t use boosted gear if he''s not awake'' If by chance she decided to attack him now he won''t even last 10 seconds considering he still haven''t gain perfect control on new body and he know nothing of his new power so far besides breathing fire like a dragon does, if he can access boosted gear he could last longer but he knows that doesn''t matter if she decided to end him then even boosted gear won''t help him get out of that ending, ''Heh, if it comes to it then so be it... at least I know true freedom albeit its short lived''.


    When he''s thinking all that he heard her talk once more.


    LD - I see... Say... Ise, don''t you find me beautiful? I''m not bragging but there''s millions of man out there who wanted to make me theirs, don''t you feel the same? Don''t you want to make me yours either?


    Even though she doesn''t like it when other man look lustfully at her she still feel irritated that the boy who she took a liking for doesn''t react much when seeing her beauty, and once again her trains of thoughts stopped when he said the words she never expected.


    If its the old him he might be confused why she asked that question but after his transformation he know fully well what she meant


    Issei - You are beautiful indeed, you are one of the most beautiful women i have ever seen but that doesn''t make me wanted to claim you as mine. And you make it sound like every man is the same, I would never force a women against her will and make her mine when there''s no love involved, because i know forced love would never last. And I want the women I love would love me back for who I am not what I am...


    ''Perhaps Rias and the others only indulge me because I''m Ddraig host... perhaps they never love me in the first place... heh, not that it matters anymore and its not Ddraig fault even if that is true'' He still feel afraid towards the word love, he''s afraid what he experienced once would happen again but he knows better now. That not everything is what it seems, when he thought Rias love would last forever just like his love for her but apparently that''s just his one sided wishful thinking now he knows what''s behind their facade after they have no more use of him. Unbeknownst to him, Rias and the others do love him but because they are afraid what could happen between them because of the lack of experience in relationship they have done something selfish and stupid that will never can be forgiven... They should have asked him or ask someone who is more experienced like their parents or brother and sister, alas they went the wrong way because of their pride.


    They still loved Ise but they also loved their current BF as well. That''s why they treated him like that before. They felt conflicted and every time they saw him they felt even more, that''s why they evaded him and ignored him.


    They had to put their feelings at ease and think clearly, something that they hadn''t been capable of. Not yet.


    They wanted to be with him but they also didn''t want to end their relationships with their new BF just like that. The clash of feelings made them feel guilty, that''s why they evaded him, scorned him, and ignored him. All the girls felt the same but they knew something needed to be done.


    Since they were going to live for ten thousand years. They wanted to gain experience in a relationship. Rias and Akeno wanted to try approaching to other types of boys and gain experience. Since they would spent their eternity with Issei, they had time. And compensate all damage done, if it was done, at another time. But they didn''t expected that their interest would turn into something more.


    After spending time talking with him and knowing more about him they slowly forgot about Issei. After some time passed he asked if they believed in the supernaturals, seeing where the question was going they said yes and after a long talk they told him they were ''Devils''.


    Since he knew about the supernaturals he wasn''t surprised, and instead he continued treating them like normal girls that weren''t related to the supernaturals at all. Something they really felt thankful for. They wanted to be treated like normal girls not related to the supernatural, and since Ichiji was the closest man that wasn''t as much related to the supernatural as the rest of the men they knew.


    They spent their time talking about idle topics, going out as friends, among others. The fact that he didn''t stared at them in any perverted way, really made them feel at ease (unknown to the girls he just hide it better than Ise). Being always stared and looked like that is really tiring, they liked the expression and reaction they provoked on Issei but after some time, it gets exhausting.


    Time went by and they started to forget about Issei replacing him with him, which was their role model of an ideal man when they were kids. Tall, good looking and confident, the dreams of any young girl.


    The reason they tried to get closer to their said senpai was because they didn''t understood the male mind. After all, they didn''t had many male acquaintances their age. So they started to get involved more with the males in their ''College'' and soon they met him with the excuse that maybe in the future, they will able to understand Issei better. Since understanding him would be a key piece for them to get even closer to Issei.


    The other girls asked them why they did this.


    When they heard their answers they were surprised, in their minds this was a good idea. But they started to fall in love with the guys they chose to understand. They even dismissed Issei, forgetting everything he did for them. Even being cruel so that he didn''t stop their plans, they wanted it to be a surprise. Once their ''relationships'' were over they will get even closer to Issei and cross the line.


    Yet because of their selfishness and egoism. They truly didn''t know how much Issei was suffering. Because of their lack of trust to themselves into getting closer to him and their inexperience in relationships. They made certain choices that unknowingly affected Issei in the bad way.


    Because they were lost in their heads, they started to compare Issei with them. Seeing his faults like a living being and soon after they started to bad mouth him behind his back. Scorning him, Insulting him, Ignoring him. Those words were spoken without thinking yet they "believed" it was the truth.


    Although, recently they had been having some trouble with their new BFs after some time passed since they last saw Issei.


    Ichiji was focusing on his work completely, not wasting a single minute with both Rias and Akeno, and when he had free time he spent it with his ''friends''. Since they were a really insisting women, sometimes he snapped at them to stop bothering him. Creating a friction between them.


    The same happen to the other girls new BF, Yonji completely focused on sports.


    He played tennis and practiced his ''swordmanship''. He was rather close to Kiyome Abe. That alongside him only focusing on his tennis and sword practice made him tight on time. So he set aside Xenovia aside temporarily and only focused on his ''Sports''. For Xenovia it seemed that she wasreplaced by the new advisor of the tennis club, Kiyome Abe. So sometimes arguments started.


    Niji and Irina were good enough. She was really energetic which something he liked but. Sometimes he just felt tired and just ignored her, causing her to be mad. But because of her energetic self she was sometimes even more jumpy than before and just make him tired a lot more. The woman just had too much energy sometimes.


    Sanji was always in the middle of the fights between Koneko and Ravel. Making him feel awkward.


    Sometimes he felt as if he was treated as a toy, but he hoped it was his imagination. Since he trained with them he wasn''t as bad as the others but. Sometimes arguments started in their trainings and escalated into fights. Making him feel tired out and annoyed.


    Goji and Asia were the second ''better'' ones. But because Goji was a man of few words and Asia was timid, sometimes they wouldn''t speak for hours. Making Asia tear eyed thinking she was boring and he didn''t liked when she was with him.


    Something he didn''t like about her was that she always cried for something either its big or small stuff, she was kind but she didn''t had the courage for anything at least in his eyes. Like a small animal waiting to be protected. And this just make him more annoyed at her inside his head and was thinking to dump her.


    But all of the guys changed their attitude and treat them much better when they knew they are devils and stuff like that because they are afraid what will happen to them(BF squad) when they knew their perspective thoughts and ''secrets'' they kept from them(girl squad). Now the ORC started training them for the upcoming world-class rating game. And when they realize what lies behind their facade it will all been far to late to make the man who truly loved them from the bottom of his heart to love them back... far too late... and there''s no medicine for regrets in this world.


    -Back to Issei and LD-


    LD mind went blank when he said the words which exactly the same from what she wished for... When she snapped out of it she saw the look of melancholy and the look of betrayal from his face and then something tells her that the boy in front of her might have experienced the same thing as she has... the betrayal of loves. Then she does something that makes Issei mind blank himself...


    She approached him then kissed him, kiss filled with passion and love with no tongue just lips meet lips. And Issei eyes went wide from the close contact and he doesn''t even move a single muscle from the kiss, and after seems an eternity he snaps out of it and pushed her back and asked her loudly.


    Issei - What are you doing!?


    But LD doesn''t respond and just feel lost and sad that the kiss they share has been broken then sheclose their distance and capture his lips once more but this time she hold his head in place by entangling her arms to his neck and hold him like a vice grib and started kissing him with gusto now with tongues involved and with loud *scch smooch* sound that would make anyone saw them now would blush with shame, LD face blushed like never before in her entire life and her eyes are clouded with love, passion ,and lust because she finally found the man she''s been looking for her entire life. While Issei face is red himself but he''s trying to push her off from his body but to no avail because the difference between their power, so when he thought he would pass out from the lack of air she stopped the kiss with a loud *POP* with a string of saliva between their tongue and both of them pant heavily after their kissing session. Then LD licks her lips sensually tasting the lingering aftertaste and asked Issei while her face still clouded with passion.


    LD - Nee~ Ise, would you be mine? I could give you all the power I could offer and grant anything you wished for.


    Issei reaction at first was shame, shame because this woman in front of her just dominated him even though he''s the man here and he''s supposed to be THE Dragon of Dominance, but after she asked him that she reminded him of his old Master, the master who he once loved but now feel nothing but disgust and hatred for. But when he''s gonna snap at her because of his anger there''s a sound that bring him back from snapping at the woman in front of him. [Partner... She''s not Rias Gremory. and be careful if you anger her she might kill you instantly without you even realizing it, you yourself told her not to treat all man as the same so don''t treat her the same as the other woman who have hurt you] Ddraig voice snap him back from all the anger he feels, ''Sorry about that Ddraig, guess i''m still out of it and so you''re awake already huh'' he took deep breath and speak with his partner inside his mind. [Ah its fine partner I know you needed time to fully get over your past but never forget i''m always here for you partner and yeah I have been awake ever since we got teleported to her domain, but i''m waiting what she has to say and i must say you are still the ladies man like you always are huh partner? I swear you keep attracting strong beings to yourself... 1st Ophis now Lady Death herself... jeez i don''t know how you are still alive after all this time with that ''Unique'' trait of yours] Ddraig told him.


    ''Sigh same here partner, same here'' Issei couldn''t help but grumbled himself inside his mind. Then he look at the woman in front of her and told her


    Issei - Sorry but i won''t be anyone possession after i just earned my freedom


    LD - But why?! I can give you anything you wished for and all i ask is for you is to stay beside me and i won''t restrict your freedom in any way!


    She couldn''t help become puzzled and afraid why won''t he accept her offer, afraid he would leave her after she finally found the man she has been looking for this entire time so she couldn''t help become desperate and asked him to be hers and doesn''t realize what she does is making her more resemble the woman Issei come to hate and disgusted for.


    Ddraig - [Sorry about my partner here, Milady but he has been through a lot just recently]


    Ddraig voice ringed from Issei left hand with a flash of green light.


    LD - Oh, is that the Sekiryuutei? Can you tell me the details of what you said just now?


    Ddraig - [Sorry, but that''s not my place to say milady. Only my partner can tell you that on his own and all i can say he experienced what you experienced yourself long time ago]


    Then LD remembered her past experience now that she snap out of her sudden outburst and realize that Issei must have been betrayed by his loved ones as well just as she is, so she apologize to him.


    LD - I apologize for my sudden outburst, but can you tell me what happened to you, Ise? Now i know its not my business to know but know that i experienced betrayal from my supposed to be beloved myself and i''m telling you this by hoping you can share with me about your experience and if you don''t want to share it now then its fine, i won''t force you but know that i will wait for when you are ready to tell me yourself and I can tell from your eyes... the eyes of the heartbreak and betrayed deep inside your eyes...


    Issei don''t know what to say after all that and all of his fears and insecure flashed once more inside his heart but that feeling stopped when the woman in front of him cupped his face with her hands softly and the look she gave him from her eyes, its nothing but gentleness of love, passion and trust for him and him alone. And he feels his eyes tearing up and his throat dry just from the look she gave her then his tears started falling from his eyes but the woman in front of her never change the way she looks at him like it would never change for eternity then he started bawling his eyes out because he know deep inside he''s still heartbroken from the betrayal he felt and he needed someone to pent his feelings but never admit it because his new found pride after he became a dragon, something that Ddraig himself knows but not knowing what to do since he''s only exist inside his body and can''t give the warmth he needed for after all this time sometime he regrets that he can''t support his partner fully in body and mind. But now at last he found that someone who can do what he can''t do.


    LD hugged Issei and put his head on her cold bosom, even though its cold but its warm for Issei


    LD - There, there let it all out.... let it all out.


    He cooed the boy on her bosom, with gentleness like a mother and warmness of a long lost lover.


    After a while Issei has fallen asleep on her bosom and she made a bed under them and lay him atop her breast and keep stroking his hair softly with a touch filled with gentleness and love.


    LD - What a poor child... so young yet he already experienced any people shouldn''t have experienced...


    Ddraig - [Indeed... there''s no one should have experienced what you both experienced, milady...]


    LD - Hmh, now i want to ask you something Sekiryuutei... Don''t worry I won''t ask what happen to this child since I trust he will tell me sooner or later and i respect his wish for that, what i want to ask you are... Why you pretend to be a man? from your voice alone its obvious... But if i recall correctly when we met when you''re still a hatchling you are supposed to be a girl now care to tell me, Hmm~?


    Ddraig - [...]

 Chapter 4 - 3

    Ddraig - [...Do i have to, milady?]


    LD - Hmm~ you don''t have to tell me but I might tell Ise about your little secret~


    Ddraig - [NO, PLEASE DON''T!]


    LD - Shush!, don''t be so loud or you will wake Ise up.


    Ddraig - [....It''s ur fault, *sigh* fine I will tell you milady... When I 1st reach my juvenile stage I keep challenging every dragon I met, until I met Albion... He took interest of me and wanted to make me his mate but I don''t like him so we fought but we ended up in a draw, but he won''t stop bothering me over and over again even after I keep telling him to stop bothering me and keep following me around like some loyal dog... Eventually I can''t take it anymore then I set up an act by changing my gender with the help of Ouroboros Dragon, then I confront Albion by telling him that I am her(female Ddraig) true mate... When I thought he''s gonna stop bothering me he started challenging my male form because he thought I stole her from him hence the rivalry between us. At 1st I''m pissed off but then I started enjoying fighting him because I got too strong for most of the dragons and only him can keep up with my strength and Albion himself eventually forgot about my female form and keep fighting me just for the same reason as me, so i forgot to change my gender back after all this time and the fact Ouroboros Dragon doesn''t really care about anything but her silence also isn''t helping it... you can laugh at me, milady]


    LD - PFFT!! *shiver* If... If ise isn''t sleeping right now I would have really laugh out loud by now... If everyone knows the reason for the Sekiryuutei and Hakuryuutei rivalry is because some love drama they might die laughing hehehe~


    Ddraig - [...]


    Ddraig is so embarrassed if anyone can see ''his'' face by now it would be red, redder than ''his'' own red scales.


    LD - Hmhmhm, but I can tell you took a liking for Ise yourself don''t you ''Ddraig''? or should I use your real name hmm? Irene~?


    Ddraig - [...Just call me by Ddraig in front of him for now please milady...]


    LD - Fine~ but you must tell me how you fell for Ise yourself. Don''t try to lie to me because I could tell by the color of your soul that it attached itself to Ise''s soul so if he die you will truly die along with him.


    Ddraig - [...At 1st I only thought of him as a pervert, more perverted than most actually. Heck his biggest dream is to become a harem king for God sake... But after I spent more time with him I get to know him better and better, he didn''t treat me like some tools and treated me like a friend and partner, then I saw his act of selflessness for his friends and beloved... He doesn''t hesitate to throw his life on the line if it meant to protect the people he loves, he''s the only host of mine who doesn''t get lost in search of power... And before I even know it I started become attracted to his very being and believes... And the time I found out his supposed to be ''loved'' ones betrayed him and leave him to his own luck, I''ve never felt so much rage and feels deep hatred at someone. Even more rage than the time God of the bible kill and sealed my soul! And that''s also made me realize how deep have I fell for the man called Issei Hyoudou... Sadly I can only give him mental support but not the warmth he needed because all that''s left of me is my soul...]


    LD - ...I see so you have done the soul link with him to change him into a Dragon himself at the cost of your own soul, no wonder he has already awakened his ''Aura'' for being a hatchling... But now that I look into his essence he''s not pure dragon, and I can see he used to be a devil and a human even before that... No wonder he could possess [Boosted Gear] even though he''s mostly dragon now...


    Ddraig - [...Indeed milady... If I told him the price for his transformation, knowing him he will reject it without hesitation and rather die alone rather than drag me with him... Foolish... But that''s what makes me fell for him... And I don''t regret a single thing I have done knowing that I can accompany him till the last day of his life...]


    LD - ...Is that so?


    Ddraig - [Umu...]


    LD - Fufu, we could be sisters in the future ''Ddraig''~


    Ddraig - [...What do you mean, milady?]


    LD - Oh you know exactly what I meant, dear Irene~. You said it yourself his biggest dream is to be a harem king no? Fufu, I find it interesting... If his dream is world peace then he won''t be the man I fell for now won''t he~? Ever since the olden days every great man have a harem of his own, and I shall make it true for him, for my new found beloved~ If he so wishes to kill everyone that betrayed him then I shall kill them and trap their soul in limbo never to be reincarnated and only know darkness for eternity! Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! And besides... From what you told me he''s not the type who will forget the old and favor the new one now is he~?


    Ddraig - [...Indeed, he''s the man who doesn''t differentiate his love between his lovers. Whether they are old or new ones... Even Ophis feels attracted to him, the one who''s only interested in the silent of nothingness. Heck she even changed her gender to be a true woman just for him meaning she can''t change his gender anymore for all eternity]


    LD - Hee~ Ouroboros Dragon did? Hmhmhm~ indeed our Ise is one of a kind, how foolish of those that have abandoned him... And dear I meant what I said~ I could make you a new body if you wishes for it, and I could have asked for payment for it but considering you already bound your soul with Ise then that shall be the payment for it. Do you want to be alive again, dear Irene~?


    Ddraig - [!!! DO YOU MEAN IT MILADY!?]


    LD - I said don''t be so loud! And yes I do meant every word I said if you wishes so.


    Ddraig - [Then I shall give you my thanks in advance, milady!]


    ''Partner... at last we can be truly together in body and soul! And we shall show those sluts how wrong their choices are!'' Ddraig/Irene couldn''t help feel excited now that she knows her true dreams will come true. ''The world shall know the new Red Dragon Empress Irene Belseri- no... Irene Hyoudou Belserion! I shall accompany you in sickness and in health even if you so decided went to the gates of hell itself partn- no I shall call you my mate from later on... HAHAHAHA!!! Oh I can''t wait to see his reaction when he finds out about it, heh...''


    LD - Fumu, but it will take sometime. Later we will inform Ise about it but leave the part where you are actually a female because I believe you want to tell him yourself about it, no? Later I will separate you from Ise, but don''t worry he won''t die because I will set up a seal so only your soul are separated temporarily from the [Boosted Gear] so I can reform your new body, the only downside is he won''t be able to use the [Boosted Gear] power for some time during the separation. And I will train him so he won''t be weak without it, and I know exactly what needed to be done for his training so rest assured.


    (I will still call Ddraig as it is until she tells Issei about it)


    Ddraig- [Then, I leave it to your arrangement milady and thank you once more for everything]


    LD - Oh, don''t call me milady anymore. We are ''Sisters'' to be Fufufu~


    Ddraig blushed deeply once more but she still manage to mutter her respond even though its barely heard by LD [...Thank you... sister...]


    LD - Fufufu~ you''re welcome. But I really have to say he is really cute when he''s asleep don''t you think ~?.


    She poked his cheeks and become dazed because of how soft his cheeks are.


    Ddraig - [I can''t agree more] Ddraig chuckled. [But... Sister, don''t you have a name other than your current one?]


    Ddraig question broke her out of her little fun she''s having.


    LD - My old name, huh... well I have forgotten my true name after all this time and I hate that name anyway because it reminds me of the betrayal, so I might ask Ise to give me one later, fufu~ yes that''s a good idea. A new name given by my dearest beloved~


    Then she goes back playing with her new found beloved face though only softly because she didn''t want to wake him up.


    Ddraig - [If you say so, sister...]


    -After a while-


    Issei''s eyes started twitching then he open his eyes slowly but he couldn''t help but wonder what''s this soft feeling he felt on his face ''Kuh, where am I and what''s this soft things I felt on my face'' he started to move around and brought his hands to touch it ''Wait.... isn''t this texture!?'' he remembered the texture somewhat familiar because he often felt them during his old days and reminded him how he fell asleep in the first place and it just confirm his guess when he heard a sultry sweet melodious voice near his ear.


    LD - Ara~ you''re so brave Ise~ not that I mind it if you want to do it anyway so want to go all the way~?


    LD whispered and blew some hot air on one of his ears. Issei got up with a start with a blush then jump back right away and saw a scenery that makes his eyes went wide and almost got a nosebleed, LD is in her birthday suit and her private parts are barely covered by some of her hairs that leave little for imagination and Issei can see the beautiful red cherry ready to be plucked on top of her heavenly mountains, the comely eye she gave him, the red lips that looks shiny and lustrous after she give it a lick and her small tinge of blush on her face that makes her beautiful face even more mesmerizing, and you can see the outline of her butt under her curvy waist that doesn''t have a single bit of excess fat if anything it looks firm and enchanting. ''Fufufu~ now that''s the face I wanted to see, oh and he is very well endowed himself down there'' LD couldn''t help lick her lips after he saw what he got packing under his pants.


    If it''s the old him he might already have a nosebleed and started drooling but now he shakes his head out of his thoughts and try to cover his little bro who started to awaken out of his slumber by turning his body.


    Issei - I''m sorry for the blunder of mine by falling asleep on top of you and I hope you can forget the things that happen so far.


    LD - Oh~ how cruel of you for not taking responsibility after what you have done to my body *sniff*


    LD continued to tease him and fake her tears but Issei isn''t buying it and only blush a little bit


    Issei - We both know nothing happened and you know what I meant.


    LD - "Fufufu~, fine we shall leave it that... for now..." she smirked at the last part but Issei don''t see it because he turned away his sights so he won''t make a fool out of himself more than he is now.


    LD summoned her dress and wear them once more and call Issei to talk about her plans.


    LD - Ise, we need to talk about something.

 Chapter 5 - 4

    Issei - What is it?


    Issei finally turned around after she called him and glad she really already wore her clothes once more because she still can''t help letting his libido run amok after what he saw just now and the fact that a Dragon attracted to those that are stronger than them doesn''t help at all considering he just recently changed and still can''t control his Dragonoid desires for the better.


    LD - Well you see....


    After a while LD finished telling him that she can release and revive Ddraig from the [Boosted Gear] and asked him if he''s willing to do so, even though she know what his answer will be she have to confirm it so there would be no misunderstanding will happen between them. And his answer just like she expected but she become even more surprised when she saw what he did when he heard that she can release and revive Ddraig from the [Boosted Gear].


    Issei - REALLY!? Please I will do anything if you can release Ddraig! No matter what you asked of me I will do it as long it doesn''t go against my principles!


    He bowed down 90 degree even with the dragon pride forcing him not to do so, he still go against his pride to beg for his trusted partner freedom without a single hesitation because he owe Ddraig too much already after all this time. He added the words at the end just in case she asked him to kill innocents or something evil like that(****, etc) because even if he changed most of his attitudes after the transformation in the end he still what he''s used to be, kind and selfless even if its toned down by now. He now won''t hesitate to kill his enemies like he used to but he will never kill innocent bystander, he despises even the thought of killing them(Imagine if she asked him to kill a child etc he''s not some xianxia protagonist).


    LD - Oh, won''t you regret it if you lose the [Boosted Gear]? And you might die you know?


    LD couldn''t help asked him that, because he doesn''t hesitate in the slightest when she asked her question and she went even more mind blown hearing his second answer to her second question.


    Issei - Why should I? He''s the best friend and partner I could have asked for, he already helped me so much already while all I do is bring shame to the name of Sekiryuutei by earning the title Chichiryuutei(Oppai Dragon) and he even bring me back when I almost succumb to my despair of being betrayed by the people I loved, considering after what he have done for me so far my life is a pretty cheap price to pay. Even if you asked me to die right now just to save him I won''t even blink and end myself right here right now!


    Issei said all that without even a shred of hesitation and the look of his eyes and the conviction of his voice coupled with his now out of the world handsome face its fatality for both woman. It made both woman who heard and saw him this way become absent minded and blushed deeply and can''t help fell in love with him all over again.


    Ddraig hearing him to say that become speechless... but ecstatic because the man she choose as her mate doesn''t hesitate to do all that just for her. She even shed tears inside the [Boosted Gear] and become choked with emotion that she have to pretend she didn''t hear all that and faking she''s asleep right now.


    But LD have it much worst because she can feel his kingly aura going on full throttle, the aura of the Dragon King of Domination to be. She felt her heart thumping madly and feel like its about to burst out from her chest and her body is faintly shivering because she''s holding herself back just from pouncing the man in front of her and have her way with him in reckless abandon and she''s also drooling a bit, and if Issei paid attention to her more he would realize there''s something wet going down in between her legs and at the edge of her lips there''s a bit of drool flowing out, but because he''s looking at her straight in the eyes to express that he''s deadly serious so he won''t realize it, which is good or she might just do what she''s holding back from out of shame and will add another black history of him being dominated once more from the same woman twice. But this time it will be even more shameful because he will lose his virginity from being reverse raped...


    After a while she tried to get herself together by taking deep breaths and wipe her drools by faking a cough, but even then she''s still shivering a little bit because down there she''s still a bit wet.


    LD - *Cough* D-Don''t worry I wont ask you to go against your principle.All I ask is for you to give me a chance... A chance to let me to get to know you better, hoping you will tell me what happen to you and share it with me considering we are both have been betrayed by the people we once loved. But don''t worry I will still set Ir- I mean Ddraig free regardless if you will tell me or not.


    She almost let it slip and that make Ddraig almost screamed out loud just because of the tension she''s getting.


    Issei couldn''t help asked "But why?" even though he can tell that this woman somehow have feelings for him he has to make sure so there''s wont be anymore tragedy befell him less its gonna be another drama involved which honestly he can''t take another one considering he already been through that sh*t 2 times, 1st Reynare, 2nd Rias, etc.


    LD just put a smile from the bottom of her heart and look into his eyes like he just did to her and told him "Because I''ve come to known that I have fell in love with you".


    This time its Issei turn to become absent minded, and somehow he can tell that this woman in front of him really does feel that way unless she''s even better actor than all his exes combined. But he''s still not ready to try a new relationship of his own considering the stuff that just happen recently at him. That''s also why Ddraig doesn''t want to tell him about her real gender considering all that. He still wasn''t sure if he can fully trust the woman before him because they just met each other so he needed more time, so all he can say is "Sorry... but I need some time to think about it, but please I beg you to set my friend free" He bowed once more.


    LD eyes flashed a brief of sadness but she''s also a bit glad... If he accept her right away that would be more weird considering how he get over his past so fast like that. That also means he''s considered her wish seriously and not just randomly agreed with some empty words and filled with lies, so she cupped his face once more and still put the same smile and said "As you wish, dear". Which is a new thing for Issei because his old lovers would force him to say it right away and don''t care about his own feelings.


    Then LD let go of her hands from his face and started to tell him the procedure... After telling him that Ddraig told him he will be fine don''t worry. So after a bit of questioning Issei agreed to start the procedure.


    Ddraig - [See you soon. Partner!]


    Issei - Ah, see you soon!


    So with that said LD pulled Ddraig soul out of [Boosted Gear] and tell Issei her plans about the training which he gladly accepts because he needs to get the hang of his new body and become stronger to finish his purpose. She gives him bunch of options that available one which she will train himself or have him train himself by going to different worlds other than his current world, which he finds surprising because he never thought there would be different worlds or even universe other than his current one.


    But LD isn''t really surprised considering the strongest from his world is The Great Red which is the guardian of the dimensional gap and LD proceeded to tell him all the wonders of different worlds and he become more and more excited knowing there''s even a bigger adventure awaits him and he can''t wait to experience it himself. There''s an universe consisting of Pirates, Ninjas, God of Destruction and many more but LD reminded him not to get ahead of himself because there''s bunch of beings that even stronger than Great Red or even herself out there so with that revelation it cooled Issei excitement a little bit and realize the truth. The truth of there''s always someone stronger than you and to get pass that he have to become the strongest himself so he can travel between worlds freely and protect his new loved ones when he get one himself and don''t make the same mistake of mistaking fake love and true love.


    Then LD also told him about his Life and Death aura because its pretty rare to get it but she doesn''t ask him how he got it because she knows he will tell him about his past eventually. But Issei get the general reason why he might achieve that aura considering he already died at least three time in this lifetime of his (1st from Reynare, 2nd from the Samael blood? forgot its exact name, 3rd after he pulled the evil pieces from his body and reborn as dragon) so he''s pretty much an anomaly who''s able to cheat dead 3 times and that might be why he came to LD domain in the 1st place because the ''system'' might thought of him as either already dead or he became a species of Death God like LD herself albeit not pure Death God like LD. If its put to level LD understanding on the dao of Death is lv.100 while he''s still lv.1


    Hades never fully understand it hence why he become part skeleton and you could say he''s false death god. (Just my bs dont take it seriously though lol so people knows the power lv a little bit

 Chapter 6 - 5

    After some thinking Issei decided to learn about his life and death aura for now with LD because that''s what bugging him the most for now since he doesn''t want any mishap in case its gone berserk and kill someone he doesn''t want to kill accidentally. LD also agree with this because she don''t want Ise to kill anyone near him just like a certain Dark Mage she once saw. (Its Zeref in case you''re wondering) Even though Ise understanding and mastery is low enough to not kill anything at the moment but its still better to be safe rather than sorry.


    So she spent some times teaching Ise about it, and she''s surprised because it only took him a week to learn the basic which is surprising because its quite difficult to learn that even Hades spent his whole life try to understand the basic, that just tells that her new beloved perception is just that good (I mean in the canon dxd Issei learn new stuff on short amount of times considering he never trained his whole life no?). From what Ddraig told her that he is indeed a genius, even the word genius doesn''t do justice on his talents. He can make new skills just in short amount of time even though its quite a perverted skills mostly, but making new skills never been that easy for anyone even Gods find it hard to make a new skill from scratch.


    Just a week after he learnt the basic of the aura he can control it like an expert even though not as good as her, but its still quite good for a beginner. He could gain mana just by absorbing life force around him albeit its still a bit slow. And she finds out that he have more life force than most living being she has seen so far considering his young age that''s quite amazing.(You know what that means bois~ (?? ????) )


    And now that he''s totally focused unlike his old self who always being perverted most of the time, its just boost his perception even more, and she can tell that sooner or later he will get to where she is now.


    And during the times where she teach him, their relationship also get a bit closer, not that close but still close enough. He used to avoid her every time and only talks with her when its during the training session, he spent most of his times training his new found ''Aura'' so he''s mostly inside his room (LD obviously have a house you don''t think she floats around like a ghost don''t you?). But eventually they talk about small stuff like whats their favorite foods and some general stuff like that, and the way he looks at her now isn''t cold and detached like he used to before. It contains warmth and a bit of trust even though he doesn''t show it much from his expression but she can tell from his eyes and she''s happy that he finally started opening up to her.


    Sadly she isn''t really proficient on the use of weapons, so she''s thinking how to solve that problem. And when she''s searching for the answers she remembered about the Queen Of The Land Of Shadow, she knows if she''s searching for the best master on the usage of arts of weapons then ''She'' is the one.


    So she went to The Land Of Shadows and look for her and she found her right away, well... She''s the one who found her instead you could say.


    ??? - What are you doing here, LD? Don''t you know that I like to be left alone?


    A woman with a stoic face asked her


    LD - Long time no see Queen Of The Land Of The Shadow, I believe you have been well since the last time we met each other?


    ??? - Spare me the pleasantries and tell me your purpose for coming here and begone. Or I shall end you.


    LD - Oh, why do you have to be so cold~. We both know you can''t kill me... Even though I also can''t kill you either for that matter.


    ??? - Hmph! I could try once more if you wishes so and even though I can''t kill you, I can still hurt you.


    LD - And at what cost? The lost of your trusted spear Gae Bolg? Besides I have no ill will by coming here so set your animosity aside, and as for the reason I came here. I believe I have found the perfect candidate to be your student isn''t that what you want this entire time? To train a worthy student that can best you?


    ??? - Hoo~, really now? And what if I deem this your so called perfect ''Candidate'' doesn''t fit my requirements?


    LD - Oh, I believe he will perfectly fit your criteria I can vouch for that. And IF by chance he doesn''t fit your requirements then I shall do fulfill anything you wished of me. So what do you say?


    ??? - Interesting... For you to go so far for this person that means he''s the one you have been searching for all this time?


    LD - Indeed, he''s the one I have been searching for... My true love...


    ??? - HAHAHA! Very well you got my interest, but I shall judge by myself if he''s worthy or not.


    LD - You can do as you see fit.


    ??? - Heh, let''s go then.


    So they went back to LD domain.


    Back at Issei, when he get out from his room he''s wondering where LD is because usually she always greet him right away which he finds kinda cute to be honest. So he looked around the house to see if she''s here or not. Just when he''s wondering where could she be, there''s a sound coming from the entrance of the house so he walk there to see if that''s her.


    But when he arrived at the entrance he didn''t expect to see another woman whose beauty is on par with LD. Looks incomparably perfect from any angle. The good-fitting package under the purple leotard, he can see the fair skin that can put the moon in shame indistinctly, the elegant purple long hair smooth and gentle as if made from the silkiest silk, an out of the world gracefulness, the crimson pupils like they can understands all sufficiently, even soul. The plentiful and sexy stature,but also has the noble cold proud makings, as if like the Queen. The making of a perfect pinnacle of woman.


    LD is a bit jealous when she saw him become a bit absent minded but she doesn''t mind that much because even she have to admit the Queen beside her is on par with her own beauty.


    While on the other hand the newcomer is a bit dazed herself seeing the boy in front of her, he''s indeed the most handsome boy he have ever seen but what makes her surprised the most is the way he looks at her. There''s not a tiny bit of lust in his eyes only appreciation and that''s a surprise because there''s never a man can resist her beauty like the boy in front of her. That enchanting wine red eyes also surprise her a bit because she thought he''s a vampire at first but apparently not, she can feel the ''Aura'' of a Dragon from the boy in front of her and she can feel just from his ''Aura'' alone this boy in front of her have a great amount of will, the will to become the strongest which is to her liking. And he also see the aura of king of kings faintly, the boy might not realize it yet but he''s already walking on a road to be the king of kings himself.


    She doesn''t think that she can feel love because she never found one worthy of her love hence why she wants to shape a manto her own liking on the pretense of having a student that can fit her requirement so that said student can be worthy of her love and no one ever knows her true reasons for looking for a perfect student, at least that''s what she thought, but unknown to her LD knows her secret because she can see the same looks from her eyes... The desires to be loved.


    A warrior-queen from Celtic - Ulster mythology.The queen and gatekeeper of the foreign territory - haunted realm called "Land of Shadows", a prodigy of usage of all kinds of weapons but known best of her spearmanship. Possesses a power immense enough to rule and close the gate of the "Land of Shadows", which is overflowing with countless ghosts. She also acquire the Eternal Arms Mastery trait from her mastery in combat, which allows her to understand and use any and all weapons with the proficiency of a master. Proud and not serving anyone. A natural born ruler from birth.


    Possessing the traits of a monarch, she holds reign as the Queen. Overflowing with talent, she herself understands more than anyone else that she is different from the mediocre. In the same way, how she has an understanding about herself, she is also endowed with a reliable Mystic eyes to see through the character and traits of others (in particular, whether they are mediocre or not).


    Having turned halfway into a Divine Spirit at the end of a long time, she can no longer die as a human. Neither a beautiful death. Nor even a hideous death. She must simply continue to exist, until the time when the world - and its outside - finally disappear.


    She has been looking for a perfect candidate her entire life but she never found one and that''s why she finally enclosed herself and never venture out of her domain any longer and eventually she''s forgotten by most people, LD is one of the few existence that still knows her. Usually for any trespasser that came to her domain she will kill them straight away without question asked because of her boredom and disappointment of never found the candidate she''s been looking for.


    But finally she realize the boy in front of her might be the person of her desire! She thought he might be the one who can perfectly fit all her requirements! Therefore even if LD didn''t asked her to teach this boy in front of her she would''ve done so regardless and even take him by force if needed just so she can shape this boy to fulfill her long time desires. Then she snapped out of her thoughts and told the boy-... nay the youth in front of her.


    ??? - Youth, comes with me.


    Her voice is cold but valiant at the same time, with the arrogance of a Queen that makes people who heard her to submit before her. That''s basically what happened to most people she met so far, they submit to her commands. But she expects this youth will be different.


    Issei - What? And why should I follow you.


    Issei asked back in the same cold tone. The youth in front of her doesn''t betray her expectations, because if by chance he submit just like that then he''s not worthy of her love. LD also felt the same.


    And when she about to talk once more LD interfere and told Issei


    LD - Ise, She''s the one who will teach you on weapon and close combat proficiency. And her name is-


    Before LD can finish her words the newcomer cut her and told him her name herself.


    ??? - The name is Scathach, and what is your name youth?


    Issei is surprised because he remember he have read about her before and recognize the name of the woman in front of him along with her legends but because he''s already been with LD for a while he''s not too surprised anymore meeting strong beings such as herself and just reply calmly.


    Issei - Issei Hyoudou. And its nice to meet you. Queen of The Land of The Shadows.


    Scathach - Hoo, you know who I am?


    Issei - I have read some books about you.


    Scathach - Is that so? Very well now that you know my purpose we can skip to the point and I shall shape you into the best warrior there is. Now, follow me. And call me shishou from now on and don''t you dare slack off during the training or I will show you the consequences.


    Scathach turned around and gesture Issei to follow her once more, but this time Issei goes along with her but not before saying "Thank you" to LD and that makes LD really happy that he recognize her effort for him, so she respond back with "You''re welcome, dear~" with a seductive voice and that makes Issei blush a little bit but with a small smile that not went unnoticed from her because that''s the first time he smile after all this time even if its only a small one, but just that small smile is enough to make her heart beat faster, her face blushed even til her long ear twitched up and down a little bit because of the sheer happiness she felt.


    Scathach who saw this from the edge of her view felt a bit tinge of jealousy because that smile isn''t for her and she''s thinking how to make him smile like that for herself, but she will bid her time to make that happen because she''s already waited long enough just to find the man she''s been searching for, so she can wait a little bit longer just for it.

 Chapter 7 - 6

    -Some time ahead after the 3 faction leaders finds out about the disappearance of Issei and have read the report of Issei and the ORC girls situation-


    Inside the room of Sirzechs Lucifer, you can find the master of the room sitting down at the bed with his hands on his face looking depressed along with his wife Grayfia Lucifuge who is standing beside him. The room was in depressing atmosphere.


    Sirzechs - I still can''t believe my own sister did all that along with the rest of the girls... They cheated on their own future husband and actually forgot what he did for all of them... From the sacrifice of his left arm to his own very life on the line just to protect them but here they are cheating on him, not only that. But they also have the gal to brought their new boyfriends to Ise''s house, like they don''t even care if they got found out... Haha... This gotta be the biggest joke I have ever heard... And just the thoughts of it makes me so disappointed... Disappointed for the first time against my own beloved sister for what she did but I also feel disappointed against myself because I don''t realize it sooner to prevent this from happening, I thought they are gonna be fine on their own... Heh, how wrong I was...


    Grayfia - Its not your fault, dear... We could have never expected them to do this even in our wildest dreams... So don''t blame yourself if anything its our mistake as well for not realizing it...


    She couldn''t help shed tears herself when she thought about it once more, she feels exactly the same as Sirzechs. Disappointed at both of the girls and herself for not finding it out sooner.


    Sirzechs - I won''t even be surprised if he someday come back and wanted to annul their engagement. He could cancel the engagement whenever he want to because he has the entire right to do so! If mother and father know about this they will be furious!


    He feels sick just thinking about it once more.


    Grayfia just keep silent after his outburst because she know its all true.


    Sirzechs - "...Grayfia... If by chance Issei wanted to kill Rias for what she did, I will still protect her because that''s my duty as her big brother... But If anything happen to me you can serve Issei instead" Grayfia couldn''t help become wide eyed from that word and just when she about to say something, Sirzechs continue saying "Don''t worry I already know you have some feelings for Issei. The fact that I am... a cripple down there, and the fact I can''t fulfill my duty as a husband because of it is always my biggest regret. And I also know you still blame me for the death of your brother since long time ago... I know you''re holding back because of your sense of responsibilities to serve the Lucifer family, and the fact that my father might took you in as his concubine if not for my interference saying I love you even though I don''t really feel that way which we both knew that the love of my life is already dead. But its enough... You have already fulfilled your responsibilities after all this time, now its time for you to find your own happiness. Go to Issei when the time comes, you don''t have to worry about Rias either because Issei might not forgive her anymore after this incident and if my life is the price to protect her one last time then so be it... Father still have Millicas as the next successor, and its time to let him know that Millicas in fact is his own child, my little brother and not our son...


    Grayfia become speechless when she heard his speech but she knows its true... she still blame Sirzechs for the death of his brother even if its only a little bit and because of that she can''t come to fully love Sirzechs. They both knew that their marriage are just a pretense to avoid Lord Zeoticus making her as his concubine and there was never any love involved between them, Sirzechs become a ''Cripple'' during the great war long time ago and the one he truly love is already dead during the war. And to avoid the suspicion of any elders they both made a plan of making Zeoticus drunk and made him impregnate 1 of his concubines and hide the fact that Millicas in fact are his own son not theirs(Sirzechs and Grayfia). And the plan works flawlessly and the only one who knows about this are them both and the concubine itself but the concubine died when she gave birth to Millicas, and they already erased the midwife memories about this and made them think its his own son.


    Grayfia really do have feelings for the boy who is called Issei Hyoudou ever since the first time they met, his bright and honest personality is what attracts her so. Because every man she see always act like a gentleman but only want to get inside her pants. But not him, she''s sick of that so called gentleman and find his personality charming and like his outspoken attitude. And after seeing his sacrifices he made for his friends again and again she become interested with the boy... But because she can tell that the boy love Rias she step back because she felt she''s not worthy of his love and only someone young like Rias and the rest are worthy of him. So she bury her feelings and focus on her works, but she was happy when Rias and Issei become engaged because that means in the future she will serve him and that''s okay with her as long she can stay by his side.


    But tragedy befell him... She really felt sorry and angry for the man she has feelings for and if she knew this would happen she should have just confess her feelings to avoid any of this from happening alas its all too late... The boy she fell for are nowhere to be found, its like he just disappear into thin air even though she spent all the time she has just to look for him but she can''t never find him, not even a tiny bit of clue. She kept staying awake late at night just thinking about him, wondering if he''s okay, wondering what is he doing right now, and many more.


    Now that Sirzechs knows her secret then there will be no need to keep pretending after all this time so she responds with calm words saying.


    Grayfia - ...I see... and I''m sorry for your lost once again Lord Sirzechs... And don''t worry about Rias, even though she does something stupid I will also help protecting her because I think of her as my little sister as well after all this time, I will beg Issei if I have to just to make him let her go from his incoming wrath that might befell her but I believe in him... He will recover from all this and won''t blame you for it, and he might just let them go because we both knew just how much he love them. And I doubt he will kill the woman he once loved in cold blood just like that... They will get their retribution but that is not for us to decide. And know that you has been a great husband after all this time...


    Sirzechs - Heh, thank you for your kind words... It puts me at ease knowing you feel that way... *Sigh* Rias what have you done...


    Then the room went quiet once more.


    -Back to Issei-


    Issei and Scathach arrive at the training ground LD prepared and when they arrived Issei couldn''t help but asked her.


    Issei - If I might ask what''s the price for the training you will give me?


    Scathach - Hmm? Oh, that''s simple. All I want is for you to become the best warrior and beat me in battle, simple isn''t it?


    She said all that like she just answered its the most normal thing. Like when someone answered what''s the weather like.


    Issei couldn''t help become speechless from her answer but then he took a deep breath and answer with conviction "Very well, I shall defeat you. Thank you for training me, shishou" he bow slightly.


    Scathach - Hmph! Don''t thank me yet, you better keep up against my training or you will be sorry.


    Even though she says that, she couldn''t help become happy inside that he doesn''t hesitate in the slightest even after knowing the price of her training. And she feels like he might be able to do it soon, just call it her ''intuition'', and that''s great because her ''intuition'' never fails her.


    So they started their training...


    (I''m suck at writing this kind of training stuff so I might just skip it just like when LD trained Issei. And don''t worry LD will get her name in the next chapter or maybe the one after that

 Chapter 8 - 7

    Scathach doesn''t use any weapon, she just accelerates towards Issei and only use her bare hand to punch, a pure physical attack without any secrets behind it. Red color pupil that seems can see through soul which shine aggressively, but then she suddenly arrived in front of Issei instantly.


    Realizing the danger that suddenly arrived in front of him, Issei fighting instinct kicks in and he tried to dodge the incoming attack but to no avail. Then his body hits the wall.


    BANG!*COUGH*


    He coughs out a bit of blood from his mouth and he couldn''t help become confused at what just happen because even though he already avoided it. His body was still hit, just what exactly happened?


    Scathach - Thinks very strange? That was my Ougi(Secret Technique). If you understand some Celtic''s myths, you should remember the special skills of Magic Spear Gae Bolg. Can master this ability so far is only me, this is the spear ability trait. Its true identity is that of a reversal of causality, in which the spear is released after the outcome of the spear hitting the heart. And since it is an attack based on the outcome, it is considered impossible to evade. What I must teach you are this technique, how far can you comprehend this skills is totally up to you! You must try to use it even without the spear itself and apply it to all of your attacks, don''t think I can do it only because I have the spear. The spear special trait can only be activated once you totally comprehend the trait itself, the spear can only show its full potential if the holder itself is capable!


    Scathach come closer to Issei then proceeded to pinch his chin gently and make him look up to her then she says "However what I wanted to say is this, I have never lose a close quarter combat, and as for a long distance fight, I have a ranged technique, wants to defeat me is very difficult. So do your best to not disappoint me, because I''m waiting for my payment. Issei Hyoudou!". Then she gives his lips a quick peck.


    Issei once more become stupefied because once again he got kissed without his consent, well at least its not a guy who kisses him or he would have totally snapped. But it still pisses him off that he once more got harassed by the opposite gender even though he''s supposed to be the man here, but he know he can''t do anything about it since she''s way stronger than him at this moment so he can only hold it in... for now.


    Scathach then let go of his chin gently and walk away facing the opposite of direction. But her cheeks are mildly blushing and she got a bit of goofy smile on her face whilst thinking ''Hehehe~ finally I have my first kiss!'' her heart keep fluttering knowing she finally lost her first kiss to the man she approve of.


    Issei got up and scratched the blood under the corner of his mouth, if he could grasped such strength. So long as his attack hits, then he can be considered winning already.


    Issei - Interesting, please teach me this technique. Shishou! I promise I won''t disappoint you.


    She gets herself together then face him back and says.


    Scathach - Is very good, since you have sets firm resolve to study this then be mentally prepared, I will not treats you gently, I will be teaching you strictly! Either you defeat me, or I will kill you! I don''t need a weakling as my students(''or as my lover'' she added in her mind), so be prepared!


    Issei - AH! I won''t have it any other way regardless!


    Then her body rapidly vanishes, then she appears behind him, a leg whip, struck to fly Issei once more, then she coherently kept attacking him, like a Sadistic Queen! But Issei never even once argue nor protest about it he just keep follow through her harsh training and absorb every bit of her teaching like a sponge. Whenever Issei promotes a strength and skill, Scathach also adjusted her technique and strength, and its always exactly just right. The condition and angle of the beating down have not changed from the beginning, he always be the one who get tossed around until he managed to comprehend the basic of the skill. Now he could execute it through his normal punches but not strong enough to beat her but don''t think its a weak attack, if anyone else got hit by it then he/she won''t get away unscathed.


    And each day he spent training his Dragon trait also started to awakening, he got more stronger, faster, smarter at alarming rate that she even thought at this rate he might just surpass her soon enough. His comprehension skills also keep growing and she really has to admit he''s by far the best genius she ever saw in her entire life maybe even more than herself because from what LD told her he should be quite young around the age of 17 by human year and he''s also a former human which she finds quite nice because she''s also a former human before transforming into a Divine Spirit.


    When she finds out a bit of his past from LD she was furious! She might have just went to his world and annihilate everything that got in her way to find the ones who betrayed and make his new found beloved hurt like that. But thankfully LD stopped her from doing so by telling that''s for him to judge himself not her or anyone for that matter. So she relent it for now but she would make sure if by chance she got her hands on them, she will make them know what it means by Might as well be dead rather than be alive! Which LD totally agree but she told her that she want to get their souls because she wanted to put them into limbo. After that both of them are acting like sisters which baffles Issei because before they kinda always have a disagreement between each other, not that it concerns Issei that much because what''s on his mind right now is only to get stronger.


    One day LD asked Issei for a favor, which he agree to as long it doesn''t go against his principle whatever they might be other than the original request from her that wants him to be hers. What she asked are for him to give her a name because she tells him she doesn''t like her old name and have forgotten about it because of the betrayal, so Issei think about if for a bit and agree "If you''re okay with me giving you a name then..." He asked her once more. And she respond with a happy and a seductive tone at the end "Of course I agree, especially if its given by you. Dearest~!" which make Issei blush a little because he still doesn''t get used to that nickname given by hers.


    "How about Semiramis?" He offered, which she finds quite interesting considering the legend behind that name and she gladly accepted it because it does resembled her past because she herself often poison her enemy to death just to see them suffer. And just like what she did to her so called "lover" who betrayed her before, slow death by poisoning. So LD which goes by the name Semiramis are happy that she finally succeeded her plan of making her new beloved giving her a new name, she kept humming in a happy tone the entire day that makes Scathach wonders what make her so happy in the first place, and when she heard the reason of her happiness. She totally become jealous and regret of not being able to have her dear apprentice give her a new name because she already have one... But she''s also happy that Semiramis got her wish because they both have already discussed among themselves about their new found beloved.


    At first she totally freaks out that Semiramis knows the real reason why she''s looking for the perfect candidate as apprentice. But she calms down when she heard Semiramis past and felt sorry for her too, then when Semiramis proposed the harem plan to her she was surprised but not to much because she finds it totally normal for a man of his caliber to have multiple wives, heck even when she''s still a human Queen she kept being told to build a harem for herself by her ministers and generals. But she was never interested with that stuff because even though she likes handsome man just like other normal girls she doesn''t need an empty vase. What''s use of being handsome when they are weaker than her? Even she wanted to be protected by the one she love sometimes.


    Unbeknownst by Issei he will get a harem whether he likes it or not, of course by the time he found out about it, it will be all too late because he will already have a big amount of woman following him around everywhere he went. Not that he mind it that much later on...


    -A month later-


    Issei and Scathach can be found sparing like usual in the training ground but there''s something different... They are fighting on equal ground! Not like the usual where Issei got tossed around by her. Even though they only did hand to hand combat at the moment but you can see they are enjoying themselves especially Scathach because the man he love might be able to fulfill her long time desire sooner than she thought. He even gain mastery on her Eternal Arms Mastery and can use any weapon at the level on an expert not a grand master level but still quite amazing considering she only teach him a little about it. But his hand on hand combat are on par with her.


    Issei also enjoying their little spar because he can tell he is stronger than ever before now and his control of his Life and Death aura reaches to expert level and he can gain mana even faster than before just by absorbing a bit of life force around him and he can also touch and see souls now just like Semiramis, and he could consume the soul itself if he wishes so. But not recommended by Semiramis because its a bad thing to eat a soul because it can corrupt his own soul purity and the fact that most of the souls around her domain are evil souls cemented her suggestion even more. Not that Issei want to eat souls in the first place anyway because in the end he''s a former human not some mindless beast so the idea of devouring souls is disturbing even if by devouring souls he can get their skills and experience, in the end its not his own power so he detest doing so. Which just make both ladies fell even more at him, because most people would choose this shortcut.


    During this month Issei opened up even more to both ladies, Ddraig is still on the process of making his new body so that''s quite sad for him because he do miss his trusted partner ( Unknown to him when ''Ddraig'' finished reviving himself they won''t just be a partners in name, but partners for life~ (?? ????) both in body and soul ). Issei told them about his past, about his first date with Raynare, to his revival by the woman he thought the love of his life Rias Gremory, and till his confession to her during the rating game he fought for her.


    Both Semiramis and Scathach listened attentively without muttering a single sound because they want to know the past of the man they come to love, and when they heard his first betrayal by this woman called ''Raynare'' they almost blew up but hold it in, but Semiramis made a mental note to get her soul when she pay a ''visit'' to Hades domain. For ''Research'' purposes of course~. They both also noted the name Rias Gremory in their mind but they never heard of Gremory household before or maybe they just forgot about it because its been so long? Well they never really care for some weakling in the first place.


    Issei stopped telling his past till then but both woman are not sadden at all, if anything they are happy they are closer to finding the truth about their beloved past and when they do find it... Hohoho~ there will be time where they wish they never born, not like they gonna kill them straight away. Its still up to their beloved what happen to them, but they sure will make them suffer when the time comes.


    He also smiles a bit more nowadays at them but always have a distant and melancholy look when he''s alone. They both promise to make him the happiest man when they saw his looks, and Semiramis started to search for potential worlds that can make him more relaxed so he could forget about his past because she knew just by staying here it won''t help much with his case and he needs to experience new environment with that.


    Scathach on the other hand started sneaking into his bedroom and keep stealing kisses when he''s asleep using her Perfect Stealth Enhancement she have, but Semiramis finds out about it and scold her for not sharing. So they both take turns kissing him without his knowledge, Semiramis cast a silent sleeping spell so he won''t wake up and Scathach hides their presence just to make sure nothing went wrong. They even went as far as deep tongue kissing and kept exchanging saliva, and at one point they came just from the kissing session they had and both woman are in bliss of their secret night activity. At one point Scathach wanted to take it to another step but Semiramis prevents her saying its better doing ''that'' after they have his consent, not like she''s the one to talk because she kept stroking his junior down there during their kissing session and oh how ecstatic they are finding out the ''size'' of their beloved down there. It has the perfect length and the perfect thickness. Just by looking at it they got hot and bothered down there, its by far the biggest they have seen in their entire life combined...


    Issei keep waking up feeling weird because his mouth always feels sore when he wakes up. And he feels ashamed that almost every time he wakes up he got white stain on his pants thinking he had a wet dream or something and blame it on his Dragon libido, he cast cleaning magic to remove the stains every time this happens. And he finds it suspicious every time this happen the girls face for some reason are sparkling and beaming with satisfaction but shrug it off thinking its nothing that concern him.


    When Issei doing a hand stand with 1 finger with bunch of weights on top of his legs, Semiramis called him to talk about travelling to different worlds...

 Chapter 9 - 8

    When Issei arrived in the living room he see both Semiramis and Scathach sitting in the sofa, they set their line of sights on Issei and feel lustful just by looking at his new form after some time passed by.


    His eyes become more prominent like its made of sheer will and determination, both of that combined with his wine red eyes are so enchanting that makes them just want to stare at it every day. His hair has become a bit longer compared the time he arrive here, if his old hair only went pass his neck before, then now it reach till below his shoulder blade its also become more smooth and shiny but still give a bad boy vibe which both of them find more appealing. His face still pretty much the same, but now it become more even manly which really fit his eyes even more. His figure which used to be skinny are now what you can call perfect body without blemish and even with his clothes on you can clearly see outlines of each defined abs and muscle he has but not overwhelming like a body builder one which is perfect in any way from both of the girls eyes. They have to reel in their desires for him because they need to talk about something serious with him... But they sure will get what they want when the night comes, Hehe~


    Issei doesn''t really mind about the looks they are giving him, its not like he lost anything anyway. And if he have to admit its actually quite nice knowing two beautiful woman have desires for you but he doesn''t show it in his face. And he keep the stoic look he has but in his eyes you can see he trust both of them greatly although not fully but its getting there, so he asked them "What''s wrong?"


    The one who answer first is Semiramis, she clears her throat and says


    Semiramis - We both have come into conclusion that you need some change of pace. Now before you reject it know that its not good to always train yourself without resting. And no, just sleeping doesn''t count so we decided its time for you to go to another world, but don''t worry we will send you to a relaxing place so you could relax over there.


    Scathach also put in some words


    Scathach - Umu umu, she''s totally right. Even though we are happy that you never slack off but you need to relax once in a while to get things off your mind, and as your shishou I command you to take a vacation. No argument allowed, so with that said be prepared for your trip.


    Issei at first wanted to reject saying he doesn''t need one, but hearing their concern for him makes his heart warm so he stopped rejecting their suggestion. So he agrees to their idea and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for them all, oddly enough both woman don''t know how to cook even though they live for so long. And their reason was "We don''t need to eat in the first place so we never bother to learn how to cook" He become speechless with their answer, he can''t say anything because its true considering they are both immortal who doesn''t need to eat there''s no reason to learn it in the first place.


    But he still need to eat though because he''s not some immortal so when he asked if there''s any food around here at Semiramis, she said no. Thankfully after telling her that he needs to eat something, she remembered that he''s not immortal like her, at least not yet. So she went to some place and come back with bunch of animals he doesn''t recognize, which is fine with him because he got a Dragon stomach now. But seeing some of the ''Ingredients'' that look like some cthulu is pretty nerve wrecking and some even look like human but suddenly it split its head like bunch of teeth and eyes along tentacles with a blades at the tip of the tentacle(Parasite anime lol), so he automatically burnt the thing that looks inedible to ashes with his fire breath. At least some of it are ingredients he recognize such as pigs and the such, so knowing both girls can''t cook at all he started learn how to cook. Not that he can''t cook in the first place, if anything he''s pretty good at it because his mom used to teach him.


    But because his old exes always want to cook for him he never cook anymore, so after a bit of reminiscence he remembered the recipe and make some stir fried pork and the smells attract both girls. Even though they don''t need to eat to survive they can still eat if they wanted to, so when they saw that the man they love can cook they were pretty surprised but ecstatic. Because for a man to be able to cook is pretty romantic in their opinion, and when they taste his cooking they become stupefied because of how delicious it is. They even shed a bit of tears just from the taste alone, so they asked for more which is good for Issei because at least he can repay them for what they did even if its only a small things such as cooking for them.


    When both woman try cooking themselves it amaze him that their ''cooking'' able to emit a miasma just from their cooking alone, and when they asked him to try it. He told them to taste it on their own first because even if he got a stomach of a Dragon he might not be able to survive their ''cooking'' IF it can be called that in the first place, because it looks like a dark glob with eyes floating on top and a face of human that''s suffering and he could swore he heard a scream of despair from it. After they taste it on their own, they went into a coma for 3 days straight and they even hallucinate they could see their parents on the other side of a river even though they are supposed to be an immortal... After that incident they left the cooking up to him and even kinda begged him to do it... seems like they got a bit of a trauma from their own cooking.


    So after Issei finishes preparing dinner for the three of them they have a nice dinner and talk about lots of things, because they know its gonna be a while before they can have dinner together once more. They even have a drink party that night.


    That night was pretty intense for the 3 of them... Well, except Issei because he''s fast asleep like always...


    When he open his eyes after his slumber, he saw the 2 girls sleeping on both of his left hand and right hand respectively and what surprises him even more is that they are both naked. They both are clinging to him like a koala, and its even weirder that he''s somehow naked himself. He become confused for what happened last night and he thought he has done it with them both, and he become a bit panicked if they have done ''It'' last night.


    When he become a bit restless both of them flutter their eyes then opened them slowly, when they started looking around they noticed they are clinging to their beloved naked. And when they saw his panicky look they just wanted to tease him by saying "You were great last night, dear~" Semiramis seductively said. "Indeed as your shishou I''m proud of your performance last night" Scathach said with a teasing tone. They circled their fingers on top of his chest and that makes him ticklish a bit so when he''s gonna say something they both burst out laughing.


    And he was confused why they were laughing, but then he realized they must be playing tricks on him. He was glad they haven''t done it but also feeling a bit loss not that he will admit it anyway, "*Sigh* now can you both get off, please. My arms are a bit sore" he said whilst sighing.


    Both girls look into each other eyes once more and said "Nope~" at the same time and hug him even tighter. And because both of them are naked Issei can feel their boobs touching his own bare chest and he can feel something wet on each side of his legs. He knows what''s that is so he blushed a bit and when he gonna snap they both finally released him but they both still hanging over on top of him.


    And he can see their heavenly mountains in the flesh and almost got a nosebleed but held it in and he look away while saying "Wear some clothes you two".


    They both chuckled seeing him like this, then they proceeded to get off of him and wear some clothes to Issei relief. Because he don''t know if he can hold back any longer if they both continued to tease him because his libido is even more explosive ever since he transformed into a Dragon. If they both can hear his inner thoughts they might just become ecstatic and continued their teasing but sadly they don''t.


    So after a bit of preparation Semiramis told him about the world he might go to.


    Semiramis - The world where you will go to is set to a relatively peaceful world, even though there''s a bit of monster and the likes. They all are pretty weak that even the old you can easily handle them, now all you need to do there is relax and enjoy your stay, after some time passes. I will send you a note for your next transfer, don''t worry and spent as long as you want over there because no matter how long you spent over there even if its 1 or 2 years. Over here only 1 month will come to pass, so enjoy your stay and see you later. Dear~


    Scathach - Umu! Take care over there my dear apprentice and remember to take it easy, don''t just spent your time training even more over there or I will beat you up! And bring some girls if you want. Hahaha!


    Issei only thought Scathach was joking and shrug it off, but she was serious unbeknownst to him.


    As for the time difference he just thought of it as one of Semiramis power and doesn''t think much about it.


    Issei - Ah! I''ll be going Semiramis, Shishou. See you two later...


    He said with a small smile then both of them return the smile. After that Semiramis make a new dimension rift and told him to jump inside, and then he''s gone.


    Semiramis - Now then, shall we do our share of work too, dear sister.


    Scathach - Umu, indeed we shall sister.


    So they both proceeded with their plan, they both went searching for any potential wife candidates that would be worthy of their beloved.

 Chapter 10 - 9

    When Issei went inside the dimensional rift, there''s an anomaly happening. Issei''s feels someone summoning him, it tries to compel him to answer its call but Issei just snort it off and ignores it. But the compulsion started getting stronger and when he started getting annoyed a gap opened and he went through it.


    When Issei opened his eyes he saw that he''s on a sky free falling, and from the corner of his eyes he can see fire burning everywhere and a bunch of wyverns flying around, but when they noticed the newcomer they tried to attack him. But when they got near him, their instinct screaming to not mess with the ''man'' in front of them, they feels like they are before a King. The king of dragon kin, so they turn tails and fly away as fast as they can, because they know if they do attack him they won''t last a single second.


    Even though their ''Master'' order them to kill all human they see, they can tell this being before them is far from a normal human.


    When Issei saw the wyverns tried to attack him, he felt amused that a mere wyvern tries to attack him. But before he can launch an attack of his own, he saw them turn tail and flew away.


    So Issei put aside his sight to below him, below him he can see a city with a giant castle in the middle, so he decided to see what''s this compulsion that keep bothering him are. He spread his dragon wings and flew down right to the center of the castle because he can feel that''s where his ''Summoner'' are.


    When he arrived at the garden of the castle he saw a giant black dragon stand before him, and he''s surprised to see a Dragon here of all places. But he doesn''t feel a tiny bit intimidated by it at all, he just feel curious why there''s a Dragon here.


    While Issei inspecting the Black Dragon, it also do the same as him. It was asleep before because it got bored of killing the humans because they are so weak, so it leave the job to the wyverns. Then it felt an ''Aura'' of a Dragon above the sky so it become alarmed and went out right away to inspect it.


    It didn''t expect the owner of that aura are a human like being, but it knows better that the being before him is not a mere human. It can clearly feel an ''Aura'' that''s stronger than Its own, far more stronger... If the being wish to kill it then it won''t even last 5 second, so it feels fear. Fear for the seemingly small but possess immense power far greater than it.


    Whilst Issei still inspecting the Dragon in front of him, he saw it bow down and lay flat on the ground. First he was surprised, but then realized it must have felt his ''Aura''. Then he said "Don''t be afraid, I''m only here to see who''s summoning me. As long you don''t attack me then I won''t attack you." The black dragon meekly nodded its head and let him pass.


    When Issei arrived in front of a giant door leading to the center of the castle, he heard a clashing sound of weapons.


    *Clang!*


    So he proceeded to open the door.


    *CLANG!*


    The collision sound of weapon resounded once more. At this moment, Issei saw clearly. In the middle of the room, two people are battling.


    In one side of the fierce combat is a young girl holding a black flag with an evil dragon pattern symbol. She has a taunting look on her face. And on the other side is also a young girl holding a white flag that resembles an Angel with a holy flower pattern symbol. With a concentrated look on her face.


    They both have the same kind of weapons, which is a flag albeit with a different color.


    But what surprises him the most are they both are look totally the same, their armor, their stature and build, their face. The only things that different between them are the one with a black flag have a pale skin complexion, yellow eyes, long white-blond hair that reach her ankle, and a darker color scheme for her armor, flag, and cape. While the other one have fair skin complexion ,amethyst-colored eyes, long golden radiant blond hair that also reach her ankle but a white color scheme for her gears which totally the opposite with the other party.


    Issei couldn''t help think them as twins. But he stopped his thoughts when he heard the black one laughing.


    Black - Hehe... Haha... Ahahahahahaha!


    A laughter full with ridicule, like she''s blaspheming. Like she''s provoking and just playing with the other party. In her hand The Evil Flag also emitting a phantom. Then she attack once more.


    White - Kuh...!?


    Her expression congeals, in the foreheads filled with sweat. She hurriedly raise her white holy flag to block the attack from the other party.


    *CLANG!*


    The flags collide against each other and produce a flame spark because of their collision.


    *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*


    They keep trading blows after blows with each other, whenever the other one attack the other one defend. They keep the same pace rinse and repeat, he can tell the black one has more furor in her attacks while the white one has compassion in hers.


    But Issei can tell that the black one have the winning side. Its not like the white ones are weak but the ''Weight'' in her attacks are to soft compared to the black one. The black ones filled ominous aura filled with hate while the white ones filled with compassionate aura like a saintess.


    And Issei recognized the symbol on the white flag "That holy flag symbol... If I''m not wrong that symbol belongs to the France... That means I''m in France... And if my guess are right that woman are Saintess Jeanne d''Arc. I have never seen that much holy power and aura on a human before, and only a Saintess can hold that kind of aura. But who is that black one?" He couldn''t help but wonder while looking at the black one.


    At this moment, the situation had a change.


    *CLANG!*


    Under the fierce attacking of the black one, along with a splash of spark, Jeanne cannot insist finally.


    The grip on her Holy Flag in her hands slipped. Then the black one proceeded to attack once more "Ha!" The black flag hit maliciously on Jeanne body.


    *BANG!*


    "Ugh!" Along with the groan of Jeanne, her body got struck away and rolled at the floor until she stopped in place with a palm on the ground while her other hands clutching the place where she got hit and took a deep breath only the look on her eyes are filled with imposing look and determination. The grasps on the Holy Flag also not lessening and she till tightly staring at the opposite party.


    Regarding this, the black one only give the opposite party an insult.


    Black - "What''s wrong? Only this?" Black said with disdain "And here I thought you can give me a challenge as a''Saintess'' of this decayed country!"


    Hearing this Issei got the confirmation he need to know that the white one is really Jeanne d''Arc. ''Only why is she still alive? Isn''t she supposed to be already dead? Did I somehow travel back in time but the history never mentioned that she has a ''twin''...'' When Issei is still thinking she heard her asking the black one.


    Jeanne - ....Who are you?


    Jeanne asked while biting her lip, she gazes at the other ''her''. With a voice sounds limpid and moving. She asked once more


    Jeanne - Why you do this kind of matter?


    The matter where there''s some kind of war happening outside and with a bunch of wyverns killing humans and burning everything.


    Jeanne - If you are really ''me'', you should know. Here is our motherland... Do you really want to destroy it?


    But the black one only says


    Black - ...And here I was wondering what you want to say. Originally are this foolish talk?


    She says with disdain and ridicule look.


    Black - You are asking me why I want to do this kind of matter? Then I also want to ask you, Why can''t you do the same thing as me?!


    She loudly says


    Black - Think of everything we''ve done for this country so far! Think of the sacrifices we''ve made! And what''s the repayment they gave us?! They only look when we got captured! They only look when we were falsely accused! They even also only look when we were delivered to the cross, to be burned to ash! Now, you unexpectedly asked why I want to do this matter?!


    She says with utter hatred.


    Black - Naturally because I must have my revenge! Takes revenge against the humans as well as this country! This is the reason why I did all this!


    But Jeanne who''s hearing this only become silent, On that exquisite charming face doesn''t have a tiny bit of hatred, has not been at a loss, only inexhaustible sadness. "Has sufficed" she says, "Please stop. If you are really me, then please stops". This is what she pleads to the other her. "Because... ''I'' have never thought to take a revenge"


    From their conversation Issei realized they must be the same Jeanne yet entirely different at the same time. Because they both does the same thing but have a different wish, the black Jeanne wishes for revenge while the white one does not. They have sacrificed everything for the country where they were born. But in the end they finally betrayed by the things they wanted to protect. Just like him...


    Black - .....In other words you doesn''t acknowledge that ''I'' am Jeanne, right?


    You can''t see her expression because she''s looking down but her taunting smiles are nowhere to be seen.


    Black - Like me who unable to understand why you do not want to take revenge, you also could not understand me. You denied me, I will also deny you. Lost the title, lose the name, lose the memory, then only this hatred itself I will not lose. Such being the case, I, so long as I have this hatred is sufficed. You want to protect this country and I want to destroy it, then we shall arrive in hell to be burn in stakes together.


    She proceeds to lift the flag then in that moment *BOOM!* The Red Lotus Karmic Fire appears. Jeanne was startled, from that flame, Jeanne felt rich resentment and negative sentiment. The thing she doesn''t have inside her own flame.


    Black - "How? Don''t you have such power?" She says with a distorted smile "This flame can only be attained if you accept that stake, and was a determined flame that retaliated all me to obtain, flame of revenge. I was slandered as a witch, then by using this cursed flame I shall let them burn in its Karmic Fire completely and be a witch just like they condemn me for! And you shall also feel it once more just like during your death in the stake!


    The words fall, Karmic Fire such as fire storm. Sweeps across to Jeanne. "Kuh!" Jeanne doesn''t dare to neglect such attack, then she also lift her holy flag. *Whoosh* Some radiant brilliance immediately emit from the flag, making the dim golden light fill shines in the area.


    Black Jeanne liberated own Noble Phantasm True Name loudly.


    Black -"All evil is here. The time for revenge has come! This is the roar of my soul that was polished by hatred... <La Grondement Du Haine> !!!"


    Karmic Fire inflates immediately, burnt black the floor instantaneously, evaporated the air, resembled the tide to be the same, looks like a wicked dragon''s breath, went towards Jeanne body.


    Jeanne - "Here''s the work of the Lord! My flag, defend our brethrens!... <Luminosit¨¦ Eternelle> !!!"


    Jeanne liberated her own Noble Phantasm True Name similarly. And a bright and radiant golden light also bloomed from Jeanne''s Holy Flag and created a barrier surrounding her.


    Then the whole room went bright...


    (I made both of their hair long like their stage 3 form in FGO)

 Chapter 11 - 10

    At this moment, Black Jeanne has then carried on the liberation of her Noble Phantasm, lets resentment and curse emotions change into Flaming Karmic Fire, burns completely in all directions, while Jeanne is at the center of that said flame.


    Facing this flame which full of hatred Noble Phantasm, even if Saint or Saintess. Is unable to withstands it for long.


    Black - Combustion! Combustion! Combustion!


    Black Jeanne shout recklessly, seemed like venting her own enmity which full of hatred. Making the flame ignition even stronger. Therefore the floor started to melt, the temperature rises even hotter, space started to twist. The entire room changes into a scalding hot sea of fire instantaneously, lets the entire area change into like a purgatory sea of fire, filling the air with black smokes.


    In such purgatory sea of fire, only one spot maintains the previous state.


    And that spot is where Jeanne''s are.


    Issei is standing far enough from their battle arena so he is not affected by it, not like that fire can hurt him anyway because he can easily took a bath inside a lava without worry of getting burnt. If anything he feels comfortable.


    In the dim golden light, as if invisible wall barrier protect Jeanne to be the same, from the fluttering of the flag that emit such light. Covers all around her.


    Jeanne - Lord, please protect me.


    Jeanne closes one''s eyes tightly, facing this formidable flame that looks like it can burn down everything, on the face of this Saintess did not have a single sign of fear nor dread, she only reverently offering her prayer, to make the holy flag shines even brighter.


    But even though Jeanne''s Noble Phantasm defensive power is astonishing, but the flag itself if continually took damage will become unusable anymore if it passes a certain threshold.


    While Black Jeanne''s fire seems only going keep getting stronger and stronger like you can''t see the bottom of her power.


    Black - Combustion! Combustion! Combustion!


    She screams once more but with more intensity this time, much crueler. In such case the flames are getting even more stronger.


    Jeanne - Ugh... Guh!


    The Jeanne expression also gradually starting to become strained. The light on her flag also becomes dimmer, without a doubt if this continues. The flag will reach its limit eventually.


    Black - Ahahahahaha!


    Black Jeanne is recklessly laughing, watching the other ''her'' struggling.


    Until something happened... She saw a young man standing in front of the other ''her'' and not getting burnt at all facing her flames and that made her eyes widen.


    Jeanne also realized someone stood in front of her and the burden she feels are gone like its never there in the first place. So she looks up and saw a handsome young man looking down at her, the look in his eyes are limpid like he''s pitying her. Then she heard his voice


    Issei - Is it worth it?


    When she''s confused with what he meant, he continues talking once more.


    Issei - Is it worth it after you sacrificed everything for the things you love, but in the end you''re betrayed by them...? Knowing your demise is coming but you never fought back because you feels like that is your job, even though you have the power to fight back?


    Then she realizes what he''s asking of her so she answer with "Yes, Its all worth it... Even though they condemn me as a witch and burn me down at the stakes its all worth it, because the Lord gave me his revelation and I will do as he says". She stated with conviction just like a true Saintess which she is.


    Issei only look on quietly at her. His eyes never lost his pity for the young girl in front of her which baffles Jeanne''s a bit why he''s still looking at her like that. But their silence is broken by Black Jeanne scream.


    Black - Who are you!?


    She screams with hatred because this newcomer blocked her flames and protect the other ''her''. She''s confused and angry, how can he block her flames like its nothing.


    But Issei never turn around to answer her and continuously gazing at Jeanne.


    Black - Answer me!?


    She screams once more and tries to increase the intensity of her flame but to no avail because forget even flinching. Even the corner of his clothes are not burnt and looks like he doesn''t even feel the flame she emits, like there was never any flame to begin with. She becomes more enraged and stopped using her flame and made a dash to him and tried to stab him with her flag. "HAH!!!"


    Jeanne - Look out!


    Jeanne who saw this tries to warn him and tried to stand up to protect him, but because she''s to exhausted to even stand properly after spending most of her power to defend herself previously. So she can only look on when Black Jeanne tries to stab him from his behind.


    Issei still doesn''t turn around but he extend his hands backwards and make a grabbing motion towards the attack which are coming his way and stopped it effortlessly with just one hand. And stopped Black Jeanne advances just like that.


    This alarmed her greatly because she puts everything she has against that strike but here it is stopped like its nothing by the man in front of her. Jeanne also become stupefied by this but she stopped her thoughts when he speaks once more.


    Issei - I truly pity both of you...


    Issei finally turn around to look at Black Jeanne in the eyes but he still have that pitying look he has when he''s looking at Jeanne. And his look made Black Jeanne furious because she doesn''t need pity from anyone, when she tried to say something he continues saying


    Issei - You both sacrificed everything you have... Your body, your blood, your time, and even your life just to protect something you both loved just because some ''revelation'' from something unclear...


    And his words angers both of them because even though Black Jeanne wanted revenge she still believe in the Lord deep inside her. They both screamed "Don''t you dare says the revelation from the God as something unclear!" Even though Jeanne is a Saintess she will still become angry if someone insulted her Lord, she won''t mind if anyone scorn her but she won''t allow anyone scorn her believes. Same goes with Black Jeanne.


    Issei respond to their outburst with the same calm look and tone.


    Issei - Then I asked you both this... Have you ever seen your so called Lord?


    They both tried to argue but they have to admit they never saw their Lord in the flesh before, but they believe they can feel Him. And they clearly heard the voice of their Lord before, so they told him just that. But what he said next completely took them by surprise.


    Issei - Really? How about if I told you both that your so called "God" is already dead long before you even born?


    Jeanne & Black - What!? You''re lying! Don''t you dare blaspheme him even more than you do!


    Issei - I''m not lying, I don''t have the reason to lie to both of you... ''God'' is already dead during the great war between the 3 factions long time ago, the one who took his place are 1 of his Archangel. Archangel Michael, and if you still think I''m lying then here I shall show you.


    Then Issei put both of his hands on top of of their heads and make them ''see'' from his own memory about finding ''God''s Death.


    Then they both saw the revelation from Michael and how God are already dead even before they were born and heard the fact that Michael took over his place to act like one, now they know truth behind their so called ''Revelation''. Its orchestrated by Michael not God himself. He has to sacrifice both of them because he needs humanity to stand on their own, he can''t interfere directly because humans tend to become afraid of the unknown. (Just making some bs story here please don''t be mad guys I believe in God myself and in dxd universe God is portrayed as dead already so i only use its setting, Peace)


    Jeanne - No no no no no....


    She collapse into the floor once more and tears stream down from her eyes and her eyes has lost the light like she can''t believe everything is true. She kept mumbling ''No'' or ''This must be lies''. While Black Jeanne.


    Black - "Isn''t this sweet?" She says as she looked at the other Jeanne "We fought for f*cking nothing, Jeanne! We have been burned in the name of a f*cking corpse! I knew it that there was no God!" her words are cruel but Issei know behind those words of her there was a deep sadness "Nothing! Nothing! F*cking Nothing!!!" All her hatred burst out like a broken dam, "Everything... Everything was a f*cking lie!" She kept saying that as tears also fell from her eyes. Then she also collapsed on the floor holding her face with both her hands.


    Issei just looked on when both of them pour their sadness out after finding about the truth, he know what he did is cruel but they need to find out about the truth... Because he doesn''t want them to sacrifice their life for nothing.


    After a while he finally spoke once more.


    Issei - So was everything still worth it?


    They both lift their heads and stare angrily at him with tears still their eyes because they know the cruel truth from him.


    Issei - You want to blame me for telling you the truth then go ahead, if you want have revenge against me then be my guest. I don''t mind taking both of your hatred if that''s make you feel better, but I won''t take back anything I''ve done even if I could because you both need to knows the truth.


    He pause for a bit before continue saying


    Issei - I have also experienced the same thing as you two, I have sacrificed everything for the ones I once loved. But in the end they betrayed me, at first I also feels devastated and just want to end it all by letting myself die from the cold hard truth. But my trusted partner pull me back from the despair I felt and made me realize the word called "Freedom". Freedom to not act for anyone else, freedom to choose the path lies before me, freedom to finally act for myself not just for others. And I find it funny how just that one word can bring me so much joy, "Freedom cannot be bestowed - it must be achieved." that sayings are quiet true... "The great revolution in the history of man, past, present and future, is the revolution of those determined to be free." You can sacrifice as much as you want but if you cannot free yourself then how can you free other people? Sometimes sacrificing yourself for others are not a good thing, that way they won''t ever truly be free if you keep saving them.


    They need to strive for freedom themselves. Michael''s way is not wrong but also not right, he is right for thinking the best for human so they can stand on their own but he is wrong when he choose to sacrifice both of you just to achieve his objectives. So here''s where my favorite sayings comes in "Everything is permitted, Nothing is true." You can be called a saintess, you can be called a witch, but in the end what defines your true self are not someone else, not even God himself. Its you yourself who decide what you want to be, as long you believe of who you truly are, and do not pay any heed what other people calls you. You shall find your own "Freedom", "Freedom" to become whatever you want.


    At that moment both Jeanne''s see the light, the light they thought have lost after knowing the cold hard truth.


    Issei - So tell me... Will you achieve your own rights, rights to be happy, rights to be yourself. The rights to finally attain your own true "Freedom" or will you just look away and ignore what should be truthfully yours in the first place? And if you are afraid moving forward then I shall offer you my back to lean on until you are ready to move forward on your own.


    He says while looking both of them with a sincerest smile he can muster, and his eyes are filled with gentleness and caring warmth seeing they finally see the light once more. Something he thought he can''t achieve anytime soon but at least he can save the two Jeanne''s in front of him, saving them from the never ending cycle of acting as a sacrificial lamb. And finally started looking for their own "Freedom".


    When the two Jeanne''s saw his sincere smile and his gentle caring eyes, they thought they saw God and for the first time in their life they feel an emotion that they thought they throw away just to serve the supposed Lord, Love. Not love like what they felt for their country, but the love between a man and a woman. They have stopped their tears and both have a red tinge on their cheek.


    Black Jeanne still emit a bit of distrust because that''s what her core are. Distrust against everything, so she asked him


    Black Jeanne - And why should we believe you? You might just betray us just like the others are when you have the chance!


    She spat at him because she''s indeed afraid trusting him even though she have favorable feelings against him. The white Jeanne also feel a bit of distrust after what happened but they both become stupefied from what he says next


    Issei emit his Dragon ''Aura'' to the fullest and says


    "Hereby I swear on my Soul and my Name Issei Hyoudou. If I ever betray the two woman before me then shall my soul be destroyed and never to be reincarnated!"


    Then both girls feels there''s a connection between their souls connected with his very own soul. And know that they are now bound by a contract, if he by chance ever betray them then his soul will cease to exist and this contract is absolute and last for all eternity.


    They become wide eyed and can''t believe he just swore an oath that binds their souls just like that, they can end him anytime they want if by chance he ever betray them.


    Issei - Is that enough to gain the trust from both of you?


    He says with the same smile he has from before, and there are not a tiny bit of hesitation nor regret when he said his oath. And they can feel their heart thump wildly inside their chest when they saw his smile once more, even Black Jeanne feels the emotion she never thought will feel again from all the hatred she harbors inside her, trust and love... For the first time she feels other emotion rather than just pure hatred, and she like this new feeling.


    While White Jeanne put her hands together like she''s praying but her face is anything but holy now, her face are red like tomatoes and her eyes holds nothing but love and faith for the man before her. Like she finally sees her true Lord.

 Chapter 12 - 11

    Issei came to realize his feelings kind of amplified when he''s looking at the 2 woman before him, Its like he''s looking at his own kin, even though he knew they are not his kin.


    He just couldn''t help it when seeing their pride, passion and determination that they possess for their believes which just like him when he''s defending those who he once hold dear. Its like they hold a certain charisma that attracts him.


    He assume it must have something to do with their skill trait because he feels a certain attraction towards them.


    Even now he can feel their charisma attracting a Dragon kin such as himself, no wonder there''s so many wyverns and a dragon outside but they never attacked this place. This castle is the only intact building he saw during his observation while he''s still free falling in the sky.


    He can tell if another Dragon other than him came into contact with their ''Charm'' then that dragon would instantly submit to them. But because he''s a special ''case'' which means he''s not a Dragon from birth. He won''t submit right away and only feels a certain attraction towards them. And the fact he has the will of The Dragon of Domination which doesn''t allow him to submit, also holds a certain credibility which assist him resisting their charm.


    And even without the oath he will never break the promises he made. Even when he''s still human he always fulfills his promises no matter what.


    But he can feel something odd with the Black Jeanne. If they are supposed to be the same then their power shouldn''t be differs that much. But from what he have seen so far her powers are way beyond the White Jeanne, its like an adult fighting a children.


    He stopped his trains of thoughts when the White Jeanne speaks


    Jeanne - "I hereby declare. The mountains may rise and fall, and the sun might wither away, and the sea may claim the land and swallow the sky. But you will always be my Lord. And the stars might fall from the heavens, and night might cloak the earth, but until darkness dies, I will always be yours as long you don''t abandon me. I, Jeanne d''Arc swore this oath to you. Issei Hyoudou, my new Master, let it be known that if I broke this oath of mine. Then let my soul perish for eternity."


    She speaks with fervent gaze while still kneeling. Then her oath manifest itself like a chain, heading towards Issei and it bind her own soul with him.


    Issei eyes widen with shock, he never thought she gonna bind her soul to him... And while Issei still shocked he heard the Black Jeanne clicking her mouth then says


    Black - Tsk! If you ever betray your oath then knows that I will destroy your soul without hesitation and watch it burn! And I''m dead f*cking serious!


    Then she also got into one knee and swear an oath to him


    Black - "I hereby declare. Become a part of me, as I become a part of you. And ever after, I promise myself to thee. Each day we share, I shall be honest, good, and true. If this you seek, heed my Call. From this moment on, there is no other for me but you. If there are any who dare to hurt you. I shall see them staked afore me and shall leave their bodies in ruin! I, Jeanne d''Arc Alter swore this oath to you. Issei Hyoudou, my new Master, let it be known that if I broke this oath of mine. Then let my soul perish for eternity."


    Then the same thing happens to her soul, just like Jeanne. It binds her soul with Issei''s soul.


    Issei''s brain went haywire because he can''t process what just happen... When he''s still out of it. Black Jeanne scream at him.


    Black - HEY! ARE YOU LISTENING!?


    Issei''s snapped out of his confusion and asked them loudly.


    Issei - W-What!? Why the hell did you two swore an oath to me! Are you out of your mind!?


    He couldn''t help become flabbergasted because they took him by surprise, he never thought they will swore an oath to bind their soul to him!


    Issei - I know I also swore an oath to you two. But that''s because I know I won''t betray my oath!


    Black - And you think we will betray our oath!? Don''t think you''re the only one who can do that! (as in won''t betray the oath)


    She screams back at him, she''s pissed that he thought they will betray their oath to him like they are not trustworthy or something.


    White Jeanne only keep the same posture from before without saying anything but the look in her eyes says it all. Her unwavering faith, love and passion for him like it will never wane away for eternity.


    Issei - I...


    He don''t know what to say because he''s still having insecurity about his past, but then he realized what they just did are basically saying they will never betray him either.


    And once more his thoughts are broken when Black Jeanne got up and grab his collar with both of her hands, then she scream once again at him but this time at point blank range.


    Black - Don''t you dare compare us to the ones who betrayed you before! Or I will take you down with me to hell even if Its gonna cost my soul! Then I shall watch you burn in stake along with me!


    Then she did something that once more blow Issei mind... She kissed his lips while still grabbing his collar.


    Issei - !!!


    He widen his eyes from shock.


    White Jeanne also become shocked from what she saw. Her mouth is wide open from shock.


    Black Jeanne continues kissing Issei but because this is her first kiss its kinda clumsy.


    Then she ended the kiss but still glowering at him with a red face, "Now do you believe me!?" She screams out of embarrassment.


    While Issei gonna say something he feels someone pulling him from behind and forced him to rotate his face, what awaits him is another surprise.


    Yes, you guessed it right. This time its the White Jeanne who kissed his lips and its also her first kiss.


    After a while she stopped the kiss.


    Jeanne - Do forgive my rudeness Master, but I don''t want to lose against my little sister.


    Black - Who''s your little sister!?


    Black Jeanne cut in right after Jeanne finished talking.


    Jeanne - But I am the first one who swore an oath against Our Master, so that makes me your elder sister. Right?


    She says that while tilting her head and make a cute smile against the Black Jeanne.


    Black - RIGHT YOUR HEAD!!? I don''t accept this! I want a redo!!! Hey stupid Master hurry and restart our oath!!!


    She proceeded to grab Issei once more in the collar and swing him back and forth. Issei''s finally snapped.


    Issei - Cut it out you idiotttt!!!


    Both Jeanne are surprised from his sudden outburst.


    Issei took a deep breath and knead his forehead because the amount of stress he got are overwhelming... first they swore an oath without his acknowledgement then second they kissed him by surprise now they are swinging him around like he''s some kind of toy. He''s a proud Dragon for God sake!


    Issei - *SIGH* Didn''t I told you both that you have your own Freedom, so why in God''s name did you two bind your soul to me...?


    He says that with a sigh


    Both Jeanne look at each other then the White Jeanne says


    Jeanne - But we did just as you said.


    You said we have rights to choose our own path. Then our choice are to serve you as our new Lord.


    Black - Hmph! What the idiot said! Its not like we have any place to go after this, so we might as well follow you. Don''t worry I will cancel my assault against this country, It will be more interesting to see them fall on their own. And don''t you think its gonna be more satisfying to watch them keep worshiping a corpse for their entire life?


    Jeanne respond to that are only a wry smile, but she knows deep inside her ''little sister'' don''t hate their country that much anymore. After all this is still where they were born, even if the Lord is no more they have found their new Lord to serve.


    Issei - ...Fine, suit yourself. But tell me if you want to cancel your oath in case you changed your mind.


    Both Jeanne - We won''t change our mind / Hmph! You can forget running away from me!


    Black Jeanne - And call me Jalter, I don''t want to be called with the same name as this idiot. Besides the oath clearly states for eternity, so we can''t cancel it even if we wanted to.


    Jeanne - Oh don''t be shy, little sis~


    She suddenly hugs Jalter and rub her face against her.


    Jalter - Knock it off you idiot!!! Get the hell away from me!!!


    Jalter become ashamed and she tried to push Jeanne off of her, but she doesn''t really hate it to be her little sister. To be honest she''s kinda happy because finally someone accepted her. But she''s to shy to admit it.


    Issei just stare blankly at both of them, but then he remembered about that thing which summoned him here. So he asked them both


    Issei - Did any of you summoned me?


    Jeanne and Jalter become confused by what he meant but then they realized that he''s not human. Because they can clearly feel his aura when he spoke his oath, which clearly belongs to a Dragon.


    Jeanne - Now that you mention it... I think Jalter knows something about it because I''m not the one who summons all the Wyverns outside. And We aren''t supposed to be able summon them in the first place...


    Jalter - Tch! Yes I''m the one who summon them but I got a little help from this thing


    Jalter proceeded to brings out a black holy grail and that alarmed Jeanne


    Jeanne - <Black Grail>!?


    Jalter - Um. IT is indeed a <Black Grail>... This is what enables me to summon the Wyverns and Dragon outside, and I don''t remember how I got this thing in the first place.


    Because I suddenly just got here along with this thing in my hand.


    Issei - <Black Grail>?


    Jeanne - Its the total opposite of <Holy Grail> , If <Holy Grail> can grant a wish without a side effect then <Black Grail> comes with a side effect.


    Issei - And I''m guessing Jalter wished for the destruction of this country and it grants her wish by summoning bunch of Wyverns and Dragon, and the side effect shall be. It won''t just be this country alone that will be destroyed. But also the whole world if its not stopped.


    (My definition on the <Black Grail> are that they will fulfill the wish of their possessor but with their own way, so if Jalter have a bad luck the grail might just summon some demons/monsters and they will kill her too. But because a dragon kin is summoned she''s pretty lucky because dragon kin won''t attack her and even obey her command)


    Jeanne - Exactly...


    Jalter - ...And I can''t cancel it even if I want to, once it granted a wish then it won''t stop until the wish is fulfilled...


    The atmosphere become tense for them.


    Issei - Let me see it.


    Jeanne - You can''t Master! Its too dangerous!


    Jalter - She''s right. I won''t let you touch this.


    But Issei just ignore their words and took the <Black Grail> from Jalter hands without her even realizing it.


    By the time she realizes the <Black Grail> is not in her hands anymore, Issei already started looking into it.


    Jeanne & Jalter - Be Careful!!!


    They screamed at the same time fearing something will happen against their new Lord/Master.


    But nothing happened and when they both become confused the <Black Grail> emits a bright dark light and blinded them for some time.


    And when they open their eyes once more, Issei are nowhere to be seen and the <Black Grail> are floating on the air while still emitting a black aura.

 Chapter 13 - 12

    When Issei open his eyes all he can see is darkness, but there''s a single throne adorned with human skulls and the color of the throne is pitch black.


    And he can see a girl sat upon that throne, who''s looking straight at him and she has a wicked smile on her beautiful face.


    She has a has a doll-like face considered to be "too beautiful and too well-crafted", yellow pupils just like Jalter, the same pale white skin, and a long pale white hair. She wears what appears to be a black priestess garb with red outlines along with a pitch black crown adorned atop her head. ( https://fategrandorder.fandom.com/wiki/The_Black_Grail_(Servant) can''t tell what the rest of her outfits are so here''s her link)


    ??? - Ehehehehe... Ahahahahaha!


    She started laughing like a maniac.


    Issei just calmly look at her, he knows the woman in front of him is the <Black Grail> itself. Just from the dark aura she emit alone which is the same when he hold the <Black Grail> before.


    After a while she finally stopped laughing.


    Issei - Are you done?


    BG - Hehehe... Indeed I''m done... I can feel that you have the same "Darkness" inside you that match my own. So If I absorb you with me then I shall become complete! Now become one with me, Dragon!


    She talk with the same wicked smile on her face.


    Issei - I refuse.


    BG - Hehe, that''s not for you to decide!


    Then out of nowhere there''s a black tentacle emerging from all around her, then they headed straight away to Issei.


    They constrict all around his body. From his neck, to his arms, his legs, even his body.


    BG - Ahahahahaha! Now come here!


    But Issei doesn''t move a single inch, you could tell the black tentacles are struggling to pull him. But to no avail.


    BG - How!?


    She''s confused why even though she use all her power to pull him towards her, he doesn''t even budge. And he''s still has the same calm look from before like the tentacles that wrap around him are non-existent.


    Then Issei emit his own aura and the tentacles are shredded to mince just from his aura alone.


    BG - Wha-!?


    She become amazed by the sheer power she felt just from his aura alone. But she become more ecstatic because if she can absorb him then, she will truly be complete and even stronger than ever!


    Then she summoned thousands of humanoid looking dark substance to attack him.


    BG - Hahahaha! Great, great! Now let''s see how you can handle this!


    Then the army she summoned launched their attack at him.


    -After a while-


    The girl face lose her smile and she has a scowl on her face.


    BG - WHY! WHY WON''T YOU GO DOWN!!?


    She''s mad that the man before her won''t go down like she wishes to.


    Issei still at the same spot when he arrived here, but the army she summoned are all over the place. They are scattered around him.


    All he do is launch normal attack whenever that thing come close to him and they are destroyed like a clay figurine whenever they received his attack. At one point she started summoning a shadow like being that has the form of Jeanne and other strong looking humanoid.


    But they are all destroyed just from his normal punch or kick.


    And then they tried ranged attack but also to no avail, he slapped away every projectiles that come his way but even if some hit their target, forget about injuring him they can''t even put a scratch on his outfit.


    Issei still has the calm look after all the ''battle'' he had and he doesn''t even broke a single sweat after all that.


    Issei - Are you done?


    He asked once more but this time his red eyes shining a little bit.


    BG flinched when she met the stare from his eyes, this is the first time she feels intimidated ever since she came into existence. She just see everything she see as a toy and she loves to mess around with their so called ''Wish'' Her wish are to destroy the world but sadly her power is not capable enough to do that.


    But when she sensed the power from the rift she became ecstatic, if she could absorb that power then her wish will finally be fulfilled.


    And when she saw it first hand, she become more assured that this man in front of her is the key to her wish.


    Alas she underestimated the man and she can''t took him down no matter what she did.


    Just when she get even desperate she remembered she still hasn''t tried that thing.


    BG - Heh, I admit you''re strong but this will be the end.


    Then she summon a black mist and surround Issei within it.


    BG - No matter how strong you are outside, deep inside you must have a certain negative emotion and that shall be your downfall.


    Then she got up from the throne and head towards him...


    -


    When Issei got surrounded by that black mist, he feels his surrounding change. He''s back to the time where he find out the girls is cheating on him.


    He saw when Rias & Akeno kissing that man, he saw when the rest of the girls are acting intimate with their new boyfriends. And here he is watching it all over again, after that he saw them throwing insults and hitting him down over and over again while their new perspective boyfriends just laughing in the background.


    They are not the same girls he once come to love, the look in their eyes, the pure contempt they had on their face when looking at him.


    Issei doesn''t realize he has tears streaming down his face at this moment, he just calmly looking his memories replaying back. The happy memories and sad memories, and then he come to the point where he almost died just from the sheer despair he felt during that moment.


    How he just want to die, just so he won''t feel the pain from getting betrayed by those he loved. If not for Ddraig then he must have died long time ago.


    And after what it feels like an eternity he finally saw his new memories he have with the new woman he found.


    The time he spent with Semiramis, his Shishou, Jeanne, and Jalter.


    Deep inside he still doesn''t trust anyone, he still thought of them all the same as Rias and the rest. And what''s more he feels afraid if the same stuff happen once again, but then...


    He saw from all of his new memories, that he has been wrong for thinking every woman he met the same as his old Lover.


    The care they gave him, the joy they share, the warmth, the trust they gave him by telling all about themselves. How Semiramis got betrayed, how she felt about him. And his shishou who even though strict with him but still never lose the loving care she gave him. How she tell her secret why she''s looking for a perfect candidate to be her student.


    And even the 2 new woman who swore their soul to him without hesitation. They are really silly but that''s their beliefs, their beliefs for him.


    He knows they truly love him deep inside but he''s too afraid to move forward, to accept their feelings. In fear of the betrayal happening once more.


    But now he realized how wrong he was. Then he finally found the courage he needs to move forward towards the better future.


    And unknown to him his souls which constantly contradicting each other have started to become one, they are balanced just like yin and yang. He has another breakthrough, he break the shackles which binds him to go to the next step. What it meant to truly become The True Dragon of Domination.


    He shall dominate everything, Dominance. Control. These things the unjust seek most of all. And so it is the duty of the just to defy dominance and to challenge control.


    He shall have dominance and control over everything, even his feelings.


    To know sorrow is not terrifying. What is terrifying is to know you can''t go back to happiness you could have. Fear is not evil. It tells you what weakness is. And once you know your weakness, you can become stronger.


    -Outside Issei''s mind-


    BG came close to Issei''s body, he has his eyes closed like he''s fast asleep.


    BG - Hehe, At last... Finally My wish shall come true! Now you shall become part of me.


    When she extend her hands towards Issei.


    He suddenly opened his eyes and grab her hands.


    BG - !!!


    She become shocked


    Issei - Thank you for making me realize something.


    Then he threw her away. She crashed against the throne and cough a bit of blood because of the impact. Then she saw Issei floating with his Dragon wings spread behind him.


    He closed his eyes and put one of his hands over his chest then started chanting


    Issei -"I, Who shall awaken.


    Am The Red Dragon Emperor who control the principle of domination


    With infinite hope and dreams, I shall become the protectors of my loved ones.


    I am their light in the darkness.


    I shall promise you! A future that shines brighter than any light.


    Ally to good! Nightmare to evil!


    I shall become the True Red Dragon King of Domination!"


    "<Dragon Overdrive>!"


    Then the whole darkness around him are blown away.


    (Issei''s new form are that of a dragon that look like Deathwing from World of Warcraft but with red scales)


    Then a majestic red dragon stand before her, his mere presence bring shiver to her core. She feels tiny and insignificant before him, she have the urge to just submit to him.


    Issei gave a loud roar after his transformation and every wyvern and the black dragon outside the <Black Grail> are shivering and bow down towards his direction, like they are welcoming The True Dragon King awakening.


    Jeanne and Jalter who are still panicking when their new master disappear noticed the anomaly and they saw the <Black Grail> are shivering fiercely like its threatening to break any moment.


    They also heard the roar which contains so much power.


    After a moment Issei stopped his roar and set his gaze upon BG once more, she felt her heart stopped beating when those gaze lands upon her. Then she heard his calm voice inside her mind.


    Issei - Summon back all the wyverns and dragon you summoned.


    BG can only comply because she knows there''s nothing she can do to this Dragon before her.


    Outside all the wyverns and dragon disappear into a particle of light while they are still in their previous position. And the humans give a loud cheer when they saw the wyverns disappear.


    BG - ...What now... Will you kill me... Heh! A fitting end for a being such as myself and I consider it as my honor to be killed by you, True Dragon King!


    Issei didn''t answer her question right away, he just kept staring at her.


    Just when BG started feeling irritated she heard him once more


    Issei - I won''t kill you, I don''t see the point to kill you at this point. Even if I do kill you now, you will just be reborn again in the future. Because you''re made from all the humans negative emotion, as long there''s human exist then you will keep coming back. Isn''t that right <Black Grail>? Besides you are a necessary existence anyway.


    BG is at loss for words when he said all that, its true that she will keep coming back as long humans existed but its a first that someone said that she''s needed.


    BG - ...What do you mean I''m a necessary existence? Don''t you know what I''ve done so far!? How many lives have I take!


    She couldn''t help scream out loud at him.


    Issei - You are a reminder to the humans. To remind them to stand together in peril, you are what the humans needed. A Saintess might be good for them but in the end it still won''t stop the inevitable... War. War is omni-presence ever since the olden times. Then, rather than having humans kill each other then its better to let them fight a common enemy. And that''s where you comes in, a necessary evil you might say.


    And its not your fault for being born, it is their sin. Not yours. In the end they reap what they sow, in some way you are the product they created.


    BG once more become lost at words because of what he said.


    Issei then transformed back to his human form.


    BG - Heh... What was that... You will regret not killing me now...


    She looks down while saying that.


    Issei - Perhaps... But that''s just what life is nothing is true everything is permitted. The world isn''t perfect. But it''s there for us, doing the best it can....that''s what makes it so damn beautiful.


    He says that with a smile on his face, and BG who saw that become a little absent minded but she just scoffed at his words not denying it.


    BG - Hmph... Go away... idiot...


    Then she created a rift below his feet and he''s gone.


    BG - ...thank you...


    She mutters at the end.

 Chapter 14 - 13

    -Outside the <Black Grail>-


    Jalter - What the hell happened? Why the <Black Grail> suddenly stopped moving?


    Jeanne - I don''t know... But that roar must be belong to our Master.


    Jalter - Tsk! Even I knew that, but what''s happening inside... The wyverns and dragon outside already disappeared. Why our Master isn''t coming out yet!?


    They both are wondering and feeling frustrated that their Master form are nowhere to be found even after the wyverns and dragon disappeared.


    Then suddenly the <Black Grail> disappeared into thin air.


    Jalter - WHAT!? HOW COME IT SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR!


    Jeanne - ...


    Jalter become even more frustrated while Jeanne don''t know what''s happening anymore. Just when they are at a loss on what to do there''s a rift appeared behind them, they become alerted and get into a battle stance.


    ??? - Huhu~ he sure finished it quickly just like our expectation.


    ??? - Hmph! Of course, who do you think he is! He''s my beloved apprentice!


    They both heard a voice coming from inside the rift then they saw 2 beautiful woman appear from within the rift. One has brown hair while the other has purple hair color.


    Yes the woman who just appeared are Semiramis and Scathach.


    After both of them came out from the rift they saw Jeanne and Jalter.


    Scathach - Hmm? Are they our new sisters?


    Semiramis - Fufufu~. Indeed they are, you can see their souls are bound to our Ise right?


    Scathach - Fumu. Indeed, and I have to say they sure are pretty. Our Ise sure know how to choose his girls, Hahaha!


    While they having their own conversation both Jeanne and Jalter are tense because they can tell these newcomers are very powerful.


    But when they heard them talking about Issei they become surprised.


    Jalter - Wait. Who are you two, how come you know our Master!?


    Scathach - Oh? You call him your Master, eh? So that means I''m your Grand Master because Ise is my beloved apprentice.


    Semiramis - And as for me you could say I''m also his mentor in teaching him a certain magic I suppose.


    Jalter - How do we know you''re not lying?


    Semiramis - Oh, dear. Why would we want to lie to you in the 1st place? We are clearly stronger than both of you, so if we really want to harm you two we don''t need to do this in a round about way don''t u think?


    She''s all smiles when she says that but both Jeanne and Jalter felt chills when they saw her smile. But they admit she doesn''t really have any reason to lie to both of them.


    Semiramis - Fufu~. You can rest assured since both of you decided to bind your soul to our dear Ise, then we will become sisters in the future. And I know that you two understand what I meant by that don''t you~?


    Semiramis gave them both a sly smirk and a teasing tone.


    Both Jeanne and Jalter faces went red because they do understand the hidden meaning from her words. Jeanne looked down because she''s embarrassed while Jalter just turn her face away with a "Hmph!".


    Scathach - Ahahaha! A cute bunch ain''t ya? Well. Welcome to the family!


    Jeanne just respond with a quiet "En..." whilst she''s still looking down.


    And Jalter still turning her head but even her ears become red after hearing Scathach.


    Semiramis - Well then. We need to have a talk girls.


    -Back to Issei-


    Issei once more are back inside the dimensional rift, he wonders what would happen to both Jeanne and Jalter but there''s nothing he can do because he still cannot make a dimensional rift on his own.


    So he decided when he went back to Semiramis place, he will ask her to bring Jeanne and Jalter to him.


    Unknown to him when he went back he will see them already there.


    So after waiting a while he sees an opening inside the rift and he went through it.


    He stands before a forest, and he started looking around.


    Issei - Hmmm. I wonder if this is the world where Semiramis wants me to go.


    When Issei still inspecting his surrounding he heard a noise came from the bushes.


    Then he a saw bunch of goblins came out.


    Issei - Hmm? Goblin? Well Semiramis did says this world have monster roaming around.


    The goblins started screaming "Gii! Gii!" at each other and after that they rush towards Issei. Looks like they want to attack Issei by the looks of it, not that Issei care even if he stand all day long letting them attack him, he won''t even get a scratch.


    So Issei calmly kicks bunch of small stones under him and the stones went straight to the goblins like a bullet and make their bodies full of holes. He sure as hell don''t want a goblin blood on him, because its surely stinks just from their body odor alone he could tell.


    After killing them all he started walking.


    After a while he comes out from the forest and sees a village nearby, so head towards it.


    When he arrived at the village, for some reason the villagers keep looking at him. Especially the girls.


    They have red faces and few were drooling a bit, when they are looking at him.


    while the man glaring at him like he stole their wife from them, but there''s some man who somehow also have red faces when looking at him, and that gives him a goosebumps all over.


    He knows his new look is a bit handsome but he doesn''t think it will effect them this much. When he tried to ignore their gazes finally some girls went towards him and do a Gyaku Nanpa(Reverse pick up)


    Village Girl 1 - Ummm, excuse me... Do you have time to spare, if you do we can have some tea over there. Please?


    Village Girl 2 - Ignore her and just go with me!


    Village Girl 3 - Pfft! Please like you''re worthy enough for him. I shall be the one who have tea with him!


    Village Girl 4 - Hey, handsome~ just ignore these bunch of little girls and let''s go somewhere nice shall we~? I can give you a reaaaalllyy good time you know~


    Village Girl 5 - Don''t you have shame you old hag! Go away and piss off he shall go with me! So come with me handsome guy and let us serve the Axis cult together!


    Little Girl - Onii-chan! Please sign this!


    ??? - Hmph! You woman are such a slut! He must be only interested with someone like me, who have the muscles and beauty! Now handsome you can have my *** virginity or did you prefer to be the receiving end? I don''t mind both ways.


    Issei got surrounded instantly and he got chills hearing the last statement and he run as fast as he can from them.


    MOBS - AH! HE RAN AWAY! AFTER HIM! / Come back boy I can give you a special service! / AH! Handsome wait for me! / WAIT DON''T RUN I''M DOING THIS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD! AXIS CULT SHALL SAVE YOU! / ONIIIII-CHANNNNNN!!!


    After running for a while Issei finally lost them.


    Issei - Hah... Hah... Damn is this how Kiba felt? Those woman are crazy, and that last statement give me the chills even now... *SHIVER* And what the hell is Axis cult? Is that the religion in this world?


    Unknown to him even Kiba won''t attract that much attention since there''s also bunch of handsome man in this world. That just says how out of the world his handsomeness are, but he won''t realize that for a while... It will be all too late when he already got a bunch of wives before realizing it.


    Issei - Fuhhhh... Guess I just hide my face for now... At this rate I''m not gonna achieve anything. Especially relaxing, how can I relax when bunch of mobs keep chasing me around...


    Then he pull his hoodie over his head to hide most of his face and people can only see his mouth and his red eyes. (Yes his outfit has a hoodie on it, just forgot to mention it before)


    Then he circled around the village once more to avoid being noticed right away, finally he arrive to a place that looks like an information center.


    After he ask a bunch of question he finally knows where the nearest city are, and he also knows that there are jobs called the ''Adventurers''.


    So he decided to become one because for him that''s the easiest job he can get and the fastest way to get money. He can get money just by killing some weak monsters, there won''t be an easier job than that for him.


    If any adventurer hear his thoughts, they might just spit blood because of anger. For him sure its an easy job but for the normal humans its a dangerous job that can get them killed just from one small mistake.


    And from the info he gathered the strongest in this world are the ''Goddess'' and the Demon Lord. Not that he care since he knows they won''t be a threat for him.


    So he hitch a ride with some caravan at the cost he will act as their bodyguard in case they got attacked by monsters or bandits. All he has to do is punch a giant rock and turn it into smithereens, and the owner gave him a thumbs up.


    After a few days he finally reach the city he''s looking for, and along the way there''s bunch of monsters and bandits try to attack the caravan but he only need to throw some stones at them and they all dead.


    When he enter the town, he saw a stone brick buildings and houses, as well as the pathway.


    It is similar to the ancient European town of middle ages.


    Horse-drawn vehicles one after another can be found on the road.


    The children are running around and chasing at each other with a smile on their faces.


    All along the way he can see a weapon shop, armor shop and item shop and so on. There''s also a stall in the roadside that sells fruits, vegetables, food and all kinds of snacks, the city is quite prosperous.


    And he can see some of the civilians bring a weapon with them, on their hips etc. But there are not any panic or wary feelings between each civilians even when they have weapons with them.


    Like they are used to seeing it.


    This scene really gives the ambiance of a different world feelings to it.


    Issei - It is indeed beautiful... so is this city called "Axel"


    "Axel" is located in Belzerg Kingdom border region cities.


    And this city also have another nickname, which is "Beginner Village"


    As the name suggests, this is where a newly emerged Beginner Adventurers stays.


    There''s isn''t a really strong monster around this city, and this is where Issei planning to stay because he don''t want to go to the capital because for him who want to relax this place is the best.


    Issei - Well then, shall we?

 Chapter 15 - 14

    -At Azazel''s House-


    Azazel - Sigh, what kind of father am I... I can''t even realize that my son need help so badly... *Sigh*


    Azazel can be found sitting on his chair sighing because he can''t help his figurative son Issei. And the worst of all is that he can''t do anything to the one who hurt him so.


    He still considers them all to be children, and all children often make some mistakes. But this mistakes they did are way beyond the line, if its any other girl he will just kill them right away.


    But he also think the girls as his future daughters in law and come to love them as his own daughters. And to top it off, some of the girls have big background such as Rias and Akeno.


    Both their parents and brother are the leader of the devil faction and the higher ups of the fallen angel respectively.


    During the meeting they also discuss how the Trihexa could be sealed so easily, they were prepared for the worst like sacrificing their life just to seal it. But somehow the beast got sealed just when they are about to do just that, like it knows what they gonna do.


    Azazel - I just hope this is just our feelings... I''m too old for this sh*t, just where are you now son...


    -Kyoto-


    Kuroka - Nyahahaha~ I can''t wait to meet Ise-nyan~ I hope shirone doesn''t took a head start against me, because I want to be the first who will bear his kittens~


    Kuroka could be found rolling around her bed thinking about the boy she come to love. She''s hugging a hug pillow that have Issei''s face on it.


    Yasaka - Kuroka. We need your help over here~


    Yasaka voice could be heard from outside her room.


    Kuroka - Okay, nyan~!. Well see you soon Ise-nyan~ *chu*


    She gave the pillow a quick peck and went outside her room to help Yasaka. She''s doing her best to change herself just so she can be with Issei, and she has became one of the ambassador of the yokai faction now.


    Unknown to her. Her shirone already went beyond her expectations, not the good kind of expectation but the worst one...


    -Issei''s room-


    Rosseweisse can be found at Issei bed curled herself while holding his clothes and pictures.


    Her eyes are red because she has been crying all this time inside his room.


    She can''t believe just when she''s about to confess to him, he disappeared...


    And not like she can blame him for that, the other girls cheated on him for God sake. Its normal for them to be afraid, but to do this just because of it? Sorry but that''s just went over the line.


    Which idiot would cheat on their lover just because they become afraid? The fact the girls rarely have contact against the opposite gender might be one of the reason why they did all this, but that''s still doesn''t mean they can just cheat on him like that.


    And they even have the gal to bring their new boyfriends to his house... Oh how she''s holding herself back just to prevent herself from killing them.


    Rias and the others might not realize this, but the eyes they have when they sees her are so lustful and filled with greed. It might only just for a moment but she knows that gaze well, because during her life she often saw that kind of gaze all the time whenever someone tries to flirt with her.


    That''s also one of the reason why she''s still single after all this time, because all the man she have met so far are only want to get inside her pants or because of her position as Odin secretary.


    But only Issei never look at her that way, sure he might leer on her but there''s no twisted greed inside his eyes. And which boy isn''t lustful at his age? It would be even weirder if they don''t feel that way, well... Kiba is kinda weird himself because she never see him become interested of the opposite gender, but that might be just her mistake.


    When she found out what they did to Issei she became disgusted.


    Even now she still can''t believe they did that to the boy who sacrificed his everything on the line just for them.


    But she won''t say anything to them, even their new boyfriends true nature. She will just let them finds out on their own about it even if its gonna hurt them, for what Issei has experienced is far worst than what they are gonna feel.


    And she swore on Odin''s name that when the time come, she will go to his side straight away. She will kill anyone who gets in her way.


    Rosseweisse - ...Ise-kun, where are you...


    And Rosseweisse fell asleep while still holding his clothes.


    One of the reason the new guys have some argument with the ORC girls before is because they won''t have s*x with them even though they spent the night together, but they have to hold it in because they thought the time will come.


    But it never come and so they started to ignore the girls and went to spend their time with their other ''friends''.


    -Somewhere Unknown-


    Vali and his teams can be found training.


    Vali is wondering where his rival went after all this time, while Bikou just monkeying around like always. Arthur also wondering a bit about Issei but that''s because his little sister Le''Fay likes him.


    Vali - ...Wonder where is he now...


    Albion - [That energy we felt the last time are surely Ddraig aura when he gonna activate <Juggernaut Drive> but it disappear soon after, so we can''t be sure.]


    Vali - Either way I believe we will meet again at the ''World-Class Rating Game'' and that''s when we gonna find out the truth from him.


    Albion - [I agree... Finally we will fight Ddraig once more, don''t you dare lose. Vali]


    Vali - Hmph! Of course.


    Well both of them are gonna be mindblown for sure when they do meet Issei again. Especially Albion since he will meet his long late crush once more, while Vali become so embarrassed when he find out the true reason why they have their rivalry in the first place.


    But he is more surprised from the power Issei possess at that time.


    -Heaven-


    Gabriel and Michael are sitting across each other, they both have downcast feeling after finding out the truth about Issei disappearance.


    Michael is wondering if he should make Irina a fallen angel, after all she just cheated on her boyfriend.


    While Gabriel is feeling sad for the boy she took a liking for, she never felt this way against the opposite gender before. She wish she could go to his place and comfort him right at this moment.


    When she sees Issei for the first time during his Oppai-Dragon show she become entranced of how he is surrounded by the children.


    She love seeing how the children adore him, and his pure smiling face, his honest personality.


    And when knowing what he did for those he loved she became even more interested with him, and finally she took a liking for the boy called Issei Hyoudou for his perseverance even when all hope is lost.


    Michael - *Sigh* I wonder if I should punish Irina for this... Its totally fine to be afraid but to do this of all things...


    Gabriel - ...Let her be Onii-sama, its not totally her fault anyway...


    Gabriel being the kindhearted girl she is rejected her big brother proposition.


    Michael - ...I know, but still... *Sigh* fine I will just let Issei-kun decide her punishment later on...


    Gabriel - Un...


    Unbeknownst to Irina. Her angelhood almost got forsaken if not for Gabriel prevention, she almost become the thing she detest the most. The Fallen one, she''s fine with the other fallen angels but she can''t take it if she''s the one who become a fallen herself.


    -Semiramis domain-


    Semiramis is looking around for information in Issei''s world, then she found out about the ''Azazel Cup''. So she decided to let Issei participate in this ''World-class Rating Game'' because she believe he needs to do this to fully forget his past. Even Scathach approve of her suggestion.


    Semiramis - Fufufu~ even though he never told me about his past fully but I''m sure the one who betrayed him will be attending this event. And when the time comes he will let them all know how wrong their choices are.


    Scathach - Ah! I can''t wait to see him beat everyone there, hahaha! Devils, Fallen angels, Angels, Gods alike. None shall stand before him!


    Semiramis - Indeed. Hmm... But this Trihexa beast seems weird, its supposed to be a strong creature but how come it got sealed just like that? Well. Either way its none of our business, we will only assist our beloved Ise in his actions.


    Scathach - Fumu! I believe even if that tri whatever beast comes out he can easily defeat it. Don''t you girls think so too?


    She proceeded asking the girls behind them.


    Jalter - Hmph! If he got beaten by some beast he won''t be called my Master after all.


    Jeanne - Un! I believe our Master shall prevail over all of the obstacles before him.


    Jalter - And as for those b*tches who betrayed him... I will see them burn in stake when the time comes!


    She says that with utter hatred and malicious aura surrounding her.


    Jeanne only choose to be silent because she also feels resentment against those who betrayed their Master, she is a devout believer after all.


    The others also feels the same way.


    Scathach started swinging her spear around like she''s preparing to stab something.


    While Semiramis just give a chilling smile while looking at Issei''s world. Her yellow eyes are glowing in the darkness like a viper stalking its prey.


    Somewhere in the house a woman body could be found in a giant tube.


    She has a beautiful face, long red hair and her body is voluptuous, like she''s on her prime. At the middle between her chest there''s a white mark that looks like a heart with a dragon wings covering it. That''s the mark when a Dragon has already decided its mate.


    If by chance he/she betrayed their mate then that mark will went grey and that same mark will took their very own life out of the one who possess it.


    The woman''s body is almost completed, it just need a little bit more time. And this body belongs to the old Ddraig Y Gooch. But her real name is Irene Belserion, well Irene Hyoudou Belserion now because she has chosen her mate already.


    And her white mark will only become completed if she truly become one with the one she choose as her mate, aka have s*x with him.


    After that, this mark will become completed. It will turn red and both of them will truly become one in every sense. Extra boost in power, etc. And she won''t have to return to the <Boosted Gear> for Issei to be able to use her [Boost] ability.


    -Back at Issei-


    After his arrival, Issei headed straight to the <Adventurer''s Guild> to register himself.


    After all he got no money on him when he arrived here, must be Semiramis mistake on her part because she got no sense on currency.


    And she never needs money in the first place because she got everything she need already.


    Not like he''s gonna blame her because he doesn''t really care either way, he''s already grateful enough for what she has done for him so far.


    When Issei arrived at the Guild he sees its a crowded place, bunch of man drinking liquor, some are having a hand brawl, some are fighting in front of what it seems like a ''Request board''.


    There''s bunch of waiter and waitresses that have the same uniform taking order from their respective customers.


    There''s bunch of trophy from monsters adorned on the walls, such as Wyvern head, some giant fang and tusk, etc.


    There''s a neat and tidy counter on the side, it seems its for the registration and request related stuff.


    When Issei arrived, some of them are looking at him because his clothes seems very stylish and although they can''t see his face they know he''s a guy just from his body shape alone.


    But they thought he''s here only to post some request so they ignore him right after.


    And when Issei arrive at the counter, he got greeted by a pretty woman that looks like very young and well-endowed woman with fair skin, wavy blonde hair tied back in a bun, and gold-colored eyes.Her outfit consists of a red ribbon worn around her neck, a white off the shoulder low-cut top that reveals a large amount of cleavage, with black shoulders and sleeve cuffs, low-rise jean shorts.


    Luna - Hello, I am the <Adventurer Guild> staff member, Luna. How can I be of service?


    Listened to the question of the woman, Issei went straight to the point and says


    Issei - I want to register as an Adventurer.


    His words brought some attention from the man and woman around him.


    But Luna isn''t feeling surprised or anything.


    Luna - Understood. Please pay a 1000 Eris as the handling charge.


    Eris is the currency of this world.


    What a pity Issei doesn''t have any money with him, but thankfully he got some from the caravan leader because he protected them and some of the monsters he kills have decent materials.


    So the caravan leader gave him some money for it because when asked if he want to gather their materials he said no need.


    Because of that the caravan leader gave him money for it because it went against his conscience just to take the materials like that. And he doesn''t want to get into the bad side of someone who''s as strong as Issei.


    He got 100.000 Eris from all that.


    So Issei calmly took 1000 Eris from his money bag and gave it to her.


    Luna - Hai. Thank you for the patronage.


    Then she calmly took the money and took a card from below the counter.


    Luna - This is an <Adventurer Card>. In this world, all living being have souls inside them. Any existence, so long as it has a soul, which means a living being. Then you can absorb this existence part of soul memory, changed into the growth, a nourishment, turned into what''s called <Experience Points>.


    People after accumulating a certain amount of experience points, obtains the corresponding growth, that was so-called <Level Up>. (Plays sound cue of Ragnarok level up)


    The function of Adventurer Card, can display the amount of experience points that Adventurer absorbs, and also display the Ability parameter, Rank and even Skills list. And through operating <Adventurer Card>, you can also carry on class transition and learn new skills.


    Regarding Adventurer, this is the essential thing, rather, can obtain the power which most average person cannot hope to achieve, this <Adventurer Card> is necessary existence, is unable to lack.


    Then, Luna put the <Adventurer Card> on the counter.


    She also took out some sort of crystal ball with a funnel, and she put it on top of the <Adventurer Card>.


    Luna - Okay, please put your hand on top of the crystal ball.


    Issei proceeded to put his hand on top of the crystal ball. After that the crystal ball give a dazzling ray of bright light.


    A ray gathered on the crystal ball then it shoot a laser at the <Adventurer Card> below it. Then Issei stats appeared on the card.


    Then Luna took the card and when she sees the status parameter she let out a loud screech of "Ehhhhh!?" she became stupefied after looking at Issei card


    And her scream gather more attention from their surrounding, they were confused why she would scream like that when she''s usually pretty calm.

 Chapter 16 - 15

    Issei - What''s wrong? Is there any problem?


    Issei couldn''t help become confused because of her reaction.


    Luna - N-No!


    Luna shakes her head hastily.


    Luna - Its just that your Ability Value was really too astonishing! The values of various status parameters by far have surpassed the average value! Its even more outstanding than a First Class Adventurer!


    Immediately after her outburst, every person inside the guild look towards Issei, and they couldn''t help become doubtful if that is true.


    Luna - Every single of your status parameter is off the chart! Be it Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic Power and even Luck has surpassed the standard value!


    But Luna don''t see any surprised appearance from Issei and she couldn''t help become speechless, like its all normal for him.


    And she remembered she just said his status out loud inside the guild.


    She become embarrassed and feeling awkward because she just basically told his secret.


    Just when she about to apologize, Issei said


    Issei - Its ok, since you have said that many then don''t mind it anymore. What''s done is done, I won''t blame you.


    She couldn''t help lowered her head down in embarrassment for what she did.


    She continued inform Issei while lowering her voice this time.


    Luna - But for some reason your class is ''???'' I never seen any case like this before... Usually its a ''Novice'' class for a beginner adventurer. (I don''t know if its true in the original konosuba so I just use Ragnarok job setting)


    Well Issei isn''t too surprised hearing that because he is basically isn''t normal human, its no wonder the card can''t register his class.


    Its not like the crystal ball can register his class as ''True Red Dragon King of Domination'' now can it? He knows there''s a Dragon in this world but from the information he gathered so far, the strongest being is the so called ''Goddess'' and Demon Lord.


    And he don''t feel any threat from the aura he felt around him so far.


    Luna thought he become downhearted knowing he doesn''t have a class so she hastily says


    Luna - It-Its okay! Even if you don''t have any class just from your status parameters alone you could easily become an outstanding adventurer, I can guarantee it!


    Issei couldn''t help chuckle a little at her effort on reassuring him.


    Issei - Thanks for your care, but I don''t mind it. Like you said even without a class I can easily become top adventurer no?


    He says that while giving her a small smile.


    Luna heart couldn''t help skip a bit when she saw his smile and his soothing voice, her face went red after that.


    Even though she can''t clearly see his face but from his voice and the outline of his face alone she could tell he''s quite the handsome guy.


    Luna - U-un...


    She mutters lowly while looking down.


    Issei - Anyway. Could you finish my registration as an adventurer?


    Luna- Ah! Ha-Hai!


    She hurriedly finish the process and give Issei his <Adventurer Card>


    After that Issei became an adventurer.


    And the legend of the strongest Adventurer in history begins from here.


    Issei check his <Adventurer Card>.


    Issei - Hmm, Level 1 huh... And as for the status parameter... I don''t know the average parameter of the other adventurers are, but I guess from the reaction of the receptionist its very high. Oh well, not that really matters.(I don''t know the numbers in konosuba power level so i just made it vague)


    But I wonder if I <Level Up>. Can it make me even stronger? Well only one way to find out.


    Then Issei head towards the request board. The adventurer who were standing in front of the board gives way for him because they don''t know if what Luna said was true or not.


    But they not gonna test it out like some idiot. There''s nothing to gain by testing it out anyway, they ain''t gonna follow some certain template.


    But of course there''s always an exception for everything


    ??? - Oy you newbie over there!


    Issei looked towards who call him, and he saw a young man with a slender body, blonde hair, and a black mole under his left eye. His outfit consists of a neck choker, a red track jacket with a cuffed sleeves, bandaged forearms, brown pants with tucked socks.


    ??? - Yes! You! Now I see you have some cash on your bag? Now as your senior I want you to pay some newbie fee for me! You better comply or I woul-


    Before he finishes his words he got blown away by Issei punch, and he went crashed against some tables and chairs.


    Thankfully Issei held back or he will become a meat putty by now, but even then he have few broken ribs and there''s foams coming out of his mouth. And he''s already lost consciousness long before he crashed against the tables.


    And the one near that tables get away hastily and just when they gonna complain at Issei. They saw him glaring at them with a glowing red eyes, and that scared the sh*t out of them and they choose to vent their frustrations to the guy who got blown away.


    MOBS - OY WAKE UP YA PRICK! / DON''T YOU DARE PRETENDING TO PASS OUT / YEAH! PAY FOR OUR LOSSES!


    They keep kicking the poor guy and shaking him around, even though they know he REALLY passed out already they don''t want to mess around with the one who did this to him.


    They can only give silent prayers to the guy and pretend to kicking and punch him around. They know this guy well and they know when he''s pretending or not, but at this moment they know for sure he''s not pretending at all.


    Poor bastard... That''s what on their mind at this moment while looking at him.


    Issei just snorted at them and went to look at the quest board:


    1. Crusades against a Giant Frog: Crusades against five Giant Frog in three days, the reward is 100,000 Eris.


    2. Crusades against Goblin: Crusade against goblins that nesting around the clearing of the forest, the reward is 5.000 Eris for each goblin killed.


    3. Crusades against a Cockatrice: Crusade against a cockatrice that are found roaming around near the western forest of Axel. The reward is 300.000 Eris


    4. Crusades against a pack of White Direwolf: Crusades against a pack of White Direwolf along with its pack. The reward is 1 Million Eris and 50.000 for each white wolf killed.


    ETC.


    So Issei look for the hardest quest he can find and took it to the counter.


    When Luna saw what Issei choose as his 1st quest, she couldn''t help become stupefied because the Quest is to kill a


    and the reward for it is 2 Million Eris if he could repel it, and 15 Million Eris if he could kill it.


    Luna -


    Subjugation?! This Quest is too hard for a beginner please consider it. Even if the reward is big but the difficulty is too hard especially for a beginner!


    Luna tried to prevent Issei but he calmly replies.


    Issei - No need. This Quest is fine enough.


    Luna - Bu-But...


    Issei - No buts. Don''t you remember my status parameters?


    Luna became at loss for words at that.


    Issei - Don''t worry. I will be fine.


    Issei once more gave her another calm smile and her heart skipped another beat and finally she relent to it with a "En...".


    But she add a small voice at the end when she saw him turn around.


    Luna - Be-be careful out there...


    She says that with a red face, and the guys who saw that couldn''t help become jealous because this is the first time for them seeing her this bashful against another guy. And there''s a lot of them here are aiming for her, so they became envious and angry at Issei.


    Issei just calmly gave her a small nod.


    After Issei got to the destination he saw a purplish colored wyvern on top of a cliff and when the wyvern saw him, at first it growl at him because its feeling angry there''s someone dare to trespass to its territory.


    But when it feels his ''Aura'' it become frozen in fear, because it can feel he''s strong as fck!


    It can tell this ''human'' isn''t a human at all. But a Dragon in a ''human'' skin.


    Just when it about to fly away Issei suddenly disappear from his previous spot and reappear behind the wyvern.


    And the wyvern can only helplessly see its death coming.


    Issei kicked the wyvern head just with a tap but the wyvern fall down and its dead, there''s no wound can be seen from the spot where Issei''s kick landed.


    Its the Ougi he learnt from his shishou, he just need to land a small hit and the skill will take effect whenever he want to. The Ougi turned the wyvern heart into a mush inside its body.


    Even though he still isn''t fully master it, but to kill a weakling such as this wyvern. Its more than enough.


    Then there''s a particle of light from the wyvern body and it went straight to Issei <Adventurer Card>.


    <Level Up!> <Level Up!> <Level Up!> <Level Up!> <Level Up!>


    (I don''t know how in konosuba when they level up so i just made it up)


    There''s a series of <Level Up!> sound cue from his card. He only level up 5 times after killing the wyvern, even though it supposed to give more exp than that but it can''t be helped because he''s a special case.


    But Issei just thought that its normal.


    Then Issei head towards the city after that.


    -At the Guild-


    Luna - What?! You''re done already!? B-But you''ve only gone for about 1 hour...


    Luna couldn''t help become flabbergasted, because it only took him about an hour to finish it.


    Then she hurriedly check his <Adventurer Card> because she could tell if he''s lying or not just from the ''Experience'' stored inside his card.


    Luna - I-Its true...


    Luna vision changed to Issei and her face was in awe after confirming it.


    Luna - A Level 1 who can subjugate a


    . That needs a party of B class at the very least to take it down, and it only took you 1 hour at that...


    Unknown to her he can be faster if he could find the wyvern location earlier.


    Luna - If you have the materials from the wyvern, the guild will gladly buy it off from you. If you wanted to sell them that is. Be it its scales, gall bladder, meat, etc. Every part of its body can be used for either alchemy, food, and even to create an armor or weapon. And the value is quite high.


    But Issei of course doesn''t bother gather the materials off the wyvern, he''s too bothered to gather them like that. So he''s planning to buy a storage ring for next time. So he told her no, because he doesn''t want to gather anymore attention by saying he left it back there.


    Luna - I see. Then congratulations for completing the Quest, Adventurer Issei Hyoudou-san.


    Then she gave Issei the reward for the quest. And Issei asked her if she sells any storage ring over here, and she says yes.


    So he bought one at the price 12 million Eris.


    After he received the storage ring he proceeded to ask her


    Issei - How can I learn the skills after I got my skill points?


    Luna - Well... usually there''s a skill tree that shows up at the card but it seems because you don''t have a class... It doesn''t show up... So the only way for you to learn skills is to study it from other adventurers just like a <Novice> class probably?


    But you can only learn the skills that are compatible with you. If its not compatible then you can''t learn it no matter what, but considering your status parameters. I doubt you will have difficulties learning new skills.


    Then Issei get the general idea of it, so he looked around the guild and says "Who want to teach me some skills? I will pay you for it" He jiggles the money bag that contains 3 Million Eris at them.


    And all the adventurer eyes inside the guild lit up by seeing that.


    -At night-


    Well Issei became disappointed because most of the skills they possess is useless for him. Such as <One-handed sword>, <Two-handed sword>, <Dagger Mastery>, etc.


    Because he already posses the <Eternal Arms Mastery> skill from his shishou, because it enables him to use any weapon proficiently already at an expert level.


    Other <Weapon Mastery> types become useless for him.


    Well he learn some basic skills such as <Enemy Detection>, <Stealth> ,


    , etc.


    He doesn''t learn any supporting skill such as <Healing> because he can''t, probably because of his <Life and Death> skills interfering. Not that he need one in the first place because he can just regenerate from his wounds as long he have enough mana.


    And he can regenerate mana just by absorbing some Life Force around him.


    He doesn''t bother learning skills such as <Steal> , <Lockpicking> , <Hawk Eye>, etc.


    Because he don''t need to steal stuff, nor lockpicking stuff. He can just bust door opens with his bare hands and why would he bother stealing from people? As for Hawk eye he already have the best eyesight from his Dragon eye.


    As for magic there isn''t any capable mage/wizard presence at the guild just now so there''s no one that can teach him about it.


    Even though he learnt magic from Semiramis but she can only teach magic that related with his <Life and Death> skills, the most basic he learn is the <Clean> one where he can remove any stains.


    Probably because she''s a girl that likes to be clean hence the only basic magic she can teach him is that.


    She doesn''t even know basic <Fireball> skill, not that he blames her for that because she has her Life and Death Magic related stuff. And she sure loves to use poison, she tries to teach him that but he just doesn''t cut it.


    But he do gain


    from trying to learn her poison skills though.


    Issei - Well at least there''s some new skills I got. Better than none I guess... Well let''s do some more quest tomorrow.


    Issei become quite the workaholic after this, even though Semiramis and Scathach told him to relax. But he just couldn''t help it knowing he can get even more strength just from leveling up.


    Then Issei finds an Inn to spend the night.

 Chapter 17 - 16

    A week has passed since that night.


    Usually a new adventurer are poor as dirt, it will take them years to climb up the ranks and become rich.


    So they mostly spend their night either in stables, streets, and if they are lucky they can spend the night at somebody home. If they are generous enough to let them stay for the night that is.


    Because they need to economize their incomes. If they ran out of money early, then they won''t be able to take any quest.


    Just to take quest they need to store a deposit in case they failed the quest. Then the guild will take that deposit as a fine, and they will also lose some rank points as a penalty.


    And they won''t be able to stock up recovery potions and the likes to survive out there, or to repair their gears in case its broken.


    The guild won''t let them go out there without proper preparations.


    But not Issei, he directly went pass that beginner phase.


    At his first quest he subjugated a


    and received 15 Million Eris and there was never any history of that ever happening before.


    And after that he took similar quest difficulty and even higher ones.


    Issei''s rank skyrocketed just in this short amount of time from an "F" Rank to a "B" Rank just in a week.


    He should''ve been at higher rank but to become "A" Rank and above he need to go to the capital and took a certain test to become one.


    But he''s not interested with fame and glory so he just stay at Axel all this time while doing bunch of quests.


    And there was some adventurers who got greedy and tried to rob him or tried to get profits just by leeching off of him, needless to say all of them got smashed into a pulp and became out of commission for years to come.


    After that he gained the nickname "Tyrant Overlord" from the other adventurers.


    He never waste any words to those that bothers him and make them go take a "Vacation" straight away.


    And his reputation soar after that.


    Mob 1 - A no class adventurer who can finish any type of quest?


    Mob 2 - The success rate is 100%?


    Mob 3 - And all that only took a week to achieve?


    At first all of their response after hearing this is


    Mobs - Yeah right. Come up with better lies next time!


    But after seeing it at first hand they become silent, like they never utter any of that words in the first place.


    And at some point there''s a guild staff from the royal capital tries to contact him and have him to do the test, but he refuses it.


    At first the guild staff tries to talk him out of it, but after hearing his answer he become at loss for words


    Issei - I just want to relax.


    What''s on the guild staff thoughts after hearing that is ''Dude, you finished a big amount of quest even when compared to the first class adventurers in the capital just in a week''s time. And all of them are "B" rank and higher difficulty at that, and here you are saying you want to relax? Only idiot would believe you!''


    There''s nothing the guild staff can do anymore after that, because there''s no rules stated that allow them to force an adventurer to take the "A" rank quest.


    So he just went back to the capital to report his interview with Issei.


    When Issei arrived at the guild hall, all eyes are on him and the rowdy hall become quiet.


    And everyone can be heard muttering "Its the Tyrant...", "Tyrant Overlord..." , "Heh! so that''s the Ty-@#$^%".


    The last guy who tried to provoke Issei got beaten up instantly by those around him because they don''t want to earn his ire and become forced to take a "Vacation" along with the idiot.


    Issei''s respond to all that is just a twitch on the corner of his eyes and mouth.


    He never intended to earn that title, its just that the previous idiots annoyed him so much.


    Well not that he care that much anyway.


    Luna - Good morning, Issei-san.


    Luna after seeing Issei, revealed a dazzling smile.


    How to say again? Issei''s fame and achievement is the best in history and coupled with his mysterious demeanor, he earn quite a nice reputation with the girls.


    Even though no one ever saw his true face, but just from the outline of his body and his face, and that enchanting wine red eyes, also his exposed long silky looking dark brown hair. Is enough to brand him as a handsome man in the minds of every young and mature girls here.


    And Luna here is one of his admirer.


    Issei''s feels weird just by looking at her dazzling smile, ever since that time after the wyvern subjugation she always became so enthusiastic and gave him over the top smile, that''s usually only used when a girl looking at their beloved.


    And sometimes she has this "Predatory" looks on her eyes while looking at him.


    After all she''s on her prime age searching for marriage and of course she want the best man there is to become her husband. And Issei here fills all the criteria she want as her husband, strong, hard-working, handsome, and rich.


    She''s anxious to get married, and at some point she wanted to drug Issei with a aphrodisiac filled drink, but Issei can smell something odd and refused her offer.


    Lucky for him AND her, if he by chance really took that drink then Issei might lose his virginity without consent and as for Luna... She will become addicted and might be broken after the deed is done, because the libido Issei possess are off the chart as well, just like his other status parameters.


    Even Goddess Of Lust might not be able to fully take him on if he went ''berserk''.


    So Issei branded her as "Leftover Woman" after seeing her ''thirsty'' look. (I don''t know if that term exist or not and im sorry if by chance that term feels insulting to the girls who might be reading this no offence intended)


    And when Issei asked her for any new quest or information, she leans in on the counter to whisper him the info. As a pretense to show off her ''assets'' look even more prominent and hoping to be able to entice him in the process, and its not the first time she''s done this before.


    So after a while Issei just plainly ignore her "antics" and left her be.


    After getting the new information he want he headed towards the quest bulletin once more to find a new quest to do, and every single person made way for him like how Mosses split the sea.


    Issei got used to this situation already, so he just calmly head towards the quest bulletin.


    Issei ignored the bandit quest and the likes but then he saw something:


    Searching for team member, needs the gentle person, even if become bored will patiently listen to others talk, who won''t insult or laugh at another person name even if its sound weird, and hopefully can become best friends after doing quests together, preferred class is a vanguard. If possible has the same age or almost at the same age, oneself are recently turned into a 14 years old rookie Arch Wizard.


    (I changed her age to 14. 13 is kinda a bad luck number for me)


    Issei become confused after looking at this request, some of it is normal request such as looking for a vanguard, and the information of own class.


    But what''s up with the other requirement? weird name? best friends? what?


    Then he felt an intense line of sight looking at him, and he instinctively turned around to look for the owner of that gaze.


    Even though his <Enemy Detection> skill doesn''t react and he doesn''t feel any animosity from it.


    But that intense line of sight kinda bothers him.


    Then their line of sights clashed against each other, Issei has some premonition he just got into something troublesome but ignores it straight away because he doubt anything can injure him in this world.


    And there he saw it, the owner of that intense gaze.


    Its a girl, she''s a beautiful young girl with crimson-colored eyes and mid-length dark brown hair tied into two twin-tails that lie on her shoulders, she wears black robes and a cloak. She wields a silver staff and keeps a short sword sheathed around her waist. Underneath the cloak, she wears a low-cut blouse and ultra-short pink miniskirts. She wears quite the revealing outfit for such a young age.


    And when she saw him look at her, she become a bit flustered but then took a deep breath and head towards Issei.


    But she fell down during the walk, face first with her panties exposed in the open, and all of the adventurers nearby laughs at her. Then they felt Issei gaze on them and they froze in their spot while sweating buckets.


    Then they fake coughing and started whistling while turning their heads around trying to be non-existent and walked out of the guild as fast as they could without running.


    Issei at first become surprised seeing her crimson eyes, because he never saw anyone possess that eyes color ever since he arrived at this world.


    But when Issei saw her fall he become reminded of Asia when he saw this girl, they somehow have the same look on their eyes and at the same situation when they first met each other.


    But Issei shake it off because he decided to stop comparing every girl he met with his old lovers.


    So he glare at those who laugh at her.


    Just when he''s about to ask her if she''s okay, she suddenly stand up straight and said


    Yunyun - My name is Yunyun! Class is Arch Wizard! The one who will becomes the head of the Crimson Demon Magic Clan!


    While doing a silly pose...


    And her voice boomed loudly because the guild is very quiet at this moment, and every eyes are on her because of that.


    Even Issei become stupefied when she suddenly said all that along with the silly pose.


    Finally under all the line of sights people giving her, she became red faced out of embarrassment and her body started shivering and tears threatening to come out from the corner of her eyes.


    And she finally snap


    Yunyun - Waaaaahhhhh!


    Because she finally can''t endure the embarrassment, she cried out loud and ran out of the guild at top speed.


    Everyone become stupefied after seeing her.


    Issei just sighed and decided to follow after her, because he feels like he can''t just left her be for some reason.


    Probably because she really reminds him of Asia? Or she''s just really too pitiful if left alone.


    So Issei got out of the guild to find her.


    After some searching he finally found her sulking in a store that looks like a cafe. She bury her face on the table while the cafe employee don''t know what to do after seeing her like that.


    Issei exhale another breath and sat across her, and he signaled the employee to take their order for later.


    He fake a cough to get her attention, but she doesn''t respond to it.


    So he knock on the table, then she finally look up while still having tears on her face.


    And she become surprised that there''s someone who sat across her, and this person is the one she saw from the guild hall previously.


    Issei - So, about that party request of yours.


    She finally snapped out of her thoughts and stand up after hearing his question and loudly asked


    Yunyun - YES?! WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND!?


    Issei became a little taken aback after she says that out loud.


    Yunyun realized her sudden outburst and when she want to run away once more, Issei stopped her by grabbing her hand and she looks back teary eyed.


    Issei - *Sigh* Just calm down. Return to your chair so we can talk about it.


    She finally relent and return to her previous spot.


    Issei - So, let me hear the reason why you seems want a friends so much...


    Yunyun hesitate at first but after a few seconds she finally told him the reason why...


    After a while Issei became speechless for the reason why she''s that desperate looking for friends... From what he can conclude so far, she''s far too naive and gullible.


    Anyone can easily took advantage of her personality if that person just said "We are friends right? Now can you do this and that for me?"


    Issei took a deep breath and exhale once more because he become tired just from listening her story, while Yunyun is fidgeting around on her seat because she''s nervous if he will avoid her after hearing her story.


    Issei once more calmly look at her and said


    Issei - I can accept your request. But I want you to teach me some magic skills in return, don''t worry after you finished teaching me I would still become your party member. And as for becoming your friend... *Sigh* We shall see later...


    Yunyun become ecstatic when she heard his respond and almost jump around in joy but held herself back because she doesn''t want to become even more embarrassed.


    So Issei extend his hand and asked "Do we have a deal?"


    Yunyun happily shake his hand with both of her arms and shake it up and down with gusto while saying "Yes! Yes! Deal!" She even shed tears of joy that made the corner of Issei eye''s twitch.


    After that they do some Quests together, and he found out she''s very capable for a rookie and he couldn''t help wondering once more.


    If she''s this capable then why nobody take her in as a party member? As for becoming her friends... He even doubt she''s cursed somehow and make anyone ignore her when they sees her.


    But he can''t sense any curse on her even after utilizing his <Life and Death> magic to check if there''s any on her.


    He learn a few magic skills from her, such as <Teleportation>, <Light of Saber>, <Bottomless Swamp>.


    Well its pretty neat skills in his opinion, even though he''s fast but <Teleportation> should come in handy if he want to go somewhere silently without breaking something in front of him like walls or door.


    <Light of Saber> which generates a lightning-based plasma curved edge blade able to slice almost anything, also good enough if he want to attack from distance.


    <Bottomless Swamp> well... this is pretty weird in itself but he can utilize this as an AoE attack he guess?


    Yunyun - How is that, Ise-san!


    She enthusiastically asked him after she finishes a bunch of giant frogs with her <Light of Saber>.


    Issei - Um. Its pretty good.


    He gave her a calm smile while she''s asking his opinion of it.


    Yunyun became happy that her new friend and party member praise her effort. She have a goofy smile on her face with a "Ehehehe~" laugh.


    After that they keep doing quests together and their relationship became close enough as a real friend.


    And Yunyun is over the cloud with happiness because she finally have a real friend on her own, while Issei took a liking at her personality, she really looks like the old him and Asia for that matter.


    Yunyun has a determined, caring and gentle personality. She is also quite shy and quick to blush. She is not always honest with her feelings. While very intelligent, she often takes other people''s words too literally.


    And he often solve that problem by giving the one who tries to trick her a deathly glare or a small ''talk'' behind the scenes, after that no one tries to mess with her anymore and she gain a title of "The Tyrant Mistress".


    What''s worth mentioning are one of the fraud who tried to trick her is the guy who tried to exhort Issei on his first day as an adventurer, aka Dust-kun~. And he took another "Vacation" after that.


    They often found together while doing quests and her fame went up along with Issei''s.


    So they become quite the famous duo in the town.


    And Luna become so jealous of her, she often give envious gaze at Yunyun. But she never realize her gaze because Yunyun is too happy to notice.


    Issei kinda sees her as his little sister and became kinda over protective like a sis-con.


    At some point Issei asked where she live and she says she stays in the stable. (I don''t know if this is true or not, just making it up)


    So he become speechless and tells her to live with him.


    At first she became embarrassed for the offer but then concluded its to enhance their relationship as friends, so she live with Issei now.


    She became surprised when she saw his ''house''. Its the biggest mansion in town. (The one where Kazuma party live in the anime)


    Well Issei bought this mansion for a cheap price, and he found out why its cheap after he went inside the mansion.


    Its haunted that''s why.

 Chapter 18 - 17

    -Past-


    When Issei got inside the house, he sees a ghost controlling the dolls.


    The ghost thought it can scare him just like the others by doing this but Issei just calmly look towards her.


    He ignore the flying dolls and look straight at the ghost, and that gave the ghost a chill even though she''s already dead.


    Especially after she saw the glowing red eyes of Issei and when his eyes become slit like a Dragon she become frozen in fear.


    So Issei calmly look at her and said:


    Issei - Go away or I''m gonna eat you.


    He threatened the ghost and it''s super effective! The ghost literally got scared into the afterlife, after that she''s gone from the world and the mansion become automatically purified itself.


    All the dolls disappeared into thin air.


    -Back to the present-


    When Issei brought Yunyun inside the mansion she become amazed by its sheer size.


    Yunyun - Wow. So you live alone in this place Ise-san?


    Issei - Pretty much. Now there''s a lot of empty room around you can choose whichever you want, mine is at the middle door there.


    Yunyun become reminded she''s gonna live together with the opposite gender, and she couldn''t help become nervous because its the first time she has done this before.


    But she calm herself down because she knew Issei is not the one who gonna do indecent stuff against the opposite gender, and he''s pretty gentle inside.


    Even though he seems calm and serious all the time but when the time comes he always flash her a soothing smile, and he always treat her with gentle and care.


    Even though she sometimes mess something up he never get mad at her and just calmly give her advice and encouragement.


    He patiently guide her if she''s stuck at something.


    But for some reason people always looks wary and afraid at him. Not that she really care though because she''s happy just by having him as a friend.


    And she admit he''s the best friend she ever had... Even though she never have friends before, except maybe her rival(self proclaimed), Megumin.


    Recently she started to look Issei at different light, there''s never anyone who treat her the way he is before.


    Even her parents sometimes isn''t as gentle as him, and she felt something twitch inside her heart every time she saw his smile.


    She still never saw his face until this day though, because she doesn''t want to intrude against someone privacy. So she never asked him to show his face.


    She once asked him if he''s a Crimson Demon Clan member because of his red eyes, but he says no and she can''t really deny it because she never see nor heard about him before in the village.


    After all even though he has red eyes, its not crimson like her clansmen. Its more like wine red rather than crimson.


    So with that she fully believes him, after all she never see anyone outside her village who has crimson eyes so far.


    And she knows Issei doesn''t have a ''special'' case like the rest of her village aka the Chuunibyou case.


    Even though she also has a certain degree of Chuuni but she won''t let him know that.


    Yunyun - Un! Thank you for having me, Ise-san!


    Issei just calmly gave her a smile once more and there it is again, the twitch she felt when looking at his smile.


    Issei - Um. take care of me too. Yunyun.


    Yunyun - Hai!


    After that they went their separate ways and go to their respective room.


    Yunyun choose the room right beside him, and while she''s sorting her luggage she smells something delicious from outside.


    When she went outside her room she follow the smell and headed towards the dining room.


    And there''s bunch of delicious looking food on the table.


    Yunyun couldn''t help become hungry after smelling and seeing the food on the table.


    Then she heard footsteps from behind her.


    Yunyun - Wahhh! Is this your cooking Ise-s-...!!!


    When Yunyun turned around to ask Issei she become frozen in place.


    Because finally she sees her Ise-san face for the first time.


    That out of the world handsome face, that perfect body, that enchanting wine red eyes even though it gave a sharp ambiance it also gave a certain gentleness at the same time, his long silky dark brown hair, his fair skin that could make even woman jealous.


    He usually wear his jacket and hood on so people can''t clearly see his perfect body and handsome face. But now that he only wear a black shirt with two button undone from the top down, he gives this certain sexy vibe that she can''t describe.


    Even though she knew he have a fit body before but she never imagine his body would be this perfect.


    Her eyes couldn''t help become misty while looking at him now, she could swore she might have a nosebleed at this rate.


    Thankfully he snapped her out of his delusion.


    Issei - Yunyun? What''s wrong? Are you fine?


    Issei couldn''t help become worried when looking at her like that.


    Yunyun hurriedly shake her head and turn her face away so she won''t become lost in delusion once more after looking at his face.


    Yunyun - I-I-I''m fine! W-Wow this sure looks delicious! Did you make all this Ise-san?


    She tries to change the topic, but Issei won''t have any of it and put the food from his hand down on the table and went towards Yunyun once more.


    He bent down his body so he match her height, after all he''s taller than Yunyun.


    Yunyun once again saw his handsome face but this time from up close.


    Issei - What do you mean you''re fine, your face looks red. Are you having a fever? Here let me check.


    He proceeded to stick their forehead together to check her temperature, and Yunyun is finally at her limit.


    Her face went full red with a smoke coming out from her head and her eyes are spinning, and finally she fainted with a small nosebleed on her nose.


    Issei - Yunyun!


    Issei hurriedly catch her body from falling.


    Issei - Hang in there, Yunyun!


    Issei still doesn''t realize why she fainted that way. While Yunyun have hearts on her eyes and she has this silly smile on her face even though she''s fainted already.


    After all she''s at the age of her puberty and she has interest in the opposite gender like normal girls her age. So its perfectly normal for her to react that way especially after seeing a perfect man like Issei.


    -Skip-


    After a while Yunyun finally stir awake, she slowly open her eyes.


    And what she sees make her become stupefied once more, because she''s looking up to Issei face at close range.


    Issei at this moment put her head on his lap while he''s reading some books, its the lap pillow position.


    When she set her eyes on his calm face while reading the book she become entranced once more.


    Issei - Oh. You''re awake Yunyun. You scared me back there, I thought something happened to you, thankfully you''re alright.


    Issei saw her awoke finally, and he gave her a smile and put down the book he''s reading.


    Then he proceeded to pat her head gently.


    Yunyun almost fainted once more after he does all this, but she held herself back and hastily get up from the lap pillow albeit feeling reluctant in doing so.


    Yunyun - U-Um! I''m fine! T-thank you for taking care of me Ise-san!


    She tried to avert her face from directly looking at his face.


    Yunyun - L-let''s eat Ise-san!


    Issei - Um. Let''s eat.


    Issei stand up from the sofa and headed towards the dining table once more.


    Yunyun follow closely behind him while gazing at his direction with a red face, she''s still out of it a little bit because her heart rapidly thumping at this moment.


    Then they have an awkward dinner together, because Yunyun keep looking down with a red face while sneaking a quick peek at his direction.


    Issei at first become amused but then choose to let her be for now.


    Even though the food is the most delicious food Yunyun ever tasted, she can''t properly react to it because she''s still in her delusion.


    So after she finishes her food she offered to wash the dishes without any chance for rebuttal and took all the empty plates on the table back to the kitchen.


    She practically dashes towards the kitchen while bringing the dishes along with her.


    Issei become stupefied at first then he just chuckled at her reaction.


    After some thinking Issei realized she must have fainted because of his face, but he just couldn''t help stop teasing her after she''s awake for some reason.


    Now he knows what Akeno feels when she''s teasing him back then, not that he care anymore.


    He concluded its because she''s pretty naive and gullible.


    And This must be the first time she saw a handsome face. Unknown to him Yunyun have seen a lot of handsome face before but none can give her this kind of reaction.


    Back at Yunyun.


    She washes the dishes while still having a red face, and what''s on her mind at this moments are


    ''Uwaaaa! Ise-san face is so handsome! How can someone be that handsome! Its pretty much a crime for having that kind of face! Uuuuu~ my heart can''t stop beating loudly for sometime now! Ise-san no baka!''


    After that they both went to sleep but not before Issei saying "Good night" at her, and she respond with a stutter "G-g-good night! Ise-san!" then she hurriedly close the door to her room.


    Issei just chuckled once more at her reaction.


    -The next day-


    Yunyun have a delusional dream where she went to marry Issei, and she keep having this goofy smile on her face while still sleeping.


    Yunyun - Ehehehe~ Ise-san~, I love you too~


    Issei is already awake earlier and he''s doing a meditation inside his room to stabilize his ''Aura''.


    He started learning to hide his ''Aura'' after some thinking, because his ''Aura'' can give away his location in case he want to infiltrate a certain area or when he utilize his <Stealth> skill.


    After a while he stopped his meditation and head towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast for both of him and Yunyun.


    Not long after he done setting up the breakfast, Yunyun came out of his room.


    Issei - Good morning.


    Issei gave her a greeting.


    And Yunyun couldn''t help blushed once more after all that but not forgetting to respond "G-good morning, Ise-san."


    So they both started eating their breakfast, and this time Yunyun properly give Issei''s food a compliment and he just respond with his usual calm smile along with "Glad you like it" words.


    Then they both head towards the guild.


    -At the guild-


    Issei and Yunyun went to do their perspective set of actions, Issei went to the quest bulletin while Yunyun went to resupply some of the necessities.


    Even though Issei doesn''t need it but he doesn''t want Yunyun becoming over reliant on him, so he decided to let her do her own preparation.


    Issei once more sees a weird companion request posted on the bulletin, such as


    1. Looking for party member, the current party consist of a Crusader and Thief at the moment, preferably looking for a brute and violent new member, any class is fine.


    2. Looking for party member, the current party consist of a Magician and a Priest, there''s three member at the moment, including a top tier class. Sincerely want to save the world by having a crusade against the demon lord, even novice is welcomed. How about it? Shall we save the world together?


    3. Recruiting, the team consist of a super beautiful and outstanding Arch Priest and impolite weakest class hikiNEET, wants to carries on journey of Heroes and take an exciting and warm happy risky adventure with the super beautiful and outstanding Arch Priest, that guided by the Goddess of Water herself? hurry and come join us! The condition to enter the team are only limited for a top tier class (And agrees that the Eris Cult is a Cult of the heathen).


    How to say this... the first one the first part is very normal but at the end what''s up with the brute and violent part?


    While the second one its all very normal and all that but crusade against the demon lord? It seems a nice objective right? but this is a beginner city... Why would a beginner want to crusade against a demon lord this early on?


    As for the third one... No words needed to point out the weirdness...


    Only now Issei realized that this world is pretty weird for some obvious reason, first Yunyun case, and now this...


    He now started doubting if this world is truly the world where Semiramis wants him to go or not.


    He found out there''s bunch of cult existed in this world.


    But the most famous one is the Eris cult and Axis cult.


    Eris cult is the national religion of the Belzerg Kingdom, people believes Goddess Eris as the one who control the fortune of this world or goes by the name Goddess of Fortune Eris.


    And it also control some life and death that happens in this world, that''s also why Eris cult is the most famous cult in this world even the currency is named after her which is Eris currency.


    But Axis cult is famous for the opposite reason...


    Namely known for their notoriety, their follower known to be having some screw loose or just plain weird in the head.


    They will stop at nothing for their missionary job, from fraud to exhortation, etc.


    They also always slander the Eris cult such as evil cult, heathen cult, crazy cult, etc. They will even smash the windows of Eris church and beat up the believer of Eris cult. This is also why some people thought Axist cult belong to the Demon Lord because of their notoriety.


    That''s also why no one willing to get involved with the Axis cult, now Issei knows what he almost got himself into back then when he just arrived at this world.


    The one who told him Axis cult shall bring him salvation, and that little girl pamflet if he recall correctly it also has Axis cult symbol on it...


    This cult believe in the Goddess of Water Aqua, perhaps the one who posted the third request is one of the Axis cult member?

 Chapter 19 - 18

    Then while Issei still thinking about this post, he heard a rowdy voice of a man and woman.


    And since the guild is mostly empty at the moment that voice clearly stands out.


    At a wooden table located at the corner of the guild hall, there''s a man and woman sitting together.


    The man is about 16-17 years old average looking youth. He has short and slightly spiky chestnut-brown hair and green eyes he wears a one set of sportswear unexpectedly because Issei knows that in this world there''s no sportswear like that man wearing now.


    If in Issei original world that''s a common outfit, but in this world he never saw one.


    While the young girl is quite beautiful. She has a slim figure with ample breasts, long legs, blue waist-long hair that is partially tied into a loop with a water-molecule shaped clip. Her clothes carry a blue color scheme, with her ordinary attire consisting of a vest, detached sleeves, thigh-high boots, an extremely short miniskirt and a transparent underskirt.


    The man is talking to the girl at the moment:


    Man - You unexpectedly really post that kind of request on the bulletin board?


    While having an incredulous looks on his face while looking at the girl.


    Girl - What''s wrong? Admires my outstanding style very much? If envies want me to teach you? So long as Kazuma kneels here while loudly shout "Please teach me Aqua-sama" I will teach you!


    Even though the girl is quite a beauty but its ruined by her rampant domineering expression she has right now.


    But the respond of that Kazuma guy to the girl is a slap in her head with a loud *PAK*! sound.


    Girl - It hurts! What are you doing!?


    Kazuma - Ha!? Still asking what am I doing? Naturally to try and fix that head of yours, who knows maybe after got hit your head might be fixed! Admires? Admires your head! What envies? Envies that you said "The team consist of a super beautiful and outstanding Arch Priest and impolite weakest class hikiNEET"? Such words want me to admire and envy? You useless Goddess!


    Girl - I''m not a useless Goddess! But is a super beautiful and outstanding Goddess of Water! You impolite and weakest class hikiNEET! Who died because of shock caused by a slow moving tractor!


    Kazuma - ....Very good, it seems like it should be time to discard you this useless Goddess, I will change the request content into "Arch-Priest for sell, does not need to provide any food, only needs to sprinkle a water for her, regards as raising a grass then its alright" you just wait here for me.


    Girl - Aaaaahhhh!! Was I makes a mistake! Was I makes a mistake! Kazuma-sama! Kazuma-sama! Please forgive me!


    While saying that, the super beautiful and outstanding Arch Priest such lay in on the ground, cried, while holding onto the legs of the youth, and got dragged along with the youth who want to head towards the bulletin board.


    Issei - ...


    Issei suddenly have the urge to just get out of here quickly, because he get the feeling if he got involved with this duo...


    Then his ''relaxing'' days might as well be considered as gone for good.


    Just when Issei want to walk out of the guild he saw a girl suddenly showed up at the entrance then dropped down in front of him.


    The small girl on the floor looks like a 12-13 years old young girl.


    She has shoulder-length dark brown hair. She wears a classical witch attire such as a black cloak with gold border, choker, wizard''s hat, fingerless gloves, and carries a black staff.


    Even that Kazuma and young girl who still hang on his legs become quiet and looks toward that girl who just dropped down.


    Silence ensues...


    Just when Issei want to bypass the girl, she suddenly grabbed onto Issei''s ankle with a "...Hey" sound.


    Then she proceeded to say:


    ??? - Sees a beautiful young girl fall to the ground, generally speaking should check and see if she''s okay and offer some help... Right?


    Hearing this, Issei''s face twitched a lot and tries to calmly answer with a forced smile:


    Issei - Excuse me. But just think of me as a passerby and I''m quiet tired today, so I''m sorry if I can''t help you. What''s more, you give me a very troublesome feeling for some reason... Now can you let go of my ankle, please?


    Hearing this the young girl suddenly grabbed onto Issei legs just like what that blue haired girl did to Kazuma, and she started crying out loud while saying:


    ??? - We just met each other! Even if you don''t want to help me is fine. But what''s up with that definition of "I give a very troublesome feeling"! Can''t you see that I''m a very beautiful young girl!?


    Indeed she has quite a beautiful face. She has a fair skin and a light complexion with a touch of naivety on her beautiful face. She wears an eye patch on her right eye for some reason though.


    Kazuma - Ohhhh!


    Kazuma who saw her face become amazed.


    But what''s getting Issei attention is her eyes, its crimson just like Yunyun.


    At the same time the blue haired girl also recognize the color of her eyes, and both Issei and her asked at the same time while looking at her crimson eyes:


    Issei & Blue haired girl - Eh? Are you a Crimson Demon Clan member?


    Then she suddenly stand up straight and introduced herself while making some silly poses, kinda like what Yunyun did:


    ??? - Indeed I am! My name is Megumin! My calling is that of an Arch-wizard, one who commands explosion magic, the strongest of all offensive magic!


    ...


    All of them become speechless after she did her introduction.


    But the blue haired girl breaks the silence by saying "Has not thought that unexpectedly will run into the Crimson Demon Clan person here, this child also has a top tier class Arch-wizard, its a good opportunity! We must get her in our team. Kazuma!"


    Then Megumin suddenly dropped down once more.


    Megumin - Hau~ In brief... Please give me something to eat. I haven''t ate for a very long time~


    Then her stomach made a huge growling sound after saying that.


    *GRRRRRRR*


    Like a hungry beast growling...


    Just when they all become speechless once more, there''s another voice coming from the entrance.


    Yunyun - Ise-san~! I''ve done my preparation, sorry for the wait!


    She came inside the guild while having a happy face and waved towards Issei.


    Kazuma - Ohhhhh! Beautiful... and BIG!!!


    Kazuma started drooling after seeing Yunyun ''assets'' bouncing up and down.


    Then he suddenly felt a chill coming from the glare of Issei, and he started sweating buckets.


    He hurriedly look down because he felt if he keep staring at this new girl then he might lose his life once more and for good this time...


    Then suddenly Yunyun saw Megumin who''s on the floor.


    Yunyun - Me-Megumin!? Is that you?


    She become surprised seeing her ''rival'' here.


    Yunyun - Wh-what happened to you. Megumin!?


    She started panicking after seeing Megumin on the floor and tries to shake her around.


    Megumin - U-ugh! that annoying voice... Yu-Yunyun?


    Yunyun - That''s right Megumin, its Yunyun! What happened to you!?


    Megumin - I-I haven''t ate for a long time...


    Then her stomach growled once more...


    Yunyun - Ah...


    Then Yunyun looked towards Issei.


    Yunyun - Ise-san! Please help Megumin!


    Issei have no other choice but to help this Megumin because Yunyun keep looking at him with a teary puppy eyes. And being the ''sis-con'' he is he can''t deny her request even though he knows it will be troublesome after this...


    Issei - *Sigh*...


    -Scene Skip-


    At one of the table on the guild there''s a bunch of food served.


    And Megumin can be found eating all the food with gusto.


    Megumin - Haup! Haup! Haup! Haup!


    She eat like a starving ghost and took a whole piece of meat inside her mouth like its nothing.


    And at her opposite Aqua can also be found chugging down food and alcohol at the same speed as Megumin.


    Aqua - Haup! *Gulp*! Haup! *Gulp*!


    Even when both of their mouth is full they keep chugging food after food and drink after drink, like they are afraid the food and drinks will disappear if they don''t eat it fast enough...


    Issei found out the blue haired girl name after she says "I accept your offering mortal! This Goddess of Water Aqua-sama shall give you her blessing!" Then she proceed to eat the food he bought like nobodies business...


    Issei is at loss for words after seeing them both like this... Yunyun who sat beside him also feeling speechless seeing her ''rival'' eating like this.


    Only Kazuma is lamenting the unfairness of this world


    Kazuma - Obviously are two bishoujos! Obviously are two bishoujos! Why! Whyyyy!


    He doesn''t dare to look at Yunyun openly because of Issei so he tried to ignore Yunyun as best as he could because he don''t want to die once again.


    So he can only lament his fate after seeing the only two girl who''s ''free'' in front of him.


    Even Issei have to agree on his lamentation, obviously these two can be considered as a beautiful girls but all that is ruined by their attitude and demeanor.


    But thankfully he got Yunyun here who''s pretty ''normal'' compared to the two of them. He started appreciate Yunyun even more after comparing her with these two...


    Yunyun - U-um Megumin... Eat slowly...


    Yunyun tried to advice her ''rival'' but Megumin just ignored her advice and still eat with gusto.


    After a while they finally finished eating their food.


    Issei - Finished? If you''re done then we''ll excuse ourselves.


    Just when Issei want to get out of here as fast as possible Yunyun started saying:


    Yunyun - My name is Yunyun! What a coincidence! What a quirk of fate! To think we would have an encounter here! You are truly my lifelong rival, Megumin!


    Issei got nothing to say after this... He knows that the two of them know each other but to think they are a lifelong rival.


    He thought her relationship with this Megumin is the same as him and Vali or so he thought...


    Until Megumin started saying:


    Megumin - Anyway, this girl is Yunyun. The daughter of the Crimson Demon''s leader, my self proclaimed rival.


    Yunyun - Wh-What do you mean self proclaimed! We are truly a lifelong rival in every sense!


    Megumin - Hai, hai... Says the girl who have no friend like always...


    Yunyun - H-Heh! That''s where you''re wrong, Megumin! I have a real friend and a party member now! This is Ise-san my lifelong friend and party member!


    Megumin - Wh- Impossible!


    Then all of them looked towards Issei, Kazuma still have goosebumps while looking at him, while Aqua and Megumin checking out Issei fully.


    Aqua - Hoo~ not bad~. Compared to this hikiNEET Trashzuma here.


    Kazuma - Why youuuuuu! Is it this mouth! This mouth who says all that!


    Aqua - Uwaaaaa! It huwts! I''m sowwy Kazuma-Shama! I''m sowwyyyy!


    Then he started to pinch Aqua face, and they become rowdy on their own.


    Megumin - ...You... What are you aiming for? There''s no way anybody will become friends with this meat for no reason!


    Yunyun - D-Dont call me meat! Just because your chest won''t grow don''t call me meat!


    Then Megumin have a tick mark on her head and started slapping Yunyun breast while saying "If this is not a useless meat then what is this!?" , "Ow! Don''t slap my breast just because yours won''t grow!"


    Issei become speechless because of their antics...


    Issei - *Sigh* There''s no particular reason. We just have a deal, if she teach me her magic skill then I will be her party member, but as time goes on we truly become friends. And I found her interesting and fun as a friend.


    Megumin stopped slapping Yunyun breast after hearing that and she has this incredulous looks on her face like the world is over.


    Yunyun become touched after hearing Issei''s word, she has a blush on her face


    Yunyun - Ise-san...


    Megumin - To think that Yunyun can get a friend on her own... And she got a party first before me on top of that... Is tomorrow gonna be the end of the world?


    Then she become reminded on how she got her party member in the first place.


    Megumin - You! You said you let her join your party if she teach you her magic skills right? Then let me join yours too! I can teach you the best offensive magic skill there is named Explo-


    Issei - I refuse.


    Issei cut her off and blatantly refuse her offer without a pause.


    Megumin - Wh-Whyyyyyyy!?


    Issei - Because you seems troublesome.


    Issei said that with a blank look on his face like that''s a fact. (well it is a fact)


    Megumin - Gununununu!! What kind of reasoning is that!? Can''t you see I''m a beautiful girl and a Arch-wizard at that!?


    Issei - But Yunyun also a Arch-wizard, and I''m totally content just having her as my party member, so no thank you.


    Megumin became at loss for words after that. While Yunyun still lost in her delusion after hearing his words.


    Megumin - Kuh! In that case, I challenge you for a duel! If I win you will let me join your party and replace her with me!


    Yunyun finally snapped out of her delusion after hearing her words.


    Yunyun - Ehhhhhh! Wh-


    Just when she want to protest to Megumin she heard Issei said:


    Issei - I won''t replace her. She''s not some object that can be thrown away like some toy!


    Issei got a little bit mad after hearing Megumin words because it reminded him of his betrayal. Like he''s treated as a toy that can be replaced anytime by his old lovers.


    His eyes glowing red and became slit like a Dragon eyes, his <Aura> also went a little wild.


    Aqua, Kazuma, and Megumin who saw that got goosebumps all over.


    What''s on Kazuma mind are ''Hiiiiiii! Th-This dude is the real deal! He might just truly kill me if I piss him off!'' His legs are shaking like crazy and he''s sweating all over.


    Aqua - ''S-scarryyyyy! But his eyes... Is he also a Crimson Demon clan member? No... His eyes are nothing like Crimson eyes, it gives even more dangerous vibe than them. And I could swear even the Demon Lord doesn''t have this kind of vibe''


    Megumin - ''E-eekkk! His eyes are scary but so cool, just like a Dragon''s eye.... Is he also from the village? No... no one from the village can give out this feelings and he''s dead serious when he said all that''


    Yunyun is over the cloud at this moment because the man she idolizes just says all that for her.


    Yunyun - ''Ah... Ise-san... So charming, Uuuuu~ what do I do, I really fall for Ise-san. But what if he refuses me? Hauuuuu~ I''m afraid if he refuses me, but he''s so cool when he says that...''


    Megumin - I-I apologize for my words.


    Megumin hastily apologize because she doesn''t want to get on his bad side more than she is now, she has to admit he is really cool when he says that line though.


    And she kinda envy Yunyun luck to get this kind of man as her friend and party member.


    She was just afraid for Yunyun, that''s why she said all that to test him out. Because she often got tricked in the past.


    And even though she doesn''t want to admit it, she really do think Yunyun as her friend.


    But she become flabbergasted when this man said all that, even she felt her heart twitch after seeing him act like that for Yunyun. She''s happy that her friend finally found a true friend on her own, but she''s also envious of her at the same time.


    Issei finally took back his <Aura> and closed his eyes for a second to let it revert back to normal, he''s not truly that mad because he can tell that this Megumin is actually do all that for Yunyun.


    If not he might just make the one who said all that take a "Vacation" for life and not waste his words on them.


    So he admire her in some way, although she doesn''t show it but she truly do care for Yunyun as a friend.


    Issei - Um. I also apologize for my lack of control, its just what you said kinda remind me of my past you see.


    They all finally gave a sigh of relief because they felt suffocated from his <Aura> alone except Yunyun because she''s too lost in her delusion to realize it. And Issei never aimed his <Aura> at her in the first place.

 Chapter 20 - 19

    Issei - Well shall we get going Yunyun?... Yunyun?


    When Issei didn''t get the respond from Yunyun he looked towards her.


    And he saw Yunyun looking at him with a infatuated look on her face.


    Isse got taken aback from her look.


    Issei - Yunyun...?


    Then she finally snaps out of it and she hastily shakes her head


    Yunyun - E-eh! W-w-what''s wrong Ise-san?


    She tried to be normal but the stutter gave her away.


    Megumin/Aqua/Kazuma - *Jiiiiii~*


    When they both feels the stare they received Issei just stare back with a glare while Yunyun face become red as tomato and steam coming out of her face. She holds her face down after realizing their stare.


    When they received Issei''s glare they all look away while whistling, like they never stare at them in the first place.


    Issei - *C-cough* Then shall we go. Yunyun?


    Issei feels uncomfortable from their look so he tried to ask Yunyun once more, and just when Yunyun about to answer


    Megumin - Wait!


    Then they both look at her


    Megumin - Please, take me in as your party member!


    Issei - ...


    This time Megumin did a full 90 degree bow at him, and when Issei about to answer her once more


    He saw the honest look she''s giving him and he hesitated. Then he felt a tug on his sleeve.


    When he saw who''s tugging her sleeve he saw Yunyun giving him the ''begging look''.


    Issei - *Sigh* Fine but you must listen to my commands. And my name is Issei Hyoudou by the way.


    Issei finally relented.


    Megumin became ecstatic, and Yunyun gave Issei a grateful look. Issei just give her a wry smile.


    Then suddenly he heard a voice


    Kazuma - PLEASE! TAKE US IN TOO!


    Aqua - Huh? What are you say- GEBOH!


    Kazuma suddenly do a dogeza and pulled Aqua down along with him when she''s about to say something.


    Issei became speechless when seeing them like this, do they have to go this far...


    Issei - ...Why?


    Kazuma - I can''t take it anymore! At this rate we won''t get anywhere! This useless Goddess can''t do a proper job as a priest, and my class is just an Adventurer/Novice! Please as a fellow japanese I''m begging you!


    Issei become surprised when he said that.


    Kazuma knows Issei a fellow japanese from his name, its quiet easy to guess really.


    Because all the name on this world, not a single one have a japanese style name such as him and Issei. (He still haven''t met Kyouya)


    Aqua - Ehhhh! You are from the same world as this hikiNEET!? Then how come you both are so different? One is a useless hikiNEET while the other one seems very capable?!


    Megumin and Yunyun also surprised that Issei is not from this world.


    Kazuma - You shut up! And my full name is Satou Kazuma. I''m begging you Issei Hyoudou-sama!


    Issei got the chills when he got called with a ''sama'' suffix from a fellow guy, especially with that much passion.


    Issei - First of all. Don''t call me with a ''sama'', just Ise is fine. Now about the japanese thing...


    Then Issei asked him how did he get in this world in the first place.


    After some questioning he finally got the answers...


    To think he got brought here after his death on earth... And the cause of his death... How lame can a person be.


    Issei didn''t know whether to laugh or cry on the way he died...


    Poor bastard is all he can say. For a fully grown man to beg with a dogeza and crying at the same time, well not that Issei can really blame him for that.


    If his only party member is this useless Goddess as he''s described...


    And from the things that happened so far it seems true enough...


    Issei once more exhale a big sigh, at this rate he wondered if he will become old faster with all the sigh he has done ever since he arrived in this world.


    Issei - ...Fine


    When Kazuma about to scream for joy


    Issei - But you have to listen to my command clearly just like Megumin here.


    Then Issei whispered "And if you dare look at Yunyun with that perverted look on your eyes, I will pluck your eyes. Got it?"


    Kazuma shivered fiercely from his words and he hastily shake his head up and down like it almost break the supersonic speed from how fast he nods.


    Issei then give him a calm smile but his eyes are not smiling


    Issei - Then welcome aboard, Kazuma.


    Yunyun became happy now that her party got bigger and she thought she will have more friends after this.


    Megumin just calmly look at the interaction between Kazuma and Issei, she could tell what''s the content of their conversation are.


    And she has to agree with Issei condition because she can tell this Kazuma is a pervert.


    While Aqua is just being Aqua. She didn''t have a single clue nor even care about what just happened.


    She just have this silly look on her face.


    -After a while-


    Issei checked all of their skills and he become speechless once more and start regretting his choice of accepting them into the team...


    Kazuma is still fine because he''s a Novice but what''s up with the other 2...


    This self proclaimed Goddess put all her skills point into street artist performance stuff... And the only priest skill she has are


    and <Ressurection>...


    While this Megumin only have 1 skill available... Namely <Explosion Magic>, sure its high leveled but that''s the only skill in her arsenal that''s available. That means after she ran out of mana she can''t cast any other skills at all, not even a small <Fireball> spell...


    Issei - ...You must be kidding me...


    Issei didn''t know what to say after seeing all this, he started to hate his Dragon pride a little bit.


    Because he can''t take back his words after accepting them as a party member...


    Issei - Let''s just get this over with...


    Then they proceeded to look at the Quest board.


    Issei just take a crusade against a <White Wolf> Quest.


    And all of them except Yunyun become paralyzed, from the self proclaimed haughty Goddess until the self proclaimed strongest Arch-Wizard who only possess <Explosion Magic> on her arsenal.


    Finally Kazuma become a representative for asking Issei about the quest.


    Kazuma - ...Ummm, Ise-san


    Issei - What''s wrong?


    Kazuma - ...That''s a high ranked quest isn''t it?


    Issei - So?


    Kazuma - ...But we are rookies.


    Issei - And?


    Kazuma - ...Nevermind


    Kazuma didn''t know what to say anymore and just give up asking questions, he just have this resigned to fate looks on his face.


    Aqua and Megumin hugged each other and they are trembling because they thought their life will be forfeited soon.


    Even though they both have some screw loose in their head they can still tell when all hope is lost for them.


    Even though Megumin truly believes that <Explosion> is the strongest spell, It can''t do much if the spell doesn''t hit the target. And <White Wolf> are known for their speed and agility, so she can forget hitting one with her explosion spell unless the wolf stay put.


    But that''s impossible... Unless the wolf is stupid then it won''t stay put.


    While Aqua can''t even beat a <Giant Frog>, what''s more a <White Wolf> which are obviously stronger than the former one.


    Only Yunyun become confused after seeing them like this


    Yunyun - What''s wrong you guys?


    Megumin - W-what''s wrong you asked!? Don''t you know what a <White Wolf> is!?


    Yunyun - E-eh? I do know about them, but what''s wrong with it?


    Megumin - ...Its clearly a strong monster and not for rookies such as ourselves! Idiot!


    Yunyun - E-ehhhh? B-but Ise-san is a "B" rank and we often beat stronger monsters than a <White Wolf>


    Megumin/Aqua/Kazuma - ...Eh? "B" ranked?


    Then they fiercely turned their heads altogether at the same time to look towards Issei.


    Issei at this moment are taking the Quest form to register it at the counter.


    M/A/K - ...Really?


    They asked Yunyun once more


    Yunyun - U-um. I often do Quests together with Ise-san so I know his capabilities well.


    Megumin - ...Then what rank are you, Yunyun?


    Yunyun - Eh? I''m a "C" rank and almost got promoted to "B" rank after a couple more quests. What''s wrong?


    She gave them this clueless look like what she just said is very normal.


    Megumin and Yunyun left their village at the same time, they arrive at this town about a few weeks ago and for Yunyun to achieve "C" rank just after these short amount of time just showed how ridiculous her capabilities are...


    Even Megumin is still a "E" rank after all this time and she can be considered as a fast rank climber compared to most of the other adventurer.


    While both Kazuma and Aqua are still "F" rank...


    Megumin - You must be lying!


    Yunyun - E-ehhh!? No I''m not!


    Megumin - Then let me take a look at your <Card>!


    Yunyun - H-here!


    Then they all gather around to look at Yunyun <Card>...


    M/A/K - ...Its true


    Megumin have this all hope is lost look on her face like she can''t believe all this is real.


    While Kazuma and Aqua just "Wow"ing in the background.


    Megumin - To think me, the genius Arch-wizard of all times rank, are below this loner...


    Yunyun - H-how rude! I''m not a loner anymore!


    She didn''t realize she just basically admitted that she was a loner before...


    Issei - Let''s go.


    Then they all have no choice but to go with Issei...


    -Skip-


    After they arrived at the green pasture. They thought its gonna be easy because they have a "B" rank and a "C" rank with them.


    But all that changed after they heard Issei says


    Issei - Me and Yunyun are not gonna help until you really need help yourself.


    M/A/K - EHHHHHH!!? WHY!?


    Issei - What do you mean why? Of course its because I want to look at your capabilities. I already know Yunyun capabilities so I don''t need her to show me again... Don''t tell me you guys are afraid?


    Issei give them this challenging look.


    M/A/K - O-of course not! Who says we are afraid!


    Issei - Oh~ let''s go then.


    After waiting for a while...


    Aqua can be found doing a prayer "God... please bless me, God... please bless me!" Even though she''s a Goddess herself for some reason she pray to another God...


    Megumin is standing stiff while can be heard muttering "I-I''m not afraid... I''m not afraid... I''m very strong..." she''s shivering a bit even though she said all that...


    While Kazuma just have this calm confident face but his legs are shivering fiercely...


    Issei who look at them all like that have nothing to say. Yunyun just wryly smile at that.


    Issei - ...I say... Why you guys seems so afraid? Even though I said I want to see your capabilities, I never said I will let you die didn''t I?


    M/A/K - REALLY!?


    Issei - ...


    Kazuma - Wait... you''re not planning to pick this Quest specifically just to left us behind did you?


    Issei - ...


    Aqua and Megumin body fiercely shakes after hearing that and after seeing Issei doesn''t answer right away...


    They both threw themselves at Issei legs and cried out loud while saying "PLEASE DON''T LEAVE US BEHIND. ISSEI-SAMA!"


    Issei - Gross! Your snot and tears are touching my legs! I won''t leave you behind! So let go!


    A&M - REALLY!?


    Issei - Yes! Really! Now let go!


    They finally let go after that but Issei fiercely glare at Kazuma for causing this to happen.


    Kazuma hurriedly do a dogeza while saying "I''m very sorry..."


    Yunyun tried to wipe the stain on Issei''s leg. But Issei stopped her from doing so because the way she planned to do it seems very wrong...


    -After waiting for a while-


    Aqua - Heh! The wolf must have ran away after knowing the great Aqua-sama is here!


    Just when she finish boasting the ground fiercely shakes and Megumin pointed behind Aqua while her hands are trembling


    Megumin - W-w-wolves...


    ROAR!


    There''s a loud roar heard and loud footsteps heard from the distance behind Aqua back.


    Kazuma and Megumin faces are pale and they are shivering while looking behind Aqua''s.


    Aqua - ...You guys must be working together to trick me right? What''s with that expression? Like there''s some monsters behind my back? Don''t do this kind of joke, okay? There will be divine punishment if you tried to scare off a Goddess. Okay? Okay?


    Even though Aqua tried to look calm but her body is shivering like crazy.


    Then the sound of footsteps behind Aqua suddenly stopped.


    But this sudden stillness just make Aqua more afraid...


    ROAR!


    With that roar the footsteps resume itself and started to close in at a faster rate on them.


    Aqua -WAHHHHHHHH!!!


    Then Aqua hurriedly run towards Kazuma group while crying loudly.


    Both Kazuma and Megumin turn around and run as fast as they can while shouting "DON''T COME OVER HERE! GO AWAY!"


    Aqua - SAVES ME! SAVES ME! I''M BEGGING YOU! SAVES MEEEE!!!


    Issei and Yunyun who looked at this become speechless...


    Yunyun tried to help them but she got stopped by Issei.


    ROAR ROAR ROAR ROAR!


    The leader of the <White Wolf> pack gave a loud roar and after that its pack started running faster towards Aqua direction.


    Then Aqua tripped herself "NOOOOOOOO!!!"


    Issei could only sigh while saying "I obviously want to look at their capabilities but for this to happen..."


    Then he made a dash towards Aqua direction and when a wolf almost bite Aqua. He arrived in front of it and punched the wolf right in its head.


    The wolf got blown away while its head break like a watermelon without able to let out a single sound. And its body smashed with the rest of the wolves behind it and make a loud "BOOM!" sound after the impact.


    The wolves that got hit by the blown away wolf body died right away.


    Issei calmly stand in front of Aqua after doing that.


    Kazuma - W-wow! Seriously?


    Kazuma who''s hiding behind a tree give that reaction after seeing Issei action.


    Megumin - Wow... Amazing... Moreover very cool and charming...


    Megumin who similarly was hiding behind a rock also said this while having stars in her eyes.


    Aqua who just got saved becomes dull faced then she suddenly grab onto Issei''s body like a vice grip and started crying while thanking him at the same time "Thank you! Thank you for saving me! Wahhhhhhh!!!"


    Issei - Oy! Don''t grab onto me while you''re crying! Your tears and snot are rubbing against me! Let go you idiot!


    Issei tried to push her off but he become surprised because she have such a strong grip surprisingly. ''What!? How come her grip are this strong? This is not what a human capable of doing! Is she really a Goddess!?'' Issei physical body is strong as hell and for him to unable to peel her off of him is pretty surprising, even though he''s not fully used his strength in fear of hurting her.


    The rest of the wolf gave a loud roar because they lost their companions.


    ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!


    But they are not stupid, they know if this ''human'' capable of doing all that in one punch then he''s pretty strong himself.


    They just putting a tough front because they know they can''t beat him even if all of them went together.


    Then Issei just look towards them while suppressing the wolves with his <Aura> alone.


    They become petrified in place and lower their head while growling softly. "Awoo..." They are feeling afraid.


    Megumin who saw this thought its her chance to show off her skill.


    Megumin - Main character is going on stage! Its really a golden opportunity! Now I shall let you experience the most powerful magic of all times!


    After that declaration Megumin raise her staff and chant her magic.


    Megumin - Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark. I beseech thee, combine with my deep crimson. The time of awakening has cometh. Justice, fallen upon the infallible boundary, appear now as an intangible distortion! This is the mightiest means of attack known to man, the ultimate attack magic! <Explosion>!!!


    Then there''s a loud blast and giant explosion in the distance.


    Issei - Wait! You Idi-


    Issei''s voice got drown in because of the loud sound effect caused by her <Explosion> magic...

 Chapter 21 - 20

    Megumin - Heh. How''s that! the strongest offensive magic skill in the world! <Explosion>! Bow before its might you plebs! Ah... My magic power... *THUD*


    The green pasture now has a big crater, and Megumin after used her skill for some reason dropped down to the ground.


    Issei who saw this keep twitching his face, while Kazuma is in awe, Aqua still clinging to Issei, Yunyun is clapping for her ''rival''.


    Issei - "...You idiot, did you forgot what''s the content of the Quest was? The owner of the pasture wanted us to get rid of the <White Wolf> because they are destroying his pasture. Now that the damage you have done is obviously bigger than the whole wolf pack, you think the owner will give out the rewards for this Quest?


    Of course, he will sue us instead of paying us after what just happened... You get it now? And I can guess why you fell down after casting your magic. Because you put your whole skill points into <Explosion> alone, sure its might and power will be great and the casting time became shorter but the mana consumption will also be bigger... And considering your low level, even if you put your whole status points into your Mana its still won''t be enough.


    So after you cast 1 <Explosion> spell. You pretty much ran out of Mana and down for the count, am I right?"


    They all first started trembling when they remembered the content of the Quest and started trembling even more after knowing they might get sued by the pasture owner.


    But after hearing Issei analysis on Megumin skill they looked down at her direction and saw her body fiercely shaking and she even sweating buckets at this moment.


    Then they all know what Issei just said is true after seeing her reaction...


    Even Yunyun don''t know what to say and just have a wry smile on her face because she can''t do anything to assist her ''rival'' on this.


    Issei - ...*Sigh* I knew it was a mistake for taking you all in as a party member.


    -Skip-


    When they got back at the guild hall and submit their report to Luna.


    They really got sued for 10 Million Eris. And each of the party members needs to pay 10 Million Eris not 10 Million Eris as a whole party but for each individual...


    What Luna said why they got sued is pretty much the same just like what Issei said.


    Because the damage they did are bigger than the whole wolf pack, and the pasture is pretty much destroyed that it becomes unusable.


    Issei and Yunyun just stayed calm after hearing that. But Yunyun gave her ''rival'' a concerned look because both her and Issei have lots of money from all the Quest they did.


    And when Yunyun tried to pay for Megumin, Issei doesn''t allow it because they reap what they sow.


    So she can only relent because she doesn''t want to go against her idol. Even her ''puppy'' look doesn''t work this time.


    Kazuma, Aqua, and Megumin faces are pale as a white sheet of paper and they shivered all over after hearing the debt their in.


    When they tried to ask help at Yunyun they received a deadly glare from Issei and they can only shut up.


    They can''t blame Megumin alone either because if Kazuma isn''t just hiding the entire time then he could''ve stopped Megumin.


    Aqua distracted Issei by hugging him like a vice grip.


    So they can only accept their fate.


    Just when they thought the situation cannot get any worst than this.


    They heard Luna talk once more


    Luna - Ummm... There''s also someone who got injured by Megumin-san spell and she''s waiting upstairs to meet with the one who cast that spell.


    They all become startled after hearing that.


    So they head towards the second floor of the guild.


    And they arrived in front of a room where the one who got injured by Megumin spell.


    Megumin - ...Is this really okay? That person got hit by <Explosion> magic, its already a miracle they are still alive. And even then they must be critically injured...


    Kazuma - W-well don''t worry so much! After all Aqua is an Arch-Priest so she could heal the injuries they got. Right, Aqua?


    Aqua - E-eh? U-um! Yeah. Leave it to me! With my healing spell, she will be fine!


    Issei - Well it''s your own fault anyway so just hurry up and go inside. Just get this over with, It''s not like things could get any worse than now anyway. At worst they will just sue you once more.


    Megumin trembles once more knowing she might get into bigger debt.


    Megumin - U-um suddenly my stomach is hur-


    BAM!


    She got cut out because the door suddenly burst open and the one who opened the door just now went straight into Megumin and hold her hands while saying


    ??? - Thank you very much!


    Is this the first word of a normal person who got injured by somebody else?


    She is a tall, beautiful young woman, she gives the appearance of cool beauty. She is well-endowed and also has light blue eyes and straight, long blonde hair kept in a ponytail tied with a braid and red hair clips secured on both sides of her bangs. She is wearing clad in black, white, and yellow armor, with a metal shoulder plate on her left side, and a wing-like cloth perched upon her right shoulder.


    But most of her body is covered in bandages at this time.


    And her blushing beautiful face at this moment is filled with pure ecstasy and joy while also drooling a little bit.


    What''s on Issei''s mind after seeing this newcomer is


    Issei - ...Ended


    He could tell right away this woman is also not normal.


    There''s no sane person will become happy and joyful after getting injured.


    ??? - Really! Thank you so much! I have never felt such a powerful attack, that is my first time felt a peak pleasant sensation that even made my entire consciousness starts to fly. Is that Explosion Magic? It''s really good!


    Her way of speaking made all of them move backward. Their face also grimacing after hearing her words.


    ??? - My name is Darkness! Also an adventurer. Pleased to meet you all! Then my purpose of wanting to meet you is because I want to enter your party! My class is a Crusader and I act as a Vanguard. And I have a very high defense parameter, so don''t hesitate to use me as a meat shield! If anything DO use me as a meat shield to your heart content! So please let me join your party!


    They didn''t know how to respond to her words...


    Issei just has this faraway look on his face while thinking ''Semiramis... Is this really the world where you want me to go? Do you really think this is a ''relaxing'' place? This world which is filled with ''special'' people...''


    -At Semiramis domain-


    Semiramis - Achoo!


    Scathach - Hmm? Did you get a cold Semiramis?


    Semiramis - No. That''s impossible. Hm? I wonder if Ise is thinking of me right now? Ufufu~ did he miss me?


    Scathach - Well indeed for him its been a while but for us here its just been a few days passed since we last meet him. And you girls need to keep up the pace! Don''t be so slow!


    Jeanne - Hai! Shishou!


    Jalter - Cheh! Got it!


    Scathach is supervising Jeanne and Jalter training for the upcoming rating-game because both she and Semiramis won''t participate in the game because that would be overkill.


    And even though Jeanne and Jalter are strong they still need more polishing to participate in the rating-game because the current them might get wiped early on.


    At best their power level at this moment is on par with the Ultimate-class over there.


    Scathach don''t want her sisters-to-be will embarrass their husband on the rating-game because of their weakness, and even Semiramis agreed to her idea.


    Semiramis - And. Did you like your new body. Dear Irene?


    Irene - Um. This is indeed a nice body, and It will take me a little more time to get used to it. Don''t worry, I will gain full control of my body soon for the upcoming rating-game. And I have to really thank you once more, Semi-nee.


    Semiramis - Fufufu~ No need to thank me. Aren''t we sisters? And I''m glad you like your new body.


    Irene face got a little bit red after hearing her, she''s indeed very happy with her new body because she knows that Issei will really like this body.


    She touched the <Mark> on the middle of her chest while having an enamored look on her face.


    Irene - Huhu. I can''t wait to see you again. Partner...


    Irene is a tall, voluptuous beautiful woman with thickly braided, bow-adorned, scarlet hair. Her two front braids have two golden ornaments near the upper sections.


    For clothing, Irene dons a risque version of the typical witch''s garb. Her black top has a diamond-shaped opening, exposing the middle of her breasts, which has a white heart mark that covered with Dragon''s wing.


    (Just google Irene Belserion and you will have her picture)


    Irene - ...My beloved true soul mate... Ise...


    -At Sona''s place-


    Sona and Tsubaki can be found in the room.


    Sona is at the sofa kneading her forehead while Tsubaki just stands behind her while giving Sona a concerned look.


    Sona - *Sigh* How stupid can you be, Rias... As your friend, I''m truly at loss for words.


    Tsubaki - Sona-sama...


    Sona - I''m fine Tsubaki... I just can''t believe at what they all did... *Sigh* Don''t let Saji know this because he might just blow up and make things more complicated than it is now.


    Tsubaki - Hai. Sona-sama.


    Saji is one of Issei''s good friend, they can be called pawn buddies.


    If Saji knows what''s the cause of Issei disappearance then he might just go to Rias place and started shouting at them while asking how could they did that.


    And if they knew the cause of Issei did all that is themselves then all hell will truly break loose...


    Even now the Gods pantheon is wondering where the Sekiryuutei is. All they can say is he''s training himself on somewhere unknown for the upcoming rating-game. (It is true though, they just didn''t know it yet)


    For now, they believed that excuse but if at the rating-game Issei doesn''t show up then they truly don''t know what to do anymore.


    Some Gods such as God of Destruction Shiva think of Issei as his rival and brother, if he knew the reason why Issei disappear then he might kill Rias and the others for it. And of course, Sirzechs will not just stand by watching his sister going to get killed along with Akeno''s father Baraqiel for that matter.


    Then the peace treaty will be broken and war will descend once more into the world...


    Issei has that BIG of an influence on the political situation of the 4 factions, so if he by chance never reappear then there won''t be peace any longer.


    Sona - ...Where are you Hyoudou-kun...


    -Back at Issei-


    After that meeting with Darkness he decided to disband the party for a while and went on to their respective set of motion.


    Issei and Yunyun still together.


    While Aqua/Kazuma/Megumin and the new addition to their party Darkness are together.


    Issei and Yunyun went to do Quests like always and finally, Yunyun reached "B" rank just like Issei.


    At one time Issei went to the cemetery and he sees a woman there, at first he observes what she''s doing here then he saw she''s purifying the lost souls.


    She''s a beautiful and well-endowed woman with fair skin and a curvaceous figure. She has brown eyes and straight brown hair reaching down to the front of her shoulders and further behind her back, slightly curling at the tips. Her fringe sometimes covers her right eye. She also possesses a single ahoge that arcs off the top of her head.


    She wears a purple dress, with dark purple cloak/robe over it.


    When she noticed Issei she got a little bit surprised that someone is watching her, but then she got attracted to his <Aura>.


    Because she''s a lich she is quite sensitive to the life forces around her, and the man before her has the biggest life force she has ever seen.


    Issei still calmly gaze at her, and he knows she''s not a human just from a glance. He can tell she''s some kind of undead from her <Aura> alone, but this is the first time he saw an undead that has not lost their reasoning and she seems like a kind person.


    She kept purifying the souls around this cemetery and not consuming them like others high leveled undead.


    So they just kept gazing each other for a while.


    Issei is the first to break their eye contact and when he tried to leave she called out to him


    ??? - W-wait...


    Issei stopped and looked back but he doesn''t say anything.


    The woman panicked a little because she realized she called out to him for no particular reason just because by staying near him she feels comfortable. Like she''s alive once more.


    This is because of Issei <Life and Death Aura>. As time goes he started attracting Souls to him because they felt his aura are very comfortable.


    But he never likes those souls gathers around him so he makes them pass on to the afterlife just like that ghost from the haunted mansion.


    But if its an evil soul they will never get close to him because they are afraid of being destroyed or eaten by him.


    Good souls search for salvation.


    While Evil souls want to do evil things in the world of the living even after their death.


    And if Issei saw those kinds of soul he usually destroys them if he had the chance.


    ??? - U-u-um. M-my name is Wiz!


    Issei - ...


    Issei still doesn''t answer


    Wiz - I-i-is it possible for me to know your name?


    Issei - ...It''s Issei Hyoudou


    Wiz - A-are you a royalty?


    In this world usually, the one who has a surname is only a royalty.


    Issei said no to her question, then she felt a little bit relieved because usually the royalty she knows is a bit ''troublesome''.


    Wiz - T-then Issei-san. I-is it okay if I call you that?


    Issei - I don''t mind...


    Wiz - C-can I offer you some tea at my place? Ah! That is if you''re okay with it, I''m not forcing you!


    Wiz didn''t know why, but she just wanted to stay longer with him. So she''s kind of desperate when she sees him walk away.


    Issei just gazes at her silently and she''s feeling nervous he might decline her offer.


    She really never feels this kind of thing before, she''s a very meek woman so it''s pretty surprising for her to do this kind of thing on the guy she just met.


    But she just couldn''t help it... His presence is so soothing and makes her heart warm even though she''s already dead.

 Chapter 22 - 21

    Issei finally agrees to her invitation.


    -At Wiz''s place-


    Wiz - P-please makes yourself at home.


    They arrived at her place which is basically a magic shop item store.


    Even though its kinda cramped but Issei doesn''t mind it because he''s not that rich even in his original world.


    Even though he has all that stock share of his Oppai Dragon show but he will not think of that as his own money.


    He does that shows for the kids, not for the money.


    Wiz - Please take a seat here and wait just a second. I will make you the tea.


    Then she went to her kitchen to make some tea for Issei.


    Meanwhile, Issei observes her store.


    She got all kinds of items which he doesn''t really recognize, there are some familiar items here and there from his own world but its shape is not really the same.


    And he could tell some of her merchandise is a fake dud or cursed.


    So he got up from his seat and head towards the cursed items to erase the curse, it''s quite easy to do since cursed items usually possessed by some Evil souls.


    So he just inputs his aura a little bit into the items to erase the evil soul then its purified.


    Wiz who saw him able to do that become stupefied because she never thought he''s able to purify the curse.


    Wiz - I-Issei-san are you a priest by any chance?


    Issei - No.


    Wiz - B-but you''re able to purify the curse on that item just now.


    Issei - It''s just one of my special abilities.


    Wiz doesn''t investigate anymore after that because she''s not the kind to pry into people secrets.


    Even she has some secrets on her own.


    Wiz - T-then here''s your tea. Sorry for the wait.


    Then she served the tea on the table and Issei head back to the table.


    Issei just calmly drink her tea and he doesn''t complain even though it''s quite cold.


    Wiz knows that the tea is cold because she can''t serve hot beverages nor food because she''s an undead and her magic skills consist of <Ice> type.


    Wiz - I-I''m sorry that the tea is not hot...


    Issei - I don''t mind.


    Wiz - I-I see...


    Then the silence ensues once more.


    After a while, Wiz finally started talking once more


    Wiz - You must be wondering why I invited you here...


    Issei put down the tea and look calmly at her.


    Wiz took that as a signal for her to continue her words


    Wiz - Y-you see... Actually, I''m an undead... A <Lich> to be precise.


    She tries to see if he have any reaction towards her after he knew she''s an undead.


    But he still has the calm look on his face even after hearing her ''secret''.


    Wiz - D-don''t you feel afraid. Issei-san? Knowing that I''m an undead?


    She couldn''t help but ask him that question because people usually always hate her for what she is. And even though she looks like she doesn''t mind it. But deep inside she felt hurt because of it.


    She didn''t choose to be lich on her own, she''s forced to become one after her fight with Vanir.


    She has to make a contract with Vanir to save her friends who got captured by the Demon Lord General. But because she can''t defeat him she has to choose to become a Lich herself.


    If not then her friends would die.


    So even though she isn''t regretting turning herself into a Lich just to save her friends, she still feels hurt that everyone else condemns her for what she is.


    Issei - Why should I?


    Wiz - Eh?


    Wiz becomes stupefied after hearing his immediate answer.


    Issei - Why should I be afraid of you just because you''re an undead?


    Wiz - B-but usually people detest undead don''t they?


    Issei - I won''t detest someone because of what they are. You cannot change what you are, only what you do. If you''re an evil undead then sure I might detest you, but from what I have seen at the cemetery you are not evil. Aren''t you?


    Wiz can only blankly nod at his question.


    Issei - Then why should I detest you because of what you are? It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not. I won''t change myself for someone else just to be loved by them because that would be false love. Don''t you think so too?


    Once again Wiz can only blankly nod at his statement because she got nothing to say in return.


    She has tears streaming down her face without her realizing it.


    Because that''s the words she wants to hear after all this time.


    For not to be judged by what she is but for who she is.


    She''s a proud Adventurer Wiz the Ice Witch. Not some unknown undead Lich.


    When she''s still alive she has a big pride for who she is.


    But after some time passed she started forgetting it.


    And that makes her afraid. Afraid of losing her true identity.


    People keep calling her evil undead even though she''s not, she always protects them even until now.


    She made a deal with the Demon Lord to keep the barrier on their castle and become one of his generals.


    The deal is for the Demon Lord to release her friends Brad and Rosary. And also for the Demon Lord army never to involve innocent non-combatant civilian in their attacks on the humans.


    She can get it if Adventurer dies because of the risks involved but she won''t allow any innocent bystander to get involved.


    So for her deal with the Demon Lord, she will maintain the barrier on his castle and she also won''t attack the demons as long they don''t break their deal.


    But she knows on her behind the Demon Lord still keep her bounty while she''s still human, and because he doesn''t want to lose his own army. He spread the words that she''s an evil undead and she''s also one of the Demon Lord Generals.


    That''s why she has to move from her old country. Then after some negotiation with the Kingdom of Belzerg she finally allowed to stay in their country, but she''s not allowed to leave Axel city on her own.


    And that''s how she finally open her store and make Axel city as her new home.


    (It''s just a made up story, most of it is true though such as she turned into a lich for her friends and how she made a deal with the Demon Lord)


    At long last, she finally found a person who truly understands her feelings.


    Wiz - *Hi-hick* I-I''m sorry for my pathetic display *Sniff* I-its just that *Sniff* It''s the first time for somebody to truly understand me.


    Issei pulls his hood down and he extends his hands to wipe the tears off her face.


    Issei - Nonsense... There''s nothing pathetic from being who you are. You are you. Now, isn''t that pleasant?


    He gave her the gentlest smile he has, and he kept brushing away her tears away from her face with utmost gentleness and care.


    Wiz who saw his face and feels the gentleness he gives her started bawling even harder and she jumps towards his chest and gives him the tightest hug she could muster.


    Wiz - Uwaaaaaaa!


    Issei just calmly hug her back and rub her back gently.


    After a while, she finally stopped crying and after realizing what she just did.


    Her whole face becomes totally red and she couldn''t be more even embarrassed after what she did.


    She just started bawling like a child in front of the man she just met and she''s clearly the older one here.


    She just wants to find a hole to bury herself into now.


    She''s so embarrassed that she might die just from the shame alone, but she also doesn''t want to leave his warm embrace. So she feels conflicted whether to let go or not.


    After coming into close contact with his body she can clearly feel that soothing feelings she felt when around him.


    And she couldn''t help feeling intoxicated by it, she just wants to stay like this forever.


    But she knew she can''t stay like this forever, ''Uwahhhh! So embarrassing! To think I cry like that in front of the man I just met! But... His embrace is so warm... And his face is really handsome... Uuuuu...Get a hang of yourself Wiz! You''re the older one here and he might not see you the way you see him!'' She tried to talk herself down.


    Issei - Are you feeling fine now?


    Wiz snapped out of her thoughts after hearing his question. So she answers with a low voice while still looking down and red-faced.


    Wiz - U-un...


    Issei - Then can you tell me why you cried just now? If that''s okay with you that is.


    Wiz got taken aback by his question but after looking at his face and the way he looks at her, she finally relents and decided to tell him her story...


    -After some time-


    She finally finishes telling him her story...


    Issei still calmly stroke her back with the same gentleness as before, and Wiz really enjoys this feeling she even started mewling a little bit. After all, when she''s still alive she never felt something like this before.


    Because no man dares to court her before so she never been into a relationship and never knows what it feels like to be loved by the opposite gender.


    Issei - ...I see. Do you want to get back at that Vanir or the Demon Lord himself? I could kill them for you if you want?


    After hearing her story he really felt sorry for her, she really looks just like him.


    Never hesitate to protect her friends and even sacrificed her ''life'' to achieve it.


    Wiz got totally surprised by his question.


    So she jerked back and look at him in the face, but all she sees is still the same calmness and gentleness looks he has before.


    Like he can easily do what he just said without effort.


    Wiz - B-but they are really strong. And Vanir can''t be killed in normal ways because his physical body is at hell.


    Issei just chuckles a bit at her statement then he gives her the reassuring look once more but with even more conviction this time.


    Issei - There''s nothing I can''t kill in this world.


    His eyes are glowing a bit and it''s overflowing with confidence.


    And that is totally a lady killer move coupled with his handsome face, so Wiz got lost in trance once more after seeing his confident face.


    Issei - Well?


    Then she finally snaps out of it and started thinking about it.


    Wiz - ...No


    Issei - Hoo? May I know why?


    Wiz - Because it might break the equilibrium... If humans lose their common enemy then they will start having a conflict with each other. And at some point, they will wage war against each other. So there''s no reason to kill Demon Lord at this time.


    Wiz at first is tempted to kill them. But then she realized something...


    Issei at first just went silent.


    Then he suddenly pats Wiz head.


    Wiz - Eh? I-I-Issei-san?


    Her face went beet red after getting petted by him.


    Issei - That''s the right answer. Wiz.


    Wiz couldn''t help become stupefied after hearing that but Issei continues once more


    Issei - If I kill the Demon Lord then like you said before, the humans will lose their common enemies and they will start having a conflict with each other. And the cause of it will be their greed, they will start competing with each other to have the Demon Lord territories all for themselves. And the ones who will truly suffer are the innocent civilians and bystander.


    Wiz totally agrees with his opinion and that''s also why she rejected his proposal. And she becomes amazed once more that he can think that far ahead even though he''s this young.


    Issei - So how about Vanir? Do you want me to kill him?


    Issei asks her once more.


    Wiz just decline once again and her reasoning is


    Wiz - "...No need. Even though he''s a Devil but he never took humans life, and in some ways, I''m indebted to him because he showed me how to get the power I need to save my friends. And besides... The reason why I keep fighting him is just because of my pride. He only tricked me and my friends once. But my pride can''t take the blow of being tricked like that.


    So I keep coming back at his place to repay back the humiliation I receive.


    If I don''t let my pride get in the way then my friends would have never got caught by the Demon General Beldia in the first place. So it''s also my fault for what has happened and you could say I reap what I sow there... Hehe... It''s stupid isn''t it..."


    She rubbed the back of her head while acting bashful.


    Issei - ...Beautiful.


    Wiz - ...Eh?


    Wiz becomes stupefied after hearing his word. And when she realizes what he just said her face went full beef red once more.


    Wiz - E-eh. W-wha. B-b-beau- I-I Wha-


    Her eyes started spinning from utter confusion and happiness she felt.


    Issei - It''s beautiful how you can clearly admit your past just like that. You never blamed anyone for what happened and you fully accept yourself. Even your past and the present you...


    Issei admires her for accepting her past and her present life. Just like him who accepts his past and present but he has some help from others.


    While the woman in front of her come to fully accept all that on her own, without anyone assisting her.


    He admits he won''t be able to do what she did without receiving any help. And he really admires her because of that.


    He couldn''t help extend his hand to her face and gently stroke it.


    Wiz is at her limit here and her face can''t be redder than it is now.


    She started having smokes coming out of her head and she started hallucinating that an angel is here to guide her to the afterlife.


    Wiz - Hawawawawawawa. I-I-I-Issei-san!


    Then at this moment, the door of Wiz shop burst open with a loud BAM!


    The one who did it is Yunyun.


    And she''s looking down at this moment so they can''t see her face clearly, but her body is trembling a little.


    Issei snapped out of his trance and Wiz although still have a red face also turned to look at the door of her shop.


    Issei and Wiz position at this moment is kinda inappropriate.


    Issei is sitting at the chair while Wiz is on his lap.


    One of Issei''s hand is on Wiz waist while his other hand is cupping her face like they just secretly had a lovey-dovey moment and want to kiss each other.


    It was at this moment, that Issei knew... He fcked up...

 Chapter 23 - 22

    Yunyun was wondering where Issei went, so she searched for him.


    After some searching, she still can''t find him.


    Then she saw him inside Wiz-san store from the window.


    But she got shocked by what she saw.


    Her idol Ise-san is hugging Wiz-san and their position is quite intimate.


    Wiz is sitting on his lap hugging him and he''s also hugging her while stroking her back.


    Just when she about to go inside the store she heard their conversation.


    So she unintentionally heard the content of their talk.


    She becomes shocked about the past of Wiz and she feels sad for her.


    But when she heard Ise-san proposal of killing the Demon Lord and Vanir just for Wiz, she becomes shocked but also quite jealous because he''s willing to go that far for her.


    Although she also has to admit he is really charming and cool when he gave Wiz that confident and reassuring look that even she becomes entranced just by seeing it.


    Then she never thought Wiz will reject his proposal and after hearing the reason why she realized that it''s all true, and she becomes even more amazed at Issei for thinking that far ahead.


    She felt she just fell in love all over again with him.


    But when she was in her delusion once more she saw her Ise-san cupping the face of Wiz and looks like he''s about to kiss him (Only in her perspective, Issei never really intend to kiss Wiz at that time)


    So she can''t take it anymore and go inside the store with a BAM!


    -Back to the present-


    Issei - ...Yunyun?


    Wiz - Eh? Yunyun-san?


    Yunyun murmured in a low voice


    Yunyun - ...It''s not fair...


    Issei & Wiz - Huh?


    Then she finally lifted her face and she has tears in her eyes while blushing a little


    Yunyun - It''s not fair that Ise-san only hugs Wiz-san like that!


    She suddenly runs toward them and jumped into Issei embrace as well.


    Issei - W-Wait! Yun-


    Wiz - Uwa-!


    They clashed with each other and the three of them dropped to the floor because of the impact from Yunyun.


    Both Yunyun and Wiz lay on top of Issei''s body and both of their big breasts are pressed against his chest.


    And Issei almost loses control because of that, his Dragon libido is threatening to be unleashed.


    And it took all of his efforts just to suppress it.


    Yunyun - I want to be hugged by Ise-san too! It''s not fair that only Wiz-san gets it!


    Wiz - E-ehhhhh!?


    Yunyun started hugging Issei tighter and Wiz is confused by this sudden development.


    Issei took a deep breath to calm himself once more and he extends his free hand to rub Yunyun head.


    Issei - You silly girl... What''s going on inside your head? I''m not hugging her because I want to do something inappropriate to her.


    Yunyun - Wu-wuuu! I know. But its still unfair because I want to be hugged by Ise-san too after all this time.


    Yunyun looked up towards his face and give Issei the deadliest ''puppy look'' she has ever done.


    That upturned glistening crimson eyes coupled with her blushing face and her glossy plump-looking lips that awaits to be plucked by him.


    Finally, Issei can''t take it anymore and he stole her lips.


    He breaks free his other hands that got squished by Wiz body and because of that Wiz body rolled over to the side.


    And he brought his now freed hand around Yunyun''s body to hug her tighter against his body and his other hand grabbed onto the back of her head.


    He pulled her head towards him and finally he capture her lips with his own.


    Yunyun went wide-eyed because of the sudden kiss he gave her but she doesn''t struggle at all.


    Her body at first went stiff but after a few seconds. Her face went deep red, her crimson eyes blurred and drowned in happiness because finally the man she loves kissed her.


    He pulled her head gently towards him, and his fingers ran across her smooth silky hair and he kissed her, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to him as the only solid thing in this dizzy swaying world. His insistent mouth was parting her shaking lips to capture her tongue with his own. Sending wild tremors along her nerves, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling. And before a swimming giddiness spun her round and round, she knew that she was kissing him back.


    They both got lost in their own world while Wiz just observing them from the side with her mouth wide open. Her face went beet-red from what she''s witnessing.


    After some times Issei''s hand went down to caress Yunyun soft butt then he gently grabbed it.


    Yunyun is still lost in their kissing session, she felt like she''s in heaven right now.


    The way he kisses her and the way he caresses her whole body. It all makes her lost in blissful feelings she never experienced before in her entire life.


    *Chu*Slch*Tsk*Mwah*


    Their kissing sound effect can be heard loud and clear by Wiz.


    Then finally they parted their lips after they both felt like they almost ran out of breath.


    There''s a bridge of saliva between their tongue and there''s also a bit of saliva at the corner of Yunyun''s and Issei''s mouth because of the intensity of their kiss.


    They both just gaze at each other with a lustful look in their eyes.


    Yunyun''s glowing crimson eyes clashed with Issei''s glowing wine-red eyes, just when they both want to continue their make-out session they realize there''s another person in this room.


    So they look towards Wiz place. She''s sitting on her butt and her eyes went wide along with her mouth wide agape from the shock she received.


    Her face blushing madly from the sheer embarrassment she felt by seeing them suddenly just making out with each other.


    Then their gazes met each other and silence ensues...


    Issei is the first who broke the silence.


    Issei - ...Yo.


    -Skip-


    After that incident, both Wiz and Yunyun can be found holding their red face with both of their hands, they are too embarrassed to see each other after what just happened.


    Issei just calmly sitting on one of the chairs but even his face has a faint blush on it because he can''t believe he loses control like that and forgot there''s also Wiz in this room.


    Issei - *C-cough*


    Issei faked a cough and both Yunyun and Wiz body trembled a bit at that.


    Issei - ...Yunyun, I''m sorry for suddenly kissing you like that. And Wiz, I''m sorry you have to witness all that. That''s a mistake on my part, so I apologize once more.


    Then he bowed his head down a bit to express his apologies.


    Yunyun and Wiz who''s seeing that got a little panicked and they tried to tell him it''s not his fault and all that.


    Yunyun - W-wait, Ise-san! I-It''s also my fault for suddenly hugging you like that! So don''t take the blame all by yourself!


    Wiz - Y-yes! S-she''s right! It can''t be helped that you got aroused like that when two girls jumped at you like that!....and to be honest I''m jealous at Yunyun...


    Wiz muttered that last part lowly so only she can hear it. Or so she thought because Issei can also hear it thanks to his heightened sense.


    Issei reaction to that is just a twitch on his face because he can''t believe this girl will get jealous at that. And he didn''t think she will fall for him at this short amount of time either.


    Yunyun he can get it because they have spent some time together and get to know each other.


    But he just met Wiz today...


    He started wondering once more, what''s wrong with this world. But unknown to him he''s just that charming in the girl''s eyes.


    Issei - Yunyun. I will take responsibilities if you want me to. And Wiz I will do anything you asked me for as long it doesn''t go against my principle.


    Both Yunyun and Wiz face went blank then it changed into red once more, because Yunyun is happy he said he will take the responsibilities for her.


    While Wiz started thinking about what she will ask him for and she found the answer right away.


    Wiz - T-then...


    Issei - Yes?


    Issei asked because she suddenly went quiet after saying that.


    Wiz - Then I-I want you to... Also, t-take responsibilities for me just like Yunyun!


    She practically screamed at the last part and she closed her eyes while saying that.


    Issei and Yunyun went silent at that.


    Wiz - I-is it no good?... Well, It''s not surprising... Who will want an ugly old hag like me, and I''m an undead on top of that...


    She started getting nervous after not getting any response and started babbling nonsense.


    Yunyun still has her mouth wide open from Wiz sudden confession.


    Issei just sighed and proceeded to say


    Issei - *Sigh* I told you I won''t judge people for what they are. And you''re not ugly nor old in my eyes. You''re a very beautiful woman. Wiz, also Yunyun. You both are a beautiful girl so don''t worry about what other people said. In my eyes, you both are a very beautiful woman.


    Both Wiz and Yunyun heart thump loudly at his words.


    Issei - And to answer your question... Are you sure you want me to take responsibilities for you?


    Wiz hurriedly says "I''m sure!" and Yunyun also follow up with "Me too!" at Issei''s question.


    Issei - ...I see. But I have to inform both of you. There''s more woman waiting for me to answer their feelings and I won''t abandon any of them for anything in this world, even for you. So I ask you once more... Are you sure you want me to take responsibilities for you even after knowing there will be other girls involved?


    Wiz and Yunyun look at each other in the eye and they answer at the same time ""We''re sure!""


    Issei - ...*Sigh* You girls are really silly you know that... There''s a better man than me out there you know...


    Wiz & Yunyun - NO! THERE ISN''T!


    They both suddenly screamed at him. And Issei got a little taken aback by that.


    Then they follow up with:


    Wiz - We''re glad that you admit that you have another woman waiting for you. And if you do abandon them just for us then we will be disappointed, because if you abandon them just for us then someday you will also abandon us for other girls.


    Yunyun - Un! And it''s normal for a great man such as yourself to have multiple partners. Ise-san! And that also means I will have more friends!


    Issei - ...


    Issei becomes speechless at their answer, especially at Yunyun''s last words...


    Issei - ...Is that so... Then please take care of me from now on. Yunyun, Wiz.


    Wiz & Yunyun - Hai! Take care of us too!


    Then both girls hugged Issei once more and they are smiling while shedding tears of joy.


    Issei calmly hugged both of them back and they all savor this joyful feeling they felt in silence.


    -Skip-


    After that incident, Wiz also moves into Issei''s mansion.


    And along the way, they attract everyone attention, because both Wiz and Yunyun are clinging to Issei''s arm respectively.


    Wiz on his left while Yunyun on his right.


    And everyone who saw them started gossiping with each other


    Mob 1 - O-oy! Isn''t that the "Tyrant Overlord"!


    Mob 2 - Y-yeah! Wow looks like he got another mistress...


    Mob 3 - Kuhhh! How envious! To have 2 bishoujos as his mistress!


    Mob 4 - Sshhhh! Tone your voice down, you idiot! Do you want to be forced to take a "Vacation"?


    Mob 5 - Yeah you idiot! Be quiet! Did you forget what happened to those who piss the "Tyrant" off? Remember Dust? They said he went broke because he took to many "Vacation"!


    That''s the reaction from the man.


    While the girls...


    Girl 1 - Uwaaa~ How envious! To think both of them can be his mistresses.


    Girl 2 - Indeed! What does he see in those 2 women anyway! I''m much prettier than they are!


    Girl 3 - B*tch please! Have you look at your own reflection? Even a gorilla is prettier than you.


    Girl 4 - Ah~ Issei-sama~ please look over here~


    Issei just ignored all of them while Yunyun and Wiz are too happy to notice.


    Issei tried to tell Wiz to just close her store but she refuses because that''s her hobby.


    So Issei doesn''t say anything after that and just say he support her all the way and he told her if she has any financial problem then she can just tell him because he''s rich.


    Issei is the type of guy who will spoil his wives rotten. So thankfully a certain useless Goddess doesn''t become one of his wives later on...


    From all the Quests he has done his profits are very high.


    His profit is even higher than some nobles household at the capital, and his profit rough estimation is around 10 Billion Eris and that''s not counting what if he doesn''t split the rewards with Yunyun.


    (Don''t think too much at his profit its a fantasy world just go with it)


    Yunyun tried to give him her share of profit but he refuses by saying they are a party and the split should be 50:50.


    She can only relent after that because he''s so adamant on it.


    On the way to his mansion, they met with Kazuma party.


    And almost all of them become slack-jawed after seeing the 2 girls clinging to Issei''s arm.


    Kazuma just has this respectful looks on his eyes and gives a thumbs up at Issei.


    Aqua just doesn''t care and she looks depressed probably because she still has her debt.


    Darkness is drooling thinking something perverted such as what if she''s also with them and treated like an abandoned mistress after having her body played by Issei.


    Megumin is the most shocked of them all because she saw Yunyun clinging lovingly at Issei''s arm.


    Megumin - Y-Yunyun?

 Chapter 24 - 23

    (This chapter is just a Copy&Paste from the original so don''t worry this is not the 2nd chapter of the day like usual. I will make the 2nd chapter of the day soon)


    -The day before Issei transform his body into a Dragon-


    He left a recording about what happened to him at his house. And the faction leaders found this recording.


    Now they are watching it.


    *Is this thing on?*


    The voice of Ise was heard, all didn''t dare to even breathe.


    *[Yes Partner. See the light, that''s proof of it!]* - The voice of the Dragon was also heard.


    *I see! Good! Thanks, Ddraig.*


    *[No problem.]*


    Their voices were heard clearly.


    *Well if someone found this then that means two things; either I died, or you were looking for me and coincidentally found this.*


    The voice of Ise was empty and when he talked about his own life, they could see how he didn''t care about it in the slightest.


    *Whatever it is, doesn''t matter. I''m leaving this because I''m about to do something dumb, and according to Ddraig the chances of success are so close to zero that they are basically zero! So this is a will, memory, suicide letter, name it as you like!* - Issei was speaking with his empty voice.


    They all could see how bad he was.


    He had extremely long hair and large eye bags. His body was so skinny that his skin was basically glued against his bones. His eyes were dead, like those of a corpse, they held no light and his voice was the same, completely empty.


    *Right now me and Ddraig are about to do our plan named Suicide Attempt!*


    The name made the ones watching clutch their hearts. What plan was it that it deserved such a name?!


    *It''s simple, I''m about to remove the ''Evil Pieces'' from my body and hopefully not die.* - Those words made the eyes of all widen. That''s practically suicide!


    *Now the climax, the reason I do this is... because I have nothing left!* - He told the recording


    *During the past couple of Months everyone left me behind, only a few people had the decency to at least say goodbye to me. The women I ''loved'' changed and were no longer the same. It seems they all had somebody else and unknowingly, I discovered it the bad way.*


    *At that moment, in a single day, I discovered how I was dismissed and ignored by everyone, by everything. I was broken, mentally and physically. At that moment I activated the ''Juggernaut Drive'' out of pure negative emotions, but the last shred of sanity I had, stopped me from fully activating it.*


    The revelation of why the ''Pieces'' turned like that made all the people inside the room freeze, Sirzechs, Grayfia, Azazel, and Michael were the most affected ones.


    *Since the ''Juggernaut'' was stopped then I should have become better?... wrong. Everything just became shit!*


    *At that moment the ''Evil Pieces'' inside my body were further corrupted, and they became eight malicious spots which devoured my body and ''Life Force'' constantly. I named those eight spots ''Corruption'', but if you think that was the worst think again! * - Ise kept throwing jabs at everyone, they didn''t even know what to do.


    *Because of the same ''Piece of Shit Pieces'' I could no longer sleep, every time I slept, I dreamed of them, spitting behind my back just like that day when I discovered everything... I had Nightmares, horrible... nightmares...*


    This recording made all the people watching it feel terrible, they wanted all of this to stop, but it appeared no one answered their prayers.


    *After the nightmares, I thought everything would stop... wrong again!*


    *The nightmares became nigh terrors in which I vividly saw each of them insults me, scorn me, hit me, abuse me, and they were just watching, laughing at me, they did many other things in front of me... so, so many... to the point that I just broke!*


    At those words, everyone felt so dizzy that they couldn''t analyze everything perfectly, but then they looked at the eyes of Ise.


    They were grim, dreadful, distressing, miserable.


    They all felt goosebumps on their skin, their faces paled and their hairs stood on end.


    Those eyes, they will never forget them...


    As if all light was lost, as if every reason one had left to live was gone, as if every trace of sanity evaporated.


    They knew he had hit rock bottom.


    *So I gave up on sleeping. Many days went by and I still haven''t experienced a good night of sleep. Yet the worse hadn''t come!*


    All of them internally begged Issei to stop.


    *These things became more... violent.*


    He lifted his shirt and what they saw made everyone inhale a cold breath of air.


    On his chest, three disgusting, swirling, pulsing black spots could be seen. Seeing them made everyone swallow their spit loudly, even some held back their desire to throw up.


    *These are the locations were the ''Pawn Pieces'' are, and are the positions in which I feel the most pain.*


    *But after this no longer! Even if I die trying, I will get all of these horrible things out of me!* - Issei told them for the first time energy was on his voice.


    *That''s why I decided to do this, I literally have nothing left to lose. So to whoever is seeing this, I hope you could make this our little secret. Let''s say that if words get out, then many things will happen.*


    The recording finished, and silence filled the room.


    They were surprised, just how much did he have to suffer?


    "Everyone, I know there''s a lot to digest, but everything we saw today will be kept among us." - Azazel was the first to speak he was surprised by everything but had the force of will to continue.


    "Plus Issei is still alive" - Azazel stated confidence in his tone.


    "How do you know that?" - Serafall asked him.


    "Well, the ''Pieces'' couldn''t have flown back from his body, accommodated themselves on a wooden box, and coincidentally placed themselves on Ise''s desk." - He was being sarcastic.


    "He survived his so-called ''Suicide Attempt'', came back, I don''t know why, and left the pieces. Once we find him, we can ask him why!" - Azazel acted as a leader for once and motivated everyone.


    The women regained light in their eyes, specially Grayfia.


    The men were pretty much the same.


    "The question is, where is he?" - While rubbing his chin the Fallen asked, this little push made everyone get their energies back.


    "True we need to find him, there are many things we need to tell him, and even if it''s not worth anything we should at the very least apologize!" - Sirzechs talked to everyone. They had a goal and they needed to accomplish it.


    "What should we tell Rias and the rest?" - Grayfia asked after some silence minutes flew by.


    "We should tell them that Issei left, but we shouldn''t tell them the reason."


    "They need to learn from their mistakes and in a way ''pay'' for it, but I believe the truth will break them." - Both Azazel and Sirzechs commented, they had their plan. They needed to be responsible for their actions, but since the truth was too heavy, they will only tell them half of it.


    All of them still had questions about why Issei did this, but one thing was clear. It was related to the girls, it was clear enough for all to see that they did something that was unforgivable. At least, for Issei.


    Although they needed more information about the true reason, now they had some clues.


    They needed to investigate more deeply into this, and now they could only wildly guess.


    "I see. So we''ll tell them Issei is gone and that we do not know the motive of his decision, then by their own thoughts they will, in a certain sense, think it''s their fault." - Ajuka explained the rest only nodded.


    "Better that way, once we find Issei we will talk to him about a lot of things!" - Grayfia regained her former appearance, she wanted to talk to Ise and clarify things.


    The rest only rested on whatever chairs were left and started to digest the information they gained, it was rather big and not pretty but they needed to do it.


    Soon silence filled the room and no one spoke for a loooong time.


    -Scene change to Issei house at dxd world-


    This is the day when Rias group find out about Issei disappearance


    Right now was late in the afternoon and almost night time and group of people reached the ''Hyoudou Mansion''.


    The group consisted of the ORC, Irina, Ravel and their boyfriends.


    Seeing the huge building, Reiji asked - "What''s that place?"


    He was surprised, all his life he stayed at Kuoh yet this was the first time he had seen this building. The rest of the men accompanying them nodded their heads simultaneously.


    "That''s Issei''s house." - Dismissing the subject Xenovia answered the question.


    The rest of the men became petrified, not believing what they heard soon they once again heard the voices of the girls.


    "Hey don''t stay there, we need to enter!" - Akeno screamed at them, the ORC was just at the door of the mansion, the men hurriedly ran over to them.


    They ran past the gate that almost closed in on them.


    Next, a huge, thick wooden door was the only thing separating them from the inside of the building. In their eyes the building was enormous, maybe having 5 floors or more, it looked more like an apartment complex than a single house.


    *Knock-Knock*


    "Issei! We''re here please open up." - Rias knocked on the door while she raised her voice, trying to catch the attention of the owner of the building.


    *Knock-Knock-Knock* - A few more knocks were heard.


    "Maybe he isn''t home?" - Akeno talked to Rias.


    "How could that be? It''s Friday in the afternoon almost night, he''s probably training." - Rias didn''t believe the words of her ''Queen''.


    Reaching the doorknob she turned it towards the right, the door moved and a - *Click!* - sound was heard, the door opened afterward.


    "The door is open... maybe he''s training and left it open just in case." - Rias believed her own words and stepped inside the house.


    Today rather late in the morning she left to gather the rest of the ORC and the boys.


    They had to explain to their parents that they will not be at home very often, but with the help of a little bit of magic and the approval of the boys, they made it possible.


    With Reiji they told his parents more or less the truth, and because of that much more time was spent but in the ending they agreed, getting a sigh of relief from both Rias and Akeno.


    Walking in everyone noticed how no one was at home, at least by the looks of it.


    Then Koneko released her ears and tail and said. - "Ise-senpai isn''t home."


    This made the rest of the girls widen their eyes.


    Kiba was a bit surprised as well but he was also happy. If he met the men beside him then he will raise hell, of that he was sure.


    "He isn''t home?!" - Rias raised her voice, surprised that he wasn''t here.


    "Maybe he had things to do?" - Irina tilted her head cutely while she tried to explain.


    The rest were suspicious, but they left those suspicions behind.


    It''s impossible for him to be away, maybe he was doing groceries or something like that, they all thought the same.


    Their feelings were still unsettled, and the fact that Issei wasn''t home made them a bit paranoid.


    "OK, let''s start the training!" - Rias told them, the men just swallowed their spit in anxiety.


    "But before that, you need to know a bit more of the supernatural world. Throughout the next weeks, we''ll slowly teach you the basics and a bit more of our world!" - Rias was talking proudly.


    Then they went to the staircase since they were too many they didn''t fit inside the elevator.


    Going up the stairs they reached a place that Issei visited a lot and practically slept inside.


    ''The Library of the Fifth Floor''.


    Opening the door the men were impressed by the magnitude of the Library.


    "Everyone we need some books!" - Rias declared.


    "Asia. Go to the magic section and search for the very basis of magic. Koneko, look for a book in ''Sacred Gears'', they should know a bit more about it. Before we only told them about the most important ones. Xenovia go for a book that explains the basics of; The Underworld, Heaven, and Grigori. Although we''ll explain everything to them, we might need another type of information." - Giving her orders, Rias told her Peerage.


    The named ones replied with a - """Yes!""" - And went to get their tasks done.


    "Okay while they are gone I''ll answer the questions you may have!" - While crossing her arms under her big bust, Rias turned towards the men present.


    Akeno just smiled at her side, ready for anything.


    "I have a question Rias-san." - Ken raised his hand.


    Everyone''s eyes went towards him, making him sweat a little. After all, he wasn''t a man of public speech or gathering of people.


    Rias nodded her head, light shined in her eyes, it seemed she was happy about being capable of teaching someone something.


    "We already know the basic ''Hierarchy'' of the power of the supernatural world, so I have to ask. How are the ''Underworld''s, Heaven''s and Grigori''s, was it? Roughly divided?"


    A very basic question that possessed no threat at all, Rias was about to answer when Akeno intervened.


    "It should be better for me to explain Grigori''s, after all, I''m half a Fallen Angel." - She unfurled her wings, being feathery and dark in color.


    "But first, you should know what a Fallen Angel is!" - That took them by surprise.


    They never thought that the woman in front of them would be a Half-Fallen.


    They knew about Koneko, after all, Hijama told them, so they were not as surprised when they saw her ears and tail but it was different for the woman in front of them.


    Those wings looked scary, at least in Reiji''s eyes, not that he would voice it out loud.


    "Fallen Angels are Angels that have fallen from the grace of God due to having "impure thoughts" that divert them from the teachings of the God in the Bible. The leaders of Grigori were tempted by human women and had fallen after having sex with them. And despite being cast out of Heaven, Fallen Angels can still use the power of light." - Akeno explained seriously to the men, they just paid attention.


    They were shocked, they didn''t know about that except for Reiji because of family circumstances.


    "Grigori is an organization created by Azazel and the Fallen Angels who fell with him; they were also called "The Watchers of the Children of God", in other words, the looked after the Sacred Gear possessors." - Her voice echoed all over the field.


    "Grigori invites or takes in possessors of Sacred Gears that have no family and are left all alone, looking after these Sacred Gear possessors while training them on how to use their powers, turning them into experienced possessors to remain within the organization."


    She roughly gave an explanation of Grigori, the men felt their Horizons broaden, at least they weren''t that ignorant about it.


    "The leaders of Grigori are Azazel, Shemhazai, Baraqiel, Kokabiel, Armaros, Sahariel, Penemue, and Tamiel. And they are known as Cadre, having the strength above ''Ultimate-Class'' and hereby being the leaders of the organization" - Akeno finished her explanation and hid her wings.


    The men tried to digest the new information they gained and just stood there, some even closing their eyes.


    After some time passed, someone asked


    "How about Heaven?" - Ryutaro was the one who asked.


    Irina answered as fast as she could. - "Since I''m part of Heaven I should answer!~"


    She was extremely excited and energetic, little lights could be seen in her eyes. Then she showed her wings something, that aside of her boyfriend, surprised everyone.


    "A-A r-real Angel?!" - Hijama asked, his mouth completely open.


    That scene caused a pair of giggles from Koneko and Ravel.


    "Pfft! A self-proclaim one, she''s a reincarnated Angel. Similar to the ''Peerage System'' the Angels have one as well based on cards, called ''Brave Saints''" - Xenovia laughed at Irina and explained to them.


    They thought something like that could occur, after all, if the Devils could transform any other race into their own, why the rest could not?


    "Let me continue!~" - While puffing her cheeks Irina scolded Xenovia, who just smirked.


    "The Angels are powerful beings who serve the Biblical God, and have the powers to inflict pain upon Devils and by extension the Fallen Angels due to their light-based powers~"


    "They live in Heaven which is divided into seven layers, or as they called them, the Seven Heavens~. Our leaders are the Seraphs and they are Angels who are guardians of the Throne of Heaven. The members of the Seraphs are the Archangel Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel who were titled the "Four Great Seraphs~" - Irina synthesized what Heaven was and their Angels.


    Then Ravel stood up from the chair she was sitting on, and by the surprise of Rias, she explained about the Underworld.


    "The Underworld is roughly the same size as the Human world, but with a much larger landmass, as there are no oceans and just lakes. It was once ruled by the ''72 Pillars'' of the Judeo/Christian religion but after the Great War, over half of them became extinct. Right now it''s ruled by the ''Four Great Satans'' titled ''Lucifer, Leviathan, Beelzebub, and Asmodeus''. Because after the Great War the original ones died, new candidates were chosen to possess those titles and rule the Underworld." - Ravel finished her extremely concrete explanation.


    The men were happy, now they knew about the world a bit better.


    "If you wish to know more then come here and learn from the books, it would be better for you that way." - Rias finally talked, a sigh escaped her mouth, making Akeno at her side giggle.


    "Any last Questions before we go down to start the training?" - She asked at them but only one of them raised his hand. Nodding her head he signaled him to talk.


    "In the past, you mentioned the strongest battle-oriented ''Sacred Gears''. What exactly are they and what can they do?" - Souji asked curiosity filled his voice, he seemed really interested in that subject.


    Rias was about to speak when Kiba pronounced.


    "May I? I have a ''Sacred Gear'' and have met the majority of the Longinus wielders so I should be the best one to answer the question."


    Kiba proposed to his master, getting only a tired nod from her.


    "Thank You." - He thanked her.


    "The strongest battle-oriented ''Sacred Gears'' are called the Longinus you already know that they are capable of killing a God and that they are thirteen of them, so I''ll skip that part." - Kiba stood in front of them and calmly explained.


    His aura was similar to that of a teacher, and to the men hearing his ''lecture'', he seemed quite knowledgeable and good at explaining.


    "You should know that the name ''Longinus'' was derived after the first created Sacred Gear and was named ''True Longinus'' the spear that killed the son of the ''God of the Bible'', the first and most powerful. And unlike other ''Sacred Gears'', that have more than one of the same type, the Longinus is utterly and completely unique, and only one of each may exist at a time. They essentially combine powerful abilities that aren''t supposed to be combined!" - Kiba began his explanation, he learned all of this from Azazel-sensei.


    The rest of the present ones paid attention to him.


    "I''ll tell you their names, abilities and the current possessors, but after this no more questions we need to start the training!" - They just nodded.


    "The ''True Longinus'' is also known as the ''Holy Spear'' and one of the three ''Holy Relics''. It''s currently wielded by Cao Cao, the hero who descended from the man recorded in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It''s a spear capable of destroying anything it touches and capable of controlling light!" - The men were surprised and were about to ask


    "No Questions! If you wish to know more, then come here after training and learn!" - Kiba scolded them for almost breaking their promise.


    Seeing them turn silent Kiba continued his explanation.


    "Next is the ''Zenith Tempest'' ''The Prison of Bright Heavenly Thunder'' a Longinus capable of controlling the weather and manipulating its elements. It''s currently wielded by Dulio Gesualdo, the ''Trump Card of Heaven'' and the strongest exorcist!" - Kiba took a breath and continued his explaining.


    "Then it''s the ''Dimension Lost'' or ''Fog of Extinction'', it''s capable of blocking all attacks with its mist and transport anything inside the mist to any location the user wishes. It''s wielded by Georg Faust, also a descendant of the one with the same name."


    They didn''t understand who this ''Georg Faust'' was but after training, they decided to come back here at the library.


    "After that its the ''Annihilation Maker'' or ''Creator of the Demonic Beast'', a Sacred Gear that''s capable of creating any creature that the possessor can imagine. It''s wielded by a boy named Leonardo."


    Kiba was starting to laugh at them, that due to seeing the faces of the men before him. They never thought a Longinus would be that broken.


    "With that, we get to the ''Mid-Tier Longinus''." - Kiba forcefully stopped his laugh and looked at them to see if they were paying attention.


    "Good." - He noticed that they were really paying attention.


    "The ''Boosted Gear'' or the ''Red Dragons Emperor''s Gauntlet'', it has the ability to double without limit the user''s capabilities and transferring power to anyone or anything. You already know who is the wielder." - The smirk on Kiba''s face made the rest of them gulp. Never would they have thought that ''Hyoudou Issei'' would have something that dangerous!


    "The ''Divine Dividing'' or ''The White Dragon Emperor''s Light Wings'', it has the ability to halve the power of anything or anyone, which is then added to the user. The current wielder is a demon/human hybrid, named Vali." - Not saying the last name on purpose because of obvious reasons, Kiba talked about the Longinus he knew more about.


    "Regulus Nemea, ''The Battle Axe of the Lion King'' an axe that its capable of splitting the earth with a single swing, now it manifests as a huge 3-meter tall lion, its also has the spirit of the ''Nemean Lion'' of Greek tales. It''s wielded by Sairaorg Bael, a Devil from the 72 pillars."


    Wanting to ask more about that, they stopped themselves, they knew that it would be a bad idea.


    Seeing this Kiba nodded and continued his explanation


    "The ''Canis Lykaon'', or ''Dog God of the Black Blade'', a Longinus that takes the form of a big, black dog. It''s capable of manipulating shadows, create and manipulate many curses, and creating cursed blades that could kill just by looking. It''s wielded by Ikuse Tobio, a human who is part of Grigori." - Managing to take a breath he let the information sink in, soon he continued


    "Then is the ''Sephiroth Graal''. Have you heard of the Holy Grail?"


    The men nodded at the question, after all, it was really famous.


    "Well the Longinus is the Grail itself, it''s capable of bringing the dead back to life and restore any and every injury no matter how bad it is! Its currently wielded by Valerie Tepes, a Vampire/Human hybrid and another of the Three Sacred Relics."


    They were surprised, so the Holy Grail was real!


    " ''Incinerate Anthem'' or ''The Crucified Stand of Purple Flames'' it''s the last of the Sacred Relics, and the cross in which Christ was crucified. It has the ability to generate purple flames with ''Holy Power'' that can burn anything to ash. The user is dead, so I don''t know when another might appear."


    That was the first Longinus they heard that didn''t have a host.


    Unknowingly, that made them release a breath. In a way they were happy, that was one less monster they needed to worry about...


    " ''Absolute Demise'' or ''The Eternal Ice Princess'', it transforms into a three-meter tall doll that protects its user, legends says that it can control ice to the point it can generate temperatures below the ''Absolute Zero''. Its current host is Lavinia Reni, a magician and self-proclaimed sister of Vali."


    "The other two are ''Innovate Clear'' and ''Telos Karma'', but I neither now it''s abilities nor their hosts, after all, they haven''t been found."


    With that, the explanation ended, managing to make the 5 men sink on their knees.


    "How?! How, is it possible for things so powerful to exist?!" - Souji was heartbroken, he wanted to fight against a Longinus but now he was extremely scared of them.


    "Yes, brother! How could such monsters exist?!" - Ryutaro was also agreeing with his brother, after all, this was a shocker.


    "So Hyoudou Issei, holds the ''Boosted Gear''... What a monster, capable of doubling his abilities without any limit!" - Ken spoke up, never would have he thought such a weapon was in the hands of him.


    "So the Longinus are basically broken abilities, and their hosts are monsters in human skin." - Reiji deducted, he felt tired and their training hasn''t even started.


    "Well, as long as you don''t anger any of them you should be okay!" - Asia tried to calm them down, her gentle smile was soothing and manage to make the men relax.


    *Clap-Clap*


    "Well everyone we need to start the training!" - Rias concluded and stepped up.


    She managed to drag everyone out of the library and into the training field #2.


    In less than a second everyone was already ready to train.


    "Asia, Irina, and Akeno use the book and teach them the basics of human magic. Xenovia, you specialize on the sword so teach Souji a little. Kiba you''re a technique type, please guide Ken. Koneko, you and I will teach Reiji the basic of close combat and demonic magic. Well everyone lets start!"


    But before they could start, a magic circle made its appearance in the center of the field.


    A man with a luxurious robe made its appearance, he had crimson red hair and blue eyes. The moment his eyes landed on Rias and the rest, they were filled with disappointment and guilt.


    He had a silver-haired maid accompanying him, but her eyes were filled with guilt and regret


    "Rias, everyone, there''s something you need to know." - The man spoke to Rias and the rest interested a bit in the identities of the men present but quickly dismissed the thought.


    "Onii-sama?! What are you doing here?! Even Grayfia as well! What happened?" - Rias was surprised, she hadn''t seen her brother and sister-in-law in a long time, and when they do come they have things to talk to them about.


    "Rias who are they?" - Reiji asked the question everyone had in their minds.


    "He''s my big brother and one of the Four Maous, Sirzechs Lucifer!" - She answered the question with pride, even her eyes held a brilliant light.


    Those words made every man here pale-faced, the man in front them was the current Lucifer, a being of Legend!


    "Let''s leave the greetings for another time. Rias I came here to tell you something extremely important!" - Sirzechs felt his heart break when he managed to get the courage of telling his sister.


    He took from his robe a small wooden box.


    "Rias please remain calm." - The maid at the side told the female, but she herself was almost failing to keep her emotions in check.


    Sirzechs resolutely handed the box to his sister.


    Rias grabbed it, she felt horrible and she didn''t know why.


    Her heart was threatening to burst out from her chest, her hands were trembling and her mind spinning. She just mechanically received the wooden box and lifted the lid.


    Her face turned pale, her lips blue.


    She let the box fall to the ground its contents spread for all to see. Soon, everyone besides the men had the same face as Rias.


    "No... No... NONONONO!" - Rias screamed at the top of her lungs.


    The rest were the same.


    Akeno was frozen completely, not moving an inch.


    Irina and Asia had their hands on their mouths, small amounts of tears were falling from their eyes.


    Xenovia and Koneko held the same expression, their eyes held nothing, even the light on them was gone, soon they started to tremble and a heavy aura was released from them.


    Ravel was crying quietly while turning her head away from the scene. Not capable of watching it.


    Kiba was clutching his hands tightly, his bangs covered his face but the aura he excluded was suffocating.


    Seeing this the rest of the men tried to comfort them but the sole aura they irradiated was enough to keep them away.


    The reason for all of this was the contents of the box that now laid spread across the floor.


    Eight crimson ''Pawn Pieces'' with black spots and cracks on them.


    Those were Issei''s ''Pieces''!


    They wanted to reject the thought, but that familiar aura made them incapable of it. It was his aura without a doubt...


    "HOW?! HOW?!" - Rias screamed at her brother as tears fell from her eyes.


    "We don''t know." - The answer made all the present place their attention on the Maou.


    "Azazel came to Ise-kun''s house to talk to him about his training and his Longinus, but he couldn''t find him. He searched everywhere and only found those ''Pieces'' in a wooden box inside his room."


    The words of the Maou were also filled with guilt, but soon enough he controlled himself and went back to his normal tone of voice.


    "We checked with Heaven and they said that the Longinus is still with him, in other words, he''s alive!" - Sirzechs gave them the hope they needed.


    "But why would he do something like that? All of you were with him, so why did he do something that could have cost him his life? It''s not like you did something to him... So why?" - The Maou knew which buttons to push.


    Just those words made the girls freeze, the tone of the Maou was perfectly filled with curiosity and intrigue so he masked his intentions perfectly.


    All the girls stopped their trains of thought.


    The idea of why he did it slowly spread all over their minds, they weren''t sure but Rias and Akeno thought back when they last saw him.


    The change in tone when they last saw him, his cold eyes, his body that became too skinny which they decided to ignore.


    The guilt they formerly felt increased by ten times. Their hearts stopped for a second and their faces returned to being pale but this time much more worse in color. Their eyes were filled with too many negative emotions to describe, but two of them were obvious; guilt and regret.


    "We are currently looking for him, all the Three Factions are. If our efforts turned out to be useless them we would need to ask for help from the other factions." - Sirzechs stated for once the truth, his eyes and the ones of the maid behind him were filled with eagerness and the will to fight, those words made the girls gain a bit of hope.


    "Let us help!" - Rias practically ordered his brother.


    "Sorry, but that won''t happen. This is an extremely secret mission within the Factions, so we will search on our own. You, on the other hand. Should not let this affect you. We don''t know the reason behind it, so the best choice is for us to find him and ask him ourselves, after all, we owe him that!" - The last words spoken made the girls turn back to reality.


    They knew that Issei was still alive, just missing. So they need to ask him, Why?


    They had their suspicions and that thought would not let them rest in peace. They knew they were the reason but subconsciously rejected the idea, but what other reason could it be?


    Bad feelings and emotions were filling them, the guilt they felt because of their own thoughts was big. But they wouldn''t know until they asked, so until then they were left alone with their own thoughts, something that would little by little eat them from the inside out.


    "So from this moment on the Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei is declared to be missing in action!"


    The reason they declared him MIA and not just missing was because the world still thought of him as a Devil, by declaring him MIA he wouldn''t be counted as a Stray and hereby hunted by others.


    The men were surprised by the sudden turn of events, but since they didn''t know much it didn''t matter to them.


    Then the Maou came close to his sister and hugged her.


    "Rias don''t let this affect you too much. He''s fine and we will find him! Keep getting stronger just leave this to us, you can be at ease." - He, with a brotherly tone, consoled his sister.


    She just received the hug and nodded her head, cleaning the tears off her face.


    "Also, the date for the ''World Class'' ''Rating Games'' has been established, it will be in less than 3 months from now, during Autumn maybe early Winter. So from this moment onwards, you have less than 3 months to become as strong as you can get!" - He ordered the rest of them


    "Yes, Sirzechs-sama!" - All the Devils and Irina shouted for the Maou to hear, he only smirked.


    "With that, I leave you to start the training." - He picked up the ''Pieces'' that were on the floor, activated a magic circle and left.


    After he left the girls were broken, their eyes were filled with unshed tears and their faces were filled with regret.


    """""Don''t worry girls we''re sure he''s fine!""""" - The five men tried to console them, unknown for them the damage those words did.


    The former thought the girls had, came back to their heads.


    They knew the reason he did this.


    They were the reason!


    They cried and seeing this, the five of them came closer and hugged them.


    The moment they felt that hug they all thought - (((((((Issei...)))))) - Tears fell even more than before, the guilt they felt was slowly corroding them from the inside.


    Kiba watched this with eyes filled with grief, he had the suspicions of why his friend did that but the only thing he could do was to wait and hope for the best.


    He turned his head from the scene and looked at the simple looking white ceiling.


    (Come back soon, pal...) - His thoughts were directed at his best friend, which unknowingly right now was traveling to the other world with a big smirk on his face.

 Chapter 25 - 24

    ( AUTHOR NOTE: THIS IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER. STILL THE COPY&PASTE FROM THE ORIGINAL FANFIC )


    -This is when they find out the true reason why Issei disappeared and before Issei transform his body into a Dragon-


    "This is the first report on Issei, even I haven''t read it!" - Everyone looked at the piece of paper in his hand. No words were needed for him to start reading.


    "Everything Hyoudou Issei did since after the sealing of the Beast." - He started to read.


    "Hyoudou Issei, current Sekiryuutei; Age: 17. Never left ''Kuoh Town'', always inside the territory attending a school like usual or walking around the town. After some time, exact date unknown, his body started to experience some bad changes, he became skinnier and more tired, he had eye bags and the color of his skin became pale as if sick. Some of the interviewed believed he was ill, and gravely so. The exact cause of this unknown. "


    Each word impaled the hearts of the ones present.


    "His symptoms started to get worse as time passed, according to investigations done his personality also seemed depressed, self-destructive and gloomy. Possible sickness related to the Dragon Kind."


    Everyone bit their lips in anger. Even Sirzechs and Grayfia were doing their best to hang on and don''t explode in regret.


    "Recently, he was seen attending school for a single day then not coming back. Our investigation states, he decided to temporarily leave school, the exact time of absence of school unknown. Method to convince the Principal of the school also unknown, suspicions of some kind spell. " - Azazel gained his breath back and continued to read.


    He bought some clothes in the online store, those clothes are specially made hereby, aside from what they look like, not a thing is known. More information about him unknown, last day seen. Tuesday Last Week. End first report."


    "Anything else?" - Sirzechs asked, hope in his voice, Grayfia behind him was also the same.


    "The report about Issei ends there." - Azazel recomposed himself and told the Maou.


    He saw the red-haired face morphed into one of rage.


    "Damnit!" - He screamed as he stood from his position, he was angry.


    (Nothing! Absolutely Nothing!) - He screamed inside his head.


    *Smash!* - He smashed his hands against the table shaking and breaking a part of it.


    Grayfia behind him was biting her lips so hard blood fell from the corner of her mouth if one saw closely one could see how her body was trembling.


    "That''s not the end of it, here is another page, but this one is different." - Azazel flipped the page and started to read.


    "Due to suspicions about the response of the Gremory Peerage we did another investigation, this time related to what they had done during the same period of time."


    These words made everyone widen their eyes, they didn''t understand why they decided to do this.


    "According to research each of the members of the (Female) Gremory Peerage aside from Rossweisse and Gasper Vladi, were in ''Kuoh Town'' during this time period." - Hidding the smirk in his face at the mention of Gasper, Azazel continued.


    "Inquiry proves that every one of the Gremory Peerage was seen on multiple occasions with unknown males. After a period of time passed, they were seen more frequently and sometimes they stayed all night together. Research proves that during this period of time nothing sexually related was done. By asking more, we found out that the males in question were the boyfriends of the Gremory Peerage, more specifically. Rias Gremory, Himejima Akeno, Asia Argento, Xenovia Quarta, Irina Shidou, Toujo Koneko." - He couldn''t believe what he was reading, the rest were the same.


    "Ravel Phoenix, was seen with a male close to Toujo Koneko and according to witnesses, ''They both fell for the same guy, so they are fighting over him''. " - Azazel continued reading.


    "About the male Kiba Yuuto, it seems he was ordered to do the ''Devil Jobs'' of Hyoudou Issei. As a result, he wasn''t seen in the Hyoudou Mansion for weeks. We believe because of the great amount of work he had to do, (School, and twice the maximum amount of Devil Jobs), he was hereby exhausted." - The report still continued but it seemed that it was only for Azazel''s ears now.


    "Later on, he discovered about the current relationships of the Gremory Peerage but according to our spies sent to inspect. Since ''He wasn''t directly involved in the problem in question, plus being only a servant he had no voice nor vote in this business, he literally couldn''t do anything.'' (The Frase was taken from Kiba''s Yuuto diary, page 56, line 14)" - Azazel left the report on the table and massaged his forehead with his eyes closed.


    "Oh Shit." - Those were only his only words.


    (Damn, I''m too old for this shit.) - Reading the report managed to fill his gaps in knowledge.


    (So you left because of that Ise. I really can''t blame you, I would probably have done the same.)


    He turned his eyes to the ones he was most worried about.


    Sirzechs and Grayfia were frozen solid trying to assimilate the words just now.


    *BAAAAM!* - Then Sirzechs struck the table again, this time turning it into smithereens.


    "FUUUCK!" - He screamed at top lung capacity.


    (That ''fuck'' came from the soul.) - Azazel thought as the saw the man in question being surrounded in a pale light, everything in his surroundings started to disappear.


    The Maid behind him turned her back to them but her shoulders were trembling, even her hands were curled into fists.


    (My Sister! My own Sister! Cheated on her future husband and actually had the guts to presume it in front of him!) - His thoughts were made a mess, he wasn''t feeling well, he felt sick.


    Grayfia was even worst. - (How stupid do they need to be to actually cheat on a man that threw his everything away for them?!)


    The floor beneath her turned into ice that soon started to crack, everything inside the room was slowly being frozen over.


    (Wait!) - Sirzechs remembered a certain recent event when he went at the Hyoudou Mansion.


    He turned to look at the maid, his eyes transmitting a message only known to them, but she understood his unsaid words in their entirety.


    (Don''t tell me those boys...) - Those were her thoughts, he was scared that it was the truth.


    "Azazel, those males are they in the report?!" - He screamed at him.


    "Let me check." - He started to flip the remaining pages and soon found the one he was looking for.


    "The males are known as; Minamoto Reiji, Human. Age 22, Son of random high-class Human Mages, has Sacred Gear ''Perfect Warrior''." - He mentioned the first one.


    (Rare ''Sacred Gear''...) - The thoughts of Azazel were those, not special but also not normal.


    "Mishima Ken, human, age 18, son of normal humans, Sacred Gear ''Green Dragon Crescent Blade''. "


    Azazel then remembered that Sacred Gear. - (Right... A replica of the War-Lord''s green blade. More common than the one before...)


    He kept reading in a loud voice. - "The next are three brothers; Souji, Ryutaro and Hijama Takahashi. Ages; 18, 18 and 16 respectively. All have Sacred Gears. They are; ''False Gift'', ''Mantle of Caos'' and ''Tome of Magic''." - He stopped reading and turned to the other page.


    "Seems images of them are here."


    *Swift!* - When he said that Sirzechs stole the paper from his hands.


    (Let me see that!) - He turned the pages until he found what he was looking for.


    (You gotta be fucking kidding me...)


    The images of the males in question were the same as the ones he remembered seeing in the Hyoudou mansion!


    (Rias... You actually brought them to Ise-kun''s house?! What would have happened if he was actually there?! Do you not think?!) - He felt sick, his stomach started to ache, his head was the same.


    The Maid grabbed the papers and saw what they said.


    *Rip!* - She made them into a ball of paper, then her aura did the rest. It soon became a piece of ice that broke the moment it touched the ground.


    (And... there goes the info.) - Azazel thought.


    However, he was no less angry and shocked than them, but since he was older he knew how to hold it back. Yet a small voice was still heard inside the room, that voice belongs to Baraqiel.


    "Akeno..." - His voice sounded clogged like he had something of his throat. He couldn''t just ignore this. This really affected him.


    Everyone else was just silent, they didn''t dare to say a word.


    (How I''m I going to fix this?!) - Sirzechs was desperate, his stomach hurt even more.


    (She basically cheated on him! If he wants to, at any moment he can come and cancel the engagement, he has the entire right to do so!) - His worry once again increased.


    (If mother and Father now about this they will be furious!) - He just kept thinking.


    The bile in his stomach was just increasing! Making his stomach hurt even more than before.


    (But not only she did it, but the rest also followed her example as well! You all left him like he was something disposable!) - He was disappointed even more than before if that was possible.


    (Damn it! This...This is the worst that could actually happen!)


    He felt something warm on his throat, his head even felt dizzy. After some moments.


    *Cough!* - Sirzechs spat a mouthful of blood and fell on one knee, his body was wobbly and his sight blurry.


    Seeing this everyone was frightened but his wife even more so.


    "Sirzechs!" - She reached near him, her eyes had unsheathed tears, even the color of her face was pale, her lips were almost blue. He knew she was also in a really bad state.


    "Sorry." - He apologized, unsure why.


    (Wait... What would happen if Rias finds this out? That she, really, was the cause of this...) - His eyes widened.


    (She already thinks it was her fault. But that was only because we thought he did all of this for a completely different reason! One that was indeed related to them, but... but, I never would have thought that it was something this!)


    (If she finds about the truth then, she will be devastated! She would be broken in little pieces! Worse than when Ise was presumed dead!) - He stood up from his kneeling position, grabbing his hair, almost ripping it out from his skull.


    (We can''t let her find this out! If she does, before anything of this is solved, then I don''t know what the result would be!)


    "We can''t let anyone figure this out. If the wrong people know about this, then I worry about the worst."


    His words made everyone open their eyes, they didn''t think about that!


    Ise unknowingly had a lot of political weight, especially with the Norse and Shinto Factions.


    If something like this is known, then every effort they put until now will be for nothing! Everything will be for naught! And that was on a political scale, on a more personal scale they didn''t know how their own Factions will react to this and more importantly how the girls would react!


    (This situation could be even worse than the release of the Beast!) - This now scaled into an even higher league than before, if that was possible.


    "Yes, nothing about this is going to be said to anyone, outside of us!" - Azazel exclaimed so that everyone could understand.


    They nodded their heads.


    "Anything else to talk about?" - Azazel asked, they just shook their heads.


    "Good! Then if you excuse we I need to go to the house of Issei. These guys... I need to see them for myself! Anything that happens I will tell you." - With that Azazel stood from his place and left in a magic circle.


    Everyone just sat there, some were extremely affected, others were heartbroken and some even angry, but the ones that were the most affected were definitely Sirzechs and Grayfia. To them, Ise was exactly like a fun, little brother they loved to be around. So something like this made their entire worlds flip!


    They needed time to think about a solution and to calm themselves, like this they will do more harm than good.


    ¡ª-Scene Change / Hyoudou Mansion, Training Ground # 2¡ª-


    Ever since everyone regained the strength to continue to improve, everyone has been training maniacally.


    It was all training since early in the morning, school and then training again. Thanks to that the guys manage to improve somewhat, not at the pace of the Gremory Peerage, but decently enough.


    Now they could force Kiba to use his ''Balance Breaker'' Sword, ''Sword of the Betrayer'' but when he uses it they will lose really fast.


    Once again everyone was sprawled all over the training floor, breathing heavily and even bleeding.


    "You have improved but it still not enough!" - Kiba reprimands them. But what could they do? They were normal humans and not hybrids like them. Even their talent was subpar, their only decent quality was the will they had to become stronger, that, was more-or-less praiseworthy.


    "Kiba-san. We have been thinking about how strong you actually are. Would you show us?" - Hijama asked while standing up with difficulty.


    "It may be good, that way it could temper your mind and spirit so that you don''t get scared in the middle of a battle." - Kiba agreed to his words. He went a distance away from them and prepared.


    The rest of the males present lifted their tired-selves up and watched.


    Breathing in, Kiba closed his eyes. He prepared himself and then opened his eyes.


    Everyone felt a chill up their spine, no aura could be seen but the heavy atmosphere was very real.


    (What''s happening?!) - Reiji thought as he looked at Kiba. His whole body was paralyzed and couldn''t move. Turning his head with difficulty he saw that the rest were the same, and the little Hijama was pale-faced. Maybe because he was more sensitive to magical sources.


    Hijama was even more frightened, even at over 20 meters of distance he still felt his heart being gripped, his body couldn''t move and he was sweating.


    Souji and Ryutaro at his sides were almost the same, the difference was that one was trembling while the other was bitting his lower lip.


    Ken had his eyes opened wide, pure shock was written all over his face. He even swallowed the saliva in his mouth.


    Then Kiba started to move.


    He decided to perform a sword dance and increase the power constantly, that way they could resist it without fainting.


    He moved, placing a foot forward he used his regular ''Balance Breaker Sword''. He started to perform a fight with himself, twisting, spinning and moving at a speed barely perceivable with the naked eyes. He turned his sword swiftly and elegantly, just like a professional.


    Those movements made Souji, who also trained swordsmanship, feel shock and admiration.


    Kiba looked at the males who were gradually getting used to this level of strength.


    (Time to increase! ''Balance Breaker''!) - He thought inside his head.


    Then, a dozen dragon-looking knights appeared at his side each was moving at a fast speed, rivaling his. He then ordered them to fight against him.


    He continued his fight of twelve versus one. After sweating for a while he saw in the corner of his eye how the males were dumbfounded, their mouths left hanging wide open.


    (So he was holding back this much!) - Reiji thought as he watched the peerless sword dance. In his eyes, Kiba was already far from human, even if the Sacred Gear or Gears, proved him otherwise.


    Hijama was watching the twelve knights, his eyes shining, clearly he liked this.


    Souji and Ryutaro felt weak, extremely weak, never would they have thought that Kiba was so powerful!


    "It seems you accustomed yourself to this level!" - He screamed at them from his position.


    Everyone thought. - (This Level!?)


    Their minds reached a single conclusion, and that was that Kiba hadn''t shown them his entire strength.


    "Then I''ll show you a bit more since you were capable of holding until now. Consider this where you should aim at! " - Then Kiba made a magic circle, it was black in color with an ominous miasma surrounding it.


    From the circle a beautiful sword was seen.


    It was a two handed bastard sword, it''s colors were black and red with little golden accents on it''s handle. Reaching the tip of the sword it slightly curved inwards for a couple of centimeters and then outwards, making the tip of the sword.


    It gave a feeling of being capable of killing anything, whether Human or God.


    A pitch black aura surrounded the entire sword giving it another creepy feeling, it was as if the sword itself was cursed.


    Everyone felt goosebumps when they saw that sword, an instinctive fear filled their entire bodies, and soon they started to tremble.


    (Just looking at that blade makes me feel sick!) - Reiji thought as he looked at the blade.


    (Just what is that sword?! Something like that can''t be the product of a Sacred Gear!) - Ken watched the aura on the sword and reached the conclusion.


    (What exactly is that?!) - Souji never stopped watching the blade, even if he was scared he still looked at it, maybe his instict as a swordsman kicking in.


    "Not bad. You withstood the aura of ''Gram'', feel proud about that!"


    Kiba knew that if he swings this sword, they will probably not be capable of handling the impact of its offensive aura. Therefore, he decided to stop his fight and walked towards them, suppressing the aura of ''Gram'' as much as he could.


    "Gram?" - Souji asked since he was interested in the sword.


    "Yes. That is it''s name. ''The Demonic Sword of the Emperor'' Gram! A sword used by the Norse Hero Sigfried, used to slay Fafnir. It''s the strongest Demonic sword that exists, rivaling ''Collbrade'' or ''Caliburn'' in strength." - He finished explaining.


    "Caliburn?! It exists?!" - Souji asked. Ever since small he read about the story of ''King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' so the sword was rather well known for him.


    "Yes. It''s currently held by ''Arthur Pendragon'', a man descendant of the original ''King of Knights''. " - He talked to them while putting Gram away, inside a magic circle.


    "Then the rest of those Legendary Swords-" - Ryutaro started to speak, but was interrupted by Kiba.


    "They exist. They are called ''The Four Strongest Holy Swords'', created by the ''God of the Bible''. They are ''Caliburn'', ''Excalibur'', ''Durandal'' and ''Ascalon''. " - Everyone paid attention.


    "Who has them?" - Hijama asked in curiosity, but before Kiba could answer a magic circle appeared at one side of them.


    It was golden in color with a pair of wings on its surface. From it, an old-man appeared, he had black hair with golden bangs. He wore a purple coat with nothing underneath and black-colored pants.


    "Yoh!" - He casually saluted while moving his hand.


    The five males raised their guards to the limit, but the sole aura this man had made their legs wobbly.


    "Azazel-sensei!" - Kiba responded.


    The males in question were astounded and shocked. They recognized that name.


    The ''Former Governor of Grigori'' ''Azazel'', called the strongest Fallen-Angel, and the first to fall!


    "Kiba, it has been a while." - He nodded at his direction and then looked at the five males, all of them were trembling, their faces pale, clearly scared of him.


    (Oi! Oi! Even when Issei first met me, he actually looked into my eyes with the will fight, even when he knew he wouldn''t win. Can you at least not tremble in front of me?) - He thought while he kept looking at them.


    "Who are they?" - Azazel asked trying to keep the act.


    Kiba was shocked but he did his best to hide it.


    "They are Sacred Gear possessors the girls found, we are training them so that they could protect themselves. They also know about the current Game and offered themselves to fight by our side as thanks for training them." - Kiba thought a lie on the spot. He felt terrible by lying about this and felt even worse when he thought about his friend.


    (Ise-kun, please, please forgive me. I''m a terrible friend I wasn''t there for you when you needed me! And now because I''m a coward I can''t say the truth when it''s most needed.)


    Kiba knew about their boyfriends after he was given the extra ''Devil Jobs''. But he didn''t say anything, he was scared of what could happen, both, to his best friend and his master. He was no one to talk, a mere servant and that''s all. Ever since discovering they were their boyfriends, he wanted to tell Issei but he didn''t know what would happen.


    Sometimes, he was too exhausted and tired. The body had its limits, and with everything he had to do, he reached his.


    Studying and preparing for tests and projects on school, getting good grades so to enter a good college, finishing his own ''Devil Jobs'' and even doing the ones of Ise, since he was ordered too. They were days in which he literally didn''t sleep.


    Ever since discovering the truth about the girls, he felt even worse, he was even getting sick due to all the stress and guilt he was experiencing.


    He felt he betrayed his friend, and in the worst possible way. Yet he couldn''t do anything, now that he was finally done with everything Ise vanished from the face of the Earth, due to this he felt even worse.


    Now he needed to train these guys.


    When he saw them he felt even guiltier. Yet he decided to do it with a smile on his face, just like a professional. He thought of this as a small atonement, of course, only to make himself feel better. But he at least thought of something to atone for since he knew that what he did was horrible.


    Azazel watched his hidden guilt-filled face.


    (It seems you''re feeling pretty bad about it yourself Kiba... Haaaa...) - He mentally sighed, he knew the truth thanks to the report. And although it wasn''t his fault, he stayed silent, that was as guilty as the rest of them.


    (More reason for us to hide the truth!)


    "Kiba, all of the superiors know about Ise''s disappearance."


    The sad nod of the blonde was his only answer.


    "So what were you teaching them?" - Changing the subject of the conversation, Azazel asked Kiba.


    "The basics. How to move their own body, How to not waste energy, etc. The girls teach them spells and other things." - He responded.


    "I see." - He smiled in a friendly manner making the males relax.


    "Right now they asked about the ''Holy Swords''" - This caught the interest of the ''Fallen-Angel''.


    "Oh! Then how about I explain it to them? I have nothing better to do. That way you can also rest, you do look tired." - Kiba nodded at the words of Azazel.


    The Fallen turned around and kept his eyes on the five of them, he then smiled and said.


    "Well, let''s start. I assume you know what the swords are?" - They nodded.


    "Good! Then I''ll tell you a bit more about them." - He smiled at them, but unknown for everyone he was analyzing them quite meticulously.


    "There are 4 ''Holy Swords'' that were created by my father. Among them Caliburn is with Arthur Pendragon, a sword so powerful it''s capable of breaking space, due to that same trait its the sharpest, and strongest." - He started to explain.


    "Durandal, is a sword that is the embodiment of power and destruction. It''s said that the sword at its max is capable of cutting any defense. The current wielder is Xenovia." - At the mention of that name, everyone was surprised.


    "You didn''t know?" - They shook their heads.


    "Well, Xenovia was chosen by the sword. Oh right! Once a weapon reaches a certain level, it''s capable of gaining wisdom. Therefore, capable of choosing its owner." - Those were really interesting words.


    "The other sword is ''Excalibur'' broken during the ''Great War'' but fixed. Right now it''s also wielded by Xenovia, but she''s not very good with it." - He caught his breath and continued.


    "It has seven abilities; Rapidly, Destruction, Mimic, Nightmare, Blessing, Transparency, and Ruler. In a few words, it increases your speed and destructive ability, it changes shape, it creates illusions, it makes holy elements more powerful, it makes you invisible, and it''s capable of ruling over everything."


    That comment made them open their mouths even more.


    "Next is ''Ascalon'', used by Saint George to slay a really strong Dragon that tormented a Town. The weakest of all of them, but it has a Dragon Slaying nature capable of gravely wounding any Dragon with just a scratch!" - Everyone was quiet.


    "Its currently wielded by ''Issei Hyoudou'', the current Sekiryuutei." - Yet another piece of information that made them even more shocked than before.


    (((((He''s such a monster!)))))


    Wielder of a Longinus with a Dragon sealed inside it, killed a being of Legend, friends with many Gods and Legendary creatures, and now wielder of one of the 4 Strongest Holy Swords. Each day, Hyoudou Issei became an even more unfathomable existence for them.


    Azazel just looked at them. Seeing the Envy and Greed in their eyes as he mentioned Issei, he understood.


    (So they feel great envy of Ise and think; ''How did such a common and perverted guy could be so special?'') - He read them like a book. He was a millennia-year-old Fallen-Angel, reading a pair of snotty-nosed brats was nothing.


    (Haaaaa... I don''t know what those girls saw in them.) - Azazel thought to himself.


    (Maybe Grayfia or Serafall can explain it better than me.) - He thought that since they were females they would know about this more than him.


    He just stayed there looking at them and soon after, he vanished when the five weren''t watching. He no longer had anything to do there.


    ¡ª-A Couple of Hours Later¡ª-


    The training stopped and the guys left to their own houses. Aside from Azazel, who they thought to be somewhere inside the house, all of them were inside a room.


    The entire Peerage was inside the mansion, doing nothing in particular.


    Right now they were sitting at the main living room, while each one was doing a different thing.


    Kiba was reading a book, trying to calm himself down.


    Rias and Akeno were watching T.V but their eyes weren''t on the television, they were actually thinking about something else, probably Issei.


    The ''Church Trio'' were playing among themselves, it seemed to be cards this time.


    Ravel and Koneko, weirdly enough were close to one another, not disturbing the other in the slightest.


    Ravel, like Kiba, was reading a book. And Koneko was eating some sweets from a pile in front of her.


    No one talked, they were too focused with their own business. The sound of the T.V was the only thing that made a slight noise inside the living room.


    Like that they just stayed there until the movie ended. Seeing the credits, they waited for another one to start.


    Suddenly, everyone felt an increase in magic inside the living room.


    A sudden magic circle appeared at the entrance of the room, directly above the red carpet just by the door. From it, two unexpected figures were seen.


    "Hello everyone, we''re back." - A polite voice was heard.


    "Rias-senpai, Akeno-senpai, Kiba-senpai, we''re back!" - A childish voice was heard as well. The second figure jumped from the circle and practically ran at them.


    "Gasper!" - Rias smiled as he saw the Vampire running towards her.


    Reaching her, she hugged him.


    "I''m glad you''re finally back." - She spoke while looking at both who''s presents.


    Gasper looked exactly the same since the last time they saw him. Not even a hair was in the wrong position. He still wore the ''Kuoh Academy'' girls uniform, but it would be weird if he didn''t.


    "We actually met in the ORC club, since no one was there we decided to come here together. It seems our guess wasn''t wrong." - A figure moved away from the circle, this one is a female, a rather special Valkyrie.


    "Rossweisse! I''m glad everyone is finally back!" - Rias smiled at her.


    Rossweisse was a beautiful woman who gave the impression of being pure and relaxed.


    She had long silver hair closer to white that reached her lower back. Her turquoise eyes were filled with the light of anticipation of meeting with a special someone. She wore a different get up from the past.


    This one being, a white short dress. It was similar to snow and had few purple engravings and frills.


    The dress was sleeveless and showed a big part of her cleavage. It was short but not extremely so, only reaching mid-thigh. She also wore white heels that had straps that wrapped her entire heal and calves. The entire attire was very beautiful, and everyone inside the room just stared at her.


    The eyes of the ones present managed to make her blush.


    (I hope he likes it.) - She thought while she turned her head away, probably in shyness.


    "Wow! Rossweisse you look good with that dress." - Rias complemented her.


    "Thanks!" - She smiled at her.


    She grabbed the edges of the dress and started to spin in place, the light in her eyes became even brighter than before. Everyone watched as she was playing with her dress, the smile on her face was filled with love.


    "If you''re here then everything in the North should be done?" - Rias asked a little anxious.


    "Yes, everything was finished perfectly. The beast will no longer trouble us for some time." - Those words relaxed more than one. Thankfully everything ended well enough.


    "Mmm?" - Gasper who was sitting quietly noticed something almost immediately. He turned his head looking for someone.


    "Where''s Ise-senpai?" - His comment froze everyone present.


    No one dared to say a word.


    Rossweisse noticed this and asked, slightly worried


    "Guys? Where''s Ise?" - She started to look into everyone''s eyes. Almost everyone held guilt, Kiba just turned his entire face and looked at the side, ignoring this scene.


    "Rossweisse, Gasper..." - Rias gathered enough courage and decided to answer her question.


    Akeno at her side was bitting her lips, she didn''t have the courage. She could only stand at the side of Rias, as a kind of moral support.


    "Issei has been missing since a week ago." - Her words sounded like a hammer inside the Valkyrie''s head.


    The little Dhampir was almost the same but he couldn''t exactly believe it.


    He always idolized his senpai. And ever since Valerie went to the hospital, because of overusing her Sacred Gear, he followed his heart and decided to never leave her side. He knew that his senpai would be proud of his decision.


    Never would he have expected something like this! All of his emotions were on turmoil, tears started to fall from his eyes.


    "Issei took his pieces out and left!" - Rias basically screamed that sentence.


    Gasper felt dizzy, his head started to spin and from his body, black smoke started to come out.


    (Senpai...) - He felt terrible. Even his Sacred Gear was starting to get out of control.


    Rossweisse was almost the same, but she understood a bit more.


    (He ripped his pieces out of his body and left...)


    She knew what that meant, more-or-less.


    During this time period, in which she was gone. Issei made a decision, and whatever forced him to do it was definitely horrible enough for him to be left with no other exit except that.


    (What exactly happened all this time?!)


    Her bangs covered her eyes but the surge of aura from her body made everyone feel tense, even the little Dhampir felt threatened at the aura that Rossweisse emitted.


    A pale light-blue aura surrounded her, it was not much in quantity but the density and heaviness it had made everyone feel goosebumps.


    "Tell me everything..." - That was her only comment.


    *Nod-Nod* - Rias felt really scared by the look in her eyes.


    She soon started to explain, for them to understand.


    "We don''t know exactly why he left but we believe it has to do with us..." - She decided to tell what she thought to be the truth. Her voice sounded really soft and insecure. Guilt flooded from in between her words.


    Rossweisse noticed this. - (This isn''t good.)


    Seeing her face she soon understood that whatever happened, was actually related to the woman in front of her. She also understood that it was something that will make her angry, really, really angry.


    "It all started like this..." - Rias decided to be the one explaining all of this mess.


    Gasper stood near the Valkyrie and like her, he decided to listen to her words.


    ¡ª-1 Hour or More Later¡ª-


    Both, the Valkyrie and the Dhampir were wide-eyed, not believing a word she just told them.


    "You can''t be serious?" - The Valkyrie asked. She thought that everything she told them until now was a joke and a really bad one at it.


    Rias just tried to avoid eye contact with both of them. This response managed to confirm the words spoken by Rias to both, the Valkyrie and the Dhampir.


    Rossweisse felt terrible, she started to feel dizzy, her stomach ached and her entire face was starting to change in color; from pink to white and from white to almost blue. She placed a hand on her mouth and tried not to vomit, that''s how bad she felt.


    *Thump!* - Her legs lost strength and she fell down, luckily she landed on the coach.


    Stabilizing herself from the fall, she soon recovered some of her strength. At that moment she covered her face with both hands and looked straight at the floor.


    (You did!? You actually did it!?) - She couldn''t believe it, it seemed a lie!


    As she was sitting there, perplexed. Gasper was feeling different.


    He widened his eyes, and soon his whole body started to tremble. He couldn''t believe their words.


    The girls, who were seeing this, felt the same way as Rias; guilt, anxiety, hopelessness, fear, among others emotions, were clearly seen in their eyes. Just in general, their entire selves were confused and exhausted, they were made a mess!


    Rossweisse looked back at them and thought of something, a horrible outcome, a horrible idea, but her morbid curiosity got her best. Therefore, she asked.


    "You... Don''t tell me you''re all the same?"


    She really hoped she was wrong, she even secretly prayed to whatever deity she knew, so to be terribly wrong. She didn''t want this to be the truth. But life for once. Proved her right.


    The girls just did the same as Rias. Not having enough courage, they just turned heads away.


    *Sprint!* - Gasper could no longer handle it and started to run away from here. He needed time to think, to gather all of his thoughts.


    No words were needed, Kiba the moment he saw him like this also started to run after him, following closely. They soon went outside of the room.


    The ones present didn''t pay attention to this, everyone was just too focused on their own, bad thoughts.


    Then a cold voice was heard. It was as if it came from the deepest part of Hell. Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, they felt as if the just awoke a sleeping beast, and said beast wasn''t happy in the slightest.


    "Let me get this straight. You actually went out with other boys, just to gain experience, and then compensate any damage done to Ise at another time. But you were blinded by your own so-called ''feelings'' and forgot about Issei?"


    Each word sounded sharper than the last, and each of those words pierced them in an extremely weak spot.


    Not even having the strength left to nod their heads, the silence was the only answer. But for Rossweisse, that silence was more than enough proof.


    (...¡­) - She had no words nor thoughts. She just stared at them with an empty look in her eyes, as if she was looking at the stupidest people she''ll ever meet.


    (You just cheated on him and started to get intimate with other guys!? Men, you haven''t even known for more than three months! You threw Issei away like he was a disposable toy and now you think anything will change?!) - She was furious, her entire self was surrounded in an aura that emitted anger and fury.


    (Issei¡­...) - Tears fell from her eyes.


    Soon after, she opened her eyes in shock and just sat there, thoughts started to fill her head.


    (What exactly happened to you?!) - She now felt extremely worried, she felt extremely anxious for the man she loved.


    (Something must have happened!) - Not for anything was she the one tasked to fix the seal on the beast.


    She soon found a loophole on the story.


    (I can understand why he left but taking his pieces out? He wouldn''t have taken a risk that big just for nothing!) - She started to think, her analysis was quickly made.


    (In other words, there are two options; either he was in such a horrible state that his own mental break was completely lost, hereby making him do a really stupid thing! Or, something happened with the pieces and was forced to take them out!)


    Her thoughts were in a sense right but she never thought that both outcomes could happen at the same time. After all, even one of them was already terrible enough, the both of them would be another story completely, a really bad story.


    (But the pieces have never malfunctioned, nor they could kill someone. I also don''t think he would do something as dumb as trying to remove the pieces from his body.) - She placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought.


    The girls just stood there not moving in the slightest.


    (Taking them out is doing suicide, no one has survived the extraction of the pieces but they say that he did!) - Her thoughts started to fasten even more.


    But after a couple of minutes of thinking, she reached nowhere.


    (I have too little information...) - She decided to ask more about this, even if it meant threatening everyone in her path!


    She stood up from her position and left the room, not looking at the women in the slightest.


    After she left, the heavy atmosphere on the room was still there. They knew that saying this wasn''t going to be easy, but it still made them feel horrible.


    Meanwhile, Rossweisse started to look for a certain someone that she knew was in the Mansion, after all, she could feel his aura.


    Following the aura throughout the entire mansion, she reached the very top floor.


    On the terrace of the building, a man was drinking what she believed to be whiskey.


    He was leaning against the rail and was looking at the clouds in the sky. The perfectly orange colored sky was the only thing illuminating the terrace. After all, it was already quite late in the afternoon and thanks to the talk with the girls time passed rather quickly.


    The man turned around the moment he felt someone at the entrance of the terrace.


    Right at the glass entrance, that was similar to a window, a beautifully dressed woman could be seen.


    Her eyes held an indecipherable light but the thing that made him feel threatened was the look in her face. A mix of worry, anxiety, sickness, and anger could be seen. It didn''t take long for him to understand the reason behind it.


    He decided to play the fool, something he was really good at.


    "Oh! Rossweisse, you''re finally back!" - He turned around and gave a calm greeting. For anyone else that would have proved useful. Unfortunately for him, Rossweisse was not in the mood to play games.


    She crossed the entrance and slowly walked through the wooden awning that had a couple of holes to let light in. Every step was heavier than the last.


    "What''s wrong with-!?"


    He was forcefully grabbed by the neck of his coat, and slammed against a pillar!


    *Slam!* - The entire pillar shook in an unstable way, the Fallen could feel the strength behind that throw. Luckily for him, his whiskey glass was on the edge of the rail so thankfully it didn''t spill all over the stone floor.


    "Now you''ll answer my questions!" - Her voice sounded sharp and even made him feel threatened.


    "What are you talking about?!" - He was terrified, never has he been in this kind of position before.


    Then, with the coldest and sharpest voice he ever heard in his life, the woman talked.


    He felt as if Death herself was in front of him and was whispering into his ear.


    The eyes of the woman now could be fully seen but they scared him even more. They held not a trace of light, as if they were of a person that just witnessed hell and survived. Those eyes promised him a lot of pain and suffering.


    "If you don''t answer my questions. Then I''ll start by breaking every bone in your hand, there are twenty-seven bones just in a single hand... then I''ll move to your lower arm, there are two long bones there, I bet they will hurt if they break! Further up there are three bones, and a broken clavicle is not something you wish to have. Therefore, in total thirty-two broken bones."


    Those words made him almost pee his pants.


    "If you still refuse then, I''ll move to the other arm, then to the leg! If you still don''t cooperate, then the thing dangling in between your legs... I''ll chop it off!"


    He went pale-faced, now this was the most terrifying moment in his life! Not even when he was in front of the beast, not even during the Great War did he ever experienced something like this! This was the worst moment he ever experienced in his entire existence!


    What was worst was that the eyes of the woman held no hesitation. - (She will actually do it?!).


    "Now you''ll decide... What exactly happened to Issei?" - Her voice sounded less terrifying, but for him, it sounded the same.


    "I''m sorry! But we only know that he went missing a week ago! We have our theories but not a single one has been proved!" - He spilled the beans just like that.


    Seeing nothing amiss she asked again.


    "When was he last seen?"


    "Around a week ago in ''Kuoh Academy'', he went there to ask for an absence of school!" - He just kept spilling the beans.


    "Ok. Then why did he removed his pieces? And don''t give me the same story you told those kids! I''m not dumb!"


    She grabbed his left hand and started to twist his index finger. - (She will really do it!)


    "I can''t say that!" - She started to twist his finger.


    "Wrong, answer!" - The bones started to creak.


    "Wa-Wa-Wait!


    She momentarily stopped.


    "Spit it out!" - She was starting to get anxious.


    "Okay! Okay! But you need to keep it a secret from everyone!" - He was serious on this, she just nodded her head.


    "It started like this..."


    Another hour went by, the sky darkened and soon night covered the entire ''Kuoh Town''.


    Rossweisse didn''t move until Azazel finished speaking.


    "That''s all I know! I swear over the body of my dead father!" - He was almost crying.


    He told her everything, the messages, the known reason, the report, everything! Thankfully he didn''t show her the video, but those messages he received, she heard them all!


    She let Azazel go.


    As fast as he was capable of he took a good five-meter distance from her.


    (Never have I felt that scared before.) - He felt goosebumps all over his skin, he even shuddered violently.


    After making that feeling go away he just stared at the woman in question.


    Rossweisse was thinking.


    (So you did it because of that...) - Although much information was missing, at least, she discovered the truth.


    She was angered, really angered, but even more so to herself. If she was just there with him, nothing like this would have happened!


    (Issei! I''m so sorry for not being there with you when you most needed me!) - Guilt also filled her chest.


    She fell on her knees in front of the pillar and started to cry in a low voice. Her entire body was trembling.


    This day that was supposed to be the best in her life, since she was going to confess to Ise, turned out to be the worst ever!


    The man she loved, was MIA. The women he loved, all of them, left him to his luck!


    Even if she wasn''t directly involved she still felt awful.


    After crying for some time, she just sat there.


    Moving her head up, she looked at the pitch black night sky that had some stars in between the clouds. The moon was shining with a dull light. She just kept staring at the sky until she more or less recovered.


    "Will you blame them? Will you tell them that it really was their fault?" - Azazel still kept a distance and asked.


    "Not sure. What could I do? They felt scared, that''s normal but they decided to make the worst possible decision." - She started to talk in a much calmer voice.


    "Their punishment is not for me to decide. They are just a bunch of immature kids that made a terrible mistake. And the result of the decision they made will come for them, that will be their punishment."


    Her words were true, Azazel had to agree with that. But he was scared of the end result, if they confirm their suspicions, then, it will end really badly.


    "Please keep the secret. Just until we figure a way to diminish the damage." - He asked her sincerely.


    She turned to look at him and said.


    "I''ll say this just in case, but whatever the end result is, I''ll be on Ise''s side, even if he decides to kill!" - She didn''t want to leave him again, not after all of this.


    (Issei, when we meet please tell me the entire story.) - Her thoughts went to her loved one.


    "What will you do now?" - Azazel asked once again, this time feeling more relaxed.


    "I''ll stay. I need to be an adult for once and actually think without my feelings numbing me. The ''Game'' you mentioned will start soon, and call it a gut feeling but I think we''ll meet Issei during that time."


    She stood up and took a cold breath of air.


    "Therefore, the best chance of seeing him is by staying here. I''ll be the same as I have always been towards them, after all, it''s not my position to treat them in a harsh way."


    She started to pat her dress, getting all dust and dirt off it. Then she walked past the Fallen-Angel and went inside the mansion. Leaving the Former Governor behind in the terrace, alone.


    He grabbed his whiskey and downed it in a single go.


    "This is such a big mess..." - He said his mind out loud, and stared at the night sky. In a certain way the sky calmed him down, maybe there was something good about this day...


    ¡ª-Scene Change / Training Field # 2¡ª-


    Kiba was running, right now he came from the elevator.


    He was chasing after Gasper, who came here maybe to think without anyone disturbing him.


    At the distance right at the center of the entire field, he saw the Dhampir sitting on the ground. He had his head covered by his arms and his knees were against his chest. He couldn''t hear a thing, but he knew he must be crying.


    Walking closer he approached Gasper.


    Sensing something, the little Dhampir turned his head up and saw the blonde knight of Gremory.


    "Kiba-senpai..." - He looked at Kiba with teary eyes.


    "Gasper, I really don''t know what to say." - Kiba confessed. His smile seemed like someone that had entirely given up.


    "I''m going to be honest with you, I also feel terrible." - He sat down behind the Dhampir, resting his back against his.


    "I...I feel extremely sick... I feel like I just betrayed my best friend in the worst possible way!" - His voice started to crack, he was finally saying his mind, something that took him far too long.


    "But what could I do?!" - He screamed, probably to himself.


    The Dhampir was listening to the Knight. Seeing the tears falling from the man''s eyes, he knew that the burden he placed onto himself was just too big.


    Guilt... it was something everyone, at least once in their lives have experienced, and sometimes it hurts too much. Depending on what exactly you did, the guilt and remorse you feel increases or decreases.


    Some lamented over a decision they didn''t make, others about a terrible act they once did, others at the memory of not saying goodbye to the ones they loved. Everyone had regrets, and the regret, the remorse, of betraying someone you deeply cared for was in no means small...


    Right now he felt like that, ever since that last day he saw Issei, everything started to get worse.


    Since it was the last year of Highschool everyone got too serious, the professors and the same students, placing too much work on their shoulders as a ''sign of beginning a new life'', that college was different. Some of them didn''t particularly care about anything, while others were so strict that a Military School was a better choice.


    During that time period everything, everyone just dumped him with a huge amount of things to do. Whether his Master, school or even himself. He stopped caring about other things and started to focus more on his own pending matters.


    The ''Devil Jobs'' were either early in the morning or really late at night. During the afternoons he had projects, videos, presentations, models. So every single day he was too beat up.


    When he discovered exactly who these guys were, he was so exhausted that he barely felt the tug.


    He wasn''t in his best and due to that, he regretted.


    He knew about it, yet because of other pending business, he postponed it for later. Like that, days kept passing and slowly his amount of work started to decrease, leaving him to think about them even more. He didn''t ask the reason why. He thought it was just temporary, maybe trying to make Issei jealous so that he puts more attention to them.


    When he discovered that they were serious, it was too late.


    He couldn''t say a thing, just like when someone leaves something for the last possible moment and at the end, they just don''t do it, he experienced the same.


    After the days passed he felt even worse, his sleepless nights were no longer due to work rather because of the thought of them, not leaving him alone. He indeed tried to talk to the girls, at least once but he was just ignored, no one cared about it during that time.


    He went to his master, but she just shrugged it off.


    He thought that since he''s a servant he couldn''t say anything about this. Plus this was a really personal matter between them, he wasn''t related at all! He believed that since he was just a servant and wasn''t directly involved in this, no one would hear him, it didn''t matter what he had to say.


    Thanks to those thoughts and the experience of being completely ignored, the seed was planted and inside his head, the idea of; ''Not worthy of saying anything'', or ''A servant should just obey'', started to bud.


    Even if he was his friend, his loyalty to his master was bigger and at that time he made a decision. He tried to ignore what happened, he put his loyalty in front of his friendship, another mistake.


    The emotions he felt during those days were pretty bad, not for a moment did the thought of ''Did I made the right choice?'' left his mind, he thought and thought about it but he didn''t reach a conclusion.


    After even more time passed, he made another choice, telling Issei the truth and help him, but he made it too late. He was already gone and no one had seen him, even the Faction Chiefs were looking for him but even after a week, not a thing has been found.


    "I feel so bad! I could have saved my best friend!" - He grabbed his head and tried to calm himself, a fruitless effort.


    "I could have stopped him of removing his pieces!"


    He also wasn''t dumb, after thinking for some time he reached the conclusion, that Issei removing his pieces because he didn''t want to be found was too ridiculous.


    "My friend! My brother! He decided to remove them even if it meant his death, and for what?! No one knows!" - He was letting all out.


    "I, who swore to be by his side supporting him, left like a coward! I left him alone experiencing who knows what! All of this because I was scared of something so dumb!?"


    He stood from his place and started to walk around, screaming with all of his lung capacity.


    "If maybe I had a part of the courage he has, I would have insisted even more with the girls! Maybe, just maybe, I would have helped him and talked him out of doing something like that!"


    Kiba was the one that was most affected, he felt he betrayed his friend. He knew, that at that moment he decided something dumb, all of this because he felt he wasn''t listened to, nor noticed, nor taken into account, nor anything!


    He gave up without even trying because this was something new for him. He never would have expected the girls to suddenly fall for random guys they met less than three months ago!


    Yet because of it now not only him, but the girls, Gasper, and even Rossweisse were falling apart. He didn''t dare to think what would happen if the Factions discovered it.


    The Y¨­kais, The Norse, damn it even Shiva that took an interest in Ise! Probably everything they worked for the past year will go down the drain!


    Kiba stopped walking in circles, he just stood there looking at the ceiling.


    Gasper knew that he was probably the one that suffered the most, after all, he thinks that the sole person he dares to call a friend was betrayed by him.


    "Kiba-senpai... I think that Ise-senpai won''t blame you."


    Gasper stood up and started to comfort the Knight. How ironic did that sound, the one that came to console was the one to be consoled


    "Why you say that?" - His voice sounded hoarse.


    "Because Ise-senpai is kind, I bet he understood since the moment you were burdened with so many things that you needed to do them. He does know that therefore, I think he won''t blame you." - Gasper sounded sure of his words, something rare in him.


    "...¡­" - Kiba kept silence. Thinking about his words.


    "When we see him again if you feel that bad then apologize, better do that than nothing, even if it means little."


    Gasper was also saying those words to himself, after all he was also away during this important moment, but he believed that his Senpai, will in a way forgive him. Probably even reprimand him because of making the choice he thought was right but until now he just hoped for the best.


    Kiba was silent meditating those words.


    (Maybe you''re right... When I see him again I''ll apologize to him, even if I''m a terrible friend it''s the least I owe him...) - He started to calm down. His previous relaxed appearance started to come back.


    (Those guys... They are a different thing, they are too greedy and proud over what they think they have. They are exactly ''Frogs at the bottom of the well''. Sooner or later they will realize how big the world actually is, and at that time I hope they notice several things...)


    Since the first moment he met them, he knew that those guys were the usual greedy bunch, after some beatings during their training they learned to hide it better, but they still were at best amateurs.


    He noticed how they tried to compare themselves with Ise, yet they don''t know a thing.


    At the start, they tried to make him less.


    After discovering what he did, they ignored it, saying that if they had the same things as him they could do the same. After learning more and more, and now at the meeting with Azazel, he noticed how they were frustrated, now they even had envy in their eyes.


    (Well it''s useless to think about that, there will be a moment in which they will notice it themselves. How wrong they actually are.) - Kiba after letting all out felt more clear headed.


    Now he had a plan and a short-term goal.


    (I need to meet Ise-kun, at that moment I''ll say everything I have too!) - He resolved himself and looked at the Dhampir at his side.


    "Thanks, Gasper I really needed that." - He smiled once again.


    "Don''t worry Kiba-senpai! In a sense I also needed to hear those words..." - He was also grateful.


    After thanking each other they started to leave the training field, both with a new goal in mind.


    They needed to see Ise but for now, they had nothing about his whereabouts, they were also forbidden by the Factions to do anything related to searching for Ise. So until anything about him was found, they couldn''t do a thing. The only thing they could do was to wait. Both of them knew that Ise was fine, just missing, therefore he wasn''t in any danger.


    They also needed to train for the Game, after all, they were going to participate in it.


    They didn''t know what kind of enemies they will meet there, but of one thing they were sure, they will be extremely strong. They might even fight against Gods! And for now, they couldn''t even face one, so much training needed to be done.


    (AUTHOR NOTE: AND THAT''S THE END! So the things that are different from the original are:


    He never went outside of the town because he got transferred to LD domain. So that means he never went to Kyoto to fight Vali, etc.


    He bought his clothes from the online store. I realize there are time differences but I will try to fix that on the previous chapters. So this is how far I follow the original settings.


    He never meets with the Fox girl Fuuki and the Vampire girl Ericia.)

 Chapter 26 - 25

    (Here''s the true chapter that truly comes from me and not copy & pasted one)


    Megumin - Y-Yunyun?


    Megumin called out to Yunyun because she can''t believe what she''s seeing.


    Yunyun finally noticed Megumin. And she let go of Issei arm subconsciously because she''s feeling embarrassed from being seen by her ''rival''.


    Yunyun - M-Megumin?


    Megumin - W-why were you clinging to Issei? And isn''t that Wiz?


    Aqua finally noticed Wiz and she screamed


    Aqua - Ahhhhh! It''s you! You damned undead!


    Then she dashed towards Wiz wanting to get ahold of her but she got stopped in her track by Issei hand.


    Issei - Oy... What did you call her just now?


    Issei grabbed onto Aqua head and he asked that while giving her a smile but his eyes are not smiling at all.


    If anything it started glowing brighter and Aqua feels choked by his bloodlust.


    Issei doesn''t put any force on his hold or Aqua''s head might become an exploding watermelon right now.


    Kazuma and Megumin who''s seeing that are shivering fiercely while hugging each other.


    They both are thinking ''Rest in pieces. Aqua!''.


    Aqua is shivering and sweating furiously because she''s really afraid right now.


    She tried to form words but nothing came out from her mouth, she''s feeling suffocated because of the sheer pressure.


    While Darkness keep fidgeting because of Issei''s the bloodlust Issei''s emitting right now.


    She never felt this kind of feeling before...


    Then Wiz extends her hands toward Issei extended arm.


    Issei stopped his pressure and look towards Wiz but there''s no coldness in his eyes like how he looks toward Aqua only gentleness.


    Wiz - U-um It''s okay Ise-san. I don''t mind being called like that by Aqua-sama.


    Issei - But I do mind.


    Wiz got taken aback by his answer. Then he continued saying:


    Issei - I won''t let anyone call you ''undead'' nor ''damned undead''. You are not some damned undead. You are you. Wiz the Ice Witch. So don''t degrade yourself, be proud of who you are. And not what you are.


    Issei let go of Aqua''s head and she slumped right into the ground while still shivering and taking deep breaths. She almost pissed herself but managed to hold it in.


    Issei extends his hand toward Wiz and pulls her into a hug while his other hand cupped her face.


    Issei - Didn''t I told you before? You are beautiful. You are the woman, I. Issei Hyoudou come to love and choose as a lover. So be proud of yourself because none shall be allowed to insult you. For those who dare to insult you, I shall make them pay dearly. Okay?


    He finishes his words with a gentle and caring look filled with love.


    Wiz''s eyes are blurred and her face is deeply blushed from his words and he can only meekly nodded like a shy wife in front of their husband.


    After seeing her nod Issei smiled and kissed her forehead.


    Wiz who got kissed in her forehead become even more red-faced and she buried her head on Issei''s chest because she feels really embarrassed but also really happy.


    And Issei chuckles a bit after seeing her like that.


    Yunyun who saw their interaction only felt a little jealous because she''s happy knowing that Issei treasures her woman dearly.


    She has this happy smile on her face but also blushing a little.


    Megumin and Darkness who saw this also went red-faced because they also get affected by Issei''s word and their mouth are wide open.


    Megumin - ''U-uwaaaaa~ so cool... I also want someone to whisper those kinds of love words to me.... Hah! Wait if Wiz is Issei''s lover then that means Yunyun also...''


    Then she looks towards Yunyun direction and saw her enamored look and she knew that Yunyun is also Issei''s lover.


    Megumin - ''Dammmitttttttt! To think that loner Yunyun can have a boyfriend before me! So irritatinggggg!''


    Then she looked towards Kazuma and couldn''t help feeling disappointed because they are too far apart!


    One is a strong, cool, charming, and handsome looking guy while the others are a weak, lame and average looking guy without any capabilities.


    Why is life so unfair!


    She started to ruffle her hair because of the sheer irritation she felt.


    What''s on Darkness mind are: ''W-woww... To think I will witness a lover interaction at first hand, I can''t say I''m not feeling a little bit jealous from seeing that. But I want to feel that bloodlust once more... I never felt that good before~ But I''m also afraid of getting killed! Oh~~ the dilemma... Is this a new play? It must be!''.


    She started drooling and taking deep breaths like some pervert. (Well in a way she is a pervert)


    Kazuma just feels awed by the words and action of Issei. And he started taking mental note in case he will get a girlfriend of his own.


    So he can retell Issei''s word to impress his girlfriend. (If he ever finds one)


    Aqua still feeling out of it because she came into contact with Issei''s bloodlust at point blank range.


    Issei - Oy. You useless Goddess there.


    Aqua - H-H-HAI!


    Aqua voice is kinda squeaked because she got surprised by Issei suddenly calling her.


    Issei - Apologize to Wiz. Now.


    He give her the deadly glare.


    Aqua doesn''t waste any more words and just apologize towards Wiz while doing a perfect dogeza without caring about her dignity as a Goddess. (Not that she has one in the first place)


    Aqua - IM REALLY SORRY!!!


    Wiz finally pull her head out of Issei chest and hurriedly says


    Wiz - I-It''s fine. I forgive you Aqua-sama!


    Issei then finally let it go, even though Wiz is still kinda meek but he won''t try to change her personality.


    -After a while-


    Issei - Then? Why are you guys here?


    Issei finally asked them.


    They all finally remember why they were here in the first place except Darkness because she''s not in debt.


    M/A/K - PLEASE HELP US!


    The three of them simultaneously bowed their head towards Issei.


    Issei who''s seeing that just exhale once more because he knew why they are asking him for help. Their debt...


    Wiz is confused why they suddenly did this. While Yunyun can basically tell why they did this.


    Issei - Tell me what have you been doing all this time...


    Then they hesitate whether to tell him the truth or not...


    But after seeing his glowing eyes they finally spill the beans...


    What happened basically are they keep losing money because


    Megumin keeps buying mana potion for her own use. Aqua keep buying booze. Kazuma is basically impossible to earn money on his own because of his class. Darkness can''t help much either because she basically can''t attack the monsters and only become a tank. Then they keep getting chased by the debt collector and finally, they can''t take it anymore.


    In summary, their outcome surpasses their income...


    Issei just felt like leaving them to their own luck. But Yunyun keeps looking at his way with her ''puppy'' eyes for some reason...


    So Issei finally said: "Fine... I will help you clear some quests to pay for your debt but I want you to REALLY listen to me. Got it?"


    M/A/K - THANK YOU VERY MUCH!


    Yunyun gives Issei a smile and Wiz is just amazed at their antics.


    -SCENE SKIP-


    When they want to take a Quest at the guild. Luna said they can''t take any more Quests at the moment.


    They asked her why.


    Apparently, there''s some anomaly happening nearby because the monsters around the city are leaving the area.


    So they can''t give out Quests because of that.


    They can only relent because not even a goblin is spotted nearby, they are stumped because they don''t have any Quest to do then they can''t pay their debt.


    3 of them become depressed but seeing Issei and Yunyun just taking it easy they couldn''t help asking why they both are so relaxed.


    Then Issei told them because they have already paid their debt from day 1.


    Kazuma party couldn''t help become dumbfounded hearing him already paid his debt along with Yunyun. It''s 20 Million in total then how come they have already paid their debt?


    Then they remembered that they both are a high-ranked adventurer.


    So they asked how much profit they have at the moment...


    Issei calmly told them around 10 Billion Eris. (Not counting Yunyun)


    They become stupefied hearing his profit, even Darkness who''s from the noble household also taken aback because his profit is even higher than most noble household out there.


    Even Wiz is surprised hearing her boyfriend profit. But she''s happy that the man she loves is very capable.


    Kazuma asked Issei if he''s actually from a royalty somewhere, and the others also couldn''t help doubting him for this.


    Except for Yunyun because she knows how he gets all that money.


    So after a bit of explanation, they finally find out about the truth.


    All of them become surprised that Issei is actually the "Tyrant Overlord" which is famous around the city especially among the adventurer.


    Even Kazuma best friend Dust keep telling him not to mess with the "Tyrant" or he will take a lot of "Vacation" just like him.


    And They are glad because they never really cross the line at Issei or they might be forced to take a "Vacation" like the others.


    Well, Aqua almost take a permanent "Vacation" if not for Wiz forgiveness, and for the first time in her life, Aqua truly felt thankful towards someone else...


    Wiz also a bit surprised but she doesn''t really care what others call her boyfriend because she knows his true personality well. He''s not some brute who will attack people for no reason he''s portrayed as.


    He''s her perfect boyfriend who''s gentle and caring.


    Yunyun doesn''t know anything about the "Tyrant Overlord" because she never really separate from Issei, even if she did people are staying away from her because they are afraid to earn the "Tyrant" ire... So she never heard anything about his title or the history behind it.


    Then Kazuma, Megumin, and Aqua begged Issei to hire them.


    Finally after some begging Issei agreed to let them work as his servants on his mansion.


    And when they saw his mansion they all become stupefied because of its size.


    Issei doesn''t need to remind Kazuma not to mess with Yunyun or Wiz because he''s not some idiot who will challenge death itself.


    Issei learned some spells from Wiz as well.


    He''s able to learn her <Ice Magic> and <Explosion>.


    As for the rest of her skills, it''s not useful for Issei.


    Her <Drain Touch> is basically the inferior version of his <Life and Death> skills. And he can already absorb mana from his surrounding without needing to touch another person.


    Issei tweaked his newly earned skills a little bit such as <Explosion> he infused the skill with his Dragon <Aura> and it evolved into <Dragon Explosion>.


    He becomes quite surprised that he''s able to evolve the skills he had just by infusing it with his <Aura>, he combined <Ice Magic> with his <Life and Death> Aura and he created a <Frost Nova> spell.


    He tried to infuse it with his Dragon <Aura> he''s able to make <Ice Dragon Breath> skill with it.


    After that, he experimented some more to see if any of his other skills can be evolved.


    He infused the


    with his <Aura> and he evolved it.


    He can now cover his body with his own Dragon <Aura> and it''s called <Armament Haki>, while his <Enemy Detection> skill evolved into <Observation Haki>. (As for <Emperor Haki> he can already do it ever since he can control his <Aura> like the bloodlust/pressure he emits towards others).

 Chapter 27 - 26

    Issei told everyone he''s gonna go outside for a while to test his new skills.


    He went to an area that''s far from the city because he doesn''t want to test his new skills near the city.


    After a while, he arrived on empty land.


    He tried <Dragon Explosion>, it basically looks the same with Megumin <Explosion> but his version has Dragon made of fire then it crashed to the ground.


    The power is even bigger than Megumin <Explosion>, about 3 times more powerful.


    Then he tried <Frost Nova>, he created an ice field around him and everything near him is basically frozen.


    So it works just like Grayfia and Serafall <Ice Field> but with more intensity that the area around him instantly frozen.


    As for his <Ice Dragon Breath>, it''s just him able to breathe Ice from his mouth just like how his Fire breath works.


    His <Armament Haki> covers his body with his Dragon aura and make it looks pitch black.


    He could tell it''s like he just gained a secondary armor when he covered his body with it.


    As for his <Observation Haki>, he just assumes it''s gonna be like how he gained a 6th sense.


    So he can easily see incoming attack aimed at him from anywhere, he basically got no blind spot.


    Issei - Hmm. Thankfully I didn''t try any of my new skills near the city or there will be commotion...


    He looks toward the area where his attacks landed and it''s so devastating that anyone who sees it will wonder if there were Gods fighting here just now.


    Then he remembered he still hasn''t tried to evolve his <Teleportation> skill.


    He thought maybe he could open a Dimensional Rift just like Semiramis.


    But when he tried to infuse his <Aura> with it... It becomes <???>


    Issei is confused what''s that means. So he tried to use it, but then he opened a rift black hole.


    Without given time to react, he instantly got sucked into it, then he disappears...


    -Inside the rift black hole-


    Issei - Kuh! What was that?... Where am I? This place looks like the dimensional rift...


    Because Issei still hasn''t comprehended the space magic he cannot create safe dimensional rift passage as Semiramis does.


    So he unintentionally created a random rift black hole.


    Issei - Tsk... That was a mistake on my part. I never thought it''s gonna went haywire and created a rift black hole on its own. Now how do I get back to that world...


    Just when Issei''s thinking how to get back he heard something.


    Then he looks towards the sound and saw a creature.


    That creature form is unclear, it''s like its just a lump of meat with a giant mouth and sharp teeth with lots of eyes attached to it, and a bunch of tentacles swaying around probably to act as its arms.


    That creature eyes are on Issei right now. And Issei who felt that feels threatened.


    He feels extreme danger from this creature, his instinct telling him to get out of here as fast as he can.


    ??? - oH, aNotHer LiVIng BeINg iN HeRe? HoW RAre... WeLL JuSt mORe FoOd FoR Me.


    That creature voice is also mixed like that of a child, man, and woman.


    Issei - What are you? I didn''t come here to disturb you.


    Issei is sweating right now because he knows this creature is stronger than him and he can''t beat it the way he is now. So he can only try to buy some time...


    The creature speaks once more:


    ??? - WhAT aM I? WeLL, TheY CaLLeD Me LoTs Of tHinGs... BuT ThEy uSuaLly CaLL mE "ThE CrAwLiNG ChAoS". AnD iT DoEsN''t MatTer wHy yOu coMe HeRe, I JuSt wAnt To EaT YoU.


    Issei finally knew what this thing is, it is the "Nyarlathotep" known to many by its epithet The Crawling Chaos, is an Outer God in the Cthulhu Mythos.


    He never thought he will meet this Godly being here of all places. Talk about bad luck.


    But Issei snapped out of this thoughts when the creature suddenly attacked him with its tentacles.


    He tried to evade it but the creature movement is just too fast, one of the tentacles hit him and he got thrown back.


    Thankfully he already covers his body with <Armament Haki> or he would be severely injured by now.


    He coughs a bit of blood from that attack. It''s been a while ever since he bleeds.


    For some reason, he feels excited even though he knows he won''t win this battle.


    Issei got up and launch every magic attack he got at the creature.


    Issei - <Dragon Explosion>! <Frost Nova>! <Saber of Light>! <Ice Dragon Breath>!


    He tried everything but its useless against the Nyarlathotep.


    Sure it got hurt here and there but it instantly regenerates from its wounds.


    Nyarlathotep - InTeResTinG... It''s BeEn a wHiLe eVeR SinCe I GoT HuRt. YoU InTeResT Me... NoW DoNt DiSSaPoiNT mE!


    Issei has this excited grin on his face even though he''s sweating a bit. He''s actually a battle maniac but because the old him is into boobs so it got suppressed.


    Then the Nyarlathotep and Issei resume their fight.


    Nyarlathotep and Issei exchanged blows after blows.


    Issei covered his whole body with <Armamaent Haki> because Nyarlathotep has pure <Destruction> element on its attack.


    Way stronger than the Gremory clan <Destruction> element.


    Issei is improving by the seconds every time he got into contact with Nyarlathotep elements.


    He''s absorbing it bit by bit, slowly but surely he started to comprehend the <Destruction> element Nyarlathotep possess.


    But his body is at his limit, he''s standing just with his pure will. He doesn''t have the time to change into his Dragon form or he will have a better chance of facing the Nyarlathotep.


    His <Ougi> doesn''t do much because it doesn''t effect Nyarlathotep that much since its form is unclear.


    Nyarlathotep never has a fixed appearance anyway, sometimes it took the form of Cthulu, sometimes just a plain old man.


    Just like Ophis but it''s more destructive compared to Ophis.


    No one ever knows what Nyarlathotep purposes are, all they know every time it shows up then the world will be in Chaos.


    Just like Issei improving bit by bit as time goes, the same happens with Nyarlathotep.


    It absorbs every magic Issei cast at it.


    So all of Issei magic attack barely scratch it now.


    Nyarlathotep - IT''s BeEn FuN... BuT nOw iT''s TiME To EnD ThiS. <WoRLd EaTeR>!


    Nyarlathotep cast its attack, and it spits out a black hole like ball that absorbs everything into it.


    Issei finally forced to use his <Balance Breaker>.


    This is not his old <Balance Breaker> when he possesses Ddraig still.


    It''s his newly created one which he created during one of his spars with Scathach.


    Scathach and Semiramis told him not to use this skill because it''s too dangerous to use it without fully mastering it.


    Its backlash might just take his life, the minimum is a critical injury, at worst its instant death.


    Thankfully when he uses this skill Semiramis and Scathach are there to prevent the worst from happening.


    But he has to use it now or he will die without question.


    Issei - <Balance Breaker>!!!


    After he used the skill, he feels his blood boiling and his <Aura> went wild at full throttle.


    His appearance changed, his dark brown hair changed into pitch black, his ears elongated just like an elf, his eyes turned golden but still slit like a Dragon''s eye. There are claw-like gloves on both of his hands colored black with a red outline, his whole body covered with a black and red aura.


    His dragon wings spread majestically, his wings are colored red and black combination the same goes for his dragon''s tail. He''s basically the personification of Humanoid Dragon right now, even Nyarlathotep felt a bit threatened at his new form.


    (His new form kinda look like Killia from Disgaea 5 but with the dragon tail and wings, also longer hair)


    Issei look up towards the incoming attack from Nyarlathotep and he countered it with his own skill


    Issei - <True Dragon King Hellfire Shot>!


    He covered his arms with Hellfire and punch repeatedly towards the incoming attack.


    Every time he lets out a punch it created a barrage of Dragon shaped fire infused with his Dragon <Aura>.


    Issei - HAHHHHHH!!!


    And he successfully destroyed Nyarlathotep attack and also a part of its body.


    Nyarlathotep for the first time in its life feels danger.


    If it doesn''t evade quick enough then it might just die.


    And that exhilarates it a lot because it never found anyone who could make it feels this way.


    It always looks for beings that are stronger than it, but it could never found one.


    It feels bored that no being can prove to be a challenge to it.


    And finally, it found the one who can threaten its life.


    Nyarlathotep - Good! Good! GOOD! Do that attack once more!


    It''s so happy that finally, its voice is not mixed like it used to. Now it sounds like a happy girl voice.


    Issei wishes he could use it once more but sadly he''s at his limit.


    Issei - ...Heh... So even that doesn''t enough to kill you huh... I guess this is it for me... I''m sorry... Ddraig... and everyone...


    Then he reverts back to his previous form and he loses his consciousness.


    Nyarlathotep who saw that feels disappointed


    Nyarlathotep - What''s wrong? You can''t use it anymore? *Sigh*... After all this time, I finally found the one who can beat me...Hmm... I guess you haven''t finished growing yet... Kyahahaha! How fun! I Guess this is your blessing... True Dragon King huh... I will give you my mark, so at our next meeting let us kill each other once more... True Dragon King!


    Then Nyarlathotep gives Issei its mark inside his body.


    That mark will let Nyarlathotep knows where he is and it also gives Issei the <Destruction> element it has to make him easily master it.


    Nyarlathotep then opened a rift for him to pass through.


    Nyarlathotep - Let''s meet again soon... True Dragon King...


    Then it disappears as well.


    -Back at Issei-


    Issei free falling once more and he fell on an island located at the middle of the ocean.


    After a while, somebody finally arrived at his location.


    Its two girls that seem to be twins, the first one have an emotionless face and short hair. While the other one has longer hair and has more emotion on her face.


    They both are wearing the same clothes as well, it''s like a green sleeveless kimono with a white outline, and they both wearing the same ribbon on their hair as well.


    They both have white stockings and sandals Japanese styled.


    (Google "Kyou and Kinou Evenicle" and you will have their picture)


    Kyou - Kinou. Look, there''s someone fell here. Oh! And he''s badly injured!


    Kinou - Um... He''s indeed badly injured, let''s bring him to our house. Kyou.


    Then they both brought Issei body to their house.


    After they get Issei''s clothes off him and cleaned his body they finally see his handsome face and perfect body.


    They both blushed after seeing him.


    Kyou - Ohhh~ He''s so handsome, don''t you think so too. Kinou?


    Kinou - ...Um. And he got a nice body as well... But you feel it as well, don''t you, Kyou? He''s a Dragon just like us.


    Kyou - Un. But he''s not a fully fledged Dragon... If I have to say he''s about half dragon half human?


    Kinou - Indeed... But I wonder how he fell from the sky? And who injured him in the first place...


    Kyou - Guess we will ask him that after he woke up.


    Then they continue to take care of Issei after that.


    It took Issei a week for him to wake up. And both Kyou and Kinou know if its human in his place then he/she would be dead long ago from his injuries.


    Even for a Dragonkin, it''s still a miracle for him to survive that.


    But his perseverance allows him to stay alive until now and they are impressed with him.


    Issei finally woke up. He slowly opens his eyes.


    Then he started to look around, he found out he''s inside a wooden house.


    Issei - ''...Where am I?''


    When he''s still looking around Kyou comes in and saw that he''s finally awake.


    Kyou - Kinou! He''s awake!


    She hastily calls her twin sister.


    After that, they both arrived at Issei''s side.


    Kyou - How are you feeling?


    Kinou - You need anything?


    Issei is confused for this sudden development.


    Issei - ...Who are you two? And where am I?


    Kyou - I''m Kyou.


    Kinou - I''m Kinou.


    Kyou - We both are twin sisters. And we are a Dragon just like you. As for where we are right now. We are at <Fresh Fish Island>.


    Kinou - Um... And we are also the one who saved you.


    Issei - ...Dragon? Kuh!


    Issei head is hurting badly, and his memories are jumbled up. All he can remember is his name which is Issei Hyoudou.


    As for the rest of his memories, he can''t seem to recall it.


    Kyou - Are you okay!?


    Kyou hastily prep up his body to prevent him from overexerting himself.


    Kyou - Don''t push yourself, take it easy... It''s no wonder you''re still hurting after the injuries you went through.


    Issei finally lay down once more because his body is indeed hurting badly now, especially his head.


    Kyou - There. Just lay down for now, we will bring you some food soon. After all, it''s been a week since the last time we found you.


    Issei is even more surprised after hearing that he passed out for 1 whole week.


    Then he just nodded towards both of them


    Issei - ...Um... Then I thank you both for taking care of me.


    They both smiled seeing him thanking them.


    Kyou return it with a full smile of her own


    Kyou - Don''t mind it! After all its only natural to help anyone in need.


    Kinou - Un.


    While Kinou just gave him a small smile because she''s not that expressive in the first place.


    Then they brought his food. At first, Issei wants to get up to eat on his own, but they both won''t let him and insist to feed him the food instead.


    Issei feels embarrassed that he got to be fed by a girl but he can''t do anything about it.


    After some time passed Issei finally able to walk around on his own but he still can''t recall his memory.


    He told both of them he seems to lost his memory and all he can remember is his name.


    They both don''t see any lies from his words so they accept it.


    Then Issei learned the history of this world. This world commonly called <The World of Eve>.


    <Fresh Fish Island> is a location in the World of Eve, located far in the southwest. While technically a province of the Kingdom of Eden, the island is isolated to the extreme, home only to a small village (Fresh Fish Village) populated almost entirely by senior citizens. How this situation came to be is unknown. Boats heading to the island is infrequent at best, and the only site worth seeing for the tourist is a ruin of Mother Eve on the island''s southern side.


    Both Kyou and Kinou stays here because they love the quiteness of this place.


    The twins are very similar in terms of personality, though Kyou is outspoken and Kinou is quiet.


    Their age are more than centuries old. Since they are both Dragon''s then they can live longer than humans obviously.


    Like all fullblooded dragons, Kyou and Kinou can teleport from place to place and are functionally immortal. As twins, they share a unique subset of the teleportation power that allows them to swap places at will (and not necessarily with the consent of the other twin). They can transform from their human forms to dragon forms, but their capabilities in this form are unknown.


    As Witches of the Round Table, the twins are presumably powerful beyond the average mortal, but their power is constrained by Arthur''s treaty with QD. On ability they have been allowed to demonstrate is the ability to constrain a deceased soul to the mortal plane.


    The twins are also experienced poisoners and druggists, with incredibly strong knowledge of herbal lore, pharmacy, and concealment. They are also among the world''s best cooks, and are particularly fond of combining the two fields to create drugged food so irresistible that victims will eat it willingly.


    But they didn''t fully told Issei about themselves yet, after all they just met.


    Although they both are attracted to him because of the pureness of his <Aura> as a Dragon.


    And his personality is kind hearted just like their type.


    They never felt this kind of pure <Aura> before from any male Dragon they met. Even QD doesn''t have this kind of <Aura>


    Both Kyou & Kinou decided they will only marry the same guy they approve of, but they never found one after all this time.


    But finally, they can see the one. And after spending some times together with Issei they become more assured that he''s the one for them.


    (IN THIS EVENICLE WORLD ASTERISK NEVER SURVIVE THE ATTACK OF HIS KINGDOM SO FOR THOSE WHO''S WONDERING WHERE IS HE. THAT''S WHAT HAPPENED.)

 Chapter 28 - 27

    After Issei can move around he helped the elderly villagers.


    Whether its just plain labor work or helping them catch some fishes for them to sell.


    Issei feels very relaxed staying in this small village.


    Kyou and Kinou also keep him company all the time.


    They prepared food for him, wash his clothes, stitched back his ripped clothes.


    Issei is very grateful towards them. At one point they tried to teach him how to cook.


    But Issei seems to be a natural born chef, he easily surpasses their cooking skills.


    Maybe even though he loses his memory he still retains the skills he got, so it''s not that hard for him to learn how to cook.


    Both Kyou and Kinou also wanted to teach him how to fight, but he easily defeats them in hand to hand combat.


    So they both got even more surprised, although their power is mostly suppressed at the moment, they are still a strong Dragon compared to most.


    Everything they threw at him he can completely handle it like an expert, it makes them wonder if there''s nothing he cannot do.


    From swordsmanship, spearmanship, etc.


    They still haven''t tested his magical capabilities but from seeing how he handle all that easily they assume he must be also quite good at it.


    Well, the only thing he''s not talented at is to make potion or poison.


    After some time passes they finally decided to mark Issei as their mate.


    They did this without Issei''s knowledge when he was asleep.


    Issei doesn''t really know that they are actually a perverted Dragon in a way, but only because they haven''t found their true mate all this time.


    So they got sexually frustrated, and they can only comfort each other all this time.


    But of course, it''s not enough for them both.


    They both still have their virginity up to this day because of the special law in this world.


    So they started feeding him special "Medicines" without knowing those special drugs don''t effect Issei that much because his libido is basically at max already.


    They also use their magic spell to enhance his sexual capabilities and libido.


    Again this is also useless to Issei. But he doesn''t realize what they did to him.


    He trusted them both fully after spending their times together, and he sees them as his elder sisters but also as a woman.


    They confessed to Issei at the same time.


    Kyou - Ne. Issei.


    Issei - What''s wrong. Kyou?


    Kyou - Me and Kinou have something to say to you.


    Kinou - Un.


    Issei - Hmm?


    He''s always smiling towards them because he really likes them both.


    Kyou - You see. We both have already marked you as our mate.


    Kinou - We did this when you were asleep.


    Issei got surprised by their words, he knows what that means because they have already told them about it before.


    That means they will only see him as their husband/spouse/master you called it any way you want but basically, they will only marry him and will never betray him.


    The moment they marked him they are bound with the Dragon pact. If by chance they betray him then they will instantly die.


    Other male Dragon will stir away from them instinctively, they won''t try to court a female Dragon who already bound their self to another male.


    It''s proven to be useless because there was never a case of female Dragon abandon their mate no matter what happens.


    They will be bound for life once they''ve done the bonding ritual. If somehow the male Dragon died then they will also follow right after.


    But that case never happens because Dragons are seen as a holy creature in this world, they are seen as Mother Eve apostle.


    There were some human king tried to kill a Dragon. but his country instantly destroyed the very same day he declared that he will wage wars with the Dragon.


    QD leads the attack to his country along with all Dragon''s. Even though QD alone is enough to destroy the country but she chooses to bring the whole Dragon race to show them their might.


    But if by chance a Dragon chooses to be a spouse of a human then that Dragon will be treated as a special case.


    The Dragon will be forbidden to use their Dragon power so they don''t abuse it for the human to use.


    If the Dragon break that rule then QD will judge them right away.


    And if the human spouse country wage war with another country then even if the Dragon were to die they won''t receive any help from the Dragonkin.


    So there''s rarely any Dragon choose to be married to a human.


    And since Issei isn''t fully Dragon that rules also apply to him. He will be considered as a human in this world.


    That''s also why Issei got shocked by their decision.


    Issei - Are you guys serious!? You know I''m not a full-fledged Dragon!


    Kyou - Un. We both are serious.


    Kinou - Even if you are not a full-fledged Dragon we will still love you.


    Kyou - No matter what happens.


    Kinou - We will still be with you.


    Kyou & Kinou - So will you accept us. Issei?


    Issei is at loss for words after hearing them. He''s happy that they choose him because he also loves them after all this time.


    But he was afraid to confess his love for them because he didn''t want to implicate them in case something happens to him.


    Then after hearing their confession, he resolved himself.


    Issei - Yes. Kyou. Kinou. I will accept both of you as my wives, and I give my word to both of you that I will protect and love you both until the end of my life.


    Kyou and Kinou both shed tears of happiness because they are afraid if he were to decline their love then they won''t know what to do anymore.


    Then they all hugged each other.


    The three of them have the most blissful smile on their face.


    Issei looks toward his two wives and his eyes are filled with love and gentleness.


    But there''s also a resolve to never let anything happen to both of them and he swore on his life that he will protect them from any harms to come.


    Then they share a kiss with each other.


    First was Kyou. They both only kiss softly without tongue involved.


    Then next was Kinou.


    Issei - I love you both. Kyou. Kinou


    Kyou & Kinou - We also love you. Issei.


    Then they smiled at each other once more, but then Kyou suddenly said


    Kyou - But. Issei.


    Issei - Hmm?


    Kyou - Sadly you can''t marry us both right now.


    Issei - What do you mean?


    Issei is confused by her sudden words.


    Kinou - There''s a special law in this world that forbids someone to marry more than one spouse.


    Kyou - Whether it be male or female.


    Then they teach him this world history.


    Mother Eve. The one said to have given birth to the first humans.


    She''s considered the mother of all humanity and is revered as a Goddess.


    To aid humanity in the harsh world it''s forced to inhabit, Mother Eve offered numerous blessings.


    But those blessings apply only to those who obey the Mother''s two teachings.


    One: You must not kill other humans.


    Two: You must not engage in intercourse with more than one partner.


    For those who break that two teachings they will become an outlaw.


    Outlaws are stripped of Mother Eve''s blessings, and can no longer live without numerous complications.


    They can''t grow plants, they can''t receive gold from killing monsters, they can''t have children and many more.


    So they can only live by stealing from others and basically, they are as good as human trash at literal meaning.


    And because of that Issei can''t marry them both at the moment.


    It''s still unknown if the rules of this world apply to Issei or not, but he will never take the chance anyway. (He still lost his memory so he doesn''t know he could just leave this world later with them. He basically thinks of himself as the inhabitant of this world at the moment so he won''t try to break the mother eve''s teachings)


    When Issei was getting irritated they both continue


    Kyou & Kinou - But there is a way


    Issei - What is it?


    Kyou - You just need to become a Knight.


    Issei - Knight?


    Kinou - Yes. A Knight.


    Then they explain what a Knight is:


    Knights are an important element from the world of Evenicle. While most humans, Poppins, and dragons are bound by the commandments of Mother Eve if they wish to retain her blessing and not become Outlaws, knights are specially empowered to operate outside of these commandments to help protect the faithful, both from monsters and the aforementioned Outlaws. To this end, knights are empowered to kill members of species under Mother Eve''s Blessing. As Knights are seen as exemplary members of their species, they are also allowed to marry more partners than the average person, in hopes of passing on their genes.


    Knights are ennobled with the help of a sacred artifact. Some members of the nobility possess minor artifacts that can ennoble someone to the level of a standard knight, but these are limited in their number of active uses.


    And Knight rank is divided into multiple ranks, they are:


    Soldiers:


    Soldiers are not typically considered a knightly rank but play a similar role in that they are excepted from one of Mother Eve''s commandments, namely the commandment against killing. Soldiers are deputized by an existing Knight, after which they can continue in training as a knight, or can go into dangerous careers where they might come in contact with Outlaws, like that of an Adventurer.


    Knight:


    Base-level knights are the first "true" level of knighthood. As a knight, they are empowered to marry two spouses instead of one. But are also expected to serve under their patron (the noble that created them a knight in the first place) and in turn to the nation their patron serves. They may also be expected to serve under the command of knights belonging to higher ranks. Base-level knights are far and away the most common kind of knight, to a degree that the Snake Crest was able to gather a large number of Outlaw Knights to their banner.


    Ten-Knight:


    A Ten Knight is the second level of knighthood. It is so named because a Ten Knight is expected to perform the duties of ten individual knights, but in some cases, a Ten Knight is sent to command exactly ten knights. This structure continues for later ranks of a knight. A Ten Knight is empowered to marry four spouses instead of two.


    Hundred Knight:


    A Hundred Knight basically has the same expectations as the previous rank but is empowered to marry six spouses instead of four.


    Thousand Knight:


    A Thousand Knight is empowered to marry eight spouses instead of six.


    Zero Knight:


    Zero Knight is the highest level of a knight and is typically awarded to a person of international renown. The rank enables a person to marry ten spouses, but further promotions are possible, though the particulars of these promotions are currently unknown.


    Well, Kyou & Kinou both know the requirement to advance to the last rank but they are not allowed to tell anyone of it.


    There''s also sub-classes of Knights but that''s not really important.


    There''s rarely any Female Knight because they are basically encouraged to be a housewife instead because this world is very dangerous and the birth rate is low.


    And besides, they are not allowed to have multiple husbands because of the teaching. Even if they become a Zero Knight they are not allowed to have more than 1 husband.


    Men''s are allowed to have multiple spouses so that they can impregnate multiple partners at once.


    A woman who got rap*d by Outlaws will become Outlaws themselves since they are seen as having multiple partners even though they are forced.


    And a woman who becomes an Outlaw will never be able to have children, so even though they are not evil they won''t be allowed to enter cities anymore.


    Kyou - So because of that you need to become a Knight yourself to be able to marry us both.


    Kinou - Un. If possible tries to find multiple wives candidate along the way.


    Issei - ...May I ask why I have to find multiple wives other than you two?


    Kyou - Because we believe you will get at the top of the Knight ranks easily.


    Kinou - And strong knights are enforced to have multiple spouses.


    Kyou - We will be proud if you can have multiple wives other than us both.


    Kinou - Because that proves that you are a strong male. And we as Dragons couldn''t be prouder having a strong male as our mate.


    Kyou - Indeed. So you must find more girls to marry. Ok~?


    They finish each other sentences perfectly.


    Issei becomes speechless by their words once more.


    Issei - ...*Sigh* Fine. But that''s only if I can find another woman I can love...


    Kyou & Kinou - That''s good enough for us~


    Then they laughed at each other.


    So they spend some more times together on the island.


    Kyou & Kinou basically stuck at Issei like a glue all the time.


    They keep giving Issei a hug and kisses whenever they have the time.


    But Issei never complains at all, if anything he''s happy by the attention they are giving him.


    They even wash each other in the bath.


    Issei is holding himself back to not jump into both of them right there and then.


    Because their body is so beautiful and flawless.


    Kyou and Kinou know that they shouldn''t tempt him so much or he might lose it and all will be for naught. So they wear a towel when they are bathing together.


    But when they saw Issei''s perfect body and especially his junior down there, they are very elated.


    They are also holding their self from pouncing on Issei themselves.


    Then when Issei is asleep they both did something because they just couldn''t take it anymore without relieving themselves.


    So they snuck up at his room after feeding him some sleeping drugs by putting it inside his foods and cast sleeping spells on him just to be sure...

 Chapter 29 - 28

    Kyou and Kinou snuck into Issei''s room.


    They saw him fast asleep probably because of what they just did.


    Then they slowly strip down his pants, and when they see his dragon down there awaken they were elated and got even more aroused just by seeing it.


    They slowly strip their own clothes and after that, they sat facing each other between Issei''s penis.


    Then they kiss each other while stroking his penis together at the same time.


    Even though they are kissing each other they keep looking towards Issei''s face and penis.


    They both are nearly naked and moaning nearby the sleeping Issei.


    They are touching each other with their free hand and kissing passionately while tangling tongues


    Kyou - Mm... Mmm, *Chu*. Issei... Issei...


    Kinou - Hamph, mmm... Kyou, quiet... You''ll wake him up... Mm, mmm...


    They accurately stimulated whichever body part the other wanted at any moment, but their focus was on Issei. Never taking their eyes off him, their arousal naturally increased just by seeing him.


    Now that they have already marked Issei as their mate they will get aroused every time they are near him.


    So until they fulfill their desires with him they will keep getting into heat. Meaning unless they really have s*x with him their arousal will never fade away.


    Issei''s face at this moment is twitching like he''s grimacing but he''s actually feels really good at the moment because it''s been a while since he got comforted like this.


    Not since he''s with Semiramis and Scathach. He was at his breaking point when he kissed Yunyun back then.


    Kyou - Ahn... oh... Issei. His handsome face keeps twitching, it looks so cute.


    Kinou - Mhm... Adorable...


    Kyou - If we truly go all the way when he''s still sleeping right now... How do you think he would feel? I hope he wouldn''t hate us... Maybe he would never wanna talk to us again...


    Kinou - ...Kyou, that''s a dangerous thing to think about.


    Kinou reached a hand toward Kyou''s slit and pushed her finger in.


    Kyou''s arousal made her sensitive enough that her hips twitched in reaction.


    Kyou - Aahn... I know. It''ll just make me want to do it... Kinou, mm. You also feel the same way, right? He''s always been very handsome and masculine. The way he keeps helping those elderly villagers and helps us do the chores... Ever since we confessed our love to him, he keeps treating us with love, gentleness and care that it makes us feels really special... I just can''t stop looking at him whenever I see him...


    Kinou - Un. It''s like we''re in heaven every time he treats us that way. It''s like watching the most delicious food before us but we can''t eat it... The way how his muscle works and his ever-present gentle and caring smile are full of love which make us get into heat every time...


    Then Kinou unconsciously pinched Kyou clitoris with a bit more force.


    Kyou - Mmm! Kinou, not so hard... you''ll wake Issei up... Mm...


    Kinou - Um, sorry... But after all the waiting we''ve done all this time... The moment he comes into our lives, we knew he was our soulmate. But we have to hold back or all will be for naught...


    Kyou - Mm... Honestly. It''s very hard to resist his charm... But we have managed to hold ourselves back after all this time...


    They couldn''t truly have intercourse with him now but they will wait when he has truly become a Knight for that. After all, they have been waiting for centuries, waiting just for a little longer is nothing.


    They know Issei will reach the top of the Knight''s rank soon enough. After all, they have already seen his capabilities.


    Whether it be a strength, wisdom, wits, and most important of all kindness that the strong usually doesn''t have.


    They often saw people who''re strong drowned in their own search of power. They become arrogant, greedy, etc.


    And in the end, their power becomes their own downfall... Just like that human king who decided to wage wars with the Dragonkin.


    Kinou - But we want him to become a bit more lustful, hence why we feed him all that special "medicines" and used "special" spells at him.


    Kyou - Hah, hah... You don''t need to remind me... I remember why we did that in the first place.


    Kinou - After all, we wouldn''t want him to become a beta male, so some sexual appetite is necessary. It would be disappointing if he can''t be the one who took the initiative after all.


    Kyou - That''s right~. Heheh~, I keep seducing him by pushing my breasts against him this morning. And his reaction was so cute, how he keeps trying to hold himself back from losing control... But y''knooow~...


    Kinou - Ahhhhhnn?!


    As payback for a moment before Kyou thrust a finger into Kinou''s slit.


    Kyou - Don''t you think you went overboard today? Pretending to accidentally run into him naked when he was going swimming was a bit much.


    Kinou - ...It was cute seeing his reaction... And VERY satisfying to know that he gets aroused by looking at me...


    Kyou got a little bit jealous hearing that. But she''s also happy at the same time.


    Kyou - Is that so? Indeed it''s nice to know the man we love gets aroused by looking at our bodies... Fufufu...


    Thinking back to that afternoon, Kinou''s eyes softened. Then she looks towards his crotch.


    Kinou - He has the best penis in the world... Whether it be the length, girth, firmness... It''s all perfect... He didn''t seem to notice that we kept staring at his crotch whenever he''s doing something...


    Kyou - Un... Agreed. He never seems to notice, does he?


    Actually, Issei noticed their stare but there''s nothing he can do about it and just trying to feign ignorance. After all its hard not to notice how 2 beautiful girls keep staring at your crotch all the time...


    Kinou - If I weren''t careful enough I could have just started screwing him right where he is back then...


    Kyou - Same here... But I have to say. Kinou, maybe your self-restraint''s better than mine, but you''re that much worse when you lose it don''t you...


    Kinou - ...No comment...


    To express her dissatisfaction, Kyou moved her hand with more fervor, digging into Kinou''s pussy with her finger.


    Kinou - Mmn!


    Remembering the events caused fluids to flow out from Kinou''s pussy.


    Kinou - ...I couldn''t help it, Mmn! Ah!


    Kyou let out an appalled sigh


    Kyou - Now that I think about it... It''s kinda scary how much we come to love Issei...


    Kinou - QD said it isn''t she. When a Dragon finds her partner, she''s dedicated for life... We''re desperately and wholly smitten by Issei...


    Kyou - ...I''d thought it was impossible to love him more, but somehow my love''s been getting stronger ever since...


    Kinou - He accepted us as his wives... And we won''t be his only wives either...


    Kyou - He will be the best man in the world... Into a man who will be loved by many, and love them back in return...


    Kinou - Maybe it''s our Dragon instinct. With so few of us left, we find ourselves attracted to a human who can leave many children.


    Kyou - It doesn''t make much sense... How we maddeningly fell in love with him, but can''t have him all to ourselves...


    Kinou - But that''s what Issei will inevitably become. And I''m glad for it, whether that makes sense or not.


    Kyou - Yes, since we love him. Even for Dragons, love''s hard to beat...


    Kinou - So for now, we need to be as patient as we can...


    Kyou - Mmm...


    Both the twins got more into it.


    They had to occasionally have these secret nights. Otherwise, they couldn''t keep themselves under control.


    This was one such precious times.


    Kyou - Mm, mmm!... Geez, Issei, we both are getting off to you... And you''re still fast asleep... Even though it''s our fault in the first place...


    Kinou - That grimacing and that twitching, blushing handsome face... This is dangerously adorable...


    If Issei woke up he would see them naked and groping each other while their other hands keep stroking his penis.


    Were that to happen, they might never have the same relationship again, but the possibility fanned the twin''s arousal.


    Kyou - Mm, mmm! I can''t wait anymore... Hamph, mmph... Mmmmm!


    Their hands passionately and precisely touched one another''s sensitive spots.


    The periodic desire to forget everything and assault Issei had to be quelled before it got out of hand.


    They turned those feelings toward each other''s bodies, fingering each other and hasten their stroking pace on Issei''s penis.


    Kinou - Me... Neither... Mm, mm... Mm, mwah...


    At the limits of their restraint, the twin''s drooling mouths released hot sighs and moans.


    Issei - ...Kgh!


    Kyou - I-It''s here... look...


    Issei''s penis finally reached its limit and started swelling up even more.


    Kyou - Mm... Ah... Wow, it got even bigger...?


    Kinou - Hah... Hah... An unblockable attack...?


    Even Kinou, for as calm and composed as she often was. Is put into a daze by the sight of this.


    Their arousal went over the roof right away.


    Kyou - Mmm! Mmn... Issei, Isseiiiii... I-I love you... I love you, Issei... Mm, Mmn!


    The twins kissed so intensely that it was hard to breathe, sucking and licking each other''s tongues.


    Kinou - Ngh, Kyou... Too r-rough... Mmmm!


    Kyou - Mmpphh... Mmm, but like... how am I supposed to look at this and not do anything?


    Kyou was starting to sound feverish. Her tongue wriggled in Kinou''s mouth.


    Kyou - Hah, ah... Wow, this is naughty... We''re masturbating naked by the man we love while he''s fast asleep...


    Kinou - If Issei wakes up, we''re finished. The tension is, mm, mm! A turn on.


    Kyou - Haaah?, mm... I want to have s*x with Issei... I just want to forget everything and give myself to him...


    Kinou - Mm! I feel the same... Ngh! I''d like to just forget everything as well and have s*x with him... But we must not... If we do it, it''ll be us who regret it the most...


    Kyou - But this is just so-


    She was going to say "Agonizing", but a kiss blocked her words.


    A fiery heat enveloped them.


    Their blazing feelings of love collided with their reasoning, nearly crushing their hearts in between.


    Looking at Issei''s c*ck heated up their nether regions. Juices oozed from their slits.


    Kyou - Mm, mppphh, this is all because Issei''s just too charming...


    Kinou - And his penis is reacting to our touches...


    Kyou - Ahh~ geez... Why''s he so charming? So handsome and manly. I wanna fck him silly...


    It was like sitting in front of your favorite food and not being allowed to eat it.


    Kyou - Aah~ Oh, Issei. So virile... Ngh...?


    Issei''s c*ck was pulsing a lot and leaking a lot of precum, which made their hands wet and sticky.


    Not only Kyou, but Kinou glanced at it longingly.


    Kinou - I can''t stop thinking about what would happen if that was inside me...


    Kyou - I-I don''t know about normally, but when I''m super turned on like this. If I took in that ferocious thing inside me... Gulp...?


    Kyou subconsciously swallowed the buildup of saliva in her mouth.


    Kinou - ...Kyou, you''re very wet and loose... It''s basically asking for my fingers...


    Her finger ran along the slit and sank in, where the inner walls squirmed, trying to engulf it deeper.


    Kyou - Ahn~... N-Not like it''s any different for you, Kinou...


    Kyou retaliated by rubbing Kinou''s slit. It was enough to make her hips twitch.


    They each moved their hand back and forth, leading the other towards orgasm.


    As fatigued as if their brains were turning to mush, they intently fingered each other.


    Kyou - Ahh! screw it... Issei... Please, wake up... And, mmn! Assault us for doing all this... All we can think about all day is you. You need to punish us for being such bad girls... You can punish us a whole bunch, mm... Do whatever you want with us ?.


    The twin''s arousal had gone out of control. Their moans were loud enough that Issei might actually wake up.


    They both observed Issei and fervently caressed each other.


    Kyou - Mm, Issei, I love you, I love you so much, so so much! from the first time I saw you, I was already this bad, mm, mmmn!


    As Kyou whispered her affection, she gave her sister numerous deep kisses.


    Kinou - Ngh, mmph... Issei, Issei, I love you... I''m, mmm, all yours... Mm, mmm...


    Their crotches were flowing with streams of fluids. All they could think of was reaching orgasm.


    The twins passionately groped each other''s slits, heightening one another''s sexual pleasure.


    The taboo of masturbating while stroking the penis of the man they loved only further fired them up.


    By now they were moaning loud enough that even Issei could hear and if he wasn''t drugged he would''ve wake up a long time ago.


    Kyou - Hah, aaah... My stomach''s burning hot! Mmm, mm, oh. Geez... Cumming, I''m cumming!?


    Kinou - Hngh, mm, mmm... Ah! Issei, Issei! Look at me, mmmph! Mmmnnnn!


    Kyou & Kinou - Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! ?.... Ah, haaah, hah...


    Their slits simultaneously squirted.


    The instant they climaxed, their minds went blank and they shook so hard that the floor creaked.


    Issei''s also finally reached his limit and squirted lots of his sperm into the air.


    The twin''s who realized that frantically put his c*ck inside their mouth in turns. Even then there''s still some of his sperm overflowing from the corner of their mouth.


    Both of their eyes become heart shaped and they feel like this is the most delicious thing they have ever had in their entire life.


    They both orgasmed and squirted once more just from tasting his sperm.


    Then they lap up any sperm that''s spilled whether it be on the floor, their hands, and even on Issei''s body.


    After they do all that, they look towards Issei with their unfocused eyes to see if he was woken up by that or not.


    Kinou - Whew... I-It''s safe, mmn! He''s still sleeping like a log, confirmed...


    Kinou still felt the lingering sensations of orgasm when she gasped out that answer.


    Kyou - Mm, ah... We got a little, haaah, crazy today... If we keep doing this, Issei''s really gonna wake up one day...


    Kinou - Haaah... Haaah... Agreed...


    After some brief hesitation, Kinou revealed something she had been thinking about.


    Kinou - I think it''s time...


    Kyou - ...Yeah, he should be fine now to survive out there on his own. Not like he needs our protection when he''s that strong already... Besides... We can''t take this any longer.


    Kinou - Exactly... And I have faith that he''ll find wives that we can approve of.


    Kyou - Yeah, I think you''re right. He''s our Issei, after all.


    Just then, Issei turned over.


    Issei - ...Semiramis... Shishou... Jeanne... Jalter... Yunyun... Wiz... Kyou... Kinou... I love you...


    Kyou - Wah?! Oh, wait... Just talking in his sleep...


    Kinou - Adorable...


    Kyou - Yeah... But who''re the names he just said just now other than ours?


    Kinou - ...Maybe his forgotten lovers? We will make sure he regains his memory... We will ask QD if she can help with that later...


    Kyou - Un... I''m sure they are the girls we can approve of just from how he can still call their name even during his sleep, fufufu~ Our Issei is already a lady killer even before we realize it, isn''t he?


    Kinou - Indeed... Perfect lady killer... Harem King?


    Kyou - Pfft! Indeed... Haha~ A fitting title for a great man such as himself.


    Their gaze upon Issei was thoroughly filled with gentleness and pure unadulterated love, like a young girl''s but also like a mother''s gaze.


    Kyou - Good luck, Issei...


    Kinou - I know you can do it...


    The twins kissed Issei''s cheeks softly.


    Then they cast a cleaning spell to remove the evidence for what just happened, and put Issei''s clothes back on.


    And it looks like nothing ever happened here after they were done cleaning it.


    -A few days later-


    Issei - I''ll be going now. Kyou. Kinou.


    Kyou - Un! Take care out there.


    Kinou - We believe that you can successfully become the best Knight in the world.


    Issei - Ah! I won''t disappoint you two and I will be back soon to truly marry the both of you.


    Kyou - Fufufu~. And remember to find new wives along the way. Okay?


    Kinou - Un. Find lots of wives to bring them back home. And don''t forget to introduce them to us.


    Issei - *Sigh* Fine...


    Then the three of them gave each other a hug and goodbye kiss one last time.


    Elderly 1 - Take care out there, young man.


    Elderly 2 - Have a safe journey now.


    Elderly 3 - Don''t catch a cold out there you hear me.


    All the elderly villagers come to see Issei''s off.


    Issei gives them all a small bow and thankful words.


    Issei - Ah! I''ll be going, everyone. See you later.


    Then he jumps into the sea and started swimming towards the mainland.


    Why he jumps into the sea you asked? He decided it''s for his training so he decided to go into the mainland just by swimming alone.


    The elderly tried to give him money and told him to wait for a ship to go into the mainland, but Issei politely declined their offer. Kyou & Kinou approve of his idea and it''s not like he can get hurt by some measly sea monsters anyway.


    Along the way, he got attacked by some sea monsters but all of them got cut easily by the sword the twins give them.


    It''s just your normal average sword but he coated it with his <Haki>.


    Be it a small Kraken, Sharks monsters, Fishman. All of them that attacked him got cut in half with just one slash.


    But after a while, he got bored and fell asleep in the middle of the ocean and let the current sweep him away.


    There are no more monsters decided to attack him after a while and even if there are some who want to take their chances by attacking him during his sleep.


    Issei somehow reflexively punched towards the assailant and kill them in one hit.


    After spending sometimes he finally can utilize some of his old skills such as <Armament Haki> or <Observation Haki>. But he still hasn''t remembered his old spells.


    He knows he can breathe fire because he''s basically half-dragon from what the twins told him. He was pretty surprised at first then just calmly accepted it.


    Then finally he reached the mainland while he was still asleep, and there''s someone how saw him floating on the sea thinking he just drowned.


    The first guy got scared thinking he''s an outlaw or something so he made a dash towards the nearby city.


    While the other one who spot him:


    ??? - A drowning man!? I need to help him!


    Then she jumps into the sea and swim towards Issei and bring him towards the shore.


    Issei didn''t attack her instinctively because he doesn''t feel any animosity or ill intent from her.


    Then after bringing him to the shore the girl finally takes a good look at his face.


    ??? - Uwaaahhh... He''s a very handsome guy...


    Her face went red seeing his handsome look and perfect body, she ran through her dainty hands on her hair unconsciously.


    But then she remembered he just drowned


    ??? - Ah! That''s right! I have to give him CPR!


    Then she kissed Issei to give him CPR...

 Chapter 30 - 29

    Issei felt something is weighing down on him, then he felt something soft on his lips and some air went in through his mouth.


    He got taken by surprise and cough a bit of air because of that.


    Issei - *Cough* *Cough* Wha-


    ??? - Thank goodness, you''re breathing again.


    She never really check if he''s breathing or not because Issei breathing is pretty soft. And she just lost it when she saw his handsome face, so she forgot to check in the first place and assume he was drowning just now.


    His words got cut short by the girl sudden voice and he looks up.


    He saw a beautiful girl with blonde hair and dark green eyes looking down at him.


    And that very girl is sitting on top of his stomach...


    He felt confused with his current situation because the last thing he remembers he was floating on the ocean while still sleeping.


    Then he heard the girl talk once more.


    ??? - Can you tell me your name? Oh, and my name is Riche.


    Issei - ...I''m Issei Hyoudou. And you can call me Issei or Ise if you want... Now can you tell me how come we''re in this situation again? And where am I?


    He answers her question while asking back.


    Riche - Oh? Are you a royalty? Hmm but I never heard of Hyoudou household before...


    She was surprised that Issei has a surname because in this world just like in Konosuba world usually commoners doesn''t have a surname and only royalty does.


    But then she remembered his question


    Riche - Ah! I''m sorry for getting lost in my thoughts. Then I will just call you Ise, you don''t mind if I call you that don''t you? And to answer your question. We are at the shore, near Abel town. As for our position as you can see, I saw you were drowning so I saved you.


    And I was just happened to pass by when I saw you''re floating near the beach. So are you a noble from somewhere? And how come you drowned in the first place anyway?


    Issei - No. I''m not a noble as far as I remember. And I''m from <Fresh Fish Island> on a boat, but my boat sunk so that''s how I "Drown".


    Issei knows that even if he told her he swam all the way from <Fresh Fish Island> she won''t believe him and will be more suspicious towards him, and to also tell her that he wasn''t drowning but was just sleeping would be even weirder.


    Riche - Hmmm. I see... Well, thankfully I found you then.


    Issei - Ah. Thank you for saving me.


    Issei give her a small smile while thanking her because she does save him out of concern so even though he doesn''t need help in the first place, he still needs to say thank you no?


    Riche who saw his smile blushed deeply because she got smitten by it. He''s the most handsome guy she ever saw and that enchanting wine-red eye seems to make her lost in reverie.


    She even thought he''s an angel for a second but because of the lack of wings she know he''s not an angel which known as Holy Knight of Mother Eve.


    But she snaps out of it quickly. After all, she''s a princess so its only natural to get her bearings quickly in front of somebody else.


    Riche Eden is a princess of the nation of Eden, second daughter of Louin Eden and one of his two wives, and previously third in line for the throne of Eden. Devoted to her homeland, Riche has chosen to defend it by running an independent investigation of the Outlaw conspiracy known as the Snake Crest.


    Riche is highly independent and selfish, a truant and a busybody, all qualities that made her ill-suited to be a princess. As a child, she frequently escaped her family''s harem to play with the children on the street, where she met her future best friends, Ramius Dreissen and Kathryn Lapucelle. As she grew into adulthood, her family failed to find a role for her in governance, politics, or even a political marriage. Riche would have to find her own calling in life, which she did in pursuing the organization known as the Snake Crest.


    Despite her errant childhood, Riche is especially close to her sister, Croix Eden, as well as her father, Louin. She does not get along with the prime minister, Rochefort, both because of her unbecoming behavior and his secret hatred for the monarchy.


    Riche has very little regard for the privacy of others and is responsible for both her family''s wedding traditions of spying on the bride and groom and also bursting in on them in the morning with breakfast.


    Riche despises Hannies, partially due to their invulnerability to magic, but the hatred may go even deeper than that and is possibly irrational. She is a Haniwa mass murderer but has stopped short of taking steps that would wipe them out altogether, such as when given the opportunity to sabotage their special, reproductive clay. (You can search Haniwa Evenicle on google to see their image, cute little fckers but annoying as hell)


    While Riche is not technically a knight, as nobility she has "a status equivalent to a knight." She shares a knight''s ability to kill people under Mother Eve''s Blessing without becoming an Outlaw.


    Riche is trained as a Sorceress, a style of a Knight that focuses on the use of magic in combat. She has access to both healing magic and attack magic, namely Flame, Ice and Light magic, though this mixed focus makes it hard for her to do both at the same time. She is not so gifted as a physical combatant.


    She faked a cough and couldn''t help to tease Issei to cover her mishap just now.


    Riche - *G-Gohon* W-what~? You''re just gonna thank me and that''s that? I lost my precious first kiss for saving you. Oh~ how unfortunate, I was saving my first kiss for my husband too~


    Riche wants to make him lost his bearings to get even on him, but she got stupefied by what he said next


    Issei - ...I see. I will do anything you wish of me as long it''s not against my principle, and if you want me to take responsibility for you then I will do so. But know that I already have wives waiting for me to marry.


    Issei told her with a serious face.


    Issei felt like something bugging him when he said that, it''s like he''s forgetting something and he kinda saw some dark silhouette of bunch of women inside his minds, but he ignored it for now.


    Riche minds went blank after hearing his words but then he catches on to something


    Riche - Wait. Wives? You mean you have multiple women waiting for you to marry them?


    Issei - Um. Indeed.


    Riche - But it''s forbidden to marry more than one partner by Mother Eve''s teaching!? You will lose Mother Eve''s blessing and become an Outlaw if you have intercourse with multiple partners!


    Issei - Ah. I know that. That''s why I''m aiming to become a Knight.


    Riche - A Knight? Like the ones who fight Monsters and Outlaws, those Knights?


    Issei - Yes. That Knight.


    Riche - ...Indeed if you can become a Knight your problem would be solved. But to become a Knight is a hard task. The monsters and Outlaws are pretty strong you know?


    Issei - I know. On the island, there were monsters too. I killed them pretty easily. Besides I love them both, and they also told me to become a Knight themselves so I could marry them both.


    Well not just easy, he basically just kill them all in one hit... And there were some strong monsters near the Mother Eve''s ruin over there but they all died just from one of his normal attacks.


    Even Kyou and Kinou were surprised because there were some monsters there that would take them some time to kill but Issei just killed them all in one hit... They were pretty aroused when they saw how he handle all those monsters, but they hold themselves back and do their usual ''Activity'' during the night to relieve themselves from their arousal.


    Riche - Oh... Yeah, I see...


    She becomes speechless once more after hearing his words. Not that she can deny any of it if they want to marry him together anyway.


    Riche - But... Still, are you sure you''re strong enough?


    Issei - Hmm... I think I''m pretty strong...


    Riche - You ''think'' you say...


    Issei - But can you get off my body first? It''s not like I hate it when a beautiful girl straddling my body but it''s just that...


    Riche - O-oh right! I''m sorry!


    Riche blushed remembering she''s still straddling his body so she hastily stands up.


    Riche is a beautiful woman who has blond hair and a dark-green eye like gem. She wears what seems to be a princess dress with slight modification here and there, she has a curvy body and has a C-cup breast. (Google Riche Evenicle to see her image)


    Issei - Here. Let me show you.


    Then Issei draws his sword, cover it with his <Haki> and made a casual swing towards the hill.


    *SLASH* *BOOM!*


    There''s a small gorge created by his casual swing on the hills.


    Riche who saw that become totally taken aback and her mouth is wide open that it looks like it about to hit the ground...


    Issei - How''s that?


    Issei asked her totally relaxed like what he just did is nothing much.


    Riche who heard his question finally reacted


    Riche - W-w-w-wha...


    She becomes at loss for words. If he used a spell she can still accept it but that''s just a sword slash.


    Riche - I-Is your attack imbued with magic or something!?


    ''That''s gotta be the only explanation''. So she thought


    Issei - Hmm? No. That was just a normal swing. Ah, but I do cover my sword with my <Haki>.


    Riche - <Haki>?! Is that some kind of magic!?


    She asked with sparkling eyes.


    She got totally hooked because she never heard any magic called <Haki> before and she''s adventurous at heart so she loves finding new things and places.


    Issei - U-uh no. It''s not magic. It''s basically...


    After some explanation Riche still doesn''t get it that much but she knew it''s not magic so she lost hope on learning that.


    Riche - I see... Ah. Too bad it''s not magic... It''s such a strong technique too...


    She mutters lowly but Issei can still hear it.


    Riche - Ah. Indeed you can become an excellent Knight with that kind of strength, and from your way of talking I could tell you''re a nice guy so I can vouch for you that you will become a splendid Knight!


    Issei - Um. Thank you.


    Riche - A-ah. And you can forget about my joke just now, I saved you because I wanted to. And CPR doesn''t count as first kiss anyway.


    Issei - I see... But I will still stand on my words. If you need anything from me then you can just ask me.


    Riche''s heart flutters once more after hearing him said that. She does want to marry him a bit after that but she still has a mission to complete.


    Then they heard some voices in the distant.


    Man - Heeey! Over here! Look at that!


    A short distance from the shore a number of people appeared and pointed at Issei and Riche as they approached.


    Riche - Uh oh, she''s with them. This is bad.


    Issei - Hmm? What''s wrong?


    Riche frantically got up and ran in the opposite direction.


    Riche - Sorry! Personal matters.


    Issei - Huh?


    Riche - Well. See you later, Ise! I have to go now. And I will hold on to your words.


    After that, she ran as fast as she can.


    Issei - O-Oh...


    He''s amazed by how fast she was running.


    Then he heard the voice once more.


    Man - Look, over here! This way, everyone!


    Issei - Hmm?


    A group of people holding hoes and scythes warily surrounded Issei.


    Issei - What?


    Issei is confused with this sudden development.


    Mob 1 - Eep! H-He talked!


    Issei - Obviously. I''m not a mute.


    Mob 2 - L-L-L-Lady Knight! Take care of the rest, please!


    Issei - Hm? A Knight?


    The ring of people around Issei opened up, letting a woman in.


    The woman has a beautiful face with red eyes and white long hair that reach till her hips. She has a voluptuous body with big boobs and wide hips, she''s also kinda fit for a woman. She wears a dark mini jacket that has white fur around the collar along with a black shirt that only covers till her breast so her stomach is visible because of it. She also wears a black small mini skirt with black stocking with black battle shoes.


    She carries a Giant white lance and giant shield with a golden pattern as her weapon. (Google Ramius Evenicle to see her image)


    ??? - Are you the suspicious character who washed up on the shore?


    Then the woman look towards the gorge Issei just created.


    ??? - And are you the one who did this?


    She becomes even wary after seeing the gorge.


    Issei - Suspicious? And indeed I''m the one who did this.


    Mob 3 - I saw it! He came from the sea!


    ??? - A stowaway? A poacher after the fish here, maybe? State your name. And how did you get here?


    Issei - I''m Issei Hyoudou. And no I''m not a noble for that matter, I travel here with my boat from <Fresh Fish Island> but along the way my boat sunk and I got taken by the current till here.


    Mob 4 - F-Fresh Fish Island?! Do you know how far that is?


    Mob 5 - And I don''t remember anyone can bring their own boat from there because it''s a small village and most of the villagers are elderly people. Even if they can it''s still impossible without getting attacked by the sea monsters and survived their attack!


    Mob 6 - Also I don''t remember any merchant ship has a traveling schedule towards there on this month.


    ??? - Is that right? This only makes you more suspicious.


    Issei - *Sigh* It''s up to you to believe it or not.


    Man - Liar. As if anyone would believe that!


    Mob 7 - Yeah! Outlaw scum!


    Issei - Outlaw? But as you can see there''s no black ring on my fingers.


    Issei proceeded to show them his fingers and indeed there are no black ring on any of his fingers.


    Mob 8 - Eeek!


    Some mob got scared thinking he''s gonna do something by raising his hands.


    ??? - Don''t move!


    Issei just calmly stares at her.


    ??? - Indeed there''s no black ring on your fingers. But Outlaws have been sighted near town. I''m here for a different mission, but I can''t ignore people in need.


    Mob 9 - He has to be after our livestock! Lady Knight, take care of him!


    Issei - Hoo? So you''re the Knight?


    ??? - Indeed. I''m a Knight of the Kingdom of Eden, Ramius Dreissen.


    Issei - I see.


    Ramius - Hee? You''re not gonna judge me as a Knight even though I''m a woman?


    Ramius is a bit surprised because usually people can''t believe she''s a knight just because she''s a woman.


    Issei - Why should I? Strength isn''t determined by gender. What''s wrong with a woman being strong? That just means they are capable and hard working.


    Ramius got a bit taken aback because she never heard that from anyone she met, they just keep calling her meathead for that matter.


    Ramius - ...I appreciate your words.


    Issei - Don''t mind it.


    Ramius - But even though you don''t have a black ring it''s still possible the Outlaws have threatened you into assisting with some crime. After all, Outlaws are known for their underhanded means.


    Issei - *Sigh* You think anyone can force me to do something I don''t want to? Well. Anyway, I came here to become a Knight.


    Ramius - It''s better to be safe than sorry but, A Knight, you say?


    Issei - That''s right.


    Ramius - Alright then. I''ll have you prove it.


    Issei - And how you want me to prove myself?


    Ramius - Oh, it''s simple. If your goal is to become a Knight, I''m sure you''re confident in your strength. And by the looks of it, you are indeed strong.


    She looks towards the gorge once more while saying that.


    Ramius - So you just need to Defeat monsters around this area and bring me 100G as proof! You do know Monsters drop Gold after you defeat them right?


    Issei - Indeed.


    Ramius - Then to prevent you from cheating, I''ll hold onto any Gold currently in your possession.


    Issei - Fine. Here you go.


    Issei has some gold he got from killing the sea monsters.


    As for the Gold he got from the island ruins he donate them to the elderly villagers of <Fresh Fish Island>.


    Ramius - Um. I will hold onto your Gold for now. Don''t worry I won''t steal your Gold, I give you my words as a Knight.


    Issei - Um.


    Issei doesn''t really mind even if she stole those Gold. After all, he can easily gather more Gold just by killing monsters. But he can tell she''s not that kind of person just from her eyes alone, there''s no impurity can be seen on her eyes.


    He somehow can still sense people''s soul and he could tell when somebody is bad news or not just by sensing it a bit.


    He regains this skill during his exploration at the Mother Eve''s ruin on the Island, he saw some lost souls over there and he purifies them.


    Ramius - Then if you manage to get 100G, I''ll vouch for you and have you given permission to enter the town.


    Issei - Sure.


    Ramius - Abel''s right over there, I''ll be waiting.


    She pointed towards the nearby city.


    After that Ramius the lady Knight left with the mobs.


    (Issei is not being a wimp here, Ramius just want to protect the villager so he won''t be like an idiot and says fck you I''m strong I don''t need your approval. If this is a wuxia novel then that might happen but this is not. He''s not some hot-blooded protagonist who kill anyone who gets in his way, besides they are normal people, not some thugs who want to rob him. They are just afraid. If it''s some thugs that want to rob him then he will just end them.)

 Chapter 31 - 30

    Then after they left Issei went around the are to look for monsters. And he can find some in no time.


    It''s just some Hanny Slime so they are basically total scrub.


    After killing some slimes Issei got the 100G he needs. Then he heads towards Abel city.


    Along the way, he saw a water fountain. The water looks really clear and he can feel some sort of blessing on this water, so he tried to drink some.


    Issei - Delicious... And I can feel my fatigue recovering.


    Random man - Oh. Is this your first time drinking from a <Recovery Fountain>? When you drink water from these fountains, you get fully healed. It''s got something to do with Mother Eve''s blessings, apparently. Worth remembering, right? But this water can''t be stored in an empty bottle or any container, It will become normal water after a few seconds passed the moment you take them out from their source.


    I love this water so much that I become an adventurer just to drink it more often. *Gulp, gulp*... Mmm, tasty! Delectable! More, More!.... Gulpgulpgulp!


    Issei - ...


    Issei hastily leaves the man alone...


    -At Abel''s city-


    He saw Ramius waiting at the city entrance.


    Ramius - Halt! Did you have the gold already?


    Issei - Ah. Here you go.


    Then Issei tossed her the gold bag.


    Ramius - Umu. Let me see.


    *Cliiing!*


    She proceeded to spill the content of the bag to the ground.


    Issei - ...?


    Issei is confused about why she does that. Then he finds out the answer soon enough...


    Ramius - One... Two... Three... Four... Five...


    She started counting it one by one that''s why...


    Issei - You know you didn''t have to take it all out...


    Ramius - Shut up! Ah... Drat, now I have to start over... One... Two... Three... Four... Five...


    Issei is totally speechless after seeing that. Then he tried something.


    Issei - What time is it now again?


    Ramius - Around 11, I think. That''s what my internal clock says. Twelve... Thirteen... Fourteen...


    Issei almost facepalmed because that actually works, ''*Sigh* Seriously...? Well, I don''t want her to mess it up again. Guess I''ll just wait it out''. Then Issei just spends his times looking around him to look at the city and all that.


    The housing pretty much looks like in Konosuba, which is world European Middle Age built with stone bricks but there''s magical property can be seen here and there, and it''s slightly more advanced. Basically, it''s quite beautiful for a small city.


    Ramius - Forty-five... Forty-six... Forty... Forty... Uhhh...


    Issei - Next is Forty-seven...


    Ramius - Oh right! Thanks... Forty-seven in particular always gave me trouble. I don''t work well with numbers you see.


    Issei - ...This seems more severe than that...


    Ramius - Forty-eight... Forty-nine... Fifty...


    Issei can only sigh once more and wait for her to finish, he got to admit her dedication and seriousness looks cute though. So he spent a while by looking at her counting all that and in case she got stuck at some point once again.


    He really does enjoy watching her dedication that unconsciously his face went soft and he had a small smile on his face. He never one to judge people of their incapabilities, everyone has their own weak points and strong points.


    He likes seeing a dedicated and hard working person such as Ramius here.


    Thankfully there are no girls around to see his current face or they would totally be smitten and fell in love right away.


    After a while, she finally finished counting.


    Ramius - Yosh! There''s indeed 100G here. As a Knight, I can vouch for your strength. You''re free to enter the town as you wish. Also... Here, you can have your Golds back.


    Issei - Um. Thanks.


    Ramius - If you''re tired you can stay at the inn over there. Your fatigue should recover in no time after some rest.


    Issei - Got it.


    Ramius - Also. Issei Hyoudou was it?


    Issei - Just Ise is fine. And should I call you Lady Ramius or something?


    Ramius - You can drop the title. I don''t care for such formalities.


    Issei - Um. Same here. Nice to meet you again, Ramius.


    Ramius - Nice to meet you too. Issei. But if you''re not one of the Outlaws... Where could they be hiding?


    Issei - ...


    Issei didn''t say anything because he knows even though Outlaws are not a threat for him but for normal people they are pretty dangerous. Because Outlaws are the one who has lost everything, so they are not afraid of anything.


    They will steal, kidnap, r*pe, kill, etc. Outlaws have the well known <Black Ring> on their finger.


    Those with the black ring lose the ability to grow or raise anything.


    Even if they grow plants, raise animals, mine some ores, kill monsters, they won''t receive anything. The plants won''t grow, the animals won''t produce any dairy products such as eggs or milk and they die straight away after a few days, the ores they touch will become common rock, the monsters won''t drop gold. That''s why they will resort to all that killing and stealing because if not they can''t survive on their own without the blessing.


    Even if they chop up the finger that has the black ring it will just appear once more on the other fingers. And if they cut all their fingers it will appear on their neck next and become a black choker rather than a ring.


    So Outlaws band together in groups to assault towns and traveling merchants. So if there are any sighting of Outlaws nearby you can expect there''s their hideout somewhere nearby and they are preparing to attack the nearby town.


    Ramius - Well. No matter what happens I will protect everyone in this city, even you. So don''t worry.


    Issei - Thank you for the concern but I don''t need any protection. And besides, it will leave a bad taste to have a cute girl such as yourself protecting me.


    Ramius - Hweh!?


    Issei - Hm? What''s wrong?


    Ramius - Oh! Uh... C-C-C-Cute? Who are you calling a cute girl!?


    Issei - Then are you a boy?


    Ramius - OF COURSE NOT!


    Issei - Fumu. Then there you go. There''s no one else with us here, I''m obviously a man and you''re the girl here. What''s so weird calling you a cute girl anyway?


    Ramius - B-B-But there is no man ever called me a c-c-cute girl before!


    Issei - There''s one here right now.


    Issei calmly looks at her. After all, he does see her as a cute and beautiful girl. So nothing wrong with that.


    Ramius - Uh-Ah... Umm... T-thank you...


    Issei - Don''t mind it. I''m just saying the truths. To me, you are indeed a beautiful and cute girl.


    Ramius face went red after hearing that and she''s thinking ''C-Couldn''t be... No man could find me attractive besides a particular kind of eccentric.) But after hearing his latter words she becomes even more red-faced.


    Then she turns around and tries to avert the topic.


    Ramius - N-Now. I''m sure you''re tired. So come into town and go ahead to take a rest.


    Issei - Sure.


    Abel town is a small town with a population of a few hundred.


    But compared to <Fresh Fish Island> it''s quite big.


    Issei saw Middle-aged women were chatting and laughing at a restaurant. A couple of old people were paying a board game.


    The town was peaceful and carried a gentle aura.


    Issei spends some time exploring the town, but along the way, the town girls keep staring at him.


    He feels a bit uncomfortable being looked at so he covers his head with his hoodie.


    Then he saw a <Level-Up Shop>.


    He''s still at Level 1 after all this time because there''s no Level shop at the <Fresh Fish Island> and the twins told him to visit it if he ever saw one before at the island.


    So he went inside the Shop.


    Issei was asked to write his name at the front desk before being let into the back room.


    Inside the shop, there''s a lot of weird things such as voodoo dolls, some lit candles, gypsies stuff like that.


    Issei doesn''t see anyone at the back room ''So this is a level shop... Hm? Looks like nobody''s here though.''


    ??? - Welcooome!


    Issei heard a girl''s voice from the table.


    Issei - Hmn?


    ??? - Oh, did I scare you? My voice is coming through the magic receivers in front of you.


    Issei looked at the table and saw round rings being supported by stands.


    ??? - Everyone''s supposed to have one specific level up person, but then you''d have to go all the way back to the town with that specific level shop all the time. But by using magic receivers, I can level you up in any town.


    Issei - I see.


    ??? - Anyway, I''m your leveler, Sora. Hm, let''s see... Issei Hyoudou? Nice to meet you.


    Issei - Um. Nice to meet you too. You can just call me Ise.


    Sora - Got it! It Seems like it''s your first time at a level shop, so let me go over a few things. And if you somehow feel uncomfortable talking with me without seeing my face then you can open up that file there. After all, you''d be surprised at how many people having trouble talking without seeing my face.


    Issei doesn''t really mind it though, but since she went over the trouble informing him he might as well see the file.


    Issei - This file?


    Issei opened the file. It contained tons of portrait photos.


    Sora - Page 14 has my face. Hope that helps.


    Then Issei proceeded to open page 14 to see her picture.


    It shows a beautiful busty girl with a shoulder length pink hair with pink eyes. She wears what appears to be a magician robe with a black and purple color and she also wears a purple habit on her head. She has big boobs. (https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Mifa if you want her image).


    Issei - Hee. Beautiful.


    Issei just calmly says that.


    Sora - Right?! I get that a lot! That''s why everyone asks for me. You''re one lucky guy, Ise. Now, I''ll explain how this works. Listen closely.


    Issei - Sure.


    Basically, he defeats/kills enemy whether it be Outlaws or monsters he will get the exp points. Then the God who governs the level up system will measure his exp to Level him up.


    Sora - If you form a party, your party members fall under my supervision too. So I get tons of busi-Err, I mean it''s more convenient for all of you.


    Issei - ...Got it.


    Issei knows she just slips up her true objective not that he minds it though. After all, it is indeed a business for her.


    Sora - Anyway here let us proceed with the ritual. Oola mayta potten kororin, pattara piro piro, nya nya nya! (AN: Japan at it''s best folks

 Chapter 32 - 31

    Knights are further subdivided based on their combat style. Only a few subclasses are described in detail, though others presumably exist, such as whatever class is associated with Barro Roan''s iaido-style. (Barro Roan is one of the Zero Knight of Eden Kingdom)


    The sub-classes that are noteworthy are:


    -Magic Knight


    -Defender (Ramius)


    -Sorceress/Sorcerer (Riche)


    -Ranger (Gurigura) Basically Assassin and Scout combined.


    -Tactician (Kathyrn)


    This is the only class that is listed on the wiki. So I might add some new class on my own.


    -Back to the chapter-


    When Issei and Ramius are conversing with each other. There was someone hiding in the bush nearby.


    ??? - ''Uwaaaahh~ I never saw Ramius face went that red and becomes so flustered like that, especially to a guy. Well not that I can blame her when the one who said that is so handsome and manly... Even I would become like her if we switch places... So envious... Wish he told me all that too... So Ramius make him a Soldier huh... But they sure take their time talking with each other...''


    Well, she always notices the lustful looks the Outlaws or some man gave her or on any beautiful girls for that matter. But she doesn''t see any of those from Issei''s gaze.


    His gazes only have an appreciation towards her or Ramius even now. There wasn''t any lustful greedy feeling at all.


    And that''s very rare on this world for a man to have that kind of gaze. Her big sister fiance Prince Felton is giving her some odd feelings because even though he doesn''t have lustful looks toward her sister or her but his eyes are always have nothing inside it.


    He might be smiling but inside his eyes, all she can see is boredom or something else altogether.


    Then she saw that Issei is looking straight at her.


    ??? - ''E-Ehh? D-Did he notices I''m here? No that can''t be.''


    But Issei keeps looking straight at her and just when she started getting nervous he looked away.


    ??? - ''F-Fiuhh... That was close...''


    Ramius - What''s wrong. Ise?


    Issei - It''s nothing just a cute ''Squirrel'' on the bushes over there.


    Ramius - Hmm. Is that so? Then, shall we go?


    Issei - Sure.


    ??? - ''H-He totally noticed me?!''


    Then after she saw Ramius and Issei is gone she finally comes out from the bush.


    ??? - Uwaaah... He totally noticed me there...


    She was walking when she noticed Ramius and Issei coming to her place just now. So she hides in the nearby bushes to not be noticed by them.


    Well, she doesn''t want Ramius to see her at the moment. She''s fine with Issei though.


    ??? - C-Cute ''Squirrel'' he said... Geez! Guess I''ll take a detour towards the west cave before they arrived there because I need to check something there. The Outlaws there might have some leads on the <Snake Crest> organization.


    Then she went through the detours.


    Along the way to the west cave, Ramius keep peeking towards Issei time to times. He just ignores her look though.


    After a while, they finally arrived at the supposed Outlaws hideout.


    At the entrance, there''s no one guarding it but Issei can smell some human scent inside the cave. And with his <Haki> he knows they hit the jackpot because he can feel a lot of human presence inside the cave.


    Ramius - Here we are... Let''s go in cautiously.


    Issei - Um.


    Then they went inside the cave.


    Ramius is on high tension all the time with her weapon and shield prepared for any incoming ambush.


    While Issei just calmly strolled inside without getting into combat stance at all.


    When Ramius wanted to warn him then suddenly out of the corner there was an Outlaws ambushing them.


    Outlaws 1&2 - Die!


    Ramius - ?! Watch ou-


    *BAM! BAM!*


    Then both Outlaws become meat paste on the wall.


    Ramius who saw that become totally slack-jawed...


    Issei just calmly walk forward like he was never did anything in the first place.


    Issei - Ramius. Are you coming?


    Ramius - U-Um...


    Then along the way every time a Monsters or Outlaws coming towards them, they all died with just one hit from Issei.


    Whether it by his punch, kick or just casual sword slash.


    They all died without knowing how they died in the first place.


    Ramius got totally numb seeing all that she just decided to follow Issei from behind. She felt stupid worrying about him in the first place, and she''s supposed to be the Knight here but she doesn''t have a chance to do anything...


    What could she do? Even if somehow there''s sudden attacker from his left, right, top, bottom, behind. They all died just from his casual attack.


    It''s like he can see 360 degrees around him. There''s no blind spot at all, and he doesn''t even turn around to kill the one that comes his way. Just a back slap, backslash, etc.


    Then they arrived at a crossroad.


    When she''s deciding where to go she heard Issei said:


    Issei - Ramius wait here for a minute. I need to check on something.


    Ramius - A-Ah. Sure.


    She doesn''t need to be worried about his safety at all. She even wonders if these can be called a rescue operation anymore.


    They just basically waltz in like they own the place with no tension feeling at all. Just like taking a stroll in their home backyard...


    Issei saw ''someone'' sneak in towards the left path. So he chooses to check on it alone.


    Then he arrives at the room where the intruder snuck in.


    ??? - Hmmm... Just like I thought. <Snake Crest> must be behind this...


    Issei saw her looking through the boxes that seem to be filled with something dangerous before because it has ''DANGER'' sign on it.


    Then Issei comes up behind her and says:


    Issei - What''s just like you thought?


    ??? - UWAAAA!


    The intruder reflexively swings her staff behind her at full force afraid she got ambushed by the Outlaws.


    Issei calmly stops her attack with one hand.


    Issei - Then. What are you doing here, Riche? You also have been peeking on me and Ramius back at the town entrance.


    That''s right. The ''Squirrel'' and the intruder is Riche herself.


    He can see some Outlaws knocked out around the place, seems like they got taken by surprise.


    Riche - I-Ise?! Geez! You scared me. I thought you''re an Outlaw! Good thing I''m a mage or you will get hurt by my sudden attack. (Her actual sub-class is sorceress but I''ll just call her a mage because it''s easier to spell and they both is the same class to me)


    Issei - ...Sorry for scaring you but you still don''t answer my question.


    Even if the one who attacks him a Dragon he will barely get scratched. That is if he let its attacks land on him or he doesn''t cover his body with <Haki> in the first place.


    But he won''t tell her that or he might hurt her feelings.


    Riche - *G-Gohon*. Well like I thought you noticed me back then at the town entrance. And what I found here is just proves my suspicion that <Snake Crest> Is indeed involved with all this. These boxes were once filled with sparkle bombs. They are made from Mini Hannies. They are tiny but they self-destruct when hurt and they deal a ton of damage.


    Issei - Yeah I know about them. I''ve read about them in the encyclopedia before.


    Not only do they create an explosion several times as strong as any fire magic, but anyone can set one off. But handling them is difficult if you''re not careful. You and everything around you''ll go kaboom. That''s why every country has sparkle bombs strictly regulated. You need permission to even produce them.


    And the symbols on the plate of the boxes around here said ''Contains sparkle bombs, be careful.'' So it couldn''t be more obvious.


    Riche - But that''s not only it... Did you notice The Outlaws here seems coexisting with monsters?


    Issei - Hmm... Indeed It''s weird.


    Issei never really thought about it because he got no interest in them. But now that he thought about it, it does seem weird that every monsters and outlaw who attacked him and Ramius before seems working together. (Just like some certain kid with their ''Balls'' filled with monsters)


    Monsters are usually attacking people indiscriminately. Even if that someone is an Outlaws.


    Riche - Something... Something''s going on. I have a really bad feeling about this... I''ll look around a bit more. Maybe I can figure out where the sparkle bombs went.


    Issei - Sure, but you''re coming with me.


    Riche - I-I promise I''ll lay low so I don''t get caught... Okay?


    Issei - Nope.


    Riche - P-Pleaseeee~


    Issei - Hmm... Maybe I should call Ramius here?


    Riche - A-Ah. Wa-Waittt! P-Please don''t let her found me.


    Issei - ...Why?


    Issei already feels suspicious about how she was hiding from them at the town back then. He knew she''s not hiding from him so that only leaves Ramius.


    Riche - U-Uuuuu... Fine... I tell you.


    Riche wanted to dodge the question but after seeing his gaze she spill the beans...


    Then she told him that actually Ramius is sent here by the capital to look for her and bring her back.


    She snuck out from her home to look for clues on the <Snake Crest> (As for why she did that you can read her summary on chapter 29. I already posted everything about her on that chapter)


    Issei - Hmm... I see. So you''re the second princess of Eden Kingdom. Well, your name already says it all with that last name, actually.


    Riche - U-Un. T-That''s why don''t let Ramius find me out for now. Pleaseee~


    Issei - ...


    Just when Issei thinking about it he heard Ramius voice calling him


    Ramius - Iseeee? Are you done yet?


    Riche - ?!


    Riche who heard that sends a pleading gaze towards Issei once more.


    Issei who''s seeing that finally relented


    Issei - *Sigh* Fine but don''t you dare gets find out by the Outlaws or you will pay. Got it?


    Riche nodded hastily while shedding tears of joy that she can still continue her adventure and find clues about the <Snake Crest>


    Issei then head outside the room.


    But then Riche called him back


    Riche - Wait. Ise.


    Issei calmly looks towards her.


    Riche - What do you think about Ramius?


    Issei - I think she''s a dedicated, hard-worker and cute girl. Why?


    Riche - Hehehe~ I see. ''Good for you, Ramius. Maybe you really have a chance with Ise''


    Issei - ...?


    Issei is confused why she suddenly laughed like that. But she just said don''t mind.


    So he goes out of the room.


    When Issei got out of the room she forgot to give her this paper that says ''50 50'' Well she assumes it''s nothing important and throw it away.


    Then Issei group up with Ramius once more.


    Ramius asked him if he finds anything there. He just said no.


    So they continue their operation. After a while, they arrive in front of a metal door.


    Ramius - ...It''s locked.


    Then there''s a voice coming out from the door.


    Door - Here''s a question! Dingaliiing

 Chapter 33 - 32

    When they arrived at the town there''s a bunch of Knights can be found. Apparently, they arrive earlier than expected.


    Ramius give them a brief report of the situation then she leaves Colpis to them.


    Ginyu are also there but he''s too afraid to confront Colpis at this moment, Yarase is also there but he''s just acting like an observer.


    Ramius went to the inn right away and Issei was following behind her until she enters her room.


    When Issei asked her if she''s really okay she told him to leave her alone for now and come meet her at night.


    Issei can only relent after hearing that so he leave her alone for now. He decided he will check on her again later at night just like she requested.


    Issei decided to spend some time walking outside of town. After a while, he reached the shore where he first came here.


    He''s blankly looking towards the ocean thinking how he arrived here. How he met Riche and Ramius.


    He really has to admit he feels really concerned towards Ramius, he enjoys spending time with her.


    Maybe Kyou and Kinou already expected this... How he will meet new girls and more.


    Ramius personality to brave dangers without caring about the danger she put herself into kind of remind him of some memories.


    Her foolhardy attitude... He remembers he''s used to be like that too long time ago but he still cannot recall it perfectly. On who he was protecting...


    Bit by bit his memory are returning but not all at once. He recalls some of the skills he has at some point during the time he spends at the Fresh Fish Island.


    He can see some dark silhouettes inside his memory and it''s getting clearer as the day went pass but he still can''t recall them perfectly just yet. He needs a bit more stimulation to his mind.


    Then he heard some sound coming from behind him, and he could tell who it is.


    Riche - What''s wrong. Ise?


    Issei - ...Nothing. I''m just thinking about something.


    Riche - I see... So did you and Ramius saved the girl?


    Issei - Ah. But she got some trauma you see, the good news is she''s still not r*ped by the Outlaws when we arrive there.


    Riche - ...That''s a little unfortunate but you have already done the best you could. If she got r*ped then she will become an Outlaw too, and her life could be worst than it is now. She could''ve been killed after they had their fill with her you know? After all, they can''t have an extra mouth to feed since they can only steal so much each time.


    Issei - Ah. I know.


    Then there''s silence once more, they watched the sunset together.


    Riche keeps looking at Issei face rather than the sunset because Issei''s face right now has that certain irresistible charm of man in melancholy feeling to it.


    And how the sunlight shone on his face and his hair makes his handsome face even more mesmerizing. His bellowing silky dark brown hair combined with that face is so mesmerizing that Riche can felt her heart thump loudly threatening to break free out of her chest.


    Her face is lost in reverie just by looking at Issei right now, she wishes time could stop at this moment so she could enjoy looking at his face forever.


    The silence continues until the sunset is finally over.


    Issei - ...Well, I guess I''m gonna head back to the town now. I need to check on Ramius after what happened to her.


    Riche snapped out of her reverie and she catches on to Issei''s word quickly.


    Riche - What happened to Ramius?


    She felt worried for her childhood friend.


    Issei - I don''t really know but she accidentally got stabbed by Colpis with a syringe that contains some dark green liquid at the Outlaws hideout. And she''s not in her right condition after that.


    Riche - S-Syringe with dark green liquid? W-Was it like this one?!


    Then Riche took out the exact same syringe Ramius got stabbed with.


    Issei - Yes. That''s the one. What''s wrong with it?


    Issei felt a bad premonition after seeing Riche reaction and he''s right


    Riche - Oh no... Why...


    Then Riche dropped the syringe in shock.


    Riche - ...<Adan''s Blood>. It''s a drug that Outlaws bring with them... Using it gives you a sense of intoxication and security. It also sharpens the senses, so it can be used as an aphrodisiac... Depending on how it''s synthesized, <Adan''s blood> can contain a bunch of different effects. What they had was probably made with an emphasis on the aphrodisiac aspect.


    Issei - <Adan''s Blood>?


    Riche - Adan''s is the name of the Archfiend who brought monsters into the world. And the drug was given the name <Adan''s Blood> because the drugs can draw out the desires that are impossible to hold in. Such as make people went on frenzies to kill, those who went into hallucination can no longer see reality... And those whose pleasure is drawn out will indiscriminately desire the opposite s*x...


    Issei - ...Tsk! Can''t I just tie Ramius up until the effects disappear?


    Riche - You can''t... If you try to stop the symptoms, most people go mad... She''ll lose all self-control at the same time she''s filled with lust, so she''ll assault a guy, And if he happens to be married already...


    Issei - ...She will become an Outlaw...


    Riche - Yes... But knowing Ramius, she wouldn''t let that happen... She''d kill herself first.


    Issei - ...Indeed. Knowing her personality she will really kill herself before letting herself become an Outlaw...


    Issei felt angry at himself for letting Ramius got stabbed with that syringe. If he just realizes fast enough...


    But he felt even more anger towards the <Snake Crest>. His anger boils toward them. And on this day the <Snake Crest> have attracted anger from a being that they shouldn''t have mess with in the first place...


    They are not afraid of QD because she won''t interfere with their plans because she''s not allowed to. The last time QD act was on that time when the stupid human king declares war towards Dragonkin.


    But after that, she never shows herself to the world anymore. Even during the Arthur tragedy she still doesn''t show up, that''s why the <Snake Crest> become brave and complacent without fearing her judgment on them.


    But Issei is not like QD, he won''t abide by the rules. He won''t be chained by some measly rule.


    And the end of <Snake Crest> countdown starts from now... All their preparations after all this time will be gone to ruins just by a single person, the one they will call the Strongest Knight in history, The "Tyrant Overlord".


    Riche - What do I do... If I haven''t come to Abel, then all this won''t happen in the first place...


    Issei - Don''t blame yourself. It''s all on the Outlaws and <Snake Crest>. None of this would''ve happened if they weren''t around. And I will help Ramius however I can, no matter the cost.


    Issei''s eyes glow brightly with conviction but weirdly enough Riche who saw that doesn''t feel afraid but feels secure instead. Like no matter what happens, he would be there for her.


    Riche - Ise...


    Issei - Is there any antidote for the drug, Riche?


    Riche - Sadly no... But there''s a way... There''s one way to save Ramius.


    Issei - Tell me.


    Issei looks straight into Riche''s eye and that makes her heart thump loudly once more.


    Riche - Then... Ise- No. Issei Hyoudou.


    Riche suddenly changes her attitude and become more serious.


    Issei just silently looks towards her.


    Riche - Please. Have s*x with Ramius.


    Issei - ?!


    Issei is taken aback by her words.


    Riche - From what you said, Ramius only got stabbed by the syringe. That means there''s only a very small amount of drug got into her system. Then if she spends about a night feeling so good she can''t think, the symptoms should be under control by tomorrow morning.


    Issei - ...Are you serious about this?


    Issei couldn''t help asked her to confirm her theory about it.


    Riche - Yes. I''m sure. I know you already have 2 brides in mind. But I beg of you. Please! Suppress Ramius''s lust by having s*x with her.


    Then Riche suddenly kneeled to Issei.


    Riche - I know I''m asking a lot. But, please... Save Ramius by making her yours. You realize that she has feelings towards you right? How she keeps looking at you. So I beg you! Ise!


    Issei just stays silent by Riche sudden outburst. He''s contemplating seriously about it.


    He knows Ramius has feelings towards him, but if someone asks him if he loves her...


    He''s still not sure. He does enjoy spending time with her, and she reminds him of the old him a lot.


    Then he reminiscent the time they''ve spent together, and her mesmerizing smile back then...


    Their first meeting can be called unique, but the time they have spent together albeit short is very eventful. He loves her dedication and hard-work the most, the way how she keep trying her best no matter what happens.


    Heck, she even counted 100G 1 by 1 just to make sure he collected the requested amount. That''s how dedicated she is. Even though she has a ''Problem'' at counting...


    Then Issei finally decided what he will do.


    The decision that will make him feel glad and happy every time he recalls this moment in the future...


    Issei -I will do it. So get up. No need to kneel before me. You''re the princess here, aren''t you?


    Issei makes Riche stands up while saying that.


    Riche - Really?! You will do it?


    Issei - Ah. Besides, I do like her personality.


    Riche - Then how about her appearance?


    Issei - What about it? I find her very beautiful and cute as a girl.


    Riche - REALLY! YOU DO?!


    Issei - ...What''s so weird? She is indeed a cute and beautiful girl. And just to make sure. Does Ramius has a fiance or some-


    Riche - No, She doesn''t.


    Issei - ...That''s a quick response.


    Riche - Well, we''re old friends. So I know. Not only is Ramius not into anyone but you before this. There''s also no man interested in her so far. People call her the Loner Knight. Even other Knights keep their distance.


    Issei - ...Seriously? Even though she''s that beautiful?


    Issei is speechless hearing Riche says that. He knows Riche isn''t bad mouthing Ramius like Yarase or the others, but she''s just telling the facts...


    Riche - Yeah, well... Sure. Her appearance isn''t the problem...


    Issei - ...I see.


    Riche - I''m sorry for asking you do this... I mean, asking you to marry Ramius is like telling you to give up on the girls you already love...


    Issei - It''s fine. They even told me to get more wives rather than just them you know?


    Riche - ...Eh? Really?


    Issei - Ah. I know it''s weird, but it''s the truth... Besides it''s not like I won''t make them my brides later, I just need to climb the top of the Knight''s rank, don''t I?


    Issei said that like it''s no big deal to become the highest Knight''s rank.


    Riche - ...That''s true. And judging from your strength you have shown me so far you can indeed easily reach the top rank...


    If Riche knows what he showed her not even 10% of his full strength, then what would her reaction be by now.


    Riche - Then I''ll stop feeling bad. Please take care of Ramius for me. You can think of it as what I want you to do like you promised me when we first met.


    Issei - No, this doesn''t count. I will do this either way so your request is invalid. You can keep the request for later if you want.


    Issei seriously told her. And Riche who saw that blushed and she felt happy she still has his promise.


    Riche - T-Then see you later. Ise.


    Issei - Ah. See you later. Riche.


    Issei waved to Riche then he heads towards Abel town.


    Riche - ...They gonna be married soon... How nice... Huh? What''s with me? I''m the one who asked him to do it, but... Now I''m sad for some reason...


    Riche thought about it for a while, but couldn''t figure out the cause. She still hasn''t realized yet that she already fell for Issei.


    Funny how she could tell Ramius like Issei but she doesn''t realize her own feelings...


    -Back at Abel town-


    It''s night already when Issei arrived back at the town. He heads straight towards Ramius room at the inn.


    The owner of the inn knows Issei and Ramius is acquainted. So she let him head towards her room right away.


    Issei stood in front of Ramius room. He took a deep breath and just when he''s about to knock on her door, he heard some voice coming from inside her room


    Ramius - Mm... Aah, haah... Ah, aah... Ise... Ise...?


    Now Issei felt awkward standing in front of her door...


    He knows what she''s doing inside her room right now, the seductive moans couldn''t be more obvious...


    Ramius - Ah, haah... Ah, ahah, mm... Ah... Haah... Ise... Haah...Iseeeee~!?


    Issei who''s hearing that felt his blood boil from arousal. He''s holding himself back just to burst inside her room right now and have his way with her. But he''s still hanging on because he doesn''t want Ramius''s 1st time will be like that...


    Thankfully it seems Ramius has finished already after one final shriek... Then all he heard is ragged breathing.


    So he decided to knock now.


    *Knock Knock*


    Ramius - Uhyaaah! Wh-who''s there?


    Issei - It''s Issei. Sorry I''m late.


    Ramius - I-Ise? One moment... Actually, nevermind. Just come in...


    Issei still felt a bit awkward after what just happened, but didn''t let it show on his face as he opens the door.


    But what he saw almost made him went out of control.


    Ramius - A-Apologies for not being dressed... Wearing clothes is difficult at the moment you see.


    Ramius is in her birthday suit. It means she''s totally naked right now. He can see every part of her body out in the open.


    Issei has to avert his eyes quickly to prevent himself from losing control. But he still blushed a little from what he see just now.


    Issei - O-Oh. Sure. I don''t really mind.


    The room was filled with her odor, vividly reminded him what she was doing just a moment ago.


    And Issei''s enhanced smelling is backfiring against him right now. Just from the smell of her odor alone almost make him went out of control.


    Ramius - Oh right. I said I''d thank you back then... Sorry, I''m going through something that''s making it hard to think... I have a report to write. So, unfortunately. I''ll need to take it back to the capital- Ah...


    She tried to reach her desk but she stumbled along the way. And Issei caught her by reflex,


    Issei - Look out!


    Ramius''s soft breasts sandwiched Issei''s forearm, making both of them freeze up.


    Issei & Ramius - ?!


    He REALLY almost lost it if not for his will strong enough after feeling her soft breasts on his arm.


    Issei thought ''Kuh!? That was dangerous... Clear mind, clear mind...''


    Ramius thought ''Ise''s arm... It''s getting me strangely hot...''


    Ramius - I-I''m sorry... I don''t seem to have my footing at the moment.


    Issei - D-Don''t worry about it...


    As though to shake off the feeling of Issei''s skin, Ramius lightly pushed him away, creating some distance.


    Issei - ...Is the <Adan''s Blood> affected you that much already?


    Ramius - ...You knew?


    Issei - Ah... I heard about it from someone.


    Ramius - I... see. Then you know what situation I''m in don''t you?


    Issei - Yeah... It''s apparently an aphrodisiac?


    Ramius - Yes... Just a moment ago I tried to handle it myself, but it doesn''t seem to be working...


    Issei - ...


    Ramius - Wh-What else could I have done?... I-I don''t have anyone to turn to for this...


    Issei - ...I don''t mind it... Everyone needs to do it once in a while...


    Ramius - ...Talking about masturbation isn''t easy to respond to.


    Issei - ...Yeah.


    Then they averted their eyes from each other and laughed at nothing in particular.


    Like she was carried along by the lightened mood, Ramius said something further.


    Ramius - Ise... May I ask you a favor?


    Issei - What?


    Ramius - Can you help me commit suicide?


    Issei - ?!


    Issei got taken aback by her sudden request.


    Ramius - At this rate, I''ll give in to the <Adan''s Blood> before long... A knight becoming an Outlaw would harm the dignity of their country.


    Issei - ...


    Ramius picked up her lance from against the wall, made Issei hold it, and directed the tip of the lance to her heart.


    Ramius - I''ll slit my neck with a dagger, then you give me one good thrust to make sure... And don''t worry, I''ve written a parting message that should absolve you of all guilt...


    Issei still calmly look at her but his hands are trembling a bit, he clutched his hand so hard that it''s almost bleed...


    Issei''s current situation went unnoticed by Ramius, who continued to try and convince him.


    Ramius - If only I were a little cuter, maybe there could''ve been another way...


    Her eyes teared up as she solemnly smiled.


    Issei who saw that finally snapped.


    Issei - DON''T F*CK WITH ME!?


    Then he throws her lance away along with the dagger in her hands.


    Ramius who saw that got surprised.


    Issei - YOU THINK I WOULD HELP YOU COMMIT SUICIDE? DID YOU EVER THINK WHAT I WOULD FEEL AFTER I DO THAT?!


    Ramius got nothing to say at his words.


    Issei''s expression at this moment filled with anger and pity.


    Issei - DIDN''T I TOLD YOU THAT YOU ARE A CUTE AND BEAUTIFUL GIRL. RAMIUS DREISSEN?! YOU THINK I WOULD FEEL OKAY AFTER KILLING YOU? I WILL FEEL HURT AND SAD!!!... So, please... Don''t kill yourself... I love you, Ramius. And if you''re okay taking me as your husband... Let me be yours...


    Then Issei hugged Ramius tightly.


    Ramius who heard all that felt her body stiffen but finally, she shed her tears. Then she hugged Issei back tightly herself.


    Ramius - UWAAAAAAAA!!!


    She cried in his warm embrace. She felt afraid but also happy at the same time.


    She''s afraid to die and afraid all what she just heard was just a dream. And she''s happy that the man she loves feels the same way towards her...


    Issei just tightly hugged her and let her cry her feelings out.


    After a while, she finally calmed herself down.


    Issei - ...So? Will you be my wife. Ramius?


    Ramius - ...Are you really okay with a woman such as myself? I don''t want you to force yourself to love me... A woman who can compete with monsters, who''s called a Loner Knight. A failure of a woman... All I''m good for is fighting, and you would still have me?


    Issei - Ah. I''m sure of it. I vow to you that I will always love you regardless of what happens till death. So I ask you once again. Ramius Dreissen, will you be my wife?


    Ramius went silent a bit after that, she shed one last tear of joy and whispered


    Ramius - ...Um... Then please make me your bride.


    Issei smiled at that and he brought his face close to the girl in his arms and kissed her lustrous lips.


    Then after a while, they stopped the kiss, Ramius eyes are moist after the kiss alone and her red face is so mesmerizing in Issei''s eyes. Then he finally let go of his restraint.


    Issei whispered to Ramius ears


    Issei - Be prepared. Ramius... I''ve been holding back myself after all this time. Tonight you won''t get any sleep.


    Then he nibbled on her ears.


    Ramius - ?!


    Issei suddenly picked Ramius up with princess carry style and carried her to the bed and gently put her down. After that, he hastily removes all his own clothes.


    Ramius who saw his perfect body clearly for the first time felt even more aroused than ever.


    That perfect six abs and glistening muscle, his enchanting wine-red eyes that filled with lust and love towards her, and that ever-present soothing smile on his handsome face are enough to make her almost reach orgasm once more.


    Then she saw his dragon down there and she becomes even more wide-eyed because of how big it is, she even wonders if that could fit inside her in the first place or not.


    Then Issei also went to the bed and looming over her.


    He still has his smiles and his gazes never left her.


    Having never experienced such a thing before, Ramius''s mouth emitted a whimper.


    Ramius - Ah...


    Issei - Nervous?


    Ramius - N-Naturally... I''ve never done anything like this before...


    Issei - Same here.


    Ramius is surprised this is Issei''s first time as well.


    Ramius - I-I see.


    Issei - Then here I go. Ramius...


    Ramius - U-un.


    Then Issei kissed her lips once more but this time with more intensity. Ramius who''s on the receiving end feels really aroused just from the kiss alone. Then she felt something went inside her mouth and captured her tongue.


    Ramius - Mmn.. Mmm, Mwah...


    Issei put his tongue inside Ramius mouth and entangled their tongue together. After a while they stopped their kiss and there''s a bridge of saliva between their tongue.


    Ramius face is totally lost out of it, her eyes are moist and her cheeks are deep red. She still has her mouth open even after Issei stopped the kiss. Then Issei brought his hand towards her face.


    First, he caressed her face, as if tracing the beauty displayed there. Each point of contact made her skin burn, and now it was as if she were blushing to the roots of her white hair.


    Then his hand moved from her face to touching her breasts. Issei''s fingertips lightly circled the small nub on her breasts. Then, he pinched them, and the sudden sensation made Ramius''s whole body seize up, like she was being blasted by an electricity spell. A hot, hoarse whine escaped her mouth as he continued to tweak and pinch her. Then, as if knowing the effect he had over her, he stopped, returning to circle her perk mountains. His feather-light touch was so tantalizingly pleasurable, assaulting her brain with tiny jolts.


    Ramius - Ahn! Mmm~ Ah... Ngh!


    The sensation of rubbing these obscenely contorting breasts impressed Issei.


    Ramius - Hyah... Mm... Aah...


    The feeling of having her breasts massaged by man for the first time caused Ramius to yelp and her nipples to harden even more. ''...What''s wrong with me? He''s just rubbing my chest...''


    Ramius was extremely sensitive to Issei''s caresses, almost like her whole body had become an erogenous zone.


    Ramius - Haah... Haah... Something may be wrong with my body.


    The extreme ecstasy left Ramius unsure of what to do.


    Issei - You''re beautiful. Ramius... And there''s nothing wrong with your body.


    The breasts were too big to contain in Issei''s hands. He enjoyed them thoroughly.


    They were shockingly soft, yet had a definite firmness to them. It was more than enough to captivate Issei.


    Ramius - Haah... Mm, ngh, ah...


    Then Issei brought his mouth close to her breast to suck on her nipple.


    He put the tip of her breast in his mouth and lightly suck on it.


    Ramius - Hwah?! Ah... Mmm, you''d go that far? Hyah! Your tongue... Mm, aah, I''m getting hot...


    Issei''s tongue teasing her nipple was all it took for Ramius to shiver and gasp.


    Ramius - Haah... Ah, mmm, my nipple tingles... Hwaaah, yah!


    Issei kept her nipple in his mouth and rolled it with the tip of his tongue then nibble it lightly with his teeth.


    Then Issei uses his other hand to pinch her other nipple lightly and twirl it around with his fingers.


    Ramius - Hwaaahn! Ah... Good... That... Feels good...


    Issei then stopped his sucking and moved on to sliding his lips to her cleavage.


    Ramius - Haah. Ah... What''s this feeling? My body''s heating up again... Nnah, haah...


    He tasted the sweat between her breasts as he ran through his lips along her cleavage.


    Then his lips gave her vibrant skin a peck. *Smooch*


    Ramius - Mmm! Ah, haaah, mmm...


    When Issei took his lips away, a pink flower-like mark was left.


    Issei - Sorry, did that hurt?


    Ramius - Hwah, ah... Not at all, I''m fine. In fact, mmm... I''d even like more of that...


    She shyly said that.


    Issei - Is that so?


    Issei''s just smiling at her but his eyes are overflowing with love and gentleness towards her.


    Ramius - I-I don''t mind... This mark is like a proof that I''m yours...


    Issei who heard that got smitten all over again with Ramius.


    Issei - You''re so beautiful, Ramius... I can''t believe a cute girl like you can be my wife.


    Ramius - Mmm... My body and soul are all yours, Ise. I want you to have your way with my body...


    He ran his fingers up her thighs. His caresses down there made her bite her lip, made her force down a squeal. Each feathery stroke and rub made her brain boil from the sheer output of pleasure, He was slowly driving her insane with pleasure


    Then his fingers grazed her lower lips. She froze, like helpless prey, as he focused on her steaming nethers.


    He kissed the valley of her ample breasts once more as he kneaded them. He gobbled on each nipple, separately, then together, flicking his tongue over the sensitive nubs. He thoroughly conquered her navel, fighting his way downward back to her crotch, where her thighs met. Then he spread her legs open, after pausing for a while at the threshold, he gave her pussy lips a lick.


    Ramius - Hyaaahhnn!?


    Crackling hot pleasure enveloped her. Just that one piece of contact, and already it felt as if he''d been doing her for the whole day. Her juices sprayed out from the orgasm she experienced.


    Issei just chuckled at that.


    Ramius still feeling the lingering after effect, her luscious chest heaving up and down from the orgasm she had.


    After seeing her prepared down there, Issei positioned his penis towards Ramius lower lips.


    Issei - I''m going in, Ramius.


    Ramius finally comes back to her sense and she looks towards Issei penis down there and she gulped after seeing it buts she braced herself


    Ramius - U-Un. Make me truly yours. Ise.


    With his right hand, he aligned his c*ck with Ramius''s moist entrance. then he pushes forward.


    *Sloosh*


    Ramius - Waaah... Ah, mmmmm!


    Issei - Ngh!


    His c*ck was surrounded by the soft but tight walls of her inside, forcing a groan from his mouth.


    Issei - ''S-So tight! But this feels really good!''


    Issei felt a pleasure he never felt before.


    Wanting to feel further pleasure, he tried to push the rest of his c*ck all the way inside in one go. There''s blood flowing from the place they are connected marking that Ramius just lost her virginity.


    Ramius - Hngh! Mm, ghhh... Ngh... Ahhhh...


    Ramius''s face twisted with pain, causing Issei to stop. So he stays like that for a while.


    Issei - Is it still hurt, Ramius?


    Ramius - I-It''s fine. It''s still hurt a little but... More than that... Nnah, ah... It feels good.


    Issei - I see... Then I will start moving.


    Ramius - Ah... Please do... I want you to soothe my insides.


    Issei then started moving slowly at first


    Ramius - Ah, ah... I almost feel like I could lose myself and drown in pleasure.


    Ramius clenched the sheet with her hands but she entwined both her legs on Issei''s waist.


    *Slllsh*, *Blllsh*


    Ramius - Mm... Hwaaah, it''s... Deep inside... Mm, Ahn!?


    Each shake of Issei''s hips strained out some of the mix of hymen blood and erotic juices of Ramius, soaking the sheets beneath.


    Then Issei''s started humping faster and faster, Ramius hips unconsciously move trying to match his pace to increase the pleasure she''s feeling right now.


    *PAK PAK PAK*


    In sync with their hips, the loud erotic sound of their skins hitting each other sounded loudly in the room.


    Issei - Kgh!


    Ramius - Ah... Haah, hah... I-It''s strange... Feeling someone else''s warmth inside you. It feels so good... Hahhn...?


    Issei - Ah. I feel good too, Ramius...


    Ramius - Mmm, your thing is warm too... I... Hwah, ah, that''s it... good~!


    A slight shift in angle seemed to result in a sensitive spot being rubbed, getting her to shriek.


    Finding it both arousing and endearing, Issei''s kissed Ramius''s lips once more while still wildly humping on her inside.


    Ramius - Mmwah, mm... Hwah, haaah... Mchu...?


    Issei - Ramius... Mmm, Ramius!


    He went on to lick and kiss across her nape, leaving marks behind.


    Ramius - Mmm, ah, haah, that''s good... Ah, more~ Ahn... Ise! Iseee!?


    *PAK PAK PAK*


    Every time he swung his hips, Ramius''s plentiful breasts enticingly swayed.


    Issei gripped them with all his strength and accelerated his thrusting even more.


    The bed creaks loudly from their lovemaking session.


    Ramius - Wah, ah. I-It''s trashing! Ahn! Inside me.... Ah, aaahahhnn. ?


    Then Issei felt he''s reaching his limit.


    Issei - Kgh! Ramius... I''m about to make you totally mine.


    Ramius - Ahn! Ah... Y-Yes... Yessss! Make me yours! Ise! Haahhnnn!?


    Issei - I''m coming! Ramius! Guhhh!


    Ramius - Give it to me! Give me your hot stuff! I''m coming as well! Haaaaahhhhnnn!?


    Ramius and Issei reached climax at the same time.


    *SPLURT*


    With his c*ck in her deepest part of her insides, Issei released his hot sprays of semen.


    *Gush* *Gush* *Gush*


    Ramius went wide-eyed with her head bend upwards with her tongue out feeling Issei''s hot semen coming inside her womb.


    Ramius - Haah, haah... Ah... There''s so many of your hot stuff... Inside me...?


    Issei can''t believe how good he feels right now. The same goes with Ramius, she felt her whole mind just went white.


    Ramius''s pussy is twitching, as though to slurp up every drop of Issei''s semen.


    Finally, Issei''s c*ck finished its ejaculation.


    Then he drops his head beside Ramius head while panting heavily alongside Ramius.


    Ramius still entwined her legs on Issei''s waist like she doesn''t want him to go.


    Ramius - Haah... Haah... Ah... Now I''m truly yours...


    Issei lifts his head and matches his gaze with Ramius. Inside his eyes there''s only Ramius right now, the same goes for Ramius.


    Their gaze filled with love and passion for each other.


    Issei - Haah... Haah... I love you, Ramius.


    Ramius - Un... I love you too. Ise...


    Then Issei gives Ramius another kiss on her lips. But without tongue this time and just a soft and gentle kiss filled with love he has towards Ramius.


    After a while, Issei''s c*ck went soft for a bit, but before long it regained it''s hardness once more.


    Ramius - Mwah? Ah... It''s growing again... Hwaaah...


    Issei - Sorry, can''t help it. Besides, I already told you I won''t let you sleep tonight, don''t I?


    Issei gives Ramius a sly smirk but In Ramius eyes, that smirk of his is very tempting and handsome.


    Ramius - I-I don''t mind... I want to keep doing it too... Keep filling me with your thing... Makes my body can''t live without you anymore!


    Ramius asked with a look of ecstasy.


    Issei - Ah. I''ll do just that. I will keep making love to you tonight. My arousal might be too much to handle and I want to fill your insides even more, Ramius.


    Ramius - Mm... No problem. I don''t think I''ll be satisfied any time soon myself...


    Issei - Then here I go. Are you ready?


    Ramius - Fufu... Yes. I hope you are ready too. A Knight''s stamina isn''t to be underestimated.


    She chuckled and took Issei''s idea as a challenge.


    Issei just smirked at her confidence because there''s no way a human can match a Dragon''s libido.


    Then he started thrusting his reinvigorated c*ck into Ramius''s depths once more.


    Ramius - Nnah?! Ah, Issei, mmm, aaaahnnnnnnn!?


    After that, they keep going at it like a rabbit all night. And as expected, Ramius can''t keep up with Issei''s vigor on her own. She passed out after the 7th round of their lovemaking session on top of Issei''s body after they''ve done the cowgirl position.


    Issei can only stop because she passed out, but he kept his c*ck inside her and hug Ramius to sleep.


    The room is overflowing with their scent and the bed is wet from their bodily fluid.


    There''s still Issei''s semen coming out from her pussy like a fountain even now.


    Ramius has a silly look on her face (Ahegao).


    They both slept like a log until the afternoon. Thankfully there''s no other customer on their inn at the moment or they won''t be able to sleep because they''re so loud that night.


    Even the inn owner feels embarrassed hearing them, but she''s a professional so she kept quiet about it.

 Chapter 34 - 33

    --In the afternoon-


    Issei woke up feeling something soft weighing him down on his chest, he looks down towards his chest and found Ramius was snoring softly with a look of peace on her face, implying she was free of the <Adan''s Blood> effects. His c*ck is not inside Ramius anymore, probably it slips off during his sleep.


    Issei who saw her like that feels really happy, his gazes hold infinite care and gentleness towards her.


    He remembered they went really wild last night, the bed is still full of their odor and bodily fluid.


    So he cast a cleaning spell towards it and the bed is clean as new. He remembered most of his skills already.


    But there''s still that thin window paper holding him back to remember it all...


    But Issei put that aside and focused on the sleeping beauty on his chest. He''s really fond seeing her sleeping face, he gently pokes her cheek and sees her squirm around making cute faces. Then she sleeptalking in her sleep


    Ramius - Mmmn... Ise... I love you...


    Issei who heard that smiled gently and stroked her hair softly. Ramius face had a smile when he does that.


    Then he saw a <Golden Ring> on his ring finger, there''s a Roman number "I" on it.


    Issei - ''So this is the ring of marriage "Mother Eve''s blessing" huh...''


    Then suddenly he heard Ramius talk


    Ramius - <Mother Eve''s blessing>.


    Issei - Hmm. You''re up? Good morning sleepy head. Well, it''s afternoon already from the looks of it though.


    Then Issei gives her a gentle smile then peck her head softly. Then he wraps his arms around Ramius soft body to hold her closer.


    Ramius who feel what Issei did almost die from the happiness she felt right now.


    Her face blushed and she averted her face down facing Issei''s chest once more. She whispered


    Ramius - Erm... U-Um... A-Afternoon...


    Issei chuckled looking at her cute antics. Then he stroked her head once more.


    Issei - So. We''re truly married right now, huh?


    Ramius who reminded of that have a blissful smile on her face and she looks toward her own <Golden Ring>.


    Ramius - Yes, I have one too... Look.


    She outstretched left hand had an identical ring like Issei but it has no Roman number on it.


    Issei took her left hand on his own and entangled their hands together, then he kissed her left hand softly.


    Issei - Indeed. You''re my wife now...


    Ramius blushed deeply once more with a blissful smile on her face still.


    Ramius - Heheh... To think that one day I will be granted a ring. Until yesterday, I never even dreamed of it... I hope this isn''t a dream...


    Issei - It isn''t... You''re truly my wife, Ramius... I love you.


    Then Issei hugs her tighter while their hands still entangled together.


    Ramius - R-Really? Do you really feel that way?


    She still feels a bit insecure


    Issei chuckled and say with an evil grin "Of course silly... I couldn''t be happier to have you as my wife. Or do you want me to "Prove" it to you once more, Hmm?" Then he gives Ramius butt a squish.


    Ramius - Hyahn!? U-Uuuu... I-I''d love too, but my body can''t handle it anymore after all the s-s*x we had last night...


    Ramius gives a little yelp by Issei''s sudden action and she blushed deeply once more.


    Issei - Hmm... Is that so? Too bad.


    Then he finally let go of Ramius''s butt to Ramius''s relief.


    Ramius felt a bit wet after his action but she really can''t do it anymore for now... She''s still feeling a bit sore down there... She can''t believe they''ve been going at it for 7 round straight last night, and she already forced herself to the max back then.


    But it seems that''s still nowhere near enough for Issei...


    Ramius - Sorry... I was under the impression once men take care of their arousal, they have a shocking shift toward rational thought... Do you not regret it now? Was I really worth marrying?


    Issei respond is just a spank towards Ramius butt


    *PAK*


    Ramius - Ah!


    *PAK*


    Ramius - Ah!


    Just when Ramius thought he gonna spank her once more Issei suddenly just rub her butt gently. To be honest she was hoping he will spank her once more...


    Ramius - Ahn...


    Issei - That spanks is for not believing me. And the gentle stroke is my apologies for that 2 spanks... Ramius. I''ve told you that I''m happy to have you as my wife... If you keep denying it then that means you don''t believe me-


    Ramius hastily shouted towards that sentence


    Ramius - No! I believe you! But-


    Issei - No buts. I love you Ramius Dreissen. Do you think I would have s*x with just any women? No one can force me to do what I don''t want to, not even the Gods themselves. Even if I have to become an Outlaw I won''t submit to anyone.


    Ramius who heard that become speechless. But she felt really touched by his words.


    Issei - I swore on my life that I really do love you, Ramius. My vow back then is not a lie. I will love you with all my heart no matter what happens. So, do you still doubt me?


    Issei looks straight on Ramius eyes while saying that, and Ramius can only see infinite love and gentleness on his eyes.


    She shed tears of joy then proceeded to hug Issei tightly.


    Ramius - Um... I''m sorry for my foolish questions. But don''t become an Outlaw because I don''t know what to do if you truly become one and disappear from my life...


    Issei gently hugs Ramius back and says


    Issei - I promise you. I won''t ever leave you behind...


    Ramius - Oh... Ise...


    Issei - Ramius...


    In the soft afternoon sunlight, they gazed at each other and brought their faces together.


    *SLAM!*


    Riche - GOOD AFTERNOON~!


    Ramius - EEK!


    Issei just sighed because he can feel the presence of Riche behind the door all this time but he just ignored her.


    Riche - How''s it going? Eye''s adjusted to the sunlight yet?


    Issei - So. Riche... What are you doing waiting behind the door all this time? You even follow me here yesterday.


    Riche - I-I don''t know what you''re talking about. I-I just got here...


    Riche''s eyes started to swim around from the gaze Issei''s giving her.


    Issei - *Jiiiiii*


    She forgot that Issei has strong detection capability so he clearly knows she was hiding behind the door after all this time.


    Riche - F-Fine... I-I was worried about whether he''d actually sleep with you or not. So I followed him up till he went in your room...


    Issei - So did you enjoy the show?


    Riche - I-I di- WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU MAKING ME SAY?!


    Ramius - ...Eh?


    Issei - Heh.


    Riche - Ah...


    ....


    -After a bit of awkward silence-


    Ramius - So you were worried Ise will do me or not... Does that mean you''re the one who told Issei about Adan''s Blood?


    Riche - Ding ding ding

 Chapter 35 - 34

    -During the way towards <Stallion>-


    They found out Colpis decided to went with the Knights and headed off somewhere, she broke the engagement between her and Ginyu. Yarase headed to the capital to take the Knight test.


    Along the way to <Stallion> Ramius keep gazing at her hand. Or her ring, more specifically.


    Issei who''s seeing her become intrigued.


    Issei - What''s wrong?


    Ramius - Nothing... Well... We are married now, but it was all so sudden that it doesn''t feel real... I can''t believe I finally get married after all this time, and I married the man I truly love too at that...


    Issei - Well you better start believing it now because I won''t let you go no matter what.


    Issei pulled Ramius waist towards him and give her a soft kiss on the lips.


    Ramius - Hwah?! U-Un...


    Issei then let go of her waist and took her hand with his own.


    Ramius - W-What''re you?


    Issei - Hmm? I''m holding your hand of course.


    Ramius - Y-You mean you want to do a th-thumb wrestling?


    Issei - No, you silly. I mean I''m holding your hand just like a couple would do.


    Ramius - O-Oh... Sorry, it''s just that I never held hands with the opposite gender before so... I''m kinda nervous...


    Issei chuckled and said, "It seems I''m gonna be your first for everything huh?"


    Ramius who heard that become really bashful and her face went red.


    Issei - Well. Let''s go.


    Ramius - U-Un...


    But along the way, she''s being very nervous having Issei holding her hands.


    She kept thinking stuff like ''Aaaah, I-I''m holding hands with Ise... A-Are my palms sweaty? He has masculine hands... They''re bigger than mine... Well I-I am nervous, but... More than that... I could almost die from happiness!''


    Ramius - I-I''m a bit embarrassed, or maybe. Um... Tense...


    Issei - Well we''ve done more embarrassing things together so holding hands should be nothing no?


    Ramius - U-Um... Y-You''re right. This should be nothing compared to what we have done already...


    Even though she said that but she''s still very nervous inside...


    Then they walk together while holding hands, every monster or outlaws who tried ambushing them along the way all got killed with just Issei''s <Aura>. They all died because of heart attack even before they showed themselves in front of Issei and Ramius.


    So Ramius never realized there was a bunch of Monster or Outlaws trying to ambush them along the way. Issei won''t let his sweet time together with his wife be ruined by some trash who can''t read the mood.


    At some point, Ramius started thinking if she should call Issei something different. Such as: "Honey", "Darling", etc. ''Waaaaaaah, I-I can''t! I''d be too ashamed to even fight! It needs to be something not too embarrassing, yet strong enough to express our relationship!''


    Issei who saw that she''s thinking about something so seriously while being red-faced is just silently watching her because he thinks she''s acting very cute right now.


    Ramius finally realized his gaze and asked: "W-What''s wrong?"


    Issei - Nothing. It''s just that you''re really cute.


    He said with a smile


    Ramius - H-Hwah?! C-Cute you say... T-Thank you, Dear...


    Issei who heard that froze and Ramius is confused why he suddenly stopped then she tried looking at his face.


    Ramius - D-Dear?


    Issei hurriedly averted his face because he doesn''t want Ramius to see his face right now because his face blushed because of the way she called him. Then he told Ramius don''t call him that because he''s too embarrassed being called that by her.


    Ramius is confused at first why he''s embarrassed in the first place, then Issei said what would she feels if he calls her with the same nickname too. Then she realizes it is indeed embarrassing.


    For some time after that Ramius hardly said a word, the same goes with Issei...


    They keep sightseeing along the way, Issei saw a Giant Crab taking a nest on a destroyed city along the way.


    Ramius said that''s a <Mega Monster> called <Giant Doraku> and that town is destroyed by it in the past. (AN: I can''t exactly remember the history why it destroyed the town in the first place so I''ll just make things up but it should be pretty close with the original history)


    The reason is that the citizen of that town keeps eating crab all the time hence it retaliated by destroying the city. But no casualties because they evacuated the town in time.


    Issei asked Ramius if he''s allowed to kill it, and she says <Mega Monsters> are very strong so it''s not wise to challenge it alone, besides they''re not that aggressive unless provoked. So the Knights never bother them either, they already have their hand full on handling the normal Monster and Outlaws so they don''t have time to care for it at the moment.


    Even for a <Zero Knight>, they are a bother to take down. There''s no bounty for killing them either anyway. So Issei just ignored the <Giant Doraku> for now.


    After a while, they arrived at <Fortress Baroroan>


    Issei - Hmm. So this is the fortress.


    Ramius - In order to challenge the powerful monsters in this territory, Marquess Baro Roan risked his life to construct this fortress. Thanks to his efforts, the strong monsters were driven away, letting people live here relatively peaceful, or so the stories say.


    It''s a pretty old building. It has some history here and there, so there have been many tourists as of late.


    There''s some tourist who turned his back to the river and threw a coin behind him.


    Issei - Hm? What is he doing?


    Ramius - ...Making a wish


    Issei - ...Huh? This whole river''s a wishing fountain or something?


    Issei''s is confused now...


    Ramius - ...I-I''m sorry, I just wanted to look smart, I don''t actually know anything...


    Ramius looked horribly depressed after that.


    Issei who saw that stroke her head gently while saying "It''s fine, I''m grateful at your effort alone, Ramius" and she instantly cheered up after hearing that.


    Then they went pass the Fortress after that...


    After a while, they finally see the <Stallion> town.


    Ramius - <Stallion> is up ahead. And that villa over the lake there is my family''s second house. My brother owns it at the moment, but I''ve never seen him use it.


    Issei - Hmm? Won''t it be destroyed by monsters if they build it there?


    Ramius - Don''t worry about that. Much like adventurer camp sets, the house has a monster-repelling barrier.


    Issei - I see.


    Then they enter the <Stallion> town...


    Issei''s impression as he entered <Stallion> was that the houses were even more packed together than in <Abel> town.


    The streets clearly had more people, and judging by appearance, they are ranged from farmers and merchants to artisans and adventurers.


    Issei and Ramius head towards the Dreissen residence right away after arriving at the city.


    Along the way, Ramius is confused about why Issei is wearing his hood all the time. And when he told her the reason why she is a bit confused at first but then realized that it is indeed true.


    If the handsome face of Issei is out in the open then they would''ve keep being stared by people especially the girls, so Ramius approve of it.


    Then they reached Ramius''s home.


    Ramius - Look, that''s the house where I was born and raised.


    It''s a particularly large residence that stood out from the others, it''s pretty normal considering that this is the Mayor''s residence though.


    Ramius - At this hour, Father should still be home. Let''s get the introductions out of the way. We better hurry before Acheval arrive.


    Then Ramius dragged Issei by the arm into the house.


    Ramius - Father! Where are you?!


    ??? - Dad ran outta detergent or something, so he ran out to do some shopping.


    Ramius - *Sigh* An errand like that could be left to a maid. Father''s obsession with cleanliness can be troubling sometimes...


    ??? - What do you expect? His job''s more or less an honorary one, so he''s got a lotta time on his hands.


    Ramius - W-WAIT, ANIUE?! (AN: Aniue = Big brother)


    In front of them stands Acheval Dreissen, Ramius''s big brother.


    He''s a very tall guy with a macho build, he has a scar on his left eye. his face is quite average but very manly, he has short white hair and his skin is quite tanned. Unlike Ramius who wears all black outfit, Acheval wears almost all white with a red cape on his back and his left shoulder pad is black. He carries 2 giant white greatswords on his back, he wears a metal white boots. (https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Acheval_Dreissen?file=Acheval-full.png this is his image in case you want to see it)


    Issei - ''Hmm... So this is Ramius brother. One of the <Zero Knight>, well he''s indeed quite strong... There''s something wrong with him though... I can''t quite tell what it is but there''s something''s off about him...''


    Issei can feel something off with Acheval but he can''t tell exactly what, he will only know why later in the future...


    While Issei''s inspecting Acheval, Acheval also doing the same.


    Acheval thoughts after seeing Issei are ''Oy, oy... Seriously? I can''t feel this guy strength at all... It''s like he''s just a harmless bystander. But that''s not it, I could tell if someone weak or not just from a glance usually... But I can''t tell his strength at all, damn... Either he''s hiding his power with some technique or he''s just that strong... I never felt anything like this before...''


    Acheval back unknowingly drenched with sweats a little. So he tried to make a conversation


    Acheval - Oy. What''s that on your hand.


    He looked towards their interlocked hands or more specifically their ring.


    Ramius gasped from his sudden bloodlust.


    While Issei doesn''t looks like he feels anything.


    Acheval - ''Heh. Even that isn''t enough to make him flinch huh?''


    He emits his bloodlust towards them especially Issei.


    Acheval - I''m asking you what that ring is! Hey, did you do it?! Did you already do the nasty?!


    Ramius - Hah?


    Issei - ...


    Acheval - It''s too late... There''s a criminal in our family, How am I supposed to face Mom in heaven now?!


    *Clunk*


    Ramius''s brother fell to his knees, where his seeping bloodlust dissipated.


    Ramius - ...Ise, this dolt is my brother, Acheval, a holder of the title <Zero Knight>.


    Issei is at a loss for words after seeing him like that...


    Ramius - I don''t have a clue why he''s acting like this either, but we ran into him, so we''ll have to put up with it... Aniue, could you get up and start introducing yourself?


    Acheval ignored her words and look towards Issei


    Acheval - H-how can I apologize to you for what she did? I''ll pay reparations of course. So please forgive us!


    Ramius - Oy... What kind of introduction is that?


    Acheval - It''s not, it''s an apology! This is my heartfelt groveling, you moron!


    Ramius - WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MORON?!


    Acheval - No way anyone would marry you! Meaning you must''ve assaulted him. **** can''t lead to real love, that''s delusional!


    Ramius - Don''t treat me like a deviant! This is why I didn''t want to see you! A-Anyway, Ise and I... W-Wanted each other...


    Acheval - Whaaaaaaat?! Hey, man. Is she serious?!


    Issei - ...Yeah


    Acheval - This is a woman who can wrestle a monster. You''re telling me you wanted to do her?


    Issei - She''s incredibly cute, so yeah.


    Acheval - Cute... Who thought you''d ever find a man who''d call you that?


    He looks toward Ramius while saying that


    Ramius is feeling bashful hearing Issei''s word but she responds to Acheval words anyway


    Ramius - Aniue, Ise''s actually a very strong fighter. He''s not a normal man.


    Acheval thought ''No sh*t. He might even be stronger than me...'' but he acts clueless, "You can fight?"


    Issei - Ah.


    Ramius - I can vouch for his strength, Issei says he wants to become a Knight.


    Acheval - A prospective Knight, huh? You picked a bad time for that.


    Issei - Something''s wrong?


    Acheval - Oh, well... Thing is, we''re cutting down on the number of Knights.


    Issei - Why?


    Acheval - Sh*t happened.


    Ramius - There''s a small opening. But I''m sure Issei can do it, pretty easily too...


    Acheval - Hmmm... Well, just perfect then, Ramius. Quit being a Knight.


    Ramius - Wha-?!


    Acheval - You''re not cut out for it. Just let him do the Knight stuff and work on being a wife instead.


    Ramius - But helping the weak is my-


    Acheval - You just charge in there alone and mess up so much that they call you the Loner Knight, and you think you can argue with me?


    Ramius - Well...


    Issei just calmly looks towards them but he knows that Acheval is saying all that to protect Ramius. There''s no ill intention towards her from Acheval. But he still won''t let anyone bad mouth his wife no matter what so he said


    Issei - I think Ramius is a Perfect Knight.


    Ramius - Ise?


    Issei - Sure she can be shortsighted sometimes, but boldly running off to help someone in need sounds pretty Knightly to me. And besides, as her husband, I will always be there for her to prevent anything bad happening to her.


    Acheval - Hoh...


    Issei - And of course, she''s really cute. So she makes a great wife too.


    Issei gazed at Ramius with a smile as he said everything with conviction


    Acheval is very happy, to be honest, that his beloved sister finally found someone who truly loves her, he was just testing Issei just now.


    Acheval - Keh, love is blind as they say. She got those tough muscles. Let her quit and she''ll get a bit more feminine.


    Issei - She''s already perfect the way she is.


    Acheval - Unless she trains for being a wife, she won''t even be able to clean anything. Dad still cleans her room to this day.


    Issei - We''re all good at different things.


    Acheval - She''s secretly a huge perv.


    Issei - Already know it and I''ve been there too at some point.


    Acheval - This is a girl whose dad found her hidden porn stash while cleaning and left it on her desk, are you really, honestly okay with her?


    Ramius who was over the cloud hearing Issei''s word suddenly snap out of it and screamed


    Ramius - WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!


    The mention of porn sent Ramius running like the wind out of the room, upon which. The sound of someone frantically tidying up came from somewhere in the house.


    In the room, there''s only Issei and Acheval left.


    Issei - ...


    Acheval - ...


    They just stare at each other in then Acheval broke the silence


    Acheval - ...Your name''s Issei? Seems you''re serious.


    Issei - I am.


    Acheval - Haaaaaah, well. Knew this day would come eventually...


    Suddenly, Acheval''s attitude softened and he scratched his head as he sighed.


    Acheval - I say some harsh stuff, but y''know, I am still her brother. I know she tries hard and she''s got talent, but... Well, it''s just...


    Issei - You''re worried about her fighting monsters and outlaws, so you wanted her to quit. Right?


    Acheval - Ack...


    Acheval looked away, affirming that what Issei had said was correct.


    Acheval - Gahhhhhh, dammit! You''re right! I want her to be a normal girl, so I never give her advice for being a Knight. I just say things to try and push her away from it... SINCE I''M A SISCON!!!


    Issei - ...


    Issei feels like Acheval reminded him of a certain red-haired girl but he just ignores it for now


    Acheval - But because of you, all my teasing and belittling is for nothing now.


    Issei - You should think about what you say, or I think she''ll just hate you...


    Acheval - You don''t get it. When she''s in a murderous rage... Her face is ultra cute.


    Issei - ...Well, for me no matter what she''s always cute. So I can relate with you on that a little bit.


    Acheval - Gahahahaha! I know you''ll get it! But... As her brother, I''ve gotta see if you''re good enough for Ramius. If you''re the kinda guy who''d make her cry. I don''t care if she hates me for life... I''ll end you!


    Issei - Same here. If I don''t know you''re just worried about her as a brother just now and heard you badmouthing about her like that earlier... I would''ve killed you already!


    Then Issei emits a little bloodlust of his own.


    Acheval who receive his bloodlust sweating buckets and internally he''s screaming ''W-What a monster!? Even his bloodlust alone is this strong?!'' But he just keeps up a brave front.


    Thankfully Issei took back his bloodlust soon after that.


    Acheval - R-Right. Then I''m giving you a test.


    Ramius - W-Wait, Aniue... Haaah, haaah... What''s this test about?


    Ramius came back out of breath and for some reason, she''s covered in dust.


    Acheval - Quiet, you! This is between me and Issei!


    Ramius - Isn''t this about me becoming his wife, though?


    Acheval - So with that said. Issei, fight me! Now, if you want to be my brother, overcome this trial!


    Issei - Sure.


    Ramius - H-Huh?! Why would you fight Issei? Aniue! And isn''t this about accepting our marriage?!


    Issei - He will automatically accept our marriage after I fight him, Ramius... Isn''t that right, brother-in-law?


    Acheval - Ah! Indeed!


    Ramius - This test isn''t even necessary! Let''s introduce you to Father and leave.


    Acheval - Oh right. Dad found your hiding place above the ceiling, so no use hiding porn there.


    Ramius - WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


    Ramius ran out of the room once more but come back being even more dust-covered soon after...


    Then they all head outside the city to an open field to start the fight between Issei and Acheval.


    Ramius - Did you two really has to do this?


    Acheval - Of course! It''s a man stuff, isn''t that right. Issei?


    Issei - Ah.


    Ramius - *Sigh* Got it. But try not to hurt each other.


    Acheval - Don''t worry about it.


    Then Issei and Acheval stare at each other.


    Acheval - You ready, Issei?


    Issei - Anytime.


    Acheval - Then here I go!


    Then Acheval draws his 2 greatswords and dashed towards Issei with quick speed given the weight of his weapons. But in Issei''s eyes, it''s still slow.


    When Acheval arrived in front of Issei he feints an attack but Issei doesn''t fall for it. And his slash just went pass in front of Issei''s face.


    Acheval thought ''Heh, he''s not gonna fall for it huh? Then how about this!''


    Then he slashed downwards with both of his greatswords towards Issei.


    Ramius - Be careful!


    Ramius is worried about Issei because she knows how strong Acheval is, even though she knows that Issei is also strong she still couldn''t help become worried.


    Then Issei draws his sword and calmly block Acheval''s attack.


    *CLANG*


    Acheval and Ramius surprised that Issei blocks his attack so easily like that. But Acheval then keeps repeatedly attack Issei from any direction with all his strength for at least 10 minutes.


    Acheval - HAAAAAA!


    *CLANG* *CLING* *CLANG*


    The sound of their sword clashes keeps resounding in the open field. Ramius who''s watching them becomes amazed.


    She''s amazed by Issei''s power once more, for the last 10 minutes of Acheval full attack he still doesn''t move a single inch from his spot. ''Just how strong are you. Ise?'' She feels proud that her husband is even stronger than her brother, who known to be 1 of the strongest Knight of the Eden Kingdom.


    But she also felt a little sad that she might be a burden for Issei, so she promised herself to not let it come to that. She will become even stronger so she can stand by the side of her husband proudly.


    And her wish shall come true in the future. Even though she won''t be as strong as Issei, but she will not be his burden.


    Acheval also felt amazed by Issei''s power, he couldn''t believe their difference is this big. But he''s happy that finally, someone can satisfy his craving desire for a great battle so he''s still going at it for another 20 minutes.


    After a while, Acheval dropped to his knee and he''s wheezing for air because he''s so tired from all the attack he launched towards Issei.


    Issei still calmly standing there without any sign of fatigue on his face. He doesn''t even break a single sweat after all this time.


    Ramius is numb after seeing their ''Battle''. She couldn''t really call it a battle because Issei never launch an attack of his own after all this time and he just calmly block every single one of Acheval''s attack.


    If Issei really attacked Acheval then this ''Battle'' would''ve ended a long time ago...


    Issei - So? Did I pass the test? Brother-in-law?


    Acheval who heard that can only give a bitter smile and says "Ah! You passed with flying colors. Glad to have you as Ramius''s husband. Issei!"


    Then Issei smiled hearing that "Then, thank you for your approval. Acheval-nii"


    Ramius becomes happy hearing that and she jumped straight into Issei''s embrace with a joyful smile on her face.


    Issei calmly caught her and embraced her back.


    Acheval who''s seeing them is smiling from the bottom of his heart ''Heh... There''s always someone better than you out there huh...'' Then he lay down on the ground because he''s really tired right now.


    Something inside him feels peaceful after all this time...

 Chapter 36 - 35

    After a while, Acheval gets up and called Issei to head back towards Dreissen residence.


    Then they head back towards <Stallion> together. Along the way, Acheval asked why he wears his hood all the time.


    Issei told him the reason, but Acheval doubts it at first.


    Then Issei show him his face


    Acheval - ...Um. Wear your hood back, bro... If not then Ramius here will get tons of competitor. And she will lose you for sure.


    Ramius - What are you saying? Aniue!


    Acheval - Well can you blame me? Look at Issei''s face, even I as a guy has to admit he''s very handsome. Even more handsome than Barro Roan...


    Ramius - Uuuuu... I know. But still...


    Then Issei took hold of Ramius hand, Ramius who felt that stiffen a little and she look towards Issei.


    Ramius - Ise?


    Issei - Don''t worry, no matter what happens I won''t leave you. I told you didn''t I?


    Issei gives Ramius a calm smile to soothe her feelings.


    Ramius - U-Un!


    Ramius then cheered up right after.


    After a while, they reached Dreissen''s residence.


    Acheval - Oy. Lil bro, catch!


    Acheval tossed something towards Issei, and when Issei catch it he found out that it''s a key.


    Issei - Hm. A Key?


    Acheval - Yeah, for the house outside <Stallion> the one near the lake. It''s the Dreissen family''s second estate.


    Ramius - Didn''t you inherit that?


    Acheval - I''ve got a house in the capital, so it''s no good to me. You two use it.


    Issei got a little taken aback but he regains his composure right away and says


    Issei - I will pay for it.


    Acheval - No need. We''re family after all.


    Ramius - Alright, we''ll cherish it. Our deceased mother received it from the king. If it''s going unused now, we might as well.


    Issei - ...*Sigh* Fine... Thank you, Acheval-nii.


    Acheval - Ah! Don''t sweat it! Oh right, Dad must be home already. Probably humming to himself while cleaning the bath right now.


    Ramius - I swear, what lord does his own chores? I''ll go get him, Ise. Just wait here.


    Acheval - Anyhow, I''m busy. So I need to get back to the capital about now.


    Issei - Oh. Got it, take care. And thank you for the house once more.


    Acheval - Heh, no problem. Lemme just say one thing.


    As if they were close buddies, Acheval put a hand on Issei''s shoulder.


    Acheval - Ramius is in your hands. You better not toss her aside.


    Issei - I won''t toss her aside even if I die.


    Acheval grinned widely at that.


    Ramius - Ah! I''ll leave her to you. Lil Bro!


    Issei - Um.


    Then Acheval left <Stallion> after that.


    After a while, Ramius comes back with a middle-aged man, presumably her Dad.


    He''s a peaceful-looking man in the early end of advanced age.


    He''s unlike Ramius or Acheval at all, meaning he doesn''t look like a fighter.


    He has a short bob cut white hair, average face, and he wears what appears to be an apron for man. Like a cleaner outfit, he doesn''t look like a Lord of a town at all. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Tank_Dreissen?file=Tank-face.png just a minor character, he doesn''t even have a full body image so I just made up his clothes)


    He introduced himself "Hello, nice to meet you. I''m the lord of Stallion, Tank Dreissen."


    Issei who saw him look a bit surprised because Ramius''s dad is way different than what he imagined.


    Tank - Hahaha, you look surprised that I don''t look like a sterner man.


    Issei - My apologies.


    Tank - It''s fine. I married in from another family, so the Dreissen family temperament was inherited by my late wife.


    Ramius - But Father, you need to be a bit more assertive or the Dreissens will be looked down upon.


    Tank -Hah hah hah, you''re harsh, Ramius. Now, Issei was it? I believe you wanted to talk to me.


    Issei - Oh, right. Please let me have your daughter''s hand in marriage.


    Issei bowed his head a bit because he needs to pay respect to Ramius''s Father. After all, he''s gonna be his dad too.


    Tank - ...Hm. Raise your head, Issei-kun.


    Then Issei lifted his head and look towards Tank.


    Tank - I believe you know, but Ramius is a Knight. She''s clearly unlike what you might call a normal person, and lives in a different world from most. Do you accept that?


    Issei - I accept. Besides, I''ll be a Knight too soon enough.


    Tank - She''s so unrefined that she can''t even clean her own room, is that really okay?


    Issei - Yes.


    ''Hmmm, I feel like I''ve heard this before...'' Issei couldn''t help but feeling a Deja Vu after hearing Tank''s question.


    Tank - She''s a woman, yet she has porn- Guh, ugh...


    Ramius put her father in a Nelson hold, preventing him from speaking


    Ramius - Father. Say no more. Please...


    Issei is speechless seeing them like that, no wonder he felt a Deja Vu before... It''s the same thing what Acheval said to him a few hours ago...


    ...


    After Ramius released him, her father determined Issei''s intentions, then immediately approved their relationship.


    Tank - A-Acheval told me about the second house, I''ve already done all the paperwork, so you''re free to have a look when you wish.


    Issei - A-Ah. T-Thank you...


    Issei couldn''t help become flabbergasted because...


    Issei thought ''I can''t believe Riche was actually right. He actually cried and thanked me...''


    Tank - The house is already furnished, but if you need anything more, feel free to tell me.


    Issei - Thank you, but it will be more than enough as it is, I can add more on my own in case I need one.


    Tank - Hah hah hah. What a good man. Don''t be shy child. After all, we''re family now.


    Issei - Um. Then, thank you... Father.


    Tank, who heard Issei called him ''Father'' couldn''t help tear up once more and he started thanking Issei once more for marrying Ramius.


    Issei can only twitch his face and give a forced smile at that...


    Ramius - We-We''ll go check the house right now, then. Come, this is no time to sit around and sip tea.


    Ramius become embarrassed seeing their interaction so she dragged Issei by his hand and head outside the residence.


    At the entrance, Tank smiled while waving his handkerchief towards them like a mom seeing their children off... He even still has some tears in his eyes...


    Ramius - It''s located right south of Stallion, so it''s a convenient location for shopping as well.


    Issei couldn''t help smile wryly at Ramius action, Ramius hurried Issei to their new home


    Issei - No need to rush, the house isn''t going anywhere...


    But she just ignores Issei because she wants to get out of here quickly out of embarrassment she felt...


    -After a while-


    Ramius brought Issei to the outskirts of <Stallion> and pointed to a large house near the lake they saw before.


    Ramius - This is the Dreissen''s second house. Starting today, it''s our new home.


    Issei - Hmm. So this is gonna be our new house...


    Ramius - ...Yes, you could call it... Our l-love nest.


    Issei who heard that went wide-eyed for a little then he smirked towards Ramius.


    Ramius who saw that become a little bashful


    Ramius - W-What?


    Issei - Nothing...


    Ramius felt a bit fidgety seeing his smirk. Like she just accidentally awaken a sleeping dragon out of its slumber...


    Ramius - T-Then the head of the house should be the first to unlock it. Go on, Ise...


    Issei - Ah. Got it.


    But Issei couldn''t fit in the key because he never used this kind of key before.


    Issei - Hm? This key doesn''t seem to work.


    Ramius - It''s a magic key. You just put it in and Will the door to open.


    *Click* Then the door opened.


    Issei - Hm. I see...


    Ramius - Magic keys work only for the owner of the house, their family, and the royalty they''ve pledged loyalty to.


    Issei - Royalty? Ah... So that means it''s like a statement towards Royalty, such as the king that he''s welcome at any time?


    Ramius - Correct. I''m a Knight and you''re still a soldier so we can''t defy the king.


    Issei - Hmm... But that seems like it defeats the purpose of a key, don''t you think?


    Issei doesn''t really care if its the king or not, as long he doesn''t bother him then he wouldn''t care. But if the king somehow pisses him off though... Heh.


    Ramius - I wouldn''t be too worried. It''s purely about the idea. No royalty would actually enter our house.


    Issei - ''I feel like someone would do just that soon...''


    Ramius - ...For the most part, at least. Anyway, enough about royalty. The door already opened so let''s go inside.


    Issei - Sure.


    When they opened the door, they found an old-fashioned, but artful entrance awaiting them. Ramius main house was more fancy and eastern-influenced, but this house seems more moderate but still very comfortable. To be honest Issei prefers this kind of house rather than the fancy''s one.


    While Issei went inside to check the house. Ramius uneasily stayed put at the door.


    Issei saw her like that and asked "Ramius? What''s wrong? Not coming in?"


    Ramius fidgety said "I-I''ve heard that when newlyweds first enter their house, the husband carries the wife in. I-I won''t make you do it if you don''t want to though...


    Issei just smiled at that and went towards her, then he picked her up bridal style.


    Ramius - Ah...


    Issei - Satisfied?


    Issei asked with a gentle smile on his face


    Ramius - U-Um...


    Then he brings Ramius inside the house while still carrying her...


    Then they saw the furnitures in the house, it''s all very expensive looking and also very beautiful. It seems Ramius''s father really give his all decorating this house.


    Issei - Hmm. It''s quite big.


    Ramius who''s still in his hands responds with "I-Is it? I think it''s relatively normal."


    Issei - Hmm. For you maybe it is indeed normal, but for common people, this is a very big house.


    Ramius - Hm, I do think it''s average for the houses in this area though... How''s your house looks like? The one on the <Fresh Fish Island>.


    Issei - Hmmm I live in a twin girl house... Their house is a common wooden house nothing too fancy about it, but I find it comfortable.


    Ramius - I-I see... So you live with the twin girls?


    Issei - Yeah. They are my fiance too, they treated me when I was injured you see... I don''t remember how I get there myself.


    Ramius - O-Oh right you said you lost your memory... Y-You said they are your fiance?


    Issei - Yeah. I fell in love with them after the time we spent together, they keep taking care of me until I''m fully healed... Well, their names are Kyou and Kinou.


    Ramius - I-I see... So the reason you want to become a Knight is to marry them both?


    Issei - Well yeah...


    Ramius - ...They must be quite the amazing girls, aren''t they?


    Ramius went silent because of Issei''s word, she''s afraid he will abandon her when he married that twin. But then he remembered his promise for her, so she shakes off her uneasiness right away.


    Issei - Indeed but they are quite weird you see... They told me to become the highest rank of Knights and find new wives along the way you see... At first, I was skeptical thinking I might not find new girls that I could love... But then I was proved wrong.


    Issei looked towards Ramius with a smile and Ramius heart thumped loudly because of his gaze. His gazes which always filled with gentleness and love towards her always makes her melt with happiness inside...


    There was a painting of a woman in splendorous armor who looked identical to Ramius.


    Issei knows that''s not Ramius because they have different bearings and most of all her chest is a bit smaller than Ramius''s.


    Ramius - That painting is a painting of my mother. I didn''t realize it was left here. I''ll have it sent to Father later.


    Issei - You look very alike to your mother.


    Ramius - The similarities end there. As a person and a Knight, she was by far the greater woman.


    Issei - Don''t belittle yourself, Ramius. You''re perfect just the way you are. I''m sure you can become even greater than your mom someday. Trust me, I will make it happen.


    Ramius - U-Um I believe you...


    Issei smiled then asked once more


    Issei - So your mom is also a Knight huh. You do mention she gets this house as a reward for her service right?


    Ramius - Yes, albeit a woman, Mother was the heir to the Dreissen family, and carried out her role as a Knight. Working her way up to the position of <Zero Knight>


    Issei - Hmm. I see she become a <Zero Knight> huh...


    Ramius - And you could say I wanted to be a Knight because of my mother too... Her defense of the weak and tireless fighting on the front lines gave me the deepest respect for her.


    Issei - So you followed in her footsteps.


    Ramius - Yes, I wanted to help the weak and make a peaceful world, much like my mother did. But compared to my brother, I''m easily worked up and frequently shortsighted, I believe... Thinking about it now, the people of Abel''s desire to keep their distance from me is understandable.


    Issei - They are just idiots, and you did your duty as a Knight just fine.


    Ramius - But I realized when I met you that''s not enough.


    Issei - Hm?


    Ramius - I want to protect the weak, but that''s the objective. The ultimate ideal, so to speak.


    Issei - Then?


    Ramius - First, I have to get stronger. To do that, I needed someone who''d support me at my side. The first person I should protect is you, the one who stands with me... Even though you''re stronger than me and doesn''t need my protection but I still want to help and fight with you, even a little...


    Issei - Ramius... Ah. I will leave my back to you. I will count on you for that... And I''m glad I can fight with you too.


    Ramius - Un!


    Ramius is overjoyed to have Issei''s trust in her. Her face smiled joyfully.


    Then Issei leaned his head towards Ramius and give her lips a kiss.


    Ramius went wide-eyed at first then she reciprocates his kiss soon after...


    In the as of yet unfamiliar house. Issei and Ramius learned a bit about each other.


    Ramius - U-Um Ise... Come the day you work your way up to the ranks, I, um... Don''t object to you having more wives... B-But... Uh, well...


    Issei knows what she wants to say so he hugs her tighter in his embrace and said with a smile


    Issei - Don''t worry. Even if I have more wives I will never forget nor leave you behind, I promised you didn''t I?


    Ramius - U-Un... Err, in any case... Until you do move up the ranks and have more wives... May I have you to myself?


    Ramius asked with her head down and her eyes turned up at Issei. (She''s giving Issei the ''puppy'' look)


    Issei who saw that thought ''C-Cute... Damn it Ramius, you just had to do that...''


    Issei felt his libido acting up again after seeing her acting like that and he reflexively holds Ramius tighter in his embrace and just when he''s about to kiss her again...


    Issei - Ramius...


    Ramius - A-Ah... Ise...


    *BAAAANG!*


    There''s someone opened the door of their house loudly. And Issei knows well who did it...


    Riche - Yahoooo! Huh, so this is your house. Unexpectedly cozy.


    Issei - *Sigh*...''She just keeps popping out whenever things gonna get good...''


    Ramius - RICHE?!


    Riche - Ping Pong~

 Chapter 37 - 36

    Issei - Oh... much appreciated


    Issei can only put Ramius down from his hold and begrudgingly look at Riche for co*ckblocking him once more with Ramius.


    Riche who realized his gaze put a wry smile and sweated a little...


    Ramius - No it''s not! You were supposed to return to the capital, so why are you here?


    Riche - Oh, um... Well, I did. But after I told the Knights what I knew, I had nothing to do, so I came over to visit.


    Ramius - ...Is that true?


    Riche - Yep, all true. The Knights are already scrambling all over the place.


    Ramius - Hrrm...


    Issei - *Sigh* Whatever the reason is at least she came to congratulate us...


    Ramius - You''re too nice, Ise... So what are you really after, Riche?


    Riche - Oh wow, you saw right through me.


    Ramius - I''ve known you long enough at this point.


    Ramius shrugged, to which Riche shamelessly smiled. Issei''s has a tick mark on his head hearing that...


    Riche realized Issei''s irritation so she knows she better not tease them anymore and tell them the real reason why she came here.


    Riche - *G-Gohon* So actually, I came to give Issei an offer.


    Issei - What?


    Riche - So the thing is you know I''m a princess, because of that I''ve got the authority to personally appoint a Knight. So I want to offer you that since you want to become a Knight right?


    Ramius - If you have a high enough status, like a marquess or greater, you''re allowed to appoint them you see.


    Riche - So wanna give it a try?


    Issei - ...What''s the catch?


    Riche -Nothing. I''ve known your strength and your personality so I know you can easily pass the test. If I could I would have already promoted you myself but there are rules so I can''t...


    Ramius - Umu. Appointments by individuals are special cases but are not exempt from the rules. But indeed with Ise''s talent, he can easily become a <Zero Knight> much less a normal Knight. He already defeated my brother you see... Even without breaking a sweat too at that.


    Riche - EHHHHHH?! YOU CAN DEFEAT ACHEVAL?!


    Riche becomes wide-eyed knowing Issei able to defeat 1 of the strongest Zero Knight of Eden Kingdom.


    She knows Issei is strong but not to this extent...


    Issei - Hm? Yeah, I fought him because it''s a test from him. He said if I wanted his approval on marrying Ramius I need to fight him, so I did.


    Ramius - ...Well, it wasn''t really a fight since Ise never launch an attack of his own towards Aniue... Ise only blocks all of Aniue attacks you see...


    Riche becomes totally at loss for words... A guy she just met a few days ago already have a strength strong enough to easily defeat a <Zero Knight> without breaking a sweat at that too if she might add.


    Knight is a prestigious position, so just becoming one does wonder for your personal record. But if nobles could just appoint unqualified family members, it''d harm the prestige of Knights as a whole.


    Like it or not Issei need to take a test that only Soldiers can take to become a Knight.


    Now she''s really jealous Ramius to have such a perfect husband... Strong, handsome, caring, kind...


    Riche - I-I see...


    She can only wryly smile once more.


    Ramius - Hm... But I''m under the impression the test is over though? Aniue told us stuff happened.


    Riche - Yeah, about that. Nobody passed the test, did you know that?


    Ramius - Really? I heard we were cutting down on Knights but was the test that difficult?


    Riche - So Issei just needs to pass it, then nobody can complain he''s not qualified at least. And I''m sure Acheval would vouch for his strength too if it comes to it no? The test should be very easy for Ise anyway.


    Ramius - Hrrrm... It is true.


    Riche - Anyway, here''s a letter of recommendation for you. Take this to a bigshot from the Knights in the capital. Let''s see... Barro should be good. Hand it to him, then he should oversee your test.


    Issei - Barro? Is it that Barro Roan. The one that Acheval-nii said?


    Ramius - Umu. Like my brother, he''s one of our three Zero Knights.


    Issei - Hmm, I see. Another <Zero Knight> huh...


    Ramius - He''s certainly skilled, and he''s highly popular. Your test could be managed by no better person that I can think of.


    Riche - Hmmm, well... Probably, I guess...


    There''s a reason why Riche feels unsure about Barro you see... But that''s shall be revealed in the future. He''s not a bad person if anything he''s indeed a great person, but it''s just that...


    Issei - Fine. Then let''s go, Ramius.


    Ramius - What, already?! It''s so sudden, I, but...


    Riche - Oh my~ want Ise to yourself that much, Ramius?


    Ramius - Wha?! Th-That''s not true. I''m just surprised by the abruptness of it all.


    Riche - Then get going. I''m tired, so I''ll rest in this house for a bit if that''s okay.


    Issei - Just remember to lock the door.


    Riche - Okay~


    Ramius - Riche, just what are you planning?


    Riche - Just think of it as a rich girl entertaining herself for now. Oh, you get to the capital by going around the mountains and heading straight west.


    Ramius - I know that...


    Riche - Well, just in case you forgot.


    Ramius - My memory is not that bad you know... But fine, let''s go Ise.


    Issei - Ah.


    Then Ramius headed outside first while Issei stays behind for a second.


    Issei - Thank you, Riche.


    Riche - Eh? Ah, no problem.


    Issei - I know you''re at your limit so go ahead take plenty of rest, you can use the bed if you want.


    Riche - E-Eh... So you can tell huh...


    Issei - Who do you think I am? I can tell miles away that you''re exhausted right now. So go ahead and take a rest, you idiot.


    Riche - Ehehehe~ Thank you for the offer. Then excuse me, I''m just gonna use the sofa.


    Then she plopped on the sofa right away.


    Issei - *Sigh* What a reckless princess... Then I''m going, take care of yourself. Got it?


    Riche - Haiiii~ See you later.


    Then with that Issei walk out to meet up with Ramius...


    Riche - Haah... Guess I can''t do this by myself. Ise... Hope you make it in time.


    She''s happy that Issei is concerned for her.


    The conversation Riche overheard between Issei and Ramius ran through her head.


    Riche - Someone by your side huh... Ise...


    Riche whispered before she finally began to lightly snore.


    ...


    During the way to the capital, Issei and Ramius came across a flower field, there''s some weird Big eyeball like plant at the middle of the field though.


    But they both ignored it and just enjoy the sceneries, by the cliff they saw a particularly white, shining flower.


    It is a very beautiful flower.


    Ramius - It''s said if you''re sent one of these flowers, you''ll find happiness. It''s also known for being Eden''s National flower


    Issei - Hmm. I see...


    Issei felt like he has seen a flower like this before, if he''s not wrong it looks like just the flower on Riche''s hair.


    Then Issei proceeded to pick it up and put it on Ramius''s hair.


    Ramius is surprised by Issei''s sudden action.


    Ramius - I-Ise?


    Issei - Hmm. Beautiful...


    Ramius - ?! U-Uuuuu... T-Thank you...


    Issei smiled seeing her reaction and that flower truly fits her well, while Ramius face went deep red because of the shyness and happiness she felt right now.


    Along the way, Ramius keep touching the flower on her head and Issei just smiled at that.


    So after a while, they proceeded to head towards the capital.


    They met an adventurer along the way.


    Man - Oh, are you two newlyweds? There are lots of monsters around here, so be careful.


    Ramius - N-Newlyweds?!


    Man - Huh? Am I wrong?


    Ramius - Eh, Oh, no. Sorry... I was just a bit touched... So even a crude woman like me can appear that way...


    Issei - Crude... I think anyone would think you''re cute, Ramius. Especially me... I''ve told you didn''t I?


    Ramius - U-Un... Thank you. I know you feel that way about me. But I''m sure nobody else does.


    Issei - They are just blinds.


    Ramius - Fufu. Make no mistake, it''s not much of a concern to me. I''d be lying to say it never bothered me before, but it''s fine now... Because even if it''s just one person, I have you to tell me I''m cute, don''t I?


    Ramius smiled when he heard Issei''s words but then her face went mellow right after, Issei who saw her smile felt like an arrow just went straight through his heart.


    Issei - R-Ramius...


    Ramius - Ise...


    Their hearts raced as they stared at each other with moist eyes.


    Man - (What a couple of lovebirds...)


    The Man is happy seeing their interactions. They reminded him of his late wife...


    After that Issei and Ramius were wandering the field when without warning. Their vision was clouded with white.


    Ramius - Is this... Fog?


    What shrouded them was fog so thick they couldn''t see their own feet.


    Issei - It was sunny just a second ago... This fog is unnatural...


    Ramius - ...Th, Th-Th-Th-This is... Th-The Fog Labyrinth... Possibly.


    Issei - Fog labyrinth?


    Ramius - A mysterious phenomenon that occurs around the Kingdom of Eden.


    Issei - So nobody knows what causes it?


    Ramius - Right. Many randomly find themselves lost and pass out looking for the exit, I heard...


    Issei - Hmm...


    Issei looked back where they came from, but the path was already covered in the fog too.


    His dragon''s eye can''t really help that much because this is not a normal fog.


    Issei - All we can do is proceed carefully and search for the way out I guess...


    Issei isn''t too concerned because he could feel something at the center of this fog, and he can easily find it.


    Ramius - Y-Yes... It would be best to hurry. U-Uh, also...


    Issei - Hm?


    Ramius - J-Just to make certain we don''t get separated, I-I think we should hold hands...


    Issei saw that Ramius acting a bit fidgety more than usual and her body is trembling a little bit, then he realized she must be afraid.


    So he smiled at her and said


    Issei - You can come closer if you''re afraid, Ramius.


    Ramius - I-I-I''m not afraid! I-It''s just that...


    Her eyes teared up because she got found out but then she felt Issei''s hand on her head.


    Issei - It''s fine. I''ll protect you.


    Ramius who heard that finally relented...


    Ramius - U-Un...


    Then she comes closer to Issei side and holds his arm with both of her hands.


    *Munyu*


    Issei felt something soft on his arm... ''Guh! I forgot about this...'' Issei just took a deep breath to calm himself and then he started walking towards the center.


    There''s a bunch of Ghost monster along the way but they all died just from Issei''s <Aura> alone whenever they tried to get close. (AN: The ghost monster is not exactly a ghost. It''s kinda like ghost type pokemon)


    Ramius still felt a bit scared along the way but not by that much anymore. She flinches every time there''s a sudden ghastly voice in the distance, because of that she keeps holding Issei''s arm even tighter every time that happens.


    And Issei has to keep calm himself down because he can feel Ramius breast pressing against his arm whenever this happened...


    After a while, they finally reached the center of the Labyrinth, and at the center of it. There''s a ghost there...


    ??? - Ooh... Ooooo...


    Ramius - I-Ise... I hear a crying sound.


    Issei - Ah... It''s from that ghost.


    Ramius - G-G-Ghost?! W-Where!?


    Issei - There.


    Ramius is a bit pale hearing a ghost, but she steeled her self because she doesn''t want to become Issei''s burden.


    Then she looked towards where Issei pointed and she could see a bit of shadowy figure...


    So they slowly advanced at its direction.


    It''s a ghost girl, she has a short brown hair that reaches her neck with a white ribbon on her head, she wears what appears to be a white shirt and green sleeveless vest and a short brown skirt. Her eyes are green colored but it doesn''t have any focus inside it because she''s a ghost. They can''t see its legs clearly because it''s seen through and covered by what appears to be a white fog. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Tilt?file=Tilt-portrait.png Her picture in case you want to see.)


    Ghost - Oooh... Hic, waaaah...


    Ramius - Wh-What should we do? She''s likely creating the labyrinth. Should we attack?


    Issei - I don''t feel any ill intent coming from her... So let''s wait a bit.


    Issei never felt a soul this attached to the world of the living, so he can''t really make it pass on like he used to do on those souls he met before.


    Ghost - ...Oooh, where... Where is it?


    Issei - ''Is she looking for something?''


    Ghost - I can''t find it... Uhn, hic...


    Issei - ...Are you searching for something?


    Ramius - H-Hey! Don''t just talk to her!


    Issei - It''s fine. She''s harmless.


    Ramius - B-But still...


    Ghost - A flower... I''m searching for a flower...


    Ramius -SHE RESPONDED?!


    Issei - A flower? What kind?


    Ghost - I want to give it to... It''s for making people happy... Where is it?


    Issei and Ramius know what flower she''s searching for...


    Then the ghost noticed the flower on Ramius''s head.


    Ghost - Yes, that''s it... I want that flower...


    Ramius is a bit hesitant. Because this flower is given by Issei.


    And Issei won''t force her to hand over the flower to the ghost if she doesn''t want to. He would rather destroy this ghost soul rather than forcing Ramius to give it to the ghost against her wish.


    Issei - Sorry. But that flower is-


    Just when Issei wanted to deny the ghost request Ramius cut his words


    Ramius - No. It''s fine Ise... It''s just a flower anyway. If by giving her this flower enable her to pass on, then I don''t see why not we shouldn''t give it to her... After all, this is a flower that makes people happy. And I''m already happy just by having you by my side.


    Ramius smiled at Issei lovingly and she takes the flower off from her hair...


    Issei at first become surprised she would give it away because he knows she likes that flower very much, but after hearing the rest of her words he also smiled and stares at Ramius lovingly in return.


    Issei - I see... If that''s what you want then go ahead, I will find another flower for you later.


    Ramius - Un.


    Then Ramius looked towards the ghost and said


    Ramius - O-Okay, you can have it.


    Then she offers the flower to the ghost even though she''s still a bit afraid...


    Ghost - ...Are you sure?


    Ramius silently nodded. The ghost girl was unsure of herself but timidly took it.


    Ghost - Thank you... Now... I can be happy too...


    Ramius - Ah...


    The ghost girl vanished like a mirage, along with the rest of the Fog Labyrinth.


    Next thing they knew, the surrounding mist cleared away. Issei and Ramius felt the calm Eden wind on their skin.


    Ramius - That ghost seemed happy.


    Issei - Um. And it''s all thanks to you.


    Ramius - I-I didn''t do much...


    Issei just smiled at her while she''s acting bashful for being praised.


    Where the Fog Labyrinth had been, there was in its place a beautiful expanse of sunny sky.


    There''s a bunch of caravan and people who were waiting for the fog to clear up on the other side, when they saw the fog cleared up they saw Issei and Ramius.


    They thanked Issei and Ramius for clearing the fog so they are able to pass safely. Issei told them it''s all thanks to Ramius, so they thanked her profusely and Ramius is a bit flustered because there''s suddenly there are so many people thanking her at once.


    Issei just smiled looking at her being all flustered like that at the sidelines.


    After they are done thanking Ramius and Issei they rode off in their cow carriages and went on with their journey.


    Ramius - I-I''ve never been thanked by so many people before... So I''m pretty embarrassed about it.


    Issei - I see... But it feels nice right?


    Ramius - U-Un...


    Then they walked down the now fogless road to the capital.

 Chapter 38 - 37

    -The Kingdom of Eden, The Capital-


    Issei and Ramius finally reached the capital.


    The capital as expected is the biggest city in the Kingdom. The roads were packed with people, but whenever the occasional carriage passed, the crowd would split to let it through. There''s a water canal in this city and there are lots of people riding a canoe. The buildings are arranged nicely, they are standing strong and tall along the roads of pedestrians.


    There''s a lot of business shop such as blacksmithy, supply shop, delivery guild, adventurer guild, etc. But the building that stands out the most is obviously the Castle and the royal district, where the kings and royalty lives. They are built on top of a beautiful mountain.


    Even Issei is impressed because this city looks very beautiful indeed.


    Because the day is getting dark they decided to spend the night at the inn.


    They don''t have sex that night because they need to wake up early to meet with Barro. And both Issei and Ramius know if they really have sex then they won''t be able to wake up in the morning.


    So they only sleep in the same bed and hugging each other that night...


    In the morning Ramius asked Issei that she wants to visit her mother''s grave.


    Ramius - By the way, Ise. I hate to ask when we just got here, but do you mind if I go visit my mother''s grave?


    Issei - Of course not. Should I come along?


    Ramius - No, um... I-I''m telling her that I got married, but I''m embarrassed to say it if you were there too, so let me go alone. If you allow me of course.


    Issei can only relent at her request


    Issei - Fine. But be careful ok? And send my regards to your Mother as well. Or should I say "Our" Mother?


    Issei couldn''t help wanted to tease Ramius


    Ramius face went beet red and she stammers while saying "U-Un... I-I will send your regards t-to our M-Mother." Her voice went small at the end.


    Issei chuckled at seeing his wife''s antics so he stopped teasing her "Fine take care, but before that, come here." Then he took Ramius into his embrace and give her lips a soft kiss.


    Ramius - Eep! *Mm!*


    Ramius went wide-eyed by the sudden kiss.


    People on the roads started staring at them, and Ramius felt embarrassed by all the stares people giving them. So she just closed her eyes but she''s squirming around in Issei''s embrace.


    Issei finally stopped the kiss. "Go ahead, now." He said to the bashful Ramius.


    Ramius - U-Un. I''m going...


    Then she left Issei while still fidgeting a bit because she still remembering their kiss just now...


    They decided to meet up at the castle entrance, Issei parted with Ramius and walked around the town.


    He visited the church here.


    He saw Laurent again at the church. Then they have conversations with each other about how they''ve been doing and stuff like that.


    Laurent realized that Issei has a Golden Ring at his ring finger, she becomes surprised finding out that Issei is already married. But she congratulates him right after that.


    She becomes a little jealous seeing him already married deep inside but there''s nothing she could do either way. Because she''s a saint she''s not allowed to marry common people.


    After chatting a bit more they separated with each other, and Laurent is seeing Issei off again like in Abel town.


    After walking down the street Issei heard a familiar voice along with a perturbed girl''s voice coming from an alleyway.


    ??? - I-I really don''t need the offer. Stop following me or I''ll scream.


    ??? - I''m telling you, I ain''t sketchy. Traveling alone''s dangerous, so I''m just offering to guard you for cheap.


    Issei - Hm? That voice...


    Issei was curious about the familiar voice and walked toward the alleyway.


    At the corner Issei saw a shadow coming out of the alleyway, he knows there''s someone just around the corner but he never thought she gonna turn his way. And because of that, they bumped with each other.


    *Bump*


    ??? - Eek!


    Issei reflexively caught the girl from falling.


    ??? - Oh, I''m sorry... I''m in a... hurry...


    The girl tried to apologize but because of the colliding with each other Issei''s hood got uncovered and then she saw his handsome face at close range.


    Her eyes went wide after seeing his face and she becomes dazed just from seeing Issei''s face.


    Issei was already very handsome before he lost his virginity but after losing it his face becomes even more manly and he has a certain mature aura around him that makes woman couldn''t help become drawn to him.


    Even after he wears his hood the girls who saw him automatically attracted to his aura alone. Forget seeing his face even from his aura alone he might attract the opposite sex, like a moth to a flame.


    The girl in Issei''s arm felt her body melt at his embrace because his aura is affecting him at point blank range, and Issei still doesn''t realize that.


    Her eyes moisten and her face went red, she felt her heart beating so fast.


    Issei who saw her current face becomes confused at first then he asked: "Are you okay?"


    Then after hearing his question the girl finally snaps out of it and she hastily apologizes once more "I-I''m very sorry!" She said that while bowing her head.


    Then they both heard a man voice coming from behind the alley.


    ??? - Hey, let me finish talking!


    The man saw his target but he also saw a man he never expected to see here.


    ??? - Wha- Issei?!


    Issei - Hm? Oh, Yarase huh...


    Yarase, to be honest, is afraid of Issei after he felt his aura during Abel town which he emits towards Ginyu. And he''s surprised seeing his handsome face.


    He felt very jealous deep inside but he hid it.


    Issei could see a flash of envy on his eyes though, but he doesn''t know what he''s envying about. And Issei doesn''t really care about Yarase that much anyway.


    Issei asked what he''s doing here, is it to take the Knight test he said.


    Yarase told him he decided to become an adventurer instead of a Knight, he said being a Knight doesn''t fit him because he doesn''t like taking orders from people.


    But Issei knows he''s lying. From the info he gathers so far there''s a high chance that Yarase failed the test because Riche already said there''s no one passed the test this time. And the way Yarase averted his eyes and started sweating confirms his guess.


    So he said he was waiting for a request at the adventurer''s guild but by chance, he saw this girl and he wanted to offer his services to this girl. She''s traveling alone and he wanted to offer some protection.


    Then suddenly the girl cut in.


    ??? - Um... Then you''re out of luck. Yes, um... I-I''ve asked Issei here to be my guard already.


    Issei becomes confused at first but then he saw her pleading eyes towards him.


    He knows that this Yarase is not a good person. So leaving her alone with him might be dangerous.


    Issei won''t call himself a hero or anything like that. But he won''t just watch when someone is in need of help.


    The girl whispered towards Issei "I-I''m sorry... Please help." she pleaded once more.


    After Issei heard her pleading once more she finally relented and decided to play along.


    Issei - *Sigh* She''s with me, you can leave her to me.


    Yarase - E-Eh? But...


    Issei - I said she''s with me.


    Issei put a bit of pressure on Yarase.


    Yarase - O-Oh I see. W-Well, see you around.


    Then Yarase leaves just like that because he doesn''t want to mess with Issei. But he feels a bit of resentment towards Issei after this...


    ??? - Umm... Thank you so much. He was terribly persistent.


    Once she confirmed Yarase was gone, the girl began to repeatedly thank Issei.


    Issei - Um. Just be more careful from now on.


    When Issei wanted to leave the girl called him "W-Wait!"


    Issei - Hm?


    ??? - U-Ummm, I haven''t introduced myself. My name is Towa.


    Towa wears an attire that seems like a sailor uniform one piece at Japan but with a bit of modification here and there along with a blue shoe and black sock. She also wears a blue beret and a black ribbon on her head and. She has short light brown hair that reaches her neck and green eyes. She also carries a brown backpack at her back. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Towa?file=Towa-portrait.png her image in case you''re wondering)


    Issei - ...Issei Hyoudou.


    Towa - Eh?! Are you a noble perhaps?


    Issei - No I''m not.


    Towa - I-I see... U-Um, would you mind walking with me for a while? I would hate to run into him again you see... If that''s not a bother...


    Issei - ...I''m kinda busy at the moment, I need to head into the castle to meet up with my wife.


    Towa - A-Ah that''s perfect. Because I''m also heading towards the castle library.


    Issei - ...Very well.


    Towa - T-Thank you!


    Towa becomes happy she can walk together with Issei to the castle. When she heard he''s already married she felt a bit disappointed but doesn''t show it in her face.


    So they head together towards the castle.


    Along the way, Towa keeps informing him about the city. How to use the castle as a landmark in case he ever got lost. All the capital''s important facilities are set up around the castle, and all the rods are connected to those facilities.


    She also told him the history of the kingdom and etc. Issei is pretty surprised she seems very knowledgeable.


    She said she''s a tourist who likes to collecting stories to read, that''s also why she headed towards the library.


    Towa is a professional storytelling hailing from the City-State of Hamlet, more specifically the hospital-town of Horatio, which is operated by her father, Senator Laertes. Towa is sponsored by the Bigbux Company to travel the world telling stories (and advertisements) to the disenfranchised, especially children. In this capacity, she also helped educate her future husband, Aster, about the history of the world''s various countries. While on her journeys, Towa often does favors for her father and the administration of Horatio, such as collecting food orders from the Kingdom of Humpty.


    As both a professional storyteller and de facto healthcare provider, Towa is very good with people and especially with children, who love her illustrations and storytelling style. She often attracts large crowds to her readings with her playful and engaging style, is able to help children through their long-term medical care, and maintains a professional bedside manner with adult medical patients.


    After a while, they finally reached the castle.


    Towa - Oh, we''re at the castle. I can stop bothering you now, then. Thank you once again.


    She felt a bit sad that she''s gonna separate with Issei.


    Issei - You''re welcome.


    Then Towa waved with a smile and entered the castle.


    Issei just look towards her with a small smile.


    Ramius was waiting for Issei


    Ramius - You''re late, I was getting worried. Now let''s go meet with Barro.


    Issei - Ah. Sorry about that, I was helping someone.


    Ramius - Oh. It can''t be helped then, shall we?


    Issei - Sure.


    Then Issei and Ramius entered the castle, they headed towards Barro office right away.


    They were led to the commander room in the castle''s Knight sector.


    Barro - It''s been a while, Ramius.


    Ramius - It has, Barro.


    Barro - You seem as standoffish as ever. Acheval can get along with anyone, but you''re honestly like his total opposite.


    Ramius - I''m not my brother. Ise, this is one of our Zero Knights, Barro Roan.


    Issei - Um. Nice to meet you.


    Barro is quite the handsome man, he has long blonde hair tied in a long ponytail. He has light green eyes. He wears some kind of white suit with a red cape on his back just like Acheval and white jeans, he also carries a twin sword on his waist. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Barro_Roan?file=Barro-full.png his image)


    Barro Roan is a Zero Knight of Eden, a descendant of the Baroroan who cleared much of southern Eden of monsters, leading to the creation of Fort Baroroan. Barro himself ascended to the rank of Zero Knight during the Arthur Tragedy and has since gone on to manage Eden''s knights on a day-to-day basis, with the help of his assistant, Sufy.


    Barro - So, you''re Ramius''s husband, Issei Hyoudou was it?


    Issei - Ah. But I believe I haven''t introduced myself to you... Unless Acheval-nii told you about me.


    Barro - Hah hah hah, indeed. I saw Acheval earlier. He was overjoyed that he finally got a little brother.


    Ramius - Maybe Aniue could learn to keep his mouth shut...


    Barro - Ahahaha. But you do seem less cold than last time I saw you, Ramius.


    Ramius - ...It''s all thanks to Ise.


    Barro - Heh, good going pal.


    Issei just flashes a small smile.


    Barro - With a former Zero Knight mother and a current Zero Knight brother, Ramius has always seemed desperate to accomplish something herself... Eventually, she started trying to rush it by taking constant, reckless actions, getting her the nickname of Loner Knight.


    Ramius - Barro, that''s all in the past now.


    Barro - True enough. You''ve found someone to stand by your side.


    Ramius blushed hearing that but she still responded with. "...Yes."


    Barro - And I heard that you''re able to defeat Acheval, huh. Issei-kun.


    Then Barro redirected his attention towards Issei once more.


    Barro - If I don''t know what type of guy Acheval is I might have thought he''s lying but he''s not the type who lie about something like this you see.


    Issei just calmly said, "It''s nothing, he just went easy on me."


    Barro - Hahaha, quite the humble attitude you have there. But Acheval already told me the full story you see... He fought you with all his strength and you can calmly block his attacks so I''ve heard.


    Issei just stays silent at that. But Ramius confirmed it.


    Ramius - Indeed. Aniue attack Ise with all his strength but it''s all blocked by Ise.


    Barro - Hoo... I see... Well, I would like to fight you myself but I''m kinda busy at the moment... Acheval is out at the moment, but if you want you can leave a message to him and I will tell him later.


    Ramius - No, we''re here to see you. See, we were given this.


    Then Ramius gives the letter of recommendation from Riche to Barro.


    Barro - Hoh, a letter of recommendation... Mhm, mhm. I see... Even our young lady Riche has her problems. I would''ve just appointed you to become a Knight myself if I could you see... Your strength is already confirmed by Acheval himself anyway. But rules are rules so no shortcut allowed. Very well, I can oversee your Knight test.


    However, this test isn''t official. So whether you pass or not, I can''t appoint you as a Knight. Understood?


    Issei - Got it.


    Barro - Then I''ll tell you the conditions of our recruitment test from the other day... An abnormal phenomenon called the Fog Labyrinth occurs around the capital. Determine and stop the cause of this anomaly.


    Ramius - ...The Fog Labyrinth?


    Issei - Ah... That thing huh.


    Barro - Oh, sounds like you''re already familiar with it.


    Ramius - Well... You see... We already determined the cause and stopped it.


    Barro - Eh?


    Ramius - Yeah. On our way here we encountered the Fog Labyrinth and we already finished the problem.


    Barro - ...Tell me the details...


    Then Ramius proceeded to tell Barro what happens in the fog labyrinth...


    Barro - I see... You''re more impressive than I imagined. I think you''re perfectly fit to be a Knight. *Sigh* But what a lucky coincidence huh, to think you already passed the test even before knowing the content...


    Issei - Stuff happens.


    Barro - Fine. You pass, Whatever the reason why you want to be a Knight, I''ll vouch for your talent. But it''s too bad though. If this were an official test, I''d have you recruited as soon as possible.


    Issei - Hm? And why is that?


    Barro - Well, this isn''t public knowledge, but when the Soldiers we sent on this mission saw the ghost, they fell into disarray and even began to attack each other.


    Ramius - I think I can understand that. I can say facing an unknown foe shook me up, at least.


    Barro - But the same thing didn''t happen to you. Why is that?


    Ramius - Well... Because Ise was with me... Wait, don''t ask me that!


    Barro - Hahahaha, sorry. But you''d be surprised how few people can stay calm when they feel threatened. In fact, everyone who failed the test even tried to make excuses by spreading rumors that the Fog Labyrinth was dangerous... Actually, the fog labyrinth is actually harmless, beyond getting people lost. The monsters are one thing, but the ghost itself never attacked anyone.


    Ramius - In other words, you knew about the labyrinth and the ghost already... Do you know anything about who the ghost girl was?


    Barro - Yes, it was a few years back I think... On one foggy day, a girl lost her life. Ever since then there have been sightings in the Fog Labyrinth of a ghost girl wandering in search of a flower... Giving her the flower she wants does stop her for a while, but we''ve had our hands so full with monsters that we haven''t been able to do that as of late.


    Ramius - Then why didn''t you say to give her that flower as part of the test?


    Barro - That wouldn''t be much of a test now would it? Listen, Knights have to combat more than vicious monsters. If you determine that another human is harmful to humanity, you''ll have to fight them as well... That''s why a Knight must always keep thinking. You have to find out who the true enemies are on your own.


    Issei - So you wanted to see what would the participants do if they meet the ghost huh...


    Barro - Exactly. Well, if they just reported that she had no ill intent, that would''ve been fine on its own... But I''m surprised you even gave her the flower as well.


    Issei - It''s Ramius who did it.


    Ramius - W-What? But it was you who get the flower, Ise...


    Barro - Haha. That just means you both are nice people... Well, that''s even more unfortunate, we''re forced to let a big fish go it seems...


    Barro shrugged, looked down at his desk, and wrote up a document.


    Barro - Here''s proof of your strength. I doubt anyone would want to get on the Dreissen family and a man who can beat a Zero Knight by himself bad side. But if anyone does doubt you, show them this.


    Issei - Ah. Thanks a lot.


    Barro - No problem.


    Ramius - I know you''re busy combating Outlaws, so I thank you for taking the time for this.


    Barro - Hm? There have been several Outlaws sightings, but not to the degree that we need to take action just yet.


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei and Ramius feel something wrong because Riche said the Knights were on the move because of the sparkle bombs.


    Ramius - Didn''t you hear what happened in Abel?


    Barro - I did, a young girl left town and got kidnapped. I feel deeply for her. But she has been rescued no?


    Ramius - ...


    Ramius felt even worried after hearing that. Issei also felt the same thing


    Ramius - I-I''m sorry, I just remembered something urgent. We''ll be leaving now.


    Issei - Ah. Thank you once more.


    Then Ramius grabbed Issei''s hand and pull him outside, but Issei knows what''s on her mind so he doesn''t resist.


    Barro - What a nice couple... Be careful on the way home.


    -Outside the castle-


    Ramius - It sounds like Riche played us for fools...


    Issei - Indeed. She said she told the Knights about the sparkle bombs, but that doesn''t appear to be the case...


    Ramius - Um. Sparkle bombs are very dangerous. If they were used in the city, we would have countless casualties. They should be mobilizing everyone available...


    Issei - Tsk! That idiot princess...


    Ramius - But we know her target. It''s whoever gave the Outlaws from that hideout their orders.


    Outlaws are just a pack of bandits. They wouldn''t be able to procure sparkle bombs on their own so there must be a mastermind behind it.


    Riche didn''t inform the knights because if they enter a state of high alert then the mastermind would have notice something''s wrong and all will be for naught.


    Ramius - I can''t leave Riche to hurt herself. I think I''ll go help her right now.


    Issei - Ah. I''ll come too. I still have some business with that idiot anyway.


    Ramius - Um. Thank you, Ise. With you, it should be pretty easy to help her. Then let''s head towards that old Outlaw''s den we found last time.


    Issei - Ah. Let''s go.


    Then they headed towards the Outlaw den...

 Chapter 39 - 38

    The Arthur Tragedy was a major event in the World of Eve, which occurred some five years before the events of Evenicle. The incident began as an attempt by the original Snake Crest to bring the human nations of the World of Eve to war. Having caught wind of these plans, an alliance was formed between King Tram of Arthur, King Louin of Eden, and Emperor Viares of Central to thwart the Snake Crest. Unfortunately for the alliance, events soon spiraled out of control due to unexpected developments, and ended with, among other losses, the destruction of the Kingdom of Arthur. With high losses and a global realization that the consequences would have easily been higher, the repercussions of the Arthur Tragedy are still felt to this day.


    The Snake Crest objectives are to bring war into the world once more.


    Acheval, Barro, and Kathyrn become <Zero Knights> after that event because of their achievement during the war.


    Riche is unfit to become the next heir so she wanted to serve the country she loves by uncovering the Snake Crest whereabouts and plans.


    There''s a mole in the Knight''s rank that''s why she has trust issues and doesn''t report the finding of the sparkle bombs to them.


    -Inside the Outlaws cave-


    Riche is hiding behind a box to wait for the Mastermind shows himself and after waiting for a while there''s a bunch of Outlaws arrived here just like she expected.


    She cleaned the aftermath from Issei and Ramius raid a few days ago so the mastermind won''t feel suspicious.


    The Outlaws started talking with each other, they were wondering where are the previous comrades are.


    Riche knows she''s outnumbered so she decided to just hide for now and gather information about them. She was thinking after she found out their hideout and plan she will ask Issei to help her solve this problem after appointing him as her Knight.


    That''s why she gave Issei that recommendation letter so he could pass the test and appoint him herself to be her Knight.


    And as expected after waiting for a while the Outlaws started mentioning their backers, how they already set up the sparkle bombs like they were told to.


    Then they started bragging how good killing and raping is. How they gonna change the world by bringing war.


    Riche can feel her patience is at its limit after hearing all the deeds they had done to the country she loves.


    Finally, she can''t take it anymore and started engaging the Outlaws.


    Issei and Ramius reached the cave as fast as they can, along the way, as usual, there are some guards and monster in their way but Issei kills all of them instantly.


    And when they reached the main room they saw that the Outlaws are surrounding Riche, and she seems to be at her limit because her mana almost runs out.


    One of the Outlaws which seems to be the leader showed an insignia on his body, the insignia looks like a snake eating its own tail.


    Apparently, if someone becomes an Outlaw then the monsters won''t target them as much as they target the one who still has Mother Eve''s blessing, and with that insignia, they can tell a simple order to the monsters and they will obey it.


    They have a giant monster with them that looks like a green lizard but it has 4 legs and 2 hands it also has a third eye on its forehead.


    The Outlaws wanted to **** Riche and take her hostage against the Kingdom, so they ordered the Lizard to just injure her.


    Riche was in despair knowing she might get raped by them and the thought of being made a hostage as a bargaining chip for the country she loves makes her resolute herself.


    She took out a knife in her pocket to end herself in order to prevent being taken as a hostage and raped by them.


    Riche - ''If it comes to it I rather kill myself... Ise...'' At the last moment of her life, she recalled the memory she has with Issei.


    She shed tears knowing she might not meet him again or meet the family she loves once again.


    Outlaw - Go get him you lizard!


    *Groarrrrrr!*


    Riche closed her eyes and bring the dagger to her throat but suddenly she felt someone holding her hand.


    Issei - What do you think you''re doing, idiot princess.


    Riche opened her eyes wide just to see the face of the man she wanted to see the most on the last moment of her life.


    Riche - ...Is this a dream?


    Issei - What do you think, idiot.


    Then Issei flicked her forehead after throwing the knife in her hand.


    Riche - It hurts!


    Riche holds her forehead with teary eyes.


    Issei - Hmph. Think that as a punishment for your stupidity.


    All the Outlaws feels shocked because there''s suddenly a man who shows up out of nowhere.


    Outlaws - W-Who are you?!


    The outlaws become alarmed because of his sudden appearance, but then they remembered they still have that Lizard.


    Outlaws - Heh! It doesn''t matter who you are because you will die here anyway. Hey, you dumb lizard go get them!


    But the Lizard doesn''t respond to the Outlaws command.


    Outlaws - What are you waiting for? Go get them I said!


    Issei - It won''t obey your order anymore.


    Outlaws - What?!


    Issei - Because it''s already dead.


    Then the lizard head got separated from its body.


    *BAM!*


    Its corpse dropped lifelessly into the ground with blood spurting from its severed neck.


    Outlaws - H-Hiiiii!


    Issei - And you all will be joining it soon.


    Outlaws - Y-You ass-


    The outlaw''s word got cut off because suddenly Issei is right in front of them.


    Outlaws - ?!


    Then with 1 swing of his sword, they all become a corpse with their head separated from their neck just like how the Lizard dies.


    They still don''t know how they died, they can see their own bodies at the last moment of their lives.


    Riche who saw all that become awed, even she can''t tell when did Issei suddenly got there.


    The next thing she knows he just casually swing his sword and they all died right after.


    Issei just calmly stands there with his sword out in the open, there''s not a single drop of blood on its sword. Then he sheathed his sword back.


    Riche who saw that blushed deeply because he looks so cool just now, she felt she''s getting hot inside just by looking at him.


    Issei went to Riche once more.


    Issei - So what do you have to say for yourself, you dolt.


    Riche - H-Hweh?


    Riche got taken by surprise because of Issei sudden question.


    Issei - Didn''t I told you to be careful? You''re supposed to be a princess for god''s sake, how come you''re so reckless.


    Issei sighed and rubbed his forehead.


    Riche stayed silent and looked down.


    Issei - Ramius and I were worried if something will happen to you, you know?


    Riche body stiffens hearing that.


    Riche - ...You''re worried about me?


    Issei - Hah? Of course I am, you think I''m some unfeeling monster or something? Besides, Ramius will be sad if-


    Issei words got cut out because suddenly Riche jumped into his embrace and hugged him tightly.


    Issei at first got taken aback by her sudden action but then he felt her body is trembling and he can feel something''s wet on his chest. He knows she must be pretty shaken about what just happened back then.


    She almost lost her chastity and her life just now.


    So Issei just sighed and rubbed her head and her back to make her feel better.


    Riche sobbed harder feeling his touch...


    After a while, she finally calms herself down but her face is red after what she just did.


    Issei - Feeling better? And did you get hurt somewhere?


    Riche - ...Um. And I''m not hurt anywhere... But I might get hit by something else...


    She added the last part with a low voice.


    Issei - What?


    Riche - Nothing... I just came to a realization you see.


    Ramius - I swear, you always overdo it. When we get home, you''ll need a lecturing.


    Riche - Haah... What, Ramius? You were there?


    Ramius - ...Yes, I''ve been at the door this whole time. You didn''t notice? In fact, this whole time you were hugging Ise I''ve been standing here the whole time.


    Riche - I-I see...


    Riche blushed once more at that.


    Ramius - And by the way, here.


    *Bam!*


    Ramius tossed a sole Outlaw survivor at the floor.


    Ramius - That''s the Outlaw who''s been left alive by Ise. He also has that insignia on his collar you see.


    Outlaw - H-Hyiii!


    Riche - Hm. Perfect.


    When they wanted to get the info from the Outlaw he suddenly died while murmuring they are disposable pawn after all this time.


    They apparently died by poison. It appears to be from the wine they drink just before they got here, and from their conversation back then Riche knows someone gave them that wines.


    Snake crest insignia fit them perfectly because they kill and eat each other basically.


    Riche - Anyway, if you''re here. I take it you were approved for becoming a Knight?


    Issei - Ah.


    Riche - Then I''ll appoint you, as promised... Or so I''d like to say but...


    Issei - What?


    Riche - I want a Knight because I want help fighting Outlaws... Or Snake Crest, specifically... As you just saw, Snake Crest is not only cruel but has agents within our own government. Their darkness knows no bound.


    Issei - So?


    Riche - With skill like yours, you could take next year''s Knight test and pass easily. Then I''m sure you''ll have no problem moving up the ranks.


    Riche implied it''d be better to stop associating with her, but continued to look solemnly into Issei''s eyes.


    Riche - ...In spite of all that, will you still be my Knight?


    Issei answer is just another flick to her forehead.


    Riche - It hurts! Stop flicking me in my forehead...


    Issei - That''s for being stupid once again. Do you think I will be afraid of something like this? And did you forget that I still owe you one promise?


    Riche then remembered the promise he gave her.


    Issei - Besides, I have something against them too you see... For hurting Ramius before...


    He remembered the Adan''s blood incident with Ramius and that makes his anger boils.


    Ramius felt warm inside that he love her that much while Riche is getting a bit jealous seeing that. So she made up her mind.


    Riche - Alright, I''ll make you a Knight. But I need to make some preparations. Can you wait at your house in <Stallion> for me?


    Ramius - Hrm, preparations? You''re not planning something again, are you?


    Riche - O-Of course not. I really do need to prepare, uh... Mentally.


    Issei - Mentally for what?


    Riche - Anyway, if you want to be a Knight, just go wait at home!


    Issei - O-Ou.


    Issei is a bit taken aback by her sudden yell but he agreed to her request anyway.


    Issei and Ramius head back towards their house after that.


    Issei waited at home until nightfall, when Riche arrived as promised.


    Riche - Sorry I''m late! I had to get everything ready.


    Issei - You keep coming in without knocking... Having that magic key sure is convenient.


    Riche - Just the Kingdom of Eden''s. When I was born, I was baptized by the Church of Mother Eve, which gave me special powers... One of those is the power to appoint Knights. But since I''m the second princess, I only get to appoint one.


    Issei - Hmm. I see.


    Riche - Now, let''s get started. I''m sure you''ll be bored, Ramius. So have some tea while you wait. Oh, be careful, it''s still hot.


    Ramius - When did you make this? Actually, how did you know where everything was in our kitchen anyway?


    Riche - I checked it out during my last visit. Even bought stuff you were missing.


    Riche brushed off Ramius''s question and took an eye-catching ornamental dagger out of her bag.


    Riche - Ise... Issei Hyoudou''s Knight appointment ceremony will now begin. Come before me.


    Issei - Ah.


    Riche - I, Riche Eden. In the name of Mother Eve, welcome a new Knight into the world.


    When Riche said Eve''s name, her body began to emit a mystifying light. The glow was glorious. Riche''s beautiful face is illuminated in that light.


    Riche - Issei Hyoudou, protector of peace and tranquility. In order to fulfill your duty, do you swear to dedicate your life to Mother Eve?


    Issei - I do.


    Riche - Very well. Then I shall grant your soul the Mother''s blessing.


    Riche lightly tapped the dagger on Issei''s shoulder. The light spread from her to him, enveloping them both in a dull glow. Eventually, as if being absorbed into his body, the light disappeared.


    Issei - ''Quite warm...''


    Riche - There, all done! Now you''re one of our Knights! You did it! Congrats!


    Ramius - You''re aligned with the Kingdom of Eden, but unlike me, you should be able to act freely as long as Riche allows it.


    Riche - But you wanted to marry those twins? You''ll have to wait until you''re a Ten Knight for that.


    Issei - I know.


    Riche - With that said... Ise...


    Issei - What?


    Riche is fidgeting around while being red-faced.


    Riche - U-Um... Please have sex with me...


    Issei - ...What?


    Ramius - What are you saying, Riche?!


    Issei thought he heard something weird from her just now.


    Riche - W-What? I want to have sex with Ise of course.


    Ramius - Are you serious... Guh...?


    *Thud*


    Ramius jumped up at Riche''s suggestion but then she stumbled onto the sofa.


    Issei - Ramius?!


    Ramius - I-Is this... an anesthetic...


    Riche - Yeah, put some in the tea. I had a feeling you''d get in the way.


    Ramius - Is this... what you were ''preparing''...? Wh-What is the meaning of this?


    Riche - Well... I''ve been thinking it through and I decided I wanted to marry Ise you see.


    Ramius - Ridiculous... You''re still technically a princess of Eden.


    Riche - So what? My newborn brother''s supposed to take the crown, and they haven''t found anyone to marry me off to anyway.


    Ramius - That''s because you keep doing these crazy things...


    Riche - Uh huh, say whatever you want. N-Now, Ise... You''ll have sex with me, won''t you?


    Issei - Nope.


    Riche - Wha- But why?!


    Issei - What do you mean why... When you just suddenly asked to have sex with me out of nowhere... Sex is supposed to be done by the one who loves each other, not just anyone.


    Riche - B-But... I asked you because I love you...


    Issei - ...What? You weren''t thinking to make me your husband to help you with the Snake crest problem? If so then you don''t need to make me your husband because I will help you either way.


    Riche - I know you would help me with snake crest either way... I-I know I''m a princess but I won''t pick you as my husband just because you''re only useful for me.


    Issei - ...Hah?


    Riche - Ugh... Ahh, geez! I love you okay! I''ve felt that way ever since we first met each other! Then knowing your kind personality, and how you''re willing to save Ramius no matter the cost. I felt jealous of seeing your interaction with her, how you took care of her with so much gentleness and caringness... And after you saved me at the Outlaw den I''ve become sure of my feelings toward you!


    Riche''s admission of her feelings made her go red in the face. She looked away and pouted with teary eyes like a child who did something wrong.


    Issei - ...


    Issei didn''t know what to say after hearing that. To be honest, he also felt a liking towards her. But it''s not to the point of love.


    Now after hearing her confession, he felt something inside him stir and he wasn''t so sure of his feelings anymore.


    After he lost his virginity he felt like something inside him changed. He''s more vulnerable to the emotions called ''Love''.


    Ramius - ...Do it, Ise.


    Issei - Huh?


    Riche - What? You don''t mind, Ramius? If we, like... Have sex?


    Ramius - It''s a bit sad I can''t have Issei to myself, but I''m more than used to sharing with you. In fact, I''m glad you fell in love with the same man as me.


    Riche - Ermm...


    Issei - I wonder if you two will even ask my opinion on this...


    Ramius - O-Oh right, sorry...


    Riche - ...I-If you don''t want to then it''s fine you know... I won''t force you...


    Issei - *Sigh* You''re a beautiful girl, Riche.


    Riche - Hwah?!


    Riche blushed hearing his sudden praise.


    Issei - I will be lying if I don''t have feelings for you but I still don''t know if I love you or not... And you know I already have Ramius and the twins that are waiting for me back at the island. Even after knowing that do you still want to have me as your husband?


    Riche - I-I do!


    Issei - *Sigh* I hope you won''t regret this...


    Riche - I won''t!


    Issei - ...Is that so? Then you better be ready because you won''t be getting any sleep tonight.


    Issei smirked evilly.


    Riche - ...Eh?


    Riche felt she just did something wrong.


    Ramius - You have my condolences, Riche...


    Riche - Wa-Wait?!


    Issei - Nope. Not happening, think of this as a payback for listening to Ramius and me having our first time together.


    Then Issei put Riche on his shoulder like a bag of potato sack and carried her off to the bed.


    Ramius - Umu. Agreed, and I will be watching you as well of course.


    Riche - Ehhhhhh?!

 Chapter 40 - 39

    Issei plopped Riche on the bed.


    Riche - W-Wait Ise.


    She hastily wanted Issei to slow down but he''s not having any of it.


    He holds both of her hands on top of her head with his hands, then he stole her lips right away.


    Riche went wide-eyed the moment she got kissed, then Issei put his tongue inside her mouth to find her lilac tongue and entangled their tongues together.


    Riche at first was squirming under the hold of Issei but after a while, she finally stopped squirming and reciprocate his kiss. Her moist eyes are half opened and it''s hazily filled with lust, her cheeks are blushing deeply.


    Riche - Mm, Mmn, Mwah...


    After a while, Issei stopped his kiss and Riche still look out of it. He let go of her hands and took off his clothes, then he undresses Riche''s as well.


    Just from the kiss along she felt wet down there, she''s still tasting the lingering after taste and doesn''t realize Issei started undressing her gently.


    After she snaps out of it, she noticed that she''s already half naked with only her white bra and panties on. And when she wanted to shriek, she saw Issei''s naked body and she went wide-eyed once more.


    She never knows that a man''s body could be this tempting. She unconsciously licked her lips after seeing Issei''s perfect body and after she saw Issei''s dragon rod down there she felt even hotter.


    Issei who saw her gaze feels proud of his own body, and he also looks at Riche half naked body. He really has to admit she really has a beautiful body, even though Ramius breasts are clearly bigger than hers, but it still looks enchanting regardless.


    Her breasts are just a perfect fit on his hands. So he pushed up her bra and massaged her exposed breast.


    Riche felt a jolt of electricity went up to her spine the moment Issei touched her breast.


    Riche - Hwah, yah... Mmm!


    Issei - Hmmm, smaller than Ramius''s, but really soft and nice to rub.


    Riche - D-Don''t dare compare mine to those... Besides, mine are tiny...


    Issei - Hmm. They are not tiny at all, it''s just the perfect size to fit in my hands.


    Riche - Mm... Don''t say that so loud... Anyway, why is just having my chest rubbed making me so shivery?


    While Ramius lay numb, she nodded and responded to Riche.


    Ramius - When Ise touched me for the first time, I realized being touched by the man you love feels better than you''d think.


    Riche - Hmmm... I see. Hey, wait! Where do you think you''re licking- Hyaaahn?!


    Issei''s lips traveled from Riche''s shoulder to her nape and finally to her ear.


    Riche - Mmm, don''t lick that... Hwah, ah, haaahn~ ?


    Issei tasted every inch of her body gently. Then he buried his face in Riche''s hair and inhaled, enjoying her aroma.


    Riche - Ah... Stop it, don''t sniff me like that... Eek?!


    Riche felt something''s poking her down there.


    Riche - Um... Was that always that big? It was smaller before...


    Issei''s hardening cock was noticeably larger than when Riche first looked.


    Issei - Hm? Of course, back then it''s still not fully erect.


    Riche - N-No way that will fit. Make it smaller!


    Issei - Not happening.


    Ramius - Don''t fret, Riche. It slides in surprisingly smoothly.


    Riche - R-Really?


    Ramius - Yes. Then we''ll share the pleasure of being stretched out by Ise''s cock. And you will physically experience the happiness of being his wife!


    Riche - U-Uuu, I-I got it, Shut up now, please...


    Riche rejected further comments from Ramius and returned to staring at Issei''s crotch.


    Riche - Ugh... I know it will fit, but why''d it have to grow so much?


    Issei - Isn''t it obvious? Because you''re soft, you smell great, and you''re cute. Do you think I won''t get hard after seeing you like this?


    Riche - S-So it''s my fault?


    Issei - Ah. You just flipped my switch, so I won''t let you sleep tonight.


    Riche - Uuuuu... I-I see... If it''s my fault, then what can you do I guess...


    Riche looked down with embarrassment but she actually seemed to be smiling.


    Then Issei softly rubbed her butt.


    Riche - Hey, don''t touch... My butt, ah, that tickles... Do you really like it that much?


    Issei - Mm. It''s quite a nice butt...


    Riche - Huh... Hyahn, I said don''t... Ah, mmm, haahn... ?


    Issei whispered in her ears "Your moans are pretty sexy." Then Issei went caressing Riche''s breast as he rolled her nipples between his finger.


    Riche - Mmm... Ah, haaah...


    Riche began to pleasantly moan once more.


    Riche - ''Oh geez... It really feels better than when I touch them myself... My mind is going blank... Ah, can''t stop... moaning'' Haahn! Ah... Mmn!


    Issei - I will take the rest of your clothes off.


    He whispered once more.


    Riche - Huh? Oh, wait- Eep!


    Issei yanked Riche''s panties down to her knees, causing her to yelp.


    Riche - I-I-I''m not ready for that yet... please put my panties back on...


    Issei - Nope.


    Riche - Uuuu...


    Issei - Ne, Riche...


    Riche - W-What?


    Issei - You''re really beautiful. Like a piece of art.


    Riche - ...No fair, how am I supposed to respond to that?


    Issei - Hmm? You don''t like it?


    Riche - ...No, I do... I''m so glad I''m grinning like a doofus. Geez!


    Issei - Good then.


    Riche - But you told Ramius the same thing, didn''t you?


    Issei - Why do you think that?


    Riche - Just... Y''know... My chest''s smaller than hers... I can''t see how you can honestly say that...


    Issei - Pfft!


    Riche - D-Don''t laugh! Maybe it''s nothing to you, but to me...


    Issei - Ramius is Ramius, and you are you. You both are completely different people, so what''s the point in making comparisons? What matters is that I find you precious and beautiful... Am I wrong?


    Riche - ...Geez... How can you say that with a straight face?


    Issei - Because I''m serious. Look at this, it can barely wait to get inside you.


    Issei''s penis had grown hotter and more ferocious.


    Riche - ...Do you really want me that much?


    Riche ignored her accelerating heartbeat and asked calmly.


    Issei - What do you think?


    Riche - ...Huh. Then you can have me... So... Be gentle.


    Issei - Ah. I will...


    Riche - Oh, also... Before you do it, help me feel good... It''s my first time, so I''m super nervous.


    Issei - Sure. But I have to say...


    Riche - What?


    Issei - You look really cute right now.


    Issei nibbled at Riche''s ear gently.


    Riche - ...?! Hmph. I-I''m always cute.


    Issei - Can''t deny that. But still a dummy though.


    Riche - D-Don''t call me a dummy!


    Issei - Hahaha... Sorry about that. Here...


    Issei slid his hand from her butt to her thighs, then lightly touched her vagina lips. After that, he gave Riche''s moist slit a push.


    *Shlick* *Shlick*


    Riche - Ah, th-that''s it... Mm, ah, haah.


    The motion of Issei''s finger produced honest moans from Riche''s mouth.


    Riche - ...Mmm! Ah, aaah, your finger... Ah, haaahn~ ?.


    Issei - How about this...


    Next, he tried using his middle and index fingers to loosen up the area around the entrance.


    *Sllsh* *Slllllsh*


    Riche - Hnngh?! Mm, ghh... Ah, haah, ah, going... In... Your finger''s... Ah, mmnn! ?


    The addition of some teasing inside her pussy made Riche shudder and look pleadingly up at Issei.


    Riche - *Sob* Iseee~ ?


    Riche whined like she was overcome by emotion, blasting Issei''s self-restraint out the window.


    Issei - ''Ugh! Don''t think I can stop myself...''


    Then he whispered huskily towards Riche ear "Riche, I''m gonna make you mine now."


    Riche - ...U-Un... Please make me your wife...


    Riche said in a barely audible voice and surrendered her body and soul to Issei.


    Then Issei holds Riche waist gently and inserted his penis through the entrance, slowly sliding in...


    Riche - Mmmm?! Ghhhh, ah... your big thing''s... Going inside... Wah, ah...


    Riche furrowed her brow and yelped. And there''s blood coming out of her down there signifying her virginity has been taken by Issei.


    Issei bent down to kiss her tears away and then he gently kiss her lips to ease her pain.


    After a while Riche said with exasperation, "Gh... You can move now... It''s not that hurt anymore."


    Issei - Ah. I''ll start off slow...


    Issei said and began thrusting in and out of her damp pussy.


    *Slllsh* *Slosh*


    Issei - ''Ugh! So tight.''


    Issei''s cock was consumed by a pleasant tingling, making him want to indulge in her as much as possible, but he resisted.


    Riche - Ngh, mm... Ghh?! Wah, ahn, mmn!?


    With each trust, Riche shuddered and gripped the sheets harder.


    Riche - Hwah... Ah, your thing... Nnngh...


    At first, her pussy was so tight as to block off further entry, but it gradually loosened and coiled around his cock.


    Issei - ...You feel awesome inside.


    Riche - D-Dummy, don''t tell me that... Ngh, Hwah, ah, aah, ngh... Ahn, my voice...


    Riche covered her mouth and tried to stop the moans.


    But the moment his cock hit the back of her pussy, the attempt ended in failure.


    Riche - Nnah! Ah, aah. Haah, aaaahn~! Gh, I can''t believe this...


    Issei - ...Can''t believe what?


    Riche - I-I had sex education at the castle, so I have some general knowledge about it... But I never knew actually doing it made you moan so much- Hwah! Ah, Mmmn... It feels so wrong, Mm... But... Haah, I''m so loud... and, aaah! I can''t stop myself!


    Issei - You don''t need to stop.


    Riche - B-But... Mm, I''m supposed to be... Ah... A princess... But... Ah, haaah!?


    *Slosh* *Slllsh*


    Issei - Whether you''re a princess or anything doesn''t matter. You''re my wife now. So the more you moan, the more it turns me on.


    Riche - Ise... Mm! You''re right... When I''m with you, I''m just your wife... Please... Be so rough that I can''t think anymore. You wanna hear me moan more, don''t you?


    Issei - Ah, very much so...


    Issei massaged her breasts in both hands as he thrust in deep.


    *Pak!* *Pak!* *Pak!* The sound of their skins hitting each other resounded in the room.


    Riche - Nnaaaah! Haah, ah , ah... I feel it... Your hot thing... Inside me, s-so rough... Wah, aaahahhhnn!?


    *Sllsh* *Slosh* *Slllsh*


    Obscene, watery sound emerged from their genitals as Issei thrust into her slippery folds.


    Riche - Gh... Mm, ah, mmah.. D-Deep...


    Each swing of Issei''s hips launched a spray of juices and hymen blood that soaked the sheets beneath them.


    Riche - Haaah, ah, deep... Nnaaah! Rubbing so d-deep, hwaaah, Ahn! ?


    The moment Issei scraped against the back of her pussy at a bit of an angle, Riche''s body arched far backward.


    Issei found her G-spot and he started rubbed the same spot again, this time doing it even harder.


    Riche - Hwah! Ah... That''s good... It feels too good. Wah, Aahn! ?


    Unable to withstand the extreme ecstasy, Riche shivered and gasped.


    Issei - You''re pretty sensitive here. This is the sexiest face you''ve made yet...


    Riche - Mmm...Now you even know about that... Ahn!


    Issei chuckled a bit and said "Sorry about that. But I will be the only one in the world who knows it, no?"


    Riche - U-Um... The only one who gets to see, ah! Mmm, m-my naughtiest face... Is you, ah!


    Issei - I''m honored. Kgh! Riche I''m gonna cum inside you.


    Riche - Haah, ah, okay... G-Give me proof that I''m yours. L-Lots of it...


    Issei - Got it.


    Drunk on the sensation of Riche''s pussy contracting in response to his cock''s every move, Issei repeatedly thrust inside her.


    *PAK!* *PAK!* *PAK!*


    Riche - Mm! Aaah! S-Squeeze my chest... harder...


    Issei - Like this?


    He grabbed the breast swaying in time with his thrust and enjoyed their sensation in his palms.


    Riche - Ah... T-That''s it... Hnnnggh... Ahn... So, good...Mm!?


    Issei - Ngh!


    A piercing pleasure in Issei''s cock made him wince.


    Riche - Mm! Hwah, ah, aah!


    But Riche''s arousal was even greater.


    Riche - Yah! M-My head... numb, mmm, ah, aah, g-gonna cum...


    Listening to Riche''s frenetic voice told Issei that she was as close to orgasm as he was.


    Issei - ...Me too.


    Issei let his rapidly heightening pleasure guide him and entered the final sprint.


    *PAK!* *PAK!* *PAK!* *Sllsh!* *Slsh!*


    Riche - Gh, mm... Hwah, aaah! ?


    Shivering, Riche felt a pleasant numbness near her womb that made her lose herself and moan even louder.


    Riche - Hwaahn! Ah, ah, haaah, o-oh no, I-I, ah, aaahnn~! ?


    Issei - ...I''m gonna cum too!


    Riche - O-Okay... Let''s both... Gh, ah, aaah, cumming, mmm, aaah!


    Issei - Guh!


    Issei even forgot to rub her breasts, instead focusing entirely on swinging his hips.


    Then, when the end of his cock pressed hard against Riche''s womb...


    Riche - Hwah?! Ah, mmm! Ah, aaaaaaaaaahhh! ?


    *Gush* *Gush* *Guuush*


    Issei''s orgasm arrived, releasing tons of hot spunk into Riche''s pussy.


    Riche - Hwah... Ah... So much hot stuff... Inside me... Mmm, it keeps pouring in...?


    The feeling of tons of hot fluid pouring into her womb made Riche murmur with a look of shock.


    Issei - Haah... That was so much that even I''m a bit shocked...


    The still-inserted cock pulsated inside her as it let out its last drop. The instant he took his cock out, the overflowing semen soaked everything from Riche''s crotch to her abdomen.


    Riche - Mm... That''s okay... You can let out every drop inside me... Since I''m your wife...


    Riche gave Issei a satisfied smile filled with bliss.


    Issei who saw that become a bit out of it himself but soon he smiled "You''re beautiful, Riche..."


    Riche - Thank you... By the way, how was it? What did you think of taking a princess''s virginity?


    Issei - It feels good. But like I said before... You won''t be getting any sleep tonight.


    Issei''s crotch was still hard.


    Riche - H-Hmmm... One time''s not enough for you?


    Issei - Yup.


    Riche - Perv...


    Issei - Says the one who''s listening to somebody else having sex.


    Riche - H-Hmph!... Well... I can''t deny that I''m a huge perv myself... And I want more too. So... Let''s keep feeling good together. This time, I''m gonna get a nice, close look at what face you make when you feel good.


    Issei - Hoo. Is that a challenge?


    Riche - Un! You could call it that... You already got to see me embarrassed. Now it''s my turn...


    Riche felt the warmth of the semen on her stomach with her finger as she sweetly spoke.


    Issei - Haah... True enough.


    Riche - Yep!

 Chapter 41 - 40

    Issei eyes stir open and he saw both Ramius and Riche sleeping on top of his chest with a blissful smile on their face. Their face still has a tinge of blush from their nightly activities.


    He hugged them both tighter gently against his chest. He saw the ring on his hand seems a bit different, the Romanian symbol changed from "I" into "II" now. Perhaps that''s the number of wives he has...


    Startled by the sudden movement the girls also slowly opening their eyes.


    Issei - Good morning. Sorry if I wake you up.


    Then they both look up towards Issei face, their eyes are still blurry after waking up.


    Riche squirmed around a bit then she hugged Issei on his neck while Ramius just rubbing her eyes.


    Riche - Morning, darling~


    Riche lazily said.


    Ramius - Uhm... Morning, dear...


    Issei felt an itch on his heart hearing them call him that. But he just holds it in and said, "Ah. Morning."


    Issei - By the way, Riche. I think I might have gone too far last night. Are you feeling okay?


    Riche - Mm? Yep, perfectly fine. Still feels like something''s in me though... Whoa! There is something... It''s all sticky...


    Riche reached her hand down there and felt something sticky still coming out of her.


    Ramius - He did let out a lot. Even inside me too...


    Riche - Eh?! You two done it last night too?


    Ramius - Well...


    Ramius blushed hearing her question.


    Issei chuckled and said, "Yeah, sorry. But 4 times is nowhere near enough for me. So I did Ramius too."


    Riche - Uwaah... I don''t think we can take him on by ourselves, don''t you think so too. Ramius?


    Ramius - Um. His sex drive is out of this world... Even stronger than me...


    Riche - H-Heee...


    Riche is amazed by her husband sex drive.


    Riche - W-Well, there''s nothing we can do about it other than try our best to satisfy him I guess... But we need help soon or our bodies won''t be able to handle it if he''s that wild every night.


    Ramius - Agreed.


    Issei is speechless seeing them deciding things on their own but he can''t say anything about it because it''s true... He honestly wants to do it again but he knows their bodies won''t be able to take it anymore at this moment, so he just stays silent when they talk with each other.


    Issei - Well you girls better go wash up, I''m gonna go ahead and prepare breakfast for us.


    Riche - Eh?! You can cook too?


    Ramius - Hmm. I didn''t know that as well.


    Issei - Oh, come to think of it I indeed never cook for you both huh. Well, just go ahead and wash up while I go ahead and prepare the food.


    Riche - W-Wait, I''ll help.


    Issei - No need, just take it easy.


    Riche - But...


    Issei - I said it''s okay. Making good food for you two is something I look forward to as well.


    Riche - ...Hm. Thanks. Then I look forward to the food.


    Ramius - Um... Sadly I don''t really know how to cook so I leave it to you as well...


    Issei - No problem.


    Then Issei gives both of their lips a peck and he got out of the bed and head towards the kitchen after wearing his clothes.


    He doesn''t really need a bath because he can use <Cleaning> spell on himself but he will take a bath after they''re done.


    Both Ramius and Riche watched him with a loving gaze and then they both also get up from the bed and head towards the bathroom.


    Riche keeps looking at her ring in the bathroom because she finally gets married to the man she loves as well just like in the fairy tale she often read.


    Ramius just smiled looking at her like that because she also felt the same thing when she first saw the ring on her hand. Even now she still gazes at the ring on her hand sometimes.


    After a while, they are finished cleaning themselves and head towards the dining room.


    They saw a variety of food such as bacon, sunny side up egg, soup, etc.


    They are amazed by the delicious looking food served at the table, and just from smelling the aroma alone they felt like their stomach growled loudly.


    Issei is already done setting up the food on the table and told them to sit down and eat.


    When Riche and Ramius took a bite of his food, they become frozen stiff.


    It''s the most delicious thing they have ever taste and they both teared up just from the taste alone.


    Then they quickly eat as fast as they can.


    Issei who saw them like that sweat a little and said "Slow down... It''s not like the food is going anywhere you two..." Although he said that but inside he''s happy and proud that his wives like his cooking.


    Riche and Ramius finally realized their mishap and they both blushed deep red and slow down their eating speed. Riche is especially ashamed of her eating etiquette just now because she''s supposed to be a princess here, ''Uuuu. It''s his fault... Why does his food have to be this good?! It''s just unfair! And I''m supposed to be the wife here, but why my husband is an even better cook than me?!''


    While Ramius although feeling a little embarrassed, she doesn''t really mind that much because she doesn''t really mind etiquette or formality stuff like that.


    After they are finished eating they said they will bring the dishes to the kitchen and Issei agreed to it.


    They both keep praising how delicious his food is.


    Riche - That was really delicious! The most delicious food I''ve ever tasted!


    Ramius - Um. Indeed.


    Issei - Well, I''m glad you both like it.


    Riche - ...Is there anything you can''t do, Ise?


    Riche couldn''t help but wonder about Issei''s capabilities because he seems able to do everything.


    Issei - Hmm. Of course, I can''t stitch clothes for one. And I can only do what I can do, It''s not like I''m omnipotent.


    Riche - W-Well... True, I guess...


    Ramius - Un.


    Then the door suddenly opened and they saw Acheval coming in.


    Acheval - Yo! Good morning!


    Riche - Acheval?!


    Ramius - Aniue?!


    Issei - Hm? Oh, hey Acheval-nii.


    Acheval - Hey, thought I''d stop by. There''s a lot I''d like to ask here, but... Can''t say I''m surprised Riche would go this far really.


    Riche - Not often you''re actually up and working in the morning, Acheval.


    Acheval - Hey, you can''t just send a Snake Crest member''s corpse over and not come yourself, y''know... First thing in the morning, the king told me to go find you. Man, this is supposed to be your job, Ramius.


    Ramius - Oh. Sorry, Aniue...


    Acheval - You''ve always been too nice to her... Well, anyway, His Majesty wants to see all three of you, so get your asses down to the castle.


    Riche - Fine, I was planning to head back anyway.


    Acheval - I''ll go back on my own, but... Well, uh, mind if I report what I saw here?


    Riche - What, that I married Ise? Go ahead, gives me less I need to go over.


    Acheval - Err...


    Ramius - I''m very sorry, but Riche has her own intentions.


    Acheval - Ugh, whatever. You ain''t kids. You can make up your own minds. Just come straight to the castle, got it?


    Acheval scratched his head before leaving the room, wearing an exhausted look as he did.


    Riche - Huff. Now, let''s go to the castle and report on Snake Crest, then discuss what''s next.


    Ramius - First, you need to report on your marriage.


    Issei - Oh, right. Your father is a King huh, Riche.


    Riche - ...How could you forgot that... Well, he might be a little mad but that''s about it... I guess.


    Issei - No point in worrying stuff like that, I''ve already married you so I might as well go meet your father.


    Riche - U-Un, but you seem to be not afraid of my father don''t you, Ise?


    Issei - Why should I?


    Issei couldn''t help become confused at her question. While Riche is speechless seeing him doesn''t have any tension on meeting the King of the Kingdom.


    Riche - ''Well, that''s just how he is. I suppose.'' Nevermind, let''s just go meet my father.


    Then they head out to the Capital.


    Upon arriving in the capital of Eden, Issei and his wives were given passage to the throne room. Issei doesn''t wear his hood because it would be considered rude to be wearing them while meeting the King.


    If it''s just some random King he won''t really care but this is his father-in-law. Even if his father-in-law is some farmer or something, Issei will still pay his respect toward him. He doesn''t care for some background stuff like that.


    He is strong, but he knows how to respect the elderly especially if it''s his father-in-law.


    Along the way to the throne room, every maid and female knight on the castle blushed deeply seeing him. If they weren''t on duty then they might have tried to flirt with Issei, but after seeing him walking alongside The Princess, Riche Eden and The Knight, Ramius Dreissen they know he''s someone of special status.


    The King himself wasn''t present, but around the throne were people of presumably high status who appeared to be sizing Issei up. But the ones closest to the throne were the familiar faces of Acheval and Barro. They both smiled at Issei when they saw him.


    Issei felt some ill filled gaze towards him and saw a middle-aged man with an eyepatch on his right eye, he wears purple formal clothes. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Rochefort?file=Rochefort-portrait.png too lazy to describe him here ya go).


    Issei is wondering who he is because he can feel something is wrong with this man, he reeks of evil intention.


    Riche - That''s Prime Minister Rochefort. He takes care of diplomacy and advises Father.


    Riche guessed what Issei was wondering from his gaze and whispered an answer.


    Issei - Hmm... I see.


    Ramius - He''s still technically a <Hundred Knight>, but he lost one of his eyes during the Arthur Tragedy and retired from combat.


    Issei - There''s something wrong with him... Riche, you better be careful of him.


    Riche - Eh?


    Rochefort - Silence! Louin, the King of Eden, has arrived!


    At Rochefort''s shout, the already tense atmosphere got even more oppressive, and everyone bowed their heads.


    Louin - Apologies for the sudden summons. You may raise your heads, everyone.


    (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Louin_Eden?file=Louin-portrait.png The king portrait in case you want to see his image)


    Rochefort - Y-Yes, Your Majesty!


    Issei - ''Hmm, so that''s the king.''


    He had a different air about him than powerful fighters like Acheval and Barro, but his majestic dignity was no less overwhelming.


    Riche - Hello, Father! Eating well?


    Louin - Haah... I swear. Normally, you''d supposed to sit next to me and greet our guests, Riche.


    Riche - Eh heh heh! That chair''s not very comfy.


    Rochefort - Princess Riche! You may be royalty, but you must learn when to behave.


    Riche - You''ve been a politician for a while now. When''ll you stop shouting like a Knight?


    Acheval - Buhah!


    Barro - Acheval, I get it. But that''s rude.


    Rochefort - Grrr...


    Louin - I''ve only called people we''re close with. There''s no need to be overly polite.


    Rochefort - But Your Majesty, she''s been instructed to humble herself before you. This is no way to-


    Barro - Prime Minister Rochefort, His Majesty has spoken.


    Rochefort - Gggh... If his Majesty insists.


    Rochefort gave Riche a nasty look, lowered his head and stepped back.


    But he felt a sudden chill from somewhere and he got goosebumps all over for some reason.


    Issei gazed at him and put a bit of bloodlust on him without anyone realizing it.


    He took back his bloodlust after hearing the King spoke once more.


    Louin - But I do understand Rochefort''s outrage. Riche, it''s becoming difficult to ignore your actions.


    Riche - I''m doing what I can for my country. Tea parties and royal balls won''t help to save anybody.


    Louin - Hoh, and getting married without informing anyone did?


    Rochefort - What?! Married, you say?! I-Is this true?!


    Acheval - Yeah, I just reported it a second ago. Our little Riche is a wife now.


    Louin - I''m appalled, frankly...


    Rochefort - Ridiculous... A princess can''t choose to get married without anyone''s input...


    Riche - Here, let me introduce you to my darling. I need his help to make my ideals a reality.


    Issei just ignored the piercing glare Louin and Rochefort''s giving him and introduced himself calmly.


    Issei - I''m Issei Hyoudou. Riche made me her Knight and Husband. Pleased to meet you.


    Riche is a bit bashful hearing him says that but she''s happy inside.


    The King and everyone else is a bit surprised by his bearing when he introduced himself. Acheval just grinning and Barro is the same. But Rochefort keep asking him


    Rochefort - Issei Hyoudou, is it? Where do you hail from? Are you a noble of some sort?


    Issei - No, I''m not a noble. As for where I hail from, you could say I''m just a commoner from <Fresh Fish Island>.


    Rochefort - WHAT?! <Fresh Fish Island>... It is technically one of our territories, but you could find no more backwater a location!


    Issei totally ignores him.


    Louin - ...<Fresh Fish Island>...


    Riche - Well, complain if you want, but what''s done is done. Nothing you can do about it now!


    Riche smiled joyfully and held out her ring-clad left hand, turning the entire crowd''s faces pale.


    But some of the women there feel a bit jealous of her for having a husband like Issei. After all, he''s even more handsome than Barro Roan.


    Acheval - Pfft! Heheheh, hehah...


    Barro - Heheh, heheheh...


    Rochefort - Enough, this is no laughing matter!


    Acheval - Sorry, the look on your faces is just funnier than I imagined.


    Barro - Is this not something to celebrate? After over 300 matchmaking attempts fell through, she finally found someone she likes.


    Issei - ...300?


    Barro - They''ve reached out to royalty, nobles, and even the children of successful merchants, but it always ended in failure.


    Riche - Every time they learn I''m as strong as a Knight, they chicken out. Well, not that I want a normal guy anyway, so it''s fine by me.


    Louin - And yet when we''ve given Knights a try, you always ambush and injure them anyway.


    Riche - Weeell~ I was thinking like, when you''re in real danger, you realize your true power... Or something.


    Riche''s response made not only the King but the entire audience sigh. Even Issei is no exception because of his new wife antic quirks.


    Louin - Well, I don''t know what change your heart, but Issei... What about you? You don''t want to run away deep down, do you?


    Issei - No, not at all... Sure she can be weird and dummy sometimes but that''s just who she is and I found her to be very cute.


    Riche - H-Hey! Don''t say that to my father!


    Issei just chuckled and said, "Sorry, sorry." Riche puffed her cheeks hearing his insincere apologies but she''s really happy inside because the man she loves feels that way about her, she''s just embarrassed, to be honest.


    Acheval - Gahahaha! Now that''s the man who married my sister!


    Rochefort - What?! He''s even married Ramius?!


    Ramius - Yes, I''m Issei''s wife too. I was first... by the way.


    Riche - Well now, I''m surprised that matters so much to you.


    Ramius - I''m only stating the facts.


    Barro - You''ve taken two brides nobody else could handle, Issei-kun. How generous of you.


    Issei - Well, what can I say. They''re both wonderful girls... And I just love them both that much, as for the other guys maybe they''re just idiots, who knows.


    Both Riche and Ramius blushed deeply hearing his words and they almost let out a silly laugh if not for their current location.


    Barro - Hm, maybe you fall in the same category as they are.


    Issei - Perhaps... But I don''t hate it at all.


    Issei smiled softly at both of them and the women audience who saw his smile for the first time felt an arrow just went through their respective hearts.


    Rochefort - Ggggh, this commoner''s defiling the royal bloodline... Despicable.


    Rochefort scowled at Issei as though drilling holes through him with his gaze but then Issei suddenly glare at him back and that makes him took a step back just from Issei''s gaze alone. He felt Issei is very dangerous and he might mess up his plans. ''G-Guh! J-Just who is this guy?!''.


    Louin - *Sigh* Issei, I acknowledge your marriage to Riche. Treat her well.


    Issei - I will.


    Louin - And Riche... What do you intend to do with your new Knight?


    Riche - Obviously, I''ll be ruining <Snake Crest''s> plans and protect our country... And the world. Father, there''s no question that <Snake Crest> starting to act. We should mobilize the Knights and come up with countermeasures as soon as possible.


    Louin - We''ve confirmed that corpse belonged to a member of <Snake Crest>, Sparkle bombs... Were they used as a weapon, it would likely bring great harm to our nation.


    Rochefort - Wait, Your Majesty. This is all conjecture. Nobody has actually seen these sparkle bombs.


    Riche - Why do you say that? There was proof!


    Rochefort - You found empty boxes! That Outlaw''s corpses did have <Snake Crest''s> emblem, but it could just as well be fake.


    Riche - We don''t have time to argue over little details!


    Barro - Wait, Princess Riche. Prime Minister Rochefort has no ill intent with his disagreements.


    Acheval - Fighting monsters is one thing, but mobilizing Knights for any other reason must be cautiously considered.


    Riche - Why? If there aren''t enough Knights to deal with it, then just recruit more!


    Louin - We can''t. I won''t allow the expansion of our military.


    Riche - But why?


    Barro - There''s a reason. I''m sure we''re all aware. It''s due to the Arthur Tragedy.


    Acheval - It''s exactly like when <Snake Crest> covertly tried to get us into a war. The two biggest countries they tried to instigate were Eden and the Central Empire up north.


    Louin - At the cost of many lives, the war was avoided. Then, to assure the same mistake won''t be made again, we signed an agreement not to expand our forces. Of course, if <Snake Crest> does bare their fangs at us, we''ll use all our power against them. But using the military without absolute proof may trigger a war in and of itself.


    Barro - And if that happened, we''d be doing just what the <Snake Crest> wanted.


    Rochefort - Action can wait until we''ve seen what damage they can do. We reached our capacity on Knights during the post-Arthur Tragedy recruitment.


    Acheval - The thing is that most of our Knights are young now, so there are fewer people retiring and fewer spots opening up.


    Riche - Until we''ve seen the damage?! What about the people who will die then?!


    Rochefort - Hmph, regardless, there''s no other option.


    Riche - Then we''ll go after <Snake Crest> ourselves! Give us permission!


    Louin - They aren''t only in Eden. If it''s true they have sparkle bombs, they must have some influence in the country that procured them.


    Riche - Then give us permission to go to other countries too!


    Rochefort - Despite all your questionable decisions, you''re still a princess. Letting you thoughtlessly travel to other countries could result in diplomatic issues.


    Riche - I married outside of royalty, so who cares?


    Rochefort - We can''t assume other countries will feel the same! If they take it as an act of intervention, it''s over. Do you want to start a war?


    Riche - No! I''m stopping one!


    Riche and Rochefort really don''t get along, it seems her chaotic behavior and his obsession with order don''t mix well.


    *BANG!*


    Suddenly the door to the throne room burst open.


    Knight - Apologies for interrupting the meeting!


    Rochefort - What is it?!


    Knight - Sir! There are reports of a fire at Fort Baroroan.


    Rochefort - What?! There are supposed to be Soldiers stationed there!


    Knight - Th-The cause is unknown, but we can see black smoke rising from the fortress.


    Riche - It''s <Snake Crest>! While we''ve been taking our sweet time, they made the first move.


    Louin - But Fort Baroroan?


    Rochefort - Your Majesty, if their objective is to start a war, it''s a more logical target than any town.


    Barro - I see. That fortress can stand against even the most ferocious monsters. Were it to fall, it would cause widespread panic. Then, if they spread the right rumors, they could get the whole nation rallied against another country.


    Acheval - Tch, this is the same plan they used during the Arthur Tragedy! Assholes like them just have to be underhanded.


    Rochefort - We just have to handle it quickly. Summon the Knights and every Soldier we have on reserve at once.


    Acheval - We don''t have time for that.


    Barro - Yes, I agree. Let''s send whoever''s available first.


    Riche - We''ll go too! C''mon, that''s okay, right. Father?!


    Louin - ...It is an emergency. You have my permission. Show me you have the power to combat <Snake Crest>.


    Barro - I see, and we''ll be overseeing that test.


    Acheval - Riche, Ramius! You better not drag us down! We know Issei won''t have a problem but not you two.


    Riche & Ramius - Got it!


    Rochefort - Then I''ll organize the Knights. Summon every one in the nation here posthaste.


    Knight - Yes, sir!


    Barro - If they''re trying to manipulate the public, we''ll need to put a stop to that first.


    Acheval - Alright, it''s a good first step. Let''s get anyone freaking out about the fire to chill out.


    Barro - When everyone is ready we''ll meet outside.


    Issei - Ah.


    Issei''s party accompanied the two <Zero Knights> to the burning Fort Baroroan.


    After a while, they reached the Fort Baroroan.


    Barro - Looks like the fort''s still standing.


    Riche - Are sparkle bombs not enough to bring it down.


    Acheval - Does it matter? We just need to beat everyone in there.


    Ramius - Acheval''s right. We can investigate after they''re dealt with.


    Barro - Hmmm, siblings think alike...


    Riche - In any case, let''s be on the lookout for sparkle bombs.


    Acheval - Right, let''s get in there!


    Then the party stepped into the Fort.


    They kill anyone that gets in their way.


    The party was running through the fortress when Barro, the one in the lead, suddenly stopped.


    Barro - Hrm, someone''s here.


    Acheval - An enemy?!


    Knight - Cough, cough... Cough!


    Barro - You''re a Knight who was stationed here, aren''t you? Can you tell us what happened?


    Knight - A-A <Zero Knight>?! Um, we heard an explosion, then the whole fort was filled with smoke and we were attacked by Outlaws and monsters one after another.


    Riche - An explosion? Must be the sparkle bombs.


    Knight - Our captain went down straight away, then the rest of us all got separated.


    Barro - Okay. Try not to inhale any more smoke, and retreat in the direction we came from.


    Knight - Yes, Sir! Thank you!


    Barro saw off the Knight who bowed before leaving. As he looked around the fortress, Barro appeared to have an idea.


    Acheval - What is it? Let''s clear out all these Outlaws already.


    Barro - Well, I''m a bit curious about something... Would you mind if I went my own way?


    Riche - Curious about what?


    Barro - My apologies, Princess. But there''s no time to explain.


    Acheval - Well, why not? Looks like we''ve got nothing but small fry here anyway.


    Riche - ...Fine, just tell me what this is about later.


    Barro - Excuse me, then. Take care of the rest for me, Acheval, Issei-kun.


    Issei & Acheval - Got it.


    Barro bowed to the rest of the group and head still lowered, sprinted back in the direction they came from.


    Riche - In any case, let''s clear all the enemies out of here.


    The party proceeded further into the fortress...

 Chapter 42 - 41

    When Issei''s party head towards the center of the Fort.


    Issei and Acheval suddenly stopped in front. Issei told his wives to hold.


    Issei - Wait.


    Riche and Ramius stopped in their tracks hearing his commands.


    Riche - What''s wrong, Ise?


    Ramius also wondering the same thing.


    Acheval - You realize it too huh, Ise?


    Issei - Ah. There''s no point in hiding, come out.


    Then out of thin air, there''s suddenly a man appeared in front of them.


    It''s a man in a full body armor like a Knight colored in white. He has golden patterns all over his White armor and his helmet has 2 horn on the side of its head bending upwards. He carries a single blue greatsword.


    Riche and Ramius is surprised seeing him suddenly appear out of nowhere. They hastily put on their guard, Acheval also draws his sword. Only Issei just calmly looking at the White Knight.


    White Knight - I''m surprised you can sense my presence. Acheval is one thing but you on the other hand...


    Issei just calmly stares at the White Knight.


    The White Knight is having a bad feeling seeing Issei being so calm. His battle instinct told him that the man in front of him is extremely dangerous. But he can''t feel anything from Issei, it''s like he''s just a normal person.


    But he can tell there''s something really wrong with Issei. He''s sweating internally thinking, ''Just who is this guy... The Intelligence only said he''s an uprising Knight that just recently got promoted. If I''m not wrong his name should be Issei Hyoudou... Tsk! Too little info about him...''


    Issei - Are you with the <Snake Crest>?


    The White Knight startled hearing his sudden question but he answered anyway, "Ah, Indeed. I''m with the <Snake Crest> You can call me Shiro Kishi(White Knight). (AN: I''m just gonna call him Shiro for easier typing).


    Issei - Hoo. Is that so...


    Then suddenly Issei released his bloodlust against him, and Shiro felt very threatened at this moment. From the day he was born he never felt this threatened by someone before.


    Even Acheval doesn''t really give him much threat. He''s suffocating just from Issei bloodlust alone.


    Shiro - ?!


    Issei - What''s wrong? Cat got your tongue?


    Then Issei calmly walks towards him but Acheval suddenly stopped him.


    Acheval - Wait, Issei. Please, let me handle him...


    Ramius who''s hearing that become startled and said "What are you saying, Aniue?! We should fight him together!"


    Riche also feels the same with Ramius, "Ramius is right, together we can easily defeat him."


    Issei only calmly looks towards Acheval.


    Acheval - We won''t have much time if we fight him now, I know Issei is strong but please let me handle him. I''ve been itching to have a fight against my equal... Issei is way stronger than me so I can''t have a decent fight with him. Please, I''ll be fine. You guys can go ahead and stop the Outlaws from blowing this fort or all will be for naught.


    Acheval seriously looks towards Issei in the eyes. To be honest, Issei can easily take this Shiro on. But he''s not sure if he has any trick up his sleeves that can slow them down or not, and he''s worried if the Fort really got blown up then the Kingdom might be really in danger...


    He could kill Shiro instantly but taking him alive is something else altogether.


    Shiro who heard their conversation become even more wary of Issei, ''He''s stronger than Acheval one of the <Zero Knight>?! Damn, our intelligence never reported this... If they both attacked me at once then I''m done for and all will be lost... Thankfully I have someone ready to teleport me if the situation goes awry...''


    Shiro got into high alert in case they both decided to attack him together.


    Issei finally relented because they really don''t have much time left.


    Issei - ...Fine. Ramius, Riche, let''s go. Acheval-nii will be fine.


    Ramius - ...But


    While Riche agreed with Issei and Acheval.


    Riche - ...Ise and Acheval are right, Ramius. If we''re too late then all will be for naught. Let''s just leave it to Acheval, he will be fine.


    Ramius finally relented as well.


    Ramius - ...Be safe, Aniue.


    Issei calmly walks bypass Shiro like he was never in his eyes in the first place. Ramius and Riche followed right after him.


    Shiro felt relieved they won''t be teaming up against him, he got lucky this time because there''s a diversion.


    He doesn''t have any intention of blocking them. After all, The Fort attack is just a distraction, while their real target lies elsewhere.


    He silently released a sigh of relief after seeing Issei walk away, then he saw Acheval attack him.


    Then they both have a fight against each other...


    When Issei''s party reach the center of the fort they found a bunch of Outlaws trying to set up the sparkle bombs and light it up.


    Issei hastily knocks them all out because they need them for interrogation, Riche wakes the Outlaw 1 by 1 and question them all. They said they are only ordered to set the bombs up and light it up, but apparently, it''s not working and only create a small explosion.


    And the one who ordered them is not Shiro, but someone else.


    After some questioning, they all thought the bomb isn''t that powerful probably so it can''t blow the Fort up. But Issei feels something is wrong, if they want to start a war then blowing this Fort shouldn''t be enough. That means their true target lies elsewhere...


    So Issei told them about his suspicion and after thinking about it a little more they realize that Issei is right. So Issei said to them if they''re aiming for war then they should have aimed for the border to another country not a Fort inside the Kingdom.


    Acheval joined them soon after, he has few broken ribs and hurt here and there but overall his life isn''t in danger. Riche asked him what about Shiro.


    Acheval told them sadly they fought to a draw and he got away because he suddenly disappears from his spot, probably by teleportation.


    So after informing Acheval about their discovery, they decided to head towards the bridge of Lancelot. That bridge connected the Eden Kingdom with the Lancelot Kingdom.


    If that bridge is destroyed there might be a massive problem.


    Sure they can self sustain themselves without getting materials delivered from the other Kingdom and they have the harbor for overseas trade but if the flow of information is cut off then it''s going to be very dangerous.


    The Outlaws can attack other kingdom and make rumors that the Eden Kingdom is controlled by Outlaws, that''s why they blow the bridge so they can''t be attacked. And the other Kingdom might just believe this rumors and might band together to launch an attack on The Eden Kingdom.


    So they decided to head towards the bridge. Acheval told them he''s just gonna hold them down so he decided to stay here to handle the aftermath.


    Along the way to the bridge, they saw a bunch of Knights heading towards the Fort where they just came from. Ramius informed them the Fort has been secured and send a medic to treat Acheval of his injuries.


    They are surprised that a <Zero Knight> got injured and Riche told them Acheval got injured because he fought against a powerful enemy.


    Then Riche asked why there''s so few of them. Wasn''t Rochefort supposed to be gathering the Knights?


    They were just told to head to Fort Baroroan. Issei felt even more suspicious toward Rochefort.


    After a bit of talk, the Knights bowed towards them and headed towards the Fort to treat Acheval, while Issei party head towards the bridge.


    Close to the bridge, they meet some Soldiers. After a bit of questioning, they found out apparently there''s a Knight telling them they are on a secret mission so they must stay put and let them do their job.


    Issei''s party knows they must be with the <Snake Crest>.


    It looked like they were transporting a large amount of material to the bridge. So instead of operating from a base, they''ve been wandering around pretending to be Knights.


    If they''re moving out in the open, that must mean they don''t see the need to hide anymore.


    ...


    When the party arrived at the bridge leading to the Republic of Lancelot, a number of men were setting up something on the structurally weakest points of the bridge.


    The fake Knight found out their presence, he''s surprised they got here this fast. That means the Fort distraction was quelled already.


    They tried to attack Issei party but they all instantly killed by Issei and only let the fake Knight lives, because he doubts the thugs with him know something important.


    When they''re interrogating the fake Knight he suddenly gargled and died just like the Outlaw from the cave... It seems he died by poison.


    There''s suddenly a man clad in full armor just like Shiro but this man armor is black colored. Oddly enough Issei doesn''t feel any ill intent from this one.


    The Black Knight introduced himself as Kuro Kishi(Black Knight). (AN: I''ll be calling him Kuro)


    Kuro informed them the <Snake Crest> objective is indeed to start a war. Then he told them there''s a hidden bomb near the bridge and said it''s a reward for finding out the diversion plans.


    Kuro knows Issei is powerful so he doesn''t try to attack him.


    Then there''s suddenly newcomers coming towards them, It''s Rochefort.


    Rochefort is surprised finding Issei''s team in here, he thought they''re supposed to be at the Fort.


    Riche told him it was a trick and their real objective is the bridge. But Riche is suspicious what is he doing here. Why he didn''t go to the Fort...


    Rochefort stammers while saying, "Err... I-I also noticed it was a trick and ordered the Knights to come here!"


    Kuro suddenly said, "Fighting you all at once could be entertaining, but let''s leave the fun for another time." Then with that, he disappears from his spot.


    *RUMBLE*


    When Kuro disappeared they felt a tremor under their feet.


    Riche - W-What is that?!


    In the sky far off to the west, they all spotted black some rising so high that made it look as though the heavens were burning.


    Rochefort - Is that the capital?... No, it''s Eden Harbor!


    It''s a town on the northern edge of Eden. It''s the kingdom port for overseas trade.


    Apparently the <Snake Crest> objective isn''t only the bridge but also the Harbor as well. It seems they really wanted to cut off the source of information of the Eden Kingdom.


    Thankfully Issei''s party realized it fast enough so they still have the bridge or else...


    Then Riche told the Knights to get rid of those bombs.


    The Knights and Soldiers obeyed Riche''s orders and carefully removed the sparkle bombs that were set up on the bridge.


    Issei told Riche they should head back to the castle and Riche agreed to it because they also need to check on the Harbor.


    ...


    Issei and his wives returned to the capital, where they were immediately allowed into the audience room to see the king.


    After a bit of talking they were told that, while the infrastructure was destroyed, there was miraculously no harm to even a single person. That means there are zero casualties.


    Riche - Zero casualties?!


    Louin - Barro had returned early, investigated the harbor, determined there was danger afoot and had everyone evacuate.


    Barro - Well, it would''ve been best if we could get rid of the sparkle bombs, but there wasn''t time.


    Riche - So you left because you realized the harbor would be attacked?


    Barro - No, I thought the target might be this castle. My next thought was either the bridge or the harbor, but the harbor happened to be closer.


    Riche - Huh... Good thing nobody died!


    Apparently relieved, Riche plopped herself down towards Issei embrace, startling Ramius and Issei.


    Issei - Whoa there.


    Riche - Ehehe, please hold me like this for a while.


    She sticks her tongue out towards Issei while acting spoiled.


    Issei - *Sigh* Fine. What a spoiled princess...


    Riche - Ehehe~ I''m your spoiled princess.


    Ramius felt a bit jealous seeing their interaction but she holds herself back because she''s a Knight.


    Issei can only smile wryly seeing his wife acting like this.


    The audiences on the hall become speechless seeing them acting like that.


    Rochefort - H-How insolence! Acting like that in front of His Majesty!


    Louin - *Sigh* It''s fine... It''s Riche after all...


    Rochefort can only relent hearing that.


    Then they continued their discussion.


    Louin - However our harbor was destroyed, and our nation''s military vessels and trade ships have suffered critical damages. But at least we still have the bridge. For preventing its destruction, the three of you have my deepest thanks.


    Riche - But now we know that the <Snake Crest> is on the offensive for sure.


    Riche who''s still in Issei embrace said that.


    Louin - The White Knight and The Black Knight... If they''re on par with Acheval, <Snake Crest> must have gained some new allies.


    Acheval - Yeah, that guy was crazy tough.


    Barro - Speaking of which, Acheval, are you okay?


    Acheval - Just need a little rest and I''ll be fine.


    Ramius - Don''t be ridiculous, Aniue! You were hurt worse than I thought. It''ll take some time before you can return to work.


    Acheval - Guh, when did you look into all that?


    Barro - ...I see. That''s a significant blow to our forces.


    Rochefort - Your Majesty, let''s abandon the agreement and recruit more Knights and Soldiers.


    Riche - Finally think <Snake Crest> as a threat, so you wanna fight back now, Rochefort?


    Rochefort - Hmph, <Snake Crest> is of no concern to me. What we should be wary of is the Central Empire, of course. Remember, we lost numerous military vessels! The Central Empire''s military is equal to ours, and they may take the opportunity to attack us by the sea!


    Riche - Wait a sec! Why are you bringing the Central Empire into this?! I mean, my sister...


    Issei - Your sister?


    Ramius - The first princess of the Kingdom of Eden, Princess Croix. Shortly after the Arthur Tragedy, she was engaged to the prince of Central.


    Issei - I see...


    Rochefort - Regardless of the princess''s engagement, we have no reason to trust them. Consider that <Snake Crest> could only have gotten all those sparkle bombs by making a deal with another country.


    Riche - If we recruit more Knights for that purpose, we''ll only create more enemies!


    Rochefort - Oh? I was under the impression we both wanted more Knights.


    Riche - Gh...


    Louin - I respect Rochefort''s input. The fact of the matter is that some will harbor such fears.


    Barro - Many who lost family members in the Arthur Tragedy continue to believe this to be the work of another nation, as well.


    Acheval - Well, they lost someone important to them. Makes sense to want someone to blame.


    Riche - But Father...


    Louin - However, we will only recruit more Soldiers, and they will be assigned to repairing the harbor. How does that sound, Rochefort?


    Rochefort - ...I believe that''s a valid approach.


    Louin - And Riche, compose yourself.


    Riche - ...Okay.


    Then Riche reluctantly leaves Issei''s embrace.


    Louin - Regarding <Snake Crest>, while we must be cautious, we must also swiftly investigate other countries.


    Riche - Yeah, the Black Knight left from the other side of the bridge. If we''re gonna pursue <Snake Crest>, heading into the Republic of Lancelot would be the quickest choice.


    Louin - I would like to give that duty to my son-in-law Issei. Acheval, Barro, what do you think?


    Barro - From what I observed while we traveled together, I believe that would be a fine choice.


    Acheval - Sure, no brother of mine would do a bad job.


    Issei just smiled at that.


    Riche - Then, Father...


    Louin - You have my permission to go to Lancelot. In order to prevent concerns over a foreign princess entering their territory, I''ll come up with a reason why you''re visiting.


    Riche - Yay! Now we can pursue <Snake Crest>.


    Louin - You accomplished great things here, Issei. Were the bridge to have fallen, my country likely would have suffered terribly. With that in mind, I grant the rank of Ten Knights to-


    Rochefort - Wait, Your Majesty!


    Riche - What, do you have a problem with that?


    Rochefort - Yes, they did arrive at the bridge first, but the other Knights did get there as well. Only rewarding him seems rather unfair.


    Acheval - But they got there after dealing with shit at the fortress.


    Riche - Yeah, we worked fast. Unlike you.


    Rochefort - Mobilizing a large squad takes preparation!


    Louin - Hm, Rochefort isn''t wrong.


    Louin stroked his beard as he thought until he finally hit upon a good idea and looked at Issei.


    Louin - Then I''ll have Issei carry out a secret mission in Lancelot.


    Issei - ...A secret mission?


    Barro - I see. It would normally be Acheval''s job, but he can hardly even move at the moment.


    Acheval - Man, I can move, at least...


    Barro - Try to play along, Acheval.


    Acheval - Oh... Right. Ooooooow! Dang! I can''t move at all! You''ll have to take care of it, Issei.


    Issei - ...Okay.


    His act is so bad that anyone could tell, but nobody would point that out though because he''s a <Zero Knight> after all.


    Rochefort - Wait, just what is this secret mission?


    Barro - Something only Acheval and I know about. There''s no need to make it public here.


    Rochefort - Hrm... Perhaps, but...


    Louin - I''ll give you the details later. If you complete the mission, I''ll use my authority to promote you to a Ten Knight.


    Rochefort - W-Wait, Your Majesty.


    Riche - What, are you still complaining?!


    Rochefort - Restoring the harbor will require support from Lancelot. I have many connections there, so I''d like permission to go as well, if I may.


    Ramius - You''re going with us, Prime Minister Rochefort?


    Rochefort - I have my own personal guards prepared. Traveling with amateurs who might say something that harms international relations wouldn''t be ideal.


    Riche - At least you got those preparations done quickly.


    Rochefort - Ugh...


    Louin - Very well, I give that duty to you.


    Thus, Issei and his wives were granted permission to go to Lancelot.


    Issei stayed behind to be informed about his secret mission while everyone else left the room, bringing the meeting to an end.


    Issei and Louin are the only ones left in the room.


    They just stare at each other for a while.


    But Louin is the first to break the silence.


    Louin - You are really a great individual... First, you''re stronger than Acheval himself. And your bearing is impeccable as well... Just like that of a King... I''m truly blessed to have son-in-law such as you. Riche has found a great husband for herself... Even though you''re strong you never exploit your power to suppress the weak from what I''ve known so far. If I don''t have Philip I might have appointed you as my heir...


    Issei - Thank you for your praises, to have my father-in-law blessing and approval is a great thing for son-in-law such as myself, but I have no interest in being a King of a nation. It doesn''t suit me you see.


    Louin - Hehe, indeed. With power like yours, being a King who only sits behind the desk isn''t suitable at all... If I could, I would have appointed you as a <Zero Knight> already. But my ministers won''t agree to it you see, especially Rochefort... If we have a strong person such as you to be our <Zero Knight> it would have been a great boost in strength for our Kingdom. Alas...


    Issei - I don''t mind. And even without being appointed as a <Zero Knight> I would protect this Kingdom either way. After all, both of my wives are from this Kingdom and if it''s their wish to protect this Kingdom then it shall be my wish as well.


    Louin chuckled hearing Issei''s word and said, "Then I''m grateful for your words, but It seems you spoil your wives a lot huh?"


    Issei - Ah, indeed. They both are the best wife I could have ever asked.


    Louin - I''m glad knowing you love your wives dearly... But try not to spoil Riche that much or she won''t stop acting so reckless.


    Louin smiled once more hearing that. He''s a doting father so of course, he''s worried about his daughter well being.


    Issei - Well... I''ll do what I can I guess.


    Louin - Is that so... *Sigh* Now, Issei. Allow me to tell you about your mission.


    Issei - Got it.


    Louin - As mentioned earlier, this secret mission would normally be entrusted to a <Zero Knight> like Acheval or Barro. I can only assign it to those I trust... Think about what that means as you carry it out.


    Issei - Understood.


    Louin - The secret mission involves delivering funds to an organization. It''s to be done entirely in secret.


    Issei - So I just need to give them the funds?


    Louin - Correct. In the Republic of Lancelot, you''ll find a middleman between the organization and us. You need only to meet with the middleman at the date and time you''re told to. That is all. Any Questions?


    Issei - If I''m allowed to know, what''s this organization?


    Louin - They''re Outlaws.


    Issei - ...I see.


    Louin - Hoo. Are you not going to ask why I send these funds to an Outlaws organization?


    Issei - No need, I can vaguely know the reason.


    Issei can feel Louin aura and he has no evil intent whatsoever. Unlike Rochefort who reeks with it.


    So, he can vaguely tell the King objective is to test him, to see if he can handle this mission successfully. And he guesses that these Outlaws shouldn''t be the Outlaws with the <Snake Crest>.


    Louin - ...Heh, You''re indeed an extraordinary man... Now that I''ve told you all this, you aren''t allowed to refuse. This is to remain completely confidential. Tell nobody, not even my daughter.


    Issei - Understood. Oh and just a warning, just consider it as a son-in-law rambling you can ignore it if you want. But be careful with Rochefort, he''s not what he seems to be.


    Louin who heard that become wide-eyed but nodded regardless.


    Louin - ...Ah. I''ll take your advice to heart.


    With that Issei left the room and meet up with his wives outside.


    Louin - ...Rochefort, huh...


    ...


    Issei and his wives decided to head home to <Stallion> first to prepare for their journey tomorrow. They also decided to celebrate their marriage by having a feast at their home tonight.


    When Issei was preparing the food, Riche keeps asking him if they could use wine to mix it with the rice, or beer to make it even tastier. Issei told her no it won''t and it''s better to drink the wine and beer instead.


    Ramius also tried to help but she asked Issei if she could use her lance to tenderize the meat or cut the vegetables with it...


    Issei is speechless hearing her question so he told them both to just stay put and let him prepare the food. With that, he knows his wives cooking experience is totally zero.


    Then both Riche and Ramius can only agree because they indeed never done cooking before. But both of them keep staring at Issei preparing the food with mesmerized eyes because the way he prepares the food is so cool in both women eyes.


    Issei just ignored their stares but he feels a little prideful inside.


    After a while, he finally finished cooking the food.


    There''s rice, bread, steaks, fried fish, salad, etc. Basically, their food is looking very sumptuous and both Riche and Ramius eyes sparkled seeing all the food available.


    Riche preferred rice and more balanced diet while Ramius prefer bread and meat.


    Riche told Ramius to eat more vegetables instead of only meat, she thought that''s why her breasts becoming so big.


    But Ramius told her that''s not the reason for why her breasts got so big, she''s no expert but it seems it''s because she always drinks milk during her childhood.


    At some point, even her mother who saw her growing breasts regretted not to drink more milk in her childhood.


    Riche who heard that begged Issei to prepare milk every day for her to drink.


    Riche - ...Hey Ise, let''s have milk with every meal from now on. Yeah, for sure. We''re doing that, okay?


    Issei sweated and can only smile wryly hearing that, he told her that her breasts are nice as it is.


    But Riche is very persistent about it so he can only agree to her request.


    During the feast Riche got an idea and wanted to feed Issei, so she picked up a piece of meat off her plate with her fork and held it in front of Issei''s mouth.


    Issei - Huh?


    Riche - Isn''t this a thing newlyweds do? I''ll feed you. Say aaaah~


    Issei - Uhhh... No need, I can eat by myself...


    Annoyed by Issei''s rejection, Riche pressured him by moving the fork even closer.


    Riche - Say aaaah!


    Issei finally relented and ate the food Riche''s giving him.


    She becomes really happy being able to feed Issei and Ramius who saw that feels jealous. Then she looked at her bread in her hands and decided to feed Issei with it too.


    Issei becomes speechless seeing her feeding him a piece of bread like that, but he accepts it anyway.


    So after a while, they finally finish their dinner feast and decided to head to bed. Both Riche and Ramius wanted to sleep with him together and of course, Issei said yes to that.


    Even though in their house there''s a lot of empty room available but they prefer to sleep with Issei instead.


    The three of them have some steamy sex that night but they only went at it for 3 rounds each because they need to wake up early tomorrow to head to the Lancelot Kingdom.


    Issei is fine with it but the girls become putty once they''re done and slept like a log with a blissful smile on their face while they''re asleep. Issei cast cleaning spell so their bodies won''t be sticky after they''re done.


    ...


    -In the morning-


    After some quick preparation, they are prepared to travel to Lancelot.


    Riche - Ehehe, I''m so excited I can travel to another country.


    Issei - Hm? You never travel around before, Riche?


    Riche - Being royalty actually means I can''t travel. Even if I wanted to take a vacation, people might assume there''s something political going on.


    Issei - I see.


    Ramius - Well, I don''t really mind where we''re going as long as I''m with Ise though.


    Issei smiled hearing that and she smiles back at him.


    Riche - Anyway, let''s hurry!


    The party set off to the capital to get the permit.


    When the party arrived at the capital, they saw some Knights frantically running around the city.


    Ramius thought maybe it''s because of a disaster drill but Riche said it should have been in Autumn though.


    Then they head to Barro''s office.


    There they meet a Female Knight guarding his office.


    When the female knight saw Issei''s face she becomes a bit taken aback, ''Wha- There''s someone more handsome than Lord Barro Roan?! W-Well doesn''t matter I like Lord Barro anyway.''


    Female Knight - What are your purpose for coming here? Hrm, what, Ramius? We''re busy, what are you bothering us for?


    Ramius - Judging by that flat chest, you must be Sufy. I haven''t seen you since basic training.


    Sufy - D-Don''t identify me by my chest size!


    Sufy wears a full armor colored white and have yellow outlines she also wears a purple visor, you can see her mouth from her helmet but that''s about it. The rest of her body is covered by the full plate armor, but if not for her voice and the design of the armor people might think of her as a man...


    Ramius - When you''re wearing armor, it''s hard to see your face.


    Sufy - How''s that any different from a chest?!


    Barro - Hi. Issei-kun, sorry I kept you.


    After Barro entered the room late, the Knight named Sufy stepped back and saluted.


    Issei - It''s fine. Oh and here''s a little gift.


    Barro - How nice of you. Hoh, are these cookies?


    Ramius - Ise made them. They''re crisp, and sweet... and very tasty, and also crisp.


    Riche - You said crisp twice...


    Barro - I''ll try it later. Sufy, hold onto these for me.


    Sufy - ?!


    Barro - Is something wrong?


    Sufy - N-No... The buttery aroma''s just so strong I could smell it through the bag, is all.


    Barro - It certainly isn''t a scent you''d find in any old storebought cookies, Is there something special about it?


    Issei - Nope, they''re just cookies. The only different things would probably be the cow butter I made myself, I guess.


    Ramius - You can make your own cow butter?!


    Issei - Huh? Oh, yeah. The twins taught me.


    Riche - Ise''s cookies give off such a heavy aroma that as soon as they start baking, all the kids in Stallion gather around our house.


    Issei - They''re easy to make, so it''s simple enough to bake enough for everyone, too.


    Ramius - Mhm, giving delicious food to all the kids in the territory... Befitting of the lord of the territory''s son-in-law.


    Riche - That''s nice, but did you forget you''re his actual daughter?


    Barro - ...Your delicious cookies made you popular with the kids, you say?


    Sufy - Sir Barro, do you like cookies? I-If you do, I could make some for you...


    Barro - Not particularly. I just wondered how this was made.


    Sufy - ...I see.


    The female Knight was so disappointed that you could see it even through her iron helmet.


    Barro - Anyway, I''ve been holding you long enough. Here''s your permit.


    Riche - Okay. Thank you. Then we''re gonna head off to Lancelot.


    Barro - Ah. Take care now, see you guys later.


    Then Issei party set off to Lancelot.


    At the bridge, they saw Knights guarding it and when Riche shows them the permit they become relaxed.


    After crossing the bridge, Issei saw that the area of Lancelot is mostly desert. Along the way to <Lancelot>, they meet some monsters but Ramius and Riche proposed to be the one who handles it because they want to get stronger so they won''t be a burden to Issei.


    Issei agreed to it and told them he will be watching in case something goes awry.


    Issei decided to train them later on...


    When Issei is watching them fight the monsters he saw something on the ground. It appears to be a pocket watch, and it seems to be still in a good condition. So he picks it up and keeps it for now.


    After a while, they finally reached <Lancelot>.


    Powerful sunlight scorched the stone buildings, dry wind scattered the sand, and so the people naturally traversed the city through the shadiest spots.


    The calm wind carried a citrusy aroma that reinforced the fact that they were in a foreign country.


    Ramius has been here a few times because she often tasked to assist them on several occasions because the Republic of Lancelot''s Knights is lacking.


    Which Lancelot pays for, of course. The Kingdom of Eden is on friendly terms with Lancelot. So more than just Knights travel here from Eden.


    Ramius - After they take care of monsters, many Knights enjoy spending some free time at Lake Guinevere. Lake Guinevere''s is the huge, ocean-like lake north of here.


    Issei - Hmm. I see.


    Ramius - But when other female Knights saw me in a swimsuit, they kept their distance. That''s when I became even more isolated from the other Knights... Hahaha.


    Issei - ...No, I don''t think they avoid you because you''re scary or anything... Well, in a way you are scary for them but I''m pretty sure they avoid you because you clearly have a nicer body compared to them.


    Ramius - R-Really?


    Issei - I''m pretty sure.


    Ramius smiled hearing his words.


    Ramius - Well, as for the details of the history of the lake you could ask Riche... Uh, where''s Riche?


    Issei - Hmm, she''s lined up at a food stand over there. She seems to really be enjoying herself.


    Ramius - Oh... You''re right.


    Riche - Sorry! When I see a line, I just get the urge to stand in it.


    Sometime later, Riche returned with more bread than she could hold.


    Riche - This is the Rising Sun bread from Heidi, a famous bakery.


    Ramius - Riche... It''s okay to be excited, but did you need to buy that much?


    Riche - Weeell, I asked for a whole pile of bread. But I didn''t expect to actually get it...


    Issei - You sure you can finish all that?


    Riche - Well, we can save them for later. Here eat some.


    Then the 3 of them enjoyed the bread and it is indeed tasty.


    Issei meets someone he knows, it''s Towa.


    Towa - Ah. Issei-san!


    Issei - Hmm. Oh, Towa.


    Riche - Oh, is this someone you know, Ise?


    Issei - We met in Eden.


    Riche - Well now, so you know my husband? I''m his wife, Riche. Nice to meet you.


    Towa - Oh, Issei''s-san wife? ''Wow... She''s so pretty. Like a princess from a fairy tale...''


    Ramius - I''m Ramius, also his wife.


    Towa - ...WHAT?! ''W-Whoa... And she''s really sexy. H-He has two beautiful wives?! That means I still have a chance... W-What am I thinking?!''


    Issei - So are you sightseeing in Lancelot now?


    Towa snaps out of her thoughts hearing Issei question.


    Towa - Huh? Oh... Yes, yes I am. I''ve been looking into Lancelot''s history, culture, traditions, and so on. I heard the city of <Safere> holds a strange celebration called the Nubobo festival, but it was called off for various reasons.


    Ramius - Hoh, I''ve never heard of that festival before.


    Towa - I wish I''d gotten to see the legendary Giant Nubobo.


    Riche - Are you a bard? Does that bag on your back have an instrument in it?


    Towa - No, I''m not a bard... Um, I make these.


    Towa put down her bag and took out some sheets of paper with drawings on them.


    Riche - Oh, do you use those pictures for storytelling?


    Towa - Yes, I draw them myself.


    Riche - Hee~ How interesting would you mind showing us?


    Towa - I''m glad you''re interested, but I have little something to do right now... There''s no time, unfortunately. Sorry I have to say goodbye already. Maybe another time. I need to look for something you see...


    Issei - You''re looking for something?


    Towa - Yes, my cherished pocket watch. When I got back from the cow bus tour I noticed It was missing. I''m sure I dropped it somewhere during the tour. It''s very important to me...


    Riche - Hee, I see...


    Ramius - Well that''s unfortunate indeed...


    Issei - Pocket watch? Do you mean this?


    Issei remembered picking up a pocket watch back then along the road so he showed it to her if it''s the one she''s looking for.


    Towa - Yes, that''s it! Where did you find it?


    Issei - Oh I picked it up on the ground on our way here. Since this is yours then here.


    Issei gives the watch back to Towa.


    Towa - T-Thank you so much!


    Towa accepted the pocket watch and held it tight in her hands.


    Issei - Don''t mind it, it''s just a coincidence on my part.


    Towa - But I still need to thank you for it. Thank you once more, Issei-san!


    Issei - Well, you''re welcome. So why is that watch so important to you?


    Towa - It''s an heirloom from my deceased mother.


    Issei - Oh... Sorry about that.


    Towa - D-Don''t feel bad. Father gives me enough love to make up for it.


    Ramius - You must have a good father.


    Towa - Yes, he makes me quite proud.


    Ramius - Heheheh, actually. My father''s nothing to scoff at either.


    Riche - I don''t think this is a competition... Well, not that I don''t have a pretty impressive father too.


    Issei just smiled at their antics.


    Towa - Now, since I''ve already found my watch. I''ll let you see my story... Although, I hate to disappoint you. But it''s not terribly exciting.


    Issei - Don''t worry about it. You put your best effort on your story no? Then that''s all that matters, no one should be allowed to laugh at another person''s hard work.


    Riche and Ramius smiled hearing his words while Towa felt her heart beat rapidly.


    Towa - ''U-Uwaaa... Issei-san sure is cool... I would be happy to become his wife someday...''


    But she quickly responds to Issei''s word anyway while thinking that.


    Towa - T-Thank you... I tell stories because I want to teach children who can''t travel about the world.


    Riche - Huh, sounds like I could learn something. That''s interesting enough in itself.


    Towa - I''d also like to see what the children around here think, so would you mind if I let some of them watch as well?


    Issei - Not at all. It wouldn''t be fair if we kept you to ourselves.


    Towa - Thank you. Now then...


    *Clap* *Clap*


    When Towa clapped, the children playing in the area rushed over.


    Boy 1 - Yay, storytime!


    Boy 2 - Dang, I used all my allowance.


    Towa - This story is entirely free. I''m not a professional.


    Towa smiled at them while saying that.


    Boy 3 - Aaaw, do you not have candy to give out either?


    Towa - Oh, I did remember to get some... Here, have some candy, if you''d like.


    Boy 3 - Yay!


    Boy 4 - Oh, me too, me too...


    Now that they knew the story was free, children started to gather around Towa in droves.


    ??? - Hi, give me some too, please.


    While she was handing out candy, one girl clearly much older than the children held her hands out.


    She looks like a 14-15 years old girl with a black hair styled in short twin-tails tied with a red ribbon, she has brown eyes, she has a cute face. She wears a yellow and black striped scarf on her neck, she wears a sleeveless red shirt and pink ribbon on her collar, she also wears a white skirt and white knee sock and red boots. There''s a black cat tail on her back, probably a set with her clothes. On her hands, she wears a giant gauntlet shaped like a cat paw colored in black and yellow. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Gurigura?file=Gurigura-portrait.png here''s her picture)


    Towa - Oh. I''m sorry, I only have so much to give out. Would you mind leaving it for the children to have?


    ??? - Oh... Okay.


    The girl gave Towa a sad smile, stepped away from the children and waited for the story to start.


    *Growll*


    Her stomach growled.


    Issei - Riche.


    Riche - Yes, Ise, we still have loads of bread, so of course it''s okay.


    Riche guessed what Issei was about to say and handed him the remaining bread.


    Ramius - Hrm, was that like... A-A psycho connection? I''m a bit jealous!


    Riche - Who are you calling psycho?! I think you mean a ''psychic connection''!


    Issei just smiled wryly seeing them argue with each other. He then carried the bread to the girl.


    Issei - Hey.


    Girl - Hm? Me?


    Issei - Want some bread?


    Girl - Huh?! Are you sure?!


    When Issei held out the bread, the girl''s eyes happily shone, but soon after her brow furrowed.


    Girl - But I don''t have any money...


    Issei - It''s free.


    Girl - But... You''ve got no reason to give bread to me...


    The girl appeared to have some reservations about accepting the offer, but her eyes remained locked on the bread.


    Issei who saw that smiled gently and said


    Issei - Thing is, we bought too much that we don''t know what to do with it.


    Girl - But... But...


    Issei - Besides, the more people you share good food with the better it tastes so I''ve heard. So, if you eat some, that''ll make my bread even better.


    Girl - Really?


    Issei - Ah. We''ll find out once we try it. Here, have some.


    Girl - O-Okay. Thank you... *Omf*, mm, mm...


    Issei forced the bread on the girl. She hesitantly accepted it and began to stuff her cheeks.


    Issei is rather impressed that she can eat with those giant gloves on. But her face looks really cute when she munching on the bread that Issei''s face turned gentle as well while watching her.


    Girl - Whoa! Wow, it''s delicious! This bread''s so soft and sweet!


    Issei - Um. It is great.


    Girl - It''s totally different from the rye I usually have! Is this really bread? (AN: rye is a cereal plant that tolerates poor soils and low temperatures.)


    Issei - Hmm, I never had rye before but I guess they are different? But here, there''s plenty more where that came from.


    Girl - What?! What?! You sure?! Onii-chan, are you Mother Eve?


    Issei chuckled hearing her words and said, "Don''t be silly, it''s just bread. I''m Issei, besides Mother Eve is clearly a woman while I''m a man no?"


    Girl - I''m Gurigura! Thanks, Issei-nii! Mmm, so good, so tasty!


    Issei - Haha, glad you like it. ''She''s a nice girl... Maybe this is what having a little sister''s like.''


    Issei couldn''t hold back from patting her head gently.


    Gurigura - Eheh~!


    Far from expressing any displeasure over it, Gurigura broke out into a smile as she kept eating the bread.


    Towa - Are you ready, everyone? It''s time to begin!


    Towa announced she was ready to start the story, quieting all the children.


    Issei sat next to Gurigura and waited with her for it to begin, while Riche and Ramius sit beside Issei as well.


    Then Towa started her story...


    The story Towa told them is about King Arthur heroic deeds and how the Guinevere lake came to be... (AN: Ain''t gonna write the story here if not it will take a while and you guys not gonna read it anyway lol so I skipped it. Not really that important tbh.)


    Towa - And this story was brought to you by the corporation paving the way to the future with plastic, the Bigbux Company... The End.


    When Towa announced it was over, the quiet children erupted in applause.


    Riche - That was pretty educational, but the kids seem satisfied enough just hearing about Arthur.


    Riche, who''s standing next to Issei nodded to herself while saying that.


    Boy 1 - Lady, What happened to King Arthur? Where''d the Witches go?


    Towa - It''s said King Arthur died of old age, while QD. The leader of the Witches of the Round Table still watches over Arthur''s grave to this day. (AN: The twins are also the member of the round table, and yes all the ''witches'' is a Dragon)


    Boy 2 - Where''s his grave?


    Towa - I''ve looked into it myself, but <Camelot>, where it''s supposed to be located, is nowhere to be found...


    Boy 3 - Then I''ll find it! Hey, let''s go search!


    Towa - Oh, there are Outlaws and Monsters out there, so you shouldn''t leave town.


    Boy 4 - Don''t worry, there are adults around Lake Guinevere! We''ll be fine!


    Towa - There''s also poison gas around the lake, so don''t go without talking to an adult first.


    Boy 5 - Tch, we''d totally be okay...


    Even after the story ended, Towa continued speaking with the children...

 Chapter 43 - 42

    Towa - I''m sorry, the children kept wanting to talk.


    Once she finally got the children to leave, Towa bowed apologetically to Issei and his wives.


    Issei - Don''t worry about it. Besides, now I know this country a lot better, and I had a lot of fun too.


    Towa - I-Is that so? Thank you.


    Ramius - The children learn history this way, do they? If we had his back when I was young, maybe things would be different...


    Riche - Oh, there were... You just weren''t interested.


    Towa - Oh! It''s this late already?!


    Issei - What''s wrong?


    Towa - I was planning to leave the country by cow carriage, but it''s already time for the carriage to leave.


    Riche - Oh, so you''ve gotta go? You better hurry then, you don''t want to be late. And thanks for the story. Hopefully, we see each other again.


    Towa - I hope so too. Farewell, everyone.


    Towa held down her hat to make sure it didn''t fall off as she bowed, then ran over to the cow carriages.


    Gurigura - I gotta go too... Thanks for the bread, it was good!


    Issei - Oh? You''ve finished them all already?


    Gurigura - Ehehe~ It was so tasty that I ate it all real fast.


    Issei - Well, as long as you like it. Here, have the rest as well.


    Gurigura - You sure?!


    Issei - Ah. Have some to eat for dinner. But don''t eat too much, or you''ll get a stomachache.


    Gurigura - Eheh~

 Chapter 44 - 43

    Issei and his wives visited the Lake Guinevere. There they saw a giant creature like squid.


    The civilians around the lake told them it''s not dangerous so they aren''t allowed to kill it. So Issei and his wives just enjoy the scenery for a while, and when night comes Issei told both Ramius and Riche he will be meeting the middleman.


    So they both wait at the inn for him while Issei went to meet the middleman.


    Issei arrived in an alleyway at night. Then he saw someone waiting for him there.


    ??? - I''ve been waiting. You''re King Louie''s representative right?


    Issei - Ah. I''m Issei, nice to see you again.


    ??? - Oh?!


    Waiting for Issei at the meeting spot was presidential candidate Tio.


    Issei - Then I guess you''re the middleman king Louin mentioned?


    Tio - E-Eh. Indeed... Oh, I''m sorry about this afternoon. When I heard you''re from Eden, I just assumed you were on Prime Minister Rochefort''s side.


    Issei - It''s fine. But Rochefort''s more or less is hostile towards us.


    Tio - But I think it''s best people not see us being close. It may have been for the best.


    Issei - ...As you wish.


    Tio - B-But don''t think I hate you or anything like that. It''s just we shouldn''t draw too much attention.


    Issei - I understand.


    Tio - Uh... Um, did you bring the funds?


    Issei - Yeah, here.


    Tio - Good, that should be enough for-


    Issei caught sight of a shining metal object, grabbed Tio, and jumped to the side.


    Issei - Excuse me.


    Tio - Aaaah!


    *Cahk!* *Cahk!* *Cahk!*


    Where Tio had just been standing, some sharp throwing weapons were stabbed into the ground.


    ??? - I heard that... Presidential candidate Tio. Based on your suspicious activities... You must be... Evil!


    Issei - ''That sound... Gurigura huh''


    Then Issei heard rapid footsteps coming their way. Apparently, it''s Tio''s bodyguard.


    Escort 1 - Miss Tio! Did something happen?!


    Escort 2 - Are you there?! Damn criminal!


    They saw a small black silhouette moving in the dark.


    Escort 3 - I-It''s Kitty! We''re dealing with fucking Dark Night Kitty!


    Escort 4 - Don''t let her lay a hand on our client! Overwhelm her with numbers and beat her dead!


    Then they attack Gurigura together.


    Gurigura - I don''t like hurting more people than I need to, but if you''re on evil''s side, then it can''t be helped.


    The tiny figure exhibited some shocking power in dashing out of the back alley, revealing herself in the moonlight.


    Escort 1 - Gwaaaah!


    The black shadow''s huge hand swung down, knocking a scream out of one of the guards as he was blown away.


    The girl incapacitating men over twice her size with a single swing was the same girl Issei had given bread to that afternoon. Just like he guess from the sound before it is indeed Gurigura.


    Escort 2 - She''s so fast... Hey, don''t run away!


    Gurigura - You''re just too slow!


    Escort 2 - Guhaaaaaah!


    Issei could tell just by watching it''s not that the guards were amateurs, but Gurigura avoided all their attacks by the breadth of a piece of paper, then delivered precision strikes to their vitals.


    Escort 3 - You let your guard down. You''re full of openings after you attack!


    One of the men watched for Gurigura to land after taking out another guard, then attacked from behind.


    Gurigura - Hmph!


    Escort 3 - What?!


    But as though she had eyes in the back of her head, she ducked to avoid his strike and drove her far-reaching glove into the man''s face.


    Escort 3 - Guhaaaaaah!


    Despite the numbers being against her, Gurigura beat down the men one by one, as though it were merely a game. She came off as a wild, carnivorous beast with instincts honed solely for slaying its enemies.


    The guards realized this was no foe they could take on barehanded and drew their weapons, intending to split her and her gloves in half.


    *Clank!*


    Escort 4 - H-How?! The glove blocked my sword!


    Gurigura adeptly deflected the vigorous slash with her battle glove''s claws.


    Gurigura - You don''t wanna put too much force into your attacks, or you''ll leave yourself open when you get blocked.


    Escort 4 - Crap, Can''t let her get close.


    The man jumped backward, but the glove closed in on him faster than he could move.


    *Bam!*


    Escort 4 - Guhah!


    Tio - What in the world? These people are strong enough to be Knights, so why can''t they handle this tiny girl?


    Gurigura''s seeming invincibility made Tio go pale like she had an encounter with Death himself.


    Issei - Indeed, she''s quite skillful.


    Tio - Wh-Why are you admiring the enemy?!


    Issei - No particular reason. I''m just stating facts, she''s indeed skillful don''t you think?


    Tio - I-I know but...


    The guards were forced into a defensive battle, but their numbers were still steadily decreasing.


    There were few left standing between Gurigura and Issei.


    Escort 5 - M-Miss Tio, while there''s still time... Guhah...


    Gurigura - There''s no escape, villain! I have a Knight''s duty to fulfill!


    Issei - ''Knight?''


    Gurigura finished beating all the guards and approached Tio.


    Tio - Eek!


    Gurigura - Judgement!


    *Bam!*


    Issei calmly stands in front of Tio and stopped Gurigura attack with one hand.


    Gurigura - Hm?! You can take my attack head on? Are you a Knight?!


    Gurigura finally shifted her attention from her target to Issei and stepped back a cautious distance.


    Gurigura - ...Huh? Issei-nii... Why?


    Issei - Yo, Gurigura. What''s up? You didn''t notice it was me? And what about you? Why are you attacking Tio?


    Issei calmly greets Gurigura, just like an everyday greeting.


    Gurigura - Cause she''s bad! She''s making a sketchy deal here in secret! That proves it!


    Issei - Hmm. If you see it that way it is indeed hard to explain it.


    Gurigura - I can let you go, but not Tio. I need to kill her so she won''t be president.


    Issei - Kill her?


    Tio - You''re Dark Night Kitty, aren''t you? Even last year, you attacked Bors''s opponent and influenced the election.


    Gurigura - Call it what you want, I''m just passing judgment. There was proof that guy was doing bad stuff too.


    Tio - Yes, it''s true there was proof he took bribes! But was there any need for violence? Everyone has the right to run for president, whether they''re bad or not. The choice is up to the voters, not you!


    Gurigura - But I''ve got no choice... Since I''m a Knight. I''ve gotta beat the enemy.


    Tio - Oh dear...


    Issei - Gurigura, can we just talk for now?


    Gurigura - Why? I said I''d let you go. Why are you defending the bad guy?


    Issei - I don''t know a thing about Tio. But until I''ve personally seen that she''s evil, I won''t let her be hurt just like that. This is also for your sake.


    Gurigura - My sake?


    Issei - How would you feel if you''re mistaken about Tio? Knowing you kill an innocent people?


    Gurigura - B-But... Then what''s this sketchy deal about? Is it not bad?


    Gurigura pointed to the bag of money in Issei''s waist.


    Issei - Well, there''s nothing I can do to prove it to you that it''s not a sketchy deal other than give you my words on it. It''s not for something evil I can tell you that and if it is indeed used for something evil. Then I will pass the judgment myself, You''re okay with that right Tio?


    Issei calmly gazed at Tio while saying that.


    Tio - Y-Yes, it''s not for something evil. And if you find out it''s for something evil then you can judge me right away.


    Issei - See?


    Then Issei looks towards Gurigura once more while softly smiling.


    Gurigura - But... If I don''t beat her, my life''s gonna lose all meaning.


    Issei - ...What meaning?


    Gurigura - So... I''m sorry.


    The emotion disappeared from Gurigura''s face, replaced with piercing bloodlust aimed directly at Issei. But Issei doesn''t even flinch feeling her bloodlust.


    Gurigura who saw that sweated internally, ''Issei-nii sure is strong... I don''t know if I can beat him but I have no choice because if not then...''


    Man - There she is! this way!


    Man 2 - Wh-What?! What''s all that noise?!


    Then there''s a lot of sound coming towards this direction.


    Gurigura - Oops, now civilians are coming. Oh well... That''s it for now. But I''ll stop you eventually, Tio! Just wait for me, okay?


    With that, she jumped on top of the buildings and disappeared...


    Issei keeps looking towards the direction of Gurigura while thinking about something.


    Palomides - Oooh, you''re still safe, Miss Tio?


    Tio - Palomides, I''m sorry I worried you.


    Palomides - Hrm, and I remember this man...


    Tio - He''s acting on behalf of King Louin.


    Palomides - Is that right? But for now... It looks like most of the guards were just knocked out. Let''s take them to a doctor quickly. And as for you young man, if you don''t mind doing this instead. Could you guard Miss Tio for now?


    Issei finally took back his gaze and look towards Palomides.


    Palomides - Ahem, as you can see, our guards have been wiped out. It will be some time before we can hire more from the guild, so your assistance would be appreciated.


    Well, Issei can''t do his secret mission without Tio so he agreed to it.


    Issei - Sure, I''ll stay with her for now.


    Palomides - Thank you very much.


    Palomides bowed, gave orders to those subordinates who could stand, and began to swiftly pull away.


    The crowd that had gathered seemed to sense that the chaos was over with and left, leaving nobody around but Issei and Tio.


    Tio - I''m sorry... But I''m depending on you for the time being.


    Issei - It''s fine, but I left my wives at the inn, so if you don''t mind I''m gonna get them first.


    Tio - Yes, I''ll just stand aside and stay out of your way, so don''t mind me.


    To be honest, she felt a bit disappointed that Issei already married. Because she felt a certain charm that other man doesn''t have emitting from him.


    And when she saves her back then look so gallant that her heart skips a beat. She can vaguely see his face under his hood back then and she could tell that he''s a very handsome man. But she has her duties for now so she doesn''t have time to get into a love affair.


    Issei - Um.


    Then they head towards the Inn.


    Meanwhile with Gurigura.


    Gurigura was using the magic transmitter to report that she had failed the mission.


    Gurigura - I''m sorry, Master. Someone got in the way...


    Gurigura didn''t even know the name of the person she was talking to.


    But as a Ranger, a job class that sometimes takes spy missions, she was taught that not being told that information was perfectly normal.


    ??? - Do you not want the chance to proudly, publicly proclaim that you''re a Knight?


    Gurigura - ...I do.


    ??? - Aside from how to act as a Knight, you''ve received no other education. What''s beside fighting are you good for?


    Gurigura - I''m sorry...


    ??? - Who was it that gave your worthless life some value?


    Gurigura - You did, Master.


    ??? - ...Once this job is over, I''ll treat you as an official Knight.


    Gurigura - Really?!


    ??? - Yes, so see to it that Tio is killed. For your missions, you could never make yourself public, but after this. I want you to declare you''re a Knight with pride.


    Gurigura - Okay.


    ??? - Then you''ll get a warm bed to sleep in and enough food not to starve. Put in an earnest effort.


    The person on the other side hung up without waiting for Gurigura''s response. He never talked about anything but her mission.


    Gurigura - I''ll become a real Knight...


    Kitty - Nya.


    Gurigura - Oh, a kitty?


    A kitten approached the smiling girl.


    Gurigura - Is this where you sleep?... I don''t have a house of my own... So just lemme sleep here today, okay?


    Gurigura is sitting on some boxes in the alleyway.


    Kitty - Nya.


    Gurigura - Soon, I''ll get to call myself a Knight. Then I won''t have to sleep in alleyways, and I''ll get to eat every single day.


    Kitty - Nya.


    Gurigura - Oh, that reminds me. I do have food.


    Gurigura remembered she still had some bread from Issei left and stuck her hand in her pocket.


    Gurigura - Aw, it got all squished...


    Gurigura gave half the bread to the jealous-looking kitten, then nibbled at her piece.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, still tastes good.


    Kitty - Nya...


    Gurigura - Huh? Where are you going?


    With the bread still in its mouth, the kitten disappeared into the dark alleyway.


    Gurigura - Oh, I bet it has a home to return to...


    Once she was alone, Gurigura recalled Issei and his wives smiling faces.


    Gurigura - Issei-nii... Why is he on the bad guy''s side? Maybe he''s bad too...


    For some reason, the bread seemed like it was rapidly losing its flavor.


    Gurigura - Issei-nii was right... It doesn''t taste so good when you''re by yourself.


    After satisfying her hunger, Gurigura lay down and spent the night alone like she always did.


    ...


    After returning to Lancelot and spending a night at the inn, Issei told his wives about the secret mission.


    Tio - Uh, um... This mission was given by King Louin, wasn''t it? Who''s your father?


    Riche - Oh, I''m Riche Eden. He''s my father.


    Tio - WHAAAAT?!


    Riche - Though since I married Issei, I lost any right to the throne. Not that I care since being a King never suited me anyway... And I love Ise so the more reason not to care about the throne.


    Tio - Um, my apologies. I wasn''t aware you were of such importance.


    Riche - Father''s the important one, so there''s no need to feel tense around me or Ise. Just be yourself.


    Tio - Um, then I want you to feel the same way around me. We''re around the same age...


    Issei - Hm? I thought you were older.


    Tio - Not that much older.


    Issei - O-Ou... Got it...


    Issei felt an unusual pressure from Tio and decided to agree to her claim...


    Riche - Well you can just give Tio the funds and be done with the secret quest right?


    Issei - Ah. Tio, would you mind taking me to this organization we''re giving money to? I promised Gurigura after all.


    Tio - I can''t... As long as Dark Night Kitty is around, I can''t take you there. Besides which, you seem to be an acquaintance of hers, so it''s not impossible that you''re planning for that to begin with.


    Issei - Hmm. Good point.


    Tio - So, until all doubts are completely cleared, I can''t trust you.


    *Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*


    There''s a knock on the door then Issei opened it to see Palomides outside.


    Palomides - Apologies for interrupting! Miss Tio, there''s trouble!


    Tio - P-Palomides?


    Riche - Hey, what''s this about?! We said we''re talking about something important.


    Tio - I-It''s okay... Palomides and the guards know about the secret mission.


    Riche - Hrrm...


    Palomides - Yesterday''s attack was reported in the papers.


    Tio - Huh?!


    Palomides opened the newspaper he had, displaying a large article on last night''s incident.


    Palomides - There are pictures of the guards who were brought to the hospital. Denying that an attack happened may prove difficult.


    Tio - But how''d they put this together so fast?


    Riche - Whoever ordered Dark Night Kitty to attack leaked it to the newspaper company, I''m sure.


    Palomides - I know... It must be Bors! She''s his pawn too, I''m sure of it.


    Riche - Um, why are you panicking about this? You were one of the victims.


    Palomides - After Dark Night Kitty''s attack last year, she was celebrated as a righter of wrongs.


    Riche - I see... And since she attacked you, it''ll spread the idea that you''re doing something bad? That''s fishy... The newspaper company that''s calling her a hero could be in it too... Public image is an important part of elections I guess.


    Tio - Palomides, we have to do something. If we stay silent, it''ll be the same as admitting we''re hiding something.


    Palomides - Yes, it would be best to give a few speeches and inform the public you''re innocent... But... We don''t have new guards yet. Unless Kitty is stopped, I can''t let you go out in public.


    Tio - ...


    Tio sneak a glance towards Issei and Issei noticed her gaze.


    Issei - *Sigh* Then we''ll take her around.


    Palomides - Huh? Are you sure?


    Tio face lit up hearing Issei gonna escort her once again.


    Issei - I''ll have to capture Gurigura if I want to finish my secret mission anyway. Not that I''m gonna hurt her or anything, I''m just gonna ask her some questions. And besides, as I told her, I want to see whether you''re good or bad for myself. If you are evil then you know the consequences.


    Tio - Yes, I''m fine with that. Very well then. Please be my protection.


    Issei - You two are okay with that right?


    Riche - Well, Rochefort''s on the president''s side, so I can''t complain about supporting his opposition.


    Ramius - I will follow your decision all the way since I''m your wife.


    Issei smiled hearing that.


    Palomides - We applied to give speeches in advance. Take her to Lionel, Hector, and Safere in that order, please.


    Issei - Got it.


    Riche - Lionel first then. That''s where the incident happened, right? Might make it a good place to start.


    Issei - Then let''s go.


    Having agreed to escort Tio around, the party decided to leave for Lionel, their first destination.


    After a while, the party arrived at the entrance to their first destination, Lionel.


    Tio - Made it in time, now let''s hurry and-


    *Rustle*


    Tio ran past a thicket that suspiciously shook. There are some monsters pop out but they got killed instantly.


    At first Riche and Ramius thought it was Gurigura but Issei told them it''s not. Then they entered Lionel.


    By the time they arrived in the main square, there was already a large crowd. But they looked not so much supportive about the incident as they are curious.


    Tio - Hello, everyone. As you know, we were attacked last night, resulting in the injury of much of my staff.


    But unphased by the audience''s gaze, Tio bravely delivered her speech.


    Tio - The reason why I was attacked isn''t clear, but I can proudly declare I have nothing to hide. I won''t back down in the face of such senseless violence. For the sake of my staff members who were injured last night, I swear I will fight on. Even simply from the perspective of the Kingdom of Arthur''s historical value, we should undergo a thorough investigation of the ruins before taking any drastic actions. Please, don''t let the ruins be destroyed by buying into these baseless claims that Outlaws are inhabiting them.


    What we should focus on solving right now is the issue causing the most suffering... The poison gas coming from Lake Guinevere.


    Despite the news of the attack, the audience seemed captivated by Tio''s speech and, when it was over, gave her an ear-splitting round of applause.


    Tio - Whew, somehow got through that okay.


    Issei - Good job. Everyone seemed to like it.


    Tio - T-Thank you... Maybe it''s because of the attack, but they seemed to take it more seriously than usual.


    Riche - Then it would probably be best to get to the other towns sooner rather than later.


    Tio - Yes. The next town we''re going to is Hector.


    The party then headed towards Hector the location of the next speech.


    Ramius - Hrm, are those Outlaws? They''ve got some guts to be wandering near town.


    The party arrived at Hector and sighted some suspicious men snooping around the entrance.


    Outlaw 1 - Oh. We were gonna attack some suckers leaving town, but looks like we''ve got some good targets right here.


    Outlaw 2 - Hoh, nice chicks you''ve got there. If you ladies stay, we''ll let the guy go.


    Riche - Outlaws really need to come up with some new lines.


    Ramius - What are Lancelot''s Knights doing?


    Outlaw 3 - Heh heh heh, don''t you know? They''re so caught up with the poison gas problem that they ain''t got time to stop us.


    Outlaw 4 - Blame your luck for being shit. Now hand the chicks over!


    Issei - You must be a total idiot if you think I''m going to hand over my wives to you.


    Outlaw 5 - Whaaaat?! They''re all your wives?!


    Tio - Oh, no... I''m not... But I''d love to...


    Tio''s cheeks blushed for some reason. Riche and Ramius who saw that looked at each other and smiled wryly at the same time.


    Riche - Guess we will have another sister soon enough.


    Ramius - Fumu. So it seems.


    Issei face also twitched hearing that but he won''t point it out...


    Outlaw 5 - Dammit! I can''t rest until this guy''s beaten to a pulp!


    Outlaw 4 - DIIIIIE!


    With a quick work from Issei they all down for the count.


    Tio who saw his action become mesmerized even more. Issei can only smile bitterly seeing that while his 2 wives smirked at him.


    Then they enter the town.


    Riche - Why would Outlaws come near such a big town? What idiots.


    Ramius - This may not be the best time for an election.


    Tio - After the speech, I''ll tell the Knights they should reinforce security.


    Tio went to the crowded main square and began to speak in front of the audience.


    Tio weaved the Outlaw incident into the speech, garnering a positive response from the townspeople.


    Besides drawing on their personal experiences in that manner, she talked about her own ideas.


    Her talent for public speaking seemed to capture the hearts of the citizens of Hector.


    Tio - I''m done. Now let''s get to the last town.


    When the party arrived at Safere, a bush near the entrance moved suspiciously.


    Ramius - Now is it Gurigura?!


    Issei - Nah...


    There''s a Hanny pop out from the bushes.


    Hanny 1 - Haniho!


    Ramius - Oh... It''s just a Hanny.


    Hanny 1 - What do you mean, ''just a hanny''?! You may not be aware, but I''m a presidential candidate!


    Hanny 2 - Yeah, that! Even just running for president means we get attention!


    Hanny 1 - Eheh, once I become a president, I''ll make all girls wear glasses and bloomers.


    Hanny 3 - All hail the president!


    Issei - ...


    Hanny 1 - Heheh, let me tell you something, stupid hoomans. This kind of platform is called a ''Majestic''.


    Hanny 2 - Boy, hoomans are so dumb!


    Riche - You mean a manifesto? Not that that word sees much use in that way anymore...


    Issei - Are hannies even allowed to run for president?


    Tio - No, it''s supposed to be humans only.


    Hanny 1 - That''s not true! We even have campaign posters up!


    The hanny puffed out his chest (?) and showed them a poster.


    Issei - ...What''s this doodle?


    Tio - Oh right, I''ve heard about someone sticking doodles up on election bulletin boards. Election officials keep having to go around and take them down.


    Hanny 2 - Gwah! All that time spent putting them up, and for what?!


    Riche - Look, we''re pretty busy, so could you go away? Shoo, shoo!


    Hanny 3 - Grrr, give haniwa the right to run for president too!


    Hanny 1 - If it''s come to this, we''ll have to make you wear glasses and bloomers by force!


    The infuriated hannies attacked the party. But all of them broke to pieces just from one punch by Issei.


    (AN: You guys might have not played the game but this jackasses of hannies give more game over than any bosses around because they have ranged attack and immune to magic. So Riche is totally useless fighting them, and they very often attack Tio in the game for an instant game over because she only has like 50 hp and 1 hit die... Hate this part so much ~_~)


    Riche - What a waste of time that was. You okay, Tio?


    Tio - Yes, thanks to you all. I haven''t even suffered a scratch.


    Tio bowed to the party and ran to the main square where a crowd was waiting.


    Issei and his wives are visited by Palomides.


    Palomides - Oh, already made it here, have you? I was worried that you might not have made it safely, so I brought our remaining staff here to wait and see if you arrived.


    Eventually, some loud applause came from the site of Tio''s speech.


    Palomides - Hm, I thought we were in a pickle, but Miss Tio turned it into a good opportunity.


    Palomides''s face was like that of a grandfather appreciating his grandchild''s growth.


    Tio - That went well... Oh? Palomides?


    Palomides - The attack by Dark Night Kitty seems to have given you some guts.


    Tio - Th-Thank you.


    Palomides - You traveled around faster than I expected. I also applied for a speech in


    town if we had the time, so you might as well go there now.


    Riche - I believe they''ve been severely impacted by the poison gas up there.


    Palomides - The wind today has apparently cleared up the poison gas on the road.


    Tio - Understood. I''d like as many people as possible to hear my speech.


    Palomides - Can you help with that, everyone?


    Issei - Sure.


    Palomides thanked them once more and left.


    Tio - Pankarch is up north, past Lake Guinevere. It''s a bit far, unfortunately.


    Ramius - That''s Lancelot''s harbor town. They call it their ''gateway to the ocean''.


    Tio - Not only is the poison gas impeding trade, but the destruction of Eden Harbor has resulted in great dissatisfaction among the citizens.


    Riche - Couldn''t that make them dangerous?


    Tio - There does seem to be some disorder, but I believe it''s a politician''s job to hear such people out.


    Ramius - Alright, leave it to us. We''ll keep watch in the city too.


    Tio - Thank you.


    For one additional speech, the party decided to head north to


    .


    Ramius - Hrm, something''s wrong with the town!


    Upon entering Pankarch and arriving at the main square, the party noticed something strange about the crowd.


    Man - Cough, cough... Nnngh...


    Girl - Haaah, haaah... Mom, it huuurts...


    Riche - Guh, it reeks!


    Issei - It''s a poison...


    Tio - It''s poison wind! The Outlaws have been causing so many distractions that nobody''s watching Lake Guinevere.


    Issei - Ramius, Riche. Let''s have the civilians evacuate! Lend a hand to anyone who can''t move.


    Ramius & Riche - Got it!


    The party split up and assisted the people coughing on the ground, then had them take shelter in a large building.


    Issei - Is that everyone?


    Tio - Over there! There''s still someone left.


    Next to a cow carriage that broke down in the commotion, Tio spotted someone crouched over and ran up to her.


    Tio - Are you okay, old lady? Here, grab my shoulder.


    Old lady - Ooow, my leg... It got caught in my cargo. Don''t waste time on me. Save yourself.


    Tio - I''ll be fine, just hang in there! Issei, untie the rope around the cargo.


    Issei noticed someone is hiding on the bushes nearby and he knows who it is, so he tested something. He''s faking it by saying the ropes bound very tight so it might take a while.


    And just like he hoped she would do...


    *Slash!*


    While Issei is faking it, a sharp throwing weapon flew past and cleaved through the rope.


    Issei - ''Just like I thought... You are a good girl.''


    Tio - There, your leg''s free. Now hold on to me!


    Old lady - Thank you... Thank you so much...


    Issei - Tio, that''s the last person.


    Issei confirmed that nobody else was left and helped Tio carry away the old woman.


    Issei - We managed to get everyone to safety for now... So this is what the poison gas does?


    Issei doesn''t know what the effect of the poison gas is since he''s resistant to poison thanks to Semiramis.


    Tio - Yes, it''s been around since the Arthur Tragedy. With each passing day, there are more and more incidents like this.


    Issei - Hmm...


    Issei knows it shouldn''t be caused by the Witches because he met with QD and Arthur himself before. Perhaps there''s some magic went haywire at the ruins or something. So it might just be an accident...


    Tio - I don''t know what''s causing it, but I can''t imagine the Kingdom of Arthur I know would have developed such dangerous magic. They''re pinning everything on the dead who can''t defend themselves, and that''s not right.


    Issei - I agree.


    Tio and Issei took the old woman to a safe place, around which time the effects of the poison gas seemed to have subsided in most of the townspeople, and they began to return to a normal condition.


    Riche - Doesn''t look like you''ll be able to give a speech.


    Tio - Well, given the circumstances... At least we were still able to help people. There would be no election without them.


    When the chaos died down, the party noticed Tio was exhausted after all the speeches and had her rest in the shade of a tree.


    Then suddenly Issei saw Gurigura made her move.


    *Sing!*


    A knife heading toward Tio was caught by Issei.


    Tio - Ah!


    Gurigura - Darn, I thought my timing was perfect.


    Gurigura was shocked by Issei''s reaction time. She was holding a big cloth that featured the same pattern as the tree.


    Ramius - So you were sneaking around using camouflage.


    Gurigura - I might''ve messed up but I''m not calling it quits just yet!!


    Issei - Wait, Gurigura.


    Gurigura - What?


    Issei - You helped us save that old lady, right? Thanks.


    Gurigura - ?!


    Issei - But you must''ve seen all that too. How could you still think that Tio''s a bad guy?


    Gurigura - But... But... She is...


    Issei - Think about it yourself. Based on what you saw, could Tio really be a bad person?


    Gurigura - Y-You''re trying to shake me up! I won''t let you get away with that!


    Issei - Gurigura...


    Driven into a corner by Issei''s question, Gurigura prepared her gloves and displayed the intent to fight.


    Riche - Guess it''s come to this. As her guards, we''re gonna protect Tio. Please guard Tio, Ise. And let us handle her.


    Ramius - Ah. We also need to stop relying on you too much. Gurigura will be a perfect foe as our training partner. Don''t worry, we''ll try to hurt her as little as possible.


    Issei - ...Got it, I leave it to you guys.


    Gurigura - Don''t take me... Don''t take Rangers lightly!


    Ramius - Well, if Ise is the one who fights you then it will be over instantly. You notice that too right? Can you beat him the way you are now?


    Gurigura - Guh...


    Indeed Gurigura can''t see any opening from Issei nor does she have the capabilities to defeat him either. It''s like he''s a giant mountain she can never hope to surmount.


    Riche - Well then. Shall we, Gurigura?


    Then they start their fight against Gurigura. Riche and Ramius teamwork is perfect, every time Gurigura tries to land a hit on Riche, Ramius will always be there to cover her.


    And Ramius close combat capabilities also nothing to scoff at. Even though she carries a giant lance and shield but she''s quite fast, at least fast enough to stop Gurigura from attacking Riche.


    Riche cast magic attack on Gurigura but never aimed it at her vitals, she just aims it at her legs or hands. Her aim is quite accurate but Gurigura is able to minimize the damage every time Riche magic is about to hit her.


    Gurigura is also a skilled fighter because she can fight with 2 of them at the same time.


    Tio is in awe seeing their battle.


    Tio - W-Wow... They all are so skillful... Our Knights are not as skillful as them...


    Issei - Ah... Indeed.


    Issei feels proud seeing his wives in action but he''s also impressed by Gurigura''s skill.


    Tio who saw Issei gentle face while looking at his wives felt a tinge of jealousy, she really envied Riche and Ramius for being able to have a husband like Issei.


    She thought she will train later in the future when her job is finished. And perhaps she could...


    She blushed thinking about the future.


    Then finally their fight is over with Gurigura''s on the losing side.


    Gurigura - Ah... Oh no, how''d I lose?


    Although she lost, Issei can see there are no serious injuries on her.


    Ramius - We won''t do anything bad to you, so just surrender peacefully.


    Gurigura - ...After my mission''s over.


    Riche - No way! She can still move?!


    Gurigura seemed to be at her limit but managed to run away while the party''s guard was down. Issei noticed she was gonna run but choose to let her go instead so as to teach his wives to never let their guard down whenever they face against an enemy no matter who they are.


    After all, it''s fine in this case since it''s the perfect opportunity to let them learn without hurting themselves. If it''s just pure evil person then Issei would''ve stopped him/her from running away but Gurigura is not evil.


    Issei - Now remember to not let your guard down even if the enemy is on their last stand girls.


    Ramius - Guh... To think I would make that kind of mistake...


    Riche - Hai...


    Issei smiled at them and patted their head.


    Issei - Don''t worry. I''m sure you will be more careful next time.


    Riche - Ehehe~


    Ramius - U-Um...


    Riche and Ramius are happy being patted by Issei while Tio who''s seeing that felt a little jealous.


    Ramius - But, that girl seems to have received some serious training.


    Riche - Maybe she graduated from the Academy.


    Issei - What academy?


    Riche - There was a special academy for training Rangers, a type of Knight with unique combat skills.


    Ramius - But after the Arthur Tragedy, every country had to cut down on Knights.


    Riche - The academy''s only purpose was raising new ones, so I heard it was put to rest around then. Since the only country that''s still recruiting Knights in large numbers is the Kingdom of El Quixote to the east of here.


    Ramius - The whereabouts of most of the Academy''s students is apparently unknown.


    Issei - I see... Must''ve been quite a school. They taught her to move so quickly.


    Of course, that''s based on a human standard. For Issei, Gurigura is still too slow in his eyes.


    Riche - No point standing here and talking. The speech was called off, so why don''t we head back to Lancelot?


    Issei - Sure.


    Having stopped Gurigura''s attack, the escorts decided it was time to return to Lancelot.


    -At Lancelot-


    Tio - Thank you, everyone. These speeches should have minimized the damage from the newspaper article.


    Riche - Based on the voter''s reactions, you might even be more popular than before.


    Tio - Maybe so. The crowds were bigger than usual, so it was a good chance to talk about my positions.


    Ramius - When life gives you lemons... You know, that saying. (AN: Yup Ramius, Indeed... When life gives you Lemons... (?? ????))


    Riche - If the president''s the one who organized the attack, I''d love to see his face after these results.


    Issei - Well, we will meet Gurigura again later and we can ask her why she attacks Tio in the first place. And Tio about the secret mission I guess we can''t go there anytime soon.


    Tio - ...I''m sorry. Under these circumstances, I can''t be your guide.


    Riche - Well, if it''s supposed to be secret, what can you do? You never know when Gurigura might be watching.


    Tio - I''m very sorry. If it would only affect me, I wouldn''t mind, but I couldn''t impose any potential burden on others.


    Ramius - Until Gurigura''s stopped, the mission can''t be completed, then.


    Issei - Don''t worry, Gurigura''s not a bad girl. She''s just being used, I''m sure of it.


    Riche - Then do you think she''s wrong about Tio being a criminal?


    Tio - Oh dear... I-I...


    Issei - Ah. From what I''ve seen so far I think she''s a kind and wonderful person. Besides, I''ve told you that I can see people''s aura right? And I don''t feel any evil aura on her.


    Tio - Uh... Aah... I-I''m not so...


    Tio blushed deeply being praised by the man she has feelings for.


    Riche and Ramius smirked when seeing her acting all bashful like that. And Tio who noticed their gaze on her become even more embarrassed that she hides her face with her hands.


    Issei felt speechless seeing them like that...


    Then Issei told them why Gurigura''s indeed not a heartless killer. Because if she is then she could have taken advantage of the poison gas commotion in Pankarch to attack Tio but she never did and helped the civilians in the shadow just like how he ''helped'' Issei to cut that rope on the cargo. The one with the old woman.


    Issei took out the throwing weapon that had severed the rope. It was the same as the ones Gurigura attacked with.


    Ramius - That''s true, it would have been a perfect opportunity to attack.


    Issei - Ah. Even when she attacked Tio the first time, it seemed like only did it because our meeting in the middle of the night seemed fishy.


    Riche - Hm, you''re probably right. She''s indeed seemed to be being used by someone. I mean, I agree. She''s not attacking out of personal interest, she''s taking someone else''s orders. I mean... From what I''ve seen, she doesn''t come off like she can make decisions for herself.


    Issei - Ah. Indeed. Now you girls just need to think of something to catch her, because you asked me to leave it to you two no?


    Issei could easily catch Gurigura himself but he chooses to let his wives handle it by themselves just like they requested. And although he spoils her wife a lot, he knows when to spoil or not to spoil.


    He doesn''t want to make them weak and can''t think for themselves. They are his wives not some dolls to be set as a trophy.


    Ramius - Fumu, you''re right. But it won''t be easy... When a Ranger gets serious, their skills are even compared to those of ninjas.


    Issei - Ninjas? Oh right, there''s a manga about them in this world.


    Ramius - Yes. They apparently did exist hundreds of years ago, but they say Rangers are modeled off the ninjas in the manga.


    Riche - Ninjas... Ninjas?


    Issei - What''s wrong Riche? Noticed something?


    Riche - It''s just... When you mentioned ninjas, I almost remembered something. Uuuuh, hmmmm... Oh! Now I remember! That''s right, ninja birdlime!


    Issei - Ninja birdlime?


    Ramius - Right, there is that. It''s an item created for capturing Rangers who sneaks into castles.


    Issei - Hm? Does that kinda thing exist?


    Riche - Right before the Arthur Tragedy, every country was taking efforts to collect info on every other country, so a lot of Rangers were sent on spy operations. Of course, some were sent to spy on Eden... But we invented ninja birdlime, something that could even capture a ninja. The inventor was really proud of it and rambled on about how it works forever, so I''ve still got it stuck in my memory.


    Issei - Oh, You know the inventor?


    Riche - Yeah, the inventor came by the castle a lot and we''re around the same age, so we talked plenty.


    Ramius - And she''s a <Zero Knight> like Aniue.


    Issei - Oh, the 3rd <Zero Knight> huh.


    Issei isn''t that surprised hearing the 3rd <Zero Knight> is a woman, he never the one to judge people capabilities by gender after all. Just like how he first met Ramius and finding out that she''s a Knight.


    Riche - But what should we do? I doubt there''s even any left at the castle.


    Issei - Really? Then couldn''t you ask this <Zero Knight> to make it for you instead? Where is she again, at the capital? I could teleport us there if you want.


    Riche and Ramius remembered that Issei is basically a Dragon and he can teleport them to where they have been before. Tio is being confused hearing their conversation but chooses not to cut in.


    Riche - Well... That won''t do any good. Unlike Acheval and Barro, this <Zero Knight''s> not required to stay in the country or anything.


    Issei - Hm? I thought <Zero Knights> had to?


    Riche - Well, both this person''s promotion to <Zero Knight> and current position are pretty unique. She doesn''t actually do a Zero Knight''s job, she just hides away in the mountains. Based on the New Year''s card we got last year, we would want to look somewhere in the mountains between Lancelot and the Kingdom of El Quixote... I think.


    Issei - I see. Why she lives there in the first place anyway?


    Ramius - I''ve heard rumors the inventor can''t live near anyone due to her dangerous experiments, or something like that.


    Issei - Well, let''s go meet her then and you can ask her to make the ninja birdlime for you.


    Riche - Hmmm, don''t know if they''ll agree to it. That''s all I''m worried about.


    Issei - Well, what would you do in the meantime, Tio?


    Tio - Eh? Oh, Palomides contacted me saying he found some guards, so I think I''ll return to my office.


    Issei - Okay, we''ll get in touch with you again later.


    Thus, the party saw Tio off, then decided to head for the mountains to the east in search of the inventor of the ninja birdlime after getting some sleep for the night.


    The next morning...


    -Border Mountain Range-


    The party set foot in the rugged mountains making up the border between the Republic of Lancelot and the Kingdom of El Quixote.


    Issei - This pathway sure is a mess... They could bother to maintain it a little better no?


    Riche - It''s on the border with El Quixote, so they have to constantly argue about who''s putting how much money into it, apparently.


    Ramius - All things considered, it''s much faster and safer to take a ship than to climb these steep, dangerous mountains.


    Riche - Even long ago, during King Arthur''s exodus, they constructed a bunch of boats so they could cross by sea.


    Issei - Huh, really?


    Ramius - Unlike Lancelot, they have plenty of lumber to use in El Quixote.


    Riche - The plan was put forth so that women, children, and old people who couldn''t climb the mountains were able to keep going, according to the story. Now, the person we''re looking for should be near the peak. Let''s get climbing.


    Issei - Got it.


    Then after some time they finally reached the peak.


    Ramius - Kathryn lives right over there. Let''s go pay her a visit.


    ...


    Riche - We''re here! There should be a hut over this way!


    Issei finally saw what looked like someone''s home.


    Issei - ...This is her house?


    The house looks weird. Like a combination of a wooden dome and iron parts with lots of antenna at the top.


    Issei - Hm?


    While Issei was dumbfounded by the location of the hut, a hanny carrying a big package passed by.


    Delivery Hanny - Heave ho... Heave ho... Haniho! Amuzon delivery!


    The delivery hanny yelled this outside the front door, then tossed the package on her doorstep.


    Delivery Hanny - Thanks for using Amuzon!


    Ramius - Amuzon does deliver everything from cradles to graves everywhere in the world, as long as you can pay. (AN: Is that true guys? I never used Amazon before so I don''t know lol. This game obviously referring to Amazon in real life just changed 1 letter on it, and it became Amuzon

 Chapter 45 - 44

    Kathryn - You got married?! But you''re weirder than I am!


    Riche - Yep. This is my husband, Issei Hyoudou. He''s not a royalty just in case you''re wondering.''Well, he''ll probably become one soon enough though.''


    Riche added that last part inside her mind because she believes Issei will become a royalty soon enough or even surpass the royalty at that matter.


    Ramius - By the way, he''s my husband too.


    Issei - ...Yo.


    Kathryn - ...What? Hey, gimme a good look at your face.


    Issei - Hm?


    Kathryn grabbed Issei''s head, drew him in close, and stared. Issei can dodge her grab but he chooses not to because he doesn''t see any reason why he should dodge it when she''s only wanted to see his face.


    Kathryn - Wait, this is a real man! It''s not a realistic magic item or an illusion or- Aah...


    Kathryn suddenly becomes frozen stiff after seeing Issei''s face clearly. Looking at his handsome face at point blank and feeling his aura up close at that too is a huge mistake.


    Even a saint feels their heartbeat thumped loudly moreover so for a normal girl like her.


    She becomes instantly mesmerized... She can feel her cheeks flushed, she can even feel her heart thump loudly threatening to break out from her chest.


    When she was totally lost in seeing Issei''s face when she heard a chuckle.


    Riche snickered seeing Kathryn becomes mesmerized after seeing Issei''s face. After all, even she becomes mesmerized when she first saw Issei''s face when they first met.


    Ramius just calmly nodded thinking to herself that her husband is truly a great man that can even mesmerize Kathryn who''s known to be an anti-social girl in the capital. Ramius doesn''t really see Issei for his handsomeness but for what''s inside him. Even if Issei has an average face she will still fall in love with him what''s more when he''s this handsome.


    Kathryn after realizing the look of Riche and Ramius giving her came back to her senses and hastily shoved Issei while her face turned totally red like a tomato.


    Kathryn - H-Hey, are you really a normal guy? You don''t like, crossdress, or anything?... Even more when you''re that handsome...


    She felt her face heat up even more at the last part.


    Riche - Well, I wouldn''t call him ''normal'' you see...


    Ramius - Um. Indeed, he''s far from ''normal''...


    Issei - ...What?


    Kathryn - Then are you-


    When Kathryn wanted to ask him if he''s indeed crossdressing or not suddenly Ramius and Riche continued talking.


    Ramius - ...He defeated Aniue you see, and he becomes a Knight in less than a week at that too and he''s undergoing a test to become a <Ten Knight> at the moment. He will be promoted when he finished the test and returned to the capital.


    Riche - ...Um, um. He''s crazy strong, smart, cool, handsome, kind, caring, and a great cook at that too. So he''s anything but normal you see.


    Ramius - Fumu. Indeed.


    Both Riche and Ramius nodded at the same time while wearing a smug look on their face making Kathryn who saw their face becomes annoyed.


    Issei blushed a little hearing his wives praises on him but he''s happy inside that his wives feel that way about him.


    Kathryn who saw his blushing face got even more mesmerized than before but she hastily snaps out of it and said.


    Kathryn - W-wait! Did you say he defeated Acheval? That Acheval?!


    Ramius - Yeah, he defeated my brother, Acheval. And easily at that too.


    Riche - Even my Father and Barro acknowledged his talent you see.


    Kathryn becomes totally speechless hearing that... She even thought he must be isn''t a human. Well, she''s right on that part...


    She just sighed and asked them once more.


    Kathryn - ...So what do you want? You gonna drag me to the celebration?


    Riche - We want your help. Could you make ninja birdlime for us?


    Kathryn - Ninja birdlime? Oh right, that. I remember making something like that... But nah, that would be a pain. Bye, see ya.


    *Clack!*


    Kathryn tried to close the door, but Riche jammed her foot in the way.


    Riche - Hold on a moment! Why can''t you just do it?!


    Kathryn - Don''t wanna. Waste of my time. What do I have to gain?!


    Riche - Uh huh. So that''s how you''re gonna be...


    Kathryn - Wh-What?


    Riche - I''m gonna make Amuzon orders to your house for weird, incriminating things in your name!


    Kathryn - You wouldn''t dare! Returning things is a pain in the ass!


    Issei just calmly look at his wife antics, he knows they are just playing around with each other and Riche won''t really do what she just said.


    Riche who felt Issei gaze hastily said.


    Riche - I-I''m not really trying to force her, It''s just, seeing Kath brought me back to the old days!


    Ramius - Ise, they''ve always treated each other like this. She means no real harm, so don''t worry.


    Ramius tried to back up Riche but Ise just respond with a smile and said


    Issei - I know. Riche wouldn''t do something like that.


    Riche - I-I see... That''s good, I guess...


    Riche blushed in happiness knowing her husband trust her that much.


    Kathryn - ... ''The hell? She seriously likes this guy? Riche was never one to make girly faces like this... I know he''s handsome but there''s no way Riche would only like a guy just because they are handsome the same goes for Ramius. Riche was all into heroes in the manga and fairy tales and stuff... And Ramius was the Loner Knight, so why''s she seem to trust this guy in particular?''


    Kathryn keeps thinking all that while looking at them.


    Kathryn - ...Hrrm... ''Oh... I''ve got an idea.'' Alright, not like you''re strangers to me, so I''ll be nice and make you some ninja birdlime. The thing is, I haven''t got the materials, so we''ll have to go get those.


    Kathryn paused for a moment to build up the tension, then stared right at Issei.


    Kathryn - I''ll lead the way, you follow me. And only you.


    Issei - Hmm? Sure, I guess. What materials do you need?


    Kathryn - There''s a small fountain I made not far past here. I need some water from there.


    Issei - ...Very well.


    Ramius - Why not just me?


    Kathryn - Nope, has to be, uh... Issei. If you want me to cooperate, he has to come alone.


    Riche - ...''She''s gotta be planning something.''


    Riche gave Kathryn a silent stare but the latter just ignores it.


    Kathryn - Listen, the fountain''s right outside this hut. Let''s get going. Follow me.


    Issei - You two can take a break.


    Issei smiled at Riche and Ramius, then went with Kathryn to the fountain.


    After a while, they arrived at the fountain.


    Kathryn - Alright, here we are. This is the fountain.


    Issei - Huh. It''s quite pretty.


    *Splash*


    Issei - Hm? What''s that? Are there fish in here or something?


    Kathryn - Riche and Ramius are bathing, probably.


    Issei - Huh? How? We left them back at the house.


    Kathryn - Heheh, so there''s actually a faster way from there to the fountain, and I tricked them into wanting to wash off in it.


    Issei - ...Why would you do that?


    Kathryn - Just seeing if you can prove you''re not just posing as couples.


    Issei - You think we are faking it? Like using each other for personal gain by pretending to be in love with each other?


    Kathryn - Y-Yeah.


    Issei can feel some insecurities inside Kathryn''s eyes. She must have some past he thought, just like him.


    Issei - Well, we''re not pretending though.


    Kathryn - Th-Then go bathe with them.


    Kathryn keeps nudging the back of Issei''s back while saying that.


    Issei - ...*Sigh* No need to push me.


    Then Issei calmly stripped his clothes. He thought he might as well humor her.


    Kathryn who saw his naked body felt a bit tingly down there and she felt her body heated up just from seeing his naked body. She keeps thinking how perfect his body is, all that toned muscle of his, and his smooth dark brown hair and fair skin that can even make woman envious of it.


    Thankfully Issei didn''t turn around to face her or she will see his dragon down there.


    When she saw he''s about to jump in the water she snaps back from her delusions and suddenly asks him.


    Kathryn - S-So?


    Issei looked back seeing her talking once more.


    Issei - Hm?


    Kathryn - Who do you love more?


    Issei - What?


    *Splassssh*


    Issei got taken by surprise because he was just thinking about her question and was gonna answer it when she suddenly pushed him down into the fountain.


    When Issei fall into the fountain he accidentally drank some of the water inside of it. ''This girl...'' Issei is speechless with Kathryn action.


    When he pops his head out of the water he saw Riche and Ramius bathing inside the fountain fully naked. He thought how great his wives bodies are, but...


    There''s something wrong with them... They have no scent. And Issei could tell right away that they are just an illusion.


    Then he saw the illusions talking with each other, Riche asked Ramius if her breasts have grown once again. And who can satisfy Issei more in bed, they keep talking about stuff like that.


    Issei just enjoying the scenery. Even though It''s an illusion, it''s still his wives body after all. And he gotta agree that this illusion is spot on.


    If he can''t smell their sense then he might think they are indeed real. Well, he can also use his <Observation Haki> to tell if its an illusion or not...


    Then the illusions noticed Issei and tell him to join them, Issei just calmly standing there. They keep seducing him with their bodies and to be honest he is indeed feeling a bit aroused but not to the point of losing his mind.


    He can tell it''s not really a harmful illusion so he just let it affect him.


    Then the illusions asked him who can satisfy him more in bed. Issei answered their question thinking he should follow along just for fun. He said both of them do satisfy him.


    And when they asked who he loves more between the two of them, he said both of them too.


    Then she heard Riche voice behind him, he knows this is the real Riche.


    Riche - Uh huh, that''s enough of that.


    Issei - Oh, you girls are here.


    Riche - W-Well, we got worried and followed you, and it turns out I made the right decision. You can''t tell the difference between reality and an illusion?


    Issei gets out of the water and said.


    Issei - Hn? Oh no. I realize it from the start, I''m just enjoying the view you see.


    Riche - ...Y-You could just ask me and Ramius for that you know?


    Issei - Well, doing something like this is not bad sometimes you see. And I know I can ask you both for that... After all, who moans my name loudly while we''re in bed?


    Issei comes closer to Riche and hug her close by her waist and whispered that last part near her ears and nibbled at it a bit.


    Riche squirmed inside his embrace and she felt really hot inside and a bit wet down there because she just saw Issei naked body and his teasing is just too much for her. And she can feel his dragon rod touching her stomach down there.


    When she felt his hand grab her butt gently she came a little.


    Riche - ?!


    Her face went ruddy and her gaze turned moist.


    Riche - I-Ise... Not here... Please...


    Her breathing got a bit ragged and she looked down.


    Issei who saw that slyly smirked and lifted her face gently to make her look up to him. Then her lustful face came into view.


    Issei - Hmm... Too bad...


    He touched her lips softly and then he bent down to kiss her lips gently. He put his tongue inside Riche''s mouth and entangled their tongues together.


    Riche who felt that almost cum once more just from the kiss alone. Her body shivered in his embrace like a trembling baby deer.


    Then Issei stopped the kiss after a few minutes.


    Issei - Then I''ll let you off with just that... For now...


    Riche felt like she''s at her limit hearing that.


    Ramius - *G-Gohon*


    Hearing Ramius cough finally Riche snaps out of it and hastily leave Issei''s embrace, while Issei just calmly smiled at Ramius.


    Ramius - I don''t mind if you two flirting with each other but there''s someone else here with us here remember?


    To be honest, Ramius felt hot as well just by seeing their interaction just now and she also wants to kiss Issei as well.


    Riche - Th-That''s right. Hey, wh-where are you, Kath? Tell us what''s going on here!


    Ramius - If you''re looking for Kath, she''s cowering over there.


    Kathryn at this moment is covering her lower face while there''s seem a bit of blood flowing out of her hands.


    Her face is flushed deep red and her eyes are spinning around.


    It seems she got a nosebleed after seeing all that...


    Kathryn - Aaah... A-A penis... A real penis... I''ve never seen one before... A-And that kiss... It''s just like the ones in the manga... Uuuu...


    Riche - ...Quit your whining. Hey, what were you trying to do? Talk, or I''ll push Issei''s crotch right in your face.


    Riche quickly regained her composure after their flirting session just now. But her cheeks are still a bit flushed, and if anyone sees her panties now it''s a bit damp...


    Kathryn - W-Wah, idiot, wait... I''ll talk, okay? Just get that guy to put some clothes on.


    Issei - ...Oi.


    Issei felt speechless with Riche threat. So he dries his body and started wearing his clothes.


    Ramius felt a bit of pity for seeing him wearing his clothes... The same goes for both Riche and Kathryn too but they won''t show it on their face as Ramius''s did.


    ...


    Kathryn - I made that spring by investigating a place called the Fountain of Truth. I ended up constructing something similar to it. Oh, but I really did need materials. Well, not that sewer water wouldn''t work just as well.


    After Issei got his clothes on, Kathryn relaxed then cleaned her nosebleed and scooped some water out of the fountain.


    Riche - Wait, the Fountain of Truth is sacred territory for the Kalars! Good job getting them to let you check it out.


    Issei - Kalars? The Fountain of Truth?


    Ramius - Kalars are a species separate from humans.


    Kalars are an all-female race. They have a signature pointy long ears, a crystal on their forehead and light-blue hair. They reproduce by mating with human males and will always give birth to another Kalar.


    That''s the extent of Ramius knowledge of Kalars.


    And below is the detailed description of Kalar''s race.


    The features that separate them from humans are:


    1. Their ears are long and they have a crystal on their forehead.


    2. They are a female-only species.


    3. They have a long lifespan, practically immortal.


    4. At some point in their life, they become an ''Angel'' or ''Devil''. (AN: See why I''m pointing out this 4 explanation? DxD anyone? Devil? Angel? Now Issei 5th faction will also be known as Harem King faction if you catch my drift (?? ????))


    Another unique trait the Kalar possess is the Kalar Curse. Powerful magic ability is inherent in all Kalar. It can be considered the final vengeance from a Kalar to the one that killed her. The curse will either deliver instant death, or a slow, debilitating and painful one.


    The curse is usually activated when the crystal is pulled from the Kalar''s head, it will afflict the one that killed the Kalar. The Kalar Queen tends to have more powerful Cursecraft skills and can deliver a large-scale curse that kills all human males in the vicinity, and close access to the settlement is prevented by the heavily-armed Kalar Guard force.


    Since there are no male Kalar, they must use a human male to reproduce, often keeping them locked and used as sperm banks. Pregnancy only lasts three months, and the child born is always a Kalar. The first few months they age incredibly fast. After being around the same stage as a 6-year-old human they age normally until they hit the age of 20. Once they hit their fully matured appearance, they stop aging until they die.


    They were initially created by Supreme God Harmonitt with the objective of restocking Angels. This is the reason why their pregnancy periods are so small since it allows them to have more children, grow fast on the first stages of their lives and stay young until they die, to ensure they are capable of giving birth even in their old ages.


    -Back to the party-


    Riche - And the Fountain of Truth is a Legendary spring where it''s said that if you drink the water and lie afterward, you die.


    Kathryn - You can always count on Riche to know about the world''s mysteries. That''s exactly right.


    Issei - Hmm, Is that so.


    Kathryn - Y-You''re not mad?


    Issei - Why should I?


    Kathryn - B-But didn''t you heard the effects if you drink the water?


    Issei - That only applies if I lied right? I never intend to lie in the first place. I''m honest with my feelings, I like what I like and hate what I hate. Simple as that.


    Riche and Ramius squirmed around in happiness hearing his words while Kathryn becomes totally at loss for words hearing his words...


    This is the first time she ever saw a man who''s so honest about his feelings... Now she knows a little why Ramius and Riche trust and love him that much.


    Kathryn - W-Well, don''t worry. The effects aren''t as severe as the real thing. It just makes you see things. I did give you some suggestions right beforehand to make the illusion stronger, though.


    Issei - Oh, so that''s why you mention Ramius and Riche were probably bathing and asked who I love more between the two.


    Issei remembered that just before he was pushed in the spring, Kathryn claimed Ramius and Riche were bathing and asked which of them he liked more.


    Kathryn - H-Hmph! You felt the need to show off that you got married, so I wanted to get back at you.


    Riche - So you tried to get Ise to say which of us he likes more, huh?


    Ramius - Useless move if I have to say. Because we know he loves us both dearly.


    Issei just smiled gently at both of them.


    Kathryn - O-Oh. That''s it! I was testing the bond between you three! Yeah, good job overcoming the trial!


    Riche - Don''t try to make it sound like you did something good.


    Kathryn - Tch, you caught me...


    Riche - No duh, I caught you! Now go make the ninja birdlime already!


    Kathryn - Fine, fine. Can''t even take a joke.


    Kathryn pouted, took a beaker out of her pocket, filled it with spring water, tossed in some grains of rice, and began to mix them together.


    Kathryn - Hmm, think this is how it worked... Oh, it''s getting sticky. Mix, mix, mix... Alright, done. My homemade ninja birdlime.


    Issei - ...That was fast.


    Kathryn - Now you can catch all the Rangers or ninjas you want. Add some offensive magic and it''ll take out everyone caught in it if you want that.


    Issei - Just capturing is fine. We know we can talk some sense into her.


    Kathryn - Hmmm, sounds like an interesting story. Mind telling me about it? As an apology, I could give you a little assistance.


    Issei - Oh?


    Riche - It''s easy to forget, but she''s one of Eden''s <Zero Knights>. She wouldn''t leak any info, and she is smart, so I think it''s okay if we talk about it.


    Issei accepted Riche''s answer and summed up everything that had happened during their time in Lancelot.


    Kathryn - Poison gas, an election, the ruins of Arthur, Outlaws, a big-boobed challenger to the president, a Ranger girl... I see.


    Riche - Well, notice anything? If you have any ideas at all, feel free to tell us.


    Kathryn - I may be a genius, but I''m not so smart that I can figure out everything just by hearing about it. Especially when it comes to why anyone''s doing anything. People''s feelings are the last thing I can understand.


    Issei noticed a spike from Kathryn aura when she mentioned the last part but he chooses to stay silent.


    Kathryn - But as to what''s happening... I might have a decent idea... Take this. It''s still in the prototype stage, but I''m sure it''ll come in handy.


    Riche - What''s this? Medicine?


    Kathryn - A prototype antidote. If you''ve got four on hand, you''ll probably be okay.


    Ramius - An antidote...


    Riche - I see, since the truth''s hidden in the poison.


    As though Riche knew what Kathryn was thinking she nodded with understanding, Issei also nodded to himself hearing that. And he has to admit she is smart indeed.


    Then Issei saw Ramius staring off in a daze into the distance so he knows she didn''t understand what Kathryn''s implied just now. Ramius noticed Issei gaze on her and her cheeks turned a little red from embarrassment but she admits it anyway.


    Ramius - Sorry... I''m incapable of understanding, but I trust Kath''s intellect.


    Issei - It''s fine everyone has their own strong points remember? But is Kathryn''s promoted to a <Zero Knight> because of her intellect?


    Ramius - No, it was specifically for her skill as a Tactician.


    Issei - A tactician?


    Ramius - Yes, it''s an exceedingly rare talent that enhances the abilities of everyone else in the party.


    Issei - I see...


    Issei thinks of something and asked Kathryn.


    Issei - Uh, Kathryn Lapucelle.


    Kathryn - W-What? And just call me my first name. We''re around the same age, so whatever...


    Issei - Then I''ll call you Kath.


    Kathryn - I-I didn''t say you could use my nickname! That''s too casual!


    Issei - Oh, I just thought it''s fine to call you that just like Riche did. Sorry if you didn''t like it.


    Kathryn blushed hearing that and said "N-Nah... I-I don''t really care, so it''s fine..."


    Ramius and Riche give her a sly smirk at that, but she ignores them although her cheeks become even more flushed.


    Issei - If you don''t mind, would you be interested in coming along and helping out?


    Kathryn - Huh?! D-D-D-Don''t think so highly of yourself! You''re trying to marry me too?!


    She becomes totally flustered hearing Issei''s invitation.


    Issei - ...Why did it come to marrying you? I meant we could use your help with the <Snake Crest>. So having you on our side will be great.


    Kathryn - Th-That''s even worse! I''d have to go everywhere with you obnoxious lovebirds while you enjoy your stupid relationship!


    She felt a little disappointed knowing he''s not trying to marry her...


    Issei - Nah, we''d keep it down around you.


    Kathryn - Don''t! I''d rather be completely alone rather than being pitied by you three!


    Riche - ...Says the one who got a nosebleed while seeing our interactions


    Kathryn - Shuddup!


    Ramius - Well, give it up, Ise. Kath hates working in groups. You could call her a professional loner.


    Kathryn - Hey, Ramius. I don''t think the ''Loner Knight'' is one to talk.


    Ramius - Heheheh, after meeting Ise, I''m a changed woman.


    Kathryn - T-Talk up your husband all you want. I''m saying no, and that''s that.


    Issei - Hm, is that so... Well, I''m not gonna force someone to do something they don''t like so that''s that I guess.


    Kathryn - ...Th-Thanks... I guess... But more importantly, I''ve got a duty I need to fulfill!


    Issei - What duty?


    Kathryn - Hm? Looks like you''re curious.


    Issei - Sure, why not.


    When Issei nodded, Riche winced, but it was too late...


    Kathryn - I see, I see. That interested, are you?! Well, this is a secret, but just this once, I''ll tell you! It turns out that I''m currently supremely busy with an outstanding invention! It''s known as the Uppy Engine!


    Issei - Uppy? Engine?


    Kathryn suddenly becomes like a totally different person the moment she talks about her invention.


    Kathryn - Yes, uppy as in the guy monster. And you can think of an engine as a device you use to power things. We live in an age where everything is powered by magic. Magivision, ACs, fridges everything runs on magic, as I''m sure you know.


    Issei - ...Ah.


    Kathryn - Yes, it''s always all about magic, magic magic magic... But should it be? No, it shouldn''t, humanity! So I had an idea. Is there anything that can generate energy without using magic? In fact, what is ''energy'' in the first place?! I began my search from there.


    ....


    ...


    Kathryn - And it turned out that just by capturing uppies, I could use their flames to generate a rotational force, I''m confident that rotation can be used as a power source in a way that''s applicable in a number of different fields.


    ...


    Kathryn - Well, it''s currently in the prototype stage, and the most difficult part is capturing the uppies and getting them to cooperate, but... Being the genius that I am, I have an idea. You see when it comes to monsters...


    ...


    Issei - ...Uuugh, this is taking forever.


    Riche - Thing is, while Kath''s normally reclusive if you get her talking about something she likes, she never stops...


    Issei - ...Oh...


    Ramius - Zzzzzz...


    Ramius had fallen asleep while standing only five minutes into Kathryn''s lecture.


    Riche - All you can do is wait for her to finish. You can''t just walk away or... She gets really depressed.


    Issei - ...Yeah, I can kinda imagine that.


    Kathryn - If you actually think of an uppy''s flame as a form of visible energy, then everything is...


    ...


    Kathryn - Well? Pretty awesome, huh?


    After her hour-long lecture about the Uppy Engine, Kathryn smiled with satisfaction.


    Issei - ...Yeah...Cool. It''s basically a steam engine...


    Kathryn - Steam engine? What''s that?


    Issei - A steam engine is a machine that converts the heat energy of steam into mechanical energy. A steam engine passes its steam into a cylinder, where it then pushes a piston back and forth. It is with this piston movement that the engine can do mechanical work...


    Kathryn becomes wide-eyed hearing about that. She hastily grabbed onto Issei''s shoulder and asked him to tell her more about it while her eyes shine brightly.


    Riche is also surprised at first but remembers that Issei is from another world so she knows his world technology must be pretty advanced compared to this world.


    Issei - Well...


    Issei finds it hard to deny her request when she''s this interested. Thankfully Riche saved him.


    Riche - Okay, that''s enough... We still have somewhere to be, so leave it at that Kath.


    Kathryn - Just five more minutes, please!


    Riche - Nope. If you want to know more... Then you can marry Ise and you will have all the knowledge you need about it.


    With a sly smirk Riche said all that to entice Kathryn.


    Kathryn''s body stiffen then she let go of Issei while pretending nothing ever happened.


    Kathryn - O-Oh, I don''t have the time for this. I need to get back to my research. I-If your interest''s piqued again, stop on by. Maybe I''ll show you the prototype If I feel like it. DO stop on by okay?


    Issei - O-Ou... Got it.


    Issei finds it hard to deny her request when she pressed on like that...


    Riche - Heh.


    After that Kathryn walked straight to her hut at a fast pace.


    Issei - ...She''s pretty interesting.


    Riche - I guess. Hey, wake up, Ramius.


    Ramius - Mm... Breakfast already?


    Riche - It''s not even morning anymore...


    Having obtained the ninja birdlime, the party decided to return to the Republic of Lancelot for the time being.


    They meet up with Tio there and told her their plan to capture Gurigura.


    Gurigura - Th-That was dumb of me... Ngggh...


    Minutes later, Gurigura was caught in the ninja birdlime.


    Ramius - Who could''ve guessed she''d be this easy to capture?


    Tio - It is very surprising.


    Riche - All we had to do was have Tio go somewhere that not many people pass through.


    Gurigura - Wh-What''s this sticky stuff? My Ranger skills can''t even get me out. Eeew, it''s icky and gross.


    Issei felt something is wrong with this strategy of them...


    Riche - C''mon, don''t struggle too much or you''ll tear your clothes. That''ll just make Issei here happy.


    Issei - Oi.


    Riche only stuck out her tongue at Issei. While Issei is being speechless at that.


    It must be her payback for the incident at the Fountain of Truth. Then Issei suddenly said, "...Just you wait at night."


    Riche who heard that becomes stiff and she becomes teary-eyed while looking at Issei. She tried to seek help from Ramius but all Ramius gave her is an envious look. Now she becomes the one who becomes speechless thinking ''You''re feeling envious here?!''


    While Tio is thinking ''W-Would he likes it too if I become naked as well? Wh-What am I thinking?!''. Her face becomes red realizing what''s on her mind just now.


    Gurigura - Issei-nii... Are you gonna do naughty torture stuff to me?


    Issei - Hell no!... I won''t do anything to hurt you. We just want to talk.


    Gurigura - Pillow talk?


    Issei who heard that almost dropped to the ground and he gives Riche a silent glare. Riche sweat profusely seeing his gaze on her and she felt she won''t be able to get up for the entire day after he''s done with her...


    Issei - ...Riche, don''t give her any ideas. You''re just making her warier.


    Riche - A-Ahaha... Sorry...


    Gurigura - I just have to talk? Okay.


    Once Gurigura nodded, Issei loosened the birdlime enough that it wouldn''t be painful.


    Issei - So why are you trying to attack Tio?


    Gurigura - Cause she''s bad. If nobody stops her, she''ll only hurt more people.


    Issei - How can you know Tio''s a bad person? It''s not like you''ve investigated everyone who ran against the president, I''m sure.


    Gurigura - Master told me.


    Riche - Is that who''s giving you orders? Are they a family member?


    Gurigura - I don''t have a family. Master''s the one who made me a Knight.


    Issei - Made you a Knight?


    Gurigura - Yeah, I beat up the bad guys so everyone can live life with a smile. Since that''s what Knights do.


    Issei - ''I knew it... Someone''s taking advantage of Gurigura and he seems to be in a high position too for being able to appoint someone to become a Knight.''


    Ramius - Would you happen to be a graduate from the Academy?


    Gurigura - You know about the Academy?!


    Ramius - You must have taken some cruel classes. I''ve heard only one in ten students lived to graduation. I remember asking my parents to let me attend as a child, but they wouldn''t allow it.


    Riche - That''s what most people would do, so most of their students were orphans who displayed some talent.


    Gurigura - Yeah, they got a bunch of kids with no home or family like me, then the teacher taught us lots of stuff. But then the Academy went away, everyone was separated, and I couldn''t become a Knight, so I didn''t know what to do...


    Riche - After the Arthur Tragedy, most countries cut down on their Knights, so that''d be why there''s less demand for Rangers.


    Gurigura - But then my teacher introduced me to someone who wanted to use me as a Knight. That was Master.


    Issei - What''s your Master looks like?


    Gurigura - I''ve never met him in person. He says if I do a great job being a Knight, I''ll get to meet him one day.


    Issei - ...


    Ramius - (It''s pretty clear this ''Master'' person''s just using her.)


    Issei - (...Ah. But she seems to trust him, unfortunately.)


    Ramius - Gurigura, can you introduce us to him?


    Gurigura - Huh? To Master? But...


    Issei - Yeah, maybe he only thinks Tio''s bad because of a misunderstanding. We''d like to check.


    Ramius - Y-Yes, I''m sure neither of you wants a misunderstanding.


    Gurigura - Hmmm... He says I shouldn''t ever call him, though...


    Issei - Don''t worry, we''ll only talk for a little bit. I doubt he''d get mad at you.


    Gurigura - Really?


    Issei - Ah. Really.


    Issei felt bad tricking a clueless girl such as Gurigura but this is for her own good. Ramius also felt the same as Issei.


    Gurigura - Okay, I''ll try asking him. Issei-nii, here... Help me out.


    When Issei loosened the birdlime enough that Gurigura could use her arm, she took a metal tube out of her pocket.


    Riche - A magic transmitter? I can''t believe she has one... Her master must be pretty rich.


    Gurigura hit the switch on the device and started a call.


    Tio - ...


    Issei - Sorry we asked you to do this, Tio.


    Tio - O-Oh, I don''t mind much.


    Riche - We couldn''t claim it''d be totally safe, so I was worried Palomides might object. Although it should be pretty safe with Ise''s here with us. But it''s better to be safe rather than sorry.


    Tio - You came at a good time. There was something I wanted to think about by myself, so I was acting independently.


    Issei - Huh, that doesn''t seem like you.


    Tio - ...Um...


    Issei - Hm?


    Tio - Would the three of you be willing to help me become president?


    Issei - Huh? Of course we would. But that''s just me personally. But...


    Riche - Sadly we can''t. The most we can do is help with your speeches. Picking the President should be left up to the people of Lancelot, I think.


    Tio - Yes... You''re right. I''m sorry I asked such a strange question...


    Gurigura - Um... This is Gurigura. Uh... Huh? A misunderstanding? Wh-What do you mean?


    Issei - ''This voice... Ah... I see now.''


    Issei can hear the voice on the other side of the transmitter clearly. And he knows who''s behind this.


    Issei - Rochefort huh...


    Tio flinched hearing Issei mentioned Rochefort''s name and he notices that.


    Riche - What''s wrong with Rochefort?


    Issei - He''s Gurigura so called ''Master''.


    Riche - What? Is that true?!


    Issei - Ah, I can hear his voice from Gurigura transmitter.


    Riche - That guy!


    Ramius - To think he''s the one behind all this...


    Issei - And Tio.


    Tio flinched once again hearing Issei called her name.


    Issei - I believe we need to talk...


    After some brief talk with Tio, Issei finally get knows why she seems to be out of it just now. He can see a tinge of guilt inside her eyes and her aura turned chaotic, that''s why he knows something is wrong. And his guess is confirmed when he saw her flinch hearing Rochefort''s name.


    Issei told them not to inform Gurigura of the true identity of her Master just yet. Because if they try to tell her now, she will become even warier and untrustful towards them even more.


    ...


    Tio - I will tell you everything once we arrived ''Somewhere''...


    Issei - Ah. I''ll wait until that time... What''s wrong Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Um, so... Masters says he can''t meet with you.


    Riche - Won''t let us catch him that easily, I see.


    Gurigura - But he did say he was wrong about Tio being bad, so he''s sorry.


    Issei - ...I see.


    Tio - ...Is that true?


    Gurigura - And to apologize, he wants me to help you defend her.


    Issei - ...''Ah, I can vaguely guess what''s his plan now... So he''s planning to use Tio rather than Bors this time huh.''


    Riche - Hmmm, he might be sending Gurigura to our side to gather info...


    Issei - No need. I believe it''s fine now right, Tio?


    Tio - ...Yes, it would be fine. Everything''s cleared up now, so I''d like to carry out my duty as the middleman.


    Riche and Ramius feel surprised hearing that but after seeing Issei''s gaze they went silent and choose to play along.


    Riche - Is that so?


    Tio - Yes, it seems we don''t need to fear Dark Night Kitty anymore.


    Issei - Good to know.


    Tio - ...Yes. Now, the Outlaws we''re giving the funds to are in the ruins of Arthur... Head there, please.


    Issei - The ruins of Arthur?


    Tio - Yes, the Outlaws created a base there where they undergo a variety of activities. And that''s also the ''Somewhere'' I mentioned before...


    Issei - Got it...


    Riche - I see, and you object to the ruins being destroyed in order to conceal that?


    Tio - Think of it what you will. You''ll understand everything when we get there. And you need to buy special shoes to cross the desert because that''s where the ruins are located.


    Ramius - Then let''s go get those shoes and head towards the ruins.


    Gurigura - Um... Can I come too?


    Issei - Of course. We''re glad to have you, Gurigura.


    Issei smiled gently at Gurigura and proceeded to pat her head.


    Gurigura - Eheh~

 Chapter 46 - 45

    Gurigura - Issei-nii, there''s enemies!


    Issei - Ah.


    Riche - Again? There are monsters everywhere!


    Gurigura - Are you tired, Riche-nee? You can ride on my back if you wanna.


    Riche - Ugh, t-that''s okay! Don''t look away! Focus on the enemy!


    Gurigura - Okay, I can do that!


    Ramius - Just try us! We can take you on!


    They have been fighting monsters ever since they arrive at the ruins. But this is what they need, more experience.


    And Issei always keeps an eye on them in case something goes awry.


    And they all know that so they feel safe knowing he got their back. It''s complete trust with each other, even Gurigura trusted Issei that much to let him watch her back.


    Tio who saw all that thought it must be Issei''s certain charisma at work here. She thought how good will it be if he becomes the president instead of her and she can become his secretary...


    After a while, they''re finished killing the monsters.


    Issei - Great job girls.


    Ramius - Un. Having any issues, Gurigura? If you''re finding it hard to move, I can slow down for you.


    Gurigura - Nope, I''m fine. But you''re pretty tough, Ramius-nee.


    Ramius - Yes, I can block just about any attack.


    Gurigura - ...


    Ramius - What is it?


    Gurigura - Yep, you must be tough cause your boobs are so big, maybe.


    Ramius - THAT''S RIGHT!


    Riche - Well, all that fat might help stop a fatal wound.


    Gurigura - ...


    Riche - Wh-What? Why are you ogling my chest now?


    Gurigura - It would be fatal for us, so we need to be careful.


    Riche - D-Don''t pair us together! I could stop a mildly fatal attack.


    Issei is speechless with their conversation, boobs can stop attacks? He knows boobs can give him power before but this is something else...


    Gurigura - I-I''m sorry... Eheh.


    Riche - Geez... Why are you laughing?


    Gurigura - ''...I dunno why. I''m nervous about this being my first time in a party, but I''m having lots of fun...'' Oh! Hold on! Don''t move, Tio-nee!


    Tio - Huh? Is something the matter?


    Gurigura stopped Tio, proceeded past her, and carefully scanned the ground.


    Gurigura - I knew it. There are traps.


    Gurigura pointed to a deep pitfall hidden by rubble.


    Issei - Good job noticing that Gurigura.


    Issei knew there''s a trap because of his <Observation Haki>. He would be fine but not the others. So he thought he will see if Gurigura can spot this trap or not and she apparently can.


    Gurigura - Eheh. I bet Issei-nii would already notice that before me so it''s nothing much.


    Issei doesn''t deny her claim and just pat her head gently.


    Gurigura - Ehehe~

 Chapter 47 - 46

    (AN: 1 YEAR IN ANOTHER WORLD IS 1 MONTH IN DXD WORLD)


    Along the way to Eden, Gurigura asked Issei.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, you''re gonna get more wives?


    Issei - ...Why do you ask?


    Gurigura - Ehehe, just wondering.


    Issei - ...Yeah, I probably will... There are some women who''re waiting for my answer you see...


    Gurigura - Huh, cool...


    Riche - Well, even if he doesn''t plan to get more wives me and Ramius would''ve forced him too anyway. I''m pretty sure there''s a lot of his suitor in the future, so we''re just glad to be his first and second wife you see.


    Ramius - Fumu. Agreed, Ise is too outstanding for only having 2 wives. I even doubt the king will only let him have 2 wives.


    Riche - And only 2 of us can''t satisfy his libido in bed you see...


    Ramius - Indeed...


    Gurigura - Hee... Ise-nii sure is amazing, in a lot of ways.


    Issei - ...What am I? A horny stallion or something?


    Riche & Ramius - Yes. You''re a horny dragon.


    Issei - ...


    Gurigura - Dragon?


    Both of them answer at the same time which makes Issei face twitch a lot. Well, not like he can deny their claim though... Ever since he was human his libido is already very high. Now that he has become a dragon it''s even more off the chart...


    Gurigura is just confused by what they mean with Dragon though.


    Issei - *Sigh* Let''s just go back to Eden and report to the King...


    The party officially parted with the great desert and lake nation, Lancelot, then headed back to Eden.


    -At the throne room-


    Louin - You completed your secret mission. A fine job you''ve done, too.


    Issei - Thank you.


    Having returned to the Kingdom of Eden, the party gave their report to the king.


    Louin - I''d heard the details, but to think Rochefort was an agent of <Snake Crest>.


    Acheval - He wasn''t on great terms with you. Must''ve been a lotta pent up frustration.


    Barro - Your willingness to consider even his opinions in try to do what''s best for the people remained beyond his understanding to the end, it seems.


    Acheval and Barro were present as well, but the former prime minister''s spot was empty.


    Louin - Were Rochefort not dealt with, it would likely have brought great harm not only to Eden but to Lancelot as well. For your outstanding work in stopping that, Issei Hyoudou. I will use my authority to grant you the rank of <Ten Knight>. And I''m also granting you a title of a Baron, but you won''t be given a territory. You can think of it as an honorary title and doesn''t need to rule any town or cities, but in the case of the Kingdom is in crisis, you''re to be expected to protect the Kingdom. Do you accept? Of course, you will also have all the privileges of a normal Baron.


    (AN: Guys I don''t know much about nobility stuff so correct me if I''m wrong here. I''m not planning to make Issei rule a territory and just want to grant him a title here.)


    Issei - I accept.


    Riche - Obviously~

 Chapter 48 - 47

    (AN: Here''s the explanation on how Issei lose his memory for those who''s wondering:


    First, he was using a forbidden technique you could say which is his new <Balance Breaker>, not the old one where he''s on the Scale mail of boosted gear. So obviously there will be a side effect from using that technique, and Nyarlathotep "Chaos" element which hitting him all the time also isn''t helping either.


    Although he started to comprehend the "Chaos" element during the fight it''s still not enough so it backlashes to him by affecting his souls in the process. It''s like how our body reacts to a certain poison the first time but after some time passed our body will adapt to it no?


    So coupled with all that I would say losing his memories seems pretty plausible since his soul got affected in the process so his soul automatically protects itself from having the "Chaos" element corrupting it. Which in turn make him lose access to part of his memories and skills at the time.


    All that happens when he fainted after using his <Balance Breaker> and if Nyarlathotep doesn''t give him her "Mark" then he might be dead by now because his body can''t handle the "Chaos" element corruption any longer. So because of the "Mark", he is saved from death but what''s done is done so it takes time for him to regain access to his memories.


    That''s also why Nyarlathotep says "This must be your blessing" when she gave him her "Mark". Because if not he will be dead by now.


    At first, he regained his skills, then after a while, he started remembering his past bit by bit but not the people''s name and looks. He needs a certain trigger to completely regain his memory which is done by QD by telling him the name of LD which goes by Semiramis now.


    This explanation supposed to be for later when he meets LD once more but here you go...)


    (AN: I forgot to show you how Pancho looks like in the previous chapter. He wears a bulky grey colored armor with a red cape behind it, and only his face is shown overall, his face is average. https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Pancho_Quixote?file=Pancho-portrait.png here''s his image.)


    Once they passed through the natural border that was the mountain range, the party found themselves in a dense jungle.


    Riche - Wooow, a jungle! It''s a jungle! AaaaAAAAaaah!


    Gurigura - Riche-nee sure is pumped.


    Ramius - Yes, she''s seeing something she''s only seen in pictures before, so it must be hard to contain her excitement.


    Issei - The plant smell''s pretty strong here. Seems like a very humid country. But it still beautiful though, kind of reminds me of the Amazon forest back at my world.


    Riche - Hee, your world seems also has lots of wonder on its own huh, Ise.


    Issei - Ah.


    Gurigura already informed of Issei''s background, when she finds out about it she was pretty surprised but accepted it quite well.


    Gurigura thought no wonder Issei is so strong, so he''s basically a Dragon. But she wanted to follow Issei anywhere he goes because she doesn''t have a place to stay anyway. And she does love Issei a lot for that matter.


    She decided to adopt his last name and Issei permitted it. So her name is basically Gurigura Hyoudou now. Ramius seems wanted to do the same but Riche reminded her that she already has a last name to her disappointment.


    So Riche told her they could use his last name later on. Maybe when they already went to the other world.


    Ramius is totally up for that so she gets over her depression really quick.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, that town right over there is the capital, El Quixote.


    Issei - You''ve been here, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Yep, I went to lots of countries for field trips with the Academy, so I know my way around.


    Issei - Is that so? Alright, then let''s head to El Quixote.


    The party struggled their way through the thick grass as they stepped foot into the Kingdom of El Quixote.


    ...


    Issei - This is the capital?


    The party passed through the high defensive wall and entered the capital of El Quixote to find what appeared to be many factories, as well as workers walking in and out of them.


    Riche - Kinda smells like sweat... But it''s a lively town besides that.


    The workers on their way out were filled with satisfaction over a job well done as they went off toward public baths or bars.


    Issei - But what do these factories make exactly? They''ve all got the same sign... Bigbux? I remembered hearing that somewhere before...


    Riche - The Bigbux Company. They''re a huge corporation with a monopoly on the plastic market.


    Ramius - Plastic? Okay, I know what that is.


    Riche - Obviously. Most magic appliances are made of plastic nowadays.


    Gurigura - But most of the town''s made of factories.


    Riche - It''s like that all over the country. Thanks to the Bigbux Company, their tax revenue''s constantly growing, which also means a growing military budget, apparently.


    Ramius - They''re used to be the poorest nation in the world though.


    Issei - Hmm. I see, well even in my world plastic is commonly used there. So it''s no surprise it''s also the same here, I guess.


    While they were chatting, Pancho appeared and greet them.


    Pancho - Oooh! You''re finally here! I''ve been waiting!


    Issei - Hey, Pancho.


    Pancho - Perfect timing! I''ve already spoken to the king. Allow me to lead you to his office.


    Issei - Hm? Already?


    Pancho - Honestly, I''d forgotten you hadn''t arrived yet, and I arranged the meeting in advance.


    Riche - What if we came late?


    Pancho - Well, this is rather embarrassing. I just can''t think before I act.


    The party was uneasy, but Pancho paid them no mind and decided that everything had worked out fine as they proceeded to the palace.


    ...


    Pancho - Uncle! I brought the guests.


    ??? - Pancho? You''re supposed to call me ''Your Majesty'' here, remember?


    Riche - Nice to meet you, I''m Riche Eden of the Kingdom of Eden, and these are my cohorts.


    Ben - My name is Ben Quixote and as you already know, I''m the king of the kingdom of El Quixote. I''m impressed that you came so far to visit. If I may ask, what is your business here?


    Ben face is very similar to Pancho''s face and built but she wears a royalty robe and wearing a crown. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_Quixote?file=Ben-face.png Meh that''s the only image shown from him because he''s basically not that important lol).


    Riche explained how an organization called <Snake Crest> was engaging in evildoing behind the scenes and how her party was pursuing them.


    Ben - I see, <Snake Crest>? I''ve heard of them before.


    Riche - Then I''d like to know if you could arrange a meeting with our kingdom about them.


    Ben - Hm, unfortunately, I can''t do that.


    Riche - Huh?


    Ben - Our nation of El Quixote already has the most powerful army in the world. We have no reason to fight alongside other countries.


    Riche - But <Snake Crest> isn''t a foe who can be dealt with through force.


    Ben - Hmph, in this world, military might is everything. And I won''t be misled by threats of war or any such nonsense. My country has the Monster Burrow, a real danger to all of humanity.


    Riche - Well, that''s true.


    Ben - During the Arthur Tragedy five years ago, we were the only country that didn''t deploy our military. That is entirely because we have to keep an eye on the Monster Burrow. As such, my nation would never be manipulated by the likes of <Snake Crest>. I''ve heard that the Kingdom of Eden''s port was destroyed and you''re having some trouble with trades.


    Riche - Th-That has nothing to do with this.


    Ben - When we were in a crisis, what did the Kingdom of Eden ever do for us? We don''t forget easily.


    Issei - Then we take it that is your final answer then?


    Ben - Yes, you could say that.


    Issei - ...Very well.


    Issei felt something''s odd with Ben and he noticed there''s a letter with a <Snake Crest> emblem sealed on it. And he knows that this Kingdom is pretty much already belong to them...


    Ben aura itself is not pure evil but it''s still leaning towards the evil side while Pancho has much purer aura compared to Ben.


    So Issei decided to wait for now to see if he can find more clues.


    ...


    Pancho - I''m very sorry about that.


    Once the uncomfortable meeting with the king had ended, Pancho apologetically lowered his head.


    Issei - It''s fine, It''s not your fault


    Pancho - Despite how he comes off. Uncle is a kind man at heart. But he has been showing his age as of late. He''s also had a lot to worry about recently.


    Ramius - So he was just in a bad mood at the moment?


    Pancho - My family''s hereditary hastiness may be to blame, If you wait for Uncle to cool his head before talking to him again, he should listen.


    Riche - Sounds good. Hope you can get us another meeting when that happens.


    Pancho - Of course! Leave it to me!


    Knight- General Pancho! There you are!


    The conversation with Pancho was cut short when a Knight ran over.


    Pancho - What are you so panicked about? There shouldn''t be any monsters coming from the Burrow.


    Knight - A cow carriage tumbled over nearby. It seemed unnatural, so I investigated, and... Suddenly, some Outlaws appeared and attacked!


    Pancho - WHAT?! Hmmph, they would cause trouble on the king''s doorstep? What insolence!


    Riche - They must''ve set a trap to turn it over and make it easier for them to attack.


    Pancho - How dare they bring harm to our nation? I''ll make them regret it in Hell!


    Upon hearing the report, Pancho forgot about Issei and the others and dashed out of the capital.


    Riche - This might have something to do with <Snake Crest>! We''ll go too!


    Issei - Ah, Agreed. Let''s follow him.


    Gurigura - He can''t be too far away!


    The party chased after Pancho.


    ...


    When the party arrived on the scene, the overturned cow carriage in the middle of the road was surrounded by Outlaws.


    Outlaw 1 - Hand over that cow carriage pronto!


    Carriage Owner - D-Don''t lay a hand on the passenger!


    Outlaw 2 - Oh, nice lady you''ve got in there. Heh heh heh, time to give you some loving.


    ??? - HYAAAAAAAH!


    Issei - Hm. Towa?


    Issei heard the scream and saw that it''s apparently belonged to Towa.


    Then Issei dashed towards the Outlaw. The instant the Outlaw tried to touch Towa, Issei appeared in front of him and punched the Outlaw right in the face.


    The Outlaw body flew far away to the sky, just like a certain team "R" blasting off again.


    Then Issei grabbed Towa towards him.


    Towa - Eep!


    Issei - Stay behind me.


    Towa - I-Issei-san?!


    Outlaw 1 - Y-you! Everybody get him!


    Outlaws - Woaaahhh!


    Pancho - Watch out!


    *BAM BAM BAM!*


    With each punch, the Outlaws who come near Issei flew just like their first buddy. Issei doesn''t want to let Towa see blood so he just punches them away, they''re all already dead though...


    Pancho is surprised seeing Issei took care of those Outlaws with such ease, he could also handle them but it will take some time.


    Pancho - Nice job! Outlaws deserve nothing but death!


    Once the Outlaws appeared to be wiped out and they confirmed no more were hiding in the area, Issei spoke to Towa.


    Issei - Are you okay, Towa? I didn''t realize you were in El Quixote.


    Towa - Y-Yes... Th-Thank you. ''Uwaaa... Issei-san saved me again... And he was so cool just now...''


    Towa can feel her cheeks flushed.


    Issei - Well, as long as you''re okay.


    Pancho - Hm, thankfully there were no casualties... Oh right?!


    Issei - What''s wrong?


    Pancho - It''s this time already? I actually have a meeting with someone important in <Vilfuente>. But at the same time, I can''t just leave this passenger unattended to... Hrrm, this is a pickle. And I need to prepare myself for the meeting as well...


    Issei - It''s fine, you can leave them to us.


    Pancho - Oooh, can you do that for me?!


    Riche - Sure. We know Towa anyway.


    Pancho - Then, please do!


    Pancho bowed to the party, then told his subordinates to handle the rest and ran off.


    Riche - He''s kinda frenetic. I dunno if someone like that should be a general.


    The party decided to take Towa to the capital of El Quixote.


    ...


    Towa - Thank you so much for saving me.


    When they arrived at the capital, Towa bowed to the party.


    Issei - Seriously... Don''t worry about it.


    Issei can only wryly smile at her because this exchange had already happened several times on the way here.


    Riche - When you said you were heading to the next town, I didn''t know you meant in El Quixote.


    Towa - I never thought we''d see each other this soon again. Oh... Are you on a honeymoon?


    Issei - Hmm, you could say that?


    Riche can only wryly smile because only Issei can be so relaxed facing the <Snake Crest> like that. They''re investigating the <Snake Crest> but to Issei, they are not worthy enough to become a threat it seems.


    Ramius is only nodding to herself while her cheeks are a bit red. She''s happy to be on a honeymoon with Issei.


    Gurigura - Hey, what''s a honeymoon?


    Ramius - It''s where after a couple gets married, they go on a vacation and do various things to become closer.


    Gurigura - Oh! Then this is a honeymoon for me and Ise-nii.


    Towa - Huh?! Wh-What does that mean?


    Issei - Oh, this is Gurigura. We just got married.


    Gurigura - I''m Gurigura Hyoudou! Hello!


    Towa - Oh, you were there when I told my story in Lancelot...


    Gurigura - Yeah, that was a lotta fun.


    Towa - Eheheh, thanks. I see, so you married Issei-san... WHAAAAAAT?!


    Riche - Wow, her reactions are pretty funny.


    Towa - Wait, but you already had two beautiful wives... Huh, how could this be?


    Riche - Ise was promoted to a <Ten Knight> and he''s also an honorary baron now. So he''s getting more wives to carry out his duty of leaving more offspring in the world.


    Issei - ...Can you say that with a less perverted way?


    Riche - But it''s true though?


    Issei - I know... But... *Sigh* nevermind...


    Towa - A <Ten Knight> and a baron... W-Wow... Ah! So that means I should have treated you with more honorifics now! I''m so sorry!


    Issei - It''s fine. I''m not bothered with such formalities... Just call me like the usual.


    Towa - B-But...


    Issei - No but.


    Towa - O-Okay... Issei-san. ''Issei-san sure is amazing... He was just a Knight when we met at Lancelot but in this short time, he already reaches his current position... Wow... And that girl take his last name? I''m so jealous... Towa Hyoudou? Ehehe...''


    Issei - Anyway, done touring already? I get the feeling there''s not much to see here but factories.


    Towa snaps back out of her fantasy and answered hastily after hearing Issei sudden question.


    Towa - Y-Yes! T-The Kingdom of El Quixote''s able to sustain its Knights thanks to those factories, though.


    Ramius - And because of the Monster Burrow, not many people seem to complain about the size of the military.


    Issei - Is the Monster Burrow really that dangerous?


    Riche - Well, for you it''s not dangerous probably? But it is for them.


    Towa - Why don''t I explain? I just told the story of this country at one of the Bigbux Company''s daycares.


    Ramius - Volunteering again. How nice of you, Towa. I''m sure the children enjoyed it.


    Issei - Um, I agree with Ramius. I''m sure the children enjoyed it a lot.


    Towa - Th-Thank you... But I also enjoyed listening to the elderly people who watch over the children too. The elderly people in El Quixote are excellent at telling stories, so I ended up listening to theirs when I was supposed to be telling mine.


    Riche - Huh, interesting. But why''s that?


    Towa - Hmm, I wonder. Their descriptions are so vivid that it''s like I''m seeing the Monster Burrow myself.


    Issei - Always about the Monster Burrow. I''m interested to know about that if you don''t mind telling me.


    Towa - Yes! Gladly! I''ll be ready in a moment!


    Issei - O-Ou... I''ll leave it to you.


    Towa - Yes!


    Issei got taken by surprise by her sudden passion.


    Riche and Ramius who saw that only smirked at each other while Gurigura''s just looking at Towa waiting for her storytelling once more.


    Gurigura - Yaaay, storytiiime!


    Towa slightly blushed as she took a bundle of pictures out of her bag.


    Towa - "El Quixote was the name of a Knight who traveled with Arthur..."


    Then Towa told Issei''s party about the history of El Quixote. How the Kalars race used to be enemies with the people of El Quixote Kingdom.


    Compared to the Kalars, the humans, who harvested lumber, differed greatly in philosophy, and there was no need to try and coexist at first.


    Basically just like elves and humans in another fantasy world. The Kalars wanted to protect the forest while the humans wanted to chop them off.


    But then the El Quixote discovered something shocking. It was the Monster Burrow. Right as he heard roars from a hole at the peak of the mountain, monsters of all sizes came flooding out. It was like all the monsters in the world came from that hole. El Quixote was prepared to fight to the death.


    But Arthur and the Witches of the Round Table ran onto the scene and stopped the monsters.


    Riche - Coming just in the nick of time, like any real hero!


    Yet not only did the roars from the Burrow not end, but they also echoed across the land as though they had only been angered. Even were humanity to find paradise, if the Burrow was left unchecked, the mass of monsters would prevent them from coming and going as they pleased.


    Towa - "With that in mind, El Quixote chose to remain in this land and construct a fortress from which to keep an eye on the Monster Burrow. That was the beginning of the Kingdom of El Quixote."


    Issei - So it was founded to fight against monsters?


    Riche - Maybe that''s why there are so many muscleheads around.


    Towa - That''s how it was originally, but the Kingdom of El Quixote had many problems following its founding. First, they and the Kalars were unable to understand each other and got in several fights over many years. Second, the forest took all the nutrients they would need to farm corps, so they were reliant on other countries for food.


    Ramius - I wouldn''t be satisfied with just the fruits and berries of the forest either.


    Towa - Third, maintaining an army to watch the Burrow was expensive, leaving the country in constant debt.


    Gurigura - What happens if a country''s in debt?


    Riche - Same as anything: They go bankrupt. That means they can''t even import food.


    Gurigura - Wow, that would be bad.


    Towa - But ten years ago, El Quixote became the birthplace of the Bigbux Company.


    Issei - Ah, the company who make plastics.


    Towa - Yes. They successfully developed a miracle material called ''plastic'' that became popular worldwide. With the tax revenue from the export of plastic, El Quixote''s national budget improved in less than a year.


    Riche - They have become one of the most famous companies in this world, Ise.


    Issei - Hmm, I see.


    Towa - Now El Quixote has a massive budget to spend on their army, to the point that they''re now considered a great military nation.


    Ramius - In a world that''s demilitarizing, only El Quixote is spending money on their army.


    Riche - They say it''s for keeping the Monster Burrow in check, so it''s hard for other countries to complain.


    Towa - Thanks to their now-plentiful funding, they''ve even recently improved their relationship with the Kalars. The freedom given by financial security may have been what let them expand their thoughts and finally understand another race. But unsettling roars come from the Monster Burrow to this day... The Knights of El Quixote work day and night to defend against the threat.


    This story was brought to you by the corporation paving the way to the future with plastic, the Bigbux Company. The end.


    Once Towa finished speaking and took a deep breath, the party smiled and clapped.


    Issei - Indeed if you put it that way the Monster Burrow is dangerous.


    Ramius - But it does help make the people of El Quixote stay on the alert.


    Issei - Speaking of which, you mentioned the Bigbux Company again at the end of the story.


    Towa - Yes, they pay some of my travel fees in exchange for advertising.


    Riche - Huh, they must have money to spare if they''re putting it into something like that. I mean, I''m sure they have to be making a ton. They won''t reveal how plastic is made, so they''ve got a monopoly on the market.


    Towa - They aggressively advertise in magivision shows and newspapers too, I believe.


    Ramius - I''m glad your stories are easy to understand. Even a dim person like me can follow them.


    Issei - I''m sure it''s a good lesson for the kids, too.


    Towa - It''s not so much meant to be a lesson. I just want to show the world to children who can''t travel on their own.


    Issei - Don''t worry, I''m sure you get that feeling across.


    Towa - Eheheh, thank you... B-By the way... Riche-san, you''re Princess Croix''s sister, aren''t you? The one who''s about to go through a marriage ceremony?


    Riche - Yep, that''s right.


    Towa - Wow, I knew it! I was stunned by how pretty you were before, but I didn''t realize it until later.


    Issei - What marriage ceremony?


    Towa - Issei-san, you don''t know?


    Issei - No.


    Ramius - Well, Ise here is a special case you see.


    Riche - Remember how my sister''s engaged to the prince of the Central Empire?


    Issei - Yeah.


    Towa - Right around when their engagement was announced, the church unveiled a new story about Mother Eve.


    Issei - Hmm? I didn''t know Mother Eve''s story is still ongoing.


    Towa - Yes. What we know about Mother Eve is all excerpts from a scripture called the ''Evenicle'' that''s in the church''s possession.


    Issei - The Evenicle, huh...


    Gurigura - I dunno much about what''s in it either... What''s the story like?


    Riche - Essentially, it''s a love story about how Mother Eve created humanity.


    Towa - After Mother Eve introduced Dragons, Kalars, Poppins, and various other races to the world, she finally created a man in her own image.


    Issei - I see. ''It''s kinda similar to the bibles back on my world... Except there was a man first rather than a woman... Kind of interesting.''


    Ramius - Um, indeed.


    Riche - In the beginning, there was only Mother Eve, meaning women. Men were made later.


    Issei - ''Yup, pretty similar.''


    Towa - And once Mother Eve had spent a lot of time with the man, she began to harbor some special feelings for him.


    Riche - Then one day, she locked the man away in one of three towers where they lived and secluded herself on an island.


    Towa - Still, she wanted to see the man again, but she was ashamed... She took several detours before returning to her tower, when...


    Riche - The man who was supposed to be locked in a different tower greeted Mother Eve with a smile.


    Towa - Looking at the smile made Mother Eve aware of her special feelings toward the man, so she swore to love him for all eternity. Then it''s said that the three towers glowed as though to celebrate, and the world was enveloped in joy.


    Riche - Haah... What a wonderful story. Makes me think that romantic stories are okay sometimes.


    Towa - I know right!


    Ramius - Mother Eve''s actions up to when she swore love to the man are going to be reenacted by Princess Croix. That''s what people are referring to as the Marriage Ceremony.


    Issei - I see.


    Ramius - But I''m more interested in knowing what Mother Eve did with the man, personally...


    Issei - ...Why?


    Towa - Huh?


    Ramius - I mean, it''s about a man and a woman spending time together. Don''t you think they did something?


    Towa - Um... Is there something special you would do with a man?


    Gurigura - Ramius-nee... I don''t think Towa''s gonna get it.


    Riche - Geez, don''t corrupt this pure girl!


    Ramius - I-I''m not really trying to...


    Issei - ...''How come that Towa seems more clueless about sex compared to Gurigura?''


    Issei is wondering why Towa seems even more naive compared to Gurigura, did her father didn''t teach her about sex education or something? As for Ramius antics he already got used to it at this point, she''s kinda like the old him which he finds quite funny and cute, to be honest.


    Towa - Just that it''s a wedding between a prince and princess is lovely enough, but that they''re reenacting Mother Eve''s actions... It''s magnificent... Wait... I''m sorry I started talking about this out of nowhere... I''m just so glad...


    Riche - Don''t worry about it. I''ll tell Onee-chan there''s a girl who can''t wait for the ceremony.


    Towa - I-I couldn''t ask for that! Getting to watch it on magivision is enough for me.


    Issei - So what are you doing now, Towa? If you''ve got time, we could thank you by doing something for you.


    Towa - Ah, oh no! I forgot it''s time for my boat to leave.


    Issei - Oh, so soon?


    Towa - I-I''m sorry. I wasn''t expecting to run into you. I''ll be heading off to the next country by boat, then. Take care, I hope we will meet again soon.


    Issei - Ah, thanks. I''m sure we''ll meet again.


    Towa - ...Hai!


    Towa blushed at Issei''s assurance as she ran off into the busy streets of El Quixote.


    ...


    Issei - Now what should we do?


    Riche - Until we can meet with the King again, all we can really do is try investigating <Snake Crest> ourselves.


    Gurigura - <Snake Crest> was Master''s- I mean, Rochefort''s organization, right?


    Issei - Ah.


    Gurigura - There was a letter with the same seal as on Rochefort''s eye sitting on the desk. What could have that been?


    Issei - Oh, you notice it too huh, Gurigura.


    Gurigura - Un.


    Riche - Huh? There was? In the King''s office?


    Gurigura - Yeah, his desk had a letter with that seal on it.


    Ramius - Hoh, and you noticed it. That''s our Ranger.


    Gurigura - Maybe the King''s involved with <Snake Crest>.


    Riche - Why you didn''t tell us back then, Ise?


    Issei - Well, even if we confront him about it he might just feign ignorance like he never saw that letter before. And without proper evidence we can''t just accuse him, he is a King after all. But he has kind of an evil aura, not as thick as Rochefort''s but it''s leaning towards there... He''s probably being used just like Bors, who knows.


    Riche - ...Indeed. Whatever the reason, he''s pretending to have nothing to do with them. We have to drive him into a corner somehow.


    Issei - Um. For now, we''ll just have to gather more information. We can ask Pancho to set up another meeting.


    Ramius - Then we''ll have to go after Pancho. Was it <Vilfuente> he went to?


    Gurigura - You can get to <Vilfuente> by going east of the capital.


    Issei - Well, let''s go.


    In order to seek assistance from Pancho, the party hurried to <Vilfuente>.


    Along the way to <Vilfuente>, they saw an army of Knight marching towards the Monster Burrow.


    Ramius - Looks like they''re heading to the Monster Burrow.


    Guy - Travelers, are you?


    While the party watched the Marching Knights, some men who were seeing the Knights off approached them.


    Guy - Look at the sky. When that''s around, the Burrow starts acting up, so the Knights are keeping an eye on it.


    Issei - Oh?


    Far off in the sky, they saw a giant island floating by.


    Issei - Sky island...


    *Awooooooooohn...*


    Riche - Hyah! Wh-What?


    Guy - The Monster Burrow. Scary roar, huh? Maybe seeing Sky Island gets them into a frenzy.


    *Awoooooooooooohn...*


    Gurigura - Sounds gross.


    Guy - Hahaha, when you''ve lived here as long as we have, you get used to it.


    The floating island blew past as though carried by the wind until it finally disappeared from their sight.


    Issei - ''Hmm, that sound doesn''t look like it came from a living being... It seems hollow...''


    Riche - ...The roars stopped too. I see... So that''s why the Knights are climbing the mountain where the Burrow is.


    Guy - Been sightings of monsters jumping out of the Burrow too. They''re particularly feisty at the moment.


    Issei - Is that so?


    Guy - Well hey, there are a few sightings every year. Whatever happens, the Knights are keeping watch, so you''re safe as long as you stay in the cities.


    Ramius - But that creepy roar... Whatever''s in the Burrow might be really strong.


    Guy - It grew so big that it can''t get out anyway, apparently.


    Man - I''ve heard it''s a giant spider with three faces and sixteen legs.


    Guy - I think it''s a giant, wailing face. Anyone who sees that dreadful face has three days of constant nightmares, then dies.


    Riche - Uh... So which is it, really?


    Man - Well, nobody knows. Never in the history of the country has someone gone inside the Burrow.


    Riche - What?!


    Guy - The entrance is at the top of a steep cliff. No way for heavily-armed Knights to climb up there.


    Gurigura - Couldn''t a Ranger do it?


    Guy - If you try to climb up there, you don''t have any hands free. You''d just end up prey for flying monsters.


    Issei - So you can''t even reach the Burrow?


    Guy - Some say the Archfiends in there. Well, if he ever got out, that''d probably mean the end of the world.


    Issei - Archfiend Adan... The creator of all monsters was it...


    Riche - Why don''t we go check it out?


    Issei - It''s plausible... But <Snake Crest> is more important right now. Let''s go find Pancho in <Vilfuente>.


    Then they resume their journey towards <Vilfuente>.


    Ramius - This is <Vilfuente>? Lots of factories here, just like the capital.


    Issei - Actually, it seems even more lively in this city.


    Riche - I''m sure the living expenses are lower than in the capital, and there might be more manpower available too.


    Gurigura - Whoa, they''re all plastic factories for the Bigbux Company.


    Issei - Ah.


    Ramius - Mm, mm... I''ve heard plastic... Ulp... Has particularly high demand.


    Riche - Hey, no fair! Don''t go buying food without us.


    Ramius - It''s the squid bits they''re selling over there. I couldn''t help but buy some... Mmm...


    Issei - Let me see... Huh, looks like diced squidman legs and flour, lightly cooked and covered in sauce.


    Ramius and Gurigura stuffed their faces with the tray of squid bits.


    Issei - ''Really look like sisters, aren''t they...''


    Issei face turned gentle looking at both of them stuffing food like squirrels.


    Gurigura - Eheh, the sauce is delicious! Try some, Ise-nii. Say, aaaah...


    Issei - Hm? Sure. Aaah... *Munch Munch* it is good. Thank you, Gurigura.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, you''re welcome.


    Issei smiled gently and pat her head.


    Riche - Ramius...


    Ramius - Hm?


    Riche - Did you realize there''s a bunch of Kalars has been tailing us?


    Ramius - Ah... They''re not really hiding it, to be honest.


    Riche - And I seem to know why they''re following us...


    Ramius - You do?


    Riche - ...Look at their faces...


    Ramius looked at the Kalar''s faces that''s been following them around ever since they entered <Vilfuente>. For some reason, their faces are red and seem like a lovestruck maiden in love. And they all keep looking at one direction... Which is Issei...


    Ramius - ...Aahh...


    Riche - ...Yep. As expected from our husband I guess... Even with his face hidden he can still charm girls here and there but Kalars are known for their straightforwardness... If Ise''s was alone right now then they would''ve swarmed him like ants attracted to sugar...


    Ramius - Fumu... The only thing holding them back is us it seems... Thankfully there''s a rule that the Kalars only allowed to extract semen from an unmarried man or widowed man.


    Riche - ...Indeed, well even then I doubt they can hold back much longer after seeing how they keep squirming around. They even started to attract some man towards them...


    Ramius - Yeah... Look at that pinkish aura around them...


    Issei spotted some Kalars as well but he''s not that surprised seeing them following him because he got used to things like these after a while.


    Even normal girls seem to keep looking at him before so having Kalars do the same is not very surprising.


    But unknown to him the Kalars can sense <Aura> to a certain extent because they live in nature so it''s not very surprising just like how elves can sense nature around them.


    You need to remember that Issei has the biggest <Lifeforce> even in the eyes of Semiramis(LD). So Issei aura is like an aphrodisiac for the Kalars and combined with his unique aura of a Dragon it almost made all the Kalars drunk from his scent alone.


    Issei can just snap his finger and the Kalars would gladly swarm towards him if he wanted to.


    Just by staying near Issei the Kalars can feel their power grow bit by bit, the gem on their forehead is shining more brightly by the seconds. But in reverse, they become more intoxicated by his <Aura> alone.


    There''s some human man tried to ask them for a ''relief'' but the Kalars ignored them all, which is surprising for the humans because they''re usually happy to collect their semen.


    Issei - Oh? Is that the Kalars?


    Riche - Yes, this is the first time I''m seeing one in person too. They''re another race made up entirely of women. Kalars have been living in the Kalar Forest on this land since long before humans arrived.


    Gurigura - They''re super talented at wind magic, and since they go hunting in the forest, they''re good at archery too.


    Issei - I see. So they are all women?


    Gurigura - Yeah, there are no male Kalar.


    Riche - There are a few races, but only Kalars can breed with any other race, and always end up giving birth to a female Kalar.


    Issei - So the Kalar Forest''s full of nothing but female Kalars? You would think they''d all die out fast.


    Riche - That''s why they take sperm from human men. And that buildings you''re seeing there is the ''Break Room'' for the sperm collection.


    Issei - I see... There''s not a single person going there at the moment though? Are they perhaps having a lunch break or something?


    Riche - ...Well, I think I know why it''s empty...


    Riche wryly smiles while looking behind them.


    Almost every Kalars they passed by ended stalking them around... Well, stalking Issei that is...


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei is confused by what Riche''s mean but he ignores it right away because he doesn''t really care about the ''Break Room'', which basically is a Brothel in this country.


    Gurigura - Aren''t you curious about them Ise-nii?


    Issei - Hmm? Why should I? I have you girls no?


    Issei smiled gently at his wives and that makes them very happy he feels that way.


    While the Kalars woman who saw his gentle smile from far away swooned over his smile, some of them even have a little nosebleed... They really wanted to uncover his hood and see the rest of his magnificent face they thought. Some of them can''t take it anymore and wanted to run up to Issei but her friends stopped her from doing so.


    Kalar 1 - Let me go! I can''t take it anymore! I need his semen, I want his child!


    Kalar 2 - Don''t be stupid! You will get arrested! We are not allowed to do married man, remember?!


    Kalar 3 - We know how you feel but it''s not the place and time yet! If he went to the forest then...


    Kalars - ...*Gulp!*


    All Kalars after hearing that last words started imagining the things they could do, even the 1st Kalar who was going berserk calmed down and held down her lust for later...


    All of their eyes are shining like a predator watching its prey.


    Issei felt a sudden chill and he hurriedly turned around to see who''s giving him the sudden chills, but all the Kalars averted their eyes when he turned around and pretending they were just chatting with each other.


    Gurigura - What''s wrong, Ise-nii?


    Issei - ...It''s nothing.


    Issei can only ignore that chill he just felt because he doesn''t see the perpetrator clearly, there''s no ill intent either but it gives him the chill for some reason...


    The Kalars decided to disperse for now because they started attracting more attention to themselves, but all of them choose to return to the forest rather than going to the ''Break Room'' which makes all the human men cry tears of sorrow because they can''t vent their lust...


    Along the way, Issei party encountered a Drunk man forcing a lone Kalar to get him off.


    Drunk Man - Hey, girl. I haven''t gotten much lately. Can you get me off?


    Kalar - No, I don''t participate in that.


    Drunk Man - What? This is a human''s dick, bitch. You''re supposed to beg for it.


    Kalar - ...


    This Kalar seems different from the other Kalars, she has a red gem on her forehead instead of blue which means she''s still a virgin because once a Kalar lost their virginity their gem will turn into blue colored.


    And her bearings are also different from the other Kalars, she seems much more reserved and shy looking.


    Like the rest of the Kalars, she has light blue hair which is pretty long that reach her butt. She has light blue eyes, and there''s some kind of white ornament on her hair. She wears what seems a tribal outfit for the Kalars which colored white with green outlines and there''s a green ribbon on her chest.She has modest sized breasts but her body is alluring just like the other Kalars. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Lorenzo_Kalar Here''s her image.)


    Drunk Man - C''mon, let''s get in that shack where you can suck my dick.


    Kalar - S-Stop it. Ow... Let go.


    Riche - *Sigh* There''s always guys like that anywhere.


    Ramius - Um, what a disgrace... Where''s Ise?


    Gurigura - Ise-nii went over there, look.


    Issei appeared in front of the distressed Kalar and he grabbed onto the Drunk man hand.


    Drunk Man - What?!


    Issei - She doesn''t want to, so let go of your hand.


    Kalar - ?!


    The Drunk Man felt his arm hurting badly and he reflexively let go of the Kalar''s hand.


    Issei - Go away.


    Then Issei pushed the Drunk Man away from the Kalar.


    Drunk Man - Guh?! Y-You''ll regret this!


    The man ran as fast as he can because he knows Issei is not someone he should mess with.


    Issei - Are you fine?


    Kalar - Y-Yes... Th-Thank you...


    The Kalar girl is surprised because someone suddenly appeared in front of her and saved her from that Drunken Man. When she first saw the man who saved her, she felt her heart thump loudly.


    She can feel his intoxicating aura at point blank range and for a virgin Kalar like her, that is fatal...


    When the man turned around she can vaguely see the outline of his face and she knows that he''s a very handsome man and just by staying near him she felt very comfortable.


    Issei - Then be more careful from now on.


    Just when she''s still lost in reverie she saw that Issei started walking away from her. So she hastily called him


    Kalar - W-Wait!


    Issei turned around to see what she got to say.


    Kalar - M-My name is Lorenzo Kalar... C-Can I know your name?


    Issei - ...Issei Hyoudou.


    And with that said Issei left her behind to reunite with his wives. Lorenzo who saw that felt a bit loss knowing he already has someone special with him, but from what she observed so far he seems to be having 3 wives already. So that means she still has a chance...


    She was waiting for someone here because that person said he wanted to have a talk with her.


    ??? - S-Sorry to keep you waiting!


    Speak of the devil that someone is here, at last, he''s Pancho Quixote the general of the Knights in the El Quixote Kingdom.


    Lorenzo - No, It''s fine. So why do you want to meet me here, General Pancho?


    Pancho - Y-You can just call me Pancho! A-And I''m calling you here because... I-I-I...


    Lorenzo - Yes?


    Pancho - I LOVE YOU! PLEASE BE MY GIRLFRIEND!


    Lorenzo is taken by surprise by his sudden confession but she responds to his confession regardless.


    Lorenzo - I''m so sorry... I can''t answer your feelings.


    Pancho felt his heart hurt hearing her respond but he still steeled himself to ask why she can''t answer his feelings.


    Lorenzo - Because I already found someone I love, so I''m sorry once again... Oh, right. Here''s the monster outbreak report I got from the Kalar Queen while we''re at it. Then if there''s nothing else I need to go back to the Queen, so excuse me.


    And with that Lorenzo left Pancho behind while still thinking about Issei in her mind...


    Pancho felt like crying for being rejected but he can''t do anything about it because they barely interact with each other so far... He just confessed to her because of a sudden impulse.


    So he gets over it pretty quickly. He met Issei party along the way back and they discussed the <Snake Crest> letter found at the King''s office.


    Pancho - Hm, an envelope with a snake-shaped seal?


    Pancho tilted his head. His response told the party that he really didn''t know anything. And Issei also can''t see any spike on his aura while he''s talking about <Snake Crest> which confirms that he is innocent.


    Riche - <Snake Crest''s> a dangerous organization. If the King has any ties with them, he has to be convinced to cut them off.


    Pancho - They do sound more unsettling the more you tell me. I wouldn''t want them near Uncle. But while Uncle is often hasty, he''s also stubborn, so if he said he won''t take meetings, I can''t imagine you''ll get a meeting anytime soon.


    Issei - Even you?


    Pancho - That we''re related by blood only makes it worse. Besides, it''s true we don''t need other countries. We''re drowning in tax revenue from plastic sales.


    Riche - But <Snake Crest> has weapons of mass destruction, like sparkle bombs and poison gas.


    Pancho - I know, but meeting with and convincing Uncle would require... Hm, we could ask for some outside help.


    Issei - From where?


    Pancho - The Bigbux Company... The CEO should be able to get Uncle to listen.


    Issei - The Bigbux Company huh... ''Got the first clue we needed... A businessman CEO who can make the King listen to him? Seems like a clue to me.''


    Pancho - I don''t care for his obsession with money, but it''s true this country''s indebted to him.


    Riche - Perfect! I was interested in the plastic factories anyway. Let''s give it a shot.


    Pancho - Then I''ll write you a letter of introduction. I could see you there personally, but I do have work to do, and I''d rather not have to meet with that CEO myself.


    Riche - Thanks, that''s plenty enough.


    Pancho wrote and handed over the letter of introduction, then left with the documents he received from Lorenzo.


    Riche - Now let''s go check out the famous Bigbux Company.


    Gurigura - You should be able to find it southwest of here.


    The party decided to head to the corporation that held influence over even the king, The Bigbux Company.

 Chapter 49 - 48

    Issei - This is the Bigbux Company? Looks more like a city.


    The party arrived at a town of comparable extravagance to the capital.


    Riche - It''s not. Apparently, it really is a company. Most of the people who live here are either employees or their families.


    Issei - They employ these many people?


    Ramius - You can see why the CEO can give the king his opinions.


    Gurigura - Oh, that big buildings says it''s the CEO office.


    Issei - That whole building is an office?


    ...


    Rocinante - Bonjour. I''m Rocinante, CEO of Bigbux.


    Issei - ''Jackpot''


    The first time Issei saw the Rocinante he knows this is their guy... He reeks with an evil aura.


    Riche - Thank you for meeting with us. I''m the second Princess of the Kingdom of Eden, Riche.


    When the party handed their letter of introduction in at the front desk, they were immediately allowed into the CEO''s room.


    Rocinante face is like a weasel, he has purple hair styled like an ant antenna at front. He''s a skinny guy. His clothes are purple with gold colored outlines. The most that stand out from his face is his teeth which like bunny bucktooth. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Rocinante?file=Rocinante-portrait.png his face).


    Rocinante - Non, non, if you just said you''re royalty, I would have made time for you without the general''s introduction. Now, what is it you''d like? If you''re inviting me to open factories in Eden, I may look into it, depending on the offer.


    Riche - Oh, that''s a fine idea. But unfortunately, that''s not what I''m here for today.


    Riche detailed the existence of the evil organization known as <Snake Crest> and the possibility that King Ben had ties with them.


    Rocinante - Sacre bleu! There''s such an organization out there? How dreadful.


    Riche - If this country were to be harmed, your company most assuredly would be as well. If you want to prevent that, you need to help.


    Rocinante - Oui, naturally. But I do have a business to run. If you can''t provide proof, it''s hard to justify putting time into this.


    Issei - Hmm... Proof huh...


    Issei smirked at Rocinante.


    Rocinante felt like he''s being observed by a Dragon and he seems to know everything about him... He feels insecure by feeling Issei''s gaze on him. ''So this is the top-ranked enemy set by Shiro and Kuro that must be avoided at all cost... Indeed... He is truly a frightening man...''


    Rocinante feinting ignorance by Issei''s gaze but inside he felt frightened.


    Rocinante - Yes. You could buy my time some other way if you''re interested.


    Issei - Hoo... What is it?


    Rocinante - You see, my company has an urgent order from a major magic appliance manufacturer, but we''ve been unable to get ahold of the materials we need.


    Riche - And you think we can get those materials for you?


    Rocinante - You catch on fast. We can only get those materials from the Kalar Forest, but the Kalars aren''t interested in exporting.


    Riche - I see, so negotiations aren''t going well, and with the deadline approaching, a third party like us could give you another means of acquisition. Are you sure, though? We''d find out what plastic''s made of.


    Rocinante - I wouldn''t expect that a princess from Eden would be an industry spy.


    Riche - ''Just what you''d expect from a big company''s CEO. He knows what he''s doing. By using my status, he can push negotiation forward and keep us from spilling anything at the same time.''


    Riche felt Rocinante is a very talented businessman indeed.


    Riche - Okay, I get the gist of it. Ise, what do you think?


    Issei - Hmm... Sure, why not.


    Issei just smirked at Rocinante plan for now.


    Riche - My husband approves, so we''ll do it.


    Rocinante - Tres Bien. It''s a deal. ''Going out of her way to separate herself from her position as a princess... Competent girl... But her husband is even more terrifying...''


    Albeit with some compromises occurring beneath the surface, negotiations with Rocinante went well.


    Issei has to admit that this Rocinante guy is better compared to Rochefort which obviously can''t hide his emotion well. If he didn''t know better then he might just be fooled by him.


    Gurigura - Riche, that was kinda awesome.


    Issei - Um. I have to agree you handle yourself splendidly.


    Riche - Hmph! But of course! Whose wife do you think I am?


    She pumped her chest out feeling proud by Issei''s praise.


    Issei chuckled at her seeing that, but then he takes a hold of her waist and whispered to her ears "My little wife of course."


    Riche who heard that feeling bashful and happy while letting out a goofy laugh "Ehehe~".


    Ramius feeling jealous by their intimate contact so she also scoots towards Issei said acting proud as if she done something good as well. Issei can only smile wryly at her and also give her a hug which instantly makes her beaming with happiness.


    Gurigura also smiled wryly and felt like both of them are like kids... But she also joins them soon after.


    Their lovey-dovey act is causing the single men who are around felt jealous and thought the same thing on their mind, which is "RIAJUU! EXPLODE!".


    ...


    Ramius - I barely followed the conversation, but I got that there was some scheming going on.


    Riche - That''s a rude thing to call it! Negotiations... Or, well, business is like that. That''s all.


    Gurigura - What do you think about that Negotiations, Ise-nii?


    Hearing Gurigura words both Ramius and Riche also looked toward Issei.


    Issei - Hm? Well... I''m quite sure he''s with the <Snake Crest>.


    Riche - What?!


    Ramius - What makes you so sure?


    Gurigura just keeps looking at Issei waiting for him to continue.


    Issei - I can sense aura remember? His aura is pure evil just like Rochefort and as for the rest... It''s up to you to find out about the truth.


    Riche - Hrrm... Well, if he is with the <Snake Crest> we need concrete evidence on it. And all we can do so far is to follow his demands for now.


    Ramius - Indeed... But at least with this knowledge, we can be more cautious with Rocinante.


    Issei - Ah. For now, we can go to the Kalar Forest and get the materials to make plastic. And also see if the Kalars are also involved with the <Snake Crest> or not.


    Riche - Un. And he wouldn''t tell us what they are, so we basically just have to negotiate with the Kalars ourselves.


    Gurigura - I know where the Kalar Forest is! It''s just south of here.


    Riche - Now let''s see just what this mysterious Kalar Forest is like.


    In order to acquire the plastic materials, the party decided to go to the Kalar Forest.


    Issei - You guys can head there first, I have something to take care of.


    Riche - Ok, be careful.


    Issei - Ah.


    With that said Issei calmly walk away from their position.


    ...


    -At Rocinante''s office-


    Rocinante - Now, what fascinating employees. Let''s see if they return on the investment. How do you think they''ll do, Monsieur Black Knight?


    Kuro - Wouldn''t know. Never been involved in business, so I can''t say.


    In what was a seemingly empty room, Rocinante turned around to where the Black Knight appeared to have materialized from the darkness.


    Kuro - ...But you must have already met with Issei Hyoudou I believe?


    At the mention on Issei''s name, Rocinante face went grim right away.


    Rocinante - ...Oui... He''s indeed a very dangerous person... In front of him, I felt like I''ve been laid bare...


    Kuro - ...As long you don''t blatantly oppose him then it should be fine I think... Just don''t let him find any evidence of your doings or that will be the end of you. Even me and Shiro can''t beat him...


    Rocinante - ...Oui.


    Kuro - Anyway, The Supreme Commander calls for a meeting of <Snake Crest''s> administrators.


    Rocinante - An unscheduled summons, how unusual... That must be awfully important. But time is money! Not even the Supreme Commander can get away with dragging down my business!


    Kuro - What if I told you that Rochefort died? You still won''t answer the summons?


    Rocinante - ...Hoh, that crown-coveting, power-obsessed wretch is dead? Must be because of Issei Hyoudou I assume?


    Kuro - Yes... He was slain by Issei Hyoudou like nothing. He can''t even put a single resistance up against him. Even when both I and Shiro was there... There''s nothing we can do... We can''t even see his attack clearly.


    Rocinante - ...I see... I guess Rochefort didn''t heed the warning and blatantly oppose Issei Hyoudou right? Knowing his stupid pride that''s what he would do, what a fool... And they did seem remarkably knowledgeable about our organization.


    Kuro - Indeed...


    Rocinante - But, so what?


    Kuro - ...


    Rocinante - If they could help me turn a profit, I''d happily shake hands with my own sworn enemy.


    Kuro - I see, but... I was under the impression you were close with Rochefort.


    Rocinante - Because were he, in fact, to become King, I saw the opportunity for great profits, yes. If he only had the money, he could have gotten a country for himself. I thought he was a fool. Better to leave the governing to your puppets and focus on business.


    Kuro - You had different ways of thinking. But your way is certainly appropriate for <Snake Crest>.


    Rocinante - Isn''t it? Now go tell the Supreme Commander if he wants me to attend, he has to pay up first.


    Kuro - Very well, I''ll tell him... I''m sure the Supreme Commander will be pleased.


    Rocinante - So, you''re not doing anything else? Don''t tell me you joined <Snake Crest> just to be a messenger.


    Kuro - Just waiting for the seeds to sprout.


    Rocinante - Dear, dear, how slothful of you. Don''t you think that''s a waste of time?


    Kuro - We all joined only to further our own goals. That''s <Snake Crest> for you. But we do share starting a war as a common objective. Don''t forget that.


    Rocinante - Hmph, no need to tell me.


    Rocinante responded with vitriol, but Kuro had already vanished from the room.


    Rocinante - War... You can just smell the business that would bring...


    Countless business plans for when the world went to war popped into Rocinante''s head. You have weapons and armor, of course, and cow steeds would rise in demand, plus food would explode in price. There''d be a need to hire adventurers and mercenaries, I''m sure, so no doubt that''ll be a booming business.


    Simply the premise of war brought forth opportunities for profit.


    Rocinante - But for that to work, my company has to be expanded further... To the size of a country...


    A man who nearly worshipped money, Rocinante... This adherent to capitalism began fiddling with his abacus, considering how to intervene in the Kingdom of El Quixote''s affairs even further.


    ...


    At the Kalar Forest entrance. After waiting for a while, Issei finally returned to them. Riche asked him where was he, but Issei just said he''s just sightseeing around the area.


    Gurigura - Past this point is the Kalar Forest. In there is the home of the Kalars, The Kalar Village.


    Issei - I see. It''s in the midday, but it looks pretty dim.


    The party was confronted with sprawling woodland full of dense greenery. From within the woods, they could hear the roar of beasts. The wind carried with it the pungent scent of plant life.


    Riche - There''s a fork in the road. Wonder which way we should go.


    Issei - There are some people coming from the west path. Let''s ask them.


    Man 1 - Well, would you look at that? Don''t see young ladies around here often.


    Riche - We want to go to the Kalar Village. Would this be the route to take?


    Man 2 - What, you''re tourists? If you want to get to the Kalar Village, just go through the West Woods.


    Man 1 - There are Kalars keeping watch, but you can just make a deal with them.


    Gurigura - A deal? Are they gonna demand something?


    Man 2 - Uh, w-well, y''know. I can''t tell you.


    Ramius - Where''s the south path lead?


    Man 1 - It supposedly goes to the Kalar Village too, but they call that place the Lost Woods.


    Issei - Lost Woods?


    Man 2 - Yeah, anyone who tries to sneak around the guards and wreck havoc in the Kalar Village gets lost in that forest till they die, apparently.


    Issei - Hmm...


    Issei felt something is pulling him from the South path though... In fact, the forest seems to be more lively when he stepped near the region for some reason.


    Man 1 - If you''re going west... Well, you''re already surrounded by cute girls. But you must love those Kalars too.


    Issei - Hm? What do you mean?


    Gurigura - By the way, what were you guys doing at the Kalar Village?


    Man 1 - Uh, well... Um... Agh, don''t look at me with those innocent eyes.


    Man 2 - O-Oh yeah, I was taking a walk! Just getting some exercise when I happened to pass by the village.


    Issei - ...


    As though to flee from Gurigura''s gaze, the men left.


    So the girls asked Issei which path they should take, but Issei said South path.


    The girls were surprised because from the men information it''s called a Lost Woods, but Issei just said it will be fine.


    The moment they set their foot at the entrance of the South Path, the forest seems to open up a path for them. Like they are welcoming the coming of a King.


    The girls are surprised seeing this outstanding phenomenon happening, especially Riche who basically has her eyes turned into stars by now.


    Riche - Whoaaaaa~


    Ramius - This is quite something...


    Gurigura - I never see anything like this before.


    Issei felt the forest is indeed welcoming him so he just went in the path which just opened.


    After walking the path for a while they finally see what appears to be a Village. So they decided to enter the village...


    -Kalar Village-


    Gurigura - Whoa, so this is a the Kalar Village. Look at all these Kalars.


    Ramius - They really are all girls.


    Unlike human towns, the Kalar Village appeared to blend in with nature.


    There''s a lot of house build on top of a tree or under the tree roots, it''s really a very beautiful sight, Issei who saw these felt really comfortable and the beckoning feelings he received at the entrance of the Forest becomes stronger and it came from the biggest building on the Village it seems. Which appears to be the Queen castle.


    There were no men in sight, and when the Kalars noticed Issei, they all glanced over only to become frozen stiff at their place, but after a few seconds their faces turned red and their eyes turned moist just from feeling the Aura he possesses. Their breathing turned rapid and they keep leaking hot sighs, they unconsciously walked towards his direction.


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei who was looking at the castle direction notices their movements and he becomes a bit taken aback from seeing the aura they are leaking right now. He never saw this kind of aura before.


    Riche - Wh-What? They seem to be coming here all at once?


    Ramius - U-Um... They are giving me an uneasy feeling right now.


    Gurigura - Are they planning to attack us?!


    Riche felt confused about why they suddenly walk towards them all at once. Ramius who saw that feeling uneasy and Gurigura felt the same so they prepared for combat in case they do launch an attack on them.


    Riche - ...Wait... Their faces are not like someone who''s planning to attack... Ah...


    Ramius - What do you mean, Rich- Oh...


    Gurigura - Ahaha... So that''s why...


    Then the 3 girls looked towards Issei and gave a wry smile at him. They know why they suddenly walk towards them... It''s because of Issei.


    Issei - Wh-What? Why are you girls also looking at my direction?


    Issei becomes more confused feeling his wives gaze on him, it makes him feels really uncomfortable.


    Riche - Hehe... Our husband seems kinda dense don''t you guys think?


    Ramius - Un. Even I who''s really dense sometimes can tell.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii... Don''t you realize what faces are they making right now?


    Issei - Their faces? What do you-...


    After Issei look at their face clearly, now he knows what they meant... Their face is clearly filled with lust. No wonder their aura is colored pure pink like that...


    Suddenly Issei felt his instinct kicks in and he instinctively jumped on top of a tree and the place where he was standing just now there was a Kalar there with both of her hands outstretched in the air, it appears she wanted to hold him from the back just now.


    The other Kalars take that as a cue for their ''Attack''.


    Kalar 1 - He''s on top of that tree! Get him!


    Kalar 2 - Don''t let him get away at all cost!


    Kalar 3 - Team A, prepare the rope! Team B, use wind spell to boost our agility and slow him down! Team C, prepare the bed!


    Team A B C - ROGER!


    Issei - Wait! Why are you chasing me?! ''And what the hell is that?! Just when did they create a division for each task? And what the hell "prepare the bed" means?!''


    Kalars - No particular reason... We just want your semen.


    All of the Kalars answered at the same time.


    Issei feels speechless hearing their words but he got no time to be standing still because the Kalars started climbing the tree with skilled movements and they''re all heading towards his direction.


    They all started chasing Issei around, the village filled with loud commotion after that.


    Issei''s 3 wives who saw that can only smile wryly, there''s nothing they can do. They can''t follow them jumping around on top of the trees and it''s Issei''s fault for attracting them anyway.


    ??? - Wha?! What are you people doing here?!


    Riche - Hm?


    ??? - This is the Kalar Village. What do you humans want?!


    When the 3 girls watching Issei avoid all the Kalars ''Attack'' with precise movements they heard a sudden voice coming from behind them.


    Riche - Oh, Kath, what a coincidence. Did you forget you''re human too?


    Lorenzo - Kath... Are these your friends?


    Kathryn - No, they''re not friends! Just sorta acquaintances from a long time ago.


    There''s also a Kalar appeared next to Kathryn and it''s Lorenzo whom Issei just saved before at the <Vilfuente> town.


    Riche - So the friend you wrote about is...


    Kathryn - That''s right. My best friend for life, Lorenzo Kalar.


    Lorenzo - Nice to meet you. I''m Lorenzo Kalar, the Queen''s private secretary, and you girls must be the wives of Issei-sama I presume? By the way, where''s Issei-sama?


    The girls introduced themselves to Lorenzo to which Kath snorted with disinterest, but she''s also wondering on where is Issei.


    Lorenzo remembered that they were with Issei before so she''s wondering where is Issei at the moment because she doesn''t see him nearby. She started looking around while blushing hoping to catch the sight of Issei once again.


    Riche - Well... He''s over there...


    Riche pointed at the direction of where the "Chase" game between Issei and the Kalars are happening.


    Issei - Go away!


    Kalars - No chance!


    Issei still nimbly avoid all of the Kalars attacks but oddly enough the Forest seems to be cheerful and there was no damage done to the trees at all.


    Kathryn - ...What are they doing?


    Lorenzo - Ah! Issei-sama...


    Kathryn is confused by what she saw while Lorenzo is happy just from seeing Issei once again.


    Riche - Well... You see...


    After some explaining by Riche both Kathryn and Lorenzo knows on what just happened.


    Kathryn becomes speechless while Lorenzo is nodding to herself because she knows fully well on why this is happening. Even she who''s a reserved Kalar felt lustful towards Issei, what''s more for the normal Kalar which known well for their straightforwardness...


    Riche - So, you left your home a wreck and came here to do what?


    Kathryn - While I''m ordering a new hut, I figured it was a good time to... Visit some graves.


    Riche - Visit some graves... Oh, I see...


    Kathryn - While I am a genius, I''m not much good fighting solo, so I was thinking I''d have Lorenzo come along... Lorenzo?


    Kath is confused about why Lorenzo seems not responding to their conversation and she saw that she''s been looking at Issei direction all this time.


    Lorenzo - O-Oh? What? I-I''m sorry I haven''t been paying attention to the conversation... What was it again?


    Kathryn - ...Lorenzo, is he the one you''ve been talking about?


    Lorenzo - ...U-Un.


    Kathryn - Oh... No wonder...


    Kathryn can only bitterly sighed after knowing the guy that Lorenzo has been talking about all this time is apparently Issei. She has to admit that he''s indeed one of a kind man out there... Even she felt a bit of liking towards him, not that she would admit it though.


    She was also a bit surprised she got another wife though.


    Riche - What are guys talking about?


    Kathryn - Nothing, just some girl stuff.


    Riche - ...You do realize that we''re also girls right?


    But Kathryn just ignored her comment.


    Kathryn - So what about you? Also, like, if you got in here, you had to pay that fee...


    Gurigura - What fee?


    Ramius - Um, we just got here by using the South Path.


    Kathryn - ...Huh? Isn''t the South Path a Lost Woods?


    Lorenzo - Ah! I remember now. The Queen told me there''s something happening at the South Path so I''m told to check on it. But to think it was you guys who''re the cause of it...


    Riche - No, not really us you see. It was Ise there. The Forest just suddenly opened a path for him and we just walk along the path to reach here. And we''re here to meet the Queen to discuss something.


    Lorenzo becomes surprised hearing that because she never heard anything like this ever happening before while Kathryn just becomes even more confused.


    Lorenzo - But the Queen might be busy right now...


    Kalar - Oh, Lorenzo! Her Majesty says to bring her the guests.


    After a Kalar scrambled over and whispered into Lorenzo''s ear, she awkwardly said she''d lead them to the Queen.


    Lorenzo - Okay, girls! Enough! Her Majesty said that she wants to see the guests so stop chasing that gentleman around, please.


    Lorenzo told the Kalars who''s still chasing after Issei to stop and they begrudgingly stopped with a reluctant look on their faces while Issei heaved a sigh of relief seeing them finally stopped chasing him around.


    Even though he''s not tired physically, he''s tired mentally...


    Issei said thank you to Lorenzo which made her go red in the face after hearing that.


    So Issei''s party went to the castle to meet the Queen but along the way, every Kalars keep watching him which make his face twitch a lot.


    ...


    Mertel - Greetings. I''m Mertel, the Kalar Queen.


    Riche - Nice to meet you, I''m Riche Eden. And this is my husband...


    Issei - Oh, I''m Issei Hyoudou. Just call me Issei if you want.


    Mertel - Hoh, so it''s you? I heard there was a young man who has an intoxicating aura and makes all the girls in the village go wild and I have to say... They are indeed right...


    The Queen narrowed her eyes and licked her lips seductively after seeing Issei and feeling his aura firsthand.


    Mertel - Hm...


    Mertel is a very mature woman with a beautiful face, she has long blue hair and blue eyes just like any Kalars. And she has a curvaceous body with a big bust and slim waist, her outfit barely covers any skin at all. It''s basically just a loose tribal robe that colored black with green outline, she has a very seductive aura around her. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Mertel_Kalar?file=Mertel-portrait.png her image.)


    Mertel got up from her chair and got so close to Issei that they almost touched.


    Issei just calmly looks at her while she kept feeling his aura at point blank range. ''This aura... This bountiful intoxicating aura... I see... He''s not human... There''s no human capable of possessing this kind of aura. Not even King Arthur himself... Ah... This is indeed dangerous... I might really fall in love with him just from feeling his aura up close... No wonder the girls won''t stop talking about him, I see... Even Lorenzo has feelings for him... Fufufu, perfect...''.


    Mertel - I see... Heheheh, smells really nice... You''re not a human, aren''t you?


    Issei felt a bit surprised she could tell but he stays calm. While the girls in the room become totally taken aback.


    Riche and co are surprised she could tell Issei''s not human while Lorenzo and Kathryn don''t know what Mertel means by her words just now.


    Kathryn - What is she talking about? Oi, Riche.


    Kath asked Riche what the Queen meant.


    Riche can only wryly smile and just when she''s wondering if she should tell her or not Issei beat him to it.


    Issei - Ah. I''m a Dragon.


    Mertel - Fufufu, I see... It''s been a long time ever since I saw a Dragon first hand...


    Kathryn becomes totally slackjawed while Lorenzo just covers her mouth in surprise.


    Kathryn - ...H-He''s a Dragon? Well... That explains a lot of things...


    Lorenzo - Issei-sama is a Dragon?


    Mertel - Excuse me for a second.


    Then the Queen extends her hand and uncover Issei''s hood. When his face is fully shown...


    The time seems to stop for Lorenzo and Mertel. Both of them become totally wide-eyed seeing his perfect face... His face is the most handsome face they ever see in their entire life, Lorenzo is one thing but Mertel has been living for more than 100 years.


    Mertel''s face becomes red for the first time in a while and she holds Issei''s face up close.


    Mertel - Ne, will you be my husband? If you become my husband every Kalars in this Village will be yours for the taking... We will be yours to command. And we won''t decline your orders whatever they might be.


    Lorenzo - Wha?! Your Majesty! Don''t joke around at something like this!


    Issei''s wives - Hey!


    Kathryn - Wha... Wha... A proposal?! A real-life Proposal?! Uwaaahhh...


    Riche - Why do you seem to be the most affected from all this?!


    Mertel - I''m totally serious.


    Mertel looks at Issei right in the eyes and her eyes are indeed serious. But Issei calmly refused her offer.


    Issei - I refuse.


    Mertel - ...May I know why?


    Issei - I won''t marry someone I don''t love.


    Issei''s words made the room becomes silent...


    At first, Mertel becomes taken aback on his refusal but after hearing his answer she becomes stupefied but soon after she laughs.


    Mertel - Fufufufu... I see... Then will you marry me if you come to love me? But before you answer that question. Know that by marrying me you will become the King of the Kalars. The Queen is not just any titles, we Queens have responsibilities to lead our race towards happiness. And if by chance we have a Husband then that person shall be the new King of the Kalars... And we can never betray the King or we will perish... That''s also the rule set by Mother Eve.


    We Kalars are not bound by the human rules, we won''t become an Outlaw even if we kill or have multiple sexual partners but the moment we have a King then we are not allowed to betray our king in any way. If we had sex with other males than the king we will die, if we plan to hurt the king we will die as well. So it''s an absolute law set by the Creator God.


    Issei - Creator God?


    Issei at first was surprised when she suddenly started telling him all this but when he heard about the Creator God he becomes intrigued. He was wondering if this Creator God is the same God that already died in his world or not.


    Lorenzo seems to know this as well but not Issei''s and co. So they become curious about it.


    Mertel who saw that Issei still planning to listen to her stories decided to continue.


    Mertel - Let me tell you a bit about the history of the Kalars and Eve. The creator of not only all living things but of the world itself wasn''t Eve, it was the Creator God. When the Creator God made Eve, she was all that existed... So Eve used the pieces of her soul to create the world and its various inhabitants, thus becoming known as the mother of all... Mother Eve.


    Kathryn - And Kalars must''ve been one of the things she made.


    Mertel - Mother Eve desired someone to look after her, and created the Kalars for that purpose.


    Ramius - To look after her? If she created a new species just to do that, that''s rather unbelievable.


    Mertel - And it''s said the reason Kalars are made up entirely of women is that Mother Eve based them on her own body.


    Gurigura - So aside from not having men, Kalars are basically the same as us?


    Mertel - No, not exactly. Humans have the distinction of being ''born of'' Mother Eve. One day, Mother Eve realized she had no man to be her counterpart. At the same time she created Dragons, she created him. He''s been known as ''The First Man'', ''The First Ancestor'', or simply ''Man'', and he became Mother Eve''s companion.


    Gurigura - And what they gave birth to together was humanity.


    Riche - So humans really are Mother Eve''s children, just like the church says.


    Kathryn - Makes sense. Nobody can have children by themselves.


    Ramius - I did know about the First Ancestor, but I was never taught he was so important.


    Kathryn - Probably not, no. Getting into that would require going into detail about reproduction.


    Riche - Church does get attended by lots of kids after all.


    Mertel - Back to topic, when Mother Eve decided to leave us be. She set rules that we won''t be bound by the human rules, meaning we can kill or have multiple partners. But the Creator God won''t have any of that and set new rules of his own which is the King rules you just heard from me.


    Issei - I see... But why are you telling me any of this?


    Mertel - That''s because I was testing you... If you just accepted my offer back then I would be disappointed and decided you''re not worthy to be our King. But you said you won''t marry anyone you don''t love and that''s what I wanted to hear... We need to know our King personalities before we make him our King. It''s been thousands of years but we finally have the right candidate to be our King... We don''t want a King that doesn''t love us and treated us like tools you see.


    Mertel gave Issei the gentlest smile she had after saying that.


    Issei is the one who''s become stupefied after hearing her words.


    Mertel - Don''t you think he''s a good candidate as well, Lorenzo?


    Lorenzo - Y-Yes... I think Issei-sama will be able to become the perfect king we wished for... And Your Majesty, there''s something I need to tell you.


    Mertel - Hm? What is it?


    Then Lorenzo told Mertel about what happened at the South Path. And Mertel who''s hearing that become even more surprised and she told Issei to follow her with a serious face.


    Mertel - Can you please follow me? Just you, as for the others please wait here.


    Issei becomes confused by her change of attitude but decided to follow her anyway.


    Issei - It won''t take long.


    Issei told his wives to wait here and follow right after Mertel.


    Riche and the others are still processing about what just happen and just nodded at Issei''s words.


    After following Mertel for a while, they arrived in a secluded room which seems to be the core of the castle. There''s a floating green orb at the center of the room.


    Mertel - That is the <Orb of Life> which we''re guarding ever since we are created by Mother Eve... That Orb is left behind by the Creator God to give it to someone worthy of it.


    Issei - ...I see... So that''s the thing which keeps beckoning me towards it...


    Mertel - Indeed... Recently this orb suddenly started pulsating rapidly like it''s calling for someone and it appears to be you...


    Even now the orb is still pulsating rapidly ever since Issei step onto this room. Issei felt a certain attraction towards it and he unconsciously extends his hands towards it.


    Mertel who saw that doesn''t stop him but deep inside she feels excited.


    The moment Issei''s hand touched the orb, it started to shine brightly that makes Mertel blinded by it.


    There''s a sudden beacon of light launching towards the sky. But oddly enough there''s no one else notice that beacon except for Issei''s wives, the Kalars, and QD...


    -Camelot-


    QD and Arthur who saw that instantly become alerted.


    Arthur - Qu...


    QD - Ah... Finally, the Kalars will be welcoming their true King... Heh, I can''t say I''m not surprised even though I know this will happens sooner or later after that boy stepped into this world...


    Arthur - Issei-sama sure is an outstanding individual...


    QD - Indeed he is... Guess this is what you aim for... LD?


    Semiramis and Scathach are also there with them.


    Semiramis - Fufufu... Just as planned...


    Scathach - Hmm, so that''s what you want him to get in this world huh?


    Semiramis - Yes... The Kalars are just a bonus for him. My true aim is that <Orb of Life>. With that, he will be able to comprehend the <Chaos> even easier...


    QD - Cheh! Now that''s not the only thing you''re aiming for right?


    Semiramis - Well now, whatever you mean by that~?


    Semiramis feint ignorance by QD accusation.


    QD - You think I don''t know? You can''t have children if that boy doesn''t possess that Orb. Because of your mastery on <Death> aura is too high that you can''t create life within your body.


    Semiramis - Oh, you could tell?


    QD - Of course I could tell, who do you think I am?


    She puffed her nonexistent chest proudly while Arthur just wryly smiles at her antics.


    Arthur - Do forgive her attitude, Semiramis-sama, Skadi-sama.


    Semiramis - Hm, we don''t mind her in the slightest. After all, we''ve known each other for a long time already.


    Scathach - Fumu, agreed. And you can just call me by my first name if you want.


    Semiramis indeed wanted Issei to possess that <Orb of Life> so he could impregnate her. Her excuse for having Issei taking a vacation is also a part of her true objective. But she never thought he will go to another world and meet Nyarlathotep on top of that.


    That was a miscalculation on her part, she thought she successfully sent him to this world, not that stupid world (Konosuba). If she really sent him there then he might become stupid just like most of that world inhabitants... Thankfully the girls he gets from there is pretty normal. (Yunyun and Wiz)


    Semiramis - Well, I guess that''s that. But you don''t seem to care that my husband gets that Orb, QD?


    QD - Why should I? If anything I''m happy that he get that Orb because that means that asshole Creator God gonna lose 1 of his possession, HAHAHA!


    QD hate the Creator God because she thinks the tragedy that happens to Eve is because of him. But that''s a story for another time...


    Semiramis - Is that so?


    And then they all watched the beacon of light until it disappears.


    -Back at Issei-


    Issei at this moment is floating in the air with his Dragon wings out. He''s enveloped by a green aura at this moment, there''s a red diamond mark appearing on his forehead, there''s a dragon wing on both side of the mark. (AN: http://static1.squarespace.com/static/56329138e4b0c1d58a5333a8/t/564baf1fe4b00be1a7ac2658/1505580970497/?format=1500w just like that but it''s colored red and it''s dragon wings instead of electric symbol.)


    When he opens his eyes it appears even more enchanting than before, his wine-red eyes have a tinge of gold around it but it disappears soon after.


    Then he floated down from the air, Mertel who saw him now is shedding tears of joy.


    She''s prostrating herself on the floor at Issei''s direction while saying


    Mertel - Mertel Kalar the current Queen of the Kalars greets our new King.


    Every Kalars around the country who saw that beacon of light shed tears of joy and they all prostrated themselves towards Issei''s direction, everyone who saw them suddenly prostrating towards the same direction becomes confused and puzzled.


    Even Lorenzo who''s in the same room as Riche and co also doing the same.


    Kathryn - L-Lorenzo? What are you doing?!


    Lorenzo - At last... We, The Kalars have finally welcomed our King arrival...


    Riche and Co. - King?!


    Then they all look towards the direction where she''s prostrating at and notice that''s the direction of Issei and the Mertel went just now.


    Riche - Could it be?


    (Chaos Comprehension = 40%)

 Chapter 50 - 49

    Issei - ...Get up. There''s no need to prostrate yourself before me.


    After Issei absorbed the <Orb of Life> he felt like his <Life> Aura just received a huge boost. And he can feel a step closer mastering the <Chaos> element.


    Mertel obeys his words and stands up right away but her gaze holds nothing but affection and loyalty towards Issei now.


    Mertel - How do you feel, my king?


    Issei - To be honest... I felt weird.


    Mertel - Is there any discomfort anywhere?


    Issei - No... If anything I felt great... I felt even more alive and powerful after absorbing that orb. But... I''m having mixed feelings about the connection we share now...


    Yes, Issei now can feel a certain connection between him and the Kalars. If a Kalar ever betrayed him then he could tell right away.


    Mertel - Yes, but that is our fate... The Creator God stated that whoever can absorb the <Orb of Life> shall be our king... It''s been more than millennia but no one ever fulfilled the prophecy. We need to have sex with other male race just to continue the survival of our race even though we don''t love them. We had to or our race will go extinct... But now we are not required to do that any longer... We finally have our own male, our own King... This mark on your forehead is the symbol of how you rule over us, the Kalars...


    Mertel comes close to Issei and gently touched the new mark on his forehead. Issei feels comfortable feeling her touch even though he doesn''t feel anything before this.


    Mertel - We Kalars have another secret... In the history of our book left behind by our Ancestor, we are supposed to be immortals but the reality is... We are not... At least not until we reborn into a higher species. It stated that at some point in our life we will reborn into either an "Angel" or a "Devil". But that can only happen if we can find our own King...


    Issei felt surprised by that secret she just revealed.


    Mertel - By having our king "Lifeforce" inside us we will be able to use that as a catalyst for our rebirth to an Angel or a Devil... To absorb the <Orb of Life> you need a certain requirement... One, you must be a man. Two, you must possess a <Life> and <Death> Aura inside you. Three, you must be able to feel love towards the Kalar from the bottom of your heart and not just see them as tools... If you don''t have any of those 3 requirements then you won''t be able to absorb the <Orb of Life>... It''s the last gift from the Creator God to protect our race. The humans think that we are protecting the forest we live in but the truth is we are protecting the <Orb of Life>.


    Issei is calmly processing every information he gets from Mertel. Because he knows this is very important for their race.


    Issei - What happens once you become an Angel or a Devil? Is there any difference between the two?


    Mertel - There''s not really much difference but in the change of our appearance. A Kalar who turn into an Angel possesses a strong <Life/Yang> element while the Devil one possesses a strong <Death/Yin> element... They complement each other you see. There is no racial discrimination between the two. But we might have a change in our personality after we evolved... Take me for example, if the current me is a seductress then the new me might be the opposite of that. But we will still be loyal towards you and only you for the rest of our life. So please be our King...


    Issei - ...Are you sure about this?


    Mertel - Fufufu... As I thought... You''re really a kind King. You already have total control over our race but you still asked me of my opinion... And to answer your question, yes. I regret nothing... We have been waiting for so long for the arrival of our true King... After so long we are finally able to fulfill our destiny. Now I will ask you once more... Please... Please be our King.


    Mertel pleaded towards Issei at the end.


    Issei calmly looks at her in the eyes and just when he''s about to answer her request he heard a voice coming from behind him and he knows they were there the entire time eavesdropping so he wasn''t too surprised.


    Riche - Accept her request, Ise.


    Ramius - I agree with Riche.


    Gurigura - Accept it, Ise-nii!


    Lorenzo - Please, Issei-sama... Please be our king.


    Kathryn - Ugh... What the hell... Just accept her request if you''re a man.


    All of them were eavesdropping their conversation and when they heard the secret of the Kalars race they felt sorry for them, as a fellow girl they know how they feel. Just to ensure their race survival they need to have sex with men they don''t even love... There''s nothing worse than doing that for a woman.


    Issei - You girls...


    Issei finally sighed and decided to accept their request.


    Issei - Fine... If you think I''m good enough to be your king then so be it.


    Mertel and Lorenzo who heard that had their face beaming with happiness and in the heat of the moment, Mertel grabbed Issei''s face and then she kissed Issei deeply which took him by surprise.


    Issei - Mmh?!


    Mertel - Mmn, Mhm, Mchu... Mwah...?


    Riche - Hey!


    Ramius - Oh, that''s quite the technique she''s using. I never saw Ise making a face like that.


    Gurigura - Woaah~ Is that how adult kiss looks like?


    Lorenzo - Ah... Your Majesty... So unfair...


    Kathryn - U-Uwaaah... Th-They''re kissing so passionately, how shameless!


    Riche - Why do you get so flustered just from seeing that? It''s not like you never saw one in porn and you already saw me kissing with Ise before...


    Kathryn - Sh-Shuddup! That''s 2D! 2D is different from the real thing! Ah! What are you making me say?!


    Riche - Heh, you think I don''t know you''re reading porn like Ramius?


    Ramius - Hm? Is that true, Kath? I see I see... So I''m not the only one who read porn. You''re indeed my friend.


    Kathryn - Don''t lump me together with you, Perverted Titty Monster!


    Ramius - Hrrm, I said don''t call me all of that at once. Call me either of them but not all of them at once.


    Gurigura - What''s porn?


    Riche & Ramius & Kathryn - Ah...


    The three of them become silent at Gurigura''s question because even though she already had sex she''s still not very knowledgeable on that kind of stuff...


    Back at Issei.


    After a while, Mertel finally ended their kiss with a loud pop!


    Mertel - Hmmmnn~ That was delicious ?


    Issei - Do you have to do that...


    Mertel - Fufufu, I''m sorry. It was just that I was so happy that I couldn''t control myself.


    Issei - You don''t look like you''re sorry...


    Mertel - But I am~ Want me to apologize with my body?


    Mertel licked her lips sexily and tries to seduce Issei by showing a glimpse of her big breasts.


    Issei is honestly very tempted to do it with her but he holds it in because he still hasn''t sorted his feelings about them just yet.


    Issei - ...No, thanks.


    Mertel - Ara? Too bad... But you accepting to be our King is good enough for now... We can take one step at a time to be able to earn your "Love" I guess... By the way, wasn''t there something you wanted to discuss by coming here?


    Riche - Oh right!


    Riche told the Queen about what they''d experienced in El Quixote and how they needed plastic materials.


    Mertel - I see, and by plastic materials, I take it you mean pinepones.


    Issei - Pinepones?


    Mertel - Fruit that grows on the trees around here. Pinepones burn well, so we often use them to start fires.


    Ramius - So plastic''s made using a plant.


    Riche - Um, if it''s not too much to ask, can we have some?


    Mertel - But of course we don''t mind. And there''s no need to be polite with me because by being the wives of our King that makes you our mistresses. I may be Queen in name but you are of higher standing than me now since you''re the wives of our King. Every inch of this forest belongs to the King so you can easily take anything from it... And there''s no need to bother yourself picking them up, just leave that to the village girls.


    Riche - I-I see... Rocinante said you didn''t want to export anything but why is that?


    Lorenzo - Well, the Bigbux Company are entirely onesided in their negotiations.


    Lorenzo, who was standing to the side and listening with Kath, spoke for the Queen.


    Lorenzo - Our condition was to be granted more semen collection shacks to prolong the existence of our kind, but now we don''t need it anymore...


    Lorenzo fervently looks towards Issei direction while saying that.


    Lorenzo - But the Bigbux Company insists on paying us money for the pinepones.


    Mertel - And if we accept money once, it''ll set a bad precedent, so we can''t take it so casually.


    Kathryn - There''s guys or gals who want sex on both sides, so it should be obvious to build more, but there''s been some problem. Is what I want to say but knowing the truth about the Kalars I would say that''s just 1 sided wish now.


    Issei - What was the problems?


    Kathryn - Well, people in El Quixote aren''t getting married as young as they used to, and some folks are blaming the Kalars semen collection shacks for that.


    Ramius - So fewer people are getting married?


    Kathryn - But that''s a misunderstanding. The drop in marriages has more to do with two other things. The spread of luxuries like the magivision, and the Bigbux Company helping to increase the average income and making it easier to live on your own. In fact, having sex with Kalars get some thinking seriously about having children of their own, so I wouldn''t be surprised if they''re getting more people interested in marriage.


    Riche - I see, and since you were thinking about the future, you''re putting a limit on pinepone exports.


    Mertel - But if you wish us to provide pinepones to Bigbux Company then-


    Issei - No need.


    Before Mertel can finish her words, Issei cut her off.


    Mertel - Oh? And why is that, my King? If you wish so then we will gladly provide free pinepones for the Company.


    Issei - Because Rocinante is a <Snake Crest> member.


    Mertel - <Snake Crest>... So that organization dirty hands already reached this Kingdom as well...


    Issei - It won''t be for long. You only need to let us take some pinepones to him, no need to let them all know that I am your king. Just act like you used to, but of course, I''m not asking you to go back collecting sperms like you used to.


    Mertel - We are grateful for your consideration for us, my King...


    Issei - Just call back every Kalars outside the Village to lay low for now, because I get the feeling that Rocinante aim is at the Kalars.


    Mertel - As you wish, my King.


    Mertel bowed towards Issei in reverence. She''s glad that he is not forcing them to collect semens like they used to, they only need 1 man their life from now on. And that''s their King.


    Kathryn - I never like their CEO anyway, so I don''t see the need to give him anything. He only sees people whether they can be useful or not. If you''re useless to him then he wouldn''t have even bothered responding to you.


    Riche - So you can trust him as a businessman, but not so much as a person.


    Issei - Ah. That''s right, just from his eyes alone he appears to be a calculating man and he is clearly blinded by his greed as a human being... Rochefort was blinded by his Envy while Rocinante appeared to be Greed, as for Kuro he seems to be a Sloth. It appears every <Snake Crest> organization member represent each of the 7 deadly sins.


    Everyone in the room is in awe with Issei''s analytical abilities. Riche and co feel proud having a husband like Issei while Lorenzo and Mertel become more enamored with him. Kathryn is totally slackjawed and felt like he''s wasted on Riche and Ramius but that''s just her being jealous.


    Riche - Wait, Ise. How do you know that Kuro represents sloth?


    Riche suddenly remembered that they never really have that much information about Kuro so it puzzles her on how Issei seems to know that Kuro represents Sloth.


    Issei - Well, that''s my secret.


    Issei smiled and winked at Riche while saying that, so Riche can only let it go.


    Mertel - Fufufu, our King sure is a tease isn''t he, Lorenzo. I wonder if he''s also such a tease in bed?


    Lorenzo - Wh-What are you saying, Your Majesty?! Have some reservation in front of the King, please.


    Mertel - Oh, but don''t you want to know how he is in bed as well though?


    Lorenzo - Wha?!... Th-That! Um... Uhhh... un...


    Lorenzo admitted that in a low voice while her face turns totally red from shyness.


    Mertel just chuckled seeing how innocent Lorenzo is.


    Issei just sighed seeing their antics.


    Issei - Well, no need to tell the village girls to get the pinepones, let us go by ourselves. We wanted to sightsee around the forest as well while we''re at it after all.


    Mertel - Oh, I see... Well, if you''re willing can you take Kath here with you as well, my King?


    Kathryn - Hm? What about me?


    Mertel - The Kalars are greatly indebted to her. If she wants to stay, we''d be happy to keep her around as long as we''re able.


    Kathryn - Hey, I don''t plan to stay too long. Just until Lorenzo goes with me to visit the grave.


    Mertel - But Lorenzo''s extremely busy, and Kath makes her play games or stay up talking to her all night, so it''s starting to have an effect on her work.


    Kathryn - Whaaaat?! I-Is this true, Lorenzo?!


    Lorenzo - Um, I don''t particularly mind.


    Mertel - However, between your mediation with the humans and everything else you do, it would be problematic if anything happened to you. Even though we don''t need to collect semen from the humans anymore we still need to stay in contact a bit with them just in case something happened, no?


    Kathryn - Aw, man... Have I been a nuisance?


    Lorenzo - No, that''s not true at all.


    Ramius - Kath doesn''t pick up on social cues very well. I''m guessing she pushed for pajama parties every night.


    Riche - Probably made her read dumb magazines she didn''t care about, too.


    Kathryn - Urgh...


    Kath can''t really deny any of their accusations because it''s all true...


    Issei - I see. So you want us to take Kath along to visit a grave, was it?


    Mertel - Yes, my King. Could you bring her there?


    Issei - Sure, I don''t mind. After all, we''re indebted to Kath as well.


    Kathryn - What?! Wait a sec! I-I can''t go with this ikemen here.


    Issei - ...Why Ikemen? ''I''m not Kiba alright...''


    Issei doesn''t like being called an Ikemen like Kiba, he knows he is a bit handsome but he believes he doesn''t deserve to be called an Ikemen right?


    Riche and co just snicker at her slip up, and Kath who saw them snickering at her becomes totally embarrassed and tries to come up with an excuse.


    Kathryn - B-Because y-you''re... Anyway! What are you trying to take me into the forest for?! R-Rape?! Are you trying to **** me?!


    Issei - ...How come you come into that conclusion?


    Ramius - We''ll be there too, calm down.


    Kathryn - Like I can trust you! You''d gladly push me to the ground, I know it.


    Riche - You''re acting as if you hate it if you somehow got raped by Ise.


    Kathryn - O-Of course I''ll hate it!


    Riche - Heee~ Really now?


    Kathryn - Yes!


    Lorenzo - Eh? Really, Kath? I thought you-


    Kathryn - WAWAWAWAWA!


    Kathryn hastily covers Lorenzo mouth from babbling more than she needs to. She doesn''t want to let anyone else knows how she saw Issei as a very charming man especially Riche and co.


    Riche smirked towards Kathryn but the latter just feign ignorance.


    Mertel - There should be pinepones in the road on the way there. Just take as many as you want.


    Gurigura - Yaaay, pinepone hunting!


    Kathryn - L-Listen to meeeeee!


    Issei - Then we''ll be going and thanks for everything.


    Mertel - You''re welcome, my King. I''m personally very glad to have met you too... One day, I''ll get lots of that thick...


    Issei - ...


    Ramius - N-Now let''s go, Ise! No time to stand around here.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, hurry, hurry!


    Issei - ...You don''t need to drag me.


    Kathryn - L-Let me gooooo!


    Ramius and Gurigura dragged Issei and Kathryn towards the exit.


    Mertel - Fufufu, too bad... It seems that our King wives had him pretty guarded.


    Riche - Well... What can you do. But here''s a tip if you want to get him easily.


    Mertel - Oh? Do tell, please?


    Mertel and Lorenzo hurriedly perked their ears to hear Riche''s tip.


    Riche - Well, you just need to prepare some good tasting wines for him and you''ll get him in a jiffy!


    Mertel & Lorenzo - Wine?


    Riche - Yep, that''s all you need. Trust me, it works!


    Riche internally smirked evilly to herself because she wants to let them feel what she felt before. She wants to let them know what if feels like to be pounded into oblivion by Issei when he''s drunk.


    Mertel - I see, noted. But why do you tell us this?


    Riche - Oh, we''re gonna be a family anyway in the future so it''s pretty normal to be helping each other right?


    Riche smiled gently like a Saint towards them.


    Mertel - I-I see...


    Mertel and Lorenzo feel like something is wrong with this information but they don''t know what it is...


    After that Riche also head towards the exit to regroup with Issei''s and co.


    ...


    Gurigura - Hey, so where can we pick up pinepones?


    Kathryn - You can find them around where the grave is. You get there by leaving the village and going east. And what''s your name by the way?


    Gurigura - My name is Gurigura Hyoudou! Ise-nii''s wife, nice to meet you, Kath-nee!


    Kathryn - U-Un. Nice to meet you too.


    She felt it''s unbelievable that a girl younger than she can get married before her but she has to admit she is really cute though.


    Then they headed further into the forest after a brief introduction. Along the way, every Kalar they came across bowed towards Issei in reverence and that kinda makes him uncomfortable because he never treated with such formalities before, while Riche seems pretty used to it. No mysteries there since she is a Princess after all.


    ...


    In the forest, Issei found a spring giving off a mystifying glow and stopped in his tracks.


    Issei - Is this it?


    Kathryn - That''s the Fountain of Truth. The one by my house is a replica of this.


    Issei - Oh, that one huh. It sure has a large magic power inside it.


    Ramius - Even I can tell how much magic power''s packed into this spring.


    Riche - Water containing such vast magic energy would probably kill any regular person just for drinking it.


    Gurigura - Kind of a weird spring. My instincts are telling me it''s dangerous.


    Issei - Really? I feel like it''s very soothing for me though.


    Riche - Well, you already have absorbed the <Orb of Life> so I think you will be fine even if you drink the whole spring.


    Issei - Good point.


    Kathryn - Look, there''s your pinepone.


    Kath jerked her neck toward a fruit covered in scales that was the size of a human head.


    Gurigura - Ahahaha, looks funny. If it''s a fruit, does that mean you can eat it?


    Kathryn - It''s greasy and fatty, so it doesn''t taste very good.


    Riche - It''s by the fountain though... Is it safe?


    Kathryn - Hmph, you''re too scared of the fountain. As long as you don''t lie, it''s good for lots of things. Besides...


    Issei - I see someone across the spring.


    Kathryn - Hm? What? Oh, you''re right... Who are they? It''s not Kalars that''s for sure because the Kalars treat the Fountain of Truth as holy ground, so they wouldn''t hunt around here.


    Gurigura - It''s not a Kalar, it''s a man. He''s kinda sneaking around and being suspicious.


    Issei - It''s a bunch of Outlaws.


    Kathryn - Tch, the dead are resting there... Deplorable. As expected of scums like them, I guess.


    Kath glared at the figure on the other side of the spring.


    Kathryn - Hey, you guys can fight right? Mind if we go check it out?


    Issei - Sure.


    Kathryn - Then let''s go.


    Issei - Excuse me, girls hold on to me.


    Riche and co - Ok.


    Kathryn - Wh-What do you-?!


    Kathryn is taken by surprise when Issei suddenly grabbed onto her shoulder but before she could ask why he does that, her field of vision changed and they are now a few meters behind the Outlaws.


    She becomes surprised when she suddenly appeared behind the Outlaws.


    Kathryn - How did he- Nevermind... I forgot he''s a Dragon.


    Riche and co can only smile wryly at that.


    They found some men standing to the side of the fountain and snuck closer.


    There''s indeed black ring on their finger.


    Outlaw 1 - Hey, is this really gonna work out? We were lucky enough to get through the Lost Woods, but we could still get killed, you know?


    Outlaw 2 - Why the fuck are you being a chicken? Just gotta drink some fountain water and say what you think! Then you get a helluva reward.


    Outlaw 3 - But if you lie. you''ll die, right?


    Outlaw 2 - Then just don''t lie!


    Despite his feigned confidence, the Outlaw''s legs quivered as he swallowed some fountain water.


    Outlaw 1 - Hey, how is it?


    Outlaw 2 - Don''t feel any different.


    Relieved by the man''s unchanged state, the other men drank the fountain water one by one.


    Ramius - They''re drinking it without even understanding how it works. What haphazard fools.


    Gurigura - They said something about a reward. Think they might be involved with <Snake Crest>?


    Riche - It''s possible. If the fountain''s effects are real, it might not be very useful as a weapon, but it could still kill a lot of people.


    Outlaw 1 - Tch, got scared over nothing. This ain''t doing shit.


    Outlaw 3 - But we need to figure out the secret of the spring to get our reward.


    Outlaw 2 - Then let''s just capture some Kalar and ask her about it.


    Kathryn - Hey, you there! What are you doing?


    Outlaw 2 - Wh-Who are you?!


    Kathryn - We''re Knights of El Quixote, here to oversee the Kalar Forest.


    Outlaw 1 - What? Knights of El Quixote?


    Issei - Better tell us the truth or you will suffer.


    Outlaw 1 - What are we doing? Um, just drinking from the fountain.


    Outlaw 3 - Y-Yeah, that. We were lost in the forest and got thirsty.


    Kathryn - Is that right? Strange, though. Aren''t you Outlaws?


    Outlaw 2 - N-No! We were just passing by-


    Outlaw 1 - You moron! Did you lie just now?!


    Outlaw 2 - Huh? Oh, crap... Ah, aggggh...


    Issei - Hm?


    Just as the Outlaw lied, he clutched his chest and grimaced.


    Outlaw 3 - H-Hey... Get ahold of yourself!


    He shook off his allies and scratched at his throat so much that it bled, and then...


    Outlaw 2 - GOBWAAAAH!


    Finally, his eyes, nose, and mouth burst with blood, and he died.


    Outlaw 1 - EEEEEEK!


    Kathryn - I knew you were Outlaws! Tell us! Who ordered you to investigate this fountain?


    Outlaw 1 - D-Dunno!


    Outlaw 3 - Yeah! We''re not involved!


    Outlaw 1 & 3 - Ngh! Agh!


    The remaining Outlaws lies led them to meet the same fate as the first.


    Riche - ...So the Fountain of Truth is for real.


    Ramius - How do the Kalars live so peacefully near this horrific spring?


    Kathryn - Tch, if only one of them survived, we could''ve asked something... Too bad they were all morons.


    Gurigura - ...


    Issei - You notice it too, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Un.


    While everyone else couldn''t take their eyes off the result of those ghastly deaths, Issei and Gurigura were staring off into the forest.


    Gurigura - I think someone was watching, but the fountain made it pretty hard to tell.


    Issei - Indeed there was someone there, he''s wearing a black suit just like a bodyguard. He''s already gone by now though.


    Riche - That means...


    Issei - Yes, he might be Rocinante''s man. But no need to alarm them just yet... Let him be, and it''s still not confirmed if he''s Rocinante''s man or not. But I have remembered his face so if I see him at Rocinante''s place then it''s confirmed.


    Riche - Got it... Then what should we do with these bodies?


    Kathryn - Nothing. The Fountain''s magic energy is thick enough that it''ll break down the corpses soon enough.


    Riche - Huh. I don''t really want to touch the spring anyway, so that''s good.


    Kathryn - Haah, you''re such morons. Like any spring would kill you for lying. That''s ridiculous.


    Riche - Whaaat?! But we just saw it kill people!


    Issei - It''s just the power of suggestion, enhanced by the immense magic power in this area.


    Riche - Suggestion?


    Issei - Ah. So you''re given the idea that if you drink this water and lie, you''ll end up dead. That suggestion''s just made so powerful that it kills you for real. At least that''s what I felt from these fountains.


    Kathryn - ...He''s right... Remember back at the replica I made? I gave him a suggestion too. But that one''s just a replica, so it''s not strong enough to make him disregard his survival instincts. Not that it will affect him either way though knowing his capabilities now...


    Riche - ...Anyone who touches the fountain water and lies will die. People believe that and give the suggestion to themselves, so it kills them. I guess you could say that''s the ''truth'' of this Fountain.


    Kathryn - Nah, we really don''t know anything about it. How was a fountain with so much magic power even made? I still haven''t figured it out. Unless it has something to do with the <Orb of Life>?


    Kathryn sends a questioning gaze towards Issei if her analysis is true or not.


    Issei - No, I think it has something to do with Eve herself. The Kalars said they were created to serve Eve so this spring might be changed because of her.


    Kathryn - You mean...


    ??? - Yes, Issei-sama is right...


    There''s a sudden voice coming from the forest and it''s apparently Lorenzo.


    Kathryn - Lorenzo?! How come you''re here?


    Lorenzo - I-I was worried about Issei-sama so I followed him just in case he got lost you see...


    She averted her eyes downwards afraid her true objective is seen through by them.


    They already know why she''s here though... But they are not gonna point that out.


    Kathryn - So what do you mean by he''s right before?


    Lorenzo - Oh, right. The Fountain of Truth was used by Mother Eve to cleanse herself.


    Kathryn - Huh? So it''s a bath?


    Lorenzo - yes, and as such, Mother Eve''s magic power washed off her and seeped through the fountain, giving it the vast energy it now has.


    Riche - The Fountain of Truth... I never guessed it had something to do with Mother Eve.


    Lorenzo - Yes, that''s the truth.


    Kathryn - I see... Well, let''s just go visit the grave.


    Lorenzo - ...


    Then they head towards the grave once more along with Lorenzo this time.


    ...


    Riche - There''s a bunch of similar-looking fountains around here.


    Kathryn - They''re all legitimate Fountains of Truth, so don''t go falling in.


    Gurigura - What''d happen then?


    Kathryn - Nothing, as long as you don''t swallow any water... But there are some strange legends about this place. A long time ago, a Kalar fell into a fountain, but when her friend frantically ran to help her, QD came out.


    Issei - QD did?


    Kathryn - She asked if it was a blue-haired girl who fell in, or a pink-haired girl, apparently.


    Riche - The heck? That doesn''t make any sense.


    Lorenzo - Well, that''s true though... She just answered honestly and said blue, but if she''d said pink, who knows what would''ve happened?


    Issei - ...


    Issei knows where QD get these ideas from... It''s a children story reference from his world. But he won''t tell them that...


    ...


    At last, the party arrived at a collection of stones of various sizes that were arranged in a random fashion.


    Issei - ...These are the graves?


    Kathryn - Yeah. You can''t find many rocks around here. Just had to make do with what there was. The corpses have disintegrated, so the graves here are just symbolic.


    Issei - If you don''t mind me asking, are these graves for people that were important to you? Of course, if it''s hard to talk about, I won''t make you.


    Kathryn - It was during the Arthur Tragedy five years ago. They were my allies who died at the time.


    Issei - I see...


    Lorenzo - Let''s go, Issei-sama...


    Issei - ...Ah.


    They decided to let Kath be for now. After a few minutes Issei asked Riche and co.


    Issei - If they''re Kath''s allies, I take it that means they were Knights of Eden. Then why did they die here?


    Riche - During the Arthur Tragedy, a portion of the monster outbreak ended up in El Quixote.


    Ramius - Kath was still young at the time, and her unit was sent to El Quixote rather than Arthur so that it could undergo military training. Then, terrified of the monsters, El Quixote requested cooperation from Kath''s unit to take them on.


    Riche - They were asked to defend the Kalar Forest here. But the monsters passed up attacking any human towns and went straight for the Forest. It was like they were after the Fountain of Truth, which was created by Mother Eve.


    Ramius - There were hundreds of monsters, while Kath''s unit was made up of only twenty men.


    Issei - Hundreds versus twenty?


    Riche - Kath made use of her tactical talents to fully draw out the twenty men''s potential, successfully fighting alongside the Kalars to repel the monsters. However, aside from Kath, none of them made it out alive.


    Issei - I see...


    Ramius - News of her accomplishments quickly reached Eden, so when Eden''s Knight forces had to be rebuilt, she was promoted to the rank of Zero Knight.


    Riche - Kath turned it down at first, but eventually accepted on the condition that living expenses were provided to the families of the twenty Knights who died at her side. Well, aside from letting them use her name, she gave up any authority and immediately hid herself away in the mountains, but still...


    Issei - When Mertel said they''re indebted to Kath, that''s probably what she meant, Lorenzo?


    Lorenzo - Well...


    Lorenzo hesitated to tell them the truth but after seeing Issei''s gaze on her she finally resolved herself to tell them the truth. But Riche beat her to it.


    Riche - Well, there''s another secret behind that story... Kath''s unit lost their lives in the Kalar Forest. I told you that before, right?


    Issei - Ah.


    Riche - It sounds like a heroic story, but the truth is a bit different. Kath is talented, but she was still very young, so her troops would harass her all the time.


    Issei - ...


    Riche - And the day the monsters attacked, Kath''s troops insisted she uses her Tactician skills to help them escape the forest.


    Ramius - Of course, Kath refused. Then they threatened to attack the Kalar Forest and forced her to enhance their abilities.


    Riche - After that, the twenty troops confined Kath in the Kalar Village and left the forest by themselves.


    Issei - Is that true... Kath?


    Riche and co are surprised seeing Kathryn standing not far away from them eavesdropping on their conversation.


    Kathryn - ...No! That''s wrong, that''s not what happened.


    Riche - Sorry, Kath. But I had to tell Ise about this.


    Ramius - Um. I agree with Riche.


    Lorenzo - Me too...


    Kathryn - ...It''s fine... At first, that''s what I thought, so while I was confined, I kept shouting insults and telling them to kill themselves. But... I was wrong. After it was all over, I found that they all died fighting the monsters.


    Issei - ...Then?


    Kathryn - When they were ordered to defend the Kalar Forest, they were prepared to fight to the death. They didn''t want me to die too, so they had me confined. And they made themselves out to be cruel so I wouldn''t feel bad when they were gone...


    Riche - All the harassment was apparently because her troops were opposed to her fighting monsters at her age and wanted her to quit, too.


    Issei - Oh...


    Issei was reminded of Acheval and how he cared so much for his sister that he played the bad guy to try and get her to quit her dangerous job.


    Kathryn - But while they were risking their lives, I was telling them to die. I didn''t know a thing about them. I didn''t even try to learn anything about them.


    Issei - ...


    Kathryn - If we had understood each other, there could''ve been a different outcome. Maybe there really was a plan that would''ve kept everyone alive... But I can''t understand how anyone feels, so I shouldn''t be by anyone''s side.


    Issei - That''s not true.


    Kathryn - ...That is true. However smart I might be, I can''t understand people. If I''m lied to, there''s not much I can do... I don''t know anything anymore... Yeah, I''m scared... Just scared.


    Kathryn cowered from anyone who tried to get too close. Her face looked dreadfully timid.


    Lorenzo - Kath... "Kalars aren''t human, so they''re an exception"... So you claimed, but you were just extremely lonely, I''m sure.


    Kathryn - N-No... That''s not, true...


    Lorenzo - You avoid contact with others, but you want it deep down inside. Stop pretending, okay? Try to trust people again.


    Kathryn - I-I''m not pretending!


    Lorenzo - Then can you drink from the Fountain of Truth?


    Kathryn - What...? Hahaha, of course I can. Like I''ve said a million times, I never believed in it, so it won''t affect me.


    Then she walked towards a nearby fountain of truth and with shaky hands, Kathryn scooped up some spring water and quietly swallowed it down.


    Kathryn - Drank it... But like I keep saying, I just like being alone... I don''t need any friends.


    Lorenzo - Kath...


    Kathryn - Look, nothing''s happening. Happy now? It''s true, I... Huh?


    Issei calmly put his hand on Kathryn''s cheek and smiled gently at her.


    Issei - Then why don''t you hear it from them yourself, Kath... You see... They have been watching over you from their graves all these times. They''re asking me to tell you their true feelings... Now hear it for yourself...


    The Fountain of Truth emitted a dull glow, then faint figures appeared around Kathryn. Issei steps back from Kathryn to let the souls talk to her...


    They all are souls wearing the Knight Armor of the Kingdom of Eden.


    Ramius - G-G-Ghost?!


    Ramius hid behind Issei right away.


    Kathryn - ...How are you guys here? You''re supposed to be dead!


    Gurigura - Supposed to be dead?! Does that mean... These are the ghosts of your troops?!


    The Knights numbered twenty in total. They began to slowly gather around Kathryn.


    Kathryn - Haha, hahahaha. Yeah, I got it... You hate me so much that you''re here to haunt me.


    The surrounding figures continued to gaze at Kathryn.


    Riche - Kath, calm down! They don''t want to hurt you!


    Kathryn - LIAR! LIAR LIAR LIAR!


    Kathryn cowered in front of the spring and cried like a baby.


    Kathryn - Even now, they still hate me! I should''ve died instead!


    Issei - Listen to their words, Kath...


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - What''s this? Haven''t even grown up a little, I see. This is why I said you''re not cut out to be a Knight.


    Finally, the thus-far silent figures started to talk. In stark contrast to Kathryn, they remained composed and spoke like they were trying to soothe a whining child.


    Bittersweet Knight - I swear, if this is what I died to protect, what was even the point?


    Calm Knight - You''ve got new allies asking for your help, right? Don''t worry about us, just go with them.


    Kathryn - ...What are you talking about? Wait, stay calm... These people are dead. I don''t care if you''re ghosts, you would never say that to me...


    Kath heard what the Knights said, but still shook her head and shut her eyes in rejection of them.


    Kathryn - I-I''ve got it... The Fountain of Truth''s making me see things. I''m just seeing what I want to see, that''s all.


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - Acting like we''re illusions, eh? Look, I''m sorry I messed with you, but please don''t treat us that badly.


    Kathryn - I-I''m not... I''m not trying to treat you badly!


    Kathryn frantically shook her head and denied the Knight''s accusation, but she was soon bewildered by her own behavior and opened her eyes wide.


    Kathryn - What am I saying, apologizing to a hallucination... I''m losing it!


    Issei - Kath, you''re right that the Fountain of Truth is just a spring rich with magic energy. But its power to amplify your will and your conviction is real.


    Kathryn - So yes, it''s all a hallucination! I just wanted them to tell me these things! It''s all a fantasy I dreamed up!


    Issei - That''s not quite right. The spring''s effects don''t only work on the living. Even the souls of the dead can be affected. And I told you before didn''t I? They have been watching over you from their grave... I can see souls you see... And I can assure you that they are real souls of the deceased during the war...


    Kathryn - ...Even the dead?... They are real?


    Issei - Ah. Now feel their feelings they are trying to convey towards you...


    Issei told Ramius it will be okay and he walked towards Kathryn.


    Issei calmly lifted Kathryn from the ground and hold her in a tight embrace against his body. Kathryn didn''t reject his action at all and she fully entrusted her body weight against Issei, perhaps because she''s still in shock from what''s happening.


    Issei - Now, can you feel their feelings?


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - That''s right. We''re not hallucinations, we''re more like ghosts. We just wanted to talk to you, and the spring and this Dragon here answered our wishes.


    Bittersweet Knight - Yeah, we''re here of our own free will. Just wanted one last chance to speak with you.


    Issei - Imbued with my <Life> aura and the springs magic energy are giving them powers. Making them become visible to the living. Blurring the very concept of death...


    Lorenzo - Indeed... We Kalars view the Fountain of Truth as holy ground and keep other people away partially so as not to defy the natural laws of the world.


    Kathryn - So... You''re really ghosts? I''m not seeing things?


    For someone such as Kathryn, who''d been researching the fountain''s power, much of what Issei and Lorenzo said lined up with what she''d already discovered. It wasn''t hard for her to accept this as true. And feeling the <Life> Aura Issei emitted towards the surrounding making her able to feel their existence even more clearly.


    Kathryn - But in that case, why? I''ve come to visit your graves before, so why didn''t you show up then?! Just complain to me or whatever until you''re satisfied. You can even curse me if you want!


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - You say that like you''d prefer it that way. That''s why we never showed ourselves before.


    Kathryn - ...!


    Calm Knight - We don''t really have a grudge against you or anything. In fact, it''s the opposite... What we want to give you are our apologies and our thanks.


    Kathryn - Apologies... Thanks? Is this some kind of joke?


    Calm Knight - Taking on vicious monsters is a Knight''s job, so deaths are to be expected.


    Bittersweet Knight - Missions that end with no casualties amount to less than half. Ones where nobody''s harmed at all, are around half of that.


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - We''re allowed multiple wives because of our exceedingly high death rate. So, considering you were young enough to be a daughter to us, there''s no way we could tolerate you risking your life.


    Bittersweet Knight - That''s right. We thought you''d be better off enjoying more of life before becoming a Knight.


    Calm Knight - And all we could think to do was make things hard enough on you that you''d want to quit... So please forgive us for that.


    As though the Knight ghosts were ashamed of their actions and how they could only relay their feelings through them, they hung their head.


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - On the day we died, we couldn''t bear to see little Kathryn trembling as she risked her life trying to take command.


    Bittersweet Knight - We thought there''d be no convincing you, and there was no time, so we had to be rough. We didn''t want to be, of course.


    Calm Knight - In fact, we figured it''d be better if you hated us... We never thought you''d end up blaming yourself.


    Kathryn - That''s not true... I was just too young...


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - We were trying to do what was best for a young girl like you, but we ended up pushing our ideals onto you instead... We''re really sorry.


    Kathryn - Ngh... Wh-What''s the point of telling me this now?


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - Yeah, it is pretty late now... Maybe we should''ve been honest with how we felt sooner... Well, we just wanted to apologize, in any case.


    Kathryn - S-Stop... You died with a Knight''s honor. I don''t deserve to have you bow your heads to me!


    Bittersweet Knight - You were chosen as a Knight for your tactical abilities, and I think you did plenty of stuff worth praising with them.


    Kathryn - What? Liar. I couldn''t save any of you.


    Bittersweet Knight - You saved the Kalar Village, didn''t you? Saving the lives of so many makes you worthy of being a Knight, I think.


    Kathryn - But... But still...


    Calm Knight - So, Kathryn, since you inherited our honor, we want you to do your job as a Knight and save people in our place.


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - I know we should''ve said something sooner, but this is our last request.


    The twenty Knights stood in a line and looked back at Kath who''s in Issei''s embrace.


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - All salute Captain Kathryn, <Ten Knight> of the Kingdom of Eden!


    It was a recreation of five years ago, the first time Kathryn''s troops showed her their respect.


    Kathryn - Uhn... Hic, sob... Ah... Waaaaaah, aaaaaaaaah! Hic, waaaaaaaaaaaaah!


    As if all the emotions she''d bottled up over the last five years had come flooding out at once, tears began to pour from Kath''s eyes.


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - Whoa, that''s some serious crying... Man.


    The Knights, seeing how she reacted, all looked at each other, their faces like that of a father who had accidentally made his daughter throw a tantrum.


    Kathryn - Stupid stupid stupid, you morons! Why? Hic... Why didn''t you say anything?!


    Bittersweet Knight - Well... Y''know...


    Calm Knight - It was embarrassing...


    Kathryn - If you, hic... If you told me, we could''ve... Hic, gotten along... Better...


    Bittersweet Knight - Never know when you might die with our job. If you were closer to us when we did, you probably would''ve cried like this then.


    Kathryn - Hic, is crying... That bad...?


    Calm Knight - Well, it''s just when you cry... We don''t know what to do...


    Kathryn - What''s it matter? I, hic... I wanted to spend more time with you! I wanted to be friends!


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - ...Yeah, we feel the same way now. Honestly... We have nothing but regrets... That''s why this time, you should spend time with the friends you want to be with so that you don''t regret anything.


    Kathryn - Friends? I don''t have any other friends!


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - Course you do... The ones you''ve been thinking it wouldn''t be too bad to spend time with. Like the one who''s holding you now.


    Kathryn - ...!


    Through Kathryn''s teary eyes, she saw Issei''s who''s holding her and Riche''s party standing across from the twenty Knights.


    Issei smiles gently towards her and she becomes dazed seeing his smile.


    Bittersweet Knight - Sorry. It''s our fault she distances herself.


    Calm Knight - Still, she''s a friend and a boss we respect... Be good to her.


    Issei looked into the Knights sincere eyes one by one, then smiled and nodded.


    Issei - Ah. I''ll defend Kath with my life.


    Kathryn - *DOKYUN*?!


    Kathryn felt her heart just been shot through with an arrow by a cupid.


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - Hahaha, a Dragon''s words cannot be taken lightly. Better keep on to your words now! Not that it''s needed to be worried about, because Dragon''s are well known for keeping their words.


    Issei just smiled at their words and said, "You got that right.".


    The Knights all laughed at Issei''s response and emitted a dull glow.


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - Yeah, no more regrets...


    Then they slowly faded away into their surroundings.


    Kathryn - W-Wait... I still have to tell you something important.


    Issei - Kath, say everything on your mind. You don''t want any regrets, do you?


    Kathryn - ...I don''t.


    At Issei''s urging, Kathryn restrained the tears and spoke to the disappearing Knights.


    Kathryn - I... I got the title of <Zero Knight> thanks to all of you, and I''ll do my best to live up to it... And to make sure the family you left behind can keep smiling, I''ll work hard... So... Rest easy...


    Gentle-Eyed Knight - What? So you have grown up a little...


    With that relieved whisper, the twenty Knights vanished like they were never there at all. But as proof of their existence, a calming silence and warm air remained.


    Kathryn - Waaah... Waaaaaaaaaaaah! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah...


    Like she''d regressed to herself from five years ago, Kathryn cried on Issei''s chest until her voice was hoarse.


    Issei just calmly rubbed her back gently with a gentle smile at his face. Everyone who saw them shed tears of joy seeing that Kath finally move on from her past.

 Chapter 51 - 50

    Kathryn - *Sob*, D-Don''t tell...


    Sometime later, Kath finally stopped crying, her eyes swollen red, and muttered while still in Issei''s embrace.


    Issei - ...Hmm? Don''t tell what?


    Issei knows what she meant but he couldn''t help wanting to tease her.


    Kathryn - I-I mean... Don''t tell anyone I cried like a child here!


    Issei - Hmmm... Why not?


    Kathryn - U-Uhh... B-Because... Uuuu...


    When she looks like she''s about to cry once more finally Issei chuckled and agreed to her request.


    Issei - Fine, I won''t tell anyone.


    Riche - Rather than worry about that, isn''t there something you have to say first, Kath?


    Kathryn - Hm? Wh-What?


    Kathryn finally remembered that there are people here watching them, she hastily left Issei''s embrace while still being red-faced after hearing Riche''s words.


    Ramius - You haven''t said if you''ll accept Issei''s invitation yet.


    Kathryn - Whaaat?! L-Like... Can''t you guess from how that conversation went?!


    Gurigura - C''mon, Kath-nee. You have to say it loud and clear.


    Kathryn - Ugh... Grrr...


    Criticized even by the younger girl, Kathryn was about to argue, but couldn''t say anything.


    Issei - Wait... What invitation?


    Riche - Your proposal of course?


    Issei - Huh?


    Issei is confused just when did he propose to Kath.


    Lorenzo - Issei-sama, "I''ll defend Kath with my life." Is what you just said.


    Riche - Yup, that sounds like a proposal to me. What about you girls?


    Ramius - Umu, same here.


    Gurigura - Yup!

 Chapter 52 - 51

    After following Tio for a while they finally arrived at the place where Issei and Ramius went to before. It''s the Fog Labyrinth...


    The moment Tio entered the labyrinth it envelops her right away, and she can be heard muttering, "Tilt, I''m here... Let''s go home...". Then there''s a bunch of evil souls surrounding her with Tilt and Tio at the center.


    Tilt is the ghost girl that Issei and Ramius gave the flower of happiness to and they thought she passed on after that but after hearing that it''s only a temporary measure from Barro they know that she hasn''t passed on yet.


    From this, he knows that Tilt is the little sister of Tio who passed away before...


    Tio''s eyes become hollow after being possessed by Tilt and surrounded by the evil spirits. For a human being to be able to become possessed this easily then they must be willing in the first place.


    Issei didn''t found this weird because Tilt is Tio''s little sister after all. That ghost girl''s attracting all the evil spirits in the vicinity. Their influence is very close to turning her into an evil spirit too.


    Issei - Tilt.


    Tilt who''s hearing Issei''s word look towards him.


    Tilt - ...What do you want?


    Issei - Are you sure this is what you want to do to your own sister? Taking her to the afterlife even though she''s still alive and there are people who''re worried about her?


    Tilt - ...Onee-chan isn''t happy even when she''s alive... So that''s why I''m gonna take her to the afterlife...


    Issei - Oh... What makes you think she''s not happy right now?


    Tilt - ...Because she always cries when she''s alone... I can feel her sadness... She''ll never be happy living like this. I''m taking her with me so we can be together forever.


    Issei - Happy... I see... The happiness flower you were looking for was supposed to be a present for Tio, huh.


    In response to Issei''s question, Tilt quietly nodded.


    Issei - Tio tried to be happy by making the Outlaw girls feel better though.


    Tilt - That wasn''t her happiness. She just tried to convince herself that their happiness was her own...


    Issei - I think she just enjoys other people''s happiness because she''s a nice person.


    Tilt - Don''t assume my sister''s supposed to be nice!


    Tilt''s voice had been monotone thus far, but after Issei''s last statement, it oozed with malice.


    Tilt - I was assaulted by a married man and forced to become an Outlaw. Tio worked her heart out for me.


    Issei - Your happiness, and even all the other unfortunate Outlaw girl''s happiness, was shared with Tio.


    Tilt - My happiness is my sister''s? Impossible. It''s not like she''s my slave. I hated the situation I was in, but I couldn''t stand making Tio waste her life on me. So when I heard about the happiness flowers, I snuck out of the ruins to go to Eden, where I got attacked by monsters...


    Issei - I see... But if you care so much about Tio, why do you want her to die too?


    Tilt - One day, while I was wandering as a ghost, I sensed Onee-chan''s sorrow... She blamed herself for something terrible that almost happened to the Outlaw girls...


    Issei - Ah... That time huh... When Rochefort and his lackeys attacked... She must be afraid the same tragedy that happened to you gonna repeat itself.


    Tilt - It''s weird. Why should Tio be sad? I''m already dead, so she could just forget about the others. When I learned Tio was sad, seeds of anger sprouted in me. Then I noticed evil spirits were gathering around me and making it stronger.


    Issei - But you might turn into an evil spirit as well if this goes on, do you know that?


    Tilt - Don''t worry, I''ll vanish soon. But I''m taking Tio with me... Then she won''t have to feel sad anymore.


    *Gwoooh*


    The black, unpleasant, mud-like spirits coiled around Tio and began to wriggle as though in an attempt to consume her.


    Issei - ...Tio, can you hear me? It''s Issei.


    Tio doesn''t respond to Issei''s voice but Tilt does.


    Tilt - ...Issei?


    Issei - What?


    When Tilt confirmed Issei''s name, Tilt stopped and gave him a curious stare.


    Tilt - ...So you''re Issei.


    Issei - Ah, Indeed. My name is Issei.


    Tilt - I see now... You''re the guy Onee-chan loves.


    Issei - ...


    Tilt - But her love''s hurt her greatly.


    Issei - And why is that?


    Tilt - ...You already have three wives to flaunt around. Have you ever thought about how that might make Tio feel?


    Tilt finds out about Issei''s having three wive from the memory of Tio.


    Issei - ...I never remember flaunting them around, though.


    Tilt - Oh yeah, I''ve got an idea. If you really want to save Onee-chan... Give her a kiss.


    Issei - A kiss?


    Tilt - Can''t, can you? Not when she''s covered in all these evil spirits and-


    Before Tilt can finish her words Issei calmly took off his hood and give Tio a deep kiss.


    *Smooch*


    He slipped his tongue between her lips and tangling it with hers.


    Tilt wanted to stop Issei but the moment she saw his face and the aura he radiated she became frozen stiff. The evil spirits which were surrounding them instantly dispersed in fear of Issei''s aura.


    Issei doesn''t let his aura went wild or he might just make Tilt disappear as well.


    Tio - Mmm?! Ngh, ahah, mmph, mmnnnn...


    As Issei''s tongue went wild in her mouth, Tio''s body eventually began to display a reaction to it.


    Tilt - ...S-Stop...


    Tilt tried to stop Issei but just being close to him makes her feels at peace and her voice doesn''t have any force behind it.


    Tio - Mm, mmmmm, mm, hwah... Ah!


    The aggressive, salivating kisses from Issei finally got Tio to respond.


    Tio - Ah, Issei? Why?


    Tio stared with disbelief at Issei''s face.


    Issei - Hey, you''re awake now?


    Issei calmly give her a gentle smile and seeing his smile makes Tio remembered why she''s here in the first place.


    Tio - Oh... Tilt told me to go back with her...


    Issei - Go back where? Your place belongs by my side. You said it yourself, don''t you? You love me. Remember?


    Tio - EH?! Y-You were awake at that time?


    Issei - Ah. And here''s my answer to your confession... Tio, I love you too... Will you be my wife?


    Tio''s eyes went wide at Issei proposal but soon after she looked solemn.


    Tio - That''s very nice of you, Issei... But don''t force yourself to do this.


    Issei - Hm? Do you think I''m forcing myself to love you?


    Tio - Yes... Unlike your wives, I''m useless in combat. And I''m also, um, older...


    Issei - ...


    Tio - Don''t do it just to keep me alive... If I''d weigh you down, I''d rather go with Tilt...


    Tilt - ...Yep, that''s right, Tio. We''ll be together forever...


    As if following Tilt''s will, the black fog reappeared and gathered against Tio, at least that''s what they''re trying to do but the moment they came close to Issei''s aura they instantly vanish as well.


    Issei looked towards Tio in silence but then he suddenly pushed her against a nearby tree.


    Tio - I-Issei?! Wh-What are you- Mmph!


    Issei once again kissed Tio but this time his hand isn''t idle as well. He roamed his hands all around Tio''s body, from her hips to her butt, to her breasts.


    He also got the location of her nipples locked down and gave them a light, teasing touch, drawing out her pleasure.


    Tio - Mmn, Mmph, Mwah, Mmmnn! N-No... Issei, d-don''t... If you do that, I... Mmn!


    Tio surrendered her body to Issei. She rubbed her thighs together and hot sighs naturally flowed from her lips.


    Issei - Do you still think I''m forcing myself after feeling this?


    Then Issei brought Tio''s hand toward his hardened crotch and Tio who felt his penis instantly blushed even deeper and her breathing got even more rapid while her eyes clouded in lust.


    Tio - ...Aaah... Haah... Haah...''Issei got an erection because of me... I''m so happy...''


    Issei - I''m serious. I can''t stop. Now it''s time to make you mine. But if you really don''t want me to, say so. Then I''ll stop right here... So, your answer, Tio?


    Issei whispered in Tio''s ear and nibbled at it during the process, he also rubbed her butt gently and Tio felt like she''s gonna cum just from feeling his touch on her body.


    There''s no greater happiness for someone other than having the one you loves feels the same way about you.


    And Tio who realize Issei''s true feeling finally lost control of herself.


    Tio - Mmnn... Don''t put it like that... That''s not fair...?


    Tio looked up towards Issei''s handsome face and Tio who saw his face at point-blank range had her eyes turned into heart-shaped, she becomes totally enamored, then she kissed Issei deeply.


    Issei who got kissed by Tio also let his lust take over him, he pulled up Tio''s skirt and removed her underwear, and like he couldn''t wait for even a moment, penetrated her pussy.


    *Spllsh*


    Tio who felt Issei''s penis going inside her stopped her kiss.


    Tio - Ngh... Mm, haah, your thing is... I-Inside me...


    The breasts massage and deep kiss moistened her insides, leaving only the slightest resistance, but otherwise taking in half of Issei''s cock.


    Tio - ...Mm, ngh!


    The moment he tried to go deeper, Tio shrieked.


    Issei who heard her shriek finally came back to his sense and he stopped his movement.


    Issei - Ah... Sorry, I forgot it''s your first time. I should''ve slowed down.


    Issei noticed crimson red fluid dripping out of Tio''s pussy.


    Tio - Mm... I''m fine. More importantly... Are you sure you won''t regret marrying a woman like me?


    Issei - Ah. I will never regret marrying you.


    Issei gaze is filled with love and gentleness while he''s looking at Tio, and Tio who realize his gaze felt like she''s about to die from the happiness she felt right now.


    Tio - ...Really?


    Issei - Really... Having such a Cute, hard-working, caring girl like you as a wife is every man''s blessing.And I''m getting that chance. As a man, I couldn''t be happier. So... I will never leave you... Ever.


    Issei gazed solemnly at Tio.


    Tio - Issei...


    Issei - Tio...


    Then they kissed each other deeply, their kiss is filled with passion and lust for each other.


    Issei hands resumed groping her breasts while they''re kissing.


    Tio - Mmn, Um... Mmh... Pwah... Heheh... You''re showing you want me through your actions, I see. I''m glad... Very glad... I''m happy that the man I came to love also feels the same way as me...


    She shed tears of happiness while saying that.


    Issei calmly kissed her tears away, his act of gentleness and caringness really makes Tio the happiest woman alive right now.


    Tio - ...Ufufufu... That tickles... I know what to do now. From now on, I''ll strive to be the best wife I can be.


    Issei - Tio...


    Tio - I can''t fight alongside you, but I can at least try to lighten your burden by taking care of housework and being with you at night.


    Issei - Ah... I''ll try to be a man who''s worthy of you.


    Tio - You''re already the best husband I could ever ask for... Ah, mmm?! Your thing... Haah, ah, it grew inside me...


    Inside Tio''s pussy, Issei''s cock hardened even more.


    Issei - Gh... I just love you so much. Sorry...


    Tio - In that case, Issei... Please move however you please.


    Issei - But won''t it hurt?


    Tio - I''ll be fine. Besides, my insides already want you so badly...


    Tio''s soaked pussy undulated and contracted on Issei''s cock.


    Issei - ...You feel amazing inside...


    Issei was struck with the urge to violently move his hips and indulge in the sensation as soon as possible.


    Tio - Now... Anata(Dear)... Enjoy me...


    The instant he heard that Issei felt all his reason being blown away.


    Issei - ...I''m gonna move, Tio. It''ll be rough, but if it hurts too much, don''t hesitate to tell me.


    His voice shrill from the arousal, Issei put his hands around Tio''s hips and thrust.


    *Sllsh* *Sloosh*


    Tio - Wah, ah... Ghhh!


    When the hard, hot head of his cock hit Tio''s depths, she momentarily shivered.


    ...But as Issei pulled his hips back, her voice instantly turned into moans.


    Tio - Haah, ah... Mm, I feel it, I feel your hard thing, inside, me... Aah, mm, haaah...


    Issei - ...Me too... I feel your insides.


    His solid cock was squeezed by Tio''s folds. ''Tight... But... So good...''.


    *Slllsh* *Sllsh* *Slooosh*


    Tio - Haah, mm, ah, haaah, your hard thing''s, moving inside... Ah, haaah, ah, so rough...


    Moreso than pain, the sensation of his cock grinding against her vaginal walls made Tio moan with pleasure.


    Tio - Mmm, my insides... Tingling, ah, your thing''s, deep again... Haaah, aaaahn!


    Issei - You''re also... Squeezing on me... It''s really good.


    Each time his cock thrust, her moist pussy constricted, building up a dull tingling.


    Issei - Gh...


    Fighting the urge to ejaculate, Issei seized Tio''s obscenely swaying breast from below.


    Tio - Ah, haaah... Mm, that''s it, please play with it, ah, haaahn...?


    Issei - Got it.


    Issei did as asked and tightly pinched Tio''s erect nipple.


    Tio - Mmm... Yes, that''s it, please tease it, ah, haaahn... However you wish... My entire being belongs to you... Haaah...


    Issei who heard that pinched even harder and tried rubbing his fingers back and forth.


    Tio - Nnah, mm, aaah... My nipple''s, tingly... Mmmm, it feels, good...?


    Issei - Tio... Your face... It''s really sexy. Can I go rougher?


    Tio''s euphoric expression stirred Issei''s desire.


    Tio - H-Hai... Do with my chest and insides as you will, ah, aaah... Please do as you please!


    Like Tio preferred it a bit forceful, she asked for more.


    Issei - Alright then... Here goes.


    His thus far slowly moving cock took a turn toward violent thrusting.


    *Sllsh!* *Goosh!* *Pak!* *Pak!*


    Tio - Ggh, ngh, mm, ah, ah, rough... Inside me, your thing''s thrashing... Hwah, aaaah, aahn!


    A loud, wet sound came from between them and flying juices soaked their rears.


    Tio - Gh, ngh, ah, not so much or, I... Ah, aah, haaah!?


    Each thrust of his abdomen shook Tio''s plentiful breasts up and down, arousing Issei even further.


    Issei - ...You''re so beautiful and mesmerizing right now, Tio... And your insides is driving me crazy... Gh!


    The better Tio felt, the more ideal the constriction of her pussy became, pushing Issei toward orgasm whether he liked it or not.


    Tio - Hwah, ah, Anata...?


    Issei - ...Tio, gonna cum soon.


    Tio - H-Hai... Let it out, Anata, give me your semen... Mmm... Lots of it...?


    Issei stuck the deeply submerged head of his cock up against her womb.


    *PAK!* *PAK!* *PAK!*


    Tio - Mmm, good... All the way inside me, your thing is, t-touching, ah, aah, so good... Haaahn...?


    Issei - C-Cumming!


    Tio - Aah, okay, please cum, your stuff, inside, mmm, ah, haah, ah!


    Issei - Gh!


    Issei momentarily stopped his hips and buried his face in Tio''s cleavage, then arched back and thrust his hips up.


    *Slllllsh!*


    Tio - Hwah?! Ah, ah, it''s coming, deep inside me... Your hard thing is... Ah, nnah, aaaah!?


    Reaching her very depths, the head of his cock pushed against the entrance to Tio''s womb.


    Issei - Guh!


    At the same time, Issei''s long-withheld orgasm was unleashed.


    Tio - Ah, aah, I''m... Cumming! Haaah, ah, aaaaaahnn!


    A moment later, Tio reached climax too.


    *Splurt!* *Gush!* *Gush!*


    Tio - Mm, haah... H-Hot stuff, pouring... deep... Mm, ah... So much... Mm, ahaah...?


    The warmth of the semen released in her womb made Tio sigh with a look of ecstasy. She rolled her head back with her tongue sticking out feeling Issei''s hot cum inside her.


    Tio - Haah... Hah... It''s like I''m dreaming...


    Issei - ...Hmm?


    Tio - I''ve committed great sins, so... I''d given up on marrying someone I love... But... I... I got to marry you, and I''m truly happy about it...


    Issei - ...Ah, I''m happy too.


    Released from a heavy burden, Tio smiled like a young girl, to which Issei returned with a gentle smile as bright as the sun. Then they kissed each other once again.


    Tio - Mm... Mmn... Mwah... Issei... I love you.


    Issei - Ah... I love you as well, Tio...


    ...


    Tio - Oh...


    After having fun with Issei, Tio remembered she was outside and frantically put some clothes on when she noticed the shining, golden ring on her finger.


    Tio - Mother Eve''s proof of marriage...


    Issei also looked at his golden ring and as expected it changed from "III" into "IV" now.


    (<Chaos> Mastery - 45%)


    Tio folded her hands together to envelop the ring, then closed her eyes to let the happiness sink in.


    Tio - I''ve been united with the man I love... I''m so happy...


    Tilt - Onee-chan...


    Tio - Tilt... Oh, r-right! Silly me, how could I have my first time in front of my little sister?


    Tilt - It''s nothing to be embarrassed about. I''m really glad I got to see you happy anyway.


    Tio - Tilt... I''m sorry. I can''t go with you... I''ve been taught what personal happiness is, so... Now I want to help girls like you be as happy as possible too... I won''t prioritize the happiness of others over my own anymore... So, Tilt, there''s no more need to worry about me.


    Tilt - Okay... I understand...


    Tilt listened to Tio and smiled like she had when she received the happiness flower.


    Issei - ...I could revive you, Tilt.


    Just when Tio thought Tilt gonna pass on she heard Issei''s word and become stupefied. The same goes for Tilt as well.


    Tio - ...Eh? I-Issei... What did you just say?


    Tilt also looked towards Issei wide-eyed.


    Issei - I said I can revive Tilt, but not now... Someone I love knows how to do it, as long as the soul of Tilt still strong as this then she could be revived. But... No promises... If "she" doesn''t want to revive you then I won''t force her...


    Tio - ...W-Who is this "She" you''re talking about, Issei?


    Tio felt like she misheard Issei''s word after hearing Tilt can be revived, but after knowing it''s totally up to "she" Tio become apprehensive.


    Issei - Well... She''s someone I came to love and-


    ??? - Fufufu, that would be me, dear.


    Just when Issei wanted to say more there''s a sudden voice coming from behind him and Issei felt like it''s been forever ever since he heard her voice.


    Issei looked behind him and as expected "She" is standing there with the same gentle smile she always had in her face when she looked at him.


    Issei - ...Semiramis...


    Semiramis - Yes, dearest? Fufufu. To hear that you love me really makes me feel really happy you know?


    Semiramis walked towards Issei and hold his face just like when they first met.


    Tio saw a flawless beautiful woman coming out of nowhere and she even thought that this newcomer is Goddess Eve herself, but she knows that Semiramis is not Eve because she heard her name from Issei''s mouth just now.


    Semiramis - Miss me, Ise?


    Issei - ...Ah. I miss you...


    Then before Semiramis could say anything else Issei hold her tightly and give her a kiss filled with passion and love.


    Semiramis at first become wide-eyed but then she reciprocates the kiss Issei gave her. And they started their making out session filled with passion that even make Tio and Tilt who saw them feels hot inside.


    Tio doesn''t really feel jealous seeing Issei kiss another woman because she''s content just by becoming one of his wives.


    Semiramis - Mhn... Mmn... Mchu... Nn, Mmh... Pwah!?


    After they stopped the kiss they both started breathing heavily because of the lack of air, and they look at each other in the eyes. Just from that gaze, they can tell just how much they miss each other.


    The longing they both felt for each other. Tio doesn''t dare to break their moment even though she wanted to ask them about Tilt''s revival.


    Issei is the first to break the silence.


    Issei - I finally had my revenge on the kiss you gave me when we first met...


    Semiramis - Ara? Ufufufufu... I never know you''re one to hold grudges over stuff like that?


    Then both of them chuckled at each other.


    Semiramis - So, you have found another wife, I see...


    Semiramis then gazed at Tio and Tilt with interest and both Tio and Tilt who felt her gaze felt a little nervous for an entirely different reason.


    Tio felt nervous because from what she saw it seems that Semiramis is the woman Issei came to love a long time ago. While Tilt felt nervous because she felt Semiramis <Death> aura. Tilt knows that Semiramis is far from being a normal person.


    Hearing her words Issei body stiffen at first but soon he relaxed right after.


    Issei - Ah... She''s a great woman.


    He remembered Semiramis already know about him having wives in this world and he also remembered her message about not getting anyone else pregnant before her. So it''s safe to assume that she doesn''t really mind about him having more women in his life.


    Semiramis - Hmm... Is that so? Well then, I believe you want to revive that ghost girl over there, don''t you?


    Tio who heard Semiramis question on her hastily begged at her.


    Tio - Y-Yes! P-Please if you can revive Tilt I will do anything!


    Semiramis - Anything?


    Issei wanted to say something but Semiramis just put her finger on his lip and gave him a teasinglook, so he can only smile wryly seeing that. He knows from her look that she just wanted to tease Tio...


    Tio - Y-Yes! Anything!


    Tio firmly gazes at Semiramis when she said that. Tilt felt even more nervous and she wanted to tell Tio it''s okay but then she felt Semiramis gaze on her so she becomes frozen stiff.


    Semiramis - ...Very well... My condition is...


    Semiramis went silent to build up the suspense Tio and Tilt feeling right now.


    They both gulped at the same time waiting for Semiramis continue her words.


    Issei can only sweat seeing her antics.


    Semiramis - ...I want you and your sister to serve Issei for the rest of your life.


    ...


    Tio & Tilt - ...Eh?


    Both of them becomes stupefied hearing Semiramis condition, they thought they have to pay some hefty price but...


    Semiramis - What''s wrong? You said you will do anything right? Then that''s my condition if you want me to revive your little sister there. It should be pretty easy right?


    Semiramis tilted her head seeing their stupefied face and she resists laughing out loud seeing their face.


    Issei can only sigh bitterly because it seems that Semiramis love to tease people. But unknown to Issei she only teases those who she considered family or to her liking, at strangers, she won''t do this at all. At best she only sees them as nothing and if they made her angry?... They can stop wishing to be granted an easy death and even when they die they won''t be able to reincarnate anymore, hello limbo life for them...


    Tio - But... Is that it... Really?


    Tilt only has her mouth wide open.


    Semiramis - Hm? What else do you think I''m gonna ask of my dearest Ise''s wife? You don''t expect me to do anything bad to my own sisters, do you?


    Tio - S-Sisters?


    Semiramis - Well, you already married Ise, aren''t you?


    Tio can only nod slowly while still being dumbfounded.


    Semiramis - Then that makes you my sister since we both love the same man.


    Tio finally realizes her meaning then she blushes deeply out of shyness.


    Tilt also realize what Semiramis implying after hearing that. Basically, she wants her and Tio to serve Issei as his wives... And to be honest she doesn''t mind at all if anything she''s happy being able to marry a perfect man such as Issei and she got to be with her Onee-chan together.


    Semiramis - So? Your answer?


    Tio & Tilt - U-Un...


    They both nodded shyly at the same time.


    Semiramis smiled seeing that.


    Semiramis - Splendid! But, you have to wait until Ise''s here back to my domain. So be patient until then.


    They both don''t really understand what she meant by her domain but they nodded regardless.


    Then Semiramis looked towards Issei once more.


    Semiramis - Now, dearest. You better remember my words... Or else...


    She gave Issei a chilling smile that makes Issei feels goosebumps but he knows what she meant so he nodded hastily.


    Issei - O-Ou. Got it.


    Semiramis - Fufufu, good. Now then... I see that after losing your virginity you look even more handsome and manly now... I like it ?... By the way congrats for getting the <Orb of Life>. And see you later as well, sisters~


    Semiramis give Issei one last kiss after admiring his new looks and she winked at Tio and Tilt.


    Both Tio and Tilt face went even deeper red after hearing that.


    Issei - Ah... I''ll see you later.


    Semiramis - Oh right, Ise. Scathach also sends her regards to you, she can''t come because she''s training the girls back at home. And I already picked up the girls you mentioned, Yunyun, and Wiz right? Quite the cute girl both of them, you really know how to pick them, huh...


    She gave Issei a knowing look along with a teasing smile on her face, and Issei who saw her teasing look blushed slightly and averted his face because he knows what she meant by that...


    Issei - I-It''s just coincidence...


    Semiramis - Hmmm... Really now? You''re saying you don''t like them big~?


    She pushed up her own boobs while saying that.


    Issei - ...


    Issei went silent at her question, but he doesn''t try to deny it. Even though he''s not the total pervert he used to be, he still likes Oppai deep inside... You can''t hate what you love after all...


    Tio who heard that become a bit more confident because she got big breasts after all. While Tilt felt a bit down seeing her breasts are not as big as Tio.


    Tio hastily cheer her up seeing that she looked depressed, saying stuff like: "You can grow more so don''t worry!", "I''m sure when you grow up your breasts will become as big as mine!", etc.


    Semiramis - Fufufu, I''ll leave it at that... But I have a big surprise when you get back later, so be sure to be prepared~


    After that she went inside the rift she just created and she''s gone...


    Issei - *Sigh* I guess that''s that.


    Tio - I-Issei... Thank you for everything...


    Issei - Hm? Don''t mind it, you''re my wife after all. Oh right, I still need to tell you some things...


    Then Issei explained his background, where he came from, and who''s Semiramis, that he''s actually a Dragon, etc.


    Both Tio and Tilt who heard all of that become totally surprised but they both accept it soon after because they know Issei isn''t a normal man from the start.


    After a while.


    Tilt can be seen fidgetting around Issei and Tio who saw that smiled gently at her.


    Tio - Go on, Tilt... Say it...


    Tio encourages Tilt to say what she wanted to say.


    Tilt - U-Un... I-Issei-san... I-If you make my sister and I unhappy, I-I''ll never forgive you!


    After saying that she hid behind Tio.


    Both Tio and Issei chuckles hearing her words.


    Tilt - D-Don''t laugh! I-I''m serious!


    Tilt become further embarrassed seeing both of them laughing at her.


    Issei - Ah. I won''t make you both unhappy.


    Both of them smiled happily hearing his words.


    The Fog cleared up soon after and Riche''s party can be found standing nearby, apparently, they just got here.


    Tilt decided to make herself invinsible for now...


    Riche - Ise! Tio!


    Then after seeing both Issei and Tio they all run to their directions.


    Issei - Yo.


    Riche - Geez! We were very worried after seeing the message you left behind, Ise, Tio!


    Ramius - Un. That was very worrying...


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, Tio-nee, bad!


    Both Issei and Tio apologize for making them worried.


    Riche and co. finds out their position because they asked around the Outlaw camps and they met Barro as well over there, and after some questioning, they find out that Tio sister is the ghost girl that keeps making the fog labirynth so they head towards the labirynth after finding it out.


    And just when they got here they saw the fog cleared up...


    Riche - So is she passed on already?


    Issei - Hmm not quite. Here''s the thing...


    Then Issei explains it to them...


    Riche and co become totally surprised knowing Tilt can be revived later on, but they accept it soon after because they feel like they''re already numb to amazing stuff that happened around Issei.


    Riche - ...I see... I just hope that Semiramis can accept us...


    Issei - Don''t worry, I''m sure she will like you girls.


    Ramius - That''s reassuring, I guess... We don''t want to get on the bad side of a Goddess after all...


    Gurigura - Un...


    Riche - I have to say though, Ise. You sure made a move against Tio really fast.


    Riche saw the ring on Tio''s hand and grinned towards them both. Tio becomes shy while Issei just smiled wryly.


    Riche - But it''s safe to say that Eden won''t be having any fog labyrinth anymore right?


    Issei - Yes. That is true.


    Riche - But it''s too bad we can''t watch the innocent sex Ise and Tio had though... But I guess we will get that chance soon in the future~


    Ramius - Fumu. Too bad we missed it, I was planning to join in their sex but it was a great commemoration of Tio becoming part of the family, so it''s all good I guess...


    Tio - Huh? Wh-What do you mean, join in?! I knew you three were close, but... D-Do you really?!


    Riche - Don''t worry, it''s not too crazy.


    Tio - Uh, you''re not denying that is somewhat crazy though...


    Gurigura - Does doing it with a girl feel good? Hey, Tio-nee... Wanna try it with me?


    Tio - WHAAAAAT?!


    Tilt - NO! ONEE-CHAN IS MINE!


    Riche and co. - Whoa?!


    Riche''s party become taken aback seeing Tilt suddenly appear out of nowhere. Ramius practically just fly to Issei''s embrace after seeing Tilt appear out of nowhere, she buried her face in Issei chest right away while shivering a little bit.


    Issei can only wryly smile seeing Ramius like this.


    Issei - Tilt... Don''t just suddenly appear out of nowhere because Ramius here is afraid of ghosts you see...


    Tilt - S-Sorry...


    Riche - So this is Tilt huh?


    Gurigura - Ehehehe, I''m sorry as well for trying to get your onee-chan...


    Tilt chooses to hide herself once more after realizing everyone looking at her.


    Riche - She''s quite the shy girl, isn''t she?


    Tio - Hehehe, yes she is...


    Issei - Well, Ramius come on. Don''t be afraid anymore, Tilt will become our family later on so it''s bad to be afraid of her all the time.


    Ramius - U-Un...


    Ramius finally left Issei''s embrace after hearing that.


    Issei - Let''s go back to our house for now because it isn''t too far from here.


    Tio - Okay. Leave looking after the house to me.


    Riche - We''ll collect the poison gas in Lancelot and get back to the Kingdom of El Quixote. If this is all gonna be an act anyway, I kinda feel we could be using fake poison gas instead.


    Ramius - We need to pretend we don''t know the secret, or Rocinante will notice our plan earlier.


    Gurigura - If you want to make lies look true, you should mix some truth in with the lies. That''s what my teacher at the Academy said.


    Issei - Makes sense. Oh right, Tio. I need you to become the Bigbux Company new CEO later. You can use the cash we get from the company to make the Outlaw girls have a better living environment.


    Riche - Oh right, you do mention that before. And with this, we can also have Eden stop providing funds as well, good thinking, Ise. As expected of my husband!


    Riche is happy that Eden will have more funds to make the country much safer while they were gone.


    Tio didn''t know what to say and only shed tears of happiness hearing Issei is willing to make her the CEO of such big company and provide living expenses for the Outlaw girls, she just hugs Issei tightly while muttering, "Thank you... Thank you...".


    Issei calmly hugs her back and Riche''s and co smiled seeing their interaction.


    Issei - There, there... I''m your husband so it''s to be expected to make you happy, right?


    Tio - ...Un!


    Issei - Then let''s go head back home for now.


    Then they head towards their house at <Stallion> first.


    ...


    Issei - Haah... Tough day.


    Issei plopped down on the sofa because he''s kinda tired after all.


    Gurigura - But you got a lot done, Ise-nii.


    Riche - Yep, we can always depend on you.


    Ramius - Mhm. Honestly, it got me wet.


    Riche - God...


    Ramius - Hm? Did I say something wrong?


    Riche - Yes! Extremely!


    Ramius - I-Impossible...


    Tio - Okay, quiet down now, you two.


    Tio put a blanket over Issei as he began to lightly snore on the sofa.


    Tio - ...At least for a while, okay?


    Ramius - Um, let''s give him some rest.


    Riche - Mhm. Good work today... Darling.?


    Gurigura - Eheheh, Ise-nii is so cute when he sleeps!

 Chapter 53 - 52

    -El Quixote-


    When Issei''s party returned to El Quixote he told Kathryn to start preparing.


    Then Issei told Ben and Pancho as well, soon the army is formed and they started their march towards the Abel Mountain.


    Rocinante who heard the movement of the army movement become taken aback and started telling his men to gather more info on why is this happening, but every man he sent never returned. Even the men he sent to kidnap Lorenzo also never heard of again.


    He felt like something is very wrong, at first he thought they just become unfortunate and send another party of Outlaws again but the same thing happened over and over again until he knows that kidnapping Lorenzo wasn''t an option so he thought he gonna wait for Issei''s party to make a new plan.


    Issei already told the Kalars to be prepared for any suspicious activities that come out from the Bigbux Company and without Rocinante knowing it his place is basically a prison for him. The irony of how he loves that company of his only to become his own prison in the end...


    Being the devoted race they are, the Kalars took their king order very seriously. They never let their guard down from day to night, they switch between shift without anyone ever knowing they were there in the first place.


    The Kalars stealth skills are top notch in the forest but that advantage of them are forgotten because it''s been so long since the last time the humans went into war with the Kalars after all. And with their wind magic, there are no sound step can be heard or even leaf falling from the tree because their steps become so light with their spells.


    Even Issei only noticed this when he first got chased around by them before, that the Kalars can be a perfect assassin with their mobility and skills.


    Now because they don''t need to maintain their facade of being a semen lover they unleashed their true self. They actually despise procreating with other men that are not their king but now that their king has finally appeared they can finally say goodbye to their old life.


    There was a lot of men trying to enter the Kalar forest in hoping to meet the Kalars once more and thought it''s gonna be easy to get a Kalar to jack them off or something, but they all have been rejected by the Kalars.


    There are some men trying to taunt them but all they receive is cold stare from the Kalars and that give them the chills because they never saw the Kalars having that look on their face. They can''t try to force themselves either because they mostly stay on top of the tree so the men can''t get to them. Which is good for them because if they do try to force themselves on them then... They will lose their "Junior Brother" forever...


    Ben and Pancho have been notified that they could send a messenger to the forest in case they want to give some intel about some stuff.


    After a while, the Knights arrived at the designated location and launch their plan of gassing the whole Monster Burrow.


    And all of this is broadcasted to the whole country, and people are cheering for the Knights because after this they finally can rest easy from the Monster Burrow attack.


    While Issei is observing around the area in case of some mishap about to happen, every Rocinante spy is already subdued the moment they leave his Company.


    Rocinante - Just what is going on out there?! Damn... I can''t let this continue, something must have gone very wrong...


    Finally, Rocinante decided to head towards the King castle himself to ask the King about what''s happening.


    The moment he stepped out of his company the Kalars told 1 of them to report it to Issei.


    Kalar - My king, Rocinante has left his Company and are heading towards Ben Quixote place just like you expected.


    A Kalar appeared behind Issei to inform him, her face holds nothing but love and devotion towards her king.


    Issei - Um, thank you for your hard work. You''ve done well.


    Kalar - ?! Th-Thank you for the praise, my king! But it''s nothing worth praising because all I do is deliver the message.


    The Kalar got surprised because she never thought Issei will thank her, she becomes ecstatic being praised by Issei.


    Issei - Nonsense, no matter how small the job is it''s still a job. And if you do a good job you deserve a praise no matter how small it is. And send my thanks to the others as well.


    Kalar - H-Hai!


    The Kalar can''t wait to brag to her friends that she got thanked by their king personally.


    Issei - Um, time to start the plan.


    Issei already expected this and so he told Kath and co to start at the broadcasting studio while he went to the King palace.


    Gurigura - Kath, we''re ready!


    Gurigura busily ran around the hectic broadcasting studio, finished checking on everything, and gave a lively shout.


    Riche - Haah... Sponsoring a magivision show''s awfully expensive... All that boat money is just gone.


    Kathryn - Should be fine. A lot of people are gonna see this broadcast. As it says that it''s ''brought to you by the Kingdom of Eden'' it''ll get us more than money.


    Riche and co were currently in the magic broadcasting station in the capital, where Kathryn was using Pancho and Riche''s names to start the plan.


    Kathryn - Now, it''s time to start. Everyone prepared?


    Pancho - Hrm... I''m nervous. W-What''s this word in the script?


    Riche - Calm down, will you? It''s a simple vocabulary.


    Kathryn - No more talking. The film reels are set up, so let''s begin the broadcast!


    With Kathryn''s shout, the broadcast station staff gave the cue for the announcer to start talking.


    The constantly-replaying video on the magivisions in the streets all switched to something else in unison, once again surprising and drawing the attention of the public because they were watching the Monster Burrow events just now.


    Man 1 - W-What''s going on?


    Man 2 - Maybe there''s an important announcement?


    Man 3 - Perhaps it has something to do with the Kalars weird attitude recently?


    Young Announcer - I know this is unscheduled, but we have a special show for you. There''s an important announcement about the Bigbux Company CEO, Rocinante.


    Despite the abruptness of the broadcast, the citizen calmly watches what''s going to be aired soon.


    Pancho - I-I''m General Pancho, and I''m here to tell you the truth about the CEO of the Bigbux Company, Rocinante.


    Pancho keeps looking at the script while he''s saying that.


    Kathryn - Not a great performance... He''s pretty stiff.


    Riche - No big deal. The viewers could find that endearing.


    -El Quixote, King''s Office-


    Rocinante and Ben also saw the magivisions.


    Ben is pretty nervous because he knows that this is it, this will be the time.


    He acts normal when Rocinante arrived to ask him about what''s happening with the army of Knights when he almost got trapped by Rocinante''s question but thankfully the magivisions distracted Rocinante''s question.


    Rocinante - Agh, what is the meaning of this?! Go to the broadcasting station and end this charade at once!


    Bodyguard - Sir, people have been sent. Please give it some time...


    ...


    Pancho - First... To prove everything I say is the truth, I have something special prepared.


    Kathryn - Alright now... Bring it out.


    Kathryn gave the signal for a large glass of water to be brought to Pancho.


    Pancho - Th-This water came from the Fountain of Truth. Its effects are known to all of you, I''m sure.


    Man 1 - That''s the cursed spring the Kalars are so protective of?


    Man 2 - If you lie, you die... Is that seriously more than just a rumor?


    The people who''re watching started discussing the water.


    Pancho - I assume some of you think this is fake. So first, let''s prove it''s not... Hey, bring him in.


    Knight - Sir!


    At Pancho''s command, a Knight brought over a slovenly-looking man.


    Outlaw - Th-The hell? What the fuck''re you taking me here for?!


    Like he was confused by the sudden events, the man looked around with bewilderment.


    Pancho - This person is as you can see, an Outlaw.


    Following Pancho''s line, the Knight grabbed the man''s hand and held the black ring up to the camera.


    Pancho - Out of greed for money to play around with, he murdered his friend. But he professes that he''s committed no other crimes.


    Outlaw - I just gave into temptation once! Besides, it was an accident. We just got into a fight and it happened.


    Pancho - Very well. Drink this water and state your case. If you survive, you''ll be released.


    Outlaw - R-Really?! Heheheh, then don''t mind if I do... Gulp, gulp... Pwah!


    Pancho - As you can see, he drank it. Now I''ll drink the same water.


    Pancho took the cup from the Outlaw and drank what was left in it.


    Pancho - Now neither of us can lie. Again, did you kill your friend by accident?


    Outlaw - Of course! I swear to Mother Eve, it wasn''t on purpose... Uh, ah... Aaaah?!


    In the middle of his statement, the man started to scratch at his throat, fell to the ground, and thrashed around.


    Outlaw - Ah, agagagah... Gh, ungh...


    After some flailing, the man finally let out a quiet groan and ceased moving. There''s a bit of blood leaking from his mouth.


    -El Quixote, Capital-


    Girl - Eeeeek! It''s the Kalar Curse!


    Man - I-It''s real! The stories about the Fountain of Truth were real!


    The citizen started to become restless seeing all that.


    Kathryn - Good, this will make it easy to understand and it''ll be easy to draw on their fear. This whole performance will be more effective later.


    Pancho - You understand now, don''t you? With that in mind, let me ask that you accept what I now say as the truth. We have a recording of Rocinante that he''s planning to ruin the country for his own personal gains.


    Then they broadcasted the recording about Rocinante''s conversation with his employees and bring out evidence that Issei got from his office.


    They don''t broadcast the recording that he''s talking with Kuro because it will make the citizen in a state of panic even more and there''s no need for the innocent to know about the <Snake Crest> just yet. Rocinante could''ve also point out that the King is his subordinate if they uncover his true identity to the citizen.


    The whole citizen becomes surprised hearing the recording and seeing the evidence made them furious at Rocinante. They angrily shout to bring Rocinante to jail and stuff like that, they''ve become a big angry mob.


    -King Office-


    Rocinante - Gah, end this broadcast already! Cut off all sponsorship!


    Bodyguard - S-Sir... We can''t! The broadcasting station is surrounded by Pancho''s closest followers.


    Rocinante - Then retrieve the magivisions on the streets! Those were provided by my company!


    CEO''s Secretary - It can''t be done... There''s too many!


    Rocinante - Grr... Are my magivisions being used against me?... And how did they get their hands on that recording and evidence?! Curses! If it comes to this...


    Then Rocinante looks towards the King with menacing eyes.


    Ben - Wh-What are you planning to do, Rocinante?!


    Rocinante doesn''t respond to Ben question but he told his man to knock him out, then he suddenly shouts towards the corner of the room.


    Ben knows this was gonna happen so he let himself become knocked out pretty easily.


    Rocinante - Monsieur Black Knight! Please assist me, lend me the monsters you have, I will pay you back later!


    Kuro - ...Very well...


    Then there''s suddenly a voice coming out of nowhere, and with that, there''s suddenly a bunch of monsters appearing out of thin air.


    ...


    Pancho - Now while I''m still in the effect of the water, I confirm that this is all true, and it''s not fabricated in any way... As you can see I''m still standing here alive and well, so that means I''m not lying. Now we will apprehend Rocinante into custody so don''t worry, justice will be brought to him.


    After a bow from Pancho, the broadcast ended.


    And there''s grand applause given by the citizens towards him.


    ...


    Pancho - H-How did it go?


    Once it was over, Pancho let forth a waterfall of sweat.


    Kathryn - Well, passable. You were shaky at the start, but I had no real complaints by the end.


    Riche - Good job, Pancho.


    Pancho - Th-Thank you...


    Gurigura - I think the Knights are back.


    Gurigura was looking out the windows when she informed everyone of the Knights arrival at the capital.


    Then Pancho told his men to head towards the Bigbux Company to seize it and head towards the King Office just as planned.


    Kathryn - Seems like we just made it in time.


    Outlaw? - Good job, everyone.


    Kathryn - Hey, good work.


    Outlaw? - Eheheh, thanks. A realistic performance, wasn''t it? It''s tense being on magivision, though.


    The man smiled cordially and slid the black ring off his finger. That Outlaw just now was a hired actor from Pancho''s men and that water is also a fake, because it''s quite risky using the real Water from the Fountain after all.


    Kathryn - But, Ise sure is amazing being able to find all that evidence... Just what I expected from my husband-to-be.


    Riche - He''s also our husband... Oh and Kath, You''re not gonna be the fourth wife by the way~


    Kathryn - Whaaat?! What do you mean? You mean he has another wife out there?


    Riche - Well...


    Kathryn acts smug thinking she will have a wonderful husband such as Ise but her smug face ticks off Riche a bit so she told Kath about Tio and Semiramis.


    Kathryn - ...


    Kathryn is speechless hearing all that but she accepts it pretty quickly.


    Kathryn - Cheh... Too bad I''m not the fourth, but It can''t be helped if it''s like that.


    Even though she said that she''s pouting right now. She felt a tiny bit jealous of Tio being able to be the 4th wife, but she''s not jealous of Semiramis because what''s the point of getting jealous on a Goddess? If anything she''s feeling proud because her husband-to-be can make an actual Goddess fall in love with him.


    Knight - Th-There''s trouble, General!


    Pancho - What is it?


    Knight - The squad that went to see the King was attacked by a monster at the palace!


    Pancho - What?! A monster appeared in the palace?!


    Riche - Welp. Guess he showed his true colors already, just like Ise expected.


    Knight - It was a large, flying monster! The creature took the king and fled toward the Burrow.


    Pancho - The Monster Burrow?! Then we won''t be able to mobilize the Knights.


    Kathryn - Damn, so those flying monsters people spotted sometimes were always under Rocinante''s control.


    Riche - I see, so should we go now, darling~?


    Issei - Ah. It''s time.


    Pancho - I-Issei-dono? How come you are here? Weren''t you supposed to be protecting the King?


    Issei - Don''t worry, he''s okay, just being knocked out. Think of it as his punishment.


    Pancho - B-But still...


    Issei - We''re gonna save him now so it''s fine. Let''s go girls.


    Everyone - Hai!


    Pancho - Issei-dono... The king, no, my uncle is in your hands!


    Issei - Ah.


    Then Issei''s party teleported to the base of Mountain Abella where Kath already prepared something to go up there.


    Kathryn - Behold my invention and be amazed. You''re about to witness history!


    Kathryn bragged as she unraveled the package that has been sitting here for a while. A red creature popped out.


    ??? - Uppy!


    Gurigura - An Uppy?


    Kathryn - I used bestowal skills to train him, so he''s like a servmon. His name''s Mr. Edison. He''s smart enough not to attack people.


    Mr. Edison - Uppy?


    Gurigura - Ahahaha, he''s so cute. Does he like bread?


    Kathryn - Make him too happy and he''ll breathe fire, so watch it.


    Gurigura - Okay!


    Kathryn - Now just to tie the leaf bag to the basket with rope, and... There, done. Tadaaah! A creation that uses heat in order to fly... Let''s call it a ''Hot air balloon''!. Well, in Ise''s world this thing is kinda old but here it''s a brand new creation!


    Issei - ...Ou.


    Kathryn - Back when my house blew up, I noticed something. The heated air sent everything hurling high into the sky. That kinda energy could carry people no problem! Get on. We''ll use this to fly to the Monster Burrow.


    Riche - Hey, have you actually tested this? We''re not just hoping this works, are we?


    Kathryn - Don''t worry. My doujins managed to fly!


    Riche - We''re not doujins!


    Kathryn - Shut up. Just get on! There''s no time for testing!


    Issei - It will be fine, if anything happens I can save you all. And I''m sure Kath knows what she''s doing.


    Riche - Ugh... If you say so, Ise.


    Riche muttered that they couldn''t complain to her if something happened and got in the basket last. Kathryn then placed the uppy in the middle of the basket.


    Kathryn - Alright! Do it, Mr. Edison! Use your fire breath''s energy to fill that bag!


    Mr. Edison - Uppy!


    At Kathryn''s command, the uppy made a booming sound and breathed fire. The heated air filled the leaf bag, rounding it into a spherical shape before their eyes.


    *Puff*


    Gurigura - Oh, it floated!


    Kathryn - That''s it! More! More!


    Mr. Edison - Uppyyyyy!


    *Puff*


    When the bag was finally full of hot air, the basket of five people and one monster soared to the sky.


    Gurigura - Woooow! We''re flying! We''re actually flying!


    Ramius - So this is what it feels like to fly. The sky seems... Close.


    Gurigura - You''re awesome, Kath-nee! Now we can get to the Monster Burrow!


    Kathryn - Well, we can''t keep having Issei teleport us anywhere without drawing suspicions from the <Snake Crest>... I''m leaving it to the wind since I can''t steer this, but according to my calculations, this should take us straight to the peak.


    Issei - I can do something about it in case it goes in the wrong direction, don''t worry.


    Riche - ...


    Issei - Riche?


    Issei is confused about why Riche suddenly become quiet even though she keeps talking when they were down there. But suddenly...


    Riche - H-H-H-High... I''M SCARED OF HEIIIGHTS!


    Issei - Whoa, there!


    Kathryn - Hey, sit still! Wait, you have a fear of heights?


    Riche - No no no! Let me doooooown!


    Kathryn - Calm down or you''ll mess with our trajectory! Hey, hold her still! Or she''s gonna fall off for real!


    Riche - Eek! Fall off?! Nooooooooooo!


    Ramius - Better use qi to put her to sleep.


    Ramius about to hit Riche with her qi when Issei just cradles her in his embrace and that manages to calm her down albeit she''s still shivering a little bit, and she''s clutching at Issei body really tight.


    Ramius - Oh... Nevermind. She seems to calm down after getting into Ise''s embrace.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, Ise-nii embrace is very warm and safe after all.


    Kathryn - ...Geez, what a scaredy cat...


    Riche - ...Heights are scary... Small spaces are scary...


    Kathryn - You''re claustrophobic too?!


    Issei can only smile wryly at that but he thinks it''s very cute though.


    Issei - There, there...


    Riche - Uuuu...


    The balloon finally made its way toward the Monster Burrow.


    Mr. Edison - Uppy!


    When the uppy stopped breathing fire, the hot air balloon slowly descended onto the peak of Mount Abella.


    Riche - M-Made it. Thank goodness, I''m... Alive.


    Kathryn - You just flew a bit. Don''t be such a drama queen.


    Riche - S-Shut up!


    Ramius - Is this the Monster Burrow? Looks like a cave.


    Issei - Ah. Let''s go and save Ben.


    In the deepest part of the Monster Burrow, King Ben woke up and began questioning a nearby man wearing a twisted grin.


    Ben - What is the meaning of this, Rocinante?! Were the monsters in this dungeon summoned by you too?!


    Rocinante - Come now. You usually show me more respect than that.


    Ben - Anyone abducting me deserves no respect!


    Rocinante - But don''t you see now? The technology to tame monsters really does exist.


    Ben - I see, so you were with <Snake Crest>?! Just what is this ability?! ''And where is Issei-dono?!''


    Rocinante''s ability to control the flying monster compelled King Ben to ask, though more out of curiosity than fear. He knows he will be fine but what''s scary is still scary after all...


    Rocinante - This.


    Ben - ...What''s that?


    Rocinante - Please, Your Majesty, you need to study up. Have you never heard of <Adan''s Blood>?


    Ben - That drug that''s been showing up everywhere?! Is that <Snake Crest''s> doing too?!


    Rocinante - The one you''re thinking of is the cheap stuff. This is a special product, for <Snake Crest''s> administrators alone. Using this gives you the sense that you can do anything, accompanied by a real feeling of happiness. Also... For some reason, it lets you communicate your will to monsters.


    Ben - That''s awfully convenient... With that, the world could be freed from their threat...


    Rocinante - Well, these are monsters we''re dealing with. If they''re orders from someone they consider beneath them, they won''t obey.


    Ben - Still, it''s worth researching. If I accepted your original sales pitch, would you have offered it to me?


    Rocinante - You should''ve gotten in on my offer. Well, thanks to your rejection, I did realize that the Monster Burrow was empty all along.


    Ben - Gh... What do you plan to do with a pitiful king like me?!


    Rocinante - That broadcast foiled my plans, but crisis brings with it an opportunity... I still have ideas.


    Rocinante confidently smirked and raised his hand to the broadcasting team he''d brought with him.


    Thug - We''re ready to shoot. Using those we still have left, we should also be able to broadcast no problem.


    In the dungeon full of monsters, the men reluctantly making preparations had black rings on their fingers.


    Ben - Outlaws... That means you''re the one who''s bringing them to my country...


    Rocinante - Oui. While you may not be aware, this country''s been invaded by a great amount of Outlaws. Who was brought in by moi of course.


    Ben - And? Do you intend to make me apologize for all this or what?


    Rocinante - Heh heh heh, my monsters are going to brutally slaughter you, on film. When the public sees that, they''ll believe the gassing plan failed and I will use that chance to make a comeback while they all panicking and after that, I will send these monsters to the cities.


    Ben - Th-These monsters here are your doing?!


    Rocinante - By way of using a crucible to summon them, yes. Even with my connections, arranging all this wasn''t cheap. Now, be glad. You get to turn your ancestor''s lie into the truth. Time for my magnifique show to begin!


    ??? - Oh? What show could it be?


    Just as the broadcast was about to start, there''s a sudden voice coming from behind Rocinante. And when he turned around his men are all dead already.


    Rocinante - Sacre bleu! H-How did you get here?!


    Issei - We flew, obviously. Just like you.


    Riche - Maybe if you calmed down and thought this stupid idea through, you could''ve gotten away with it. Now your chances of both business and victory are out of the window.


    Kathryn - We heard everything. <Adan''s Blood>... I knew you were the one behind it!


    Rocinante - Gah. You shouldn''t eavesdrop, you impudent brats.


    Ramius - How does <Adan''s Blood> let you control monsters?


    Rocinante - I-It just does... This wonderful product can bring people happiness!


    Ben - Y-Yes... If we just have that drug, humans won''t need to fear monsters any-


    Gurigura - Don''t be tricked!


    Ben - Hrm?!


    Ramius - <Adan''s Blood> destroys your sense of judgment. It''s caused more people to become Outlaws than you can count.


    Riche - As I''m sure the CEO is well aware. If it were so great, he would''ve sold it through his company a long time ago.


    Rocinante - Grrr...


    Ramius - Your company''s also been secretly hiring Outlaws, hasn''t it? We already have the evidence.


    Kathryn - And Pancho''s leading some Knights to raid the Bigbux Company right about now.


    Rocinante - Y-You can''t do that! That company is mine!


    Riche - Nope. Companies belong to everyone involved in them.


    Rocinante - Ngggh... N-No they don''t! I built that Company! I made it grow!


    Issei - Hmm. I can give you that Company back as long you tell me where is the <Snake Crest> base of operation is. So, do we have a deal?


    Ben is surprised by Issei''s words but he chooses to stay silent.


    Rocinante - Gh! B-But...


    He can''t tell them that he doesn''t really know where it is because there''s someone who picks him up to go there. So only that teleporter knows where their base of operation is...


    Issei sensed a presence coming from a corner and know that it''s Kuro.


    Kuro - Rocinante... Bad news. Your company''s been seized by El Quixote. You have nothing left... And Issei Hyoudou, you can forget asking the <Snake Crest> member where our base is. Only the teleporter and the Supreme Leader knows about its exact location.


    Riche''s and co are also surprised seeing Kuro here but they got used to it pretty quickly and they are not that afraid because Issei is here with them.


    Issei - ...I see... And why are you telling me this?


    Kuro - ...No particular reason.


    Issei narrowed his eyes on Kuro in suspicion.


    Rocinante - What...? N-No... I can''t live without money...


    Riche - ...Why are so obsessed with money?


    Rocinante - With money, you can even buy life. When the debt collectors came after me, I saved my own life by hiring Outlaws to kill them all. Life can''t match the value of money! Money, money, my everything, my life, nobody can have iiiiiiiiiiiiiit! My... MONEEEEEEEEEEEY!


    Kuro - That''s it, release your desire! Show us your greed!


    Rocinante - Guhah, gohwah... Gugheeghee... Gheegyaaaaaaah!


    Kuro - There we are. That release of desire is the true essence of <Snake Crest>. The potential of humanity...


    Kuro confirmed Rocinante''s transformation was complete and snickered as he dissolved into the shadows.


    Ramius - Gh, running again, you coward?!


    Issei - ...


    Issei felt like something is weird with Kuro because his aura isn''t that corrupted like the rest of the <Snake Crest> member.


    Rocinante - Gugyaaaaaaaaah!


    Completely transformed into a monster, Rocinante attacked the group in a mad fury.


    His monster form is that of an Ant Queen holding a golden stick but its abdomen is made of like a lump of meat with hundreds of human arms sticking out, and each arm is wearing a golden bracelet.


    Issei stopped his trains of thought after realizing Rocinante''s coming at them. He just calmly draw his sword and cover it with <Haki> then slashed horizontally at Rocinante direction.


    After Rocinante walked a few steps more, he suddenly stopped at his place. And a few seconds later his body is bisected from the middle. Then he plopped down into the ground.


    The girls are pretty used seeing Issei''s capabilities so they are not that surprised but they still feel awe at him. But not Kathryn because this is the first time he saw Issei glimpse of power.


    And she has to admit that he''s really cool when he does that, he felt like her heart thumped madly once again seeing him like that.


    Bisected by Issei and sprawled on the ground, Rocinante barely managed to move his fingers, coughing up blood as he murmured like a lunatic.


    Rocinante - Money... My... mo-...ney...


    Riche - On the verge of death, and still thinking about money...


    Kathryn - Too bad you can''t bring money to the afterlife.


    Rocinante - Money... Guhah...


    Gurigura - His body is disappearing!


    Rocinante continued to murmur about money as he died... And then his body vanished without a trace.


    Riche - Just like Rochefort... How is it that people can turn into monsters?


    Ramius - He wanted to start a war just for money. No human being would consider that. He''d already given up his humanity, I''m sure.


    Issei - Indeed...


    Kathryn - Fascinating, but that''s not enough data. There''s a monster called a lycanthrope that can transform, but I think those are gal monsters.


    Riche - Oh right, Is the King okay?


    Gurigura - The King passed out when he saw the CEO transform.


    Riche - Thank goodness, it looks like he''s alright. I bet Pancho''s worried too, so let''s get him home... I, like... Really don''t wanna ride that thing again, though...


    Kathryn - Hey, Ise. Let''s tie her up so she doesn''t struggle.


    Riche - H-How rude! I''m already used to it! I won''t lose my cool this time, promise...


    Issei smiled wryly seeing their antics.


    The party confirmed King Ben was safe and exited the cave, but they broadcasted the cave to prove that it''s empty so the public can feel safe along the way. And all of them cheered for knowing that the Monster Burrow terror is no more.


    But on the way back in the hot air balloon, Riche did indeed lose her cool and made a huge scene until she latched on Issei''s body like a koala.


    Riche - Nooooooooooooooooooooo!


    ...


    Upon his return, King Ben Quixote revealed to the public that his savior is Issei''s party and the people cheered at them. At the same time, he announced that the CEO of the Bigbux Company was one of the leaders of a criminal organization and that the company had been seized by the government.


    He told that Rocinante has been apprehended already, but his body sadly has been eaten by the flying monster. He informed the Kalars are not to be harmed because they also assisted them in the process and sadly they will be stopping collecting semen from the human.


    That made some men cry in sorrow while the women sighed in relief.


    Then, after that, he told Issei''s party that he wanted to thank them in his office.


    Ben - El Quixote nearly made a grave mistake. Thank you so much.


    Pancho - We cannot thank you enough, Issei-dono. Thankfully, no innocent people have been harmed in the process thanks to your intervention... Were I in his position, I don''t doubt I''d be led along by <Snake Crest> as well. So I thank you once again, Issei-dono.


    Issei - It''s fine. As long you keep your words then I won''t tell anyone either.


    Ben - Ah... We agree with your conditions, we won''t bother the Kalars anymore and the company is yours...


    Issei - Don''t worry, I will still let people in this country work at the Company. And you can let the Knights that are unemployed act as the company bodyguard if you want.


    Ben - Ooooh! Thank you very much, Issei-dono!


    Both Ben and Pancho bowed at Issei because they are in his debt once more because he solves so many of their problems already and they are eternally grateful at him.


    Lorenzo - As expected of Issei-sama!


    Lorenzo worshiped Issei to no end which kinda makes him a little embarrassed because of it.


    Pancho who saw Lorenzo gaze at Issei now knows just who is the one she loved, even he has to admit defeat at Issei so he thought it''s totally normal for Lorenzo to be in love with a man like Issei.


    Ben - If I''m allowed to ask, Issei-dono. Who are you going to appoint as the new CEO?


    Issei - Hm? That will be one of my wives.


    Ben - O-Oh...


    Pancho and Ben can only nod in awe at Issei''s capabilities.


    Then King Ben send a letter to the Kingdom of Eden for the service of Issei for his country. So it''s to be expected that Issei will be promoted once again.


    Issei - Thank you. Then let''s head back to Eden to report this.


    Before they leave, Lorenzo told Kath good luck!


    Lorenzo - Ehehe, good luck, Kath. I''m sure you''ll have a fun night.


    Kathryn - A fun night... Urgh...


    Kath blushed deeply thinking she''s gonna be Issei''s wife soon.


    Lorenzo - ...But after that, it will be my turn... Ehehehe~


    Lorenzo muttered that inside her mind while having a silly smile on her face.


    Issei - Let''s go, Kath.


    Issei called Kath.


    Kathryn - ...O-Okay... Be gentle...


    Issei - ...Sure?


    Issei was confused at what Kath meant by that, she keeps blushing and hangs her head down as they left El Quixote for the Kingdom of Eden.

 Chapter 54 - 53

    (AN: THIS CHAPTER IS A COPY & PASTE FROM THE ORIGINAL FANFIC. I REPEAT IT''S JUST A COPY & PASTE FROM THE ORIGINAL FANFIC)


    Right now deep inside the Hyoudou Mansion, two people were fighting against each other.


    *Clang! Clang!* - The sound of metal colliding could be heard everywhere.


    At this moment Kiba Yuuto was having a dilemma. He couldn''t understand how the woman in front of him could become so strong, so fast.


    As he began thinking a magic circle the size of a person appeared above his entire body. It was bright blue in color and held many different Runes on its outer layer.


    From it, a chilling amount of energy could be felt. And soon enough the circle released a brilliant light.


    "Damn it!" - Feeling frustrated he swore under his lip.


    Clutching the sword in his hand he tried to cut the circle in half before it was done charging. However, he never expected what came next.


    The woman in front of him disregarded everything in her eyes and flew towards him at a breakneck speed.


    Frustrated yet again he slammed his left leg on the ground while moving both of his arms to slash the circle above with his sword.


    From his leg, a series of sharp, disproportionate swords literally came out of the ground. Rushing in a straight line with speed in no way inferior to the woman.


    The swords varied in design, from normal bastard swords to ones that had a serrated edge, and others that were just the edge of the sword itself. They all just moved in a straight line, trying to buy time for their master.


    *Crack! Crack! Crack!* - The moment they hit their target they shattered into pieces. Quickly turning into brilliant particles of golden light.


    However, something good happened. The moment the sword in his hand landed on the magic circle above his head, it was completely cut in half.


    (I''m lucky... There won''t be a next time, not in front of her...) - He thought while turning his head around.


    He moved his sword horizontally in front of him, covering his chest. The palm of his other hand rested on the swordpoint.


    He heard the voice of the woman who was breaking his swords. - "Do not believe that was all!" - Her chilling voice made him wince.


    The woman was an amazing beauty, with a head full of silver-white hair and a pair of sapphires as eyes. Those eyes held no pity nor fear. They were filled with calm anger that fuelled her body to work at twice of her max.


    She wore a pair of gauntlets and greaves silver in color. She had an armored skirt that covered everything below her waist up till her knees. Below that, she had a pair of black stockings that hugged her beautiful legs.


    On top, she wore a breastplate. Covering her curves but in no way reducing the beauty she had. In between the gaps of her armor black clothing, the same material as her stockings, covered her body.


    She had a weird helmet, only covering the side of her head and her forehead. A feather that shone with a mystic light was at the right-hand side of her head.


    She was Rossweisse who was ''sparring'' with Kiba.


    As he saw the woman, he felt a chill creep up his spine. Then he acted on instinct as he saw a multitude of similar magic circles block his surroundings. They were all in different colors and runes, but the energy was heart-wrenching.


    "Sword Birth! Blade Blacksmith!" - Using both of his Sacred Gears at the same time, he surrounded himself in a wall of holy and demonic swords. Clearly using them as shields.


    The magic circles then shot their magic. The energy could be felt even inside the wall of swords. It was a clear, lethal blow, aimed to cripple.


    *BOOOOOOOMM!* - It soon landed onto the wall of swords, breaking them as if they were paper.


    Rossweisse could be seen standing at the distance, her eyes never left her opponent for even a second.


    "Was that enough..." - She muttered as she saw the cloud of smoke forming at the distance.


    However, a silhouette came flying towards her from the cloud of dust.


    "Tch! Not enough power." - She muttered as she created two white magic circles in both of her hands. She then felt her hands go through them and those circles reached her gauntlets.


    As they reached their last part of the gauntlets, they shattered like broken glass and the shards fell onto the metal itself¡ªchanging the dull silver color into a pure white. - "Megingjord."


    Kiba reached her at an extremely fast speed. Clearly using his trait as a Knight.


    Then he swung his sword in a diagonally way, aiming to end the duel as fast as he could. His Balance Breaker was already active and the Holy-Demonic sword was on his hands for all to see.


    Rossweisse, on the other hand, raised her guard and lifted her left arm towards her side, covering the left side of her face.


    *CLAAAANNNGG!* - Metal ringing was heard again.


    The sword was stopped from moving closer thanks to her gauntlet. It did, however, chip off a fair chunk of her gauntlet.


    The ground beneath them was dented in thanks to the strength of that blow, but Rossweisse stood tall.


    "You''ve improved your close quarters. Just how much have you improved?" - Kiba told her as he put strength on his sword, trying to make her kneel.


    Rossweisse used her right arm to support her left, using all the strength her body had.


    "As much as I need to be at his side and not let anything like that happen to him again." - She answered with a brilliant glow in her eyes.


    Kiba widened his eyes in amazement. - (You really have a special something to find women that are willing to do this much, Ise-kun.)


    Then Rossweisse smirked, right in front of Kiba a weird Norse Circle appeared. This was like three concentric circles that were no bigger than a head. The color was a pale blue and the freezing aura made his sword gain a layer of frost.


    (She created a magic circle without any signs of doing it! She used only her mind, no physical movement whatsoever!) - He was shocked speechless. Such a perfect control over her magic reserves and the magic circle was ridiculous!


    Trying to get away, Kiba decided to step back and avoid such a hit. But he was a bit late. - "Arctic Wind!"


    From the magic circle, a freezing gale came from it, aimed at an extremely close distance right towards his stomach. Such a powerful spell was no joke!


    (Damn it!) - He tried to twist his body around, but he was still struck by the Nordic Spell.


    *BOOOOOMMM!* - He was sent flying away from her.


    As he crashed against the ground he was shot across the entire training field.


    At the same moment, a huge pillar of ice was formed in the distance, reaching tens of meters in height.


    Rossweisse felt a sense of relief at that. She knew that spell landed perfectly.


    However, she felt dizzy. - Haa...Haa... Haa...- Her breath was rough maybe because they have been fighting for quite some time.


    (Damn it! My stamina again! How could I be so weak?! Ise wouldn''t even be sweating now and yet I''m so exhausted! How pathetic!) - She thought to herself.


    She knew that Kiba had a lot more stamina, he wasn''t even breathing roughly only sweating, yet here she was almost about to faint from exhaustion.


    (I need to train my stamina even more! My control and power have improved even more than before thanks to those training!) - She thought of upping her training regimen.


    *CRAAASHHH!* - The pillar in the distance was destroyed as quickly as it came. The cause was of course Kiba.


    "You almost had me Rossweisse-sensei but it was still not enough to bring me down." - He cleaned the blood that fell from the corner of his mouth and fixed the grip in his new sword.


    Rossweisse recognized that sword, after all, it was from her Pantheon. - "...D¨¢insleif..." - She muttered as he saw the sword in his hands.


    "Indeed. The moment the Spell landed I used D¨¢insleif''s ability to control ice in order to mitigate the damage done to me. Thankfully I was fast enough." - Kiba smiled as he began walking towards his opponent once again.


    Rossweisse stared at the sword, probably thinking about something.


    D¨¢insleif was a beautiful light sword that had an icy-blue edge and a pair of intertwined branches as it guard. It was a long and thin sword, probably not thicker than the cover of a book. But the icy aura it held was extremely powerful and quite frightening.


    As Kiba was walking he vanished in a burst of speed. Making the Valkyrie widen her eyes and react just on instinct.


    Kiba appeared at her left side and stabbed with the sword point. Rossweisse created as many magic circles as possible from her left hand, trying to block the might in that swing.


    *Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!* - They broke one after the other, but they fulfilled their purpose.


    In her right hand, another three-layered concentric circle appeared. This one green in color and expelling an aura that was twice as strong as her last spell.


    Throwing her arm forward she chanted. - "Mistral!"


    Two visible gales appeared from the circle, soon twisting themselves into one another and creating a drill of wind that was as big as a person in diameter. The power it held made the ground underneath to just disappear.


    Kiba this time was prepared. He created a magic circle and pulled something from it. Another sword soon appeared in his left hand. This one, however, different from the one in his right.


    It was a sword completely silver in color with a handle that was too big to wield even with both hands. The sides of the sword curved outwards as they reached the guard itself. Soon covering the two long crosses that were acting as the guard.


    "Balmung!" - He mentioned the name of the sword and a huge tornado surrounded him.


    As soon as the spell landed it completely turned into soft winds under the power of this Demonic Sword. Rossweisse was not unsettled by this, she was even smirking at the sight.


    As the winds dispersed, a tired Kiba could be seen. - (Using these swords still costs a lot of demonic power and stamina...)


    Rossweisse then changed her position, placing one foot in front and the other behind. She then gathered her Magic and chanted again. - "Draconic Power!"


    Bending her whole body as it was covered by a red aura, Rossweisse released a kick at the chest of Kiba.


    He widened his eyes and tried to block with both swords in his hands, forming an ''X''. He put them in front of his body and used them as a shield.


    Rossweisse''s smirk increased in size. She just muttered another spell, expending the rest of her magical reserves. - "Ride Lightning!"


    Increasing her body''s speed, reflexes, and flexibility. She bent her leg at an impossible angle and passed his guard.


    Her perfect leg struck the middle of his chest.


    *BAAAAAANNNNGGG!* - The red aura sent the body of the youth flying even faster and further than before.


    *Blargh!* - Coughing blood mid-flight Kiba felt his ribs crack at the moment of impact.


    (She set me up!) - Was his thought as he was sent flying, crashing against the wall.


    As she saw this, Rossweisse held a triumphant smirk on her face. Although her leg was wobbly from the last attack and her face was pale, she knew that this battle was hers.


    *CRAAAASSSHH!* - Crashing against the wall at the end of the field. Cracks similar to spider webs covered the entire surface of the wall. Kiba at that moment was seeing stars.


    (She got me...) - Were his thoughts as he tried to stand up. But something cold against his neck made him stop.


    A sword made of pure magic was against his neck. It held the shape of a crescent moon and the color was the same as the moon. At the end of the sword, a woman with a pale face could be seen, her face held no emotion but her eyes betrayed that expression.


    "Yield." - She demanded. Making the blonde knight sigh in hopelessness.


    "I yield." - He said as he felt the sword leave his neck.


    "You''ve improved far too much Rossweisse-sensei. This month has been quite something for you." - Standing up while holding his chest, he complimented the woman.


    "Thanks. But it''s not enough. It''s not enough to be by his side. I need to be better, stronger." - She said as she bit her lips.


    Kiba sighed at the sight. He knew why she was doing this, and he didn''t know how to reply.


    "Just keep this pace and you will become even stronger in no time!" - He smiled at her trying to comfort her.


    "Hn." - She nodded her head and left.


    Walking away from the training field, she began thinking. - (Issei... Oh Issei, when will I see you again? When can we finally be together? I can''t wait to be at your side. And this time I will stay with you, until the very end.)


    A smile naturally found its way into her face, making her already breathtaking appearance become ten times better. That was the smile of a young woman deeply in love. That was the smile of this woman that wanted to see her man as soon as possible.


    (I need to wait a bit more. Just a bit more. I know I will see you soon... Ise...) - She looked at the ceiling of the training field. Staring at it as if in a trance.


    ¡ª-Scene Break / Main Living Room; Hyoudou Mansion.¡ª-


    Back upstairs, the entire Gremory group and their boyfriends were preparing themselves for something. Something that needed to be done before anything else.


    Sitting on a long, cream-colored couch. A woman with red hair began talking.


    "Well everyone, it''s finally time to go to the Underworld." - Her voice held some kind of Authority making the men present to put their entire attention on her.


    At her side, a beautiful woman, young in age and with deep-black hair smiled at them.


    "The Tournament will start in a little bit more than a Month and a half, and we need to get the Pieces." - Rias told them while crossing one leg on top of the other.


    "Then why going to the Underworld?" - A man with short, blond hair and blue eyes asked the woman with some confusion written on his face.


    "Ara-Ara, Reiji~ Because the Pieces can only be found there.~" - Akeno replied why covering her mouth with her left hand.


    "So we''re going to the Underworld?!" - A small, young-man asked with clear emotion in his voice.


    He even stood up from the couch he was sitting on, surprising his brothers at his sides. He then walked closer to Rias and Akeno, practically running at them.


    "Yes, Hijama-chan. We need to go there as soon as we can~" - Akeno answered while giggling.


    The boy turned around and looked at all of the ones inside this room. He briefly paused and looked at the clearly expensive and high-class room.


    A huge place that could fit more than a dozen people. With a brown carpet with some weird engravings, he couldn''t understand as well as many accessories that were either on top of tables or on the walls themselves.


    Many couches could be seen. Almost all of them full of beautiful woman. The other spots were occupied by his friends and brothers.


    A fancy chandelier with an extremely extravagant design hung from the ceiling. And huge windows could be seen on the wall at his left side.


    "Little Brother. Please calm down." - With a gentle smile one of the boys, which was just sitting with him, tried to make the young boy relax.


    He had black hair tied into a tail that reached his upper back. His eyes held some gentleness and his teasing smile made the young boy blush in shame.


    He was Ryutaro Takahashi, elder brother of little Hijama and the wielder of a Sacred Gear.


    "HaHaHa, let him be like that Ryutaro! Seeing him like that always makes me smile!" - The other boy at the side told Ryutaro.


    He also had black hair with a similar face to his obviously, they were brothers. His name was Souji Takahashi the eldest brother, just by luck.


    Ryutaro turned his head and gave a small glare to his brother. Souji, on the other hand, smiled in a challenging way. He was obviously picking a fight with his brother.


    "Oh. What''s with the look? Do you wish to fight?" - He asked teasingly.


    "If the shoe fits." - The response managed to get a twitching eyebrow from Souji.


    "Haa!? Then lets fight bastard!" - He stood up from his place and yelled at him.


    "What a coincidence my hands have been itching for a good fight!" - Ryutaro stood up and glared at his brother.


    They stood in front of each other with no more than a few fingers in distance. However, before they could finally fight, a pair of voices stopped their quarrel.


    ""Ryutaro/Souji! Do not fight here!"" - Two women stood up from their positions and yelled at the same time.


    They were two young females with brown and blue hair respectively. They both had anger written all over their faces.


    ""But he started it!"" - They turned their heads around and replied.


    ""We don''t care!"" - They answered back.


    "Souji stops fighting right now, or next time you and I spar I won''t hold back at all!" - Xenovia have him an angry glare that managed to scare the man.


    "Ryutaro, you''re supposed to be the mature here! How could you continue a fight you didn''t even start!" - Irina told the man who only lowered his head in shame.


    "Wait! So Souji started the fight?" - Xenovia turned her head around and asked Irina with a small glare.


    Irina wasn''t even bothered by the glare. - "Of course! Do you think Ryutaro would start it?" - Her answer held some sharpness.


    "Ohhh! So it''s going to be like that, huh!" - Xenovia turned her whole body around and leaned forward highlighting some of her assets.


    "Huh? Then how did think it was going to be? Muscle-brain!" - Irina also leaned forward, cutting the distance she had with Xenovia.


    "Who did you call muscle-brain?! Self-proclaimed Angel!" - Xenovia gave a glare to Irina who gave one on her own.


    Sparks could be seen coming off of their eyes. They were just about to fight one against the other.


    The brothers seeing them like that, decided to interfere.


    "Xenovia, please calm down. Please don''t destroy anything..." - Souji said to his girlfriend. A drop of sweat on his cheek.


    "Irina, please. We don''t need another fight between you two." - Ryutaro told his girlfriend as well.


    ""Shut up! Both of you!"" - They turned her heads around and said at the same time, managing to make the two brothers retreat in fear.


    ""Sorry...""- They replied.


    On the other side of the room, basically near the door. A man and a woman watched this with pity in their eyes.


    The man had a mixture of brown and gold hair, giving the atmosphere of a foreigner. His blue eyes held only a trace of pity as he looked at the two men on the other side of the hall. However, his face held no expression whatsoever.


    The woman was completely different to him. She had a head full of golden hair and gentle blue eyes that showed naivety and worry. She kept looking between her two best friends with unsheathed tears in her eyes. Unsure of what to do.


    "Aa..aaa..aaa..." - She kept mumbling uncoordinatedly with both hands on top of her mouth.


    She then turned around and looked at her boyfriend.


    "Ken-san please do something. If things keep going like this then a fight will start again!" - She managed to ask her boyfriend.


    He, on the other hand, only looked at the fight and sweated. The aura they both emitted was huge, if he goes there he won''t come back.


    "Asia, I can''t." - He replied, completely certain of his words.


    The woman puffed her cheeks and looked at him. But the man didn''t respond to that, he only lifted an eyebrow up.


    Near Asia, a young woman could be seen. - "Do not worry Asia-senpai. I''ll tell them." - Her voice sounded emotionless.


    She was short in height with a head full of white hair and hazel toned eyes that seem to shine in the dark.


    She stood up from her comfy seat, stopping her sweet meal, and talked to the two women that just kept fighting.


    "Xenovia-senpai, Irina-senpai. Don''t fight, we have things to do." - That was her only comment.


    The two women turned to look at her and said. - ""But she started it!"" - Clear anger in their voices.


    "Doesn''t matter." - She replied back and sat down on her former location, she kept on munching on the pile of sweets on top of the oak table.


    "Haaa..." - A sigh was heard inside the room.


    Rias had a small headache thanks to their little fight.


    "Thanks, Koneko." - She said to her Rook. - "Xenovia, Irina, we need to go. So stop fighting over something dumb."


    Rias told them as she held a hand against her forehead, extremely tired due to this.


    The women decided to stop fighting and only said that this wasn''t the end of it. Then they sat down on the couch with their arms crossed and their heads turned.


    "Haaa..." - Seeing them like that Rias sighed once again.


    "Ufu-Ufu~" - Akeno that was standing next to her giggled discreetly.


    "Anyway, we need to go to the Underworld right now. We need the Tournament Pieces so that the team could finally be formed!" - Authority filled her voice once again.


    These words managed to excite everyone present, wishing to begin this trip as soon as possible. Even Irina and Xenovia stopped thinking about their recent fight. Their expressions changed to smiles, stars present in their eyes.


    They all started to think about the Tournament itself, wishing for it to begin. The wait was killing them!


    Of course, their reasons to participate in it were different.


    For the males and boyfriends, they just wished to see how amazing this new world they were just recently introduced to, could be.


    They read some stories, some really incredible stories that seemed fake, that thanks to the Library in this house.


    Myths, and Legends about the world. If even 10% of what they read turned out to be true, then everything in the world couldn''t be explained with just words alone!


    Even sometimes, when they were alone with their girlfriends, they would ask about the things they had done. Making then feel awe and respect to all of them. They were the boyfriends of such amazing women!


    However, something caused them to feel envy and even a bit of hatred.


    Hyoudou Issei, that name always managed to make them scowl and glare at an empty space.


    He was someone that did all of that with them! And was even the Protagonist of almost all of the events they told them! They couldn''t believe it! They refused to believe it! How could a guy like him, a perverted dumb brat, turn out to be someone so ridiculous?!


    Fighting against the strongest Youth in Underworld and achieving victory. Fighting against terrorists in separate occasions. Fighting against the Evil-God Loki and defeating him as well.


    Completely destroying an entire Faction of the Khaos Brigade. Crippling the other Faction of the Khaos Brigade by defeating the user of the strongest Longinus and the descendant of a Hero! And so much more!


    They still could remember¡ªwhen they asked Kiba, who the Hakuryuuko actually was. The shock they received when he told them the truth about him, was second only to the first time they discovered who Hyoudou Issei was!


    (How could he be so impressing?! Having a rival and nemesis that''s just like a bad joke of the Heavens?!) - Reiji began to think while looking at his own hands. He bit his lip in frustration, why couldn''t he be like that guy?


    Souji quickly thought of his worst enemy Hyoudou Issei, when the mention of the games was made.


    (That bastard! It''s impossible for him to be like that! It''s a joke!) - His hands turned into fists due to his anger.


    (I won''t believe it! I''ll never will!) - He was in denial.


    Ryutaro looked at his brother. Thanks to seeing the glare he had in his eyes he understood what he was thinking.


    (Hyoudou Issei... Current Sekiryuuttei, War Hero, Saviour of the Three-Biblical Factions, The most abnormal Sekiryuuttei in History, Dragon Slayer...) - He just kept repeating the many titles he has received, at least, the ones he knew.


    Ken stared at the ceiling.


    (So he''s so... abnormal, that even his Rival is as well.) - He felt frustrated. - (Vali Lucifer, a direct descendant of Lucifer himself. The original ''Father of Lies'' and the first to ''Fall''.)


    His thoughts kept going in between the current Sekiryuutei and the Hakuryuukou. Envy clearly present in them.


    Hijama was just feeling a sour taste in his mouth. Seeing his friends and his brothers'' faces he understood them well.


    Every time they talk about the incredible things the Supernatural World had to offer, their minds just went towards that figure.


    That silhouette that seemed to look at them as if mocking them. As if saying that they will never be at his level.


    (Is he such a being? Someone that everyone, even creatures of other Factions care for and respect?) - Hijama was thinking.


    The girls, on the other hand, just kept thinking about finding Issei. That was their goal and the fuel that kept them running during these days.


    Rias and Akeno looked at each other. Unspoken determination inside their eyes.


    Xenovia clutched her fist. The light in her eyes was less bright than before.


    Asia, Ravel, and Irina shared the same thoughts.


    (Ise-san... I pray to the Lord that you''re fine.) - Asia joined her hands and began begging to the Lord for his safety.


    (Issei-sama I wonder where and what you''re doing right now...) - Ravel stared at the ceiling, tears threatened to come out of her eyes but she fought the sensation.


    (Senpai...) - Koneko just kept thinking about her senpai, worried about him.


    However, everyone quickly dispelled their thoughts. Feeling like that won''t solve anything.


    "We should get going." - Rias was the first to speak. Melancholy in her voice.


    She removed the tense environment that this room now had and stood up. A serious and determined expression was on her face.


    But before she could continue the next phase of the plan, everyone felt a familiar presence near the door.


    A woman could be seen walking across the hallway, coming closer to the room.


    Her walking was elegant and her beauty was second to none!


    Rossweisse, after her spar, removed her armor. Instead, a black and grey bodysuit with additional purple pieces was donned on her. Her hair was loose, falling down her back like molten silver, and her blue eyes held a bit of tiredness.


    Both of her stockings were still on her. This time she had no sleeves on her arms, showing her white skin that was similar to snow.


    As she came inside the room everyone stared at her. In a sense, entranced by her beauty.


    The men had blushes on their cheeks and a misty look in their eyes. They averted their eyes from her diabolical figure, afraid of what their girlfriends would do if they saw them like that.


    But all of them had different thoughts in their heads.


    (Wow! She''s definitely beautiful.) - Little Hijama was the purest, only entranced by her beauty that was in a way, indescribable.


    (She''s a bombshell! A complete bombshell! How would others not notice this?!) - Souji screamed inside his head. Almost ripping his hair out in frustration, but managed to control himself.


    (I can''t believe how stunning she is. I envy Hyoudou for capturing her heart. He sure is a lucky man...) - Reiji thought.


    He turned his hand into a fist, angry at the difference between them. Such a beautiful woman was here, waiting for him. She had a brilliant gleam in her eyes every time she talked about the one she loved.


    He was envious as a man and secretly felt even more inferior to him.


    (Haaa... I just don''t know what to say... How could she be so beautiful? A pity she already has someone in her heart, if not, then...) - Ryutaro thought as he kept his line of sight away from Irina.


    Ken had no thoughts, he just blatantly stared at her, a light shining in his eyes.


    "Rossweisse. Did you finished your spar with Kiba?" - Rias asked her Rook.


    Rossweisse just turned her head to look at her.


    With emotionless eyes, she replied back at her as she crossed the main door of the room.


    "Yes, Rias-san. I managed to improve a bit more and won." - Her words surprised everyone, but especially the men inside the room.


    "I see! Amazing Rossweisse! You''ve improved a lot!" - Rias was happy and wasn''t scared of expressing it.


    Rossweisse just nodded her head and continued walking across the room towards the stairs at the end of it.


    "We''re going to get the Pieces for the Tournament. Will you come?" - Rias asked.


    She stopped walking and turned her head around. - "Sorry, Rias-san but I have things to do. An apology, but I need to improve some of my spells." - She lifted the corner of her mouth giving her a small smile to keep appearances.


    "I see..." - She sighed. - "Then how about Kiba?" - She asked once again.


    "He is healing his wounds. So I don''t think he will be coming up for more than an hour or two." - These words, in a sense, shocked the men.


    Kiba was their teacher, and they more-or-less knew of what he was capable of. Suffering a defeat was something they couldn''t imagine. But seeing her face, they knew that she wasn''t boasting.


    "Hmm..." - Rias thought about it, but then gave up.


    (I need to get the Pieces as soon as I can, can''t waste more time.)


    She looked at the Valkyrie and remembered something that they talked with their boyfriends.


    (Haaa... I can''t believe her obvious feelings for Ise would reach the point in which we needed to tell them that Rossweisse is in love with him. The worst part was how proud she was when we told her what we said to them...) - Rias lamented as she began recalling that memory.


    (It''s not the time for that. Need to focus!) - She hit her cheeks and kept her thoughts straight.


    (Gasper is in the Hospital visiting Valerie, he won''t be back until later in the afternoon.) - She thought that going to the Underworld without them would be faster.


    "Then we will go like this." - She told everyone present, making the men nod their heads and the women smile.


    "I see. Then I''m going." - Rossweisse bid farewell and walked across the room, soon leaving and walking up the stairs.


    Unknown to her, and the girls. The men kept watching her until she left. Not missing the sweet movement of her hips and her elegant bearing that managed to make them sigh once again.


    (((((Hyoudou Issei, sure is a lucky man...))))) - They couldn''t help but think like that. Envy overflowing from their thoughts.


    "Ok, everyone! We shall leave." - She yelled and began moving.


    Afterward, she created a blood-red magic circle at the center of the room. Some black could be seen at the outer layer of it and on the insides of the circle, a purple light was present.


    It was big enough to hold all the people inside the room and maybe a bit more. The Gremory Sigil could clearly be seen at the center of it. However, it was different from her usual magic circle.


    It was more profound and definitely more complicated than the usual circle all of the Peerage used.


    Rias walked towards the magic circle and stood at the center of it.


    The rest soon followed without wasting a single second. They didn''t say a thing.


    In a brief flash of light, they all disappeared from the Human World.

 Chapter 55 - 54

    -The Past-


    Kuoh Town.


    The happy laughter of children can be heard, and their guardian/parents are gossiping with each other.


    Issei is an orphan so he comes here with his guardian from the orphanage. (AN: I decided that Issei doesn''t have any parents in the first place.)


    Young Issei can be found playing at the playground with his friends, they are playing hide and seek, Issei is 7 years old right now.


    He decided to hide in the forest because he knows his friends will never check here.


    Then when he got into the forest he saw someone else on the ground, it''s a little girl that seems to be at the same age as him. But there''s something different about the girl, she has a long and wavy dark purple hair, she has a very beautiful face at such a young age, but what''s stands out the most is that she has 2 pair of small horns, one on top of her head pointing upwards while the second pair curved from the side of her head pointing forward. The horns are colored black with a red pattern engraved on it.


    She appears to be wearing a dark purple gothic lolita dress one piece, although it''s kinda torn up here and there and she also has some small wounds all over her body. Her eyes at this moment are closed.


    Issei becomes surprised at first but then he checks on her right away, he shakes her little body gently while asking if she''s okay.


    Issei - Hey! Are you okay?!


    The girl feeling him shaking her body slowly open her eyes. Her beautiful eyes are golden colored.


    ??? - Guh... Human? Did I got transferred to the human territory... This is bad...


    The girl sits up and leaned her back against a tree, although she appears to be wounded here and there it seems her life is not in danger.


    Issei felt relieved that she appears to be okay.


    Issei - Haah... Thank goodness, you seem fine...


    ??? - ...Why do you seem to be relieved?


    Issei - Huh? I mean if someone got hurt it''s obvious to help them right?


    ??? - ...Don''t you know that I''m a Demon?


    Issei - Demon? What''s that? Nevermind that, here, hold on to me. I will carry you out of this place, then we can see a doctor afterward to check on your wounds. Don''t worry, my guardian will surely help you.


    Issei shows him her back signaling her to climb on his back.


    The girl becomes a bit taken aback seeing another person trying to help her even though he''s just a child. Usually, the other children tend to avoid her when they see her, that includes human or demon children as well.


    ??? - ...No need, you better leave now or you will get dragged into trouble as well.


    The girl told Issei to leave her be because she doesn''t want such a pure child to be dragged into her mess.


    Issei - No. The Orphanage teaches me to always help those in need, so I won''t leave you alone here while knowing you''re in need of help right now.


    She becomes taken aback once more hearing his words, she never thought there will be someone who tries to help her and it''s from a human. Even the demons won''t try to help her much less the humans. But this kid...


    Just when she''s about to say something there''s a sudden black portal appeared nearby them.


    From it, there''s a bunch of armored knights coming out. All of them wearing a white knight armor that fully covers their whole body, even their helmet fully cover their entire head.


    All of them have something different, some of them have crow-like wings, some have bat-like wings and some have wings made of fire, ice and many more. But one thing for sure is that they are definitely not human. And all of them are looking straight at the girl.


    ??? - Guh! This is bad! Leave now!


    The girl becomes alarmed after seeing the newcomers and she screams at Issei to leave now but her scream made them launch an attack at her.


    Issei who saw that instinctively covered the girl beside her with his own body.


    *Puchi*


    Issei - ...


    He got stabbed with one of their attacks while trying to cover the girl, he coughed out blood covering the girl''s face with it.


    The girl mind becomes blank after feeling his blood on her face, and when she looks up to see the boy''s face she saw him smiling at her.


    Issei - ...Heheh... I''m glad you''re still okay...


    After saying that he drops down to the ground while still having a smile on his face with his eyes closed.


    The girl who saw that screamed out loud in anger and her whole body is covered with a black aura, and that made the newcomers become wary at her.


    ??? - AAAAAAAAAHHH!


    She launches herself at them while her whole body is covered with the black aura. And the moment her hand touched one of them, that person screamed in agony and a few moments later he dropped down becoming mummified.


    When they saw that they instantly become terrified.


    Knight 2 - Don''t let her touch you! Attack from the distan- GWAAAAAAH!!!


    One of them tries to give a command but the girl appeared right in front of him and grabbed his head with her small hand.


    The rest of them panicked when seeing one of their allies died once again, so they started launching their attack on the girl but every time the attack touched her aura it disappeared into thin air.


    Knight 3 - Don''t use magic attack! She can absorb mana! Use a physical attack!


    Knight 4 - B-But if she touches us then we will die!


    Knight 5 - We have no choice! We have already come this far, in a few moments her personal bodyguard will come and it will make it harder for us to kill her! Attack!


    Then each of them draws their sword, spear, bows, etc. Trying to kill her with it, but the girl nimbly avoid each of the incoming attacks and she uses their allies body to hide from some of the incoming attacks.


    Her small body gave her the advantage to make them harder to land a hit on her, and before they even know it there''s only a few of them left.


    Knight 6 - S-Shit! I didn''t come here to die! I''m leaving!


    Knight 7 - Wait! You coward!


    Knight 8 - I-I''m sorry but I don''t want to die as well!


    All of them tries to run away but every time they tried to make another portal it always fail.


    Knight 9 - W-Why we can''t make another portal! Hiiii! Stay awa- GAAAAAAAAH!


    They become even more terrified after knowing they can''t create another portal to escape, and when they try to run out of the forest they find out they are within a barrier.


    Knight 10 - Wh-What?! Just when did she make this barrier!


    ??? - You all won''t escape... None of you will!


    The girl''s eyes glow brightly and her golden eye has a tinge of red on it, her white sclera also turned black as well.


    Knights - GOEEEEEH!/ HUAAAAHHH!/ GYAAAAAAH!


    All of them scream in agony feeling the pain they went through right now. Feeling their very own life force and mana being drained of their body is excruciatingly painful.


    Finally, all of them died an agonizing death, and the area went silent after that.


    The girl dropped down coughing up blood as well because she just used a lot of mana just now along with her own life force. And if this continues she will die as well sooner or later...


    ??? - ...Heh, how laughable... To think that I''m gonna ended up this way...


    Then the girl drags her body towards Issei''s.


    ??? - ...I guess I will be joining you soon enough...


    The girl silently looks at Issei''s face and looking at how serene his face is even on his deathbed is making her own heart feels hurt for the first time. She never felt anything before this because of her past.


    Its either kill or be killed at her place back home.


    She slumped down at Issei''s side and keep looking at his face, she touches his face gently.


    ??? - ...How foolish of you...


    The moment her hand touches his face something happened. There''s a resonance between their soul.


    ??? - What?!


    And before she even knows it their soul is linked together.


    ??? - ...I see... To think you have such huge <Life> aura for a human and you seem to possess a Dragon bloodline within you as well... I guess you saved me once more... Heheh, what a funny twist of fate. Me the great Forzelotte Savant the current Supreme Overlord of the Demonkin being saved by a human and he''s still a child... What a mysterious being you are...


    She smiled from the bottom of her heart for the first time in her entire life. She never thought she will find her soulmate here. And he''s a human at that too.


    After having their soul linked together her body stabilized along with Issei, their body regenerates at a visible rate. Issei''s hole wound close themselves soon after.


    Forzelotte - Umu. It seems you''re gonna be fine, but I will need to put a seal on you so my mana inside you won''t go berserk.


    She put her hands on top of Issei''s forehead to put a seal on him. Its mark is the same as when Issei get the <Orb of Life> in the future, a diamond-shaped mark but without the dragon wings around it.


    Forzelotte - Good. It''s done.


    Issei slowly opened his eyes and he looks at her.


    Forzelotte - ...What''s your name?


    Issei - ...Issei...


    Forzelotte - Umu... My name is Forzelotte Savant... Well, you won''t remember that until you''re 18 though. Just go back to rest for now...


    Then like he''s in some sort of spell Issei passed out once more.


    That mark will seal his memory of this ever happening and the seal will only be released when his age become 18 years old. But because she has never done this before she kinda messes something up...


    When he wakes up, Issei will have a memory where he met an "Old man" who shows him the Glory of Oppai, and he becomes super perverted because of it. So the mystery of why Issei becomes so perverted before was because of her. And his soul also affected because of it so his face looks average to the others around him.


    Forzelotte - I expect great things from you in the future... Danna-sama(Husband)... Fufufu, how intriguing... I never felt so happy before in my entire life, and you''re the only one who can make me feel this way.


    He touched his face gently.


    Then there''s another portal created nearby, and the one who comes out of it is Forzelotte''s personal bodyguard.


    Bodyguard 1 - Forzelotte-sama! Are you alright?!


    Bodyguard 2 - Please forgive our incompetence! We never thought Lord Cuvar will betray you like that!


    All of them kneeled at her direction and felt relieved that she''s okay.


    Forzelotte took back her smile and her face turned cold once more while facing her subordinates.


    Forzelotte - ...Hmph. I will kill Cuvar myself! And as for your punishment... We''ll see when we get back.


    Bodyguards - Ha! As you wish!


    They sweated profusely thinking they''re gonna be punished later, then they saw Issei''s body.


    Bodyguard 1 - A human?


    Forzelotte - ...He''s no mere human, he''s my soulmate. And he also saved me...


    Bodyguards - ?!


    The bodyguards become surprised hearing that but then they congratulated her.


    Bodyguards - Congratulations, Forzelotte-sama for finding your soulmate!


    They don''t dare to ask her why a mere human becomes her soulmate or how did he save her in the first place. For them, as long she''s happy then that''s all that matter.


    They don''t want to earn more of her ire and get punished even harsher because of it.


    Forzelotte - Umu. On account that I have finally found my soulmates, I won''t punish you heavily.


    The bodyguards become ecstatic hearing that and they thanked her profusely and also thanked Issei silently as well.


    Forzelotte - Tojo, I need you to do something for me.


    Tojo is one of her personal bodyguards, he has a spiky green hair with 2 horns pointed upward at his forehead.


    Tojo - At your command!


    Forzelotte - I want you to make sure he gets back safely. After that find some good family and have them adopt him.


    Tojo - Understood!


    Forzelotte - ...I will come and get you when you turned 18, Danna-sama... Until then. Wait for me...


    Then she gives Issei a kiss on the forehead right at the mark she gave him. And that mark disappear right after, it''s still there but it''s just hidden from plain sight.


    Forzelotte - Then, let''s go find Cuvar.


    Bodyguards - Ha!


    And with that, she disappeared into the portal after taking one last look at Issei who''s in Tojo''s arm.


    When Issei woke up he only remembered he met an old man who shows him the glory of Oppai so he turned super perverted because of it, and a few days later he''s adopted by the Hyoudou family. But sadly when he turned 14 his adopted parents died. (AN: I decided to have his parents died)


    He has some inheritance from his adopted parents so he''s living well enough. And after he graduated from middle-school he entered Kuoh Academy, where he meets Rias and co.


    Too bad Rias and the others didn''t wait until he turned 18, because that''s when his seal become undone and he will transform to the current him. (AN: As in the new Issei after he reborn into a Dragon, all badass and strong as fck)


    Tojo returned after he confirmed Issei''s going to be okay because it will garner too much attention having a high-class demon like him watching a single human.


    Forzelotte found Cuvar soon enough and he died an agonizing death just like his men, even his soul is not spared and absorbed by her. For a Demon like her, it''s quite easy to devour a soul and she also won''t get any backlash from doing it.


    Her body returned to its former state after absorbing Cuvar''s power.


    Her body got turned from a child body into that of an adult. Her face becomes even more mesmerizing, her skin is flawless white, her body becomes bountiful and curvaceous as well. Her horn also got longer, there''s another set of horns coming out from her back circling around her waist. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/softhousechara/images/c/c8/BBunny_charas.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150107125543 She''s the one with the purple hair and Tojo is the green haired dude.)


    Forzelotte - Finally, I have regained my power... Now to clean up the rest of the traitors...


    And with that Forzelotte Savant, the current Supreme Overlord returned on her reign, and she obliterated every traitor''s factions. She consolidated her standings on the Demon realm, even the Celestial realm also affirmed her standings, along with the Human realm.


    ...


    When she just need to wait 1 more year to have her soulmate besides her she felt something went wrong. She felt like his soul suddenly become so corrupted at an alarming rate and that scared her so much until her face went pale white but then her aura went berserk.


    This is happening when Issei trying to get the evil pieces which are corrupting him after he found out Rias and co. betrayal.


    Forzelotte - WHO?! JUST WHO DARE TRYING TO CORRUPT HIS SOUL!


    Her fury can be felt even across the 3 realms and every demon in the area kneeled down while shivering in terror that caused by her fury. While the other 2 realms shivered in trepidation.


    Just when she''s about to go to Issei''s place on her own, she felt his soul stabilized and become even purer than before and that make her taken aback. Her berserk aura calmed down right away, and she sighed in relief knowing he will be fine.


    She''s wondering on why was that happening in the first place, she felt a change in Issei''s soul after he became a Dragon.


    Forzelotte - ...His Dragon bloodline awakening?


    She thought what just happened is caused by the awakening of his Dragon bloodline. She felt even prouder after knowing he awakened his Dragon bloodline.


    Soon her subordinates come before her to ask her what''s wrong just now. She dismissed them that it''s just a false alarm.


    She felt like the seal he''s giving him weakening day by day but that''s normal because he almost turned 18, so when Issei obtained the <Orb of Life> his seal unknowingly has become undone and he remembered a bit about his childhood and Forzelotte overlooked this so she doesn''t realize that the seal has become undone.


    Forzelotte - ...It''s almost time... I wonder how is he right now. I hope he''ll remember me at least...


    She smiled for the future when they gonna reunite once again.


    Issei remembered meeting a little girl but that''s about it, he felt weird remembering how he "died" before. He thought it was just a dream...


    -Back to the present-


    Upon her arrival at the castle in the Kingdom of Eden, Riche waved around the letter from the King of El Quixote as she ran to the throne room while dragging Issei''s hand.


    Issei - No need to rush, Riche...


    Riche - What are you talking about?! This is another country''s recommendation. Once we hand this over, you will certainly, absolutely, obviously, get promoted!


    She let go of Issei''s hand while cheerfully rotating in place while saying that.


    Issei - Err... That''s good, I guess? But still...


    Riche was so delighted as though it was her that''s being promoted and Issei can only smile wryly at her antics, and along the way to the throne room, Issei keeps getting the looks by the maids and noble ladies of the castle.


    All of them blushed to see Issei and some of them even try to take a picture of him but only to be glared by Kathryn.


    Issei - Hm?


    ??? - Riche~ Oh?


    Issei bumped into someone at the throne room entrance. It''s a beautiful, smiling woman who just bumped into him.


    She''s a mature woman who seems to be in her twenties and she has a long light blonde hair and dark green eyes. She also has a flower on top of her hair just like the one Riche''s has. Her body is very slim but also curvaceous and plentiful, whether it''s her breasts or her butt. She wears what appear to be a white Saintess garb that tied with a black colored belt with a golden outline. (AN: https://alicesoft.fandom.com/wiki/Croix_Eden?file=Croix-portrait.png Her picture, sorry I''m honestly bad at describing people attire, appearance sure I can manage but not attire

 Chapter 56 - 55

    Issei - This is our home. Meaning it''s also your home now.


    Kathryn - I-I see... Not a bad house.


    Invited to the home, Kathryn restlessly looked around, but her mind didn''t register anything she saw.


    Kathryn - ''Hrrm... What do I do? The time''s finally come. M-My first time... Should I bathe first? Or do you do that after?''


    She''s feeling really nervous right now because she''s about to have her first time tonight.


    Issei - Come on, let''s go in.


    Kathryn - S-Sure...


    But before Issei could turn the doorknob, the door was thrown open from the inside.


    Tio - Welcome home, Ise! I''m glad you made it back okay. Tilt is also glad that you''re fine.


    Tilt - ...Um... Welcome back...


    Issei - Ah. I''m back, Tio, Tilt.


    Tio smiles happily at his words while Tilt is hiding behind her but her face is blushing right now.


    Kathryn - Huh? Oh, right. You two must be Tio and Tilt.


    Riche - Yup, they are the one we''ve told you about before.


    Gurigura - I''m hungry!


    Tio - Partially to celebrate your promotion today, I prepared a feast.


    Issei - Oh, you didn''t need to do that much.


    Tio - It wasn''t much, Riche and Ramius told me where I can buy delicious pre-cooked meals.


    Issei - ...Oh.


    Issei sweated thinking she''s the one who cooked it but apparently not.


    Tio - Oh? Ise, do you assume all women can cook?


    Riche - Of course, he doesn''t. Ise''s more progressive than that.


    Ramius - Besides which, cooking is an extremely rare, special talent that has to be granted to you by Mother Eve.


    Issei - Err... No it''s not.


    But all of them just ignored his words.


    Gurigura - I love the pizza they have! But I like Ise-nii''s cooking more of course!


    Tio - Oh, I didn''t know that you can cook, Ise?


    Issei - Ah, yeah I could.


    Riche - His cooking is out of this world, even I think it''s unfair for a man to be able to make food more delicious than us girls...


    Ramius - Um. Indeed...


    Tio - Really? Then I love to have a taste of your cooking soon, Ise.


    Issei - Sure.


    Kathryn - ...


    Tio - Oh, who''s that?


    Riche - Kath, our new family member. She''ll be living with us from now on.


    Tio - Oh, is that so? A pleasure to meet you. I''m Tio and this here is Tilt.


    Tilt - ...Hi.


    Kathryn - Mhm, yeah... G-Good to meet you too.


    Issei - Well, let''s not stand at the entrance and head inside.


    Then they all head inside and Issei went to prepare some side dishes to go along with the pre-cooked food. After all, it will be a waste to throw the food Tio ordered.


    Riche - Now, time to eat a bunch and drink some tasty wine!


    Issei - Right on.


    Riche - But no wine for you today, Ise!


    Issei - Eh? Why?


    Riche - N-No particular reason.


    Ramius - U-Umu. I agree with Riche.


    Both Ramius and Riche blushed deeply thinking about before. Issei doesn''t really mind either way though, as long as he can eat with his wives he''s content already.


    Ramius is tempted to experience it again but she knows today is not the time for that. It''s Kath''s night after all and she doesn''t want to see her friend become broken just from her first night...


    Both Tio and Kath is confused about why he''s not allowed to drink wine, but Gurigura smiled wryly because she knows why they don''t let Issei drink wine.


    Thus, Issei spent a nice time with Kath and his family. Both Tio and Kath become stupefied and shed tears of joy after tasting the food that Issei made.


    Kath prefers light dishes though so she doesn''t really eat that much.


    ...


    Issei is sitting down at his bed relaxing, thinking back on the enjoyable dinner, and basked in the joy he felt.


    Issei - Heheh, it''s so fulfilling to have dinner with your family, huh...


    He smiled gently while looking at the ceiling thinking how happy he is right now.


    But then Issei remembered Kath having been abnormally quiet during dinner.


    Issei - She didn''t eat or drink much... Maybe the new home and environment making her anxious?


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Issei - Hm? Come in.


    Kathryn - U-Um... I-I''m here...


    Issei - ...Kath?


    Kathryn slowly opens the door and she''s blushing while looking at the ground so as to avoid eye contact with Issei. She''s only in her lingerie at this moment and Issei who saw that becomes wide-eyed.


    She''s wearing white babydoll lingerie that accentuated her beauty even more. Even though she has modest breasts but that just make her figure more enchanting in a certain way, she doesn''t tie her hair like she used to and just let her hair down flowing freely pass her shoulder. Issei is lost in his thoughts while appreciating her beauty right now.


    Kathryn - I-Is it okay if I come to you? I don''t really know how this all works...


    Issei - Uh, oh. Yeah, sure. I don''t mind, come in.


    Issei come back to his senses and he finally knows why she''s so quiet during dinner, she''s about to consummate their marriage that''s why.


    Kathryn timidly entered the room, sat on the bed, and nervously spoke to Issei.


    Kathryn - Um... So y''know, I talk myself up a lot, but considering all your experience with Riche and the other girls, I''m not sure I can keep up...


    Issei who heard that smiled gently at her.


    Issei - That''s okay, I''ll be sure to be gentle with you.


    Kathryn - Th-Thank you... They say it''s going to be hurt on the first time.


    Issei - Ah... I''ll try to make it as pleasant an experience for you as I can.


    Kathryn - Y-You''re really accustomed to this, don''t you...


    She pouted her cheek adorably, Issei can only smile wryly at her because he can''t deny her words at all. He only has himself to blame because of how often he had sex with Riche and co...


    Issei - Well... I''ll try to hold back since this is your first time after all. I won''t take your time until morning but you can stay here with me if you want though.


    Kathryn - UNTIL MORNING?!


    Issei - O-Ou. I do have sex until morning with the other girls before but if it''s you I can make an exception.


    Kathryn - N-No need! You can do as you wish with me!


    Issei - I-If you say so then...


    Issei felt a bit taken aback at just how competitive she is.


    Kathryn - U-Un!... Please take care of me...


    After saying that Kathryn lies down vulnerably on his bed, she gazed at Issei with yearning in her eyes.


    Kathryn - N-Now. I''m ready, bring it on!


    Issei who heard that went towards her and before she even knows it he already took off all his clothes.


    Kathryn - S-SO FAST!


    Although she has to admit she really like seeing his perfect body once more.


    Issei gets on top of Kathryn and asked her.


    Issei - ...Ready, Kath?


    Kathryn - W-Wait!


    Issei - Hm?


    Kathryn - ...Are you sure you want me as your w-wife? I mean... Everyone calls me a weirdo, I''m more or less a jobless shut-in, and I''m not a good person in any way... And my only good point is that I''m a <Zero Knight> but even that is only a mere title... I know you will surpass me soon enough...


    She averted her eyes while saying that.


    Issei smiled gently at her then he stroke her cheeks gently. Kathryn who felt his touch felt her body stiffen and she look towards Issei''s face. And all she sees inside his eyes are infinite gentleness and passion he has for her, just from his gaze she could tell just how much he loves her.


    Issei - Kath, I don''t think you''re a bad person. I mean, all those Knights loved you.


    Kathryn - Ise...


    Issei - And I do love you, Kath. How about you? Do you love me?


    Kathryn - ...Honestly. I''ve never even been in love, so I don''t know. But I am interested in you, that much is true...


    Issei - Then why don''t we find out?


    Kathryn - Find out how?


    Issei flashed a mischevious smirk and bend down his head to her ear.


    Issei - Through sex, of course

 Chapter 57 - 56

    Issei and his wives decided to take it easy a few days. He trained each of them his <Haki> skills.


    They just need a bit more polishing and they should be able to master the basic of it. Ramius seems to be able to master the basic of <Armament Haki> soon enough because she can also use Qi. At this point she can cover her hand with a dense qi that come close to <Haki> density.


    He teaches Riche a few magic skills, like <Light of Saber>. She apparenly has talent on learning it probably because she is Croix little sister which enables her to learn light magic quite easily. She is very happy after learning a new magic from Issei.


    Issei brought Tio to the Bigbux Company to become the new CEO and King Ben along with his nephew General Pancho is very welcoming towards them. The public only knows that Bigbux Company belongs to El Quixote and not Issei yet.


    The Kalars treated Tio with a lot of respect and that''s kind of making her feel a bit awkward. They even set a hidden guard for her and Issei appreciate it a lot. He gave both Tio and Lorenzo a transmitter device so they can contact him in case something happened.


    Then Lorenzo and Mertel invited Issei for a feast, and he gladly obliged to their invitation as thanks for everything they''ve done so far. Riche''s eyes shine hearing they gonna invite them to a feast, and she flashed a sly grin.


    Riche - Ehehehe... All according to plan...


    Ramius and co feel weird about why she''s suddenly acting like this. But soon they know why...


    Lorenzo - Here you go, Issei-sama. This is the best wine we have, it took us quite a while but we''ve finally obtained it just for you.


    Lorenzo served Issei the best wine they have to Issei. And Mertel smiled as well seeing that, both her and Lorenzo serves Issei from each side.


    Mertel at his right, while Lorenzo at his left.


    Mertel - Don''t hold back and drink as many as you want, my king.


    Issei - Ah. Thank you.


    Then Issei drank the wine he''s been offered by the Kalars.


    Issei - Oh... This indeed tastes good.


    Lorenzo - We''re glad that you liked it. Here, have some more.


    Issei drank another glass of wine, and this wine alcohol percentage is quite high as well.


    Issei - Ou. Gladly... And... I... Errrh...


    Issei suddenly slumped down on his chair.


    Lorenzo & Mertel - I-Issei-sama?!/My King?!


    Both of them panicked seeing him suddenly slumped down on his chair like that.


    Riche who''s been observing them so far know that it''s time.


    Riche - Ehehehe~ Now you shall feel the terror of the drunk Issei!


    Ramius - Hah! Don''t tell me... You''re the one who told them to serve wine to Ise, Riche?!


    Gurigura - Uwaaah... This is gonna be messy...


    Kathryn - Hmm? What do you mean? What''s wrong about him being drunk?


    Tio - Un, I''m also wondering about that. Back at home, you didn''t let him drink any wine either. Why is that?


    Riche - Khu khu khu...


    Ramius - ...This is bad...


    Gurigura - The thing is... When Ise-nii got drunk, he turned into a wild beast...


    Kathryn - Huh? You mean he gonna transform into a dragon or something?


    Gurigura - Umm... No. He will turn into a sex beast...


    Kathryn & Tio - Eh?


    When they both become stupefied they heard a scream.


    *Rattle!*


    Mertel - Kyahn! M-My king?


    They saw Issei suddenly standing up straight and pushed Mertel down into the table. Now her ass is facing Issei''s direction.


    Issei suddenly stripped all of his clothes and his magnificent body and dragon rod down there are exposed to everyone in the hall.


    Every single Kalar present become wide-eyed seeing his magnificent body and their face blushed deeply in arousal, and that includes Mertel who''s under Issei as well. She licked her lips seductively seeing his rod down there.


    Mertel - Ara ara~ Our King sure is one of a kind even down there he''s so majestic~ Now my King do you want to taste my body? Then please do so if you want.?


    She shifted her lower robe down there and she doesn''t wear any underwear at all, meaning she''s been going full commando all this time. Her plain pussy is exposed as well and Issei suddenly thrust his dick inside her all the way in.


    Mertel - Aaah... Ah... It''s in... Aaaahn!?


    Once his dick''s inside her, she squeezes like a vice and refuses to let him pull it out. Issei instinctively slapped her butt to make her ease up.


    Mertel - Mmm... M-My king... HAAHN!?


    The moment she eased her grip he started pumping his hips intensely.


    Mertel - Aaaah! Ahn! Aaah! Haah! W-Wait My Ki- Haaahn! Ahh!?


    Mertel never felt like this before, she can''t even manage to speak out a proper sentence from the way he thrust in and out of her.


    The sound of their skin slapping together resounded on the now silent hall. And every Kalars who watched their lovemaking session feeling aroused to the max as well, they never heard their Queen begging for mercy before, especially during sex.


    Because it''s usually the other way around who are begging her to stop. They can''t even start to imagine just what she''s feeling right now to make her beg like that.


    All of them unconsciously started touching themselves to ease up the heat they are feeling right now.


    Even Lorenzo who''s nearby Issei and Mertel also started touching her body.


    Lorenzo - I-Issei-sama... How envious...


    She blushed deeply seeing them and her eyes clouded in lust as well just like the rest of the Kalars.


    Kathryn and Tio become stupefied seeing Issei like that, they never know this side of him before. And to be honest they felt hot as well inside after seeing him like that.


    Riche just keeps grinning slyly, while Ramius started feeling hot as well watching them. Gurigura is just smiling wryly.


    Mertel - Aaaah! Ahn! Ahn! Aaah! Haaaaahn!?


    *PAK!* *PAK!* *PAK!*


    The chorus of those sounds and her moans continue in an enjoyable back and forth.


    Mertel - Ah! Ah! Ah! I-I-Issei-sama! My King! Haaaaaaahn!?


    Feeling the way he rubs his dick against her most sensitive place make her go nuts with pleasure. She orgasms with a huge cry.


    Mertel - Aaah! Ah! Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!?


    Her pussy convulses and her juices spill out of her. As she keeps cumming, Issei still doesn''t stop his humping against her pussy. He keeps thrusting in and out at a steady pace but every time he thrust inside her pussy it always aimed at her most sensitive place. Precise and accurately.


    It''s like he knows instinctively just where her sensitive place is the moment he went inside her.


    Mertel - P-Please wait my King! I-I just cam- Aahhhhnn! I''m cumming agaiiiinnnn! Aaaaaaaah!?


    She climaxes once more, and their cycle continues.


    Issei grabs ahold of her chin from behind and made her turned her face sideways to give her a deep kiss. While his other hand grabbed one of her breasts and gave it a squeeze.


    Mertel - Mmmhn! Mmm, Mmn, Mhmmhh!?


    Mertel who felt that felt like her mind turned blank and that makes her body shivered in pleasure. The amount of juices that keeps squirting from her pussy is making a giant puddle under her feet. It keeps overflowing because she hasn''t stopped cumming ever since her first orgasm.


    Even now she''s still cumming over and over again, her eyes rolled upwards and her face looks like a total slut right now with her tongue sticking out and Issei''s sucking her tongue like an animal.


    Mertel - Hooeh! Hoahhhnnn!?


    After what it feels like an eternity, Issei finally let out his first ejaculation deep inside Mertel womb.


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    She can''t even moan properly feeling the hot semen that flooded her womb, some of them even overflow from her pussy into the floor where her pussy juices puddle is.


    Mertel - Aaaaahhh... My... King...?


    The moment Issei''s semen went inside her womb she felt a huge amount of energy channeled throughout her whole body. And the blue gem at her forehead glows brightly, after a few seconds it''s color turned golden.


    After that Mertel passed out on the table with a silly smile on her face while her body occasionally twitching every few seconds.


    Issei took out his dick from inside Mertel and that makes the rest of the semen inside her gushed outside like a small waterfall.


    His dick is still hard as a diamond even after he let out such a huge amount of semen just now. All the Kalars who saw that felt even more aroused than ever and all of them started stripping their clothes to get close to Issei.


    Lorenzo who''s the closest to Issei offered herself into him while being fully naked.


    Lorenzo - Issei-sama... Please enjoy my body as well...


    The moment she finished saying that, Issei pulled Lorenzo and set her next to Mertel while facing his way.


    Because she keeps touching herself while watching Issei and Mertel lovemaking session. She''s already very wet so it enables for a smooth entrance of Issei''s penis deep inside her.


    Lorenzo - Aaaaah! I-Issei-sama is inside me... I''m so happy... Haahn! Haah, haaah, ah! ?


    Then he also enjoys Lorenzo body as well, even though it''s her first time it doesn''t feel hurt at all, and in no time Lorenzo reaches her first orgasm and she felt like she''s in heaven right now.


    The sheer pleasure almost makes her go mad and making her unable to think straight.


    Lorenzo - Haah, haah, haahhnn! C-Cumming, cumming cumming cumm-, Hmmmmhhhhh!!! ???


    Her mouth is plugged by Issei''s lips and she utters a silent scream from her throat. Her modest breast sway back and forth from the intensity of Issei''s humping.


    Kathryn - C-Crazy... Wait, what are you guys doing?!


    Ramius - Hrrm? Waiting for my turn of course.


    Riche - Yup. It feels crazy good being fucked by Ise when he''s in that state you know?


    Gurigura - Eheheh, I want to feel it as well.


    Kathryn and Tio blushed deeply during the whole ordeal and then Kath saw Ramius and co are already naked as well and are heading towards Issei who''s still humping his hips with reckless abandon on Lorenzo.


    After both Tio and Kath saw the faces of both Mertel and Lorenzo right now which shows the pure ecstasy being fucked silly by Issei. They hesitated for a second before they also took off their clothes and head towards Issei direction as well.


    After that, the Orgy started... Issei makes each of them fainted from the pure pleasure they are feeling and every Kalars swarmed towards Issei like a moth to a flame.


    On that day every people who passed by the Kalar Forest could hear a faint moaning sound coming from deep inside the forest and when they thought the Kalars are back collecting semen, they hurriedly tried to head towards the voice.


    But the forest blocks their way and they ended up in the Lost Woods. They keep going in a circle while still hearing the moaning sounds in the background and that is a torture for them because they felt so aroused just from hearing that but they have no one to jack them off until they saw another man...


    On that day there are some gay couples are born in El Quixote... But that''s a story for another time.


    The Orgy went on until the next day, every woman whether it''s Riche and co. Or the Kalars are sprawled around the ground. And the whole room reeks with sex scent.


    Issei can be found sitting at the throne while there''s someone going up and down on his crotch.


    Issei - ...Hrrm... What... Did I fell asleep?


    Issei slowly opened his eyes and muttered lowly while rubbing his forehead.


    ??? - Haahn, haah, ahn! I-Issei-sama... Issei-sama! ?


    *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!*


    Issei - ...


    Issei felt speechless seeing a woman going up and down on his crotch and he started thinking how come this happened in the first place. He looked around and all he sees is a group of women sprawled on the ground while their body seems to be covered in a white liquid.


    He saw Riche and co. sprawled nearby him as well and their pussy is gushing out a white liquid even now. He rubbed his forehead thinking just what the heck happened just now... He knows from the scent of the white liquid that it belongs to him. It''s his own sperm after all.


    He doesn''t remember anything that happened after he drunk the wine Lorenzo offered.


    Issei - ...What the hell happened here...


    The woman stopped her hips after hearing his words.


    ??? - Aah... You''re awake... Issei-sama?


    Issei - U-Um. Can you tell me what''s going on here? And... Who are you?


    The girl who keeps going up and down on Issei''s penis just now has a long black hair and there''s a pink horn pointing upwards appearing on top of her head. She has a very beautiful face and body, her breasts are quite big and her eyes are colored pink as well. There''s a small black crow-like wing on her back and it''s quite beautiful as well, even more beautiful than the wings of a fallen angel from his world. Her ears are also elongated but not as long as the Kalars, all of her assets make her look quite exotic and unique. (AN: https://softhousechara.fandom.com/wiki/Bunny_Black_2?file=Bblack2_chara_%281%29.jpg Her appearance is the girl with pink outfit, your beloved Ekate boisss~).


    Issei thought he felt some familiarities with this woman but he doesn''t know why.


    ??? - Eh? Oh, certainly, Issei-sama. What happened was...


    Then she told him what happened after he suddenly slumped down the chair.


    Issei felt totally speechless after hearing her report... You mean he did all this while he''s drunk or something? He smiled wryly to himself while thinking, ''To think I''m capable of doing all this... There''s like more than a 1000 Kalars here... And Riche is the one who suggested this idea, huh... Well, I would''ve punished her if she''s not already passed out over there... *Sigh* What''s done is done I guess... I am their king after all...''.


    Issei - Then... Are you saying you''re Lorenzo?


    Lorenzo - Yes, Issei-sama? After I received your seed inside me, I started my rebirth process soon after. Probably because I was still a virgin until recently my rebirth process is quite quick as well.


    Issei - I-I see...


    Her new personality makes him quite surprised because the Lorenzo he knows acts quite reserved and shy, but the new her has a more cheerful personality it seems. Well, Mertel already told him about the change in personalities when they are reborn as devil or angel so it''s no wonder her personality changed.


    Issei - Then what happened to the gem on your forehead?


    Lorenzo - Hmm? Oh, it changed into this horn you see.


    She pointed at her pink horn on top of her head.


    Issei - Oh...


    Lorenzo - Ummm... Issei-sama.


    Issei - What''s wrong?


    Lorenzo - If it''s not too much can you give me a new name?


    Issei - Eh? Don''t you already have one?


    Lorenzo - Well, It''s another tradition from our culture that every Kalars who underwent a process of rebirth may get a new name from our King. It''s fine to not change it but it will make me a lot happier to get a new name from you, Issei-sama~

 Chapter 58 Notice

    @@


    My God sorry guys on this 7 days I will be very busy because of my parents visiting my grandparents at Jakarta.


    So my schedule is even more jam-packed because I need to make an extra portion of raw noodles and meatballs for 2 restaurants of ours.


    So by the time I''m done making them I''m dead tired. I mean I finished making them at 4 PM from 10 AM and at 6 PM I need to be a cashier again until 10 PM. By the time I was done working I''m so exhausted

 Chapter 59 - 57

    While they were looking for a spot to take off they saw a giant purplish squid nearby a cliff. For some reason, the squid has a leg of a human on it''s lower body...


    Issei - Hm? What''s that?


    Riche - What?... Ah! That''s a king squidman!


    Kathryn - Oh, you''re right.


    Ramius - The rumors said that they are a very rare ingredient.


    Gurigura - And taste very tasty too!


    Issei - Oh, is that so? Then I''ll get it.


    Issei makes a quick work of the squidman before it tries to jump into the ocean, he throws away the human legs part though because no matter what he won''t eat that part nor will he let his wives eat it either. Just the squid part is enough...


    ...


    Issei - How about around there- hmm?


    When they found the spot to take off Issei pointed to a somewhat open area and asked Kathryn but then he saw something wrong in the distance.


    Gurigura - A ship''s being attacked by monsters! The passengers are fighting back, but it doesn''t look good...


    Riche - We need to help them quick!


    Issei - You guys get on the hot air balloon, I''ll go on my own.


    After he said that Issei jumped into the sea and he ran across the water surface.


    Gurigura - W-Woah... Ise-nii sure is great...


    Ramius - Umu... To think he can run on top of the water.


    Riche - Just like the ninja on my manga!


    Kathryn - This is not the time to feel awe!


    The party rushed to get the hot air balloon ready, then flew off into the sky.


    When Issei arrived at the scene there are so many wounded people in the vicinity and he hurriedly kills every monster in sight at a fast speed and apparently, there''s some Outlaws as well but Issei killed them all.


    The wounded people cheered at him when he killed all the monsters and Outlaws around them.


    Then he heard a loud scream of a woman. And he noticed that voice, it''s Natal''s.


    Natal - EEEEEEEEK?! Let go of me you mindless monster brute!


    She appears to be captured by tentacles with her skirt pulled up, Natal shouted at the monster known as a Jellyfish MK II.


    But all of her screamings is useless against a monster who can''t understand human speech.


    The tentacles constricted even more tightly against her body and it almost made her pass out because of it.


    And the tentacles made its way towards her genitals and the thought of it taking her chastity away frightened her so much that she finally let go of her pride and ask for help.


    Natal - Someone... Someone help me... Aah, please help me!


    Just before Natal was overcome by despair, the countless tentacles were severed setting her free.


    Natal - Eek!


    She dropped down from the air and somebody catches her fall.


    Issei - Good, looks like I made it.


    Natal - Y-You''re... Wait! The Monster!


    Issei - Don''t worry.


    Natal - What do you mean?! That monster is still- Eh?


    When she looked behind them she thought the Jellyfish might still be alive but its body is in pieces already. That Jellyfish monster is known for their regeneration but it seems even it can''t regenerate after being cut to pieces like that.


    Natal - W-When did you...


    She never saw how did Issei manage to do that in just a few seconds. Even she struggles to fight that monster, but he can kill it in an instant.


    Issei - Are you hurt anywhere?


    Natal - E-Eh? No... I don''t think- Ouch!


    She twinges in pain at her ankle and it is quite bruised.


    Issei - Hmm, it seems that you twisted your ankle. If you don''t mind I could carry you to the nearby city. I also saved the passengers and knights who were with you back then, they are wounded but it''s nothing fatal from what I''ve seen so far. Don''t worry about them, my wives should be arriving at this moment and took control of the situation over there. You can take it easy for now.


    Natal - ...U-Un... Th-Thank you...


    Natal blushed to see his face up close so she averted her face while conveying her gratitude in a low voice. She never had any man that could take control of the situation like Issei before. Usually, it''s her who''s in command.


    Issei - Oh? So you can say thank you after all.


    Natal - Wh-What do you mean?! I know how to be grateful you know?! A-Also... I grant you the permission of simply calling me Natal, no titles or honors necessary.


    She pouted at him and then she tries to act prideful like always by saying she allows him to call her name without any honorifics.


    Issei chuckled at her words because he thought her pride won''t let her say gratitude towards someone else but apparently, he''s wrong. She does have a funny way of conveying her gratitude though.


    Issei - Ah, you''re welcome then, Natal.


    He proceeded to call her name just like she wished for and smiled at her in amusement.


    Natal blushed deeply seeing his smile for the first time and she felt smitten by it. She has never been saved by another person before especially by a man, this is a first for her and she could say she enjoys being saved like a damsel in distress for once.


    Because people around her or the one who tries to court her is far weaker than her so she got no interest at them, sure some of them are quite handsome but what''s the use of a handsome face when they got no power to back it up?


    Her requirement for a husband isn''t that high, to be honest, all she wants is for her future husband to be stronger than her and can protect her from any harm and also can love her for who she is and not because of her family background. Sadly on the Humpty Kingdom, all the men here is usually a chef so they basically got low combat capabilities that it almost negligible. And most of them are courting her only because of her family background, there''s no love included whenever they courted her.


    Sure there are some men who enlist themselves to be a Knight but their personality and strength are far too lacking compared to her. And most of the Senior Knights are already married or far too old for her taste. So she acts prideful whenever she met someone on instinct to make those who tried to court her only because of her background feels inferior and back off.


    But from the intel she got, Issei is already one of the richest men in the world, and he appears to be refusing any arranged marriage that comes his way by stating he won''t marry anyone he doesn''t love. And as for his strength? She already saw it first hand so there''s no doubt about it.


    It appears the reason why he''s promoted so fast in the first place is not because of pure luck or behind the scene manipulation as well.


    So he''s basically the perfect husband candidate for her.


    Just like Issei expected Riche''s party is already arrived on the scene and helping the survivors.


    Ramius - Good work as always, Ise. Oh, Natal?


    Natal at this moment is still looking at Issei''s face while blushing and anyone who saw her face right now can tell that she''s a girl in love... Riche and co who saw that smile wryly because it seems their husband has smitten another woman without realizing it.


    Riche - Ahaha, geez... I wonder if our husband is a natural born lady killer. Maybe he''s Vassanova on his previous life? (AN: Just a reference to Cassanova).


    Ramius - Umu, not that I can blame her either because he''s too outstanding after all.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, Ise-nii is really a great man to even able to smitten a prideful girl such as Natal.


    Kathryn - *Sigh* I got nothing to say... Considering he can govern a whole race, it''s no surprise he can also govern a prideful girl like her.


    The people who survived the ordeal thanked Issei''s party profusely and after a while, there''s finally Knights who had noticed something amiss and rushed out from the capital, only to be relieved to find Natal safe.


    Knights - Lady Natal! Are you okay?


    Natal who heard their shout finally snapped out of her thoughts and look towards them.


    Natal - I-I''m perfectly fine. This gentleman here saved me along with the others as well. But they are badly wounded so it''s quite unfortunate.


    Knight - Well, as long as our <Thousand Knight> is safe, there''s no problem.


    After that, they took care of the survivor and when one of them are offering their hands to carry Natal themselves, they are refused by her and she told them to take care of those survivors first.


    The Knights thought how merciful she is but actually, she just wants Issei to be the one who carries her.


    Riche and co. knows her true objective but they didn''t point it out.


    Issei tried to put her down but every time he does that she will always act like it hurts a lot while shedding fake tears at him, and Issei can only smile wryly seeing her acting like this.


    And his wives are just giving him teasing smile, while Natal seems to be ignoring their gaze on her.


    Finally, the Knights finished taking care of the survivors, and they about to head into the capital.


    Knight - Lady Natal, we''ve already finished patching up the survivors, now shall we return to the capital?


    Natal - Good. Umm, Issei... Would you like to come along with us heading back towards the capital?


    Issei - Oh, sure.


    Natal - Splendid! Now let''s go return to capital you lot.


    Knights - Understood!


    Issei - Umm... Natal. Why don''t you ask your subordinates to-


    Natal - Yes?


    Natal cut off his words and smiled brightly at him while she tightens her arms around his neck when he''s about to ask her that she could order her subordinates to carry her instead.


    Issei - ...Nevermind.


    Issei mouth twitched a bit because she seems doesn''t have any intention to walk on her own just yet.


    Riche and co. tried to tell her to get down and walk on her own but she ignores them and only keeps smiling while hanging on Issei''s body. So they just give up trying to make her walk on her own, to be honest, they like this personality of her better than when she''s act all prideful before.


    She keeps asking Issei what''s his hobby, etc. When she heard he does like cooking she becomes even more ecstatic because she also has the same hobbies as well, which is surprising considering how prideful she is.


    They keep discussing food and cooking topic along the way, Issei also enjoying getting more knowledge about cooking as well and vice versa. Natal admires Issei even more after listening about his experience, she never heard some of the food he mentioned before so she thought he invented them himself.


    Riche and co. who are seeing their interaction pledged to themselves to learn more about cooking when they had the chance, but they soon give up because they don''t seem to have the talent for it...


    After a while, they finally arrived at <Humpty>.


    Issei - So this is the capital of Humpty... So many foods stand.


    There are so many food stands and restaurant along the streets and they seem to be competing with each other, there''s also a lot of food store that open for 24 hours. Humpty are well known for their food after all so it''s no surprise when almost all the stores here are a food store.


    Natal - Yes. We are very proud of the food we serve in our country, you should totally taste everything we have to offer. Most of our food is using a special ingredient that can only be produced here, which is the "Sugarcubes".


    Natal told Issei about their special ingredients that makes all the food at Humpty very tasty and he nodded to himself to see if he could somehow use it for his cooking as well.


    Knights - Lady Natal. We are in need of your assistance for something if you could please follow us.


    There are a bunch of Knights coming at Natal direction the moment they stepped their foot into the capital, Natal who heard that reluctantly left Issei''s party. She already walked on her own before they entered the capital albeit reluctantly...


    Natal - Very well... Um, Issei. Do remember to visit me later, okay? I will be at the castle, so be sure to remember it.


    Issei - Got it.


    Natal - Then good day to you.


    She bowed courteously towards Issei once more but she still ignoring Riche and co...


    Riche - ...It looks like she doesn''t acknowledge us.


    Ramius - Umu. It seems all that''s in her eyes is just Ise right now...


    Gurigura - Eheheh, I like her this way better though.


    Kathryn - Well, what can you do? A girl who''s in love is mostly like that.


    Then Issei and his wives decided to enjoy the food Humpty has to offer. They enjoyed every food that they can get their hands on, Issei noted every food he ate and tried to ask the owner what''s the secret recipe is but they said the same thing which is "Sugarcube".


    Their Sugarcubes is not like the Sugarcubes on his world, it appears to be a special seasoning from what Natal told him.


    Sugarcubes are the most unusual crop in the already unusual crops of the Kingdom of Humpty. Not to be confused with actual cubes of sugar that they resemble, Sugarcubes are a miraculous kind of spice that enhances the flavor of any dish they are included in. The Sugarcubes were created by Mother Eve as part of her gifts to make the World of Eve more amenable to her human children.


    Despite this intent, humanity either never learned about the Sugarcubes or forgot about them, only rediscovering them in modern times. In the interim, the place where the Sugarcubes grew had become another of Mother Eve''s ruins. Out of a desire to cultivate the crop, the ruins were heavily modified, and are now known as the Sugarcube Factory. Sugarcubes are now one of Humpty''s most important exports and are used in nearly all prepared food inside the nation itself.


    So he noted to himself to buy some of them to add to his own cooking later on.


    At some point, Kathryn separated herself with Issei''s party and after a while, she came back.


    Issei - Where are you from, Kath? Eating something you like?


    The girls have their own preferences, Ramius likes meat, Riche sweets, Gurigura bread while Kathryn likes something light to eat. So it''s normal if they separate themselves to eat what they prefer.


    Kathryn - I''m not eating. Just doing a little shopping.


    Issei - Shopping?


    Gurigura - Hey, Kath-nee, what are all those cards in your pocket?


    Riche - Oh! Those''re the cards that come with Bind Seeker Chips!


    Kathryn - Gack!


    Issei - What are Bind Seeker Chips?


    Ramius - They''re potuber chips, but each bag comes with a random card with a unique illustration.


    Issei - Oh...


    Riche - ...Just how much did you eat?


    Kathryn - I... I threw away the chips.


    Issei - ...That''s kinda wasteful.


    Riche - As punishment, gimme that rare card!


    Kathryn - You just want it, don''t you?!


    Gurigura - You shouldn''t waste food. There are lots of people out there who''d love to eat, but can''t...


    Issei nodded to Gurigura statement.


    Towa - That''s right. There are people in Humpty whose job it is to collect leftovers and use them in things like fertilizer, so give your uneaten food to them.


    Kathryn - But see... If I gave them an unopened snack, they''d know I bought it just for the card and it''d be all embarrassing.


    Towa - They''d just think it''s childish.


    Kathryn - I know it is, but it''s hard to stop when you''re a collector... Also, who are you?!


    Issei - Oh, if it isn''t Towa.


    Towa - H-Hai. It''s nice to see you again. I came over because I heard your voices, and it turns out it really was you.


    Kathryn - Oooh, Riche told me about you. You''re that girl who''s traveling the world, right?


    Towa - Um, Issei-san... Who''s this? She wasn''t with you before, was she?


    Issei - Yeah, this is my new wife, Kathryn.


    Kathryn - Just call me Kath. I hear you''ve helped out my husband and the lesser wives.


    Riche - Who are you calling lesser wives, fifth?


    Kathryn - Shuddup...


    Towa - Oh no, they''ve done more to help me... ''Wait, another wife?! And all his wives are pretty in different ways... But it''s not really surprising because Issei-san''s nicer than most Knights and very handsome too... So I understand why he''s popular...''


    Issei - Hm? Something on my face?


    Towa - N-Nothing!


    She blushed because she seems to be staring at his face so intently.


    Issei - Going around collecting stories again, Towa?


    Towa - No, I''m running errands for my dad. I''ve been to Humpty countless times already.


    Issei - Hm? Do you live around here?


    Towa - My home''s in the State of Hamlet City. It''s straight north of here by ship.


    Issei - You crossed the sea to run errands?


    Towa - When it comes to food, there''s no better place to go.


    Riche - Sounds like you''re sent down here a lot. Do you sell imported food or something?


    Towa - My dad runs a hospital. We need to make food for the patients, so I come here to buy recipes and the necessary ingredients.


    Riche - I see, and if you''re giving food to sick people, I''m sure it''s important to make sure it''s nutritious.


    Towa - Yes, but the recipes use Sugarcubes, so we do modify them for our own use.


    Kathryn - Well, it is over twice as expensive as regular sugar, and I doubt the rich flavor''s good for the patients.


    Issei - Sugarcubes again huh...


    Kathryn - You could say Humpty''s prosperity is built on it. No joke.


    Riche - I''ve got an idea... Towa, if you wouldn''t mind, could you teach Ise some things?


    Towa - O-Okay! Of course, I''d be happy to. I''ll be ready momentarily.


    Towa giddily put down her bag and took out some pictures as usual.


    Towa - Let''s begin. Today''s story is about the Kingdom of Humpty.


    Gurigura - Yaaay! *Clap clap clap!*


    Then Towa proceeded to tell a story about how the Humpty Kingdom came to be along with Poppins race and how Sugarcubes came to be.


    Towa - ...And because of that, people who had once declined due to the abundance of raw food were now working and studying for the sake of delicious cooking. Everything in the Kingdom of Humpty, for better or worse, is decided by food.


    Issei - I see.


    Towa - Remember to brush your teeth after eating sweets, and don''t eat so much that you get sick.


    Riche - I-I''ll try...


    Towa - And that''s the history of this country in a nutshell and the reason we need Sugarcubes.


    Issei - Thanks, that was really easy to follow.


    Gurigura - I love your stories, Towa!


    Towa - Eheheh, thank you.


    Issei - Oh right, so as thanks for always teaching us stuff, do you want to go eat with us somewhere?


    Towa - Huh?! Eat with you, Issei-san?! Is this like a d-d-d...''DATE?!'' Uh, um... But we... We haven''t even met each other''s parents...


    Kathryn - The hell''s she talking about?


    Riche - Dunno...


    Man - Lady Towa!


    While Towa was blushing and panicking, a well-dressed man ran up to the group.


    Issei - Who''s this?


    Towa - He''s from the hospital. I''d asked him to ship away the food I bought.


    Man - I-It was being delivered by ship, but soon after the ship departed, it was attacked by pirates!


    Towa - O-Oh no, then what happened to the people on the ship? What happened to the cargo?


    Man - All stolen along with the ship, I''m afraid...


    Ramius - What were the Knights doing?


    Natal - The Knights said they tried to stop them, but they left without any guards. Even though they tried to warn them...


    Issei - Natal?


    Natal who just left their party a while ago appeared in front of them once again. Apparently, the assistance they needed from her is about Towa''s case.


    Towa - But they asked them numerous times and they never offered them guards in the first place.


    Natal - *Sigh* Complain to the pirates. All these recent kidnapping incidents have left us with few men to spare...


    Ramius - Especially considering a whole unit almost got wiped out if not for Ise''s interference.


    Natal - Indeed... I was attacked by pirates and monsters at the same time. Thankfully Issei was there so we have avoided the worst case scenario...


    She smiled brightly towards Issei.


    Riche - Anyway, Towa... Sending out a ship under these circumstances wasn''t a good decision.


    Towa - I heard the pirates were kidnapping people, so I thought if the cargo was food, it''d be safe.


    Natal - The kidnappings simply stand out. Nobody''s saying they wouldn''t attack trade ships.


    Towa - ...


    Issei - Were you in a hurry or something?


    Towa - ...They were delivering snacks.


    Gurigura - Snacks? So... Sweets?


    Towa - Yes, the sweets in Humpty are delicious. They''re even loved throughout Hamlet. We normally hand them out to the children in the hospital, but due to the recent pirate attacks, we stopped receiving shipments. I just couldn''t stand to see the disappointed children...


    Issei - ...


    Man - Aren''t you supposed to be Knights?! Go arrest them! They can''t have gone that far!


    Natal - I''m telling you, our hands are full.


    Issei - We''ll go.


    Towa - Huh? You will, Issei-san?! I couldn''t ask you to do that.


    Issei - It''s fine, we can handle it. Could you tell us where the pirates went?


    Man - The pirates seemed to be towing the trade ship to Udon Island.


    Kathryn - It''s the island east of this one. I''m sure we can get there by hot air balloon.


    Issei - Alright, then let''s go.


    Despite Towa''s reservations, the party decided to head to Udon Island in pursuit of the pirates.


    Natal wanted to come with Issei as well but he told her that she just got injured so it''s better for her to take it easy. She felt touched for his concern for her so she reluctantly agreed to stay behind and it''s not like she could really go with them. Because they''re indeed short-handed right now and it was just her being selfish just now hoping to go with Issei together.


    So they headed towards Udon Island.


    ...


    Riche - By the way, Ise, is there a reason you agreed to take care of these pirates?


    Issei - Hmm?


    Ramius - We''re going after <Snake Crest>, so chasing suspicious people seems natural to me.


    Riche - You normally ask if we agree before making decisions, but didn''t this time, so I was curious.


    Issei - Oh, right. Sorry. I didn''t really think about it.


    Riche - Don''t get the wrong idea, I''m not saying you did anything wrong.


    Ramius - I didn''t feel like anything was off myself...


    Gurigura - Me neither...


    Kathryn - So what''s the reason? Trying to show off to storyteller girl?


    Issei - Why you come up to that conclusion... I just can''t let them get away stealing from the children you see. Try to imagine if that''s our kids they are stealing from, won''t you be mad as well? Not that stealing is right in the first place.


    When Issei said that the 4 of them blushed deeply and each of them started thinking about their future kids.


    Ramius - ''Ise and my kids... Umu...''


    Ramius almost had a nosebleed thinking about their future kids. She can''t wait to have one herself but sadly that Goddess called dibs on Issei''s first child. Unknown to her, in the future, there will be a strong contestant for Issei''s first child.


    Riche - ''I bet Ise and my kids will be very cute! Now I know how onee-chan feels... I would cuddle my kids all day long as well...''


    Riche had a goofy smile on her face.


    Gurigura - ''Eheheh, Ise-nii and my kids... I would prepare tons of bread for them so they don''t starve like me when I was small.''


    Gurigura just smiled joyfully while promised to herself to never let her kids starving. Not that will ever happen because Issei is super protective of his children along with his other wives in the future, they even wiped an entire faction from the other world just because they made his daughter cry in the future.


    Kathryn - ''Gh... This idiot husband making me think about it... But... It''s quite nice... Having a little genius of my own...''


    Kathryn also started nodding to herself while smiling cheekily thinking how her kids will be a genius just like her.


    Then they got even more pumped to deal with the Outlaws, and Issei sweated at them thinking what''s making them so hyped like this. Well, he doesn''t need to do anything because the 4 of them defeated the Outlaws in no time. He just observing the area for any mishaps that might happen and he found the pirates tries to escape when they realize they''re in a disadvantage.


    Issei of course won''t let them escape.


    ...


    Ramius - I don''t sense any foes in the area. That seems to be all of them.


    Issei - There were some who tried to run away but I got them all as well.


    Riche - They seems to be pretty organized. And they said something interesting... Apparently, they''re kidnapping people by someone else''s request.


    Gurigura - Maybe the pirates have a base somewhere in Humpty.


    Kathryn - Let''s try asking them.


    Issei - Ah. Oi...


    Then Issei started questioning them about their secret base, all Issei had to do is do a little torturing and they all started telling them the truth. It seems the one behind this is <Snake Crest> indeed.


    And the one who requested this is a man named Jabber Wock a well-known chef in Humpty. And the destination of their delivery is at the Sugarcubes factory.


    They are pretty surprised when they find out about the truth from them. But not shocked because they''ve already expected this to some extent.


    So they decided to investigate it soon enough after they reported their success to Towa so she can rest easy.


    Issei - Let''s untie the crew.


    Sailor - Thank you so much. Now I''m sure we can safely set sail, so we''ll be heading out.


    Issei - Ah, be careful.


    The party watched the ship depart, then decided to return to the capital of Humpty and report to Towa fist.


    ...


    When the party informed her that the ship was safe, Towa''s face brightened with joy.


    Towa - Thank goodness... I appreciate the help. Now I should finally be able to see the children''s smiles again.


    Issei - What''ll you do now, Towa?


    Towa - I''m staying here for a little longer. I''d like to make the hospital food as good as I can.


    Issei - Alright, take care and good luck. Be careful on the way home.


    Towa repeatedly bowed to the party as she went off into the streets alongside the hospital personnel.


    Issei - So Towa''s from a hospital.


    Riche - I get why she tells these stories now.


    Ramius - To tell children who can''t leave the hospital about the outside world... I assume.


    Riche - Anyway, seeing her hard at work has got me motivated too.


    Kathryn - Alright then, let''s go investigate that Sugarcubes factory.


    Issei - Ah.


    Then they sailed using the pirate''s ship to the island where they''re producing Sugarcubes.


    ...


    -Sugarcubes farm-


    There are some guards there but Issei just knocked them out.


    Issei - These are Sugarcubes?


    The organized farm was filled with lines of Sugarcubes, with some harvested ones sitting in piles off to the side.


    Riche - Bigger than I thought.


    Kathryn - In the right environment, they can apparently grow larger than a human being if left alone for a few months.


    Riche - Wonder how many calories they are.


    Issei - Don''t eat those. It has the smell of <Adan''s Blood> in it.


    Riche - ...Ueehhh... So it is true after all... This whole place belongs to <Snake Crest>.


    Issei - Ah. Let''s go further ahead to search for more clues.


    The party resumed searching the ruins.


    As the party was proceeding through the ruins, they heard the footsteps of several people around a corner.


    Gurigura - Armed adventurers, maybe? Seems like they''re on patrol.


    Issei - No, look at their right hands.


    They looked closely and noticed that the guards had glimmering, black rings on their fingers.


    Riche and co. - Outlaws!


    Outlaw 1 - Th-The hell are you people?!


    Outlaw 2 - Intruders!


    Issei - Funny how you call us intruders while you''re Outlaws yourself.


    Outlaw 3 - Oh fuck!


    The men quickly hid their fingers, but that in itself was incriminating.


    Outlaw 4 - They saw! Don''t let them escape with their lives!


    Outlaw 5 - Yeah!


    The Outlaws feverishly drew their weapon and attacked the party.


    Issei - I could say the same thing to you.


    *Slash*


    There''s only 1 slashing sound but all 5 of them died at the same time with their heads cut off.


    Issei - Let''s go.


    Ramius and co - Un.


    Ramius - This reminds me of Lancelot''s purification plant.


    Riche - Yeah, there''s no doubt about it anymore this place belongs to the <Snake Crest>.


    Issei - But it''s not their base of operation because the guards are too few and the places are too easy to found.


    Riche - Either way, there has to be some secret here. Let''s investigate.


    Issei burned the dead Outlaws bodies and resumed their search of the ruins.


    ...


    Ramius - Seems to be a dead end... Wait, there''s a door.


    Kathryn - Chibikko, think you can open it?


    Gurigura - Hmmm, doubt it. A key doesn''t open this door.


    Issei - I could bust this door open but let''s not do that because who knows what will happen if there''s a sudden mechanism that will trigger an alarm or something.


    Riche - But then how do you open it?


    Gurigura - I think it works like the drain, where it''s remotely opened by something.


    Ramius - Then there should be a way to open it somewhere in these ruins.


    Issei - Ah, let''s find it.


    The party gave up on the door and decided to search for the mechanism to open it.


    ...


    Gurigura - Ugh...


    Upon entering a room, the party noticed an offensive stench.


    Kathryn - What is this? A meat factory?


    Gurigura - What kinda meat?


    Ramius - Hm, I''m the meat aficionado in this party, and even I don''t recognize it.


    Riche - Eerie, though.


    Compared to an average meat factory, the room was abnormally covered with blood from the floor to the ceiling.


    Issei - ...


    Issei has a bad feeling about this because he could smell human blood on this room as well.


    Riche - Why would a Sugarcubes factory even need to process meat?


    Some randomly-strewn-about piles of Sugarcubes had absorbed the blood and turned a dark red.


    Issei - Alright, let''s investigate a bit more.


    The party was disturbed by the room but decided to search every nook and cranny just the same.


    Riche - Is this a bookshelf?


    Gurigura - Why''s a meat factory have a bookshelf?


    Ramius - Looks like it''s been sitting here for a while. In fact, it comes off like they''ve been using a data archive as a meat factory.


    The party checked the bookshelf and found records about the Sugarcubes.


    Riche - In times of Legend, Mother Eve apparently made these ruins after wanting something sweet to eat.


    Kathryn - Was there really no simpler solution?


    Ramius - Strangely, it doesn''t seem like the Kingdom of Humpty always valued these ruins so much.


    Riche - Not only that, it looks like they had trouble even getting enough people together to pick enough Sugarcubes to not block the entrance.


    Kathryn - Everyone knew Sugarcubes were sweet, but they didn''t feel like they were valuable enough to travel down here for, I guess...


    Riche - Well, they did have fruit growing everywhere anyway.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, there''s a lever next to the bookshelf.


    Issei - Hm? Good work, Gurigura.


    Issei patted Gurigura head.


    Gurigura - Eheheh~

 Chapter 58 - 57

    While they were looking for a spot to take off they saw a giant purplish squid nearby a cliff. For some reason, the squid has a leg of a human on it''s lower body...


    Issei - Hm? What''s that?


    Riche - What?... Ah! That''s a king squidman!


    Kathryn - Oh, you''re right.


    Ramius - The rumors said that they are a very rare ingredient.


    Gurigura - And taste very tasty too!


    Issei - Oh, is that so? Then I''ll get it.


    Issei makes a quick work of the squidman before it tries to jump into the ocean, he throws away the human legs part though because no matter what he won''t eat that part nor will he let his wives eat it either. Just the squid part is enough...


    ...


    Issei - How about around there- hmm?


    When they found the spot to take off Issei pointed to a somewhat open area and asked Kathryn but then he saw something wrong in the distance.


    Gurigura - A ship''s being attacked by monsters! The passengers are fighting back, but it doesn''t look good...


    Riche - We need to help them quick!


    Issei - You guys get on the hot air balloon, I''ll go on my own.


    After he said that Issei jumped into the sea and he ran across the water surface.


    Gurigura - W-Woah... Ise-nii sure is great...


    Ramius - Umu... To think he can run on top of the water.


    Riche - Just like the ninja on my manga!


    Kathryn - This is not the time to feel awe!


    The party rushed to get the hot air balloon ready, then flew off into the sky.


    When Issei arrived at the scene there are so many wounded people in the vicinity and he hurriedly kills every monster in sight at a fast speed and apparently, there''s some Outlaws as well but Issei killed them all.


    The wounded people cheered at him when he killed all the monsters and Outlaws around them.


    Then he heard a loud scream of a woman. And he noticed that voice, it''s Natal''s.


    Natal - EEEEEEEEK?! Let go of me you mindless monster brute!


    She appears to be captured by tentacles with her skirt pulled up, Natal shouted at the monster known as a Jellyfish MK II.


    But all of her screamings is useless against a monster who can''t understand human speech.


    The tentacles constricted even more tightly against her body and it almost made her pass out because of it.


    And the tentacles made its way towards her genitals and the thought of it taking her chastity away frightened her so much that she finally let go of her pride and ask for help.


    Natal - Someone... Someone help me... Aah, please help me!


    Just before Natal was overcome by despair, the countless tentacles were severed setting her free.


    Natal - Eek!


    She dropped down from the air and somebody catches her fall.


    Issei - Good, looks like I made it.


    Natal - Y-You''re... Wait! The Monster!


    Issei - Don''t worry.


    Natal - What do you mean?! That monster is still- Eh?


    When she looked behind them she thought the Jellyfish might still be alive but its body is in pieces already. That Jellyfish monster is known for their regeneration but it seems even it can''t regenerate after being cut to pieces like that.


    Natal - W-When did you...


    She never saw how did Issei manage to do that in just a few seconds. Even she struggles to fight that monster, but he can kill it in an instant.


    Issei - Are you hurt anywhere?


    Natal - E-Eh? No... I don''t think- Ouch!


    She twinges in pain at her ankle and it is quite bruised.


    Issei - Hmm, it seems that you twisted your ankle. If you don''t mind I could carry you to the nearby city. I also saved the passengers and knights who were with you back then, they are wounded but it''s nothing fatal from what I''ve seen so far. Don''t worry about them, my wives should be arriving at this moment and took control of the situation over there. You can take it easy for now.


    Natal - ...U-Un... Th-Thank you...


    Natal blushed to see his face up close so she averted her face while conveying her gratitude in a low voice. She never had any man that could take control of the situation like Issei before. Usually, it''s her who''s in command.


    Issei - Oh? So you can say thank you after all.


    Natal - Wh-What do you mean?! I know how to be grateful you know?! A-Also... I grant you the permission of simply calling me Natal, no titles or honors necessary.


    She pouted at him and then she tries to act prideful like always by saying she allows him to call her name without any honorifics.


    Issei chuckled at her words because he thought her pride won''t let her say gratitude towards someone else but apparently, he''s wrong. She does have a funny way of conveying her gratitude though.


    Issei - Ah, you''re welcome then, Natal.


    He proceeded to call her name just like she wished for and smiled at her in amusement.


    Natal blushed deeply seeing his smile for the first time and she felt smitten by it. She has never been saved by another person before especially by a man, this is a first for her and she could say she enjoys being saved like a damsel in distress for once.


    Because people around her or the one who tries to court her is far weaker than her so she got no interest at them, sure some of them are quite handsome but what''s the use of a handsome face when they got no power to back it up?


    Her requirement for a husband isn''t that high, to be honest, all she wants is for her future husband to be stronger than her and can protect her from any harm and also can love her for who she is and not because of her family background. Sadly on the Humpty Kingdom, all the men here is usually a chef so they basically got low combat capabilities that it almost negligible. And most of them are courting her only because of her family background, there''s no love included whenever they courted her.


    Sure there are some men who enlist themselves to be a Knight but their personality and strength are far too lacking compared to her. And most of the Senior Knights are already married or far too old for her taste. So she acts prideful whenever she met someone on instinct to make those who tried to court her only because of her background feels inferior and back off.


    But from the intel she got, Issei is already one of the richest men in the world, and he appears to be refusing any arranged marriage that comes his way by stating he won''t marry anyone he doesn''t love. And as for his strength? She already saw it first hand so there''s no doubt about it.


    It appears the reason why he''s promoted so fast in the first place is not because of pure luck or behind the scene manipulation as well.


    So he''s basically the perfect husband candidate for her.


    Just like Issei expected Riche''s party is already arrived on the scene and helping the survivors.


    Ramius - Good work as always, Ise. Oh, Natal?


    Natal at this moment is still looking at Issei''s face while blushing and anyone who saw her face right now can tell that she''s a girl in love... Riche and co who saw that smile wryly because it seems their husband has smitten another woman without realizing it.


    Riche - Ahaha, geez... I wonder if our husband is a natural born lady killer. Maybe he''s Vassanova on his previous life? (AN: Just a reference to Cassanova).


    Ramius - Umu, not that I can blame her either because he''s too outstanding after all.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, Ise-nii is really a great man to even able to smitten a prideful girl such as Natal.


    Kathryn - *Sigh* I got nothing to say... Considering he can govern a whole race, it''s no surprise he can also govern a prideful girl like her.


    The people who survived the ordeal thanked Issei''s party profusely and after a while, there''s finally Knights who had noticed something amiss and rushed out from the capital, only to be relieved to find Natal safe.


    Knights - Lady Natal! Are you okay?


    Natal who heard their shout finally snapped out of her thoughts and look towards them.


    Natal - I-I''m perfectly fine. This gentleman here saved me along with the others as well. But they are badly wounded so it''s quite unfortunate.


    Knight - Well, as long as our <Thousand Knight> is safe, there''s no problem.


    After that, they took care of the survivor and when one of them are offering their hands to carry Natal themselves, they are refused by her and she told them to take care of those survivors first.


    The Knights thought how merciful she is but actually, she just wants Issei to be the one who carries her.


    Riche and co. knows her true objective but they didn''t point it out.


    Issei tried to put her down but every time he does that she will always act like it hurts a lot while shedding fake tears at him, and Issei can only smile wryly seeing her acting like this.


    And his wives are just giving him teasing smile, while Natal seems to be ignoring their gaze on her.


    Finally, the Knights finished taking care of the survivors, and they about to head into the capital.


    Knight - Lady Natal, we''ve already finished patching up the survivors, now shall we return to the capital?


    Natal - Good. Umm, Issei... Would you like to come along with us heading back towards the capital?


    Issei - Oh, sure.


    Natal - Splendid! Now let''s go return to capital you lot.


    Knights - Understood!


    Issei - Umm... Natal. Why don''t you ask your subordinates to-


    Natal - Yes?


    Natal cut off his words and smiled brightly at him while she tightens her arms around his neck when he''s about to ask her that she could order her subordinates to carry her instead.


    Issei - ...Nevermind.


    Issei mouth twitched a bit because she seems doesn''t have any intention to walk on her own just yet.


    Riche and co. tried to tell her to get down and walk on her own but she ignores them and only keeps smiling while hanging on Issei''s body. So they just give up trying to make her walk on her own, to be honest, they like this personality of her better than when she''s act all prideful before.


    She keeps asking Issei what''s his hobby, etc. When she heard he does like cooking she becomes even more ecstatic because she also has the same hobbies as well, which is surprising considering how prideful she is.


    They keep discussing food and cooking topic along the way, Issei also enjoying getting more knowledge about cooking as well and vice versa. Natal admires Issei even more after listening about his experience, she never heard some of the food he mentioned before so she thought he invented them himself.


    Riche and co. who are seeing their interaction pledged to themselves to learn more about cooking when they had the chance, but they soon give up because they don''t seem to have the talent for it...


    After a while, they finally arrived at <Humpty>.


    Issei - So this is the capital of Humpty... So many foods stand.


    There are so many food stands and restaurant along the streets and they seem to be competing with each other, there''s also a lot of food store that open for 24 hours. Humpty are well known for their food after all so it''s no surprise when almost all the stores here are a food store.


    Natal - Yes. We are very proud of the food we serve in our country, you should totally taste everything we have to offer. Most of our food is using a special ingredient that can only be produced here, which is the "Sugarcubes".


    Natal told Issei about their special ingredients that makes all the food at Humpty very tasty and he nodded to himself to see if he could somehow use it for his cooking as well.


    Knights - Lady Natal. We are in need of your assistance for something if you could please follow us.


    There are a bunch of Knights coming at Natal direction the moment they stepped their foot into the capital, Natal who heard that reluctantly left Issei''s party. She already walked on her own before they entered the capital albeit reluctantly...


    Natal - Very well... Um, Issei. Do remember to visit me later, okay? I will be at the castle, so be sure to remember it.


    Issei - Got it.


    Natal - Then good day to you.


    She bowed courteously towards Issei once more but she still ignoring Riche and co...


    Riche - ...It looks like she doesn''t acknowledge us.


    Ramius - Umu. It seems all that''s in her eyes is just Ise right now...


    Gurigura - Eheheh, I like her this way better though.


    Kathryn - Well, what can you do? A girl who''s in love is mostly like that.


    Then Issei and his wives decided to enjoy the food Humpty has to offer. They enjoyed every food that they can get their hands on, Issei noted every food he ate and tried to ask the owner what''s the secret recipe is but they said the same thing which is "Sugarcube".


    Their Sugarcubes is not like the Sugarcubes on his world, it appears to be a special seasoning from what Natal told him.


    Sugarcubes are the most unusual crop in the already unusual crops of the Kingdom of Humpty. Not to be confused with actual cubes of sugar that they resemble, Sugarcubes are a miraculous kind of spice that enhances the flavor of any dish they are included in. The Sugarcubes were created by Mother Eve as part of her gifts to make the World of Eve more amenable to her human children.


    Despite this intent, humanity either never learned about the Sugarcubes or forgot about them, only rediscovering them in modern times. In the interim, the place where the Sugarcubes grew had become another of Mother Eve''s ruins. Out of a desire to cultivate the crop, the ruins were heavily modified, and are now known as the Sugarcube Factory. Sugarcubes are now one of Humpty''s most important exports and are used in nearly all prepared food inside the nation itself.


    So he noted to himself to buy some of them to add to his own cooking later on.


    At some point, Kathryn separated herself with Issei''s party and after a while, she came back.


    Issei - Where are you from, Kath? Eating something you like?


    The girls have their own preferences, Ramius likes meat, Riche sweets, Gurigura bread while Kathryn likes something light to eat. So it''s normal if they separate themselves to eat what they prefer.


    Kathryn - I''m not eating. Just doing a little shopping.


    Issei - Shopping?


    Gurigura - Hey, Kath-nee, what are all those cards in your pocket?


    Riche - Oh! Those''re the cards that come with Bind Seeker Chips!


    Kathryn - Gack!


    Issei - What are Bind Seeker Chips?


    Ramius - They''re potuber chips, but each bag comes with a random card with a unique illustration.


    Issei - Oh...


    Riche - ...Just how much did you eat?


    Kathryn - I... I threw away the chips.


    Issei - ...That''s kinda wasteful.


    Riche - As punishment, gimme that rare card!


    Kathryn - You just want it, don''t you?!


    Gurigura - You shouldn''t waste food. There are lots of people out there who''d love to eat, but can''t...


    Issei nodded to Gurigura statement.


    Towa - That''s right. There are people in Humpty whose job it is to collect leftovers and use them in things like fertilizer, so give your uneaten food to them.


    Kathryn - But see... If I gave them an unopened snack, they''d know I bought it just for the card and it''d be all embarrassing.


    Towa - They''d just think it''s childish.


    Kathryn - I know it is, but it''s hard to stop when you''re a collector... Also, who are you?!


    Issei - Oh, if it isn''t Towa.


    Towa - H-Hai. It''s nice to see you again. I came over because I heard your voices, and it turns out it really was you.


    Kathryn - Oooh, Riche told me about you. You''re that girl who''s traveling the world, right?


    Towa - Um, Issei-san... Who''s this? She wasn''t with you before, was she?


    Issei - Yeah, this is my new wife, Kathryn.


    Kathryn - Just call me Kath. I hear you''ve helped out my husband and the lesser wives.


    Riche - Who are you calling lesser wives, fifth?


    Kathryn - Shuddup...


    Towa - Oh no, they''ve done more to help me... ''Wait, another wife?! And all his wives are pretty in different ways... But it''s not really surprising because Issei-san''s nicer than most Knights and very handsome too... So I understand why he''s popular...''


    Issei - Hm? Something on my face?


    Towa - N-Nothing!


    She blushed because she seems to be staring at his face so intently.


    Issei - Going around collecting stories again, Towa?


    Towa - No, I''m running errands for my dad. I''ve been to Humpty countless times already.


    Issei - Hm? Do you live around here?


    Towa - My home''s in the State of Hamlet City. It''s straight north of here by ship.


    Issei - You crossed the sea to run errands?


    Towa - When it comes to food, there''s no better place to go.


    Riche - Sounds like you''re sent down here a lot. Do you sell imported food or something?


    Towa - My dad runs a hospital. We need to make food for the patients, so I come here to buy recipes and the necessary ingredients.


    Riche - I see, and if you''re giving food to sick people, I''m sure it''s important to make sure it''s nutritious.


    Towa - Yes, but the recipes use Sugarcubes, so we do modify them for our own use.


    Kathryn - Well, it is over twice as expensive as regular sugar, and I doubt the rich flavor''s good for the patients.


    Issei - Sugarcubes again huh...


    Kathryn - You could say Humpty''s prosperity is built on it. No joke.


    Riche - I''ve got an idea... Towa, if you wouldn''t mind, could you teach Ise some things?


    Towa - O-Okay! Of course, I''d be happy to. I''ll be ready momentarily.


    Towa giddily put down her bag and took out some pictures as usual.


    Towa - Let''s begin. Today''s story is about the Kingdom of Humpty.


    Gurigura - Yaaay! *Clap clap clap!*


    Then Towa proceeded to tell a story about how the Humpty Kingdom came to be along with Poppins race and how Sugarcubes came to be.


    Towa - ...And because of that, people who had once declined due to the abundance of raw food were now working and studying for the sake of delicious cooking. Everything in the Kingdom of Humpty, for better or worse, is decided by food.


    Issei - I see.


    Towa - Remember to brush your teeth after eating sweets, and don''t eat so much that you get sick.


    Riche - I-I''ll try...


    Towa - And that''s the history of this country in a nutshell and the reason we need Sugarcubes.


    Issei - Thanks, that was really easy to follow.


    Gurigura - I love your stories, Towa!


    Towa - Eheheh, thank you.


    Issei - Oh right, so as thanks for always teaching us stuff, do you want to go eat with us somewhere?


    Towa - Huh?! Eat with you, Issei-san?! Is this like a d-d-d...''DATE?!'' Uh, um... But we... We haven''t even met each other''s parents...


    Kathryn - The hell''s she talking about?


    Riche - Dunno...


    Man - Lady Towa!


    While Towa was blushing and panicking, a well-dressed man ran up to the group.


    Issei - Who''s this?


    Towa - He''s from the hospital. I''d asked him to ship away the food I bought.


    Man - I-It was being delivered by ship, but soon after the ship departed, it was attacked by pirates!


    Towa - O-Oh no, then what happened to the people on the ship? What happened to the cargo?


    Man - All stolen along with the ship, I''m afraid...


    Ramius - What were the Knights doing?


    Natal - The Knights said they tried to stop them, but they left without any guards. Even though they tried to warn them...


    Issei - Natal?


    Natal who just left their party a while ago appeared in front of them once again. Apparently, the assistance they needed from her is about Towa''s case.


    Towa - But they asked them numerous times and they never offered them guards in the first place.


    Natal - *Sigh* Complain to the pirates. All these recent kidnapping incidents have left us with few men to spare...


    Ramius - Especially considering a whole unit almost got wiped out if not for Ise''s interference.


    Natal - Indeed... I was attacked by pirates and monsters at the same time. Thankfully Issei was there so we have avoided the worst case scenario...


    She smiled brightly towards Issei.


    Riche - Anyway, Towa... Sending out a ship under these circumstances wasn''t a good decision.


    Towa - I heard the pirates were kidnapping people, so I thought if the cargo was food, it''d be safe.


    Natal - The kidnappings simply stand out. Nobody''s saying they wouldn''t attack trade ships.


    Towa - ...


    Issei - Were you in a hurry or something?


    Towa - ...They were delivering snacks.


    Gurigura - Snacks? So... Sweets?


    Towa - Yes, the sweets in Humpty are delicious. They''re even loved throughout Hamlet. We normally hand them out to the children in the hospital, but due to the recent pirate attacks, we stopped receiving shipments. I just couldn''t stand to see the disappointed children...


    Issei - ...


    Man - Aren''t you supposed to be Knights?! Go arrest them! They can''t have gone that far!


    Natal - I''m telling you, our hands are full.


    Issei - We''ll go.


    Towa - Huh? You will, Issei-san?! I couldn''t ask you to do that.


    Issei - It''s fine, we can handle it. Could you tell us where the pirates went?


    Man - The pirates seemed to be towing the trade ship to Udon Island.


    Kathryn - It''s the island east of this one. I''m sure we can get there by hot air balloon.


    Issei - Alright, then let''s go.


    Despite Towa''s reservations, the party decided to head to Udon Island in pursuit of the pirates.


    Natal wanted to come with Issei as well but he told her that she just got injured so it''s better for her to take it easy. She felt touched for his concern for her so she reluctantly agreed to stay behind and it''s not like she could really go with them. Because they''re indeed short-handed right now and it was just her being selfish just now hoping to go with Issei together.


    So they headed towards Udon Island.


    ...


    Riche - By the way, Ise, is there a reason you agreed to take care of these pirates?


    Issei - Hmm?


    Ramius - We''re going after <Snake Crest>, so chasing suspicious people seems natural to me.


    Riche - You normally ask if we agree before making decisions, but didn''t this time, so I was curious.


    Issei - Oh, right. Sorry. I didn''t really think about it.


    Riche - Don''t get the wrong idea, I''m not saying you did anything wrong.


    Ramius - I didn''t feel like anything was off myself...


    Gurigura - Me neither...


    Kathryn - So what''s the reason? Trying to show off to storyteller girl?


    Issei - Why you come up to that conclusion... I just can''t let them get away stealing from the children you see. Try to imagine if that''s our kids they are stealing from, won''t you be mad as well? Not that stealing is right in the first place.


    When Issei said that the 4 of them blushed deeply and each of them started thinking about their future kids.


    Ramius - ''Ise and my kids... Umu...''


    Ramius almost had a nosebleed thinking about their future kids. She can''t wait to have one herself but sadly that Goddess called dibs on Issei''s first child. Unknown to her, in the future, there will be a strong contestant for Issei''s first child.


    Riche - ''I bet Ise and my kids will be very cute! Now I know how onee-chan feels... I would cuddle my kids all day long as well...''


    Riche had a goofy smile on her face.


    Gurigura - ''Eheheh, Ise-nii and my kids... I would prepare tons of bread for them so they don''t starve like me when I was small.''


    Gurigura just smiled joyfully while promised to herself to never let her kids starving. Not that will ever happen because Issei is super protective of his children along with his other wives in the future, they even wiped an entire faction from the other world just because they made his daughter cry in the future.


    Kathryn - ''Gh... This idiot husband making me think about it... But... It''s quite nice... Having a little genius of my own...''


    Kathryn also started nodding to herself while smiling cheekily thinking how her kids will be a genius just like her.


    Then they got even more pumped to deal with the Outlaws, and Issei sweated at them thinking what''s making them so hyped like this. Well, he doesn''t need to do anything because the 4 of them defeated the Outlaws in no time. He just observing the area for any mishaps that might happen and he found the pirates tries to escape when they realize they''re in a disadvantage.


    Issei of course won''t let them escape.


    ...


    Ramius - I don''t sense any foes in the area. That seems to be all of them.


    Issei - There were some who tried to run away but I got them all as well.


    Riche - They seems to be pretty organized. And they said something interesting... Apparently, they''re kidnapping people by someone else''s request.


    Gurigura - Maybe the pirates have a base somewhere in Humpty.


    Kathryn - Let''s try asking them.


    Issei - Ah. Oi...


    Then Issei started questioning them about their secret base, all Issei had to do is do a little torturing and they all started telling them the truth. It seems the one behind this is <Snake Crest> indeed.


    And the one who requested this is a man named Jabber Wock a well-known chef in Humpty. And the destination of their delivery is at the Sugarcubes factory.


    They are pretty surprised when they find out about the truth from them. But not shocked because they''ve already expected this to some extent.


    So they decided to investigate it soon enough after they reported their success to Towa so she can rest easy.


    Issei - Let''s untie the crew.


    Sailor - Thank you so much. Now I''m sure we can safely set sail, so we''ll be heading out.


    Issei - Ah, be careful.


    The party watched the ship depart, then decided to return to the capital of Humpty and report to Towa fist.


    ...


    When the party informed her that the ship was safe, Towa''s face brightened with joy.


    Towa - Thank goodness... I appreciate the help. Now I should finally be able to see the children''s smiles again.


    Issei - What''ll you do now, Towa?


    Towa - I''m staying here for a little longer. I''d like to make the hospital food as good as I can.


    Issei - Alright, take care and good luck. Be careful on the way home.


    Towa repeatedly bowed to the party as she went off into the streets alongside the hospital personnel.


    Issei - So Towa''s from a hospital.


    Riche - I get why she tells these stories now.


    Ramius - To tell children who can''t leave the hospital about the outside world... I assume.


    Riche - Anyway, seeing her hard at work has got me motivated too.


    Kathryn - Alright then, let''s go investigate that Sugarcubes factory.


    Issei - Ah.


    Then they sailed using the pirate''s ship to the island where they''re producing Sugarcubes.


    ...


    -Sugarcubes farm-


    There are some guards there but Issei just knocked them out.


    Issei - These are Sugarcubes?


    The organized farm was filled with lines of Sugarcubes, with some harvested ones sitting in piles off to the side.


    Riche - Bigger than I thought.


    Kathryn - In the right environment, they can apparently grow larger than a human being if left alone for a few months.


    Riche - Wonder how many calories they are.


    Issei - Don''t eat those. It has the smell of <Adan''s Blood> in it.


    Riche - ...Ueehhh... So it is true after all... This whole place belongs to <Snake Crest>.


    Issei - Ah. Let''s go further ahead to search for more clues.


    The party resumed searching the ruins.


    As the party was proceeding through the ruins, they heard the footsteps of several people around a corner.


    Gurigura - Armed adventurers, maybe? Seems like they''re on patrol.


    Issei - No, look at their right hands.


    They looked closely and noticed that the guards had glimmering, black rings on their fingers.


    Riche and co. - Outlaws!


    Outlaw 1 - Th-The hell are you people?!


    Outlaw 2 - Intruders!


    Issei - Funny how you call us intruders while you''re Outlaws yourself.


    Outlaw 3 - Oh fuck!


    The men quickly hid their fingers, but that in itself was incriminating.


    Outlaw 4 - They saw! Don''t let them escape with their lives!


    Outlaw 5 - Yeah!


    The Outlaws feverishly drew their weapon and attacked the party.


    Issei - I could say the same thing to you.


    *Slash*


    There''s only 1 slashing sound but all 5 of them died at the same time with their heads cut off.


    Issei - Let''s go.


    Ramius and co - Un.


    Ramius - This reminds me of Lancelot''s purification plant.


    Riche - Yeah, there''s no doubt about it anymore this place belongs to the <Snake Crest>.


    Issei - But it''s not their base of operation because the guards are too few and the places are too easy to found.


    Riche - Either way, there has to be some secret here. Let''s investigate.


    Issei burned the dead Outlaws bodies and resumed their search of the ruins.


    ...


    Ramius - Seems to be a dead end... Wait, there''s a door.


    Kathryn - Chibikko, think you can open it?


    Gurigura - Hmmm, doubt it. A key doesn''t open this door.


    Issei - I could bust this door open but let''s not do that because who knows what will happen if there''s a sudden mechanism that will trigger an alarm or something.


    Riche - But then how do you open it?


    Gurigura - I think it works like the drain, where it''s remotely opened by something.


    Ramius - Then there should be a way to open it somewhere in these ruins.


    Issei - Ah, let''s find it.


    The party gave up on the door and decided to search for the mechanism to open it.


    ...


    Gurigura - Ugh...


    Upon entering a room, the party noticed an offensive stench.


    Kathryn - What is this? A meat factory?


    Gurigura - What kinda meat?


    Ramius - Hm, I''m the meat aficionado in this party, and even I don''t recognize it.


    Riche - Eerie, though.


    Compared to an average meat factory, the room was abnormally covered with blood from the floor to the ceiling.


    Issei - ...


    Issei has a bad feeling about this because he could smell human blood on this room as well.


    Riche - Why would a Sugarcubes factory even need to process meat?


    Some randomly-strewn-about piles of Sugarcubes had absorbed the blood and turned a dark red.


    Issei - Alright, let''s investigate a bit more.


    The party was disturbed by the room but decided to search every nook and cranny just the same.


    Riche - Is this a bookshelf?


    Gurigura - Why''s a meat factory have a bookshelf?


    Ramius - Looks like it''s been sitting here for a while. In fact, it comes off like they''ve been using a data archive as a meat factory.


    The party checked the bookshelf and found records about the Sugarcubes.


    Riche - In times of Legend, Mother Eve apparently made these ruins after wanting something sweet to eat.


    Kathryn - Was there really no simpler solution?


    Ramius - Strangely, it doesn''t seem like the Kingdom of Humpty always valued these ruins so much.


    Riche - Not only that, it looks like they had trouble even getting enough people together to pick enough Sugarcubes to not block the entrance.


    Kathryn - Everyone knew Sugarcubes were sweet, but they didn''t feel like they were valuable enough to travel down here for, I guess...


    Riche - Well, they did have fruit growing everywhere anyway.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, there''s a lever next to the bookshelf.


    Issei - Hm? Good work, Gurigura.


    Issei patted Gurigura head.


    Gurigura - Eheheh~

 Chapter 59 - 58

    After that incident, Hatter and Natal are still wondering how to cure Queenbelle of her addiction.


    After some discussion Hatter remembered about Matsutakeko soup he made before for Queenbelle when she got sick.


    Issei also remembered that the twins seem to be feeding him that mushroom a lot, so he knows exactly where to get those mushrooms from. So he told them about it and they agreed to get it from the twins.


    Natal also wanted to come along as well but Hatter told her that they need her here to protect Queenbelle from any possible harm.


    Issei - Don''t worry, we will be back soon with the Matsutakeko''s.


    Natal - Un... You better hurry and come back because you still owe me a dinner date!


    Natal sulked but after hearing Issei''s word she finally got into a better mood.


    Issei can only wryly nodded at her.


    After that Issei and his wives went into a secluded area and teleported to <Fresh Fish Island>.


    ...


    Issei - ...It''s been a while, the sea salt smells as strong as ever.


    Issei and his wives arrived at <Fresh Fish Island> and Issei reminiscence the memory he has when he was staying here.


    Kathryn - Whoa... This is such an island. Like, it couldn''t be any more island.


    Gurigura - Look at that, there''s lots of fish close to the shore.


    Issei - There''s nothing but old people here, and they can only fish every so often, so the fish aren''t very cautious.


    Gurigura - Whoa, they''re really not! I just caught one with my bare hands! Look!


    Kathryn - H-Hey! Keep that thing away from me! Live fish have scary eyes!


    Riche - So this is <Fresh Fish Island>...


    While Gurigura was enjoying herself, Riche was looking out at the island with pursed lips.


    Ramius - What is it, Riche? You don''t look well. Are you seasick?


    Riche - Nothing, just thinking about the twins who took care of Ise when he''s hurt.


    Ramius - Umu, I''m thinking about it as well. But we''re gonna meet them soon enough.


    Riche - Yep, let''s go.


    ...


    Issei - Here''s the house me and the twins lived in. Oh, there they are.


    Kyou - Finally home, Ise? I''ve been waiting so long that I''ve collected dust.


    Kinou - Impressive work on getting to a <Thousand Knight> rank so fast. You have my admiration.


    Issei - Ah, sorry for making you two wait. But I''m back.


    Issei smiled gently at them.


    Kinou - Mhm, it''s nice to see your smiling face.


    Kyou - Welcome back. Glad you''re in good health.


    Riche - ...So these are the twins Ise keep talking about, Kyou and Kinou...


    Gurigura - Um, so that means you two will be in our family as well?


    Kyou - Heheheh, nice to meet you. And to answer your question. Yes, we will be.


    Kinou - O-Oh my God, Kyou! This girl''s super cute... Let''s adopt her.


    Gurigura - Huh? Wha?


    Abruptly approached and hugged by Kinou, Gurigura was lifted into the air, her legs dangling like a kitty picked up by its neck.


    Issei smiled seeing their interaction.


    Kyou - She''s not the only cute girl. Look, they''re all a bunch of cuties. That''s our Ise, coming back with a bunch of pretty wives.


    Ramius - I''m... C-Cute... Riche, these are fine people.


    Riche - Didn''t take much to convince you...


    Kathryn - But like, how did you know we''re his wives? We haven''t even introduced ourselves.


    Kyou - From the smell, Kath. Your body''s got Ise''s masculine aroma all over it.


    Kathryn - Ise''s aroma? Wait, you even know my nickname?!


    Kinou - We know everything related to Ise. We even know he has another wife named Tio and other candidates as well.


    Kathryn - You do?! How do you find out anything from this island in the middle of nowhere?


    Kyou - Please, we can talk all about that later. But first...


    Kinou - Ise, if you came back, it must mean you''re ready. Tell us what you''re going to do.


    Issei - Ah... I''ve also been waiting for this moment. Kyou, Kinou... Will the two of you marry me?


    Issei gazed the two of them with gentle but firm eyes while saying that.


    Gurigura - Wow, awesome... A proposal!


    Kathryn - Watching someone else propose is weird. I don''t even know how to react.


    Kyou - Yes, gladly.


    Kinou - Of course we are willing.


    Then the three of them smiled together and Issei took both of them into his arms. And the twins snuggled comfortably in his embrace with a blissful smile on their face.


    Gurigura - Wow, even more wives now. Now you two are part of the club.


    Kyou - Heheheh, we''re happy to join. I imagine we''re far older than the rest of you, but just treat us the same as everyone else.


    Ramius - Oh, right. You both are Dragons after all.


    Riche - Now that you mention it, does Ise also older than us?


    Issei - No, I''m genuinely just 17 years old. I was a human before, but after certain circumstances, I changed into a Dragon. It''s a long story I will tell you all later when the time is right.


    The girls are curious about it but since Issei said he will tell them later then they will wait.


    Kathryn - Oh, right... Let''s not forget we''re here for Matsutakeko mushrooms.


    Issei - Oh, yeah. So, what''s going on is...


    Issei explained what was happening in Humpty and how they were looking for Matsutakekos.


    Kyou - Yeah, we''ve got Matsu shrooms right here at home. We can prepare those for you to use right away.


    Issei - Alright, thanks. I had no idea those mushrooms were so poisonous, though.


    Kinou - Don''t worry, the poison doesn''t affect us. By the way, we cooked you those mostly for our own purposes.


    Kyou - Yep, Matsu shrooms have a hidden property where they massively raise a man''s virility.


    Ramius - I''ve heard they can get the most impotent man hard.


    Gurigura - That''s the reason why even after discovering they''re poisonous, people still try to eat them.


    Kathryn - So what, Ise''s insatiable sex drive is because of those mushrooms?


    Kyou - That''s what we were aiming for, but...


    Kinou - It doesn''t seem to work on him. Apparently, from Semiramis-sama info he''s already that awesome in the first place.


    Kyou - Yup, that''s our Ise. He can "Conquer" the whole Kalars race on his own after all.


    Riche - He sure did. He makes sure to "Mark" them all as his...


    Gurigura - Eheheh. Along with us as well.


    Ramius - Umu, Those were great times.


    Kathryn - *Sigh*...


    They both smile proudly at him, Ramius also nodded to herself, Riche and Gurigura smiled wryly while Kathryn sighed to herself.


    Issei - ...And whose fault is that I wonder?


    Issei face went a bit red hearing their conversation but he can''t deny it so he glared at Riche for being the perpetrator of the incident.


    Riche - Ahahaha...


    Riche is having a cold sweat feeling Issei''s gaze on her so she averted her face away, she doesn''t want to stay in bed for a whole day again. It feels good but the aftermath is making her whole body sore. She thought at this rate she might turn into an "M"...


    Kyou and Kinou chuckled seeing their antics.


    After that, Riche and co asked the twins lots of question. Such as who they really are.


    When Riche and co heard they are the member of The Witches of the Round Table they are pretty surprised. Riche asked them why they told Issei to find more wives when he''s still losing his memory.


    Ramius and the others are also wondering about that because if they wanted to they can have Issei all for themselves, so why they told him to find more wives?


    Kyou - What we want is for Ise to be loved by all.


    Kinou - And for him to be able to love them all back. Ise''s loved by lots of girls and is happy about it. Nothing could make us prouder.


    Gurigura - Yep, everyone loves Ise-nii. I do too!


    Kyou - We thought that he''s too outstanding to be bound by just two wives you see. And you know how huge his libido is, even we can''t say that we could take him on by ourselves.


    Kinou - And we''re full-fledged Dragons at that too.


    Riche and co started thinking about it and they thought the twins are right. Even whole Kalars race can''t take him on...


    Kyou - And just like we expected, Ise become the perfect ideal man who is loved by many and he also loves them all back.


    Kinou - But it was quite painful that we''re not allowed to do it with him...


    Kyou - We have waited long enough to find our ideal mate but now finally we have found the one we''ve been looking for. Don''t you girls think he''s wonderful as well.


    Riche - Yup, best husband I could''ve asked for.


    Ramius - Umu, even if he turned out to be the Archfiend himself, my love for him would remain as strong.


    Gurigura - Yeah, I''ll always love you, Ise-nii!


    Kathryn - Well... Never cared much for normal people anyway.


    Issei - ...Ah, thank you all.


    Issei felt really blessed having wives like them. He smiled at all of them.


    Kyou - Yep, that''s what I''d hope for from Ise''s wives. Nice and cute.


    Kinou - Agreed, I just want to eat them up... Sexually.


    Kyou - Don''t dwell on what''s happened before, Ise. Live your life how you''d like to.


    Issei - ...I will.


    Issei said that with conviction. To be honest, he''s already moved on from his past as the pawn of Rias Gremory. He doesn''t really feel anything anymore nor could he care less about them. All inside his mind right now is to protect his new loved ones.


    And he needs to master the <Chaos> element soon or Nyarlathotep will claim his life along with his loved ones for real this time.


    He also felt some strange connection on his soul with someone but he still doesn''t know who it is. And was that memory of him meeting a little girl in the past only a dream? He''s still not sure.


    Kyou and Kinou were already informed that Issei had a painful past by Semiramis herself, so she asked them to take care of him. He still doesn''t tell them his past but they know he will tell them soon enough.


    Kinou - As promised, we have the Matsu shrooms ready for you.


    Issei - Oh, thanks.


    Gurigura - Um... They''re supposed to be poisonous. Are you two okay?


    Kyou - Heheheh, poison''s nothing to a Dragon.


    Kinou - Matsu shrooms are Dragon''s favorite food. They only grow on Fresh Fish Island, so we''ve defended this place for many years.


    Issei - ...No wonder you two have a high libido.


    Now Issei finally knows why they seem to be in heat all the time when he''s staying here...


    Everyone - Not as high as you though...


    They all said that at the same time and it makes Issei at a loss for words because he can''t counter their statement at all. So he feigns ignorance but there''s a small blush on his face.


    They all giggled seeing his blushing face.


    Kyou - Anyway, with that Matsu shroom you will cure the Queen''s addiction for sure.


    Kinou - By the way, QD must''ve told you girls that Ise can change you into a Dragon later if you want to right?


    Kyou - Although it''s not a full-fledged Dragon it''s still a Dragon nonetheless.


    Riche - Oh, right. I forgot about that...


    Ramius - Me too...


    Kathryn - Huh? What do you mean?


    Gurigura is also confused but then they remembered they still haven''t told them about QD and Arthur...


    Riche - The thing is...


    Then Riche proceeded to inform them about the conversation they had with QD and Arthur himself.


    Both Kathryn and Gurigura are dumbfounded after hearing it, but they accept it soon enough.


    Gurigura - I want to become a Dragon just like Ise-nii!


    Before Kathryn can say anything Kyou and Kinou said something...


    Kyou - Rumors said your body will become more perfect if you change into a Dragon.


    Kathryn''s ears perked up hearing her words.


    Kinou - Indeed, especially the breasts part.


    Not a single second passed after Kinou finishes her words...


    Kathryn - Yosh. Ise, change me into a Dragon right now.


    Kathryn suddenly got super serious and demanded Issei to change her into a Dragon right away after that.


    Kyou and Kinou flashed a sly grin on their face before it went back to normal, but Riche saw their grin. She smiled wryly because they seem to know Kathryn weakness well...


    What''s inside the twin''s mind right now is ''Hook, line, and sinker~

 Chapter 60 - 59

    The party returned with the letter from the Queen of Humpty, but even without the Queen''s letter, Louin already knows Issei''s achievement because it''s quite wide-spread.


    He saved the Queen of Humpty and lots of kidnapped girls, ruined theplans on the Humpty Kingdom. And he mends the relationship between the Poppins and the Humpty Kingdom as well. If that''s not enough to promote him then nothing will.


    Louin can only sigh to himself and feeling very proud as well for having such an outstanding son-in-law.


    Acheval and Barro also keep grinning all this time. While Croix already stuck to Issei the moment he entered the throne room. She seems in a very good mood while keep humming "Otouto~ Otouto~", Issei sweat a bit seeing her like this.


    Louin - *Sigh* Let''s just get to the point. Issei, I will promote you to aand a .


    Issei - Understood.


    Louis - Good, now let''s appoint you into a .


    Croix - Wait, I can do it again!


    Croix instantly volunteered once again, but Louin rejected her request.


    Louin - No, the one who should do the honor is Riche.


    Croix - Ehh~ Riche unfair~


    Croix pouted hearing she can''t do the honor but she soon back to her cheerful self because it''s true that the one who should do the honor is Riche herself. And she also wants Riche to be the one who did it too.


    Riche - Can I?


    Riche is pretty surprised hearing that she should be the one who does the honor.


    Louin - Yes, you made him a Knight in the first place after all.


    Riche - But my dagger can''t appoint a .


    Louin - Don''t worry, I will lend you our royalty dagger.


    Louin handed Riche a dagger significantly more extravagant than her own.


    Riche - ...Okay. Let''s do this, Ise.


    Issei - Alright.


    Issei walked up to Riche and shut his eyes.


    Riche - I, Riche Eden, in the name of Mother Eve, ask of this world-defending Knight.


    When she uttered Mother Eve''s name, Riche''s body started to emit the same glow as the miracle power.


    Riche - Protector of peace and tranquility, Issei Hyoudou, in order to fulfill your duties, do you swear to dedicate your life to those you believe in?


    Issei - Yes, I do.


    Riche - Very good. Then may Mother Eve bless your soul.


    Riche was about to tap the blade on Issei''s shoulder, but then her hand stopped.


    Issei - ...Riche?


    Riche - Heheheh, who would''ve thought the man I choose will become athis soon. I thought it will take you at least a year but apparently not, I''m very blessed and proud having a husband like you, Ise.


    Issei - Ah, me too. I also feel blessed and proud of having a wife like you... Having all of you makes me really happy and blessed.


    Issei smiled gently at Riche then he looks towards Ramius and co as well.


    They return the smile he gave them with the same smile filled with endless love and passion they share with each other.


    Louin and co. smiled gently at their interactions. But Croix had a longing feeling inside her eyes while watching them, she wishes she''s one of Issei wife as well... But it''s not possible since she''s already engaged with someone else.


    At least she''s feeling happy for her beloved little sister, Riche, for being with the man she truly loves unlike her...


    Riche - Ise... Keep up the good work. And thank you for having us as your wives.


    Issei - I will and the feeling is mutual.


    They smiled at each other then Riche finally tapped the dagger on Issei''s shoulder.


    When the dagger lightly touched his shoulder, they were both enveloped in a dull glow.


    Eventually, the light was absorbed into Issei''s body.


    Issei - ...


    Riche - There we go, one , ready for delivery.


    Barro - Princess Riche, I don''t know about treating this like you were making a pizza...


    Croix - Eheheh, Riche always acts like that when she''s being shy. And congrats Otouto~


    Croix glued herself to Issei once again after the ritual is over.


    Thus, something the world had never seen before, a free agent , was born.


    Ramius - Mhm, that''s the man I fell in love with.


    Kathryn - Well, it doesn''t take long for him to reach the same rank as mine, as to be expected for my husband.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, yup! That''s our Ise-nii~


    Acheval - Gahahahaha, that''s my lil bro right there!


    Barro - Heheheh, glad to have anotherin our ranks.


    Louin - Hmm, now that''s over with. I order you to take a vacation for now until the time for Croix ritual starts. Enjoying some good quality time with your family should do you good, and I heard you married another girl at Humpty right? And she''s also aas well from what I''ve heard.


    Issei - Yes, her name is Natal.


    Louin - Um, good to know. Now we have a new ally for our Kingdom.


    Riche - Then, shall we go home?


    Issei - Sure.


    Croix wanted to come with them but Riche doesn''t allow it, she felt downcast not allowed to come with them but soon back to her cheerful self.


    Louin can only smile bitterly to himself because Croix longing for Issei seems to get stronger but alas...


    Thus, with his promotion to aand , Issei decided to go home to see the twins.


    ...


    Kyou - Welcome home, Ise!


    The party''s arrival home was met with the twins opening the front door to greet them.


    Issei - ...


    Kyou - Want food? A bath? Or maybe... Me?


    Issei - ...


    Kinou - Hm, Ise went silent. Maybe a monster inflicted him with a status ailment?


    Issei - ...Oh, sorry, I''m fine. Just haven''t heard you welcome me home since I left . So I''m feeling a bit emotional... Kyou, Kinou, I''m glad to be home.


    It had been some time since Issei left theafter all, so it makes him feel a little emotional having them both greeted him the way as always.


    Kinou - Un, welcome home. And we''ve already looked around the house. It''s perfect for a new family. I''m highly satisfied.


    Kyou - I prefer tatami mats, but it is nice and trendy. Just what you''d want for a new couple.


    Issei - Ramius''s family gave it to us. Maybe I should go thank them again.


    Kyou - That''s okay, we already introduced ourselves, and even gave them gifts.


    Kinou - We sent a bundle of Matsu shroom dishes. No doubt it''s made them feel young again.


    Ramius - My father''s already retired. I don''t know if he needs the energy...


    Tio - Oh, I knew I heard your voices. Welcome home, Ise.


    Tilt - ...Welcome back.


    Issei - Oh, Tio, Tilt?


    Kyou - We picked her up from the company because we''re thinking to have dinner together as a whole family. Too bad we can''t bring that girl from Humpty because they''re pretty busy right there.


    Tio - Yes, Ekate and Mertel are watching the company for me so don''t worry about it. But they do say they wanted you to go visit them later on.


    Issei - Ah, got it.


    Kinou - Tio told us all about the town and the house. Good at sewing, good at laundry, and she even has big boobs and her little sister is cute as well... Nice pick, Ise.


    Tio - No, I''m not so great. Both of you have cooking talent that blew me away.


    Tilt becomes shy after being praised, then she hides inside Tio right away.


    They all smiled wryly seeing Tilt still so shy even after all this time.


    Kyou - Although our cooking is not as great as Ise, though.


    Tio and the twins seemed to have already gotten to know each other and were hitting it off.


    Kyou - We knew you''d be home soon, so we put together the best feast we could muster.


    Kinou - I recommend eating before it gets cold.


    The twins urged the party inside, where they saw rows upon rows of delicious foodstuffs.


    Riche - Wow... Is this all made from scratch?! You actually cooked this all yourself?!


    Ramius - What do we have here? Whale?! Whether boiled, grilled, or raw, it''s the most exquisite of meats... Gulp...


    Gurigura - H-Hamburgers! Wow, the patties are really thick, and there''s two of them too!


    Kyou - I''m sure you all must be tired, so we wanted to make this a treat.


    Kathryn - Like... Everything here''s like something you''d get at a nice restaurant. I''m kinda taken aback.


    Kinou - Now that''s not true. For example, you can make this ramen just by boiling it and putting it in the soup.


    Kathryn - Ramen?! Y-You even have cheap food like that?


    Kyou - Heheheh, we made that because we heard one of the wives was a shut-in... You like ramen, don''t you?


    Kathryn - Yeah... I-I love it. With this much ramen, I could stay in my room for days!


    Issei - Wait, don''t do that.


    Kyou - Look, Ise, we even made plenty of those hotpots you like so much.


    Issei - Ohh, thanks.


    Issei actually not that picky about foods, he will like anything his wives made him.


    Riche - Hrrrm... Th-This certainly is impressive...


    Ramius - Not being able to cook doesn''t make you any worse of a wife, Riche.


    Riche - I-I wasn''t thinking that!


    Ramius - Mmm, mmm, gulp. More takoyakiyaki, please.


    Riche - Wait, you''re already eating?!


    Gurigura - Better eat before it gets cold.


    Riche - Y-Yeah, I know.


    While she didn''t think Issei would be taken away from her, a large part of Riche''s heart was consumed by an uneasy feeling. But then she saw Issei smiled at her gently and all of her worries went away, she remembered that he''s not the kind of man who judges his wives just because they can''t cook and will love them no matter what happens.


    Kyou - Oh right, we made some desserts that I just know you''ll like, Riche.


    Riche - Huh? Dessert?!


    Kinou - We left them to chill in the magic fridge. There''s some special pudding made with plenty of fresh gelatin beans in there.


    Riche - Pudding... Gulp. I-I do love pudding...


    Kinou - Also, it has a sponge cake, candied grapes, poipoi fruit and kuririp on top... (AN: No that''s not a typo, that''s what it said in the game. I also don''t know what are those fruits.)


    Riche - Y-You can put all that on pudding?! Does it even count as pudding at that point?!


    Kinou - And then on top of that there''s honey, and on top of that there''s chocolate.


    Riche - S-Stop! No more or I''ll-


    Kyou - Then you just top it with sliced cat bread, and the dragon pudding a la mode is complete.


    Riche - ...I''m glad you two are part of the family.


    Issei smiled wryly seeing that the twins got Riche by the stomach.


    Her opposition shaved away, Riche helped herself to the twins handmade sweets and began to blissfully smile.


    Then they had a fulfilling dinner together, everyone is enjoying the dinner they had together.


    Issei keeps smiling the whole time because of how harmonious his wives are.


    ...


    Issei - It''s been a while since I ate your cooking, Kyou, Kinou. It tastes good as always.


    Kyou - You''re gonna get sick of it after how much you''re getting now.


    Kinou - We love to feed you, too... Honestly, even back on the island, we would have liked to feed you every day.


    Issei - I''ll never get sick of your cooking, you know that.


    Kyou - Fufufu, we''re happy that you feel that way.


    Kinou - Un.


    Issei - By the way can I ask you both a question? Why you still haven''t found your mate after all this time?


    Issei felt weird for such an outstanding girl like them to never find their mate after all this time.


    Kinou - Oh... The Witches of the Round Table each married a male descendant of Arthur and QD in order from oldest to youngest.


    Kyou - We''re the youngest, so we had to wait until last. And sometimes you''d go a generation or two with no boys being born, and that witch would just have to wait until there was one.


    Issei - Did the witches of the Round Table like Arthur that much?


    Kinou - ...We do have respect for Arthur, but we never understood the admiration the other witches felt.


    Kyou - And after the Arthur tragedy their bloodline ended with Tram and his wife Ruto because they died along with their Kingdom...


    Kinou - So that''s why we never found our mate after all this time.


    Kyou - Then I saw you after you arrived in this world, Ise. And I finally found it, the feeling I''ve been searching for this entire time, I sensed that I love you and you''re the one for me.


    Kinou - I felt the same way. That''s when we discussed you and decided you''d belong to both of us.


    Kyou - Our first love was you, Ise.


    Issei - I see. I''m happy that I''m your first love.


    Kyou - Same here.


    Kinou - Un, the feeling''s mutual.


    They smiled at each other.


    Issei - Dragons have long lifespans. Where are the other Witches of the Round Table?


    Kyou - Some are still living peacefully among humans, while some mourned by going into a hibernation-like state...


    Kinou - And Just like you know, QD still lives with Arthur''s soul deep in Camelot, where she sort of casually watches over humans.


    Issei - ...Just sort of casually.


    Kyou - That''s all we can say that''s not personal dragon business. So, are you certain you want us to be your wives? Even though you''re clearly stronger than us but...


    Kinou - We''re also several times older than you that age difference is an understatement.


    Kyou - Do you still want to marry us?


    Kinou - ...This is the last time we''ll ask. Answer honestly.


    Issei - ...Can you feel my feelings for you through your mark?


    Both Kyou and Kinou felt their mark getting hotter by the second, it''s not uncomfortable or anything it feels so warm and soothing. Just from feeling the heat they know just how much Issei loves them.


    Kyou - Oh...


    Kinou - Um...


    They blushed deeply feeling the heat from their mark.


    Issei - As long as we can understand each other''s feelings, I''m fine with it. So please marry me, both of you.


    Kyou - O-Okay, I will. I''ll gladly be your wife, Ise.


    Kinou - To have your feelings reciprocated... This is bliss. I understand QD a tiny bit more now.


    Kyou - Then it''s finally time for you to truly mark us as yours for life...


    Kinou - My body''s already warmed up. Even my breathing is a bit ragged.


    Issei - Um... I feel the same way as you both as well.


    When they''re about to get close with each other there''s a sudden sound out of nowhere.


    ??? - Hold it right there.


    The three of them look into the source of the voice and saw a woman appeared out of nowhere.


    She is a tall, voluptuous woman with thickly braided, bow-adorned, scarlet hair. Her two front braids have two golden ornaments near the upper sections and wear red lipstick. She has beautiful green eyes.


    For clothing, she dons a risque version of the typical witch''s garb. Her black top has a diamond-shaped opening, exposing the middle of her breasts, which has a white heart mark that covered with Dragon''s wing.


    Issei felt a very familiar feeling after seeing her, and when her green eyes locked onto him he saw her smiling playfully at him. But her eyes are so gentle that he felt warm just by gazing at it.


    Issei - ...Who are you?


    Kyou and Kinou know who she is but they don''t want to tell Issei about it, so they just stand on the sidelines watching them.


    The woman chuckled gently hearing his question.


    ??? - What''s wrong, Ise... Can''t recognize me anymore after I regained my body?


    Issei felt confused about how come this woman knows his name and what she meant by she regained her body?


    Seeing his confused face the woman walk towards Issei''s. Then she put one of her hands on Issei''s left arm. And the moment her hand touched Issei''s arm there''s something happened.


    There''s a flash of light and then there it is, his old sacred gear theshow itself once more to the world.


    Issei eyes went wide seeing thesuddenly appeared once more. But it soon disappears as well the moment Irene took her hand off Issei''s.


    ??? - What''s wrong, partner? Still can''t recognize me?


    Issei - ...D-Ddraig? I-Is that you?


    Irene - Hahahaha, took you long enough. Yes, it is me.


    She laughs joyfully after seeing him recognize her at last.


    Issei - B-But how? And aren''t you a-


    Irene - A man? No, I was a woman before but... Oh right, can the two of you leave us alone for now? Sorry for ruining your moment but you know the rules.


    Kyou - Sure thing, Irene-sama.


    Kinou - Un, take your time.


    Then the twins smiled at the two of them and left the room. Riche and co have already been drugged by the twins.


    The rules she''s talking about is for her to be the first Dragon wife of Issei, she''s fine with him having sex with other women as long as that woman isn''t a Dragon. So she has to step in when it seems that he''s about to have sex with the twins because she wants to claim that first Dragon wife spot that''s why.


    Issei brain is too jumbled up after knowing his supposed partner is a woman so he doesn''t even realize the twins already left the room, he blankly stared at Irene the whole time while trying to process what''s happening.


    After confirming the twins left the room Irene set up a sound barrier so no one can hear anything from outside the barrier.


    She took a deep breath.


    Irene - Here''s the thing partner, and don''t you dare laugh after hearing it...


    Then she told him all about her past when she''s still Irene and met Albion, etc.


    ...


    Issei becomes totally dumbfounded after hearing her past.


    Issei - ...


    Irene also felt embarrassed after she''s done telling him about her past, her face went a bit red as well. Thankfully he''s not laughing or she will be even more embarrassed. But unknown to her is that he just doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry after hearing it. How is he supposed to react when his trusted partner turns out to be a woman and he changed her gender just to avoid Albion? And their whole rivalry is because of her as well.


    After an awkward silence.


    Issei - ...So what you''re telling me just now is true?


    Irene - ...Um.


    Issei - ...Should I call you Ddraig or Irene now?


    Irene - Just call me Irene...


    Issei - ...Alright.


    After that, he went silent.


    Issei - ...


    Irene - ...If you have something to say then just say it.


    He looks like he''s about to say something but then closed his mouth soon after.


    Issei - Sorry, it''s just that it''s a lot to process...


    Irene - I know... But you need to understand that I wasn''t trying to hide it from you. It''s just that...


    Issei - Oh, I''m not mad or anything it''s just that...


    Then he gazes at her and soon after they chuckled at each other.


    Irene - It''s been a while, partner.


    Issei - Indeed. Glad to see you have regained your body, Ddra- I mean Irene. Sorry about that, I''m just used to calling you by your old name after all.


    Irene - It''s fine, I know you will get used to it sooner or later.


    Issei - Then, what are you doing here? To show me your new body?


    Irene - ...You could say that.


    Then Irene gives Issei a sultry smile and put both of her hands on Issei''s cheeks.


    Issei - Err... What are you doing?


    Irene - So, what do you think of my current body, partner?


    Issei - Umm... If I''m being honest then it''s very beautiful and attractive.


    Irene - *Chuckle* I''m glad you feel that way. Now then, as for the other reason why I''m here... It''s to claim my rightful place as your first Dragon wife.


    Issei - ...Sorry?


    Issei felt like he just misheard her words.


    Irene - Do you see this mark on my chest?


    Irene pointed at the mark. Then Issei looks towards the white heart mark on her chest.


    Irene - This mark only appears on a Dragon body that already chosen their mate, and I choose you, Issei Hyoudou to be my fated mate.


    Issei - ...Eh?


    Before Issei realizes it he''s already pushed down by Irene into the bed. And she mounted his body right away.


    Issei - Wha- Mmh!


    She instantly kissed Issei right away. Issei''s eyes went wide open after Irene kissed her.


    She inserted her tongue inside his mouth.


    After feeling her tongue inside his mouth Issei finally manages to return back to his sense and pushed her away.


    Issei - What are you doing?!


    Irene - Hmm? Kissing you of course.


    Issei - ...


    Issei felt speechless hearing her answer. Like what she just did is a very normal thing.


    Irene - ...Do you know, Ise... I''ve been watching you for a long time, ever since I regained my consciousness back then when you finally manage to use the .


    When he''s about to say something else he heard her talking.


    Irene - At first I thought you''re just a perverted kid but then I saw what you''re willing to do for those ungrateful brats...


    Issei knows what she meant by brats is Rias Gremory and co.


    Irene - You''re willing to sacrifice your left hand for her then you''re willing to put your life on the line for them all again and again... After a while, I finally realized that your very existence is like a beacon of light for those you hold dear. And I''m also attracted to your light...


    She looks at Issei right in the eyes while saying that, and her eyes are glittering in reminiscence.


    Irene - In my entire life I''ve never had a host like you. All of my previous hosts got lost in their search for power and only treated me like a tool... But only you treated me like a partner, a friend. And before I realize it I enjoyed spending time with you and I keep thinking how good will it be if I still have my old body... Alas, I''m already dead so I tried to bury my feelings for you.


    But after finding out how those brats betrayed you, and see you become so sorrowful because of it...


    It makes my heart ache so much and I wish I could be there for you to ease your suffering even if only for a little.


    Issei - ...You already did... When you pulled me back from my sorrow, you already saved me, partner. When you taught me about "Freedom" I felt really thankful towards you.


    Issei told her with a grateful voice but she just gives him a small smile and continued talking.


    Irene - ...You see, Ise... I already linked my soul with you the moment you underwent the process of changing into a Dragon... If you die then I will truly die along with you... But I have no regrets because I want you to be my only host and the last host I have.


    Issei felt surprised by hearing her words.


    Irene - When Semiramis told me that she could make me a new body I feel so ecstatic and joyful because I can finally truly be with you in body and soul... I finally let my buried feelings for you free. Now I can tell the world with pride that I, Irene Belserion, is in love with Issei Hyoudou.


    She smiled blissfully at him while saying that and Issei felt captivated seeing her smile.


    Irene - Now what do you say, Ise... Are you willing to truly have me as your fated partner forever in life?


    Issei keeps recalling on how she keeps helping him when he needs her the most and the time they spent together, she''s the only reason that he can still be here right now. If not for her then he would''ve already died when the corrupted evil pieces corrupting his body.


    She has already helped him so much that he doesn''t even know if he could someday repay it. And after hearing her confession about him he felt like it''s his chance to repay her. She''s used to be the one who helps her now it shall be his turn helping her.


    He will protect her from any harm and keep staying by her side forever and ever. He will always be there for her.


    Issei - ...Ah, I''m willing, partner... Till death do us part...


    Issei said that with a gentle smile but firm eyes. And Irene smiled through tears after hearing his answer.


    Irene - Till death do us part...


    They joined their hands together and kissed passionately like they''re trying to convey the feelings they have for each other.


    After Issei accepted Irene as his mate there''s a mark appeared on his left hands where hisused to be. The mark shaped identically just like Irene''s mark which looks like a heart covered with Dragon wings.


    ...


    Issei and Irene took off their clothes soon after and they''re gazing at each other bodies.


    Irene - Fufufu, I really like your current face and body, Ise.


    Issei - I could say the same to you.


    They both chuckled at each other after saying that.


    Issei is hovering over Irene''s body right now.


    Issei - Are you ready, Irene?


    Irene - Ah... Make me yours.


    Her pussy is already wet enough from all the kissing they just did and she''s been anticipating this to happen ever since she got her old body back and the moment she saw him again her body automatically went into heat.


    After hearing her confirmation Issei push forward into her and stretch her open.


    Irene - Nh!


    His dick slides forward until it hits her hymen, but it only stops his advance for a moment and his dick easily breaks through it and plunges deeper in.


    Irene - Ghh!


    His dick pierces her until it''s pressing against her womb.


    Issei gives her a gentle kiss to soothe her pain.


    Irene - Mmh...


    After a few seconds, Irene slightly moved her hips as a signal that it''s fine for him to move.


    Issei - I''m going to start moving now...


    Irene - Ah... Go ahead, I can take this much pain...


    Then Issei started moving his hips slowly.


    Irene - Haah, haah...


    After a few seconds, Issei had started kissing and licking her breasts and nipples. He buried his face in Irene''s breasts, stroking them repeatedly with love.


    Irene - Ahhn, ahh, hahn... I-I see that you still love oppai, partner... Haah, haah...


    Issei - Ah, as long as it belongs to the woman I love then I will.


    Then Issei resumed his sucking.


    Irene - Haah, hahn, I''m glad you like my body... Ahh...


    Down there her love juices were leaking out of her, now tinged with red, the proof of her purity.


    With his penis firmly inside her, Irene sighs happily. As his penis moved in and out of her faster, each thrust brought them both closer and closer to orgasm.


    Irene - W-What is this... Ahhn... I feel so hot from inside... I can feel you, rubbing against the inside of me... Ahhn!


    Issei - Ah, it feels crazy good inside you, Irene...


    *Sllsh* *Sllsh*


    Irene also started moving her hips to match Issei''s current pace going in and out inside of her.


    Tiny dots of sweat had broken out all over their body as they moved.


    Irene - I-It''s really big... And it''s going deeper and deeper each time... Haah... Ahn, ah, mmh...


    Issei put one of his arms around Irene''s back and brought her body closer to him while his other arm is on her ass and lifted one of her legs slightly. He started humping even more wildly soon after.


    Irene - Yes... Ahn... Good, make me go crazy, with pleasure... Make my body can''t live without you, Ise... Haah, haahn, aahn!?


    Her pussy was already fully lubricated, allowing Issei to reach all the way inside her easily.


    He kept humping faster and deeper inside her while she put her legs around his waist.


    Irene - Haah, haaahn... My body is all tingly, aaah...


    Issei could tell that Irene was nearing her orgasm and as he continued his thrusts, reaching as far into her as he could. While his own limit was close as well, he prepared to shoot everything he had into her.


    Issei - Guh... You''re getting even tighter, making me feel really good... I''m almost there, Irene.


    Irene - Y-You too...? I-In that case, let''s finish... Together... Haaahn!?


    *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!*


    He increased his pace even faster, working in tandem with her body.


    Irene - S-Shoot your semen into me... Right inside my uterus... Aahn, aah, ahha...


    Along his spine, Issei could feel a familiar energy building. Irene''s body is fully open to him, ready to accept his semen deep inside her.


    Irene - I can''t... I can''t hold back anymore... Haah, ah... My body... Haah, haah, aahhn, haah... I can''t, I can''t... It feels too good... Please, give me all of your semen! Mark me as yours, Ise!


    Issei - Ghh... Here, I''m coming!


    Irene - Ku! Haah, I-I''m coming too, Haaaaahhhnnn! ?


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    Issei pushed as deep as he could and ejaculate deep inside her while Irene wailed in pleasure.


    Irene - Haaah... It''s... Incredible, so hot inside... I can feel your thick, hot semen deep inside my womb... You''ve completely filled me up... I can feel it inside... You shot so much inside me... With this... We will be truly become one in body and soul... My beloved partner... Ise... I''m so happy.


    Irene shed tears of joy and blissfully smiled while stroking her abdomen and mark at her chest.


    Both of Issei and Irene''s mark started glowing and after a few seconds, they feel their soul truly connected with each other. The color of the mark changed from white into deep red signifying their love for each other. There''s a mini Queen crown in the middle of her mark, while on Issei''s mark there''s a mini King crown on it.


    Now they truly have become the Absolute Duo, not just in name but in body and soul as well.


    Issei - Ah, I''m happy as well...


    They smiled at each other and brought their lips closer once more...


    Inside his body, Issei can feel hisstarted to combining with his very own soul. Now he can use all of its ability.


    Hisis combined with Ophisso he basically canwith no limit and he also gained Albion''s


    from the time he absorbed one of Albion''s orb.


    He also automatically gained Irene''sability. It allows his attack to penetrate through all defense. This combined with hisfrom Scathach is basically overkilling... No matter how strong his opponent defense is it will be broken through like a piece of paper.


    So you can forget defending against one of Issei attack from now on. All their enemy could do is to avoid it or they will be dead the moment his attack hits them. But its easier said than done... Unless his opponent is significantly stronger than him then there will be no hope to withstand even one of his attack.


    And to find an enemy that''s significantly stronger than him? Good luck finding them because you can basically count the person who meets that criteria with one hand. Even then it won''t be for long...


    And Irene also gained most of Issei''s skill as well such as the , she thought she should teach this technique to the girls back at Semiramis domain as well.


    Irene moaned slightly feeling his dick inside her twitching.


    Irene - Mmn... Fufufu, it seems you''re still good to go, beloved...


    Issei - ...Beloved?


    Irene - Hmm? You don''t want to call you that?


    Issei - No, it just feels weird to have you call me that...


    Issei awkwardly scratches his cheek while saying that with a wry smile.


    Irene - Well, you better get used to it because I will keep calling you that from now on, be-lo-ved~?


    Irene smiled playfully at him.


    Issei - ...Fine.


    Irene - Well, I''d love to continue our mating session but the twins are waiting for you... So go make them yours next.


    Issei - Ah. See you later.


    Irene - Um, we''ll continue this later on when you get back to Semiramis domain.


    Irene gives Issei a deep goodbye kiss and then she uses her magic to instantly wear her outfit back and create a rift to return back. While she''s walking towards the rift she kept swaying her sexy butt to entice Issei, and it''s working quite well because Issei felt even more aroused now.


    Irene - You girls can come in now.


    In front of the rift she gave Issei a wink then she went inside the rift after calling the twins back.


    He smiled bitterly seeing her act and sighed to himself because he never thought the Great Sekiryuutei can act like that.


    When the twins entered the room they are already naked and they seem to have ragged breathing, their cheeks are red and their eyes are moist.


    Apparently, they were watching their mating session the whole time.


    Kyou - Ise...


    Kinou - We can''t take it anymore...


    Then both of them launched themselves at Issei. They both don''t need any foreplay because they''re soaking wet already.


    Kinou went for his lips while Kyou went for his dragon down there.


    Kyou inserted his dick into her pussy straight away. It seems because she''s so wet when her hymen break it doesn''t hurt that much. She only winces a little then started moving her hips up and down with reckless abandon.


    Kyou - Haah, haahnn, Aah... S-So good~ Mmm... It feels so good! I finally can have this majestic dragon rod inside me~ haahhn...


    *Slosh!* *Slosh!* *Slosh!*


    Kinou - Mmh, mmm, Mchu... Mwah.?


    Kinou is kissing Issei passionately while she keeps touching herself down there.


    Issei felt like he''s surrounded by marshmallow, he let the twins do all the work while he''s just laying on the bed.


    Kyou - Ahm, Ahn, haaah... Haahn... I-It''s good, it feels so good! Give me more, haahn!?


    *Sllsh!* *Slosh!*


    Kinou - Hurry and switch with me Kyou... I''m feeling so itchy down there already.


    Soon he felt like he''s about to come while Kyou was so sensitive that she already came several times it seems.


    Issei - Kuh! Kyou... I can''t hold off much longer...


    Kyou - Me too! I''ve come several times now! You don''t need to wait any longer... Ahhn! Ahn, haa, haahn! I''m coming again, ahhn... I can feel it, my body is ready... Ready to receive your seed, deep in my womb... Haahhh...?


    Kyou was ready to receive Issei''s essence but he still held off, wanting to give her as much pleasure as he could before the end.


    They continued to move, nearing their shared orgasm. Breathing in time with Kyou, he prepared to let a wave of pleasure flow over him.


    Issei - Ku... I''m coming!


    Kyou - Yaah, ahhn, I''m coming too! Haah, haah, aaaaahhhnnnn...?


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    Kyou - I can feel it... Flowing inside me, splashing... It''s amazing, there''s so much coming out... Filling me entirely... It''s so hot, so thick and hot... I''m being filled up... Haah, haaahn, ahhn... It''s still coming out...


    Finally, Issei finished his ejaculation and Kyou plopped down on top of his body feeling exhausted.


    There''s a mark appeared on her left shoulder, its the same mark Irene and Issei had but at the middle of her mark, there''s a Roman number "VII" on it the same goes for Issei''s ring, and a golden ring also appeared on her ring finger.


    Then Kinou gently lifted Kyou''s body and set her to the side because she really can''t take it anymore.


    *Plop*


    Kyou - Haahn...


    Issei''s penis slides off from Kyou''s pussy and his seeds started flowing out from her pussy because of it.


    Then Kinou took Kyou previous position and mounted Issei right away, and just like Kyou when her hymen break she doesn''t feel hurt that much and started moving up and down while leaning forward to kiss Issei, apparently she likes to kiss while having sex.


    Kinou - Mmh, Chu... Haahn, your mouth tastes sweet, Ise... It tastes better the more I kiss you. It''s hard to describe the taste... It''s a very... Good taste though... Chu, mmh... Haahn...


    Every time she went up and down the tip of his penis is bumping up against her cervix, probing its shape as he penetrated her.


    Kinou - Haah, haah... Mm, mhaa!


    He enjoyed probing every corner of her pussy, feeling its warmth around him.


    Kinou - Your penis fits right inside me... It''s so big and hot and fills me all the way up. Haah, haah... This feels really good, Kyou is right... Feeling you grind against my insides... Mmha, ahhn... Hah, haahn...


    Issei penis slides inside and out of her easily, disappearing again and again inside her welcoming folds.


    Kinou - Haah, haah... Haahng, mmha... My body belongs to you, Ise... My vagina is completely dedicated to your use now and forever... Haah, you''re inside my deepest place... Haahn... It feels so good when you''re inside me... Mmhh...


    Kinou slowed her hips movement but she moves her hips in a circle, Issei put both of his arms around Kinou''s back and hug her tightly against his body to feel each other''s warmth.


    Their bodies are totally intertwined. As if their hearts are beating at each other''s pace.


    *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!*


    Kinou - Haah, haaahn... Ahn... Mhaa... Please go deeper, deeper... It''s okay to do it as roughly as you want, haah...


    Issei does it just the way she wanted and went inside her deeper hitting her sensitive spot. Feeling his movement her opening closed even more tightly around his penis as if she were having multiple micro-orgasms.


    Kinou - I-It''s good, Ise... You''re hitting me exactly where it feels the best... It''s not fair that I feel this good, alone, mmhhh... Ise, I want you to feel good too. I want you to come inside me...


    Issei - Ah, you don''t need to worry about that, I''m feeling really good right now... Gh, I''m almost there...


    The room is filled with a lewd sound as their bodies pushed up against each other, faster and faster now.


    *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!*


    Issei - Kuh... I''m coming, Kinou!


    Kinou - Haahn, haaa! Haahn... My womb is opening just for you, Ise... Ah... Please fill it with your sperm... Haah, haaahn! Please give me all of it, Ise... Haaahn!?


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    Issei ejaculated deep inside her, releasing a huge amount of semen even though this is his 3rd time coming in a row. Feeling his sperm flooding her insides she tightened her insides around his penis, in a way that felt like a caress.


    Kinou - I-It''s here... Nn, haa, aah... So much semen, so hot... I can feel it, flowing inside me. Filling up my body... *Splurt!* There, I can feel it, another spurt... It feels so good... Haahn... Mmh~?


    Issei penis is still firmly erect inside her, even after ejaculating. It is like it wanted more. He pushed his lower back upwards while kissing her.


    Kinou - Haah, ahhn... You''re still big, Ise... Even though you just came three times in a row just now... It''s incredible.


    Issei - Sorry, but I still want more...


    Kinou - Uhmm, go ahead... Anytime you like... Please put it inside me, anytime you want, ahhn!?


    During their second round, Kyou gets up and joined them straight away. Then they made love with each other the whole night...


    Kinou''s mark in on her right shoulder with a Roman number "VIII" on it along with her gold ring and Issei''s.


    ( Mastery - 70%)


    (Both Kyou and Kinou combined only gives 5% while Irene is 10%)


    ...


    Issei - Ngh...


    Issei''s arms were enveloped by the twins'' feminine aroma and the warmth and softness of their skin when he woke up. He smiled seeing them both.


    Issei - ...Haven''t woken up between them since they looked after me when I''m still hurt.


    Both of their breasts which he enjoyed last night right now are pressing against Issei''s chest, the softness of it almost makes him want to go at it again but he held it in because they''ve been doing it all night non-stop.


    Kyou - ...Morning, Ise... Mm...


    Kyou woke up and, still looking half-asleep, gave him a light kiss.


    Issei - Ah, good morning, Kyou.


    *Tug*


    Issei - Hmm?


    Kinou - Mmmm~


    When his opposite arm was yanked, he looked and saw Kinou staring at him with her usual lack of expression, but her eyes gave the impression that she was displeased.


    Issei - Um, you can get a kiss too, Kinou.


    Kinou - Mhm.


    Then he gives Kinou a good morning kiss as well.


    Kyou - Wish I could lie here and enjoy your smell for longer, but it''s time to make breakfast.


    Kinou - It''s unfortunate, but a wife has to do what a wife has to do.


    Kyou - Ow, ooooow...


    Kinou - Ngh... Ouch.


    Issei - What''s wrong?


    Kinou - ...My crotch aches. I knew losing your virginity would hurt, but this is worse than expected.


    Issei - Oh, sorry... It felt so good yesterday that I kinda carried away and forgot it was your first time...


    Kyou - Don''t worry about it. It''s also our fault for being so wild last night and besides, the pain is all part of these important wedding memories.


    Kinou - I''m now literally damaged goods because of you... That gives you a heavy responsibility.


    Issei - Hahah, yeah, I know.


    Issei sweated hearing her words, it''s not like he has any intention on abandoning them alright...


    Kyou - Don''t worry, we''ll get over it as fast as we could because we''re Dragons after all.


    Kinou - We could easily do this again as early as tonight. Even right this second, if you want to try it.


    Issei - Uhh, I''d be happy to... But I rather not... Hmm, normally, Riche and the others would''ve barged in here right about now.


    Kyou - We didn''t want anyone interrupting our first night together, so we drugged them with a little something too. Lady Irene is a special case though because we had a deal with her.


    Kinou - There were paralysis drugs in the desserts. They''ve probably been jerking around all night.


    Issei - ...*Sigh* I knew there''s some weird smell from the food yesterday, but to think it''s a paralysis drug... And what deal you had with Irene?


    Kyou - Well...


    Then they both tell Issei about the deal they had with Irene.


    Issei can only smile wryly when he heard it. Then he told both of them to take it easy and let him prepare breakfast. They''re more than happy being able to taste his cooking again after all this time so they let him cook for them.


    Besides they love the care he gives them right now.


    When Issei''s done preparing breakfast he went to check on Riche and co.


    ...


    Ramius - How could I let this happen? My chance to learn how Dragons have sex, wasted...


    Kathryn - Why did I have to be drugged because of what the rest of you do?!


    Gurigura - Even I didn''t notice the drugs they put in there... Dragons are cool.


    Riche - And now we''re eating those same dragons'' breakfast without even checking it first...


    Tio - It''s hard to say no when their breakfast looks so good.


    Issei - Don''t worry, this time it has no drugs in it since I made it myself.


    Kyou - Don''t worry about a thing. Yesterday was just a special occasion. We don''t normally put things in people''s food.


    Ramius - Oh, then I''ll dig in.


    Kathryn - Don''t be fooled!


    Kinou - After breakfast, there''s a tofu cake with seasonal fruits waiting, if you can forgive us.


    They made the desert when Issei is checking Riche and co.


    Riche - Mmm... Tofu cake... The perfect cake for a girl who''s watching her calorie intake...


    Gurigura - They totally got Riche-nee on their side too!


    Kyou - Not that we''re trying to persuade anyone. We just want you to enjoy our cooking.


    Tio - Haaah... Wonderful. You two come off as so mature.


    Kathryn - ...I mean, as far as looks go, I''d say you-


    Tio - They come off as so mature.


    Kathryn - Uh, yeah, sure...


    Tio gives Kath a chilling smile when the latter is about to say something taboo.


    So they fully enjoyed their breakfast and spent a few days relaxing just like Louin advise them to.


    Issei also visited the Kalars to see how are they doing but it seems most of them still not reborn like Ekate yet, but it should be soon enough from what they''ve told him.


    There''s some of them already underwent the rebirth process and they are waiting for Issei to give them a new name just like Ekate did.


    Their list is as follows:


    1. Mertel, she said she wanted to keep her name as it is. Unlike Ekate she appears to be a pure devil and her personality is still the same as she used to flirty like a seductress but that''s only when she''s in front of Issei while in front of others she appears strict and serious. She''s the only Kalars who after underwent rebirth process still has her gem on her forehead and has horns at the same time.


    Perhaps it''s because she''s their Queen in the first place. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-503861407.jpg)


    2. Kyuriha, she appears to be a Wind elemental Angel with Fujin Bloodline. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-1770633053.jpg)


    3. Miarute, she appears to be a pure Light/Holy elemental Angel, her holy power is even stronger than Michael. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-652344499.jpg)


    4. Suisen, she appears to be a Thunder elemental Devil with Raijin Bloodline. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-1755334333.jpg)


    5. Paniverna, she appears to be a Fire elemental Devil with Phoenix Bloodline and Issei could tell that her bloodline is even purer and stronger than the Phenex family from his world. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-763966623.jpg)


    6. Izana, she appears to be an Ice elemental Angel with Ice Phoenix bloodline. (https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-1028708666.jpg)


    7. Ultinia, she appears to be a strong Light/Holy elemental Angel as well just like Miarute but not as strong as the latter, but still quite strong. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-1118018133.jpg)


    8. Marialis, she appears to be a pure Dark elemental Angel. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-1346706770.jpg)


    The 8 of them is the ones worth mentioning because they clearly stand out from the other because of how strong they are after the . The Kalars referred them as thealong with Ekate.


    Mertel and Ekate stuck to Issei''s the moment they saw them and they keep seducing Issei until they had another orgy. The details are omitted...


    ...


    Issei teaches all of the Kalarsand some other training as well. The Kalars who were very flirty towards Issei becomes totally focused and listening with undivided attention the moment he trains them.


    They appears to be extremely loyal and committed to becoming stronger as soon as possible, theseems to be mastering what Issei''s teaching them at an alarming rate. They are mastering it even faster than Ramius and co, but that''s only because they still haven''t become a Dragon yet.


    When Ramius and co. turned into a Dragon just like Issei their progress will be even faster than the Kalars. Whether it be strength, talent, constitution, or comprehension, they will be at the top straight away. Of course, even the greatest talent or genius still need to be developed, so they still need to train themselves or all will be for naught. Take Rias, for example, she has a great talent and bloodline but all she does is totally depending on hermagic hoping it will break all obstacle in her way.


    Sure hermagic is strong but it''s not fully utilized because she doesn''t do a proper training as of yet. And during the rating game ironically enough she becomes the weakest of them all even though she has the strongest offensive magic among her peerages. But that''s a story for another time...


    After Issei is done visiting the Kalars he also visited Natal to see if she needs any help but it appears there''s no trouble coming their way so he spent an entire day with her on a date and at night they had another lovey-dovey sex.


    He also trains her and just like the rest and her talent is really good as well which not surprising because she''s supposed to be atrank already if not for her old family intervention.


    Issei''s routine is just like that until the time for Croix''s ritual.

 Chapter 61 - 60

    When Issei is relaxing in his house along with his wives, Barro comes in.


    Barro - Hi, everyone. I''m back from Humpty.


    Barro just got back from Humpty to check some things over there for Croix ritual.


    Riche - Oh, Barro?


    Barro - Sorry to barge in, but I''d like to talk about your next mission.


    Issei - Sure, it''s fine.


    Barro - Great, great. Glad I''m not interrupting anything. I have to say, it''s gotten lovely in here.


    Barro looked over the living room packed with all the wives and offered Issei an impressed smile.


    Riche - Geez, it''s still early and you''re already on the job. You clearly overwork yourself, Barro.


    Barro - Hmm, leaving too much to Acheval would only mean more work for me later, though.


    Kathryn - I bet, ahahahaha!


    Ramius - You''re a <Zero Knight> too, Kath. You should at least help a little...


    Barro - Anyway, Issei-kun, as you might know, Princess Croix wanted you to help her with her wedding ritual.


    Issei - Sure.


    Issei thought why not because he thought of Croix as his family member after all since she''s Riche Big sister and all.


    Barro - Um, you may already know this, but Princess Croix is known for being a remarkable saint.


    Issei - Saints being women who''ve strongly inherited Mother Eve''s blood, right?


    Barro - Her magic power far exceeds the average human, such that just standing near her can make you feel like you prayed to Mother Eve... She''s like a living church.


    Issei - Ah, I know.


    He can feel her holy power quite well after all, and just by standing near her it''s quite soothing. The same goes for Croix when she''s near Issei though, he just doesn''t know it yet.


    Barro - The Church of Mother Eve say they want to use Princess Croix''s wedding to recreate Mother Eve''s wedding ritual. The prince of Central and, of course, Princess Croix have agreed to participate.


    The ritual will involve using a ship to travel around to Humpty''s Islands, and we''d like you to transport Princess Croix using your ship.


    Ramius - Then all we have to do is transport her?


    Barro - I''ve taken a look at that ship. It''s both fast and maneuverable, much safer than any other ship we could get our hands on. And also to have Issei-kun to guard her personally it will be perfectly safe.


    Kathryn - Heheheh, no doubt it is. Our ship''s loaded with next-generation energy, conceived of by yours truly.


    Riche - Well, it''s an uppy named Mr. Edison, but yeah...


    Barro - You''re supposed to go from Humpty to the State of Hamlet City. Given that''s your next destination, I assume there aren''t any problems with that.


    Riche - Sure, we have to go to Hamlet one way or another. Besides, this is my sister''s wedding, so I want to help out somehow.


    Issei - Um, I agree with Riche. We''ll deliver Princess Croix safely to Hamlet.


    Kyou - Hmmm, a wedding ritual, huh?


    Kinou - and the destination is Hamlet. Perfect.


    Issei - Hm? What is it?


    Kyou - Oh, nothing... Nothing at all.


    Issei - ...I see.


    Issei still felt something was off as the two twins shook their heads, but forgot about it and told Barro they would take the job.


    Barro - I''m glad you''re interested. Eden''s vessels are at the bottom of the ocean, and I''d feel pretty restless on a ship borrowed from Humpty.


    Ramius - You seem pretty restless right this second, Barro. There was no need to visit so early in the morning.


    Barro - Yes, that''s true. But I can''t help it, I''m personally invested in Princess Croix''s marriage.


    Riche - What a loyal Knight.


    Barro - Hahaha, well, come to the castle when you''re ready. I can tell you the details about the ritual then.


    Issei - Got it.


    Then Barro went back to castle ahead of them.


    Kathryn - Hamlet, huh? It''s so far north that I don''t have much concept of what it''s like up there.


    Issei - What kind of place is it supposed to be?


    Gurigura - Hamlet''s where the Church of Mother Eve''s headquarters is located.


    Ramius - Have you been there, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Y-Yeah... A few times.


    As the party gets their new mission, they turned their thoughts toward the State of Hamlet City.


    ...


    In the darkness, a faint light illuminated a wrinkly old man. The water tank before him contained Jabber, still in his monster form after his defeat by Issei.


    SC - Now this is gluttony...


    The man, <Snake Crest''s> Supreme Commander, watched the monster gradually dissolve and let out an impressed gasp.


    SC - Truly repulsive... It''s like a reflection of the soul.


    However, he couldn''t hide the delight in his voice.


    SC - Rochefort''s envy and Rocinante''s greed were just as hideous... BUT IN THAT, THERE IS BEAUTY!... Compared to the swine living their empty lives in Mother Eve''s cage, you look far nobler... Now, my <Snake Crest> brethren... Die and become one with me... Huhwahwah, huhwahwahwah!


    ...


    In a dungeon somewhere...


    All sources of light were intentionally blocked off, creating a total and impenetrable darkness. Within the darkness could be heard the slamming of metal against tough flesh, followed by someone''s agonizing scream.


    Man - GYAAAAAAH!


    Kuro - ...I thought you might be of little use, but it seems I was mistaken.


    Kuro killed almost every Outlaw that managed to get away from Issei''s sight.


    Shiro - Oh dear, this looks like a mess. I got these fellows together in answer to your request. Are you slaughtering them already?


    Kuro - You''re here? Hmph, should''ve gotten me a less useless group then.


    Shiro - But these are excellent fighters. Ones who seek strength the same way you do. Just so you know, I''ll never find anyone better than them.


    Kuro - ...Heal him.


    Lackey - Yes, sir.


    Kuro - Once he''s cured, go hunt some powerful monsters or something to make yourselves stronger.


    The rest of the Outlaws silently nodded in fear at the instructions and left Kuro''s side.


    Shiro - But what made you want to gather allies?


    Kuro - Sudden Impulse.


    Shiro - Heheh, must be inspired by "Him". The allies he finds for himself becomes stronger at an alarming rate along with himself as well...


    Kuro - ...


    Shiro - Oh yes, and I believe you might know this already, but I''m told "He" defeated Jabber as anticipated...


    Kuro - Well, don''t you sound happy about that? If Jabber''s dead, you can''t make your true Adan''s Blood and your plans grind to a halt, am I wrong?


    Shiro - Actually, Bolonius has already finished the <Adan''s Blood>.


    Kuro - Nobody told me about that.


    Shiro - I doubt he felt much need to mention it. We don''t tell the rest of <Snake Crest> everything we do, either.


    Kuro - True. I''ve known you for a long time and there are still things I won''t share with you.


    Shiro - That''s a shock... I try to be as upfront with you as possible, at least... But, as far as the Supreme Commander is concerned, we''re all just pawns in his games, though.


    Kuro - Not that I expect you''ll let yourself be used that easily.


    Shiro - Jabber''s corpse has been sent to the Supreme Commander. He''s using all the corrupted and transformed admins to give himself power.


    Kuro - Much like our crest... The snake that eats its own tail. Better watch out or we''ll be eaten too.


    Shiro - I wouldn''t worry about the tail going without a fight...


    Kuro - Have fun with that. All I want to do is lose myself in battle. You can keep your plans.


    Kuro vanished into the darkness to once again. Shiro then shrugged and disappeared as well.


    The now-silent darkness would again become noisy hours later with the pained groans of monsters.


    ...


    Bolonius - So this is the <Adan''s Blood>...


    Within the windowless room unchanged by the time of day, Bolonius closely analyzed a drug of his creation.


    Bolonius - The desire to attack, kill, ****, and eat humans... I had doubts that monster blood itself contains those instincts, but now...


    Despite his doubts, Bolonius had made monster blood into all different varieties of <Adan''s Blood> already.


    One type caused a loss of self-restraint, one increased destructive impulses, one induced uncontrollable lust... This was only a few types he''d created.


    Bolonius - But why is it that the purer monster blood looks closer to human blood?


    The perfected Adan''s Blood was the same deep red as the blood of human beings.


    Bolonius - Who was this Adan that created the monsters? Who is Mother Eve?... It doesn''t matter to me now, I suppose.


    Bolonius noticed he was getting off track, shook his head, and looked to the bed in one corner of the room.


    Bolonius - If it''s true that <Adan''s Blood> is the key to reviving Mother Eve, nothing else matters.


    Bolonius took up the <Adan''s Blood> in one hand and walked up to the bed.


    In it, a young girl lay. Bolonius brushed the hair off her cheeks, during which he felt the lack of warmth in her skin.


    Bolonius - If <Adan''s Blood> could even resurrect Mother Eve, then theoretically, it should have no trouble bringing a human back to life.


    Bolonius pricked the hard, cold skin with the syringe in his hand.


    Bolonius - Now, open your eyes... My beloved daughter... Ophelia...!


    The corpse of the girl he''d called Ophelia violently jerked upright.


    Ophelia - Ah... Nngh, aaaah...


    Bolonius - Ophelia! Do you recognize me?


    Ophelia - Ah... Uuuhn, guh... Aaah...


    Bolonius - Hrm, what is this massive flow of magic energy? It''s like it''s flooding into her from all around the world!


    Ophelia - AAAAAAAAAH!


    Bolonius - Ophe-


    *WOOOSH!*


    Coincidentally, on the same day Issei decided to depart for Hamlet... One of its towns was consumed by death.


    ...


    The family was gathered in the living room, getting ready for the journey.


    Tio - I''m putting all your spare clothes here. You don''t want to get sick, so remember to change clothes whenever you sweat too much.


    Issei - Um, thanks for everything, Tio.


    The clothes Tio handed over was all neatly folded and soft to the touch.


    Gurigura - Wooow, my panties smell like outside.


    Riche - Don''t you typically want to dry underwear away from the sun?


    Tio - I made shade out of some washed sheets. It gives them the same smell as a fluffy blanket.


    Gurigura - Sniff sniff, eheheh, smells nice...


    Riche - Quit rubbing panties on your face, you look like a weirdo.


    Ramius - Yes, you shouldn''t rub your own underwear on your face. Use Ise''s instead.


    Issei - ...


    Kathryn - That''s even weirder!


    Tio - Also, Kinou and Kyou left me packed lunches to give to all of you.


    Issei - Hm? Are both of them not here?


    Tio - No, they said they had some business to attend to and left rather early.


    Issei - Oh... Well, knowing them. I doubt there''s anything to worry about.


    Issei doesn''t really have to worry about them both in danger on this world unless the "Naughty" Dragon decided to fight them that is. But if they''re in danger he will know right away and vice versa from the mark they share together now. And Issei could just teleport to their location instantly.


    While Issei is thinking about the twins, his wives appeared to have finished preparing as well.


    Kathryn - Alright, time to go help with Princess Croix''s ritual.


    Riche - It goes from Humpty to Hamlet, before ending in the Central Empire.


    Issei - So, the northern continent...


    Kathryn - Anyway, let''s go to Eden Castle first and see how this whole ritual''s going down.


    Issei gives Tio a kiss and Tilt a pat on the head which makes the latter blushed deeply, then both of them saw off the party as they headed to Eden Castle. He already taught the <9 Divines> how to use teleportation so they could be Tio''s taxi basically.


    On a side note, it seems all of the Kalars already have <Nature/Earth> element inside them. Which is not surprising because they''re one with nature in the first place.


    The <9 Divines> trained some of the Kalars to be Issei''s Elite Guards, although he already told them he doesn''t need one. But they insisted, so Issei could only relent to their request. He''s about to say no once again but the entire Kalar race gave him a "Puppy eyes" and he''s defeated straight away after seeing their pleading look...


    The Kalars are linked with Issei''s divinity as the True Red Dragon King of Dominance, he doesn''t realize he''s basically already on par with Gods at this point. He could be called the True Dragon God of Dominance now basically. If Ophis represents <Infinity>, Great Red represents <Dreams>, then Issei represents <Dominance/Supremacy> but he also has a part of the first two divinity as well because of what happened in the past when Ophis and Great Red helped to rebuild his body before.


    The Kalars souls are imbued with his divinity and it amplify their bloodlines, strength, comprehension, etc.


    That''s also why the Kalars bloodlines becoming so strong in the first place because they''re affected with his divinity. Even though the Kalars underwent a process of <Rebirth> they are not supposed to be this strong from the get-go.


    The Kalars already told Issei about this but he doesn''t really care about it since for him as long as they''re safe then it''s okay. He doesn''t care if they become strong or not and for him, every single Kalars are his women and he won''t abandon them even if they''re weak.


    After the Kalars heard his words they are overcome with love and blissful feeling for having a King like Issei and they all swarmed towards him and they all had a very passionate orgy sex soon after that.


    The Kalars now has an undying loyalty towards Issei more than ever and if they''re asked to kill themselves for him then they would gladly do it, but it''s basically impossible to happen because Issei would never ask them to do that, obviously.


    The Kalars are also protected by his divinity. The moment they "Died", their soul will automatically go to Issei and start healing themselves until they''re back to their top condition.


    Issei won''t be affected by this in any way since he basically has unlimited <Life Force> now. So in the future, Issei''s army will be called <The Immortals> because they can''t die unless Issei dies first.


    ...


    Food Stand Man - We''re celebrating Princess Croix''s wedding with red and white pakapuku mochi, on sale now!


    Sales Girl - The Princess Croix Wedding Sale is currently ongoing! Visit as a couple for 30% off on all products!


    Issei''s party arrived at the capital of Eden to be met with bustling streets.


    Ramius - Princess Croix''s wedding has gotten everyone in a celebratory mood already.


    Riche - People really loves Onee-chan. She''s a saint, she''s nice to everyone, she''s gorgeous... It makes sense.


    Issei - Um.


    Gurigura - I haven''t been to church very much. What do saints do?


    Kathryn - If we''re being honest, they''re walking advertisements for the church. And I guess they inherited a lot of Mother Eve''s blood, so they''re supposed to have a lot of magic power.


    Riche - Onee-chan''s magic power is high, that much is true. Thing is, she has no talent for casting magic, so she can''t really fight or anything.


    Kathryn - Huh, fascinating...''Might not be that she''s bad at magic, so much as the kind of magic saints typically use... Or wait, maybe she''s just hiding her talent.''


    Issei also thought the same thing as Kath because he could feel she indeed has a massive magic power for a human, she''s practically way ahead of Rias who''s a high-class devil in terms of magic power while Croix is just a human.


    If he''s about to compare Croix in magic power then as of right now her magic power is on par with Sirzechs. And he doubts that Croix has no talent at all using magic, he could feel just how much holy power she has that even put Michael in the dust. If she were to cast an Offensive Holy Magic then she probably could kill thousands of devil in just one magic cast.


    He felt like she''s hiding her talent on purpose because she doesn''t want to eclipses her little sister, Riche that far ahead. So that''s why she doesn''t learn any offensive magic spell most likely.


    Issei''s guess is right. Croix indeed doesn''t learn any offensive magic spell because she doesn''t want to take all the limelight from Riche and her little brother Philip.


    She''s already a saint for one and the strongest saint in history at that, so if she were to show the world her magic talent then people will forget Riche and Philip ever existed because of how outstanding she is. And that''s still the best scenario... What if people started comparing her with her little sister and brother? That will only make them suffer, so she chooses to feint ignorance about magic by acting she has no talent at all on it.


    She always put her family above all else and that''s what makes Issei attracted to her very existence because they are so alike. She agreed to marry the Prince of Central just to solidify their kingdom alliance and she also agrees to be the Saint to lessen her father''s burden.


    Even if someone else were to have the same amount of holy power as Croix but her personality isn''t like Croix then they won''t attract Issei that much.


    Ramius - Those designated as saints by the church travel around to churches to serve as nuns and speak with the church-goers, from what I know.


    Riche - Onee-chan says she really just wants to travel and help people in need, but you know...


    Kathryn - Yeah, not so easy when she''s a princess. And unlike a certain prodigal daughter I know, she actually does her royal duties.


    Riche - Yeah...


    Issei - Riche?


    Riche - Look, there''s a beef and honey bun stand here! Let''s get some as a gift for Onee-chan.


    Issei - Oh, sure.


    The party enjoyed the sights of the vibrant city as they headed to the castle where Louin was waiting.


    Louin - Is that you, Issei?


    Issei - Yes.


    Croix - Otouto~

 Chapter 62 - 61

Issei''s party finally arrived at the Kadomatsu.


    Gurigura - Whoa... The crowd extends all the way over here.


    Croix - Definitely. It''s delightful

 Chapter 63 - 62

    Issei - So Hamlet''s on this continent...


    The party stopped their ship in front of the port. Before they could dock, they had to undergo an inspection.


    When the inspector expressed shock at the uppy on board, Kathryn started droning on about her engine''s technical workings and Natal also needed to give a report about their situation, she reluctantly left Issei''s side but becomes cheerful once again after Issei gave her a pat on the head.


    Then, Issei gazed out at the vast continent before them.


    Riche - There are two bridges to the north, with Central on the west side and Hamlet on the east. What we see right in front of us here is Hamlet.


    Issei - Wasn''t this the first continent people went to after journeying outside Central?


    Riche - They called it the Poison Continent back then. The poison was a big reason humans couldn''t leave Central in the first place.


    Issei - Poison...


    Riche - It''s said that priests from the Church of Mother Eve learned detoxification magic to make the trek possible.


    Ramius - Then the church established its headquarters here and saw Arthur''s exodus off to Humpty.


    Issei - Hmm... It''s like we''re traveling backward over Arthur''s footsteps.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, the church here is really big and pretty.


    Issei - Oh? Cool, let''s give it a visit later.


    Gurigura - Okay!


    Issei - Poison though... That must''ve sucked.


    Laertes - If only it were a thing of the past. The northern side of the continent remains covered in a poison swamp.


    Laertes joined the rest of the group with Kathryn after finishing his exchange with the inspector, then looked out at the continent of Hamlet.


    Issei - Hmm, is it dangerous?


    Laertes - Oh dear, have I frightened you? Poison can actually be beneficial to humans if used properly.


    Riche - Now that you mention it, I''ve heard you can make cheese from a kind of poison.


    Laertes - That would be mold, yes. It''s also been found that mold can be made into curative medication.


    Kathryn - That research has given Hamlet a reputation as the most medically advanced country in the world.


    Riche - Huh, so Hamlet''s like... A country that defeated poison.


    Laertes - If only I could say that...


    Issei - Hmm?


    Issei heard Laester''s bitter whisper.


    Kathryn - Anyway, we got permission to dock. Time to enter Hamlet.


    Issei - Oh, got it.


    The party''s ship produced ripples as it approached the State of Hamlet City.


    ...


    Upon disembarking from the ship, the party was met by Central''s Knights.


    The one who stands out the most is the lone woman at the front.


    She has a gorgeous face, she appears as a slightly dark-skinned woman with dark red hair and eyes. And her outfit is that of a long green jacket and a white vest that opens up at her chest part probably because her breasts are too big, and she wears a black mini skirt with green boots. She carries a large greatsword at her back. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/7/78/Millet-portrait.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/492?cb=20180809010520)


    She is Millet the <Zero Knight> from Central. Issei felt something weird when sensing her presence, it appears she''s also hiding something... As for her soul, it''s neutral. It''s neither evil nor good as far as he could tell.


    The same goes for Millet when she tries to sense Issei because she couldn''t sense his presence at all.


    It''s like he just blends in with his surroundings, she can''t even sense his power. She thought he must''ve used some sort of technique to hide it. She heard about him from the rumors and she thought maybe those rumors aren''t so baseless after all.


    Millet - Millet, the <Zero Knight> of Central Empire.


    Issei - Issei Hyoudou, the <Zero Knight> of Eden Kingdom.


    Their introduction is quick and simple, Issei thought she''s probably the strongest person he has seen so far even Shiro and Kuro lost if compared to her. Of course, QD and Arthur don''t count because they''re basically not a "Person".


    Ramius and co. also introduced themselves towards Millet and she returned their courtesy professionally. Riche have already met Millet before along with Prince Felton.


    Millet - I heard about what happened from the last ships that got here. It''s good to know that Princess Croix is safe.


    Issei - Um, don''t worry she''s in safe hands.


    Millet - And I''ve heard a lot about you as well, Sir Issei Hyoudou.


    Issei - I could say the same about you, and you can just call me Issei if you want. No need to be so formal towards me.


    Millet - Very well, then I shall do just that. And you can call me just Millet as well.


    Issei - Ah.


    Natal - Um, apologies for interrupting, but what of the other ships?


    Millet - Thanks to your quick thinking, the civilian ships all made it here unharmed.


    Natal - Is that so? Thank goodness.


    Natal appeared to be glad that the civilians are safe and sound, Issei smiled at her. Because this is what makes him attracted to her, she appears prideful but she always put the safety of the civilians above all else even when they just got to know each other.


    Riche - Nice to see you again, Millet. Oh, I just noticed... Where''s Prince Felton? He usually sticks around you.


    Millet - It''s nice to see you again as well, Princess Riche. And it would be more appropriate to say I''m sticking around him, and not by choice...


    Riche - Oh, right...


    Millet - Well, he''s so aimless on his own that it''s an understandable mistake. But if you''d like to know where Prince Felton is, I had him imprisoned.


    Everyone - ...


    Issei''s party becomes speechless after hearing her words, she imprisoned the prince?


    Millet continued her words after seeing their inquisitive gaze.


    Millet - He insisted on coming to see the princess, but our hands are full enough watching over one member of royalty, so he''s been confined to Ancestor''s Tower as part of the ritual.


    Riche - Is it really part of the ritual, though? I know about the story, after Eve returned to her tower, she was met by the First Ancestor, despite having imprisoned him in a different tower.


    Kathryn - Well, the unexpected reunion apparently made her that much more emotional, though.


    Millet - Though he''s not so much in the tower as the town next to it. He''s being fed, so rest assured he won''t starve to death.


    Ramius - Imprisoning your own Lord in order to defend him... You''re an exemplary Knight, Millet-dono.


    Gurigura - Hmmm, I dunno if that''s the idea.


    Barro - Anyway, I take it that means the Central Empire have their preparations for the ritual in order.


    Millet - That''s correct... However, we''d like to ask that the ritual be delayed and Princess Croix remain in Hamlet for a while.


    Barro - Hm, is there a problem?


    Millet - Sir Barro, may I ask that you come to the Church of Mother Eve?


    Barro - Not something you can discuss openly? Alright, then. Issei-kun, can you look after the Princess?


    Issei - Sure.


    Croix - Then I wanna go to a cafe with you, Otouto~. Let''s have a look around town while we have the chance.


    Millet - I''m afraid you can''t. Please stay put at your inn, Princess Croix.


    Croix - Aaaw, but my otouto would be there. Isn''t that good enough?


    Millet - In the event anything happened, we would have to call off the wedding ritual.


    Croix - But, but... Just a tiny bit should be fine...


    Millet - ?!...Very well, I''ll double the town''s security and ensure no suspicious persons come near. Let me go take care of that now. Farewell.


    Millet softened her position to an unnatural degree and rushed away from the party.


    Issei - What happened?


    Riche - Maybe she thought turning down Onee-chan would get ugly?


    Kyou - Huh, Hamlet''s medicine has come along more than I thought.


    Laertes - Though much of it has yet to be tested, and we need to prioritize safety when it comes to medicine.


    Kinou - I''m fascinated by the theory that healing magic doesn''t work on colds because of the virus is a part of the patient.


    Kyou - Oh, what''s wrong?


    While the party was wondering about Millet, the twins and Laertes disembarked from the ship while discussing medicine.


    Issei - Nothing, really. We were just about to head into town together.


    Kyou - That''s a nice idea. This man here just told us that he has some delicious tea made from medicinal herbs.


    Kinou - Our cooking is quite health-focused, so that''s very much of interest to us.


    Laertes - In that case, let me introduce Princess Croix to a cafe that uses many of these tea leaves. I can lead you there if you''d like.


    ??? - FATHER!


    Laertes voice was drowned out by a girl''s shout.


    ??? - When I heard your ship was attacked by pirates, I got so worried!


    Issei - Oh?


    Laertes - Towa... Sorry, I worried you. As you can see, I''m perfectly well, thanks to the help of these fellows.


    Towa - Well now, thank you for helping my- WAIT, ISSEI-SAN?!


    Issei - Yo, so Laester is your dad, Towa?


    Riche - A senator''s daughter... I was wondering why she was so sheltered.


    Because when she''s asked if she knows where a baby came from at some point she answered a platypus will bring the baby to them when they kissed.


    Laertes - I see, so the handsome Knight that Towa met on her journey happened to be you, Issei-dono. Indeed... You''re very handsome if I have to say so myself.


    Issei - Err, thank you?


    Towa - Hey, d-don''t mention that, Father!


    Laertes - Perfect timing, my daughter can show you around instead. I need to visit the church. Towa, can you take care of them?


    Towa - Oh, okay... That''s fine. I can show you all my favorite- Wait, this is no time for that! Everyone thinks you died, so there''s a big fight over who''s going to take your place at the hospital!


    Laertes - What?


    Towa - The chief surgeon and chief of medicine have gotten especially heated. They''ve even called off a few surgeries.


    Laertes - They''re abandoning patients to fight over this? What fools. I''ll return to Horatio as soon as possible.


    Towa - But Father... The cow carts are running on a limited schedule, so there''s no more leaving until tomorrow...


    Laertes - ...I see.


    Riche - Does Hamlet not have a lot of cow carts?


    Gurigura - They totally do. Normally the cow carts would be running 24/7.


    Ramius - Is it because of the wedding ritual? Like say, have so many Knights been diverted toward security that nobody''s left to guard the cow carts?


    Towa - No, that''s not the problem. It''s just... There have been a few issues.


    As though Towa found whatever it was hard to discuss, she instead looked to her father with concern.


    Laertes - Very well, I''ll charter a cart if I have to.


    Towa - There are monsters out there and you''d be going without Knights, it''s too dangerous!


    Laertes - Some of the patients need urgent surgery, or it will be too late. As a doctor, I have to do something.


    Towa - But...


    Issei - What if we saw him there?


    Towa - Huh?! But you''re in the middle of guarding Princess Croix.


    Croix - I''ll be fine. The town seems to be under the watch of Central''s Knights regardless.


    Kyou - We''ll stay with her. That way, you shouldn''t have anything to worry about.


    Issei - Okay, I know I can depend on you.


    Kathryn - Well, they''re probably about the strongest guards you could get beside Ise...


    Laertes - Thanks for the offer. Do you think you can do this?


    Issei - Yes.


    Kinou - We''ll go ahead and get tea at the cafe. Come meet us when you''re done being a hero.


    Issei - ...Okay, I''ll be right back.


    Issei doesn''t really like being called a Hero because it doesn''t really suit him that much, to be honest.


    A Hero is someone who wanted to save everyone while he only wanted to save the ones he holds dear, sure he will help someone in need as long as it''s within his capabilities nor will it endangers his loved ones.


    Natal - Take care, darling. I''ll be going back to my ship to watch over the sea once again.


    Issei - Ah, you as well.


    They both shared a quick kiss then Natal depart towards her ship.


    Towa blushed deeply seeing their interaction, she thought they both gonna have a baby soon after that kiss.


    Riche - C''mon, let''s hurry to Horatio.


    Kathryn - Horatio''s a city full of hospital and research facilities if I recall correctly.


    Gurigura - If we keep going west from Hamlet, we''ll run across it.


    Issei - Alright, let''s go escort Laertes.


    Croix - Come back soon, Riche, Otouto~


    The party left Croix with the twins and set off for Horatio with Laertes.


    ...


    Issei - So this is the land of poison...


    The party left the city of Hamlet and gasped at the sight of the wasteland before them.


    Ramius - Comes across as desolate.


    Riche - It''s like the whole country''s gloomy, yeah.


    Gurigura - Clouds blow in from the west around this time of year, so it''s always this way.


    Ramius - Right, and the Central Empire would be in the middle of winter right now.


    Kathryn - That means it''s better in other seasons?


    Gurigura - A teensy bit brighter, maybe.


    Kathryn - Only a little brighter, even without the clouds?


    Laertes - There isn''t much greenery so, unfortunately, it will always appear grim.


    Issei - Oh, sorry. We didn''t mean to insult your homeland.


    Laertes - Oh, I''m perfectly used to it. Besides, it may be hard to believe, but summer weather is perfect for the sick.


    Issei - I see.


    The party decided to head west toward the town of Horatio.


    ...


    On the way to Horatio, Laertes had the party come to a stop.


    Laertes - There shouldn''t be any monsters past this point. Thanks for the help, Issei-dono.


    Issei - Don''t mind it.


    Kathryn - That''s Horatio?


    They saw Horatio city at the front.


    Laertes - Indeed it is. Many patients come to our town seeking Hamlet''s advanced medical practices.


    Issei - We can see you the rest of the way there if you want.


    Laertes - I appreciate the sentiment, but only authorized personnel can enter.


    Gurigura - The town''s full of sickly people, so they don''t want anyone bringing germs in.


    Riche - Our clothes are dirty from fighting, so it''s probably best we stay out.


    Laertes - Towa''s talked about you nonstop since she got home, so I wondered what you were like... Mhm, you''re a finer man than I imagined.


    Issei - It''s nothing worth mentioning. I just can''t ignore Towa when she''s in need, she helped us many times as well.


    Laertes - You help anyone that needs helping? Hahaha, there''s just more and more I like about you.


    Laertes seemed to have a good impression of Issei, smiling and patting him on the shoulder before walking off to Horatio.


    Ramius - Now let''s go return to Hamlet and get some tea.


    The party finished transporting Laertes and headed back toward Hamlet.


    ...


    Ramius - Ise, Ise, this is serious. I found something unbelievable. Can you have a look at this?


    A solemn look on her face, Ramius yanked on Issei''s sleeve.


    Issei - Hm? What is it... A porno mag, Crazy Night?


    Ramius - Yes, I''ve wanted it since I was a child, but my age and circumstances kept it out of arm''s reach. But now, at last, it''s mine. I can''t believe it finally happened...


    Issei - I see...


    Issei smiled wryly at her but he doesn''t really care how she is though as long she''s happy then that''s all it matters. Besides, it''s not like he never collects porn as well before.


    Ramius - Want to look through it together, Ise?


    Issei - Err, sure I guess.


    Then Issei read the magazine along with Ramius. Well, he only looks at Ramius face though because it''s so adorable seeing her being so serious about this kind of stuff. He felt like he wants to give her a kiss after seeing how adorable her face is at this moment.


    Ramius - You like this pose, Ise? I can try it in bed next time.


    Issei - Hm? Oh yeah, sure?


    Issei doesn''t know which pose she''s pointing out because he was watching her face just now.


    Ramius - Oooh, this is something... I''m amazed she can fit that in her mouth... Heheh, I can''t wait for tonight.


    Issei - ...


    Issei gently gazes at Ramius.


    Ramius - Hm? Something wrong?


    Issei - Hmmm, I thought you hid how much you like porn before, but you seem happy to show it off now.


    Ramius - Naturally. You say I''m cute and you love me in spite of it. That means I can be myself, I don''t have to change.


    Kathryn - You''ve gotten even dumber, though.


    Ramius - S-Shut up.


    Issei - *Chuckle* I love getting to see different sides of you, Ramius.


    Issei hugged Ramius gently from her back.


    Ramius - Eep! I-Ise...


    She fully entrusted her whole body weight to Issei after being hugged by him.


    Kathryn - Don''t spoil her, Ise, or she''s gonna get even dumber than that.


    Issei - Heheh, I''ll try.


    Then he resumed cuddling Ramius in his arms. The latter felt like she''s in bliss right now.


    Kathryn - ...Geez, I know you won''t stop spoiling her...


    Riche - But that''s another good point of him, though.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, yep!


    Kathryn mumbled after seeing his smiling face but she loves how he spoils her wives so she''s not really complaining or anything. He even spoils her a lot as well so it''s not like she''s the one to talk.


    After that, they resumed their journey.


    ...


    When the party returned to Hamlet, they met up with Croix and the others to have tea at an outdoor cafe.


    Towa - How did you like it? I thought this tea would be good for first-time drinkers, at least...


    Kyou - Oh, it was absolutely delicious. Not only was it rich and mildly sweet, but it feels like my whole body''s being cleansed.


    Kinou - You could make good chazuke with this. It would be perfect for hangovers.


    Croix - Not as refined as black tea, but the aroma was certainly relaxing...


    Ramius - I liked the tea, but... The sweet stone potatoes were delectable.


    Gurigura - Oof, mine had too much cream... I couldn''t finish.


    Towa - This is the least I can do to thank you for helping my father. Eat as much as you want.


    Riche - Oh god, I ate everything... And I''ve been trying to watch my weight, too...


    Issei - I''m not worried about your weight.


    Riche - I am!


    Towa - Heheheh, not to worry. That cream uses a low-calorie sweetener.


    Kathryn - Oooh, I knew there was something off about the flavor. So that''s it.


    Riche - So it won''t make you fat?! Is this some kind of miracle food?!


    Towa - No, it''ll make you fat. Just not as fast.


    Kathryn - This is made to avoid weight gain? I''ve heard that fat people get sick easier.


    Croix - Even sweets are like poison if you gain too much weight.


    Towa - The history of Hamlet is a history of poison, so we''ve closely researched how much of any given substance the body can take before it becomes toxic.


    Issei - Right, they did call it the Poison Continent.


    Towa - Oh, right... Um, if you''d like...


    Issei - Yeah, mind doing the usual for us?


    Towa - Okay!


    Towa responded to Issei''s request by bashfully pulling a bundle of papers out of her bag.


    Towa - Now, it''s time for the story of my homeland, the State of Hamlet City.


    Gurigura - Yaaaay!


    Then Towa told them about the history of Hamlet.


    The City-State of Hamlet is the headquarters of the Church of Eve and occupies the northeastern continent of the World of Eve. While formally a city-state, the government of Hamlet also presides over the hospital town of Horatio and the neighboring lands including North Port and Osric. Hamlet has a unique governmental structure for the World of Eve, in that the head of state is the pope of the Church of Eve, but day-to-day activities are handled by an elected senate.


    The continent of Hamlet is largely uninhabitable, with most of its land being riddled with poisonous marsh. It was the epicenter of a zombie virus outbreak that afflicted the human settlers first arriving with King Arthur''s pilgrimage, at the very start of their journey. While Arthur and his pilgrims were able to push back the zombie infestation, they were not able to claim the entire continent, and a great labyrinth designed to slow the zombies still surrounds the settlement of Osric.


    Because of the land''s toxic ecology, the city-state relies on food imports from the Kingdom of Humpty to survive. However, the flora and fauna that live here have also served as the basis for significant medical developments, whose forefront is represented by the hospital town of Horatio currently administered by senator Laertes.


    The continent is named after a researcher who pioneered the poison resistance techniques that allowed Arthur''s pilgrimage to safely combat the zombie infestation. Those who stayed behind would use this research to purify the currently inhabited areas.


    Towa - ...Thus, the home of both cutting-edge medicine and the Church of Mother Eve, the State of Hamlet City, was established. To this day, the church offers their prayers not only to the living but to the deceased who brought us to where we are today. This story was brought to you by the corporation leading the way into the future, the National Bigbux Company... The end.


    Issei already told Tio to keep sponsoring Towa and her journey so that''s why she still says her usual catchphrase at the end of her story.


    Kathryn - Interesting... So the name Hamlet comes from a guy who made medicine. Speaking of the tolerance thing, they say if you catch mumps or the level-down disease once, you''ll never catch them again.


    Riche - That''s why it''s best to catch the level-down disease when you''re a kid and your level''s still low, yeah.


    Kinou - Nobody would think of combating poison by ingesting poison, except for humans.


    Kyou - It''s the way you turn all common sense upside down that makes humans so fascinating.


    Towa - There''s still a lot of poisons and diseases we haven''t overcome, though...


    Kathryn - You''ve got genfluenza, the plague... Also greening disease. People even get ostracized if they catch that.


    Croix - If only everyone could be cured with healing magic...


    Towa - ...Um, Princess Croix! R-Read these, please!


    While Croix was hanging her head, Towa worked up the courage to hand her a few letters.


    Croix - Uuum... My marriage isn''t far off now, so I can''t accept any offers to date.


    Towa - I-I-I-It''s not about dates! There aren''t love letters.


    Kathryn - So it seems. They''re not from Towa... This messy handwriting looks like it belongs to a kid.


    Towa - They were written by children who got terribly ill and were hospitalized away from their families.


    Issei - In Horatio?


    Towa - Yes. Many of the children there have incurable diseases and haven''t left in some time. I at least tell them stories from my travels around the world, but that''s all I can do...


    Ramius - I assume you can''t spend too long around them, either...


    Croix - But why do they have letters for me?


    Towa - The children saw your ceremonies on magivision and seem very interested in you.


    Kathryn - The international broadcast worked wonders, apparently.


    Towa - These kids had no hope for the future, but now they''re all excited and talking about how they want to be like you when they grow up. You got them thinking about what they might do when they''re cured. I was going to mail their letters to you, but as long as we''re meeting in person, I hope you don''t mind taking them.


    Croix - Of course. I''d be happy to read these.


    Croix accepted the letters, then carefully unsealed and read them one by one.


    Croix - Heheheh, they put a lot of effort into these.


    Ramius - That must be a picture of you praying.


    It was impossible to actually tell without asking the artist, but Croix squinted at it closely.


    Croix - ...I''ve got an idea. I... I''ll go visit these children.


    Riche - Huh? Like, in person? The ritual''s not over yet.


    Towa - Whaaat?!


    Issei - Hmm, I think it should be fine. Let''s go ask Barro.


    ...


    Barro - ...I see. And you want to take Princess Croix to see them in Horatio...


    Croix was so surprisingly stubborn that the party couldn''t change her mind, so they visited the Church of Mother Eve''s headquarters to get permission from Barro.


    Silent - Before the ritual is done?


    Silent listened with Barro and looked uncharacteristically perturbed.


    Croix - When I read those letters from Towa-chan, I knew I had to meet with them... The ritual isn''t scheduled for any particular day, so it won''t delay anything.


    Silent - That is true, but...


    Towa - ...Eep.


    Silent''s glare gave Towa chills.


    Silent - Even I wouldn''t want to let the children down, but... You can''t go.


    Croix - Is there anything that''ll change your mind?


    Silent - Horatio is a hospital city. Most are forbidden from entering for fear that they might contract a disease.


    Towa - But it''s okay as long as she''s enchanted with the pope''s special magic.


    Riche - There''s a magic that can do that?


    Towa - Yes, I have to enter so I can help Father with work myself.


    Silent - Towa, if everyone knew about that spell, the church would be mobbed by the families of the sick. Be careful who you tell.


    Towa - Oh... Right, I forgot...


    Ramius - Why is it a secret? Don''t most of the patients want to see their families too?


    Silent - It''s for the patients'' sake. The more people we let in, the more likely someone will bring in another disease.


    Croix - But if that spell were cast on me, I could meet visit the children, couldn''t I?


    Silent - ...You can''t.


    Croix - ...If you don''t let me go, I''m not gonna do the ritual.


    Silent - What a child... Haaah, how to handle this?


    Barro - Saint Silent, they''re as involved in this as we are. You might as well tell them. I''ll accept responsibility if anything happens.


    Silent - ...Very well. The truth of the matter is, the pope is on a long excursion away from the church.


    Riche - Huh?


    Silent - The city of Osric in the northeast had a sudden zombie outbreak, so the pope left to go fight them off along with the Knights.


    Kathryn - Zombies? I thought they were purged!


    Gurigura - Hey, did you say Osric? Are the people of Osric okay?!


    Silent - We don''t know. There''s a blockade around the northern herb garden, and we haven''t received any contact from them.


    Issei - Have you been to Osric, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Yeah...


    Silent - Not only can you not go to Horatio, but it''s going to be difficult for the pope to even return for the wedding ritual at the moment.


    Barro - And please do keep this a secret. It''d cause a commotion if the public found out.


    Issei - Did you know, Towa?


    Towa - Yes, it''s the reason Father''s so busy and why there are so few Knights around.


    Kathryn - Is this also the reason we can''t start the wedding ritual?


    Silent - Yes, so Princess... Please understand.


    Croix - Okay...


    Issei - ...


    Issei felt uncomfortable seeing the usually cheerful Croix seems so sad at this moment. And he also wanted to help the kids as well.


    Issei - ...Girls.


    Riche - Un, you don''t even have to say it. I wanna help Onee-chan get what she wants too.


    Ramius - As your wife, I''ll support whatever you want to do.


    Gurigura - I''m worried about Osric. Let''s go, Ise-nii!


    Kathryn - In fact, we probably should go. There''s a good chance this whole zombie thing is connected to <Snake Crest>.


    Issei smiled hearing his wives responds and he knew from the start that they will agree with his decision.


    Issei - Barro... We''d like to go where the fight is.


    Silent - But... Actually, that''s a good idea. Please assist the pope, Sir Issei.


    Barro - I knew you would do this... Not that it''s a bad thing though. Then I''ll look after the princess.


    Issei - Um, so what will you two do?


    Issei turned to ask the twins.


    Kyou - Much as I''d like to go with you, I doubt we can help with this one.


    Kinou - We''ll spend quality time drinking tea with Croix. Best to get to know our sister-in-law.


    Kyou - We will take care to protect everything around us, so she will be in safe hands.


    Riche - I doubt even <Snake Crest> would pick a fight with Witches of the Round Table.


    Issei - Ah, if anything happens just call me through our mark.


    Kyou & Kinou - Hai.


    Silent - Thank you. Take this with you... It''s a pass for entering the herb garden.


    Issei - What''s the herb garden?


    Gurigura - It''s where they cultivate herbs in the poisonous part of the continent. Osric was founded by the farmers that worked in there.


    Issei - Alright, then let''s check it out.


    Croix - Eheheh, thanks, Otouto~

 Chapter 64 - 63

    (For those who are wondering what Hamlet city looks like: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/f/f4/Hamlet-sidebar.png/revision/latest?cb=20180919235926).


    Issei''s party saw a purple colored mud along the pathway, Gurigura told him that this poison thankfully is not the kind that will kill instantly so it''s should be pretty safe as long they''re careful enough.


    When Issei stepped onto the poison mud something happened. The once purple mud turned its color into a brown colored mud.


    Issei - Oh? It''s not poisonous anymore.


    Gurigura - Woow, the poison mud is cleansed when Ise-nii steps on it.


    Riche - Eh? Oh, you''re right...


    Ramius - I didn''t know you could do that, Ise.


    Issei - Hmm, probably it''s the <Orb of Life> at work here.


    Kathryn - The thing you got from the kalars?


    Issei - Yeah, I feel like it has the ability to cleanse poisons.


    Riche - That''s actually quite neat... Anyway, what''s with this wall?


    Gurigura - Zombies aren''t very fast, so you could build a wall to block them off before they even reach you.


    Ramius - I see, like an old fortress...


    Issei - Well, let''s hurry and help the Knights of Hamlet.


    The party then continued their journey.


    ...


    Issei - Oh, there''s a place here for Knights to stay.


    Gurigura - People used to live around here, so Knights just started using the area, I think.


    Kathryn - Oh, I see. So whoever built these walls however long ago made this place their homes?


    Gurigura - Yeah, I''ve heard there used to be actual houses here, and even fences to keep the zombies out.


    Riche - Being surrounded by poison and zombies, building walls to protect your house... That sounds unimaginably tough.


    Ramius - As is true for all countries, establishing your nation takes an extraordinary amount of turmoil. If we don''t want the fruits of their labors to be destroyed by <Snake Crest>, we need to work hard too.


    Issei agreed to Ramius words.


    The party then found a tent where Knights were struggling against the zombies.


    Scared Knight - Ah, aaaaaaah...


    The Knight they had on lookout duty grabbed his sword the moment he saw Issei.


    Scared Knight - ...Huh? That vibrant complexion... Are you alive? Whew, that was startling.


    The Knight was ready to attack at any second until noticing the party was alive, after which he was relieved and relaxed his guard.


    Issei - Is this the frontline defense against the zombies? We got permission from Silent to come to see how things are going.


    Scared Knight - Yeah, you can see our camp right over there. Pope Norshin should be inside.


    The party thanked the Knight and peeked inside the tent, where it was deathly quiet.


    Ramius - ...Everyone seems fatigued.


    The resting Knights were fast asleep, and even the Knights standing on guard with their swords at the ready were barely staying on their feet.


    As if they lacked the energy to speak, none of the Knights started a conversation, leaving no noise but the groans of the injured.


    Kathryn - I''d think they were zombies if I didn''t know better.


    Riche - They''d have to be exhausted. What they''re dealing with were once human beings... Hordes of the undying.


    While the party was bothered by the state of the Knights, a man approached them from inside the tent.


    Norshin - I''m Norshin. I''m heading up the battle effort here. Who might you be?


    Issei - Oh, are you the pope?


    After all, the pope is quite young. He has a short black hair and a boyish face. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/7/70/Norshin-face.png/revision/latest?cb=20180817051551).


    Pope Norshin is the head of the Church of Eve, and by extension, leader of the City-State of Hamlet. He is the son of the former Pope Seydes and has been pope essentially since the Arthur Tragedy, a mere five years earlier. He essentially shares this trait with the acting head of state of the Central Empire, Prince Felton. Norshin often works closely with Saint Silent, the saint assigned to the Hamlet and Central regions.


    Norshin is an especially young man for the position of head of state, much less the position of pope, but he handles his duties with an amiable disposition. His brief reign has been marked by military campaigns, with Norshin even putting the zombie attacks at a higher priority than his national and church matters. This makes for an atypical career for a member of the Church of Eve, but Norshin''s focus has always been on reducing the harm done to the average person, be they, citizen or soldier.


    As pope of the Church of Eve, Norshin has the power to participate in a number of religious rituals, such as the creation of holy water. Some of these rituals are even unique to him, including a spell that allows non-patients to enter the hospital-city of Horatio. He also possesses some measure of healing magic.


    As head of the church, Norshin also possesses the original Evenicle, which has the power to create knights for the City of Hamlet. It is the only artifact known to be able to create Holy Knights.


    It is possible that Norshin, like other members of the nobility in the World of Eve, is exempt from some or all of the rules of Mother Eve''s blessing, but this is never explicitly stated. He does not appear to be married, nor to have ever killed a living being.


    Norshin - You''re King Louin''s people? I''ve heard a lot about you, Sir Issei Hyoudou.


    Issei - No need to use honorifics with me, you can just call me Issei and we were wondering if you could help Princess Croix visit the hospital.


    Norshin - As you wish, Issei-san. And that''s awfully kind of Princess Croix. If it would put smiles on the children''s faces, I''d certainly like to make it happen, but...


    Riche - Are the zombie attacks that bad?


    Norshin - It doesn''t matter if we stab them in the stomach or cut off their arms, they don''t stop coming at us until they''re completely immobilized. Whereas, given that we''re all normal humans, you can see the problem.


    Kathryn - Aren''t you supposed to be the pope? You have to have some zombie-killing magic or item or something.


    Norshin - There used to be zombie-killing magic, but no living person can use it. I''m ashamed to admit that even I can''t.


    Riche - I know that in manga and books and stuff, zombies are always vulnerable to holy water.


    Norshin - Holy water isn''t strong enough to destroy a zombie. The most we can expect is for it to temporarily ward them off. That hardly solves the problem. Besides, creating holy water requires special materials, and obtaining them isn''t particularly worth the effort.


    Apparently, getting Holy water in this world is different from Issei''s original world.


    Gurigura - Um, can I ask a question? Is Osric safe?


    Norshin - Osric? With the way the poison has been spreading, nobody''s been able to reach it yet.


    Kathryn - Then you''d have no idea whether <Snake Crest> is involved either...


    Norshin - I would assume the worst about Osric. The zombies are most likely its citizens.


    Gurigura - Oh no...


    Norshin - Would you happen to be from the Academy that was located there?


    Gurigura - Yes.


    Issei - The Academy, that place where they taught you Ranger skills, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Un.


    Riche - They kept the location of the Academy a secret. Who knew it was in poison territory?


    Gurigura - Osric cultivates a bunch of special herbs that only grow on poison land. The poison''s super dangerous, but everyone worked hard so they could help sick people in need.


    Norshin - Yes, I know that very well. Their work was commendable.


    Gurigura - The townspeople were all so nice to us when that brutal training tired us out... They gave us an ointment to help with our wounds... And candy... And... And...


    Issei - Gurigura...


    Gurigura''s tearful eyes drew Issei to give her a gentle hug. Gurigura hugged Issei''s body tightly in return and everyone who saw her felt pity as well.


    ??? - YOU GOTTA BE SHITTING ME!


    Inside the quiet frontline base, Issei heard a familiar shout.


    ??? - I just wanted to take a request from a nun! I didn''t know you were fighting the living dead! I''m not into necrophilia!


    Issei - Knew it was you...


    The man is Yarase.


    Yarase - Gah, I-Issei...


    Issei - You came to Hamlet too? What are you doing here?


    Yarase - Erm, so a nun came to adventurer''s guild, right? And she put out a request to slay some monsters, which I took.


    Issei - And, why are you seem so mad?


    Yarase - Of course, I''m mad! I thought this was my chance to get cozy with a nun or two, but there''s nothing here but sweaty guys and zombies. I came here thinking I''d be up to my knees in nuns, but no. There are no nuns here, it was all a scam... I was tricked. So anyway, I''m out.


    Issei - ...


    Panicking Knight - Wait, we can''t hold the line without help from adventurers. If they get through, the town will be-


    Yarase - LIKE I CARE, SHIT-FOR-BRAINS!


    Yarase yelled at the Hamlet Knight and fled.


    Heartless Adventurer - I''m out too! This ain''t worth it.


    Dissatisfied Adventurer - Me too! I can get this kinda pay fighting normal monsters!


    Yarase inspired a few other adventurers to leave too.


    Norshin - There go the adventurers... I didn''t expect much, but they''re less sympathetic than I thought.


    Ramius - That''s how adventurers are. Freedom means there''s no need to be loyal...


    Kathryn - It also means they''ve got no authority or security, though.


    Issei - Let them be. Freedom is everyone right, they can freely choose their path in life.


    Bewildered Knight - Waaaaaaaah! The zombies are here!


    The Knights on the east side of the herb garden shouted.


    Norshin - Gh, of all times... Time to show your worth, everyone!


    Gurigura - Uh oh! Their formation''s messed up without the adventurers!


    Issei - Wait... Tell the Knights to stand down.


    Norshin - Wh-What are you saying? We will be easily killed by them if we''re not on guard!


    Issei doesn''t respond to Norshin and just walk towards the oncoming hordes of zombies calmly.


    Norshin - B-Be careful! You girls are his wives, right? Call him back, fast!


    Ramius - We trust our husband completely. If he says to stand down then we will.


    Riche - Un, that''s right.


    Gurigura - Uh huh, Ise-nii knows what he''s doing.


    Kathryn - Besides he''s very powerful that I doubt mere zombies can hurt him at all.


    Norshin - But...


    Norshin is at lost for words after hearing Ramius and co. words. Then he heard one of his men shouted.


    Knight 1 - L-Look, the zombies stopped in their tracks!


    Knight 2 - Wha?!


    They all saw that Issei standing in front of the zombies and the zombies stopped moving right in front of him, but their mouth is groaning like always.


    Zombie - Uuuu... Aghh... Aaaah...


    Issei - I see... Um, Got it


    Issei responded to the zombie groan and nodded at them. All the Knights are bewildered with this event. He seems to be communicating with them.


    Norshin - I-Is he communicating with them?


    Riche - It appears so.


    Even Riche and co. are kinda surprised but they accept it soon enough because they thought it''s Issei after all.


    Then they saw Issei turned around to face the Knights.


    Issei - Let them pass, they''re heading towards the second herb garden. They won''t attack you as long you let them be.


    Norshin - Huh?!


    Scared Knight - I-Impossible! They will attack us if we let them be!


    Issei - Trust me, they won''t. And from what you see right now, did they attack me?


    All the Knights once again become at a loss for words because from what they''ve seen the zombies don''t attack Issei at all.


    Norshin - L-Let''s listen to sir Issei words.


    The Knights follow Norshin command but they''re feeling fearful of the zombies in case they suddenly attacked them. But they obediently sheathed their swords and fall back to let the zombies cross the pathway.


    After seeing the Knights have retreated then Issei turned back to the zombies and told them that they can go now. Soon they started walking forwards once more, but every time they pass by Issei they seem to be bowing a little bit and Issei just calmly nodded at their bows.


    Norshin - Wh-What''s this?


    The zombies ignored the Knights and sluggishly passed them on their way into the forest.


    Norshin - ...Are they really going to the second herb garden?


    Issei - They said they''re worried about their herbs and they only attack you all because you get in their way. I tried asking them about what happened to them but it seems that they don''t know how to respond to my question, probably because of their current soul is incomplete. And...


    Issei looked at Gurigura hesitating if he should tell the truth or not but he decided it''s better to tell it rather than lying at her.


    Issei - ...From what I''ve heard... They said they''re from Osric...


    Gurigura body trembled a little after hearing Issei''s words but she held her tears from coming out this time. Ramius decided to give her a gentle hug regardless after seeing her sad face.


    Norshin - H-How can you communicate with them, Issei-san?


    Issei - Hm? I can see and communicate with souls, and that zombies have a piece of soul inside them. Even though it''s not a complete soul but to communicate with them is enough for me.


    Norshin - ...


    Norshin was completely taken aback because even him the pope or even the Saints from the church are unable to communicate with souls as Issei did.


    Issei - I was trying to purify their souls so they can pass on completely but it appears that it''s impossible to do so because something is holding their souls inside their body. And if I forcefully purify their souls I could damage their souls in the process...


    Norshin - Y-You can also purify souls?!


    Issei - Yeah, kind of.


    Norshin - Can you please teach the church how to do it?!


    Issei - Sadly, I can''t. It''s not that I don''t want to teach you but this "Skill" is only useable by me, you see...


    Of course Issei can''t teach them because it''s not really a skill but more like his unique skill because to be able to learn this skill you need to have the <Life and Death> aura just like him or Semiramis.


    Well, they all didn''t know that if the Saints become one with Issei then their <Holy> power will gain a huge boost and they will be able to purify souls easily as Issei did. But they won''t be able to destroy souls as Issei or Semiramis could and to be able to destroy souls they also need to possess a strong <Death> aura as well which obviously won''t happen since the Saints represents <Life/Holy>.


    Even though Norshin is the pope of the church sadly his <Holy> power is weaker than the saints such as Croix or Silent. After all, the saints are basically Mother Eve incarnation and since Norshin is a man his <Holy> power obviously weaker than them.


    Norshin - Oh... I see...


    Norshin felt regrettable because the church can''t learn Issei''s "Skill". They do have purification skill but it will take too long to use and it''s not practical in a combat situation and even then it will only able to be used on one soul each cast. As for the skills they have but can''t learn is called <Grand Purge>.


    And Norshin also never heard of anyone other than the Saints and himself being able to purify souls so this is the first time he has ever seen other people outside the church being able to do it.


    Norshin - Anyway, then the zombies were the people of Osric after all... Even in death, they''re dedicated to their work. May Mother Eve''s love lead them to a peaceful rest...


    Norshin offered a solemn prayer for the zombies.


    Kathryn - But this doesn''t exactly solve the problem. They might be harmless, but you can''t just leave zombies wandering around.


    Norshin - But this does buy us time. Now the Knights should have a chance to rest.


    Knight-Captain - You rest too, Pope Norshin.


    Norshin - I''m not certain... What if something happens?


    Knight-Captain - It does none of us any good if you overwork yourself. Return to Hamlet, please.


    Norshin - ...Alright then. You take care of things here. And will all of you be coming back along with me as well?


    Norshin finally agreed to the Knights advice and then he asked Issei''s party if they will be going back with him as well.


    Issei - No, we will go check Osric ourselves to see what happened there.


    Issei decided he won''t be going back with Norshin because he wanted to check Osric to see what happened there, it''s for Gurigura sake, to be honest. He only needs to see her eyes and he could tell what she wanted to do.


    Norshin - I see... Then may Mother Eve bless you with your journey.


    Issei - Um, you as well.


    Then Norshin went back to the church while Issei''s party head towards Osric. They will follow the zombies back to Osric.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, zombies are so slow that we should be able to catch up quick.


    Issei - Ah, let''s follow them.


    ...


    Gurigura - Looks like the zombies went into the forest, Ise-nii. That one. It has a bunch of poison swamps and poisonous plants, Osric''s on the other side of the forest.


    Unfazed by the poison, the zombies entered the forest.


    Issei - Alright, let''s go after them.


    It''s supposed to be hard to follow the zombies because the pathway is very poisonous and lots of poisonous plants but because of Issei''s presence it becomes very easy to navigate through it.


    The party followed the zombies through the deep forest to an open area.


    Ramius - Looks like we''ve made it through the poison forest.


    Gurigura - That''s Osric over there. It''s not so much a town as, like, a settlement. Ah...


    Kathryn - Seems the zombies are going straight for Osric.


    Gurigura - ...


    Issei - Alright, let''s see what''s going on there.


    They headed towards Osric.


    ...


    They found a place where there are a group of zombies are wandering about.


    Issei - What''s this place?


    Gurigura - There''s a big bulletin board over there. It has all kinds of info about the town.


    Issei - What kind of info?


    Gurigura - Stuff like what herbs the drug companies are looking for, or info about dangerous monsters.


    Kathryn - I see, so if you''re busy working out in the garden, you don''t need to go all the way back to town.


    Riche - So if we look at the bulletin board, maybe we can figure out when weird things started happening around here.


    Ramius - Hrm, zombies here too... They''re lurking around the bulletin board. Do you know what are they doing, Ise?


    Issei - They said they''re looking at the bulletin board.


    Ramius - ...Now that you mention it, they all do seem to be looking at the bulletin board.


    Gurigura - ...


    Then they saw some of the zombies moving somewhere else.


    Riche - Where are they going?


    Issei - Let''s follow them.


    They followed the zombies around after that.


    ...


    When the party reached a somewhat open part of the forest, it was packed with zombies as well. But all the zombies did was inaudibly groan and wander around.


    Issei - I see now... You realize it as well right, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Un... The zombified townspeople are just doing what they did before they died. They''d start their day by checking the bulletin board, so they could see which herbs to harvest or if any dangerous monsters were around.


    Kathryn - Yeah, that''s what Ise said as well when we''re at the bulletin board.


    Gurigura - Then they''d go tend to the garden and water it and stuff.


    Riche - But I guess they don''t have the knowledge for that now, so that''s why they were just walking in circles. Then they''d take the herbs to the well.


    Ramius - And what about this place?


    Gurigura - After everyone finished with work, they''d come here to trade crops and chat.


    Issei - Basically the zombies are just following their old habits.


    Gurigura - Yeah, and to prove it... Watch this.


    Ramius - Ah, wait...


    Before Ramius could stop her, Gurigura sprinted into the horde of zombies.


    Issei doesn''t stop her because he knows it will be fine.


    Gurigura - Look, they''re not attacking.


    The zombies paid Gurigura no mind but instead, continuing to meander.


    Issei - The zombies the Knights are fighting are monster hunters from what they told me.


    Gurigura - Yes, those Knights are standing in the way of another herb garden so they attacked them. It''s really important to the townspeople, so if you try and keep them out, of course, they''re gonna get mad.


    Kathryn - I see, just like Ise said.


    Gurigura - Even the Academy students helped with that garden. We got all muddy, but they really appreciated it when we brought the herbs back to town. There was an old lady who sat on that stump there, and she always secretly gave us cookies... Oh...


    A zombie was sitting on the stump. Its gender was unclear from its physique but based on its clothes, it was just barely possible to make out as a woman.


    Gurigura - They were all so nice... Simple, but cheery... And hardworking... None of us had parents, but at least they were kind to us... And now... Now they''re all zombies...


    Issei - Gurigura...


    When Issei hugged Gurigura, she buried her face in his chest and cried.


    Gurigura - I hate this... Why did it happen? Was it <Snake Crest>? They''ll never, ever get away with this.


    Issei - Don''t worry... I will make sure they''ll pay. I promise you, they will.


    Issei eyes glowed for a moment after promising Gurigura. And somewhere the Supreme Commander along with the other <Snake Crest> member felt a sudden chill out of nowhere. And they broke out in cold sweat thinking about what just happened. They felt like they''re being watched by the reaper itself just now.


    Even the Kalars felt his rage, and all of their faces scowled as well thinking who dares to make their King felt this much rage. If they get their hands on those who made their King mad they will make sure to make those who are responsible suffer.


    When they find out the one who''s responsible for it is the <Snake Crest>, the <9 Divines> instantly told their respective corps member to find any clues about them and to kill the <Snake Crest> members on sight.


    And soon the world is much safer because of them, the Outlaws are dwindling rapidly. Some witnesses said the one who did it is the Angels of Mother Eve and gave them retribution, while some said the Devils took their souls because of their sins. So people started to be more afraid of becoming Outlaws and they started to follow the rules more obediently than ever.


    Kathryn - Don''t cry, chibikko... I mean, y''know... Not that you shouldn''t be sad that they''re dead... But like Ise said, all that''s left in the zombies is a tiny bit of their souls. It''s not really like they have to live on in suffering because of this. Right, Ise?


    Issei - Ah, that''s right...


    Gurigura - Yeah... But, but... Ise-nii, could you ask that Goddess you know to revive the townspeople?


    Gurigura looked up at Issei with a hopeful look on her teary eyes.


    Issei feels his heart hurt seeing her hopeful look but even he knows that it will be impossible to revive them because of their current soul state. If it''s a complete soul then it might be possible but this is just a fragment of it.


    Issei - ...I can''t... Their current souls are incomplete and just a tiny fragment of what it''s used to be... If their souls are still whole then it might be possible but as of now...


    Gurigura becomes even sadder after hearing Issei''s words but she knows there''s nothing he could do.


    Riche - If you care about the townspeople, let''s try to make sure their remains don''t attack anyone.


    Ramius - What I gather from all this is that if you let the zombies do what they''re doing, there shouldn''t be any trouble.


    Kathryn - Y-Yeah, so this is no time to cry...


    Gurigura - ...Okay... You''re right... Eheheh, thanks, Kath-nee.


    Kathryn - Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you thanking me for?! I didn''t do anything.


    Riche - Wow, never seen you act that kind before, Kath. Almost like a big sister.


    Ramius - No need to be shy about it.


    Kathryn - I-I''m not!


    Gurigura - Eheheh.


    Issei smiled at his wives because he''s glad that they care about each other.


    Issei - Let''s go see to the town to find out how this happened.


    They all agreed to his suggestion.


    ...


    The party peered into the town to find it was already in ruins.


    Issei - ...This is awful.


    Gurigura - ...Ise-nii, I have to see if there are any survivors.


    Issei - Wait, Gurigura...


    Before Gurigura could dash through the village entrance, Issei held her back.


    Gurigura - Wh-Why?


    Issei - Look...


    Then Gurigura finally notices it.


    Riche - A horde of zombies...


    At the entrance to Osric, zombies were standing in a line and wriggling.


    Zombies - Uuuhn... Aaaaah...


    Their rotting bodies rubbed against one another. The mass of flesh produced a cacophony of groaning and teeth clattering.


    Kathryn - Their motor skills are so fucked up that they''ve created a traffic jam...


    Issei - Gurigura, what''s in the town?


    Gurigura - A bunch of little huts... Then past those, there''s the Ranger Academy.


    Kathryn - They put it away off in the middle of nowhere... Nobody would ever guess. So, that''s all?


    Gurigura - Yeah, it''s a pretty empty town otherwise...


    Ramius - Doesn''t seem like we can look inside without going over the wall, though.


    Gurigura - Don''t, it''s dangerous! They monster-proof the walls by coating them with deadly poison. Ise-nii would be fine but not for the others... I''ll go have a look inside myself.


    Issei - No need...


    Gurigura - Eh? But what if there are survivors?


    Kathryn - Sorry, but there aren''t. I doubt you need me to tell you that. Right, Ise?


    Issei - ...Ah.


    Gurigura - ...


    Kathryn - And it''s been days since the zombies appeared. Do they have any emergency shelters or anywhere else so they could survive that long?


    Gurigura - No...


    Issei - Let''s just go check the Academy for now.


    Issei started walking in the horde direction but when he got close to them, the zombies automatically opened a path for him just like how Moses split the sea.


    Riche and co followed after him without hesitation.


    Gurigura - The Academy''s this way. That''s about the only place we haven''t check yet.


    Then Gurigura led the party to the building that had once been the Ranger Academy.


    ...


    The party set foot in the Ranger Academy, a building located on the outskirts of Osric.


    Issei - This is the Academy?


    Gurigura - Huh?


    Kathryn - What''s wrong, chibikko?


    Gurigura - I heard the Academy was shut down, but there are signs it''s been used recently.


    Ramius - Hm, I see some damage here and there, but I wouldn''t take this for an abandoned building.


    Riche - Bet the headmaster kept training Rangers to sell off to <Snake Crest>...


    Kathryn - Unless monsters suddenly stop existing, there''ll always be orphans. Can''t be that hard to find students.


    Riche - Looks more or less like a normal school, though.


    Gurigura - Be careful, Riche-nee. They trained students by setting traps all over the place.


    Kathryn - This school sounds like a pain.


    Ramius - Learning to avoid traps takes constant work, I suppose.


    Gurigura - Now let''s search this place.


    The party began their exploration of the Ranger Academy.


    ...


    Ramius readied her lance and gazed into the darkness.


    Ramius - Halt! Who''s there!


    "Uuuuhn... Aaah..."


    Kathryn - Figures the place would be full of zombies.


    Riche - Their clothes are too tattered to be sure, but it kinda looks like they''re wearing Ranger outfits.


    Issei - Sadly their only instinct now is to defend this place, so it will be useless even if I talk to them.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii... Please let us handle them...


    Issei - ...Got it. I''ll watch your back.


    Gurigura - Un, thank you, Ise-nii.


    Gurigura asked Issei to let her be the one to handle them because they''re her former classmates after all so Issei agreed to her request.


    Ramius - Here they come! Be careful!


    The party then took on the Ranger Zombies while Issei is watching their back in case there''s someone or something decided to ambush them.


    Because of Issei''s training they can easily beat them.


    ...


    Once the zombies had fallen, Gurigura ran over and checked their corpses.


    Gurigura - Knew it. Looks like they were indeed the Academy students...


    Seeing the state of her old school made Gurigura frown.


    Issei patted her head after seeing her starting to feel down again, Gurigura looked up to see Issei smiling gently at her and she felt better soon after that.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, thanks, Ise-nii.


    Issei - Um.


    The party then continued down the dark hallway.


    They keep finding traps and more ranger zombies but they make a quick work of them all. With the <Observation Haki> it''s even easier for Gurigura to detect traps and if there are any poison traps Issei could just touch it and it will be cleansed.


    They keep walking until they arrived in the last room in the Ranger Academy, which appeared to be a lab, a girl was lying down.


    Riche - Huh? What''s she doing here?


    Issei - ...She''s also a zombie but she seems more special compared to the others. For one her soul is whole inside her body but there''s something disgusting inside her.


    The girl is Ophelia, who is also Bolonius daughter. She has a pale skin probably because she''s been dead for a long time and a white colored twin tail hair. She wears a black long gothic dress with white frills. She has a deep red eye but it seems hollow, obviously since she''s dead so there is no light reflected from it. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/8/83/Ophelia-portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20180822021131).


    Ophelia - ...


    Ramius - She woke up... Be careful!


    The party swiftly drew their weapons, but the girl just sat there.


    Kathryn - ...Hm? She''s not doing anything.


    Gurigura - Yeah... Doesn''t look like she plans on fighting.


    Ophelia - Uhn... Aaah... Haaah... Father...


    Issei - ...I see...


    Riche - What she says, Issei?


    Issei - Her father is the Principal of this Academy, a guy named Bolonius. Is that the name of your mentor, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - ...Yes.


    Ramius - The strongest Knight in history? That Bolonius?


    Issei - Apparently so from what Ophelia here says.


    Riche - So her name is Ophelia.


    Gurigura - I didn''t know the headmaster ever had a daughter.


    Kathryn - What I''m wondering about is why this girl is different from the other zombies?


    Issei - She said she''s basically the one who made all those zombies outside...


    Then Issei told them what Ophelia told him.


    Ophelia was the daughter of the famous doctor and ranger, Bolonius. Stricken with an incurable disease, genfluenza, Ophelia was on death''s door when her father dreamed up a drastic plan. He would deliberately infect her with the zombie virus, turning her into a "zombie seed." As a zombie, her body would be magically preserved. While Bolonius would now have to find a cure for death itself, he now had all the time in the world.


    Riche - I see... So that means if we take her out the zombies will automatically disappear? But...


    Ophelia - Uhn... Aah... Father...


    Riche - Haaah... Nevermind. Incinerating a defenseless girl would leave a bad taste in my mouth.


    Riche sighed and lowered her weapon.


    Kathryn - But we had to or the zombies won''t disappear right?


    Issei - Hmm...


    Issei calmly walked towards Ophelia and extended his hand towards her head, and when his hand touched her head something came out from her body and it seems to disappear soon after.


    Gurigura - What was that, Ise-nii?


    Issei - It seems it''s the thing that makes Rochefort and co. able to transform into a monster. If I''m not mistaken that sin was the sin of lust. It messed up her soul and forced her to feel lust towards her own father...


    Kathryn - Quite the fucked up sin just like the others I see...


    Issei - So... How long are you going to hide there?


    Issei then looked toward the room entrance.


    ??? - ...I see. So what Shiro and Kuro say about you is true... You are indeed very strong...


    Well, very strong will be an understatement because he can''t find any opening at all by looking at Issei. He was hiding his presence to the maximum hoping he could deal a fatal blow to him but he seems to notice him right away... What a monster Bolonius thought.


    He knows just from this one encounter it will be a useless struggle, he''s not called the Strongest Knight in history for no reason after all. His instinct is telling him to never try to cross swords with Issei or he will be instantly killed.


    Riche and co become startled hearing there''s suddenly someone behind them and they don''t notice it.


    Then the one who was hiding from them came out in the open. It''s Bolonius himself.


    Ophelia - Aaah... Uhhn... Haaah... Father...


    Bolonius - Ophelia...


    Gurigura - Principal...


    Issei - From what she said you''re the one who''s responsible for all this zombies incident.


    Hearing Issei''s words Gurigura instantly directed her bloodlust towards Bolonius.


    Bolonius - ...You''ve grown stronger, Gurigura... And to answer your question, Issei Hyoudou. Yes, I am indeed the one who''s responsible for the zombie incident. And how are you able to communicate with her if I may ask?


    Issei - Well, I could communicate with souls you see.


    Bolonius - I see... Can you allow me to hug my daughter one last time?


    Issei - ...Sure, go ahead.


    Bolonius then calmly walked toward Ophelia and hugged his zombified daughter. He looked like a typical loving father.


    Issei doesn''t see why he should forbid the last reunion of Father and Daughter, even if he''s the villain he should still be allowed to hug her daughter one last time no?


    Bolonius also doesn''t see how he will be able to escape from Issei''s sight at this point. He knows if he makes his move then he will be instantly killed without a doubt. So he at least wants to hug her daughter one last time.

 Chapter 65 - 64

    Gurigura - Mr. Principal, I don''t get it! I know it was to bring back Ophelia, but how could you sell off all the Academy students? Your daughter wouldn''t have wanted that!


    Riche - It''s not just the Academy. How many people have suffered because of <Adan''s Blood>? You even destroyed the whole town of Osric.


    Ramius - Do you have no shame? No guilt?


    Bolonius - No, none... The Academy, Osric, random strangers... None of them deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as my daughter. If you knew another''s death could bring your loved one back, would you do nothing?


    Bolonius looked at Issei because he can tell that Issei is the same as him in this regard.


    Issei - ...Ah, I would''ve done the same as you.


    Riche and co are surprised after hearing his words.


    Issei - If any of my loved ones are in your daughter condition then I would stop at nothing to bring them back to my side, even if I have to kill innocent people to get them back I would do it without hesitation... Vanity, Riches, Honor, none of that matters to me. All I want is for my loved ones to be happy.


    Then Riche and co started thinking about his words and they admit they would''ve done the same as them as well. They are human beings, they have selfishness so it''s to be expected. Even Gods have their selfish side needless to say about them, humans.


    They thought what if Issei suddenly disappear from their life, all of their faces went ghastly white thinking about that scenario because they can''t imagine a life without Issei in their life. He is their everything and the same goes for Issei as well.


    They unconsciously put their hands on Issei after thinking about it. Issei smiled at them after feeling their grasp on him.


    Bolonius - I see... So you''re also not afraid she would hate you for it when she came back to life?


    Issei - Ah, it doesn''t matter to me. They can despise me for it if they want... I just want them to live, knowing they''re still alive is all that matters for me. And I do realize that is very selfish of me but that''s who I am, that''s who Issei Hyoudou is, I''m not a hero nor am I a saint. I never was.


    Now Riche and co finally understand why Bolonius did what he did... Love can change people, leading them to the right path or the wrong path.


    They promised to themselves to never let their self be in Ophelia situation so Issei won''t have to be burdened by a sin of killing millions of people just to get them back. And Issei also knows they would do the same as him so he promised himself to never be in Ophelia situation as well.


    This is love at its finest, they think about their loved ones over themselves.


    Bolonius - Heheh, we''re quite the same after all...


    Bolonius smiled once again after all this time... He never smiled after his daughter died.


    Bolonius - My greatest regrets is that I was so busy that I had little time to spend with my daughter... I will use all the power I have to fight you, even if I know I can''t win at least I will still try. I''m going to bring her back to my side whatever the cost.


    Issei - Ah, I respect your dedication to your daughter. But you made my wife cries so I can''t forgive you as well.


    Bolonius - Um, if our situation is reversed then I would do the same as well if you made Ophelia cry.


    They both smiled thinly at each other after that. Then Bolonius give her daughter to Riche and co.


    Bolonius - Please keep her safe.


    Riche - ...We will.


    He bowed slightly as a sign of gratitude and readied his weapon which is a dual chakram, and after gazing for a second with Issei he dashed forward at him with a quick speed that even faster than Acheval''s.


    When Bolonius was going to arrive in front of Issei he disappears and reappeared behind Issei and he slashed towards Issei''s head.


    Riche and co can barely see his movement but they''re not worried at all because they know he can''t beat Issei no matter what.


    Issei just calmly step back a little and Bolonius attack went pass its target by a paper-thin margin. Bolonius eyes went wide after seeing that and then he felt a sudden impact at his stomach.


    Bolonius - Guh!


    *Bam!*


    Issei hit Bolonius stomach with his elbow and his body flew a few meters back but he flipped over mid-flight. But soon he kneeled on the ground coughing out blood.


    Issei - Nice move.


    When Issei hit Bolonius stomach just now he averted his body slightly to lessen the impact he would receive or that one hit from Issei would''ve made him unable to move at all. But even then it still damaged his inside greatly.


    Obviously, Issei doesn''t use his full strength or all he needs to do is touch him with his finger and use <Ougi> to kill Bolonius instantly.


    Bolonius - *Cough!* *Cough!* Heh... I could say the same to you as well... Why did you spare me?... I know if you want to you could''ve killed me instantly back then.


    Issei - Hmm... For one, your daughter keeps screaming at me to spare you even now as we speak...


    Bolonius eyes went wide after hearing his words and then he looks towards Ophelia. Even though her eyes are still hollow but her expression portrayed the sadness she has.


    Ophelia - Uuuhn... Aaah... Father... No...


    Bolonius - Ophelia...


    Issei - And your judgment is not up to me, it''s up to Gurigura. It''s entirely up to her whether you''re alive or not. So, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Eh?


    Gurigura is quite taken aback after hearing Issei''s words. Issei walked towards Gurigura side waiting for her decision.


    Issei - As I said, it''s up to you on what to do with him. Don''t worry, whatever your decision is I will fully support you, so don''t be afraid.


    Riche and co also felt the same way as Issei.


    Ramius - Umu, it''s up to you, Gurigura. We all support your choices.


    Riche - Yup, same here.


    Kathryn - Up to you, chibikko. After all, he''s the one who killed the people of Osric.


    Gurigura started thinking really hard after hearing their words. On one side she''s mad at Bolonius because of what he''s done so far, and on one side she sympathizes with him because he does what he does just for his daughter and not for a personal gain like Rochefort and etc.


    If his daughter still alive until now, she knows that Bolonius won''t join the <Snake Crest> and he will uphold justice like he used to do when he''s still a Knight back in the days.


    Issei just gently gazes at Gurigura because no matter what her choices will be he will fully support her. The same goes for Riche and co.


    Bolonius - ...You can do whatever you want to me, whether you kill me, torture me, whatever you want but all I want to ask you is please spare my daughter...


    Bolonius accepted his end so all he wishes for is for his daughter to be left alone.


    Ophelia started walking slowly towards Bolonius and she hugged him slowly and Bolonius who saw that shed tears and hug her back.


    Gurigura - ...Ise-nii... I wanna stop him. It''s not even out of anger at this point, I just don''t want him making any more people sad... Let''s just capture him...


    Issei - ...Are you sure, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - ...Un.


    Gurigura finally decided to not kill Bolonius and after Issei confirmed her choice he smiled at her and pat her head gently.


    Issei - As you wish.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, thanks, Ise-nii.


    Issei - Mm, you''re welcome... So, Bolonius you heard her.


    Bolonius - ...I see... But don''t you afraid that I will escape later on after you capture me?


    Issei - Hmm, I wonder about that... Don''t you know that the <Snake Crest> put something inside your daughter?


    Bolonius - ...What do you mean?


    He has a bad premonition after hearing Issei words.


    Issei - You might not know this but your daughter would''ve turned into a monster if she''s left alone a little longer.


    Bolonius eyes went wide after hearing Issei''s words.


    Bolonius - Impossible!


    Issei - Why would I lie to you? But don''t worry, I already took it out of her. And what are you here for, Kuro?


    Kuro - Hoh, so you defeated the strongest Knight in history like he''s nothing as well, huh...


    All of them becomes startled once more after finding out that Kuro suddenly appeared at the corner of the room. Bolonius was too injured to notice him hiding there, if he was on his top condition then he would notice him straight away.


    Bolonius - Gh... Is what he said just now is true, Kuro?!


    Kuro - Hmm... I don''t know about your daughter condition but probably Shiro is the one who''s responsible for it. As you''ve already known, I''m not the type who does that kind of stuff. And yes what Issei Hyoudou said is true though, if left alone then your daughter would''ve changed into a monster just like Rochefort and the others as well.


    Bolonius gritted his teeth in anger because he appears to be dancing on top of Shiro''s hand after all this time. Shiro told him if he does what he''s asked of then he will tell him the way to revive Ophelia.


    Then Kuro turned his attention towards Issei once more.


    Kuro - Well, to answer your question I was just observing your fight and I have to say it''s quite disappointing that even Bolonius can''t even put a scratch on you...


    Issei - Hmm, that shouldn''t be the only reason on why you''re here now right?


    Kuro - ...Heheh, indeed... I want to talk to you, Issei Hyoudou, alone. Better decide fast because I don''t have much time left.


    Riche - Don''t even think about it! If you think we would leave Issei alone with you then you must be dreaming!


    Before Issei could even give out his answer Riche already speak out. The other girls also felt the same way as Riche and they readied their weapons.


    Kuro - Oi, oi... Just what you think I could do to him? You know best just how strong your husband is, right?


    They know that even if both Kuro and Shiro fight Issei together they still won''t be able to beat him but what if they have some kind of tricks, even if they know he will be fine but they still feel worried for him. Especially when they just imagined what would happen if Issei suddenly disappears from their life, so they feared something will really happen at Issei.


    Riche - No is a no!


    Issei - ...


    Issei thought for a while and decided to follow Kuro to see what he wanted to say to him.


    Issei - ...Very well.


    Riche and co - Ise!/Ise-nii!


    Issei - Don''t worry, I will be fine.


    Riche - But...


    Issei - Trust me, I will return to your side without fail.


    The girls wanted to argue once again but after hearing his words and seeing his reassuring smile they reluctantly agreed.


    Riche - ...Alright, but you better return to our side. Do you hear me?


    Issei - Ah, I promise you. Then I will teleport you all back to Kyou and Kinou side for now.


    Then Issei teleports them all to the twins'' place.


    Kuro - Oh, so you can use teleport as well... Couldn''t say we haven''t expected this.


    Issei - So, get to the point. What do you want to talk to me about?


    Kuro - ...Alright... The thing is...


    ...


    Riche and co felt like they''re sitting in needles while waiting for Issei to return to them. The twins told them he will be fine and he should be back soon.


    Sure enough, Issei appeared at their front once again and they all hugged him tightly fearing he will really disappear from their life.


    Issei at first was surprised but soon he gently reassured them until they''ve calmed down. Then they asked him what he''s discussing with Kuro back then. But he told them it''s a secret, well he does inform them about what he found out about the whole zombies incident. But not the discussion he had with Kuro.


    They can only pout because he won''t tell them about it but they know it must be for a good reason. They don''t even think for a second that Issei would betray them, they trusted him completely.


    The party then met up with Croix and went to visit the pope in the cathedral.


    Silent - Thank you for your assistance. The pope''s return has relieved the entire church.


    Norshin - The threat of the zombies isn''t over with yet, but at least we now have time to think.


    Laertes - We''ll do everything in our power to treat the Knights.


    Silent - Senator Laertes, I heard you went back to Horatio. Is everything alright there?


    Laertes - There were only problems because I''d been mistakenly reported as dead. Once I showed up alive and well, everything settled down.


    Towa - Thank goodness...


    Laertes - I''m surprised to hear the zombies don''t want anything from us. Based on all the old stories, I thought they were vile creatures that attacked any human they saw.


    Kathryn - Makes sense why you''d treat them like monsters and try to destroy them on sight.


    Norshin - It''s said that the original zombies were people who committed crimes in Central, got banished to this land, and died. In which case, it''s understandable that they would begrudge the living.


    Kathryn - Well, we have some info about this whole incident...


    Then they told them all about what they found out about the whole zombie incident. The perpetrator being Bolonius and the <Snake Crest>.Apparently, Bolonius is also a well-known doctor in Hamlet and also a scientist who invented most of the antidote they had right now.


    So it''s quite shocking after they heard that the main perpetrator is their most outstanding doctor, at first they doubt it if it was true or not but after seeing the notes Bolonius gave Issei that contains all the proof and Bolonius own signature on it they had to believe it.


    Issei told them that Bolonius is already dead along with his daughter.


    Silent & Croix - ...


    Leartes - Bolonius... Why didn''t you try talking to anyone? As a father myself, I could have sympathized with you.


    Towa - Father...


    Croix is also feeling sad after hearing this news because she knows well the bond Bolonius and Ophelia shared just like how her bond with her own father, Louin.


    Norshin - I see... So Bolonius is the one who responsible for this whole incident... But be that as it may, we still have the zombies to deal with right?


    Issei - Well, about that...


    *Bam!*


    Hamlet Knight - There''s trouble!


    A Hamlet Knight frantically burst into the cathedral.


    Hamlet Knight - It''s the zombies! The zombies from the poison territory have formed a mob that''s heading toward Hamlet!


    Issei already expected this because when Ophelia is not in control of them any longer so they will start attacking sooner or later.


    Kathryn - Sooner than expected. Thought we could get the first move, but so much for that.


    Norshin - Organize the Knights- Wait, evacuate the civilians first!


    Silent - Calm down and think, please. Where would they evacuate to?


    Laertes - There''s no time to prepare a ship now.


    Norshin - Aaah, what a mess... I''m supposed to be the pope, but I''m useless.


    Silent - If only someone could cast <Grand Purge>...


    Even Croix is unable to cast it because her potential is not fully drawn out yet, she got the talent but sadly not enough understanding about the spell to cast it.


    Issei - Hmm, can you let me see that spell?


    Norshin and the others are startled hearing Issei sudden question.


    Norshin - What are you planning, Issei-san?


    Issei - Just let me see it.


    Norshin - O-Oh, understood... Saint Silent can you get the spell book of the <Grand Purge>, please?


    Silent - Yes.


    Silent then leaves the room to get the spell book and soon she returned with it.


    Silent - Here''s the <Grand Purge> spellbook...


    Issei - Thanks.


    Then Issei read the spell book.


    Norshin and the others are confused about what is he planning with it and when they asked Riche and co. their answers leave them slackjawed.


    Riche - Hm? He probably wanted to learn the spell.


    Kathryn - Knowing him then it won''t be surprising at all if he does manage to learn it.


    Ramius - Indeed.


    Gurigura - Yep.


    Kyou - Heheh, somehow I know that he will be able to learn it.


    Kinou - Un, he''s our husband after all. Nothing is impossible for him.


    Barro - Heh heh, at this point I doubt if there''s anything that Issei-kun cannot do.


    Riche and co answered them like it''s a very normal thing.


    Silent - That would be impossible because even Princess Croix can''t learn the spell.


    Norshin - Saint Silent is right, there''s no one able to use that spell. Even though I wish Issei-san can use it as well but-


    Issei - Oh, got it.


    Before Norshin could finish his words they finally heard Issei''s speaking. He returned the book to Silent who accepted it while feeling confused just like Norshin did.


    Norshin - What do you mean, Issei-san? What do you get?


    Issei - Hm? Oh, I could use this spell.


    Silent - Wha?! Impossible!


    Norshin - E-Eh?! How?!


    Croix covered her mouth in surprise, even she finds it impossible to use that spell. They all doubted it if Issei could truly use that spell.


    Issei - Well, I just somehow knows it after reading the spell.


    Silent - Just know it, you say...


    They all become speechless hearing that he learned it just from reading it once? Then just what they''ve been doing after all this time? They could swear that they have read it more than a hundred times and tried casting it more than a thousand time.


    But here he is saying that he could use it after just reading it once?


    Riche - See, we told you that he will be able to do it.


    Even Riche and co. smiled wryly after hearing that their husband could use a spell that the church are unable to use until now. But they accepted it quite easy compared to the church party.


    Kinou - What Grand Purge does, specifically, is purge soul residue.


    Kyou - It involves working with souls, so you had better know about souls if you want to use it right.


    Kathryn - Makes sense knowing Ise''s true background.


    Silent - His true background? Isn''t he the <Zero Knight> from Eden.


    Kyou - Kath, better be careful with your words now.


    Kathryn - Oh right, my bad.


    Kathryn remembered that it''s best that no one else knows of Issei true background. What would people think after hearing that he''s a lover of the Goddess of Death herself?


    They all curious about what Kathryn talking about but they have more urgent matter at hand right now.


    Norshin - Then, Issei-san. If you could really use the <Grand Purge>...


    Issei - Oh, yeah. Let''s head towards the bridge right now.


    They headed towards the bridge right away.


    ...


    The party arrived at the bridge and saw the zombies forming a giant horde.


    Issei - Ah... I see. Very well...


    Silent - What is he doing?


    Norshin - Oh right, I forgot I haven''t told you yet, Saint Silent. Apparently, Issei-san could talk with souls and he''s communicating with the zombies right now. He could also purify souls so he said.


    Issei started nodding to himself after seeing the zombie horde and Silent is confused on what''s Issei doing right now, so Norshin informed Silent about Issei special capabilities.


    Silent went wide-eyed once again after hearing it, her poker face is doomed to be broken as long as she stays next to Issei it seems.


    Issei - They''re not coming towards this way to attack the city... They wanted to be purified so they can truly pass on... Can you feel it?


    Issei''s body started glowing with white light and when it touches their bodies they can also feel it.


    Croix - I can feel it... I feel the pain of their regretful, fragmented souls...


    Riche and the others can also feel it, Gurigura cried softly after feeling it while the others also felt sad.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii... Please, let the people of Osric rest in peace.


    Issei - Um.


    Issei closed his eyes and started casting a spell, generating even brighter light around him.


    Ramius - This light... It''s like the light during a Knight''s appointment ritual.


    Silent - It''s like Mother Eve''s power directly affecting the soul. But this is an insane amount... And... Oh... Uhnnn!


    Croix - Ara? Auu!


    Riche - What''s wrong, onee-chan?


    Silent and Croix started squirming while clamping both of their legs together after being bathed with Issei''s light.


    Croix - I-It''s nothing. Auhn!


    Silent - Mmh!


    Both of their faces went red. They act this way because of Issei raise their <Holy> power indirectly.


    Issei - Pitiful, lost shards of soul, may you find everlasting rest... <Grand Purge>...


    Issei finished casting the spell, opened his eyes, and looked toward the zombie mod.


    Issei''s current eye color is not the usual wine-red but golden colored just like when he used his <Balance Breaker>. The girls blushed deeply after seeing his current form because it''s even more enchanting and more holy than his usual self.


    His body shone blindly bright with the light of miracles. The light became countless particles which spiraled in the air, it was like a shining tornado.


    Everyone - ...Beautiful.


    They all agreed that the current Issei is looking extremely <Holy>. The Kalars also felt their king holy power and they knelt in reverence towards Issei direction.


    ...


    At Semiramis domain, Irene felt Issei''s power spiked up and opened a rift hole to see his current situation.


    Irene - Oh? *Whistle*, girls, look at this.


    Jeanne and Jalter who were training turned their heads towards Irene direction.


    Jeanne - Yes?


    Jalter - Hm?


    Wiz and Yunyun also there, they were also training but after hearing Irene voice they stopped their training and walked next to her.


    Wiz - What''s wrong?


    Yunyun - Is there something wrong, Irene-san?


    Semiramis and Scathach are off to somewhere at the moment. Semiramis said she wanted to get her old fortress and Scathach is accompanying her.


    Then they saw the man they''ve been longing to see for a while. Jeanne and Jalter are the most affected because they both were Saintess after all. All of their eyes went wide and blushed deeply after seeing Issei current state.


    Jeanne - ...Master... So beautiful.


    Jalter - ...Ah.


    Jeanne knelt and get into her usual praying position while gazing at the current Issei. Jalter also agreed with Jeanne without her deviant side getting in the way.


    Yunyun - Waaah... Issei-san looks so amazing...


    Wiz - Yes... He looks so holy and even more handsome than before...


    Wiz even thought that it''s quite weird that the actual goddess she knows is far less holy than her own boyfriend. And they all become even more enamored towards Issei after seeing him now.


    A certain girl with a blue hair sneezes right after Wiz thought about it.


    Irene - Heheheh, just what we expect from our Ise right girls?


    Jeanne nodded reverently while Jalter averted her face while blushing a bit but she doesn''t deny it. While both Yunyun and Wiz faces went beet red after hearing Irene''s words.


    Irene - And you girls better be prepared when you meet him again... Because I can tell you that he''s even more amazing in bed.


    Irene decided to tease them while grinning slyly.


    Jeanne blushed deeply but doesn''t deny it that she also wanted to become one with her master.


    Jalter - You shameless woman!


    Irene - Oh, thank you, I''ll take that as a compliment because I''m indeed shameless when it''s about my beloved Ise. Don''t tell me that you don''t want to try having sex with him, hmm, Jalter-chan~?


    Jalter - SH-SHUT UP!


    Jalter got even more embarrassed, she scowled at Irene while her face went red like a tomato. Irene chuckled after seeing her reaction because who would''ve thought that the feisty Jalter is so shy when it comes to this kind of stuff.


    While Yunyun and Wiz face already turned red to the maximum that even smokes started coming out of their head, their eyes are also spinning.


    They both muttered "S-Sex with Issei-san?! Hauuuu!".


    Irene chuckled seeing how innocent most of the girls here are. Then she gazes towards Issei once more.


    Irene - Hurry and return to us, beloved...


    She gazes at Issei filled with endless love and passion while putting one of her hands on her <Mark>.


    One thing for sure is that all of them can''t wait for their upcoming reunion.


    ...


    Norshin made up his mind about something after seeing the current Issei.


    Towa - Issei-san really is powerful.


    Gurigura - This light''s nice and warm... It makes me feel cozy.


    The light did, in fact, enshroud everyone in kindness and warmth.


    Regardless of age, gender, or even species, the warmth rained on all in an overpowering waterfall of light. Even the living corpses, the zombies, were hit.


    Gurigura - Ah...


    Gurigura''s training helped her eyes adjust to the brightness fastest, letting her see the zombies dissolve in the light.


    Gurigura - The old lady... My teacher... Everyone...


    She saw the old woman had given her cookies and the teacher who had been strict, yet loving. The faces of everyone she had known in Osric wore the same peaceful smiles she always remembered.


    They all smiled towards Gurigura and bowed at Issei conveying the gratitude they had for him.


    Soon one familiar face after another disappeared.


    Gurigura - Bye-bye...


    Gurigura knew that soul residue was all that remained of the people she knew, but she said farewell as if to part with her past forever.


    When the light finally dimmed they all started to look around.


    Riche - Wow...


    Ramius - The zombies vanished...


    With their souls purged, the zombies'' unnaturally-preserved bodies disintegrated into dust.


    Gurigura - Ise-nii, this is a good thing, right?


    Issei - Um, the people of Osric are relieved and have truly passed on after that. They''re relieved to know their bodies won''t be attacking anyone anymore. And they all said that they love you, Gurigura...


    Gurigura - ...Un! Thank you, Ise-nii.


    She smiled through tears and hugged Issei tightly, Issei smiled and stroked her head gently.


    Gurigura - Eheh!

 Chapter 66 - 65

    Croix - Yaaay, I''m so glad I finally get to see the children!


    At the building, they met up with the ecstatic princess.


    Gurigura - Croix-nee seems so happy.


    Issei - Getting to see these kids must be very exciting for her.


    Riche - Probably. Unlike me, she was never allowed to leave the castle much.


    As if worried about Croix''s behavior, Towa gave everyone some warnings to follow during the visit.


    Towa - You can touch the children, but if you do, be careful not to touch anything else until you wash your hands.


    Croix - What about kissing?


    Towa - K-Kissing?! I think it might be best if you don''t do too much in general. Also, this may be a lot to ask, but if you don''t mind at least letting the more isolated children see you through the window, that would be nice.


    Croix - I''d be more than happy to! Let''s go visit everyone!


    Towa - Okay, thank you very much.


    As someone who volunteers to visit the children on a regular basis, Towa was overjoyed to see Croix''s enthusiasm.


    Barro - Hi. It looks like you''re finally here. I''m done surveying the hospital.


    Ramius - I''m sorry we weren''t around to help.


    Barro - I don''t mind. I love any chance to see children''s smiling faces, so don''t feel bad.


    Gurigura - What should we do?


    Barro - Could you stay with Princess Croix in case anything happens?


    Kathryn - What''ll you be doing? Hitting on some nurses?


    Barro - I''ll work with Central''s Knights to keep guard outside. Hamlet''s Knights are still tired after that zombie business.


    Issei - Got it.


    Barro - We don''t want to stress out the kids, that''s why we''re keeping the Knights outside, after all. Remember to smile.


    Issei - Ah.


    Towa - Issei-san, it''s about to start. We need to go.


    Kyou - See you soon, Ise. We''ll go help get the salted caramels ready.


    Issei - Okay, see you in a bit.


    The party chased after the impatient princess to the site of her visit.


    ...


    After a nice, simple ceremony in the lobby, Croix ran straight to the pajama-clad children.


    Croix - Hello, everyone! (AN: https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1009276993136995780/E72E957CFDBEB6C5EB5E5CC4D6B29EC046B66206/ Croix Image with the kids).


    Sickly Girl - H-Hello.


    Bewildered Boy - I-It''s the princess... She''s right here in real life...


    Even the children that were shyly hiding behind the nurses at first were drawn out by Croix''s gentle smile.


    Croix - Have you been in the hospital for long?


    Sickly Girl - I''ve been here forever... Um, they say they don''t know what I''m sick from.


    Croix - Really? You should never stop fighting the sickness, though. Your parents, your doctor and I will be rooting for you.


    Croix dotingly patted the girl''s head.


    Sickly Girl - Ah, don''t... You''re gonna get sick. And I haven''t taken a bath, so I''m all dirty...


    Croix - It''s okay, you''re not dirty at all. Also... You''re so warm.


    Croix hugged the reluctant girl, covering her face with her bountiful chest.


    Sickly Girl - Mggggh... I-It hurts...


    Croix - Oh, sorry about that. But remember, you''re warm because you''re alive and well. I''m sure you''ll get better in no time.


    Sickly Girl - Really?


    Croix - Yes, so try thinking about what you''ll do after that.


    Sickly Girl - Oh, um... I wanna get married like you.


    Croix - Heheheh, you''re so cute that you could get married in no time.


    Sickly Girl - O-Okay, I''m gonna try to get better.


    Croix took her time speaking with each of the kids and went around to all the hospital rooms.


    As though her smile put the children at east, she effortlessly connected with all of them.


    Towa - These kids are usually in low spirits, but they''re having so much fun... Princess Croix really is an incredible Saint.


    Following behind Croix with the rest of the group, Towa found herself thinking out loud.


    Issei - That might just be thanks to all the work you normally do, Towa. And even Princess Croix''s visit wouldn''t be happening without your help.


    Towa - E-Eh?! N-No I think it''s because of you Issei-san because you purified all those zombies and solved the mystery behind it as well.


    Issei - Perhaps, but without the letters from the kids that you deliver to Croix then she won''t be visiting the hospital now right?


    Towa - I-I suppose so... I''m glad I was able to do something. ''Nobody''s ever told me that before... What do I do? I''m gonna blush... Geez, Issei-san...''.


    While Towa was frantically trying to hide her red face, Croix''s hospital visit continued.


    Croix - Do you ever get bored being stuck in the hospital? Is there anything you want?


    Bandaged Girl - Yeah... But Towa-onee-chan teaches me stuff and tells me stories about all kinds of places.


    Croix - I''ve watched one of her stories too. Isn''t it fun to learn things?


    Bandaged Girl - Yeah, I love her stories! I wanna watch one with you, Princess.


    Croix - Maybe we can ask her next time. Are you tired? You can lie down if you like.


    Bandaged Girl - I''m okay. Also... We made this for you.


    Croix carefully took the girl''s origami gift, then gave her a soft hug and expressed her appreciation.


    Croix - Thanks, I''ll treasure it always.


    IV Drip Girl - I drew a picture!


    Croix - Oh, you''re quite the artist, I''ll treasure this too. Heheheh... I''ll need to buy a frame for this.


    Starting with one gift, the children gave Croix one present after another, until her hands were full.


    Ramius - They''re suffering from illness, but they still took the trouble to make gifts...


    Kathryn - Like the total opposite of the selfish jackasses from <Snake Crest>.


    The party felt as though their hearts, weary from all the unrestrained desire they''d seen in their fights with the enemy were being cleansed.


    Issei smiled seeing Croix being surrounded by children. Then he saw a little girl coming his way, she just stands in front of him and looks up at him silently.


    Issei felt confused seeing her gazing at him like this. So he lowers his body to match the girl height.


    Issei - What''s wrong?


    Finally, after hearing Issei''s question the girl says something.


    Girl - Who are you, onii-chan?


    Issei - Hm? Oh, I''m Princess Croix family member.


    Girl - Why do you cover your head with your hood? Are you shy?


    Issei smiled at the girl after hearing her question so he uncovers his hood.


    Issei - No, it''s just a habit of mine you see.


    When Issei''s face is shown, the girl nurses and the children moms blushed deeply seeing his face. They''ve never seen someone this handsome before, even sir Barro lose against Issei they thought.


    The moms'' husbands sent Issei a begrudging stare because of it though. Issei could only smile bitterly to himself after feeling their stares.


    The little girl eyes went wide after seeing his face and she asked him a question.


    Girl - Onii-chan, are you a prince? Because you''re so handsome and cool.


    Riche who heard her words grinned and respond to the girl question even before Issei could respond to it.


    Riche - Yes, this onii-chan is a prince. The prince for all of us.


    Ramius - Umu. Our own Prince charming.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, yep. Ise-nii is our prince.


    Kathryn - Mhm, you could say that.


    Issei smiled wryly hearing Riche and co. words.


    Girl - Woow, amazing... Hey, everyone! There''s a prince here!


    The girl instantly called her friends to come over and they all look towards her direction straight away. Even the children who surrounded Croix looked over along with Croix herself.


    Sickly Boy - Eh, really?!


    Sickly Girl - We have both the prince and the princess here?


    Then some of them swarmed Issei this time around. They keep asking him a question and Issei answered them all patiently and gently.


    Sickly Girl - Onii-chan, are you the Princess fiancee?


    Issei becomes a bit taken aback by her sudden question but he answered her regardless.


    Issei - Err, no, I''m not.


    Sickly Girl - But aren''t you the prince?


    Sickly Boy - Yeah, yeah.


    They all felt a little disappointed that he''s not Croix fiancee but soon they asked him another question. Issei childish smile also reappears once again when he''s interacting with the children. After all, even in his original world, he''s quite popular with the children as well.


    This time it''s the Riche and co. turn to smile at him along with Croix herself. They all felt like he''s gonna be a great father as well on top of being a great husband already.


    The nurses blushed even more after seeing his dazzling smile and they envy Riche and co for having a husband like him.


    Issei patted each of the children head and they all giggled after being patted by him. Unknown to everyone nearby, every child that came into contact with him will be cured soon. Issei knows it but he keeps silent about it.


    He releases his blessing light to the whole hospital to cure the rest of the patients here. Later on, people started thinking a miracle happened because every single patient who was hospitalized here got cured on the same day. And the hospital got even more famous because of it.


    Bandaged Girl - Ne, princess. Who is that onii-chan to you?


    One of the girls who are still with Croix asked.


    Croix - Eh? Ohh, he''s my great Otouto... Only my Otouto...


    She flashed a brief of sad and longing smile but soon her cheerful smile is back once again.


    Riche and co. also participate in the patting session soon after. They all enjoyed their time playing with the children until the visiting time is over.


    All of the children said their goodbye to Croix and Issei and told them to come to visit them again later. Both Issei and Croix promised the children that they will come to visit again later with a pinky promise.


    Then they head back to Hamlet.


    ...


    The party returned to Hamlet, where they were met by Pope Norshin and Silent. But when the party approached Pope Norshin, he promptly kneeled and bowed his head.


    Norshin - Thank you so much. Issei-san, you''re a hero to this country.


    Issei - ...Don''t mind it, we just did what we could do, that''s all.


    Silent - Don''t be so humble, you all saved this country from the impending doom of the zombie horde and from the <Snake Crest> evil hands as well. And for that, we can''t thank you enough.


    Silent also bowed her head towards Issei.


    Norshin - With that said, Issei-san... I was wondering, are you willing to take my place as the pope?


    Everyone who heard Norshin words becomes surprised except Silent and Laertes. They apparently already discussed this beforehand.


    Laertes - Um, I totally approve of Issei-dono becoming the pope as well.


    Silent - Likewise.


    But Issei refuses it straight away.


    Issei - I''m sorry but I don''t want to.


    Weirdly enough, Norshin and co only smile bitterly after hearing his answer.


    Norshin - I see... Just like King Louin said, you''re not interested in things like this, huh...


    Riche - Eh? How did you know?


    Norshin - You see, we asked King Louin when you''re visiting the hospital before. When we asked King Louin if it''s okay to have Issei-san to become the new pope he just said: "If he agrees to it then sure, but I doubt he will agree because he''s not a person who''s interested in authority." So we''re not too surprised hearing that Issei-san rejected our proposal...


    Barro - That does sound like what the King would say.


    Laertes - *Sigh* It''s too bad we couldn''t make him as the new pope.


    Silent - But we have another solution for this. Please don''t reject this as well, Issei-sama.


    Silent comes close to Issei and stares at him with a serious gaze that said she won''t allow him to reject this one.


    Issei - O-Ou, but I need to know what is it first.


    Silent - Um, good enough. The Church of Mother Eve would like to bestow you with the rank of <Holy Knight>.


    Riche - Wow, that''s awesome!


    Ramius - A <Holy Knight>... It''s on the same level of a <Zero Knight> but even more special than the latter.


    Issei - Is that so?


    Kathryn - Yeah, I''m a <Zero Knight>, but I was never a <Holy Knight>. Neither were Acheval and Barro.


    Barro - Indeed.


    Ramius - Meaning that as far as the Church of Mother Eve is concerned, you have greater influence. Your influence is about the same as the pope basically.


    Issei - Hmm, that indeed sounds important... But-


    Silent - Issei-sama.


    Issei - Err... Fine. I accept it...


    Silent smiled at Issei but her eyes are not smiling at all so he decided to accept it after seeing her chilling smile. After he accepts it, Silent smirked slyly inside her mind.


    Croix - Ehehe~ My Otouto got promoted again, yaay~.


    Croix feels really happy that Issei got to be the church fabled <Holy Knight> it''s been a long time ago ever since there was a <Holy Knight> present in the church. But there''s a secret about this rank that nobody outside the church higher-up knows.


    There can only be one <Holy Knight> at one time and they have the same influence just like the pope himself just like the public knows. But the most important of all is that whoever becomes the <Holy Knight> automatically able to claim the Saints to be his spouse as long as they''re willing to be one of his spouses and they can also have an unlimited amount of spouse. Of course, Croix is a special case so she can''t be Issei''s spouse because of it. (AN: As in because she''s already engaged with the Prince of Central).


    So they''re not limited to only able to have 10 spouses like the <Zero Knight> rank. In other words, <Holy Knight> rank surpasses the <Zero Knight> rank by a milestone. But these facts are only known to the church higher-up such as the Pope and the Saints only.


    To become a <Holy Knight> the candidates are not only needed to be strong but they also needed to be kind and noble-hearted, possess a <Holy> magic as powerful as one of the Saints at the very least, and also have done special services to the church.


    Unfortunately, it is hard to do a special service to the church without living full-time in the Hamlet Region, and hard to be a <Zero Knight> without working internationally. As a result, a certain church rite, allowed only to <Holy Knights> who are also <Zero Knights>, has all but died off, due to the international level of experience required of Zero Knights.


    It may be assumed that the only holy artifact capable of creating a Holy Knight is the Pope''s own artifact, the <Evenicle> itself.


    Norshin - Then... We need the Holy Swo-


    Silent - Pope, the <Evenicle> would work better. All you have to do is fetch it from the storage room.


    Norshin - Alright...


    Issei felt like Norshin sure has things hard.


    Thus, with Issei''s promotion swiftly settled on, the ritual was held.


    Silent - This is our holy scripture, the <Evenicle>.


    Surrounded by several Knights, Norshin brought in a decorated book.


    Silent - It chronicles everything from Mother Eve''s birth to the time she went into hiding.


    Norshin - It''s written in an ancient language, however, so only a portion has been translated thus far.


    Silent - We only recently reached the end of the events involved in the wedding ritual.


    Norshin - Now, allow us to use this to appoint you as a <Holy Knight>.


    Issei - Sure.


    When Norshin chanted some sort of prayer, the room was filled with Mother Eve''s power.


    Issei - This light... It''s like the miracle light from Croix''s ritual...


    Norshin - O Eve, mother of all... Accept our brother as the <Holy Knight>.


    When the miracle power reached its peak, Norshin placed a fingertip on Issei''s forehead. Then the miracle light was absorbed into him.


    Norshin - The ritual is over. You now have every church in the world on your side.


    Issei - Ah, thank you.


    Kathryn - The Evenicle, though...


    With the solemn mood over with, Kathryn stared at the book in Norshin''s hand.


    Issei - By the way, is there another <Evenicle> out there? There''s Somebody I know seems to have knowledge about it after all and he''s not from the church I can assure you that.


    Norshin - W-Well...


    Silent - I would guess that during the Arthur Tragedy, someone took advantage of the chaos to take a peek at it.


    Kathryn - Oh yeah, <Snake Crest> had members in the church back then, huh?


    Norshin - ...Yes.


    Kathryn - Anyway, you''re a <Holy Knight> now, Ise. I wonder what will the King reward you this time.


    Issei - I won''t ask for anything though.


    Croix - Hmm, how about I reward you with another kiss. Of course, it will only on the cheek though~

 Chapter 67 - 66

    Towa - My new home... This is the family''s love nest, Ise-san?


    When they got home, Towa''s shining eyes scanned around the building.


    Tio - Welcome home, Ise. I''m glad to see you''re all okay.


    Tilt - Welcome home...


    Both Tio and Tilt welcomed Issei back.


    Issei - I''m back, Tio, Tilt. Thanks for looking after the house you two.


    Tio - Un, you''re welcome. Oh, who is this girl?


    Issei - Oh, she''s our new family member, Towa. Towa, this is Tio and Tilt. They''re the one who I told you about before.


    Issei already told Towa about Tio and Tilt so she''s not that surprised after seeing the ghost Tilt.


    Towa - Oh, um... A pleasure to make your acquaintance!


    Tilt - Nice to meet you...


    Tio - You should save the pleasantaries for Ise later tonight. Now come on in.


    Towa - Uh, oh... Okay!


    Kathryn - Thought she''d be more surprised, but even Tio''s shockingly chill.


    Riche - Considering she knows that he basically already has a whole race as his lover it''s not really surprising though.


    Kathryn - Right...


    Kyou - Time for us to get cooking! We''re having a welcoming party tonight!


    Kinou - A feast to welcome the new wife.


    Issei - Oh, let me help.


    Gurigura - I can help too! Let me go get fresh ingredients for you.


    Ramius - I can be a taste tester.


    Kathryn - You''re just getting in the way if you can''t actually help. Go lay on the couch and wait instead.


    Towa gazes at the others interaction and Issei noticed it.


    Issei - What''s wrong, Towa?


    Towa - O-Oh, it''s nothing... It''s just that they all seem so happy.


    Issei - Ah, their happiness is my happiness as well. So I will do whatever I can to make them all happy.


    Issei smiled gently while looking at his wives interaction.


    Towa - I-Issei-san.


    Issei - Hmm? What''s wrong?]


    Towa - I-I wanted to ask you something...


    Issei - Sure, go ahead.


    Towa - ...Are you sure you want me as your wife? You were essentially forced into it. So if you don''t want to then I get it...


    Towa felt insecure about it ever since she realized that he''s basically forced into marrying her so he needs to confirm it with Issei himself. Issei smiled gently at her after hearing her question and Towa felt warm just by looking at his smile.


    Issei - Listen, Towa. There''s no one can force me to do things that I don''t want to. So don''t think that I''m forced to accept you as my wife. I do have feelings for you when I get to know you better... When I saw how you interact with the children at <Lancelot> I know that you''re a good girl, and as time goes on I become attracted to you. You''re even willing to travel the world just to collect stories to share it with the children at the hospital, and to answer your question, yes. I do love you, Towa.


    Towa - Aaah... I-Is that true?


    Issei - Ah.


    Towa eyes become moist after hearing Issei confession once again and she felt really happy that he has feelings for her.


    Riche - What are you two doing there? Come inside.


    Issei - Alright, let''s go, Towa.


    Towa - ...Hai!


    Issei held Towa hand and entered the front door.


    ...


    After the twins'' grand feast was finished, the rest of the wives took Towa to one of the room and give her the knowledge about "Sex" and stuff because to let her go without proper knowledge about it will be very dangerous.


    She could become traumatized if they do it without basic knowledge about it. And after they gave her the basic knowledge about it, Towa almost fainted out of embarrassment because all the things she knows before this is basically wrong.


    Babies can''t be made just from kissing alone and there won''t be any platypus that will bring it to them as well.


    Her face is so red that even steams started coming out of her head. They asked her if she wanted to wait until she''s prepared but she said that she will do it tonight. So she headed towards Issei''s bedroom after that.


    When Issei saw her current state he smiled wryly to himself because he already expected this. Her eyes are spinning around and she becomes frozen stiff after she entered his room.


    Issei - ...You know that you don''t have to do this now right, Towa?


    Towa - I-I-I-I C-Can do this!


    Doesn''t look like it, Issei added inside his mind. He comes close to Towa and she becomes even more nervous that her body started shaking but then Issei calmly pick her up in his arms bridal carrying style and head towards the sofa instead of the bed and sat her on top of his lap.


    Towa at first becomes taken aback but then she felt his gentle stroke on her head.


    Issei - Just calm down, I won''t be forcing you to do it straight away you know?


    Towa - I-I know, but...


    Issei - It''s fine, even if you don''t do it with me I will still think of you as my wife.


    Towa - ...Un...


    Then Towa enjoyed basking in the gentle and calming atmosphere while still in Issei''s embrace. Little by little she becomes calm and less nervous than before. After a few minutes, she finally started talking.


    Towa - ...Issei-san, I... I love you. I was drawn to you before I even knew why.


    Issei - ...


    Issei just calmly listen at her talking.


    Towa - I find most people who fight for a living to be scary, but you''re very nice, and you always try to help people in need. When we first met and how you helped me who was a complete stranger to you, I knew you''re a kind person... And ever since then, you''ve been chasing an evil organization around the world... But you still haven''t lost your kindness... I love you for your kindness, Issei-san.


    Issei at first wasn''t sure how to respond to Towa''s confession, but he needs to tell her about the real him.


    Issei - ...I see... But you know, Towa... I''m not a kind person like you said... I won''t hesitate to even kill anyone if it means to make my loved ones happy and well... Whether it be innocent people or evil ones. To me, nothing else matters as long as my loved ones are happy, and sure I will help those who need help if they''re right in front of my eyes. But if it means that by helping them I will put my loved ones in danger then I won''t do it... I will even sacrifice them if the situation calls for it.


    Towa - ...


    Towa at first looks down when she heard Issei''s words but then she looks up at him with a soft smile on her face.


    Towa - ...Un. I know that. That personality of yours that put your loved ones above anything else is what attracts me towards you. How you will stop at nothing if it means to bring a smile on your loved one faces, how you don''t hesitate even if it means if you put yourself in danger... That''s the man I fell in love with... As long as you don''t kill the innocents for no apparent reason then it''s good enough for me... I''m so happy when I saw how you interact with those children at the hospital, how you patiently answer each of their childish questions and you never lose your gentle smile when you''re still interacting with them and I become ever more grateful that you cured them of their sickness as well...


    This time it''s Issei''s turn to be quiet after hearing her words.


    Issei - ...


    Towa - As long as you''re still the kind person I know then my love for you will never waver, Issei-san... I''ve already said this before but I will say it again. I love you, Issei-san...


    Issei heart was captivated by the direct expression of affection from Towa that he unconsciously lowers his head slowly and stole her soft lips with his own.


    At first, Towa still hasn''t realized what''s happening but soon she realizes that she''s being kissed but her body only stiffens for a moment before she relaxed her body completely and started reciprocating his kiss albeit a bit amateurish.


    Issei started to gently stroked her hips and he never put his tongue inside her mouth and only keep kissing her gently and Towa felt like she''s melting right now just from feeling his gentle caress and kisses. She felt her body becoming really hot and fuzzy inside.


    When Issei felt her body started shivering gently he stopped their kiss.


    Towa current face is blushing madly with ragged breathing and her eyes are moist, she still has her mouth open slightly feeling the lingering after their kissing session. Issei put his finger on her lips.


    Issei - Want more?


    Towa meekly nodded unconsciously and Issei lowers his head to capture her lips once more but this time he''s not gentle like the first kiss but a bit forceful and with tongue wrestling included. He hugged her soft body closely against his body.


    Towa - Mmh! Mmn, nn, mchu... Mwah...


    Towa felt like her body is on fire, she kinda likes this forceful side of Issei a bit more. Without her even realizing it Issei already took off her clothes and now she''s only on her bra and her underwear.


    He gently squished her buttcheeks and she moaned gently inside her mouth.


    Issei stopped their kiss and went to kiss her neck this time.


    Towa - Aah, I-Ise-san... Auuhn...


    He gently massaged both of her butt cheeks with his hands and Towa never experienced this feeling before. Her mouth down there started to get wetter and wetter by the second. Issei also felt it started to get really moist and he knows that she should be ready now.


    He used the magic he got from Irene and make his clothes disappear. Towa becomes wide-eyed after seeing his perfect body in the flesh for the first time. Her breathing turned ragged because she felt his masculine intoxicating aura at full-throttle.


    Towa - ...I-Ise-san... P-Please...


    Issei - Ah, I will make you mine now...


    Issei knows just from looking at her face what she wants right now. He shifted her panties slightly to the side and aimed his penis towards her slit. Towa is facing Issei direction while sitting atop his lap right now.


    Issei - Are you ready, Towa?


    Towa - U-Un... Make me yours... Ise-san...


    Hearing her confirmation Issei lowered her body slowly, allowing his penis to slide easily inside her narrow slit until he felt an obstacle, he stopped for a second and then put a little bit of force in his penetration and he can feel her hymen break.


    *Sllsh*


    Towa - Mmmhaa! Kuu, kuuh... I-It''s inside me... Haah, haahn, ku! Haah, haaahn...


    Her breath was ragged with the discomfort of losing her virginity.


    Towa - I-I can feel it, deep inside me... Pushing me open from the inside... Uu, haah, haaahn!


    Blood mixed with the clear fluid that was leaking out of her and Issei could see the pain on her face. He was inside her, but not fully. He still had a few centimeters to go.


    Issei then gives her a gentle kiss to ease her pain while his hands are still on her butt gently massaging it as well.


    Towa - Mmh, mmn, Mmah...


    Slowly but surely the pain started to ease away and Towa felt an itch deep inside her pussy and it makes her a bit uncomfortable so she slightly moved her hips around and she felt like a jolt of electricity just ran through her spines when Issei penis touched a certain spot inside her.


    Towa - Haau!


    Issei - It''s very tight inside you, Towa... And it feels really good.


    Finally, Issei''s penis disappears completely inside her moist opening. Her vagina is all around him, pushing against his penis from all sides. Because of her pussy juices, her pussy is fully lubricated, but it is still a tight fit.


    Towa - I can feel it, moving inside me... It''s so big, and so bumpy... Haah, haa, haahn... But I''m so happy... So happy to have you inside me...


    Issei - Your vagina is so hot, I feel like I''m going to melt inside you...


    Issei started moving slowly inside her and Towa also slowly move her hips a little to match his rhythm.


    Towa - I feel the same... I want to stay like this forever... Haah, haahn, ku! Haah, it''s good...


    Her sexual lubricants have completely covered his penis now. As they move, they both have sweat on their bodies, glistening in the dimly lit room.


    Towa - Haah, haaahn, kuu, aahnn...


    As she continues to move her body, Issei could see a real joy on her face replacing her frown just now.


    Towa - More... More... Haahn, it''s so good... Ah, aah...


    His penis is moving deeper and deeper inside her, she continued to move her hips up and down, generating a pleasurable heat where they are connected. Issei stopped moving and let her do all the moving instead.


    Towa - Haahn, fuu, haah! I-I can feel it moving, inside me... It''s so big, I''m sure it''s going to explode... Yaah, haaahn, I can feel it, hitting all the way inside...


    The pain of her rite of passage now gone, Issei could see red color in her cheeks, as she started truly enjoying their lovemaking. As she continued to move her hips, though, Issei could still see a red tint on the juices that coming out of her.


    Issei felt like his penis is being squeezed from all sides now. Faster and faster she moved her body, and he tried to relax and enjoy the ride.


    Towa - A-Ahhn, haaah, hah! Ku, haaahn!?


    Towa''s breathing is getting faster, as they both nearing their climax.


    Issei - Guh! Towa... I''m almost there...


    Towa - Mmm! You feel, feel so good! Please, just a little more... Haah, haaahn!


    *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!*


    Towa - I-It feels so good! I want to receive your feelings! I-I''ll do my... Best! I want to make you feel really good, all the way to the end! Auuuhn!


    Issei could feel even more heat inside her, as she continued her up-and-down motions with his penis plowing deeper and deeper inside her as well.


    Towa - Haaah, haahn, ahh! Please, let it out inside me, shoot all your baby seeds deep inside me! I-I know I''m not that good at this, since it''s my first time... But I want it, I want to take all of your seeds inside me... Aah!


    Issei - Ah, you don''t have to ask, I''m almost there now...


    Towa - Aahh, ahhn! I-I''m so happy! Happy to be one with you finally!


    Now her vagina began squeezing Issei even more, driving him crazy. Her body was moving fiercely now, ready to receive his seed.


    *SLOOSH!* *SLOOSH!* *SLOOSH!*


    Towa - Haaah, haahn, haa, hiih!?


    It is time for the last spurt. She wriggled down lower, bringing her body even closer towards Issei.


    Towa - J-Just a little more... I can feel something coming, let''s do it together! Haahn, aahn, haahh! Yes, go deeper, deeper! Shoot your seeds deep inside me! I want you to, as proof of our love!


    Issei - Kuuh... I''m coming!


    Towa - Haaah, ahh, Ahhhhhhnnnn!?


    *Splurt!* *Splurt!* *Splurt!*


    They both orgasms at the same time.


    Issei penis exploded deep inside and flooded her womb with his semen. Towa head plopped down on his chest and she could feel his heartbeat that makes her feels so safe and warm.


    Towa - ...Haah... Aaah... I-I can feel it... Shooting deep inside me, in time with your heartbeat... There''s so much... It''s all going to leak out and get everywhere... I had no idea so much came out... Haah, haah... I''m filled up with your baby seeds... I never knew I could be so happy... I''m never going to be able to leave your side... Please, let me stay like this for just a bit... Until the fire in my body subsides...


    Issei - Ah. Gladly...


    Then they both enjoyed the lingering aftermath of their orgasm together, Towa can feel Issei''s penis still twitching inside her every now and then. They both just hugged each other.


    Towa - ...I wonder if there''s a baby inside me now...


    Issei - Heheh, sadly not yet... But in the future, I will make sure you had one if you wanted to...


    Towa - ...Eheheh, that would be nice... A baby of my own... I hope he/she could get along with the children from the hospital later on...


    Issei - Ah, I''m sure it will happen...


    Towa - ...By the way, Ise-san... The others said that you won''t be satisfied just by doing it once... And I could tell that you''re still hard inside me... S-So... S-Shall we do it again?


    Towa shyly asked if he wanted to do it again and Issei just chuckled at her.


    Issei - If you''re fine with that then sure... Let''s go again?


    Towa - O-Okay...


    Then Issei stands up from the sofa and heads towards the bed while they''re still connected down there. Towa moaned softly for every step he took it always make his penis bumped into her womb entrance and she has a light orgasm when they finally reached the bed.


    Issei gently laid her on the bed below him while he''s still inside her.


    Issei - I''m going to move now, Towa...


    Towa - H-Hai... Haaahn! Hauu! Aahhh!?


    Then Issei restarted their lovemaking session once again for the whole night with Towa sexy moans echoed throughout the house but then she fainted mid-coitus because her body couldn''t take it anymore.


    (<Chaos> Mastery - 73%)


    ...


    Issei stir awake feeling something soft moving on top of his chest. He looked down and saw Towa already awake looking at him with blushing cheeks probably because she was thinking about what happened last night.


    Towa - Eheheh, good morning.


    Issei - Ah, morning.


    Then he showed her hands toward Issei.


    Towa - Look, Ise-san! It''s <Mother Eve''s> blessing... Eheheh, proof that I''m married to Ise-san, I love it.


    Issei - Um.


    Issei smiled gently after seeing her being so happy. His ring finger Roman number also become "IX".


    But then she felt something hard touching her thighs down there, she instantly blushed once more because she knows what that is.


    Towa - U-Um, Ise-san... If you want to do it again... Then, I-I''m fine with it...


    Her voice becomes as low as a mosquito buzzing sound at the end, but Issei could clearly hear it.


    Issei becomes surprised because he never thought the once clueless girl like her could be so assertive the first thing in the morning.


    Issei then chuckled at her.


    Issei - I would love to take your offer but... What usually happens around this time is...


    *Bang!*


    Issei - There it is...


    Issei gently sighed because he knows this always happens whenever he gets a new wife. It''s like it''s becoming a tradition of the family at this point, he thought.


    Riche - Morning you two! Sorry to barge in here, but breakfast is getting cold.


    Towa - EEEK!


    Issei - Yeah, this is what happens...


    Ramius - I was worried how a clueless girl like Towa first time will be like, but she seems to know to handle herself perfectly fine if I have to say.


    Kathryn - Who knew a girl like her could be so wild on her first time? Boy, I learned a new experience just from watching all that.


    Gurigura - Wow... That''s a strong and nice smell... Smells like Ise-nii...


    Tio - It''s hard to wash the stain off once it hardens. Take the sheets to the laundry room before breakfast, please.


    Towa - Wh-What''s going on?! Did they watch the whole thing?


    Issei - Uh, yeah... For some reason, we have a custom where everyone can watch everyone else screw...


    Even Issei couldn''t stop their habit of peeking at him while he''s making love with someone else, sometimes it even turns into a full-blown orgy. Not that he''s complaining though, because even all the kalars combined couldn''t beat him when it comes to sex competition.


    But the kalars never give up trying either to outlast his sexual stamina but to no avail. Their dreams are to be able to beat their king on the bed but it will never be fulfilled because it is completely impossible to beat him on that part. Heck, competing against his strength/power is even more plausible at this point...


    Kyou - Well, I think it''s okay. Thinking about it another way, it shows that Ise treats us all equally.


    Kinou - Not that we can comment when we didn''t let anyone watch. They only do it for the first time, so you don''t need to worry... Maybe?


    Towa - Th-That doesn''t sound very reassuring!


    Kyou - Nothing to be concerned about. Anyway, we made breakfast that should supplement your stamina, so let''s go.


    Towa - Oh, thank you... Wait! That''s not it! This is completely wrong!


    Thus, with the addition of Towa, Issei''s breakfasts were now even more lively.


    ...


    Issei - Hm? What about Croix again?


    Riche - They put her through some inspections, but apparently she''s fine. It''s just her magic power grew bigger after she got exposed to your holy light of miracle back then.


    After breakfast, while everyone was having tea, Riche informed the family about Croix''s condition.


    Riche - I think the wedding ritual can get started again soon.


    Issei - Hmm, I see.


    Issei calmly sips his tea because he basically got everything under control already so he''s even more relaxed than usual nowadays.


    Kathryn - The whole world knows about the wedding ritual at this point.


    Ramius - The next part is when Mother Eve crosses Hamlet and finds the First Ancestor at Bride''s Tower... The climax of the ritual.


    Riche - Prince Felton''s playing the part of the First Ancestor, obviously. After that, I think we''ll head to the capital of Central.


    Issei - Got it.


    Kathryn - We''ve been to every other country, but there''s been no sign of anything that might be <Snake Crest''s> base.


    Riche - Ne, Towa, is there anywhere they could be using as a base in the Central Empire?


    Towa - I wouldn''t count on it... I''ve been to Central a number of times, and it''s as safe as any other country. Oh, but there are a few snowy places where nobody ever goes, so it''s possible.


    Kathryn - Hmmm... Just have to go see for ourselves!


    Gurigura - The pirates in Humpty are Outlaws. What if they''re on some island we don''t know about?


    Ramius - There''s also <Sky Island>.


    Riche - How would they get down from there? If you hit the ground from that high, you''d end up a splattered nubobo.


    Gurigura - Nobody could get up there in the first place...


    Ramius - Couldn''t Kath''s hot air balloon do it?


    Kathryn - Too high. When you''re that high up in the sky, the wind''s too strong to control the balloon. I''d like to try it at some point, but yeah.


    Ramius - It''s worth looking around for other clues, but let''s investigate the Central Empire first.


    Riche - Once the wedding ritual''s over, they should start letting people cross the bridge again.


    Towa - Given the season, the ports in Central are all going to be frozen over, so that''s the only way.


    Kyou - <Snake Crest>... Hmmm... Even if we assume they have people infiltrating the church, I feel like they know way too much about the rituals.


    Kinou - We''ll contact QD. If we learn anything, we''ll tell you.


    Riche - Okay, thanks. Letting <Snake Crest> use those rituals won''t lead anywhere good.


    Kathryn - If they create swarms of monsters like Rochefort and the others, we''d be totally screwed... Well, maybe not...


    Then they all gaze toward Issei who''s still calmly sipping his tea, the way he''s being so relaxed really make them feel safe that it feels like even if the sky were to fall down on them then he will surely hold it off just for them.


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei noticed their gaze and then he gives them a gentle smile like always which makes their cheeks blushed a bit because he''s so dazzling as always. They know that Issei knows something they don''t and he also wanted them to think on their own rather than depending entirely on him alone.


    If they wanted to they could ask him to finish all of their problems and he will surely oblige to their wish but that''s not what they want either because they don''t want to be just an empty vase, they want to stand by his side not hiding behind him all the time. And Issei knows that as well.


    Riche - Once we''re ready, let''s head to Horatio and meet up with onee-chan later.


    Issei - Sure.


    In order to stop <Snake Crest''s> plot, the party was determined to head to the Central Empire.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Bolonius''s laboratory, a woman silently appeared.


    ??? - There it is...


    The woman easily found the <Adan''s Blood> hidden in the room.


    ??? - Try to hide it all you like, but I can sense the flow of magic power.


    She held the <Adan''s Blood> over a flame to check its quality and let out an impressed gasp.


    ??? - Remarkable piece of work. Bolonius''s obsession was quite something.


    She thought back on the now-dead owned of the laboratory, mostly remembering his more abnormal traits.


    ??? - My teleportation magic drew his suspicions... I was surprised how much he found out based on that alone. But thanks to "Him". It all turned out well in the end... But what was that "Feeling" we felt some times ago... That creeping feeling like being marked by "Death" itself... Well, whatever, probably it''s just our misconceptions...


    She recalls that suffocating feeling they all felt during that day which makes them all breaks into a cold sweat at the same time but soon she put it back behind her mind, then she took her eyes off the <Adan''s Blood> and carefully placed it in her pocket.


    ??? - Heheh... I''ve never had this much fun in all my life.


    With that, she vanished as silently as she had appeared. She used a special spell available only to those with dragon blood... Teleportation magic.


    ...


    Riche - Silent says that they''re done investigating Onee-chan''s body.


    Kathryn - Feels like that took a while.


    Ramius - Well, they had to make sure that she''s fine. I''d guess there''s a lot they tried to look into.


    Issei - So what are the results?


    Riche - No problems, of course. She''s in perfect health.


    Gurigura - That''s great! I was worried something was about to happen at her but it seems like it''s all fine.


    Riche - Apparently they finally set a date for the wedding ritual too.


    Kathryn - So does that mean we''re heading to Horatio?


    Towa - Oh, um! May I come with?!


    Issei - Hmm? Oh, sure. You probably want to check on the kids right?


    Towa - Yes, I''d like to help Father and give the hospitalized children a visit because they should be on their final check-up now. Um, is that okay?


    The cured patients need to be observed for a while to make sure that they''re truly have been cured and not only a temporary thing.


    Issei - Of course it''s okay. The kids must be lonely without you.


    Towa - Thank you so much.


    Issei - No need to say thanks between us. How about you, Tio, Tilt? You''ve got the chance to watch the wedding ritual in person.


    Tio - Thank you, but I''ll pass. I had plans to visit the Outlaw girls.


    Tilt - I will go wherever onee-chan goes...


    Issei - Alright. Kyou, Kinou, what about you?


    Kyou - We''ll pass too. Now that we got that salt, we wanted to spend some time making pickled plums.


    Kinou - You don''t really need our help on this one either. QD already said that it''s only a matter of times before you handle the <Snake Crest> along with that "Naughty" dragon, so she said.


    Issei - Hmm, okay then.


    Kathryn - Then let''s take Towa with us to Horatio.


    Issei - Got it.


    Tio - Take care of yourselves.


    Tilt - Take care...


    Issei - Ah, you too.


    Issei told the Kalars to keep an eye on Tio and Towa closely in case the <Snake Crest> tries to attack them. Ekate and Marialis volunteered to watch each of them personally but in the end, almost all of their division members went with them to protect Tio and Towa.


    If <Snake Crest> does decide to attack Tio and Towa now then they will only be heading towards their grave because each of the Kalars is quite powerful already, especially the <9 Divines> member. If their power level is measured then the normal kalars members are about the range of Ultimate devil class while the <9 Divines> are already at Satan class.


    It''s just a matter of times before they reached God-Class as well. And when they do... The world will know the <Tyrant Overlord> terror for those who decided to go against them.

 Chapter 68 - 67

    The party went to Hamlet and visited Croix at the hospital in Horatio.


    Towa - I''m sorry I made you bring me along.


    Issei - Don''t worry about it. I''d feel bad stealing you from the kids as well.


    Issei hugged Towa''s body close and give her forehead a kiss. She blushed instantly along with the nurses who saw their interaction, they wished they could be in Towa''s position right now.


    Towa - Uuuu, I-Ise-san...


    Issei chuckled at her and decided to stop teasing her for now.


    Issei - I can teleport here instantly anyway. Just ask and I can send you any time.


    Towa - Okay! Thank you.


    ...


    Riche - This is onee-chan''s room.


    Once they arrived at the part of the hospital for special patients, Riche knocked on a door and went inside.


    Croix - Oh, it''s Otouto! Hey, let''s go out and do something fun! I''ve been so bored.


    Issei - Err...


    Just as they entered the room, Croix was so excited to see Issei and she ran right over and glomped herself on his arm once again.


    Acheval - Sorry, but I can''t let you do that, Princess. The King has ordered me to not let you out of my sight.


    Ramius - Good job looking after Princess Croix, Aniue. It must have been a lot of work.


    Acheval - Eh, I guess.


    Croix - Father worries too much...


    Silent - Good day to you, Issei-sama. She''s gone through every type of checkup imaginable, so I can guarantee she''s in good health.


    Acting like her being there was perfectly natural, Silent pulled Croix away from Issei and pushed her onto the bed.


    Riche - Every type... That''s a lot.


    Silent - There happened to be enough time, you see... By the way, I can confirm she''s fertile and hopes to see her have a healthy baby.


    Kathryn - DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO CHECK THAT?!


    Even Issei is speechless hearing that.


    Croix - But I''m bored... Ne, otouto, run away with me!


    Issei - ...


    Riche - Don''t be silly, onee-chan... We don''t want any mishap happening now, do we?


    Croix - Well, now I feel bad...


    Silent - If you''re that bored, allow me to go over the plans again.


    After prompting the rest of the group to have a seat too, Silent began.


    Silent - The final wedding ritual is to be held on the big bridge between the Central Empire and the State of Hamlet City.


    Issei - Hmm, the last of the rituals huh...


    Silent - First, there will be a parade going from a city to the bridge. Princess Croix will ride in a specially-made cow carriage.


    Kathryn - A parade? How needlessly extravagant.


    Croix - It is rather embarrassing, but the event is supposed to draw attention.


    Silent - Prince Felton, playing the part of the First Ancestor, will come from the other side of the bridge and meet with Princess Croix, playing the part of Eve, in front of Bride''s Tower.


    Issei - Recreating the events in the <Evenicle> was it...


    Silent - That will be the climax of the wedding ritual. For those of you prone to crying, don''t forget your handkerchiefs.


    Kathryn - Ugh, some people just start wailing at weddings, right.


    Silent - Once the wedding ritual is over, there is a banquet planned in the capital of the Central Empire. By the way, Princess Croix will be changing into eight different dresses over the course of the banquet, so that everyone can enjoy.


    Croix - Aaw, but changing that much is annoying.


    Silent - This is a once in a lifetime event. I''ll make it as grandiose as Princess Croix deserves.


    Ramius - Your dedication is incredible.


    Gurigura - I wanna see lots of Princess Croix in pretty dresses.


    Issei - Central Empire, what it''s like over there?


    Riche - I''ve never been there either. All I know is that it''s cold, but the indoor heaters are too strong.


    Issei - I wonder if anyone can tell us about it? *Glance*


    Gurigura - If they did it using cute pictures, it could be really fun... *Glance*


    Towa - ...Um, shall I tell everyone about Central?


    Gurigura - Yaaay! Please do!


    Issei - It''d feel wrong going to a new country without one of your stories.


    Towa - C-Compliments won''t get you anything in return.


    Ramius - You could at least give him more intense action one of these nights.


    Towa - Yes, if that''s all, I would gladly- Wait, no! I mean... I wouldn''t mind, but...


    Silent - Ever a lively family you have, Issei-sama.


    Issei - Um, indeed.


    Towa - ...Ahem, now let me begin. About the Central Empire...


    The land currently inhabited by the Central Empire is the original human homeland in the World of Eve. Following the death of Archfiend Adan, the climate grew dramatically colder, sealing the coasts of the continent during winter months and complicating life as food supplies began to dwindle. This was the impetus for the mass exodus led by King Arthur to other continents, resulting in the bridge that now connects it to the neighboring continent that contains the City-State of Hamlet. The inhabitants that remained behind would later unite to make up the current Central Empire, which has rise to power through its economic importance as a source of crystal goods.


    It was one of the key players during the Arthur Tragedy, before which Central was under the rule of Emperor Viaries. He had invested a significant budget into hiring the poppins of Humpty for the construction of Battleship Digamma, the greatest sailing ship the world had ever seen. After the tragedy, the battleship was lost and Viaries disappeared into isolation. His son, Prince Felton, has been the nation''s de facto ruler since.


    Central is still one of the world''s great powers, alongside the Kingdoms of Eden and of El Quixote. Beside their prominent military, the nation has business in the market for crystal products, which are used for magic and assorted luxuries.


    The Central Empire is home to four major cities: Central, Leftest, Lightning, and Aubade. The first three cities are each close to a major ruin from the days of Mother Eve. Central is not far from the Mirror Labyrinth, a ruin that plays a key role in the history of Mother Eve and the First Ancestor. The labyrinth is now guarded by a mysterious creature.


    The towns of Leftest and Lightning are both close to one of the three famous towers created by Mother Eve. Leftest is close to Ancestor''s Tower, where the First Ancestor was imprisoned for an extended time. The town of Lightning is home to Bride''s Tower, where Eve and the First Ancestor were married. The tower underwent a good deal of decay over the ages but was recently restored in preparation for the marriage between Prince Felton and Princess Croix of Eden. The final town of Central, Aubade, is a simple coastal town.


    The third tower created by Mother Eve - Humanity''s Tower, the birthplace of humankind - once existed on the continent of Central but has since been lost. It is believed to have sunken into the sea.


    Towa - Each country cooperated with others when necessary, but for the most part, they isolated themselves. But with the destruction of the Kingdom of Arthur, I believe we found a common enemy in the monsters and came together. We can''t go back to being a united people again, but I hope Felton and Princess Croix''s marriage will make us all closer. Much like how the First Ancestor and Mother Eve were close so long ago... The end.


    Gurigura - Those three towers are pretty famous.


    Kathryn - Well, it''s basically the first thing you see when you open a history textbook.


    Riche - The disappearance of Humanity''s Tower... One of history''s greatest mysteries... Just hearing about it gets me excited.


    Silent - The wedding ritual will require escorting Princess Croix out of the bridge, by the way.


    Riche - Bringing the bride to the groom is usually the dad''s job.


    Acheval - Well, the king''s in Eden, so... Sucks, but guess I have to-


    ??? - No, that''s the one duty I must do.


    Riche - Huh? Father?


    Shocked by the sudden sound of the King of Eden''s voice, everyone looked around but didn''t see him anywhere.


    Issei - Oh, the transmitter?


    Louin - Yes, I picked it up and happened to hear the conversation. I didn''t intend to eavesdrop. HOWEVER, THAT DUTY IS MINE ALONE!


    Issei took his transmitter out of his pocket, only for King Louin to scream through it. He does tell the King if anything were to happen just give him a call but he never thought he gonna use it to eavesdrop on them...


    Riche - But what about Eden? Even Acheval''s here, so the kingdom''s gonna be left empty.


    Louin - A few days of absence won''t be a problem, and I will have Barro to take control over here for a while. Although, I wish travel wouldn''t take so long.


    Issei - I can come to get you.


    Louin - Mm, what a good son-in-law. I''ll see you on the day of the ritual.


    Issei - Ah...


    Issei already told Louin that he could use Teleportation magic.


    Riche - Geez... You''re so selfish.


    Ramius - Much like a certain someone else I know.


    Gurigura - Like father, like daughter...


    Riche - Hey, what''s that supposed to mean?


    The conversation lightened the mood, freeing Croix from her boredom and getting her to smile.


    Acheval - ...Got a moment, Issei?


    Issei - Sure.


    ...


    Issei followed Acheval to the roof of the hospital.


    Issei - What''s up?


    Acheval - ...How''s Ramius? Been a good wife?


    Issei - Yes, of course. She''s the best wife I could ask for, she''s a little clumsy sometimes, but it''s cute. Just yesterday, we held hands while we went shopping together.


    Acheval - Not really what I was asking about, just... Well, I''m a bit worried.


    Issei - She''s getting along fine with everyone. What''s there to be worried about?


    Acheval - ...Back when she was younger, she was a cowardly crybaby. Like any normal girl, you''d find anywhere.


    Issei - Hmm, I see. Quite surprising though seeing how she is now.


    Acheval - ...Gonna tell her you said that later.


    Issei - ...I''m sorry, please don''t.


    They both chuckled at each other.


    Acheval - So, while I knew she was improving as a Knight, I couldn''t shake off that concern.


    (AN: https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1009276993144341137/C51A41F284134C163BC429A07A368FB090D11F47/ Small Ramius ?)


    Acheval - I still remember those days... She was like a little puppy, following me around everywhere. "Aniueee, Aniueee, wait for meee!" is all she said back then... I love my sister now, but back when I was a kid, I thought she was an annoying pest.


    Issei - But she''s so cute though?


    Acheval - Hmph, that''s how blood-related siblings are. There''s always a time where you can''t stand them.


    Reminiscing on the past, Acheval smiled and went on talking as though making a confession in church.


    Acheval - One day, I managed to shake off Ramius and went out to go train by myself. My dream was to become a great Knight, like my mother, so I could only see Ramius''s clingingness as obtrusive. She kept looking at me with shock, but I ran off without turning back... That was the last time Ramius ever tried to follow me. She was outta my reach from then on.


    Issei - ...I see.


    Acheval - Well, siblings go their separate ways. Happens in any family at some point. Sorry, it''s not the kinda thing I''d usually talk about. Hearing the king and the princess got me emotional.


    Acheval and Issei stopped talking and spent a while looking up at the sky. As if bothered by the silence, Acheval spoke up again.


    Acheval - Hey, Issei... What are you becoming stronger for?


    Issei - Hm?


    Acheval - You''re crazy strong already and still worked your way up to the level of <Holy Knight> now... What''s pushing you forward to become this strong? What for?


    Issei - To keep my loved ones safe of course. And what about you?


    Issei doesn''t even need to think about what will his answer be. Because he never lost sight of his true aim ever since the beginning.


    Acheval - Huh, that''s just so like you... As for me, well... Dunno. Maybe if we fought once more, I''d find out.


    Acheval''s body oozed with the aura of a warrior. The air around him also vibrates a bit.


    Issei - ...Maybe later.


    Acheval - Heh, guess so... Not that I will be able to put up a good fight anyway. Bet you''ll just defend against my attacks again just like before, not that I''m complaining though because from what I''ve heard, most of your enemies die just from one of your attacks and even though I love to try it out I still don''t want to die yet, so yeah... Welp, sorry I wasted so much of your time. Good talk, though.


    Issei - Ah. I''m up for a practice match later on if you want.


    Acheval - Sure, if we get the chance.


    Acheval went back to his usual self, gave Issei a smile, and turned around.


    Issei - ...Oh, we will. I''ll make sure of it...


    Issei whispered after seeing Acheval retreating back then he gazes towards the sky but soon he also went back inside the hospital.


    ...


    Several days later, it was time for Croix''s wedding ritual.


    Louin - Goodness, if only I could have come to Hamlet before today. No chance to spend some time with my daughter now.


    Like he was engaged in kingly duties until just before Issei brought him over, Louin looked exhausted.


    Riche - The reconstruction of Eden''s Harbor''s starting to get pretty hectic.


    Croix - It''s not like we''ll never see each other again. You can go home and rest if you need to.


    Louin - But you can''t just casually return home. How would that look to the public?


    Croix - My otouto can always teleport me. It''s okay.


    Louin - Hm, there is that. Perhaps you could commute from Eden.


    Kathryn - What kind of princess commutes?


    Silent - It''s time, everyone. Let''s head off for the wedding ritual.


    Silent checked the time, then urged Croix to depart.


    Silent - An extravagant cow carriage has been prepared just for today. Princess Croix, King Louin, and Sir Acheval will be riding.


    Acheval - ACK, ME TOO?!


    Silent - The parade will start from Horatio and proceed along the road to the big bridge.


    Riche - So, what should we do?


    Silent - After a discussion between security personnel, we decided it would be best not to put any limits on your actions.


    Kathryn - Basically, we can do whatever, then. We''ll be on the lookout for anyone suspicious.


    Silent - Please do. Try to be at the bridge at the same time the parade arrives.


    Acheval - Hey, switch with me, Issei. I''m not interested in being part of a parade.


    Issei - ...Sorry, but the feeling''s mutual.


    Ramius - You''re pretty famous and accomplished, Ise. It would make the crowds go wild if they saw the famous newly appointed <Holy Knight>.


    Issei - ...No thanks.


    Riche - Well, onee-chan''s supposed to be the star today.


    Issei - We''ll be off, then.


    Issei took off right away before they changed their mind.


    Acheval - Agh, dammit, he got away!


    The party parted ways with Croix''s group and headed to the bridge between Hamlet and Central.


    ...


    As the party proceeded along the road, they saw numerous people walking toward the bridge. But they finally safely arrived at the bridge.


    Ramius - I didn''t see anyone particularly suspicious.


    Gurigura - All these Knights are probably keeping them away. That''s the bridge Princess Croix''s gonna cross? It''s super big.


    Riche - The bridge between Hamlet and Central was built, in part, to commemorate humanity expanding out from its birthplace to the rest of the world, so they wanted to make it pretty grandiose.


    The bridge was already packed with people awaiting Princess Croix''s arrival. A few simple facilities were set up for the crowd, around which the people gathered. It was like an international festival.


    Kathryn - God, why do there have to be so many people? Doujinshi conventions aren''t even this crowded.


    Silent - I''m sorry I kept you. Follow me, I can show you to the special seating.


    The party was led by Silent to special seats intended for the most important figures from each country.


    ??? - Oh my. Long time no see.


    Riche - Hatter?


    ??? - Sounds like you''ve kept yourself busy. From all I''ve heard, you all have done some remarkable things. I''m glad Tio married a man like Issei-kun. Speaking of which where is he?


    Riche - You''re here too, Palomides? Were you both invited? As for Ise, he said he''ll be going somewhere. Not sure where but he said just stay calm in case anything happened.


    Riche and co are confused on why Issei suddenly separated himself from them back then but they trust him completely so they''re not worried.


    Hatter - I am here in place of my wife. Queenbelle is too heavy to board a ship, you see.


    Gurigura - Hmmm, she does look awfully heavy, but I didn''t know it was that bad...


    Palomides - I see, so he went somewhere, but knowing him it will be alright. And the Republic of Lancelot is happy to celebrate the marriage of our close ally''s crown princess.


    Kathryn - Oooh, you''ve also got a bunch of powerful aristocrats, big deal CEO''s, and celebrities here.


    Palomides - When the two major powers are coming together, it''s naturally going to attract some considerable attention.


    Hatter - This will likely be a turning point in history. Witnessing it in person will be something to remember forever.


    Riche - Huh...


    Suddenly, something caused the crowd to grow louder.


    Riche - Oh, looks like she''s here.


    Croix''s cow carriage had arrived at the bridge.


    Norshin - This way, please, Saint Princess Croix.


    Croix - Thank you, Your Holiness.


    After Norshin helped Croix out of the carriage, King Louin and Acheval followed.


    Croix waved to the cheering, applauding crowd, then put on a serious look and turned to Louin.


    Croix - Father...


    Louin - ...


    Croix - I''ve complained on some occasions, but I truly enjoyed life in Eden.


    Louin - ...I see. Well... Your complaints were nothing compared to Riche''s.


    Croix- Heheheh, very true.


    Louin - You have held the duties of both a saint and the princess of Eden, and I believe you''ve done an excellent job with both. However, that did lead to other concerns. I worry whether I was able to give you the simple joys an ordinary girl would have.


    Croix - Yes, plenty. You''re not only the best king anyone could ask for, but a father who garners my utmost respect.


    Louin - ...Thanks. I can''t tell you how happy I am to hear that.


    Croix - I''ll always be your daughter.


    Louin - ...Yes, that''s true. You will always be my precious daughter.


    Riche - Oh, Father... He''s nearly crying.


    Ramius - I can understand why.


    After exchanging a much shorter hug with her father than she would under normal circumstances, Croix stepped away.


    Norshin - Are you ready? Then please begin, Princess Croix. I will follow after you.


    Croix doesn''t answer Norshin right away but he started to look around for someone.


    Croix - Where''s otouto?


    Riche - Oh, Ise said he will be going somewhere for now.


    Croix - I see...


    She felt sad she couldn''t catch a glimpse of Issei but soon her face reverts back to normal.


    Croix - I''ll be off, then.


    As Croix began crossing the bridge on her own, the thus-far-silent band began their performance. The audience silently gazed at Croix, uttering no sound aside from the occasional sniffle from an emotional viewer.


    Prince Felton stood on the other side of the bridge, gently watching Croix as she walked closer.


    He''s quite the handsome man with blue hair with twin dual sword at his waist. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/3/38/Felton-portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20181011013936 I don''t know what the hell is he wearing so there you go)


    The Knights who had been guarding Croix went ahead and lined up behind Felton.


    Millet - ...


    Riche - Even Millet looks kinda nervous.


    Ramius - Well, this is the marriage of the century, and the responsibility for any incidents would fall on her.


    Millet''s eyes watched Croix like those of a bird of prey, but most would assume it was because of stress.


    Croix was near to the other side of the bridge.


    Explosive cheers came from the Hamlet side and enough confetti to block out the sun rained down.


    On the Central side, the cheers were accompanied by the organized lines of Knights raising their swords with both hands.


    Felton - I''m so glad to see you, Princess Croix.


    Croix - ...Heheheh, we''re going to be married soon. You can just call me Croix.


    Felton - Sorry, I''m always so awkward around women.


    Croix''s direct eye contact made Felton bashfully scratch his cheek.


    Silent - ...It''s starting.


    Riche - Oh...


    After they greeted each other, the power of miracles materialized around Croix. The light steadily grew brighter, even illuminating the crowd as it swirled and expanded.


    Gurigura - ...Is this a miracle? My chest is getting really warm.


    Riche - Wow... What the heck? It''s like Mother Eve''s love keeps flowing into me.


    Kathryn - So this is the big miracle from the Evenicle... They actually recreated this.


    Ramius - These are intense emotions. Mother Eve''s love is greater than I could have known... But...


    Ramius and co. felt like their love with Issei is even stronger than Mother Eve herself, not that they would say that out loud though because who knows if anyone will get offended by it.


    Silent - Everyone seems to be feeling it. The glorious love Mother Even felt for the First Ancestor...


    Norshin - Now, let''s cross the bridge. Once the ritual ends, we''ll need to do the vows.


    Acheval - Hold on, Your Holiness.


    When Pope Norshin was about to cross the bridge, Acheval''s burly arm grabbed his skinny one.


    Louin - What is it, Acheval?


    Acheval - S-Sorry... Just, uh... Got a hell of a bad feeling.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the bridge, Felton and Croix were smiling and casually observing the miracle they had caused.


    Croix - My, this is quite something.


    Felton - Yes, I never could have imagined it would be an event of this magnitude.


    They gazed at each other in the center of the light. To the many who witnessed them, it looked as though they were being blessed by the light of the whole world.


    Millet - It''s time, my prince.


    Felton - Millet? I thought you were supposed to come a bit later.


    Millet - No, this is the most ideal moment.


    Millet grinned and took a syringe full of blood-red fluid out of her pocket.


    Croix - What is that?


    Felton - ...It''s <Adan''s Blood>.


    Still smiling, Felton took the syringe and pricked it into Croix''s neck.


    Croix - ?!


    She went limp and nearly collapsed, but Felton caught her.


    The crowd immediately screamed. And while everyone else was paralyzed, Riche''s party took off running.


    Riche - ONEE-CHAN!


    Kathryn - He just injected Princess Croix with something!


    Riche - Could that have been... <Adan''s Blood>?!


    Ramius - Let''s hurry. There''s no time to waste.


    As the party rushed across the bridge, they saw Acheval running, reaching Felton ahead of them.


    Acheval - You bastard! The fuck are you doing?!


    Felton - Nothing much. I''m taking Croix.


    Acheval - For what?! She was about to marry you anyway!


    Felton - Marry me? Unfortunately, I''m not very interested in marriage.


    Louin - Prince Felton... Have you gone mad?


    Felton - I suppose I should pay my respects to the bride''s father by explaining a little.


    Unfazed by Louin''s deathly stare, Felton continued.


    Felton - We''re making Princess Croix into Mother Eve.


    Acheval - ...Mother Eve?


    Felton - An imitation Mother Eve of our own creation, to be more precise.


    Louin - What absurdities are you spewing?


    Millet - Princess Croix has inherited all of Mother Eve''s qualities. She possesses more soul power than the average human.


    Acheval - Soul power? The hell''s that?!


    Felton - We all have small souls portioned out by Mother Eve. Princess Croix, however, has a much greater soul... Isn''t that right, Pope Norshin?


    Norshin - ...That''s known only to a select few in the church. Who told you that?


    Felton - Someone who''s trying to make use of that information. I''m sure you have some idea as to who.


    Norshin - ...<Snake Crest''s> Supreme Commander...


    Acheval - I see. You''re with <Snake Crest>?


    Louin - The prince of such a great nation would side with <Snake Crest>?


    Felton - This was a lot of work, let me tell you... The main difference between an ordinary human and Mother Eve, as it happens, is that Mother Eve was able to make use of her soul power.


    Norshin - Impossible! Whatever qualities Princess Croix might possess, no human could replace Mother Eve!


    Millet - True, it would be impossible on its own. Her soul equates only to that of a few hundred human souls... In essence, she would be an empty Mother Eve.


    Felton - But what she lacks can be supplemented. The world is still full of Mother Eve''s power.


    Millet calmly looked up at the sky, where the miracle power from the wedding ritual was still swirling.


    Norshin - You couldn''t mean the miracle power...


    Felton - I do. This land isn''t supposed to contain souls, but thanks to Mother Eve''s miracles in the past, many still linger. If that''s poured into her, she will effectively become equivalent to Mother Eve.


    Acheval - Hah, thanks for explaining your plan, I appreciate it.


    While Felton was still talking, Acheval made it across the bridge, with Riche''s party nearing the end as well. But they suddenly stopped by a woman with long green hair.


    ??? - Wait, Riche-sama.


    Riche - Huh?! If I''m not mistaken you''re Kyuriha?


    Yes, the one who stopped Riche and co. is one of the <9 Divines> Kyuriha, the wind elemental angel. But at this moment her wings are hidden.


    Ramius - Why are you stopping us! We need to fight alongside Aniue!


    Kyuriha - I''ve been ordered to stop you all by Issei-sama himself, please understand, Ramius-sama.


    Ramius - Ise did?... But...


    Kyuriha - Issei-sama also sends a message, "It''s going to be okay, trust me." Is what he said.


    After hearing Kyuriha words they finally remembered what Issei told them when he''s about to separate with them a while ago. "Stay calm no matter what happens" he said... So they choose to believe Issei and stay put this time.


    Kyuriha bowed at them with a smile and hid her presence once again. She''s still next to Riche and co but no one can see her but Riche and co.


    Acheval - Now prepare to die, you dumbass prince. Or is the huge titty lady here gonna fight for you instead?


    Felton - ...Goodness, this is concerning. Can you take care of it, Millet?


    Millet - Hmph, what a pain.


    Acheval - Wha?!


    Millet sighed and lunged forward, thrusting her arm out in front of Acheval.


    *Snap*


    Then she snapped her fingers.


    Acheval - Ungh... Ah, gah... Wh-What... What the fuck did you do?


    But that was all it took to make Acheval claw at his chest and drop to his knees.


    Ramius - Scroundel! What did you do to my brother?!


    Millet - What did I do? Oh, right, you don''t know. I was already doing something, I just undid it.


    Acheval - GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


    Scratching at his chest with both hands, Acheval howled like a beast.


    At the same time, his skin turned black and metallic, as though a black suit of armor were forming around his body.


    Ramius - Wha?!


    Riche - Acheval turned into Kuro?!


    Kuro - Haah... Haaah, haaah...


    Felton - Are you awake, Acheval? If you''re back to normal, then let''s do as we planned, please. Millet, do it.


    Millet - Got it.


    *BOOM!*


    The bridge collapsed into the ocean. Riche and co are safe because of only half of the bridge that collapsed just now, which is the other half near the Central Continent.


    They already planted sparkle bombs on the bridge.


    Riche - Oh no, the bridge...


    Kuro - ...


    Then Kuro turned back into Acheval as if nothing had happened, then went to stand next to Felton.


    Acheval - Sorry about that.


    Felton - Oh, don''t worry about it. We''re friends, aren''t we?


    Ramius - Aniue... What is the meaning of this? You''re being controlled, aren''t you?!


    Acheval - Bad guess, Ramius. I''ve been on their side from the start.


    Riche - Why is Acheval the Black Knight, of all people? Then Prince Felton must be...


    Felton - Heheheh, shall I show my true identity too?


    Riche - ...The White Knight.


    Like he no longer felt the need to hide anything, Felton exuded an aura identical to Shiro.


    Acheval - I''m not as good an actor as this guy, so whenever I''d go back to Eden, Millet used a spell to wipe my memories.


    Millet - And he always tries to kill me until I can undo it, unfortunately.


    Louin - Not only Rochefort but you too, Acheval? Tell me, for how long?


    Acheval - Since after the Arthur Tragedy, or thereabouts.


    Ramius - My god, since five years ago?


    Felton - During the tragedy, we met and joined forces. Then, when it looked like the Supreme Commander had no hope of succeeding, we took him into hiding. But don''t get the wrong idea. We didn''t join <Snake Crest>, we rebuilt it ourselves.


    Ramius - Aniue! Come to your senses! I''m sure Millet has some sort of spell on you.


    Acheval - You''ve always been so dense.


    Ramius - You''re a respected <Zero Knight>. The public looks up to you. I look up to you!


    Acheval - Ramius, let me tell you one thing... In the middle of a fierce battle in Arthur, I killed our mother.


    Ramius - ...Wha?


    Acheval - She was the greatest warrior I''ve ever known. Look up to her, if anyone.


    Ramius - But... Liar, you wouldn''t...


    Acheval - Though now that she''s gone, there''s nobody left who can satisfy me...


    Louin - Felton... What does <Snake Crest> intend to do with my daughter?


    Felton - I told you. She''s already become an imitation Mother Eve... Which is to say, the laws of the world are in our hands.


    Louin - What does that mean?


    Felton - How about a demonstration? Croix... First, I want you to...


    Felton whispered something into Croix''s ear and smirked.


    Kyuriha sent a message directly inside Riche and co minds about something when they heard it they become a bit surprised but soon nodded softly.


    The tower behind them was filled with the power of miracles, which slowly expanded outward and enshrouded the world.


    Riche - The tower''s glowing... Is this that miracle power?


    Louin - Bastard... What did you-


    *Crack*


    Riche - Huh?!


    One by one, Riche''s and co rings broke apart and fell from their fingers.


    Riche - Oh no... M-My ring...


    Not only Riche, but everyone experienced the same phenomenon, spreading fear throughout the crowd.


    Kathryn - Mother Eve''s blessing... It''s gone, I''m guessing.


    Felton - Yes. First off, I have erased Mother Eve''s blessing. Heheheh... You''ve been freed from your shackles.


    Riche - G-Give it back! It''s important to me...


    Kathryn - Hey, this is serious shit. If they can get rid of the blessing, that means...


    Felton - Smart. I see why you''re a <Zero Knight>. It sounds like you get it.


    Kathryn - They can create new rules, too.


    Felton - Heheheh, yes, that''s right. The world will be reborn under <Snake Crest''s> new rules.


    Norshin - But, but... A human changing Mother Eve''s rules...?


    Felton - Now, that''s all for today. Admittedly, we''ll need more miracle power before the new rules can be put in place.


    Kyuriha smirked seeing them act like they had everything under control. But in reality, they''re just a dancing clown... What a pitiful clowns she thought, they''re already dead but just doesn''t realizes it yet.


    Riche - W-Wait!


    But the bridge had collapsed, preventing the party from pursuing Felton and his accomplices.


    Riche - Gh...


    Louin - This event is canceled. Let''s try to get the crowd under control and return to Hamlet for the time being.


    Norshin - Princess Riche, you and your family should come too... I wonder just where is Issei-san during all this...


    When Riche and co confirmed that Felton already disappeared from their original position they exhaled tiredly.


    Riche - Fyuh, that was tiring...


    Louin - ...What''s wrong, Riche? Why did you all seem so calm now?


    Louin is confused about why Riche and co who were so tense before seems to be very relaxed already.


    Riche - Well, Ise already told us that everything will be fine, he said. We were told to put an act like we''re in a desperate situation but actually, we''re not...


    Gurigura - Yup, Ise-nii said he has everything under control already.


    Ramius - ...I am genuinely surprised finding out Aniue is actually Kuro though...


    Kathryn - Who wasn''t? We''re all pretty surprised as well, you know...


    Riche - Well, Kyuriha, can you tell us the details now?


    Riche talked at thin air and everyone is confused just who is she talking to, but soon they saw a beautiful woman with a long green hair appeared out of thin air.


    Norshin - <Snake Crest> member?!


    The Knights and Norshin put up a guard instantly after seeing her.


    Kathryn - No, she''s not. She''s Ise loyal follower you might say.


    They all become taken aback once again after hearing Kathryn words.


    Kyuriha - Nice to meet you, I''m Kyuriha, one of the loyal servant of our king, Issei-sama.


    She bowed gently towards Louin and the others. She only bows towards them because of Louin is Riche''s father, if not, she won''t bow to anyone other than her beloved king.


    Louin - K-King? Since when Issei is a king?


    Riche - Err, about that...


    Then Riche proceeded to tell them all about the Kalars having Issei as their king.


    After hearing Riche''s explanation they all become totally speechless.


    Louin - S-So you mean, Issei is basically the Kalar race king and they all are his women as well?


    Norshin - A-And on top of that, most of them is an angel? That means this lady here is also...


    Kyuriha - Yes, I became reborn as an Angel when Issei-sama gave me his "Essence".


    She fondly remembers the time when she first received Issei "Essence" and she couldn''t wait to have another lovey-dovey moment with her king. Just by thinking about her king perfect body and his dragon rod she already feeling a bit wet down there. But she reels her desire in because she knows that this is not the time and place to feel aroused she thought.


    Then she showed them all her wings.


    Louin - M-My Goodness...


    Silent - A true angel...


    Norshin - ...I''ve read some books about the Kalars before and I know a little about them being the caretaker of Mother Eve in the past but I never know that they could turn into an angel or a devil as well...


    Kyuriha - It''s a well-kept secret because we don''t want to attract too much attention to ourselves more than needed.


    Norshin - Make sense...


    They all become even more awed at Issei because if they''re not wrong then he basically already has the same standing as Mother Eve at this point. Him being able to "Transform" the Kalars into what they''re meant to be.


    No wonder he''s able to cast the <Grand Purge> like it''s nothing and able to upgrade Silent and Croix holy power as well just by exposing them to his <Holy> light. Now that explains a lot on why he could purify souls and communicate with them as well.


    Silent thought that he''s really an amazing man... No wonder she felt so attracted at him, whether it be appearance, power, personality, he has it all. There''s no way such a perfect man like him won''t attract her, she thought.


    Louin - *Sigh* Just what kind of son-in-law did I get...


    Riche - Oh right, he''s also a Dragon.


    Everyone - ...


    They are feeling numb already with all this revelation. First, he''s a king of an entire race, then he''s a dragon as well, so what''s next? If they told them that he''s a God then they won''t even be surprised anymore at this point.


    Well, he is indeed on par with a God but it''s just not known yet. And if Riche and co know what they all thinking right now then they would tell them that he has an actual Goddess as one of his lovers actually. Goddess of Death herself to be exact...


    Louin - *Sigh* Nevermind that... What about Croix''s case? Did he inform you about her as well?


    Louin thought at this rate he might become old really fast because he kept exhaling a sigh whenever Issei is involved. But then he asked Kyuriha about Croix''s case.


    Kyuriha - Yes, Issei-sama already has it all under control. You could rest assured that she will be perfectly safe.


    Louin - I see... It''s good to know that she will be fine... Oh, Riche? I thought your ring broke?


    Riche - Heheh, Kyuriha already told us about it so we just act surprised.


    Kyuriha - Hai, it''s just basic illusion magic to make them think that they have everything under control, even when you see Princess Croix''s being injected with <Adan''s Blood> by that Clown Prince its just an illusion. I just make Princess Croix fell asleep with my magic when she appears to be "Injected" by the syringe.


    They all smiled wryly hearing her calling Prince Felton a Clown Prince, not that she''s wrong though because he does look like a clown if what she told them is true... They even starting to feel bad for him... Well, not really, since he does planning to hurt Princess Croix after all. So he totally had it coming they all thought.


    Pope Norshin even gave a silent prayer for Felton so that he may rest in peace when Issei is through with him...

 Chapter 69 - 68

    Riche and co. returned to the church waiting for Issei to come back but they started to discussing something as well while they''re waiting for him but it was mostly Kathryn who participated. Kyuriha is guarding them outside the church.


    Kathryn - Honestly, though, <Snake Crest> would''ve fucked us hard if Ise wasn''t on our side. They even know more about Mother Eve than we do.


    Hatter - Your Holiness, I was under the impression the <Evenicle> was closely guarded by the church.


    Palomides - I do have to wonder if the church itself is connected to <Snake Crest>.


    Norshin - ...Well...


    Louin - I understand your suspicions. However, I can assure everyone that the church is on our side.


    Kathryn - ...What are you hiding? I know Eden''s a major power, but you can''t just tell every other country to trust you blindly.


    Riche - Hey, Kath...


    Norshin - King Louin... That''s enough. Cover me any further, and you''ll only hurt your own reputation. If it''s come to this, then it''s time, to be honest. There is a connection between the church and <Snake Crest>.


    Hatter - M-My God.


    Norshin - The leader of <Snake Crest> is my father and the previous pope, Seydes!


    Kathryn - The last pope''s the Supreme Commander?


    Norshin - As the Evenicle was being translated, something happened to convince him that the world needed war.


    Palomides - So <Snake Crest''s> in-depth knowledge of Mother Eve comes from him?


    Norshin - No, that''s impossible! At the time we found out he had betrayed us, the <Evenicle''s> translation hadn''t progressed that far.


    Kathryn - What if he''d gotten further along than he said? Or what if he made copies?


    Louin - That can''t be. The <Evenicle> translation team at the time was made up of researchers from multiple countries, all of whom kept an eye on each other.


    Norshin - That''s why this is so unbelievable. We have the <Evenicle>, so how does <Snake Crest> know more about Mother Eve than we do?


    Louin - I apologize for hiding the truth about Seydes. However, I want you all to trust that his son, Norshin, is a true clergyman.


    Palomides - ...We know very well how hard the pope has worked since the Arthur Tragedy.


    Hatter - Raise your head. The fault lies with your father, not you.


    Norshin - ...Thank you.


    Kathryn - Went too far myself. Wasn''t trying to blame you or anything. Because if you are evil then Ise would''ve known right away.


    Norshin - How come?... Oh, nevermind, I forgot he could see souls...


    Riche - Yep, if a person is evil then he will be able to tell right away.


    Hatter - My goodness... Then he''s basically the bane of all evil.


    Palomides - Hohohoh, now I''m really glad that Tio married such an outstanding man.


    Louin - Mm, with him around we don''t need to be afraid of the <Snake Crest> at all.


    Hatter - Natal also won''t stop talking about her darling as well, that even made Queenbelle started to become speechless. Not that I could blame her though because her husband is Issei-kun after all.


    Hatter and Queenbelle adopted Natal after all, so they often talk with her nowadays.


    Louin - Fumu, I''ve decided... When he returned with Croix in tow, then I shall have her betrothed with Issei.


    Norshin - Good idea, King Louin! There won''t be a greater joy to have our most outstanding Saint marry our most outstanding <Holy Knight>.


    Silent - Agreed.


    Silent thought she just killed two bird with one stone at this point because she could become family with two people she has feelings for, she can''t wait to have a threesome with both of them... It will be bliss, she thought.


    She almost got a nosebleed just from imagining it.


    Riche - Eh?! You will have Onee-chan marry Ise as well?


    Louin - Well, why not? You might not know this but Croix has feelings for Issei ever since they first met each other.


    Louin felt like he finally could grant Croix for the first time ever since she was born by having her marry the man she truly loves so he''s pretty happy right now.


    Riche - ...Onee-chan did?... I thought she''s being clingy with Ise because she thought him as her little brother, but I never thought...


    Kathryn - It''s kind of make sense actually because I never saw her being clingy towards other men unless they''re little brats or her own dad.


    Ramius - Umu, so we will have a new family member soon. And it''s Princess Croix no less, good.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, the more the merrier!


    Then they all laughed and started chatting together happily like they really don''t even put the <Snake Crest> in their eyes anymore. Now they just have to wait for Issei return. Kyuriha who''s outside the church smiled proudly because of so many people can see the greatness of her beloved king.


    Then she saw someone appeared near her and she knows who it is.


    Kyuriha - Hm, Miarute? I take it that now you''re here its all going according to our king plans?


    Miarute - Yes, all the Outlaws and the Thugs of that Clown Prince has been dealt with. Now we just need to wait for his return.


    They''ve already started removing all the Outlaws that work for Felton from the Central Empire when he kidnapped Croix back then and now it''s all done.


    Kyuriha - Oh, good work. Want to have some tea?


    Miarute - Sure, but let''s have it alongside our Ramius-sama and the others.


    Kyuriha - Mm, of course. I wanted to try the recipe I got from Kyou-sama and Kinou-sama.


    Miarute - Oh, that would be lovely.


    Then both of them head inside to invite Riche and co for some tea party. Norshin and Silent become a bit surprised seeing another angel but they soon accepted it.


    Then they all have a pleasant tea party while waiting for Issei and Croix return.


    ...


    Felton''s party arrived at their secret hideout which is the <Sky Island> which is surprising because no one never thought their base is here. Except for a certain someone that is...


    Acheval - So, what''s next?


    Felton - According to the Supreme Commander orders, we shall have Croix be assaulted by monsters to erase her will then she could be our loyal puppet, with the <Adan''s Blood> inside her it should be pretty easy because according to the <Black Evenicle> Mother Eve is quite a slut so considering Croix is basically Mother Eve incarnation then she should have a similar trait.


    Acheval - ...Don''t you feel bad doing that to your supposed wife-to-be?


    Felton - No, why should I? I don''t feel anything towards her in the first place anyway.


    Acheval - ...Gotcha.


    Then he gave Croix to his subordinates and told them what to do with her. They obeyed his command and bring Croix body somewhere else while Felton''s party went to meet the Supreme Commander. Along the way to his place, Millet mentioned something that''s been bothering her for a while now.


    Millet - ...I don''t see "Him" during the whole incident by the way. Should we be worried?


    Felton - Hmm... Indeed not seeing "Him" back then is a bit worrying but it shouldn''t matter now because we''ve already achieved our objective and there''s no way he knows where our current location is.


    Acheval - Thankfully he''s not there or our plan wouldn''t have worked this smoothly.


    Felton - Hmph... No matter how strong he is he won''t be able to defeat us when we used that thing.


    That thing he''s talking about is the battleship Digamma which is discovered and hidden by him. The battleship is as large as an island. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/8/8b/Battleship-Digamma.png/revision/latest?cb=20181006000710)


    But her dragon instinct is telling her there''s something really wrong, and it all went too smoothly. They were prepared to teleport themselves away in case "He" does get in their way but they don''t even saw a glimpse of him back then.


    Then they arrived in the dark room where they gathered before.


    Their Supreme Commander is still there sitting on his usual white snake chair. He looks like a really demented old man and his outfit kind of looks like the Church outfit as well. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/6/6f/Seydes-portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20181003234759).


    Felton - It''s done, Supreme Commander Seydes.


    They all bowed towards Seydes.


    Felton - It''s all according to plan, we got Saint Croix to erase Eve''s old rule and make a new one ourselves. Now, all we need to do is sacrifices all the woman we''ve kidnapped and to break Saint Croix''s will so we could make her our loyal puppet just like you''ve planned.


    But finally, Felton and the others realized something weird... Seydes never said a word ever since they entered the room. Usually, he will start laughing like usual when he heard what he wanted to hear but now he''s oddly quiet.


    The three of them looked up and gaze at Seydes, at this moment his face is facing down so they cannot see his face and he''s being eerily quiet unlike the usual him.


    Felton - ...Supreme Commander?


    Seydes still doesn''t respond to Felton words, until...


    ??? - No need to call him anymore, he''s already dead.


    The 3 of them becomes alerted by that sudden voice and they all looked towards where the sound is coming from. Then they saw it... The man they''re wary of, Issei Hyoudou, is calmly sitting on the nearby table with his legs crossed with one of his hand holding his face looking like he''s bored. On his hand, he appears to be holding a black book. And he seems to be reading that book at this moment.


    They all have a cold sweat because they never realize his presence inside this room until now. If he decided to attack them just now then they won''t even know how they died. Even Millet feels very threatened by seeing Issei right now, and she''s a Dragon.


    Millet still doesn''t realize that Issei is also a Dragon because he''s been hiding his Dragon aura all this time. So even though she felt threatened she doesn''t feel really worried because she believes that she should be able to handle him just fine, and she will use her dragon form when the situation calls for it.


    And when she realizes it later on... It will be too late because her fate has been sealed the moment she stepped on this place.


    Issei - ...


    Issei still calmly reading the book, it''s like he never put them on his eyes from the start. He looks totally defenseless at this moment but they all know if they were to launch an attack at him then he will instantly retaliate and take them down in an instant.


    And the whole room went silent with only the sound of Issei flipping the pages on the book.


    Acheval - ...Y-Yo, lil bro. Fancy seeing you here.


    Acheval tried to greet Issei normally because the silence is so suffocating for him.


    Issei - Hm? I could say the same about you, Acheval-nii.


    Acheval - W-Well, you know, stuff happens... Ahahaha...


    Issei - Hmm...


    Issei just looked at Acheval for a few seconds before he set his gaze on the book once more but even then it''s enough to make Acheval really nervous.


    He sweated profusely thinking that he''s gonna face Issei in a true battle soon, not a mock match like they had before but a true deathmatch.


    Felton - ...How did you able to get here, Issei Hyoudou?


    Felton calmed himself down because he thought they can just teleport away when the situation goes haywire.


    Issei - Hm? Well, I flew here of course.


    Felton - Flew? How?


    Issei - I just flew.


    Felton thought that he''s lying to keep the truth a secret, but Issei did fly to get here though. Felton just doesn''t know it. So, he just let it go since it seems like Issei doesn''t want to tell them the truth.


    Felton - ...I see... So you''ve been reading the <Black Evenicle>, what you think about it?


    Issei - What I think?


    Felton - Yes, don''t you think she''s basically a slut and hypocrite?


    Eve, also commonly known as Mother Eve, is a deific figure in the World of Eve. Eve is the object of religious reverence among her creations, including the dragons, kalars, and poppins, and among descendants, the humans. The latter founded the Church of Eve to organize her worship. Strictly speaking, Eve is a not a goddess, but rather the first human, empowered with "Miracle power" by her creator, the Creator God, to rebuild the world as she chooses. In any other setting, Eve might be seen as a magic user of unprecedented power.


    Having created the World of Eve and its initial occupants with her miracle power, including her best friend, QD of the dragons, Eve eventually created another human being, a man named Adan, known to legend as the First Ancestor. Enamored with Adan but confused by these new feelings, she imprisoned him in Ancestor''s Tower in the land now home to the Central Empire. Adan escaped and met up with Eve at what is now Bride''s Tower, who changed her mind about him and married him instead. Eve later conceived a child, who was born in Humanity''s Tower.


    Delighted in her children, Eve reshaped the world to suit them. Unfortunately, after many generations, they turned to war. In an effort to stem his children''s dangerous desires, Adan offered to take them in if they were offered up through prayer. Unfortunately, these desires soon became too much, and Adan exploded, splitting the World of Eve into fragments, each with a piece of Adan within them. In the world now home to Adan''s right arm, Eve lingered on, traumatized, and attempted to further restrain human desires by establishing a system of commandments now known as Mother Eve''s blessing. Unfortunately, Adan''s death had also led to the creation of monsters, so Eve instituted the contradictory system of knighthood to help combat them. Eve''s actions or even presence in the other separated worlds is currently unknown. She then receded from the world.


    With Eve gone, the remaining rations of miracle power in the world became rare and precious, and those with an unusual command of this energy became known as saints. Saint Croix Eden, an especially powerful saint, was often thought of as a reincarnation of Eve.


    As living memory of Eve faded, the Church of Eve encouraged a portrayal of Eve as a perfect being. In truth, she was simply another person with similar flaws, and the discovery of this later led Pope Seydes to turn his back on his ancestor and to attempt to destroy the world. Seydes'' organization, the Snake Crest, preached that Eve''s restrictions restricted humanity and human progress. Despite Seydes'' near success and even the impact of the late Adan on the events that followed, Mother Eve remains apart from her children. Given Eve''s implied longevity (perhaps even immortality), it is possible that she still lives, though where and in what condition is not known.


    So the monsters who appear on this world is because of the prayer from the humans itself. Their negative energy produces the monsters, not because of Adan but the humans themselves are the cause of it all, just like the <Black Grail>...


    Felton - What we should do is erase every single presence of Eve in this world and rebuild it according to our own wish. How about it? If you join us then you can be our new Supreme Commander.


    They don''t have camaraderie so it''s given that Felton doesn''t care if Seydes is dead or not. That goes to both Millet and Acheval situation as well, if they died then Felton won''t really care as long his objective is achieved.


    Issei - ...


    Felton thought that after knowing the truth about Mother Eve and this world itself Issei will join their cause. Acheval and Millet also hoped for the same thing because they really don''t want to fight Issei if they don''t have to.


    Issei - I don''t really care about Eve or even this world, all I care about is my loved ones. She can be a Goddess or anything she wants as long she doesn''t get in my way. Which something you did again and again.


    Felton becomes speechless hearing his answer, in a way he''s also selfish just like the <Snake Crest> but his objective is totally different from them.


    Acheval - Heh, give it up Felton. That''s the kind of guy he is... If he wasn''t like this then I wouldn''t have agreed about his marriage with Ramius.


    Acheval smile bitterly because he knows Issei personality very well.


    Just when Felton wanted to say something else he saw someone else at the corner of the room, that person mockingly gazes at him like he''s looking at a clown.


    Felton - ...Bolonius?


    Yes, the one who Felton saw is Bolonius who they thought already dead.


    Millet and Acheval are also surprised at seeing him here then Millet glared at Acheval.


    Millet - Didn''t you say that Bolonius is already dead, Acheval?!


    Acheval - I did! I saw him got killed by Issei with my own eyes!


    Millet - Then how come he''s still alive?!


    Acheval - I don''t know either, dammit!


    Bolonius - Hmph... Surprised I''m still alive Shiro? Or should I say Prince Felton instead?


    Felton is confused as well after seeing Bolonius still alive and well because according to the report of Acheval he''s supposed to be dead. Then they saw someone else alongside Bolonius as well.


    That person started walking towards Issei table while holding a small tray of what appears to be a cup of tea from the smell wafting off from it.


    ??? - Here''s your tea, Onii-sama.


    Issei - Oh? Thank you, Ophelia.


    Ophelia - Hehehe.


    Issei pats her head gently and she smiled happily.


    Felton and the others who saw her is totally at lost for words because she doesn''t look likes a zombie at all. Millet is the most surprised because she can see souls as well and she can tell that Ophelia soul is complete and whole unlike when she''s still a zombie before.


    Millet - ...H-How is she alive?


    That''s also the question Felton and Acheval wanted to ask.


    Bolonius - How? My new lord revived her of course. As for why I''m still alive... I was never killed by him in the first place.


    Issei just put Ophelia soul back inside her body. He can''t make new bodies like Semiramis but he can do this much.


    Acheval - But I show you die at the hands of Issei himself! I saw your head got decapacitated by him!


    Bolonius doesn''t answer Acheval but only looked towards Issei and Ophelia. He''s eternally grateful toward Issei, and he gladly becomes his slave for it.


    Issei calmly sipped the tea that Ophelia served him before he tells them the truth.


    Issei - It''s pretty simple actually.


    Then he stands up from the chair he was sitting on and walked towards Acheval.


    Acheval - Guh!


    Acheval felt threatened to see Issei walking towards him and Felton also realizes the danger they''re in right now.


    Felton - Millet!


    Millet - Got it! Tele-


    Millet knows what Felton wanted her to do, he wanted her to teleport them away from here but before she could use her teleportation...


    Issei - <Dimensional Lock>.


    Issei waved his hand gently and the whole area got flashed with a reddish-black light when Issei cast his magic.


    Millet - ?!


    Issei cast a magic that sealed the whole area around him, so no one will be able to use space magic such as teleportation unless he allows it. They''re basically inside his domain right now.


    Issei able to create a rift opening of his own after he obtained the skill from Irene, so sealing a space around him is also pretty easy as well.


    Millet - It''s no use! The teleportation magic doesn''t work! The magic he just used messed up the spaces around us, it doesn''t allow me to use teleportation at all!


    Felton - Wha?!


    They don''t have the time to stay composed anymore after hearing that. Then they saw Issei has arrived in front of Acheval.


    Acheval - ...So this is it, huh, lil bro?


    Issei - Indeed... This is the end of your life as Kuro.


    Acheval thought this will be his end because he knows it''s no use to try and fight Issei no matter what.


    *Snap*


    But Issei doesn''t launch an attack but only snapped his finger at Acheval just like Millet did back then at the bridge of Central.


    Acheval - GAAAAAH!


    And Acheval once more responds towards it just like back then. He holds his head and kneeled on the ground while screaming loudly.


    Felton - Acheval?!


    Millet - ...Th-This can''t be...


    Felton - What''s wrong Millet?! What just he did to Acheval?!


    Millet - H-He... Issei Hyoudou just used the same magic as mine... The memory alteration spell...


    Well, even in his world, this kind of spell is pretty commonly used so it''s no surprise that Issei''s able to use it as well.


    Felton - ...What?


    Felton had a bad premonition after hearing Millet words if what she said is true then...


    Acheval - ...Dammit... I could never get used to that spell, it hurts so bad whenever the memories rushing back inside my mind...


    Issei - The pain you feel right now doesn''t come close to what Ramius felt when she finds out about your betrayal.


    Acheval - ...Good point.


    Acheval smiled bitterly after hearing Issei''s words.


    Issei - Just be prepared when you meet her again because I''m pretty sure that she will beat the crap out of you.


    Acheval - ...Fuck. I bet it''s gonna hurt like hell especially when she''s been trained personally by you... Can I just bail?


    Acheval felt afraid of what will Ramius do to him when he meets her again, he knows he will get beaten up really badly by her but it''s better than dying he guess.


    Issei - Nope, you reap what you sow. Now stand still for second...


    Issei put his hand on top of Acheval chest and then something comes out from Acheval body and it landed at Issei''s hand.


    It''s the Sloth sin that was inside him before which allows him to turn into the Black Knight form.


    *Poof*


    Then Issei crushed it easily. From now on Acheval won''t be able to turn into Kuro any longer.


    Acheval - There goes my badass form...


    Felton - ...Did you betray us, Acheval?


    Now it all makes sense for Felton on how did Issei finds out about their hideout because even Bolonius doesn''t know their exact base location.


    Acheval - Huh? Yeah, so what? Isn''t that how <Snake Crest> procedure works?


    Millet - You cur!


    Issei - So, how does it feel to have the same thing happened to you, Felton?


    Felton knows by what Issei meant by that because he also used Acheval just like Issei did just now. He makes Acheval become his spy but now it''s the reverse. And he got to admit that he never expected this at all...


    Felton - I just want to know why and since when you''re planning to betray us?


    Acheval - Hmm, ever since my lil bro beat my ass, I guess? And then my decision is solidified even further when I saw just how strong he is. You''re pretty smart yourselves, Felton. Do you think we have a chance of beating him at all?


    Felton - ...We could if we used that thing.


    Acheval - That thing? The battleship Digamma?


    Felton - ...Yes.


    Actually, Felton has another trump card which is Millet herself and he kept the fact that she''s actually a Dragon from anybody else.


    Acheval - Yeah, well, good luck with that. As for why I betray you... My wish is to have someone sate my craving for battles which you totally knew and Issei here totally fit that role. Heck, I even doubt if I can ever beat him...


    Unknown to his allies, Acheval was not a truly loyal servant. Having discovered his mother had escalated the Arthur Incident into a bloodbath, he was forced to kill her, only to discover he had inherited a similar, unshakable desire for battle. Unwilling or unable to confront these urges, he agreed to join the <Snake Crest> to create a world of eternal conflict where he could indulge them but asked Millet to keep him under mind control so that he could keep up public appearances. In his moments of lucidity, Acheval transformed into an even more powerful warrior, the Black Knight.


    But all his craving has finally been sated when he fought Issei for the first time, he finally finds true peace, even more after knowing that Ramius doesn''t have the same craving as him because of Issei. Her bloodlust basically got erased by Issei''s loves towards her.


    So after their first mock battle, he started to realize just how stupid he was thinking there''s no one else that could sate his bloodlust when there''s clearly someone stronger than him out there.


    That''s when he talks to Issei during he confronts Bolonius. He told Issei the truth about him and the <Snake Crest>.


    Issei - It is weird to have the same conversation twice though because you already talked about Ramius and all that before...


    Acheval - Now that you mention it... It is kind of weird...


    They both already have the same conversation at the hospital roof before at Bolonius lab.


    Issei - Now then...


    Then Issei set his gaze towards Felton. The latter who felt his gaze got goosebumps all over, the same goes for Millet. Now they know just where those feelings they felt before a while ago... The feeling of "Death".


    Felton - Wait!


    Issei - Hm?


    Felton - We still have Princess Croix in hour hands, if you want her to be un-


    ??? - Issei-sama.


    Before Felton could finish his words they heard a beautiful voice belongs to a woman.


    Issei - Oh, Ultinia, Is it done?


    The woman has long light-green hair and wearing a white dress. She''s one of the <9 Divines> from the Kalars race, her beautiful face has her usual ever-present smile.


    Ultinia - Hai, we have secured Princess Croix and also taken care of all his henchman.


    Issei - Um, thank you for your hard work.


    Ultinia - Oh, it''s nothing, Issei-sama. It''s what we''re supposed to do in the first place.


    Issei - Go bring Croix to safety now, I will go meet you all later. Bolonius, Ophelia, go ahead and follow Ultinia.


    Bolonius - As you wish, milord... Ophelia, let''s go.


    Bolonius bowed deeply towards Issei and took Ophelia hand.


    Ophelia - Un. See you later, Onii-sama.


    Ophelia waved at Issei while holding Bolonius hand and Issei waved at her back.


    Ultinia - Hai, then please excuse us.


    Issei - Ah.


    Issei nodded at her with a smile. Both Bolonius and Ophelia followed after her.


    Her smile got even brighter after being thanked by Issei but Felton and Millet who saw her become totally speechless because she has a white wing on her back. And if what she''s telling them is the truth... There goes their last chip of bargaining...


    Then Ultinia left the room after hearing the next order from Issei.


    Millet - ...An angel?


    Acheval - Surprised? Well, I''m pretty surprised myself when I first saw them.


    Felton - ...Them?


    Acheval - Yeah, "them". There''s more of them you know? A lot more... Who would''ve thought that my lil bro here has an entire army of Angel and Devil? That''s why I told you good luck on defeating him just now. By the way, all of your thugs back at home is all gone.


    Felton - Wha?!


    Acheval - Yup, they got your dad, Emperor Viaries as well. Now the Central Empire basically belong to my lil bro here. And it''s only a matter of time until he finds out where you''re hiding the battleship.


    Issei - You talk too much, Acheval-nii. Go and follow Ultinia already, or I will tell Ramius to double her punishment.


    Acheval - Gah! O-Okay, I''m sorry, anything but that. Well, I''m out!


    Then Acheval quickly dashed out of the room to catch up with Ultinia because he doesn''t want to get more punishment by Ramius. No, thank you.


    The once-missing Emperor Viaries. During the Arthur tragedy, Prince Felton, who had sided with <Snake Crest>, seized Battleship Digamma and locked him in in the secret room at the castle. Just in case he needed him for something later on.


    Felton was planning to kill his own father just to achieve his desires but thankfully he''s saved by the Kalars during their raid on the castle.


    Felton - ...


    Felton started sweating profusely after hearing Acheval words, if it''s true then all is lost... He got no more backup plan. But then he remembered that he already injected Croix with the <Adan''s Blood>, he could tell Issei that he got the antidote for it. But Issei already saw through his thoughts, so before Felton could mention it, Issei already beat him to it.


    Issei - What? Do you want to say that you injected Croix with <Adan''s Blood> and you have the antidote? If so, forget it. Because you never injected her with anything, it''s all was just an illusion. Even the "Miracle" you performed which makes Eve''s blessing disappear is fake. See this?


    Issei shows him his <Golden Ring> and it''s fully intact on his finger.


    Issei - There''s nothing you can bargain me with... I''ve already seen through all your plans.


    Felton - Guh!


    Felton never felt this way before in his entire life.


    In his youth, Felton was a protege at nearly everything he attempted. One day, exploring the Mirror Labyrinth in Central, he encountered Millet and gained access to the <Black Evenicle>. Using this book, he later met up with Pope Seydes, secretly head of the <Snake Crest>, and the two pooled their resources to translate the <Evenicle>. While Felton joined the first <Snake Crest>, it was not until their revival that he came into a prominent role. In addition to serving the revived Snake Crest in disguise as the White Knight, Felton arranged to be married to Princess Croix of Eden, a saint of such potency that she was thought of as a reincarnation of Mother Eve.


    He''s hoping that by performing a powerful ritual, Croix was invested with such spectacular power that she was able to reshape Eve''s laws for the world, and by corrupting Croix with Adan''s Blood, she was put into the service of the <Snake Crest>.


    At least that''s what the plan was. If Issei doesn''t interfere then his plan will truly work but it''s all for naught now...


    While Felton put on a friendly, even personable face for his public appearances, in secret he was a dark, if still somewhat casual, manipulator and mass murderer. He showed little true compassion to anyone, not even Millet or his own father, and certainly not to his supposed wife, Croix.


    His sin is


    , he takes pride in how genius he is and all that.


    Then Issei set his gaze towards Millet.


    Issei - So, what''s your reason for joining the <Snake Crest>?


    Issei also doesn''t know for sure that Millet is a Dragon or not yet because she could also hide her aura just like Issei did. He finds out about Felton history but he never found Millet history. All he knows is that Millet just suddenly appeared out of nowhere and became the Central Empire <Zero Knight>.


    Millet - ...<Snake Crest>, hm? I''ve never been interested in being part of <Snake Crest>.


    Issei - Oh? Then?


    Issei felt a bit amused that Millet seems calm enough even when she heard all of Felton plans has failed. Sure she looks nervous before but not as nervous as Felton.


    Millet - To put it simply, you could say I''m more of Felton''s accomplice than anything. Of course, at my accomplice''s request, I''ve admittedly offered my help on his projects. He gained my interest when he told me about the future he envisioned... Although it''s never going to happen now because of you. I''ve lent him my assistance, power, and knowledge.


    Issei - Hoo.


    QD - Hey, boy! It''s her! She''s the traitor!


    Issei - QD?


    Suddenly Issei heard QD voice out of nowhere, even startling Millet.


    Millet - That annoying voice... QD! And you tell us not to assist humans!


    QD - Heh, funny hearing that from you when you helped a human plenty yourselves.


    Issei - So that naughty "Dragon" you told me about is her?


    QD - Correct... How truly disappointing. Never did I expect a dragon to turn traitor. And she''s the black dragon by the way. I had ordered her to guard the <Black Evenicle> in the Mirror Labyrinth.


    Now it all makes sense to Issei, no wonder he couldn''t feel her aura and her soul being neutral even though she''s siding with the <Snake Crest>.


    Dragon point of view about Good and Evil is obviously different from a human point of view. That''s why her soul stays neutral.


    Arthur - Well, you did forget about her for a few centuries...


    Millet - Arthur... You mere soul of a human! QD! Why do you let the humans do as they please?!


    QD - The world has already been left in human hands.


    Millet - Then what of dragons?! What are we supposed to do?!


    QD - ...I dunno.


    Millet - THIS ISN''T A JOKE! Do you expect us to watch over humans without interfering? That''s a boring life I''d rather not live!


    QD - ...So you interfered? You gave this prince guy the <Black Evenicle> and taught him things he shouldn''t know?


    Millet - Yes, much like when you met Arthur, I saw great potential in Felton, even though he was but a child. Even as a youth, his actions changed the world... And the fact that I gave him the opportunity was exciting to me...


    QD - Do you have any idea how many lives were lost for your fun? You let being a dragon inflate your ego.


    Millet - And what''s wrong with that?! Eve''s gone! We''re the strongest beings in the world, and we should control it as we see fit!


    QD - How naive... You underestimate the world. I shouldn''t expect a thousand-year-old youngster to know anything.


    Millet - Hah, get lost, you cowardly old hag! You ancient bags of bones should hurry up and die so the next generation can take over!


    Not like you''re the one to speak is what Issei''s thinking right now. 1000 years old is old enough for him. But at least he knows why Millet betrayed QD now, who would stay sane if they''re told to guard some measly book for hundreds of year?


    Heck, even he will go nuts if he''s told to do that. He pities Millet in a way.


    QD - ...Haaah, a hag, you call me? It would seem I''ve gotten too soft if you think you can get away with that... Hey, boy. Would you mind roughing her up and taking her down a peg?


    Issei - ...What?


    QD - As I said, give her a hard banging would ya? Fuck her silly! There''s nothing to worry about. This youngster can''t put a scratch on you.


    Issei - ...


    Arthur - ...I''m sorry Qu''s causing trouble for you, Issei-sama...


    Issei - ...It must be hard to be living with her huh, Arthur?


    Arthur - ...Hai.


    QD - Why are you both so rude? Don''t make me pout...


    Issei is speechless with her request, beat her up? Sure, he could do that. Kill her? Okay... But to fuck her? He doesn''t know how to respond to that...


    Millet - Hoh... That''s interesting, you think he''s stronger than my dragon form? Sure if in my human form he could beat me but he won''t be able to beat me in my dragon form. Let me rip him to shreds. Now, are you ready to die?! Human or not, I won''t go easy.


    Felton sees Millet as his last hope right now because she''s all he got right now.


    Right as Millet exuded an aura clearly surpassing any human being, then her body started transforming into her Dragon form. Losing her human shape entirely, Millet transformed into a giant, towering, menacing black dragon.


    It has a giant horn that points downward at the corner of its mouth, it kind of looks like a tusk though, and its wings membrane and its claws are colored reddish-orange. The end of her tail is like the tail of a fish. Its whole body is black colored while its eyes are yellow colored.


    *GRAAAAAAAH!*


    The black dragon roared as it attacked Issei. It swiped its claw on him.


    *Boom!*


    Issei body flew out of the room and landed outside.


    Felton feels ecstatic after seeing Millet attack landed squarely on Issei.


    Millet chased after Issei outside and as soon as she saw his body she immediately uses her fire breath on him.


    *Whoosh!*


    Issei still doesn''t move seeing the incoming flame heading towards him. He just calmly staring at it.


    When Millet saw Issei body got enveloped inside her fire she laughed hard while taunting QD.


    Millet - Ahahahaha, look at that QD! Your errand boy has been defeated in an instant!


    QD - Err, yeah, sure...


    Millet felt something wrong hearing QD voice looks so indifferent.


    Millet - Heh, you seem like you don''t care to find out your errand boy died?


    QD - Died? Nope, not happening.


    Millet - ...What do you mean?


    QD - That boy is stronger than you, you know?


    Millet - Hmph, if you want to tell lies then you need to do better than that. I clearly obliterated him with my flame breath see... that... Eh?


    When Millet gazes at the sea of flames under her, she saw someone standing calmly inside her flames. That person is obviously Issei and not even a single scratch can be found on his body, even the corner of his clothes are not burnt by the flames around him.


    QD - Hehehe, you didn''t know didn''t you?


    Millet - K-Know what? Why is he still standing after taking my attacks head on?!


    QD - Heh, good thing I taught him on how to hide his Dragon aura or you would''ve run away the moment you sensed his aura.


    Millet - ...Dragon aura? You mean he''s-?!


    QD - Yup, he''s also a Dragon. And his strength is on par with me, perhaps its even greater now? Who knows...


    Millet - ...?!


    Millet is at lost for words hearing QD words but then she sensed it. She senses that overwhelmingly dominating aura Issei emits. Her giant body shuddered after sensing it... It''s the strongest aura she ever felt in her entire life. Even QD aura is not as great as this she thought.


    Issei released his dragon aura and started chanting:


    "I, Who shall awaken.


    Am The Red Dragon Emperor who control the principle of domination


    With infinite hope and dreams, I shall become the protectors of my loved ones.


    I am their light in the darkness.


    I shall promise you! A future that shines brighter than any light.


    Ally to good! Nightmare to evil!


    I shall become the True Red Dragon King of Domination!"


    "<Dragon Overdrive>!"


    *WHOOSH!*


    There''s a bright light after Issei finished his chant that even Millet is blinded by it but then she heard a flapping sound, she looks up to see a black shadow rising to the sky, its body is covered with a reddish-black flame that''s clearly even more dangerous than her own flame. Then it flapped its majestic wings once more and landed in front of her.


    *BOOOM!*


    And then she saw it... The most majestic Red Dragon she ever saw in her entire life. Those horns which shaped like a crown of a king, those enchanting golden-red eyes, those beautiful shiny red scales. Everything about him is perfect is what she thought.


    But their size difference is like night and day, her body is large but his body is 2 times bigger than her at the very least, perhaps even bigger. Then she heard its roar.


    *ROOOOOOOOOOOOARRRRR!!!*


    Millet''s body started to shudder even greatly after hearing that roar that she unconsciously tried to make her body looks even smaller. Felton who''s inside the building fainted just from hearing that roar with his ear bleeding.


    Across the whole world, everyone heard that roar. The Outlaws is the most affected of them all because they started to shiver fiercely after hearing it like they''re being watched by "Death" itself.


    -At the Hamlet church-


    While Riche and co are having their tea party they all heard it as well.


    Louin - What''s that sound?!


    Norshin - It sounds like a roar?


    All of them also wondering just what was that sound.


    Riche - But that sound doesn''t make us afraid for some reason?


    Ramius - Umu, I felt safe and comfortable from hearing it.


    Gurigura - Same here.


    Kathryn - It''s weird but it''s true though...


    Kyuriha - Ahh~ It''s Issei-sama...


    Miarute - Such majestic roar can only belong to Issei-sama...


    Both Kyuriha and Miarute sighed alluringly after hearing that roar.


    Riche - Wait, that sounds belong to Ise?! That means...


    Kyuriha - Hai, Issei-sama just used his Dragon form.


    Riche - ...Aww, I wanted to see his dragon form...


    Riche sulked because she can''t see Issei''s Dragon form.


    They all sweated seeing her like this.


    ...


    Kyou - Kinou. Did you hear that?


    Kinou - Um. Of course I hear it, that majestic and beautiful roar can only belong to our Ise.


    Kyou - *Sigh* Even from here I could feel his intoxicating aura...


    Kinou - I wanted to see his dragon form badly but I think it''s not a great time for it.


    Kyou - Indeed...


    Then they both gazed towards Issei direction with a smile.


    ...


    QD - Ohooo~ Quite the majestic form indeed. Not as majestic as my dragon form though.


    Arthur - No, Issei-sama form is more majestic than yours, Qu.


    QD - Whose side are you on, Arthur?!


    Arthur - I''m just stating facts.


    QD - Gunununu! Just you wait!... But True Dragon King huh... Interesting...


    Issei gazed towards Millet and the latter who felt his gaze trembled in fear.


    *Bam!*


    Issei punched Millet on her gut and the latter flew away while spitting blood along the way. Issei reappeared on top of Millet and grabbed her by the neck and threw her down towards the ground below them.


    *BOOM!*


    The whole <Sky Island> started to shake from that impact.


    Millet felt like her inside is messed up really badly and just when she''s about to get up Issei put his leg on her chest. He looked down on her with the regal of a true king.


    Millet - <Flame- Gahhhh!


    *Crunch!*


    When Millet tried to breathe another fire breath Issei bite her neck but not that hard or that one bite from him would''ve killed her instantly.


    Issei - Submit or die.


    Issei growled while still biting Millet''s neck and he put a little bit more force on his bite that Millet''s scales started to crack and a bit of blood is already leaking from her bite wounds.


    QD - Give up, Millet. Or he will truly kill you.


    Millet - *Cough!* *Cough!* I-I... I submit...


    She finally surrendered because she felt like there''s no way that she could beat him and she obviously doesn''t want to die.


    Issei finally let go of her neck after hearing her words and Millet collapsed and changed from her vicious form back into that of a human crawling on the ground. Issei also reverted back to his human form.


    QD - Mhm... Seems she''s run out of energy and switched to the power-saving mode.


    Arthur - ...She''s not a machine, Qu.


    Millet looks so distressed even in her human form right now, she''s holding her neck which has a teeth mark given by Issei just now while gazing at Issei''s towering body with a bit of fear and awe. She totally ran out of energy that she couldn''t even use her magic to cover her body, so she''s totally naked right now.


    Her dark skin was injured, but healthy. Her chest was, presumably because of her physical training, perky despite its size, and looked incredibly pleasant to touch. Her tight thighs and behind were fairly large, and hitting them would make a nice sound.


    Issei felt a bit weird seeing her gaze towards him that carries a hint of awe and worship. He also smells something weird wafting out from her body, it''s kind of like a sweet honey scent but not quite like it. And for some reason, he started to get a little aroused from smelling it.


    He thought that he already smell this scent before.


    QD - So, did you smell that, boy?


    QD asked Issei while grinning.


    Issei - ...What?


    QD - That''s the smell only a female Dragon emits when they tried to court another male Dragon.


    Issei - ...Pardon?


    QD - Gahahaha! Ain''t you popular? Now fuck her up real good for me would ya?


    Issei - Err...


    No wonder he felt like he already smells this scent before, he also smells this when he''s still living with the twins on the island before. They emit this scent just before they told him that they''ve chosen him as their mate.


    Millet - N-No I''m not! I wasn''t trying to court him! Don''t tell lies you old hag!


    Millet tries to cover her embarrassment while loudly shouting at QD but her red face gave her away.


    QD - This is why virgins are so... You''re such a loner. Just admit it, you brat.


    Millet - I''m... I''m not a loner... I''m not lonely...


    Issei felt like QD just dealt a fatal blow when she mentions that Millet is a loner and a virgin at the same time.


    QD - Now... What to do with you? Well, plenty of horrible things, of course, but... For now, boy, hurry and fuck her.


    Issei - No.


    QD - Oh, come on.


    Issei - I said no.


    QD - Look, he started tearing up after hearing your rejection!


    Millet - NO IM NOT!


    There''s indeed a bit of tear at the corner of her eyes but Issei wasn''t sure if she really cries because he rejects her or because of QD though.


    Arthur - Don''t force it, Qu.


    QD - Awww, fine... So be it then... You guys are no fun...


    Issei and Arthur felt weird that she gave up so easily. But then QD smirked slyly while taking something out of her pocket.


    QD - Hey, boy. Catch!


    Issei - Hm?


    QD threw something from the rift opening she created and Issei reflexively caught it.


    That thing looks like a small round ball. On one side it''s colored red while the bottom is white, there''s a small button on the middle and Issei curiously touched it.


    Issei - What''s this?


    Arthur - Ah! Issei-sama that''s-


    Arthur tried to warn Issei about it but it''s too late.


    *Boom!*


    That ball exploded on Issei''s hand but instead of fire, there''s a pink smoke coming out from it.


    QD - Hahahaha! How''s that? That''s my latest invention called <Alcoholic Bomb>! There''s enough alcohol scent inside those things that could even make the strongest drinker drunk instantly just from smelling it!


    Arthur - Qu... What have you done... *Sigh*.


    QD got that idea from one of her <Emptistories>. She knows just how Issei''s act after he becomes drunk.


    She already guessed that Issei would probably reject her request on fucking Millet so she already prepared the countermeasure for it and here it is... Her "Genius" plan.


    Millet - Wh-What happened?


    Millet is confused seeing this sudden development, she thought that QD just attacked Issei with something but after she heard their words she becomes confused.


    Arthur - ...You have my condolences, Millet.


    Millet - What are you talking about? What condolences?!


    For some reason, Millet felt a bad feeling about all this.


    Arthur - ...Issei-sama will become a sex beast after he got drunk... And since you''re the only woman who''s nearby... You know the rest...


    Millet - ...Eh?


    Millet becomes stupefied and then she saw the pink smoke cleared away, she can''t see Issei''s face at this moment because he''s looking down at the ground.


    But he started to take a step forward and Millet who saw it tried to crawl away.


    Millet - Wh-What? S-Stay away!


    *Bulge* *Bulge* *Bulge*


    Millet - Eek, y-your crotch... It''s like it''s alive!


    She felt afraid and a little anticipation after seeing Issei''s crotch.


    Millet - S-Stay away from me! If you put that in me... I''ll die!


    Every time Issei took a step, Millet turned paler and retreated backward.


    QD - You''re exaggerating, he already put it in lots of people, and they were all fine. Some even have a smaller body than yours.


    Millet - N-No... Eek!


    When Issei finally grabbed Millet''s arm, she tried her best to break free from his grasp.


    Millet - No, stop... Stoooop!


    But her power seemed to be spent and her current power state is like those of a child.


    Millet - I''m only 1012 years old! Are you really thinking of raping this little girl?! Even if you want to court me there''s a certain procedure for it, and this is not the way!


    Well, I''m only 17 years old. So who''s the little one here, is what Issei would think of if he''s sober right now.


    She started crying softly while letting go of all her pride that she doesn''t even realize that she just admitted that she basically wanted to be courted by Issei.


    QD - Ohoo~ now you admit that you want to be courted by him. But too late! Now let the punishment begiiin!


    Millet - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


    Her scream can be heard through the whole Island.

 Chapter 70 - 69

    Issei holds Millet body to the ground and stole her lips right away before she could say another word.


    Millet - Mmph! Mmh! Mmn... Nn... Mh...


    He kept giving her a kiss for a whole 10 minutes. Her struggle went weaker and weaker until she unconsciously put her hands around Issei''s neck instead and starting to get in the act as well.


    Millet - Mmm, Mmchu, Mmwah... More... Mmh...


    Her eyes are clouded with lust after being exposed by Issei''s intoxicating aura and from the way he kisses her makes her felt like she could melt any moment.


    While still kissing her Issei''s hand weren''t idle either, one of his hand went towards her perky breast and started to fondle it gently. He pinches the cherry nub of her breast gently and Millet felt like she''s being electrocuted when he does that.


    His other hand when towards Millet''s slit and started to rub it gently and it''s very wet already probably from all the kissing they did just now.


    Issei removed his clothes with his magic and his bare body made Millet feels even more lustful towards him, her raw masculine intoxicating aura doubled it''s efficiency when his clothes are removed.


    Millet felt like she''s drunk with lust right now and if she knows what to do next she probably would''ve mounted Issei already but sadly her experience is next to none about this kind of things. She''s only taught basic things such as where babies come from.


    She knows that the females carry the baby inside them but she doesn''t know the whole process. She knows male genitals called penis while female genitals called vagina but that''s about it.


    For most of her life, Millet is ordered by QD to guard the <Black Evenicle> at the <Mirror Labyrinth>. Her common sense is only on par with a 12 years old child. After hundreds of years, she finally got bored and feels lonely. Good thing she''s a dragon because if normal humans who''re in her place they probably would''ve gone mad just in 10 years at most.


    When she tried to contact QD the latter is too busy with her <Emptistories> so she forgot about Millet for a few centuries just like Arthur said before. And when she remembers Millet again it''s all too late because Millet already rebelled at that point.


    She meets Felton and gave him the knowledge about the <Black Evenicle>. Felton utilizes Millet naivety and in reverse, he taught her a messed up common sense.


    She grows up when the Dragons still rule the world so she felt too prideful for what she is to the point of arrogance. That''s why she views the humans as weak a race but Felton is the first human she ever personally interacts with and because he has his ways with words and his weird philosophy that she never heard of before, Millet thought that he''s pretty interesting for a human being.


    For Dragons, strength or power is mostly everything, and she holds that believes as well. There''s no one ever taught her about some common sense such as killing innocent people is evil, and etc. Most of her experience is self-taught and from interacting with Felton.


    Because of it, she thought murdering human is totally a normal thing to do. She often saw how Felton and his cohorts killing hundreds of weak humans that she starting to think that it''s common sense to do so. But even then she rarely participates in killing humans because she sees them as too insignificant to garner her attention so she only observes Felton''s party in action.


    Most humans she killed is the one who pisses her off the most, such as the one who tries to take advantage of her and tried to take liberties at her. Female Dragons are very sensitive on being touched by other males, whether it be the same species or different species altogether. They only allow themselves being touched by those that they view as their potential mate or their children. Other females are allowed to touch them though.


    She''s appointed as a <Zero Knight> by Felton himself, she never really does the job of a Knight that seriously. All she does is becoming the bodyguard of Felton back in the Central Empire, people said that whenever there''s Felton there will be Millet.


    But even Felton never touched Millet because even though she thought Felton is interesting she never saw him as her potential mate. She only sees Felton as her source of entertainment because most of the things he does are new to her. And Felton also never see her as a woman so it works perfectly for both of them, their relationship is very professional in that regards.


    So in a way, she''s indeed a "Little Girl" just like she said before. Dragons are immortal after all. So for them, 1000 years old is indeed just a brat, that''s why QD call Millet a youngster.


    As for QD''s age... It''s currently unknown but she''s thought of as the first Dragon ever existed alongside Eve herself.


    Before she''s ordered to guard the <Black Evenicle>, she never meets any male dragons that interest her and not a single one ever tries to court her, but that''s mostly because she''s too young for the adult male dragons back then.


    Issei is the first male dragon he took fancy of and when she felt his power and aura at first hand she becomes attracted by him. After all, strength is everything for Dragons, Kyou and Kinou could be seen as a new generation because they''re even younger than Millet.


    They''ve been taught by the other <Witches of the Round Tables> so their common sense is not messed up as Millet did. They still think strength as important but not as extreme as Millet.


    Emotion called "Love" is foreign to Millet, because Felton doesn''t have that emotion so she never learned about it.


    And Issei might not realize this but when a male dragon bites a female dragon on her neck that could also be seen as a courting ritual. It''s like how a male dragon defeats the female they are courting and gave them a bite mark to tell the other male dragons that this female is reserved by that male. Just like how the prehistoric caveman who beat the female and drag them back to their cave.


    But that ritual is long forgotten because nowaday dragons thought that it''s too barbaric and old fashioned. Well, not for Millet and QD...


    So she kind of thought that Issei wanted her to be her mate. QD also knows that, but of course, she won''t tell him that because she finds it amusing and interesting as well.


    That''s why Millet started to unconsciously emit that honey-like scent back then, she kind of accepted Issei''s "Courting".


    So when she said she wasn''t trying to court Issei back then it''s actually true. It wasn''t her who''s trying to court her but it''s Issei instead, and she just accepted his courting. but she''s too embarrassed to admit it and with QD being there as well it''s not helping at all.


    QD also knows it and that''s why she drugged Issei and told him to fuck her. She''s actually just joking beforehand but when she notices that smell Millet emits she knows that Millet is indeed feeling attracted towards Issei.


    Well, it''s mostly because she finds it more interesting though... That''s the kind of dragon QD is. In a way she''s the same like Millet, thankfully Arthur is there to keep her in check.


    Deep inside, QD does feel guilty for Millet''s case but she obviously won''t admit it. So she wants to pair her with Issei because she knows just what kind of man Issei is. He''s waaayyy better than Felton that''s for sure.


    And the way he treats her wives is just splendid even from her point of view.


    QD - Cheh, it can''t be called a punishment anymore at this point... Look how gentle he is right now, I was hoping he will ram his dick in straight away...


    Arthur - Isn''t it good though? Millet is still a virgin, and if Issei-sama went rough right away then she might be traumatized. And I know you''ve been observing him whenever you have the time so you know his personality well, even his drunken state abnormality...


    QD - ...Hmph.


    Issei or his wives might not know this. When Issei''s drunk sure he turns into a sex beast but he only does it with those that are willing, it can be seen how he doesn''t do Gurigura right away beforehand.


    Gurigura was really afraid when she saw Issei pound Riche and Ramius back then so Issei never touch her when he''s done pounding them both. If Issei touches Gurigura back then she might''ve become traumatized because she wasn''t prepared before.


    But soon Gurigura prepared herself and launch an attack of her own when Issei was still asleep. And QD notices this as well so she knows if Millet isn''t really willing then Issei would never touch her.


    So their worries of Issei being a rapist is unnecessary because he will never touch a woman who''s not willing. And Millet is obviously willing, she was just feeling a little afraid because she never does this kind of thing before. But after feeling Issei''s gentle kiss and caress she''s totally willing now. Even though she''s still a little afraid but it''s normal for any woman to feel afraid when they''re about to lose their chastity after all.


    She kept exhaling hot sigh when Issei stopped their kiss and she looked down to see Issei''s penis fully erect and ready to mark her as his.


    Millet eyes filled with a bit of fear and anticipation while gazing at Issei''s crotch down there.


    Then Issei aimed his penis towards Millet lower entrance and slowly insert it.


    *Sllsh*


    Millet - Uhn!


    When Millet felt something foreign entered her lower region she started to shiver slightly because, from her knowledge when a female lose their chastity, it will hurt a lot.


    *Rips*


    Then she felt it... The most painful thing she ever experienced.


    Millet - Ooow, oow! It hurts! It hurts, it hurts! Uuuuuu...


    Millet is very vulnerable to pain because she never really had a fight with someone else that could really hurt her before. So because of it, she trains her physical attributes as best as she could in fear of getting hurt.


    She started to cry after experiencing the pain she never felt before.


    When she fought Issei before thankfully she''s in her dragon form, so her defense and pain tolerance is boosted as well. Just like Kyou and Kinou said, in their human form, dragons are more susceptible to pain.


    Issei instinctively stopped his movement after he heard her cries and bent down to give her a gentle kiss once more.


    Millet - Auhm, Uhn, mmh... Hnn...


    Slowly but surely the pain started to wane away and Millet started to feel itchy inside so she slightly moves her hips as a signal that she wanted Issei to move and Issei notices it so he started to slowly move his hips as well.


    Millet - Aah, auh... Mm... Nnah...


    There''s still a bit of pain but it''s not as painful as before and she can feel an intense pleasure going through her whole body whenever Issei hit her womb entrance.


    Millet - Ehn, Mm... Aahn... Yes, there... Auh... It feels... Good... Haaahn.


    The pleasure she''s feeling right now surpass the pain she felt and she started to fully enjoy their making love session.


    Millet got hooked instantly on how good this feels right now, she put her arms on Issei''s back and scratch his back with her fingernails, she also bites on to Issei''s neck gently to return the favor from before.


    Issei doesn''t feel pain but feels pleasure as well from her action, soon he felt like he''s about to reach his climax and started pumping even faster into Millet.


    Millet - Haaahn! Aah, hnnn, ahhn! S-Something''s coming... Wh-What is this feeling... It''s scary, it feels too good! Haaahn!?


    Millet started to feel fear from the intense pleasure she''s feeling right now, it''s like an addictive drug. She felt like her brain turned into mush. Now he slightly understands just how those <Adan''s Blood> addicts feel like.


    *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!*


    Millet - I-It''s coming!


    She finally reached her limit and the same goes for Issei as well.


    Millet - Aaaaaaaaahhhhhnnnn!


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    Millet finally had her first orgasms along with her loud cry of ecstasy. Issei hugged her body tightly against his body to get her penis as deep as he could inside her. As if he''s truly trying to impregnate her. Thankfully QD already cast a safety spell or Millet might really get pregnant right now and that''s not a thing she wants to happen.


    She doesn''t want to piss off LD alright, no thank you...


    Millet - I-It''s so amazing... I can feel it, shooting inside me... Deep inside me... Th-The baby seed swimming around, they''re going to fertilize me. This feels so good... Haaah, aah... I can feel it. It''s going to overflow... Haaahn...


    After he filled her up with such a crazy amount of sperms, the excess liquid was now leaking out of her combined with a tinge of red juice signaling the loss of her purity.


    Millet - ...Aah... So hot...


    Millet felt really hot inside her womb and she also felt a bit of heat coming from the bite mark Issei gave her.


    That mark started to heat up and glowing a little and soon after, it transforms into a red heart-shaped tattoo covered with dragon wings. Now her neck has Issei''s mark as well, just like Irene and the twins. It kind of looks like a collar to be honest.


    But it still looks beautiful nevertheless, it even enhance her beauty as well. That red color mark combined with her slightly tanned skin makes her looks like an exotic beauty. (AN:


    She touches her newly formed mark fondly, now she''s not alone any longer...


    Millet - ...Ahh, now, I''m yours... Hauuhn! Wh-Wha?


    When Millet''s still basking in the pleasure she felt just now. She felt Issei''s penis started twitching while still deep inside her.


    Millet - M-Milord?


    Millet is quite old fashioned after all, so the word husband/darling/honey, etc is kind of foreign for her and she chooses to use how the old society female Dragon calls their mate, which is either Master or Lord.


    QD - Heh heh heh... Do you think it''s over after one round? Wrong! He will keep fucking you until he''s sober! Hahahaha, it won''t be a punishment if it wasn''t like that now, isn''t it?


    Millet - ...Eh?


    Arthur - Qu... *Sigh* Good luck, Millet. Sadly what she just said is true... Issei-sama is a sex-beast when he''s in this mode after all...


    QD - Enjoy your punishment, brat! That''s what you get from calling me a hag! Ahahahaha!


    Millet - Y-You!? Ahn! M-Milord, p-please wait! Hauuhn! I-I''m still sensiti- Kyaaahn! N-No, I''m coming again! Aaaaaahhh!?


    QD - HAHAHAHA! Taste that sucker!


    Then Millet got seriously pounded by Issei until he''s sober. But when Issei marked her as his possession, he also saw some memories of Millet.


    ...


    After Issei sobered up all the memories started to rushing in. From how he got pranked by QD and how he basically fucked Millet silly just like QD wanted.


    Millet is currently being held by Issei while he''s sitting on the ground. She''s already fainted away without single energy left inside her. She''s like putty at this moment on Issei''s arms. Her whole body is coated with Issei''s scent that could be whiffed from miles away.


    If Issei''s not holding her at this moment then she probably would''ve dropped to the ground.


    When QD saw the glare Issei''s giving her she got goosebumps all over and started to explain herself on why she''s so insistent about Millet''s case. When was it the last time she felt threatened by somebody else? 1000? 2000 years? She can''t remember, but it''s been a while she ever felt this way.


    ''What a crazy bloodlust that was, LD sure picks a genuine monster as her lover this time. Unlike that trash from before...''QD started recalling the past, and the most revolting thing she remembered is that man who was LD first lover but good riddance she thought...


    Issei - ...


    After hearing the explanation of QD Issei took back his bloodlust and QD secretly sighed in relief after that.


    Issei didn''t know how to respond to QD''s prank. On one hand, he knows why she''s so insistent why she wants him to fuck Millet... Maybe... He''s not sure if she just thinks of it as interesting or she genuinely does this for Millet though.


    He also knows from the point of view of Millet. All she does is teleporting and observing the <Snake Crest>, well she mostly only observes Felton though, she only sees them as their source of entertainment.


    He knows the one at fault here is actually QD and Felton... If QD handles her more carefully then she wouldn''t have rebelled and Felton is just taking advantage of Millet''s naivety and her lack of experience on interacting with others.


    QD - And there you have it, boy... Take good care of her for me would ya? Don''t worry, I won''t ask you to do it for free, I''ll tell you how to transform your wives to become a Dragon as the payment.


    Issei - ...


    Arthur - I''m sorry once again for the trouble she brought you, Issei-sama...


    Arthur, as always started apologizing in the place of QD.


    Issei - ...*Sigh* Fine... How long has it been since I''ve passed out?


    Issei thought it doesn''t matter anymore at this point, what''s done is done. And he also owes QD one after all. Now they can call it even... But if she pulls this stunt once more then he will make sure that she pay the consequences...


    QD - Oh, don''t worry. I already created a time barrier around you, so outside the barrier, it''s only been like 15 minutes, but as for how long you''ve been fucking that brat then it''s been like 7 hours?


    Arthur - It was 7 hours and 24 minutes to be exact.


    Issei - ...*Sigh*.


    Issei sighed once more after hearing how long he''s been having sex with Millet just now. And he knows well just how rough he is when he''s drunk. He can only hope Millet is not totally broken when she woke up...


    He wears his clothes once more and covered Millet''s body with a blanket she took out from his dimensional storage and carried her towards the building.


    Millet - Mm... Milord...


    He heard Millet mumble on her sleep and he smiled wryly after hearing her voice but soon his eyes turned gentle while gazing at her sleeping face.


    Issei - Since you''re mine now then I will make sure you never go the wrong path any longer, Millet... Now go get some rest...


    Issei kissed her forehead and Millet who felt his kiss smiled slightly, it''s the most comfortable sleep she ever had in centuries, she thought in her sleep.


    ...


    Issei put Millet on the bed at one of the room and set up a sound barrier so her sleep is not disturbed in the slightest.


    After he makes sure that Millet is properly tucked in, he went outside and head towards Felton body. He grabbed his head and input a bit of his bloodlust and that''s enough to make Felton wide awake while heavily breathing.


    The first thing Felton saw when he''s awake is Issei''s glowing red eyes and he shuddered greatly after seeing it. He was about to open his mouth when he heard Issei speak.


    Issei - So, where were we? Oh, right... Your judgment.


    *Crack*


    Felton - Arrrrggghhhhh!


    Issei grasped Felton''s head and put a bit of force on his grasp until there''s a small cracking sound can be heard from his skull, there''s probably a crack on his skull if he gets an x-ray scan now.


    Issei - Does it hurt? But your pain is nothing compared to all of your victims. Have you ever thought of how do they feel?


    *Crack!*


    He''s feeling intense pain from the pressure of Issei''s hand. He tried to get Issei''s arm off his head but to no avail, he''s a normal human after all while Issei is a Dragon. Their power difference is too far. Even 1 million Felton can''t beat Issei.


    Issei lifted Felton''s body in the air easily with only one hand and the latter started to flail his leg around in the air. Felton grabbed his sword and slashed downwards towards Issei in hope to have him let go of his head but Issei doesn''t even blink after seeing the incoming slash.


    *Clang!*


    As expected, his sword can''t even prick Issei''s skin and it broke in half.


    Felton - ?!


    Issei - I''ve been waiting for this moment for a while now... Ever since Ramius''s case of <Adan''s Blood> injection...


    Felton - Agh... Gah... S-Stop...


    Little by little Issei increased his power and Felton''s head started to deform itself. Red veins started appearing on his white sclera with his eyes started bulging as well. He can''t even form a proper sentence anymore soon after. His tears started flowing freely from his eyes, he has never been so afraid in his life before.


    He let go of his broken sword and put both of his hand on Issei''s arm hoping there''s a miracle happening that will stop Issei''s from killing him outright. But it''s just a fool''s dream at this point because even QD herself doesn''t want to get involved with the current Issei.


    *Crack*


    Felton - ...Ga...It... Hu...rt...s...


    Issei - You made Gurigura cry... And now you wanted to have my sister-in-law be raped by some monsters?!


    Combined the reddish-black chaotic aura he emits right now it makes him looks very malevolent. Felton loses control of his bladder completely and there''s a bad smell of urine coming from his crotch.


    Blood started to come out along with his tears and nasal mucus, and from all of his orifices. Whether it be ears, nose, mouth...


    Issei''s eyes started to glowing brightly while his pupils turned into slits, he keeps getting angrier by the second when he started to recall all the things <Snake Crest> has done. He becomes the perfect embodiment of the sin of <Wrath> right now, even Satan himself would piss himself if he''s facing the current Issei. This is the first time he becomes so wrathful ever since he becomes a Dragon.


    But unlike the <Snake Crest> members he has perfect control of his emotions so he never consumed by it unless he allows it himself. After all, he''s the one who dominates above everything else.


    Issei - Your judgment, is... DEATH!


    Issei''s voice was just like the voice of the devil itself from the depths of hell. That''s the last thing Felton heard before his death. And then there''s a melodic sound of bone-crushing coming from his head.


    *CRACK!* *PFFSSSHHH!*


    Felton''s head exploded like a watermelon and all sorts of blood and brain matter splattered all over the place. His headless corpse is like a spurting fountain of blood while it dropped to the ground lifelessly while his body still twitching for a few seconds before it goes completely still forever.


    Issei flicked his hand to get rid of the blood on his hand.


    *Splat!*


    Issei - ...Disgusting.


    This is also one of the reasons why he put a sound barrier around Millet beforehand because he doesn''t want any of his women to ever saw his current state. He doesn''t care what other people think of him but he doesn''t want his own loved ones to be afraid of him.


    Then soon after from Felton''s body, there''s a black orb coming out. It''s his sin and soul combined as one.


    Issei grasped it right away to prevent it from escaping.


    FS (Felton Soul) - Hiiiiih!!! L-Let go!


    Issei - Do you think I will let your soul go just like that? Hell is too good for you... QD...


    QD - ...Sup?


    Issei knows that QD is still watching him so he calls her.


    Issei - I''m going to destroy his soul, is it fine?


    QD - ...Fine, you already destroyed Seydes soul anyway so adding one more is no biggies. You can count it as a reward from me as well.


    Issei - Ah, thank you.


    QD - No problemo.


    Issei smirked while looking at FS.


    FS - N-No! L-Let me go! D-Don''t destroy my soul! Anything but that! I will do anything! ANYTHING!


    Issei - You got no rights to bargain with me, trash... And can you see all these souls around us?


    FS - Wh-What are you- HYIIIH?!


    When Issei mentioned it, only then FS started to look around carefully. And he could see thousands of other souls surrounding them, well surrounding him to be exact.


    Their faces filled with wrath towards him and like they can''t wait to exact their revenge personally. Felton recognizes some of those souls from their faces, most of them are the ones he personally killed.


    Issei - They''re the souls of the people you''ve killed, they always follow you around waiting for the day you die so they could get their revenge themselves! Now... I will grant them their wish!


    Issei waved his other hand gently and the wrathful souls took that as a signal and instantly swarmed FS right away. Issei let go of his hand which was holding FS and let them do their work.


    FS - N-No! S-STOP! GYAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!


    All the souls started to rip FS to a million pieces, some of them even started to eat Felton''s very own soul.


    Issei just indifferently watching FS being eaten and ripped apart by all those souls until there''s no more sound coming from Felton. Signaling his eternal demise never to be reincarnated... Even in death, he can never find peace. A fitting end for someone as sinful as him.


    After all the soul is done exacting their revenge, their wrathful faces turned peaceful right away and they all smiled and bowed towards Issei''s direction. Issei could hear and feel how grateful they are towards him.


    Issei - ...May you all find everlasting peace...


    Then one by one the souls started to dissolve into tiny particles of light. They circled around Issei''s body for one last time and then they disappear completely...


    Issei closed his eyes to give a silent prayer for a few minutes before he opens his eyes once more.


    QD - ...That was like a deja vu... Geez, even the way he exacts his revenge is the same as LD when she kills her old ex-lover personally.


    Arthur - Really?


    Arthur''s still not born when LD exact her revenge against her ex-lover after all. So it''s no wonder he knows nothing about it.


    QD - Yeah... She drowns that scum inside a boiling poison for a 1000 years before she discards his soul at <Limbo> itself. But not before she dismembered his body to million pieces herself and have all the evil spirits eat like 95% of his soul though... That was a really creepy sight to witness but I would say it''s a well-deserved punishment considering his betrayal against LD... Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned indeed... Even now I could still remember the scream of that scum when he undergoes all that torture.


    QD had a cold sweat whenever she recalls that moment. Even for her, that was scary all right... Good thing she''s friend with LD she thought.


    Arthur - ...I see.


    Even Arthur couldn''t imagine how painful the torture of LD beforehand. He could only hope that they never go against the path of either LD or Issei themselves. Thankfully they''re not evil so the chances of having to fight them are next to zero.


    All he needs to do is keep QD here in check or she might do something stupid and earn their enmity, he thought.


    QD - ...Why do I have a feeling that you''re thinking something rude just now?


    Arthur - ...It''s just your imagination.


    QD - Hmmm... Oh well, I better collect more <Emptistories>.


    Then QD back to her usual activities but she remembered something and sent telepathy towards Issei about the way to change his wives into Dragon.


    Issei said his thanks towards QD after hearing it. He takes one last look towards Seydes and Felton body before he burnt their body into nothingness.


    Seydes body might look whole but his inside... There''s nothing intact on his inside. If anyone touched his body right now they would realize that it''s like a balloon filled with water. His death is nothing but painful...


    Then he walked towards Millet direction and waited for her to wake up. He prepared some food in case she wakes up and feeling hungry.


    ...


    Millet - Mmh... Uhh?


    Millet finally woke up after a while.


    She sits up from the bed while rubbing her eyes, and she started to look around trying to find out just where she is right now.


    Just when she''s about to move once again, she felt a sting on her lower region.


    Millet - Ooow...


    Then she remembered just what she''s been doing a while ago and her face turned completely red that anyone can see it even through her slightly tanned skin.


    ??? - You''re awake?


    Then she heard the voice that brings her happiness and a little bit of fear at the same time. Fear of feeling that heavenly pleasure once more, not a fear of him as a person of course.


    Millet - M-Milord...


    Issei smiled wryly seeing her feeling a bit afraid against him, but thankfully her fear is not that kind of fear Felton has towards him.


    Issei - Don''t worry, I won''t do things like before if you don''t want me to. Sorry for that, it''s your first time after all.


    Millet - N-No, Milord... I-I like it but... I-It''s just that...


    Issei chuckled and pat her head gently after seeing her face turned even redder after saying that.


    Issei - I know, you don''t have to say it. Now go ahead and have some food I prepared for you.


    Millet - E-Eh?! N-No, I''m not that hungry-


    *Growlll~*


    Millet - ...


    At this point, Millet just wants to find a hole and crawl inside it because of how embarrassed she is right now. Her face couldn''t be any redder...


    Issei - See, go ahead and eat. Don''t worry about me, I already ate.


    Millet - ...U-Un...


    Millet finally obeys Issei''s order and start eating. And she instantly got captivated by the taste of the food and started to eat like there''s no tomorrow.


    In to time, all the food available has been eaten by her. Then she finally realizes that Issei is watching her this entire time.


    Millet - E-Excuse my manners, Milord!


    She hastily apologizes while bowing deeply towards Issei.


    Issei - It''s fine. You don''t need to apologize towards me for everything you know?


    Millet - B-But...


    Issei - Listen, Millet, we need to talk...


    When Millet saw the serious face Issei is making right now she instantly get herself together to listen to Issei''s words.


    Issei - The things you''ve done so far is wrong...


    Then Issei started to patiently talk to Millet about common sense and the likes.


    Of course, Millet doesn''t understand it right away and it will take some times until she fully comprehends Issei''s words. But at least she''s willing to obey Issei words and that''s enough for now.


    He will take no matter how long it takes to teach her about normal common sense and fix her mentality.


    Millet - As you wish, Milord.


    For Millet, Issei''s words are absolute.


    Issei - Um, let''s head back.


    Millet - Ha.


    Issei - But you might want to wear your clothes first. Unless you''re trying to seduce me again?


    Only now Millet remembers that she''s not wearing any clothes right now. And after seeing the teasing grin on Issei''s face she hastily uses her magic to wear her clothes. She tried to put up her serious facade but she''s not fooling anyone with how red her cheeks currently is.


    And she''s still felt a bit of pain on her lower region and Issei notices that.


    Issei - Heheh, here, up you go.


    Millet - Kyah! M-Milord?!


    Issei picks her up in a bridal carry and that broke Millet facade once more.


    Issei - I know you''re still feeling pain down there.


    Millet - I-I can take it. S-So you can put me down milord...


    Issei - Nope, not happening.


    But, despite Millet soft protest Issei still carries her and Millet doesn''t really dislike being carried by Issei anyway, if anything she''s feeling very happy right now. She''s never treated with such care by anyone else before in her entire life.


    Then both of them teleported away from the <Sky Island>.

 Chapter 71 - 70

    Millet knows well just what happened to Felton so she doesn''t need to ask. She doesn''t really care about him at this point.


    When Issei arrived at the Kalars Village, he''s greeted by them all.


    Every Kalar - Welcome back, Issei-sama.


    Issei - Um, I''m back.


    Mertel - So, my king, I take it that you''ve made Millet the <Zero Knight> of Central as yours?


    Mertel teased Issei slightly seeing him carrying Millet on his arms.


    Issei - Ah. You could say that.


    Millet knows that each of the kalars here is stronger than average and she becomes more awed seeing this many of them serving her lord. She''s proud because this is how a True Dragon should be unlike that hag, she thought.


    But after seeing the teasing gazes the kalars gave her she becomes even more embarrassed but there are some that are jealous of her so it''s not that bad she guess. But she still needs to put up a proper appearance so she asked Issei to put her down.


    Millet - M-Milord, can you put me down? I''m fine now...


    Issei - Oh? Are you sure?


    Millet - U-Un...


    Issei - Very well. Mertel, give her a proper treatment because she just lost her first time recently, and it''s while I''m in "That" mode as well...


    All the kalars body trembled slightly when they heard Issei''s words because they know just what he meant by "That" clearly. They''ve experienced it first hand after all.


    Their body trembled not because they are afraid of it, but because of how good it was. It''s their body natural reaction after hearing it.


    Mertel - I see... That must''ve been... Unfortunate? Well, maybe not... Fufufu...


    When Mertel saw the current face of Millet she knows that she must''ve been really enjoying it. Millet realizes the knowing gaze Mertel gave her and she blushed deeply once again because it''s true that she really enjoys it back then.


    Issei - Um, that''s why treat her well okay?


    Issei doesn''t realize their silent communication and proceeds to talk normally.


    Mertel - Hai.


    He finally let Millet down after that.


    Issei - Where''s Croix?


    Mertel - Oh, she''s at her room waiting for you right now. Her room is the best room we have of course.


    Issei - Um, got it.


    Issei knew which room she''s talking about because he spends some times inside it before when he visited the Kalars.


    Issei - Then Millet, go ahead and follow Mertel. I will go meet Croix for now.


    Millet - Ha.


    Then Millet went with Mertel while Issei went to Croix''s room.


    ...


    When Issei''s about to knock on Croix''s room he heard her voice.


    Croix - *Kuhn* *Kuhn*... Otouto''s smell~ Hnnn~


    Issei - ...


    Why does this feel like another deja vu? Well, he better knock fast or it will elevate to something else altogether.


    The Kalars never really clean the room thoroughly so granted Issei''s smell still lingers inside it. They only rearrange the stuff and the likes. They also like Issei''s smell after all.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Croix - H-Hai?! Who is it?


    Croix got startled because she was just about to touch herself while smelling Issei''s smell on the bed.


    Issei - It''s Issei.


    Croix - O-Otouto-kun?! J-Just a sec!


    Then he heard rustling sounds coming from inside probably because Croix wanted to regain her composure or something. After a few minutes, she finally calls Issei in.


    Croix - You can come in now.


    When Issei entered the room he saw Croix standing beside the table with her usual smile but there''s a tint of blush on her cheeks this time.


    Issei chooses to ignore what he just heard before.


    Issei - How are you feeling?


    Croix - Eh? Ah, I''m totally fine. The kalars treated me very well in here, they''re very nice to me. But it''s kinda surprising seeing some of them become an angel and devil though...


    Croix is also a bit taken aback after seeing the new kalars for the first time.


    Issei - Well, I''ll explain about that later and good to know that you''re feeling okay...


    Issei flashed a gentle smile but soon he held back his smile because he needs to inform her about Felton situation.


    Issei - ...I''ve already handled Felton and his accomplices, sorry if you have any feelings towards him but-


    Croix - No.


    When Issei''s still apologizing to her for killing her fiance because he wasn''t sure if she has any feelings towards him or not, Croix cut his words.


    Issei - Hm?


    Croix - You don''t have to apologize towards me about taking care of Prince Felton because I''m fully aware of what he''s planning to do.


    Croix was awake when she arrived at the <Sky Island> but she can''t move her body for some reason so she heard the conversation between Felton and Acheval loud and clear... Only idiot will love a man like Felton after hearing that whole conversation.


    Croix - And I don''t feel anything towards him as well... Do you know, our marriage is only a political marriage, there was no love involved.


    Issei - ...I see... Then I apologize for making you go through all that, I basically used you as bait. I''m sorry... I will take any punishment you want to give me.


    Issei bowed slightly because he feels bad for using Croix as a bait, he doesn''t want Felton and Seydes to escape. If he saves Croix right away then Felton or Seydes might''ve escape beforehand. If any of those two escaped then the <Snake Crest> will keep existing and that''s not what he wanted to see.


    So he waited for Felton to arrive at the <Sky Island> because he knows that he needs to report to Seydes after his "Success". Issei''s plan is perfect and the only downside is that he needed Croix to play the role as bait.


    Croix - ...You know, Ise...


    After waiting for Croix to decide his punishment he heard her start talking, so he looks up only to see the ever-present gentle gaze of Croix along with her smile. But there''s something more inside her gaze, there''s relief, joy, happiness, longing, passion, and love?


    He becomes puzzled, how come her gaze contains that many emotions? He understands she would feel relief, joy, and happiness but as for the others...


    Then he saw her started to walk forward until she arrived at his front. She suddenly put both of her hands on his face, Issei is used to her close skinship so he doesn''t mind it but there''s something different from her touch this time. It feels more gentle than it used to be, it''s like she''s touching a delicate artwork and the like.


    Croix - When I was kidnapped by Prince Felton, I never feel afraid at all... Do you know why?


    Issei unconsciously shakes his head because he truly doesn''t know.


    Croix - It''s because I know you''re going to save me... I never stop believing that you will somehow save me from him. You promised me after all... When my father asked you to protect me, remember?


    Of course Issei remembers it, he''s a man of his words after all. Even before he became a dragon he always keeps his words.


    Issei - Ah...


    Croix - That''s why I never lose hope nor feel fear the entire time... And I was right... You saved me... Even though it''s not you personally but it''s enough to know that you sent the kalars to save me.


    Her gaze turned a little feverish and her soft fingers started to stroke his face gently and it kind of makes him feel itchy inside his heart.


    Croix - Ne, Ise...


    Issei thinks that this is the first time he heard her call him by his name and not his usual nickname.


    Croix - Do you know who''s the man I''m in love with?


    Issei eyes widen hearing her question but he doesn''t know how to respond to it, deep inside he already knows the answer to her question but he''s still not 100% sure so he shakes his head gently.


    Croix - You actually already know it didn''t you?


    Croix can see inside his eyes that he actually already knows the answer so she smiled gently at him.


    Croix - It''s you... You''re the man I fell in love with, Ise...


    Issei - ...


    Issei is at loss for words after hearing Croix confession.


    Croix - Ever since I first met you, I started to develop feelings towards you. It''s like love at first sight... And my feelings keep growing when I see what kind of man you are. When I see how well you treat your wives... I keep getting more and more attracted to you... And from their faces, I can see happiness and joy for being your wife... To be honest, I feel jealous of them... At how free they are, for being able to marry the man they truly love... I even feel jealous of Riche... Jealous of my own beloved little sister for being able to marry you...


    Issei - ...Croix.


    Croix - ...And if I''m not engaged already, I would''ve pursued you, just like Riche did... But my duty as the royal princess doesn''t allow me to be that selfish, because my selfishness would bring sorrow and trouble for my father and the people of Eden as well... So I buried my feelings thinking that we''re not meant to be...


    *Drip Drip*


    Issei saw tears starting to flow from Croix''s eyes and he felt excruciating pain inside his heart after seeing her tears that he doesn''t know what to do after seeing it, but then he saw that she started to smile even though she''s still crying.


    Croix - ...But Mother Eve must''ve heard my prayer... I feel bad for feeling happy that Prince Felton is the <Snake Crest> member, but I can''t help it... I can''t help feeling happy and glad at the same time... Because that means I could also pursue my own true love... I can finally do what I want for the first time in my entire life... I can choose the man I want to marry... So, Ise... My beloved otouto-kun... Will you accept my feelings?... Will you accept this foolish princess feeling?


    There''s no way Issei can refuse her confession and he doesn''t want to refuse her anyway, so he obviously accepts her feelings.


    Issei - ...Ah, I accept.


    Then Issei saw the most beautiful smile blooming on Croix face, the prettiest and happiest smile she ever has. Issei instantly becomes captivated at that smile of hers.


    Croix closes her eyes and puckered her lips slightly, and Issei knows just what she wants and he obviously going to obey her wish. He held her body close and finally... Their lips are connected and the same goes for both of their hearts as well.


    Croix felt like she''s in bliss right now. She never felt so happy in her entire life, she''s finally in the arms of the man she truly loves...


    After a few minutes, they finally stopped their kiss and they both gazes at each other before chuckling together.


    Issei - I don''t know what would Riche think about this...


    Croix - Hmm, I think she''s going to be happy because her beloved onee-chan is going to join the family~

 Chapter 72 - 71

    Issei finally could really relax after that whole incident. He spent most of his entire time training Ramius and the others while having a date with them from time to time.


    There are a lot of people wanted to see him in person but he declines them all saying he''s not interested. But they only saw this side of him to be a humble type for some reason.


    The girls'' progress is going steady as well, even Croix started to learn some offensive magic and some basic training taught by Issei himself. As Issei has already expected, her progress in learning magic is really fast.


    Now that Croix doesn''t need to keep her act anymore she diligently started to learn magic and get basic training from Issei as well. She''s like a sponge that keeps absorbing Issei''s teaching.


    After some times, the whole world titled Issei as the second coming of Arthur, as in he''s the new hero of the world but some still thought the title <Tyrant Overlord> suit him better. Issei doesn''t really care what they call him though.


    Riche and co asked Issei to show them his dragon form at some point and Issei agreed to their request. When they heard his chant they felt warm and happy inside because that''s basically his vow towards them. To bring them infinite hope and dreams, to become their light in the darkness and also their protector. A future that shines brighter than any light...


    But the twins are even more awed after seeing his dragon form because it''s by far the most beautiful and majestic dragon they''ve ever seen. Even QD Dragon form loses against Issei Dragon form. And they have to agree that he''s indeed the most fitting to become The True Dragon Emperor.


    All of them asked Issei to carry them on his back, except for Riche that is because she''s still afraid of heights but after some reassuring from Issei she finally agreed to hop on his back and she enjoys it a lot. They played all day long with Issei''s dragon form, thankfully Issei already deployed a barrier around himself or it will bring about a great commotion if people were to see his Dragon form.


    The public still doesn''t know that Issei could transform into a Dragon, they only know that he''s half-dragon. It''s better this way because from the pact with QD it''s stated that no Dragon should get


    involved with the human problems.


    Issei was also able to tweak the world''s law for a bit and make the Outlaw girls at the Arthur ruins be free from the curse they once had. When they saw that the <Black Ring> disappeared from their hands they all shed tears of joy, some of them even in a state of disbelief because they never thought they can be free from their curse.


    Tio shed tears of joy but she never said thank you towards Issei because she knows he wouldn''t want that, instead she shows him just how thankful she is on the bed. Tio push herself to the limit and able to last for half a day with Issei but soon she fainted with a blissful smile on her face but she can''t get up from the bed for the whole day after that though...


    Tilt scolded Issei for going too far but it''s just fake anger from her because she''s also happy to see those Outlaw Girls freed from their curse. And she kind of envy her big sister after all this time because how good it must''ve been to be fucked silly like that by Issei.


    Issei wryly smiled after being scolded by Tilt because he''s indeed has gone a little overboard back then.


    But some of the Outlaw Girls said they wanted to repay Issei by serving him for the rest of their lives because they don''t have any more place to go back to one of them is Colpis even though she''s not an Outlaw before she still chooses to follow Issei alongside the other girls as well.


    Issei doesn''t refuse their request but he told them that they can leave at any time they want because he does this for Tio and not for his personal gain. All the girls feel touched by his words but they promised him that they will never betray him, then they follow Tio and learn from her to manage the company.


    Issei and his wives also visited Sora at the <Level-up Shop> because it''s about time they reach Lv.100 which is the maximum level on this world.


    When Sora finds out that Issei has so many wives she becomes a little dejected but when she saw that all of them becomes Lv.100 she was ecstatic because that means that she can finally become the <Level-Up Goddess>.


    She instantly profusely thanked them and wanted to become Issei personal <Level Goddess>, she tried to seduce Issei with her sexy "Picture" but to no avail because Issei already knew that her real form is that of a little girl which looks like 12 years old. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/f/fc/Sora-portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20180806011813)


    She becomes embarrassed for being exposed but she told Issei that she surely grows up just like her older sister. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/7/76/Mifa-portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20180924004457 This is her older sister).


    Most Level Gods candidates work in Level Shops, public stores people can go to when they need to level up, they needed to have a contract with someone that has promising future to become a <Level God/Goddess>.


    Some Level Gods form contracts with humans and become the personal Level God for that individual or their companions. Adventuring parties typically induct someone with their own Level God into their group so they can level up out in the field without any complications since the person that is bound to the Level God can summon them at any time.


    There are <Temporary Contract> and <Eternal Contract>, as its name implies, <Temporary Contracts> are only temporary and both parties can cancel it at any time. But <Eternal Contracts> means they are bound forever, the <Level God> that have linked themselves to the other party can only serve him/her for their entire life.


    This is extremely rarely seen since it''s not worth the risk because if the contractors were to die then the <Level God> will also fall alongside them. It''s a win-win situation for them other than that.


    As long as the contractors grow stronger then that <Level God> will also grow stronger alongside them, and the <Level God> also assist their growth by converting the <EXP> points which only visible to them to make the contractors grow even stronger.


    The <Level God> which has <Eternal Contract> could also make their contractors companions grow stronger, do note that by what it means by their companions is their family and not just friends. The contractors needed to have some kind bonds with that said companion of them, whether it by blood or by some other bonds such as love, etc. In other words, companions here equal to their wife/children/parents.


    And in the eyes of Sora, there are no better candidates other than Issei from what she has seen so far even from what she studies or read there are no cases like Issei, so what he''s done so far is unprecedented and unheard of.


    The fastest record for a sentient being such as human to reach Lv.100 so far is 50 years, Arthur is a special case since he''s assisted by QD back then.


    The last time they met was like a month ago and that time he already reaches Lv.60+ from the get-go. Now when they meet again he''s already become Lv.100 just like she expected and not only that, he also brought along all of his wives and they all also already reached Lv.100, in just a span of 1 month... If that''s not amazing then she doesn''t know what is...


    One of the requirement to make the girls become a Dragon is they need to be Lv.100 first according to QD. Because if he were to change them into a Dragon when they''re low-leveled or in other words still weak then their bodies won''t be able to take it.


    So he needs to train their physical body and their soul as well before they could undergo the process of their <Rebirth> to become a Dragon. Physical training is easy enough but for Soul training, it''s kind of hard, and the easiest way to do it is to have your own <Level God> to do the job.


    When an individual has reached Lv.100 they automatically advanced to <Tier 1>, and then when they reached Lv.200 it''s <Tier 2> and so on.


    The Tier classification below is according to the power level of the DxD world. (AN: I''ve just read the wiki and there are no Satan Class Devil so yeah, my bad

 Chapter 73 - 72

    *SIIING*


    Finally, the summon was finished and Forzelotte held her breath seeing the man that suddenly appear before him.


    He has a silky dark-brown slightly long hair that reaches his collarbone. His face is devilishly handsome, that enchanting wine-red eyes and that white smooth skin that could make any women out there feeling envious. And the way he currently dressed is very sexy as well, his upper clothes are currently unbuttoned exposing his perfect muscle chest and perfect abs. While his pants are not properly connected by his belt as well enabling his waist to be slightly visible.


    This man is obviously Issei, he used his magic at the last second just before he was summoned, and because of his brain still isn''t focused enough from the broken seal that Forzelotte put inside him he can''t properly wear his clothes. Even now his breathing was slightly rugged and he''s also sweating a little bit.


    If any normal women saw Issei current appearance then they will instantly become head over heels towards him because his current appearance is so mesmerizing. His little bit of sweat on his body just made him even more mouthwatering.


    Forzelotte only mesmerized because it''s her other half not because he''s handsome. If he''s not her other half then she could care less even if he was the most handsome man in the multiverse.


    Issei also starts inspecting her right now and he has to admit that she''s indeed as beautiful as Semiramis and co. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-2104984272.jpg).


    He still needs to process on what''s happening inside his body, he knows that right now his soul is interlinked with her. And he got no one to blame for that but himself because he''s the one who decided to protect her back then even though she already told him to leave her be.


    If anything he should be thankful towards her that he''s still alive right now or he would''ve died a long time ago.


    Forzelotte stands up from her throne and walked forward until she arrives at Issei''s front.


    Forzelotte - ...We''ve finally met again... My significant other... Issei...


    She extended her hands toward Issei''s face and he doesn''t try to evade her touch in the slightest.


    Forzelotte - Fufufu, just like I expected... My <Devour> skill doesn''t work on you.


    <Devour> is Forzelotte Unique skill. She can <Devour> anything that related to mana, whether it be life force or magic itself she can absorb it all. But she can only absorb an attack from those that are weaker than her or at least on par with her in terms of overall strength.


    If the opposite party has greater strength than her then she won''t be able to absorb their attack.


    The other downside is that she also can''t touch any of her subordinates directly or they will die instantly. She needs to complete the pact between her and Issei to gain perfect control over her unique skill.


    One of the reasons she became the Supreme Overlord on this world is because of that unique skill of hers. As for the other reasons, she''s a really capable and strong woman as well. And her biggest trump card is Issei himself...


    Every Demonkin agreed to her position as the Supreme Overlord, as well as the other faction for that matter. Whether it be The Celestials or The humans, they all agreed to it without any objection.


    After touching his cheeks for a while she moved her hand slightly toward the mark on his cheek, which is the claw-like mark tattoo of his.


    Forzelotte - Can you feel it? This mark is what connects us with each other...


    By having their souls interlinked neither of them could die as long as the other one still alive. If you want to kill either Issei and Forzelotte herself then you need to kill them both at the same time.


    So, even if Rias didn''t reincarnate Issei as a devil back then when he''s "Killed" by Reynare, Issei wouldn''t have died anyway. He will automatically revive himself after some time. And if his whole body disappears then his soul would''ve gone toward Forzelotte''s place and vice versa.


    And that''s why Issei is her biggest trump card. The only one who knows about Issei is only her close aide that absolutely won''t betray her in any way.


    Forzelotte - Do you still remember my name, Issei?


    Issei - ...I do... Forzelotte Savant.


    Forzelotte smile grew wider after hearing that he still remembers her name but then she sensed something odd about Issei''s soul. She started frowning while inspecting his soul current state.


    Forzelotte - ...Why are your current souls slightly different from before? I can sense traces of some sort of corrupting element inside it... I see... So what I felt back then is not just my misconception...


    She remembered what she felt a while ago. (AN: That time when Issei <Evil Pieces> started to corrupting his soul right before he''s reborn as a Dragon.)


    Even though Issei current soul is not corrupted anymore but there are still a tiny traces of it and it will take some time before it will completely disappear. It won''t affect him in any way, but it still angers Forzelotte that someone dares to do this towards her other half.


    Her yellow eyes glowed brightly and her smile turned into a scowl after realizing it was not just her misconception back then.


    Forzelotte - Who was it... What''s causing your soul to become tainted with this filthy corruption? Who''s responsible for it... Tell me.


    Her bloodlust started to go wild after thinking that there''s actually someone that dares to corrupt her other half beautiful soul. She will make sure that the one who''s responsible for it pay dearly.


    Issei - ...It''s already in the past, and it''s quite a long story, to be honest...


    Forzelotte - Just tell me, I have all the time in the world.


    Issei - ...


    Issei is thinking if he should tell her about his past life or not and when he was about to decide to tell her there''s another portal created nearby. And the one who comes out from it is Semiramis, Scathach, and Irene.


    Semiramis and co - Ise!


    They are glad to see that Issei is still safe and sound then they saw Forzelotte who''s emitting bloodlust. They clearly misunderstood her bloodlust and thought that it was aimed at Issei.


    Semiramis - Get away from him! <Chain of Death>!


    Semiramis instantly cast her magic at Forzelotte. Scathach and Irene also launched their respective attack towards Forzelotte.


    Scathach - <Impaler Strike>!


    Irene - <Dragon Flame>!


    Issei - Wai-!


    Issei was about to stop them from attacking but it''s too late because they''ve already launched their attack.


    Semiramis attack takes a form of a dozen black chains that contains <Death> element inside it, Irene used her flame breath while Scathach threw her spear which contains her <Ougi> towards Forzelotte.


    Forzelotte - How dare you! Hmph, <Devour>!


    Forzelotte easily devoured both Semiramis and Irene attack since both of their attacks contains mana so it''s useless against her, the moment their attack reached her, it disappears into thin air, and as for Scathach attack she calmly deflected her spear to the side but she felt some weird intent behind her attack but since that intent contain her <Qi> then it''s also devoured by Forzelotte as well.


    Semiramis and co - Wha?!


    All of them are surprised seeing Forzelotte being able to take all their attack head-on like that.


    Sure that was not their full powered attack because they don''t want to hurt Issei in the process but it''s still quite strong. So it''s understandable that they''re surprised seeing someone able to easily handle their attack combination.


    Forzelotte - Who sent you here? Well, it doesn''t matter, because all of you will die here... <Black Ho-


    Forzelotte extended her hand and was about to launch her own attack when Issei stopped her from doing so.


    Issei - Stop, Forzelotte...


    He grasped Forzelotte extended hand to stop her from launching her own attack.


    Forzelotte - ...Why are you stopping me, Issei?


    Semiramis and co are also confused about what''s going on. Because when Issei stopped her, she appears to be obeying his command because the moment Issei put his hand on her she stopped her attack.


    Semiramis - Just what is going on here, dearest?


    Forzelotte - ...Dearest? What she meant by that, Issei?


    Forzelotte body twitched when she heard Semiramis calling Issei with that nickname then she glared at Issei demanding for an explanation.


    Issei sighed tiredly because he needs to do a lot of explaining now...


    Issei - The thing is...


    Then Issei explained everything to them. He told Forzelotte that Semiramis and co are his women.


    Scathach blushed slightly when he said that she''s his woman, but she''s feeling happy inside. The same goes for Semiramis and Irene.


    Then he explained his past when he was a kid and how he met Forzelotte back then. Semiramis and co become completely surprised and they feel glad that he''s alive until now. They also felt thankful toward Forzelotte because if not for her then this idiot here would''ve died a long time ago and they would''ve never met with each other.


    Irene - ...I swear, partner... You need to start thinking about yourself more...


    Irene felt a headache thinking about Issei conducts because he almost lost his life for someone else even when he was still a kid. It''s nice of him to be that way but she''s worried that he might lose his life because of this someday and that''s not a thing that she wants to see.


    Issei - Err... My bad...


    Semiramis - Dearest... We need to have a little talk later. Understand?

 Chapter 74 - 73

    Issei doesn''t answer her words but he immediately pulled Semiramis body towards himself and joined their lips together straight away.


    Semiramis at first was a little surprised but soon she reciprocated his loving and gentle kiss. They entangled their tongues together.


    Both of Issei''s hand went toward Semiramis plump butt cheeks and gave it a squish gently.


    Semiramis - Mmh, Hamph, Mmn... Mhm, Mmwah... Fufufu, you seem to be an ass man as well, dearest.


    Issei - Heheh, I guess that''s true.


    Semiramis - What do you think of my butt?


    Issei - It''s really soft and firm, overall it''s perfect.


    Semiramis - Ufufufu, I''m glad you like it... Mmh, mmn...


    They resumed their kissing session with a bit of more fervor this time, they entangled their tongue while exchanging their saliva with each other as well. Semiramis ran through her hands on Issei''s soft hair and one of Issei''s hand went towards her slit opening and gently teases it along with her butt as well.


    Semiramis - Mmn, Mmh, Mnah... Haumph, Mmchu...


    After a while, Semiramis is soaking wet down there. Her breathing turned ragged and she kept exhaling a hot sigh, her face is blushing deeply and her eyes are moist and filled with lust. She felt like can''t take much of Issei''s teaching much longer.


    Semiramis - D-Dearest, p-please... I can''t take it any longer...


    Issei - Um, got it...


    Issei lifted his body and Semiramis body slightly. Her beautiful body feels very light and soft in his arms, he holds her back, to make sure she stays on top of his lap while kissing her and Semiramis put her arms around Issei''s neck.


    After he got both of them into position, Issei aimed his cock towards Semiramis moist entrance and looked at her in the eyes.


    Issei - I''m going in, Semi...


    Semiramis - Hai... Make me yours, dearest...


    After hearing her confirmation, Issei slowly inserted his cock into her narrow slit and keep going deeper until he felt an obstacle in his way, it''s her hymen. After stopping for a second he resumed his insertion and broke her hymen.


    *Sllsh* *Rip*


    Semiramis - Ehm!


    Semiramis frowned a little feeling the pain of losing her virginity but more than that she felt really happy because she finally becomes one with Issei.


    Semiramis - ...Fufufu, we''ve finally become one, dearest... I felt really happy...


    Issei - Ah... Me as well...


    They both smiled at each other, Semiramis shed a few tears of happiness.


    Semiramis - This feels better than I thought... I felt warm and tingly down there... You can move now, dearest. It''s not that painful anymore.


    Semiramis put her hand on Issei''s cheek and told him to move.


    Issei - Um...


    With small movements, he starts to move, slowly tasting the feel of her flesh around him.


    Issei - Your inside feels really tight and good, Semi...


    Semiramis - Hah, aah... Really? It''s not too loose, compared to the others?


    Issei - Ah, there is no need to compare, yours is perfect. It''s making me feel really good.


    Semiramis - Ah, aah... I''m glad... Hah, I''m so happy to have you inside me... I-It''s okay to move, faster, mm... If you want, dearest... haah...


    It seems most of the pain had wane away, and now she is not experiencing much pain anymore. Issei lovingly pats her hair with his hand and wipe the tear in her eye.


    Semiramis felt really happy for how caring and gentle he is because even in this situation he still prioritizes herself over his self.


    Semiramis - Haa! Ku, mm, haa! Y-Your penis is so big, I can feel, haah... As it goes in and out... Haahn!


    As Issei penis enter her again and again, he''s shaping her vagina to suit his own shape.


    With each movement of his penis in and out of her, a little red-tinted liquid came out of her. With each small movement, Issei pushes deeper into her. Semiramis also started moving her hips up and down slightly to match Issei''s pace.


    Semiramis - Haah, haah, fu, haahn! I-It''s so big, and it''s grinding inside... Haah, haa, making a wet sound, it feels amazing... Ahn!


    *Sllsh* *Sllsh* *Sllsh*


    Issei pushes inside her again and again, feeling her incredible warmth all around him. Deeper and deeper he pushes, into a place where no man had visited before him, as he enjoys the sweet sound she was making.


    Semiramis - D-Dearest! haah, ahn... K-Kiss me... Haah, ah... Mmwah, mmh, mmn!


    Semiramis asked Issei to give her a kiss and Issei do just that, he pulled her even closer to his body and give her the kiss she wanted. He still doesn''t stop his movement when they''re having their kissing session, the same goes for Semiramis as well. Both of their movement is completely in unison, and they both feel extreme pleasure because of it.


    Issei is now all the way inside Semiramis''s deepest place, where she would someday carry a child. As proof of her deflowering, her pussy juice was mixed with more than a little blood.


    Semiramis - Mmh, Mmchu... Haah, haah! Ahhn, haah! T-This is so good, I had... Aahn! No idea... I''m never going to stop doing... This, ah! Please keep, hah... Making love to me, dearest, now and forever, ahn!?


    *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!* *Sloosh!*


    Issei - Ah, it feels good for me as well, and it''s getting so wet for me that I can''t stop.


    Faster and faster his penis enter her, picking up more speed as he went. Her vaginal walls close around him as he moves in and out of her.


    Issei thought of something and give her cute long ears a nibble. And her reaction is totally unexpected to him.


    Semiramis - KYAHN! N-Not my ears, dearest... I''m very sensitive there.


    Issei felt like teasing her a bit more so he keeps nibbling her ears, Semiramis tried to hold it in but it''s no use because Issei kept teasing her ears. She finally can''t take it anymore and let out a loud cry.


    Semiramis - D-Don''t stop, haah, all of me belongs to you, and only you, d-dearest, haaahn!


    After teasing her ears for a while Issei finally stopped his teasing and they both keep going at it until both of them felt like they''re about to come.


    Semiramis - Ahn! Aahhn! I-I can''t... It''s so... It feels too good, haah! My body is opening up to you, Ahhn! Give me your semen, now... Haah!


    Semiramis may lack sexual experience, but her body is responding to Issei beautifully.


    Issei - Ah, if that''s what you want... I''ll give it all to you.


    Semiramis - Ahhn, ahh, ahhn! Y-Yes, give it to me! Shoot it all into my womb!


    As the feeling in him built up, Issei continued pushing up to the very deepest part of her. He started moving his hips faster, preparing the final spurt of movement.


    Semiramis - Ahhn, haah! Ku, ahhn! I-I can''t... Hah, haahn! Haah! I-I''m going to come! Haah, ahn, hnn! It''s so good, I''m going to come!


    Issei - Gh, I''m going to come, too, Semi!


    Semiramis - I''m coming! I-I''m coming! Ahhn...!!!???


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    They both climaxed at the same time.


    Issei held Semiramis body tightly against his own and buried his head on her voluptuous breasts while Semiramis body bent backward along with her head while she utters a silent cry of ecstasy after feeling Issei''s semen flooded the deepest part of her womb.


    Semiramis - I-It''s really coming out... I can feel it shooting inside me... There''s so much, it''s going to overflow... You''ve completely filled me up with your seed... Haah, mmhah, ahhn... F-Fufufu, it''s too bad I can''t get pregnant right now because, with the current amount of semen you''re pumping into me now, I would''ve been guaranteed to become impregnated... Ah, it''s still coming...


    She doesn''t want to get ahead of Forzelotte because she wants to win the fight fair and square and Issei also doesn''t want to have a child right now until Nyarlathotep case is over so she felt it''s too bad but she could wait.


    She has been waiting for who knows how long to find her true love, and now that she found it she can wait for a bit more before she can bore his child.


    Semiramis looked down at Issei who''s currently buried his head on her chest and stroked his head gently. Feeling her touch Issei looked up at her.


    Issei - Don''t worry, I will defeat Nyarlathotep, I promise you.


    Issei solemnly promised Semiramis that he would defeat Nyarlathotep no matter what.


    Semiramis - Un, I believe you, dearest...


    Semiramis smiled from the bottom of her heart and she truly believes that Issei would be able to defeat Nyarlathotep when the time comes.


    They both then smiled at each other and joined their lips once again.


    Semiramis pussy is still filled with Issei dick and cum. Some of the semen has started to flow out of her and mix with her red virgin blood. But Issei doesn''t even notice, as this charming and beautiful woman in his arms has completely occupied his mind with her lips and tongue.


    They both share the warmth they felt with each other, Issei holds Semiramis body tightly and vice versa. It''s like both of them are truly trying to blend their body as one.


    Semiramis - I love you, Ise... My heart and head both go crazy whenever you''re around... Please, let me stay with you, forever...


    Issei - Ah... I love you as well, Semi... I will never let you go, I also don''t want you to leave my side...


    Semiramis - Un...


    A bright smile appears on Semiramis''s face, together with a few tears of happiness. But then she closed her eyes and started chanting.


    Semiramis - I, who goes by the name Lady Death now goes by the name Semiramis Hyoudou, grant my Dearest Husband, Issei Hyoudou, complete control over the <Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Aerial Garden of Vanity>...


    *Buzzz!*


    There''s a loud buzzing sound before Issei felt a certain connection has been established between him and the Flying Fortress, and there''s also an oddly shaped key that entered Issei''s body. He is now the master of the garden alongside Semiramis herself. There''s a purple and black rune appearing around her body and Issei.


    Semiramis - And I also grant him complete control over my domain... The world shall welcome the birth of the <True Overlord>, one who truly governs over <Life> and <Death>, rejoice and despair. Rejoice for those who stand by his side will know true everlasting glory and despair for those who stand in his way because he will bring you eternal damnation! Now, my love. Receive the <Orb of Death>.


    With the end of her chant, the whole universe trembled. As if they''re truly welcoming the birth of the new True God.


    The one who is in the lawful faction felt warm and secure while those who''s in the evil faction felt cold and terror.


    There''s a black orb appeared on top of Semiramis hand and it floated towards Issei, and then, it enters his body. Issei closed his eyes and felt the change that happened inside him.


    The <Orb of Life> and the <Orb of Death> resonating with each other and after a few seconds, they combined together and become The <Orb of Domination over Life and Death>.


    *CRACK!*


    There''s a cracking sound can be heard on the depths of Issei''s soul. It''s the cracking sound of Nyarlathotep <Mark>.


    (<Chaos> Mastery - 100%)


    Issei can feel the mark started to slowly combined with his soul slowly but surely, and he can understand the element of <Chaos> completely now.


    Semiramis also felt the changes that are currently happening on Issei body and she felt ecstatic after feeling the overflowing <Chaos> aura that''s coming out of his body because that''s a sign that Issei has finally fully mastered the <Chaos> element.


    Only those that mastered the <Chaos> element can emit its aura, it has been that way ever since the beginning of times and there was no exception whatsoever.


    Issei''s dark-brown hair started changing color to pure jet black but the tip of his hair is colored with deep-red in color. (AN: Just like the novel cover image).


    His whole aura is even more dominating than ever now because he just reached <Tier 7> in terms of raw power.


    All of Issei''s attack is also imbued with <Chaos> element from now on.


    ...


    -Somewhere at the void-


    A lone figure can be found curling its body into a ball, there are thousands and thousands of tentacles coming out from it''s back. The dark figure is unclear and the only thing that can be seen is the outline of its body which looks like a female figure.


    The figure appears to be not moving in the slightest except for the tentacles on its back. But soon its body jerked and it opened its eye.


    Its eyes are pitch black with no light reflected inside it whatsoever, just like those of a dead fish eyes.


    It grinned widely and started laughing jovially after feeling one of the marks it gave away started reacting greatly.


    ??? - Eheheh... Hehehe... AHAHAHAHAHA! YES! YES! FINALLY! I HAVE FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE WORTHY OF CHALLENGE! NOW WHO WAS IT?!... Oh? The <True Dragon King>?... HEHEHEHE! HE DOESN''T DISAPPOINT ME, HE TRULLY DOESNT DISAPPOINT ME! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!


    This figure is obviously Nyarlathotep, it was regenerating the damage that Issei has done to its body. The tentacles were devouring any mini-world they could find.


    Nyarlathotep - Good... Good... Now I don''t need to wait for the other <Mark> to bloom... <Extract>...


    All across the multiverse, those who have been marked by Nyarlathotep screamed in agony and they soon die. Over millions of lives has perished just from its single thought.


    Those that die was the one it has marked before but it never bloomed until now. Unlike Issei, they never encountered Nyarlathotep in person but only marked by it from the void.


    It marked those that it finds promising, whether it be a King, Gods, Demon Lord, etc. But now it doesn''t need to wait for their mark to bloom anymore because it has found one that has bloomed. Now it extracted back all of its marks so it can be in its full power when it has its showdown with Issei.


    That''s right, every time Nyarlathotep give away its mark, its power also chipped away a little bit. So when it was fighting Issei back then it''s still not at full power... That''s how terrifying Nyarlathotep was...


    Nyarlathotep - Khu khu khu... Soon, soon we will have our showdown <True Dragon King>... No, I should call you <Chaotic True Dragon God> now? Hehehehe... I can''t wait for our showdown... Whether it be your demise or mine... We shall see...


    Then it closed its eyes once more and started resuming its activities from before...


    ...


    -Back at Issei-


    After a while, Issei has finally opened his eyes and the first thing he saw is Semiramis loving and proud gaze she has towards him.


    Semiramis - You did it, dearest! You have completely mastered the <Chaos> element now! Haauhn?!


    She hugged Issei tightly the moment she saw he opened his eyes but she forgot that they''re still connected down there, so she moaned after realizing it.


    Issei - Heheh, be careful now, and yes... I''ve mastered it, now I have a bigger chance to defeat Nyarlathotep.


    Semiramis - Fufufu, I knew you could do it, dearest. Now the other girls should feel more rest assured after they heard about this... But before that... Hmph!


    Issei - O-Oh?


    Semiramis pushed Issei down and she licked her lips seductively while looking down at Issei.


    Semiramis - I''m ready for our second round... And this is the payback for your teasing back then... Haumph!


    Issei - Guh...


    She chomped down on Issei''s ear and keep teasing it until Issei can''t take it anymore but thankfully she let go when he''s about to retaliate. She then looks at Issei''s new appearance.


    Semiramis - ...I like your new look, dearest... Black hair suits you very well... Hmmh...


    She rotated her hips slightly while Issei is still inside her. With a precise movement for a virgin just a while ago she sure knows how to move her hips.


    Semiramis - Haahn! I love you so much, dearest~ Ahn! Haah...


    The view of her splendorous body, with her breasts jiggling around every time she moves and the way her pussy walls squeezing tightly down on his penis simply feels amazing, he thought.


    The pleasure and happiness he feels are so much, that he doesn''t even know what to say anymore. Nothing but his desire for Semiramis remains in his mind right now and drives him almost crazy.


    Issei wanted to fuck her harder, but he holds back since he wants to let Semiramis be in the lead this time.


    The semen that was inside her makes it easier for his penis to enter her pussy in and out. It''s making a wet sound that makes them both feel even more aroused.


    Semiramis - I''m yours, dearest... Haah, whenever you want, we can do this again and again. In any way you would like since nothing makes me happier than to see you pleased... Ahn!?


    Issei - Ah, you''re mine and I''m yours, Semi...


    Semiramis - H-Hai, Haahhh! Thank you, my love...?


    Issei felt so happy to hear her words and thinking about the things they would experience together in the future makes his cock gets even harder. Semiramis pussy walls also squeeze even tighter in happiness after hearing his words.


    Then they both keep enjoying their lovemaking session until they lost count just how many time they have cum together.


    Semiramis has already cast a time barrier around them because she knows that their lovemaking session will take quite a while. She wants to keep having sex with Issei to make up for the lost time they''re missing together.


    1 day, 2 days, 3 days... They keep going at it non-stop and they tried every position they could think of.


    In the end, their lovemaking session took a whole 3 days before Semiramis endurance can''t take it anymore and she fainted away with a pure blissful smile on her face on Issei''s chest.


    The whole room reeks of their juices odor, but they don''t care about it and sleep in each other arms comfortably.


    ...


    When Issei woke up he can''t sense Semiramis presence near him, he slowly opens his eyes and looks around. And he saw Semiramis by the window looking outside.


    She''s still not wearing a single piece of clothing and Issei gets the perfect view of her perfect plump butt. He almost can''t stop his self to make love at her again after seeing it but he manages to hold it in.


    Their current room location is located at the dead center of the Fortress so it has a perfect view over the whole Fortress.


    Semiramis - Isn''t this place wonderful, Dearest? All of this I presented to you...


    Issei got up from the bed and walked towards Semiramis and then he hugged her from behind while giving her sexy neck a gentle kiss and Semiramis moaned a little feeling his kiss on her neck.


    Issei - It is wonderful, but you''re even more wonderful for me, you''re the greatest blessing in my life... I love you, Semi.


    Semiramis whole body turned into a putty almost immediately the moment he hugged her body, she fully entrusted her whole body weight toward Issei.


    Semiramis - Ufufu, I felt the same way, my love. And I know you felt that way towards me, you''ve proved it to me for the last 3 days after all~?


    Issei - Heheh, true...


    They both chuckled together, but then Issei noticed something outside the window.


    Issei - ...Is that <Sky Island>?


    There''s the <Sky Island> from the Eve world outside the window.


    Semiramis - Yes, I''m having the fortress absorbing the <Sky Island>... This whole Fortress is like a living artifact, it can grow infinitely as long as it absorbs a magical artifact such as <Sky Island>... I''ve imbued this whole fortress with my Magecraft after all, I spent a very long time to master it but I did it...


    Issei - I see.


    Semiramis - At the treasury warehouse, you can find almost an infinite number of riches... Whether it be Gold, Weapons, Armors, and many more which I have collected after all this time, there was a Human King once tried to take it as his own but he ultimately failed... If I recall correctly his name was Gil something, I forgot... All you need to do is say the keyword and the Fortress will grant you access to the treasury, and that keyword is <Gate of Babylon>... Try it.


    Issei - Um, <Gate of Babylon>.


    Issei does as he was told and said the keyword. And the moment he does that he gets all the knowledge about the treasury state, and if he ever wishes to he could use it as a weapon as well.


    Semiramis - You must''ve noticed as well... Yes, it can also be used as a weapon. You can send out as little as one or two weapons or hundreds of thousands at a single time that it becomes comparable to a torrent of "gushing water" directed at the opponent... It can also carry a living being if you want. In other words, it can be used as a means of transportation. It has a lot more function but I will let you find it out yourself for later... Now let''s go and meet with the others.


    Issei - Um.


    ...


    They both wear their clothes and opened a rift towards Forzelotte world, but when they''re in the void they unexpectedly meet with two individual they never thought would encounter here. But the one who''s surprised the most is Issei himself because he knows both of them fully well.


    They are two girls, one of them has an appearance, that of a cute young girl with long black hair down to her hips and black eyes. Her ears differ from a normal human''s as they have pointed tips, although her long black hair makes this feature difficult to notice. Her dark grey eyes have reptilian slitted pupils and she''s wearing a gothic lolita fashion.


    While the other one appearance looks totally identical with the first one, whether it be their face, body build, or outfit, but her hair is tied into a ponytail instead.


    Both of them are gazing at Issei intently and their face is kind of confused while looking at him and both of their head are also tilted to the side.


    There was a silence ensued when they gaze at each other but one of the young girls broke the silence.


    ??? - Issei?


    Right after the first one called his name the second girl also follows suit.


    ??? - Issei?


    Issei - ...Ophis, Lilith...


    Yes, both of them are Ophis and Lilith who Issei haven''t met for a long time...

 Chapter 75 - 74

    When Ophis and Lilith heard Issei''s voice they know that it is him. Even though his voice is slightly different but they can also tell from his scent alone.


    But his scent now compared to back then is even more sharper and overbearing, his whole being exuded dominance aura that even they felt like they wanted to submit to him.


    Oddly enough although they can smell Ddraig scent on him it''s kind of different smell from they used to know but that doesn''t matter because they both miss Issei a lot. They''re really bored when they helped the Great Red at the void.


    When they affirmed that the man in front of them is Issei himself, both of them instantly jumped into his embrace.


    Issei - Whoa there.


    Issei got slightly taken by surprise when both of them suddenly jumped towards him, he reflexively caught them with his arms.


    Ophis - Issei''s scent... *Sniff* *Sniff*


    Ophis snuggled her head closely at Issei''s chest and greedily inhale his scent.


    Lilith - Issei''s scent... *Sniff* *Sniff*


    Lilith also copies what Ophis''s doing.


    Issei can only smile wryly while gently stroking their heads and when they feel his touch they become more convinced that it''s him because it''s still warm just like back then.


    Both of them purred gently after feeling his touch.


    Semiramis who saw their interaction grinned because it seems what Irene told her is true. The Ouroboros Dragon itself seems took a liking of her dearest and not your average liking apparently.


    As for the other girl, she should be the one Irene told her about, the one called Lilith. When that guy called Rizevim something split Ophis power in half and created her clone in the process.


    Issei - What are you both doing here, Ophis, Lilith?


    After a while, Issei finally decided to ask both of them just what are they both doing here.


    They both stopped their snuggling but they still hugged Issei''s body closely and look up to answer his question.


    Ophis - We were helping Baka-Red to fix the dimensional rift that''s caused by the Apocalypse Beast and when we''re done helping him we sensed your presence nearby. So here we are...


    Lilith - Here we are...


    Issei - I see.


    Issei nodded to himself after hearing their explanation because when he was still at DxD world they both said that they would help Great Red with that problem.


    Ophis - What happened to you, Issei? You seem different from before... Your whole existence is different, now you seem to be mostly Dragon compared to before. And you appeared to have become the same existence as us and Baka-Red...


    Lilith - The same as Lilith...


    Issei - ...It''s a long story.


    Issei knows what Ophis meant by her words, the same as them means that he has become a True Dragon God. After hearing Issei''s words both Ophis and Lilith nodded slowly and then snuggled their head once more on Issei''s chest.


    Semiramis is very interested in what Ophis meant by that but she won''t ask because she wants Issei to tell her himself.


    Semiramis - Long time no see, Ouroboros Dragon...


    Semiramis finally decided to speak up.


    Ophis and Lilith looked at Semiramis.


    Ophis/Lilith - Who are you?


    Not surprisingly Ophis doesn''t remember Semiramis while Lilith honestly never met with her before because she''s just "Born" recently.


    Semiramis doesn''t feel offended at all knowing Ophis doesn''t remember her because she knows well just what kind of personality Ophis had before.


    She''s only interested in her silence beforehand after all, but her interest seems to be directed at her beloved now and she prefers this new Ophis more compared to the old her because back then she''s really boring in her opinion.


    Semiramis - Well, I don''t blame you for not remembering me since we barely interacted with each other. My old name was Lady Death, does that ring any bell?


    Ophis and Lilith tilted their head but it seems she''s still doesn''t remember who she is, so Ophis shakes her head.


    Semiramis - Oh, too bad... Now how about we go somewhere else? This place isn''t suitable for chatting, don''t you think so, dearest?


    Issei - Oh, right. Ophis, Lilith, let''s go somewhere else...


    Both of them nodded at Issei''s words.


    Ophis - Um.


    Lilith - Lilith will follow Issei wherever he goes...


    ...


    They arrived at Forzelotte world once more and when all of them saw Issei and Semiramis they instantly greeted them both but then they saw two new faces tagging along with them.


    They''re wondering just who they are because both of them seem to be very close to Issei. Even now both Ophis and Lilith still latched themselves at Issei''s body.


    But Irene knows just who they are of course.


    Irene - Ophis? Lilith? How come both of them are here, beloved?


    Issei - Well...


    Then Issei told them all just how they encountered Ophis and Lilith on their way back. He also told them that he has successfully mastered the <Chaos> element much to their surprise.


    All of them instantly become ecstatic hearing his words and they would''ve given him a hug if it wasn''t for Ophis and Lilith who''s sitting on his lap right now.


    Then Issei also told them about Ophis and Lilith true identity, they only become a bit surprised after finding out that both of them are also a God. No wonder since they''re numb already after seeing one Godly being after another.


    Ophis and Lilith also start inspecting all of them, but they titled their head when they look at Irene.


    Ophis/Lilith - ...Ddraig?


    Irene - ...Yo.


    They can tell that Irene is Ddraig from her aura alone.


    Ophis - You got your own body now?


    Irene - You could say that.


    Ophis - ...Um, good for you.


    She just nodded and doesn''t seem to be bothered seeing her being a woman now. After all, Ophis gender keeps changing before she met Issei so her common sense is different from a normal person.


    Irene is not surprised seeing Ophis reaction because she knows Ophis quite well.


    Ophis - Issei, are we not going home?


    Lilith - Home...


    Issei''s body stiffens hearing Ophis sudden question because what she meant by "home" is his old home back at DxD world but soon he relaxed his body and calmly answer her question.


    Issei - That''s not my home anymore, Ophis, Lilith... My new home is with them all.


    Issei looked at all his wives and smiled at them. When the girls saw his smile they also returned a smile of their own towards him.


    Ophis - Why?


    Ophis and Lilith tilted her head in confusion and Issei who saw that thought for a while before he decided that it''s about time he told them all about his past.


    Issei - ...I think it''s about time I told you all about my past...


    All of the girls instantly perked up their ears when they heard that Issei is about to tell them about his past.


    Issei - You see... I was a super pervert back then that even Irene reputation got affected by me...


    Irene - I admit, those times were the most embarrassing moment of my life... But it''s still quite fun nevertheless so I don''t blame you that much, beloved. And which man isn''t perverted?


    All of the girls here thought about Irene''s words and they have to agree, which man isn''t perverted? It''s only a matter of how good are they at hiding it, and they know that Issei is not an exception either to this logic. But his pervertedness is only aimed at those he has feelings for.


    Issei - Heheh, sorry about that...


    Irene - But according to what you''ve told us before about Forzelotte then she''s also one of the main reasons that you turned into a complete pervert right?


    Forzelotte got a little annoyed by Irene words but it''s true that she''s the main cause of it all so she can''t complain. It''s because she messed up the memory sealing spell after all.


    Issei - Well... True, but I don''t blame her for that because, in the end, I''m the one who''s responsible for my own action. Anyway, as I was saying...


    Then Issei told them all about his past, how he was once a human as they have already known from before, he also told them about the supernatural world on his world. About the factions of Devils, Fallen Angels, Angels, and Gods...


    Not a single one of them disturb him when he''s telling them about his past because that''s what they wanted the most. They wanted to know more about their husband past after all. Irene just sits calmly because she''s very aware just what kind of past Issei has. Well, minus the part where he met Forzelotte because she''s still in her slumber back then.


    When they heard most of his mischief most of them giggled to themselves because even back then, Issei''s life is very interesting it seems.


    But when he reached the part where he got confessed by the girl named Yuma Amano they got a bad feeling about it. And their intuition is correct because apparently that girl only confessed to Issei to trick him and then "killing" him in the process and her actual name isn''t Yuma but Reynare instead and she''s also a fallen angel.


    They all felt furious after knowing there''s someone dares to do that to their husband, even Forzelotte felt furious about it even though she knows that Issei won''t truly die even if he''s killed that still doesn''t mean she will just allow random trash kill him.


    She was about to ask Issei just where is that slut now but manage to hold it in because she doesn''t want to disturb him now. Semiramis already knew that Reynare is already dead but that doesn''t mean her soul is safe from her hands later on.


    Issei - After that, I was resurrected by a girl at my school. She resulted to be a Devil and I became her newest servant... You see, my life as a servant wasn''t bad. I learned many things, among them how to control my <Sacred Gear>, later on, I became closer to Irene, and due to being someone that didn''t think of her as a tool, we became quite close... Oh right, <Sacred Gear> is...


    Irene also smiled when she remembers those moments.


    Then Issei explained briefly just what <Sacred Gear> is and about the <Evil Pieces> as well. After he''s done telling them about it he continued with his life story...


    Issei - After that, Months passed... Inside the Peerage, we became close, almost like a family. For me, this was the best outcome I could have ever dreamt of! Beautiful women at my side that didn''t treat me like filth, a close friend that I could call my brother, a Junior that idolized me as a role model... There''s this one teacher that''s quite funny as well, she goes by the name Rosseweise and she''s actually a Valkyrie from the Gods faction and...


    He smiled when saying those words, he also told them how he sacrificed his left arm just to save "Her" from her engagement.


    All of the girls felt surprised and even more in love with him after hearing that he doesn''t hesitate at all to sacrifice himself just to save that he held dear but they''re feeling even angrier knowing that their idiot husband doesn''t think about himself a little more.


    Then he talked about Rosseweise, Kuroka, Kunou, Yasaka, etc...


    When they heard about these names they don''t feel their blood boils or anything, and from the way Issei talked about them, it seems that they''re very good girls and he also appears to hold some feelings towards them.


    Issei - ...Slowly those women started to develop feelings for me, and as for me, well you can answer that on your own... They fell deeply in love with me and vice versa... But the way how I actually confessed to the woman I "loved" the most, was kind of forced. At some point, due to me having a trauma with women, I was afraid of getting closer to them, fearful over the fact of them doing the same as the first woman I loved once did to me...


    He explained calmly like he''s not talking about his past but someone else''s past instead.


    Issei - I created a mental barrier for me to not cross a line with a woman, but they didn''t notice. When they started to seduce me, to make me cross a line and to finally say those words... I couldn''t. I was afraid and mentally refused the fact of them falling in love with me. Thanks to that they exploded, reprimanding me for not understanding their feelings. The woman I loved the most was especially aggressive, she yelled at me, screamed at me saying, "Why couldn''t I understand her?!"... The rest did notice how I couldn''t understand her feelings and because of that, they reprimanded me, saying; "You''re the worst", "How awful could you be", "Why don''t you understand?", etc...


    All of the girls here are silent after hearing that and it''s certainly quite bad and they get it as a fellow woman but to explode like that at him? Sorry, but that''s just wrong. Can''t they try to understand about him a little more instead of just exploding like that?


    All of them frowned thinking just who this woman their husband used to love. They can tell the implication on his words when he said "Loved" so they know he shouldn''t be in love with this woman any longer.


    Issei - After that, they left me alone to "think" about my mistakes. I spent quite some time thinking, even talking to myself. At some time I said something that made me remember the first woman I loved, however, they heard it from the other side of the door since they were spying on me, and at that moment they more-or-less understood what I was thinking. After some comforting and what not, we "fixed" our relationship, but they still told me that I should apologize to "Her" and tell her what I felt.


    Just who is this "Her" is he talking about, they all thought. But they felt like their blood boils when they tried to think about "her" for some reason. Call it a woman sixth sense but it is what it is.


    Issei - After some times, during a <Rating Game> I got too excited and screamed my feelings in front of everyone. Thanks to that our relationship became better, saying that she also loved me. And after some ups and downs, she finally became my girlfriend, the so-called woman I loved the most... Her name is Rias Gremory.


    Irene scowled a little after hearing that name she despises the most and all of the girls noticed her scowl but Issei''s face is still calm even after he mentions "Her" name.


    They instantly noted that name which for some reason makes their blood boils.


    Issei - Our relationship after that becomes better and better until I proposed to her, and the other girls also felt jealous of that and wanted to be proposed as well. And I do just that because I do love them all back then... We''ve decided to put the marriage date on hold for now because we have a bigger problem at hand soon after that event...


    Issei told them about the Terrorist group which is led by Rizevim, etc.


    Issei - And that''s how I met Lilith here.


    Issei patted Lilith''s head gently and she squinted her eyes in happiness feeling his touch.


    Issei - Unfortunately, even though we managed to kill Rizevim, he also managed to unseal the <Apocalyptic Beast>, which also goes by the name Trihexa (666). But thankfully with the combined effort of the faction leaders, we manage to seal it back... Although, now that I think about it... Trihexa seems to be sealed pretty easily considering just how strong it is... No matter, if it does break free from its seal once more, I will make sure to kill it this time.


    Irene - Heheheh, I''m pretty sure the current you can easily beat Trihexa, beloved. There''s no doubt about it.


    Irene smirked at Issei because she just loves how confident and dominating he is right now.


    Issei - Ah... I think so as well.


    Issei smirked back at Irene then he continued his story.


    Issei - And then, Rias graduated from high school along with her <Queen> which goes by the name Akeno Himejima... They went to the nearby college in the same city... And that''s when it started...


    Issei''s voice turned a little bit cold and they know that this is the climax of his story even Ophis and Lilith wanted to know just what happened to Issei that made him change this much.


    He told them about how the girls started to ignoring him and being very cold towards him at times. But he''s not too bothered about it thinking they''re just too stressed dealing with their respective lives.


    Then he comes up with a great idea to make them feel happier, and that idea is to make their engagement ring on his own. He was sure that after he successfully surprised them with this they will be very happy.


    And finally, he successfully made the ring he deems perfect to gift them with. So he went to Rias and Akeno college first... But the reality is cruel... He saw the woman he deeply "Loved" kissing and acting intimately with another man he never saw before alongside with Akeno as well... And when he went looking for the other girls, they''re also acting intimately with some guy he never met before. That''s when he knows that he''s already abandoned by them.


    All of the girls who listen to his words almost can''t believe what they''re hearing... Did they cheat on him? Did they cheat on the man that loves them dearly just like that? Even when he sacrificed almost his entire life just to make them feel happy and safe? Is this some kind of a bad joke?


    Irene knows what they''re thinking by looking at their stupefied face.


    Irene - I know it''s hard to believe but it''s the truth, I was there as well... They basically just leave him to his own luck after they don''t need him anymore... Just remembering that moment almost made me go mad with rage!


    Irene growled when she remembers that moment, she almost can''t stop herself from going to Rias and co place and kill them all for what they did. For Dragons, it is extremely taboo to cheat on their mate after all.


    Kyou, Kinou, and Millet growled as well. They felt disgusted with Rias and co. all of their eyes turned into slits, this is the first time that Issei ever saw the twins becoming this mad about something. But he felt happy seeing that they''re feeling anger for him.


    Ophis and Lilith become froxen stiff when they heard about it, they didn''t move a single muscle but their eyes are opened wide to the maximum. Yes, their common sense about this kind of stuff is different from a normal person but they ARE Dragons. So they have the same common sense as the Dragon girls at the very least.


    Semiramis face is calm but deep inside, she''s feeling extreme rage... She''s even angrier compared to the time when she found out that her ex-lover betrayal. She clutched her fingers tightly that the fingernails almost pierce her own skin but thankfully before that happens, Issei realizes what is she doing and hold her hand gently.


    Semiramis body shuddered a little after feeling his hand on hers and then she looks towards Issei and saw that he''s smiling gently at her. So she calms herself down by taking a deep breath and smiled back at him.


    Semiramis - I''m fine, dearest.


    Issei - Um, I don''t want you to hurt yourself just because of them, Semi.


    Semiramis - Hai.


    Scathach just closed her eyes but she''s feeling the same as the others at the inside... Extreme Rage.


    Forzelotte now knows the reason for his soul corruption and she''s pretty sure that the cause of it all is that woman named Rias Gremory and her cohorts and Issei next words confirmed her suspicion.


    Riche - A-And then, what happened after that, Ise?


    Riche asked Issei while her body is shivering a little, not because of anything else other than anger. She''s feeling angry just like everyone else inside this room.


    Issei - After that? Well, the <Evil Pieces> inside my body for some odd reason started corrupting me from the inside... Probably because of the huge amount of negative aura I was emitting? Who knows... And if it wasn''t for Irene I would''ve died back then...


    All of them held their breath once more after hearing that he almost died because of that sluts wrongdoings.


    Issei - She brought me back from my despairing state and helped me transform myself into a Dragon... After I''m done with the transformation, you have the current me... How was it? It''s quite laughable, isn''t it? The life of a fool... Heheh...


    Issei smiled mockingly at himself.


    Natal - NO!


    Natal suddenly screamed loudly at him while shedding tears in the process.


    Natal - Darling is not a fool! The one who''s a fool are them, those ungrateful sluts!


    The other girls are also nodded at Natal''s statement. All of them agreed with her statement completely.


    Issei smiled gently after seeing Natal''s sudden outburst, he got up from the sofa while gently shifted Ophis and Lilith who''s still frozen stiff from what they''re hearing just now to the side.


    He walked up towards Natal and wipe her tears gently while gently smiling at her with a gaze filled with love.


    Issei - Don''t worry, all that''s matter is that I''m here with all of you now, right?


    Natal also finally smiled through tears after hearing his words and they all nodded once again at his statement.


    Irene - *Sigh* You took all of this too lightly, beloved... You girls might not know this but the pain he felt back then is extremely painful whether in body or soul... Here, see this for yourself... The pain he experienced back then...


    Irene waved her hands and used her projection magic to show them the suffering that Issei experienced.


    Issei was about to stop her but choose to let it be because even if he stops her it won''t matter that much anyway.


    Then the projection started...


    ...


    What they saw made them unable to breathe because of the excruciating pain they felt in their heart from watching just how Issei suffered back then, it''s utter nightmare for them who loves Issei dearly. That''s not something anyone should experience in their entire life especially a person such as Issei who sacrifices almost everything for the women he once loved.


    All of them who watched the projection without a single exception is shedding tears unknowingly. Even Irene bit her lips while watching it once again.


    But when they saw how Issei bounce back from his despairing state and saw the new him they all felt gratified and proud because that''s the Issei they know.


    After the projection ended, Gurigura, Yunyun, Wiz, and Towa cried loudly and instantly jumped towards Issei. They hugged Issei''s body while keep saying that they won''t ever leave him no matter what. The other girls also cried softly while covering their mouths, they all surrounded Issei vowing to him that they will never leave him.


    Issei felt really blessed surrounded by them, he felt that they are his greatest pride and greatest blessing in life.


    In the future, if anyone ever asked him just what his greatest achievement in life is, he will surely answer his beloved wives are his biggest achievement in life.


    Issei said that he totally believes them and he also vowed that he will also never leave them behind.


    While some of the girls cried at Issei''s embrace, the vengeful type such as Jalter exuded extreme bloodlust and maddening rage directed towards Rias and co. the same goes for Semiramis, Scathach, Forzelotte, Millet, Kyou, and Kinou as well. But the most surprising thing is that Ophis and Lilith also shedding tears and even though their face looks calm, their aura is anything but calm.


    All of their aurae went berserk... If Rias and co were present in front of them right now then they would without a doubt kill them in the spot and rips their body and soul to pieces.


    ...


    Back at Rias and co, all of them for some reason felt really cold and their bodies are shivering greatly. They don''t know why they felt this way but they''re feeling extreme terror at this moment. Even their boyfriends also felt it as well... It''s like impending doom is about to greet them soon enough.


    All of their faces went sickly white and Little Hijama who''s Koneko and Ravel new boyfriend fainted away while losing control of his bladder control. The others also almost lose control of their bladder as well but thankfully they managed to hold it in albeit barely...


    All of them don''t have time to care for Hijama because they can''t move a single muscle and they all are about to pass out as well.


    Azazel who was observing them in the other room notices something was wrong because they were sparing with each other just now but why they suddenly went very quiet and standing still? So he hastily moves towards the training ground and saw that each and one of them are greatly shivering while their faces are ghastly white.


    When he''s about to ask them what''s going on he also felt a brief bloodlust directed towards Rias and co. He shuddered greatly because this bloodlust is extremely overbearing and dangerous, he hastily erected a barrier to protect them from the incoming bloodlust... But it''s useless because the bloodlust from multiple Godly beings is not something he can resist.


    The moment he erected the barrier it cracked right away and then it burst open to pieces, he got the backlash from it and puked some blood in the process. He was about to call for help from Sirzechs and the others because at this rate it will be very dangerous for Rias and co... But thankfully the bloodlust started to dissipate soon enough.


    Kiba and Gasper are not in the house at this moment while Rosseweise is sleeping at Issei''s bed right now so they don''t know anything about this incident. Rosseweise smiled at her sleep because she''s having a good dream at this moment because in her dreams she finally reunited with Issei.


    When the bloodlust disappears, Rias and co instantly dropped to the ground and fainted away just like Hijama. But they don''t lose control of their bladder like him.


    Azazel hastily calls for assistance from the others in the end because this is something they need to discuss. Because whoever emits that bloodlust just now most likely are aiming for Rias and co''s lives and they need to take proper precaution for it.


    When Rias and co woke up, they don''t seem to remember anything from the whole incident. Although Azazel and the others felt something very wrong they at least thought that it''s good that they all forgot about it.


    If they remember it then they might be in extreme trauma because even Azazel is still shivering once in a while when he remembers that bloodlust back then.


    This is not a joking matter if even a strong individual such as Azazel felt afraid of that bloodlust then the one who emits it is an extremely powerful individual as well. Sirzechs instantly told his subordinates to investigate this but they come up with nothing, obviously, considering the one who emits that bloodlust is from another world altogether and even if he finds out the true culprit he can only smile bitterly to himself because he can''t do shit about them...


    So they can only add this incident to their other case that needs to be further investigated later on. Sirzechs put another magic seal on Rias and co as an alarm, in case this incident happened again.


    ...


    When the girls calmed down, they told Issei that they want to avenge him. Especially Jalter, who''s very enthusiastic because she can''t really wait to burn each and one of them and have them staked as well.


    Issei told them no need to bother with them anymore because he doesn''t really care about Rias and co any longer. And killing them would change nothing anyway, it will only make the faction alliance in risk of being broken.


    That''s something he doesn''t want to see because he doesn''t want any more war happening in his world, Riche and co are fully aware just how bad war is, but they can''t just let it go like this, right?


    Irene knows that Issei truly doesn''t want revenge anymore on Rias and co, not because he still has feelings towards them or anything but because he truly doesn''t care about them any longer. But just like the other girls felt, she just can''t let it go just like this.


    Then she thought of something so she whispered her idea towards Semiramis and co... After hearing her idea, they all nodded and agreed with her plan.


    Ophis and Lilith were about to go to Rias place right away but Issei managed to hold them off in the end. After a bit of persuading they finally stopped their plan and told Issei that they will always stay by his side forever. Issei nodded at their words and pat their heads gently in the process.


    All of the girls finally agreed not to take revenge on Rias and co. for now, to Issei surprise but he soon forgets about it because he doesn''t really care either way. Unknown to him they have their own plans in mind...


    The Kalars also saw and heard the whole thing because Semiramis established a connection spell towards them. They all are furious to the maximum after knowing what happened to their king in the past.


    If it wasn''t for Semiramis''s telling them to stand down, for now that is... Then they might''ve asked her to teach them how to create a rift opening and go towards Rias and co''s place right away to lop off their heads and present them to their King. Not that Issei would be happy even if they did that though because he''s not interested in a decapacitated head alright... He won''t care if they indeed killed Rias and co but he sure as hell doesn''t want to see a decapacitated head inside a gift box or on a silver platter for that matter.


    If the girls ended up killing Rias and co. Issei wouldn''t really blame them but he will choose to protect them instead, from Sirzechs and the others rage. He will not hesitate to kill Sirzechs or anyone else if they tried to hurt his wives.


    Issei is not afraid of going into a war, but he will avoid it if it''s possible. Sure, he loves battle but he doesn''t enjoy killing people... He''s a battle maniac, not a homicidal maniac, get that straight.


    ...


    Some times have passed since the time where Issei told them about his past. Now Ramius and co are inside a red cocoon. They''re undergoing their process of <Rebirth> as a Dragon just like Issei.


    The one who underwent the process of transformation is Jeanne, Jalter, Yunyun, Wiz, Ramius, Riche, Gurigura, Tio, Kathryn, Tilt, Natal, Croix, and Towa.


    Semiramis''s already revived Tilt the last few days before this and her new body is also strong enough to undergoes the process of <Rebirth>, a bonus from Semiramis.


    They immediately asked Issei to turn them into a Dragon because they want to get stronger quickly, of course Issei agreed to their request and started the process straight away.


    This process will take a few days to finish and Issei never left their side for a single moment in case any mishaps were about to happen. Their process is not painful like Issei thankfully.


    The others also stay with him protecting Ramius and co as well. Semiramis summoned all of the Kalars to their current location to act as an extra precaution for any incoming mishaps. She told Issei to put them inside the <Gate of Babylon> so they should be ready for any sudden attack.


    Forzelotte doesn''t order all of her subordinates because it will attract too much attention so she only orders the strongest ones to guard the perimeter.


    Semiramis and co erected multiple barriers and Irene and Issei <Boosted> their barriers power to the maximum level.


    Their current barrier can be called <Absolute Barrier> at this point and only 2 individual known in existence could break this barrier. It''s Nyarlathotep and Issei himself.


    Issei obviously won''t do anything harmful towards Ramius and co but they are worried about Nyarlathotep in case it decided to attack them right at this moment so they''re in full alert mode for a whole week before they finished their <Rebirth> process.


    When they''re done, the girls emerged from their respective cocoon one by one. All of their eyes still retain their original color but their pupil has turned into slits just like Ophis and Lilith. The same goes for their hair colors but it became even silkier and grew slightly longer compared to before.


    Their body becomes even more perfect and their beautiful faces also become even more gorgeous. But sadly for Kathryn, her breasts only grow for a tiny bit larger compared to back then when she''s still a human. The first thing she check when she became a Dragon is her breasts but when she saw that it only grew a tiny bit she felt despair and kneeled on the floor while shedding tears of sorrow.


    Issei sweated seeing her like that.


    Gurigura for some reason has cat ears and a cat tail. But upon further inspection, it only looks like cat ears and tail while actually, it''s her unique Dragon parts that are shaped just like a cat part.


    When Issei touch them she giggled because it felt ticklish but Issei thought it indeed has different texture compared to Koneko and Kuroka cat ears and tails.


    One thing that took them by surprise is that their <Golden Ring> disappears from their hands but there''s a <Mark> appeared on their respective bodies. That <Mark> looks just like Irene and co''s mark.


    At the middle of their mark, there''s a Roman number just like their previous <Golden Ring>. Ramius <I>, Riche <II>, Gurigura <III> and so on...


    Millet mark number is <XI> for that matter.


    They all felt sad that their ring disappeared but then Issei promised them that he will make a new one for each and every one of them. After hearing his words, they all felt happy and doesn''t feel that sad anymore.


    Jeanne, Jalter, Wiz, Yunyun, and Tilt mark are still white colored because they still haven''t had sex with Issei yet. And their eyes shine brightly and filled with lust while looking at Issei now.


    It''s like they''re looking at their prey and Issei felt awkward realizing their gaze on him, they would''ve jumped at Issei right at this moment if it wasn''t Forzelotte standing nearby watching them closely.


    They''ve already promised that the one to go next is Forzelotte after all so they can only wait for their turn... But then they look at each other and they all thought of the same thing, which is "I''M NEXT!"


    They have a glaring contest with each other to decide just who will be the next one in line. Even Yunyun and Wiz who''s known to have a timid personality doesn''t back down from this one.


    Their competitiveness instinct as a Dragon appeared right after they became a Dragon it seems.


    Kyou and Kinou nodded to themselves because that''s what they felt when they still haven''t had sex with Issei back then. So it''s pretty normal to be in heat all the time when Dragons are near their chosen mate.


    Ophis and Lilith at first become confused just what are they competing for, then they asked Irene.


    Ophis - Ddraig, what are they doing?


    Irene - Err, first of all, call me Irene from now on Ophis.


    Ophis - ...Okay, Irene?


    Irene - Um, they''re competing for Issei''s special "Essence".


    Ophis - Issei''s "Essence"? What is that?


    Lilith - Is it tasty?


    Irene - Hmm, if you ask me if it''s tasty or not, then yeah, it''s one of the "tastiest" things I''ve ever "tasted".


    Irene slyly grinned while looking at Issei who''s currently surrounded by the other girls.


    Ophis - Then I also want to try it.


    Lilith - Lilith also wants it.


    Irene - Hmmm, then all you have to do is...


    Irene then whispered something on Ophis and Lilith''s ears. When they heard her words they nodded at her and not long after, there''s a <Mark> appeared on their body.


    Then they felt somewhat hot inside their body when they look at Issei now. Their eyes started glistening and they kind of confused just what are they feeling right now... They felt weird especially on their belly part, it''s like its craving for something. It''s not craving for food because they would''ve known that.


    They asked Irene just what are they feeling right now.


    Irene - It''s an emotion called "Love".


    Ophis/Lilith - Love?


    Irene - How do you both feel about Issei? Do you like him?


    They both nodded at her question.


    Irene - You both said that you wanted to stay with him forever, right?


    They both nodded once again.


    Irene - Try to imagine if he suddenly disappears from your lives.


    They both do as they were told and they both felt excruciating pain in their heart after imagining Issei leaving them behind and both of their faces went gloomy right away.


    Ophis - No... I don''t want that... I want to stay with Issei forever...


    Lilith - Lilith as well...


    Irene - What you''re both feeling just now is called "Sorrow", it''s the emotion that you will feel if something bad happened to the one you loves... That''s why you both needed to make him your mate. Don''t you both want to have Issei as your mate?


    Ophis and Lilith thought about it and when they imagine having Issei as their mate they both felt joy so they nodded once again.


    Ophis - So all we need to do is to just do like you''ve told us?


    Irene - Yep, trust me.


    Then they both nodded one last time and look at Issei again. But this time they finally know just why they felt this way when they gaze at Issei... It''s because they love him and wanted to be with him forever.


    Irene nodded to herself after seeing that both of them seems to understand what she''s trying to convey then she looks towards the other girls.


    All of their power levels are kind of broken for a "Newborn" Dragon, Irene thought. It''s a good thing though because with this their odds will be bigger for the upcoming rating game.


    They don''t tell Issei about the rating game because they know that he won''t be interested in participating in it. Not surprising if he were to participate then it will be like an adult fighting a bunch of toddlers.


    He''s basically the uncrowned King of their original world already at this point.


    So they all started their training soon after to get used to their new bodies and Issei also do the same as them because he just mastered the <Chaos> element after all.

 Chapter 76 - 75 Include Harem Lis

    List of Issei''s harem member as of the latest chapters:


    Semiramis


    Scathach


    Irene


    Ophis


    Lilith


    Jeanne


    Jalter


    Yunyun


    Wiz


    Ramius


    Riche


    Gurigura


    Tio


    Tilt


    Kathryn


    Natal


    Kyou


    Kinou


    Towa


    Millet


    Croix


    Forzelotte


    Laurent


    Silent


    Burst


    Sora


    The Kalars race. (Mertel, Ekate, Miarute, Kyuriha, Suisen, Marialis, Paniverna, Ultinia, Izana.)


    On Process:


    Rosseweise


    Kuroka


    Grayfia


    ETC~


    ...


    It''s been a year after that events.


    During this time, Issei officially replaced Forzelotte as the new <Supreme Overlord>. They completed their bond during this time as well.


    Issei also finally made the rest of the girls as his, that also includes Ophis and Lilith.


    Issei''s claw mark below his eyes changed its shape and color into golden red and Forzelotte also gains the same mark below her eyes and it has the same color as Issei''s mark, their mark new shape is similar to Japanese kanji for the word King and Queen. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-1102303940.jpg Forzelotte mark is on her left while Issei mark in his right).


    Issei instantly gains Forzelotte <Devour> skill the moment they completed their bond. As for Ophis and Lilith case, he doesn''t really gain anything because he already has their <Infinity> domain even before they become a true mate.


    They''ve truly become husband and wife and the whole world knows about this, whether it be the Celestials or the Humans. They tried to send their spies to gain some information about this new <Supreme Overlord> but to no avail, because every spy they''ve sent never returned. And the new <Supreme Overlord> appears to be wearing a full mask all the time so no one has really seen his face before except for the Demonkin. (AN: Issei''s new mask is the mask of Lelouch from Code Geass, just google "Lelouch Mask" if you want to see it.)


    The ritual for replacing the <Supreme Overlord> position is quite simple, Issei just needs to beat every <Overlord> that are around to prove his strength... But he messed up a bit on that part... Over half of those <Overlord> are women so the moment they laid their eyes on Issei''s face and strength they instantly become lovestruck towards him.


    And Forzelotte got annoyed because of that. So she told Issei to wear a mask from now on and don''t show his face so easily anymore.


    But the damage has been done because those female <Overlords> who had a crush on Issei doesn''t seem to want to give up no matter what. Forzelotte tried to threaten them but to no avail, the funny thing is, over 80% of the overlord is female so its quite safe to say that the females are the dominant one on the Demon Realm.


    And that''s why they won''t give up to gain Issei affection because the chance of finding another man at his caliber is next to zero. They might have to wait for another hundreds or even thousands of years before another man of his caliber to show up once again or perhaps there will be none at all.


    So they won''t give up that easily no matter what the cost.


    Forzelotte can only let them be much to her dismay... Thankfully Issei is not the super pervert he used to be, so he refuses their courting.


    But his refusal backfired against him because they got even more interested in him. They even saw his refusal as a challenge towards them.


    Issei had a massive headache when he finds out about this. He can easily kill anyone as long as they''re his enemies, but not these types of "Enemies", alright? They become loyal towards him but... *Sigh*...


    All of Issei''s wives and even the Kalars giggled at him when they saw his current predicament. Only Forzelotte got annoyed because she''s quite the jealous type.


    The Celestial King also took interests on the new addition of the <Supreme Overlord> army. He instantly becomes smitten and greedy after seeing the picture of the Angel army and especially the picture of Croix, Jeanne, Miarute, Kyuriha, Ultinia, and Izana.


    At first, he tried to negotiate with Issei to give Croix and co to the Celestials saying that Holy elemental beings such as Angels and Saintess should belong to the Celestials. And if Issei agreed to their demands then they will gift him with tons of riches and their favor in case he need help from them someday.


    Obviously, Issei rejected this proposal on the spot without any hesitation.


    The Celestial King is feeling furious after hearing his rejection, and if it wasn''t for Forzelotte is still there with him then he would''ve declared war against Issei. But the Celestial King doesn''t lose hope after being rejected once.


    He still doesn''t know about Issei personality nor power so he assumes that he''s only a boy toy of Forzelotte but unknown to him, Issei is much stronger and more dangerous compared to Forzelotte herself.


    They keep pestering Issei all the time, it went from proper negotiation into an underlying threat saying if he doesn''t agree to their demands then he will definitely regret it. Issei totally ignored their words... Until one day...


    When Croix and Jeanne were training together, they got ambushed by the Celestials army. The Celestials thought that this is their chance because they don''t see any guard in the perimeter and no witnesses in sight so it''s a perfect chance they thought.


    They instantly sprung into action and they take proper precaution because they know Croix and Jeanne must be quite the strong individual from the holy aura they''re emitting, so they sent some of their strongest fighters as well.


    At first, they tried to persuade Croix and Jeanne but to no avail, so they can only use the forceful method instead.


    Croix and Jeanne are taken by surprise after seeing bunch of armored Knight surrounding them but they didn''t panic and started to fight back valiantly, their training after all this time is nothing to scoff at, and the Celestials thought they might''ve still underestimated Croix and Jeanne strength, they never thought that their rank is at <Tier 3> and <Tier 4> respectively. (AN: Do note that this event takes place during the 1 year period, not after the 1 year).


    They become even greedier because if they can successfully kidnap both of them then their army will become much stronger than ever. As for their allegiance matter, it will be quite easy because they have brainwash magic for that.


    But it doesn''t matter how strong they are, because they have the numbers on their side. There''s only 2 of them while the celestials side has dozens of <Tier 3>, <Tier 4>, and even one <Tier 5> in their ranks.


    There are 4 <Tier 5> in total at the Celestial side, and their king sent one of them to do this job because he doesn''t want any mishap to happen.


    Jeanne and Croix saw this as a perfect chance to hone their skills so they never call for help during their whole fight because they don''t need to do so in the first place. And the reason for that is because Issei has been watching them this entire time.


    The Celestials don''t know about the link they share with each other. If any of them are in danger then the others will be able to sense it as well.


    The moment Issei felt that both of them in danger he instantly teleported himself to their location. And he''s been watching them ever since they started their fight. He''s basically hiding in plain sight because he hides his presence so the Celestials can''t see him at all right now.


    Both Croix and Jeanne felt safe after seeing their beloved husband is watching them so they fought without holding back in the slightest because they know that if something bad were about to happen then Issei will be there to cover their back.


    It''s perfect mutual trust they had with each other.


    Both of Jeanne and Croix spread their Dragon wings which are colored pure white and it keeps emitting strong Holy power that makes even the Celestial felt a bit of awe because both of their holy power is really strong but they never expected that both of them are apparently Dragonkin which is even more perfect in their opinion.


    They still don''t have a Dragonkin on their army after all, so they will be the perfect addition to their army,


    Jeanne uses her sword and flag while Croix keeps using her magic to assist the former. Croix is adefensive support type while Jeanne is the offensive support type.


    Croix keeps erecting a magical shield whenever an attack was about to land on them. And when they''re aiming at her she will use her own offensive type magic.


    The Celestials are having a hard time trying to land a proper blow on both of them because their teamwork is perfect and fully synchronized with each other. Whenever they saw an opening on Jeanne side, Croix will cover it for her and vice versa.


    They thought that they can''t keep this up for long because their time is quite limited. Finally, the <Tier 5> made his move and uses one of his strongest magic right away hoping that it will be able to incapacitate both of them at the same time.


    Jeanne who realizes just what he''s doing hastily uses her <Luminosite Eternelle> skill and Croix also uses her own barrier skill which is called <Holy Dragon Barrier>.


    They successfully blocked the <Tier 5> attack but they''re feeling exhausted because it consumes almost all of their magic reserves to block this attack. He''s not a <Tier 5> for no reason after all.


    When the Celestials saw that they become ecstatic. The <Tier 5> told his subordinates to capture them now but before they could do as they were told they saw a lone figure standing in front of Croix and Jeanne.


    <Tier 5> - Who are you?! Wait... Th-That mask! Y-You''re the new <Supreme Overlord>!


    The <Tier 5> got goosebumps all over after seeing this figure appeared out of nowhere. But when he saw the mask Issei''s wearing he instantly recognizes it because that mask is one of a kind in this whole world.


    Issei - Are you both okay?


    Issei doesn''t look at the Celestials at all and only has eyes on Croix and Jeanne the whole time.


    Croix - Ehehe, we''re fine Otouto-kun.


    Jeanne - Un, we''re fine, Master. We''re only feel exhausted from depleting our Mana.


    Both Croix and Jeanne smiled lovingly at Issei and Issei also smiled back at them under his mask. Issei holds both of them in his arms and both Jeanne and Croix snuggled comfortably inside his embrace.


    Issei - You both can take it easy from here, I''ll handle the rest.


    Croix & Jeanne - Hai.


    They both answered him like a gentle and loving housewife.


    Issei - Um... Millet.


    When Issei called her name, Millet appeared next to Issei out of nowhere ready to take his order.


    Millet - At your command.


    Issei - Tell everyone that I will be late for dinner today.


    Millet - May I ask why, Milord?


    Millet already knew the answer but she just wants to make sure.


    Issei doesn''t answer her question right away but he looks towards the Celestials instead.


    Issei - I will be visiting the Celestial Realm today.


    Millet - Understood, Milord.


    Issei - Go bring Croix and Jeanne back for now.


    Millet - Ha.


    After both Croix and Jeanne told Issei to be careful they both went back with Millet.


    Millet bowed slightly towards Issei in reverence then he took a glance at the Celestials party and smirked at them for being so foolish. They just touch her beloved lord reverse dragon scale, literally...


    <Tier 5> - W-Wait, <Supreme Over-...!!!


    Just when the <Tier 5> want to say something, Issei uses his <Emperor Haki> on them.


    The Celestials party felt like they''re being crushed by a huge mountain after sensing the pressure Issei''s emitting right now. The <Tier 5> tried to say something but he can''t even utter a single word any longer.


    The <Tier 3> Celestial died instantly the moment they are exposed to Issei''s pressure while the <Tier 4> don''t have it any better as well because they''re on the verge of death.


    Only the <Tier 5> can barely stand from feeling Issei pressure but he can''t utter a single word nor move a single muscle for that matter. All he can do is shivering in absolute fear because he felt like they just stepped on a landmine... A huge landmine.


    They shouldn''t have come here he thought... He even started raining curses on his King for being so lustful and greedy, now look where did that get them.


    They thought the new <Supreme Overlord> is just a boy toy of Forzelotte? What a joke... This man is even more dangerous and much more powerful than Forzelotte herself.


    Finally, he can only smile bitterly at himself because he seems to be serving the wrong Lord it seems... Such is fate... He knows there''s no use in negotiating at this point because he can fully sense the Killing intent Issei''s emitting right now.


    Issei walk pass by the <Tier 5> and the latter is confused on why he doesn''t do anything towards him but then he saw something weird... Why his vision seems to be spinning and then he can saw his own body in perfect view? Even in his death, he''s filled with confusion because he doesn''t feel any pain at all and before he knows it, his vision goes completely dark.


    And when Issei disappear from the spot, all of their bodies disintegrate into nothingness as well. Then the whole area went silent once again...


    ...


    The very next day, the whole world vibrates after finding out the Celestial Realm is no more. Now they belong to the <Supreme Overlord> faction.


    The humans shivered in fear because, in just a single day, a Colossus faction such as the Celestials Realm is no more...


    The rumors said that the Celestials perish because they tried to mess with the <Supreme Overlord> women so they hastily command their citizens to not mess with his women. And if they were to disobey this order they won''t be responsible for what''s going to happen to them.


    From then on, Issei another title is the <Tyrant Overlord> because of how overbearing he was on dealing with his enemies. But there''s also another reason why he''s called that, and the ones who call him by that title is mostly men...


    The humans sent their representative immediately to told Issei about their allegiance and offered a batch of their most beautiful women as a gift. Issei rejected all of them of course.


    Issei doesn''t kill every Celestial there is, he only kill their King who sent those orders of kidnapping Croix and co. along with his loyal follower. As for those that surrender, he let them be and only told them to obey their new superior which is the Kalars.


    He sent the Kalars to manage the Celestial Realm.


    Soon there''s a picture of Issei''s face spread out by someone anonymous, Forzelotte tried to find out just who''s the culprit is but to no avail. It could be from anyone after all... But a certain girl who likes to draw pictures and telling stories seems to be fidgetting a lot recently...


    It becomes totally catastrophic for the humans because Issei becomes most of the woman dream lover, there''s a lot of lovelorn women popping out here and there because they can''t fall in love with normal men any longer.


    The men cry tears of sorrow while the woman keeps spacing out imagining about their dream lover. And this is also why the men titled Issei as <Tyrant Overlord> while the women titled him as a <Charming Overlord>.


    Semiramis and co are amused by this incident and they keep teasing Issei by calling him <Charming Overlord> for a while much to his dismay.


    On a side note, Sora, who''s Issei personal <Level Goddess> finally came back to him. But Issei is surprised seeing her new form after she became a Goddess.


    She grew up... Literally... When Sora left Issei back then she looks like she''s 10-12 years old at best but now... She looks like she''s 17 years old.


    Her hair grew longer, her childish face is now but gone and she became a perfect bishoujo. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/d/dd/Level_God_Willis.png/revision/latest?cb=20151104235047)


    Sora felt happy seeing the surprised face of Issei because of how different she is now. But she''s feeling a little disappointed that her breasts don''t grow as big as her elder sister.


    Issei would''ve doubted her being Sora herself if not for their contract telling him that it is indeed her.


    Sora - Surprised, Onii-sama?


    Issei - Err... Yes, a little bit... And why do you call me by that nickname?


    Sora - No particular reason, I just like calling you that, Ise-nii-sama. Am I not allowed to call you that, nii-sama?


    Sora used her teary puppy eyes face on Issei and he becomes speechless thinking why do every woman in his life seem to have this particular skill?


    Issei - *Sigh*... Do as you like...


    Sora - Yaay~ thank you, nii-sama.


    Sora instantly hugged Issei''s arm while humming happily and after that, she quickly gets to work by leveling up the other girls and Issei himself.


    She becomes completely dumbfounded after finding out that Issei has reached <Tier 7> already. She thought it will take him at least another 100 years to reach this tier but she never thought it will be this soon... The same goes for the other girls. Weren''t they just reached <Tier 1> a while ago? How come they have already accumulated so many <EXP> points? Now most of them have already become <Tier 3> and <Tier 4>.


    It seems that she still underestimated the true capabilities of her contractor and his party member...


    But that also means that her eyes and intuition are not wrong in choosing Issei as her Eternal Partner, now she only needs to do something about her elder sister and life will be perfect...


    ...


    (AN: Note that 1 year in another world is still 1 month in DxD world.)


    At DxD world there''s a new company called the <Eternal Crimson Heart>, this company is newly founded just recently. But just in 1 month, their standing is already the same on those companies that have been standing for dozens of years. Their company logo brand is shaped like a Heart with Dragon wings. (AN: https://img00.deviantart.net/6f28/i/2015/117/1/3/dragon_heart_tribal_v2_red_by_kuroakai-d47idhc.jpg).


    Their product consists of Clothing, Furniture, Jewelry, and even idol agency but there are still a lot more. In summary, they are a multi-purpose company.


    They instantly became public main attention, because their products are extremely durable and unique and it''s also extremely cheap compared to their product similar counterparts. It is genuinely revolutionary for them.


    Even the 4 factions also have to admit that their product is indeed great and they also started using the <ECH (Eternal Crimson Heart)> products. There are others who tried to copy their product but they always failed to do so.


    The public is wondering just who their chairman is, but all they know about this company is the CEO, which is a woman who goes by the name Tio H. and as for the chairman she said it''s her beloved husband.


    They tried to ask her just what "H" stands for and just who is her husband name but she refuses to tell them about it. They are confused just why she doesn''t want to tell them her surname but there''s nothing they can do about it if she doesn''t want to tell them.


    Some men who heard that she''s already married felt despair because there were a lot of men who are hoping to try their luck to gain her heart and become rich as well. But before they can even launch their plan, they''ve heard that she''s already married. And to add salt to their injuries, Tio''s little sister who''s named Tilt H. which is her personal assistant also married the same man like her elder sister.


    The public is even more dumbfounded because they never think there will be a man this lucky for being able to marry both the big sister and also the little sister at the same time. The men started raining curses at the lucky bastard.


    There are some who tried to seduce both of them but they won''t even spare them a single glance, and some even tried to do something to her from behind the shadow but they all failed ultimately...


    And the very next day, the culprits behind the scene are exposed along with their dark secrets and handed to the authorities. The public becomes much more in disbelief because some of those culprits are from the big company such as the IKUA, and if that''s not enough, there''s evidence showing their "Behind the scenes" deal with some criminal organization and a funds embezzlement.


    Some culprits even steal from the orphanage much to the public disgusts. Then the <ECH> also donated a huge amount of funds for the orphanage and the others in needs.


    They instantly gained huge positive reviews and a lot of supporter in the process. The public even saw the <ECH> as the God-send company. And they titled Tio as the second coming of the Virgin Mary, even though she''s already married and obviously not a virgin anymore... But it is indeed quite a suitable title for her.


    Tio and Tilt became an inspiration for those who are aiming to become a successful businessman.


    And just like that, the <ECH> easily dominate the business world in the DxD universe...


    ...


    The 4 faction leader realizes that Tio and Tilt are by no means a normal human and that includes some of their company members as well, so they hold a meeting about them. This meeting took place before Tio held a public conference and told the world that she''s already married.


    Tannin told them that her real identity is most likely a Dragon just like himself and she''s quite strong as well.


    They never heard of them before but it''s not really surprising seeing a new Dragon showing themselves to the world. There are some Dragons that are still hiding somewhere at the corner of the world after all. So they thought that both Tio and Tilt are one of them.


    Tannin - Umu, from her power signature alone I could tell as a fellow Dragon that she''s quite the strong Dragon... Even though she still hasn''t awakened her <Dragon Aura> but she''s close to awakening it and her strength is by no means lower than me or you, Sirzechs-sama. As for her little sister... Her strength is much lower compared to her elder sister but it''s also nothing to scoff at.


    Tannin solemnly told Sirzechs and the others about his knowledge about Tio and Tilt.


    Sirzechs - I see...


    Azazel - Now the only question is... Did they come here in peace or are they aiming for something else altogether...


    Michael - Indeed... It will be very worrying if they do indeed come here to cause trouble, we can only hope that they''re not because we got our hands full for the upcoming Rating game and dealing with the aftermath of Trihexa.


    Odin - But I gotta say... She has a very sexy body and her little sister is not bad herself.


    Odin perverted tendencies started showing themselves once again when he''s inspecting Tio and Tilt body.


    Azazel - Hmm, you think so as well, old man?


    Azazel being Odin oppai club buddy obviously agreed with him.


    Odin - Of course!


    Odin and Azazel laughed together while looking at Tio and Tilt picture. The other faction leader sweated seeing them being so perverted even in times like this...


    Tannin - You both better stop your perversion towards them.


    Tannin suddenly cut in between their laughter. Both Odin and Azazel stopped their laugh and the other 2 faction leader also looked towards him because it''s the first time he ever reprimands Odin and Azazel for their pervertedness.


    Tannin knows just what they''re surprised about. If it''s the other woman they''re talking about then he wouldn''t have cared much but he needs to tell them something about Tio and Tilt as a fellow Dragon.


    Tannin - You all must know just what it means when a Dragon has already chosen their mate right?


    The 4 of them nodded at his question, of course they know what it means. It''s not really a common knowledge but for them who has been living for quite a long time, it''s obvious for them to know about it.


    There has been a record about what happens when you mess around with a female Dragon who has already chosen their mate. And it is nothing good, they can tell you that...


    Azazel then realizes just what Tannin trying to convey here. The rest also realize it soon enough.


    Azazel - Are you trying to tell us that they are already...


    Tannin - Indeed, they have already chosen their mate... You see that <Mark> on their respective left and right hand?


    Tannin pointed towards the picture and they all looked towards Tio and Tilt hand and they can see a <Mark> just like the <ECH> company logo.


    Tannin - That red <Mark> symbolized that they''ve already chosen their mate and let me ask you this... Even though I don''t know just how strong their mate/husband is, do you think a strong individual like them both would choose someone that is weaker than them?


    When they heard Tannin words, they all shuddered and starting to have cold sweat, especially Azazel and Odin because of what they''ve just done. Thankfully there''s only them in this room so it''s safe...


    If Tio and Tilt strength are already on par with them then what about their husband? This is no laughing matter... They don''t want to earn the enmity of such strong individual, no thank you.


    Tannin nodded to himself after seeing that all of them realizes the dire situation they were in. As a fellow Dragon, he hates it when someone else tries to mess with his fellow Dragon. But Tannin felt something familiar when he sensed their <Mark> aura, but he just can''t put his fingers around it just what is so familiar about it... Maybe he met them before but just forgot about it? Who knows, Tannin thought to himself.


    Sirzechs - Very well, I will arrange a meeting with the <ECH> CEO and try to find out just what is their true purpose.


    They all agreed to Sirzechs proposal and they conclude their meeting after that.


    ...


    Forzelotte - Mm... Aah...


    Issei is currently having sex with Forzelotte on her bedroom.


    Forzelotte - Ah... Mmm... Aah...


    He shakes his hips in rhythm and moves his dick inside her from behind. Their current position is doggy style.


    Forzelotte - Ah... Ah... Haah... Aahn!


    Issei knows all her weak spots and pushes his dick so he just misses them. He''s doing it on purpose because he wants to tease her.


    Forzelotte - Ngh... H-How dare you... Aaah...


    She can''t stand it and repositions her hips herself so Issei''s hitting the right spots. When she does, he slaps her ass.


    Forzelotte - Aaaah!


    Issei likes that sound. A slight, flushed handprint remains on her smooth and white butt cheek.


    Forzelotte - Ah... Ah... nnh...


    She glares a little at Issei.


    But she doesn''t stop moving her hips. It''s not that Issei is being violent with her. But she''s the one who asks for it, it''s just one part of the game. She knows that, so she doesn''t fight back.


    Issei smiled wryly because when he slapped her butt he''s still feeling hesitant a bit. But because she''s the one asking for it he can only obey it.


    The woman allowing herself to be debased before him is the former <Supreme Overlord>, if anyone else saw this then they might''ve died from shock.


    Issei started thrusting his dick into her once again but this time instead of slapping her butt, he gently stroke it.


    Issei - Does it hurt?


    Forzelotte - Ah... Mmm... Aah... D-Don''t mind it, I told you that I can handle it, didn''t I?


    Issei - But still...


    Forzelotte - Haahn, I-Ise...


    Issei - Hm?


    Forzelotte - Focus... Ah...


    Issei - ...Got it.


    Issei thrust his hips and don''t pretend like he''s missing where he want to hit anymore. He nails his dick exactly against where she''s most sensitive.


    Forzelotte - Aah! Aah! Ah! Aahnn! Mmmm!


    *Pak!* *Pak!* *Pak!*


    She moves her hips too, intensifying what they''re doing together.


    They''ve done this dozen and may be nearing hundreds of times. They both know what the other is going to do next. But they never get tired of it. They even greedily pursue it.


    Forzelotte - Ah... aaah... aaah...


    She stops moving her hips when she''s ready and wordlessly begs Issei as she sticks out her ass with a jerk and steels herself.


    Issei thrust faster and harder, pounding himself into her ferociously.


    Forzelotte - Ah! Haahn! Aahn!


    She stays still, but her pussy walls never stop moving. It feels amazing and her arousal fuels Issei''s arousal as well. His passion rises in tempo with hers.


    Forzelotte - Aaaaah!


    Issei - Gh!


    He stabs his dick deep into her and stops moving, both of them do.


    Forzelotte - Aaaaaaaaaah!


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    She climaxes intensely as Issei shoot out his semen deep inside her. They''re in perfect harmony and they both can feel it.


    Forzelotte - Ah... ahh... ahhhn...


    Issei hugs her close while she''s still flushed from her orgasm.


    Forzelotte - Ah...


    Issei - Forze...


    Forzelotte - Mmh... Mmn... Mmchu... Hai?


    Issei kisses her and whispers in her ear.


    Issei - I love you.


    Forzelotte - Mmh... Ise... Mmn...


    She kisses him back.


    Forzelotte - Mmh... If you love me, then prove it...


    She moves her hips gently asking for more.


    Issei - Understood... Need a rest?


    Forzelotte - No...


    Issei - Well then...


    Forzelotte - Haahn!?


    Issei makes love to her for quite some time. And when she''s finally feeling exhausted from their lovemaking session, she fell asleep just like that.


    Issei smiled gently seeing her sleeping face, he tugs her in gently and just when he''s about to join her in the land of dreams there are 2 intruders coming into their room. Both of them instantly jumped at Issei''s embrace.


    ??? - Ise, my turn...


    ??? - Lilith next...


    Issei - Err... Ophis, Lilith... Wasn''t today Forze''s turn?


    Yes, the intruders are Ophis and Lilith. And both of them are not in their loli form but in their adult form. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/highschooldxd/images/8/84/LN_21_illustration_3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160319024757).


    They both are totally butt naked ready for the taking.


    Ophis - I won''t take no for an answer...


    Lilith - Lilith as well...


    Both of Ophis and Lilith eyes are glistening with lust.


    Issei can only smile wryly seeing the duo Ouroboros Dragon being like this. The reason why they became like this is all because of Irene...


    It all happened the very next day after Issei completed his bond with Forzelotte. They both came into his room while he was asleep while in their adult form as well... It''s too late to stop them because the moment he''s awake from his sleep Ophis has already put his penis inside her.


    Issei thought she will cry from the pain or something but her reaction is only a little frown before she started moving up and down with endless vigor that even made Issei become totally slackjawed.


    Lilith was watching Ophis''s action from the side ready to copy her other half action it seems.


    When Issei asked Ophis just who told her to do this and who taught her this move, they both told him at the same time that it''s Irene. So Issei knows that this is Irene''s fault after that.


    He can only sigh bitterly at Irene mischievous side.


    Ever since then both Ophis and Lilith got totally hooked on having sex with him that both of them almost come to his room every day. Issei gave Irene an accusing look but she only feigns ignorance whenever he does that.


    The other girls tried to talk some sense into them but it''s useless because all they respond with is, "But it feels really good doing it with Issei... Why should we stop?". Hearing their answer the other girls can only smile wryly because they totally agree with them. It indeed feels extremely good when they''re making love with Issei...


    So they can only give up on telling them to stop, but they told Ophis and Lilith to take turns. They both nodded at that condition but it doesn''t take long before both of them do what they''re currently doing.


    They indeed don''t bother Issei and the other girls when they''re having sex but the moment they finished their lovemaking session, both Ophis and Lilith will barge into the room and demand for their turn next. Just like now...


    Issei - Fine... But let''s do it in your room because Forze needs to get some rest.


    Issei can only relent to their demand because they won''t stop until they get what they want.


    Both of them nodded with a victory smile and then they went to their room. And Issei continued his lovemaking session with Ophis and Lilith this time around.


    Forzelotte was awake when they enter the room but she''s already got used to their antics so she only rolls her eyes at them before going back to sleep.

 Chapter 77 - 76

    ??? - Chu, chu, haahn, mmha... I knew it, you''re good at this kind of thing. To do this, with only your mouth... I wanted to be the one to teach you something... Hey, watch where you''re touching, haah...


    Issei - It''s not a good idea to let your body get cold, so I''m warming it up, shishou...


    At this moment, both Scathach and Issei is in a large warm bath.


    Scathach - Mm, aaah! Haah, ku... Baka-deshi...


    It is quite right now, and they are alone together. Ther bodies are pressed up against each other''s to keep warm. Issei has already defeated Scathach and she asked Issei to take her virginity while they''re in the bath.


    Scathach - W-Why are you touching that place? What are you... Doing...


    Issei - I''m touching a very important place, a very sensitive place. It''s Shishou''s pussy.


    Scathach - Why are you doing that...? Putting a finger in and taking it out again. It''s making a wet sound... It feels very hot there.


    Issei touched her clitoris until it got hard, then he moves his finger down to her vagina, which is opening and closing like a fish gulping for air.


    Scathach - Haah, haah, ku! Haah, that place is...


    She is already experiencing tiny orgasms there, and the sensations are confusing her. After all, this is her first time.


    Issei - I can''t tell if this wetness is from the water, or something else...


    Issei whispered at her ears.


    Scathach - D-Don''t make me say it... Are you always, hahn, saying stuff like this when you''re making love with the other girls?


    Issei - Well, I like to have some fun sometimes.


    Scathach - Y-You''re such a... Haahn, ku... Haah, haah, ku, ahhn.


    Issei can feel her love juices falling down into the water below them. The usual gallant air about her was gone, and every time Issei fingers touched her, she let out a sweet erotic voice.


    Scathach - Haah, haah... I, I want you to teach me about being a woman. I can''t wait any longer...


    Issei - Ah... I want you, Shishou.


    Scathach - If you don''t mind being with me, you can do whatever you like... I''m like a flower with closed petals, b-but I''ll give myself to you...


    Issei - You''re very beautiful, Shishou... From the first moment I''ve laid my eyes on you, I always think that you''re a very beautiful woman, even now I still do... I love you, Shishou...


    Scathach - H-Heh... You and your sweet talk... You''ve already defeated me as a warrior and now you want to conquer my body and heart thoroughly as well? Very well... I''ll allow it... Now make me yours, baka-deshi...


    Issei - Um... Understood.


    Scathach blushed deeply when she heard Issei''s words but she''s feeling really happy after hearing his confession. Which woman doesn''t like it when their beloved compliment them?


    Scathach - Aah... It''s coming... Inside...! Mm, ku, ahhn! ahh, mmm, haah, kuu...


    Issei''s penis slowly pushed inside her unsoiled vagina, disappearing as he watched it.


    Scathach - I-It''s so big... Ku, haah... It''s pushing me, opening me... T-This is your man-thing... And it''s going inside me... It''s amazing...


    Scathach''s lower mouth have gotten tense, as drops of blood, the proof of her purity, fell into the water below. Her face betrayed the pain she was experiencing, and the pleasure too.


    Scathach - Y-You''ve stolen something from me... Even though I''ve already prepared for this day, it still amazes me just how fast you are able to defeat me... But... It doesn''t hurt... As much as I thought it would. Actually, it feels kind of... Good, inside me...


    Issei - You''re so wet that I''m moving inside you very smoothly. You''re accepting me without any problem.


    Scathach - Haah, haahn! Haa, ahh... Your thing... It''s made me into a woman... I can feel my body, it''s molding itself around your thing...


    The inside of her vagina is well lubricated now, and his penis is entering her freely. The more he pushed inside her, the softer and more accommodating her flesh became.


    Scathach - Haah, haah... Mm, aahnnn! T-The tip is bumping against my womb entrance...


    Issei - Ku... Your pussy is gripping me so tightly.


    Scathach - T-That''s so you can''t escape... Haah, I can feel you all the way inside now... I-I will receive all of your desire and take it into my self. I''ll make you ejaculate so much you won''t be able to get an erection anymore...


    Issei - Heheh, challenge accepted.


    His penis grew fully erect again, as he moves around her pussy juices and virgin blood. Issei judged that it is okay for him to move freely inside her now.


    Scathach - Haah, haa, haahn! Ku, aah, there...


    Issei - You fit perfectly around me... I knew our bodies would be perfect for each other...


    Scathach - Its the perfect size and shape for you... Ha, haah... Every time you try to pull out, it pulls you back in. Haah, haah... Come, come deep inside me... Ise...


    Her breath had been calm and relaxed but is now coming in great gasps.


    Scathach - Haah, haah, ahhn! Ah, ah...


    When he pulled his penis out of her a few inches...


    Scathach - Haah! ahhn! T-That feels so... I can''t...


    Issei pulls his member out to her opening, leaving it pushed up against her warmness. She looked at him with an annoyed face for having the audacity to pull out of her but immediately started moaning again.


    Scathach - Ahha, ahhn! Haah, haah... You''re pushing my whole vagina up... H-How can you do it so roughly with me? It''s only my first time... Your thing... It''s so bumpy on the outside, I can feel it... Pushing inside me... Ahhn!


    With each thrust inside, her lubricant made it easier, until it is practically overflowing from her. The steam from the hot water bath is coating their bodies, appearing like sweat.


    Issei - This feels so good... I''m not going to last long. I feel like I''m going to melt inside your pussy, Scathach...


    Scathach - I-I feel it... I feel you inside me. Push it all the way inside me! T-This is a "Man"... This is what the man I love feels like... I''m your woman now, and I''m receiving you.


    The walls of her flesh are like another living thing entirely, moving and caressing him as he slips in and out of her.


    Scathach - Haah, haah, ahn, hhnaa... I-I''m going to... Again.


    Scathach is experiencing countless tiny waves of pleasure, which are causing her vagina to tighten around Issei''s penis again and again. The pleasure they are both feeling right now is otherworldly.


    Scathach - Ku, haah, haaahhn! W-Why is this so...? I-I can feel it, I can feel you... I can feel my man. I can only see you now, aahn...


    Some deep thing is rising in her, and she kisses Issei with new desires in her eyes.


    Scathach - Chuu, Mmchu... Haahn... Hammph...


    Responding to her, Issei inserts his tongue in her mouth, feeling her hot breath and sweet saliva.


    Scathach - Chu, Mmh, haahn, ahhn! When you kiss me, aahhn!


    Issei - Sorry, I can''t hold back. You''re just so cute to me.


    Scathach - D-Don''t say that... Haahn! That word doesn''t go well with me... Ahh, ahhn!


    His penis is moving in and out of her, making a wet sound as they both experience intense pleasure. Perhaps nearing her limit, Scathach''s body is starting to shake uncontrollably.


    Scathach - Haahn! Haa, haahn! Ahhn, ku, haah! M-My cervix is opening, ready to receive your seed... Please give it to me... Ise... I-It''s too good... Aahn! It feels too good!


    She is definitely nearing climax herself. The same goes for Issei.


    Issei - Gh... I''m almost there.


    Scathach - Give it to me... Give me all of your seed. Haahn! S-Shoot it deep inside me!


    Issei - Ah, I can''t hold off anymore...


    Scathach - Ahhn, yaah! N-No, it''s too good! Aahhhnnnn!


    It was the last spurt before they both came. Issei pushed deeper and deeper inside her, in order to plant his seed as deeply as he could.


    Scathach - Haah, haahn! Aahn! Ku, n-no, aah! I''m going to receive your semen! Aahn! In the deepest part of me!


    Issei - I''m coming, Scathach!


    Scathach - Aahhn, haah, haah! I''m coming, too, coming! Ahhhhhnnn...!


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    They both came at the same time and Issei''s ejaculated deep inside Scathach womb and it flooded her inside thoroughly.


    Scathach - I-I can feel it... Inside me... Haah... Y-Your sperm is flooding inside me... I feel like I''m going to melt from the inside... Ah... It''s flowing out, I can still feel it flowing out... Aahn, mmm, haah...


    Her body lightly shivered in pleasure...


    Scathach - I''ve never felt this kind of happiness as a woman... You''ve made my body and heart completely yours, all the way to my uterus... Y-You''d better take responsibility for this, baka-deshi... I can never go back to the way I was.


    Scathach smiled and she put her hand on Issei''s cheek, then Issei takes her hand with his own.


    Issei - I will... I will never let you leave my side, forever, Scathach... You have my word.


    Scathach - H-Hmph... At least you know what''s good for you...


    They smiled at each other before joining their lips together once again.


    Issei - Then, shall we go again?


    Issei asked Scathach with a sly smile.


    Scathach - ...Eh?


    She became stupefied after hearing Issei''s words.


    Issei - What''s wrong? I thought you''re going to suck me dry?


    Scathach - B-But...


    Issei - No buts~


    Issei hummed before he started moving his hips once again.


    Scathach - W-Wait, kyaahn! B-Baka-deshi! Aahhhn...


    They continued their lovemaking session, but up to date, Scathach is the weakest on this area because she can only stand 3 round with Issei. It''s not that her endurance isn''t good or anything... But it''s just that her body is extremely sensitive compared to your average woman.


    Probably because of all the training she has done...


    After they were done, Scathach sulked for the entire day at her room. In her defense she said that it''s Issei''s fault for being too good, not hers... The other girls sweat at her statement.


    Issei can only smile wryly because he never thought that she would be that sensitive.


    ...


    Just when Michael and the others about to leave the room they heard a sudden voice coming out of nowhere.


    ??? - You all don''t need to arrange a meeting with the <ECH> CEO, because that won''t be necessary with me being here.


    They all became alerted and hastily turned around towards the source of the voice.


    They saw an absolutely beautiful woman with a tall height, voluptuous body with thickly braided, bow-adorned, scarlet hair. Her two front braids have two golden ornaments near the upper sections and she also wears red lipstick. She has beautiful green eyes.


    For clothing, she dons a risque version of the typical witch''s garb. Her black top has a diamond-shaped opening, exposing the middle of her breasts, which has a red heart mark that covered with Dragon''s wing, that mark looks exactly like the <ECH> logo but there''s a mini queen crown at the middle of the <Mark>.


    Additionally, she also wears an elongated black loincloth with the same logo of the <ECH> company emblazoned on its front, having white borders on its edges and being connected to another cloth piece with the very same heart-shaped design. She also wears black thigh-high boots with heels that have a white-colored border near the top and gloves of the same color and design, only having claw-like extensions. Her black witch''s hat is much larger than her head and possesses dreadlock designs with white bandaging near its ends. It also has a fur lining near its edges.


    At this moment she''s calmly sitting on one of the chairs with her legs crossed inside the room while observing them with a smirk on her gorgeous face.


    Sirzechs - ...Who are you?


    Sirzechs and co had a cold sweat because they never realize just since when did this woman appeared here. Not a single one of them realizes it... None. Whether it be Odin, himself or the others for that matters.


    Even though Odin and Azazel are quite perverted, they know which one they should leer or shouldn''t, and the woman before them obviously belongs to the latter category...


    ??? - Me? You can call me Irene H. Belserion. And you don''t need to introduce yourself to me because I know all of you...


    They all never heard her name before but they notice something on her name... She also has the initial "H" on her name. Just like Tio H. who''s the CEO of the <ECH> company. And if their guess is right, she''s also a Dragon.


    They can also see that she has the same mark as Tio and Tilt so they''re quite certain about their guess.


    Irene who has been observing them could guess just what they''re thinking right now just from looking at their face and eyes that keep glancing at her <Mark>. She''s very proud of her <Mark>, it''s a mark from her beloved Issei after all so she''s very conscious of it when someone is looking at it.


    Tannin - ...She''s also a Dragon. And also an extremely powerful one at that...


    Tannin whispered towards Sirzechs and co.


    ''We know that'' is what on Sirzechs and co mind when they heard Tannin words.


    Irene - Indeed, I am a Dragon... Queen of Dragons to be exact, and I''m also commonly known as the <Scarlet Despair> by my enemies. I also know you are formerly known as the <Dragon King>, Tannin the Blaze Meteor Dragon.


    "Bold words" they thought, for calling herself as the Queen of Dragons, but she seems to have the power to back up her claim.


    Tannin - ...I see. It''s quite a pleasure for meeting a strong Dragon such as yourself, Belserion-sama...


    Irene - Hm, you can just call me Lady Irene.


    Tannin sweated a little feeling Irene aura because she''s really a strong Dragon, perhaps on par with the Ouroboros Dragon or even the Great Red himself, he can''t tell for sure because she seems to be hiding her power, so he could only rely on his instinct and his instinct is telling him to never fight this Dragon before him or he will undoubtedly die. ''Queen of Dragons huh... A fitting title'', Tannin thought.


    Her aura also reminds him of someone. But he''s not so sure about it because as far as he could remember, that person is a man, not a woman...


    Azazel - Then, we shall do just that... And if we may ask, what you mean by your words before about the <ECH> company...


    Irene - Um, I meant what I said... It won''t be necessary to arrange a meeting with Tio because we''re fellow sisters, as in, we have the same husband.


    They all started to become even more curious and feeling a little bit of fear thinking just who is this husband of theirs for having such strong women as his wives.


    Irene - I assure you that the <ECH> company doesn''t have any evil intention for this world, so you don''t need to worry.


    Azazel - ...Is there any proof for your claim?


    Azazel asked her if she has any proof for her claim because they can''t just blatantly trust someone they never met before.


    Irene - Proof? Ahahaha... Do you think I need to lie to the likes of you?


    Irene at first laughed at Azazel question, but then she questioned him back while releasing her <Emperor Haki> at the same time.


    When they felt her pressure, they instantly felt like they''re being weighed down by a mountain. They know that she''s the real deal and not some fake who act like they''re strong but actually not.


    Irene - So... Your answer?


    Azazel - W-We believes you.


    Sirzechs and co also nodded at Azazel statement.


    They can only believe her because if she wanted to then she could''ve killed them all right here right now.


    Irene - Um, good to know.


    Only then Irene took back her pressure on them and they started having a cold sweat streaming down their whole bodies while breathing heavily.


    Irene - Oh, by the way, just so you know... My husband is even stronger than me... Much stronger... Fufufu...


    Their breathing stagnated when they heard her words, even though they could already guess that her husband could be stronger than her, they are still taken aback after knowing the truth.


    Azazel - I-I see... Th-Then is there anything else that we could help you with?


    Irene - Hmm, I''ve heard that you''re planning to have a world-class rating game? Azazel-cup, was it? Who came up with that stupid name?


    Irene squinted her eyes at Azazel.


    Azazel - ...Th-That would be me...


    Sirzechs and co take pleasure on Azazel misfortune because it''s his own idea for naming it the Azazel cup. They would''ve laughed loudly if it wasn''t for Irene being here right now.


    Irene - Hmm... Well, no matter. I would like to participate in it.


    Azazel - ...Err... Okay...


    Azazel was hesitant at first but finally relented on letting her participate in the rating game.


    Irene - Don''t worry, I won''t be participating in the fight. I will only observe as the "King" and if other participants able to defeat my peerage members then you could announce that they''ve won. You have my word.


    Azazel - ...If we''re allowed to know... Just how strong are your peerage members?


    Irene - Oh? Hmm... They''re around the same level as the 4 of you. That won''t be a problem, right?


    Irene knows just why they''re hesitant on letting her participate in the rating game so she assures them that she won''t directly participate in the rating game. But Azazel needs to know just how strong her peerage members will be. If their strength is the same as Irene then they might as well declare their team as the winner right now...


    When Sirzechs and co heard her answers their face started twitching a lot... Not to brag but they''re pretty sure there''s not a lot of people in this world that is strong as them, alright? And here she is treating them like cabbage that can be found anywhere...


    Irene - But of course, if someone were to challenge me then I will gladly accept it.


    Azazel - ...That''s perfectly reasonable...


    Irene - Then I believe we have come to an agreement... So do I still need to take the test to get my <Evil Pieces>?


    Irene jokingly asked them.


    Azazel - N-No need... Then if you could follow us to get your <Evil Pieces>.


    What a joke, if a powerful being like herself still needs to take the test then no one will be qualified to register in the rating game.


    Irene - Um, lead the way. Oh, you don''t need to worry about your perversion just now towards Tio and Tilt, I won''t be telling our husband about it. But be careful not to repeat your mistake especially when our husband is around. He''s quite the overprotective type you see, so if he saw you eyeing any of us with disrespectful gaze then he might just kill you on the spot. I assure you that he will not hesitate to do so no matter who you are... Understand?


    Both Azazel and Odin nodded like a chicken pecking rice after hearing her words. Sirzechs and the others are holding their laughter when they saw both of them being reprimanded like this.


    Then they brought Irene toward the <Evil Piece> retrieval location. When they exited the room there was Grayfia waiting for them outside, she sensed the strong aura Irene emitted before so she hastily went towards the meeting room only to be greeted by Sirzechs and co along with a woman she never saw before.


    Grayfia becomes wary of Irene but after seeing the signal Sirzechs gave her, she stands down immediately. Irene is amused seeing Grayfia now because she could tell that Grayfia is apparently still a virgin.


    Sure when she''s still Ddraig she couldn''t tell because she has no physical body, but now... She could tell a virgin when she sees one. And that made her curious just why Grayfia is still a virgin even though she''s supposed to have already given birth to Millicas? There''s no way she''s like the Virgin Mary case? That would be hilarious, a holy devil, heheh...


    She may be able to fool anyone else with her act but she won''t be able to tell an experienced woman like herself. (Well, those experiences mostly comes from her peeking at Issei though...)


    Well, just more things to investigate for later.


    Grayfia is shortly briefed about Irene and when she finds out that Irene is an extremely strong dragon she becomes taken aback but soon her face reverted back to her usual calm face. Somehow her womanly intuition tells her that there''s something amiss with Irene but she couldn''t exactly tell what it is...


    Along the way to the designated location, they become the center of attention. Not surprising since their party is consist of the 4 faction leader and seeing the 4 leaders seem to be escorting a single woman is making them wondering just who she is.


    Irene otherworldly beauty also captures a lot of the male onlookers.


    ...


    (AN: This part has a copy & paste from the original fanfic but with some original mix from me as well. And this chapter took place when Rias was about to get her pieces, the continuation from Chapter 53.)


    Appearing from a bright, blood-colored magic circle. A group of youths was seen.


    As the light dispersed the group could clearly see the purple, amethyst-colored sky. Amazed by the view the men couldn''t think of anything. They stared at it, ignoring their surroundings¡ªa rookie mistake.


    "Well everyone we will go to the Bael Castle! It will be quick!" - Rias talked to everyone, purposely avoiding the question of why not going for them in her own territory.


    (I can''t go home to father and mother, not without Ise. They will ask too many questions and I don''t wish to make them worry.) - Rias thought to herself.


    (Thanks brother for making a deal to let us come to the Bael territory without any trouble.) - Rias thanked her older brother.


    Unknown to her the reason he did this, was to spare his parents from the ugly truth that he knew they would discover if they saw the men next to her daughter and her Peerage.


    So he decided to make a deal with ''Zekram Bael'' and ask for his sister to come to his territory without passing through all the stops and barriers. Zekram was curious, but he decided to agree with the deal. He had better things to do, and the Gremory heiress wouldn''t do anything serious inside his territory.


    Seeing the armored city they were currently at, her Peerage soon discovered they were inside The Main Capital of the Bael Territory; Goetia!


    The huge amount of people on the street were slightly shocked when they saw the magic circle as well as the people coming from it.


    "The Gremory Heiress!" - An Orc with a height of ten feet, or three meters, said as he pointed at the woman with blood-colored hair.


    "Why are they here?" - Another Devil asked with a hand on his chin, curious about this occurrence.


    "Did the Gremory Team came to get their pieces?!" - A Human warrior with leather armor and sandals said while in shock.


    Whispers were heard, but Rias and her team clearly ignored them. The men were too amazed by the city itself to notice these whispers.


    The city was the one Issei, in the past, had come to get his own pieces. Tall buildings painted in a distinct purple were at the sides, huge golden light poles were on the sidewalk lighting the streets.


    The purple sky could be seen completely, and even what it seemed to be a Sun was present in the sky.


    The many buildings were perfectly built, just by looks alone one could guess that they were improved after the War. They were just like the ones in a normal human city but with a touch of something special, something no one could understand.


    The men then stopped their daydreaming and looked at Rias.


    Before they could speak, she said. - "We need to go to the Bael Castle. My brother told me that the location where we can obtain the Pieces for the Tournament is there."


    The men nodded their heads. However, because they were with the Gremory group, they caught the interest of the creatures around the street.


    "Hey, who are they?" - A man with the build of a professional wrestler asked the woman at his side.


    She replied while shrugging her shoulders. - "No idea. But if they are with them, they should be important or powerful figures." - She ran her hand across her orange-colored hair, her green eyes looking at them.


    "Interesting." - Another man said with a voice loud enough for all to hear. He had long ears and a green vest over a white shirt and green pants. He was oddly enough beautiful, not handsome.


    The Gremory Peerage began walking. Their destination was obviously the castle they could see in the distance.


    While walking, the girls kept smiles on their faces. The men, however, had a shocked look on their faces and eyes.


    Gathering the courage Reiji managed to ask Rias. - "Rias. What are they?" - He pointed at pretty much all of the population.


    She widened her eyes slightly but then giggled. - "Right. Forgot this was the first time you''ve seen other species." - Her words made all the men freeze.


    She then continued explaining while walking on the greyish street, not minding their expressions in the slightest.


    "Since the Tournament is on a World Scale, many different species came to the Underworld for their Pieces." - She began explaining.


    The men nodded their heads.


    "Thanks to that, and the official treaty between Factions. All of the Supernatural World is gathered here." - Rias spoke while moving her hips, catching the glances of many creatures on the street.


    "They are probably touring around the city before going for the Pieces for the Tournament. However, my brother told me that it''s not so simple to get the pieces." - Rias told them while slowing down, the people in front of her opened a way so she could pass.


    "It seems that there''s a trial of sorts before you''re allowed to get the pieces." - This surprised everyone, including her Peerage who didn''t know the information.


    "But since we''re well known, and almost everyone knows about the power of my team and Peerage, we can skip the trial and directly get the pieces." - She was proud of those words.


    Everyone hummed in agreement when she said those words.


    "Then, Rias-san. What races came to the Underworld?" - Little Hijama asked while walking in front of his brothers.


    "About that..." - She started to look around. Then she decided to explain.


    "Well, see those creatures that have green skin but closely resemble humans?" - She asked back. He just nodded.


    "Those are Orcs. The ones that stand above 5 meters? Those are gigants. Probably from the Norse due to their blue skin." - She kept talking.


    "Then ones that have pointy ears are elves, extremely beautiful in appearance. They are from the Celtic Pantheon. The ones of the Three-Biblical Factions have white or black feathered wings or like us Devils that have horns, tails, or other special appendixes."


    The men nodded in awe. They looked around and saw the many races she described. Every time they saw someone else they held a bit of fear in their hearts.


    "Of course, many more species are here. But I can''t count them all." - Rias finished her explanation.


    As she finished explaining she saw the castle just ahead. She turned her head around and talked to her Peerage.


    "Everyone be ready! We just arrived." - She told them.


    The men just stood in frozen awe at the sight of the castle.


    As if made out of gold, it stood with undescribed arrogance right in the center of the whole Capital of Goetia. Purple flags with the symbol of the Bael Clan were on all of its sides.


    A huge line could be seen at the main entrance, right towards the gate. They, however, skipped all of that and walked past everyone.


    The ones in line saw them but held their tongues back, they could recognize the Gremory Heiress anywhere.


    Rias proudly walked in front of everyone. She moved her hips hypnotically managing to steal many glances of the male population due to her provocation.


    Her Queen was just behind her. A gentle smile on her face as both of her hands was in front of her body, pressing her breasts and showing them to all. Managing to get a few noses bleeds from some perverts.


    The rest of the women were similarly the same, in a sense they decided to show everyone their beauty, it seems that this habit was thanks to Rias.


    As they reached the gate the guards didn''t move, they were seemingly frozen due to shock. Then Rias spoke.


    "I''m Rias Gremory, heiress to the House of Gremory! I came to get the Pieces for the World Tournament!" - Arrogance was on her words, and pride was excluded off of her body.


    The men just stood at the center of their little group. Completely silent and hoping for the best.


    The soldiers at the gate widened their eyes but soon acted for what they trained them for.


    """Gremory-sama! Please come with us!""" - The three soldiers; two males and a female told the heiress.


    "Hn!" - She hummed in agreement as she crossed her arms under her chest. A proud pose of course.


    Then the female soldier separated herself from the rest and began to guide them.


    As they crossed the gate, they saw the Castle and a building that was mainly conformed out of windowpanes on its left side.


    "Gremory Princess, that''s the building where the tests are being held at. However, due to your achievements in the past, you''re exempted from doing them." - She was walking rather fast.


    "I''ll guide you to the top." - She told her as she opened the door of the building. Everybody followed after her.


    ...


    After a little more than ten minutes, the Peerage reached the last floor of the entire glass building.


    The soldier quickly dismissed herself and left them to walk the last staircase.


    Once on top, they saw the silhouette of a very big man.


    He wore a form-fitting, short-sleeved black t-shirt, and black pants with red lines at the sides. He also had a pair of sports sneakers that were brown with the same red lines.


    Both of his arms were crossed and he was focusing his sight on a big machine twice his own size.


    Rias, the moment she saw him, widened her eyes in shock. Thinking of her misfortune in meeting him here.


    The man felt the gazes of people behind him and turned his head around, looking over his shoulder. The moment he saw Rias his eyes gained a happy glint and a smile adorned his face.


    After that, he fully turned around and started to walk in her direction.


    "Rias! Look, how coincidental finding each other here!" - The man with a huge build and purple eyes said to her with a cheerful voice.


    "Sairaorg! Yes, what a coincidence..." - She said while some sweat fell down her cheek.


    "Haha! It seems you also came for your Pieces Rias! The Tournament will definitely be something else!" - Sairaorg smiled at her, then he looked behind her.


    When the men saw the huge warrior in front of them, they retreated in fright. He excluded the presence of an unclimbable wall, an obstacle they couldn''t hope to overcome.


    (What a powerful presence! He''s on a completely different level!) - Reiji thought while looking at the man in question.


    The three brothers couldn''t even look straight at him. They were completely petrified due to his own presence. His natural presence was more than enough to stop them in their tracks.


    The last of the males lifted his head and looked into the eyes of the man, scared when he saw a fire burning brightly inside of them. He could have sworn that his eyes held an indomitable spirit.


    "And, who are they?" - He asked while looking at the males.


    This unnerved the entire female Peerage, but Rias acted extremely quick.


    "They are Sacred Gears possessors that were staying in my territory. Due to some reasons, we decided to train them so that they could fight against any possible threat." - She told him with seriousness.


    "Even though peace is in sight, one never knows¡ªand we rather not have another possible Hero Faction." - Rias''s voice was calm and logical.


    Sairaorg felt that something was off, but since he didn''t exactly find something wrong with her explanation he let it slide.


    "Oh! I see! Well, it''s definitely better to have more people on our side!" - He smiled at his comment. He was extremely friendly.


    "Oh!" - He remembered something. - "Where are my manners? My name is Sairaorg, Sairaorg Bael!" - He smiled while placing both hands on his hips.


    The men finally understood who was in front of them. They were shocked and couldn''t reply to his introduction. The only one that said something was Reiji, who mumbled in a low voice.


    "...The strongest youth in the Underworld..." - He muttered, but Sairaorg managed to hear him.


    "Hahaha! I once was, but not anymore." - His voice sounded melancholic. - "That title belongs to someone else. However, one day I''ll get it back!" - He finished explaining with determination clearly present in his voice.


    Sadly for Sairaorg, that day will never come because his target is already out of his reach in this lifetime...


    Hijama then said a name that was inside all the male''s heads. - "...Hyoudou Issei..." - His voice seemed hollow as if he wasn''t believing his own words.


    "Huh? Seems that you know!" - Glad, he replied. - "Yes, Hyoudou Issei has that title! Hahaha! I truly wish to fight against him again!" - He was ever cheerful.


    *Cough! Cough!* - Rias intervened by faking a cough, she didn''t want him to say or ask anything else. She couldn''t risk anything right now.


    "By the way, where''s Hyoudou Issei?" - This caused everyone to freeze.


    Rias swiftly replied. - "Ise is in his house. He decided to use all the time he could to improve. Kiba is sparring with him." - She explained with a tired face. - "Haaa... They just keep going at it."


    A hand was against her head and a small smile on her lips a nice touch in the end to keep appearances.


    "Hahahaha!" - He was amused by this. - "I understand! So I better keep going at it!" - Sairaorg kept laughing loudly, causing the girls to release a breath they didn''t know they were holding.


    The men didn''t understand this but kept their silence. In a way, they did understand why the girls didn''t want anybody else to know that the Sekiryuutei was missing.


    It could cause problems on a major scale. After all, according to the girls, he was quite important for many Factions. If rumors begin to spread about his disappearance, then a mess of huge proportions will be made.


    "Sairaorg-sama the Pieces are ready!" - Their thoughts were stopped by a sudden voice.


    "Congratulations! You obtained a Mutated Rook!" - A scientist said while giving him a black briefcase.


    Sairaorg was slightly shocked but quickly started to laugh.


    "Excellent news! Hahahaha!" - He obviously was quite satisfied. With this, he could switch Regulus and use the Rook on him!


    The scientist then looked at the rest present. He was frozen solid when he saw that blood-colored hair.


    "Rias-sama! I didn''t know that you''re here, my apologies!" - He bowed with his whole body.


    "Don''t worry." - She dismissed his apology. - "Could we begin the process?" - She asked with a smile on her face.


    "Of course!" - He nodded. - "Please, this way." - He pointed with his left hand at the side of the machine.


    Sairaorg stood there with the briefcase in his right hand. He wanted to ask something to the scientist but he decided to wait until Rias was done with this.


    The scientist walked closer to the machine. The apparatus was a huge metallic box of more than three meters in height and many different components all around it. It was black in color with silver-colored pieces of metal.


    He then pointed at a small gate at the side of them. It was circular in shape and looked quite plain.


    "Please, Rias-sama create a ball of Demonic Power and insert it here." - He said and pointed at the circular gate.


    "Hn!" - She nodded her head and then a reddish-black ball filled with her signature trait appeared on top of her hand.


    She then walked closer to the machine and inserted it in the gate the scientist pointed at. Soon, just like in a vacuum, it was sucked inside the machine.


    Many different noises were heard from the machine; cutting, folding, breaking, melting and some were not capable of being described with words alone.


    Sairaorg just walked at her side and stood next to her. His briefcase was against his left leg and his arms were crossed in front of his chest.


    He decided to patiently wait with his cousin. He was also curious about the result of her Pieces.


    ...


    After no more than 5 minutes. The machine stopped making noises and just expelled a bit of grey smoke from its top.


    Rias was happy when she saw this. She finally could get her Pieces and enter the Tournament!


    She was also happy about being free from the questions of the scientist. They were a bit annoying and tedious, but she understood what they were for.


    However, the name for her team baffled her for some time. She was unsure about how to name it.


    But then, as always, she decided to name it after her clan and of course, after herself. She decided to go with; ''Team Rias Gremory''.


    Sairaorg laughed at her naming sense, he never quite understood why she names everything after oneself. But he kept silent about that and said that he named his team; ''Imperial Purpure''.


    While pouting, due to his comment, Rias received the same black briefcase as Sairaorg.


    "Congratulations Rias-sama! You received a Mutated Bishop!" - The scientist smiled. - "This is amazing, so many Mutation Pieces in so little time!" - The old man with white hair and a lab coat said with clear excitement.


    Sairaorg then decided to ask his question.


    "By the way, what''s with the emotion for the Mutated Pieces? Are they that rare?" - His question shocked the old-man.


    "Of course!" - He said seriously. - "Until now just very few teams have received them! And the leaders of them are ridiculous! Gods of the highest order, the current Hakuryuuko, and a rather special case."


    "The amount of wielders with you two doesn''t exceed ten, barely reaching seven! A single Mutated Piece is already ridiculous!" - His words piqued the interest of Sairaorg.


    "So, are there teams that have more than one?" - His words shocked everyone present, of course, only the young ones.


    "Yes! There have been those occurrences." - The scientist replied.


    "Who were they?" - Rias asked while the rest of her Peerage listened intently. Even the men accompanying them were also paying attention.


    "Until now the ones with two Pieces were Shiva-sama and Indra-sama. Really ridiculous!"


    Those words didn''t shock the Devils, but the Humans were a completely different story.


    (Indra?! Shiva?! The King of Gods and The God of Destruction?!) - Reiji had cold sweat all over his back. Of course he knew about those two!


    (The Strongest Gods of the Hindu Faction!) - Ryutaro was amazed at those words. He turned his head around and looked at his brother, who had the same look like him.


    Little Hijama was astonished. He couldn''t even think properly when those names were mentioned.


    The same was with Ken. However, an obvious drop of sweat was visible in his cheek falling to the ground.


    "Ha! So two of the Top Ten, huh? No wonder." - Sairaorg smiled fiercely, he liked the sound of that.


    *Murmur!* *Murmur!*


    Just when they were thinking about the top 10 strongest, they heard a loud murmur coming from the entrance. And when they look over they saw Sirzechs and co coming towards them.


    Rias - O-Onii-sama? Azazel-sensei?


    Irina - M-Michael-sama?


    Rias who saw Sirzechs and co felt a little surprised and the same goes for her peerage members, especially the men because they''re really nervous being in front of the 4 faction leaders again.


    But something else catches their eyes. They saw an extremely beautiful woman that manages to makes them completely frozen stiff because of how beautiful she is. Even Sairaorg felt amazed by her beauty.


    Some men drooled and even had a massive nosebleed after seeing her.


    Rias also saw the woman who''s with them and felt threatened after seeing her gorgeous face. Even she has to admit that this woman is clearly much more beautiful than her, the same goes for the other girls when they saw this newcomer. And when they saw their boyfriends captivated face they become even warier towards her.


    This woman is obviously Irene, and when Irene saw Rias and co, she squinted her eyes at them. And there''s disgust and despise inside her eyes.


    When she realizes the lustful and greedy gaze Ryuji and co giving her she glared at them and that makes them felt terror and fear, they hastily averted their faces down while their bodies are trembling in fear and cold sweat are pouring down from their whole bodies.


    Sairaorg also felt pressured after sensing Irene gaze but he only sweats a little and unlike Ryuji and co he felt exhilarated for some reason, probably because his battle maniac side is kicking in.


    But Irene isn''t exactly aiming at Sairaorg though, it just happens that he''s nearby Ryuji and co. She knows Sairaorg quite well after all and she quite respects his personality to a certain extent.


    Grayfia who has been observing them felt really disappointed towards Rias and co... Just what did they see in these men. Even Issei doesn''t act like them when he''s faced with stronger beings than him and there''s greed included in their eyes when they saw a beautiful woman while in Issei''s eye it''s mostly appreciation. And she''s also wondering why does this Lady Irene seem to despise Rias and co?


    Rias - ...Who is this, onii-sama?


    Rias hastily asks Sirzechs because for some reason she felt extreme trepidation when she''s feeling Irene gaze on her.


    Sirzechs - This is our honored guest who wants to participate in the upcoming Rating game. Her name is-


    Irene - Let''s skip the pleasantries, Sirzechs Lucifer, and just let me get my pieces.


    Before Sirzechs could introduce her name to Rias and co, Irene instantly cut off his words. Irene felt disgusted being near Rias and co, and if she were to spend more times around them she''s afraid that she won''t be able to hold herself from just killing them now outright.


    Everyone become dumbfounded after seeing how disrespectful she is towards the Maou himself.


    Rias - How dare y-


    Sirzechs - Certainly, Lady Irene.


    Rias was about to reprimand Irene for being so disrespectful towards her onii-sama, but Sirzechs who saw that hastily cut off her words because he doesn''t want Rias to earn Irene ire.


    Azazel - This way, please.


    Azazel hastily does a follows up after Sirzech finishes his words.


    Irene - Um.


    Then Irene calmly walks towards the machine and does the same thing just like Rias did before but the way she carries herself is even more awe-inspiring and much more beautiful compared to Rias.


    Every step she took makes the onlookers'' men heartbeat thump along with it. She never shows off her beauty like Rias and co did, its her natural charisma and charm.


    The other onlookers who saw how respectful Sirzechs and co towards becomes totally dumbfounded once again. And their curiosity about Irene just become bigger than ever because for the 4 faction leaders themselves to treat her with this much respect can only mean that she''s an extremely important figure.


    Rias - O-Onii-sam-


    Rias was about to say something else but Sirzechs beat her to it.


    Sirzechs - Rias, not now... Be respectful of our guest. That''s an order.


    Michael - You as well, Irina.


    Azazel - The same goes for the rest of you brats.


    Odin - It would be wise to follow our advice for now...


    Azazel and Odin also give their advice towards Rias and co.


    Tannin doesn''t speak all this time because he''s been observing Ryuji and co, he''s suspicious about them because they seem to have Rias and co scent on their bodies. And for some reason, he''s unable to like Ryuji and co. at all... Weird...


    Finally, Rias and co can only obey their words because the faces they''re making right now is really serious.


    After Irene input her magic power inside the machine she needs to wait for the 5 minutes timer to come so in the meanwhile the scientist asked her respectfully just what her team name would be.


    Irene - Hmm, let''s go with <Dragon Nest>.


    Scientist - U-Understood...


    There is not a single confusion can be found inside Sirzechs and co mind when they heard her team name because it''s really quite fitting. Even Tannin nodded to himself after hearing it.


    But the others are quite confused about why she named her team with that name. They still don''t know that Irene is a Dragon after all. If they knew her title then they won''t be as confused...


    After the 5 minutes has passed, the machine shakes fiercely and then there''s a red smoke coming out from it''s top.


    The scientist hurriedly retrieves the <Evil Pieces> but the result makes them completely stupefied.


    Everyone is confused about why the scientist suddenly stopped moving.


    Sirzechs - What''s wrong? Why you suddenly stopped moving altogether?


    Only after the scientist heard Sirzechs voice did he started moving again.


    Scientist - Th-Th-Th-That... Th-The <Evil Pieces> are... A-All of the <Evil Pieces> are Mutated Pieces...


    After the scientist finished his words the whole area went completely silent.


    Irene - Hmm, not bad.


    But only Irene alone that found that it''s extremely normal.


    Not bad? Not bad your head! Even until now there was never a record of anything like this, not even close! The highest number of mutated pieces that can be found in a single peerage is 2. And even just 1 mutated piece is already rare enough but for you to only say "Not bad" after that is completely a slap to the other mutated piece owner face.


    If all 16 pieces are mutated can only be called "Not bad" then what about the one that only has 1 or 2 mutated pieces? Garbage? Trash?... That''s what on everyone mind right now but of course they won''t dare to say that out loud.


    The reason Irene pieces turned out like this is because her soul is connected with Issei, so her magic power she input to the machines just now is indirectly influenced by Issei as well.


    Rias and co face went completely pale after seeing all of Irene <Evil Pieces> is mutated. Ryuji and co almost pass out after hearing that all of Irene pieces are mutated. How do you expect them to fight such an anomaly? Is this some kind of bad joke? Are they dreaming right now?


    Little Hijama pinched himself lightly to see if it hurts and it is... Obviously, since this is not a dream.


    All of the onlookers who were planning to get to know Irene hastily erase that thought because it will be a suicide if they somehow were to displease her in any way.


    Rias at first wanted to say that maybe the machine is broken but after seeing Sirzechs gaze on her she took back her words right away.


    Sairaorg eyes are wide open in shock. He never thought such a gorgeous woman he just met turned out to be a complete anomaly... Now he knows that there''s always a sky above the sky.


    Azazel - C-Congrats, Milady. As expected of you!


    Odin - O-Ohohoho, this old man congrats you as well, milady!


    Azazel and Odin hastily gave Irene their compliment because they are feeling really afraid right now. Just now they were caught red-handed leering at Tio and Tilt, and even though Irene said she won''t'' be telling her husband it''s better to be safe than sorry. So they hastily give her their best compliment.


    They don''t care about their image at all right now because their lives are on the line. Sirzechs and co can only sweat seeing both of them acting like this, not that he could blame them because they would''ve done the same if they were in their shoes but they still need to congrats Irene regardless.


    It''s not that they don''t have their own pride but it would be very stupid and embarrassing if the reason they died is because of they ogled at someone else''s wives...


    Sirzechs & Michael - Congratulations, milady.


    Irene - Umu, thank you for the compliment.


    After responding to their compliment, Irene took the briefcase that has her <Evil Pieces> from the trembling scientist''s hands.


    Irene - Then I believe my business here is done for now.


    Sirzechs - A-Allow us to send you out.


    Irene - No need.


    *Snap!*


    Sirzechs offered to deliver Irene out but she refuses right away and then she opens a dimensional rift with a snap of her fingers. Her action makes them all taken by surprise once again.


    Irene - Then, I will see you all again at the rating game.


    Sirzechs and co hastily nodded to her words.


    After giving stare of disgust towards Rias and co one last time, Irene enters the rift. Rias for some reason felt really uncomfortable being gazed like that by Irene.


    The others don''t notice the stare Irene gave Rias and co, only Grayfia seems to notices it. She wonders just how and when did Rias ever provoke Irene?


    Sirzechs and co exhaled a sigh of relief when Irene finally left. They felt really nervous when she''s around.


    Rias - Who was that, onii-sama?


    Rias asked Sirzechs because she''s really curious about Irene.


    Sirzechs - ...That woman was...


    ...


    Back at Issei''s Mansion, Rosseweise climbed the stairs and headed towards Issei''s room straight away. She needed to get some rest after her training with Kiba.


    But when she entered Issei''s room she notices there''s someone else inside. She instantly becomes alerted and hastily draws her weapon.


    Rosseweise - Who are you?!


    Inside Issei''s room, Rosseweise saw a cute and petite girl with dark hair tied into a ponytail by a big red ribbon. She''s wearing a black outfit that shows a lot of skin, probably for easier mobility? There''s a small golden bell attached to her collar and at her neck, there''s a red <Mark> of the <ECH> logo.


    She''s currently standing in front of Issei''s bed with both of her hands on her hips. (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alicesoft/images/3/36/Gurigura-ero-full.png/revision/latest?cb=20180724090550).


    But what attracts Rosseweise attention the most is the cat ear and tail she possesses.


    Rosseweise - ...A Nekoshou? No, her aura seems different compared to the Nekoshou I know...


    Rosseweise mumbled lowly to herself.


    The girl is currently inspecting Rosseweise from top to bottom. Her yellow eyes are shining brightly in the dark, just like that of a cat eye. But her eyes seem to hold more of dominating aura inside it.


    ??? - Hmm, are you the one who''s called Rosseweise?


    The girl finally asked her. Even though Gurigura already saw the picture of Rosseweise given by Irene, she still needs to make sure. Who knows if Rosseweise has a twin or something...


    Rosseweise - ...Why do you ask? And you still haven''t answered my question as well. Who are you? And what are your purpose for being here?


    Rosseweise obviously won''t just tell someone she never met her name just like that.


    ??? - Oh, I''m sorry... My name is Gurigura, and I''m here to get you if you''re indeed the one called Rosseweise.


    Rosseweise - ...A kidnapping?


    Gurigura - Kidnapping? No no no, I will never do something like that unless the other party is evil or I''m told to do so.


    Gurigura shakes her head and hands toward Rosseweise, denying her claim.


    Rosseweise - ...Then why do you want to get me?


    Gurigura - Aha! So you''re indeed the one called Rosseweise!


    Rosseweise unintentionally let a slip up when she''s talking with her, ''Damn, I messed up!'', Rosseweise thought inside her head and she prepared for any incoming attack by Gurigura now that she knows that she''s indeed the one called Rosseweise. But even after waiting for a while, Gurigura still hasn''t moved at all from her position.


    Gurigura - You don''t need to be so wary, you know?


    Gurigura told Rosseweise while her face seems like it''s telling the latter that she indeed doesn''t have anything to worry about.


    Rosseweise - ...Sorry, but I can''t just trust the words of someone I''ve never met before, even if the other party is only a small looking girl...


    Gurigura - Heheheh, good point...


    Gurigura scratched her cheek while smiling wryly to herself.


    Rosseweise thought that Gurigura seems a little gullible.


    Then Gurigura smiled brightly at Rosseweise before started speaking once again...


    Gurigura - Well, let me re-introduce myself... My full name is Gurigura Hyoudou, a Dragon, and I''m one of Ise-nii wives... Nice to meet you, Rosseweise-nee. Eheheh!

 Chapter 78 - 77

    When Rosseweise heard Gurigura words she becomes completely stupefied.


    What did she say? Hyoudou? Ise-nii? She automatically ignores the part where Gurigura said that she''s one of Issei''s wives because that doesn''t matter to Rosseweise, what matter for her right now is about Issei himself.


    Rosseweise - W-What did you just say? D-Did you say your last name was H-Hyoudou?


    Rosseweise asked with a voice tinged with hope because she is feeling afraid if she just misheard Gurigura words.


    Gurigura - Hnn? Yup! Ise-nii allowed me to use his last name.


    Gurigura affirmed her words.


    Rosseweise - ...Are you really telling the truth? Can you really bring me to Issei''s place?


    Gurigura - Uh huh, I never lied before.


    Rosseweise - Th-Then take me to him, please! I beg you!


    She instantly begged Gurigura even though the latter is clearly younger than her.


    Rosseweise knows what she''s doing is extremely stupid but she wanted to see Issei so much that she almost went mad from her desire to meet Issei once again.


    The moment she heard Issei''s name she totally let her guard down, and if Gurigura is not who she claims to be then Rosseweise might be in grave danger. But thankfully Gurigura is telling the truth.


    Rosseweise doesn''t really care about anything else at this point, she''s truly desperate wanting to meet Issei and tell him what she wanted to say after all this time. To say that she loves him and will never leave his side nor even betray him, unlike Rias and co.


    Gurigura - Sure!


    Gurigura smiled at Rosseweise who seems so desperate to meet Issei once again, she thought that Rosseweise is indeed a good girl just like she thought from hearing Ise-nii story about her... Well, and also from the information they have gathered so far.


    And soon both Rosseweise and Gurigura disappears from Issei''s old room. It never crosses Rosseweise mind to leave a message or anything else for that matter because she doesn''t care about anything else but Issei at this point.


    ...


    After Rias and co finished hearing about Irene true identity, they become totally dumbfounded.


    "Haaa..." - Sairaorg sighed and looked at everyone.


    "Well everyone, it has been a pleasure seeing you again. But I need to train!" - His voice had some unknown strength. - "It seems that this Tournament is going to be quite difficult! No... Extremely difficult!"


    He lifted the briefcase, swung it across his back, and began walking towards the stairs.


    Everyone stared at him as he waved back at them without looking back.


    Rias then decided to do the same as Sairaorg. The <ECH> company and that Lady Irene they just talked about gave her a very bad feeling.


    "Well everyone, we need to leave!" - She said as she cleared her mind from all of those thoughts. She said her regards towards Sirzechs and co and then she created the magic circle to leave this place, the same as the one they used to come.


    All of them was silently trying to digest the information, so they mechanically walked towards the circle. Rias could understand them, a powerful enemy was inside the Tournament and she gave all of them an impending sense of Doom.


    They never thought that woman they just met before is a Dragon, a Queen of Dragons so she claims... But thankfully from what Sirzechs and co told them, she won''t be directly participating, so they still had a chance. Or so she thought...


    Sirzechs doesn''t tell them that Irene peerage members will be as strong as them, the 4 factions leaders, because he doesn''t want to make Rias and co feeling depressed more than she is now. Another mistake made by Sirzechs, he spoiled Rias too much... Unlike how Issei spoil his wives, the way Sirzechs spoil his little sister is the bad kind of spoiling. Complete opposite on how Issei spoil his wives...


    Rias just couldn''t understand why she felt uneasy at the mention of the Dragon. Was it because of her own missing Dragon?


    (...Issei...) - She thought as she looked at the lab''s ceiling.


    After some seconds the magic circle flashed with intense light and they all left the top floor of the building. Deciding to go back to Issei''s Home.


    When they arrived back at Issei''s home, there''s someone sitting on the sofa with a serious face on her face. Kiba can be found standing nearby that woman.


    That woman is a beautiful young woman with a voluptuous figure, long black hair with split bangs, and hazel-gold eyes with cat-like pupils. She wears a black kimono but unlike the old kimono she used to wear, it covers more skin this time around.


    The person who becomes surprised the most is Koneko because the woman who has been sitting on the sofa is her elder sister, Kuroka...


    Kiba at this moment only closed his eyes and even though there are some bandages around his arm from the spar he had with Rosseweise, he still looks calm enough.


    Ryuji and co once again become captivated seeing another stunning woman, they thought it must be their lucky day for being able to see one beautiful woman after another. But that Lady Irene just now is out of their reach so they instantly forget having any ideas about her.


    When they were about to ask Rias and co just who is this beautiful woman is they heard her speak first.


    Kuroka - ...So what I''ve heard is indeed true... Is this your choice, Shirone?


    Koneko - K-Kuroka-Onee-sama...


    Koneko body trembled slightly feeling Kuroka''s gaze on her. Kuroka is being very serious right now that even her usual "Nya" at the end of her words can''t be heard at all.


    The whole room becomes tense from the glare Kuroka''s giving Koneko right now. Even Ryuji and co don''t dare to speak at this moment.


    Rias - I-It''s good to see you again, Kuroka, what brings you-


    Kuroka - Quiet, Rias Gremory. I''m talking with my sister right now.


    Rias tried to break the ice hoping that they can break the current tension which made all of them feel very uncomfortable. But before Rias was able to finish her words, Kuroka instantly cut her off.


    Rias flinched slightly hearing how cold Kuroka''s voice right now and that manages to shut her up good.


    Kuroka - ...I''ll ask again... Is this your final choice, Shirone? You choose this... boy, over "Him"?


    Kuroka asked Koneko once again and the latter body started trembling even fiercer after hearing Kuroka''s question.


    Koneko - I-I... I''m not... I''m not choosing Hijama over "him"...


    Koneko answered with a stutter.


    Rias and co know what Kuroka meant by "Him", is Issei himself. They all averted their face downwards feeling ashamed and guilty because Kuroka question is indirectly directed at them as well.


    Kuroka - Oh? Then tell me... Why this boy have your special scent all over him?


    Koneko - ...I-I-I...


    Koneko doesn''t know how to answer Kuroka''s question. Is she supposed to say it''s because she keeps hugging him all the time?


    Rias and co might not know this but a nekoshou can emit a special scent to mark their territory or to mark the opposite gender they''re interested in. And Hijama body reeks of Koneko scent so Kuroka can tell right away that their relationship is anything but normal.


    Kuroka - ...I''ve heard enough... I''m indeed your big sister but I have no rights to directly interfere with your life... You''ve already grown up. You don''t need my protection any longer, you can make your own choice... If this is indeed your choice... Then so be it.


    Saying so Kuroka calmly stands up from the couch.


    Kuroka - ...You all seem to forget what "He" has done for all of you... But I will not... I will only choose "Him" and only "Him" in this life of mine... I hope you all are happy with your current choice. Goodbye and have a nice day.


    Every word Kuroka said felt like it stabbed directly into the depths of Rias and co heart and they all started tearing up soon after. They don''t have anything to say in return because they indeed forgot what he has done for them all... They can only hope after Issei heard their explanation he can understand and forgive them in the process... Knowing him, he must be able to understand, Rias''s thought inside her mind.


    Kuroka then used her teleportation magic after giving them all one last look of disgust and disappointment she then disappeared from Issei''s home.


    When Kuroka disappeared Rias instantly glared at Kiba but before she can speak a single word out, Kiba already beat her to it.


    Kiba - I swear that I have nothing to do with this, Rias-Buchou... Kuroka-san just suddenly appeared in here and has been silently sitting at the sofa ever since, and she also won''t tell me just what is her purpose for visiting... Then if you''ll excuse me, I''m still tired from the spar I had with Rosseweise-sensei.


    Kiba bowed towards Rias and co and excused himself from the room. He indeed doesn''t have anything to do with any of this, Kuroka just appeared and accidentally met him when he''s about to return to his room. She asked him where''s Koneko is, then he told them she''s out with Rias to get her <Evil Pieces> at the underworld.


    After that, Kuroka just sat down at the sofa in the living room and waited on until Rias and co came back home.


    Rias got nothing to say once again because she knows that Kiba is not that kind of person. They can only get even more depressed after being reprimanded by Kuroka especially Koneko who appeared to lost half of her soul when Kuroka left.


    Her eyes look hollow and she keeps looking down while shedding some tears.


    Hijama and Ravel tried to cheer her up but to no avail... She''s unresponsive towards everything and before long she started walking to the direction of her own room...


    Ryuji and co asked the girls just who was that just now and just who was "He" she was talking about. Then Rias started explaining Kuroka identity to them but they kept about "Him" a secret saying it''s just someone they knew...


    They still don''t realize that Rosseweise has already left them as well to reunite with the man she truly loves.


    -Back at Kuroka-


    She appeared at somewhere unknown but she''s not alone... There''s someone else is waiting for her over there. It''s a tall and extremely beautiful woman with red hair and slightly tanned skin. Her body is also very voluptuous as well. At this moment she''s standing in front of Kuroka with both of her hands crossed behind her back.


    ??? - So, do you think I''m telling the truth now?


    That person asked Kuroka calmly when she appeared in front of her once again.


    Kuroka - ...Yes, I totally believe you now... It''s hurt to admit it but it''s true... My little sister forgot the man who loves her dearly and repeatedly saved her time and time again just like that... He even reconciled our sisterhood but this is how she repays him? *Sigh*...


    Kuroka''s face went downcast right away even her cat ears slumped down after knowing the ugly truth. She remembered the gaze Ryuji and co giving her and feels disgusted because she knows that gaze wherever she went, it''s the greedy and lustful gaze of a man.


    Sure Issei also a pervert himself but his gaze doesn''t include lustful greed in it... It''s mostly appreciation and she likes that side of him a lot... While most men she met before only tried to get inside her pants.


    She can also tell that boy named Hijama is a complete coward... The only thing he got going for him is his face and that''s about it... He looks like a complete pushover as well. Sigh... Just what did her little sister sees in that boy... So stupid, Kuroka thought to herself. She''s extremely disappointed at Koneko...


    ??? - Then? Your choice? Will you be coming with me or will you choose to stay? It''s completely up to you... I''m only ordered to inform you about your sister and to offer you if you''re willing to come with me.


    Her face is still calm while she''s asking Kuroka once again.


    Kuroka - ...I''m coming with you... What you''ve been telling me so far is already proven true, and you clearly have the strength to instantly subdue me if you ever wished to... So I don''t see any reason why you will be tricking me to come with you... Please take me to "his" place.


    ??? - Hmm... Good choice. My lord is indeed not wrong about you... You are clearly more loyal and smarter compared to your little sister... Although your current strength is kind of weak, it can be fixed with some intensive training.


    The woman smirked at Kuroka, she appreciates Kuroka a little because from their investigation about Kuroka, the report said that she''s improving herself so she can stay by her lord side. And as for that woman named Yasaka and her daughter Kunou... They''re practically in the bag already at this point from their investigation on them...


    While regarding the woman named Serafall and Gabriel they seem pretty decent from their investigation so far, the same goes for that girl called Le Fay Pendragon.


    Kuroka - ...Thank you for your compliment... Then may I know your name now? You never told me when we first met after all.


    ??? - ...Very well. My name is Millet Hyoudou a <Black Dragon>, I''m one of my beloved lord wives. And my lord name is Issei Hyoudou, the current <Supreme Overlord> of the <Netherworld> and also the <True Crimson Dragon God of Domination>.


    (AN: <Netherworld> is the name of Forzelotte''s world. I decided to call it that. And I''ve decided to make Issei the crimson dragon instead of the red dragon. It''s very suitable considering the company name.)


    Millet smiled proudly at Kuroka after introducing herself. She''s very proud of who she is after all.


    Kuroka becomes dumbfounded because she never thought that the person she just met recently turned out to be one of Issei''s wives. And she said Issei is the current <Supreme Overlord> and also a <True Crimson Dragon God of Domination>? It seems that her beloved Ise has been busy nya~


    Millet appeared a day ago at Kuroka''s room in Kyoto and informed her of Koneko''s wrongdoings during these past few months. And when she first heard it she obviously doesn''t trust Millet but then Millet told her to see it for herself if she doesn''t believe her.


    And Kuroka does just that... The moment she smells Koneko''s special scent on that boy named Hijama she knew what Millet has been telling her before it''s all true all along... She''s very disappointed towards Koneko but there''s nothing she could do since it''s her own choice... Sure Rias and co might''ve influenced her a bit but in the end, it''s her own choice...


    Millet - Then let''s go. We better not waste any more time than needed, I still need to train so I can serve my lord better.


    Kuroka - Um, agreed.


    They both smiled at each other because they have the same mentality which is to become much better so they can stay at Issei''s side.


    Then both of them disappears from the spot soon after. Kuroka isn''t too worried about Yasaka and co looking for her because Millet has already told her that she will be able to return here whenever she wants.


    ...


    At the moment, Issei is inside his working room, he''s signing the paperwork that needs his approval.


    By his side, there''s Meryl which was one of Forzelotte trusted aide before, now she''s one of Issei''s aide who helped him handling some of the paperwork.


    At first, she was skeptical with Issei because he''s suddenly come out of nowhere and replaced Forzelotte. The other aides also felt the same way as her.


    But when they saw Issei''s strength and capabilities they totally accepted him as the new <Supreme Overlord> without a single objection. They totally submit to him... Well, Tojo who was appointed to help Issei when he was a kid already knows Issei but he still doesn''t know his capabilities back then.


    Forzelotte trusted aides consist of Tojo, Meryl, Goran, and Rakia.


    Goran is a beast demon with a big frame. And he''s quite straightforward, he just wants to see Issei''s strength and when Issei easily defeat him he fully submits to Issei. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-1953465140.jpg)


    Tojo is more humanoid compared to Goran but he has 2 pointed horn on the side of his forehead. And he only needs to see the fight between Goran and Issei to know that Issei is obviously stronger than him. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-862044223.jpg)


    While Rakia is quite special compared to the other 3. She''s a beautiful woman with curled light-purple hair and pink colored eyes, there''s a beauty mark under her left eye. She''s wearing a custom made maid outfit, it''s dark blue colored with white apron and frill around her dark blue shirt. Her ears are also quite long just like the other demonkin. (AN: https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/5688-1064542365.jpg).


    Although she''s working for Forzelotte, she''s also working for the <Gunguskar> company which is the biggest company in their world. And her standing on the company is the chairman itself.


    Her requirement to accept Issei as the new <Supreme Overlord> is that Issei needed to beat her in the business world which is her most mastered field. And Issei did just that, although he took some time to learn business management and the likes.


    Rakia is probably the hardest one for Issei to make her completely submit because of her requirements. She''s also a very strong woman, she was called the strongest woman in the <Netherworld> right after Forzelotte herself after all.


    She admits that Issei is stronger than her in strength power but she still needs to see if he has the brain for the <Supreme Overlord> position. In the end, Issei manages to pass her requirement with flying colors.


    Ever since then Rakia completely become devoted to Issei because he''s the first one who manages to defeat her in this field. Even Forzelotte herself never defeat her in this area, they only compromise with each other before this.


    Her vow when she''s still one of the <Overlord> back then was she will only marry someone who''s able to defeat her both in strength and intelligence field. Until now, there''s no one ever pass her test except for Issei. She retired being a <Overlord> because she enjoys being the chairman of the <Gunguskar> company more.


    And she''s also got her heart stolen by Issei''s prowess, she''s not that moved when she saw Issei''s devilishly handsome face since she''s quite the realistic woman after all. What use are a powerful strength and pretty face if they got no brains to back it up?


    She won''t just judge someone by their face, that''s one of the biggest principles she always follows. "Never judge a book by its cover". And she becomes extremely successful by following that principle.


    She also becomes one of the most respected women in the world. Her influence and standing only below Forzelotte herself.


    She''s been waiting for a man with a caliber like Issei for a very long time, and she has finally found one.


    Meryl is standing on Issei''s left side while Rakia is standing on his right, they both are watching his every single movement with undivided attention, they said when men are working seriously they become much more charming and it is indeed true, they both thought.


    Issei also made Rakia and Meryl into her women when he saw how devoted they are towards him and Forzelotte herself told Issei to accept them because she''s been preparing Meryl ever since she was small just for him.


    As for Rakia case, Forzelotte approves her capabilities without a doubt so she sees no reason for rejecting such an outstanding woman. At first, Issei wasn''t sure if he should accept them or not because he doesn''t want any false love but after spending some time with them he''s finally able to fully accept them as well.


    On a side note, the saintess trio from the Eve world, which is Silent, Burst, and Laurent has also finally succeeded in gaining Issei''s love. Silent is the most ecstatic of them all because her dream has finally come true, which is having a threesome with Croix and Issei.


    Both Croix and Issei sweated seeing her having a massive nosebleed during their lovemaking session. She even still has her poker face on when she''s having that nosebleed although her cheeks blushed deeply...


    Laurent also felt really happy while Burst might be feeling a little afraid during their first time but after a while she finally able to enjoy the pleasure as well. Burst''s still a bit lazy but it''s better compared to how she was before, even Silent thought so as well.


    The three of them also became a Dragon at some point. They along with Croix and Jeanne are called <The Crimson Dragon Holy Saintess>. Jalter chose to be called a Witch instead of a Saintess so she refuses to be included in the Saintess party even though she also has <Holy> element inside her.


    After a while, Issei has finally finished signing the paperwork.


    Issei - Are there any more paperwork that I needed to sign, Meryl, Rakia?


    Issei asked both Meryl and Rakia.


    Meryl - There is none, Issei-sama.


    Rakia - Un, that is all of them, Issei-sama.


    Both of them answered with a gentle smile of their own. Then they carried their respective paperwork from the table.


    Issei - Um, if there''s any paperwork that needed to be signed just come to me, no need to be hesitant... After all, Forze has already retired from doing this kind of stuff.


    Meryl & Rakia - Hai, Issei-sama.


    After that, Rakia gave the paperwork to her subordinates.


    Meryl excused herself while Rakia stayed by Issei''s side like always.


    Rakia has basically become Issei''s personal maid at this point just like how Grayfia seems to be around Sirzechs all the time.


    But of course, if any of Issei''s wives are present and they wanted to spend some time alone with him, Rakia will excuse herself until she''s needed once again.


    Although Rakia is Issei''s personal maid she rarely serves any food for him because of Kyou and Kinou requested her not to. They both saw themselves as Issei''s personal chef after all. It''s fine if Rakia serves some beverages or food once in a while when they''re not available at the moment, but that case rarely ever happened because they often had dinner together as a whole family.


    The only time they weren''t available is when they are searching for exotic food ingredients or when they are training.


    Rakia of course obeyed their request because she saw herself on lower standing compared to Semiramis and co. Although they already told her not to mind the standing but to no avail... So they can only give up, they still see Rakia and co as fellow sister though and Rakia and co are feeling grateful and respected them even more because of that.


    (AN: Rakia and co = Rakia, Meryl, the <9 Divines>, etc. In other words, they''re not Issei''s official wives or they just saw themselves as his concubines at most. But it''s just themselves who view it that way while Semiramis and co still see them as fellow sisters and Issei also saw them as his wives.)


    Issei closed his eyes while sitting on his chair, and Rakia quietly moved behind him and started massaging his shoulder. Issei smiled gently feeling her gentle massage.


    It''s not the first time she has done this and Issei appreciate her dedication a lot. They both enjoyed the calming and soothing atmosphere in the room.


    Finally, after a while, Issei opened his eyes and stand up from his chair.


    Issei - Thank you as always, Rakia.


    Rakia - It''s nothing, Issei-sama. It''s my job to take care of you.


    Issei smiled at Rakia then he pulled her into his embrace and gives her a gentle kiss.


    Rakia doesn''t resist him at all and closed her eyes to enjoy the gentle kiss Issei''s giving her.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Yunyun - Ise-san, we''re ready.


    There''s suddenly a knock on the door and Yunyun voice rang outside the door.


    Issei - I''ll be right there... Then, I''ll be off, Rakia.


    Rakia - Un, take care on your journey, Issei-sama.


    Issei - Ah.


    After giving one last peck on Rakia''s forehead Issei went off to Wiz and Yunyun world. Rakia sends Issei off with a loving smile.


    He still needs to tell Yunyun parents after all, and from what the information that had been gathered so far it says that Yunyun village or the Crimson Demon Clan is a great alchemist and the likes. So he thought it will be a perfect chance to have them working for him as well.


    He will discuss the details with Yunyun father herself later on.


    And he found the solution for the Demon Lord on that world as well so Wiz doesn''t need to be too worried in case the Demon Lord suddenly decided to launch a full-scale attack towards the humans.


    ...


    Issei, Yunyun, and Wiz arrived at Konosuba world once again.


    Yunyun and Wiz feel nostalgic because it''s been a while ever since they returned here. Issei still has some reservations being here though... He doesn''t really want to handle most of the people here.


    The most normal person in this world that he knows of is only Yunyun and Wiz. Well, maybe Luna as well if her desperate attempt to seduce him isn''t there...


    Yunyun - Why is the mansion seems empty? Where''s Megumin and the others?


    Wiz - Now that you mention it... It does seem very quiet, I can''t sense any lifeform around as well...


    Issei - Hmm, I sense a disturbance at the city entrance. Let''s go check it.


    Yunyun & Wiz - Un.


    Then the three of them teleported themselves to the city entrance.


    When they arrived at the scene they saw many adventurers gathered around in front of the city entrance.


    Issei - What''s going on here?


    Issei asked one of them.


    Man - Oh? You don''t know? There''s 1 of the Demon Lord general attacking the city right now, man. His name was Beldia or something if I recall correctly...


    The man who saw Issei who''s wearing some dark looking mask doesn''t find it weird because almost the whole adventurers in Axel is a weirdo. And because he''s a newcomer in the city he doesn''t recognize Issei the infamous <Tyrant>.


    He does become stupefied after seeing both Yunyun and Wiz though because they''re the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. He even thought that they''re a Goddess descent.


    Yunyun and Wiz became much more beautiful when they turned into a Dragon after all. So it''s no wonder anyone who saw them now would feel enchanted after looking at them now.


    Issei released a tiny bit of his bloodlust towards the man and the latter body started shivering after feeling Issei''s bloodlust on him, so he hastily averted his head after apologizing at them.


    Then he ran away from the crowd...


    Issei - Beldia?


    Issei already hid their presence so only the person they interact with can see or hear them.


    Wiz - Beldia?... Ah! I know that guy!


    Wiz at first felt familiarity after hearing Beldia''s name and after a few seconds, she finally recalls it.


    Issei - Hm? You know him, Wiz?


    Wiz - Hai... The thing is...


    Then Wiz told Issei about how she came to know Beldia...


    When Issei finished hearing her explanation he became speechless. Even the Demon Lord army in this world doesn''t seem normal it seems... That Beldia guy threw his head under Wiz just so he can see her panties? Ok... He''s dead.


    Wiz smiled wryly because she knows that Issei would feel angry towards Beldia because she already knows that Issei is quite overprotective towards them(his wives). She loves that though... All of them does.


    They calmly walk through the crowd and they can see Beldia which is a headless undead knight clad in dark grey armor who rides a headless horse. But they also saw someone they know nearby him.


    It''s Kazuma''s party... And for some reason, they feel a bad premonition about this whole incident...


    After hearing the contents of their talk Issei''s party knows that their premonition just now is true.


    In short, after moving into his base of operations near <Axel> he would work alongside his grunts repairing the various damages to it caused by Megumin''s explosions, showing a tolerance for it at first (dismissing it as nothing but a "test of courage"), but eventually reaching a breaking point and assaulting the town, something he had not planned originally.


    Yunyun smiled wryly at Megumin while Issei''s facepalmed thinking how troublesome they are.


    Issei would''ve left them be to deal with their own problem if Yunyun wasn''t here... He knows that Yunyun would want to help her "Ex-Rival"... Why "Ex" you say? It''s because the current Yunyun can easily take on Megumin with ease or perhaps the Demon Lord itself for that matter.


    Yunyun herself knows that so she doesn''t saw Megumin as her rival anymore, call it arrogance or anything you''d like but it''s the truth. After all the training she has done her mindset changed for the better and she''s also not that desperate looking for friends any longer because she has a lot of sisters already... a LOT!


    Issei - Let''s just get this over with...


    Issei sighed tiredly and planning to get their business here over with as fast as they could.


    And that day, the Demon Lord lose one of his General... There''s a loud commotion all across the kingdom after knowing that one of the Demon Lord General got done in by a supposedly <B-Class> Adventurer.


    At first, they don''t believe it that a <B-Class> adventurer able to defeat one of the Demon Lord General but after finding out that the one who did it is the infamous <Tyrant> their attitude turned 180 and believes it a lot easier.


    Even though Issei has been missing around 1 month but he''s still quite famous. They do wondering just where did he went after all this time but they don''t dare to question Issei about it...


    Luna is the one who''s most curious just where did Issei go. The moment she saw Issei once again she instantly bombarded Issei with a lot of question. Issei can only smile wryly at her...


    Luna - *Sigh* With that said... Congratulations, Issei-san for defeating one of the Demon Lord General you are rewarded with 1 billion Eris!


    She smiled very brightly towards Issei and she just won''t let go of his hand for some reason.


    Issei - O-Ou, thanks...


    The whole guild clapped their hands at Issei and appalud him as well.


    Luna - I''ve heard that you seem to have 2 girlfriends already, is that true, Issei-san?


    Issei - Err... Yeah...


    "2" is an understatement, but of course Issei won''t tell her that...


    Luna - Then if you have any idea to have a 3rd girlfriend be sure to tell me, okay?


    Issei - I-I will keep that in mind...


    Issei''s feeling a little afraid when he saw the gaze Luna currently have. It looks extremely serious and there''s almost no light reflected in her eyes and her smile is pretty chilling as well... Only after hearing Issei''s words she genuinely smiled once again.


    Finally, after a while, Issei''s able to make Luna let go of his hand and he hastily returned to his mansion.


    ...


    Issei - So, what do you have to say for yourself...


    When Issei arrived at the mansion he immediately asked Kazuma''s party. Yunyun and Wiz sit down beside Issei while smiling wryly at Kazuma and co who''s at the moment are on kneeling position on the floor.


    All of them are feeling afraid right now when they''re questioned by Issei... Except for Darkness who''s for some reason keep exhaling hot sigh, Issei automatically ignored her.


    Kazuma - I-It''s Megumin''s fault! She''s the one who keeps using her <Explosion> spell on the castle!


    Kazuma immediately blamed Megumin.


    Megumin knows as well that she''s the one at fault here so she kept quiet.


    Issei - Is that so?... Then why don''t you stop her? And as far as I know Megumin won''t be able to do it alone, so she must have an accomplice for it...


    Kazuma body went perfectly stiff the moment he heard Issei''s words because he indeed helped Megumin to do it. Megumin won''t be able to move after she cast her <Explosion> spell after all... And even though she has some loose screw in her head she''s not that stupid to cast her <Explosion> spell alone without anyone helping her.


    Aqua - Why do I also have to kneel... It''s obviously that hikiNEET and the explosion maniac girl who are at fault here...


    Aqua tried to express her dissatisfaction about the whole thing because she''s indeed are not involved with Kazuma and Megumin. As for Darkness, Issei never told her to kneel in the first hand, she just suddenly joined Kazuma and co kneeling on the floor...


    Issei - I heard from Luna that your debt is still not paid... If anything it got even bigger. And why is that I wonder?... And if I recall correctly I also left some money behind before at my room, so why is it gone now?


    This time it''s Aqua''s body who''s stiffened. The reason for that is obvious... She kept going in debt to buy her booze. Their level also doesn''t advance much for that matter...


    As for Issei''s money its needless to say that the 3 of them are the culprit for its disappearance. Kazuma and co body twitched after hearing Issei''s words. Only Darkness seems clueless about it.


    Issei - *Sigh* I wonder if I should just sell you all to slavery.


    K/A/M - Iyaaaaaaaa!!! Forgive us!!! We made a mistake!!! Please forgive us!!!


    The 3 of them screamed while crying and holding at Issei''s leg the moment he finished his words.


    Only Darkness who''s started shivering in delight after hearing Issei''s words, she even drooled a bit... Issei who saw them being like this started to seriously think to just sell them off...


    Yunyun - Umm, Ise-san... I think Megumin knows her mistake already... Let''s just forgive her, okay?


    Yunyun pleaded for Megumin.


    Issei - *Sigh* You''re too soft towards her you know that, Yunyun?


    Yunyun - Eheheh.


    Issei sighed gently and rubbed Yunyun head in the process. Yunyun giggled after feeling his touch.


    Only now that Megumin and co noticed Yunyun and Wiz sitting at Issei''s side.


    Megumin - Y-Yunyun? I-Is that you?


    Megumin almost couldn''t recognize Yunyun because of how beautiful she is right now. She even looks much more mature to be completely honest. The same goes for Wiz as well.


    Darkness also becomes taken aback after seeing both of them.


    When Semiramis get both of them she altered the memory of Kazuma and co so they thought that they went with Issei on a journey. Aqua being a Goddess doesn''t help at all considering how weak she is compared to Semiramis herself, so she also got her memory altered pretty easily as well.


    Kazuma - W-Woahhh...


    Kazuma becomes completely captivated after seeing them.


    Aqua - ...H-How comes both of them look more beautiful than me who''s an actual Goddess?!... And that Lich is not a Lich anymore? How''s that possible?!...


    Even Aqua admit defeat even though she''s known to be quite narcissistic. Issei knows that she''s really a Goddess but he often neglects it because of how useless she is...


    When Aqua saw the current Wiz she notices that she''s not a Lich which she used to be, so it''s completely normal for her to be taken aback after seeing that.


    *Meow!*


    Issei - Hm? A cat?


    There''s suddenly a black cat appeared with bat wings and red cross-shaped marking on Its forehead. It has stubby legs, big round head, and yellow oval eyes.


    When that cat saw Issei, it instantly jumped at him.


    Issei - Oh?


    Issei reflexively caught it with his hands.


    Megumin - C-Chomusuke!


    Megumin instantly screamed at the cat, it seems that she recognizes the cat.


    Issei - Chomusuke? Is that this cat name? But it''s a female though... And do you know this cat, Megumin?


    Issei felt something weird with this cat aura, it''s clearly not a normal cat since it has wings and to top it off, it has a huge magic power inside it for some reason. Although it seems that its magic power is currently sealed. And why the hell would you name a female cat with "Chomusuke"...


    Megumin - She''s my familiar! Chomusuke, hurry and get off of him! Can''t you see how scary he is!


    Issei - Oi.


    Chomusuke - Nya~! Nya~!


    Chomusuke ignored Megumin''s call and rubbed her head on Issei''s hand comfortably.


    Megumin - C-Chomusuke...


    Megumin felt shocked seeing her trusted familiar getting very chummy towards a stranger she just met.


    Wiz - It seems like it took a liking towards you, Ise-san.


    Issei - You think? Hmm...


    Issei stroked Chomusuke chin and she purred in ecstasy. Megumin tried to tell her to get away from Issei but to no avail...


    Yunyun - By the way, Ise-san. When will we go meet my father?


    Issei - Oh, maybe tomorrow.


    Issei was planning to go right away when he just arrived here but because of the Beldia incident, he decided to postpone it for tomorrow instead.


    Megumin - Why do you want to meet Yunyun''s father?


    Megumin asked out of curiosity.


    Issei - Hm? I wanted to ask him to give us his blessing of course.


    Megumin - What blessing?


    Issei - Well, I''m going to make Yunyun my bride so I need her father''s blessing and I also want to discuss some business proposition with him as well.


    Yunyun - Eheheh, Ise-san~


    Yunyun''s becomes giddy with happiness and proceed to hug Issei''s arm in the process.


    K/A/M/D - ...Eh?... EEEHHHHHHHH?!


    Megumin and co become completely stupefied after hearing that and then they screamed out loud...


    ...


    Rosseweisse arrived in front of a giant floating fortress that manages to steal her breath away. The sheer size and how exotic and beautiful it looks completely awed her to the core.


    Gurigura - Heheh, what do you think? All of this belongs to Ise-nii you know? Amazing, isn''t it?


    Rosseweise could only nod slowly after hearing Gurigura words.


    ??? - Rosseweise? Is that you nya?


    When Rosseweisse''s still observing the flying fortress she heard a familiar voice. She looks towards the source of the voice and saw Kuroka nearby along with a woman she never saw before.


    Rosseweisse - Kuroka-san?


    Kuroka - Nyahaha, so it is you. So you''re also brought here by one of Ise''s wife nya?


    Rosseweisse - U-Un, you too?


    Kuroka - Yup.


    Kuroka pointed towards Millet.


    Gurigura - Hi, Millet-nee! You''ve also succeeded in bringing your target with you?


    Millet - Um, she''s quite cooperative. And I see that you''ve also succeeded as well, Gurigura?


    Gurigura - Un!


    Kuroka is quite surprised after seeing Gurigura and she even thought that she''s also a Nekoshou just like her, but upon further inspection, she notices that Gurigura is not a Nekoshou but just similar to a cat overall.


    Millet - Hm, then let''s go and meet the others.


    Both Kuroka and Rosseweisse nodded at Millet and then they went inside the <Hanging Garden of Babylon>.


    ...


    Inside the fortress, they are greeted by the angels and devils Kalar alike. Rosseweisse and Kuroka became even more baffled seeing that. They never meet these angels and devils before and they look kind of different to the one they know.


    Ekate - Welcome back, Gurigura-sama, Millet-sama.


    Especially this woman who just greeted them, she has 2 pointed pink horns on top of her head and her wings looks like a fallen angel wings but completely different at the same time. Sure she only has 1 pair of wing but they know better that this woman in front of them is even stronger than them both combined.


    Gurigura - I''m back Ekate-nee!


    Millet - Um.


    Ekate - May we do a quick check on both of our guests?


    Millet - Go ahead.


    Ekate - Then, please excuse me.


    Ekate does a quick search on both Rosseweise and Kuroka. After she finds nothing suspicious with them she nodded to herself.


    Ekate - Sorry about that, we don''t want any mishap to happen. Even though we all know that nothing will able to endanger Issei-sama, it''s better to be safe than sorry.


    Why he doesn''t include Millet and co you might ask? It''s because Issei wanted to be the one who protects them. The moment there is any sign of danger on them, Issei will instantly take notice of it and get to the scene ASAP and he will bring hell to whoever dares to bare their fangs at his wives. Just like those Celestials before.


    Rosseweise & Kuroka - Y-Yes.


    Millet - Um, good job as always, Ekate.


    Ekate - It''s nothing, it is our job to ensure Issei-sama safety... Even though he doesn''t need one in the first place.


    Millet - Don''t worry, its the thoughts that are matter. I''m sure milord appreciate all your hard work as well.


    Ekate - Un! Issei-sama is very kind after all.


    Gurigura - Yup, that''s right!


    The three of them nodded together, the angels and devils around them also echoing their agreement towards Millet and co words. Rosseweise and Kuroka are wondering just where did this all angel and devil came from.


    And it seems that their Ise truly becomes someone really important, they thought. They wanted to ask them about it but meeting Issei takes more priority in their book, so they might as well ask Issei personally later.


    Finally, they arrived at their room destination which is the private living room for Issei and co.


    When they entered the room they saw a lot of beautiful women observing them immediately. They are obviously Semiramis and co.


    Semiramis - Hoo, are these two the one dearest talked about?


    Scathach - Hmm, not bad indeed, they have good potential if I say so myself.


    Forzelotte - One of them seems to be a Valkyrie? And as for the other one... Demi-human? No, a demonic beastkin perhaps?


    Ramius and co only choose to silently appraise both Rosseweisse and Kuroka, but the latter felt kind of nervous being observed by so many observing gazes. Especially after sensing the gaze from Semiramis and co, because they can tell that they are extremely powerful.


    Ophis - Hello, Kuroka, and Valkyrie who never has a boyfriend...


    Lilith - Hello.


    Both Ophis and Lilith who are eating some sweets made by Kyou and Kinou waved their hands at them. Gurigura who saw that instantly join them.


    Rosseweise & Kuroka - O-Ophis, Lilith?!


    They both never thought that they will saw Ophis and Lilith here as well but they become much more convinced that Issei is truly here after seeing both of them being here.


    Jalter - All I care about is will they betray master just like those Gremory sluts!


    Jeanne - Hehe, don''t worry, I''m sure they''re different compared to them.


    Millet - Um, from our investigation so far about them it''s all good so far, they seem solely dedicated towards milord alone.


    Jalter - Hmph! Just so you know, if you decided to do the same thing as that Gremory sluts I will personally have both of you staked and burnt by my flame!


    Jalter hissed at them while there''s some flame coming out from her mouth.


    Being the doubtful type Jalter obviously wanted to know the answer to that question the most, she has finally found someone she could truly trust with her body and soul so she won''t let the same incident with Rias Gremory happen once again to her beloved master.


    Just when both Rosseweise and Kuroka are about to answer that they won''t ever betray Issei they heard a voice coming from behind them.


    Irene - Fufufu, don''t worry, I can guarantee that both of them are nothing like Rias and co because they''re clearly more experienced than those brats, am I right, both of you?


    Irene appeared right behind them and that manage to startle both Rosseweise and Kuroka because they never sense her presence in the slightest. What Irene meant by being more experienced here is about being in a relationship or seeing the true nature of men.


    They both are wondering just who is this newcomer, she seems to know them quite well and she seems pretty familiar as well for some reason... Irene who saw their questioning gaze grinned slightly.


    Irene - What''s wrong? Can''t recognize the little old me when I''m not at Ise''s left hand anymore? Perhaps you both might recognize me better after seeing this...


    *Zeng!*


    Irene put her hand forward and there''s a <Boosted Gear> appeared on her arm and that once again completely stupefied both Rosseweise and Kuroka completely that their eyes went wide open.


    Irene - Now let''s have a little chat, shall we?

 Chapter 79 - 78

    Issei - Do you really have to scream that loud...?


    Issei is taken a little aback after Kazuma and co suddenly screamed loudly out of nowhere.


    Megumin -D-D-Did you just say you''re going to make Yunyun your bride?!


    Megumin ignored Issei''s words and launched a question of her own.


    Issei - Hm? Yeah, what''s wrong with that?


    Megumin - What''s wrong you say?! You''re saying you are going to marry this loner?!


    Yunyun - How rude! I''m not a loner anymore! I have lots of sisters and friends now just so you know, Megumin!


    Yunyun thrust her chest out in pride and that caused her bountiful breasts to bounce as well. Megumin thought that this loner''s breasts keep getting bigger and that irritates her even more...


    But you basically just admitted that you were a loner before though, Issei thought wryly inside his mind.


    Megumin - Imaginary friend doesn''t count! And why would you marry her anyway?! She just barely turned 15 a month ago! Are you a lolicon?!


    Megumin missed the underlying meaning behind the word "Sisters" from Yunyun words.


    Issei - ...Just so you know, I''m still 17... Well, I''m about to turn 18 soon though.


    Issei thought that he should use his old age when he just arrived in this world, it''s easier that way so he doesn''t need to explain it further to Megumin and co. Yunyun''s current age is 16 while Issei is 18 and about to turn 19 soon.


    They don''t really feel surprised even though they knew that Wiz is also Issei''s lover because polygamy is quite normal in this world. Only Kazuma felt jealous thinking why isn''t he in Issei''s shoes right now...


    K/M/D - ...Huh?


    Issei - ...What?


    All of them never thought that Issei is that young, they never clearly saw his face after all. They only catch a glimpse of it when he''s still wearing his hoodie. And they just judged that he''s older than Kazuma because he''s taller and look maturer than Kazuma...


    Kazuma age is 20 for your information.


    Kazuma - Y-You''re younger than me, Issei?


    Issei - Yeah, so?


    Issei tilted his head in confusion, he never thought much about age because he''s basically immortal already, the same goes for Aqua. But of course, it''s different for normal humans such as Kazuma and co.


    Even now Aqua still doesn''t realize that Issei is also a God just like her... If Issei were to go to the <Gods Realm> now he would probably be titled as <God King> over there and Aqua automatically will be his lackey. But of course Issei would refuse to become a <God King> for this weird world... No thanks... Who knows if there are multiple "Aqua" up there...


    Megumin - Y-You''re lying! Your body looks much fitter and taller than the beansprout like Kazuma here! And he''s a 20 years old hikiNEET!


    Kazuma - Oi! Was that part at the end really necessary?!


    Issei - Even if you told me that... What use for me to lie to you?


    Yunyun - That''s right, Megumin. Ise-san age is clearly like he just said.


    Wiz - Un, I can attest to that as well, you can see it from his <Adventurer Card> as well.


    Yunyun and Wiz know that it''s better to keep them in the dark as well.


    K/M/D - Ah...


    Only now that they remember about the <Adventurer Card>, other than status it also has age description in it.


    Megumin - T-Then let us see it!


    Issei - Hm? Sure, here.


    Issei easily gave his card to them.


    Megumin hastily took the card away from Issei''s hand and take a look at it along with Kazuma and co.


    Megumin - ...I-It''s true... He''s still 17 years old... B-But what is this status... It''s clearly way too high for a normal human... Are you really a human, Issei?


    Look and behold... It''s clearly stated that his age is indeed 17 years old. Not that hard to manipulate the card with his magic so no surprise there. But in the process of looking at Issei''s age, they also saw his overly high-status bar and level.


    Issei was thinking to make his status low as well but they''ve already seen his power back when how easily he dealt with Beldia so he let it be. Besides, that card can''t completely measure Issei''s true status anyway so it''s fine he thought.


    Issei - Well, yeah, I am a human.


    ''Used to be'' Issei added inside his mind.


    Chomusuke at some point already taking a nap at Issei''s lap. She slept so comfortably without a single care about the whole world...


    Megumin - Hee... Is that so?... Anyway, why do you wear a mask now? Even though that mask looks really cool but we never saw your face clearly before... Can you let us see it?


    Issei - Well, reasons... And no, it''s better if you don''t see my face...


    Both Wiz and Yunyun smiled wryly when they heard that. They can still remember how all those female <Overlords> kept pursuing Issei non-stop when they saw his face after he defeated them all. It''s like a group of ants going towards a sugar source...


    Thankfully their home can fly and deny access to those that are forbidden to enter. But even then there are some of them still waiting outside the fortress for a few weeks straight just to catch a glimpse of Issei.


    Forzelotte even tried to repel them away but to no avail... Finally, Issei had to take the matters with his own hands, he said that if any of them could provide a great service for the world he would consider meeting them personally.


    After hearing Issei''s words they indeed dispersed but with a new resolution at hand. They become very proactive and keep conquering or subduing any traitorous faction that resides within the <Netherworld> and the other world as well. But that''s a story for another time...


    Megumin - Why? Are you afraid that your face is not up to par? Don''t worry, we won''t judge you just because you''re ugly.


    She smirked at Issei.


    Megumin knows that Issei is quite handsome just from the contour of his face alone back then, but she wanted to provoke Issei so he would show his face to them after being called ugly.


    Obviously, it doesn''t work. Issei just ignored Megumin provocation on him.


    Issei - Yeah, let''s just go with that.


    Issei calmly answers to Megumin provocation. Megumin felt ticked off that her provocation doesn''t work so she tried to take off Issei''s mask with her own two hands but Issei easily holds her down in place with just one hand.


    Megumin - Let me see! Let me see! Let me see!


    She flailed her arms around trying to get to Issei''s mask.


    Issei - ...What are you, a kid? *Sigh* Anyway, it''s getting late. Let''s go to bed, Yunyun, Wiz.


    Yunyun & Wiz - Hai, Ise-san.


    After hearing Issei''s words both Yunyun and Wiz naturally answered him with a gentle voice and there is a little tinge of blush on both of their cheeks. But there''s an obvious joy that could be found inside their eyes because they can have Issei for themselves for a while.


    Megumin stopped his attempt to take off Issei''s mask because she becomes completely stupefied after hearing their conversation.


    The same goes for Kazuma and co.


    Issei gave the sleeping Chomusuke back to Megumin and the latter unconsciously received her.


    But their mouth started opening and closing just like a fish mouth would often do. When they saw the 3 of them stands up from the couch Megumin finally snapped back from her thoughts and screamed at them.


    Megumin - W-W-What are you saying?! W-W-Why would you sleep together in one room?!


    Issei - Hm? Isn''t it normal for husband and wife to sleep together in the same bed?


    Issei said that as if it''s a normal common sense.


    Megumin - Y-Y-You... Y-Yunyun, Wiz! Are you really okay with this?!


    Even though what Issei said is true, Megumin still tried to argue with him but she doesn''t know what to say. She can only choose to ask Yunyun and Wiz instead.


    Yunyun and Wiz look at each other before giving their answer.


    Yunyun - Why not?


    Wiz - We love Ise-san after all.


    After hearing their answer, Megumin got nothing more to say.


    Then both Yunyun and Wiz hugged Issei''s left and right arm respectively before the 3 of them headed towards the bedroom.


    Megumin and co blushed deeply seeing them being so nonchalant about it while Kazuma shed tears of blood because of how jealous he is. A guy who''s clearly younger than him already has a small harem of his own while he''s stuck with these weirdos... They are beautiful but their personality ruins it!


    Of course, Issei erected a soundproof barrier inside the room for obvious reasons... He''s not the one who started it though, it''s Yunyun and Wiz who asked him for it.


    That night, Kazuma and co are wide awake because they can''t stop thinking about them... Well, except for Aqua, she''s fast asleep while hugging her booze...


    Kazuma wanted to try and take a peek at Issei''s room but he forgets about it soon enough. He knows that will be a suicidal move if he does try to peek on them.


    Darkness started fantasizing something while her breathing turned ragged.


    Megumin thought that she can''t accept this... That loner Yunyun with no friends she used to know has already climbed the stairs towards adulthood even faster than she is... And her partner seems quite to be the handsome and perfect guy as well... She''s feeling a bit jealous now that she thinks about it.


    ...


    -Netherworld-


    Rossweisse - S-So you''re saying that you''re Ddraig? The one who''s used to reside in Issei''s <Boosted Gear>?


    Kuroka - One of the Heavenly Dragon, the Red Dragon Emperor which is the rival of Albion the White Dragon Emperor? That <Sekiryuutei>?


    Irene - Yes, why? Is it so hard to take that I''m actually a woman?


    Rossweisse & Kuroka - N-Not at all!


    Irene squinted her eyes at them and both of them hastily shake their heads to deny her claim.


    Irene - Hmph! I know it''s hard to take, but if you think about Ophis and Great Red who can change their gender at will I''m nothing much. Ophis is also the one who assist me to change my gender back then anyway...


    Although, now Ophis and Lilith can never change their gender any longer because they''ve already become Issei''s mate.


    Ophis - ...I did?


    Hearing her name is being mentioned Ophis looks up and asked that while tilting her head.


    Irene - Yes... You did...


    Then Ophis just nods her head before continuing eating the sweets at the table. Irene sigh tiredly seeing Ophis doesn''t seem to really care about it.


    Both Rossweisse and Kuroka indeed find it hard to take after knowing the truth about the whole cause of the rivalry of the <Sekiryuutei> and the <Hakuryuutei>. They can only smile wryly seeing Irene who was known as Ddraig Y Gooch before...


    Who can guess that the great <Sekiryuutei> is apparently a woman and a very beautiful one at that?


    Semiramis - Fufufu, even I still finds it funny now.


    Scathach - Hahahahah! Indeed it''s quite funny! The great red dragon emperor changed her gender just to avoid her stalker! Ahahahahah!


    Forzelotte - Heheh... It''s quite amusing indeed...


    The other girls also laughed gently, even Jalter laughed out loud, because she can finally have her payback for all the teasing Irene gave her before.


    Both Ophis and Lilith are confused just what are they laughing for but they decided to ignore it soon enough and back to eating their sweets.


    Irene complexion turned a little red after that and then she glared at them.


    Irene - Shut it, you girls...


    Rossweisse and Kuroka who saw their interaction also felt warm... So this is Issei''s wives they thought... Quite a rowdy and happy bunch. They get along so well... There are no discrimination nor hierarchy could be found seeing how they''re interacting with each other.


    They always believe that their Issei is quite a special individual. But they never thought that he manages to attract so many Godly being towards him in such a short amount of time.


    Semiramis, the former Lady Death herself who is apparently a Goddess that''s even stronger than Hades from their world. She''s the true Death God it seems.


    Scathach, the renowned unbeatable God Slayer and the <Queen of the Land of Shadows>. But apparently, her win-streak has been broken by Issei.


    As for this Forzelotte the former <Supreme Overlord>, they never heard of her before but her strength is on par with Semiramis and Scathach from what they''ve heard so far. But they also find out that the reason for Issei being so perverted before is also because of her.


    They never thought that the Issei they knew would change this much. They said he''s not a super pervert like back then and he becomes much stronger even compared to Semiramis and co? They still won''t tell them how he looks now though for some reason? They told them to see for themselves later.


    They don''t care much though because even if Issei for some reason become disfigured they would still love him no matter what.


    They know that Ophis and Lilith have special feelings towards Issei so they weren''t too surprised and thought it''s only a matter of times before they join his harem back then. Now they already have become Issei''s wife even sooner than them...


    They have been told what that red heart mark means by Irene and they can see almost every single woman in this room have that mark. They''re feeling a little jealous now that they know what that mark means... They can''t wait to ask Issei to give them one as well. (AN: The one who doesn''t have the <ECH> mark is Semiramis and co because they have their own unique mark).


    When they''re told that Issei is very good in bed, both of them blushed deeply but their reaction is quite different.


    Rossweisse acted very coy and started fidgeting a lot, Irene thought for an adult woman she''s sure quite shy... She knows that she''s still a virgin but still... Well, what can you expect from a Valkyrie who never has a boyfriend before... At least she knows how to judge a man.


    As for Kuroka... She started licking her lips seductively after she heard Issei is really good in bed. Her whole body started feeling hot as if she''s on the heat just thinking about it... Now she REALLY can''t wait to meet Issei once again.


    She kept getting interrupted when she''s about to have her moment with Issei at his old house, but here she won''t have any of it.


    Semiramis - Anyway... How''s the registration for the rating game going, Irene?


    Finally, Semiramis stopped her laugh and asked Irene that question. After hearing Semiramis question, all of them stopped their giggling and look towards Irene waiting for her answer.


    Irene - It''s going quite well. I''ve met the 4 faction leader and all of the <Evil Pieces> I got is all mutated, but... It would''ve been perfect if I don''t meet Rias Gremory and her peerages over there though.


    Irene frowned a little remembering back when she saw Rias and co.


    All the other girls'' faces also went gloomy, even Ophis and Lilith stopped eating their sweets. Each and every one of the girls'' eyes glows a little bit and the atmosphere turned a little cold.


    Rossweisse and Kuroka also realized that they all really seem to hate Rias and co... Not that they could blame them for it because they also hated them as well. Except for Kuroka who can''t fully come to fully hate Koneko. She is very disappointed in her but... Blood is thicker than water after all.


    They weren''t too surprised hearing that all of Irene''s pieces are mutated since they already know that her soul is connected with Issei. And if what they''ve heard so far about Issei is true then it''s nothing surprising... He is stronger than all the godly beings in their world after all. Perhaps he''s even the strongest God in history already...


    They''re feeling proud when they think about it... The man they''re in love with is such an outstanding individual. They can only think how foolish of Rias and co to just abandon him like that...


    Semiramis - Hmm... That''s unfortunate... I bet you''re holding yourself back from killing them outright when you see them?


    Irene - Ah... Indeed.


    Jalter - Hmph! If I was the one who''s there I would''ve made them lose a layer of skin at the very least!


    Riche - Well, it probably wouldn''t be that easy considering there''s the 4 faction leader there.


    Ramius - Fumu, it won''t be wise to just launch an attack when they are there.


    Kathryn - Meh, we''re gonna face them anyway during the rating game, so just hold back until then.


    Millet - Agreed. We can have our moments when we''re faced against them later on.


    Jalter - Heheh, I can''t wait for that moment...


    Jalter grinned evilly.


    Semiramis - So, I have a question for you two... Would you be willing to kill Rias Gremory and her peerages if dearest told you to do so?


    Kuroka was about to say something when Semiramis beat her to it.


    All of the girls'' eyes started glistening waiting for their answer.


    Rossweisse is the first to answer.


    Rossweisse - I will. If Issei asked me to kill all of them then I would do it without hesitation.


    They all can see how serious she is just by looking at her face. There''s also not a shred of doubt that can be heard from her voice.


    Semiramis - Hmm, I see... Then, how about you... Kuroka, was it? Would you do it?


    Semiramis smiled at Rossweisse and then she turned her attention towards Kuroka.


    Kuroka - ...I will do it... But I can''t kill Shirone... I can kill Rias Gremory and the others but I can''t kill my own little sister... I''m sorry but that''s my answer. And I also won''t let any of you kill her as long as I''m still alive.


    Kuroka closed her eyes at first before answering Semiramis question with determination.


    Semiramis - Hee... So you''re saying you can prevent us from killing your little sister?


    Semiramis squinted her eyes at Kuroka and emit a bit of bloodlust towards her.


    Kuroka - ...I know I won''t be able to prevent you to do so when the time comes but I will put my life on the line to protect her even if it''s the last thing I would do.


    Kuroka also doesn''t back down after feeling Semiramis gaze on her. She might be killed here but she won''t take back her words.


    Semiramis look at Kuroka for a while before she suddenly clapped her hand.


    Semiramis - You pass.


    Kuroka - ...Eh?


    Kuroka becomes totally dumbfounded because she thought Semiramis is going to kill her or something.


    Semiramis - "As I said, you pass. It doesn''t matter whether you''re willing to kill your own sister or not but I want you to have the backbone/will of your own. I don''t want any doll or machine to become his wife... Sure we are his wives but we''re not his doll. Even he would not like it if we were to always do what he told us to do.


    As husband and wife, we''re ought to respect each other wishes but that doesn''t mean we should obey all his command. If he were about to turn into the wrong path, our job as his wives is to help him to return to the right path and vice versa, remember that... I''m not saying that Rossweisse answer is wrong but there are limits to everything. He wouldn''t want us to dwell on revenge all the time especially if it''s only for his sake, what he wants us to do is to be happy and that''s it, no more no less.


    Of course, when it comes to it I will even follow him to the limbo itself if I have to... And don''t worry about us killing your sister, Kuroka... We won''t kill her but she still needs to face her punishment for betraying him... You''re fine with that, right?"


    All the other girls nodded to themselves after hearing Semiramis words because they completely agreed to her words. Only Jalter harrumphed coldly but she doesn''t deny Semiramis''s words.


    They don''t want to bring unnecessary trouble towards Issei after all. Killing them won''t solve anything anyway, it would be too easy of a punishment...


    Kuroka - ...Yes.


    Croix - Ufufufu, I know how it feels to love your little sister dearly. I would''ve done the same as you if I''m in your position.


    Croix laughed gently while looking at Kuroka then she looked at Riche who''s smiled back at her.


    Ramius - Fumu, I also have a stupid elder brother so I can also relate to you.


    Ramius nodded at Kuroka while reminiscing about Acheval herself.


    Kuroka knows that this is the best scenario for Koneko, even if she were to suffer but she still needs to face her punishment that is caused by her own choice. At least she won''t have to die...


    Both Rossweisse and Kuroka has already seen the projection of what happened to Issei when he finds out how Rias and co abandoned him... They saw everything...


    Both of them cried and felt extreme rage at Rias and co after watching it. Rossweisse won''t hesitate to kill Rias and co but Kuroka can''t do the same because she loves Koneko dearly as well. Koneko is her last family member she has after all...


    Semiramis and co already know the reason on why Rias abandoned Issei just like that from Rosseweisse mouth herself.


    They became totally dumbfounded because they never thought there will be such an idiot exist in this world... They almost puked in disgust from trying to find out just what''s inside Rias and co brains... How dumb can they be?


    It''s totally acceptable being afraid in a relationship since they are inexperienced but can''t they just talk it out first with Issei himself? And if that doesn''t work, try to talk with someone with more experience in a relationship...


    How in the world did they come up with that stupidest idea they''ve ever heard in their entire life? Are there any holes inside their brain or something?


    ''You can''t truly love without trust. Any relationship that isn''t built with a secure foundation of faith will break.'' This quote is perfect for Rias and co situation... Issei completely trusts them no matter what but they apparently don''t trust him enough... Then so be it... Good riddance they all thought.


    Semiramis - Umu, good. Dearest also doesn''t want us to kill them anyway because it will cause too much trouble for that world... And while we''re at it, don''t tell him about our registration on the rating game, okay?


    They both nodded at Semiramis''s words.


    Kuroka - By the way, where''s Ise-nya?


    Rossweisse also wanted to know the answer to that question.


    Semiramis - Well, he got some business to take care of in another world from what Rakia has told us but it shouldn''t be that long before he came back. In the meantime, why don''t you both tell us about yourselves more?


    Semiramis smiled at them both.


    Both Rossweisse and Kuroka nodded at her before they have another chat with each other. But this time their conversation is more relaxed than when they first met.


    Towa also asked them about some folklore and legends from DxD world, she wanted to collect stories to share with the children at the school which Issei opened. The school is completely free.


    They wanted to know how they get to know and fell in love with Issei. They all shared their stories with each other starting from Semiramis until the last of them...


    Just listening to how they met and fell in love with each other makes them admire Issei even more.


    His adventure in the other world sounds very exciting and they said he claimed a whole race as his? So that''s where all those angels and devils came from, both Rossweisse and Kuroka thought to themselves.


    Issei really exceeded their expectations. They said he also met the <God of Chaos> itself and survived... And not only that, but he also mastered the fabled <Chaos> element as well.


    He never ceases to amaze them it seems...


    ...


    -Back at Issei-


    Finally, Megumin and co barely able to sleep that night... Only Aqua slept well.


    When morning comes, they smell an extremely enticing food aroma coming from the dining room.


    Aqua is the first to gets out of her bed and head directly towards the smell source. Megumin and co reluctantly get up from their bed because it''s morning already...


    When they''re about to arrive at the dining room they heard Aqua scream.


    Aqua - Why?! Why won''t you allow me to eat it?!


    Issei - Isn''t it obvious? I only make food for my wives. Why would I cook for you?


    Aqua - Don''t you know that I''m a Goddess?! You should feel honored for being able to feed me with your food!


    Issei - I could care less of who you are. My answer is still no.


    Both Yunyun and Wiz thought at the same time inside their mind... But Issei is also a God though...


    Aqua - Gununununu!


    Aqua started tearing up soon after.


    Megumin and co finally arrived at the dining room and saw a lot of tasty looking dishes on the table. They drooled just from looking and smelling it.


    They also saw Aqua has a giant bump on top of her head probably because she got hit by Issei.


    Issei - The same goes for you all. Go make your own breakfast if you want one yourself.


    Now, Yunyun, Wiz, hurry and eat it before the food gets cold.


    Yunyun & Wiz - U-Un...


    Issei instantly stopped Megumin and co have any ideas towards his food when he saw them drooling.


    Megumin - Wha?! That''s so unfair!


    Megumin screamed and pointed at Issei.


    Issei - And why exactly is it unfair?


    Megumin - Isn''t it common sense to share food with your friends?!


    Issei - ...Since when are we friends? You work for me, remember? And like I said, you can make your own breakfast if you want to have one yourselves.


    They do offer to work for Issei before, saying they can be his cleaner/maid for the mansion as long as they''re allowed to stay at his mansion.


    Megumin - Y-You!... Y-Yunyun! We''re friends, aren''t we?


    Seeing Issei isn''t budging in the slightest, Megumin can only put her hopes on Yunyun. Kazuma and Aqua also look at Megumin hoping that she can somehow persuade Issei.


    Darkness started having another delusion on his own, she can be heard muttering weird stuff like "A neglecting play...". Issei automatically ignored her.


    Yunyun - E-Eheheh, I''m sorry, Megumin... But I can''t help you with this one...


    Wiz - T-The same goes for me as well...


    They can only smile apologetically at Megumin and co.


    Seeing their last hope also fail they become frozen stiff like a statue and overcome with despair. Megumin never thought that Yunyun who''s usually can be persuaded(More like tricked) with the word "Aren''t we friends?" would reject her request just like that.


    Of course Yunyun won''t be tricked with those words anymore because she has a lot of friends and sisters already.


    Issei then ignored them and started serving food for Yunyun and Wiz. He treated them like a true princess and it makes both Yunyun and Wiz feel really blissful for having Issei as their husband once again.


    The way he treated both of them is so gentle and caring that it manages to make Megumin and co feel jealous, even Darkness felt a little jealous after seeing their interaction.


    ''He''s strong, looks cool, handsome, rich, very gentle and loving towards his lover, and to top it off, he can also cook! He''s perfect in every sense! Gaaahhh... I can''t accept this!'' Megumin thought to herself thinking how jealous she is of Yunyun right now.


    While the other guy she knows is this useless hikiNEET which is the complete polar opposite to Issei.


    Megumin and co can only look at Yunyun and Wiz eating while drooling all over the place because of the food Issei made smells and looks very delicious and very appetizing as well.


    Yunyun and Wiz sweated being watched by them like this.


    Issei totally ignored them and calmly ate his share of food as well. There''s an opening at his mask lower jaw so he can easily eat.


    Megumin and co thought that it''s weird that he''s still wearing his mask even at times like this. And he seems perfectly natural as if he has done this so many times before. But just by looking at his lower face they felt their heart started racing erratically for some reason... They really wanted to see the rest of his face... Of course, Kazuma is not included since he''s not gay...


    Aqua tried to extend her hand towards the food on the table but before she''s able to get an inch closer to the food there''s a knife stabbed directly right in front of her extended hand.


    That gave her a total fright thinking she almost lost her hand there. After that, they can only give up and make breakfast of their own.


    Yunyun and Wiz felt bad for them but there''s nothing they can do because Issei won''t share his food with just anyone...


    After they finished their breakfast, Issei''s party was about to teleport themselves to Yunyun''s village when Megumin said that she wanted to come as well with an excuse she wanted to visit her family member back at the village.


    Kazuma and co also choose to follow them as well because they''re going to be chased around by the debt collectors anyway if they stay here.


    So Issei reluctantly brings them along as well because the village is also Megumin''s home after all.


    Then they all disappeared from the <Axel> city soon after...


    ...


    Home of the Crimson Demon Clan.


    That is well-known the in the world village, is honored as the strongest Arch Wizard Clan Crimson Magic Clan place of residence.


    Although the villagers in the village were while in infancy then can obtain Arch Wizard Top Tier Class completely, and learned the existence of Advanced Magic, but its population in the end still only then few several hundred people, absolutely not over 300.


    In addition, situated in such remote mountains and ancient forests, even if the villagers all are a talented person who once outside exiting wantonly fought, a Home of the Crimson Magic as before only simple village, to person a feeling of comfortable countryside.


    Properly speaking, under such background, appears in the people at present either is the similarly simple villagers or a charming magnificent magic scene.


    However, the condition that the above mentioned, has not appeared entirely.


    Issei looked at the present village situation the corner of his eye started twitching a lot.


    It can''t be helped because all of the villagers he saw is wearing the same style as his old clothing when he just arrived at this world. Complete set along with the hoodie... Albeit they have different color and not just all black. There are pink, red, blue and many more.


    It''s like a rainbow... Issei sighed tiredly while Yunyun started apologizing at him for her fellow villagers conducts.


    The reason for this is of course because of Issei... He''s quite famous in this world for being able to advance to B-Rank in less than a week and recently he single-handedly defeated one of the Demon Lord General.


    There''s no doubt that he''s supposed to be an S-Rank by now according to his achievements so far. The guild master at the capital is having a headache because Issei keeps refusing on taking the test to advance his rank.


    They thought it''s better to just advance his rank without any test because him being able to defeat the Demon Lord General already proves his capabilities. And if there are any complaints they can just tell them to defeat Issei himself if they could.


    Unsurprisingly, there are almost no complaints when Issei is declared as the <S-Rank> adventurer back at the capital. The ones who are complaining shut their mouth when they heard all his achievements so far. When he defeated Beldia someone recorded it and sent the recording to the capital.


    Their mouth is wide agape after seeing him one shot Beldia just like that... There''s no suspense at all, they thought... They can barely fight A-Rank monsters and you want to tell them to fight a person that''s able to defeat S-Rank bounty in 1 hit just like that? Nope...


    Issei - *Sigh* Let''s just get this over with...


    Issei thought that he started sighing a lot when he arrived at this world once again. If it wasn''t for Yunyun and Wiz he wouldn''t have chosen to come back here...


    Chomusuke - Nya~


    Chomusuke who''s at Issei''s shoulder tapped his shoulder as if to console him.


    Issei mouth twitched thinking why in the world the weird being such as this devil cat has more common sense compared to the normal looking being here...


    He then stroked Chomusuke head gently as thanks which made the latter purred comfortably.


    Megumin who saw that mumbled lowly saying Chomusuke''s supposed to be her familiar but why is she more chummy towards him...


    Then they all headed towards Yunyun''s house.


    ...


    When they arrived at Yunyun''s house they are greeted by Yunyun father himself, his name is Kurozakuro. (AN: I honestly don''t know what''s Yunyun father name is... Even in the wiki all it said is "Village Chief", so I made just made up his name).


    Like all Crimson Demons, Kurozakuro has red eyes and dark hair. He is a middle-aged male, with a mustache. He wears open-finger gloves and a neck choker, and, despite these seeming tacky to outsiders, his sense of fashion is admired and considered to be fashionable attire for among his peers.


    He has a cheerful and carefree personality. Even though he loves Yunyun and plans to pass the chieftainship to her later on, he lets her explore the Fantasy World on her own. He even seems to encourage her to go out and gain new experiences/appreciations about the World.


    He is also chuunibyou like the rest of the Crimson Demons.


    He''s very surprised seeing Yunyun along with other people because she''s quite known to be a loner after all. He''s also amazed seeing his daughter becoming even more beautiful than before.


    But what surprises him the most is Issei himself because he''s quite famous in their village after all. He nodded to himself then said that Issei''s mask looks cool so he wanted to make one for himself later on.


    Issei sweated hearing his words.


    Issei also asked Megumin and co why they follow them here but her excuse is she wanted to visit Yunyun''s house because it''s been a while.


    Nevertheless, Kurozakuro welcomed Issei and co to his house.


    Then they started discussing what they came here for.


    Issei bowed slightly towards Hyoizaburo and asked him directly.


    Issei - I know this is sudden but please allow me to take your daughter hand in marriage. I loves her dearly and I want to make her my wife.


    Kurozakuro eyes went completely wide after hearing Issei''s words.


    Yunyun who heard Issei''s proposal blushed deeply and then she smiled blissfully and Kazuma who saw her face got captivated once again, even Megumin and co also felt the same although only slightly since they''re the same gender after all.


    Yunyun - I-I also want to marry Ise-san. So father... Please give us your blessing.


    Yunyun holds Issei''s hand gently before bowing towards Hyoizaburo as well.


    Kurozakuro - ...Are you two serious about this?


    Kurozakuro asked them both with a solemn voice.


    Issei & Yunyun - Yes.


    They answered without any hesitation whatsoever.


    Kurozakuro - Gladly! I''ll gladly give you my blessing!


    Issei & Yunyun - Eh?


    The moment Kurozakuro heard their confirmation, he instantly screamed in happiness and hurriedly give them his blessing as if he''s afraid that Issei would suddenly change his mind.


    Issei and Yunyun thought that he will feel hesitant or something because their arrival is too sudden but reality said otherwise...


    Kurozakuro - You heard me! I gladly give you my blessing! Please take her as your wife, Issei-kun, was it? Who would expect the famous <Tyrant Overlord> would become my son-in-law! Good job Yunyun! As expected from my daughter, ahahahaha! I can''t wait to tell the whole villagers about this!


    With that said, Kurozakuro instantly ran out from his house.


    Everyone becomes dumbfounded after seeing that... After realizing what just happen Yunyun face becomes completely red for whole another reason and she started apologizing towards Issei for her father''s attitude.


    And that day, the whole village decided to celebrate Yunyun''s marriage...

 Chapter 80 - 79

    During the celebration, Issei keeps getting asked for his signature by the Crimson Demon Clan villagers by children and adults alike.


    He can only sigh and grant their request.


    They also asked him if they could see his face but he refuses by saying there''s a good reason for it. And as expected for a Chunnibyou Clan, they misinterpreted his words thinking that if his mask were to be undone then there will be a great calamity happening to the whole world.


    In a way, their misinterpretation is true though... If his mask is undone then there will be something dangerous befall to the world... As in a declining birth rate...


    Megumin parents also asked for his signature but, for some reason, they keep pointing out their daughter good points at him.


    Megumin who nearby had her face turned completely red but she doesn''t try to stop them at all as if she''s expecting something to happen.


    Megumin''s little sister is also there which is named Komekko. She greatly resembles her older sister in regards to their facial complexion and shares the characteristic Crimson Demon red eyes and straight brown hair. She''s basically the mini version of Megumin.


    Komekko keeps her short hair tied in pigtails with red ribbons and occasionally uses a yellow star-shaped hair-clip on her bangs. As a result of her family''s financial situation, all of her clothes are Megumin''s hand-me-downs, so her mage cloak also has some noticeable patch works.


    She gazed at Issei with eyes filled with stars. After all, she, just like the other villagers also idolized Issei a lot.


    Issei sweated a little being gazed like that by her. Issei then bent down to match her height and they had a little chat together...


    Her parent never thought that Issei would suddenly bend down like that. But after seeing how he interact with Komekko they felt warm inside...


    Issei has already discussed the business proposal with Kurozakuro beforehand so the whole village knows that Issei is basically their new boss. Kurozakuro almost died from happiness knowing that Issei not only strong but also rich as well. Like REALLY rich...


    Kazuma and co almost swallowed their tongue seeing that many money comes out from Issei''s space storage. Aqua eyes completely turned into "$" and she thought with this many money she could make Axis cult the dominant religion in this world.


    Each to their own delusion... Whether it be Kazuma or Megumin.


    Kazuma thought with that amount of money he can enjoy life to the fullest surrounded by beauties from each side.


    While Megumin thought she won''t have to starve anymore and she can also buy an unlimited amount of Mana Potion so she can keep using her <Explosion> spell.


    Darkness is a noble so she''s not that moved to see that amount of money. What she''s suspicious about is about Issei''s true background... There''s no way a regular adventurer could make so many money in such a short amount of time.


    They''re not talking 1-2 Billion Eris here, but it''s about 100 Billion Eris as the advance payment for his business cooperation with the Crimson Demon Clan. Even her family can''t produce 100 Billion Eris in just 1 month... Not even the King himself could do that. (AN: Remember, this is fantasy world money, not $).


    Issei told them that one of his subordinates will keep in touch with them to take the items, so they don''t need to deliver it.


    They won''t be surprised if he''s actually a noble from somewhere at this point but they are surprised seeing him interact with them all like they''re equal. He never acts like how a superior would interact with their employees would.


    And after seeing him interact with Komekko they got even more convinced that Issei is a good guy all along and the rumors about him are just exaggerated. Such as how he''s a very cruel individual that keep forcing people to take a "Vacation" against their will.


    They still think of him as cool regardless though...


    When Komekko saw Chomusuke which was on Issei''s shoulder she started drooling for some reason.


    Both Issei and Chomusuke sweated seeing her like that.


    Issei took out some food that he prepared beforehand and gave it to her. Komekko face beamed with happiness after receiving so many foods at once.


    Komekko - Thank you, onii-chan!


    Issei - Ah, eat slowly okay?


    Komekko - Un!


    Issei rubbed Komekko head gently and the latter giggled in glee. Everyone smiled warmly seeing their interaction... Megumin face turned a little bit red seeing how gentle Issei treated her beloved little sister.


    Issei remembered how he met Gurigura, back then he also gave her some bread seeing how hungry she looks. He automatically smiled fondly in reminiscence.


    Yunyun and Wiz who sees their interaction also smiled gently because they all know that Issei has a soft spot in dealing with children and the children also likes him a lot because of that.


    He often visited the orphanage and school for children he opened along with Croix and spend some time with them all. And all of them smiled fondly seeing him interact happily with the children.


    If he''s this gentle and caring in dealing with some random children then how well will he treat his own children they all thought... They can''t wait to give birth to his child... But they can only wait until he finished defeating the God of Chaos.


    Then they continued their celebration until night...


    ...


    Yunyun and Megumin met their schoolmates during the celebration.


    The first one is named Arue, she has dark brown hair and red pupils. Her hair is shoulder-length & end as drills. She also wears an eyepatch identical to Megumin''s. She is also consistently described as voluptuous and not surprising because her breasts size was about the same as the old Yunyun.


    The second one is named Funifura, she''s a petite young girl with black hair and crimson red eyes and her hair is tied in a twintail.


    The third one is named Dodonko, she is a young girl with black hair and crimson red eyes, a trait she shares with most members of her clan. She has free-hanging bangs and short, straight hair which she ties to a high ponytail with a red ribbon.


    They kept asking Yunyun and Megumin about a lot of things, like how they met Issei and how Yunyun fell in love with him, etc...


    They all also wondering just how come Yunyun becomes this beautiful and mature since the last time they met her which was around 1 month-ish ago. They immediately asked her the secret behind it but obviously, Yunyun can''t tell them the secret behind it...


    She could tell the reason she looks mature is that she kept getting "Nourishment" from Issei but... Yeah, better keep it a secret...


    From time to time they would look at Issei direction while they''re talking with each other.


    And Issei could hear the content of their talk and he twitched his mouth hearing Yunyun tried to keep up with their talk... It''s not Yunyun''s fault or anything that she can''t keep up because the stuff they talk about is mostly Chuuni stuff...


    No wonder she''s a loner even in her own village... It''s because she can''t keep up with their weird conversation...


    Issei thought that it''s a good thing that she met him, if not who knows how long she will stay a loner like that.


    ??? - Excuse me.


    Issei heard a limpid and pleasant sound to hear from behind him.


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei looks towards the voice owner and he saw a beautiful woman standing behind him with a gentle smile on her face.


    When she saw Issei look towards her direction she bowed slightly and introduced herself.


    ??? - Nice to meet you, Issei Hyoudou-sama, my name is Soketto, the Crimson Demon Clan humble Fortune teller.


    Soketto has flowing long hair and her clan''s deep crimson red eyes. Even among the village, she is acknowledged to be the most beautiful girl of the Crimson Demons.


    She''s wearing an outfit full of the Mystery atmosphere the national dress, jet black pretty long hair dangling like a waterfall, on her ears she''s wearing a sparkling shining earring that looks quite attractive.


    Issei - Um, nice to meet you as well, but you can just call me Issei, no need to use any honorific.


    Soketto - Oh my, if you insist then I will call you Issei-sama instead?


    Issei - ...As you wish then.


    Soketto - Then, Issei-sama. On behalf of the whole village, I thank you once again for hiring our clan. We''re quite honored for being able to work for you.


    Soketto bowed once again to express her gratitude.


    Issei - Don''t mind it. It''s a win-win situation for us both anyway.


    Kazuma and co asked Megumin just who is the beautiful girl that is talking with Issei right now. Kazuma drooled seeing another beautiful woman but then he remembered that she''s also Megumin''s clansmen so she might be a weirdo just like the rest of them.


    His hope instantly got crushed when he thought about it... He really wanted to return to his old world now... This is not the fantasy life that he wanted...


    Soketto - I see... You''re quite humble for someone of your standing aren''t you, Issei-sama?


    Issei - I''m also a commoner just like you all.


    Soketto - Hmm... I wonder...


    She squinted her eyes slightly at Issei.


    To be honest, she already tried to see through Issei''s destiny and stuff like that. But all she gets is pure brightness that makes her unable to see anything else.


    That light does bring warmth and safety though but this is the first time that she can''t predict the destiny of somebody else.


    She became really curious about just who Issei really is after that.


    Soketto - Then can you allow me to do a Divination for you, Issei-sama? Don''t worry, it''s free of charge.


    Issei - ...Sure.


    Issei doesn''t see any reason why he should refuse her request so he let her try.


    Soketto - Then, excuse me... Can you put your hand on this crystal ball?


    Soketto took out a Crystal ball from her storage space and asked Issei to put his hand on the crystal ball.


    Issei follows her instruction and put his hand on top of the crystal ball.


    Without them knowing it, the whole area went silent observing the interaction between Issei and Soketto.


    Soketto is a famous fortune teller from their village after all. And her divination never mistaken as well.


    They all curious just what will Issei destiny looks like. Even Megumin and co stopped their talking and gazed towards Issei and Soketto...


    When Issei put his hand on the crystal ball, there''s a bright light shined through the whole village.


    Everyone closed their eyes because that light is so bright. Only Soketto''s the one who tried to take a sneak peek through the slight opening of her eyes.


    What she saw amazes her to no end...


    Soketto - ...True God King...


    That''s all she saw from the crystal ball but it soon fades away... But because of the bright light, she caught a glimpse of Issei''s true face behind his mask and she felt like her mind went blank when she saw it.


    She doesn''t even realize that everyone already regained their sight and started murmuring just what happened just now.


    Soketto only returned to her sense when she heard Issei''s voice again.


    Issei - Are we done?


    Soketto - ...E-Eh?! Ah! Y-Yes!


    Issei - And please keep this between us.


    Soketto - H-Hai!


    Issei - Um, then excuse me.


    Issei whispered towards Soketto. She knows what he meant by that is the word "True God King" because it tells Soketto that he''s basically a God and he doesn''t want to attract unnecessary attention towards him.


    Her face blushed deeply for some reason and Yunyun and Wiz who saw that smiled wryly because they weren''t blinded as well when that bright light shined through the whole village.


    They can see that Soketto saw Issei''s face through his mask because of the reflection from the light.


    They are almost certain that Soketto has been smitten when she saw Issei''s face... Her blushing face is the proves of it...


    Issei then excused his self and walk towards Yunyun and Wiz place. He instantly got bombarded with questions from Megumin and co, including Arue and co. He sweated being asked with so many questions at once just like that...


    After that, everyone asked Soketto just what happened just now and what''s that light means but she keeps dozing off looking towards Issei''s direction with a blushing face.


    In the end, she told the other villagers that she doesn''t know either.


    ...


    Home of the Crimson Magic, Mixed Bath Hot Spring.


    This is one of a must visit place for tourist at the Crimson Demon Village.


    The reason is not difficult to guess, just from the word "Mixed Bath", every male tourist would instantly head towards this location.


    The Hot Spring is also top notch even according to this world standard. Therefore, this place is quite lively as well because it''s often visited by either male or female. Sadly for the males... It''s a trap.


    Indeed it is "Mixed Bath" but they are separated by a tall wooden fence. Only the water is mixed here...


    This place was recommended to Issei by Megumin. Issei felt weird about why she has this sly look on her face when she told him about this place, he obviously doesn''t believe such place exist unless it''s private mixed bath just for couples.


    So he''s not baited here unlike Kazuma who instantly almost screamed in agreement to visit the hot spring. But he is also duped by the word "Hot Spring" though...


    Megumin who saw Issei calmly agreed to her invitation knows that he''s not fooled like Kazuma here but she has something else in mind...


    At first, Issei thought that why not? He could experience the hot spring in this world. As a Japanese person, Issei love hot spring as well so he doesn''t see any reason why he should reject Megumin''s invitation.


    But to think that it''s only a public bathhouse named <Mixed Bath Hot Spring>... He sighed tiredly and just let it be... At least it''s quite a good place anyway...


    Too bad he can''t go in with Yunyun and Wiz though... It wouldn''t be inappropriate after all. Sure they''re husband and wife already but there''s no way he will go take a bath together with them on a public bath.


    Kazuma - This is not a mixed bath and this is also not a hot spring, so why call this place a <Mixed Bath Hot Spring>, Ahhhhh?!


    In the men''s side, Kazuma who''s only wearing a towel around his waist is yelling his lungs out in disappointment for being tricked by Megumin.


    Kazuma - Isn''t this what called a scam?! Trolling people?! Are you making fun of us?! Ahhhhhhh!


    Issei - *Sigh* Would you cut it out already... Isn''t it obvious there won''t be such thing as Mixed Bath here? And even if there is, do you think I would let you go in when Yunyun and Wiz are there? Well, I do feel a little disappointed that there isn''t a true Hot Spring though...


    Issei who''s currently already soaking in the hot water said that because it''s been quite some time since Kazuma screamed in indignance... As a fellow man, he can understand his disappointment but that''s about it. He already passes his super pervert phase after all... Maybe if it''s the old him he would do the same thing as Kazuma.


    Kazuma winced slightly when he heard Issei''s words. It''s true that he wanted to see Yunyun and Wiz, but which man doesn''t? They both are extremely beautiful and bodacious after all... But Kazuma forgot that with Issei here he won''t be able to fulfill his wish... Ever...


    But at least he can peek on the other girls, right? Such as Darkness and co. As for Aqua... She doesn''t even register in Kazuma''s brain at all. He automatically neglects her existence altogether.


    Right now Issei doesn''t wear anything and that includes his mask as well.


    When Kazuma first saw Issei''s face he almost turned into the wrong path, he instantly averted his face and keep saying "I''m straight, I''m straight...".


    Only after he bashed his head against the wall repeatedly that he becomes clear-minded once again. Issei becomes speechless seeing that.


    Kazuma really has to admit that Issei is extremely handsome and that perfect body of his made him very jealous as well. He wondered just why are they so different? Aren''t they both fellow Japanese? Then how come their difference is like heaven and earth?


    No wonder he wears that mask all the time... If any woman saw Issei''s face, then they''re guaranteed will become enamored towards him, Kazuma thought... Even he who''s a guy almost turned into the wrong path after seeing his face for the first time... Kazuma''s body shuddered thinking about that.


    Kazuma - I-I know that... But still... *Sigh* I want to go back to Japan...


    Kazuma finally slumped down the hot water as well while muttering those words.


    Issei also took pity on Kazuma as a fellow Japanese man, his life really suck... Even back in Japan, he died because of a heart attack from a slow-moving tractor and he''s also a hikiNEET at that, so what''s the point in going back to Japan at this point? Issei thought to himself...


    If he has any redeeming qualities then Issei might hire him, but so far he doesn''t see any good qualities on Kazuma so he''s not sure on how to help him.


    Issei - Do you really think if there is a mixed bath Megumin would take the initiative to invite us? Aren''t you supposed to be the brain in the team, so why can''t think it through?


    At the very least Kazuma is more normal and smarter compared to Aqua and co.


    Kazuma - I don''t want to hear such a realistic analysis! I know you already have 2 beautiful women waiting but I''m still single dude! I want to see! And if for example both Yunyun and Wiz isn''t your wife, wouldn''t you want to peek as well?!


    Kazuma shouted with indignance.


    Issei - Sorry, but no... Do you think I would want to peek that 3 weirdos?


    Maybe the old him would agree to Kazuma statement though.


    Kazuma - But... I know that 3 of them are an anomaly but they are still beautiful don''t you think?! Megumin is weird but she''s still cute. Darkness is needless to say, with that voluptuous body and beautiful face... As for Aqua... Nevermind... How about Megumin''s friends?! That Arue and co also...


    Kazuma keeps on babbling about the girls on the other side while Issei ignored his babbling and closed his eyes to enjoy the relaxing hot bath.


    Chomusuke chooses to come with Issei instead of going with Megumin, which is a first because she''s usually going with Megumin whenever they took a bath.


    She''s inside a small wooden bucket filled with hot water and she''s gazing at Issei all the time with a blissful face. Issei who saw that rubbed her head gently and Chomusuke purred comfortably feeling his touch...


    ...


    On the woman side.


    All of the girls'' body shuddered slightly.


    Megumin - Hmm, I have a feeling that trashzuma is talking about us...


    Darkness - Y-You as well, Megumin?


    Aqua - Considering that hikiNEET personality it''s quite possible... Perhaps he''s planning to peek on us?


    The 3 of them started discussing about Kazuma with each other.


    Arue and co started having goosebumps thinking that a man would peek on them. If it''s Issei they could reconsider it but...


    Yunyun - W-With Ise-san there he won''t be able to peek on us. So don''t worry...


    Wiz - U-Un, I''m sure Ise-san wouldn''t let Kazuma do as he wishes...


    Both Yunyun and Wiz wryly smiled at them. They know Issei''s personality quite well after all. There''s no way he would let another man sneak a peek on his women... But if they are not here then he wouldn''t bother though... That''s why they''re quite reassured that Kazuma won''t be able to peek at them at all.


    Only after hearing their words that Arue and co exhaled a sigh of relief.


    Megumin - Hmm, you both sure trust Issei a lot...


    Megumin stared both of them with an annoyed face.


    Yunyun - Of course, we''re his wives after all. And it''s a wife duty to trust her husband with all their heart.


    Wiz - Un, it''s true.


    Both Yunyun and Wiz answered with conviction. It''s as if they''re glowing brightly right now.


    All of the girls here are blinded by their glow. They thought Yunyun sure has changed a lot and is this what being mature looks like... No... What a woman in love looks like.


    They kind of jealous Yunyun and Wiz now... Especially their beauty and bodacious body... They really want to know their secret for it but they just won''t tell them saying they don''t know themselves...


    Megumin gnashed her teeth in frustration because of her self proclaimed rival left her behind in the dust already at this point.


    Time to launch her plan...


    Yunyun - Megumin? What are you doing?


    Yunyun and the others are also wondering just what Megumin planning to do. She suddenly stands up from the water and put a towel around her body before she started sneaking around the wooden wall.


    Megumin - None of your business.


    She started knocking on the wooden fence as if she''s searching for something.


    Darkness - What are you looking for, Megumin?


    Megumin ignored Darkness question and after a while, she finally found it.


    Megumin - Found it!


    *Klack!*


    Everyone - Wha?!


    There''s suddenly a small opening appeared on the wooden wall. It''s quite small but it''s enough to take a peek to the other side.


    ...


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei suddenly got a feeling that someone is peeking on them, but he got distracted by Kazuma who''s tiptoeing towards the other direction.


    Issei - Oi... What are you doing...


    Kazuma suddenly froze at his spot after hearing Issei''s voice.


    Kazuma - I-I''m just going for a walk?


    Issei - ...


    Issei silently stares at Kazuma and the latter started sweating profusely... And before long Kazuma shoulders slumped down before he heads back to the water.


    Just like Yunyun and Wiz said, Kazuma tried to peek at them but with Issei here he won''t be able to.


    And then Issei felt it again, it''s like somebody is trying peeking on him. He used his <Haki> to see just who it is but he can''t find it. It''s because Issei doesn''t expand his <Haki> towards the woman bathroom for obvious reason, Issei doesn''t want to peek at girls anymore so he doesn''t expand his <Haki> to the girls'' side. if he does that then he would be able to find Megumin and co trying to peek on him.


    Issei never thought that the one who''s peeking on him would be Megumin and co. and even if he knows, he thought that Yunyun and Wiz would stop them but apparently not...


    He''s wondering just who it is... Until he heard a creak on the wooden wall...


    Issei - Hn?


    *CRACK!* *BANG!* *Kyaaaaa!*


    A part of the wooden wall broke down...


    Megumin - Ow ow ow, I told you guys not to push around, don''t I?! Now get off of me, you''re all heavy!


    Darkness and co - S-Sorry.


    They hastily apologize towards Megumin.


    Issei - ...


    Issei who saw them become totally speechless... No wonder he has this feeling of being peeked at. So the perpetrator is them... Why Yunyun and Wiz don''t stop them?


    When he looked towards their direction, he saw Yunyun and Wiz gave an apologetic smile at him.


    Kazuma - O-Ohhhhhh! Ah...


    Kazuma face turned perverted immediately after seeing so many half-naked girls showed up from the other side. But he immediately went limp because Issei pinched him by the scruff.


    Megumin and co at first wanted to scream because of Kazuma but when they gaze at Issei direction they all became frozen stiff. Not a single exception, whether it be Aqua, Megumin, Darkness, etc.


    Aqua maybe has a few screw loose on her head but she can judge which man is perfect or not, obviously... Aqua herself is quite a beauty herself but sadly her personality ruined it all. There''s not a single male God finds her attractive because of that, such a shame because even in heaven she''s considered a beautiful woman as well...


    They all become frozen stiff and went completely wide-eyed after they saw Issei''s face and body. And before long their face blushed deeply and they have this enamored look on their face.


    His dark slightly long hair which is wet because of the water and the way those waters runs down his chiseled muscle and perfect abs aroused their desire to no end. They instantly got charmed by Issei''s devilishly handsome face and his wine-red eyes which makes them lost in reverie just by gazing it... Perfect... They all thought everything about him is perfect, there''s not a single flaw could be found on his body...


    Issei who saw that sighed tiredly.


    Issei - *Sigh*... Even though I might already know the answer to this... I''ll ask it anyway just to make sure... What are you all doing?


    Megumin and co still don''t answer Issei''s question and keep on looking at him with an unfocused gaze on their eyes.


    Issei then turned her attention towards Yunyun and Wiz once more.


    They hastily explained how all this happened to Issei...


    In summary, Megumin is the one who wanted to see Issei''s appearance at first but the other soon follows suit and one thing led to another and here they are.


    They all are curious just how Issei''s face looks like so you could say curiosity kills the cat... Now their common sense on appearance is fcked up... To them, other men whose appearance below Issei is just trash...


    And just like Kazuma. They finally understand just why he''s wearing that mask... It will bring calamity to the world indeed...


    Issei - ...So, are you all satisfied now?


    Issei turned his attention back to Megumin and co once again but this time they nodded dumbly at his question.


    Thankfully Issei is already wearing a towel on his waist so his Dragon rod down there is hidden from plain sight or they all might just faint immediately. But Megumin might screamed "Excalibur" before she passes out though...


    Issei mouth twitched slightly seeing their response. He sighed once more before bringing the unconscious body of Kazuma with him towards the exit.


    During the whole instance of Issei exiting the bathroom, they never took their gazes off of him.


    Only after they lose sight of Issei''s form that they reluctantly look to another direction, and that direction is at Yunyun and Wiz.


    Now their gazes are overflowing with envy towards them both... If before they''re just jealous of them, now they''re totally envious of them. Which women won''t be envious of them who has such a perfect husband?


    Yunyun and Wiz who sensed their envious gazes smiled wryly at them.


    Yunyun - W-We''ve already told you not to do it right?


    Wiz - A-Ahahaha...


    They both know that this will end badly... At least for Megumin and co because they will find it hard to fall in love with another man after seeing Issei''s face.


    Just like his other victims from before... This is not the first time this ever happened after all.


    ...


    Ever since that incident Megumin and co keep taking a sneak peek at Issei all the time while slightly blushing... Soketto, Arue, Funifura, and Dodonko also often visiting Yunyun''s home as well because that''s where Issei is staying at the moment.


    Even an idiot could tell just what are their purpose for visiting Yunyun''s house all the time at that point... Aqua for some reason acting very weird... She''s trying hard to be a proper lady, and that creep out Issei and Kazuma a lot.


    The other girls know why she''s doing that though...


    Kazuma cannot remember anything at all after that night at the bathhouse... All he could remember is that he went to the bath with Issei and that''s about it... After that, it''s all blank.


    Issei finally also finds out that Kazuma has a knack for being a merchant, so Issei offered something towards him and when Kazuma heard his proposal he becomes slackjawed before he latched his self on Issei''s leg saying thank you profusely.


    Issei offered him that he will be able to send him back to Japan and he also offers a job for him as well. (AN: I will just make it that both Kazuma and Issei is from the same Japan, not parallel dimension Japan. Much easier that way).


    Kazuma instantly accepted Issei''s offer without hesitation. When Megumin and co find out that Kazuma will be leaving they don''t have that big of a reaction but they do getting more curious just what is Issei true identity.


    That mysterious air about him just added his charm even more, they all thought.


    After that, Issei spent about a week to deal with everything that needed to be dealt with in that world... Such as defeating the Demon Lord, meeting another Goddess who''s disguising herself as a thief and a Goddess who govern over Violence and Sloth, he also has a meeting with a lonely little princess and many more...


    One of the Demon General by the name Hans the poison slime tried to do something behind the scene but Issei found out about it and stopped his plan. Although, Wiz is the one who defeated him because she''s angry that Hans tried to include innocent bystander into the fray.


    Issei never told anyone else other than the Little Princess of the Belzerg Kingdom along with her trusted cohorts about the defeat of the Demon Lord because it''s better this way. So humankind will still focus on defeating the "Demon Lord" rather than going to war with one another.


    When Issei showed his face to them so there will be no one able to fake his appearance only Claire, one of the princess trusted cohort herself doesn''t show much reaction other than anger towards him because of the Little Princess reaction.


    As for the Little Princess, she went completely wide-eyed and blushed deeply after seeing Issei''s appearance.


    Knowing that there will be no actual danger from the Demon Lord any longer the Little Princess can take it easy. And because of how kind Issei is towards her, the little Princess keeps sticking to him as well during his stay on the capital.


    She kept asking Issei for a story about his adventurer. At some point, she addressed Issei as her Onii-sama. Issei also spoils her a lot because she''s the 3rd normal person he ever met in this world and she''s quite pure and cute as well.


    Claire cries tears of blood because of how close the Princess with Issei. During the time they spent together, the little Princess considered to make Issei her engagement but he declined with the excuse that she''s too young.


    She asked Issei what if she grew up later, can she be his fiancee? Issei mouth twitched a lot seeing another "Puppy eyes" skill user... He can only say he will think about it later. The little Princess wanted a pinky promise with him and Issei can only smile wryly after that.


    After getting the pinky promise she wanted, the little Princess went giddy the whole day while she keeps looking at her pinky finger with a joyful smile.


    -Time Skip-


    ...


    Issei and co are preparing to return to the <Netherworld>.


    Issei - Then, shall we go back?


    Issei asked Yunyun and Wiz.


    Yunyun & Wiz - Un!


    With that said, they all disappear from this world... They can still come back later if there''s something needed their presence for so it''s fine even if they don''t say goodbye to Megumin and co.


    ...


    <Netherworld, Hanging Garden of Babylon>


    They reappeared inside the Fortress teleporting room.


    They don''t really need to appear at the teleporting room per se, but it''s easier to note if any of them about to go somewhere. So if someone is looking for a specific person they will know if that person is out somewhere or not.


    With that said, it''s better to report first unless it''s an emergency.


    The moment Issei appeared there he''s greeted by the Kalars who''s guarding the room. And the whole fortress is warned of his arrival...


    There are 2 women who flinched slightly after hearing the announcement of his return. Both of their body immediately tensed up, they would''ve gone to his direction already if it wasn''t for Irene told them to relax.


    She wanted to surprise Issei after all.


    Issei nodded gently to the kalars who greeted him and then he along with Yunyun and Wiz proceeded to the living room. They wanted to greet Semiramis and co as well.


    Yunyun and Wiz are the first to enter the room.


    Yunyun & Wiz - We''re back.


    Semiramis - Um, welcome back you two.


    The other girls also greeted them back with a welcoming smile.


    Semiramis - So, how was it? Did you enjoy your short vacation?


    Both of them nodded while slightly blushing. They''ve spent some time alone with Issei in Konosuba world and also went on a date with him as well, so they''re pretty satisfied.


    Semiramis - Fufu, good to know.


    Finally, Issei also entered the room.


    At the corner of the room, both Rossweisse and Kuroka body tensed up seeing him. Issei is still wearing his mask so they are still not sure if it''s him or not.


    But the moment Kuroka smell the special scent she left behind on Issei before she''s completely sure that it is him. Even though the scent is already faint but it''s still there regardless and she could also sense Issei''s warm and calming aura from before.


    Rossweisse who''s at her side look at Kuroka''s whose body suddenly stiffened and when she saw Kuroka reaction, she knows that this man is indeed Issei himself.


    They unconsciously held their breath while gazing at Issei who''s walking to the middle of the room.


    They almost mistook him for someone else just from seeing his body shape alone, he looks taller and fitter than before. They can see even from all his clothing that he possess a magnificent body that would make any woman swoon over him.


    Semiramis - Welcome back, dearest.


    Semiramis stands up from her seat and hugged Issei gently.


    Issei - Ah, I''m back.


    Issei also returned the hug she gave him while smiling gently under his mask.


    The other girls welcome him back as well.


    Ophis and Lilith immediately floated to his side and pulled the corner of his clothes to gain his attention.


    Ophis - Welcome back, Ise...


    Lilith - Welcome back...


    Issei - Um, I''m back you two.


    Issei let go of his hand which was hugging Semiramis and patted both of Ophis and Lilith head.


    They both felt happy feeling his warm touch and smiled gently at him.


    Irene - By the way, beloved... There''s someone who wanted to meet you really badly, you know?


    Irene grinned slyly and look at Rossweisse and Kuroka direction. Both of them at this moment have their eyes dead set on Issei unmoving in the slightest.


    Issei - Really? Who was it?


    Issei tilted his head in confusion.


    Irene - Look over there~


    Irene pointed at Rossweisse and Kuroka direction with her chin and Issei look towards the pointed direction.


    Issei - Hm?... Eh?


    Issei also finally noticed both Rossweisse and Kuroka gazing at him intently. His eyes also went completely wide as well after seeing both of them here.


    Issei - ...Rossweisse-sensei? Kuroka?


    And that does it... The moment they heard him call their name they instantly dashed towards his direction while shedding tears along the way.


    Rossweisse & Kuroka - Issei!


    Both of them shouted at the same time. Semiramis took a step back from Issei''s embrace and the same goes for Ophis and Lilith although they''re pouting a little bit because they still want to feel Issei''s warm touch.


    But they know it''s time for those two to have their moment with Issei.


    Issei who saw them running towards him unconsciously extended his arms to catch them. They instantly hugged him tightly inside his embrace while muttering his name repeatedly...


    Issei is still confused about what''s happening right now... How come they both are here? He''s indeed was planning to meet them sooner or later but he never thought they will be here already. Then it hits him and he looks towards Irene who''s grinning slyly at him at the moment, and that grin basically told him that she''s the one who''s responsible for it.


    He smiled wryly at her before he turned his attention towards the 2 women that are currently inside his embrace... They are still bawling their eyes out on his chest so he gently stroke their heads and that manage to stop their sniffling for a second before they look up to him.


    Issei who saw their swollen eyes from crying felt pity for them, then he gently wipes their tears away. After feeling Issei gentle touch they smiled through tears before they buried their face on Issei chest again. But this time they''re not crying anymore and only hugged him tightly.


    Kuroka''s tails and ears can be seen swaying around probably because she''s feeling really happy right now and as for Rossweisse, it''s her ahoge.


    Semiramis gave the signal to the other girls and they exited the room to let them enjoy their reunion.

 Chapter 81 - 80

    A few minutes have passed after Semiramis and co leave the room...


    Issei - There, don''t cry anymore, you two will look like a tabby cat at this rate you know?


    Issei is still stroking their head gently.


    Kuroka - Hmph, I''m already a cat anyway so it''s fine nya~


    Rossweisse - N-No matter, even if I indeed turned into a tabby cat I know you will still have me, right?


    Rossweisse looked up at him and used the legendary skill "Puppy eyes" and Issei once again got K.O ed instantly after seeing that.


    Issei - Ah... I will...


    He can only wryly smile once again because of how weak he is towards that ultimate skill... Not that he''s planning to reject Rossweisse in the first place.


    Rossweisse - Eheheh~


    Hearing his answer Rossweisse smiled happily and snuggled her head once again on his chest.


    Kuroka - How about me nya~?


    Kuroka faked a pout at Issei.


    Issei - You know the answer to that, Kuroka... I promised you before, didn''t I?


    (AN: Read the wiki, Kuroka is already the seventh bride of Issei. He promised her that he will take care of her and Koneko as well).


    Issei stroked her cheeks gently.


    Kuroka who felt her touch purred blissfully. But soon her face went downcast...


    Kuroka - I know you will keep your promise, but Shirone...


    Issei hand halted only a second before he resumed his gentle caressing.


    Issei - She is she, you''re you... That''s all that matter to me. And don''t worry, I don''t bear any hatred towards Koneko. So you can rest assured that I won''t do anything to her.


    Kuroka - ...Un... Ddra- I mean Irene-san has also told us about it... You don''t really care about them anymore, don''t you?


    Maybe you won''t do anything towards her but Irene and co will, Kuroka thought to herself... But she doesn''t blame Irene and co for that because she knows Koneko deserved it...


    Kuroka knows that Issei doesn''t bear any more hatred towards Koneko but she still felt sad about the whole thing... She thought she and Koneko would be able to become a whole family again while becoming Issei''s bride together, but apparently not...


    Issei - Yes.


    Issei voice is calm and firm but for both Rossweisse and Kuroka it''s making their heartache... They''re also disappointed with Rias and co for what they''ve done but there''s nothing they can do... They already made their choice... The choice they will regret for the rest of their lives...


    And remembering the suffering Issei went through after that whole incident fueled their heart with rage towards Rias and co.


    Issei who felt their rage calmly hugged them tightly and both of them froze at first before they hugged him back.


    ...


    Kuroka - By the way, Ise-nya... Why are you wearing a mask?


    Rossweisse - Ah, that''s right... Did something happen to your face? Don''t worry, no matter what happens we won''t leave you.


    Both of them gazes at Issei with conviction. They''re true to their words and Issei knows that as well so he felt warm inside.


    Issei calmly extends his hand towards the mask and channeled a little bit of his magic on it.


    There''s a click and before long the mask started withdrawing itself and socketed itself into the side of Issei''s collar.


    When Rossweisse and Kuroka saw his face they become completely dumbstruck... They felt like their mind went completely blank. What they saw is the most handsome and stunning face. Not a single man they''ve ever seen in their life could compare to this face they''re seeing now... None...


    They felt like they''re hallucinating or some sort so they extended their hands towards Issei''s face and started pinching his cheeks gently to see if it''s real or not.


    Issei sweated a little feeling them pinching his cheeks.


    Issei - ...It''s not fake or hallucination you know... So you don''t have to keep pinching my face...


    Only after hearing Issei''s words that they stopped pinching his face but then their cheeks went completely red and their face looks completely infatuated with him.


    Issei - Err... Rossweisse-sensei? Kuroka?


    Even though Issei called their name they still don''t respond to him and they both suddenly tackled him down to the ground.


    Issei - Wha-?!


    *Thump*


    The three of them dropped down to the floor and just when he wanted to ask them why would they do that, he saw them staring at him filled with desires in their eyes.


    Issei words got stuck in his throat when he saw that.


    Issei - ...G-Girls?


    Issei felt a little intimidated seeing their predatory gazes on him.


    What can he expect from a Valkyrie who never had a boyfriend and a Cat in heat? Both of them have been waiting for this moment for a long time and it finally can''t be contained anymore.


    Rossweisse is the first to jump in and stole Issei''s lips right away.


    Issei - Mmph?!


    Issei never thought that Rossweisse would suddenly kiss him out of nowhere. She tries her best but because she''s inexperienced in this kind of things, her kiss is quite clumsy. She still enjoyed the kiss nevertheless, she thought that she''s dreaming right now... She can finally feel the warmth and kissed the man she''s in love with.


    Kuroka who''s at the side felt a little jealous so she gently pushed Rossweisse away.


    Kuroka - My turn, nya!


    Rossweisse - Ah...


    Rossweisse doesn''t resist her push and she started dozing off enjoying the after taste from the kissing session she had with Issei just now.


    Kuroka licked her lips seductively before she goes in for the kiss. But this time Issei won''t let his self be on the passive side.


    The moment Kuroka lips joined with him he instantly wrapped his arms around her voluptuous body and give her one hell of a kiss.


    He entangled their tongues together and explored the inside of her mouth thoroughly... Kuroka body shivered slightly in pleasure. She never thought just from kissing him she could feel this kind of pleasure.


    She may be looks like a seductress but she''s a virgin herself, and her first kiss was with Issei as well but back then Issei still a total greenhorn compared to now.


    There''s a loud *Tch* *Tch* sound can be heard from their kissing session. Rossweisse finally comes back to her senses and look at them with envy. She also wanted to be in Kuroka position right now, her kiss with Issei just now is a bit clumsy and too short.


    They finally finished their kiss with a loud *Pop* and Kuroka becomes dazed after their kissing session, she seems totally out of it... She felt like she''s in heaven right now just from this kiss alone...


    Then Issei felt a tug on his clothes and he looks to the side only to see Rossweisse having a pleading look on her face. Issei smiled gently at her and Rossweisse who saw his smiling face got captivated once again.


    Issei set Kuroka body to the side gently and then he pulled Rossweisse into his embrace before giving her the kiss that she wanted.


    And just like Kuroka she felt like her body almost melted just from Issei kiss alone.


    Rossweisse - Mmh, haumph... Hnn... Mn... Mwah... I-Ise... I love you... Mmn...


    Rossweisse muttered in between their kisses. She always wanted to say that word and now she''s finally able to say it.


    Issei who heard that stopped their kiss for a brief moment.


    Issei - Ah, I love you as well, Rose...


    Rossweisse felt like her heart almost exploded in happiness after hearing his words, and this is the first time Issei ever called her with a nickname. He usually only call her formally before this after all.


    She instantly wrapped her arms around Issei''s neck and resumed their kissing session. Issei gladly reciprocates her kiss.


    ...


    Issei, Rossweisse, and Kuroka could be found sitting on the couch. Both Rossweisse and Kuroka are sitting on his left and right side respectively, they are snuggling comfortably on him.


    They both keep humming and purring in happiness. Kuroka''s tails wrapped around Issei''s waist encircling him, she''s marking Issei with her special scent again and this time she will make sure that it will last for eternity.


    Issei has already told them the reason for the change on his face. It''s the second side effect from Forzelotte messing up her magic a bit... The first one he turns into a super pervert and the second one is his face will look average to those around him.


    They''re just silently enjoying the calming and soothing atmosphere they have until there''s a knock on the door.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Rakia - Issei-sama, I''m sorry for disturbing you, but Kyou-sama and Kinou-sama said it''s almost time for dinner.


    Rakia gentle and limpid sound can be heard from behind the door.


    Issei - Ah, we''ll be right there... Then let''s go you two.


    Rossweisse & Kuroka - Hai/Hai nya~.


    Then the three of them walked towards the dining room while Rossweisse and Kuroka clinging to Issei''s arms the whole time. Only after they reached the dining room they reluctantly let go of him.


    All of them had a great dinner that night...


    Rossweisse and Kuroka are surprised at how delicious the food tasted. And they become even more amazed knowing that Issei is even a better cook compared to the one who made their dinner.


    Rossweisse and Kuroka instantly asked Issei to teach them and Issei obliged to their request easily. He likes cooking but he likes eating the food cooked by his wives more, no matter how bad it tasted.


    They all happily chat with each other during the whole instance of dinner. Issei thought that they sure bonded fast with each other.


    Kuroka seems to like Gurigura a lot and they seem like true sisters from Issei''s eyes at least. Probably because they both have black cat ears and tails? Who knows, at least they all get along with each other very well.


    Kathryn for some reason is pouting while looking at this 2 new addition in the family... Riche who saw that knows why she''s pouting though... They both have big breasts that''s why...


    Issei flashed a teasing grin seeing Kathryn pouting at him so he moved closer to her ears and whispered something that made the latter face turned red and then she screamed "Stupid husband!" before she scurries off to her room.


    Issei could only scratch his cheeks while smiling wryly, probably his teasing went too far... He told her that he also loves her modest breasts and maybe he could make it bigger by giving it a thorough massage later.


    If they''re alone then Kathryn would probably agree to his offer but they''re in the presence of the other girls and they, of course, could hear his voice considering they all set their attention towards them both.


    So when Kathryn saw the teasing grin Riche and co gave her she becomes completely embarrassed and ran off... And it''s not like Kathryn''s breast doesn''t grow at all, it grew a bit after all this time but compared to most girls in this room, her breast indeed looks small.


    Rossweisse and Kuroka who saw that blushed slightly thinking that Issei sure has grown up. Now he can easily tease girls while he''s usually the one being teased before.


    And they have to say that they like this new personality of his a lot more. But they started fidgetting a bit on their seat thinking when are they gonna have their first time with Issei... But one thing for sure, they both are anticipating it a lot.


    ...


    Kuroka told Issei that Kinou missed him a lot as well, she still doesn''t know about his disappearance. As for Rossweisse, she informed him about what happens after his disappearance.


    Issei said that he will make a visit to Kyoto later on as respond for Kuroka words.


    Kuroka doesn''t tell Issei about Yasaka secret though, because it''s better he finds out about her himself. Kunou has a crush on Issei is not a secret at all but Yasaka also has a crush on him just like her daughter is totally unknown.


    Kuroka finds out about it after she "Accidentally" heard her moan inside her own room. She heard Yasaka keep calling Issei''s name during the whole ordeal so she knows for a fact that Yasaka also harbors some feelings towards Issei.


    She often keeps teasing and seducing Issei whenever they met but everyone thought that it''s just her being playful and not a single one thought that she''s being serious. If Kunou doesn''t have a crush on Issei then Yasaka would''ve probably made her advance towards Issei already.


    She''s holding back for her daughter it seems... But Kuroka knows for sure that if Yasaka were to meet the current Issei then she won''t be able to hold back her feelings anymore.


    One of the reasons is because of how handsome and manly Issei looks now and as for the other reason, it''s because of his aura. As <Senjutsu> user, Issei''s current aura is like an addictive drug for them... Not surprising since <Senjutsu> enabled them to sense the natural aura and ki of other living beings and from nature itself.


    Issei''s aura and ki being the best of the best speak for themselves. Kuroka has it easy because she already accepted her feelings about Issei but for Yasaka who''s trying to deny her feelings would feel a certain backlash. It''s not dangerous but she will be in a state of arousal the more she tried to deny her feelings towards Issei.


    As for Kunou case... Kuroka knows for sure that Issei won''t lay a hand on Kunou at her current state. She''s still too small after all.


    When Issei heard that the 4 faction leaders made a search party for him he felt a little conflicted. To be honest, he doesn''t want to get involved with them anymore but on the other hand, he also felt like he needs to thank Azazel at the very least for taking care of him after all this time.


    Issei then asked Rossweisse about Trihexa. When he heard that the sealing is going smoothly he felt something is really odd about the whole thing, so he decided that he should personally check it later.


    Now that he recalls it, he remembers that Trihexa has a bit of <Chaos> element inside it. That''s why it seems so destructive... Because it can''t master the <Chaos> element it basically got controlled by the <Chaos> element instead.


    Its only purpose is to bring destruction and calamity, in other words, Chaos... It can''t even form a proper word because of it...


    Rossweisse and Kuroka are not that surprised hearing that he will be able to defeat Trihexa at this point. They can''t even sense or tell just how strong he is right now, they could still sense Ophis and co power but not Issei... And that''s enough proof that he''s clearly stronger than them all.


    They felt proud and happy that the man they love is this powerful.


    During their whole stay there they keep following Issei around and with that, they could see just how loved he is by the Kalars and his subjects. They are awed to no end knowing that he saved multiple worlds already.


    When they saw Rakia they kind of reminded by Sirzechs and Grayfia for some reason. Not surprising since Rakia always follows Issei around as well.


    Rossweisse and Kuroka also interact with the demonkin such as Rakia and Meryl and also the kalars, the topic of their talk mostly revolving around Issei though... They got along instantly after they finished their talk.


    Rossweisse took out her trusted notes and started writing the content of their talk. She already started thinking to become Issei''s secretary as well. Although there''s a lot of them already, for example, Ekate, Mertel, Meryl, etc.


    Ekate and co don''t really mind when Rossweisse asked them if it''s okay for her to be Issei secretary as well. They said it doesn''t matter as long as Issei allows it.


    ...


    Issei traveled to a lot of worlds as well to see anything that could boost his power even more. He won''t settle for his current power just like that, he knows that he needs even more power to defeat Nyarlathotep.


    On one of the worlds he visited he met a certain alien Princess with long pink hair and she also possesses a devil tail on her back.


    She said she''s running from home because she doesn''t want to be forced to marry any of her suitors... It''s also from this world that Issei got ahold of their advanced technology.


    This is also the reason behind the <ECH> company success... Their tech products are clearly more advanced compared to Issei the DxD world. So no one is able to copy their product.


    He offered the Princess in exchange for his protection she would allow him to gain access to their technology. The Princess instantly agreed to his condition, but that''s only because she saw his power with her own two eyes...


    It all started when Issei teleported to a secret lab somewhere in that world space. When he finds out that most of the scientist there is experimenting on a young looking small girl with golden hair he instantly obliterated the whole lab without question asked.


    One of the scientists there is trying to save that specific girl from the evil scientists'' clutches so she''s spared by Issei. But he feels weird that this scientist looks completely identical with the young girl. They could even be Mother and Daughter he thought.


    And that''s also when the alien Princess passed by seeing the big explosion caused by Issei so she heads towards them.


    The Scientist thanked Issei profusely while the young girl only stared at him with a curious gaze. But before long there''s a reinforcement to that lab, probably from the mastermind of the whole experiment.


    The scientist told Issei to get away and to bring the girl with him while she''s distracting them.


    Issei saw a lot of advanced looking space ship and weapon but it doesn''t matter to him since he killed them all with just a wave of his hand. The scientist, the young girl, and the alien princess who just got there instantly become gobsmacked seeing his display of power.


    Issei saw the alien Princess spaceship but because there''s no ill intent coming from it he doesn''t attack it as well. And he could sense that the spaceship owner is just a young girl that looks naive but pure.


    He then ignored her and turned his attention to the scientist who''s currently holding the young girl. He asked them what''s their plan from now on, but the only answer the scientist could come up with is they don''t know yet.


    Issei then started thinking for a while... From his observation, he could tell that this scientist is quite a talented individual so he thought that he should hire her if she''s willing. In exchange, he would pay her and keep both of them safe.


    It didn''t take long for the scientist to agree on his offer because she already saw Issei capabilities. Then he also made a deal with the alien princess.


    Issei then decided to stay in that world for a while. The Princess spaceship is big enough to hold multiple passengers so they could stay there for now. As for food necessities, he could easily take it out from his space storage.


    Before long they are visited by the Princess''s bodyguard. The bodyguard tried to bring the princess back by force only to be stopped by Issei with a flick of his finger and he fainted dead away. Issei reassured the princess that he''s just fainted and not in danger whatsoever.


    But Issei becomes speechless after a while because there is quite a lot of her suitor. Although he could easily handle each of them who tried to kidnap the princess it''s still annoying to keep getting attacked almost every day. Then he decided to just tell the princess to arrange a meeting with all of her suitors in a specific coordinate.


    The princess obeyed his words and posted a piece of news to those who wanted to marry her should go to this specific coordinate. And only in a single day, there are hundreds of them lined up already...


    And also in a single day, each and every one of them who doesn''t want to give up got obliterated from the face of this universe... From then on there''s not a single person dares to bother the princess any longer... They put a bounty and warning on Issei after that. But there''s not a single person dares to mess with him... Even the one who put that bounty for some unknown reason disappeared on the very next day never to be seen again.


    They can''t see his face so they can only post an image of his mask. His mask is one of a kind after all.


    The young girl with the golden hair got attached to Issei at some point. She keeps following him around and observing him all the time. When Issei asked her what does she want, she answered that she wants to become strong like him so she wanted him to train her.


    And when she''s asked why she wants to become strong, her answer makes Issei feel a little taken aback.


    She said so that she could protect the scientist who helped her and so she could repay his favor. She also said that she wanted to become Issei''s weapon.


    Issei instantly corrected her that he doesn''t want her to become his weapon, he agreed to train her as long as she only uses her power to protect herself and those she holds dear and not to see herself as a weapon.


    The girl is feeling confused because that''s what she''s created for according to the other scientists. But Issei calmly taught her step by step about some common sense about what''s evil and what''s not.


    The scientist who saw their interaction felt grateful and thankful towards Issei. The princess who saw that also felt attracted towards Issei, he''s so kind even though he has all that power they both thought.


    One thing led to another Issei gained an outstanding scientist although she''s a bit clumsy and some advanced technology as well.


    There''s a continuation about the alien princess but that''s a story for another time...


    ...


    Issei at some point thought that he should start making the rings for the girls but he needed some time because the materials he wanted is quite difficult to obtain. It''s not normal Diamond and the like.


    It''s more like a philosopher stone, he wanted to shape the materials to his liking so it can last for eternity and being the overprotective husband he thought to add some bonus to their rings as well. Such as status up, defensive barrier, etc. At this point, it could be seen as a Legendary Artifact rather than a marriage ring, all the girls thought at the same time.


    But they''re really happy because it shows just how much he cares for them.


    When Rossweisse and Kuroka heard that he will also make them one as well, they could barely contain their happiness and barely stopped themselves to just push him down on the spot and have their way with him.


    But they still raining him with kisses though.


    Rossweisse and Kuroka asked Riche and co about some tips on how to set up the mood for the last step, but the only tip they got is "Go get em!". Even Kuroka sweated a little hearing that, even though she seems eager to do it with Issei but she''s still a virgin regardless...


    Ramius - Fumu, but be careful of his libido. Even all of us combined together can''t take him on but it felt extremely good. Like REALLY good... EXTREMELY good.


    Ramius nodded sagely. Ophis and Lilith who''s nearby hummed in agreement.


    Ophis & Lilith - We approve...


    Kathryn - That last information was kind of unnecessary... And you''re saying the same thing twice, you titty monster...


    Ramius - As I said before, Kath... Call me either one but not both of them at the same time. And your boobs have also grown compared to before, right? Fumu, it is indeed has grown a bit... I wonder if I should ask Ise to massage mine as well...


    Ramius frowned a little at Kathryn before she gazes at Kathryn''s breasts and gave it her assessment about it. Then she looks down at her own boobs and thought if she should make it a bit larger because Issei loves big boobs it seems...


    Actually, he loves every boob no matter the size as long as it belongs to his wives.


    Kathryn - S-Shuddup! And yours is already big enough, don''t make them even bigger!


    Kathryn is feeling embarrassed remembering the time where Issei teases her before... She read an article from somewhere that said your boobs will grow bigger if the one you loves give it a lot of caressing/massaging.


    That''s why every time she has her time with Issei she always asked him to massage her boobs and Issei gladly obeys her request. And it seems it is indeed working... But that was a secret until Issei decided to tease her back then... Now everyone knows her secret... Stupid husband, she thought.


    Riche - Ahahaha... But it''s true though.


    Riche wryly smiled at them both but she also agreed on Ramius''s words.


    Kathryn - I know that as well, but still...


    Gurigura - Don''t worry Rose-nee, Kuroka-nee, it will be fine! Ise-nii knows how to hold back after all.


    Rossweisse & Kuroka - U-Un...


    Gurigura reassured both Rossweisse and Kuroka who''s blushing a little while hearing their conversation. They have mixed feelings being reassured by Gurigura who''s clearly younger than them both though...


    Croix - Ufufufu, but it will feel even better if he has his way with you though~


    Natal - That''s right! It felt even better if you let darling has his way with you!


    Croix and Natal inputted their opinion on the conversation.


    All of them nodded to Croix''s words while slightly blushing. Jalter who''s nearby also started squirming a little remembering the moment between her and Issei, but she''s feeling a little irritated that she couldn''t outlast Jeanne during their lovey-dovey time with Issei. Who would''ve guessed that famous Saintess Jeanne would have a quite big sexual appetite...


    Semiramis, Irene, Scathach, and Forzelotte also nodded in agreement. But Scathach pouted a little remembering that she''s basically the weakest here in that field, even a petite girl like Gurigura and Towa could last longer than her.


    She still can''t last long enough with Issei until this very day because of how sensitive she is. She thought that she could beat him in this field at the very least but she clearly overestimated herself... Big time.


    Riche and co also told them to be careful of his libido. Even though he''s not the complete pervert like he used to his libido is still out of this world. After hearing that, both Rossweisse and Kuroka got a little nervous but they are looking forward to doing it with him even more.


    Rossweisse and Kuroka at some point asked Issei to remove the <Evil Pieces> inside them and to make them a Dragon just like Riche and co. Kuroka knows that Vali wouldn''t mind at all about removing the <Evil Piece> inside her because they''ve already discussed it with each other before.


    She will inform Vali about it later on so it''s fine. She might still participate in the tournament as Vali Rook though. Not that it matters since the upcoming rating game champion seat belongs to Irene and co without a doubt... Yep, they''re pretty sure on that.


    As for Rossweisse, it''s needless to say that she wanted to remove the "Mark" from Rias and to have Issei mark her as his. They both wanted that special <Mark> from Issei, as in the <ECH> symbol.


    Issei of course fulfilled their request and it''s very easy for him to take out the <Evil Pieces> without any side effects. He easily took them out without any complication and channeled a bit of his <Life> aura into them to counteract with the side effects of having the pieces removed.


    Kuroka chooses to hold on to her piece to give it back to Vali later. While Rossweisse just tosses it aside not caring about it in the slightest.


    They felt really comfortable and warm after being exposed to Issei''s aura. Especially Kuroka who can use <Senjutsu>, she almost went into heat mode just from that brief but direct exposure of Issei''s aura. And their power got boosted a little bit as well.


    Then Issei also begins the process of transforming them into a Dragon. Just like Riche and co before, they also encased by a red-cocoon made from Issei''s aura and blood essence.


    Now Issei only needs to wait for them to emerge from their respective cocoon... And just like back then, Issei and co are guarding them the whole time...


    ...


    Back at Hyoudou household.


    Rias and co keep feeling like their world is starting to fall apart ever since they lost Issei. Now Rossweisse is also missing from their life...


    When they found out that Rossweisse is missing they thought she''s going to Odin''s place or something so they don''t really feel concerned about it.


    But after a few days, she''s still missing so they contacted Sirzechs and the others.


    Odin is the first to become alarmed because he saw Rossweisse as his granddaughter, he instantly told his subordinates to search for her.


    Sirzechs and Azazel tried to do a summoning on her since Rossweisse supposed to have Rias <Evil Piece> inside her. But what came back is only the Rook piece...


    Their mind turned blank because usually, this kind of incident of only the <Evil Piece> that got summoned is because of the one who possesses the <Evil Piece> is dead... Just like back then when they tried to summon Issei after his fight with Shalba.


    Odin doesn''t say a single word the whole time and just turn around and return to his place. But they all know that Odin is the most affected from this whole incident...


    Rias and co cried sadly knowing that Rossweisse might be dead. Reiji and co also felt a bit sad that a woman of her caliber would suddenly die just like that.


    Reiji and co were thinking to try to flirt with Rossweisse at some point hoping that she would choose them over Issei but that chance will never come it seems...


    Now Rias is missing a Rook for the upcoming rating game. Only at this point, her confidence started to waver... She felt like her world is starting to fell apart little by little, the same goes for the other girls. Things weren''t the same anymore without Issei in their life... Only after he''s gone that they remember just how important he is to them.


    Thankfully Reiji and co, treated them well... If not then they might''ve got a mental breakdown already. Unknown to them Reiji and co are kind of forced and they also missed their old life before they met Rias and co...


    Reiji missed the time he spent with his other friends a lot...


    Souji is lamenting that he still hasn''t successfully wooed Kiyome Abe. For some reason, she seems oblivious to his advances, they indeed seem close but that''s only from the outsider''s eyes. And she also often talk about Issei Hyoudou the name which makes them envy and hate at the same time.


    He finds out that Kiyome Abe is also a part of the supernatural world. Her class is a Beast-Tamer it seems from what Rias and co told him. Apparently, she and Issei have some history together and she basically owes Issei a favor or something...


    They are getting irritated that most outstanding woman they''ve seen seems to have a certain connection with Issei. Whether it be Kiyome Abe, Kuroka, or Rossweisse.


    (AN: Kiyome Abe has a certain connection with Issei, if you guys want you can read her on DxD wiki but I won''t spoil it here).


    Kiba and Gasper also treated them differently nowadays... Kiba turns completely stoic towards them, he usually has this smile on his face but not anymore.


    As for Gasper, he seems more distant and he spent most of his time with Valerie in the hospital.


    They visited Valerie once but she has this same gaze like Kiba when she''s looking at them... No emotion whatsoever...


    Their training basically halted at this point, they keep gazing at the ceiling blankly. Akeno''s dad, Baraqiel visited them once but his gaze contains a certain disappointment and sadness towards his daughter. The same when he gazes at Rias and co, but he still gives a word of encouragement towards them.


    Sirzechs and Grayfia visited Rias as well to give an encouragement towards her, saying everything will be alright. Grayfia only chooses to silently stand behind Sirzechs with a calm face. But she''s getting a bit irritated being leered by Reiji and co.


    They disgust her to no end... That greedy and lustful gaze of men she recognizes fully well... They may be able to hide it from Rias and co but they can''t hide it from her. They might look like a gentleman and calm but she could see their true nature from their eyes... Disgusting, she thought.


    After getting the encouragement from Sirzechs and co, Rias and her peerage finally resumed their training and hope for the best once again... Just like the usual her...


    ...


    After a few days, Rossweisse and Kuroka finally emerged from their cocoon. They immediately spread their wings wide and they instantly captivated Issei with how they look now, they become even more beautiful compared to before. Rossweisse wings color is silver while Kuroka is black, overall they both look so mesmerizing and gorgeous.


    Kuroka still has her cat tails and ears but its furs become even smoother and glossier than before. There''s also a tinge of red could be found on the tip of her tails and ears.


    They don''t wear any clothes at this moment and Issei could see every corner of their bodies without any obstacles. Their white skin like snow without any blemish and those voluptuous breasts which amaze him to no end.


    They finally opened their eyes and their pupils become slit like those of a Dragon but it makes them look more exotic if nothing else. Their whole being radiated power waiting to be unleashed.


    There''s a white <ECH> mark could be found on their bodies. Rossweisse on top of her left chest while Kuroka just below her belly button.


    They inhaled fresh air greedily but there''s something else mixed when they do that. It''s the special scent which makes them feels aroused, it incites their desires.


    They turned their heads towards Issei direction at the same time and there''s a bright glimmer could be found inside their eyes when they spotted him. Both of them waste no time before they latched themselves on Issei''s body and started sniffing and lightly kissing his neck and face.


    Ramius and co who saw that nodded to themselves because they know how it feels after they become a Dragon. They also went into heat mode just like Rossweisse and Kuroka, but it seems that their arousal is even greater than them back then.


    Irene who saw that told them that it''s normal because both Rossweisse and Kuroka have been holding back their feelings and desire for a very long time. Now that they become a Dragon, their feelings and desires are multiplied and finally, it broke loose...


    If their will wasn''t strong enough then they might''ve just had their way with Issei right here, right now... No doubt about it seeing how they instantly latched themselves on Issei. Even at this moment they keep sniffing and lightly kissing his neck and face. Kuroka even started licking Issei while her tails wrapped itself around Issei''s body.


    Kyou - Ahh, that sure brings back memories...


    Kinou - Indeed...


    Both Kyou and Kinou started reminiscing when they first met at <Fresh Fish Island>. They often do what Rossweisse and Kuroka doing right now and even more when Issei is asleep.


    Irene - With that said, beloved... Go and make them yours now or they might go crazy from their arousal alone.


    Irene grinned teasingly at the three of them.


    Issei - G-Got it...


    Issei awkwardly smiles at them while Rossweisse and Kuroka are too busy to take notice of Irene''s teasing gaze. Their eyes even started to turn into mini heart shape now... They keep exhaling hot sigh and their face are tinged red with arousal.


    Issei took ahold of their bodies because if not then he might''ve been pushed down to the ground again by them both.


    Under the teasing gaze of the girls, Issei brought Rossweisse and Kuroka to his bedroom. Even along the way they both never stopped their kissing activities...


    Irene - Fufufu, tonight is doomed to be a sleepless night for the three of them it seems... Too bad I won''t be getting my turn for tonight though... Oh well... And Ophis, Lilith, don''t go to Issei for tonight, understand?


    Ophis and Lilith''s body twitched a bit after hearing Irene words. They''re the "Trespassers" in this family after all.


    Both of them pouted knowing that they can''t have their moment with Issei and choose to take their grievance out on the sweets at the table instead.


    All of them sweated seeing them like that...

 Chapter 82 - 81

    Irene - Anyway, let''s register you girls for the upcoming rating game. Its a good timing since Ise is a bit occupied right now.


    Irene took out the briefcase she got from the underworld. Semiramis, Scathach and Forzelotte are curious about the <Evil Pieces> they''re using back in the underworld but after looking at it for a while they lose interest because it''s just so-so in their opinion.


    They thought that the way Issei change Riche and co into a Dragon is far much better compared to these measly <Evil Pieces>, it''s not bad but compared to Issei method its pale in comparison.


    Ramius and co who heard Irene words nodded seriously and then they line up before her.


    Irene then gives the <Evil Pieces> to the respective girls. Their position on the pieces doesn''t really matter so Irene just randomly chose it.


    Irene is obviously the <King> on the team.


    Jalter took the <Queen> piece.


    Jeanne and Croix took the <Bishop> pieces.


    Gurigura and Ramius took the <Rook> pieces.


    Millet and Natal took the <Knight> pieces.


    Riche, Kathryn, Yunyun, Wiz, Kyou, and Kinou took the


    pieces.


    Kyou and Kinou took 2 pawns pieces each while Riche and co only took 1 piece each.


    Irene - Um, there''s still a few months before the start of the rating game. So do your best to train yourself even more, okay? We don''t want to bring shame to our dear husband name now, do we?


    All of them said no at the same time in agreement at Irene''s words. Then they took off to start their training once again.


    Tio and Tilt are managing the <ECH> company so they won''t be participating in the rating game. As for Towa, she''s helping the school and the orphanage Issei opened along with Silent and co.


    The scientists Issei recruited are also teaching and doing an experiment with some stuff. The Scientists''/Doctor name consists of Tearju Lunatique, Ryouko Mikado, and Aki Nijou. The latter two are Tearju friends who are recommended to Issei by her.


    (AN: Ryouko Mikado is from To Love Ru, while Aki Nijou is from Maken-Ki).


    Tearju said that they both are an outstanding scientist and doctor, so Issei sees no reason to refuse her offer and recruited the two of them as well.


    But Issei becomes speechless seeing Aki Nijou because she has the biggest breasts he has seen so far even compared to Ramius and co... He only gazes at her breasts for a second before he stops looking at it. Aki felt surprised because usually, most men she met will keep staring at her breasts without stopping and that makes her very uncomfortable.


    Issei is the first man she saw that only look at her breasts for a second before regaining his calm demeanor once again. Then he explained it to them about his offer. They both don''t see anything wrong with his offer so they gladly accept it.


    They are very surprised knowing that Issei is basically a King though... Even the alien Princess who visited them once becomes a bit flabbergasted and she''s a princess herself.


    Obviously, her father is a King as well but it still amazes her that Issei is a king just like her father. One of her invention enables her to travel between worlds but her father could also do it.


    She sometimes visited Issei without her father knowing it. But her father seems to be searching for Issei as well so it''s only a matter of times before they meet... He''s intrigued knowing that there''s a strong individual that attract her daughter.


    The princess little sisters are also curious about Issei who manage to make their elder sister become very happy nowadays.


    So they wanted to meet Issei face to face... But they won''t meet for quite a while...


    Issei is interested with both of their research so he sometimes also participates in it. Tearju and co are feeling very comfortable working with Issei because of even though he''s basically their boss he never acted like he''s their superior or some sort.


    He''s treating them all like they''re his equal.


    He can even tolerate Tearju who''s known to be very clumsy. He never gets mad nor blames her whenever she messes something up that caused by her clumsiness.


    They''re working professionally with each other until one day... They accidentally saw Issei''s face when he took off his mask to try their invention...


    Tearju has already started developing some love interest towards Issei because of how kind he treated her and the young girl who''s called Yami. Now Yami is going to school which Issei opened as a student.


    And the moment she saw his face is the sealing deal... She instantly becomes head over heels at Issei. While both Aki and Mikado blushed profusely seeing his face, but it won''t be long before they become head over heels on him... Scratch that, they both are already head over heels for him...


    Issei seems a bit oblivious because he''s focusing on their experiment though. Only after he comes back to his senses that he realizes that he just took off his mask without thinking. After seeing the infatuated face the 3 of them had Issei smiled wryly because he messed up yet again it seems...


    He let nature take its course after that...


    Irene and co nodded approvingly seeing their will and desire to get even stronger so they won''t bring shame to Issei''s name. Losing is not an option for the upcoming rating game because they have already formed a plan...


    Semiramis - Ufufu, it brings me so much joy seeing how devoted they are towards dearest.


    Semiramis smiled gently while looking at the girls who immediately take off to train some more.


    Scathach - Umu, the woman my disciple choose is clearly one of a kind.


    Scathach nodded approvingly at them.


    Forzelotte - It''s a given since they''re the <Supreme Overlord> women after all.


    Forzelotte said it like it''s a matter of fact but there''s a thin smile that could be found on her face.


    Irene smiled at their claims before she looks at the phone at her hand. She tinkered with it a little bit and then it''s done, the only information that''s available about them is only their name and race. The others are unknown.


    It basically looks like this:


    Name: Irene Belserion H.


    Team Name: <Dragon Nest>


    Gender: Female.


    Race: Dragon.


    Power Level: Unknown.


    Piece Position: <King>.


    As for the other example:


    Name: Jalter H.


    Team Name: <Dragon Nest>


    Gender: Female.


    Race: Dragon.


    Power Level: Unknown.


    Piece Position: <Queen>.


    Name: Jeanne H.


    Team Name: <Dragon Nest>


    Gender: Female.


    Race: Dragon.


    Power Level: Unknown.


    Piece Position: <Bishop>.


    Name: Croix Eden H.


    Team Name: <Dragon Nest>


    Gender: Female.


    Race: Dragon.


    Power Level: Unknown.


    Piece Position: <Bishop>.


    And so on...


    Jeanne and Jalter abandoned their old name and used Issei last name instead. That''s why their name is only Jeanne Hyoudou and Jalter Hyoudou now. After all, Issei is their beloved master and also their beloved husband.


    As for Croix and co who already have a surname of their own they decided to use Issei''s surname as well. Their family household still has their own male successor anyway so it''s totally fine for them to change their surname.


    Ramius family still has her brother, Acheval. Ramius father and Acheval himself is totally fine with it, well mostly because they''re afraid of Ramius though... Acheval was going to laze around while training now and then thinking to leave the family business at Ramius but of course, Ramius not going to have any of that...


    She "convinced" Acheval to become the Dreissen successor.


    Croix and Riche also have a little brother of their own, Philip.


    King Louin doesn''t even need to think twice but he wanted Croix and Riche to keep their family name as their middle name.


    So their name now are, Croix Eden Hyoudou and Riche Eden Hyoudou.


    Kathryn isn''t actually a noble, she''s just appointed as one by the El Quixote Kingdom and she doesn''t have any family of her own so Lapucelle is her own created surname. So she can easily abandon her old surname without worrying about anything.


    While we''re at it, Issei current full name is Issei Savant Hyoudou. Forzelotte asked him to use her last name as his middle name while she also uses his surname as her own, Forzelotte Savant Hyoudou.


    Savant is her last memory of her family after all. Forzelotte''s the last of the Savant family.


    Issei is totally fine with it as long he still has the Hyoudou surname. Because regardless of what happens, the Hyoudou family couple still took care of him during his childhood so he will keep using their surname.


    Even if they''re kind of manipulated by Tojo before to adopt him but in the end, they''re still his parents. And the care they gave him is genuine.


    Back to Irene registration...


    Even their image is unknown. The only available information they have is their name, race, gender, and Piece position. The other is completely unknown...


    FYI, the rule for the tournament is like this:


    Due to the inclusion of non-Devils, new rules are added to the Azazel Cup.


    1. Anyone can register as a King.


    2. A King can register anyone on his team as long as the targeted person isn''t in another team.


    3. Devils with multiple Evil Pieces will be treated as 1 Piece for this tournament with the exception of Gods or God-level which will automatically be counted as 2 pieces or 8 Pawn pieces.


    4. Each team starts with 1500 points and they would accumulate more points by playing matches.


    Irene - Hmm, done. Now we just need to wait for the designated date.


    Irene put away the phone in her hand after she finishes tinkering with it.


    Their team power level is obviously gonna be rule breaking but Irene has already told Sirzechs that if somehow any of her team members are defeated then they could announce them as the losing team.


    Irene - But I have to say...


    Irene then took out the documents she got from their spy intel.


    Irene - Who would''ve thought that Sirzechs "Wife", Grayfia Lucifuge is not his actual wife and Millicas is not their son but Zeoticus son instead. This ought to be very interesting if it were to be known...


    Irene smirked reading the report she got. No wonder Grayfia is still a virgin she thought to herself...


    Semiramis - Hee... Is that so?


    Semiramis and co interest are slightly intrigued.


    Semiramis - Do you think she''s good enough for our husband?


    Irene - Hmm, as far as I could tell she''s quite splendid. She knows how to handle her duty well, on top of that she''s quite strong as well... And she also barged in when our husband is taking a bath back then.


    No wonder Irene thought... Any normal married woman wouldn''t just barge in as she did back then.


    (AN: Referring to the DxD OVA IIRC, where Grayfia barged in when Issei is taking a bath).


    Semiramis - Oh? You mean she saw our husband naked?


    Semiramis raised her eyebrow in amusement.


    Irene - Um. She also washes his back.


    Semiramis - Did she now?


    Then Semiramis started thinking about something...


    Ophis and Lilith are not interested in their conversation. They''re only interested in one thing and one thing alone and that is Issei himself.


    Unless their conversation topic is about Issei then they won''t bother to participate in it unless they''re asked to. They both keep munching on their sweets because they''re still kind of feeling irritated that they can''t have their moment with Issei tonight.


    ...


    At the Underworld.


    Azazel and Sirzechs who''s looking at Irene current team smiled bitterly while they''re looking at the screen.


    Azazel - ...Heheh, she''s even able to tinker with the system that easily... Not even their images are known.


    Sirzechs - Indeed... The information we got is extremely limited. We''re basically completely in the dark...


    Azazel - *Sigh* I''m too old for this shit...


    Grayfia who''s nearby also frowned looking at the <Dragon Nest> team member information. The only information they got is their name and gender. The rest is completely Unknown... As for their race, that''s kind of obvious.


    But unknown to her is that her secret with Sirzechs is completely exposed by the one they''re trying to investigate.


    They''ve already started their investigation hoping to gain some information about them but there''s none. They''ve asked Tannin to ask around if there was a Dragon by the name Irene H. Belserion in the olden days but not a single Dragon they asked knows who she is or even recognizes her.


    Even Tiamat doesn''t know and she''s one of the oldest Dragon in existence but she felt a bit of familiarity towards this name for some reason... They wanted to ask Ophis but she''s nowhere to be found either... They assume that she''s still inside the void helping Great Red or something.


    But a certain White Dragon that resides within a certain white-haired man felt a twinge in his memory... But he couldn''t quite grasp it though.


    What piqued their interest the most is their last name. All of them had that initial "H" as their last name... They''re wondering just what does that "H" stand for...


    Odin is still telling his subordinates to search for Rossweisse hoping that she''s still alive and Sirzechs and co are still searching for Issei.


    While in Issei''s bedroom... Both Rossweisse and Kuroka are having the time of their life right now...


    ...


    On the bed, Kuroka could be found twitching on the side of the bed with white fluid gushing out of her nether region. But the look on her face is utter satisfaction... There''s some red mixed with the white fluid contaminating the bed below her, that''s a proof of the loss of her virginity.


    While on the other side of the bed...


    Both Issei and Rossweisse are holding hands, their fingers entangled with each other.


    Issei is above Rossweisse body looming over her. Issei is pressing the tip of her rod into her slit and slowly rub it up and down.


    This is Rossweisse 5th round... Kuroka has already passed her 7th round, a cat in heat is quite something, Issei thought to himself.


    Rossweisse - Nnh, mmh... Ahn~


    Wet, naughty sounds come from down there. Issei can feel her love juices cover his penis.


    Rossweisse - Ise... Please, don''t tease me anymore...


    Obeying her request, Issei plunged his penis into her pussy, he dives deep inside.


    Rossweisse - Aahn...?


    Pushing open the tights pleats, he went deeper and deeper. The tight pussy caresses his penis as if welcoming it to stay inside forever more.


    Trembling a little bit from the pleasure of her pussy, Issei then begins making his way in and out of it.


    Rossweisse - Haa... Aahn... Mmh, haaah...?


    With every powerful thrust, Rossweisse''s body shivers in delight.


    Rossweisse - It feels... Wondrous... Amazingly so... Hnn~?


    As if trying to wring him dry, her pussy tightens. From the glans to the base, it constricts Issei''s whole, guiding him to the peak pleasure.


    Issei - Ah... You feel really amazing as well, Rose...


    Then he increases his pace of pounding into her faster and faster. They both are feeling greedy for pleasure, Issei keep pounding into Rossweisse''s pussy without holding back.


    She looks up at Issei, her face nearly melting in delight.


    Rossweisse - Ise... I, hnn, Love you... Aaah... Hnnn, haaahn! Please, give me lots of your love... Aaaaahn!?


    Issei thrust, accelerating more and more. Each plunge shakes her voluptuous breasts up and down as if it hypnotizes him, pushing him to go even faster.


    The before white <ECH> mark on her left chest is not completely turned Crimson red. Signaling their everlasting bond with each other.


    Rossweisse - Ahhn! Haaah, mmm... Ise, yes... Aaaaa!?


    Issei smashed his hips into hers, press her into the bed. And then penetrate into Rossweisse''s innermost depths.


    Rossweisse knows that it''s almost time.


    Rossweisse - Please, Ise... All of it... Please, I want it all inside me, haaahn!?


    And Issei does just that...


    Issei - Gh. I''m coming, Rose!


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    He ejaculated deep inside her womb painting it white once again...


    Rossweisse - Haaaaahh... It''s so, hot... Aaahn... It feels really, good... Hnn...?


    Rossweisse felt like her womb is burning and she felt so full and blissful having the love of her life filling her whole. Her body is slightly shivering from the sheer pleasure she''s feeling right now.


    She keeps coming and coming nonstop ever since they started their lovemaking session.


    Now she knows what Ramius and co told her is true... It felt extremely good doing it with him. She wishes that they will keep making love forever from now on.


    Rossweisse - ...Th-That was amazing...?


    She exhaled joyfully still tasting the lingering aftertaste of their climax together.


    Issei gently smiled at Rossweisse and then proceeded to embrace the entranced Rossweisse.


    Rossweisse - Ah... Ise''s warmth...?


    She also smiled and hugged him back. Then they both kissed each other before Rossweisse fainted dead away feeling exhausted from their lovemaking session...


    Issei who saw that caresses her face gently before he felt someone hugged him tight from behind.


    He knows just who it is... It''s his nekoshou lover who was fainted just now.


    Kuroka - Ise-nya~?


    Kuroka purred blissfully right beside Issei''s ear. He knows just what she wants and doesn''t need to be told.


    He let go of Rossweisse''s body and turned around to face Kuroka and he gives her a soft kiss right away.


    Kuroka - Mmn, mmm, Ise... Mmchu, mm... Mmwah...?


    Enjoying the soft sensation, he firmly locks her lips with his. Their tongues entwined with each other, saliva and moans are mixed. Her eyes closed, Kuroka is completely lost in the kiss.


    Finally separating the lips, Issei slides his hands over her mesmerizing body and gently stroke it. From her soft but firm breasts to her jiggly peachy butts.


    Issei then lightly lifted her body and positioned her right above his lap. Her penis presses into her moist entrance straight away.


    Kuroka - Ahn... Go ahead, Ise-nya~?


    Issei begins pushing his way into her. Already moist, her pussy deeply swallows his penis with little resistance.


    *Sllsh!*


    Kuroka - Nyaahnn... Ise...?


    Moving her hands over his neck, Kuroka embraces Issei. Supporting her trembling body, Issei gets to enjoy the taste of her tight pussy once again.


    Up and down, he bounces her soft and jiggly butts on his shaft.


    Kuroka - Aaahn, mmm, haaa... Hnnn... ?


    His penis grinds her pussy, making it always remember the pleasure it gives. Kuroka keeps having a micro orgasm every time his penis kissing her womb entrance.


    Kuroka - Ise, yours... So hot, so hard... It feels incredible nya... Haaahn!?


    Before she even realized it, Kuroka already began shaking her butt for Issei. He doesn''t care about anything at this point and just wanted to make love with her nekoshou lover now.


    Issei hips press tightly into Kuroka''s. Each slide through her pussy sends shivers from his penis and up the spine.


    Kuroka - Aa-Funyaahh!... I-It''s so intense, haahn, hyaah...?


    Unable to endure his deep and quick thrusts, Kuroka desperately clings to Issei''s body.


    Kuroka - Ise, Ise~?... Haahn, aaah... I love you, I love you so much nya~?


    Her moans, her soft flesh in his hands, her tight slit squeezing his penis, all of it make Issei approaching his limit.


    Issei - Kuroka... Guh, I''m almost there.


    Kuroka - Aaaahn, amazing... It''s even bigger now...?


    Issei keeps roughly pounding into her with reckless abandon.


    Kuroka - Aah... Please, come inside me to your satisfaction, Ise... Please pour it all inside, my body is completely yours... Haaahn!?


    As if begging for semen, Kuroka forcefully slams her butt down, brazenly lewd in her acts. She knows that she won''t get pregnant because they''ve already taken precaution for it but she still wanted his baby seed deep inside her.


    It makes her feel really warm and happy having his seed deep inside her.


    Grabbing her butt, Issei gives it the last, deepest thrust.


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    Kuroka - Hnn... Haaaahhhhhnn... Incredible... S-So much, and, so hot... Nyauhn...?


    Pierced deeply inside, his penis begins filling her womb with the seed. And just like what he does with Rossweisse, he completely filled her to the brim, without missing a single shot deep inside her womb.


    Kuroka''s body trembled and she mewled in pleasure, she tightens her embrace on Issei''s body. Both of them enjoys the sweet aftertaste of absolute unity.


    Her white <ECH> mark that is located right below her belly button also turned crimson red.


    Issei gently stroked her hips and butt because he likes how smooth her skin is. Kuroka also loves his touch and purred in bliss.


    Kuroka - Mmm... Nyaah... Ise, I love you, I really do love you... Always, forever... I want to keep making love with you, Ise... My beloved Ise...?


    Kuroka then put her hands on Issei''s face and confessed her everlasting love for him. The look on her face is nothing but utter bliss and happiness for being able to be with the man she loves the most.


    Issei - Um... I love you as well, Kuroka.


    Issei smiled gently at Kuroka and then he kissed her while gently embrace her soft body against his.


    Kuroka gladly reciprocates his kiss while shedding tears of joy. Then she joined the land of dreams just like Rossweisse.


    Issei gently lifted both of their body and put them on top of his chest. He gently kissed both of them on their forehead and they flashed a happy smile feeling his kiss.


    After that, the three of them fell asleep signaling the end of their lovemaking session for tonight...


    ...


    Semiramis is inside her personal room alone. She then opened a small rift hole...


    Semiramis - Hmm... I wonder if it''s their blessing or not... Probably blessing...


    She calmly gazed at 3 women that are currently cleaning around the fortress wearing a maid outfit that looks kind of similar in design with Rakia''s maid outfit but with different color.


    Not surprising since they work for her in the <Gunguskar Company>.


    The first woman is an attractive young woman with violet eyes having a slender body. She had long silky black hair down to her hips with a big bust.


    The second woman is a beautiful, tall, and buxom woman with brown eyes and long, navy blue hair that obscured her right eye.


    And the third woman has a long raven black hair that is tied into a ponytail with a purple ribbon. Her eyes color are yellow close to golden. Her body is also quite voluptuous just like her 2 co-workers.


    The 3 of them are smiling and talking with each other feeling happy that they''re allowed to work directly in the <Supreme Overlord> personal fortress. They will do their best to gain his attention they thought.


    Semiramis rotated her hand and it is shown that she''s holding some kind of soul that has a distorted face. It''s a girl soul with blonde hair styled into twin tails and blue eyes.


    At this moment that soul is screaming in agony begging for Semiramis to just kill her. Even though she''s already dead, to begin with...


    ??? - Kill me! Please, Kill me! It hurts! It hurrrttttsssss! Forgive meeee! Gyaaaaaaah!!!


    Semiramis pay her no heed. She appears to be thinking about something else altogether.


    That soul belongs to Mittelt the deceased fallen angel that''s from the Grigory clan... She''s feeling extreme pain right now because Semiramis keep channeling her <Death> aura directly into her soul and it tormented her to no end.


    It feels like her souls are ripped into shreds but she can''t truly "Die", she wishes she could right now...


    Semiramis - To think that they already reincarnated before I could get to them... Only this one still hasn''t reincarnated... *Sigh* What a shame...


    Yes, the first woman that Semiramis currently gazing at is Raynare, the fallen angel that tricked Issei back then. The second one is her fellow accomplice by the name Kalawarner. As for their 4th accomplice that goes by the name Dohnaseek? He''s already dead... True death by having his soul annihilated.


    Semiramis felt disgusted touching his soul so she directly destroyed it. She doesn''t really want to touch other men other than Issei himself even if it''s just their soul.


    She went to Hades domain without anyone noticing it. Not even Hades himself notices her presence much less his underlings.


    She came there to get Raynare and co souls but only Mittelt and Dohnaseek are left there much to her disappointment.


    When she finds out that Raynare and Kalawarner are already reincarnated she''s kind of disappointed.


    She won''t do anything to them because of the current them which are already reincarnated here at the <Netherworld> don''t know anything about their past life.


    Only their past life is at fault, not their current life reincarnation. They hold no sin for their past life.


    But the 3rd woman is kind of unexpected because she actually thought of something about her only to finds out that she also has already reincarnated.


    That 3rd woman is Shuri Himejima which was Akeno''s mother and Baraqiel''s deceased wife.


    She thought of making Shuri saw her daughter wrongdoing hoping to have her judge her daughter for her action only to finds out that she already reincarnated... As a Demonkin to be exact.


    Raynare and Kalawarner were from the Celestials Realm.


    They also have black wings just like in their past life but that doesn''t mean that they are a fallen angel or anything. It''s just their element based on Darkness element.


    Issei saw them when he''s "Visiting" the Celestial Realm back then but he only felt a little surprised before he ignores them altogether because they surrendered immediately the moment he defeated their King.


    But they become completely infatuated with Issei after his display of power and seeing his face.


    As for Shuri case, she''s one of the trusted assistants of Rakia in the <Gunguskar> company. She got smitten after she saw Issei''s face and power just like many others. She instantly requested Rakia to let her work in the fortress.


    Rakia saw no reason to reject her request so she allows it. Of course, Rakia only allows it after she has Issei permission. And same like Rakia, Issei saw no reason to reject her request so he let her do as she pleases.


    Issei who saw her felt weird thinking why he saw so many familiar faces here but then he forgets about it soon enough. He knows that the 3 of them are the reincarnated from his original world but he doesn''t really care much.


    They still have their past life name for some reason though.


    Semiramis - Well, no matter...


    *CRUSH!*


    Finally, Semiramis crushed Mittelt soul and it disappears into nothingness. She''s getting bored torturing Mittelt soul that''s why she destroys it.


    Mittelt doesn''t even have the time to scream when Semiramis destroyed her soul.


    Just like she said, it''s Raynare and Kalawarner blessing that they''ve already reincarnated. If not they will follow Mittelt and Dohnaseek path...


    Semiramis - What matter is what should I do with those sluts... Goody goody... I have so many poisons ready to be tested... Hmm... I wonder which one should I use first on them... This one? Or maybe this one? Ara ara~ so many choices... Ufufufu~

 Chapter 83 ANNOUNCEMENT!

@@


    Guys... I have a little bad news for you all but good news for me.

 Chapter 83 - 82

    Irene - By the way, Kuroka. Did you already inform them about his arrival?


    Irene asked Kuroka in case she forgot about it. They don''t want Issei to arrive there and cause a commotion because everyone has been looking for him.


    Well, even though only Sirzechs and co who''s searching for him in secret but it''s better to be safe rather than sorry. It''s still too early for Issei to be exposed to the world once again.


    Kuroka - Of course nya.


    Kuroka nodded in affirmation. She still remembers when they met with each other again and told about the upcoming arrival of Issei, both Kunou and Yasaka beamed with anticipation.


    Kunou reaction is kind of obvious with how giddy she is while jumping in place screaming "Yay! Yay!" while Yasaka seems calm enough but Kuroka could see the joy inside her eyes as well.


    Kuroka told them that Issei would take her place while she''s off training for the upcoming rating game. Yasaka agreed to it without thinking too deeply about it. Most of their problem that needed assistance has already been solved anyway.


    Irene - Then how about telling them not to mention anything about the upcoming rating game towards him?


    Kuroka - Also done nya. Although, they''re kind of confused about why they shouldn''t inform him about the rating game at first. But they still comply with my request regardless.


    She also informed Yasaka and Kunou to keep secret about his arrival in Kyoto from anyone else.


    Well, Issei would be wearing his mask anyway, and if he by chance took off his mask... There shouldn''t be any trouble because he looks quite different right now.


    Unless they observed him closely they shouldn''t realize who he is. Issei face may change a lot compared to before but there are still some similarities. Such as his face outline and the like.


    Irene - Hmm, good enough. I''m quite sure that Yasaka and Kunou would ask him some related stuff about Rias Gremory and the others but it won''t matter much.


    Irene guessed that Yasaka and co would ask Issei about Rias and co but it won''t matter because it''s only a matter of time before the whole world knows about it anyway.


    Maybe Sun Wukong would realize who he is? Well, doesn''t matter because he''s not the type to blabber around.


    Irene - Okay, you can go back to train now.


    Kuroka - Sure nya~


    Then Kuroka took off to train some more...


    ...


    Issei arrived at the designated location.


    When he arrived there, there are two people waiting for him over there already.


    The moment he appeared he heard a childish voice which belongs to Kunou.


    Kunou - Ise? Is that you?


    Issei - Hn?


    Issei turned towards the source of the voice and saw both Kunou and Yasaka standing nearby.


    Both of them are gazing at him curiously. They''re already informed that Issei should be wearing a specially designed mask but his current body build is quite different compared to the old him after all.


    He looks much taller and more manly than before.


    Issei at this moment is wearing a white hem shirt with a long sleeve black outer jacket with white fur on its collar and black jeans. He also wears black gloves on his hands.


    His current jacket is designed by Ramius herself but made by Tio... She wanted to have a matching outfit with Issei so his current jacket looks similar to the one Ramius usually use but much longer.


    If Ramius''s a mini jacket then Issei is a full jacket.


    Overall, he looks quite cool and stylish in both Kunou and Yasaka eyes.


    Kunou at this moment is wearing her usual Miko outfit while Yasaka is wearing her yellow kimono with golden obi which is the one she wore when she first met Issei.


    Kunou and Yasaka observed Issei closely and they both blushed deeply because of his current aura is much more intoxicating compared to before.


    Kunou Senjutsu is still too weak to be able to fully sense Issei whole aura so she just blushed because she thought that Issei looks much more charming and cooler now...


    But it''s not the same for Yasaka who felt like she is almost completely intoxicated just from sensing his aura.


    She almost couldn''t stop herself from gluing herself into Issei just like Kuroka always did before.


    Issei - Ah, it''s me, Kunou, Yasaka-san.


    Issei confirmed Kunou question.


    When they heard their voice they''re still not sure because even his voice seems different now.


    Issei knows that they''re still hesitating so he extended his hand and make his old <Boosted Gear> appears on his hand.


    He doesn''t need to use the <Boosted Gear> anymore though. He could <Boost> his power indefinitely even without it.


    He possesses Ophis and Lilith <Infinity> aspect after all.


    So the <Boosted Gear> is only for decoration at this point.


    Only after seeing the <Boosted Gear> appearing on his hand that both Kunou and Yasaka are sure that it is indeed Issei himself. There was never the case of multiple holders of the same type of <Sacred Gear> until now that is.


    Kunou - Ise!


    Kunou instantly jumped at Issei''s embrace and hugged his waist tightly.


    She''s quite short compared to Issei after all so she can only reach his waist.


    Yasaka also smiled at him.


    Kunou hugged onto Issei happily while he nuzzled her head on his body. Her Fox ears and tail started wagging around because she''s really happy right now.


    He already took back his <Boosted Gear> the moment he saw Kunou jumped at him.


    Issei smiled gently under his mask and started rubbing Kunou''s head gently.


    Kunou tail and ears started swaying even faster after she felt his touch. Yasaka felt a little jealous after seeing their interaction but she felt even happier that Issei treated her daughter this gently.


    After a few minutes, Kunou finally stopped her snuggling and look up at Issei.


    Kunou - Hmph! What took you so long!


    She made a cute pout at Issei.


    Issei - Heheh, my bad... I was a bit busy you see. But I''m here now, aren''t I?


    Kunou is still pouting until she got distracted by his mask.


    Kunou - Ne, Ise. Why are you wearing a mask?


    Kunou asked in wonder, Yasaka also felt curious about it.


    Issei - Well... There''s a reason for it.


    Issei wasn''t sure about what reason should he tell them about it...


    Kunou then thought of something.


    Kunou - Ah! Is it because you don''t want to attract too much attention to yourself? Kuroka has also told us not to tell anyone about your arrival here.


    She beamed at her claims thinking that she''s right.


    But she is kind of right though.


    Even Yasaka thought that her daughter claim is right. Issei is quite famous after all and he''s guaranteed to attract attention if his location were to be known.


    If only she knows that he''s beyond famous at this point...


    Issei - ...Ah, you could say that.


    Issei agreed to her claim.


    Kunou who heard that her claim was right stuck out her chest proudly.


    Kunou - Hehen~ I knew it! But... You could take off your mask off since it''s just us now, right?


    Kunou asked once again.


    Issei - Err... Let''s not...


    Kunou - Ehhh, but why?


    Kunou pouted at him. She wanted to see the face that she longs for and hasn''t seen for a while.


    Yasaka - Kunou, don''t force Issei-san if he doesn''t want to.


    Yasaka berated her daughter gently.


    Although Yasaka said that, she also wanted to see Issei''s face as well.


    Kunou - Muuu, Ise!


    Kunou doesn''t listen to her mother words. She puffed her cheeks angrily and glared at Issei.


    She tries to be intimidating but it has the opposite effect and Issei thought that she''s really cute instead.


    Issei smiled wryly under his mask and patted Kunou''s head gently.


    Kunou - Humph! Don''t think patting my head will ease my anger!


    But your tail is wagging furiously though, Issei thought to himself.


    Yasaka also covered her mouth and laughed gently seeing their interaction. They really look like brother and sister in her eyes... Nay, maybe father and daughter?


    Issei - Fine, fine... As apologies, I will take off my mask...


    Kunou - Really?


    Issei - Um, really.


    Kunou - And will you play a lot with me after this?


    Issei - Yes, Kunou-hime.


    Kunou - Umu, then I forgive you!


    Her face turned smug since she got what she wanted.


    Issei sighed gently before he took off his mask...


    When both Kunou and Yasaka saw his face their eyes went wide and their bodies become frozen stiff.


    Issei knows that this will happen. Now he needs to explain to both of them why his face changed a lot.


    Even after he waited for a while both of them are still staring blankly at him. It''s like they turned into a statue...


    Issei - ...Kunou, Yasaka-san.


    Issei decided to call them because at this rate they won''t be going anywhere.


    Kunou & Yasaka - H-Hai?!


    Only after Issei called their name that both of them returned to their senses. Their body jerked in response after getting their name called and their face completely turned red this time.


    Kunou - I-I-Ise, is that really you?


    Issei - Yes, it is me...


    Kunou - B-B-But... Y-Your face... W-What happen to your face?!


    Kunou pointed at his face while stuttering. She felt like her little heart started beating erratically just from seeing his face.


    Issei - What''s wrong? You don''t like it?


    Kunou - E-Eh?! N-No! I-I-I...


    She started waving around his arms and head to deny his claim and she looks completely dismayed because she thought Issei is being serious with her.


    Issei wanted to tease her a little but her reaction completely beyond his expectation. So he smiled wryly before he looks at Yasaka only to find out that she has this infatuated look on her face as well.


    Just like Kuroka said, if Yasaka saw Issei current face then it''s almost certain that she won''t be able to hold her feelings anymore.


    Yasaka felt like her heart almost burst out from her chest with how fast it is beating right now. She can feel that her body started feeling really heated up just by looking at Issei.


    Before, she could suppress her feelings and felt content just by teasing him most of the time. But now she''s afraid if she were to teases Issei like she used to do, then she won''t be able to hold back her primal desire for him.


    Issei still doesn''t know that Yasaka has feelings for him so he only thought that she''s surprised after seeing his face.


    Issei - Well, it''s a long story...


    Then Issei told them how come his face changed this much...


    Kunou and Yasaka listened to his stories intently but their face is still red and they often dozed off while gazing at his face.


    Issei doesn''t tell them about Rias and co betrayal and only told them about his transformation as a Dragon with Ddraig help. He also keeps quiet about Forzelotte and co.


    They''re really surprised knowing that he''s basically a Dragon now and not a reincarnated devil anymore. When they asked what happen to Ddraig, he told them that he''s in hibernation because he''s feeling too exhausted from helping him change into a Dragon.


    Yasaka is already feeling suspicious beforehand because she can''t sense Devil Energy inside Issei''s body any longer. Now that she finds out that he basically turned into a Dragon that explains a lot...


    But her adult and womanly instinct told her that it''s more than just that. There must be something more that Issei doesn''t inform her about it, she thought to herself.


    But she won''t ask her now because she has a bad foreboding that it''s quite a sensitive topic. She thought maybe she should ask him about it when Kunou isn''t around.


    Kunou who heard that Issei is a Dragon become completely astonished.


    Kunou - So you''re a full-blown Dragon now, Ise?


    Issei - Um, you could say that.


    Kunou - Amazing!


    Kunou eyes shine brightly like those of a child that just found something really cool. Well, she is a child though...


    Kunou - Ne ne, can you show me your wing, Ise?


    She has already seen Issei wings when he is in his Scale Mail and thought that it''s really cool so she also wanted to see his current wings.


    Issei - Sure.


    Issei spread his wings wide and his crimson wings look really majestic and beautiful. It has some part that is armored which just add more charm and valiant look to it.


    And there''s also some kind of inscribing on his wings that add more mysterious air to it.


    Both Kunou and Yasaka are awed and amazed after seeing his wings. It''s the most beautiful and awe-inspiring thing they''ve ever seen, they thought to themselves.


    Kunou - C-Can I touch it, Ise?


    Kunou asked Issei with hopeful eyes.


    Issei - Um, you can.


    Issei of course granted her request. He turned around and kneeled on one knee so Kunou could reach his wings easily.


    Kunou - Yay!


    Then Kunou started feeling up Issei''s wings to her heart content. She''s having a lot of fun just from playing with his wings.


    Issei looked back to see her happy face and he smiled at her reaction.


    Both Kunou and Yasaka who saw his smiling face felt smitten all over again. Their eyes turned moist and blurry while looking at his smiling face.


    Issei sweated a bit after seeing their infatuated face.


    He doesn''t know that his smile could make any woman head over heels for him no matter who they are, whether it be an Iceberg Woman, Holy Woman, Married woman, etc...


    But since he rarely smiles unless to those that he considered important there aren''t many outsiders ever saw his smiling face.


    But even without smiling, he could still attract them though...


    Even a seasoned woman such as Yasaka couldn''t resist his otherworldly charm and almost lose control of herself much less a small girl like Kunou.


    Kunou couldn''t resist anymore and instantly latched herself on Issei''s body once again. And since he''s still kneeling right now, she climbed his back and put her arms around his neck to hug him tightly.


    Issei - Kunou?


    Issei is confused about what is Kunou doing right now but she doesn''t respond to his words.


    Kunou started nuzzling her whole face on Issei''s back, she started smelling his scent greedily while she put her scent of her own towards Issei and then, she bites into Issei''s neck gently.


    *Nom*


    Of course her small canine teeth won''t be able to break into Issei''s skin no matter how hard she tried but that''s not what she''s aiming for. She channeled a bit of her <Senjutsu> to the place where he''s biting Issei right now.


    Then there''s a small magatama like mark appeared on the spot where she bit Issei. That Magatama like mark also resembles a Kitsune.


    Yasaka finally returned to her sense after seeing what Kunou did just now and she let out a small surprised gasp.


    What Kunou just did was... She''s marking Issei as her potential mate... Just like how a Dragon can put a <Mark> on their mate. A Youkai such as Kunou and Yasaka aka, a Kyuubi, also has special ways to <Mark> their potential mate.


    If Kuroka who was a nekoshou uses a special scent to mark their potential mate then Kunou or Yasaka which is a Kyuubi put this magatama fox-like mark on their potential mate.


    (AN: Imagine a kitsune tattoo that shaped like a magatama).


    Yasaka knows it''s only a matter of time before Kunou going to mark Issei as her potential mate but she''s still too small after all. So she never thought that it will be this soon... Not that she could blame her because she herself almost do the same thing just like Kunou just did, as in marking Issei as her potential mate.


    Why potential you ask? Because just like a Dragon, they need to consummate their marriage aka had sex before the mark become permanent. After that, the female Kyuubi will belong to the one who possesses that mark and that mark will never disappear unless something "Special" happened.


    And the "Special" here is obviously not a good thing...


    Issei felt Kunou''s bite and become even more confused but then the spot where she bites him started to feel a little ticklish.


    Issei turned his head in confusion towards Yasaka because it seems Kunou is still out of it... She keeps gazing at the mark she just gave Issei with an intoxicated look on her face then she buried her head towards Issei scruff once again with a satisfied face.


    Yasaka who sensed Issei''s gaze on her felt her heart thumped loudly. She took a deep breath trying to regain her composure once again before she started explaining about what Kunou just did towards him...


    ...


    Issei mouth started twitching a little when he heard Yasaka explanation. He knows that Kunou has some sort of a crush towards him but she''s still too small after all.


    And he only feels familial love towards her, just like how a brother loves her little sister. But if he were to tell her that then he''s sure that she would feel sad so he decided to stay silent about it...


    Kunou - You''re not allowed to leave me now, Ise!


    Kunou who''s still sticking herself on Issei''s back shouted that. Issei can feel that her body started trembling slightly probably afraid that he will leave her behind just like how her father did...


    Yasaka also notices that and her face turned sad as well.


    Kunou''s mother or Yasaka ex-husband left them behind without saying a single word. And when Yasaka found him again she found out that he''s with another woman...


    That''s when she knows that he has betrayed them. If he were to talk to them about it then they could work something out but the fact that he never says anything in the first place is a proof that he doesn''t care about them, mother and daughter anymore.


    Kunou was still small at that time so Yasaka decided to just tell her that her father has gone to a better place.


    And a few years later, Yasaka found out that her ex-husband died because of some unknown cause.


    She doesn''t feel sad about his death and only feels disappointed... Disappointed towards herself for being so blind to chose that kind of man as her husband before...


    Issei who felt Kunou trembling body calmly stand up and Kunou is forced to let go because of that.


    Her body started trembling fiercer thinking that Issei rejected her but then she saw him turned around towards her direction with a gentle smile.


    Issei then picked her body up.


    Issei - Ah, I won''t leave you... Here, pinky promise?


    He extended his pinky finger towards Kunou.


    Kunou who saw that unconsciously extended her own pinky finger and sealed their pinky finger together.


    Issei smile becomes wider and finally, Kunou realized on what just happened.


    Her face started scrunching up before she cried out loud and buried her head on Issei''s body.


    Kunou - U-Uwaaaaa!


    Issei who saw that started to gently stroke her back and head.


    Yasaka who''s in the back who saw the whole thing covered her mouth and also cried softly. She blames herself for Kunou lack of fatherly love because she chooses that man after all.


    If only she choose a better man then all this won''t happen...


    But she''s feeling really grateful at Issei who treat them both with such kindness.


    Her hidden feelings cannot be hidden anymore and she felt like a butterfly is fluttering inside her heart just from seeing Issei now.


    Especially when she saw how gentle and caring Issei look right now when he''s holding Kunou. It''s like he becomes Kunou''s father figure...


    If Issei was the man she married back then... How good will it be, she thought to herself. Kunou will have a loving and caring father and she will have a great husband as well...


    But... Maybe it''s not too late?


    She started gazing at Issei''s face like a maiden in love... She felt her body becomes lighter now that she accepted her feelings towards Issei.


    She won''t care if people were to judge her because of their age difference, both of them will have a long life anyway so age won''t be a problem at this point... All she wanted now is to be with Issei forever together with Kunou, she''s sure that Kunou will understand her feelings...


    She wipes her tears away and looks at both Issei and Kunou with a happy smile on her face.


    Even now Issei still keeps gently stroking Kunou''s head and back gently without minding his clothes becomes wet from her tears.


    ...


    After a while, Kunou has finally stopped crying but she still hugged Issei tightly inside his embrace.


    Yasaka - Kunou, it''s about time you get down from Ise-san, isn''t it?


    Kunou - ...No.


    She is being spoiled and buried her face at Issei''s chest without any sign of letting go.


    But Issei doesn''t realize the new way Yasaka calling him since he doesn''t really care what others call him as long as it''s not too formal.


    She usually called him by "Issei-san" and not "Ise-san", it''s kind of more intimate compared to before.


    Issei - It''s fine, Yasaka-san.


    Issei dismissed Yasaka words.


    Issei - Now, Kunou... Where do you want us to go?


    Issei promised to bring her to play around after all.


    Kunou started thinking before she looks at Yasaka.


    Kunou - ...Hahaue, can I show Ise around Kyoto?


    She asked for Yasaka permission.


    Yasaka - Umm, as long as Ise-san is fine with it then I''m okay with it too... And I''m sure Ise-san would protect you no matter what happens. Right, Ise-san?


    Issei - Um, I will. Not a single hair of her will come to harm.


    Issei answered with absolute certainty.


    Yasaka asked Issei even though she already knew the answer to it and sure enough his answer doesn''t disappoint her.


    She smiled even more brightly after hearing his words and giggled happily.


    Yasaka - Ufufufu, hearing your words certainly put me at ease. Now, Kunou, don''t cause trouble for Ise-san, okay?


    Kunou - Un!


    Finally, Kunou smiled once again.


    Yasaka - Then, Ise-san, I leave her in your care.


    She bowed slightly towards Issei.


    Issei - Ah. You can leave her to me.


    Issei nodded at her.


    Kunou then gets down from Issei''s hold and pulled his hand excitedly.


    Kunou - Come on, Ise! I''ll show you all the places people aren''t supposed to see!


    She''s finally back to her cheerful self.


    With that, they leave the premises...


    Yasaka smiled gently seeing them took off.


    Then, they spent a few hours of the late morning and into the early afternoon, viewing all of the sights she promised to show him on his return to Kyoto. She took Issei to the spots that were closest, but as the time passed they just moved further and further into Kyoto, all the while holding hands.


    They went to the bamboo forest, the waterfall, etc... Until they return to the civilized area once again.


    They''re having so much fun together.


    All the bystanders keep looking at them because Issei is not wearing his mask and in the eyes of the onlookers they look like a brother and sister.


    Issei hid their presence a bit so people can still see them but they couldn''t see his face accurately.


    It''s like when they tried to peer through his face it kind of obscure on their eyes.


    At least that''s the case for normal human but for the supernatural beings such as the Youkai, etc. They blushed deeply thinking just who is he but thankfully it has effects on them to a certain extent as well.


    If not then Issei and Kunou would be followed around by a bunch of women like a parade. Perhaps it will even look like a Hyakki Yako... Even now there are some girls following them around.


    They saw the little princess with him so they''re quite hesitant to just come up to them fearing that they''re going to interrupt something.


    Some tried to take pictures of Issei but it will turn blurry whenever they do that. They''re confused on why does this happen but there''s nothing they can do about it...


    The weaker individuals can''t sense Issei aura or power at all while the one that has decent power can slightly tell that he has the best aura they''ve ever felt.


    As Irene and Kuroka speculated. There won''t be many people that will recognize who he is unless they observe him closely and intently.


    They went to a lot of secret places that aren''t supposed to be visited but with Issei being with her there won''t be any problem.


    Anyone who has ill intent towards Kunou can forget about hurting even a single hair of her just like Issei promised to Yasaka before. Heck, they won''t even be able to get close...


    There are some who tried to do something towards Kunou but they died without even knowing how they died in the first place. Their bodies also disappear into nothingness without anyone noticing it.


    The last thing they see before their demise is Issei''s cold gaze at them and then their vision went black.


    Even though Kyoto is quite peaceful already ever since Yasaka cemented her position as the Yokai faction leader, there''s still some of them that are not satisfied with it.


    So it''s not surprising there will be someone who wanted to kidnap Kunou and use her to blackmail Yasaka. They thought it''s a one in a lifetime chance to get her now considering she''s alone with some unknown man.


    But unknown to them that man is the last man they shouldn''t have provoked... Now their lives have been forfeited because of it...


    Yasaka already knows that Issei is really strong at this point because she can''t sense his power at all. She could sense his intoxicating aura but that''s about it.


    She thought that Issei becomes a lot stronger compared to before so she''s quite certain that Issei will be able to protect Kunou from any harm.


    That''s why she doesn''t send any guard with them and also she doesn''t want the guards to bother their little date.


    At some point, Kunou asked Issei to carry her while she pointed towards the location she wanted to go. Issei obeys her every demand and request as long as it''s not too over the line.


    They played to their heart content until night falls.


    Issei - So, where should we go next?


    Issei asked Kunou with his ever-present gentle smile.


    Kunou''s face is still a bit red whenever she looks at Issei''s smiling face. She never felt this happy for an entire day before.


    Kunou - U-Umm, we should return, it''s getting late... Hahaue must be worried if we went out for too long.


    She reluctantly said that with a sad face.


    Issei who saw that called her name.


    Issei - Kunou...


    She looks up at him and Issei patted her head gently.


    Issei - Let''s play again tomorrow.


    Her eyes widened before a smile appeared on her face once again. Issei could see a little bit of tears welled up at the corner of her eyes before she grinned widely at him.


    Kunou - Un!


    With that, they returned home to Yasaka''s castle.


    ...


    Upon their arrival in the Yasaka''s castle gate, they are greeted by the guards. They''ve been informed about Kunou''s arrival along with her escort by Yasaka but they don''t know just who is the man that currently holding their little princess.


    But they just obeyed Yasaka command and welcomed both Issei and Kunou back.


    The moment they stepped on the front door of the castle entrance they saw Yasaka waiting for them with a happy smile on her face.


    After a bit of conversation, Yasaka brought Issei towards the dining room.


    They had dinner together with just the 3 of them. Just like one happy family.


    Yasaka and Kunou usually ate with her retainer and clansmen but this time she wanted to have dinner with just the 3 of them.


    Kunou was sitting on Issei''s right while Yasaka was sitting on his left.


    Kunou - A-Ano, I-Ise!


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei looked down to his right and sees Kunou nervously looking at him while she held up some food with her chopsticks.


    Kunou - A-Aaah.


    Issei - Oh? Aaah...


    Issei was a little surprised seeing Kunou wanted to feed him but he went along with her wish and open his mouth to receive it.


    Issei - Mm, it''s delicious. Thank you, Kunou.


    Kunou smiled brightly at his reaction then Issei patted her head gently as thanks.


    Yasaka - Ufufufu~


    Yasaka giggled gently seeing their interaction.


    Yasaka - Then let me feed you as well, Ise-san... Aaah~


    Yasaka then does the same as Kunou just did and picked up some food with her own chopsticks and tried to feed Issei as well.


    Issei - Eh? Err...


    Issei wasn''t sure on how he supposed to react to this... If it''s Kunou he''s still fine since but it''s a little embarrassing having Yasaka who''s an adult to feed him as well.


    Kunou who saw that puffed her cheeks at Yasaka but after seeing the expecting gaze Yasaka currently had she doesn''t try to stop her. To a certain extent, Kunou could tell that Yasaka holds some kind of special feeling towards Issei just like her.


    She''s just afraid that Issei would choose Yasaka over her so that''s why she often interfere whenever Yasaka tried to flirt around with Issei.


    But after the initial promise she had with Issei this morning, she doesn''t feel the need to be afraid anymore. She just wishes that she could grow up faster so her breasts could go bigger just like her mother though...


    It''s no secret that Issei loves boobs after all... That''s why he''s called the Oppai Dragon, no?


    Issei wanted to say something but after seeing Yasaka''s expectant gaze he gave up and obeyed her wish as well.


    After she successfully fed Issei, Yasaka becomes happier then she put one of her hands on her cheek and giggled joyfully.


    Yasaka - Ehehehe

 Chapter 84 - 83

    Issei was closing his eyes while enjoying the warm bath until he heard the voice of a door sliding open.


    He turns his head only to see Yasaka standing at the entrance while only holding a towel in front of her that barely covers any of her body parts.


    Issei went completely wide-eyed after seeing her.


    Yasaka face blushed slightly after being gazed by Issei but she doesn''t try to hide her assets if anything she''s hoping that he will feel attracted by her body. She feels prideful about her own body because she always takes care of it even though she has already given birth once.


    She blushed even deeper after seeing his perfect body. She thought that he has the most perfect body she has ever seen. Her body felt hot just by looking at him now.


    She felt it''s too bad that she can''t see the rest of his body. Unknown to her Issei also felt amazed while gazing at her body.


    Issei knew that Yasaka has a beautiful body even for someone who has already given birth once but he never thought that he will saw it at first hand like this. But he took a deep breath after being out of it for a few seconds.


    Issei - Yasaka-san? What are you doing here?


    Issei asked her calmly.


    Yasaka felt a little disappointed thinking that she couldn''t arouse his lust, a part of her was hoping that by seeing her bare body he will lose control and have his way with her body.


    Another part of her is feeling relieved that he doesn''t do that and felt even more smitten at him because he could still stay sane even after looking at her body, but she felt a bit confused because he who usually keeps ogling at her breasts before so why does he seem so calm now?


    Now that she thought about it, he appears to be maturer and more manly now compared to before... It''s like he''s a seasoned adult just like her. She even almost forgot that he is younger than her. What is the cause of his change?


    Regardless of the outcome, she doesn''t lose hope and calmly answers Issei back.


    Yasaka - Pardon my intrusion, Ise-san. But please allow me to wash your body... Think of it as my repayment for taking care of Kunou and also for saving me before.


    Issei - ...You don''t need to mind it because it was what I supposed to do, and you have already said thank you to me back then. Also, I''m not the only one who saved you, Rias Gremory peerages member also helped me back then.


    Yasaka doesn''t fail to notice the way Issei called Rias. The way he called her name is too formal as in he''s using Rias''s full name and he sounds indifferent when he said her name.


    Which is weird because he usually becomes happy and full of passion whenever he talked about Rias before or any of the other girls. But now... There''s not a single trace of it that could be found inside his voice.


    It''s like he''s talking about some random stranger altogether...


    She started walking towards the edge of the bath and stopped right before the edge in a seiza position.


    Yasaka - ...If I''m allowed to ask... Is something happen between you and the girls, Ise-san? Ah, you can choose not to answer my question if you don''t want to.


    Yasaka finally can''t contain her curiosity and asked Issei about the thing that bugs her the most.


    She felt a bad premonition about all this for some reason.


    Issei thought for a second before he decided to just tell her about it.


    Issei - ...It''s nothing much, I just left the Gremory peerage, that''s all. They made their choice and I made mine, simple as that.


    He sounded aloof when he said it.


    Yasaka felt really surprised after hearing his answer.


    She steps inside the water and sat beside Issei, but this time her attention is focused on what he just said and nothing else. Issei also doesn''t seem to realize that Yasaka just sat right beside him.


    Yasaka - ...May I know the reason why?


    Yasaka unconsciously gulped when she said that.


    Issei - Well...


    Issei without really caring much about it explained calmly to her...


    About Rias betrayal and all that...


    During the whole instance of telling his story, Issei looks extremely calm and there is no emotion fluctuation whatsoever could be found on his face. It''s like he''s talking about some stranger life and not about him.


    Just from seeing his face Yasaka knew that whatever feelings he held for Rias and co are long gone...


    But she couldn''t believe what she just heard. To think that they abandoned him over some random guy they just met recently...


    She covered her mouth in shock.


    Yasaka - I-I...


    Yasaka didn''t know what to say after hearing his story. Never in her wildest dream that Rias and co would abandon him... She already heard about Issei achievement and his heroical deeds of saving them again and again.


    But to think that they would abandon him just like that...


    Issei - You don''t have to worry about me, Yasaka-san. I''m fine. Like I said before, I''ve found a new person worth protecting for already... Well, maybe a bunch of them actually...


    He scratched his cheek while smiling wryly when he remembered all his women. He honestly still can''t believe that he could get so many wonderful and amazing woman in his life.


    He feels truly feel blessed having them as his wives.


    His eyes and voice when talking about them are filled with endless passion and love.


    Yasaka eyes turned a bit blurry after seeing that. She kind of envious about all the woman he''s talking about. She wishes that she''s part of his beloved individual as well...


    Yasaka - ...Do you think me and Kunou are worth protecting?


    She unconsciously asked him.


    Issei at first was a little taken aback before he smiled again.


    Issei - Ah, of course... You both are precious to me as well.


    Well, Issei thought of Kunou as his little sister and Yasaka is his elder sister. But Yasaka didn''t know that so she becomes overwhelmed with happiness and without thinking she abruptly hugged Issei and locked her lips with him right away before Issei could respond.


    Issei - Hmph?!


    She put her arms around Issei''s neck and pulled his body close against hers, their bodies are stuck like glue. Her well-endowed breasts pressed up against his chiseled chest.


    The friction of her cherry nubs on his body further flared Yasaka''s lust.


    Issei becomes wide-eyed after being kissed by Yasaka because he never thought that she will suddenly do this.


    Yasaka felt addicted after kissing Issei so she hugged him even tighter. She then inserted her tongue inside his mouth and entangled their tongue together.


    She felt like she''s in heaven right now because this is the best kiss she ever had. And his intoxicating aura is so soothing and addicting that it started to warm up her body.


    Issei who felt her tongue suddenly went inside his mouth finally snaps out of his dazed state.


    He gently pushes Yasaka''s body off of him.


    Yasaka - ...Ah.


    There''s a thread of saliva that can be found between their lips.


    Yasaka is the one that''s being dazed right now. She keeps gazing at Issei with a completely infatuated eyes.


    Issei - What are you doing, Yasaka-san?!


    Issei asked her confusedly but when he saw the gaze Yasaka currently has he becomes a bit flabbergasted because even an idiot could tell that is the face of a maiden in love.


    Yasaka - ...


    Yasaka keeps staring at Issei''s face with an unfocused gaze but then she started moving closer towards him again before long.


    Issei moved backward for a little bit whenever she advances towards him.


    They keep doing their little game of chase until Yasaka gets a little irritated because she can''t get her hands on him. She faked tears on her eyes that manage to make Issei froze.


    Yasaka seized that chance and she suddenly jumped at him and mounted his body right away.


    Issei reflexively caught her body with his arms and Yasaka took advantage of that and entangled their bodies together once more. Thankfully they are on the edge of the tub if not they both would''ve submerged into the water.


    But this time she doesn''t plan a kiss on her lips rather on his neck instead. And just like Kunou, she channeled her <Senjutsu> into her canine teeth and bite into his neck.


    Issei who felt that froze once more before he sighed tiredly thinking he let his guard down once again just because he trusted the other party...


    After Yasaka''s done marking him as her potential mate she mischievously gazed at Issei with flushed cheeks.


    Issei could only smile wryly after seeing that then he asked her yet again.


    Issei - ...What are you doing, Yasaka-san?


    Yasaka put her arms around his necks before sticking her tongues out at him as if she''s a child who just caught doing something bad.


    Yasaka - I''m marking you as my potential husband, why? Am I not allowed to? You said I''m also your precious person as well right?


    Issei - Err, I know I said that but...


    Yasaka - But?


    What I meant is you''re precious to me just like an elder sister... Is what Issei was going to say but after seeing the hopeful gaze Yasaka currently has he swallows his words back...


    Issei - Nevermind...


    Yasaka smiled joyfully before her gaze turned a little downcast.


    Yasaka - I know what I just did was sudden and I''m sorry for this... You see... My ex-husband abandoned me and Kunou without saying a word for another woman...


    Issei eyes went a little wide after hearing that.


    Yasaka - Yes, my story is kind of similar to you, Ise-san... Ever since he abandoned me I felt like my heart is torn to little pieces but I felt even sadder for Kunou because she can''t have the fatherly love she deserves... I tried my best to loves her but in the end... The love of a father and the love of a mother is different...


    She looked down and shed a bit of tear remembering her past.


    Yasaka - One day I receive a notice about his death but I don''t feel anything when I heard that other than disappointment... I''m disappointed towards myself for being so blind and chose that kind of man as my husband before... Maybe if I knew better then all of this wouldn''t have happened...


    Then she gazed at Issei once again.


    Yasaka - But that''s when you came in our life, Ise-san... When you saved me back then and after seeing the way you treated my daughter and me... Without noticing it, I fell in love with you...


    She put both of her hands towards Issei''s cheek and stroked it lovingly.


    Issei is still processing the words she told him so he''s still looked a bit out of it.


    Yasaka - I noticed how Kunou has a crush towards you so I tried to hold back my feelings... But to no avail... Whenever we met I will always want to seduce and teases you, but thankfully Kunou always prevents me from going all the way... But after seeing your interaction with Kunou this morning, I can''t hold back my feelings any longer... I love you, Ise-san...


    Only after he heard Yasaka''s confession that he return to his sense. Then he looks at her eyes that hold nothing but love towards him.


    Issei breath stagnated a little after that. He honestly doesn''t know how to respond to Yasaka confession...


    Yes, he saw her as an elder sister but it would be a lie if he doesn''t feel attracted towards her. She''s such an outstanding woman after all and even more of an outstanding mother at that.


    Yasaka - I know that I am too old and past my prime and I''ve also already had a daughter... But can you accept my feelings at the very least, Ise-san? I know that compared to your other women I may be lacking, but...


    Issei - I still think you''re beautiful, Yasaka-san...


    Yasaka was about to continue her words when Issei cut her off.


    Her eyes went wide after hearing his words but soon she smiled bitterly at herself... She thought he''s just trying to comfort her.


    But unknown to her that Issei is telling the truth... If she''s considered old and past her prime then how about Semiramis and co whose age is a couple of millennia old? If he told Yasaka that she''s old then Semiramis and co might just beat him up...


    Yasaka - You don''t have to comfort me, Ise-san... I know I''m already old and my body is nothing compared to the other girls...


    She mocked herself.


    Issei - I''m not trying to comfort you... I''m telling the truth.


    Issei looked at her straight in the eyes.


    Yasaka heart thumped loudly once again after that because his serious face is so captivating that she becomes a bit lost gazing at it.


    Issei then sighed gently.


    Issei - *Sigh* You know, Yasaka-san... Saying that I don''t have any feelings towards you would be a lie... But, as you''ve heard before... I have multiple wives already and I think you''re a great woman but are you really sure about your choice? I''m sure there''s a better man for you out there than me and-


    Yasaka - No...


    Issei - Eh?


    Issei was about to say something else but Yasaka cut his words with a gentle but firm voice.


    Yasaka - I don''t want anyone else but you, Ise-san... And I don''t mind if you have multiple wives as long as you never forget me or Kunou... I know that this is selfish of me but I can''t help it. I really do love you, Ise-san... Here... Can you feel my heart beating so fast right now just from being near you?


    Yasaka took ahold of Issei''s right hand and put it on her chest. And through her voluptuous breast, Issei could feel just how fast and loud her heart currently thumping but it warmed his body for some reason.


    Issei didn''t know what to say after that...


    Yasaka hopeful gaze never fades from her face while gazing at Issei''s face.


    Issei who saw that finally sighed once again before he put his hand on Yasaka''s cheek. The latter who felt that went wide-eyed.


    Issei - ...I''m going to ask you once more, Yasaka-san... Are you sure about this?


    Issei asked Yasaka with a gentle voice.


    Yasaka - Un! I''m sure!


    Yasaka almost shouted when she gave her answer.


    Issei - ...Very well, then please take care of me from now on, Yasaka-san.


    Yasaka - H-Hai! Please take care of me as well!


    Yasaka''s face beamed with happiness, she also shed tears of joy.


    Both of them smiled at each other before they close in their face distance and joined their lips once again.


    Yasaka tightens her embrace on Issei''s body and Issei does the same.


    Yasaka moaned lightly when she felt something hard is poking her belly down there.


    She looks down and blushed deeply after seeing what it is, she felt a bit shy but she felt more of anticipation after seeing it. It''s really big, she thought to herself...


    She also felt really happy knowing that her body can make him feel aroused, she feels proud of that.


    Issei - ...You better be prepared, Yasaka-san, you''ve flipped my switch... I won''t let you sleep tonight.


    Yasaka face turn even redder after Issei whispered that words into her ears. But she nodded slightly with an alluring voice as a response.


    Yasaka - ...Hai~?


    After hearing her answer, Issei instantly locked their lips together once more but this time it''s not a gentle kiss. Rather it''s a forceful and dominating kiss.


    Yasaka - Hmmph, mmn, mmchu... Mmhah, hnn~?


    Issei hugged Yasaka''s body tight and inserted his tongue inside her mouth and thoroughly explored her mouth inside.


    Yasaka''s body is slightly shivering from the pleasure she''s feeling right now just from their making out session alone.


    She started sucking on Issei''s tongue as well and they kept exchanging saliva in the process. Issei felt like Yasaka''s saliva tasted sweet and Yasaka also felt the same as him and she thought that she might get addicted to his taste alone.


    Issei''s hand weren''t idle either.


    He grabbed both of her ass cheeks and fondled it to his heart content.


    She felt a jolt of electricity ran down her spine when Issei roughly fondled her butt.


    Yasaka moaned alluringly feeling his touch, she would''ve moaned out loud if Issei wasn''t kissing her mouth still right now.


    Yasaka - Hahmph, mmh, mmchu... Mmwah, haaahn! I-Ise-san...


    Issei finally let go of her lips.


    But this time his eyes are locked on to her heavenly oppai. He saw her protruding nubs that are surprisingly still peach colored, he thought it will be darker in color since she already had one daughter.


    He got captivated by the way her breasts heave up and down taking a deep breath after their kissing session.


    Yasaka passion has been awakened to the maximum and she felt really aroused right now.


    The same goes for Issei and he finally lowered his head to capture Yasaka''s beautiful looking teat.


    Yasaka body shivered greatly when Issei put her nipple on his mouth. He gently rolled it around with his tongue and when he nibbled it a bit, he can feel Yasaka''s body trembled in pleasure.


    She moaned alluringly and wrapped her hands around Issei''s head and pulled it towards her breasts as if she doesn''t want him to stop sucking on it.


    Yasaka - Aaaahn! Mmn... Y-Yes, Ise-san~?


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/highschooldxd/images/a/a0/Yasaka_Embracing_Issei.png/revision/latest?cb=20180502095039 If you want an image on what they''re doing).


    Issei keeps sucking on Yasaka''s breasts and he keeps switching between left and right, and in between, he will suck on them both together.


    Yasaka - I-Ise-san... P-Please... I-I can''t take it anymore... Haah, haah...?


    Yasaka pleaded towards Issei because she feels like she might go crazy just from his teasing alone.


    Only then Issei stopped his sucking.


    Issei - Um, I feel the same.


    Issei then gently lifted Yasaka''s body slightly and he positioned her moist entrance right in front of his penis.


    Yasaka''s breathing started getting faster when she felt the tip of his penis touching her vagina lips.


    Issei - Are you ready, Yasaka-san?


    Yasaka - H-Hai... Put it inside me, Ise-san, and make me yours.


    Right after Yasaka said that Issei instantly inserted his penis inside her up to the base.


    *Sllsh!*


    Yasaka - Haaahnn! I-It''s in... I-I can feel it deep inside me... Haah...?


    She wailed in pleasure because it has been a long time ever since she had sex. She never had sex ever since her ex-husband abandoned them.


    After he inserted it, Issei doesn''t move right away as to give time for Yasaka to get used to it.


    Yasaka - Mm, hwah... I-I feel so happy and blessed, Ise-san...


    Yasaka gazes at Issei''s face lovingly and Issei also gazes at her the same way.


    Issei - That should be my line, Yasaka-san...


    Yasaka - Yasaka...


    Issei - Hn?


    Yasaka - I want you to just call me Yasaka, without any honorifics...


    Issei - ...Got it, Yasaka...


    Yasaka smiled happily once again after that.


    Issei''s hands slid over Yasaka''s smooth skin, teasing her breasts and butt cheeks. When he flicked her erect nipples, she quivered in pleasure.


    Yasaka - Ahhn~ I-Ise-san...?


    Issei - Sorry, your boobs are really amazing that I can''t stop playing with it...


    Yasaka - Ufufufu, I''m glad you like my breasts... You can play with it whenever and wherever you want, A-na-ta~?.


    Yasaka blew hot air at Issei''s ear.


    Issei who heard that felt like his libido almost went out of control but he held it in.


    But he captured Yasaka''s lips once again.


    Yasaka - Omf... Mmh, mmn, mmchu... Hwahh... Mmm... Ise-san... I love you... Mpph...


    Yasaka squinted and tirelessly moved her tongue, wrestling with Issei''s. Her lithe tongue licked around the inside of Issei''s mouth.


    She kept drinking Issei''s saliva like it''s some sort of addicting drug.


    Because every time she does that she felt like a burning and hot sensation feeling inside her abdomen.


    Yasaka - Mm, mmm... I-Ise-san... I, I''m...


    Yasaka''s legs started squirming. It didn''t look like she could wait much longer.


    Issei - Okay, then. I''ll get moving.


    Issei started moving his hips.


    Yasaka - Hyah... Ah, aahn...


    Yasaka yelped a little like she''s been tickled and twisted around.


    Yasaka - I-Ise-san... Haah, D-Does it, mm... Feel good?


    Yasaka asked in between her moans.


    Issei - Ah... Your insides keep on squeezing. Just a little thrust feels amazing.


    Yasaka''s pussy was tight under any circumstance, but with how turned on she was, it was clenching hard enough to make moving a little bit painful.


    But thanks to how soft and moist it was, it also served to stir Issei''s arousal even more.


    Something that never to be expected from a woman who''ve already given birth once. Issei marveled at the beauty of Yasaka once again.


    Yasaka - Ah... That''s good... Mmn... Hwah... Ah, aaah...


    Knowing it felt good made Yasaka sigh with relief.


    Issei raised his hips and ground his cock inside her. Every time he did that, Yasaka''s well-rounded bottom swayed up and down along with her huge breasts.


    Just by penetrating Yasaka, the head of his cock was surrounded by her moist folds, nearly bringing Issei to orgasm by itself.


    The water washed her juices away, providing her pussy with a unique sensation, one which makes Issei felt really good.


    Yasaka - Nnah... Ah, aah, hnn, I-Ise-san... Haahn!


    Their breath gradually became more ragged, leaving no sound in the steamy room but rough wheezing and splashing water.


    Yasaka gave off a sweet and bewitching aroma, by which Issei couldn''t help but be turned on, squeezing Yasaka''s body even harder than before.


    Yasaka who felt that keep having micro orgasms because of how good it felt for her. She felt like she might go insane from pleasure at this rate.


    Yasaka - Aaah, mm... Hah, haaahn... I-Ise-san... It kinda feels like my heart''s going to explode... And my belly is all tingly... Kyaahn!?


    Her voice is laced with obvious joy and pleasure that couldn''t be mistaken. When Issei''s lifted her body slightly and slammed it down lightly she felt like her mind just went blank for a brief second.


    She wrapped her arms around Issei''s back and neck hoping to get more pleasure from doing so. She also started moving her hips trying to match Issei''s pace.


    Issei started teasing her anus lightly with his finger.


    Yasaka - Hngh! Hnngh, mmmm, I-Ise-san, n-not there!


    Yasaka''s body jerked up so much that she sent water flying.


    Issei - Ah, my bad... Maybe that was too much.


    When Yasaka''s body repeatedly hopped up and down on his embrace, Issei''s yanked his arm away.


    Yasaka - Haaah... Haaah... Th-That surprised me...


    She heaved a hot sigh.


    Issei - ...Uh, is it okay if I touch you there? I can stop if you don''t like it.


    Yasak - Eh, um... U-Un...


    Yasaka wasn''t sure how to respond. Not because she didn''t want him to, but because she very much did. She was just surprised that''s all.


    After a few seconds, she nodded with a red face.


    Issei flashed a teasing grin before he whispered into her ear.


    Issei - ...You''re a dirty girl, Yasaka...


    Yasaka face exploded red like a tomato after hearing his words.


    Yasaka - A-Aahh, Ise-san, don''t embarrass me...


    She pouted a little just like a little girl.


    Issei - Heheh, my bad... I just love teasing you, that''s all.


    Yasaka - M-Mou... You''re such a meany, Ise-san...


    She hit Issei''s chest gently with his arm.


    Issei then wrapped his arm around Yasaka''s lower back and started teasing her cute anus once again before he started rocking his hips up and down, grinding his cock inside her.


    He also put Yasaka''s nipples inside his mouth and started sucking on it.


    Yasaka - Ah, yah, mm! I-Ise-san, y-you''re going to play with both of them at the same time?! Kyaaahn! Haahn! D-Don''t, Ise-san... I-If you do that... Haaah, haaah... I-I''m gonna cum too fast... Mnah!


    Faced with a stimulation she never experienced before, Yasaka wailed loudly.


    Her buxom body repeatedly jerked up and down on Issei''s chest.


    The simultaneous sensations from her nipples, backdoor, and pussy made her gasp.


    Issei - Guh... Wow, you''re getting crazy tight...


    Yasaka - Mmm, ngh... A-Ah, Ise-san... hwah, aaaah!


    Yasaka''s voice became shrill, implying her orgasm was near.


    Yasaka - Ah, hyah! F-Feels, too, goood! I-I, haaahn! Ah, I... C-Can''t take it, much longer!?


    Issei''s intense thrusting produced a splashing sound as he made waves in the water.


    Issei - Neither can I... I will go rougher, Yasaka.


    Issei not only rocked his hips but grabbed Yasaka''s body to move her up and down.


    While her body moved around on Issei''s chest, the stronger thrusting let him bury his cock deep inside her.


    Yasaka - Hyah, ahn! It''s like I''m, nnah! B-Being used as an object! Nnah, feels, gooood, Ise, Ise!?


    Unable to move on her own, Yasaka was at Issei''s mercy as she jubilantly, constantly yelled his name.


    As his cock stirred inside her, Yasaka''s voice became increasingly sweet and shrill.


    Her body shuddered.


    Yasaka - Wah, hnnnn! Mm, mmm... I-Ise-san! My crotch is on fire... Aaah, it feels like its going to burn!?


    Yasaka''s pussy clutched tightly on Issei''s cock.


    Issei - Gh!


    And that''s the trigger for both of their impending orgasm.


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    Yasaka - Haaahn, aaaaaaaaahn!?


    His cock explosively spasmed, pouring tons of semen into Yasaka''s womb.


    Yasaka - Aaaah, haaahn! H-Hot!?


    Yasaka convulsed and repeatedly threw her head back and her eyes also rolled back to the back of her skull because of amazing it felt.


    Yasaka - Ah, mm... Your thing''s twitching inside me... Haah, mm... Ise-san... I love you, I love youuuu...?


    While she came, Yasaka whispered loving words towards Issei, compelling him to squish her body even tighter against his.


    Issei - Haah... I also love you, Yasaka...


    Yasaka - Ah, haah, ahn... Hyaaah...


    When her orgasm was over, Yasaka went limp and leaned against Issei. She would''ve slipped off of him if his penis wasn''t still inside her and Issei''s holding her body.


    Issei - Whoa there... Are you okay, Yasaka?


    Yasaka - Ahm, hnngh... H-Hai... Sorry, Ise-san...


    Yasaka breathed heavily at his chest.


    Yasaka - Mmm... Amazing... That felt really good...


    Issei - Um, it felt really great for me too...


    Yasaka - Uh, eheheh... Really? If I was able to make you feel good, then I couldn''t be happier...


    Even after they came, the couple sat against each other for a while longer.


    Yasaka - Eheheh, Anata, Anata~?


    Yasaka nuzzled her head into Issei acting spoiled.


    Without Issei even realizing it both of her fox ears and tail are out in the open swaying around just like Kunou before.


    Issei smiled gently seeing how spoiled she''s being currently and he started patting her head lovingly.


    Yasaka - Mmmmmm~?


    Issei''s petting made Yasaka smile joyfully.


    She then looked up slightly into Issei''s neck and saw the <Mark> she gave her has turned golden and there''s a similar mark appeared right at the middle of her chest.


    She smiled happily seeing that their bond has been completed.


    They enjoyed the comfortable silence after that.


    But then she felt his penis is still twitching inside her so she looked up towards Issei.


    Yasaka - Ne, Ise-san...


    Issei - Hmm?


    Yasaka - Want to do it again?


    Issei - Oh?


    Yasaka - Is one time enough for you? Besides, I just felt your thing twitching inside me just now...


    Issei - ...Heheh, sorry, but yeah... I''m actually still turned on.


    Issei scratched his cheek while smiling wryly.


    Yasaka - Then let''s do it again~?


    As if to entice him, Yasaka rubbed her breasts against Issei. And that manages to arouse his lust once again.


    Issei - Are you sure? You don''t need to take a break?


    Yasaka who heard that felt sweet inside thinking he''s still worried about her even at this time.


    Yasaka - Un, I can handle more than that, so don''t worry.


    Issei - Very well... But let''s not do it here because you might catch a cold... Hup!


    Yasaka - Kyah!?


    Issei stands up while carrying Yasaka in a bridal carry style.


    Issei - Let''s continue in your bed, shall we?


    Yasaka - Hai, Anata?


    Then Issei carried Yasaka and headed towards her bedroom to continue their love-making session.


    Thankfully Issei already spread out a soundproof barrier or the whole castle might hear their moans...


    Yasaka has already instructed her retainers to leave the area so as not to bother her plan before she went inside the bathroom to join Issei.


    As to be expected of a natural born seductress, Yasaka could go on multiple rounds with Issei before she fainted away with a fully satisfied expression on her face...


    Issei who saw that smiled lovingly at Yasaka and give her a peck on the forehead before he hugged her tightly and went into the land of dreams as well.


    ...


    Issei felt something weighing him down when he was awake, he thought that it was Yasaka so he unconsciously wraps his arms around her.


    But then he realizes that her body is so small so he opens his eyes only to see Kunou blushing deeply inside his embrace.


    Yasaka could be found giggling softly by the side watching them.


    Issei - ...Kunou?


    Issei bewilderedly asked her. He''s confused on how come that she''s here?


    Kunou - G-Good morning, Ise...


    She stutteringly said that. She felt like her body could melt at any moment now because of how warm Issei''s bare chest is.


    Issei who saw Yasaka giggling at the side knows that she''s the one who''s responsible for all this, he could only smile wryly at her.


    Issei - Um, good morning Kunou...


    Issei smiled softly at Kunou and give her forehead a peck which makes her face completely red until there''s smoke coming out on top of her head.


    Kunou already knows that Yasaka marked Issei as her mate but she''s not angry or anything. She only felt jealous because even she knows that Issei won''t complete their bond as long as she''s still small.


    She wishes she could grow up much faster.


    Then they have breakfast together...


    When they''re still enjoying their breakfast there''s suddenly a loud commotion coming from outside.


    Yasaka is wondering just what happened outside when one of her retainers suddenly barged in inside the room.


    *Bang!*


    Retainer - Y-Yasaka-sama, sorry for intruding! But there''s something that needed your presence immediately!


    Yasaka - What happened? What''s with the loud commotion outside?


    Retainer - Th-There are two Onis that are attacking us!


    Yasaka - Oni?


    Yasaka is confused because she never saw any Oni in Kyoto. The only Oni she knows is the Onis that are residing inside the familiar forest.


    Issei who was sitting calmly by the side started feeling a premonition about all this.


    Yasaka - I''ll be right there.


    Yasaka decided to see for herself because from her retainer report there are only two onis'' that are attacking them. And if all of her retainers can''t handle them that just means that they''re really strong.


    Issei - I will come with you.


    Kunou - M-Me as well!


    Kunou said right away when she heard that both Issei and Yasaka will be going there.


    Yasaka - No, Kunou you stay here.


    Kunou - Eh?! B-But!


    Issei - It will be fine, Yasaka. I will make sure to protect her... And I get a feeling that I know those 2 Onis...


    Issei felt a premonition about the two Onis that came to attack them.


    Yasaka wanted to forbid Kunou but Issei cut in their talk. After hearing Issei''s words Kunou beamed with happiness while Yasaka was hesitating for a few seconds before she agreed to it as well.


    Then they all headed towards the center of the commotion.


    ...


    At the designated location there''s a bunch of Yokai surrounding two small build girls with horns at their head.


    And nearby them there is also a group of downed Yokais. Thankfully they only appeared to be injured and not dead.


    Sun Wukong is facing against the both of them while sweating a little because he knows that both of them are really powerful. If it''s only one on one then perhaps he could manage but if the two of them were to gang up on him then... It won''t be good...


    He arrived here as fast as he could when he heard that they''re being attacked.


    Sun Wukong - ...May I ask why both of you are attacking this place?


    He solemnly asked them. His laidback attitude when dealing with most of his enemies such as Cao Cao team before is nowhere to be found.


    He felt some familiarity with both of their aura for some reason.


    ??? - Ehh~? Who''s attacking you? We just want to meet his majesty and you all decided to gets in our way so its only natural for us to retaliate, don''t you think so as well, Ibaraki~?


    The first girl answered with a playful tone but you could see that she''s getting irritated because she can''t see Issei right away. There''s a purple miasma surrounding her, she can be seen holding a white-bluish sword with a gourd at the end of its handle.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/8/83/ShutenArt03.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170203194240 This is her image for those who doesn''t know).


    Ibaraki - That''s right! I''m getting kind of hungry now! I wonder if I should just roast some of you... Hmm, that flock of Karasu Tengu looks delicious... Oi, Shuten, can I eat them?


    Shuten - Hmm~ although I don''t really mind if you ate them all... We still need to make sure if any of them are his majesty subjects. We don''t want to displease him now, do we?


    Ibaraki - Muu... Fine...


    The second girl named Ibaraki scowled at them and then she licked her lips when looking at the Karasu Tengu group. The latter started sweating profusely because being gazed like that by her.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/f/f0/BerserkerIbarakiStage3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170204225214 This is Ibaraki-Douji image).


    But after hearing the first girl which is named Shuten words she held back her thoughts on eating them. She frowned thinking that she couldn''t get what she wanted but for Issei''s sake she held back her desire.


    If the first girl is surrounded by miasma then Ibaraki is surrounded by flames. She''s holding something that appears to be a bone sword of some sort.


    The others who heard their conversation started wondering just who is this his majesty they''re talking about.


    Only Sun Wukong felt trepidation after hearing their small talk. If he''s not mistaken then both of them are Shuten-Douji and Ibaraki-Douji... Two of Japan''s Three Great Monsters.


    But why are they still alive? Didn''t they got killed by Minamoto no Raikou in the olden days?


    Although they appear to be somewhat different from his knowledge... It never stated that they actually look like a small and weak little girl... He''s confused but that aura presence and display of power unmistakably belong to them.


    Sun Wukong - ...If I may ask... Is the name of you two are Shuten-Douji and Ibaraki-Douji?


    Sun Wukong asked them once again just to make sure if he''s mistaken about his guess... He wishes that he''s wrong but reality said otherwise...


    Shuten - Ara~, you know my name and Ibaraki''s? Did his majesty told you?


    There''s a slight joy that could be heard in her voice now thinking that Issei told Sun Wukong and co about them both.


    Even Ibaraki face turned a bit curious if what Shuten saying is true.


    His body started tensed up even more after hearing her confirmation.


    This is really bad he thought... He might need to call for some help. He doesn''t know why but he got a feeling that both of these Shuten-Douji and Ibaraki-Douji are stronger than the old them.


    He already sent someone to get Yasaka hoping that with her assistance they could at least repel both of them... Too bad Serafall Leviathan went back to the Underworld or they could have another helping hand. Beggars can''t be chooser he guesses...


    As for Yu-Long, he went to meet Tannin discussing about that recently emerged Queen of Dragons named Irene Belserion H.


    So far they only counter-attack and never launch an attack of their own, they seem to be holding back to make sure if they''re affiliated with that his majesty of theirs.


    He doesn''t ask them just who is that majesty in case they finds out that they''re not affiliated with him...


    But it seems they won''t give them that chance much longer...


    Ibaraki - What''s wrong? Why don''t you say anything?


    Ibaraki growled at them for not answering Shuten question.


    Shuten also narrowed her eyes dangerously at them. Both of them are starting to get suspicious that they''re not affiliated with Issei all along.


    The weaker Yokai started getting troubled in breathing properly because of the sheer pressure they emit.


    Even Sun Wukong himself started getting tenser by the seconds feeling their pressure.


    The whole atmosphere was at dagger''s drawn until they all heard a voice resounding in this deathly stillness.


    ??? - *Sigh* What are you two doing here? Shuten Douji, Ibaraki Douji...


    They all turned around to see Yasaka and Kunou along with a devilishly handsome man by their side.


    The female Yokai are blushing deeply after seeing his face, they have this enamored look on their face while the male Yokai felt threatened because some of the female Yokai is their prospective lover or crush...


    Issei twinge a bit seeing a bunch of Yuki-Onna eyeing him... He remembered the time when he met Kiyome Abe Yuki-Onna and almost crushed to death by her hug.


    The Yuki-Onna in this world is not a pretty girl from the legends but they look more like a Yeti.


    (AN: You can read their info on DxD wiki lol, I''m not joking... It said that when they''re young they indeed look like a beautiful girl. But when they mature they turned into a Yeti, I was like WTF?!

 Chapter 85 - 84

    When they arrived back at Yasaka''s Castle, Issei instantly asked the trio newcomers.


    Issei - So... What are you three doing here?


    They are seated in front of a big tatami table. Issei is seated right in front of the grinning trio, while at his side, there''s Kunou and Yasaka.


    Sun Wukong is still looking at him in disbelief... He never thought that this man in front of him is Issei Hyoudou himself. The brat he saw before is nowhere to be seen...


    He looks really mature and much different compared to before... Way too different, he thought...


    His body builds... His face, well his face is still fine because he can see the similarities of his previous face from before here and there now that he look at it more closely.


    But his aura and power which he can''t sense at all... He notices that his aura is so pure that it blends in with nature itself.


    As for his power, he can''t sense it at all... It''s like he''s clouded in mystery...


    He looks just like your average human but it would be extremely stupid to be thinking that he''s an average human...


    He wanted to ask Issei a lot of question himself but it seems that they''re in the middle of something right now...


    Shuten - We want to see your majesty of course~?


    Shuten is the first to answer with a sultry voice.


    Ibaraki - I want to eat your cooking, Buchou!


    Ibaraki followed right after her.


    Issei silently stares at them both then he turned his gaze towards the last woman.


    Issei - ...And I assume you''re here because of them both... Minamoto no Raikou...


    Hearing Issei''s words Yasaka and co eyes went wide because they never expected that this woman is Minamoto no Raikou herself. But wasn''t she''s supposed to be a man from the history book and supposed to be dead already?


    Raikou - Aww~, Ise-chan~, there''s no need to call me by my full name you know? I already told you that you can just call me Mama Raikou or just Mommy, didn''t I~? And yes, I''m here to get both of these insects.


    She answered Issei''s question joyfully but when she talks about Shuten and Ibaraki her voice turned into a mocking voice.


    The reason Raikou didn''t call Issei with that nickname before is because she knows that his identity is kind of sensitive in this world, so she called him with his majesty in front of the other onlookers. But now that they''re basically alone she could call him like she used to.


    Shuten - Arara, I wonder who are you calling an insect you blowfish lantern.


    Shuten narrowed her eyes at Raikou who doesn''t back down and glared at her back.


    Ibaraki - That''s right! You Cow Demon!


    Ibaraki growled at her.


    The three of them then glared at each other.


    Issei face started twitching a lot after hearing Raikou words. For some unknown reason, she keeps telling him to call her Mom... He knows that she has some feelings for him but what''s up with that? Why would you want your love interest to call you mother?


    He already knows the 3 of them never really get along so he''s used to seeing them doing this kind of stuff.


    It all started when he helped her kill Akuji no Takamaru and his followers because they were planning to do something behind his back targeting his wives. He wiped all of them and coincidentally met Raikou there looking distressed, obviously from fighting Akuji underlings.


    She thought that he saved her but it''s just purely coincidence... Well, maybe not? Since Semiramis told her about that location... He doesn''t really care though since Akuji really was planning to do something to his wives.


    Raikou isn''t fully human but rather more of a divine spirit of some sort. Kind of like Jeanne and Jalter beforehand.


    She''s also Gozu Tennou descendant meaning that she has a Yokai blood inside her more or less. When she asked him if he''s feeling repugnant or disgusted by her because of her bloodline and obviously Issei said no.


    He''s not the type to judge people just based on their bloodline and the likes after all. They are what they are but in the end, everything is decided by the things they do. And since she''s not an evildoer there''s no reason for Issei to be disgusted by her.


    He even respects her to a certain extent after reading her life history. It''s quite different from the history he knows but since its the other world he thought that it makes sense.


    (AN: Go read her wiki if you guys want to know her history).


    The other reason that Issei doesn''t know is that her part Yokai was going berserk and went out of her body so she''s weakened by that time and Akuji took advantage of that. If not then she shouldn''t have been so distressed.


    Her Yokai self is named Ushi-Gozen and joined Akuji the moment it separated itself from Raikou hoping to devour her and gain even greater power for itself. But in the end, it got killed by Issei along with Akuji himself.


    And Raikou absorbed it once again and this time there won''t be a second time because it really becomes one with Raikou made her stronger as well.


    Ever since then Raikou keep telling him to call her by that nickname... She enlisted herself to the <ECH> company and saw herself as one of Issei''s trusted General.


    The <9 Divines> who are the actual trusted Generals of Issei are told to let her be by Semiramis. She wanted to see Raikou capabilities and dedication towards Issei. And so far she''s pretty satisfied with Raikou achievement.


    But she''s just as confused as Issei about her insistence on having Issei calling her mom...


    There''s no doubt that Raikou is a really competent General for that matter... She always emerges victorious from the small skirmishes she had with other Overlords that are dissatisfied with Issei as the next <Supreme Overlord> before this.


    Issei never really care what the others thought about him so he never bothers to give them his attention. He rather spends more time with his wives after all.


    He told those that are dissatisfied with him can just go and challenge him. But of course, there are cowards that don''t dare to do that and just planning behind Issei''s back and some are still away/MIA back then.


    Shuten and Ibaraki are one of them because they never met Issei yet back then. That''s where the rivalry between the Oni duo with Raikou came from.


    They are the only ones that prevent Raikou from gaining victory and lose her winning streak in the process. Shuten and Ibaraki themselves are a great general and strong individual that is at least on par with Raikou herself.


    So they are at a stalemate back then... Only after they got their ass handed off by Issei himself that both Shuten and Ibaraki submit themselves completely to him. The reason why they face off against Issei is because of Ibaraki telling Shuten about him.


    Ibaraki submitted herself mostly because of his cooking... She accidentally met Issei when he was experimenting with new ingredients out in the open. More like she got attracted by the smell of his cooking though...


    Issei thought that she''s just a starving child from somewhere so he gave her some of his food. She instantly got hooked, line, and sinker when she ate his food.


    And also because he treated her kind enough.


    Only later that Issei found out that Ibaraki is one of the <Overlord> and way older than him. She keeps calling him Buchou(Boss/Chief) ever since then... Not really surprising since he beat her in a fight and he also conquered her stomach.


    Issei''s cooking is the only thing that ever made Ibaraki completely full. What she starves for is an extreme pleasure and she got that from Issei''s cooking.


    Now she''s hoping to experience the other extreme "Pleasure" from him. Too bad she still hasn''t gained his favor though... Just like Shuten said, she''s also wondering when will she able to gain his love.


    Raikou at first becomes envious towards Semiramis and co when she finds out that they''re his wives. She was planning to do something at some point but after being scolded by Issei she becomes completely tamed and thinking to defeat Semiramis and co by stealing Issei''s heart and make him forget them.


    Of course, that will never happen... Perhaps Issei might fall in love with her sometime in the future but there''s no way that he will abandon Semiramis and co just like that. She might as well wait for hell to freeze over rather than to wait for Issei to abandon Semiramis and co.


    And Raikou herself also knows that so she can only sulk thinking she''s too late to gain his love only for herself. But she won''t give up and when it comes to it she can share him with the other girls... Even with Shuten and Ibaraki for that matter... Nevermind, anyone but them, she thought to herself.


    Kunou - Ne, Ise...


    Issei - Hm?


    Kunou tugged at Issei''s sleeve with a curious gaze.


    Kunou - Why are they calling you his majesty?


    She curiously asked him. Yasaka and Sun Wukong also wanted to know that.


    Shuten - Oya? You don''t know about his majesty true identity?


    Before Issei could say anything Shuten already beat him to it.


    Shuten amusedly looked at Kunou and co who seems totally clueless about Issei''s current background. She thought they are Issei''s subordinate or some sort but it seems that she''s mistaken about it.


    But they indeed seem close with him, especially that Kyuubi mother and child.


    Being asked by Shuten they unconsciously shake their heads at the same time.


    Shuten - Maa~, then let me enlighten you... He is-


    Raikou - They don''t need an insect to tell them, it is my duty as Ise-chan''s mother to tell the world about his greatness.


    This time it''s Raikou who cuts in Shuten words with venom in her voice.


    Shuten - Heh, self-proclaimed mother wannabe, I bet even his majesty won''t like it when an old hag such as yourself becoming his mother.


    Ibaraki - Gyahahaha! That''s right, that''s right!


    Shuten scoffed at her and insult her back while Ibaraki laughed out loud while pointing her finger at Raikou.


    Then they have another glaring contest...


    Issei kneaded his forehead tiredly.


    Issei - *Sigh* The thing is...


    Then he decided to be the one who tells them himself.


    He told them everything about the <Netherworld> and his current position as the <Supreme Overlord>...


    ...


    After he finishes telling them about it, all of them becomes completely flabbergasted with their mouths wide open.


    Kunou - Amazing, Ise!


    Kunou is the first to snap out of his thoughts and clung towards Issei arm right away. Her eyes are glittering with stars while looking at him.


    Issei - Oh, thanks.


    Issei just smiled at her and gently patted her head which earned a small giggle from Kunou. The fighting trio stopped their glaring contest looking envious of Kunou.


    His reaction when Kunou congratulated him is just "Oh, thanks?", He''s basically a King of an entire world! Both Yasaka and Sun Wukong thought inside their minds... It''s not a leader of a faction such as Sirzechs and co but a KING of an entire world for God sake!


    Sun Wukong doesn''t know what to say any more while Yasaka felt immensely proud of her new husband. Which woman won''t feel proud if their man is that outstanding?


    Shuten and co who saw Yasaka and Sun Wukong reaction know what exactly they are feeling right now.


    Shuten - I know what you''re thinking right now... His Majesty doesn''t really think much about being the <Supreme Overlord> you see...


    She put her hand on her cheek feeling a bit of pity.


    Ibaraki - Yeah, if Buchou wanted to, he could conquer multiple worlds as easy as pie but he doesn''t have that intention at all...If only he would just order us then we would gladly conquer any world for him...


    Ibaraki pumped up her fist while her eyes glowing brightly but soon her enthusiasm went down because Issei would never tell them to conquer other worlds for no reason...


    Raikou - Hmph, what do you two know about Ise-chan. That''s what makes him a great king. Not like a total tyrant such as some kings out there... They are lost in their search of power and lost their way at the end which leads to their ruin, but Ise-chan is nothing like that.


    Akuji is the perfect example of that.


    Raikou scoffed at both of their words.


    Shuten - Well, true...


    Ibaraki - Cheh... I hate to agree with this cow but it is true...


    Shuten and Ibaraki reluctantly agreed to Raikou words.


    Yasaka and co nodded to themselves because it seems even after all this time, Issei kind personality doesn''t change at all.


    Sun Wukong still doesn''t know about Rias and co betrayal and just when he wanted to ask something at Issei he got a message signal from Yasaka. He nodded at her acknowledging her message.


    Sun Wukong - But I have to say... You''ve sure become a great person huh, Sekiryuutei-boy.


    Wukong smirked at Issei.


    He already knows that Issei would become a great person in the future but he never thought that it will be this soon and it''s even beyond his expectations.


    He never thought that he will become the supreme ruler of another world...


    Issei - Well, things happen.


    Issei just calmly answered him back. And Sun Wukong felt even more impressed because of how calm and collected he is when answering him.


    He used to gets flustered whenever he got praised but it seems he has grown mature indeed, Sun Wukong thought to himself.


    Sun Wukong - Heheh, I wonder how Hakuryuuko-boy would feel when he finds out that his rival has surpassed him miles away.


    He thought to himself in amusement.


    Issei - Hmm, considering that it''s Vali we''re talking about here then I''m sure he will just get more excited.


    Sun Wukong - Hahaha! That is true.


    They both chuckled at each other.


    Although... It''s too bad that Vali will never be able to match Issei any longer... Not in this lifetime...


    Raikou and co - *Jiiii*


    Yasaka - U-Umm... C-Can I help you?


    Raikou and co are staring at Yasaka intently and the latter felt a little awkward being stared like that by them.


    Raikou - ...You two smell that as well right? She has Ise-chan scent all over her body... And it''s quite recent as well...


    Raikou asked both Shuten and Ibaraki which earned a nod from them both.


    Shuten & Ibaraki - Un...


    Yasaka blushed after hearing their words because she knows what are they talking about.


    Sun Wukong who overheard their conversation raised his eyebrows in amusement.


    Sun Wukong - Ohoo~, so that''s why your whole body reeks of Sekiryuutei-boy scent, Yasaka-sama... Here I was wondering just what happened. But I have to say... You sure move fast, huh, boy... My mistake, you''re not a boy any longer now, aren''t you? Hahahaha!


    Sun Wukong grinned at Yasaka and Issei before he laughed out loud. Yasaka face turned completely red while Issei''s face is still calm and he just smiled thinly at Sun Wukong. Kunou puffed her cheeks at the side feeling a little jealous of her own mom.


    Thankfully Issei doesn''t tell Sun Wukong that Yasaka is the one who initiates it and not himself. And Yasaka felt grateful for that because she might just die from embarrassment if it were to be known.


    Raikou - Mou~! Ise-chan, if you want to do that kind of thing could''ve told me you know?!


    Raikou pouted at Issei. She wanted to hug him but Issei calmly holds her in place with just one hand. She flailed her arms around trying to reach Issei but to no avail.


    Shuten and Ibaraki wanted to join in the havoc but Issei beat them to it.


    Issei - Anway, isn''t it about time for the three of you to go back? Is it fine for you to be here leaving your territory alone unattended?


    Shuten - Oh, you don''t have to worry, your majesty. We have already instructed our subordinates about that matter and besides... There''s no one would be stupid enough nowadays trying to attack our faction. As for the other <Overlord> which could be eyeing our territory, I would say none except for this cow here.


    Ibaraki - Shuten''s right, Buchou! It''s all clear!


    Shuten reassured Issei that it will be fine while Ibaraki chimed in agreement with the former words. Shuten and Ibaraki shared their territory together so they are quite the powerhouse together.


    There''s a contest between the <Overlords> who gets the closest territory to Issei''s fortress.


    Each territory is numbered by a 1 digit number to a 7 digit number. 1 Digit number is the closest to his place and the one who owns that territory is the cream of the crop from all the <Overlords>. Or it could be seen from the strongest to the weakest <Overlord>.


    The territory surrounded Issei''s <Hanging Garden of Babylon> just like a spiral would with the Garden at the center of it all. To get to a specific territory they could travel there on their own or they could use a portal gate.


    The <Netherworld> is a very big world after all.


    Shuten, Ibaraki, and Raikou belong to the top 20.


    Some of the Overlords names are Overlord Marchosias, Overlord Barbatos, Overlord Paimon, Overlord Shiroyasa, Overlord Kiss-Shot, Overlord C.C, Overlord Rozalin, Overlord Salvatore, Overlord Marbas, etc.


    Not all the Overlords are female of course and some of them are a tagalong that come with Issei or wanted to follow him whether it''s because of Issei himself or the other <Overlords> enticement.


    Number 1-9 is obviously the closest and it''s also the most contested territory of them all. Issei becomes completely speechless when he heard all this back then.


    Yes, he never claims or takes over other territories as his own unless they provoke him first just like the Celestials did before but he would never thought that this would happen...


    The one who comes up with this idea is Scathach and co, they thought that it will be more fun. Forzelotte at first doesn''t approve of this but in the end, she relented to it because it''s better this way.


    She rather has them do this rather than standing outside her home every day alright...


    One of the rules is, no killing is allowed between the contestants and no involving innocent bystanders.


    During Forzelotte''s reign, it''s kind of bad how unbridled they all act but after Issei took over her place it became much more peaceful.


    The judge of these little contest that could be also called a game is a certain moon rabbit... Issei and she had a contract together when she summoned him to her world... But that''s a story for another time...


    And don''t be mistaken thinking only a Demonkin that could be an Overlord.


    There''s also a High-Human, Demi-Human, Divine Spirits, Heroic Spirits and the likes that became an <Overlord> of their own free will or titled as such for their might and intelligence. Some of the Human King also titled as such.


    The <Netherworld> is a big world even compared to most world Issei has visited before.


    The country names also have similarities with his original world such as Japan but in there it''s called Zipangu instead of your usual Japan.


    (AN: Other countries such as England, Egypt, Rome, etc also have similarities to it but it''s hard to tell the difference in English. If it''s in Japanese it''s quite easy I think, but in English, it''s hard to tell).


    The history there is quite similar as well but there''s some difference such as how King Arthur here is depicted as a Woman rather than a Man.


    Raikou and co is another example of it. Issei has already informed Yasaka and co about this and they finally understand the gist of it.


    No wonder Minamoto no Raikou they currently seeing is a Woman they thought to themselves.


    Yasaka and Sun Wukong thought of something that since Shuten and Ibaraki still exist does that mean there''s also another version of them over there.


    For Yasaka, Issei told her that there is a Kyuubi who goes by the name Tamamo no Mae which is the last member of the Japan or Zipangu Great Three Monster much to her surprise.


    As for Sun Wukong... Issei smiled wryly at him much to the former puzzlement before Issei told him that there is indeed another Sun Wukong back in the <Netherworld> and also occupied the seat of an <Overlord>.


    Sun Wukong felt proud that his another counterpart is also a great figure it seems but when he heard the next word of Issei he becomes completely dumbfounded...


    Issei - The thing is... Sun Wukong over there is a woman...


    Sun Wukong - ...Eh?


    Issei then showed him the picture of the Wu Kong from the <Netherworld> with his custom phone made by Kathryn herself. He has the picture of all the Overlords since they are registered in the database.


    (AN: https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/796487091421511362/3EAC9FC6A1EA483D201BE1590AD58BDD5C4DEFAC/).


    Sun Wukong becomes a statue after he saw his other counterpart picture. It''s as if his soul has left his body because what''s in the picture is clearly a beautiful woman and not some macho man like his imagination.


    The woman in the picture has a slightly long golden brown hair that is tied into a twintail. her eyes are colored blackish-brown.


    Just like himself, she wears a golden bangle on her forehead. She has a long monkey tail on her waist and on her hand, there''s the iconic Golden staff just like his.


    Her outfit is red colored that appears to be a customized Qi Pao showing a lot of skin and there''s <ECH> symbol on her waistband.


    Issei can only pat him in the back.


    Anyone can call themselves an <Overlord> as long as they are prepared for the consequences for claiming that title. There will be an adjudicator that will test those that claim to be an <Overlord>.


    But they can''t enter the Overlords order just like that because they are a special case.


    If they pass the test then they will become a new <Overlord> member while those that failed will either be crippled of their power or be killed outright if they refuse to stand down... It might sound harsh but in the <Netherworld>, possessing the title of an <Overlord> is a special privilege.


    For example, they can gain access to some of the technique or skills that are forbidden to most people and they can request for funds and supplies for their own private project or needs.


    Of course, if their plan is to bring harm to the world then they would be dealt with.


    This system is new to the <Netherworld> hoping that with these rewards the citizens would become more motivated to become stronger and not just laze around all day.


    Yes, the world there is at peace most of the times but that doesn''t mean that it should be an excuse and not to improve yourselves because of it.


    Excess brings decay, remember?


    The more they invest their time and dedication, the bigger the reward they will get. The closer they are to the center the better the resources they will get.


    Now you would think isn''t that how things normally work? Well, not for the <Netherworld>.


    It used to be more chaotic and more dangerous for the common people since power is everything there. Forzelotte herself doesn''t see any fault with that rules before this since she only cares for her own kind most of the time.


    Issei - Hmm, is that so... But how did you know where I am? Nevermind... It must''ve been Riche who told you all, wasn''t it?


    Raikou and co nodded to his claim confirming his guess.


    Issei wanted to ask them but then he remembered about Riche mischievous deeds she often does... Just wait when I got home, Issei thought to himself.


    Riche who''s currently training felt a sudden shiver out of nowhere and started looking around just what caused it. But then she remembered about her mischief on telling the whereabouts of Issei...


    She could only smile wryly because she knows that she will get her punishment when Issei is back. Well, another long day ahead of her... Being incapacitated on the bed that is...


    Ramius who''s nearby tilted her head in confusion while gazing at Riche who suddenly started looking around only to smile bitterly in the end.


    Ramius then shrugged to herself before she returns to her own training.


    ...


    Ibaraki - Buchou! I want to eat your cooking!


    Ibaraki suddenly raised her hand high with stars in her eyes while looking at Issei.


    Yasaka and Kunou who heard her words are curious because they don''t know that Issei could cook.


    Shuten - Maa~, now that Ibaraki said it, me too please, your majesty~


    Raikou - Muu~... As Ise-chan''s mother, I can''t accept it that he is a better chef than me... But at the same time, I felt really proud of him... Oh~ what a dilemma...


    Although Raikou said that with a pout on her face, she also wanted to taste his cooking once again.


    Issei - Hmm, now that I think about it... We still haven''t finished our breakfast yet... *Sigh* Fine, I''ll make you some food but after that, you better go back.


    Shuten and co - Haiii~

 Chapter 86 JUST A SHORT NOTICE

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 Chapter 86 - 85

    When Issei, Yasaka, and Kunou arrived at <Babylon> they become awestruck with how majestic it looks. The surrounding area of the <Babylon> is very beautiful and wondrous at that too.


    The sea of greenery from the forest and the crystal clear lake along with miniature waterfalls that fall down from the <Babylon> itself to the lake and river below it. There are huge trees that reach the clouds above. From Issei''s mouth, Yasaka and Kunou knew that it''s a Yggdrasil tree.


    At the nearby distance, there''s also a blue vast ocean and white sand beach. There''s also a harbor build there.


    The first thing that pops out in Yasaka and Kunou mind after seeing all this is... Paradise... Heavenly Paradise...


    They saw some kind of new species of animals here and there and they all live in harmony. But dragonkin species seems the dominating species here.


    There are some species that look like some sort of a wyvern, flood dragon, sea drake, earth drake, etc. They all seem to be kneeling or bowing deeply at Issei direction at this moment. Not very surprising considering his identity.


    Some of that dragonkin is trying their best to get stronger so they can transform into human form and able to serve Issei better while some just because they adore him and wanted to try courting him.


    There''s also some Angels and Devils flying around the <Babylon>. They appear to be patrolling the area to see if there are some intruders that are foolish enough trying to break into <Babylon>.


    Yasaka and Kunou already know about the Kalars race history from Issei, so they''re not that surprised seeing them.


    He told them all this during his stay in Kyoto.


    Issei doesn''t bring them directly into the portal room is because he wanted them to see the <Babylon> and its surrounding area.


    Raikou, Shuten, and Ibaraki already went back to their respective territory because it''s been a while since they left it. They reluctantly parted with Issei but soon they smirked to themselves because they can brag to the other Overlords about their stay with Issei.


    Issei can only sigh tiredly at that. He knows that in the near future the other Overlord will be more proactive because of their provocation... He should be more careful from now on just in case they pull another stunt just like Shuten and co did recently...


    When the patroling Kalars saw Issei''s party they instantly go down to the ground to greet him with endless respect and passion which Issei returned their greeting with the same intensity if not even more.


    Ekate & Marialis - Welcome back, Ise-sama.


    Both Ekate and Marialis who''s around also heard about his arrival and instantly went to his location. They both greeted him with the best smile they have and both of their beautiful black wings flapped around in happiness.


    Issei - Um, I''m back, Ekate, Marialis.


    Issei smiled back at them both.


    Ekate and Marialis are wearing a custom made outfit that differentiates them from the other Kalars.


    Ekate is wearing a full pink colored battle dress with some black feather around her arm and boots.


    Her pink horns which used to be small now grown a little bit longer since she''s been growing stronger ever since. She and the other Kalars are nourished by Issei''s "Essence" quite often after all.


    She''s wearing a collar-like pendant around her collarbone with the <ECH> insignia at the middle of it.


    (AN: https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/797613096827597318/5FD2614718900A214A526A313854302BB994F888/).


    Marialis is wearing a full black battle dress with light purple frills. If Ekate has a horn on top of her head then Marialis has another pair of small dark wings. And just like Ekate, she''s also wearing a pendant with the <ECH> insignia on it.


    (AN: https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/797613096827608059/23A707E9C409104E70FFECC8772D353F7A764EB8/).


    The other <9 Divine> members are away either at the Celestial realm or somewhere else at this moment.


    Issei then introduced Yasaka and Kunou to the Kalars.


    Kunou hid behind Issei''s back while cautiously looking at them. When they noticed Kunou gaze they smiled calmly at her and that for some reason manages to ease up Kunou and Yasaka nervousness.


    Kunou felt relieved because it seems the big sisters she just met seems to be a nice people while Yasaka kind of nervous to be judged by them because she already had a daughter. But it seems that her worry is unnecessary.


    The Kalars bowed slightly at them and both Yasaka and Kunou return the courtesy as well.


    Issei then asked Marialis and Ekate if Ramius and co are home or not but it appears that they''re currently training outside yet again.


    There''s only Semiramis and co at home right now, as in the Goddess party.


    They then entered the <Babylon> to meet with them. Along the way to Semiramis and co location, Yasaka and Kunou are in awe once again with the interior decoration inside <Babylon>, it''s so majestic and exotic looking...


    ...


    Kunou who saw Ophis and Lilith become pleasantly surprised and instantly hugged them both.


    Kunou - Phis-chan! Lith-chan!


    Ophis & Lilith - Hello, Kunou.


    They also hugged her back.


    They have become very close with each other during Kunou visit to Hyoudou household before after all.


    Yasaka already knows that Ophis and Lilith are staying with Issei now and they''ve also become his wives already.


    Now she''s starting fidgeting a little bit after being gazed by Semiramis, Scathach and Forzelotte.


    Irene only chuckled lowly at the side seeing her in this predicament.


    Yasaka also already knows that Irene is actually Ddraig.


    She, just like the others such as Rossweisse and Kuroka also become dumbfounded after finding out that the great Sekiryuutei is apparently a woman.


    Issei keeps quiet about Irene case with Albion back then though... He already promised Irene to not tell anyone about that after all.


    Not that it matters because the one who tells the others about her little secret is Semiramis and co. There''s nothing that Irene could do to stop them other than gritted her teeth in frustration about this.


    She thought that she ought to beat the crap out of Albion for this later on... She could ask Semiramis or Issei to extract his soul out of Vali for a few minutes for that.


    Albion who''s currently sleeping felt a sudden chill out of nowhere and started to look around wondering what just happen.


    Vali who was resting felt his partner sudden jolt and asked if something''s wrong.


    Albion said it must''ve been only his imagination much to Vali''s confusion. He''s also wondering just who is this <Dragon Nest> team but more than that he''s excited being able to fight strong opponents later on while Albion still trying to remember just why Irene''s name sound so familiar...


    Semiramis and co are silently inspecting Yasaka and Kunou with their gaze.


    Kunou automatically passes since she''s quite cute in their opinion and she''s still a little child so they can teach her easily about some stuff. But they won''t let Issei touch her for now since she''s still too small. Not like Issei would touch her inappropriately in any way though...


    They have to admit that Yasaka is very beautiful still even though she already has a daughter. They don''t really care about her background story as long as she stays loyal to Issei.


    Actually, Yasaka became even more beautiful after being nourished by Issei during his stay in Kyoto. No one really knows about the wondrous effect of Issei body fluid, not even Issei himself.


    At this point, his body fluid act just like how Elixir would. It could make a person younger and more beautiful and also enhance their strength slightly to a certain extent.


    Semiramis stands up from her seat and walks forward to Yasaka''s direction and she stopped right in front of her.


    She then squinted her eyes closely at Yasaka''s much to the latter nervousness but she looks quite calm on the outside and stared back at Semiramis.


    Semiramis - Hmm... So your name is Yasaka?


    Semiramis asked Yasaka with a small smirk on her face. She took a liking at Yasaka already for not backing down from her stare.


    Yasaka - Yes. And you must be Semiramis-sama, Ise-san has told me a lot about you.


    Yasaka also calmly answered Semiramis question with a slight bow. She''s not nervous about meeting Semiramis who is a True Death Goddess but she''s nervous because Semiramis is one of Issei''s main wives.


    Semiramis is one of a kind after all among the other girls here, so it''s quite easy to recognize her. Her long ears and ethereal beauty and also the way she dresses, all of her profile matches of what Issei informed her about Semiramis.


    Semiramis - Hee~ Is that so?


    She smiled at Yasaka''s words.


    For some reason, Yasaka felt like she''s currently standing in front of a mother-in-law rather than one of Issei''s wife.


    Semiramis - Dearest.


    Semiramis suddenly called Issei.


    Issei - Hm? What''s wrong, Semi?


    Issei curiously asked her.


    Semiramis - Why don''t you show Kunou-chan around our home for now? I want to have a little chat with Yasaka-san here.


    Issei - Umm, sure. But don''t make her more nervous than she is already, okay?


    Semiramis - Don''t worry, I just want to have a little chat with her.


    Issei then brings Kunou along with Ophis and Lilith to a little tour around the <Babylon>.


    Kunou felt worried about her mom but after being reassured by Issei and Yasaka herself that she will be fine she finally went with Issei.


    Semiramis - Now then, shall we have our little chat?


    Semiramis smiled thinly at Yasaka and the latter nodded with a smile of her own. Yasaka''s already knows just what they''re going to talk about so she''s not that nervous anymore.


    Just from the small eye contact they had just now, Yasaka already knew that the woman in front of her put Issei as her main priority above all else.


    They''re going to talk mostly about Issei himself. Semiramis wanted to see the extent of Yasaka''s loyalty and if she''s prepared to do anything for Issei, the love of her life.


    Then they had their little chat...


    During the tour, Kunou, Ophis, and Lilith had a fun chat with each other as well. Although, Kunou is the one who mostly does the talking while Ophis and Lilith answered her question now and then.


    But both Ophis and Lilith are also having fun while talking with Kunou. Issei who saw that smiled fondly at them.


    They are also accompanied by Rakia at some point.


    ...


    By the time Issei returned with the loli trio in tow, Yasaka has already blended in with Semiramis and co chatting and giggling at each other.


    Issei never stops being amazed by how quick they get along with each other. But he''s feeling relieved of it.


    Kunou instantly went to Yasaka''s side to tell her all about the little tour she just had.


    Issei smiled at them all before he took a seat at one of the sofas as well but the instant he sat down, both Ophis and Lilith also sat on his lap.


    Kunou - Ahhh! Not fair, Phis-chan, Lith-chan!


    Kunou who saw that instantly got jealous of them and she went towards Issei this time trying to compete for Issei''s lap.


    In the end, they compromised with each other. Ophis and Kunou stay at Issei''s lap while Lilith stays on Issei''s back being piggybacked by him. Lilith started playing with Issei''s hair the moment she sat on his shoulder.


    Issei could only smile wryly at their little contest while Semiramis and co giggled at him because he looks like a Dad that is surrounded by his children.


    Soon Ramius and co came back from their training. Then they introduced themselves with each other.


    Jalter as always went straight to the point and asked Yasaka loyalty towards Issei. Yasaka was a bit taken aback being bombarded with question by the other girls but she calmly answered them one by one and she passed with flying color.


    Rossweisse smiled wryly at Yasaka feeling bashful with each other while Kuroka grinned teasingly at her.


    Yasaka blushed slightly being teased by Kuroka because the latter told her that she knows her little "secret" before he becomes one of Issei''s wives.


    Yasaka and Kunou felt a little bit overwhelmed with how many beautiful women surrounding Issei but thankfully they all seem to be pretty easy to get along with.


    Kunou instantly got mofu-mofued by Croix who saw her for the first time. She flailed around her arms around trying to get away from Croix but to no avail.


    So she can only accept her fate... It''s not like being hugged by Croix feel bad or anything... If anything it feels warm as if she''s being hugged by Yasaka herself, it''s just that Kunou is feeling embarrassed. That''s all...


    Riche who just got home saw the beaming smile of Issei that aimed at her and she sweated seeing his smile that looks like not a smile. She knows she''s going to get it tonight...


    ...


    Then they spent some time staying at the <Netherworld>. Kunou plays around to her heart content while Yasaka is familiarizing herself with the system here.


    She also trained herself because she doesn''t want to drag Issei down.


    Issei doesn''t change Yasaka into a Dragon since she''s pure blooded Kyuubi but he infused some of his Dragon Aura towards Yasaka to boost her power.


    The moment Yasaka is infused with Issei''s Dragon Aura or more specifically, his <Yin & Yang> aura, she unlocked her next stage of evolution she never thought she possesses. From normal Kyuubi, she now has a White-tailed Kyuubi form which the opposite of her normal form that represents <Life>, this new form of hers represent <Death>.


    Semiramis herself found this amusing since Yasaka is the first Kyuubi to have both forms at the same time.


    In <Netherworld> there''s another White-tailed Kyuubi as well but unlike Yasaka she doesn''t represent <Life> but only <Death>.


    But that doesn''t mean that she''s weak though... After all, this White-tailed Kyuubi is one of the <Overlords> that goes by the name Hagoromo Gitsune. She''s quite loyal towards Issei since she wanted to have his child no matter what because she believes that Issei will be able to give her the best descendant she ever wished for.


    She, Hagoromo Gitsune, just like Yasaka is also a leader of a group of Yokai albeit much larger compared to Yasaka since in <Netherworld> the amount of Yokai here is bigger. They have their own nation/territory after all.


    Semiramis thought that Yasaka abnormality must have something to do with Issei. Not surprising since Issei is someone who''s able to make the impossible becomes possible and it has been proven time and time again.


    Xuanzang Sanzang also nicknamed Issei as a <Miraculous God Child> considering all of his achievements so far and the amount of good karma he has made her completely dumbfounded.


    She almost mistook him as Buddha himself but even she herself knows that even Buddha can''t compare with Issei amount of karma because she herself almost knelt in reverence in front of him while when she met Buddha himself she doesn''t have the urge to kneel but only admiration.


    (AN: The Buddha here is not the Buddha we all know in the real world. He''s the Buddha from Fate series, this is the "Buddha" I''m talking about so no offense intended for true Buddha believer, peace! https://typemoon.fandom.com/wiki/Saver_(Fate/Extra)).


    Now she knows a little just why a faithful believer such as Jeanne D Arc would change her beliefs from the Bible God to Issei.


    Heck! Issei even still accumulating good karma as we speak!


    But the real reason isn''t what she thought though... It''s because Jeanne fell in love with Issei something Xuanzang still doesn''t realize even though there''s already a budding feeling inside her when she first laid her eyes on Issei.


    Note that Issei''s charm has little effects on a devout believer such as Xuanzang. What attracts her is Issei''s huge amount of good karma that overshadows every holy being she ever knew. She almost got "converted" herself when she first met Issei.


    Semiramis thought that if Hagoromo Gitsune were to know of this then she might ask Issei to infuse some of his <Aura> to her. The thing is... Issei can only infuse his <Aura> through dual cultivation or in other words, through sex...


    Of course, Semiramis and co forbid her to bore his child before them. Hagoromo Gitsune told them she doesn''t mind how long she has to wait since she''s basically immortal anyway.


    Issei who knows about this becomes speechless... Doesn''t he have any say in all of this? Why do they treat him like some sort of a stud?


    And as Issei expected... Because of Raikou and co bragging to the other <Overlord>, they felt indignant and envious being left out and demanded that they could also spend some time with Issei as well.


    They lined up while bringing their achievement report hoping to get their long deserved reward much to Semiramis and co amusement.


    The <Netherworld> undeniably has become one of the most successful and thriving worlds in the entire multiverse now because of their hard work.


    Most world knows of the <Eternal Crimson Heart> and the <Gunguskar> corporation since the <Overlords> keep advertising it whenever they had the chance during their visit to the other worlds. Whether it''s directly or indirectly.


    Directly is self-explanatory while indirectly is how they''re wearing the <ECH> insignia or logo on their equipment or on their bodies which piques the onlookers'' curiosity.


    Just like what Raikou''s wearing before.


    Tio, Rakia, and Mertel is the one who comes up with that idea. They thought that it''s a great chance to promote their company brand.


    Forzelotte''s felt annoyed at this but she can''t do anything about it now... They''ve indeed already promised them back then if they manage to achieve a great achievement for themselves then they could have a chance to meet Issei directly face to face and try their best to earn his favor.


    Then she finally decided to just have a Walpurgis Night in the near future. It''s almost that time of the year after all.


    Of course, Issei will have to attend to it and meet with the Overlords there without his mask on obviously. The Overlords who heard that become ecstatic and they hurriedly prepare themselves for the upcoming event.


    It''s not every day that they could meet the <Supreme Overlord> face to face after all. Even the Kings of the human-realm also knows of this thanks to a certain someone who loves to share her story among the children.


    Issei could only smile wryly at this because it seems that he will have more work to do now... He honestly doesn''t know what to do with the <Overlords> who has feelings for him.


    He still hasn''t developed his feeling for them and if he accepts them now then it will be unfair to them since he still doesn''t love them yet. He doesn''t want any false love happening between them.


    He thought that he should let nature take its course at this point.


    The time for the rating game is near without Issei''s knowledge. Even if he knows he won''t care about it though.


    There''s no point for him to participate there since he''s far too overpowered already... There''s not a single person that can match his power in the DxD world whether it''s now or in the future. It''s not arrogance, but it''s just a simple fact.


    Sun Wukong already knows about the background of the <Dragon Nest> team which is a mystery to most people but he won''t tell anyone about this, obviously.


    He can only look forward to what''s to come along with their arrival later on.


    He remembered about Rias and co... He couldn''t help sighing in disappointment once again whenever he remembered it.


    He already read the report about Reiji and co and he doesn''t see anything special about them other than being pretty faced.


    What a joke he thought to himself... Handsome? If they thought that Reiji and co are handsome then how about Issei? The one who has an otherworldly visage and extremely overwhelming power at that?


    Sun Wukong - *Sigh* I can only hope that they don''t push it too far or they might have another war soon... But this time it won''t be called a war... Rather, a total massacre... On this world factions that is...


    He mumbled to himself before he inhaled his smoking pipe and exhaled once again. He knows for sure that even if the 4 factions of this world band together and had a war with Issei''s faction it will be a lost cause... A war they could never hope to ever win...


    Issei alone could annihilate them all single-handedly and he put his life on the line on that claim. Even though he never really see the full extent of his power but from their small bout beforehand his instinct is already telling him to never cross Issei''s path or the only outcome will be Death...


    Why only 4 factions you might ask. Even though it supposed to be 5? As in the Angel, Fallen Angel, Devil, Gods, and Yokai faction?


    Obviously, because the Yokai faction has already assimilated themselves to Issei''s faction. If they do have a war then the Yokai faction will stand with Issei''s faction.


    Heck, they might don''t need to do anything other than adding to the numbers and act like some kind of back up even though their help is not needed at all...


    He means... Did you see Raikou, Shuten, and Ibaraki before? If the 3 of them already have that much power then how about the rest of the <Overlords>?


    He shuddered a little just thinking about it... What a behemoth of a faction he thought to himself...


    ...


    At one morning, it''s been a while ever since Yasaka and Kunou staying at the <Netherworld>.


    Issei is currently sleeping on the bed while at his side there''s Jeanne and Jalter also asleep with flushed cheeks which made them even more mesmerizing. They cuddled themselves on Issei''s body.


    The three of them are stark naked at this moment. Their long, smooth and silky hair is sprawled freely on the bed. Jeanne''s golden blonde hair, Jalter''s platinum blonde hair, and Issei pitch black hair with a tinge of red at the end of his hair tip.


    Their <Mark> is located at their chest. Right where their heart is located to be exact. And it is glowing brightly signifying their everlasting love and undying loyalty for Issei.


    They look like they come straight out of a wondrous painting right now with how gorgeous Jeanne and Jalter is and how devilishly charming Issei is.


    There''s white fluid leaking out from both of Jeanne and Jalter crotch but that doesn''t bother them at all and even made them feel much more comfortable at sleeping, if anything, It makes them feel really warm and loved.


    After all, that is the proof of love from their beloved master for both of them. If they could have their love crystallization then it would be even more perfect.


    Both of their faces are blissfully smiling from the passionate night they had with Issei. This is one of the rare occasions where Ophis and Lilith don''t barge in during their lovemaking session.


    It''s because they''re currently sleeping with Kunou... Almost all of the girls felt immense awe and gratitude for Kunou because she''s the only one who can put a "leash" on Ophis and Lilith.


    So they can enjoy more private time with Issei nowadays.


    Jalter hugged Issei''s body tighter feeling greedy for his warmth. Issei who felt that slowly opened his eyes and set his gaze on Jalter''s face.


    After seeing her blissful face Issei also let out a smile of his own. He then wrapped his arm around her body to hold her tighter and he does the same to Jeanne''s.


    Their smile grew wider feeling his touch and they also opened their eyes slowly as well.


    Issei - Good morning, Jeanne, Jalter.


    Issei gave both of them a good morning kiss and they gladly reciprocate it.


    Jeanne & Jalter - Good morning, master.


    They returned his greeting with a loving smile. Only in front of Issei Jalter face would smile in happiness like this. In front of others, she would keep a cold and calculating face.


    Of course, her fellow sisters is also an exception for this case. But in the future, her face will smile more often because she doesn''t want their children to see that grumpy face of hers.


    She will just hide her cold and calculating side in the inside rather than the outside unlike the current her.


    Issei - Sorry if I woke you two up.


    Jeanne - It''s nothing, Master. You don''t need to blame yourself because we''re about to wake up anyway.


    Jeanne hurriedly said that.


    Jalter - She''s right, Master.


    Jalter hummed in agreement towards Jeanne''s words.


    Issei - Is that so? Then I''m glad I didn''t wake you two up.


    They then smiled at each other once again.


    There''s nothing that Issei could do to make them stop calling him master. Well, maybe if he forces them then they would stop but there''s no way in hell that Issei would force them against their wish.


    He would rather die than to force his wives to go against their own will.


    They are very adamant about this for some reason. In the end, Issei just let them be and it''s not like he really cares what they''re calling him in the first place.


    As long as they still love each other then that''s all that matters.


    Just like Semiramis once said. Issei himself won''t like it either if all of his wives went along with his words like some kind of doll.


    He doesn''t want that... What he wants is mutual respect between each other as husband and wife. Not a puppeteer and his puppets.


    Jalter thought of something before she gets on top of Issei''s body.


    Issei - Jalter?


    Jalter doesn''t say anything but her face is flushed before she gently grasps Issei''s Dragon down there and aimed it towards her nether region and inserted it right away.


    Jalter - Aaah...


    She moaned in bliss feeling his entire length inside of her once again.


    Jeanne and Issei were a bit taken aback when she suddenly does that.


    Jalter who saw their confused face pouted with a red face.


    Jalter - ...W-What?!


    She asked even though she knew just what caused them to become confused. This is the first time for her to take the initiative after all.


    It''s used to be Issei who initiate it.


    Hearing her words both Issei and Jeanne chuckled a bit.


    Issei - It''s nothing... I guess last night wasn''t enough for you?


    Jalter - ...H-Hmph...


    She averted her face to the side but doesn''t try to deny Issei''s words. She''s feeling annoyed a little that she''s the first to faint yet again rather than Jeanne last night so she thought that she should be the first to get his first load of the day.


    Issei smiled lovingly at her and that makes Jalter a bit dazed. Issei pulled her face close to his and give her a loving kiss that almost makes Jalter melt from the sheer pleasure and happiness she''s feeling right now.


    They then had another lovey-dovey session joined by Jeanne... But they stopped soon enough because it''s time for breakfast.


    The three of them came out with a glossy face and the other girls grinned teasingly at them.


    Issei only smiled at them back while Jeanne and Jalter blushed a little.


    After breakfast...


    Tio - Then Ise-san, let''s go and make your outfit for the upcoming Walpurgis Night, shall we?


    Issei - Oh, got it.


    Tio asked Issei with glee. Making clothes for Issei has been one of Tio''s hobby lately.


    Tilt - I want to help as well!


    Semiramis - Count me in as well.


    Scathach - Fumu, me too.


    Forzelotte - Umu, the same goes for me.


    Tilt who''s at Tio''s side chimed in along with Semiramis and co.


    Ophis and Lilith didn''t say anything, but seeing the way they stuck to Issei''s side then it''s safe to say that they will be coming as well.


    Rakia - Ise-sama, after you''re done with Tio-sama, please go meet Da Vinci-sama. She said that she wanted to discuss some things with you involving the stuff you asked her for.


    Issei - Um, thank you for your reminder, Rakia.


    Rakia - It''s nothing, Ise-sama. It is my duty.


    The thing that Issei asked for from Da Vinci is the help on making the rings for his wives. He''s not an expert on that field so he asked Da Vinci to help him with it along with the others.


    Da Vinci is one of the heroic spirits that work for Issei directly unlike some others who decided to become an <Overlord> instead because they thought it will be more fun that way. Of course, some of the Heroic and Divine spirits choose to move on, as in entering the cycle of reincarnation at long last...


    They''re too tired to continue on as they are and choose to forget everything...


    Issei recruited Da Vinci along with Xuanzang Sanzang and the others when he went to the <Holy Grail War> in the past by the request of Jeanne saying that she wanted to put a stop to it.


    Jeanne along with Jalter got a small twinge in their soul as if something trying to summon them but it won''t work anymore since she''s not a spirit any longer and they''re also protected by Issei''s Divinity.


    So, they know that the next <Holy Grail War> will happen soon enough.


    Issei along with Jeanne and Jalter went to the world that is currently undergoing a <HGW(Holy Grail War)>.


    They easily found the Grail location but they never thought that the Grail will be inside the body of a seemingly little girl inside a big mansion. The girl has crimson eyes and long white hair.


    But they notice that she''s not a normal human...


    The girl becomes alerted after 3 people came out of nowhere right in front of her.


    She screamed towards her servant, Berserker, asking for help because she thought that these 3 newcomers came for her.


    Not surprising since the 3 of them are nowhere looks like a normal person.


    ??? - B-Berserker!


    Along with her scream, there''s a huge humanoid creature came out from thin air.


    Berserker - Groaaaaaa!


    Berserker is a colossal, statue-like man who can be described as a "black giant." He gives off the impression of a monster just from first glance. Fitting to his name, Issei, Jeanne, and Jalter thought to themselves.


    Even after seeing this horrific beast-like man, Issei and co don''t even flinch much to the little girl confusion.


    When Berserker swung his gigantic greatsword towards them, Issei and co still don''t move from their place and the girl thought that they''re a fool only to become stupefied of what she saw in the next moment.


    *DING!*


    Issei calmly stopped Berserker greatsword with one of his hand. The difference of Issei''s small build and that gigantic greatsword is great but with a seemingly small arm of his, Issei easily stopped it in its track.


    ??? - Wha?!


    The girl let out a voice of disbelief of what just happen.


    If it were Jeanne or Jalter who stopped the sword then she could still find it believable since she can tell that both of them are a very strong servant.


    But she can''t sense anything at all from Issei, so she thought that he''s just a normal human, probably the Master of both Jeanne and Jalter.


    That''s also what Berserker is actually aiming for. He aimed for what appears to be the weakest link between the 3 of them... He never thought that this seemingly normal human is the strongest of them all...


    Berserker tried to pull back his greatsword but to no avail... It won''t even budge from Issei''s hand.


    It''s like its stuck in a vice grip.


    Berserker finally decided to let go of the sword and used his fist to punch at Issei instead.


    He aimed right at Issei''s head hoping to deal maximum damage.


    But this time his fist is blocked by Jalter with her sword.


    *CLANG!*


    The clash between her sword and his fist resounded loudly throughout the whole mansion. But Jalter clearly has the upper advantage seeing how calm she is after blocking Berserker punch while the latter is trembling slightly.


    Jalter - I''ve had enough of you... Do you think you can attack my Master again and again?! Begone!


    Jalter opened her mouth and blasted a black flame from her mouth towards Berserker.


    *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*


    Berserker''s body got enveloped by the flame and blasted through multiple walls of the mansion.


    ??? - Berserker!!!


    The girl screamed at the top of her lungs feeling worried about her servant.


    Her maids are also here wanting to help but there''s nothing they can do because if even Berserker stood no chance against the 3 newcomers then their chance is even lower than his...


    One of the maids gritted her teeth and told the second maid to bring the girl away from here while she stalls for some time.


    But before they can launch their plan they are blocked by Jeanne this time.


    ??? - Guh!


    When they''re about to go all out thinking that there''s no hope anymore they heard Jeanne''s spoke to them.


    Jeanne - Please, there''s no need to be worried. We meant no harm.


    Yeah right, like we can trust your words just like that... There''s no way that they can trust Jeanne and co words considering that they suddenly came here out of nowhere, is what on their mind.


    Even if the person in front of them seems like a Holy woman with the Holy aura she''s emanating right now. It''s all fair and square in the <HGW>.


    Jalter seems like she can see through their thoughts.


    Jalter - Hmph! Do you think that if we want to do something to you we will wait until now? We can easily beat the crap out of you if we ever wish to!


    She scoffed at them thinking how stupid of them thinking that they could get away if they wanted to do something bad to them and why would they wait till now when they clearly have the upper hand.


    They thought that Jalter''s words make sense since it''s a fact of how easily that they''re able to deal with Berserker just now, if they wanted them dead then they would be dead by now... But they still can''t trust them just like that, right?


    Issei tossed aside the sword in his hand and walk towards the girl...


    The girl and her maids become tenser when they saw him walking towards their direction.


    Issei lowered his body a little to match the girl height. He then took off his mask and asked the girl with a thin smile on his face.


    Issei - Can you tell me your name? My name is Issei Savant Hyoudou, nice to meet you. Oh, you don''t have to worry about your friend, my wife already made sure to hold back her attack just now.


    Issei reassured the girl since he knows that attack from Jalter just now is not her full power. At most, Berserker will only faint and if what he''s been told by Jeanne and Jalter, that Berserker should be a heroic spirit and there''s no way a heroic spirit will go down just like that.


    Actually, Berserker doesn''t faint but he''s still regenerating the damage he received and it will take a few minutes before he''s back to his top condition. It should''ve been faster but the damage done by Jalter is nothing to scoff at either and that''s not even her full powered attack.


    After seeing his face, the girl and her maids become totally dazed and dumbfounded, they also don''t realize that Issei just called Jalter as his wife.


    Jalter who heard Issei''s words blushed slightly and she''s holding herself back from smiling in happiness from being introduced as his wife, her mouth is spasming signaling that she''s about to lose the control of her face muscle.


    Jeanne who saw her reaction giggled slightly only to earn the glare of Jalter but this time her face turned completely red from embarrassment but her desire to smile disappears though...


    The girl unconsciously answered Issei''s question with a red face and little stutter because all of her tension seems to disappear into thin air... She felt like she could trust Issei even though they just met after seeing his smiling face.


    ??? - M-My n-name is... Ilyasviel... Ilyasviel Von Einzbern.


    Issei - I see... Nice to meet you Ilyasviel.


    Issei smile grew wider after he heard her name and that manage to make Ilyasviel and her maids'' heart flutter even more. They can feel their heart starting to beat erratically threatening to break free from their chest.


    Issei only took off his mask to gain Ilyasviel trust. He doesn''t want to hurt a little kid after all.


    They then have a little talk... Which resulted the end of the <Holy Grail War> once and for all and the freedom of the shackled Heroic Spirit, Divine Spirit, Anti Hero, Avengers, etc...


    ...


    Back at the DxD world.


    Inside the Sitri household.


    Sona Sitri at this moment is being dazed while looking at a picture of a man wearing a unique black mask. And it''s even only his head and not a full body picture.


    That man in the picture is of course Issei.


    This picture is the only clue she got about him. She waited for Yasaka to return but it has been quite a while ever since she''s away. Even Sun Wukong himself doesn''t really know when she will return much to her dismay.


    She never saw him again either... She tried searching for him but she got nothing... It''s like he''s never existed in the first place.


    There''s no person that goes by the name "Savant" either as far as she knows.


    She''s feeling irritated that she can''t find this man who''s able to beat her in a game of chess with such ease.


    From the start of the game until the end, she can only get swept away by his pace. It''s like it''s all according to his plan.


    It''s a first for her feeling like that. Whenever she tried to come up with a plan, he seems like he''s already two or three steps ahead of her.


    Even if she does unscientific moves, it''s still doesn''t work.


    In the end, she can only watch on as she loses her chess pieces one by one...


    The reason why she''s looking for Issei so desperately is because she made a vow back then in the past to avoid being engaged to someone she doesn''t know or hate just like Rias.


    She vowed that she will only marry someone who''s smarter than her or able to beat her in a game of chess.


    Ever since then there''s not a single person able to beat her in it. And along with it, she''s also never got forced to an arranged marriage by her parents.


    Serafall supports her decision too, but it''s mostly because she doesn''t want to lose her though...


    But she actually was hoping to be able to find someone that can beat her in both fields, whether in power and intelligence.


    She knows about Saji feelings for her but sadly she doesn''t see him that way.


    She states that she sees him more as a little brother and that she does not want to touch him when she knows that two other members of her peerage have shown romantic interest in him.


    And that two is Ruruko Nimura and Momo Hanakai who has a crush on Saji but he''s too oblivious of their feelings just like a certain somebody in the past.


    She''s also at the age where she''s looking for a love interest so finding someone who''s finally able to defeat her in chess is a starting point.


    Before this, she has an interest towards a man named Issei Hyoudou which she came to respect after getting to know him better.


    At first, she thought that he''s only a pervert but he proves himself to be more than that and his selfless side also manages to amaze her.


    The way he put his life on the line to protect his loved ones and friends is what attracts her so...


    But she thought that it will be inexcusable if she were to aim for Issei as a love interest because of her consideration for her best friend, Rias. So she only sees Issei as a friend ever since then...


    Although... Never in her wildest dream that Rias would abandon him like that... She''s very disappointed towards Rias and co but there''s nothing that she could do...


    No amount of advice or tips can help Rias and co now... Only they themselves could fix this and no one else could... And she has a feeling that it won''t be that simple just like how Rias expected it to be...


    Now her focus is on this mystery man... She wanted to see just who he is actually and how well is his personality.


    She can''t just forget about him just like that because she already made a vow before. Her pride won''t allow her to forget about this just like that.


    If he is worthy enough to be her husband then she will try it out with him. But if not then she can only hope that he''s at least reasonable enough to break off their "Engagement"...


    She decided to keep this a secret from her big sister and her parents for now.


    Sona - ...Just who and where are you...


    She mumbled in frustration.


    Right next to her there''s her trusted friend and Queen of her peerage, Tsubaki Shinra.


    At this moment she has this concerned face when she''s looking at her King.


    She knows what makes Sona looks so frustrated at this moment. At first, she also can''t believe it that someone is able to beat her King in a game of chess.


    But facts speak louder than words...


    She''s also helping Sona to search for this man who goes by the name "Savant".


    The Yokais are pretty tight-lipped as well so they can''t extract any information at all from them. This is the second time she saw Sona being so distressed like this.


    The first was when she finds out about Rias and co betrayal towards Issei. She''s also shocked of their betrayal, to be honest...


    She also respects Issei to a certain extent, he''s proven to be a very loyal and trusted person after all. Sure he''s kinda perverted but at least he''s open about it and doesn''t act like a hypocrite...


    She wishes that Kiba Yuuto is at least a little bit perverted though... He acts too gentlemanly sometimes that it kind of weird... And is that rumor of him and Issei having a relationship is really just a fake?


    The more she thought about it the more she''s starting to doubt the credibility of it...


    Issei suddenly felt a chill out of nowhere right when Tsubaki finishes her thoughts... If he knows what Tsubaki thinking right now then he might''ve just went nuts.


    Sona - ...*Sigh* Nevermind... It''s almost time for the rating game... Let''s resume our search for this man after the rating game, Tsubaki.


    Tsubaki - Hai.


    Sona decided to drop this matter for now because there''s no use to worry about it now. They need to focus on the upcoming rating game.


    She, just like the others are also wondering just who is this newcomer team they''ve never heard of...


    Sona - Let''s just go train some more and hope for the best...


    Then both of them went to train again putting aside their search for the mysterious man...


    Note that all this happened a few days after Sona loses against Issei...


    ...


    -Back to the present-


    Irene - Then we''ll see you later, beloved.


    Irene hugged Issei closely and look at him lovingly.


    Issei - Oh? You''re going somewhere?


    Issei asked Irene with wonder while he encircled his arms around Irene''s perfect hourglass figure.


    Irene - Me and some of the girls will go somewhere for a while. You could call it a girls night out.


    She winked at him with a mischevious smile before giving Issei a passionate kiss.


    Issei - Is that so? Then take care, okay? Just give me a call if anything dangerous happened.


    Issei said that after they separated their lips.


    Irene - Fufufu, you''re such a worrywart, we''ll be fine, did you forget just who I am?... Now go on, don''t keep Tio and the others waiting for you.


    Although Irene said that but inside she''s feeling really sweet and happy of Issei''s concern. The same goes for the other girls.


    Issei - Got it.


    With that Issei went with Tio and co to design his outfit for the Walpurgis Night...


    Irene then looked at Ramius and co with a smirk.


    Irene - Well, shall we?


    Ramius and co nodded solemnly at Irene''s words while Jalter''s started grinning evilly... They are heading towards one location and one location only... The World-Class Rating Game, Azazel Cup...

 Chapter 87 - 86

    Irene - King


    Jalter - Queen


    Jeanne - Bishop


    Croix - Bishop


    Ramius - Rook


    Gurigura - Rook


    Millet - Knight


    Natal - Knight


    Kyou - Pawn (2)


    Kinou - Pawn (2)


    Kathryn - Pawn (1)


    Yunyun - Pawn (1)


    Wiz - Pawn (1)


    Riche - Pawn (1)


    All of them are mutated pieces.


    ...


    Yasaka decided to return to Kyoto for now since it is almost time for the rating game.


    If Yasaka isn''t there then it would raise some questions from the other faction leaders.


    Odin, Shiva, Amaterasu, and the other Gods will be there as well after all.


    Yasaka said that she will check Kyoto since it''s been a while since she''s away. Issei thought that it makes sense so he doesn''t ask too many questions other than telling her to take care and to give him a call at any time if she needs his help.


    Yasaka just like the others can give an instant signal towards Issei if something dangerous were about to befall them. And Issei will go to their location immediately.


    Kunou chooses to stay with Issei and Yasaka doesn''t see any reason to forbid her to it so she let her stay much to her joy.


    She''s having a lot of fun during her stay in the <Netherworld>. She also made a lot of new friends.


    The children from Kyoto also came here to visit some time ago. They are offered by Issei himself to attend the school at <Netherworld> which Issei founded.


    In Kyoto, they need to live in hiding away from normal human eyes. But in <Netherworld> especially at Issei''s school... They don''t need to fear anything nor do they need to hide.


    Every single one of Issei''s school whether it be a Culinary School, Education School, Combat School, etc, have mixed race student inside it... Humans, Demi-Gods, Demons, Yokais, Dragons, etc.


    Some of the teachers are a volunteer worker that decided to follow Issei from the <Holy Grail War>. And some are the <Overlords>...


    Any race is able to join as long as they follow the certain rules of the school. One of the rules is obviously no discrimination amongst fellow students.


    Of course, the school grade is divided from kindergarten, elementary, and so on, just like how normal human school grade would.


    Issei doesn''t really demand any payment for those who wanted to attend the school, they are free to pay if they want but if they want to get their hands to certain things they need to pay for it.


    There are also multiple guilds available. Such as Adventurer guild, Mercenary guild, Merchant guild, etc.


    Adventurer guild and Mercenary guild are quite similar. As they mostly deal with Monster problems or exploration.


    Merchant guild is self-explanatory, they are obviously dealing with Economic stuff. But one thing all of these guilds have in common is they all founded by the <Eternal Crimson Heart> company.


    The <Netherworld> is a massive world. Even Issei never really explored the whole of it because it is by far the biggest world he ever saw.


    If compared to Earth on the DxD universe then their difference is about 10 times bigger give or take.


    Issei indeed has countless treasures that are given by Semiramis for him. But it would be foolish of him if he thinks that treasures would last forever.


    The last thing Issei wanted is for his loved ones to live in hardship so there''s no way for him to let that happen. He would provide anything that his loved ones need.


    Since Rosseweisse isn''t participating in the rating game, she decided to check on the seal of the Trihexa since what Issei told her is kind of bugging her.


    He said that it''s too weird for Trihexa to be sealed that easy considering the power it has.


    Even though Rossweisse knew that Issei can easily beat Trihexa now, she still needs to check its seal.


    It won''t be a good thing if it suddenly breaks free and brings Chaos to the world once again.


    So she went towards Trihexa sealing location while Irene and co went to the rating game location.


    Kuroka also tags along with them but not before she masks her presence and aura. She''s also going to participate in the rating game since she already promised Vali to be on his team.


    If she hasn''t promised Vali beforehand, then she might just decide to stay with Issei or come with Yasaka instead.


    She might not be showing it on the outside but she''s still feeling insecure about Koneko... If it really came to it then she will stop Irene and co at all cost.


    As long as they don''t kill Koneko then she can still accept it... No matter how painful the punishment will be, Koneko needed to face it. She reaps what she sows after all...


    Kuroka separated herself from Irene''s party when they arrive at the DxD world once again and headed towards Vali location.


    ...


    Vali team is currently waiting for Kuroka at the designated location. His team consists of:


    Vali - King


    Fenrir - Queen


    Gogmagog - Rook (2)


    Arthur Pendragon - Knight (2)


    Kuroka - Mutated Bishop


    Le Fay Pendragon - Bishop


    Bikou - Pawn (8)


    (AN: The number on the end of the Piece class is the total amount of pieces they possess. In the wiki, their team have Shu Wujing and Zhi Bajie in it but since there''s no info about them I changed it).


    Bikou - Where''s Kuroka at... She sure is late.


    Bikou said in a carefree voice.


    Arthur - No need to rush, I''m sure she will arrive soon enough.


    Arthur said in a calm voice.


    Le fay - Un, Kuroka-san will keep her words so there''s no need to be worried about her.


    Le fay chimed in with her brother words.


    Fenrir - Woof!


    Le fay - See, even Fenrir-chan agree with me.


    She patted Fenrir head which makes the latter growl and wags its tail joyfully.


    Gogmagog is waiting to be summoned by them so it''s not here at this moment.


    Just when they finished talking, there''s a magic circle appeared close to them and when the light disappeared, Kuroka presented herself to Vali and his team.


    Bikou - It''s about ti- Eh...?


    Bikou was about to say something but he becomes dumbfounded after seeing Kuroka.


    The others are also taken aback as well.


    Kuroka - I''m here nya~


    Kuroka waved at them.


    Le fay - K-Kuroka-san... I-Is that really you?


    Le fay asked her doubtfully.


    Kuroka - Of course nya? What''s wrong?


    Kuroka tilted her head playfully. She knows why they became dumbfounded after seeing her.


    She becomes much more alluring and mesmerizing after being "Nourished" by Issei almost daily. She just can''t get enough of their lovey-dovey session that she follows the footstep of Ophis and Lilith, as in she became the new addition of the "Intruder" squad.


    But at least she knows better compared to Ophis and Lilith just whose place she could intrude or not.


    Semiramis, Forzelotte, Scathach, and Irene is kind of obvious... They might shrug it off if the one who''s intruding is Ophis and Lilith. But if it were Kuroka then she might lose her time alone with Issei as punishment and she obviously doesn''t want that...


    Even Vali, Arthur, and Bikou himself become a little captivated by her current appearance.


    Her previous beautiful face becomes glossier and prettier, her voluptuous breasts and butt become firmer and fuller, her snow-white skin looks smoother than ever... Everything about her is gorgeous...


    But what attracts Vali attention the most is color of the tip of her tail and ear fur which tinged with red crimson color, it kind of reminds him and Albion of a certain Dragon. And there''s something with her that made him and Albion felt a little trepidation.


    It''s like they''re looking at a fellow Dragon rather than a Nekoshou...


    Albion closely examined Kuroka but he got nothing but the usual Kuroka''s nekoshou aura, although there''s a bit of difference as her aura become much stronger than before, but, that''s about it... The same goes for Vali and co.


    Kuroka has already hidden her Dragon aura and only let her Nekoshou aura appear on the surface.


    Kuroka is currently wearing custom made kimono she designed on her own. She studied a little bit of tailoring skill from Tio.


    Her current outfit is quite similar to her old outfit but with more frills and mixed color between crimson, gold, and black which suits her new appearance perfectly.


    Before Vali and co could ask her anything else, she beats them to it.


    Kuroka - Let''s go nya, we don''t want to be late now, do we?


    She bypasses them and somehow she appears to be the leader of the team rather than Vali. They could only dumbfoundedly follow her to the rating game location.


    When they arrived at the stadium, Kuroka attracts the male onlookers'' eyes automatically because she''s quite standing out compared to the other females around there.


    ...


    At Hyoudou household.


    Rias and her team consisting of:


    Rias - King


    Akeno - Queen


    Asia - Bishop


    Gasper - Mutated Bishop


    Xenovia - Knight


    Kiba - Knight


    Koneko - Rook


    Irina - Rook


    Reiji - Pawn (3) [Rias & Akeno BF]


    Ken - Pawn (2) [Asia]


    Souji - Pawn (1) [Xenovia]


    Ryutaro - Pawn (1) [Irina]


    Hijama - Pawn (1) [Koneko & Ravel]


    Rias - Are you all prepared?


    Rias asked her peerage members.


    Akeno & co - Yes!


    They all answered energetically. At least the girls'' and their boyfriends'' group did...


    Kiba only answered calmly while Gasper only nodded at Rias words. Gasper doesn''t have any spirit at all attending the upcoming rating game.


    He barely trained himself. He totally focused on taking care of Valerie as an excuse so he doesn''t need to see Rias and co that often...


    There''s nothing Rias and co could do to make him stay. He seems very distant from them nowadays.


    Rias and co felt sad about this but they can only hope that things will return like it''s used to be.


    Rias was afraid of what to say towards others about Issei''s "absent" but thankfully her elder brother, Sirzechs and co already covered that up by saying that they sent Issei away for some secret mission much to the public confusion.


    But there''s nothing they could do other than believing their words. It''s not like they have any reason to lie to them, right?


    And again... Sirzechs spoiled his little sister in the wrong way... Even though he felt disappointed towards Rias, he still doesn''t want her to suffer from the public jeering.


    It would be catastrophic if the other factions knew about Rias and co secret affair... Shiva for one might just do something unthinkable towards her and the other girls...


    What they don''t know is that Shiva has already got the gist of what happened... He saw the future where Rias and co in agony but what surprises him so is that he doesn''t see Issei anywhere near them.


    In fact, he couldn''t foresee Issei future at all. He also tried to see just who is this <Dragon Nest> is but he came up with another blank...


    So he concluded something has happened between Rias and Issei because if it''s the Issei Hyoudou he knew then he wouldn''t let Rias and co be in that state of agony...


    He thought that things should get more interesting from now on so he let it be and doesn''t investigate any further than this...


    Sairaorg who heard of Issei''s absent thought that it''s too bad that he couldn''t fight against the latter once again. The same goes for Vali, Cao Cao, Riser, and etc.


    Vali also has a suspicion about all this but there''s nothing he could do other than believing Sirzechs and co words... Even Azazel told him that it''s all good.


    Rias said thank you once again towards Sirzechs and co of their "help" for them. She''s also hoping that Issei will return to them soon enough.


    But they need to focus on the rating game for now because she and the girls thought that it will be inexcusable if they were to lose in this rating game.


    They have been training with all their might during this time after all. So it should work out, right...?


    They still have that blind hope thinking that it''s all going to be okay just like it used to be... But alas... Not this time...


    And with that, they all teleported themselves to the Azazel cup stadium...


    ...


    One by one, the participants for the rating game came to the stadium waiting for the start of the rating game.


    From Rias team to Vali, Sona, Sairaorg, Riser, Dulio, Cao Cao, Shiva, Typhoon, etc...


    Sona, Sairaorg, Riser along with their peerage greeted Rias right away when they saw them but the girls on their respective group frowned a little seeing how Reiji and co gazing at them which makes them kind of feeling uncomfortable for some unknown reason even though they look proper on the outside.


    They don''t know why but they are giving them a very bad vibe...


    Reiji and co extended their hands to give Sona and the others peerage handshake and the latter group reluctantly shake their hands. But they are less enthusiastic when they are shaking Saji''s hand or with other male members from their peerage for that matter.


    Saji and co are fine with this because they also share their feelings while some just doesn''t care about it.


    Bennia the former grim reaper of Hades felt disappointed that Issei isn''t with them since she''s a big fan of him.


    Bennia has the appearance of a girl with pale skin. She is described as a cute girl with long, dark purple hair and sleepy golden eyes. Her hair is tied in a long braid by a bow with a purple skull, reaching all the way down to her hips. Bennia also has 3 black markings on both her thighs also having gold neon lines in its interior.


    She wears a white skull mask in conjunction with her Grim Reaper clothing which consists of a light blue dress and a black and white hood resembling a jester cap with an emerald gem at the tip. She also wears black elbow length gloves covered in gold neon lines with gems at the back of her wrists. As a huge fan of Oppai Dragon, she has many embroideries of its designs on the back of her black cape.


    Bennia is shown to be an upbeat and outgoing young girl. She greatly admires the Oppai Dragon, comparing the Hyoudou Residence to Shangri-La. She can also be a bit of a prankster, such as dropping Elmenhilde Karnstein out of her magic circle several feet off of the floor or a roof.


    Not much is known about Bennia''s past, other than the fact that she used to serve as a Grim Reaper alongside her father, Orcus, under Hades in the Underworld. She eventually left the place as she could not get along with Hades and his method of doing things.


    Elmenhilde Karnstein also came towards Rias''s team and greeted Gasper her fellow vampire but she''s quite confused as to why Gasper seems so down. She''s also quite disappointed that Issei isn''t here with them.


    Elmenhilde Karnstein is a Noble pure-blooded Vampire and a member of the Carmilla Faction, a female-dominated Vampire faction, that was previously in a civil war with the Tepes Faction, a male-dominated Vampire faction.


    Elmenhilde has a doll-like appearance with long wavy light blonde hair, deep red eyes, and a beautiful face similar to that of a Western doll. She also has a pale skin tone similar to that of a corpse.


    As a pure-blooded Vampire noble, she originally had an extremely arrogant, noble, and selfish personality, often discriminating against those who are not pure-bloods, such as herself, although she was capable of acknowledging someone''s strength, even if they were outside her race. However, sometime after the chaos caused by the civil war in her homeland and Rizevim''s actions, she becomes much more calm, sweet, sensitive and kind, ultimately dropping her discriminatory and arrogant attitude.


    Elmenhilde is seen to act flushed and embarrassed at the mention of Issei, showing that she has fallen for him. Similar to Ravel, she previously looked down on Issei, but over time she developed feelings for him. She can be quite clumsy with trivial things when nervous, as shown when she tripped and dropped a tray with teacups by accident.


    Shiva team surprisingly only has him alone. He''s participating only to find a good match and he thought that perhaps this <Dragon Nest> team is the one.


    He''s more like a guest contestant rather than actual participants. He will only fight the team that reaches the final, but if that said team lose against him they are still considered winning the game already.


    Rias and co tensed up a little when they saw all the participants here. Reiji and co keep glancing left and right seeing the other participants members.


    Their eyes are glued to every beautiful girl they see. They have this bright greedy glint on their eyes whenever they saw them but their face looks calm on the outside just like a gentleman would. They thought that they''re so lucky able to see this many beautiful women at the same place.


    Their gazes moved on to one beautiful woman after another.


    Rias and co are oblivious to this since they hid it so well and the girls are also feeling rather nervous seeing other participants.


    While Reiji and co are feasting their eyes on other girls, the other male onlookers'' also feasting their eyes at Rias and co.


    But most of the men there set their gazes on Kuroka who''s currently silently gazing at Koneko.


    There are disappointment and regret inside her gaze while looking at the latter. Rias and co also become stupefied after seeing the new Kuroka.


    But Reiji and co almost drooled a little while looking at her. Little Hijama even keeps glancing between Koneko and Kuroka while he''s comparing them both.


    He rudely thought that they don''t look alike at all for a blood-related sibling. For one, Koneko isn''t as voluptuous as Kuroka and then, she''s also not as beautiful as the latter... He thought to himself, how good would it be if he can have Kuroka instead of Koneko as his girlfriend.


    He''s getting really annoyed by Koneko and Ravel treating him like some kind of toy... He wanted to be spoiled by a mature woman such as Kuroka instead as a change of pace...


    Thankfully, lately Koneko and Ravel aren''t that competitive like before so he got some room for breathing. They are mostly focused on their training that''s why and Koneko often becomes dazed while looking blankly at the air.


    Kuroka''s words keep repeating itself inside her mind now and then. She started recalling the time she''s spent with Issei in the olden days... The same goes for Rias and co...


    Hijama thoughts are shared by Reiji and co as well. After all, Kuroka is an adult woman already, so she has that certain charm and aura that Rias and co will never have...


    Koneko body trembled slightly under the gaze of Kuroka, but Hijama is too captivated by the sight of Kuroka to notice...


    Only Ravel tried to do something for Koneko but being gazed by her mother and brothers she''s also having it hard. The same goes for Rias and co who''s currently gazed by their respective parents or guardian.


    Akeno by her father Baraqiel, Irina by Michael, Rias is obviously by Sirzechs, Grayfia, her parents, etc...


    They either have this questioning gaze or disappointed gaze on their eyes. The confused party is confused just who is these newcomers(Reiji and co) that came with them, but after being "Explained" by Sirzechs they nodded to themselves thinking that they are just a temporary replacement for Issei''s absent.


    Although, Venelana, who''s Rias and Sirzechs mother doesn''t buy their words at all. Her womanly instinct is telling her that there''s something more to this... The same goes for Ravel mother.


    And the way Reiji and co looking at them making them felt a little angry because unlike Issei''s gaze back then, their gazes hold too many impure thoughts... If they''re not acquaintanced with Rias and co then they might''ve just slapped them outright for being so disrespectful.


    But for their daughter sake, they held it in...


    Bikou and co are confused why did Kuroka look at her beloved little sister like that. Vali narrowed his eyes while looking at Reiji and co.


    He sensed something is very suspicious about these newcomers but he doesn''t know why he felt this way...


    Shiva who saw Reiji and co finally realizes just what''s going on... No wonder he can''t "see" Issei anywhere when he saw the future of Rias and co...


    He smirked at them thinking what a joke... He can see Reiji and co like an open book and they disgust him to no end...


    If he doesn''t see their future then he might do something towards them but since he has already seen it, he sees no reason to do anything at all. Their destiny has been set in stone after all.


    He only scoffed at them one last time before he took his gaze off of them looking completely bored, but he''s also wondering just where Issei currently is...


    Sirzechs and co who''s by his side sweated because they thought that Shiva has realized something but from the looks of it, he doesn''t? That is until they heard his next words.


    Shiva - Hmm, how disappointing... Is this how you educate your sister, Sirzechs Lucifer?


    Sirzechs body trembled slightly hearing Shiva''s voice.


    Sirzechs - W-Whatever you mean, Shiva-sama?


    Sirzechs tried to feign ignorance. But his pale face, the little stutter he had, and the sweat that currently rolling of his cheek kind of gave it away...


    Shiva - Who knows... Well, whatever... It is not my place to judge them anyway.


    With that Shiva closed his eyes while sitting on his chair.


    Sirzechs can only grit his teeth in frustration hearing his words. Even he doesn''t want any of this to happen but there''s nothing he could do anymore to fix it... The same goes for Grayfia who''s standing nearby him.


    Thankfully his parents and Ravel parents party are not nearby or they could hear Shiva words just now...


    Azazel and co know that Shiva now knew what really happened. Odin who''s nearby look kind of down because he is still hoping that he could find Rossweisse.


    He doesn''t really care about Rias and co case anymore other than Rossweisse case. So far he got nothing on his search for Rossweisse. Deep inside he''s actually blaming Rias and co...


    He thought that it''s because of them that all this happened in the first place. If they didn''t do what they did then Rossweisse would still be here... Odin already knew about Rossweisse took a liking of Issei and he totally agrees with her decision and fully supported her on the pursuit of her love.


    Rossweisse herself forgot to inform Odin about her wellbeing because she''s too over the cloud after she becomes Issei''s wife.


    And she''s also busy during his stay over there leading her own regiment of Valkyrie that Issei "recruited".


    Walkure Ortlinde, Walkure Hildr, Walkure Thrud is some of them.


    While the most loyal of them all is a Valkyrie who goes by the name Brynhild (Brunnhilde).


    She''s saved by Issei after he killed the All-father Odin.


    (AN: Not Odin from DxD world and the same goes for the Brynhildr).


    Odin is a great God who is the father of Brynhildr and many other Valkyrie. Odin blessed Hjalmgunnar of the country of the Goths with victory in his battle against Agnar, but Brynhildr supported Agnar who defeated Hjalmgunnar.


    When she was guiding to Valhalla warriors who died as faithful servants to the Great God, at some time, Brynhildr allowed a warrior to gain a victory that differed from Odin''s intentions. She experienced the Great God Odin anger, he punished Brynhildr for her betrayal by stripping her of many of her divinities, placed her into a state of suspended animation with the "pale rune of punishment", and placed her in a circle of flames situated at the summit of Hindarfjall. She was later saved by Issei.


    The reason for Issei and Odin fight is because Odin wanted to take Scathach <Gae Bolg> spear as his own, he won''t settle for the prototype he currently has. And he also lusted over some of his wives such as Scathach herself thinking that she should be the best wife candidate for his harem and to create the strongest descendant.


    At first, Issei warned him but he ignores Issei warning and when Issei found out that he''s being disrespectful towards his wives... Issei wasted no time and doesn''t care for any consequences of what would happen after he killed Odin using the very same spear he''s coveting, which is the <Gae Bolg> itself. He stabbed Gae Bolg right into Odin''s heart and that instantly killed the latter.


    Issei killed Odin effortlessly like he''s some kind of insect that makes the other Gods fear him even more because Odin is the strongest God as far as they know.


    It''s not like other Gods or his subordinates doesn''t try to help Odin during his fight with Issei but they all occupied with Issei''s own army of Kalars and wives.


    They have a pretty short war... If it could even be called a war at that point because the only suffering side is Odin''s side. The <9 Divines> along with the other Overlords who participate easily massacred any opposing foe that doesn''t want to surrender.


    Shuten, Ibaraki, and Raikou are among that Overlords.


    Multiple Gods and Demi-Gods were slain that day... The surviving Gods called that day as the <Ragnarok>...


    Not even Odin body is left behind since Issei erased it along with his very soul...


    It''s not like Odin is weak or anything... He''s as strong as Ophis or perhaps Great Red at the very least but Issei is even stronger than him much to his disbelief when he fought Issei... He thought that Issei is just your everyday brat who thought too highly of himself. But apparently, he''s clearly the one who thought too highly of himself... And that mistake of his cost him his life...


    Issei doesn''t go alone this time because he thought that it''s a great chance for some training session for his wives. Well, his wives are the one who asked him for it though... They wanted to use this chance to gain more experience for themselves.


    Issei borrowed Gae Bolg from Scathach which the latter gladly gave it to him. She even said that he can have it if he wanted since Issei can fully utilize it just like she could, perhaps even better. But Issei declines it saying that it''s better for her to own it rather than him since she needs it more than him.


    Issei could use any kind of weapon without limitation thanks to his <Eternal Arms Mastership> that he trained until absolute perfection.


    Whether it be spears, swords, bows, dual swords, etc. He could use them all without a single flaw now.


    Scathach also knows this well since she''s right beside Issei whenever he''s training himself.


    The other Gods that sided with Odin become stricken with terror seeing how easy Issei killed Odin just like that. But some of them such as the Valkyries are glad that Odin has finally died because he''s such a tyrant for them all.


    The Valkyries instantly gave their loyalty towards Issei as long as he doesn''t treat them like how Odin would and some of the Valkyries asked Issei to free Brunhild and Issei did just that.


    But not because he wanted to gain the Valkyries loyalty for himself. He just despises what Odin did towards her own daughters...


    When Issei found her she''s completely naked leaving her flawless body laid bare before Issei. But there''s not a single lustful desire could be found inside Issei''s eyes when he laid his gaze on her other than pity.


    Brynhildr has a delicate body and mystical long white hair with a teal accent reminiscent of the night sky as she enters battle clad in silver armor unrecognizable to Saber. Formerly a Valkyrie, she is now a mortal human that possesses a perfect body.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fategrandorder/images/a/a8/Brynhildr4.png/revision/latest?cb=20160203163859).


    Brynhildr becomes petrified seeing that someone came to this God forsaken place. She asked Issei for what does he came here.


    Issei only said that he came here to give her freedom back. Just that one word shocked Brynhildr to her very core. How long has it been ever since she heard that word that she craved so very much after all this time...


    In the end, she gave her undying loyalty towards Issei swearing that she will follow him until her demise as long as he keeps his words of giving her freedom. She has no familial love towards Odin in the slightest considering how he treated her... The same goes for the other Valkyries.


    They are treated just like how a machine or tools would. Only after seeing how Issei interacted with his army that they know that Issei is clearly different than Odin...


    The other Gods thought that it would be extremely stupid at this point trying to fight Issei over a dead Odin so they also swore their fealty towards Issei.


    Issei is completely uninterested with them so he ignores them all and leaves them be much to the other Gods relief but some of them took interest of him.


    The Valkyries followed Issei along just like how a chick would follow their mother would... But in this case, it''s a father instead...


    One thing led to another they finally joined the <ECH> company and Rossweisse has become their leader later on along with Brunhild herself as Rossweisse vice-captain in the Draconic Valkyrie regiment.


    Rossweisse kind of has an awkward feeling about this because, back in DxD world, she also has a senpai that taught her a lot back in the past during her apprentice day. And her name is also Brynhildr...


    (AN: From now on, I will call the Brynhildr from Fate series with "Brunhild" while from DxD still with "Brynhildr" to avoid further confusion).


    ...


    The known team list:


    Team Dragon Nest


    Team Rias Gremory


    Team Imperial Purpure


    Team White Dragon Emperor of the Morning Star


    Team Sona Sitri


    Team Spear of Heavenly Emperor


    Seekvaira Agares''s Peerage


    Team Trump Card of Heaven


    Team Babel Belial


    Team Phoenix


    Team Black Satan of Darkness Dragon King


    Team Vajra


    Team Asura


    Team Leisure of the Kings


    Zatouji''s Team


    Team Shooting Star


    Team Black


    ETC


    The stadium becomes more crowded over time with the participants flooding in one after another.


    Thankfully the location where they held their rating game is quite large.


    The participants have a chat with each other. They are discussing about famous teams such as Vali''s team, Sairaorg team, Cao Cao team and the like.


    But what most of them talking about is the mysterious <Dragon Nest> team because they can read about other contestant teams information to a certain point but not this specific team.


    The available information they know is that all of this team member is a Dragon race and they all are female. As for their name, they can''t recognize a single one of them...


    They are completely unknown to every single individual here except for Kuroka, Yasaka and Sun Wukong who just arrived not too long ago. But even Sun Wukong never saw Irene and co face to face so he''s also wondering just what are they looks like.


    Just like Kuroka, Yasaka also attracted a lot of the male onlookers'' gazes.


    Yasaka and Sun Wukong greeted Sirzechs and co along with Amaterasu and co who''s quite surprised after seeing the current her.


    Because they can feel that something is really different about Yasaka but they can''t really tell just what it is. It''s like she''s shrouded in mystery... Yasaka obviously hid her strength and aura to a certain extent so everyone who saw her only thinks that she has gotten stronger but that''s about it.


    They can''t sense the divinity she possesses which are given by Issei. But the other female Gods asked her including Amaterasu herself just what is her secret for looking more beautiful than ever.


    Yasaka can only smile wryly at their question with a tinge of blush on her cheeks and told them that she''s not so sure either. She can''t tell them her little secret after all that her new dearest husband is the secret behind her beauty nowadays...


    They also asked where''s Kunou because she usually always stick with Yasaka wherever she goes. Yasaka said she''s staying at her friend house at the moment.


    Yasaka accidentally saw Odin who seems kind of down and she realizes that he still doesn''t know about Rossweisse well being and still searching till this very day. She can only apologize inside her mind for forgetting about Odin case.


    Well, it will all become clear soon enough anyway so it should be fine, she added inside her mind.


    She glanced towards Rias party and when she saw Reiji and co leering at her direction there''s a glint of disgust inside Yasaka''s eyes.


    She doesn''t really see anything special about them. What bunch of hypocrites she thought to herself...


    They might look proper on the outside but their gazes are so impure that it sickens her. She turned her gaze towards Rias and co and she felt nothing but disappointment now when she saw them...


    Rias and co felt shame and guilt whenever they saw the questioning or disappointed gazes that are aimed towards them.


    They then approached by multiple individuals that wanted to get to know them better hoping to get on their good book and perhaps getting some profit in the process. It is their chance considering that the <Sekiryuutei> who''s supposed to be their fiancee isn''t here right now.


    Only then Reiji and co retracted their gaze from Kuroka and Yasaka and act like they''re their protector as a rightful boyfriend.


    Sona was about to go to Yasaka''s place to ask some question about the man named "Savant" but she stopped in her track soon enough because the whole stadium suddenly becomes silent...


    All of the commotions that''s happening on the stadium soon died down when they saw a specific group entered the room. One by one they all looked at the entrance...


    The party is led by an otherworldly beauty with scarlet hair. She''s wearing her usual witch outfit.


    Her gazes are sharp and filled with pride but not to the point of arrogance. Her bearings look just how a Queen would look like. Quite suitable considering she is indeed the <Queen of Dragons>, Irene Belserion Hyoudou, but to the public, they only know her as Irene Belserion H.


    Ever since Irene first appearance, there are a lot of people trying to gain info about her but as always, they all came up with a blank...


    Behind her, there''s also a gorgeous group of woman that''s quite different from each other.


    Some of them look calm and proud, some look holy and pure, some look menacing and gallant, etc.


    They are of course Ramius and co.


    Their clothing isn''t that much different from their old clothes. It can be said their current outfit is the upgraded version of their old clothes. They choose their old clothing design for this specific occasion since its the most comfortable for them to move in, and it''s also accentuated their beauty and curvaceous body even more.


    Ramius still has the long sleeved black mini jacket she used to wear before, but this time with more decoration and a little bit of change here and there. The same goes for Riche and co outfit.


    Croix for another example is still wearing her usual one-piece dress but with a bit more addition here and there. Her outfit main theme color is still white but her belt that used to be colored gold is now colored crimson gold.


    She''s also wearing gloves that are imbued with multiple enchantments that boosted her power.


    Jeanne armor clothing is mostly the same but instead of blue colored, it''s a combination between crimson and white. Her flag also isn''t the old white orchid but the <ECH> insignia instead. Her long golden blonde hair is tied into a long braid.


    Jalter also the same as Jeanne but instead of pure black like her old outfit, it''s also has a mixed crimson color to it. Her flag also the same as Jeanne but while Jeanne flag is mostly white, hers is crimson black. Just like Jeanne, she also has her long platinum blonde hair tied into a long braid.


    Overall, they look like twins with a completely different air around them. Jeanne has a calming aura that could calm people while Jalter has a sharp aura that instills awe to others. They''re currently holding their respective flags.


    Jeanne is at Irene''s left while Jalter is at her right. They unfurled their unique looking flags that manages to awe the onlookers''.


    The sight of them entering the stadium made all of the onlookers'' amazed and awe-struck.


    Especially the male onlookers'', some of them even blushed red like they just had a sudden fever, some drooled, some even had a massive nosebleed... One thing they have in common is that they instantly fell head over heels seeing this group of ethereal beauties.


    Sirzechs and co attention instantly zeroed on Irene and co the moment they entered the stadium but they are also become stupefied after seeing them.


    Koneko and co for one are surprised seeing Gurigura who has cat tail and ears.


    The one who''s stupefied the most is the angel party.


    They saw Jeanne and Croix whose whole body radiating holy aura that manages to overshadow their holy power. The Devils who saw them felt trepidation but also felt attracted to them just like how a moth to a flame would.


    They are the very definition of femme fatale...


    Michael and co recognize Jeanne and Jalter but they don''t know what to say because they''re supposed to be dead and should''ve been reincarnated already as far as their knowledge goes.


    There''s indeed the incarnation of Jeanne somewhere before who goes by the name Laeticia but that was ages ago... Laeticia is the one who Michael and co have knowledge about.


    She''s born into a rich family and had a happy and peaceful life as compensation for her past life tragedy...


    Michael and co didn''t know about the existence of the <Holy Grail War> that manages to shackled Jeanne and Jalter true souls along with other Heroic spirits and Divine spirits. There are many things that they don''t know yet...


    Well, Jalter is more of a corrupted soul of Jeanne but they of course didn''t know that.


    (AN: I will call Jeanne from Issei''s side with "Jeanne" while Jeanne from DxD with "Joan").


    Joan who''s with Cao Cao felt somewhat close towards Jeanne and Jalter, not surprising since she''s their supposed "Descendant".


    The Dragons from DxD side except for Tannin, Tiamat, Yu Long, etc. bowed their head towards Irene and co in respect. They felt their instinct took over them and their body unconsciously or consciously bowed automatically in respect.


    Even Tannin himself felt an urge to just bow towards Irene when he first met her but he can resist that urge unlike some of the dragons here...


    Sun Wukong who saw the awed face of Yu Long smirked at the latter. Actually, Sun Wukong himself is feeling amazed by Irene and co... So this is "his" women... What a bunch of splendid women... Sun Wukong mused to himself.


    Tiamat and co are currently in their human form or in their miniature Dragon size.


    The other onlookers'' are confused about all this but soon they remembered the title that Irene has... <Queen of Dragons>... No wonder the Dragons bowed towards them they all thought to themselves. What a befitting title...


    Albion who''s residing inside Vali felt even more familiar feeling coming from Irene but he still can''t fully recall it.


    ''Hmm... Just where have I heard that name before... And that aura... Nevermind that for now, I need to warn Vali'', Albion thought to himself before calling his partner.


    Albion - Vali.


    Vali - Hm? What, Albion?


    Vali who heard his partner calling him snaps out of his thoughts and asked back.


    Albion - You better prepare yourself because all of them are really strong... I can''t say for sure just how strong they are but give or take they are about on par with Sirzechs Lucifer and the other faction leaders in term of strength as far as I can tell...


    Albion warned Vali with a stern voice.


    Vali - Heh, is that so?


    Vali only smirked with a battle maniac smile on his face while looking at Irene and co itching for a fight.


    Albion - You might have a chance with the other women but don''t challenge that scarlet haired woman.


    Albion once again warned Vali, but this time with more intensity compared to his previous warning.


    Vali - Hoo, and why is that? Is she that strong?


    Albion - ...I can''t sense her power at all. But my instinct is telling me that if you were to fight her then it will be instant defeat and perhaps even death... Even if you were to use <Diabolos Dragon Lucifer> form... That, I can assure you...


    Vali eyes widened a little after hearing Albion words because that form is Vali strongest form. The same goes for his other team peerage but one specific person...


    Kuroka - You better listen to Albion''s warning, Vali... She''s not someone you can hope to defeat for the current you.


    ''And perhaps never able to...'' Kuroka added inside her mind because she knows that Irene is connected with Issei. And the stronger Issei get, the stronger Irene will be and vice versa...


    Sadly, Irene can''t master the <Chaos> element Issei has or his other special skill such as <Devour> and the like. But if they took those special elements out of the picture, then Irene more or less will have the power that comes closest to Issei''s strength...


    Irene is undeniably the strongest woman in Issei''s harem. Hence her title as the <Queen of Dragons> since Issei is the <King of Dragons> is really on point... Or perhaps it is more suitable to call him the <True Dragon God King> now...


    Vali and co who heard Kuroka''s words become completely taken aback because they can tell how serious Kuroka currently is. Her face is completely serious when she said this and her usual "Nya" also isn''t present in her words just now.


    Vali - You know her, Kuroka?


    Vali asked the question that everyone nearby wanted to know because the way she''s so sure with her words kind of make them a little suspicious.


    Kuroka - Nya~? Who knows~?


    She smiled playfully at them.


    She returns to her playful side immediately much to Vali and co annoyance.


    Tiamat also felt the same as Albion but unlike the latter, she honestly never met Irene before. Tiamat only met "Ddraig" and never met "Irene" after all. The same goes for Tannin and co.


    They only felt kind of familiar with Irene''s aura but it is too different compared to the old Ddraig after all.


    Only Albion, Ophis, and Great Red have met with "Irene" beforehand. But the last two is too forgetful or just can''t be bothered to remember this...


    Even Asia familiar, Rassei suddenly appeared on his own without her summoning him.


    Asia - Rassei!


    Asia tried calling her familiar but it looks like he''s entranced and doesn''t respond to her call and only bowed in submission towards Irene and co. He acts just like how a subject met their Queen would... Total submission...


    Asia is confused about this and the same goes for Rias and co.


    Reiji and co once again look like they just got their soul stolen when they saw Irene and co because of how captivating they are...


    Asia''s sudden shout is like a signal for Irene and co.


    They all instantly set their gazes towards Rias and co and when they saw them, most of the girls let out an intense bloodlust towards the latter group. Especially Jalter whose eyes started glowing with intensity like she can''t wait to decimate them all.


    While the girls who have a pure heart such as Yunyun, Wiz, Jeanne and Croix only frowned but they''re also feeling angry at them.


    Thankfully Irene already predicted this was going to happen so she erected a silent barrier without anyone else noticing it. But Shiva frowned a little because he can feel a tiny bit of magic fluctuation coming out from Irene.


    He then tried to read Irene future only to come up with nothing once again much to his amusement. He thought that things will really get very interesting soon...


    So in the eyes of the onlookers'', they only thought that Irene and co glared at Rias''s team because of Asia sudden shout and they felt offended by it.


    But for Rias and co they all become frozen stiff and their body started shivering slightly without anyone else noticing it.


    Irene sends a telepathic message towards Jalter and co to hold their bloodlust for now because it is not the time yet.


    Only then they retracted their bloodlust and look away from Rias and co because they''re afraid if they were to keep looking on the latter group then they might lose control yet again.


    Jalter still glaring at Rias and co though... But soon she retracted her gaze because they can feel a group of people approaching them. And that group is Sirzechs and co.


    Sirzechs - Welcome, Lady Irene.


    Sirzechs greeted Irene with a little sweat falling down from his cheek because he''s worried that Irene and co still feel "Offended" by Rias and co just now.


    Azazel and co also chimed in with Sirzechs words welcoming Irene''s party arrival.


    Irene - Um.


    Irene only nodded calmly to their greetings.


    Sirzechs and co then lead them to their designated waiting location and of course, their location is the best one available, a VIP location you might say because it is next to Sirzechs and co location but with more comfortable furniture and stuff.


    Rias and co are told to stay put for now as not to earn Irene and co ire than they already are. They all nodded obediently at Sirzechs words.


    Along the way, Michael and his fellow angels keep gazing at Jeanne and Jalter wanting to say something at them both.


    Jeanne and Jalter who sensed the former group gazes look back at them.


    There''s curiosity, guilt, sadness when they''re looking at Jeanne and Jalter.


    Jeanne only nodded at them briefly while Jalter scoffed at them with a glare. From their reaction, Michael and co knew that they both recognized them.


    Michael - Child, I...


    Michael wanted to use this chance to say something but he''s cut off by Jeanne.


    Jeanne - There''s no need to apologize nor you need to say anything, Lord Michael. I understand my duty as a former faithful follower of God.


    Michael words become stuck on his throat when he heard Jeanne''s words. The other angels also felt the same as him. Gabriel for one covered her mouth feeling a little disbelief.


    They caught on the words "Former" from Jeanne''s mouth, that''s why they are flabbergasted. They never thought that Jeanne who was a devout believer of God will say that.


    Sirzechs and co decided to just silently listen to their conversation with interest, while Irene and co already knew what they''re going to talk about so it doesn''t attract their attention that much but they do want to know what will Jeanne say to them.


    Jeanne - If my death can bring salvation to the human race as a whole then so be it... But along with my death once, my duty as God''s messenger should be fulfilled as well... That''s why... I''m sorry to say this but I''ve found a new Master to serve with my whole being, so forgive me for I have sinned and chooses to abandon God.


    Jeanne stopped moving and turned around to face the Angels'' group and bowed one last time towards them.


    Jalter who saw that smirked proudly towards Jeanne. Finally, she finally did the right thing for once Jalter said to herself.


    Jalter - Heh, well said... E-Elder S-Sister...


    Jalter added at the end with a low voice with slightly blushing cheeks.


    Jeanne who heard that made a surprised face but soon she smiled gently at Jalter because this is the first time for Jalter to call her that.


    Michael and co are still out of it after hearing Jeanne''s words... And just when he was about to say something, this time its Jalter who cut him off.


    Jalter - Hmph! You better hear what she said just now. We have found a new Master to serve, so you can save your preach for somebody else!


    Jalter changed her attention from Jeanne to Michael because she''s feeling kind of embarrassed being gazed by Jeanne and the others.


    Irene and co who heard their words smiled to themselves feeling glad that Jeanne still stays loyal towards Issei even when she met with her former "Boss".


    Irene - Well, you heard their words... I believe that you won''t try to force them to change their mind now, are you? Because if you do... You all better be prepared for war since our husband will surely erase your whole faction from this world when it comes to it.


    Irene looked at Michael and co with narrowed eyes because she believes that Michael and co won''t be that stupid. There''s nothing more that Issei hates other than someone tries to disrespect his wives or planning to do something bad towards them.


    Michael and co can forget about past relations if they were to touch Issei''s reverse scale because he will sure to kill them all without hesitation... She guarantees it...


    The other girls also stared at Michael and co with the same gazes waiting for their answer.


    Michael and co who''s being stared like that by them felt really uncomfortable and unnerved because the way their slitted eyes glows instill terror not just towards them, but towards Sirzechs and co as well.


    Michael - O-Of course not. I just wanted to apologize towards them.


    Michael hurriedly said.


    He honestly felt great shame for what happened towards Jeanne and Jalter... He believes that if God was still alive then he could come up with a better solution...


    So he always feels sorry about it... Although he also felt pity now that they have chosen to abandon their beliefs since they both could''ve been an outstanding Angels... But it looks like even though they have become a Dragon they are still the holy woman they once knew so that''s quite a relief at least...


    Michael and co were quite sure that the reason for this is because of this mysterious husband of theirs and also they''ve finds out that God has already died... They become even more curious just who he is for being able to gain faithful believers such as Jeanne and Jalter.


    That''s why he made sure their supposed reincarnated life is an easy and peaceful life.


    But... Why is there two of them, Michael thought to himself... They might look exactly the same but there''s something quite different from Jalter compared to Jeanne... She looks more vengeful if they have to put it into words...


    Michael and co only know about Jeanne but they don''t know about Jalter case.


    Irene - Oh? Is that so? Then you already have your chance just now. What do you say, Jeanne, Jalter?


    Irene turned her attention to both of them.


    Jeanne - I stand to what I said before, there''s no need for you to apologize towards me, Lord Michael... But if I must give an answer, then, apologies accepted.


    Jeanne calmly responded with a smile.


    Jalter -Tsk... Fine, apologies accepted.


    Jalter harrumphed and turned her head to the front once again. If it were the old her then she wouldn''t have forgiven Michael and co that easily because she is an Avenger after all. But ever since she becomes Issei''s wife her personality changed a bit.


    Irene - And there you have it... Satisfied?


    Irene smirked towards Michael and co who hastily nodded at her statement.


    After that, they finally arrived at Irene and co designated location.


    Irene - Hmm, I''m not used to using other furniture other than our own product.


    *Snap*


    Irene then snapped her finger. When she does that, the pieces of furniture that are already available before disappeared and replaced with a brand new furnitures that look far more beautiful and fancier.


    Whether it be the chairs, table, etc. Everything is replaced within seconds.


    Only then Irene nodded in satisfaction.


    Irene - Well, I guess this will do I guess.


    Irene then sits down at the middle chair that looks like a throne rather than a chair. It is crimson colored throne with golden casting and decoration all around it. At the top of the throne, there''s a <ECH> symbol but with a Queen''s Crown at the middle of it.


    She slowly crosses her leg when she sat down and that makes her look like a Queen, even more so when she let out her dominating aura.


    The other girls also sit down with Irene at the middle. Each of their chairs is numbered with a Romanian number from <I>, <II>, <III>, etc and also the chess pieces position they occupying for the rating game... They sat down on the chair that represents their number. From Ramius to Riche to Gurigura and so on...


    Everyone is wondering just what that number represents but no one but Kuroka and Yasaka knew about it... Kuroka also has that specific number as well after all, but thankfully her <Mark> is hidden from plain sight or everyone will take notice of it... Just a reminder, her <Mark> is located at her belly, or on top her womb location to be exact.


    While Yasaka has a different <Mark> from them.


    Jeanne and Jalter put down their flags at their respective spot which Irene provided and that added even more artistic points to their already majestic room.


    Now their room section looks completely different and one of a kind compared to the other participants'' room.


    Sirzechs and co become dumbfounded after seeing all of this unfolded. The other contestants also felt the same way as them... How ridiculous they all thought...


    Just because she''s not "used to" using other furniture products, she changed the whole room...


    But they have to admit that they all look really majestic and even more exotic looking compared to before... They look like true royalties.


    The male and female competitor alike are completely captivated by the sight of them all... Especially Reiji and co who''s basically dying to get their hands on them. They would do anything in a heartbeat just to gain their attention even just for a millisecond...


    Shiva smirked to himself thinking they sure have the style. The other Gods also share his thoughts along with many others... They took note of their style thinking to replicate it for their own home later on.


    Rias gritted her teeth in frustration because of how beautiful these newcomers are. They basically leave them in the dust with their beauty alone... They can only hope that their power is at least on par or perhaps even weaker than them.


    Thankfully Irene won''t directly participate in the rating game... So they maybe still have a chance...


    All of the participants knew about the special condition where although Irene is immensely powerful, she won''t be directly participating in the game itself unless she is challenged by someone directly. And if anyone could defeat even one of her team members then they could be considered winning the fight.


    They first thought that she''s too arrogant when she first stated these conditions but it seems it was necessary because they all can tell that Ramius and co are quite powerful as well...


    If these conditions are not enlisted then there would''ve been a lot of participants that choose to cancel their registration right now... Thankfully it exists...


    Irene waved her hand lazily and only then the kneeling and bowing Dragons lifted their heads and returned to their previous activities. Some of them are confused just what were they doing just now while some act like it''s a natural thing to do.


    What Irene just did before was she emit a silent aura that only Dragons can sense. And that aura forces them willingly or unwillingly to submit towards her.


    If the Dragon is strong enough just like Tiamat and co level then they will be able to withstand it, if not then they will automatically submit to her.


    Rassei who''s Asia''s familiar finally unsummoned himself as well much to Asia and co dismay.


    Irene - Then? What are you waiting for? Aren''t you going to start the game?


    Irene asked Sirzechs and co who are still standing around looking awe-struck at them.


    Azazel - O-Oh, certainly! Then if you would excuse us, milady.


    Only after being reminded by Irene that Sirzechs and co snap out of their thoughts and hurriedly excuses themselves to launch the Rating game ceremony...


    (AN: For those that are confused about how the "Room" in the stadium look like. Imagine a giant Colosseum in Rome and the Julius Cesar balcony thingy where he could observe the whole Colosseum, Irene team room are obviously at the middle and at the highest position while Sirzechs and co''s are located next to them).

 Chapter 88 - 87

    Everyone in the stadium could hear the content of Irene and co talk since the whole area went quiet when they arrived.


    Joan was very surprised after knowing that both Jeanne and Jalter are her "Ancestor" aka the first generation of Jeanne D Arc. The same goes for the others as well such as Cao Cao, Vali, etc.


    Joan wanted to have a talk with them but she''s afraid that she might offend them in some way so she could only hold it in for now.


    Zeoticus and co, as in the parents'' party wanted to greet them but Sirzechs told them maybe it would be better if they greet them later on just in case they''re still having a bad mood.


    Irene then saw Odin who''s feeling kind of down so she becomes a little curious as for why he looks so gloomy even though he usually acts more carefree as in a perverted old man...


    Irene - What''s wrong with him?


    Irene pointed at Odin and asked Grayfia who''s standing nearby because she''s been told by Sirzechs to stay nearby of Irene and co just in case they need something.


    Grayfia looked at the direction where Irene is pointing and saw Odin looking gloomy.


    Grayfia - Well... The thing is...


    She was hesitating if it is okay to tell Irene about Rossweisse case but then she thought that it doesn''t matter since it''s no secret anyway.


    Grayfia then told Irene and co just what is causing Odin to look so gloomy.


    After Irene and co heard the story they become speechless.


    Jalter - Pfft...


    Jalter almost laughed out loud but manages to hold it in.


    Grayfia eyes twitched a little hearing Jalter "scoff" because she thought that Jalter is laughing at Odin''s suffering. But the truth is she just finds it laughable because the one they''re searching for is currently safe and sound while feeling over the cloud at the same time.


    Irene thought that they indeed forgot to inform Odin about Rossweisse well being. So she decided to send a message towards Odin.


    Irene - [Don''t worry, the one you''re looking for is safe and sound, I guarantee it.]


    Odin who heard the sudden sound appearing on his head becomes alarmed and instantly snapped his head towards Irene because he recognizes that voice belongs to her.


    Just when Odin wanted to say something he saw Irene making a hushing gesture towards him and he swallows back his words after seeing that. But he keeps looking at Irene asking for an answer and that made some of the onlookers'' feeling curious, such as Grayfia herself.


    Irene then stopped looking at Odin much to the latter impatience. If it were anyone else then he would''ve forced them to tell what they know right away but since the other party is clearly someone he couldn''t mess with he can only hold it in... He cares that much about Rossweisse after all.


    Then Azazel and the other factions leader made a speech for the opening of the rating game...


    It''s your typical "Thank you for coming here blah blah blah...", so Irene yawned in boredom while the other girls either closed their eyes or talking with each other such as Millet who closed her eyes mediating, Ramius and co talking with each other, Gurigura who''s happily eating the puff cream bread that Issei gave her for snacks...


    Although they seem to be doing their own business without paying attention to Azazel and co speech, there''s not a single one find it disrespectful since they have the power to back it up, even Sirzechs and co let them be... Well, more like they don''t want to annoy them, to be honest...


    Only Rias frowned a little thinking that Irene and co are acting arrogant but when she''s about to look at them, her gaze accidentally intersected with Jalter who appeared to be glaring at her with a terrorizing glint on her eyes.


    That manages to make Rias body shiver greatly because she can sense the immense bloodlust Jalter has towards her.


    Rias hurriedly averted her gaze because she felt extreme trepidation just by locking her gaze with Jalter for a few seconds alone. Her heart started beating erratically in terror and she also started sweating profusely...


    Akeno and co who saw Rias face suddenly look deathly white and disgruntled asked in concern but Rias doesn''t dare to say anything about Jalter gaze just now so she can only say that it''s nothing much to Akeno and co dismay...


    Look and behold, her supposed boyfriend along with the other guys are too busy sneaking a peek at Irene and co direction thinking that their gaze went unnoticed by them.


    Rias and co decided to pay less attention to their respective boyfriend during the rating game because there are a lot of eyes out here and they don''t want to let anyone know about their little affair. They also already told Reiji and co to act more reserved than usual as not to attract too much attention to them.


    Reiji and co are a bit confused at first but they soon accepted their request and they have to say they''re liking this "Ignoring" thing a lot since they can easily feast their eyes on other beautiful girls they see.


    They didn''t know about Rias and the other girls being engaged to Issei so it''s only natural they are clueless about this... But this ignorance will be their doom... Sure, sometimes ignorance is bliss but not this time...


    Irene and the other girls obviously noticed their gaze but they let them be... They''re about to die anyway, so what''s the use giving a warning to a dead man walking...


    Reiji and the other male onlookers'' on the stadium felt like they can never get bored gazing at them just sitting there... They all are drop dead gorgeous they all thought to themselves... They''re feeling envious and indignant knowing that all of these beauties are already taken.


    They wish they could replace the lucky man who''s able to get them all for himself... Shameless! They all said aloud inside their minds... Can''t he share some of them as a fellow brother? Some of us are still single here man...


    Some of them had their eyes bulging to the maximum threatening to break free from their eye sockets after looking rows and rows of the heavenly mountains up there with their nose bleeding profusely and that earned the nearby female participants spat of disgust...


    Some tried to take a picture stealthily but for some unknown reason, their phone or camera suddenly broke on its own as in their screen goes cracked completely...


    At some point, Sirzechs and co asked Irene if she wanted to make a speech of her own but she waves it off because she''s not interested to make one in the first place. She just told them to hurry it off and start the game already...


    They finally started the rating game soon after that... They have a random matchmaking system with Sirzechs trying to tinker with it so that Rias and co don''t face off against Irene''s team.


    He''s sad to say this but he hopes that their team loses against the other teams before they are faced off against Irene... It''s not like Sirzechs is hoping for his beloved little sister team to loses but he has a bad premonition that if Rias''s team were to face off against Irene''s then it won''t be anything good because it seems like Irene and co have something against Rias and co and he doesn''t know why...


    Unknown to him is that Irene is also tinkering with the matchmaking system without anyone realizing it...


    She set it so Rias''s team only fought against some weakling team to boost their confidence... Won''t it be the best if they were in the highest point only to be dragged down instantly to the bottom with utter humiliation at that? Heheheh... Irene smirked to herself...


    And with that, Rias''s team fought against some weakling team and her team had a winning streak that made their confidence soar to the maximum thinking that they would be winning this rating game soon enough.


    Although, Rias and co know better because they have yet fought against their biggest obstacles... There''s also Vali team, Sairaorg team, Cao Cao team, etc... But the biggest obstacle they ought to face is Irene''s team.


    Reiji and co are the ones that feeling complacent thinking the other participants are not much apparently. They are basking in the fake limelight without knowing that their doom is near...


    Rias and the other girls thought that they should let them be to boost their confidence.


    The way they fight is like they''re showing off their capabilities but unbeknownst to them, their performance is average at best compared to the other team.


    Sure they manage to earn the squeal of some naive young girls from the audience thinking that the way they show off their fight is cool but for the seasoned fighters such as Vali team and the likes it''s just meh...


    Of course, the one they wanted to impress the most is Irene and co. They thought that Irene and co are interested in them because they keep looking at them with a "Smile"... Well, more like a mocking grin or bloodthirsty grin, but Reiji and co are too oblivious to notice that...


    The arena where they fight is separated from the others so Reiji and co didn''t know the true capabilities of another team such as Vali and co. They know they are strong but they thought since most of their opponents are just this much they thought that Vali and co strength isn''t that far either.


    Only the defeated team could observe the fights while the one who''s still participating are unable to watch them... It is arranged this way so it would be fair for the participants so they can''t set up a strategy to face off against their respective opponents... It also serves as a test to see the limit of their mettle.


    Obviously, the audience can also watch their fight.


    Irene''s, Shiva, Sirzechs and co are the only exception for this since the former two are the strongest participants here so it doesn''t matter if they watch the other team fight or not. While the later ones decided to just stand down from this rating game and become the observer instead...


    They were planning to participate as well but because of the recent cases such as Issei''s disappearance, Rossweisse disappearance and more, they finally canceled their idea of participating.


    Irene and co barely pay any attention to the other fight anyway. Kathryn is the only one analyzed their fighting style for a longer amount of time before losing interest because their fighting skill is only so-so... Their biggest obstacles ought to be Vali and the other Gods team but it is still manageable.


    Sure the team such as Vali, Sairaorg, Cao Cao, etc are the better ones but they still haven''t unleashed their full capabilities yet since the enemies they fought are a bunch of weaklings... It''s not her being arrogant but they are quite sure the amount of fighting experience they have is quite ahead compared to most of the participants here.


    They fought against a lot of Godly being after all. Odin the all-father and his army is one of them... It''s safe to say that Kathryn and co defeated quite a bit of Gods and Demi-Gods back then even if they need to work together to defeat them.


    And it''s not rare for them to have a spar with Issei and Scathach themselves. Both of them are the best of the best when it comes to close quarter combat training. Semiramis taught them about some magecraft and Forzelotte taught them how to efficiently handle their mana.


    Issei also invented a lot of new skill just for them.


    They can use their respective <Balance Breaker> taught by Issei himself if it comes down to it but... The only downside is that Issei might become alerted about it...


    Everyone applauded for Rias and co as pleasantries sake... But not Sirzechs... He''s sweating a lot because he already made sure to make Rias''s team face off against Vali, Sairaorg, Cao Cao, and the like so they will lose instantly and with that, they won''t need to face off against Irene team but none of it went according to his plan!


    Then he had a sudden realization and looked at Irene straight away only to be greeted with an evil smirk by her... And with that, Sirzechs knows that there is nothing he can do but to pray that Irene and co won''t take things too far when they do face off against them...


    He can only smile bitterly... Even if he were to duke it out with Irene then he will sure to lose right away and perhaps he will bring the entire devil faction along with him to the grave if it does come to it... As for making Rias team quit the game? He doubts that will stop them...


    When it comes to Irene''s team match... They mostly win their fight in an instant just like Sirzechs and co expectation... But what they didn''t expect that so far they only send one person at a time whenever they are fighting against another team.


    One time they only send the woman named Ramius, then Gurigura, Riche, etc... They are using some sort of technique that they are not aware of, it looks like <Touki> or <Senjutsu> but quite different at the same time.


    They are of course using <Haki>. Nowadays, Ramius and co can use <Haki> as natural as breathing.


    Even Riche and Yunyun basic fireball are 5 times more potent and destructive compared to the normal fireball they know.


    They defeated their enemy single-handedly without their other teammates interfering much to the public amazement.


    The way they defeated their foes are quite simple and quick but there''s a certain beauty to it that they couldn''t exactly tell just what it is... More like its the effect of their beauty to be honest...


    Croix is faced off against an unknown Devil team but just by looking at her standing there they already feel restless. And when she is in the midst of casting her spell they hurriedly admit defeat because just from the holy aura she''s releasing alone they can tell that it would wipe them all out if it were to hit them.


    Even the Devils from the audience seat can feel the power of her spell, needless to say about the Devil team which currently fighting her.


    It''s not like they don''t try to stop her but they know that it would be useless because by the time they are able to come close to her location then her spell would be completed.


    Croix stopped her spell the moment they admit defeat. She smiled and bowed a little at them and the Devil team returned her courtesy reflexively but the men in their team blushed deeply feeling captivated by her sight even though she''s basically their natural enemy.


    Michael and co become even feels amazed with her. They thought that if she were to become an Angel then she could easily replace Michael place as the faction leader...


    Michael also knew that and he''s totally fine with it... He''s actually feeling attracted towards Croix but he knows that she''s already taken so he can only smile bitterly thinking what a short love he has...


    Just like that, they are also on a winning streak.


    The other team such as Vali team also able to win their fight pretty easily. Vali and co are amazed by Kuroka because she sure becomes a lot stronger that even Vali show interest in fighting her but since Kuroka isn''t that interested in fighting for nothing she waved it off saying she''s not interested.


    At one point, Irene team faced off against Sona team. Serafall who saw that instantly went towards Irene location without caring if she would offend them in the process.


    Sirzechs and co were about to say something to her but Irene beat them to it.


    Irene who saw Serafall coming towards their direction knows well just what the latter want to say.


    Irene - There''s no need to say anything, Serafall Leviathan. We won''t harm your sister... After all, I''m quite fond of her.


    Serafall at first feels relieved that Irene doesn''t have any intention on hurting Sona but when she heard the last part of her words she becomes flabbergasted.


    Serafall - Sona-tan is mine!


    She voiced her words feeling threatened thinking that Irene also saw the wonderfulness of her beloved Sona-tan.


    Ramius and co were confused about what she meant by that while Irene smirked towards Serafall with a playful smile.


    Irene - Oh? Is she now?


    Serafall - Of course!


    Serafall nodded at Irene''s words almost instantly with certainty. She even puffed her chest in confidence.


    Irene - Hmm, I wonder... For all we know, she might just be our next sister, fufufu...


    Irene chuckled at Serafall who turned into a statue after hearing her words. Even Sirzechs and co also becomes stupefied... What did she mean by that?


    Serafall - W-What do you mean by that?!


    She slammed down on the table asking Irene in indignance. She will never let her Sona-tan get stolen from her!


    Sirzechs and co face become pale after seeing her act. They thought that she might just offend them but Irene only gave her a teasing grin much to Serafall annoyance and the others bafflement.


    Irene - Well, who knows?


    Irene then urged the other girls to enter the arena to face off against Sona team.


    Kathryn and co are also curious what Irene mean by that but they thought that it''s not time to ask her at this moment so they let it be for now.


    With that, Irene and co entered the arena while Serafall who''s feeling indignant is being held back by Sirzechs and co...


    Issei might not know the vow Sona made but Irene does. When Issei told her about his little game of chess with Sona she instantly got interested in it and investigated it. If she recalls correctly from the intel they got about Sona Sitri then...


    Indeed... What she found amused her because her beloved has gained a fiancee without his knowledge... She thought this ought to be very interesting considering that Sona Sitri is Rias Gremory best friend...


    How would the latter feel when her best friend becomes the wife of the man who once loves them the most?


    ...


    When both teams faced off against each other, Sona and her peerages paid their respect towards Irene and co by bowing at them while some of the girls from Irene''s team returned the courtesy as well.


    Saji was a bit captivated by them much to Ruruko and Momo annoyance. They both pinched his waist and that made Saji flinched with confusion.


    Sona can only sigh at their antics while Irene and co smirked at the 3 lovebirds, but it seems that man named Saji isn''t aware of the 2 girls feelings towards him.


    The girls are a little curious about Sona and her peerages since Sona is their supposed future sister candidate while Saji is one of Issei old friend. They don''t judge Sona just because she''s Rias''s best friend.


    After all, Sona is Sona while Rias is Rias. Just because they are friends doesn''t mean that both of them are completely the same.


    Kathryn for one raised her eyebrows at Sona because she can tell that Sona is quite intelligent from the way she planned her strategy so far... Of course, not as intelligent as herself, Kathryn narcissistically thought inside her mind.


    Riche who''s by her side knew what she''s just thinking so she can only smile wryly.


    There''s not much surprise and Irene team obviously emerged as the victorious team.


    For this match, Irene told Ramius and co to fight them all at the same time but still a one on one match.


    Saji is faced off against his <Sacred Gear> arch-nemesis... It''s Wiz herself... When he launched his absorption line towards Wiz planning to drain her power he instead got his power drained from him.


    Wiz was an ex-high lich. Her specialty is absorbing mana or life force and she''s also quite an adept in using Ice Magic. Sure her <Absorption> is not as strong as Forzelotte''s <Devour> but it''s still good enough compared to it.


    Turning her into a Dragon made her specialties got boosted. Her absorption is stronger than Vritra''s himself.


    Saji even already used his <Balance Breaker> for this but still to no avail.


    Vritra - Give it up, partner... We just met our Arch-nemesis...


    Vritra who resides inside Saji told his host to give it up. Even he has to admit that Wiz clearly has a stronger <Absorption> compared to himself.


    Saji - Guh! But... I can''t just accept it like this!


    He gritted his teeth trying to overcome Wiz <Absorption>, to be honest, Saji is at his wits-end already and it took him everything he has just to barely stand still.


    He really can''t accept losing here of all places when they are so close to the final. He wanted to make his King proud but it seems he''s unable to do so.


    Why doesn''t he just cut off the line you might ask? It''s because Wiz already fortified the line he ironically used to latch itself towards her. The moment Wiz fortified it with her <Haki> and aura, she automatically gained control of Saji <Absorption Line>.


    Wiz - I-I''m sorry but we can''t lose here. <Ice Prison>!


    Wiz apologetically said towards Saji. She launched the final blow and prisoned Saji inside an Ice Coffin. How ironic considering his <Sacred Gear> title is the Prison Dragon...


    But Wiz indeed held back her power or Saji might''ve been already turned into a mummy by now...


    And with that, Saji retired from the game... Perhaps Saji would last a bit longer if he didn''t use his <Absorption Line> but alas...


    The other girls are also worried about him but they have their hand full just dealing with their respective opponents.


    Tsubaki for one is at close quarter combat with Natal who easily deflects her sword attack and even when she summoned her summoned creature they instantly got obliterated by Natal surrounding water sword.


    Natal is standing proudly in front of Tsubaki with her sword in one hand and a couple of water sword she created with her magic. Natal is specialized in the water element.


    Natal - Maa~ You''re not bad. Of course, not as great as me, ohohoho~


    Natal laughed in amusement because she indeed feels Tsubaki isn''t that bad considering her power level.


    Tsubaki gritted her teeth and swiped her naginata at Natal direction but the latter easily deflects it.


    Tsubaki then took a step back to gain some distance from Natal.


    Natal - Well, it''s time to end this, <Water Nebula>.


    Natal created two columns of water, which rotate around each other and forms a helix that headed towards Tsubaki direction.


    Tsubaki who saw that grinned inwardly because this is what she''s waiting for.


    Tsubaki - Got you! <Mirror Alice>!


    She used her <Sacred Gear> and there are 2 mirrors appeared right in front of her which intercepted Natal''s attack.


    <Mirror Alice> is Tsubaki''s Sacred Gear. It creates a mirror that if destroyed reflects double the damage on the attacker, but cannot be summoned twice in a row without a cool-down period.


    Natal - Ara?


    Natal attack hit the Mirrors and it reflected the attack Natal just used. But Natal only raised her eyebrows seeing her attack got reflected.


    Tsubaki thought that this counter-attack from her will at least deal some damage to Natal and perhaps even eliminate her from the game... But reality said otherwise.


    Natal - Hmm, nice counter, but... Here you go~


    Natal calmly waved her hand and her reflected attack instantly turned around once more towards Tsubaki direction.


    Tsubaki - Wha-?!


    *Bam!*


    Before Tsubaki could process what just happened, Natal attack hit her and with that, she retired from the game...


    Natal - Mm, if it were anyone else then your little trick might work, but sadly you met me... It was quite a nice fight nevertheless, ohohoho~


    Natal laughed once more seeing her opponent has been defeated and that made her heavenly mountain jiggles which earned the male onlookers'' nosebleed once again.


    Just like Natal said, if it were anyone else then Tsubaki counter might be fatal for them but not for Natal and the other girls for that matter.


    What she meant by it is that their attack is fully based on their respective elements. Wiz governs over an Ice element, Natal governs over Water element, etc.


    They can easily control those specific elements that they govern. Wiz can control any ice in her vicinity while Natal can control water. So no matter what Tsubaki did, even if she manages to reflect Natal or the other girls elemental magic attack then the later could easily launch it back at her infinitely.


    And even if it manages to hit them, it won''t do anything at all considering they govern over it. For example, if Natal water attack just now hit her back, it won''t do any damage at all.


    Do take note that Ramius and the other girls don''t govern only a single element. Jeanne and Croix for one govern over <Fire> and <Holy> element.


    They can still train themselves to control other specific elements... They just need time and experience for it...


    Sona''s second Rook, Loup Garou is faced off against Ramius.


    Loup Garou is Sona Sitri''s second Rook and a second-year college student at Kuoh Academy. He is the son of a famous witch and a werewolf that is famous for its ash-colored fur.


    Loup has the appearance of a young foreign man with a large physique, looking in his late teens. He has gray hair with long bangs which covers his eyes. He is described as having a handsome face and an extremely well-built body, rivaling that of Sairaorg Bael.


    Loup is a werewolf hybrid, the result of the union of a werewolf and a famous magic user. This has granted him great physical prowess and magical abilities.


    At this moment, Loup Garou has already turned into his Lycanthropy form aka werewolf form but he''s already looking distressed fighting against Ramius. He''s not really hurt but his stamina is draining on him.


    Only when he uses his werewolf form that he could gain the "upper hand" against Ramius. If he was still in his human form then Ramius might''ve already knocked him out cold.


    Ramius also perfectly countered Garou in close quarter combat. Ramius might not be as fast as him in his werewolf form but she can intercept some of his attacks no matter where it came from... It''s like she has eyes behind her head...


    And even if he manages to land an attack at her. She barely even flinch from his attacks... Heck, he can''t even scratch her with his claws... In fact, it''s his claws that got chipped away instead.


    His Magic attack doesn''t do anything towards Ramius at all. She even ate some of his magic attacks for God sake! What the hell is up with that! Garou cursed inside his mind.


    Ramius - You''re indeed a great warrior, but we should finish this soon.


    Ramius nodded towards Garou in acknowledgment of his fighting spirit. Usually most opponents she faces so far gave up the moment they realized that they can''t deal any damage towards her. They either tried to run away or just give up.


    Garou - ...


    Garou, as usual, chooses to stay silent and trying to think a way to defeat Ramius... But he got nothing... He already tried everything he''s capable of to deal even at least a tiny amount of damage at Ramius but to no avail...


    The reason for that is because of Ramius has a very strong <Armament Haki>, Physical defense and she''s also an Anti-Elemental Dragon at that... So she''s your perfect tank, strong against both Physical attack and Magical attack... She could also consume almost every element existed to regenerate her Mana/Stamina reserves.


    Of course, there''s a limit to the number of elements she can consume at a time.


    Garou finally gritted his teeth and decided to launch his last barrage of attack.


    He imbued his body with Fire Magic and launched himself towards Ramius.


    He punched towards Ramius head but the latter calmly blocked his attack and counter-attacked at the same time.


    Garou already expected that and he proceeds to evade Ramius counter-attack that was heading towards his face and was about to use his claws to swipe at her but what comes next surprised him.


    Ramius opened her mouth and launched a flame breath towards his face. This is the first time for Ramius to uses this attack so he''s caught unprepared.


    He instinctively covered his face with his arms but that''s what Ramius was aiming for while her flame breath was just a feint and only serves to temporarily blind him.


    Ramius clutched her left hand that is armed with <Armament Haki> and then she punched towards Garou solar plexus while her right arm holds him in place.


    Ramius - It was a great fight but this is it.


    When Garou heard her voice, he knows that he just got tricked.


    Garou - Shi-!?


    *Bang!*


    Garou - Gaha!


    Garou exhaled all the air that is inside his stomach and before long his eyes rolled back and he passes out while his body reverted back to his human form...


    Ramius - Fumu, we should fight again sometimes.


    Just before Garou completely blacked out he heard Ramius voice and then he disappeared from the arena...


    Bennia also got countered by Riche since the latter prevented the former teleportation magic with a <Dimensional Lock>.


    With her teleportation sealed, Bennia can only withstand the barrage of magic coming from Riche until she retired from the game...


    Just like that, one by one Sona loses her peerage members...


    Sona who saw all this can only sigh bitterly because it seems that this is as far as her team could go... It''s not really out of her expectation but it still felt bitter when it actually happens... All of her peerage members felt the same way...


    She''s the last one standing on the arena at the end...


    The reason for that is because Millet has been standing nearby her preventing Sona to do anything at all. She can''t even assist her team fighting against Irene''s team.


    She knows that even if she were to assist them it would change nothing and the outcome would still be the same with her on the losing side... But at least it''s better than doing nothing, right?


    Millet doesn''t really do anything other than standing nearby her with her hands on her back but the sheer pressure she emits served as a warning to not do anything reckless is more than enough for Sona... She can only watch her team goes down one by one.


    Irene - There''s no need to be worried about your friends, Sona Sitri. They will be fine because my sisters held back on their attack.


    Sona - Then... Thank you for your kindness, milady.


    Irene also standing nearby Sona but she''s only observing the latter with an amused gaze. She reassured Sona about her friends'' safety and that comforted Sona''s worry at the very least.


    Even from here she could tell that most of them only fainted away without withstanding any major injuries.


    Irene - Hmm, I heard you''ve been looking for a man that goes by the name "Savant"?


    Irene said with a teasing tone. Millet who heard her words got her interest piqued because the only man who has that name is her beloved lord while Forzelotte is a woman.


    Sona who heard Irene words opened her eyes wide in surprise because the only one who knew that information is limited to herself, Tsubaki, and the Yokai faction.


    There''s no way Tsubaki would tell them then that can only mean... The Yokai faction...


    Sona - ...Do you know him, milady?


    Sona asked in a cautious tone because she''s quite sure that Irene has some connection either with the Yokai faction or with "Savant" himself. If they have a connection with the Yokai faction then...


    Irene - Well... You could say that... Don''t worry, you will meet him soon enough.


    Irene chuckled at her.


    Sona can only curiously gazes at Irene on why she said that.


    Irene - Now then, I suppose this will be it... We will continue our conversation at another time... Now if you would?


    Irene looked at Sona with a thin smile.


    Sona knew what she meant by that so she can only sigh bitterly one last time before forfeiting the match...


    ...


    Serafall instantly latched herself on Sona the moment she got teleported out from the arena.


    She started inspecting Sona from head to toe just in case she''s hurt anywhere.


    Sona got embarrassed by her elder sister act but she felt warm on the inside.


    Serafall who saw Irene''s team started to growl at them with a gritted teeth while covering Sona with her body. She acts just like how a cat would protect its kitten would.


    Irene and co who saw that chuckled at their antics which made Sona face turned another shade redder...


    Croix - Maa~ look at how close they are. Riche~, let''s do the same! Huggg~


    Croix suddenly hugged Riche out of nowhere.


    Riche - O-Onee-chan!


    This time it''s Riche who''s feeling embarrassed.


    The onlookers'' felt warm looking at their interaction. They thought that Irene and co might not be as hard to get close to as they thought...


    Even Serafall let her guard down for a bit because she thinks she just saw a fellow comrade as a fellow sis-con. Croix and Serafall shared a knowing smile at each other while Riche and Sona do the same but they both have a wry smile instead...


    ...


    Back at the <Netherworld>.


    Issei is currently inside an exotic looking lab while talking with a woman. Semiramis and co went somewhere else while Tio and Tilt are finalizing the design of Issei''s outfit along with the others. Ophis and Lilith are playing somewhere nearby.


    The woman Issei is talking to is wearing a unique looking dress with a combination of red and blue with a gold outline. She has shoulder length deep brown hair and she also has a beautiful face with sapphire colored eyes, she has this comely look on her face. There''s a giant black gauntlet on her left hand and also a mechanical looking bird perched on her shoulder.


    This woman is Leonardo Da Vinci but she prefers to be called Da Vinci-chan instead of her full name.


    At the nearby table, there are multiple glowing rings floating in the air supported by some sort of device below them, the rings have different colored stones on each of them. There''s a red colored stone, blue, black, platinum, white, etc. Overall, they really look beautiful and surely one of a kind.


    These rings are obviously the rings that Issei wanted to give his wives. It took him quite a while to create these rings with the assistance of Da Vinci herself.


    Da Vinci - I can only say as expected of you, master... To think that you would go this far to create these rings...


    Da Vinci smiles wryly at Issei but there''s a tinge of awe and worship and even a bit of envy laced in her voice. She wishes that she also got the same ring from Issei but it seems like she would need some more time to get his attention...


    The reason why she said all that is because Issei used not just the combination of the strongest metals, ores, and the likes but he also imbued his own aura essence into it just to enhance it even further.


    That''s why it took him quite a while just to make these rings. Da Vinci only assisted Issei to create the stones while he made the rings on his own.


    Issei only calmly smiles at her which earned a tinge of blush on Da Vinci face. She really can''t stop marveling just how handsome he is...


    Not only does he saves them all from the shackle of the <Holy Grail>, he also kind enough to let them do as they wish when usually other people wanted to gain their power for themselves...


    The <Holy Grail> or more specifically Angra Mainyu tried to entice him but Issei doesn''t even have a tiny bit of interest towards its enticement. It''s like Angra Mainyu just talking with itself at that point.


    Angra Mainyu also can''t corrupt Issei in any way because of how pure his soul is. There''s nothing corrupted about him... Most individuals have something they''re hiding from the others, even a Holy Saintess such as Jeanne D Arc has something dark inside of her which resulted in the birth of Jalter... but not Issei...


    He lives however he wants without caring about other people opinion of him...


    When Angra Mainyu tested Issei one last time which will he choose between the world and his loved ones, he chooses his loved ones without a single hesitation.


    His direct words quote is, "If I have to choose between my loved ones and the world then I would choose the former. Even if I have to destroy the world itself just to keep them safe then I would do it regardless of the consequences, even if I have to carry all the sins existed I would still do it".


    After that, Angra Mainyu has nothing more to say... It thought that it could make Issei choose the world over his loved ones and in turn, it might be able to corrupt him with a seed of doubts planted inside him but alas...


    It already tried sending all of the spirits after him but it''s all for naught... Issei is too powerful for any of the spirits to inflict any damage to him.


    It can only wait for its demise and along with its death the spirits are freed and the <Holy Grail War> is no more...


    His answer is quite selfish but that is Issei Savant Hyoudou as a person... He has nothing to hide...


    Even the holy heroic spirit such as Xuanzang Samzang and the likes cannot refute his words.


    When he is asked just why he freed them all, he only said that he''s doing this for his wives which made all of the Heroic spirits and the likes become stupefied.


    They notice the wives he''s talking about is Jeanne D Arc and Jeanne D Arc Alter. Both of them could barely contain their happiness when he answered their question. If they were in their own home then both Jeanne and Jalter might just assault Issei right here right now...


    They also notice that both of them are alive again and not just a Spirit anymore. Some of the Heroic Spirits wanted to know just how they achieve that but their answer once again made them dumbfounded... While some of the female heroic spirits blushed profusely.


    The answer to that question has something to do with quite an intimate act between couples after all...


    Jalter started bragging at her fellow female Alter Ego/Avengers which made the latter group got ticked off... She kept on saying just how loving her master is and how awesome he is, etc... But that, in turn, bite her in the ass because some of them decided to follow Issei just to spite her...


    Da Vinci - Well, anyway... We could say that the rings are finished now, master... Although, it''s more like a phantasmal artifact at this point...


    Da Vinci faked a cough to change the subject.


    Issei - Um, thank you for your help, Leonardo Da Vin-... Err, Da Vinci-chan...


    Da Vinci glared at Issei when he was going to call her with her full name.


    Issei could only smile wryly at her and follow her request to call her Da Vinci-chan.


    Da Vinci - Un, you''re welcome, master.


    Only after that, she smiles brightly once again.


    Da Vinci - So, you''re going to give them to your wives right away?


    She asked curiously.


    Issei - Hmm, maybe later... They are probably still busy with the rating game anyway.


    Issei calmly answered her question.


    Da Vinci - ...So you already knew after all?


    Da Vinci froze for a brief moment before she sighed wryly after hearing Issei words... So, in the end, they can''t hide it from him...


    Indeed... Issei already knew about Irene and co going to the rating game from a while ago. During his stay at Kyoto to be exact.


    They all assume that he''s still in the dark about the rating game but they''re all mistaken.


    Issei - Well, it''s not that hard to find out actually...


    Issei found out about the rating game from the rumors he heard at Kyoto. When he investigated the rating game, he found out about the participation of a team named <Dragon Nest>.


    He kinda already expected this to be honest but he doesn''t really care that much whatever Irene and co going to do at Rias and the others. He''s already suspicious just why Jalter and the others seem a little bit too agitated before this and after his investigation, he got his answer.


    He''s not even a tiny bit mad about them keeping him in the dark about this because he knows that they''re doing this for him and that warmed up his heart so he respected their wish and feign ignorance about it.


    Da Vinci - I see... No wonder I feel like the fortress is less crowded than usual so the reason for that is?


    Da Vinci asked Issei even though she already knew the answer to her question.


    Issei - Ah... I sent some of the girls to assist Irene and the others just in case they needed help... Well, it might''ve been unnecessary since Semi and Shisou are headed there as well...


    Issei can only scratch his cheek while smiling wryly. He sent some of the <9 Divines> and some of the others to serve as a backup for Irene and co if things were to go downhill and also act as a messenger for him.


    It''s not like he doubted Irene strength for that matter, he''s quite sure she alone could easily handle all of the faction leaders but it''s better to be safe than sorry. He wanted to continue to feign ignorance so that''s why he sent the others in his stead and besides, he still needs to make sure the rings are properly finished.


    He told them to hide and only appear if the situation calls for it.


    Da Vinci - Ufufufu, they are sure are loved, aren''t they?


    Da Vinci giggled at him.


    Issei calmly smiles once again at her statement.


    Issei - Hmm, I wonder if Rose is fine right now... Although, Brunhild and the other Valkyries are already with her... But still...


    He mumbled lowly at himself thinking about Rossweisse.


    Da Vinci - Jeez, master... Stop being a worry-wart, will you?


    Da Vinci berated Issei for being such a worry-wart.


    Da Vinci - You can instantly teleport yourself to her location, no? And if you want you could send us to her aid, you know that right?


    Da Vinci tilted her head to the side with a knowing grin at her face.


    What she meant by "Us" is the other heroic spirits just like her.


    Issei - O-Oh, I guess you''re right... Well, I''m going to check the rings once again just to be sure that it''s fine.


    Then Issei averted his attention back to the rings once again and started inspecting it.


    Da Vinci who saw that smiled gently at Issei because he''s really a loving husband, isn''t he? No wonder the other girls are attracted to him... Including her...


    ...


    Back to DxD world.


    Riser team loses against Typhoon team which lose against Vali team and they also defeated the Sairaorg team.


    Rias and most of her peerages starting to feel really uncomfortable with how things went... They never faced off against a strong team such as Vali team and the likes for some unknown reason... It''s either outstanding luck or there''s something else is going on...


    Most of the strong team that they knew off has already been defeated.


    While Reiji and co become even more complacent with themselves...


    The last three teams are:


    1.<Dragon Nest>


    2.<Team White Dragon Emperor of the Morning Star>


    3.<Team Rias Gremory>


    And the next match is a match between <Dragon Nest> and <Team White Dragon Emperor of the Morning Star>...


    The spectators are wondering if Vali and his team are able to forces Irene''s team to let out their true strength. Even Sirzechs and co are hoping that Vali has equal power with them at the very least. That way they can have a little bit of reassurance if the worst scenario were about to happen...


    Kuroka - Nyawn~ this should be a quick fight...


    When they arrived at the arena Kuroka nyawned in boredom seeing the next match-up. Vali and the others didn''t refute her words because they know that they are on the losing side.


    Irene glared at Vali or to be more specific at Albion himself.


    Vali and the others got confused by that thinking did they offend her in some way? Except for Kuroka who sniffled a laugh because she knows the reason for that. The same goes for the other girls on Irene''s team.


    Albion who''s residing inside Vali shuddered after feeling her glare for some reason.


    Irene - So... I''m guessing that you don''t remember me, Albion?


    Albion - ...


    Albion tried his best to remember why Irene seems so familiar so he doesn''t answer her question less they anger her even further.


    Irene - ...I will take your silence as a yes then...


    She mumbled while gnashing her teeth knowing that Albion doesn''t remember her... Not she''s the one to talk even though she also forgot about her own gender a while ago...


    Vali - ...I wish to challenge you.


    Vali suddenly speaks out of nowhere towards Irene herself which managed to surprise the spectators and his team members alike.

 Chapter 89 - 88

    Bikou''s party - Vali?!/Vali-san?!


    Kuroka only sighed tiredly to herself because she knows that Vali would do this.


    Everyone else in the spectator seat is also taken by surprise but before long they are starting to anticipate the match between them. The strongest White Dragon Emperor in the history versus the mystical Queen of Dragons.


    Irene doesn''t have any big reaction because she already expected this. The same goes for Albion...


    Irene - Oh? And do tell me the reason why you decided to challenge me?


    Irene smirked at Vali knowing fully well just what will his answer be.


    Vali - Because I want to see just how far our strength differences are and also to test my limit... Now don''t think that I see your other team members are weak but why settle for second when you have the best right in front of you? No offense intended but you are the strongest of them all right?


    Vali smirked back at Irene.


    Irene - Heheheh... Interesting answer but... I have to correct you on some part. I am not the strongest, our husband is.


    Irene who heard his answer laughed slightly before she corrected Vali thinking that she''s the strongest.


    Ramius and the other girls also nodded to her statement because it''s a fact after all.


    Vali - That may be so, but... He''s not here right now, is he?


    Vali answered back once again.


    Irene - Hmm, Indeed... Very well, I accept your challenge.


    Irene chuckled lightly before accepting Vali challenge.


    Vali - Thanks.


    Both team members then spread out to give both Vali and Irene some room for their fight.


    ...


    Bikou - Man, I knew Vali would do this...


    Bikou muttered wryly but his face still looks carefree.


    Arthur - Um... But that''s what makes him the that Vali we know.


    Arthur calmly answered Bikou mutters with a respectful voice. Vali never backs down against anyone after all. Kind of similar to Issei himself.


    Le Fay - But... I wonder if Vali-san has a chance?


    Le fay said worriedly.


    Kuroka - Nope.


    Kuroka said almost immediately.


    Bikou and the others gazed at her suspiciously yet again because of how sure she is.


    Kuroka - Like Albion said before. Even if Vali were to uses his strongest technique he won''t be able to win against her.


    Kuroka continued her words regardless of their suspicious gaze on her.


    Bikou - Seriously... Do you know them, Kuroka? You seem so sure about it...


    Bikou narrowed his eyes at Kuroka because this is the second time she sounded so sure like she knows Irene quite well.


    Kuroka only grinned playfully at them before she set her gaze towards Vali and Irene once again much to their exasperation.


    ...


    Albion - [Are you sure about this, Vali?]


    Albion asked Vali inside his mind.


    Vali - [Ah.]


    Albion - [...Do as you like then... But don''t say I didn''t warn you]


    Athough Albion said that, he''s feeling proud at Vali for not backing down in front of an overwhelmingly strong opponent.


    Irene - [Are you boys done talking with each other?]


    Suddenly, Irene''s voice is heard inside their mind and that alarmed both Vali and Albion because they were talking through their mind just now.


    If Irene was just sending a telepathic message then they wouldn''t be that surprised but the facts that she could hear their conversation is quite alarming.


    Irene - [There''s no need to be so alarmed, I can only hear tiny bits of your conversation]


    Irene send a grin towards Vali and both of them screamed "Bullshit!" inside their minds when they heard her words... But they didn''t say it out loud...


    Vali - ...Then, sorry to keep you waiting...


    Vali immediately used his Balance Breaker from the get-go. It''s his usual white scale armor.


    Irene is still standing there with a smirk on her face. She''s thinking it''s been quite a while ever since she saw Vali balance breaker, what a nostalgic sight...


    Vali - Are you prepared?


    Vali mechanical voice sounded, he asked Irene who seems to be standing still without her guards up but he knows that it''s just an illusion... If he were to launch a sudden attack at her then she will react to it instantly.


    Irene - Come at me whenever you like.


    Irene calmly answered Vali.


    Vali - Then... Here I come!


    Vali instantly dashed towards Irene baring his fist towards her. He punched towards Irene''s head right away which the later calmly evade with a tilt of her head but Vali has already expected this. He swiped his leg doing a roundhouse kick only to be blocked by Irene with just one hand.


    Vali took a step back before he launched a barrage of magic attack but once again, it all got deflected by Irene with a wave of her hand. After seeing this, Vali knew at this rate that he won''t be getting anywhere... Just from their brief close quarter combat just now he can feel his hand aching because it feels like he just hit a solid steel block instead of an arm from a seemingly delicate woman.


    Vali -


    !


    Vali decided to use his Divine Dividing towards Irene aiming to decrease her power.


    It indeed worked because Irene loses a tiny fraction of her power but right at the very next second, nay... Half a second, her power returned straight away.


    Vali - ...Divine Dividing doesn''t work?!


    He''s not the only one who''s shocked. The other onlookers'' also felt shocked knowing Validoesn''t work on Irene... Well, it works but it might as well be called useless seeing how minuscule her power has been decreased and even then it returned straight away right at the very next half a second.


    And for some reason, he also can''t make that power as his own like usual.


    Vali gritted his teeth before he started his chanting.


    "I, who am about to awaken,


    Am the Heavenly Dragon who has taken the principles of supremacy from God


    I envy the infinite and I pursue the dream


    I shall become the White Dragon of Supremacy


    And I shall take you to the limits of white paradise


    !"


    Vali body grew larger and he assumed the form of his Juggernaut Drive once more.


    Ramius and the other girls already knew about the whole rivalry going on between theand theso they''re not too surprised seeing the similarity Vali possess with Issei, as in the way they chant.


    They have to admit that Vali is indeed strong and if it were them from a while back then they wouldn''t have stood a chance against him.


    Jalter - Hmph, not bad but still far too weak... And what''s up with his chant? Envy the infinite? Pursuing the dream? He can continue to dream on then.


    Jalter scoffed after seeing Vali Juggernaut Drive form. And his chant ticks her off a bit because her beloved master is the true ruler of both.


    Jeanne who saw Jalter getting grumpy smiled wryly at her because of how sensitive she is when something involved Issei''s case. Not that she blames her though because she knows her feelings very well.


    Vali then proceeded to attack Irene once again but the result still stays the same...


    Vali size difference compared to Irene is quite large but it still doesn''t help him to land a hit on Irene... If anything it made it harder for him to land a hit on her.


    Irene only needs to sidestep a bit to evade his attack and sometimes she will land on top of his head as if to mock him.


    Vali - Then how about this... !


    Vali spread out his dragon wings wide and started using his other skill.


    The


    also has the ability to halve the size of objects and living beings through the use of it''s Half Dimension, the user does not need to make any contact with the target to use this ability.


    Irene - Hmph, child''s play... .


    Irene extended her right hand towards Vali direction before she clutched it. There''s a scarlet light coming out from her extended hand and then it took the form of a miniature crimson dragon made out of light before it headed towards Vali.


    *Screech!* *Zeng!*


    Vali - What?!


    And just like that, Valihas been broken to pieces. The other spectators also gasped in shock seeing how easily Irene destroyed Vali''s skill.


    Thankfully Irene didn''t send her magic towards Vali or he might be dead by now...


    Vali - ...What was that?


    Irene - Surprised? That skill was invented by my husband...is an extremely powerful Magic that smashes everything the user comes into contact with into pieces. It can be used to both crack Magic into pieces, thereby nullifying its effects, as well as to reduce the Magic''s power and to deflect it. Even the most powerful spells are rendered useless when faced with this destructive and advanced Magic, which is difficult to control by just anyone... So far only my husband and I are able to perfectly uses it.


    It kind of uses the same concept asbut with a bit of tweaking here and there, Issei managed to invent a whole new magic skill.


    Heaven defying... That''s the only words they can come up with after hearing the detail of the magic she just used...


    They got even more increasingly curious and even felt fear towards this husband of theirs. How come they never heard of such an anomaly beforehand? If this person decided to wage war against them all then what would happen? They are afraid just to imagine the consequences of such development...


    Sirzechs and the other faction leaders are the ones that started feeling big trepidation... They can only hope that this husband of theirs are not evil just like they were told before...


    Irene - Just so you know... If that magic were to hit you then you will be dead without a doubt.


    Irene smirked playfully at Vali who''s started sweating a bit thinking how close he was to death just now.


    Albion - [...Vali]


    Albion called Vali.


    Vali - Ah... I know...


    Vali then reverted back to hisform once more.


    Irene - Oya? you finally decided to use yourform?


    Irene asked in amusement.


    Vali - How did you...?! Nevermind... Indeed, I am about to use my strongest technique.


    Vali was a little bit shocked seeing that Irene also knows about hisbut then he chooses to just stop thinking about it and just focus on defeating her.


    Vali - !


    . This form is the combination of the White Dragon Emperor''s power and the Lucifer power that Vali synced through Ophis'' blessing. Similarly to the Diabolos Dragon God Issei possesses, the armor is a mix of silvery-white and jet-black, and also possesses the same organic characteristic. Vali gains twelve wings of Lucifer in this form, which can be ejected and turned into wyverns, similarly to the Dividing Wyvern Faeries that Issei is able to create. The power that Diabolos Dragon Lucifer possesses is enough to completely destroy a 5,000 meter-tall mountain in one attack and fight on par with Crom Cruach, the strongest Evil Dragon. Vali can only sustain this form for a short time.


    The spectators are awed with this form of his because it radiates so much power.


    Jalter and the others are also pressured by Vali current form but they are not feeling dispirited. They have to admit Vali current form is very powerful and they''re not sure if they could take him on unless they also go all out with him but since they''re not sworn enemies they don''t see any reason to do so.


    Irene - Finally, something worth fighting... Well, I will need to unleash a bit of my power to face your current form. Rejoice, because there''s not many who can force me to do so. Now let me show you why they call me the .


    Irene took off her witch hat and stored it away in her space magic.


    She closed her eyes for a brief second and when she opened her eyes once more, her previously green emerald eyes turned into red and there''s a huge scarlet aura bursting out from her body.


    *Boom!*


    The air around her started tearing and the whole arena started shaking as if there''s an earthquake going on. There''s fissure created on the floor beneath her.


    Bikou and the others reflexively put their hands in front of them to block the sheer wind pressure Irene created just by unleashing a bit of her aura. While Ramius and co are already used to this kind of thing happening and they also knew that this is not Irene''s full power so they only calmly stand there without looking completely unperturbed.


    From Irene''s head, there''s a pair of horns appeared and it curved upwards just like a Queen''s crown would, there''s a golden earring-like decoration on her horns making it look even more majestic.


    There''s also a tail sprouted from her behind with twin forked blade at the end of her tail. From both of her wrist, there''s a red gauntlet appearing taking shape of a claw and the same goes on her legs.


    And last but not least, there''s a pair of beautiful scarlet wings spread out from her back which is also armored with golden decoration all over it which looks similar with Issei''s wing and it serves to enhance her beauty even further, all of that made all of the onlookers'' awe-stricken and also terror-stricken.


    Now they understand why her enemies called her the ... But what''s going inside their mind as onlookers'' when they saw her was... Ethereal beauty... No... Goddess... She looks more like a Goddess in her current form...


    Unlike Vali whose body is fully enveloped by armor, Irene only has her arms and legs partially covered in it.


    Irene - Haaah... Then... Shall we?


    Irene exhaled a hot sigh with a little bit of flame coming out from her mouth before she looks up to the already fully tensed up Vali.


    Right before they start their fight, the whole recording on the stadium blacked out presumably because of the sheer pressure Irene emitted and what''s going on inside the arena are unknown to the spectators...


    While in truth, Irene is the one who shut down the camera feed.


    ...


    There''s only silent after the video feed has been cut off. The audiences are still frozen stiff after seeing Irene''s display of power.


    Sairaorg and the likes are also frozen stiffs.


    Now they saw a glimpse of Irene''s true strength looks like and they can only sigh bitterly at themselves thinking there''s indeed a sky above the sky...


    Azazel - ...Don''t you think her gauntlets just now looks kind of similar with a certainthat we knew?


    Azazel suddenly said.


    After hearing his words, Sirzechs and the others are taken aback before they started recalling it... And indeed... The shape looks kind of similar now that they think about it.


    Sirzechs - Indeed... But it''s still only to the point of similarity... And it''s not rare for such thing to occur, right?


    They then started discussing it among themselves.


    Sirzechs told his subordinates to investigate just what happened to the video feeds along with Azazel as well... While Yasaka and Sun Wukong who''s nearby them look very carefree because they know the answer to everything already.


    Shiva felt really ecstatic knowing that Irene holds such tremendous power. He thought that maybe she will give him the challenge he''s looking for... Unbeknownst to him, Irene held greater power than he could think of, and that''s not including Issei himself.


    ...


    Irene started walking forward towards Vali with a slow but steady step, the way her boots heel clacking resounding in the arena make Vali heart beating erratically not in fear but in excitement because of how powerful she is.


    Vali - Hah!


    Vali decided to be the one who launches the attack first. He closed their distance in just an instant and finally managed to land a hit on Irene''s... Or at least that''s how it supposed to be but he only hit her after image.


    Vali - After image?! Then where is-?!


    Irene - Looking for someone?


    Irene''s voice resounded from Vali''s back.


    Vali got goosebumps all over before he hastily swiped a kick at his behind but once again, he only hit an after image.


    Vali got frustrated because he can''t seem to follow up her movements at all. He used an all-direction magic attack but to no avail yet again...


    Irene suddenly grabbed Vali''s leg with her tail and slammed him down to the ground. But Vali gets up back right away and proceeded to attack Irene again.


    Vali tried to match up Irene speed but it''s of no use... She''s too fast for his eyes to follow... He can only use his battle instinct and play a guessing game where will she shows up next.


    Even the spectators such as Bikou and the others can''t see it... Not even a blur... It''s like she suddenly appeared out of thin air much to their dismay...


    Kuroka - Amazing right? That''s her pure raw speed... She''s so fast that she created an after images of herself and it''s as if she''s appeared out of thin air. And as for the individual that could match up to her speed... I can only count them with one hand at most...


    Kuroka suddenly said when she saw their confused face.


    Bikou - ...Okay, what the hell, Kuroka? You do know them, don''t you?


    Bikou said with annoyance because she keeps talking about Irene like she fully knows them well.


    Arthur and Le fay also feel very suspicious of her.


    Kuroka - Isn''t it obvious nya~? We''re fellow sisters after all.


    Just when Bikou and co thought that she will evade their question once again, Kuroka admitted to his question with a grin and that made them all dumbfounded.


    Kuroka then proceeded to show them her Dragon wings which made them become completely stupefied with their eyes went wide open. She also released her Dragon aura which manages to alarm even Vali who''s currently focusing on fighting Irene.


    Along with the reappearance of her wings, they can see that on her belly, she also possess the very samewhich Irene and her team members have.


    Kuroka - Gurigura-chan~!


    Kuroka then flew over to Gurigura and the other girls'' location leaving Bikou and co who''s frozen stiff because of her sudden revelation.


    Gurigura who saw Kuroka calling her waved back at her.


    Gurigura - Kuroka-nee!


    Kuroka glomped at Gurigura who hugged her back. Then Kuroka proceeded to rub her cheeks with Gurigura''s.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, it''s ticklish, Kuroka-nee.


    Gurigura giggled. Black meets Black and they look like a true sister with how similar looking they are.


    Ramius - Mu? Is it fine for her to disclose her true identity?


    Ramius mused while seeing Kuroka who''s currently mofu-mofuing Gurigura.


    Kathryn - Meh, it''s fine... The video feeds have been cut off anyway because of Irene-nee.


    Kathryn lazily replied.


    Vali - ...Kuroka? What?


    Vali is just as confused like his teammates.


    Irene - Don''t you think it''s rude to ignore your opponent, boy?


    Vali - !?


    When Vali is distracted by Kuroka, Irene said those words from behind him which snapped him out of his thought.


    He was going to refocus his attention towards Irene once again but it is too late.


    Before he could fully turn his body around to face Irene direction, she grabbed him by his head and slammed it down towards the ground.


    *Bam!*


    Vali - Guh!


    Thankfully Irene doesn''t aim for Vali''s life or that attack of hers just now might just pulverize his head like a splattered watermelon. But it still cracked open his helmet and Vali entire head are out in the open.


    She then brought her other fist down towards Vali face... There''s nothing included in that punch of hers, just pure raw physical power.


    *BAM!*


    There''s a loud explosion and the whole area near them are enveloped by a cloud of smoke.


    Bikou''s party - VALI!?/VALI-SAN!?


    They are snapped out of their thoughts when they saw Vali has been brought down by Irene to the ground and what they saw made them shocked fearing Vali''s life has been forfeited by that punch of Irene just now...


    When the area cleared up, they could see that Vali is totally fine but the ground beneath him and Irene have become a giant crater...


    Irene - You do realize if this was a life and death battle then you should be dead by now, right?


    Irene smirked amusingly at the dumbfounded Vali below her.


    Irene - Now get up... It''s about time we conclude our battle and besides... You can''t keep up your current form for an extended period of time, right?


    Bikou and the others sighed in relief knowing that Vali is still fine.


    Vali - ...Haah, I know...


    Vali exhaled bitterly because of what Irene just said is the truth. Sure he could keep this form up for another few minutes but it will cost him his life force and stamina...


    He felt indignant knowing that he still hasn''t unleashed his strongest attack though...


    Irene - Heh, seeing your bitter face I know what you''re just thinking about... Fine, give me your best shot. Use youron me.


    Vali eyes went wide knowing that she even know about his strongest attack name but soon he accepted her offer...


    ...


    And as expected, it doesn''t work... Well, he managed to scratch Irene a little but that''s about it...


    Irene - Don''t look so down. You''re the first one in a while being able to land a hit on me and deal some damage. It''s already healed though... Heheh, as expected of the strongest White Dragon Emperor in history... And Albion... I know you already remembered just who I am, are you still planning to feign ignorance?


    Irene compliments Vali a little before she glared at Albion that resides within Vali that becomes quiet for some time now.


    Albion - ...Long time no see... Ddraig''s mate...


    Albion muttered in a low and even a bit bashful voice...? Vali is confused because of how timid Albion being right now.


    He recognized Irene when she unleashed her dragon aura and that manages to jolt Albion memories from the past.


    Vali and co - Ddraig''s mate?!


    Vali and his team shouted in unison after hearing Albion words.


    Irene''s eyebrows twitched after hearing Albion words. This stupid dragon still thought that she''s really Ddraig''s "Mate" until now... She really wanted to beat the crap out of him.


    It''s not Albion''s fault though considering she''s the one who tricked him back then... But women are quite well-known for their unreasonableness...


    Jalter and Kuroka covered their mouths holding back their laughter, the other girls are also not having it better.


    Irene - ...If any of you dare to laugh then I will confiscate your private time alone with Issei for a month!


    Irene growled at them seeing that they''re about to laugh out loud. And her threat works like a charm... Jalter and the other girls instantly went into poker face mode.


    Taking their private lovey-dovey time alone with Ise? And a month at that? No thanks...


    Vali and his teammate don''t miss her words though...


    Vali and co - ...Issei?


    They muttered in confusion. Why does Issei name is mentioned by Irene?


    Irene - Haah... I think it''s about time I tell all of you... The thing is...


    Irene grumbled in annoyance because she needs to explain the reason why Albion called her "Ddraig''s" mate...


    ...


    When Irene''s finished explaining, Vali and his party mouths become wide open... They are completely dumbfounded after hearing her story.


    Vali for one started questioning his life as the ... What the hell... Their whole rivalry is apparently because of a love "triangle"? And not because of some epic rivalry or anything?


    Albion - ...


    Even Albion has nothing to say after hearing it. He honestly doesn''t know how to feel after knowing his rival is just a made up individual and his actual greatest rival is his first crush?


    But he has to say that he truly knows how to choose a woman... Although, that woman didn''t become his mate in the end...


    Bikou was about to laugh but when he saw Irene glare he immediately stopped himself and hurriedly change the topic.


    Bikou - S-So your husband is that Issei Hyoudou?! The Oppai loving Drago-!


    *Bam!*


    Bikou never got to finish his words because he got smacked by Irene in the head and he got teleported out of the arena just like that...


    Everyone who saw him suddenly appeared outside the arena are confused. How come he''s the one to come out first while being knocked out cold?


    Vali and Albion thought that he is sure are stupid... Even Arthur thought the same thing...


    Le Fay started looking at Irene and the other girls including Kuroka with an envious look... She''s envious of them for being able to become Issei''s wives. She has a crush on Issei for quite some time after all.


    Kuroka who saw her gaze grinned at her.


    Kuroka - What''s wrong Le Fay-nya~? You''re feeling jealous of us?


    Le Fay - Hoe?! N-N-N-N-No...


    Le Fay waved her hands erratically and tried to deny her words for being exposed by Kuroka in front of the other girls. But even she could tell that she''s not being very convincing right now...


    Kuroka - Really nya~?


    Le Fay face turned completely red with tears brimming in her eyes threatening to burst free being teased by Kuroka. But before long she looks down while her head nodding slightly proving that she''s indeed feeling jealous of them.


    Kuroka - Nyahahaha~ Don''t worry, I''m quite sure Ise would love to make you as his next bride~


    Le Fay - R-Really?!


    Le Fay instantly looked up at Kuroka with a bright face only to found that the latter still has the teasing grin on her face.


    Le Fay finally can''t take it anymore being teased by Kuroka and hid behind her elder brother.


    Croix - Maa~ She''s really a shy one, isn''t she?


    Croix smilingly looks at Le Fay who''s currently hiding behind Arthur.


    Jalter - Tsk, looking at both of them kind of put me in a bad mood because of similar they are with that detestable woman...


    Jalter snorted while looking at both Arthur and Le Fay which made them flinch a little thinking that she hates them. It especially affects Le Fay because Jalter is one of Issei''s wives... If she hates her then...


    Jeanne - Please don''t take her words to heart both of you... She''s just having a temper tantrum because both of you looks kind of similar to one of her friends back home.


    Jeanne placated both of their feelings with an apologetic smile.


    Jalter - Who''s having a temper tantrum?! And what friend are you talking about?! That detestable woman is not my friend!


    Jalter snarled at Jeanne who only smiled gently at her which annoys her even more.


    Jeanne - The woman we''re talking about is both of your supposed Ancestor...? Well, maybe not since she''s from a different world from both of you. Although... She might be a little different compared to the history that you knew...


    Jeanne smiled wryly at Arthur and Le Fay who looks taken aback by Jeanne''s words.


    Their Ancestor? The Arthur Pendragon? Isn''t "she" is supposed to be a man? Then what''s up with the "She" suffix?


    Irene - Anyway, let''s just end this match already...


    Irene said tiredly.


    And with that, the fight between Vali and Irene''s team are concluded and the next fight will be the final of the rating game...


    ...


    When Irene and Vali team teleported out of the arena once more. The spectators are looking at Irene with a completely awe-struck look.


    Irene already reverted back to her human form and she also wore back her witch hat once again.


    The spectators applauded at her. They don''t find it weird that Irene came out as the final winner and even though they are lamenting at the fact that they couldn''t see their fight they don''t dare to complain about it.


    Just from the brief recording beforehand, they already knew that Irene is many times stronger than Vali so it''s totally understandable that Vali loses against her. It''s not that Vali is too weak but it''s just that Irene is just on a whole another level.


    Now they understand that if she were to directly participate in the rating game then the whole rating game will have no more meaning to it.


    But they''re confused about Rias Gremory team. So far they still haven''t fought a decent opponent at all. They don''t know whether to call them cheating or just pure luck at this point... Or maybe they are just that strong as well? And maybe their team could give Irene''s team a good fight?


    If that''s true then that would be something to look forward to.


    Azazel announced that there will be a quick break before the final.


    Vali and his team now gaze at Rias and her peerage members with a different look. Their gazes are cold and full of despise.


    Even Le Fay frowned deeply while looking at them but she can''t keep up looking at them for long because she''s being teased by Kuroka yet again which made her face turned red from shyness.


    Kuroka keeps telling her that if she were to see the current Issei then she will have her heart stolen all over again, she guarantees it. Le Fay is getting even more curious and full of anticipation to see Issei once more after that.


    ...


    -At the space dimension near the rating game location-


    Semiramis, Scathach, and Forzelotte are gazing at Rias''s team with gazes full of killing intent. They are on top of a majestic prototype of thethat is shaped like a massive warship. Its name is .


    Yes, this ship is the familiar of Issei but it''s only able to materialize after undergoing a process of evolution which is his current form, that''s why back in the world of Eve Issei couldn''t use it.has grown into an enormous flying ship adorned with the design of a dragon.


    It wanted to copy the Babylon design but since their level is too different apart it can only become a warship in the end.


    The one controllingis a heroic spirit that goes by the name of Francis Drake. She is a female pirate captain with long wavy crimson pink hair, blue eyes, and a scar across her face. She wears brown choker collar almost attach to her dark pink captain vest that shows her bountiful chest, as for her bottom she wears white pants and long dark brown boots.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/e/ea/RiderFrancisDrakeStage3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20180303155613).


    It''s quite small compared to the original Babylon but it''s still big enough to hold hundreds of passengers. It didn''t really need a person to maneuver it but it will be better if there''s someone took control of it.


    Behind them, there is Rakia, Ekate, Paniverna, Ultinia, Marialis and also a group of Angels, Devils, Demonkin, and Heroic Spirits alike.


    There''s also some Overlord such as Shuten-Douji, Ibaraki-Douji, Minamoto no Raikou, etc along with their respective subordinates behind them.


    The former group is asked by Issei to "Assist" Irene while the latter group is just a bunch of tagalong.


    Semiramis - Hmm... Now that I see them at first hand, I can barely contain my rage... I would kill them outright but I know that they will have it easy that way...


    Semiramis mumbled with a low voice with his gaze filled with rage.


    Scathach - Fumu...


    Scathach hummed in agreement with her red eyes glowing. She''s holdingon her right hand as if she''s about to throw the spear right at them at this instant.


    Forzelotte - Hmph... I would devour their soul but it would just make me feel sick and I don''t want to disgust Ise with it.


    Forzelotte scowled with her aura went a little bit wild.


    Rakia - Semiramis-sama, Scathach-sama, Forzelotte-sama. Ise-sama has left me a message... He said, "No matter what you decide to do, I will totally support it".


    Rakia said with a slight bow from behind the three of them. Although her face is calm, she''s also feeling anger from the sight of Rias and the other girls.


    After hearing Rakia words, the three Goddesses gaze went soft right away knowing that their beloved husband completely got their back no matter what their decision will be.


    Semiramis - Ufufufu... It seems that we can''t hide it from him after all...


    Semiramis said with a wry smile but her eyes held nothing but endless love and devotion for Issei. They were planning to go silently to assist Irene but they met up with Rakia and the others along the way.


    Scathach - Well, considering how intelligent and observant he is, I doubt we could keep things hidden for long from him... He''s my most prided disciple after all.


    Scathach push her chest forward in pride.


    Forzelotte - Umu... As to be expected from the King of Kings, the .


    Forzelotte nodded calmly but she can''t hide her smile when she''s talking about Issei.


    At the mention of Issei, all of them who are present of thevicinity smiled in gratification and become went into a worshipful mode for having such wonderful King/Master.


    Francis - Gahahahaha! That''s Boss for you!


    Francis laughed out loud totally uncaring about how unladylike she currently is. Well, she never really care about those kinds of stuff anyway. That''s why in the history book she''s described as a man rather than a woman because her crewmates never saw or depicted her as a woman.


    According to a sailor who serves under her before, "Ergh, we cannot call ourselves men if we look the captain as a woman, or rather, it would be rude towards her".


    She also never interested in romance and the like until she met Issei. The only man that could awaken her womanly side with just one glance... Other people often felt repulsed when they saw her scar or know her reputation but Issei genuinely sees her as a normal woman through and through without any strings attached.


    From the rumors she overheard, he''s supposed to become a total sex-beast when he''s drunk... But as to date, she has yet to successfully trick Issei to have a drink with her and the other girls. Mainly because Jalter becomes overly protective against them all especially against her fellow Avenger/Alter Ego.


    Francis Drake always believes things will come to an end no matter what they are and there is no exception for it... But recently, she found an exception... It''s Issei himself.


    She for some reason cannot see nor imagine the end of him... It''s like he''s an absolute existence ever existed...


    Semiramis - Be that as it may... We''ve already promised Kuroka that we''re not going take it too far against her little sister... Koneko, was it?


    Semiramis wondered. She then gazes at Koneko who''s currently looking very upset because Kuroka never meets or talk with her anymore ever since that day where she visited them at Hyoudou household.


    And even during this tournament, all she does is only gazing at her with a disappointed gaze which makes Koneko become upset even further.


    Forzelotte - Ise himself promised Kuroka... The word of a King is gold.


    Forzelotte reminded them all.


    Scathach - Hmm... But we still need to punish her regardless.


    Semiramis - Don''t worry about that... I''m pretty sure Irene and the other girls will properly punish them all. Now get ready all of you... It''s about time...


    Hearing her call, all of them started preparing.


    The sheer line up for the so-called "backup" is overwhelmingly imposing that no matter who saw them now will think that they''re about to go to war instead of just a plain backup...


    ...


    During the break time, Sirzechs was about to beg Irene to take it easy on Rias team but he''s met with a threatening glare by Jalter which halted his advance towards their location.


    Azazel and Michael could only sigh bitterly at that because they know there''s nothing they could do to change their mind. Well, they suppose this is it... If things go too far they''re not sure if they should assist Sirzechs or not...


    They mean... Did you see Irene display of power just now? They''re pretty sure that her true power is perhaps on par with Great Red itself.


    If there are Ophis and Lilith here with them then they might still have a chance since both of them saw Rias and co as their friends, right? But alas... They''re not here...


    Serafall went towards Irene location or to be more specific towards Croix location.


    Serafall - Ne ne, why did you all seem so hostile towards Rias-chan and her teammates?


    Serafall asked innocently even though she herself kind of feeling disappointed towards the latter group because of how they basically abandoned Issei to his own luck before.


    Croix - Umm... It''s a secret~?


    Croix tiled her head acting clueless. But Serafall notices how her tone held a bit of anger when she''s talking about Rias''s team.


    Serafall stopped talking about Rias and talked about them instead. But they mainly talk about Croix and the other girls'' husband.


    Only when it comes to their husband that they all seem very enthusiastic. Even the usually scowling Jalter smiled thinly in a longing manner. She really can''t wait to meet up with her beloved master once again... Even though it''s only been a few hours ever since she left his side...


    This makes Serafall and the others such as Gabriel increasingly more curious just who is this husband of theirs for being able to make this array of amazing women to love him with all their heart. He must be quite an amazing individual.


    Gabriel and Grayfia joined in to listen to their conversation not too long ago.


    Rias''s team is preparing for their last match so they excuse themselves before this to formulate a strategy.


    Their strategy is quite simple... They will aim at one of them that seems the weakest of them all and if they are able to defeat her then they would instantly gain victory.


    Since they have a greater number than them then they would split the team to hold back each one of them while the assault team headed towards their designated target. In this case, they are aiming for Yunyun because she seems to be the weakest of them all.


    But unbeknownst to them... They won''t even have a chance to execute their "Perfect" plan...


    When it''s time to start the final match, Irene seems to be looking at a thin air above her with a knowing grin on her face.


    Irene - Fufufu, I see... Let''s go girls... It is time.


    Hearing her words the girls instantly prepped themselves up and teleported themselves to the arena to meet with their target...


    Sirzechs for one had a very bitter and frustrated face. He even prayed to God hoping Rias''s team will be fine... Which earned him a massive headache since he''s the Maou after all...


    ...


    When both teams arrived at the arena, Rias and her team doesn''t pay any respect towards Irene and her team and was about to execute their plan right away. But they stopped in their track in the very next moment because of the intense bloodlust Jalter emitting right now.


    Jalter - Ehehehehe... Ahahahahaha! I''ve been waiting for this for a long time!


    With a bloodthirsty grin on her face, Jalter maniacally laugh. Her aura went wild with glee...


    Irene and the others are also emitted their respective bloodlust towards Rias''s team.


    Rias and her whole team started shivering greatly while also sweating profusely because they''ve remembered that they''ve sensed this bloodlust before.


    Their mind may have not remembered it but their bodies do. It''s an instilled fear they gained back then. Their whole mind, body, and even instinct are telling them to run but they can''t even move right now...


    Only Kiba and Gasper are confused as for why their teammates suddenly stopped moving with their teeth clattering and Little Hijama even pissed himself from the get-go.


    But they also can''t move from their spot feeling the intense pressure Rias and co emitting right now.


    Even Azazel screamed at Sirzechs with an urgent voice.


    Azazel - Damn! Sirzechs! They are the possessor of those bloodlusts from back then!


    Even without Azazel telling him, Sirzechs has already started to move.


    Sirzechs - Cancel the match immediately!


    He screamed at his subordinate and even at Tiamat who''s serving as the judge of the rating game.


    Subordinate - W-We can''t Sirzechs-sama! We can''t recall Rias-sama and her team for some reason! Something is preventing us from doing so!


    Tiamat - The same goes on my side! Something is interfering with the system!


    Tiamat shouted back in a dire voice. She and the other gatekeeper are trying everything they can to teleport Rias and her team back here.


    Everyone in the stadium become restless. The match turned from an anticipated match into a nightmare straight away without anyone knowledge except for the selective few...


    Vali - Give it up, Sirzechs Lucifer... Your sister and her team will meet her judgment soon.


    Vali said calmly from the side with his hand crossed in front of him.


    Azazel - Vali, What do you mean by that?


    Azazel asked Vali who seems very calm with all of this commotion that''s currently happening.


    Sirzechs - Vali... If you have anything to do with this whole incident then-


    Sirzechs was about to say something towards Vali but the latter beat him to it.


    Vali - Hmph! You of all people should know just what they fault are.


    Vali scoffed at Sirzechs with a mocking face.


    After Sirzechs and Azazel heard his words they stopped in their tracks right away and started recalling Rias''s peerage blunder...


    Shiva - Heheheh...


    Shiva only laughed slightly seeing the whole predicament. This ought to be a good show he thought to himself.


    The parents'' party started bombarding Sirzechs and Azazel with questions of what did Vali meant by that. But they cannot say it out loud in public, obviously... With thousands and thousands of eyes out here in the open, it would be catastrophic if it were to be known...


    Vali - You haven''t told them yet? No matter, it''s all will be revealed soon enough.


    Vali said once again.


    Sirzechs and the others are still a bit confused by what Vali meant by that. They know Rias''s fault but what do Irene and her team got to do with all that?


    When Sirzechs was about to ask Vali once more about it. They all heard a scream from the arena...


    *Kyaaaaaaah!!!*


    It is the voice of Rias and Akeno...


    Jalter can be seen grabbing Rias and Akeno together directly on their head.


    She appeared to have slammed both of them down to the ground with a massive force until the ground beneath them burst open and created a miniature crater. Thankfully both of them are Devils so their head doesn''t explode right away because of that.


    But their head still bleeds a little from the impact just now.


    Jalter made sure to savor her time with them so she didn''t use her full power on her smash just now.


    And there''s another addition appeared on the arena without any of them noticing it. It''s Ravel who was on the backup seat on Rias''s team side... She appears to be distressed but from the looks of it, there''s no immediate harm has been done to her, unlike Rias and Akeno.


    Sirzechs''s party - Rias!!!/Akeno!!!/Ravel!!!


    Only after this happen that Kiba and the others broke free from their fear and tried to help them.


    But before any of them could launch their own respective attack, there''s suddenly someone appeared in front and each one of them.


    Reiji and the others are the only exceptions of all this because they all are still frozen stiff from fear. They have never faced with a life and death battle situation after all...


    In front of Koneko, there''s Gurigura.


    Xenovia is confronted by Millet.


    Irina by Jeanne and Natal.


    Kiba by Ramius and Riche.


    Asia by Yunyun and Wiz.


    Ravel is currently being stepped on by Kathryn feet which is imbued byso she can''t move in the slightest.


    It''s unknown when, but Gasper is already in Croix''s front being held by her, Croix put both of her hands on his shoulder. Unlike Ravel, he''s being held in a gentle yet firm manner by Croix.


    Gasper started panicking after being held by Croix and was about to use hisonly to hear the voice of Croix from behind him.


    Croix - There there~ Don''t struggle too much~. Just stay with big sister for now, okay?


    She said with a gentle smile which is a total contrast compared to his other teammates'' situation.


    Gasper blushed feeling something very soft behind his head. His whole head is almost enveloped by Croix massive bust.


    Gasper knows that this is not the time for this but for some reason he can''t muster any power at all to use his . So he can only watch his teammates in dire strait helplessly in Croix''s grasp.


    His magic power has been sealed by Croix that''s why... Being a Half-Vampire and Devil at the same time doesn''t really help his situation in any way...


    Croix - Ufufufu, so your name is Gasper-chan? Maa~ you''re indeed a cutie for a boy just like otouto-kun said~

 Chapter 90 - 89

    Semiramis smirked at Sirzechs''s Group before she changed her attention towards the arena.


    Semiramis - Hmm, they''ve done quite a splendid job, haven''t they?


    Scathach - Fumu, so far so good in my opinion.


    Forzelotte - Hmph... I kind of wanted to just kill them on the spot and be done with it. But it will be to easy for them.


    Hearing Forzelotte''s word, Sirzechs group tension went higher.


    Sirzechs - Excuse me...


    Sirzechs steeled himself and decided to ask Irene despite the hostility that is being aimed at them.


    Sirzechs - Can you tell us the reason why you all seem so hostile towards my little sister and her peerages? If they did something wrong towards any of you then please tell us and perhaps we could negotiate about it.


    He said with sweat streaming down his face.


    Sirzechs kind of already had a premonition about the reason for their hostility but he''s trying to keep denying it inside his heart.


    Semiramis - Hoo~? Negotiation, was it? Hmm... Very well, we''ll negotiate soon enough... Shuten-Douji, Ushiwakamaru, Katou Danzou, Mochizuki Chiyome, X Alter, Okita Souji Alter, Yu Miaoyi, Assassins... You all can back away for now... I''m sure that they won''t do anything reckless.


    Semiramis said mockingly at Sirzechs before she called out towards Sirzechs''s group behind.


    At first, Sirzechs and the others are confused but they soon realized what''s happening...


    From Sirzechs, Azazel, Michael, Odin, etc behind, there are suddenly a bunch of individuals with their swords, daggers, knife, kunai, kodachi, etc aimed at their throat and heart appearing out of nowhere.


    They just suddenly appeared out of thin air, right behind them without anyone realizing it.


    Sirzechs and the others had another massive goosebumps and trepidation after seeing the group of Assassins/Ninja suddenly appearing behind them. They never noticed them at all... Shiva could vaguely sense some hidden presence but he couldn''t exactly pinpoint their exact location.


    If it was the old group of assassins, then they would probably easier to notice even by Sirzechs''s group as well. But they had their strength boosted by the training they receive... Whether it''s by Issei or Scathach themselves.


    After hearing Semiramis words, they all back away and stand on their respective position waiting for their next order.


    Semiramis - Now then... I''m sure that all of you are wondering why we are so hostile towards those girls, right?


    Semiramis asked Sirzechs''s group to which the latter group nodded at her question. Azazel also kind of having a premonition about all this... But he can only hope that he''s wrong because if not... Then the chance for Rias and her friends to survive is close to zero...


    Semiramis - Irene dear... Would you bring them all here?


    Irene - Of course, sister.


    The moment Semiramis finished saying that, Irene and the girls appeared right next to them. They have already finished enacting their respective punishment and was ready to take the next step...


    Jalter group tossed Rias and co to the ground in front of Semiramis''s group. Even Asia who was in the Abyss is tossed in as well by Wiz.


    As for Reiji''s group, they are not far from them but they''re still encased in an ice coffin with a frightened look on their face.


    All of them are unconscious and doesn''t react in the slightest when they are tossed to the ground like a sack of potato. Only Kiba and Gasper are the one who''s still beside Croix. Although Kiba is still unconscious while Gasper is on the verge of crying seeing his friends situation.


    Sirzechs''s group wanted to come forward to inspect them but they know that if they were to do that, their life might be in danger.


    But the mom''s group disregard the danger they might face and went forward to grasp their own respective daughter. For those who didn''t have a mother then it''s their father or guardian instead.


    Rias approached by Venelana, Akeno by Baraqiel, Ravel by Lady Phenex, Xenovia, Asia, and Irina by Griselda Quarta. They held their breath when they''re done inspecting their respective daughters.


    The damage that has been done to them isn''t that fatal but it''s still very cruel nevertheless. They all glared angrily at Irene''s group.


    Koneko is within Kuroka''s arm already. And compared to the others such as Rias or Irina, she''s having it easy because she only passes out at most with a bruise on her back. Kuroka is grateful but she knows that the true punishment has yet to come... She can only hope that Koneko would be able to withstand it...


    Semiramis lifted her hand towards the army to let them be. But she won''t let Sirzechs and the others come closer though.


    Sairaorg and Sona group also glared at Irene''s group for doing something like this. One of them is Rias cousin while the other is her best friend. The same goes for Riser Phenex and the others.


    Sairaorg - Must you be so cruel like this? Even if they did something wrong towards you then don''t you think doing something like this is taking it too far?!


    Sairaorg shouted at them in a fit of anger. His parents tried to stop him but to no avail.


    Even Sirzechs and co gritted their teeth in anger and doesn''t plan to stop Sairaorg sudden outburst. If they''re alone and don''t have a faction behind them then they might just go all out with them.


    Irene - Too far? I wonder if you could still say the same thing after what you see next...


    Irene smirked at Sairaorg before she extended her hand towards Rias group to woke them up.


    The first thing Rias''s group when they woke up is to scream in pain.


    Hearing their respective daughters screaming in pain hurt their family heart a lot. But Vali group looks very nonchalant about it, only Le Fay look very uncomfortable hearing their scream. She''s quite the innocent type after all.


    Irene - Now, I will tell you the reason why we are so hostile towards you.


    Irene disregarded their screaming and continue to speak.


    Rias''s group stopped their scream and look at Irene in fear and hatred but they''re still whimpering in pain slightly. They wanted to know the reason why they did all this towards them.


    Rias and her peerages still haven''t seen the <Ryuuteimaru> since it already made itself smaller and stored itself in the space storage waiting to be summoned once again.


    Irene - Does it hurt? Do you feel hatred towards all of us? If so, good! We all despise you as well... But the suffering "He" experience before is far more painful! Now let me show you the story of a once naive young boy...


    Irene then waved her hands to the air and created a holographic screen that shows a certain young man...


    When the DxD group saw the individual on the screen, they all halted their breath with their eyes went wide, even Rias''s group forgot about their pain and gazed upon the man they''ve been missing after all this time... Because the young man that''s inside the screen is Issei himself.


    But it''s the old Issei before he finds out about Rias''s group betrayal. The whole army already knew the past of Issei when he met Forzelotte. So they''re not too surprised seeing Issei old face.


    And it''s not like his old face is ugly or anything. If anything he looks above average in terms of look if he doesn''t make such perverted face all the time. But that''s completely normal considering how his memory has been altered by Forzelotte in the past and which man isn''t perverted for that matter?


    The holographic screen shows the everyday life of Issei... From when he''s still a normal human, how he met Rias, etc.


    Irene - Yes... The young man you''re currently seeing is Issei Hyoudou himself...


    Irene nostalgically looks at the screen.


    Irene - You see... He was a naive young boy... He trusted his lovers and friends a lot to the point of stupidity but... That''s how he is... That''s who he is. He always trusted them all without a single doubt...


    All of them paid attention to Irene words closely wanting to know their King/Master past and the other onlookers'' are also curious about the life of the great <Sekiryuutei>.


    Irene - He was happy for having such beautiful girlfriends and good friends alike... Even when his supposed girlfriends treated him coldly he still trusts and loves them a lot...


    The scene changed to when Issei tried his best to talk to Rias''s group only to be ignored or dismissed with cold words.


    Each word and scene stabbed Rias''s group right in their heart with shame and guilt.


    Irene - He never loses hope and one day... He decided to surprise his lovers by planning to gift them with engagement rings he created himself...


    Then the scene changed once more to the time where Issei does his best to create the rings... How he has this stupid grin on his face thinking that his lovers will be happy to receive these rings he solely created for them.


    Irene - And this here is that very same rings...


    Irene lifted her hand in the air and there are multiple rings appearing on the air floating above Irene''s hand. They look really beautiful and manage to capture Rias''s group eyes filled with joy knowing that Issei created these rings just for them.


    But their heart dropped to rock bottom when they heard Irene''s next words. Especially for Rias and Akeno.


    Irene - Then he decided to surprise them with his gifts... He first went to their college carrying the rings he wanted to give to his first lover and also his King... But what he saw there completely changed everything...


    Then the scene changed yet again...


    ...


    -The past-


    Before Issei, a big metal gate made its appearance as the entrance door, having a rather rusty and broken look to it. Walls of bricks were at either side of the gate all covered in moss, symbolizing that they were old.


    Looking beyond the gate one could see a big building in the furthermost part of the complex, and alongside it, many smaller buildings which could be the other fraternities of the College were present.


    However, not a single student was outside, and thanks to that getting in was quite easy, no problem at all.


    Walking past the gate, he looked at the backs of the two women he was looking for, but instead of running as fast as he could towards them, he decided to follow them. Something about them felt... weird.


    Continuing his "chase" the two women expertly crossed the campus.


    Said campus being a full patch of dirt and grass with a few statues of what he guessed to be the founder of the College and other important teachers.


    A lot of trees adorned the path he was walking on, he could identify some as rosewood trees thanks to their purplish flowers. Many other trees were alongside them, but he was no expert, so he couldn''t decipher what species of trees they were. The smell was of freshly cut grass and wet dirt something he expected about such a big campus.


    The buildings were styled like the ones in old British movies. They were similar to images he had seen of Oxford when he was looking for universities in his free time. Maybe the founder got inspired by the British architecture? Who knows?


    Being late, around 5:00 pm on a Friday, the students were gone. Just a minority were left for whatever reason they must have.


    Walking towards the building he saw at the entrance, the pair of women continued their walk while talking among themselves. It appeared they did not notice someone was following them, a lack of awareness on their part.


    Soon, they finally entered the main building that seemed to be their faculty.


    They crossed the main door of the faculty and walked towards a huge staircase that covered almost all the room they were in. At both sides of the floor above them, balconies adorned the halls making it seem refined and high-class.


    Reaching the end of the stairs they made a last left turn, and at the very bottom of the hallway, one could see a double door with a sign above it. It read as Student-Faculty in bright gold letters and encased in a wooden framework with intricate details. Clearly, someone spent some money on it.


    Issei, still being at the end stairs, peaked his head out and saw how Rias knocked on the door.


    Seconds later, a man made his appearance.


    He was tall, around six foot something, appearing to be in his early twenties. His physique was quite big so he did some kind of sport, Issei''s fighting experience kicking in made him guess martial arts.


    He had shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes as clear as the sky, but something within them made Issei uncomfortable. Not that he was strong, but more like he was a threat to him.


    Reaching that conclusion he continued watching the man as he talked to Rias and Akeno.


    Soon after some talk, the man invited them in.


    [Partner... something is not right. Something is just odd...] - Ddraig finally talked with hidden worry in his voice.


    [Partner, I feel something terrible will happen to you. You should leave!] - Surprised at the sudden words of his partner, he widened his eyes and mentally answered.


    (Ddraig. What are you talking about? Nothing will happen. Although looking like that, that guy is weak, pitifully so. Maybe around Low-Class devil, if not lower.) - Issei answered in his mind, but he had to agree he did feel threated, but for a completely different reason he did not yet understand.


    [I know Partner!] - His tone exasperated. - [But something about that guy makes me feel uneasy! It''s as if he will leave you so terribly wounded you might not be able to do anything else in your life!] - His words were serious.


    [Just hear me out and let''s go away! You can ask them at another time, or maybe even the other girls!] - Ddraig stated, worry present in his voice, but his partner was just too stubborn.


    (Pfft! Come on Ddraig.) - He told the Dragon.


    (Just a quick peek inside. I will hear what they want to talk about and after that, we''ll leave. Then I''ll wait for them at the entrance of the school.) - The boy stubbornly answered, but deep inside he has fear.


    (Quick, before the door closes!)


    [Wait! Partner don''t¡ª] - Cutting the communication with the Dragon. Even cutting him mid-speech, he sprinted towards the door.


    Promoting to Knight he ran towards the door just before it closed.


    Sticking his finger in before it closed, he made a gap big enough for him to see without someone inside noticing him. Quickly thanking his extremely good eyesight, he looked inside.


    An extremely luxurious room stood before him.


    Fine leather couches laid on its center. One big enough to fit three people and still have room to spare.


    On each side of the biggest couch, there were two smaller ones, fitting for a single person. In front of it, a normal dark wooden table with three teacups filled with recently-poured tea.


    Further in, right against the wall, there were bookcases. The sheer number of books was enough to fill the entire wall. And in front of them, there was a big leather chair with an accompanying desk the same tone as the wooden table.


    The ceiling had a fancy chandelier, while tall lamps with ornaments adorned the corners of the room.


    But it wasn''t the room that took the air out of his lungs, it wasn''t the furniture, no. ...it was the ones inside the said room.


    That image took the entire life out of him.


    Sitting on the biggest couch in the room where the two women he was looking for. But both of them were leaning their entire weight upon the man he saw before, with a blush on his cheeks and a stupid smile on his face.


    Both women were wrapping themselves around him like a snake about to eat their prey. Their eyes were filled with happiness and enjoyment. The kind of happiness he had seen when he made Akeno reconcile with her father, and when he declared his love to Rias in the ORC.


    The Dragon inside the Boosted Gear went wide-eyed at the scene, hoping his eyes went bad due to old age. He even went to the extremes of asking the dead God of the Bible for his eye-sight to be wrong.


    Quickly checking how his partner was, he managed to figure out something on him. Disbelief appeared in his eyes.


    He could not find anything! Not even the slightest fragment of emotion could be seen nor felt!


    It''s as if his brain and body just shut down, placing his entire attention to the scene in front of his eyes!


    He also could not enter the mind-realm of his Partner, but guessing by the information obtained so far, the situation was not good!


    Wishing to check again, he tried once more, but nothing happened. He repeated the process over and over again, but only finding the same to happen.


    Leaving that aside he decided to monitor his Partner''s body. A chill ran up his spine when he noticed how his body currently was.


    [Just how could that happen?!] - Ddraig quickly screamed, but it seemed Issei was not capable of hearing him.


    [Those things gave him his power! Damn! They even gave him back his life in the beginning! How could such a vicious reaction occur in his body?!] - Ddraig quickly said to himself, surprised and even a little bit scared by the horrendous reaction happening inside his Partner''s body!


    [It''s because of THEM! How could something like this happen because of those WOMEN!?] - Anger filled the Red Dragon Emperor. His voice was full of venom as he spat his conclusion.


    He was furious! Those disgusting women were actually doing something that horrible to his Partner!


    [Partner! Lea¡ª] - But before he could tell his Partner to stop watching and to leave this place immediately, a voice interrupted his thoughts.


    Said voice, was of the man sitting on the couch. ...Right in between the pair of women.


    "Rias, Akeno. I mean, I know you both like me but please, not here. We need to check some papers as well as passing them to our professors." - The man talked as he blushed.


    "We can do this tomorrow. After all, I promised to go on a date with both of you!" - The man said towards the two women at both sides of him, pride filled his voice and a smile filled adorned his face. How could he not be like that? Two of the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes upon were fighting for him!


    Answering his question, Akeno spoke up in a flirty voice.


    "~Mmmm?~" - Akeno hummed seductively. - "What are you talking about Reiji? You want this as much as we want it. So, let''s, take, ~a breeaak~" - Akeno muttered the last words with a sensual voice that made the now named Reiji blush even more.


    Gathering courage Reiji decided to go for it. But before something could happen, an angry voice was heard right behind him.


    He listened to the furious voice of the other woman by his side.


    "Akeno! What do you think you''re doing, trying to seduce him in front of me!?" - Angrily, Rias stepped in before he could try something.


    Feeling scared of her he did not do a thing, he just sat there, not moving a muscle.


    Then she said with a voice filled with sexuality.


    "I will show you who is the best among us, ~Reijiiii¡­~"


    The woman started to move. She was slowly showing her well-endowed curves, making Reiji swallow his spit.


    But before he managed to achieve her goal a voice was heard, said voice being Akeno.


    "Ara-Ara, Rias. Trying to get on him without me? Sorry, but I will not let you!"


    Throwing herself at him, she stopped the advances of the red-haired. He fell onto the couch, Akeno on top of him in a really easy to misunderstand position.


    Rias, so to not fall onto the ground, quickly stood up.


    When seeing the image in front of her she was filled with anger and fury.


    "Akeno! If you do not stop now I will have to get him off you by force! You know I love him! So why do you always want the same thing as I do?!" - With a "nice" smile on her face, Rias screamed, anger clearly visible in her eyes. Her emotions slowly changed her eyes into a red color.


    Reiji felt a chill run up his spine and started to sweat bullets, but Akeno didn''t even hesitate.


    "~Ara-Ara~ What do you mean by saying that I want him just because you love him? He was the first guy I met which didn''t have a disgusting look in his eyes. He did not look at me like a piece of meat, really kind as well. Just look at him he is manlyy~, good-looking~, and doesn''t look at me like a piece of trash would do. How could I not fall for him?"


    With a serious tone of voice, the black-haired woman spoke up. Not knowing how impactful her words were in a good sense, and the bad sense.


    Rias felt her blood boil at those words, but she knew she was right, that was also one of the many reasons why she fell in love with Reiji.


    Calming herself down she looked at them clear-headed. Something that surprised the both in front of her.


    "Haaaa..." - She let out a long breath of air, trying to calm herself down before she did something stupid.


    Once relaxed she looked at both of them, especially at Akeno, and said with a resolute voice. But for our brown-haired boy it sounded sharp, merciless, and dug straight into his heart.


    "True the fact that he isn''t a pervert, or drools over at merely our sight is truly a blessing." - Her voice calm and sharp.


    "Much better that any man I had ever met, that''s for sure!" - She asserted.


    "It''s also true that he is manly, decisive, and kind. These are also a few of the reasons I love him! But first and foremost, is the fact that he is not dumb, naive, pervert like someone Akeno and I know."


    Akeno furrowed her brows at the remembrance of that man.


    "Certainly compared to anyone else, especially to him he truly is above in all aspects! ~Especially in the looks department.~" - Akeno''s voice was flirty at the end.


    "I have to concur that him not being a dumb pervert, or a maniac obsessed with breasts is the greatest blessing we could have." - Finishing the comment of Rias, Akeno spoke with a cold voice. Unknowingly how much damage had her words done to someone.


    "Also, it''s nice for him to understand our intentions and not to explain them with a big sign over our heads. I''m glad you figured them out, ~Reiji!~ Truly something I want in the future for the man, ~I loveee~" - Rias told him.


    "Well, let''s keep going! I need a kiss if you want me to do the work. It''s quite late and the work needs to be done so, ~kiss me Reijiii~" - Putting her lips forward she begged for the kiss.


    Answering her, he stood up from the couch and walked towards the red-haired beauty. Leaving a pouty Akeno on the couch.


    *Kiss!*


    Quickly stealing her lips, he kissed Rias. The sound of lips connecting was the only thing that could be heard. But that scene was something that was burned into the mind of our spectator.


    That scene of Rias kissing that man made the brown-haired boy empty. He truly didn''t understand, Why?


    Was it because of the words both of them had said about him?


    Was it truly because he was a fool, a pervert, naive and dumb?


    His thoughts stopped when he looked back to the scene of the kiss. But this time with eyes devoid of any light, like those of a corpse.


    The kiss quickly became more intoxicating. Tongues started to fight a battle for dominance.


    After a while, the woman broke the kiss, she was in need of air. But she felt that compared to someone he wasn''t that good of a kisser.


    Getting rid of the thought, she quickly looked over to him. Only to be taken by surprise when Akeno jumped towards him and kissed him even more fervently.


    *~Kiss!~*


    She was more daring that Rias, of that he was sure.


    Quickly breaking the kiss, Akeno said.


    "~HuHuHu~ Really quite the charmer, aren''t you Reiji? To make Rias ask for a kiss is quite impressive. But I will show you who, ~is the best kisser among us two~" - She leaned forward, she was searching for his lips.


    *~Kiss!~*


    She kissed him for the third time, but she felt something was missing from the kiss...


    However, the kiss became more passionate, being a sadist she took control of the "battlefield" really fast. But she decided to break it before the red-haired got jealous and tried something. That, will make her feel even more competitive.


    Reiji felt extremely good. He just kissed two beauties! Two of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life!


    He turned towards the clock sitting at his desk; 5:30 pm. The time they spent talking and kissing was too much! Now they only had 30 minutes before their deadline!


    Sprinting towards his desk he decided to start working as fast as he could. Noticing that, Akeno and Rias also looked at the clock and quickly started to fill papers in. Thinking of a certain boy, but erasing the thought.


    They concentrated on the task before the deadline arrives.


    Staying outside the room Issei was on his knees, recapitulating the words said inside that room.


    He felt empty, completely empty. Just remembering those words made him sad, angered, and completely broken overall.


    The scene of the kiss between Reiji and Rias was like a sharp knife, twisting and turning inside his heart. He felt his body go weak, his vision was clouded with unsheath tears, his sense of balance gone.


    Standing up with whatever strength he had left. He walked away from that place.


    Walking down the stairs, grabbing the metal railing. He walked slowly, painfully slowly until he reached the last step of the staircase.


    Reaching the bottom of the staircase. He looked back up, tears threatened to come out of his eyes but they didn''t.


    Soon, he lost control of his body and fell down to his knees, he felt dizzy and started to hyperventilate.


    *Pant! Pant! Pant!*


    Sweat formed throughout his body. His head spinning and his body trembling as if he had spasms.


    That scene, those words, just wouldn''t go away! They kept repeating inside his head, over and over again!


    But suddenly he heard a voice inside his head.


    [..er, ...tner. PARTNER!] - The Dragon roared inside his head. Getting him out of those thoughts.


    Grateful towards the Dragon he wanted to talk to him but words did not leave his mouth.


    He heard Ddraig''s voice again.


    [Partner, answer me! Shit, Issei answer me! Show me that you can listen to me! Move your left hand up!]


    Slowly, Issei moved his hand up. That made the Dragon happy, his Partner finally heard him!


    [Partner, hear me out! Get away from here as fast as possible! Your body is not right!] - The Dragon was anxious.


    [The Evil Pieces are acting strangely, I can no longer control them! Your power as a dragon is also reacting violently towards the energy released from the Pawn Pieces! We need to leave, quickly find somewhere peaceful and quiet!]


    Understanding that the words of his Partner were right, Issei slowly stood up.


    Suddenly losing his balance, he went towards the wall to have some sort of support.


    His head became clear after what he felt as an eternity. - (Shit! My body does not respond to me!)


    (I''m feeling extremely hot and sweaty, even my chest hurts a lot! What exactly happened!?)


    Getting him out of his thoughts Ddraig answered his question.


    [Partner it''s the Evil Pieces! They are acting strange. You can no longer control them and they are releasing a terrible aura that is clashing with your draconic power!]


    [The heat and the pain are proof of that! We need to leave, quickly! Using magic or even the Boosted Gear in this state will probably kill you! So start moving!] - Commented the Dragon with a serious voice.


    Issei made haste and started to move his body.


    With every step, he felt as if his muscles were ripped apart as if his tendons were torn, and as if his bones were twisted.


    He felt every single part of his body burn as if he was just thrown into the burning pits of Hell!


    Each step was a challenge, the heat he felt became more annoying. Sweat started to accumulate, dropping visibly down his cheek towards the chin and down to the ground, but he moved. He had only one goal, and that was to get out of here as soon as possible!


    Making the greatest effort he ever made in his entire life, he reached the door of the building. He pushed it open while the hinges of the door made a loud noise.


    Soon, after pushing the entire door open, he saw a beautiful scenery.


    The green grass was now painted with an orange tinge because of the sunset, and the statues were shining brightly because of the sunlight. The smell of freshly cut grass was still there, but now it had a tinge of rosewood, that was thanks to the trees that were rooted in some places of the campus.


    He could hear the wind howling and the leaves rustling.


    A beautiful sight indeed... if he did not feel like shit.


    Walking away from the building, towards the center of the campus passing by the statues and the other faculties, he heard Ddraig''s voice filled with encouragement.


    [Come on Partner! You can do it! After the gate, there is the park you ran through when you first came! Let''s go there. Your house is too far away to even try to go at it in your current state. Once in the park, I''ll tell you about your body! Well, as far as I know.]


    Walking past the metal gate, he saw the park. It stood like the most beautiful painting he had ever seen.


    A dirt road was clearly marked on the ground and further in, it separated into many different paths, going to different places.


    Many trees stood proudly at what he thought to be the gate. Because there was nothing, aside from the brick walls surrounding the man-made park, he thought those huge trees pointed at the entrance of the park. Walls taller than most cars surrounded the park, showing that the entire block was a part of it.


    Walking as fast as he could he went inwards, trying to find a bench to rest his body.


    Walking by different plants, flowers, trees and even a few animals he saw here and there, he chose the right path of the dirt road that signaled him to go further in.


    Not knowing what was expecting him, he moved his tired body until he saw a big fountain.


    After what he felt like an eternity, he saw his savior.


    Like the most beautiful women, he had ever seen...


    Like when he first obtained the Balance-Breaker...


    Like when he defeated Apophis...


    The bench was firmly planted on the ground near that fountain, waiting for him to sit on it to finally rest.


    Reaching the bench he noticed a bush behind it, it was big enough to cover the body of an entire person. Taking a look behind it, to check if something was behind it, he sat on the bench¡ªjust some mindless paranoia.


    "Haaaaaaa..." - Releasing a very heavy sigh he laid down on the bench, wiping the sweat off his face with his shirt.


    Trying to gain his breath back he noticed that the pain he felt earlier was now subsiding. Something he was extremely grateful for.


    Turning his eyes to the fountain in front, he saw the beauty of the park.


    Birds were chirping and flying in the sky, landing on the branches of the multiple trees that were rooted on the ground. With the help of the wind, the trees and its leaves were moving peacefully from one way to the other, and nothing except the sound of leaves falling to the ground as well as the sound of the animals was heard. Not a single human voice or car engine was heard.


    Really a peaceful moment in all this chaos he just experienced.


    Finally, after his moment of courage, he started to break down.


    Tears fell down his face. Blood was coming off of his hands because of his nails digging in his skin. He felt the flavor of iron in his mouth, and soon he started to cough.


    *Cough!*


    He even spat a mouthful of blood!


    (Why, why, just what did I do?! Why do I deserve this?!) - He started to mentally, break down.


    (Was it because I''m a pervert? A fool and naive being? ...Was it because I was kind to others?)


    [All right, stop right there.] - The Dragon quickly made its appearance.


    [Do not think like that. I do not know why they did it, but I know it wasn''t because you were kind. So don''t think like that!] - Ddraig told him. He hated how his possessor and friend ended up like this. He wanted to help him, but he couldn''t do much. Just support him.


    (Ddraig... Why you say that?! You also heard them! You also saw them! So please tell me why?!) - He wanted answers!


    (Why, are they doing that with that... that... THAT FUCKER!?) - Furious, Issei asked Ddraig.


    [I do not know why they did what the did. But I do know that it wasn''t because you were kind.] - He explained.


    [Sure, you are dumb and a pervert but that can be fixed. No one was born knowing everything, no one, was born perfect.] - He told his Partner with a serious tone.


    [About you pervertedness, you can control, and dominate it.]


    [If you are not manly, then buff up. If you''re not handsome, then change your style until YOU, find yourself good looking!] - His voice was filled with pride, the pride of a Dragon!


    [Everyone has an opinion. To some people, you may be like that, but to others, the ones that truly care for you, you''re completely different! Don''t let their words reach you! Prove them wrong with your actions, show them what you truly are! A Dragon!] - He roared those last words.


    The motivational words are spoken from Ddraig truly did reach him, his crying stopped. Swallowing the blood in his mouth, he looked up, to the dark sky.


    Seeing the clouds slowly move further and further away, he sat there on his bench for a while until the sun set down.


    .


    The moon rose up, changing the color of the sky to a slightly darker blue.


    After all this time spent thinking, he found out that the words of Ddraig were right. Even if they went with other people, to another man, he still had others. Girls that truly loved him.


    Even though it hurt him far too much to accept it.


    After all, if you give up on life, then life will give up on you. You will only sink further and further inside the mud!


    "Thanks, Ddraig. I really needed that." - He told his friend.


    "You''re right, even if they think like that. So what? I still have others that do not think like them! It''s impossible for everyone around me to think as they do!" - He finally regained his confidence.


    The Dragon could hear his voice, now it sounded better!


    But before saying anything, he felt some strong auras near them.


    [Quickly Partner, hide! I feel multiple strong presences coming towards this place! In your actual state, you are no match for any of them! I''ll help you in hiding your aura. Now that you are in this weak state, it will be much more easier hiding you from others even if they are stronger than you!] - Flinching at the comment of the dragon, he hid behind his bench in the bush he earlier inspected.


    Slowly but surely, he heard voices. It was kind of late, around 8:00 pm, so finding someone at this time in the park was rather odd.


    Hearing the voices closing in, he recognized them but the topic of their conversation was something that made him vomit blood behind the bush.


    *Blargh!*


    Thankfully they didn''t hear him.


    "Hey Asia what do you think of these, quite beautiful right! The boy I like gifted them to me! Beautiful aren''t they?" - That voice was of Irina Shidou, the childhood friend of Issei. She was happily jumping around with over 100 roses on her hands, carefully ordered in a couple of bouquets.


    Answering instead of Asia, Xenovia talked.


    "Huh? Why do you feel so prideful? Isn''t that a sin? You''ll fall you know, Irina. Besides, he gifted them to you so that you could agree into becoming his girlfriend!" - Xenovia quickly countered Irina.


    "True but Ryutaro is so sweet, nice, and gentlemanly. Besides, he always spends time with me, I love him!" - Her voice sounded sweet and dreamy.


    A blush was on her cheeks. She was bringing both hands towards her face, trying to cover her blush.


    Looking at her, Asia said.


    "Irina-san, Xenovia-san. It''s true that the gifts were beautiful, but still, I do not think you should keep saying it. Both of you have boyfriends and I believe that if Ryutaro-san and Souji-san were to hear you they will start fighting!" - Shyly talking, Asia gave her own advice.


    ""AH!"" - Both of them screamed at the same time. They realized that her words were true!


    Even though they are brothers, they are extremely competitive towards each other! Last time they barely stopped them.


    Changing the subject of the talk, Xenovia quickly teased Asia.


    "Ohhh! So Asia, what about Ken? You two have been quite lovey-dovey recently. Doesn''t he help you with the club work? Also, there is a rumor that says that the two of you were holding hands and even kissing! So is it true?" - Skillfully, Xenovia asked Asia. Getting the constant nods of an excited Irina.


    "Ehh, well... just..." - She was made a mess thanks to that comment.


    "Yes, those rumors are actually true!" - Asia answered with honesty despite her red face. Suddenly the fourth figure accompanying them spoke up


    "Asia-senpai... daring." - She was a short white-haired girl, she was eating her candy and her voice was almost without a trace of emotion.


    In response, Asia went even redder and hid behind Xenovia.


    "True Koneko-chan but don''t you also have someone? If my memory isn''t wrong someone of the same year but from a different class. I believe his name was Hijama!" - Taken by surprise by Xenovia''s sudden remark Koneko widened her little eyes.


    "H-how do you k-know about t-that?" - Stuttering in her response, Koneko blushed.


    "So the rumor was true! You did like the youngest brother of Souji and Ryutaro!" - Irina stated with a face full of surprise.


    "So is the other rumor that Ravel is also after him true?" - She asked Koneko again.


    One could see how her face changed from the previous blushing, it became emotionless and sharp even her eyes became slightly cold.


    "Hmph! That Fried Chicken is unfortunately also after him. But she will never win! After all, I am at an advantage, sooner or later he will confess to me. I have the feeling it would be at the ending of the month." - Koneko replied with a full sentence filled with a lot of words. Something not normal about her, showing proof that she truly liked that Hijama.


    While continuing their walk, Irina made a question that made the hidden brown-haired boy react.


    "Sooo. What do you like about him Koneko-chan?"


    She answered at a speed faster than a Knight''s.


    "He is a pervert. I hate perverts. Especially perverted-senpai. He''s the worst of the worst, real scum."


    "Wahh. Quite the rude words towards Ise-kun there. But I have to agree. I hate how he''s always thinking about doing something perverted! Gives me the creeps..." - She had a face filled with slight disgust.


    "Don''t be that cruel towards Ise." - Those words made Issei smile slightly. At least, someone cared about him and didn''t spit behind his back! However, that smile turned into a scowl.


    "Although he is really perverted and we all hate that about him. He''s still kind. So you could say it somehow counters it!" - Xenovia said, but the stares from Irina and Koneko and even the slight glare of Asia made her retract her words.


    "OK. Don''t look at me with those eyes!" - She raised both arms up.


    "I mean sure, he really is dumb and foolish to the extreme, even for me to say. Let''s not mention perverted and even lustful. But his kindness was always a good trait! Even though he has much more bad ones than good ones."


    Xenovia said but Koneko replied with a tone filled with sarcasm and scorn


    "One good, everything else bad."


    That caused Asia and Irina to giggle and Xenovia to say.


    "Well, that''s true."- She said without any remorse in her face.


    "Well, now that we have someone that''s not bad to us, you could say that all those bad memories will be gone." - The blue-haired said to them. Causing the rest of the girls to nod and loudly say.


    """True, much better than before!"""


    That comment, - *Blargh!* - Cause Issei to vomit another mouthful of blood.


    They soon walked away from the park, their silhouettes moving away from his location. Issei was still hiding behind the bush.


    He couldn''t move, even breathing was a hassle. The pain he felt before now came twice¡ªeven three times as bad! It caused his body to convulse!


    The spots he felt before in his chest were now burning hot. Other places around his body were feeling the exact same.


    Blood started to come out his mouth, choking him. He could barely hear the voice of his Partner, his head filled with something else entirely.


    (So it was true... Everyone told lies to me...) - His thoughts were reaching a terrible state.


    (The way they acted towards me!) - He screamed inside his head, making a purple light to start surrounding his body.


    (Those smiles were given to me!) - The light increased in density and made his eyes change from yellow to pitch black.


    "All that so-called love!? ALL OF IT WAS A LIE!" - He screamed with all of his force, making the light cover his body as if protecting him.


    "THEY ALWAYS HATED ME! ALL THOSE MOMENTS WERE NOTHING BUT LIES, LIES, LIES, LIES, LIES, LIESSSSS!" - He screamed expelling the light from his body, covering his surroundings with only purple and black particles.


    Afterward, a weird miasma started to come out of his body. It was like a fog that covered the ground, not showing the green grass beneath him. It was black in color with little hints of red, a violet-light was shining at random intervals.


    The feelings he now experienced were nothing but sadness, frustration, pain, agony, rage, grief, shame, and so many more.


    Repeating his monologue over, and over again, inside his mind.


    The scene of Rias and Akeno with that fucker!


    The words from Xenovia, Irina, Asia, and Koneko!


    The truth about why were they never, not even for a moment with him in the past 2 months... slowly unraveled itself before his eyes...


    They were with someone else! Every single one of them!


    They lied and used him just during the moments when they would surely die!


    JUST WHEN THEY NEEDED SOMETHING!?


    JUST WHEN THEY NEEDED A SHIELD!?


    JUST FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL GAIN!?


    The miasma surrounding him was taking the form of a second skin, giving him a really frightening look.


    A weird mark appeared in the middle of his forehead. And at that moment, he felt his body being filled with power. The pain he felt before was still there, but not as strong as before.


    He felt how the entire world started to change. A door opened before him, in the worst moment of his life yet he didn''t even know about it!


    The horrible emotions he felt started to corrupt his mind.


    He suddenly lost control of himself and the miasma that was gathering in the form of a second skin... broke loose.


    Then Irene showed how Issei suffered from the phantom pain he''s feeling. It''s basically is the recording of himself that he left behind before that Sirzechs and co have watched.


    They saw all of it until Issei changed into a Dragon inside the cave...


    (AN: In other words, Chapter 1 of this novel).


    ...


    -The present-


    Irene - And that''s the end of Issei Hyoudou as a naive young boy...


    Irene closed her eyes in sadness. All of those that are present had their mouths and eyes wide open in total disbelief...


    Even the army of Kalar, Overlords, and Heroic Spirit also has tears streaming down their face... They never thought that their all-powerful King/Master has this kind of past... Before long, their whole aura went wild with bloodthirsty rage.


    They almost couldn''t hold themselves back to kill Rias''s group on the spot.


    They felt sad and angry after knowing Issei''s past but they felt even more gratified knowing that Issei could bounce back from his past and become the man he currently is... If anything, their respect for him just grew even bigger.


    Semiramis, Scathach, and Forzelotte, etc have already seen this before but that doesn''t mean that they''re less angry than any of them.


    They just closed their eyes in sadness as well...


    Rias''s group face has already gone completely blank with tears streaming down their face... The shame and guilt they are feeling right now are extremely unbearable that if they were to die in the next moment they would call it salvation instead of a punishment...


    They keep saying "No no no no..." all this time as if they''re trying to answer Issei words on the screen... Alas... No matter how long or how hard they tried to do that... It will never reach him...


    Their respective parents'' group also covered their mouth in utter shock and disbelief while those that already know about this look down in shame and guilt.


    It''s unknown when but Kiba is also already awake and he also cried as well while biting his lips until it bleeds in frustration and anger...


    Gasper''s face is already flooded with tears and he''s being consoled by Croix... She''s rubbing his head gently to soothe his sadness.


    Irene - Now tell me, boy... Do you think what we''ve done is too far?


    Irene asked the dumbfounded Sairaorg.


    Sairaorg who heard Irene question gritted his teeth in anger and look down not answering her question. He''s too ashamed by his cousin conduct that he doesn''t dare to look Irene and the others in the face.


    Irene - And you... Sirzechs Lucifer... Do you still want to negotiate with us? After all this?! What could you possibly bargain with us? Could you undo all that''s already happened so far?!


    Irene scowled at Sirzechs''s group who look down in shame.


    Irene - But...


    Suddenly Irene said in a mocking voice.


    Irene - Perhaps we would spare their lives if their loving boyfriends are willing to take their place? How about it? Are you willing to take their place?


    Irene asked Reiji and co who are currently encased in the ice coffin nearby.


    But before they could give their answer Irene continued speaking.


    Irene - Hmm, maybe asking to replace their lives with yours is a little too much? Then how about this... Sister, it''s your turn.


    Irene said towards Semiramis.


    Semiramis - Fufufu, very well... Now let''s tone down the "Bargain" a little, shall we?


    Semiramis walked towards Reiji''s group location before she showed them a flask of a green purplish colored liquid.


    Semiramis - This flask contains a poison which I concocted myself... If you''re willing to drink this, then we will spare your beloved girlfriends lives. Oh, don''t worry, this poison won''t kill you. I guarantee it... At most, it will only give you an excruciating pain~. How about it? Are you willing?


    Semiramis twirled the flask in her hand towards Reiji''s group.


    Their bodies started shivering even greater after hearing Semiramis words. They don''t know what to say... They''re afraid that if they were to refuse her offer then their lives might be gone as well.


    Semiramis - And do note that even if you refuse to do so, I won''t do anything towards you at all. I promise~!


    Semiramis said with a bright voice. But everyone else but Reiji''s group knows that she''s most probably tricking them with her words...


    The moment they heard Semiramis voice, they screamed "NO!".


    Little Hijama even has tears and snot streaming down his face begging for his life.


    Reiji - P-Please spare us! We don''t know anything about their relationship with Issei Hyoudou! If we knew then we wouldn''t accept their confession at all! We swear! We don''t feel anything towards them. If anything we despise them for being such a traitorous bitch! They are the one who approached us! Am I right, guys?! And to be honest, I felt really disgusted by Akeno herself! She''s basically a freak abomination with those mismatched wings of hers!


    The other guys nodded their frantically signaling their agreement at Reiji''s words.


    Sirzechs''s party gritted their teeth in anger after hearing their answer while Rias''s group already lost hope and felt their heart has been broken to pieces by their so-called boyfriends... Now they know how Issei feel when he found out about their betrayal... It''s so crushingly painful that they wish they could just die in the next moment.


    Semiramis - Ara? Is that so?


    Semiramis smirked evilly at them.


    Semiramis - Sigh~ Too bad~ It appears that your boyfriends don''t love you at all. Don''t you think so as well? Rias Gremory, was it? But this is the true nature of men... And you said they weren''t perverted at all? Ahahahahaha! What a stupid thing to say... Which man isn''t perverted? It''s just a question of how good they hid it. It''s completely normal for men to feel lustful towards their loved ones... If they don''t feel lustful towards their loved ones then it might be a problem rather than a good thing... They are smarter and more of a gentleman? What a joke... Now let me show you something really interesting...


    Semiramis then snapped her fingers to show them another scene of Reiji''s group conducts during their respective lives. She used her <Death> aura to read their past...


    First, it was Reiji Minamoto, the boyfriend of Rias and Akeno.


    The younger version of Reiji could be seen fooling around with a bunch of girls. His biggest blunder is getting one of them pregnant but refuses to take responsibility on it and even told the carrying woman to abort it... The woman is unwilling to do it, so Reiji took matters with his own hand... The rest is omitted... But it claimed both the mom and unborn child lives in the end...


    From then on, Reiji learned to be the perfect "gentleman" as not to repeat the same blunder... With the assistance of his father who''s a high-class Mage. It''s quite easy to do stuff such as memory alteration. He even learns some trick of his own to make it easier to get girls he desires.


    His latest catch is Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima themselves.


    Then it''s Ken Mishima turn, the boyfriend of Asia.


    On the screen, it can be seen that he likes to fool around with women that seem quiet and obedient. He will often abuse his own girlfriends whenever he''s feeling irritated at something.


    He never abuses them until they took the final step, as in sex... He will act very gentlemanly until that time comes.


    When he''s bored of them he will toss them aside. There is a woman who loves him dearly only to be tossed aside by him.


    The girl thought that Ken truly loves her as well so she was planning to put all her hope at him only to be crushed mercilessly... He said he''s bored of her so let''s break up... And just with that, their relationship is no more...


    And, in the end, her family disowned her and she commits suicide... Ken was about to do the same with Asia but then he found out about her background as the Bishop of Rias Gremory. So he can only cancel his idea...


    Last, it''s the three brothers turn. Souji Takahashi, Ryutaro Takahashi, and Hijama Takahashi.


    They are the boyfriends of Xenovia, Irina, Koneko & Ravel respectively.


    The three brothers have a little game of their own. They''re competing just how many women they could claim in a set amount of time. And they sometimes share those women together in a big orgy by using certain drugs to drug the unwilling woman... And when they''re done with them they will act like nothing had happened and feign ignorance about it. In the next few days, they will break up with them.


    Souji was aiming for Kiyome Abe before he knew about Xenovia real identity and he still is. His two brother are also aiming their own chosen girls at that time.


    They all have their own "specialties", such as Hijama who''s using his cute look to reel in girls who''s into cute boys, etc.


    But when they all found out about Rias''s group true identity, they immediately toned down their previous attitude to act like a loving boyfriend.


    They thought that since Rias and co are the most beautiful women they''ve ever seen then they wouldn''t lose out anyway. But after seeing so many beautiful women here and there they started regretting their choice and now they thought that this is the perfect chance to discard them.


    They don''t let had sex with them anyway so they can easily break up with each other without any consequences... All they did is only kissing and touching here and there. So it''s all good, right?


    They''re also planning to aim for Rosseweisse and Kuroka as well but it''s too bad that they couldn''t meet the later while the former is in love with another man that they despise thinking that he''s just a lucky pervert.


    All of this information is shown on the screen. The female onlookers'' look at Reiji''s group like a bunch of scums. Especially Reiji and Ken who''s basically lower than scum.


    Sirzechs, Baraqiel, Odin. etc could barely hold themselves to obliterate them but they managed to hold it in because they know that their fate is basically sealed already. So they don''t need to do anything.


    Venelana''s party as in the mom''s group wish they could slap their daughters face for being so stupid but seeing their current state their anger turned into pity right away.


    Reiji and co started shivering greatly seeing their deepest secret has been known to all.


    Semiramis - What a great "Gentleman" they are~, don''t you think so as well, Rias Gremory''s? Heheheh... Now, I want to know something... Would you abandon them just like your other women when you''re done with them? Hmm? Now I would suggest you give an honest answer, or else...


    Semiramis asked Reiji''s group in amusement. At first, they were planning to lie about it, but after hearing the threat from Semiramis they admitted it. Back then, they are indeed the most beautiful woman they''ve ever seen but after seeing so many beauties that surpass them they were thinking on how to break up with Rias and co when they''re done with them.


    Rias''s group is already unresponsive to everything around them... They felt like they''re having a nightmare right now and wishes that they would wake up from it...


    But deep inside they know that this is not a dream and they have no one to blame but themselves... They betrayed the man that loved them the most and this is the consequences...


    Kuroka who saw Koneko being like this felt sad but she knows that this is the punishment she needed to face...


    Semiramis - Fufu, your answer satisfy me...


    Reiji - T-Then! Will you let us go?!


    Reiji said with a hopeful voice thinking that Semiramis would let them go. The other guys are also feeling hopeful about it.


    Semiramis - Hm? Of course you can go~


    Semiramis smiled at them to which they felt like they''re in heaven right now.


    Semiramis - ...To the special place called Limbo that is.


    Semiramis smiling face took a complete 180-degree turn and her gaze on them went ice cold as if she''s looking at insects... Nay... Perhaps even lower than insects... The same goes for the other girls such as Scathach and Forzelotte.


    If Semiramis wasn''t planning to do anything then they would''ve been the one to kill the right here right now.


    Semiramis waved her hands and there''s a bunch of evil spirits appearing near Reiji and co. They all screeched in terror seeing so many of evil spirits surrounding them.


    Reiji - D-Didn''t you say that you wouldn''t do anything towards us?! Gyaaahhhhh!


    Reiji shouted in fear towards Semiramis. But then, one of those souls clawed at his face making it bleed profusely. Those spirits not only attack their physical bodies but also their souls at the same time.


    The other guys are also not having it better. Some of the souls are munching on their body as if it''s a delicacy.


    Semiramis - Oh, but I kept my word... I said "I" won''t do anything towards you but the same thing doesn''t apply for those evil spirits... Now take a closer look at them... Don''t you recognize them all?


    Semiramis grinned evilly at Reiji''s group.


    Reiji - Wh-What?! Hyihhh!?


    Reiji and co face went completely white because they recognize most of those evil spirits. It''s the women spirit that committed suicide or died because of them.


    Semiramis - That''s right... They are your past victims. Now pay for your sins and begone to your rightful place in Limbo... <Open: Gate of Limbo>.


    There''s a pitch black hole appeared from behind Reiji''s group and a bunch of dark hands appeared from it dragging Reiji''s and the other guys'' souls directly towards them...


    The Evil spirit that''s currently surrounding them helped those dark hands. They ripped their soul straight out of their bodies. The pain they felt is extremely painful that they bleed from all of their orifices and in the end, the only thing that''s left behind is the husk of a body of Reiji''s group. And their bodies also turned into dust when Jalter burn it to ashes with her flame.


    She has this disgusted face on her face as if she just stepped on the most disgusting insect in her life when she''s done burning their bodies.


    The onlookers'' can still faintly hear the scream of absolute terror and despair from them when they are dragged to the black hole itself...


    They all have a cold sweat streaming down their faces because they''ve never seen anything so ghastly and terrifying... Even Hades shivered in fear because he knows that Limbo is a far worser place than hell itself... In hell, you will only suffer for a while but later you will be reincarnated when the time comes... But in Limbo? Nope... You will only float around there suffering for all of eternity...


    Scathach - Hmm... How come the way you kill those you hated looks so similar to "him"? That time how he kills those... What was his name again? Faketon or something?


    Scathach wondered without looking unperturbed in the slightest after seeing those horrifying scene that manages to instill fear to the other onlookers''.


    Croix - It''s Prince Felton~


    Croix corrected Scathach word with a smile.


    Scathach - Muh, close enough... I can''t be bothered remembering trashes name anyway.


    Scathach said with lack of interest.


    Forzelotte - I approve of Semiramis way of killing them... Eating those... Insects soul will just make me sick and full of disgust.


    Fozelotte frowned in disgust seeing the previous spot where Reiji''s group were positioned.


    The other group is feeling unreal seeing how they could converse so carefreely with one another after that whole terrifying incident...


    Semiramis - You think you could live after all that? Bunch of trash that''s lower than a scum doesn''t deserve to live. And just so you know... What''s inside this flask is not poison at all. It''s just a fake... They don''t even try to save your lives at all and choose their own lives from the get-go... Truly a "gentleman".


    Semiramis spat in disgust and then threw away the flask that contains fake poison before she changed her attention towards Sirzechs''s group.


    Semiramis - And even if you could undo all of this... We wouldn''t take your offer on that... Because of these idiots stupidity, we''re able to become his wives in the end. We are able to become Issei Savant Hyoudou rightful WIVES!


    Semiramis said with a prideful voice to which they all become further dumbfounded. While Azazel already smiled bitterly knowing that his guess is proven to be true.


    Irene took that as a signal before she snapped her finger to show the <Dragon Nest> team bracket on screen.


    Their respective names are unfolding on their own, right before their very own eyes.


    <Dragon Nest>:


    1. Irene Belserion H. = Irene Belserion Hyoudou


    2. Jalter H. = Jalter Hyoudou


    3. Jeanne H. = Jeanne Hyoudou


    4. Croix Eden H. = Croix Eden Hyoudou


    5. Riche Eden H. = Riche Eden Hyoudou


    6. Millet H. = Millet Hyoudou


    7. Ramius Dreissen H. = Ramius Dreissen Hyoudou


    8. Kathryn Lapucelle H. = Kathryn Lapucelle Hyoudou.


    9. Gurigura H. = Gurigura Hyoudou


    10. Natal H. = Natal Hyoudou


    11. Wiz H. = Wiz Hyoudou


    12. Yunyun H. = Yunyun Hyoudou


    13. Kyou H. = Kyou Hyoudou


    14. Kinou H. = Kinou Hyoudou


    All of the locked information about them before is suddenly unlocked for all to see.


    Semiramis - Ah right, I still haven''t introduced myself. My name is Semiramis Hyoudou also known as Lady Death by the majority... And Semiramis is a name given by my dearest husband. Nice to meet all of you.


    Semiramis introduced herself elegantly. She lifted her lower dress hem and bowed slightly with a genuinely happy smile on her face.


    Scathach - Scathach Skadi Hyoudou, Ise''s mentor. I''m also known as the undefeated <God Slayer>, but that record has been broken by my own disciple, which is Ise himself.


    Scathach only calmly introduced herself with a cool voice.


    Forzelotte - Forzelotte Savant Hyoudou, former <Supreme Overlord> of the <Netherworld>. Now my husband replaced my previous position as the new <Supreme Overlord>.


    While Forzelotte only calmly said her introduction.


    Irene - And I am Irene Belserion Hyoudou, former name Ddraig Y Gooch the <Sekiryuutei> "Himself".


    Irene dropped the last bomb in her introduction.


    When they are still dumbfounded, Irene continued her speech.


    Irene - Now... For our prize as the winner of this rating game. I want the engagement between Rias Gremory and her group with Issei to be annulled!


    She said a shocking statement which managed to rail up Rias and her peerage from their downed state. But it doesn''t end there... Irene then proceeded to show them their supposedly engagement rings.


    Irene - And because of that... These rings are no longer needed... Such a pity because it''s made by Ise himself and it''s also quite beautiful... Oh well, he''s making new rings for us as we speak anyway.


    Irene then destroyed those rings into smithereens...


    Rias''s group - NOOOOOOOOO!!!


    They all screamed out loud in despair and desperate voice. They tried to crawl towards Irene''s location but to no avail since their current body state doesn''t allow them to do so.


    Koneko is being held by Kuroka so she can''t move at all. But she''s trying her best to break free from Kuroka''s grasp... Of course, that will never happen since Kuroka is far more stronger than her.


    Semiramis - Ah... But the show isn''t over yet... Here, take a look at this.


    Semiramis then proceed to open another holographic screen by using the same magic she used to Reiji''s group but this time it shows the future instead of the past.


    On the screen, there''s Rias''s group smiling with contentment with their respective baby in their hands.


    They stopped their struggle and watch the screen intently because for some reason they know that those babies are theirs... Their eyes become glistening while looking at the screen. They all unintentionally smiled when they saw how those babies laugh in their hands and that face of pure bliss they had when holding them... Everything seems perfect...


    Semiramis - You should be able to tell... Yes, those children are your supposed children with Ise himself in the future...


    Even Semiramis voice held a little tinge of envy seeing those babies since she wanted to conceive Issei''s baby the most.


    Semiramis - But... Because of your stupidity... That future will never happen... You said you hate how he gazes at you lustfully right? Don''t worry, he will never look at you all like that again. He will only look at you like some pebbles on the road from now on.


    Soon the screen cracked and burst into pieces...


    Rias and her peerage screamed for the umpteenth time with a face full of despair and regret while their hands went forward as if they''re trying to put the pieces back together before they stopped moving altogether... They passed out after puking a mouthful of blood...


    Their respective parents/guardian immediately checked their condition as well seeing they suddenly puked blood.


    Kuroka - Sigh... I believe that my little sister has received her punishment, Semiramis-nee?


    Kuroka sighed sadly at Koneko condition but at least she will live... She then asked Semiramis confirmation.


    Semiramis - Hmm, fine... Ise might be upset at me if I were to take it too far with your little sister since we''ve already promised you and I obviously doesn''t want to upset him or my lovey-dovey time with him might be postponed~... But as for the others... I wonder if I should claim their life now and put their soul in limbo as well? Or should I make them my lab rat to test my poison instead? What to do, what to do~, so many options~


    Semiramis hummed joyfully while eyeing the now unconscious Rias''s group. Her smile is absolutely stunning but for Sirzechs and the other onlookers, it looks like the smile of a Devil instead... How ironic considering most of them are the true devil.


    Their parents/guardian face went white like a sheet of a paper hearing her words.


    Shuten - If I may propose a request... Can I have their skulls as my new sake cup~?


    Shuten-Douji spoke with an equally evil grin on her face.


    Ibaraki - I want their meat!... Eh, nevermind... Let''s just feed them to the dogs!


    Ibaraki raised her hand at the same time but soon her appetite went away thinking that their meat will taste bad anyway.


    Raikou - Maa~, I usually don''t agree with their words but this time I agree... I wanted to lop off their head as well for hurting Ise-chan like that.


    Raikou put away her bow before she put her hand on her katana while eyeing Rias''s group necks.


    Carmilla - Can I have their blood instead? Even though they are trash but I have to admit that they are quite beautiful... I bet bathing in their blood will make my skin even glossier... Of course I won''t drink their blood because I still haven''t taste Master blood yet and I don''t want my mouth to become polluted with their foul blood.


    One of the Heroic spirits went forward while stating her request.


    Paniverna - Semiramis-sama, that girl has a phoenix bloodline inside her. If I were to absorb it then it will increase my bloodline strength... But sadly it will only increase it by a tiny bit amount... It''s better than nothing at least. That way I can serve Ise-sama even better!

 Chapter 91 BAD NEWS

    @@


    I am stuck with my brother in out of town... he tricked me saying that the job will only take 3-4 days...


    But since he paid me more i can''t really complain because a job is a job. ETA for my return is around a week more from now on... sorry to bring you all this bad news but job take priorities before hobbies.@@

 Chapter 91 - 90

    When Sirzechs and the others heard Irene words they become taken aback for a completely different reason... Trihexa will break free from its seal? What?!


    Just when they''re about to say something at Irene''s group they are cut off by them.


    Irene - There''s no need to be alarmed. Just who do you think our husband is? He''s the strongest existence in the universe.


    Irene said to them with a prideful voice but she kept quiet about Nyarlathotep because even she is not sure about it... She believes Issei will be able to defeat it but she''s still worried regardless. The same goes for the other girls.


    Irene - Issei already suspected the sealing of Trihexa went too smoothly before. That''s why he informed Rossweisse about it, and his suspicion is proven to be true... You can rest assured that he will be able to handle Trihexa quite easily.


    They swallowed their words back to their throats when they heard her words.


    Irene - Now then... Bring those fools with us.


    The army was about to carry Rias''s group with them but their parents blocked them saying that they will be the one who will do it instead because they don''t trust them. It''s a given considering how they''re tortured by them just a moment ago...


    They wanted to refuse to bring Rias''s and her peerage with them but they know that Irene''s party wouldn''t allow that to happen so they can only sigh bitterly and comply with their order since it is their daughters who''re at fault here...


    Irene told them it''s fine as long as they will be coming with them.


    Semiramis then told Francis Drake to summon <Ryuuteimaru> again and told them all to board it and then they headed to the Trihexa sealing location.


    Sirzechs''s group are feeling apprehensive at first but soon they board the ship as well... They are still feeling disbelief seeing how much have <Ryuuteimaru> changed compared to back then.


    The bystanders are also feeling out of this world seeing the army of <ECH> company but they have a different opinion of Rias''s group now... They never thought the famous Rias Gremory and her peerages would betray the legendary <Sekiryuutei>.


    They literally mistook a pearl with a fisheye this time around... Thinking they found a diamond and abandoned the seemingly normal looking rock but in the end, the diamond is a complete fake while the rock is the true treasure... Truly a fool...


    The whole world will know what transpired here and from now on they will despise and mock Rias Gremory peerage for their stupidity... Their reputation will hit rock bottom immediately.


    But for now, they decided to just follow them instead because they all wanted to see what''s going on with Trihexa. Each of them immediately used their own transportation method whether it''s by teleportation, train, etc.


    They don''t dare ask the <ECH> company for a lift less they will earn their ire...


    When all of them are aboard they headed for the trihexa location straight away. They opened a dimensional rift to travel there... But Sirzechs group are being watched closely by the army except for a select few that are left alone by them such as Vali''s group, Odin, Sona, Elmenhilde, etc.


    Irene''s group comfortably sat on their respective chair once more while mockingly watch Rias''s group who''s still unconscious in their parents embrace.


    The treatment they receive is completely different such as Odin who''s basically Rossweisse grandfather are treated like a VIP.


    He''s served with all kinds of beverages and food alike by the maids on board. Odin honestly still feel awkward but he''s also feeling kind of happy about it since his "granddaughter" is smarter compared to Rias''s group.


    He started ogling some of the maids... They let him do as he pleases since all he does is only looking at them and not touching anyway. And besides, that just means that they are attractive enough for being able to attract a God himself.


    Rakia - Odin-sama, we don''t mind if you just looking at our employees but please don''t let your hands wander around since most of them decided to dedicate their lives for Issei-sama.


    Rakia voice resounded nearby Odin who''s flinched slightly after hearing her words.


    Most of the maids here are a combination of the girls that Issei saved. Some of them are from the Evenicle world aka the Ex-Outlaw girls. They are eternally grateful at Issei so they decided to dedicate their lives for him... Issei told them that they owe him nothing and free to go wherever they like but they still choose to serve him...


    It would be very stupid of them to abandon such perfect master anyway.


    Irene - Well, that''s just how he is. He''s basically your typical perverted gramps but he''s way better compared to that Odin from the <Netherworld>.


    Irene said out of nowhere.


    Odin and the others who heard her words are a bit confused.


    Semiramis - Hmm, judging from your faces you''re curious on what we''re talking about right? Well...There was also a God named Odin from our world and he''s much stronger than you.


    Semiramis continued Irene''s words and she pointed at Odin.


    Semiramis - He''s a complete tyrant. He treated his subordinates and "Daughters" alike as if they are tools... At one point, he saw Scathach here and wanted to claim both her and her <Gae Bolg> at the same time since he''s not content with just the prototype.


    Semiramis look at Scathach who''s by her side with a smile.


    Scathach who heard her words smiled blissfully remembering that time. Her smile manages to captivate a lot of the male onlookers''.


    Even the Gods who feared her is the same because her smile is so devastatingly beautiful...


    Semiramis - At first, Ise warned him but Odin disregard his warning and in the end, Ise immediately set off to his location without a second delay and single-handedly killed him. And along with Odin''s fall... The Gods faction over there is no more...


    Semiramis said in a carefree manner.


    But everyone there sucked in a cold breath of air hearing that Issei erased a behemoth of a faction with such ease.


    Scathach - Um, and those who surrendered themselves are left alone while all of the Valkyries decided to follow Ise instead. That time was really magnificent if I say so myself... We killed a fair amount of Gods and Demi-Gods alike... Good time.


    Scathach nodded to herself while some of the girls smile wryly at her since not all of them are a battle maniac, obviously...


    Forzelotte - But along with it, the Goddesses became an annoying pest that keeps trying to seduce him...


    Forzelotte said annoyedly at the end.


    She doesn''t really mind Ise having a harem but she doesn''t want any woman who only aims at superficial things such as they only wanted to court him just because of his status as the <Supreme Overlord> and the like.


    Forzelotte herself knows that Ise will never love such woman but still... It''s best to be careful rather than sorry.


    They are feeling immensely curious at Issei now... They even starting to doubt if they''re talking about the same Issei they know here. Because from their description of him it seems so... Surreal...


    Sun Wukong - Kahahaha, you better believe it since I saw him face to face before and I can tell you that he is indeed the Sekiryuutei Boy that all of you used to know... Well... Maybe not? Since he''s way too different compared to back then? Perhaps his attitude changed after being betrayed? Hmm...


    Sun Wukong at first tried to clear their doubt but in the end, he''s also feeling confused as for Issei transformation... He started rubbing his chin in confusion.


    Irene - Heheh, indeed... If compared to my old partner then he indeed looks like a completely different person but his current personality is his true personality... You see, during his childhood, Ise met Forzelotte here...


    Irene then proceeded to tell them about Issei''s childhood...


    When they listened to Irene''s story they felt speechless... For one, they are in awe knowing that even during his childhood Issei still willing to put his life on the line for a stranger he just met.


    But... They never thought that his super perverted personality is because of this woman named Forzelotte messed up with her sealing magic... His memory got altered along with his personality at that...


    Forzelotte - Hmph! At least because of my little mistake, we can avoid having these insects as our fellow sisters.


    Forzelotte scoffed while looking at Rias and her peerages who already woke up. They look like a doll with no string attached with how hollow and distressed they look now... If they don''t see their chest heaving up and down then people might think that they are already dead...


    They were looking down to the ground with no movement whatsoever but when they heard Irene story about him they started to react a little bit and look up towards them.


    Rias - ...please...


    Rias hoarse and low voice resounded from her mouth.


    Rias - ...please let us meet him...


    She begged at Irene''s group despite her fear of them. Her body is shivering in fear and desperation... The same goes for the other girls from her peerage.


    They started chimed in Rias''s words and begged them as well...


    Their parents can only hold their tears seeing their daughters situation but there''s nothing they could do... This is the mistake they''ve made on their own and only they themselves could fix it...


    Jalter - Huh?!


    Jalter stands up from her seat with a growl while looking at Rias''s group.


    Jalter - And then what? What will you do when you meet him?! You want to trick him once again with your sweet words and lies?!


    She glared coldly at them.


    Rias - No!


    Rias immediately denied Jalter claim with every last bit of effort she could muster.


    Rias - I... I just want to say that I''m sorry to him... We all do...


    She slumped down once more to the ground with tears streaming down her face. But she''s also hoping that when Issei heard their explanation as for why they dated Reiji''s group he would forgive them.


    But she doesn''t say that out loud because that''s just a selfish wish of hers...


    Semiramis - If you think just apologizing will fix everything then you all are really stupid... But no matter, you all will meet him soon enough. If Ise will forgive you then we will spare your pathetic lives... If not then... You best say your farewell to your families.


    Semiramis narrowed her eyes at them and said with a cold voice. She also gave them all a false hope thinking that if Issei forgives them then they could avoid death... It''s not like they really aiming for their lives. They wanted to see them wail in regret more than anything and killing them will just let them have the easier way out...


    Jalter then scoffed at them one last time before she went back to her seat.


    Sirzechs looks down and gritted his teeth in regret... Regret because of his over spoiling his little sister she became what she is now... If only he''s a bit stricter with her then perhaps they could avoid all this from happening... The same goes for Venelana and Zeoticus.


    Rias who heard Semiramis words have a little bit of light returned to her eyes. The other girls also the same...


    Grayfia - Excuse me, but I have a proposal.


    Grayfia suddenly said towards Semiramis''s group from behind Sirzechs.


    All eyes instantly went to her location but she doesn''t look disturbed in the slightest.


    Semiramis - Hmm? Oh, and do tell us about your proposal.


    Semiramis said in amusement.


    Grayfia - If by chance Issei doesn''t forgive them then, I volunteered myself to be Rias replacement... Life for life is a fair trade, I would assume?


    Grayfia said with a calm face but those around her are taken aback especially Rias, Venelana, Zeoticus and the like.


    Sirzechs only smile bitterly because they''ve already discussed this beforehand... If by chance Rias''s life is in danger because of Issei then Grayfia would propose for an exchange herself... And that exchange is, of course, Grayfia herself.


    Sirzechs at first doesn''t agree to this but since they''re not really husband and wife he can''t do anything to stop her...


    Some of the Devils group tried to stop her but she ignores their voice and only looks at Semiramis waiting for an answer.


    Zeoticus also tried to stop her since Grayfia is the "Mother" of his "Grandson" after all.


    Venelana - If that''s not enough then I also volunteered myself to replace my daughter position.


    Venelana chimed in after Grayfia and this time Zeoticus finally couldn''t keep calm any longer and tried to stop them both as well.


    Semiramis - Hoo... Life for a life... Indeed, that sounds fair...


    Semiramis mused with a calculating glint in her eyes.


    Rias - No! Mom, Grayfia! Ise will surely forgive us so there''s no need to do this!


    Rias hastily muster her voice hoping to stop them both.


    Venelana - ...Just in case he doesn''t forgive you, honey.


    Venelana said in a forced smile and reassurance because even she knows that the chance for that to happen is close to impossible... She can only sigh bitterly seeing how delusional her daughter is...


    Perhaps this is the cause of her poor upbringing... She was too busy as a mother to raise her daughter properly and Sirzechs doesn''t fare any better, the same goes for Zeoticus. You could say that they''re also responsible for this whole incident...


    But she''s also feeling disappointed at Zeoticus because he never volunteered himself to replace herself or their daughter place... To be honest, their marriage life is so cold and boring... They barely interact with each other in their own household.


    Only in front of guests and their other family member they started acting like a true husband and wife. Zeoticus keep visiting his concubines and mistresses place instead of her own legal wife. He barely cares and neither did she... Their whole marriage is because of political reason after all.


    The public only knows that they married each other because of love while the truth is far from that...


    Then the others also follow up wanting to trade their lives for their respective daughters.


    Baraqiel for Akeno, Ravel by her mother as well... While Xenovia have Griselda and Irina is her father volunteering to take their place.


    Only Asia doesn''t have any substitute but that soon changed with Kiba saying that he will take her place. Gasper wanted to say something but Kiba told him that he has Valerie to take care off so Gasper can only stay silent after that.


    Semiramis''s group narrowed their eyes at them while thinking about something...


    Semiramis - Very well... I will take your offer. If by chance Ise doesn''t spare your pathetic lives then... You know the rest. Now sign this contract to finalize our deal.


    Semiramis created a soul contract to which they sign in agreement. Soul contract as its name implies is a contract where their soul is the payment if they were to break the pact... If they don''t fulfill their end of the bargain then their very own soul will be forfeited.


    When she saw them finished signing the contract, she flashed a victorious grin that went unnoticed by the other group because this is what she''s aiming for...


    Semiramis - And as for you, Kiba Yuuto, was it? Drink this potion... Don''t worry, it''s not a poison.


    Semiramis suddenly pointed at Kiba who just finished signing the contract and toss a flask of pink-colored potion to him.


    Kiba only looks at it for a second before he drank that potion without hesitation.


    Then something happened to his body...


    ...


    During their way to the Trihexa sealing location which is <Agreas>, A large city that is located in the Agares territory which is being maintained by the servants of the current Beelzebub. It has a distinctive feature in which it appears to be a large floating island suspended in the sky. A popular tourist resort, it is also the place that controls the flow of the air in the Underworld. <Agreas> is a place that has the technology of the Original Satans and contains the essential crystals of the highest quality that is used to create both the Evil Pieces and Brave Saints.


    They should''ve been able to arrive there instantly with the help of Semiramis''s group dimensional travel but they slow down their traveling speed on purpose.


    One of the reason is so that they could "Negotiate" which has been fulfilled not long ago while the last reason is so they can chat for a little bit.


    When they found out about Kuroka being "Reincarnated" as a Dragon by Issei they are really surprised. No wonder she has this Dragon aura around her before, Tannin and Tiamat thought to themselves...


    Azazel is quite interested in the whole process so he asked Kuroka for details but her answer left all of them speechless...


    Kuroka - Lots and lots of lovey-dovey session with Ise!


    She yelled with a joyful smile.


    They thought she''s just kidding at first but when they saw the other girls such as Ramius, Riche, Gurigura, etc nodding to her statement they become even more speechless...


    Rias''s group are eyeing them with envy and jealousy running at full throttle. Even Koneko gazes at Kuroka like that.


    All of them are also a bit confused with Irene being the former Ddraig Y Gooch... How come "he" is a woman now? But Irene doesn''t want to tell them the reason for that, obviously...


    She showed them the classic <Boosted Gear> to make them believe her being the <Sekiryuutei>.


    Just like where they chat with Odin they also have a little chat with Grayfia, Serafall, Sona, Gabriel, etc.


    They wanted to assess their worth and so far they''re more or less pretty much satisfied.


    During their introduction, they also acquaintanced themselves with the <ECH> army.


    They never thought that Issei will have his own army of Angels and Devils alike... The Phenex family for one is in awe seeing Paniverna who has a higher rank bloodline than them. The same goes for the Angels and the other Devils alike.


    They also never thought that almost every women present here is his women... Azazel smiles proudly while some smiles wryly and even felt envious of him, Saji for example also felt envious of him but he earned another pinch by the two women by his side... But one thing they had in common inside their mind is that he finally achieved his dream and become a true Harem King... Nay, perhaps a True Harem God is more precise.


    Each piece of the information they receive made them went numb with speechlessness and awe... Heroic spirit? Overlords? And many more?


    But even an idiot could tell that they alienated Rias''s group. They treated them as if they don''t exist... At least it''s better rather than to have them torture them again.


    Obviously, Gasper and Kiba are an exception to this and they are treated normally by them.


    Although, every time they heard Issei''s achievement they become increasingly curious and felt bitter about it...


    Bitter because they basically just lost a strong ally for themselves... If it wasn''t for Rias''s group stupidity then they would''ve still had Issei with them now... Some of the devils felt indignant but there''s nothing they could do since Rias is the little sister of Maou himself.


    Rias''s group are feeling shameful when they''re being gazed with such disdain and disappointment by the others... Sairaorg for one felt very disappointed with her.


    They then keep on absorbing any information they could get until they finally arrived...


    Semiramis - We have arrived.


    Semiramis said and then she opened another rift opening.


    When the opening is created they can see the city of <Agreas> along with a giant dome-like barrier at its center. And inside that barrier is Trihexa itself.


    Surrounding those barriers are the guards stationed by the faction leaders... Is how it was supposed to be but what they saw is hundred upon hundreds of what seemingly a Valkryie army... But those Valkyries doesn''t belong to Odin...


    They have a different aura and temperament compared to Odin''s Valkyries, their armor is also completely different from Odin''s Valkyries... And what''s more obvious is that they are wearing a specific outfit with the <ECH> insignia on them. Their outfit also looks way better and advanced compared to theirs.


    So it''s safe to assume that they are the Valkyries Issei "recruited" from the other Odin himself.


    Odin is feeling stupefied much less the others... They then saw some of those Valkyries are forming a line at a certain direction and when they follow those lines they saw Rossweisse herself.


    Rossweisse appears to be conversing with someone in a black and crimson outfit. She has this bright and loving smile on her face when she''s talking with this unknown individual... She''s also hugging this person left arm at the moment and they look like a couple.


    This individual is wearing a unique looking black mask on his head. He has a perfect and chiseled body that manages to make all the female onlookers'' heartthrob and blush just by looking at his broad and wide back.


    He has a tall and lean figure yet also fit at the same time, his body can only be described as utter perfection as if sculpted by God himself. His outfit consists of a black long jacket with a crimson outline and with an Eastern Dragon image at the back and underneath it, he''s wearing a white and black shirt.


    (AN: Basically the novel cover outfit).


    He''s also wearing a black glove on both of his hand and on top of those gloves is the <ECH> insignia but compared to the normal <ECH> logo, his logo has a King''s crown on top of it.


    Overall, he looks extremely cool and amazing to the eyes of the onlookers''. This person is obviously Issei himself.


    Rossweisse outfit herself is also very beautiful and frilly compared to her usual suit. While the loli trio outfit looks very cute instead... They''re wearing a custom made baby doll dress made for their own sizes.


    Sona who saw Issei had her eyes widened since it''s the exact same mask she saw back then... And the same exact figure as well, no... Perhaps his figure becomes even better now... You''re telling her that person is Issei himself?


    By his side, there''s not only Rossweisse but also Ophis, Lilith, Tio, Tilt, Towa, Sora, Da Vinci, Kunou, etc.


    The Valkyries are standing behind them with devoted and endless respect on their faces. Brunhild stands close by them as well with her spear out in the open while observing the area with her keen eyes in case something goes wrong.


    Odin eyes instantly homing in on Rossweisse and he heaved a sigh of relief seeing her fine and well. Although he''s been told that she''s fine but seeing is believing.


    The group then approached by the stationed guards with confusion showing on their face since they know Rossweisse well so they are honestly not sure what to do about this whole scenario. But now that their superior is here they can take it easy.


    Odin''s group told them that it''s fine and then they changed their attention towards Issei once again.


    Da Vinci - Hmm, so the one that''s being sealed inside this dome is the Trihexa you''ve told me about before, master?


    Da Vinci asked curiously at Issei.


    Issei - Ah.


    Issei answered briefly.


    Da Vinci - Although I could sense its power only slightly since the seal is getting in the way, it indeed possesses quite the immense power... But... It''s still far too weak if compared to you, right master?


    Da Vinci smiled teasingly at Issei.


    Issei only gives Da Vinci a light nonchalant shrug.


    Rossweisse - Of course Ise is stronger than some measly Trihexa! He''s my dear husband after all!


    Rossweisse pumped out her chest proudly as if she''s trying to brag to everyone who''s around although most of the person here already knows that so they can only smile wryly at her statement.


    Issei also smiles wryly at her under his mask before he patted her head gently.


    Rossweisse giggled happily being patted by him while Kunou pouted a little seeing their interaction.


    Rias''s group eyes instantly locked onto Issei''s form the moment they saw him... And for some reason, they could instantly tell that it is indeed their Issei the moment they laid their eyes on him.


    They couldn''t contain their tears of joy when they saw him.


    Issei - Looks like they''ve arrived.


    Issei saw <Ryuuteimaru> along with Semiramis''s group arriving here. He also saw Rias''s group but he doesn''t have any reaction at all when he saw them.


    Rias''s group joyful face froze when they saw how Issei doesn''t react at all when he saw them... Even though he''s wearing a mask they know that he just saw them but he doesn''t have any reaction at all... His gaze doesn''t even stay for 1 millisecond on them and went to Semiramis''s group straight away.


    Well, maybe his gaze stays for a couple of seconds but he''s not looking at them but at Gasper instead.


    Jalter who saw their frozen face sneered at them before she, along with the other girls went to Issei''s direction. They are followed by the army of Overlords, Kalar, and Heroic spirit as well.


    They landed their ship not too far from Issei location.


    The line of Valkyries group opened a path for them to pass while the army from Semiramis''s party just now joined their rank and formed another row of a platoon as well making the already imposing Valkyrie army more intimidating.


    They bowed respectfully at Semiramis''s group when they pass by them. Rossweisse let go of Issei''s arm and smiled welcomingly at them as well.


    Da Vinci went to meet up with her fellow heroic spirits and have a little chat with them.


    Semiramis''s party - Dearest/Beloved/Master/Milord/Darling!/Ise!/Otouto-kun~/Ise-nii!/Ise-san!


    Semiramis instantly gave Issei a hug the moment they reached his location. When she settled inside his embrace, Semiramis mewled in satisfaction.


    Then Issei is surrounded by the others as well. Yasaka gave Kunou a hug too.


    Scathach - Oh, nice new outfit you got there, baka deshi. I assume this is Tio and Tilt new design? Very nice indeed.


    Scathach amusedly looks at Issei in his new outfit and she got to say that he''s indeed looking very stunning in it.


    Tio and Tilt smiled at Scathach praise.


    Issei - You should make a new dress as well, Shishou. Of course, I don''t really mind seeing your usual outfit so it''s just a suggestion of mine.


    Scathach - M-Muh, a dress you say? I''m more comfortable with this kind of outfit but if you insist then I shall do so later... You will be accompanying me, obviously.


    Issei - Yes, ma''am.


    Issei encircled his arms around her waist and smiled fondly at her under his mask.


    Scathach - F-Fumu, good.


    Scathach blushed slightly seeing how Issei suddenly gave her a hug out of nowhere but she doesn''t resist it in the slightest.


    Even though Issei already defeated Scathach he never stops calling her Shishou since, for both of them, that nickname has a special feeling to it.


    The onlookers'' are dumbfounded seeing how tame and happy their face looks when they''re around Issei. Even the normally fierce-looking Jalter smiled happily when she''s standing next to Issei.


    Issei - So, you girls had fun in your "Girls night out"?


    Issei asked teasingly at Irene''s party.


    Irene - You could say that. It''s so fun that we got to let out some steam off.


    Irene answered back in a teasing manner.


    Issei - Is that so? Good to know then.


    Issei smiled at them under his mask.


    Issei - And thank you for accompanying them on their "Girls night out", all of you.


    He looked at the newly arrived army and thanked them.


    Shuten - You''re very welcome, Your Majesty~. It''s been our pleasure to accompany them. But it would be nice if you can take me on a date later.


    Ibaraki - Shuten''s right, Buchou! And if possible I want your cooking as a reward!


    Raikou - Maa~ no need to thank your mother, Ise-chan... You can just give me a hug instead~????


    Francis - Hahahaha! No need to thank us, boss! Just have a drink with us sometimes will ya?


    Musashi - Ooo~ that''s a good idea! Let''s have a drink sometime soon, milord!


    Okita Alter - I second that.


    X Alter - Three.


    Jalter - Fat chance!


    One by one they answered back while Jalter once again blocked the Heroic Spirits advances towards Issei.


    Each of them has a different reaction when they saw Issei now... The Angels and Fallen Angels thought Issei was their "God" when they saw him for the first time because of the amount of Karma he possesses...


    The Devil faction also felt the same as them but for the Gods faction, it''s a completely different thing... They can''t really tell the divinity Issei possess but they could guess that it''s by far the strongest divinity they''ve ever felt... They are wondering just what is it...


    Even Shiva can''t measure his overall strength but just the fact that he couldn''t sense anything from him is something else...


    He can''t see through him at all nor could he predict his future.


    While the Dragons group such as Tiamat or Tannin felt a sudden urge to just kneel towards Issei. They could still resist it when they met Irene before but Issei is on a whole another league compared to her and they could barely resist the urge.


    Vali grinned slightly while looking at Issei and his battle maniac side is itching for a fight with him. Sairaorg is still having a mixed feeling about Rias''s case.


    While Le Fay, Elmenhilde, Bennia group face turned a little red just by gazing at Issei''s form and they still haven''t seen his true face... The same goes for the other girls from their group like Gabriel, Serafall, Sona, Grayfia, and even the mother''s group also blushed slightly when they saw him now... It''s like he has this natural allure to attract the opposite sex with ease... And they still haven''t seen his face yet!


    They''re dying to see just what''s under that mask...


    Semiramis peeked at the group of women blushing face and smirked to herself before she changed her attention back towards Issei.


    Semiramis - Dearest~?


    She cooed Issei''s name with such allure that manages to make the male onlookers'' body shivers in arousal. They wish she would call their name with such tone...


    Semiramis sneaked inside Issei''s embrace once again.


    Issei - What''s wrong, Semi?


    He asked the alluring woman that''s currently inside his embrace.


    She doesn''t say anything but she reaches out her hand towards Issei''s mask and then she channeled a bit of her magic to deactivate the mask.


    *Cling* *Clack* *Clack*


    The mask started unfolding themselves and before long they''re socketed back to Issei''s collar and turned into a necklace with a mini version of the mask hanging around his neck.


    And for everyone there, they who never saw Issei''s new face before felt like the time around them froze entirely without a single exception. Whether it be male or female alike... Even they who already saw his face before blushed slightly with an enamored look on their face.


    Because what they saw is an out of this world face that able to smitten anyone who saw it... It''s the most handsome and graceful face they''ve ever seen in their entire life.


    That manly, yet graceful and delicate face at the same time, those gentle yet sharp wine-red colored eyes, his shoulder-length lustrous jet black hair with a tinge of red at the tip of his hair... All of that coupled with his gentle smiling face while gazing at the woman inside his embrace made all of the girls on the vicinity swoon over him immediately, some even had a slight nosebleed such as Le Fay and Elmenhilde.


    Everything about him is really perfect and charming they thought to themselves...


    While Rias''s group had their eyes wide open along with their mouth after seeing Issei''s current face... If they think Reiji''s group faces were handsome before this then they will think that their face is only average at best now...


    They could still see the similarity of Issei''s old face with his current one. His face contour is pretty much the same just more manly and adult-like and also extremely handsome at that...


    Kuroka - He''s really charming right, nya?


    Kuroka asked the newcomers group.


    They unconsciously nodded to her question while still looking at Issei.


    Kuroka - Just like what all of you heard before, Elder sister Forzelotte messed up a little back then but she set it so her seal will automatically disappear when Ise reaches 18 years old in age...If only all of you waited a little bit longer then you should have met the current him during his 18th birthday. But you choose those men, no... Trashes, over him...


    Kuroka explained towards the group but then she looked at the dumbfounded Rias''s group. She sighed to herself while looking at Koneko with sadness... But then she looks away from them and walked towards Issei''s location to join the rest of the girls.


    Rias and her peerage who heard her words bite their lips in frustration and regret...


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei tilted his head to the side slightly with a little confused face on why she took off his mask and while looking at Semiramis, his gentle smiling face is still there but this action of his made all of the female onlookers'' heartthrob greatly and their face started blushing profusely. Some of the girls had hearts on their eyes and some of the men slapped themselves and started saying "I''M STRAIGHT! I''M STRAIGHT!" just like a certain someone before.


    Semiramis - There we go... It''s nothing, dearest. It''s just that I want to see your face right now.


    She smiled at Issei before she kissed him straight on the lips which make the female onlookers'' felt envious because they wish they''re in her position right now.


    Issei at first was a bit taken aback with her sudden kiss but before long he started reciprocating her kiss as well.


    Seeing their hot kiss, the innocent type female onlookers'' faces turned red like a tomato while the experienced one such as the mothers'' group started fidgetting a bit while they''re biting their lips lightly. Some even licked their lips such as Venelana herself...


    While Rias''s group eyes turned red with anger and jealousy seeing that their Issei is kissing another woman right in front of their eyes.


    After a few minutes, they''ve finally stopped their kiss.


    Rias - Ise!


    Rias shouted Issei''s name hoping to gain his attention but he doesn''t even glance at her and only stroke Semiramis''s cheek gently which earned the latter another mewl of happiness.


    Rias anger and trepidation grew and just when she''s about to shout his name once again, there''s suddenly a group of people surrounding Rias and her peerages with weapons aimed at them.


    One of them being Brunhild herself.


    Brunhild - Cease your action or there will be consequences. You are unworthy to call his name.


    Rias - !?


    She aimed her spear right at Rias''s throat and that manages to shut up the latter for good.


    Brunhild looks at Rias with a cold gaze because they know Rias''s group buffoonery as well.


    The atmosphere instantly turned at daggers drawn with Sirzechs group tried to say something but they are blocked by the rest of the Valkyries.


    Their respective mothers finally snapped out of their daze and hurriedly cover their daughter.


    Venelana - Wait! We already have a deal with Lady Semiramis!


    Venelana shouted at Brunhild.


    The other parents also hurriedly chimed in with her words. There''s also a girl with long light blonde hair standing in front of Asia.


    She has a very cute and beautiful face, blue eyes and a mole underneath her left eye. Her outfit for some reason is Kuoh Academy''s boy uniform but it still can''t hide her bountiful asset. She has quite a big breast and firm butt.


    Brunhild - A deal?


    Brunhild stopped her action and look at Semiramis direction for a confirmation.


    Issei - A deal?


    Issei repeated the same words Brunhild just said with confusion showing on his face.


    Semiramis - Ah, I indeed made a deal with them.


    Semiramis said in a teasing grin.


    Only after hearing Semiramis confirmation that Brunhild''s party put down their weapon.


    Issei - ...And is that you, Kiba?


    Issei then looked at the girl that''s currently in front of Asia.


    The girl smiled wryly at Issei before confirming his guess.


    Kiba - H-Hello, Ise-kun...


    "She" waved at Issei at the same time she greeted him.


    This woman is indeed Kiba Yuuto himself. The potion Semiramis gave him before is a potion specially made to change a person gender.


    Issei rubbed his forehead after that and then he changed his attention back at Semiramis.


    Issei - Semi...


    Semiramis - Hmm? What''s wrong, dearest?


    She flashed a bright smile at Issei as if she doesn''t know what he''s talking about.


    Issei - ...How come my friend now turn into a girl?


    Issei asked her while the corner of his mouth started twitching a bit.


    Kiba who heard Issei''s words at first become dumbfounded before she unconsciously covered her mouth and cried a bit seeing that Issei still thought of "him" as a friend. She doesn''t know this action of her looks very lady-like...


    Semiramis - Hmm~, who knows?


    Semiramis playfully said.


    Issei sighed wryly at her... He could more or less guess why she''s doing this but...


    Semiramis - Fufufu, fine... I changed his gender because I thought it would be more fun that way and since he couldn''t do his job as a man and also as a friend, I decided to just change his gender as his punishment... Sure he''s that woman Knight but that doesn''t give him any excuse to fail his duty as your friend, dearest.


    Issei - ...


    Semiramis - And also...


    Semiramis look at Kiba before continuing her words.


    Semiramis - "He" is actually a girl when he was born anyway... His gender might be changed by those people who experimented on him. Probably because they thought that a man has more chance of success compared to a girl.


    Semiramis know this because she could see Kiba soul.


    Issei is a bit taken aback after hearing her words and he''s not the only one, even Kiba herself is taken aback because she doesn''t know anything about this... The other onlookers'' also felt the same as him. But right before he was about to say something towards Semiramis, the ground under them shakes fiercely.


    *GRUMBLE!*


    The dome barrier that''s currently sealing Trihexa also cracked a bit after that sudden earthquake.


    They all changed their attention towards the seal and Sirzechs group faces turned dire seeing that the seal is almost broken but from Issei''s side they look pretty nonchalant.


    Odin - I''m sorry to interrupt your conversation, Issei-kun, but I believe we have a more important matter to attend to?


    Odin said towards Issei. Sirzechs and the others also feeling the same as him but since they''re kind of in an awkward position right now they let Odin do the talking.


    Issei - Hmm... Indeed. Considering that Trihexa isn''t really sealed after all this time.


    Issei said calmly while looking at Trihexa location. He decided to put his conversation about Kiba''s case on hold for now.


    Odin''s party instantly get taken aback by Issei''s words.


    Odin - What do you mean by that?


    He''s a bit confused by what Issei said but he''s not the only one.


    Rossweisse - What Ise saying is that Trihexa only seem to be sealed but in fact, it''s not sealed at all... It let itself to be "Sealed" by us while it keeps multiplying its army inside that very seal without our knowledge... There''s more than a million Scale Armor Imitation inside.


    Rossweisse started explaining in place of Issei.


    Odin - What?!


    Odin shouted at Rossweisse. Millions she said?!


    Their faces become horrified and pale after hearing Rossweisse words.


    Even Vali face turned solemn after hearing it.


    He still remembers that it almost took him everything he got just to wipe those Scale Mail imitations the last time.


    Both him and Issei also hand in hand tried to hit everything they got at Trihexa itself back then but to no avail... Thankfully it got "sealed" by them all or things would take a turn into a much worser state... But right now it seems it indeed turn into the worst condition possible.


    Vali - How did you know about all this, Issei Hyoudou?


    Vali asked Issei with curiosity.


    Issei - Oh? Well, you could say that I use something similar to clairvoyance magic.


    Issei answered Vali question that''s also what everyone wanted to know.


    The bystanders that arrived here immediately wanted to leave the location but they also wanted to see the upcoming fight so they''re in a dilemma.


    Rossweisse - There''s no need to be worried, we have Ise here with us!


    Rossweisse pushed her chest forward once more as if she''s the one who took all the credit.


    They then stopped in their tracks and gaze at Issei once more. For some reason, when they saw his calm and collected figure they felt like their fear started to dissipate and felt safer.


    Issei extended his right arm and started accumulating his magic and aura into it.


    There''s suddenly a massive amount of magic and aura pressure descending into the surrounding area that manages to make the onlookers'' felt goosebumps and awe.


    The wind started bellowing and the air around Issei started shaking and tearing as if there''s going to be a huge calamity descend upon Trihexa location.


    Issei - Catastrophic-


    Just when Issei about to launch his magic, he''s stopped by Semiramis.


    Semiramis - Wait, dearest.


    She extended her hand to Issei''s extended hand and it manages to stop Issei''s chant.


    Issei stopped his action and look at Semiramis once more.


    Semiramis - Don''t you think that it''s a great chance for us to increase our strength?


    Semiramis said with a smile.


    Issei - Oh?


    Ramius''s party eyes started shining after hearing Semiramis words because they completely agree to it. They think that this is surely the perfect chance to increase their strength even further.


    They then gaze at Issei waiting for his permission.


    Issei who saw their expecting gaze smiled gently at them before he lowered his extended hand altogether.


    Issei - Heheh, fine then... But don''t think that I will let you all go alone.


    Odin was about to remind Issei that it would be best to do whatever he was about to do just now before Trihexa breaks free from the seal but what he saw next instantly made his entire body froze.


    Issei then put his hand on top of his chest before he started chanting.


    Issei - In the name of Issei Savant Hyoudou the Supreme Overlord of the Netherworld, Conqueror of Life and Death, and The true ruler of Infinite hope and dreams... Heed my call, <Hanging Garden of Babylon>.


    There''s a huge portal appeared right above Issei''s location and from it, the massive Fortress of Babylon showed itself to the denizen of this world.


    *GRUMBLE!*


    From the portal itself, there are a bunch of wyverns and dragons alike flying out of it roaring in the sky answering their King calls.


    There are also some people riding those very same Wyvern and Dragon.


    One of them being Suisen herself, one of the <9 Divines> that''s currently riding a serpentine white-colored Dragon.


    The <Hanging Garden of Babylon> is followed by the miniature version of it, as in the new addition to the fortress such as <Sky Island> from Evenicle world and many more. They are connected in a way to Babylon itself so you could say that they''re basically one entity now.


    There''s also some advanced technology that looks like a massive airplane and spaceship.


    Then from those fortresses and the like, there''s suddenly a hundred thousand upon thousands of people pouring out.


    All of them flew down to Issei''s location and when they reach his location they instantly kneel before him with absolute loyalty and devotion.


    Astolfo - Yahoo! Astolfo is here, master!


    Artoria - Artoria Pendragon answer your call, master.


    Altria - Altria Pendragon responds to your summon, master.


    Mordred - Mordred is here, Chichiue(Dad)!


    Nero - UMU! Nero Claudius has arrived!


    Altera - Altera has arrived, ready to execute your enemies, master.


    Marchosias - Overlord Marchosias, waiting for your command.


    Barbatos - Kehahaha! The Immortal Barbatos is here! We''re going to war again, your majesty?


    Paimon - This concubine is at your service, milord.


    Marbas - Overlord Marbas, ready to serve.


    One by one the Heroic Spirits, Overlords, and the rest of the <9 Divines> arrived in front of Issei.


    (AN: Artoria is your saber while Altria is the lancer one aka the bombshell one).


    Mertel being in the forefront followed by the other <9 Divines>.


    Mertel - We heed your call, my king.


    She gazes at Issei with a loving and respectful look and she''s not the only one. Most of the army also have the same gaze as her.


    Issei - Sigh... How many times do I have to tell you, Mertel... There''s no need to kneel before me.


    Issei said with a wry smile.


    Mertel only smiles at him back.


    Issei - And Mordred, I''m not your father.


    Mordred - Not yet that is! I''m sure "Hahaue" will be your wife in the future so it''s only a matter of time, right, "Hahaue"?


    Mordred grinned at Issei before she changed her attention towards Artoria and Altria who blushed deeply after hearing her words but they don''t deny her words. Artoria tried to hide her face in embarrassment while Altria gives Mordred a thumbs up.


    At first, Mordred was a bit confused seeing there''s two Artoria but after a bit of thinking she decided to just think of them as the same person.


    She used to call both of them with a "Father" suffix but since she thought that both of them are aiming for Issei so she might as well call them Mom while Issei as his new Dad.


    She''s also aiming for Issei but it doesn''t matter for now. On a side note, Mordred is an adopted child.


    Issei can only sweat at their antics.


    Sirzechs''s and the others are dumbfounded with their mouth wide open.


    They''re in complete awe seeing so many line up kneeling before Issei...


    *ROAR!*


    From the sky, there''s a roar coming out from the newly opened dimensional rift.


    A giant red Dragon came out from it, it is a massive red Western Dragon with a horn on his snout and has two sets of wings. His overall length measures around 100 meters.


    Vali - ...Great Red?!


    It is indeed Great Red itself.


    The other onlookers'' also feeling disbelief seeing Great Red appears here.


    Ophis - What are you doing here, baka red...


    Lilith - Baka red...


    Ophis and Lilith look at Great Red that''s currently showing off its appearance.


    Great Red - Heh, my friend called me here so of course I answer his call.


    Great Red voice boomed in the sky... But its voice somehow sounds a bit like a delinquent.


    Ophis - Ise didn''t call you...


    She squinted her eyes.


    Great Red - Yes he is... Right, bro?


    Great Red averted its eyes and changed its gazes towards Issei.


    Issei - No, I didn''t.


    Issei gave Great Red a flat answer.


    Great Red - ...


    Great Red went silent after that feeling depressed.


    In the eyes of the onlookers'' it looks kind of... pitiful...


    Issei - ...And Tiamat, stop sniffing me already.


    Issei said tiredly towards his back but it is unknown when but there''s suddenly a tall and gorgeous woman appeared behind him.


    The woman has a long flowing aqua blue hair that reaches her feet. Her outfit is almost non-existent that mostly only cover her private parts.


    She has a glowing light purple eyes and elongated ears, but her most striking feature is the giant pair of horns that are located at the side of her head.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/a/a8/BeastTiamatStage.png/revision/latest?cb=20170617183802).


    Tiamat - *Sniff* *Sniff*... Make a child with me... Dragon King...


    Her voice is kind of monotone but it is quite still pleasant to hear.


    Tiamat D - ...Tiamat?


    Tiamat from the DxD world is already feeling really taken aback when she saw Issei for the first time but now she saw another Dragon with the same name as her as well?


    But she could tell that this Tiamat is on a whole another level compared to her...


    Issei - ...No.


    Tiamat - ...Why? I obeyed your command on not annihilating the humankind... Now it''s your turn to obey my request... Make a child with me.


    Issei - I will only make a child with my wives.


    Tiamat - ...Then make me your wife.


    Issei - ...


    Tiamat - ...


    Both of them come to a standstill after that.


    The onlookers'' are feeling numb already with everything that''s happened...


    Great Red - Hahaha! All of you must be surprised but that woman there is the genuine Goddess Tiamat herself.


    Great Red started talking since it''s basically being ignored by its "bro" and "sister". Its bro is obviously Issei while the sister is Ophis and Lilith.


    It doesn''t want to be out of place so it started explaining Tiamat origin to the DxD group.


    But before that, it changed itself from a massive looking Dragon to that of a woman.


    She had a graceful, sexy and all-around lovely body and wears a cool black biker outfit. She has voluminous and exquisite, much like a matured juicy peach, with a faint luring sense seeping out. She has long red hair which tied into a ponytail.


    She kind of gives off a delinquent vibe.


    They are not too surprised seeing Great Red turning into a woman since both it and Ophis are genderless in the first place and can change their gender at will.


    The reason why it took the form of a woman is because the women around Issei is kind of repugnant being nearby of another man other than him. Of course, this only applies to special individuals such as Semiramis, Forzelotte, and the like.


    Then she started her explaining as if she''s trying to make herself looks useful.


    Tiamat is an Earth Mother Goddess, a branch of Catalhoyuk''s forgotten goddess. Along with Abzu, she was manifested of the Sea of Dawn that lies below the Underworld of Ereshkigal, said to have once been under the administration of the god Enki.


    In Sumerian Mythology, the gods were given birth from the pairing of Tiamat, who is the saltwater, and Abzu, who is the freshwater. Afterward, the gods, whom are their children, waved their banner of revolution against the primeval father Abzu and acquired supremacy over the world. At this moment, Tiamat gently approved the deeds of her children. It is proof that her love for her children has won over her love for her husband.


    However, the gods pointed their blades even at Tiamat, their mother. Tiamat, in her grief and disorder, gave birth to 11 Magical Beasts as her new children, and they altogether had a showdown with the gods. At the end of the conflict, Tiamat and her 11 Magical Beasts were torn apart. It is said that the gods tore up her corpse into two, forming heaven and earth from it, and thus, had established the ritual for the creation of the World of Man.


    Tiamat was "a womb discarded after the Genesis", becoming the origin of Sumerian Mythology. She was turned into a "Mother Sea" and was put to use as a breeding ground to produce life, but once the earth''s environment stabilized and after the ecosystems were established, she was banished to the World of Imaginary Numbers, an imaginary space that has no life and is not even a Parallel World.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Hereafter, Tiamat has been waiting in the mirror world for a chance to return back to her original world... But with the "help" of the Holy Grail, she manages to get out of that world.


    She was planning to annihilate the human race but after a bit of "Negotiation"(As in she got her ass handed to her by Issei). She finally abandoned that thought and was planning to start anew... Her plan to start anew is to have new children and Issei being the one able to defeat her, she sees no one else more fitting than him to become the father of their children.


    Just the fact that he''s stronger than her is already good enough but to add the cherry on top is that he''s also a Dragon just like her.


    Knowing this history of hers the 4 factions become overcome by extreme trepidation but when they heard that she''s basically loyal towards Issei they''re feeling a bit relieved... Because if not then they will have another Trihexa mixed into the fray.


    They''re also quite taken aback seeing that Great Red is apparently quite talkative.


    But they didn''t know that she''s forced to do so or it will be kind of awkward for her to be here... And she just kind of "Read" the whole explanation she just did... She can''t be bothered to remember that kind of stuff anyway...


    Issei - Anyway...


    Issei pushed Tiamat face away from his to gain some distance and the latter frowned a little feeling annoyed that Issei doesn''t accept her request.


    She started flailing her arms trying to get to him but to no avail.


    There''s also a group of Goddesses mixed in the fray here and there. They''re eyeing Issei like some sort of delicacy.


    Issei pays no heed to their gaze and changed his gaze towards the dome once more. It''s about to break any second now so Issei gives his order towards his army.


    Issei - Miarute, Kyuriha, Ultinia.


    Issei voice rang throughout the battlefield. Each and every single one person there could hear it.


    For some reason when they heard his current commanding voice they felt like their blood boil in excitement and awe.


    Miarute & Kyuriha & Ultinia - At your command!


    The three of them said out loud at the same time waiting for his command while still in the kneeling position.


    Issei - Go and scout the area to see if there''s still any civilian left. And if the area is clear, go ahead and deploy a set of barrier on the surrounding area. Let none of the Trihexa army escape.


    Miarute & Kyuriha & Ultinia - By your will!


    They then flew off with their respective subordinates to execute Issei order.


    Issei - Assassins.


    Assassins - At your service, master!


    The Assassins group respond to Issei call with fervor just like the first group.


    Issei - Go spread out around the area and keep an eye out in case the remnant of the Trihexa army trying to escape the barrier. Report any suspicious activity to me straight away.


    Assassins - Yes!


    Then they also execute Issei command immediately. In just an instance they are nowhere to be seen... They live up to their name being the Assassins group.


    Issei then continues to give one order after another to the respective group.


    Sirzechs and the others who saw this went completely dumbfounded once more because of how gallant Issei currently look... It''s like a True King... No, he is indeed a King now, isn''t he?


    The women''s group eyes started glistening with infatuation towards Issei. Le fay group is already lost in a daze with their eyes locked into Issei''s form.


    Rias''s group is already free from Brunhild threat but she and her peerages are looking at Issei with complete infatuation as well. They''re still clinging to a blind hope thinking that Issei will forgive them when he listens to their explanation.


    They are also overcome with anger and jealousy whenever they saw how gentle and loving Issei act towards those girls...


    Issei - Now then...


    Issei then changed his attention towards his wives.


    Issei - Do be careful out there, understand?


    Ramius and co - Hai!


    Issei - Um, go on then... I will be watching your back.


    Issei gave them a gentle smile of reassurance and that gives all of them a sweet and blissful feeling.


    He gives each and every one of them a quick kiss before they set out with a greater determination to get stronger.


    Issei gazes at their back with a gentle and full of care look on his face.


    Scathach - You''re not going to let them go alone and you call most of our army here? Just how overprotective can you be, baka deshi... Not that I hate it though.


    Scathach lightly berated Issei.


    Rias - Ise!


    Rias once again called Issei name and this time Issei doesn''t ignore her call and gaze at her.


    But his gaze made all of them shivers since the way he looks at Rias group is without any emotion at all which is the complete opposite compared to when he looks at his wives... It''s like he''s really looking at a pebble on the side road... No hatred, no anger, no nothing...


    Issei - What do you want, Rias Gremory?


    Even his voice sounded bored.


    Rias who was frozen stiff finally snaps back out of her daze.


    Rias - L-Listen, Ise... I-I''m sorry that we ignored you back then but we never forgot about you at all.


    Akeno and the others also chimed in with her words saying sorry and whatnot.


    Rias - The reason why we dated Reiji and the other guys before is-


    Issei - I could care less about the reason why you dated them in the first place. You can do whatever you want for all I care.


    Rias was about to explain the reason why they dated Reiji and the others but Issei cut her off.


    Issei - So there''s no need for you to explain anything to me. You want my forgiveness? There''s nothing to forgive. You simply made your own choice and I made mine, it''s as simple as that, no more no less.


    Issei is still devoid of any emotion when he said all that but to Rias''s group, they felt like their heart is being stabbed since it hurts a lot hearing those words from the man they love...


    Rias - But we still love you!


    Rias shouted in a desperate tone.


    Issei - But I don''t.


    Just that one sentence from Issei manages to stagnate their breathing... They felt an excruciating pain coming from their heart that exceeds the previous pain they felt.


    It hurts so much that they are having trouble to even breath properly. Their tears are streaming down their face but it looks like they don''t even realize that.


    Issei felt not a single shred of pity when he saw their distressed state.


    Irene''s group sneered at them and gave them a mocking look.


    Issei - I could more or less guess the reason why all of you dated those guys. Knowing your prideful personality... You must''ve felt insecure about our relationship back then so you tried to get more experience in a relationship of some sort. Am I right so far?


    They become dumbfounded hearing the guess of Issei since it''s quite accurate.


    Seeing their dumbfounded gaze Issei knew that his guess was right on target.


    Issei - If you just set aside your stupid pride then we might''ve been able to avoid all this... If only you talk it out with me or your family back then... But, there is no "If" in this world... Without trust, there is no love.


    This time his words smashed right into the center of their heart and made them wide awake with eyes wide open because of how accurate his words just now... "Without trust, there is no love"...


    Rias''s group cried even more profusely... They felt intense anger and regret towards themselves.


    If they could turn back time then they would do everything they can to avoid this outcome but just like Issei said... There is no "If" in this world...


    And after saying that Issei changed his attention back to the battlefield since apparently, the seal is almost broken.


    Scathach - Well, I better get going as well. I don''t want to miss out such a grand fight.


    Scathach started stretching out to prepare for the upcoming battle.


    Semiramis - Fufufu, it''s quite a good timing to increase our strength after all... And as for your fate... We will discuss it later after we''re done with our fight.


    Semiramis also planning to set out but not before she reminds Rias''s group about their little deal and the same goes for Forzelotte.


    Forzelotte - Fumu... It''s been a while since I had my last fight.


    Then they also head out for the battlefield but not before they had their share of kisses with Issei.


    Issei - You''re not going?


    Irene - Hmm... No, I don''t want to steal their spotlight. And besides...


    Irene then leaned herself towards Issei and snuggled comfortably on his embrace with a content smile on her face.


    Irene - I want to laze around for now.


    Issei - Your lazy side is surfacing once more, partner...


    Issei said with a wry smile.


    They look like a very loving couple with how they look now.


    Odin - U-Um, Issei-kun... Is there anything we need to do?


    Odin awkwardly asked Issei who''s currently hugging Irene with the sobbing sound of Rias''s group in the background so it''s kind of awkward for him to ask this question now.


    The others are also feeling awkward considering that they''re on a battlefield right now.


    They''re talking about Trihexa here and not some average joe... They''re too laid back if they put it into words.


    But with this kind of line up, they might really have a chance in dealing with Trihexa.


    Issei - Oh, no need... All of you can do whatever you want as long as you don''t bother my wives.


    Issei said carelessly towards Odin.


    They don''t know what to do now... They wanted to help as well alright?


    Issei - Sora.


    Sora - Hai, Ise nii-sama?


    Issei - Be sure to record their experience well, alright?


    Sora - You can leave it to me!


    Sora then took off to the battlefield as well to record the other girls'' achievement.


    Kunou also going with the girls as well but obviously, she will be sticking very close to Yasaka. Ophis and Lilith are also protecting her.


    Great Red also went with them not wanting to left behind but she''s warned by Issei to not take things too far since this is his wives time to shine and not hers. She grumbled under her breath but still choose to obey Issei words.


    Great Red is also feeling surprised knowing that Rias''s group basically abandoned Issei and her response to that is, "Are they retarded or something? Why would they throw away my bro here for some trashes?".


    Only Issei and Irene is left on the sidelines but Issei knows that they won''t be able to stay in the sidelines for long...

 Chapter 92 - 91

    The army executed Issei''s order perfectly and in no time they all already inspected the whole area and cleared it out.


    They left no stone unturned in their search for any civilian that perhaps still here but they found none and when that''s done Miarute, Ultinia, Kyuriha, and the others deployed multiple barriers at once.


    Issei who saw that calmly extended his hand towards the barriers.


    Issei - <Boost of the Infinite>.


    He used his <Boost> abilities towards it but this <Boost> is unlike the old one he had when he still use the <Boosted Gear>.


    It''s the evolved form of it. It''s a combination between Ophis''s <Infinity> and his own Dragon aura.


    Just like the name implies, it will infinitely boost the targeted item. In this case, Issei used it to make the barrier become even stronger.


    Even if Trihexa used all it had to attack the barrier, it will never break no matter what unless Issei allow it.


    Then the Assassins hid in the shadows waiting for their time to come. Gurigura is also among them with her weapon out.


    By her side, there''s Kuroka as well.


    Gurigura''s weapon is still a giant gauntlet she usually uses but it has been customized to suit her even better. If before it looks like a cute cat''s paw then her current gauntlet looks like an intimidating Black Dragon''s claw.


    The Archers took up the high ground ready to launch their attack at any moment. Kathryn being their leader.


    She has her hands crossed in front of her chest waiting and calculating the best moment to launch a fatal blow when the time is ripe.


    There is a bunch of unique looking projectiles weapon that appears to be made from advanced technology. Some of them look like a small railgun floating around her ready to fire at any given time.


    The Defenders or Guardians are led by Ramius who had her lance and shield out in the open at the very front.


    The Casters or Mage are led by Riche, Wiz, and Yunyun.


    The Support group is ready to give assistance at any given time as well. They are of course led by Jeanne, Croix, Tio, Tilt, and Towa.


    The Trio saintess such as Laurent, Burst, and Silent are there as well assisting them.


    The Assault group who''s being in the second front of the group are consisting of Jalter, Millet, Natal, Kyou, and Kinou.


    Each and every one of the girls is playing a pivotal role in their respective group.


    Their union and teamwork are the best of the best and they all look very united.


    It''s safe to say their current line up consists of the best among the best.


    Semiramis, Forzelotte, Scathach and the like is more of like a safety precaution in case something goes awry.


    Issei then thought of something before he shouted at the girls.


    Issei - Girls, use your <Balance Breaker> now.


    Ramius''s group look at Issei before they nodded to him and followed his words.


    Ramius and co - <Balance Breaker>!


    From their body, there''s a huge aura bursting out and their strength also increased by a huge margin.


    They had their Dragon''s part out in the open, whether it be horns, tail or wings along with the new addition of their new armor.


    Ramius has a pair of white wings and her armor is almost a full body armor that''s colored black and white with some unique looking runes all over it.


    Millet, Kyou, Kinou, and Natal also have similar armor emerging from their body but with a bit of difference here and there. Natal''s mini Queen crown, for example, becomes a bit larger with a blue gem adorn its top.


    Jeanne''s armor adds even more of a holy feeling to it while Jalter looks even more intimidating but there''s still a certain charm to it especially with their wings out in the open.


    Croix, Riche, Wiz, Yunyun, etc as in the magician type had a majestic looking metallic robe instead of armor like Ramius''s group.


    All of their slitted eyes are glowing with anticipation for the upcoming fight. It''s not often that they could increase their strength considering just how strong they have become.


    They wanted to become even stronger as not to drag Issei down.


    Overall they look even more majestic and also more beautiful at the same time.


    Once again, the onlookers'' are flabbergasted seeing all this... They all are in complete awe and amazement.


    All of this line up is led by the fabled <Sekiryuutei>, Issei Hyoudou himself? Amazing... They all thought to themselves.


    This is also the first time for them to see Ramius''s group utilizing their full power... They already know that they''re strong but not to this extent... They are at least almost on par with Shiva himself in terms of raw power as far as they can tell.


    They still don''t know if they still have a hidden card or not...


    The support group then started buffing the other team with their respective skills.


    Azazel - ...<Balance Breaker>? All of them have Sacred Gears?


    Azazel said in amazement.


    Irene - Hmm, not quite... Ise tinkered a bit with the old <Boosted Gear>, he and our scientists invented a way to enable them to utilize the unique feature of <Balance Breaker> that the <Sacred Gears> have, without possessing the <Sacred Gear> itself.


    Irene explained towards Azazel who''s curious about Ramius''s group being able to use <Balance Breaker>.


    The others are also dumbfounded that Issei is the one who invented it much less Azazel himself... If it''s all true then... It will be a revolutionary thing.


    Issei - Be that as it may... It still has some more room for improvement.


    Issei mused to himself before he took out his phone and sent a message towards someone.


    In less than 1 minute there''s a gate portal appeared near him and then there are three mature beauty step out from the gate.


    One of them has a flowing blonde hair down to her hips but tied with a red ribbon at the end, the second one has a shoulder-length brown hair, and the third one has a long dark blue hair down to her waist flowing freely.


    The three of them have one thing in common... They''re wearing what appears to be a custom made lab coat and more importantly, they have quite a big bust especially the third woman... The eyes of the male onlookers'' bulged seeing those massive busts swaying for every step they take but they then shuddered greatly when they felt Issei sudden pressure.


    They hastily averted their head down or to the side while sweating a bit feeling afraid that Issei might just wipe them out right there. It''s no secret just how over protective Issei towards his women, and even though they''re not sure if these 3 newly arrived women are his or not but it''s safe to say from the way they gaze at Issei that they have feelings for him.


    These three women are, of course, the Scientists Irene just talked about and they are none other than Tearju Lunatique, Ryouko Mikado, and Aki Nijou themselves.


    The 3 of them blushed slightly when they saw Issei isn''t wearing his mask.


    Tearju - S-Sorry to keep you waiting, Ise-san!


    Tearju started bowing repeatedly at Issei while apologizing profusely thinking that they kept Issei waiting.


    Aki - D-Did we really kept you waiting?! I-I''m sorry!


    Aki also started making an apologetic and sad face before joining Tearju thinking that they indeed kept Issei waiting.


    Both of their actions are making a certain part of them keep bouncing up and down...


    It took everything the male onlookers'' have to prevent themselves from sneaking a peek at those heavenly views.


    Ryouko - Oh? Did we really keep you waiting, boss? Then we better start making amends for it~


    Ryouko said with a seducing tone while highlighting her certain asset towards Issei.


    Issei - You didn''t keep me waiting at all... So you can stop apologizing Tearju, Aki... And cut that out, Ryouko.


    Issei said with a wry smile at them.


    Tearju & Aki - R-Really?


    They look up at the same time with upturned eyes.


    Issei - Ah, really.


    Both of them heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Issei confirmation while Ryouko giggled at both of them.


    When Tearju was about to stand up straight she got tripped on her heels.


    Tearju - E-Eep!


    Tearju closed her eyes preparing for the impact before she fell right to the ground... Is what would''ve happened if Issei didn''t catch her fall.


    Issei - Are you okay?


    Issei said with a drop of sweat falling from his cheek feeling genuinely amazed with her clumsiness.


    How is she able to trip on her own shoe heels just from standing still? He will never know...


    Tearju who heard Issei voice right next to her ears instantly froze up before she looks up only to see Issei''s face up close.


    Irene who''s at Issei left side grinned at Tearju because their position is kind of dubious, to say the least...


    Tearju''s face then exploded red like a tomato with steams coming out from the top of her head and her eyes are also started spinning because of the close contact they had right now.


    She keeps opening and closing her mouth trying to say something but for some reason, she''s unable to do so.


    Ryouko chuckled at this while Aki looks envious of Tearju while putting one of her fingers on her lip.


    Tearju - I-I-I-I''m sorry!


    Tearju finally able to say something and she hastily back up from Issei''s embrace albeit reluctantly but she''s too embarrassed to realize that right now.


    Issei - Don''t mind it... By the way, how''s Yami?


    Issei waved it off before he asked Tearju about Yami, the little girl that he saved from being experimented by those mad scientists back then.


    Hearing Issei question Tearju was a little taken aback before she took a deep breath to calm herself down.


    She manages to gain her composure a little bit even though her cheeks are still red.


    Tearju - E-Eh... Ah, Yami-chan is doing quite fine. She made a lot of new friends back in school... And then...


    Then Tearju started telling Yami condition with glee.


    Issei listened to her story with a thin smile on his face... He''s quite fond of Yami and thought of her as his little sister to which made Yami very happy since now she got another family member other than Tearju.


    Aki and Ryouko also smiled at their interaction because this is one of the reasons why they like Issei.


    He treated them normally and doesn''t act like how a boss would towards his employees.


    They can only assist him by inventing and researching things, but they''re quite happy that they''re able to help him regardless.


    Issei - I see... So, how about you come out now, Yami?


    Issei nodded at Tearju when she finishes her story before calling out at Tearju direction. At her back, to be exact.


    Then out of thin air, a blonde-haired girl that looks identical with Tearju while wearing a black and golden unique looking clothes appeared out of thin air with a slightly red face.


    Tearju - Y-Yami-chan?!


    Tearju shouted in surprise because she never thought that Yami is hiding nearby her.


    Aki and Ryouko kind of can tell that they''re being followed by Yami when they''re about to enter the portal gate but they kept quiet about it.


    Only Tearju doesn''t realize this since among the 3 of them she''s the weakest in term of power.


    Aki is kind of a martial arts user while Ryouko is kind of trained in Assassination a little bit.


    While Tearju is more of a ranged weapon user. In other words, guns.


    Issei - So, care to tell me how come you''re here, Yami?


    Issei asked with a thin smile on his face.


    Yami started fidgeting a bit feeling nervous that Issei might be angry at her.


    Issei who saw that had his smile went softer before he started walking towards her direction.


    Irene already left Issei''s embrace a few seconds ago and she''s currently standing at the side while observing their interaction with a slight chuckle.


    Issei arrived in front of Yami and then he put his hand on top of Yami''s head before he gently stroke it.


    He also bends down to match her height.


    Issei - Don''t worry, I''m not mad at you.


    Yami height is quite short.


    She''s about the same height as Kunou. It''s not surprising considering they''re about the same age as well, so their height is only up to Issei''s stomach.


    Only after hearing Issei''s words that Yami look up to him feeling relieved that Issei isn''t mad at her.


    Yami - I... I want to help you... Nii-sama.


    Yami said in a low voice.


    Issei - Oh?


    Yami - I heard that you summoned Babylon so...


    Yami words trailed off at the end but Issei could more or less guess the full reasoning behind her action.


    She wanted to be of help to him so she must''ve teleported herself to Babylon and arrived just in time when Tearju''s group were about to enter the portal gate.


    Issei - I see... Now I wonder from where you heard that information from... I assume it must be you... Right, Mea, Nemesis?


    Issei said with a slightly tired tone and once again nearby their location there''s two individual appearing out of thin air...


    The first one is a girl of small stature, with dark skin, long black hair and yellow-colored eye. She''s wearing a black Yukata.


    While the second girl also has a small stature, she has raspberry-red hair that is tied into a very long braid that goes down to her knees. Her eyes are dark blue, almost blue. Her clothing looks kind of similar to what Yami is wearing except her clothes is all black.


    Nemesis - Yoo~, elder brother, quite a nice day isn''t it? And your guess is indeed correct... It is I who told Yami about it.


    She said with a playful grin.


    Mea - Ahahah, sorry, onii-chan... I can''t stop Nemesis from telling Yami-chan.


    Mea rubbed her head with a smile... But from her happy grin, it would seem that both of them are in cahoots with each other.


    Issei can only sigh tiredly at both of them.


    Issei - Listen, Yami... I''m happy that you want to help me but I want you to enjoy your life more. Like, play with your friends and stuff like that...


    Issei then averted his attention back to Yami before he started lecturing her.


    Yami - But I want to help you, nii-sama... You asked me once that for what reason that I want to get stronger... Back then I don''t know the answer to that question but now I do... I want to be of help to you!


    Yami said with a firm and pleading voice.


    Issei who heard her words got stunned for a moment before he exhaled wryly and flashed a warm smile at her.


    Even Tearju teared up a bit hearing Yami words feeling gratified at her.


    Issei - ...I see... Fine then...


    Issei finally relented after seeing her pleading face because the cuteness is too devastating for him.


    Yami is finally able to express her emotion a bit more even if it''s only around Issei but it''s still an improvement compared to the old her at least.


    Yami face beamed up in happiness after hearing Issei words. Nemesis and Mea also grinned happily at this development.


    Nemesis and Mea is kind of the same as Yami... In other words, both of them were also a test subject.


    (AN: I made it that so Nemesis and Mea never went to the Assassination path and rescued by Issei in time before that ever happens).


    Issei - Shishou.


    Issei called Scathach while he''s still rubbing Yami''s head which earned a giggle from her feeling ticklish.


    Scathach - Hm? Oh, Yami''s here?


    Scathach who heard Issei''s voice look back towards his direction before noticing Yami who''s currently being pampered by Issei.


    Scathach - Um, I know what to do. Don''t worry, I will keep them safe so you can leave them to me.


    Even without Issei saying anything Scathach already know what he wanted to say.


    Issei - As for you two... No snacks for a week.


    Issei then stands up before he changed his attention towards the grinning loli duo with narrowed eyes. His words made both of them froze up completely and their faces turned into that of a complete despair as if the world is going to end since they love Issei hand made snacks the most.


    Nemesis - W-Wait, elder brother! I''m sorry! I''m sorry so don''t confiscate my snacks for a week!


    Nemesis begged Issei while clinging to his feet.


    Mea - I-I got nothing to do with this, onii-chan! So spare me from that hellish punishment! Anything but that! I will die without my snacks for a whole week!


    Mea then also joined Nemesis and begged Issei as well.


    Issei pays no heed to their begging and urged Yami to be careful once more before she joins the other girls, Tearju also joins in to urge Yami.


    Yami nodded at Issei and Tearju words and then she also dragged both Nemesis and Mea with her.


    Now there''s a happy humming loli dragging two depressed lolis with her heading to the battlefield...


    Odin and the others felt funny watching their antics and couldn''t help smiled warmly at their interaction.


    At first, they were a bit apprehensive with Issei letting a small girl like Yami participating in a life and death battle like this... But when they know that Scathach''s group will be watching over them they are feeling a bit relieved.


    Ryouko - Then boss... What do you call us here for?


    Ryouko then asked Issei.


    Issei - Oh, right... The reason I call the three of you here is that I want the three of you to collect the data of Ramius and the others. I want to see if there''s something we could improve on their respective power... From the last time I''ve seen their data, I can see there''s some room for improvement...


    Issei then entered his working mode while taking out the data tablet containing Ramius''s group growth...


    His face went from a gentle smile to a serious one which smitten the female onlookers'' once more because his current face is so charming... The word where a man is the most charming when he''s working is not false at all they thought to themselves.


    Tearju, Ryouko, and Aki also started listening intently to his words.


    They also joined Issei in inspecting Ramius''s group data and input their own thoughts.


    Irene - Ahh, it looks like he went into his working mode again...


    Irene sighs wryly while looking at the discussing group.


    Azazel who''s nearby got interested with their talk and want to listen to it but he''s unsure if he''s allowed to do so.


    Irene - Interested? You can go ahead and listen to their conversation if you want.


    Irene said towards the intrigued Azazel.


    Azazel - O-Oh, no, it''s fine...


    Azazel was a bit taken aback before he waved it off with a bitter smile.


    Irene - Just so you know, Ise never blamed you or anyone else for what happened.


    Irene can feel the guilt Azazel and the others thinks that they have some sort of responsibilities for what happened to him and Rias''s group. So they are a bit hesitant to talk to him or even approach him.


    They froze up a little after hearing Irene''s words.


    Irene - From the start, he never blamed anyone else but these idiots. He feels angry and betrayed but all of that change over time and in the end, he doesn''t care about them any longer... After his transformation, he was thinking to inform you about his upcoming departure but because of a bit twist and turn he never had the chance to do so.


    They listened quietly and felt a little bit of their burden lifted off knowing that Issei never blames them for what happened while as for Rias''s group they felt even more awful and sorrowful towards their own selves.


    Issei - Azazel-sensei.


    Issei suddenly called Azazel name which made the latter body trembled a little.


    Issei - Can you show me the data of your experiments?


    Issei asked Azazel about his experiment about artificial <Sacred Gear>. He wanted to see if he can gain any enlightenment after seeing Azazel experimental data.


    Azazel - S-Sure.


    Azazel unconsciously took out his own data tablet and gave it to Issei.


    Issei - Hm?


    Issei then took it from him and gave it to Tearju''s group, but he''s confused as for why Azazel seems to be out of it.


    Irene - Fufufu, it seems you don''t hear our conversation just now, didn''t you? Well, the thing is...


    Irene then told Issei about the conversation she just had with them...


    Issei - Eh? Why would I blame them?


    Issei becomes genuinely puzzled after he heard Irene explanation.


    Issei - The one who does the deeds is them. Why would I blame any of you for what they have done on their own free will?


    Issei asked Azazel''s group with a confused face.


    Sirzechs - B-But...


    Issei - It''s their freedom to do what they want. And just like them, I have made my own choice so there''s nothing to discuss anymore. No need to feel guilty about something you don''t have control over with... The same goes for you, Kiba, Gasper. No need to blame yourselves thinking that you weren''t there for me as a friend.


    Issei finishes his words and at the end, he looks at the seemingly downcast Kiba and Gasper.


    Kiba and Gasper who heard Issei suddenly mentioning their name widened their eyes before tears started falling down from their face.


    Kiba just looks down while covering her mouth while Gasper bawled his eyes out on the spot.


    Issei who saw that sighed before he walks up to Gasper and pats him on the head.


    Issei - Stop crying, Kouhai... Don''t you have someone you have to protect now? Now man up and become a man that Valerie could depend on.


    Issei grinned thinly at Gasper.


    Gasper then looks up to Issei''s face.


    Gasper - ...H-Hai! I-Issei-senpai! Uwaaaaa!


    He tried to be firm but fail at the end... He ended up bawling his eyes out while clutching onto Issei''s body.


    Issei who saw that smiled wryly before he pats Gasper head in encouragement once more. It seems it would take some time before Gasper able to emerge from his emotional side but perhaps that''s just how Gasper is...


    Then Issei looks at the crying Kiba and felt unsure of what to say... If Kiba is still a guy then he could just say the same words of encouragement like he just did with Gasper but since "He" is a "She" now... He honestly doesn''t know what to say...


    Tsubaki who''s nearby Sona is also making a despaired face knowing Kiba is apparently a girl all along so she kind of share the same feeling as Issei... Unsure of what to do from now on... Her first love turns out to be a woman...


    She tried thinking what if she ignores Kiba gender and tried dating regardless of the consequences... She shuddered thinking about it since she''s straight after all.


    She then saw Issei smiled wryly at her direction knowing fully well just why she seems so depressed. It''s no secret that Tsubaki has a crush on Kiba after all. And she''s not the only one too...


    Reya Kusaka, Sona''s Bishop is also one of them who had a crush on Kiba.


    When both of them finds out about this, they instantly felt depressed but still have some hope thinking that maybe Kiba will revert back to being a man as long as they ask Issei Hyoudou to talk it out with Lady Semiramis... But that hope has been crushed after they find out Kiba true past...


    But now that they think about it... No wonder Kiba never show any interest towards the "opposite" sex back then... She''s apparently a girl all along...


    So when both of them saw Issei smiling wryly at their direction, their eyes started glistening and thought of something before their eyes turned into that of predatory eyes.


    Aim target and lock on! Both of them said inside their mind at the same time. Even though they''re blushing a little in the process.


    Issei is the one feeling taken aback now... He sweated a little thinking did he somehow offend both of them or something?


    He hastily changed his attention towards Sona who''s currently next to them.


    Issei - Long time no see, Sona-Kaichou.


    Issei said with a thin smile which made Sona face blushed a little but she still tries to keep a straight face.


    Sona - E-eh, indeed... It''s been a while, Issei-kun.


    She said while fixing her glasses and tries not to look Issei straight in the eyes since she can feel her face turn hot the longer she looked at him.


    After all, he is her "fiancee" after all... And to be completely honest, she thought it''s not bad at all having him as her fiancee. She''s still feeling uncomfortable because of Rias though.


    But the way her parents smiling encouragingly at her is kind of making her feeling awkward... They even give her a sneaky thumbs up at her!


    Serafall is still silent after all this time because even she felt captivated by Issei new appearance. She already had a liking towards Issei even before this but that liking was kind of like between brother and sister... But now... She''s not sure anymore... And the thought of sharing him together with her So-tan is not that bad either... That way they can be one big happy family and she can still have her So-tan all to herself!


    Issei then looks at Saji, Sairaorg, Vali, etc... Feeling a bit nostalgic because it''s been a while ever since he saw them.


    Issei - It has been a while, everyone...


    Saji, Sairaorg, Vali, etc are feeling kind of confused as for why Issei seems a bit nostalgic when he''s looking at them.


    Sure it''s been a while but isn''t it just around 2-3 months at least ever since they last met? What''s with the nostalgic face? It''s as if he hasn''t seen them for years...


    Irene - Heheh, I forgot to tell you this but for all of you it may have been only 2-3 months at most while for Ise on the other hand... It has been 3 years.


    Irene chuckled a little after seeing their confused face.


    After hearing her words they all become dumbfounded... 3 years?!


    Saji - H-How old are you now, Issei?


    Saji asked with a slight stutter.


    Issei - Hm? Oh, I''m 21 years old now. I guess I got ahead of you guys...


    Issei said with a wry smile.


    They become speechless once again... 21 years old? No wonder he looks so mature and grown-up now they all thought to themselves... No, his face looks like he''s just in his teenager even though he''s 21 years old already. It''s his... Vibe? Yeah, he radiates a mature and experienced vibe like that of an adult.


    Is this what a man that have climbed the stairs towards adulthood looks like? Damn... So envious! The virgin onlookers'' thought to themselves...


    Saji ground his teeth is frustration without knowing that there are 2 women behind him ready for his advances... But, didn''t they said that Issei beat Sona in a game of chess? Then that means?!


    Just when Saji about to ask about it, he got stopped by the very same 2 women behind him with a chilling smile on their face.


    They thought that this is a perfect chance to make Saji give up on Sona so there''s no way in hell that they''re going to let Saji mess it up. They could tell what he wanted to say just now from the realization face he just made and the way he looked at Sona first before looking at Issei once more.


    Vali - I''ve heard that you already defeated Great Red, Issei Hyoudou?


    Vali smirked questioningly at Issei.


    Issei - Well, you could say that.


    Issei smirked back at him.


    Vali - Since you have defeated my target then you will be my new target... Just you wait, I will get even stronger and defeat you.


    He clenched his fist towards Issei with anticipation.


    Issei - Ah... I''ll be waiting for that moment.


    Issei also clenched his fist and bumped it on Vali''s.


    After that, Issei noticed the fidgetting Le Fay, Elmenhilde, Gabriel, and Bennia nearby them.


    He smiled thinly at them which makes the latter group blushed profusely because of how captivating his smile is.


    Sairaorg and Riser also had a little chat with Issei but they mainly apologize for their cousin/sister misconducts to which Issei waved it off saying it''s not their fault.


    Then they also said they will get even stronger to be able to defeat him just like Vali did.


    They wanted to say something about the little contract they had with Semiramis but one glance by Irene made them cancel that thought. The same goes for Sirzechs''s group...


    Azazel finally snaps back to his thought and wiped a single tear that about to fall down from his eye before he put one of his arms around Issei''s neck.


    Azazel - So, I heard you got married huh, Ise?


    He grinned teasingly at Issei.


    Issei - Hm? Yeah, things happen.


    Issei calmly answered Azazel.


    Azazel - So, how is it like? Losing your V-card at last?


    His words made all of the male onlookers'' ears perked up and the same goes for the female onlookers'' but some of them such as Le Fay group started having smoke coming out from their head but they still leaned in to listen to their conversation.


    Issei - ...Why would I answer that?


    Issei eyebrows started twitching in annoyance.


    Azazel - Come on, don''t be shy. We all are adults here... Well, maybe not all of us.


    Azazel looked at the virgin group that currently has a resentful face such as Saji himself without knowing that behind him there are 2 women that would be willing to do the deeds with him...


    Issei - ...


    Issei still refuses to answer him until Irene answered in his stead.


    Irene - It felt crazy good for all of us... Although, all of us combined still can''t outlast him in bed. Apparently, his high libido is already there from the start even without Forzelotte interference.


    Issei - Oi.


    Irene - He is still kind of an oppai lover even now too.


    Oh, you don''t need to tell them that... They can see just from his wives that almost all of them are well endowed in the Oppai Departement alright...


    Irene continued her words without caring about Issei calling her just now out of embarrassment.


    The more they all listened to her words the more amazed they are with Issei. The male onlookers'' now look at him with new profound respect and the innocent girls'' group is on the verge of fainting just from listening to their conversation while the experienced ones started licking their lips in anticipation such as Venelana herself but of course, nobody saw that.


    Azazel - Oh~, really now? Who could have guessed that my student would be such a beast in bed?


    Azazel continued to grin teasingly at Issei whose face turned a little bit red out of embarrassment seeing that his trusted partner just leaked their nightly activities to the public.


    Odin - Hohoho, it''s nice to be young.


    Odin also laughed teasingly at Issei.


    Issei - ...Partner.


    Irene - What? It''s all true, right?


    Issei - ...


    Issei can''t retort to her words and can only go silent once more while Irene smiled victoriously.


    When they''re still having a little chat together, there''s a loud blast resounding from the Trihexa seal and when they all look towards it they saw the seal has been broken at last.


    What they saw made their whole body went cold since there are indeed millions of <Scale Mail> copy and the like...


    But there''s no change of expression could be found on Issei''s side because they''ve already anticipated this.


    Trihexa could be seen standing behind the <Scale Mail> army.


    666(Trihexa) has the appearance of a large beast with characteristics coming from different animals like a lion, a leopard, a bear, a dragon, etc. It has seven necks, seven heads, with ten horns, as well as seven long thick tails of different shapes. It also has four stout arms and two legs that are even thicker than its arms. Its main body is that of a primate leaning forward and is covered in black fur and what appears to be scales all over its body. Its size is well over several hundred meters, making it significantly larger than even Great Red.


    Not much is known about its personality other than the fact it has only one nature and that is to destroy everything including the Underworld, Human World, Heaven, and all other mythological worlds. It''s possible that it is completely mindless, only instinctively knowing to destroy everything. Its homicidal nature, combined with its immense power, made it immensely dangerous to the point that the God of the Bible had to risk his own life by using numerous forbidden seals to seal it away to prevent it from endangering the World.


    Despite its supposedly savage nature, it seems to have an interest in Great Red and Ophis. This is evidenced by how it was attracted to Issei upon sensing their power in him. This could be because both Great Red and Ophis are beings on par with Trihexa.


    But when it saw the current Issei it could be seen that his body flinched. Yes, flinched. It almost as if it is afraid of Issei the moment it laid its eyes on him.


    All of them are amazed at this because it''s the first time for them to see Trihexa showing other emotion other than just aiming for complete destruction.


    Then all of them set their eyes on Issei once more in awe.


    Irene - Hee~, so it knows fear as well? Not surprising since Ise is clearly a lot stronger than it and also... He possesses the purest of the purest <Chaos> element inside him. Fufufufu...


    Irene mused amusingly at this while the bystanders once more become taken aback by what she just said. But most of what they felt right now is confusion.


    <Chaos> element? What''s that?


    Azazel - <Chaos> element?


    Azazel asked confusedly at Irene because, in the DxD world, Nyarlathotep is only known in legends and the like so it is understandable that they don''t know about its existence nor its element.


    There is God of Chaos or something similar to it but it''s a completely different thing compared to Nyarlathotep.


    Not really surprising since every world Nyarlathotep visited is annihilated by it so there''s no one alive to tell the tale. Only powerful beings such as Semiramis, Scathach, Forzelotte, QD, etc know about it.


    The God''s group such as Shiva and Odin knew about it a little but that is only from the books. They never saw it with their own eyes beforehand...


    Irene - Oh, you don''t know about it? Well, have you heard about the true God of Chaos Nyarlathotep?


    Odin - Only from the legends and books.


    Odin answered on behalf of everyone here.


    Irene - Hmm, I can tell you that it truly exists. As for why I''m so sure about it... Ise here met with Nyarlathotep face to face and fought it.


    All of them once more become frozen stiff when they heard Irene''s words.


    Issei - I lost though.


    Issei said with a carefree tone.


    Irene - True, you''re quite lucky that it got interested in you so it let you live and even "gifted" its <Chaos> element to you... But this time you won''t lose again right, partner?


    Irene looks at Issei with a serious face.


    Issei - Ah, I will defeat it no matter what it takes.


    Issei clenched his fist in confidence.


    Irene - Fufufu, that''s good then... Because if you were to die then all of us will surely follow you... No matter if it''s in life or in death, we will always be together... Remember that.


    Issei - ...I know, that''s why I will not lose again.


    Irene smiled gently at Issei before giving him a soft kiss.


    All of them are really impressed with the way they interact with each other... So this is true love they all thought to themselves...


    Venelana for one is in a daze feeling envious of Irene''s and the other girls... She wishes she could have the same thing going on with Zeoticus but alas...


    While for Rias''s group, the more they look at this the more they felt regret and bitter about it... It should''ve been them... It should''ve been them who stand by his side! Not others but them! But because of their stupidity and pride, they have paid the price for it... The amount of regret they''re feeling right now is enough to turn their intestines went green.


    Trihexa - Roooaaarrrr!!!


    Trihexa roared at Issei seeing that he ignores itself.


    The onlookers'' felt fear just from hearing its roar and they would''ve run already if it wasn''t for Issei''s army being there in the forefront.


    Irene - Quite the noisy one, isn''t it? Can''t it tell that we''re having a moment right now?


    Irene frowned at Trihexa while Issei only gazes at it calmly.


    There''s suddenly a red streak of lightning-like blur heading towards Trihexa location and the <Scale Mail> that''s in its way got annihilated instantly.


    That red blur turns out to be Scathach who''s holding Gae Bolg on both of her hand.


    She landed on one of Trihexa head and pulverized it instantly the moment she hit her target.


    Scathach - Don''t scream at my disciple. Only I am allowed to do that.


    She said cooly while standing on top of the pulverized head.


    Next, there are multiple giant black chains with <Death> aura oozing from them heading towards Trihexa body and they all instantly impaled themselves inside Trihexa body making it feel excruciating pain.


    Semiramis - Ara? It indeed doesn''t die even though it got impaled by my <Death Chain>? As expected, the <Chaos> element residing inside it is protecting it...


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    Semiramis mused calmly because she already expected this to happen.


    Then there is jet black red space distortion near one of Trihexa head and then it instantly swallowed Trihexa said head into nothingness.


    Forzelotte - Hmm, it seems I also can''t "devour" its entire body instantly.


    Forzelotte said with one of her hand extended to the front because she''s the one who just launched that attack.


    Just like Scathach did, their attack also claimed thousands of Scale Mail lives in the process.


    Trihexa tried to retaliate but it''s being held down by Semiramis chains so it can only move its head around and launched a couple of attacks towards them only to be avoided or deflected easily by Scathach''s party.


    The onlookers'' are awestruck with their performance without a single exception. They can easily deal a massive amount of damage towards Trihexa in a single attack?


    Sadly Trihexa already started regenerating from its wound. The heads that got annihilated started growing back while the Chain from Semiramis can''t be healed since it''s still stuck to its body.


    So apart from the binding impaling chains on its body, Trihexa looks brand new.


    Scathach - Hoo, so it can regenerate itself? I wonder how long will it able to do that... But before that happens I will make it my practice dummy.


    Scathach spin her spears in anticipation because it''s not often that she could get to fight an enemy that could regenerate itself indefinitely.


    Trihexa - Roaaarrrrr!!!


    Trihexa then ordered the <Scale Mail> to attack them and they all instantly went towards Scathach''s group location.


    Ramius - Prepare yourself!


    But before they could reach their target, Ramius''s launched herself to air and prepared her shield for the incoming army.


    Ramius - <Aegis of the Anti-elemental Dragon>!


    Jeanne - Here''s the work of the Lord! My flag, defend our brethren! <Luminosit¨¦ Eternelle>!


    Croix - Twin maximize magic, <Grand Barrier of the Holy Dragon>!


    Jeanne and Croix also assisted Ramius with her barrier.


    Ramius used her skill and the moment the <Scale Army> come into contact with their dome of protection they all are stopped dead in their track.


    Wiz & Riche & Yunyun - <Tri-elemental Draconic Explosion>!


    Riche''s group sees that as a chance and launched their magic as well.


    Riche''s explosion is colored gold while Wiz is black and Yunyun is red.


    Their spell is a combination of magic between their respective element.


    There''s a huge explosion when they hit their target and since Ramius is basically immune to elemental attack she''s completely unscathed from their magic attack.


    Jalter - All evil is here. The time for Salvation has come! This is the roar of my soul that was polished by love, death to all Evil... <Le Grondement de la Haine>!


    But it doesn''t stop there and soon Jalter also joined in with her own attack.


    Millet - <Black Dragon''s Exploding Flame Blade>!


    Natal - <Sea King Dragon''s Encircling Deluge>!


    Gurigura - <Shadow Dragon Claw>!


    Kuroka - <Moon Dragon Eruption>!


    Kathryn - <Gale Dragon''s Song of the Wind and Moon>!


    Tio & Tilt - <White and Dark Dragon Roar>!


    Kyou & Kinou - Unison Raid, <Eternal Flare>!


    Yasaka - <Yin Yang Blast>!


    Rossweisse - Combination Magic, <Fire Lightning Crimson Lotus>!


    One by one, the girls launched their respective attack towards the <Scale Mail> army.


    They annihilated so many <Scale Mail> army and if it wasn''t for Trihexa constantly creating them then by now their number should''ve gone down by 50% already.


    Mertel - Advance! Don''t lose to our Mistressess!


    Everyone - OOOOO!!!


    Then the other army also joined in with their assault.


    Both side then clashed immediately... Trihexa army is being pushed back with little to no resistance while Issei''s army keeps pushing forward with ease.


    The Heroic Spirits unleashed their Noble Phantasm one by one which makes the fight even easier as time goes.


    The onlookers'' are in complete awe seeing all this... They thought that it will be a hard-fought war but reality tell them otherwise... It''s a completely one-sided battle.


    Artoria & Altria - <Excalibur>! <Rhongomyniad>!


    Arthur and Le Fay who saw that become dumbfounded.


    Irene - Yes, if you''re wondering just who they are then they are indeed the renowned King Arthur Pendragon, your supposed ancestor.


    Irene who saw their dumbfounded face explained.


    Issei - The only difference between them is that Artoria just like the legend posses the well-known <Excalibur> while Altria is the alternate version of her.


    An "if" King Arthur who, after rising as a king, made the holy spear its main weapon instead of the holy sword and governed over Britain.


    Having lost the growth-halt from the holy sword, she grew to a physical age fitting for a king. She became an existence closer to Divine Spirits due to using the holy spear, but since the period of use was just that of ten-odd years, her mental structure spiritual make-up has not changed too much.


    Issei - Hence the difference between their body built... Artoria is more petite compared to Altria herself.


    Artoria - Master... I would appreciate it if you don''t compare my body to my other self... I know I''m not well-endowed like her but I''m still a woman regardless. Please remember that.


    Right after Issei finishes his words, Artoria jumps into their conversation from the distance with a smiling face. Yet her eyes are not smiling at all.


    She''s always sensitive about this topic for obvious reason...


    Issei - O-Ou, my bad...


    Issei sweated feeling amazed just how come she can hear their conversation from that far away... He can only come to the conclusion that it''s a Woman intuition he guesses.


    Mordred - Hahaha! Don''t worry, Hahaue. I''m sure Chichiue will like both of you regardless of your body size!... If not then I won''t have a chance either...


    Mordred said while laughing out loud but she muttered lowly at the end while looking at her own undeveloped body with a depressed face.


    Artoria pats her depressed daughter in the shoulder in comfort. Both of them shared a knowing look while Altria who''s at the side feeling curious just what are they doing.


    Both Artoria and Mordred gaze upon Altria ultimate "weapon" in hostility which makes the latter become confused even further.


    Artoria - ...I''m her other self and yet my body is...


    Mordred - ...I''m supposed to be her daughter yet my body is...


    They both muttered in resentment.


    Artoria - Master! As an apology I want you to make me tons of food!


    Artoria suddenly set her attention back towards Issei and shouted at him with resentment.


    Mordred - Count me in!


    Mordred chimed in with her.


    Issei is speechless with this development... How come his casual remarks would lead to all this?


    Issei - S-Sure...


    But he decided to fulfill their request since he is the one who started all this anyway.


    Musashi - What?! You both want to monopolize milord''s cooking for yourself? I won''t allow it!


    Okita Souji - What did you say?! The penalty of embezzling milord''s cooking is death by Seppuku!


    Okita Alter - Even if this body Saint''s Graph were to shatter, I won''t let you have your way, fiend!


    Oda Nobunaga - Fuhahaha! If you think you can have Master cooking all to yourself then you must be dreaming! This Oda Nobunaga the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven shan''t allow it!


    Chacha - Even though Chacha love gold but she loves Master''s cooking just as much so no stealing from Chacha! Auntie! Let''s team up and beat up anyone who wants to get in our way to Master''s cooking!


    Xuanzang Samzang - Even if Buddha forgives you, I won''t!


    Mordred - Shuddup! It''s Chichiue payment for the physicological damage he has done to us!


    Artoria nodded sagely at Mordred words.


    Everyone - Bullshit!


    The other heroic spirit who heard that Issei will cook for Artoria and Mordred instantly butted in feeling indignant that they''re being left out.


    They started shouting at each other but their hand never stays idle and reap every single <Scale Mail> lives that they came across.


    Jalter - What''s wrong with all of you? It''s as if you never had Master cooking before.


    Jalter smugly looks at them.


    There''s a tick mark appearing on their head seeing her smug face because they all know that Jalter gets to eat Issei''s cooking almost every day.


    Jeanne can only smile wryly at Jalter childish antics.


    Issei - ...Why in the world did they have a debate about food in the middle of a battle?


    Issei muttered speechlessly while Irene just chuckled at him.


    Azazel - You can cook as well, Ise?


    Azazel amusedly asks Issei.


    Issei - Kinda.


    Irene - Kinda? You must be joking, beloved... If you, the one being titled as the best chef in the universe is "Kinda" can cook then all of the other chefs must be complete trash then? I can tell all of you this... Once you''ve tasted his cooking then you can never go back eating normal food, trust me on this.


    Irene said with complete reassurance.


    The onlookers'' now look at Issei awkwardly... Is there anything that he can''t do? They all thought to themselves.


    The female onlookers'' eyes now turn even brighter the moment they heard that Issei can also cook. It''s not often you have a man that can cook and being a good one at that.


    He''s rich, strong, handsome, intelligent, a beast on the bed, a loving husband, and he also can cook? Perfect husband material!


    Most of them had their eyes turned into that of predatory eyes while looking at Issei now which make him shudders being gazed like that by them.


    Azazel then continued to ask Issei about some things such as the Heroic Spirits identity and the like.


    The more they heard about them from Issei the more awed and speechless they became... Because most of the character they knew from the book is that most of them are described as a man.


    Such as Francis Drake herself, or Artoria and Altria for example.


    The bystanders are feasting their eyes on the battle that''s currently ongoing with gusto since they know that they''re completely safe now.


    Even Trihexa itself is having a hard time fighting Semiramis''s party. It keeps getting injured and if it wasn''t for its regeneration then it should''ve been dead at least a hundred times over by now.


    It''s completely a one-sided battle.


    Vali, Sairaorg, and Shiva are itching for a fight but since Issei told them not to get in his wives way then can only hold back.


    Azazel - Damn, Ise... You sure know how to pick them huh... Not only that they''re a top-grade beauty but they''re also really strong. Heck, I''m not sure if all of us combined can take them on...


    Azazel mutter wryly while looking at the ongoing battle. He, just like the other onlookers'' are in complete awe at Ramius''s group strength.


    Issei - Ah... They''re my pride and joy. It is truly my blessing for having them in my life.


    Issei smiled lovingly while looking at his wives on the battlefield.


    Irene - The feeling is mutual beloved.


    They smiled at each other while Azazel whistled seeing their interaction.


    Azazel gave Sirzechs and Rias''s group a side glance and can only sigh bitterly.


    At this point, making Rias''s group seeing how he interact with his wives is just plain torture for them...


    Tearju''s group also smiled gently while looking at Issei.


    There are suddenly a group of women arrived on the scene while dragging a bunch of individuals alongside them.


    The group of women belongs to Issei''s faction and they are from the Assassins group.


    Whilst the group of people they are dragging is someone they never expect to be here because they are Shalba Beelzebub, Katerea Leviathan, Loki, Creuserey Asmodeus, Diodora Astaroth, Kokabiel, and last but not least Rizevim Livan Lucifer himself.


    All of the become extremely alarmed seeing the supposed deceased or sealed individuals presented before them.


    Especially for Vali who saw Rizevim that somehow still alive even though he''s supposed to be dead by the hand of Fafnir already.


    But all of them are currently in a distressed state with wounds and blood overflowing from most of their orifices and wounds itself.


    It''s obvious that they get done in by the group of Assassins who brought them here.


    Rakia - Ise-sama, we found these group of people sneaking around the area.


    Rakia being in the forefront of the Assassins group said towards Issei.


    While most of the DxD group is taken aback by Rizevim group. Baraqiel, Akeno, and Azazel are taken aback by a completely different reason because from the group of Assassins behind Ekate they saw someone they know fully well... Three specific people to be exact.


    Baraqiel & Akeno - ...S-Shuri? / ...O-Okaa-sama?


    Two of them said almost at the same time with widened eyes.


    Yes, what they saw is indeed the reincarnated Shuri, Reynare, and Kalawarner.


    The three of them are currently standing behind Ekate with a similar customized outfit just like Rakia outfit.


    Rias''s group is also taken aback by the sight of Reynare and Kalawarner.


    Issei - Oh?


    Issei is a little surprised seeing Rizevim''s group being here but not for long because he knows who''s responsible for their "Ressurection" or breaking them free from their respective seal.


    He glanced at Hades who''s currently standing at the back of the Gods faction.


    When Hades realizes that Issei has set his gaze on him, his body instantly trembled confirming Issei''s suspicion that he''s indeed the one who''s responsible for this.


    Issei narrowed his eyes dangerously at Hades which make the latter started cowering in fear.


    If it was the old Issei then Hades won''t feel the least bit intimidated by him even if he''s the possessor of the <Boosted Gear>, but the current Issei is on a whole another level... Especially seeing how he reign over the <Death> element far surpassing him.


    Kokabiel - What is the meaning of this, Hades!


    Hades now regretted freeing Kokabiel from his seal because of that one sentence of his...


    Kokabiel - How come this slut-


    *BANG!*


    Kokabiel shouted at Hades thinking that Hades has something to do with Shuri''s group resurrection. But before he could finish his sentence his body was sent flying without any prior notice.


    No one realizes just what happened on that split second except for Irene and Rakia.


    Even the Assassins group from Issei''s faction cannot clearly see what happened just now but they know the cause of Kokabiel''s sudden "Flight" and they all set their passionate gaze upon Issei who seems to be standing there calmly.


    Kokabiel body is buried under the debris of the building he crashed into and his fate is unknown after that because there''s no more sound coming from his direction other than the crumbling sound of the building itself.


    Issei - I don''t give a damn as for why all of you are here right now but you better watch your mouth in my presence.


    Issei said coldly at the rest of Rizevim group.


    Only then Azazel and the others set their sight on Issei once more and they all sweated a little knowing that Issei is apparently the one who did that and they cannot see anything at all and they are standing next to him at that!


    They don''t even see a blur and the next thing they know Kokabiel is sent flying.


    As for Rizevim group, they are stricken by terror after feeling Issei pressure.


    Issei - Then? Care to explain how come they''re "Alive" once more, Hades?


    Issei set his attention back towards the cowering Hades.


    Hades obviously went silent because he obviously can''t tell Issei that he does all this so he could have Rizevim group create chaos once more hoping that they will have another war.


    That way there will be fewer Devils and Fallen Angels in this world and maybe make them all go extinct altogether.


    Issei - Forget that question... I already know the answer to it considering your hatred towards the Devil and Fallen Angel faction. But let me ask you this instead... How many innocent souls have you sacrificed to revive them all?


    Issei aura rose in anger and it is unbelievably suffocating for Hades and he instantly went to his knees because of Issei pressure alone.


    Hades''s body started trembling even greater after that.


    Semiramis could revive someone with a bit of effort but she doesn''t use any innocent souls or any souls at all other than the recipient soul instead as a base for their resurrection.


    It''s possible because of her high control in the <Death> domain whilst Hades being the third rate God of Death obviously cannot accomplish what she did.


    He needed to sacrifice hundreds upon hundreds of souls just to resurrect one specific soul and if that said soul is strong such as Rizevim''s group then the sacrifice needed for it is even bigger.


    Semiramis - Answer him, Hades. I also want to know the answer to my husband question.


    Semiramis suddenly appears next to Issei with her own cold gaze and pressure.


    She was fighting Trihexa with Forzelotte and Scathach when she sensed Rizevim''s group sickening soul since they are so contaminated with the filth of sins they possess.


    Now even the surrounding bystanders also felt suffocated just by standing near them and they almost drop their knees as well just like Hades did.


    Hades already dropped flat to the ground in a groveling position... Quite unbefitting considering his title as a God of Death but there''s nothing he could do to resist Issei and Semiramis pressure.


    Hades - ...M-More than f-fifteen million souls...


    Hades finally managed to utter his answer with difficulty but his answer made the atmosphere around them drop to below freezing at this point.


    All of them become horrified after hearing what he just said. More than fifteen Million souls?! You''re telling them that he sacrificed 15 million innocent souls just to revive these scums?!


    Even Odin bit his lip in anger for what he did while Zeus and Poseidon look down in shame because of what Hades did... They are brothers so their reputation will take a big hit because of this.


    But what they fear the most is that Issei might just set his anger towards them as well. If that were to happen then their faction might be no more...


    Issei and Semiramis aura and pressure rose even greater while Hades shrieked in fear while covering his head... If he still has his human anatomy then he would''ve pissed himself right there already.


    Even the ground beneath him cracked open and his entire body felt like it''s being crushed by a mountain.


    Semiramis - ...I see. I would''ve killed you right here right now if I don''t want to burden my husband with another unneeded chore.


    After all, it''s not easy finding a person that could manage the cycle of reincarnation. Semiramis doesn''t want to make Issei taking care of the cycle of reincarnation in this universe because that will confiscate his time even more.


    Semiramis - But, I got the perfect punishment for you... Dearest, if you would?


    Issei - Ah... <Void Star ¡¤ Tai Sui> start, Shifting of the Universe''s Celestial Bodies. <Another Cosmology>.


    From Issei body, there''s a bright endless ray of light, illuminating the entire horizon.


    It makes the onlookers'' felt elated just being basked in its ray especially for the Angels faction since he reminded them so much about their God.


    But for the Gods faction, they felt instinctive fear when they are exposed to this light because they can tell that this light is absolutely dangerous for them.


    Semiramis - <Void Star ¡¤ Tai Sui>, a celestial sphere which is also an "Another Cosmology" that could seal Strongest Species including Gods and Celestial Spirits except for Dragons into a fictional world... That''s what his skill is. Isn''t it great? Now you don''t have to die, Hades.


    Semiramis smiled coldly at Hades.


    Right after Semiramis said that the light becomes concentrated as if they are alive and made its way towards Hades''s location.


    Hades who saw the creeping light heading towards his way finally tried to run away but it is far too late... And even if he wanted to escape earlier he won''t be able to do so anyway.


    When the light touched his body he felt excruciating pain on his entire body and soul.


    Hades - Aaaaahhhhhh!!!


    The light started transforming his body smaller and smaller into that of an orb starting from his leg.


    Hades - No no no no!!! Forgive me!!! Aaaahhhh!!!


    Hades tried to break free from the binding of this light but to no avail.


    Issei - As punishment for your sin... I hereby seal your soul for eternity and never see the light of day anymore... You can wait calmly in your beloved domain until the judgment day come.


    And with that said, Hades''s body turned into a black orb and landed itself into Issei''s hand.


    Issei then opened a portal towards Hades own domain to which Semiramis tinkered a bit and made it her own domain before Issei throws the orb containing Hades''s soul essence into it.


    Now Hades will forever be sealed in that orb and forced to work for eternity as the guardian of the cycle of reincarnation down there.


    He can''t refuse nor fightback from his punishment because Issei basically has control over his soul... Now he''s more or less just like a puppet.


    Then there''s silent after that...


    Issei set his gaze upon the Gods faction or to be more specific towards Zeus and Poseidon with his aura out in the open.


    Issei - If any of you have a problem with my procedure then feel free to confront me about it.


    Both Zeus and Poseidon hastily shake their head basically saying that they don''t have any problem with it. What a joke, even though they are brothers they don''t want to join Hades''s fate alright.


    Even Odin and Shiva themselves act like they don''t see anything during all this.


    Vali and Sairaorg had this grin on their face knowing that Issei is apparently this strong then that just means that they will have more training to do from now on.


    Irene - Fufufu, I just love seeing this domineering side of yours, beloved... This is what it meant to be the true Dragon God of Domination.


    Irene chuckled at Issei.


    And she''s not the only one who felt that way... Even the female onlookers'' thought that he''s so unbelievably charming when he''s being domineering like that. This is how a true man should be they thought to themselves...


    As for Rizevim''s group, most of them are fainted dead away already such as Rizevim himself, Diodora Astaroth and Katerea Leviathan while the one who''s still awake look at Issei in horror.


    Issei then changes his gaze to Baraqiel.


    Issei - She is not Himejima Shuri you once knew... She is her reincarnation. They may have the same name and face but they are a completely different person. The same goes for Reynare and Kalawarner you''re seeing right now.


    Issei said towards the dumbfounded Baraqiel and Azazel.


    Issei - And Shuri...


    Shuri - Hai, Issei-sama?


    Shuri steps forward immediately and answered respectfully with a smile when Issei called her name.


    Issei - They are the one I''ve told you about before... They are your past life husband and daughter, Baraqiel and Himejima Akeno. If you want then you can go to them, there''s no one going to hold you back if you chose to do so.


    Issei said calmly towards Shuri. Rakia also nodded at Shuri basically telling her that what Issei said is perfectly true, she''s free to go if she wanted to do so.


    Shuri then set her gaze upon the expectant Baraqiel and Akeno.


    But it doesn''t take her long before she returns her attention towards Issei.


    Shuri - I thank you for your offer, Issei-sama but like you just said before... They are my past life husband and daughter meaning that the current me doesn''t have any relation at all with them, so I chose to serve by your side forever, Issei-sama. Please forgive my selfishness.


    She said with a genuine smile towards Issei.


    Issei - ...As you wish then.


    Shuri - Hai, thank you for your kindness, Issei-sama.


    Issei nods at her words because it is her freedom on what to choose.


    Baraqiel - Shuri...


    Baraqiel words got stuck in his throat feeling indescribable sadness after seeing his supposed deceased wife again but she doesn''t recognize them... He knows that she''s not Shuri that he once knew but still...


    Azazel can only comfort his friend because there''s nothing that he could do since Shuri herself decided that herself. Akeno cried softly in Baraqiel''s embrace while looking at Shuri but the latter doesn''t even glance at them.


    To be honest, Shuri kind of despise Baraqiel... He basically chooses his work over his own family which supposedly lead to her untimely death and leaving their daughter alone at that.


    Even though Akeno is basically not related to her at all right now but she tries putting herself in the old Shuri''s shoes and she''s sure that her past incarnation would think the same way as her now.


    Perhaps the outcome of this entire betrayal case will turn out differently because she would make sure to patiently guide her daughter to never do what she did now but alas... The past is in the past.


    Her ideal husband would be Issei himself who would put his family over everything because she also has the same mindset as him.


    *Ba-dump!*


    Issei suddenly felt a presence from the void rapidly approaching their location and his eyes went dead serious while looking at its direction.


    Irene and Semiramis sensed Issei sudden aura spike before they also look at the place Issei gazing right now.


    Irene & Semiramis - ...Beloved / Dearest?


    Semiramis and Irene had a foreboding about all this and Issei''s next words confirm it...


    Issei - ...Nyarlathotep is coming.

 Chapter 93 - 92

    Semiramis and Irene along with the other''s eyes went wide before they turned deadly serious just like Issei.


    Rakia - Your order, Ise-sama?


    Even though they all knew that Nyarlathotep is coming they didn''t panic at all and instantly asks for Issei next instruction.


    They don''t even doubt for a second that Issei might be mistaken because for them his words are absolute.


    Issei - ...Changes in plans, call all of the girls back. Tell Nightingale''s group to see if there''s anyone injured and put top priority on the injured if there is one... I will finish Trihexa as soon as possible before Nyarlathotep get here.


    Issei gave his order immediately.


    Rakia - As you command.


    Then Rakia bowed in courtesy before she set off to call the army back.


    Semiramis - Go ahead, dearest. I will take care of these trashes over here.


    Semiramis said towards Issei while she gazes despisingly at the shivering Rizevim''s group.


    Issei - Um, I''ll leave them to you.


    Issei nodded at Semiramis before he started walking towards Trihexa location.


    Irene - You all heard his words. Nyarlathotep is coming so it''s better if you leave now because this whole place will become their battlefield and we can''t guarantee your survival when the time comes since we''re going to have our hands full protecting ourselves.


    Irene warned the onlookers'' but they are still feeling unsure if they should leave or not since they wanted to watch their fight.


    Azazel - You all will be staying here?


    Azazel asked Irene but when he finishes his words he realizes just how stupid his question was... And as expected, their answer is obvious.


    Irene - Heheh, leave? Not a chance. Like I said before, we will be together forever whether in life or in death itself. Even if Issei were to told us to leave we won''t comply with it. If he were to lose his life in his fight with Nyarlathotep then we will join him soon after regardless of the consequences.


    Irene said with an unwavering smile.


    That''s also why Issei didn''t tell his wives to leave since he knows that they will refuse his order no matter what.


    Rias''s group who saw their conviction had their face went downcast and they asked themselves if they''re also willing to go that far for Issei? Yes, they''re willing but nothing will change regardless of what they say since they have lost his trust completely and now their relationship is even lower than strangers.


    Only after they lost him that they realize just how much that they loved him even before this... They are blinded by their own pride and foolishness thinking that Reiji''s group are much better than Issei and what they had so far is taken for granted...


    They also realize just how unbelievably stupid they are back then... To think that they even thought that Issei will forgive them if they explained it towards him... What foolishness...


    Semiramis who saw Rias and her peerages situation smirked at them before she set her attention back towards Rizevim''s group.


    She tied them into one package with her chain and then she snapped her finger.


    *Clack!*


    Semiramis - <Koku Goenka: Sikera Usum>.


    The area around Rizevim''s group instantly got covered by green fog.


    At first, they''re confused just what is happening since they don''t know Semiramis true identity.


    But in the next second all of their eyes went red and they felt like their whole body veins started expanding abnormally and about to burst at any moment.


    They puked a huge amount of blood but even their blood soon turned green.


    Rizevim and the others who passed out before are not spared by this and they instantly woke up from the otherworldly pain they felt.


    Rizevim and co - GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!


    They screamed their lungs out but along with it their blood also pouring out even more.


    Then from all of their orifices such as eyes, nose, ears are leaking green blood...


    They started thrashing around and if it wasn''t for Semiramis''s chain holding them together then they might just bash their head to the ground hoping that the pain they felt will end that way.


    They can''t even bite their tongue as time goes and all they can do is scream their lungs out.


    Semiramis - How does it feel? <Sikera Usum> is one of my favorite skill where it turns everything around it into poison. Everything in its vicinity even a single drop of water or air itself is poison.


    Semiramis explained towards them but they can''t even listen properly since they have gone deaf... Next is their eyesight... Their sense of taste...


    One by one their senses turned rotten...


    Now they can only utter a silent scream...


    Azazel''s group who saw this flinched in fear and they immediately evacuated the area around Rizevim''s.


    Semiramis - It''s a proper punishment for all of them, don''t you think?


    Semiramis asked them with a smile and they hastily nod their head like their lives depends on it.


    Even Odin decided to let Semiramis has her way with Loki because he already "saved" him once from the death row in the past and sealed him in the process.


    But since it seems like he''s not planning to repent for his sins then there''s nothing else he could do.


    Vali who saw Rizevim''s situation felt like he got what he deserves for all of the evil deeds he has committed.


    Then their skins started to peel off and before long their entire body melted into a green ooze leaving nothing behind.


    Le Fay''s group covered their mouth because of disgusting it was and was about to puke any second but thankfully Irene waved her hand to clean the mess Semiramis caused.


    She burns off the ooze that''s left behind with her flame magic.


    As for Kokabiel? He''s long-dead already... If they were to dig up the ruins where his body located then all they will find is an unidentified body with all of the bones inside its body pulverized into dust.


    Not even his soul is spared and the same goes for Rizevim''s group. Their soul melted along with their body.


    Irene - Sister, I know you''re having fun but please do something about this smell...


    Irene lightly berated Semiramis for the disgusting smell that Rizevim''s group ooze cause.


    Semiramis - Ara, do forgive me for that. I will make it odorless next time.


    Semiramis chuckled apologetically at Irene.


    Scathach - Hm? Did we miss something?


    Scathach arrived with the rest of the girls.


    They immediately followed Issei words and went back to the sidelines.


    Semiramis - No, I''m just cleaning some insects. Don''t mind it.


    Semiramis waved it off uninterestedly.


    Scathach - Is that so?


    Forzelotte - More importantly, is Nyarlathotep really coming?


    Forzelotte asked Semiramis and Irene with a serious face and she''s not the only one wanting to know the answer to that question.


    Semiramis - Um.


    All of their faces went dire when Semiramis confirmed their worries...


    Irene - No need to fret, I''m sure our husband will win. Don''t you all think so as well?


    Irene reassured their worries with a smile.


    They who heard her words regained their calmness and answered "YES!" in unison.


    Then they set their attention towards the battlefield once more.


    Issei can be seen calmly walking towards Trihexa direction and he doesn''t even put the <Scale Mail> army in his eyes.


    Every time he steps forward, Trihexa also took a step back while growling menacingly. But that growl is more like of a meek growl rather than an intimidating growl.


    It fears Issei because it can''t feel his strength but it can tell that Issei possesses a complete <Chaos> element that surpasses its own by far.


    It''s his instinct that kicks in and telling it to avoid direct contact with Issei at all cost but since it is basically "sealed" inside this area then it can''t leave.


    Trihexa - Roarrrrr!!!


    It screamed towards Issei and ordered the <Scale Mail> army to attack him.


    Issei still disregards the incoming <Scale Mail> army but this time there''s something happening whenever he took a step forward.


    *Tap*


    When his left foot stepped forward, a large area in that direction exploded into a sea of flames that instantly annihilated the <Scale Mail> army heading towards him.


    *Tap*


    And on his right side, the area around it becomes an ice field that encased every <Scale Mail> in its vicinity and shatters them into pieces.


    On his left, there''s a sea of flames while on his right, there''s a frozen field but they didn''t counteract against each other. Rather they seem to be coexisting and even increased each other strength.


    Soon the sea of flames turned into blue flames while the ice field turned red that made all of the incoming <Scale Mail> into nothingness.


    Issei looks so gallant and charming at the same time... He looks like just an Emperor of fire and ice.


    Le Fay - ...Amazing.


    Le Fay said with admiration and infatuated gaze. The other girls such as Gabriel, Elmenhilde, Bennia, Serafall, etc, and even Grayfia shares Le Fay thoughts.


    As for the guys, they''re already dumbstruck with awe...


    Trihexa tried to back away some more but Issei snapped his finger and there''s a crimson golden chain holding it in place.


    Issei - Let''s see if you can survive this, <Gate of Babylon>.


    Issei extended his hand and there''s a golden portal appearing behind him.


    From that portal, there''s an endless amount of variety of weapon such as Blades, Spears, Glaives, Lances, etc. But one thing they had in common is that they are colored crimson gold just like his chain because they are imbued with his aura.


    Issei then waved his hand and the huge array of weapon he just summoned instantly launched themselves towards Trihexa location and impaled its entire body as a pincushion would.


    Trihexa - Graaaaaahhhhhh!!!


    Trihexa screamed loudly in pain.


    Issei - Hoo, you still alive after all that? Then...


    Just when Issei about to launch his next and final attack, he heard a voice coming out of nowhere directly inside his mind.


    ??? - (...hurts... It hurts... Please... save us...)


    Issei stopped his movement and gaze at Trihexa in wonder because he could tell that voice is coming from Trihexa itself. But what intrigued him is that this is the first time he heard Trihexa spoke a proper sentence because after all this time it usually only roars like a beast.


    He thought that it is already consumed by the <Chaos> element but it appears he''s mistaken.


    And what''s more, it appears there are multiple voices could be heard from within itself.


    Perhaps it is able to speak since it came into contact with Issei <Chaos> element.


    Issei - ...Very well.


    Issei decided to grant Trihexa request because it seems that it isn''t just a mindless beast.


    *Flap!*


    Issei let his wings out in the open and there are two pair of them coming out from its back and just from the sight of his wings alone, the onlookers'' are in awe because it seems so majestic and beautiful at the same time.


    This time Issei let his Dragon aura out in the open.


    He put his hand on top of his chest before he started his chant.


    Issei - I, Am The True Crimson Dragon Godking who control the principle of domination.


    With infinite hope and dreams, I shall become the protectors of my loved ones.


    I am their light in the darkness.


    I shall promise you! A future that shines brighter than any light.


    Ally to good! Nightmare to evil!


    "<Dragon Overdrive>!"


    *WHOOSH!*


    A huge vortex made of crimson light and flames descends upon Issei location.


    All of the onlookers'' put their hand in front of them to block the sheer wind pressure Issei emits right now and it took all they have just to prevent themselves to be blown away.


    And from that huge vortex, there''s a huge shadow coming out from it and the vortex is blown away when that shadow flapped its majestic looking wings.


    Then they finally witness Issei Dragon form at its full glory...


    Every inch of his body radiates dominance and power but also soothing and holy at the same time.


    Issei new Dragon form consists of two pair of crimson gold wings and on top of his head, there are horns that are shaped just like a King''s crown.


    His Dragon body looks quite muscular and each piece of his scales are glowing brightly. Some part of his body is also covered in armor that just makes his form even more imposing.


    But what stands out the most is what''s located in the middle of his chest.


    There is some sort of gem that looks like a Yin and Yang but they are not connected with each other and only looks about to, while on top of this insignia there is the well known <ECH> logo but more awe-inspiring than ever because it is currently emitting bright light made of flames.


    When Issei opened his eyes that looks sharp yet breathtaking, he roared at Trihexa location.


    Issei - ROOOOOOARRRRRR!!!


    Just hearing his roar every single <Scale Mail> disappeared into nothingness and they are no more while Trihexa body started trembling fiercely in fear.


    This time not even Tiamat or Tannin can resist the urge and they all knelt fervently on the spot.


    The Heroic Spirits that have Dragon origin and the other Dragons such as Kiyohime, Elizabeth Bathory, etc also kneels respectfully towards his direction.


    Only Issei''s wives that don''t have the urge to kneel before him because they''ve already given their whole body and heart for him so they are basically one.


    Azazel''s group are completely awestruck and dumbfounded when they saw his Dragon form.


    Irene - Look and behold... The True Dragon God of Domination! Feast your eyes on his full glory!


    Irene shouted with pride and adoration when she''s gazing at the now fully Draconic Issei.


    The other girls also stuck out their chest in pride.


    Millet - It''s been quite a while since the last time we saw him in his Dragon form... And it is still majestic as I''ve remembered it... Nay, even better...


    Millet gazes at Issei Dragon form with a little bit of nostalgia because this is how Issei "Proposed" to her in the past.


    The other girls nodded at her statement.


    Jeanne - Ah... Master... How gallant... This Jeanne feels really blessed for having you in her life...


    Jalter - ...Agreed.


    Jeanne went to his praying mode while Jalter agreed to her words without any complaint whatsoever.


    Gurigura - Eheheh, Ise-nii looking cool as always~????


    Ramius - Umu. I''m getting wet just by looking at his current form.


    Kathryn - Heh, as expected of my husband... And your last words are a bit unneeded you titty monster.


    Riche - He never ceases to amaze us as usual.


    Natal - Maa~, Darling is always the best!


    Rossweisse - Isn''t it obvious!


    Croix - Fufufu, that''s my otouto-kun~????


    Ophis - Ise... Amazing...


    Lilith - Amazing...


    Great Red - Gahahahaha! That''s my bro right there!


    They started discussing with each other like a group of chirping housewives... Soon the heroic spirits and the Overlords also joined in.


    Mordred - Oooo~, no matter how many times I see it, Chichiue Dragon form sure is amazing!


    Artoria and Altria also nodded to her statement and they''re not the only one who thought the same thing.


    Azazel and the others become dumbfounded seeing them looking so carefree. Didn''t Issei say that Nyarlathotep is coming? Then shouldn''t they start preparing or something?


    But since they''re not too worried anyway, there''s no need for them to be worried either.


    Odin - Godking?


    Odin curiously asked.


    Scathach - Fumu, it''s his <Tier> rank and title at the same time.


    Odin - <Tier>?


    Odin becomes further confused but he''s also curious at the same time.


    Scathach - Oh right, this world <Tier> rank is different from ours. Sora, if you would.


    Sora - Hai, Scathach-nee-sama... Nice to meet all of you, my name is Sora Hyoudou. <Tier> is divided into 9 ranks. To put it in a simple explanation it''s like this...


    Then Sora explained all about <Tier> rank with her projection magic...


    <Tier 0> = Normal Human


    <Tier 1> = Low-Class Devil/Angel


    <Tier 2> = Middle-Class Devil/Angel


    <Tier 3> = High-Class Devil/Angel


    <Tier 4> = Ultimate-Class Devil/Angel


    <Tier 5> = God-Class


    <Tier 6> = True God-Class


    <Tier 7> = Ultimate True God Class


    <Tier 8> = Supreme True God Class


    <Tier 9> = ???


    Sora - Now if we take this world faction leaders such as Sirzechs-san, Odin-san, Azazel-san, and the others... Their rank is about <Tier 5> peak at most. Ah, but for Shiva-san, he''s already at <Tier 6> and for Vali Lucifer-san he can momentarily reach <Tier 6> if he were to use his ultimate skill which called the <Diabolos Dragon Lucifer> was it?


    They paid attention to Sora with utmost curiosity.


    Sora - "For Ramius-san group, their rank is at the middle of <Tier 6> not that far from reaching <Tier 7> since they just received quite a big amount of experience from the fight they had.


    And as for elder sister Semiramis and the others, as you might''ve guessed already, their rank is at <Tier 7> peak with Irene-nee being the strongest and reaching the <Tier 8>... Of course, this is just a rough estimation on their raw strength not counting other aspects into consideration, such as their weapon, secret skills, traits and everything else..."


    Sora continued with her explanation and they are in awe with their respective strength.


    Vali - ...What <Tier> is Issei now?


    Vali asked Sora with a serious gaze.


    Sora - Ah, as for Ise-nii-sama... Well... We discovered <Tier 8> rank for quite a while now and apparently as you saw on my projection, they are called <Supreme True God Class>... As for <Tier 9> it is just recently discovered and we don''t have a name for it before but after nii-sama ascended to it we decided to call it...


    Sora went silent for a bit but they could already guess what <Tier> is Issei now...


    Vali - ...<True Godking>.


    Vali said with a solemn tone.


    Sora - Hai! That''s right... We decided to call the newly discovered <Tier 9> as such since Ise-nii-sama is dubbed that title by many factions consensuses... Not that he really cares what others call him though.


    Sora nodded proudly with a smile while the other girls smiled the same way.


    Vali clenched his fist thinking that he really need to train harder because the gap between him and Issei is quite huge... Sairaorg also thought the same as Vali.


    While for Sirzechs and Michael, they felt bitter losing such a huge support for themselves... If Issei is still with them then things would be a lot easier... But since he doesn''t blame them maybe there''s still hope...


    Azazel - Then how about Nyarlathotep? What rank is it?


    When Azazel asked that question their face went a bit insecure...


    Sora - Well... We''re not so sure ourselves since we never saw it in first hand and Ise-nii-sama himself is not sure as well because back when he fought it for the first time, he also can''t measure its exact strength.


    Azazel''s group face went grim after hearing that... But considering Issei current strength, hopefully, things would turn out just fine.


    Irene - Hmm... Why Ise is taking his time in dealing with Trihexa?


    Irene mused to herself because she''s absolutely sure that if Issei wanted Trihexa dead then it should be dead 100 times over by now...


    Semiramis - No need to worry, I''m sure he got his reason.


    Semiramis said as a matter of fact.


    They then set their gazes back towards Issei who''s currently already headed towards Trihexa location at a breakneck speed.


    Trihexa tried his best to move its body but to no avail, since that chain which was holding it down is infused with both Issei aura and <Chaos> element and with Issei at its front, there''s no escape...


    That''s also why Issei could hear Trihexa inner voice since he''s basically "connected" with it.


    In no time at all Issei reached Trihexa location and he wastes no time and clammed down his jaw at Trihexa middle head which is a dragon head while his wings tore apart its other heads along with his arms.


    Trihexa roared in pain because it can feel that its power is rapidly draining from it since Issei not only absorbing its strength but also its <Chaos> element.


    It keeps struggling using every ounce strength left inside it but soon that strength is also sapped away from it and Trihexa couldn''t move in the slightest anymore.


    Issei who saw that immediately punctured one of his arms inside Trihexa body and he instantly found what he''s looking for...


    *RIP!*


    Issei pulls out his arm but there''s a giant purple orb in his hand...


    That orb is Trihexa very core.


    Without it, Trihexa couldn''t maintain its monstrous form and its huge body started dissolving into a black miasma.


    Issei gazes upon the orb in his hand with wonder while he flapped his majestic wings to dissipate the miasma before him.


    The orb is kind of small compared to his dragon arm but its size is at least 3 times bigger than normal human height.


    Irene - Is that... Beloved, is that what I think it is?


    Irene was a bit surprised seeing Issei took out the orb from within Trihexa body while Sirzechs group becomes dumbfounded seeing the massive body of Trihexa disappeared to nothingness just like that...


    Are you telling them that Trihexa is no more? The supposedly immortal Apocalyptic Beast is dead just like that? It feels a bit surreal...


    But they soon set their gaze on the orb in Issei''s arm waiting for his answer on just what is that thing.


    Issei - Um... This is Trihexa''s core. This is what keeps it alive after all this time... The <Chaos> element works as its protector and also jailer at the same time...


    Issei explained calmly.


    His voice sounds divine now that he''s in his Dragon form.


    Azazel - Then that means it is still alive?


    Azazel said in a dire tone.


    Issei - Yes.


    Issei confirmed Azazel question.


    Azazel - Then destroy that orb now, Ise. Before it started to regenerate once more.


    Azazel hastily told Issei fearing that Trihexa will resurrect once more from the dead.


    Issei - No need. I already absorbed the <Chaos> element within it... It should be able to move with its own will now rather than acting like a mindless beast once more.


    Azazel - Wait... What do you mean by that?


    Azazel confusedly asks Issei because he doesn''t know about Trihexa being controlled by the <Chaos> element.


    Irene - Trihexa supposedly was never an actual mindless beast... It got controlled by the <Chaos> element so that''s why it acts like a mindless beast and its only objective is to cause destruction.


    Irene explained in place of Issei.


    They all become dumbfounded after hearing her explanation. They never thought that Trihexa has this kind of reason behind its destructive nature...


    They also never thought that Issei could manage to do this.


    *Crack!*


    Soon the orb in Issei''s hand started cracking and before long it burst open.


    They can see three individuals sprawled on his hand.


    The three individuals slowly opened their eyes and started looking around.


    They then gaze upon each other before they cry tears of joy and hug each other while crying to their heart content at the same time.


    They are feeling overwhelmed with disbelief and happiness... After so long... They''ve finally freed from the hellish nightmare they were in...


    The onlookers'' become dumbfounded seeing three people suddenly emerged from the orb that supposed to be Trihexa''s core. The three of them are beautiful women at that...


    But there''s something weird with one of them... They also look really similar to each other except for the body proportion and eye color they have.


    One of them looks petite just like Gurigura while for the other two they both look like they are in their teens but the other one has the biggest breasts of them all.


    The three of them have long purple hair that reaches their feet. One of them has red eyes, the second one has aqua blue eyes and the last one has pink eyes.


    They are currently buck naked with no coverage whatsoever.


    Issei used his magic and enveloped the three of them with a blanket cover.


    (AN: The petite and the biggest boobs https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/c/c9/RomaEgo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150704214644).


    (AN: The last one https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/d/df/MoonCancerBBStage1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170511072905).


    But what stands out the most is that the third one seems to be very silent... Eerily so... It''s like she''s a doll with no emotion whatsoever. Even the way she gazes upon Issei looks odd.


    And even those who have sharp eyes can tell that the other two also have some kind of abnormality as well.


    The first one appears to be unable to move her leg while the second one is her arms.


    She kept extending her hand towards him while muttering "...Adan... Adan...".


    When Issei heard her words he got a bit taken aback because he recognizes that name... And he feels like he has seen her face before but he can''t exactly remember where... The same goes for Croix''s group.


    ??? - ...EVE?!


    All of them heard a voice from outside the barrier.


    That person keeps banging the barrier with her arms while shouting at Issei at the same time.


    ??? - Open this barrier boy!


    At first, they become alerted thinking that this newcomer might be Nyarlathotep itself except for Issei''s side because they recognize this newcomer. They all become tense because they can tell that this person possesses quite the immense power herself.


    Issei''s party - ...QD?


    Yes, this person is QD aka Qu Dragon that Issei met in the <Evenicle> world.


    QD - Yes it''s me! Now open this barrier! That''s Eve! The person you''re holding is Eve herself! I don''t know how come there''s three of them now but I can assure you that the three of them is Eve!


    QD shouted at Issei feeling impatient.


    This time not even Issei''s party can hold back their shock especially for Croix, Silent, Laurent, and Burst since they are a believer of Eve once.


    No wonder the three of them looks familiar they thought to themselves... Sure their hair color and face is a bit different from what''s been portrayed once but if they look closely then can see some similarities here and there.


    Issei opened a small opening in the barrier for QD to pass through.


    QD instantly went through that gap and headed towards Eve location.


    QD - Eve!


    She grabbed Eve on the shoulder and shouted her name but she doesn''t respond to her voice and keep extending her hand towards Issei while muttering "...Adan... Adan..." still...


    QD - What Adan?! That boy isn''t Adan, Eve!


    QD who saw that gritted her teeth and she sets her gaze upon the other Eves.


    But they seem like they don''t recognize her at all.


    Issei - Something is off about them... Look closely, QD.


    QD - Yeah, I know that as well. Boy, can you cure them of their abnormality? Please, this world is outside my area of jurisdiction so I can''t carelessly use my power.


    QD said towards Issei in a pleading voice.


    Issei doesn''t say anything but the white gem in his chest started shining more brightly, his red eyes changed into golden for a brief second and before long there''s a gentle and soothing light coming out from him and enveloped the Eve trio.


    When the light dissipates they can see that there are some differences with the Eve trio especially the one who keeps calling "Adan" towards Issei before.


    Now emotions could be found in her face and as for the other two, they now could freely move their hands and legs freely. They cried once more after finding this out.


    Her eyes are flooded with tears of joy and she shouted "ADAN!" at the top of her lungs.


    If it wasn''t for Issei being in his Dragon form right now then she might just jump into his embrace straight away.


    QD - What are you saying, Eve?! That boy is not Adan!


    QD tried to persuade Eve out of her delusion.


    Eve - No! That''s Adan! That''s my Adan! Only Adan can possess the <Life Orb> and that special light just now!


    Even struggled inside QD grasp.


    QD - Adan is already dead, Eve! I know it''s hard to accept but it is the truth!


    Eve ignored QD''s words and keep gazing upon Issei with tears of joy flowing out from her eyes.


    Issei - ...I''m not Adan. My name is Issei Savant Hyoudou.


    Issei calmly said towards Eve.


    Eve froze up a little bit, but before long she started talking once more.


    Eve - Yes... Indeed your current name is that but you are the reincarnation of Adan! I''m sure of it since only Adan himself could possess the <Life Orb> since the creator God said so!


    Issei went silent after hearing that while QD gritted her teeth in anger.


    QD - He''s tricking you, Eve! That bastard doesn''t care about you nor Adan himself. He''s spouting lies to make you side with him!


    Eve - ...No... I was there when we forcefully reincarnated Adan back then...


    Eve shakes her head while answering QD.


    QD - What?


    QD become stupefied after hearing her words.


    Eve - ...Back when Adan''s body exploded into pieces, I was in complete distraught... But all hope is not lost since the Creator God helped me to contain his soul... Then I decided to leave our original world behind hoping that we will be able to start a new clean slate...


    Eve narrated her past towards the dumbfounded QD.


    The other onlookers'' also listened to their conversation.


    Eve - "Then we both finally arrived in this world... We made a deal with this world GOD(Bible God) that he would let us stay in this world and in return, we will help him create humanity he desired... We act as the first human in this world once more but without making ourselves as an object to be worshipped, rather just another human being...


    Although the humans in this world aren''t our direct descendant like in our original world, they still have some of our influences... We also helped him created a copy of the Kalar species so they can serve the God of this world. Sadly we can''t make the Kalar perfectly like the creator God did before... What happened is that they become an Angel and Devil immediately instead of step by step evolution... And even the Angels could become a species called "Fallen Angel" if they were to do something sinful... But at least we managed to create both genders with this brand new Kalar"


    All of them become wide-eyed after hearing her statement just now... Especially for the Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devil faction.


    Even Issei''s group is taken aback.


    Because, if what she''s telling them is the truth then she is the true creator of this world factions instead of the God of the Bible, at the very least she plays a big part in their creation and that includes Issei as well... Of course, the Gods faction is another story for this matter.


    QD - ...So after all this time, I thought you''re being sealed somewhere by that old geezer only to find out that you apparently left our world behind just like that? Hilarious...


    QD gritted her teeth in anger feeling betrayed by Eve.


    Eve - No, Qu! You don''t understand... I left our world to protect it from the God of Chaos itself!


    Eve hastily placated QD budding anger with the reason on why she left behind their original world.


    QD - ...What?


    Eve - After Adan absorbed too many human sin impurities from our original world, he also becomes stronger and manages to attract its attention towards him... Thankfully when Adan power reaches its peak, he... Exploded ending his power surge that acts as a beacon luring the God of Chaos towards our world...


    QD - ...Is that the truth?


    Eve - Yes! I won''t lie to you and you know it.


    Eve looks at QD straight in the eyes when she said that words.


    QD - ...Hmph! I know you''re one hell of a willful and selfish woman but you''re no liar...


    QD harrumphed towards Eve but there''s relief that could be found within her tone.


    Michael - A-And then what happened?


    Michael stutteringly asked Eve because of the information they just received is totally mind-blowing... All of them are shaken greatly when they find out about all of this. Whether it be the Angel faction, Fallen Angels, or the Devil faction...


    Eve - ...And then we live our daily life in bliss and when we were about to return to our original world... It manages to find us because even though Adan doesn''t absorb any more sin impurities like before he still becomes stronger and stronger by the second since the <Life Orb> is affecting him indirectly just by existing... If the first Adan absorbed too many impurities of sin then the second Adan absorbed too many purity of life... And finally, we decided to stop running and face the God of Chaos in its own domain to avoid the destruction of this world... But in the end... We lost...


    Eve''s face went downcast at the end.


    Eve - ...Before the God of Chaos could infect Adan''s soul with its <Chaos> element, I hastily sent his soul towards this world GOD to forcefully reincarnate him once more, but some of his soul essences has dissipated because of it... He won''t be able to remember his past memories while I on the other hand... Become corrupted with the <Chaos> element and in a desperate manner, I hastily sealed myself inside my own divinity and power to retain at least a little bit of my sanity but alas... In the end, I become the Apocalyptic Beast that''s known by the name Trihexa... I instinctively headed towards this world once more because it is the closest at the time...


    They all halted their breath when they heard her stories.


    Eve - ...Then you all know the rest... With the last ounce of my willpower left, I helped this world GOD to seal myself as not to bring destruction to this world... Thankfully the God of Chaos loses its interest of us or this world might be no more... As for this two, they are basically my other self that I created to accompany me in that endless darkness... I feel sorry for them but I had to or I might just go insane without anyone else accompanying me inside that endless darkness and loneliness for so long... But as the cost for their creation since at the time my power is limited... I lost my emotion and will while they lost their arms and legs sense of touch...


    The other two Eve hastily shakes their head and said that they don''t mind accompanying her.


    As for the others who listened to her story, they become utterly speechless...


    Issei also went silent after hearing her story because he can tell that she''s telling the truth...


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    Eve - That''s why... Adan... You''re my, no, our Adan!


    Eve said with a smile through tears while looking at Issei. The other two Eve also send Issei a pleading look since the three of them shares the same emotion albeit a little different.


    Issei - ...I''m sorry, but I''m not the Adan you know... I don''t remember anything from my past life.


    Eve - It doesn''t matter! We can slowly build up your memories once more.


    Issei - ...


    Eve is very persistent in her pursue but Issei doesn''t know what to say. He won''t leave his current wives no matter what happens.


    QD - ...Give it up, Eve... He''s not the Adan you once know and he already has a lot of spouses you see...


    QD patted Eve''s on the shoulder while pointing at Semiramis''s group.


    Eve - ...Eh?


    Eve becomes stupefied after seeing them since they have Issei''s aura and essence all over them. She could tell from miles away that they obviously had intercourse and quite often at that just from sensing it.


    QD - You can forget forcing him to abandon them because there''s no way that will happen... And if you tried to test his limit he will surely end you regardless of your past ties... Isn''t that right, boy?


    Issei - Ah... I won''t leave them no matter what happens. Even if it means that I have to kill you or anyone else for that matter.


    Issei affirmed QD word with absolute conviction and he looks at Eve straight in the eyes when he said that because he really meant what he just said.


    Eve - ...


    Eve is the one at loss for words this time around.


    Issei then proceeded to put them on the ground.


    Issei - You might want to leave with them now, QD... Nyarlathotep will arrive here soon.


    Eve & QD - ?!


    Eve body trembled greatly after that because all of the nightmares memories she experienced is rushing back to her at a rapid pace and that made her beautiful face went pale white in terror.


    QD - ...Cheh. So it''s almost time for your showdown huh...


    QD spat bitterly knowing that Nyarlathotep will arrive here soon.


    Eve - Adan! Let''s leave! I can''t lose you for the third tim-


    Issei - No. Like I said before, I won''t leave them no matter what happens. And my name is Issei Savant Hyoudou, not Adan.


    Eve at first tried to say something towards Issei but he cut her off immediately.


    Issei - ...Besides, it is aiming for me and if it arrived here and doesn''t see me here it might just destroy this world and I don''t want that to happen since this world is my birthplace and some of my wives also originated from here.


    Issei gazes gently at Kuroka''s group with his Dragon eyes.


    They felt warm and happy that he''s willing to go this far just for them even though he could choose to escape this world and they would''ve followed him regardless of the consequences but he doesn''t do that.


    The others from DxD world also felt grateful for this because if Issei decided to leave this world then they might be doomed.


    But they are also feeling incredulous knowing that Issei is basically one of their creator from his past life...


    QD - Don''t worry too much, Eve. I''m sure he will be fine since he has perfectly mastered the <Chaos> element.


    QD tried to console her friend who''s extremely agitated. Eve who heard her words becomes frozen in shock but when she''s about to say something towards her they heard a loud boom coming from above them.


    Issei - ...It''s here.


    Issei narrowed his eyes looking at the direction the voice came from.


    The barrier the Kalars erected are being bombarded by multiple explosion and before long it''s started cracking.


    When the barrier finally break there''s silence... But suddenly.


    *BOOOOOMMMMM!!!*


    There''s a huge beam of black light oozing with miasma coming from above heading towards Issei direction.


    Everyone who saw that know that if that beam were to hit the ground where they are standing right now then there will be hell... Because they will all die with complete certainty without any single exception.


    Even Shiva felt terror from that beam of light much less the others.


    Issei of course also noticed this so he intercepted those beam with his own attack.


    Issei opened his mouth wide and launched a concentrated flame that almost looks like a helix laser.


    When both attacks clashed with each other there''s a massive explosion happening and all of them who are there hastily covered themselves with their respective power but they are blown away regardless of their effort without a single exception.


    At Issei''s side, Semiramis and the others combined their effort to block this explosion and Issei also assisted them by standing in their front.


    He furled his wings around all of them like that of a dome and with his huge size it''s quite easy to cover the whole army with it.


    If it wasn''t for Issei covering them all then most of them who''s from the DxD world might be fatally injured just from that explosion alone.


    They are feeling more indebted of him because of this.


    Issei - Are any of you hurt?


    The girls answered with a solid "No" since he''s basically taken all the blast for them. They also asked Issei in return if he''s okay with obvious concern on their face.


    Issei of course is also fine and when they heard his confirmation they finally sighed in relief.


    After Issei inspected if there''s anyone hurt from that blast, he opened his wings and gazes towards the source of that beam just now.


    From there, there''s a giant eyeball colored pitch black like that of a dead fish eye gazing at their direction. Well, towards Issei direction to be exact.


    All of them felt goosebumps all over when they saw that eyeball gazing at them but soon that eyeball squirmed and as if it were happy to see Issei isn''t hurt from that attack just now.


    Nyarlathotep - ...Ehehehehehe... Ahahahahahahahaha! Good... Good! You didn''t die from my greeting just now, Dragon King!


    They all heard an eerie sound coming from the eyeball direction and they all started sweating profusely since Nyarlathotep is about to manifest in this world.


    The amount of pressure and malice it''s emitting right now is enough to make anyone who comes into direct contact with it goes insane. Even now some of them who''s faint-hearted had their teeth clattering in absolute fear.


    It''s so thick that it''s formed an endless cloud of darkness in the sky. It''s as if the Armageddon is about to happen soon...


    Sirzechs side also isn''t having it better since they can barely move their body just under its pressure.


    Some of the weaker ones also kneeled on the floor because of it.


    Semiramis, Irene, Scathach, Forzelotte, Tiamat, etc faces went deadly serious since they know that Nyarlathotep above them.


    Sora affirmed that Nyarlathotep current level, at the very least as far as she could tell, is on par with Issei himself. In other words, <Tier 9>... They all halted their breath after knowing that.


    Only Issei looks calm while looking at Nyarlathotep.


    A giant black blob soon dropped from the giant eyeball but after that blob dropped to the ground, the whole area around it died immediately. It completely turned into a barren wasteland...


    The giant eyeball disappears as soon as the blop dropped from it and the rift that Nyarlathotep opened just now closed on its own.


    There''s thousands upon thousands of black tentacle emerging from the blob swirling around and the sheer amount of those tentacles made it as if there''s a giant black tornado forming in its place.


    Then those tentacles suddenly hurled themselves towards Issei at an outstanding speed.


    Issei who saw that summoned a huge amount of chains of his own to meet up with those tentacles.


    Whenever they came into contact with each other they caused a mini-explosion. But even the wind pressure caused by that explosion alone is enough to make Sirzechs group rooted in their place because they give everything they got just not to be blown away.


    Issei - You girls stay here. Go erect a barrier with Millet <Chaosbane> as its center. That should protect all of you from Nyarlathotep oozing <Chaos>... <Garden of Avalon>.


    Issei told them in the midst of his brief exchange with Nyarlathotep and when they heard it they immediately executed his order. He also erected an addition buff for them and the whole area around them instantly become brimming with life and they all felt safe just being inside it.


    Issei already called <Babylon> back because it won''t be of any help even if it''s here.


    Millet stabbed <Chaosbane> at the center of their formation and all of the girls immediately erected multiple barriers.


    Semiramis - Be safe, dearest. Make sure to return to our side safely.


    Semiramis said towards Issei which conveyed what most of them all there wanted to say.


    Issei - Um. I will surely return without fail.


    Issei nodded one last time at them before he flew towards Nyarlathotep.


    Eve wanted to say something as well but Issei already left their side and the same goes for Rias''s group but they know that it''s no longer their place to say things like that...


    Nyarlathotep - Good... Good... This is it... This is what I''ve been searching for... A worthy opponent at last...


    Nyarlathotep voice could be heard from the center of that giant blob. It screamed with glee whenever Issei managed to block its attacks.


    Issei''s body is being bombarded with Nyarlathotep attacks but he ignored them all since these kinds of attacks won''t even put a scratch on his body.


    When Issei is about to arrive at its location, Nyarlathotep created a two giant clawed arm and swiped it towards Issei.


    Issei used his own arms to block its attack but Nyarlathotep spawned another set of arms and Issei used his wings to block it.


    He''s finally forced to halt his advances but Issei opened his mouth wide to launch another breath attack and Nyarlathotep who saw that instantly erected multiple layers of barriers made of tentacles.


    *BOOOOOMMMMM!!!*


    Issei attack hit Nyarlathotep squarely right in its core...


    But Nyarlathotep also didn''t just go on the defensive just now since it made one of its arms exploded right in front of Issei at point-blank range.


    All of the onlookers'' can''t see what''s going on since Issei location is obscured by a cloud of dust...


    Semiramis''s group - Ise!/Master!/Adan!


    They shouted at the same time feeling afraid that something might''ve happened to him. Even QD called Issei by his name for the first time.


    Issei - I''m fine.


    They heard his voice from within the cloud of dust and exhaled a sigh of relief knowing that he''s fine but when the cloud disappears they saw that one of his majestic wings is a bit eroded assumingly from the blast just now.


    They all froze up a little because this is the first time that they''ve ever seen Issei injured even though it''s not that bad.


    Ever since Issei ascended beyond Semiramis''s group tier he never even once become injured from all of the fights he had and this is certainly a first.


    Issei - Don''t worry, it''s just a scratch.


    Issei reassured his wives after seeing their concerned gazes on him.


    Even though they heard his reassurance they gritted their teeth feeling bitter and sad that they are unable to help him at all.


    Mordred - Chichiue! Let us help you!


    Mordred shouted and along with her shout, the others also joined in saying that they wanted to help him.


    Irene - I know what all of you feel but it''s better if you all stay here and don''t be reckless... It would make things worse rather than helping the situation since it will only distract Issei if you were to join him now... Even I felt helpless about this because if Nyarlathotep <Chaos> element were to hit any of us directly then our lives will be forfeited immediately...


    Irene solemnly said towards the other girls.


    Jalter - Guh! Then is there nothing we can do other than just watch master put his life on the line for us?! After all of the training we''ve done, in the end, we still can''t help him when he needed us the most!


    Jalter said while slamming her fist down to the ground feeling indignant that she can''t help her beloved master.


    Semiramis - Just believe in him... It is our duty to put our trust in him and believe that he will come out victorious of this showdown.


    Semiramis calmly said but if one were to look at her hand right now then they are currently shaking while being clenched.


    Scathach - Ah... It saddens me that we can''t help him but this is also his duty as our husband and lord. All we can do is wait for him ready to welcome him with open arms...


    Forzelotte - And if he were to lose his life here then we will be sure to give everything we got to avenge him even at the cost of our own lives... Of course, whoever wants to leave go ahead and leave. We won''t be holding you down.


    Scathach and Forzelotte said one after another.


    Ramius''s group also nodded their head after hearing their statement. Jeanne keeps praying for Issei from the start.


    Mordred - Heh! Leave? You must be joking! Like hell I will abandon him after what he has done for us! I may be called a Knight of Treachery in the past but not anymore, I''m done carrying that title. You better not lose, Chichiue! You still owe me and Hahaue your cooking!


    Artoria & Altria - Well said.


    Mordred shouted after she inserted her sword to the ground towards Issei and both Artoria and Altria approved her words with a thumbs up which earned a happy grin by Mordred.


    Tiamat - ...And you still owe me a child.


    Everyone - Not you!


    Tiamat tried to sneak in a word but everyone there denied it which earned her shocked face thinking is there something wrong with her words just now?


    Astolfo - And Master still owe me a smooch~????!


    Everyone - And definitely not you!!!


    Altera - ...If Master were to kiss you then it will be a bad civilization...


    Nobunaga - That''s right! Even I don''t let my second self get too chummy with Master, needless to say about you!


    Nightingale - I can gladly remove your "you know what" just for you then maybe you can have your smooch with Master. How about it?


    Tamamo - Mikon! I won''t let you stand in my way to conceive Master child by making him stray into the wrong path!


    Kiyohime - ...Anchin-sama child shall be conceived by me not you, you stupid homewrecker fox...


    This time they shouted with even more force and even Tiamat joined in because they all know about Astolfo true gender...


    Astolfo only laughed jovially seeing they reacted this badly to "her" joke.


    The clueless onlookers'' are confused just what''s wrong with "her" wish? It''s not too overboard, isn''t it? Why are they so adamant in stopping "her"? Tiamat is one thing...


    Maybe she''s a little lacking in the chest department but she''s still very cute, no?


    If only they know "her" true gender then it will be a different story...


    Issei who saw their antics smiled warmly before he sets his gaze back on Nyarlathotep location just now. There''s no way that it will get done in with his attack just now and all of them realize that...


    Azazel''s group grinned to themselves after seeing their interaction and then he set his gaze upon the downcast Rias''s group.


    Azazel - ...Did you brats saw that? That''s what it meant to put your trust in the one you love... Don''t just see something from the outside. Try to see what''s on the inside... He may be a bit perverted in the past... Well, maybe very perverted but he''s still willing to put his life on the line for all of you, didn''t he?


    Rias - ...Yes, we already realize that... But there''s nothing we could do to redeem our wrongdoings for him... We''re willing to do anything if it means to make him forgive us... That''s all we wanted... His forgiveness...


    She shed tears of regret and guilt while her lower lip bleeds a little because she bit down on it too hard... The other girls from her peerage also felt the same as her.


    They''re willing to do anything if it means that Issei will forgive them...


    Azazel - Hmm... Good, at least you finally admitted your mistakes. That''s a start at least...


    Azazel smirked seeing them and Venelana felt a little glad that her daughter finally sees her wrongdoings and the same goes for the other parents/guardian.


    Azazel - Maybe he''s not willing to forgive you right now but who knows... Maybe in the future he will finally forgive you? But that''s something which all of you have to earn with your own effort.


    Rias''s group body trembled after hearing Azazel word and before long they all nodded gratefully at him.


    Sirzechs also sent Azazel a grateful look of his advice for Rias''s group. Even Grayfia does the same.


    Azazel just waved it off since, to be honest, he''s also feeling responsible for all of this... If he realizes the signs faster then maybe they can avoid all of this from happening... But as Issei said before, there''s no "If" in this world...


    Vali''s group gripped their fist tightly thinking just how far did Issei surpass them already... His "casual" exchange with Nyarlathotep is enough to kill him at least a hundred time over even if he''s in his <Diabolos Dragon Lucifer> form...


    But no matter what they will surely get stronger to be able to face Issei on equal standing.


    QD - Heh, so what do you think, Eve? That''s his current girls.


    QD smirked at the dumbfounded face.


    Eve - ...


    Eve doesn''t answer QD and only observe the girls before she set her eyes back to Issei.


    Nyarlathotep - ...Quite the noisy bunch of ants... Should I make them disappear so we can enjoy our fight to the fullest, Dragon King?


    Suddenly they heard an eerie sound of Nyarlathotep from within the smoke.


    When the smoke disperses from its location they saw that the previous giant blob just now is already cracked here and there barely intact.


    Issei narrowed his eyes dangerously after listening Nyarlathotep words just now.


    Nyarlathotep - Oh?


    Nyarlathotep becomes amused because this is the first time Issei showed any kind of emotion ever since he''s fighting it from the start.


    His face usually always stays calm when he fights it.


    Nyarlathotep - ...I see now... All of them have a tiny bit of <Chaos> element within their body... Are they your "chosen" ones... Dragon King?


    Nyarlathotep sensed a tiny fragment of <Chaos> element inside Semiramis''s group so it thought that Issei "Marked" them for the future fight just like it used to do before this.


    Issei - ...They are my family. I won''t let you hurt any of them.


    Issei understands what it meant by the "Chosen" ones so he corrected its statement.


    Nyarlathotep - ...Family? We, as beings who govern over <Chaos>, don''t need that kind of thing... All we have to do is bring chaos as it should''ve been... And from what I''ve seen... Your <Chaos> element is too pure... Why don''t you bring chaos and destruction to the world, Dragon King...?


    It genuinely confused as for why Issei doesn''t seem to be the same as it.


    It always thinks that it''s only natural that as the God of Chaos it should bring chaos and destruction to the world... It doesn''t have any other concept other than that.


    But that''s also why it becomes bored after so long... It can''t find any being as its equal...


    Issei - ...I may possess the <Chaos> element inside of me but that doesn''t mean that I will bring chaos to the world.


    Nyarlathotep - Why? Then what for do you become stronger? Isn''t it so you can defeat me and bring chaos to the world and stand above all others?


    Issei - I become stronger so that I could protect my loved ones. That''s all there to is... Power, Riches, Vanity, Honor... None of that matters to me from the start... What I care about is the safety and happiness of my loved ones, no more no less. I would do anything for them as long as they''re happy and safe even if it cost me my own life.


    Issei calmly said towards Nyarlathotep who went silent after hearing his words while the onlookers'' are in awe once more with Issei''s words... Especially for the girls'' group who have a crush on him now they''re basically head over heels for him by now.


    Nyarlathotep - ...Loved ones? You say you would do anything for those weaklings even though you''re clearly far stronger than all of them? And at the cost of your own life when the time comes?


    It mutters in confusion because those words are so foreign for it.


    Issei - Ah.


    Nyarlathotep - ...I don''t understand... I don''t understand why you''re willing to go that far for those weaklings... Usually, if I have something I want I will take it by force... Like what I''m about to do now... I''m getting more and more interested with you, Dragon King... At first, I was thinking to devour you after I defeated you but now... I will make you mine.


    *Whoosh!* *Bang!*


    The giant blob shrank at a rapid pace before it formed a black humanoid form that''s also beginning to take shape into that of a woman body.


    Its... Nay... Her appearance changes to that of a gorgeous demoness. In her new form, there''s a habit hangs from the two massive black and pink-lined curved horns extending from the sides of her head. Her black hair (with pink tips) now flows in twisting locks behind her and on her forehead lays three vertical dots similar to those of Savior or in this case, it''s a world destruction mark. Her attire has become that of a revealing long golden coat with belled sleeves and thigh-high pink boots.


    Her usually pitch-black eyes now turned golden with a black slit. She has a devastating curvaceous and voluptuous body that would make any man drool and overcome by lust if they gaze at her body long enough. Especially her bountiful chest and firm yet perky butt and also slim waist.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/3/3b/Beast3RKiara.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170512151702).


    But on the side of her slim waist, there''s an injury mark that quite stands out and that ruined her beauty a little bit.


    Nyarlathotep - See this mark, Dragon King? This is the wound you gave me in the past... Hehehehe... I can''t remember the last time I was that injured before but no matter... Now then... Shall we continue our fight?


    She licks her lips while gazing at Issei form with a bloodthirsty and even lustful eye for that matter.


    (AN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZZB95RmZoU&list=RD4ZZB95RmZoU&start_radio=1 her licking lips picture and also song if you guys wanted to listen, it''s quite nice imo).


    Issei - ...


    Issei only calmly stares at her before he reverted back to his human form.


    Issei - I have no intention of becoming yours so I will have to refuse.


    Nyarlathotep - That''s not for you to decide... The stronger one shall rule over the weak. That''s how it is since ancient primordial time...


    Issei - ...<Balance Breaker>.


    *BANG!*


    Issei used his balance breaker immediately and this time there will be no side effect from using this form unlike in the past where he first fought Nyarlathotep.


    All of the onlookers'' covered their face from the blinding light coming out from Issei right now and when they saw his new form they all become awed yet again.


    He looks wilder and very mouth-watering for the girls, his ears become elongated just like elf ears and there''s a cross-shaped earring on his left ear but there''s <Life and Death / Ying and Yang> orb logo embedded at the middle of it.


    His wine-red eyes changed into golden but still slit like a Dragon''s eye, if anything it just made him even more majestic and gallant than ever.


    There are claw-like gloves colored crimson black on both of his hands.


    His Dragon wings are also out in the open along with his tail. They are adorned with exotic looking armor here and there that enhanced its beauty.


    And his clothes right now is basically just an outer black jacket with white fur at its collar.


    His perfect body out in the open. The female onlookers'' swooned and become hot in the inside just by looking at his current appearance.


    QD - *Whistle*~ Not bad at all. Don''t you think so as well, Eve?... Eve?


    QD whistled while raising her eyebrows while looking at Issei''s current appearance and then she asked Eve by her side but she doesn''t hear any answer from the latter so she looks over only to see the three Eve eyes already become heart-shaped by now.


    QD grinned at them thinking that even until now she still loves Adan huh... Well, three of them...


    Then she sets her gaze back to Issei''s location.


    Nyarlathotep - Yes... That''s the form from back then... The form that manages to injure me... Hahahahahaha! Let''s enjoy our fight to the fullest, Dragon King!


    She laughed in a bloodthirsty grin and that manages to snaps out the male onlookers'' daze and now their faces are instilled with terror after sensing her aura.


    Issei and Nyarlathotep released their aura to the fullest and just the clash between their aura manages to create a tear in the air and made the ground beneath them shakes fiercely causing an earthquake.


    *BANG!*


    Their fist clashed with each other and everyone there can''t see just when did they move from their position. The next thing they know is that they already clashed their fist with each other.


    The area around them couldn''t be more devastated that it''s basically just a desert wasteland by now.


    *BANG!*


    Then both of them moved again at the same time and this time they used their feet.


    Both of their feet clashed against each other making an "X" shape.


    Nyarlathotep grinned maniacally at Issei before they started trading blows after blows with each other... Feet, fist, elbows... They used everything they had in their possession to attack the other party.


    Issei also used his tails and wings from time to time but Nyarlathotep created her own tail and wings to face his attacks. She copied the shape of Issei''s wings and tail but their color is completely different from one another.


    While Issei is Crimson and gold color combination, hers are pitch black and purple color combination.


    The way they trade their blows against each other has a certain beauty and artistic arts that complement each other in the eyes of the onlookers''.


    Issei way of fighting seems to be accurate and flawless with no wasteful movements like that of an art masterpiece while Nyarlathotep is more wild and unbridled just like a berserker would but because of that, they complement each other... Just like Yin and Yang would...


    In the words of the Heroic spirits, if Nyarlathotep is Chaotic Evil then Issei is Chaotic Lawful. One side fight with the intent to destroy while the other one fight with the intent to protect.


    Why Chaotic you ask? Because he''s willing to do anything just to protect his loved ones... Even if it means destroying the world in the process...


    Even from afar they can still feel the wind pressure and impact both of them created from just their attack clashing against each other.


    Nyarlathotep distanced herself from Issei before she created a body double...


    They smirked at Issei before they created a pitch-black blade in their hand.


    Issei who saw that calmly summoned his own sword which is seemingly a normal-looking sword. This sword is the sword Kyou and Kinou gifted to him back in the Evenicle world and he never throws this sword away even though both of them are happy with this they tried telling him to get a better sword but he only smiles at them saying that this is good enough for him.


    They had another wild night that day... But Issei does "fed" this sword his aura every day that it finally became a legendary artifact sword that doesn''t lose to <Chaosbane> in the slightest.


    Azazel - He knows how to use a sword?


    Azazel is not the only one feeling surprised at this. Arthur and Tsubaki for one are also curious about this.


    Scathach - Not only he can use a sword, but he can also use any weapon in existence at a grandmaster level. Including my <Gae Bolg> for that matter.


    Scathach explained to them with a prideful look.


    Azazel - ...Damn, Ise. Just how strong did you get?


    Azazel muttered in amazement.


    Le Fay - Ise-san is really amazing...


    Le Fay said with a lovestruck look on her face and she''s not the only one... No matter if its Grayfia, Sona, Tsubaki, Serafall, Elmenhilde, Venelana, etc. They all had this lovestruck look on their face.


    The male onlookers'' are too busy to realize any of this since they are completely absorbed with the ongoing fight.


    Semiramis group felt like they''re in love with him all over again... They all saw his broad and dependable back that will hold rain and wind just for them and even if the sky falls down they won''t feel afraid at all knowing that he will be there for them.


    One of the Nyarlathotep immediately closed in their distance and aimed for Issei''s neck with her blade.


    However, Issei calmly evades it by stepping back a mere half a step. Anticipating her sword to miss, he moves into the next motion.


    But apparently, Nyarlathotep''s blade stretches.


    She has let go of her blade to forcefully increase her reach.


    Issei instantaneously alters his movement. The sword that he was about to counterattack with returns in time to deflect Nyarlathotep''s blade.


    So her attack has been stopped... or at least, that''s what she wants him to think.


    In actual fact, she is still rushing towards him, riding the momentum and reaching out to tackle his torso.


    There''s no time for evasion.


    Issei doesn''t panic at all and the next instant, he used his knee to hit Nyarlathotep''s face.


    And that one hit from his knee is filled with his <Haki>, <Ougi>, and <Chaos> combination. When it hits her, she disappears into nothingness.


    But that body double has fulfilled her duty because for that attack, Issei indeed has stopped moving for a brief second and that is enough for the real Nyarlathotep to launch her attack.


    *CLANG!*


    Nyarlathotep blade smashes against Issei''s sword and along with the sudden and incredible crash, Issei''s sword, hand, and arm are blown back with force.


    He has lost his posture.


    This is what Nyarlathotep been looking for, the ideal opportunity... After that, she brought down her blade towards Issei...

 Chapter 94 NOTICE!!!

    @@


    Guys, I will be going on a trip to Jakarta tomorrow to visit my grandma and grandpa so I will post the next chapter tonight but note that the chapter will be a bit shorter than usual.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    But the next chapter won''t be the last chapter just yet. You want me to release the next chapter tonight or should I hold it off until I get back? I will only be gone for 3 days so don''t worry.@@

 Chapter 94 - 93

    However, Issei is even faster in letting go of his sword to the air.


    In a split second, he had decided to discard his sword.


    Then he disappears... Under Nyarlathotep to be exact.


    He is stooped over so low that it seems like he is crawling on the ground. Before she can react, he has already grabbed her waist. In sharp contrast to her body double just now, his movements are levels apart in polish and elegance.


    Issei - Right back at you.


    He said in a bit of a mocking voice since he basically just did the same thing Nyarlathotep was planning to do a few seconds ago.


    He is too close for Nyarlathotep to use her blade.


    Issei handily shoulders Nyarlathotep, then slams her body onto the floor.


    *BANG!*


    The ground beneath them burst open into a miniature crater.


    Nyarlathotep - Pfft!


    Nyarlathotep puked a small amount of blood from her mouth because of the impact just now and when she''s about to use her tail to stab into Issei body, he proceeded to lift her body off the ground once more and about to slam her to the ground once more... Or that''s what he wants her to think but instead, he let go of her body midway and does a roundhouse kick right into her stomach.


    *BANG!* *BOOM!*


    Nyarlathotep body flew into the nearby ruins creating a huge cloud of dust in the process.


    Then a sound of something cutting the air can be heard as something falls from the sky.


    Issei reaches out his hand to catch it, revealing it to be his sword.


    It''s as if everything had been according to his plan from the very start¡­


    This act of his coupled with the way he looks right now is absolutely fatal for the female onlookers as if an arrow just shot through their hearts multiple times because of how devastatingly handsome and cool he was just now.


    All of the single or even married women in the vicinity have been smitten silly by him.


    Irene - Heheh, show off...


    Although Irene said that she also felt like her heart thumping loudly right now and she wishes she could have Issei on the bed right at this moment and she''s not the only one who thought this way...


    Issei never lets his guard down even for a second and keep gazing at Nyarlathotep location prepared for any sudden movement once more.


    He already imbued his kick with his power just now but it seems it won''t work that easily unlike where he destroyed Nyarlathotep body double, not surprising because if she were to get done in by that one attack then she won''t be the God of Chaos for this long...


    Nyarlathotep - ...Hehehehe... Nice move, Dragon King... Then... How about this!


    From the ruins where Nyarlathotep was in, countless sharp tendril-like tentacles emerged from within heading towards Issei location.


    Issei''s eyes went serious seeing this and he started evading the incoming attacks but it seems that they keep following him wherever he goes.


    He finally stopped evading and cut down every attack that comes his way.


    Red and black trades clash repeatedly but this is but a diversion for both of them.


    Abruptly, Nyarlathotep suddenly appeared from behind Issei when he''s still cutting down the incoming tentacles.


    She swiped her claws that she just created towards Issei''s back...


    But Issei body flickered in front of her and what she hit is only his after image.


    Issei then proceeded to stab his sword towards her back but Nyarlathotep only smirked at that and from her seemingly defenseless back, there are countless tentacles once more emerged from it and Issei is finally forced to stop his attack to block it.


    However, Nyarlathotep sneaks in another attack which is her tail to attack Issei from his side.


    *BANG!*


    Her tail hit Issei by his side squarely... Or at least that''s what supposed to happen if it wasn''t for Issei using his wings to block it.


    But he still got blown away from the impact regardless.


    Issei who got blown away does a backflip and landed safely on the ground.


    And just like that, they are back to the original place they were standing before their clash.


    The onlookers'' are already overcome with awe that they don''t know what to say anymore... Just the aftershock from their clashing attack is enough to kill them a hundred times over so they can''t imagine if one of those attacks hit them directly.


    Azazel then thought of something before he set his gaze upon the ruins where Kokabiel body is located but as expected, even until now there''s no movement whatsoever so he can only smile bitterly fully realizing that Kokabiel should be dead by now... Not like he can do anything about it since he''s the one who brought this upon himself.


    Nyarlathotep - Hehehe... Really nice... Isn''t this what both of us wanted, Dragon King? An equal match? I know that ever since you''ve mastered the element within you, you don''t have, or should I say you can''t have a decent fight anymore, can''t you? I know because the same thing happened to me...


    Nyarlathotep grinned happily.


    Indeed, what she said is true... Issei never had an equal fight anymore ever since he mastered the element within him but unlike Nyarlathotep, he doesn''t crave for a fight since he got his wives to fill that void.


    He got his family while Nyarlathotep has no one to do that... All she can do is to bring chaos and destruction to the world because that''s what it meant to be the God of Chaos... At least that''s what she believes in.


    Nevertheless, Issei indeed felt like he''s getting excited from the fight he currently had but not as much as Nyarlathotep.


    Issei - Indeed... Ever since I''ve truly mastered the element within me, I don''t have anymore opponent that could match up to me... I felt a little bit empty knowing that...


    Issei admitted what she said is right and Nyarlathotep who heard that had her smile grew wider but what she heard next made her smile froze.


    Issei - But I have my family to fill in that emptiness I felt... Just being by their side I felt content. What more could I ask for?


    Issei flashed a content smile towards Nyarlathotep and the girls who heard his words felt really warm and happy.


    Nyarlathotep expression darkened after hearing his words and seeing his smile.


    Nyarlathotep - ...I don''t like it... You should only be thinking about me and only me since we''re both equals... And just like you said before, I indeed don''t have anything or anyone to fill in that "emptiness" but I do now... That person is you, Dragon King... I will make you mine no matter what it takes and keep you by my side forever to quench my boredom... And I will devour them all, your so-called family if you were to lose against me.


    She felt an indescribable feeling when she saw his content smile. He should be thinking only her and only her since they are equal and not them who''s only a weakling in her eyes.


    For the first time, she felt rage because of jealousy but that''s not something the current her realize just yet. She only thought that it''s inexcusable for a strong being such as Issei to be thinking of a group of weaklings.


    Only the strong deserve to live, while the weak should just die.


    Issei eyes grew cold when he heard her words, every single person from knows that his wives are his reverse dragon scale, the biggest taboo for him to be exact.


    Issei - That''s why I won''t lose to you. So that I can protect them.


    Issei aura also spiked up matching Nyarlathotep''s.


    Nyarlathotep - Then defeat me! The strong shall consume the weak just like it should be and forever be, Dragon King!


    Nyarlathotep summoned her tentacles but this time it''s completely imbued with her element and unique aura.


    She used her tentacles to attack Issei at an alarming rate of attack power and accuracy that Issei is forced to defend against her endless wave of attacks.


    Whenever Issei comes close to her she will use her tentacles to smack him away but Issei will immediately balance himself mid-air and re-launch his assault.


    Issei already put his sword away because it will only hinder him at the moment.


    And just like that, two times, five times, ten times, hundred times... Nyarlathotep will blow Issei away whenever he tries to get closer to her location no matter which side he''s coming from, he kept getting blown away by her but his face stays calm throughout the fight looking for an opening.


    Even though Issei got blown away every single time but he only suffers a scratch at most and every second that passes by he gets closer and closer from his initial assault towards Nyarlathotep.


    His eyes never lose his target just like how an eagle, nay a dragon lock on to its prey.


    Nyarlathotep who saw this smiled in ecstasy because at this moment, what''s inside his eyes are her and only her.


    Nyarlathotep also knows that if this were to continue then sooner or later she will be on the losing side, but she doesn''t care because this is what she wanted, an opponent that could match her as an equal.


    *Whoosh!* *Snap!*


    In a millisecond opening, he found a flaw in her attack and that cost Nyarlathotep one of her arms...


    *Drip* *Drip*


    The sound of Nyarlathotep blood dripping to the floor beneath her because of her lost arm... Her cut off arm disappears into nothingness.


    Issei who''s currently behind Nyarlathotep flicked his hand to erase the blood that''s in his hand while he calmly gazes upon her once again as if what he just did is nothing to be surprised at.


    Nyarlathotep doesn''t even flinch when she loses an arm, she just smiled fiercely at him.


    Nyarlathotep - Good... Good! That''s it, Dragon King! You are truly my best opponent yet! Ahahahahaha!


    She then resumed her attack.


    Along with her laughter, her rhythm becomes more chaotic and more destructive. Even the injury she causes towards Issei become a bit higher since there''s a visible scratch here and there on his entire body but it''s mostly just light wound and nothing fatal.


    The girls felt like their heart bleed just seeing his wounds but they still believe in him, their husband and lord will come out victorious from this battle.


    And indeed, Issei might seem on the losing side but in fact, he already started to adapt himself with Nyarlathotep attack patterns. That one successful attack just now is the proof of it.


    Issei stops his assault while observing Nyarlathotep for a second before he started walking towards her in a calm manner.


    This time, he doesn''t even try to evade nor deflect the incoming tentacles. The tentacles, in their unbelievable numbers, seem to be evading him of their own accord.


    As if they are merely here to show a magic trick, the tentacles swing wide.


    Vali - ...He can already see through all that?


    Vali muttered incredulously. Sairaorg and the others also gulped audibly seeing such a feat that Issei doing right now.


    It''s been like how long since they started their fight? 10 minutes? 5? Perhaps even lower but he could already read Nyarlathotep attack perfectly?


    They can''t even see what''s going on and they already give everything they got just to catch a glimpse of their ongoing battle but all they caught on is just a blur...


    Irene - But of course... His comprehension and battle instinct is out of this world and surely one of a kind.


    Irene smirked proudly towards them.


    Irene - Did you all forget that in the past even though he''s just a normal human that just recently turned into a devil just how fast he adapted to his newly found power? How he beat Riser Phenex, how he manages to injure you who have trained for most of your life, Vali? Need I remind you that it''s not even half a year ever since he turned into a devil back then?


    Hearing her words they all gasped in shock because indeed... Even though Issei had been living his whole life as a normal human but the speed of his strength grow is out of this world.


    Forzelotte - And don''t think it''s because he''s interlinked with me. I may be able to make him semi-immortal but that''s about it.


    Scathach - Umu, even I who''s hailed as a genius back in my time need can''t compare to him. I''ve spent years to fully master but it only took him a couple of months.


    Semiramis - And the same goes for his mastery on the element.


    Irene - Even though I helped him in the process but in the end, it''s all up to him. All his achievement so far is by his own hard work.


    They can only nod dumbly at their words... Really a monster, they all thought to themselves.


    Issei has fully perceived the movement of every single one of tentacles that Nyarlathotep used to attack him.


    He evades using a minimal amount of movement, closing the distance one step at a time.


    It is almost as if, nay, he is declaring that the tentacles are not even worth his attention at this point...


    Even when Nyarlathotep used another body double and make it appears behind him, he casually dodges as if he had already seen it coming, his gait not showing even a hint of delay.


    He does not counterattack.


    He just calmly walks on, ignoring everything. The only thing in his eyes is the main body of Nyarlathotep.


    Nyarlathotep who saw this had her body shuddered at a visible rate... But it''s not a shudder out of fear, rather happiness.


    Her face becomes flushed with a red hue on her glossy white cheeks.


    Nyarlathotep - Yes... That''s it... Only look at me, and only me...


    She exhaled a hot sigh while she completely ignores the fact that none of her attacks manage to reaches its target.


    Just when there are just a few steps left between their distance, Nyarlathotep launched a surprise attack from underneath Issei. She summoned her tentacles directly under him and that seems to manage to catch Issei off guard but in fact, it only hit his after image...


    The real Issei is currently standing behind Nyarlathotep.


    But he doesn''t move even though he''s currently behind her...


    At the same time, the swarm of tentacles also stop moving...


    The distance between the two is now within arm''s length.


    Nyarlathotep calmly turned around to face Issei. She still has her smile even though Issei could''ve fatally injured her just now.


    They both stare at each other for a while.


    Behind Nyarlathotep, there''s a purple and dark aura swirling around while behind Issei it''s a crimson gold aura. The contrast between their respective aura is completely the opposite but it''s still quite beautiful in the eyes of everyone there...


    The entire place is seized by silence as if the intense fight just now was but a lie...


    Nyarlathotep smile grew wider when she gazes at Issei this close.


    Nyarlathotep - Tell me, Dragon King... What do you think the strongest and ever-presence thing in the universe? I believe it''s since no matter where I go, from the countless world out there... There will always be chaos and destruction... No matter how peaceful it seems. All they need is just a little trigger and the seemingly peaceful world will be engulfed in Chaos... Don''t you think so as well?


    During her talk, Nyarlathotep''s arm which has been cut off by Issei already started to regenerating itself and before long it grew back flawlessly as if it''s never been cut off before.


    She then put her newly grown arm on Issei''s cheek.


    He doesn''t resist her touch nor does he try to avoid it since there''s no ill intent from her but there''s something bugging him from the start but he snapped back out of his thoughts when he heard her speak once more...


    Nyarlathotep - At least... That''s what I''ve believed in so far... Until I met you... Your very existence is a miracle itself... Ever since the day I became well-known as the God of Chaos, I never saw anyone else capable of controlling the element as perfect as I do... Many have tried but in the end, they have been consumed by the Primordial Chaos itself...


    Her hand stopped its caressing and she looks at Issei straight in the eyes. Gold meets gold even though there''s a little different in their pupil color, Nyarlathotep is pitch black whilst Issei is red.


    Nyarlathotep - But... Your Chaos is too pure... It''s as if it''s not Chaos in the first place... Now tell me, Dragon King... Why is that?


    Issei - ...That''s because my isn''t purely in the first place. Unlike you who only focusing on the itself, I combined my with something else...


    Indeed, unlike Nyarlathotep who only dwells in , Issei has something else mixed within his element. That''s why he never become corrupted like other possessor other than Nyarlathotep herself that is.


    That''s because she truly believes there''s nothing more powerful than itself and also since she''s the original and oldest primordial Chaos holder in the universe. You could say she''s the creator of Chaos itself.


    Nyarlathotep - ...And what is that?


    She asked Issei with utmost curiosity.


    Issei - ...It''s love.


    He calmly answered Nyarlathotep who froze up when she heard her answer.


    Nyarlathotep - ...Are you mocking me, Dragon King?


    Nyarlathotep scowled a little hearing his answer thinking that he''s mocking her while the girls smiled lovingly at him.


    Issei - Just like which ever-presence as you said before. Love is also something that''s also ever-presence no matter where or what they are regardless of their species. Even animals can feel love... Now this time let me ask you instead, Nyarlathotep... Do you ever feel love?


    Issei ignored her anger and continue with his answer.


    Nyarlathotep - Hmph! Love? That is something irrelevant, it''s only for the weak who cling to the word love hoping that everything will be fine as long as there''s love! I once saw parents who claimed that they love their children but in the end, they sold their children for some measly amount of gold, a husband and wife who vowed their eternal love for each other but they betrayed each other in the end as well! What matters the most in this world is strength! With strength, you can achieve anything!


    She shouted towards Issei while taking her hand off his cheek.


    Issei - Perhaps... But I will rather be weak rather than unable to feel love. And after you face me just now, did you think I''m weak? Me who possess that you deem weak?


    Nyarlathotep - ...


    This time Nyarlathotep can''t refute his words.


    Issei is anything but weak, she experienced his power at first hand after all.


    Nyarlathotep narrowed her eyes at Issei before a dangerous grin crept on her face.


    Nyarlathotep - ...Very well... Then prove to me if your so-called love can survive my next and final attack.


    Issei has a bad foreboding feeling since the start of their fight because there''s no way her power only to this extent and after sensing something in the void above them he finally understood why...


    Issei look up piercing the void and saw a gigantic black orb heading towards their location.


    Nyarlathotep - Looks like you''ve realized it already.


    Nyarlathotep smirked at him.


    Issei - ...You''ve planned this from the start, haven''t you?


    Issei set his gaze back towards the smirking Nyarlathotep with serious eyes. He now understood why he felt something off when he''s fighting her from the start...


    Nyarlathotep - Indeed... From the moment you managed to block my "Greeting", my instinct is telling me that the odds of my defeat are quite high so I take a proper precaution... So, do you still think you can defeat me, Dragon King? Ahahahahahaha...


    She laughed out loud.


    The onlookers'' are confused just what are they talking about until Semiramis''s group sensed something extremely powerful heading towards them.


    Semiramis - Don''t tell me...


    Her face went dire seeing the incoming attack.


    The others also followed her gazes and they are in shock seeing the huge eyeball from before is still up there and this time there''s also a grinning mouth with rows upon rows of sharp teeth under it but what made them shocked the most is the humongous dark ball which is Nyarlathotep final attack...


    Semiramis - ...Dearest?


    She asked Issei for confirmation...


    Issei - Ah... She has been using most of her strength to use that attack... That''s why she seems so... "Weak" right now.


    Issei gripped his fist tightly thinking that he honestly never expected this to happen. Who would''ve thought that Nyarlathotep will be so sly and have been building her attack all along while another part of her is battling him in the process?


    Their power is about equal so he''s quite confident thinking even if Nyarlathotep were to use her strongest attack he can still stop it in time and he also has another trump card in his arsenal. But to think she''s just a diversion all along and another part of her is still in the void preparing for this one attack...


    Issei could easily avoid this attack but if he were to do that then this world will be no more... He can tell that this one attack has everything Nyarlathotep got... If he can successfully block this then he''s basically won but if not then... All will be lost...


    Semiramis party gritted their teeth after hearing his confirmation while some of the girls don''t understand what they''re talking about.


    After hearing their explanation they also become taken aback.


    Nyarlathotep - Didn''t you say you''re willing to do anything for your so-called family before? I have already locked down the dimension on this planet. Maybe you can survive and escape on your own but the rest of them won''t be able to! Now prove it to me, Dragon King! Prove to me that this "Love" of yours is stronger than my !


    Issei - ...


    *STAB!*


    Issei doesn''t answer her but he used his tail to stab Nyarlathotep right in her chest.


    Nyarlathotep - *Cough* *Cough* Heh heh... It''s useless... *Cough*... Even if you kill the "me" right now, that attack is already complete and about to be released...


    She coughed a great amount of blood because of his stab but she''s still grinning with blood pouring from her wound and mouth.


    Then she turned into purple mist returning back to another part of her body that''s currently in the void still...


    Just like she said, Issei will be able to escape on his own since he has complete mastery of the element but to take down the whole seal on the dimension will take time and that''s something he doesn''t have right now.


    Maybe he could take a couple of the girls with him but obviously he won''t leave behind the others just like that and he rather die with them rather than doing that.


    He closed his eyes to think for a moment while the troops and his wives await his command.


    There''s not a single ounce of despair could be found within their eyes since they believe that Issei will have a solution for this situation.


    Indeed... He has a solution for this but...


    He slowly opened his eyes while looking at the impending doom above them.


    Issei - ...I won the fight but lost the war huh...


    He muttered that to himself.


    Irene - Ise?


    Irene muttered his name worriedly since he seems a bit absentminded.


    He then set his gazes upon his wives and troops before he smiles gently at them.


    But seeing this smile of his there''s an alarm going off inside the girls'' mind. There''s something more with this particular smile of his compared to his usual smile... Call it what you want but their female intuition is ringing and warning them loudly right now.


    And just before they could say another word, there are crimson chains that bind them in place. The chains are tight enough but not enough to harm them but it completely immobilizes them.


    Irene - You... Don''t tell me...


    Irene gritted her teeth while looking at Issei who still has a very loving and gentle smile towards them. She, who''s been with him the longest of them all could fully understand what this smile of his meant completely.


    Semiramis - ...Dearest, what are these chains for? Let us go now. Don''t make me angry.


    Semiramis said while smiling at him but her smile is faltering by the second and there''s also fear inside her eyes... Fear of her greatest nightmare in life...


    Scathach - This is not funny, baka-deshi... Take off these chains off of us right now or you will suffer the consequences.


    Sccathach voice is so cold that it''s borderline, nay, she''s already angry since she, just like the others could tell what he''s planning to do.


    Forzelotte - You dare to bind me with these chains, Ise? Take these chains off... Now!


    Forzelotte growled at him while fury emanating from her eyes.


    Ophis and Lilith doesn''t say anything because they are confused with this whole situation but their instinct is telling them that they will lose something they hold dear if they don''t break free of this chain so they started struggling and tried to use their power but to no avail since Issei basically sealed their power with his chains that currently binding them.


    Jeanne - Master... Please... Please don''t do this... I beg of you... Please!


    Jeanne already started crying softly while begging him at the same time.


    Jalter - Master... If you don''t take these chains off of me, then know that I would activate our contract even if its also burn my soul in the process. Did you forget about our vow with each other?! Now release us!


    Jalter shouted at Issei but her voice is trembling and sounded more like of a plead rather than a threat. There''s also a drop of tears at the corner of her eyes.


    Her threat is more like of an empty threat since she won''t be able to bring herself to do what she just said even if it kills her.


    One by one the girls also pleaded and even threatened him such as Jalter to free them of their bindings.


    From Yunyun, Wiz, Ramius, Riche, Gurigura, Tio, Tilt, Kathryn, Kyou, Kinou, Natal, Millet, Croix, Sora, Rakia, Kuroka, Rossweisse, Yasaka, and so on...


    All of them shouted at Issei while Azazel''s group is confused at what''s going on right now. Why did Issei suddenly bind them all with his chains? Until it hits them...


    Azazel - Issei, don''t tell me you want to...


    He doesn''t dare to continue his words since it''s like a taboo word for them considering with his wives being here. Forget about his wives or Azazel since Rias''s group also understand what he''s about to do.


    They all felt their heart fell to rock bottom and about to beg Issei to stop what he''s about to do as well but then they remember their place... They can only bit down on their lips and hold their voices within them... It is not their place anymore to tell him nor stop him after all...


    They can only wish that his new beloveds able to prevent what he''s about to do now but alas...


    Issei doesn''t answer him but he sets his gaze on Jeanne and Jalter at first.


    Issei - Ah, I remember about our contract... How could I forget about them...


    He said softly towards them with the ever-presence gentle smile he always has whenever they are together.


    Jalter - Then-


    Just when Jalter about to say something Issei cut her off.


    Issei - That''s why... Forgive me for what I''m about to do... .


    Right after Issei said that, there''s a change within his eyes. One of his pupils has a unique symbol which colored red and shaped like a "V".


    Jalter - ...No... No... NO! Master! Please don''t! I beg you!


    Jalter who saw his eyes realizes just what he wanted to do and the same goes for Jeanne and the Kalars. They shouted along with Jalter while tears are pouring out from their eyes.


    They started struggling even harder against the chain that it started making a loud rattling noise.


    The skill he''s going to use is a skill that could break any kind of contract forcefully, even a contract between Godly beings or even a curse for that matter.


    It''s a skill that he got from C.C. back in her world before... But even C.C never thought that he could have this skill since it''s not a normal human could possess. Of course, that was back when she still doesn''t know his true identity...


    (AN: Note that not all of his troops are here right now. Such as C.C herself who''s still in the along with the others).


    They don''t know about this skill since Issei asked C.C to keep it a secret.


    The reason why Jalter and the others in despair after seeing him activating this skill are purely out of their intuition. That, and the sadness they saw inside Issei gaze right after he activated this skill of his.


    So when they realize all this they are feeling desperate and begged Issei to stop what he''s about to do... But... It is too late.


    Issei - ....


    *Clang!*


    Then, the three of them felt something disappears within their souls... The contract that binds them is no more... He also erased the connection he has with the Kalars and Irene at the same time.


    Jalter & Jeanne & Kalars - NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!


    They screamed in despair knowing that Issei just annulled their contract/connection.


    Irene - ISSEI!!!


    Irene screamed at Issei feeling wrathful of what he just did.


    Irene - Did you really believe these chains will stop us?! Know that if you were to die then we will surely follow you right after!


    She said with an angry smile feeling that with this threat then he will stop what he''s planning to do.


    The other girls also chimed in with her words affirming her words that they will really follow him even by suicide if he were to leave them.


    Issei - ...Yes, I know that... That''s why I prepared this...


    Issei waved his hand gently towards their location and all of them felt something stir within their stomach... Their womb to be exact.


    They felt something within their womb... They felt a new life residing inside it.


    All of the girl''s faces went deadly pale after realizing this, even for Semiramis and Forzelotte themselves... Since they are now pregnant...


    Semiramis & Forzelotte - YOU... YOU DARE!!!


    They shouted in outrage with tears flooding their beautiful face. The irony they felt right now is unbearable... They want to bear his child the most but this timing is absolutely cruel for them.


    What Issei did is quite simple yet also quite hidden.


    From the beginning, Issei already made his wives "pregnant" but he froze the growth of their unborn children. All he needs to do is lift the seal he put on them and they will properly grow from that moment on...


    They never realize this act of his since he''s clearly much more stronger than them all.


    He prepared this just in case a situation like this one were to happen.


    Because he knows that without doing this then they will surely follow him if he were to die.


    This is very selfish of him since he would''ve killed himself as well if his wives were to die but he doesn''t want the other way around to happen.


    Irene, Semiramis, Scathach, Forzelotte, and the other girls for that matter knew that the threat they''re relying on won''t work anymore since both they and Issei knows that they won''t be able to bring harm to their unborn children.


    If they were to suicide and joined him in the afterlife then their innocent children will suffer the same consequences as well... And that''s not something they wanted to happen.


    Scathach is the first to snap out of her daze after realizing there''s now a small life within her womb.


    Scathach - All of you who''s still free! Go and hold him back no matter the cost!


    She ordered the heroic spirits and the rest of the Overlords who are present to hold him down.


    Mordred - You don''t need to tell me, I''m on it!


    Mordred is the first to jump towards Issei location at full power and the rest of the heroic spirits also joined her soon after along with the Overlords.


    Issei - ...I order all of you to stay in your place, activate.


    Heroic Spirits - !!!


    The , also romanized as , are three claims of absolute obedience, the crystallization of great magic, that a Master has over a Servant in the Holy Grail War system. Unable to normally be controlled by humans, they are burdened by the "absolute condition for materialization", the authority of the Command Spell carved into them at the moment of summoning.


    Issei is a special case since he has control of every Heroic Spirits and Divine Spirits alike because they all pledge their loyalty towards him when he freed them of their shackles which is the .


    Of course, those who already passed on isn''t included in this.


    This is the first time Issei ever used the to order them since he never forcefully order them around against their will before this.


    They all become rooted in their place unable to move in the slightest since the basically took over their will. He used his chains towards the since he basically has no special gimmick as he has with the Heroic spirits.


    Mordred - MASTEEERRRRRR!!!


    Mordred shouted while gritting her teeth feeling furious that Issei used the at this moment. She''s so angry that she doesn''t even call Issei with his usual nickname she usually uses.


    The other heroic spirits also gritted their teeth in anger while Issei just smiled gently at them.


    Issei - ...Forgive me.


    Mordred - If you want our forgiveness then free us now!


    She shouted while tears started to gush out from her eyes.


    Issei - Sorry, but I can''t do that... Don''t worry, even if I were to die then you all will still able to stay in this world and I already imparted a bit of my aura within all of you so you will be able to become fully "Alive" once again sooner or later.


    Mordred - AS IF WE CARE ABOUT THAT!


    She screamed at him feeling helpless and sad that even during his last moment he still thought of them foremost rather than himself.


    Artoria - Master! You once asked that even though I can keep my people smiles, did I ever see myself truly smiling from the bottom of my heart before... I have! I truly have now! But this smile won''t be able to last without you in our lives! So please... Please let us share your burden... MASTER!!!


    Artoria shouted right after Mordred joined by Altria after that.


    Issei - ...I''m sorry but this is not something all of you can handle and it is my responsibility to bear this burden.


    He smiled apologetically towards them and even though his words seem a little harsh but it''s the truth... Even if all of them combined their attack together they won''t be able to defeat Nyarlathotep at all.


    The other Heroic spirits and Overlords alike also said something towards him hoping that he will stop...


    Issei - ...


    Issei doesn''t say anything before he sets his gaze upon the trembling group of Gasper, Kiba, Le Fay, etc.


    They also started begging Issei the moment he sets his gaze upon them but like always, he only smiles a bit at them before he set his gaze back to his crying wives.


    Gasper and the others are inside the barrier which supposedly kept them safe from Nyarlathotep . But ironically, now it serves as a prison for them...


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    Azazel''s group can only look down feeling powerless and upset towards themselves because they can''t offer any help at all... And they are supposed to be the older ones here...


    Vali''s group can only close their eyes because they knew that nothing will change Issei''s mind. They won''t say anything towards him since that will only act as an insult towards the latter determination.


    Jalter eyes already turned red because of the excruciating sadness she feels, gone her usually feisty attitude and she looks like a heartbroken woman right now...


    Jalter - ...We will never forgive you if you were to do this, Master!


    Issei - ...If that''s the price for keeping all of you safe then I''m willing to bear that burden... Even if all of you were to hate me for this... But know that I love all of you... Always... And forever...


    He never lost his gentle and loving smile towards them and they cried even harder after that.


    Jalter - ...Please... Please don''t leave us... Don''t leave me... Master...


    She sobbed even harder while her chains started rattling because she tried to shakes off the chains off of her but she doesn''t dare to use all of her strength fearing something will happen to her unborn child.


    Irene - ...You better come back or we will never forgive you even in the next life, Issei...


    Irene finally said while forcing her self to smile through tears at him since she also finally realizes that nothing will stop him now.


    Issei - ...Ah. I will surely return.


    Issei smiled one last time at them before he turned his head around and set his gaze upon the void that housed Nyarlathotep true body...


    Issei took off his earring which served as a limiter for his power before he softly mumbled


    Issei - .


    *BOOOOMMMM!!!*


    A power and aura that even greater than ever before surged from Issei.


    If he were to unleash his current power then he can easily blow up this world into smithereens.


    Even just from him standing in here is already burdening the whole dimension axis. But even this skill put a bit of pressure on his body since this is his last trump card in reserve to defeat Nyarlathotep...


    His dark hair turned completely blood red along with his whole eyes, the tip of his hair turned white instead of the usual red. His previously white skin also turned slightly tanned and his whole power is going berserk waiting to be unleashed upon his enemy.


    Issei - ...Haaah.


    *BANG!*


    Issei exhaled and then took off from the ground and head towards Nyarlathotep location immediately without looking back because he''s afraid if he were to look at his loved ones pleading look once more his determination might just falter...


    It also breaks his heart that he made them cry but this is the only way to keep them safe and alive...


    Everyone - ISE!!!/MASTER!!!


    They screamed his name one last time seeing him disappears into the void above them...


    There''s silence for a few seconds before an explosion happened above them and even though the explosion happened in the void they can still feel the aftershock and blast of their supposed clash of power.


    There''s a bright light shining on the whole DxD world that some people thought that it''s some kind of a good omen since that light is so soothing and giving them a comfortable feeling.


    Even the nearby world of DxD also saw this "Omen" and they all prayed for good fortune soon after...


    They all watched the whole process with an abated breath waiting for even a glimpse of his shadow but even after waiting for a whole 30 minutes they still don''t see anything... Which is a good thing but also a bad thing...


    The good thing is that since the giant dark orb disappears and no sign of Nyarlathotep, that means that Issei has successfully repelled Nyarlathotep last attack and defeated her at the same time, but the bad news is... He might lose his life in the process...


    Then the chains holding them back disappears along with the "Seal" on the Heroic Spirits.


    The moment their chains and seal disappears they all instantly headed to his supposedly last location without a single delay hoping to find him there.


    Azazel and the others can only wait for their news but even after waiting for a while they still don''t see anything until they all heard the earth-shattering cry from above them... They can only grit their teeth while looking down because that sounds nothing like a happy cry at all... It''s a broken-hearted cry...


    It''s because the girls can''t find Issei anywhere and all they could find there is his broken necklace floating in the void...

 Chapter 95 - 94

    It''s been 1 week since Issei fight with Nyarlathotep...


    Even though he''s still missing, the girls never think for a second that he died or to be more precise, they don''t want to believe that he''s dead.


    So they only thought of him as MIA(Missing In Action)...


    Forzelotte declared that if anyone dares to think of him as a dead person then she will kill that individual personally, no matter who they are. Semiramis and the other girls also made the same threat as her.


    Most of the girls become absentminded all day long but they still eat on a daily basis since they are carrying their beloved child in their womb now... If it wasn''t for the baby inside their belly then they probably wouldn''t eat a single bite.


    Jalter is the most distraught of them all and she always huddled herself inside Issei''s room while curling herself in his bed while touching the beautiful ring that''s located in her ring finger.


    Sometimes she also smiled thinly while touching her belly even though her eyes are a bit swollen from all the crying she''s done.


    Da Vinci gave all of them the rings that Issei prepared to make them felt a little better even by a tiny bit... The moment they got their respective rings they immediately hold the ring close to their chest and they all treated those rings like it''s the most precious thing in the world.


    She''s missing Issei every single day and she''s not the only one since all of them missed their husband and lord.


    The life in the fortress has never been the same without his presence... The whole fortress is shrouded with a gloomy atmosphere and most of its inhabitants rarely talk with each other.


    If not for the children in their belly then they might''ve just joined him in the afterlife even though they don''t want to believe that he might be dead already...


    Semiramis has already sent almost everyone available to search for him but up till this day, they still can''t find him...


    Even Azazel''s group tried their best to lend their assistance but they still come out with nothing.


    Semiramis and the others lost interest in Rias''s group completely that they don''t even mention anything about the contract they had with their respective guardians/parents.


    The day Issei disappeared they all went back immediately while Irene told Azazel and the others briefly to search for him.


    Zeoticus is a little relieved that they don''t seem to have any more intention on taking things further with Rias''s case and even though he doesn''t really love Venelana that much, he will lose some reputation if his wife were to be taken under his nose.


    But much to his complete shock, Venelana herself decided to come with them along with Grayfia.


    All of them are mind blown when Grayfia told the truth behind Sirzechs and her relationship... Those who were present that didn''t know about it are completely taken aback.


    Even Vali''s group were feeling a bit taken aback after knowing the truth... To think that Millicas Gremory is not their son but Zeoticus son instead...


    They decided to keep this truth from Millicas himself for now and thankfully this secret is only known to their inner circle and not to the public... Grayfia will come to visit her supposed "son" once in a while because even though he''s not her real son she still thought of him as one.


    She raised him since he was a baby after all.


    Thankfully, they didn''t tell the public about Sirzechs ED or it will be extremely embarrassing for him and his family...


    His position as the might be endangered as well considering he couldn''t create an heir and also the fact his own beloved sister almost caused their faction extinction needed to be taken into consideration...


    Rias''s group also wanted to come since they wanted to pay for their sins with tears flooding their face and they also don''t believe that Issei is already dead... But their respective guardians told them to take it low for now since if they were to irk Issei''s wives they might just get killed by them outright which is the correct decision because if Jalter were to saw their face during this phase then she will truly burn them all to ashes for daring to step their foot into .


    She doesn''t have any opinion about Venalana and Grayfia though, more like she doesn''t give a damn about it... Semiramis also waved it off telling Rakia to just let them work as the new maids or something since she also doesn''t really care about it at this moment.


    Eve and QD also searched for him till this very day too. The moment he disappeared, the trio Eve already searched for him and QD also helped them even though she can''t stay for long since leaving her world for a prolonged period can lead to a troublesome thing so she can only lend his assistance to search for him now and then.


    Ophis and Lilith also work together with Great Red searching for him in the countless dimension. But both Ophis and Lilith are told to return for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also to take it easy because they are also expecting a baby.


    They don''t really understand but after further explanation by the other girls, they immediately covered their lower abdomen in a protecting manner. Their usually monotone eyes turned sharp and threatening just like how a beast, nay, a Dragon protecting their hatchlings.


    Even Great Red doesn''t dare to approach them too closely less she might earn their hostility.


    The only ones who could come close to them right now are the ones that share their condition, as in the pregnant girls, but Kunou is an exception.


    Not even the other Heroic Spirits or Overlords can come close to them since they are acting in a very defensive manner.


    They are at high alert because of Issei lack of presence in their lives. They are truly afraid of being left alone once more so they see the babies in their womb as the second Issei... Their only anchor in life.


    Thankfully the girls comforted them saying that they are a family so they won''t leave them no matter what happens... The tension Ophis and Lilith had lessened by a fair amount after that...


    They rarely used their loli form nowadays and stay in their adult form most of the time while mimicking some of the girls'' actions such as gently rubbing their bellies in a caring manner.


    They also keep asking questions such as how to make their baby grow up faster so they can see it sooner. Obviously that''s not possible so they only told them they just need to wait it out...


    *Knock* *Knock*


    There''s a knock coming from the door outside of Issei''s room.


    Jeanne - ...Jalter, it''s time for breakfast.


    Jeanne''s voice can be heard from outside the room but her voice is very low spirited.


    Jalter - ...Un...


    She answered with a small hum.


    After hearing her confirmation Jeanne slowly turn around and went ahead to the dining room while looking down the entire time...


    Jalter slowly gets up from Issei bed and gave her ring a small peck before she went down from the bed and headed outside... She really longs for Issei warm touch and gentleness... Without him in their life, they all felt extremely bitter and cold...


    They needed his warmth more than ever after knowing that they are pregnant now... They wanted to share the joy but he''s not with them anymore...


    Jalter - ''Master... Where are you...''


    She thought to herself while a single tear dropped from her eyes... The longing she felt is extremely unbearable... She wanted him to hug her tight like he always does and whispered nothing but how much he loves her... They all do...


    ...


    The faction leaders gathered in the Underworld to have a meeting regarding the .


    There are also messengers from attending the meeting between them.


    It''s because they wanted to discuss their allegiance with Issei''s faction.


    Yasaka also present but she''s looking a little distraught from her longing of Issei. Kuroka and Rossweisse are by her side as well...


    Rias''s group is also present and in this one month they all suffered nightmares during their sleep and some of them can hardly sleep such as Irina who''s constantly feeling pain from losing her element but she never complain to anyone about it since she thought this is her punishment.


    Their family tried to prevent them from attending the meeting but they refuse adamantly saying if they''re killed by the girls from Issei side then so be it. They wanted to learn some responsibilities by observing the meeting.


    They had enough of their childishness thinking everything will be fine as long as they have their families behind their back.


    They truly started repenting for their wrongdoings after all this time. No matter how long it will take Issei just to forgive them they are willing... Even if he never forgive them till the end they are still willing.


    They don''t care what they needed to do to earn his forgiveness but they will do anything... If Issei told them to kill themselves then they will do it without hesitation since they owe him that much... They won''t be here anyway if it weren''t for Issei saving their lives again and again in the past.


    They discussed their allegiance towards even though the atmosphere is kind of gloomy the entire time.


    Most of them who''s from the DxD side is feeling intimidated by the one attending this meeting.


    One of them being the infamous Oda Nobunaga herself.


    The Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga. She could be said to be in possession of a Saint Graph that is the aggregation of every possible Nobunaga from the past, present, and future.


    Although she is an exceedingly unique Heroic Spirit whose manifestation was made possible only in a certain peculiar space, right now, she managed to materialize in this world once again thanks to Issei interference.


    Just like Issei said back then, all of the Heroic Spirits have indeed become Alive once again in the flesh. They are whole without any repercussion...


    But none of them didn''t feel a tiny bit of joy from this since their master is nowhere to be found... They already abandoned their past and wholly served themselves as Issei personal servants.


    Nobunaga made herself reborn into the true demon king that destroys even god and Buddha alike if they dare to block her master path, the "Demon King of the Three Thousand Great Thousand Heavens". The endpoint of the crimson anti-hero who burns Mystery to ashes, "Demon King Nobunaga".


    The crimson part is, needless to say, came from her devotion towards Issei and also her form.


    She''s a little disgruntled knowing that Issei doesn''t have any intention in ruling the multiverse but at least his hegemony is absolute so she doesn''t complain that much even though she keeps urging Issei to take control of the multiverse.


    Calling herself the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, her body that has the fear and reverence felt towards Nobunaga throughout the ages seared into it is hollow yet powerful, and she is reborn into an existence that should be called a true Demon King.


    Her current appearance is different from back when she''s fighting Trihexa army.


    Back then she looks more petite, like a middle grade-schooler.


    Her clothing that looks like a military uniform is something she prepared herself out of hobby thinking that since she''s serving as one of Issei trusted general then she ought to wear a military uniform. She has a flowing black hair that reaches her feet.


    She has a cute and comely face with red eyes.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fategrandorder/images/5/58/Demon_King_Nobunaga1.png/revision/latest?cb=20190704124754 for those who use phones can google search Nobunaga FGO Avenger).


    But the current her is much more mature and taller. Her black hair also turned crimson red but she still retains her red eyes.


    Her outfit also became more menacing and intimidating compared to the her from back then.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/6/65/AvengerDemonKingNobunagaStage3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190704130839 Same, Nobunaga FGO Avenger but her 3rd stage one).


    If the previous her looks like a childish delinquent then the current her looks like a menacing Empress.


    Especially how her glaring red eyes survey the whole room with despise. She''s inhaling and exhaling through her smoking pipe while observing them as if they''re an insect.


    At least it''s better compared to how he looks upon Rias''s group, she gazes upon them as if they''re a dead man walking...


    She despises everyone from the DxD faction because of their incompetence and weakness. Incompetence because they can''t find any clue about Issei whereabout and weakness for unable to help him during the time he needed it the most.


    But even though she gazes upon them like that she also hated herself for being too weak to be of help to her master... Just like how a kid throwing a temper tantrum is... But that''s what makes her the Demon King Nobunaga, her unreasonableness knows no bound...


    She may look maturer now but she still has her childish side since she''s basically the same person with the her from back then after all.


    It''s not that she grow up, you could say that there are three personas inside one body. The one who fought Trihexa before is the first persona while the current her is the third persona.


    Her second persona is a "He", but that''s something for later.


    Even Vali and Shiva isn''t spared by her ridiculing gaze but they don''t say anything since they''re indeed far too weak compared to Issei and Nyarlathotep.


    Shiva truly admits defeat after seeing Issei prowess and he can tell he won''t be able to even put a scratch on Issei if they were to have a fight. He and Vali maybe a battle maniac but that doesn''t mean that they can''t tell which fight is a lost cause or not.


    The reason why Vali challenged Irene in the Azazel Cup is because he still hasn''t seen her true prowess. But after seeing Issei battle with Nyarlathotep they know that it will produce nothing even if they were to challenge Issei in a fight at their current strength.


    They would be lucky to make Issei uses at least 10% of his power when fighting them...


    Nobunaga - How come all of you are so useless? You can''t even find the whereabouts of our Master. It''s one thing for you to be a weakling but there''s no excuse for your incompetence... Tell me, what''s the point of your allegiance if we can''t even make use of you?


    (AN: She speaks in olden Japanese dialect but I can''t write those kinds of things, such as "Thee", "Thy", "Shan''t", etc).


    Her venomous words rang inside the meeting room along with her menacing aura but not a single one of them dares to question her back.


    They can only apologize while Odin and Azazel smiled wryly since they''re already informed about her attitude... Unreasonable indeed considering she also can''t find and help Issei back then but that''s not something they going to say lest they earn her ire even further.


    Okita Souji - Cut it out, Nobu.


    Okita Souji who''s by her side berated her lightly.


    Okita Alter - If you''re branding them as useless then we are also the same for being unable to find Master whereabout...


    Okita Alter chimed in with a sad tone.


    Altria - All of us are responsible for Master disappearance... If we''re strong enough then we could''ve helped him...


    Altria who''s seated nearby them also said her words while clenching her fist feeling powerless.


    Nobunaga - Hmph...


    She harrumphed but doesn''t refute their words.


    Nobunaga - Then... Tell me what are these mongrels doing here?


    She pointed at Rias''s group who''s standing behind Sirzechs group with her pipe.


    She glared at them with her killing intent out in the open in full throttle. This time Okita and the others didn''t stop her because they also wanted to know the answer to this question.


    The aura they are emitting is very suffocating that even Sirzechs''s group having trouble in breathing properly.


    If their answer didn''t satisfy them then they will truly reap their lives right here right now disregarding the fact that their respective parents/guardians have a contract with Semiramis herself.


    Even if their contract is broken it won''t affect Semiramis at all since the contract they had is completely one-sided with Semiramis having the biggest advantage and she will receive no repercussion at all if their contract were to be broken.


    While Sirzechs group heart went tight, there''s no change could be found on Rias party face even though Asia flinched slightly but she still stands her ground unlike when she always hid behind her friends all the time.


    Rias - We want to learn and fix our mistakes. If you find our presence to be too revolting then we can only apologize.


    Rias answered calmly in place of her peerage with a polite tone but unafraid that Nobunaga or the others from the latter side will kill them in the next second. If they die then so be it... At least they died in the hands of Issei''s loved ones.


    They rather died that way instead of killing themselves since they truly believe that their lives don''t belong to them anymore rather it belongs to Issei since he had saved their lives again and again.


    Nobunaga - Hoo...


    She narrowed her eyes at them feeling a little impressed that they still look calm even after being exposed to her aura and killing intent.


    If they were to crumble just now begging for forgiveness and all that bullshit then she would''ve killed them outright for being so pathetic.


    What she hates the most above anything else is a coward and a quitter.


    She may despise them just as much as the others but that doesn''t mean they hate their guts.


    Rossweisse doesn''t bother to participate in their "standoff" and just calmly read the documents she''s given to by Sirzechs and the others.


    The same goes for Yasaka.


    Kunou is currently at .


    Kuroka - Nobunaga, I don''t mind you killing Rias Gremory and her peerage but remember that my little sister is amongst them.


    Kuroka calmly said towards Nobunaga while she''s helping Rossweisse sorting the documents. She doesn''t take her eyes off the documents in front of her and her eyes are also a bit red just like Jalter but that doesn''t stop her from doing her job... More like she needed something to do to quench her longing...


    Rakia who''s standing nearby already tried to take their place in sorting the documents saying that they''re pregnant so they should take it easy but don''t let her do that since they needed something to do to take off their minds from Issei so Rakia can only relent albeit reluctantly.


    She''s also pregnant so she can''t refute much when they throw her words back at her. Shuri, Reynare, and Kalawarner also tried to stop them but the result is the same... They finally can only sigh bitterly thinking this is supposed to be their job and not their mistresses...


    Nobunaga doesn''t say anything and calmly inhaled through her smoking pipe once again but she reeled in her killing intent even though her eyes are still glaring at Rias''s group.


    If it were anyone else telling her what to do then she would kill them on the spot but since Kuroka is her Master wife then she needed to show her some respect. And the fact that Kuroka is stronger than her also plays a part in her respect.


    Koneko held her tears back when she heard Kuroka''s words... She''s still protecting her even though they''ve already stood on a different side.


    But along with it, she becomes even more determined to fix her mistakes and also mend the bonds between them. How ironic considering that in the past it''s the other way around but this time it''s her turn trying to fix their sisterly bond...


    Kiba and Gasper are also here but they''ve never exposed to Nobunaga or the other girls'' bloodlust from the start since they all know that both of them are their Master friend.


    They are also feeling downcast since Issei is once again missing from their lives...


    Baraqiel who''s present keep his eyes locked onto Shuri figure from the start of the meeting but the later put all of her attention towards Kuroka''s group worried that they might be overworking themselves.


    Akeno also gazes upon Shuri from time to time but she''s more focused compared to Baraqiel during the whole meeting.


    Azazel can only sigh bitterly seeing his friend like this but there''s nothing he could do but to comfort him with some words of encouragement.


    Irene who''s also attending the meeting keeps looking outside the window reminiscing about the past... This place is after all the first time where Issei used his .


    Irene - ''Where are you... Partner... All of us misses you... Hurry and return to us...''


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    Irene sighed to herself... But unlike the other girls, she''s not that low spirited since she truly believes that Issei didn''t die.


    She knows that he''s not dead yet since her beloved partner is a miracle in and of itself.


    And she''s right, Issei is still alive...


    ...


    -Somewhere in the other Universe-


    Issei is currently unconscious floating in the void after his fight with Nyarlathotep.


    The reason why they can''t find him is because he''s extremely far away from his original universe...


    He succeeded in destroying Nyarlathotep attack and even probably killed her at the same time but Nyarlathotep also succeeded on injuring him.


    That, coupled with the aftereffect of him using the has made him very weak but not enough to kill him.


    He still hasn''t perfectly mastered yet but the backlash from using it is also not that dire.


    At most he will become injured and needed to recover for one month more or less. And his strength is also dropped temporarily along with some of his skill being unusable because of the shock his soul received.


    But because of Nyarlathotep attack, he sustained even greater injury towards himself... Without outside assistance then he will probably need at least 10 years or so to fully recover to the way he was before.


    And that''s already considering his abnormal trait into the calculation.


    If Issei didn''t stop Nyarlathotep previous attack then DxD world is not the only world that will be destroyed... There will be hundreds upon hundreds of world that will get destroyed in the process until her attack disappears on its own or if she were to take it back but that''s highly unlikely because Nyarlathotep is known as the God of Chaos for a reason.


    She won''t even blink an eye if she were to destroy every single world in existence but that''s not something she wanted to happen because if she were to do that she won''t be able to have her long-desired fight and it would be extremely boring if she''s the only being left in the whole universe.


    There''s finally a crimson crack opening in front of Issei... There are countless dark entities crowding in front of the crack and most likely they are the one who''s responsible for this crack.


    Their body size and shape varies from each other... Some have a huge build and some have a small to medium build. But they all seem to be from the same race.


    When they saw Issei body floated towards them they are about to attack him but when they sensed his aura they shuddered greatly and back away immediately while still shivering in absolute fear.


    Some even knelt flat on the spot not daring to look straight at him as if it''s afraid that it is unworthy to even look at him.


    While some who''s bold enough or perhaps the word stupid is more fitting for them still tried to get their hands on his body but when they get close to his location... There''s a giant black mouth of a Dragon opened wide emerging from Issei shadow and devoured those who tried to attack him.


    The ones who tried to attack Issei immediately regretted their decision and tried to run away but it''s too late... In a single bite, all of them are swallowed by the giant mouth...


    *CRUNCH!* *CRUNCH!* *Gulp*


    The sound of a crunching sound resounds loudly in the now silent void with some teeth clattering in the background coming from the kneeling dark entities... The ones that are swallowed by it doesn''t even have enough time to scream before they die...


    The black Dragon finished chewing its food and showed its sharp teeth in a grinning fashion towards them which makes the latter group trembled even fiercer.


    ??? - #*%@%@*#!


    It said something towards the crowd of dark entities and the latter who heard its words nodded profusely as if their lives depend on it.


    Then it set its gaze towards Issei. It gazes upon Issei with the same grin before it went back to become his shadow...


    The dark entities waited for a while before they resumed their action on trying to make the crack grow bigger.


    The crack is far too small for all of them to go all at once but it''s big enough for Issei body to passes through. And the "shield" covering this universe also not completely broken yet.


    If they forced their way through then they might just turn into dust altogether.


    The dimension crack also keeps regenerating itself whenever they tried to pry it open but only when Issei body passes through it that the regeneration stalled itself and allowed him to pass safely.


    It''s even as if this Universe is welcoming him with open arms...


    ''What the hell?!'' All of them thought at the same time. They became speechless after seeing this phenomenon... But when they thought about that black Dragon from before they thought it''s not that weird after all...


    It''s been more than hundreds of thousands of years ever since they do what they are doing right now and the small crack they have right now is the result of their perseverance.


    It should take them another couple hundred more years before they can successfully open a giant hole for all of them to pass through without worry but because of Issei, it is shortened by a decent amount so they all became giddy and afraid at the same time.


    They are giddy because they can finally enter this universe even faster now but they are afraid to meet Issei once again... They swore to themselves that they will instantly go as far as they could the moment they saw Issei once again...


    They don''t care even if all their times spent trying to crack open this dimension wall gone to waste as long as they can survive.


    What''s the use for it if they were to lose their lives in the process? They may be able to kill and feast on the inhabitants of this world but to lose their lives in the process is the same as committing suicide...


    If they''re able to enter this universe then they will be the strongest being there but with Issei joining in the fray they immediately reeled in their arrogance and act like a chicken... Such is the fate of weak beings like them compared to that anomaly from before... Haiss...


    All of them sighed bitterly at the same time while moving their hands still... Some of them have 4 to 6 hands and some even have 3 heads...


    Their sizes might be huge compared to the seemingly small body of Issei but each and every single one of them knows that whether if it''s their aura, strength, or even soul are like a tiny speck of dust compared to his...


    One particular individual who saw Issei passes through that easily tried to follow after him but it stopped in its track since the crack already started repairing itself.


    It can only grit its teeth in frustration.


    This individual was away from this location just now and only just returned after sensing Issei presence.


    When it got here it only saw Issei body already passes through the small crack opening...


    But it got extremely alarmed since the weapon in its hand started trembling fiercely as if it wanted to go to Issei place.


    It clutches into the weapon tightly since it can''t survive without it in this void. Only after a while that the weapon stopped its act and regained the previous calm.


    But the individual who''s holding it started sweating profusely feeling a little bit afraid that it almost lost its life just now.


    It is not afraid of death but there''s something it needed to fulfill first.


    It then wonderingly gazes at the previous location where Issei just disappeared... But before long it disappears from this place since it can''t let those dark entities to find it or there will be a dire consequence...


    ...


    Few moments after Issei passes through from the crack opening there''s a group of people coming to inspect this abnormality since they sensed there''s a crack on the Wall.


    It was an incredibly deep red light that was redder than blood and sharper than sunlight. The red crack on the Wall is so bizarre. To think that a single line could be seen millions of kilometers away. That red crack is gradually expanding as time goes by...


    The group of people shivered in complete fear just nearing this crack and it took them quite a while to regain their bearings before they started discussing what to do with this crack...


    These group of people is among the strongest within this universe but they still felt fear...


    They can''t see what''s on the other side but if they could then they might be overcome by despair and descend to madness altogether...


    Although it can''t be said for sure, if the situation continues as it is, it is likely that that the Wall will collapse. If it were to happen in such an unusual manner, it''s quite possible that it wouldn''t be able to repair itself any longer.


    According to the ancient records, the world outside their universe is one with endless calamities. If the Wall were to collapse, and a gap appears in it, the energy of those calamities will gush into this world.


    As a result, the star realms that are comparatively nearer to it will definitely be hit by the calamities, and if it continues for a longer period, the balance of climates and elements would likely be broken, which would lead to extremely ghastly, unthinkable consequences.


    After all, that energy of calamities has annihilated even mighty existences like True Gods.


    But unknown to them the entities waiting behind the crack is afraid of a single individual that not long ago passes through this very same crack... While that very same energy acts very subservient and even tried to heal him at the same time...


    ...


    Issei unconscious body is still floating around for a while before he encountered a huge white dome of barrier made from pure light.


    That was a gigantic barrier which had completely encased a vast and quiet land. The white light that radiated from it was completely flawless and without blemish, and within that pure white light lay a purity that permeated one''s heart and soul.


    It was as if a cluster of warm and gentle light had started shining, placating and comforting anyone thoughts and mind that stepped their foot in here. This barrier also acts as an alarm to the guardians who are guarding this place.


    But those thing doesn''t happen when Issei body penetrated the barrier soundlessly... It''s more like his body passes through it as if it wasn''t there in the first place.


    So nobody felt his arrival inside the barrier...


    The further forward he went, the cleaner and denser the aura of nature became. All of the elements in this place were incredibly mild and gentle. There were slight gusts of wind, the slow and relaxing sound of flowing water, and the even the earth smelled so nice that one could become intoxicated by it.


    There are also many changes in the surroundings. With a single glance, one could actually see cloud and mist shrouding the area, making it seem as if they had strolled into a celestial abode.


    The clear and melodious sounds of birds chirping and butterflies flitting through the air rang in the air, and when the flowers and plants also the animals sensed Issei presence, one could even faintly hear the joyous whispering of the plants and flowers all around this vast land...


    The birds immediately chirping more joyfully and they all floated around his body along with the butterflies. The flowers and plants swayed along with the wind as if to welcome his presence with utmost joy.


    Small animals such as rabbit and deer also starting to make a joyful sound.


    Some flowers that still haven''t bloom in full season also bloomed as if to pay respect for his presence alone. The withering trees also immediately turn vibrant with greeneries and swayed their branches to pay their respect.


    The wind acts like as if it''s alive and carried his body with the utmost gentleness they could muster and guided his body further deeper.


    The birds who saw his body which riddled with scars and dust immediately went to the nearby river stream to scoop up some water with a leaf they get from the nearby trees and carefully washes away the dirt and blood that''s containing his face and body by sprinkling the water on him.


    The water spirits that are residing in the river beds also helped the bird to clean his body with the utmost care. The other spirits also lend their assistance.


    In no time at all Issei body already cleaned perfectly. His scars also started regenerating on its own after being bathed with the river water but it''s still not completely healed... It probably has some healing properties within it or it may be just the spirits at work.


    When they finished their job in cleaning Issei they immediately started acting even more joyful. Some of the spirits also danced around feeling proud of their work.


    It truly seemed as if he had stepped into an illusory fairytale world, a place that was not stained by the mortal world''s noise or foulness, a place that seemed not to contain even a trace of dispute or evil.


    With the amount of karma Issei currently posses... Not even the Goddess of Light from this world dares to compare. If she''s still alive then she would''ve acted like a maidservant just for him.


    She would be more than glad to be his disciple if he allows it just from the fact he posses a stronger element than her and that''s not including the amount of good karma he has.


    After Issei stopped Nyarlathotep final attack the amount of Karma he gained is nigh unlimited... He unknowingly saved hundreds of thousands of worlds and the amount of karma he gained from that could be imagined just how huge it is.


    If his good karma could take shape then it will be the largest and brightest sun in the whole multiverse. If Issei is second in place for a good karma holder then no one will dare to say that they are first, nobody... Perhaps the "Heaven" itself would smite that person to oblivion immediately for daring to claim that he''s first in the list.


    The funny thing is he doesn''t really care about this kind of stuff while very few people would be able to earn even just 1% of his karma... They would do anything just to earn that "measly" amount of karma.


    If even he is still not worthy to even enter this place while taking all of that into consideration then no one else is...


    Issei current appearance after being bathed with the water and energy from this land is extremely devastating... Beyond devilish even...


    He already reverted back to his human form after exhausting all energy within his body so he''s currently in "Recharging" mode at the moment.


    His body structure already started to reform itself to adapt to this new universe. The energy in this world is very pure but this world law is weaker than the .


    At best, the strongest tier in this world is only at and their number can be counted with two hands.


    But this universe contains energy that is very suitable as if custom made just for him because they contain element within them.


    Whilst in the there are no element at all and the same goes for the rest of the universe he ever visited.


    His hair which was blood red from using the previously turned silver-white but there is some crimson glow on each strand of his hair still. It only serves as an indescribable charm to his already perfect countenance.


    His hair also grows longer and become even silkier... If his previous hair reachest past his shoulder then his current hair reaches his lower back.


    His feature became even more prominent and delicate but imposing at the same time. His skin also becomes fairer that if his current wives were to see it then they might just become jealous and demand Issei to tell them how to be like him.


    And if he were to open his eyes now then he will find out that his eyes still retain the previous wine red and dragon eyes but much more glistening and it looks like as if it is glowing with golden light that instills warmth and imposing manner at the same time.


    This is the Karma he accumulated doing their job... They shaped his entire body and soul to be the most perfect and absolute existence in the whole multiverse. If he claimed to be "GOD" in any world then they will unhesitantly accept his words just based on his looks alone...


    With just a snap of his finger, there will be countless women lining up willing to give their body and soul just for him. But that will never happen since he will never do that kind of thing...


    *BA-DUMP!*


    The mark on his forehead also glowing brightly with crimson light before it went dim.


    But every single of his girls back in his universe become frozen stiff in their place with their pupil shrinking at the same time because they felt his heartbeat even though it''s just for a brief moment.


    Issei may have severed their connection with each other but they still possess some part of his Divinity. Especially the pregnant girls with their unborn children being his direct descendant... You could say it''s their children telling them not to worry since father is still alive...


    Even though they can''t pinpoint his exact location, at least they know that he''s still alive and that is enough for now...


    Sadly the connection they share with each other is still nullified since they will need to re-initiate their contract once again.


    Whether it''s Jalter''s group who''s currently having breakfast or Irene''s group who''s currently attending the meeting, they all felt it.


    They all jerked up not long after and tears of relief and happiness started pouring out from their eyes.


    Azazel and the others are confused just what happened with them but then they heard Nobunaga laughing in a crazy fit.


    Nobunaga - Fufufu... Fuhahahahahahaha! You all felt that too right!?


    She laughed out loud in a joyful manner.


    All of them nodded at the same time while smiling through tears.


    Nobunaga - As expected... As expected of him! As expected from the Master of this Oda Nobunaga! Only him alone can make me laugh this much! Fuhahahahahaha!


    A single droplet of tears also dropped from her eyes.


    They are still confused just what''s happening right now but there''s suddenly a portal appearing nearby them.


    From it comes out Semiramis, Scathach, Forzelotte, Jalter, Jeanne, etc with a happy smile through tears.


    Semiramis - He is still alive.


    This time they all screamed in joy and some started weeping on the spot feeling glad that he''s still alive.


    Azazel at first froze up before he grinned while wiping the tears that dropped from the corner of his eye.


    Le Fay''s group started hugging each other while smiling through tears feeling glad that their crush is still alive... Even Sona felt the same way as them...


    Vali''s group grinned to themselves thinking there''s no way he would die.


    The world regained its color for all of them...


    ...


    Issei''s body went further and further deeper into the land until finally, his body landed in a giant field of a variety of beautiful flowers.


    The flowers below him started blooming even more beautiful than ever and they started swaying as if they''re alive just to welcome his presence.


    In front of these flower beds, there''s a bamboo hut that couldn''t be more ordinary.


    But the one who''s staying in there is anything but ordinary...


    There were no other decorations, and there was no luster of jewels or pearls, and she was wearing nothing more than a simple and ordinary pure-white long robe. Her long hair reached her waist, it had not been combed or tied up in any way, it merely splayed out over her shoulders and across her back, releasing a soft and gentle luster.


    The only thing that was left was that celestial countenance that was even more illusory than a dream. There was no other light, and there was nothing he could think of saying either. It was as if all of the beautiful colors and words, and even the most beautiful illusions were mere pale shadows in front of that celestial mien.


    Her eyes seemed to hold an entire limpid blue lake, yet at the same time, they seemed to be bottomless holes which would swallow up anything or anyone. But these were abysses that anyone would step into gladly, even if they had to stay there forever.


    Any normal man wouldn''t even dare to look upon her form...


    She''s completely taken aback seeing Issei body floated right in front of her doorstep and became further amazed after sensing his aura and seeing his out of this world countenance.


    Perhaps other than the select few such as Semiramis, Irene, Scathach, Forzelotte, and Nyarlathotep human form, there''s no one could contend with her otherworldly visage. But even though Issei is clearly a man, his appearance surpasses even hers...


    She unconsciously walked over to his location and started inspecting him even more closely...


    The Dragon blood inside her trembled in a submissive manner and she immediately went to her knee in front of Issei while the element inside her doesn''t fare any better and forced her to submit entirely to him.


    If anyone saw her kneeling in front of this stranger then all of them might become completely dumbstruck with disbelief since her status in this realm is very well known. Not even her "husband" is worthy of this treatment.


    Her eyes turned blurry and glazed as if she''s being enthralled by his sight alone and she slowly extended her right hand towards his face.


    That hand was extremely beautiful, it was more flawless than first snow, more lustrous than divine jade. It was as if a celestial maiden had stretched out her supple hand from a dream. Furthermore, the hazy white light radiating from that hand also increased the feeling that this was an illusion by several degrees.


    But, even her own stretched out hand seemed to freeze in midair as if it was actually a bit reluctant to draw near to his face as if she was afraid that she would profane him.


    Because she knows that the person in front of her is far more nobler than any living being that she ever witnessed, not even her own father or the late Goddess of Light could match him in terms of aura and soul strength much less her "Husband".


    After a few moments, she finally steeled herself to touch his face and started caressing it gently as if she''s treating the most delicate and priceless artwares in existence.


    The more she caresses his face the more enthralled she became... A tinge of red appeared on her flawless face while her eyes turned misty...


    This never happened before in her entire life... For her to be this... Lost in the reverie just from a simple touch...


    She felt a sudden tremble coming from the nearby "Well". And she can feel the seal that''s chaining her to this place started to weakening in a slow manner and she only came in contact with Issei for a brief moment.


    She snapped back from her enthrallment but she still doesn''t take her hands off from Issei face.


    ??? - ...Who are you?


    She mumbled in a dreamy voice.


    ??? - ...Are you my fated nemesis in this life? It''s been more than five hundred thousand of years and you are the only one who can make me feel this way...


    (AN: "Nemesis" in this case, is not enemy, rather the destined person).


    She felt her entire fiber of being screaming and telling her to become one with the person in front of her.


    Whether it be her Dragon bloodline or the element within her or even her very own soul...


    Her hand froze for a little and the look on her face is as if she''s struggling with something but she finally heaved a sigh of resignment and a bit apologetic even...


    She tried using her soul energy to inspect Issei body even further only to find out she''s unable to do so and she almost got the backlash just from attempting to do it.


    She hastily takes back her energy but to her utter amazement, she''s unable to do so because that energy already blends itself with Issei.


    Her face went a little bit pale from the loss of energy she expended.


    But she manages to find out that Issei still has his "Vital Yang" aka a virgin but that''s just her misunderstanding since usually when a man loses their virginity their "Vital Yang" disappeared but Issei is a special case.


    Not only that his "Vital Yang" doesn''t disappear it also become stronger and stronger the more he had sex with his wives.


    That''s because his Yang essence absorbed their Yin essence to further enhance itself but that doesn''t mean it''s a bad thing because the girls gain more benefits from him such as becoming even more beautiful and also stronger little by little.


    This is also one of the reasons why no one will be able to "defeat" him in bed.


    You could say that it''s a perfect dual cultivation technique where both sides gained benefits without any repercussion.


    ??? - ...


    She went silent a little more before she finally uttered a word of apologies thinking about what she''s about to do in the next few seconds but she has no choice because it''s been far too long for her to be trapped in this place and she doesn''t want to stay here forever even though she like the serenity of this place.


    And the fact that her heart started thumping loudly when she''s in his presence is more than enough to tell her that this person in front of her is her destined one... Not only that he posses stronger Dragon bloodline/aura than her. He also posses a stronger element within him... Far nobler and purer than anyone else she has come across...


    She can''t sense his strength but she thought that it''s only normal since he''s clearly stronger than her.


    But she could tell that he''s currently injured and she thought that she''s taking advantage of him.


    ??? - ...Forgive me for what I''m about to do... But know that from now on I will belong to you and only you... Husband...


    This is the first time she uttered the word "Husband" from the bottom of her heart and willingly because even though she''s "Married" she never called her supposed "Husband" with this nickname before.


    She only thought of "Him" as her junior brother...


    She doesn''t have much time left because even though he''s stronger than her but he''s currently injured after all.


    She doesn''t know what her junior brother would do if he saw Issei at this moment because she''s afraid that he will become muddle-headed since she finally found her destined person while her junior brother has some obsession towards her.


    She realizes her junior brother feelings for her but they are just not meant to be.


    And that "Thing" already started acting oddly ever since Issei arrived here so she can''t let him stay here for a prolonged time...


    She slowly stands up from her kneeling position before she untied her sash and started to take off her clothing one by one until her flawless body out in the open.


    It seemed as if her entire body was being bathed in a gentle moonlight as soft and supple light, that resembled a halo made out of pure light, spread across her fragrant shoulders. It flowed along her snowy skin and traced the outline of her collarbone and the two incredibly smooth and sleek half-globes that hung right below it. Two proudly towering and perfectly-rounded snow-white mountains hung in the air as flowing light, that glowed like white jade, traced the perfect arc formed by those towering peaks¡­ that light flowed down the curves of her enchanting and bewitching waist until it reached her powdery white and lustrous jade thighs...


    She looked as sacred and otherworldly as a goddess, yet if the current her were to suddenly turn seductive and alluring, a simple look from her would be enough to overturn whatever will and rationality any man had.


    There''s no change that could be found on her face even though she just stripped naked in front of a stranger she never met before but after she undressed Issei her face became flushed.


    It''s because his body is even more perfect than she expected... It''s as if his body is carefully sculpted by God himself with the utmost attention and care that will eclipse any living being in this world.


    Her dreamy eyes gaze upon his beyond devilish handsome face that could charm any woman without any difficulty and moved it from his face to his chiseled chest until her gazes laid upon his towering Dragon rod that''s already fully erect down there, probably because of his body natural reaction since he''s still unconscious.


    Even though his current body is still riddled with some scar after his fight with Nyarlathotep it doesn''t stop her from marveling at his perfect body and it even adds more masculinity to his already beyond perfect body.


    But she started having second thoughts after seeing his Dragon rod down there because it''s so big and she''s not sure if it will fit inside her...


    She finally bit her lower lips slightly and decided to do it regardless because she doesn''t have that much time left.


    After a few seconds, there''s a faint moan of pain from an ethereal voice resounding in this tranquil and peaceful land but that moan soon changed to rapid breathing and ecstasy filled sound.


    She never felt this kind of feeling before and she could swear that she will become addicted to it if things go on like this but even though her mind telling her to stop her body movement never cease its act and still moving up and down on this majestic rod that brings her so much otherworldly pleasure.


    Her movement is very clumsy which is not surprising at all considering this is her first time after all but that doesn''t stop her at all from exploring this otherworldly pleasure she''s currently experiencing.


    She never felt so... Lustful towards anyone before this... This is her first... But at least it''s also his "first"...


    During their copulation, Issei body instinctively moved on its own and that caused her almost turn mad from the heavenly pleasure she''s experiencing right now. She couldn''t tell which is up and down and her mind turned blank and can only let him have his way with her body during the whole process.


    If she couldn''t tell any better then she will think that Issei is just faking his sleep but she knows that''s not the case... It''s like he''s very natural at this and he already found her sweet spot and keep attacking that very same spot over and over again which make her usually calm temperament out of the window and act without restraint as if she''s just a lustful woman lusting over their lover...


    Which is not wrong since they are basically husband and wife now, at least in her mind.


    They both finally reach their climax at the same time... But the truth is she lost count just how many time she reaches climax already before he finally ejaculated in the deepest part of her womb.


    Her body shivered fiercely feeling disbelief that there could be such pleasure in this life... This kind of thing shouldn''t exist she thought to herself before her body plopped down on top of his chest feeling exhausted from their lovemaking while Issei is still raring to go but sadly they don''t have much time left so she can only apologize once more inside her mind for being unable to fully satisfy his desire...


    Unknown to her, even if she spent a whole month trying to quench his libido then she will never able to accomplish that since that''s an impossible task even harder than ascending to the heaven itself.


    She will have long become a putty before that time even come close... After all, he''s not called the Sex God by the Kalars for nothing. Not even their whole race combined can take him on...


    At some point, they even started thinking to just call Issei the True Dragon God of Sex but they earned a knock to each of their head by him because of that.


    They all went "Te-hee~?" when he''s started scolding them much to his helplessness...


    ??? - ...I truly belong to you now... Husband...


    Her misty eyes gaze upon Issei face closely while hugging him tightly. Her cheeks are flushed with contentment and satisfaction she never felt before.


    Her eyes are now filled with devotion and love towards him and only him alone from this moment on... She thought that she can resist his charm with her willpower but it seems that she''s mistaken...


    Her body and heart have been completely captured by him...


    And just like she expected, after having intercourse with him her "Seal" lessened by a huge amount and her strength also grew by a small margin.


    It should''ve taken her at least a couple hundred thousands more years before she could truly free herself from this place but because of Issei help, it''s now down to a whopping 5 years at most...


    Amidst the peace and quiet, she raised her hand and looked at the pure white light that flashed from her palm. She quietly stared at it for a long period of time before she finally whispered,


    ??? - As expected...


    She set her gazes back to Issei and gaze upon him longingly before she opened a spatial opening for him to passes through...


    ??? - ...I will find you when I''m free from this place, husband... Wait for me...


    She carefully put on the clothes Issei was wearing before like a gentle housewife and even though she struggled a bit since she never saw this kind of clothing design before she still managed to do it in the end.


    Issei clothes are the one he''s wearing before he uses his after all.


    She kisses Issei gently on the lips and started savoring his intoxicating aura before she let his body float to the spatial opening she just created albeit reluctantly...


    And with that, Issei body disappeared from this place and the land regained its peace and tranquility once more but one could faintly hear the sad sound coming from the trees and flowers and even animals from this place with his lack of presence...


    The trembling in the "Well" also finally turned calm once again along with that "Thing"...


    It took her a good amount of time before she could regain her calmness from before but the longing inside her eyes are still present...


    But she doesn''t realize that Issei still retains his "Vital Yang" even after they had intercourse.


    At least because of her "Vital Yin" Issei recovered by a tiny bit but it''s very minuscule since the one who gained benefit the most from their intercourse is her and not him.


    White light flashing across her body. After that, all the white things that soiled her body were immediately removed and she once again wore a plain white robe that was simple and elegant in the extreme.


    And not long after there''s someone entered this place once again and she knows just who it is.


    She veiled herself with her element like she always has done from before so nobody can see her true appearance.


    The newcomer is her junior brother or her supposed "Husband" at least to the public...


    The light breeze that circulated within the serene land stopped, not a single bird or insect could be seen flying in the sky and even the colorful butterflies which rested amongst the flowers had stopped flapping their wings.


    It''s a complete opposite compared to when Issei is here just now... If Issei presence made them feel happy and joyful then this newcomer made them all feel nervous...


    He looked in the veiled woman direction, his calm gaze immediately colored by a gentleness that was not there on any other occasion.


    Even though this man is very handsome as well but he''s still very lacking if compared to Issei. She, who thought that this junior brother of his very handsome before now thought that his looks are just slightly above average at most compared to Issei...


    Yes, she doesn''t love him but that doesn''t mean she can''t judge people appearance, no?


    ??? - You should have found out something new from this journey. Share it with me.


    She said straight to the point before they had their conversation with each other...

 Chapter 96 - 95

    (AN: WARNING FOR THOSE THAT WHO STILL HAVEN''T READ AGAINST THE GOD SINCE THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS FOR YOU IN THIS SMALL ARC. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!


    NOTE THAT THE REASON WHY I MAKE ISSEI GO TO THIS WORLD BECAUSE I WANTED TO AND NO OTHER PARTICULAR REASON! WE ARE NEARING THE CONCLUSION OF MY NOVEL SO I THIS ATG ARC CAN BE SEEN AS FILLER ARC FOR THOSE THAT ARE HOPING FOR SOME PROLONGED FIGHT LIKE WITH NYARLATHOTEP!


    THERE WILL BE NO MORE PROLONGED FIGHT SUCH AS THOSE SINCE ISSEI IS BASICALLY ALREADY THE STRONGEST IN THIS WORLD! YOU COULD SAY HE''S ON VACATION RIGHT NOW JUST LIKE IN THE EVENICLE WORLD!


    IF YOU DON''T LIKE IT THEN YOU ARE FREE TO DROP IT! THAT''S ALL!)


    In a vast pure white land filled with snows.


    There''s a man standing in the middle of all this breathtaking white scenery but even though the view on this place is breathtaking, they pale in comparison of this single man.


    His flowing silver-white hair that''s gently swaying because of the comforting wind breeze and his imposing form that seems able to hold anything even if the sky were to suddenly fall above him...


    He has a flawless handsome and delicate yet imposing face that will make any woman become lovestruck just from taking a glimpse of his otherworldly countenance... Especially that magnetic gentle yet sharp draconic red eyes of his that able to make anyone lost in reverie.


    But his expression is filled with melancholy... He keeps gazing into thin air in front of him and the wind and snow breeze act as if it''s trying to comfort the sadness he currently feels... Even the birds and other animals surrounding him also tried their best to comfort him with their chirping sound.


    There are even some Profound Beasts mixed in the fray such as the that has reached the peak of .


    It is a quadrupedal profound beast with superficially lupine features. It has highly developed limbs, sharp fangs, and claws. Its forelegs are extremely powerful and can kill prey in one brutal blow. Despite its hulking size, Zinogre is very agile and is able to perform many impressive aerial and land-based maneuvers. The spikes on its body mostly lie flat, but when it has built up an electric charge they stick out vertically into the air.


    This profound beast possesses a similarity of a Dragon in its feature but since it''s not a true Dragon hence its dubbed as an instead, just like a Flood Dragon. But flood Dragon usually found in a huge body of water while Zinogre is usually found in high climate area such as this place.


    Even though it mostly uses lightning, it doesn''t mean it can''t use an ice-based attack. It''s just more fond of using lightning instead of ice.


    This majestic and fierce profound beast might instill terror to anyone who has a lower cultivation base and even those that are on the need to act with utmost caution when facing this beast but right now it acts like a tame puppy in front of this man while rubbing its head on his arm trying its best to console him along with its purring noise.


    It''s quite funny seeing a huge beast trying its best to act like a puppy in front of a small figure like him.


    They rarely show themselves to humans with their high intelligence and chooses to hide themselves from the public eyes so they won''t be hunted for their profound core.


    Oddly enough, the other animals and even the other profound beasts that usually became its prey doesn''t act scared at all when it''s in their presence. They became very harmonious acting like they are best friend with each other just so they don''t disturb the man in front of them...


    This man is of course Issei himself.


    He''s feeling sorrowful because he can''t go to his loved ones place straight away since he needed time to fully recover himself... He still retains some of his strength but most of his skill is currently being "sealed" so he can''t open a void rift opening to travel through between multiverse.


    His only comfort is that he knows that the time flow here might differ greatly from his original world.


    He can tell the time flow here with his understanding of the law of time and space since this is not the first universal travel he''s done before after all.


    So he started comprehending this law with the help of Semiramis and Scathach. And since both of them are proficient in magecraft so there''s no better teacher than them both.


    10 year in this world is the same as 1 month in his original world give or take. At least that''s his rough estimation since he can''t say for sure yet because of his injury but it shouldn''t be that far off from the actual time.


    He also can tell the law in this world is far weaker compared to the but it contains much purer nature energy than the latter at the same time.


    And not to mention it also contains element albeit extremely thin. At least it''s better than nothing... This way he can hasten his recovery.


    But he''s a bit curious since out of the numerous worlds he went to, this world is the only world that contains energy within it albeit it''s extremely thin... It''s not surprising since the element is a very dangerous element that could cause a catastrophe if left alone... He decided to think about it later since there''s no point thinking about this thing considering how little information he has about this world.


    The place he''s staying right now is called and as for this planet name, it seems it''s called and the continent name is from what he learned so far. But he can faintly sense there are multiple planet/stars/realms outside this place so it''s quite a big universe he thought to himself.


    As for the strength of this universe inhabitants, it''s not that high and the laws here are also weaker than the so he''s doesn''t need to be too worried for any second coming of Nyarlathotep arriving in his front.


    If he must make an example then this world inhabitants is obviously stronger than the Evenicle world but of course QD and the Dragons there are not taken into consideration. Netherworld could be counted as world while this world is at most.


    Again, that''s not considering their strongest individual such as Forzelotte herself or the one who''s the strongest in this world.


    This place or should he say sect is created by someone name Mu Bingyun...


    It''s located in the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, the extreme north of the Blue Wind Empire. Mu Bingyun created the sect to take in ill-fated girls who had nowhere else to go. The sect only took in females and they all had to remain pure to cultivate the Frozen Cloud Arts. Cultivating Frozen Cloud Arts allows the members of the sect to become extremely beautiful and the Blue Wind Empire''s number one beauty is always from the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.


    Issei is the sole man that has ever stepped his foot in this place and even being highly regarded by the sect members of this sect at the same time.


    The reason for that is not only because of his otherworldly countenance but also his supposed "Talent" and achievement.


    His unconscious body was found by the sect Mistress called Gong Yuxian.


    She looked to be about forty to fifty years old but she''s still quite beautiful for someone at her age.


    At first, she was surprised seeing an unconscious body of a man so near in the vicinity of their sect and she was about to left him to his own fate. But after remembering about her past she decided to help Issei thinking that she will tell him to leave as soon as he wakes up but she becomes completely dumbfounded after seeing his face.


    Even that otherworldly celestial woman who took Issei "Virginity" is charmed by him much less a mortal woman like her...


    It took her a good 15 minutes to snaps out of her daze and that''s also with the help of her sect disciples calling her name releasing her from her dazes. If not who knows just how long will she stand there gazing upon him...


    She never thought her sealed and ice-cold heart will start beating furiously once more just after seeing his face once.


    She doesn''t dare to look at his face anymore after that, but the same couldn''t be said for the sect members who snapped her out of her daze before.


    This time they are the one who''s being charmed by Issei much to Gong Yuxian exasperation...


    They all thought that the hailed 7 fairies from their sect are the most beautiful person they''ve ever seen in their life but now they know that they are mistaken... This man in front of them goes way beyond even their imagination...


    The cultivation arts they are cultivating doesn''t help them in the slightest at all... They are supposed to have a cold heart but just one gaze upon his face is enough to make their heartbeat went haywire as if it''s being injected by chicken blood...


    (AN: Some Chinese proverb/idiom).


    Some of them had a nosebleed while being red-faced with glazed eyes just from gazing Issei''s face.


    Gong Yuxian can''t really blame them since she for one also fell into the same state as them after seeing his face... She couldn''t help thinking if Issei is the "1000 year calamity" because, at this rate, every single girl from their sect will be charmed by him alone...


    It took Gong Yuxian a good while to snap them out of their charmed state but even then they keep taking a sneak peek towards Issei from time to time...


    She sighed for the umpteenth time before telling the girls to bring his unconscious body inside their sect much to their secret joy.


    ...


    Once inside their sect, Gong Yuxian finally tried to check what''s wrong with him but she doesn''t dare to look him in the face and tried using her profound energy to inspect him.


    She already sent the other sect members away because she''s worried that their cultivation process will be disturbed because of him, not that she''s one to talk because she can feel that her willpower started wavering after seeing his face alone...


    They all grumbled saying she''s being petty and all that much to her dismay... But they still listened to her order and leave them alone but they are not that far from their location and they keep their eyes locked to the door that leads into Issei current room hoping to see him again...


    To Gong Yuxian utter amazement, when she tried using her profound energy to inspect Issei body, she''s unable to do so... That can only mean two things... Either he posses higher cultivation than hers or he posses an art that can hide his cultivation level and prevent any profound energy from entering his body... She''s not bragging but her cultivation is at 3rd Level Emperor Profound Realm.


    And that can be considered a powerhouse in this continent.


    She never heard anything about Issei before this because she''s absolutely certain that with this kind of otherworldly charm he will be very famous and that''s not taking his strength into consideration... Even she has to admit that not a single girl from her sect able to rival his looks alone...


    Cultivation in this universe involves the pursuit of strength by following the ''Profound Way''. The ''Profound Way'' of the world gifts each mortal innate profound veins which allows them to cultivation profound strength.


    Their realms are divided as such:


    1. Elementary Profound Realm


    2. Nascent Profound Realm


    3. True Profound Realm


    4. Spirit Profound Realm


    5. Earth Profound Realm


    6. Sky Profound Realm


    7. Emperor Profound Realm


    8. Tyrant Profound Realm


    9. Sovereign Profound Realm


    Each realm goes from level 1 to 10 before they can advance to the next one, the 10th level of a realm is considered the peak of that realm. Once someone goes past level 10 of a realm but does not enter the next realm it can be considered ''Half-step'' into the next realm.


    When one''s profound strength grows, it essentially means that the density of the profound energy in their profound veins is growing, that their profound energy has become slightly more compressed. Once it reaches a certain level of compression, a fundamental change will occur, that is also when they enter a new realm.


    Entering a new realm is normally an extremely difficult boundary for profound practitioners. This is why there are many who are stuck at the 10th level or Half-step level and never progress in their entire lifetime. This is also why medicine that can increase cultivation are highly prized. The strength gain from crossing a realm is so large that it is generally impossible for someone at the ''half-step'' level of a realm to win against the 1st level of a realm.


    There''s also a further realm beyond Sovereign Profound Realm but that''s not something the current Gong Yuxian has knowledge of so Issei also doesn''t know about it. But they are as such:


    1. Divine Origin Realm


    2. Divine Soul Realm


    3. Divine Tribulation Realm


    4. Divine Spirit Realm


    5. Divine King Realm


    6. Divine Sovereign Realm


    7. Divine Master Realm


    And even further above them are:


    1. Divine Extinction Realm


    2. True God Realm


    3. Creation God Realm


    4. Ancestral God Realm


    5. Unknown


    ...


    are what every disciple of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace cultivates as Frozen End Divine Arts are impossible for normal disciples to comprehend. Frozen Cloud Arts lean towards Yin and is easier for females to cultivate.


    The rumor that love between males and females will obstruct Frozen Cloud Art''s cultivation is false. The secret that the Frozen Cloud Art could be inherited through virgin vital yin aka by having intercourse is the main reason why no male disciples are taken.


    These bits of knowledge are only known by Gong Yuxian and the Grand Mistress Feng Qianhui until recently...


    The Frozen Cloud Arts were self-created after Mu Bingyun remembered that normal people couldn''t cultivate the Frozen End Divine Arts.


    The unique feature of the is that it also refines the body and features of the cultivator. The art makes the cultivator''s skin be like ice jade and soft resin. Their features would become flawless. Cultivating from childhood only amplifies these effects. Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace women are all beauties that could ruin cities because of this.


    She realizes just how dire this whole situation is... She still doesn''t know about Issei identity and personality.


    If he posses stronger cultivation than all of them and maybe also very lustful as well then their fate can be imagined... But if she were to do anything rash now and apparently he has a backing behind his back then their whole sect will be doomed as well... She''s in dilemma thinking what she should just do...


    She finally decided to discuss it with her Senior Master, Feng Qianhui...


    ...


    She returned with Feng Qianhui in tow towards Issei room and just like she expected, even an old lady such as Feng Qianhui couldn''t help become charmed by his look but thankfully she''s already prepared for this.


    After hearing the detail from Gong Yuxian, Feng Qianhui started thinking the ups and down for their option...


    If it''s just as they feared then it will be absolutely fatal for their sect... They finally come into consensus to just try to heal Issei of his injury for now and hope for the best...


    They really hope he''s not the man they thought him to be... Whether it''s for their sect wellbeing or for their own heart... Nobody knows...


    Gong Yuxian then does her best trying to take care of Issei...


    They can''t tell that the worst injury he sustained is on his soul so they can only take care of his minor wounds on his body... Gong Yuxian is the one who''s taking care of Issei because she can''t let their other disciples do it fearing they will lose their will to cultivate their profound way after seeing him...


    Even she is currently blushing right now and she doesn''t dare to take off all his clothes fearing he will be completely enthralled by him... Just like the "Celestial" woman that took advantage of Issei, she''s also finding it a little bit difficult to shed his clothes.


    She uses her profound arts to clean and put medicine to his wounds avoiding direct contact with his skin.


    She and Feng Qianhui thought that perhaps he''s cultivating some sort of charming arts? If so that''s really worrying... Coupled with his looks and if he were to cultivate those sinful arts then what will happen to them when the time comes? Can they even resist?


    Feng Qianhui - ...Yuxian, don''t you think it is weird that even though he is exposed to the cold his whole body stays warm and even his breathing is smooth without any difficulty?


    Feng Qianhui mumbled after observing Issei condition attentively. Her face also has a tinge of red after observing his body but thankfully Gong Yuxian didn''t notice this since the latter also tried her best to hide her blushing complexion.


    It will be extremely embarrassing for Feng Qianhui if it were known that she''s being charmed by someone young enough that he could be her grandson... Where will she put her face if this were to be known?


    It''s not like she''s old and wrinkly like 80 years old grannies out there. If anything she could be considered quite beautiful for someone at her age, and even though there are some wrinkles around her face and half of her hair turned white but that''s about it.


    They judged from Issei youthful face he should be around 20 at most and that''s very alarming for them... 20 years old but already posses higher cultivation than them both? That is absolutely unprecedented and never heard of before...


    Feng Qianhui who has higher cultivation than Gong Yuxian also tried to use her profound energy to inspect Issei but the result is still the same when she arrives at Issei location...


    Even Ling Yun who is the young master of the Heavenly Sword Villa who''s known to be the most talented person in their continent right now who''s 20 years of age is only at the Sky Profound Realm and that''s already considered abnormal...


    Gong Yuxian who heard her words become stunned at first before she gave her answer.


    Gong Yuxian - ...Perhaps he cultivates some sort of Fire-based profound arts?


    Feng Qianhui - ...But if he indeed cultivates fire-based arts shouldn''t we feel uncomfortable being near him since we are cultivating ice-based art?


    This time Gong Yuxian feeling stumped... Indeed... If Issei cultivates fire-based arts then they should feel uncomfortable just from being near his presence alone...


    It got nothing to do with him using his fire-arts or not, but it''s just their natural reaction since they cultivate ice-based cultivation arts after all. That''s always has been the case until now...


    Fire always counteract against Ice just how it should''ve been.


    Feng Qianhui - ...If anything I feel really comfortable being near him and did you also notice that our cultivation progress will increase by a wide margin if we were to cultivate right now?


    After hearing her words, Gong Yuxian immediately inspected her veins and finds out that it is indeed true... They feel like if they cultivate right now then progress by leaps and bounds and maybe she will be able to achieve a breakthrough to 4th level of Emperor Profound Realm in no time and perhaps even more...


    Feng Qianhui - Even the profound energy surrounding us became denser and purer as time goes by...


    This time both of them are at a loss for words... Just who is he? How can he cause this many abnormal phenomena in this short amount of time?


    They can only wait for him to wake up and hopefully, he''s not an evil person...


    After a few hours, they saw some sign of him about to wake up soon...


    They decided to call their strongest disciples to assist them just in case something goes awry and told the weaker disciples to prepare themselves and escape if the worst situation happens and they will give everything they have to hold him back when that time comes...


    All of them become worried after that... Most of them honestly can''t accept that the otherworldly man they just saw might be an evil person...


    Their strongest disciples are the ones that are hailed as .


    The first one is named Chu Yuechan, the First Fairy of .


    Chu Yuechan - Yuechan greet Master and Grand Mistress.


    She paid her courtesy towards Gong Yuxian and Feng Qianhui. Her voice is calm and collected.


    Chu Yuechan usually wears the snowy attire of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace along with an ice silk veil that masked her appearance, only revealing a pair of ice-cold beautiful eyes. Even though her appearance was hidden, just her temperament and figure alone was extremely beautiful, capable of making one''s mind waver uncontrollably.


    But since she''s inside her own sect she doesn''t wear her veil.


    Her features were all absolutely exquisite. Her eyebrows were clear and slender, her skin was pearly, and although her lips and face were as white as paper, this was unable to cover up the cold, arrogant nobility which was bone-deep. This cold nobility seemed to make her transcend the dust of the world and made it so that anyone who faced her wouldn''t dare to profane her in the slightest, only feel ashamed of their own inferiority.


    She is a disciple of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, and was second only to the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Mistress and was the leader of the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies. Her only known relative is her sister of Chu Yueli.


    She is the publicly acknowledged Blue Wind Empire''s number one beauty and also her generation''s unrivaled number one expert. She attracted the admiration and love of many famous figures in Blue Wind Empire including the Xiao Sect''s current sect master, Heavenly Sword Villa''s current villa master, as well as Emperor Cang Wanhe.


    Next is a woman named Murong Qianxue.


    Murong Qianxue is one of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Seven Fairies, with her being ranked second.


    Her appearance was peerlessly beautiful as if she was a goddess that descended to the mortal world.


    Her slender waist like a willow, the curved bodyline winded downwards like water, connecting to ample buttocks hidden by the snow attire. Her snowy skin was more so tenderly pink and flawless like glossy resin, making one become endlessly lost in a reverie at just the thought of the utterly charming scenery that laid to the front of this charming body.


    The snow robes of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace were all slightly constraint, and when she was in her snow robe, Murong Qianxue''s chest area had always been perked up. As such, it was imaginable just how bountiful they were under her snow robe¡­


    The third one is a woman named Jun Lianqie.


    Jun Lianqie is a member of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies. She is ranked 3rd among the Seven Fairies.


    Just like the previous two, she''s very breathtaking and beautiful just like a Goddess descended to the mortal world.


    Next is Mu Lanyi, a member of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies. She is ranked 4th among the Seven Fairies.


    The 5th one is Chu Yueli, a part of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies, known as the Fairy of Frozen Glass. She is ranked 5th among the Seven Fairies.


    She has an exceptional snow-white complexion, vermilion lips, and black hair. She has peerless elegance and pure holiness like a fairy who had descended from the palace in the moon. It was hard for anyone to ascertain her true age. She seemed to be in her twenties, and then in her thirties, yet still appeared to be in her teens as well. She looked just like a fairy, dreamy and absolutely beautiful.


    The 6th and 7th ones are Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue respectively. They are a member of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies. She is ranked 6th among the Seven Fairies. Feng Hanxue which is her twin sister is ranked 7th.


    While the other Seven Fairies were cold and proud, Feng Hanyue and her sister were the opposite. They had sweet and cute personalities and were very friendly yet naive. The Palace Mistress never allowed the twins to leave Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace because their childish nature was completely different from the Frozen Cloud Asgard''s reputation of "icy proudness".


    And both of them are also among the one who already saw Issei before this.


    Both of them immediately locked on their gazes towards the currently unconscious Issei in the bed. Their eyes turned misty straight away but they don''t have nosebleed this time around...


    While they are having it a little bit better since they''ve already seen Issei before this, the same couldn''t be said for the rest of the fairies...


    Even Chu Yuechan who''s known to be the coldest of them all is taken aback after seeing his face much less about the others...


    All of them become enthralled by his sight alone but Chu Yuechan is the first that managed to snaps out of her daze albeit with extreme difficulty...


    Chu Yuechan - ...This person is...


    She inquired cautiously towards Gong Yuxian and Feng Qianhui who then explained what they know about Issei...


    They bring back the rest of the fairies out of their charmed state first though.


    But the twin Hanyue and Hanxue still take a sneak peek now and then during the whole explanation much to their dismay...


    They nodded their head and prepared themselves just in case Issei is indeed an evil person with a resolution that they will put everything they have to stall him long enough when the time comes...


    Gong Yuxian - *Sigh*... Blame me... If only I didn''t bring him back to our sect...


    She sighed woefully fearing her action might cause their sect destruction.


    Even if they somehow get rid of Issei now, who knows if there''s some sort of soul inscription inside his body that can be tracked down to their location... And if they throw his body away from their sect it won''t help much either... What if there''s a hidden expert searching for him and suddenly saw them dumping his body out in the snow? There are too many risks at hands...


    Feng Qianhui - No need to blame yourself... Perhaps this is also fate at works.


    Feng Qianhui comforted Gong Yuxian.


    They can only put their fate into their final hope... Hoping that Issei is not an evil person they thought him to be...


    After waiting for a while they finally saw Issei eyelid started to stir and before long he opened his eyes before he sat up from the bed slowly.


    They are in a high alert seeing him awake but after seeing his captivating wine-red eyes they become frozen stiff without a single exception...


    Issei eyes don''t turn into his Dragon eyes at the moment unless he willed it or when he feels furious. His eyes may still a bit slitted a little but not to the point people will think of it as Dragon eyes.


    Issei - ...This place is...


    He muttered in a low voice while inspecting his surroundings... He can''t recognize his current surroundings at all until he saw the group of woman who''s currently gazing at him in an enthralled state.


    Issei confusedly looks at them before he started remembering what happened after he successfully repelled Nyarlathotep attack and killed her in the process.


    He started inspecting his body and saw that most of his wounds are already closed up but what worried him the most is his soul since it''s quite injured and it will take some time before he can go back to his full power...


    But there''s indeed some kind of improvement? Although it''s quite small... It''s still better than nothing at least.


    He thought that this group of women must be responsible for this so he''s feeling thankful at them without knowing that he just got taken advantage of during his sleep before he met them and the true cause of this small recovery is that very same woman who raped him in his sleep...


    His eyes turned melancholic immediately after thinking about his pregnant wives and this gaze of his managed to pull the heartstring of every woman that''s currently in this room...


    ''Just what makes him seems so upset?'' They wish that they could comfort him from his sorrow but they immediately snapped out of their thoughts not long after, ''Just what were they thinking?!''. Feng Qianhui feeling the most embarrassed of them all because of her age...


    Issei finally set his gaze back towards them all and the tension they are feeling are quite high. But they became taken aback once more because when he set his gazes upon them there''s no change at all that could be found on his face... It still retains that previous melancholic look but there''s not a single ounce of greed and lust they usually found on those smelly men...


    There''s only appreciation and gratitude that could be found inside his gaze...


    They can tell if someone is faking it or not except for the twins since they have experienced a lot with that kind of case where they act like a gentleman but in fact, they are lusting over their beauties beneath that gentlemanly facade...


    They are feeling slightly uncomfortable because of this... They started thinking if they are not attractive enough to garner his attention?


    If those "smelly men" know what they are thinking right now then they will immediately start spitting blood while screaming, ''You call us smelly men when we look at you that way but when this dude doesn''t look at you that way you feel insulted!? Haiss... We will never understand women''.


    Perhaps even Issei would agree on their words if he were to know of it but of course, those men will bark back at him saying ''You shut up! You wouldn''t know the feeling of us normal plebs! Well sorry for not being as handsome as you!''. Which will only earn a twitch at the corner of his mouth...


    Issei - Are you the one who saved me?


    Issei asked but since his words are in Japanese they couldn''t understand his words. Issei is also confused just why they don''t answer his question.


    Gong Yuxian - Umm... What did you just say, young noble? Sorry, but we couldn''t understand what you just said.


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    Gong Yuxian decided to speak up in their place.


    Hearing their words Issei understood that this place or should he say this world must be related to some kind of ancient Chinese with how similar they are with the Chinese mandarin that he knew.


    He''s proficient with any language because of the famous skill called the so he can easily speak in their mother tongue.


    Then Issei repeated his previous words but in their own language this time.


    Issei - Are you the one who saved me?


    His way of speaking is very fluent that no one will believe him if this is his first time speaking in this language and this time they can finally understand his words.


    Gong Yuxian - Ah, yes, young noble. This junior is the one who found your unconscious body before.


    Gong Yuxian and the rest of the group feeling a little bit relieved because it seems that he''s not an evil person after all... Since there''s no ill intent that could be reflected from his clear eyes.


    Issei - No need to call me young noble since I''m just a nobody and I''m only 21 years old so calling yourself a junior before me is quite inappropriate.


    Issei shakes his head towards her.


    Gong Yuxian - I-I see... Then what should we call you?


    She''s feeling a little impressed because of his humility. Even though he seems to be stronger than them all he doesn''t act arrogant at all.


    They unconsciously released their pressure towards Issei at the start but seeing him doesn''t react a tiny bit to their pressure they assume that he''s clearly stronger than all of them combined...


    He seems to be the type of person who can respect his elder, Feng Qianhui mused to herself.


    Issei - You can just call me Ise. And you have my gratitude for saving me. I will surely repay this debt.


    Issei said his gratitude towards them. He thought giving them his full name wouldn''t matter much other than adding to the confusion so he decided to just tell them his nickname.


    They misunderstood thinking that his real identity must be quite sensitive so he doesn''t want to tell them his full name but they don''t want to pry so they accepted his words.


    Gong Yuxian - We understand. And no need to overthink yourself with this kind of measly stuff, it''s what we should do after all.


    She smiled thinly at him while the other girls become speechless at her action.


    Didn''t their sect forbid men from entering this place? Then what''s wrong with that "It''s what we should do?".


    They won''t point this out though...


    Gong Yuxian who realizes their gaze had her face turned slightly red but she keep a straight face while facing Issei.


    Issei - No, my parents always taught me to repay any kind of kindness that has been given to me, so it would go against their teaching if I don''t repay your act of kindness towards me.


    Issei words gained an even more favorable impression from them all. Such a well-mannered young man, they thought to themselves...


    Overall, they are very pleased with his attitude so far.


    Feng Qianhui - Well said... I hope you don''t mind this old woman question but can you tell us just what happened to you that made you passed out, young Ise? For someone of your strength manages to be injured to this extent, that someone must be very powerful as well?


    Feng Qianhui praised Issei before proceeding to ask him the essential question they needed the most.


    Even though they indeed "saved" Issei, they can''t risk the possibilities of the one that injured him might be out there searching for him and if he/she finds out that they helped his/her enemy they might be in danger as well.


    Feng Qianhui - Of course, if you don''t want to tell us then it''s completely understandable.


    Even though she said that. She''s still quite worried nevertheless...


    They maybe have a favorable impression towards him but that doesn''t mean they became completely muddle-headed and risked the whole sect just for him alone...


    Issei can feel their worries and he finds it completely normal to feel that way. Even he would do the same thing if they''re in their position.


    Issei - You can rest assured that the one who injured me has already been killed by me. So you don''t need to be worried about any calamity befalling any of you.


    Issei calmly reassured them since he indeed manages to defeat Nyarlathotep so they don''t need to be worried about it.


    Feng Qianhui - I see... I apologize for my question but it is as you see...


    She embarrassingly said towards Issei because it seems that he finds out the hidden meaning behind her words just now.


    Issei - I completely understand so you don''t need to apologize towards me.


    Issei shakes his head slowly implying that he doesn''t mind at all.


    Feng Qianhui - En... Then this old woman is grateful for your understanding, young Ise.


    They all can finally heave a sigh of relief after that.


    Issei - Can you tell me about our current location?


    Then Issei started inquiring them about his current location and all that basic stuff...


    ...


    Issei - I see...


    Issei calmly nodded towards them after hearing their explanation.


    But they couldn''t believe that Issei doesn''t have any cultivation at all...


    He told them that he came from far away and he arrived here by chance so when they asked him about his cultivation he can only say that he doesn''t have this "cultivation" they''re talking about.


    They can only believe him since he seems completely oblivious of his surroundings and the absence of any treachery and lies in his eyes tells them that he''s indeed telling the truth.


    When they mentioned which is their sect that''s well-known of its beauties towards him there''s no change in expression whatsoever that could be found on his face... Not even any other big sects for that matter.


    He still has this "absorbing information" looks on his face during the whole time...


    Even when they asked him if they''re allowed to inspect his body with their profound energy they can''t find any ounce of profound energy within him...


    Obviously they won''t find it since Issei is telling the truth. And they are far too weak to sense his aura and true strength for that matter.


    His strength lies deep in his soul, not from this so-called "profound veins" they''re talking about.


    And even that celestial woman can only vaguely sense his true strength much less them...


    They can use their profound energy at Issei because he lets their energy roam around inside his body and he doesn''t need to be worried about them having any malicious intent either with how weak they are compared to him.


    Their is at most at so why should he need to be careful of a toddler? Even though he''s currently weakened to peak in strength but that is more than enough to make him amongst the strongest in this world.


    In the eyes of normal human, a could be considered a superhuman already but in the eyes of Issei they only amount to a toddler at most...


    And sooner or later he will return to which is inarguably the strongest person in existence... Needless to say when he returned to ...


    On a side note, here''s the comparison between profound realm and :


    - Elementary Profound Realm to Emperor Profound Realm = to peak.


    - Tyrant Profound Realm to Divine Origin Realm = (low, mid, peak respectively).


    - Divine Soul Realm to Divine Spirit Realm = (low, mid, peak...)


    - Divine King Realm to Divine Master Realm = ...


    - Divine Extinction Realm to True God Realm = .


    - Creation God Realm to Ancestor God Realm = .


    - Unknown Realm = (Which is the highest possible in this Universe).


    This is only something that Issei will find out later on... He has been to a much lower world, Evenicle being one of them so he''s not really that surprised when that moment comes.


    They can only look at each other in utter confusion... What are they supposed to do now? The man they thought highly before this is apparently just a normal mortal and not a cultivator like them...


    They thought that maybe the reason why they can''t use their profound energy on him before this is just a coincident. The same goes for all that phenomenon from before since right now the profound energy in the air around them turned normal just like the usual.


    Sure they still feel comfortable around him but that may be caused by their feelings since they have a favorable impression about him.


    Of course it returns to normal since Issei is not unconscious anymore so his "Auto-Recharge" mode is inactive at the moment and he can choose when to absorb energies/mana around him whenever he wants.


    But deep in their heart, they can''t accept this... They can''t accept that this perfect man before them is just a normal mortal... As for his imposing manner and noble bearings...


    Only someone of high standing can possess this kind of imposing manner that''s instilled to their very beings... But he told them that he''s just nobody? It''s really hard to believe... Perhaps he''s some sort of a royal crown prince from some unknown kingdom but that''s about it... In the end, a mortal is still a mortal no matter what their backgrounds are...


    Issei is indeed just a nobody in this world but back in his original world, he''s far from being a "Nobody"... He''s a Supreme King! And not just any King, but GodKing! Highest level possessor beside Nyarlathotep herself!


    But of course they won''t know that and even if they do they won''t be able to understand it either... Issei won''t bother telling them that either since he''s not the kind that cares about those kinds of stuff.


    Honor, riches, vanity, glory is naught but a worthless thing before him. All he cares about is the safety of his loved ones.


    They also find out that he doesn''t possess any profound veins at all so he''s basically a cripple? Truly unbelievable...


    They felt a little disappointed knowing all this since this world is a cruel world... There''s no use being handsome and pretty if you don''t have the power to defend yourself... It''s a curse instead of a blessing...


    There will be many men that will feel jealous of his otherworldly face so they will make sure to make him disappears from this world less they get cucked behind their back or perhaps someone who coveted his beauty will turn him into their boy toy or worst... Alas... Heaven is indeed jealous of those that are gifted...


    He may have an otherworldly face but he is a cripple in the end...


    If the Heaven they''re talking about can hear their thoughts right now it would certainly faint in fright after it said these words...


    ''My lovely ladies, my Grandmother, my little Ancestors! I beg of you! Please be careful with your words! The man in front of you is someone that possess even more power than me or anyone else in this world! He can easily flip the Heavens outside down with just a flick of his finger for Heavensake!''


    It will be so scared that it even started spouting nonsense as if there''s another "Heaven" above it even though it is the only Heaven that exist in this world...


    Just when they are sighing in pity towards Issei fate. He finally snaps out of his thoughts...


    Issei - Can you teach me how to "Cultivate"?


    He''s hoping that maybe by cultivating he can increase his recovery rate even by just by a little.


    At first, they are feeling a little taken aback but they soon smile bitterly at him.


    Feng Qianhui - Aiii... It''s not that this old woman is crushing your hope but to cultivate in the profound way you need to possess profound veins at first and foremost, young Ise... But as we''ve told you before... You don''t have any profound veins at all, so...


    She doesn''t need to continue her words because it''s clear what she wanted to convey towards him and Issei of course understood this as well.


    Issei - I know, but can you at least show me?


    He earnestly asked them with a serious face that made their heartthrob once more... They finally relented under his gaze and decided to just grant his request...


    Then Feng Qianhui demonstrated how to cultivate in the profound way for a brief moment while Issei observes her intently as not to miss anything...


    Issei - I see...


    After Feng Qianhui finished her short demonstration Issei nodded at her before he tried to do it on his own with his eyes closed just like how Feng Qianhui did it.


    They smiled wryly seeing his attempt to copy Feng Qianhui... Even if he''s not a cripple it won''t be easy to just cultivate in the profound way... But in the next second, all of their mouths become "O" shaped in utter shock...


    That''s because they can sense a huge amount of profound energy gathering around Issei and entering his body.


    It''s like his body is a bottomless pit that keeps absorbing the profound energy around him, and not just profound energy. He also absorbing nature energy around him at the same time...


    And what makes them become further dumbfounded is when they sensed his cultivation rapidly increasing at an extremely rapid pace.


    Elementary Realm... Nascent Realm... True Realm... Spirit Realm... Earth Realm... Sky Realm... Emperor Profound Realm peak!


    His cultivation advanced from Elementary realm into Emperor Profound Realm 10th stage peak in but just one breath!


    (AN: Dunno what they mean by 1 breath or 2 breath that they usually use wuxia novel but I will assume it as 1 minute at most).


    What is going on? Is cultivating the profound way has always been this easy? In just but one breath someone can step into the Emperor Realm just like that? Isn''t he a cripple with no veins whatsoever? Who am I? Who are you? And why I even exist...?


    Their brains are so jumbled that they started questioning why they even exist in the first place...


    It''s completely understandable since not a single person in history whether in this realm/planet or even in the higher realm/planet able to achieve what he did.


    Being able to step into the elementary profound realm in less than a minute and also become an Emperor Profound Realm in the next few seconds at the same time... It is simply unheard of and impossible to happen...


    While Issei, on the other hand, feels a little disappointed because the amount of recovery he received during this whole process is so tiny like it''s just a drop of water in the vast ocean...


    He actually can still go on but there''s no meaning since even if he steps into the Sovereign Profound Realm they told him about, the result still won''t change from what he observed so far...


    That tiny "Drop" he gained is the moment when he steps into the Elementary Profound Realm aka the first time he steps into the profound way while after that he never gains another "Drop" any longer even after he steps into the Emperor Profound Realm...


    Well, at least it''s not completely a waste of time he consoled himself.


    Then he opens his eyes wanting to thank Feng Qianhui once again but he''s feeling a little taken aback seeing their "O" shaped mouth at this moment that it kind of make them look comical, to say the least...


    Issei - ...Senior?


    Issei carefully said towards them and only then they all snapped back from their stupefied state.


    Feng Qianhui doesn''t say anything else before she grasped Issei wrist and started inspecting his body more carefully this time.


    To her utter shock, she finds out that Issei who''s supposedly a cripple with no veins whatsoever just a moment ago now possess a complete set of profound veins. And not only that, he now possesses the that only heard of in books or legends!


    Altogether, a person can only have a total of Fifty-four Profound Entrances. An ordinary person is gifted with approximately ten open profound entrances while a person with high innate talent may be gifted with around fifteen open profound entrances.


    A person with twenty naturally opened profound entrances can be considered an exceptionally gifted talent. If one has more profound entrances opened, their cultivation of the profound, and their activation speed will increase. A practitioner with twenty opened profound entrances would undoubtedly cultivate and activate their profound strength twice as fast as a practitioner born with only ten opened profound entrances.


    The number of innately open Profound Entrances essentially decided the height one could reach during his entire life because it was extremely difficult to open Profound Entrances postnatal. Extremely advanced miraculous medicine, chance, and luck; not even one of these factors could be absent. Using external forces to open Profound Entrances would be accompanied by extremely high risks; that even the slightest mistake would cause irreparable damage to the Profound Veins.


    In the entire Blue Wind Empire, the people who have achieved the supreme state of opening of thirty profound entrances, could not possibly surpass five.


    When all fifty-four profound entrances are opened it is known as . The cultivation speed will be the maximum and the owner will never hit a bottleneck.


    So it can be imagined just why she''s so shocked right now...


    All of this is caused by his terrifying comprehension. If there is 100 profound entrance then he can easily open all 100 just like that. Even if there is 1000 or more the result still won''t change.


    But since there can only be 54 profound openings from what he knows so far he only created 54 profound opening for his body...


    Feng Qianhui - This... This... This...


    She repeatedly mumbled the same word over and over again feeling extremely shocked.


    Gong Yuxian - What''s wrong, Senior Master?


    Gong Yuxian curiously asked Feng Qianhui wanting to know just what''s the reason behind Issei sudden abnormality.


    Feng Qianhui - ...S-See for yourself...


    She said while still being dazed.


    This time Gong Yuxian doesn''t hold back holding Issei wrist and immediately used her profound energy just like Feng Qianhui did...


    Gong Yuxian - This... This... This...


    This time it''s her turn to become shocked.


    Issei confusedly looks at the two of them... What''s making them so shocked? Didn''t they say there are 54 profound openings so he created just that exact amount of it on his body? What''s so weird about it?


    Chu Yuechan and the others are feeling curious as well. They wanted to know what they found on Issei that makes them so shocked.


    But they don''t try to do what both Gong Yuxian and Feng Qianhui just did, as in grabbing Issei''s hand directly with their own hands so they can only wait for both of them to snaps out of their dazes...


    After waiting a few minutes, they''ve finally come back to their senses and only then they finally started their inquiry...


    While Gong Yuxian started talking to the other girls, Feng Qianhui started thinking about something else...


    Feng Qianhui - ...Y-Young Ise, is this really your first time cultivating in the Profound Way?


    Issei - Um, this is indeed the first time I''ve heard of it. What''s wrong, senior? Is there any mistake? I did it exactly just how you demonstrated it.


    Issei genuinely asked her in confusion.


    Feng Qianhui mouth started twitching a lot after hearing his words... And the same goes for the other girls who finished listening to Gong Yuxian explanation...


    They are also shocked just like them both after knowing the truth and can only look at Issei with a weird gaze... What kind of monster is this? He only saw it once and he can do it? This is not a demonstration on how to cut a cabbage damn it!


    You''re asking them what''s wrong? You''ve done it so perfectly as if this is not your first time cultivating at al! And not just that, you reached the Emperor Profound Realm that is unachievable by most people in their lifetime in but just a single breath! You tell us what''s wrong then!?


    Of course this is only said out loud in their respective thoughts... Because there''s no sign of lies that could be found whether in his eyes or in his voice for that matter...


    They thought it must be their misconception yet again when they tried to check his profound veins and found it nonexistent before...


    Feng Qianhui - T-Then can you learn and use these arts?


    Feng Qianhui then proceeded to show him their sect most basic Profound arts... The and the .


    Gong Yuxian - Senior Master!


    Gong Yuxian felt a little bit taken aback because of Feng Qianhui sudden act.


    Feng Qianhui - Don''t worry.


    She calmly waved Gong Yuxian worried shout while watching Issei intently.


    When Issei finished comprehending the arts he''s being given he calmly demonstrated its Arts one by one from the first stage until the eight stage.


    His profound arts are so perfect that it made all of them there become completely dumbfounded yet again...


    But they became entranced by his sight executing those ice arts one after another... It''s as if he''s an Ice God Emperor that descends into the mortal world... But it doesn''t take long for them to snaps out of their daze this time.


    Issei of course can easily learn and use their arts like taking a walk in the park since he basically has control over all elements in existence. Especially the element which will make anyone who tried to comprehend it turned into a mindless beast if they were to fail to master it.


    Even the supposedly Evil God or better known as the Creation God of elements who could control all element in existence pale in comparison when it comes to elemental control. Maybe even Ramius alone could eclipse the Evil God in terms of absorbing elements needless to say if it''s Issei himself...


    If Issei couldn''t master this technique they are showing him then he might as well bash his head into tofu to commit suicide being a that he is...


    Feng Qianhui nodded slowly when she saw Issei finishes his demonstration...


    Feng Qianhui - ...Chan''er, go bring young Ise to the and show him the formula for the .


    Her voice is laced with hope that it sounded a little bit shaky but Feng Qianhui really hopes that Issei is able to comprehend their sect most sacred arts because no one has been able to master or even comprehend this art in the long history of their sect except for their founder...


    Gong Yuxian - Senior Master!


    Gong Yuxian shouted once again but this time her tone is more solemn compared to the previous one. Even the 7 fairies are completely taken aback by Feng Qianhui words.


    Feng Qianhui - Say no more, I have my own thoughts.


    They finally can only obey her words since she''s their sect Grand Mistress...


    Chu Yuechan - This disciple understands.


    Issei then calmly follows Chu Yuechan to their destination while Feng Qianhui and the others waited for their return...


    As soon as they left, Gong Yuxian got up and asked hurriedly towards Feng Qianhui.


    Gong Yuxian - Senior Master, why exactly did you make such a decision today? Is it truly because of the simple fact of his... Abnormality?


    Feng Qianhui had on a deep expression. She raised her head slightly and answered with a voice that sounded like a sorrowful sigh


    Feng Qianhui - Yuxian, do you still remember the thousand-year prophecy our Frozen Cloud ancestor had left behind that year?


    Gong Yuxian stared blankly, then her eyes trembled acutely, and her complexion also changed:


    Gong Yuxian - Could Senior Master be referring to the ?


    Feng Qianhui nodded her head.


    Feng Qianhui - "In those days, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Mistress and a wanderer of the Black Fiend Empire''s Heaven''s Fate Clan were close friends. At that time, the Heaven''s Fate Clan was at its peak. They were about to see through heaven''s way and clearly discern heaven''s fate.


    It was highly inappropriate to be able to discern heaven''s fate, and ultimately, they had met judgment from heaven''s way and were annihilated.


    When the Frozen Cloud ancestor founded Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, the Heaven''s Fate wanderer had previously seen through heaven''s fate and informed our ancestor of our Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s thousand years of glory, as well as the great calamity that would come after a thousand years.


    If this calamity were to be weathered, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace would have ten thousand years of prosperity. If not, the name Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace would no longer appear in this world. And in terms of time¡­ the thousand-year date has already arrived. From nearly one year ago, I had always been ill at ease and was even haunted by nightmares non-stop when resting my mind..."


    She sighed sorrowfully while those that didn''t know about this become extremely worried...


    Feng Qianhui - In addition to that, for such personage such as young Ise to suddenly emerged in front of my Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, and the that went silent for a thousand years resurfaced in the world as well¡­ The various abnormalities, were seemingly all hinting the arrival of the Thousand-Year Calamity.


    Gong Yuxian''s expression was in sudden turmoil along with the other fairies in the room.


    Gong Yuxian - So the reason why Senior Master did not hesitate to break our sect''s rules and allowed him to enter the is to prepare our sect for that very same calamity?


    Feng Qianhui sighed and nodded in confirmation.


    Feng Qianhui - Compared to the survival of our sect, what is breaking a sect rule? Sigh, I only hope¡­ that if the Thousand Year Calamity really arrives¡­ The heavens will assist my Frozen Cloud! And even if he''s unable to learn the I was thinking to make him our sect only male disciple and my direct disciple just based on his and "Talent" alone. What do you think? I assume all of you are not against this idea right?


    Once again, if the "Heaven" they''re talking about heard their conversation it will react with; ''Assist? As if I need to assist you in your so-called calamity! Even if I were to be the one who will personally bring calamity to your sect I would instantly run as fast as I could with my tail behind my back the moment I sensed "His" presence there! What a joke!''


    Her solemn face turned into a small smirk with a knowing look which earned a small tinge of blush on all of their faces.


    Even the twins nodded profusely with a joyful smile on their face.


    Feng Hanyue - If we can have a junior brother like Ise then we are more than willing!


    Feng Hanxue - He also seems not to be the type of person senior sisters and master have been telling us about. Those perverted men or whatnot, right?


    Both of them started talking in a jovial manner knowing that Issei will join their sect feeling giddy that they can finally have their own junior brother in the sect even though Issei is clearly older than them both... And as for Issei will become their junior brother or not is still unknown but it will be made clear soon enough...


    They just felt a little vexed being the youngest in the sect, that''s all.


    They can only nod slowly at their statement since from what they''ve observed so far, Issei is far being the typical perverted smelly men they often have seen. But is it really fine to have him inside their sect? They have been told that a relationship between man and woman will obstruct their cultivation?


    Feng Qianhui who saw their worries sighed to herself.


    Feng Qianhui - And there''s another reason why we don''t allow any male to join our sect and also why we forbid our female disciple to ever have any relations with any men but I will further explain it later when young Ise return with Chan''er...


    Gong Yuxian knows about the real reason but since Feng Qianhui herself decided to publicize this secret to them then she won''t say anything else...


    ...


    During their journey to their destination, there''s no sound at all coming from either Issei or Chu Yuechan.


    Both of them choose to stay silent since Chu Yuechan is someone of a few words and with his aloof and cold personality, there''s no way she will be the one who starts a conversation.


    While Issei is feeling melancholic still so he chooses to stay silent as well.


    Hence their silence during their whole journey...


    Chu Yuechan - We have arrived.


    Her calm voice resounded in front of Issei.


    They arrived in front of a large ice crystal gate that emitted a dense white mist.


    Chu Yuechan extended a palm, pressing it atop the ice crystal gate. A blue light flickered in the center of her palm, and after a light sound of displacement, the originally tightly closed ice crystal gate silently opened. A piercing coldness assaulted the face, and what emerged in front of them was an especially spacious great hall. But the walls and bricks of this great hall were actually not made of cold ice, rather, they were made up of a deep blue-green stone.


    Chu Yuechan - This hall is called the , it is the place where our Frozen Cloud ancestor cultivated, and also the place where our Frozen Cloud ancestor departed the mortal realm.


    Chu Yuechan slowly walked in, her voice was calm and cold as if she''s not affected by Issei otherworldly charm but her heart is beating erratically during the whole trip.


    She blamed herself for all of this thinking her will is still not strong enough but unknown to her, unless she doesn''t have any emotion at all aka just a puppet then it is completely impossible for her to resist his charm.


    She can forget escaping from his charm in this lifetime because her aesthetics sense has been "Crippled" along with the other girls ever since the first time they saw his face...


    Issei calmly follows after her into the hall...


    The great hall was wide and empty, the floor, walls, and ceiling were all made of uniformly placed bluestone. The color of these bluestones was deep yet translucent, they slightly reflected light, and resembled dark jade. But apart from this, the entire great hall was completely empty, not even a seat or light stand was anywhere in sight.


    She raised her arms, and her white jade palms shone with an ice-cold, light blue radiance¡­ The originally bright and clean bluestone wall in front of them suddenly reflected rows of azure blue writing¡­ on the rightmost side of the text were four large words that released an ice-cold soul terrorizing light, which seemed to have been put together by ice crystals:


    "Frozen End Divine Art!"


    She then lowered her arms, and the blue light in her hands faded, as the words on the wall also completely faded away.


    Chu Yuechan - Only when using the illumination of the light from Frozen Cloud Arts would the inscription of the Frozen End Divine Arts appear. Unless someone uses the Frozen Cloud Arts and a sect member of my Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace then this inscription wouldn''t appear. Since my sect Grand Mistress allowed you to see this Art then you can be temporarily seen as our sect member.


    She said towards Issei to which he nodded in understanding.


    Chu Yuechan - Additionally, the bluestone within this hall is called the . It has been said that it is a divine stone that had been nourished by a True God''s power in the Primordial Era. Incomparably hard and solid, slicing it would leave no lines, it would not crack if frozen, and not melt if burned by fire. Even the power from a peak Emperor Profound is incapable of doing it any harm. Thus, when training in this sort of place, you can practice any kind of technique, and not have to worry about destroying anything.


    Issei - Oh?


    He''s a little intrigued at this. He wondered if he could somehow find the source of this if it''s as strong as she said that is.


    He pointed one of his fingers towards it and launched a small attack towards it. The attack he used is the very same art he just learned from Feng Qianhui, the Frozen Cloud Arts but when he used it. It seems more potent and powerful by a huge margin that manages to surprise Chu Yuechan even further.


    She couldn''t exactly tell what it is but there''s something more to this attack of his. It''s mixed with his very own power, that''s why...


    But to Issei disappointment, when his attack landed on it there''s a small hole that could be found in the same spot where his attack landed just now.


    Chu Yuechan beautiful lips become wide open seeing this...


    She felt like her face heated up after seeing this since she just said no attack could put a scratch on this Jade but here it is, that very same jade has a hole in it just from one attack from him...


    She slowly tried to use her own Frozen cloud arts towards it but the result is a complete opposite from Issei... There''s not a single scratch that could be found...


    She internally heaved a sigh of relief while comforting herself maybe it''s just a coincidence and the place where his attack landed is the place where it''s most vulnerable? Yes, that must be it...


    She keeps telling herself that for her own mental health because if not who knows how many times her common sense will be blown away by him along in just a single day!


    Issei - Oh, sorry.


    Issei who saw her stupefied face thought that she''s feeling offended about what he just did since he just basically cause a hole to appear to their precious jade so he calmly patches it up with a little bit of his own "profound energy".


    And in no time at all, the hole that he just caused on that Jade wall started regenerating on a visible rate and then it''s closed itself looking brand new.


    This time it will truly be indestructible since it has been exposed to Issei energy and without any of them knowing it. This Jade just turned into the most priceless artifact in this entire universe... Sadly, since it is indestructible, it can''t be processed into anything other than decoration unless Issei himself helped them excavate it from this place... Too bad...


    Chu Yuechan face started twitching a lot after seeing this and she finally chooses to stop thinking and feign ignorance instead...


    Chu Yuechan - ...I will be waiting outside, just call me if you need anything else.


    Then she left Issei alone in the hall but the way she walked out of the room is quite funny considering how fast she walks as if she wanted to hurriedly escape from him...


    Issei can only sweat seeing her like that. Is he that scary?


    Scary? You''re damn right you''re scary! Scary to my mental health and heart that is! That''s probably what she would say if she knew what he''s thinking right now...


    He then turned toward the wall where Frozen End Divine Arts were engraved, extended his hands and silently channeled Frozen Cloud Arts. As blue light flashed within his hands, the ice-blue colored words quickly emerged from the green-colored wall:


    "Ice, extremity of water, extremity of coldness. All things under heaven can become ice; water can be frozen into ice, blood can be frozen into ice, energy can be frozen into ice, the profound can be frozen into ice. Mountains, hills, and the skies all can be frozen into ice..."


    profound formula appears to be simple and frank, yet also seems immensely profound. And looking with a glance, it didn''t seem like some powerful profound formula at all and was instead just an ineffable and superfluous text.


    There''s no change that could be found on his expression when he read it...


    Ice was one of the forms of water. In order to comprehend Frozen End Divine Arts, one first needed to reach an extremely high level of understanding toward the natural laws of ice. Issei is a being that could control any element in the whole multiverse of course he can easily comprehend it.


    He thought of something before he finally decided to try it...


    Before long there''s a misty fog surrounding him and that very same fog started taking shape into an ice spirit.


    The ice spirit who just materialized from his power started to multiply at an alarming rate... 10... 100... 10000... 100000...


    In no time at all, the whole hall is filled with numerous Ice spirits that started dancing around in joy with Issei as their center.


    Then those spirits started to condense themselves into three entities... When they finally finished their fusion, their previously small as a thumb-size transformed into a shape of a woman with an indistinct gorgeous figure that can eclipse the whole . If the women described as a Fairy then this group of entities can be described as an actual Ice Goddess.


    The first spirit shape is a tall, beautiful, and slender woman with long, light blue hair and blue eyes with a seemingly ice-cold temperament but when her gazes landed on Issei it turned into a devoted gaze immediately.


    The second spirit has long white hair and piercing red eyes, which have a bluish-green glow in them and just like the first spirit, she also has a piercing cold gaze that also changes into a devoted gaze when she set her gazes upon Issei.


    The third and final spirit appears as a tall and thin woman. Her hairstyle and color are about the same as the second spirit but her irises are blue instead of red. And unlike the first two, she seems emotionless but shares the same devoted look with both of them when she set her gaze upon Issei.


    (AN: Esdeath from Akame Ga Kill, Altair from Re Creator, and Sirius from Re Creator respectively if you''re wondering about their appearance).


    Their beautiful and flawless body is only covered by a simple white and blue robe that can''t hide their curvy and buxom body in the slightest. Although the third spirit isn''t as well-endowed as the first two but she''s not that far away.


    The three of them immediately knelt on the floor when they finished their materialization.


    1st Spirit - We thank you for creating us, o'' GodKing. Please command us as you see fit.


    Her melodious voice rang softly.


    Issei only nodded slightly at them while still in his thoughts...


    He never thought that his simple experiment would give birth to the three of them... It seems that this world is not as simple as he thought...


    This world energy is so pure and abundant that he can easily create a living being from scratch even though they are basically just a spirit and not a living being in the flesh, it''s not that far fetched.


    Their overall power is only at the peak but he guesses it''s not that bad considering they are his first creation.


    He already started to comprehend the law of Creation with the help of Semiramis. That coupled with the he got from the Evenicle world is more than enough to allow him to create a living being from scratch.


    He tried taking advantage of this world energy and the ice spirits surrounding this area and it seems that he succeeded on his first try.


    Although, he''s a bit confused since if he recalls correctly he tried making them into a man instead of a woman. How come they become a woman? Maybe he still needs to further look into this even later in the future...


    Unknown to him, it''s Semiramis trickery misleading him at a certain part during their lesson since she doesn''t want Issei to create a man unless it''s their children so she tricked him a little...


    He wanted to see if these spirits could help him to further increase his recovery rate but it seems they can''t considering they are far too weak compared to him... Not surprising since this world law is lower than the even though its energy is much purer and denser compared to the latter.


    He could recover faster if he were to absorb the natural energy of a place with extreme climates whether they are fire energy or ice energy it doesn''t matter.


    Although this place can be considered a place with extreme climates, it''s still not enough...


    Issei - You can return for now.


    Spirits - Understood.


    Issei dismissed them briefly and they all obeyed his words and returned to their spirit form ready to be summoned whenever he wanted.


    Issei then walked out of the room because he already mastered the completely.


    Issei - I''m done.


    Issei said towards the waiting Chu Yuechan who nodded at him thinking he must be unable to comprehend the just like she expected.


    She doesn''t sense or more like she can''t sense the abnormality that just happened inside the hall just now.


    They then returned to Feng Qianhui location.


    Feng Qianhui and the others who saw them return so fast feels a little disappointed just like Chu Yuechan.


    Feng Qianhui - Aiii... So you also unable to comprehend it, young Ise? Don''t worry, even our predecessor is unable to comprehend it.


    She said towards Issei in a consoling manner thinking he must be feeling down being unable to comprehend it.


    Issei - Hm? I managed to learn it.


    Issei confusedly said which made all of them become frozen stiff once more.


    ...What did he say?


    Feng Qianhui - ...U-Umm, what did you say, young Ise? I think we misheard you.


    Issei - I can use the .


    He then proceeded to showcase the arts from the first stage until the sixth stage for them all to witness.


    Each time he managed to perfectly demonstrate the the more they are feeling shocked.


    Their mouth opened so wide that it could almost touch the ground at this point...


    After a few moments, Issei finally finishes his demonstration.


    Issei - I can''t show you the 7th stage because it would be bad if I were to use it here since it''s quite destructive compared to the previous stages.


    His voice managed to bring them back from their daze but they sucked in a cold breath after hearing his words. To think he managed to learn all 7 stages in this short amount of time! Not even 30 minutes have passed but here he is able to comprehend all 7 stages just like that!


    What is a monstrous talent? This is already beyond monstrous at this point! A complete freak!


    They felt like their legs turned into jelly at this point even Feng Qianhui is the same.


    Her body started trembling at a visible rate before she grasped Issei''s hand.


    Feng Qianhui - Y-Y-Young Ise, do you have anywhere to go after this?


    Her voice is trembling in excitement.


    Issei - No. I am currently unable to return to my place yet due to some circumstances.


    Feng Qianhui - Then are you willing to stay here?!


    No sooner after Issei finishes his words, she continued her words almost in a shouting manner.


    Issei was a bit taken aback by her sudden action but he still calmly give her his answer.


    Issei - I don''t mind if you allow me to stay here.


    Feng Qianhui - We don''t mind! Of course we don''t mind!


    This time even the other girls are also taken aback by her shout.


    Feng Qianhui who finally realizes her act faked a cough in embarrassment.


    Feng Qianhui - What I''m trying to say is that...


    Then she proceeded to tell Issei about their whole situation. Along with the 1000 years calamity prophecy.


    She told everyone that the real reason why their sect forbids their disciples having a relationship with the opposite gender...


    Feng Qianhui - The reason why my sect had always only taken in female disciples, was because the female''s constitution leaned toward Yin, and is more fitting to cultivate the Frozen Cloud Arts. At the same time, the saying that love between males and females will obstruct Frozen Cloud Art''s cultivation is false. The secret that the Frozen Cloud Art could be inherited through virgin vital yin is the main reason why no male disciples are taken...


    The other girls also started absorbing this sudden news they just received... To think that''s the real reason behind their sect rule...


    Gong Yuxian already knew this so she doesn''t look shocked at all but she felt now that it is indeed a great idea if they could rope Ise into their sect. That way they can flourish even further and even perhaps as Feng Qianhui said, resist the 1000 year calamity prophecy.


    Feng Qianhui - Just based from your talent alone I''m sure any other sect is more than willing to make you their sect core disciple... But if you were to join my Immortal Palace, you do not need to deliberately do anything, and do not even need to follow the sectoral rules; you do not need to stay within the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace all the time either, and can completely go and come as you wish. What you need to do are only two things¡­ Firstly, is to not do things against good morals and nature in Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s name. Secondly¡­


    She hesitates for a second before she continued her words.


    Feng Qianhui - ...Someday, if Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace faces calamity, I hope that you can defend Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace with all your strength.


    After that, she waited for Issei respond... They all do.


    It doesn''t take long for Issei to give his answer.


    Issei - I''m willing to join your sect and as I said before I will surely repay you for saving my life. Although I will return to my place someday, know that until that time come I won''t allow any harm befall your sect and its members.


    Issei gave them his words and he will do what he said just like he always did. There won''t be any harm that will befall from this moment on...


    Seeing his face full with conviction, most of the girls here have their heart throbbing loudly as if it''s threatening to break from their chest while the twins have already become lovestruck at him, they just didn''t realize it yet...


    Feng Qianhui - Good... Good... Then from today onwards you shall be known as the Guest Elder of my sect! We will immediately prepare a room for you straight away.


    Issei - Then I thank you for your hospitality.


    Issei nodded slightly towards her and that day the whole sect is noticed of his status as a Guest Elder.


    Feng Qianhui canceled her idea of making Issei as her direct disciple because his talent and comprehension surpass her completely much to the twins'' disappointment because they failed to have a junior brother of their own.


    It''s already shameless enough for her to make Issei basically their sect bodyguard... She was thinking to just pass on her sect position as the Grand Mistress to him but she knows that it will be too shameless of her if she were to do that...


    And like he said before, he will return to where he came from someday in the future so it''s can be assumed that he will surely refuse her offer if she were to propose it to him.


    ...


    And then we''re back to the beginning of the story...


    Issei was looking into the thin air before him while being surrounded by animals and profound beasts alike.


    There''s someone not far away from him that recently arrived but she doesn''t want to break this artistic picture she''s currently seeing...


    This newcomer is Chu Yuechan.


    She''s asked by Gong Yuxian to call Issei since she wanted to say something to him.


    But when she arrived here she''s completely taken aback seeing this many profound beasts surrounding him. Especially the that''s currently rubbing its head onto his arm...


    This guest elder of theirs never ceases to amaze them again and again it seems...


    To think a Beast such as the would act like a tamed kitten in front of him... Just how many secrets does he possess?


    She''s hesitant if she should break this artistic view in front of her or not... She''s feeling entranced by the sight of Issei right now...


    It''s been a week ever since his stay here but he never smiles even for a brief moment during these days... They thought that it must be caused by his comprehension of the but that doesn''t seem to be the case because of his melancholic eyes... Because those who have high attainment in this profound arts usually have an ice-cold temperament that seems devoid of any other emotion.


    Even they found it hard to calm their heart whenever they are in his presence but oddly enough, it doesn''t seem to affect their cultivation in the slightest... If anything they become more comfortable in cultivating their arts.


    They also never felt the side effects of the arts they are cultivating anymore...


    They usually felt a bone-chilling cold within their veins and especially in their stomach once in a while but those cases never happen anymore ever since they tried asking him about his opinion on their arts.


    He told them there are too many downsides to the arts they are cultivating so he shares his own understanding with them and more often than not they will gain enlightenment or even achieve a breakthrough...


    Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian who heard of this become dumbfounded yet again... They started discussing their arts with Issei soon after that and when they''re done. It''s as if they just being enlightened and entered closed-door cultivation immediately.


    When they finished their closed-door cultivation, both of them achieved a breakthrough at the same time.


    Gong Yuxian breakthrough to 5th level of from the 3rd level while Feng Qianhui officially stepped into the 1st stage of from the 10th level of Emperor Realm.


    To think the bottleneck they had is solved just like that after a short discussion with Issei... After that incident, there are more and more disciples including Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian themselves asking advice hoping to get enlightenment from him... Including her as well for that matter.


    She herself finally stepped into the peak of , just half-step into the . Soon she should be able to gain another breakthrough...


    Just when she''s still in her thoughts she saw the growling at her.


    Her whole body becomes stiff being growled by it.


    Issei who sensed this also finally take back his sight and calmly patted the head which made the latter purr in contentment and took back its pressure from Chu Yuechan.


    Issei - She''s someone I know. Go back to your place now.


    He said towards it in a calm voice.


    The purred one last time before it started walking further into the snowfield along with the other animals and profound beasts.


    Issei - Can I help you with something, Senior sister Chu Yuechan?


    Chu Yuechan - ...Sect Mistress wanted to have a word with you, Elder Ise. And please don''t call me Senior Sister since your standing is higher than mine.


    She calmed herself down before she conveyed her words.


    Issei - Um. Then don''t call me Elder since I''m clearly younger than you and like I said before, I don''t care about those kinds of formality stuff.


    Issei retorted back at her to which she just ignores... She''s feeling a little annoyed at Issei for comparing their age but she still doesn''t realize why she''s feeling this way...


    Both of them then proceeded to walk back together to the .


    During their small trip back to the sect, every single disciple that they pass by paid their respect towards them both. Most of them had their face turned red when they saw Issei much to Chu Yuechan annoyance...


    Issei only calmly returned their courtesy with a nod.


    ...


    Issei - You called for me, Senior Yuxian?


    Once they arrived at Gong Yuxian location Issei immediately asked the latter.


    Gong Yuxian - Yes, Elder Ise. Sorry to bother you but I was thinking if you would accompany Chu Yueli during her trip to pick up her disciple, Xia Qingyue from the nearby ... It is a good timing since you''re not from around here right? So why don''t you familiarize yourself with our surroundings?


    She smiled thinly at Issei during their whole conversation because she, just like the others from the sect is feeling really grateful for what he did for them so far.


    Their sect strength has never been this prosperous before, with their disciples achieving a breakthrough left and right.


    They thought at this current pace then they should be able to achieve 1st place in the upcoming .


    Issei who heard her words thought for a second before agreeing with her arrangement... Then he and Chu Yueli set off towards the ...

 Chapter 97 - 96

    (AN: For true fans of ATG I''m sorry if some things I wrote is not completely the same as the original ATG since I mostly write it according to my memories and the wikis, I will also change some things according to my own wish. Once again, I''m sorry if you feel offended because of this).


    During their preparation on their small trip to the . Chu Yueli could barely keep herself from blushing and deep inside she felt a slight joy being able to travel together with Issei.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ni-tian-xie-shen-against-the-gods/images/3/31/Chu_Yueli-0.png/revision/latest?cb=20190209000558 Chu Yueli image. For those that can''t copy paste the link then go type Chu Yueli wiki on google instead).


    Although this seems unnoticed by the others from the sect, it doesn''t go unnoticed by her own elder sister which is Chu Yuechan herself.


    Chu Yuechan who saw the joy inside Chu Yueli eyes started feeling a slight prick inside her heart like she just lost against her own little sister but soon she throws these thoughts to the back of her mind and refocused herself on her cultivation.


    To be honest, when Feng Qianhui announced the real reason why their sect doesn''t allow any relationship between male and female outside of their sect, she basically just said, "Yes, our sect indeed doesn''t allow any relationship OUTSIDE of our sect but, if it''s with Ise who''s basically can be considered as one of our own then it''s completely fine if any of you wanted to have a proper relationship between man and woman with him".


    If anything she encourages them with the notion that maybe this will make him change his mind from going back to where he came from and finally choose to stay with them instead.


    If he took fancy on several of them or perhaps the entire sect itself then that''s completely acceptable as well. As long as the girls in question are willing then they see no reason why they should stop them.


    It''s completely normal for a capable man such as him to have multiple wives and concubines in this world. There''s even a woman having her own harem of men that has been recorded in the history before this...


    If that happen then it will be like killing two bird with one stone... Not only their sect will prosper even more (Which already proved during his stay during this short amount of time), but they will also get an extremely talented sect member for their and not just a Guest Elder.


    At that point, giving him the seat of their Sect Grand Master is completely acceptable and even the best outcome there is. Not only is he extremely talented but his temperament, personality, appearance are by far the best out of all the men they''ve seen... Especially his appearance... Important things need to be said twice!


    Some of their sect disciples are a bit slow in comprehending some things but he never loses his patience in guiding them until they finally fully understand it. So, to say his reputation even surpasses the Sect Mistress and Grand Mistress in a certain aspect is not false at all and both of them even feel happy knowing this.


    He always treated each and every one of them normally without any hidden intention at all. He treated them all just like a true gentleman would and never disrespect them in the slightest even after he gain basic knowledge of this world which is the one with the bigger fist is always right.


    If he wants he could''ve claimed them all for himself with his strength alone but those thoughts never crossed his mind it seems.


    This is a really fresh feeling to them all since most men they interacted with had hidden agenda of their own. Whether it''s to earn their attention since they coveted their beauty or it''s because they wanted to curry favor from their sect.


    The hidden intention from Feng Qianhui is more or less have been picked on by the entire sect members except for Issei himself. They don''t want to tell him about this since it''s their selfish desire to make him stay with their sect forever... Of course that will be impossible since Issei got his pregnant wives back at home waiting for him but that''s something they didn''t have knowledge about...


    They just thought the reason behind his melancholy is because he''s feeling homesick.


    Considering that most women here are completely inexperienced in a relationship between man and woman then it''s completely understandable they misunderstood him.


    Only Gong Yuxian herself has some experience dealing with this kind of stuff but that has been a long time ago and to be honest, she has almost forgotten about her past with his old lover because of Issei presence... She only wishes that if only she could be just a little younger then she would''ve had a chance with Issei... Even Feng Qianhui is feeling the same as her in this regards...


    On a side note, Feng Qianhui appearance got slightly younger the moment she stepped into the . Her new appearance is about the same as Gong Yuxian herself, as in her face reverted back to her 30-40 years old appearance.


    Most of her wrinkles have disappeared but a few strands of her hair is still white much to her exasperation.


    When this happens, she kept looking at her face reflected in the mirror for the whole day... Which woman doesn''t want to look pretty and stay young forever? Feng Qianhui of course is no exception to this fact either.


    Every time a cultivator steps into the next realm then they would gain an increase in their lifespans.


    -Emperor realm = 500 years old


    -Tyrant realm = 1000 years old


    -Sovereign realm = 2000 years old


    -Divine Origin realm = 10000 years old


    -Divine Master realm = 50000 years old


    -True God realm = 1 Billion+


    -Ancestral God realm = Immortal


    The amount of lifespan they gain increases by multiple times the higher their cultivation realm is.


    And when they reach a certain threshold, they will become Immortal.


    But the pathway to that realm is truly hard to achieve and ever since the ancient era of the old Gods, there has never been another person able to achieve true Immortality...


    Gong Yuxian - Ah, Elder Ise, one more thing.


    Gong Yuxian thought of something before calling Issei who''s about to set off with Chu Yueli.


    Gong Yuxian - Could you wear a veil or maybe a mask to cover up your appearance? Umm, it is as you see but most of our sect members also wear a veil whenever they are about to travel outside...


    She doesn''t need to continue her words but Issei understands her meaning.


    Issei - I understand.


    He nodded calmly at her before he took out a copy of his usual mask and put it on his head.


    They are not surprised seeing him taking out a mask from nowhere since he''s given a of his own by Feng Qianhui herself as a gift.


    But they do feel a little curious about his mask since they''ve never seen anything like it before. It feel quite mysterious and unique at the same time but it truly fits him they thought to themselves...


    Issei can''t access treasury anymore but he still possesses 10% of its treasury with him. It can be called a pseudo , a nerfed version of it.


    It basically only works as the better version of "Spatial Ring/Storage" so Semiramis and the others can''t track him back through it...


    10% may sound a little but it needs to be known that ever since the first time Issei gain access to , he has been increasing the content of the treasury by a massive amount.


    just 1% of his treasury is enough to make him the richest person in this entire world.


    Issei at first tried to refuse Feng Qianhui gift but since she''s quite insistent about it he can only accept it.


    The reason why Gong Yuxian told him to wear a mask is not only so they won''t be bothered by possible, scratch that... With his otherworldly countenance, he will absolutely attract countless women to him just like how ants attracted to sugar or like how a moth to a flame would, whatever you want to call it.


    So not only to prevent those lovestruck group of women bothering their sect but also to reduce the odds of him feeling attracted towards one of that said women in their pursuit.


    They have been always confident with their beauty but it''s not to the point of arrogance since they''re quite sure there''s someone out there that can outmatch their beauty. From the rumors they''ve heard, it seems the little princess from the


    has a beauty akin to that of a Goddess.


    Now if he were by chance to be roped in by the


    because of that, it would be a huge loss for their sect...


    It may be selfish of them to do this but who cares. The early birds get the worms!


    Chu Yueli then pays her respect towards Gong Yuxian before they both finally left the sect.


    Some of the disciples are feeling envious of Chu Yueli but they soon collected their mind and went back to cultivate with a mindset that they need to increase their cultivation if they wanted to gain their sect Elder attention.


    They all also train their hardest for the upcoming ...


    ...


    Issei often glances left and right during his trip with Chu Yueli during their trip to the .


    He needed to familiarize himself after all and Chu Yueli doesn''t find this act of his weird at all but what she finds weird is that most profound beast that has high cultivation base often bow directly to their direction or should she say his direction.


    It is not a secret that this Elder of theirs have certain abilities or maybe just inherent talent to attract Profound beasts and animals alike.


    This is a mystery they never able to comprehend so they can only think of it as one of his many hidden talent or whatnot.


    Since Chu Yueli is at the they both can easily fly across the sky unhindered. She was at 7th level a few days ago but after gaining enlightenment from Issei she achieved a breakthrough in her cultivation.


    Issei actually doesn''t really need to rely on his cultivation if he wanted to fly but since using Profound Energy enables him to save more mana for himself then he might as well make use of it.


    Besides, this world is brimming with profound energy more than natural and chaos energy.


    Chu Yueli also introduced some well-known area or landmark whenever they pass by it acting as a tour guide for him.


    They could''ve arrived faster to their destination but Chu Yueli decided to take the longer route so she could introduce Issei to more location... Well, and also so that she could enjoy more alone time with him... Not that she would admit that of course...


    They pass by quite a few well-known cities such as the capital of their , the . And also it''s branch city the which is supposedly larger than their designated where Chu Yueli disciple resides by at least 10 times.


    Needless to say, the capital city is bigger than both city.


    Issei affirmed his suspicion that this world technology is on the less advanced side than some world he has visited but the air and energy in this world is very clean... He thought that this world is quite beautiful and he thought that maybe he would re-visit it later in the future with his loved ones.


    They should like this world, especially Riche who likes to discover new things and taking adventure whenever she could he thought to himself.


    Chu Yueli - ...Elder Ise?


    Chu Yueli called his name directly seeing that he doesn''t seem to respond to her words just now.


    Issei - Oh, I''m sorry, I didn''t hear what you just said.


    Chu Yueli - It''s fine... Is something bothering your mind?


    Issei - It''s nothing. I''m just thinking about some stuff.


    She then just nodded understandingly before they resumed their journey.


    All normal people who saw both of them flying through the sky hurriedly paid their respect and the same goes for those that are in lower cultivation realm than them both.


    But they have a different reaction, while the normal civilian just pay their respect out of awe. The cultivators paid their respect since they recognize Chu Yueli clothes which belong to the and high cultivation.


    Even though she''s currently wearing a veil over her face that still doesn''t stop them from leering at her as if their eyes are stripping her naked stealthily... Who doesn''t know that those from the have a beauty that could ruin city and nation alike?


    And since she could fly in the sky signaling that she''s in the then she must be one of the famous . This fact is quite well-known among the higher realm practitioners...


    And her outfit is also not the standard outfit so it''s safe to assume that she''s indeed one of the .


    They may seem like they are acting respectful right now but the lust and greed within their eyes are obvious to all.


    Chu Yueli also sensed their gazes and felt a little uncomfortable but she''s quite used to this so she doesn''t really pay them that much attention... But the same couldn''t be said for Issei.


    He released his pressure towards them and that''s caused them to puke blood uncontrollably in the spot.


    Their whole body shivered fiercely and started kowtowing on the spot while begging for mercy towards their direction.


    Issei - If any of you dare to disrespect her with your eyes again then prepare to face the consequences.


    They started apologizing on the spot throwing their pride out of the window and acting like a complete coward who''s afraid of death. Some of them even pissed themselves on the spot.


    Mob - Please forgive us senior! This lowly one wouldn''t dare!


    Only now that they realize that next to Chu Yueli there''s someone else. They unconsciously disregarded Issei since they are captivated by her sight a few moments ago and only now that they realize his presence.


    It''s not really their fault since Issei whole being seemed to be blend with nature itself and only those that are very close to him can sense his presence or if he allows them to.


    Issei is quite lenient in this act of his but if they were leering at his wives then that might be a different story altogether...


    If he wanted to then he could kill them on the spot without moving a single finger and they won''t even know how they died in the first place...


    Chu Yueli who saw this gawked at first before a blush crept on her face but thankfully she''s wearing her veil.


    Chu Yueli - You don''t need to pay them any mind, Elder Ise...


    What she meant is that there''s no need to lower himself to their level since they are just a weakling in her eyes.


    Issei - I already promised that I wouldn''t let any harm would befall any of you. Even if it''s just a simple disrespect, I won''t allow it.


    He calmly said towards Chu Yueli word by word with a firm tone.


    Her face becomes flushed even further after hearing his words and she felt like her heart started thumping loudly... It''s quite a foreign feeling for her but she doesn''t hate it at all... If anything she''s feeling so happy that a happy smile slowly crept on her beautiful face...


    Once again, thankfully she''s wearing her veil or there would be quite a few men feeling captivated by this smile of hers...


    Chu Yueli - ...Th-Thank you...


    She muttered in a low voice while looking down.


    Issei - Don''t mind it.


    Then he took his pressure back much to those group of people relief before Issei and Chu Yueli resumed their journey...


    They still didn''t stop their kowtow towards their direction even after they disappear into the horizon and only after a good while they finally stopped their action.


    They immediately run away from their previous location just in case if Issei were to change his mind.


    The commoners are so baffled of their action since they are not exposed to Issei pressure and they didn''t dare to look at Chu Yueli direction during the entire time so they are safe...


    Issei voice is actually quite small considering their distance but since they are cultivators they can hear him quite well while the commoners can''t hear it.


    His overprotective personality started emerging once more and since his target of affection isn''t here with him then he unconsciously channeled it to the temporary "family" he''s currently staying with.


    sect has unknowingly invited the best guardian in the multiverse for their sect that even if there were a hundred calamity heading their way right now they will still be safe...


    Chu Yueli could barely stop herself from smiling once more during their whole journey... Even though she knows that if it were anyone else from their sect in her position just now, Issei would still act the same way. It''s still can''t stop her feeling giddy deep inside her heart...


    ''So this is the feeling of being protected by a man feels like... It''s quite nice...'', she thought dreamily inside her mind.


    While Issei is already back to his observing mode until they''ve finally arrived in their destination...


    ...


    is the smallest city of the Blue Wind Empire, it was so small that it wasn''t even suitable to be called a city. It is situated in the far east and is the most geographically remote in terms of location. The population, economy, and even the average Profound Strength were the lowest of the low. The city''s profound strength is so weak that in the past few centuries no one has ever stepped foot into the Sky Profound Realm. Floating Cloud City''s residents often mock themselves for being a forgotten corner in the Blue Wind Empire.


    They arrived just in time during the celebration of Xia Qiangyue marriage with the supposedly crippled Xiao Che from the Xiao clan.


    Chu Yueli understands the reason why Xia Qingyue married this supposed cripple since she already met with Xia Qingyue quite a while ago and that''s also when she decided to make the latter as her disciple.


    Her talent for cultivation astonishing with twenty one naturally opened Profound Entrances. She became the most sought-after young lady for many young masters within . However, Qingyue was already betrothed to Xiao Che of the Xiao Clan. Her father became sworn brothers with Xiao Ying, Xiao Che''s father after Xiao Ying risked his life to save Qingyue. Because of this, her father promised Xiao Ying that he would marry Qingyue to Xiao Che when they reach that age of 16.


    When she was twelve Xia Qingyue met her master Chu Yueli and became a disciple of . When she was 13 she broke through to the and stepped into the , at fourteen she broke through the into the .


    Chu Yueli then gave Xia Qingyue an artifact to hide her cultivation level as not to bring too much attention to the latter when the former is away.


    Talent may induce envy after all. And who knows if there will be someone from the other big sect who saw her talent and after finding out that she already has a master they might just cut down a tall grass before they had the chance to fully grow.


    (AN: I might be mistaken here since I forgot what''s the exact saying but I think it''s quite close. Basically it means to extinguish someone that may possess a threat to themselves before they had a chance to grow strong or whatnot. Just like how in Avenger: Endgame where Rhodey wanted to kill baby Thanos to fix their problems).


    Sure if compared to their new appointed sect Elder then she might be lacking but she''s still quite talented overall. Even if Xia Qingyue is compared to Chu Yueli herself for that matter.


    Chu Yueli - ...That''s why she''s willing to marry this Xiao Che.


    Chu Yueli explained towards Issei who''s currently floating beside her for the reason behind Xia Qingyue marriage since their sect supposedly doesn''t allow any of their disciple to have a relationship between man and woman.


    She thought Issei is curious as for why Xia Qingyue is allowed to marry someone considering the rules within their sect.


    Issei is indeed a little bit curious but he won''t care that much since this is not his business. He''s just a guest after all.


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    Issei - I see...


    Issei calmly nodded to her.


    Chu Yueli - But even though they are supposed to marry, they won''t consummate their marriage when the time comes. They will only be husband and wife in names... So you don''t need to worry, Elder Ise...


    Issei is confused about what she meant by that? Why should he worry?


    Chu Yueli thought that since Xia Qingyue beauty will surpass hers and Chu Yuechan in the future then she might have a better chance to attract the attention of this elder of theirs.


    Chu Yueli is going to tell Xia Qingyue their supposedly "New" rules and besides... Which man could eclipse their elder? She''s completely sure there won''t be any better man out there anyway so the more reason for her as Xia Qingyue master to make her disciple marry the best man there is, no?


    After all, "Master" in this world is akin to a second parent. A Teacher for a Day, a Father/Mother for Life.


    (AN: Meaning: a student should revere and respect someone who was willing to mentor them, even if they could only teach for a short period of time¡­ similarly, a teacher should nurture and cherish their students as they would their own children).


    Don''t think that they couldn''t see through the "true" strength of their elder since when Feng Qianhui asks Issei for some pointers in combat training he could easily block every single attack from the latter without breaking a single sweat... Heck, he doesn''t even move a single step from his initial position during their spar and he can still point out her flaws in an accurate manner...


    Not only that, but he also seems very proficient in sword path or saber path which their sect members mainly uses. They are quite certain he could use that so-called sword intent those sword practitioners searching for...


    He may be only at the peak of but his strength is at least stronger by multiple times than your normal 1st level of which is Feng Qianhui current realm.


    Although, they are a little confused about why he never achieve anymore breakthrough ever since then... According to his understanding in the profound way and the abnormality he has shown them so far, he should be able to achieve breakthrough anytime he wants since even now he could still give pointers to Feng Qianhui who has higher realm than he is...


    But it is not their place to pry so they let him be...


    If only they ask him then they will be completely frozen stiff on the spot after hearing his respond...


    "Because I don''t need to", that''s what will he say to them if they were to ask why he doesn''t achieve any more breakthrough...


    There''s no point for him to be a cultivator since he''s already the strongest in this realm...


    All he needs to do is to heal himself as quickly as possible then he can go back.


    Issei - ...Okay?


    Issei is unsure of what to say so he only nodded at her.


    Chu Yueli - Um... Xia Qingyue is a good girl that she''s still willing to smear her reputation by marrying this supposed cripple just to fulfill their parents'' agreement with each other... Really a good girl...


    Chu Yueli continued her words while gazing upon Xia Qingyue who''s in the wedding carriage.


    Issei - Perhaps... But I wouldn''t do what her parents did.


    Chu Yueli - ...May I know why?


    She inquired curiously.


    Issei - If my daughter is saved by someone then I would repay that someone with everything I have... But if he''s asking me to give my daughter hand in marriage then I would refuse immediately since it is not my place to decide of whom she should marry. It is her freedom on who she wants to marry, not mine.


    He spoke in an extremely gentle and tender tone.


    ''Of course, I won''t let my daughter marry anyone just like that... If her partner is not up to my standard then... Heheheh...''


    Issei added the last part inside his mind while laughing darkly as well at that...


    Poor daughters... The supposed standard he had in his mind is that man must be stronger than him and have a good personality before he allows him to take his daughter hand in marriage.


    The second requirement might be quite easy to achieve but the first requirement is... Yeah, impossible... Which individual would be able to defeat him in the future? The answer is none!


    Not only that he will keep going stronger as time passes by but so does his standards... Right now he might only have 2 requirements but in the future... RIP sons-in-law...


    But as for her daughters able to find a better man than their father or not is an entirely different thing altogether...


    Since in their eyes, their father is the best man there is so their standard for man also become increasingly high as well... They might even stay a virgin forever...


    Issei will be happy with this outcome since he always sees her daughters as the apples of his eye later in the future and he''s more than happy to have them by his side forever. While their mothers can only smile bitterly since they completely understand the reasoning behind their daughters... They could only blame their husband for being so god damn perfect! Now look at what happens... Their daughters couldn''t find their own mister perfect god damn it!


    Not that they''re really complaining though...


    Issei would still love his sons but of course their treatment will differ if compared to how he treats his daughters... He will be a bit stricter with his sons while with his daughters he will treat them like a princess...


    But that''s a story for another time...


    Chu Yueli who heard his gentle voice for the first time felt like her entire body is being electrocuted. He usually spoke in a calm manner so this is the first time she heard his gentle voice and she felt like she could melt just from the gentleness and tenderness of his voice alone.


    Her body shook greatly but thankfully Issei didn''t realize this since he''s still in his thoughts(constructing a plan to prevent his future daughters from being stolen from his side).


    Chu Yueli thought that he will be an extremely great father and husband...


    To be honest, she''s feeling a little annoyed by Xia Qingyue''s parent decision but since it''s not her place to butt in their family matter she can only accept it.


    She keeps discovering new sides of Issei just from this one trip of theirs... 1st his domineering side which appeared when she''s being disrespected by those smelly men eyes and the 2nd is just now... His gentle side when he''s talking about his imaginary daughters...


    She felt like he becomes increasingly perfect by the second...


    ''Just how perfect can you be...'', she thought inside her mind while feeling a little bit lovestruck... But if only she knew what''s on his mind right now then she might think otherwise and might even brand him as an over-protective father or even a daughter-con... Not that it''s a bad thing though...


    She hurriedly averted her gazes because she could feel her face getting hotter the more she looks at him while Issei is now started imagining the fun things he could do with his daughters... He wonders if any of his pregnant wives will give birth to a little princess... Each to their own delusions...


    Both Issei and Chu Yueli then waited in the nearby inn during that time. While Issei calmly sipped some tea and eat some food they ordered, Chu Yueli could barely keep herself from fidgeting in her seat and doesn''t dare to look straight at Issei during the whole time...


    Issei doesn''t realize her abnormality because he thought that the food they are eating isn''t that bad and started thinking if he could ask for their recipes...


    The marriage rites went on without a hitch until night comes...


    ...


    Chu Yueli decided to meet Xia Qingyue when she''s alone in the room while Issei waited in the inn they both were in before since it''s inappropriate for him to enter her wedding chamber.


    Chu Yueli excuses herself towards Issei while she meets up with Xia Qingyue.


    ...


    As soon as Xiao Che left to a toast in the wedding hall, a bright ice aura surrounded the room and a white figured dreamily appeared in front of Xia Qingyue. Xia Qingyue lightly stepped forward and spoke with a gentle and respectful voice.


    Xia Qingyue - Master.


    Chu Yueli - Qingyue, do you wish to return to Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace with me?


    Xia Qingyue slowly shakes her head towards Chu Yueli.


    Xia Qingyue - Master, Qingyue intends to stay awhile. If I leave as soon as I got married, he will suffer even harsher of endless ridicules. I ask Master to give me a month''s time so I won''t hurt him nor allow others to make fun of him by the time I leave.


    Chu Yueli looks at her calmly and after a while, she nodded slowly and smiled faintly at her,


    Chu Yueli - Alright. It is the first time in hundreds of years that a disciple was allowed to be married. Since it had been an exception, another month''s worth of wait is nothing.


    She thought that she will apologize towards Issei when she returns to their inn but knowing his personality he shouldn''t mind.


    She becomes further reassured after reminiscing what he said during the day where they talked about his imaginary daughter.


    Xia Qingyue - Thank you for fulfilling my wish, Master.


    Xia Qingyue''s body lowered again as she hesitantly whispered softly.


    Xia Qingyue - Master, is it really impossible to repair his Profound Vein?


    What she''s talking about is the crippled vein of Xiao Che.


    Chu Yueli overheard their small talk when she waited outside their room waiting for Xiao Che to leave for the wedding hall for his toast.


    Chu Yueli - There are no such things as absolutes in this... Ah...


    Chu Yueli was about to say it''s impossible but then she remembered Issei case.


    Xia Qingyue - Master?


    Xia Qingyue called her master seeing that she seems lost in her thoughts.


    Chu Yueli - ...Perhaps there is a way...


    She slowly muttered feeling a little bit unsure if it''s possible or not.


    Xia Qingyue who heard her words went silent for a bit before she speaks once again.


    Xia Qingyue - Then Qingyue beg master to grant Qingyue selfish request in repairing his profound vein.


    Chu Yueli - ...Qingyue, I know you are eager in repaying your debt of gratitude since your life was saved at a young age, to even go as far as delaying your return to , but you marrying him should already be enough to repay that obligation. When you return to , your identity will be revealed. Although he may suffer more ridicule after your departure, his status of being the husband of a disciple would still be intact. At least in this little , with that kind of prestigious status, no one would dare to cause him physical harm.


    Chu Yueli thought for a bit before she sighed helplessly.


    Chu Yueli - But fine... I will ask our sect Elder if he could help him... But remember that it is entirely up to him if he''s willing or not. Master can only convey your wish towards him.


    Chu Yueli said word by word in a strict tone because she really doesn''t want to bother their sect Elder that much since he has already done quite a lot for their sect.


    Xia Qingyue - Our sect elder? Him?


    Xia Qingyue becomes confused after hearing Chu Yueli words. Since when their sect has an elder? And it''s a "He"? She knows about the since her own master is one of them but she never heard about their sect having an elder. And it''s also a man it seems... Didn''t their sect only consist of females?


    Chu Yueli now remembered that Xia Qingyue still doesn''t know about Issei so she started explaining his identity towards her... But not before she erected a silent barrier to prevent their conversation from being heard by anyone else outside this room.


    Chu Yueli - The thing is...


    ...


    Chu Yueli - And that''s how it is... The reason why our sect doesn''t allow any relationship between man and woman outside of our sect... Even Master only knew about this recently. Remember not to tell anyone about this... Even your close family member is not allowed to get ahold of this.


    She explained everything from Issei identity to their sect "New" rules towards the stupefied Xia Qingyue.


    She never thought the reason behind their rule is because of that but it does make sense if she thought about it... It will be bad for their sect if everyone outside their sect could use their just like that.


    On the entire continent, only their sect is capable of using the ice-based and if other sects were to know of this then it will be catastrophic for their sect.


    Xia Qingyue - Qingyue understand.


    Chu Yueli - Um, it''s good that you understand... Now, Qingyue... There''s another thing I wanted to ask of you...


    Xia Qingyue - Please ask Master.


    Chu Yueli suddenly thought of something before she hesitantly asked her disciple.


    Chu Yueli - As you''ve heard... Our sect forbids a relationship outside of our sect... Although Master really hope that you could break this marriage of yours and have you marry our sect elder instead, but Master won''t force you against your will.


    She waited for a second before she continues her words.


    Chu Yueli - Our sect Elder is the best man Master has ever seen... Whether it be talent, personality, temperament, and especially his appearance. He''s by far the best of the best compared to other men out there... And like Master said before, Master won''t force you against your will. It is completely up to you, Qingyue. If you''re willing then it''s great and if you''re not willing then it''s fine as well.


    She then waited for her answer.


    Xia Qingyue went silent for a bit before she gives Chu Yueli her answer.


    Xia Qingyue - Master has done a lot for Qingyue and Qingyue is really grateful of Master but... Qingyue honestly is not interested in building a proper relationship at the moment since Qingyue has a dream she wishes to fulfill first... And until that dream of Qingyue is fulfilled, Qingyue won''t think of anything else. Do forgive Qingyue selfishness Master...


    She bowed deeply towards Chu Yueli because she can''t fulfill her master wish.


    Chu Yueli - Aiii... Silly child, Master doesn''t blame you... If Master were to force you against your will to marry our sect elder then I''m pretty sure he will refuse immediately and even blame me for my actions. Master was just thinking about your happiness... But since you already said so then Master won''t say anything else... Then Master will return to our Elder first and you can continue your marriage.


    Chu Yueli rubbed Xia Qingyue head fondly before she heads outside.


    Chu Yueli - Oh right... If our sect Elder agrees to help then I will immediately bring him to you. We will be staying in the nearby inn so just send me a message if you need any help.


    Xia Qingyue - Thank you for fulfilling Qingyue selfishness once again, Master.


    And with that, Chu Yueli leaves her room and headed towards Issei location straight away.


    But during her trip back, Chu Yueli forgot to inform Xia Qingyue about the cure of the side effect of their cultivation. She thought she ought to ask Issei to help her with that problem.


    She ought to return sooner than she thought... Well, she doesn''t want to let her disciple feeling pain from the cold anymore so it''s perfectly understandable.


    The process shouldn''t take long and if it does then they could just return on another day after their marriage rites have been finished.


    Issei was waiting inside his room when Chu Yueli descended from one of the windows.


    Chu Yueli - Sorry for-...


    Chu Yueli thought that she was being disrespectful for entering his room just like that but when she''s about to apologize, her words got stuck on her throat because of what she''s witnessing...


    Issei is not wearing his mask and his otherworldly countenance is completely shown in its full glory for the world to see... The way his silver hair swaying slightly caused by the night breeze and the way the light from the moonlight bathing his whole being as if he''s a celestial God descended into the mortal world... His enchanting wine-red eyes that become even more eye-catching caused by the lack of other light sources in his surroundings.


    His elegant poise while holding the small cup and the way he leaned on the window while looking at the night sky... All of that coupled with his melancholic expression can make any women head over heels with just one glimpse of his otherworldly visage is extremely stunning for any girl in this world or even in any other world for that matter.


    Perfection... Utter perfection... That is the only thing that comes up inside Chu Yueli mind right now...


    She has become utterly dumbstruck seeing this out of the world artistic picture that seems coming out from the painting...


    Thankfully those normal mortals below their inn don''t look at his direction or it will be catastrophic... Whether it for the man and women alike...


    Chu Yueli stays rooted in her spot while her gazes are locked on to Issei''s form unblinking.


    Thankfully Issei realized her presence from early on so it didn''t take long before she''s snapped out of her daze.


    Issei - Senior sister Chu Yueli?


    Issei slowly turned his face towards Chu Yueli and thankfully she manages to snaps out of her daze and hurriedly looks down before he could fully see her red face.


    Chu Yueli - I-I''m sorry for barging into your room without permission, Elder Ise.


    She somehow managed to say what she wanted to say with only a small stutter but she doesn''t dare to look up anymore.


    She has never been so glad for wearing a veil on her face because she''s certain that her face must''ve become red to the root of her ears.


    Issei - It''s fine... How''s your disciple, senior sister?


    Issei shakes his head calmly while inquired the condition of her disciple.


    Chu Yueli - Q-Qingyue is still attending her marriage party.


    Issei - I see...


    Issei nodded at her before he sets his gaze back outside the window.


    Chu Yueli who sensed this heaved a sigh of relief before she took a deep breath to calm down her currently thumping heart.


    It took her a good 5 minutes before she could gather her bearings back.


    Chu Yueli - ...Um, Elder Ise... The thing is my disciple said that she wanted to wait for another month before she will be coming with us back to the sect since she doesn''t want to embarrass her husband... So...


    Issei - Oh, I understand.


    He nodded while still looking outside the window.


    Chu Yueli - I''m grateful for your understanding... And also...


    She then proceeded to relay the request of Xia Qingyue to cure Xiao Che crippled veins and she also requested Issei to cure Xia Qingyue cultivation side effects.


    Chu Yueli is kinda feeling hopeful that if he could indeed cure a crippled profound vein then it could be a huge blessing for their sect.


    Who knows if one of their disciples someday will suffer an injury to their profound vein? It will be their sect blessing if Issei could cure those kinds of injuries.


    Chu Yueli - If Elder can''t do it then it''s completely fine. Just think of it as random ramblings from my disciple.


    Issei - Hm... I can do it.


    Chu Yueli - R-Really?


    Chu Yueli is feeling a little flabbergasted hearing his confirmation. She''s hopeful but her hope isn''t that high because she''s not completely sure if he''s capable or not.


    Issei - Um. But I have one condition.


    Issei confirmed her words before he added a condition for it.


    Chu Yueli - ...Please do tell. If I can fulfill it then I will surely do it.


    Chu Yueli said with a firm voice preparing herself for the hefty price she needs to pay.


    Issei - Good... My condition is that I want you to stop calling me an Elder.


    Chu Yueli - ...Eh?


    She becomes stupefied hearing his words. She thought she misheard him but Issei who saw the doubt in her eyes repeated his words.


    Issei - I want you and everyone else if possible from the sect to stop calling me an Elder... It doesn''t feel right to me being called an Elder considering most of you are older than me and I''m just a junior.


    Chu Yueli becomes completely stupefied after that... She thought it will be a harsh condition but she didn''t expect it to be that menial task...


    Chu Yueli - ...I-Is that it?


    Issei - Yes. That''s it.


    Chu Yueli - ...


    Her mouth started twitching a lot after hearing his serious tone... To think that all he wants is for them to stop calling him an elder...


    If anyone else knew of his capabilities then they would surely willing to pay a huge sum of price just for one cure of his but here he is asking them this meaningless condition...


    It seems that he''s feeling really unwell being called an Elder by those that are older than him... But doesn''t he realizes that the reason why most of them calling him with an elder suffix is mostly because they are trying to "Look" younger in front of him? Sure his strength plays a part in it but it''s mostly caused by the first reason.


    Aiii... It seems this "Elder" of theirs is a little dense and quite cute as well if she''s being honest.


    Chu Yueli involuntarily giggled a little to which earned a confusion from Issei. What''s so funny?


    Chu Yueli - I-I understand, heheh... From now on I will call you just Ise without any honorifics if we''re not in the presence of other people. But I can''t guarantee about the others if they will stop calling you an Elder or not.


    Issei - Well, good enough I guess... Then shall we go to your disciple location now?


    Issei sighed tiredly but at least one of them will stop calling him an elder...


    Chu Yueli - Um, the sooner the better. They won''t be consummating their marriage anyway so it should be fine even if we barge into their room now.


    Issei is the one who''s feeling speechless now... But since she already said so then he will just take her words up.


    Then both of them headed towards Xia Qingyue location once more and of course Issei wore his mask back.


    ...


    The night had grown deeper.


    Xia Qingyue had come out to look for Xiao Che. She originally thought he had just left to take a breath of fresh air. While he was out "taking a breath of fresh air", she had also left the bed and laid out the blanket in that corner so that he could safely sleep there upon his return. But after waiting a long time, he still had not come back.


    Since they are not really husband and wife and not going to consummate their marriage. Of course they won''t be sleeping in the same bed as well.


    She volunteered that she will be the one who''s going to sleep on the floor while he can sleep on the bed instead but he refuses saying that he won''t let a girl sleep on the floor.


    And at some point, he decided to get some fresh air and here she is searching for him realizing that he''s been gone for quite a while now.


    They had a little conversation about his crippled veins and she told him that she''s from the .


    He''s taken by surprise but soon regained his bearings back. After a little more chat then he decided to head outside saying that he''s going to take a breath of fresh air...


    But when she found him, she saw that he''s currently huddled with another girl in the grass field while both of them have already fallen asleep. Their posture is very intimate if she might add since one of his hand is currently on the girl white rabbit.


    They''re not naked but their posture is quite intimate if she''s being honest.


    Suddenly, an uncomfortable feeling floated up in Xia Qingyue''s heart¡­ of course, this didn''t mean that she had any feelings towards Xiao Che. But she and Xiao Che had become a married couple. She had always believed that this marriage was just a formality for her, that the status as husband or wife were also mere titles, and that nothing could cause even the slightest ripple in her heart. However, in some things, the heart does not always follow a person''s expectation. This was especially true for women, who, unless they had no heart, were more prone to sentimentality.


    After all, she and Xiao Che were already husband and wife. Although, in her thoughts, she didn''t care at all about this kind of union but the fact that Xiao Che was now her husband would still be distinctly imprinted in her subconscious. Since he was her husband, he should rightfully belong only to her. Instead, on his wedding night, he had cuddled with another woman until they had both fallen asleep, with such a warm and content expression on his face¡­ Her subconscious naturally would raise that kind of unfamiliar reaction...


    Even if the girl was his little aunt.


    Just when she''s still in her thoughts she doesn''t realize another presence approaching their location.


    Chu Yueli - Qingyue? Why are you out here? And... Oh?


    Chu Yueli was searching for Xia Qingyue inside her room but she can''t find anyone there so she searched for her and found her standing here at last.


    But what she saw is making her feel furious. Isn''t that person who''s currently cuddling with another girl is her disciple supposed husband?!


    Chu Yueli - Big guts!


    She was about to burst in rage until Xia Qingyue placated her feelings.


    Xia Qingyue was also feeling surprised seeing that her Master returned so soon.


    Xia Qingyue - Wait, Master. That girl is his little aunt.


    Chu Yueli - Hmph! That still doesn''t give him a reason to do this and look at where his hand is placed right now!


    She pointed at Xiao Che''s right hand that currently cupping one of the girl''s white rabbit.


    Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi, which is the girl name finally started waking up because of the commotion.


    Both of them who saw Xia Qingyue here along with another person froze up completely.


    One of them of course is Issei himself but he doesn''t want to get involved with their "Discussion" since it is not his place to butt in. So Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi don''t realize his presence because of it.


    He frowned a little under his mask after hearing their words but he won''t judge this Xiao Che. Besides, they told him they don''t have feelings against each other anyway and only marry to fulfill their parents'' agreement.


    He glanced a little at Xia Qingyue.


    She has a pair of indescribably magnificent eyes as if the world''s essence laid deep within. Her two tranquil pupils, clear like crystals, were like the radiance of a flowing dream, her two black thin and curvy eyebrows, similar to a pair of crescent moons.


    Her jade-like skin and creamy face were as white as snow under the dim lights in the room. Her lips were like the world''s most delicate petals and her nose was of the most beautiful of sculpted white jade, high and proud with an innate nobility. Her soft and shiny black hair fell gently behind her shoulders.


    Her figure was wonderfully moving and delicate to the extreme. Looking from afar, her physique was so graceful that it was simply too hard to describe. Under the red long skirt, one could faintly make out a pair of exquisite and slender legs. Her dress floated in the wake of her slow walk and her jewelry occasionally twinkled on her delicate, womanly figure. The perfect arcs of her waist, breasts, and buttocks were indescribably lovely. She radiated an incomparable, soul-shaking charm and had a kind of proud appearance and attitude that transcended this world.


    Issei admits that she''s indeed very beautiful for someone at her age but he only glanced at her for a brief second before he sets his gaze aside immediately losing interest.


    Xia Qingyue who happened to realize his gaze on him frowned a little thinking he''s the same with other men out there but after realizing how casual he looks away from her she''s feeling a bit taken aback.


    She''s well aware of her charm that not a single man and no one could react the same way as Issei did just now. Some of them might try to act like a gentleman but the greed and lustful desire within their eyes cannot be hidden so she loathes those men because of it.


    While this man in front of her seems completely different from the others... He may be wearing a mask but she could tell instinctively that there are no such emotions that could be found when he gazes at her... There''s no revolting feeling that crept up on her body at all...


    This man should be the Elder her Master told her about but she doesn''t have time to wonder about him at the moment since she needs to clear up the mess she''s dealing with right now.


    Xiao Lingxi face went pale because both of them just caught redhanded while Xiao Che already calmed himself down.


    They started their little drama to which Issei completely ignores and decided to observe their surroundings instead. He''s just a bystander after all.


    Chu Yueli - You sure have big guts sleeping with another woman other than your own wife during your own wedding day!


    To which Xiao Che refuted that their marriage is not a real marriage anyway and it only happened because of their parents'' agreement. He indeed apologizes since he''s clearly in the wrong and it is his blunder for falling asleep with his little aunt here.


    Xiao Lingxi tried to take the blame but Xiao Che won''t let him.


    This whole parade goes back and forth until they come to a standstill.


    Xiao Che - We marry out of obligation anyway and we don''t have feelings for each other so it doesn''t really matter who I sleep with right? Senior must have the knowledge of this as well from Xia Qingyue mouth herself, am I wrong?


    Chu Yueli - Good... Good... Good... It is as you just said. Both of you indeed married out of obligation and there are no feelings between you and her.


    Chu Yueli is so mad hearing his answer that she said Good three times in a row. And even though she knows that he''s right but that still doesn''t stop her feeling angry with his action.


    Even Xia Qingyue frowned a little but soon her face regained her previous calm.


    Chu Yueli also took a deep breath to calm herself down before she thought of something.


    Chu Yueli - I heard that you have a crippled vein... Well, my sect Elder can cure your vein but at one condition. You must divorce Qingyue as the price for curing your crippled profound vein. Don''t worry, in the public eyes you both are still married to each other as to avoid the jeer from the masses... After all, I don''t want my disciple to suffer any shame because of this unless she''s the one who personally divorces you, but remember that in truth both of you are not husband and wife anymore and I want you to stay away from her from now on. Do you agree?


    Chu Yueli spat word by word feeling furious still deep inside but she thought that this is a good chance to have both of them divorce with each other.


    Xia Qingyue wanted to say something but decided not to since she knows that this is the best outcome there is for both of them.


    Xiao Che becomes dumbfounded hearing that someone could heal his crippled vein. But when he heard the condition for curing his vein he hesitates...


    Xiao Lingxi also becomes pleasantly surprised knowing that someone could cure her little Che. But just like Xiao Che, she becomes hesitant after hearing the condition for it.


    Chu Yueli - What''s wrong? Didn''t you say that both of you don''t have feelings with each other? Then why with the hesitation? Hmph... Is it because you''re hesitant losing a big tree to depend on and losing a beautiful wife such as Qingyue? This is why you men are such a...


    She stopped her words after remembering that their sect Elder is a man and he''s also standing behind them during all this time.


    ''Well, he''s different so it''s fine...'' She added inside her mind.


    Xiao Che finally made up his mind.


    Xiao Che - Fine... I agree. But as for staying away from her is not possible right now since we still need to put up a facade of being husband and wife.


    Chu Yueli - Of course I know that. What I meant is that after she leaves this place you are to stay away from her and never search for her any longer. Don''t try to curry favor to our sect with a pretense you are her husband in name either.


    Xiao Che agreed to her words before he took out their marriage certificate and gave it to Xia Qingyue.


    Xiao Che - This is our marriage certificate, you''re free to rip it to shred if you want.


    He also thought that this is for the best since they both don''t have feelings with each other.


    Xia Qingyue calmly took the certificate and there is no change that could be found on her expression. But she''s indeed feeling a little glad because of this she won''t owe him anything anymore.


    The debt she has towards his uncle who saved her during her childhood has been paid completely. Now they are completely even...


    Chu Yueli - It''s good that you understand your place.


    Chu Yueli nodded in a satisfied manner seeing his action. She then turned her gaze towards Issei.


    Chu Yueli - Then Elder Ise, if you would?


    Her voice tone changed by 180 degrees compared to how she spoke with Xiao Che.


    It''s full of respect and admiration and quite gentle at the same time... Forget Xiao Che and Xia Qingyue, even Xiao Lingxi could tell the difference.


    Issei who heard his name being called finally took back his gaze back from the night sky and nodded at her.


    Only now that both Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi realized his presence.


    Xiao Che is quite alarmed at this since even he couldn''t sense his presence until now. It needs to be known that he is a "Reincarnator" but more complicated than your typical "Reincarnator".


    Xiao Che the 16-year-old son of Xiao Ying and grandchild of the Fifth Elder of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Lie. His profound strength was still at level one in the Elementary Profound Realm before his death. He started training his spirit power when he was seven and a half, entered the level one of the Elementary Profound Realm at the age of eight, and then didn''t improve for an entire eight years.


    He was mocked by all of the Xiao Clan. Afterwards, Xiao Lie invited Floating Cloud City''s top-class doctor Dr. Seto to examine his body and shockingly found that Xiao Che was born with damaged profound veins. The damage was so severe that it was almost impossible to recover from. In this state, Xiao Che would stagnate at the first level of the Elementary Profound Realm, and could never improve further no matter how hard he worked.


    He died the day of his wedding with Xia Qingyue, eating porridge prepared for him by his aunt Xiao Lingxi which was laced with Murdering Heart Powder. The poison was added to the porridge by Xiao Yang under the order of Xiao Yulong who wanted to kill him out of envy.


    Then he is reincarnated into his second life.


    After being killed in his first life he was reincarnated for the first time. He was reborn on the Azure Cloud Continent with none of his memories. Yun Che was an abandoned baby. The third day after his birth he was picked up by his master Yun Gu. He was completely naked except for the Mirror of Samsara hanging from his neck


    Yun Gu named him Yun Che and taught him medicine in hopes he would inherit his craft as a healer to rescue the dying and cure the injured with a heart void of corruption. During his life, he never found out who his real parents were.


    After his master was murdered due to people coveting the Sky Poison Pearl, Yun Che was so overcome with hatred he didn''t put anything else except revenge in his eyes, even when he met Su Ling''er, who for the longest time loved him and took care of him while Yun Che only had revenge in his heart. During that time he went out and killed 7 million people, his enemies and innocent alike, in one day which leads to the overdraft of the poison power of the Sky Poison Pearl.


    Later on, after Su Ling''er was murdered, he realized how important she was to him but he had realized it after it was too late. She never told him who killed her because she didn''t want him to become obsessed with getting revenge for her.


    He gets chased to Cloud''s End Cliff by his enemies, injured and trapped between his enemies and a cliff that not even Monarchs and Overlords can survive falling down. In order to not let his enemies get the Sky Poison Pearl, he swallows it and jumps off the edge of the cliff committing suicide.


    After he died in the Azure Cloud Continent, he was transported back to his first body and reborn with a third life with all the memories of his second life as well as the purification half of the Sky Poison Pearl.


    Due to Profound Sky Continent and Azure Cloud Continent being on the same planet and dimension, the third life/second reincarnation of Yun Che shifted the timeline of the Azure Cloud Continent. All events that occurred on the Azure Cloud Continent during Yun Che''s second life have been wiped clean. It is as if he never existed there. The timeline also shifted. Su Ling''er in his second life was two years younger than him but the Su Ling''er in his third life is seven years younger.


    Because the Sky Poison Pearl is also a Heavenly Profound Treasure, it could not completely transmigrate with Yun Che and split into two parts with the purification half transmigrating with Yun Che and the poisoned half staying in the Azure Cloud Continent.


    (AN: Xiao Che/Yun Che background history can be quite confusing to those who haven''t read the ATG novel but you can just ignore him if you want since he''s irrelevant in my fanfic. I just copy & paste his history from the wiki so you know about him a little bit).


    Xiao Che body went on high alert seeing Issei approaching him. His instinct that has been honed by 2 lifetimes is telling him that this masked person in front of him is anything but simple.


    At his current condition, the only outcome, if he were to go against him, is his own peril without a doubt... So he becomes extremely tense during the whole time that he doesn''t realize that the closer Issei is to him the brighter the light from the "Amulet" hanging on his neck and the same goes for the mark on his left hand that keeps blinking repeatedly.


    Oddly enough, Xia Qingue, Chu Yueli, and Xiao Lingxi can''t see this but Issei could.


    He''s curious just what are those things that keep repeatedly blinking on and off the closer he gets to this Xiao Che.


    Issei calmly put his hand on top of Xiao Che shoulder and channeled a little bit of his profound energy to clear up his crippled vein.


    It should''ve been impossible if it were anyone else but since Issei profound energy is quite special, it''s nothing but a cinch for him.


    In no time at all, his once crippled vein become normal just like any other person. But Issei doesn''t fully open all of his profound veins since the deal they had is only "Curing" his crippled vein and not open all of them.


    During this process, Issei felt something from Xiao Che body exiting the latter body and entered his hand. It looks like some kind of an orb? And the amulet hanging his neck also emits a bright light and entered his body as well through his hand which located on top of Xiao Che shoulder.


    The only thing left on his neck is a small pocket that''s used for storing the "Amulet".


    Xiao Che doesn''t realize this happening at all since he''s too tensed up.


    He stared unblinkingly at Issei while also sweating a bit feeling extremely nervous... He never felt this way before in his entire life. Even in front of his enemies on his past lives that have higher cultivation than him by multiple times he''s still calm while facing them. But only in front of Issei he truly felt restless... It''s like he''s standing in front of a mystical being clouded in mistery instead of a normal human...


    Xiao Lingxi thought that the process is quite painful seeing his sweat so she wiped his sweats as soon as Issei took his hand off his shoulder.


    Issei - It''s done.


    Issei is feeling curious still about these things that just entered his hand. But this is not the place to inspect it so he let it be for now. Besides, it doesn''t seem harmful to him anyway.


    Xiao Che who heard his voice finally snaps out of his thoughts and hurriedly inspected his vein and become happy after realizing that his crippled vein has been cured.


    Xiao Che - I thank senior for curing me.


    He cupped his fist feeling thankful at Issei but he still keeps his guard up.


    Issei just nodded at him.


    Chu Yueli becomes pleasantly surprised that Issei could fix Xiao Che crippled vein because that means he could cure anyone from their sect if they were to be in the same condition as Xiao Che.


    Even though she heard from him that he could cure a crippled vein. But seeing is believing after all...


    Even Xia Qingyue is feeling flabbergasted. Is that it? He just put his hand on top of his shoulder and his crippled vein is cured? Truly unbelievable...


    But since Xiao Che himself act that way then it must be true... Both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yueli used their profound energy to inspect Xiao Che vein and found out that it is indeed cured and not crippled anymore.


    Chu Yueli - Hmph! You better remember our agreement.


    Xiao Che - This Junior understand.


    She scoffed at him.


    Chu Yueli - Qingyue, come with me and our sect Elder for a moment.


    Qingyue nodded at her.


    Then the three of them left the area while Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Che hugged each other feeling happy that he''s finally cured.


    ...


    When they are in a secluded area, Chu Yueli informed Xia Qingyue about the solution of their cultivation side effect.


    Chu Yueli - Then Ise, please help Qingyue.


    Chu Yueli addressed Issei with just his name since they are not in the presence of anyone else but her own disciple.


    Xia Qingyue was feeling a little curious why Chu Yueli addresses Issei without any honorifics now.


    Chu Yueli who realized her disciple curiosity chuckled a little which earned another surprise from Xia Qingyue because even though her master usually smiles at her, she never laughs or even giggled happily like this.


    Chu Yueli - You see, the price for his help is that he wanted me to stop calling him an elder since he''s just 21 years old just like how I told you before. Now Qingyue, I''m sure you saw that Xiao Che attitude? It is his good fortune for being able to marry you but here he was cuddling with another woman during your wedding day... Let''s just forget about him. Here''s the thing, our sect Elder which is Ise here can cure our cultivation side effects.


    Xia Qingyue feeling a little pleasantly surprised knowing that someone could cure this side effect of their cultivation.


    Chu Yueli - Don''t resist his touch since he''s the only one who could fix our side effect.


    Xia Qingyue - This disciple understands... I''m in your care Elder Ise.


    She then bowed towards Issei.


    Issei - Um.


    Issei put his hand on top of Xia Qingyue shoulder just like how he did with Xiao Che before.


    Xia Qingyue body trembled a little since this is the first time she''s being directly touched by the opposite sex except for her own father and little brother.


    But contrary to her expectation, she doesn''t feel repulsed at all being touched by him and felt comfortable instead.


    Soon she can feel the bone-chilling cold inside her vein disappeared without a trace and not only that, she can feel her profound entrance that previously only has 21 opened now started opening one by one until the final 54th entrance much to her surprise.


    She doesn''t know about the so her reaction isn''t that big after realizing all of her profound entrance has been opened.


    When Issei is curing her "illness", he found something special within her soul and physic but since he doesn''t have knowledge about it he let it be. He doesn''t want to mess with something he doesn''t have knowledge of, especially if it''s on another person body.


    But he could tell that she''s quite special after sensing her soul. It''s as if she''s destined for something greater...


    Issei - It''s done.


    Xia Qingyue - Qingyue thanks Elder Ise for his kindness.


    Issei calmly took off his hand from her shoulder and Qingyue bowed deeply once more feeling grateful for what he did.


    Chu Yueli smiled from ear to ear and thanked Issei as well before she started inspecting Qingyue condition... But after a few seconds, she becomes dumbfounded of what she found...


    Her beautiful unwavering gaze fixed onto Xia Qingyue¡­. It was clear that there was a certain kind of extreme astonishment in her eyes, as if there was an inconceivable worldly matter.


    Xia Qingyue - Master? What''s wrong?


    Xia Qingyue asked, alarmed, because of Chu Yueli''s frightening and unexpected reaction.


    Even Issei is feeling a bit confused seeing her reaction.


    Issei - Senior sister?


    Chu Yueli - ...Impossible¡­. This is absolutely impossible!


    Chu Yueli absentmindedly soliloquized as she suddenly extended her other hand. After both her hands grabbed onto Xia Qingyue''s right wrist as the coldness on her body spread out. Chu Yueli''s beautiful eyes then widened yet again as her entire body fiercely trembled more than before; on her face, rested an expression of complete speechlessness and incredulous astonishment¡­. And ecstasy! She firmly snatched Xia Qingyue''s hand as she looked her in the eye and actually became temporarily speechless due to her intensely stirred up emotions.


    Her expression let Xia Qingyue become more and more alarmed.


    Xia Qingyue - M-Master? Wh-What''s going on?


    Chu Yueli - Qingyue! Inform this master, what exactly have you encountered during this period of time? Did you come across an extraordinary person? Or did consume some kind of pill that''s against the gods!


    Her excitement can''t be hidden.


    Xia Qingyue - I...


    Xia Qingyue momentarily stared for a while before she sets her gaze on the confused Issei.


    When Chu Yueli realized the direction she''s looking she hastily look towards Issei as well and only then it hit her mind.


    Here she is asking her disciple if she came across an extraordinary person when that extraordinary person is beside her all along!


    She changed her target from Xia Qingyue towards Issei. As in she grabbed both of Issei arm forgetting about her reserved attitude altogether.


    Chu Yueli - I-Ise!


    Issei - Wh-What?


    Issei is taken aback by her sudden act.


    Chu Yueli - Are you the one who did it? Are you the one who opened all of her profound openings?!


    She''s feeling so excited that she doesn''t realize just how close they are right now. Their distance is only separated by a few centimeters.


    Xia Qingyue - Master, what''s actually going on?


    Xia Qingyue is completely confused right now. Just what made her usually calm Master becomes so excited?


    Chu Yueli briefly explained about the towards the dumbfounded Xia Qingyue.


    Chu Yueli - "Altogether, a person can only have a total of Fifty Four Profound Entrances. An ordinary person is gifted with approximately ten inborn profound entrances while a person with high innate talent may be gifted with around fifteen profound entrances.


    When I first found you, I discovered that you had twenty-one naturally opened profound entrances, an exceptionally great gift only seen once in a million! If one has more profound entrances opened, their cultivation of the profound, and their activation speed will increase. No matter what, a practitioner with twenty opened profound entrances would undoubtedly cultivate and activate their profound strength twice as fast as a practitioner born with only ten opened profound entrances."


    She took a deep breath while still locking her gazes on Issei.


    Chu Yueli - "It is extremely difficult to open a profound entrance, for it even took our sect Grand Mistress a century''s worth of time to merely open seven profound entrances and achieve the opening of thirty profound entrances.


    In the entire Blue Wind Empire, the people who have achieved the supreme state of opening of thirty profound entrances, could not possibly surpass five!"


    Up to this point, Xia Qingyue vaguely understands what her Master is trying to say but she continues to listen on.


    Chu Yueli - "You understand Qingyue? Fifty-four of your Profound Entrances have all been completely opened! And they all actually have been permanently opened¡­. do you understand what this implies? This means that the speed of your profound cultivation and activation would be almost double that of Grand Mistress''s! It would also be quintuply faster than that of an ordinary person''s! Not only that, the cultivation of any profound skill you practice in would be limitless. Whenever your profound strength makes a breakthrough, it shall never hit a ''bottleneck''!


    When all the profound veins in the Fifty Four Profound Entrances have been completely opened, they are what legends refer to as the , and it is said that only a God from the legends would possess these profound veins! This has never happened before in the entire history of the !"


    She stopped for a while before continuing.


    Chu Yueli - With the exception of our sect Elder here that is... He is the only person other than you who possess the same profound vein as you, the ! We thought it was just a coincidence but after this... I realized that it might be not just a coincidence! Now tell me Ise! Are you really the one who opened all of Qingyue profound entrances?!


    Her eyes are so passionate that Issei felt a little uncomfortable being gazed like this by her. Their distance is only a few centimeters apart that if it wasn''t for him wearing his mask then there might be some "Incident" happening right at this moment...


    Issei - Y-Yes. I''m indeed the one who opened all of her profound openings.


    Chu Yueli beamed from ear to ear after hearing her confirmation but she finally realizes their ambiguous position.


    Her face turned bright red at a visible rate and she hastily released his arms and faked a cough trying to get her bearings back but she''s not fooling anyone here...


    Even Xia Qingyue is speechless at her Master act... But she''s become further taken aback by her sect elder capabilities. To think he possesses this godly ability...


    Chu Yueli - *C-Cough* *Cough* Th-Then Ise... Why you didn''t tell us that you could do it before?


    Issei - Well... You never ask.


    Chu Yueli - ...


    Xia Qingyue - ...


    Issei - ...


    There''s an awkward silence between the three of them while both Chu Yueli and Xia Qingyue face started twitching a lot after hearing his respond...


    In a way he''s not wrong but who would expect that he could do this kind of thing?! Even Xia Qingyue who just knows him today thought of the same thing as Chu Yueli...


    She can only sigh to herself thinking that it seems this Elder of theirs is indeed a bit "Special" isn''t he...


    ...


    Chu Yueli - Then when we return to our sect, can you open all of our sect members profound opening like you did with Qingyue here?


    Issei - Sure?


    Chu Yueli - *Sigh*... I swear, Ise... You really never cease to amaze us...


    She can only sigh wryly seeing how carefree he is even after knowing what he''s capable of is extremely out of the norm...


    Chu Yueli - Then Qingyue... You can return to your room for now.


    Xia Qingyue - Um... Then Qingyue excuses herself.


    She bows in courtesy at both of them one last time before she heads back to her wedding room because it will be weird if she''s not there when the time comes.


    Chu Yueli - What do you think of her, Ise?


    Chu Yueli asked Issei dubiously as soon as Qingyue disappears from their location.


    Issei - Hm? What about her?


    Chu Yueli - Do you think she''s beautiful?


    Issei - Yes, she''s quite beautiful?


    Chu Yueli - Um, I see... It''s good that you find her beautiful.


    She nodded feeling satisfied with his response.


    Chu Yueli - Then should we head back to the inn?


    Issei - Oh, you can go first. I want to sightsee for a while.


    Chu Yueli - I understand. Then please take care.


    Then she left Issei alone while she heads back first. There''s no need for her to worry about him since his cultivation base and strength is clearly higher than her.


    After Chu Yueli left, Issei started inspecting the thing that entered his hand just a few moments ago.


    First, he inspected the "Amulet".


    The pendant appeared to be made of silver and could be opened to reveal a bright and clean mirror on each side. It''s currently shining faintly enveloping his entire body.


    He can tell that this pendant is trying to speed up his recovery so he thought that this is luck but sadly, the capabilities of this pendant are quite limited but that''s probably caused by the lack of energy inside it.


    So he let it be and moved on to the second object.


    Its appearance is that of a green circular shape orb, it''s size is that of a person''s palm.


    But this orb seems like acting very timid and unlike the Pendant from before it seems to be waiting for permission? At least that''s what it looks like in his eyes.


    In the next second, he got his answer... The orb inside his body emerged on its own and started circling the new green orb in his hand.


    The former is inspecting the latter just like how a father/mother inspecting their in-laws would.


    After a few moments, the orb went back inside his body while the green orb started bobbing up and down as if it''s feeling happy before it entered Issei hand once again.


    The green orb has become fused into the palm of Issei''s left hand, leaving a circular green imprint on his palm.


    Issei - ...


    Issei got a "Message" from the orb saying that it wanted to be acknowledged by him and the orb indicated towards Issei to grant its wish.


    Issei finally agreed to it since just like the pendant from before, it also started trying to heal him with the best of its capabilities.


    Issei thought that he gained quite a bit today. Even though his healing rate only increased by a tiny amount at least it''s better than nothing.


    Just when he''s about to go back to the inn, Issei sensed a spatial disturbance near his location and he decided to inspect it.


    ...


    When he arrived at the scene, he found there are two bodies or should he say two spiritual bodies instead slumped in the ground right in front of him. What makes him feel a little awkward is that both of them are completely naked...


    The first one was so beautiful, a monstrous beauty, so beautiful that she could probably steal souls. If he was not seeing her with his own eyes, he would never have believed that such a young girl could unexpectedly release such thrilling charm.


    As red as a demon, a face of white jade, each of her facial features were all beautiful to the extreme and all of them combined together made her unbelievably perfect.


    She only looked like twelve to thirteen at the moment. If she grew up to the age that Xia Qingyue was at¡­ that would be simply unimaginable! Maybe then, she could cause chaos with only just a smile.


    While the second body is that of a beautiful mature woman that looks very similar to the former girl and they are obviously related to each other considering how similar they are. Perhaps she is her big sister?


    Their only difference is that this one has black hair instead of red hair unlike the previous one.


    What attracts Issei the most is not their beauty but the color of the first girl hair. It reminds him of Irene...


    While he''s still lost in his thoughts, the mature woman stirs awake and look up to him slowly.


    ??? - Please... I beg you... please... save my daughter...


    She''s at the end of her life and it took her everything she has to utter that sentence... Issei could clearly tell that she doesn''t have much time left while the first girl is not having it any better either.


    But compared to the second girl then she''s indeed having it better...


    Issei was a bit surprised knowing that they are mother and daughter but he has more important matter at hand.


    Issei extends his hand on both of them and channeled his profound energy and also from their surroundings to prevent them both from dying instantly.


    The mother is feeling taken aback of this phenomenon but she''s feeling a little ecstatic knowing that she could stay alive for a little longer and maybe this person can help her daughter.


    But when she remembered the poison inflicting her and her daughter she went downcast again because the poison is very potent and there''s almost no hope in curing it unless that "Thing" is here but that''s just a pipe dream...


    Even now she could feel the poison rampaging inside her inflicting immense pain.


    And when she caught a glimpse of the symbol on Issei left hand she becomes completely stupefied before screaming, "!" out loud surprising Issei in the process.

 Chapter 98 - 97

    Like she has been injected by some kind of drug, the mother hurriedly scrambled towards Issei direction only to stumble in the process since her body is still weak but that doesn''t stop her from crawling towards Issei direction.


    ??? - Sky... Poison... Pearl... Is... Is it real?


    Her eyes are glued on the green marking that''s located on Issei''s left palm.


    The closer she is the more reassured she is of its identity since she could feel the poison in her body started being cleansed although only by a tiny bit and it doesn''t mean she''s saved.


    But she''s feeling really happy and joyful because even though she won''t make it, at least her daughter will as long as she could enter that pearl.


    ??? - Please... Benefactor... Please save my daughter...


    She tried her best to crawl towards Issei despite her injury.


    Issei who saw her struggle felt his heart being tugged by the sheer will she''s currently emitting. Even though she could barely move she still tries her best to force her whole being to beg him.


    He, as an expecting Father could relate to what she''s currently experiencing.


    Issei then calmly walk forward to the mother and daughter duo and knelt before them. He took out a pair of robes from his and put it around their naked body.


    Issei - Tell me what I need to do.


    The mother who was feeling a little stunned by his action immediately refocused her attention before she instructed towards Issei what he needs to do.


    ??? - Can... Can you summon the ?


    Issei willed for the pearl to appear on top of his palm and it showed itself immediately.


    ??? - It really is the ... Ah...


    She tried to touch the orb but her hand phase through it.


    ??? - It''s already made you it''s master...


    She muttered disappointingly...


    The is one of the and it''s ranked fifth on the list. The Sky Poison Pearl''s capabilities are centered around poison, medicine, purification, and space.


    The followings are the capabilities of the :


    The is able to cure all poisons under the heavens. Any poison can be cured, regardless of how far the poison has progressed. It can even detoxify the soul. How fast a poison will be detoxified depends on how potent it is and the severity of the damage to the victim.


    The also has the absolute power of purification. This power can be used medicinally to open profound entrances and also refine medicinal pellets perfectly with 100% effectiveness. Another effect of this is the ability to control medicinal energy that is unsurpassed under the heavens.


    The pearl can sense nearby medicinal herbs. The pearl would emit flashing light and point in the direction of the herb. The prerequisite is that the material must be extremely rare and high quality. The pearl can also perfectly harvest the herbs into its internal storage space. It completely wraps the herb with its aura to prevent any damage to the herb that would lower its efficacy.


    The pearl has infinite inner storage space. The space is similar to a spatial ring but with infinite size and other special properties. For example, food and drink can be kept in their indefinitely without spoiling. The pearl possesses its own spirit which lives inside the inner space. It can also house other occupants but only in their spirit form.


    The pearl is able to release a poison called the Heaven Wounding Thought Severing Poison. It is currently unknown how to activate it.


    She doesn''t lose hope and immediately lifted her daughter''s body towards the pearl.


    ??? - Can you please command it to store my daughter inside it.


    Issei nodded at her before he does what she said.


    And the next second the girl body immediately entered the pearl.


    Issei was feeling surprised seeing there''s another artifact other than that capable of housing a living being inside it. But since the body it absorbed is only a spiritual body then it might be inferior to the former.


    The mother becomes very ecstatic seeing that it work.


    ??? - With this... She should be safe... As long as she stays inside the pearl then she will be cured of her poison eventually... *Cough* *Cough*


    She coughed a decent amount of black blood from her mouth since her poison started acting up once again.


    Issei - Don''t talk anymore and enter the pearl as well.


    ??? - *Cough* *Cough*... It''s no use... The poison has already corroded my whole body and it''s only a matter of time before my soul disperses alongside it... Please benefactor, please keep my daughter safe... It is already too late for me... *Cough* *Cough*


    She coughed even more blood and her exquisite face went deathly pale creating a tragic beauty look.


    Issei frowned seeing her condition since it is indeed as she says... Her whole body has been corroded by this deathly poison... It amazes him a little knowing that there''s a poison such as this in the low world.


    If it''s him then he can easily take another 100 types of poison such as this and still won''t be harmed by it since he is immune to any kind of poison.


    ??? - ...I beg of you benefactor... Please keep my daughter safe...


    Seeing her getting increasingly weaker by the second Issei struggled a little deep inside before he sighed in resignation.


    Issei - No... If you want to keep her safe then do it on your own.


    The mother eyes become wide hearing his refusal and before she could utter another word, she saw Issei took off his mask before he bit his own finger and without saying anything he immediately put his bleeding finger into her mouth while she''s still stunned silly after seeing his face.


    She reflexively gulped the liquid that''s currently flooding her mouth and what she tasted is not a metallic flavor of how blood usually taste. But instead, she felt a cooling and refreshing yet also addicting sensation flooding her taste bud.


    Her eyes become glazed and she becomes further addicted the more she drank his blood and she slowly extended her dainty fingers towards his hand and grabbed onto it firmly as if she doesn''t want to let go...


    She licked every corner of his finger while her body started trembling a little and keep greedily gulping every single drop of his blood...


    *Gulp* *Slurp* *Gulp*


    Issei ignores how alluring she looks right now with that sultry face she currently showing and set his gaze towards the moon before he extended his free hand and pulled something out of thin air from the direction of the moon.


    What he pulls is a black object that''s shaped just like an orb.


    He infused a bit of his divinity and aura into it and the orb started shaping itself into that of a black rabbit.


    Then he inserted it into her body while she''s still busy sucking his blood.


    The moment he inserted that orb inside her body, her entire body froze up and she''s starting having a cold sweat while her body started spasming because of how painful it is. She can''t even scream and thankfully Issei finger is still inside her mouth or she might just bite her tongue altogether.


    Her teeth immediately clamped onto his finger.


    Obviously, she couldn''t break Issei skin no matter how strong she bit into it so Issei let her be.


    Issei can only observe her silently because this the first time he does this...


    He combined a natural Yin energy that''s infused with his divinity since the Yin element is the most abundant around them at the moment especially of how bright the moon currently shining right now.


    What he basically did is that he transferred a bit of his own divinity and aura to the brand new spirit he just created and infused it with the woman soul. The spirit he just created started replacing her corroded soul with its own.


    He unknowingly created his own "Legacy", at least that''s what people from this world would call it and if anyone were to know his true identity then they might just do everything they can just to get their hands on it... Even if this "Legacy" is quite weak it''s still a "Legacy" nonetheless...


    That''s why she''s feeling immense pain right now since having a part of your soul being ripped out of your body is no laughing matter... Thankfully the spirit is replacing the discarded pieces place so she won''t die.


    His blood serves as a safety measure in case something goes wrong in the process.


    Since his blood essence is basically an elixir then there''s no better medicine to prevent her from dying. Not only that his blood essence is flooding with his very own energy and divinity, but it''s also having a healing effect and many more.


    If an alchemist were to refine his blood essence into a profound pill then that pill will be the most precious profound pill there is and if someone were to consume that pill then they would be able to become a True God in a single leap.


    But it''s just a pipe dream for them since if they wanted to get his blood essence then he must be willing to give it to them or all they will get is a dud. Of course, whether they could injure him or not in the first place is another story altogether...


    (AN: The True God here is not the but the actual True God Realm from this world, as in ).


    But by doing this he basically decreased his recovery timer by at least another 5 years... If it was him in his peak condition then there will be no consequences from doing this since he used his blood essence before to make his wives become Dragons.


    But since he doesn''t have any intention on making this woman before him as his wife then he doesn''t change her race into that of a Dragon. But she still has a sliver of Dragon bloodline inside her nevertheless, albeit very thin it''s still a lot better compared to a Lesser Dragon and the like.


    He can only smile bitterly and apologize towards his wives that''s currently waiting for him... But if they knew of this then they shouldn''t blame him since they will understand this woman feeling as a fellow mother.


    Although, he can''t or more accurately, he doesn''t want to use his blood essence to its full capabilities or he could just cure her poison straight away. Because if he does that then the backlash from his injury will only worsen... By then it won''t be just 5 years anymore but instead, it might become 30 years or more... And that''s not something he wants to happen.


    This is the limit of his selfless act since he''s a complete stranger to this mother and daughter he just met and it''s already their blessing that Issei is willing to go this far... If it just one of them begging to be saved then he would still try to help them but he won''t go to this extent and risk his recovery rate.


    It''s her motherly act that induces pity from Issei... Even on her deathbed she still wishes for her daughter safety...


    The process she underwent is extremely painful and she felt like she might just die in the next second but thankfully she heard Issei''s encouragement.


    Issei - Insist and endure... If you can go through this then you will live another day and able to see your daughter once again. Isn''t that what you want? Or would you let her live as an orphan?


    After hearing his words she immediately steeled herself and endured the pain she''s currently experiencing. Her desire to live has never been this strong.


    Issei nodded to himself after seeing her newfound determination.


    He doesn''t know if her husband is still alive or not but hearing her plead to keep her daughter safe instead of mentioning her father or other relatives then it can be assumed that they are no more or perhaps something else happened inside their family...


    No matter the answer to that question, it''s none of his business.


    Issei - Since you both arrived in front of me then it could be called fate. Whether you''re able to survive or not is completely up to you.


    After an arduous process that went on for like an eternity for the mother, the process has finally finished and she managed to stay alive by a hair''s breadth. If the process were to extend by just another second then she might not make it...


    Issei might be able to increase her survival chance by using his blood essence but it''s up to her if she could insist or not. No amount of extraordinary medicine or drug in the world could keep someone alive if that person him/herself doesn''t have the will to stay alive in the first place...


    Her once black hair turned completely white and there''s a pair of black rabbit ear appeared on top of her head while her red eyes become brighter and enchanting. Her once jade white skin become glossier and look very soft to the touch while the poison that once corroding her body disappeared without a trace...


    She''s still in her spiritual body but at least she will live.


    (AN: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQ_-0ZPnzamNEXSZ9ks4nw-ljxn-GuzuEz93zAsgN9g1O-YQCr_ for those that can''t copy & paste then type Koto Otona on google).


    Her body slumped forward feeling exhausted by the arduous process she experienced... She used every last drop of her profound energy and will just to survive... So that she can see her daughter once again... She already lost her son and she couldn''t afford to lose her daughter as well...


    Issei caught her body before it falls to the ground.


    Issei - Congratulations... You managed to survive. Your daughter will still have a mother... Now rest... You need it.


    She smiled gently after hearing his words before she passed out with a content smile.


    Issei then teleported both of their "body" into the pearl and he calmly pulled out a bed from . He put both mother and daughter on top of the bed and covered them with a blanket.


    Now his guess has been confirmed since what entered this pearl is only his spiritual body while his physical body is still outside.


    He make sure that the girl will be fine one last time before he exited the pearl.


    Issei tried to put some weapon into the pearl and then he tried to launch those weapons all at once just like how he launched it from the but it doesn''t work. He can only summon one weapon at a time and even then it won''t launch itself like he wanted it to.


    So it''s safe to say that this is inferior to .


    But considering it''s capability to cure poison then it might have some superiority as well... His doesn''t count since it already merged completely with his body and soul so he can''t really use it like this .


    If he''s in his top condition then a single drop of his blood essence will be able to cure any kind of poison or injury instantly, unlike the where the speed of curing the poison entirely depends on the type of poison and it can''t really heal any injury as well for that matter.


    Well, he can just give it to one of his wives later on or perhaps he should inspect it even further later on with the help of Da Vinci and Tearju team. Who knows, he might be able to duplicate this pearl capabilities...


    His blood essence is too powerful so he can''t really experiment with it and can only use it as it is...


    By this point, his blood essence is far more superior than the fabled that produced by the Phenex family from DxD world.


    He concluded his experiment for now since it''s getting quite late into the night.


    He set off to the inn while Chu Yueli who saw his return finally felt at ease. They obviously doesn''t share the same room so they both rest in their respective room...


    ...


    The next morning Issei decided to stroll around the city to sightsee since it seems that both mother and daughter inside the pearl is not awake yet.


    Chu Yueli wanted to accompany him at first but after Issei told her he will be fine and she should watch out for her disciple instead.


    Chu Yueli thought for a moment before she agreed to his words since Issei is clearly stronger than her then there''s nothing she should be worried about in this small city.


    She decided that she should just protect Xia Qingyue nearby in case something happened.


    With that they went on their separate way for the day...


    But during his stroll Issei thought of something before he summoned the 3 ice spirits he created a while ago when he first arrived in this world.


    The three spirit immediately appeared out of thin air. There''s ice and snow fluttering around in the air the moment they appeared.


    The three of them kneeled as soon as they materialize out of thin air just like how they first were created.


    Spirit - We await for your command, o'' GodKing.


    The first spirit is the one who speak on behalf of the other two with gentle and reverent tone.


    Issei - Um, I want the three of you do something for me. Two of you go back to the and I want you to watch that place and prevent any harm befalling it, but don''t let anyone sense your presence.


    Issei ordered two of them to watch the in case he''s not present.


    But that doesn''t mean he want them to feeling complacent with their current situation and in the end their growth might stagnate because of his protection.


    He want them to still increase their strength so in case he leave them one day then they will be able to protect themselves from harm.


    Spirit 1 & 2 - We obey!


    The first and second spirit smiled joyfully since they will be of use for their creator at last.


    The 3rd spirit doesn''t say anything but the look in her eyes convey her true feelings of wanting to be of use for him.


    Issei - I want you to watch over Chu Yueli and her disciple Xia Qingyue undetected. If they are in any kind of mortal danger then save them but if not then just wait and observe. You can report to me if you''re unsure about something.


    She nodded understandingly and when they''re about to set off Issei called them once more.


    Issei - Oh, wait... Come to think of it, I still haven''t give the 3 of you a name yet.


    He started thinking on what he should call them while the 3 spirit are waiting for him in anticipation. To think they will be given a name... There''s no greater joy for them at this moment...


    Issei - I''ve decided... The first spirit shall be called Esdeath, the second spirit Altair, and the third one is Sirius.


    Esdeath & Altair & Sirius - We thank you for your benevolence, Master! We won''t fail you!


    They shouted with utter joy. The sheer aura the three of them emit is enough to make the surrounding profound beasts to shiver in fright and thankfully there are no human cultivator near their place or they might just faint altogether after sensing this aura.


    A combined aura from 3 peaks is not something that the inhabitants of this world could resist.


    The 3 of them might be only at the peak of but their combat power is about the same with the


    from the higher realm.


    And if they work together then they could even fight a


    cultivator to a draw. This is only possible since they gained a fraction of Issei divinity and aura.


    To advance their strength then they needed to cultivate on their own or they could ask for Issei "Essence" just like the Kalars.


    He can''t afford to give them his mana at the moment since he need to heal himself so giving him his "Essence" is the safest way to avoid further backlash from his injury.


    They also can''t cultivate since their knowledge on the profound way is limited to Issei''s knowledge. In a way, they have a part of his memories inside them.


    This also save Issei some time needing to guide them as if they''re a newborn baby. He doesn''t need to be worried for them being evil since their mindset is obviously more or less the same as him.


    As for the chance of them betraying him? It''s even more unlikely considering how they saw him as their God and creator. No amount of trickery and lies could make them go against Issei their beloved creator.


    They will just cut down the one who tried to trick them the moment they sensed their intent since it is considered the biggest taboo for them all.


    Betray their beloved Master? Not a chance! Even if their master ordered them to destroy the world then they will obey it without hesitation. His words are absolute. If he said black is white, white is black then it must be the truth.


    Issei - Um, you can go now.


    And with that, the three of them left his presence to do their given respective task with utmost importance. Their devoted face change into a freezing cold face ready to annihilate anyone that will cause harm to their objectives... They will lay down their lives just for Issei since he''s the one who created them.


    Then Issei resumed his stroll around the city. He went to the outskirt of the city until he felt a big gathering of profound energy nearby his position.


    He went towards the source of the energy and felt that it''s coming from underground beneath him.


    Issei could easily pry open the ground but that might trouble the citizens on the city so he used one of his skill to take it out.


    Issei - .


    The ground beneath him instantly turned into a swamp.


    This is the skill he learned from Wiz and Yunyun back in their world.


    He then used his profound energy to make the object beneath the ground float in front of him. For anyone else it will be impossible to do but for him it''s very easy.


    It looks like a big lump of purple crystal... If he have to guess of it''s weight then it''s about 50kg more or less.


    It''s of no use for him sadly since it''s basically just a concentrated profound energy lumped together shaped into a crystal.


    If other people knew what he''s thinking right now then they might puke blood in pure envy... They need to enter a closed-cultivation to absorb profound energy that lingers in the air and even then the process is extremely slow... For those who are extremely talented then it might just take a few months while those that have lower talent it would take years...


    And this hurdle become increasingly harder the higher their cultivation realm is... Not surprising since the amount of profound energy they needed to absorb become bigger as well.


    Just like in RPG games where the higher the level of the character is the bigger the exp they need to advance to the next level. But those rules doesn''t apply to Issei at all...


    Items such as this crystal is extremely rare for them and it can be sold for a high sky price since it''s not everyday they could get their hands on a concentrated profound energy like this crystal.


    This lump of crystal he just got is known as the by the profound practitioners.


    which is the lower rank of the were considered to be priceless treasures in . A piece of as big as a fingernail was considered to be invaluable, and only those huge sects deserved to have it; normal profound practitioners did not even dare to think about having one.


    are made by extracting from . A house sized was estimated to only provide a that was the size of a fingernail.


    So it can be imagined what will happen if those big sects were to get ahold of him having 50kg worth of this legendary crystal... They will launch their assault towards him on the pretense on justice or whatnot and expect him to share it with them all and if he refuse then they will surely attack him without hesitation.


    But if they were to do that then they won''t have time for regrets anymore since they all will enter the land of samsara immediately without knowing how they died in the first place... And that''s if they''re lucky... If Issei decided to destroy their soul altogether then they can only blame themselves for being too greedy...


    He can easily absorb any amount of profound energy in the air if he wanted to but it''s not really useful for him since what he needed is a nature energy at the very least and the best is the chaos energy but both of them are very scarce in this world...


    Issei then stored the crystal he just got inside the before he resumed his stroll around the area.


    He reverted the swamp back when he''s done and the ground looks completely brand new as if it never turned into a swamp in the first place.


    He stopped in the middle of a vast green field... This world truly have a clean air without any pollution whatsoever... It made him feel at ease feeling so close with nature itself.


    The animals and profound beasts alike who saw him being so serene slowly gathered around him...


    They bowed slightly towards him before they come closer to his presence.


    Issei let them do as they please since he doesn''t mind their company...


    If anyone were to saw the current scene then they will have their jaws wide open seeing so many profound beasts gathering around a single individual and the way they act is so full of respect as if they''re in the presence of a true king...


    Thankfully Issei is quite far from the nearest civilization so for anyone to came across this majestic scene is very unlikely...


    Some profound beast even offered some rare herbs and the like to him willingly... The can only cry bitterly thinking it''s supposed to be its job to escort his new master to this rare herbs location but here it is being delivered to him like some kind of candy on the street...


    Issei doesn''t really need these herbs since it''s completely useless to him but it might be useful for the girls in the sect so he decided to accept it.


    In return, he gave these profound beasts his own concentrated profound energy he created. It''s not very useful for human practitioners but for these profound beasts it''s an extremely valuable treasure.


    They giddily accepted the red crystal which contained Issei very own concentrated profound energy. With this crystal they will be able to advance by leaps and bounds and achieve breakthrough.


    This daily routine of him went on for 2 days straight...


    ...


    2 days later something happened within the Xiao clan that housed both Xia Qingyue and Xiao Che.


    Their interaction is still the same like they first met. Just basic greeting and soon they both went on their own way...


    Xiao Che still haven''t realized the disappearance of the and the from his body since he''s still wondering just who was that man that could cure his crippled veins. He''a also feeling too happy being cured of his crippled vein so he spend most of his days accompanying Xiao Lingxi and his Grandfather.


    He then proceeded to cultivate in the profound way while creating some plans for the future but before he could execute his plans there''s a commotion with the Xiao Sect that arrived in the Xiao clan which is his so-called family clan.


    Someone of the inner disciple from the Xiao sect tries to frame him and also put pressure on his only family left, which is his step grandfather and step aunt with the target of to banish him from the clan and that way he will be forced to divorce Xia Qingyue since she''s basically indebted to their Xiao clan.


    If they could banish Xiao Che then they will be able to annul their marriage and forced Xia Qingyue to remarry to someone else from their Xiao clan to fulfil her "debt". And also with the objective to make Xiao Lingxi to marry Xiao Kuangyun which is the one who started this whole farce... That way he could get both beauties for himself.


    Xiao Kuangyun went to the to select a disciple from the Xiao Clan to fulfill the last wish of Elder Xiao Zheng. While being shown around the Xiao Clan by Xiao Yulong, Xiao Kuangyun saw Xia Qingyue by chance and was dumbstruck by her beauty. He wanted to obtain such a beautiful woman but was reprimanded by Xiao Moshan who was acting as his guardian.


    Xiao Yulong curried favor with Xiao Kuangyun by creating a scheme for him to obtain Xia Qingyue and also Xiao Lingxi and this is how the whole farce started...


    Xiao Che isn''t really worried about Xia Qingyue since she''s basically the safest person in this city with those 2 people from last night and the sect behind her back.


    The highest realm from this Xiao sect that''s currently present in this city is only that Elder that''s protecting this Xiao Kuangyun. He''s at the so just Qingyue master alone is enough to handle all of them single handedly.


    As for that mystical man who cured his crippled vein... He honestly couldn''t tell but he''s 100% sure that he''s much stronger than Qingyue master herself at the very least...


    What he''s worried about is his little aunt and grandfather... He''s more than willing to leave this shitty clan but he''s worried for them both.


    If all he need to do is leave then it should be very easy to do but he can tell that this Xiao Kuangyun is also aiming for Xiao Lingxi and not just Xia Qingyue...


    If only he''s stronger then he could avoid all of this from happening... He swore to himself to repay this grudge when he has enough strength one day...


    He could only lower himself once more in front of this so-called wife of his and begged her to protect his grandfather and little aunt while he is away... How funny the situation is... Just 2 days ago she''s the one who was in "debt" with him and on that very same night their debt and gratitude are no more but here he is 2 days later being the one in debt with her... If she''s willing to protect them that is...


    Xiao Che - Xia Qingyue... I beg of you... Please protect my little aunt and grandfather when I leave... Think of me owing you a favor.


    Xiao Che whispered to Xia Qingyue who''s nearby.


    Xia Qingyue who heard his words frowned a little before she nodded gently... Even though they''re really not husband and wife anymore, she should still help someone in need especially when the target of this Xiao Kuangyun is a fellow girl and an elderly.


    Xiao Che who saw her nod felt very grateful...


    One thing led to another and finally Xia Qingyue identity being the disciple of Chu Yueli of from the is known to the public.


    They''re about to land their hands on Xia Qingyue so Chu Yueli is forced to show herself and announced the shocking news ahead of time...


    Sirius who''s watching them from the dark decided to report this to Issei. Besides, those weaklings are no match for Chu Yueli anyway so they should be safe from harms way.


    Xiao Kuangyun - So¡­. so it turns out that Xia Qingyue was unexpectedly your noble disciple, this¡­. junior had not been aware of this beforehand, which resulted in this misunderstanding.


    If it was his Xiao Sect''s disciple, Xiao Kuangyun would never let this go. But was different! Those of were not a blood-related sect.


    Their disciples were all female, selected from the ones with the best aptitude amongst the Blue Wind Empire. As a result, they were the smallest sect out of the Four Major Sects.


    However, they still ranked second amongst the Four Major Sects, which clearly indicated their extraordinary level of skill. The aptitude of every disciple within Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace was extremely high, and none were mediocre.


    Each and every one of them received the protection of their Asgard. If he provoked his Xiao Sect''s disciples of a lower position, perhaps it would only be a trivial matter. If he provoked another Sect''s disciples, their death would usually be the common result. But to provoke Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace¡­. even if it was the lowest level female disciple, the sect still wouldn''t yield, still not give a satisfactory answer, and by no means abandon them!


    This is also why Issei have a favorable feelings towards this sect. Their comradery with each other is what he appreciate the most, not their beauties.


    Issei already arrived the moment Sirius reported this incident to him and she''s currently standing behind Issei respectfully acting like she''s his maid.


    But no one is able to sense or see them even though both of them are basically hovering in the sky above.


    Chu Yueli - Misunderstanding? It''s best if it''s only a misunderstanding. Are you still going to continue to tear my disciple''s marriage certificate to shreds?


    Chu Yueli asked with an indifferent expression as she swept her gaze downwards and no one dared to meet her gaze, face to face. Although she was just a woman, all the men present felt that she was a fairy of the Moon Palace.


    As a common man, they were ashamed of their inferiority and felt the gap inbetween; it was fundamentally impossible for them to dare to take more than a single glimpse.


    ''As expected, men other than him is so disgusting and full of deceit... Especially this Xiao Kuangyun... Even at such young age he''s already indulged himself in women'', Chu Yueli thought with disgust inside her mind.


    Even now his eyes are still full of lust and greed that make her sick. Even though that Xiao Che also a leecher, at the very least he still knows how to show restraint unlike this filth in front of her...


    Xiao Kuangyun - Since it was a misunderstanding, how could this one dare?


    Xiao Kuangyun reasoned calmly but his eyes are still full of lust that couldn''t be hidden even though he tries to look calm on the outside.


    Xiao Kuangyun - But, junior is puzzled about one matter¡­. Although junior may not know many things, it is understood that Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s fairies are forbidden to be passionate, and have to suppress their desires. They are never allowed to married, yet why was this Xia Qingyue allowed to¡­


    Chu Yueli - Hmph! Although my Asgard''s Frozen Clouds Arts indeed requires self restraint and abstinence, it never forbade disciples to marry. Qingyue joined my Asgard at the age of twelve but had always been reluctant to follow me back to our sect. It was simply for the wait of marrying Xiao Che at the age of sixteen. It wasn''t out of passion, but merely because of her kindness and commitment. In the face of such heavy righteousness and genuine nature, my Palace naturally would not prevent this. Even if my Palace prohibited marriage, this may well be the biggest exception. Young Master Xiao, do you have any other questions?


    Chu Yueli coldly replied. It was said in a flat voice, and every single letter lingered in one''s ear, laced in ice. It made the heart suffer an uncontrollable chill that didn''t let one dare to have any refutable thoughts.


    Xiao Kuangyun - No no, this was truly just a misunderstanding.


    Xiao Kuangyun hurriedly said. He had no choice but to turn towards Xia Qingyue.


    Xiao Kuangyun - Xia fairy, just then, I was unaware that you were a disciple. If you were offended in anyway, please do not take it to heart.


    The status of being Xiao Sect Master''s son was obviously higher than that of a Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s disciple, but with Chu Yueli here, he had no option but to know his place. This was an inconspicuously remote place, so there was only Xiao Moshan, Xiao Ba, and Xiao Jiu by his side.


    If he annoyed Chu Yueli in anyway and made her unhappy, they could be completely be exterminated on their road back home. Afterwards, they would be destroyed without a trace, and could only die in vain.


    Before arriving to this dump, how could he possible anticipate the unexpected appearance of a person of status like Chu Yueli?


    But unknown to him, he has already signed his death warranty the moment Issei saw set his gazes on him...


    Issei - Sirius... I need you to do something for me.


    Issei then instructed Sirius who''s standing behind him of her new task... To which she nodded eagerly. She then vanished from her original position after receiving her new mission.


    Xiao Kuangyun desire for a dip of Xia Qingyue pie was now impossible and he had wasted half a day''s worth of planning. In front of Chu Yueli, he had no choice but to hold back what he honestly wanted and his heart stifled in oppression.


    As his chest heaved, he turned his gaze towards Xiao Lingxi¡­. Even though Xia Qingyue was already a lost cause, there was another one! Chu Yueli would protect Xia Qingyue but she wouldn''t protect Xiao Lingxi, a stranger! Otherwise, she would have showed up when Xiao Che had been expelled instead of only appearing when the gazes shifted towards Xia Qingyue.


    Xia Qingyue - Master!


    Xia Qingyue who realizes his evil gaze promptly hinted at Chu Yueli with a meaningful look, hoping that she would help protect Xiao Lingxi¡­. At the very least, to not let Xiao Kuangyun take her away. However, Chu Yueli remained unaware, and did not respond.


    Xia Qingyue''s expression became even more anxious as she wore her plea on her face.


    Xia Qingyue - Master, you have also seen how Xiao Kuangyun was aiming for me today. Xiao Che was expelled and had to suffer because of our implication. Before leaving, he asked me to protect his grandfather and little aunt. I had already agreed¡­. Consider this as the last thing I will do for him. After this matter, I will immediately follow Master back to , remain in the sect, and meditate to cultivate in the ways of the Profound¡­. I ask Master to fulfill this request!


    Chu Yueli''s eyes brightened and stirred slightly as she let out a soft sigh. She''s considering if it''s worth it to protect someone unrelated to her but after remembering Issei gentle tone in the other day when he''s talking about his imaginary daughters, she finally relented.


    ''So be it...'' she thought inside her mind. Just when she''s constructing a plan to help Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie(Xiao Che grandpa), she saw Issei appeared in front of them.


    Everyone present who suddenly saw a masked man wearing a unique outfit appeared out of nowhere become extremely alarmed. Especially for Xiao Moshan who has the highest cultivation base only second to Chu Yueli here.


    Issei - Leave.


    Before they could utter another word, Issei already spoke with a bone chilling tone.


    All of them who heard his voice shuddered fiercely.


    Xiao Kuangyun and the others from the Xiao sect or Xiao clan become frozen stiff with fear just after hearing his voice.


    Xiao Moshan - ...M-May this junior ask who your excellency is?


    Xiao Moshan is the Vice Leader of Xiao Sect''s Discipline Hall. And the butler and protector of Xiao Kuangyun.


    He went to Floating Cloud City to accompany, protect and oversee Xiao Kuangyun during the time he stays to select a disciple to join the Xiao Sect.


    He chastises Xiao Kuangyun for his lecherous and vile behavior but did nothing to stop him coveting Xiao Lingxi and Xia Qingyue.


    Standing in front of Issei made him feel extremely nervous... Even though he''s also feeling nervous in the presence of Chu Yueli before, but it''s nothing compared to the man in front of him...


    Chu Yueli - He is the Elder from my Immortal Palace.


    Chu Yueli stepped forward and introduced his identity with a gentle and respectful tone.


    Her previously aloof and cold air disappeared without a trace and she acts very respectfully in front of Issei which made all of them who''s present become gobsmacked.


    Xia Qingyue - Qingyue greet sect Elder.


    Issei - Um.


    Xiao Qingyue also paid her greetings towards Issei to which he nodded at her.


    Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi who have seen Issei before unconsciously relieved a sigh of relief...


    Since when the famous have an elder and it''s a man at that? Aren''t they a sect that consist only of women? That''s what inside everyone who''s present here that doesn''t know his true identity.


    Xiao Kuangyun wanted to say something but Xiao Moshan prevented him immediately. He can''t afford to have this idiot to provoke this man in front of him.


    Xiao Moshan - S-So it''s the Elder from the ... To what we do owe the pleasure having someone at the caliber of your excellency presenting himself before us?


    He started flattering Issei while he''s sweating internally.


    This man in front of him is bad news... He doesn''t know why but he can tell that he''s nothing like Chu Yueli here who''s still willing to have a proper conversation.


    Issei completely ignores his flattery.


    Issei - I won''t repeat myself a third time... Leave or stay forever.


    He released his profound energy and pressure which made them spout some blood feeling complete terror.


    Xiao Moshan - T-T-T-Throne!!!


    His face become ghastly white after sensing Issei profound realm. A Throne/Emperor!?


    They can''t tell his exact level but just knowing that he''s a throne is more than enough to make them all shit their pants.


    Fudge! Why is there someone such as him in this small backwater city!? Just what kind of shit bad luck they have today?! It''s all because of this idiot Xiao Kuangyun!


    Xiao Kuangyun and his lackeys already plopped down to the ground while pissing themselves feeling terrified of Issei.


    Xiao Moshan - Y-Yes! Th-This lowly one will leave right away!


    He immediately grabbed Xiao Kuangyun and fled the area as fast as he could without looking back disregarding how pathetic he looks right now...


    Xiao Kuangyun''s follower who saw this immediately scrambled and followed them soon after...


    Seeing their backer run away, the rest from the Xiao clan can only tremble in fear on the spot. Especially Xiao Yulong who helped Xiao Kuangyun in constructing their plan.


    Even Xiao Che never thought that the mystical man he met 2 days ago is apparently a throne... Xia Qingyue is already know of his cultivation from Chu Yueli''s mouth so she''s not that surprised but that doesn''t mean she''s not taken aback by her sect Elder prowess.


    Chu Yueli - You didn''t really need to do this, Elder Ise... I can handle it myself.


    Chu Yueli lightly complained towards Issei with a slight pout without realizing this act of hers looks just like how a girl acting all coy towards their crush. Thankfully she''s wearing her veil so no one is able to see her current expression...


    Issei - I believe you. But there''s no need to waste your time on them... Then shall we go back?


    Chu Yueli sighed gently before agreeing to his words and the same goes for Xia Qingyue.


    Then the three of them left the area...


    Those from the Xiao clan started breathing heavily while sweat started falling like a waterfall from their whole body after being liberated from his pressure.


    Xiao Che cupped his fist once more towards Issei direction feeling extremely grateful. He doesn''t need to worry about Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie anymore since they are basically already safe from harm''s way the moment Issei showed himself.


    Unless the Xiao clan is a complete idiot then they wouldn''t lay their hands on them... And he can slowly increase his strength so that he could protect them both with his own hands...


    ...


    -Back at Xiao Moshan''s group-


    They are already quite far from the .


    Xiao Moshan used almost all of his profound energy just to achieve this feat. He''s afraid that Issei will change his mind.


    Xiao Moshan - Haah! Haah! Haah!


    He exhaled and inhaled heavily because of how terrified he was and the same goes for Xiao Kuangyun''s group.


    Xiao Moshan - Are you satisfied now, young master Kuangyun?! Your lecherous personality almost doomed us all! Even now I''m afraid that we have completely offended their sect!


    He shouted towards the terrified Xiao Kuangyun.


    Xiao Kuangyun has nothing to say since he''s indeed the one at fault here.


    Xiao Moshan - I will report this incident to the sect master when we returned.


    Xiao Kuangyun face becomes paler after hearing his words.


    Xiao Kuangyun - No! I won''t dare to do this anymore Elder Moshan! I know my mistakes! Please don''t inform this incident to the sect master!


    Xiao Moshan - Hmph! You won''t be able to change my mind after this incident. It''s better if you are being disciplined soon less you court another disaster for our sect later on.


    *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*


    When they are still arguing with each other, they heard a footstep coming from behind them.


    All of them almost shit themselves since they thought it was Issei but after realizing it''s not him they heaved a sigh of relief only to become dumbfounded soon after...


    What they saw is a goddess... The woman walking towards them is so beautiful that she could take their breathe away with just one glance.


    She''s only wearing a simple white robe female clothing but it''s already enough to make them drool...


    Xiao Kuangyun who saw this goddess like woman had his eyes wide open not bothering to hide his greed and lust for her. He doesn''t even bother to wipe his overflowing drool...


    Xiao Moshan who saw this grumbled hatefully thinking ''what know his mistake? He just said he won''t dare to do this anymore but here he is already drooling over the sight of another woman that enters his disgusting eyes...''


    He''s also feeling captivated by the sight of this woman but since he''s still feeling fear from Issei he managed to snaps out of his daze soon enough since he already learned to not randomly anyone even if they''re from a small city like the .


    And this woman might be beautiful like a Goddess but there''s something really suspicious about her... For one, he can''t sense her cultivation at all so she might be just a mortal but for such woman with this caliber to travel alone without protection is weird in and on itself...


    Second, the atmoshpere surrounding her is too cold... It''s like he''s standing in front of an ice spirit rather than a fellow human...


    And last but not least... She''s way too calm and her monotone expression give him a great sense of discomfort... Even after being exposed to Xiao Kuangyun and his goons lustful gazes she''s still act very calm... He also never realizes her presence until just now.


    Any normal woman would''ve just turn back and started running but she''s still walking at their direction without a single care in the world...


    While Xiao Moshan is having these uneasy thoughts, what''s inside Xiao Kuangyun mind is only one thing... And that is, He must have this woman!


    He already forgot about Xia Qingyue incident and already showed his lustful personality again... Truly a leopard can''t change its spots...


    (AN: The phrase "a leopard never changes its spots" means that it''s impossible for one to change their character, even if they will try very hard).


    He signaled towards his goons with his eyes and they who catch on to his sign immediately surrounded the woman.


    This is not the first time they''ve done this after all...


    They started chuckling lecherously while Xiao Moshan frown grows deeper.


    Xiao Kuangyun - Hehehe, beautiful lady... Why are you alone out here? Don''t worry, this young master will keep you safe from harm''s way.


    His crotch started bulging just from thinking that he will be able to enjoy this goddess on his bed.


    The woman who heard his words had her eyes turned sharp and filled with kill intent.


    Xiao Moshan - Wai-!!!


    Xiao Moshan who saw her change in expression wanted to stop them but it is too late...


    *SLASH!!!*


    In a single swoop, all of those who are surrounding her had their body cleaved in half. Even Xiao Moshan doesn''t realize just what she did and since when there''s a halberd in her hand? Wasn''t she barehanded just now?!


    Xiao Kuangyun - ...Eh?


    Xiao Kuangyun eyes went wide open seeing his followers upper body started separating from their lower body... Oddly enough, there''s no blood coming out from their separated body and they all still have their lecherous grin even when they die but the light in their eyes is no more...


    If one looks closely, the place where they are separated is encased in Ice... When their body touched the ground, all of their body immediately broke into pieces...


    Xiao Kuangyun - HYIIIII!!!!


    Xiao Kuangyun dropped down to the ground and started crawling backward feeling terrified.


    Xiao Moshan who saw the woman cold gaze knows that they are done for... ''Ended... This idiot is really a disaster bringer...''.


    His face lost all color and can only weep bitterly inside thinking that this idiot young master is really their sect downfall... Just because he''s the sect leader youngest son he acts frivolously. Now look at what happens... He finally kicked an iron plate... Not once, but twice in but a single day...


    First, it''s the and now it''s this unknown woman... He still couldn''t sense her cultivation level but that''s more than enough to tell him that she''s way beyond his league... Even if there''s a 100 of him right now, he knows that he won''t be able to defeat the woman before him...


    Xiao Moshan - ...S-Seni-


    *STAB!*


    Once again... Before he could utter another word. There''s a stabbing sound coming from beside him and what terrifies him is that there''s a halberd pinning Xiao Kuangyun to the ground directly on his crotch.


    He doesn''t even have the time to scream anymore and directly turned into an ice corpse... A second later, his body also broke apart into pieces just like his followers'' body but his head stays intact without a single scratch and his expression is still laced with terrorizing fear...


    The halberd is made of ice and soon it disappears into thin air.


    Xiao Moshan body slumped on the ground and can only wait for his fate... He can''t even catch a glimpse of her movement so what''s the use for him trying to run away?


    He smiled bitterly thinking the impending doom befalling their sect...


    ??? - ...Take his head and tell your leader if he wanted revenge then I''m more than willing to fight him.


    After she said that, she immediately exposed his cultivation level that made Xiao Moshan face went into that of a dying ember... A ... Hehehe... 1st he met a now this time it''s a ... Just what is going on... Is the Heaven really wanted their sect to truly disappear from this world?


    Fight her? Even their sect grand elder is only at 4th level of Emperor realm... What can their sect even do against her? Drowning her in spit taking advantage of their number? Yeah, right... What a joke!


    ''Ptui! What I wanted your sect to disappear from this world? It''s your sect who''s being an idiot provoking someone you shouldn''t have provoked! Bunch of idiots!'', If The Heaven could hear what he''s thinking then it would have spit on them for thinking that their sect is some kind of bigshot that needed his attention.


    Just a group of ants thinking they are something special.


    Then the woman disappeared into thin air the moment she finished conveying her message...


    That woman was none other than Sirius... Issei thought letting a man like Xiao Kuangun stay alive in this world will only bring disaster to the innocents, so he might as well end his pathetic lives and also send a message towards the Xiao Sect as not to implicate innocent bystanders.


    Xiao Moshan slowly stands up from the ground and carried Xiao Kuangyun decapacitated head with him... He doesn''t say anything and only calmly heads back to his sect...


    His face is like someone who has already accepted his fate... What''s the use of being afraid at this point? Their sect has already offended someone they shouldn''t have offended... He never felt so carefree before this... He''s thinking to just live the remaining of his life in seclusion when he gets back...


    When he arrived back to the sect and conveyed Sirius exact words, the sect leader immediately called back all disciples who''re still outside and closed down the sect rejecting any guest that comes to visit and forbids any disciple from leaving the sect for an unknown duration of time...


    From then on people rarely heard of Xiao sect anymore...


    News about Issei being the elder never spread out since they''re afraid if they were to expose this news then their lives might be in danger so they keep their lips tight... Whether it''s the Xiao Clan or the Xiao Sect, they act the same way.


    ...


    Chu Yueli - The distance between and this city is quite far. After you return to , you may not know when you would have the opportunity to return. Don''t leave any unfinished business that you may care about.


    Xia Qingyue - Rest assured, Master. Qingyue has already and completely made the appropriate preparations, so I may follow Master and depart at any possible time. Although father is reluctant about parting, he has always been deeply grateful about Qingyue entering .


    They discussed their plans in front of the city gate.


    Chu Yueli - If that''s the case, we can start our journey right now. Mistress had always wanted to meet you for many years, ever since I have mentioned you to her. I believe that if she sees you, she would definitely like you.


    Xia Qingyue - Father has already helped us prepare profound horses. I request Master and sect elder to walk towards the foyer.


    Xia Qingyue respectfully said.


    Chu Yueli - No need. Profound horses are too slow. I''ll take you back using the Profound Floating Technique. Also, you should take care to sense the changes in my body''s profound energy in the middle of my technique, it will benefit your profound strength greatly in the future¡­. Let us depart. Give me your hand.


    Xia Qingyue held out her delicately white right hand without hesitation. It was obvious that Chu Yueli''s Profound Floating Technique would speedily bring her up high into the sky. This thought had let a bit of excitement and expectation rise in her heart.


    Chu Yueli extended her ice-cold hand to grasp onto Xia Qingyue''s. In a flash, the profound energy on her body shifted and the formidable Frozen Cloud Arts started to rapidly swirl bringing them both flew towards the sky.


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    Issei followed right after them.


    Xia Qingyue felt a little bit excited being able to soar in the sky. It''s quite a marvelous experience after all.


    Chu Yueli thought of something mid-flight before she spoke towards Xia Qingyue.


    Chu Yueli - Your younger brother, I remember his name¡­ Xia Yuanba, was it? Yesterday, I took the opportunity to check his profound vein. He was naturally born with nine profound entrances. Although his talent is mediocre, his profound veins are a whole two times thicker than that of a normal person''s. It was the first time I have ever seen anything like it. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons why your brother is so burly. I will try to find more information regarding his condition once we return.


    Xia Qingyue - I thank Master for the consideration.


    Xia Qingyue said gently. Her eyes shifted towards the direction of her home and she gently murmured.


    Xia Qingyue - After I''m gone, Yuanba will also head toward by himself and enter the . I hope he won''t get bullied and always live in peace¡­


    She didn''t ask Issei to open all of her little brother profound entrance since she already owed him quite a lot.


    Chu Yueli also thought the same thing as Xia Qingyue.


    Then the three of them departed from the ...


    ...


    As expected, Xia Qingyue becomes flabbergasted by sigh of profound beasts and animals alike kneeling towards their direction... Well, her sect Elder direction.


    Chu Yueli explained briefly that it''s just one of their sect elder trait to which she nodded understandingly...


    She becomes increasingly curious of this sect elder of theirs...


    On their way back they passed by the .


    Chu Yueli - The mountain range is very big, with profound beasts becoming more and more ferocious deeper into the mountains. As an indication that this region was fairly well explored, there are many warning signs along the mountain paths warning people of high level profound beasts. It''s said that the Scarlet Dragon Prohibited Region is where the Scarlet Dragon resided.


    Issei - Oh? There''s an actual Dragon here?


    Chu Yueli - Um, at least that''s what I''ve heard.


    Chu Yueli herself is not certain since she has never explored this place directly.


    Not really surprising since her profound arts are based on ice while the dragon is clearly of fire element so there''s no use for her and the sect trying their luck here.


    At most they can only sell the dragon profound core and the likes but not use them for themselves... So it''s not worth the risk. The rumors said that the Dragon is at the peak of but it''s still just a rumor so they don''t want to try their luck.


    "Do you mind if we inspect it? I''m quite curious about this Dragon. Oh, you don''t need to follow me if you don''t want to", Issei thought of something before he proposed his idea towards Chu Yueli.


    "No, I don''t really mind... How about you, Qingyue?" Chu Yueli stated that she doesn''t mind since she''s not really feeling afraid or anything with Issei here with them.


    "This disciple doesn''t mind either" Xia Qingyue agreed with Chu Yueli since she also thought that they won''t be in any danger with their sect elder here.


    "I see. Then stay close with me so if anything were to happen I could protect the two of you" Issei nodded at them and then they went deeper into the mountain.


    Issei is curious about the Dragon in this world and even though the from before is part Dragon but it''s only a wyvern at most.


    They don''t encounter any attack from the profound beasts residing the mountain and they arrived in front of the cave that''s supposedly the nest of the scarlet dragon.


    Issei felt a little disappointed since even though there''s indeed a Dragon inside this cave but it''s quite weak and it''s not a true Dragon either... At best it''s only a lesser Dragon which only slightly higher in terms of bloodline compared to your typical wyvern.


    But the same couldn''t be said for Chu Yueli and Xia Qingyue because this profound energy clearly doesn''t belong to a peak but it''s a peak of instead...


    They sweat a little but they don''t feel afraid at all for some reason and they unconsciously turn their heads towards Issei direction... They don''t know why but when he''s in their presence they felt like they won''t be in any danger at all...


    Soon the Dragon comes out of its den and Chu Yueli and Xia Qingyue become a little tense but they don''t lose their composure even in front of the Dragon knowing that Issei is protecting them.


    With a 100 meter in height that reached a hundred feet and an entire body scarlet-red, like red-hot steel, its enormous wings and tail lit with a blazing fire. Its two scarlet-red eyes "were" full of prestige.


    "Were", since those eyes full of prestige instantly shrunk at a visible rate and the next second it plopped down to the ground and instantly exposed its belly towards Issei...


    *PLOP!*


    It''s as if its surrendered just like how a puppy would act when they''re in front of an overwhelming enemy... It would''ve been cuter if his body wasn''t so big however...


    Both Chu Yueli and Xia Qingyue become dumbfounded seeing the Dragon act like this...


    What happened to it''s awe inspiring act from before? How come it acts like a puppy now?


    "No need to be afraid, I''m not here to harm you", Issei reassured the trembling pup- dragon... Its face went bright right away when it heard Issei words.


    It stopped its pleading act and even started acting spoiled towards him nudging his body with its nose. Then it purred something at Issei.


    "Hm? Are you sure?" Issei asked to which it nodded profusely.


    "U-Umm... You can understand what it''s saying, Ise?" Chu Yueli hesitated a bit before she asked him since he seems able to converse with the Dragon.


    Even Xia Qingyue is very curious about it.


    "Kind of... It wanted to give us its treasures inside its nest" Issei answered her question while he patted the Dragon head which made it purred happily.


    "I-Is that so...?" Chu Yueli face started twitching a lot thinking how incredulous the situation right now...


    Issei then went inside its nest followed by the happy Dragon. Chu Yueli and Xia Qingyue hesitated a bit before they went along with them...


    Chu Yueli who saw the content of its nest is feeling really surprised since there''s really a lot of inside the cave.


    is a Medical Herb used to refine the , and after consuming it, one would be able to resist a large degree of fire elements for a certain period of time. It could also temporarily change a person''s profound energy, which resided in the Profound Veins, into one of the fire attribute without any harmful side effects of burning or injuring oneself.


    It is exceedingly rare and only grew in areas with concentrated fire elements. At the same time, the Fire Spirit Grass''s growth speed was extremely slow and usually took more than ten years to reach maturity, and as a result, caused the value of mature Fire Spirit Grass to be remarkably high.


    The other reason why the Fire Spirit Grass was valuable, was due to the fact that it was extremely difficult to collect and store. Even the slightest amount of carelessness may cause the fire spirit inside the grass to all disappear.


    The sheer amount is very overwhelming for Chu Yueli while Xia Qingyue doesn''t have that much knowledge in the alchemy field so she''s unaware of how precious the is...


    Only after hearing Chu Yueli explanation that she understand how precious they are... It''s basically a gold mine!


    Although they don''t really need it but they could still sell it at a high price in the merchant guild.


    Issei is not really interested about these grasses but he felt some unique aura coming from the depth of the cave so he went further deeper inside...


    What he saw is a small red orb glowing in the dark. He can feel this orb is quite special and it is also the reason why there''s so many nearby...


    He becomes very curious so he picked it up and finally knew why knew why it seems special... It''s basically a that enables anyone to fully master the element as long as they can utilize it to it''s full capabilities.


    For example, he could give this seed to Natal who excel at using element and if she were to completely absorb this seed then she could immediately perfectly mastered the element as well.


    This would''ve been quite a catch if all he needs to do is to have one of his wife absorb it, but it appears that this seed can''t be used as it is...


    If his guess is not mistaken then this seed is only usuable by someone with a special type of vein or physique. He could just absorb it and gain it''s effect but it''s useless for him since he already mastered all element in existence...


    Nevertheless, it''s still quite a found and he thought that he should try to cultivate this seed when he gets back so that way he could make its copies... That way he could make his wives become even stronger than ever.


    As for how he will extract this seed power then he will discuss it with Da Vinci and the others later on. He won''t believe that he won''t be able to extract the seed of its power when the time comes.


    He started thinking that since there''s a then maybe there''s also another type of seed as well? Such as the for example?


    ''This ought to be a good souvenir... Now I wonder if there is more variety of this seed'' Issei smiled slightly under his mask thinking that he found another hidden treasure for his wives.


    He created a giant concentrated red crystal combined with his own unique .


    Issei used his flame breath to create this one particular crystal and gave it to the ecstatic Dragon.


    With this it will have a greater chance to become a True Dragon in the future! It''s not everyday that it could get such a treasure and it''s from its very own King at that! The joy!


    The Dragon would''ve prostated itself and even kiss Issei feet if it''s allowed to but it knows that its King wouldn''t like that since it''s a male... If he''s a female then maybe he could court his King? Darn... Too bad I''m a male the Dragon thought to itself.


    It''s as if Issei could read the Dragon''s thought to he knocked its head.


    "Cut that out or I will beat you up..." Issei groaned feeling goosebumps seeing the look from the Dragon face.


    The Dragon smiled goofily towards Issei...


    Issei then took the with him as well.


    Chu Yueli who saw that become flabbergasted since she could tell that Issei just perfectly harvested the grass...


    She sighed tiredly since everything that revolves around this elder of hers is very abnormal and surreal... Xia Qingyue also thought the same thing as her Master...


    The 3 of them left the mountain while the Dragon send them off with a big goofy smile and a wave...


    Later on in the future the Dragon is besieged by Five high-level profound practitioners from the tried to slay this dragon to obtain its fire-attribute Profound Core. They were all at the and one was half a step into the , Fen Moli.


    But all of them died at the hands of that said Dragon since when at that time, it already broke through to the and easily slaughtered its foe without breaking a sweat...


    ...


    Issei''s party finally returned to the ... But on that very same day the whole sect screeched in surprise from what they saw...


    Not only that Issei brought a large number of , he also brought some rare herbs/plants such as the with him. This ginseng will be able to extend the lifespan of one individual up to a 1000 years.


    And to make matter even more ridiculous, Chu Yueli also told them of his capability to open all 54 profound entrance... But the surprise doesn''t end there... He also showed them the which weighted 50kg at the very least!


    In a single day the whole sect lose its calm while Feng Qianhui fainted with a silly smile on her face after this incident followed by Gong Yuxian soon after...


    Good Heavens! Just what kind of deity they brought into their sect?!


    The 7 fairies can only look ludicrously at their sect Elder...


    When Feng Qianhui wake up, she immediately head towards Issei location wanting to ask him to become their sect Master. But he refuses right away which made her feels disappointed... But she won''t easily give up just like that! If asking him won''t work then they can just entice him!


    Feng Qianhui announced a secret order to the whole sect to try their best to entice their sect elder... If before she only wanted them to take it slow and steady, then now she wanted them to take it fast and quick!


    She especially put her entire hope to the 7 fairies and also Xia Qingyue who just recently arrived... But soon after she also put herself into the fray since she reverted back to her younger self after Issei opened all of her profound entrances with a little bit of a bonus...


    "Yuxian! Let''s do our best!" Feng Qianhui pumped her fist with her eyes shining brightly. She''s acting like a teenagers the moment her body reverted back to her younger self...


    If the previous Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian looks like a woman in their 40s, now they look like a woman in their 20s...


    The wrinkles on her face had disappeared, and her skin looked so smooth and supple. She could even rival the smoothness and suppleness of a newborn baby''s skin. Her whitened hair have completely turned glossy black and it looked so lustrous.


    Her slender body, with ample and generous bosom and proud and plump buttocks, was now showing off their destructive charm that could topple a kingdom and nation alike.


    Gong Yuxian who''s also become younger can only smile wryly at her previously respectable sect Grand Mistress conduct... Not that she can blame her since she''s also feeling extremely happy when she becomes younger...


    Her natural beauty was enhanced even further, and the strands of white hair on her head also disappeared completely and become silky black just like Feng Qianhui''s hair.


    Her body curves and full bossom and buttocks could also rival Feng Qianhui''s.


    If they''re standing in line with the 7 fairies then they could be regarded as fellow sisters instead of a Master and Grand Master! That''s how young they looks now... While for the 7 fairies, all of their beauties also become more prominent than ever.


    Basically, Issei discovered another side effect from their cultivation, it reduces their lifespan and so he fixed that problem as well and the result is as such... They become significantly younger...


    He discovered this when he was opening the profound entrance of Xia Qingyue. Since she has only been learning the for short amount of time, Issei could easily pinpoint the last side effect of their cultivation.


    He was having a little bit of trouble before since he can''t exactly asked them to let him inspect their body more closely, couldn''t he?


    After that, the truly becomes a sect made of Fairies... There''s not a single girl here who''s not beautiful as a fairy inside their sect... Their strength also started increasing at an alarming rate since all of them basically have the ...

 Chapter 99 - 98

    Xia Qingyue who saw Issei''s face for the first time went into daze...


    "See, Master wasn''t lying when I told you about his otherworldly appearance, wasn''t I?" Chu Yueli smiled proudly at the dumbfounded Xia Qingyue.


    Chu Yueli brought her to see Issei''s face and her reaction is just like Chu Yueli expected. ''No woman should be able to resist his charm'' she thought to herself ''With this, her heart should waver a bit and the chance of her to develop feelings for him should increase as well...'' She added.


    She really wanted the best for Xia Qingyue... Even though she admitted that she also has developed some feelings for him but that''s not the issue at the moment.


    She''s pretty sure a man of his caliber won''t be content or should she say, won''t be allowed to only have one wife... You could say it''s her intuition as a woman but she gets a feeling that is the case.


    Indeed, Chu Yueli''s so-called intuition hit a home run since he has multiple wives already but even she won''t expect the number of his wives are surpassing 4 digits... Who can expect that?


    And if he indeed only have 1 wife then it won''t be long for that said wife looking for backup since she won''t be able to handle him on her own... Not like it would change anything even if there are 1000 women challenging him at the same time but at least it would satisfy him to a certain extent.


    But that''s only a false assumption since even though Issei could last for an unknown amount of time on the bed. He can control his libido if he wanted to so if his wife reached her limit then he would switch off his libido as well.


    He only wanted to satisfy them so he is more than willing to accompany them no matter how long they wanted it...


    "Now Qingyue... Even though Master wishes that she could make you stronger on her own... But Master knows that our sect Elder is more capable than Master" Chu Yueli smiled apologetically towards Xia Qingyue.


    Xia Qingyue was about to say something but Chu Yueli stopped her with a gesture of her hand.


    "It''s fine, I''m not feeling depressed or anything knowing that our sect Elder is more capable than Master... The reason why I''m telling you this is because Master wanted the best for you. So if you are taught by him directly then Master is certain that you will be able to achieve greater heights and even make your dream come true even faster." She smiled fondly at Xia Qingyue.


    Xia Qingyue''s eyes glimmered brightly after hearing Chu Yueli words.


    "It is Qingyue blessing being able to become Master disciple... Know that Qingyue won''t accept another Master in this life and only have Master as Qingyue''s Master. Even if Qingyue were to learn from others such as our sect Elder, Qingyue will never forget Master benevolence for Qingyue" She bowed respectfully towards Chu Yueli.


    "Aiii... Silly child... You don''t have to do this..." Chu Yueli felt warm after hearing Xia Qingyue''s words.


    Issei who''s in the distance could hear their conversation and he smiled thinly at their interaction.


    Sadly, there''s no one saw his smile just now or they would''ve become lovestruck because of how enchanting that smile of his was...


    Chu Yueli then urged Xia Qingyue to interact with Issei... ''With this, they should become closer... Just as planned'' Chu Yueli smiled slyly watching Xia Qingyue who timidly walking towards Issei direction.


    She then left the area to let them be... On her way back, she came across a group of female disciples... She assumes that they are heading towards Issei location as well to "Learn" from him seeing how they fidgetting around and the slight blush on their cheeks...


    There''s only one person able to make most of their sect disciples act this way... They usually always seems collected and calm.


    She dismissed them saying that Issei is currently a little bit busy much to their disappointment...


    Chu Yueli grinned slyly once more while apologizing towards them in her heart since this is Qingyue''s time to shine.


    Issei gets a lot more visitors nowadays... Whether it''s her fellow 7 fairies or Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian themselves, they would often visit him on the pretext they have some question about their cultivation...


    Sure her elder sister, Chu Yuechan genuinely visited him wanting to ask some questions about cultivation but don''t think she can''t see that Chu Yuechan expression during their interaction with each other glow brighter than usual...


    She still has her typical calm face but Chu Yueli as her little sister could tell that her elder sister is feeling happy inside... She also often flashed a thin smile at Issei without realizing it.


    After all, Chu Yuechan is known to dislike men and ALWAYS wears a veil whenever he travels outside. Even Chu Yueli herself sometimes doesn''t wear a veil when she''s traveling outside.


    Issei''s position in the sect has already surpassed Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian. He may have refused Feng Qianhui''s request to become their new sect Master but inside their mind, he already becomes their new sect Master.


    Feng Qianhui informed Issei of the worth of the but even after knowing its worth he still has no interest in it and said that they can have it.


    They can only smile wryly at his nonchalant attitude... They started wondering if there''s something that could pique his interest in this world...


    With this profound crystal and all those herbs, their sect grew even further... Their sect may be the smallest compared to the other 3 big sect but they make it up for their strength hence the reason why they''re 2nd in rank even though their sect disciple number is on the low side.


    They''re also always stuck 2nd in rank during the but now they can finally claim 1st place thanks to Issei help.


    Xia Qingyue arrived a few steps behind Issei location.


    She hesitates a bit seeing him calmly standing in front of her thinking that she might be disturbing him but she finally steeled herself to greet him.


    "Qingyue greets sect Elder" She bowed in courtesy.


    "Um." Issei turns his head slightly and nods at her greeting and then he turned his head to look to the front once more.


    Both of them then went silent for a bit after that... Xia Qingyue doesn''t really know how to interact with the opposite gender other than her own family member so she started thinking of what to say to Issei but thankfully Issei is the first to break the silence.


    "Tell me, Junior sister Xia Qingyue... For what reason do you want to become stronger?" He asked her while still looking to the front.


    "...Qingyue wanted to become stronger because Qingyue wanted to protect her family from harm''s way" Xia Qingyue was a bit taken aback but then she calmly answered his question.


    "Hmm... Is that it?" Issei proceeds to ask her.


    Xia Qingyue went silent after that... It''s as if she''s struggling with something inside of her.


    "If you want to become stronger with that purpose in mind then at your current pace its only a matter of time before you achieve your dream... But I have a feeling that you are rushing against time... As if you''re rushing to chase after something or perhaps someone... Can you tell me the real reason for your desire to grow stronger?" He finally turns around to face Xia Qingyue face to face.


    Xia Qingyue doesn''t dare to meet his gaze and look down for a moment before she answered him.


    "...Yes" Her face went a little downcast.


    "..." Issei waited for her to continue.


    "It''s because of... My mother..." After listening to Issei''s words, she did not choose to hide, but very naturally, with words that flowed like the mist, she said, "Father and mother''s meeting was very magical... When father met mother outside of the city, she was in a coma and her entire body was covered with blood. After she woke up, she did not have any of her memories, and her body was extremely weak... Then, mother married father, and because her body was weak, giving birth to me was very difficult, and I narrowly escaped death..."


    She stopped for a second before she continued her story, "When I was four years old, mother suddenly regained her memories... She left, like a fairy she flew away and left... When she left, she hugged me and my brother while crying pitifully, saying that if she didn''t leave, she would bring calamity to the whole family. She said that where she was going, was a place called the . It was a place that we could never get to... After that, even though father stayed strong, I often see him shed tears quietly when he was alone. After more than ten years, he never remarried... Brother was so young and ignorant, but when growing up, the thing that he envied the most, was that other people had mothers..."


    "?" Issei muttered in a low voice. "Do you know what kind of place it is?"


    He can feel that there''s indeed a higher realm or should he say higher world than the current .


    But since his strength is not fully healed he can''t carelessly open a void rift or his injury might become worst. He might be able to open a spatial opening but that''s only limited to the current world/realm.


    He still cannot travel between dimensions as of yet.


    Xia Qingyue absent-mindedly shook her head: "I don''t know. I have researched many ancient books, but I never encountered this name."


    "I see..." Issei was a little disappointed since she doesn''t have the knowledge to get there.


    He thought that the upper realm which so-called the might have thicker energy and natural energy. If he could get there then his recovery rate will increase.


    "The reason you pursue profound power is so that you can reach a level high enough to learn this name, correct?" He decided to put these thoughts away for now.


    "Mn..." Xia Qingyue nodded slightly before raising her snow-white face to look at Issei''s flawless face: "I only want a reunited family. Even though this goal is very far, I believe that as I climb higher and higher, I will inevitably be able to see the silhouette of my mother one day..."


    "...I won''t say anything else if that is your true wish but remember to not lose sight of your true purpose in your search of power... Don''t let yourself led astray by the very same power you achieved." Issei solemnly said towards her to which she nodded solemnly as well, "Qingyue understand."


    "...Follow me" Issei went silent for a little bit before he started walking towards a big open field but he doesn''t forget to tell Xia Qingyue to follow him.


    He then started teaching Xia Qingyue about his understanding of the profound way and then he also teaches her the way of the sword since she seems to be a sword user.


    Issei asked Xia Qingyue to demonstrate her sword skill.


    She executed her sword skills one by one in front of Issei...


    "Your sword arts have too many useless flowery movement in it... A sword is used to kill your enemy and protect those who stand behind you. When you use your sword, you use it with the intent to kill."


    He picks up a tree branch and told Xia Qingyue to attack him with everything she has.


    She doesn''t feel offended at all seeing Issei only uses a tree branch to fight her since she knows that he''s way stronger than she is.


    But she never expects that with only a tree branch he can easily deflect everything she throws at him... Even the tree branch itself stays intact without any sign of about to break. It still looks brand new... She thought that she could at least break the tree branch...


    Although, she could faintly see a black looking energy surrounding it...


    "This technique is called " Issei explained seeing her confused looks.


    "?" She muttered curiously.


    "Um... Try using your profound energy to coat your sword" He instructed.


    Xia Qingyue then does just that but she obviously fails. Her profound energy will instantly scatter away the moment it leaves her body... She then tries again but the result is still the same...


    She can only confusingly look at Issei.


    "Try to imagine your profound energy as a part of your body instead of thinking it as external energy." He calmly said towards her while demonstrating it from the start...


    Then they continue to train with this fashion until night comes... Chu Yueli who saw this from the distant nodded in satisfaction.


    The other girls are also watching them from the distance and they also tried copying their training but to no avail... Not surprising since it''s not a technique that could be mastered in a single day.


    Issei enhances his voice on purpose since he realizes their presence and he thought that he might as well.


    Then he thought of something during their training and called Xia Qingyue: "Junior sister Xia Qingyue, come here for a minute."


    Xia Qingyue stopped her practice and walked in front of him.


    "Let me try something..." He put his index finger on her forehead.


    A moment later, Xia Qingyue becomes completely flabbergasted since she somehow gains knowledge of the .


    She hasn''t gone to the as of yet since the whole sect is busy dealing with the crystal and herbs Issei brought into the sec. They are having a minor headache since the one who brought them all this is not interested in it...


    He just told them that they can have it and consider it done just like that... Even now they are hesitating to use all of these treasures... They decided to only use 30% of it for now and keep the rest of the 70% for later just in case he will change his mind...


    Even with this 30% share, they could last for another 50 years at the minimum and if they use it sparingly then they could even last for 100 years... And that is more than enough to make their whole sect become stronger than ever.


    This is also one of the reasons why Feng Qianhui wanted Issei to be their sect Master...


    Actually, Xia Qingyue has a special physique... Well, two special physique to be exact.


    The first one being the , it gives a special type of mind, with high comprehensive abilities, pure and clear disposition, the soul will grow stronger and stronger over time, and be able to sense good and evil as well as danger, and easily see through various mysteries, and even see into the heart of all living things.


    Someone with the will be a supreme and sacred existence that transcends the world. The legends say that they are blessed by the heavens and whoever harms them would suffer the punishment of the heavens way... But in reality, those are merely fabrications that the world assumes is correct.


    This ability is so rare that it was difficult to appear once in a million years, even in the Era of the Gods.


    Once the awakens, one''s power, wisdom, vision, and soul will all undergo changes which appear strange on the surface. But their speed of growth will become so fast that it would be inconceivable to a normal person, and the changes to their wisdom and vision will cause them to no longer be willing to be under anyone else. At the very least, that person definitely will no longer be weak, hesitant, or bewildered.


    The Eternal Heaven Ancestor was the first example of this all those years ago. She was originally a mortal woman, yet she became the first Eternal Heaven God Emperor and she even convinced the Eternal Heaven Pearl to submit to her.


    On a side note, the is one of the ranked 4th on the ranking.


    The is, for all intents and purposes, a true ''divine miracle''.


    But in front of Issei existence, it could only barely count as "not bad" at most... The possessor of this divine physique usually always being faced with tragedy or "tests" to temper their body and mind is more accurate...


    If she doesn''t meet with Issei then her future path is filled with obstacles and hardships, but that future is unintentionally being erased by Issei and he paved a brand new path for her life... A life full of bliss and joy...


    The "Heaven" doesn''t dare to change her destiny anymore since her whole fate has been influenced by Issei... Even if the "Heaven" tried to forcefully change her fate then it wouldn''t affect her anymore and would only bring destruction to itself...


    What''s quite funny is that the legend where they said that who possesses this physique will have protection from the "Heaven" is false... But right now Xia Qingyue has indeed had protection from an entity that surpasses the "Heaven" itself... She and the member of the basically have already released from the shackle of the so-called "Heaven" and they are free to create their own destiny with their very own hands...


    These things usually should be only possible for those who are extremely lucky(AN: Those who have plot armor is more like it).


    Xia Qingyue second physique is called the . Whoever possesses this physique has a "small world" inside of their body which allows them to hold more power than what their physical bodies can handle, as to say that no matter what Profound Art she cultivates in she will be able to cultivate it to any level no matter what her cultivation is. It can also be passed onto others with "vital virginity" or dual cultivation.


    Possessors of the are hard to search for even among a trillion people but the possessors would definitely be women. Even in the vast Realm of the Gods, at most, only one person will be born with the Nine Profound Exquisite Body every ten thousand years.


    When possessors of Nine Profound Exquisite Body have low profound cultivation, their profound energy will reveal a unique free-flowing state and it''s easily discernible by people who are aware of this characteristic of the Nine Profound Exquisite Body.


    If their unleashed profound energy can break the laws of realm boundaries to a certain extent, then it''s possible to ascertain that they undoubtedly possess the .


    However, this profound energy characteristic weakens as their profound energy becomes richer and if they step into the divine way, this characteristic will completely disappear. Thus, locating one in the higher realms is difficult and hard to control as well so, it''s better to search in the lower realms.


    But those trivial things don''t apply to the current Xia Qingyue anymore who basically has been "Released" from the "Heaven" law.


    could be possessed by another woman. It was just that the conditions are extremely harsh and the method is very special.


    And this is why even without Issei assistance she should''ve been able to master the .


    (a.k.a Frozen End Divine Arts) is a Profound Art that originates from the Ice Phoenix, one of the Three Supreme Water Attribute Beasts. The bloodline of the Ice Phoenix is required in order to cultivate it.


    Mu Bingyun named it while she lost her memories on the .


    This profound art is capable of freezing anything. including profound energy. The primary users are members of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. The extreme ice attributes of the profound art cause problems with reproduction and both males and females will find it very difficult to conceive.


    But Issei already fixed this problem as well. And since his bloodline is even more divine and way stronger than the Ice Phoenix itself. That requirement is basically nonexistent and he can easily pass on these arts to whoever he wants.


    Even one of his wives, Izana, the member of the from the Kalar race surpasses the Ice Phoenix in this world since she has the bloodline of the primordial Ice Phoenix God created by the Creator God itself.


    If the Ice Phoenix of this world were to meet Izana then it would immediately prostate itself in complete submission much less to say if it is in front of Issei himself... Not even the Primordial Azure Dragon from this world itself could stand a chance in front of his divinity. At most, it''s only on the level of the DxD world Tannin but that''s about it...


    "Hmm, as I expected..." Issei murmured in confirmation since his guess has been correct all along...


    The first time he saw this art he could sense a tiny bit of divinity left belonging to a God and it kind of remind him of Izana so he assumes the reason why the disciples couldn''t learn this art is because they don''t have its bloodline.


    "Try using it, Junior Sister Xia Qingyue" Issei said towards the flabbergasted Xia Qingyue to which she nodded and on her first try, she could only execute the 1st stage but it''s already considered monstrous talent if she''s placed in the upper realm sect.


    Chu Yueli and the others who saw this become flabbergasted as well. But thinking that they would just be going to bother them if they were to bombard him with questions now they decided to wait for the right time...


    In the near future, the whole disciple could use the ... And another reason emerged to make Issei their new Sect Master... They mean, just look at it! In less than a month of him staying here, he already contributed so many for the sect!


    At this current rate then winning the is pretty much guaranteed already... Without a single doubt!


    If after all this he''s still not worthy to become their sect Master then no one is... But sadly his lack of interest in being their sect master is quite frustrating but they won''t lose hope! As long as he''s still here they will have a day where he will finally take fancy on one of them or perhaps all of them is better and when that moment comes, they won''t believe he wouldn''t stay!


    They already heard how gentle he is when he''s talking about his imaginary children from Chu Yueli''s mouth herself... A man like him wouldn''t abandon his family no matter what.


    On this they are correct but what they didn''t know is that he already has his wives waiting for him back home so this plan of theirs is quite flawed but it is still a good plan since if he indeed takes one of them as his wife then he will do everything he can to make their sect become more prosperous.


    ...


    "Good... Let''s stop for today" He said towards the exhausted-looking Xia Qingyue.


    "Qingyue gives her thanks for Elder Ise guidance" She bowed even more respectfully than before. And even though she''s exhausted but she gains quite a lot from this small session of theirs.


    "Ah. We shall continue it at a later date, junior sister Xia Qing-" Issei nodded calmly at her but before he could finish her words, Qingyue stopped him with her own.


    "Please just call me Qingyue, Elder Ise" Xia Qingyue said with a respectful tone.


    "...Very well, then see you later, Qingyue." He said to her.


    Xia Qingyue heart throbbed a little hearing him calling her name directly like that but she doesn''t hate it. In fact, she''s a little happy about it...


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    And with one last bow, she left the area... Chu Yueli''s group has already gone back ahead of time.


    Even though the time they spend is quite short, Qingyue is able to increase her strength by quite a lot. She should be able to achieve another breakthrough soon enough.


    She becomes increasingly awed and started to revere Issei even more. Thinking about her Master''s words from before she blushed slightly... ''It might not be so bad having him as my husband...'' She couldn''t help unconsciously thought of it... But soon she snaps out of her thoughts since she has a dream to fulfill first.


    While Qingyue heads back inside the sect, Issei decided to stay outside for some time...


    It''s been 3 days ever since they returned to the sect and that mother and daughter duo still haven''t wake up until now... But he finally felt a stir within the pearl.


    He decided to wait for a few moments since he could hear a sobbing sound from inside the pearl... Considering how young this voice sounded then it must be the sobbing sound of the daughter... But he could also hear a sobbing sound from a maturer voice.


    The mother also took notice of his act when they finally stopped her reunion with her daughter and she felt become even more grateful of Issei for it. There''s no way he doesn''t realize their movement inside the pearl since he''s its master.


    "Benefactor... You can come in now" She gently said towards nowhere in particular since she''s inside a personal space of the so there''s no actual entrance into this place.


    The daughter frowned a little because from what she heard, both her and her mother are saved by this benefactor and they are currently inside the as well at that.


    At first, she''s surprised seeing her mother appearance changes but soon she accepted it since she''s already extremely happy that she''s still alive. What else could she ask for?


    No matter what she''s still her beloved mother in the end... She wishes that her gentle elder brother is still alive...


    But she becomes dazed instantly after seeing Issei entering the pearl... Her mother is also in a daze seeing Issei face once again...


    Because he is the most handsome man they''ve both ever seen... the girl hates to admit that this person before them is even more handsome than her own late elder brother that she idolizes a lot...


    Even if he''s placed in the upper realm then his face is surely one of a kind. They heard the current Dragon King from up there has a flawless face but they are willing to bet that the man in front of them goes beyond that... Flawless is not enough to describe Issei''s appearance... Beyond perfection or beyond devilish is more accurate to describe his face...


    What amazes her even further is that even after he saw her and her mother''s beauty he still has a calm face... Usually, other men either showed astonishment or even lust when they saw them both.


    "How are you feeling? Any discomfort on your new body?" Issei breaks their silence asking the mother since this is his first time trying to remold someone else spiritual body.


    "...E-Eh, no benefactor. There''s nothing wrong with my new body and there are no problems with it as far as I could tell." The mother hastily answered his question.


    "I see." Issei nodded calmly at her and then he turned his gaze on her daughter. "How about her?" She asked once again.


    "...This princess is fine." She warily answered Issei before her mother could say anything else.


    "Jasmine, don''t be rude." Her mother lightly reprimanded her. After all, the man in front of them saved both of their lives but it''s not like she can''t relate to her daughter''s wariness since both of them have their own share of lives experience...


    There are so many people tries to deceive and lied to them in their lives, her ex-husband is one of them who wants to do harm to his own daughter for his own selfish reason.


    He also forcefully made her as his mistress since he covets her beauty but after he has his way with her, he completely abandons her never seemed to bother to care anymore... Even when she''s kidnapped by the Moon God Realm King, he doesn''t give a single care about it and even saw that as a chance to erase his own son and her at the same time...


    It''s because he wanted to do some ritual that involves her daughter and that ritual would''ve claimed her daughter''s life so with her elder brother and herself in the way he won''t be able to smoothly launch that twisted plan of his...


    One day, when his Royal Father was out, he sneaked into his Divine Emperor''s hall and discovered an ancient jade scroll of ''Blood Sacrifice''.


    According to this scroll, sacrifice one Star God''s everything, including his flesh, blood, power, and soul, to fuse his divine power with another Star God! Once he succeeded, the fusion of the Star God powers and the Star God powers would have a special qualitative change. From there, it was very likely that he would break through his limits and cross over a barrier that he could never have traversed before. Touch the legendary path of a True God.


    He found that this kind of blood sacrifice method is not something that can be achieved by any Star God, but requires an incomparably strict ''fit''. And in order to achieve this kind of fit, the sacrificed Star God must be direct blood relatives within two generations of the person who accepted the sacrifice. They can be your biological parents, brothers, and sisters of the same father and mother, and your own child.


    He took the jade scroll and his father about this matter. His father did not try to dispute it and just told him straight away that he would perform the blood sacrifice ceremony engraved on the jade scroll. The purpose of purchasing a large amount of Divine Jades was to perform the ceremony. The ceremony was held once every hundred years and was also the ''day of the stars'' when Star God powers were at its strongest.


    Later when he was travelling he found that his sister inherited the power of Heavenly Slaughter Star God and in order to save his sister he informed her regarding the matter, hoping that she will escape...


    She was going to end her own life when she saw her son coming to rescue her hoping that he will escape as soon as she does that but as fate allows it, there''s a loud rumbling sound coming from the void along with a crimson tear on the space which allows her and her son to barely escape from the clutch of the Moon Emperor since they are distracted by it...


    But in the end, her son still loses his life...


    She doesn''t really understand the detail but it seems that her ex-husband has a collaboration with the Brahma Heaven God Emperor''s daughter, Qianye Ying''er which resulted in his death since her son is in love with Qianye Ying''er so he trusts her completely...


    He left behind a ring when he was on his deathbed. He left his final soul within the ring and so that will be able to protect Jasmine and her for the rest of their life...


    His mother and little sister mourned for his death...


    His little sister, in order to become even more powerful used her full power in order to get the , but later found out from the Soul Imprint left on it that it would devour her old profound veins, and give her new one, effectively forcing her to start cultivating over again. Which she couldn''t afford to do...


    While trying to get the she ended up getting poisoned by the where she went to search for the where she accidentally made her way to and if it weren''t for her mother intervention then she might just die from the poison attack from back then... But as a result, her mother is the one to bear the full brunt of the poison hence why she''s so close to her deathbed when Issei found them.


    If it weren''t for Issei help then she would''ve really died... Well, both of them will...


    Even though Jasmine''s mother bears the full brunt of the poison, she''s still inflicted by the very same poison...


    "...Who are you and for what purpose did you save us both?" She ignores her mother''s words and asked Issei with a cold tone.


    Even though she''s grateful that he saved her mother and her, she can''t let her guard down in front of a stranger such as him.


    "Haven''t your mother taught you to introduce yourself first before asking someone else''s name?" Issei countered back with a calm tone feeling undisturbed by the bloodlust she''s emitting right now.


    "You!" The girl gritted her teeth feeling slight anger for being berated by Issei. She usually never allows any outsiders to talk to her like that but since her condition is at its worst at the moment she could only grit her teeth. And he''s also their benefactor in the end... It will go against her conscience to harm Issei at the moment especially after what he''s done for them both.


    "Jasmine, that''s enough... Don''t act rudely towards our benefactor." Her mother berated her once again but with more force behind her voice this time.


    The girl who''s called Jasmine harrumphed and turn her head to the side but she doesn''t say anything else since she loves and respects her mother a lot.


    "I''m sorry for my daughter''s attitude benefactor, and as for our name, you can call my daughter Jasmine and as for me, you can call me Xun''er" She smiled apologetically towards Issei while introducing their name.


    "I don''t mind, and you can just call me Ise" Issei said in respond towards their introduction.


    Issei can understand what she''s trying to imply but he doesn''t really care since who they are is not his business.


    The name they use is too vague that you could say that they''re hiding their true identity.


    Xun''er for one is not her full name and sounds quite generic while Jasmine speaks for itself.


    They thought the same thing as him after hearing his name thinking that he''s also hiding his true identity. But this is their misconception since that is his real name... They just didn''t know it yet.


    "Hmph... Acting like you''re some kind of a bigshot using a fake name..." Jasmine mumbled in a low voice but both Issei and Xun''er can hear her voice.


    She can only smile apologetically once more while Issei is a little confused about what she meant by that? He''s not the one hiding his identity here.


    But he won''t bother to correct her thinking and just waved it off.


    "Anyway, you might want to wear some clothes rather than using a plain blanket." Issei waved his hand and a bunch of woman clothing appeared in front of them.


    They currently only use the blanket Issei provided before to cover themselves and only now that they realize that they''re basically naked right now.


    "You pervert! Don''t look this way!" Jasmine shouted in embarrassment while she''s standing in front of her mother to hide the latter body from his sight.


    Issei completely ignores her words and went outside the pearl to wait for them to wear some clothes.


    Xun''er face also went red after realizing her current predicament. Now that she thought about it, back when they first met they''re also fully naked... How embarrassing being seen twice by the same man like that...


    They then start to inspect the clothes Issei provided...


    Some of the clothing is completely foreign for them both, not surprising since it''s from his original world.


    As for why Issei carries some woman clothing within his is because he bought them for a souvenir from this world and as for the clothing from his world... It''s because Ophis and Lilith often dirtied their clothing when they eat their sweets and snacks...


    Well, not only them... Even Ramius sometimes does that too whenever she eats. Issei doesn''t really mind about this since he thought that they''re really cute whenever they stuffed their cheeks full of food like that... It reminds him of a squirrel.


    Both Jasmine and Xun''er spend quite a while to choose their clothing...


    Issei can only sigh tiredly because it seems that even the woman from this world also spent a lot of time in this kind of stuff... He''s used to this since he often accompanies his wives when they''re shopping.


    They finally choose a kimono for their clothes since it looks really nice and unique from their perspective.


    While Xun''er chooses a black and white kimono that compliments her current white hair and snow-white skin, Jasmine choose a red and gold kimono designed for children which suit her very well especially with her red hair.


    She doesn''t know that it''s made for children and only thought that it really suits her taste especially the unique pattern the clothes have. It''s really a fresh feeling seeing this new design for them both.


    But the way they wore it is kinda off... The binding looks really clumsy and randomly tied.


    They are feeling confused and thought that it is indeed the right way to wear it and decided to bear with it for now. At least their body is properly covered right now.


    Then Xun''er told Issei that they''ve finished wearing their clothes.


    When Issei went inside the pearl once more he becomes speechless seeing how they wear their kimono...


    When he saw how clumsy Jasmine looks right now, it kind of reminds him of Ophis and Lilith since both of them didn''t know how to put on their clothes as well and just randomly wear it.


    He unconsciously moved forward to fix Jasmine''s clothing much to her shock. She doesn''t react because when he''s fixing her clothes, his face seems so gentle that it made her become dazed once more... His gentle looking face reminds her of her late elder brother that''s why...


    Even Xun''er becomes dazed seeing Issei right now...


    After he''s done fixing her clothes that he nodded to himself.


    "The way you wear those clothes is wrong so I fixed it." He stated in a calm tone his face reverting back to the previous state.


    Only after hearing his words that Jasmine and Xun''er snapped back from their daze.


    "Wh-What were you doing you pervert! Who gives you permission to touch this princess?!" She scowled at Issei with her face turned a little red from embarrassment.


    "As I said, the way you wear your clothes is wrong, so I fixed it. And you can copy your daughter''s clothes to fix yours... Even though the design is slightly different but it doesn''t differ that much." Issei respond calmly to her outburst and told Xun''er to copy her daughter''s clothes if she wanted to fix her own clothing.


    Xun''er dumbly nodded at his explanation and there''s a tinge of disappointment welled up in her heart after knowing that he won''t be fixing her clothes like he did with her daughter...


    She then fixed her clothes while copying her daughter''s... Jasmine is still fuming with embarrassment and anger towards the nonchalant looking Issei.


    "Umm, benefactor Ise... What exactly did you do to my body? How come my appearances become like this?" After she finished fixing her clothes, she asked Issei in bewilderment while touching her bunny ears.


    Her bunny ears are not pointing upwards but pointing downward so it kind of looks like a hair accessory unless someone inspected it closely.


    "That''s right! How come my mother now looks like this? And what''s up with that rabbit ears?" Jasmine asked.


    "Hmm... To be honest, that was also my first time trying to do something like that." Issei mused in interest while inspecting the changes in Xun''er''s body.


    "What?! So you experimented with my mother''s body!?" Jasmine felt her anger rising knowing that he basically made her mother as a guinea pig.


    "If I didn''t do anything then she would''ve lost her life back then." He calmly responded to her anger.


    Jasmine''s body froze since she knows that he''s telling the truth... If he doesn''t do anything then her mother wouldn''t be standing in front of her right now and she would be all alone in this world...


    "Jasmine. No matter what he saved our lives... Even if mother died back then, I wouldn''t blame benefactor Ise here. If he doesn''t do anything then I would''ve died regardless... So he doesn''t do anything wrong and we should be grateful for what he did." Xun''er comforted her daughter with a soothing voice.


    "...Hmph." Jasmine harrumphed but she doesn''t refute her mother''s words.


    "And I have to thank you once again, benefactor Ise... We would surely repay this benevolence." She bowed in gratitude towards Issei.


    He just nodded calmly at her gratitude.


    "So is there really nothing wrong with your body? How about your cultivation?" Issei asked her once more.


    Only after he asked her that she started inspecting her body and to her surprise, her cultivation has completely disappeared. Even Jasmine is taken aback because of this.


    Jasmine is wounded so her cultivation decreased temporarily so it''s understandable for her cultivation to drop but her mother''s cultivation is no more... She basically turned into a normal mortal...


    "As I thought..." Issei mused calmly.


    "Wh-What did you do to her?! How come my mother''s cultivation disappeared!" Her face went pale with horror since she knows if her mother were to go outside at her current state, she will only bring destruction to herself.


    While Jasmine felt angry and shocked, Xun''er only felt a slight surprise.


    "What I did to your mother is quite simple yet also quite complicated." He paused for a second arranging his words before he continued: "I basically replaced her corroded soul parts with a brand new spirit hence why her appearance changed the way she is right now... Since during that time the energy is at its highest I created a Yin spirit and also because she''s a woman, her attribute is leaning towards Yin compared to other elements so it''s much easier to use Yin energy as a substitution. Think of a wooden cart with a broken wheel, I replaced the wheel with a brand new one but it''s made of iron instead of wood. It may look different but it''s still a cart regardless... Something like that."


    As for her rabbit''s ears... Is it really a rabbit ears? Issei is willing to bet that it''s probably the same case with Gugigura where her cat ears only look like one but in reality, it''s her unique Draconic part... But since he doesn''t change her to a full-fledged Dragon, he''s not completely certain...


    Perhaps it''s just a coincidence?


    But he thought if he told them about it then it will only make them further confused so he let it be.


    What he did is indeed seem simple but they''ve never really heard anyone capable of doing what he did... Replacing a part of someone''s soul? They''ve heard a method where someone could forcibly take over someone''s body or borrow a spirit''s power but they''ve never heard something like he just said...


    What he''s done is basically created a brand new life! At the very least, close to it.


    Even if they don''t believe him, they can''t really find a more suitable answer for Xun''er case... Like it or not, they can only believe him.


    "As for her cultivation issue... It should be obvious since I''ve replaced a part of her soul with a brand new one so it can''t be helped if she loses her cultivation in the process. She''s basically underwent a process of Rebirth you could say." Issei finished his explanation.


    Jasmine is at a loss for words and when she''s about to say something else, Xun''er stopped her from doing so.


    "Regardless of what happens, we thank you for your benevolence, benefactor Ise." She said with a heartfelt gratitude.


    Exchanging her cultivation for her life? That sounds a great trade. She can''t afford to leave her daughter alone in this world and besides, she could just cultivate from scratch. It''s not like she became a cripple... If anything she has a feeling that if she were to cultivate from now on then she will achieve greater heights compared to the old her.


    She''s not sure why she''s feeling this way but it must have something to do with Issei she thought to herself. And she doesn''t know why but for some reason her heartbeat is thumping loudly whenever she looks at him... Sure he''s incredibly handsome but that''s not it... It''s like her soul is telling her to submit to him... Thankfully she can hide this feeling since it''s not that strong.


    "...He''s only a throne... His story is very doubtful considering how low his cultivation is..." Jasmine continues to mumble to herself thinking just how ludicrous his story was...


    If he was at the


    then it might''ve been more believable but he''s only at the peak of the ... He only seems like he''s in his 20s and being at the peak of the Emperor realm is quite amazing but that is only if he''s placed in this low-tier star... If he''s placed in the then his cultivation can be considered slightly above average at most.


    She still can''t trust Issei and that''s normal considering they basically just met with each other.


    He might have saved her and her mother lives but that doesn''t mean she can completely trust him, no?


    "If there''s nothing else then I will take my leave." Issei nodded once more at Xun''er words and he prepared to leave but Xun''er called out to him once again: "Wait, benefactor Ise... Jasmine, take out the ."


    "..." Jasmine went silent because she doesn''t really want to give it away and even though she can''t use it considering that she will lose her cultivation if she were to do that. But now her mother basically has no cultivation and if she uses it instead things couldn''t be better for them both.


    And how could Xun''er misses her daughter''s thoughts but they owe him too much. "Jasmine... Listen to your mother..." She softly said.


    Jasmine then reluctantly took out the blood...


    "Benefactor Ise, this thing is the ..." She then explained about the blood Jasmine just took out...


    Era of Gods. The Creation God of Elements, one of the Four Creation Gods born from the primal powers of the Ancestral God. Possessed the most extreme power of the elements within the Primal Chaos Realm. Able to perfectly control, resist and absorb the six basic elemental powers: Darkness, Wind, Fire, Lightning, Water, and Earth. (Darkness was not known to the other Gods).


    The Evil God Legacy is the legacy left behind by one of the most powerful True Gods from the Primordial Era, the Evil God. The Evil God Legacy is obtained through a single drop of the Evil God''s Indestructible Blood. This drop of immortal blood embodied the source of his power. There can only be one inheritor of the Evil God''s powers because he eliminated his own divine powers and six hundred thousand years of lifespan to create this drop of blood. He gave up his life in order to leave behind one final hope for the future.


    The drop of immortal blood includes a memory imprint explaining everything about what comes with accepting the legacy. After accepting the Legacy your current profound veins will be destroyed and rebuilt with the profound veins of the Evil God, meaning you will lose your past cultivation, starting over. But once the profound veins are rebuilt and all profound entrances are open you will have access to the Seven Gates of Evil God''s Secret Arts and its corresponding Profound Skills. You will also be able to use the Evil God Seeds once you have located them to obtain perfect immunity from the elements.


    "...Now I know your current cultivation is at the peak of the Emperor realm but even if you don''t want to use it then you can keep this blood as your own. And if you wanted to give it someone then it''s completely up to you... This may be not much considering that you just saved both of our lives but at the very least please accept it as our gratitude for now. We will surely repay you fully when we have the chance." She finished her explanation while presenting the drop of blood towards Issei.


    "Seeds?" Right after Issei said that. He can feel a pulling force from within his and when he takes a look at it, he saw the he obtained from the Dragon nest before is glowing brightly as if it''s reacting to the drop of blood in Xun''er hands.


    Both Xun''er and Jasmine become alarmed seeing that seed since it''s exactly the same seed described from the soul message left behind in the drop of blood.


    Five Evil God''s seeds are spread through Evil God''s Five Secret Grounds that correspond to the five main elements. Only those who had inherited his power would be able to find them. Each Seed will transform his body into a Spirit Evil Body that allows for complete control, absolute immunity, and increased affinity to the corresponding elements.


    There are fire seed, water seed, lightning seed, wind seed, earth seed, and also darkness seed in truth. But Jasmine and Xun''er only knows of 5 seed at the moment.


    ""?!"" Both Xun''er and Jasmine shouted in surprise. They never thought that one of those legendary seeds is in Issei''s hand.


    "So this is indeed the seed you told me about. Excuse me for a moment." Issei then took the blood from Xun''er''s hand while she''s still being amazed by the sight of the fire seed.


    Jasmine also went forward to inspect the fire seed but much to her disappointment, it seems that she can''t use the seed as her own and only the one who possesses the is able to use it...


    Issei started inspecting the drop of blood in his hand in a detailed manner. With this sample in front of him, he should be able to gain closer understanding on how to fully utilize the .


    He released his Dragon aura out in the open along with his eyes turned into slit when he''s inspecting the blood in a detailed manner... Even though the blood in his hand is quite weak compared to his, it is still a drop of blood from a True God regardless so he also need to show it a certain length of his power so that this blood will thoroughly submit to him.


    It''s still weaker even compared to the old Ophis and Lilith but that''s because their power is split between them. If it''s just the old Ophis then her divinity is a lot stronger than this Heretic God.


    Both Jasmine and Xun''er''s breath stagnated feeling the aura Issei emitting right now... Their body broke in a cold sweat because his aura is really overbearing and this is the first time they felt this way... Even their so-called ex-husband and father can''t hold a candle in front of this aura.


    Thankfully he''s not aiming this aura to them directly or it would make Jasmine suffocates and as for Xun''er, she might just die from the pressure alone since she''s basically a normal mortal right now...


    And his eyes... That eyes clearly belongs to a Dragon... And not just any normal Dragon. They have a feeling to just submit to him the moment they look into his eyes. It''s like its a bottomless abyss with endless power and able to make someone lost in reverie just by gazing at it...


    In no time at all, Issei finished making the blood submits to him and he finally understands how to utilize this .


    It took him about 5 minutes to fully understand how this blood and seed work. He''s feeling happy because with this he can make his wives become even stronger than before...


    He flashed a gentle smile for a brief second thinking about his wives and this smile of his doesn''t go unnoticed by the 2 girls nearby him since they keep gazing at him after all this time...


    They become mesmerized seeing his smile since it''s so devastatingly handsome and charming... They felt like the time around them froze and they really can''t believe that someone can be this perfect...


    "You can have this back. I don''t need it." Issei''s eyes returned to normal and he handed the blood back towards Xun''er to which she reflexively received with her hands. "...Eh?" She let out a dumbfounded voice seeing that he suddenly returned the blood back to her.


    Her face went red at a visible rate feeling a little embarrassed since she thought she''s been caught staring at his face for a while now... Jasmine is still having it better even though her face is also a bit red but she still questioned Issei right away: "Y-You, who are you? And those eyes from before... You are clearly not a human!" She becomes increasingly wary towards Issei since it seems that she has been underestimating him since he''s only at the .


    She positioned herself in front of her mother once again.


    Issei who heard her question has his eyes glowed for a brief moment and it serves to intimidate Jasmine for a bit. He calmly extended his hand towards her and Jasmine gritted her teeth preparing to use everything she got left to protect her mother.


    When she thought Issei going to do something to her... He instead flicked her in the forehead.


    *Flick!* *Ouch!*


    "As I said before, didn''t your mother taught you to introduce yourself first before asking others? You clearly hid your real identity from me so why should I tell you who I am either?" Jasmine scowled in anger with tears threatening to drop from the corner of her eyes because Issei flicks hurt a bit: "Y-You dare..." She said while covering her reddening forehead.


    She knows that she can''t really do anything to him in her current state and she thought his aura must''ve been because of his bloodline or perhaps some sort of true God legacy just like the Heretic God Blood.


    For all she knows, he might be from the upper realm as well just like her and her mother.


    "Anyway, you can have that blood back since I don''t need it. Then I believe we''re done here." Issei dismissed her anger as usual. He only sees Jasmine as a little brat so he doesn''t really care that much.


    This is not the first time he''s interacting with children like her after all. But he can tell that deep within her eyes, she''s holding sadness and hatred that runs quite deep. Presumably towards the one who poisoned them both.


    "E-Eh? B-But..." Xun''er stammers feeling a little confused.


    "Just lending me that blood once is enough. Feel free to stay inside this pearl for as long as you want. Oh, and I don''t need this seed anymore either." He tossed the at them since he doesn''t have any more use for it. Those seed is basically just a concentrated Fire element fused with the Heretic God divinity and profound energy of some sort.


    He can just create his own "Fire Seed" later on.


    And with that, he left the pearl and heads back to his room inside the sect straight away... It''s already quite late after all.


    Both Xun''er and Jasmine as at a loss for words... But soon Jasmine is the first to snaps out of it and shouted happily at her mother: "Absorb the blood into your body, mother! And then use that too!" With this, her mother will at least have some strength to protect herself.


    "B-But..." Xun''er feeling doubtful whether she should use the blood or not...


    "Don''t worry, he said so himself, didn''t he? He said he doesn''t need it so you''re free to use it! We will think of something else to repay him later, but for now, use the mother!" She started convincing her mother to use the blood for herself.


    After her relentless urging, Xun''er finally relented to her words and fused the blood with her body along with the seed... Jasmine helped her mother to fuse the blood with her body since she doesn''t have profound energy anymore so she''s basically a mortal right now.


    Jasmine''s delicate fingertips suddenly stimulated the blood of the "Heretic God" to float adrift and pierce into the middle of Xun''er chest. The pit of her chest immediately split open taking shape of a tiny hole just enough to reveal a bloodstain, and the sinister scarlet blood droplet touched Xun''er overflowing blood as if it were attracted. In a flash, it entered her body¡­


    "Endure, Mother." Jasmine grasped her mother''s hand thinking the process is going to be arduous based on the soul imprint knowledge... But the pain never comes and both of them are left to blankly stare at each other thinking if there''s something wrong in the process...


    But after Jasmine inspected her mother''s body, there''s nothing wrong and she can see that the blood has successfully merged with her...


    The message from the soul imprint said that the process would be painful since it''s going to devour the host profound veins... But here it''s basically just merged just like that without any repercussion...


    Xun''er profound entrance already opened up to 54 so there''s no change that can be seen in that regard.


    In it maybe unprecedented having 54 profound entrance opened but in the upper realm it''s quite normal.


    They started thinking if the blood is a fake or something but then the also perfectly assimilated with her body.


    At that instant, she detected an abrupt turbulence in her Profound Veins. She didn''t even have time to survey the abnormal motions of the Profound Veins because the surface of her body unexpectedly released a ball of crimson luminescence. Right after, these crimson rays of light actually turned into a flaming blaze that combusted on the surface of her body and bathed her entire body inside its crimson raging inferno.


    "This¡­ This is?"


    The unforeseen ignition of flames greatly startled her. What surprised them both even more, was the fact that Xun''er body unexpectedly did not feel a single degree of its burning luminescence, but instead felt an indescribable kind of coziness. Even her clothes were perfectly intact inside the flames, as if these horrifying flames were merely imaginary rays of bright light.


    Her cultivation realm also started increasing abruptly from the 1st level of and instantly reaches the in one go.


    Both of them become further flabbergasted but soon Jasmine started beaming with joy since her mother just becomes stronger and at the very least, she will have the strength to protect herself even just by a small amount.


    It also means that the blood and the seed is indeed the real deal. She couldn''t care less why her mother doesn''t undergo the painful process because that just means her mother won''t need to endure any pain whatsoever.


    But she started feeling complicated since this just means that the debt they owed him has increased even further... If it wasn''t for the he gave them then her mother cultivation shouldn''t reach this stage so soon...


    After all, the blood from the Heretic God only makes someone profound vein better than your average person, not suddenly increase that person cultivation just like that...


    Well, there''s no use thinking it now and she will surely repay this debt when she has the chance like she said before.


    Then she and her mother resumed their exploration of the heretic blood...


    ...


    Issei schedule goes on just like that for the next few weeks... Training Qingyue and the other girls from the sect. He also made them all able to learn the .


    Gong Yuxian never thought her casual act of kindness will bear these kinds of results... Their sect is at the heights where they''ve never been before...


    Even Jasmine and Xun''er who''s residing inside the is feeling awed by his achievements. They become increasingly curious at his true background because there''s no way he''s from this measly .


    That for one is obviously the that the


    mainly uses.


    At first, they thought he''s from that sect but they soon erase that thought since he never heard of him before in the upper realm. And they''re pretty sure that if he''s in the upper realm with his talent and looks then he must be quite well-known but the fact is they never heard of him even once...


    They''re also started sneakily trained the arts he taught to the to which he took notice of but he let them be.


    One day...


    Issei was at his usual spot viewing the scenery surrounded by profound beasts and animals as usual.


    The can be found lying lazily at his side just like a pet would.


    Jasmine and Xun''er at first is very alarmed seeing a strong beast such as the which is at the acting so subservient towards him who only is at the peak of the .


    He becomes even more mystical in their eyes every day they spent together. Well, they only stay at the pearl but they can basically see outside.


    When Jasmine saw Xia Qingyue she becomes amazed because of her physique. She told Issei about her physique thinking that he will become interested and perhaps show some greed or whatnot wanting to obtain her physique as his own but all she got from him is: "Is that so?"


    Even in the upper realm, if Xia Qingyue''s physique were to be known then it would bring countless men and even women greed for it. That, coupled with her beauty would be double the attraction but here he is seemingly uninterested with it... She truly can''t see through him at all... It''s like he''s covered in this thick mist luring her to unveil each of his secrets...


    Her mother can only smile wryly at her daughter''s antics but she''s feeling happy since, at the very least, she doesn''t think about revenge all the time like she used to...


    "Master, there are two women observing the sect from above. Should we do something?" Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius suddenly appeared behind Issei reporting about two observers above the sect.


    Their clothes already changed into those of military attire from his original world. Esdeath wore a General''s apparel with long sleeves with buttons on the upper arms, a blue scarf on her neck, and high-heeled boots.


    As for Altair, she wears a dark navy-blue military hat with a crimson Dragon emblem on her hat and a Spanish-style double-breasted coat. While Sirius is wearing a pure white set.


    The three of them are wearing the same type of hat with the same emblem.


    Issei told them they are free to choose whichever clothes they like and they choose this attire. They customized the hat emblem on their own though...


    Jasmine and Xun''er become further alarmed seeing them appear out of nowhere and how they all treated Issei with endless respect and devotion. They can tell that these 3 women in front of them are at the peak of the ... But it seems that they''re not a human as far as they could tell...


    Nevertheless, seeing them treating Issei like this made them increasingly curious by the second... Just who is he? What is his background? They wondered to themselves...


    "Let them be. I don''t sense any ill-intent from them." Issei also noticed these 2 observers present but since he doesn''t sense any ill-intent from them both he let them be.


    Those 2 newcomers are Mu Bingyun herself and her direct disciple... But Issei won''t know this until later on...


    "As you wish." Esdeath said while still kneeling on the spot with a thin smile on her face. Then the three of them set their gaze on Jasmine and Xun''er who''s currently floating outside the pearl.


    Both Jasmine and Xun''er shuddered a little being gazed like that by them since the way they look at them is completely different from how they look at Issei. Jasmine glared back at them unwilling to back down.


    They are currently only in their spirit projection form while their true spiritual body is still inside the pearl... Any normal human shouldn''t be able to see them but these group of women clearly could...


    "...Then we will take our leave, Master." They are the first to averted their gazes losing interest and paid their respect at Issei before they disappeared once again to execute their duty.


    "...You... Just who are...!" Jasmine was about to say something but she put it on halt since she thought that since she doesn''t tell him her true identity then she has no right to ask about his... That, and also when she saw he extend his hand towards her forehead once more... She hurriedly covered her forehead with a scowl on her face and ran inside the pearl forgetting that he shouldn''t be able to touch her spirit projection.


    It seems that his flick from back then brought a little trauma to her...


    Xun''er sweated a little seeing her daughter acting like a little girl again but she''s feeling a bit happy nonetheless...


    Issei then decided to go inside the sect for today and when he entered the sect he notices that Xia Qingyue is currently having a conversation with Chu Yueli.


    Apparently, Qingyue wanted to visit her little brother on the since she''s quite worried about him. She got a letter from her father almost every month so she''s not that worried about her father but her little brother is different.


    When both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yueli saw Issei they paid their respect to him...


    Chu Yueli thought of something before she suggested if Issei wanted to come along with Xia Qingyue visiting her little brother to the .


    Issei thought for a while and he doesn''t see any reason to say no so he agreed to it... Then they both set off to their destination...


    But before he sets off he thought of something and gave Chu Yueli a bunch of charms. These charms will act as a signal if they needed help or in a dangerous situation.


    He asks her to give the charms to the other girls as well... He told them to just channel their profound energy into this charm so he will be able to notice it. It will also act as a temporary defensive barrier that protects the user from harm.


    That way he can arrive at their location in time... Well, he can just teleport to their location straight away using that charm as a navigation point but it should be better if the charm could at least protect them for a certain period of time just in case he can''t make it in time...


    Chu Yueli who received it is feeling happy and thanked him yet again...


    So he and Xia Qingyue headed to their destination together...

 Chapter 100 - 99

    Issei already told them to not depend on the because that art is not very useful for them and it''s a lot better if they train their will and heart using their own determination.


    Tempering mind and body is something that they needed to experience on their own. Using the will only serve as a temporary solution... It may help them in the early phase but in the future, it will be harder for them to reach that inner peace they''re searching for since this art forcefully "Freeze" their feelings.


    When the time comes where that art is no longer usable for them then that''s when they will feel the backlash of that said art... Just like how someone using a certain drug to increase their cultivation but when that drug runs out that person will become restless thinking without that said drug they are weak.


    "If you''re not even allowed to feel anything then can you even be considered human? You all are a living being... Not some kind of emotionless doll. Find your inner peace on your own and don''t depend on some outside help." Is the direct quote of what he said towards them.


    The girls took his words seriously and from then on they rarely use the ...


    And just like he said, the girls could more easily cultivate nowadays without any discomfort... They felt more free and unrestrained than ever...


    The awe and respect they felt towards him are already on par with what they felt towards the founder of the sect, Mu Bingyun herself.


    Issei and Xia Qingyue set off to their destination... Issei wore his mask while Xia Qingyue wears her veil.


    During the short time she''s spent inside the sect, her beauty grew even further.


    Issei''s training only makes her countenance become even more prominent than ever. If her old look seems like a fragile beauty then her current look is that of a true Fairy Maiden... Battle clad Fairy Maiden.


    Her limpid beautiful eyes become sharper as the result of his training but it''s not a big change overall but it''s still quite something nonetheless... All she needs now is just to grow older and there is no doubt that her beauty will rival even Jasmine and Xun''er.


    Her cultivation already reached the 10th level of . This cultivation speed is really monstrous in the lower realm such as the .


    Jasmine and Xun''er admitted that Issei really has the talent and strength to bring this to great heights. Even in the upper realm, they''re sure that he will be considered among the best if not the best up there just taking his talent into consideration...


    But they are also a bit confused as to why he doesn''t advance to yet... His foundation and understanding of the profound way couldn''t be more solid. But why he is still only at the peak of the after all this time?


    It needs to be known that when Xia Qingyue first met Issei, her cultivation was only at the 10th level of . So in these past few weeks, her cultivation has risen by 1 big realm in one go.


    Issei indeed has trained her but her talent and will also help her in the process. Even Issei is feeling a little amazed since she almost reaches the basic level of .


    Soon she will be able to use her profound energy to coat her body and weapon.


    Sure if she''s compared to the old Ramius''s group when they''re still human then Xia Qingyue has indeed surpassed them in terms of talent.


    It''s not that Ramius''s group is slow but their starting level is just different. And her supposed physique also played a role in this regard so it''s quite understandable...


    Issei is planning to teach her as well once her reaches the basic level.


    They both are currently flying in the sky.


    Xia Qingyue still can''t fly yet but Issei could easily make her body float next to him with his perfect control of the profound energy.


    Unlike Chu Yueli, he doesn''t need to grasp onto her hand to make her fly but Xia Qingyue felt a little disappointed because of this... Not that she will say it out loud, obviously...


    After flying for a while, they finally reached the . There''s a lot of people saw them when they''re flying through the sky so they instantly knew that both of them must''ve been at the very least at the .


    They landed on the ground and those around them hastily paid their respect towards them... Although they can''t see Xia Qingyue and Issei''s face, just from their figure alone is enough to tell them all that these 2 are surely an extraordinary individual.


    The men don''t dare to gaze upon Xia Qingyue''s for a prolonged period of time since they might earn their ire...


    Issei asked some bystanders where''s the . The man respectfully told him where the location is... He thanked the man for the info and then they headed towards the pointed direction...


    They finally arrived at their destination. The palace has more than three thousand disciples. It recruits disciples within the age of fifteen to eighteen. Most stay until they reach twenty years old before departing and many join the Blue Wind military.


    The palace''s strength is relatively weak compared to the other large sects in the city.


    But all of this doesn''t matter to Xia Qingyue or Issei. She only wanted her little brother to be safe.


    "Halt." The guards who saw them approaching blocked their way but their tone is full of respect since they saw both of them could fly in the sky.


    "May we know the reason for your visit to our humble palace?" One of the guards asked Issei and Xia Qingyue cautiously since they both must''ve had high cultivation.


    Qingyue is still wearing the artifact to hide her cultivation while Issei has higher cultivation than the whole city inhabitants.


    The strongest individual in their city is the palace chief himself, Qin Wuyou. And even he only has the cultivation level of 6th .


    "We are from the and I''m here to visit my little brother, Xia Yuanba." Xia Qingyue calmly said their purpose.


    The guards look at each other in shock before they cupped their fist even more respectful than before: "So it''s the esteemed guests from the . Please wait for a moment, we will relay fairy Xia message immediately." Then one of them hastily went inside the palace.


    The disciples who''re going in and out of the palace halted in their steps watching both Issei and Xia Qingyue since both of them stand out the most even with their face covered.


    They keep looking at them both with wonder and curiosity in their faces... While the men almost drooled seeing Xia Qingyue''s hourglass figure, the women had their face flushed when they''re gazing upon Issei''s perfect figure... They really wanted to take those veil and mask off of their face so they could see just what kind of otherworldly faces are they hiding underneath it...


    The guards who saw their disrespectful gazes can''t really do anything since most of the disciple here has big background and he''s just a measly guard so he can''t really afford to provoke any of them...


    "Don''t be disrespectful towards out guests from the ." The guard can only say this out loud hoping that they will stop their disrespectful attitude...


    Some of them indeed stopped staring but some of them got even more interested because, from the rumors they''ve heard, the women from that famous sect are well-known for their beauty.


    They didn''t know who Issei is since the rumors said that no men are allowed inside their sect so they become even curious of Issei and Xia Qingyue because of it...


    Some typical young master tried to flaunt their status wanting to see Xia Qingyue''s face but with a wave of her hand, they all are pushed backward. Their cultivation is very low compared to Xia Qingyue. And that''s not including their combat prowess...


    The highest cultivation these young masters have is at the 2nd level of .


    Their faces turned pale with fright after being blown away by Xia Qingyue... Some of their body is also covered in thin ice much to their horror.


    Just when they''re about to say something else they become frozen stiff after feeling a terrorizing pressure coming from Issei''s direction... Some of them pissed themselves while some even fainted dead away...


    Their followers hastily bring their leader body away fearing that they might lose their lives if they were to stay here... Truly a newborn-calfs are not afraid of a tiger... Well, a Dragon in this case...


    Some of them are awed by the prowess of Xia Qingyue and Issei.


    One particular woman is further amazed by it and she started thinking about something before she finally decided to try her luck with them to help her problem concerning her family member... She thought that she will wait for the right moment to start up a conversation with Issei and Xia Qingyue.


    Finally, the guard that went inside the palace returned with a group of people in tow.


    There are three people to be exact...


    One of them looks to be forty-something years old, he wears a dark-colored robe.


    The second one looked to be about sixty in age; his face held an expression of a gentle and unflustered calmness, and deep wisdom could be seen in his clear eyes.


    The last one is a young man with a sturdy and tall body. He was already over 2 meters tall and seemed to be weighed at 175kg. This number was definitely not that high because he was fat, but was instead because of his big strong muscles. His muscles were of a dark tan metallic luster and broadcasted his astonishing strength.


    When this young man saw Xia Qingyue''s figure, he beamed into a happy smile.


    "Big Sister!" His face broke into a big grin stomping his way through forgetting their surroundings and gave her a hug. Thankfully Xia Qingyue is not a normal mortal or this hug from him would''ve crushed her bone...


    "Yuanba." She calmly patted the back of her little brother and only then he let her body go.


    "Hehehe, sorry, big sis. It''s just that I''ve missed you a lot." He scratched the back of his head in a goofy manner.


    They then started their talk with each other... The disciples from the palace become dumbfounded seeing that the useless and talentless Xia Yuanba having a big sister such as Xia Qingyue.


    Shouldn''t he be the elder sibling here with that huge body of his? Why is it the other way around... But the faces of those who usually bullies him become pale feeling afraid if he were to tell his big sister of his they might be faced with dire consequences... They sneakily leave the area heading outside the city straight away...


    It can''t be helped since his cultivation is the weakest among the whole palace... It''s due to the unique nature of his profound veins, his aptitude was extremely low and did not experience much growth in his profound strength. His profound strength was at the 4th level of the at age 15 and he remained stuck in the Elementary Profound Realm for many years.


    He joined thanks to his father''s relationship with Vice Palace Chief Sikong Han. He doesn''t want to be a burden for his family so he wanted to become stronger but alas...


    While the pair of siblings are having a reunion. The other 2 older men that came along with him are giving their greeting to Issei.


    The first man''s name was Sikong Han and the second one is the chief, Qin Wuyou.


    They only said pleasantries words to which Issei nodded calmly as a respond.


    "Ah, big sis. Let me introduce you to the palace chief Qin Wuyou and Elder Sikong Han. Both of them are the ones who take care of me during my stay here along with Senior sister Xuerou." Yuanba finally remembered about Qin Wuyou and Sikong Han. He smiled apologetically towards them both to which they only waved it off with a smile saying it''s fine.


    "Junior Xia Qingyue thanks palace chief Qin Wuyou and Elder Sikong Han for taking care of my little brother." She bowed in courtesy.


    She has already met Sikong Han before but that''s when she''s still but a child.


    "Fairy Xia is too polite, it''s what we should do." Qin Wuyou smiled kindly in response and Sikong Han also does the same. But Sikong Han thought that his friend''s daughter has really grown into a beautiful young lady so he''s feeling happy for him.


    Issei is calmly observing them from the side but he curiously looks at Xia Yuanba since he can sense some sort of special physique just like when he cured Xia Qingyue''s cultivation side effects.


    "...How old is that little brother of Xia Qingyue?" Jasmine''s voice resounded from within the pearl.


    "Hm? If I''m not mistaken that he should be fifteen and a half years old according to what Qingyue told me before." Issei answered her question.


    Of course they''re currently speaking with each other through mental message so no one is able to hear their voices.


    "Fifteen and a half years old¡­" Jasmine pondered for a second, then said with a low voice: "This person, actually possesses the !"


    Xun''er gasped in surprise. She can''t use her sense as good as Jasmine anymore so it''s understandable that she doesn''t know about this.


    "Oh? ?" Issei asked in curiosity: "Is that physique is special just like Qingyue''s?"


    are the profound veins of the War God and are a rare set of profound veins and to certain people a god-send because of their nature. Once veins are awoken it will take one night''s time to break into the , or even possibly the .


    The way to awaken these Divine Veins is to have the heart of a tyrant and the desire to become an emperor and want to possess the power so much that it outweighs all other aspirations. But if one is incapable of awakening them then they will need to put in 10 times the effort in order to break into the Nascent Profound Realm and will never break into the True Profound Realm.


    "His Profound Veins are very special, his vein width is more than twice that of ordinary people, and even the structure is quite different. These Profound Veins are known as the . Even in the Divine¡­" Jasmine almost slipped in her speech but Issei doesn''t miss that... He decided to ignore this slip up of hers for now.


    "Well, in short, it is an extremely rare profound vein, if it were in the place where I was born, people who have this profound vein would inevitably dominate a region, and be appointed as an emperor. But for it to have appeared in this kind of place, what a wasted vein! The reason why his veins are excessively large is also because of his . With these veins, while it''s not obvious at the Elementary Profound Realm, once he steps into the and his profound power matures, he would have to put in at least ten times the effort of ordinary people for every level after! Also, throughout his entire lifetime, he can only progress up to Nascent Profound Realm, and will never breakthrough into the ." She finished her explanation.


    "...The parents of these two are not simple..." She added in a small voice.


    "...Do you think that their mother possesses a


    , Jasmine?" Xun''er voiced out her guess to which Jasmine nodded: "It''s quite possible..."


    Only women could have the


    . Although the primordial energy couldn''t be absorbed by others, the infant born within such a body would exist together with the pure primordial energy from the very moment it comes into existence. Even if its potential would be far, far from comparable to the gods that were born amidst the primordial energy at the beginning of the Primal Chaos, the inherent nature of its physique would be similar to them.


    In other words, the descendant born from a woman with the Divine Stainless Body will have an extremely high talent and his life force, body, and profound meridians, all of them would be influenced by the primal aura. Not only would it have extremely high talent, but there''s also a great possibility for it to have a variant physique or even an already extinct variant physique.


    The whole process would be quite similar to how all kinds of divine powers and divine physiques were born from the primordial energy in the past.


    The first generation of descendants born would have an especially astonishing talent and physique. Although following the loss of the primordial energy, its quantity would become increasingly less after every generation but those descendants would be still incomparable to ordinary people.


    The first descendants born from a woman that has the


    , unless met an unexpected premature death, would all eventually reach the


    .


    "Hmm... Interesting..." Issei mused calmly. Issei could more or less guess that Jasmine and Xun''er must''ve been from the Qingyue told him about...


    He can vaguely sense the original cultivation of Xun''er and Jasmine is above the since their energy is not solely based on profound energy.


    It''s like some sort of divine energy that usually belongs to Demi-Gods... Their soul strength is higher than the inhabitants of the . He can''t really tell right now but their energy must''ve been their unique elements.


    There''s a faint trace of element within Jasmine''s body... This element is quite rare since the last possessor of the element he met is a Goddess named .


    Their body also has traces of energy... Although it''s very thin it''s almost negligible... Not surprising since if their whole body covered with energy then they should either become like Trihexa, a mindless beast or they should''ve been like him and Nyarlathotep... A true God...


    But that''s impossible since Nyarlathotep herself told him that he''s the only person so far that could fully mastered the energy beside her... There''s no way Nyarlathotep who has been living longer than anyone else he knew never been to this world dimension.


    And it''s not like they''ve absorbed the energy. It''s more like they''re exposed to it without realizing it... So his guess that the upper realm that''s called must have denser energy and that''s what he needed to recover is correct all along.


    But he decided to wait for a little longer until his recent injuries stabilized... It shouldn''t take long before that happens... He won''t risk his life going into the upper realm without proper knowledge.


    He will ask Jasmine and Xun''er when the time comes... As for whether the would come with him then it''s completely up to them. He will at least stay for 1-2 years with them at most and after that, he will go to the upper realm so he can hasten his recovery.


    He''s pretty sure that by the time he leaves then their sect should already grow strong enough to protect themselves...


    Unknown to him, the whole sect already saw him as their leader. So if he decided to go somewhere then they will surely follow him just like a duckling would follow their mother... Or in this case, just like a harem following their lord would...


    He still doesn''t realize the changes on his face ever since he arrived in this world... He realizes his hair grows longer and it turned white but that''s about it... Issei was never a narcissist so he doesn''t really care about how he looks.


    Xia Qingyue then introduced Issei towards her little brother.


    "Yuanba, this is the elder of my sect, Elder Ise... Elder Ise, this is my little brother I have told you about, Xia Yuanba." Her introduction made Qin Wuyou and Sikong Han become taken aback.


    They never thought that the would have a male elder.


    Even the onlookers'' are surprised by this news and one particular individual become further reassured that they may be able to help her with her problem.


    So she decided to send a signal towards Qin Wuyou to which the latter nodded in her general direction.


    "O-Oh, nice to meet you, Elder." Xia Yuanba politely greeted Issei with a nervous smile on his face.


    "Um... Yuanba, was it? You have a bright future and a kind heart... Don''t lose it." Issei gently patted him on his shoulder and he secretly does something inside Yuanba''s body.


    Their body size disparity is not that far since Yuanba is only slightly taller than Issei so he can easily reach the former shoulder.


    He tinkered with his physique a little bit and also opened all of his profound entrances at the same time...


    Issei can tell that Xia Yuanba is not suitable for possessing the so he reversed that physique.


    Instead of needing to have a heart of a tyrant and the will to become an emperor. His brand new physique needed him to be kind-hearted and full of compassion to living freely and helping others. Just like what Xia Qingyue told him before during one of their training sessions...


    He is a gentle and innocent kind-hearted boy despite his large body... It would be cruel to force him to change his personality just because "Fate" demands it.


    So now, the has been reverted by Issei and it could be called the instead... For as long as Xia Yuanba stays the way he is... He will grow stronger just like the veins counterpart from before.


    Reversing the physique of Xia Yuanba who''s basically a normal mortal since his cultivation is very low and he still hasn''t awakened the vein special properties either. So it is very easy for Issei to do it... If Xia Yuanba were already awakened his before then it would be harder for him to do it since that vein would''ve assimilated itself with its host and changing someone''s personality is something that even he couldn''t do...


    Issei gained this capability when he asked Jasmine and Xun''er about the pendant he received back then.


    Both of them are completely taken aback when they saw the pendant.


    The pendant is called the . Ranked seventh among the seven mysterious heavenly treasures. Although ranked last among the heavenly treasures, its power is the most mysterious of all. Can pass through the cycle of rebirth and distort cause and effect, the time and conditions for its activation are unknown. After every use, it''ll enter hibernation for 20 years from what the record of the books said...


    From what Jasmine has said that everybody that has owned the in the past has never figured out how to activate it. But when Issei fused his aura of a bit with it, he finds out some uses for it and one of the is tempering with fate itself, and this is what Issei just did with Xia Yuanba.


    Whilst for Jasmine and Xun''er they are overcome with disbelief since this is the first time they saw one person possessing two at the same time... Issei becomes increasingly intrigued with this world as time goes by...


    Jasmine and Xun''er who''s inside the pearl can sense the changes inside Xia Yuanba''s body become flabbergasted... 15... 30... 54 profound entrance opened just in the span of a couple of seconds!


    And what surprise Jasmine even further is that she can sense the changes with Yuanba veins. It has now become completely foreign to her... Before this, she could easily tell just what is his physique is but now all she comes up with is a blank... It''s like... It''s like it''s the complete opposite of the ! How can this be?! This is simply unheard of!


    Back in the sect, they thought the sect members took years to open their profound entrances so they didn''t think much about it. But then she realizes this is not a natural phenomenon and it has something to do with Ise... Even Xun''er realized this...


    ''Just who is he?!'' Is what''s inside their mind right now...


    "Y-Yes! Th-Thank you for your praise, Elder Ise!" Yuanba feels a little overwhelmed with disbelief by Issei''s encouragement.


    For some reason, he feels lighter and unrestrained than before but he thought it''s just his misconception from feeling too excited after reuniting with his big sister and also praised by his big sis sect Elder at the same time.


    He felt like he can achieve a breakthrough now if he were to cultivate but since he still wants to talk with his big sister a little longer he decided to hold it in for now.


    Xia Qingyue who saw Issei act of encouragement smiled happily under her veil... She can tell that Issei genuinely thought highly of Yuanba and not just some empty words.


    She also knows the low aptitude of her little brother but she''s still proud of him as his big sister.


    And to have a person she idolizes think highly of her little brother is like a dream come true for her...


    But her body froze for a moment when she touched Yuanba''s back, she can feel that his profound entrances have completely opened up to 54 of them. So that means he has the same vein as hers now and she knows exactly just who''s responsible for this.


    Her eyes started glistening with happiness and gratitude. She sent a deep bow towards Issei''s direction immediately.


    "Qingyue will surely remember Elder kindness." Xia Qingyue said towards Issei and the onlookers'' only thought that she''s feeling grateful for Issei''s encouragement towards Yuanba so they didn''t think too much about it.


    "It''s just a slight effort from my side so there''s no need to feel overly grateful for it." Issei waved gently at her direction lifting her body up from her bowing position.


    Her eyes become moist after hearing his words but she''s adamant to never forget his kindness towards her... Ever...


    Qin Wuyou then invited both Issei and Xia Qingyue to stay for a while inside their palace... Issei doesn''t really mind and he thought that it will be a good thing to let Qingyue and Yuanba catch up with one another after being separated for quite a while.


    So he agreed to their invitation much to their joy.


    They are brought inside a seemingly luxurious room inside the palace...


    Along the way, they received a lot of stares from the disciples of the palace.


    It''s no wonder since it''s not every day that their palace chief would treat a guest with such a respectful attitude.


    While the male disciples gazed upon Xia Qingyue, the female disciples gazes at Issei.


    Most of them are taken aback seeing a nobody like Xia Yuanba standing beside them and he seems to be chatting happily with Xia Qingyue which induced a lot of envious stare from the male onlookers''.


    But after knowing that Xia Qingyue is his elder sister. They started thinking some plans of buttering up to Xia Yuanba so he would introduce them to his elder sister... But they become disappointed knowing that she''s already married when Xia Yuanba told them in a prideful manner since he idolizes Xiao Che a lot...


    Some female disciples also inquired him about Issei identity but he doesn''t really know Issei that well so he can only say that all he knows is that Issei is the sect elder of his big sister sect much to their disappointment...


    In the near future, Xia Yuanba cultivation started increasing at an alarming rate that he becomes the star of the palace and he will represent the in the upcoming .


    They served their best tea and food for Issei and Xia Qingyue but they''re feeling a little weirded out seeing that Issei would still wear his mask while drinking his tea.


    For Xia Qingyue it''s not weird since she''s a woman so it''s quite understandable if she doesn''t want anyone to see her face and their sect is also well-known for their beauty but what''s up with Issei?


    He is a man, right? Why is he wearing a mask then? Not that they''re going to ask him about it since it will be rude of them to do so...


    They have a little chat but it''s more like Qin Wuyou and Sikong Han do the talking while Issei only responds with a simple "Um" or a nod... They felt a little awkward since Issei seems to be a man of a few words... But at least he''s not arrogant and acts all high and mighty like most men they knew...


    As for Xia Qingyue, she''s only talking with her little brother and they''re fine with it... They''re not inviting them to gather info from them anyway.


    After waiting for a while, they heard footsteps coming from the room entrance.


    Xia Yuanba who saw this newcomer beamed with joy: "Senior Sister Xueruo!" He waved happily at her direction to which she waved back gently with a warm smile on her face.


    "Big sis, that''s the senior sister I''ve told you about. Senior Sister Lan Xueruo." Yuanba introduced the newcomer towards Xia Qingyue who''s sitting beside him.


    Xia Qingyue and Issei turn their head slightly to look at this newcomer.


    She''s beautiful enough to make one''s heart tremble, a pair of beautiful sparkling cherry-colored eyes with a gaze as soft as water, not containing even the slightest hint of arrogance. She exudes a noble and graceful aura that added to her charm. Her cherry-colored lips have the luster of a smooth seashell. Her elegant eyebrows are crescent-shaped with beautiful pitch-black hair. The light smile that graced her lips that were as heartwarming as the smell of incense in a gentle breeze.


    While maintaining a constant warm smile the whole time, she did not say anything in reply. Although she was only gently striding onward, it would make one believe that they had seen a fairy dancing in a white dress. Above all, her beautiful and slender snow-white neck let her exude a noble and graceful aura that added to her charm, making one feel as if they were looking at an exalted princess that belonged in the Imperial Family.


    (AN: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ni-tian-xie-shen-against-the-gods/images/4/4b/CangYue3.png/revision/latest?cb=20190505183355 Just type Cang Yue ATG on google if you can''t copy-paste the link).


    Although her appearance was incomparable to Xia Qingyue''s, it definitely was one in ten thousand, a devastating beauty that could tip over cities and nations. Yet the noble air that wrapped around her like an indistinct haze was not something that Xia Qingyue could match.


    Generally speaking, a girl that was beautiful to this extent would more or less carry a somewhat arrogant air. Yet this girl had a gentle complexion, her gaze was as soft as water, and there wasn''t even the slightest hint of arrogance between her brows. The faint smile on the corner of her lips was sufficient enough to almost completely melt one''s heart with just a single glance.


    Her body only stiffens for a fraction of second sensing the gazes from Xia Qingyue and Issei.


    Issei only took a glance at her before he returned his gaze back to the front while Xia Qingyue nodded slightly at her since from what she heard. This Senior Sister of her little brother is very kind towards him so she has a favorable impression of her...


    Qin Wuyou and Sikong Han smiled gently at her.


    The girl bowed in courtesy at Issei and Xia Qingyue''s direction before she re-introduced herself in a respectful manner: "This junior name is Lan Xueruo, but my real identity is Cang Yue, the seventh child of the Emperor and only Princess of the ." Her greeting is straight to the point without any pleasantries because she knows that someone with a high standing of Issei and Xia Qingyue prefers honesty and not empty words.


    To win their trust she immediately told them the truth about her real identity without any strings attached. Disregarding that Xia Yuanba doesn''t know her real identity and basically just a bystander but since he''s the little brother of Xia Qingyue and also since he''s trustworthy enough she let him knows of her real identity.


    Her age is 18 years old so it''s not really wrong for her to call herself as junior in front of Issei.


    "Ah!?" Xia Yuanba becomes flabbergasted with shock because he never thought the kind senior sister that treated him nicely inside the palace is their country princess.


    Issei as usual only nodded at her introduction.


    "My name is Xia Qingyue, elder sister of Xia Yuanba. And this personage is my sect Elder, Elder Ise." Xia Qingyue introduced herself calmly and not forgetting to introduce Issei''s identity towards them in a respectful manner... There''s a tinge of pride that can be sensed from her voice that went unnoticed by the 3 of them except for Yuanba since he''s still feeling shocked by Cang Yue''s real identity.


    It''s not really a secret that they''re having a male as their sect elder and besides, he might be an elder in name but the whole sect knew that he''s basically their new Sect Master.


    The 3 of them already heard of his identity from Xia Qingyue''s mouth from the palace entrance but they''re still feeling surprised knowing that the well-known sect of has a male elder...


    But that''s not their place to judge so they only cupped their fists in respect since they all know that Issei is at the very least has a cultivation base of the .


    They heard from the guards that they both are capable of flying in the sky after all.


    "I will get straight to the point... I need your help. My father the emperor is inflicted with some unknown disease and he''s currently bedridden... Of course, I won''t ask you to do it for free. I will do anything within my power to repay you. Even if in the end you''re not capable of identifying his disease then it''s still fine... Please, help us." She bowed deeply and she doesn''t use her status as the kingdom princess in her speech.


    She only speaks like how a daughter feeling worried about her father would.


    Xia Qingyue doesn''t say anything and waited for Issei''s decision. The whole room went silent waiting for his answer... Even Yuanba who''s feeling shocked before came back to his sense after hearing her words.


    He wanted to help her but he knows that he got no abilities to do so...


    He was about to say something towards Xia Qingyue but she stopped him with her hand because she will follow whatever decision Issei will make.


    The reason why Cang Yue wanted help from Issei is because he''s from one of the big sects out there and he ought to have more knowledge than the rest of them here...


    But what she''s mistaken about is that Issei is not really a person from this world so his knowledge might be on par with herself... Although, he indeed has the capabilities to certain things that deemed impossible for this world inhabitants.


    Even Xia Qingyue almost has a blind faith towards him since he seems like an omnipotent being in her eyes... The amount of miracles he has done is by no means small so it''s quite understandable why she felt this way.


    "...So you''re willing to do anything if it means that I''m able to cure your father?" After a brief silence, Issei asked her.


    "Yes. Anything as long as it''s within my power." Cang Yue doesn''t hesitate even for a second before she answered Issei''s question.


    "...Good. In regards that you''ve taken care of Qingyue''s little brother then I will see if I can do something for your father. But I can''t guarantee that I will be able to cure him of his disease and as for the payment. We will see when the time comes." He finally agreed to her request.


    "Thank you!" Cang Yue''s party beamed with joy and thanked him with their heads lowered. Cang Yue''s group never thought that their act of kindness towards Xia Yuanba would bring this result so they can''t be happier right now.


    Even Xia Yuanba beamed with joy after hearing Issei''s words.


    "No need to thank me just yet... Qingyue, what''s our sect need the most at the moment?" Issei asked Qingyue.


    "...Answering Elder. Our sect is not lacking anything at the moment because there''s still a lot of Elder "Gifts" left unused back in the sect." Qingyue thought for a moment before she gave him her answer and she''s also implying that their sect has more than enough resources at the moment so there''s really no need for him to bring something back.


    "Is that so?" Issei asked once again to which she nodded in affirmation: "Yes".


    "Well, I''ll think of something later. Then shall we go now?" Issei decided to think of the rewards for later and asked them.


    "If it''s not too bothersome then yes." Cang Yue answered respectfully.


    Xia Qingyue and Yuanba then talked a little bit more before they went their separate ways.


    "See you later, big sis!" He waved at her with a happy grin.


    "Um, take care, Yuanba." She smiled back at him under her veil.


    "Oh right, big sis. I heard brother-in-law will come here as well. Too bad that he''s not here yet or you two could have a reunion as well." He said with a little bit of a pity to which made Xia Qingyue''s smile falter...


    She''s feeling a little annoyed that he mentioned that she''s "Married" in front of Issei and Cang Yue who heard of this become surprised. She decided to see just who is Xia Qingyue''s husband is later on...


    Although Xia Qingyue already knows that Issei knew about the truth behind her so-called marriage. It still annoys her a little being mentioned that she''s already "Married"... As for the marriage certificate between her and Xiao Che, she already destroyed it not long ago during her stay in the sect.


    Cang Yue offered to use her Eagle profound beasts to travel but Issei refused saying that he could fly on his own but Xia Qingyue can ride along with her if she wants.


    Xia Qingyue thought for a second before deciding to ride alongside Cang Yue so they went on their way to the capital city of the Blue Wind Empire...


    Even though their speed slowed down because of this, Issei doesn''t really mind. The same goes for Xia Qingyue since even though flying on her own is pretty exciting but riding on top of a profound beast such as this Eagle is quite fun in its own way...


    Cang Yue tried to start up a conversation but since both Issei and Xia Qingyue aren''t very talkative she''s the one who does most of the talking... Obviously, she avoids asking them about their sect since she doesn''t want to intrude on their personal space.


    She mostly talks about the scenery and stuff introducing it to Issei and Xia Qingyue. Although she''s just as curious as for why Issei wore a mask, she won''t ask him about it.


    During their journey, Issei saw a group of 3 men dragging 2 children, one little boy and one little girl with them.


    These three men appeared to be around thirty or forty years old and they appeared to be fiendish looking.


    They wore the same kind of light armor, the exposed muscles were dark and coarse, clearly they were people that frequently operated outside. The one who appeared to be the oldest had a large tall frame with a ferocious-looking face while a huge broadaxe rested on his shoulders.


    In contrast, the youngest looking one had a skinny frame, his facial features resembled that of a monkey with a sharp-angled mouth and he dragged a giant iron club that was over a meter long. The last one had a face resembling a horse and also carried a giant iron club. In terms of their profound cultivation, the highest was already at the eighth level while the lowest was also already at the sixth level of .


    However, the two children appeared to only be seven or eight years of age. One boy and one girl, who was dressed in rough cloth. What was eye-catching, was a very shallow red mark present on their foreheads, its shape was like a cluster of burning flames. Each of their arms was separately dragged by one person, who walked them forward step by step. Tear stains that hadn''t dried up yet could clearly be seen on their faces.


    Issei then immediately swooped down to the ground not far from their direction. Cang Yue and Xia Qingyue who saw his action went confused before they saw the group of men dragging two children with them.


    They then also swooped down following after Issei.


    As soon as Issei''s group saw them, they also saw Issei''s group. Almost unanimously, the three men stopped their feet at the same time, their eyes tightly locked onto Lan Xueruo and Xia Qingyue figure with a glint like that of ferocious wolves disregarding Issei presence since they''re not interested with men.


    "Quick¡­ Look quick! That girl over there¡­. There was actually such a good looking girl! Ssss... I''ve never seen a women this beautiful in my entire life." The horse-faced man spoke while his drool uncontrollably flowed down in a continuous stream.


    "And that one with the veil on her face must be quite a beauty as well!" He added.


    The sharp-mouthed man was even more so unabashed; both of his legs tightly clamped up together as his entire body trembled: "She''s virtually a hundred times prettier than the goddesses in this daddy''s dreams, my legs are even about to give in. If we capture her to be our captain''s bride, the captain would definitely go crazy with happiness and may even grant us a vice-captain position¡­"


    "Are you f*cking stupid!" The broadaxe man smacked the sharp-mouthed man on the neck. He then heavily licked the corner of his own mouth as his eyes revealed an obscene glint: "If we brought this girl back, Captain would definitely engage in activity every night. What would there be left for us? Tsk tsk, to meet such a beautiful girl in this place, that''s simply a reward sent to us by the heavens."


    The sharp-mouthed man''s eyes suddenly shone and his two legs shivered even more intensely. He continuously nodded nonstop: "Right! Right! Big Bro is right! Then what are we waiting for!"


    "However, while this beautiful girl only looks to be eighteen or nineteen, she actually has the cultivation of the rank eight." The broadaxe man frowned a little.


    As for Xia Qingyue, she must at least has a lower cultivation than Cang Yue they thought to themselves since she seems to be younger than Cang Yue.


    They can''t really sense anything from Issei so they thought he''s just a normal man that wanted to act mysterious with that mask of his.


    "What? rank eight?" Both the sharp-mouthed man and horse-faced man were immensely shocked. "To have such strong cultivation at such a young age, she might actually be some great family''s disciple, or may even be on the level of a genius. If we act, and the family behind her back by chance finds out."


    "Tsk! Look at how unpromising you are." The broadaxe man glanced at him disdainfully. He then licked his lips, and laughed obscenely: "When have we, the ever not lived a day on the blade''s edge, and who have we ever been scared of? Don''t even mention that she might be a disciple from some big family; since she has met us, even if she''s the current emperor''s daughter, hehehe, we''ll still engage without reserve! Tut tut, to be able to enjoy such an otherworldly beautiful woman that can''t even be imagined in one''s dreams, it''s worth it even if we die right after!"


    The sharp-mouthed man and horse-faced man were both nodding like a chick pecking rice and were excited to the extent that they almost forgot how to walk properly


    Even though their voices were low, it was enough to be heard clearly by the two children they dragged along in their hands. Terrified and worried expressions revealed on their faces. The small boy held his breath, then suddenly loudly shouted out: "Big sister, quickly run! They''re bad people, they want to harm you¡­ Ah!!''


    Sent onto the ground with a kick from the horse-faced man the small boy let out a painful scream. The little girl hurriedly ran over to help him up and then started to cry whilst hugging him.


    Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue gazes went freezing cold seeing them treated the children like that, needless to say about Issei who has a soft spot for children.


    Before they could act on their own, they saw the horse-faced man become encased in an ice case completely. Then it''s the man with a broadaxe turn to be encased in ice.


    "...Eh?" The sharp-mouthed man let out a dumbfounded voice seeing his friends sudden encased in ice.


    Even Cang Yue is surprised seeing this since she never saw Issei make any move and before she knows it, they both are encased in ice already... Xia Qingyue doesn''t feel too surprised since she knows the "true" strength of Issei so for them to challenge him is the same as courting death in her eyes.


    "Hiiiii!" The sharp-mouthed man let out a horrified sound and fell backward... Or that''s what supposed to happen if it wasn''t for his legs being encased in ice.


    If it wasn''t for the 2 children being here then Issei would''ve killed them in a more cruel manner.


    He walked forward ignoring the squealing sharp-mouthed man and bent down in front of the 2 scared children: "It''s fine now, you''re both are safe." He gently patted their head to make them feel safe.


    He had barely finished asking when the boy suddenly knelt before her and mournfully cried in his immature voice: "Big brother, I beg of you¡­ Won''t you save my family? Those bad people have always been harming us. Big brother, you''re so powerful so you should definitely be able to send those bad people off with a beating."


    Seeing the little boy kneeling, the little girl also followed suit and knelt down. Holding the boy''s arm, she added in a teary voice: "Big brother, please save us¡­ Uuu Uuu, please save us."


    "Um. I will help you. Now stand up." He lifted both of them from the ground and took out a clean handkerchief to clean their faces with it.


    He channeled his profound energy to heal both of them from their injury.


    He stared tearfully at Issei as he continues to cry out: "Big brother, I beg you, please, you must save us. If you don''t save us, our entire clan will definitely be killed by those bad people. Only you can save us. In the future... in the future, we will definitely repay your favor."


    This little boy had previously shouted out to them in spite of the danger which proved that he had a kind soul. Now, he was even kneeling in front of him with misty eyes filled with plea and slivers of hope¡­ As if he had finally grabbed at the stalk of life-saving rice straw in the midst of his drowning.


    "No need to cry. Big brother will help you." Issei patted their head once more in reassurance.


    The little boy''s eyes flashed with a pleasant surprise. After wiping tears away from his face, he nodded vigorously.


    Both Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue unintentionally smiled seeing how gentle he treated those children.


    Then Issei handed them both over to Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue while he "Interrogated" the sharp mouthed man.


    "H-Hiiiii! P-Please spare me! I-I won''t dare do anything like this again! Ple- Ah..." He begged Issei but he disregarded his words and put his hand on top of his head immediately.


    A second later, the man''s face becomes blank like he has become a complete idiot with drool started to dropping out from his mouth.


    Issei basically just forcefully read his soul memory to find out where his group hideout is and in the process, he turned the man into a complete idiot since his brain basically turned into mush already...


    He felt no pity nor guilty conscience doing this to a scum such as this man who''s in his whole life had done a lot of sinful deeds such as killing the innocents and raping them.


    He then also encased the man in ice since he doesn''t want the 2 kids to saw this man disgusting facial features after he turned into an idiot.


    "Qingyue, Princess Cang Yue. Please wait here for a moment with those children." He told both of them to which Qingyue nodded understandingly while Cang Yue wanted to say something but finally decided not to...


    And on that very same day, the so-called is no more...


    ...


    After a moment, Issei returned to their previous location.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve already ''beat up'' their group so they won''t bother you and your family any longer." Issei told the 2 children.


    ''Beat up'' is taking it politely while in fact he completely annihilated them without any question asked... All of them have become an ice corpse that''s broken into pieces so no one will be able to find any traces of them ever again...


    ""R-Really?!"" Both of them asked in a joyful manner.


    "Um, really." He nodded at them.


    "Thank you, big brother!" The boy thanked Issei profusely while the small girl smiled happily at him saying thank you as well. Issei then patted their head once again but this time they giggled happily.


    Once again, both Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue smiled warmly seeing their interaction... Even though they''re a little bit dirty but it seems that Issei is not bothered by those kinds of stuff at all...


    Jasmine who''s inside the only watches this scene in a silent manner... Xun''er gently hugged her from behind comforting her sadness...


    Seeing how gentle Issei treated those children made Jasmine reminded her of her own elder brother...


    "Big brother, why are you wearing a mask and why is that big sister also wearing a veil?" The small girl asked in curiosity. Even the boy is wondering about the same thing.


    "Hmm? Oh, it''s nothing really. I''m just a shy person you see." Issei answered jokingly.


    Xia Qingyue softly laughed under her veil thinking that her sect elder also knows how to joke around it seems...


    "Hmm... Xian''er understands." The small girl nodded understandingly as if she''s an adult but it only makes her look cute more than anything...


    "Big brother, big sisters. Do you want to come with us to our village?" The boy enthusiastically asked them since it is not every day that he can meet new people that''s kind like them.


    "...Sure." Issei thought for a moment before agreeing to his invitation because he can sense some sort of divinity inside these children''s bloodline.


    He thought that he might as well check if it can benefit him or not and besides, they still need to deliver them to their respective parents anyway. There''s no way he can let them travel around unattended.


    "You don''t mind right, Qingyue, princess Cang Yue?" Issei asked them both.


    "Qingyue will follow whatever elder decided to do." She answered with a thin smile on her face.


    "Yes, I don''t mind either." Cang Yue is the one who answered next since she has the same thinking as Issei... She can''t possibly let these children walk back on their own especially with so many profound beasts in the area.


    They then followed the two children towards the direction of their home. On the way, they found out that the little boy was named Feng Zu''er and the little girl was Feng Xian''er.


    They were twins of different genders. The surname "Feng" surprised Cang Yue a little, as she knew it was the surname of the Divine Phoenix Empire''s imperial family. But the two children told her that their entire clan''s surname was "Feng" and that they''d been living in this mountain of wilderness since they were born, without ever leaving or ever interacting with outsiders.


    There were many violent profound beasts in the area, but for some reason, these profound beasts never approached the place where they resided. However, because of those concentrated number of scary profound beasts, they had never been able to leave. That was also the same reason why outsiders had never entered.


    That held true only until a few days ago when the had found where they lived after barging in through some unknown method.


    The group had also realized that theirs was actually a very small clan of guardians and thus, forced them to hand over the treasures they guarded. This was the reason why Feng Zu''er and Feng Xian''er were captured, in order for them to demand those treasures as ransom within a day or risk having the children killed.


    As they turned around a short hill, a small village appeared before their eyes. A few middle-aged adults dressed in rough clothing stood in the front of the village, wearing expressions of frustration and helplessness. A weeping married woman stood between them as she covered up her face... and atop all their foreheads, was a flame-shaped imprint.


    "Father! Mother!"


    In the midst of their cries, Feng Zu''er and Feng Xian''er threw themselves in the direction of the weeping woman. The woman suddenly lifted her head when she heard the voices of her children.


    She almost believed that she was dreaming as she stared in a daze and watched her children dash over. It was only until they had landed in her bosom, that she tightly embraced them while bawling in happy surprise.


    "Zu''er, Xian''er, how did you..." The middle-aged man on the side was visibly shocked and then was at a loss of what to say in his delight.


    "It''s that big brother who fought off those bad people and saved us." Feng Zu''er turned back and pointed at Issei, "Not only is big brother strong but his wives are also pretty. He only needed a short while to fight off all three of the bad people."


    "Mn. Mn." Feng Xian''er nodded in agreement with a face full of adoration: "Also, big brother said that he already beat up those bad people so they won''t bother us any longer. Right, big brother?"


    "Um. But these 2 pretty big sisters are not my wives." Issei corrected their words a little bit.


    Both Cang Yue and Xia Qingyue blushed being assumed as Issei wives. Cang Yue felt a little bit awkward since even though she has a favorable impression of Issei, she''s not at the point that she wanted to marry him. After all, they just met a while ago...


    As for Xia Qingyue, she doesn''t hate it one single bit... It''s not bad at all she thought to herself...


    All eyes turned to Issei''s group. The middle-aged man took a step forward, bowed deeply towards Issei, and sincerely stated: "Young Master, thank you for saving my two children. I truly do not know how I ought to repay you¡­ My name is Feng Baichuan and I am the current clan leader. This is my wife Feng Caiyun."


    "It''s no problem at all. I just happened to pass by and it required little effort." Issei said calmly. The man in front of her was thirty-four years old, his appearance and the clothes he wore were humble and the space between his brows revealed a faint touch of elegance and calm. The flame imprint upon his forehead appeared to be especially clear.


    But as the leader of the clan, his profound strength was only at the tenth level of the . With respect to his age, this degree of profound strength was indeed too low. However, Issei immediately noticed that everyone in front of him was at the tenth level of the as well, it was incomparably uniform in this aspect.


    But he can sense some sort of "Seal/Curse" affecting their soul and it''s most likely the reason why they are unable to breakthrough from the .


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    It seems that the one who put the seal on them is quite strong and most likely a God-class being...


    "Thank you, truly, we are too grateful." Feng Caiyun also bowed gracefully towards Issei, too thankful for words.


    "...Excuse me for my ignorant question, but what does young master mean by ''they won''t be bothering us any longer''?" Feng Baichuan asked Issei cautiously.


    Issei thought of this might happen already since it will be too unbelievable if some random stranger just suddenly said he already took care of the mercenary group just like that.


    So he brought along some evidence with him... He took out the encased ice corpse of the mercenary leader.


    "Th-This!?" Feng Baichuan becomes shocked after seeing the leader of the iced body.


    Everyone from his tribe recognizes this person since he''s the one who demanded them to hand over their treasure before after all.


    How can it be?! The opponent was a notorious mercenary group that numbered around a hundred. Its captain and its three vice-captains were all in the . But to suddenly having their leader corpse in front of them is truly shocking for them all.


    They then hastily thanked Issei once again and invited them to their village...


    ...


    This small village was indeed a small village, there were a total of a dozen or so simple and crude houses. From Feng Baichuan, they learned that the whole clan was not more than two hundred people. In regards to the newly arrived Issei''s group, the three outsiders, the people here were vigilant at first but afterward, they revealed a good nature.


    Very quickly, Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue both realized a strange fact. Every person they had met were all at the tenth level of the .


    Other than the children who have not yet started to cultivate profound energy, all of them were like this, without a single exception. It seemed as if the tenth level of the was their limit.


    But, after the , every time one stepped into another level, it was accompanied by a bottleneck that increasingly becomes difficult to breakthrough. But from the to the , there was basically no bottleneck to speak of.


    So long as enough profound energy was accumulated, one would naturally step into the .


    But the people here all stopped at the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm, this truly puzzled them both... Issei already realized their problem so he''s not puzzled at all.


    "How could this place have Phoenix''s essence?" Jasmine''s sudden voice resounded from within the pearl.


    "Phoenix? The primordial divine beast, the phoenix of legends?" Xun''er followed up in surprise.


    "Correct! Even though it''s very faint, it is definitely without a doubt, the Phoenix''s essence. How strange¡­ Could it be that the phoenix had actually descended to this inferior plane before?" She continued with a confused voice.


    Issei doesn''t miss her little slip-up of the words "inferior plane" hence it confirmed Issei''s suspicion of their origins.


    "And the flame imprint on their foreheads is also the mark that the phoenix bloodline bears! But this mark''s color and the color that I know, are completely different. Additionally, the mark of the phoenix bloodline is normally hidden and only when using the phoenix''s power of fire would the mark forcibly appear, but the people here all bear the mark of the phoenix and it''s as if they can''t hide it. In short, this is too weird!" Jasmine said but then she realizes that Issei stays silent during their whole conversation...


    "...Why are you not feeling a tiny bit surprised when we''re talking about the Phoenix?" She asked with narrowed eyes.


    "Hm? Why should I? I often saw a Phoenix back in my home." He calmly responded to her question. ''In fact, that same Phoenix was my ex-fiancee. And one of my wives has a bloodline of a true Primordial Phoenix God. So why would I feel surprised by some inferior Phoenix?'' He added inside his mind in a prideful manner, but he''s not feeling prideful about Ravel Phenex(ex-fiancee) but of Paniverna one of the ... Not that he would tell them that.


    Paniverna who''s searching for him in the void shivered in joy for some reason, ''Issei-sama must''ve thought about me~????! Wait for us, Issei-sama. We will surely find you soon!'' She thought with newfound determination with her beautiful wings made out of pure phoenix flame burn even brighter which annoyed the nearby Izana a little since it''s too hot for her...


    They''re searching for him because from Semiramis guess, the reason why he''s still not returned to their side yet can only mean one thing... He must be so injured that he can''t return on his own. So she told them to continue searching for him... Truly a wife who knows her husband well...


    ""..."" Both Jasmine and Xun''er went silent thinking he must be just talking big... "Hmph... If you want to talk big then try to come up with a better story. Everyone knows that the Phoenix already died." Jasmine scoffed in a scornful manner.


    Issei just shrugged at her words and he''s not planning to convince her anyway.


    Feng Baichuan brought Issei''s party to a clean hut: "You three, please rest easy here. We are just a small clan hidden. Everything we have cannot compare with the outside world, so we can only inconvenience you."


    "Do all of you have a phoenix bloodline?" Issei suddenly asked out of nowhere.


    Feng Baichuan, who was calm and dignified up until now, froze. His pupils distinctly contracted slightly. His expression rapidly fluctuated as he thought about how he could deny or avoid the question.


    But after a few breaths of time, his expression calmed down and a seemingly self-deprecating laugh arose: "Phoenix bloodline inheritor? We aren''t worthy of that title. We are simply keeping away from the world while carrying this sin and curse. We are just a humble clan who have to atone for their sins, generation after generation. Although I don''t know where you learned that we have a relationship with the Phoenix, but it looks like¡­ You came here in order to obtain the so-called ''treasure'' that we''re guarding, right?"


    "Phoenix? The divine beast that the Divine Phoenix Empire worships?!" As the flabbergasted Cang Yue looked at Issei and Feng Baichuan, her brain momentarily stopped working.


    Xia Qingyue is also surprised but she''s able to regain her calm soon enough since she''s been told by Issei to always have a calm and serene mind whatever the situation you''re facing as to avoid being taken advantage of by her enemies...


    "No, you misunderstood." Issei shakes his head: "Someone I know also has a phoenix bloodline so I can more or less tell that your clan has a phoenix bloodline within your body."


    Feng Baichuan who heard Issei words become further wide-eyed: "A-Are you speaking the truth?!" He asked incredulously.


    "Um." Issei snapped his finger showing a beautiful crimson golden flame from his hand. It''s the flame that belongs to Paniverna.


    Issei is able to use this flame because he possesses the "Vital Yin" of Paniverna which is stored within his "Vital Yang".


    This is also one of the reasons why he''s able to fully master any elements in existence.


    "M-My God!" Feng Baichuan becomes completely dumbstruck... Not only him. Even Cang Yue, Xia Qingyue, Jasmine, and even Xun''er is completely taken aback by this sight.


    "I-It''s really a Phoenix flame!" Jasmine shouted in shock: "And not only that... This Phoenix flame is so divine and pure... It''s as if we''re in the presence of the Phoenix itself!"


    Actually, this flame goes beyond the normal Phoenix flame but since Jasmine''s knowledge is limited she can''t tell the difference.


    Xia Qingyue never thought that her sect elder is capable of using a flame art and it is also a flame of Phoenix...


    *SCREEECH!*


    A phoenix screeching sound resounded from within the nearby temple... It alarmed every villager within the village and they all hastily bowed down in reverence towards the temple direction.


    Even Feng Baichuan who''s inside the hut also kneeled down in reverence.


    "Th-The Phoenix voice! We haven''t heard its voice for hundreds of years!" Tears started pouring out from his eyes socket feeling blessed that he can still hear the phoenix voice after all this time...


    "Hm?" Issei can feel the summoning from the Phoenix. That very same voice is the one that summoned him.


    "Qingyue, Princess Cang Yue. Wait here for me." He instantly opened a spatial opening and went towards the source of the screech.


    All of them become further dumbfounded seeing Issei is capable of such stunt... Xia Qingyue is also shocked and she can''t regain her calm as she used to since all that just happened is just too surprising for her little heart...


    Even Jasmine and Xun''er is no exception...


    "Wh-What?! He can also use a Space/Dimensional laws?!" Jasmine felt like she''s dreaming right now... Just what is going on?! First the phoenix flame and now this?!


    It needs to be known that only those that have a high attaintment in laws are able to open a spatial opening like Issei just did... If it happened in the upper realm that it won''t really surprise her that much since she''s also capable of doing the same thing in her top condition albeit with some little difficulties.


    But this is in the lower realm! And the one who did it is also only at the peak of the ! Even those who are at the


    might be unable to master this law but here it is a mere cultivator capable of opening a spatial rift of his own like some he''s slicing a piece of cake...


    Issei arrived inside the Phoenix temple.


    The interior was actually a flat stone chamber after going through the seal formation. The stone chamber was unnaturally spacious and measured at least a hundred meters long and wide.


    Not to mention just two hundred people, it could easily fit even ten times of that. Both sides of the stone chamber had very long stone stairs and it seemed as if there was another floor above.


    There was a long walkway to the front of the stone chamber which was approximately a few dozen meters in length. At the end of the hall, there was a gently rotating red-colored seal formation that was identical to the seal outside.


    Issei then started walking towards the center of the voice and when he stepped inside the formation. The scene before him suddenly distorted. Right after, he felt the sky and ground spin, as if his body was sent flying by a storm. But he remains calm without any fluctuation in his heartbeat nor facial feature...


    Only after a while, did that weightless feeling finally disappear slowly. He only saw pitch-black darkness in front of him.


    "How long are you going to make me wait?" Issei said to nowhere in particular.


    Right after his voice ended, two lines of narrow golden light suddenly appeared in the pitch-black darkness before him. Immediately after, the two narrow lines of golden luminance slowly opened like a pair of slightly narrowed eyes¡­ No! That is exactly a pair of eyes! A pair of incomparably gigantic golden eyes that were embedded inside the pitch-black space.


    A dignified and respectful voice resounded within his mind, from the timbre of the voice, it was clearly a female voice.


    "Greetings, o'' Go-" Right before the Phoenix could finish its words. Issei blocked the connection between him and the .


    ...


    "Wh-What happened?! Why suddenly we can''t hear anything?" Jasmine said in complete bewilderment before she tried to exit the pearl.


    "And we can''t get out from here either!" She shouted in frustration.


    "Jasmine... I think Ise doesn''t want us to hear the content of their conversation so he blocked our connection with him..." Xun''er smiled wryly at her fuming daughter.


    "I know! But... But... Ahhh! So frustrating! Petty person! Cheapskate! Scoundrel!" She pouted in anger thinking that she will be unable to dig out his secret in this way...


    *POMF!* *POMF!* *POMF!*


    She started bashing the pillows on her bed to vent her anger...


    Not like you''re the one to talk... Xun''er wryly added inside her mind since they also don''t share their secrets with him...


    It''s just indeed Issei being a little petty like Jasmine said so he doesn''t want his secret to be exposed to them... But what was the Phoenix going to say just now? "Go"...?


    ...


    "Greetings, o'' GodKing." The Phoenix said in a respectful manner.


    "You know my identity?" Issei asked curiously.


    "No, I do not. I can only sense your overpowering divinity and strength which eclipses all of living being in this universe, and that includes all of the Godly beings that I have come across... So calling you the GodKing or King of Gods is not false, is it not?" It responded.


    "...No, I think not." Issei went silent for a bit before he affirmed its words. Issei then looked at this pair of golden eyes: "And you''re only a spiritual remnant of the original Phoenix."


    "That is correct. I am an immortal soul left here by the phoenix, yet I am also an existence independent of the phoenix. I preserve this trial ground and receive all challengers. Spirit of the Phoenix, is the most fitting title for me." She confirmed his words.


    "Hmm, why would the phoenix leave a trial ground here?" He casually asked.


    "Long ago, the three major fire attribute divine beasts: the , , and the fought for the Flame Progenitor position in the


    . The fierce battle lasted thirty-six days and ended in the defeat and injury of all three. The Phoenix fell down to this Profound Sky Continent after being gravely wounded and completely recovered after thirteen years in the Profound Sky Continent. In these thirteen years, the phoenix deeply felt that even though the Profound Sky Continent''s humans were weak in strength, their hearts and nature were pure; thus it left two trial grounds in order to leave some opportunities for the humans of this continent." The phoenix said.


    "So basically a power struggle between the 3 of them... And why is the group of villagers outside has been cursed?" Issei further inquired.


    "The phoenix had left this message: If the humans of the Profound Sky Continent use this Phoenix power to harm the world, all of their strength will be taken away and their bloodline would be given punishment! What was very unfortunate, was that a person of one of the bloodlines committed a grave sin while using the phoenix''s power, the power of the phoenix had been permanently stripped and their bloodline was cursed. After that, no one else had passed this trial..." The phoenix answered Issei''s question.


    "Then? The reason you called me here is because you wanted me to take your trials?" Issei jokingly asked.


    "No, I wouldn''t dare... Even without taking the trial test, I already knew that you will surely pass the trial with ease... And your bloodline is much more stronger and divine than any of the Divine Beasts in existence. So I wouldn''t even dare to even imagine polluting your bloodline with my insignificant bloodline and inheritance." She instantly denied Issei''s joke.


    The massive amount of good karma he accumulated is more than enough to tell her that he is not an evildoer. As for the other trials, even the original Phoenix won''t be able to stand a chance against him, needless to say about some measly trials...


    "...Then why did you summon me here?" Issei asked.


    "..." The Phoenix spirit hesitated a bit before she finally speaks once more: "...It''s because of the phoenix flame you emit before... May I know how are you able to possess that incomparably beautiful and pure phoenix flame?" The Phoenix truly felt amazed and awed by Paniverna''s phoenix flame and she wanted to know just how come Issei has that kind of flame since she could tell to a certain extent that his bloodline is that of a Dragon and not a Phoenix.


    So for him to possess that kind of phoenix flame is really incredible in and of itself...


    "...That flame belongs to my wife. My wife has a Primordial Phoenix God bloodline inside her... You could say that she will surely be the next Phoenix God sooner or later." Issei said with pride.


    "..." The phoenix spirit went silent after hearing his answer... She''s overcome with shock because even the original Phoenix from this world only reaches the .


    Primordial here can also mean Ancestral. So that means that his wife that possess the Phoenix bloodline has already surpassed the original Phoenix by a huge margin...


    She knows that he''s not lying because that flame is far stronger and purer than the Phoenix flame the original phoenix ever had.


    "...This may be presumptuous of me but I ask you of your assistance, GodKing..." The Phoenix then steeled herself to ask for Issei''s assistance.

 Chapter 101 - 100

    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything after hearing the phoenix words.


    The phoenix thought that he''s waiting for her to continue so she continues her speech: "Of course, I won''t ask you to do it for free and maybe the things I can give you are not useful for you but it can benefit normal cultivator out there."


    The golden eyes flashed again and two spots of light descended from the skies. What fell in front of Issei was a white-colored jade bottle and a broken piece of white jade.


    "Inside the white-colored jade bottle is the


    . It can increase a cultivator''s control of fire energy by a substantial amount. But at the same time, it can also greatly increase a cultivator''s profound strength... With regard to normal cultivator strength, it can let their profound strength advance by at least five ranks regardless of their cultivation realm as long as they''re below the !"


    "Meanwhile, the fragment of the is inscribed on this jade stone. Together, the , the , and the were known as the Three Great World Scorching Heavenly Books. Each possessed tremendous power capable of burning the heavens. That year, the Phoenix left behind the first six stages of the . Only¡­"


    She paused for a moment wanting to see any kind of reaction from Issei but to her disappointment, he doesn''t seem to be interested in the least with the things she offered... Not that she hasn''t anticipated this since he must clearly possess stronger skill than the .


    But she doesn''t lose hope and continues to say her offer towards him. But she needed to mention the incomplete art first.


    The phoenix spirit''s voice held a deep sigh: "Originally, this had recorded everything from the first to the sixth stage, but before the first challenger arrived, an unexpected accident happened..."


    "That year, the Phoenix left two trial grounds in this continent. One was here and the other was at the enormous


    a long-distance away. The trial ground at the


    was quickly discovered and the


    was created. That trial ground also became a restricted area that belonged solely to the


    .


    Afterward, the


    became the number one sect of that empire. The empire was renamed as the


    and even the empire''s capital was established near the


    . Thus, the area where the trial ground was located became the empire''s most prosperous region. Humanity''s avarice, deceit, barbarous acts, and war¡­ Constantly existed and tainted the aura within that region. It thereby infected the Phoenix''s spirit in that trial ground and gave it a consciousness it should not have had... Which led it to betray the will of the Phoenix."


    "As a part of the Phoenix spirit with a different body, I knew of its existence then, and similarly, it knew of mine. After it had developed the consciousness it shouldn''t have, it actually had the idea of destroying me and this trial ground, wanting to have the entire continent to itself. Thus, it transferred its energy to a common firebird and came here. It fiercely battled against me and completely destroyed my copy of the jade that recorded the ."


    "During the intense fight, I destroyed a portion of its copy of the , leaving it with only the first four stages. Afterward, I was no match for it and had no other option but to create a false illusion of dissipating into flames. Only until then did it leave¡­ But it didn''t know that I had removed the fifth and sixth stages of the instead of destroying them, which is the piece that you are holding right now. After that, I completely severed my soul connection to it. It never felt my existence again and has always believed that I had died but I have continued to carry out the will of the phoenix. While guarding this trial ground, I have welcomed and monitored all the challengers."


    Issei only silently listened to her explanation and to be honest, he''s not really feeling interested in the Phoenix history whatsoever...


    "...So I''m guessing the help you wanted me to assist you with is to destroy or kill the other Phoenix spirit?" Issei finally said something.


    "...No, what I need your help with is to help me find the other phoenix spirit bloodline inheritor. But I want the inheritor to have a pure heart and if he/she not worthy of the rest of my inheritance then no need to give it to them... And when the time comes you can do whatever you want with my inheritance because that can only mean the Phoenix legacy will have no more complete inheritor..." The Phoenix said softly.


    As for asking Issei to give it to his wife, that thought never cross her mind since Paniverna clearly has higher divinity than she is.


    "Oh? You don''t want me to destroy the other phoenix spirit?" Issei asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "No... I''m but a spirit remnant from the original Phoenix. So I don''t feel any hatred nor anger towards the other phoenix spirit. My task is only to find a worthy successor for the Phoenix inheritance, no more no less." The Phoenix said.


    "Of course, you can give the inheritance to someone you think worthy enough if you want. I''m sure someone like you who have a massive amount of good karma will know how to judge people wisely." The phoenix added.


    "I need to correct your words on your previous statement... I''m not a good person. I''m a very selfish person that will do anything just to make my loved ones safe and happy. Even if I have to destroy this whole universe and killed trillions of innocent lives in the process, I won''t hesitate even for a second... So don''t assume that you know of me just based on external factors." Issei said in a cold voice.


    "Perhaps... But the fact that you''re willing to tell me about this is proof in and of itself that you are clearly has a noble heart... Also, the reason for your selfishness is out of someone you hold dear, not for some personal gains and that is good enough for me... If you would sacrifice everything just for the sake of gaining strength then no matter how many karmas you accumulated afterward, I would''ve deemed you unworthy." The Phoenix gently said.


    "..." Issei went silent after hearing her words.


    "And for my last offer for your help... I can sense that your soul is quite injured to a certain extent... I don''t know what kind of being is capable of injuring someone like you but..." The phoenix said in astonished voice thinking just what kind of being is capable of injuring a Godly being like Issei...


    If that being is still alive and decided to take a visit to this universe then they are doomed... Thankfully it''s Issei the one who visited their world and not his foe...


    "But I can help you to recover your injury albeit not much... And that is the last thing I could do for you... If you''re still not satisfied with my offer then you can ignore everything I''ve said. You can still keep the


    if you want and just consider it as a gift from this lowly one." The phoenix finally said.


    "Hmm... And how can you help me with my injury?" Issei inquired.


    "...You can absorb my soul... Even though my current self is nothing compared to the original Phoenix. I''m still a spirit remnant of a divine beast that reaches the nonetheless and I''m sure that my soul can heal you to a certain degree. And I can sense that you possess 2 Heavenly treasure within your body... One of them being the and the other one is the ... You can use the to assist you in the process of absorbing my soul." The Phoenix suggested and it appears that she has a small knowledge on the .


    She doesn''t feel surprised at all after finding out Issei possessing 2 Heavenly treasures with him. The Heavenly treasures themselves have a sentient will of their own and they can choose who''s going to be their master.


    They will obviously choose Issei as their master considering there''s no better candidate than he is...


    She won''t even feel a tiny bit surprised if all 7 Heavenly treasures were to suddenly presented themselves in his hand right at this moment...


    Issei doesn''t really need help the help if he wanted to absorb the Phoenix spirit since he possesses Forzelotte''s unique skill but the Phoenix obviously doesn''t know that...


    "Oh? Do you know what you''re saying? If I absorbed your soul then you will cease to exist."


    "I know... Sooner or later I will disappear into nothingness anyway so it makes no difference how I will dissipate." The Phoenix calmly answers Issei''s question.


    "No... I think you misunderstood something..." Issei took off his mask and the Phoenix who saw his face become dumbstruck since she never thought that someone could be so devastatingly beautiful... But when she saw the glowing Dragon eyes of Issei she shuddered in awe and fear...


    "If you were to "Die" normally at your current situation then your soul will transmigrate to the cycle of reincarnation... Sure you''re just a spirit remnant of the original Phoenix but that doesn''t mean that you don''t have your very own soul. The fact that the other Phoenix spirit turned that way is a fact that you both are a living being and not just some mere spiritual remnants..." Issei stared at the Phoenix''s eyes to make her understand just what it means if he were to absorb her soul.


    "You might think that if you were to die then you will just dissipate into nothingness? That is wrong... If I absorbed your soul, only then you will truly dissipate into nothingness. You will cease to exist without being able to reincarnate... Now, do you understand what you''re suggesting? If you''re certain of your offer then I will accept your request. But knows that after that there will be no going back for you." Issei narrowed his eyes at her.


    "My other wife is the true Goddess of Death. She told me only those that have mastered and aura themselves are capable of truly granting someone a true death. And I am one of those people who has mastered the and aura at the same time."


    He notices the people of this world think that if they were to destroy the spiritual body of another person then they will be able to prevent them to reincarnate or whatnot... But that is wrong.


    The which contained someone''s very own soul essence is the one that needed to be destroyed so that person won''t be able to reincarnate... But those things are only visible to people like him and Semiramis... And even if they could see them, whether they''re able to destroy it or not is a whole different story.


    A saintess such as Croix and Jeanne''s group might be able to see them but they won''t be able to destroy them.


    "..." The phoenix went silent because she never thought it this far before since she thought she''s just the "Will" of the phoenix and nothing else... For the first time ever since she''s created by the original Phoenix, she finally felt a certain emotion budding inside her... And that emotion is called fear...


    She started to feel afraid of the unknown... What will become of her when she truly dissipates and when her soul is absorbed by Issei... She thought that she will just dissipate when she dies but she never thought that she will be able to reincarnate... And if Issei absorbed her soul she will lose that opportunity...


    Now she finally understands why the other phoenix spirit turns out to be that way... It''s because she has a consciousness of her own in the first place and not just a mere accident...


    She''s no different herself... If she truly doesn''t have consciousness of her own then she won''t feel fear like this...


    Issei who saw the struggle within her eyes just went silent... He thought that the other phoenix spirit must''ve realized the fact that they have their own consciousness earlier than this one in front of him hence she felt afraid of dying since only the other spirit is capable of defeating her in this world. So she strikes first...


    To him, there''s nothing wrong with feeling afraid of dying so he doesn''t really think the other phoenix spirit did something wrong at all... Even he is afraid if he were to die then his loved ones will be left alone...


    "Seems like you finally understand what it means to have your soul absorbed by me? I can see it in your eyes that you felt uncertainty and fear... And that''s normal since that just means that you are alive." Issei said towards the shaken Phoenix.


    What the original Phoenix did is like a pseudo-creation. If Issei could create a brand new spirit such as Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius from nothing then the phoenix created a brand new spirit from its own soul.


    They are not just a spiritual will but more like a soul residue from the Phoenix itself. You could say that they''re the original Phoenix clones.


    After a while, the Phoenix finally closed her eyes... But when her eyes are opened once more, her eyes are filled with emptiness... Issei frowned a little since it looks like she decided to stop caring about anything else other than the original Phoenix "Will" once again...


    "...I am but a spiritual remnant of the Phoenix... So it is my duty to fulfill her will. My offer still stands, GodKing... You can absorb my soul as the payment for my request. In fact, you can absorb it now if you wanted to." She said in a flat tone without any emotion.


    "...Are you certain?" Issei calmly asked her while his already glowing eyes intensify trying to intimidate her even further. He also released his tyrannical Draconic aura along with his at full throttle...


    There''s a faint Crimson Dragon projection shadow behind Issei''s body that took its shape from his aura and haki combination... The Phoenix felt so small in front of this embodiment of Issei''s Draconic form...


    A golden chain emerged from all around her... Binding her whole body. Even being in touch with these golden chains alone made her feel extremely weak already... How would she feel when her soul is being absorbed? Extremely painful? Beyond painful?


    The phoenix shuddered fiercely for a brief moment before she closed her eyes in resignment: "...Yes. It will be my honor to be of use for you, GodKing."


    "...Very well. I will honor our agreement at the price of your very own soul." Issei finally nodded at her resolution.


    He extended his hand towards the Phoenix direction and there''s a suction force coming from the palm of his hand that greedily absorbed the Phoenix''s energy.


    The Phoenix kept her eyes closed accepting her fate...


    She doesn''t really feel anything other than her powers and divine energy being stripped away from her... She thought it must be Issei being merciful towards her hence she doesn''t feel any pain other than some discomfort...


    This process only went on without any obstruction... 5 minutes... 10 minutes... 15 minutes... 30 minutes... and when the Phoenix thought it will dissipate into nothingness. She can feel something different happening to her supposed spiritual body...


    She can feel her previous Phoenix form started receding into a much smaller form...


    From her head, her torso, her arms, until finally, her legs... All of them turned into a humanoid feature... The golden chains disappeared along with her body transformation...


    She becomes gobsmacked seeing the changes in her body... She thought that she will dissipate into nothingness when Issei finished absorbing her spiritual and divinity energy... But now she can feel a brand new fire spirit residing within her...


    It doesn''t exactly replace her being and if anything, it makes her feels as if she has been reborn...


    She has very long scarlet-red hair and a beautiful pair of crimson eyes representing a ruby that could intoxicate those who gazes upon them. Her skin like those of a porcelain doll that could rival even a newborn baby skin and it looks very soft to the touch.


    Her breasts and bottoms look so firm and full that it could make any men who saw them will feel like their blood boils with lust.


    (AN: The link to her image will be posted in the comment section later).


    She doesn''t wear anything at the moment meaning that her lust-inducing body is shown in its full glory without a single article of clothing blocking the view...


    She stared at her new body in a daze...


    Issei took out a red dress and give it to her... She dazedly received the clothes that are currently being given to her.


    "I already accepted the payment. I will help you find the true successor of the other phoenix spirit later when I have the chance." Issei said calmly towards the dazed Phoenix.


    "...W-Why...?" She confusedly asked Issei.


    "What?" He asked.


    "...Why am I still alive?"


    "I accepted your payment as it is... I absorbed your spiritual and divinity energy and then I replaced it with a brand new fire spirit. But because of it, you lose all of your strength, meaning that you have become a normal mortal now." Issei explained.


    "...But..." The Phoenix tried to say something else but Issei beat her to it.


    "Hmph... Don''t underestimate me. Do you think I''m so weak that I need to resort to devouring souls? I have never absorbed or devoured any souls before this so why should I start now? Besides, all I need is your divinity and spiritual energy, not your soul itself." Issei scoffed at her.


    If Issei used the for the absorption process before then the phoenix will truly dissipate into nothingness since the mirror itself can''t do a complicated process like filtering the spiritual and divinity energy within the phoenix soul.


    But since Issei possesses the he can easily do it.


    If he just devours the phoenix soul as it is then the process might be faster but he doesn''t choose to do so...


    "But remember that your soul still belongs to me in the end." He continued.


    He thought that he will just give her to Paniverna to handle later... Even though she''s basically Issei''s servant now but everyone who knows him well would know that being his servant is basically just a servant in name while Issei himself rarely gives order to them... They''re pretty much a normal person with a job and Issei is their boss...


    As can be seen from the Heroic Spirits group as an example...


    The Phoenix eyes went wide before tears started pouring out from her eyes... She felt extremely relieved that she doesn''t have to truly die...


    She understands the underlying meaning behind Issei''s words... He meant that she is basically his belongings now...


    "...This slave greets her Master." She kowtowed at Issei direction but there''s a relieved smile on her face...


    Issei frowned at her words: "Don''t call yourself a slave... Don''t you have a name?"


    "...This maid doesn''t have a name other than being known as the Spirit of the Phoenix. I implore you to give me a name, Master." She said while still in the kowtowing position.


    "...Then you shall be called Xiaotao from now on." Issei thought for a moment before he gives her a name.


    "...Xiaotao thanks Master for his kindness." She said with smiles through tears.


    After a brief chat, Issei told her to enter the . She becomes awestruck by the sheer amount of treasures inside the ... As far as her eyes could see there''s a massive amount of priceless treasures...


    She doesn''t recognize most of the things stored here but she knows that it''s extremely powerful... Some even surpassing the 7 Heavenly Treasures themselves...


    But after observing for a while she shakes her head and focused herself to cultivate her newfound life... That way she can serve her newfound Master... Issei already stored the rest of the phoenix inheritance inside the .


    Although she''s basically a mortal now but she is still the Phoenix incarnation so she''s able to regain her previous divinity and even become a brand new Phoenix entity on her own...


    Well, it''s more like she''s a profound beast in a human form more than an actual human. But that makes things easier since she can just absorb Issei concentrated profound energy like other profound beasts could...


    ...


    Issei reconnected his connection with the and the moment he did that, he heard Jasmine screaming in anger saying stuff like he''s being petty and a cheapskate or whatnot...


    "Where''s the phoenix? What were you two talking about? How come you have a phoenix flame? Why can you create a spatial opening?" She fired a series of questions demanding an answer with both of her hands on top of her hips...


    She comes out from the while fuming in anger... But all she earns is another flick to the forehead...


    *Flick* *Ow!*


    She thought she will be prepared for his "Attack" but she can''t even react to it... She forgot that Issei is the master of the . She won''t be able to re-enter the pearl unless Issei let her...


    She then begrudgingly returned inside the after receiving her "Punishment" while still covering her reddening forehead and covered herself in a blanket on top of her bed... Xun''er smiles wryly at her daughter and she can hear her grumbling under the blanket as well...


    ...


    Issei then returned to the previous hut...


    "Sorry for making you wait." He said towards Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue. Even Feng Baichuan is still there.


    But he saw that both Feng Baichuan and Cang Yue looking at him with their eyes and mouth wide open...


    He''s confused why they''re making a face like that until Xia Qingyue reminded him: "Elder Ise, your mask." She said with a silent sigh since it seems that her elder will have another pursuer soon...


    "Oh, right." He then wears his mask once again.


    Cang Yue is still dazedly staring at him as if she''s able to peer through his mask... She will never be able to forget his otherworldly face in this lifetime...


    Her eyes started becoming glazed with her cheeks reddening... While Feng Baichuan shuddered fiercely thinking that he almost went to the wrong path just now.


    He can only pray to the Phoenix and Heaven themselves that his wife won''t see his face or he might be forced to wear a green hat sooner or later...


    Even he who''s a man almost went to the wrong path, needless to say about his wife...


    "Clan leader Feng, can you gather all of your clansmen here?" Issei suddenly said towards him.


    "Huh? M-May I ask why you needed to all of my clansmen to gather in one spot?" He started letting his imagination gets the better of him thinking Issei wanted to make every woman in their village to be smitten at him and that''s including his own wife... No! He can''t let this happen!


    "I can remove the curse in your bloodline." Issei said simply.


    This short sentence from Issei was like a clap of thunder that sounded right beside Feng Baichuan''s ears snapping him out of his delusion. His body trembled and the features of his entire face froze on the spot. Following that, his gaze trembled violently as he rushed to Issei''s front in an instant, tightly grabbed both of Issei''s arms with both of his hands, and asked with trembling excitement: "What did you say? What did you say¡­ Could¡­ Could you repeat that?"


    Feng Baichuan''s reaction was completely within Issei''s expectations.


    "Yes, I have a little conversation with the Phoenix and she told me how to remove it. The curse in your bloodline is very easy to remove, it can be removed just by burning it with phoenix flame." Actually, he can easily remove their curse even without the phoenix telling him how to do it.


    He can just use his or just absorb or erase the curse on his own.


    But Xiaotao told him to just use Paniverna''s phoenix flame to erase it. Since it''s easier to do it that way then he will do just that.


    While speaking, Issei suddenly raised his hand and pressed the dark red phoenix imprint on Feng Baichuan''s forehead with his right hand''s index finger. A small dot of Paniverna''s phoenix flame quickly ignited on his fingertips, and then instantly rushed into Feng Baichuan''s phoenix imprint.


    Feng Baichuan''s face revealed a trace of pain, but it had also only appeared for that instant. Subsequently, the color of his phoenix imprint suddenly started to change, from a dark red, it gradually became more and more vivid, until it became a scarlet color that was completely devoid of any murkiness.


    Issei then withdrew his finger when the process is done.


    Feng Baichuan then stretched out his trembling hand to stroke the phoenix imprint on his forehead that had become hot. He was excited and so moved that he didn''t know what to do. He spoke in a tearful voice: "The curse¡­ has disappeared¡­ It really has entirely disappeared..."


    "Now you see that I''m telling the truth. Go and gather your clansmen here so I can remove their curse." Issei said towards the ecstatic Feng Baichuan.


    "Okay¡­ Okay!" Feng Baichuan nodded his head as his eyes filled with tears. As he looked at Issei, the gratitude in his heart was so strong that it could not be described with any language. Issei had wiped out the Black Demon Mercenary Group, saved the lives of his entire clan, saved his children lives, and removed the curse in their bloodline, essentially saving hundreds of their clansmen''s future generations!


    He allowed their entire clan to once again possess power and dignity! With the power to protect themselves, after the next generation, they would no longer have to sneakily hide in this desolate mountain range.


    Feng Baichuan then finished gathering his whole clansmen in front of Issei...


    Issei doesn''t go around putting his finger on top of the villager''s head like he just did with Feng Baichuan but he just willed for Paniverna''s flame to move around in his stead.


    Because of it, he finished erasing their curse in only a short amount of time... He also taught them the but he doesn''t give the rest of the Phoenix inheritance to them since it is reserved for the true successor.


    All he needs to do is just to share the content of the jade that contains the with them so it doesn''t really waste too much time to do so.


    Issei told them that there''s no need to guard the trial ground anymore since the Phoenix has already passed away much to their dismay... He told them if he doesn''t believe what he said then they can go inspect the trial ground on their own.


    Feng Baichuan instantly said that they do believe him, it''s just that it''s really hard to believe the divine beast they have been guarding after all this time is no more...


    Issei has done so much for them and there''s absolutely no reason for him to lie to them considering he is far stronger than all of them combined...


    If he wanted to he can easily kill them all and take whatever he wants... They won''t be able to fight back in the slightest.


    ...


    After bidding farewell to everyone, Issei''s party resumed their journey...


    Every clansman from the phoenix clan came out to see them off and looked at the skies as they flew off, they stayed for a long while, even after their silhouettes had completely disappeared from their sight.


    "Father, was big brother Ise really sent by the Phoenix God to save us?" Feng Zu''er asked innocently, as he reluctantly looked at the sky. He idolized Issei as his real big brother after all...


    Feng Baichuan caressed his son''s head and slowly nodded: "Yes. Since the year our ancestors committed a grave mistake, after so much atonement and remorse, the Phoenix God has finally forgiven us. However, I have a wonderful feeling that one day, we will meet him again."


    "Really?" Feng Zu''er and Feng Xian''er''s eyes lit up as their faces filled with anticipation.


    "Definitely." Feng Baichuan smiled. Without the cursed bloodline, their profound strength would no longer be limited, and the phoenix imprint on their forehead could be hidden anytime as well so the next generation would no longer need to hide in these dangerous grounds deep in the mountains.


    "However, the next time we see him, perhaps the level in which he will be standing, will be high enough for everyone to look up to. That is why, Zu''er, Feng''er, if you really want to see him again, you must start to train diligently from now on. As of now, we don''t have the qualifications to repay his great kindness, but after you two have grown up and acquired sufficient strength, you can then walk out of here and assist him¡­ Even if it is the most minuscule of assistance, it will still show the gratitude of our entire clan."


    Unknown to him, Issei is already at the top of the whole universe... But that''s something they won''t realize soon...


    "Mn!" Feng Zu''er and Feng Xian''er vigorously nodded their heads as their young and tender faces filled with determination.


    "Xian''er will surely help big brother Ise beat up the baddies when she grows up!" She pumped her tiny fist up in the air.


    Feng Baichuan''s body stiffens after hearing his daughter''s words and remembered about Issei''s otherworldly countenance... ''I really should prevent my wife to never ever see his face... It''s fine if it''s my daughter but not my wife!'' He vowed in his mind.


    ...


    Xia Qingyue frowned a little seeing Cang Yue often sneaks a peek at Issei''s direction. Now she understands that this kind of behavior doesn''t apply only to men, but it applies to women as well...


    But there''s nothing she could do so she let her be...


    She doesn''t realize her fellow sisters in the sect also often sneakily peek at Issei whenever they have free time. Not surprising since Xia Qingyue herself only come to Issei place to train and when she''s not at his place, she will cultivate in her own room... Her dedication is truly remarkable.


    Cang Yue and Xia Qingyue don''t ask anything about Issei being able to use a Phoenix flame and as for the spatial opening he created, they don''t really have the knowledge about it so they just thought it''s just one of Issei''s special art.


    While Cang Yue doesn''t ask Issei about it out of her respect on Issei''s personal secret. Xia Qingyue doesn''t ask him about it since she thought that if he wanted to share it then he will but if not then she won''t ask either.


    She trusts Issei completely after all and she doesn''t even think for a second that Issei might harm her or the sect.


    Their journey continues in this kind of fashion until they reach their destination... The . It is located in the central-northern regions of the empire and is also its biggest city. Its area is more than thirty times the size of . At the dead center of the imperial city is the imperial palace.


    Many people recognize Cang Yue''s profound beast, so they know that it''s their empire princess returning back to the city.


    But they felt awe seeing Issei who''s currently flying beside her profound beast since only practitioners that have broken through to the is able to fly on their own...


    The is among the lowest in terms of power ranking... They also never entered the top 10 ranks in the tournament and always stays around the bottom fodder...


    In their whole kingdom, there''s not a single true practitioner... There''s only a half step .


    Issei and Xia Qingyue followed Cang Yue to the Blue Wind Imperial Palace straight away.


    Cang Yue regained her bearings since she has more important matters at hand...


    The imperial palace''s architecture was naturally luxurious, golden-colored tiles glittered under the sunshine in every direction.


    Cang Yue was still plainly dressed. She wouldn''t be recognized by others outside, but within the imperial palace, who wouldn''t be familiar with the only princess of the imperial family. Everywhere they went, every bodyguard and palace maid would all hurriedly bow down as soon as they saw Cang Yue, respectfully calling her "Princess Cang Yue".


    When following alongside Cang Yue, Issei and Xia Qingyue did not feel disgruntled or nervous at all. The maids and bodyguards on the castle don''t dare to look at Issei and Xia Qingyue for a prolonged time since they thought it would be quite disrespectful of them to do so...


    Someone that the princess brought along and treated with respect must have quite a special background.


    The crown prince and third prince had many eyes within the imperial palace, this incident of them following Cang Yue to enter the imperial palace would definitely be known by the crown prince and third prince before long, but Issei and Xia Qingyue didn''t know about this matter and even if they do, they won''t care at all since the power struggle is none of their business.


    Issei only has a deal with Cang Yue and that''s it, no more no less. When he fulfilled the part of his deal then he will have nothing to do with her anymore...


    The imperial palace was huge. As Cang Yue walked at the front, she also introduced the important structures of the imperial palace to Issei and Xia Qingyue. Unintentionally, they had already arrived in front of a grand and imposing palace.


    "Here''s my father''s chambers." Cang Yue said with a slightly nervous expression. She''s feeling nervous whether Issei is able to recognize her father''s illness or not...


    The passage leading to the palace had a large pond on either side, the lotus flowers in the ponds just happened to be in bloom as its clear water rippled in waves. The green willows brushed alongside the water and the lotus leaves slightly drooped as their flowers faced the wind, permeating the air with a faint sweetness.


    Although the is far more beautiful, this palace is not that bad either.


    With Cang Yue at the front, she brought Issei and Xia Qingyue towards the emperor''s chambers. As soon as they stepped through the door, they saw an elderly man in a gray robe, who had a beard that hung down to his chest, walk toward them. Although this elderly man was clearly very old, his hair and beard were pitch black, it was evident that he was an expert in maintaining good health. Although far away from him, Issei was able to faintly smell the scent of medicine on this person body.


    He often assisted Semiramis, Kyou, and Kinou with their potion concoction so he''s not foreign to the scent of medicine.


    But Issei who saw this elderly man frowned a little since he senses there''s something wrong with him... He kind of reminded Issei of Rocinante... This person whole body reeks of greed...


    Behind the elderly man followed two attendants, although they were only attendants, within the deepest parts of their eyes, their arrogance was clearly visible even though they''re inside the imperial palace...


    When the two attendants saw Xia Qingyue, their eyes immediately turned lecherous but their body instantly shuddered sensing her cold gaze on them... They hurriedly look down since they can sense that she''s not a person they can afford to provoke. Especially after they felt a terrorizing pressure descending on their body coming from the masked man beside her...


    And they become further terror-stricken seeing that their Master and the princess themselves don''t seem to see anything wrong at all... They started to sweat profusely with their legs shaking but they don''t dare utter a single word...


    Seeing this elderly person, Cang Yue''s footsteps paused, hurriedly moved forward to meet them, and humbly greeted with respect, "Master Gu, you came. How is my father''s condition?"


    "So it was your highness the princess." The elderly man saluted in turn with a chuckle and very amiable face, "This morning, I received the emperor''s summons so I came to take a look. Last night, the night air was cold and caused the emperor to suffer a little wind chill; it already isn''t an issue. As for the matter of the emperor''s life veins¡­ Sigh, please forgive this old one for his incompetence, I still have not found a way to deal with it."


    "Master Gu, please don''t speak in that way, my father''s life veins were already damaged beyond repair, and there is no cure in this world. If my father wasn''t under Master Gu''s care these years, I fear¡­ In short, Master Gu must not blame himself. Cang Yue once again thanks Master Gu for this kindness." Cang Yue said gratefully.


    "When Princess Cang Yue says it in that way, it really is overpraising this old one. Your highness, please be at ease, this old one will definitely do his best to ensure the emperor''s health¡­ The emperor is about to retire to bed now, so if your highness wishes to see the emperor, then quickly enter, this old one shall take his leave."


    "Take care, Master Gu."


    The elderly man carried a medicine chest and strolled away with his terror-stricken attendants. When he passes Issei and Xia Qingyue, he nodded in courtesy in their direction with the same amiable smile on his face.


    He thought that both of them are just Cang Yue''s guest so he doesn''t think much.


    Cang Yue followed him with her eyes until he left, one could see the respect she had towards this elderly person.


    It was only when the elderly man was very far away did she turn her gaze back to Issei and Xia Qingyue. She explained. "He is the Master Gu that I mentioned before, in this couple of years, my father''s illness was being treated by him. It was only because of Master Gu that my father had been able to struggle with death until now."


    She already briefly informed Issei about Master Gu during their journey.


    "...I will give you some advice. Be wary of him... You can ignore my words if you want." Issei said calmly.


    Cang Yue frowned a little hearing his words feeling a little offended since she is very grateful towards Master Gu.


    "...Master Gu Qiuhong is already one hundred and sixty years old this year. Possessing the title , his medical expertise is the absolute best in the .


    He is publicly recognized as the number one genius doctor. Moreover, not only is Master Gu''s medical expertise very high, but he also knows the art of opening profound entrances. He is able to help profound practitioners posteriorly open the three profound entrances of the Sunflower Dew, Vacant Seed, and Heart Gate.


    Having Master Gu open one''s profound entrances is practically the dream of every single profound practitioner in the . Even the four major sects have always treated Master Gu as a prestigious guest because of that. Every year, they would respectfully request Master Gu to open profound entrances for the core disciples of their sect. Therefore, Master Gu is extremely renowned in the . The number of people who request him, owe their lives to him and owe him favors, is uncountable.


    Thus, there was never anyone who would dare to offend Master Gu. Otherwise, there would be an uncountable amount of people who would take the initiative to stick up for Master Gu. That''s including the other major sects." Cang Yue started informing Issei of Master Gu''s achievements thinking that he might not have the knowledge of it.


    What she said is indeed true, Even the has also given this Master Gu a certain respect before but that''s only before Issei''s arrival. By now they could barely remember his name and if no one mentioned it, they will never recall it...


    Xia Qingyue almost chuckled at Cang Yue''s statement: ''Only 3 profound entrances? Our sect Elder can easily open all 54 profound entrances in a blink of an eye.'' She thought proudly inside her mind.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything else. If he believes him then good but if not then so be it.


    He doesn''t really blame her either since she knows this Master Gu longer than she knows him. So obviously she won''t easily trust his words just like that.


    "It would be wise of you to follow my sect Elder advice." Xia Qingyue advised Cang Yue since she has been very helpful towards her little brother.


    If it were anyone else, she won''t even bother... It will be their blessing if they take heed of Issei''s advice but if not then it''s their loss.


    She knows that Issei is not the type to just spout nonsense and act out of envy or anything like that... Just the fact that he casually gives away so many invaluable treasures to the sect is more than enough as proof that he''s not a person who value materialistic thing.


    Even Grand Mistress Feng Qianhui offered the position of the sect master to him but he refuses it instantly...


    "...Then Cang Yue will take Elder Ise''s advice into consideration." Cang Yue finally decided to just say "accept" Issei''s advice.


    Upon entering the chambers, the emperor''s middle-aged eunuch immediately went ahead to report.


    "Since three years ago when Father suddenly fell ill, he began to spend a large portion of his time within his chambers and seldom went out. Because Father''s health was simply too poor, he was unable to bear the slightest bit of wind chill. Even if he were to catch some minor illness, it would still be possible for it to be a danger to his life." Cang Yue said sadly.


    "With the condition that Father was in, he was no longer capable of managing the affairs of the nation, but my eldest imperial brother and third imperial brother began to act imprudently and had to lead wolves into the household. Afterward, not only were they disrespectful to Father but they also occasionally tried to coerce Father, which made it impossible for Father to pass on the throne to either of them, he had no other choice but to use his life to stall day by day¡­"


    "I see." Issei simply answered.


    He thought that he will surely make sure that his children won''t go down this treacherous path... He will educate them carefully and treat each other with love.


    There''s nothing more hurtful to him if his children were to feel hatred against their own family...


    "Your highness, as well as these 2 esteemed guests, the emperor is waiting for you inside. Please enter." The middle-aged eunuch standing at the door bent at the waist and respectfully saluted.


    After entering the emperor''s chambers, Issei saw an elderly person leaning on an imperial bed at first glance. Cang Yue was 18 years old, the crown prince would be 32 in eight days.


    Logically, the emperor should be around fifty or sixty years old. Having lived in the lap of luxury with countless elixirs and legendary fruits, the emperor shouldn''t look old at that age, but the person on the bed looked withered with a wax yellowed complexion, grizzled white hair, and lifeless expression. He looked like an 80-year-old elder past his prime.


    Issei has met with a lot of Kings from different worlds and most of them look quite young. And only very few of them look old.


    Even King Louin who''s a normal human, Riche and Croix''s father looks quite young for someone of his age.


    But something else made Issei felt a bit of anger since the "illness" of this King in front of him reminded him of a certain disgusting memory from the past...


    Xia Qingyue who''s standing silently by his side sensed Issei''s sudden emotional fluctuation and she becomes a little astonished since this is the first time she has ever seen Issei lost his calm albeit only for a brief moment...


    She wondered if there''s something wrong with this Emperor...


    "Father!" Seeing how bad Cang Wanhe looked, Cang Yue''s heart ached. She hurriedly rushed toward the bed and asked worriedly "Just a moment ago, in front of the chamber''s doors, we bumped into Master Gu. He said you caught another cold last night¡­ How do you feel now? Is it a little better?"


    "Heh heh," Cang Wanhe looked towards her daughter affectionately. Nowadays, he could only feel the warmth of being a parent from this daughter, "It isn''t an issue anymore. We were afraid that you would be overly worried again, so We didn''t tell you. Yue''er, the 2 people you brought with you, shouldn''t you introduce them?"


    "Um, they both are Elder Ise and Fairy Xia Qingyue respectively. And both of them are from the . I asked Elder Ise for his help to see if he could identify your sickness." Cang Yue introduced Issei and Xia Qingyue''s identity towards her father.


    "Oh? Esteemed guests from the ?" Cang Wanhe revealed an astounded look and then started laughing bitterly: "We''re sorry that we can''t properly receive esteemed guests to our humble palace... But as you can see..."


    "No need for that kind of stuff... I''m not fond of flashy things like that so just simple greeting is more than enough." Issei said.


    "Then we''re grateful for your words, Elder Ise." Cang Wanhe laughed softly at Issei''s words.


    "Ah, Elder Ise. Can you please identify my father''s sickness?" Cang Yue said with a hopeful voice.


    "...I can." Issei said after a brief silence.


    "Ah? R-Really?!" Cang Yue face beamed with joy while Cang Wanhe only has his eyes widen but soon he regained his calm.


    Even Gu Qiuhong couldn''t do anything, so it was impossible for anyone else in the to be able to treat him... So he doesn''t want to get too hopeful and see what Issei has to say first.


    "Your father is not sick at all... He''s not inflicted by some disease or anything like that... Rather, he''s quite healthy if it wasn''t for the parasite inside his body." Issei said calmly.


    "Ah? Parasite?" Cang Yue asked in confusion and Cang Wanhe eyebrows also furrowed in confusion.


    Issei doesn''t say anything else before he walked to Cang Wanhe''s location.


    "I sensed another life within your body... This kind of thing is usually only possible with women since that means they''re harboring another life within their body, in other words, when they''re pregnant... But since you''re obviously a man, that kind of thing is impossible to happen. And the life signal is located near your heart instead of your stomach." Out of nowhere, Issei stabbed his finger into the location where Cang Wanhe''s heart is located.


    "Father!!!" Cang Yue screamed in terror thinking that Issei just stabbed her father while Cang Wanhe himself becomes frozen stiff because he never thought that Issei would suddenly do this.


    There''s someone hiding in the shadow at the corner of the room and he hastily went forward wanting to stop Issei action but it is too late... Issei''s finger already dug deep into Cang Wanhe''s chest and with the wave of his other hand, this shadowy figure becomes rooted on the spot unable to move a single finger along with Cang Yue herself who wanted to throw herself at Issei direction to stop him.


    He becomes completely astonished because of this... Issei wasn''t even looking at his direction and with just a wave of his hand, he''s able to lock him in place... Just what kind of strength is this?!


    Xia Qingyue who''s observing all of this still remained calm since she believes that Issei won''t do things without any meanings behind it... And she was right.


    Although Issei stabbed his finger into Cang Wanhe''s chest. It doesn''t bleed at all and if one looks closely, it''s as if his finger just phase through his chest without making a single scratch wound.


    After a few seconds, Issei pulled out his finger from Cang Wanhe''s chest and even then, there''s still no wound that can be found on top of his chest. Even his clothes are still intact much to their amazement...


    But there''s something wriggling around on Issei''s fingertip... A slender, completely golden parasitic worm about half an inch long, stretched out half of its body and violently wriggled.


    "Ah!!!"


    Lan Xueruo was so frightened that she cried out in fear. Her rosy face lost all its color. Even the emperor, Cang Wanhe, was struck dumb as his entire body stiffened¡­ Xia Qingyue is also felt disgusted by the sight of this parasitic worm.


    "Our¡­ Our body actually had something like that inside of it!" Cang Wanhe seemed as if he had already calmed down, but his stiff body showed that he was still in the frightened state he was in before.


    "...Um, this parasite is similar to the one I''ve found in the past... There was once a young girl who''s in similar condition as you. At first, I thought she was pregnant but then I realize that is not the reason since the life signal is coming from her heart location and it is far too sinister and dark..." Issei frowned in disgust under his mask after he inspected the worm.


    The young girl he''s talking about is a girl named Sakura Matou... She was from Ilya Von Einzbern world and Issei met her when he''s looking for the ...


    After he helped the poor girl get rid of that disgusting parasitic worm inside her body, he immediately burns down the whole Matou household to the ground... Leaving no traces at all... Even Jalter and Jeanne who''s with him at the time felt extremely disgusted by this and completely approved of Issei''s action... If it wasn''t for Issei making the first move, then Jalter would''ve been the one that burns their household to the ground...


    "This type of parasite is quite special in its own way... This parasite will share its lifeforce with its host and if the host were to die then it will die. Conversely, if it were to die, the host would also die." He finished his explanation.


    Cang Wanhe gasped in a large breath of air. The parasite within his body and Issei''s words, undoubtedly threw his mind into complete disarray, so much that it also seized him with terror. He spoke in a deep voice: "Who could it be¡­ Who infected us with such a malicious parasite! We will definitely find him¡­ and dismembering his body into ten thousand pieces!!!"


    "I can help you with that... I will send this worm back to the one who planted it inside your body and all you need to do is have your bodyguard there follow it to its true owner." Issei inserted a little bit of his aura into the worm and it stopped wriggling and becomes calm right away.


    He basically just controlled the worm''s soul and make it his slave.


    "Now go back to the one who put you inside Cang Wanhe''s body." Issei let go of the worm and the worm started flying in the air.


    Issei infused some profound energy into the worm so it could fly to its true "owner".


    Cang Wanhe nodded at his shadow bodyguard and he immediately followed the worm back to its source... The shadow bodyguard is exactly the person who is half-step into the so it should be easy for him to follow the worm.


    The culprit shouldn''t be that far from the city and Issei can already guess who it is...


    "E-Elder Ise, didn''t you said that if the worm died then my father would''ve died too?" Cang Yue voiced out her concern fearing that if the worm were to die then her father would be dead too...


    Even Cang Wanhe started to become worried after hearing his daughter''s words...


    "No need to be afraid. I already took proper precautions for that... If the worm were to die right now then it will only die on its own and it will not affect your father in the slightest." Issei reassured her concern.


    What a joke, Issei is someone who has mastered the and aura. If he can''t even take care of some measly worm then he might as well bash himself to death with a tofu...


    Only after hearing his reassurance that both Cang Wanhe and Cang Yue sighed in relief.


    Cang Wanhe already feels very healthy and he becomes further reassured that the worm which lodged inside his body is the cause of his sickness and not something else...


    Xia Qingyue stepped forward and took out a handkerchief from her pocket and grasped gently onto Issei''s hand that grabbed the worm just now.


    "Pardon me, Elder Ise." She started to wipe Issei''s hand carefully with the handkerchief because she believes that her elder shouldn''t be contaminated with that kind of filth.


    Her cheeks are slightly blushing since this is the first time for her to be the one who took the initiative to touch his hand directly...


    Usually, it''s the other way around, but that''s when Issei is training her in the way of the sword...


    "Hm? You don''t need to do this, Qingyue." Issei raised his eyebrow at her.


    "Qingyue insist." She said calmly.


    "..." Issei can''t say anything else and can only let her do as she wishes...


    Cang Yue and Cang Wanhe felt a little awkward seeing their intimate action.


    Cang Yue pouted a little since she''s feeling a little envious of Qingyue. Cang Wanhe who saw his daughter pouting face becomes enlightened... It seems that his daughter has finally someone she took fancy of...


    Although he never saw his face but just from the way Issei carries his bearings alone is enough to tell him that Issei is clearly someone extraordinary... And that''s not taking his strength into account.


    He already knew about sect members often wear a veil whenever they go outside of their sect. And they are also well-known for their beauty and even though he doesn''t know why a man can be their sect elder... Issei must have a handsome and graceful feature as well since he''s also covering his face.


    This is perfect... Since his daughter took fancy of Issei then it would make things a lot easier. He won''t feel guilty about it either since he''s quite sure that her daughter won''t against it that much...


    Truly an old fox... He already started formulating a plan to gain a connection with the the moment he''s rid of his illness... He''s still weak but it''s only a matter of time before he fully recovered.


    After waiting for a few more minutes, the shadow guard brought back the main culprit of the parasitic worm... It''s none other than the Gu Qiuhong himself...


    "M-Master Gu?!" Cang Yue and Cang Wanhe both become completely shocked.


    Issei and Xia Qingyue looks very calm as if they''re both have already expected this... Well, only Issei has already expected this while Xia Qingyue trusted Issei for his judgment so it''s of no surprise to her when the culprit is Master Gu himself...


    "Im-Impossible! It can''t be Master Gu who is the culprit!" Cang Yue''s face was overwhelmed with shock¡­ Since she was young, she deeply respected, revered and was grateful to this Medical Saint. She was momentarily unable to make the connection between him and an evil person who would infect someone with a parasite.


    "Princess Cang Yue, the worm clearly entered Master Gu''s body... I saw it with my own two eyes." The shadow guard said with certainty.


    "Ahhh!? What is this?! What''s happening?!" Master Gu who has been dragged here after the worm he planted on Cang Wanhe suddenly entering his body out of nowhere. He started screaming in terror on the spot alarming everyone near him...


    Even now he''s still trying to take out the worm out from his body ignoring his current location since he almost pissed himself in fear because of the worm entering his body.


    Issei only calmly gazes on Master Gu for a second before he looks at Cang Yue once again. Cang Yue who realized Issei''s gaze on her shivered slightly and she remembered that a few moments ago, Issei warned her to be wary of Master Gu...


    "If you think I''m mistaken then I can take the worm out from his body but know that I have already completed my job" Issei said calmly towards her.


    His underlying meaning is that he has already fulfilled the side of his deal with her in identifying and even cured her father''s "illness". He can take out the worm again from Master Gu''s body but whatever happens after that is none of his business.


    Cang Yue felt unsure of what to do now...


    "Don''t you think it''s weird that someone of his reputation can''t identify a simple parasite lodging inside someone''s body?" Xia Qingyue decided to warn her one last time and point out the peculiarity of Master Gu being unable to identify her father''s sickness after all this time... Didn''t she herself said that he''s the famous "Medical Saint" or whatnot?


    "Wh-What?! Did you say this man can take out the out of his Majesty body?!" Master Gu suddenly screamed in disbelief.


    "Oh? Look at that, he''s able to identify the parasite name right away. And I never said that worm was inside Emperor Cang Wanhe''s body." Xia Qingyue said in a mocking voice.


    "Wh-What do you mean?! Of course I can identify this parasitic worm since I''m quite knowledgeable about it! A-And I''m just guessing that this worm was inside his Majesty body since-" Master Gu noticed that he slipped up and hastily defend himself.


    "No need to say anything else, I couldn''t care less of your reasoning. Qingyue, let Princess Cang Yue and Emperor Cang Wanhe themselves decide whether he''s guilty or not. Our business with them is done." Issei stopped Gu Qiuhong from saying anything else.


    Xia Qingyue nodded obediently at his words and she went silent without saying another word after that...


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    "...But, why would Master Gu do this? Our imperial family has always been on good terms with him, even Father deeply respects him. So why would he do such a thing?" Cang Yue still had a hard time accepting it, and she tightly bit her lips together.


    "Perhaps he doesn''t have a direct reason, but he definitely has an indirect reason. For example, he could have made some sort of deal with those unfilial sons Cang Lin and Cang Shuo¡­ It also could possibly involve the or the . Moreover... Yue''er, you are too pure and kind in nature, you had always respected Gu Qiuhong, so much that you viewed him as a saint. But when We had associated with him in my early years, I had already discovered that his nature was not as virtuous and harmless as he seemed on the surface.


    On the contrary, there are times that he would secretly do despicable acts. But the excellence of his medical expertise was unquestionable, so We had always tried to be on good terms with him. But the people who want to be on good terms with him are too many... Compared with those enormous sects, our title of emperor, perhaps cannot be considered very much at all."


    Cang Wanhe shook his head, revealing a sorrowful expression on his face. Even though he was the Emperor, he was actually devastated to this extent in secret, bedridden for an entire three years while facing difficulties in his bedchamber, he was virtually not too far off from a dead person. And if he hadn''t "fallen ill", how would Cang Lin and Cang Shuo dare to act recklessly, the more so, would not have had the opportunity to lead the wolf into the house.


    "Elder Ise, thank you. If not for you, perhaps even until We died, We still would not have known why We died, at the end of my life, perhaps We would even be grateful to the one who harmed us in our ignorance." Cang Wanhe self mockingly laughed while Cang Yue covered her mouth in shock...


    He doesn''t think that Issei might want to harm him or even frame Master Gu because he doesn''t have a reason to do so... He himself is from the .


    Just like he said, his title as the Emperor is nothing much compared to those big sects... If Issei wanted to harm him then he can just let the worm be and he gained nothing anyway from framing Master Gu himself.


    Unless the wanted to make enemies out of every big sect out there then they surely wouldn''t harm Master Gu reputation for no reason...


    Unknown to him, even if every single sect in this continent declared war on the , the only outcome they will face is their impending doom... Without a single doubt...


    Issei won''t even need to do anything and he can just send Esdeath''s group to kill them all...


    "Y-Your Majest-" Gu Qiuhong tried to say something but the shadow guard stopped him from doing so since he also knows about the sinful deeds of this Gu Qiuhong: "Silence! His Majesty doesn''t ask for you to speak!"


    "No need to thank me, I''m only doing my part of the deal." Issei said calmly: "But seeing that you decided to listen to my words then here''s the last gift from my part..." He then walked towards the trembling Gu Qiuhong and put his hand on top of his head.


    Before long the face of Gu Qiuhong becomes blank but unlike the previous mercenary that turned into an idiot he can still properly speak.


    Issei then asked him about the whole incident and Gu Qiuhong admitted everything by himself... He even told him who''s the mastermind behind this sinister plan along with the evidence...


    ...


    Cang Wanhe immediately has Gu Qiuhong executed on the spot and sent his shadow guard to Gu Qiuhong''s home to find the evidence he admitted before...


    "Then I believe my business here is done, let''s go back, Qingyue." Then both of them walked towards the entrance of the palace wanting to head back to the sect...


    Cang Wanhe wanted to invite Issei to stay for a while but he refuses it...


    "Ah! W-Wait, Elder Ise!" Cang Yue wanted to apologize for doubting him but Issei mistook her meaning for calling out to him.


    "You can keep the part of your deal for now since our sect currently doesn''t need anything. Then until we meet again, Princess Cang Yue." And with that, Issei took off to the sky along with Xia Qingyue... He doesn''t really like staying in this kind of place that reeks of political struggle hence why he leave right away...


    Cang Yue keep dazedly gazes upon Issei''s figure even when his figure can''t be seen anymore...


    And later on, after regaining his health, the emperor issued the order to arrest the crown prince and the third prince, locking them within the maximum-security prison. Later, he personally enumerated dozens of crimes, which actually included the shocking crimes of "rebellion" and "patricide". Then, Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo were publicly beheaded, and all the other members of their camps were also arrested and eliminated without exception...


    Seeing such an attitude from Cang Wanhe, all the other princes, as well as the influential factions and officials that had originally preferred to side with the crown prince and third prince, felt themselves in danger as their hearts trembled in fear.


    Fortunately, after beheading the crown prince and third prince, as well as their group members, Cang Wanhe didn''t show any signs of taking action against them. It greatly relieved them to know that they were not in imminent danger, and they didn''t lose any time to express their loyalty towards Cang Wanhe by making use of all kinds of ways. They behaved so desperately, as though they wanted to dig open their chests and take out their hearts in order to present them to Cang Wanhe and have him see their devotion towards him filled in them so as to prove their loyalty.


    The power in Cang Wanhe''s grasp had reached the highest point since his reign as the emperor of the Blue Wind Empire... It was a height that he had never even dared to think about before. His position as the emperor had also extremely stabilized compared to the past. Now, even the Three Major Sects would no longer dare to look down on his dignity as the emperor...


    Cang Wanhe was very clear that it was only because of Issei''s help. He was extremely grateful to Issei... He often sent a large amount of Profound Coin to the whenever he has the chance to do so.


    He then advised his daughter that if she took fancy of Issei then she needs to work hard since she must have a lot of competitors back in his sect... At first, Cang Yue tries to deny her father''s words but soon she accepted that she has indeed started develops some feeling towards Issei...


    She vowed that she will properly apologize for doubting him when they do meet again... But first, she needed to increase her cultivation so she can have the qualification to chase after him and she was thinking that if she could join the later on and her father also supported her idea.


    If it was the old then her father might have not been this supportive but he can sense that the current is changing ever so slightly considering that they took in a man as their sect Elder...


    After all, from what he''s gathered so far in the past. That sect is well-known to make their sect members akin to a living emotionless doll and that''s not something he wanted to happen to his own daughter...


    Cang Yue still needs to find the representative for the upcoming so she needs to think about all of this for a later date...


    Issei and Xia Qingyue head back straight to the sect...


    ...


    It''s been 2 months after Issei and Xia Qingyue went back to the sect.


    The date is coming close but the girls who will participate in the tournament are more than ready... Their cultivation can be considered very high and if they were to enter the tournament right now then they will surely take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place respectively...


    Sadly, the tournament rules only allow 3 participants from each sect participating in the tournament or they would''ve been able to grab all 10 top ranks...


    The one who will participate in the tournament is Shui Wushuang, Xu Wuexin, and Xia Qingyue.


    Only those between 16 and 20 years old in age are allowed to participate in the tournament. Because of that, they can''t send Issei to participate... Not like he would be willing to participate in the first place because that would be like telling him to go compete with a kindergarten competition...


    Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin are the most talented disciples in the sect along with Xia Qingyue herself.


    Both Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin cultivation base has reached the 5th level. Their cultivation 2 months before this was at the 9th level.


    So it can be seen that their cultivation speed is extremely fast that even Jasmine and Xun''er admitted by themselves and that''s still not considering their combat prowess...


    Whilst Xia Qingyue, on the other hand, is even more monstrous... She is already at the peak of the .


    Her hard work and dedication play a big part in her achievement but the biggest role in her astounding speed is Issei himself since he taught her quite meticulously and also her special physique... Whether in the profound way or in the sword path and also art.


    He was thinking to teach her other skills that he possess but decided not to for now since it is best if she just focuses on one thing rather than multiple things altogether because it might hinder her path... He can just teach her later when her foundation is already solidified.


    It''s not like the other girls are not hard-working or dedicated but their physique is vastly different compared to Xia Qingyue. But they don''t feel dispirited even though Xia Qingyue who''s only at 17 years old this year already surpassed them.


    If anything, they just revered Issei even more because they thought that he is the only one capable of making Xia Qingyue reach this height.


    Even Xia Qingyue herself has the same thoughts as them...


    Gong Yuxian and Feng Qianhui are more daring than most of the girls but it''s only to the extent of clasping his hand(During training) or "Unintentionally" bumped their body against his(Again, only during training)...


    Both of them are what you call old virgin after all... Although Gong Yuxian had a short relationship back in the past, it''s only at the stage of holding hands with each other.


    Issei is feeling a little awkward seeing that the now young-looking Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian act like a teenage girl in front of him... They used to act very reservedly but now they''re acting like teenagers...


    Feng Qianhui often rever to herself with "This old woman" before and even though it''s still the same now, the way she called herself is more like she wanted Issei to say that she''s not an old woman or anything like that... She kind of said it in a coquettish tone...


    The other girls become speechless seeing their respected Sect Mistress and Grand Mistress acting like this... Not that they can really blame them since they''re obviously trying to attract their sect Elder attention...


    Issei also has a new "pet" other than the , it is another rare wyvern species called . It has black scales, black fur, and nightmarish red eyes, giving it the look and style of a predatory black panther. It''s dark, feral appearance suggests that it may mainly be a nocturnal predator.


    When it''s in Rage Mode, its eyes glow bright red and leave a trail of reddish lines whenever the moves. Also, its tail erects large spikes that can be flung and linked up with its attacks for devastating hits. Their vertebrae and tail muscles are extremely flexible, making the tail of is also prehensile. Its tail is also its most powerful weapon.


    Its arms are also connected to their wings which had a large razor-sharp blade shape.


    Issei found it injured on one of his trips to sightseeing the area in search of a place with highly concentrated natural energy.


    The wyvern was badly injured after being attacked by a large group of profound practitioners but it still managed to fend off its attackers and escape from their encirclement.


    If Issei didn''t help it then it would''ve been dead... After being healed by Issei, the keeps following and stick to him along with the itself.


    Both of them are known as Issei''s personal profound beasts after that...


    cultivation base is the same as the , the peak of .


    Both of them are unique profound beasts with high intelligence. And it''s never been heard of that anyone else is capable of making them their personal profound beasts other than Issei...


    Not surprising since most Dragonkin have high pride and they won''t submit just to anyone. They would rather die first rather than serving anyone unwillingly...


    Issei is standing in his usual spot.


    Xia Qingyue is standing not far behind him and the way she looks at Issei is filled with awe and adoration... If 2 months ago she thought it won''t be so bad becoming his wife then now she''s dead set on making Issei her beloved husband...


    She decided when her dream is fulfilled then she will confess her feelings towards him. She doesn''t care if he has multiple wives since as long as she could stand beside him then that''s more than enough...


    Just when she''s about to call out to him, Issei''s body suddenly jerked and his gaze turned sharp.


    "...Qingyue, I will go towards Senior sister Chu Yuechan''s place. She used her protective charm." And with that, Issei created a spatial opening towards Chu Yuechan''s location. The and wanted to come but Issei already left them behind much to their dismay.


    They can only wait for their King to return...


    Xia Qingyue''s eyes went wide since that means that Chu Yuechan is currently in danger hence she used the charm Issei gave them all.


    She hurriedly went back inside the sect to report what Issei said. The whole sect went wild with rage wanting to know just who dares to attack their sister...

 Chapter 102 - 101

    -Chu Yuechan''s location-


    She seems to be sustaining some injuries but not life-threatening. There''s 2 bloodied flood dragon by her side and it seems that they''re not the one who injured her.


    Compared to the injury Chu Yuechan''s sustained, they''re having it worst with how bloody they look... But it''s not that fatal since profound beasts are known to have better defenses and life force than human practitioners.


    They are silver colored flood dragon. With one in front and the other in the back, they circled around Chu Yuechan at the center.


    Both gigantic silver dragons that rose in the air were over a hundred meters long. Their cultivation base is at the 10th level of but they''re still not at the peak just yet.


    If they''re given more time then they could reach the peak but they''re currently just at the lower stage of the 10th level at the moment.


    They appear to be protecting Chu Yuechan.


    The one who attacked her appears to be the group of cultivators that are currently encircling them.


    There are 10 profound practitioners in total and the strongest of them all is at the 4th level. The second and third strongest is at the 3rd level and 2nd level respectively.


    As for the rest, they are mostly Half-step into the or at the 1st stage throne.


    Although Chu Yuechan has already broken through to the 3rd level herself. Being attacked by multiple of them at the same time is not something she could withstand...


    If it''s just 2v1 or 3v1 she could still manage but there''s 10 of them attacking her at the same time. Even fighting against the 4th level throne is doable and she could even win since she has been trained by Issei.


    The 10 of them are currently trying their best to break the crimson barrier that''s currently protecting Chu Yuechan and the 2 flood dragons but they can''t even put a scratch into this barrier... Issei''s protective charm is not something these weaklings could put a scratch into much less breaking them...


    Only those at the


    could break his current barrier but that''s something impossible to happen since they''re currently in the lower realm and there is not a single Divine Realm cultivator in this lower plane.


    "Damn! Just what is this fucking barrier!? Why can''t we break it!" The one at the 4th level throne cursed out loud feeling impatient since they can''t get their hands on Chu Yuechan.


    They thought they''re quite lucky after finding out that the famous Chu Yuechan from the is traveling alone. After a bit of chase, they managed to cornered here into this ...


    The is a land that was left to grow wild. From afar, the entire wasteland was overrun with dry withered grass, rocks lined the rugged terrain. Spanning nine hundred and fifty kilometers long and eight hundred kilometers wide, countless profound beasts roam the wasteland, and these profound beasts were mostly wild and ferocious. It is one of the three most dangerous areas within the . The number of profound beasts that reside within it is at least a hundred times more than the . It is heaven for profound beasts and hell for practitioners.


    Along with its reputation, its dense population of profound beasts attracts large numbers of practitioners and treasure hunters. However, every year, the deaths of practitioners within the area number more than a hundred thousand. Hence, from this, the place was named .


    But when they thought they will have it easy since they have the bigger number, these 2 flood Dragon suddenly came out from the nearby lake and for some unknown reason started defending Chu Yuechan herself... Even Chu Yuechan is confused at first but she soon accepted it feeling confused yet grateful at them both.


    Her pursuers at first become taken by surprise seeing that Chu Yuechan is already at the 3rd level throne but thankfully they already took proper precaution so they''re not too worried. But this blasted 2 flood Dragon just had to get in their way!


    "Elder brother! We don''t have much time left! I think the charm she just used also has some sort of signal usability that she sent back to her sect!" The 2nd strongest shouted at the 1st one. He can sense there''s some sort of concentrated profound energy that launches itself to the sky the moment Chu Yuechan used her charm.


    "I know that! But the arrow has been shot and we can''t recall it back! If we leave just now then our Xiao sect will surely meet its end!" The 1st one responded angrily and he also increased the intensity of his attacks to the barrier but to no avail...


    Indeed, these group of people is from the Xiao Sect...


    They are feeling like they''re sleeping on pins and needles ever since that day their sect member offended the and that unknown woman...


    They''re feeling insecure if the would suddenly change their mind and decided to launch an attack on their Xiao sect?... They didn''t know just who is that mysterious woman in the realm is but she must be related to the in some way...


    But most importantly, the Sect Master, Grand Elder, and Grand Sect Master of the Xiao sect can''t accept that one of their direct descendants is killed just like that... They need to find justice for the fallen Xiao Kuangyun!


    The Sect Master, Grand Elder, and Grand Sect Master are blood-related. Sect Master Xiao Juetian is the son of the Grand Sect Master Xiao Wuqing and Grand Elder Xiao Wuying is Wuqing''s little brother.


    Xiao Kuangyun being the Sect Master Xiao Juetian son, that means that Xiao Kuangyun is also the Grand Elder and Grand Sect Master grandson and grand-nephew respectively...


    The 3 of them are extremely doting of their direct descendant and Xiao Kuangyun being the youngest of all 4 siblings, made him more doted than the others especially when he''s the son from his legal wife... But the most important reason is because they are just too arrogant to just accept defeat just like that...


    So they need to strike first or it will be all too late when the time has come... Their plan was to kidnap one from the and used her as a bargaining chip.


    They could blackmail their sect with any of the sect members since it is well known that the has a strong camaraderie with each other. But to play it safe they decided to aim one of the higher-ups from their sect such as Chu Yuechan here...


    After confirming that she''s really alone for a couple of days of discreetly following her behind the dark... They finally decided to ambush her only to ultimately fail since they never thought that she''s already at the 3rd level throne which in turn made them become more determined than ever...


    If Chu Yuechan alone has already broken through to 3rd level throne then what about the others from her sect? Just the thought alone is enough to make them shiver in fear...


    Although the Grand Sect Mistress Feng Qianhui has a higher cultivation base than them all. They have the advantage in number and even the 7 fairies themselves are mostly only at the . But now suddenly one of that 7 fairies have already reached the 3rd stage of the ... How can they not be afraid?!


    If they were to know that all of the 7 fairies have already stepped into the throne realm and Feng Qianhui herself already at the peak of the 1st stage of the then perhaps they wouldn''t have taken this drastic measure of a plan...


    Not only was her combat prowess extremely powerful, but she''s also powerful enough which made them having a hard time even though it''s a 10 versus 1...


    Thankfully they have the advantage in number so they can tire her out after some time and just when they''re about to win that''s when the flood Dragons showed up...


    But this is also just a short delay in their plan and they''re finally able to wear them out and even almost managed to kill the 2 flood dragons if it wasn''t for Chu Yuechan suddenly used her damned protective charm in the last moment!


    Chu Yuechan coldly gazes at them all with bone-chilling hatred. They who realize her gazes know that if they fail to kidnap her today then the only outcome for their Xiao sect is annihilation...


    Her veil is already gone and her beautiful flawless face is exposed to the world but she looks very pale and there''s a faint trace of blood on her lips which made her look like a tragic beauty... But her eyes are still sharp filled with determination.


    Although she''s the one who''s cornered, from start to finish she never feels afraid since she believes that her sect Elder charm would be able to protect her.


    She could just use this protective charm from the start when she''s being ambushed but she chooses not to since she wanted to further train herself in a real life and death combat...


    Training with Issei benefits her quite a lot but she needed real combat experience to increase her strength even further...


    She''s not foreign to kill or be killed rule in this world but she needed to hone herself even further to become stronger than ever and that way she won''t have to depend on her sect Elder all the time...


    Being protected by someone she adores feels really nice but what she wanted is the qualification to stand by his side. Not being a damsel in distress all the time...


    She realizes her feelings now that she has experienced a near-death experience so that''s why she hastily used the protective charm Issei gave her... Who knows if they still have something up their sleeves that would knock her out cold on the spot...


    She would rather die than submit to these disgusting men... Especially when she heard that they wanted to use her as a bargaining chip for her sect.


    What if they asked for her sect Elder life as the result of her defeat here? No! That won''t do! She can''t bring harm to him!


    Knowing his personality then he might just really lay his life down for her... And that''s not something she wanted to happen...


    She was standing tall and upright while she''s looking at them... But if one looks carefully, she''s barely able to stand and the only reason she''s still standing right now is only due to her sheer will.


    She won''t show any weakness in front of her enemies.


    But suddenly she felt someone is supporting her from behind and a very firm but warm hand circling around her shoulders. At first, her body froze up but after hearing this person''s voice, she relaxed her tense body and let herself fall to the warm embrace she always dreamt of...


    "...Why didn''t you use the charm earlier?" A stern yet soothing voice resounded from behind her to which made her cold gaze softened almost immediately.


    ''Ah... So warm...'' She thought inside her mind and she has never been felt so safe and content before this...


    This person who just arrived by her side is of course Issei himself... Issei notices that she could barely stand when he arrived so he lent her his shoulder to lean on. So he scolded her lightly for being too reckless... His protective charm shouldn''t be that hard to activate and even 1 second is more than enough to activate it... After all, they just need to channel their profound energy into the charm and it will activate on their own.


    The 2 flood dragon who saw Issei appeared hastily bowed in reverence despite their injury.


    "...I''m sorry." She said very softly... That''s all she could say in response to his question. Even though she''s being lectured, she felt nothing but sweetness from the bottom of her heart.


    "*Sigh*... Just rest for now, senior sister Chu Yuechan. Let me handle the rest." Issei can only sigh at her since he could tell that she basically wanted to test her limit.


    "...En." She nodded obediently like a little wife which made the people from Xiao Sect eyes widen to the maximum... This is the first time they''ve seen the ice-cold Chu Yuechan, Fairy of the Frozen Beauty acting so meek in front of another man, she even let that very same man held her body so intimately...


    They are also stupefied seeing Issei suddenly appearing out of nowhere and started having a cold sweat since they never realize just when did he arrive here.


    But from the information they got from Xiao Moshan and from the unique clothes he''s wearing, this person must be the new elder of the ... This isn''t good... Issei is clearly at the peak of the ... They can''t fight him no matter what.


    They started formulating a plan, but first, they needed to buy some time... But before they could utter another word they saw a golden ripple appearing from behind Issei.


    From that golden ripple, there are thousands of all kinds of menacing weapons ranging from swords, rapiers, spears, axes, halberds, lances, etc.


    They all shuddered fiercely because they can tell that those weapons are very dangerous and powerful. If any of those weapons were to hit them now then the only outcome will be their death.


    Even just one of them is enough to kill them all a hundred times over, needless to say if it''s in the thousands!


    "W-Wait!!!" Xiao Wuqing shouted horrifiedly but Issei doesn''t want to listen to what they have to say and waved his free hand as a signal for his weapon to kill them all...


    *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*


    In but one instant without being able to let out a single scream, all of them who were from the Xiao Sect died a gruesome death... Not even a single speck of their bones or even a drop of blood are left behind... Even the ground beneath them turned into a giant crater.


    Jasmine and Xun''er who saw those weapons are horrified. If they''re the one who''s on the receiving end, then their fate will be the same as those from the Xiao Sect... Total annihilation...


    Even if they were at their peak power before being poisoned they still don''t have any assurance whatsoever if they could take this attack of his head on or not...


    These past 2 months, Jasmine and Xun''er''s relation with Issei has become closer. At least Jasmine knew not to underestimate Issei anymore since common sense doesn''t apply to him while Xun''er admired him a lot... Jasmine also admired him but she doesn''t want to admit it... She''s still holding a grudge with all the flicks she received...


    Although, slowly but surely she started took a liking with his gentle and soothing presence which reminded her of her own late elder brother...


    One time she cried in her sleep while dreaming about her elder brother and Issei who happened to witness this calmly stroke her head gently and that manages to make Jasmine felt a little better in her sleep at the time... She was awoken when Issei touched her head and although she was surprised at first she finally dozed off to sleep once again because of how warm and comfortable his hand is...


    Xun''er who''s observing their interaction at the time almost burst into tear herself but she''s becoming even more grateful at Issei because of it... She was cultivating not far away and when she heard her daughter''s sobbing in her sleep again she hastily stops her cultivation and wanted to comfort her like she used to but Issei happened to be there already so she calmly observes silently from the side...


    In her whole life, the people she considered her true family member is her elder brother Xisu, her own mother, and her little sister who''s still in the ... But now it seems there will be a new person she can consider her family soon enough... Xun''er thought inside her mind.


    Issei cultivation maybe only at the peak of the but his combat capabilities are nowhere near that realm... They even suspected that his combat power must be at least on par with a


    cultivator from the .


    And that''s only their rough estimation, to say the least...


    "Those weapons..." Jasmine''s gazes turned sharp while inspecting the weapons Issei used just now... But before she could take a closer look, they all returned back to the .


    She clicked her tongue in pity because she can''t inspect it for a longer period of time...


    Chu Yuechan doesn''t seem to pay any attention to the annihilation of the Xiao Sect. She just closed her eyes with a thin content smile while still being inside Issei''s embrace...


    If possible she doesn''t want to be separated from this warm embrace of his forever...


    While she''s still feeling intoxicated while still inside Issei''s embrace, Issei set his eyes upon the 2 flood dragon.


    "Thank you for helping her. Here''s a gift from me." Issei gave both of them a specialized concentrated of his Draconic aura combined with the profound energy he created on his own.


    It''s not really hard or tiring for him to create this kind of thing. All he needs to do is just infuse some of his Draconic energy and mix it with the concentrated profound energy he created...


    While Issei''s blood essence guaranteed the receiver to become a true dragon... This orb only gives them a chance to become a true dragon... But even though it only gives a chance for the receiver, that said chance reaches up to 85%... So unless that said receiver has extremely bad luck or weak constitution then they shouldn''t fail... Even if they do fail for some reason, it will still help them to achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation progress...


    While both flood Dragons become stupefied after sensing this palm-sized orb. Jasmine couldn''t tell just what he just gave to these 2 flood dragon...


    Jasmine doesn''t feel anything special with the orbs other than it contained quite a strong concentrated profound energy inside it but the same couldn''t be said for Xun''er... Just seeing those 2 orbs in Issei''s hand made her breathing become rapid.


    Her heart thumping loudly wanting to snatch that 2 orbs for herself but thankfully she could prevent herself from doing so...


    Not surprising because even though Xun''er''s body has a thin Dragon bloodline, it''s still made her part Dragonkin. So the Dragon inside her really wanted to absorb that orb since it will be extremely beneficial for the Dragon bloodline inside her...


    The 2 flood dragon themselves still dumbly look at the orb in Issei''s hand... They never thought that they will be gain such reward from their king just because they decided to help this human woman who possesses a lingering scent of Issei''s aura...


    They were hiding at the bottom of the nearby lake sensing that there are a bunch of strong human practitioners... They weren''t planning to get involved but when they sensed their King aura on Chu Yuechan''s body, they immediately decided to help her.


    For all they know this human woman might be their king''s chosen mate, and if he were to lose her here, who knows if he will go berserk and blamed them for not protecting her or perhaps he will just decide to destroy the whole planet just to quench his rage!? That''s not something they want to happen so they use everything they have to protect this human woman...


    And seeing how intimate Issei and Chu Yuechan right now then their guess should be right all along! Thankfully they helped her and even get a stupendous reward from their King! With this orb, they will be able to transform into a true Dragon in the near future!


    Actually, the aura came from the charm Issei gave Chu Yuechan and the other girls from the sect but since Chu Yuechan kept it close with her at all times, his aura unintentionally coated her whole body as well. Hence they misunderstood that Chu Yuechan might be Issei''s chosen mate...


    The male flood dragon bowed deeply feeling very grateful for Issei''s reward for them and his wife followed suit...


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    "No need to thank me. This is what you both deserve." Issei told the 2 flood dragons that are currently thanking him profusely: "You can go back now."


    The 2 flood dragons bowed one last time before they went back to their lake but not before Chu Yuechan thanked them as well: "Thank you." She said softly.


    They smiled goofily thinking that maybe in the future they will receive another reward from their future Queen! Oh, the joy! It looks like their gamble has paid off! They win big this time!


    Oh right! They almost forgot to tell Issei about that place where the Primordial Azure Dragon trial ground location in case he''s interested... But it seems that they don''t have to since there''s a loud roar coming from that very same place... It''s not that far anyway...


    *ROAAARRRRR!!!*


    A loud Dragon roar could be heard nearby Issei and Chu Yuechan''s location.


    "What is that sound?" Chu Yuechan said in a curious voice since she can sense that this sound seems to be coming from a strong profound beast.


    She''s not afraid since Issei is well-known to be able to attract any profound beasts he has come across so far. She''s just feeling curious just what kind of profound beast able to emit such powerful roar...


    Jasmine and Xun''er are also feeling curious about this.


    "Oh?" Issei is a little surprised sensing this roar and aura since this is coming from a True Dragon and not a lesser Dragon like the one he met before in the past.


    "Xiaotao, is this sound might be coming from the Azure Dragon you told me about?" Issei asked Xiaotao who''s residing inside his .


    "...Yes, Master. Considering how strong this aura is then it should be coming from the Primordial Azure Dragon God I''ve told you about before." Xiaotao went silent for a brief moment before she gave her answer.


    She has met the Azure Dragon before, well the original Phoenix did. Xiaotao informed Issei of the other divine beasts that might leave behind their legacy behind.


    There are the , , , and the as far as her memory serves... But she doesn''t know if they left behind their legacies here or not...


    "Hmm, interesting..." Issei mused to himself since that roar just now is basically calling for him just like Xiaotao screeching from before.


    "Senior sister Chu Yuechan, excuse me." Issei said towards Chu Yuechan who''s still inside his embrace and before she could process just what he meant by that, Issei lifted her body gently in a princess carry.


    She gasped in surprise but soon calmed herself down with her cheeks blushing ever so slightly... This is the first time for a man to carry her in this manner and she doesn''t hate it one bit... Well of course that man must be Issei, if it was another man then she would''ve killed that person directly for daring to touch her body...


    So far only Issei touches that doesn''t induce disgust from within her. Not surprising since he doesn''t have any hidden intention like other men she has met so far...


    She''s feeling embarrassed but more than that she''s feeling quite happy inside.


    Jasmine who saw their interaction pouted her cheeks: "Hmph... Pervert." She said with a voice laced with a little bit of jealousy... Xun''er chuckled gently at her daughter but to be honest, she''s also feeling slightly jealous of Chu Yuechan right now...


    "Hang on for a moment, Senior sister Chu Yuechan." Then Issei flew towards the source of the roar just now.


    ''You can take all the time you need...'' Is what Chu Yuechan wanted to say but she''s too shy to say it out loud...


    She snuggled her head deeper into his embrace greedily smelling his intoxicating scent and aura... She even suspected that her heart is currently beating very loudly that even Issei can hear it...


    "This woman is a pervert as well!" Jasmine who saw Chu Yuechan''s action shouted indignantly.


    But Issei is too focused on this Azure Dragon since who knows... He might be able to absorb his divine and spirit energy just like he did with Xiaotao... That way he will be one step closer to full recovery.


    He can tell that this Azure Dragon is not the real Azure Dragon since its aura presence is almost the same as Xiaotao''s back then... Meaning it''s most likely just another soul residue.


    His recovery timer reduced from 15 years(After helping Xun''er) to 13 and a half years when he finished absorbing Xiaotao''s previous divine and spiritual energy...


    Issei saw a giant cave entrance in front of him and went inside since the voice was coming from this cave.


    This cave was even darker than he had expected, but it wasn''t cold. Issei walked all the way in, into the deepest parts of the cave.


    This place was very dark and very quiet. Not even the sound of the wind could be heard at all.


    Issei is still holding Chu Yuechan inside his embrace and his eyes glowed brightly looking at the end of the cave.


    At this moment, suddenly, an ancient voice filled with amazement slowly rang out in front of him: "What a fortuitous encounter..."


    "Who''s there! Show yourself!" Chu Yuechan shouted in a cold voice while still inside Issei''s embrace.


    "...To think that I, who''s a mere residual soul left behind by the that watches over this trial ground being able to meet a true-" The voice ignored Chu Yuechan shout and continues speaking...


    ...


    Once again, before Jasmine and Xun''er could hear what the Azure Dragon had to say, Issei disconnected his link with them...


    "..." Jasmine''s mouth started twitching a lot but this time she doesn''t lose her temper like back then when Issei met Xiaotao...


    "You know dear... If we share our identity with Issei then I''m sure he will be willing to share his own with us..." Xun''er said gently towards her pouting daughter.


    "No! I want to discover his secret first! I won''t tell him about our true identity unless he begs me for it!" She harrumphed and turned her head to the side.


    Xun''er can only sigh at her daughter for being so headstrong... She''s pretty sure that if they were to tell Issei their true identity then he won''t really care that much and would still treat them as he currently is...


    "...You don''t need to be afraid of him changing his attitude towards us, you know that right? I''m sure he will still treat you... Well, both of us like a normal girl just like he always does..." She comforted her daughter while hugging her from behind because as her mother she could tell that Jasmine is just feeling afraid that Issei would treat her and her mother like those hypocrites from the ...


    Perhaps he is really from the upper realm and that''s also the reason why he doesn''t have interest from the things in this inferior plane... What if it''s the items from the upper realm? Would he change his attitude then? What will he do after knowing that Jasmine and Xun''er true identity? Would he give them away wanting to receive some rewards or whatnot? There are too many risks involved...


    Xun''er and Jasmine really like how Issei treated them like a normal girl and Jasmine doesn''t want him to change his attitude the moment he found out about her true identity along with Xun''er...


    Little by little Jasmine started seeing Issei like her true elder brother... And she doesn''t want to lose this newfound warmth...


    She may be able to fool the others but she won''t be able to fool her own mother, obviously...


    Xun''er already knew of Issei''s personality to a certain extent... For a starter, he''s not lecherous like other typical men she has met before... Second, he''s not the type who would judge people just because of their background as can be seen from how he equally treated those from the Phoenix clan and the Emperor of the .


    There''s absolutely no difference from the way he treated an actual Emperor with a normal villagers... Third, he seems to be very fond of children and treated them very gently...


    There are a lot more reasons but the most important of them all is(At least in her opinion)... He is EXTREMELY handsome and charming!


    Even Xun''er who''s a married woman and already had a son and a daughter felt attracted to him, needless to say about her daughter who''s basically at the age of puberty already... On a side note, Jasmine is currently 16 years old.


    All those so-called handsome/graceful men that she has seen in her whole life couldn''t hold a candle compared to Issei. He surpasses them all by a landsli- nay, their difference is like Heaven and earth!


    If Issei and her daughter were to marry... Oh, how good would it be! And perhaps they could sha- No! She can''t let her imagination wander like that! Her daughter''s happiness is first and foremost. As her mother, she couldn''t ruin her daughter''s happiness...


    Alas... Even though she wanted it to happen, she''s pretty sure Jasmine wouldn''t think about that kind of thing before she had her revenge against those who harmed them... Especially her own father... No, that man is not worthy to be her father.


    Although Xun''er also wanted a revenge herself for her dead son, she doesn''t want her daughter''s whole life to be filled with hatred and vengeance... If possible she wanted her to live a happy life without worry but fate won''t allow it...


    Her other daughter is still up there, along with that bastard of a man... She and Jasmine can''t rest easy if they don''t save her from his clutch... But they needed to grow stronger than ever to be able to save her... Now that she has the Heretic God Legacy, sooner or later she will be able to go toe to toe with him...


    Even though that girl is not her actual daughter, she still thought of her as one...


    She was thinking to ask for Issei''s help but soon erased that thought since they already owe him quite a lot and to ask for his help would be overstepping their boundaries...


    Her intuition told her that Issei is a lot stronger than their imagination.


    "..." Jasmine went silent after hearing Xun''er words...


    ...


    "...To think that I, who''s a mere residual soul left behind by the that watches over this trial ground being able to meet a true Dragon like myself."


    The ancient voice rang with a booming excitement.


    Issei''s face is still calm while Chu Yuechan''s eyes went wide open. She immediately turned her head to look at Issei to see if what this voice said was true but seeing that his calm face it''s basically admitting that it is really true...


    No wonder... No wonder he''s very powerful and so many profound beasts especially the dragonkin keep bowing and act very submissive towards him... Turns out he''s not a normal human but a true Dragon instead...


    Her feeling started getting very complicated... But soon she erased those unnecessary thoughts since so what if he''s not a human and a Dragon instead... He''s still her sect elder that their whole sect respect and adores. There''s no changing that truth... But...


    Her grasp on Issei''s body tightening on its own as if she''s feeling afraid that he will leave them someday... No... She doesn''t want that to happen... They all do...


    A pair of mysterious eyes suddenly opened in the pitch-black space overhead. These two eyes were huge, yet long and narrow. They were about the same shape as a human''s eyes¡­ This scene resembled the phoenix eyes Issei had seen in the phoenix trial grounds. What was different was that the phoenix eyes were gold while these eyes were an azure blue color that was deeper than the skies.


    At the same time, as if the sky had capsized, an endless expanse of aura descended. This aura''s depth far surpassed the phoenix aura he had experienced that day but it is still nothing much in front of him but not for Chu Yuechan...


    Chu Yuechan suddenly felt as if he were as minuscule as a single grain of sand in front of this mountain but that feeling soon disappeared and replaced with a calming aura coming from Issei.


    "Primordial Azure Dragon''s residual soul... Trial grounds... Then this place is the same as the phoenix secret grounds, is a place that you had temporarily stopped at one time and is a place where you left behind a power to pass on to future generations?" Issei lifted his head to look at the pair of azure blue eyes as he asked calmly.


    "Correct. The Era of the Gods had long since ended, and True Gods had also completely vanished. But we were not willing to completely disappear from the world, and would attempt to use various sorts of methods to leave behind a vestige of our strength to pass onto those of the future generation we had an affinity with, who would then pass on what used to be our strength to their future generation for an eternity... Although you are not suitable for taking my trial since your bloodline rank far surpasses mine, the woman in your embrace is qualified. After waiting all these years, I have finally found a fated one. And within this millennia, she is the first."


    "Me? The first?" Chu Yuechan asked in surprise.


    "Right, the first after a thousand years." The Primordial Azure Dragon''s voice echoed: "Although you being able to reach here was not based on your own power, it was still destined by fate. You are qualified to undergo the trial I had left behind¡­ If you are able to pass through the trial I had left behind, I can grant you three drops of Azure Dragon blood and let you possess Dragon God''s bloodline. Are, you willing?"


    Actually, with Chu Yuechan cultivation base, she could reach this place on her own but like the Azure Dragon said, it''s still up to her destiny if she''s able to find this place or not... And only because of Issei that she could find this place...


    Chu Yuechan went silent and started contemplating before she looks at Issei for a second and only then she speaks once again: "...If I''m able to pass your trials and gained all of your legacies will I change from a human to that of a Dragon?"


    "...Generally speaking, you will still be a human but with a true Dragon bloodline inside of you. So you could be considered as half-Dragon if you''re indeed able to inherit my bloodline and legacies... And when you reached a certain height in your cultivation progress, only then you will be able to be considered as a True Dragon like me and him." The Azure Dragon thought for a moment before giving her an answer.


    This is not the first time for someone to ask him about this question after all.


    Immediately after Primordial Azure Dragon finished speaking, Chu Yuechan nodded right away without even hesitating in the slightest: "I accept your trial!"


    As long as she passed the Dragon God''s trial, she would be able to obtain the Primordial Azure Dragon God''s bloodline, and would also acquire the qualification to stand by his side... She needs to grow stronger so she''s able to stand by his side especially after knowing his true identity. Then for what reason she won''t agree to take his trial?


    Even if it wasn''t for Issei, she would still take this trial since that means she will be able to grow stronger. After all, a legacy from the Head of the various Divine Beasts in the Primordial Era, the must be very powerful so only a fool would decline it.


    "Haha, very good." The aged voice began to laugh: "However, before I finish my words, there''s no need for you to agree to quickly. The trial I left behind does not test the challenger''s strength but test their innate talent, willpower, and determination. The trial''s difficulty will vary based on the challenger''s strength. Once one enters the trial grounds, there will only be two outcomes... One is to pass the trial and obtain the Dragon God''s bloodline, the other outcome... Is Death! There are no failures, there is only passage or death!"


    "...Then among all of the challengers of your trial, how many of them are able to pass your trial?" Chu Yuechan gasped lightly.


    "In this continent, I believe you have never heard of the existence of anyone who possessed the Dragon God''s bloodline. Because, amongst the one hundred and twenty-nine challengers before you, none had passed. They all remained on the trial grounds and became dried skeletons. Moreover, amongst these one hundred and twenty-nine challengers, even the ones with the lowest strength were of the !" The Dragon said in a solemn voice.


    "Even so, do you still insist on entering the trial grounds?" Primordial Azure Dragon asked slowly.


    Chu Yuechan glanced at Issei and nodded strongly. Even after hearing Primordial Azure Dragon''s words, her voice was still incomparably resolute: "Yes!"


    "Good, good... Your answer is not reluctant and your courage is quite remarkable." The Azure Dragon said appreciatingly but then they both heard Issei''s cool voice.


    "...Why do you two having a conversation on your own? Did you think I''m non-existent? Senior sister Chu Yuechan, you are still injured so you are not in any condition to take this Azure Dragon trial so I won''t let you... And if you wanted to gain a Dragon bloodline that badly then I can give it to you and you won''t need to take on his measly trial." Issei said towards Chu Yuechan ignoring the wanting to cry but have no tears Azure Dragon in the background.


    "Oh, come on! It''s been more than a thousand years ever since I have a challenger! You can''t be so cruel like this to your own kind, alright?! I know your bloodline is far stronger than mine but must you take away my first ever challenger after a thousand years?!" The Azure Dragon said with a complaining voice... Gone all his dignity and he started begging and whining at Issei like some kid who can''t get what he wants...


    "Shut up. Why should I let my senior sister''s life be in danger just to take on your stupid trials? I can just give her my own "Legacy" if she wanted to." Issei said at the Azure Dragon.


    He thought that when he''s healed he can just give her some of his blood essences to make her possess a True Dragon bloodline.


    Chu Yuechan blushed and felt happy inside knowing that Issei cares for her this much.


    "But... But... I-I know! H-How about this! I can let her take the trial without any danger! If she''s about to lose then I will stop the trial right away! A-And I will even give her a complete inheritance if she were to pass my trial" The Azure Dragon started spouting some more enticement to make Chu Yuechan take on his trial.


    "No is a no." Issei said without any room for negotiation.


    "...Elder Ise... Let me take on the trial." Just when the Azure Dragon is at his wit''s end, Chu Yuechan finally decided to speak up.


    "...Why are being stubborn? I can give you a stronger bloodline than this measly Azure Dragon." Issei frowned a little at her.


    The Azure Dragon wanted to shout in denial but he knows that what Issei said is the truth... Issei''s bloodline is far stronger than his...


    Azure Dragon divinity is about equal to the Great Red and it proved that he''s quite a powerful being but if compared to the out of the norm Issei then he''s fall short...


    "...En, I know but, I don''t want to keep relying on you all the time... I owe you so much and you have already done a lot for me and our sect so let me take on his trial on my own, give me a chance to do something for you in return, okay?" She said ever so gently at Issei: ''And that way I can have the qualification to stand by your side...'' She added inside her mind.


    Chu Yuechan wanted to get stronger and she doesn''t want to keep relying on Issei for everything. She wanted to do something for him in return... She hates being the damsel in distress all the time...


    The Azure Dragon beamed from ear to ear hearing Chu Yuechan''s words feeling extremely happy but he doesn''t say anything else and waited for Issei permission less he might get angry at him...


    Seeing the determined look on her face, Issei finally reluctantly relented...


    "*Sigh*...Fine... But I won''t let you take this trial in your current condition." It''s not like he can force her what she wants to do since it is her freedom to do whatever she wanted to do...


    Issei started healing her of her injuries with his profound energy and even though the process is slower compared to when he''s using his own mana, it''s still just as useful...


    After all, her injury is just some minor injuries here and there and he can easily cure this kind of injury any day...


    "En... Thank you." She smiled gently at Issei.


    "Even if the trial it left behind is tough, it would not be difficult to the extent of driving one into despair, and it is even more unlikely to be fatal just like I promised you before, I will eject her out if anything dangerous were to befall her. But the Dragon God being the sovereign of all beasts, looks down upon the world with pride. The Dragon God''s bloodline, absolutely would never be granted to any ordinary person. Only a supreme being who possesses enough talent and willpower to become the ruler of heaven and earth can be qualified to bear the Dragon God''s bloodline!"


    "If you believe you have this kind of qualification and courage, then step into this trial ground gate! Make the last decision."


    As the Primordial Azure Dragon''s voice fell, a blue light suddenly flickered on the rock wall in front of them. After that, a blue-colored teleportation formation that was over two men in height emerged from it.


    The teleportation formation leading toward the trial grounds.


    "Hmph, don''t worry too much Senior sister. Even if you were to fail this trial, I''m still here with a better bloodline to give you." Issei snorted at the Azure Dragon who wanted to regain his dignity by speaking in a dire voice and all that nonsense.


    Sure enough, after hearing Issei''s voice the Azure Dragon face immediately turned black as charcoal because what Issei said is right... Even if she were to fail this trial of his, she will still be the winner in the end...


    Who makes her have such an anomaly like Issei to be her backer.


    "...Please pass this trial because I''m really desperate to find the true inheritor of my bloodline! I''m begging you! Don''t listen to that... that... Anyway, please pass my trial!" Once again, the Azure Dragon shouted indignantly wanting to cry but have no tears... He wanted to call Issei an anomaly but finally decided not to...


    He doesn''t really have much time left so he''s really desperate to find the true inheritor of the Primordial Azure Dragon bloodline...


    Xiaotao who''s inside the become speechless seeing the noble Primordial Azure Dragon God, the head of all Divine Beasts act this way...


    Not that she can blame him since his "opponent" is clearly an anomaly just like he said... Even 10 of him won''t be able to take on the current Issei...


    Chu Yuechan started having second thoughts seeing the Azure Dragon acting so desperate like this... But he does look kind of pitiful...


    "Azure Dragon, if she were to pass this trial, roughly how long would it take?" Issei suddenly asks him.


    "The time will depend on her¡­. Perhaps a few days, or perhaps a few months, or perhaps a few years... But taking her strength into consideration then it shouldn''t take that long... Especially when I can sense a trace of the profound art inside of her and something else... Even though she doesn''t have the Ice phoenix bloodline inside of her, she''s able to use its profound arts... It should be your doing right?" This was the Primordial Azure Dragon''s answer towards Issei''s question.


    The is the and the something else he talks about is the Issei taught her.


    Chu Yuechan who heard the Azure Dragon become confused... What is the ? But she decided to ask about it later since she needs to face the trial soon.


    Issei then put her down to the ground and she took a glance at Issei one last time: "...I''ll be going... Ise."


    And without looking back she instantly dashed towards the portal... If one looks closely, you can see that her ears are red probably out of embarrassment for calling Issei without any honorific like she usually does before...


    Even Issei was a little taken aback but soon he smiled thinly watching her body disappeared into the portal: "...Ah, good luck... Yuechan."


    "Hahaha! Finally... After a thousand years, I''ve finally found another challenger for my trial! Hahahaha! And she even has the blessing of the True Dragon King! Hahahahaha!" The Azure Dragon laughed happily.


    "Cut the laughter and you better don''t let anything happen to her or I will eat you." Issei scoffed at the laughing Azure Dragon and that instantly poured a bucket of cold water on top of the giddy Dragon head.


    "...Must you be so cruel... Dragon King..." He said with a grievance.


    He doesn''t fully tell Chu Yuechan about Issei''s identity since he thought Issei doesn''t want to let anyone know about it. Telling her about him being a True Dragon is already cutting it close...


    He was overly excited seeing there''s a stronger True Dragon God compared to the original Primordial Azure Dragon God and accidentally let it slip from his mouth... But seeing Issei doesn''t seem to be planning to blame him for it then it should be fine... He silently sighed in relief.


    "Hmph... So, what do you want?" Issei asked him since the reason why the Azure Dragon called Issei here is not only because he wanted a challenger for his trial, but it was for something else as well...


    "...On second thought, hold on for a while. I need to inform the sect less they get worried even further." Issei thought for a second before he said towards the Azure Dragon.


    He needed to let the sect knows that Chu Yuechan is fine first.


    The Azure Dragon didn''t know just what kind of luck this sect he''s staying at encountered to be able to gain the blessing of the True Dragon Godking like Issei... But they must''ve used up to the 9th generation of their ancestors'' luck in one go...


    ...


    Issei created a spatial opening back to the sect and when he got there he saw Chu Yueli and the other girls already armed to the teeth as if they wanted to march to a war...


    "Ah! Elder Ise!" The girls shouted in a pleasantly surprised voice.


    "Ise, where is my elder sister? Is she fine?" Chu Yueli immediately asked Issei anxiously about Chu Yuechan''s condition.


    "She is fine. I''ve already killed her assailants and she is in no danger at all... She''s currently taking a trial from the to gain its inheritance so it might take a while before she finishes her trial." Issei explained to them.


    The girls are at first feeling relieved and jubilant knowing that Chu Yuechan is fine but they then become flabbergasted hearing his words... trial?!


    "I will tell you more about it later but I need to go back to her place now to make sure nothing happens to her. You all can rest assured that I will surely protect her from any harm." Issei told them with complete reassurance.


    "En, we believe you, Ise... But just who dare attack my elder sister?" Chu Yueli nodded with a smile but soon her gazes turn cold wanting to know just who dare to attack her elder sister.


    The other girls also wanted to know the answer to that question.


    "No need to worry about them. I will handle it." Issei nodded one last time at them and told them to go back for now.


    When the girls nodded at his statement and returned to their respective previous activities, Issei is left alone: "Esdeath, Altair, Sirius."


    "At your service, master." The three of them appeared behind him.


    "Go bring Zin and Naru with you then destroy the ." He coldly said.


    Zin and Naru is the and the .


    "As you command." The 5 of them then immediately set off to the to execute his order.


    Just from one simple word from Issei the will cease to exist from today onwards...


    That''s how this world works... If you''re strong enough then you can do whatever you want and no one will be able to prevent you from doing so... The strong are always in the right and being weak is a sin...


    Issei doesn''t really care for anything else in this world but since the crosses the line then he will annihilate them all without hesitation... Just like he said before, he''s not a good person and will even kill billions of innocent people if it means making his loved ones happy.


    Although the disciples are not his wives, he still thought them as his friends. He also already promised them that he will surely protect them all from any harm... Issei is the man of his word and he will certainly fulfill his promise...


    Then he went back to the Azure Dragon location...


    ...


    -At the -


    There is a dust-laden and pale-faced elderly man whose whole being seemed to be exuding a despairing aura... He''s currently kneeling on the ground.


    Surrounding him are dozens of bloodied corpse and some of them look very similar to him in terms of appearance but they all are already dead... All of them had an unwilling expression on their faces...


    All around them is all in ruins... There was once a tall and awe-inspiring buildings in this place but they all are currently in ruins...


    These dead bodies belong to his family members or direct descendants... Whilst further ahead from his location surrounding him is a large group of shivering people whether it be man or woman...


    They all had an expression of total fear while watching 3 people in front of their sect master.


    These 3 people are all women with extremely beautiful just like a Goddesses. One of them has a mocking smile, one of them has a sneering expression, and the last one has an expressionless face. The one thing they had in common is the symbol on their hats. It seems to be the shape of a Crimson Dragon''s head.


    Behind them, there are 2 menacing bluish and blackish profound beasts from the Dragonkin species constantly growling instilling fear to all of them there.


    The bluish one has lightning surrounding its body while the black one has a dark miasma surrounding it.


    "...Why... WHY DID YOU DO THIS!?" Xiao Juetian shouted with tears streaming down his face: "Even though my youngest son offended you before but do you have to be so cruel!? You even already killed him!" He shouted at the expressionless woman but the latter doesn''t even spare a glance at him.


    Xiao Moshan has already described her appearance before so Xiao Juetian recognizes her.


    He felt a great injustice of what has befallen his sect and family members... To think that their sect which has been standing for more than a hundred years would meet its end in just a single day... And it''s all because of his so-called beloved son? If he knew this day would come then he wouldn''t have spoilt that unfilial son to this extent! But it is too late to regret...


    These women are of course Esdeath''s group.


    Esdeath who heard his words grinned coldly and then stepped on Xiao Juetian head forcing him to lay flat on the ground with his face meeting the ground directly which resulting in his face almost become disfigured... His nose is broken along with some of his teeth...


    "It is because of your own fault for being so weak! But the most important reason is since you have offended someone you shouldn''t have. Your stupidity has angered our beloved Master!" She grinds the heel of her shoe on top of his head breaking the skin on his head but Xiao Juetian can''t feel any more pain because of how distraught he is and all he wanted to know is just who is this Master of theirs.


    "Who... Just who is your Master?! When and where have we offended him?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.


    "Hmph! You are not qualified to know his name... Now die!" Esdeath smirked one last time before she put more force into her leg.


    "I AM UNWIL- *CRACK!*" Before Xiao Juetian could finish his word, his head exploded into pieces but there''s no blood coming out since his entire body has been frozen beforehand... Even in death, he won''t find peace...


    "You''re unwilling? So what? A weakling will still be a weakling even in death! You should be grateful that our Master is not the one who personally kills all of you or even your soul wouldn''t be spared." Esdeath sneered mockingly at his corpse.


    The onlookers'' who heard her words shuddered greatly... Their Master can destroy souls?!


    Then Altair gave the remaining disciples a cold glance.


    "You mongrels can keep your dog life since my Master is a benevolent personage... But you must abandon your Xiao surname and never use or mention that name ever again because, from today onwards, the is no more! And you better keep your mouth shut of what happened here or you better be prepared for the consequences!"


    They know Issei doesn''t like involving the innocents so they spare those that have nothing to do with Chu Yuechan incident... Those who are left alive are only the normal disciples of the and not their direct descendants so it should be safe to say they are innocent.


    All of them hastily nodded their heads as if their lives depending on it.


    "Now scram!" Altair scoffed.


    In a blink of an eye, they all rushed out of that hellish place and never look back feeling afraid that if they were to look back then they will meet their end...


    "...Shall we head back?" Sirius who has been silent until now finally spoke. Her voice is very soft and very pleasant to the ear.


    "Hmm, let''s take some souvenir for Master... Even though he doesn''t really need it, his concubines-to-be could make use of it, don''t you think?" Altair smirked.


    Even though their Master doesn''t seem to have plans on making the as his... But they can see the adoring and lovelorn look they have whenever they set their gazes upon their Master, so who knows... Maybe in the future, they all will really be his concubines. And hopefully the 3 of them as well... Altair''s cheeks went slightly red when she thought about it...


    "That''s a good idea. Even though this sect is weak they should accumulate some treasures in their treasury." Esdeath agreed to Altair''s words.


    When they get what they want, only then they returned to the .


    On that day the whole continent is in shock after finding out that the is no more... They found some of the surviving Xiao sect disciples but they adamantly refuse to tell the truth behind their sect annihilation...


    What a joke, even if they''re killed by them then at most they will just die... But what if that ice-cold woman told them is true? What if their Master really could destroy souls? They rather die normally rather than take chances with their lives...


    As for having revenge for their sect? Yeah right... Like anyone could stand a chance against those 3 women who''s at the peak of the ! They are willing to bet even the four sacred grounds won''t dare to mess around with them needless to say about the other smaller sects...


    When they inspected the ruined they can''t find anything at all other than ruins... Not even a single trace is left behind... Even the body of Xiao Juetian and the others are never found...


    Some nomad cultivators wanted to try their luck but not even a single profound coin could be found...


    The rest of the major big sects instantly relayed a message to their disciples to be extremely careful when they''re traveling outside and don''t attract any unwanted attention to themselves...


    The girls who heard of the annihilation had their gazes turned even more fervorous and more heated compared to before whenever they look at Issei nowadays... At this time they''ve already informed of his true identity being a True Dragon by Chu Yuechan but they only felt shocked for a moment before they accepted his identity with ease...


    So what if he''s a Dragon? That just means he''s becoming more and more attractive in their eyes since Dragons are well-known for their strength and nobility in this world...


    ...


    "Oh, welcome back." The Azure Dragon welcomed Issei the moment he reappeared inside the cave.


    "Wait, before we talk about anything else. Show me my senior sister''s condition now." Issei stopped the Azure Dragon.


    "Ugh, fine... You sure are quite caring towards that woman..." Then he showed Issei the image of Chu Yuechan.


    ...


    "Welcome to the Dragon God''s trial grounds, young human. In this trial, there will be a total of three stages. Where you are now, is where the first stage will be held. In front of you, is the only entrance to where the second stage will be held. Defeat all the Stone Dragon Warriors in this place, and the entrance will naturally open¡­ I wish you the best of luck."


    There are 3 trials in total: The first one is the trial. The participant has to go through ten waves and kill nine waves of Stone Dragon Warriors with each wave gets multiplied by two. The tenth wave is the Stone Dragon General.


    The second one is trial. The participant is transported to an endless plane with countless profound beasts roaming around.


    The last one is the . It is a test to see if the person receiving the bloodline and legacy are malicious or evil at heart.


    Since Chu Yuechan seems to be in Issei''s protection then she should have a kind heart because there''s no way someone like him would protect an evildoer... But he will still test her later on just to be sure...


    As the Primordial Azure Dragon''s voice disappeared, in front of Chu Yuechan, two balls of dirt-yellow light suddenly started to flash¡­ She hastily brought out her blade prepared to face any kind of foe that will stand in her way.


    The yellow light scattered, and two figures appeared before her eyes. Their bodies were no different from an average person, but they seemed to be carved from stone and looked unbelievably firm. Their heads looked half-human and half-dragon. They were holding onto a stone spear on one hand and a stone shield on the other, as their pairs of expressionless eyes firmly locked onto Chu Yuechan.


    Chu Yuechan waited for the two Stone Dragon Warriors to approach, and swept her blade calmly without any wasted movements...


    When the first Stone Dragon Warrior had only just raised its spear and took up an attacking posture, Chu Yuechan''s blade had already smashed onto the stone spear, instantly breaking it into pieces. Then, without any loss of momentum, her blade broke into its waist¡­ However, even at this point, there was no sign of the force behind the sword decreasing, as it continued to sweep across the air, smashing into the body of the second Stone Dragon Warrior.


    If one looks closely, they should be able to see there is some sort of blueish black energy covering her blade and it can cut through the hard body of the Stone Dragon Warriors like butter...


    The shattered bodies of the two Stone Dragon Warriors laid on the floor and then, disappeared completely in a flash of light.


    Chu Yuechan had only swung once¡­ and in only a single breath''s time, she destroyed two Stone Dragon Warriors and a stone spear.


    After instantly defeating two opponents, Chu Yuechan did not relax her guard even for a second. This was the Dragon God''s trial, so how could it be this easy? If the difficulty of the trial was only at this level, then it would not make sense for all of the previous hundred and twenty-nine people who took the trial to lose their lives.


    And just like she thought, soon there are 4 Stone Dragon Warriors that showed up and she keeps defeating them all one by one in this timely manner... She doesn''t waste any energy more than necessary just like Issei has taught her before...


    "Hmm... She should be able to clear this trial very easily... Especially with that unknown technique she''s using and the way she preserves her energy... What a good seedling..." The Azure Dragon complimented.


    "...Then, what do you want from me?" Issei said while still keeping an eye to the figure of Chu Yuechan that''s currently battling her enemies.


    "Well... Finding a successor for my bloodline is one of them but since it''s basically has been completed then we can forget about that problem... What I want to request of you is... I hope that you can find a sword..." The Azure Dragon muttered at Issei in a solemn tone.


    "Sword? What kind of sword?" Issei asked.


    The Primordial Azure Dragon didn''t directly answer this question. Instead, he said slowly, "Have you heard of the place known as the ?" He can tell that Issei is not from this world since if he is from this world then everyone would''ve known just who he is...


    "?... Is it also known as the ?" Issei thought for a moment before remembering what Xia Qingyue told him before.


    "Yes... It can also be called that. The is also known as the


    . In the Primordial Era, the Gods dwelled there. That is an incomparably enormous plane, ten thousand times greater than the Profound Sky Continent you currently reside in.


    Afterward, the Gods fell, but the


    didn''t grow empty because of this. It became filled with countless humans, who took over this world that was formerly of the Gods and who searched for and fought over all the things which the Gods left behind¡­ Relics, weapons, spiritual medicines, lineages, profound arts, and more. Afterward, by relying on the divine relics that they found, they erected increasingly large and powerful clans, forces, lands, and even miniature worlds."


    The Azure Dragon paused for a moment.


    "That place also has the lineage that I left behind. I learned these things only through the remnant spirits that remain in that place. The current


    is no longer a world of the True Gods... Rather, it has been chopped up into many spheres of power by the countless inheritors of the lineages of the Gods.


    It has become the plane with the highest levels of power in this era. In addition, the


    is incomparably large. Everyone continues to imagine that there must be more divine relics that have yet to be discovered, and so every day, many people will go to search for them¡­and in particular, they are searching for a sword. That sword has already disappeared countless years ago. Ever since the Gods were annihilated, not even a hint of it has appeared. However, its power and might made it so that people are unable to give up the search for it."


    "That sword''s name is the ."


    "I can sense that you possess 2 of the within your body..., the and the ... Not surprising since you''re the best master they could ask for...


    Naturally, you should understand to a certain extent what it means to be in possession of one of the . As for that , it is ranked as number one amongst the ! According to legend, its power is enough to annihilate everything. It entirely lives up to its title of being the number one supreme treasure. Even if it falls into the hands of a mortal, that mortal will still be able to easily slaughter True Gods and smite the Heavens!"


    "And I can tell that inside the there''s the aura of the twelve Star Gods..." The Primordial Azure Dragon''s gentle voice resounded.


    "She, as one of the twelve Star Gods, actually appeared in this world, and even harboring the inside her body. It seems something big must have happened in the ... But the other person... She has received a part of your legacy, hasn''t she? She''s extremely lucky being able to receive your legacy even if it''s just a small part of it... If she''s able to fully harness that bloodline inside of her then she will be my equal sooner or later... She will be unmatchable in this world when that time comes..."


    "This Star God once possessed the purest and kindest of souls, but nonetheless, the deep hatred and killing intent that was born and grew within this purity were also extremely pure. I can only hope that there will be someone who will save her from within this deep hatred and killing intent..."


    The Azure Dragon mused in an amazed and regretful tone... He can sense Jasmine and Xun''er spirit inside of the ... Especially Xun''er who possesses Issei''s Dragon bloodline while Jasmine is filled with hatred and killing intent...


    It''s not like Xun''er doesn''t have hatred and killing intent of her own but Jasmine''s feeling eclipses the former... Probably because she''s still young hence she can''t really keep her emotions in check...


    Issei''s face stays calm since he has already expected this beforehand...


    "...If that fortunate woman could gain your then she will be able to reach the peak in a single leap... Because her bloodline will be enhanced by your immediately!"


    "...? I''m not a virgin though?" Issei said confusedly. He knows about the that he''s talking about but he never bothered to check his own since he thought that he''s not a virgin so he shouldn''t possess it.


    But now that he mentioned it... Issei thought that he will check it later.


    "...Eh? But I sensed that you...!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The Azure Dragon was at first become confused as well but soon his eyes went wide open and the next moment his laughter boomed loudly and if it wasn''t them being inside an isolated spatial zone then his laughter alone might be able to cause an earthquake to the .


    "...Why are you laughing?" Issei frowned at the Azure Dragon.


    "HAHAHAHAHA!!! It looks like the Heaven took pity of me! The Heaven has truly blessed me! HAHAHAHAHA!!!" He keeps laughing out loud while tears of joy started streaming out of his eyes.


    "Enough."


    *SLAP*


    Issei finally can''t take it anymore and knocked the Azure Dragon right on the head. But the Azure Dragon eyes turned upward instead of feeling hurt, it seems that he''s feeling extremely happy instead...


    "Hehehehe! Good son-in-law, don''t be rude to your father-in-law now~" He snickered at Issei.


    "...What are you talking about? Since when did I turn into your son-in-law?" Issei blankly stared at the currently squirming Azure Dragon.


    "Huh~ Don''t be shy now~ Come and greet your father-in-law, good son-in-law~"


    "...You want me to punch you again? What the hell are you talking about?" Issei started losing his patience seeing the way the Azure Dragon squirming around... Isn''t he supposed to be the head of the Divine Beasts? Then how come he looks like a dancing worm?... He looks really disgusting right now...


    Even Xiaotao is wondering the same thing...


    "Eh? You really don''t know?" Seeing Issei''s frowning and clueless face, the Azure Dragon finally stopped his squirming and sensed something wrong with the whole scenario...


    "...Know what?" Issei asked impatiently.


    "...Hmm, weird... Inside of your abnormal ... There''s a trace of her ... But seeing your expression, you clearly are clueless about this... " The Azure Dragon muttered to himself in a rather confused tone as well...


    Issei couldn''t really catch on what he said since he keeps mumbling some non-sensical stuff.


    "...Ah!" The Azure Dragon finally thought of something and then he looks at Issei inquiringly.


    He can sense that Issei is injured right now then maybe something has to do with this whole incident...


    "...How did you arrive in this world, Dragon King? Did you ever had intercourse with someone when you arrived in this world?" The Azure Dragon asked.


    "...No, I never had intercourse with anyone in this world... And why the hell do you want to know that anyway?" Issei said with a little annoyance... This Azure Dragon somehow reminded him of Azazel...


    "And I don''t really remember how I got into this world since I''m supposedly in a coma after the battle with my enemy... At least as far as my memory serves me. I''m found unconscious by Sect Master Gong Yuxian while I was unconscious in this realm."


    "How weird..." The Azure Dragon started thinking once again... "She" is clearly not in this realm or he would''ve found her a long time ago... But "Her" is clearly inside Issei ...


    Even though he doesn''t know why Issei still has his even though he''s not a virgin like he said but he can''t possibly mistake "Her" aura... And the expression on Issei''s face can''t be faked either...


    But then it hits him... Could it be?! My goodness... Omega good job, daughter! The Azure Dragon started complimenting his daughter inside his mind... Truly my daughter! Truly overbearing! But I like!


    "Hey... Why do you go silent?" Issei asked the Azure Dragon who''s currently keeps changing his expression even faster than someone flipping a book...


    "Oh nevermind, nevermind. It''s just my misconception~" The Azure Dragon decided to keep quiet about it while he keeps snickering at Issei which tick him off a lot...


    His daughter should be sealed inside that sword but since it seems that she clearly has intercourse with Issei then it shouldn''t take long before her seal is broken... Truly a blessing...


    "...Then, about that sword you''re talking about? Why do you want me to find it?" Issei grumbled at him.


    "Oh, that''s because my daughter is sealed within the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword! Her body and her spirit are both sealed within that sword!" If it was before he finds out that his daughter residing inside Issei''s body then he would''ve felt sad but now he sounds quite carefree.


    "Your daughter? Then the reason you want me to find this sword is to free her?" Issei said.


    "Yes... After the demise of the gods, the never appeared again. I wish for it to be found, yet am frightened that it may be found. Because if it is never found, my daughter will forever be sealed within that sword, suffering endless darkness and loneliness. However, if that sword is found¡­ If the person who obtains the is greedy and evil, after he unseals the sword, my daughter will become that person''s tool... After all, my daughter has the pure lineage of the Dragon God! So I hope you can find that sword and free her from her seal!"


    ''But it seems that I don''t have to worry about it anymore... Since she already "Cooked the rice" with you~'' The Azure Dragon snickeringly thought inside his mind.


    "Don''t worry, my daughter is the most beautiful, kindest, gentlest, purest-" He told Issei as if he''s a salesman selling an item which made Issei''s head hurt.


    "Okay, stop... I understand why you want my help but what''s in it for me?" Issei finally asked the most important question of them all.


    "Reward? Oh, right... Why can I sense the aura surrounding you?" The Azure Dragon asked intriguingly.


    "...That''s because Master grants me a new life." Xiaotao exited the and paid her respect towards Issei: "Master."


    "Oh? You are not the original but you indeed possess a life of your own now and not just a soul residue like me... Why is that?"


    After some brief explanation, the Azure Dragon nodded understandingly...


    "Hmm, I see... Then as for your payment, you can just absorb my spiritual and divinity energy as you did with her, Dragon King." The Azure Dragon said calmly towards Issei: "But you need to wait for that woman who currently undergoes my trial to finish it."


    "...Fine." Issei nodded at him and continues on to observe Chu Yuechan trial...

 Chapter 103 - 102

    "Hmm, I can also sense the woman who possesses your bloodline also possesses the Profound veins, doesn''t she? Truly heaven-defying luck... I never thought that I could see his successor here..." The Azure Dragon suddenly said while Issei is observing Chu Yuechan.


    "Not only that, it seems that she also found the already... Her situation makes me sigh in amazement. I really can''t believe someone could be this lucky..." He said in amazement: ''But not as lucky as my daughter though, heheh~'' He added inside his mind.


    "You and the Phoenix were friends with that right?" Issei asked.


    Xiaotao has told him that the original Phoenix has some friendship with the but she doesn''t have full knowledge since the original Phoenix never implanted her full memories about it.


    "Yes... The did great favors for the Golden Crow, the Phoenix, and the Primordial Azure Dragon, and could count us as his few friends. But even they didn''t know that Heretic God possessed darkness profound energy¡­ I''m afraid no one in the entire Primordial Era knew about it. To be able to hide his own power so perfectly, in the entire world, only the could do it... And it was hidden for a full five billion years."


    "He was born at the beginning of this universe. His life was as long as the Era of Gods. He witnessed the birth of the Era of Gods, its reproduction and prosperousness and he also witnessed the destruction of the Era of Gods. Even though he had an eccentric personality, the things he did were always honorable.


    There is no question that he was not only the strongest god, he was also an extremely great god. While the Azure Dragon was shocked that he possessed the power of a "Devil", I do not understand why he would keep this secret hidden forever... Since this was a secret that he had hidden for five billion years, then, let it continue to be a secret hidden forever..."


    ''A secret was it... Why do I have this feeling that this secret of his is not simple?'' If it''s just a secret where he''s afraid that someone will judge him for it then Issei won''t really think much about it but his intuition is telling him there''s more to it... But there''s no point in thinking about it for now... He just needs to recover faster and that way he won''t have anything to fear.


    "After his battle fight Mo E, his personality underwent a great change. He became solitary and antisocial, no longer bothering with the affairs that took place in the world of the gods. He paid no attention to the struggle between gods and devils and in the end, very few divine beings even witnessed his coming and going..." The Azure Dragon paused for a moment while observing Issei.


    "Well, he might be called the but he actually couldn''t cultivate the Element. Furthermore, because he carried the Dark Profound Strength, he was somewhat afraid of it... But the same couldn''t be said about you right, Dragon King? I can sense that you possess every single element in existence within your body... But there''s 1 particular element I''m quite foreign to... Just what is that?"


    You need to note that what the Azure Dragon meant by every single element is the basic elements such as , , , , , , , etc... It''s not unique elements such as the energy... The same goes for and element.


    (AN: doesn''t equal . And is not equal to . But and is basically the same. If I somehow mixed that up before then my apologies lol.)


    The Azure Dragon used his divine sense trying to see through this 1 particular element but the moment he does that, he felt like he almost lost his mind in a never-ending rage and insanity! His body shuddered fiercely and he hastily takes back his divine sense from it... His face went deathly pale and his eyes are filled with terror... In but just one peek he almost loses his sanity!


    He never feels this kind of terror in his whole life... Xiaotao who saw the Azure Dragon reaction started wondering just what is it that makes him look so terrified...


    "...You are better off not knowing this particular element... It is not something that you could comprehend and if you try to do so you will immediately lose your mind without fail... I''m sure even the original wouldn''t be able to do it needless to say about you who''s basically just his soul residue... As far as I know, there''s only 2 being in existence that could fully control it... One of them being me and the other one is the one who injured me to this extent..." Issei said with narrowed eyes remembering about Nyarlathotep.


    That element the Azure Dragon is curious about is obviously the element... This further piqued Issei''s interest since this world clearly contains energy within it as he could sense on Jasmine and Xun''er''s body before when they just met... But... If even a True God like the Azure Dragon and the Phoenix couldn''t tell what it is then why does this world have energy within it and stay intact until now?


    From what Issei knows so far... If a world contains the energy, then that said world should''ve been destroyed sooner or later... But this universe clearly existed for at least more than 5 billion years... It''s quite the mystery...


    Issei then doesn''t say anything else after that and Xiaotao calmly stands behind him like a dutiful maid erasing her curiosity altogether... She''s not in a rush and if her Master said that it will do her no good to try to comprehend that mysterious energy then she won''t do it.


    The Azure Dragon took a deep breath to calm himself down and only after a good few minutes he''s able to do so... He then decided to change the subject.


    "Tell me more about yourself and your world, Dragon King... How is it like in your world? Are the Dragon race from your world is thriving? I mean, I could imagine that you''re the true ruler of that world but what is it like? I''m quite curious if you don''t mind me asking." The Azure Dragon inquired curiously.


    "...Most of my wives are true Dragons. Well, some of them were humans and divine spirits before but I made them a Dragon like myself... There are no racial discriminations in my world. Even though the Dragon race quite flourishing over there, the other race doesn''t really lose out either. There are Demons/Devils, Angels, Spirits, Humans, Demi-humans, and many more." Issei calmly answered the Azure Dragon question.


    "I see... Quite a peaceful world then. Sounds beautiful... As expected of the Dragon King, I guess." The Azure Dragon nodded in amazement and Xiaotao also thought the same thing.


    "Even before I took over my wife''s role as the , that world is relatively peaceful so I think she''s the one who''s amazing here. If she wanted to, she could''ve taken control of the entire world but she chooses not to and only rule over her own race, the Demonkin." Issei smiled gently while remembering about Forzelotte.


    Demonkin? Are they like the Devil in this world he wonders to himself... It kind of reminds him of the Heretic God and his wife the strongest devil.


    "Oh... From the way you talk about your wives. You seem like you respect your wives a lot aren''t you, Dragon King?" The Azure Dragon raised his eyebrows at Issei.


    "Of course, they are my pride and joy." Issei smiled gently.


    Xiaotao who saw his full smile for the first time becomes dumbstruck because of how beautiful it is...


    While the Azure Dragon started laughing even more inside his mind since if Issei is this gentle and loving towards his wives then his daughter would be in good hands... Truly a blessing.


    "Hm, you said, "Most" of your wives are a Dragon then some of them must be a true Dragon right? What are they like?" The Azure Dragon further inquired.


    "Well..." Then Issei told him about Irene, Ophis, Lilith, Kyou, Kinou, and Millet...


    ...


    "..." The Azure Dragon becomes speechless after hearing about them... Will his daughter still have a chance like this? He means, one of them is titled as the . then the other two are titled as the /... The last 3 are more normal compared to the previous 3 but they''re nothing to scoff at either...


    He doesn''t really know much about them, but they should be very strong, especially that Irene who''s titled as the True Dragon Queen/Empress... She should be Issei''s most powerful Dragon wife for being titled as such...


    But he''s feeling happy nonetheless knowing that the Dragon race is thriving in Issei''s world...


    Although, he must say that Issei seems to be the type of husband who would spoil his wives a lot from how happy and proud he is when he''s talking about his wives...


    He usually always stays calm but the moment the topic about his wives is mentioned, he becomes quite talkative just like an excited child... A wife-con? Not that he really mind since that just means that he truly treasures and loves his wives.


    Even Xiaotao smiles warmly at Issei who''s so passionate when he''s talking about his wives...


    ...


    After a few hours, Chu Yuechan finally faced the 2 Stone General and managed to defeat them in a short amount of time... The Stone Dragon General, with their heads completely shattered, slowly fell backward. Then, with a muffled "bang" sound, it fell on the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust in the sky.


    Along with the collapse of the Stone Dragon Generals, the enormous stone gate in which it came from slowly opened. Subsequently, the Primordial Azure Dragon''s pleased voice came from overhead:


    "Very good. Young human, you have allowed me to see a shocking result. In these ten thousand years that I''ve stayed on this continent, you are the first person to pass this stage of the trial. During these ten thousand years of wait, I have regretted multiple times about leaving a trace of my soul and strength on this piece of land, because the level of strength within this continent is just too low... It made me gradually realize that the trial I had left behind was something that humans on this continent could never pass¡­ Fortunately, I met you."


    "You have already passed the first stage of the trial... And to tell you the truth, your current trial difficulty is higher than the normal but it seems that it doesn''t pose a problem for you at all...The second stage''s trial ground gate has already opened. After making sufficient preparations, go in the opened stone gate and you will enter the second stage''s trial ground. I wish you good fortune."


    Indeed, Chu Yuechan should''ve been only facing 1 enemy at the start but she immediately faced with 2 of them... That means that her difficulty is doubled.


    It might seem that it''s nothing much but you need to remember that for every stage there will be double the amount of the stone soldiers from the previous stage. Let''s say on the final stage the participants of the trial needed to fight 500 stone soldiers with 1 stone general... Then Chu Yuechan needed to fight double of that amount very same amount meaning 1000 stone soldiers and 2 stone generals...


    And that''s still not counting the cultivation level of the stone soldiers... Sure they don''t have their own will and basically only a puppet so they can''t really utilize their profound strength to the fullest, but they''re still quite the challenge nonetheless...


    At the final stage, the stone soldiers are mostly at the to , but the stone generals cultivation is at the 4th level of the . It is arranged to be this way so the trial will be fair... If Chu Yuechan cultivation base is at the 5th level throne then the Stone Generals will also be at the 6th level throne.


    Whilst the normal stone soldiers'' level is set in stone meaning they''re always the same rank no matter what the participants'' cultivation base is... After all, the Azure Dragon couldn''t let a mere clear this trial just like that, couldn''t he?


    The opened stone gate was the second trial''s gate.


    The first stage of the trial was so terrifying that the second and the third stage were bound to be even more challenging¡­ But that doesn''t phase Chu Yuechan in the slightest.


    The art she''s cultivating helped her quite a lot in this trial... Since there is no rest in between her fights so every drop of profound energy is quite precious and it would be fatal to use more than necessary.


    With the art she''s taught by Issei, she can conserve her profound energy more efficiently compared to the old her... Hence this trial is quite easy for her but if it was other practitioners then it will be very hard.


    She doesn''t become too overconfident and immediately set off to the second trial but chooses to restore her lost energy first and that''s something the Azure Dragon approve of... Overconfidence is not a good thing and it will only harm someone.


    Confidence is a good thing but it would be wise to not let success get over your head and become overly confident since it would affect your judgment...


    Truly a magnificent seedling... The Azure Dragon nodded approvingly looking at Chu Yuechan.


    "Since her first trial has been cleared then it should be fine if I visit her for the moment right?" Issei asked the Azure Dragon.


    "E-Eh? Well... Yes, but..." The Azure Dragon stuttered feeling unsure of what to do since there were never any rules about forbidding someone "Visit" the participants of the trial when they have already cleared it...


    After all, there has been never any case like Issei right now...


    "And what did I hear about the difficulty being higher than normal again? Care to explain? Hmm?" Issei narrowed his eyes at the Azure Dragon which made the latter body stiffened.


    "N-N-No, I-I thought that since her strength is-" The Azure Dragon started stuttering even more but seeing Issei''s aura started spiking by the second he tried to explain himself he immediately went mute.


    "Hmm? Go on. Give me your best reason." Issei gave him a thin smile but his eyes are not smiling at all and that sent chills down to his spine.


    "...Please take all the time you need with her." The Azure Dragon bowed his head deeply and stopped talking after that...


    "Hmph." Hearing his confirmation, Issei created a spatial opening to Chu Yuechan''s location: "Xiaotao, you stay here."


    "Yes, Master." Xiaotao nodded obediently at Issei.


    Then Issei went towards Chu Yuechan location...


    "Hmm... Is that woman might be his next wife? He seems very caring about her..." The Azure Dragon curiously said.


    "Master is just that kind of person... I don''t know if he wanted to make Chu Yuechan his wife but I do know that he thought of her as his close friend at the very least... Most of the girls back in the sect are treated the same way as well. He''s not the type who had hidden agenda in mind like most people out there and he always treats them with sincerity." Xiaotao explained with a smile.


    "I see..." The Azure Dragon nodded understandingly: "But that woman clearly has feelings for him though... Just from the way she gazes at him is more than enough proof, don''t you think?"


    "...Yes, all of the girls from the sect is also looking at him the same way as her. But it seems that Master doesn''t really realize that since he often appears to be in a daze probably thinking about his wives most of the time... I heard that they''re currently pregnant and he''s feeling sad that he can''t be at their side to accompany them..." Xiaotao said.


    "Hmm, as to be expected I guess... Someone like him would attract attention no matter where he goes... I can only hope that he can restore his strength soon enough so he can go back to his loved one''s side..." The Azure Dragon sighed to himself feeling pity for Issei.


    He can relate to Issei''s feeling of being unable to be at his wives'' side since he''s a father himself...


    "...Um. I agree." Xiaotao agreed to his words.


    ...


    Issei appeared behind Chu Yuechan.


    "Who! Eh? I-Ise?" Chu Yuechan sensed a presence appearing behind her but she becomes taken aback seeing that it is apparently Issei...


    "Um, it''s me." Issei nodded at her: "How are you feeling? Are you hurt anywhere?"


    "Eh, no, I''m fine. I just lose some profound energy." Chu Yuechan reflexively answered him.


    She never thought that he can enter this trial ground as well but thinking that his identity she thought maybe it''s not that weird after all...


    "Hm, that''s good. Take your time to recover since there''s really no time limit." Issei said.


    "En..." Chu Yuechan nodded obediently.


    "Here, eat something first." Issei took out some food from his that he prepared beforehand.


    "O-Oh, thank you..." She unconsciously received the food.


    It''s just a bowl of simple Wonton soup but the smell is very enticing and the way the broth glistening is really mouth-watering... The way those dumplings are shaped is also really intricate and beautiful, she can''t wait to take a bite of it... Just thinking of the taste almost made her drool uncontrollably.


    "S-So delicious!" The moment she took a bite, she gasped in surprise because of how tasty it is... She never thought there will be such delicious food in this world...


    "Glad you like it... That food is something I made after asking some restaurant I''ve visited with Senior sister Chu Yueli before." Issei said while remembering when he went to the .


    "Y-You made this, Ise?" Chu Yuechan said in surprise.


    "Um. Why?" Issei looked at her with raised eyebrows.


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    "I-It''s nothing..." She never thought that he could cook as well... And his cooking is really delicious at that... She started wondering if there''s something he cannot do at this point...


    During their break, Chu Yuechan found out that Issei food seems to be extremely beneficial for her profound strength as well.


    She can feel her profound strength grow exponentially when she finished eating his food.


    It''s not really making her almost achieve a breakthrough or something like that but it increases the density of her profound energy, profound veins, and also her physical body strength...


    Not really surprising since the ingredients he used for his cooking belongs to high tiered animals/beasts...


    Not every animal or beasts out there has high intelligence like the profound beasts in this world after all. Evenicle world being one of them...


    There''s also a world filled with that kind of beasts and monsters. Kyou and Kinou is actually the one who found it and they marked that world for the source of their food ingredients...


    (AN: Think of Monster Hunter Nightmare version where the monsters can level up lol! Like if you fail the quest that said monster will level up indefinitely! ????. Or perhaps God Eater''s world is more suitable?).


    They spend a little time chatting a bit more before Chu Yuechan decided that she has finished her recovery and wanted to go to the 2nd trial...


    Issei nodded at her words and then she went to the 2nd trial while Issei went back to the Azure Dragon location...


    ...


    After slowly entering the stone gate, her vision became pitch-black. Then, she took two more steps forward and it suddenly lightened up, it was as if it only took two steps to completely step over from one world into another.


    What appeared before her eyes was a vast expanse of an endless plain. Grass covered the ground and there were also trees that gave shade, even the faint sound of running water could be heard. There were short hills in the distance that rose and fell. Occasionally, the cries of all kinds of birds and animals could be heard.


    This place''s refreshingly delightful atmosphere and smells were also completely different than the previous locations. Chu Yuechan turned around and still saw the endless plain, there were simply no signs of any mountain walls or stone gates. She immediately understood then, that she did not walk through some stone gate, but rather a transportation formation.


    "This is... The next trial ground? It doesn''t seem to have any hint of danger." Chu Yuechan said softly.


    It was also at this time that the Primordial Azure Dragon''s voice sounded.


    "Young human, welcome. This place is the Dragon God Trial''s second trial ground... This trial ground has no limit, and also has no exit. You can only leave this place after you have successfully completed the trial or if you choose to surrender."


    "There are an innumerable amount of profound beasts here in this endless plain. The level of the profound beasts here have all been adjusted with your strength as the benchmark. Every single profound beast here is not lower than the . As for some of the more powerful profound beasts, their strength far surpasses the that you had killed."


    "To these profound beasts, this place is an endless paradise. But to you, this place is extremely dangerous, it is an abyss filled with countless shadows of death. This is because once the profound beasts here sense your aura, they would all immediately unleash an endless barrage of attacks. At the same time, under my soul''s guidance, profound beasts near you would all be led in your direction. You would be hunted at all times by profound beasts and would never be able to sleep soundly or eat in peace."


    "You can choose to surrender now but it seems that you won''t even consider that kind of option, didn''t you? I can see it in your eyes that you''re very determined to pass this trial and that is something I appreciate a lot... Now that''s enough talk."


    "Your objective in clearing this second stage of the trial is also very easy. It is to kill ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine profound beasts, within one year! Are you ready?" The Azure Dragon finished his speech and asked Chu Yuechan.


    "Yes, I''m ready." She nodded with determination.


    "Good! Then you may begin."


    In the blink of an eye, Chu Yuechan was already surrounded by a large number of profound beasts. The Primordial Azure Dragon''s voice said that the profound beasts here would actively move towards her under the guidance of its aura. When they discover her, they would then commence a do or die hunt. These words were obviously not said in jest!


    She doesn''t lose her composure and keep a calm and serene mind. Obviously she can''t take on all of them at once hence she used the hit and run tactic...


    Whenever she killed some of them she will retreat to recover a bit of her profound energy and when they come close to her location she will kill them and then retreat again, rinse and repeat...


    This goes on for a few days until she finally killed the last beast...


    When she''s finally faced with the third trial, as expected, she passed with flying colors... She doesn''t hesitate to discard her power if it means that it will save her loved ones. She''s not the type to lose her self in her search of power and that''s good enough for the Azure Dragon...


    "Congratulations young human, you have become this land''s sole person who has passed the Dragon God Trial." The Azure Dragon said appreciatingly towards Chu Yuechan.


    Chu Yuechan''s expression relaxed hearing his words.


    "Challengers who have passed the Dragon God Trial could obtain three drops of the Dragon God''s blood. And since you had completed was a trial with a two-fold difficulty, I will grant all six drops of Dragon God blood to you along with the other inheritance left behind by the original ... When someone fuses with six drops of Dragon God''s blood they will be able to produce a so you can share your bloodline with someone you consider your other half... But it seems that you have already found that special someone, didn''t you? Heheheh... And I must say that you have a good eye for choosing him." The Azure Dragon chuckled at her.


    Chu Yuechan''s face turned beet red and when she wanted to say something she heard the Azure Dragon voice once more: "Don''t worry, he''s not here right now... He said that he will be back to the sect for a moment to handle something."


    She heaved a sigh of relief knowing that Issei is not here currently but also a little disappointed...


    "Now, I need to tell you the effect of possessing the Azure Dragon legacies..."


    The blood of the Dragon God strengthens the body, the meridians, profound veins, bones, flesh, and skin. It increases to the toughness of the body to be comparable to the body of a True Dragon and gives incredible regenerative power to the inheritor.


    It makes the bones like fine steel and the marrow like an impregnable fortress. The blood and strength that is lost, will be endlessly and inexhaustibly recovered with an even faster speed. It will also give regenerative capabilities. The marrow will continuously generate new genuine dragon blood. It increases the owner''s Dragon God''s bloodline even in their sleep. It drastically improves the owner''s True Dragon body.


    The person''s soul will become as vast as the starry sky. It is so vast and powerful that it completely surpasses the limits of humans. The Dragon God Soul also allows the use of the .


    "The will refine your spirit and soul, giving you powerful mental strength far surpassing that of ordinary humans. Your soul will also gain the attribute of the Dragon God from this!


    It should have been impossible to merge a with your normal human soul but with his help then it will be possible. I''ve already discussed it with him before and he confirmed that it is doable... We will wait for him to return but for now, you can fuse the 6 drops of blood and the marrow first." The Azure Dragon finished his explanation and brought Chu Yuechan''s body out of the trial ground.


    Chu Yuechan who just appeared nodded at his words.


    As the Primordial Azure Dragon''s voice fell, a speck of azure blue light suddenly came flying from the darkness and accurately touched the spot between Chu Yuechan''s eyebrows. Afterward, it directly entered the space between her brows.


    "Remember... We True Dragons don''t bow to just anyone... We are a proud being that rule over the other divine beasts. And only "Him" alone are above us. For he is our true King!"


    Six drops of the Dragon God''s blood entered her body, causing Chu Yuechan to instantly feel as though six balls of flames exploded within her body at the same time.


    Chu Yuechan sat down and submerged her entire consciousness within her inner body. With her profound energy fully released, she began the slow and difficult process of fusing with the Dragon God''s Blood... It took her a few hours but she finally succeeded. Then it''s time for the Dragon God''s Marrow and the Dragon God''s Soul...


    "Good, you''ve succeeded in absorbing the blood... I had wanted to grant you the first, then grant you the after, and help you finish fusing with them as well. But seeing you today, I have changed my mind. I shall grant you the and at the same time... If you could really do it, the benefits you will get would far surpass the normal inheritance result... Don''t worry, he will assist you in this arduous process."


    Issei has already arrived not long ago and on standby just in case she needed help. Xiaotao has already returned to the .


    A fist-sized crystal that emitted a starlike radiance suddenly appeared above Chu Yuechan. The crystal slowly descended and floated in front of her forehead.


    The crystal that was like the night sky suddenly cracked open in front of Chu Yuechan, and a wave of powerful, ethereal, and vast energy aura dispersed outwards. At that moment, Chu Yuechan suddenly felt like she was within a boundless field of stars.


    A ball of faintly discernable silhouette floated in front of her¡­ That was precisely the and from the Primordial Azure Dragon. The aura of power coming from them felt so close as if they were right within the reach, yet it also felt so distant, like there was an entire universe between them¡­ It was a kind of ethereal feeling that she had never felt before. The plane that this power belonged to, was something that she fundamentally could not comprehend.


    This wave of power that held the and slowly moved towards Chu Yuechan. Wherever it passed, the space actually formed layers upon layers of ripples! Just the naturally emitted aura could already instigate the distortion of space, so the strength, density, and grade of the power hidden within were simply impossible to imagine.


    She can still withstand the integration of the Dragon God''s Blood but when its time to integrate herself with the Dragon God''s Marrow, she started to sweat profusely and her face turned pale.


    The indescribable ethereal, heavy, and scorching feeling assaulted her. Chu Yuechan''s heart started to fiercely beat as all of her meridians crazily twisted, as though they were all about to burst. In the depths of her soul, a burst of an indescribably powerful will broke in like an avalanche, it was so tremendous and vast that it was like a will that came from the heavens!


    It made her soul tremble and shrink in fear.


    Chu Yuechan violently gasped. The veins on her forehead popped and her sweat fell like the rain, but she did not utter any sound from her mouth.


    Her cultivation leans towards Ice and the primordial Azure Dragon arts are more leaning towards Fire so she''s feeling double the pain that the normal inheritor should''ve experienced... And she also needed to integrate the Marrow and Soul at the same time hence her difficulty increases by tenfold in one go...


    So just the fact that she doesn''t scream in pain right now is already incredible but to also last for this long is even more remarkable... But just like the Azure Dragon said before, it shouldn''t be possible since she only possesses a normal human soul but thankfully there''s someone that can help her with this...


    When she felt like she couldn''t take it anymore she felt a pair of warm hands encircling around her soft willowy waist and then she felt her body landed on a comforting embrace.


    "Don''t be afraid... I''m here." A gentle and soothing voice entered her ears and it managed to make her feel calm and peaceful immediately... All the pain she was experiencing disappeared like it was never there in the first place...


    She closed her eyes slowly and encircled her own pair of hands around his back and tightly embraced him as if she''s trying to merge their body into one...


    Her deep frowning face bloomed into a smile that looks so beautiful and dazzling that will make anyone who saw them become lost in a daze...


    Issei rubbed her back and stroked her head gently as if he''s coaxing a baby to sleep... And in no time at all... The integration process is finished without a hitch...


    "...Truly incredible... To think that he can easily merge it all just like that..." The Azure Dragon said while feeling awed by Issei''s capabilities...


    Issei used his own aura and divinity to completely suppress the Azure Dragon soul and safely integrate it with Chu Yuechan''s.


    Chu Yuechan has finally succeeded inheriting the Azure Dragon legacies...


    Her entire body is brimming with power and her cultivation base also increased because of it...


    She immediately reached the 9th level of the in one go from 3rd level throne... Not only that, she could even fight someone at the 1st level of on equal ground... Perhaps even defeating them if given a proper chance...


    And at the moment she can only be considered a hatchling... Given more time then her strength would grow by leaps and bound.


    "Congratulations, young human... You have successfully inherited the Primordial Azure Dragon God bloodline!" The Azure Dragon happily said.


    "Congrats, Yuechan... Go and take a rest now." Issei softly said towards Chu Yuechan that''s currently inside his embrace.


    She smiled gently at him before she closed her eyes falling asleep feeling exhausted...


    "Now... You can go ahead and take your payment, Dragon King. I have already finished my purpose in this trial ground." The Azure Dragon said towards Issei.


    "Um." Issei nodded at him before he absorbed the Azure Dragon spiritual and divine energy...


    The Azure Dragon doesn''t turn into a human just like Xiaotao since he already integrated his soul into Chu Yuechan... So right now he''s basically laying dormant inside her body...


    "I will appear once again when you meet up with my daughter..." Was his last words.


    After that Issei carried Chu Yuechan back to the sect and they''re welcomed by the whole sect...


    When Issei reconnected his connection with the , Jasmine doesn''t say anything much to his amusement. But she is pouting when he went inside the pearl though... Xun''er smiled apologetically at him.


    Issei proceeded to rub Jasmine''s head roughly which made her hair become messy: "Ah! You dare to ruin this princess''s hair?! You''re courting death!"


    ''"Death" is already my wife, you little brat.'' Issei chuckled inside his mind.


    She tried to land a hit on Issei but all Issei need to do is put his hand on top of her head to stop her from moving...


    Xun''er just giggled lightly seeing their interaction...


    ...


    A few more days went by and finally, the time for the has finally arrived...


    Xia Qingyue, Shui Wushuang, and Wu Xuexin is still the one who will participate.


    But they''re accompanied by Chu Yuechan, Chu Yueli, and Issei.


    Chu Yuechan changes are not little... For one, she becomes increasingly beautiful and even could rival Xun''er herself in terms of beauty. Her eyes become a lot sharper and domineering along with her aura.


    There''s some kind of dignified and awe-inspiring feeling that could be found deep inside her eyes.


    Issei also taught her to control fire profound art as to utilize her Dragon bloodline better. It''s usually not possible for normal cultivator to cultivate a profound art with polar opposite elements but with the help of Issei, it''s quite easy.


    Xia Qingyue''s group is currently speaking with Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian. The other from the 7 fairies along with the other girls from the sect are seeing them off and hoping them good luck.


    "Junior sister Qingyue, be sure to win the tournament, alright!" Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue chirped around her.


    "Um. I won''t let our sect down." Xia Qingyue nodded at them.


    "Heh heh, this old woman won''t say anything much since Ise is coming with you... But be sure to listen to his words, understand?" Feng Qianhui speaks some words of encouragement for them.


    "Yes." Xia Qingyue''s group answered at the same time.


    Then they all turned their heads towards Issei: "Elder Ise, it''s time."


    Issei look back at them and nodded calmly.


    Then they set off towards the location...


    ...


    On their way there, Xia Qingyue spoke towards Issei: "Elder Ise, I heard my little brother will be participating in the tournament as well... He said that his cultivation has reached the 8th level of the ." She said with a voice tinged with pride.


    She''s very happy and proud of her little brother''s achievements.


    "Oh, now that I recall it, Xia Yuanba was it? I heard that he suddenly achieve breakthrough after breakthrough in a short amount of time. Truly surprising since the last time I saw him back in the he was only at the ... Could it be..." Chu Yueli asked in surprise and looked at Issei.


    "Yes, your guess is correct Master... It''s all thanks to Elder Ise benevolence." Xia Qingyue smiled at Issei.


    "I didn''t do much... I only helped him a little. It''s all thanks to his own effort that he can be what he is right now." Issei said.


    The girls smiled fondly at him... He''s always been this way, always so selfless, they thought to themselves...


    But there''s something else that Qingyue doesn''t tell Issei. Her supposed ex-husband is also participating in the tournament but she doesn''t think much about it... She even almost forgot about him if it wasn''t for Yuanba reminding her.


    Yuanba told her that Xiao Che who goes by the name Yun Che now will participate in the tournament.


    Wherever they passed by, the people who saw their group are feeling awed by their sight... Especially since the 6 of them could fly freely in the sky and 5 of them are seemingly a group of beautiful woman.


    ...


    The where the tournament is being held was located within the Blue Wind Empire''s borders but it was not under the jurisdiction of the Blue Wind Imperial Family. Rather, it solely belonged to the Heavenly Sword Villa.


    This was originally land that belonged to the , and it had been named the , but after the had become the greatest influence in the empire, the Imperial Family had completely granted it to them in a bid to win them over. And thus, renamed the to the .


    The spanned a distance of four hundred kilometers from north to south and four hundred fifty kilometers from east to west. Its main peak reached several thousands of meters tall and was named the . Disregarding all those short mountains, there were still six subsequent summits that were over three thousand meters tall.


    Ever since Heavenly Sword Villa had been situated as such, a hundred thousand years had passed, and significant changes had happened to the entire . Looking over from afar, a terrifying aura seemed to come over, assaulting the senses, it was as if the entire mountain range was surrounded by waves of icy, sharp sword energy that people could only look from afar but not dare to approach.


    Heavenly Sword Villa is situated within the main summit and the six subsequent summits. The entire Villa stretches on for more than twenty-five kilometers.


    In front of the mountain gate, the appearance of a group of six instantly attracted the gaze of everyone around them.


    Five of them are females, and the last one is a man. Most of their attires were very similar to each other, all 5 of them wore a snow-gauze long dress that covered their feet and almost touching the ground. The long dress was originally pure white, but as they walked, bits and pieces of ice-blue glimmers that were like stars naturally floated around their bodies, embellishing ice-blue colors and a fantastical aura on the hems of their dresses.


    Only the lone man attire is different, his black colored-outfit seems quite unique to their eyes since they''ve never seen this kind of attire before. But the female onlookers'' who saw him blushed deeply as if they''re being charmed just by the sight of him alone.


    The age of the five females all seemed very youthful. Other than the young girl in the back who wore a white gauze on her face and seemed to only be seventeen, the other four women all appeared to only be around twenty at most. All five women are wearing a veil hiding their facial features, only revealing their crystal-like charming eyes.


    They didn''t apply any makeup, yet their exposed skin was as soft and smooth as snow jade.


    They were all flawless and impeccable. Within the peerless allurement, they revealed a trace of sacredness and loftiness that others almost would not dare to look directly at. They were like goddesses that stood over the nine heavens, not stained by any trace of the mortal world.


    One of them being more eyecatching than the rest with how sharp and awe-inspiring her eyes are. While they can''t really see the lone man''s facial feature since he''s also wearing a mask, they guessed that he must be not someone ordinary especially with how respectful the 5 woman attitude towards him.


    He''s also the one who seems to lead the group...


    Looking at them from afar, one would clearly feel a wave of ethereal aura mixed with ice-cold air directly penetrating one''s chest cavity¡­ On their right-hand side, a sect''s group that was also walking toward the mountain gate stopped in their tracks at the same time they saw them, and watched them in stupefaction, as if all of their souls were sucked out in that instant.


    As they walked closer, the Heavenly Sword disciple that stood guard in front of the mountain gate froze for an entire five seconds before he finally bit the tip of his tongue with effort. Only after concentrating his attention with all his might while regaining his mind and calming his heart, did he finally calm down with difficulty...


    But his head remained downwards, and no longer dared to look at them directly with his eyes. Taking a step forward, he spoke while somewhat stuttering: "I... I assume that six esteemed guests are of the ? Ple¡­ please present the invitation letter and list of names."


    After this Heavenly Sword disciple finished speaking these words, he wished he could slap himself twice in the face right then and there. Greeting guests at the mountain gate was a serious affair that affected the Villa''s face, it was why he, who was an important disciple that was able to deal with any kind of situation, was chosen.


    He wasn''t fazed at all and had no change in expression even when facing Sect Master-ranked personages from the and other sects, but facing the fairies of , his mind still became chaotic. After all, he was but a normal man.


    Even though he had not seen the invitation letter yet, women who possessed such transcendental beauty and disposition could only belong to no other place than .


    Those floating fantastical ice auroras were furthermore the ironclad proof. In addition to that, in order to more easily control the possibility of unexpected situations arising, there was a hard regulation in the ranking tournament''s rules. For every single participating force in the tournament, the total number of participating disciples plus escorting personnel must not surpass seven, and even forces like the four major sects would not be an exception.


    A limit of seven people was too little even for a small sect, a situation where less than seven people from a force would almost never appear¡­ Except for ! It was extremely rare for the to be willing to contact the outside world, especially places where there were a lot of men, and everyone was well aware of the reason. Only six people coming this time from the was not surprising in the slightest.


    Although they don''t know why they would make a man as their sect elder, it is none of their business to pry into it... But after seeing him in person they could understand a little why they would do so.


    For one, they couldn''t really sense his cultivation base at all nor could they sense his strength. It''s like he''s just your average person but that''s obviously impossible since they just saw him flew in the sky along with the other fairies.


    And the way the fairies treated him is more than enough as proof that he''s anything but ordinary... Even the way those fairies look at him is obvious to them all... It''s filled with respect and adoration!


    To think those ice-cold beauties could show this type of emotion is very shocking in and of itself...


    Standing in front of him, one of the impeccable beauty took out the invitation letter and name list and handed them over to the Heavenly Sword disciple.


    Looking at the jade hand that was seemingly made of snow and wax, the Heavenly Sword disciple''s heart rate instantly sped up. It was the first time in his entire life he had learned that a woman''s hand could actually be beautiful to such an extent. He even had a feeling that he would die willingly if he could just touch at this jade hand a single time¡­ However, even if he had ten thousand times the guts, he still would not dare to do so. He carefully reached out his hand, pinched a corner of the invitation letter and the name list, and received them.


    With his gaze sweeping across the invitation letter and the list of names, he hastily lowered his head and said: "So it is the Fairy of Frozen Glass and Fairy of Frozen Beauty and also their sect Elder Ise from the that has personally graced us¡­ Ah? Frozen¡­ Fairy of Frozen Beauty?"


    The Heavenly Sword disciple subconsciously raised his head and looked toward the woman who wore a face veil and had a gaze that was as cold as ice. The moment he contacted her gaze, his entire body ran cold with a startle, and immediately realized that he had already seriously lost his composure. He once again hastily lowered his head, and spoke with respect: "The Fairy of Frozen Beauty''s name is like thunder striking through my ears. Please forgive this junior for losing composure. Six esteemed guests, please enter¡­"


    After he finished speaking, he moved aside with weak steps. As a wave of ice-cold fragrance swept over his front, he didn''t even dare to lift his head.


    Only after they had walked far away, did the Heavenly Sword disciple completely regain himself. He looked at their receding back silhouettes in a somewhat stupefied manner; his mind was a little unhinged for a while. At this time, the disciple beside him suddenly spoke: "Senior Brother Haiya, what you called out before was¡­ Fairy of Frozen Beauty? Don''t tell me it was the rumored Chu Yuechan?"


    "Yes!" The disciple called Haiya nodded: "The rumored male sect elder of theirs who goes by the name Ise, Chu Yueli, Chu Yuechan, Shui Wushuang, Wu Xuexin, Xia Qingyue¡­ That is indeed Chu Yuechan''s name, she actually personally came¡­"


    "Should I report to the Villa Master immediately? If Villa Master knows that Chu Yuechan actually came, he will definitely be excited¡­" That disciple said.


    "Report your head!" Ling Haiya smacked his head: "Villa Master and Villa Master''s Wife are currently welcoming guests together. In the Villa, even idiots know the name Chu Yuechan is an enormous taboo to the Villa Master''s Wife. If you were to report this and make trouble arise, let''s see how you can handle the consequences!"


    "Th-Then how should I report it?" He confusedly asked.


    Ling Haiya thought for a bit and said: "Just say has arrived, a total of six people, and their sect Elder, Elder Ise is leading. In any case, his name is the first name on the attendance list. You must not bring up Chu Yuechan!"


    "Oh, alright." The Heavenly Sword disciple moved hurriedly, took out a Sound Transmission Talisman, and spread the news within the Villa.


    At this time, the group of people that had been struck dumb finally walked over, and the middle-aged man in the front said with cupped fists: "This junior brother, were those people just now the fairies from ?"


    "Yes." Ling Haiya nodded simply.


    "Sure enough, hearing about it a hundred times is truly not as good as seeing it once, and seeing it once is far better than hearing about it a hundred times." The middle-aged man sighed emotionally, and said: "I came from the Eastern Domain''s Profound Sword Sect, just to visit the Heavenly Sword Villa¡­"


    A bunch of sect groups arrived continuously. Although every group only had seven people, not one of the elderly wasn''t famous in an area and an overlord-level person, and not one of the youths wasn''t a peak genius. In the past few days, these overlords, with names that shook the world, as well as genius youths that stood at the highest summit, gathered at this Heavenly Sword Pavilion to decide their relative superiority at the Ranking Tournament.


    At nightfall, a somewhat unusual group of people arrived at the mountain gate. The reason they were unusual is the group only consisted of four people, which was even fewer than the number of people.


    These 4 people are Xia Yuanba''s group... Qin Wushang, Cang Yue, Yun Che, and Xia Yuanba.


    Qin Wushang is the Vice Palace Chief of .


    Just as they walked in front of the mountain gate, Ling Haiya strode over and said respectfully: "Guests, please halt. Our Villa is preparing for the these few days, and we''re not accepting guests. If you''re participants of the tournament then please show us your invitation and if not then please leave."


    There were only four people, other than the elderly man, two of the three young people were only at the , and the third person he couldn''t really tell, but seeing how gullible he looks then the chance of him being a normal mortal is quite high... Unlike that sect elder of the , he thought to himself...


    In this assembly of talents at the , this was simply a spectacle too terrible to behold. No one would believe they were here to participate in the .


    After a bit of discussion, only then they''re allowed to enter...


    Xia Yuanba''s group walked along the mountain road. Although there was a distance of five kilometers from , the dignified atmosphere emitted from its majesty could still be clearly felt.


    "It is worthy of being called the . This kind of atmosphere lets one feel like there are countless swords dancing by their side." Yun Che said with mixed feelings.


    "Uwaah¡­ Not even in my dreams would I think that I would actually be able to personally come to one day. Even Uncle Sikong, who I used to admire the most, had never come to before." On the road there, Xia Yuanba looked in all directions with two eyes that were always wide open, unwilling to blink for even a second.


    Xia Yuanba''s emotionally excited manner made Cang Yue unable to hold back her smile.


    "You are our palace ace, don''t be too excited." She lightly said.


    She never thought that Xia Yuanba would suddenly achieve breakthrough after breakthrough when she returned.


    She''s also surprised after knowing that Yun Che is that Xia Qingyue supposed husband... But from the way it looks, that Xia Qingyue clearly has feelings for her sect Elder...


    She can tell since she''s also harboring the same feeling as Xia Qingyue and she doesn''t know what to say towards Yun Che now... Should she tell her that her supposed wife is in love with another man? She can''t do that now can''t she...?


    This Yun Che also acts quite flirtatious and a little bit of a pervert but his personality is good-natured when they first met so her intuition is telling her that things are not so simple between these 2 married couples... But since his strength is the highest and also quite close to Xia Yuanba, she decided to add him to the competition.


    They''re guaranteed to at least enter the top 10 now that Xia Yuanba is here with them... a 16 years old ... Really unbelievable...


    Maybe it''s in their blood? His elder sister also has a high cultivation base back then... She''s wondering what''s her cultivation now... It shouldn''t be higher than Yuanba here, right?


    "By the way, Yuanba. Did you know what is your elder sister''s current cultivation base is?" Cang Yue asked Xia Yuanba in curiosity. Even Yun Che wanted to know this as well...


    He''s extremely surprised seeing Xia Yuanba suddenly already at the and not only that, but all 54 of his profound openings are also opened! He immediately asked Xia Yuanba about this but even Yuanba himself doesn''t seem to know either...


    After Yun Che finds out that his disappeared, he becomes flabbergasted. He racked his brain just how and when did it disappears and only when he remembered the time where Issei healed his crippled veins that he gets some clues...


    He also checked the pendant on his amulet bag only to find it disappeared as well.


    Ever since then he swore that he will get his answers from Issei... He''s hoping that Issei is someone that can be reasoned with... Or the chance of him getting back his treasures will be zero...


    "Oh... If I remember it right, Big sis said that she''s at the 10th level peak of the , she''s really amazing!." Xia Yuanba thought for a second before giving an answer.


    Yun Che and Qin Wushang''s mouth started twitching a lot after hearing his answer... This pair of siblings is really a monster...


    Yun Che now can guess that probably the cause behind Yuanba''s sudden increase in cultivation is related to Issei himself...


    Cang Yue only feels surprised for a moment before she nodded understandingly... If we''re taking "him" into consideration then it won''t be so weird after all... After all, she caught a glimpse of his capabilities at first hand...


    She started to blush when she remembered about Issei... She wonders if she will meet him in this place or not...


    ...


    At the same time, party of six had already approached Heavenly Sword Villa''s main entrance.


    They calmly strode to the main entrance with Issei in front. The girls respectfully followed behind him.


    The 3 participants, Xia Qingyue, Shui Wushuang, and Wu Xuexin are wearing an artifact that hid their cultivation base.


    There''s a middle-aged man standing in front of the villa main entrance, and this man''s name is Ling Yuefeng.


    Ling Yuefeng was more than fifty years old but he only looked to be around thirty. When reaching the Emperor Profound Realm, one''s lifespan would increase by four or five hundred years. To a Throne, fifty years of age was only the beginning of youth.


    Ling Yuefeng''s complexion was like crown jade and did not need to be enhanced by makeup. He was elegant and his temperament was gentle and mild without the dignified air of a swordmaster.


    Even his hands were like white jade and did not seem like they had frequently wielded swords at all. When he saw his guests, not only did he personally welcome them, he also had on an amiable smile and gave the proper courtesy in a warm manner without the pride and arrogance of Blue Wind Empire''s number one master. A few participating young disciples that saw him all revealed an admiration that was close to infatuation.


    Standing next to him was a thirty-years-old or so woman dressed in a floral pattern. She was Ling Yuefeng''s only wife Xuanyuan Yufeng, and also the birth mother of the famous Ling Yun and Ling Jie who will participate in this tournament... Her temperament was graceful, and her appearance was as beautiful as blossoming flowers.


    Even though her looks were also one in a thousand, if compared to Chu Yuechan, it was still like comparing a mortal woman with a goddess of the heavens... There was at least a difference of one hundred and eight thousand miles.


    To make the Ling Yuefeng who was infatuated with Chu Yuechan take Xuanyuan Yufeng as a wife, naturally it was not on account of her looks, and instead was because of her family''s background¡­ However, after some twenty-odd years of their marriage, no one had ever dared to ask about the background of Heavenly Sword Villa''s Villa Master''s wife, and none also dared to investigate. It was because her surname "Xuanyuan", made a deep sense of fear emerge from one''s heart just by thinking about it.


    Because, that was the surname of a certain Sacred Ground Master that belonged to one of the Four Sacred Grounds in the .


    "Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Chu Yueli has brought our sect Elder, Elder Ise, Senior Sister Chu Yuechan, disciples Shui Wushuang, Wu Xuexin, Xia Qingyue to visit and also sends our Mistress'' regards on her behalf to Villa Master Ling and Villa Mistress Ling." Facing Ling Yuefeng and Xuanyun Yufeng who were welcoming guests, Chu Yueli stood at the very front and cupped her fist towards the couple surnamed Ling.


    As soon as they came over, Ling Yuefeng''s state of mind was already in great turmoil because he saw Chu Yuechan. Even though Chu Yuechan wore a snowy veil, even though thirty-one years had passed since he had seen Chu Yuechan, he still recognized those eyes of hers in one glance. Only, he didn''t dare to be certain because he did not believe that Chu Yuechan would personally come to . It was only until the name "Chu Yuechan" came out of Chu Yueli''s own mouth did he dare to believe it.


    Thirty-one years had passed. No one would think that he had missed and yearned for her for a full thirty-one years. Even though he had taken a wife and had children now, and even though two of his sons have already reached the marriageable age, he still had not let that extremely beautiful figure walk out from his heart and the depths of his soul...


    And now he could see her once again but this time his infatuation is already on the borderline of insanity because she becomes increasingly beautiful as times went on... One would think that as time goes, her beauty would wane by a bit but they''re mistaken! Her beauty got enhanced even further!


    If he were to chase after her now then it would seem like he''s some middle-aged man lusting over a younger woman instead of someone of his age.


    But after seeing how respectful she seems towards this rumored sect elder of theirs, he felt like his heart is filled with jealousy! The way Chu Yuechan gazes at Issei is something he has never seen ever before in his entire life!


    Even a fool could tell that she seems to adore this sect elder of theirs! Not only Chu Yuechan, but the other 4 also hold the same affectionate gazes!


    This was the first time in several tens of years that this number one master''s state of mind was in great turmoil. After Chu Yueli announced her entire sect, he had actually stared in a daze for a full five seconds before laughing ashamedly and returning the courtesy: "Welcome, five fairies and Elder Ise, was it? Thank you for honoring our lowly Villa with your presence. It has also been several years since I have seen the Palace Mistress. I wonder if she is still well?"


    He decided to hid his jealousy for now and does a proper welcoming first...


    "Mistress has always been well. I thank Villa Master Ling for his concern." Chu Yueli slightly nodded her head. ''She might be too well as a matter of fact...'' She added inside her mind while remembering about her current Palace Mistress who has become very young and a little bubbly if she might add...


    Xuanyuan Yufeng who saw her husband infatuated gazes gritted her teeth in anger and envy. She was about to say something towards Chu Yuechan but her breathing stagnated the moment her gazes landed upon Issei''s figure...


    Even though he''s wearing a mask, his perfect body and the way Issei carries his bearings are not something that could be hidden so easily... It is ingrained into his bones for these past 3 years when he becomes the .


    And after his body got further enhanced by the positive karma, it is extremely fatal for any woman without a firm heart and strong will and just a glimpse of his perfect figure is enough to attract their attention...


    This time its Xuanyuan Yufeng''s turn to become dazed...


    Chu Yuechan''s group frowned seeing her being in a daze like this. It looks like they couldn''t hide their sect Elder charm so easily...


    Ling Yuefeng who saw her wife becomes dazed chuckled awkwardly and opened his mouth to speak: "Honey, these fairies and gentleman are our esteemed guests. Don''t stare at him too much."


    "O-Oh, do forgive me for my manners. Please, enjoy your stay and I hope Elder Ise and fairies don''t feel offended because of my rudeness. If you have any needs, you can tell the disciples within the villa without holding back. If there are any neglections, I hope for your magnanimity and forgiveness." She somewhat stutteringly and somewhat overexcitedly said with an unhealthy blush creeping on her cheeks and her eyes also never leave Issei''s figure.


    "Madam is too polite." Chu Yueli gave another courtesy, and thereupon, the group of five entered the Heavenly Sword Villa.


    ''Hmph... Having ideas over our sect elder even though you''re already married and even have 2 sons on top of that? Dream on!'' Chu Yueli and the others thought inside their mind when they passed by Xuanyuan Yufeng.


    Chu Yuechan doesn''t even bother sparing Ling Yuefeng a glance... She completely ignored his infatuated gazes.


    Xuanyuan Yufeng almost glared at Chu Yueli for answering in Issei''s behalf but managed to hold it in at the last second.


    Both Ling Yuefeng and Xuanyuan Yufeng''s gaze glued on their respective targets...


    ''She actually came¡­ She actually came... I finally got to see her again... But, that man...'' This is what on his mind while on Xuanyuan Yufeng mind, ''Wh-Who is he... I need to know about his background.''


    ""Find out what''s that man''s background is"" Both of them said at the same time towards their subordinates and they stared dumbfoundedly at each other for a few seconds before they averted their gazes from each other.


    While Ling Yuefeng felt afraid that he might just make a slip-up, Xuanyuan Yufeng also thought the same thing but she''s faster to erase that thought.


    ''...Since you''re feeling so intoxicated towards her even after all this time then so be it... See if I would make you wear a green hat when the time comes.'' She gritted her teeth in anger.


    (AN: Green hat = cuckold/NTR).


    It''s been 20 odd years of marriage but this bastard keeps thinking of that woman every single day... Only a fool wouldn''t feel angry and hate towards this kind of man...


    Not long after the people from entered, the four people from entered the Villa as well, and they did not encounter each other. After entering the Villa, they were quickly directed to their pre-arranged residence. And, as the standard for a temporary residence, it was greatly beyond Yun Che''s and Xia Yuanba''s expectations.


    Because, this was not just a simple guestroom, but evidently, an exquisite small courtyard... no, a big courtyard! There were exactly eight separate rooms in the courtyard, and within it were trees, a pavilion, a pond, and even a weapon rack filled with dozen different types of weapons.


    "Wow! This can''t be real, right... I had initially thought that we had to squeeze two people in a single room. I did not expect the place to be this big and luxurious." Xia Yuanba constantly exclaimed as he looked at the big courtyard.


    Then they''re escorted to their respective rooms...


    But Cang Yue thought of something before asking one of the villa maid: "Excuse me, but did you know where the courtyard is located?"


    ...


    The night sky began to fall, and all of the participating teams for the Ranking Tournament had arrived. The meals prepared by Heavenly Sword Villa were exceptionally fulfilling as well.


    Issei is currently inside his room reading a book.


    His room and the other girls'' room are not that far and only separated by a few meters. You could say that they''re basically next door or across the hall.


    The maidservants tried to lead Issei to a different hall since man and woman shouldn''t be staying so close with each other but Chu Yuechan''s group insisted that it will be fine...


    Since they said so themselves then there''s nothing the maidservant could do... But they should report this to the Villa Master since they were instructed to do so by him...


    Cang Yue arrived in their courtyard in the middle of the night. She took a deep breath before walking forward but she''s stopped by Chu Yuechan who sensed her presence beforehand.


    "Who are you? What do you want?" She asked Cang Yue immediately.


    "Ah, greetings senior. This junior is Cang Yue from the . And the reason why I''m here is because I wanted to meet with Elder Ise if it''s possible." Cang Yue who saw Chu Yuechan suddenly appeared in front of her hastily paid her courtesy towards her.


    "Why do you want to meet him? For what reason?" Chu Yuechan asked lightly.


    "I wanted to thank him and also apologize for my misconduct from before. Fairy Xia Qingyue also knew of me." Cang Yue respectfully answered.


    "So you''re that Princess Cang Yue of the ? It''s late into the night, it''s best if you go back for now and pay a visit tomorrow instead. My sect Elder is probably asleep already." Chu Yuechan dismissed Cang Yue.


    "Let her in, senior sister Yuechan. I''m not asleep yet. I will go out to meet her in a moment." Issei''s voice suddenly can be heard from behind Chu Yuechan.


    "But... I understand." Chu Yuechan tried to say something else but she finally sighed and obliged to Issei''s words.


    Cang Yue beamed with happiness being allowed to meet Issei which kind of tick Chu Yuechan a bit...


    But before even Issei goes out from his room, Cang Yue is already confronted with the rest of the girls from the .


    They wanted to see just who wanted to meet their sect elder. Only Xia Qingyue recognizes her.


    Cang Yue feels really nervous being confronted with so many beautiful women like this but she holds her ground and then waited for a moment before Issei finally appeared in front of her with his mask on.


    "Princess Cang Yue." Issei greeted her.


    "Elder Ise. Nice to meet you again." Cang Yue smiled at Issei.


    "Likewise. Then, what do you want to talk about?" Issei asked her.


    Then they have their little conversation...

 Chapter 104 - 103

    Cang Yue had a bright smile on her face when she''s on her way back to her room.


    Her talk with Issei proceeded quite nicely and she managed to apologize properly to him this time for doubting him before.


    But it''s kind of nerve-wracking being gazed by 5 beautiful women at once like that when she''s having her talk with Issei...


    Well, at least she managed to convey her words properly this time and also granted permission to try and take the test to enter the later.


    Suddenly, the moment Cang Yue still in her thoughts, behind her, a surprised voice sounded. "Princess Cang Yue?"


    The one who called her was a youth who appeared cultured and refined of about twenty-three years old. Dressed in red, with a red flame crest embroidered on the chest. He looked at Cang Yue with a smile, and his gaze showed hints of surprise... and infatuation.


    Hearing his voice, Cang Yue frowned, turned around, and politely replied. "So it was Young Master Fen, what a coincidence."


    Fen Juecheng walked over. With a smile mixed with joy and elegance, he slightly bowed towards Cang Yue and laughed. "Juecheng should be the one calling this a coincidence because Juecheng finally made a successful bet. Juecheng went through many troubles to earn the right to visit the this time, and my sole reason for it was to see Your Imperial Highness. As I thought, Your Highness did indeed personally make a visit. Juecheng is extremely elated."


    Fen Juecheng''s eyes were entirely fixated on Cang Yue like a glue.


    He participated in the previous Blue Wind Ranking Tournament where he placed fourth. Princess Cang Yue attended the tournament and her beauty captivated Fen Juecheng. Fen Juecheng immediately afterward went to the Blue Wind Emperor and sought her hand in marriage. The Emperor did not consent but also did not refuse, saying the princess was too young. Fen Juecheng was probable to succeed the Clan Master and they were a very good match.


    However, it was later discovered that the Third Prince Cang Shuo had obtained the backing of the partly due to Fen Juecheng''s infatuation. The Emperor and the princess turned against Fen Juecheng''s marriage proposal but they did not outright refuse. Fen Juecheng regularly came to the imperial palace under the guise of various reasons and, under the arrangements set up by Third Prince Cang Shou, come into contact with Cang Yue. When he meets her, he would express his goodwill and intent to marry her using various methods.


    But his backing died so does the chance of Fen Juecheng getting Cang Yue''s hand in marriage depleted almost immediately to zero... He''s frustrated but there''s nothing he could do since there''s a rumor that she got the backing of the .


    His sect might be one of the major clan but if someone asked him if his clan is capable of destroying the or not, then he would say no immediately... Their best outcome is only mutual defeat...


    At least that''s what he thinks since it is extremely difficult for the other sects to gain information from there. For one, they can''t send a spy to their sect since they are extremely strict in choosing their disciples and they''re also quite hidden from the outside world...


    They don''t know how but every time they send someone to spy on their sect, that person is never heard of again...


    And secondly, their sect might be the fewest in terms of sect members but their strength is quite solid.


    Last but not least, their Grand Sect Mistress has supposedly already reached the peak of ... Their sect also seems to be cultivating a profound art that leaning towards women and Yin art. Their resources are also not that many considering that their sect is quite small... So there''s absolutely no reason for the other major sect to make them their enemy out of nothing.


    Unless they''re lusting over their beauty which is basically the only good thing in their opinion...


    Unknown to the world, the current strength is rising greatly. They just needed a little bit more time and they will be equal with them and perhaps even surpass them... Nay, they will surely surpass them when the time comes.


    Obviously Issei doesn''t count since he''s basically an anomaly of this world...


    "Young Master Fen, that''s kind of you." Cang Yue forced out a smile: "It''s getting late, I need to go back to my room. Then excuse me, young master Fen."


    Fen Juecheng did not pester her any further, and slightly bowed. "Then I won''t be taking anymore of Your Highness'' time. I will make another visit at a later time."


    Cang Yue casually nodded once and started walking towards her room once again but her good mood was ruined after seeing Fen Juecheng...


    Feng Juechen face becomes twisted once Cang Yue is out of his sight.


    "Heh, Cang Yue Cang Yue... I''ve already patient enough waiting for you... But after this tournament, I''ll be sure to have my way with you!"


    The exhilaration from subduing a woman is way better than simply obtaining a woman. This is what was inside his mind but ever since he loses his backer inside the Imperial family, he started losing his patience...


    Then he also went back to his room...


    ...


    Ling Yuefeng who heard that Issei is basically staying in the same courtyard with Chu Yuechan popped a vein because of jealous he is... He wanted to go straight to Issei place but he knows that it would change nothing since Chu Yuechan herself said that it''s fine for Issei to stay there...


    He took a deep breath to calm himself down and started formulating a plan inside his mind... So far they got nothing on Issei... He is completely unknown, a clean sheet. It''s as if he just suddenly appeared in this world without any warning whatsoever.


    The only sightings that have been reported are just him traveling here and there but that''s basically not the information that he needed... What he needed to know is his strength, his background, his profound art skill, etc.


    Even he who''s at the 5th stage of is unable to see through his strength... Now that he thinks about it, he also couldn''t sense the other fairies cultivation. But that''s not really that weird since there''s an artifact that could hide the wearer cultivation realm from being known.


    That kind of artifact is quite rare and as far as he knows, only possess that artifact amongst the major sect... It is a special artifact they created on their own...


    That artifact name was if he recalls correctly...


    could perfectly suppress the wearer''s profound strength level at will! Not only could it suppress, but it was also not concealment that could be easily detected. If one does not deliberately use profound energy to closely examine this unremarkable necklace, even a Throne would find it extremely difficult to discover. Back when Xia Qingyue was in , her true profound strength had also been concealed by this hence she doesn''t really attract too many attention other than her beauty.


    But didn''t this artifact quite rare? How come there''s suddenly 6 of them now? Ling Yuefeng couldn''t help become curious but since that artifact usage is only to hide the wearer''s cultivation it is not really sought after... He decided to think about this later on...


    That artifact is indeed quite rare since the materials needed to make them is quite scarce but that all change when Issei provided them with more than enough materials to make at least 1000 of them... Even now all of the disciples from the are wearing that artifact.


    This is also one of the reasons why those people from the were taken by surprise after they find out about Chu Yuechan cultivation realm... The other reason is Issei taught them to hide their strength so even those at the would find it difficult to see through their cultivation base.


    Only recently that they understand why those profound beasts often bring some offerings to their sect... It''s because their mysterious sect elder is a true Dragon King...


    More often than not, the profound beasts carry some rare metal and herbs... Now they''re quite rich in terms of resources and even could rival the 4 sacred grounds already.


    If the world were to know of this then they would''ve done everything they can to get their hands on these treasures, especially those 50kg of ... Not that it would be possible since Issei is there...


    Xuanyuan Yufeng also has similar thoughts with Ling Yuefeng, as in she felt a bit angry knowing that Issei is staying at the same courtyard with Chu Yuechan and the others.


    She also receives the same report as Ling Yuefeng about Issei... In other words, a complete miss... None whatsoever...


    She started thinking just how she will get the chance to meet him alone... She wanted to see just what kind of face Issei has and her curiosity almost gets the better of hers but thankfully she managed to hold it in.


    She wanted to use her background but decided not to for now...


    ...


    Cang Yue is not the only one who wanted to meet with Issei. Yun Che being one of them but unlike Cang Yue, he doesn''t know where the is located.


    He can''t ask the villa servants either since it''s fine for Cang Yue who''s basically a princess and a girl to ask about them but it''s not the same for Yun Che who''s a nobody and a man at that...


    The villa servants won''t risk angering the and the villa master so they won''t tell him.


    Yun Che doesn''t know that Cang Yue just returned from their courtyard either so he can only give up for now and look for another chance to meet Issei...


    He''s not that close with Cang Yue either... He tried to flirt with her but she seems completely oblivious or just plainly ignored his advances. His handsome face or sweet talk has no effect on her at all... It''s like he''s talking into a brick wall.


    Usually most women he talked to always have some sort of reaction but she is so indifferent to his advances... Like she never even thought of him as the opposite gender in the first place and that hurt his pride quite a bit...


    Their relationship is only that of a senior sister and junior brother. Just like her relationship with Yuanba.


    Although, her relationship with Yuanba seems closer compared to his... They''re not close like a lover or anything but more like a real brother and sister...


    Xia Yuanba also wanted to meet Xia Qingyue but he''s not in a rush... He''s been told by Xia Qingyue not to call Yun Che his brother-in-law anymore to his confusion. She said she''s not married to Yun Che anymore much to his surprise.


    He asked Yun Che about this but the latter also confirmed his big sis words... He doesn''t know what to say anymore after this... His brother-in-law is not his brother-in-law anymore...


    Yun Che only patted him on the back saying let nature take its course and all that...


    ...


    9 in the morning. The next day, Heavenly Sword Villa''s Sword Discourse Arena.


    The main stage of the Sword Discourse Arena and the thirty other small sword arenas were all circular in shape. The main stage was three hundred meters long and the small stages were close to sixty meters long. The Sword Discourse Arena was the place used by Heavenly Sword Villa disciples for sparring. It was also where the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament was held. Currently, the seats around the main stage were already filled with people. In front of each seat was a plaque that indicated the group that was present.


    Yun Che''s group noticed the group since they''re like a phoenix amongst a pack of chickens...


    Yun Che clenched his fist feeling nervous because even now he can''t still measure Issei''s strength at all... He also can''t sense the fairies strength either...


    Xia Yuanba who saw Xia Qingyue smiled widely and waved his hand at her. Xia Qingyue also returned his wave back much to the onlookers'' shock...


    What? Since when those ice-fairies would be willing to wave back towards a random man? They started observing Xia Yuanba more closely just what''s so special about him...


    They all then went to their respective spot...


    Suddenly, a loud and clear sound of screeching swords could be heard from midair. Everyone lifted their heads instinctively and saw that there were suddenly a hundred swords about three hundred meters above them.


    The floating swords seemed to have a mind of their own and started dancing around in the sky. The screeching sounds of the swords broke the silence of the skies and the sounds were extremely sharp. After circling the stage for a few rounds, they halted in midair above the main seat and arranged themselves neatly.


    Below the floating swords, a white-bearded elder walked out slowly, greeted with cusping fists, and spoke in a clear voice: "This old one is Heavenly Sword Villa''s Sword Baptizing Pavilion''s Elder Ling Wugou. I am glad to meet all the heroes and outstanding youths today. I represent our Villa to thank everyone for turning up at Heavenly Sword Villa. This year''s Blue Wind Ranking Tournament..." He continues his speech...


    Ling Wugou is a senior member of the Heavenly Sword Villa, the Elder of the Baptizing Pavilion. He acted as the host of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament several times and was fair and just.


    When he finished, Ling Wugou''s usual pre-match brief had almost already finished too. Suddenly, his voice grew higher and each of his words was deafening: "This year''s Blue Wind Ranking tournament''s witness comes from Profound Sky Continent''s , the mighty Heavenly Sword Region''s Elder Ling Kun! With Elder Ling Kun''s strength and birthplace, I believe no one would doubt Elder Ling Kun''s qualifications and authority."


    When the four words "Mighty Heavenly Sword Region" came out, everyone was instantly stunned; especially those who had been to the tournament before. The hearts of those who have heard of the legendary "Mighty Heavenly Sword Region" beat faster as they all gasped¡­ Mighty Heavenly Sword Region was one of the legendary Four Great Sacred Grounds! When hearing this name, even all the Sect Masters all felt an invisible form of pressure.


    If someone from the Sacred Grounds came to stand as a witness, what kind of level would he be at¡­ Who would dare do anything funny during the battles?


    It has long been rumored that and had some relationship and the Elder that came this time also bore the Ling surname. This inevitably proved something to the people.


    While the other onlookers'' and sects are feeling awed by the appearance of Elder Ling Kun from the , there''s no change that could be found from the .


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    If it was them before meeting Issei then they might be feeling awed as well but the current them have a wider outlook on the world now.


    Their elder himself is a True Dragon along with Chu Yuechan who''s basically a half Dragon. It will take more than some measly to make them feel surprised and awed now.


    "Mighty Heavenly Sword Region? What kind of place is it?" The surrounding audience''s reaction made Xia Yuanba very curious.


    "...A place that''s thousand times stronger than Heavenly Sword Villa¡­ Don''t ask any more questions." Yun Che whispered.


    "Ahh!?" Xia Yuanba''s eyes grew wider than an ox.


    When Ling Wugou shouted, a green attired middle-aged man stood up beside him and nodded slightly. At the moment he stood up as if attracted by an invisible force, all eyes were instantly gathered upon him¡­ He looked to be about forty to fifty years of age, with an average built and expressionless face.


    As he sat down, everyone''s eyes seemed to be repelled away as they all fell in different places. Instantly, everyone''s heart was filled with deep respect and fear¡­ It was no wonder he came from one of the sacred grounds. The level this Ling Kun was at, was completely incomprehensible by anyone there but one group of people...


    In the eyes of most onlookers'' here, he might seem mystical but in the eyes of Chu Yuechan''s group he''s nothing much... Sure his cultivation might be at the 6th level of the but they''re not feeling intimidated in the slightest...


    Perhaps it''s because they have their Elder here with them... They''ve already asked Issei in curiosity why he doesn''t breakthrough after all this time from the but his answer left them stupefied... "It''s because I don''t need to" Is what he said to them...


    They can only nod dumbly, half-understandingly and half-bewilderedly...


    What did he mean by that? But then it hits them... If even the profound beasts like the and the who''s at the peak of the is serving him like he''s their Master, then how powerful is he? Chu Yuechan doesn''t really know, but she knows for sure even if all of them combined together won''t be able to put a single scratch on him


    Chu Yuechan who can sense Issei''s strength to a certain extent told them that Issei''s strength doesn''t lie solely in his cultivation base. If she has to describe it with words, then she will only use 1 word... Immeasurable...


    Even the Azure Dragon himself said that he is the Dragon race True King much to their awe...


    "Now, let this old man declare the prize of this Ranking Tournament."


    Ling Wugou''s words, made everyone focus their gaze back onto him again and listened earnestly. The prize for every single ranking tournament was different. They only heard Ling Wugou read on: "Third place in the ranking tournament''s individual rankings, will receive one . Second place in individual rankings will receive three drops of ..."


    "... First place in individual rankings, will receive a Sky Profound Artifact, Dragonscale Armor, that originates from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region."


    "WHOAA"


    The moment the prize for the first place was announced, the entire audience immediately clamored as if hot oil in a pan, and couldn''t die down for a long while.


    Sky Profound Artifact¡­ Dragonscale Armor!


    "There are only three protective armors of the Sky Profound rank in the entire Blue Wind Empire. Moreover, none of them could match up to this Dragonscale Armor." Burning Heaven Clan''s Great Elder Fen Moli said with emotion.


    "However regrettably, this Dragonscale Armor is merely used to dazzle our eyes. With Ling Yun here, who could win against him. From what I see here, this may be a great gift that Ling Kun brought from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, as a means to instigate our eyeballs while taking advantage of this situation. In the end, it''ll still be something of their possession." He said with pity.


    Ling Wugou continues to inform them of the rest of the prize reward... While everyone there is awed and amazed by the generosity of the reward this year. Chu Yuechan calmly poured some tea personally for Issei.


    Her cold gazes instantly turned gentle and limpid the moment she laid her gazes upon Issei... She serves him just like a dutiful wife. On the other side, Chu Yueli calmly peeled some oranges for him...


    Issei felt a little awkward being treated this way by them and to make the matter more awkward, he can feel Xia Qingyue''s hands on his shoulders massaging him... He tried to stop them but they said they insist much to his dismay... If he refuses them more adamantly here then he might injure their pride and reputation so he can only choose to let them be...


    Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin can only sigh in defeat since they''re too late in the game... They can''t really go against their senior masters and Xia Qingyue is the fastest of them both... But next time they won''t be so slow!


    It''s not like Issei is never treated this way by his wives but it''s just felt weird for him being treated like this by other people he considered friends...


    Chu Yuechan and the others don''t really care about the prizes but since they could get "Free" stuff then they would gladly take it. It won''t hurt for having more treasures at hand after all... And besides, the treasures back in the sect belongs to their sect Elder and they don''t want to keep relying on him all the time...


    They''ve already feeling eternally grateful of him and it is their turn to pay him back... They''re sure this tournament prizes won''t really mean much to him but at least it''s a start...


    Ling Yuefeng who always has his gaze on Chu Yuechan clenched his fist so hard that it turned completely white feeling jealousy enveloping his whole body... And he''s not the only one... Most men who saw this scene had their eyes bloodshot and they''re feeling extremely envious of Issei.


    Some women, such as Xuanyuan Yufeng is also feeling jealous of Chu Yuechan''s group...


    Their room is separated but Ling Yuefeng arranged so that he could gaze upon Chu Yuechan''s figure all the time.


    (AN: Imagine a huge colosseum, kind of).


    Ling Wugou''s declaration continued: "Top ten forces in the ranking tournament, after the tournament, will be qualified to explore the in teams."


    "The top ten forces in the ranking tournament, after the exploration of , will have the opportunity to see the "Demon" Sealing Ritual carried out personally by Elder Ling Kun of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region with their own eyes."


    Issei is not interested in the tournament prizes but he''s interested in this .


    is a secret realm controlled by the . Its entrance portal is located deep within the northern section of the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range. No one knows where the Heaven Basin Secret Realm came from, aside from the various rumors that said it was a solitary domain opened by a super-strong practitioner who had reached at least the Sovereign Profound Realm, who brought it to the Blue Wind Empire for unknown reasons.


    It contains innumerable resources and treasures and at the same time, it also contains immeasurable danger. The realm is immeasurably huge. Nobody has been able to travel to the end. The environment also changes every time the realm is opened.


    The villa has unknown methods of detecting when the basin portal will open. It opens once every 3 years. Before it would open up every ten years but eventually dropped down to five years until dropping to the current three.


    The basic can only take at most fifty people at a time. The top ten ranking sects in the get to explore it with five people per sect. When opened, the portal remains for seven and a half minutes. People can only explore the realm for two days, after which everybody will be teleported out against their will. If they are dead, they will remain in the realm.


    Chu Yuechan explained to Issei seeing that his interest seems to be piqued...


    Issei who heard her explanation nodded to himself. He wanted to see if there''s something special in that place that could increase the pace of his recovery.


    "The time hath come. Now, this old man declares, this session of officially begins!"


    The enormous Sword Discourse Arena immediately became quiet. One could only see the figure of Ling Wugou waver, he had already flown up into the air. Leaving a line of a hazy grey phantom, he landed on the dead center of the Sword Discourse Arena in the blink of an eye. There, a gigantic Profound Assessing Stone already stood in place.


    "This session''s Ranking Tournament has a total of five hundred and thirteen sectoral forces to be ranked and involves one thousand five hundred and thirty participating disciples. The age of every single participating disciple must not be younger than sixteen, and must not be over twenty. Anyone not within this age range will be immediately kicked out. Now begins the lot drawing of the Ranking Tournament. Before the number is drawn, one must be tested for age and profound strength, and then let everyone know the names of the younger generation''s outstanding individuals as well¡­ Now, participating disciples called on by this old man, come up immediately for profound strength assessment and lot number drawing."


    In every single session of the ranking tournament, the profound strength assessment had always been an essential process. However, what this profound strength assessment truly tested for was not profound strength, but was instead age. After all, the ranking tournament had an extremely tight restriction toward the participating disciple''s age.


    "Skyblade Clan''s Li Badao, Ji Hong, Ye Changqing!"


    The three whose names were called by Ling Wugou immediately walked down from the seating, and put their palm on the profound assessing stone one by one. The resulting age was respectively 19, 20, and 20, the respective profound strength ranks were rank three, rank two, and rank two. Afterward, they drew their own Ranking Tournament numbers on the side and returned to their seats.


    "Thunderbolt Mountain''s Wu Mu, Wu Feiran, Wu Qingyun!"


    "Skyriver Cloud Pavilion..."


    "Moon Worshipping Sect..."


    "Divine Cloud Isle..."


    ...


    Waves after waves of participating disciples, with sects as units, came up and carried out profound strength assessment as well as the number drawing. Same as previous sessions, most of the participating disciple''s age all grouped at 19 and 20. 18 years olds were already very rare, and 17 extremely so. As for sixteen¡­ Nearly half of the disciples had already gone up, but there''s still wasn''t even one.


    Moreover, over ninety percent of these participating disciples had a profound strength centralized between the first level of the Spirit Profound Realm and the fifth level of the . Ones that surpassed the fifth level of the didn''t even reach one-tenth.


    To be able to step into the Spirit Profound Realm under the age of twenty, even if it was in the Imperial Capital of the , one would be considered as the genius within geniuses. Even for the Blue Wind''s number one Profound Palace, there were merely three people, including the foreign Fen Juechen.


    For those small cities like and , one wouldn''t even dare to imagine it. But in here, it could only be reduced to ordinary. And for young profound practitioners of the fifth level of the and above, they would be the prodigies blessed by heavens within prodigies blessed by heavens, as well as the top-level group of the ranking tournament.


    They didn''t know Xia Yuanba who''s from the is already at the 8th level of the . It''s because they thought they''re not worth being worried about since their palace is indeed has been the weakest in the tournament so far... So they never bothered sending a spy or gather information for it.


    "I heard the Xiao Sect is no more... What a sad fate for them... It seems that Heaven really is envious of those that are talented and prosperous." One of the sect elders said out loud.


    "Indeed... But what caused their downfall in the first place?" One of them asked in wonder.


    "Nobody knows but the remnants of the Xiao Sect but even they don''t want to tell anyone the secret behind their sect downfall either... It''s like they''re really afraid of something else altogether even when some of them are threatened they are still tight-lipped..." One of them who has some knowledge behind the scene answered.


    Their discussing went on while Chu Yuechan smiled softly under her veil while her gazes linger on Issei... Not even in their wildest dream that the one who''s responsible for the Xiao sect destruction is the man before them.


    They didn''t know just how did he destroy the Xiao sect in a short amount of time but they somewhat knew that Issei is the one behind it...


    "Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Shui Wushuang, Wu Xuexin, Xia Qingyue."


    Amongst the Four Major Sects, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace had the lowest number of disciples. Because when chooses their disciple, not only was it restricted to females, they also had extremely strict requirements for aptitude, talent, as well as appearance. And hence, if one were to talk about the average strength of disciples, even couldn''t match that of .


    At the same time, every single one of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s disciples was as beautiful as blossoming flowers, the number one beauty "Chu Yuechan" who had made countless young and talented men infatuated, had precisely come from the .


    "Elder Ise, Senior Masters. We excuse ourselves." Xia Qingyue''s group paid their courtesy before they walked forward...


    As expected, when three female names were called out, the entire surrounding was immediately filled with the echoing of continuous gulping. The young disciples that had the ability to arrive at this place have already established themselves as the pinnacle of their territories, so it could be said that they had all kinds of beautiful women at their disposal.


    But how could ordinary women compare to the quality of female disciples? They had natural ice auroras floating around them that enhanced their dreamy atmosphere even more. Their face was covered by a veil so there was no way to see their true face. The gazes of the young disciples all concentrated upon Xia Qingyue, Shui Wushuang, and Wu Xuexin''s beautiful faces and figures, staring for so long that their wide eyes had almost become vertical as if their spirit had left their bodies.


    Even though they''re wearing a veil, that didn''t stop them from imagining just what kind of otherworldly beauty lies beneath that veil...


    Xia Yuanba was about to say "Big Sis" out loud but Yun Che who''s by his side managed to stop him from doing so.


    "Shh¡­" Yun Che quickly silenced him and said in a low voice: "I know that you wanted to greet your big sis¡­ And remember what I said? You can call me brother-in-law in private but in public, you cannot. female disciples are forbidden to marry. If someone else hears about something, it would be detrimental to her. We too, would receive unnecessary attention."


    Xia Yuanba promptly covered his mouth with both hands, nodded repeatedly, and did not dare to yell out loud.


    Xia Yuanba is accustomed to calling Yun Che with "Brother-in-law" suffix so Yun Che let him be...


    Cang Yue who''s by their side smiled wryly since it seems that even though Xia Yuanba has the highest cultivation base of them here, he''s still a bit too gullible and innocent...


    Her expression all revealed an indescribably complex emotion seeing Yun Che who''s fixedly stared at Xia Qingyue... It''s not that she''s jealous or anything. She doesn''t have any feelings towards Yun Che after all.


    What she had in mind is that she already knew about their so-called marriage is basically just a facade... She already asked Xia Qingyue herself the other night feeling curious but her response is as she guessed... Xia Qingyue only married Yun Che out of obligation and they''re already divorced since she herself already ripped their marriage certificate.


    "I would be thankful if you don''t mention that we''re husband and wife to the public since we''re not really married to each other anymore." Xia Qingyue told her that.


    Cang Yue nodded understandingly when she heard her words... It seems that it''s Yun Che''s blessing that they''re not really married to each other or he would be wearing a green hat in the near future...


    Regardless of whether or not they had real feelings for each other, regardless of whether or not they were truly husband and wife¡­ She was still his wife¡­ They were officially married, paid respects to heaven and earth, paid respects to their elders, with heaven and earth as a witness... But since she said they''re already divorced then it''s another story.


    Yun Che''s gaze fell upon Xia Qingyue''s back as his heart pounded¡­ It had been a year and a half since he''d last seen her and she had clearly grown taller. The original incomparably slender and graceful delicate body had become even more perfectly beautiful. Just looking at her from the rear was enough to imagine what kind of peerless beauty she had become¡­ Once she took down her veil, her face had perhaps become even more breath-taking since long ago.


    Does he regret taking Chu Yueli''s offer back then? Maybe a little... After all, which man doesn''t want a beautiful wife? But he won''t go back on his words and will keep his promise... But he still needs to meet with Issei though...


    The results of the profound strength of the three disciples from Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace were quickly announced:


    Shui Wushuang - 20 years old - level 6th!


    Wu Xuexin - 20 years old - level 6th!


    Last but not least...


    Xia Qingyue - 17 years old - level 10th!


    In that instant, the audience went silent... And then, suddenly, a large wave of exclamations were set off.


    The audience, both old and young, male and female, Even Ling Yuefeng from the or Ling Kun from the , instantly stood up from their seats and looked at the notification revealed by the Profound Assessing Stone with astonished expressions.


    This level, was like a grenade, exploding in front of the eyes and hearts of the countless participating disciples, causing them to be completely dumbfounded. They could not believe what they saw and did not regain their senses for a long while. Because, to them, it was basically an incomprehensible reality.


    Even Yun Che''s group who''s already prepared for this are slackjawed... What the hell? Xia Qingyue is one thing but for the other 2 being at the as well... Only Cang Yue and Xia Yuanba seem calmer since she has already expected this... With Issei help then the will rise to higher heights without a doubt...


    When she found out about his connection with the Phoenix she already suspected that his identity is not simple at all... And how easily he solved her father''s "illness" is proof that he is anything but simple...


    But along with it, her determination to be accepted to the grow stronger... Which person wouldn''t want to become strong such as Xia Qingyue''s and the others? Not to mention the man she adores is also in that sect...


    When she thought up to this point, her cheeks blushed deeply...


    While Xia Yuanba has a simpler thought: "Uwaaaah... Big sis is really amazing!" Xia Yuanba''s eyes filled with stars, as he let out an exaggerated yell.


    He''s really happy that his big sis is so powerful and that''s all that matters... He doesn''t have complicated thoughts such as envy or schemes like most people. In a way, he''s more innocent and pure even compared to the girls from the ...


    But this is a perfect personality for him since his special veins that Issei gifted to him needed for him to stay benevolent and kind... That way his cultivation will soar indefinitely as long as he stays this way...


    What!!! The 3 of them are at the already!? Not only that, Xia Qingyue who''s still seventeen years old is already at the peak of the !


    "Is there a mistake with the Profound Assessing Stone?!"


    "Don''t joke around! That stone must be broken!"


    "Ahhh! Please tell me it''s broken! If they''re really at that realm then what for do they participate in this tournament?! Might as well go take the prizes and go home already!"


    These kinds of words are shouted here and there because they''re in total disbelief... Don''t joke around! A cultivator below the age of 20 is extremely monstrous! Especially for Xia Qingyue!


    Even those from the might not be able to produce a peak cultivator below the age of 20! Needless to say about the other lower rank sects...


    They can only scream in dissatisfaction or this tournament would have no meaning at all! If their cultivation is really at that stage already then the winner is already set in stone... No doubt about it!


    The number one expert in the younger generation, Ling Yun, when he was seventeen, he was at the ninth level of the . And this girl''s talent is actually far surpassing Ling Yun by miles apart... No, their disparity is like heaven and earth!


    Their hope and wishful thinking went crashing down when the judge confirmed that there''s nothing wrong with the Profound Assessing Stone... A lot of the participant''s face went pale like a dying ember...


    Some were having a great chance of entering the top 10, they''re not aiming for the 1st place since they thought the winner has already decided already which is being Ling Yun himself but that''s still acceptable since their cultivation is not that far apart... At most he''s only at the so they can still accept it if he came up as the winner, but when taking Xia Qingyue''s group into account... They started to waver... Is there any point for them in cultivating at this point?


    The enticement of being in the top 10 is too great and while some seem to have given up, some started having more determination more than ever to enter the top 10.


    Xia Qingyue''s group despises those that have given up just because of this small setback... Just like their Elder once said, judging someone''s strength solely based on their cultivation realm is not a good thing. That kind of judgment will only create a setback for yourself if you deem something as impossible without giving it a proper attempt.


    If you lose then you lose, there''s no shame in it. You just need to become stronger by putting a greater effort into your training... What doesn''t kill you just makes you stronger.


    They''re not even having a deathmatch in this competition but they''ve already lost their will to compete just like that... Pathetic...


    "In the younger generation, among the male practitioners, no one is stronger than Ling Yun. But this girl, Xia Qingyue easily squashed him down even without lifting a finger..." Qin Wushang sighed. He looked at Xia Yuanba''s figure, and once again sighed in his heart: ''Xia Qingyue and this guy, are really monstrous siblings... One of them is at the 8th level of the , while the other is at the 10th level of the ...''


    Thankfully they still have hope in taking the 2nd place in the tournament with Xia Yuanba here... As for Yun Che... Perhaps he might be able to enter the top 10 as well... But he doesn''t have too high hopes for him... It''s not that he looks down upon Yun Che but fact speaks louder than words...


    Their cultivation base is too far apart... Yun Che is only at the 5th level of the while the opponents are at the ...


    Even if someone thinks with his foot they can see just which one will come out as the winner if they were to really fight...


    Sure Yun Che is capable of defeating those that have a higher cultivation base than him but that''s only limited in the same realm opponents...


    Not long after , Ling Wugou finally shouted out Heavenly Sword Villa''s name... The crowd instantly hope for a miracle and thought that maybe Ling Yun is also already at the ? But deep in their hearts they already know that it''s impossible...


    "Heavenly Sword Villa, Ling Yun, Ling Feiyu, Ling Jie."


    Ling Yun walked forward and put his hand on top of the stone...


    Ling Yun - 20 years old - level three.


    And just like that... The rowdy crowd sigh in disappointment... Ling Yun is indeed quite talented since he is the 2nd strongest amongst all the contestants here with being the strongest...


    As for Ling Feiyu and Ling Jie, their cultivation is only at the ...


    Ling Yun slowly removed his hand from the Profound Assessing Stone and slowly left... Although he felt a bit lost knowing that Xia Qingyue''s group is far above him, he doesn''t lose sight of his path which earned a little bit of respect from Xia Qingyue''s group.


    No one would belittle him even if he doesn''t take 1st place in this tournament since his foes are just too abnormal...


    "In the previous tournament, Ling Yun, who was merely seventeen years old, took the top spot with ease. In this tournament... He won''t have the chance any longer... *Sigh* It is time for the younger generation indeed..." Qin Wushang sighed.


    "We can only put our hope in you, Junior brother Yuanba." Cang Yue patted Xia Yuanba on the back.


    "O-Oh, okay, I will try my best... But I don''t want to fight big sis though..." He nodded shyly while scratching the back of his head.


    "It doesn''t matter... You can just surrender if you were to face off against her later... Don''t worry too much. As long as you can enter the top 10 it''s already more than enough." Qin Wushang said.


    "That''s right, Yuanba. Just take it easy." Yun Che patted him on the back as well.


    Xia Yuanba nodded firmly after being encouraged by them.


    There''s no need for him to fight his own elder sister or her friends... Although Yuanba doesn''t really know why he suddenly achieves breakthrough one after another, he can still guess that it must have something to do with Issei.


    After all, his big sis keeps reminding him to be grateful towards her sect Elder inside her letters... Xia Yuanba is not stupid, he''s just innocent and naive so he can find some relation with his sudden rise in "Talent" must be because of Issei.


    He decided to just surrender when he''s about to be faced with his big sis group... He''s quite confident that he should be able to reach 4th rank at the very least and that''s more than enough just like Qin Wushang said.


    "Blue Wind Imperial Family..." After shouting the name, Ling Wugou suddenly paused. After fixating his eyes on the name list for a moment, he continued to shout with a weird tone of voice. "Yun Che, Xia Yuanba."


    Although the Blue Wind Imperial Family''s placing in the ranking tournament wasn''t that great, it was still the Imperial Family! It controlled the largest amount of political power within the Blue Wind Empire! As a result, when the name "Blue Wind Imperial Family" came out, it immediately caught the attention of the entire audience. But after the name "Yun Che" and "Xia Yuanba" came out, Ling Wugou''s gaze had then left the name list and did not announce the next name.


    There was only this two name.


    "It''s our turn." Yun Che immediately got up and walked towards the Profound Assessing Stone while Xia Yuanba followed suit.


    The surroundings immediately echoed with the sound of whispers.


    "Eh? What''s going on? Only two of them?"


    "Looks like it¡­ What the hell! The Imperial Family seriously only sent two people to participate in this year? It was probably influenced by the turmoil within the Imperial Family?"


    "Hush, don''t speak nonsense. Perhaps this 2 person''s profound strength is so high that it is enough for the Imperial Family to just send two people. After all, the power rankings of the sects depend on their highest-ranked disciple."


    Although the last one said that, it sounded a bit sarcastic... There''s no way there will be another anomaly other than the , right?


    But why is this big guy''s name sounds familiar? Xia?


    Yun Che and Xia Yuanba walked down from his seat and walked in the midst of everyone''s line of sight.


    From Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s seating area, Chu Yueli frowned a little after seeing Yun Che because he seems a little bit familiar but soon she ignored him completely: "It''s your little brother''s turn, Qingyue." She said towards the silent Xia Qingyue.


    "Oh? He is that Xia Yuanba?" Chu Yuechan and the other''s interest is piqued by the sight of the big guy... Isn''t he too big already? Is he really Qingyue''s little brother and not the other way around? They thought weirdly inside their minds.


    "En." Xia Qingyue smiled thinly watching the nervous Xia Yuanba. Even though his strength is already at the 8th level of the he still looks quite nervous, probably because he''s not used to be in the limelight.


    As for that man beside him, it must be that Xiao Che who changed his name to Yun Che... Not that she cares about it in the first place.


    "...That person already at the 8th level of the in this short amount of time..." Jasmine mumbled inside the .


    "His profound vein has been changed by Ise... It was clearly the before right dear?" Xun''er asked Jasmine to which the latter nodded affirmingly.


    "Indeed... It was clearly the before. There''s no doubt about it but this baddy seems to change it..." Jasmine said with narrowed eyes at Issei''s figure.


    She''s really curious about Issei''s true identity...


    Yun Che - 17 years old - 5th level.


    Once this result came out, the entire audience reaction is just "Not bad"... His cultivation can be considered quite good but compared to Xia Qingyue and Ling Yun''s group then he''s still pale in comparison.


    But aren''t they too arrogant by just sending two participants in this year''s tournament? Sure Yun Che cultivation is not bad but they can''t be this arrogant, right?


    Then it''s Xia Yuanba''s turn to put his hand on top of the .


    Xia Yuanba - 16 years old - 8th level.


    Silence... Complete silence...


    Then the whole arena exploded with shock!


    "What!!!" All of them exclaimed out loud.


    First, it was that Xia Qingyue, now it''s this Xia Yuanba! Wait... Xia Yuanba, Xia Qingyue? Xia surname? Could it be?!


    Everyone who''s present there instantly had their gazes homing in at Xia Qingyue.


    One of them steeled themselves to ask her: "U-Ummm, please excuse this junior rudeness but perhaps by chance are fairy Xia and that Xia Yuanba..." That person looks back and forth from Xia Yuanba to Xia Qingyue.


    The meaning behind his question is clear... Are the two of you related?


    "Yes, he is my little brother." Xia Qingyue nodded calmly at that person''s question.


    *Hisssss!!!*


    They all hissed in shock! To think that they''re brother and sister! Two abnormal siblings!


    "Ahhhh! I wanna die! Is there any point in participating anymore?! Is there any point in cultivating anymore! I''m already 20 this year but my cultivation is only at the ! Where is the justice in this!?"


    One by one they shouted in despair seeing that some 16 years old brat already far surpasses them...


    The various major sects leader started contemplating some plans... If they could make this Xia Yuanba as their sect disciple then it would be extremely beneficial for their sect...


    If not then... Forget it... They couldn''t afford to offend the ...


    Some wanted to cut the grass before it grows fully but decided not to since Xia Yuanba is Xia Qingyue''s little brother... What if they get caught in the process? Their sect will meet their doom...


    "Little brother, if you join our sect we will provide you all the best resources available and even make you our core disciple!" One of the sect leaders extended an invitation towards Xia Yuanba.


    Then another one... And so on...


    But Xia Yuanba refuses them politely saying that he will stay with the .


    They can only sigh in disappointment...


    But then they set their gaze on Qin Wushuang. If they can''t recruit Xia Yuanba then they should just make a connection with his palace. That way they can benefit some profit by befriending them when their palace does rises in this mainland...


    There''s no way that Xia Yuanba won''t make a name for himself so it''s the 2nd best choice for them all...


    Qin Wushang''s face bloomed like a flower being flattered by everyone from all side and Cang Yue also smiled happily.


    ...


    "...The first round of group fights will continue for three days, and there are thirty small groups in total. Within each group, there is an average of fifty or so disciples who will be taking part in the competition. All fifty competitors from each group will have to participate in twelve full fights, and the top ten ranked disciples from each group, which will come to a total of three hundred disciples, will then enter the second round of group matches.


    The thousand and two hundred disciples who do not enter the second round will then move on to the subsequent area to take part in ranking fights. However, other than the affiliated sects, nobody will take notice of the ranking matches in this second area..."


    "The second round of group matches will have a total of three hundred competing disciples, and like before, it will continue for three days. Each disciple will have to finish a full fifteen fights! After which, rankings will be made based on the number of fights each disciple wins.


    The first hundred spots will be listed, as well as the thirty-two strongest. Subsequently, those who did not make it into the top hundred will similarly be transferred to the secondary arena. The rankings for the thirty third to the hundredth competitors will thus be completed. If there is anyone who is dissatisfied, they can challenge a competitor who is higher ranked than them in the secondary arena. The challenged must accept the challenge, and if the challenger wins, they will then take the ranking of the person who has lost¡­.. In the main arena, elimination matches for the thirty-two disciples who have won the most fights will then commence."


    "These rankings, are all rankings of the participating disciples. The ranking of the sect forces will be ranked based on the final rankings of their disciples..."


    "...When fighting, a person loses when he/she falls onto the ground for more than ten breaths of time or when he concedes the match! No matter for what reason, any competitor who takes more than thirty breaths of time to go up on stage will be seen as admitting defeat¡­ Now, this old man declares that the has officially begun!"


    Ling Wugou continues to introduce this tournament rules but everyone spirit is quite low because of the appearance of the 4 monsters in this tournament... But some are still in high spirits since there''s still a chance for them to enter the top 10 ranks even though it''s quite slim.


    After Ling Wugou''s voice fell, a large area of profound energy fluctuation came from all around. On top of the thirty small Sword Discourse Arenas, transparent profound energy protective screens appeared simultaneously.


    These profound energy barriers could isolate the two competitors such that their profound energy would not affect the surroundings when both parties were in combat. At the same time, to a certain extent, it also sets a restriction on the area in which both parties would fight.


    Thirty well prepared middle-aged men also flew up and descended to the side of the thirty small Sword Discourse Arenas. These were the referees for the first round of small group matches. And these thirty people, could all use the "Profound Floating Technique", which meant that they were all Sky Profound Realm experts. This fact made many observing disciples to immediately go slack-jawed.


    The thirty small Sword Discourse Arenas were evenly spread out around the main Sword Discourse Arena. To the practitioners watching, from any seat, the circumstances of each small Sword Discourse Arena could be plainly visible just by shifting their gazes a little.


    Following the appearance of the thirty judges and the profound energy barriers, the numbers of sixty disciples flashed brightly at the same time. Very quickly, sixty competitors climbed onto their respective Sword Discourse stage and the first match was officially begun...


    ...


    "Quick look! It''s big sis!"


    Xia Yuanba suddenly gave a surprised shout and pointed towards the ninth Sword Discourse Arena.


    A quarter of an hour passed by, and the ninth Sword Discourse Arena had already finished three matches. During the fourth match, a completely veiled Xia Qingyue appeared on the Sword Discourse Arena and caused the ninth Sword Discourse Arena to become the center of attention through the entire arena¡­ Whenever a disciple from any of the Four Major Sects appeared, they would definitely become the focal point.


    Opposite Xia Qingyue, a twenty-year-old youth walked up. However, his expression was terrible. Within his heart, he was inwardly complaining about his bitter lot. His profound strength was only at the fourth level of the , and within group nine, he was in the upper-middle tier, but never did he expect to get a disciple of the as his first opponent.


    However, his opponent was only a young girl of seventeen. He simply could not lose face by admitting defeat even if their disparity is like heaven and earth, so he could only brace himself and pull out his sword, "Illusory Sword Clan''s Han Yunzhi requests this fairy to bestow unto him some guidance!"


    As his voice fell, he stepped forward and thrust his sword outward. From the start, he was already using his strongest ultimate move, the "Sword of Three Lives". The surging sword aura coagulated into three sword blossoms, and the power of each of the three points all attacking towards Xia Qingyue.


    Xia Qingyue''s gaze was tranquil and calm. Her feet had not moved. Facing Han Yunzhi''s sword aura, her snow-like right hand moved gently¡­


    Whoosh!


    A cold wind breezed past and cut at Han Yunzhi''s face like numerous blades of knives. His sword aura was defeated in a matter of seconds and it was as if his entire body had been plunged into the extremities of a frozen prison. His four limbs were impossibly rigid and he was made to stagnate there, kept in his pose of wielding a sword and rushing forward. Let alone being able to continue brandishing his sword, he couldn''t even move his fingers at all.


    In the blink of an eye, a layer of gorgeous hoar frost extended from his sword''s tip to cover his entire body.


    Luckily Xia Qingyue held back or this person would instantly be turned into an ice statue...


    All the sect disciples who were seeing the might of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s for the first time were all stunned. Isn''t it too overpowered? Just one wave of her hand and that guy is almost frozen stiff?


    "I¡­ admit... defeat¡­" Han Yunzhi''s mouth trembled as he squeezed out those three words.


    He was clinging to blind hope that perhaps her cultivation just a fake or something along the line... Never would he thought that he will be defeated with just 1 move...


    "Illusory Sword Clan''s Han Yunzhi admits defeat, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Xia Qingyue wins!"


    At the loud verdict of the referee for the ninth Sword Discourse Arena, the ice on Han Yunzhi''s body disappeared. All at once, he fell to kneel on the ground. After taking in large gulps of air, he looked at Xia Qingyue with eyes filled with insurmountable respect and a little bit of fear before weakly walking off the Sword Discourse Arena.


    "So strong... Big sis is actually so strong." Xia Yuanba stared with his eyes wide open feeling awed by Qingyue...


    ''...You''re one to say even though you''re also very strong'' Is what''s on Yun Che and the others mind...


    Xia Yuanba also defeated most of his opponent by 1 move just like Qingyue... But his situation is more frustrating compared to the latter.


    While Xia Qingyue and the other girls'' opponents all lose in 1 move, Xia Yuanba here let his opponent hit him once with their attack and knocked them out in 1 punch... What''s more horrifying for his opponent is that their attack couldn''t put a scratch on his body.


    It''s like they''re hitting on a steel plate rather than a human flesh!


    Even their hands went numb when their attack landed on his body... Some were thinking to attack from a distance but they''re only wasting their energy and in the end, they have no choice but to surrender...


    Xia Yuanba is cultivating defensive profound art called . The cultivation art is quite suitable for him who''s quite slow in movement speed.


    It increases his defense and attack at the same time but it slows down his movement.


    Yun Che weapon is a greatsword and he''s more normal compared to Xia Qingyue and Xia Yuanba. At least his opponents still put up a fight even though they still lose in the end.


    The sun had already begun to set, and thus, the curtains closed for the matches on the first day. More than two thousand matches had undergone on thirty arenas. Within these many matches, there would definitely be some there were spectacular and thrilling, but the atmosphere is rather bleak and lackluster for the arena side where Xia Qingyue''s group and Xia Yuanba competition is held...


    Those who are on their side of the arena lost all the will to compete and some even directly surrendered the moment they''re faced off against them...


    Just like that, the battle for the day is over without any surprise...


    ...


    Yun Che''s group is on their way back to their courtyard...


    At this time, in front of them, five white-clothed, fairy-like figures flowing with ice spirits slowly walked over. With a single glance, it looked as though five goddesses had descended from the clouds, allowing people to slightly feel as though they had arrived at the realm of immortals.


    Looking at them, Yun Che was slightly startled, and he subconsciously stopped walking.


    "Ah... it''s big sis!" Xia Yuanba pointed at Xia Qingyue.


    "Big sis, big sis!"


    Growing up with Xia Qingyue, who was such a world-class beauty, and adding that he had a few screws loose in his brain, Xia Yuanba had a rather strong immunity to beautiful girls.


    These stunning girls from the , coupled with their extraordinary temperament, were enough to cause even elders who were rich in experience to be trapped in a daze for a long while, let alone energetic youths. But Xia Yuanba was completely untroubled in this area, immediately shouted out of delight, and lightly sprinted towards Xia Qingyue, as though he did not notice the other girls from the around her.


    "Yuanba?" Xia Qingyue felt happy being reunited with her little brother.


    Xia Yuanba''s giant figure stopped before Xia Qingyue, and his expression was filled with excitement. The last time they meet was when Xia Qingyue is visiting him at the so it''s been a while since the last time they met.


    But this time Yuanba doesn''t hug Xia Qingyue like before since he''s more tactful now.


    "I miss you big sis! Oh, and you''re really amazing back then in the arena! " Xia Yuanba said like an excited child.


    "You''re amazing as well." Xia Qingyue smiled at him and patted his shoulder.


    "Hehehe, compared to you big sis, I''m nothing much. I have seen all your matches. If dad were to know that you have become so incredible now, he will definitely be unbelievably happy¡­ Big sis, are you doing well over there? Is anyone bullying you? When are you returning home¡­" The excited Xia Yuanba poured a large bunch of words onto Xia Qingyue.


    "Oh right, big sis. Brother-in-law is with me as well!" He suddenly thought of something and pointed at Yun Che behind him. He already forgot that they''re basically not married to each other anymore because of how excited he is...


    When he brought up "brother-in-law", Shui Wushuang and Wu Xuexin, who was beside Xia Qingyue, gave a sidelong glance at the same time, revealing similar weird looks. Chu Yueli and Chu Yuechan frowned at Yun Che.


    Chu Yueli frowned because he finally remembered just why this man looks so familiar, turns out that he is that brat Xiao Che while Chu Yuechan frowned because she already heard of this man from Chu Yueli''s mouth and it''s nothing good...


    Issei said he wanted to sightsee around the area hence he''s currently not with them much to their disappointment... They wanted to accompany him but he told them to go take a rest and doesn''t leave a room for negotiation so he left just like that...


    So they''re kind of in a bad mood right now.


    "Eh?" Xia Yuanba gave Yun Che a glance, and then, shifted his gaze back at Xia Qingyue. He scratched his head and finally remembered.


    He can only smile wryly while feeling unsure of what to do now... Brother-in-law said to just let nature take its course but... What to do now? I messed up...


    Chu Yueli clearly heard Xia Yuanba''s words as well. She shifted his gaze and looked at Yun Che: "You changed your name? No matter, you better still remember our agreement with each other. Don''t forget what you said back then." Although Chu Yueli is a bit astonished seeing Yun Che here, but she doesn''t think much because she has a bad impression at this man...


    Their first meeting is a bad first impression after all... Watching him cuddling with another woman on his wedding night is not something to be proud of... And Yun Che also realizes this as well.


    The whole sect knows of this so-called "Agreement" but not Cang Yue and Qin Wushang.


    But since they''re basically an outsider they don''t want to poke their heads into this...


    Yun Che took a step forward and said respectfully. "Yun Che, a disciple of , is happy to meet the fairies of . Back then in , this disciple did indeed have the name Xiao Che, but currently, this disciple is now named Yun Che. And don''t worry senior Chu Yueli, I still remember my promise."


    "Hmph! It''s good that you remember." Chu Yueli scoffed at him.


    Yun Che scratched his cheek because it seems that he''s being hated by the ... Not that he really mind though.


    "Yuanba, take good care of yourself and father." Xia Qingyue told Xia Yuanba in a gentle voice.


    "Awhh¡­ Big sis, I still have so many things to tell you... But okay... See you later big sis! If I do meet you in the arena later then I will give up directly!" He grinned at her to which earned a grin from Xia Qingyue as well.


    Then they left...


    Yun Che facepalmed because he forgot to ask about Issei but he''s not in a rush at the moment and besides, they will be staying here for the next 5 days anyway... No rush.


    ...


    Issei returned at night. He''s disappointed because there''s nothing special around this area... It seems that is the only thing left to check.


    He found some more location but since that thing is not that really useful he''s not really interested... But maybe he should take it later when he had the chance to do so.


    When he returned to the courtyard, he saw Chu Yuechan and the others are waiting for him.


    "Welcome back, Ise." Chu Yueli said gently.


    "Um? What all of you doing here?" Issei frowned a little seeing them still awake at this time.


    "We were waiting for you." This time Chu Yuechan answered.


    "*Sigh* I told you to take a rest but nevermind... Let''s go back." Issei sighed helplessly.


    "En" All of them answered obediently like gentle housewives welcoming their husband return.


    With Issei in the lead, they entered their respective room...


    Before Issei entered his room, he narrowed his eyes at the corner of the courtyard. The distance from his place to that spot was quite far but he can still saw someone hiding there...


    That person shuddered greatly when he sensed Issei''s gaze on him. Then Issei also looks at another direction and found another person in hiding as well.


    "Scram!" Issei said in a low voice but both of them could clearly hear his words. It''s as if Issei''s voice sounded directly inside their minds.


    They hurriedly leave the courtyard.


    "Ise, what''s wrong?" Chu Yuechan who just entered her room heard the little commotion that''s happening outside her room.


    "It''s nothing, just some rats." Issei answered her.


    "Rats?" Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes and saw a shadow of 2 people leaving their courtyard in time.


    They''re sent here by Ling Yuefeng and Xuanyuang Yufeng respectively to observe as a spy but they never thought that they will be found out by Issei right away... To make matters awkward, they never realize there''s another "Friend" of them stationed nearby.


    They then reported back to their respective bosses...


    She scowled realizing that she let her guard down too much that she couldn''t even sense those 2 "Rats" presence just now.


    Her beautiful eyes unconsciously turned into slits for a brief moment because she thought that she let Issei down for not realizing their presence sooner.


    "Don''t mind it too much." Issei who sensed her spiking aura calmed her down with just a few sentences.


    "En." She nodded but deep inside she''s still feeling angry. There should be only one person who would send a spy to their place and she knows just exactly who they are...


    She will remember this.


    ...


    On the second and third day, the first round of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament continued.


    In this first round of group stages, Yun Che was indeed quite lucky. In the group of fifty people that he was in, not only were there no disciples from the Four Major Sects, the strongest practitioner was only at the fifth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. But of the six disciples that were at the fifth level of the Spirit Profound Realm, he did not even meet a single one. Within three days, he fought twelve battles and the strongest expert he met was only at the fourth level of the Spirit Profound Realm¡­ With his undefeated streak of twelve wins, he entered the top 300 rankings, entering into the second round of group stage matches along with Xia Yuanba.


    Without any suspense, Xia Qingyue''s group won without breaking a sweat. Even before the match started, their opponents already forfeited hence they have more free time...


    After the first round of group stages ended, Xia Yuanba pumped his fist and cheered. Cang Yue was beaming, and Qin Wushang could not contain his smiles. Because this was the first time ever that the disciples representing the Blue Wind Imperial Family made into the second round of group stages! The first time a disciple entered into the top three hundred rankings!


    "I will immediately send the news to the Emperor. He will be very happy upon receiving this news." Qin Wushang said in an incomparably emotional way. Without waiting any further, he found a corner to send the news to the Emperor.


    While on Issei''s side, they have a calm and tranquil expression since it''s of no surprise to them that they will win this tournament... But their sight of serving Issei made all of them men howl in jealousy while the women swooned...


    Although they can''t see Issei and the girls'' faces, they know that they must have an otherworldly visage underneath their veils and mask.


    "This is too wonderful Junior Brother Yuanba, Junior Brother Yun Che. You have established a new ranking record for disciples representing the Imperial Family. After Father receives news of this, he will certainly be very happy." Cang Yue clapped while her brows curved into two beautiful crescent moons.


    Yun Che went into a daze seeing her face but soon he smiles bitterly because he knows that Cang Yue doesn''t hold any feelings for him... Aiss... Thankfully I still have my little aunt back at home...


    But he''s not the only person who went into a daze after looking at Cang Yue smile. Not far away, Fen Juecheng was looking at her as well... He decided to take her as his after this tournament. Even if it''s by force!


    ...


    On the fourth day of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, the second round of group stages officially started. At the same time, the one thousand and two hundred disciples that were eliminated in the first round went to the secondary venue in the rear hills to compete for the rankings below the top three hundred. It was only that the ranking tournament at the secondary venue had a far smaller audience. Both the quality and atmosphere of the secondary venue could not compare to that of the main venue.


    The second round of group stages was likewise held on the thirty little sword arenas. Even though the number of participating disciples was condensed to only three hundred, every person had to fight a full fifteen matches! At the same time, even though this round of group stages was still by "group matches", the competitors were no longer divided into groups. Everyone''s opponent was no longer restricted to a small range and could be drawn from the entire set of disciples who had entered into the second round. This allowed the highest chance of making sure that everything was fair.


    However, there was no such thing as absolute fairness. Even though the second round was not divided into groups, the opponent that was selected for every match was still something to watch out for. If someone originally had the ability to rank within the top hundred but was so unlucky as to encounter opponents from the Major Sects for all fifteen of his/her battles, then he/she could only cradle his/her head and cry in pain. There was no way to logically debate against that. And someone else, whose strength was only average but only met opponents who were below average, could manage to win all his battles.


    They all had one thing in common inside their minds... "Please don''t let us faced off against that group of monsters!"


    Of course, they can only hope and left their fate to their destiny...

 Chapter 105 - 104

    The sixth day of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, which was also the last day of the second round of group stages.


    There''s no surprise and everything went as expected... Although, Yun Che managed to garner some people attention seeing that he''s capable of defeating someone that of higher cultivation than he is.


    They never thought this 17 years old youth who''s at the 5th level of the is apparently an underdog...


    Since yesterday''s ten consecutive wins in the second round of group stages, Yun Che and Xia Yuanba''s victories within the group stage had not stopped, rather, it continued on after every match.


    It''s like luck is on Yun Che side because he never fought against opponents that''s on the . Xia Yuanba is the one who fought against them so far...


    Eleventh match:


    "...Blue Wind Imperial Family''s Xia Yuanba wins!"


    Qin Wushang tightly gripped both hands in excitement, itching to wave his hands in the air and shout loudly without the slightest of elegance.


    Twelfth match:


    "...Blue Wind Imperial Family''s Xia Yuanba wins!"


    Qin Wushang stood up in excitement with trembling lips. As both his hands shook, it was as if he did not know where to put them.


    Thirteenth match:


    "...Blue Wind Imperial Family''s Xia Yuanba wins!"


    Even Qin Wushang''s black beard started to shake as he continued to repeat himself: "Top fifty¡­ Top fifty¡­ Top fifty¡­"


    Fifteenth match, which was also the last match:


    "...Blue Wind Imperial Family''s Xia Yuanba wins!"


    Top fifty in the individual ranking was a position that he did not even dare to even wish for! His long-time wish was the same as Cang Wanhe''s, and he only wished for their power ranking to be in the top hundred. And now, Xia Yuanba alone had already let the entire Imperial Family obtain a rank so high it was not known how many times higher it was from their original goal¡­ He could imagine how excited this would make Cang Wanhe feel when he received news of this.


    Yun Che also managed to enter the top fifty.


    Cang Yue also clapped her hands in happiness... Now she can leave for without worry... She already fulfilled her royal father''s wish...


    ...


    Aside from Yun Che and Xia Yuanba, Xia Qingyue, Xu Wuexin, Shui Wushuang, Ling Yun, Fen Jin and other disciples within the Major Sects also finished with complete victories in the second round of group stages, which meant that they too, did not need to be ranked and could directly advance into tomorrow''s elimination rounds.


    "Complete victory... Top thirty-two..." It had been a while since Qin Wushang''s bottom had touched his seat. He was so excited that he was essentially incapable of sitting down as he continued to rave deliriously, with each of his words carrying a deep vibrato. At this moment, he deeply felt that he was currently dreaming, and was also deeply afraid that this was merely a dream...


    Even though he already prepared himself for this, when it truly happened it is still very overwhelming for him...


    In contrast, Cang Yue was much more tranquil. After all, unlike Qin Wushang, she did not carry the burden of always seeing the previous ranking tournament''s dismal performance results that brought along such humiliation, resentment, and unwillingness.


    They''re really thankful to Xia Yuanba and Yun Che for participating in this tournament.


    As she thought back to the time when she had first gotten acquainted with Issei in the and all the little details that came after that, she unwittingly began to smile.


    It seems that Xia Yuanba''s sudden rise in power must have some connection with Issei...


    He is a person who has always brought hope, nice surprises, and miracles... Meeting him is her lifetime''s most fortunate of miraculous encounters.


    "What a truly unforeseen outcome... To think that there is 2 group of monstrous talent in this tournament. The is one thing, but for the as well..." Ling Yuefeng lamented with sincerity as he watched Yun Che and Xia Yuanba walk down the Sword Discourse Arena after fifteen consecutive victories.


    Then he looks at the seatings... Xia Qingyue''s group finished way earlier than Yun Che''s group because even though Xia Yuanba defeated most of his enemies in 1 hit, they still need to wait for Yun Che to finish his fight...


    Ling Yuefeng narrowed his eyes while murderous intent filled his gazes when he saw how Chu Yuechan treated Issei... He''s envious! How can he not be envious of Issei?! The love of his life is there acting like a dutiful wife serving Issei!


    "Father, for one to defeat an opponent of a higher level, there are only three possible reasons why. One of them is when one''s innate talent of using profound energy is so high that they are able to bring out a power that''s double their own profound strength... The second is when one''s profound arts and techniques are so strong that they are able to completely crush their opponent. The third is when one''s innate talent is astonishingly superior with a special nature, like an innate divine strength, a hardened body, a sharp perception, and so on... But as far as I could tell, that Xia Qingyue''s group seems to possess all the three conditions above..." Ling Yun said with a sigh.


    "Their profound energy usage is very accurate and extremely dense that it is extremely suffocating just being near the range of their attacks, their profound art also really special... Within this mainland, as far as I know, only the could use this kind of profound art... It might seem just your typical ice profound art but there''s something more into it... It is vastly different compared to Mu Luanyi who I defeated in the past... Their innate talent is also out of this world... Especially that Xia Qingyue who''s only at 17 years old but she''s already at the peak of the ... Truly remarkable..."


    Ling Yun said with emotion to which his father nodded with an "Em" but his eyes latched on Chu Yuechan''s figure still...


    But Ling Yuefeng''s body shuddered when his gazes intersected with Chu Yuechan... He thought that he might be mistaken but he just felt like he''s being gazed by a divine beast instead of a fellow human: ''It must be just my imagination''... He thought to himself but he took back his gaze from her less he will annoy her even further...


    He needs to apologize for his misconduct soon or she will thoroughly hate him later...


    Unknown to him, Chu Yuechan already despises Ling Yuefeng to the maximum... Because of him, she made a fool out of herself in front of Issei. Actually it''s just her being overly conscious and overthinking... Issei is not that petty after all. Nevertheless, she already hated Ling Yuefeng because of this...


    His subordinate already reported his blunder yesterday and he was surprised since this subordinate is at the 1st level of the and his profound art is leaning towards concealment art. For Issei to saw through his concealment right away then his cultivation must be above his or he''s cultivating some sort of profound art that could see through concealment.


    But he doesn''t want to accept the 1st outcome... He rather chooses the 2nd option. There''s no way his cultivation realm is above his...


    Ling Yuefeng''s cultivation base himself is at the 4th level. He''s just recently had a breakthrough.


    He still doesn''t know that Chu Yuechan has already left him in the dust in terms of cultivation alone... Even most of the 7 fairies have surpassed him... Only Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue that''s still at the while the rest of the fairies are at already...


    "...It doesn''t matter, Yun''er... It''s acceptable for you to lose against these 4 monstrous talents later on. It''s not that you''re too weak but your enemy is too strong this time... No need to risk yourself fighting against them later. Just surrender if you wanted to. I''m sure nobody would look down on you..." Ling Yuefeng sighed bitterly since it seems that his son won''t be able to get the 1st place in this tournament...


    "Um..." Ling Yun nodded at his father''s words but what''s on his mind is unknown...


    He then set his gaze on Xia Qingyue...


    After the second round of group stages, the sect''s disciples were directly ranked out using the number of wins. Among them, the top thirty-two disciples in the rankings would proceed to the last elimination round on the main Sword Discourse Arena tomorrow. Disciples below the one-hundredth rank, as well as rank thirty-three to one hundred, would respectively be transferred to different secondary arenas, and progress to the ranking battles between their ranks.


    The elimination round was the last stage of the Ranking Tournament, as well as the core existence of the entire Ranking Tournament. Because, among over one thousand and five hundred participating disciples, these were the decided strongest thirty-two people! Who represented the pinnacle of the Blue Wind Empire''s younger generation''s strength! Even though the elimination round only had thirty-two people, it would last for an entire five days, longer than any round of group stage matches. The arena would also no longer be the small Sword Discourse Arenas, and would instead be the enormous central Main Sword Discourse Arena.


    ...


    That night Chu Yuechan and the other girls are sitting on the dinner table within their courtyard dining hall.


    Ever since that night when she found out about the "Rats" she refuses to receive any beverages or food provided by the Heavenly Sword Villa.


    They said they don''t need it much to the villa servants dismay... What to do? Their master told them to provide the best service for them but they''re unable to do so since Chu Yuechan herself refuses... They can only report this to Ling Yuefeng...


    Ling Yuefeng himself can only sigh and told them that it''s fine... He doesn''t want to anger her even further so he can only follow her wish...


    Chu Yueli and the others supported Chu Yuechan''s words. They also hated Ling Yuefeng for sending a spy to their place... As for why they''re so sure that it''s him who sends those spies. It''s because this is their domain, there''s no way they will let other guests spy each other...


    Issei himself also confirmed that they''re indeed sent by Ling Yuefeng himself with the help of the .


    He told it to follow those "Rats" back to their master''s place without anyone realizing its presence... can blend with the darkness itself, that and coupled with its high cultivation base. There''s no way those weaklings can detect him... Even Ling Kun himself who''s at the 6th level of the won''t be able to detect it, needless to say about those who are below the ...


    Issei brought the and the with him and stored them inside the .


    Issei sighed to himself seeing that the girls don''t want to take the food provided by the .


    Not that he would blame them for it... Seeing that they would eat the rations they brought he stopped them: "Wait."


    The girls stopped their hands and look at him puzzlingly.


    "Don''t eat that, I will make some food for you." He told them.


    While Chu Yueli and the others are surprised by what he said, Chu Yuechan''s beautiful face beamed with happiness since she will be able to eat Issei cooking once again... She still can''t forget the taste of the wanton soup from before...


    Chu Yuechan still hasn''t told them that he can cook. Good timing she thought to herself...


    Issei tied his hair into a ponytail and proceeded to take out some cooking utensils... Ranging from a magic frying pan, a magic oven, knife, etc... All of these are created by Kathryn at one point. All he need is to channel a bit of his mana/profound energy into it to make it useable.


    The girls went into a daze seeing him putting a white apron... It''s a lower waist apron and not a full-body apron but it really suits him a lot they thought to themselves...


    They''re also surprised by the sight of these magical tools but that''s all glossed over with the thoughts that it''s him we''re talking about...


    He''s wearing a black t-shirt with 2 buttons opened from the top which serves as an allure for the onlookers''.


    Issei then took out some fish meats from the , then proceeded to cut them to an appropriate chunk for each of them.


    He seasoned the meat then seared it first before putting them in the magic oven then proceeded to make the gravy sauce for it.


    The meat he took out is a lump of meat from a . This fish is quite rare since it''s quite powerful back in its own world. It can be considered an apex predator over there... Its name came from how its head shaped just like a Dragon with a giant horn while possessing a giant tuna body that''s colored golden hence the name .


    It''s a beast nearing . It had the mystical properties of dissolving immediately when entering the mouth and also being able to strengthen the body. It was also rumored that this meat had the capabilities of improving one''s appearance, maintaining one''s youthful appearance forever.


    So it''s quite popular with the ladies back in its world and even in Issei''s world...


    The gravy sauce is its bone marrow and bone sinew themselves. Issei ground it in a magic blender and then he proceeded to take out some unique looking vegetables... Then he mixed the blended bone marrow and sinew with some herbs into a giant pot and then he simmers them in a pot full of Yggdrasil tree honeydew.


    He also roasted some vegetables as a side dish along with some caviar on top of them from the very same fish. Even though its body is huge, its eggs are very small, at the size of sturgeon caviar. Probably because it will be easier to hide them from other predators...


    For the drinks, he took out some specialized wine with zero alcohol content. After all, Xia Qingyue is still underage(at least in his opinion) and he will also eat with them so he can''t let himself become drunk because of the wine or it will be catastrophic...


    After a few minutes, he arranged the plates and set the tuna steak carefully with some intricate design from the ingredients he has, making it looks like a blooming rose and poured the gravy on top of the tuna steak.


    Their eyes turned moist gazing at the current Issei... It''s really romantic for women when a man knows how to cook. That and coupled with his otherworldly face almost made them swooned out loud...


    The food mouth-watering smell immediately snaps the girls from their daze. They keep swallowing their saliva to prevent them from overflowing... They have never smelled this kind of heavenly fragrance in their entire life...


    Even Jasmine and Xun''er who''s inside the almost drooled at the sight of his food and him at the same time...


    Xun''er and Jasmine''s little heart thumped loudly after seeing him and then they saw the breathtaking food he arranged on the table. If it wasn''t for Chu Yuechan and the others being there then they would''ve exited the pearl to join him to eat the food.


    Thankfully they could keep their composure or they would''ve made an embarrassing scene of themselves in front of the man they adore...


    "Take a seat and let''s eat." Issei took off his cooking apron and seated himself on the dining table. The girls hastily took their respective seats.


    They shakingly pick up their chopsticks because of the heavenly smell becomes even stronger now that they''re in front of it... They copied Issei''s action on how to eat the food.


    The meat is very soft and using can be easily cut by using chopsticks alone.


    Choosing one of the meats from the three slice of meat, then cutting out a small piece from it, The girls squinted their eyes and stuffed the small piece of meat into their mouth at the same time. 0.1 seconds later! The girls opened their eyes wide open. What kind of meat is this! It actually immediately dissolved when it entered their mouths!


    The meat is still particularly fragrant, sweet and extremely delicious. Furthermore, the meat doesn''t carry a particular odor most meats usually does. The gravy sauce also enhances the flavor even further.


    They almost swallowed their tounges just from one slice of meat.


    They instantly throw away their etiquette out of the windows and quickly devoured the delicacies in front of them in gusto.


    When they took a sip of their wine, their eyes become wide open once again. Just what is this thing! Why is it this delicious? Although they only took a small sip, the unique fragrance revolved around their mouth, then afterward, the taste transmitted to their brain and made their minds become clear more than ever before. Even the pores on their skins also opened up making them feel so refreshed and comfortable.


    Not only the food, but even the drink is also very tasty!


    Raising their heads up, the girls drank the entire wine in one go. They felt that their entire body was about to start floating. The fragrance distributed to every cell in their body, and their cells were cheering and thirsting for another cup of wine.


    Looking at the empty wine glass, they immediately regretted it. They shouldn''t have drunk it all in one go just now, they should have drunk it slowly. Their gaze was immediately placed onto the only wine glass left, which is Issei''s.


    Only then they realized their lack of etiquette and their face instantly exploded in red. They wish they could find a hole and crawl inside it because of how embarrassing it is... They can''t believe they just embarrass themselves in front of the man they adore...


    It''s his fault! Why does his food have to be so tasty! They thought inside their minds putting the blame on Issei...


    Issei proceeded to pour some more wine for them.


    "Eat slowly, no need to rush." He said calmly towards them.


    They nodded shyly and this time they eat more slowly and enjoy every bite and every sip of wine they have...


    Issei smiled thinly seeing their act... It kind of reminded him of Ramius''s group during his stay in their world.


    He then calmly eat his food...


    "Y-You better have already prepared the portion for this princess and this princess royal mother!" Jasmine''s threatening words yet it sounded like a pleading voice tone rang out from within the pearl.


    Issei stopped his hand for a second before smirking to himself...


    ...


    The girls hurriedly enter their room when they finished their dinner. They''re too embarrassed to see Issei right now and for some reason, their body felt a little bit hot...


    They''re a bit confused why they feel this way but they don''t think that Issei drugged them or anything...


    Why would he wait till now if that''s what he was aiming for? His strength is far above them and he could easily have his way with them if he wanted to, so him drugging them is non-sensical or plain dumb... And if he really wanted to do "it" then they won''t really mind either...


    But soon they realize that it''s not only their body but their profound veins are also feeling hot. They hastily check their bodies and becomes astonished that there is abundant profound energy residing within...


    They immediately cultivate in their respective rooms.


    Each of them had a breakthrough by 1 or 2 small realms on that very same night... Chu Yuechan officially stepped into the peak of the , Chu Yueli entered the 5th level throne, Xia Qingyue into 1st level throne, Shui Wushuang, and Xu Wuexin entered the 8th level of the .


    When morning came they sigh to themselves thinking that they owe him yet again... But then they are surprised seeing a bit of stinky black grime on their body. They hurriedly entered their bathroom to wash up...


    ...


    Inside the pearl, Issei smirked at the little princess who acts bossy in front of him.


    "Where''s this princess food?" She asked haughtily.


    Issei ignored her and proceeded to take out the same steak he just cooked and put them on the dining table inside the pearl. The heavenly fragrance the food emitted immediately provoked their taste bud to no end...


    "*C-Cough* Good, this princess will remember your merit" Jasmine faked a cough as an excuse to wipe her drool.


    When she extended her hand towards the plate of steak before her, Issei slapped her hands lightly to the side.


    "What are you doing!?" Jasmine shouted indignantly.


    "Is that how you convey your gratitude?" Issei smirked at her.


    "Y-You..." Jasmine bared her fangs towards Issei.


    "What you? If you don''t properly say thank you then you''re not allowed to eat." Issei calmly retorted to her words.


    Jasmine gritted her teeth and swung her head to the side as if saying ''See if this princess cares about your measly food''.


    But the way she sneaks a peek at the corner of her eye once in a while betrayed her thoughts... Who can blame her? The food Issei cooked just smells that good!


    Xun''er could only smile wryly at her daughter. But this time she decided to take Issei''s side.


    "Ise, may I have your food?" She asked Issei permission to eat the food.


    "Sure." Issei nodded at her.


    "Thank you." She sat down on the dining table after properly conveying her gratitude towards him.


    She proceeded to grab a pair of chopsticks and said out loud: "Mmm, this smells really good and I bet the taste also taste delicious... Jasmine dear, are you sure you don''t want to eat? If not then mother will take your share as well~"


    Jasmine''s ear twitched ever so slightly but she still doesn''t say anything...


    Xun''er smiled at her daughter and proceeded to eat a slice of meat she just cut...


    "...S-So delicious!" She was thinking to act a play but she never thought that Issei food could taste this good... Her current reaction is genuine.


    She then reacts just like Chu Yuechan and the others.


    She immediately eats at a rapid pace which worries Jasmine a lot... Will mother really eat my share as well? Jasmine started fidgetting a lot while worry laced her face and she gulped audibly seeing how happy her mother when she''s eating the food.


    Just when Xun''er portion started to dwindle by quite a bit, she finally couldn''t take it anymore and immediately went forward to Issei''s direction.


    "P-Please l-let me have your food!" She shouted in a red face.


    Issei smirk grew wider while Jasmine''s eye started flooded with tears threatening to drop from the corner of her comely eyes.


    Issei finally decided to stop teasing her and give her the green light: "Sure."


    She doesn''t bother to hide her joy and hastily sit on the table as well and joined Xun''er... Her eyes are wide open the moment she tasted the food... So. Freaking. Delicious!


    Then both of them enjoyed their food with Issei calmly observing them from the side... Issei also sent a portion for Xiaotao and the 2 wyverns inside the ... The howl and roar of joy coming from the 2 wyverns almost made Xiaotao went angry because of how noisy it is but all of that disappears the moment she put the meat in her mouth...


    ...


    Xun''er and Jasmine''s face went beet red just like the other girls when they finish their food... Xun''er can''t believe she loses her composure in front of Issei... While Jasmine felt embarrassed despite the tough act she showed, in the end, she still surrendered into the enemy''s "threat"...


    "...Dear, don''t you have something to say?" Xun''er said in a stern voice to hide her embarrassment from Issei and made her daughter a scapegoat.


    Jasmine pouted slightly but she manages to say her thanks albeit in a small voice just like a mosquito buzzing: "...th-thank you..." She mumbled.


    Issei chuckled lightly and ruffled her hair roughly: "You''re welcome, little brat."


    Her pout grew larger but she doesn''t avoid his touch and if someone were to look at her eyes, they will find out that she''s feeling happy although her face doesn''t show it...


    "...Th-This princess allows you to be her personal chef from this moment on." This won''t do! She needs to regain her prestige back! But all of that comes crumbling down the moment she saw Issei hand gesture ready to flick her forehead.


    She hastily covered her forehead and closed her eyes at the same time.


    But Issei suddenly pinches her cheeks which caught her off guard... Her muffled sound because of his pinch came out rather funny. "S-Stowp! It huwts! I''m sowwy!" Only then he let go of her cheeks which becomes red for a whole another reason this time...


    Then he left the fuming little princess alone and exited the pearl while Xun''er giggled at her angry daughter...


    ...


    The next morning, as the sky was just barely lighting up, the Sword Discourse Arena in the Heavenly Sword Villa was already clamoring.


    The final event of Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, the Round of Thirty Two, had finally begun!


    An enormous profound stone was temporarily erected in the center of the Main Sword Discourse Arena, and the names of the thirty-two people who had entered the Round of Thirty Two, as well as the sect they belonged two were displayed on top. Amongst these thirty-two names, the twelve disciples from the Major Sects were all present without any exceptions.


    But in the history of this Ranking Tournament, this was a sight that was most common. If even one were to be missing from there, it would instead be abnormal. The great disparity between the major Sects and the other minor sects could be glimpsed at from this.


    "I had never thought even in my dreams, that there would be a day our Blue Wind Imperial Family''s name would actually appear on it." Looking at that enormous profound stone in the arena, Qin Wushang''s complexion actually carried a deep devoutness within. He was excited to the point of being unable to sleep at all last night, and to also come here so early in the morning. His feeling of excitement could not be suppressed no matter what.


    Every single name on the profound stone was more breathtaking than the last, and the name of the sects was also more astonishing than the last. Qin Wushang believed, that Yun Che''s winning streak in this Ranking Tournament would be stopped here, but Xia Yuanba will keep his winning streak without difficulties...


    He should be able to get 2nd rank but considering that Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin belong to his elder sister sect then he will forfeit the match... It''s fine though since being in 4th rank is more than enough for him...


    "Participating disciples of the Round of Thirty Two, please come to the stage and draw the lot for battle order!"


    Then the tournament resumed itself...


    But Qin Wushang is surprised seeing that Yun Che managed to enter the top 16 still... It looks like luck is still on his side since most of his enemies are mostly on the same realm while those who are on the are faced with Xia Yuanba.


    It''s a good thing though... That means Yun Che still has a chance to enter the top 10 ranks as well...


    ...


    After another night had passed, a new day had begun. New matches were also imminent. It was early morning, but the entire Sword Discourse Arena was already jammed packed with people waiting for the Round of 16 to begin. As of now, this Blue Wind Ranking Tournament''s match progression still conformed with the norm... If they''re taking Xia Qingyue''s group out of consideration that is...


    Yun Che result is also surprising for them since he''s capable of defeating those that are in a higher cultivation realm than he is... But his achievements are overshadowed by those 4 monstrous talents.


    As for the ranking tournament''s final results, that was already predestined inside everyone''s heart long ago, during the first day''s Profound Assessment Ceremony¡­


    They''ve already forgotten about competing for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th rank altogether since it''s nothing but a pipe dream now...


    The 5th rank is what they''re competing for... But since Ling Yun is here then that''s also another pipe dream but at the very least they still have a sliver of a chance in defeating him compared to Xia Qingyue''s group...


    Even their respective clan/sect leaders told them it''s fine for them to not compete for the 1st to 4th rank... No need to endanger themselves fighting those monsters, they told their respective disciples.


    They can''t put a protest either since there''s no rule is being broken... They can only lament their bad luck for this year''s tournament...


    At that point, Ling Kun, who usually was very silent, stood up from his seat and looked at Yun Che. Although his actions could be considered inconspicuous on the gigantic Sword Discourse Arena, everyone present turned to him as if attracted by an unknown aura and subconsciously watched him. His sudden action seemed to make everyone''s hearts thump.


    , a place that was sacred and distant, and perhaps even legendary to them. The applause stopped immediately and the entire Sword Discourse Arena turned so silent that even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard. Everyone held their breaths as they waited to see what this mighty elder that came from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region wanted to do.


    "Young man, you are called Yun Che?" Ling Kun looked at Yun Che as he asked cheerfully. His voice was very peaceful.


    Yun Che''s footsteps stopped for a moment, as he was visibly shocked by the question. He nodded and replied humbly: "Yes, I am Yun Che. I wonder if Senior Ling wishes to say anything to me."


    "You are currently a disciple of the Profound Palace set up by the Blue Wind Empire''s Imperial Family, right?" Ling Kun asked.


    "Yes."


    Ling Kun nodded slowly before saying something earth-shattering: "Well, are you interested to join our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region?"


    This one question of Ling Kun''s, echoed through the ears of everyone, causing great shock. Qin Wushang was stunned, and so was Cang Yue. Even Ling Yuefeng was shocked motionless. Every person in the audience revealed an expression of deep astonishment.


    While Xia Qingyue and the others only raised an eyebrow seemingly a bit tad surprised seeing how Yun Che is being invited to join one of the sacred grounds.


    Mighty . One of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, an almighty existence in the Profound Sky Continent. If one was able to enter the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, he must be one of the top profound practitioners currently in existence. Without exaggeration, if a servant in the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region came to Blue Wind Empire, he could become a renowned master of a faction. In terms of status, he would easily be more respectable than a country''s emperor! Many of the young profound practitioners could be considered to be of a genius level, but not one of them dared to dream of entering one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds. Not even Ling Yun had dared think of it before.


    Among the seven countries in the , was the smallest and weakest one until now. It was also the one that was the furthest from the . They had only heard the names of the Four Great Sacred Grounds in legends. Most of the people would not interact with it in any form throughout their lives. Today, however, one of the legendary Sacred Grounds had taken the initiative to invite a seventeen-year-old youth to join them.


    To be honest, Ling Kun rather has Xia Yuanba joining the sect but since Xia Yuanba is not a swordsman and he also refused all invitation so far then he decided to just invite Yun Che instead.


    Everyone''s eyes fell onto Yun Che¡­ Shock, envy, amazement, jealousy, and disbelief¡­ If it was Xia Yuanba that''s being invited then they won''t be so shocked but to think it will be Yun Che instead...


    Sure his talent not bad but compared to Ling Yun then he falls short, isn''t he?


    Only Xia Qingyue and Chu Yueli had different thoughts... They know that a few months ago, this Yun Che can''t even cultivate. Now he''s already at the 5th level of the ...


    If those who are envious and indignant of him know of this then they might think otherwise...


    His cultivation speed is really quick but since they have seen a true talent which is their sect elder they didn''t think much about it... Their elder can reach the peak of the in but one single breath! They''re willing to bet with everything they have that no one will be able to do what he did... 100%!


    But they are indeed a bit curious just what kind of fortuitous encounter that this Yun Che encountered to make him advance this fast... If they know about Yun Che true identity then they won''t be as surprised...


    Issei for one can tell that this Yun Che is not 17 years old... At least on the outside or body structure then he is indeed only 17 years old but his soul says otherwise... His soul age is at least twice Issei''s own age... More than 40 years old...


    But once he thought of the treasure he possesses beforehand then it might be not so weird after all... This indeed has a property that could somehow "Reincarnate" one soul back to the past but its power is limited within this universe only as far as he could tell.


    He once tried to analyze it inside the but the result is a little disappointing... He meant, don''t get him wrong, it''s indeed quite a powerful artifact but compared to the other treasures he possesses then it''s a bit lacking...


    Semiramis ability alone could easily surpass this but it would be a bit unreasonable comparing a True Goddess of Death to this low-level artifact...


    "Mighty Heavenly Sword Region¡­ That is a place even I do not dare to dream of." Qin Wushang exclaimed in a shocked manner: "The Mighty has invited him. Even I, cannot fathom his future anymore... How about you, Yuanba? Do you want to enter the ? With your and Yun Che''s talent, it''s not something like a little Blue Wind Profound Palace is worthy of having. Maybe the Mighty Four Great Sacred Grounds are the ones that are truly worthy of keeping you both... When the times to come, knowing you both would probably be something that would make me proud for the rest of my life. Hahahaha." Qin Wushang laughed warmly.


    He''s not the type of person who overcomplicates stuff. He truly thinks that the small Blue Wind Profound Palace/New Moon Palace is not worthy enough of their talents... Staying there would only harm their future growth and that''s not something he wanted to see.


    Cang Yue also felt the same as Qin Wushang and she thought it would be best if they both enter the Heavenly Sword Region. Even she was thinking to enter the on her own...


    "Ah? No no, I''m already content with just staying in the New Moon Profound Palace." Xia Yuanba waved his hand frantically.


    Qin Wushang and Cang Yue smiled wryly... His lack of ambition worries them a bit... But they thought they will slowly advise him to enter 4 Sacred Grounds later on...


    Ling Kun who heard Xia Yuanba''s answer sighed in pity... Then he looks at Yun Che waiting for his answer.


    Yun Che''s brows moved slightly. He did not have the elation and excitement everyone expected him to have. His face was shockingly, only a field of calmness. He took a step forward and replied courteously: "Many thanks to Senior Ling for thinking so highly of this junior. However, this junior is currently still a disciple of the Blue Wind Profound Palace and has no thoughts of leaving yet. Furthermore, this junior still has plenty of unfinished business here. Even though my heart longs for it, I am unable to bring myself to leave¡­ I can only thank Senior Ling for the love and kind intentions."


    Yun Che''s answer was completely out of everyone''s expectation. Everyone stared at him and wondered if he had gone mad¡­ Being invited by Mighty Heavenly Sword Region was something that people did not even dare to dream about, and he actually rejected it! Instead, he was willing to stay in a small Blue Wind Profound Palace! This was a reply only an idiot or lunatic would make.


    Ling Kun, however, was not angry, and instead laughed peacefully: "Hahahaha, good! Even though you are young, you are not arrogant, nor are you impatient. You are not flustered, nor are you rash. This is indeed rare. The reason I want to bring you into Mighty Heavenly Sword Region is not because of the talent you displayed. Although your talent is considered shocking in this country, in the Sacred Grounds, it might not even be considered average. The reason I want to bring you in is because of the beautiful way you handle the heavy sword¡­


    Mighty Heavenly Sword Region used to have a Heavy Sword/Great Sword department. However, it eventually died out. From you, I can see hopes of reforming that department. It is inappropriate for me to ask who your master is, but I hope that when you do join Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, you are able to reform the Heavy Sword department. If you could do it, becoming an elder-ranked figure of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region is not unlikely."


    Hisss...


    "Elder-ranked figure of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region". These few words made many people shudder. That was a figure that even Heavenly Sword Villa''s Villa Master Ling Yuefeng was unqualified to meet.


    Yun Che still remained very calm and replied without hesitation: "Senior Ling''s graciousness, this junior will remember it well. When this junior is done with his unfinished business, he will definitely think about it deeply."


    "Good!" Ling Kun still did not become angry, and instead commended him with a nod: "I admire your personality. If that is the case, I shall not force you. Here, take this!"


    Ling Kun flicked his finger and a piece of a deep purple colored jade stone the size of a fist horizontally flew out and was caught by Yun Che.


    Ling Kun withdrew his palm and said coolly: "This is a special Sound Transmission Stone that is able to communicate with me as long as we are within a distance of a hundred fifty kilometers. If you eventually decide to join our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, drop me a message. I will guide you to us and bring you to meet the Venerable Sword Master. I believe the Venerable Sword Master would be immensely interested in how you handle the heavy sword."


    Despite being rejected twice by Yun Che, Ling Kun did not become angry. Instead, he left him a Sound Transmission Jade. Such treatment was undoubtedly an extremely favorable one which left many people envying until they nearly cried blood tears. However, Ling Kun also had absolute confidence that Yun Che would initiate contact with him in the near future¡­ The invitation to Mighty Heavenly Sword Region was a ''temptation'' that any young profound practitioner could not possibly reject.


    But when Ling Kun gazes went towards Xia Qingyue''s group, Issei frowned a little since he can sense some sort of ill will inside his gaze... It''s not lustful gaze but more like greed-filled eyes, like he''s looking a mountain of gold... He doesn''t really care about those 4 sacred ground or whatnot but if they do dare to bare their fangs towards the members of the then he won''t mind sending Esdeath''s group once again to "clean the house"...


    "...Be careful of this Ling Kun, don''t trust him." Issei said softly towards Chu Yuechan and the others.


    They''re taken aback by Issei sudden words but they nodded obediently soon after... If their sect elder told them to be careful then they would. Although they don''t know why they should be careful of this Ling Kun they would still follow his words suit...


    It''s not like Issei will harm them anyway and they rather believe his words rather than someone else they barely know...


    Xia Qingyue for one knew very well when Issei said these kinds of warnings then he most likely has a good reason for it... Just like last time during their visit to the when they encountered that "Miracle Saint" or whatnot...


    And her guess is right...


    ...


    -Last night-


    Ling Kun, as one of the executives of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, his status could only be considered as the low-middle class in the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. However, in the Blue Wind Empire, his status, and his strength, was enough to frighten and be revered by all the large sects. None of them would dare to offend or disobey him in the slightest.


    In the eyes of the Four Great Sacred Lands, these small empires were simply nothing but third-rate places that they would not even bother to step into.


    The courtyard had prepared for Ling Kun was also extremely extravagant. Just by the number of servants attending to him alone were more than a dozen, and currently, all of these people who attended to him were sent away by him. In the room lighted up by the pale candle-light, he took out a treasure jade that was entirely bluish-purple in color. This was a piece of an extremely rare and unique sound transmission jade.


    With the insertion of profound energy, the bluish-purple sound transmission jade emitted out a pale glow, and the sound transmission formation that''s hidden within began to quickly spin.


    "Young Hall Master, how have you been? Do you still remember this trivial old man?" Ling Kun narrowed his eyelids and softly spoke to the sound transmission jade.


    "Senior Ling? Ling Kun of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region? Now this sure is rare. It seems like, you should have something interesting to discuss with this young master?"


    "That''s right." Ling Kun slowly said. "This old man wishes to make a trade with Young Hall Master. I believe Young Hall Master will definitely be interested in this trade."


    "Oh? Go on." The voice from the other end said in an intrigued tone.


    "Hoho, I heard that Young Hall Master has been looking for a girl who possesses the in these recent years. And a mystical girl like that, this old man has actually encountered one. I wonder if Young Hall Master is interested?" Ling Kun said while remembering the body of Xia Qingyue... He accidentally sensed her special physique when she''s using the Profound Assessment Stone.


    "What?" The voice which was initially calm instantly became hurried, and then, his voice once again sank. "This young master naturally will not suspect Senior Ling''s eyes. But since it''s the that would rarely appear in ten thousand years, why isn''t Senior Ling using for himself, or presenting it to your Holy Master of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region?"


    "This old man knows of his own status, I really do not have the sufficient guts to enjoy this . If I were to offer it to the Holy Master, I will only be able to exchange it for the so-called ''merits'', but if I were to offer it to Young Hall Master¡­ Heh, I believe, with Young Hall Master''s boldness and wit, this old man will definitely receive even more benefits."


    "Hahahaha! Senior Ling sure is a smart man. This young master likes to talk with smart people. Looks like back then, when this young master left the sound transmission jade to Senior Ling, it was really the wisest decision on my part. Whatever benefits Senior Ling wish to have, please feel free to express them. If it''s the real Nine Profound Exquisite Body, no matter what Senior Ling wishes to have, it would never be too much." The young master laughed in a jovial manner.


    "As I thought, Young Hall Master is straightforward." Ling Kun laughed: "This old man only wants one thing¡­ A thousand five hundred grams of Purple Veined Divine Crystals."


    "...A thousand five hundred grams. This request of Senior Ling''s sure is big."


    "Hahahaha, to others, forget about a thousand five hundred grams of , it would be difficult for them to even obtain a thousand five hundred grams of Purple Veined Heaven Crystals. But, to Young Hall Master, I believe obtaining a thousand five hundred grams of Purple Veined Divine Crystals isn''t really a hard task. And, when comparing the Nine Profound Exquisite Body to a thousand five hundred grams of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, it basically isn''t worth mentioning."


    "Fine! Within two years, this young master will personally prepare a thousand five hundred grams of . I hope when that time comes, Senior Ling will definitely not disappoint me."


    "Young Hall Master, please be at ease. Unless this old man is tired of living, otherwise, I definitely would not dare to fool Young Hall Master in the slightest. Then, this old man will quietly wait for Young Hall Master''s good news¡­"


    The light in the sound transmission jade disappeared. Ling Kun raised his head, quietly smiled, and muttered softly to himself. "The characteristic of that girl''s profound aura is exactly the same as the records of the Nine Profound Exquisite Body in the Secret Tome¡­ Heh, I did not expect that such a divine body would be born in this trivial land. Heaven is basically on my side!"


    ''Yep, I''m on your side alright, on your side to see your own and your sect destruction when the time comes that is! What a retard...'' The "Heaven" would''ve reacted that way if it were to hear his words...


    Ling Kun then thought about the other women as well... Especially that Chu Yuechan who''s quite mystical even in his eyes... He thought that he should investigate them even further to see if there''s something else worth selling for...


    That Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin is not bad either... Their body seems quite special on their own. But he can''t really sense Chu Yueli and Chu Yuechan to the fullest for some reason... And that Elder of theirs as well...


    Well, it doesn''t matter... Even though their natural talent is really great but compared to the 4 sacred grounds it is still lacking, he thought proudly inside his mind while being clueless that he''s currently poking a hornet, nay... A Dragon''s nest...


    ...


    The speed and results of the second match were completely as expected as it came to a close. The third match came shortly after, with Heavenly Sword Villa''s Ling Yun and Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Xia Qingyue on opposite ends.


    This was a showdown between Heavenly Sword Villa''s core disciple and Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s core disciple. This kind of duel usually appeared as the final battle in the past, but this year''s group divisions had brought about an imbalance in average strength, making what ought to be the final battle of the tournament shift to an earlier date, the Semifinal...


    Ling Yun who saw his next match up sighed wryly... It seems that it''s time to face the inevitable...


    "Go... You can admit defeat if you want." Ling Yuefeng gave Ling Yun a sweeping gesture with his hand.


    Ling Yun nodded. Without seeing any motion or profound energy fluctuation under his feet, his entire body had already vaulted up. He won''t give up just like that... He wanted to try his best even knowing when he will lose and besides, they''re not fighting to the death anyway.


    In the next instant, he had already landed in the middle of the Sword Discourse Arena and stood there magnificently. The edge of his clothing fluttered, his handsome face was like jade, his gaze as if the autumn water. It instantly made the eyes of many young girls bloom like peach blossoms as they lose control of their beating heart.


    But soon they started comparing his figure with Issei''s... Almost immediately their fluttering hearts calmed down but soon it beats for a different figure this time around.


    They''re basically not on the same level... It''s like comparing a goldfish to a Dragon, they thought rudely inside their mind... Even Xuanyuan Yufeng herself agreed with their thoughts and she is Ling Yun''s mother needless to say about the other female onlookers''.


    "Qingyue excuse herself." Xia Qingyue calmly said towards her sect elder and masters.


    "Um. Be careful." Chu Yueli said softly.


    Even though they know that she will win, it''s better to be safe rather than sorry. Never underestimate thy enemy...


    Along with a wave of fluttering ice spirits and a slightly drifting cold energy, Xia Qingyue also silently landed in front of Ling Yun. She was still in white attire with blue spirits, and an ice gauze covered her face. Only a pair of eyes like the starry sky flashed with an extremely beautiful brilliance.


    Looking at this pair of eyes close up, Ling Yun''s calm gaze actually became inattentive for an instant. Because this was the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen in his entire life. This kind of beauty could not be described and explained. He clearly felt that as he was looking at this pair of charming eyes, his consciousness and soul were both being deeply attracted, and almost made him unable to divert his gaze.


    What beautiful eyes¡­ Below the face veil, should be a girl as beautiful as a goddess, right...?


    Ling Yun thought silently in his heart, and at the same time birthed an urge of wanting to see her true face. With a swing of the Celestial Yuan Sword, he made a simple sword courtesy toward Xia Qingyue: "Heavenly Sword Villa''s Disciple, Ling Yun, asks for Xia Fairy''s guidance."


    He will still try regardless of the outcome and Xia Qingyue nodded slightly at his words.


    Seeing the two had already finished preparing, Ling Wugou did not delay either and said with a loud voice: "The second match of the Semifinals, Heavenly Sword Villa''s Ling Yun, against Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Xia Qingyue, battle start!"


    No one had many expectations for this match. This was a match with an already decided outcome because one of them was that Goddess... But some are a little bit hopeful wanting to see if Ling Yun could at least stand a chance against Xia Qingyue... At the very least he won''t be defeated in just 1 move like her previous foes so far...


    But he''s taken aback seeing Xia Qingyue brought out a sword out of nowhere. This is the first time they saw her use a sword in this tournament...


    She doesn''t give Ling Yun time to regain his composure and instantly dash up close to him.


    Xia Qingyue''s sword gestures were as if a blue butterfly dancing but each of her sword slashes are very deadly despite the beautiful movement she showcased. Just like the verb on Issei''s world, "Float like a butterfly sting like a bee".


    Each of her swings seems slow but Ling Yun is having a hard time to deflect or evade her sword strikes.


    He couldn''t counterattack because there is no opening that he could take advantage of!


    Along with several tens of ice lotus blossoming and wilting, the two''s swords had also collided several dozens of times, letting out a harmonious scene of being evenly matched as if that''s how it looks in the eyes of the onlookers but in actual fact, Ling Yun is on his wit''s end already.


    His hand that''s holding the sword is getting numb and not only because of the ice aura she emits but also because of how heavy her sword strikes are.


    "Good sword!" Ling Yuefeng and the other swordsman such as Ling Kun exclaimed out loud after seeing Xia Qingyue sword arts.


    As the two swords clashed, a blue aura covered Xia Qingyue''s sword and it splendidly exploded at the point of collision. With a somersault, Ling Yun''s body landed around fifteen meters away but he felt the blood rushing through his throat because of that explosion and his hand that''s holding the sword is covered with a thin layer of ice... His whole body shivered because of how cold it is.


    He broke into a cold sweat because if it wasn''t for his quick reaction then that explosion just now would be the end of him...


    He lifted his sword horizontally. His gaze concentrated as the sword force also went through a great change. The sword intent that surrounded his body and his sword also exploded as if a flood that broke through a dam.


    "Xia Fairy¡­ Receive my sword!!!" He shouted out loud because this is it for him... This is his strongest attack that he could muster. If this attack fails him then he will lose...


    To be honest, Xia Qingyue could defeat Ling Yun in an instant if she were to use her but she wanted to test her sword arts with someone proficient in the way of the sword just like Ling Yun. He needed an actual battle with someone close to her equal... At least in the sword path. Ling Yun is the best opponent she could hope for currently.


    She barely uses her cultivation arts and mostly depends on her sword arts just now. That ice explosion just now is her sword intent that took shape in the form of an ice bomb. Heck, she still hasn''t used her and if she were to use her then Ling Yun''s sword might already break at the first clash...


    Issei''s skill is too high and she gets the feeling even if she were to clash swords with him for a hundred years then she''s still won''t be able to come close to him... It''s better to fight him in cultivation battle rather than the sword battle...


    As his voice fell, Ling Yun''s palm flipped. As the profound energy and sword intent flowed, the Celestial Yuan Sword suddenly transformed into a dash of light and flew toward Xia Qingyue. During the flight, the sword brilliance of the Celestial Yuan Sword quickly dispersed; from one sword it turned to ten, and then several tens¡­ several hundred¡­ In the end, it turned into a sword formation field that blanketed the heavens and earth and enveloped Xia Qingyue as if a meteor shower.


    "Wah!" A large amount of astonishing cries resounded in the Sword Discourse Arena.


    Ling Yun had dispersed over one thousand lines of sword beams. Moreover, each and every one of the sword beams was glaring to the point of making one unable to look at it straight.


    From this move, Ling Yun''s terrifying strength could be evidently seen.


    "Can he win with this?" Almost everyone had thought like this in their hearts.


    Xia Qingyue was completely trapped within the sword formation. Her front, back, left, right and above, were all filled with extremely sharp sword light.


    If it were someone else, when facing such a scary formation that should not have been used by such a youth, that person would probably shudder in fear. However, in her crystal clear eyes, there was no hint of fear nor trepidation... Her petite figure floated as though she was as light as clouds, and as she waved her ice crystal sword, several ice lotuses blossomed around her. Each lotus was several times bigger than the previous one, and the coldness released from the lotus coagulated the air. The surrounding temperature dropped at a frightening pace.


    Dingdingdingdingdingdingdingding¡­


    The numerous sword beams gathered together and attacked the ice lotus. Some of the sword beams shattered immediately while the others were sealed with ice within the petals of the lotus flower, unable to proceed on any further.


    Each ice lotus was stabbed full with ice sealed sword beams and the sword beams that had not been touched by the ice lotuses all gathered and stopped around Xia Qingyue.


    One could imagine how frightening the coldness of the ice lotuses was when seeing them sealed Ling Yun''s sword beams that were transformed from his profound strength and sword intent.


    Xia Qingyue calmly stands at the center of the formation and her gazes are still calm. She doesn''t even look at the sword beams Ling Yun produced... It''s as if those things are not worthy of her attention...


    This was a scene no one had expected yet also expected at the same time... To think that she could easily stop those powerful attacks just like that...


    They thought she would at least struggle by at least a tiny bit but it seems that they guessed wrong...


    Ling Yun was even more shocked by this... Originally, he thought he could at least stand for a few dozen moves with her but it seems that she has been holding back her power from the start... He smiles bitterly thinking that it seems they''re not on the same level at all... But soon his eyes regained its sharpness.


    Seeing his sword beams being sealed in ice, his eyes flashed with sword light, and his body rushed out like lightning. He grabbed the air and instantly, the Celestial Yuan Sword returned into his hands. In that instant, a cyan light flashed from the Celestial Yuan Sword as he instantaneously vanished from everyone''s line of sight¡­


    A stream of cyan light flashed past. It seemed like a shooting star that fell from heavens, it immediately disappeared from the Sword Discourse Arena¡­ The shooting star slashed all the ice lotuses in half and also streaked past Xia Qingyue''s body¡­...


    Pingpingpingpingpingping¡­


    The ice lotuses and their sealed sword beams all shattered at the same time, filling the sky with ice crystals. It seemed as if it was currently hailing in the center of the Sword Discourse Arena. Ling Yun''s body also appeared about thirty meters behind Xia Qingyue¡­ When everyone had finally refocused onto Ling Yun''s new location, everyone was overwhelmed with shock. Other than a few strong elders, no one could clearly figure out how he had gotten to that location. All they could see was a cyan light suddenly flashing past their eyes.


    Although those attacks don''t hurt Xia Qingyue in the slightest, she miscalculated by a tiny margin... She''s feeling astonished because of this small blunder...


    She started blaming herself... Her sect Elder already reminded her to never underestimate her enemies but here she is underestimating Ling Yun thinking that there''s no way she could hurt her if she were to utilize her profound arts but reality said otherwise... It''s not that she''s hurt or anything but...


    The hand the was held horizontally in front of him was lowered slowly as Ling Yun whispered: "...I thank fairy Xia for showing mercy towards me... This Ling Yun is really grateful... I surren-


    As he spoke, he slowly turned around... Just like he thought... He can''t defeat her nor injure her in the slightest since their cultivation base is far too different...


    Just as he completely turned to face Xia Qingyue, his voice was suddenly stuck in his throat and he was unable to say another word.


    His originally calm expression was suddenly stunned. Even his mind turned blank, as his vision and mind were left with an illusion of a sky that seemed to be from an imaginary world...


    Following a small fluttering sound, in the wake of a cold breeze, Xia Qingyue''s snow-white face veil slowly floated down, and her originally covered face was revealed to everyone present...


    The entire Sword Discourse Arena instantly turned silent as everyone present became breathless.


    Xia Qingyue''s skin was exceptionally white but it wasn''t the pale white that would make people uncomfortable. It was as white as pure snow with a flawless and glowing whiteness. Although the light from the sun was not glaring, the luster of her snowy skin was so flawless that it made people dumbstruck. Her skin looked like it was snow during a winter day with plenty of sunshine.


    Ignoring everything else, her exposed snow-white flawless skin alone was able to capture the souls of even man in this world!


    On her snow-white skin were eyebrows that were thin and long that seemed like the crescent moon. She also had deep clear watery eyes and her sweet cheeks were whiter than snow. Her dimples were beautiful like those described in poems and paintings. Her tender lips, which were a lovely pink rouge that seemed as though God himself personally drew it with the utmost care, were astonishingly beautiful... All of these gathering on one girl displayed a beauty that made the heavens and earth, stars and moon, all pale in comparison.


    The moment Xia Qingyue''s face was revealed, an absolute brilliance seemed to have obstructed every other color. Everyone''s breathing stopped and it was as though their hearts had stopped beating. In their hearts, they echoed a similar phrase¡­


    Was she a goddess that descended from heaven¡­ How could there be such absolute beauty in this world...


    The ones that had the largest reactions were no doubt the young profound practitioners. They had been completely transfixed and their souls seemed as if they had unknowingly flown outwards. Even those clan heirs, who usually did not lack beauties around them were also mesmerized as their eyes and mind could not leave Xia Qingyue''s beauty. All of them could no longer feel their own existence. Even those middle-aged men and the elders, whose hair and beard had already turned white, were awestruck and mesmerized.


    All of those young masters all had the same expression, they stared at her as though they had lost their souls. Burning Heaven Clan''s Fen Juecheng had unknowingly stood up from his seat and his eyes were filled with an unprecedented obsession¡­ If they already had such a big reaction, obviously the others also had a huge reaction.


    The calmest person in the whole arena beside Issei''s group as expected is Xia Yuanba himself since he''s her little brother after all... There''s no way he would drool at the sight of his own big sis... Well... Even if Xia Qingyue is not his big sis then he would still stay calm as well since he got a few screws loose inside his head...


    "Woah. As expected, big sis got prettier." Xia Yuanba uttered in a soft voice. The atmosphere around the arena had suddenly become strange, causing him to look left and right, before looking at Yun Che. He muttered in confusion: "Everyone looks so weird¡­ Even Brother-in- I mean big brother Yun Che too."


    He almost said brother-in-law just now... Phew! What a close call!


    When he had initially seen her during their wedding, Yun Che was already pleasantly surprised. Today, he was deeply shocked. A mere three and a half months could bring such a huge change to a girl''s looks. Sixteen-year-old Xia Qingyue was already beautiful beyond the likes of any normal girl. Now, she was seventeen. With the nourishment from Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s ice and snow, she could only be described as beautiful beyond the mortal world, which had made even him stare blankly...


    This was also one of the reasons why she was wearing a face veil.


    Not only men, but even a woman like Cang Yue was also deeply amazed by her beauty. Even though she also possessed an absolute beauty with a very noble status to match, in front of a goddess that should not be in the human realm, she felt ashamed of her looks for the first time.


    Even though she knew she should not have such a feeling, she had a sense of inferiority. Looking at Xia Qingyue''s demeanor, such a feeling uncontrollably came over. As she turned to look at Issei''s direction, she clenched her hands tight... Does she still have a chance?


    Some of the elders who had attended the ranking tournament thirty years ago would realize that this scene was very similar to when Chu Yuechan''s face veil dropped at that time¡­ At that time, the same scene had replayed itself on the same stage thirty years later. Similarly, it was caused by a disciple from Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.


    Silently looking at the reactions of the crowd and remembering the heartache from that time, caused tears to well up in Ling Yuefeng''s eyes. He then gazes at Chu Yuechan wanting to ask if she also remembers about their "past"... What a joke, Chu Yuechan couldn''t wait to beat him up, just why would she remembers about that one-sided "past" of his...


    She might have suffered defeat in his hand in the past but she doesn''t think much about it... If he dares to try anything disrespectful then come at her, see what happens then...


    In his reminiscences, he did not realize that Xuanyuan Yufeng was staring at him.


    His reaction made her slowly frown. After that, she turned and looked at her son Ling Yun¡­ He was the closest to Xia Qingyue. From his eyes, he revealed an unprecedented dreamy look. Such a look did not even appear when he conquered the Celestial Yuan Sword(His current sword) at the young age of seventeen.


    ''Very well... If that''s how you feel you old fart then don''t blame me for being merciless either...'' She said inside her mind...


    She thought there''s still some bit of love within Ling Yuefeng''s heart but since he seems to be ignoring her presence altogether then don''t blame her doing the same thing! Her eyes started fluttering on her own while gazing at Issei''s figure: ''Underneath that mask, there must be an otherworldly face... There''s no way those damn ice statues would be making a man as their sect elder for no reason... Just you wait... I will surely unveil your mask!''


    Xuanyuan Yufeng genuinely loved Ling Yuefeng back when they meet... And she knows that he marries her only because of her background but she doesn''t care back then and went with him leaving her home, making her go against her father''s wish enraging the elder... She thought that as time goes he will start loving her from the bottom of her heart but then she realizes this old fart doesn''t feel that way even until now... Then so be it... She had enough of his bullshit.


    Issei suddenly felt goosebumps washing over him... His sudden movement made Chu Yuechan and the others become curious but he said it''s nothing...


    ''What was that? It felt like I''m being eyed by some sort of wild beast...'' He thought confusedly inside his mind...


    Ling Yun''s attack could be said to be world-shocking. The face veil dropping was also something that Xia Qingyue did not expect because of her small miscalculation... She used her ice lotus to protect her vital area but she miscalculated the position by a few millimeters and as a result, her veil is cut open...


    Seeing the crowd''s reaction, she faintly sighed. Lifting her snowy hand, she brought out a new ice veil to cover her face, once more covering up the absolute beauty that made the heavens and earth pale in color while dulling the sun and moon.


    The most beautiful image in the world being mercilessly covered brought countless people back to their senses.


    "Is¡­ Is¡­ Is she a goddess¡­" A disciple of one of the sects muttered stupidly while in a daze.


    "Woman¡­A woman can actually this beautiful to such an extent? I felt my soul leave my body just now¡­ The legendary Princess Snow¡­ Could at most be this much¡­"


    "Princess Snow? Who''s Princess Snow?"


    "What? You don''t even know the top beauty of Profound Sky Continent, Princess Snow? She is the sole daughter of the current emperor of


    . When she was thirteen, she was publicly recognized as the top beauty in the continent and was labeled by her people as "the beloved child of heavens", "the pearl of


    ", "the treasure God gave to


    ". Within the


    , her existence is like a religion''s."


    "People from the


    might not know who their emperor is, might not know what the


    is, but they all definitely know of Princess Snow! Rumor has it that several top painters wanted to paint a portrait of Princess Snow but no one was able to do it. When the top painter in


    had seen Princess Snow, he threw his paintbrush immediately and claimed that even if all the painters in the world gathered, no one would be able to properly represent her charm¡­"


    "Whoa! Only thirteen and named the top beauty in Profound Sky Continent, could it be an over-exaggeration? Could she be more beautiful than Fairy Xia?"


    "...No idea¡­ But it can''t be possible? Fairy Xia is already beautiful beyond my dreams. I really cannot believe there can be anyone in this world more beautiful than her¡­"


    Their discussion is heard by Issei and Xiaotao... It seems that he needs to pay a visit to this


    later to see if this "Princess Snow" is the true inheritor of the Phoenix legacy chosen by the other Phoenix soul residue...


    "I want her¡­ I must have her!" This is what''s inside the various young masters present... Including Fen Juecheng...


    As the sons of major sects, they were people fated to look down upon the world in the future.


    To them, women were merely a man''s accessory. They had never thought and also had never believed that there would be a woman they would lose their hearts to. Yet now, this woman appeared. They deeply felt that if they were to obtain this woman, it would truly mean that one did not live their lives in vain and was the real peak of one''s life! And if it were to be compared, the position of the future Sect Masters did not look the least bit attractive.


    And this was also the thought of practically every man with enough "qualifications". As for those without the qualifications, they could only feel ashamed of their inferiority after being endlessly stunned. What was left, was only a fantasy that was as far as the clouds on the horizon reverberating in their minds.


    "...She actually has gotten even more beautiful, and she is still only seventeen years old. Once a few more years pass, that wouldn''t be any joking matter." Yun Che muttered to himself in a low voice. When he saw the entire audience''s reactions, it would be impossible for him to not feel a sliver of vanity, because that young girl who had struck the entire audience was once his officially wedded wife¡­ But he believed that if this fact were to be publicized, he would be pierced into a hornet''s nest by countless gazes of envy and hatred.


    And they''re not husband and wife anymore either... He smiles bitterly once this reality hits him.


    Xia Qingyue and the other girls had always known about their own beauty but they don''t want anyone else to see their beautiful face other than one particular individual... They''re often felt a little bit frustrated seeing how calm Issei when he saw their faces and they often thought if their beauty has waned or something...


    But seeing the crowd reaction just now they nodded slightly to themselves thinking that it seems that there''s nothing wrong with their beauty...


    During the process in which the ice veil fell to when she covered up her face again, she had merely released a light sigh. However, it was different for the Ling Yun in front of her. The Ling Yun who had always guarded his mind with sword intent, whose heart had not the smallest speck of dirt, was distinctly in disorder from his breathing. His eyes were no longer filled with dignified tranquility and were instead suffused with the unrest that could not settle down until a long while.


    For Ling Yun, it was the first time this had happened since birth. The first time his mind had become such a mess in front of the dueling opponent he was up against.


    Like the Ling Yuefeng who had seen Chu Yuechan''s true appearance that year...


    Ling Yun was undoubtedly strong and Xia Qingyue is much stronger than he is but even though she possessed incomparable innate talent, she had a fatal weak point, which was her lack of actual combat experience! This kind of thing was something someone with an even greater innate talent would have trouble making up for. On this point, she was really lacking and she herself realizes that as well...


    This is also another reason why Chu Yuechan wanted to experience a real life and death combat in the wasteland before... Even though her combat experience is great but she needed to solidify and measure her newfound strength as to avoid being taken advantage of by her enemies...


    Training with Issei benefits them greatly but they won''t be able to have a real combat experience just from sparring with him... He won''t harm them and they know that well hence they won''t be able to gain a real life and death combat experience they needed since their subconscious is telling them it would be fine they won''t die anyway...


    Issei also realizes this but there''s really nothing much he could do for them... This is something they needed to experience by themselves. Sure he can train them more strictly but their subconscious won''t change that easily...


    They need to hone their battle instinct through a life and death battle...


    "Sir Ling, if you want to surrender now is your chance... If not then Qingyue will go all out this time." She narrowed her eyes dangerously. She won''t make the same mistake twice this time...


    A touching, faintly discernible voice that sounded like heaven''s music came out from between her petal-like lips and lingered beside Ling Yun''s ear, making him stare blankly without a reaction for a long while.


    At this moment, Ling Yuefeng''s cold voice was suddenly heard in his mind: "Yun''er, focus!"


    Ling Yuefeng''s spirit sound transmission was like a splash of cold water that poured on top of his head and immediately cleared his head in a flash. He unconsciously forgot to surrender because he doesn''t want to embarrass himself in front of Xia Qingyue.


    He gripped his sword tight which made Ling Yuefeng frowned even further... There''s no use in fighting her at this point since their strength is too far apart but as a fellow man, he can understand his feeling...


    "Frozen¡­ Cloud¡­ Domain¡­"


    A low and gentle chant slowly escaped from her lips. In a split second, it was as if the world suddenly switched over. The air in the three hundred meters that surrounded her turned into a sheet of ice in a flash. In this huge ice-blue domain, the air was as frigid as purgatory. Ice and frost filled the sky as they fell. Vapor in the air also rapidly solidified into countless ice crystals, forming a sheet of pure white that grew thicker by the second.


    The movements of both Ling Yun''s stopped simultaneously as layers of ice began to quickly solidify on their entire bodies. A deep shock was revealed on their faces.


    "This is¡­ This is¡­ This is..."


    "Domain!?" Everyone is shocked by this sight.


    Ling Kun''s complexion also changed in a split second. After the shock had passed, he quietly muttered to himself, "It''s truly worthy of being called¡­ the Nine Profound Exquisite Body that holds no regard for regulations!"


    "Do¡­ Domain!?"


    "It¡­ It can''t be! It can''t possibly be! Domain¡­. Isn''t that a Throne''s power!"


    "But this is clearly the strength of a Domain! And it''s a completely formed Domain!"


    This time, not only the younger practitioners but even the elders were all stunned. Domain, to the younger practitioners, was too far away to reach, and to these elders, they clearly and deeply knew of the concept of Domain¡­ And this sort of power was still the ultimate goal they pursued throughout their entire lives!


    "Domain¡­ Domain¡­" Ling Wugou stared at the ice-blue world in front of him, gobsmacked. In the midst of all the shock, his face became thoroughly stiff. As of today, he was at the eighth level of the , and the possibility of ever charging into the in his lifetime was extremely slim. And to fully utilize a Domain, was proof of a Throne''s power. But for him, all this was only a dream that could not be reached¡­ However, this dream of his had actually completely appeared on a mere seventeen-year-old girl''s body.


    "...Did she breakthrough?!" One of them shouted in disbelief. This made those young masters who have any idea about her sobered. If she''s a throne then she alone could handle them all together with ease.


    Within the Frozen Cloud Domain, ice-cold flying snow, frost, mist, and wind¡­ everything had been changed to become advantageous towards Xia Qingyue''s element, and at the same time, it restricted Ling Yun to an enormous extent in all aspects. The frightful chill cut to the bone and even caused Ling Yun''s bones to tremble. The sky was filled with wind and snow, and the frosty mist obstructed his view¡­


    Thick layers of frost had even spread to the Celestial Yuan and Yang Swords. The world within the Frozen Cloud Domain was akin to a freezing hell, and if a person did not have a Domain of similar intensity to counteract it, they would have to bear the continuous pain of the ice prison¡­ For Ling Yun, who was in the third level of the Earth Profound Realm, let alone two of him, even if there were ten, or a hundred, he would still not be able to create a true Domain.


    While he was dumbstruck and at a loss, thick layers of ice had already unknowingly crusted below his feet and on his chest.


    Ping!!!


    With a loud explosion, the layers of ice on his chest were smashed into pieces. Xia Qingyue did not hold back at all in this hit, causing Ling Yun to be sent flying far away, flying straight for thirty meters, before landing outside of the Frozen Cloud Domain.


    Bang!!!


    Ling Yun fell harshly onto the ground... His sword falls powerlessly from his hand.


    While in the Frozen Cloud Domain, not only had his body been frozen, his profound strength had as well. So when he had taken that hit, his profound energy defense had been extremely frail. This one hit had made him suffer profuse inner injuries.


    The world in front of his eyes was a sea of disorder. His body struggled, yet he was ultimately unable to stand up.


    "Yo-Young Villa Master!"


    Ling Wugou rushed over quickly to help Ling Yun up. The moment he touched him, he found that his body was practically as cold as a block of ice.


    "I¡­ surrender¡­" Slowly opening his eyes, Ling Yun said these two words... After which, his head sagged and he fainted dead away.


    Ling Yuefeng somberly went back to his seat, and then took a long breath before silently closing his eyes... He already expected this but when it truly happens it''s really hurtful for him... He knew that Ling Yun had lost and that Heavenly Sword Villa had lost¡­ There was not even a shred of hope for a fluke left for them...


    He can see that Xia Qingyue already showed mercy or Ling Yun''s life would''ve ended right there and right then with her attack just now...


    "Alas..." Ling Yuefeng muttered lowly and despondently.


    "Ling Yun has conceded¡­ Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s Xia Qingyue is the winner, and will enter the final battle tomorrow!" Ling Wugou stood up, and with a voice filled with pain, announced the results of this battle that nobody would have ever expected to happen.


    Although Ling Wugou said final battle but Xia Qingyue can be considered the winner already with how the match has been going so far... Xia Yuanba her supposedly biggest contender already forfeited 3 matches in a row... And that match was when he''s against Xia Qingyue and her fellow sect disciples, Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin...


    The captured all top 3 ranks just like that... With Xia Yuanba in the 4th rank...


    Yun Che as expected loses against Ling Yun but miraculously, he managed to enter the 6th rank in this tournament... He somehow was able to defeat his opponent that is on the 1st level of the . The reason why he won is because he has more endurance than his opponent... So to say he won by luck is not wrong either.


    This concluded this year''s tournament...


    When Xia Qingyue returned to her seat, she apologized in a downcast manner: "Qingyue apologizes for her mistakes..." She bowed towards Issei and Chu Yueli.


    "Aiii... It''s fine, Qingyue... What matters is that you recognize your slight mistake and it''s not that fatal either... As long as you''re willing to fix it then it''s fine. Right, Elder Ise?" Chu Yueli said in a soft voice.


    They''re currently in public so they won''t be calling Issei with his nickname alone.


    "Um... Don''t blame yourself too much. It''s normal to make a mistake as a human being... Just like Senior sister Yueli said, what matters is that you''re willing to fix it." Issei calmly extended his hand and give Xia Qingyue''s head a slight pat.


    Xia Qingyue was taken aback by his touch but soon her face bloomed with a radiant smile under her veil: "En!"


    Chu Yueli and the others also smiled seeing their interaction while the onlookers'' felt really envious...


    This year''s tournament had been the most special Ranking Tournament yet. It had defied over thirty years of history. Its process and conclusion were filled with excitement and surprises. This ranking tournament was expected to spread throughout the Blue Wind Empire like a giant wave and be discussed for a very long time...


    Qin Wushang and Cang Yue are extremely satisfied with this outcome and they immediately sent the news of them occupying the 4th and 6th rank towards Cang Wanhe...


    When Cang Wanhe received this news he laughed out loud feeling really happy with this outcome. Even being in the top 50 is already more than enough for him but to think they enter the top 10...


    The Ranking Tournament at both the main and the secondary arena had finished. The rankings of over five hundred sects had been decided.


    1st Place: Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, Xia Qingyue


    2nd Place: Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, Shui Wushuang


    3rd Place: Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, Xu Wuexin


    4th Place: Blue Wind Imperial Family, Xia Yuanba


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    5th Place: Heavenly Sword Villa, Ling Yun


    After these rankings were announced, it had caused large waves amongst those in Blue Wind Empire''s profound circle.


    Xia Qingyue and Xia Yuanba were both only seventeen years old and sixteen years old, but their names had already spread throughout every corner of the Blue Wind Empire and traveled towards the six other nations very quickly...


    The other nations had always paid close attention to the Blue Wind Empire''s Ranking Tournament. The results of the Ranking Tournament had greatly shocked the other nations as well, making them unable to not remember the names Xia Qingyue and Xia Yuanba.


    Yun Che also becomes quite famous but since Xia Yuanba is more abnormal than he is then there''s nothing that he could do... They only considered Yun Che as a genius while Xia Yuanba is a monstrous talent.


    Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin''s are basically from the same sect as Xia Qingyue so remembering Xia Qingyue''s name or the altogether is enough...


    After the Ranking Tournament had ended, the various big sects had started to leave. Only the top ten sects of the Ranking Tournament had remained for the sake of entering the Heaven Basin Secret Realm. None of them were willing to pass this chance up.


    As the days passed, the day when the entrance to the Heaven Basin Secret Realm would open quickly approached.


    Then the winners received their respective rewards as well...


    ...


    The night before the opening of the .


    A lone moon hung in the night sky, with several stars shining brightly.


    Ling Yuefeng flew through the night sky. He was originally heading towards Ling Yun''s courtyard, but changed directions midway and went towards Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s residence.


    The atmosphere around Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s courtyard carried a unique calmness. Ling Yuefeng shut his eyes and lightly inhaled as if he was savoring something. A short while later, he opened his eyes and gazed at the room Chu Yuechan stayed in. The lights were still on. Though, as he gazed upon the light in the room, he felt a piercing cold chill emitted from within... He knew he had been discovered. It seems that Chu Yuechan''s current cultivation wasn''t beneath his...


    Ling Yuefeng inhaled slightly, then used voice transmission, projecting his thoughts towards Chu Yuechan: "I, Ling Yuefeng, would like to request a meeting with the Fairy of Frozen Beauty. Would you grace me with your presence?"


    "What do you want? Speak!"


    Chu Yuechan didn''t appear. She only replied with five short words, each of them without a shred of emotion in them. They were cold to the point where they could freeze humans into ice sculptures.


    Hearing such cold words from Chu Yuechan, Ling Yuefeng could only bitterly smile. "Ever since the first time we met in the Ranking Tournament, I''ve gone to Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace twenty times within ten years, but I''ve never been able to see you even once, until this year''s Ranking Tournament..."


    "There''s no need to speak of matters of the past. If Villa Master Ling has any matters, please speak of them immediately." Chu Yuechan coldly said.


    Ling Yuefeng sighed: "Back then, everyone knew about how I felt for you. Even if I had to be the laughingstock of the entire world, even if I had to incur my parent''s anger, I still continued to visit Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace. All I hoped for was to meet you once again¡­ Alas, after so many years, my memories of you are still of that year... Even today, the greatest wish of my lifetime is that I could see you once again... I no longer wish to obtain your love, all I wish is to see you once more, so I can see how you look like now¡­"


    Ling Yuefeng was a passionate person, but it wasn''t easy to get him infatuated. Before meeting Chu Yuechan, he had devoted all of his efforts into swordsmanship. But on the day he met Chu Yuechan, the emotions he''d been burying burst open. Thirty years have passed since that moment. Figuratively speaking, any emotion should have waned over the long period of time, but in Ling Yuefeng''s heart, Chu Yuechan''s image had never waned. Was it because of Lin Yuefeng''s undying passion, or was it because Chu Yuechan was simply too charming? Nobody knew.


    "You already have a wife and plenty of kids. You and I are simply strangers who''ve met a few times, there''s no need to meet again. My current appearance has nothing to do with you. If you have no further matters, please leave. Your hospitality should not include disturbing female guests late in the night!" Chu Yuechan remarked, with a faint hint of anger in her voice.


    "Sigh, your temper hasn''t changed since that year. All I wish is to see you once more, so I can put aside my wish. I have no other hidden agendas. Once I''ve seen you, I will immediately leave. I will not bother you for as long as I live after that..."


    Suddenly there''s someone who appeared in front of him without Ling Yuefeng realizing it just when did this person appear in front of him... It is none other than Issei.


    "Leave."


    Issei just said one word and even that word sounds so calm but for some reason, Ling Yuefeng felt extreme trepidation.


    He slowly cupped his fist trying to calm himself at the same time but no matter what he does he just can''t seem to regain his bearings back...


    "G-Greetings, Elder... I''m here just to apolog-"


    "I said leave." Issei waved his hand calmly but Ling Yuefeng''s body started floating into the sky instantly reappeared 100 meters from his previous spot without any warning.


    He felt alarmed by this and cold sweat started flowing from his whole body... What did he just do?!


    He doesn''t feel any profound energy being used and his body already flown away by 100 meters just like that! Just what kind of concept is this?!


    It was also at this moment that he realizes that Issei cultivation is higher than his... That''s the only explanation that he can come up with.


    His body shuddered at a visible rate and he immediately left... His lonely figure vanished in the night sky very quickly.


    Issei then returned to his room... Chu Yuechan insisted that there''s nothing going on between her and Ling Yuefeng much to his confusion. Issei then said he understands...


    Only then Chu Yuechan sighed in relief...


    That night Issei also prepared a feast as a celebration for Xia Qingyue''s group... They felt like they''re in heaven yet again the moment they taste Issei''s food... They started thinking that they couldn''t live without his cooking anymore at this rate...


    One little princess also reeled in her haughty attitude and become meeker in front of this heavenly enticement...


    ...


    Deep into the direct north of Heavenly Sword Mountain Range was a flat clearing. Within the imposing Heavenly Sword Mountain Range filled with sword energy, this place was one that was completely different. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, and even the sounds of the wind were exceptionally soothing.


    At noon, a group of people arrived. This group of people was all of the ten sects who had ranked in the top ten of the Ranking Tournament. This was the entrance to the Heaven Basin Secret Realm. Everyone here carried varying levels of excitement, especially those who''ve yet to enter the Heaven Basin Secret Realm before. Their eyes were oddly bright and looked as if any possible encounters were already in front of them, within reach.


    Ling Yuefeng stood at the front acting like last night event never happened and announced: "Shortly, the entrance to Heaven Basin Secret Realm will appear. Before that happens, I will need to remind all of you of some things."


    "Heaven Basin Secret Realm can only take at most fifty people at a time. With that said, each sect can only send five representatives. As for which five, you are free to choose. After entering the realm, you will only stay for two days. After forty-eight hours, you will all be teleported back here against your free will. There''s only one exception to this rule¡­"


    Ling Yuefeng coldly said: "And that is a dead person!"


    "Do not ever think that the Heaven Basin Secret Realm only contains innumerable resources and treasures. At the same time, it also contains immeasurable danger! If you pay no heed to safety and are driven by greed, you may very well lose your life! The Heaven Basin Secret Realm is immeasurably huge and there has never been anyone who was able to travel to the end. At the same time, what you see within the Secret Realm changes every single time. Even if you''ve once traveled deep into the Secret Realm, you might see a completely new world this time around."


    "While exploring the Secret Realm, you can choose to travel alone or travel in a group. But in order to truly gain experience, the young and older generation should split up."


    Ling Yuefeng''s speech had left everyone in deep thought. If the younger generation still needed the older generation''s protection, that would be wasting this precious training opportunity and incur embarrassment.


    "Within the Secret Realm, the sound transmission does not work. Nobody will be able to communicate via sound transmission."


    "The Secret Realm is a place for exploration and training, it''s not for settling grudges! If you wish to settle your grudge within the Secret Realm, I would advise you to not do so. Do not waste this precious chance to train! Especially the older generation, I hope that you wouldn''t stoop that low and disregard your dignity and attack someone of the younger generation. If I happen to find out, you wouldn''t like the outcome." Ling Yuefeng distinctively said. "Even if there''s a conflict between the younger generation due to a treasure found at the same time, the older generation is not allowed to intervene."


    "The deeper you go into the Secret realm, the higher the danger! If you are not strong enough, do not try to push your luck. Even the season within the Secret Realm is not fixed. Sometimes we''ll get the warm spring season, sometimes we''ll get a cool summer season, but if luck is not on our side, we might get a harsh winter..."


    The younger generation who did not have experience entering the Secret Realm earnestly listened to Ling Yuefeng''s long speech and took them to heart. At this time, a "Zizi" sound came from behind Ling Yuefeng, beckoning people to look towards the sound. To their surprise, a spatial distortion had formed behind Ling Yuefeng. Its surface was just like a stormy wave, with layers and layers of constantly forming ripples.


    The spatial ripples started to speed up its vibrations and began to revolve at high speed until it formed a gigantic swirling vortex. The surrounding air currents around the vortex were sucked towards it, giving rise to the howling of the wind. Eventually, the revolution of vortex started to slow down, and when it completely stopped, it became a jet black hole which was almost three meters long in diameter. Through the jet black hole that floated in midair, nothing could be seen other than complete darkness.


    Issei becomes intrigued after seeing this... A natural dimensional rift? He hasn''t seen this for a while now...


    "This is the entrance into the Heaven Basin Secret Realm." Ling Yuefeng stood in front of the entrance, looked at the crowd who had faces of astonishment and excitement, and said: "Each time the Secret Realm has been accessed, on average there will be two or three people who get left within the realm, never to return. Now that the entrance to the Secret Realm has opened, it will only stay open for seven and a half minutes. Anyone who wishes to back out may choose to do so now!"


    There were none who wished to back out. Those who were afraid of death were meant to never become truly strong. Furthermore, the risk was not high. Two or three out of fifty wasn''t even comparable to the risk they took when they chose to join their respective sects'' special training. Within some of the sects with higher standards, those that had several hundred to thousands of deaths weren''t uncommon.


    "I''ve already said what has to be said. Let us enter the secret realm based on the results of the Ranking Tournament. Our friends from the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace shall enter first."


    Issei sent a sound transmission towards Xia Qingyue''s group: ''Go on ahead, I will join you later. Don''t worry, I can create my own spatial opening when the time comes.''


    The girls then nodded at his message and entered first. They know of his capabilities in opening a spatial rift.


    Issei left behind a mark in their protective charm so it''s quite easy for him to find out just where they are.


    "Fairies, please go ahead." Ling Yuefeng said towards them but his eyes are latched onto Chu Yuechan the whole time which only earned him a cold gaze from the latter... But he doesn''t dare to look at Issei direction...


    The onlookers'' are surprised seeing that Issei is the one who decided to stay behind... But they won''t think much since they need to stay focus.


    When the group disappeared into the portal... Soon Issei also disappears from the spot but no one realizes his disappearance but Cang Yue...


    She kept quiet about this though...


    After them then it''s the turn...


    Yun Che is not with them since he needs to recuperate from his wounds...


    "Palace Chief Qin, Princess Cang Yue, and little brother Xia Yuanba, please go ahead." Ling Yuefeng was naturally aware of the circumstances. He didn''t say anything unnecessary and just led Qin Wushang''s group towards the entrance.


    At that moment, someone hurriedly shouted from the distance: "Hey! Palace Chief Qin, wait for me!"


    The crowd turned their heads, and surprisingly, they saw a Yun Che anxiously running towards them... The current Yun Che didn''t look very well but it''s not really that bad and he can still endure it.


    He started looking around when he arrives but he doesn''t see Issei much to his disappointment... He thought that they would be able to meet here but it seems like luck is not on his side...


    ...


    When Issei emerged at Xia Qingyue''s group side he saw a snow-white world.


    The bone-chilling cold wind blew snow to fill the entire sky. A mirror-like smooth ice field continually extended beyond what he could see and the giant mountain range of ice stood erect before him like steep cliffs. Unable to be seen, the highest peak towered beyond the clouds and radiated coldness even in this thick cold climate.


    An uncountable amount of hail that had been broken by cold wind pelted down. When it hit the face, it caused severe pain. If people with lower cultivation were to be here, they might have already been covered with bloody holes just the hail.


    But for the girls and Issei, this is like a breeze for them all... The girls needless to say since their cultivation arts are leaning towards Ice while Issei is a Master of all elements... Even if they emerged in a river of lava he wouldn''t still be harmed in the slightest... Heck, he won''t even feel hot but feel comfortable instead... But it would be dangerous for the girls though...


    "This is the ?" Issei murmured in a low voice. Now that he''s here he needs to search the area if there''s a treasure that could help his recovery or if there''s a high climate area...


    The current area is quite cold but it''s not enough for him...


    "Elder Ise." The girls greeted Issei when he emerged beside them.


    "Um." Issei nodded at them but soon he sensed another presence about to emerge near them so he hid himself as to avoid troublesome stuff from happening.


    The girls also sensed this so they''re not confused seeing Issei suddenly disappeared from the spot. Although he seems like he disappeared from the naked eye, they can still sense his presence nearby...


    Behind them, the spatial vortex constantly distorted, and each time it distorted, someone else was sent here. When they opened their eyes, their reactions were even more exaggerated than the last. Nobody had expected the legendary to contain a snow-white world.

 Chapter 106 - 105

    Ling Yuefeng was the last to enter, and he said furrowed brows: "Looks like we are very unfortunate this time. To have drawn Heaven Basin Secret Realm''s harsh winter climate! This is the worst and most dangerous condition. However, this should be favorable to our friends from the ."


    He tried to compliment Chu Yuechan''s group but to no avail...


    "Let''s go!" Ling Yuefeng''s words were unable to affect Chu Yuechan at all. Without making eye contact with anyone, amongst the fluttering cloaks, they had already left into the distance. Their figure soon changed into a strip of white in the winter sky...


    Chu Yuechan feel really irritated by this smelly Ling Yuefeng... Can''t he just leave her alone? Why does he keep acting like there''s some sort of past between them? He''s just like a cockroach that won''t leave her be...


    Ling Yuefeng helplessly looked towards the direction Chu Yuechan left in before floating up and said: "It is time that we left too. Let the younger generation choose where they want to go. They will have to depend on themselves for everything from now onwards."


    Without saying a word to Ling Yun and Ling Jie, he vanished far into the winter sky as well. The regions that the older generation explored could not be compared to those that the younger generation did.


    Ling Yun''s eyes are also locked onto Xia Qingyue''s figure and it took him a good while before he regained his thoughts back...


    The rest of the elders did not object to what Ling Yuefeng had said and had only given at most, simple instructions before leaving in different directions and quickly disappearing from their line of sight. If they had stayed out of concern to protect the younger generation, it would cause more harm than good.


    All that was left were the people of the younger generation. Among the younger generation, other than the disciples who had participated in the Ranking Tournament, there were other outstanding individuals...


    Cang Yue wanted to tag along with Chu Yuechan''s group but she knows that would be impossible... She''s only a disciple candidate after all...


    That''s why she needed to try her luck in this place.


    Unlike the other sects, Cang Yue''s group decided to stick together... Yun Che also agreed that this is for the best...


    Although Xia Yuanba cultivation is the highest of them all, he''s still too innocent and naive to be left alone...


    But unknown to them, Xia Yuanba is not that naive... He only trusts people he deemed trustworthy. If it''s someone he doesn''t trust then he won''t listen to whatever they say.


    Fen Juecheng''s eyes started glistening seeing Cang Yue''s group departing...


    ...


    Chu Yuechan''s group arrived in a secluded area and Issei re-appeared in front of them once again.


    "Your instruction, Ise?" Chu Yuechan asked softly.


    Issei thought for a moment: "...Yuechan and Yueli should stick together and junior sister Wushuang and Xuexin should go with Qingyue... This place is a great chance for all of you to enhance your combat strength. Just try your luck but don''t risk your life for some unnecessary stuff... Don''t be blinded by your greed. If you''re in danger remember to use the protective charm I gave you, understand?"


    "Yes!" They all answered in unison.


    "Um, go ahead. Remember to be careful at all times and keep each other safe." Issei nodded at them and they paid their courtesy before they left...


    Issei then searches around the area for a while... He found some rare herbs and plants with the help of the .


    The pearl never felt so happy since this is the first time it could utilize another part of its power... To locate nearby rare herbs. It seems the profound beasts in this realm is quite different from the profound beasts in the Blue Wind Empire, they seem like your typical mindless beasts.


    Although it''s of no use for Issei, there''s no harm in stockpiling some rare ingredients... Who knows, perhaps these herbs could be used for cooking and stuff...


    And if not then he could just gift it to Semiramis, Kyou, and Kinou for their potion concoctions.


    Jasmine and Xun''er become speechless seeing how easy Issei found those rare herbs... Some of them are not worth mentioning in their eyes but some are quite rare and it''s quite hard to find it even in the upper realms...


    The entire world had been covered with snow. The only thing that could be used to distinguish direction was that single icy mountain which reached into the clouds.


    The other participants are feeling cold even though they already used their profound energy to keep themselves warm... Truly a place custom made for the , they thought to themselves...


    "The existence of this little world is really strange..." Jasmine muttered to herself.


    "Hm? How so?" Issei asked back.


    "This little world was indeed made by humans. Furthermore, its level of power is extremely high, and it must have existed for a very long time, so the appearance of a few heaven-grade treasures isn''t strange¡­ What''s strange is that this kind of small-world shouldn''t appear in this sort of location, because it''s simply not something that can be created with the strength of this plane."


    "The world is filled with mysteries... It''s nothing weird seeing these kinds of places here and then. Maybe some God created this place in the past." Issei answered calmly.


    He already traveled through quite a lot of worlds... He often found a standalone realm just like this place. Perhaps this place is created by this world God once...


    Semiramis and Scathach had their own domain/realm even before he met them after all.


    He never tried creating his own realm but it might be not so bad if he has the chance to do so later in the future.


    "Perhaps..." Jasmine muttered uncertainly.


    Issei walked around for another hour and he found another deposit of the .


    He used the same way to extract the Crystal but this time the size is at least twice as big from the first one. By rough estimation then this crystal should be weighing at least a 100kg.


    Jasmine and Xun''er are confused just what is he doing... But then they are surprised seeing that Issei could also use some sort of profound art that enables him to control the .


    As far as they know, only the Wood Spirit Race from the upper realm could use element...


    As a whole, the element is not very powerful to use in combat but they''re really sought after in the upper realm since it could be used to nurture rare herbs and medicines.


    But both Jasmine and Xun''er become even more flabbergasted seeing Issei suddenly fished out a huge lump of a purple-colored crystal from the ground beneath him...


    ""!!!"" Both of them shouted at the same time.


    Issei calmly put the crystal away into the space. The moment the crystal appeared in front of them, Jasmine and Xun''er felt a little bit surreal feeling... To think that he''s capable of obtaining such an astronomical amount of this crystal this easily...


    Jasmine bit her lips before she speaks towards Issei: "...Ise! Please lend me 70kg of this crystal!"


    This is the first time Jasmine pleaded at Issei on her own accord... Usually, she needs to be forced a little before she does this.


    "Hm? What do you need it for?" Issei asked curiously. For this little bratty princess to beg at him on her own accord then it must be quite an important matter.


    "...I need it to reform mine and my mother''s physical body. So please lend me 70kg of this crystal! I beg of you... I know this is too much to ask of you considering what you have done for us so far but I will surely repa-"


    "Sure."


    She begged Issei desperately since who knows when will they came across this huge amount of once again.


    But before she could finish her words, Issei has already agreed to her request.


    "...Eh?" Jasmine let out a dumbfounded voice while Xun''er went into a daze...


    "I said sure." Issei repeated his words nonchalantly.


    "...W-Why are you so nonchalant about the whole situation?! Don''t you know the worth of this purple crystal!?" Jasmine couldn''t help but shout seeing how easily he gave up these purple crystal... They''re not talking about a 1kg or 2kg here, but rather a whole 70kg of it!


    Sure, in the upper realm, these purple crystals are the lowest in terms of rarity and profound currency... But to find a whole 100kg of them in this lower realm is simply unheard of...


    They don''t know about the 50kg of purple crystal that''s residing inside the . If they do then their reaction would be on a whole another level...


    "I do. Grand Sect Mistress Feng Qianhui already informed me of it... Perhaps for most people, this are very rare and useful but for me they''re worthless" Issei said calmly towards the dumbfounded Jasmine.


    The only reason Issei is collecting this crystal is because he wanted to give it away to the . If not then he won''t even bother to gather it.


    "...Hmph, suit yourself... Don''t say this princess doesn''t warn you... And my words still stand... This princess will surely repay you when the time comes." Jasmine harrumphed to the side feeling irritated about the whole situation...


    Xun''er smiled gently at her daughter.


    "By the way... How do you create your new physical body from this crystal?" Issei asked feeling a little bit curious.


    "Of course this is not all we need to reconstruct our physical body... We still need 8 more materials at the very least... And they are two stalks of and six no lower than that of the " Jasmine said.


    "Oh? What''s this Udambara flower you''re talking about?" Issei inquired further. He knows of the profound core but not this Udambara flower.


    It needs to be noted that Jasmine said "Reconstruct" and not create a brand new body or that would be weird considering she''s not a . So Issei doesn''t feel that surprised but his interest is still intrigued because of this.


    "...The is an object of Yin and evil. It only grows in dark and cold lands and it took an entire twenty-four years to only bloom once. The flower withers three days after blooming, thus one would have to wait twenty-four years later for it to bloom once more...


    It is reputed to be the most terrifying flower in existence. Simply approaching the flower will cause one''s body to be invaded by its powerful dark and sinister aura, damaging one''s soul. At best, they would fall into a long-lasting coma. At worst, they would turn into the living dead. If one''s profound strength is low, then they would immediately lose their life.


    Its stem and leaves are of a purplish-black color and about three meters tall. The bloomed flower was of an extremely pretty and flirtatious bright purple color. On its petals lingered a light purple mist that carried the breath of the netherworld, and while that mist drifted, it still faintly lets out the crying and laughing sounds of the nether ghosts."


    Jasmine explained while being a little confused... Sometimes he possesses a knowledge better than them but sometimes he doesn''t know simple stuff such as this flower information.


    This flower should exist even in this lower realm but he doesn''t seem to know this at all...


    "Hoo..." Now, this got Issei''s attention.


    From Jasmine''s description, it''s safe to say that this flower grows where its surrounding area is filled with element. And that''s just what he needs... A place overflowing with one of the natural elements he needed to hasten his recovery rate.


    Jasmine and Xun''er don''t really want to depend on Issei to find these materials, they were planning to find it themselves when they have the capabilities to do so...


    Jasmine''s recovery rate is faster than Issei at least... She should recover around 4 to 5 more years give or take. This is really as strong as the legend says... She thought to herself.


    And what is fortunate is that the current host of the is a strong individual and also a smart and wise one at that. If it was some idiot who''s very weak but also someone who thinks with his lower half most of the time then perhaps her fate might be more unfortunate rather than fortunate...


    Unknown to her, the purification capability has been increased by Issei''s existence... Although the pearl hastens his recovery by a tiny bit, the one who gains the most advantage between the two exchanges is the pearl itself since it lodged itself inside the body of a .


    The same goes for the .


    If their current "Relationship" goes on for a longer period of time then it won''t be weird if they evolved... When that time comes then it won''t be called a anymore but rather a or something similar.


    One of the reasons why the would choose Issei as their true master is also because of this.


    Both Issei and Jasmine didn''t say anything else after that... Issei continued his search but to his disappointment, there''s nothing really worth it for him...


    When Issei is searching for some treasures, he heard a weapon clashing sound from the distant. He decided to check into it.


    In the midst of the endless snow, eight blurred silhouettes gradually grew clearer.


    When Issei arrived at the scene, he saw Cang Yue''s group fighting against four other people.


    It looks like Cang Yue''s group is on the losing side since their 4 assailants consist of two half step thrones, one earth, and one spirit realm practitioners.


    Xia Yuanba is fighting against 1 of the throne while Qin Wushang is fighting against the other one. Yun Che is fighting against the earth realm and Cang Yue against the spirit realm practitioner.


    But their condition is quite dire since there are wounds that could be found on their bodies.


    Although, Cang Yue is not that injured probably because her opponent is taking it easy against her... It''s safe to assume that she''s their main target while Qin Wushang and the others are just a side dish for them.


    Their assailants, if Issei is not mistaken, is from that Burning clan or whatever it''s called and they are Fen Juecheng, his little brother Fen Jubei, and their supposed sect elder that he can''t bother to remember.


    As for the other half step throne cultivator, he doesn''t know him but it seems that his name is Mu Tianbei from what he observed so far.


    Qin Wushang and Xia Yuanba are getting desperate since there''s nothing much they can do against a half step throne opponents.


    "...Yuanba, go and take Princess Cang Yue and Yun Che away with you when I give you the signal... There''s no hope for all of us to survive this predicament... At the very least you need to save the princess and yourself! I will hold them back as long as I could." Qin Wushang said in a low voice towards Yuanba who''s beside him.


    "No, Palace Qin! I won''t leave you behind!" Xia Yuanba said while gritting his teeth.


    "Heheh, you think you can run? So what if we kill you all here, there won''t be any witness and no one will be able to find out the truth anyway... Isn''t that right, elder Mu Tianbei?" The elder from the burning heaven clan said towards both of them in a mocking voice.


    Mu Tianbei chuckled darkly at the elder words signaling his agreement with the elder words.


    "Now Princess Cang Yue, you better come with me now and I can assure you that we won''t make your friends suffer when we do kill them. We will give them a quick death!" Fen Juecheng grinned evilly towards Cang Yue who''s currently being held back by Fen Juebi.


    "I rather die than having to come with you!" Cang Yue shouted in a cold voice.


    "Don''t be like that, sister-in-law~. My elder brother will surely treat you kindly... And perhaps after he''s done with you, I will also treat you very, gently~" Fen Juebi said towards Cang Yue in a teasing voice.


    "Shameless!" She shouted with a red face caused by anger.


    Yun Che wishes that he could help them but there''s nothing he could do since his enemy is at the 4th level of .


    He could escape from here if he''s on his own but he can''t leave behind his friends just like that...


    Just when they''re getting really desperate about the whole situation they suddenly saw the whole scenery in front of their eyes changed instantly.


    When they snap out of their daze, they found themselves standing behind a black-masked figure.


    "Elder Ise!" Cang Yue said feeling pleasantly surprised seeing the figure she always dreamt of is standing in front of her. And not just her, even Qin Wushang and Xia Yuanba are feeling the same.


    Only Yun Che is feeling taken aback for another reason: ''When did he...!''


    He can''t sense Issei''s presence the whole time and he doesn''t even know just what he did just now... All of them just suddenly appeared behind him without a sound.


    It needs to be known that Yun Che always spread out his sense of the whole area to prepare himself for a sudden ambush... But he still doesn''t realize just when did Issei arrived here!


    He started having a cold sweat because if Issei wanted to kill him then he won''t even know what happened until the end...


    The same goes for Fen Juecheng''s group...


    "G-Greetings, senior... What brings you here?" The burning clan Elder said while cupping his fist towards Issei. Didn''t Issei doesn''t enter this heaven basin realm? Then why is he here?


    He''s confused about the whole situation...


    "Are you alright?" Issei ignored the elder and asked Cang Yue''s group.


    "Y-Yes, I''m fine but..." Cang Yue answered in a relieved voice but then she felt sorry for Yuanba and the others. She''s fine and no real harm has been done towards her other than exhaustion for overusing her profound energy but other than that then she''s completely fine...


    Seeing Issei ignored him, he felt anger rising inside him but he reels it in since he knows that Issei is stronger than all of them combined together... He gave a signal towards his accomplices.


    Just when they''re prepared to run, they heard Issei''s voice.


    "Stay." All of them inadvertently froze in their place. They tried to move their legs but to their horror, they couldn''t!


    It''s like their whole body is frozen stiff on the spot. They know Issei won''t let them off that easily since Xia Yuanba is the little brother of Xia Qingyue... And knowing their sect personality, if they do try to touch one of their own then they won''t be able to avoid their sect wrath.


    Even though Xia Yuanba is not the disciple, he''s still one of their sect member family members... So they tried to run away but they couldn''t...


    Issei then waved his hand towards Qin Wushang''s group and a moment later, all of their wounds are closing at a visible rate much to their amazement.


    "Wooaah! All of my wounds are closing on their own!" Xia Yuanba shouted in amazement.


    While Yuanba and his friends are feeling amazed, the exact opposite of emotion could be found on Fen Juecheng''s side... They are terrified.


    They''ve never seen anyone capable of what Issei just did... With just 1 wave of his hand, he could heal all those injuries from other person''s bodies?! Just how powerful is he!


    "Your excellency! We know of our mistake. If you could just let us go this time then our will surely compensate you graciously." The Elder immediately tried to negotiate for their lives.


    "The same goes from my side. The will surely compensate your excellency well." Mu Tianbei also chimed in with the elder words.


    They said their respective sect''s name hoping it will make Issei change his mind but...


    "...What you just said before... Ah, that''s right... ''So what if we kill you here? There won''t be any witness and no one will be able to find out the truth anyway'' wasn''t it?" Issei said calmly.


    Before they could retort to Issei''s words, the power that''s currently suppressing them started to intensify at a rapid rate causing Fen Juecheng''s group to emit a blood-curdling shriek, as their five viscera and six bowels warped under the great pressure.


    "P-Please wait, your excellency! Our sect Great Elder left a special soul imprint on our body. If we were to die, Our sect Great Elder will immediately know who killed us! At that time, you¡­ You and everyone related to you will receive the wrath of the entire ! Surely you don''t want a full-scale war happening between our sect, don''t you?!" The elder hurriedly shouted feeling desperate for their situation... Mu Tianlei also said the same thing as him.


    The irony... A few seconds ago, it''s them who are pressuring Cang Yue''s group, but in a blink of an eye, it''s their turn... Looks like Karma is at work today...


    "Right¡­ Right¡­ You¡­ You can''t kill me! If you dare to kill me... Our sect Great Elder will know¡­ You can''t kill me!" Feng Juecheng and Juebi said gaining their confidence back thinking that Issei won''t dare to kill them.


    As the son of the Burning Heaven Clan Master, Fen Juecheng and Fen Juebi had never been trampled by anyone before. Moreover, this was the first time they had actually faced the menace of death. These kinds of people were often someone who fears death the most...


    At this moment, Their face was a deathly white color, and their lips were ashen. Their whole body felt like they''re being crushed by a giant mountain and even now their bones are cracking under the pressure coming from Issei.


    "What they say are actually true. Detection imprints have indeed been left on their bodies. If they were to die, the person who left the imprint will immediately know who killed them." Jasmine said from within the pearl.


    She reminded Issei just in case he doesn''t know this... But knowing his strength then some measly clan like this burning chicken clan or whatever is not worthy of mentioning at all...


    "Really?" Issei''s calm voice doesn''t change in the slightest.


    "So you both are from the and the , right?" Issei asked both elders which they nodded profusely thinking that Issei maybe changed his mind.


    "Hmm... I wonder if I should destroy your sect just like I did with the ..." Issei mused to himself feeling like making fun of them and as expected... Everyone''s present had their face went stupefied and before long their body started trembling fiercely.


    They might not know of Issei''s subordinates but Jasmine and Xun''er both knew of Esdeath... So they don''t find it weird knowing that Issei is the one who destroyed the . Not that they care anyway about some weakling sect...


    Fen Juecheng''s party face went couldn''t be any paler... They are utterly horrified after hearing Issei''s words.


    He''s the one who''s responsible for the destruction of the !?


    The is not weaker than their own sect but they''re destroyed in but a single day without any witnesses other than the sect remnant... But even they won''t tell them what''s the cause of their sect destruction. So it has always been a mystery for the other major sects...


    But now they know... And the truth terrifies them to no end! How couldn''t they?! The culprit is standing right in front of them! And when Issei released his cultivation realm, they''re convinced...


    A peak 10th level throne...


    Even their sect Grand Sect Master is only at the 5th level throne... Their faces are like a dying ember after knowing the harsh truth...


    What would their reaction be if they find out that Issei could easily break through to the peak of the anytime he wanted to... Perhaps they would die of a heart attack right at this second...


    Even Qin Wushang, Cang Yue, and Yun Che are feeling incredulous about the whole situation... Xia Yuanba doesn''t really understand but he knows that Issei must be really amazing. He''s feeling happy that his big sis sect is housing this kind of great person.


    "And is this the Detection Imprints you mentioned?" On top of Issei''s hand, there is four glowing charm and for the third time, they all are stupefied... That''s because the detection imprint that was inside their body appeared at the top of Issei palm out of nowhere...


    ''Just how and when did he do that?!'' This is what''s on their mind after seeing it. There are 8(Actually 11 including Xiaotao, Jasmine, and Xun''er) people on the spot watching Issei every move but even then they still couldn''t tell just when did he extracted those inscriptions from their body...


    As far as they know, only the one who planted that imprint themselves could remove it...


    But Jasmine could do the same as Issei but she couldn''t do it that fast and even unnoticed like that... Even she who keeps her attention on Issei''s body couldn''t tell just when did he does that... Needless to say about these worms...


    Issei doesn''t really care if their sect found out about him killing Fen Juecheng''s party or not... He just wants to avoid troublesome things from happening...


    Unlike the , their sect is not threatening to harm the as a whole just yet. And this action of theirs is most likely coming from this Fen Juecheng''s own idea and not his whole sect.


    He won''t kill his whole sect members just because of one bad egg.


    The must have already discussed their plan back then since their sect Grand Elder is the one who participates directly.


    But the elder from the knew that their fate has been sealed... He can only smile bitterly blaming their bad luck for meeting Issei here...


    Fen Juecheng and Fen Juebi''s whole face had tears and snots streaming down their faces... Even an idiot could tell that there''s no way they could survive today...


    And before they could utter another word, they suddenly felt their vision went black...


    The 4 of them instantly become encased in ice and then their bodies shattered into pieces...


    Yun Che who saw this shuddered greatly and he swore to himself to never make an enemy out of Issei... He expanded all of his senses trying to at least see a glimpse just what Issei did but he got nothing... Other than from a wave from his hand and when he purposefully showed them his cultivation realm, he can''t see nor sense any kind of profound energy leaving his body...


    Truly a monster, he thought to himself...


    ...


    , northwest direction.


    BOOM!!


    The mountain was directly blown apart, revealing large chunks of soil and rocks that were buried under the snow and ice. According to the previous experiences of those who entered the , some unusual stones tend to frequently be laid beneath the mountain.


    However, after blowing the mountain apart, Fen Moli, the Great Elder did not advance. Instead, his entire body trembled and froze on the spot, and he wore an utterly confused expression.


    The middle-aged man that was beside him immediately asked: "Great Elder, what''s wrong?"


    Fen Moli''s expression slowly turned incomparably gloomy: "...The Detection Imprints I left inside Fen Juecheng and Fen Juebi... Disappeared without a trace..."


    "What!?" The middle-aged man exclaimed. Not even two hours had passed since they entered the . Before they even reaped any rewards, they had instead received such grievous news first: "How is that possible?!"


    "...If I know then I won''t be standing here like a fool!" Fen Moli shouted in frustration himself.


    "I-It doesn''t matter how it disappeared! What matters now is that we must search for them!" The middle-aged man said in worry.


    This won''t do! If they lose their two most precious successors at the same time then their sect will decline!


    "...Um." Fen Moli agreed with his words but even after searching for a whole day, they still can''t find a single trace of them...


    At some point, they meet up with the group from the . It seems that they''re also missing one of their sect elders...


    Of course they won''t be able to find them any longer... Their bodies have mixed with the snow and ice in this realm after all...


    ...


    "...I thank your excellency for saving us." Qin Wushang is the first to snaps out of his daze and immediately said his gratitude towards Issei.


    "A-Ah, thank you once again, Elder Ise." Cang Yue chimed in almost immediately.


    She''s not in a daze because of Issei''s prowess but because she''s dazed seeing his broad and dependable back...


    She already knew of Issei''s strength to a certain extent so she''s not that surprised seeing his action.


    Xia Yuanba and Yun Che also thanked Issei. While Xia Yuanba''s words are pure without any emotion other than pure gratitude, Yun Che gratitude is laced with fear...


    There''s no helping it, humans tend to feel fear of the unknown especially true for Yun Che who has lived 2 lifetimes in a row... In his 2 lifetimes, he never saw this kind of showcase in power.


    "Um." Issei only calmly nodded at their words and when he wanted to leave, Yun Che said he wanted to have a conversation with him.


    "Excuse me, Elder Ise... May I speak with you in private?" Even now he''s sweating a little feeling afraid that Issei would feel offended or some sort. But he just can''t let his treasures gone without a trace just like that... He needs some answers especially since the pendant is supposedly the only clue that could lead him to his biological parents.


    His adoptive grandfather, Xiao Ying has already told him about his true identity, so he''s very desperate wanting to know about the whereabouts...


    While the is entrusted to him by his Medical Master in his 2nd life...


    Issei knows just what Yun Che wanted to talk about so he agreed to his request with a simple nod.


    Cang Yue is curious just what they wanted to talk about but she won''t pry into their business.


    "Yun Che thanks elder for agreeing to this junior humble request." Yun Che cupped his fist in gratitude.


    Then they both walked towards the distance not far away from Cang Yue''s group location...


    ...


    Yun Che took a deep breath before he started speaking: "...Elder Ise, the thing is... Have you seen my treasures? You see... I lost my treasures sometimes after I met you in the past... They both are very important to me and I''m not accusing you or anything, I just wanted to ask you and if you don''t know of it then I understand... "


    Issei doesn''t say anything but he calmly extended his hand and on top of his palm, there are 2 items floating above it.


    Yun Che''s eyes went wide with excitement seeing the 2 items.


    "Is this the treasures you''re searching for?" Issei asked him calmly.


    "Yes! Both of them are indeed the treasures that are entrusted to me by my biological parents and also my Master in medicinal arts and this junior will be eternally grateful if Elder could give it back to me." Yun Che acknowledged it almost instantaneously.


    "Hmph! What a joke... Does he think the heavenly treasures are some sort of commodity someone weak as him could keep?" Jasmine''s disdainful voice can be heard from within the but Yun Che couldn''t hear it.


    What she said is indeed the truth... If someone were to know someone as weak as Yun Che possesses 2 heavenly treasures then he won''t even know how he dies when the time comes...


    Sometimes, having riches in your hand could be a disaster instead of a blessing... And in this case, it''s a disaster... Yun Che who''s pathetically like an ant in the eyes of Jasmine is not worthy of having 2 heavenly treasures.


    "I would give it back to you if I could but... Whether these 2 treasures are willing or not is a different story..." Issei said feeling a little sorry for Yun Che.


    Even though these 2 treasures don''t have their own consciousness but they have their own will... They couldn''t speak but they can move to a certain extent and also choose their rightful Master...


    Imagine an AI(Artificial Intelligence) that has been programmed to always find the best software to upgrade themselves. There''s no way that said AI would willingly choose to downgrade themselves without proper programming.


    Perhaps Yun Che is their past Master they approve of but because they met Issei here then the chance of them willingly return themselves to Yun Che''s hand is not certain... Even if they do return to Yun Che, who knows if the 2 would be willing to utilize their power like they used to...


    It''s a well-known information in the upper realm that the can choose their own Master. Unless their previously chosen Master dies or that person is a lot better than their previous host then they won''t leave their current host.


    And this is exactly what happened and also what Issei wanted to convey towards Yun Che but the latter doesn''t understand what the former meant...


    "...What do you mean, senior?" Yun Che''s face went cold thinking that Issei is coveting his treasures and doesn''t want to give it back...


    Issei who saw Yun Che''s expression narrowed his eyes himself.


    "Don''t think that I''m trying to trick you. If I wanted to, then I can kill you without even lifting a finger on the spot right here right now. There''s no need for me to waste my time trying to explain things to you if I truly coveted your treasures." Issei responded back with a much more colder voice.


    The hot-headed Yun Che instantly sobered... Right... If Issei really wanted to steal his treasures then there''s no need for Issei to waste words with him. He can just kill him on the spot akin to a human stepping on an ant.


    Their strength disparity is too far apart after all...


    They''re in the ... If someone truly dies here then there won''t be a chance to find out just who''s the culprit is just like that elder from the Burning clan said before...


    Sure Cang Yue and the others are nearby but even if they do know of the truth, what can they do? This man in front of him is too powerful to even consider him as their enemy... And that''s not taking the that''s supporting him into consideration...


    Unknown to Yun Che, it''s the other way around... It''s not that the that''s supporting Issei but it''s him supporting them instead...


    "Junior apologize for his lack of manners... Can you please enlighten this junior by what senior meant just now?" Yun Che hastily apologizes while having a cold sweat.


    "I meant what I said. These 2 treasures won''t go back to you unless you''re stronger than me... Even if I wanted to give it back, I couldn''t do so. You can try taking them back on your own if you wanted to." Issei said towards Yun Che in a calm manner once more while extending his hand that contains the 2 treasures.


    Yun Che felt suspicious of Issei''s words but thinking about what just happened, he decided to do just that.


    He tried grabbing towards the 2 treasures but his hand immediately phase through it like it was never there in the first place.


    Yun Che becomes dumbstruck seeing this phenomenon and then he tried his best to grab into it... He utilizes all of his profound energy and strength but the result stays the same.


    If he couldn''t feel these 2 treasures presence then he might think that Issei is tricking him with illusions but he can clearly sense it right before him... It''s right in front of him but it is out of reach from his hand at the same time: "Impossible! I won''t believe I can''t grab onto it!"


    The frustration is unbearable for Yun Che. But no matter what he does, once again, the result stays the same...


    ''...Is what he just said is really the truth?!'' Yun Che thought frustratingly inside his mind.


    Finally, after a couple more tries, Yun Che gave up with a bitter sigh...


    "...Is there really no other way, senior?" Yun Che tried asking Issei but he knows that the chance is quite slim...


    "Sadly, as of right now, there''s no other solution that I can think of." Issei shakes his head. Even if he could, he still couldn''t give away the right now since Jasmine and Xun''er is residing within it.


    "*Sigh*... Then Junior ask senior to hold onto it until the day I could take them back arrive... I hope senior can agree to my simple request. That pendant is the only clue for me to find my biological parents..." Yun Che said with a bitter feeling.


    These 2 treasures were his... For 2 lifetime they were his... But on the 3rd lifetime, he lost it just like that... Is this karma at work? The price he needed to pay for living 3 lifetimes?


    "Tch! This brat thinks too highly of himself! That day will never come!" Jasmine said in disdain once more from within the pearl.


    Xun''er smiles wryly but she agrees to her daughter''s words... Become stronger than Issei? She honestly can''t see a sliver of a chance for that to happen... It''s nothing but a pipe dream and they are completely sure of this outcome.


    If they''re suspicious whether Issei came from the upper realm or not, then they''re 100% sure that this Yun Che came from the lower plane... His profound aura explains it all. It couldn''t be more ordinary in their eyes.


    "Very well..." Issei sighed to himself.


    He knows the time when Yun Che could best him will never come... So right now it''s just an empty promise between them.


    "...In the meantime, you can hold on to this. Think of it as my recompensation for taking your treasures." Issei thought for a second before he took out 2 objects from the and threw it towards Yun Che.


    He took 2 treasures from Yun Che and he will compensate exactly 2 of the same level of treasures(At least in his opinion). Even though it''s not his intention in the first place to "steal" the treasures from Yun Che, but he still owes Yun Che nevertheless.


    Yun Che reflexively caught the 2 objects with his hands.


    The first item is a golden colored light armor with some exotic black inscription on it. While the second item is a great sword that''s colored pure white and along the blade, there''s a golden runic symbol inscribed into it.


    "This is...?" Yun Che went into a daze while holding the 2 objects...


    "The armor is called , it is a powerful armor that could block even the strike from a divine weapon. And since I saw you were using a greatsword in the tournament, I gave you the sword of , it is able to slay gods, demons, and repel all elements to a certain extent." Issei introduced the 2 items for Yun Che.


    He possesses quite a few legendary and divine artifact and even phantasmal artifact rarity inside the but they can''t help him with his recovery sadly... Not really surprising since he doesn''t really need one until now and those kinds of artifacts which could assist the user with their regeneration and the like are already given away by him towards his wives, or he already dismantled them to fuse it with their wedding rings.


    Sure there''s still some left but it''s inside the original treasury and not his current pseudo .


    Besides, his current situation can''t be fixed with a simple spell and similar spells like that...


    Jasmine who saw the 2 treasures had her mouth went wide agape... Even from inside the pearl she could feel the overflowing divine strength of those 2 treasures.


    They might even on par or perhaps surpass the in terms of strength alone... Perhaps only the ranked 1st heavenly treasure could rival these 2 artifacts...


    "H-How can you give that 2 treasures away just like that?! It doesn''t make sense... He''s just a weakling! There''s no need for you to waste your time with him!" Jasmine scratched her head in exasperation.


    Issei doesn''t respond to her words which made her even more vexed...


    Just what is going on inside this baddy head?! How can he give away these 2 divine treasures just like that!


    Xun''er understands Issei''s personality to a certain extent and she can understand just why Issei did this... He''s not the type of person that is willing to owe someone a favor, that''s why...


    If he does owe someone a favor then he will immediately repay their favor when he has the chance... That''s the kind of person Issei is...


    Actually, Jasmine also understands this but understanding and willing to accept it is a different story...


    Yun Che felt like he''s dreaming... Just now he was devastated losing 2 treasures just like that but a moment later he received 2 treasures that could rival that said treasures...


    "...Junior thanks senior for his benevolence." Yun Che bowed deeply towards Issei. He stored the treasures he just got into his storage ring lest it might attract unwanted attention.


    "Um. Then I believe we''re done here." Issei then walked towards the opposite direction while Yun Che sees him off. Soon, Issei disappears into the distance...


    Now Issei doesn''t really owe Yun Che a favor anymore. Their karma ties have been severed...


    Yun Che then went back towards his own group but Cang Yue blatantly felt disappointed that Issei already left.


    Yun Che who saw her lovelorn looks finally understand why his advances never seem to works against her... It seems that he''s too late in the race, Yun Che thought bitterly inside his mind.


    ...


    Issei continues to accumulate more and more treasures which made Jasmine and Xun''er become numb of his luck...


    The weather in this realm is constantly in a snowstorm but that doesn''t bother Issei in the slightest. He can see what''s around him as clear as a day.


    At this time, a tingling feeling suddenly came from Issei''s left hand''s palm. He immediately lifted up his left hand and discovered that his palm was currently flashing with a green brilliance that belonged to the .


    This means that the has a reaction toward treasures.


    And to make the react, it certainly wasn''t just any ordinary treasure either.


    Issei then followed the direction where the pinpointed.


    The blizzard did not have any hint of stopping, and it was unknown just how long this blizzard had been going on. The ice and snow under their feet also thickened to an unimaginable extent.


    The temperature of this place was frighteningly low. After walking for so long under this sky and earth of ice, in order to defend against the acute cold, a normal person''s profound energy expenditure speed will also become extremely fast.


    But Issei here is like having a stroll in the park... Even his clothes don''t have a single piece of snow sticking to it. It''s as if the snow intentionally avoids his body on their own...


    After walking for a while, Issei saw a glowing blue flower in the distance.


    It was an enormous lotus flower whose diameter was as long as five feet, it had an illusory blue colored jade-like flower stem and light blue flower petals that flowed with fluorescent brilliance. Yet its stamen was like a red-colored starry sky that had gathered together and flashed with a mysterious and eccentric light.


    A lotus ought to bloom in the summer with a scorching sun, yet this lotus, had lofty bloomed within the blizzard. The wind howled and the falling snow flew about, so it would be difficult even for an ordinary person to stand upright under this kind of blizzard.


    This lotus flower unyieldingly stood there, neither the petals or the stamen had the slightest of waver. It was as if none of its petals could possibly fall even if the blizzard was ten times stronger.


    Under the snow, the entire land was even submerged underneath. Yet only this lotus flower was not covered. On the petals, even a trace of the drifting snow could not be seen. In this world of overwhelming blizzard and snow, it became the only, and also the most blinding existence.


    Issei doesn''t have any reaction when he saw this flower and so does Jasmine.


    This flower is very rare in the lower realm. If those major sects took ahold of this flower location then they would do anything just to get their hands on it... Even those from the are no exception.


    This flower is called , it is said to be a sacred object gifted by the heavens and is also a kind of object which shouldn''t exist in the mortal world because it opposes the heavens.


    Just like its name implies, it says that after consuming the flower, it could make someone without any profound strength step into the in a day''s time. And if that someone has a very high talent then they could even reach the , hence its name... The .


    Furthermore, the power that''s hidden inside the is extremely gentle and absolutely would not cause a situation, where the person who consumed it cannot endure the change and become injured or some sort, to appear.


    Now it might seem like it''s nothing much but what if this flower is used early on when they''re still but a child? A child at the age of 4-5 years old but already steps into the or even the and perhaps into the !


    Just that imagination alone is extremely tempting for those major sects... If one could acquire it, one could climb to a height that others may not achieve even if they worked hard for their entire lives. The words "object that opposes the heavens", was not at all an exaggeration for it. And this kind of thing that breaks the balance too much, should indeed, not exist in this world.


    The flower who sensed Issei''s presence trembled slightly while its glow shines even brighter. It started fluttering amongst the blizzard and it''s as if its leaves are inviting Issei to pluck it.


    If the flower could grow legs then it would probably unroot itself and immediately flew towards Issei''s hand on its own...


    Jasmine and Xun''er who saw this phenomenon are not that confused anymore since they already knew about Issei being able to use a element from before.


    And besides, this is not the 1st time this kind of situation happened... Most of the rare herbs, plants, or flowers Issei acquired before this acts the same way as this flower before them...


    Back then they''re confused about this but now they completely understand...


    They started to suspect if Issei possesses some sort of bloodline or not...


    But they won''t be able to guess the real reason why Issei could freely use element... It''s because of the from the Kalars race and also him possessing a high affinity with it in the first place...


    And this is not taking Issei''s past reincarnation which is Adan himself from the world into consideration...


    Issei then calmly pluck the flower up. It almost as if the flower shivered in utter joy being touched by Issei.


    From discovery to approach, to successfully plucking it, the entire process was incredibly smooth. Let alone risks, even an obstacle did not exist. It was simple to the point that it was somewhat abnormal.


    Issei then stored the flower inside the .


    [Xiaotao, go plant that flower along with the others] Issei sends a sound transmission towards Xiaotao that''s residing inside the .


    Others might not be able to use sound transmission in this realm but bypassing this realm''s law is very easy for Issei.


    [Understood, Master] Xiaotao answered from within the .


    Issei already created a miniature within the . So the rare herbs and flowers he achieved so far that he doesn''t give away to the are kept there by him.


    Both the and the are "cultivating" right beside the Garden absorbing excess energy emitted by the rare plants.


    The rare herbs and plants couldn''t be any happier living inside the because of it... They are nourished extremely well in here after all. It should''ve taken them hundreds, and even thousands of years to fully grow and transform themselves but by being here they don''t need that long anymore...


    Some of the rare herbs and flowers even already grew and even transformed... Take this for example. In the near future, it will be able to transform itself and it won''t be just called an but it might be called the or even


    given a proper chance...


    But it seems that this flower is not unguarded after all...


    A severe winter descended upon the Heaven Basin, so it froze over. As for this profound beast that stood guard by the side all year round, it had entered deep hibernation on the bottom of the Heaven Basin.


    Since it did not sense Issei''s approach, it was still fast asleep then. Well, even if it awakes then it''s still won''t be able to sense his presence anyway.


    However, once the had been plucked away, when its aura had completely disappeared, it had finally woken up, evoking a fury that surged to the skies.


    BOOM!!! AWOOOOOOOOO!!!


    A Huge heaven crashing earth splitting sound echoed from behind Issei, followed by a terrifying roar that was enough to burst heaven and earth.


    Issei frowned a little when he heard this roar feeling a little annoyed because of how loud it is...


    The beast was around three hundred meters tall and white hair covered its entire body. It had a humanlike body and a vicious wolf-like head with scarlet red eyes.


    (AN: Think of a humongous werewolf).


    When it landed, it was like a small mountain that blocked a huge amount of light from the heavens, and the aura it released, was way more terrifying than over ten thousand mountains. In front of its huge body, any normal person was as insignificant as little flies.


    ...


    In between two icy mountains, Ling Yuefeng finally found his first reward from an ancient forest that wasn''t completely covered in ice and snow. Just as he was about to pluck that pitch-black , the sound of a profound beast suddenly echoed from the distance. The place it came from was very far away, so the sound wasn''t very loud, but it indeed shook Ling Yuefeng''s entire body. His face showed an incredibly shocked expression, and even his soul was unexpectedly trembled by the roar that originated from far away.


    "This is¡­ this is¡­ the power of a Tyrant Profound Beast!" Ling Yuefeng looked in the distance and an uncontrollable fear loomed over his face.


    "Inside the , there was actually a Tyrant Profound Beast¡­"


    "Wait! This cry is filled with anger! Could it be that someone stepped into its territory or provoked it?"


    While thinking about these things, Ling Yuefeng''s expression kept changing. The power that this sound contained could send him, a Throne, into deep fear. He felt that the owner of this sound could destroy him effortlessly. ... a level never before was seen in the , because in the history of , there never was a true Overlord(Tyrant). was already the peak and limit of the . Titles like and could exist only in the fantasies of Blue Wind profound practitioners. It was a level that they absolutely could not comprehend and imagine.


    The person who offended this Tyrant Profound Beast, he would turn into dust particles in the blink of an eye... It was impossible for there to be a secondary outcome.


    Ling Yuefeng subconsciously retreated two steps and then flew towards that roar in the distance. Right now, he could only deeply pray that the ones who offended this terrifying Tyrant Profound Beast wasn''t a part of his .


    ...


    In the distance, Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan''s group also heard of this tyrant profound beast but they''re not that too concerned about it and they only stopped their movement for a second before they resumed their search for treasures.


    Xia Qingyue''s group has killed dozens of profound beasts ranging from the and while Chu Yuechan''s group managed to kill 1 Tyrant Profound Beast with Chu Yueli assistance. Even though the beast is only at the 1st level of it''s still an Overlord regardless.


    It''s not an easy fight but they still won in the end... Now they have 1 tyrant profound beast core in their possession. They wonder if their sect elder will be happy receiving this core...


    Even if a sovereign beast pops out they still won''t feel any fear... They have their sect elder protection after all.


    ...


    Yun Che''s group hastily followed suit of Ling Yuefeng''s idea... As in running as far as possible from the source of the beast roar.


    Cang Yue felt a little concerned thinking if Issei is the one who provoked this tyrant profound beast but soon she shakes her head wryly since even if Issei is the one who provoked it then it''s the beast that should be worried, not the other way around... She won''t believe that he will get done in by some measly tyrant profound beast.


    ...


    That roar transmitted an extremely terrifying pressure and penetrative power into every corner of the Heaven Basin Secret Realm. It completely overwhelmed the most powerful experts of the top ten sects with shock and made each of them retreat from the source of the roar.


    They simultaneously thought that death would be inevitable, but none of them could have imagined that the people who encountered this terrifying profound beast is even monstrous than the beast itself.


    "It''s a ..." Jasmine said feeling a little worried.


    To think that they will meet another this soon... It hasn''t been that long since Jasmine said that she needed 6 of the Tyrant Beast Core for the reconstruction of their physical bodies.


    But now, she''s wondering if Issei could kill this profound beast since it''s at the peak of the .


    They know that he has subordinates that''s at the but what about him... Is he powerful enough to kill this profound beast before him?


    They don''t judge Issei based on his cultivation realm any longer after all so they wanted to know just what is the true extent of his strength is...


    But Jasmine is prepared to help Issei the moment she saw things go awry even if it will make her injury worsen.


    Issei who was observing the beast becomes slightly astonished...


    "ROAR!!!"


    The giant beast lifted up its right arm and smashed downwards towards Issei. The sound of the wind that whistled produced by the beast is as if space itself ripped apart. If this fist were to hit anyone else then that person would become a meat paste, guaranteed.


    Even a normal practitioners wouldn''t dare to take this fist head-on.


    Boom!!!


    Like a heavy hammer that came from heaven, it smashed the ground viciously, causing the entire Heaven Basin to vibrate. If it wasn''t a state of severe winter right now, but a summer day instead, perhaps a great amount of the Heaven Basin''s water would quake into the sky.


    Jasmine gritted her teeth seeing Issei still standing without a care on the spot but what she saw next made her went into a daze...


    The beast fist stopped dead in its track blocked by Issei''s right hand... And he doesn''t seem strained at all... In fact, it''s beast that attacked him with his fist that''s currently trembling. Most likely feeling the damage rebound from hitting a literal steel plate...


    The beast doesn''t seem to want to give up even though his attack just now failed miserably... But before it could follow up with another attack it felt like its vision goes blurry and the next thing it knows, it saw its lower body gushing a fountain of blood then its vision goes black completely...


    *Thud!*


    Its giant body dropped flat to the white ground rising a cloud of white snow particles into the air but that white ground soon becomes red because of the beast blood... Not a single drop of blood landed on Issei''s body.


    The beast body went twitching for a few seconds before it lays completely still...


    Flawless... That''s the only thing that went inside Xun''er and Jasmine''s mind right now.


    All they saw was Issei waving his left hand and the next thing they know the beast''s body is split in two. Even they can''t tell if Issei used any profound energy or not just now...


    What Issei did was, he manipulated the wind around him and used that very same wind to create an invisible blade that cuts through the giant beast body like a piece of paper.


    Unless Jasmine and Xun''er are proficient in the element then there''s no way they could tell what Issei just did... He purely used only the element without a single ounce of profound energy in it... A pure unadulterated manipulation.


    Perhaps Jasmine could sense this if she''s in her top condition but the current her is incapable of it...


    Issei then walked towards the beast''s body and waved his hand.


    There are 2 objects that landed on his hand... The 1st object is the beast profound core but the 2nd object made both Jasmine and Xun''er utterly dumbfounded and then they become pleasantly surprised in the next second.


    This object was a very small bead, at the size of an ordinary glass ball that sparkled all over like a sapphire. However, the rich rays of blue light it emitted was much stronger than a sapphire, making it shine like a little star. When Issei grabbed it, it seemed as though it had suddenly awakened from its slumber. Suddenly, it released an incredibly intense azure blue light that shrouded the surrounding area.


    This thing is the same thing that he found inside the , inside the Red Dragon''s lair to be exact... It is the Heretic God seed! And judging by its color then it should be of a .


    ""Heretic God Water Seed!!!"" They both exclaimed at the same time.


    Issei put away the beast core inside the while he observed the in his hand.


    And just when he''s about to store it into the pearl as well. A buzzing sound rang from within Xun''er mind but Issei could also hear it. An incredibly old and distant voice that felt like it came from an ancient era sounded.


    "Successor of my powers¡­ You are finally here¡­ And greetings to you... O'' Go*!@&-..."


    Jasmine and Xun''er couldn''t understand the end of the words said by this ancient voice but they decided to put that aside for now.


    Issei is the culprit behind this obviously and they also realize this so they kind of used to this...


    Xun''er quickly shut her eyes. As she concentrated her mind, she tried to respond: "You''re¡­ the Heretic God?"


    "That''s right¡­ the seed in this Exc... Young man''s hand¡­ contains a fragment of my soul that I left behind¡­ I waited many many years within this small world¡­ and finally waited until your arrival¡­"


    The Heretic God was about to say Issei''s identity once again but he realized that Issei doesn''t want his identity to be exposed towards them both so he changed the way he addressed Issei immediately... If someone of his caliber called even Issei with his "Excellency" then needless to say his identity would be exposed.


    Xun''er''s heart stirred and then blurted out her thought: "...Could it be, that the small world that we''re in right now is something you established back then?"


    Not because of the beast strength or anything but rather because he sensed another "Element Seed" within its body.


    The old voice gently said: "Correct¡­ Young man, could you please give the towards my successors...? And Successor of my powers... after you eat the , relax your mind¡­ steady your breathing¡­ let me take a look at your memories¡­ let me understand with the last bits of my power¡­ what I can do for you¡­ This soul residue of mine will soon disappear so you better hurry..."


    Actually, it could maintain its existence for a longer period of time but he doesn''t want to bother Issei more than needed.


    Xun''er doesn''t wait for Issei to put the into the pearl and she exited the pearl instantly. Issei then gives the to her.


    "Thank you so much, Ise..." She bowed deeply towards Issei and there''s an indescribable emotion that flashes through her eyes... This man before her just keeps creating miracle after miracle... Now she''s not sure if she could repay him in this lifetime... But she decided to think about it later and ate the .


    Instantaneously, after Xun''er ate the , her profound veins were suddenly put into a state of violent turmoil. The surface of her body suddenly emitted azure blue rays of light. Afterward, like a lump of azure blue flame, the surface of her body began to ignite.


    Her black rabbit ears also stand upright making her look quite enchanting, that, coupled with the snowfall in the background, if someone were to saw her now then they would absolutely think of her as a Goddess of Winter...


    The icy cold sensation completely disappeared. Xun''er closed her eyes and her entire body was full of unspeakable coziness.


    During the frantic turmoil of her profound veins, a profound strength that seemed to have come out of nowhere rapidly surged forth.


    The profound strength within her profound veins gradually increased and reached its capacity, yet it still did not stop...


    A soft sound rang, and Xun''er heard a faint noise of something breaking. At this moment, the sensation that a hurdle had been directly overcome was transmitted from her profound veins. The blue rays of light that had shined for a long time over her body had also finally burned out at this time.


    During that split second, Xun''er clearly felt as though her profound veins had evolved. The profound strength it held condensed into such a density that she could hardly believe. Her perception of her own body and her surroundings also changed immensely. Her entire body, soul, and profound veins were all suddenly reborn and became anew...


    Xun''er raised her head and slowly exhaled. A sudden surge of profound strength, many times more tyrannical than what she had before dispersed from her body! Her cultivation increased at a rapid rate... From the 1st level to the peak of the in one go and only when it reaches the 1st level of the that it finally stopped...


    Xun''er silently inspected her interior and she saw her originally crystal-like body so vividly that it seemed as if it was see-through. Her original profound veins which were as crimson as flames were now transformed into a mix of scarlet and blue. Each of her fifty-four profound entrances all flickered alternatively in blue and scarlet rays of light. Not only her profound veins, even her channels, plasma, and cells all had a hint of an azure blue to them now.


    The scarlet and the blue colors weren''t completely separate, but they weren''t completely fused either. They were somewhere in between, all mixed up in a mess without repelling each other in the mess, without intruding upon each other''s independent existences.


    When she ate the fire seed back then, Xun''er''s profound veins gained a fire attribute and gained the ultimate affinity with the fire element. She was also able to control element to a certain degree, and could not be harmed by fire in any shape or form.


    Now that she has consumed the water seed, Xun''er''s profound veins gained both water and fire attributes. In nature, water and fire were two incompatible elements, but these two attributes coexisted perfectly within the Heretic God''s Profound Veins.


    Even Issei''s normal and element won''t be able to harm her but that''s if Issei doesn''t combine his and element with his aura or other elements...


    His are not pure fire so if Xun''er got hit by it then she won''t be able to resist it since it''s not a normal fire... It''s a flame breath that''s combined with his Dragon aura which created a unique element which is called the element.


    After Xun''er finished the process of absorbing the , the Heretic God then used its divine sense to prod her memory...


    "So it''s like this... You''re from the upper realm... And your hatred towards those that harmed your daughter and even killed your son runs deep... Very well... I shall assist you to reach the peak and that way you will have the strength to take revenge with your own hands... I''ll use the final bits of my power to fulfill this wish of yours... And I can also send you all to a special place as a reward for this young man... Do you want to?" The Heretic God finished reading her memories and said gently.


    Issei raised his eyebrows when he heard the Heretic God words.


    "Oh? What place?" Issei asked.


    "...This place contains a zone that''s filled with one of the natural elements that you needed the most to help you recover from your... ''Injuries''..." The Heretic God said after a small hesitation.


    "..." Issei narrowed his eyes after hearing the Heretic God''s words. He can sense that he has some hidden intent by sending him to this "Special" place...


    But the fact that he needed to see if this place really has something he needed or not still remains... Although, from the looks of it, this place should really quite special so he might as well check it.


    While Issei is arranging his thoughts about this, both Xun''er and Jasmine become astonished hearing that Issei is currently injured as well... They wanted to ask but decided not to in the end... At least Xun''er does while Jasmine wanted to investigate this further.


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    "Very well... I agree with your proposal" Issei finally agreed to the Heretic God proposal.


    "Good... You can only stay for twenty-four hours over there¡­ After twenty-four hours¡­ You will be taken back to this small world¡­ Is what I wanted to say but since your law attainment is very high then I can''t really put a restriction on you... So it''s up to you when you wanted to return... I will just give you the coordinates for this realm instead..."


    "Um." Issei nodded calmly.


    The old voice then disappeared. Xun''er went inside the pearl after giving Issei her thanks once again...


    There''s a blue portal appeared in front of Issei and then he stepped into the portal disappearing from the ... But before Issei completely disappears, Xun''er heard a few more words left behind by the Heretic God.


    ''Never make this person as your enemy... And if possible, follow and serve him as your Master...'' After that, the voice disappeared while Xun''er went silent...


    ...


    A wave of cool and refreshing air mixed with the faint scent of flowers and the fragrance of soil assailed their nostrils.


    Xun''er and Jasmine both exited the pearl to see just what kind of place they currently at.


    Dark green grass, a small running river, and trees of various height and width were unevenly distributed everywhere. This was the scene that they saw after they opened their eyes.


    This was a place that didn''t seem to be visited by many people, and it didn''t seem to be anything special.


    They don''t know just what kind of place is this but as far as they could tell there doesn''t seem anything special about it... Issei started to wonder just what kind of "Zone" the Heretic God talking about.


    But it shouldn''t be that far from their current location, right?


    "...You''re currently injured?" Jasmine who stands beside him asked in a low voice. She really couldn''t tell that Issei is injured or not...


    Xun''er is also wondering about the same thing.


    "Hmm, yes. You could say that my current condition is not at my peak just like you" Issei answered her question calmly.


    "...How injured are you currently? You seem quite healthy in my eyes... Is it internal injuries? It can''t be... I don''t sense any abnormality on your internal organs..." Jasmine asked him once again while inspecting him at the same time.


    Others might not be able to tell, but both Xun''er and Issei knows that she''s feeling worried about his condition.


    Issei smiled softly under his mask and give her head a pat.


    "Hey! This princess already told you that you''re not allowed to touch this princess''s head!" Although she said that, she doesn''t seem to have any intention to really stop or avoid his touch.


    "No need to worry, I''m not in any kind of danger at all. At least, if compared to your condition then my situation is a lot better..." Issei said softly while still patting her head.


    What he said is not wrong. His injury is not that fatal like Jasmine.


    If Issei overused his power then he will just get slightly weaker and weaker with his skills being unusable in the process while Jasmine, on the other hand, might die because her poison will flare up whenever she overexerted her strength.


    "H-Humph! W-Who''s worried about you! This princess just doesn''t want to be implicated by your injuries! Don''t forget that you''re the master of the . If something were to happen to you then this princess would also suffer the same consequences!" Her small face went a little red and she hastily swung her head to the side to avoid his line of sight.


    Xun''er giggled lightly at her daughter which made the latter''s face become another shade redder.


    "Save me... Save me¡­"


    When they''re still goofing around, an urgent cry for help echoed from nearby. This was the cry of a young girl with an empty voice that sounded like it originated from a remote valley spring.


    It contained deep terror and fear. Then, the sound of chaotic footsteps grew closer.


    Issei instantly looked towards the source of the sound and found a little girl who wore yellow clothes quickly fleeing his way. From her petite and exquisite body, she should only be around twelve years old. However, she had clearly already established the foundations of profound strength since her running speed wasn''t slow at all.


    Behind her, three men in black calmly and unhurriedly chased her as they teasingly laughed: "Hey hey, you can run all you want. Let''s see how far you can run once you run out of strength¡­"


    "Plop"¡­ The weary little girl fell on the ground. She struggled for a bit, but she couldn''t get up. Her tears already filled her eyes and clenched her teeth, but she stubbornly did not want to let the tears flow out.


    Behind her, three men in black calmly and unhurriedly walked over. The man in the middle extended his hand, grabbed towards her and laughed recklessly: "Su Ling''er, run again, keep running... Go on... Run, hahaha¡­!"


    After the black-clothed man grabbed onto the little girl''s clothes, he instantly picked her small body up and said with a sinister smile. "This sure is a stubborn little brat, to actually be able to run so far¡­ Hehe, now that his daughter has landed in our hands, I really want to see if old man Su Huangshan will still be as obstinate!"


    "You¡­ You bad people! M-My father will definitely save me, and then beat all of you down!" Even though the little girl''s eyes were filled with fear, she did not cry. Stubbornly holding back her tears, she struggled and shouted in the black-clothed man''s hands.


    "Hahahaha!" The black-clothed man laughed out wildly. "Then that will really be the best outcome, I really hope to have him here! I really want to see if that Su Huangshan¡­ Keuhk!"


    Before the black-clothed man''s words fell, he felt like his throat went tight being gripped by someone who just suddenly appeared right in front of him and the little girl he was holding disappeared.


    "Ah!" The frightened little girl let out a shriek and subconsciously hugged onto the man who just snatched her from the bad guy''s arm.


    "Close your eyes... It will be over soon." She heard a gentle voice resounding beside her ears and she subconsciously followed these words and closed her eyes tightly.


    "Wh-Who are... *Crack!*" The man in black companions was about to shout something but the next moment their voice stopped without any indication...


    When the little girl opened her eyes once more, the 3 men who were chasing after her disappeared without a trace... And if one looks closely on the ground, they will see some pieces of red ices scattered here and there... But it soon also disappears into nothingness...


    "It''s fine now. You''re safe... All of the bad guys already gone" The gentle voice resounded once again and she looks up only to see a black mask right in front of her face.


    She was feeling a little afraid of seeing this mask but the gentle voice manages to calm down her nerves...


    She looked at Issei strangely, blinked her eyes, and politely said. "Big brother, thank you for saving Ling''er¡­ Big brother, you''re so incredible, you instantly made all of the bad guys disappeared, just as¡­ You''re just as incredible as Ling''er father!"


    "Oh really?"


    "Mn!" The little girl nodded.


    Issei keeps speaking at her with a gentle tone and that made the small girl have a favorable impression of him.


    Seeing her current expression, it seemed that her fear earlier had completely disappeared, and she no longer needed him to console her. She tilted her head. "Big brother, why are you wearing a mask?"


    "Hm? Ah, it''s nothing really... Big brother just felt a little shy being gazed by other people" Issei said.


    "Oh..." The girl nodded understandingly: "Ling''er also sometimes felt shy whenever people look at her. Big brother''s idea is great! Next time Ling''er will also look for a mask to cover her face so that way Ling''er won''t feel shy anymore if people are gazing at Ling''er."


    Issei smiled wryly at her words.


    "But... There''s just us here right now, big brother... So you don''t have to feel shy right?" Su Ling''er said.


    "Well... Okay then." Issei thought for a second and then he took off his mask.


    Su Ling''er face went blank for a few seconds after seeing his face but soon she shouted in awe: "Big brother, you''re so pretty!"


    Issei''s mouth started twitching a lot... Pretty? He''s not a girl alright...


    "Err, thank you..."


    "Big brother by far is the prettiest person Ling''er has ever seen!"


    "Umm, Ling''er... Can you not call big brother pretty?"


    "Eh? Why not?"


    "The word pretty is for girls and big brother is obviously a man, so..."


    "Ah, really...? Ling''er understand! Then... Then... Big brother, you''re so beautiful!" She said with the same cheerful voice.


    "..." Issei finally gave up... There''s no helping it... Su Ling''er is still a kid after all. So she still hasn''t learned more words to describe people''s appearance.


    She must''ve learned from her father when he''s praising her being pretty and beautiful or whatnot.


    Issei then put her down...


    "Oh, right! What''s your name, big brother? Ling''er name is Su Ling''er, I am 12 years old this year!" She asked for Issei''s name while introducing herself with a huge grin. It seemed as though, to her, reaching twelve years old was a very incredible achievement.


    "Big brother''s name is Ise. Nice to meet you, Ling''er." Issei pats her head gently.


    "Ise?" The little girl blinked her eyes and said softly: "Such a strange name but it''s also quite simple and great sounding at the same time..." After Ise reported his name, the little girl suddenly entered into a state of deep thought and nodded, again and again, appreciating his name as if she somehow understand just what his name means...


    Issei smiled wryly thinking what''s so special about his name... It''s just a common name back in his world...


    "Ah, big brother! Will you become friends with Ling''er?" She finally stopped her "thoughts" and asked Issei with a hopeful voice.


    "Sure." Issei agreed easily.


    "Really!? Yay! Ling''er finally has a friend of her own!" She started feeling very joyful. Little Ling''er smiled, revealing two little pearl-like canine teeth and two cute little dimples on her cheeks.


    Issei felt a little bit sad seeing how a girl at her age doesn''t have any friends... But he keeps his gentle smile all the time not letting his true thoughts shown...


    Issei then asked Su Ling''er. "Ling''er, where''s your home? Is it far away from here? Why were those people trying to capture you?"


    Ling''er''s small hand moved away from her cheek, and she pointed to the north. "My home is over there. It''s not too far away from here. At first, Father was supposed to bring me out to play today but while we were walking, a lot of black-clothed people suddenly appeared. Father began fighting with those black-clothed people, and told me to quickly run away¡­ So I kept running, and after running quite far away, suddenly, those three bad people from earlier appeared and chased after me together¡­ If big brother did not save me, I might have already been captured by them. Uuu¡­ I don''t know what happened to Father either, but since Father is so strong, he''s definitely able to beat up all those bad people."


    When she spoke of her Father, little Ling''er''s eyes were filled with adoration and did not carry too much worry. Evidently, she trusted her Father very much.


    Because of sprinting for a long time, and even tripping down heavily in the end, little Ling''er''s shoes were already completely filled with dirt. The corners of her skirt were dirtied by a large amount, and there was even a big bruise on her small leg as well.


    Issei pity her even more and then he walked next to Ling''er, he picked up her small slim leg and gently asked. "Ling''er, did you fall and injure yourself? Does it hurt?"


    "A little¡­ But it''s already not that painful anymore." When Issei picked her small leg up, pain clearly flashed through her expression. However, it was hurriedly replaced with a smile that could move everyone''s hearts. It was as if she was trying to console Issei instead.


    Issei immediately cured her leg which amazes her a lot: "...Eh!? It''s really not painful anymore!"


    Then he also cleaned her shoes and clothes. By the time he''s done, her clothes look brand new and there''s not a single spot of dirt that could be found on her body.


    She then gazes at Issei with eyes filled with adoration: "Big brother, you''re so amazing!"


    Issei smiled gently at her: "Ling''er, can you tell me where I am? I came from a place very far away, so I don''t even know where this place is."


    "A place very far away?" The little girl had an expression of astonishment, but then, she excitedly said. "It''s no wonder big brother Ise is not the least bit old, yet is as incredible as Father. Big brother must have come from those incredible places in those legends, right? Ling''er Father has already told Ling''er, in those incredible places, there are many very incredible people, and there are people that are even more incredible than Father¡­ Ah! Oh right, I almost forgot to answer big brother Ise''s question¡­"


    Ling''er stretched out her hand and pointed to the distance. "My home is called the , and it''s at the bottom of the tallest mountain over there. That mountain is called . Big brother Ise, have you ever heard of that mountain? Father told me that our home''s mountain is very famous in the , you know."


    "Mn, I see... Then Ling''er do you know a special place/environment that''s considered very very dangerous by your father?" Issei nodded at her words and then asked her...

 Chapter 107 - 106

    "Ah? A very very dangerous place? Uhh, Ling''er doesn''t really know... Father only told Ling''er to never wander too far from our home." She shakes her head after thinking for a few seconds.


    As expected, Issei thought to himself... There''s no way a little girl like herself knows about that kind of place but he still needs to try nevertheless.


    "Ling''er! Ling''er¡­ Where are you? Ling''er¡­"


    Suddenly, anxious shouts sounded in the distance. And what was being shouted, was surprisingly Su Ling''er''s name.


    Issei heard it before Su Ling''er. His gaze swept over and saw a middle-aged man hastily run over.


    He was in a panic, his hair was disheveled, and the clothes on his body were rather worn out. However, there was a type of calm and mighty upper-class feeling that could be captured on his bearing.


    The middle-aged man''s footsteps were lightning-fast, and he traveled over in a short time. Having heard his voice, Su Ling''er''s eyes shined as she spoke excitedly: "Father, it''s Father''s voice!"


    She stood up suddenly and ran over in the middle-aged man''s direction. However, after running a few steps, she turned around and looked at Issei, and stopped again. Standing at her former place, she beckoned at the middle-aged man: "Father! I''m here, I''m here!"


    "Ling''er!" The middle-aged man became overjoyed and rushed over with his fastest speed. He grasped Su Ling''er''s shoulders at once, and spoke with an extremely anxious tone: "Thank god, thank god¡­ Ling''er, why did you run to such a faraway place? Are you injured anywhere? Did anyone try to kidnap you?"


    "Father relax, even though there were bad guys, but¡­ Big Brother Ise saved me. Big Brother Ise is really amazing. Not only did he smack those bad guys running all at once, but he also made the place I fell and hurt myself not hurt at all. He even cleaned my clothes and shoes."


    The middle-aged man''s entire heart was full concern about Su Ling''er''s safety, and when he saw her, all his attention was even more so focused on her. He had only now noticed Issei''s existence. He took a step forward, and said with immense gratitude: "This little brother, thank you for rescuing my daughter, this Su really is eternally grateful."


    Then he becomes taken aback seeing Issei''s face... How could someone can be this stunning and attractive... If it weren''t for his will is strong enough then even he himself as a fellow man might go to the wrong path...


    Ling''er calling Issei with the word "Beautiful" is not wrong since Issei could be mistaken as a girl if he were to put on a little bit of make-up and dress up... Of course, Issei would never do that kind of thing... Never.


    Issei calmly greeted back: "Senior Su is too polite. Ling''er is kind and cute, anyone would come to her rescue if they saw her. This junior only does what normal people would do."


    From the middle-aged man''s complexion, what Issei saw was the deep care and concern for Su Ling''er. At least, his fatherly love toward Su Ling''er wasn''t the least bit impure.


    Issei''s modesty gave the middle-aged man a very good impression. He smiled and said: "To receive such praise from little brother here, my little girl here must be thrilled."


    This young man before him age looks only to be twenty or twenty-one, yet he can''t sense a tiny bit of his profound energy or cultivation realm. He ought to be some disciple or even an heir of some top-level sect...


    As he thought till here, the middle-aged man spoke: "Little brother, you ought to have come from a foreign place, right? Do you currently have any place to stay? If you aren''t unwilling, how about staying for a few days at our Grandwake Clan? It''ll also allow this Su to express his gratitude."


    He never saw nor heard of Issei before this so it''s understandable that he thought that Issei must be someone not from here.


    "I''m grateful for senior''s invitation but I have some business I need to take care of so I can''t stay for long." Issei declined his invitation politely.


    "Oh... That''s too bad then... Oh right, this one''s surname is Su, with the name Hengshan." Su Hengshan smiled warmly at Issei but also feel a little bit of pity seeing that Issei can''t come with them.


    "Ah? Big brother Ise will leave soon?" Su Ling''er said with a saddened voice.


    Issei who saw that smiled gently at her and pat her head once again: "Don''t worry, Ling''er... Big brother will visit you again later."


    "Ah, really?" Her downcast face went bright right away after hearing Issei''s words.


    "Um, really... Here, go and keep this charm with you. When you''re in danger just channel your profound energy into the charm and it will protect you from any harm." Issei gives one of his defensive charms to her.


    "Big Brother Ise will visit me again! That''s great that''s great that''s great!" Su Ling''er was excited to the point of jumping. That exceptionally happy appearance made Su Hengshan feel somewhat inexplicable.


    "Thank you once again, little brother. And Ling''er, you''ll have to learn some manners, shouting and yelling like this doesn''t make you a good girl, okay?" Su Hengshan cupped his fist with immense gratitude then said towards Su Ling''er with a spoiling voice.


    Not only that Issei saved his daughter, but he also gave her a protective charm.


    Just from looking at it, he could tell that this charm must be something extraordinary.


    "Heee! Father really is naggy. Big Brother Ise is the bestest person, he wouldn''t complain about me." As she spoke, Su Ling''er ran over and grabbed Issei''s hand and said while grinning: "Right, big brother Ise?"


    "Um." Issei chuckled lightly and rubbed her head once again. Su Ling''er giggled even more after having her head being rubbed by Issei.


    "Lolicon!" Jasmine''s voice laced with a bit of envy can be heard after seeing their interaction but Issei completely ignores her...


    Su Hengshan felt somewhat puzzled for a moment. Calculating from the time, Ling''er and Little Brother Ise at most have met for half an hour at most, how did they become so close already? Moreover, looking at Ling''er''s manner, she, who usually didn''t like to meet with strangers, was exceptionally fond of this Little Brother Ise¡­ How curious.


    Maybe she''s smitten by his otherworldly face? No, it shouldn''t be... Ling''er is not at that age yet. She still couldn''t differentiate a love between familial love and love between man and woman after all.


    Perhaps she just adores him like her real elder brother figure? Yeah, that''s certainly more plausible rather than a girl fall in love at first sight especially when the girl is barely reached 12 years old in age...


    "Senior, could you tell me a place that''s considered the most dangerous place in this continent? You see, I''m not from around here so I''m kinda clueless about some things." Issei asked Su Hengshan the true purpose of why he arrived here.


    "Ah? The most dangerous place? Hmm..." Su Hengshan who heard Issei''s question went into deep thoughts for a few moments before he remembered about that place.


    As he expected, Issei is not from here or he would''ve heard about him a long time ago with this otherworldly countenance and strength that he couldn''t sense at all.


    "...Then if you''re looking for the most dangerous place in this continent it should be the ." Su Hengshan said in a dire voice.


    "Oh? Can you tell me more about this place?" Issei inquired further.


    "Well..." Then Su Hengshan hesitated a little before he proceeded to inform Issei of this place information...


    is located in the Mythical Abode Mountain Range north-east of the Azure Cloud Continent. The is located at the border between the Country of Supwake and the Southern Sky Nation. Supwake is to the north and Southern Sky is to the south.


    is the most dangerous of the Four Deadly Regions. Once you fell into it, your death was assured. Everyone who had attempted to explore Cloud''s End Cliff did not live to tell the tale, no matter how strong the individual was. So, Cloud''s End Cliff was also known as the . Its notoriety was known by everyone who lived in the Azure Cloud Continent and very few people would even go near that area.


    He ended his explanation by pointing at the direction of the is located.


    "That is also to say that no one has ever seen what the bottom of Cloud''s End Cliff looks like?" Issei''s interest is greatly piqued from hearing Su Hengshan''s story.


    "Nobody ever has." Su Hengshan said as he nodded his head in affirmation, "This is also why Cloud''s End Cliff is known as the . According to common logic, once someone reaches the Emperor or Tyrant Profound Realm, even if it was a fathomless abyss, they should still be able to scale it by traveling down the side of the cliff''s wall until they reach the bottom. Furthermore, once you reach the level of a , you can simply jump down and there isn''t a chance that you will fall to your death.


    But in the history of the , many strong individuals have attempted to find out what is at the bottom of and there was no lack of or among these participants. But the moment they embarked on their expedition, not a single one returned alive. After that, there were even three Monarchs who attempted to scale the walls of the cliff and reach the bottom, but they were never heard from again... From that time onward, no one dared to try to search the depths of Cloud''s End Cliff." He said with a solemn tone.


    Su Ling''er is also feeling afraid after hearing her father''s tale of the .


    "I see..." Issei nodded and he''s mostly reassured that this place they''re talking about is the place that he is looking for...


    "Why do you ask this, little brother Ise? If you wanted to try your luck as well then I suggest that you forget the thought right now because it is not worth it to risk your life." Su Hengshan warned with a good intention.


    He doesn''t want Issei to lose his life like others before him since he is the benefactor of his daughter and he also has a very good impression of this man before him.


    "Ah!? Don''t go there, big brother Ise!" Su Ling''er hastily prevented Issei from going there by holding his hand tightly. Her face seemed to be saying ''I won''t let you go there no matter what!''


    Issei smiled gently at her and reassured both of them that he won''t go there... Only after hearing his words that they both sigh in relief...


    "Then, until we meet again, Ling''er, Senior Su." Issei bid them farewell shortly after.


    "Um... See you later, big brother Ise... Remember to visit Ling''er soon, okay?" Little Ling''er said in a sad tone.


    "I promise... And remember to use the charm I gave you if you''re being bullied by big baddies like before, understand Ling''er?" Issei said towards Ling''er but he''s also reminding Su Hengshan of the protective charm he gave and use it in place of Su Ling''er in case she forgot about it...


    Su Hengshan of course realizes this so he nodded firmly at Issei''s words.


    Then Issei left them both... But Su Ling''er keep gazing at the direction of Issei disappeared with a gaze full of reluctance while clutching onto the charm Issei gave her...


    Su Hengshan who saw this think if his previous guess was mistaken after all...


    ...


    Issei flew at an extremely fast pace that it only took him a few minutes before arriving at the cliff he''s been told about...


    The mountain range was huge but there were very few profound beasts and there was very little life in the area. Issei could not see a single human figure even though he looked into the distance.


    Issei''s eyes swept across his surroundings before he looked down.


    The tallest two mountains in the were found in the . These two mountains were so tall that their summits peeked into the clouds and they soared high into the sky. They were approximately the same height and both of them stood adjacent to each other in the middle of the Mythical Abode Mountain Range. But the strangest thing was that one side of these mountains were both precipitously steep while the other side of these mountains...


    Were practically a straight line, it was as if a blade had cut these mountain walls!


    From afar, it looked as if one mountain had been split right down the middle by a heavenly blade, into two strangely shaped mountains.


    The abyss between these two mountains was precisely the that struck fear into the hearts of countless experts of the Azure Cloud Continent the moment they heard its name. Once a person fell inside, they were as good as dead and even Monarchs were unable to return from this abyss.


    The peaks of the two mountains approached the crack of the abyss and it was publicly recognized as the most dangerous in the entire Azure Cloud Continent, !


    The space between these two marvelously-shaped mountains was far narrower than one would have expected, it was merely than three hundred or so meters across from head to toe. At the position Issei was currently standing, which was directly above the cliff itself, one could see that the light only penetrated about six hundred or so meters into that boundless abyss. It was as if something was devouring the light, and it was strangely dark.


    "...There is an extremely dense devil energy at the bottom of this cliff..." Jasmine who just came out from the pearl has her eyes focused on the abyss below her.


    "...Why are you searching for this kind of place?" She asked Issei but she saw Issei is currently frowning a little bit.


    The reason for that is because he could clearly sense that this place is indeed the place he is searching for but there''s something else... Something else other than the extremely dense darkness energy under this abyss... And that is... itself...


    He can sense faint energy of Chaos other than the dark energy itself... How can it be? It''s a given that this place has some sort of seal preventing whatever down there from leaving the abyss below but still... The fact that he can sense energy here is extremely weird in and of itself...


    "...I need to see it for myself." Issei muttered calmly which made Jasmine eye''s went wide open.


    "Are you crazy?! Even I could tell that this place is extremely dangerous! Even if I''m in my top condition I still wouldn''t dare to just go down there without proper preparation. Don''t do something stupid... Remember that our lives are currently tied with you. If you were to die then we will also die!" Jasmine shouted at Issei but he pays no heed of her words.


    "Enter the pearl now, Jasmine." Issei said towards Jasmine and when Jasmine wanted to refute, she saw something that made her eyes went wide open... There''s a black flame-shaped Dragon wing made out of pure energy behind Issei.


    And this he''s currently emitting is even surpassing the below them... She shuddered intensely because of how strong this energy is...


    Issei''s once wine-red eyes changed into jet-black color just like the bottomless abyss below them... It''s as if she will get sucked into it if she gazes upon it a second longer but thankfully Issei snapped her out of her daze with the same head pat he always does.


    "Go back inside now... No need to worry. The below this abyss won''t be able to harm me in the slightest." He said comfortingly.


    Even though his eyes color seems different but the warmness from his eyes never fades which calm Jasmine''s heart almost instantly.


    She gritted her teeth before entering the pearl once again: "...You better not die." She said in a low voice.


    After he smiled thinly at her words, Issei descended down in a straight line as he entered the abyss below him. The that no one in the history of the Azure Cloud Continent had ever returned from alive!


    Issei''s descending speed was extremely fast and in the blink of an eye, he had already descended more than three kilometers. His surroundings turned pitch black and the blue sky that had shone brightly above him had completely disappeared from his view.


    Below him was incomparably empty darkness and it seemed to have no end. But if someone could see in this darkness, they will see that Issei''s jet-black wing behind his back seems to be absorbing that very same darkness at a rapid pace... Issei felt really comfortable being bathed in this dense element that he wanted to sigh loudly.


    It''s as if his whole body is being baptized by this surrounding him. His whole body is spewing out a dark purplish aura...


    As he rapidly descended, Issei gradually realized that the stone wall was getting more and more grey as he traveled downwards.


    Six thousand meters...


    Ten thousand meters...


    Sixteen thousand meters...


    Twenty-three thousand meters...


    The depth of this abyss was extremely startling. But this depth was not much to any profound practitioner above the , much less someone like Issei.


    Issei was descending deeper and deeper but the surroundings and the aura of this place did not go through any noticeable changes, it''s just a plain rocky cliff and the like.


    If it was any other profound practitioner that was attempting to scale down this abyss, they would not be able to detect any differences between this place and another abyss but Issei''s eyesight is unperturbed in the slightest and he can see clearly as a day down here.


    But Jasmine''s brows began to knit together tightly from within the along with Xun''er. Because they were growing closer and closer to the source of that strange aura she doesn''t recognize... While Issei is feeling more and more curious just how can this place contain a element...


    Normally, this energy should''ve been spread out from this place and it will corrupt this whole world and before long it will descend into pure chaos... Little by little the inhabitants of this world will be affected by the energy and finally... The world will self-destruct from inside out... But this energy seems so... Docile. As if it''s currently hibernating...


    Twenty-six thousand meters...


    Thirty-three thousand meters...


    Thirty-nine thousand meters...


    Issei''s speed suddenly slowed down before he came to a complete stop since he finally reached the bottom of the abyss. He has reached the bottom of the abyss that no one had ever managed to reach alive!


    There was a barrier just like Issei has suspected because if not then all of this and even that faint energy would''ve gone to the surface and it will corrode the whole realm...


    Jasmine and Xun''er don''t realize this hidden barrier since this barrier is not simple... It is mixed with other laws such as , , etc... If it wasn''t for Issei''s high attainment on them then even he won''t realize this.


    If it were any other person then they would be disoriented because of the different set of laws that are currently occupying this Abyss.


    The world that was more than thirty-nine thousand meters into the abyss was a completely dark and silent one.


    "...The Devil Energy in this place is extremely powerful... But he... He doesn''t seem bothered in the slightest..." Jasmine''s heart was seized by shock. She had already ascertained that there was an extremely unusual devil energy radiating from this place. She had also felt that it was exceptionally dense.


    At this moment, she realized that this devil energy was far more intense than what she had previously thought... But to her utter shock, Issei seems completely unaffected by it and he even seems quite comfortable instead...


    "..." The more she stays with him the more she felt like he''s obscured by mysteries more and more... She couldn''t even begin to guess just what is his real identity is...


    The Devil energy she''s talking about is the profound energy. It is called Devil energy by her since from the records, only the Devils could use this particular element... Only the Heretic God is an exception to this law.


    Darkness profound energy is basically the energy of the devil''s way. Not only is it in opposition to the divine way, but it will also twist one''s personality. Rumor has it that the stronger a devil is, the more evil deeds they have done, and the more lives they have taken, causing them to become extraordinary fearsome devils.


    But Issei doesn''t seem to be having that kind of symptoms... He seems perfectly normal if they''re putting his unknown power aside...


    "...What was going on? Why did such dreadful devil energy exist in a world with such a low level of power and laws..." Jasmine nervously muttered to herself: "...Could it be that an ancient true devil was hidden at the bottom of this abyss!?"


    At this moment, Jasmine finally understood why none of the profound practitioners who fell or attempted to delve into the depths of this abyss had returned alive. Dark devil energy which was able to affect the likes of Jasmine was not something that the profound practitioners of this world could resist.


    She didn''t know that there''s another terrifying law in this abyss since she''s inside the pearl and she''s also under Issei''s divine protection hence she''s not exposed to it. When a normal person went down here, all of their profound energy would instantly be suppressed to the point where they could barely release any of it. Furthermore, it was impossible for them to resist the huge rending force that came from below.


    This meant that once anyone came into contact with this dark world at the bottom of the abyss, they would instantly be sucked inside without a chance to struggle, much less escape. After that, they would be reduced to dust in the darkness by this dreadful devil energy...


    But this kind of terrifying place is basically the best place Issei could hope for currently... Even as they speak, his recovery rate has been increased by a fair amount... But there''s something else that''s confusing him...


    According to his calculation, his recovery should be faster than this but why is it seems like it''s being slowed down by at least half of the actual result? It''s as if something else is absorbing the energy that he''s currently absorbing... Is it because he used his blood essence just recently? Or is it because of the and the ? Or was it because this world law is interfering with him? But that shouldn''t be... He doesn''t sense any interference as far as he could tell...


    "...What a pure darkness environment" Jasmine muttered to herself as she surveyed her surroundings. She sent out a red light made out of profound energy to the outside world from inside the pearl to illuminate the dark world...


    Such a pure darkness environment was not something that could be formed within even with tens of thousands of years. So this strange world that was hidden at the bottom of the abyss must have existed for the longest of times.


    The space in front of them was vast and empty, the ground flat and even. She could not see where it extended to. The mountain wall that they had used to guide their descent was not more than sixty meters to their right. Furthermore, once they had reached this place, she saw that this mountain wall had turned pitch-black. The ground and the occasional rock that jutted out of the ground were also pitch-black and there was not even the slightest variance in color.


    As far as she could see, the scenery remained the same¡­ there were only gloom, emptiness, darkness and deathly stillness.


    This seemed to be a world of death. Besides the darkness and the abnormally dense and rich devil energy, there was nothing else...


    "...Ise, do you know anything about this-" Xun''er finally couldn''t keep her curiosity anymore and was about to ask Issei but then suddenly... When Issei is still in his thoughts, a muffled cry suddenly rang out in the distance.


    "Aooou¡­"


    This howl seemed to come from extremely far away. As if it was five hundred kilometers distant. But it was so heavy that it caused Xun''er and Jasmine''s ears to buzz faintly even though they''re still inside the pearl.


    That was the howl¡­ of a beast!?


    There were living creatures in this place!?


    What kind of creatures could live in this kind of dark world!?


    Issei who was closing his eyes opened them ever so slightly to look at the source of the roar.


    After a few moments, under the red light that was radiating from Jasmine''s red light made of profound energy, they could see a blurry black silhouette lurking in the darkness in front of them.


    This silhouette was at least tens of meters tall and it was clearly a living creature as Jasmine could see it move! But what caused Jasmine to be alarmed was not its enormous size, it was the unmistakable aura of danger that it was radiating.


    "This thing is at the


    !" She shouted in shock.


    AWOOOOO!!!


    An explosive roar caused the entire dark world to tremble as the huge black silhouette rushed towards Issei as it snarled. They could also finally see the true appearance of this gigantic shadow.


    It was one hundred and sixty-five meters tall, its head was extremely wide and it looked like a cross between a wolf and a bear. Its four limbs were thick and stout, and its head and body bristled with white fangs. The sharp tips of those fangs shone with a hellish light that would send fear coursing through anyone''s soul. A huge and long jet-black tail was arched overhead, and the end of the tail gleamed with the same cold light that a blade would.


    Jasmine: "!!!"


    There was no one in the Profound Sky Continent or the Azure Cloud Continent who had ever seen or heard about the gigantic beast in front of them. There were no records of it to be found in any of the three continents either. It was an existence that was completely unknown, an existence that surpassed all common knowledge.


    But this dreadful giant silhouette had fiercely stirred up an image that Jasmine had inherited from her Star God memories. A name escaped her lips amidst her bewilderment and shock.


    "Nine Desolate Devil Fang!"


    This was a creature that had coexisted with the devils in the northern part of this universe during the Ancient Era, a primordial devil beast!


    But everyone knew that not long after the era of the devil and gods had ended due to each of their annihilation, the energy of the north of this universe was gradually assimilated by the energies of the southern part. The element had slowly grown thinner and thinner and this led the dark devil beasts to their extinction roughly fifty to sixty thousand years later. These devil beasts had not appeared since then.


    The red light that shone from Jasmine, which she had used for illumination, was far too glaring in this world. So it was too great a stimulus for the devil beast who was used to the darkness. Its body was enormous but its speed was as fast as lightning... It then sprung into action and pounced at Issei.


    It was by far the fastest speed this inhabitant of this world showcased that Issei has seen so far.


    This huge dark might and pressure were enough to cause even the strongest individuals in the to go limp with fear. They would find it incomparably difficult to even move under this pressure, much less put up any resistance.


    "Primordial devil beast¡­ Why would a creature like this exist in this place!?"


    Issei who saw the approaching beast becomes astonished... Not because of its strength or anything but because of this beast is possessing a element within its body... You could say that its basically just like Trihexa before. A mindless beast that descent into madness because of the element within its body!


    But probably because the in its body is so insignificant, it can''t sense the pure element within Issei''s body or it would''ve felt terrified and even submitted itself towards him... Even Trihexa felt fear when it saw Issei before. So for a weakling such as this thing to not feel anything when it saw Issei can only mean that it truly doesn''t have a shred of sanity left...


    "Ise, run!" Jasmine who saw the beast launched itself hastily urged Issei while she started accumulating all the energy she can muster to help him run away. She exited the pearl and stands in front of Issei immediately.


    ''No! I won''t make it!'' She gritted her teeth despairingly since she won''t be able to make it... She was taken by surprise and doesn''t have the time to properly gather her energy.


    But Xun''er who just exited the pearl calmly extended her arm to hold Jasmine''s on the shoulder: "...Stay calm, dear."


    Jasmine''s body jerked slightly and then she astonishingly gazes at Issei. Even though he seems slightly astonished, he doesn''t seem to be afraid or anything like that... He''s very calm just like he used to...


    Issei then pats her head gently and only then that Jasmine calmed herself down... She almost forgot that the biggest mystery of them all in this place is the person before them... Not the terrifying abyss nor this devil beast. But it''s Issei himself...


    *SLASH!*


    All they heard is a slashing sound and the beast that was rushing at their direction has been bisected in two right from the middle of its head to the end of its body... It is unknown when but Issei is currently holding a normal looking white sword that couldn''t be more ordinary in their vision... But their intuition tells them that this sword is anything but ordinary...


    His casual slash just now seems like it bisected the darkness itself...


    A spray of bloody mist exploded from the Nine Desolate Devil Fang''s bisected body...


    "...wuuaoo¡­" The Nine Desolate Devil Fang''s body shook as its strong life force allowed it to survive Issei''s attack for a couple of seconds even though its body has been separated in two. It let out a final deep and low wail of despair before it went silent forever...


    "AOOOOOO!!!"


    "AOOUUU¡­"


    "SCREEE!!!"


    "SAAAAAA¡­"


    At this moment, several roars which all carried extremely oppressive power rang out in the distant darkness¡­ The last howl of the Nine Desolate Devil Fang seemed to be a plea for help or a shout to alert the others. Because in the blink of an eye, deep and heavy roars, cries and howls filled the air, causing the dark space to shake violently.


    The expression in Jasmine''s eyes changed completely¡­ In the span of less than ten breaths, she had heard at least tens of different howls and cries.


    Furthermore, these were definitely not the howls and cries of any normal beast as all of them carried with them a peerlessly dreadful might¡­ And the majority of these auras were not inferior to the aura of the Nine Desolate Devil Fang in the least!


    Furthermore, the sounds were growing nearer and nearer as it was clear that these beasts were approaching this place at the fastest speed possible.


    Jasmine had already been immeasurably shocked to find one primordial devil beast existing in this bizarre world of darkness. However, the howls that were ringing out in the distant darkness clearly and shocking told her¡­ that the Nine Desolate Devil Fang was not the only primordial devil beast in this place!


    The primordial devil beasts, which should have gone completely extinct, actually existed in this place in droves!


    "Just what exactly¡­ Is going on?!" The shock in Jasmine''s heart was profound and ineffable. Compared to why this place contained the long-extinct primordial devil beasts, what she really could not understand was, why such a place would actually exist on this planet!?


    "Ise! This time we better ru-" She immediately turned her head to face Issei but what greeted her was a glowing golden pair of eyes.


    Issei''s eye color changed once again and this time it''s colored golden... Both her and Xun''er went into a daze because of beautiful and enchanting it is... They felt like their soul has been sucked into an endless golden abyss... Their faces turned feverish and their body temperature rose up.


    The reason why his eye changed their color is because he just absorbed the that was inside the Nine Desolate Devil Fang body.


    This is the side effect of his energy affecting them indirectly. If it was Nyarlathotep that was in his place then Jasmine and Xun''er will descend into endless madness or fear... Remember what''s the second element that he fused with his ? That''s why they''re in this condition right now... They''re akin to a lovestruck maiden because of it...


    But thankfully this effect is not permanent... And they manage to snap out of it when Issei called out to them: "Jasmine, Xun''er. Go back inside the for now."


    They followed his words the moment they are snapped out of their dazes.


    But both of them are still red-faced when they''re inside the pearl and don''t dare to look at each other...


    While Issei is outside with his sword ready at hand to do some slaughtering...


    *GROARRRRR!!!* *SLASH!* *SLASH!*


    *AWOOOO!!!* *BAM!!!* *PFFT!*


    " *CRACK!*"


    " *STAB!* *Drip* *Drip* *Plop*"


    The onslaught has begun... Thankfully this place is pitch black or those who are here would be terrified because it''s a scenery of literal sea of blood...


    ...


    Jasmine and Xun''er who was observing from within the finally manage to catch a glimpse of Issei''s true strength...


    Some of that Devil Beasts are at the


    and even reaching as high as the


    but all of them are slaughtered just like a chicken on a chopping block... It seems that they''re still underestimating his capabilities, Jasmine and Xun''er thought themselves feeling awestruck seeing him dominating the battlefield just now... No, that can''t be called a battlefield, rather it''s a slaughterhouse!


    Come one, kill one. Come ten, kill ten... No matter how many of them swarmed towards him, they all died in the same manner in his hands... They can''t even stand one hit from him! And he doesn''t even seem the little least tired at all! Just how boundless is his strength?!


    Not only he could control the around him as natural as breathing, he also could masterfully control every element the Devil Beasts throw at him... Whether it be fire, ice, wind, thunder, etc... He can easily deflect and even absorb them...


    Xun''er started thinking if Issei is the true Heretic God while the one who just spoke to them a while ago is a fake... She meant, look at him! He can perfectly control all elements right before their very eyes!


    If the Heretic God could hear her thoughts, he might just flip over on his grave feeling indignant for being compared to such a freak like Issei.


    "Impudent! Unfilial successor! Ignorant!" He will keep screaming the same word over and over again to curse at Xun''er...


    There were hundreds upon hundreds of Devil Beasts but all of them combined couldn''t even land one solid hit on his body... Finally, after they saw their kin was slaughtered one-sidedly, the rest of the Devil Beasts retreated into the darkness beyond...


    It looks like the stronger ones can still rely on their instincts to a certain extent and choose to retreat... Issei doesn''t chase after them since they''re taking advantage of the law in this place and could hide themselves in a hidden dimensional rift.


    It''s too much of a chore for him to look for them 1 by 1 and their is quite negligible anyway... He rather continues to absorb the on his surroundings.


    They have been living in this place for who knows how long so they should know of this place structure like the back of their hand so it would take Issei quite a while to properly investigate it.


    Although, even though the energy in this place is starting to deplete at a rapid pace because of him... As he suspected, something is messing with his recovery rate and it is slowing it down...


    He should''ve been able to decrease his recovery rate to at least 9,5 years but it only reaches 11 years... Even the energy he received from the Azure Dragon only reduce his recovery rate from 13,5 years to 12 years.


    He inspected his body but he doesn''t find any abnormality... Weird... He thought to himself. Could there''s something more to Nyarlathotep''s final attack?


    But his train of thoughts is stopped by Jasmine who came out from the pearl.


    "...Just who are you? How come you can use so many elements as natural as breathing? How can you absorb this dark energy that used by those devil beasts and not affected in the slightest by it?" She muttered in curiosity.


    "..." Issei stays silent for a while. He''s still focusing to absorb whatever and energy left on his surroundings.


    "Does it matter that much to you just who I am?" Issei suddenly asked her.


    Jasmine was taken aback by his question. Does it really matter for her? She doesn''t really know... But she needs to know just where he really stands... Is he against them? Is he on that bastard of a father''s side?


    Issei who saw her expression knows just what worries her so much so he stroked her head gently: "...Know this, Jasmine... Whoever you feel hatred for, I can assure you that I''m not on their side. I don''t really care about your identity or Xun''er... To me, both of you are just a pair of mother and daughter that depend on each other... No more no less."


    Issei is telling the truth obviously... He just got in this universe not long ago so how can he interact with someone in the upper realm... Right?


    Her expression froze up after hearing his words... Yes... That''s all that matters... As long as he''s not standing on that bastards side then everything else doesn''t matter...


    He can be the devil himself for all she cares since she''s not a saint herself... Her hands have been stained with so much blood that she couldn''t wash it clean in this lifetime... The death bodies she has accumulated so far are innumerable. Even though their number is not in the billions, it''s at least in the millions already...


    There''s another nickname for her in the upper realm... ... That''s the title that has been given to her since she has murdered numerous people, innocent or not, male or female...


    Xun''er watched their interaction calmly from the side...


    Jasmine looked down for a few seconds before she started speaking: "...I and my mother are from the , one of the strongest star in the ... My real name is Xing Tong..."


    Jasmine started telling Issei about her and Xun''er''s identity while Issei calmly listened to her.


    Jasmine is from the Star God Realm, a place in the Realm of the Gods and she''s the crown princess of that realm.


    Later on, in her life, something deep happened with her father, which involved her. This caused her to have a very deep-seated hatred and killing intent for him.


    Somewhere along the way, she received the inheritance from the , one of the . Whether it was to get out of becoming a sacrifice for whoever is going to inherit the Heavenly Slaughter Star God''s power or to get revenge on her father, she in order to become even more powerful used her full power in order to get the Immortal Blood of the Evil God...


    Xun''er''s full name is Mo Xun''er.


    She told him everything... From her real identity to her hatred towards her own father and that woman who tricked her elder brother which ultimately lead to his death...


    "...That''s why I swore to myself that I will use this very hand of mine to kill them both!" She gritted her teeth in bone-chilling hatred.


    Xun''er also can only grit her teeth since there''s nothing she can do to change Jasmine''s mind since she herself is feeling the same hatred towards their enemies... If she''s telling her daughter to let her hatred go then she would be a hypocrite.


    "...Are you feeling repulsed of us now that you know our true identity?" Jasmine still puts her gaze downwards and doesn''t dare to look at Issei straight in the face fearing that he would feel disgusted by her.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything which made her who''s already tense become even tenser.


    But instead of an answer, what she got is another flick to the forehead which made her went into a daze once more.


    When she looks up, she saw the same smirk Issei has whenever he flicks her forehead.


    "This little brat is thinking too much... Even if your identity is ten times more important-sounding, to me you''re still the same spoilt little brat that still can''t leave her mother''s side." He said in a little bit of a teasing voice copying how she always addressed herself. She usually calls herself with "This Princess" but here Issei copy and change it a little bit making it "This little brat".


    Jasmine notices this mocking of his of course.


    "Y-You!" She gritted her teeth while there''s a little bit of tear that could be found at the corner of her eyes.


    "Who''s a spoilt little brat! You dare to call this princess a little brat!? See if this princess won''t go all out with you!" She started fuming at Issei but one could see that there''s a hidden relief that could be found deep inside her moistening eyes.


    Xun''er smile grew warmer and gentler seeing their interaction still hasn''t changed... It looks like she was right... He won''t care about their real identity and will still treat them as a normal mother and daughter. And for that, she couldn''t be more thankful at Issei...


    They''re tired of being seen as a tool or commodity by others... So having someone like Issei who is willing to treat them like a normal person is something they wanted the most right now.


    Issei doesn''t say anything like he will help them in their revenge because only when they alone who personally exact their revenge will they feel content... He won''t tell them to let go of their hatred either because if he''s the one in their place then he won''t stop no matter what...


    He will make sure whoever dares to harm his loved ones will feel regret for the rest of their entire lives... He will show them what it means to anger him...


    ...


    "Alright, let''s continue our talk on a later date... I still need to go check something." After frolicking with each other for a few moments, Issei said softly towards them.


    "Hm? Is there something else in this place that''s worth investigating? I mean, I know that this place in and of itself is an anomaly but is there really a bigger secret rather than those devil beasts and the weird laws of this place?" Jasmine said with a little bit of confusion.


    "Well... You''ll see." Issei thought about telling them about the element but decided not to for now.


    Nothing will change whether they know about it or not anyway...


    "Humph... If you don''t want to tell us then just say so... No need to act all mysterious." Jasmine pouted to the side.


    Issei smiled thinly at her pouting and then they walked deeper into the abyss...


    After walking for who knows how long... They have finally seen something other than the endless darkness...


    "...Light?" Jasmine muttered.


    As they moved forward, the purple light grew increasingly closer and increasingly brighter in their vision.


    Issei narrowed his eyes seeing this purple light since it is extremely similar to Nyarlathotep''s aura...


    After they turned around the corner, they stood in a complete daze for a while.


    What appeared in front of his eyes was a world that was filled by a bewitching purple light.


    There were countless stalks of fantastical flowers swaying amidst this purple light. Scores of bewitching flowers bloomed proudly upon deep purple stalks. Every single petal of these flowers seemed to be like gleaming purple jade, they released a bright purple light and a faint and indistinct dull purple fog that seemed to come from the depths of the netherworld floated around them.


    The purple light that filled this space had all come from these bewitching purple flowers.


    Jasmine and Xun''er dumbly stood in place and it seemed as if their entire body had been petrified.


    These bewitching purple flowers were clearly the !


    A while ago, she already told Issei about this flower and told him how rare it is but now... Tens of thousands of swayed before them in full bloom, forming a gigantic sea of .


    It was as if they had been thrust from a dark world of death into a purple-colored underworld dimension.


    However, the was not only incomparably bewitching, but its most unique trait, which was also its most dreadful trait was also its ability to steal one''s soul!


    She hastily covered herself with her divine energy and was about to warn Issei to do the same but she saw that there''s no change whatsoever that could be found on his body... And not only that, even her mother is in the same condition as Issei.


    They both seem unaffected by the sea of purple flower...


    When she''s still in a daze, she found out that she''s also not affected by the flower... She can''t feel the typical suction force that comes from the Udambara flower that it usually does...


    At this moment, she suddenly saw a silver-colored figure slowly drift out of the sea of purple flowers through her dazed eyes.


    She widens her eyes and looks towards that silver-colored figure...


    It seemed to be the figure of a human and it was very tiny and delicate, like that of a 10 years old child...


    The silver that''s reflected in her eyes came from the light that gleamed on her long hair and her body was covered by a layer of lustrous white light.


    She slowly floated over, her feet not touching the ground but her silver-colored hair was long enough to reach the ground.


    The massive sea of flowers filled her eyes and she could not see the end of it. However, at this time, all the petals of the purple devilish flowers were closed and it turned into its budding state. Although the purple light was still bright, the power of the soul-stealing had been weakened by several dozen times.


    And before she realizes it, the tiny figure has already stood before Issei... Both of them are silently gazing at each other.


    White meets white... The similar contrast of their hair color made them look like they are siblings or perhaps father and daughter that it created an artistic picture that manages to steal both Xun''er and Jasmine''s breath away...


    Her galactic bright silver-white hair clung to her delicate body and hung all the way down. A long section of it dragged on the ice-cold floor. The hair in front of her forehead danced even though there was no wind, complementing her white jade-like tender looks.


    Her body was covered with a white glow and beneath the glow, it seemed as though she was not wearing any garments. Her delicate white legs, however, were not covered by the white glow and were completely exposed. Her tender feet that resembled ice lotuses hung in the air and each snow-white toe of hers glistened as though she were carved from jade.


    Other than her long silver hair, her entire person seemed like a jade doll, flawlessly carved from white jade. This, coupled with the lustrous silverish-white hair Issei has made them look very similar to each other...


    But the strangest thing was her eyes¡­ Those were a pair of enchanting eyes that Jasmine had never seen before.


    The top half of her right eye was pale yellow in color while the bottom half gradually turned a faint green.


    As for her left eye, the top half was a pale blue color while the bottom half gradually became deep purple.


    A pair of eyes, giving off the glows of four different colors.


    In medical terms, abnormal colored eyes were being labeled as "iris heterochromia." However, this little girl possessed four different eye colors... But what alarm Jasmine and Xun''er even further is that Issei''s eyes started glowing as well and his eyes started giving a rainbow hue on its own!


    This is Issei activating on its own... Semiramis also possesses a . But they rarely change their color as Issei did right now unless they willed it to.


    This only happens because Issei is currently injured so he can''t use the eyes without having this tiny side effect of having his eye color changed. He wanted to see the depths of her soul essence, that''s why he activated it.


    is invisible to normal people. In perceiving death, it can be said they see the "Root" of the soul itself hence granting Issei and Semiramis the ability to destroy souls or granting "True Death".


    There exist the weaker version of these eyes but they can''t grant "True Death" like Issei and Semiramis did. But they''re still extremely rare since it gave them a pseudo ability to perceive .


    They show the "death" of things, the weak points where everything is most easily broken and the imperfection in everything that will break down one day. They can be said to see the fate of all things, seeing the future, allowing them to see death. While there is a difference as to when a person or object will "end," it is certain that they will all arrive at that point because death is not something that "arrives," but rather is something already contained within an object at its creation and certainly bound to happen as part of the principle of causality.


    Anything with an origin must have an end, a "time of death" determined at the beginning, and as it already exists, it is not impossible to comprehend such a concept with the appropriate circuit in the eyes and brain, allowing them to be viewed as though a microscope. It is normal that cutting a living being''s neck would kill them, their life stopping because it was cut, and conversely not being able to cut a being''s neck would mean that they will not die.


    The eyes can ignore the cause, instead of allowing them to kill even that which is immune to all external effects. That which is cut falls apart and that which is "killed" becomes "dead," but rather than "tracing the lines causing the object to fall apart" and the object becoming dead because it was cut, it is "ending the lifespan and killing the object." It is the erasure of existence rather than physical destruction, so the object is "stopped" and the cut is the end result.


    Both the small girl and Issei look at each other, she gazes at Issei and Issei gazes back at her. Their entire person was quiet, she made no sound and had no expression while Issei has his typical calm expressionless face. There wasn''t even any aura coming off from both of them. If Jasmine and Xun''er closed their eyes now, they would not be able to detect their presence at all.


    It''s as if they''re having a silent communication with each other...


    It''s quite a weird scene but also quite a beautiful sight at the same time...


    Finally, Issei is the first to break the silence.


    "...I see..." He muttered lowly.


    Issei bends one of his knees to the ground to match the girl''s height.


    His eyes become gentle and it changed back to his previous golden color.


    "Come closer..." He called out softly.


    The girl went silent for a second before she took a step closer to Issei and now she''s within his arms reach.


    "...What''s your name?" He asked the girl.


    "..." The girl stays silent but soon she shook her head.


    "You don''t remember your name?" Issei somehow understands what she wanted to convey.


    The girl nodded at his words.


    "Hmm..." Issei tapped his chin: "Then... How about I give you a name, is that alright?"


    "..." The young girl was briefly stunned by his suggestion, but after that, she obediently nodded her head.


    "Then how about Baise?" Issei said after thinking for a while: "The combination of ''Bai'' as in the color white(in Chinese), just like your hair color and a part of my name, ''Ise'', hence ''Baise''. I can just call you Bai''er if you want, so what do you think?" Issei smilingly asked her.


    "..." The young girl''s hand, a hand that flowed with pure and lustrous light, stretched towards Issei.


    She nodded her head, her long silver hair dancing in the air nimbly. Issei could sense that she was very happy and he did not know whether it was because she really liked this name or she liked the fact that he had given her a name.


    "Alright, Baise it is then... Then Bai''er, nice to meet you." Issei grasped her extended hand gently and at the same time, he absorbed the element within her body.


    That''s right... This girl possesses element within her body and it''s not a small amount either. At least it''s multiple times bigger than those Devil Beasts he just killed.


    To think that this girl still retained her sanity with that amount of energy inside her body is a miracle in and of itself...


    Calling her a small girl is not right either since her actual age is far older than him but her mental age is not... Probably because of the energy affecting her soul, her mental age is very young just like her physical appearance.


    The girl was taken aback seeing Issei could touch her physically... But soon a brief but happy thin smile bloomed on her face and in an instant, all of the bloomed once again at the same time, forming a sea of purple flowers that were more wondrous and fantastical than any dream.


    Issei gently smiles at her and put his hand on top of her head.


    "...It must have been really hard on you... To stay in this place alone for who knows how long... Don''t worry... Elder brother will bring you out of here, okay?" Issei lightly caresses her ethereal hair while he coaxingly said.


    "..." The girl flashed a brief smile and nodded firmly.


    Xun''er and Jasmine who saw this scene unintentionally smiled as well. It''s always made them feel warm inside seeing how gentle Issei treated the children he came across.


    ''This is how a father should be... Not like that bastard'', Jasmine thought to herself and the same goes for Xun''er but it is slightly different from Xun''er.


    ''This is how a husband should''ve treated their children...'' This is what on Xun''er''s mind.


    This might not sound so different but in fact, it''s quite different at the same time... One side looking at a father figure while the other one looking at a husband figure.


    Jasmine knows that this small girl is very mysterious but that doesn''t really matter right now...


    ...


    While Issei is still interacting with the small girl who now goes by the name Baise.


    The and the sent a mental message towards Issei that they wanted to come out of the to absorb the energy in this place.


    He sees no reason to refuse so he gives them permission to do as they wish.


    When both the and the comes out from the they bowed deeply at Issei before going to the middle of the sea of the Udambara flower field.


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    If it wasn''t for Issei''s presence, they wouldn''t dare to cultivate in this place... The flower and the darkness in this place would''ve killed them instantly.


    When both of them get into position, they instantly let out a growling sound and they greedily absorb the energies that exist in this place... The is a creature born of darkness so this place is extremely suitable for it while the is not having it easy.


    But if it manages to absorb this energy and also the energy coming from the Udambara flower it would be extremely beneficial for it. They will surely evolve to the next stage and won''t just be called a anymore, rather they can be called a .


    "...Let me help you a little bit." Issei channeled a little bit of his Dragon aura towards them both and they feel eternally grateful of him because of it... It seems like they don''t choose the wrong Master/King to serve...


    This place is brimming with energy that the accumulated energy seems like they encasing the 2 beasts in a dark and red cocoon.


    Baise and Jasmine look at the whole scene curiously while Xun''er somehow felt a bit jealous... She doesn''t know why she would feel jealous though...


    It is her Draconic side that''s feeling envious of its brethren being able to undergo the process of evolution... Now they won''t just be a rather a full-fledged True Dragon(In this world standard).


    Now in terms of bloodline, they are higher in rank compared to the Red Lesser Dragon Issei met in the mountain range.


    They are also higher ranked than Xun''er too hence the reason why her draconic side felt envious...


    Let''s say Xun''er bloodline rank is at Half-Dragon while the 2 beasts are a True Dragon.


    After waiting for a few more moments, they''ve finally succeeded in their evolution...


    Their cultivation realm also officially stepped into the 10th level from the get-go.


    The successfully evolved into its much stronger variant, named or better known as .


    It has metallic, azure scales, patches of white fur, and a golden-colored chest. Now it can turn itself invisible to the naked eye and doesn''t need to depend on the darkness any longer... It can also inflict a strong poisonous attack that can''t be cured by normal means.


    The also evolved into its stronger counterpart, named and also better known as . It sport color schemes of grey, white and red and are typically larger than their old form.


    It is able to imbue its attacks with Element due to Issei''s Draconic aura. It''s previously blue-colored lightning is now colored crimson-black and the same goes for its ice attacks.


    Jasmine never thought that she will be able to witness the birth of 2 extremely rare and even thought of already extinct species right before her eyes... The last time these 2 species were seen was more than million years ago according to the book records...


    But that''s not the only change they undergo... Now they can also freely take on their humanoid form as well.


    And that is the first thing that came into their view when they finished showcasing their new Draconic form. A burst of black and crimson energy burst out from the 2 giant dragon bodies and when the energy that was enveloping them disappears, 2 beautiful mature women appeared in their place.


    ""We greet our King!"" Both of them said while in a kneeling position.


    Jasmine and Xun''er become slackjawed seeing 2 "person" suddenly appeared in place of the previous giant beasts.


    "Impossible... Wait... What did you call him just now? King?" Jasmine said feeling dumbfounded.


    Naru who''s now in her humanoid form answered first: "Yes, Master is our King... A True Dragon King." Her voice contained an unyielding loyalty towards Issei.


    "...Are you the Dragon Monarch from the , Ise?" Jasmine asked Issei while feeling a bit incredulous.


    If he is indeed the Dragon Monarch from the upper realm then a lot of things will make sense...


    "...Master is not someone of this world, so to answer your question, no, he is not that ''Dragon Monarch'' you spoke of..." An ethereal voice comes out from behind Issei and the one who spoke just now was Xiaotao.


    "Who are you!? Wait... This aura... Are you the Primordial Phoenix from back then?" Jasmine was alarmed by this newcomer but then she suddenly felt a familiar aura from back then during her first meeting with the Phoenix at its trial ground.


    "I am the Phoenix you''ve met before, but at the same time, I am not..." Xiaotao answered calmly.


    "...What do you mean by that...? And why are you calling Ise ''Master''...?" Jasmine becomes further confused hearing Xiaotao words.


    "Master has given me a new life so I dedicated my newfound life for him, simple as that..."


    "..." Jasmine is speechless... The more she asked the more confused she becomes...


    She can only look at Issei demanding for answers. Her look is as if it''s saying, ''I already told you about my identity now it''s your turn!''


    Issei who realizes her gazes smiled wryly.


    "I am not from this world... Or should I say, not of this universe? And no, I am not from the upper realm you called or anything like that, but a literal ''Not of this world'' meaning." Issei said.


    "...Are you saying that you came from outside of this universe? That''s impossible! The records said that there''s no life outside of this universe... There is only destruction and death out there!" Jasmine instantly denied Issei''s words.


    "Hmm... It''s up to you whether you believe me or not but that''s the truth. I came from a world called the ." Issei said that without care whether she believes him or not.


    Jasmine now felt unsure but there has never been a record stating otherwise in the book records she has read so far...


    "I can assure you that Master is telling the truth. If he exists since the first creation of this universe then there''s no way that we, the Divine Beasts or the other Gods won''t know of him... Didn''t your mother here possess the Heretic God legacy? I''m sure that he mentioned something about Master, did he not?" Xiaotao said towards Jasmine at first but then she shifted her attention towards Xun''er.


    "...Yes... He said to never make Ise as our enemy and if possible, I should serve him as my Master..." Xun''er speechlessly said.


    "There you have it... If even someone like the Heretic God refers to him that much, Master identity is surely anything but simple, don''t you think? And don''t you realize that your body also contains Master ''Legacy'' to a certain extent? There''s a Dragon bloodline inside of your body and it''s not weaker than the legacy of the Azure Primordial Dragon that girl named Chu Yuechan has..."


    Both of them went silent after that...


    Indeed... Someone like Issei should have some records somewhere but they never found anything remotely close to him...


    And this is also the first time that Xun''er knows that she possesses Dragon bloodline inside of her body... But now that she thought about it... It now makes sense why she often felt the urge to submit to Issei and felt jealous or even coveted the Dragon crystal he gifted to the flood Dragons from before.


    "...Are you really telling the truth, Ise?"


    "What do you think?" Issei asked her back with a smirk.


    "Hmph... Let''s say you''re telling the truth but what is this Dragon bloodline inside of my mother''s body the Phoenix talking about?"


    "Master Dragon bloodline is the best of the best in this entire universe... It is your mother''s blessing being able to possess it. You can tell by these 2 over here" Xiaotao pointed at the 2 Dragon that just evolved.


    "These 2 doesn''t inherit his full legacy and only possessing a bit of his Dragon energy but the result is as such... Now imagine what if Master truly make them inherit his full legacy? Reaching the won''t be a pipe dream anymore and you''re guaranteed to succeed. You can ask them both if you don''t believe me."


    Both Naru and Zin nodded affirmingly at Xiaotao words.


    "Indeed, if we could inherit Master''s full legacy then we could become a just like the original Phoenix and the Azure Primordial Dragon. But... The requirement for that is that he must grant us his... ''Essence''." Zin is the one that spoke this time.


    Her voice sounds firm and strict but it sounded bashful at the end of her speech...


    "What? What ''Essence'' are you talking about? Blood essence?" Jasmine curiously asked while Xun''er who''s more experienced in this kind of stuff already catch on a little bit...


    "That''s not a little brat allowed to know." Issei decided to intervene in their conversation.


    He can''t let Baise who keeps watching their interaction knows of "That"... She''s still a "child" after all...


    "Who are you calling a little brat!?" She snarled at him.


    "...Who are you in your original world, Ise? Someone as powerful as you shouldn''t be a nobody, right?" Xun''er is the one who asked him this time.


    "Well... You could say that I am the true ruler of my original world. The of the ... My full name is Issei Savant Hyoudou, the True Crimson Dragon Godking of Domination." Issei formally introduced himself with his eyes glowing brightly.


    He also let his Dragon wings and Conqueror Haki out in the open instilling awe in Zin, Naru, and Xiaotao''s heart...


    Jasmine and Xun''er who saw this finally accepted Issei''s identity...

 Chapter 108 - 107

    It took Jasmine and Xun''er a long while to regain their bearings... It can''t be helped...


    They never thought their benefactor is someone with that kind of status... His status, according to the Phoenix who now goes by the name Xiaotao said is higher and more divine than any God in this world...


    Perhaps only the herself could rival his divinity and status...


    When they felt unsure of how they should treat him from now on, Issei told them to treat him just like usual.


    "Like I said... Does it really matter who I am to you? Just treat me normally. There''s no need to be overly formal with me... I''m not someone who''s fond of formal stuff like that since just like you both, I once was a normal human being and also a commoner at the same time..."


    They are taken aback hearing little bits of his past but soon accepted it...


    Naru and Zin didn''t participate in their conversation since for them, Issei is their only King. They don''t really care about his past. They just stood respectfully behind him.


    Naru has long, flowing black hair scattered over her shoulders. She has an extremely well-developed figure. An imposing bosom and wide hips easy for childbearing. There''s not a single ounce of fat that could be found on her flawless body.


    Her facial expression is very indifferent giving off a kind of chill rising from the heart, pure cold, a pair of ruby-red eyes that don''t possess a shred of pity nor hesitation. Her gaze only softened when she''s looking at Issei.


    Her dark outfit is quite skimpy that only covers her private parts while showing a lot of skin especially on the area of her stomach and hips. But it''s a given since she''s a Dragon, her skin(scale) is her strongest armor.


    Her "clothes" only serve as decoration as to blend in with the normal rural area... Although that will obviously won''t work since her beauty will attract a lot of attention and the way she dresses is also quite troubling...


    If it wasn''t for Issei giving design for the Ninja outfit from his world then her outfit probably looks more skimpy than now...


    Of course, the outfit she''s wearing is made out of her own scales.


    Zin, on the other hand, possesses long silverish gray hair and azure eyes. She is described as being extremely beautiful, to the point that every man who looks at her, would have their heart skip a beat.


    Her voluptuous body that doesn''t lose against Naru will also instill lust to whoever saw them. Her expression seems quite strict and unforgiving. She will slay whoever stands in her King''s way without hesitation.


    Just like Naru, Zin''s outfit is quite skimpy in its own way. While Naru is based on the Ninja uniform from Issei''s original world, Zin''s outfit is based on a Samurai uniform...


    Both of them stand behind Issei along with Xiaotao. 3 absolute beauty standing behind Issei ready to serve him in any way possible... If any normal man were to saw this scene then they would be crying tears of blood feeling extremely envious of him...


    Jasmine pouts a little while comparing her figure with them... But when she looks at her own mother''s figure, there''s a glimmer of hope that flashes through her eyes.


    Xun''er herself is quite well-endowed, so in the near future, her figure will also become just like her mother... Right...? Right...? Important things need to be asked twice...


    Bai''er silently watched Issei. Ever since he had appeared, her gaze had not left him. It was not the gaze of a person that seemed to be observing a stranger. It was a gaze that seemed as though the girl was looking at someone that meant the entire world to her.


    Issei who realizes her gaze smiled gently at her and stroked her hair once again.


    Bai''er squinted her eyes in happiness feeling his touch but then she remembered something.


    She lifted up her small hands, and quietly manipulating a small orb of black light.


    That orb of light was so pitch black that it defied common sense. It looked as if it were the black hole that legends told of, the one that appeared at the center of the universe.


    Xun''er and Jasmine who saw this small bead were taken by surprise yet again... Because it is clearly the of the Heretic God!


    "Hmm, I''m not the one who you should give it to, Bai''er... But thank you." Issei used his profound energy to throw the towards the dumbfounded Xun''er.


    Xun''er caught the seed with her hands at she somehow felt loss... Why is it collecting these seems so easy? In but a single day, they have found 2 seed already...


    The feelings are a bit too surreal that Xun''er started doubting the whole situation. Is it really this easy to collect all these seeds? They have already found 3 seeds so far... Only 2 seed left... Even one year has not passed but here they are already found 3 of the seed...


    No... It''s only because of him... If it wasn''t for him then even if Xun''er spent a hundred years searching for these seeds she won''t be able to collect them all in this short amount of time...


    Perhaps the is easier to find but to locate the and especially the . Who would expect their location? One of them was inside a Tyrant profound beast belly while the other one is at this mysterious place...


    Xun''er sighed to herself thinking about all of this... It seems that like it or not she can only repay all of Issei''s benevolence using her life... Even the Heretic God told her to serve him as her Master.


    Not like she''s against the idea though...


    "...Heheh, it looks like my debt towards you at this point is already immeasurable isn''t it, Ise? In the future, just tell me straight away if you need something from me... You can ask "anything" of me..." Xun''er smiled teasingly at Issei.


    "Mm, I will hold on to your words... Maybe in the future I will need your help with something. Just be prepared when that time comes" Issei said without a care. He missed the underlying teasing words from her.


    "You must be joking... Someone like you won''t need help from someone as weak as me... Even my daughter is stronger than me." Xun''er responded back and felt a little disappointed that he doesn''t catch on with her teasing.


    "Maybe in the past, mother... But right now your future is way brighter than mine." Jasmine retorted lightly from the side. She also doesn''t realize anything weird from what her mother just said...


    But she''s not feeling jealous of her mother... She felt happy for her if anything.


    After all, Xun''er and her little sister that''s still in the upper realm are the only families she has. That bastard of a man is not counted as a family member by her...


    Xun''er then swallowed the ...


    Boom!!!


    An exceptionally dense dark aura that surrounded and permeated Xun''er''s body suddenly surged from within her body.


    She felt her connection with the Darkness energy is becoming more pronounced... She felt her entire profound veins are overflowing with Darkness energy.


    At the same time, after every sliver of darkness fused with her profound veins, massive tidal waves of energy surged within those very profound veins¡­ This energy was foreign, yet unbelievably strong. Xun''er opened her eyes, much to Jasmine''s surprise, Xun''er previously white sclera turned black and her red pupil turned deeper in color.


    Her black rabbit ears that were very soft to the touch hardened ever so slightly taking shape of a pair of beautiful black dragon horns that give off a red and blue hue... It appears this is caused by the Fire and Water element she possesses circulating within her body.


    But these transformations only happened for a short amount of time... Before long her horns changed it shapes into rabbit ears once again...


    Although it was only for a short moment, Xun''er clearly becomes a True Dragon just now... Zin and Naru also realize this...


    She had clearly felt the darkness seed fuse with her profound veins and was definitely experiencing her own profound strength increase at an alarming rate...


    Her cultivation realm immediately shoots up into the peak of the from the 1st level...


    The profound aura within her body subsided and her profound veins became silent. A dense profound aura began to calmly circulate within them as though they were layers of nebula.


    All the weird changes stopped, and Xun''er''s entire body became calm. She inspected her own profound veins¡­ the profound veins that had originally been scarlet and blue now had an additional region within them, and it is black.


    The black region was at the center of the profound veins and nearly took up half of the space within them. In the space around the black region, the two colors of scarlet and blue coexisted as though they were stars surrounded the moon that was the black region.


    "So... How do you feel after absorbing the ?" Issei asked her seeing that she has finished her absorption.


    "...To be honest... I don''t feel that much change... I mean, I do feel some changes here and there but it''s not that too discernable... It''s as if... As if my body has already started comprehending the energy even before I swallowed the ..." Xun''er confusedly answered.


    "That''s quite normal..." Issei nodded calmly seeing that everything is as he suspected.


    "What do you mean, Ise?"


    "Do you remember what I did to you when we first met? What I fused with your corroded soul parts?"


    "...I do... Do you mean...?" Xun''er gasped lightly remembering about what happened back then.


    "Yes, I already mixed some spirit into your body so it''s normal that you don''t feel many changes with your body when you swallowed the just now... By absorbing the , you just hasten the process of your mastery over the element. If you''re given enough time then sooner or later you would automatically comprehend it." Issei explained to her.


    "No wonder..." Xun''er nodded understandingly.


    She''s not that confused anymore now that she knows about his true identity... Even Jasmine felt the same.


    "So, what do you mean when you said you''re a True GodKing, Ise? Do you mean your true cultivation realm is at the ? But that can''t be it since she said you''re at least the same rank as the ..." Jasmine curiously asked Issei.


    "I don''t know how strong this you''ve told me about but let''s just say I''m about the same rank as her to keep it simple since you said that she''s the strongest God ever existed... My world power realm is quite different from this world... We don''t have profound energy or profound cultivator there. We mainly use ." Issei then proceeded to demonstrate some of his magic skills.


    Jasmine and Xun''er were surprised seeing that these attacks of his don''t contain any profound energy... No wonder they can''t feel anything from his attack they thought to themselves...


    Unless it''s when he really utilized the profound energy then they can''t really tell...


    "Then... What about her? Who is she?" Jasmine looked at Bai''er.


    "Hmm... Sadly, I also don''t know about her true identity since she herself doesn''t remember... Her current form you''re seeing right now is only her Soul body." Issei spoke while gently rubbing Bai''er head.


    "What? Soul Body?" Jasmine said in surprise then she floated beside Bai''er and tried touching her hand but Jasmine''s hand passes right through it...


    "It''s true..." Jasmine said feeling a little surprised...


    is a "body" that''s more astral than a Spiritual body. When a person''s spiritual body is destroyed, only then their soul body is exposed.


    A spiritual body can still enable the person to touch and feel but Soul body is purely made out of that person''s soul... If it were to be destroyed/killed then they won''t be able to reincarnate.


    At least this is what the people in this world believe... But the truth is, its wrong.


    A can only truly be destroyed by someone who can access that person''s which is the "root" that defines that person''s existence.


    Only Semiramis and Issei is able to do this.


    Nyarlathotep is a special existence since what she does is not directly interact with a person''s rather she used her to do the work for her. But that can only happen if she were to consume that person''s soul or in that case, their entire being, body and soul alike...


    If not then she can''t truly destroy that person''s .


    Nyarlathotep ate quite a few Death God in the past but she never ate a True Death God like Semiramis. Because just like her, a True God of Chaos. There can only be 1 True Death God...


    Not really surprising since they never really cross path before... Semiramis knows that she couldn''t really kill or defeat Nyarlathotep so she just avoids meeting her altogether...


    You could say that Issei is the biggest anomaly of them all since he can control both and at the same time...


    "...Wait, if she''s a ... Then how come you can touch her physically?!" Jasmine finally realized that Issei is able to touch Bai''er quite normally.


    "That''s one of my divinity at work." Issei calmly answered.


    "You have more than one divinity? I thought a God can only possess one divinity..." Jasmine said in disbelief.


    She herself, for example, her divinity related to the . Sure she''s not a God but you could say that she''s a Demi-God by now since her real cultivation realm is at the


    .


    Cultivators who made their way into the


    can be considered half step into True God but there has never been a record of someone breaking through to the


    until now, needless to say reaching the ... The era of the Gods has already ended a long time ago so there was never a single person able to reach the anymore...


    "That is why Master is titled as the True GodKing." Xiaotao lightly said from behind Issei as a matter of fact.


    There''s a deep reverence that can be found in her eyes when she looks at Issei.


    Jasmine then looks at Issei speechlessly...


    "...Be that as it may... Won''t it be dangerous for her if she''s carelessly exposed to others?" Jasmine pointed at Bai''er.


    Sure physical contact can''t really touch Bai''er who''s only a but if someone used their profound energy then they "might" just harm her... "Might" because it''s not possible to touch a soul body for those below the .


    "No need to worry. I''ve already bound Bai''er soul with mine... She can only truly die if I die." Issei said nonchalantly.


    What Issei did is similar to what Forzelotte did to him in the past. Or perhaps, his bond with the Kalars is more of an appropriate example? Close enough.


    Bai''er won''t ever die unless Issei died which is impossible to happen...


    "You what!?" Jasmine shouted in shock.


    "Oh my..." Xun''er covered her mouth in surprise.


    Xiaotao, Zin, and Naru look at Bai''er feeling a little bit jealous... They''re not jealous because she can''t die now with Issei''s protection but they''re jealous because her soul is connected with their King/Master''s...


    Issei only shrugged at them.


    Only after a little bit of explaining that they finally understand what Issei meant... Jasmine sighed in relief, but she''s feeling a little jealous as well while Xun''er eyes started to glow even brighter when she looks at Issei.


    What a compassionate man... She thought to herself feeling a little lovestruck at Issei. If only he can do the same with her daughter then she can live her life without worrying about her daughter''s safety...


    ...


    Issei picked Bai''er up in his arms while she hugged Issei''s neck tightly with a joyful thin smile on her face. Her once astral looking body doesn''t look that see-through anymore and only if someone tried to touch her directly that they will realize that she doesn''t have a physical body...


    She looks just like a normal girl if it wasn''t for her eyes... Her body also doesn''t give a white glow anymore for that matter.


    People who saw Issei and Bai''er together won''t be surprised if they''re brother and sister or perhaps father and daughter even... But since Issei looks so young, people will always think of them as brother and sister most of the time.


    People who saw Bai''er will think that she will grow into a beauty that can overturn even the heaven itself just like her brother... If they are able to see Issei''s face that is...


    "Then, shall we leave this place?" Issei asked her gently to which Bai''er responded with a happy nod.


    It seems like she would need a little bit more time before she can speak normally... There''s no energy left inside her body so she should be fine, Issei thought to himself.


    Issei has already given Jasmine and Xun''er 2 stalk of Udambara flower while he kept the rest inside the since they''re Bai''er only companion when she''s all alone in this place.


    He created a special area influenced by the inside the .


    "Hmph... He is really a lolicon!" Jasmine pouted seeing their warm interaction.


    Xun''er smiled wryly at her daughter. It seems that her daughter can''t be honest with herself...


    Xiaotao''s group already went back inside the .


    Jasmine and Xun''er then also returned to the .


    Issei then took off from the Cloud End''s Cliff Abyss...


    But the moment he got out from the abyss, the charm he gave to Su Ling''er before started giving a signal.


    Issei narrowed his eyes dangerously since it seems that he needed to pay this Grandwake Clan a visit... He can freely create a spatial opening to this place if he wanted to in the future so he''s not really in a hurry but since someone wanted to die early then he will grant their wish.


    While still holding onto Bai''er tiny body, he opened a spatial rift towards the charm location... Then the area went eerily silent once again...


    ...


    is situated at the bottom of the in the of the . In the East of the Supwake Country''s river, the Grandwake Clan is the number one sect, as well as the biggest power. Their power is higher than New Moon City''s Xiao Sect''s Branch Sect but not as strong as the Major Sects from the Blue Wind Empire.


    There were already many people gathered to the brim in front of Grandwake Clan''s Conference Hall. On one side were Grandwake Clan''s leaders and a group of disciples headed by Su Hengshan and behind him stood Su Ling''er shivering in fear. Su Hengshan had a pair of angry eyes. Across from them stood a group of three hundred men in black.


    Under the escort of the men in black were over ten middle-aged people dressed in different attire. There was also an elder with a swagger, who was sitting in a rattan chair that seemed to come out of nowhere. His eyes were half-closed and he was unrestrained like an old deity with a proud attitude that didn''t put anyone else in his eyes.


    "Su Hengyue! I always respected you as my second brother. Even though you had opposed me when we were fighting for the position of Clan Master in the past, I still put the matter behind me and never mentioned it! These past years, the clan''s resources were all prioritized for you! I can understand that you want our late ancestor''s treasure as well, but you actually unhesitantly collaborated with Blackwood Stronghold and made these ambitious moves! How can you face our deceased father, how can you face our Grandwake Clan''s ancestors!"


    Su Hengshan''s face was brimming with anger and his gaze shifted to another person: "And you! Li Yunji, when you met certain doom back then and your life was hanging by a thread, who was it that saved you? And who was it that gave you over ten years of peace? Is this how you repay my father and my Grandwake Clan''s kindness?"


    The middle-aged man, Li Yunji, who was pointed out by Su Hengshan took a slight step back and an unnatural expression flashed on his face. But he immediately answered with a cold snort: "The late Clan Master''s kindness will naturally always be kept in my heart! It''s also because of the late Clan Master''s great favor, that I could not bear to see Grandwake Clan get destroyed in your hands! Resign as Clan Master and hand over the treasure key! If not for your obstinate behaviors, Grandwake Clan would have already had a shockingly powerful expert a long time ago! Grandwake Clan would have leaped to become a peak sect! And not the completely fruitless one like it is now!"


    "Hehe, everything Yunji said is true." Su Hengyue said while laughing: "Our late father handing over the position of Clan Master to you, was really the greatest mistake of his life! If you handed over the treasure key sooner and collaborated with Blackwood Stronghold, everything east of the river would have been ours a long time ago! Your stubbornness only burdened the entire Grandwake Clan!" He looked towards the elder who sat there and grimly smiled: "Even the elders who never questioned you about being Clan Master could not stand by idly and watch you any longer! Just obediently hand over the Clan Master position. Be at ease and just become a teaching elder! The position of Clan Master doesn''t suit you at all!"


    "Load of bullshit!" Su Hengshan angrily laughed: "Blackwood Stronghold''s behaviors were always despicable. They have an extremely poor reputation outside and had also always coveted our Grandwake Mountain resources. If we collaborated with Blackwood Stronghold, we would be working with the tiger and destroy our Grandwake Clan''s hundreds of years of clean reputation! As for our clan''s treasure, our late ancestors clearly explained that we could only take it out when an extremely stunning talent, who is able to shock the world, appeared in our clan, otherwise, we''d be recklessly wasting it and pointlessly destroying our clan''s greatest opportunity! If I took it out right now, that would be the real disgrace towards our ancestors."


    "Clan Master Su''s words are too harsh to listen to." A middle-aged man in black slowly walked forward: "Our Blackwood Stronghold genuinely and sincerely wants to cooperate with the Grandwake Clan. You give me medicine and precious stones, and I''ll give you divine weapons. It''s profitable for both sides. By comparison, Brother Hengyue''s knowledge and insight are much more powerful than yours. It''s no wonder that your Grandwake Clan has stagnated and become lifeless during these past years."


    "Heimu Qingya!" Su Hengshan''s anger directed towards the black attired man who had just spoken: "You despicable little man! I still haven''t repaid you regarding the matter that you intended to seize my daughter this morning, yet you still had the guts to personally come yourself! As the mighty Hold Master of Blackwood Stronghold, you had unexpectedly let your disciples take action on a little twelve-year-old girl. Are you really worthy of your title as the Blackwood Stronghold''s Hold Master?!"


    "Heheh!" Heimu Qingya wasn''t the least bit resentful when being cursed in rage by Su Hengshan: "Clan Master Su, it''s a misunderstanding. This Hold Master only wanted to invite your daughter as a very important guest. The word "seize" isn''t very appropriate."


    Su Ling''er who''s standing behind Su Hengshan cowered in fear seeing the way Heimu Qingya looks at her.


    "Really?" Su Hengshan clenched both his fists. He wasn''t a person who got angry very easily, but the people of Blackwood Stronghold taking action against Su Ling''er touched his absolute bottom line. He coldly said: "Heimu Qingya, I know how you are. If you don''t give me an explanation after we sort out our clan''s matters today, then don''t even think about leaving alive!"


    Heimu Qingya grinned and smiled, but didn''t say anything as he took two steps back. Both his hands were over his chest in a leisure posture... That''s right, he was here to passively watch the great battle within the clan. No matter what the outcome was, it was all favorable.


    The elder who had continuously sat upright in place opened his eyes and heedlessly said: "Hengshan, I don''t care who succeeds the position of Clan Master. I won''t make trouble for you if you aren''t willing to collaborate with Blackwood Stronghold either, but the key to the clan''s greatest treasure must be taken out today!"


    The speech from Grandwake Clan''s most senior elder naturally contained an extraordinary influence. Su Hengshan''s expression suddenly transformed and then unhesitantly said: "Absolutely impossible!"


    The mood at the scene became increasingly tense. Grandwake Clan''s disciples all rushed over, as more and more people filled the scene. If they were only facing Blackwood Stronghold, they could unanimously confront them, but Blackwood Stronghold had the attitude of spectators. The two sides who had mutual hostility were all people of the Grandwake Clan... Only, the other side was a person who had left not long ago, who then entered the Blackwood Stronghold!


    In the region east of Supwake''s river, Grandwake Clan and Blackwood Stronghold were the two most powerful sects. Behind Grandwake Clan was Grandwake Mountain, medicine, as well as countless precious minerals and resources. Blackwood Stronghold was situated in the Blackwood Mountain Range and had huge amounts of metal and strange stones as their resource.


    The natural resources of the two sects really complemented each other, and Blackwood Stronghold had always wanted to collaborate with the Grandwake Clan many times for the purpose of sharing their resources, but Blackwood Stronghold''s actions were despicable and they also had a horrible reputation. Although the elders of the Grandwake Clan wanted to collaborate with them for the most part, the successive Clan Masters all disagreed profusely.


    Until Su Hengshan''s generation, Blackwood Stronghold, which was originally more than a half level lower, suddenly had an explosive development and quietly reached the point where they could fight on even terms with the Grandwake Clan. This also made the elders want to support Blackwood Stronghold. The people in favor of ruling the river east by force nowadays increased up to the point where it had exceeded more than half, and gradually increased the pressure on Su Hengshan every day.


    But these weren''t the main reason for the confrontation today. The real reason was an item that the late ancestors of Grandwake Clan had left behind, the clan''s mystical treasure!


    From a place called the "Southern Border Holy Land", a late elder of the Grandwake Clan obtained a valuable treasure, rumored to be at the "sacred object" grade!


    After a couple more rounds of debate, Heimu Qingya felt impatient with the whole farce.


    "Enough talk, you will give the key for the treasure or not, Clan Master Su?" He walked forward along with his men encircling the father and daughter duo.


    "Qingya old bastard, you dare!" Su Hengshan shouted in anger.


    "Why wouldn''t I dare? Your own brother is supporting me, hahaha!" Heimu Qingya laughed out loud and what he said is true.


    Su Hengyue and his men also encircled them both.


    Su Hengshan loyal sect members have already apprehended by them all... They are clearly outnumbered.


    "Don''t make this harder than it is, Su Hengshan. And you don''t need to worry about Ling''er... I''m sure we can make use of her for later. Who knows, perhaps we can marry her off when she grows up to other bigger sects to gain benefits for the sect." Su Hengyue grinned evilly.


    "She is your own niece, you bastard!" Su Hengshan shouted once again.


    "That''s why I won''t let harm come to her."


    "You think what you''re planning to do to her is not harming her!?"


    Su Hengyue only smirked mockingly at him.


    He has long forgotten about their familial bond.


    He had opposed Su Hengshan, fighting for the position of the late Clan Master.


    For many years, he monopolized the Grandwake Clan''s resources for selfish purposes and practices detrimental to the clan. He sought the late ancestors'' treasures as well and collaborated with Blackwood Stronghold, their clan enemy.


    "Su Hengshan, if you took out the clan''s most valuable treasure a bit earlier, then my son Haoyu would have soared into the skies a long time ago, and in less than ten years, he would have taken our Grandwake Clan to a height that we could only dream of right now!" Su Hengshan callously laughed and said: "Don''t believe that we don''t know what you''re thinking. You''re envious of my son''s natural talents and want to personally consume our clan''s treasure. Heh, people being selfish and envious is completely normal. However, you want the entire Grandwake Clan to be dragged by you. As one of Grandwake Clan''s elders, I''ll never agree to that!"


    "Bullshit!" Su Hengshan angrily roared.


    Su Hengshan turned his gaze back towards Heimu Qingya, anger instantly spread throughout his face. "Heimu Qingya! You little man! I have long known of your despicable name, however, I never expected that you could actually be despicable and shameless to this extent! Our Grandwake Clan fame being on par with your Blackwood Stronghold in these recent years are basically a huge humiliation!"


    Su Hengshan then switched his gaze again, looked towards Su Wangji, and said. "Grand Elder, are you really going to let this whole farce be?!"


    Su Hengshan thought that their clan Grand Elder would do something but all he got is a nonchalant answer: "Just give the treasure up, Hengshan. What Hengyue said makes total sense... Su Ling''er is not that talented anyway and we can indeed make use of her by sending her off for marriage to other big sects/clans... Hengyue''s son, Haoyu is a genius that''s hard to come by even in a hundred years. He is only twenty years of age, yet he has already stepped into the eighth level of the . In the Country of Supwake, he could already live up to the word "world-shaking". It seems to me that Haoyu definitely has the qualification to use our clan''s most valuable treasure. I can guarantee that in the following century, it is practically impossible for a disciple with greater talents than Haoyu to appear within the Grandwake Clan."


    All of Su Wangji''s words were clearly biased towards Su Hengyue''s side, but these words were irrefutable. He stared toward Su Hengshan and quietly said: "This year, Haoyu is twenty years old. He is not young anymore. If he grew up a bit more, using the clan''s most valuable treasure would naturally be much less effective.


    Hengshan, if you still obstinately do not understand, and is willing to die guarding the clan''s most valuable treasure before releasing it, then what if a so-called "world-shaking" genius never emerges within our Grandwake Clan, will the clan''s treasure be forever sealed? Our clan could have soared into the sky a long time ago but had been stagnant for a long time because of this. If the day comes that our clan encounters a calamity, using the clan''s most valuable treasure at that time, would be far too late!"


    The harder Su Hengshan tried to restrain his eyebrows, the tighter it became... if Su Hengyue was a dutiful elder and Su Haoyu had a kind-hearted nature, then if enough people recommended him to offer out the clan''s treasure, even if Su Hengshan felt that it was somewhat inappropriate, he wouldn''t be so determined like this. Since Su Hengyue''s line made these series of actions for the sake of obtaining the clan''s most valuable treasure, this matter was completely uncompromisable!!


    Him enticing the clan could be forgiven. But to pressure them by using the strength of the Blackwood Stronghold was essentially an action that betrayed the clan!!


    To these avaricious and unscrupulous people, even if he were to die, he would never agree on giving the clan''s treasure!


    Now Su Hengshan knows that he''s basically alone in this case... His position as a clan master is in danger and his beloved daughter is also in danger...


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    Is there really no hope for them both?


    Su Ling''er who''s feeling extremely afraid unconsciously clenched the protective charm in her hands and accidentally channeled a bit of her profound energy into it.


    *Woosh!* *Zzzt!*


    Immediately, there''s a golden barrier covering Su Hengshan and Su Ling''er as the center. At the same time the barrier activated, there''s a thin crimson light that shoots out into the horizon... Less than 1 second, the light already disappeared from their view.


    All of them who''s present there becomes astonished seeing this golden barrier.


    "What''s this!?" Su Hengyue screamed in surprise.


    "...It''s a protective barrier?" Su Wangji inspected the barrier and said astonishingly since he can sense that this barrier is extremely powerful and even if there''s 100 of him here, they still won''t be able to put a dent on this barrier, much less breaking it...


    Heimu Qingya and the others who heard this becomes angry.


    "You think you can hide behind this measly barrier!?"


    They started attacking the barrier with their strongest attack immediately but to no avail...


    "...Heh! Even if we can''t break this barrier we can just wait for you to come out of your turtle shell!" After a couple of attempts, they finally give up their assault on the barrier.


    "Just see how we will handle you both... We won''t kill you though so don''t worry... At most, we will cripple you! And as for your daughter... Hahahaha!" They laughed maniacally.


    "You damn devil! Do you still see yourself as her uncle!?"


    "Heh! save me your speech, Su Hengshan... What''s matter the most in this world is strength! Familial bond is not worth a single coin!" Su Hengyue sneered at him.


    While most of them laughing unscrupulously. Su Wangji who''s the most level headed amongst them started feeling uneasy with the whole situation...


    Just before this they basically already grasped what they want in their hands but with this newly emerged barrier at hand... He''s not so sure anymore...


    This is the first time he saw this kind of barrier... He has never seen any sort of barrier that comes close as this one!


    Just when they all still laughing or mocking both father and daughter who''s inside the barrier, they saw 2 white figure floating down right next to them...


    One figure is an extremely handsome man that shouldn''t exist in this mortal world while the second one is a small girl that''s no bigger than Su Ling''er but her facial feature is only second to the young man who''s currently holding her.


    (AN: You can find Bai''er image on my patre on page).


    They felt stupefied seeing them both but soon they started feeling some uneasiness gripping their heart... Just when and where did these newcomers appear from?! They never saw them arrive here and it seems that they just appeared out of thin air!


    There are at least a hundred pairs of eyes on the scene but not a single one capable of answering their question...


    The more they think about the whole thing the more uneasy they become. Especially for Su Wangji who''s basically the strongest cultivator amongst them.


    He can''t sense this young man cultivation realm at all... Perhaps he''s just a normal mortal? Bullshit!


    No normal mortal would suddenly appear out of nowhere and they all clearly saw him floated down from the sky just now!


    Then that means this young man is at the very least is at the but why can''t he, Su Wangji who''s half-step throne can''t sense his cultivation realm!?


    Su Hengshan and Su Ling''er who saw these newcomers become pleasantly surprised.


    "Big brother Ise!" Su Ling''er shouted feeling extremely happy. She immediately latched on to his leg the moment Issei landed on the ground like she just found her lifeboat in a stormy sea...


    Su Hengshan breathed a sigh of relief now that Issei is here.


    "Hello, Ling''er. Big brother has come to visit you as promised." Issei smiled gently at her while patting her head to which she sniffled feeling joyful that he''s here with them.


    Her fear instantly disappeared the moment she laid her eyes on Issei''s figure. But there are tears at the corner of her eyes and she kept sniffling while holding Issei''s clothes tightly.


    "Did someone bullied you again, Ling''er? What makes you so sad? Did these people bully you?" Issei asked her gently but then his eyes narrowed dangerously at Heimu Qingya and Su Hengyue''s group.


    They shuddered greatly sensing Issei''s gaze on them. It felt like they''re being gazed by Death itself!


    They felt like if they were to make any sudden move then their lives will be forfeited.


    They were threatening Su Ling''er but now they''re hoping that she will deny Issei''s question which practically impossible to happen unless Su Ling''er has no brain...


    "G-G-Greetings, your excellency... The whole situation is just a misunderstanding between family members. There''s no nee-"


    "Silence"


    Su Wangji tried to speak but Issei doesn''t let him finish his words.


    "Misunderstanding? Do you take me for a fool?" Issei spoke calmly but Su Wanji has his tongue tied feeling an indescribable pressure weighing down on him...


    He broke into a cold sweat not daring to look at Issei anymore.


    "Cripple them, was it?" Issei repeated what they just said.


    Everyone who was against Su Hengshan felt their whole body went cold the moment they heard Issei''s words.


    Before Heimu Qingya and his men had the chance to say anything else, they felt something froze within their bodies... And before long they can feel their profound veins started to break apart from inside out!


    It is so painful that they wanted to scream out loud but to their horror, they couldn''t utter a single word! They can only suffer in silence!


    Their entire eyes are bloodshot and they wish they could just bite their tongue to kill themselves but they couldn''t move a single muscle... The only thing that''s visible is their trembling bodies...


    Some even started spasming on the spot and fainted while standing still...


    Everyone who''s not inflicted by this abnormality is feeling shocked since they can tell that they''re now a cripple! They can sense their profound energy leaving their bodies little by little...


    Heimu Qingya''s cultivation went down at a rapid pace... ... ... ... Until it''s non-existent...


    For cultivators like them, what Issei just did is the same as killing them outright... Without their cultivation, they will become extremely weak, even weaker than your normal mortal and it won''t be long before they lose their lives...


    Whether it''s by suicide because they don''t have the will to live anymore or because their lifespan caught on to them... Heimu Qingya, for example, is already more than 60 years old in age... It won''t be long before he died of old age...


    Even now his hair started to turn gray just like that of an elderly man...


    Su Hengyue''s group started trembling even greater seeing that their accomplices are going "down" one by one. The only reason Issei doesn''t kill them outright is because they''re in the presence of Su Ling''er and Bai''er...


    If not then Issei won''t waste his time crippling them and he will just kill them on the spot and be done with it.


    He also prevents them from screaming out loud...


    Su Hengyue''s group survived only because he''s related with Su Ling''er but that doesn''t mean that Issei will let him scot-free just like that... He will let Su Hengshan judge them accordingly.


    "Now, Ling''er. Why don''t you go play with Bai''er... Big brother and your father need to have a talk with these... Bullies" Issei turned his attention towards Su Ling''er back and put Bai''er down to the ground.


    "Waaah... She''s so pretty!" Su Ling''er who saw Bai''er for the first time becomes amazed by Bai''er. She doesn''t see her when Issei just arrived since she was too afraid.


    Bai''er only silently gazes at Su Ling''er.


    "Bai''er can''t really talk because of some... Personal reasons. But don''t let that stop you from playing together with her, okay?" Issei pat both of their heads.


    Issei channeled a little bit of his aura so Su Ling''er will be able to touch Bai''er physically.


    "Oh... Un! Ling''er will protect little sister Bai''er!" Su Ling''er smiled joyfully forgetting her previous fear altogether.


    "Let''s go little sister Bai''er! I will take you to a fun place to play!" Ling''er grasped Bai''er hand excitedly and Bai''er let Ling''er pulled her along.


    Bai''er height difference from Ling''er is only a few millimeters short and from the outsider''s eyes, Su Ling''er indeed seems to be the older one.


    Bai''er takes one last look at Issei and he smiled encouragingly at her.


    "...Naru, go protect them both from the shadow." Issei muttered in a low voice towards nowhere in particular while gazing at the excited Su Ling''er that''s currently holding Bai''er''s hand.


    Naru appeared behind Issei and in a kneeling position, she answered "As you command." in a clear voice.


    Then she disappeared from the spot just like how she appeared from thin air once again...


    They all felt shocked once again seeing another person appearing out of thin air... They can''t appreciate her beauty since they''re in too much fear right now.


    Su Hengshan was worried leaving them alone but after hearing what Issei just said he finally felt at ease...


    "Now then..." Issei returned his gaze back to the rest of the assailants.


    "How will you handle them, Senior Su?" Issei asked Su Hengshan while still gazing at Su Hengyue''s group.


    Heimu Qingya''s group started falling down one by one now that Issei doesn''t hold them in place anymore.


    Their whole faces went deathly pale without an ounce of energy left inside them...


    "This..." Su Hengshan felt speechless with the whole situation.


    Seeing the pleading look from Su Hengyue''s group, his heart soften quite a bit...


    "Don''t forget what they''re about to do with your daughter just now... Think about what would happen to you both if they were to succeed to capture the both of you... Kindness is a good thing to have, but you need to direct your kindness only towards those who are worthy of that said kindness. If not, you will only hurt those who are truly close to you." Issei''s words of warning instantly made Su Hengshan''s froze in place.


    Right... What would''ve happened to his beloved daughter if they truly succeed just now...


    "I might sound harsh but... You are a good father, senior Su... But you''re not a great sect Master. You lack the resoluteness of a true ruler..." Issei continued his speech.


    Issei shared a bit of his experience as a fellow ruler... He often needed to make a ruthless decision in the past before he cemented his position as the .


    Issei will kill anyone who might possess a treat towards his loved ones without a single hesitation. And it has been proven time and time again... That''s why the accepted him as their true ruler.


    He possesses the heart of a Tyrant and also the benevolence of a Saint at the same time...


    Su Hengshan is indeed an honest and kind-hearted man. He is cultured and refined and did not show arrogance even in front of a junior.


    Sadly, this same kindness and honesty make him an unqualified Sect Master, for he shows far too much mercy to those who continually undermine his authority, just like Issei said...


    If he handled his past foes correctly then this whole incident wouldn''t have happened...


    The question Issei wanted to ask him now is... Would he repeat the same mistake as before? Would he put his daughter''s life in danger once again just because of his "Kindness"?


    After a few breaths of time, Su Hengshan finally steeled his heart and sighed deeply.


    "...Please cripple them all, young master Ise."


    "...Very well."


    Issei knows that this is the best Su Hengshan could do towards his own kin... But he''s sure Su Hengshan won''t repeat his past mistake from now on.


    If he''s still dumb enough to repeat it then he won''t help him anymore... Sure, he will save Su Ling''er but as for Su Hengshan... We''ll see...


    Then Su Hengyue''s group also suffers the same fate as Heimu Qingya''s... They all then put under house arrest to prevent them from taking further action that might harm the whole sect.


    A clan dispute that had exploded after being pent up for a long time finally reached a conclusion that no one could have expected...


    ...


    Issei spent a day at the accompanying Su Ling''er and Bai''er.


    He also opened all profound entrances for her and her father.


    The loyal sect disciples also share their luck.


    Su Hengshan felt eternally grateful for Issei''s act that he wanted to kowtow on the spot but Issei prevented him from doing so...


    He then thought of betrothing his daughter to Issei but soon erase that thought since Su Ling''er is still too small and he got the feeling that Issei won''t be happy with it if he were to do so... Even if Su Ling''er herself has a favorable impression towards Issei...


    Aiii... He will just let nature take its course...


    Issei brought Su Ling''er and Bai''er to sightsee around the Grandwake Mountain, where they watched the sunrise together and ate the wild fruits that came from Grandwake Mountain. They left many of their voices and footprints on Grandwake Mountain¡­


    The happy laughter of Su Ling''er resonated within the mountain... Even though Bai''er can''t really speak, Ling''er keeps talking to her joyfully.


    Bai''er can only give a nod and shake as a respond. Sometimes she also flashed a thin smile at Bai''er...


    When it''s time for Issei to go back, Su Hengshan asked Issei if he wanted to stay a bit longer but Issei can''t do that since the time for the exit of the Heavenly Basin Realm is close at hand...


    Besides, it''s not like he can''t return here again on a later date. He can easily go back and forth anytime he wanted to...


    Su Hengshan nodded at his words and he had already firmly believed that Issei must be a young master born from a Sacred Ground-level Sect.


    Su Hengshan then said: "Have Ling''er take my place to send you off then, little brother Ise."


    Su Ling''er pouted a little knowing that Issei and Bai''er will leave soon but she''s not that sad since Issei has already said that he will visit often with Bai''er.


    She''s currently holding Issei''s hand tightly unwilling to let go...


    After leaving Grandwake Clan, Su Ling''er accompanied Issei and Bai''er not that far away from the Grandwake Clan.


    Su Ling''er tightly grabbed onto Issei''s right hand while Bai''er is holding his left hand. She was filled with sweet laughter while they walked, and did not even reveal a depressed look in the slightest.


    Walking up to here, Issei''s feet stopped, and he gently said. "Ling''er, you can stop sending us off from here. If we go any further, I''m worried about the safety of your return journey."


    Su Ling''er did not have the slightest resistance, as she nodded, and said with a grin. "Mn! Ling''er shall listen to big brother Ise words. Big brother Ise and little sister Bai''er must be careful on the road. Be sure to visit Ling''er often, okay?"


    "Um, I promise..." Issei gave her head one last pat before he opened a portal back to the heavenly basin realm.


    Su Ling''er who saw the portal felt amazed but soon she waved goodbye towards Issei and Bai''er. Then after saying goodbye once again, both Issei and Bai''er entered the portal.


    After he went through the portal, his vision was filled entirely with white snow¡­ He and Bai''er had returned to the Heavenly Basin Secret Realm.


    Bai''er who saw snows for the first time went into a daze... Perhaps she has seen snows once in the past? But how long ago was it?


    Issei also notices this so he will bring Bai''er to every beautiful place he has visited...


    Sure this place weather is not that great but since Bai''er basically possesses a high energy within her body then the cold won''t be able to affect her in the slightest...


    Even if it does, she won''t be in danger anyway since her soul is connected with Issei. By having her soul connected with Issei, she obtained her spiritual body back.


    Now she''s basically the same as Jasmine and Xun''er albeit a little different.


    Normal people still won''t be able to touch her physically though but the same goes for her... She won''t be able to touch other people normally.


    Bai''er stretched one of her arms to catch the falling snow... She can feel the icy feeling the snow emitted...


    "Do you like it?" Issei asked her gently while holding one of her hands still.


    She looks up at Issei and nodded with a thin smile adorning her face.


    "It''s good that you like it... From now on, I will surely bring you to a lot of fun places, okay?"


    She gave Issei another happy nod.


    Issei rubbed her head gently before they started walking deeper into the snow... They got less than a day before this realm is closed to the outside world.


    Sure Issei doesn''t really need to be worried about being locked here but it will be better if he were to regroup with the girls when the time comes to avoid further implication.


    For the rest of the remaining time, he only accompanied Bai''er sightseeing around the place...


    Bai''er has never felt so happy in her entire life for as long as she could remember.


    Her entire life has been filled with endless darkness at the bottom of the abyss...


    When the deadline is nearing, Issei told Bai''er to enter the .


    The space is less beautiful than his and Jasmine needed to stay inside the pearl since she needed to cure her poison. Xun''er of course won''t leave her daughter behind so they both stay in the pearl still.


    The more frequent Jasmine stays inside the pearl, the faster her healing process.


    Once inside the , Bai''er immediately went towards the field of Udambara flower Issei created just for her... The flower bloomed brighter when she''s nearing their presence.


    She''s usually felt lonely whenever she''s amongst these Udambara flowers but now... She felt happy.


    This sea of Udambara flowers is not the reminder of her loneliness anymore, rather it''s a reminder of the day she met with Issei and the day he broke her free from the abyssal prison she was in...


    Xiaotao, Naru, and Zin who saw her smiling face amongst the Udambara flower subconsciously smiled as well...


    Issei sensed that Chu Yuechan''s group is already preparing to leave this realm. They''re gathered in one spot so Issei decided to meet up with them.


    ...


    "Elder Ise." Chu Yuechan and the others immediately greeted Issei when they arrived in their front.


    "Um... Is everything okay? No one is injured?" The first thing Issei asked them when he arrived is their well being. The girl''s heart fluttered greatly seeing that he''s worried about them.


    "All of us are fine, Ise." Chu Yuechan answered gently in the place of the other girls.


    "Good." Issei then nodded at her response.


    Just when Chu Yuechan wanted to say something else, they heard a rumbling sound.


    She wanted to give him the treasures they found here but it seems that they need to find another chance for it...


    A deep and distant rumbling noise sounded, and slight vibrations began to arise from the ground. Five rapidly expanding spatial whirlpools individually appeared beside them.


    There are only five spatial openings because Issei doesn''t enter this realm through the normal way and the space law in this place can''t force him out either.


    "It seems that the time is up... I will go wait for all of you outside." Issei created his own spatial opening and the girls nodded at his words.


    He left first but before long the girls are also sucked into the portal...


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed since members of the ranking tournament''s top ten entered the Heaven Basin Secret Realm.


    Several tens of people anxiously stood waiting on the vacant space in Heavenly Sword Villa''s rear mountains. These were precisely the members of the various sects who could not enter the Heaven Basin Secret Realm. Heaven Basin Secret Realm was a completely isolated world, and news of anything that happened in there could not be transmitted, so they had absolutely no idea as to what happened in there during these two days.


    No one realized another addition entering their fray... Issei appeared not far away from them and not a single one noticed his presence.


    Not surprising since their eyes are glued to their front and wanting to notice Issei''s presence without his consent is nigh impossible to happen even if he''s not in his prime at the moment.


    Ling Kun who has the highest cultivation realm of them all also didn''t notice Issei''s presence, needless to say about those are weaker than him.


    Ling Kun stood in the middle of the open space and silently looked on ahead.


    *Zzzt!*


    In the wake of the brilliant radiance brought along by the spatial vortex, a person dressed in white was tossed out. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were worn out as if he had recently fought a fierce battle¡­ The first person to come out was surprisingly Ling Yuefeng.


    Ling Kun opened his eyes, and faintly asked: "Any finds?"


    Ling Yuefeng slightly exhaled, and answered with knitted brows: "We were not lucky this time, and encountered Heaven Basin Secret Realm''s harsh winter. Everything was sealed in ice and covered by snow, so there weren''t any great gains. But, I made an astonishing discovery, inside this Heaven Basin Secret Realm, unexpectedly dwells a Tyrant Profound Beast!"


    "Oh?" Ling Kun''s gaze flashed: "What kind of Tyrant Profound Beast?"


    Ling Yuefeng shook his head: "I have only perceived its sound force and did not dare to approach it. Perhaps someone had the misfortune of angering it."


    "Hmm¡­" Ling Kun muttered: "There was actually a Tyrant Profound Beast inside. If I knew that, I would''ve gone in together with you. Wanting to find a Tyrant Profound Beast, is not that easy."


    Although Heaven Basin Secret Realm was mysterious, the things that could be found inside were too inferior to Ling Kun. After he had entered once, he had no interest in entering again, which was why he didn''t go this time.


    Unknown to him, if he were the one who faced off against the beast then he would be the one who will perish since that beast was at the peak of the Tyrant profound realm while he''s only at the 6th level Overlord...


    And it''s not like the things that could be found inside is too inferior but rather he''s just unlucky and thought too highly of himself in the past so he never had the chance to find rarer things...


    *Zzzt* *Zzzt* *Zzzt* *Zzzt...*


    After Ling Yuefeng, were the flickering of many rays of light. More and more people were being tossed out. Even though Ling Yun and Ling Jie were both in tattered clothing, they were both perfectly fine, and also had some findings.


    Members of the various large sects appeared one after another. Burning Heaven Clan''s members were appearing one after another¡­ But, in the end, only three had come out...


    Fen Moli appeared extremely worried and in trepidation. The moment he appeared, he started looking for Fen Juecheng''s party but he doesn''t find them anywhere...


    His eyes instantly went sunken because he knows that they won''t show up anymore... Just like Ling Yuefeng said, those who died inside won''t come out anymore...


    "Who!? Who did it! Who killed them! Who murdered our first and second young master!" He loudly roared with extreme rage...


    Of course, what he did right now is pointless... Unless their murderer has brain issues then they won''t admit it...


    He can''t really point the blame to anyone present since most of them have a big background... For all he knows, they could be killed by some profound beasts or something else together... But that still doesn''t explain why the inscription charm the Grand Elder put into them disappears just like that...


    His roar stunned everyone present... Their first and second young master died? Their sect will surely decline if this news is true...


    Some felt happy inside their hearts while some sigh in pity because of the loss of another talented genius... It seems like the Burning Heaven Clan''s has met with misfortune...


    Yun Che''s group who already came out earlier stood silently to the side while Fen Moli roared like a mad dog...


    They obviously know just who the murderer is but they surely won''t tell them... It''s not like they''re afraid of the Burning Heaven Clan, they''re more afraid of offending Issei himself rather than the Burning Heaven Clan.


    Besides, they owe him their lives for saving them...


    Cang Yue and Xia Yuanba have different thoughts from Yun Che and Qin Wushang.


    While the latter two are afraid of Issei and the retaliation, the former two don''t want to make things hard for their crush and big sister.


    The true perpetrator of this entire incident only stood calmly in the side waiting for the girls to emerge.


    He doesn''t put Fen Moli in his eyes at all. To him, Fen Moli is just like a prattling child at most...


    *Zzzt...*


    The last rays of light flashed in the empty space and the girls finally came out...


    While others look distressed here and there, they are the only group that seems very clean and unhurt in the slightest. It''s like they just return from a morning stroll with how brimming with energies their whole bodies are...


    They instantly gathered around Issei while greeting him invoking gazes full of jealousy by the other men... Why can''t they have his luck surrounded by beauties like that?! They can only rub their chest feeling indignant with how unfair the world is...


    Fen Moli at first wanted to ask them as well but soon erased that thought since he believes that Fen Juecheng won''t be that stupid and offend the .


    Cang Yue and Xia Yuanba''s faces went bright seeing them... But since this is not the place to have a good talk, they didn''t come over to their location...


    Ling Kun said to Ling Yuefeng: "Yuefeng, I have stayed here long enough. I must leave tomorrow, so the Demon Sealing Ritual should start right now.


    Ling Yuefeng nodded: "Everything will be as Elder Ling has planned."


    After he finished speaking, he turned to face the crowd: "All of you have already heard what Elder Ling said previously. Everyone has only recently left the Heaven Basin Secret Realm and had spent quite a large amount of their profound energy, so much that some of you still retain injuries. But this is the first time that the Demon Sealing Ritual became open to the public. This ''demon'' had also used to be an enormous secret. To be able to personally see this demon, as well as the Sealing Ritual, is an extremely rare and valuable experience. I ask everyone to follow Elder Ling and me to the Sword Management Terrace. If you do not wish to come, you may return to your courtyards to rest. Everything is up to you."


    Sealed under Heavenly Sword Villa''s Sword Management Terrace was a mysterious "demon". All the various sects had heard of this matter and were all curious as to what kind of "demon" it was since the start. It was only natural for them to not want to miss this kind of opportunity. As a result, everyone neatly followed Ling Kun and Ling Yuefeng and headed for Heavenly Sword Villa''s Sword Management Terrace.


    Issei felt interested in this "demon" they''re speaking of and decided to see it with his own eyes. He''s wondering if this "demon" they''re speaking of is similar to the Demonkin from the or not...


    To be honest, the girls are not really that interested in it but since their elder wanted to see it then they will accompany him.


    Members of the ten large sects quickly returned to Heavenly Sword Villa and then headed towards the . The assembly of the group was undoubtedly conspicuous... A lone man followed by a group of ethereal beauty is bound to attract attention...


    Issei was at the front. Following right behind him were Chu Yuechan, Chu Yueli, Xia Qingyue, Shui Wushuang, and Xu Wuexin. They are following Issei like an obedient wife...


    Not far behind them were Qin Wushang, Yun Che, Xia Yuanba, and Cang Yue group.


    Yun Che and Cang Yue were constantly whispering on the way, and Xia Yuanba''s eyes glittered as he eagerly rubbed his hands in anticipation. It was obvious that he was looking forward to seeing the rumored "demon".


    Yun Che is asking Cang Yue if she ever saw Issei''s face or not... Because to him, seeing so many beautiful fairy-like women following him so willingly and obediently is too thought-provoking... He''s also jealous like the other men alright...


    But when he asked Cang Yue that question, she went into a daze with her cheeks reddening... She started reminiscing about the past where she first saw Issei''s face...


    It''s like her soul has been sucked out of her body and if it weren''t for Yun Che shaking her body then she would probably will still in a daze for who knows how long...


    "I-I can''t tell you..." Cang Yue shook her head feeling embarrassed that she''s caught being in a daze.


    "Oh... At the very least, can you tell me just how his look compared to me? Who''s more handsome? Me or him?" Yun Che flashed a handsome smile that could''ve smitten any girls but not to Cang Yue who already saw Issei devastatingly handsome face...


    "Err..." She can only smile wryly looking at his smile.


    Cang Yue sweated inside and she barely managed to stop herself from saying that Issei is far more handsome than him... She doesn''t want to hurt Yun Che feeling, after all, he''s still her junior brother in the sect...


    It would be a great blow for him if she were to tell him that...


    She meant, Yun Che is indeed a handsome young man but if he''s compared to Issei who''s more better looking then she would choose the latter without a single hesitation.


    Yun Che who saw her face knows that Issei must be more handsome than he is so he can only sigh bitterly... Then the rest of their journey is met with silence...


    ...


    The Sword Management Terrace is now just up ahead.


    Heavenly Sword Villa''s Sword Management Terrace was several times larger than the ranking tournament''s Sword Discourse Arena. As far as the eye could see, as many as ten thousand swords flew in the sky above the Sword Management Terrace, stirring up an even greater vortex of sword energy. When walking up the Sword Management Terrace, waves and waves of sword energy would occasionally flit by. The sharp energy dully ached, as if knives were cutting into their face.


    Various kinds of swords also covered the entire surface of the Sword Management Terrace, and a few heavy swords were also included among them. Though their numbers were extremely low, they were definitely not of common grade. Even the most inferior weapon there was at least a Spirit Profound Artifact.


    In the middle of the Sword Management Terrace, a pitch-black sword as large as the heavens were halfway into the ground and halfway into the sky. The incomparably enormous sword body released an ancient and heavy aura, making the hearts of the ones who looked at it go silent.


    Ling Kun was walking at the very front and stopped in front of the enormous sword. He turned around and said: "This sword, is called , and is the suppressed demon''s sword. The demon arrested several hundred years ago is precisely sealed beneath this sword."


    "The demon is incredibly strong, but inside the sealing formation, his strength has greatly been suppressed, so he should never think of escaping. However, since it is a sealing formation, its power would naturally diminish through time. Every twenty years, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region would always send one person here to strengthen the seal formation.


    "The Demon''s existence was originally a secret. Because the things that are related to him may possibly affect the life and death of the entire Profound Sky Continent. The reason why we have allowed everyone to witness his true appearance is that not long after last time''s seal strengthening, his relatives used a special method to avoid the Four Great Sacred Grounds'' blockade, and entered the Profound Sky Continent. They asked all over about this demon''s location with the intent to rescue him. At the very end, they had still discovered Blue Wind Empire. If not for our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region''s detection, the consequences would have been unthinkable."


    "Oh! Listening to what he said, that demon seems to have come from outside of the Profound Sky Continent¡­ Could it be those non-humans of legends?" Xia Yuanba asked with wide eyes.


    "Very likely." Yun Che carefully nodded.


    But Issei frowned since he can sense the presence beneath this sword is quite... Close, with Yun Che presence/aura... It''s like they''re related in some way...


    Ling Kun''s gaze swept across and then said: "Today, everyone should open their eyes wide and clearly look at the appearance of a demon. In the future, if anyone asks you about people who look similar, you have to inform the Heavenly Sword Villa. Don''t be lazy or negligent by any means! Because that could possibly be another demon! That matter over ten years ago was enough to prove that they found some way to enter the Profound Sky Continent without the Four Great Sacred Grounds being aware of it! If this demon was rescued accidentally and its powers are restored, it would bring a great calamity to the Profound Sky Continent!"


    "Bring about a great calamity to the Profound Sky Continent"... These words had undoubtedly shaken everyone''s heart. What kind of existence was this demon, to actually be this terrible?


    *Rumble...*


    Following Ling Kun''s bizarre hand gesture, an enormous profound formation flashed from under the huge sword. In the profound formation''s rotation, that huge sword as large as the sky slowly rose. Underneath the platform, was the lower half of the sword''s body that had not seen night or day for twenty whole years.


    The sword''s body rose higher and higher, gradually reaching a height of several hundred meters. And just at this moment, a voice that sounded like it came from an evil spirit came from below:


    "GRR¡­ AAHH!!! Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, you old dogs! Have you come to visit this granddaddy again¡­ HAHAHAHAHAHA¡­ You pack of shameless, despicable, and treacherous dogs! If you have guts, hurry up and kill me already! I want to become a malicious spirit, tear the skin off of your flesh, drink your blood, bite your bones into mush, pulverize your organs¡­ and drag you all down to the eighteenth level of hell, to suffer the penetration of ten thousand blades for all eternity, and feel the pain of burning in hellfire!"


    This was the most resentful voice they had ever heard and the most malicious of curses. It was even more frightening than the wails of evil spirits in hell¡­ The hair of everyone who had heard this voice stood erect and chills unceasingly crept up to their spine. They had no way of imagining just how large of resentment it would have to be able to release such heaven frightening earth startling grievances...


    The enormous Heaven''s Punishment Sword continued to rise for a little while longer until it had finally stopped. The tip of the huge sword moved a similarly sized surface that appeared at the previously empty space.


    What appeared in front of the people''s eyes was a huge light yellow half-sphere barrier. Within the barrier, was the huge Heaven''s Punishment Sword with several tens of chains on the tip of it firmly sealing a person with a full set of white hair. His hair had reached the ground a long time ago and covered half his body and face. His body was as thin as a match and had a face that was as wrinkled as an evil spirit, but his pair of eyes was as frightening as the sharpest knives in the world and radiated a resentment that was like the abyss of hell.


    Seeing this ''demon'' in front of him, Issei now almost 100% sure that he''s related to Yun Che...


    For one, their aura is almost identical and secondly... Their bloodline is the same.


    Sure for everyone there he seems quite evil and frightening... But in Issei''s eyes... This so-called ''demon'' is much more innocent rather than this Ling Kun''s tainted soul.


    He seems like a loyal and strong-willed man rather than a ''demon'' as he is described by Ling Kun.


    And he might possess a ''demonic'' energy within him but he''s basically a human... You could say he has a mixed-blood but that''s about it... The Demon bloodline within his body is extremely faint and if it weren''t for his ability to sense it, normal people would''ve missed it.


    As far as Issei concerned, this ''demon'' is basically someone that of a human race...


    "That''s¡­ a demon?"


    "Being sealed in the profound formation for over a hundred years without eating, drinking or dying. It''s practically an old demon! Sssss¡­ What a terrifying demon, he glanced at me for a moment, and my entire body went cold."


    This "demon''s" expression was quite terrifying, and his fury was great. It could even be said that to be the greatest that Yun Che had seen all his life. When he looked at him, even he, was a bit afraid... But somehow deep inside, he can feel some kind of connection with this ''demon''...


    "...That''s not a demon." Issei uttered softly and only the girls could hear him speak.


    "Eh?" The girls are confused because just like the others, they thought this ''demon'' is indeed a ''demon''.


    "What do you mean, Ise?" Chu Yuechan whispered confusedly.


    "...That ''demon'' is not a demon at all... He is basically a human that''s just more powerful than your average human being... " Issei told them the shocking news.


    "...And he''s somehow related to him." Issei then looks towards Yun Che''s direction and the girls followed his gaze and felt a little taken aback. "They''re most likely blood-related..." He added.

 Chapter 109 - 108

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    "What?!" Chu Yueli said feeling taken aback.


    Even Xia Qingyue is feeling astonished hearing Issei''s words.


    "...So does that mean... That...Yun Che, possess some sort of ''demonic'' bloodline or something?" Chu Yueli asked in bewilderment.


    They trust Issei but this whole thing sounded a little bit weird for them... They have never really seen a new race until just recently so it''s understandable...


    This is also the first time they participate in this Demon sealing ritual.


    "You can say that... I''ve seen a true Demonkin before so I can assure you that this ''demon'' is not one of them. There''s some sort of unique trait that this ''demon'' has within his body and I can see the same thing inside this Yun Che''s body but it seems that the trait inside him is sealed or still haven''t awakened yet... It''s most likely their bloodline trait." Issei said positively.


    "I see..." The girls nodded one by one at his statement.


    Their own sect elder is a Dragon, so they''re pretty sure that he has been to places most people have never seen before.


    So him saying that he has seen a real Demonkin is completely believable.


    Of course what he said is true, one of his wives(Forzelotte) is basically a Demon God after all...


    Their mind has been expanded when they know about their sect elder being a Dragon and even one of them also recently inherited a Dragon legacy as well...


    So they won''t really judge someone just because of their race.


    They thought that this ''demon'' is evil just like Ling Kun said but after hearing their sect elder assessment, they now know that this ''demon'' is not evil like others said...


    "But... Why did they seal this ''demon'' then? Is it because they don''t know about his real identity?" Xu Wuexin asked doubtfully.


    The other girls also feeling confused about this.


    "There''s a lot of reason to be pointed out but... It must be involving some bigger picture behind all this... But I''m quite sure that this ''demon'' is innocent... At least compared to this Ling Kun then he''s much more upright." Issei said softly while observing their interaction.


    Regarding the "demon" with his incredibly malicious curses and gaze, Lin Kun didn''t alter his expression at all as he calmly and collectedly said: "You want to curse, curse as much as you like. Heh, you think I don''t dare to kill you? If it wasn''t for you still having some uses, being a bargaining chip for exchange at some necessary moments, you would have died several hundred times by now! Why would we go through the trouble of keeping you alive for a hundred years?"


    "Fooey!" The demon sneered: "Despicable old dogs, you''re dreaming. Don''t think you can exchange me for anything! I was never willing to die because I wanted to personally see the great Demon Emperor slaughter your entire family. That day won''t take too long to come¡­ Hahaha!"


    "Hahahaha!" Ling Kun laughed madly as well: "It looks like you''re truly unclear on who is actually dreaming. It''s no harm for me to tell you again that your Demon Emperor had already died a long time ago. Died under hands of our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region''s Sword Master and the Sun Moon Divine Hall''s Heavenly Monarch. Your pitiful Demon Emperor who had just ascended to the throne overestimated his own abilities and wanted to take revenge for his father. Tsk tsk¡­ his cries were so pitiful when dying. Right now, the entire is supported by a little demon empress. Unfortunately, though the pitiful little demon empress has imperial blood, your Illusory Demon Realm doesn''t seem to be willing to let a woman become Emperor. She doesn''t even have time to look after herself¡­ Slaughter our whole family? Hahaha, simply an enormous joke."


    Ah... Now it''s mostly clear, Issei thought to himself... So it involves greed and grudge between the higher sects.


    And it looks like this ''demon'' came from a place that''s called the ...


    Even the girls noticed these bits of conversation of theirs... It looks like the are not so "Sacred" after all...


    But they won''t involve themselves with this whole farce unless there''s a special circumstance involved... They will only put their whole attention in cultivating and getting stronger so that way they won''t need to fear even the any longer.


    Who knows if they will come face to face with the someday... Hoping that they will never cross their paths with them is just foolish thinking. It''s best to be prepared for any incoming danger just like their sect Elder told them before.


    Take control of your own destiny, never let fate decide it for you.


    "Utter bullshit!" The demon madly howled with rage. Those words of Ling Kun had obviously provoked him and made him completely lose control of his emotions as he violently struggled all over. He moved those chains while clamoring: "How can you bunch of inferior old dogs even compare to our Illusory Demon Realm''s great Demon Emperor! The great Demon Emperor can never die¡­ NEVER! There will be a day when he will personally slaughter everything!!"


    Issei felt a bit of pity towards this ''demo-, no, person because Ling Kun is most likely telling the truth... The one who they''re calling the "Demon Emperor" should already be dead since he doesn''t sense any lies coming from Ling Kun words.


    Illusory Demon Realm¡­ Demon Emperor...


    These strange words repeatedly came out of the two''s conversation, causing Yun Che to become baffled. He looked all around and noticed that bewilderment was written on everyone''s faces. The only exception for this was Ling Yuefeng and the group from the , whose expression could still be regarded as calm.


    Not surprising since the girls have already informed of this ''demon'' identity beforehand.


    It seemed like the and the "Demon Emperor", were things that only Sacred-Ground level forces had qualifications to touch upon. It was obvious that there was an enormous animosity between them and the .


    "Hahahaha, then just keep on dreaming!"


    During his ridiculous laughter, Ling Kun wiped the spatial ring in his hands and several ten lumps of light yellow crystals hovered in front of his body. The top of every crystal released a power so dense that it made people shake in fear. Along with a wave of Ling Kun''s arm, these several tens of crystals all separately flew towards a corner of the imprisoned "demon''s" light yellow barrier, slowly submerged into the barrier, and became part of the barrier''s power.


    Suddenly, the color of the entire barrier became even deeper, causing the tint to become sparkly, it looked as if the yellow light filled its entirety. Those several tens of yellow crystalline objects all contained an incredible power sealing force. Along with their merging, a once in every twenty years of barrier stabilization was completed at this moment.


    "The profound formation used to seal this demon is called the Heaven''s Might Soul Suppressing Formation." Ling Kun pointed his finger at the continuously flashing light from the profound formation beneath them and said: "No matter who it is, in this Heaven''s Might Soul Suppressing Formation, their profound strength would be suppressed to the maximum limit. When this demon is being locked under Heaven''s Punishment, he shall never even think of ever escaping this Heaven''s Might Soul Suppressing Formation."


    Ling Kun said expressionlessly: "This demon''s outer appearance is completely the same as us, and profound strength is also what he cultivates, yet he possesses a type of special ability called . However, amongst the demons, those who possess are also few in number."


    So that bloodline trait is called ... Issei nodded to himself.


    "And now, you have already seen what you all ought to have seen. Remember what I had said previously." Ling Kun''s gaze swept across the entire audience. Then, he took a step forward and coldly smiled as he stood in front of the barrier: "Demon, you must be really thankful to me since I have allowed you to see sunshine for this long, right? Before sending you back, I have another piece of news that I wish to tell you about¡­ Heh, your son and your daughter-in-law overestimated themselves and charged straight into Mighty Heavenly Sword Region twenty years ago to save you. But alas, they didn''t know that you had been transferred here a hundred years ago. Hahahahaha."


    The demon trembled all over. Fiercely raising his head, he roared like a madman: "You¡­ What did you do to my son!! What did you do to him! If you harm a hair on my son''s head, I wouldn''t forgive you even if I become a ghost!"


    "Tsk tsk." Ling Kun coldly laughed as he shook his head: "Your son was quite crafty, and had actually escaped our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. He had almost found this place too, but alas, we found them first. What was even more unfortunate is that they thwarted us again, and escaped back to the Illusory Demon World. However, both of them were seriously injured and had been fleeing for several months, so their life force was pretty much burnt out. Even if they ran back to the Illusory Demon World, they practically had one foot in the grave. I''d reckon that they had already died more than ten years ago."


    The demon''s eyes grew wider without wavering. An endless sadness, anger, and despair crazily erupted from his body. He struggled hysterically, and shouted frantically: "You''re lying! You''re lying! My son would never die! AHHH!!! bastards¡­ You all are the ones who deserve to die! AHH!!!"


    In the midst of his roar, a hand suddenly extended from the crack within the sealed demon''s chains. Bringing about a boundless hatred, the hand shot straight for where Ling Kun was standing, and a beam of profound energy shot forward.


    Cries of shock immediately sounded from the surroundings. Everyone had all subconsciously retreated backward. Ling Kun had also revealed traces of astonishment, but he was not scared, nor was he in a panic as he stood completely still. The profound energy beam struck the barrier but did not pass through it. After a light "bang", it disappeared completely.


    "Everyone, fear not. Even though this profound formation barrier cannot prevent others from entering, it can completely keep all kinds of power from going out. The demon cannot harm us." Ling Yuefeng explained. However, he was not at all calm, because he was well aware of how powerful this Heaven''s Might Soul Suppressing Formation was.


    It was strong enough to suppress someone''s profound strength down to not even one percent of their true strength. But under this suppression, the profound energy aura that came from the attack this demon activated under his rage was actually not the least bit inferior to his all-out strength!


    To still be able to unleash an early-stage Emperor Profound strength after being sealed an entire hundred years, and it was even under the Heaven''s Might Soul Suppressing Formation¡­ his complete strength in a normal situation was simply unimaginable! He was at least, stronger than Ling Kun by who knows how many times.


    "Hmph!" Ling Kun coldly snorted in disdain: "To have allowed one of your hands to break through, it looks like the previous seal was not tight enough. But no matter, you aren''t that naive to think that you could escape the Meteorite Chain''s seal and Heaven''s Punishment Sword''s suppression, right?"


    "You despicable mongrels, I want to kill you¡­ Kill you all¡­ AHHHH!!!"


    Amidst his cry of rage, he felt some sort of suppression holding him in place. This suppression alarmed him greatly since this suppression is far greater than this Heaven''s Might Soul Suppressing Formation.


    He then heard a voice inside his mind: [Stay calm, conserve your energy if you want to survive... I will free you from this place when the time comes.]


    His whole body shook greatly after hearing the end of these voice words.


    Free him!? Somebody wanted to free him from this God-forsaken place?! Who!


    [Don''t make any suspicious movement and contain your anger for now] The voice resounded once again and he immediately calmed himself down while feeling a little bit suspicious.


    Even though his whole body still felt suppressed, he notices that it''s not ''binding'' him like before...


    Whether this voice is telling the truth or not? There''s no need for him to tell lies to him since him being imprisoned here has already a done deal... If he wanted to harm him then all he needs to do is to never say anything in the first place.


    "Tsk tsk, how pitiful." Ling Kun shook his head: "The former Demon Emperor''s guardian angel, the ''King'' of Illusory Demon World''s millions of inhabitants, has now become a pitiful mad dog. Even I am not willing to see such a sight. I guess it''s best to let me¡­ Send you down!"


    With a flip of his palm, a strange profound formation crystal was pinched between his fingers. A small-scaled profound formation appeared before his body. Subsequently, the profound formation underneath the Heaven''s Punishment Sword began to flicker again in response. Then, it slowly rotated, and gradually moved the Heaven''s Punishment Sword, and the area in which the demon was sealed, downwards.


    Even though Ling Kun was strong, he absolutely did not have the power to move this huge seal formation, nor did he have the power to steadily move it. Only with the profound formation made by over ten of Heavenly Mighty Sword Region''s top experts and the sealing power within that heavenly crystal, could he do that. As for Ling Kun himself, frankly speaking, he was just an errand boy and nothing more.


    As the slowly lowered, the demon''s figure was also beginning to gradually fade from their line of sight. But he still howled like an evil spirit, and the sound resonated past everyone''s ears: "I will definitely kill you¡­ I will kill you!!!"


    The ''demon'' still has a gaze full of hatred but there''s a bit of clarity now that he heard that voice from before... And Ling Kun who saw this feel a little uncomfortable for some reason.


    The suddenly dropped down at an extremely fast rate. Then, in the midst of a loud sound, it completely fell down, sealing the demon once more...


    "This demon is... Quite...." Cang Yue said with a small voice.


    "Scary? I wonder what kind of great hatred exists between his Illusory Demon World and Heavenly Mighty Sword Region to have made him be sealed here within a world of no daylight for a full hundred years. There''s not many in this world that could go through that. Even though it looks as if he''s a bit mad, he actually has not truly gone insane. The strength of his spirit is truly astounding." Yun Che lamented.


    Cang Yue actually wanted to say pitiful but she decided to let it be...


    "I think that¡­ He''s really pitiful, and don''t think that he''s a bad person." Xia Yuanba said carefully in a low voice.


    "The grudges and grievances within such a plane like the Sacred Grounds, are things that we can never touch. As such, we even more so, do not have the qualifications to judge whether or not this demon is a bad person¡­ We can only look from afar." Qin Wushang said.


    Then this concluded the demon sealing ritual... They left the place one by one...


    Ling Kun is the last to leave since he felt some uneasiness when he saw the last gaze from that ''demon'' right before he got sealed once again... But he thought it must be just his imagination, he comforted himself.


    With a flick of his sleeve, he became a stream of light and disappeared from the Sword Management Terrace...


    Before Yun Che and his friends left the terrace, he received a sound transmission from Issei: [I may have found your real blood relative... Don''t leave this villa just yet. I will come to meet you when the time is right]


    Yun Che''s whole body jerked fiercely after hearing Issei''s sound transmission.


    Yun Che immediately looks at Issei''s direction and the latter nodded slightly after realizing the former''s gaze.


    Xia Yuanba and the others felt confused by Yun Che sudden jerk but he just waved it off saying that everything is fine when they asked if something''s wrong...


    Yun Che took a deep breath before he also nodded slightly at Issei''s direction agreeing to his words.


    Then they left the area and headed back to their respective lodgings in the villa...


    ...


    When Issei is waiting for the right time to come, as in waiting for other guests to leave the villa.


    The day turned dark... Issei decided to meet Yun Che to inform the latter about his plan.


    The Heavenly Sword Villa doesn''t forbid their guests to prolong their stay as long as they do not overstay their welcome.


    So it''s not that rare for some guests to stay for a couple more days than intended...


    And Ling Yuefeng himself couldn''t be happier knowing that the will be staying for another day in his domain.


    He wanted to make use of this chance to see Chu Yuechan again but doesn''t dare to and could only look from the distance... But sadly for him, there''s some sort of barrier protecting their lodging place so he can''t peek through it.


    He can only sigh bitterly... He doesn''t dare to pay a visit directly by himself after what happened last time.


    Xuanyuan Yufeng has already given up on this so-called husband of hers... She got her own agenda at hand so she couldn''t care less what he''s up to...


    Chu Yuechan and the others didn''t ask why Issei wanted to stay for another day in this villa but they won''t ask since they''re sure that he must have a good reason for it... They don''t really mind staying here either as long as he''s with them.


    They have a little inkling that it''s probably have something to do with that ''demon'' they just saw earlier today... They smiled fondly at him thinking that he is really kind-hearted...


    Even though the formation that''s used to seal that ''demon'' is strong, Chu Yuechan can tell that the protective charm barrier he gave them is far stronger than the former since she has used it before.


    So if he wanted to break that seal then it must be pretty easy to do... No matter what his decision is then they will stand by his side as long as he''s not blatantly does something evil such as killing the innocents or the most thing they despise the most... ****...


    They are visited by Ling Yun who wanted to talk with Xia Qingyue: "Excuse me, junior Ling Yun wishes to meet with fairy Xia if I''m allowed to do so... There''s something that junior wanted to convey towards fairy Xia."


    His manner is very gentlemanly and his attitude is indeed quite pleasing in the girls'' eyes so Chu Yuechan doesn''t reject his request straight away unlike Ling Yuefeng before... But it''s all up to Xia Qingyue herself if she would grant his request or not.


    Xia Qingyue also granted his request of wanting to talk with her personally. They then take a walk to a certain distant not far from their lodging, but before he even had the chance to convey his feelings Xia Qingyue''s answer shut down his intention on the spot: "Sir Ling Yun, Qingyue apologize but Qingyue sect doesn''t allow their disciples to speak or have any kind of relationship with men outside of our sect casually. If there''s nothing else then Qingyue excuse herself"


    Xia Qingyue knows what Ling Yun''s intention is just from seeing the way he looks at her... Sadly for him, she already gave her heart to somebody else so the chance of Ling Yun to receive her heart is long gone... Perhaps if it was before she met Issei then he might still have a chance but now... It''s a foregone conclusion...


    Ling Yun who heard her words becomes dumbfounded... But soon he smiled bitterly to himself since he knows that he basically just got rejected even before he had the chance to convey his feelings...


    Who doesn''t know about the one specific rule where their disciples are not allowed to come in contact with men casually? But he can pick up some clue from her words just now... Men "Outside" of their sect... Was it?


    So that means their sect elder is the only exception to their one specific rule? He hates to admit this but he felt really envious of that sect elder of theirs... What''s so special about him anyway? He should be strong since they appoint him to become their sect elder.


    As for his looks? He doesn''t really know but since he''s wearing that mask then he should be quite handsome, Ling Yun thought to himself...


    Should he follow the path of his father? Where he insists on his pursue in his love only to fail in the end? But... Just looking at Xia Qingyue''s determined look is already more than enough to tell him that he basically got no chance at all in the first place...


    It''s clear to all that it seems these fairy-like women treated their sect elder very differently compared to the other men as can be seen during the tournament... Even the way they look at him is clear as a day that they had some feelings for him...


    "...May I know why you don''t give me a chance at all, fairy Xia? Is it perhaps because of that sect elder of yours?" Ling Yun doesn''t want to give up so he inquired further.


    There''s no change that could be found in Qingyue''s eyes. Her eyes are still crystal clear without any impurities as if she has already expected this question.


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    "No..." She shakes her head and continued to say: "I admit that I have feelings for our sect elder but even if he''s not there, I still can''t accept your feelings, Sir Ling Yun."


    "...Why? Is it because I''m too weak? Or is it because of your sect rules? If so then-" Ling Yun asked once again and before he could finish his words, Qingyue cut him off once again...


    "What I am today is because of our sect elder guidance... Without him then there will be no today Xia Qingyue... And to answer your question just now, the answer is no... I''m sure your cultivation would''ve surpassed me if it wasn''t for my sect elder assistance, so I have no reason to look down on your cultivation nor strength." She paused for a moment.


    "The reason why I can''t accept your feelings if we''re taking our sect elder and also my sect rule out of consideration is because, I have a dream to fulfill... Before that dream is fulfilled then I won''t think of anything else... Including a relationship between man and woman." She finished her words in a calm manner but her voice is filled with determination.


    She doesn''t know about her special physique since Issei never told him about it.


    "...May I know that dream of yours, fairy Xia? Perhaps I could help you accomplish it..."


    "...I''m sorry, but I''m not obliged to tell you that information and if there''s nothing else, Qingyue excuse herself." And with that, she doesn''t wait for another moment and immediately left the lovelorn Ling Yun behind...


    His expression became lifeless, as though all of his beliefs had been shattered... The feeling of his first love comes to an end this quickly is quite a blow for him...


    He dedicated his whole life in the sword path and this is the first time he felt the emotion called love...


    "...From a young age, I was madly focused on the sword, with no distractions in my heart, and thought that in this life, I would never have feelings for a girl. But I recently fell in love with a girl. I think about her day and night, and cannot stop thinking about her... But to think it ended this fast... To think this will be the outcome..." He muttered sadly feeling the loneliness slowly enshrouding him...


    At the same time, his mother, Xuanyuan Yufeng is meeting with somebody else as well...


    Issei was on his way towards Yun Che''s group lodging when someone blocked his way. It is none other than Xuanyuan Yufeng.


    She''s currently wearing quite a provoking outfit that would make anyone who knew about her identity frown, well only women while men would''ve been drooling at her current sight... She''s wearing a purple nightdress that emphasizes her curves very well. One can even see the spring scenery behind her almost see-through dress...


    No one would believe that this woman has given birth to 2 sons already with how narrow her waist is... If anything it just added some mature charm that only belongs to married women. Her beautiful face is also smeared with light makeup.


    She put one of her hands on her cheek while the other one is resting below her breasts. This caused her full breasts upwards making it look a size bigger.


    Her every movement is quite coquettish and she acts like she "accidentally" met Issei. In actually, just like Ling Yuefeng, she was waiting for Issei to leave his lodgings and the moment she saw him leaving, she immediately cut off his path...


    "Ah... Good evening, Elder Ise... What a coincidence meeting you here" She flashed Issei a swoonsome smile while fluttering her eyelids slowly at the same time.


    "Can I help you with something, Miss Xuanyuan Yufeng?" Issei isn''t tempted at all seeing how lust-inducing she looks right now.


    His voice is calm without any emotional fluctuation...


    Issei actually already realized her presence and Ling Yuefeng beforehand but he ignores it completely.


    He doesn''t hide his presence since he just wanted to have a little "talk" with Yun Che... No one would feel suspicious anyway if he were to visit Yun Che''s group.


    At most he can just use Xia Yuanba as an excuse. After all, Xia Yuanba is Xia Qingyue''s little brother.


    "Oh, please... Just call me Yufeng if you would, Elder Ise. Calling me with my full name sounded so distant..." She faked a sad look at Issei.


    If it was another man then they would''ve been fooled by her act and felt their heartstring tugged.


    But she''s using it against the wrong "opponent" today...


    "...If there''s nothing else then I excuse myself" Issei then moved to her side wanting to walk past her.


    Xuanyuan Yufeng who saw this becomes a bit dumbfounded but soon she snaps out of it: "Please wait, Elder Ise" She hastily grabbed onto Issei''s arm.


    Issei frowned a little being touched by her since he can sense too many impure thoughts from her.


    "...C-Can you accompany me for a cup of tea, Elder Ise? It won''t take much of your time, I promise" She said shyly as if she''s not a married woman and only a young maiden...


    "It''s better if you ask your husband rather than an outsider like me" Issei''s words are implying that she''s already married and she should remember that.


    "Ah... I''m sure he wouldn''t mind for one cup of tea... And besides, my husband is not fond of tea you see..." She acted like she just forgot about her husband in actually she has already prepared for this kind of scenario inside her head before.


    "...I''m sorry but I have to refuse your invitation, now if you''ll excuse me" Issei flatly refused her invitation once again but Xuanyuan Yufeng''s strong grip on his hand doesn''t lessen in the slightest.


    She bit her lip in frustration: "...I know I''m not beautiful enough compared to those... Fairies... From your sect. But am I that detestable? For you to refuse my invitation so adamantly?"


    She almost said "Sluts" because of how jealous she is with the girls but she managed to hold herself back at the last moment. Even her husband''s heart is stolen by one of them.


    She knows that her beauty is not on par with them but she just couldn''t accept it...


    "...It''s not about you being detestable or anything like that. It''s just that you''re a married woman so you should know how inappropriate it is to be alone with another man other than your husband is... If you wanted to have a tea party with another person other than your husband, then I reckon it''s better if you invite a woman rather than a man. Besides, it''s already night time..." Issei sternly said seeing that she doesn''t seem to understand his previous intention.


    Xuanyuan Yufeng is now at a loss... She thought he would at least feel charmed enough by her and then he would accept her invitation or at least he would give her enough face as the mistress of the villa. She thought she can take things slowly when they''re alone but... Reality said otherwise...


    [This shameless woman is too hateful! She''s like an annoying buzzing bee that just won''t leave you alone!] Jasmine''s angry voice resounded from within the pearl.


    Even Xun''er frowned seeing this Xuanyuan Yufeng... Isn''t she married? How can she be so shameless and aim for another man like this? It''s one thing if she''s already divorced since she can understand Issei''s attractiveness as a fellow woman but she''s still married, isn''t she?


    "Then... Can you at least take off your mask? Isn''t it considered rude and inappropriate for you to be wearing a mask in another person''s residence?" She flashed a provoking grin and the way she arranged her wording are similar to Issei''s words before.


    She thought that she might as well see what''s under that mask without any pretense. If his face is to her liking then she might work something out later on but if not... So be it...


    "I mean... I understand that if it was a girl who''s wearing a veil since their beauty might bring harm to themselves... But you''re a man... Don''t tell me if someone were to saw your face then they might bring harm to yourself just like how a woman would?" She said sarcastically.


    She thinks that she managed to provoke Issei with her words but all she got is a bored sigh from him.


    "*Sigh*... It''s up to you on what you want to think. You can just say that my face under this mask is very hideous to look at" Issei said uninterestedly.


    Jasmine and Xun''er almost scoffed out a laugh when they heard his words.


    His face is hideous? Heh, what a joke... They are willing to bet with their lives on the line that no one in this world could rival his otherworldly countenance. If his face is hideous then all men in this world are basically disfigured beyond recognition!


    Xuanyuan Yufeng becomes dumbfounded hearing his words that she doesn''t even realize that her grip on his arm loosened on their own.


    Issei then started walking away from her but soon she snapped at him: "You! By my status as the mistress of this villa, I order you to take off your mask! If not then you can wait for the consequences! I''m the daughter of an elder from the !" She felt enraged being refused and ignored yet again by Issei.


    She drops her act and immediately lashed out on him using her real status...


    Issei stopped in his track... Thankfully, she only threatened him and not the girls... If not, even ten won''t be able to keep her safe...


    Issei doesn''t say anything else before he put one of his hand on his mask and started to take it off.


    Xuanyuan Yufeng thought that he''s feeling afraid of her background and now he will obey her words... She grinned wickedly thinking that she finally gets her way.


    But when Issei finally took off his mask and look at her in the face, her brains come at a screeching halt. She went into a daze with her mouth wide open as if her soul has been sucked out from her body...


    Whatever feelings she had towards her husband disappeared completely without a trace... And in its place, a brand new face occupied it... She even drooled a little seeing that impeccable and flawless devilish face that shouldn''t belong in this mortal world...


    Issei who saw her dumfounded state doesn''t say anything and just calmly put his mask back on and then he left Xuanyuan Yufeng in her dazed state...


    It took her a good while before she could snap out of her daze.


    At the same time, Ling Kun who was looking for Xuanyuan Yufeng finally found her: "Ah, here you are Yufeng... What are you doing out here this late at night?"


    He voiced his concern towards her since he''s her uncle.


    "...Uncle?" She said still feeling a little bit out of it.


    "What''s wrong, Yufeng? Did that Ling Yuefeng brat mistreated you?" He felt a little angry seeing her current look thinking she was in a daze because she''s feeling sad.


    "Ah? No... Let''s not talk about him for now, uncle" She dismissed the topic regarding Ling Yuefeng without hesitation.


    "Alright...?" He nodded feeling a little confused by her act since usually she always quite spirited whenever they talk about Ling Yuefeng in the past.


    "Uncle... Can you tell me... Is my father still¡­ Is he still mad at me?" She thought of something before she asked Ling Kun.


    "Heh heh." Ling Kun laughed and said: "Yufeng, as his daughter, you should be the one who understands what kind of person your father is. The Ninth Elder has gotten over it a long time ago. Do you really think that the relationship between Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and Heavenly Sword Villa could be facilitated by a lowly aide like myself?


    Although the Ninth Elder had long accepted your marriage with Ling Yuefeng... his stubborn personality had prevented him from saying anything. The only thing he has been displeased with over the years is that you have not gone back to visit him even once."


    Xuanyuan Yufeng''s eyes became watery: "That year, father flew into such a huge rage and I had even caused him to lose face. How would I dare to go back?"


    "Sigh, silly girl. You''re wrong... You are the Ninth Elder''s only daughter. He would never truly resent you. Even though he doesn''t openly say so, anyone can tell that he sorely misses you. If not, he wouldn''t keep talking about what you did in the past... Why don''t you come back with me and pay him a visit? You should bring that brat Yuefeng, along with Yun''er and Ji''er and visit Mighty Heavenly Sword Region with me. When the Ninth Elder sees you along with his two grandsons, he will be extremely elated.


    After you have reunited with the Ninth Elder and removed the gap between you and him, he might regularly visit you and his grandsons. At that point in time, Heavenly Sword Villa will greatly benefit. If Yun''er and Jie''er are able to personally receive guidance from the Ninth Elder, their prowess will definitely skyrocket"


    He talked in full spirit missing the thoughtful look on Xuanyuan Yufeng''s face.


    "...Actually... I''ve been thinking about divorcing Yuefeng for quite a while now, uncle" She said softly.


    "...What?! Why would you want to do that? Tell me the truth, Yufeng... Did that brat really wronged you somehow?! If so then tell me! I will surely make him pay dearly!" He shouted in rage.


    "Well..."


    She "hesitated" for a moment before she started telling him about how Ling Yuefeng doesn''t seem to have her in his heart.


    "I shortchanged myself, shamed my family, and married into this small Heavenly Sword Villa for more than twenty years... Yet I am still not equivalent to a woman who had made a fool out of him in front of the world, who refuses to even meet him... Even now he''s waiting not far away from that Chu Yuechan courtyard hoping that he could catch a glimpse of her..." She said with a sad tone.


    "But... Rightfully speaking, as the Villa Master of Heavenly Sword Villa, nobody would dare to humiliate him and not give him face. But that woman treated him coldly, without giving him any face. As his wife, this is where you should feel bad for him. If instead, you start quarreling with him, all you would be doing is creating discord between the both of you. However, if you do not stop him from doing what he''s doing and treat him as per normal, he might feel guilty because of what he''s doing. If that''s what happens, you would benefit instead, right?" Ling Kun said thinking that she''s just feeling jealous without knowing that Xuanyuan Yufeng doesn''t have Ling Yuefeng in her heart any longer...


    "No... I''ve had enough... We''ve been married for so long but he never saw me the same way how he sees that Chu Yuechan... I''ve sacrificed enough for him..." She said with a single tear dropping from her eyes.


    "Aiii... If you really intend to do so, there''s no reason for me to stop you... But have you thought it through? What would happen to your 2 sons? What would they think knowing that their mother and father are divorced later on?" Ling Kun heart softened by quite a lot seeing her tear just now. But he still tries to advise her...


    "...I''m sure they will understand sooner or later... Especially Yun''er since he has also fallen in love with that Xia Qingyue... Actually, uncle... To tell you the truth... I took fancy of someone else and wanted to remarry to this person..."


    Ling Kun becomes further dumbfounded with this statement of hers.


    "What? Who?" Even his voice sounded a bit incredulous.


    "...It''s the elder from the ..."


    She started informing Ling Kun about how she "fell in love" with Issei... Most of them are lies though...


    Like how "gently" he treated her, how gentlemanly he acts and all that... In actually, they barely interact with each other...


    Ling Kun felt so confused with the whole situation that he just dismissed her words and said: "...How about you return to Mighty Heavenly Sword Region with me and let the Ninth Elder know of this matter... You can just discuss it with your father later on... This is not something someone like me could help you with..."


    Xuanyuan Yufeng nodded, saying: "We''ll do as Uncle Ling had advised. Yufeng thanks uncle Ling."


    Xuanyuan Yufeng''s eyes flashed a crazed light when Ling Kun isn''t looking at her directly: ''I must have him! No matter what happens I will make him mine! I won''t let those sluts stole another man from me! Just you wait!''


    She thought darkly inside her mind while she keeps replaying her memories of how Issei looks like. Her face inadvertently turned red once again...


    ...


    Ling Kun and Xuanyuan Yufeng group left Heavenly Sword Villa that very same night... had also left without bidding anyone farewell the next morning.


    When the girls are preparing to leave the , Issei told the girls to go back first and no need to wait for him.


    The girls who heard his words nodded obediently.


    "Remember to be careful on your way back... If any of you are in danger, use the protective charm I gave you without hesitation"


    "En, we understand... You ought to be careful yourself, Ise" Chu Yuechan softly said.


    Even though they know that he will be fine, they still couldn''t help be worried about him.


    "I will." Issei nodded gently at their words.


    After he finished saying his fill, Issei left the girls and they also head back to the ...


    Issei took Yun Che with him before they head towards the sword terrace where the ''demon'' is sealed...


    Just like Issei, Yun Che also already told Cang Yue''s group to head off before him. They don''t have much opposition knowing that Issei will be with him. But Cang Yue cast Yun Che an envious gaze before she left which made the latter smile wryly...


    Issei created a portal to head towards their destination... Yun Che who saw this felt speechless.


    To think that he can do this kind of thing... Yun Che thought amazedly inside his mind.


    "We''re here" Issei said calmly after they go through the portal.


    In front of them, lies the same giant sword formation where the ''demon'' is sealed.


    "...Sword terrace? Why are we here? Wait... Are you saying that...?" Yun Che asked doubtfully but then it hits him.


    "Indeed... The so-called ''demon'' inside this seal is the blood relative I''ve told you about" Issei affirmed Yun Che''s guest.


    "Impossible!" Yun Che felt extremely shocked.


    Who wouldn''t? Just yesterday they all saw this ''demon'' and even he felt fear from it... And if someone were to tell him that very same person is their blood relatives, how would they feel?


    "As I said before, I''m not completely sure yet but the odds are very high considering that I can see the same bloodline trait inside your body... The trait that Ling Kun called ." Issei calmly stated.


    Yun Che gulped audibly feeling very nervous... As for why he''s nervous... He wasn''t sure if it is because he''s about to meet his blood relative or is it because his blood relative is a ''demon''.


    "Don''t think that the person inside this seal is a ''demon''... He''s a human just like you. He''s only stronger than your average human but that''s about it" Issei said calmly.


    Yun Che felt gobsmacked hearing Issei''s words...


    Issei then opened a sizeable hole for them to go through with just a wave of his hand... That very same sword formation that seems able to hold any kind of force from within immediately opened a path just for them.


    Yun Che has already become a bit numb seeing Issei capabilities so he decided to just set it aside for now.


    Both of them then saw the very same ''demon'' that is currently chained inside the barrier...


    The demon sensed the newcomers'' presence and he hastily looked up, a pair of frightening eyes flashed pass in the darkness. Looking upwards, his mouth becomes wide agape seeing another person entering this place...


    He was starting to lose hope thinking the owner of that voice yesterday is tricking him... But now it seems that''s not the case.


    A form of excitement was revealed under his grey-white hair and dried face.


    "A-Are you the one who sent me that voice transmission from yesterday? Are you really telling the truth about freeing me from this place?!" He excitedly looked at Issei ignoring Yun Che since the former seems the most abnormal.


    The second person is quite normal in his eyes so there''s no way he is the owner of that mysterious voice from before.


    "Indeed" Issei said simply confirming his question.


    "But... Why do you want to free me from this place? Are you aiming for something from me? If so then you can forget it... I will rather be sealed in here forever rather than telling you any kind of information regarding my homeland!" After his bout of excitement is over, the ''demon'' started questioning Issei about his purpose of freeing him from this place.


    If it turns out in exchange for his freedom he wanted some information about his kingdom then they can just forget the entire conversation altogether...


    "I don''t really have any interest in your kingdom... I''m just here to confirm something from you." Issei said calmly.


    The only interest he might have towards his homeland is if there''s a place just like the over there.


    "...And what is that?" The ''demon'' asked.


    "...Whether the two of you are related or not" Issei said while looking at Yun Che.


    "...What?" The ''demon'' thought he misheard but then he felt confused just what Issei meant by that?


    "His name is Yun Che" Issei said which made the ''demon'' eyes widen a little.


    "...Yun Che? As free as the clouds, as clear as water, a very good name... Looks like when his father named him, he wished that he could live a carefree life without worries and not be caught up in this mundane world... But what''s that have to do with me? Even though my surname is also Yun for that matter?" The ''demon'' said while still in a state of confusion.


    But Yun Che who heard his words had his body shook a little... His surname is also Yun?


    "Indeed... Having the same surname couldn''t be treated as both of you being a relative..."


    "Haah¡­" Yun Che silently sighed, and subconsciously touched toward his neck with his hand, wanting to touch the only thing left to him by his birth parents. Only after the moment his finger touched a pouch, did he finally remember that it''s basically just an empty pouch since the content is in Issei''s hands...


    Issei who saw his movement understand what Yun Che wanted to do so he put out his right hand and on top of his palm, appeared a petite necklace that shone quite brightly inside this dim place.


    The ''demon'' had his gaze inadvertently fell onto the copper-colored pendant in Issei''s hands¡­ Instantly, it was as if he had been struck by a profound thunderbolt from the nine heavens. His entire body abruptly shook as both eyes fixedly stared wide open in an instant. Released from his mouth was a shout that was as intense as a beast''s roar...


    "What is that in your hand¡­ What is that in your hand!!!"


    The ''demon'' sudden roar scared Yun Che and caused him to jump. He immediately turned around and surprisingly saw his whole face distort, his eyes were so excited that a frightening layer of crimson red covered it. His right hand clawed forward and his whole body desperately struggled, which brought about rushing sounds on the chain.


    This exaggerated reaction caused Yun Che to suddenly ask: "You''ve seen this thing before?"


    Yun Che tried to grasp onto the pendant but remembered that he can''t touch it anymore much to his frustration...


    But Issei helped him to make the ''demon'' able to give it a closer look by making it float in front of him.


    The ''demon'' eyes focused extremely hard on that mirror. Both eyeballs trembled as if they were going to fall out from his eye sockets. After a brief moment of silence, his struggling body became more severe, as he fiercely roared at Issei: "Where did you get this thing! Why would it be with you¡­ Speak! Why is it with you! Speak!"


    "This wasn''t originally mine... It belongs to him." Issei looked at Yun Che and the ''demon'' followed his gaze like instantly.


    The ''demon'' reaction completely showed that he knew what the thing in his hand was. Not only did he recognize it, but it also seemed extremely important to him.


    Yun Che''s heart was excited due to this, and he took a step forward and used the calmest voice he could muster to answer: "...When I was born, it was already with me. It was the only thing my birth parents, whom I''ve never seen, left for me¡­ Since you recognize it, can you tell me what it actually is? Who is the original owner of this item? The two who put it on me¡­ Are most likely to be my birth parents!"


    The air instantly coagulated.


    The two were both excited, as both stared at the other with wide eyes¡­ Yun Che longed for his answer. This pendant was the one and only hope of knowing his past and was the key to finding his parents. Today, he finally found someone who recognized it, and in front of him, the ''demon'' gaze went from intense to dull¡­ More and more dull...


    "This is¡­ What your parents¡­ Left for you?" He looked at Yun Che and asked with a slow, hoarse voice that had difficulty speaking.


    "Yes!" Yun Che nodded affirmingly.


    Breathing in deeply, Yun Che said: "Not long after I was born, my parents were being hunted down, and an intimate friend of my birth parents, who was my adoptive father, secretly swapped his son with me to protect my life¡­ After my parents left, there were no more messages, and the only thing they left with me was this pendant! Since I was young, I wore it with me, because it is the only proof that I have to find my parents! Since you recognize it, then, do you know who left it with me¡­ Who my biological parents are?"


    Yun Che, who urgently desired to know the answer said as much as he could possibly know. His eyes open wide open expectantly, waiting for the news he wanted from the ''demon'' mouth. As he narrated what he knew, the expression in the ''demon'' eyes trembled more and more violently. So much that¡­ More and more tears flashed around.


    The ''demon'' extended right hand was stiff in the air and he spasmed for a while without putting his hands down. Or maybe¡­ Under the extreme excitement, he forgot how to control his own body.


    He stared at Yun Che, not blinking for the whole while. After Yun Che finished speaking, his lips were agape, but he didn''t make a noise. It wasn''t until a long time later that his trembling voice said incomprehensibly: "Child¡­ You¡­ You¡­ This year¡­ How¡­ How old are you?"


    "Seventeen" Yun Che replied. He just had his birthday this time last month. He was exiled from the Xiao family at sixteen right after he had his wedding with Xia Qingyue, and it had nearly been a year since he''d been forced away from Grandfather and Little Aunt.


    "Seventeen... Seventeen... Seventeen..." The ''demon'' murmured, and each time, the expression in his eyes became more and more uncertain. His stiff arm in the air moved, and his fingers becoming a relatively soft posture: "You¡­ Come here¡­ Show me your left hand¡­ Don''t be scared, I won''t hurt you... Show me your left hand¡­"


    The ''demon'' expression is extremely soft and no one who saw his current face would think that he would bring harm to anyone...


    So Yun Che only hesitates for a second before he walked forward and gave him his left hand.


    The ''demon'' extended his hands and grabbed Yun Che''s wrist. Suddenly, Yun Che felt a bizarre and gentle hint of power come upwards from his wrist, which quickly wrapped around his whole left arm. He was just about to ask about it when he suddenly saw a little finger-sized, bright white sword-shaped marking slowly appear atop the back of his left hand.


    "What is¡­ This?" Seeing this imprint suddenly appear from his body, Yun Che asked with astonishment.


    And at the moment the ''demon'' saw the marking, he suddenly teared up. He looked at Yun Che through his misty eyes filled with tears¡­ The ''demon'' emotions that had gotten out of control: "This is my Yun Family¡­ Mark of an unawakened ! It¡­ It proves that you are a descendant of my Yun Family¡­ My¡­ Yun Canghai''s¡­ biological grandson!"


    The last few words thundered and exploded next to Yun Che''s ears, and caused his heart to be shocked... Even though he already prepared himself for this but when it actually proved to be true, it still catches him off guard... He becomes at a loss for words.


    "That white Profound Handle imprint is the Yun Family bloodline''s proof¡­ The thing you wore since you were young is our Yun Family''s treasure that we protect for the Demon Emperor''s Family! I normally wear it on me, and it had never left my body. When we left for Profound Sky Continent to find the Demon Emperor, I entrusted it to my son¡­ And my son entrusted it to you¡­ You are the son of my son¡­ I am your¡­ Biological grandfather!" The ''demon'', who goes by the name Yun Canghai shouted excitedly while tears still flooding his elderly face.


    Issei only observes their interaction from the side calmly. He''s prepared to save Yun Che if Yun Canghai really wanted to harm him but he can tell that he''s not faking it and he is genuinely felt happy with their reunion.


    It seems that his guess has proven to be true all along...


    So he silently stepped back to give the two some room for their reunion...


    He stays outside the seal as not to have it closed suddenly or it would seal both grandfather and grandson inside...


    He decided to wait until they finished their conversation...


    [...It seems that your guess is proven to be true after all] Jasmine''s voice resounded from within the pearl.


    [Mm, it seems so] Issei calmly responded.


    [...Do you still have your parents back in your world, Ise?] Jasmine asked after being silent for a moment.


    [...No. I was an orphan as far as I can remember... But then I got adopted by a loving young married couple. But both of them died in an accident when I was in my teens] Issei stated which made Jasmine and Xun''er''s body shook inside the pearl.


    Issei doesn''t even know how he born in his world, to be honest... He knows that he''s basically the reincarnation of Adan from what Eve told him but who birthed him? He doesn''t know the answer to that... Perhaps he just born out of nowhere like some anomaly? He doesn''t really care though.


    He''s already content on what he has in this life...


    He doesn''t have the chance to ask Eve about it either since he has to fight Nyarlathotep soon after he freed her from her "Curse"...


    [...I''m sorry] Jasmine muttered in a low voice.


    [Don''t mind it] Issei responded back.


    He''s sad that his adopted parents passed away and the last time he looked into them, he found out that they both have already reincarnated in a different world and even have a happy family of their own... They have a son and a daughter.


    Issei genuinely felt happy for them and he secretly instructed Tio to give some "Donations" to their already happy family which just made them even happier after that...


    They never know just who gives them these "Donations" but they''re feeling really grateful for it... They even donated back some of their "Donations" to the orphanage later on...


    Issei also sent some bodyguards protecting them from the shadow in case someone wanted to cause harm to them...


    They don''t live in the DxD world but rather in one of the worlds he visited before.


    ...


    After waiting for a good while, Issei finally sensed that they''ve already finished their reunion.


    The moment Issei re-entered the seal, both Yun Che and Yun Canghai cast him a grateful look.


    "Now that you''ve finished your reunion, do you want to go back to your kingdom?" Issei asked Yun Canghai.


    Both of them become dumbfounded hearing his question.


    "...Eh? What do you mean, benefactor?" Yun Canghai asked Issei incredulously.


    Issei doesn''t say anything else before he grabbed onto the chains that are holding him down.


    *Rattle* *Rattle*


    Issei tugged into the chain gently...


    "It''s no use." Yun Canghai shook his head. "The suppression of the Heaven''s Punishment Sword is much stronger than you imagine it to be. Even if you grow ten times stronger, it will still be impossible to-"


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    Before Yun Canghai could finish his words, the chains that were holding him in place started to shatter like a brittle brick one by one... Their fragments fell to the ground powerlessly...


    This meteorite chains that were holding him down for hundreds of years broke to pieces just like that... By a seemingly gentle tug from a young man he just met today...


    Yun Canghai and Yun Che mouth become wide agape seeing this...


    Yun Canghai''s body, which had been shackled there for an entire century, finally obtained its freedom at this moment, falling forward slowly into the dumbfounded Yun Che''s embrace.


    *CRACK!* *BOOM!*


    And if that''s not enough, the imposing aura of the also dissipated without a trace at this time. Not a single shred of that heavy and boundless suppressive power remained, and it was as calm as a ''dead'' sword.


    While they were looking at the chains fragment on the ground, Issei has already taken out his sword and slashed towards the and broke it in half...


    Miraculously, the power behind his slash should''ve destroyed the whole building down but there''s not a single trace of cut that could be found on the ceiling above them.


    Issei''s control over his strength is immaculate and precise that he can measure just how much he needed to use his strength as not to cause any unnecessary damage.


    The also fell powerlessly to the ground when it has been cleaved in half...


    "So... Your answer?" Issei asked once again towards the dumbfounded duo.


    ...


    Yun Canghai of course wanted to go back to their home and Yun Che also wanted to meet his real parents... So they accepted Issei''s offer.


    Issei told Yun Canghai that he needed to extract the exact location for the from his memories for it.


    So Yun Canghai did just that and gave Issei the memory of its location but he can only roughly give him the location for it.


    Issei told him that''s more than enough... Yun Canghai channeled a part of his memory towards him.


    Once he finished reading Yun Canghai''s memory, Issei created a portal towards their destination...


    Yun Canghai is more knowledgable than Yun Che so he felt amazed even further seeing Issei is capable of creating a spatial opening on his own.


    The concept of space law in this lower realm is almost non-existent.


    And the only spatial travel that Yun Canghai knows about is from the spatial gate that resides in the .


    But that spatial gate needed a massive resource to activate... So seeing another human being capable of creating his own spatial opening is very mind-blowing for him.


    After he healed Yun Canghai of his wounds, Issei took both him and Yun Che into the portal...


    After they come out of the portal, Yun Che started observing his surroundings. This place was half-grasslands and half-jungle, with weeds running wild and short trees growing in a thicket. As Yun Che surveyed the scenery, he could not feel the presence of or see any trace of any living beings nearby. The climate was warm and comfortable and the smell of the air was almost identical to that of the .


    But Yun Canghai shed more tears because he can tell that this is his homeland... He has been living in this place ever since he was born so there''s no way he would mistake it.


    "...We-We''re really here... We''ve returned to the !" He said while his body shook with excitement.


    It took him a good while before he could regain his bearings...


    He immediately kneeled towards Issei''s direction feeling extremely grateful for his benevolence.


    "I, Yun Canghai, would never forget benefactor kindness!" He said with emotion.


    Yun Che had mixed feelings about all this... He wanted to stop his grandfather from kneeling but he knows that they owe Issei too much already...


    He also started thinking whether it''s his luck or not that Issei "took" his 2 treasures or not... If he doesn''t "take" his treasures, would he be able to meet with his real family in this life? Perhaps he could but by then it would be too late and his grandfather''s life might''ve been forfeited already...


    "Get up, there''s no need to bow yourself before me. And Yun Che, I believe that this time you''re the one who owes me a favor?" Issei waved his hand to pull Yun Canghai''s body up.


    Yun Che at first went silent but before long he nodded at Issei''s statement. After all, Issei helped him meet with his real family so he is indeed the one who owes him now...


    "Then I want you to just forget about the 2 treasures I took from you as the repayment and never think of getting them back... It''s for your own good as well since if someone from the upper realm were to get ahold of the information of you holding these 2 treasures then it will bring disaster to you and those around you." Issei said.


    "...Upper realm?" Both Yun Che and Yun Canghai muttered in confusion. But Issei doesn''t try to clear out their confusion...


    They also tactfully stay silent thinking that it must be some information outsiders like them are allowed to know. Yun Che can only agree to Issei''s words... For now... At least until he possesses enough strength to take them back...


    Whether he will ever succeed or not? Who knows...


    They thought it must be where Issei came from since there''s no way someone like him came from this world... His capability of creating a spatial gate on his own is already served as a proof and that''s not including him able to break the meteorite chain or break the seal from before.


    Yun Canghai at first wanted to negotiate with Issei to trade the with something else... But after knowing that it''s basically fused itself with Issei''s body from his grandson''s mouth, he felt conflicted...


    Their Yun family is entrusted with it after all... So for them to lose that treasure is quite a predicament.


    "...Then benefactor, would you be willing to pay our humble abode a visit?" Yun Canghai extended an invitation towards Issei.


    "..." Issei thought for a second before he asked him: "Is there any extreme climate or an extremely dangerous place in this continent of yours?"


    Issei thought that perhaps this place has a place just like the . That way he can hasten his recovery even further.


    "Ah?" Yun Canghai gawked at first before he remembered about one specific place.


    "...Well... There is but... Those who are allowed to enter are reserved only to the Illusory Demon Royal Family and the Twelve Guardian Families..." Yun Canghai said cautiously.


    "Oh? What kind of place is it?" Issei inquired further.


    "...It''s a place that contains the strength of powerful flames and thunderclouds, which led to the constant growth of strong fire spirits, lightning spirits, and other fire and lightning type demons... That''s all I can tell you right now, benefactor... Forgive me, but it''s an iron-clad rule that mustn''t let be known to outsiders just like that... Perhaps if benefactor could convince the... Little Demon Empress then you two might work something out." Yun Canghai advised.


    This way Issei will also pay their capital city a visit and perhaps the Little Demon Empress could trade the or something along the line with him... As for taking it by force from his body? Yun Canghai doesn''t want that to happen to their benefactor...


    And he gets a certain feeling that if they were to fight with this personage before them then the one who will be on the losing side would be their own side... Call it a hunch or whatever you want but that''s what his instinct is telling him...


    He doesn''t really believe that Issei couldn''t give the back to them... And if none of them can''t do it then perhaps the


    that resides within that special place could help them.


    "Hmm... Very well, I will follow you back." Issei finally agreed to Yun Canghai''s proposal.


    Yun Canghai sighed in relief hearing that Issei agreed to his proposal...


    Issei then brought both of them towards the direction Yun Canghai pointed at...


    But not even a kilometer passed by, Yun Canghai and Yun Che saw many Demon Beasts ranging from snakes, serpents, etc keep bowing their heads towards their direction.


    Some of them changed into their human form and kneeled on the spot.


    And some plants such as flowers and trees also transformed into a human form... But their reaction is very different compared to the Demonic beasts.


    If the Demonic beasts only paid their respects, these transformed plants tried to seduce Issei with their charm... Some even stripped off their clothes and showcased their fully-naked body hoping that Issei would take fancy of them.


    Issei is like a beacon of light in their gazes and if they were able to gain his favor then their descendants and even themselves could reach heights they don''t dare to imagine before...


    Alas... Issei indeed looks at them for a second before he set his gaze aside. He was just curious about the Demons in this world, that''s all.


    It seems that they''re not that much different compared to the Demons he knows.


    All of them sigh bitterly and some even tried to unroot themselves from the ground wanting to follow him along but to no avail...


    Yun Che becomes stunned again and again seeing this whole incident... This is the first time he ever saw a ''profound beast'' and plants transform into a human...


    "...That''s a demonic beast and demonic spirit." Yun Canghai spoke beside Yun Che knowing fully well that his grandson never seen an actual demon before.


    "...What grandfather means that the group of transformed women and men just now is actually a demon? " Yun Che asked in astonishment.


    According to the fragmented legends, this world actually had many many races¡­ Other than humans, there were beasts, other races that forcefully separated themselves from the beasts such as the sea race, the demons, the spirits, elves, and from ancient folklore, devils, gods, etc.


    The races that once existed or still exist far exceed this amount. Some of them were already exterminated since ancient times before being forgotten as time passed. Others, hid away at some unknown location, living independently¡­ Naru and Zin being one of them.


    In the and , humans and beasts were in the majority, and item spirits and sword spirits could barely be considered low-class spirits. Other races such as demons and elves were commonly talked about, yet rarely appeared¡­ at least, Yun Che had not seen it in the two previous continents he was in. The reason why demons and elves were mentioned in Profound Sky Continent was not because of the continent itself, but because of the secretive and remote Illusory Demon Realm that had several scores to settle with the Profound Sky Continent! From the bits and pieces of rumors, not only did elves and demons exist within Illusory Demon Realm, they were the majority of the population there.


    "Um... Demons are classified as Demonic Beasts and Demonic Spirits. Those snakes and serpents you saw previously were demonic beasts. The origins of Demonic Beasts are beasts and they can transform into humans. Their intelligence is equal if not surpasses that of most human beings. These are the differences between demonic beasts and normal beasts..." Yun Canghai explained slowly for Yun Che.


    "The plant woman just now was a demonic spirit. Flowers and plants, trees and wood, the boundless spirits and animals that exist in this world gain spiritual insight upon a lucky opportunity which then allow them to become demons, and such demonic powers could be passed on through inheritance. A normal beast that wants to become a demonic beast requires a long time in cultivation and a lucky opportunity. Thereafter, their descendants would be born with complete demonic powers. Therefore, after countless years of reproduction and an inheritance that would not be lost... In this , Demons are in the majority... Our Yun family also had a demon bloodline within our veins but it''s very faint that it''s almost negligible..."


    "I see... But why did those demonic beasts kneeled towards our, or should I say Elder Ise direction just now? And why those group of plant woman also seems very desperate wanting to attract his attention?" Yun Che asked once again.


    "This... For the Demonic spirits, if they reproduce with a pure human mate, they can gain more mobility and not be limited by their plant roots... As for why those demonic beasts kneeled at benefactor Ise then... Grandfather is also not sure why..." Yun Canghai concluded his explanation in a half confused state.


    Both of them can only look in askance at Issei but the latter doesn''t say anything so they can only give up...


    After flying for a while, they finally see their destination in the distance...


    is a city where the Illusory Demon Royal Family and the Twelve Guardian Families reside. It is the capital city of the Illusory Demon Realm and extremely large. It is a grey-white city.


    The population is around half human and half demon and the most powerful profound practitioners of the continent reside in the city.


    practitioner in this continent is quite a lot so it''s quite common to see someone flying in the sky here. Hence Issei''s group doesn''t attract too much attention...


    The closer they are to their destination the more excited Yun Canghai becomes... He finally can go home... He thought that in this life he wouldn''t be able to see his loved ones again...


    But when they arrived at their destination, what he found made him dumbfounded because his old home is not there anymore or should he say, the inhabitants are not the Yun family he used to know any longer...

 Chapter 110 - 109

    (AN: I want to say thank you very much for my new patrons, you guys are awesome. Special thanks to all of you: Gamee00, Prince of kujo Rodan, Samiullah Naseri, Demon, Slade Holson Charles, Samuel Heffer, Lyn Rinn, Kai Jonas, Kras, and Oprj1. I wish you all have a good day and a good life...????


    With that said, enjoy the chapter, peace out girls scout!)


    "Wh-What..." Yun Canghai muttered to himself in disbelief.


    At the center of the Yun family complex, there was a tall ancestral monument that releases purple radiance into the sky.


    Yun Family disciples usually release their purple profound lightning toward the monument on their birthday, thereby maintaining the purple radiance released by the monument. When the Yun Family''s power was at its peak, the purple radiance would shine upon half of the imperial city. In front of the monument is a giant plaza called the Sacred Cloud Arena where competitions and events are held.


    But now... There''s not a single glimpse of that familiar purple radiance Yun Canghai usually sees in the past...


    Well... Maybe if one looks closely enough there is indeed some faint purple light but it''s so faint that it almost looks like a simple bonfire that barely discernable...


    In front of the main gate, there''s not even a single guard stationed there... Further ahead, they can still a small group of supposedly Yun family member but they''re mostly lazing around...


    Yun Canghai hesitatingly walked forward... He even felt uncertain if this place is really the Yun family residence he used to know...


    Yun Che followed Yun Canghai as he entered the main gate of the Yun family.


    The moment he stepped through the main gate, Yun Che''s emotions uncontrollably fluctuated intensely for an instant. The ground underneath his feet, the air he was breathing, everything in his sight, were all so foreign. It was the first time he had stepped into this place in this life, however, this place was where his true family was. The bloodline that was flowing through his body, came from this exact place. His biological father, and biological mother¡­ Were both here as well...


    Of course, that''s not taking Ling Kun words back then into consideration... If his parents truly died just like Ling Kun said then he swore to himself that he will have his revenge and he will slaughter everyone involved without hesitation!


    While they walked inside, Issei calmly stood outside while observing his surroundings... It seems that the city here is more or less the same as the city in the .


    The only difference here is that there''s a lot of different races in this place compared to the where there are only humans.


    He decided to just sightsee around the city while the Yun family had their reunion.


    "Bai''er, come out" Issei said softly and in the next second, Bai''er pops out of golden ripple right into Issei''s embrace.


    She snuggled happily inside his embrace while greedily inhaling Issei''s scent and warmth.


    "Did you feel lonely?" Issei asked her softly while rubbing her head gently and Bai''er squinted her eyes like a kitten feeling happy.


    Bai''er shakes her head gently at his words. Xiaotao, Zin, and Naru are there to keep her company after all.


    "Is that so? That''s good then." Issei smiled at her under his mask and it''s as if Bai''er could see through his mask and she also smiles back at him.


    "Come, elder brother will take you to play" Issei started walking towards the center of the city to sightsee along with Bai''er in his arms...


    Both of them attract a lot of attention during their trip.


    While some people smile warmly at them, some men drooled at the sight of Bai''er beauty... This group of people is obviously up to no good because even though Bai''er is a stunning beauty, her body is that of a 10-12 years old child.


    So for them to drool at her sight is not normal at all... Like Jasmine used to say, these men are lolicon in the truest sense...


    But all of them who cast Bai''er an impure gaze instantly passed out on the spot because they''re hit by Issei''s killing intent...


    They should be thankful that he doesn''t kill them outright for looking at Bai''er that way... It''s because he doesn''t want to attract too much attention to themselves since he wanted to accompany Bai''er to play around the place.


    Those who fainted because of him fainted while they''re still standing so they shouldn''t attract the surrounding attention...


    There are also some women who blushed at Issei''s sight. But they''re mostly Demonic Beasts or Demonic Spirits descendants while the human and elves female is in the minority...


    The demonic beasts, demonic spirits, and elves can sense his intoxicating aura and Issei''s body is emitting some sort of aroma that can only be "sniffed" by them.


    For the elves, it''s his overflowing energy which is the best of the best even if he''s compared to their ancestors... But only a select few could fully sense it.


    As for the demonic beasts and spirits, it''s mostly his Draconic aura... Even in this universe, the Dragon race is considered to be the strongest race. So their desire to procreate with a strong Dragon race is starting to resurface...


    But they don''t really know that Issei is of a Dragon race and they just think that he has this some kind of special scent which made them almost went in heat.


    For the female humans, Issei''s perfect body and the way how gently he treated Bai''er immediately made them enthralled at his sight...


    Of course, the snakes or serpents demonic beast can sense it faintly but it''s more of their thin Dragon bloodline that is telling them to submit. As for why they''re submitting to him then they can''t really tell either... It''s like their body subconsciously moved on their own...


    Sadly, the Dragon race in this realm is almost extinct and even if there is, it''s just a lesser Dragon at best... There''s not a single Dragon race that can turn into a human in this .


    If it was in the upper realm then it''s a different story. But even in the upper realm, no Dragon nor any other race can match Issei''s Draconic aura and strength... Not even the one who''s titled as a "Dragon Monarch".


    It seems that there are more anomalies than Issei thought...


    Issei is starting to get suspicious if the men in this continent are fond of underage girls or something?


    Out of 10 men, there''s at least 8 of them are eyeing Bai''er with a perverted gaze...


    It''s not that they are the one who''s fully at fault actually... It''s just that the prettiest woman in this realm has a small and delicate figure. She looked very young, like that of a fourteen-year-old girl.


    But her identity is very sensitive and her temperament is the complete opposite of the currently smiling Bai''er who looks very gentle and cute...


    So it can''t be helped that those men become captivated by Bai''er since not only that her beauty perhaps surpasses that "personage", but her temperament is also top-notch in their eyes... Of course, whether they are truly abnormal or not, only they themselves know of it...


    Obviously Issei doesn''t know anything about this "personage" and even if he knew he wouldn''t really care that much...


    They don''t feel weirded out by her unique eyes either since most people here have some peculiarity of their own so Bai''er eyes don''t attract that much attention either.


    Bai''er eyes shone brightly the entire time seeing so many new things... Whenever she got interested in something, Issei would buy it for her without hesitation.


    Thankfully, the currency in this continent is the same as in the currency so Issei has no problem with it...


    "Where should we go next?" Issei asked the happy Bai''er gently.


    Bai''er only squinted her eyes in happiness as a response as if she''s trying to say that she will leave it to Issei''s decision.


    "Alright... Then how about we go there?" They then continued their trip while still attracting some attention to themselves...


    Unknown to them, while they both are having fun, the whole Yun family and other families who heard that the famous Yun Canghai has returned immediately crowded the former place... Among them, there is a certain "personage" who also came...


    The whole city is in an uproar but Issei only continues his trip with Bai''er without care...


    Some of them felt curious, some happy, some insecure...


    ...


    "This subordinate is incompetent... Not only he couldn''t save nor bring the Demon Emperor back, but he also lost ten capable men in the process. Please punish this useless subordinate as you see fit, Little Demon Empress!" After finding out that the Demon Emperor indeed has passed away... Yun Canghai immediately went distraught and beg the Little Demon Empress to punish him.


    Because of him, the bloodline of the imperial family has come to an end... At least, that''s what he believes...


    Yun Canghai kneeled on the spot in front of a seemingly 14-year-old girl in age... Of course, her real age is more than a hundred years...


    Yun Che is on the side within a woman''s embrace and this woman is his birth mother. Her name is Mu Yurou, she comes from one of the Twelve Guardian Families that guard the Demon Emperors'' Family, the Mu Family.


    Her appearance was gentle and elegant, her disposition, graceful and noble. Yet her disposition was not so much one of excessive nobility, it was more like she exuded an aura of melancholy. A deeply engraved melancholy that seemed to sit between her brows and in her soul. The melancholy was so deep that it seemed like even one thousand years would not be enough to clear it away.


    Her face showed the same kind of paleness as Yun Qinghong, her husband. Even though she could walk, each step showed a noticeable weakness and even her eyes seemed to be covered in with a layer of haziness.


    But today... That haziness seems to disappear completely since she finally reunited with her long lost son...


    Even though her eyes seem a bit red and swollen from all the crying she does not long ago, there''s a deep happiness that could be found on her face albeit she''s worried about her husband and father-in-law right now...


    Just behind them, there''s another young man who seems to be at the same age as Yun Che. This young man''s name is Yun Xiao.


    He is the son of Xiao Ying. As ''Yun Xiao'' he was raised as the Young Patriarch of the Yun Family and son of Patriarch Yun Qinghong. There were doubts about his true parentage due to his inability to use the Yun Family bloodline inheritance, the Profound Handle. This combined with Patriarch Yun''s illness that robbed him of his profound strength caused ''Yun Xiao'' to be constantly ridiculed and belittled by members of the Yun Family and outsiders, including the other Twelve Guardian Families.


    Only today that he finds out the truth behind his birth parents...


    Yun Che also wanted to help his grandfather but he has no say here since he''s basically just an outsider right now...


    At first, he becomes captivated by the sight of this girl but then he found out about her identity which immediately made him choked incredulously... This small girl is the leader of the ?!


    But the feeling she''s giving off is extremely scary and a little suffocating... Yun Che almost couldn''t breathe just from nearing her presence.


    His birth father, Yun Qinghong also followed suit when he saw Yun Canghai kneeling begging for leniency for his grandfather...


    "This subordinate begs Little Demon Empress to grant amnesty to this subordinate father! Father has suffered for more than a hundred years in the hands of those despicable villains of the ! If your Majesty wanted to punish anyone then punish this subject instead!" Yun Qinghong pleaded on behalf of his father.


    He looked like a middle-aged man who was about fifty years old. His face was white due to illness. His body was in a heavily aged state and had about thirty percent white hair. He still had a graceful and calm demeanor with a refined and handsome face.


    "You shut up! Little Demon Empress, the fault lies solely with this subordinate! There''s no one else needed to suffer the blame other than this subordinate!" Yun Canghai shouted angrily at Yun Qinghong.


    Even though he looks very skinny, his awe-inspiring dignity is still there instilling awe to everyone who''s present... So this is their patriarch who went missing more than a hundred years ago, the Yun family member thought to themselves...


    "Enough... What matters is that you''ve come back safe and sound. You have also brought back the Demon Emperor''s Seal with you... This Empress doesn''t blame you and if anything, this Empress should reward you" The Little Demon Empress said.


    "For now, hand over the seal to this Empress first" She said while extending one of her hand.


    "...This subordinate refuses" Yun Canghai said after a moment of silence while still kneeling but his face is very resolute when he''s looking at the Little Demon Empress.


    His current face is totally unlike the previous him who was begging for punishment...


    The Little Demon Empress becomes stunned hearing his answer.


    "Yun Canghai! What great audacity you have! The Demon Emperor''s Seal is an item belonging to our Illusory Demon Royal Family, and carries great importance for our Illusory Demon Royal Family! Could it be that you''re trying to possess it yourself?!" One of the men who''s standing behind the Little Demon Empress shouted. His name is Duke Zhong.


    He was feeling insecure with the return of Yun Canghai, the plan that his faction has been constructing until this time might be disturbed so he tried to use this opportunity to attack Yun Canghai with the intention of slandering him.


    Yun Canghai narrowed his eyes and coldly said, "Duke Zhong, you''ve made three mistakes. One, the Demon Emperor''s Seal is an item belonging to the generations of Demon Emperors, and not an item belonging to the Illusory Demon Royal Family! Only the generations of Demon Emperors themselves have the qualification to possess it. As for dukes and kings, naturally, they do not have this qualification, including me myself."


    "You¡­" Duke Zhong''s body trembled. Duke Huai''s lips had even more so, turned purple in an instant. How could they not understand that the hidden meaning behind these words from Yun Canghai was blatantly ridiculing them?


    ''How could a mere duke be qualified to touch the Demon Emperor''s Seal¡­ Be qualified to become the Emperor of Illusory Demon Realm?'' Is the hidden meaning behind Yun Canghai''s words just now.


    Duke Huai was the head of Duke Huai Palace, the most powerful Duke Palace in the Illusory Demon Realm. He was dressed luxuriously. His expression revealed an imposingness that came from someone who was naturally born above others.


    From his eyes, there was arrogance, as if nothing in this world was good enough for him to look at.


    Duke Zhong is one of his loyal supporters...


    Yun Canghai did not care about their expressions in the slightest, and continued, "Two, this Demon Emperor''s Seal, to the Demon Emperor, is an important treasure. But to me, it''s nothing more than a piece of fiery-red jade. Other than looking at it, there''s no other use to it. I do not have the slightest interest in making it my own."


    "Three¡­" Yun Canghai''s gaze turned cold. "Since you''re merely a duke, naturally, you do not have the right to interfere or decide who it belongs to. While it was in the for a hundred years, it was protected by me with my very own life, and it was then brought back here after I have faced many difficulties to do so. Now that it''s in my hands, I naturally have the freedom to decide who I hand this over to! As for the matter of retrieving this Demon Emperor''s Seal, you did not make the effort and merit to do so. You''re not even related to it in the slightest, so you''re not in the place to point fingers and find faults with me!" He roared at the end which made Duke Zhong staggered backward because of the pressure of his words alone...


    Because each and every single word that he spoke is the truth. All of them who''s sided with Yun Canghai applauded him inside their minds.


    Who knew that he had this side of him? Not only that he''s strong but he''s also quite eloquent with his speech!


    Sadly, the current him is like night and day compared to the old him... His profound realm is still temporarily reduced to the because of the seal from before.


    It will take him some time before he can regain his full strength...


    Issei only healed his injuries and not his cultivation.


    Seeing that he can''t win in this verbal battle, Duke Zhong and his faction decided to stay silent instead...


    The Little Demon Empress, however, wasn''t angry. Calmly, she said, "Since you know that it''s a treasured item belonging to the Demon Emperor''s bloodline why won''t you give it back to me? Could it be that you have a request? You have brought back the Demon Emperor''s Seal from the Profound Sky Continent, the merits earned are high enough to cover the sky. If you have any request, as long as it''s something this empress can do, then I will naturally agree to it."


    Yun Canghai let out a bland laugh, however, he shook his head. "Request? The moment I decided to keep this Demon Emperor''s seal safe, I intend to do so till the end without hesitation nor regrets! So I never have any desire to exchange it for any kind of rewards..."


    "...But, when I came back to the Illusory Demon Realm, what I saw was instead my Yun Family which had already declined to a miserable state. What I heard was the various types of rumors and scandals against the Yun Family... To the extent where even all of Illusory Demon Realm believed that my Yun Family and me were all sinners! Heh¡­ If I''m alone being titled as a sinner then I wouldn''t really care... But... Heheh..." Yun Canghai laughed, but his laugh sounded very sarcastic and bitter...


    The first thing he does after he has his reunion with his loved ones is to ask about why their Yun family seems to decline and almost live in poverty... After finding out the truth, how can he not feel bitter?


    "When I told my grandson about our family back then when we first met, my face was filled with pride. I said that our Yun Family was the strongest family in the Illusory Demon Realm, the toughest and mightest defensive barrier next to the Demon Emperor. I told him that even though I was no longer with the current Yun Family, it would still definitely be flourishing even more than before. Because the Yun Family had always been the top among the Twelve Guardian Families in all of history, and in all of history, it had always been the most highly regarded by the Demon Emperors."


    "In order to save the former Demon Emperor, I unhesitantly brought all of the supporting pillars in the family and rushed to the Profound Sky Continent¡­ And while I was suffering a hundred years of torture to safeguard the Demon Emperor''s Seal¡­ What kind of repayment did my Yun Family receive instead? Just what sort of repayment did I receive instead?!"


    "In order to save the former Demon Emperor, ten great Grand Elders of my Yun Family meet their ends. In order to safeguard the Demon Emperor''s Seal, I experienced a hundred years of torture. While my Yun Family, had instead carried the title of sinners for a hundred years, suffered punishments and suppression time and time again, received countless cold glares and ridicule, and now, it has even declined into such an indescribable miserable state¡­ All of the sacrifices, my Yun Family suffered from them. All of the sins, my Yun Family carried them. All of the punishments, my Yun Family endured them all while gritting their teeth... Now that the Demon Emperor''s Seal has returned, you actually want me to hand it over just like that¡­ Tell me, how will I be willing to hand this over to you?!"


    Yun Canghai''s eyes glowed in fury, and his voice was like roaring thunder. "If I were to return this Demon Emperor''s Seal just like that, how would I be able to face the hundred years of injustice my Yun Family had suffered?! How would I be able to face the hundred years of infamy which my guiltless ten men of our Yun Family that had passed away carried?! How would I be able to face our Yun family ancestors in the afterlife!?"


    "If you just punish me then I wouldn''t utter a single word of complaint and I will be willing to take any punishment that befalls me when the time comes... But why is the whole Yun Family is the one needed to suffer for my ''mistakes''?! Little Demon Empress, if you were in my position instead, would you be willing?!" Yun Canghai looks straight at Little Demon Empress and questioned with narrowed eyes.


    Yun Canghai was never in the wrong...


    The Demon Emperor''s Seal was completely unscathed, while Yun Canghai''s body was like a piece of withered deadwood.


    Even the person with a heart of the hardest stone could not stop the stirring in the depths of his heart at that moment. For the Demon Emperor, he unhesitantly brought the strongest forces from his family and rushed to the Profound Sky Continent¡­ Even though he was awfully clear that there was an extremely high possibility of causing a huge decline to his family''s strength.


    In these past hundred years, he even suffered from unimaginable torture and pain. Enduring for exactly a hundred years, he used his own life, willpower, and all of his faith to safeguard the Demon Emperor''s Seal which was entrusted to him by the former Demon Emperor.


    Every scar on his body was deeply depicting the meaning of "loyalty" and "might".


    All of them who are present asked their own hearts, but not a single one of them believed that they would be capable of doing it...


    Yet in these hundred years, while he was giving his everything to safeguard the Demon Emperor''s Seal¡­ The Yun Family was suffering from heavy punishment, collaborative suppression, and even bullying, from the other Guardian Families. Even his title, under the constant waves of hidden insinuations, had turned from "Demon King" into "sinner".


    How could this Yun Canghai be a sinner?!


    Even in the eyes of the ''heaven'', Yun Canghai had determination, loyalty, and courage to a degree that would make them sigh out of grief. If there could only be a single person in all of Illusory Demon Realm who hadn''t sinned, that person would definitely be him, Yun Canghai...


    In retrospect, the hundred years of accusatory slander against Yun Canghai and the Yun Family, the hundred years of sin which the Yun Family had suffered were clearly the saddest jokes in the history of Illusory Demon Realm... The biggest sinner here is those who slandered him and his family!


    While holding onto the same title, those slanderers who had acted and spoken against the Yun Family at every turn, and had even personally admitted to collaborating together to suppress the Yun Family a hundred years ago, were unbearably hideous to behold. Their persistence in saying that all they had done was for the sake of the Illusory Demon Realm, flaunting their own righteousness and loyalty¡­ At this moment, in front of Yun Canghai''s presence, evidently looked incomparably petty and laughable. Their every word earlier had all turned into fans, slapping resoundingly on their faces...


    Little Demon Empress was stunned and speechless for a long while. Not a single sound could be heard from within the Yun family hall...


    At the moment when Yun Canghai shouted out his refusal to hand over the Demon Emperor''s Seal to the Little Demon Empress, everyone had thought that Yun Canghai was simply being utterly audacious. However, after hearing Yun Canghai''s questions one after another, all of them sank into silence¡­


    All of the sacrifices, punishments, and infamy, were carried by the Yun Family alone. Now that the Demon Emperor''s Seal was brought back by a child of the Yun Family, if it was immediately handed back just like that¡­ How could he be willing to do so?! Who would be willing to do so?!


    Would everything which the Yun Family had suffered from for a hundred years be all for nothing?!


    They questioned themselves in their hearts. If they were in his place, it was definitely impossible for them to be content and willing¡­ It was definitely impossible.


    The Little Demon Empress remained silent for a while, then lightly sighed, "Regarding this matter, it''s indeed true that this empress had mistreated the Yun Family. From today onward, this empress will give your Yun Family, and senior Demon King, a fair explanation."


    The Little Demon Empress called Yun Canghai as her senior since, in this lifetime, there were only two people whom she truly respected. One was her royal father, while the other was Yun Canghai...


    In a flash, it had already been a hundred years. She no longer hoped that she could see the corpses of her royal father and little brother, and similarly, she did not dare to hope that she could see Yun Canghai once again¡­ But at this moment, Yun Canghai, like a miracle and a dream, had returned to this Illusory Demon Realm, appearing right in front of her...


    However, his words and appearance had instead caused her soul to quiver intensely¡­ Without a pause...


    She tried her best to protect the Yun Family back then but she herself is struggling to protect herself and position... Even now she''s still struggling...


    In the end, she can only feel guilty because of her incompetence inside her heart...


    But that''s why she tries harder and harder to stabilize her position as the Demon Empress so that way she could repay the Yun Family someday... But reality said otherwise...


    However, Yun Canghai shook his head, "Little Demon Empress, although you''re the monarch of our Illusory Demon Realm, you''re still a female and it''s the first time you''ve assumed the position of the monarch. As such, you''re easily misled and forced by those with ulterior motives, resulting in trade-offs and compromises regarding some matters. You have never mistreated our Yun Family. The ones who had actually caused us to decline to such a miserable state, the ones who had utterly trashed the meaning of ''loyalty, honesty, benevolence and righteousness'', the ones who really showed contempt to the authority of the Demon Emperor... I believe everyone present should be able to tell..." He said while secretly eyeing the Duke Huai''s faction...


    From the start when they arrived here, Duke Huai faction keep trying to degrade him and the Yun Family even further...


    Whoever Yun Canghai was speaking of, everyone present had indeed seen and heard clearly. The slanderers who stood not too far away from Yun Canghai had lost all of their usual pride and arrogance.


    All of their faces were ashen, and under the eyes of the masses, they felt as though they were criminals currently being judged. Feeling extremely unbearable, they continuously looked to Duke Huai to plead for help, but Duke Huai''s current expression was much worse than theirs. Facing Yun Canghai, he was now completely fearful and did not dare to speak arrogantly¡­ Because even he was unable to handle it whenever Yun Canghai retaliates.


    Old ginger is more spicy indeed... Everyone present thought inside their mind, including Yun Che.


    (AN: The older, the wiser. Chinese idiom).


    He wanted to applaud and cheer loudly for his grandfather on the spot but he manages to hold the urge to do so...


    Yun Canghai''s words caused the glow in the Little Demon Empress'' eyes to stir slightly.


    "This empress knows fully well the grievances and injustice your Yun Family has suffered all these years. The dissatisfaction and anger within your hearts are something this empress has felt as well. Sigh¡­" She sighed faintly and continued, "But, the Demon Emperor''s Seal is just too important for this empress. I hope you can hand it back to this empress. This empress assures you that from today onwards, as long as this empress still holds the throne, I would not allow the Yun Family to suffer one bit of bullying!!!"


    The Little Demon Empress'' cold and ruthless personality was something well known by all. However, now, when facing the major matter regarding the Demon Emperor''s Seal, not only did she not become angry and forceful, her voice was calm and mild. She had even made such a huge promise to the Yun Family in front of everyone!


    Everyone present was immensely moved. The members of the Yun Family were so agitated that their entire body trembled, wondering if they were dreaming.


    This was a serious promise that the Little Demon Empress made to the Yun Family in front of the masses! Such words coming out undoubtedly meant that it was decided that the Yun Family would prosper once again in due time, and no one could stop them! Returning to the leader of the Twelve Families was imminent¡­ no, their position would be higher than in the past!


    However, thinking about what the Yun Family had suffered and sacrificed for the past century, no one actually thought that this was a gift that was too much in their favor¡­ The Yun Family deserved such a promise¡­ In all of Illusory Demon Realm, only the Yun Family had such a right.


    Those that supported the Little Demon Empress and Yun family chimed in agreement while those that are against can only scowl silently...


    Yun Canghai and Yun Qinghong gradually stood up, their hearts are akin to a bundle of emotions.


    How would they not understand what such a promise the Little Demon Empress had made meant? Their Yun Family had been vindicated and the Demon Emperor''s Seal had been returned. Now, the masses had once again been acquainted with the Yun Family and the Yun Family had received a promise that was larger than heaven from the Little Demon Empress¡­ Furthermore, even Duke Huai''s faction well-thought-out scheme had been utterly destroyed because of this...


    All of this was because of Yun Canghai... No, it should be thanks to that benefactor of theirs...


    If that benefactor didn''t free and bring Yun Canghai back from that place, their Yun Family would still be in the dirt!


    Cupping his hands deeply towards the Little Demon Empress, Yun Canghai said, "Yun Family''s former Patriarch Yun Canghai represents the whole clan to thank Little Demon Empress for her kindness. We swear our allegiance to the Little Demon Empress and it will never waver, even in the face of death! To obtain such a promise from the Little Demon Empress to my Yun Family, this subordinate is grateful to the utmost."


    Yun Qinghong tried to say that Yun Canghai is still their family patriarch but he''s shot down by Yun Canghai glare.


    Then Yun Canghai gave the seal back to the Little Demon Empress...


    [Duke Huai¡­ What should we do now?] Duke Zhong''s trembling voice transmitted over to Duke Huai.


    The current situation had already completely spiraled out of control. Everything had completely escaped Duke Huai''s control and predictions. Before today, he had predicted various types of accidents, however, never did he expect that the situation would actually develop to such an extent.


    They thought they can take it easy now that Yun Canghai was gone... But he''s back!


    Hearing Duke Zhong''s voice transmission, Duke Huai fiercely took a deep breath, forced himself to calmly step forward, and said, "Demon King Yun Canghai''s loyalty was indeed enough to move the entire world¡­ But, there''s one thing that is unclear to this duke! Since the Demon King was imprisoned by Profound Sky Continent''s Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, how were you able to free yourself from that seal you''ve told us about and how did you return here? And who is that young man you brought back?"


    Duke Huai''s questions mirrored the doubts in everyone''s hearts. However, his solemn tone was clearly hinting that the Yun Family perhaps had hidden something from them.


    Perhaps this young man(Yun Che) is a spy or some sort that is sent by the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region to act as the Yun Family descendant? Is what he''s trying to convey here.


    "He''s my, Yun Canghai grandson! I''ve already confirmed it when we first met!" How could Yun Canghai doesn''t understand the hidden meaning behind Duke Huai''s words?


    "...Since he is your grandson, a member of the Yun Family¡­ Why was he in the Profound Sky Continent? And how did you two come back here from the Profound Sky Continent?" Duke Huai inquired further in a cold tone.


    Yun Che''s gaze shifted. Just as he was about to speak, a heartbreaking cold female voice had already resounded, "In regards to some of these questions, this empress can give you the answers!"


    The Little Demon Empress slowly walked down. The moment her voice resounded, it had attracted the eyes of everyone present. Her eyes were like cold stars, and she said frigidly, "Back then, both my imperial father and the Demon King(Yun Canghai) were trapped in the Profound Sky Continent. Although there were no longer any messages, we had yet to see their corpses either. Hence, this empress was unwilling to completely believe that imperial father has already passed on, and Patriarch Yun had not given up on finding out the news of the Demon King."


    "A hundred years ago, over at the Profound Sky Continent, they had constantly sent scattered messages, saying that the Demon King wasn''t dead, and wanted my Illusory Demon Realm to exchange our for his life."


    "Although a large number of patriarchs and dukes persisted that this was a scheme by the Profound Sky Continent, the matter concerned the Demon King''s life, and both this empress and Patriarch Yun chose to believe it rather than not! It''s known to the entire world that twenty-five years ago, Patriarch Yun and his wife had secretly gone to the Profound Sky Continent¡­"


    "And at that time, it was actually under this Empress'' behest! Otherwise, with Patriarch Yun''s loyalty, he definitely wouldn''t have brought along the Mirror of Samsara he was safeguarding of his own will. Although the Mirror of Samsara was a treasured artifact of the Demon Emperor''s bloodline, in the end, it was still a dead object. If it really could be used to exchange for the Demon King''s life, then this empress would definitely not be the slightest bit unwilling to do so."


    The eyes of everyone in the Yun Family were moist, and their expressions stirred. Even they had only found out at this moment, that everything that happened twenty-five years ago was all facilitated by the Little Demon Empress, and she had even unhesitantly allowed Yun Qinghong to bring along the treasured artifact Mirror of Samsara, to win over that slightest bit of hope to retrieve the Demon King''s life. In these recent years, although she had punished the Yun Family out of pressure, in her heart, she hadn''t truly made light of the Yun Family.


    Even Yun Canghai felt really grateful after knowing this... It seems that his loyalty towards the imperial family has not been in complete vain...


    "As for the matters that happened after, all of you should already be aware." The Little Demon Empress coldly swept her gaze to the front. "Patriarch Yun and his wife returned three years later with heavy injuries, their profound strengths were crippled, and they had even brought back a son. When Patriarch Yun came to confess his sin of losing the Mirror of Samsara, he had told this empress everything that had occurred. At that time, this empress found out that Patriarch Yun and his wife did indeed bear a child in the Profound Sky Continent, but that child was not the Yun Xiao whom they had brought back!"


    Yun Xiao was unable to execute the Profound Handle, and rumors concerning him not being Yun Qinghong''s son were already long known to the entire city many years ago. Even the Yun Family had never truly admitted his identity as Young Master. Hence, when the Little Demon Empress said that Yun Xiao was not the son of Yun Qinghong and his wife, although the expressions of the people present were a little odd, not a single person felt that it was shocking.


    "Not long after Patriarch Yun and his wife bore their child in the Profound Sky Continent, they were then hunted down for a long period of time. When they were about to reach a dead-end, they encountered a good friend they had made in the Profound Sky Continent. Not only did he guide Patriarch Yun and his wife to a path of escape, but he was also afraid that their child would encounter some uncertainties during the escape, and that they would lose their only descendant. Hence, quietly, he exchanged his own child with Patriarch Yun''s child."


    Exclamations and discussions broke out in the Demon Imperial Hall. Little Demon Express looked towards Yun Che who''s currently inside Mu Yurou embrace, and slowly said, "Yun Che, was it? You''re the child whom Patriarch Yun had left in the Profound Sky Continent back then, is that right?"


    Although she was asking Yun Che, she had used a tone of certainty. Because other than this, there was no second possibility. Yun Che nodded and said, "Yes. I grew up in the Profound Sky Continent, and only today that I finally arrived in the Illusory Demon Realm along with my grandfather."


    "Then how did you and the Demon King actually meet? Can you inform this Empress?" Little Demon Empress calmly asked.


    "This..." Only now that Yun Che and Yun Canghai realized that they''re missing one person...


    They didn''t realize it until now since they were having their family reunion. But now that the Little Demon Empress reminded them... Where did he go?


    "Actually... My friend and I won the 4th and 6th place in a Ranking Tournament over there... As a result, we were invited to spectate a demon sealing ceremony by a low-ranked Elder of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region¡­ And that ''demon'', was my grandfather. However, back then, I didn''t even know anything about my own familial background, nor did I know that he was actually my relative. During that process, I was told by... ''Someone'', that the very same ''demon'' is probably my blood relative... Then he brought me along to meet grandfather. He easily broke the sealing formation that sealed grandfather inside and then after grandfather saw the and also awakened my we finally recognize each other..." Yun Che said with a little bit of hesitation.


    Although Yun Che had only spoken a few sentences, they had already depicted clear and bizarre scenes in everyone''s minds. The Demon King of the Illusory Demon Realm, imprisoned deep within the enemy''s territory, had actually encountered and reunited with his own biological grandson in the Profound Sky Continent. This was truly an arrangement by the heavens. Truly, the heavens had taken pity on the Yun Family... Wait... That''s not right... It should be this "someone" who helped them meet with each other.


    "...Who is this "Someone" you''re talking about?" The Little Demon Empress asked: "And where is the that you spoke of? Can you show it to me?"


    Now both Yun Che and Yun Canghai are really at a loss...


    "This... Actually... The is in the possession of our benefactor..." Yun Che said sheepishly... And everyone there becomes taken aback.


    "What!? How can you let it be stolen by someone else?!" Duke Huai who heard Yun Che words finally saw another opening to take advantage of...


    Just when Yun Che and Yun Canghai wanted to argue, Little Demon Empress waved her hand to stop them from arguing with each other once again...


    "Enough... Then where is he now? If he truly saved the Demon King from his prison then he is indeed our benefactor as well... Because of him, we can get the Demon Emperor''s Seal safe and sound. And this Empress already said that, ''Although the Mirror of Samsara was a treasured artifact of the Demon Emperor''s bloodline, in the end, it was still a dead object. If it really could be used to exchange for the Demon King''s life, then this empress would definitely not be the slightest bit unwilling to do so''. So if this benefactor wanted the as a reward then I will grant it to him." The Little Demon Empress said with certainty.


    "But!" Duke Huai and the others wanted to argue but Little Demon Empress only gave them a cold glance as if she''s trying to say that her decision is final.


    Now that she has the Demon Emperor''s Seal in her hands, she can finally start to truly stabilize her position as the true Demon Empress...


    Duke Huai and the others can only grit their teeth in frustration since they also realize this...


    "Well... We don''t know either where he went but... He was with us until we both stepped into the Yun Family gate... But he shouldn''t stray far from the vicinity since he has something to ask the Little Demon Empress about something." Yun Canghai said uncertainly.


    "...I see... And how did you both arrive in the again? There was no report about your arrival from the Secret Dimensional passage post." She asked in curiosity.


    "This... That benefactor... Err... He created a dimensional passage of his own..." Yun Canghai answered but even he felt that nobody would believe him even if he''s indeed telling the truth here...


    And just as expected... Nobody can really accept his words just like that...


    "Nonsense! What you just said is impossible to happen! The Profound Sky Continent and Illusory Demon Realm are separated by a long-distance, and even a peak-level Monarch is unable to cross it. The secret dimensional passage which Profound Sky Continent had used to infiltrate our Illusory Demon Realm back then had long been sealed by us, and around it, there are even three great powers that are safeguarding it day and night." Once again, Duke Huai is the first to voice out his doubt.


    "If they dare to offend us once more, it will definitely be detected by us in the very first instance. Yet, you both actually came from the Profound Sky Continent without being detected in any way! If you had not admitted it yourself, none of us would have known that you came from the Profound Sky Continent! Could it be that the Profound Sky Continent cultivators now had the capabilities to actually open up a dimensional passage on their own?! Or did you actually use some sort of artifact capable of crossing such distances? If that''s truly the case¡­"


    "Wouldn''t that mean it''s possible for those vile people of Profound Sky Continent to silently infiltrate us at any moment? Then, wouldn''t that mean it''s possible for our Illusory Demon Realm, to once again encounter that huge crisis a hundred years ago at any moment?!"


    Duke Huai''s words caused several people to hold their breaths, as they looked towards Yun Che and Yun Canghai demanding for an answer...


    If what Duke Huai just said is true then they''re in a perilous situation...


    They thought that they''re trying to hide this very fact. They can''t believe that someone could create their own Dimensional/Spatial passage just like that! At the very least, they''ve never seen any records about this ever happened before in their entire life...


    Even the Little Demon Empress couldn''t believe them now...


    "I''m telling the truth!" Yun Canghai shouted back: "Do you think I would lie after what I''ve done so far?!"


    "Then show us the proof!" Duke Huai countered.


    "...Let''s just find this person first. We can ask him later when he''s here" Little Demon Empress said.


    Then Yun Canghai described Issei''s appearance so they can find him. He''s not really that hard to find since his outfit is quite unique and he''s also wearing a mask and all that...


    Yun Che told them what his supposed name as well.


    And indeed, after a short while, they found him... Quite easily at that since they''re attracting quite a bit of attention to themselves...


    ...


    They found Issei in the marketplace of the city.


    The guards went into a daze when they saw Bai''er because they thought that their Little Demon Empress is the most beautiful woman they ever saw but now... This small girl that''s even smaller than the Little Demon Empress possesses a beauty that surpasses the latter!


    Bai''er is currently smiling happily while holding onto a stuffed toy that Issei bought for her. Issei bought her quite a bit of merchandise but most of them are already inside the .


    After what seems like an eternity, the guards finally snapped out of their daze and approached Issei.


    "Are you the one who is called ''Elder Ise''? We need you to come with us! By the order of the Little Demon Empress!" One of the guards asked him haughtily.


    He''s feeling a little jealous seeing Issei holding a small beauty in his embrace so he tried to intimidate him with the intention to embarrass Issei in front of that said beauty.


    Ah... It looks like this guard is also one of those... Lolicon! As Jasmine would call it...


    But all he receives is silent treatment by Issei... Issei completely ignores him like he''s not even there.


    "Are you having fun, Bai''er? If you still haven''t had your fill yet then we can continue our little trip" Instead, Issei started to converse with Bai''er...


    The guard face started twitching a lot and he popped a vein across his forehead feeling enraged because he''s being ignored by Issei.


    "You dare to ignore me?!" The guard lost control of his anger and immediately bare his fist towards Issei.


    This one fist of his is filled with almost every ounce of strength he possessed. His cultivation realm is at the 5th level Overlord and if it was another person then this fist of his can kill those who are at the peak level throne like Issei''s current cultivation realm 10 times over.


    Too bad for him, Issei is anything but a normal person...


    Just when his fist was about to hit its target, Issei calmly intercepted his fist with his hand. The guard sneered thinking Issei is courting death...


    *Pomf!*


    But there''s no loud bang or anything like that but rather his fist felt like it landed in something soft, just like hitting cotton.


    The guards went into a daze seeing this... What just happened? Where all of that destructive strength went to? Shouldn''t he be blown away or his entire arm exploded because of that fist just now?


    Soon, the guard snapped out of his daze.


    He tried to pull his hand back but it won''t budge no matter how hard he tries. He then shouted at Issei: "L-Let go of my hand! Don''t you know who I am!? I am-"


    "Be quiet."


    Issei''s cold voice resounded which made all the guards flinched.


    "Can''t you see that I''m having a conversation with my little sister?" Issei released his bloodlust which made the guards shuddered even more fiercely... The onlookers also trembled slightly sensing a bit of his bloodlust...


    They don''t feel the full brunt of his bloodlust so they''re not that too affected by it but it still made them trembled on the spot as well, especially for those that are of a Demonic race and the like...


    Their instincts are a lot stronger than your average human after all.


    The guard that currently has his hand in Issei''s clutch is the one who feels afraid the most... He thought that only the Little Demon Empress could release this kind of pressure and bloodlust... But this person in front of him could release an even stronger version of it!


    Issei changed his attention back to Bai''er waiting for her answer.


    Bai''er gave Issei a smile and a shake of her head to indicate that she had her fun already.


    "I see... Then we shall continue our little trip at a later date, okay?"


    Bai''er nodded happily once again.


    "And as for you... ." Issei turns his attention back to the guard and he instantly destroyed the entire bone on his right arm.


    *CRACK!*


    "...!!!"


    The guard wanted to let out a scream because of the excruciating pain he''s currently experiencing but there''s not a single sound came out from his mouth...


    His arm instantly becomes like a rubber... Absolutely boneless...


    The only thing that currently holding him in place is Issei''s grip on his fist.


    "I couldn''t care less just who are you all and who sent you here... But if you dare to bare your fangs at me then be prepared for the consequences." Issei said word by word with a cold voice to the rest of the guards.


    Bai''er only gazes at them expressionlessly... She only shows her emotions towards Issei alone.


    They all gulped audibly and nodded their heads like a chicken pecking rice. Only now that they realize they can''t sense his cultivation realm... Doesn''t that mean that he possesses a cultivation base higher than them?! Heavens! That idiot just had to provoke him!


    "Then... What is your purpose here?" Issei finally takes back his bloodlust and also his hand that''s currently holding the guard fist.


    The moment Issei let go of his arm, the guard instantly rolled around the ground while holding his arm but he still can''t utter a single cry.


    Issei kicked his body lightly and the guard''s body flew more than a hundred meters away from his original position... By then, even though the guard is not dead, he already fainted dead away...


    But this can be seen as Issei showing mercy at him because it''s better if he fainted rather than be awake right now or he might just die from the pain alone...


    The onlookers'' let out a gasp of awe and fear after seeing Issei could effortlessly kick away a 5th level Overlord just like that.


    While the men back away in fear, the women sighed in adoration at his prowess...


    "W-W-We''re sent here by the Little Demon Empress to come and escort y-your excellency back to the Yun Family residence to have a discussion... L-Lord Demon King Yun Canghai and his grandson, Yun Che said that you are their benefactor..." One of the guards responded with a stutter.


    G-Good heavens! Standing in front of this man is more horrifying rather than standing in front of the Little Demon Empress herself! The guards thought to themselves...


    "I see... Then let''s go" Issei then walked calmly towards the Yun Family residence while still carrying Bai''er in his arms...


    The guards hesitatingly followed him from behind... But they keep a certain distance from Issei fearing that they might anger him once again... As for the guard that had his arm crippled? They can''t wait to see him die so why would they help him!


    Because of that idiot, they almost lose their lives!


    The crowd automatically opened a path for them to pass...


    ...


    "R-Reporting to Little Demon Empress, we have successfully found and brought the man you''re searching for as per your order." One of the guards that were sent to get Issei reported back a little bit fearfully.


    "Um." She nodded calmly. She doesn''t realize the reason why the guard feels fearful right now is not because of her, but it was because of Issei instead... She has been used to being feared by most of her subjects so she doesn''t too concerned about this kind of stuff.


    Everyone present turned their head towards the gate entrance wanting to see just what kind of man that supposedly freed and brought back Yun Canghai along with his grandson.


    The Little Demon Empress has a small and delicate figure. She looked very young, like that of a fourteen-year-old girl, with black hair, and has an exceedingly beautiful and delicate face. Her hair was very long and it grew all the way to below her hips. It was as pitch black as a starless night.


    She is swathed in grey clothes, but underneath all of that loose grey cloth, lay an exquisite and delicate body. Both her eyes were as gloomy as the night sky and they emitted a coldness that seemed like icy knives. However, her features were exquisite and beautiful, and they seemed to be carved from snow and ice.


    Her skin was as snow-white and delicate as a newborn baby''s, it was like jade, pure and smooth without blemish. Narrow snowy shoulders, a slender waist, small buttocks, and even her breasts swelled slightly on her chest.


    She is undoubtedly the number one beauty in the whole Illusory Demon Realm...


    But when they saw the newcomer they''ve been wanting to see, they all become stupefied seeing the small girl within the newcomer embrace... Because her beauty doesn''t lose against the Little Demon Empress in the slightest. And perhaps, her beauty alone could easily rival the Little Demon Empress!


    All of her unique features combined with her otherworldly beauty is enough to make everyone hold their breath, including the Little Demon Empress herself...


    She knows about her own beauty but she doesn''t really care about it... But even she has to admit that this small looking girl that presumably younger than herself is possessing a beauty that surpasses her.


    Sadly, the small beauty seems to have an emotionless face... If she were to smile... How wonderful would it be...


    The Little Demon Empress only went into a daze for a brief few seconds, she then observes the man that supposedly Yun Canghai savior and perhaps even hers...


    Because of him bringing Yun Canghai back now she can achieve the Demon Emperor''s Seal back after all.


    She can''t see his facial feature since he''s wearing a mask but judging from his body shape alone then this person should possess a handsome face... And as for his aura, she can only sense it vaguely that this person before her is anything but simple... Her Golden Crow bloodline is also trembling in a... Submissive manner! Which never happen before! But what amazes her the most is that she can''t sense his cultivation realm!


    Didn''t that Yun Che said that he should be at the 10th level throne? Then how come she can''t sense his cultivation realm?!


    And she''s not the only one who has these thoughts...


    Duke Huai for one went wide-eyed seeing that he can''t sense this newcomer profound realm... He doesn''t want to brag but he''s at the 5th level Monarch! Even the Little Demon Empress herself is also at the 5th level Monarch albeit she''s at the peak already...


    Is this person cultivation realm is the same as his father? A 10th level Monarch?! That''s impossible! He can''t accept this if it is indeed true...


    If this person is indeed at the 10th level Monarch then their whole carefully structured plan will go to waste... Especially if he were to aid the Little Demon Empress...


    He started to formulate a plan if he''s indeed at the 10th level Monarch... But if by chance he''s only using certain profound arts that hide his real cultivation realm then... Things would be a lot easier...


    While they''re observing him... Issei also observing them in return...


    There''s really nobody that can pique his interest here other than this one particular girl that''s currently standing in the center of the crowd... Issei is not attracted by her beauty but rather, he''s feeling intrigued by her bloodline...


    [Xiaotao... Does this girl...?] Issei asked Xiaotao to which the latter confirmed his guess.


    [Yes, master... This girl possesses a bloodline of one of the Three Supreme Fire Attribute Beasts... The bloodline. I can sense her bloodline since I''m basically one of the Three said beast...]


    Issei nodded to himself hearing Xiaotao confirmation... It looks like his journey here won''t be in vain after all...


    "Bai''er, go back first." Issei spoke gently towards Bai''er.


    Bai''er nodded her head and flashed a thin smile at Issei before she went back inside the .


    At first, they went into a stunned state for a brief second seeing Bai''er smile but after they saw her suddenly disappear, they woke up from their stunned state and feel alarmed.


    What?! How come a living person suddenly just disappeared into thin air!? Is it an invisible profound art? That shouldn''t be since they can tell that the girl''s presence disappeared without a trace!


    Yun Canghai and Yun Che who already know about Issei''s capability to create his own spatial opening don''t feel that surprised... But Yun Che is once again amazed by Issei seeing the latter holding another beautiful girl...


    Each of the girls that are around him is a woman that possesses a kingdom toppling beauty, each and every one of them... First, it was his "ex-wife", Xia Qingyue... The second one is her master, Chu Yueli, and the third one is that famous Chu Yuechan... As for the other girls from the , needless to say, they must be also beauties as well...


    Haisss... He felt that life is really unfair... Thankfully he still has his little aunt back at the ...


    Issei only silently gazes at the Little Demon Empress...


    "...Are you the one who rescued former patriarch Yun and the one who brought him and his grandson back here?" The Little Demon Empress is the first to break the silence.


    Her cold voice sounded visibly tenser than usual since she needs to be careful in front of this unknown man.


    The rest of everyone present here also seems quite tense... They subconsciously moved closer to the Little Demon Empress side ready to protect her in case Issei wanted to harm her.


    Of course, some only move closer to her since they wanted to gain protection themselves...


    "Indeed... And I assume you must be the Little Demon Empress I''ve heard about?" Issei said calmly in a completely opposite manner than her.


    He heard about her during his little date with Bai''er from the surrounding people... No wonder people called her the "Little" Demon Empress... Her body is indeed quite small... Issei thought silently to himself...


    If she sounded tense, Issei sounded calm and carefree.


    "Insolence! You''re standing in front of the Little Demon Empress herself! You still dare not to pay your respect?! Kneel!" Duke Zhong shouted at Issei wanting to intimidate the latter using his profound energy to put pressure on him...


    ''This idiot!'' The Little Demon Empress thought direly to herself... Is this idiot really can''t use his brain?!


    Just from the calm demeanor this man currently showcased, it should serve as a sign that he doesn''t feel intimidated by all of those who are present here in the slightest. And since she couldn''t sense his cultivation realm then the others shouldn''t be able to do so as well...


    Issei calmly turned his head towards the direction of Duke Zhong which made the latter flinched since there doesn''t seem any reaction coming from Issei when he''s exposed to his profound energy.


    "Why should I?" A simple yet straight to the point question...


    Why should he, who''s basically a not a person of this , need to kneel before the Little Demon Empress? If anything, it should be them who should show their gratitude since he saved one of them...


    Duke Zhong felt stupefied by his question but he gritted his teeth wanting to argue once again but thankfully the Little Demon Empress stopped him...


    "Enough, Duke Zhong, shut your mouth! We meeting this person here not to condemn him of anything but rather to say our gratitude for saving former patriarch Yun and in return, helped us to retrieve the Demon Emperor Seal." She said coldly towards Duke Zhong.


    "Th-This subject understands..." He bowed towards the Little Demon Empress... Although, it seems that he doesn''t have any intention to apologize for his misconduct just now.


    Issei doesn''t really care whether he apologizes or not... But, if he were to offend him once again then he won''t let him off...


    "This Empress apologizes on behalf of her subordinate and I also wanted to say thank you for rescuing former patriarch Yun." She''s the first to say her gratitude and it soon followed by others who have close ties to the Yun families...


    Yun Qinghong and his wife being the most grateful of them all...


    The Little Demon Empress secretly sighed in relief seeing that Issei doesn''t want to take matters out of hand because of Duke Zhong''s stupidity.


    Issei only gave them a nod as a response.


    But those who aren''t happy with this outcome only gave a curt response themselves...


    Issei who saw this more or less understand that there must be an inside struggle for the throne or something similar... A typical, unstable kingdom or empire just like Cang Yue''s father case...


    "This Empress heard that you have the within your possession... May I see it?" The Little Demon Empress said out of nowhere.


    She wanted to confirm if what Yun Canghai is indeed the truth... When all of that was said, she needed to confirm if he indeed possesses the mirror or not. She can''t risk the entire kingdom solely based on trust alone... She needed proof.


    Issei doesn''t say anything other than show them the mirror... Duke Huai''s group wanted to say something but remembering what the Little Demon Empress said before, he decided to hold it back for now...


    The Little Demon Empress nodded to herself seeing that it is indeed the ... Now she needed to confirm the last thing before she can finally put her guards down... At least towards Yun Canghai...


    "...We''ve heard that you have the capabilities to create your own spatial opening... Is it true?"


    All of them waited for his answer.


    "Yes." Issei answered.


    "...Can you show us any proof?" She asked if he could give them proof.


    "I could, but why should I? Why do I need to show you any proof? Why do I need to prove myself to any of you in that regard?" Issei asked back: "You might say that I need to prove myself so the explanation given by Yun Canghai and his grandson Yun Che, but what''s that have anything to do with me? Whether you believe their story or not?"


    They became speechless hearing his answer...


    "But... You of all people should realize that they shouldn''t be telling any lies especially after what he went through just to ''prove'' his loyalty... Am I wrong so far?" Issei looks straight at the stunned Little Demon Empress.


    She believes Yun Canghai... She really does but...


    "This is all nonsense! I suspect he might be someone who''s sent by the to act as a spy! For all we know, they might''ve already brainwashed Yun Canghai and his grandson to create this whole scenario!" Duke Zhong once again shouted.


    He saw that the Little Demon Empress started wavering because of Issei''s words... He can''t have them come to an agreement just like that. It''s better if this whole incident is used to make a rift between her and the Yun family once again.


    Yun Canghai and Yun Che felt their anger boil after hearing Duke Zhong''s words. What bullshit is this man speaking?! What brainwash!?


    "I suggest that we capture him and interrogate him thoroughly! Sure he might be powerful but I don''t believe all of us combined couldn''t take him on! Now let''s- Gh!"


    He wanted to entice the other families to stand with their side and launch an attack simultaneously at Issei. But before he''s even able to finish his words, he felt his throat tightening.


    "I''ve let you be the first time... But you just have to provoke me yet again. Do you think I''m some sort of weakling that you can take advantage of?" Issei''s cold voice can be heard from Duke Zhong back.


    All of them hastily turned their heads towards his direction and much to their amazement, Issei is already standing behind Duke Zhong and he can be seen clutching the latter''s throat.


    "Let him go!" Duke Huai who saw this is the first to wake up from his stunned state. He tried to save Duke Zhong but his words went unheard...


    *CRACK!*


    Duke Zhong''s body shuddered for a brief moment before his lifeless body went limp like a doll with its strings cut...


    His whole neck has been crushed by Issei and his eyes bulged out of their eye sockets... He died with indignance...


    Just from simple word provocation alone, he loses his life just like that... He never thought that Issei would be this ruthless and doesn''t feel afraid of the others present retaliation...


    *Bam*


    Issei loosened his arm and Duke Zhong''s body dropped to the cold ground never to move again...


    "You!" Duke Huai gritted his teeth in anger at Issei.


    But, the latter''s figure disappeared right in front of their eyes yet again.


    "Go ahead... Threaten me again. But I might be scared silly because of your threat and I might ''accidentally'' tightened my grip around your neck to preserve my life..." Issei''s mocking voice resounded once again but this time it''s from Duke Huai''s back with the exact same position with Duke Zhong before... Issei''s hand is looming at his throat, ready to crush his neck just like what he did towards Duke Zhong...


    Duke Huai''s body instantly covered in cold sweat... How did he do it?! How did he just suddenly appeared behind his back without anyone noticing it?!


    He knows that if he were to provoke him unnecessarily, then he would surely lose his life right here right now... Not even his father can help him this time around...


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    "Please wait!" The Little Demon Empress hastily shouted.


    She can''t just let his subjects die just like that one after another... Even if she knows that Duke Zhong and Duke Huai is up to no good, without proper handling, she would instead lose her standing as the ruler.


    Thankfully, unlike Duke Huai before. Issei doesn''t just ignore her words...


    "I''m warning all of you... I don''t like unnecessary bloodshed but if I have to, then I would kill without hesitation regardless of who you are..." And with that, he lets go of Duke Huai''s throat and he reappeared in his previous standing position.


    "So... Is that enough ''proof'' for all of you?" They gulped nervously seeing him just disappear and reappeared out of nowhere like that...


    They asked themselves if they''re in Duke Zhong and Duke Huai''s position, could they intercept his move? They can''t... They can''t even see his movement from the sidelines...


    "...It''s more than enough." The Little Demon Empress answered in place of the others.


    Like it or not, they can only believe that what he just did is indeed a spatial movement... That''s the only explanation they can come up with since not a single one of them here could see his movement...


    "Good... Then, is there anything else you wanted to say to me?" Issei took back his threatening aura and asked the Little Demon Empress.


    "...I wanted to reward you for bringing Senior Yun back... If there''s anything you want and it''s something within my capabilities, then I will surely grant it. I''ve heard that you wanted to ask something of me from former patriarch Yun... Can I assume that ''something'' is about your reward?" She said slowly.


    She decided to just gift the to him as a "bribe" for her subordinate follies...


    "You could say that."


    "...Then what is it that you wanted to ask of me?"


    "Um, I want access to the ''Sacred place'' Yun Canghai told me about before... The place where only the royal families and the twelve guardian family is allowed to enter, a place that contains the strength of powerful flames and thunderclouds, which led to the constant growth of strong fire spirits, lightning spirits, and other fire and lightning type demons or whatnot... I assume this so-called ''sacred place'' has something to do with your bloodline?" Issei said towards the Little Demon Empress.

 Chapter 111 - 110

    (AN: Thank you very much for my new patron: Johan Solis, Mitchellston, Nicholas Kumming, Seraph, Omega Fox, and Kimberly Hill. Wish you all the best!)


    "Still no luck, Semi?" Scathach asked Semiramis who''s currently sitting on the throne of the .


    Semiramis furrowed her brows while her hand is tinkering with a golden orb... This orb is the main core of Babylon.


    "...It''s weird..." She muttered suspiciously: "...Theoretically, dearest shouldn''t have completely severed his connection with Babylon since there''s really no reason for him to do so... Even though he wouldn''t be able to call Babylon like he used to, we should''ve been able to track his location back by using Babylon itself since he basically still has the ''Key'' in his soul... But..."


    "But?" Forzelotte who''s standing nearby asked.


    "...There''s no signal at all... It''s as if... As if the ''Key'' itself is hidden somewhere untraceable... Granted, the ''Key'' itself should serve its other purpose, such as a pseudo that dearest thought of before, just in case he went somewhere where magic is not that common or it needed a special ''Rule'' to activate, so we don''t need to worry about him being penniless or something along the line. But that''s not all... We also can''t use clairvoyance type magic and the like to locate him... Something or someone is interfering with our attempt to locate his location..." Semiramis concluded her explanation.


    "...Is it possible he went into a world where magic is non-existent? Or perhaps, his current location has some sort of Anti-magic field?" Scathach said her guesses.


    "If not... ''Someone'' interfering with our attempts then? But... There are too many possible causes for that to happen... It shouldn''t be Nyarlathotep since if she were to survive then she should''ve killed us all back then... And our magic range is also limited making us searching blindly without a clue. Even with my it will still be a hard task to do... The multiverse is vast after all..." Irene, who also happens to be present said.


    "Indeed... *Sigh*... Our only comfort is that we know that he''s fine..." Semiramis said with a sigh and then she looked down at her belly and gently stroke it: "Fufufu, it seems that our children love their father very much... To think that they somehow can act as a life signal for him."


    "Heheh, true... If it wasn''t for them then we would still feel distraught over his disappearance." Forzelotte mimicked Semiramis''s act and gently stroked her own abdomen.


    All of their stomachs are still flat and no visible baby bump can be seen but that doesn''t stop them feeling happy.


    "Quite a wondrous little brats, aren''t they? They''re not even born yet but the strong spirit they inherited from their father is already showing... Hahaha! I can''t wait to properly train them so they can be the best warriors in the entire multiverse! Who knows, they might even surpass their father one day." Scathach laughed jovially while patting her stomach gently thinking about the future where she had an army of her own consisting of their children.


    Just the thought of having their children running all around the place conquering one world after another is making her very excited... It will be so much fun!


    "Hmm, I wonder about that... Knowing Ise''s personality then I would say he won''t let you have your way with them, sister..." Irene smirked at Scathach: "But... Don''t you think it''s quite worrying that they seem to have already grown more attached to him rather than us even though they''re still in our womb? I mean, won''t our position as their mother will be in crisis by then?" Her voice turned a bit worried thinking about the possibilities of their children swarming Issei while ignoring the mother squad...


    "Oh hoo~ If that indeed happens then I will let the little ones that their mama Scathach is a lot better than their stupid father." Scathach said while she''s crackling her fist.


    "Ara ara~, we can''t let that happen now, can''t we? We better lock him up and hide him somewhere out of our children''s sight if that indeed happens so we can have a proper bonding with our babies~" The surrounding air around Semiramis turned gloomy and the same goes for Forzelotte.


    "Hmph Hmph Hmph! I will teach him a lesson myself for taking my child''s attention from me!" Forzelotte said grumpily, she even pouted a little thinking that her child will prefer its father rather than her own mother...


    "Ohhh! That''s a good idea!" Irene agreed to her fellow sisters'' words: "Oh, that reminds me! I better ask Azazel to give me a copy of that video of Ise doing that Oppai song dance! Our children will surely have different thoughts about him after they saw it!" She said as if a light bulb just pops out on the top of her head forgetting that she was basically Issei''s other "partner in crime" during the whole show...


    *Hohohoho~*


    From the distance, one can see 4 women standing together while letting faint laughter with a gloomy atmosphere surrounding them...


    Poor Issei... They already felt jealous of the possibilities of him for taking all of their children''s "attention" from them that they already started to create a proper precaution for it...


    "...U-Umm... S-Somehow, our big sisters look quite scary right now... They even let out a gloomy aura for some reason..." Yunyun who''s standing in the nearby distance said worriedly: "Does something happened at Ise-san?!" She shouted while starting to panicking a little bit.


    "E-Ehhh!? R-Really?! Oh no! Wh-what do we do!" Wiz also started panicking on her own hearing Yunyun''s words.


    "Meh, I doubt something bad happened to Ise judging how they''re laughing in a creepy manner right now... So it must''ve been about something silly I bet... Riche, pass me that Ultima stone will you?" Kathryn who was working on some sort of a radar device said.


    "Ahaha... Kath is probably right... And here you go." Riche smiled wryly.


    "Muh? Is it really so?" Ramius tilted her head while observing Semiramis''s group: "I can''t really tell... Somehow, they''re currently laughing in a similar manner as Natal though... Quite weird if I must say..."


    "Un... I agree with Ramius-nee..." Gurigura said wryly.


    "How rude! I let you know that''s how a high-class noble lady laugh!" Natal who overheard their conversation shouted at Ramius''s group: "Don''t you think so as well, Jeanne-san?"


    "E-Eh? Ummm, s-sure...?" Jeanne was taken by surprise when she''s asked by Natal so suddenly.


    "Tch! Stop getting distracted and focus on finishing this magecraft already!" Jalter growled at Jeanne for being distracted.


    "A-Ah, sorry." Jeanne refocused her attention on the magecraft they''re currently working on.


    "Heh, funny thing to say by the infamous Dragon Witch... To think there will be a day where you stay ''focused'' on other things rather than being depressing all the time..." A cold voice can be heard from the entrance.


    "Cheh, if it isn''t the loathsome ice bitch queen..." Jalter scoffed at the newcomer who just entered the throne room.


    "Right back at you, mad dog." The newcomer is a young beautiful girl with pale golden hair tied in a ponytail. The color of her skin looks pale almost the same as Jalter''s.


    Her eyes are also colored pale golden just like her hair.


    Her overall skin and hair color look quite similar to Jalter... And not only that, but she also looks identical with Artoria in terms of facial features. That''s because she''s also an just like the latter.


    If Jalter is Jeanne or for short, then this newcomer is the of Artoria. But unlike the former, she is an with 2 ''identities'' in one... She''s both Artoria and Altria at the same time. She''s known as Artoria/Altria Alter. But she''s also known as Salter.


    (AN: I know her name sounded weird but it is what it is according to the forums ????. But Salter supposedly her nickname when she''s in her Saber Class while as for Lancer Class it''s Lalter IIRC).


    Her outfit consists of a revealing maid outfit that seems to be a combination of short french maid skirt and a black bra with white laces...


    "What do you want now, bitchy lioness? Can''t you see that we''re busy right now trying to find Master whereabouts? If you want to bother someone else then go bother the other dumbassess instead!" Jalter snorted at Salter.


    "Remember that Master is also MY Master and not yours alone." Salter countered.


    "...Hmph, maybe he is... But I''m his... legal... married... wife~" Jalter smirked mockingly and said word by word at Salter.


    Salter silently gritted her teeth in anger...


    "Unlike some bitchy ice queen who can''t properly showcase her womanly charm, that she needed to resort to wearing some revealing shitty maid outfit just to entice MY Husband. Master obviously prefers a graceful woman such as me rather than some stupid lioness who doesn''t know how to act feminine~" Jalter flashed an infuriating mocking grin at Salter who''s started trembling in anger...


    "Jalter... Don''t be so childish..." Jeanne smiled wryly at them both while the other girls seem pretty nonchalant about the whole situation since this is obviously not the first time they have their "friendly" bout as Issei likes to call it...


    "Who''s being childish?! I''m only stating facts." Jalter taunted once last time before Salter finally snapped. Since all of her words hit Salter''s sore spot...


    "...Die." Salter immediately launched an attack at Jalter with her sword who easily intercepted her attacks.


    "Heh, it looks like you forgot just who has the upper hand between the two of us. Perhaps your brain is also frozen solid because of that shitty attitude of yours~"


    "Shut up. You only have the upper hand because Master gave you his blessing!"


    "Call it what you want but that just proved that he prefers me more rather than you!"


    "You''re just lucky to be meeting him first. If it was me who met him first then I can easily achieve the same thing as you did if not even more."


    "Blah blah blah, all I hear is a bitchy lioness bark!"


    "A Lioness doesn''t bark you mad dog!"


    "Who cares! Idiot lioness!"


    They traded attack after attack while still badmouthing each other...


    ''Who''s the one being distracted now...'' Jeanne thought wryly inside her mind... Well, they''ve already finished their magecraft so it''s fine she guesses...


    "A-Ahahah, it looks like Jalter-nee and Salter-nee started their little game again..." Gurigura scratched her cheeks while sweating a little.


    "Let them be, they should stop sooner or later anyway... Gah! Why won''t it work!" Kathryn waved her hand looking uninterested.


    Nowadays, Salter often visits Jalter... She said it''s only out of curiosity but all of them know that she visited Jalter out of concern... Well, concern according to her own "way" that is... But it does work somehow since Jalter doesn''t look downcast anymore like she used to...


    "No luck, Kath?" Ramius asked curiously.


    "Yeah... I don''t know why this radar won''t work... According to the blueprint design created by that woman named bloomer or whatever her name is... It should be possible to track down Ise with this radar... All I need to do is tinker the main parts a bit and change the search system from searching for some Dragon bulb or something to an actual strongest True Dragon, which supposedly is Ise himself..." Kathryn scratched her head confusingly.


    "But all the radar can find right now is big sis Irene alone since she''s ''supposedly'' the strongest True Dragon in existence right now... And that doesn''t make any sense since Ise should''ve been the stronger one..."


    "Hee... So we basically run out of option right now..." Riche sighed disappointedly.


    "The same goes for our side... Our magecraft went dud the moment we launched it..." Jeanne reported after seeing her and Jalter''s magic went capoot...


    "It looks that way... Ahhh, I miss otouto-kun a lot, I''m in dire need of resupply of otoutonium~... I can''t sleep soundly without holding him in my sleep, Riche~ how about you replace otouto-kun instead~" Croix glomped at Riche from behind.


    "Uhhh... I don''t know if I should though... I don''t want to be suffocated to death by your ''marshmallows'' in my sleep, onee-chan... Especially when it''s getting bigger ever since you become pregnant..." Riche smiled wryly.


    "Yeah! What''s up with that!? Are you not satisfied with your previous boob size or something?! Can''t you take pity at us who''s trying their hardest to grow a size or two!?" Kathryn almost cried while pointing at Croix''s breasts.


    "Aww... Now I''m sad..." Croix pouted childishly.


    "Hauu... Even Soketto-san divinity couldn''t help us... And she''s the best diviner from my world..." Yunyun said despondently.


    "P-Perhaps Aqua-sama could help us...? Eh... Maybe not... How about Eris-sama?" Wiz remembered about Aqua for a brief moment but soon erased that idea...


    "I doubt some lower-class God could provide us with any help if a True God being such as big sister Semiramis couldn''t... Well, I guess we can only put our hopes on the Kalars party." Kathryn said with a sigh.


    "Un..." The girls nodded disappointingly.


    ...


    "What?! You want to enter the ?! That''s impossible! We can''t let you who''s an outsider to just enter our royal family sacred ground!" Duke Huai shouted feeling incredulous with Issei''s request.


    He subconsciously becomes the first to reject Issei''s request even before the Little Demon Empress could say something...


    Then he finally realized that this person can kill him quite easily if he wanted to just like how he would step on an ant to its death.


    His whole body froze in fear, fearing that if his words were somehow provoked this ''Devil''...


    Issei looks at Duke Huai: "Are you the ruler of this kingdom or is it her? Why is it you''re the first to say no?"


    Thankfully, it seems that he won''t just kill him outright... Duke Huai secretly sighed in relief. Before he knows it, his entire back is drenched in cold sweat...


    He gulped nervously and started to arrange his words more carefully this time: "O-Of course the one truly in charge is the Little Demon Empress... But, this place y-your excellency wanted to enter is a very sacred place since it is the domain of our God, the Golden Crow Divine God... And there are rules created by the Golden Crow Divine God itself, that only the select few could enter its domain..."


    "You don''t need to worry about that... If the Golden Crow indeed becomes angered because of my visit then I will take full responsibilities myself. So, are you willing to take me there, Little Demon Empress? I don''t need other rewards as long as you can let me enter the ''sacred ground''" Issei dismissed Duke Huai worry like it''s nothing and then he asked the Little Demon Empress.


    Duke Huai and the others felt speechless with his words... Take full responsibilities?! Take full responsibilities your head! Do you think the wrath of a Divine God is to be taken lightly?


    Even if you dare to take the full brunt of the Golden Crow anger, can you be sure that it won''t vent its anger to us when it''s done with you? What will happen to us by then!?


    But they don''t dare to say anything else and only wait for the Little Demon Empress response...


    The Little Demon Empress doesn''t dare to do anything reckless... She started to consider what would be the best decision she should make.


    "...What if I refuse?" The Little Demon Empress cautiously asked Issei.


    "You could... By then all I have to do is to wait for a little more time before this whole kingdom meets its end... Of course, it won''t be me who caused it. After all, from what I can see... This kingdom is heading towards its destruction... Will it be caused by the outside force? Will it be from the inside? Or perhaps both? Who knows..." Issei said his warnings.


    The Little Demon Empress eyes shook hearing Issei''s words... For some reason, she has a feeling that it will indeed happen just like he said...


    She already suspected that there is a traitor amongst her subjects but...


    Her biggest suspect is Duke Huai faction but she has no proof... Especially since his father''s identity is quite sensitive as well... But since his father has disappeared for a hundred and fifty years, there''s no investigation that can be done...


    "When this kingdom falls and its ownership changes hand. It won''t be too late for me to visit the ''sacred ground'' at that time... I''m quite sure there will be no need for me to do it the roundabout ways by then. At most, according to my calculation... This Kingdom will only last for about 1 year at minimum... 3 years at most before it meets its end." Issei said while looking straight at Duke Huai who shuddered fiercely.


    He feels like he''s laid bare before this ''devil'' before him... It feels extremely uncomfortable...


    ''Does he know something about our plans?! No, that''s impossible... He must be spouting empty threats...'' Duke Huai comforted himself. But he decided to tell the news of what happened here to his father...


    "...If you think that I''m spouting nonsense or whatnot then feel free to think that way. Well... What''s your answer? If you say no then I will take my leave." Issei said towards the Little Demon Empress.


    What''s quite weird is that there''s not a single person here says anything when they heard Issei''s words... It seems that most of them have the same suspicion as the Little Demon Empress that there''s indeed a traitor amongst them...


    Even Yun Canghai himself who just returned here thought the same way...


    "...Fine, I agree with your request" The Little Demon Empress finally agreed after thinking about it for a moment...


    [It seems like she just saved herself by agreeing to your request, Master.] Xiaotao said the moment the Little Demon Empress agreed to Issei''s ''request''.


    "..." Issei doesn''t respond to Xiaotao''s words.


    Xiaotao knows to a certain extent that by having her "string of fate" entangled with Issei then her predestined fate should change as well... Not even the "heaven" could change it back now... After all, she herself is one of that has their fate changed by him...


    Then both the Little Demon Empress and Issei headed towards the Golden Crow valley... Her subordinates didn''t object anymore and only advised her to be careful along the way.


    They wanted to accompany them but she said she doesn''t need to be followed...


    But before the Little Demon Empress leaves, she received a message transmission from the patriarch of the Elven family.


    The Elf Clan is one of the most powerful forces on the Illusory Demon Realm. For some reason they have the surname Under Heaven, then numbers (i.e Number One Under Heaven) as their names. They are part of the elven race. The elves of the Under Heaven clan have especially long pointed ears to the side of their heads. They have a pair of semi-transparent butterfly-shaped wings.


    The Elf clan''s profound energy possesses innate natural energy, which is beneficial for self-recovery and when treating others. Because of this, the elf clan is well-liked by other clans. Furthermore, because of the natural energy, the males of the elf clan are handsome while the females are beautiful. They are experts at wind profound arts and use bows as weapons in combat.


    They have a decent relationship with the Yun Family because Greatest Ambition Under Heaven owes a great favor to the Demon King Yun Canghai.


    [Your Majesty, I have a feeling that it''s fine to trust this man... He possesses an extremely pure energy within his body and his energy by far surpasses even our clan ancestors as well. There''s no way a man with such pure energy is a human that sided with those from the . Perhaps he''s somehow related to our elven clan...] Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said towards the surprised Little Demon Empress.


    She nodded briefly acknowledging Greatest Ambition Under Heaven words.


    ...


    North of the Demon Imperial City, in front of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.


    A massive flame profound formation was at the front, spinning slowly. In the middle, there was the golden image of the Golden Crow flashing, and each time it flashed, it released a golden flash of fire that no one could look into directly.


    The profound formation was only thirty meters in diameter yet, it secured the only entrance to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Even if all the high-leveled Monarchs in Illusory Demon Realm worked together, there was no way they could break through it. The high temperature it released caused ordinary profound practitioners to be unable to even get close to it.


    To the Illusory Demon Realm, this was a forbidden ground. Other than once every five years, when the seal of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was released, no one typically dared to get close to it.


    However, at this moment, there was a dark grey and petite and another black figure that appeared in front of the Golden Crow Profound Formation.


    The person who had arrived at the entrance of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was precisely the Little Demon Empress and Issei.


    "This is the entrance..." The Little Demon Empress informed Issei.


    They stood in front of the Golden Crow Profound Formation with her grey sleeves swaying gently. She lifted up her arms, then slowly held up the Demon Emperor''s Seal.


    At that moment, the light that the Demon Emperor''s Seal released became even deeper and hotter, and it started to flicker slowly. The frequency of the flickering was completely synchronized with the silhouette of the Golden Crow in the center of the profound formation as if it developed some kind of resonance.


    The Little Demon Empress reached out her left hand, and gently cut her long, delicate fingers. Instantly, a drop of bright, red blood flew out from the tip of her finger and fell on the Demon Emperor''s Seal. At that moment, the Demon Emperor''s Seal flickered in flames, and a reddish-gold flame ascended and surrounded the Demon Emperor''s Seal in raging fire and didn''t go out for a long time.


    The Little Demon Empress stretched her fingers, danced lightly, and at that moment, another drop of blood flew out from in between her fingers, painting a red trail as it flew directly towards the Golden Crow Profound Formation. It landed on the silhouette of the Golden Crow in the center of the profound formation. A ball of the same reddish-gold flames started burning in the center of the profound formation.


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    The Little Demon Empress held the Demon Emperor''s Seal, flew up, and in the instant when the Demon Emperor''s Seal touched the center of the profound formation, the two balls of flames that were burning because of her Demon Emperor''s blood merged together. The Demon Emperor''s seal made a hissing noise, and the Golden Crow Profound Formation was also making hissing noises. Following, the two balls of merging flames suddenly flew out at the same time.


    The profound formation sealing the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley also began to speedily dissolve at this moment, until it was gone completely.


    The only entrance for the path to the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was completely revealed in front of them.


    The eyes of the Little Demon Empress were calm without any fluctuation whatsoever. She put away the Demon Emperor''s Seal and looked at Issei: "We can go in now."


    Issei nodded at her and then both of them went inside...


    In another half of a month, it would be the opening period of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. In the time of five years, it had already replenished a large amount of fire spirit and lightning spirit within it.


    The ground here was red, but the sky was purple. Within sight, countless flames were swaying, and countless thunderbolts were hissing. Occasionally, there would suddenly be a sea of flames bursting up more than thirty meters high, or bolts of roaring thunder falling down¡­ Even though there was only a Golden Crow Profound Formation between here and outside, it was like the laws and construction of the two worlds were completely different.


    They moved at full speed, heading north in a straight line with the Little Demon Empress in the lead. She thought that the flames and lightning strikes would entangle her like usual, but what happened is totally different from her expectation.


    She thought that perhaps Issei will also need to spend some energies to go through this valley but reality said otherwise...


    Some of the fire spirit with mid-grade consciousness that usually runs away hastily the moment they felt the aura around her and didn''t dare to get close now seems to be swarming Issei like they''re having so much joy... Yes, joy!


    This is the first time she has seen this kind of thing ever happened... Typically, fire spirits such as these types only know how to defend themselves and run away from danger. But now they''re approaching a living being that''s not a fellow spirit with their own inclination.


    And other spirits such as the Lightning spirits also does the same thing.


    All of them are surrounding Issei with so much joy that even she could tell with a simple glance. They seem to be dancing hectically around Issei...


    And if one looks closely, they seem to be channeling the surrounding fire and lightning element into his body. It''s like he''s some sort of black hole that keeps absorbing the energies that are channeled into him...


    Issei stopped moving and said: "You can go on ahead, I will stay with these children in the meanwhile..."


    Issei thought that he might as well absorb the surrounding Fire and Lightning energy around him... Even though it''s quite thin, but it''s still useful for him. Meat from a mosquito is still a slice of meat after all...


    (AN: No matter how small the meat is, it is still a slice of meat idiom).


    He doesn''t really need these spirits help but he won''t deny their offer.


    The Little Demon Empress becomes dumbfounded hearing his words... What children? You''re saying that spirits, where some of them are at the size of a bull and elephant, is a child?! Granted, not all of them are humanoid-shaped. Some are shaped just like a giant ball of flame while some look like a lizard.


    But, she meant, forget about mid-level spirit, she''s pretty sure some of the high-level and some unknown type she has never seen before is also mixed amongst them... And he''s telling her that they''re "Children"?


    "...Very well." But soon she accepted it since she has another purpose by coming to this place. She rather stops wasting her time trying to find out about his secrets and uses her time to fulfill her goal... For now, that is...


    Then she left Issei behind...


    Issei took off his mask and started absorbing the energy he is presented with... He closed his eyes comfortably while the spirits are taking care of him in turn... He calculated that at most, he can only hasten his recovery rate by a few weeks but it''s something at least...


    "...He''s already this powerful when he''s supposed to be ''injured''... Just how strong he is at his peak? Truly a monster..." Jasmine muttered in a daze while looking at Issei who''s currently recuperating...


    "Um... But, he''s a very charming monster, right, dear?" Xun''er smiled teasingly at Jasmine.


    "En... N-No he''s not! Mother!" Jasmine nodded at first but soon realizes that she has been teased by her mother.


    "Ufufufu... Mother would be more than happy if Ise could indeed be my son-in-law you know~?" Xun''er continues to tease her dishonest daughter.


    "I-I... I won''t talk to you anymore!" After saying that, she went to her bed and hid under the blanket not wanting to let her mother see her red face...


    Jasmine only giggled lightly at her daughter''s behavior...


    ...


    The Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was incredibly vast and broad. The Little Demon Empress focused all of her power on her speed without holding anything back. Her speed was so fast just like suddenly flickering lightning, but even so, after more than one hour, she was still in the world surrounded by lightning and flames, and couldn''t see the end of it.


    After a full two and a half hours, the wall of a hill that was covered completely by reddish-gold flames appeared in front of her. The Little Demon Empress'' body turned and landed in front of the wall of the hill. In front of her was a Golden Crow Profound Formation extremely similar to the one sealing the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, except this profound formation was a third smaller, and the silhouette of the Golden Crow was even deeper.


    The Little Demon Empress'' cold, lonely eyes finally appeared in an instant of commotion. This place... it was not the first time that she had been here, but this time, her state of mind was completely different than before. In the past, she only had helplessness and desire, but this time¡­ In her hands, she held the Demon Emperor''s Seal that had returned.


    Holding the Demon Emperor''s Seal, the Little Demon Empress stopped hesitating, slowly stepped forward, and just as her body touched the profound foundation, the Demon Emperor''s Seal flickered in flames, and a ball of fire burst and spread out, covered the Little Demon Empress, and brought her body slowly into the profound formation¡­


    The world in front of the Little Demon Empress immediately changed. From the world of lightning and fire, she stepped into a world without an edge filled with a golden color.


    Holding the Demon Emperor''s Seal, the Little Demon Empress knelt on one knee, and said in great respect, "Illusory Demon Royal Family''s Twelfth Emperor, eleventh inheritor of the Golden Crow''s bloodline, Huan Caiyi, greets the Golden Crow Divine God."


    "Hahahahahaha¡­"


    Just as the Little Demon Empress finished speaking, a reckless woman''s loud laughter sounded in this golden world. This sound was as if it was from in the sky, but it was also as if it was close by her ear.


    Even though the Little Demon Empress''s profound strength was high as level five in the Sovereign Profound Realm, her vital energy and blood shook under this sound.


    "Your Illusory Demon Royal Family has been late for a hundred years. You finally arrived today, but it''s only a woman. Looks like this noble one''s fate with your clan has come to an end, why did you still come here for!"


    The woman''s voice was like vicious flames. Her words confused the Little Demon Empress, who raised her head and said, "Father and Brother were both in trouble back to back a hundred years ago, and the Demon Emperor''s Seal was also lost for a hundred years. It wasn''t found until recently, so we were late for a hundred years. Even though I am a woman, I am the only direct descendant of the Demon Emperor''s bloodline, and I inherited the pure Demon Emperor''s blood. May the Golden Crow Divine God please grant me the and the ancestral bloodline to revive the Demon Emperor''s clan."


    "Grant you the Golden Crow''s Record of the Burning World and the ancestral bloodline? Hahahaha! You really are pitiful and naive. Didn''t you hear what I had said just now? As soon as you entered here, I knew that my fate with your clan was finished!"


    "What is the meaning of Golden Crow Divine God''s words?" The Little Demon Empress locked her eyebrows and said without understanding.


    "What do I mean? You really are completely naive! Your Demon Emperor''s clan has had ten generations of Demon Emperors for the past ten thousand years, and the ten generations of Demon Emperors were all men! There had never been a woman. Did you really think it was only a simple coincidence and the common customs of men being superior to women!? Hmph, it looks like you didn''t know that with a mortal body like yours, only men can bear the Golden Crow ancestral blood!" The voice said harshly.


    The Little Demon Empress felt as if she were struck by lightning, her whole body was trembling slightly, and she said, "Why?! Even though I am a woman, my heritage is directly of the Demon Emperor''s clan¡­"


    "It doesn''t matter if you are a descendant of the Demon Emperor''s clan! It is simply because you are a woman!" The flame-like woman''s voice said ruthlessly, "Men''s body is Yang and women''s body is Yin. With a mortal woman''s body, it is tolerable to control normal profound flames, even Phoenix''s flames or Vermilion Bird''s flames would be okay, but my Golden Crow''s flame is the world''s fiercest Yang fire! There cannot be any existence of Yin! You only have a thin trace of the Golden Crow''s bloodline at the moment and you are already suffering from the burn day and night. You are in pain, and your life has been shortened greatly. If you bear the ancestral bloodline, your internal blood flow would be completely messed up, and you will suffer in pain for all your life!"


    "On top of that, you are still a virgin, so the vital Yin is still in your body. If you accept the ancestral blood, within three days, the flame energy of your bloodline will explode, and you would die in flames within five days!


    Little Demon Empress: "!!!"


    It was true that the Illusory Demon Realm''s ten generations of Demon Emperors were all men, but no one thought that it was strange, because having a man as emperor was always normal.


    On the contrary, it was abnormal for a woman to be the emperor. All of the Illusory Demon Royal Family''s people knew that the Golden Crow''s bloodline would harm the body of women, especially the Demon Emperor''s empress who has the direct bloodline. The empress always passes away before the Demon Emperor, and none of their lives surpassed a thousand years¡­ Without a single exception.


    The Little Demon Empress naturally knew all of these¡­ but she absolutely did not think that, as a woman, even as a woman of the Demon Emperor''s bloodline, she could not bear the ancestral blood¡­ And could not even cultivate the .


    All of the hopes were dashed, as if ice-cold water from a freezing fountain was poured ruthlessly on top of her heart and soul. She was stunned for a long while, thinking about the situation the Demon Emperor''s clan was in right now, and mumbled without giving up, "Could it be, is there really not any possibility¡­ Golden Crow Divine God, you also have the body of a woman¡­"


    "Hahahaha!" The flame-like voice laughed insolently, "How can a divine body be compared to your mortal body! The possibility¡­ Hmph, it''s not like there''s none at all, but that would mean getting the nourishment of a man''s vital Yang who has the Phoenix or Vermilion Bird''s bloodline! But in this Illusory Demon Realm, no one has the power of the Phoenix or Vermillion Bird, therefore, there wouldn''t exist a man like that!"


    When the Golden Crow mentioned and , it was obvious that there was a deep disdain she held towards the two.


    The Little Demon Empress lowered her head and closed her eyes. She didn''t speak for a long time, and she was not willing to leave.


    "...There''s indeed no such man who possess the bloodline of those two in this realm currently... But, maybe the heavens took compassion on your Demon Emperor''s clan, and let a twist of fate presented itself before you." The Golden Crow said after a bit of silence.


    The Little Demon Empress''s eyes snapped open, and hope started to fill her whole being.


    "A twist of fate?" The Little Demon Empress asked.


    "It''s that person you bring along with you... He''s the one who can help you with your condition right now." The Golden Crow pointed out.


    "That person? You mean that person who''s called Elder Ise? He can help me? But... Can I truly trust him? What if he has some ideas towards the Illusory Demon Real-" She asked hopefully.


    "Hahahahaha!" Before The Little Demon Empress could finish her words, the Golden Crow laughed out loud once again... This time her voice genuinely sounded amused... Amused by the ignorance of the girl before her.


    The Little Demon Empress went into a daze once again after hearing her laugh... What''s so funny?


    "''What If he has some ideas towards your small and pitiful Illusory Demon Realm''? Perhaps anyone of this realm could have some ideas towards your Illusory Demon Realm but not him... Anyone else is possible but just not him! You know why?"


    The Little Demon Empress shook her head because she truly doesn''t know.


    "That''s because if he indeed wanted to bring harm to this tiny realm of yours, he wouldn''t even need to lift a finger to do so! He won''t need to resort to deceit and lies to get what he wants!" The Golden Crow said with disdain.


    "..." The Little Demon Empress becomes further confused by the Golden Crow words.


    "Do you have any idea just who that person is? How powerful he is? Even ten of the original Golden Crow wouldn''t be able to put a scratch on him! Needless to say about your puny realm!"


    The Little Demon Empress''s entire body shook fiercely like she just heard something incredulous.


    Not even ten of the original Golden Crow can do anything to him? Just what kind of concept is this?! Isn''t that mean that he''s many times stronger than the Golden Crow herself?!


    "The only reason why he comes to this place is most likely to absorb the overflowing and energy to recuperate from his injuries. You saw how those fire and lightning spirits act around him? That''s because they treated him as their King... If he wanted to, he can bring all of those spirits with him and they will follow him without hesitation. But you can rest assured that he won''t suck this place dry of its resources since he seems very compassionate... If he''s not a compassionate person then those spirits won''t come close to him on their own inclination no matter what. Well, not like anyone could stop him if he indeed wanted to do so on that regard..." The Golden Crow said.


    The Little Demon Empress felt dizzy with everything she heard... She honestly can''t really understand or comprehend what the Golden Crow just said...


    "You don''t need to comprehend what I just said to you right now or at this moment... But know this... If you could gain his favor or even better, his essence. Forget about taking revenge or stabilizing your position as the true ruler in this realm... Even if you wanted to take control of the entirety of this universe then you could do so when the time comes!"


    The Golden Crow knows that the Little Demon Empress wouldn''t be able to comprehend what she just said but that''s fine... If she could, as she said, gain Issei''s Yang essence then she will be able to gain the entirety of this universe. Even if she went to the , she will still be considered as the apex and she will only be considered second to him and him alone...


    "...So, what you''re saying is that I must seduce him so he will give me his Yang essence?" The Little Demon Empress probed for confirmation.


    "Seduce him? You thought too highly of yourself! I admit that you''re quite beautiful for a mortal but I''m quite sure he has multiple heaven-defying women waiting for his beck and call that surpass your beauty by miles away! So you think you can really seduce him with your charm alone? Naive!" The Golden Crow sneered at her.


    The Little Demon Empress remembered about Bai''er and how nonchalant Issei appears when he saw her face... Indeed... That small girl beauty alone has already surpassed hers...


    "What I want you to do is to become his follower, maid, slaves, whatever you want to call it. And if by some miraculous chance he took fancy of you during your stay with him then you will achieve your purpose by then."


    Actually, the Golden Crow sensed that the Phoenix aura coming from Issei...


    She doesn''t know why there''s a faint Phoenix aura coming from Issei but it''s safe to say that he already comes into contact with it. And she''s annoyed by this fact...


    She may despise the Phoenix but she knows that it knows how to judge a person''s personality.


    "So, your answer? You have such a strong will for revenge, and the sense of giving your all, don''t tell me you don''t have the courage to sacrifice your whole being to achieve your goal. Only by getting his Yang essence can you receive the power you needed to preserve your life and to control your fate! Otherwise, the only outcome is you will perish along with your family bloodline." The Golden Crow pressed the Little Demon Empress further for her answer.


    "If you could gain his Yang essence, you will shed your mortal body and gain a divine body that''s even better than mine or the original Golden Crow within a short amount of time. So what are you hesitating for?"


    The Little Demon Empress who was looking down lift her face.


    However, her face was incredibly indifferent. There was no sadness, no tears, no joy, no embarrassment, nor panic¡­ The only emotion was a hollow desire¡­ For power, and the desire for revenge.


    "I understand" She nodded.


    "Even though you are a woman, your intelligence and resoluteness are worthy of praise, and you are indeed worthy of being a descendant of the Golden Crow. But, you better stop that look as if you''re the one who''s suffering here... You won''t suffer any kind of grievance by serving or dedicate yourself to him. If anything, you should feel honored and grateful. Take a look at this..."


    The Golden Crow nodded appreciatingly after seeing the Little Demon Empress resoluteness but she can''t have her looking like that if he wanted to gain his favor... It''s as if she''s looking at a doll...


    So she opened a spatial gap towards Issei''s current location...


    Both of the Golden Crow and the Little Demon Empress went into a daze from what they see...


    The Golden Crow could already sense that Issei shouldn''t look ordinary but what she saw caught her totally off guard...


    Issei who was closing his eyes sensed a little spatial disturbance near him. He opened his eyes and look straight at the gap the Golden Crow opened...


    "...Beautiful..." The Golden Crow muttered unconsciously...


    The Little Demon Empress also nodded slightly at her words agreeing to the latter.


    Issei''s eyes are currently glowing deeper in red which made his eyes look like a flawless ruby. Both of them instantly enthralled by it... His whole body is surrounded by fire and lightning spirits... It''s as if he''s the God of Flame and Lightning with how he looks right now.


    Issei frowned a little since he can see through the other side... He''s not too fond of being spied upon like this.


    He thought that since he''s already finished here anyway, he might as well meet this Golden Crow.


    Issei said his farewell towards the spirits which earned a disappointed look from them... They wanted to play some more with him...


    Issei expanded the spatial gap the Golden Crow created and entered through it.


    Only after he arrived right in front of them both that they snapped out of their daze. At the same time, the Little Demon Empress is also convinced that Issei could create his own spatial opening...


    "Greetings, GodKing... It''s an honor to meet you here." The Golden Crow voice is completely different compared to how she converses with the Little Demon Empress just now.


    The Little Demon Empress becomes startled hearing the Golden Crow words... GodKing? What is that? Is it a literal meaning where he is the King of Gods or is it his cultivation realm?! She has never seen this in the records before...


    But she chooses to stay silent for now and see how things go between the two divines being before her...


    "So you''re the ? Xiaotao has told me some things about you before..." Issei mused while he observes the Golden Crow.


    He doesn''t really know why, but this supposedly "lower plane" like Jasmine called it, seem to be inhabited by multiple Divine class being such as the Phoenix, Azure Dragon God, and this Golden Crow...


    Sure they''re only a soul residue but still... And he''s not taking Bai''er into consideration...


    "Xiaotao?" The Golden Crow muttered in confusion.


    "...That would be me, Golden Crow." Xiaotao appeared from a golden ripple created behind Issei.


    The Golden Crow, or also known as the ''Sun Bird''. Legends say that it is an extreme divine being birthed from the sun''s core.


    The Golden Crow is one of the Three Supreme Fire Attribute Beasts. Of the Three Supreme Fire Attribute Beasts, its strength is ranked last, while in flame strength it is ranked first as its flame is used for utter destruction.


    Because the flames of the Golden Crow are the most destructive, each inheritor of its bloodline will have their lifespan significantly reduced as the flames harm the user.


    "You... This aura..." The Golden Crow eyes snapped wide open after seeing this newcomer.


    "You''re the Phoenix! Wait... That''s impossible! You should''ve already died along with the original Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird! How can you still be alive?!" The Golden Crow at first was taken aback but soon realizes something was off...


    According to the memories the Golden Crow gave her, the three should''ve already met their end... Then how come the Phoenix is now alive and well?!


    ''Wait... Could it be?'' The Golden Crow looks towards Issei''s direction wanting to affirm her guess.


    "There''s no need to guess anymore, Golden Crow... Master is indeed the one who ''Revived'' me. Well, I say ''Revived'' but I was the Primordial Phoenix soul residue, just like you who''s only a soul residue of the original Golden Crow... So the better term for it is that Master gave me a new life." Xiaotao said.


    "...Unbelievable..." The Golden Crow shakes her head incredulously.


    "So... What are you here for? To brag your newfound life to me?" The Golden Crow said in a cold voice.


    "No... Master needed something from you. Of course, that is if you''re willing." The Phoenix calmly said.


    Even though the Golden Crow seems to despise the other 2, the Phoenix doesn''t share her feelings.


    She''s more on the neutral side of things...


    "Oh? How can I help you, GodKing? What do you need from me?" The Golden Crow turned a bit softer when she speaks to Issei.


    The Golden Crow doesn''t really think that Issei wants to get his hand on the Golden Crow legacy since he is stronger than the former. He''s also a Dragon at that, so the Golden Crow legacy doesn''t really suit him... She''s genuinely clueless because of it just what he wanted from her.


    "Well..." Then Issei also told her the same thing as he told Xiaotao and the Primordial Azure Dragon God before...


    The Little Demon Empress can only wait silently on the side... She felt like she''s like a little child that tried to listen in on a conversation between adults...


    She has no idea just what are they talking about but she won''t try to butt in during their conversation... She just keeps gazing at Issei feeling amazed... Whether it''s because of his strength or it''s because of his otherworldly face...


    But it''s mostly because he''s the only one who supposedly that can help her with her problem... He''s her only hope...


    "I see..." After the Golden Crow heard Issei''s words, she nodded understandingly...


    "So you''re saying you can give me the same thing with this Phoenix? A new leash in life and all that?"


    "Um, if you wanted to that is... I won''t force you." Issei nodded in confirmation.


    "Then... I refuse!"


    "Is that so? Then goodbye. Let''s go, Xiaotao." Issei honestly turned around along with Xiaotao which made the Golden Crow and the Little Demon Empress become stupefied.


    "Understood, Master." Xiaotao answered softly and then Issei created a spatial opening to leave this place...


    "W-Wait!" The Golden Crow hastily called out because she never thought that Issei will be this resolute with his words... He said he won''t force her and that he does... But who would expect that he would just leave like that?!


    "Hm?" Issei looks at the Golden Crow cluelessly... What she wants now?


    "A-Are you really going to leave just like that!?" The Golden Crow asked ridiculously.


    "Yeah? I already said that I won''t force you, didn''t I? Since you don''t want to take my offer then why would I stay?"


    "B-But didn''t you just acquired a lot of Fire and Lightning energy just a while ago? Why would you just leave like that? This is still my domain you know?!"


    What she''s trying to convey is that, isn''t it quite rude for Issei to leave just like that? After you take stuff from someone else''s home?


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about... Those spirits helped me on their own accords and me coming here is a payment that I get from helping the Little Demon Empress over there... So I don''t think I owe you anything now, do I?" Issei said in a calm manner.


    What he said totally makes sense... He never absorbs those fire and lightning energy on his own. Those spirits are the ones who "Gifted" it to him.


    And he came here because it''s the reward the Little Demon Empress promised him... He never once forced his way in coming here whatsoever. So he doesn''t any of them anything...


    The Golden Crow becomes utterly speechless this time... Who would''ve thought that he is also very eloquent with his words...?


    "What Master said is totally correct. Master absolutely doesn''t owe them anything." Xiaotao applauded lightly with a thin smile, which earned a scowl from the Golden Crow.


    Xiaotao knows that the more you pressed on the Golden Crow then the more stubborn she would become... So, her Master attitude coincidentally is the total opposite of the Golden Crow.


    If it was the Golden Crow who was in Issei position then she would''ve forced the other party until they submit... But if it''s the other way around then it won''t work since the Golden Crow is too prideful.


    While her Master is not a man who would force others out of their free will unless they forced him first...


    The Golden Crow then glared at the Little Demon Empress who wanted to scream "I''m innocent!" out loud... But soon she hung her head down feeling wronged...


    What''s she supposed to do? Reject his request? Then she would be doomed... So there''s nothing else she could do here other than to suffer a grievance...


    The Golden Crow took a deep breath before she spoke once again: "What I was trying to say is... It''s not that I don''t want to agree to your request but... I want you to replace the position of that Phoenix with mine!"


    "...What? You want to take over Xiaotao''s position?" Issei frowned upon hearing the Golden Crow words. What position? He doesn''t really understand since he never arranges his follower position or whatnot... To him, all of them are the same...


    "Yes. The Golden Crow is a hundred times more honorable than the Phoenix. The power of the Golden Crow''s flames is also far superior to the Phoenix''s flames. If you make me as your follower instead of that Phoenix, then there is naturally no need for that Phoenix to remain. You can throw her away and replace her with me." The voice of the Golden Crow Soul was filled with arrogance.


    Xiaotao doesn''t say anything even after hearing the Golden Crow words... The choice is entirely up to her Master. If her Master wanted her gone then she would disappear from his sight...


    But, she already stayed for quite a while with her Master so she understands her Master''s personality to a certain extent. He''s not the type who would treat his followers like a tool that can be discarded at any time...


    And just as she expected... Her Master felt extremely displeased with the Golden Crow''s words.


    "...Let''s leave, Xiaotao. We''re done here." Issei said coldly after he glared at the Golden Crow before he started walking away from her location.


    "As you wish, Master."


    The Golden Crow shuddered fiercely after being glared by Issei and even the Little Demon Empress''s body also trembled even though she''s not the target of that said glare. That glare of his was really terrifying! It''s as if Death itself is looming over them...


    "W-Wait! Wh-Why did you refuse my offer?! In your eyes, is the power of my Golden Crow not comparable to the mere power of that Phoenix?! Or are you not satisfied with my offer? Then I have some treasures that might interest you!" The Golden Crow hastily said.


    Issei stopped in his track before he said coldly: "If you think Xiaotao is some sort of slave that I will discard or throw away as if she''s merely a tool then you''re sorely mistaken! Perhaps the current Xiaotao is indeed weaker than you but so what? No matter if it will take her a hundred years to surpass you, or perhaps she''s indeed inferior to you and can''t surpass you in this lifetime, I still wouldn''t care. I would still be keeping her by my side."


    The Golden Crow mouth went wide open after hearing Issei''s words while Xiaotao''s face becomes flushed deeply... Her body also started trembling a little... But she''s trembling out of happiness!


    And with that, Issei doesn''t say anything else...


    When he''s about to step into the spatial opening the Golden Crow interrupted the spatial opening Issei opened.


    "...What''s the meaning of this?" Issei narrowed his eyes dangerously towards the Golden Crow while his pupils turned into a slit. If the Golden Crow answer isn''t to his likings then he would make her pay...


    The Little Demon Empress who saw his eyes finally realized that Issei is not of a human race... But it just makes her opinion of him become a lot better since even though she doesn''t really discriminate against the human race as a whole. Issei is from the where her enemies came from after all. So she has some reservations with how she should treat him before... But since he''s not a human then it would make things a lot easier.


    Sure the Golden Crow has already told her that Issei is the last person she should be wary of... But it''s not easy for her to just trust him like that...


    "...This one apologizes for her words... I hope your excellency GodKing doesn''t blame this one for testing you just now." The Golden Crow''s voice here becomes extremely soft. She knows that she''s in the wrong even though she only wanted to test Issei''s personality...


    She wanted to see if she''s the type of person who would discard his followers as if they''re a tool or not... The result went beyond her expectations.


    She thought that he will only refuse but she never thought that he would become angry just like that...


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything while he keeps glaring at the Golden Crow who now started having a cold sweat...


    "Please forgive her, Master... Even though the Golden Crow sounded crude and arrogant, deep inside, she meant well." Xiaotao said gently.


    "I know... If I didn''t know then she wouldn''t be alive by now." Issei said finally loosening his threatening stance.


    How could Issei not see that the Golden Crow is not truly despicable like she seems? She might sound a bit arrogant but that''s about it. Her soul is not tainted black with evil intent or anything like that... It''s quite similar to Xiaotao''s.


    But he can''t just accept anyone badmouthing his family even if they''re just testing him.


    The Golden Crow heaved a sigh of relief seeing that Issei finally isn''t that mad anymore...


    The Little Demon Empress at first felt surprised seeing that Issei become angry from the start... Previously, when Duke Zhong provoked him once, he still looks calm and only when he provoked him twice that Duke Zhong lost his life... So it seems that he''s the type who doesn''t really care when someone badmouthed him but he would instantly become furious when the one being badmouthed are those that are close to him...


    "...You, don''t you have something to say to him?" The Golden Crow turned her attention to the silent Little Demon Empress.


    "Hm?" Issei looks questioningly at the Little Demon Empress.


    The Little Demon Empress who saw that she suddenly has become the center of the attention took a deep breath before she kneeled towards Issei''s direction: "Illusory Demon Royal Family''s Twelfth Emperor, the eleventh inheritor of the Golden Crow''s bloodline, Huan Caiyi, greets your excellency GodKing."


    She introduced herself formally just like how she presented herself to the Golden Crow a few moments ago.


    Issei frowned slightly seeing her suddenly kneeled out of nowhere.


    "She needed some help from you... It''s related to her Golden Crow bloodline and royal family problems..." The Golden Crow then informed Issei briefly about the Little Demon Empress''s situation.


    ...


    "I see..." Issei nodded slightly in understanding.


    "You wanted to avenge your fallen family members and subordinates... But you can''t do it since you don''t have the strength to do it. So, you wanted me to help you with your revenge... Am I right so far?"


    "Yes." The Little Demon Empress nodded.


    She and the Golden Crow doesn''t mention anything about getting his Essence yet... The Golden Crow sent a signal towards her during her brief explanation to keep silent about it for now. It will do her no good if she just blatantly asked Issei for his essence out of nowhere...


    "...And what will you give in exchange for my help?"


    "...Everything. I''m willing to offer everything I have, including myself... But... I don''t want your excellency to kill them..." The Little Demon Empress implored.


    "Oh? Why?" Issei asked her.


    "...Because I wanted to make them pay with my own hands!" She said with utter hatred.


    "Hmm... You said that you will give me everything you have... Does that include the entire Illusory Demon Realm?" Issei narrowed his eyes at her.


    "..." The Little Demon Empress went silent after she heard Issei''s question... But soon she has her answer: "...No..."


    "No? And why is that?" Issei raised his eyebrows at him.


    "...I can''t give you the entire Kingdom just like that since the people who live here have their own lives... I can''t just put their innocent lives as a payment for my personal agenda... Even if I am their ruler... Of course, if your excellency really wanted to then, with your strength alone, your excellency can easily take over this realm... If that indeed happens then I got nothing to say... The weak will become prey to the strong. That''s how it was from the beginning of time..." The Little Demon Empress said softly.


    "..." Issei silently gazes upon the Little Demon Empress.


    He''s a little impressed with how her mindset works... If she were to say that she''s willing to give the entire kingdom just like that then he would instantly decline her request. But... If it was him who''s on her place then perhaps he would willingly give away his kingdom just to avenge his loved ones... He knows that he''s a hypocrite but that''s just how he is...


    And that''s also why he never stopped his training from the beginning... The sole reason for his search for strength... Is to protect his loved ones. No more no less...


    If he fails, then the current Little Demon Empress could be him in the future... Who knows... Perhaps there''s someone even stronger than Nyarlathotep out there...


    "...Very well. I will help you... As for the payment... We''ll see later." Issei finally agrees to her request.


    "Caiyi thanks your excellency for his benevolence" The Little Demon Empress said her thanks with extreme gratitude. With this... She''s one step closer to her revenge...


    "Now... How about you?" Then Issei set his gaze towards the Golden Crow: "What do you truly want in exchange for your divine energy?"

 Chapter 112 - 111

    "What I really want was it..." The Golden Crow muttered.


    "I never really thought of it before... I''m just doing what I was tasked to do as the soul residue of the original Golden Crow... Back then, this noble one has told them, ''If your clan were to be on the verge of desperation and seek for the power for a comeback, then I will allow one request, and will grant nine drops of the Golden Crow''s blood! At the same time, with the guidance of that person''s life vitality, burn all of the power from their Golden Crow''s bloodline, and allow them to receive a strength that is as strong as half-step into the Divine Profound Realm!"


    The Golden Crow said while looking at the Little Demon Empress...


    "But three years later, the bloodline''s power and life vitality would burn out at the same time! By that time there would only be death! And there would not be any remedy for it in the world! Unfortunately, her clan was still too late after all. She is the only one left from the Demon Emperor''s bloodline... Even if she receives this power, although it will help her exact revenge, eventually¡­ It would extinct her clan even more quickly!"


    "Get to the point already..." Issei said impatiently. Is there any need for her to be this fussy?


    Issei is still feeling a little annoyed at the Golden Crow because of her little "test" so it''s no wonder he''s a little impatient with her.


    "...Very well... This one also wanted to experience this brand new life the Phoenix said before... I think that is my main request... And if your excellency is willing, then I hope that your Majesty can help this small brat to erase the side effects after she inherited the Golden Crow legacies." The Golden Crow said after a bit of thinking.


    She thought she might as well use this as a chance to see if he''s willing to do it with the Little Demon Empress. If he wanted to then good but if not, so be it... It would be up to the Little Demon Empress on how to approach this problem later on.


    The Little Demon Empress felt a little surprised when she heard the Golden Crow words. She never thought that the Golden Crow would assist her with this problem...


    But soon her face becomes a little red since if Issei is willing then she basically has to dual cultivate with him... She''s feeling a little nervous but also a little anticipation budding in her heart...


    Although, most of her anticipation is because she would have the strength to enact her revenge... And as for the rest... Only she knows...


    "I already said that I will help her so you can rest assured about that part." Issei said calmly.


    The Little Demon Empress''s body faintly shook but soon she calms her emotions down...


    "Then this one doesn''t really have anything else to say..." The Golden Crow said.


    The Golden Crow is really impressed with Issei''s attitude... Not womanly fussy like most men out there and act like a fake gentleman most of the time. When he said he will do it then he will truly do it just as can be seen from the previous incident. Truly a man of his words... And he''s also a bit overbearing... But she likes!


    "Um... Then shall we do it now?" Issei asked. They might as well get this over with... No need to prolong it more than needed.


    "...If your excellency doesn''t mind then sure... How about you? Are you fine doing it now?" The Golden Crow at first was taken aback but soon she calmed herself down and speak while looking at the Little Demon Empress.


    "...I don''t mind either." The Little Demon Empress said calmly... But inside she''s feeling a little nervous.


    Issei furrowed his eyebrows in a little bewilderment while looking at them seems to have some reservations like this. But he chooses to ignore it...


    "Then... Receive these nine drops of blood." The Golden Crow bestowed exactly nine drops of blood of the Golden Crow...


    It entered at the center of the Little Demon Empress''s forehead. There''s a golden fiery symbol that appeared on her forehead.


    At the same time, she felt like her entire body is boiling from the inside out... It''s extremely hot that even her face flushed red as if steam were about to come out from her head... She gritted her teeth to hold back the pain she''s currently feeling.


    "Now!"


    *RIIIP!*


    The Little Demon Empress'' grey clothing instantly became tiny pieces of scraps with a soft ripping sound, leaving her entire naked body laid bare in front of Issei...


    [What?!] Jasmine shouted in shock seeing that the Little Demon Empress clothes suddenly ripped into scraps...


    "Your excellency! Now is the time for you to nourish her with your essence! Quick, before her body explode!" The Golden Crow said in a dire voice.


    "..."


    "Your excellency? What are you waiting for?!"


    "...Why did you rip apart her clothes? And why does she need to receive my essence?" Issei asked feeling speechless...


    [That''s obviously because she''s a pervert!] Jasmine said with a tinge of red on her face.


    Xiaotao actually knows what the Golden Crow trying to convey here but she thought that she might as well let her be...


    "Didn''t you hear what I said before?! Her mortal body isn''t capable of housing an entire nine drops of blood of the Golden Crow! She needed a essence from a Godly being such as you so that her body won''t explode!" The Golden Crow said a little frustrated.


    "...Who said that I need to give her my essence just to erase her bloodline limitation?" Issei asked while still feeling speechless.


    Before the Golden Crow could say anything else, Issei approached the Little Demon Empress who felt like she''s about to melt from the heat alone... She tremblingly extended her hands towards Issei thinking that he wanted to do the deeds... She grasped Issei''s clothes trying to take off his outfit...


    Issei frowned a little seeing her like this but soon he calmly put his hand on top of her head and a moment later... The Little Demon Empress felt like her body that was burning up immediately cooled down as if she just entered a windy field full of calming breeze...


    She greedily took a few deep breaths inhaling the cool air that''s currently surrounding her body...


    The Golden Crow who saw this become slackjawed... Because she can sense that the limitation that was inside the Little Demon Empress''s body just disappeared completely...


    Not only that, but she also has successfully inherited and absorbed the entire nine drop of blood of the Golden Crow she just received...


    The Little Demon Empress exhaled a short sigh and opened her eyes... Her once black as the abyss eye color changed into golden-colored eyes signifying her bloodline being awakened fully.


    She slowly set her gaze upwards and went into a daze being in close proximity with her savior''s otherworldly face.


    "Are you feeling okay now?" Issei asked her calmly.


    She nodded slowly as a response.


    "Good... Then can you put on some clothes already?"


    Only after hearing what he said that she remembers that she''s currently in her birthday suit and in front of a man at that.


    She hastily separated herself from Issei and took out a pair of robes to cover her body with... She doesn''t dare to look at Issei''s direction anymore and tries to hide her currently blushing face...


    Didn''t the Golden Crow said that they needed to dual cultivate to erase her bloodline side effects?! How embarrassing... She thought to herself...


    The Golden Crow finally snapped out of her stupor and realizes that Issei is currently gazing at her in a weird manner...


    "I-It''s not what you think! This noble one didn''t know that you can do what you just did! So this noble one thought that the only way to erase her bloodline side effect is to dual cultivate with you and receive your essence!" The Golden Crow hurriedly explained herself lest she would be branded as a pervert...


    Xiaotao covered her mouth and giggled slightly seeing the Golden Crow being so flustered.


    "You damn phoenix! You know about this, didn''t you!? You knew all along that he could erase the bloodline limitation on someone else''s body without giving his essence away!" The Golden Crow who saw Xiaotao chuckling at the side shouted at her feeling angry thinking that the latter is being silent about this on purpose.


    "No... Pfft... I truly didn''t know that Master could do this kind of thing..."


    "You just laughed again! I don''t believe you, you damn phoenix!"


    "I''m not lying."


    "I don''t trust you!"


    "Enough..." Issei said tiredly seeing that they''re going to be here for a while if he doesn''t stop their antics right now... Their relationship kind of reminds him of his wife and her particular friend though...


    "Let''s just get this over with..."


    "Wait! I still need to send her to a secret realm of mine, to slowly draw out the power from the source within, so that she can comprehend the unparalleled profound art of my Golden Crow''s bloodline, !"


    At the same time the Golden Crow finished speaking, nine dots of golden light that was so bright that it could not be looked at directly descended from the sky, and landed on the body of the Little Demon Empress.


    The Little Demon Empress'' body then wrapped up completely by the golden flames and disappeared before their eyes.


    "Now that''s done with... Come out, the inheritor of the Heretic God Legacy and Princess Jasmine of the Star God Realm the next inheritor. I know you''re both residing inside the ." The Golden Crow said.


    Xun''er who heard her words comes out from the pearl along with Jasmine.


    "Nice to meet you, Golden Crow Divine God." Xun''er said politely with a thin smile.


    "Hmph! No need to act so respectful towards her, mother! She''s just a pervert!" Jasmine said with disdain.


    "Who''s a pervert you little brat!?"


    "Of course it''s you! Who just told a man to give away their Y-Yang essence out of nowhere!"


    "The damn Phoenix obviously know why I said those words! But I didn''t expect that he doesn''t need to dual cultivate to achieve what I wanted! She obviously knows of this but she won''t tell me!"


    Both of them are immediately at each other''s throat... And when she''s being pointed at, Xiaotao immediately put on an "I''m innocent" face...


    "Sigh... Cut it out... Just give Xun''er the already..." Issei said with a sigh.


    Both Jasmine and Xun''er become surprised after hearing what Issei just said...


    Issei can sense that there''s a residing nearby. The energy signature it had is identical with the previous seeds after all.


    "Hmph! I was about to give it to her but her daughter''s attitude just put me in a bad mood. So I changed my mind!" The Golden Crow snorted.


    "You dare! You think that I can''t destroy you?!" Jasmine said in anger.


    The Golden Crow''s soul said apathetically: "You do indeed have the power to destroy this noble one, however, this noble one possesses the willpower of the Golden Crow. In this world, there still does not exist anything that can cause this noble one to experience fear!"


    "Heh! You''re clearly afraid of Ise just now!" Jasmine sneered at the Golden Crow.


    "He''s not of this world and what do you know about the true extent of his full capabilities? And I wasn''t afraid of him... I''m just respectful of him! You better get that straight." The Golden Crow scoffed at Jasmine.


    "And you''re only alive until because of his kindness! If it wasn''t for him, you, the Star God from the Star God Realm who inherited the power of the Heaven Slaughter Star, may not even live as long as this noble one. Even if you somehow survive the poison that''s currently affecting you, you would''ve still died sooner or later!"


    "What did you say!?" a dark expression appeared on Jasmine''s small, milk-white face.


    "We Golden Crow Souls are able to mutually transmit memories. Even though this noble one is now in the Illusory Demon Realm, this noble one is aware of everything which happens in your Realm of Gods. Although your Star God Realm is able to use the ''Star Soul Reincarnation'' to pass on the strength of a Star God, each ''Star Soul Reincarnation'' will cause the divine strength to be weakened by a portion. Thus, your Star God Realm has to use other methods to avoid the subsequent generations from getting weaker."


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    There''s also a soul residue of the Golden Crow in the so it''s not weird for her to know of all this information...


    There''s also Phoenix soul residue up there but since Xiaotao and the other Phoenix soul residue of this lower realm has some "problem" with each other, they inadvertently severed their connection with the Phoenix soul residue from the upper realm...


    There''s no Primordial Azure Dragon soul residue in the upper realm though...


    "And since a hundred thousand years ago, the Heavenly Slaughter Star God did not exist ''alone''... Which is to say, you, who possesses the power of the Heavenly Slaughter Star God are just a temporary vessel! And the outcome for a vessel would naturally to become an ''offering''! For you to appear in this world would not simply just be due to being chased for obtaining the Heretic God''s indestructible blood¡­ The greater reason would be because you are fleeing from the Star God Realm!"


    "If not, why did you, who was being chased, flee in this direction... which is opposite from that of the Star God Realm! Or perhaps, you went through such great dangers, putting aside all considerations to obtain the Heretic God''s indestructible blood just to obtain enough strength to escape the fate of being an ''offering''? If so, congratulations, you just faced with a ''twist of fate'' just like the Little Demon Empress just now! You have successfully changed your fate!"


    What the Golden Crow meant by a "twist of fate" is obviously pointing at Issei... If she doesn''t meet with Issei then perhaps her fate would''ve been sealed...


    "Shut up!" The space around Jasmine ruptured immediately. A cold and incomparably terrifying murderous intent was released uncontrollably, causing innumerable cracks to appear in the surrounding space.


    "Hahahahaha¡­" the Golden Crow''s soul laughed: "Seems like what this noble one has said was spot on."


    "In this world, there is no one who can decide this princess'' fate, even ''that person'' cannot!"


    Jasmine''s face was filled with terrifying indifference, she pointed at the pair of pure gold pupils in front of her, a scarlet ray flashed on her fingertip: "If you dare to continue babbling such nonsense, this princess will cause to disappear forever immediately!"


    "Nonsense? You of all people should know what this noble one just said is the truth! Don''t tell me you didn''t receive any "Lucky" encounter during your stay with his excellency! Tell me, did you? Or did you not?" The Golden Crow said indifferently.


    Jasmine immediately froze on the spot... She recalled everything that happened so far during her stay with Issei...


    The amount of her and her mother''s "Lucky" encounter is enough to make anyone feel envious... One of them is finding all the Heretic God Seeds which supposedly almost impossible to find and they indeed agree on the impossible part...


    Their lives are also saved by him...


    Jasmine''s hand paused in the air... After a long time, she slowly lowered her arm, even the anger and murderous intent which she exploded with previously had, has completely disappeared...


    "...You didn''t need to remind this princess of our debts towards him... This princess knows fully well that the debts both we, mother and daughter, owed him are immeasurable... We don''t even know if we could ever repay him... But, this princess''s business is none of your concern! Since you know so much, this princess will ask you a question¡­ You should know that the legacy of the Phoenix, Primordial Azure Dragon God, and you, the Golden Crow, exists on this little Blue Pole Star! Even the Heretic God''s seeds have appeared in this world¡­" She said while changing the subject of their conversation.


    "In this boundless universe with countless stars, to have an inheritance of a divine legacy is one in a hundred billion, yet on this little , there exists so many¡­ From the Primordial Era. What exactly happened on this star? To have the vestiges of so many divine beings?"


    Jasmine''s sudden question caused the Golden Crow''s soul to become silent. The pair of pure gold pupils stopped moving for a long while...


    "Tell her... I wanted to know of this as well." Issei said towards the Golden Crow.


    The Golden Crow who heard Issei''s words finally said with an intense voice: "Since your excellency wish to know, this one will tell you¡­ The reason why this star is called the is because, it is divided into one percent of land and ninety-nine percent water! From the outside, this star is azure."


    "However it was not called the previously. Back then, it was forty percent land and sixty percent water. The reason for that is because, during the calamity of the Primordial Gods, a large portion of the land was destroyed into nothingness, leaving the current one percent. What''s more, this star was located at the other end of this universe previously, not even a hundred Star Realms apart from the world in which you were born."


    "What?" Jasmine scrunched her eyebrows: "What you are saying, is that back then this star traveled across half of the spatial chaos?"


    "That''s right! It continued to exist after experiencing such a force, and to just have ninety percent of its land to be destroyed, even in the Realm of Gods, this is an irreplicable miracle. The one who preserved this star was precisely the Heretic God! Because this Blue Pole Star¡­ Was the first star that he created!"


    Jasmine: "..."


    "After the Heretic God''s death, the only ones who knew of this world''s existence were the few divine beings who were on good terms with the Heretic God! The Primordial Azure Dragon God, Phoenix and Golden Crow were the three amongst them! That was the only reason why they would leave their legacies on this star with such inferior strength! At least, your Star Realm would not be aware of the existence of this star which traveled across half of the spatial chaos!"


    "...Then how about her? Did you know anything about her?" Issei opened an opening to the and at the other side of the opening, there''s Bai''er figure.


    "..." The Golden Crow squinted her eyes while looking at Bai''er but soon she gave her answer: "...This one is not sure... But she seems a bit familiar... Perhaps the original Golden Crow might recognize her but not me..."


    "I see..." Issei muttered and then he closed the opening. He''s not that disappointed since Xiaotao has said the same thing... And since even the Golden Crow seems to be familiar with Bai''er then Bai''er identity should be quite special as well for a being such as them to be able to recognize her.


    "Your excellency... This one hopes that you can save this universe if a calamity were to befall it... A calamity that might bring ruin to this whole universe. It is an aura that should have become extinct with all the gods back in the Primordial Era! Although it is incomparably faint and indistinct, it is clearly becoming stronger year by year... Especially this year... For some reason, its aura somehow fluctuates at a rapid pace and it shouldn''t be that long before that said calamities entering this universe..."


    "That terrifying aura keeps on getting closer to reality, the largest contribution we, who were already died can make would be to give our all... If we hadn''t met you... We would''ve given our soul origins to the most suitable person to prevent this calamity from happening. But since we''ve met you then there''s no need for us to feel that worried any longer as long as your excellency is willing to help this universe from meeting its end..." The Golden Crow said in a dire voice.


    "The Phoenix should realize this as well." She added.


    "...Indeed. What the Golden Crow just said is all true." Xiaotao nodded in confirmation.


    "...The aura ''which should have become extinct'' that you spoke about, what is it?" Jasmine scrunched her eyebrows and asked.


    "You should pray that what we felt is just our misconception... But if not... No matter how strong your Star God Realm is, it too will fall into endless fear! Even that who''s said to be the strongest in the wouldn''t be able to do anything in front of it..."


    "So the reason why you asked for Ise''s help is because he''s the only one who can prevent it?" Jasmine asked worriedly.


    "Yes... Most likely than not, he''s our only hope." The Golden Crow affirmed Jasmine''s question.


    Issei frowned a little before he speaks: "If I could then I would help you but if not then I won''t risk my life to defend this universe since I still have my own universe to go back to."


    He won''t risk his life like some idiot just to save another universe he barely knows... Sure he could bring those he considered friends to safety but if that proven to be too risky then he would also abandon that idea...


    He still needs to go back to his pregnant wives after all...


    "That''s completely understandable. We won''t ask you who''s basically an outsider of this universe to risk your life just like that. As long as you''re willing to try then we''re content with just that." The Golden Crow said in relief.


    She prefers Issei words just now rather than some empty promise...


    "Here, catch this!" The Golden Crow changed her attention back to Xun''er... a purple glow appeared from within her pupils which flew rapidly towards Xun''er.


    As the purple glow neared, bursts of ear-piercing cries could be heard. Xun''er eyes opened wide¡­ the purple glow within her line of sight grew closer and closer, its original form was small, but the purple glow surrounding it was extremely deep, twisting like a violent beast, and wherever it went, the space around it was distorted.


    Above, the thunder clouds which were originally suppressed by the Golden Crow''s soul now pervaded the entire sky, and ear-splitting roars of thunder could be heard.


    She felt excited for was that the moment the purple glow appeared, it was as if her profound veins were an awakened sleeping beast that had been agitated. This kind of agitated feeling was not unfamiliar at all...


    The purple glow of devastating lightning could be seen within her line of sight, yet she did not feel a single bit of fear or rejection. Instead, she felt an extremely familiar feeling, down to her heart.


    As the purple glow neared, Xun''er almost involuntarily reached out to grab it.


    Immediately, all the lightning above dispersed, and even the aura became particularly gentle. Within her palm, it revealed its true form¡­ An extremely tiny seed that exhibited a gentle, illusory purple glow.


    It is precisely the Heretic God Lightning Seed...


    "Since you have inherited the Heretic God''s power, this naturally belongs to you" The Golden Crow''s soul continued: "It originally appeared in the Illusory Demon Realm and this noble one obtained it. The endless thunder clouds within this Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley were borne because of its power!"


    "Hmm... You have already possessed the , , and seed within your body. You almost fully collected the seeds left behind by the Heretic God... Two more seeds and you will fully inherit his legacy... Truly a heaven-defying ''luck''!" The Golden Crow gave Jasmine and Xun''er a knowing smirk.


    Jasmine snorted to the side while Xun''er only smiles sheepishly...


    "Go inside the to increase your cultivation base and also absorb that Lightning seed at the same time. It will be very beneficial to you." The Golden Crow then directly lifted Xun''er''s body and thrown the latter into the boundless Sea of Death.


    The is a giant sea of lava that''s created by the Golden Crow... It is extremely potent for the others but not for Xun''er who''s basically impervious to element.


    It is of no use for Issei since the energy residing within it is not strong enough for him...


    The moment Xun''er plunged into the she immediately submerged her entire body inside it... She then began to cultivate and also absorbed the seed while she''s at it.


    Jasmine gazed worriedly but soon she let her worries down when she remembered that her mother possesses the seed within her body.


    "Then... Here''s another gift from me to you, GodKing. Since that Phoenix gave you a huge gift¡­ This noble one will bestow you with an even larger gift!" The words of the Golden Crow Soul targeted and belittled Xiaotao at every turn.


    But Issei knows that it''s basically just some sort of rivalry between them so he doesn''t really care that much... Peeling off her tyrannical, mighty and violent outside, how was she different from a competitive, ordinary woman unwilling to lose...


    At this moment, the pure gold pupils suddenly flashed, and for a moment, the entire sky was wrapped in gold light. The source of the light slowly floated down and landed in front of Issei.


    Issei extended his arm, and touched the source of the golden light¡­ This was something which was granted by the Golden Crow Soul, something she claimed a lot better than the gifts Xiaotao gave him¡­ It was surely not to be taken lightly. Not that he really care that much though...


    After making contact with Issei''s hand, the glow slowly disappeared. Appearing in front of Issei''s eyes was an ordinary-looking golden jade about the size of a fist. The jade could be considered translucent and dazzling, and nine irregular golden specks could be clearly seen. In fact, these nine specks were obviously linked by a golden thread.


    "This is¡­ the Jade of the Nine Suns!" Jasmine cried out involuntarily when she saw the jade in Issei''s hand.


    "Jade of the Nine Suns? You recognize this thing, Jasmine?" Issei muttered while observing the jade within his hand. He has to admit that It is indeed quite powerful... Sadly, the energy residing within it is of no use for him...


    Don''t get him wrong, it is indeed quite powerful but it''s not strong enough to be of use to him...


    "...It is quite unimaginable for something as divine as the Jade of the Nine Suns to appear in this plane!" Jasmine said with an abnormal voice, she then said in an overcast manner: "The Jade of the Nine Suns is one of the highest level divine jades of the Primordial World! Even in the upper realm, it is still an extremely rare divine object! When all the power of a Jade of the Nine Suns is triggered¡­ It is enough to obliterate the entire Illusory Demon Realm in an instant!"


    "Hmm, is that so?" Issei rotated the jade around his hand nonchalantly.


    This thing is basically a nuclear weapon then? Well, he will think of how to make use of it later on he guesses... Then he put the jade away into the .


    "I know it is of no use for you but at the very least, that jade is a thousand times better compared to the gifts that Phoenix gifted to you!" The Golden Crow said with a prideful voice while she''s giving Xiaotao a mocking gaze.


    Xiaotao doesn''t give any kind of response towards the Golden Crow provocation though... She only stands calmly behind Issei without having her emotions changing in the slightest.


    The Golden Crow clicked her tongue seeing that her provocation isn''t working...


    A little while later, Xun''er returned... But since she needed to solidify her cultivation, she heads back to the pearl first along with Jasmine.


    Only after the Little Demon Empress returned from the Golden Crow that they proceed with their next agenda at hand... As in absorbing the Golden Crow divine energy...


    The Little Demon Empress who was inside the secret realm has her cultivation rising at a rapid pace... From the 5th level Monarch... 6th... 7th... 8th... 9th... And it stopped exactly at the peak 10th level Monarch, half-step into the Divine Profound Realm... She also mastered the perfectly.


    The Little Demon Empress officially has become the strongest person in the Illusory Demon Realm or even this entire lower realm...


    Of course, that''s taking Esdeath and the others out of consideration since they''re basically an anomaly in and of itself. Needless to say about Issei...


    ...


    The Little Demon Empress was a bit worried if the would disappear if the Golden Crow were to disappear as well... But the Golden Crow said she doesn''t need to be worried about it since the spirits that are residing in the valley can maintain the valley existence.


    There is a Sovereign spirit level inside the valley that helped her maintain it. So even if the Golden Crow disappeared, the valley would still remain as long as they don''t overuse it just like how it has been arranged before...


    Issei finally finished absorbing the Golden Crow divine energy... But he only hastens his recovery rate to nine and a half years... This time Issei is prepared to see just what is slowing his recovery rate down.


    When he inspected just where those energies went, he found out that his power "Container" size is bigger than before... It''s almost double the size it used to be...


    He felt taken aback by this... Does that mean that he just got stronger?


    No... It shouldn''t be that easy...


    The amount of energy that he absorbed to reach is almost immeasurable. Whether it''s by absorbing the divinity from the other Gods he killed or some divine energy from ancient Godly artifacts...


    And it''s only with the help of Sora and the element within his body that he could breakthrough from to this fast and easily... If not, it would take him a dozen more years...


    Issei frowned deeply while thinking about the other possibilities...


    "Hmm... So this is how it feels like to have a brand new physical body... Not bad..." The Golden Crow inspected her newly created body.


    She had a graceful, sexy and all-around lovely body. She is voluminous and exquisite, much like a matured juicy peach, with a faint luring sense seeping out. She has long flaming red hair which extends to her narrow waist.


    Her eyes are colored golden just like her name. She has this aura full of pride and domineering surrounding her, unlike Xiaotao who has a calming and gentle aura.


    (AN: Check my pat reon for new images).


    Even though she loses her cultivation, she doesn''t really care much since she believes with this new body she can surpass her old self.


    Her old self might possess a higher cultivation base than all of the inhabitants but she can''t move forward... Meaning that she''s stuck in her cultivation realm unable to breakthrough no matter what...


    Now that she gains a brand new body she could freely increase her cultivation and someday she will reach the True God Realm. The realm that the Original Golden Crow reached before...


    "Master, would you give me a name? Don''t you think it''s unfair that you only give a name to this smelly Phoenix?" The Golden Crow with a voice laced with jealousy.


    "Hm?" Issei who heard the Golden Crow voice stopped his train of thoughts.


    "Like I said, won''t you give me a new name?" The Golden Crow thought that Issei doesn''t hear what she just said so she repeated herself.


    "*Sigh*... Fine." Issei then thought for a moment while observing the Golden Crow.


    The latter started fidgetting a bit being observed by the former so directly... Her cheeks are also faintly blushing but she doesn''t shy away from Issei''s gaze on her.


    "How about Lieyan?" Issei finally said.


    (AN: Lieyan = Raging Flame. In Chinese)


    "Lieyan? Hmm, good name! Then Lieyan thanks Master!" The Golden Crow who now goes by the name Lieyan said with a small smirk on her face thinking that it''s indeed a good name.


    Unlike that Phoenix name who has the word "small" in it.


    (AN: Xiao = Small. In Chinese)


    The Little Demon Empress felt amazed seeing the Golden Crow her family worshipped could gain a brand new body like this... But her awe towards Issei just increased by a large amount...


    "Then I believe we''re done here... Shall we go now?" Issei asked the Little Demon Empress.


    "E-Eh? Y-Yes." The Little Demon Empress was caught off guard being suddenly asked by Issei but soon she gave her answer.


    "Just you wait, smelly Phoenix! I will soon surpass you!" Lieyan pointed at Xiaotao arrogantly.


    "Um, it''s reassuring knowing that you have the intention to do so." Xiaotao''s thoughts are much simpler than Lieyan since if the latter grows stronger faster then her Master would have an extra hand...


    "Cheh..." Lieyan felt a little annoyed that her supposed rival is not taking her seriously...


    By now, Issei just felt amused instead of feeling tired by the sight of their "banter"... One side is being aggressive while the other side is like cotton that no matter how hard the other side push, it will only rebound back...


    Then Xiaotao and Lieyan entered the before they exited the valley.


    ...


    Illusory Demon Realm, north of Demon Imperial City, the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.


    At this time, the long-silent protective profound formation suddenly flashed with a scarlet-golden light, and following that, it started to slowly and gently rotate as two human figures appeared under the light of the Golden Crow profound formation.


    They both are of course Issei and the Little Demon Empress.


    The Little Demon Empress stood behind Issei, who only came up to his chest and was swathed in grey robes. If the old Little Demon Empress looked only fourteen years old in age, now her body grew by a little just like that of a sixteen years old girl.


    She now had an extremely beautiful face that could overshadow the beauty of heaven and earth and the luster of the sun and moon. But her look and gaze was completely covered with a limitless cold detachment and it was nearly impossible to detect any trace of emotion that a living being ought to possess. And what was most eye-catching, was a mark of scarlet-golden flames glowing in the middle of her brows.


    A Demon Emperor who had awakened his Golden Crow bloodline would have the Golden Crow Imprint appear in between his eyebrows to signify his status. All the former Demon Emperor''s Golden Crow Imprint was a dull golden color and it could be hidden at any time... But the imprint that was in the middle of her eyebrows was an eye-scorching scarlet-golden color.


    That''s because she has fully inherited the legacy of the Golden Crow which is the first in the entire history of the Illusory Demon Realm...


    This could only happen because of the man in front of her... If not, the outcome would''ve been completely different... The Little Demon Empress thought to herself.


    She dazedly looks at the facial feature of her benefactor, or should she say, savior instead...


    Even until now she still can''t believe there could be such an attractive man existed in this world...


    She who''s a woman felt some inferiority if she''s compared to his countenance alone but soon she erases those unnecessary thoughts since she got a new objective at hand... And that is to get her revenge!


    For the sake of achieving her vengeance and her desire for power, she seemed to have annihilated herself completely¡­ Including her own feelings and life.


    The power that she had desired for had been attained, however, her emotions had also been sealed and even her life was quickly slipping away¡­ She silently stood there, without making a single sound or taking a single breath, as though she was the most beautiful and life-like doll in the world.


    Issei who saw her like this gave a slight sigh...


    "I won''t tell you to forget about your revenge or anything like that... You could maintain your anger and hatred for as long as you wanted to but remember to never lose sight of your true self." He spoke towards her.


    "If by chance you become lost in your desire for revenge and in return you involved the lives of the innocents then know that I will stop you immediately... Even if I have to kill you in the process." Issei said while he narrowed his eyes threateningly at her.


    The Little Demon Empress who saw his gaze shuddered greatly... Her buried emotion resurfaced almost instantly.


    "I said I will assist you in your revenge and not to help you kill the innocents. You better remember that."


    "...Caiyi understands." She took a deep breath and answered softly.


    "Um... It''s good that you understand" Then Issei took back his threatening aura.


    It''s important to tell her this since someone like her who basically almost live her entire life dwelling in revenge tend to forget themselves... Ruthlessness is a good thing to have for a King but one needed to keep it balanced or it would lead to tyranny...


    "And besides... I have a feeling that you can get your revenge soon enough..." Issei muttered while he set his gaze to the front.


    "Eh?" The Little Demon Empress let out a confused voice.


    "Well, you''ll see later... For now, wear this." Issei tossed a pendant from the at her.


    "That pendant will hide your true cultivation realm. You don''t want your enemies to run away from you the moment they sensed your cultivation base, right?"


    She nodded at Issei''s statement and wear the pendant right away.


    That pendant has been boosted by Issei and its effects are increased as well.


    "Caiyi will surely remember your excellency benevolence." She bowed deeply towards Issei.


    "Um..." Issei said without really much care.


    "Where should we go now?" She asked.


    "Just wait" Issei said calmly.


    "...En." She answered softly. She doesn''t know why Issei wanted to wait but she decided to listen to his words.


    ...


    The sky grew darker and darker. The night was exceptionally dark today and no stars could be seen in the night sky. A dark cloud floated by, covering up the crescent moon. In an instant, the entire world became as dark as black ink, and when one stretched out his hand, he could not see his fingers. Even the air became exceptionally heavy¡­ As though it was using the surrounding darkness to predict something.


    "Tell me... Do you think there is a traitor amongst your subordinates?" Issei suddenly asked her.


    At first, the Little Demon Empress was taken aback slightly but soon she answered calmly: "...Yes, I believe there is indeed a traitor amongst my subordinates..."


    "Then... Did you ever investigate them?" Issei continues to ask her while crossing his arms behind his back.


    "...I tried... But the result that I came up with is null... My biggest suspect is Duke Huai''s faction but I have no proof for my claim." The Little Demon Empress answered after thinking for a moment.


    "Hmm... Why don''t you just let the Yun family use their on him and his accomplices?"


    "...It''s not that easy... If I just blatantly use it on them then it would cause public unrest... The people would think that I''m an incompetent ruler who doesn''t even put trust in her subjects..."


    "...Trust is it?" Issei muttered lowly.


    To be honest, he can understand the view of the Little Demon Empress but he doesn''t share the same idea as her... He doesn''t really care whether he has the trust of his subjects or not...


    After all, the only reason why he took up the seat of the is because of his beloved wife... He''s not really that interested in that seat in the first place...


    But since he wanted to make his wife happy then he would readily take over her place. That way she can rest easy and lessen her burden.


    Hence why he doesn''t share the same objective view as the Little Demon Empress...


    "Master, they''re here..." Suddenly, Naru appeared beside Issei while still kneeling.


    "Well, no matter... It looks like your chance is here..." Issei stopped his thinking and said calmly while erasing his presence at the same time. Naru also followed suit...


    The Little Demon Empress at first becomes taken aback by this newcomer and Issei''s words but soon she understands what they''re talking about just now...


    She saw Duke Huai approaching their location accompanied by a man of medium stature. He looked elegant and handsome, and his face was rather pale. Overall, he looked as though he was a weak scholar, yet he was emitting an extremely frightening pressure from his entire body.


    The world of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was shrouded in exploding flames and the constant rumble of thunder. At every corner, a disastrous elemental storm was present. However, around him, it was frighteningly silent and there was no sign of any flames or lightning. There did not even seem to be any trace of airflow. His hair and sleeves were all still just like his surroundings, where his frightening aura seemed to have condensed the air around him.


    He was dressed in a red robe and looked to be only around thirty years old. Standing in front of Duke Huai, he seemed to be even younger than Duke Huai. Furthermore, the Duke Huai who usually treated everyone indifferently and was feared by many others not only stood upright behind him, but he also had a posture of respect.


    The Little Demon Empress stared closely at this person, as her expression and gaze changed, revealing the astonishment she had in her heart.


    Regarding Duke Huai''s appearance, she''s only slightly surprised. However, she never expected the person that accompanied Duke Huai!


    He was a person that has disappeared for a hundred and fifty years without a word!


    "Duke¡­ Ming!" The Little Demon Empress'' chest rose intensely. For this person to suddenly appear here today along with Duke Huai, she would not naively believe that he was here to welcome her. At that instant, in her astonishment, she had finally understood facts that she had previously dared not to believe.


    "It''s been a hundred and fifty years, but your highness still looks the same," Duke Ming spoke with a slight and gentle smile. If it were not for the frightening flow of air, anyone who saw that smile would feel that the smile was like a warm spring breeze,


    "It''s such a pity. Although your highness possessed the purest of the Demon Emperor''s bloodline, even if you forcefully seal your vital Yin and maintained your body in a youth-like state, the feeling of the bloodline eating away at your body must be unbearable. It must be hard on you to bear it all these years. Although the Little Demon Emperor died early, there are many men within the Illusory Demon Realm. You could have found any of them to release your vital yin and live comfortably for the past hundred years. Hahahahahaha!"


    Duke Ming and Duke Huai both laughed hysterically.


    But the Little Demon Empress doesn''t feel bothered by their insults in the slightest... There''s only calmness that could be found in her face... Calm before the storm...


    Both Duke''s doesn''t realize this abnormality and only thought that she has been scared silly.


    "So, where is that man? That man who accompanied you here?" Duke Ming said while he surveys his surroundings.


    "Did he run away already? What a shame... This duke wanted to ask for a few pointers. I guess he''s nothing much and only a street performer with a little bit of strength." Duke Ming smirked seeing that he found nobody else in the vicinity.


    He was feeling a little worried about this newcomer from Duke Huai''s mouth but seeing that he''s nowhere nearby then he can take it easy... He must''ve run away already after sensing his presence... It must be...


    The Little Demon Empress''s eyes widened by a bit and then she secretly gazes at Issei''s direction.


    Issei and Naru are standing there calmly without a care... While Issei is looking uninterested with this whole farce, Naru''s beautiful face is frighteningly scary and cold... Even the Little Demon Empress''s body flinched a little when she saw the current her...


    If it wasn''t for Issei hiding her aura then their cover would''ve been blown...


    There''s a crackling sound that can be heard from Naru''s clenched fist. It seems that she''s holding herself back from killing Duke Ming outright... If it wasn''t for Issei telling her to calm down then she would''ve claimed his life already...


    She can''t accept this trash badmouthing her King like this... But since her King gave her an order then she would follow it till the end...


    The Little Demon Empress can still see Issei and that newcomer clearly but how come Duke Ming couldn''t see them? Then she remembered about Issei''s identity and doesn''t feel that confused any longer...


    She then set her gaze back to Duke Ming...


    Staring at this person that her father used to trust and value... This person that she herself used to greatly respect. In her heart, her anger was like a volcano that was exploding crazily.


    She also clearly knew how frightening Duke Ming''s profound strength actually was¡­ That he was the third strongest person in the entire Illusory Demon Realm behind the Demon Emperor and Demon King.


    However, now that both the Demon Emperor and Demon King had passed on, he had become the undisputed number one within the Illusory Demon Realm! Within a hundred fifty years, his strength had obviously risen greatly.


    If it wasn''t for her inheriting the full legacy of the Golden Crow then she would be no match for him... But now...


    "Duke Ming, you have hidden very well." The Little Demon Empress'' gaze was like an ice-cold sword and golden flames had already ignited on her hand which was holding the Demon Emperor''s Seal.


    "I believe so as well." Duke Ming answered complacently.


    "This empress royal father placed such great trust in you, and all those years ago, when you desired to leave Demon Imperial City, my royal father had done his utmost to dissuade you¡­ In the past, royal father told me to be wary of you, but from the beginning to the very end, I don''t really understand what he said that¡­ However, now I do... Who would have thought that you were really such an ungrateful, despicable, and poisonous villain!" She pointed a finger at Duke Ming feeling furious.


    "Hehe¡­" Duke Ming gave an apathetic bark, "The lifespan of a man, if it is short, it will last decades... if it is long, it will last millennia. But in the end, all becomes dust and is scattered to the heavens and earth... All is transient. In this short life, if one is ambitious, why would one be willing to be beneath another and become another person''s servant. If the Demon Emperor''s clan could establish themselves as the emperors of the entire realm, then why couldn''t this duke''s clan do so as well?! This duke has merely done what many average people have desired to do but had not the nerve to. I have done things that these plebeians have never even dared to dream of! So what wrong did this duke commit?! Even if I were to suddenly suffered a defeat today, this duke only feels dissatisfied. I have absolutely no regrets!"


    "Your words are absolutely wrong." The Little Demon Empress spat despisingly.


    "Oh?" Duke Ming said amusedly: "Why don''t you tell me exactly what this duke said that was wrong."


    "It was not anything you said explicitly. Your entire premise is wrong to begin with." She shook her head as she gave a disgusted look at Duke Ming: "What is a human? Humans can afford to not be invincible, can afford to not have any glorious achievements, and can afford to live a life of complete mediocrity. What makes someone human is not their shape or their independent will. The most important defining and most basic characteristic of what defines humanity is their human nature, their intrinsic sense of honor and their innate sense of what is right and wrong. Duke Ming, these characteristics, do you possess them? Oh¡­ It seems like you are nearly completely void of them. If that is the case, then what qualifications do you have to call yourself a man? In the end, you are merely a malicious beast at best!"


    "Since even your premise that you were a human being is completely wrong, then whatever you have said after that is merely a big pile of rubbish!"


    "Take a look at Patriarch Yun Canghai for example... That''s how a true man should be! Unlike you who only think about yourself all the time! If this Empress were to choose who should become the next Demon Emperor then I would choose patriarch Yun Canghai without hesitation!"


    "Furthermore, you compared yourself to this Empress clan, that is simply the biggest joke that this Empress ever heard. Why could our Demon Emperor''s clan reign supreme for ten thousand years? It had nothing to do with the fact that we inherited the bloodline of the Golden Crow! In those years, it was the first Demon Emperor who pacified the chaos within the Illusory Demon Realm, ended the strife between humans and demons, and unified the entire Illusory Demon Realm, bringing ten thousand years of peace, prosperity, and lack of strife to the entire realm! So the Demon Emperor''s clan does possess the qualifications to rule all under heaven and to receive the obeisance of all the citizens of the realm. But you, Duke Ming¡­ What qualifications do you have?!"


    "As a member of the Illusory Demon Royal Family, you have received the favor of the Demon Emperor''s clan. From birth, you had a noble status, and you enjoyed the best that the Illusory Demon Realm could offer. But not only did you not feel grateful and loyal, you actually harbored such evil intentions in your heart!"


    Each and every word of hers are full of disdain and hatred towards Duke Ming... Even if she thinks with her foot it''s clear as a day that the traitor is these two before her.


    But that''s good... That way she doesn''t need to waste her time to investigate even further... The culprit presented themselves before her and that''s exactly what she wanted.


    Issei thought that it''s quite ironic how a demonkin like the Little Demon Empress understand more about human rather than Duke Ming who''s an actual human himself...


    [Hahahaha, truly a good descendant of this noble one!] Lieyan laughed jovially from within the .


    "The Demon Emperor''s clan could rule over ten thousand years and all under heaven was at peace. But you, even if your nefarious plot had succeeded, on the day where all truths come to light, you will also be destroyed under the hatred of all the people of the realm, and you will definitely not last!"


    "Moreover, your royal father, your grandfather, all the ancestors of your clan, what view do you think they will take towards your so-called ''ambition?'' Do you think they will feel gratified and proud?! No! What they will feel is only pain, sadness, disgust, and anger! Yes, anger! That they could not descend from the heavens to personally throttle you to death! Because you have turned all their glory into shame, causing your clan to forever become a black stain upon history!"


    ""Silence!!!""


    Duke Ming and Duke Huai, who still carried a calm expression on their face until now, at this moment, could not help but let out a hoarse cry filled with anger and hatred. Their faces distorted, and intense emotions started to ripple in those previously calm eyes. In this world, the sharpest blades were words that cut to the heart! Every sentence the Little Demon Empress uttered, every word she said, was like the sharpest of needles that fiercely drove into his most vulnerable points.


    This caused Duke Ming originally unyielding and resolute demeanor, which allowed him to disregard everything, to be completely perforated.


    "Oh! Has your shame driven you both to anger?" The aura that Duke Ming released in his rage was incomparably shocking, but how could the Little Demon Empress be scared because of that? When she clearly has the upper hand this whole time? They just didn''t know it yet...


    Duke Ming could still stay calm until because he thought that the Little Demon Empress couldn''t inherit the Golden Crow legacy because of her being a woman... After all, he knows the secret behind the Golden Crow legacy thanks to his investigation in the past.


    The arrival of Yun Canghai and that mysterious newcomer made his heart unable to rest easy... So the moment he heard about their arrival from his son, Duke Huai''s mouth, he immediately set off towards the valley...


    "Haah..." Duke Ming observed the Little Demon Empress let out a short sigh. He calmed himself down albeit barely: "...Perhaps you''re indeed right... But..." Duke Ming''s eyes glistened dangerously.


    "The victors rule the world while the losers become bandits... It doesn''t matter if you''re right or not right now because in the end... Only the winner able to decide what''s right and wrong!" Duke Ming roared loudly. His whole body burst into flames, and a Giant Flame Devil that was more than thirty meters tall fell from the sky as it opened its big, ferocious mouth and stormed towards the Little Demon Empress.


    The pressure from the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm is nothing to scoff at but the Little Demon Empress doesn''t put it in her eyes at all.


    "Is that so?" The Little Demon Empress said languidly.


    "This Empress couldn''t agree more."


    the Giant Flame Devil had only flown for less than thirty meters when a streak of scarlet-gold flames burned across the sky, and as soon as it touched the Giant Flame Devil, it was as if fierce flames touched rotten wood, and the Giant Flame Devil instantly burst into flames. In the blink of an eye, the crimson-black Giant Flame Devil became the color of scarlet-gold. Its figure twisted, and it roared in deep agony¡­ Before long, it was burned to ashes and became sparks that shattered to bits in the sky.


    Duke Ming who saw this had his pupils shrunk and his chest was heaving violently. He looked at the Little Demon Empress, and said in an intricate and fearful voice, "Impossible! Could it be¡­ that your profound energy¡­ has already¡­ achieved the Divine Profound Realm!?"


    The four words "achieved Divine Profound Realm" were so shocking that Duke Huai was completely stunned, unable to snap out of it for a long time.


    Divine Profound Realm¡­ the legendary Realm of Divinity! The people who stepped into this realm would no longer be normal. Instead, they would become a god amongst men! However, the reason it was a legend was because it had never appeared before... It was even generally acknowledged as impossible for a mortal being to achieve, and it merely existed within the records and imagination of humans.


    The Little Demon Empress'' extremely ridiculous strength¡­ the bestowment from the Golden Crow Divine Soul¡­


    Could the Little Demon Empress, who had awakened her bloodline and received the Golden Crow Divine Soul''s unparalleled divine power, truly have stepped into the legendary realm that no one could achieve¡­


    "No, that is impossible." Duke Ming shook his head slowly, and the crimson-black flames on his body swayed madly. In the span of a few breaths, the flames had already risen up to more than three hundred meters high. "How is it possible¡­ For someone to be stronger than this duke in this world! Absolutely impossible!"


    Duke Ming''s eyes widened as he roared, and the three hundred meters tall Devil Flames burning on his body made a devilish howl and charged abruptly towards the Little Demon Empress.


    In an instant, the space collapsed and the blue sky changed color. This was the strength of a practitioner at the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, that used to be the strongest in the Illusory Demon Realm, giving his all. If this Fallen Devil Flame were to fall, it would be enough to burn half of Demon Imperial City to ashes.


    An apocalyptic pressure caused the crowd beneath to yell in terror.


    The Little Demon Empress focused her gaze as the Golden Crow''s flames burned silently on her body. She raised her arms, and her tender, snowy arms dazzling under her wide, gray sleeves. But it was the simple, light wave of the young girl''s flawless, fine arms, that instantly planted an enormous Fire Cage, and shrouded Duke Ming and his three hundred meters of Devil Flames all within.


    When the Fallen Devil Flame touched the Fire Cage, no matter how violent it was, it wasn''t able to advance even half an inch. The Fire Cage started shrinking rapidly. Every inch that it shrunk, the Fallen Devil Flame then backed off an inch. Gradually, the Fire Cage shrunk until it was less than three hundred meters, but it was still shrinking in speed, and the Fallen Devil Flame that had nowhere to escape was being compressed, swallowed, and dissipated little by little, like a desperate beast trapped in a cage. No matter how it struggled or cried, it was unable to escape and could only wait to perish completely in lament.


    The Fire Cage shrunk until it was only ten meters, and only then did it finally stop shrinking. The Fallen Devil Flame that was originally three hundred meters tall had been burned until there were only scattered flames left, and not a single trace could escape the cage. Duke Ming and Duke Huai was trapped in the center of the cage and couldn''t move at all¡­ Because during this process, they tried to escape more than ten times, but every time they touched the Golden Crow Flame on the Fire Cage, they were burned and overwhelmed by the pain.


    The difference between his strength and the Little Demon Empress'' was evident from this...


    Solely based on the profound energy levels, the difference between the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm and half a step into the Divine Profound Realm was less than half a small realm, but the difference between them was half a plane. Whether it was the Little Demon Empress'' Golden Crow bloodline or the Golden Crow Flame, it all completely suppressed Duke Ming.


    "How is it possible!? You shouldn''t be able to inherit the Golden Crow legacy! You''re merely a woman!" Duke Ming shouted in disbelief.


    "Oh? You know about that secret as well? It looks like this Empress will be able to find all the traitorous bastards that called themselves this Empress loyal subjects from you!" The Little Demon Empress narrowed her eyes dangerously at Duke Ming.


    The endlessly burning flames and the raging, dense smoke wavered in Duke Ming''s pupils. In order to cut off the Demon Emperor''s clan, he plotted deliberately for a hundred years, yet because of one mishap... It all disappeared into nothingness in a blink of an eye...


    Duke Ming reached out his palm and pointed at the Little Demon Empress while trembling, declaring, "Little Demon Empress¡­ This is not over¡­ Don''t think that this duke has lost completely¡­ The strength you have, is not normal¡­ In a short half a day, and to have your profound energy increase so fiercely¡­ It is impossible for it to not have side effects¡­ Perhaps¡­ Your cost, is death¡­ You can go and die before this duke! Hahahaha!!!"


    The Little Demon Empress locked her eyebrows, and said coldly, "You''re about to die and still dare to speak of such nonsense! This empress will now put you to a graveless death!"


    If it wasn''t for "his" help then what Duke Ming said would''ve been the truth... But now... It''s nothing but empty words!


    "You alone¡­ Are not enough to kill this duke!!" Duke Ming gnashed his teeth in seeming madness. A dark bloodstream dropped speedily from the corner of his mouth. "Little Demon Empress¡­ You just wait! This duke will one day¡­ Obtain revenge, revenge that will repay this ten thousand times over!"


    *Pfft!!!*


    Duke Ming spat out a large sheet of blood mist, and the color of the blood mist was a ghastly sight of crimson-black. Under the shrouding of the crimson-black blood mist, Duke Ming''s body gradually faded, and then completely disappeared...


    He used the to escape from the Little Demon Empress''s clutch... Even if he escaped, he lost a large amount of his life vitality and blood. His cultivation would surely be reduced by a great amount...


    "Father! Don''t leave me behind!!!" Duke Huai who''s still inside the fire cage screamed in horror: "AHHHH!!! LITTLE DEMON EMPRESS! SPARE ME! SPARE MEEEE!!! AHHHHHHH!!!" He''s burned from the inside out that caused his entire cultivation disappears into nothingness...


    The Fire Cage was put away after the Little Demon Empress crippled Duke Huai of his cultivation... The Little Demon Empress became a flash and appeared where Duke Ming had been before. She looked at the dissipated crimson-black blood mist. Her eyes were filled with endless chill, and her chest was heaving.


    This was the blood escape that used blood and vitality as a cost to activate. Even with the Little Demon Empress''s strength now, she could not trace the direction in which he escaped...


    "Ahhh!!! What is this?! Let go of this duke!!!" But soon he heard the same voice that belongs to the man she was about to condemn... The man she thought has slipped away from her clutch.


    When she turned her head around towards the source of the voice, she saw Duke Ming is inside a cage made out of crimson golden barrier that encased the latter inside.


    Duke Ming tried to use his strength to break free of the barrier but to no avail...


    Issei doesn''t even look at Duke Ming and he looks completely uninterested with the whole thing still...


    Naru eyes are glowing in red while gazing at Duke Ming... It''s unknown when, but Zin is also standing beside Issei gazing the same way at Duke Ming just like Naru did.


    Their killing intent is laid bare before Duke Ming which made the latter felt suffocated... Who are these two?! How come there''s another two peak level Monarch cultivator here!?


    Even when he''s still at the 10th level Monarch, he''s still not a match for both Naru and Zin but now that his cultivation has decreased to 6th level Monarch... It''s even worse...


    "Y-You!" Duke Ming said in shock seeing Issei.


    From his clothes, this man should be the mysterious newcomer that his son has informed him of... Since when did he arrive here?! Or better yet, why is he still here? Didn''t he just used the just now!? Shouldn''t he be at his secret hideout by now!?


    "Here... I believe he''s yours. Don''t lose him twice..." Issei tossed Duke Ming towards the Little Demon Empress direction.


    Duke Ming''s body came crashing down to the ground beneath the Little Demon Empress right beside Duke Huai... Father and son, right next to each other...


    "Li¡­ Little Demon Empress!" Duke Ming held a hand to his chest, his entire body trembling uncontrollably... He had been strong enough to arrogantly look down upon the entire world, so he did not want to display fear in front of anyone, but right now his body betrayed him as it shivered uncontrollably...


    Because his body had clearly felt the approach of death itself.


    Before, he thought that he can still escape by using the but now... He knows that he can''t escape no matter what he did...


    He never thought that this mysterious newcomer could really create his own dimensional opening... He thought that it''s just some trick... Never did he thought it''s true...


    The Little Demon Empress'' eyes bored into Duke Ming, her flat and emotionless expression bearing no trace of rage or indignation, no signs of joy or sorrow.


    "Caiyi thanks your excellency..." But her attitude changes instantly when she looks at Issei... Her face is filled with gratitude because he helped her yet again...


    Then she set her gaze back to Duke Ming and released a terrifying pressure. This time she''s prepared for anything and she won''t let him escape from her hands twice...


    "Huan Caiyi¡­" The terrifying pressure caused Duke Ming to feel as if his chest was about to explode. In the end, he could no longer endure it and croaked out hoarsely, "This duke¡­ Really regrets deciding not to simply kill you one hundred years ago!"


    The Little Demon Empress did not say anything, and she also did not get agitated by Duke Ming. She slowly and gently raised her petite and exquisite little hand, her tender white palm pointed in Duke Ming''s direction.


    This simple gesture of hers caused Duke Ming''s pupils to suddenly contract. He let out a fierce and desperate howl, both his palms thrusting outwards as all of the profound energy in his body crazily surged forth. Fallen Devil Flames raged throughout the sky as Duke Ming thrust them towards the Little Demon Empress with a yell.


    But how could he who just used the could contend against the Little Demon Empress? Even when he''s still at his peak he still can''t put a decent fight... Needless to say about the current him...


    *BANG!!!*


    Flames exploded everywhere as the very air itself was explosively torn apart... Duke Ming''s body smashed heavily against the ground, his entire body twitching and spasming. He glanced at the Little Demon Empress''s ice-cold face and his entire body started trembling in fear. His expression warped into one of abject terror as if he had seen a ghost.


    The Little Demon Empress'' eyes were like two chips of ice. Her hand lifted up and fell again, as a cluster of golden flames mercilessly struck the location of Duke Ming''s dantian.


    *Boom!!!* *AHHHHHHH!!!*


    The flames blew apart and the ruthless Golden Crow flames crazily surged into Duke Ming''s profound veins. The flames mercilessly incinerated the profound veins that had been drastically weakened by his loss of blood essence¡­ Duke Ming''s incomparably miserable and wretched howls rang out into the sky, they were so shrill that he felt like his throat was about to be ripped apart. Moreover, all the profound strength and profound arts that he had painstakingly cultivated for nearly a thousand years were being swiftly burned away by those cruel Golden Crow flames¡­


    The Golden Crow flames only stopped burning once they reduced Duke Ming''s profound veins to cinders. Duke Ming did not lose consciousness, but he had lost nearly all his profound strength, so his ability to endure pain was only a small fraction of what it had been before. His face was so distorted that he looked like an evil spirit and his body was curled up into a fetal position. From his trembling lips, he issued a voice that was incomparably weak but also extremely malicious, "Huan Caiyi¡­ even if this duke¡­ descends into the depths of the netherworld¡­ I¡­ will never let you off!"


    "I''m afraid you won''t have the chance." Before she could respond to his words, a calm but bored voice could be heard.


    "There will be no place in hell nor heaven after your demise... I have already marked your soul with a mark. And once you died... Your soul will directly deconstruct itself into nothingness. You can forget being given a second chance or whatnot in the afterlife." Issei said towards Duke Ming.


    Issei already marked Duke Ming''s soul when he encased the latter inside his cage beforehand. He doesn''t feel any pity towards this kind of person in the slightest...


    "...Wh-What are you.... talking about?!" Duke Ming at first went into a daze but soon he shouted in a weak voice. He doesn''t really understand what Issei just said but somehow he can feel terror rising up inside the depth of his very own soul...


    As if something just emerged from within ready to cut his soul to millions of pieces.


    "What my King is saying, trash... Is that even in death you will never find peace. You will never be able to reincarnate, there will be no other outcome for you except your ultimate demise of having your very own soul turn into nothingness." Naru answered coldly in place of Issei.


    "ARGHHHHHHHH!!!" Duke Ming''s blood-curdling howl of frustration and hate was as desolate and hopeless as any demon''s.


    Because somehow he can tell... He can tell that what they''re saying is true... The horror he''s currently experiencing is extremely unbearable. It''s as if he doesn''t have the control over his own soul... It''s as if his soul has become someone else belonging... And that someone is "Death" itself...


    Even the Little Demon Empress shuddered for a brief second when she heard it... But soon she snapped out of it.


    The Little Demon Empress raised a palm and she made a simple gesture with her finger as four beams of fire shot towards Duke Ming''s arms and legs. They instantly charred his limbs black and one last beam of fire shot directly into his mouth, causing all of his teeth to explode¡­ And before the fragments could even fall to the ground, they had already been burned up in midair.


    Duke Ming''s eyes rolled back as his whole body went rigid and he directly passed out due to the extreme pain.


    "Congratulations... You had your revenge. Well, at least a part of it..." Issei said towards the Little Demon Empress.


    She still needs to deal with those from the after all.


    "It''s all thanks to your excellency help..." The Little Demon Empress bowed gratefully towards Issei.


    Then, the Little Demon Empress dragged the two fainted Duke towards the capital...


    ...


    She then had the three Grand Elders of the Yun Family to use a Profound Handle Soul Search in order to bring all of Duke Huai''s crimes to light, from him and his father, Duke Ming, killing the previous Demon Emperor and Little Demon Emperor, giving info to the Profound Sky Continent, to sending the upper echelons of the Yun Family into a trap...


    The entire capital is in shock after knowing their crimes...


    Little Demon Empress didn''t want to kill Duke Ming who''s the main culprit without him suffering, she forced him to watch as she slowly burned Duke Huai, and his two grandsons Hui Ran and Hui Ye...


    "Little Demon Empress¡­ spare me¡­ I don''t know anything¡­ I really don''t know anything¡­ ahhhh!!!!"


    Hui Ye begged desperately, but his begging would never trigger any of the Little Demon Empress'' mercy. She ignited flames from out of thin air and veiled the three of them. The sound of his begging immediately became horrific screaming.


    Being burned by the Little Demon Empress'' Golden Crow Flame, they were destined to be burned to ashes, and no one could possibly save them. But how would the Little Demon Empress just let them die that easily? The Golden Crow on their bodies followed their limbs and burned slowly, swallowing their bodies and blood bit by bit, torturing them with flames that seemed to be from hell itself.


    "Waaahhh¡­ Little Demon Empress¡­ spare me¡­ Grandfather¡­ save me¡­ save me¡­ ahhhhh¡­"


    The three bodies were burning in mid-air until their flesh and blood were all horribly mangled, and their limbs were all gone, but the sound of their screaming was still horrific. They were in extreme pain and could neither live nor die. All the people below were shivering with pale faces as their teeth chattered away. Just looking at a scene like this, listening to sounds like this, they were so in fear they almost couldn''t stand straight.


    Then she also killed the entire family of Duke Huai and Duke Ming... Those who directly involved with their traitorous deeds had also met their end...


    In the Demon Emperor Hall, those sinners who helped the Duke Huai Palace but only on the borderline barely acceptable were still kneeling on the ground, and no one dared to stand up at all. Under the gaze of the Little Demon Empress, their bodies were trembling, and every pore from head to toe was shivering.


    "This empress will give you a chance to compensate for your crimes!" The Little Demon Empress'' voice was like the judgment of the reaper, sounded coldly in their ears, "I will give you ten days. Within these ten days, this empress wants you all to wipe out Duke Huai Palace''s whole clan! Father, mother, wife¡­ Exterminate their whole family! Even women and children cannot be excluded! And bring their corpses and pile them up in front of the gate of Demon Imperial City and burn them all. Not even a single hair can remain!"


    "After ten days, if there is anyone left of Duke Huai''s clan, this empress will condemn and kill a hundred of you! If there are ten people left, then this empress will kill a thousand of you!"


    The ruthless command of the Little Demon Empress set off the most terrifying reign of terror in the history of the Demon Imperial City. A baptism of blood with the Little Demon Empress'' endless hatred, with Duke Huai Palace at the center, had fallen onto the Illusory Demon Realm''s holy Imperial City¡­


    Duke Ming and his families, who used to look prestigious and extraordinarily proud, until today, had come to their miserable ends...


    Because of the cruel command to exterminate the whole Duke Huai Palace, those who used to earnestly wish to lick the feet of Duke Huai Palace now could not wait to disassociate themselves from it completely. Each of them were striving to be first, fearful of being last and killing fewer people than the others¡­ Especially the seven great Guardian Families and the many Duke Palaces, they knew clearly in their heart that if they wanted to save themselves and protect their families, they needed to do whatever they could to show their loyalty to the Little Demon Empress, even if they needed to give up their dignity, shake their tails, and beg for it¡­


    Because the Little Demon Empress now absolutely had the power to make their ten-thousand-year-old family perish overnight, and she could use a few words to have all their clans be remembered by history as a byword for infamy!


    Duke Huai Palace was Duke Huai Palace after all, they had many strong practitioners within, but it was impossible for them to endure against the joint forces of all of these peerless, strong practitioners, and they were eventually enclosed upon by them. The time limit the Little Demon Empress gave was ten days, but only a short three days passed before Duke Huai Palace was already completely ravaged, and the whole family was exterminated¡­ not even a single survivor was left. Even those of Duke Huai''s family that were thousands of miles away were slaughtered.


    The once extraordinary and prosperous Duke Huai Palace had already become a charred ruin. The thick smell of blood was stirring within and didn''t disperse for a long time. No one dared to go within ten miles of it. At that time, in Demon Imperial City, every force was trembling with fear, everyone was feeling insecure, and even while walking they were careful, not daring to speak too loudly.


    Out of all of them... Only Duke Ming is left alive... And the reason for that is...


    "He caused my royal father to die, killed my royal brother, brought the clan of the Demon Emperors to the brink of extinction, nearly consigned the Yun Family to the abyss, and plunged our entire Illusory Demon Realm into a hundred years of chaos¡­ With crimes of this magnitude, killing him like this would simply be doing him a favor!"


    "I won''t let him die that easily. In fact, this empress will make sure that he lives on no matter what! For the next hundred years! And during these hundred years, this empress will ensure that each and every day, every single second of his life, will be filled with the cruelest and most painful tortures imaginable!"


    The Little Demon Empress hatred towards him is not a simple hatred... It is a hatred that''s been going on for a hundred years... And she would make Duke Ming suffer for exactly a hundred years because of it...


    But that''s only because she knows that even in death he won''t find peace... If not... She might just keep him alive forever until the day she dies... She will force-feed him as many as life-prolonging treasures she could if it really comes to it.


    After the baptism of blood, the Little Demon Empress organized a celebratory feast for an entire week... The whole Kingdom is allowed to attend it.


    Hence the internal struggle that has been going on for a hundred years came at a close in but a short span of less than a week...


    ...


    -At the Imperial Demon Palace-


    The Little Demon Empress wears a brand new robe that isn''t colored bland gray like the one she used to wear... It looks quite exquisite and eyecatching.


    It''s a mix of black and red-colored robe with a golden outline. It enhances her already kingdom-toppling beauty by another level... It makes her look a bit maturer as well.


    (AN: Check my pat reon for new images).


    She just got out of her room and after she''s dressed by her maid, she took a deep breath before she walks into the private courtyard she renovated recently...


    When she arrived at the entrance of the courtyard, she saw a few maids of hers are gazing dazedly in a certain direction... They had this lovestruck look on each and every one of their faces...


    The Little Demon Empress face twitched a few times seeing her maids being like this but she can''t really blame them either... That''s because her benefactor is the one they''re currently observing...


    And with his otherworldly countenance, it''s no wonder these maids of hers become lovestruck... Even she could barely keep herself in check whenever she''s in his presence...


    Now she understands why he wore that mask back then... If he were to walk around the city without his mask on then she wouldn''t be able to imagine just how many butterflies and ants he would attract...


    One of the maids who''s currently "sightseeing" accidentally saw the Little Demon Empress. She hurriedly pays her respect: "L-Little Demon Empress!"


    She kneeled on the spot and soon her fellow "accomplices" also follow suit...


    The Little Demon Empress sighed tiredly at waved her hands off at them signaling that they''re dismissed... They immediately scurried off from their previous spot albeit feeling reluctant...


    The Little Demon Empress took a deep breath before she steps forward heading towards Issei''s direction...


    "Caiyi greets your excellency" She said softly...

 Chapter 113 - 112

    (AN: Thank you very much for my new *******: Agolcan Acioglu, Caleb To, Leonardo souza carvalho, Samuel Heffer, LemonOx Kaine, Jake Santos, and Peter Far. Wish you all the best and stay healthy and be successful. Enjoy the chapter, thank you once again and peace out girls scout!)


    A group of people appeared in front of the ... They are Sirzechs and the other faction leaders of the DxD world. But they''re not the only one...


    Other groups of people from another universe/world also arrived here one by one... They are the higher-ups of that said world.


    This is not the first time for Sirzechs''s group to see the Flying fortress but this is indeed their first time visiting it directly like this... They''re awed by the sheer size of Babylon alone...


    There are three entrances leading inside and those groups of newcomers lined up on their respective entrance...


    Sirzechs''s group entrance coincidentally located right in the middle.


    There are actually more than three entrances but the other entrances are for special cases.


    "That''s a big tree..." Azazel muttered when he saw the giant tree located right in the middle of Babylon.


    "If I remember correctly, Rose said that it''s the tree... Damn, our back home is nothing compared to this..." Odin muttered in amazement.


    "Welcome to the ... The residence of the highest ruler of the ." Ultinia who''s guarding the middle entrance welcomed their group.


    She welcomed them with a professional smile that usually adorned her face.


    "O-Oh, greetings, Lady Ultinia." Michael greeted her politely in the place of others. He somehow still felt some fear of her... Because behind that smiling face, there is a hidden personality that could instill fear to those who are caught unprepared. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned indeed...


    Sure her main element consists of element just like his and the other angels but Ultinia element is not a simple element... It''s an energy that is imbued with Issei''s draconic aura.


    If he somehow got hit by her element then he won''t leave unscathed even if he''s element user himself... Her element could devour his element and worst come to worst then his condition will be just like Irina''s... He will need constant refuel of energy from others...


    That would be extremely ironic considering he''s the leader of the Angel faction...


    "We have been expecting your arrival. Now please excuse us... Girls." Her smile doesn''t falter even when she took notice of Rias and her peerage amongst the group. She clapped her hands lightly and the other Kalars immediately inspected them...


    Only after they confirmed that there''s no hidden weapon and the like in their possession that they gave a green signal to Ultinia: "Ultinia-sama, they''re clear."


    "Um, then right this way." Ultinia took a side step and opened a pathway for their group.


    When they passed Ultinia''s post, they met with Brunhild and the Valkyries next: "Halt!" Her cold and strict voice resounded from within the entrance hallway.


    "...How come they look so different? I mean, sure my Brynhildr is a strict one herself but she doesn''t come close to this Brunhild..." Odin whispered in a low voice while he sweated a little seeing how sharp and cold this Brunhild gaze is.


    (AN: Reminder. Brunhild is from Issei''s side while Brynhildr is DxD side).


    Even Brynhildr herself has to agree with her impolite boss words... She sees herself a serious woman but it seems that her strictness doesn''t come close with this other Brunhild...


    "I don''t really know myself, old man... Nor could I imagine my favorite lucky go around pervert student managed to claim all these women to himself like this... I guess his dream being the Harem King is not just a dream anymore..." Azazel responded while smiling wryly.


    Brynhildr ignored their mutterings and proceed to report their arrival to the higher-ups...


    "I''m sure that I don''t have to remind any of you... Remember where you are right now and don''t do anything stupid or I will make sure that you pay dearly." Brunhild narrowed her eyes dangerously but she seems to be aiming at a specific group... It''s none other than the Gremory heiress and her cohorts...


    But Rias and the others are obviously not like the old them... They stay calm even when they''re exposed to Brynhildr''s bloodlust. Even the once cowardly Asia seems calmer now...


    "W-We can assure you that we won''t do anything reckless and that includes my little sister along with her friends." Sirzechs said while he stands in front of Rias''s group.


    "It''s fine, onii-sama... If you deem us have done something wrong during our stay here then please feel free to claim our heads. We won''t resist in the slightest." Rias stepped forward and voiced out her words.


    Sirzechs''s who saw this sigh bitterly but soon he stepped aside... He guesses that his beloved little sister has truly changed now...


    Whether that it''s a good thing or not... He supposes it''s a good thing...


    Sairaorg and the others who are standing nearby Rias''s group sweated slightly feeling amazed by their bloodlust...


    ''What a crazy bloodlust...'' They all thought to themselves... The Kalars could keep their calm but it seems that the Valkyries can''t do the same as them considering that Issei is their savior... He''s the one who freed them from their previously hellish life in the hands of the already deceased Odin after all...


    But they felt a little awed by Rias and her peerage since they could face this bloodlust head-on...


    Vali is also a little impressed with the current Rias Gremory. It looks like being separated from Issei made them more mature, he thought to himself.


    The door leading to the interior buildings of Babylon opened and Rossweisse who''s wearing a business outfit steps out with a clacking noise of her high heels. Only then the Valkyries took back their bloodlust...


    They paid their respect to their captain who just arrived. Even Brunhild paid her respect: "Greetings, captain."


    "Um, greetings to all of you as well." Rossweisse responded to their greetings.


    "Oooh, Rose~ over here!" Odin waved giddily seeing his "Granddaughter" picking them up... He really couldn''t stand being exposed to all these glares coming from the Valkyries especially by Brynhildr herself...


    Sure they''re not really aiming those glares at them but it still nerve-wracking to say the least...


    Rossweisse who saw Odin sighed wryly before telling them to follow her: "Come this way, everyone..."


    Odin and the others hastily followed Rossweisse the moment she finished speaking...


    When they went inside, they are welcomed by a large hall filled with a lot of people of different races.


    There are an information counter and the like dedicated to guests.


    It''s like a gathering hub or guild hub you could say...


    "...Amazing..." Serafall muttered but then something caught her eyes almost instantly: "Ne ne, Rose-chan! What are those counter over there for?!" She pointed at a specific counter where a group of children wearing a magical outfit lined up could be seen.


    "Oh? That''s the children from the school Ise opened... And that line of children are children who wanted to grow up to be a magician. They''re here to take the test to advance their specific classes..." Rossweisse explained with a smile.


    "Oooo~ So they''re the future magical children!? Can I meet them!? As their senpai being the senior magical girl, I need to give them advice and tips in advance!" Serafall said with so much enthusiasm that they started to attract attention to themselves.


    "Who are they?"


    "I don''t know but since Rossweisse-sama is the one leading their group then they must be a big shot themselves."


    "Hmm, I wonder if they''re a ruler of another world..."


    A murmur such as that could be heard across the giant hall...


    "O-Onee-sama... Please cut it out! You''re embarrassing us!" Sona tugged her big sister''s clothes while feeling embarrassed because they suddenly became the center of attention of almost everyone''s there.


    "But but So-tan... They''re the future magical girls you know?! It''s not every day that we could get so many candidates at once!" Serafall continues to push on: "I need to offer them a spot for the Magical Girl Milky Spiral show!"


    "They''re not that kind of magical girls and some of them are boys..." Sona said with a sigh feeling embarrassed by her big sister''s childish act.


    "It doesn''t matter! They can be magical boys!"


    Sirzechs and the others could only smile wryly at Serafall but they''re used to her antics so they don''t feel that embarrassed, unlike Sona who wishes that she could just find a hole and jump inside it...


    "Oh, right. You mentioned that Ise opened a school once in the past... How''s it like over there?" Azazel asked Rossweisse feeling interested in the school Issei opened.


    "Well, there are multiple reasons why Ise opened a school... The school is very welcomed here since it allowed any race to enter it and regardless of their and their parent''s status. All of them are treated equally." Rossweisse put her index finger on her chin while explaining...


    "One of the reasons why he opened the school is because of how he likes children just like you all know and the other reason is it''s for our children..." She flashed a loving smile while reminiscing about the past which captivates almost everyone who is present.


    Odin feel extremely gratified seeing how happy his "Granddaughter" seems right now... Even Brunhild felt really happy for her old kouhai...


    "Our children will obviously not be normal children considering who their father is... And to avoid the situation where they''re being treated differently, Ise purposefully opened a school to educate other children to treat others nicely regardless of their race and identity... He also doesn''t take any fee from those who are poor so those children can proper education."


    "Maaa~ how wonderful! So Ise-sama has already thought that far ahead for his children?" Gabriel clapped lightly feeling awed by Issei. Michael, Sirzechs, Azazel, etc also nodded along with her statement.


    "Yes! In fact, according to Da-Vinci, he also already prepared the baby room and even their respective toys up to the age of five... But once in a while, I felt like he''s thinking too far ahead at times... Not that it''s a bad thing or anything but it''s just that I hope he will let us do something for our babies... I mean, they''re not even born yet but he already thought like three steps ahead of us, their mothers.." At first, Rossweisse nodded jubilantly but soon she smiled wryly by the end of her statement...


    "Have you thought of the baby''s name as of yet?" Odin asked her.


    "Well, not yet... We were thinking to wait for Ise''s return first." Rossweisse shook her head gently.


    "I see..." Odin sighs wistfully for her. Until now they still can''t find him... They felt sorry for Rossweisse and the others but there''s nothing else they could do other than to hope for the best.


    "Ah, that''s right... How are you feeling, Kiba-kun?" Rossweisse changed the topic of their conversation and suddenly spoke to Kiba.


    "Eh?" Kiba let out a stupefied voice for suddenly being the topic of their conversation. Even though "he" turned into a woman, it seems that she''s still not comfortable wearing a girly outfit...


    She''s wearing a plain t-shirt and blue jeans... But she does wear a bra though... Her busts would be too eyecatching if she doesn''t wear it considering how big it is...


    "I mean... You basically have been living your whole life as a boy... So how are you doing now as a girl? Any discomfort? If you want then I can ask big sister Semiramis to change you back, you know?" Rossweisse asked while smiling apologetically.


    "O-Oh, it''s fine... I mean, it''s kind of weird at some part but I don''t really have the intention of going back... I failed Ise-kun being his friend after all..." Kiba said with a smile of her own.


    "You know that he never blames you for it, right?" Rossweisse said with a sigh.


    "I know... But I still can''t just let it be like that. So I take this ''change'' as my punishment instead." Kiba flashed a wry smile when she finishes speaking.


    Tsubaki and Reya who saw her being like this could only sigh bitterly... They still couldn''t believe that their previous crush turns out to be a bona fide girl...


    "I see..." Rossweisse nodded at Kiba words: "Then, how about you Sona-san?"


    "Eh? What about me?" Sona asked cluelessly.


    "I heard from the others that you''re somehow engaged to Ise... How did that exactly happen anyway?" Rossweisse inquired curiously.


    Sona''s face exploded in red when she heard Rossweisse''s words but thankfully, her savior is here...


    "Rossweisse-sama, didn''t we told you to take it easy... You''re pregnant so please be more careful about your health. Issei-sama would blame us if anything were to happen to you and your baby..." A sudden strict voice could be heard from behind their group and when they look over they saw Rakia exhaled tiredly at Rossweisse.


    She''s accompanied by Shuri, Raynare, Kalawarner, Venelana, and Grayfia themselves.


    Both Baraqiel and Akeno widen their eyes for a brief moment when they caught the sight of their past wife and mother... But soon they snapped out of their daze since they both finally able to accept that this Shuri is not the past Shuri they once know...


    "A-Ah, it''s fine... I''m still in the early stage of pregnancies and I''m sure to be mindful of my own safety..." Rossweisse scratched her cheek feeling shy of everyone''s eyes on her.


    "And besides... The ring Ise gave us will surely protect us and our children from any harm." Rossweisse flashed her ring along with a blissful smile on her face.


    There are multiple envious gazes locking into her wedding ring when they saw it... Rias''s group for one clenched their fist with so much force that their whole hand turned white...


    They''re not jealous of Rossweisse but they''re feeling regretful of their stupidity since they supposed to have their own rings by now but because of their mistakes, they lose that chance...


    How laughable... In the past, it was they who were the closest to Issei but now...


    Rossweisse is basically the last person who entered the race but she''s the one who finishes first...


    "That''s still not an excuse... Shuri, Raynare, Kalawarner. Please escort Rossweisse-sama back." Rakia doesn''t buy her words though so she told her friends to take Rossweisse back.


    "Understood... Then please excuse us, Rossweisse-sama." The two of them responded when their names are called and they immediately surrounded Rossweisse preventing her from escaping.


    "A-Ah wait!" Rossweisse tried to struggle but the three maids won''t let her.


    "Please don''t make it harder for us, Rossweisse-sama. Think of what Issei-sama would''ve done if they saw his pregnant wife being left unattended like this. We can''t possibly allow him to feel discontented now, can''t we?" And with those words alone, Rossweisse loses any fight in her and allowed herself to be escorted away...


    "Ah, Rose..." Odin said feeling pitiful that his "Granddaughter" is being dragged away from him...


    "Then if you would please excuse me. Venelana, Grayfia, I believe you can lead them to their destination."


    "Hai" Both Venelana and Grayfia answered respectfully. Rakia then excuses herself shortly after since she''s also pregnant after all...


    Along the way to their destination, Sirzechs''s group had a conversation with Venelana and Grayfia such as how are they doing over here and the like... Of course, they''re not being mistreated at all and if anything they''re feeling content working here.


    Venelana being the most satisfied since she can act freely in here without really minding her status... She''s basically just a normal girl over here unlike when she''s still acting as Zeoticus''s wife.


    After walking for a while, they finally reached their destination. They''re lead inside a monitoring room where Mertel could be seen holding a holographic device in her hand.


    "Mertel-sama, we''ve brought them." Grayfia said towards Mertel.


    "Um, just a moment..." Mertel answered while she still tinkers with the device in her hand.


    After waiting for a moment, Mertel finally set her gaze on them.


    "So... I heard that some of you wanted to be an ?" She asked with narrowed eyes.


    ...


    After she announced her arrival, the Little Demon Empress slowly enter the courtyard...


    The courtyard is a beautiful garden filled with flowers and greeneries... There''s no roof and the clear blue sky is in full view from below. Birds and the like are free to enter and exit the courtyard but the Little Demon Empress forbid anyone else from entering this place and whoever breaks this rule, the penalty is death...


    The palace maids are also not an exception to this rule.


    Issei could freely travel back and forth from the to the so it''s not like he needed this courtyard but since the Little Demon Empress went on her way to make this place for him then he might as well use it...


    Issei was standing in front of a lotus pond while watching Bai''er running around the place with Su Ling''er... Both of them are being surrounded by birds and butterflies alike which earned a happy giggle from Su Ling''er while Bai''er has a thin smile adorning her face. It''s clear that they''re having a lot of fun right now...


    At the nearby table, there''s a variety of snacks ranging from simple french fries and a bunch of cakes...


    Bai''er had a sweet tooth, something Issei discovers recently. Su Ling''er who Issei picked up not long ago also shares the same taste as Bai''er it seems.


    The Little Demon Empress who saw the variety of food at the table is amazed even further knowing that all of those exotic looking food is cooked by her benefactor personally.


    She already tried his cooking once by chance and she still remembers the taste until now... It becomes harder for her to eat other food ever since she tasted his cooking once...


    She almost drooled when she caught the faint scent of the sweet aroma emanating from the freshly baked cake but thankfully she can prevent embarrassing herself in front of her benefactor...


    "You can help yourself if you want to." Issei said without looking at the Little Demon Empress.


    The Little Demon Empress body shook slightly since it seems that her benefactor found out about her hidden thoughts... Her cheeks immediately reddened by a little bit.


    "N-No, it''s fine..." She said in a low voice trying to gain her bearings back.


    Issei doesn''t say anything else and then he proceeded to throw some food pellet into the pond where there''s a bunch of koi fish in it.


    All of them are grouped in front of Issei but they don''t act rowdy at all like they used to. But rather, they seem so organized that anyone who doesn''t see it with their own eyes then they wouldn''t believe it...


    When both of them are still enjoying the silence and soothing atmosphere... Su Ling''er trotted over dragging Bai''er along with her.


    "Big brother Ise! Can I bring little sister Bai''er to play outside?" Su Ling''er asked with sparkling eyes.


    "Oh? Let me accompany you two then." Issei gently smiled at her as a response.


    "No no no! Big brother can''t come! Ling''er and little sister Bai''er wanted to... wanted to... No matter what big brother can''t come!" Su Ling''er tried to come up with an excuse but failed to come up with one in the end... So she only puffed her cheeks denying Issei participants in their little plan...


    Even Bai''er crossed her arms making an "X" sign signaling that he can''t come with them.


    She and Bai''er wanted to buy some gifts for Issei so if Issei tag along with them then it won''t be a surprise anymore, right?


    "Hmm... Okay then... But take big sister Zin and Naru with you, okay?" Issei raised his eyebrows at them but then he smiled softly while he pats their heads.


    Zin and Naru immediately appeared behind Su Ling''er and Bai''er ready to escort them on their little trip.


    "En!" Su Ling''er smiled widely and Bai''er also smiled thinly at his words.


    Then Issei gave each of them pocket money... After they said their goodbye, both Bai''er and Su Ling''er went towards the city market while being accompanied by Zin and Naru...


    "Should I send some escort from my side as well, your excellency?" The Little Demon Empress offered.


    "No need... Naru and Zin can keep them both safe and too many people following them will only attract unnecessary attention to themselves." Issei refused her offer.


    The Little Demon Empress nodded gently at his words.


    "So... I take it that things went well on your side?" Issei asked the Little Demon Empress.


    "Ah, yes... Things have proceeded quite well so far. I managed to root out all of the traitors and any hidden spies from the thanks to your excellency help. The people have also calmed down to a certain extent and for once, after hundreds of years... The welcomed its peaceful state once again..." The Little Demon Empress said in a voice filled gratitude.


    The kingdom is not fully stabilized yet but it won''t be long before it happens... And when the kingdom has been fully stabilized, only then she will start her last part of revenge on the ...


    "I see..." Issei nodded slightly at her words.


    "...May I ask you a question, your excellency?" The Little Demon Empress suddenly asked after a brief silence.


    "Hm? Go ahead." Issei finally turned his head slightly in her direction.


    "How can you tell that there was a traitor hidden amongst my subjects and how can you tell that Duke Ming and Duke Huai will arrive at the Golden Crow valley back then?" The Little Demon Empress asked curiously.


    "...Do you remember when I said that I''ve already marked Duke Ming soul with a mark?" Issei thought for a second before he asks the Little Demon Empress back.


    "I do" Of course she remembers it... Since even she who''s nearby Duke Ming felt chill down to her soul.


    "Well, is one of my divinity... I have the capabilities to see through a person''s soul... Whether they''re contaminated by ''Sin'' or not..." Issei said while his eyes color glistening in a rainbow color for a brief second.


    "When I first saw Duke Huai, I can tell right away that he''s inherently evil down to his very core... I just gambled to see if my guess is correct or not so I secretly sent Naru to follow Duke Huai when we left the Yun residence back then and when she followed him to Duke Ming''s place, that''s how I know Duke Huai will come to the valley and that he''s also a traitor... I took a guess that he will feel extremely threatened and should head to his greatest backer asking for help or advice since there''s no way someone with his strength can contend against you on his own if he''s truly a traitor and my guess is proven to be correct." Issei said calmly while the Little Demon Empress become amazed yet again...


    Doesn''t that make him the perfect King then? Without being able to be betrayed by his subordinates?


    But then she remembered something: "So that means if I were to decline your request back then... My fate would''ve been sealed?"


    "...You could say that. In a way, I forced Duke Huai to make a move earlier than he supposed to..." Issei said as a matter of fact.


    She went silent after hearing Issei''s words... What he said back then where her kingdom would mostly last for another year or so is not an empty words at all...


    Just like the Golden Crow said... If he wanted to do something to the entire then he doesn''t really need to lift a finger on his own... He could just use the kingdom''s internal strife and the kingdom would destroy itself from inside out...


    Of course, he could also use his overwhelming strength to obliterate the Illusory Demon Realm but he won''t do such a thing since he''s inherently kind and won''t include innocents lives...


    "Do you blame me?" Issei suddenly asked her.


    "Eh?" The Little Demon Empress let out a stupefied voice when she heard Issei''s sudden question.


    "If it wasn''t for my interference, perhaps you will have more time and who knows... Maybe there will be a miracle arrived at your front and your problem would''ve been solved at that time as well. By then you shouldn''t owe me anything..." Issei looks at her straight in the eyes.


    "...No... I don''t blame your excellency..." The Little Demon Empress went silent for a bit before she gave Issei her answer.


    "Oh? And why is that?" Issei raised an eyebrow at her response.


    "Rather than hoping some sort of miracle to happen then I rather take whatever currently presented right before me... To me, meeting your excellency is already the biggest miracle there is..." She said softly not shying away from Issei''s gaze.


    "...I see." Issei was a little surprised but soon smiled thinly at her words.


    When Issei turned his gaze away from her, the Little Demon Empress cheeks blushed slightly and she can sense that her heart is beating slightly faster... She was a little smitten when she saw his smile that was directed at her just now...


    Lieyan who''s residing inside the had her nose went so big feeling proud for having such a great descendant... She gave Xiaotao a mocking grin but the latter just plainly ignores her provocation which earned another annoyed tongue clicking from the former...


    "Oh right, your excellency... Could you help me with this?" The Little Demon Empress who calmed herself down carefully took out document pages related to the Kingdom condition...


    "Hm? Let me see..."


    Issei helped her a little before when she''s stumped on some problem considering the kingdom economy... He by chance saw her being troubled by it and when he gave her his advice, she managed to solve it quite quickly...


    Ever since then, she will sometimes ask Issei for some advice about this kind of stuff... The guidance he gave her is quite revolutionary after all...


    The Little Demon Empress gaze turned gentle whenever they''re having their little private session...


    ...


    -At the city market-


    Su Ling''er little party attracted quite a bit of attention to themselves because of their beauty but it''s nothing a little bit of intimidation from Zin and Naru can''t handle...


    An intimidating aura from two peak Monarch cultivator is not something any normal person wanted to provoke after all.


    So although they attract a bit of attention to themselves, there''s not a single person dared to come close to them... Sure they''re beauties but what use is it if they were to offend such powerful individuals? They will only lose their lives in the process...


    "Hmm, I wonder what gift that will make big brother happy... You know what big brother like, Bai''er?" Su Ling''er tilted her head feeling confused of what gift she should get for Issei.


    Bai''er herself also seems confused since this is the first time she went out shopping on her own... She can only shake her head gently at Su Ling''er question.


    After all, she never saw Issei buy stuff for himself. He only bought stuff for her... Well, maybe he bought some food ingredients now and then but that obviously won''t work as a gift now, can''t it?


    "Then how about big sis? Big sis, do you know what big brother like?" Su Ling''er changed her attention towards Zin and Naru.


    "I''m sure Master would love anything that you buy for him, lady Su Ling''er" Zin answered softly.


    Both Zin and Naru covered their bodies with a robe since their normal getup is not a good example for children... But the robe still couldn''t hide their voluptuous body from the male onlookers''...


    "Uuu, but Ling''er wants to give something special for big brother... And Ling''er already said that big sis Zin and Naru can just call Ling''er without any honorifics!" She said with a pout.


    Zin and Naru could only smile thinly at her.


    But their conversation just now is heard by someone unexpected...


    Behind them, there''s a young man whose eyes suddenly opened wide and his entire body felt like it had been electrocuted... This young man is Yun Che himself...


    Su¡­ Ling... er!?


    The name that sounded in his ears instantly caused a stir in his heart. The face and figure of a girl uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.


    Su Ling''er, the girl who was his heaviest pain, the girl whom he was the most sympathetic for, who was also the biggest regret in his lifetime, was engraved deeply in his heart. Her eyes were forever that gloomy, as she had forever been silently caring, keeping watch, spending all efforts, and waiting for him¡­ However, even after all the efforts that she had spent, until the moment she died, she never managed to wait for his return.


    He knew that she carried a blood feud, yet, in the end, he never knew what her past was. She refused to tell him, and even until her death in his arms, she was unwilling to tell him whose deadly hands she died under¡­ Because she was unwilling to pass on another layer of vengeance to him, who had long lost himself in his own vengeance. However, the more important reason, was still himself¡­ If he could have cared for her more, and was more persistent in knowing about her past, he could have definitely known of her enemies much earlier.


    That bamboo grove, that small, simple and crude bamboo house, that small creek that was forever so clear, the girl who stayed there, who would only wait and keep watch for him¡­ formed all of the memories of him and Su Ling''er. She had gave her everything for him, truly, without any regrets, from the bottom of her heart. Yet he had never done anything for her, not even the simplest of promises. When he embraced her for the last time, his heart was so broken that he cried and wailed loudly. No matter how he hatefully smashed his head repeatedly against a rock, he was unable to get back the chance to repay her in the slightest.


    Whenever the memories regarding Su Ling''er surfaced, he would always suffocate for a moment from the pain in his heart.


    He turned his gaze and looked towards the little girl who''s holding the hand of another heavenly beauty that he recognizes along with other two mature beauties he has never seen before.


    When he looked at the small girl who just spoke... Her small face... And what made Yun Che absent-minded was that this little girl''s features were filled with¡­ Su Ling''er''s reflection!


    Alike! They''re so alike!


    Her contours, eyebrows, nose, lips, chin¡­ all of them were so very similar to Su Ling''er''s. When they were joined together, she looked so much like a smaller and younger version of Su Ling''er. Only her eyes were evidently not the same. Because, the eyes of his Su Ling''er were always so dim, and were always filled with sadness that could cause one''s heart to ache. While this little girl''s eyes were sparkling even brighter than a gem, and even more spirited than a stream, as though they had gathered the purest of spiritual energy between the heaven and earth.


    She too, was called Su Ling''er, and had exactly the same name as the Ling''er he had already lost¡­ Yun Che froze up on the spot. Facing this little girl who had the same name as her, he was destined to not just ignore the scene. Because the name "Su Ling''er", had toggled that forever most sensitive, and weakest nerve of his. If he had the opportunity to repay her even the slightest bit, even if he had to sacrifice half of his life, he would not hesitate in the slightest.


    "Ling¡­ er¡­"


    Su Ling''er''s face surfaced in front of him. Within his blurry vision, it slowly overlapped with the little girl''s. He subconsciously walked forward and reached out his hand wanting to touch her...


    But before he could reach her, his extended hand is grabbed tightly by Naru.


    "You... What do you want?" She narrowed her eyes threateningly at Yun Che. She recognizes Yun Che but that doesn''t give him the excuse of touching Su Ling''er out of nowhere.


    Naru''s words woke Yun Che up from his hallucination. Realizing his loss of decorum, he hurriedly regained his senses: "I''m sorry, senior... But this young lady looks like someone I know."


    "That still doesn''t give you the excuse of touching her." Naru still doesn''t let go of her grip on Yun Che''s hand.


    Su Ling''er who heard the commotion turned her head and when she saw Yun Che, she felt something stir inside her mind.


    She blinked her eyes and said softly: "...Why does this big brother looks kind of familiar... Uuu... Ling''er head hurts..."


    Su Ling''er suddenly entered into a state of deep thought. With her finger pressing on the side of her head, she tilted her head as she looked at Yun Che, as though she was trying hard to recall something.


    Yun Che who saw Su Ling''er went into thoughts hastily shouted: "Ling''er! Do you recognize me?! It''s me, Yun Che!"


    "Yun¡­ Che?" Su Ling''er went into a daze once more but soon she crouched on the ground holding her head: "It... hurts..."


    "Lady Ling''er!" Zin who''s standing beside her hastily inspected Su Ling''er. But she found nothing abnormal...


    "You!"


    *BANG!*


    Naru who saw this immediately pushed Yun Che to the ground pinning him by the head without giving any room for him to move.


    "What did you do!" Naru growled angrily at him. She can''t have anything happen to Su Ling''er or Bai''er since she''s entrusted with their safety by her King himself.


    Yun Che coughed a bit of blood because of the impact but he still doesn''t take his eyes off from Su Ling''er.


    Bai''er who saw Su Ling''er seems in pain started feeling very worried... Su Ling''er is the first friend she had ever since she leaves that fearful abyss after all...


    ...


    "Your excellency... I know this is not much but please receive these gifts..." After a brief private session, the Little Demon Empress took out a bunch of treasures she received using her own efforts.


    She doesn''t offer him a profound currency since she knows that it is absolutely useless for him... Well, as far as she knows, most items she offered to him are also useless but at least it''s worth is better than a simple profound currency.


    She caught a glimpse of his wealth at first hand after all... Even the "pocket money" he gave Su Ling''er and Bai''er just now is enough to make anyone from her kingdom live a full life for at least a couple hundred years...


    There are a bunch of high ranked weapons reaching as high as the Tyrant Profound Realm and crystals mixed amongst the so-called "gifts" of hers... Rare flowers, rare herbs, rare pendants, etc...


    Emperor Profound artifacts were already incomparably rare, but Tyrant Profound artifacts were far more precious. In the entire Illusory Demon Realm, every one hundred years, on average, only one new Tyrant Profound artifact would appear. Presently, if all the Illusory Demon Realm''s Tyrant Profound swords were added up, there might only be a dozen or so... But in these so-called "offerings" from her, there are seven of that said treasures...


    This is the benefit of power and prestige! If it were anyone else then they won''t be able to receive even one of these rare treasures...


    Issei''s strength and prestige are mostly only known within the inner circle of the kingdom... Only select few knew of his existence behind the Little Demon Empress''s current kingship. They can deduce to a certain extent that only because of Issei that the Little Demon Empress able to rout out all of those traitors in a short amount of time...


    Even her sudden increase in strength is most likely related to "him"...


    "Hm? Oh... Thank you." Issei casually takes a few pieces of treasures just a symbol...


    The Little Demon Empress sigh wryly seeing how nonchalant he is... Not like she can blame him since none of these treasures could really be of use of him anyway...


    After he''s done taking a few pieces of treasure, she took back the rest since she knows that he won''t take any more treasure no matter what...


    Then they both welcome another silence... Issei doesn''t say anything else and the same goes for the Little Demon Empress.


    The Little Demon Empress keeps gazing at his figure with some infatuation inside her eyes...


    She couldn''t help but let her mind wander around thinking of what the Golden Crow said before... What will happen if she were able to gain his favor? When that time comes... Could she be blessed with his successors? That way, not only will her family bloodline continues but it will also become far much stronger than ever before...


    She subconsciously grasped her hand tightly and put it close to her stomach... How good would it be if she could really gain his favor...


    Issei''s body suddenly jerked slightly since he can feel through his connection with Bai''er that the latter started feeling restless. His aura spiked for a brief moment when he sensed Bai''er restlessness.


    "Your excellency?" The Little Demon Empress called out to him sensing the sudden spike to his aura.


    Issei doesn''t say anything else and he immediately created a spatial opening towards Bai''er location... The Little Demon Empress left in a daze seeing that Issei suddenly left her behind...


    ...


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    When Issei arrived at Bai''er location. He saw Su Ling''er crouching on the ground holding her head while sweating profusely and Bai''er is next to her trying to comfort her along with Zin.


    Issei who saw this scene immediately picked up Su Ling''er into his arms: "...B-Big brother..." Su Ling''er let out a weak voice when she saw Issei.


    "It''s alright... I''m here now." Issei gently stroked her head and that calmed Su Ling''er to a certain extent...


    Bai''er worriedly looks at Su Ling''er who''s currently inside Issei''s embrace.


    "Don''t worry, she''s fine." Issei comforted Bai''er softly.


    "M-My King!" Zin who saw Issei appeared hastily kneeled in his direction.


    "...Explain" Issei narrowed his eyes dangerously at Yun Che who''s currently being held to the ground by Naru. If the explanation isn''t up to his liking then he won''t mind killing Yun Che right here right now...


    "It''s like this..." Then Zin explained what happened so far.


    Yun Che eyes are fixated at Su Ling''er still and when he saw that someone has picked her up, he gritted his teeth angrily but when he''s about to shout, he saw the newcomer clearly...


    He froze up since he recognizes those clothes and voice... He becomes stupefied seeing the face under that mask is such an otherworldly face...


    Issei who finishes listening to Zin''s explanation now understands of what happened to a certain extent...


    He can deduce that Yun Che must''ve known Su Ling''er in his "past" life.


    For some reason, he can see that something is wrong with Su Ling''er soul... It looks like there''s a hidden and locked part deep within her soul. And it''s somehow connected to the since he can sense the mirror energy residue on her soul...


    He inspected her condition when he arrived and he doesn''t see anything wrong with her physical body and when he inspected her soul, that''s when he found the abnormality...


    It looks like it "reincarnated" both Yun Che and Su Ling''er back to the past. But since Su Ling''er is not the true master of the Mirror, it only sent a part of her soul back while Yun Che has his soul fully "reincarnated"...


    Perhaps at some point in her past life, she accidentally came into contact with the mirror when it''s power is fully charged... That''s the only explanation he can come up with since as far as he knows, Su Ling''er is just a normal human being...


    Issei soon snapped out of his thoughts when he saw that they started to attract attention themselves. Well... To himself to be exact...


    It looks like what the Little Demon Empress feared before will happen soon enough... It will be a long day for the palace''s staff it seems...


    "Take him back." Issei said towards Naru who''s currently holding Yun Che down.


    "As you command!" Then Issei created a spatial opening back to the Little Demon Empress''s palace.


    Naru dragged Yun Che back with them just in time for Xiao Yun who was present saw Yun Che being dragged away... Xiao Yun hastily ran back to the Yun residence to report this incident...


    ...


    Back to the courtyard at the Little Demon Empress''s palace.


    The Little Demon Empress is taken aback when she saw Issei brought Yun Che along with him: "Yun Che?"


    She has vivid memories about Yun Che since he''s the grandson of Yun Canghai.


    But when she saw how he''s being tossed to the ground by Naru, she felt things are not so simple...


    "You recognize her, don''t you, Yun Che?" Issei said towards Yun Che who''s on the ground.


    "...Yes, I do." Yun Che took a deep breath to calm himself down and then he answered calmly.


    "Is it during your "past" life?" Issei asked which made Yun Che felt alarmed since he never told anyone about him being a reincarnator.


    His eyes went wide for a brief moment and when he''s about to deny Issei''s words: "No need to deny it. I can tell that you''re a reincarnator."


    The Little Demon Empress who heard this also felt surprised.


    [...He''s a reincarnator? What''s that supposed to mean?] Jasmine asked feeling confused by what Issei said.


    When Issei took out the , only then Jasmine started to catch on of what Issei meant by "reincarnator" just now.


    "There''s no way that you meet Ling''er since you are from the while she''s from the . And considering your current age... It would be very unlikely for you to meet her in this lifetime." Issei said calmly towards the stupefied Yun Che.


    ? Isn''t that the continent name on his second life?!


    "Although the distance from the to the isn''t that far. You shouldn''t have the capabilities to travel between the two continents freely unless you can create your own spatial opening... Even if you''re currently at the peak Monarch level right now, it would''ve took you at least six whole months to fly from one continent to the other. And You''re clearly still far from reaching the Emperor level strength, needless to say about reaching the Monarch level... As for finding a spatial opening between the two continents? There''s no spatial disturbance that I discover during my stay there."


    And it''s more unlikely for Yun Che to kill that Tyrant profound beast who possesses the Heretic God Water seed inside its body... Even if there is a spatial opening between the two continents, it would be very unlikely for Yun Che who''s only at the Spirit profound realm to safely passes through it...


    Unless someone helped him in the process that is...


    "The only explanation that I can come up with is that you two have met in your "past" lives... Now tell me... How come Ling''er seems to be in pain when she saw you? Her memories are also forcibly locked on its own. This should''ve only happened if there''s too much pressure or stress on a person''s soul... In other words, her memories of you are not a happy memory." Issei narrowed his eyes at Yun Che dangerously.


    Even now Su Ling''er face is a little pale whenever she saw Yun Che''s face... She hugged Issei more tightly whenever she felt pained.


    Issei''s words have been filtered time and time again within Yun Che''s head, making his originally impatient and disorderly brain even more chaotic¡­ Now, he suddenly raised his head as if lightning struck his brain... And when he saw the pained look on Su Ling''er face, he felt pain in his heart as well...


    "Th-Then... Does that mean that this Ling''er..." His voice sounded hoarse with disbelief.


    "...Yes... This Ling''er is most likely the same Ling''er you once know in your previous life since she also went through the ''reincarnation'' process just like you although her memories are not fully unlocked, unlike you..." Issei confirmed his guess.


    The sudden facts exploded Yun Che''s brain. All the blood in his body practically began to boil. He looked at both his hands and violently trembled all over¡­


    Yun Che growled from the bottom of his throat, then fiercely reached out and pounded his head. He was occasionally mad with joy and then occasionally had a nervous breakdown¡­ the Ling''er he was madly in love with was still alive... How badly he treated her until her last moment in the past... The guilt he felt is extremely unbearable and it''s so painful that he wishes that he could just die...


    "...I actually did transmigrate because I was originally poisoned to death in the , and in the , I fell off a cliff when I was twenty-seven years old¡­ After waking up, I returned to the Profound Sky Continent, and awoke under the condition in which I had been poisoned to death¡­ All the way until now. And Ling''er, was my most important person in the Azure Cloud Continent, but..." He gritted his teeth regretfully at the end of his words.


    [These sorts of things actually happened to him?!] Jasmine was truly startled. She had heard of the legends concerning the Mirror of Samsara, but she hadn''t seen the Mirror of Samsara and its powers at all. If what Yun Che said was true, then it would fit perfectly with the Mirror of Samsara''s "passing through the reincarnation cycle" in the legends! Only the Mirror of Samsara could achieve these things!


    "...Seeing your expression... I know the answer to my previous question... It''s best that you forget about her and live your life normally. If Ling''er regained her memories, I''m willing to bet that she would just suffer more. You can leave... Considering your relation with Ling''er, I won''t kill you." Issei said towards Yun Che in a cold voice.


    "..." Yun Che wanted to say something but his words are stuck in his throat when he saw the pained look on Su Ling''er face.


    "It''s fine, Ling''er... Go to sleep for now... The pain will disappear soon..." Issei cooed Su Ling''er who''s inside his embrace gently.


    "...En." After giving Issei a forced smile, she fell asleep soon after... When she wakes up... All those memories of Yun Che will disappear completely...


    Yun Che slumped down on the spot while he reminisces how he treated Ling''er in their "past" lives...


    Su Ling''er met Yun Che and ended up falling in love with him, but when they met, his master had already been killed so he was so caught up in his revenge and hatred that he never really paid any attention to her, only using her for his desire and to get rid of his stress with him using her as his sexual outlet... Despite all that, she still stayed with and took care of him...


    She eventually got killed by someone and upon her death, he realized how much he loved her and he needed her in his life. She never told him who her killer was because she knew that he would do anything to try and avenge her and she didn''t want that.


    During her past life, not much was known about her life before meeting Yun Che as she was either never willing to talk about it or Yun Che was never interested in listening.


    But it''s most likely because of the things that involved her and her father which basically has been avoided since Issei has helped them before... So it''s better if she doesn''t regain her memories of her past life back or it would only bring pain just like Issei said...


    ''¡­In my heart, there are as many wounds¡­ as there are on your body¡­ But¡­ I don''t regret it¡­ becoming the girl that accompanied you when you were alone¡­ Even though it was painful¡­ it was also very blissful... Elder Brother Yun Che¡­ If later, when you''re lonely, and there''s a girl who''s willing to stay by your side¡­ Then she¡­ must be an angel sent to you by the heavens¡­ Don''t let her be hurt again¡­ okay¡­?'' It was her last words to him before she died...


    Even though she said she doesn''t regret it... Deep down she must''ve been felt very heartbroken seeing that the man she loved only realizes her feelings towards him during her deathbed...


    "Move. My King has told you to leave." Naru said coldly at Yun Che.


    The Little Demon Empress doesn''t say anything during the whole incident and she acts like a complete bystander...


    Yun Che then stood up lifelessly from the ground and the Little Demon Empress called one of her maids to escort him out...


    Outside the palace, the Yun Family is crowding the entrance and only after seeing Yun Che that they felt relieved... But they felt taken aback seeing how gloomy he is right now...


    They wanted to ask him what happened but he won''t give them any answers...


    Yun Canghai was about to get some answers from the Little Demon Empress but thankfully Yun Qinghong and his wife managed to stop him...


    Hence, the karma ties between Yun Che and Su Ling''er have been completely severed on this very day...

 Chapter 114 - 113

    (AN: Thank you for my new pat reon: Rubra, P.o.r.nvasin Chaisugun, and last but not least, alvi rafid. Hope you all enjoy the chapter and with that said, peace out girls scout!)


    "Don''t let anyone enter." Issei said towards Zin and Naru while still carrying Ling''er in his arms.


    "As you command." Both Zin and Naru responded while kneeling and then they both stood in front of the door guarding it.


    "If you need anything then just tell me." The Little Demon Empress said.


    "Um." Issei gave her a curt nod and then he went inside the room the Little Demon Empress provided for him.


    Once inside, Issei put Ling''er down to the bed...


    Bai''er is standing near Issei while she observes them both with a worried expression...


    Once he put Ling''er down, Issei stroked her small head gently while he let out a little bit of element on his fingertips. Slowly, her once creased eyebrows smoothened out little by little until her expression turned peaceful... There''s even a little smile adorning her face now.


    "...He also possesses the element?" Jasmine said in utter amazement. Even Xun''er felt surprised by this sight...


    Light profound energy is something that completely contradicts darkness profound energy. It is a kind of unique profound energy that is extremely holy and pure, a profound energy that has been adorned with the title ''sacred''...


    It is not like the other forms of profound energy. Its existence is absolutely not for the purpose of destruction or slaughter. Rather, it was meant to create and to save, meant to cleanse the hearts and souls of all the living creatures in the universe. It was created for the purpose of purifying all kinds of impurity and sin.


    Therefore, light profound energy has an extremely weak destructive and attack power, and it is not even equivalent to pure profound energy in that regard. Yet, it is the only thing that darkness profound energy fears as it is the greatest bane of darkness profound energy. At the same time, darkness profound energy counters it just as well as it counters darkness profound energy. So while darkness profound energy is terrified of it, it is also terrified of the corrosion wrought by darkness profound energy.


    Although light laws are the easiest to control, cultivating it has the strictest requirements. One must have a sacred body or a sacred heart, free from contamination and corruption. Which has become impossible long ago for these things to appear in this world which grows dirtier and more flooded with desire by the day...


    So seeing that Issei not only possesses the energy but also the energy within his body is very surprising for them... But soon they accepted it since they know about his true identity.


    If it were anyone else then it would indeed be very surprising but since it''s him they''re talking about then it''s quite normal instead...


    [Hmph, I told you that you know nothing about him.] Lieyan''s disdainful voice resounded inside the pearl. She''s still inside the but since the pearl and the have the same host, they could communicate with each other freely.


    [Tsk, go mind your own business!] Jasmine responded snappily. She''s feeling annoyed knowing that Lieyan seems to know more about Issei compared to her...


    Seeing that Ling''er has calmed down, Issei closed his eyes before he dived into Ling''er soul... Into her sealed soul part to be exact...


    Jasmine and Xun''er who were watching him felt a little confused seeing that Issei suddenly closed his eyes but they decided not to bother him and just wait...


    ...


    Issei is greeted with endless and eerie darkness that could''ve made anyone felt uncomfortable and suffocated... Issei is basically the only person in this world that could dive into another person''s without any discomfort or repercussions.


    After waiting for a moment, right in front of him appeared two figures at the same time.


    On the left stood Su Ling''er. She was slender and elegant, all dressed in white silk. Her expression was one of melancholy and there was an eternal sadness written between her brows. On the right stood Su Ling''er once again but this was the young Ling''er. She was twelve years of age, her delicate features slowly budding into wonderful maturity.


    Both of them are gazing at each other but the difference is the mature Ling''er looks so melancholic and sad while the small Ling''er looks more cheerful and happier.


    "Big sis... Why do you look so sad? Did someone bully you? If so then, don''t worry, I will tell big brother to beat up all the bullies!" The small Ling''er tried to cheer her other counterparts.


    "...I''m not being bullied..." The mature Ling''er responded.


    "Eh, really? Then why do you seem so sad?" The small Ling''er tilted her head in confusion.


    The mature Ling''er softly spoke in a sad tone: "...I feel sad because I lost everyone who''s important to me... I feel sad because I can''t be with the man I love... I feel so lonely and cold in this endless darkness..."


    She started to shed her tears the more she spoke which made the small Ling''er utterly dumbfounded. But soon she also shed tears of her own... She somehow also felt excruciating pain inside her heart when she saw this big sister in front of her cries...


    She felt clueless but somehow she can also feel the sadness she currently feels...


    But suddenly she felt her body is being lifted from the ground into a warm embrace.


    "Don''t cry, Ling''er... Big brother is here..." A warm and gentle voice resounded from behind her...


    "*Sniff* *Sniff* B-Big brother...?" Small Ling''er turn around and sobbed lightly while she''s still shedding some tears.


    Issei then proceeded to gently wipe her tears with his hand...


    "Um... It''s me... Now don''t cry anymore. If you cry too much then your face will look like a tabby cat and then Ling''er won''t be pretty anymore... You don''t want that to happen now, don''t you?" Issei said softly with a warm smile.


    "...*Sniff* En! Ling''er don''t want to turn into a tabby cat... Ling''er will... Ling''er will grow and become beautiful just like big brother!" She sniffed lightly and said with a little pout.


    "...Good good... Ling''er will surely become beautiful..." Issei smiled wryly after hearing her words... What ''beautiful just like big brother?''... He''s a man alright...


    It looks like he really needed to teach her some common sense soon about a boy and a girl soon...


    "Big brother... Can you help this big sister? She seems so sad..." Small Ling''er pointed at the mature Ling''er when she finishes wiping her face.


    "Um..." Issei nodded slightly at her words and then he looks at the mature Ling''er.


    "...You don''t need to be worried anymore... The tragedy you fear the most won''t happen again... I will surely keep ''her'' safe from any harm." Issei reassured the mature Ling''er.


    "..." The Mature Ling''er doesn''t say anything...


    "...Do you feel regret? Meeting ''him''?" Issei asked her softly seeing that she doesn''t respond to his words. And the ''him'' he''s talking about is obviously Yun Che.


    "...No... Even though ''he'' owes me an entire lifetime, I have no regrets..." She shook her head slowly after a brief silence.


    "Are you sure? You truly don''t feel regret meeting him?"


    "...I... I don''t know..." She continues to shook her head at Issei''s question: "But... If there is such a thing as reincarnation, even if we will meet the same end, I will still be like a moth drawn to his flame¡­"


    "...You may feel that way but how will the current Ling''er feel? Should she lose her current happy life just so you can meet the same man who made you like this?" Issei asked her: "Would you sacrifice your ''own'' happiness just so you can fulfill your selfish desire? Ask yourself this... Will it be better if you replace the current Ling''er who still have everything? You''re a ghost of the ''past'' life..."


    The mature Ling''er becomes at loss for words...


    "The current Ling''er still have everything... While ''you'' have lost everything... That''s why you''re trying to ''take over''. You''re lying to yourself saying that Yun Che is everything you have left so you don''t regret anything that happened so far while in fact, you''re just afraid..."


    "I understand that you feel afraid of being lonely, afraid of losing yourself and that is normal but... You''re not alone anymore... Leave behind your past and move forward... Move forward to your newfound life... Your newfound freedom from the past that chained you here... Your life doesn''t revolve around him." Issei walks closer to the mature Ling''er and gently stroked her head.


    "...Freedom...?" She muttered softly... This place was very dark and very cold. She was really afraid, afraid to the point where she had several times wanted to just disappear completely... But at the same time, she''s afraid to just disappear like that... If she disappears, would she forget about "him"?


    In the beginning, "he" was so gentle but he became really terrifying, as though he had gone crazy. But, she still loved him and was infatuated with him¡­ Every day, she would be staying in the small bamboo cottage, desperately praying for him to return alive, yet every day, she would be awoken by these nightmares, unable to stop the tears in her eyes¡­


    Back then, she wondered how many times she had pleaded in tears for him to stop seeking revenge, yet he had never listened to her. Every day, like a crazed dog that had lost its heart, he headed out to bite the people he hated... When he returned, he will be riddled with injuries and when she''s done taking care of his injuries... He would immediately vent his frustration on her body...


    Perhaps... What Issei said was right... She was only deluding herself since he''s the only person she has left in her life... He''s the only person who "needed" her...


    "When I died... I died in his embrace. He was desperately crying out loud while hugging onto me, crying in such a disheartening manner... But what''s the point? When I already passed away... When the dark and cold darkness has already claimed me..." She keeps looking down but by the end of it, she raised her head with tears flooding her entire face.


    Was it truly... love? Or was it something else? She doesn''t know... She only knows that "he" is the only person left in her life... Her mother passed away... Her father is betrayed by his own family member... She''s almost sold away by her own uncle...


    If not for her father''s sacrifice then her fate would''ve been unknown... Most likely, it would be more hellish compared to her past life...


    "It''s so cold... It''s so lonely... Will it really be okay... Will it be okay for me to move forward... Am I truly free? I won''t need to experience that terrifying darkness anymore?" the mature Su Ling''er''s voice, trembling in the beginning, choked at the end. Each of her final words was accompanied by a single tear.


    Her hand slowly crept on Issei''s body while trembling ever so slightly... She needed someone to depend on, someone who would truly love her dearly...


    "Um... I won''t let you feel lonely anymore... I won''t let anyone harm even a single hair of you... This I promise..." Issei said gently at her with determination.


    He won''t let anyone let or anything harm Ling''er in this life... He will protect her just like how big brother protect their little sister would... With all his might...


    "En! What big brother said is right! Ling''er will also protect big sister!" Small Ling''er nodded along with fervor. She doesn''t really understand what Issei said just now but she understands that this big sister felt lonely so she will be her friend, that way she won''t feel lonely anymore!


    "Ah... So warm..." Mature Ling''er let out a genuine peaceful smile for the first time... Her pair of slender arms finally circled around Issei with small Ling''er being in the middle.


    That''s right... In the past, she had always carried "him"¡­ when he was covered in blood. However, he had not even hugged her warmly more than a few times. Other than enjoying her tireless care and her tears filled with concern, he was the one who roughly released his beastly desires onto her... This is the first time she felt true warmth from someone else...


    She said in an indulgent manner: "We¡­ We will always be together, right?"


    "Ah... I promise." Issei said softly and small Ling''er also followed suit with a loud "En!"


    And after flashing a content smile one last time, the mature Ling''er body becomes a particle of lights and it went inside the small Ling''er body...


    Small Ling''er felt surprised by this but soon her body also turns into a particle of lights...


    Issei then sensed that Ling''er soul is fully stabilized... What happened today in the market won''t happen again...


    Issei can''t begin to imagine just what kind of despair the past Ling''er felt... If he wasn''t there to protect her back then perhaps the tragedy will repeat itself...


    For a child at the age of twelve to experience that kind of life... It''s no wonder that she mistook the feeling called love for dependance... Yun Che is perhaps the only man who entered her life and as a result, he becomes her light... But at the same time, he''s also the man who caused her untimely death...


    The one who killed Ling''er in the ''past'' is Yun Che enemies... That''s why she doesn''t want to tell him during her deathbed fearing that he would blame himself even further...


    To be honest... He really wanted to kill Yun Che when he caught a glimpse of Ling''er past memories... What kind of man would treat a girl they love to such extent? He basically took advantage of Ling''er feelings towards him... Even if somehow it was unintentional, it still disgusts him...


    Perhaps when he leaves this place, she will remember about Yun Che and if she still wants to be with Yun Che then he will support her... But no matter what happens, she will always be his little sister... And if by chance Yun Che made her cry then he will show no more mercy...


    He smiled softly before he leaves Ling''er soul space...


    ...


    Issei opened his eyes and smiled softly at the sleeping Ling''er... Her current expression is very peaceful.


    It seems that she won''t be burdened with her past life anymore...


    Issei then felt a tug on his sleeve and saw Bai''er worried face.


    "Don''t worry... She''s completely fine now." Issei comforted Bai''er gently.


    Bai''er who heard Issei''s words smiled thinly and nodded happily...


    "Let''s let her rest for now, okay?" Issei made a hushing gesture towards Bai''er.


    Bai''er copied his gesture and then Issei took her hand and they both left the room...


    When Ling''er woke up, she seems more cheerful than before but at the same time, she also seems more clingy towards Issei now...


    The old Ling''er is clingy towards him but the current Ling''er even more so... She often sits on Issei''s lap whenever she had the chance.


    Even when she eats, she often asks Issei to feed her.


    There''s this invisible bright glow on her face whenever she looks at Issei nowadays but Issei never took notice of it and only think that it''s little sister wanted to be spoilt by her elder brother...


    Although Ling''er seems clingy but she doesn''t seem to forget about Bai''er either. Whenever she sat on Issei''s lap, she would invite Bai''er to sit on the other side...


    This, in turn, made a certain little princess keeps calling Issei with the word "Lolicon!" more often... Not that he cares in the first place... He meant, what''s wrong with an elder brother being close to their little sisters?


    It looks like Issei''s ''siscon'' personality started to emerge once again...


    Issei also went back and forth from the and the .


    Recently, princess Cang Yue officially joined the palace much to his surprise.


    He never thought that Cang Yue would leave her kingdom behind and choose to join the instead... But since it''s her freedom of what she wanted to do, he doesn''t really pry much into it.


    Although... All the girls from the palace knew just why this princess Cang Yue suddenly joined... Even a fool could tell from the way she keeps gazing at their sect elder direction...


    They can only sigh to themselves since Cang Yue seems to fit the criteria of joining their palace so they can''t really refuse her...


    Cang Yue becomes very happy when she''s allowed to join the . This way she can become closer to a certain someone...


    But, with all that said, Cang Yue is also quite diligent in her cultivation.


    And with Issei''s help, her cultivation rose above Yun Che cultivation in no time. In but a week, she achieves breakthrough from Spirit realm into the Earth realm in one fell swoop.


    It''s not that her talent is bad but her previous environment is holding her back... The is not a bad place but compared to the , coupled with Issei''s guidance they are just not on the same level...


    Esdeath''s group is left behind by him to watch over the palace when he''s away... And nowadays, they keep getting uninvited "visitor"...


    ...


    "Again?" Issei said in boredom.


    Issei is in his room at the receiving reports from Esdeath''s group. He''s currently leaning in front of the window looking outside where the girls from the is currently training.


    "Yes, master... The amount of ''rats'' we discover nowadays is kept increasing." Esdeath answered in a kneeling position. At her side, there are Altair and Sirius as well.


    "Did you find anything from them?" Issei asked.


    "Of course, master... With a little bit of ''persuasion'', they confessed everything." Esdeath flashed an evil grin for a brief moment. Altair smirked slightly while Sirius stays expressionless.


    They were there when Esdeath "persuade" those "rats" after all...


    "Hmm, what did they say?" Issei said faintly.


    He doesn''t really care what method Esdeath used to extract the information as long as it''s not used on the innocents.


    During the Little Demon Empress "house cleaning", Issei told her to spare those who know nothing about the coup. With a little bit of his help, nobody knows that there''s a survivor of the Duke Huai Palace... The public thought that there are no more Duke Huai''s descendants left but in reality, there is...


    "Like usual, it appears that they''re from the other sects wanting to spy upon the palace but, at least more than half of them is from the and the ."


    "Oh?" Now this information got Issei''s interest: "This is the first time for someone from the to send someone to investigate the palace... What do they want?"


    "Responding to master... It seems that... For the side, they wanted to investigate about you while the wants to dig some information about the girls." Altair responded in place of Esdeath this time.


    "They want to investigate me?" Issei raised his eyebrows since as far as he could remember, he was quite low key the whole time...


    Not one of them found out about his strength nor cultivation realm... And even if they find out about his cultivation realm then it shouldn''t attract that much attention considering he''s just a peak level throne for people in this world.


    Throne level cultivator is quite rare around here but for the then they should be quite common... So it must be something else... But what is it...?


    And not to mention, he never really came into direct contact with someone from the ...


    As for the ... Their reason must have the same intention as the other sects who coveted the girls'' beauty so he doesn''t really think much about it...


    Issei doesn''t put the incident with Xuanyuan Yufeng into account since it''s just a waste of time to remember that kind of incident.


    But... He might as well investigate a little bit: "Naru."


    "At your command." Naru appeared beside Esdeath''s group.


    "Go investigate the and ." Issei said simply.


    "As you wish!" Then Naru went to a secluded area before she transformed into her Dragon form. She then flew towards her destination...


    For an infiltrating mission, then Naru is the best of the best amongst them all.


    The was one of the . Their overall strength and number of experts are weaker than the and . Their leader is named "Heavenly Monarch". Their core strength excluding the Heavenly Monarch who is in the peak level of sovereign profound realm, are the five ''Sun Moon Divine Envoys'' which consist of two level 10 and three level 9 monarchs.


    The , their members are revered as deities and even though their overall strong experts are fewer than the other three sacred grounds due to fact that their general number of monarchs are lesser their overall strength could be considered on equal to the Absolute Monarch Sanctuary as they have four level 10 monarchs which are the Sword Master and the Three Sword Attendants which they are proud of.


    In a way, they''re basically just like the previous if they''re compared to the other major sects...


    The , they are located one thousand five hundred kilometers south of the southern edge of the continent, above the Southern Ocean. This Sacred Ground is guarding the .


    The overall strength of the is second only to with Fourty seven elders with the strongest Great Elder Mo Chenfeng with a cultivation level of 8th rank monarch together with their pillars excluding The Sovereign of the Seas were the Seven Venerable Ones which consist of two level 10th and five level 9th monarchs, their power and influence is only second to their ruler the Sovereign of the Seas who are in the peak of level 10th monarch.


    As for the , out of the four, they are ranked first, with one hundred sixty-six monarchs. Their leader is named ''Saint Emperor''. Their core strength, excluding the Saint Emperor where the ''Twelve Spiritual Masters'' which consist of three level 10th monarchs, five level 9th and four late level 8th monarchs.


    These are the pieces of information Issei has about the .


    Supposedly, in the past, they are called the instead of the . But Issei doesn''t find out more info about it since the history of these so-called Sacred Grounds is of no interest to him...


    Even though Naru is also at the peak sovereign level, she can still handle another peak level monarch or two and even perhaps three but that''s only because she''s just "newborn"...


    It''s only been around a few weeks since her last transformation after all...


    And if by chance she got besieged by the then with her set of skills, she could easily escape from it without getting a single scratch. Not only that, but she also possesses Issei''s protective charm in case things go awry.


    So she''s not in any danger at all even if the place she''s about to infiltrate is one of the .


    "Master, this may be a stupid question but... What will you do once you found out that their true intention is not to your liking?" Esdeath asked expectantly. She had a faint bloodthirsty expression on her face waiting for her Master''s response.


    "Isn''t it obvious? Xiao sect." Issei answered without care. What he meant by "Xiao sect" is obvious... Total destruction.


    They never really found the exact location so far thanks to Esdeath''s group and the profound beasts around the area prevention.


    "Then please let us take care of it in when the time comes." Esdeath said with an expectant grin on her face.


    Altair and Sirius also showed the same gaze albeit their intention is a little different from Esdeath''s.


    "Ah... I''ll be counting on all of you when the time comes." Issei nodded at her words.


    "We won''t disappoint you!" The three of them answered at the same time.


    "Um... Oh right, are there any changes in our two ''visitor''?" Issei asked them about the two observant that often visited the palace.


    Just in case, Issei put a bounded illusory field to prevent them from seeing the palace. In their eyes, it would be the same old Frozen Cloud but in reality, it''s not...


    "None whatsoever... All they did is observe and doesn''t seem to have any intention of doing anything else." Esdeath reported.


    "I see..." Issei faintly nodded.


    "But it seems that one of them is ill, master." Altair suddenly said.


    "Hm... I can tell. The cause is poison... It''s not as potent as Jasmine''s poison but it''s still quite deadly if not treated properly. And judging from her weak lifeforce, it seems that the poison has been affecting her for quite some time now..." Issei said while his eyes are looking at the sky.


    "Then... Will you do something about it, master?" Altair asked.


    "...We''ll see." Issei doesn''t really mind helping them but he won''t take the initiative for now until he knows just what they want. He may be able to see that they don''t seem to have any ill intention but human nature is something that can change in just a snap of a finger...


    One moment they might seem good but in the next second, they can turn evil... That''s how fickle human is and he knows about this since he was a human himself once.


    But that doesn''t mean he''s an exception to this rule since he can be evil himself if the situation calls for it...


    When they''re still conversing with each other, Zin arrived with her report.


    "Zin has returned, Master." She joined Esdeath''s rank to report her investigation.


    "Um, welcome back." Issei welcomed her return: "What do you find about the ... And supposedly the girl who''s called ''Princess Snow''."


    "Reporting to master..." Zin then proceeded to relay her investigation.


    She was sent by Issei to investigate the and since it''s just basic information gathering, he doesn''t need Naru for it and can send Zin instead.


    He also wanted to train Zin and Naru interaction with humans more. They''re too stiff at times... Although, considering their real identity then it''s quite normal, not that he finds it obnoxious or anything like that but it''s better to have them blend in more perfectly.


    Even their interaction with Bai''er and Ling''er is quite awkward... So he thought he might as well have them interact with the humans more...


    The is one of the seven major nations on the Profound Sky Continent. It is the most powerful nation due to its Divine Phoenix bloodline which they received from the ''Divine Phoenix God'' which was soul fragment left by the Phoenix, a primordial divine beast, to pass on its legacy. The empire is closely intertwined with the Divine Phoenix Sect. The royal family also leads the sect. The imperial capital is Divine Phoenix City.


    The Divine Phoenix Empire used to be called the Grand Asura Kingdom but after the Divine Phoenix Sect rose to power and provided support for the new Imperial Family, even the name of the empire had been changed to Divine Phoenix Empire.


    The is the biggest and most powerful sect within the Profound Sky Continent, their power is slightly inferior compared to the Four Great Sacred Grounds. They are the Divine Phoenix Empire''s protector sect.


    Disciples of the sect wear flame-like red clothes with an emblem of a phoenix with its wings spread out embroidered on the chest. The sect hold''s its Phoenix bloodline as sacred and prevents any disciple from leaking to bloodline outside of the sect.


    As for "Princess Snow", her real name is Feng Xue''er. She is the only princess of the Divine Phoenix Empire.


    It is said that her beauty is high enough for her to be deemed as the Number One beauty of the Profound Sky Continent.


    She was always kept away from everyone else for her entire life by her father, to the point that not even her own brothers were allowed to see her. She was not even allowed outside even with protection, which made her inexperienced with worldly and personal matters.


    As her father is so protective of her she has her very own place outside of Divine Phoenix City that only a few people can enter, called the .


    One time when she was thirteen she was seen gazing at the snow that fell in the Divine Phoenix Empire and was hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Profound Sky Continent.


    "I see..." Issei nodded to himself hearing Zin''s report: "Have you seen her directly?"


    "I''m sorry, Master... But the place where she is located is heavily guarded and unless I force myself in then it will too risky for me to come into contact with her." Zin said regrettably.


    She''s not really suitable for infiltrating mission after all...


    It could be said that she''s more of a warrior type while Naru is the assassin type.


    "It''s fine, I don''t blame you." Issei comforted her.


    "Well, I guess I will go pay her a visit on my own. I promised Xiaotao that I will help her find the other successor after all."


    [Thank you for your benevolence, master...] Xiaotao with heartfelt gratitude.


    [Bah! As expected of the smelly Phoenix... To think that her soul residues had a fallout with each other and I''m sure that this Princess Snow or whatever is nothing special either... The Little Demon Empress is obviously more powerful!] Lieyan said in a boastful tone.


    [Cheh... He will only attract another annoying butterfly...] Jasmine annoyed voice followed up right after Lieyan''s.


    Xun''er sighed wryly seeing her daughter being jealous once again... It looks like she needed to have a little talk with her daughter soon...


    "Take me there, Zin." Issei turned his attention towards Zin.


    "Yes, master." Zin responded.


    "I leave this place to you girls. Remember to use the protective charm I gave you if the situation calls for it." Issei reminded Esdeath''s group.


    "Leave it to us, master!" The three of them answered. They felt warm that their master is worried about them...


    Issei could just read Zin''s memories and then create a spatial opening but he thought that he might as well sightsee along with Bai''er.


    Bai''er once again pops out from the into Issei''s arms where she instantly snuggled her head comfortably.


    Ling''er is currently in closed-door cultivation back in her home. It looks like she wanted to increase her cultivation when she got back from her little trip with Issei at the .


    Zin transformed into his Dragon form while Issei and Bai''er sit on her back before the three of them fly towards their destination.


    But... Along the way, for some reason... A certain little princess decided to pop out as well and sat beside Issei while looking away from him... If one looks closely then they will see that her face is completely flushed up to her ears...


    Issei at first raised his eyebrows at this but soon he just smiled thinly... Shortly after, Xun''er also comes out from the pearl and positioned herself behind Issei.


    She extended her hand towards his back before she starts massaging him much to Issei''s surprise. When he turned his head towards her direction, she only flashed a mischevious smile.


    Issei sighed to himself before letting her do what she wants... He has a feeling that it will be useless trying to stop her.


    Esdeath who saw Issei''s departure created a bunch of low tier ice spirits. Altair and Sirius also did the same...


    When they''re done creating the ice spirits, they send them all to act as a sentry. This way, they won''t have to be worried about anyone bypassing their "sight".


    Esdeath''s group then leave Issei''s room...


    But not long before they left Issei''s place, there''s a knock on his door.


    *Knock* *Knock* *Knock*


    "Elder Ise... Are you there?" Cang Yue''s soft voice resounded from outside the room.


    She called for a second time but all she got is a silent treatment meaning that he''s not in his room...


    Cang Yue felt disappointed since this is not the first time it happened... Nowadays, Issei often went out of the sect but he should be back soon enough.


    Cang Yue suddenly heard other footsteps from behind her only to see Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan walking towards her direction.


    "Ah? Senior sister, senior master...?" Cang Yue gasped lightly seeing them both here.


    Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan stopped in their track before they look at each other for a brief second.


    Xia Qingyue then paid her respect as well while Chu Yuechan nodded softly.


    "Is he not here?" Chu Yuechan asked Cang Yue.


    "E-Eh? Ah, yes, it seems that he''s not here..." Cang Yue hastily said.


    Hearing her answer, both Qingyue and Yuechan felt disappointed... They then turned around and left.


    But to their surprise, there''s another group of girls coming towards their direction. They also greeted Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue when they saw them.


    "He''s not here..." Chu Yuechan said tiredly. She knows fully well just why they came here... Even her own sister is amongst them...


    And just like them, the girls also becomes visibly disappointed... They then dispersed accordingly...


    Cang Yue is left behind feeling awkward seeing that there are so many of her senior sisters wanting to visit Issei...


    ...


    "Oh right, Master... It seems that there will be a tournament taking place at Divine Phoenix Empire called the soon." Zin said towards Issei during their trip.


    This tournament is one of the biggest events in the Profound Sky Continent. In addition to the ten representatives, each nation can bring a thousand people to accompany them. The emperors of each nation would put down their national affairs and personally accompany them to view the tournament. Other people not invited would travel to Divine Phoenix City anyway in order to obtain an entry pass to view the tournament and support their own nation''s practitioners.


    Generally speaking, the Divine Phoenix Empire''s strength could dominate the other six together. Five nations in the middle were relatively close to each other in terms of profound strength while Blue Wind Empire''s strength was pitifully low. Every tournament, the participants from Blue Wind Empire would suffer crushing defeat and humiliation to the point that the Four Major Sects no longer sent any representatives and it was up to the Blue Wind Imperial Family to send their own people.


    The tournament usually had one versus one battle held in a round-robin format. Because the tournament coincided with the opening of the , the schedule and format for the upcoming tournament were adjusted.


    Zin thought that she might as well report this little news to her King just in case he''s feeling interested in it... Although the chance for that is extremely low...


    "I''m not interested." Issei said simply just like Zin expected.


    After a couple of days of journey, they finally arrived at the grounds of the Divine Phoenix City.


    They could arrive a lot sooner even with Zin flying speed alone but since Issei wanted to let Bai''er have fun, he told Zin to take it easy...


    The air of the Divine Phoenix City evidently carried a trace of searing heat. It was not because the air here was warmer than Blue Wind Imperial City, rather, there was an extremely huge number of profound practitioners who trained in fire attribute profound arts, especially with the Divine Phoenix Sect as the head, in Phoenix City where the core grounds of the Divine Phoenix Sect. And it''s also because it was within Divine Phoenix City, which allowed the air here to be filled with an excessive amount of flaming aura.


    The size of Divine Phoenix City was enough to be twenty times larger than Blue Wind Imperial City. Even if that was the case, the level of density of people was still exceptionally shocking at the borders of the city. Countless of profound practitioners, wearing various types of clothes, were moving about. Among them, most appeared in groups, and seemingly everyone was emitting out an extremely dense and heavy profound aura¡­ From these people, just by casually picking any one of them out, he or she would be at the level of a Sect Master in Blue Wind Nation.


    Evidently, a lot of them had come here in advance to register for the upcoming Seven Nation Ranking Tournament.


    Nobody could see Issei''s party since he spread out an invisible barrier preventing anyone to spot them. If they indeed could see them then they probably would''ve become frozen silly because of Zin sight alone...


    A normal is already rare enough but for a species such as the is unheard of in this lower realm... Perhaps there are some records about them but nobody should be able to recognize her considering the last appearance of her kind...


    And if they sensed her cultivation realm then perhaps Issei and the girls would instantly attract everyone''s attention... A peak level monarch is not common even in this place that could be considered a behemoth if it''s compared to the Blue Wind Nation.


    The highest cultivator here is only at the 9th level Monarch after all... And he''s basically an Ancestor level old monster already...


    Issei then looks at the sky... In the sky above Divine Phoenix City, there would occasionally be boat-shaped flying objects flying past at extreme speed. These flying objects were separated into highs and lows, or big and small. The shortest one was merely a few meters long, while the longest one could even reach sixty meters.


    Issei has read about them a little, it seems that they are called the .


    An extremely luxurious type of flying tool, and had many advantages which could not be compared by many flying profound beasts. However, the price to craft one was extremely expensive, and it''s sources of energy are profound stones and profound crystals which is even more costly...


    The consumption amount of profound stones and profound crystals flying a profound ark of regular size for two hours, when converted into profound coins, would entirely be a humongous figure that could dumbfound normal people.


    Of course, Issei is anything but normal... He can easily provide fuel for millions of Profound Arks at once if he wanted to...


    His riches that he obtained from this realm alone already surpasses all of the Four Great Sacred Grounds and all sect combined...


    Hence, the number of people who possessed a profound ark was extremely small, and the number of people who could bear to use one, was even smaller¡­


    In Blue Wind Nation, the ones who possessed profound arks were most probably only the imperial family and the Four Major Sects. However, he had never seen them use one before.


    However, in this Divine Phoenix City, profound arks filled up the entire sky. Thus, it was evident to see the strength of their national power.


    Looking past these profound arks, in the faraway sky, Issei sees a gigantic shadow... As though it was a giant black cloud floating shakily above the blue skies, it obscured a large extent of the brilliant rays of light that were shining down. With its shape and the posture it was adopting to float in the air, it looked just like an odd-shaped profound ark.


    "Oh? Is that the you told me, Zin?" Issei said with arched eyebrows.


    "Yes, Master. That is indeed the I told you before." Zin confirmed Issei''s words.


    The is a mysterious Profound Ark, the complete history of which is still currently unknown.


    The height which that profound ark is at¡­ It is roughly sixty thousand meters above the ground. And with such height, the black shadows that could be seen from one''s line of sight could still be said to be huge. Its actual size could thus be imagined.


    However, not many people from the crowd were stopping to raise their heads and view it. After all, this mysterious and unfathomable Primordial Profound Ark had already appeared a few months ago.


    "Jasmine, Xun''er, have you seen anything like this ark? Is it common in the upper realm?" Issei inquired both Jasmine and Xun''er.


    He thought that this ark is similar to some of the divine artifacts he has seen such as the from the world.


    Of course, if it''s compared to then it still falls short... But it''s quite powerful to say nonetheless...


    If possible, he wanted to take this Primordial Ark away and fuse it with Babylon.


    He can sense a very faint divine energy oozing out from this Ark so he assumed that this Ark must''ve been created by some God of this world.


    "That indeed should be a profound ark. I have seen many profound arks of this size, however, the feeling this profound ark brings me¡­ is really strange." Jasmine said musingly.


    "Um... I share the same thought as my daughter." Even Xun''er also shares the same thought as Jasmine.


    "Strange? Why?" Issei asked her.


    "Profound Arks had undergone changes in the course of a hundred million years of history, right now, they had long been becoming uniform and perfect constructs. For example, in order to reduce the consumption of profound stones, profound crystals, and even divine stones and divine crystals, the front part of the Profound Arks are all sharp and long, the entire bodyline is especially smooth. This way, it can greatly reduce the amount of resistive forces during flight. However, this Profound Ark actually adopts the exact opposite of this concept, and looks more like a product in the Ancient Era¡­ The strangest thing is, when such a huge profound ark floats in the high skies, a large amount of energy is consumed every second. However, I completely cannot sense any trace of energy flow up above! This should be something completely impossible!" Jasmine explained.


    "You know anything about it, Ise?" Xun''er asked him.


    "Hmm... For one, this Ark is very ancient considering how faint the divine energy it currently emits that even you two couldn''t sense it is another proof of it... It''s most likely created by some God." Issei said his guess.


    "...I see... If so that makes sense..." Jasmine nodded to herself.


    If this Ark is created by a True God in the past then it''s no wonder...


    "The amount of energy this kind of artifact needed should be quite large and it''s just not some random energy either, but I can sense different laws within its interior as well... If I''m not mistaken then it should be very similar to the Heaven Basin Secret Realm laws." Issei concluded his guess.


    "What!?" Now this information takes Jasmine and Xun''er by surprise. But soon they become a little ecstatic.


    If this Ark is created by the Heretic God then there will be a chance for another residing inside it!


    "As I just said, it''s only a guess... I''m not completely sure yet." Issei reminded them.


    "It doesn''t matter! As long as there''s a tiny chance of what you said is true then we must investigate it!" Jasmine said feeling visibly excited.


    "Jasmine dear... Don''t rush Ise now." Xun''er berated her daughter lightly.


    "But mother... There might be another within it and even if there isn''t, it''s still worth investigating considering that it might be created by the Heretic God!" Jasmine spoke advisingly towards Xun''er.


    "I know, dear. But we can''t force Ise if he doesn''t want to." Xun''er said softly.


    "Well... I''m also interested but we will investigate it later when my business here is done." Issei said calmly.


    "...Bai''er? What''s wrong?" Issei noticed that Bai''er seems to be in a daze while looking at the .


    Even when he called her a couple of times, her gaze is still stuck at the Ark...


    Now this made Issei frown... Just what is it that makes Bai''er seems so transfixed with the Ark?


    But thankfully Bai''er is roused from her stupor soon enough.


    Then Issei told Zin to take him towards the Princess Snow location...


    ...


    where she''s usually located most of the time, is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the remaining south side, was the three thousand meter Absolute Phoenix Cliff.


    This place seemed to gather all the spiritual energy from the whole of Divine Phoenix Mountain and at one glance, it was all a pure clean green, unlike other places which were dried and wilted crimson. Even the wind seems exceptionally clean and gentle. In the middle of Phoenix Perching Valley was a calm and clear lake.


    The entire Divine Phoenix Mountain Region was scorching hot except for this place, which was quiet and clear.


    With Issei''s help, they can easily bypass the guards and entered the valley.


    When they are taking the view of the beautiful scenery surrounding this valley... a sound of a girl''s humming voice came over to his ears, this voice was young and tender, a sound so ethereal that it seemed to not be from this world.


    Anyone who heard this voice would feel an uncontrollable shudder came over their soul, as well as a kind of crazy, insuppressible longing¡­ a longing to know the owner of this voice, to know what kind of girl could let out such a pure, ethereal voice.


    He turned his head to look down at the girl who was standing under them.


    It was a girl that seemed to have walked out of the fairy realm.


    The girl wore a luxurious red garment, embroidered on top was a flying phoenix. Her phoenix robe was very gorgeous and surely one of a kind...


    No matter the red or the golden color, both glistened brightly, as though every thread and every decoration was made of the world''s most expensive material. However, this phoenix robe was like cosmetics on jade, overshadowed by her snowy creamy skin.


    Her silky long black hair and her beautiful light-blue eyes... they seemed to billow like blue ripples, condensed inside her dreamy, illusory pupils, becoming an illusory, poetic, fairy-like dream.


    She looked to only be around sixteen, in terms of appearance, she couldn''t compare with Xia Qingyue, but in terms of how delicate and perfect her complexion was, even Xia Qingyue, number one fairy of Blue Wind, was inferior.


    Of course, that is if we''re talking about Qingyue from the past... Right now, the current Qingyue is still ahead of this Princess Snow.


    If Issei was an ordinary man, perhaps his heart would be lost in the reverie by her beauty alone, but he wasn''t an ordinary man... He has seen myriads of beauty across the multiverse and no matter how beautiful they are, to him, his wives are number one in his heart.


    To him now, outside appearances are just a bag of skin and it would need more than beauty alone to attract his attention... But he has to admit that this Princess Snow soul is quite pure.


    Probably because she has been living a secluded life for her entire life...


    Jasmine sneaked a glance towards Issei''s direction since even she feels that this Princess Snow is very beautiful, she''s feeling nervous thinking that Issei might''ve been smitten by her beauty... But after seeing the same calm expression he usually has, she secretly sighed in relief...


    Too bad that there''s someone who noticed this act of hers and it''s none other than her own mother who flashed a teasing grin. Jasmine''s face instantly turns red and she immediately enters the pearl once again to hide her embarrassment...


    Xun''er giggled lightly before she excuses herself and joins her daughter to went inside the pearl as well.


    Issei is a little confused by their antics but he chooses to ignore it.


    "XIaotao, is she the one?" Issei asked Xiaotao for confirmation if she''s the true inheritor of the other Phoenix.


    He can sense that by far, this Princess Snow possesses the purest Phoenix bloodline. You could say that compared to her clan member that Issei saw along the way, she stands out the most...


    If her other clan member is like a firefly then she''s like the sun itself.


    "Yes, master... She''s indeed the one." Xiaotao comes out from the and confirmed Issei''s guess. She can sense the other half of the Phoenix inheritance inside this girl''s body.


    "Zin." Issei called.


    "Yes." Without the need for Issei to say anything, Zin swoops down to the ground.


    Feng Xue''er who was on the ground nearby becomes startled seeing a giant shadow flew past her.


    When she turned around, she saw a giant profound beast that she has never seen before... The profound beast looks quite intimidating yet also beautiful at the same time...


    But what attracts her attention the most is the woman who has scarlet-red hair and a beautiful pair of crimson eyes representing a ruby.


    She could sense a familiar presence that she always felt in the past... A presence of the Phoenix God her clan worshiped.


    Xiaotao floated right in front of her and started observing Feng Xue''er more closely...


    After a brief moment, Xiaotao nodded to herself: "...Very good seedling indeed... I can see why the other Phoenix soul residue chooses you as her complete inheritor."


    "...Who are you, beautiful elder sister?" Feng Xue''er slightly perked her flowerlike lips and spoke as though she was uncertain: "Why do you seem so familiar? Are you someone from the clan?"


    Her eyes were clear, and as bright as early morning. She doesn''t have a little bit of suspicion that Xiaotao might be someone evil at all... She had always been this pure, and never had contact with any sin, nor had to be on guard at all


    But, if Xiaotao was a man then she would probably be more wary of her...


    She still doesn''t see Issei yet since Xiaotao blocked her sight.


    Xiaotao doesn''t say anything before she closed her eyes, and soon, both of them are enshrouded in a small barrier... It looks like Xiaotao has started her trial...


    Issei decided to just wait for them while he lets Bai''er plays.


    ...


    After a while, the barrier that was covering Xiaotao and Feng Xue''er disappeared revealing the two of them but there''s something different with Feng Xue''er...


    Her aura seems to have increased by a large margin. The phoenix symbol on her forehead also grows brighter.


    Feng Xue''er felt stupefied when she knows about Xiaotao''s real identity... The other phoenix soul residue has told her about Xiaotao before and the former thought that she already killed her.


    Then, sometime later she became lucid and regretted what she did to the other Phoenix Soul and before its death, she left her entire being for Feng Xue''er.


    Xiaotao who heard this went silent before she exhaled disappointedly... It looks like they''re not fated after all...


    She was thinking to have her Master do the same to the other phoenix soul residue. So that way, it could hasten her Master recovery rate and her Master would gain another servant.


    She truly never felt hatred towards the other Phoenix...


    "I purposefully put a seal on your cultivation since you need to get used to it first and your current temperament and worldly affair experience is too shallow... If it fully awakens now, you will reach the right away and that''s not something the current you could handle." Xiaotao said towards Xue''er.


    If Xue''er reach the now, she would ascend to the upper realm. And with her current situation, Xue''er would become a delicious piece of cake for anyone from up there.


    The danger in the upper realm compared to this lower realm is vastly different... It''s like heaven and earth difference.


    "Xue''er understands..." Feng Xue''er obediently nodded her delicate head.


    "Don''t let anyone know about it for now... It''s best if you keep it a secret." Xiaotao advised.


    "...Even from my royal father?" Xue''er timidly inquired. She never kept a secret from her royal father before... So it''s making her nervous.


    "Yes. Not even your royal father is allowed to know." Xiaotao nodded gravely.


    She doesn''t want the same thing with the other phoenix happen again... It''s better if Xue''er stays innocent during her whole life.


    If her royal father or anyone else knows that she has the full inheritance of the Phoenix legacy, who knows what they will do...


    Perhaps they would make her a tool for their desire... And as for the other sect, they would want to obtain her for their own.


    Her beauty alone already attracted a lot of attention. Needless to say what will happen if they know about this... There will be war...


    Sure she could just threaten them but she wanted to train Xun''er starting now.


    Xue''er nodded once again when she heard how grave Xiaotao''s voice is.


    "Don''t worry... I will help you with your training during this time." Xiaotao reassured her.


    "Thank you, Lord Phoenix God!" Xue''er bowed deeply at Xiaotao.


    "Don''t call me Lord Phoenix God... I''m not the Phoenix you once know. My current name is Xiaotao... I am but a humble servant of my Master." Xiaotao said softly which made Xue''er felt taken aback.


    "Ah?!" Lord Phoenix God is a servant of someone?! Xue''er is so shocked that she gasped in surprise.


    Xiaotao who saw Xue''er shocked expression has a faint smile on her face.


    "No need to be so surprised... The current me exist because of Master benevolence... If not for him then I won''t be here and I would''ve followed the other Phoenix soul residue fate." She said softly.


    Xiaotao then turned around to look at Issei''s direction. Xue''er also followed her gaze but what she sees makes her beautiful eyes stared wide open...


    Issei was sitting in front of the lake with a gentle smile on his face while observing Bai''er who''s playing at the lake. Even Bai''er has a happy smile on her face while splashing the water around...


    Zin is situated behind Issei, she''s still in her Dragon form encircling Issei with her body. Once in a while, she would nudge Issei with her head just like in the past... It seems that when she''s in her Dragon form, Zin tends to act more spoiled towards him. Not that Issei mind in the first place...


    This sight of them together looks just like an artistic picture.


    "...So pretty..." Xue''er muttered dreamily. She loves the white color the most... Seeing Issei and Bai''er peerless white hair made her entranced.


    Xiaotao flashed a prideful smile before she walks towards Issei''s direction.


    "Master, it''s done." She said gently once she arrived behind him.


    "Um..." Issei nodded slightly.


    "Master, I have a request... I wanted to stay with her for some time." Xiaotao asks for Issei''s permission.


    "Sure." Issei readily agreed to her request.


    "Xiaotao thanks Master... Xue''er, come greet my Master." Xiaotao thanked Issei and then she called Xue''er.

 Chapter 115 - 114

    (AN: Thanks a lot for my new pat reon: Dawn and Nykolai C. Hope you all enjoy the chapter. Thanks and peace out girls scout!)


    The DxD group is inside what appears to be monitoring or observation room.


    The room size is quite big and there are hundreds of staff occupying this room but the room still looks quite spacious. There is a lot of advanced technology they''ve never seen before that is used by the staffs.


    There''s a picture of Issei mounted in the middle of the room wall. In the picture, Issei is sitting on a luxurious smiling gently while she''s accompanied by Mertel and the other .


    All of them had a blissful smile adorning their face in this picture...


    The girls from the DxD world went into a daze when they saw his gentle smile... Most of them went into their lovestruck and lovelorn mode almost immediately just by looking at this picture of his...


    "From what I see... Only a few of you could have a chance to become an in terms of raw power." Mertel''s voice snapped them out of their daze: "To become one needed to have a certain amount of achievements and also pass a specific test." Mertel continued her explanation.


    "Can''t we just challenge them and take their place?" Sairaorg asked her in a straightforward manner.


    "You could. Typically a lower-ranked Overlord would challenge those that are ranked higher than them and if the challenger won, they would take the defeated Overlord territory and place... But I wouldn''t recommend that for you." Mertel advised.


    "And why is that?" This time it''s Vali who asked.


    "Well... To answer that question *Snap*." Mertel closed the device on her hand and snapped her finger.


    All the staff in the room acknowledged her signal and then they opened a different monitoring window.


    *Blink*


    There''s a window shown on a giant projection screen. In it, there''s a list of words and images describing the system. It''s drawn like a circular map.


    "This is the at the center meaning our current location." Mertel pointed at the middle of the map.


    All of them pay attention to her explanation closely afraid that they will miss something.


    "And these numbers on the map you''re seeing is the digit representing the strength and territory. In theory, seven digits are at the bottom ranks in the system but that''s not always the case... There is a few strong residing in the seven digits territory since they are not really that interested in competing with the other ." She speaks word by word clearly.


    "The weakest tier is at the ... If somehow by chance you managed to defeat one of them, that doesn''t mean you will instantly become an Overlord yourself. There is an adjudicator on duty that will judge your qualification and this is where your ''achievements'' come in to help you."


    All of them halted their breath hearing that the weakest of the Overlord is at the ... The strongest individual from their world excluding Great Red and Ophis are Shiva.


    Even though Shiva is at , it''s hard to say if he could defeat all of the Overlord by himself.


    Just like Sora once said, Tier/Level is not everything... What if some of them could momentarily become a themselves just like Vali could? And even if they won somehow, they won''t be able to become an Overlord right away either since they needed to fulfill a certain condition for it... That''s quite discouraging, to say the least...


    "Besides... Are you sure you can defeat any of them at your current strength?" Mertel flashed a knowing smirk at them as if she could read their mind before she continues speaking: "And don''t think that there will be no penalty if you were to challenge an Overlord and lose against them... You need to pay something in return. And as for what will the payment be... It''s up to them. But there will be a referee who will observe the battle so there will be no further complication."


    Most of them who were listening gulped audibly feeling nervous...


    "You don''t expect to just barge in someone''s home and just challenge them like that without proper penalty now, did you? Our side also won''t meddle with this affair... Even though you won''t lose your life since it is forbidden to kill each other but if by chance that the you fought is greedy, then all I can say is, best of luck to you." Mertel said with a shrug.


    Take Shuten and Ibaraki Douji for example... If they''re in a good mood perhaps they would just shrug it off and just randomly ask for something. But if they''re caught in a bad mood then... Suck to be you since your whole family belongings might just disappear in a snap.


    If the challengers wanted to retaliate then the Overlords are allowed to take drastic measures such as killing them outright...


    If they couldn''t pay then they would be put into work until they''re able to pay... No matter how long it takes.


    If the result is a draw then obviously both party doesn''t need to pay anything.


    Vali and Sairaorg perhaps could be considered as her King''s friends but if they thought that with his help they can escape any penalties then they''re sorely mistaken.


    Although, she''s quite positive that they''re not that kind of person...


    "If you don''t mind me asking, what is this ''Achievements'' you''re talking about? Do we need to do something big and be recognized by others or something? Maybe like a medal of war?" Sona asked Mertel.


    "No, that would be too far fetched. Most conflicts in this world are already been dealt with. So you won''t find any large scale war outside the Overlord contest." Mertel shook her head at Sona''s question.


    "The ''achievement'' here is the achievement you get by doing a specific task, such as helping the population of this world or another world population with their problem. And to put it into easier wording, then you could say that it''s like a Quest from an RPG game..." Mertel pointed her finger at another screen.


    "All of you should be familiar with RPG games, right? It''s just like that... You start at ''F'' rank and the higher you climb the rank the better your ''achievements'' would be. To become a seven digits Overlord, you need to at least reach ''C'' rank..." Mertel shows them the rank requirement.


    C rank = 7 Digit


    B rank = 6 Digit


    A rank = 5 Digit


    S rank = 4 Digit


    SS rank = 3 Digit


    SSS rank = 2 Digit


    EX rank = 1 Digit


    Back then, when Issei just arrived in this world, the system doesn''t exist. Only after he becomes the that this system came to be.


    Those who are already at the "C" rank or even "S" rank could still take on an "F" rank "Quests" and they can still collect from it but it will take forever for them who want to advance to the next rank.


    Let''s say "F" rank quests reward is 10-20 points of per Quest. From "F" rank to "E" rank, an only need 20000 . But for someone at the "C" rank, they needed a whopping 20 million to become "B" rank.


    And even if by chance they reach "B" rank from doing the "F" rank, what''s the point when their strength is not up to par? It would only be a waste of time... Incidentally, someone at the "F" rank could take on a higher-ranked Quests to advance faster if their strength fits the criteria.


    To avoid "newbie killer" case, an Overlord with a higher digit won''t be able to challenge someone with a lower digit.


    "...You can take on ''Quests'' and gather AP(Achievement Points) at the . Of course, you need to register yourself first... Once you registered yourself, you will become an . And once you become an , you can pay the penalty of challenging an Overlord or challenge Overlord to a duel with AP instead of raw payment... Needless to say, this AP could also be exchanged for some other rewards as well." Mertel finished her explanation with a thin smile.


    "I see... Then how about the ''Test''?" Sona nodded understandingly at Mertel explanation before she asks another question.


    "Well... One of the tests is to see if you''re harmful to the bigger picture or not. We can''t have a rogue Overlord run amock in our kingdom now, do we? That would put shame to Ise-sama name... And note that once you''re tagged as a rogue Overlord, an adjudicator would bestow judgment upon you. Whether you''re going to be crippled or killed, it depends on how heavy your sin is." Mertel said in a warning voice.


    Xenovia and Irina who heard the word "crippled" shuddered briefly... One of them is stripped away of her power while the other one is stripped away of their element.


    So calling them a "cripple" at this point is quite accurate...


    "As for the other test..." Mertel sensed a familiar presence and glanced to the side and they all subconsciously followed her gaze only to see Millet standing nearby.


    It''s unknown just when did she appear there... Other than Mertel, nobody realized it.


    Xenovia''s body flinched when she saw Millet since she''s the one who "crippled" her before... At first, Xenovia felt hatred towards Millet but when she finds out about the truth, all of her hatred changed into self-loathing...


    "Millet-sama... May I know what are you doing here?" Mertel smiled wryly seeing Millet here.


    "I heard that someone wanted to be an Overlord so I came." Millet said simply.


    Then she gazes at Sona with an observant gaze. This in return, made Sona sweat a little thinking if she somehow provoked her by chance or something...


    "*Sigh* I know that you''re the head captain of the adjudicators but please remember that you''re currently pregnant..." Mertel said with a sigh.


    First, it was Lady Rossweisse then it''s Lady Mertel... Don''t they know how to take care of treat themselves better? It''s great to see that they seem quite energetic but it''s quite worrying to say nonetheless.


    She doesn''t want her King who''s currently "away" to be worried... When he''s not here then it''s their duty to protect his wives.


    If Issei could hear Mertel thoughts, he would''ve said, ''But you girls are my wives too though? And you''re also pregnant yourself, you know?'' while smiling wryly...


    "Don''t worry, it won''t affect my performance in the slightest." Millet said to reassure Mertel.


    "I''m sure it won''t, but what will Ise-sama do if he were to know that you''re out fighting someone when you''re pregnant?" Mertel said with a questioning look.


    Now this made Millet lose her cool...


    "...I-If nobody tells him then I''m sure that he won''t know about it..." She tried to argue.


    "You know we can''t do that, Millet-sama. And you of all people should understand why, don''t you?" Mertel said with a knowing smile.


    Of course Millet knows... Even she wouldn''t be able to keep a secret from her Lord even if she wanted to.


    Her calm face might fool the others but she couldn''t fool her own Lord... When the time comes... She won''t be able to escape from his "clutch" and in the end, she will spill the beans accompanied by some gasping sound.


    As for why she''s gasping... Only she knows... Maybe...?


    "Errh..." Millet let out a stutter. Long gone was her serious and strict look and she looks like a child caught doing something bad by their relatives now...


    "Now please go back, Millet-sama... Don''t worry, I could just ask the other adjudicator for this job. There''s no need for you to overwork yourself."


    "U-Un... Then I leave it to you." Millet added the last part with a strict voice trying to get her bearings back. Sadly, she won''t be able to fool anyone right now...


    "Hai, you can leave it to me." Mertel said with a smile.


    And with that, Millet disappears from the room just as silent when she first arrived...


    From the moment when she arrived here, she doesn''t even spare Rias''s group a glance since she doesn''t think they worth her time at all.


    She only cast a glance towards Sona since she''s feeling interested in her. If things went well then Sona might be their next sister after all... Even the reason why she came here personally was because of Sona.


    As for the rest, she doesn''t really care that much...


    "Well... As you all might''ve guessed. The other test is to test your strength and mettle... You must be powerful and quick-witted if you wanted to become an Overlord." Mertel set her attention back to the DxD group once she saw Millet has left.


    They all sweated after hearing Mertel words... Did she mean that they must be able to defeat an adjudicator? If the opponent is someone like Millet then... Their chance of winning is basically none...


    Not a single one of them here could defeat a peak like her...


    "Don''t worry, you will not face someone as strong as Millet-sama." Mertel said with a smirk seeing their nervous expression.


    "...May we know who will be our judge?" Sona asked cautiously. She said their judge won''t be someone as strong as Lady Millet... But will they be weaker or at least the same caliber as them?


    Mertel smiled thinly before she pointed behind them.


    Once again, their eyes follow suit and turn around towards the direction Mertel is currently pointing...


    And soon Sona and the others get their answer...


    A woman with slightly tanned skin is standing at the entrance, she appears as a young teenage girl with long white hair, tied back at either side with red tassels. She''s carrying a very long black katana on her waist.


    She wears a red and black dress bearing similarity to a short kimono and long European style coat, complete with high collar held closed by a rope tassel. She also appears to wear long black stockings.


    Everyone from the DxD world recognizes this woman before them since they''ve seen her before during the meeting with the representatives before...


    "My name is Majin Okita Souji or Okita Alter for short but you can just call me Majin-san if you want. I have arrived in response to your request of wanting to become an Overlord under my absent Master''s name." She spoke in a firm tone.


    Even though her eyes seem quite sharp, overall, she''s quite emotionless... At least in the outside. While on the inside, she''s very passionate.


    Okita Alter cares deeply for her master for granting her a life that should have never been possible... Her Saint Graph or should she say her soul is artificial and she could disappear anytime.


    The reason why she''s able to exist was because of the Holy Grail support but when the Corrupted Grail has been destroyed by her Master, she should''ve disappeared as well but her Master has shown her endless kindness by letting himself be the "linchpin" for her and the others...


    Her roots as "Okita" remain the same. She takes on a "hitman attitude that will kill anything".


    She has tried to express her gratitude multiple times before but she felt those times weren''t enough...


    ''Master has given me everything. You gave me, who wasn''t supposed to exist in the first place, somewhere to belong, a life and everything... I like Master and this world where you live. For example, even if this body''s Saint Graph were to shatter, I would risk my everything to protect Master and your world'' Was what she vowed in the past.


    She tried sneaking into her Master''s bed but she will always get caught by Jalter most of the time...


    And when she tried enticing him, he would only give her head a gentle head pats much to her happiness and disappointment at the same time...


    They all gulped audibly... Bikou for one wanted to shout out loud: ''What do you mean our judge won''t be as strong as that Millet girl!? Even though it''s basically true that she''s not as strong as the former but this one is not so different either! Both of them are monstrous!''


    "Hm? What''s wrong? Why all of you being so quiet all of a sudden?" Okita Alter tilted her head to the side feeling a little confused.


    "Oh! If you''re worried facing me alone then all of you can come at me together. It would still count as a victory if you manage to defeat me that way." She acts as if she just realized something and proceeded to reassure them.


    Their face started twitching a lot... Was it blind confidence in herself? Or was it a mockery? No... She has the strength to back up her words just now. And she truly meant what she said without the slightest of sarcasm in it...


    They can feel it... Her towering strength when all she does is standing there without releasing a tiny bit of battle intent...


    Mertel who saw their nervous face flashed a thin smile...


    Okita Alter''s strength is indeed lower than Millet but both of them had one thing in common... Their blade could nullify anything they touch albeit the former ability is much weaker than the latter.


    Okita Alter is the one who''s known as the one that cleaves Demons, pierce Gods and Heaven itself.


    In other words, she could nullify even a God making her capable of slaying Gods...


    For example, if Zeus divinity related to thunder or lightning then if he were to be faced with her then his divinity related to both would be nullified making him only be someone who possesses a lightning affinity.


    A God without their divinity is nothing but another mortal who''s just stronger than your average mortals... Especially if they''re relying on their divinities most of the time making Okita Alter their worst nightmare as an opponent.


    The only way to resist Okita Alter''s ability is if the God she''s facing has already reached the state of nothingness themselves... In other words, which is impossible for the current Gods from the DxD world.


    Even Shiva isn''t capable of defeating her one on one...


    The judge for the test a newcomer is faced with shouldn''t be at the caliber of Okita Alter. It''s just Mertel messing around with them a little bit...


    Sirzechs, Azazel, Michael, and Odin won''t be participating in the Overlord test and only the young ones such as Vali, Sairaorg, Sona, etc will. They have their own reason but mostly related to increasing their strength in the end...


    As for Rias Gremory''s group... Forget about it. They''re far too weak as of now and won''t have the tiny bit of odds nor chance to become an Overlord... Not that they requested to become one in the first place.


    Rias knows that currently, she and her peerage are not ready at all... They need more time to train themselves especially for Xenovia who basically started over from zero. But someday, in the future... Perhaps they could become an Overlord themselves but not now...


    It looks like they know their limits, unlike before... Mertel thought to herself.


    Mertel read some of their past histories before and she has to say that they''re extremely foolish thinking to just tackle everything in their way thinking it all will be according to plan while their strength is below average... She even started thinking if there are some holes inside their brain or something? Perhaps there is, hence their stupidity.


    If her King wasn''t there with them then their fate should''ve been doomed a long time ago...


    "So? Shall we start now?" Okita Alter gazed at them all.


    She forgot just who''s the one wanted to be an Overlord so she decided to just cl.u.s.ter them together...


    "If you''re not confident right now then you could just take some ''Quests'' and come back later when you''re ready", Mertel finally lent a helping hand towards them.


    Right... She never said that they must take this test now, didn''t she?! Only now that they realized that they''ve been tricked by Mertel...


    Mertel laughed lightly seeing their realization face...


    "Mm? We''re not doing it now?" Okita Alter sounded a little disappointed.


    "Y-Yes... We will pass the test for now. And once we''re ready we-"


    "Wait. I wanted to try now."


    Just when Sona was about to politely refuse Okita Alter''s invitation, Vali cut her off.


    Bikou, Arthur, and Le Fay who heard Vali''s voice sighed wryly... Looks like his bad habit is here again...


    But since he''s their leader, they need to tag along with him...


    "Count me in." Sairaorg voiced out his words while he gets into his fighting pose.


    "Me as well." Cao Cao next followed by Riser: "Me too."


    Although most of them are feeling nervous, there''s a little anticipation in their gaze as well.


    Unlike Vali, they don''t bring their peerage members along with them so they''re basically on their own.


    They wanted to know the difference between their current strength with someone like Okita Alter who should be a powerhouse... Vali used his Balance Breaker right away and the others also readied themselves.


    Sirzechs and the others who saw this started looking at each other before smiling wryly... Ah... Youth... They thought to themselves. They all then stepped away to give them some room.


    Sona at first was tempted to join in as well but soon erased that thought...


    "Wait, shouldn''t they change place first?" Azazel asked Mertel.


    "No need." Mertel answered simply which made them feel a little confused. What did she mean by that?


    Won''t it be bad if they fight here? All of the equipment and the staff here could be affected by their clash and that''s a bad thing, right? Sure the room is big enough but it''s still very risky nonetheless...


    But soon they heard Okita Alter speak once again.


    "Um, good spirit... But..." Okita Alter nodded approvingly at Vali and the others resolve but soon her voice is laced with a little bit of killing intent.


    "Spirit alone won''t be enough to let you win." At the moment she finishes speaking, Okita Alter''s body disappeared right in front of their eyes.


    They all had their eyes wide open seeing her suddenly disappear like that but Vali, Sairaorg, and Cao Cao instinctively guarded themselves... But the result has already been decided from the start...


    "So, the judgment, adjudicator?"


    "They all fail."


    Mertel''s voice resounded and Okita Alter''s right after...


    They all turned their heads only to see that Okita Alter is already standing beside Mertel. Her left hand is resting on top of her katana hilt.


    "...What do you mean? We''re still standing safe and sound, aren''t we?" Riser voiced out his confusion.


    "Safe and sound? Heheh... Are you sure about that?" Mertel chuckled lightly while Okita Alter doesn''t say anything and she even closed her eyes acting like her job here is done.


    "...What?" Riser is still clueless but not Vali and the others.


    "...We lose..." Vali said in a low voice.


    "Like I said... What do you-!?"


    Riser then saw a thin red line across Vali''s neck... If one looks closely, they could see that his helmet is chipped at the neck part.


    His neck which was covered in armor is slightly exposed but that is enough for Riser to see and also understand what Vali meant at the same time...


    He hastily inspected the others and they all had the same trace on their neck... And as expected, even his own neck has the same red line coupled with a single drop of blood trickling down...


    All of their body is covered in cold sweat immediately... If she wanted to kill them then they would''ve died just now...


    Riser for one felt really alarmed, why is his Phoenix trait doesn''t activate?! Normally, this tiny wound should be healed in a blink of an eye! So why won''t it heal!?


    He doesn''t sense any energy from his wound so he''s utterly confused.


    [...You''re not her match, Vali... Unless you use the then you won''t be able to put up a decent fight against her...] Albion said towards Vali...


    There''s an underlying meaning behind Albion''s words which Vali caught... He said, ''You won''t be able to put up a decent FIGHT against her''... Meaning that even if he were to use the Dragon Lucifer form, he still won''t be able to defeat her and only capable of putting up a fight...


    Albion knows from the start that Vali is not Okita Alter''s match but since they''re not in a death and life battle, he sees no reason to stop Vali from being reckless.


    "...Amazing slash..." Arthur mumbled feeling awestruck... He couldn''t see or sense just when did she do it...


    "Heh, guess it''s our loss then..." Sairaorg said offhandedly.


    "Looks like it." Cao Cao sighed bitterly.


    They''re not really feeling that disappointed, rather, they felt happy knowing that they can still grow stronger. Seeing someone stronger than them just ignited their fighting spirit.


    Perhaps this "fight" doesn''t really mean much to Okita Alter but to them, it''s a big boost to their determination. They will surely get stronger! They promised to themselves...


    The reason why they wanted to become an in the first place is because of that very same reason.


    They wanted to test their limit and see just how far they could grow in this new world where most inhabitants here are much stronger than them.


    Sona and her peerage also felt a little bit excited.


    This system is basically the dream Sona has been hoping for albeit a little different in scale... The system itself isn''t that much different either if it''s compared to the rating game back in their world but there is one major difference...


    In the past, Sona states her dream of opening a school for Rating Game for all Devils regardless of their classes which was made fun of by the elder Devils.


    Sona is very dedicated to her dream of opening a Rating Game School that is open to all regardless of their status, even going to a human school to learn of their system. And isn''t that what the system basically is?


    And no one would laugh at her dreams since as long as you have the strength and capabilities then anyone could become an !


    Sure she''s currently quite weak but she won''t let this stop her... She will surely get stronger and become an Overlord herself in the future.


    Well... Unknown to her, if her engagement with Issei proceeded without a hitch then... That very same dream of hers would be achieved much faster than she ever thought...


    But, whether she would be willing to leave Issei''s side by then would be unknown... Or should we say, whether she could leave her bed or not instead...? Just like a certain Princess often experienced because of her naughtiness.


    Issei is sometimes mischevious like that regardless if his wives being naughty or not...


    Mertel who saw their looks smiled secretly to herself... This day might be just the day where a good seedling for the Overlord system is born, she mused to herself.


    Actually, Okita Alter is not a normal peak. And if her difficulty is measured in a game system then she would be the hardest difficulty of that said game. And to make matter worse, she will keep increasingly getting stronger as well...


    By the time Vali and the others reached , she might be already at the peak but reaching and is not an easy thing so it might take a while.


    But that''s something they won''t know until later...


    "No need to feel so disappointed, you can try again later." Mertel said some comforting words at them.


    They nodded at her words.


    "Is there any place where we can train?" Vali asked.


    Sairaorg and the others also wanted to know the answer to this question.


    "There is." Mertel nodded: "There''s a training facility prepared but if you want to take a special course, you need to pay of course."


    "Majin here has some experience being a teacher herself..." Mertel looked at the silent Okita Alter who has her eyes closed. Her stance is still quite menacing to their eyes.


    But she''s being very quiet for some reason...


    "...Why is she being silent?" Azazel asked in bewilderment. But then they heard something...


    "Zzz..." A light snore can be heard coming out from her.


    "*Sigh*... Wake up, Majin-san!" Mertel shouted at her.


    "Hah! I''m not sleeping, I''m not sleeping. Sleep... I fell asleep!" Okita Alter becomes startled. At first, she tried to deny it but soon give up the thought and decided to just admit it... Making excuses is too bothersome for her.


    "Yes, we can see that... Seriously... You''re the only one who can fell asleep during times like this..." Mertel rolled her eyes at her. Even during a fight, she could just doze off instantly...


    Because of this "trait" of hers, Okita Alter often made her foes felt furious thinking that she''s making light of them... Well, in a way, she does make light of them or the whole situation to be precise...


    But don''t think that if she were to fell asleep then there would be an opening. Even in her sleep, she could still counterattack. And in some cases, her counterattack is proven to be more fatal rather than her normal slash...


    "..." They all are looking at Okita Alter speechlessly. Did she just fall asleep? More importantly, how did she fall asleep while standing still like that?


    Vali''s group had their face twitch a lot... Did they just lose against an airhead of all people?


    "*Sigh* You all can follow Grayfia and Venelana to the or the training area if you want... Then I believe our small meeting here is done." Mertel said tiredly.


    "Yes, thank you for your time. Now if you would excuse us." Michael politely said his thanks along with a slight bow followed by the others.


    When they''re about to exit the room, Mertel thought of something before calling Rias.


    "Rias Gremory." She called out Rias''s name lightly.


    Rias is taken aback because she never thought that she will be called by Mertel. But she doesn''t hesitate to respond to her call.


    "Yes? How may I help you?" Rias said politely.


    "Do stay here along with your team, I want to have a little talk. Ah, but Kiba-sama and Gasper-sama may leave. Oh, right... ." Mertel said simply before she cast a healing spell to those who were injured from Okita Alter slash.


    The small scratch on their neck disappears soon after like it never been there in the first place much to their small amazement... Mertel healing spell is not based on the element rather it''s of the element so the Devils are fine being exposed to her healing spell.


    And the way she treated Rias compared to Kiba and Gasper is clear as a day... She called Rias with her full name without any honorifics unlike when she called Kiba and Gasper.


    Sirzechs started to feel nervous when she heard Mertel''s words. What did she want to talk about with his little sister? Everyone here knows that only Kiba and Gasper are treated differently than Rias and the others.


    "No need to worry Sirzechs Lucifer, I only want to have a little chat with your sister and her friends." Mertel gave a slight smirk at Sirzechs.


    "...May I know what you want to talk about with them?" Sirzechs tried to sound calm but he started to sweat a little feeling nervous.


    Especially when Okita Alter is gazing at him so intently like that...


    "Now that''s a secret... But I can tell you that I won''t harm them. This, I give you my word." Mertel still had the same smirk on her face when she''s answering to his question.


    "It''s fine, onii-sama. We will be fine." Rias said towards Sirzechs trying to reassure him.


    Sirzechs was about to say something else when Azazel grasped his shoulder.


    Baraqiel is about to do the same thing since he''s worried for Akeno but Odin also does the same thing as Azazel and holds him back.


    When Sirzechs look at Azazel direction, the latter slowly shakes his head signaling to let it be... If they really wanted to harm Rias and the others then there''s really nothing they could do whether they put their life on the line or not, the result won''t change.


    It would be very unwise to fight an unstoppable force like them... They have a better chance of fighting Shiva rather than fighting Mertel and the others.


    "It will be fine, Sirzechs. You can trust lady Mertel." Venelana speaks softly to her son. She knows that Mertel won''t go back on her words... If she said she won''t harm Rias then she really won''t.


    Finally, Sirzechs can only give up and sighed bitterly.


    And Only then they leave the room... Kiba and Gasper cast a worried gaze for Rias''s group along their way out...


    Once the door is closed. Mertel set her attention to Rias''s party.


    "You will use them for your little plan, Mertel?" Okita Alter asked Mertel with furrowed eyebrows while observing Rias''s group.


    "They are too weak..." Okita Alter mumbled discontentedly.


    Her blunt words made Rias''s group flinch slightly but they stood their ground nevertheless.


    "Well, I admit that even though they''re clearly lacking in many areas, I can still make use of them regardless..." Mertel proceeded to tell one of the staff to contact Da Vinci for her.


    "Then, let''s have our little talk, shall we?" When she''s done sending a message towards Da Vinci, Mertel set her attention back towards Rias''s team.


    A calculative glint flashed across Mertel''s eyes... Somehow, Rias and her team felt cold when they''re exposed to Mertel''s current gaze...


    Whether what she has in mind for them is good or not... Only the future can tell...


    ...


    When the DxD group is on their way... They came across Nobunaga walking towards their direction.


    She''s still in her 3rd form meaning the mature version of her.


    "Hm?" She took notice of the DxD group almost immediately since she had vivid memories of them.


    "Greetings, Lady Nobunaga." Grayfia and Venelana said their greetings.


    "..." Nobunaga silently observes Sirzechs and the others. But then she saw Gasper and felt a little intrigued.


    Gasper who sensed her gaze had his body flinched. Kiba instantly stepped in front of Gasper protecting him from Nobunaga''s sight.


    Nobunaga raised her eyebrows feeling amused by this sight before she steps closer. She raised Kiba''s chin abruptly and started to observe the latter face up close...


    "Hmm... So you''re Master''s friend, Kiba Yuuto, was it? Fumu fumu... Wahahaha! So how does it feel turning into a girl? And I have to say you look quite cute as well. You should change your name to Yuki or Yuko instead of Yuuto!" Nobunaga laughed out loud after her brief inspection of Kiba.


    She felt amused by the sight of Kiba who was a former boy. She kind of can relate to him since she also has a male persona inside her body...


    Semiramis could split their persona but they refuse her offer... At least for now, they don''t have any intention of doing that. It''s not like they''re attached to each other or anything, it''s because they''re just too lazy...


    If they share one body then when one of them "emerge" the others could take it easy...


    Her burst of laughter made Kiba become taken aback...


    "And this... boy? Gasper, was it?" Nobunaga pushed Kiba to the side lightly and look down at Gasper who started getting teary-eyed under Nobunaga observant gaze.


    "...Are you sure he''s not a girl? I mean, no matter how I look at him... He looks exactly like a girl." Nobunaga muttered confusedly. But soon she remembered a certain bubbly "Girl" with pink hair in Babylon and thought that looks can indeed be deceiving...


    She doesn''t realize her words just hurt Gasper''s pride a little... Even though sh- he looks like this, he''s still a boy alright. Thankfully Valerie is not here with him or it would be very embarrassing if she were to see this incident...


    "Let me check if you still have your manhood there." Nobunaga extended her hand towards Gasper''s specific location acting like she wanted to confirm something...


    "Eeeek?!" Gasper shrieked loudly when he saw Nobunaga''s hand. He hastily runs away from her clutch and hid behind Kiba''s back once again...


    "Hm? Why did you run away? I only wanted to see if you''re really a boy or not." Nobunaga seems clueless about what she was about to do just now. She''s a bit clueless on stuff like this since...


    They all started sweating profusely seeing this act of hers... Everyone would''ve reacted the same way if a woman suddenly wanted to grab their family jewel alright...


    "Well, forget about it then... So, what are they here for?" Nobunaga said dismissively losing interest while she took out her smoking pipe and asked Grayfia.


    "They''re here to register themselves as an ." Grayfia answered politely.


    "Hmm... Is that red mutt not here?" Nobunaga hummed uninterestedly while inhaling her smoking pipe.


    The "red mutt" she''s talking about is obviously Rias. She doesn''t take Venelana and Sirzechs presence into account at all even though they''re Rias''s mother and elder brother respectively... But both of them knew of their daughter and little sister''s folly so they have nothing to say...


    "They''re currently having a conversation with Lady Mertel." Grayfia answered once again.


    "Oh?" Nobunaga''s hand stopped briefly before she muttered to herself: "Why did Mertel wanted to talk to them... Does that mean... If it is... Hahahaha! I gotta see this for myself." Then without saying anything, she went towards Mertel''s place with a quick step... But there''s a big grin on her face when she left...


    Sirzechs can only look on perplexedly at her departing back... Just what did Mertel want to talk about with Rias and the others that made someone like Nobunaga look so giddy? His worry could only grow along with Baraqiel...


    ...


    A week has passed ever since Issei arrived at the Divine Phoenix Empire... He was inspecting the during his stay here. But he still hasn''t went inside the Ark just yet.


    Although, when he''s come into contact with the Ark, he now felt more certain that this Ark is indeed created by the Heretic God since the divine energy the ark is emitting greatly resembles the Heretic God energy signature.


    This made Jasmine and Xun''er felt ecstatic. That means their chance of finding more just increase...


    But Jasmine felt suspicious why such a small plane like the contains so many legacies of the great Gods such as the Azure Dragon God, Phoenix, and the Golden Crow. And that dark abyss at the Azure Cloud Continent where they found Bai''er... That place is still a mystery to them until this day...


    Issei doesn''t feel that interested in its origin so it might be nothing special but then again... with his standards, what''s considered "so-so" by him is nothing to scoff at either...


    For him, it might be "so-so" but for them, it could be a priceless legendary treasure which is one of a kind and can only be encountered once in a lifetime opportunity.


    On this star alone, they have found four already... Did they somehow predicted Ise''s arrival in this world? No, that''s impossible... He''s only twenty-one years old which is mindblowing in and of itself...


    When they asked him of his age before, they become so dumbfounded that they are at loss for words... Jasmine who considered herself as a genius has never felt so small and tiny... She thought that Ise age should be in the millions considering his strength but reality slapped her right in the face...


    If they don''t know any better then they might think that he''s lying but he''s not the type who would lie... Especially when it''s just about his age.


    In the upper realm, once someone has reached the , it is hard to tell someone age since their "growth" won''t be the same as a cultivator on the .


    Take Xun''er for example... She might look like she is in her twenties when Issei first met her before but her real age is already in the hundreds...


    When Jasmine accidentally told Issei about her age, Xun''er felt nervous about how would he react when he found out about her real age. At first, she tried to stop her daughter but it''s too late.


    But much to Xun''er relief, there''s nothing change from the way he looks at her... So that means he doesn''t mind about something like age... She thought happily to herself.


    Unknown to her, some of his wives back home can already be considered as "Ancient" and not just old... Heck, they can even be considered Xun''er great great great great grandmother and no one would find it weird if they were to know their true age...


    If he were to judge someone just because of their age... His wives would beat him up to a pulp...


    Even Tio who''s still in her twenties is quite sensitive about her age sometimes... Needless to say about Semiramis and the others.


    Issei is closing his eyes resting under a tree located nearby the lake of the Phoenix Perching Valley. Xiaotao is beside him giving his legs a massage.


    In the lake shallow water, there are two young girls that seemed as though they were a fairy from a painting.


    The older looking girl wore an elegant phoenix robe, but it was overshadowed by her glistening jadelike skin. Her back view, side view was all like a fairy from a dream. Without even looking at her face and just by her back view, one could tell that her beauty is absolutely stunning.


    Her snow-white feet inside the pool water are mesmerizingly glistening making one want to take a bite out of it...


    While the other girl who looks younger is wearing a similar white robe as the first one albeit with a different style. Her long galactic bright silver hair is tied into two buns, the hair in front of her forehead danced freely, complementing her white jade-like tender looks.


    Her small tender jade-like feet mischievously danced around the water making one want to observe it closely and play with it gently to their heart content...


    The first girl let out a melodious laughter while splashing the water lightly towards the second girl. She raised her jade fingers and gently released her hair tie, letting her shimmering long black hair scatter like a broken dam. Each strand of hair seemed as though it had its own life and danced in the air before falling onto her shoulder.


    The second girl seemed to be smiling as well and even though there is no sound coming out from her small cherry lips, it seems that it doesn''t hinder her from having fun in the slightest. Looking at the smile that currently adorning her smile, it''s obvious that she''s feeling happy.


    All of these could only generate the word "perfection" in anyone''s mind. Just one glimpse of their sight together was able to make a man lose control and go crazy...


    But of course... If they still want to keep their lives, they shouldn''t try their luck with these two fairies.


    Even though the two fairies are very stunning, their guardian is not someone who would take those with ill-intent kindly... Zin is situated nearby them acting as their guardian.


    If they wanted to try their luck they need to get past the guardian first but even if they somehow able to past... They still need to face the final hidden ''boss''!


    These two girls are obviously Feng Xue''er and Bai''er.


    "Little Bai''er, you''re so pretty and cute! Ugh, why don''t I have you as my little sister..." Feng Xue''er hugged Bai''er tightly while smushing their tender cheeks together.


    "I really like your and Grandmaster Ise''s hair¡­ Because I like the color white, which is also the color of snow¡­ When I was thirteen, Divine Phoenix City had a huge snowfall and that was the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. I felt that all of me was fused with the white snow¡­ However, after that day, I have never seen snow again¡­" Feng Xue''er said blurrily.


    She called Issei Grandmaster because Xiaotao is her Master hence that makes Issei her Grandmaster.


    Issei who heard Feng Xue''er words opened his eyes slightly. There''s a hint of pity in his eyes when he sees Feng Xue''er.


    There''s another reason why Xue''er being so protected other than her being the Divine Phoenix Empire beloved princess... Feng Xue''er is indeed the purest inheritor of the Phoenix legacy while the rest of her clan member is just that of a normal descendant.


    Meaning that their phoenix bloodline is very thin... They won''t be able to release the full power of the Phoenix even if they try their whole life.


    While Xue''er would be able to use the Phoenix art to their full potential soon. It''s only a matter of time...


    After all, not only she inherited the Phoenix complete legacy but she also has the original Phoenix as her Master... Even though Xiaotao is only a soul residue of the Phoenix, she inherited the memories for it.


    Not to mention, Issei himself could be considered a Phoenix God himself because of Paniverna''s essence inside of him.


    Sometimes, Issei would assist Xue''er training whenever he saw room for improvement in the arts making the arts becomes even stronger than before...


    Issei waved his hand gently towards Feng Xue''er and Bai''er direction...


    Feng Xue''er felt a sudden cold wind whistled beside her ear and it seemed to let out a peculiar howl. But in the next second, her beautiful eyes stared dazedly at the sight in front of her, her eyes faintly trembling as stars shone within them.


    Because from the sky, there are pieces of snow falling to the ground one by one.


    Snow would continue to fall around their place...


    A cl.u.s.ter of fortunate snowflakes landed in the palm of her hand, but after a brief instant, they were melted away by the power of her Phoenix flames. Feng Xue''er anxiously constricted her profound energy, and immediately after that, the snowflakes began to obediently gather on her palms. It was not long before the snow completely covered her palms, her phoenix clothes, and her long hair.


    Her arms lightly danced in the air and a veil of snow immediately began dancing with her as well. The joy and wonderment in her eyes were reflected clearly on every single-crystalline snowflake.


    "Ah! It''s snow! Little Bai, it''s snow!" Feng Xue''er could not contain her elation any longer and she let out a cry of pure delight.


    Bai''er who saw this sight turned her head towards Issei''s direction and she let out a joyful smile... She can tell that this snowfall is created by him...


    Issei who sensed Bai''er smile let out a gentle smile of his own...


    Xiaotao who''s by his side also smiled gently at her master kindness. Even Zin also smiled even though it''s not that obvious since she''s still in her Dragon form...


    Feng Xue''er happily skipped above the water surface towards the shore, both of her hands cupped the unceasingly falling snowflakes as she happily jumped about amidst the snowfall, as though she was a fairy that had found her home. Her happiness even seemed to have infected the atmosphere as the breeze became even more gentle.


    "It''s really snow¡­ so cold, so beautiful." She happily exclaimed in excitement, each sound she made was like the sweetest music in the world. Immersed within the snowflakes and a thin layer of recently acc.u.mulated snow, she faced upwards as happiness blossomed on her smiling face, as if she had unrestrainedly released all her joy within the snow.


    Bai''er also comes out from the lake and walks towards Issei''s direction before she snuggled inside his embrace like a spoiled child.


    Issei gently stroked her head which made her smile widen...


    Feng Xue''er who was looking at the falling snow dreamily suddenly realized something and look towards Issei''s direction.


    "Grandmaster! Are you the one who created this snow!?" She hopped towards Issei''s direction and asked him jovially.


    Even though her royal father has told her not to come into contact or come close to any men. Xue''er doesn''t feel the slightest discomfort whenever she''s around her Grandmaster so she unconsciously forgotten her royal father''s words.


    Is it because of his Phoenix bloodline? Or was it because of something else? Xue''er doesn''t really know but what she knows that whenever she''s near her Grandmaster, she would feel really comfortable and happy.


    Her Grandmaster is a very mysterious person, she has seen so many miraculous things during this past week. Like when he created that "spatial opening" for example... She has never heard of anything like that before.


    Even her Master who is a Phoenix God treated him with such respect...


    "Um." Issei nodded slightly at her question.


    "How did you do it, Grandmaster? Can you teach me?!" Xue''er asked with glittering and hopeful eyes.


    "Sadly, I can''t." Issei denied her request with an apologetic smile.


    "Eh... Why?" She felt a little disappointed hearing Issei''s refusal...


    "Because that profound art I just used belongs to someone else and they don''t want their sect arts to be known by outsiders." What Issei used just now is the . It belongs to the so he can''t just teach their art randomly.


    "Ohh... Xue''er understands." Hearing his answer, Xue''er nodded understandingly and felt a lot better. That means that it''s not like her Grandmaster doesn''t want to teach her but it''s because he couldn''t.


    Issei has his own Ice "arts" but since it uses Mana instead of Profound Energy, he also couldn''t teach it to Xue''er as well...


    "Thank you, Grandmaster!" Princess Snow smiled in elation feeling grateful for Issei''s kindness.


    She was already submerged in happiness and contentment. She spread out both arms and lightly spun inside the flying snow. Then, she adorably yelled at Issei: "Xue''er will dance for you, okay?"


    Without even waiting for Issei to respond, she let out a joyful laughter as she picked up the corner of her skirt. Her flawless ankle and feet started to move around more rhythmically.


    The pair of delicate feet that were pure and translucent, snow white and tender, stepped onto the white snow that was unexpectedly less fair than her delicate skin. Each of her toes was like the world''s purest of pearls and jade, they were dainty, and glistened with the l.u.s.ter of gems.


    The snowflakes still continued to float down... Inside the world of snowflakes, Princess Snow began to gracefully dance. The lower skirt portion of her beautiful phoenix robe fluttered with her elegant movements. Crystals of jade, one after another, let out an enchanting brilliance. Even the golden colored phoenix on her clothing seemed to be gracefully dancing...


    Her delicate and tender body was like duckweed rippling on the surface of the water, like the willow branches swaying in the wind, and was so fantastical that it was like a dream... Even the dance of goddesses in the Heaven''s palace, perhaps wouldn''t be any greater than this.


    Issei smiled thinly at her dance while Bai''er eyes are transfixed at Xue''er breathtaking dance... Xue''er happy laughter resounded beside their ears.


    Soon, Bai''er stands up from Issei''s embrace and walk towards Xue''er direction before she started copying the latter movement.


    But since this is the first time for Bai''er trying to dance, she looks clumsy and rather than beautiful, she looks quite funny and cute instead. Issei who saw this chuckled lightly...


    Xue''er who saw Bai''er struggling to follow her dance let out another laugh before she took Bai''er hands and started helping her to dance.


    In no time at all, Bai''er started to get used to the new movement she just discovered...


    The picture of their lithely dancing within the snow, which would''ve made anyone entranced, can only be seen by Issei alone... If they were to know of this then they would''ve drowned Issei with their tears of envy...


    The snowflakes keep falling down until Issei noticed that they started to get tired... Only then he stopped the snowflakes.


    The two young girls also stopped dancing as they looked at the quietly melting layer of snow beneath their feet. They looked at Issei, and said in a little breathless lovely voice: "My dancing, was it good?"


    Bai''er still couldn''t talk but her expression is conveying the same thing of what Xue''er just said, ''Was it good?''


    "It''s great." Issei nodded with a soft smile.


    Xue''er had heard this sort of praise too many times in her life, but she still laughed happily: "Then¡­ if Grandmaster Ise wanted to see Xue''er dancing again, just make more snow, okay? Xue''er will gladly dance for Grandmaster whenever he wanted!"


    Bai''er also nodded profusely at Issei agreeing to Xue''er words. ''If big brother like Bai''er dance, then Bai''er will keep dancing for big brother!'' Is what she would''ve said if she could speak. Issei who shared a connection with her smiled warmly.


    Even though he couldn''t exactly tell what she''s trying to say, he still could the gist of it...


    "All right." Issei readily agreed to her words. It''s very easy for him to create snowfall such as this so he doesn''t see any reason to refuse.


    Xue''er hopped around happily once again when she heard Issei''s response.


    Soon, Xiaotao called Xue''er to start their training once again...


    Bai''er fell asleep on Issei''s lap feeling tired from all her activities from today.


    ...


    -Divine Phoenix Imperial Palace, Phoenix Main Hall-


    "This son and subject greet royal father." Feng Ximing said deferentially as he stood in front of Feng Hengkong.


    With the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament getting ever so closer, it was still only secondary. What was most important, was that the Primordial Profound Ark''s doorway was about to open. Even though no one had discovered the secrets of the Primordial Profound Ark in these several thousand years, there was no doubt that it contained a world-shaking treasure.


    Therefore, even after every failed attempt, the appearance of the Primordial Profound Ark was still be regarded as an enormous occasion for Divine Phoenix Sect. Everyone within the Divine Phoenix Sect believed that if they discovered the Primordial Profound Ark''s secret, and obtained its treasure, Divine Phoenix Sect''s strength would be on an equal footing with the Four Great Sacred Grounds in the true meaning¡­ even surpassing them was a possibility.


    Feng Hengkong is the emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire and Divine Phoenix Sect''s Sect Master. Although he was over a hundred fifty years old, his entire person was unnecessarily white, with not the slightest of wrinkles. He had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, with his majestic heroic air, it seemed that he was at most forty years of age.


    Feng Ximing is the Crown Prince of the Divine Phoenix Empire and Young Sect Master of the Divine Phoenix Sect. He looked around thirty and middle-aged.


    Feng Hengkong is devoted to the survival and growth of the Divine Phoenix Sect and he treats Feng Xue''er as his entire world because she is the future of the sect.


    Ever since he took the seat as Divine Phoenix Emperor and Sect Master, he has constantly been wary of competing with the Sacred Grounds and their greedy attention towards his sect. His worries only grew as the Phoenix Spirit weakened and eventually died, thus losing the only deterrence that his sect had against any ill will from the Sacred Grounds.


    Before the Phoenix Spirit died, he bestowed its entire bloodline and soul to Feng Xue''er and instructed Feng Hengkong to protect her until she grew up and fully awakened her Phoenix Soul after a hundred years. Once her Phoenix Soul awakened Divine Phoenix Sect would have a new Phoenix God and would no longer need to fear the Sacred Grounds.


    While Feng Hengkong truly treated Feng Xue''er like his beloved daughter and all he felt is true familial love, the same cannot be said for Feng Ximing...


    He harbors deep l.u.s.t and dangerous feelings for his own sister, Feng Xue''er. He is also quick to hatred and extreme actions.


    Even between his brothers, he is the most obsessed with his sister Feng Xue''er... Feng Hengkong took notice of his unfilial son''s behavior and beat him up for it but Feng Ximing is too obsessed with Feng Xue''er that it doesn''t change his feelings at all...


    Ever since then, he hid his feelings from his father fearing that he will feel his wrath once again... If he died, Feng Hengkong still has a lot of sons left. He could just replace him if he truly died...


    When Feng Ximing arrived, he didn''t even lift his head, as he faintly said: "What is it."


    Feng Ximing''s head was slightly bent, his posture humble: "Reporting to royal father, we''ve just recently received news from Spirit Earth Hall, a change has occurred on the profound seal on the ark door of the Primordial Profound Ark this morning. According to our past written accounts, this kind of change signifies that the ark door will open twelve days from now, a full four days earlier than we expected." Preparing for the Primordial Profound Ark was the reason why Feng Hengkong had very rarely appeared in public during this time frame.


    Feng Hengkong raised his head, his face heavy: "Four days earlier?"


    Feng Ximing nodded: "Yes. We had originally set the day after the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament as the profound ark''s opening, but now, the profound ark''s door is four days ahead of schedule, conflicting with the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament. And even if we shift the ranking tournament to an earlier date now, we still won''t have enough time. Thus, in regards to how we''ll handle this matter, I ask royal father for advice."


    Feng Hengkong stood up as his brows slowly pinched. The Primordial Profound Ark''s doorway would only open for twenty-four hours, every minute and second was incomparably precious, and it definitely could not be wasted. However, when he sent the invitation letters to the six nations previously, he explicitly indicated that the top three of the ranking tournament would be entitled to board the Primordial Profound Ark. If the competition was unfinished, how could the top three even board the Primordial Profound Ark when they didn''t even exist? As for shifting the date of the ranking tournament to an earlier time, that was even more inappropriate.


    But what caused this sudden change on the Primordial Profound Ark? This is the first time it ever happened...


    No matter what, they need to handle this problem first... The duo father and son continued their discussion while unknown to them, the culprit of this anomaly is at their beloved daughter and sister side... If they were to know of this, Feng Ximing will undoubtedly be the one who will become outraged... Mostly due to jealousy.


    Especially when he realizes how close Feng Xue''er with Issei is...


    He hasn''t seen her for a very long time now even though they''re basically residing in the same palace... In his whole life, he doesn''t even have the chance to touch a strand of her hair... He can only look at her from the distance.


    The longing inside Feng Ximing''s heart is very unbearable because of this to the point that it almost made him went mad...


    If Feng Hengkong knew of this sinful thought of his, he would''ve slapped this unfilial son of him to death right this instant...


    ...


    -Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace-


    In the air three thousand kilometers above the palace, there were a pair of clear and limpid eyes silently observing down below¡­


    This woman was as lithe and graceful as a fairy and her entire body was enshrouded in cloud and mist. It was impossible to make out her features clearly, and one could only vaguely see a pair of eyes that were as tranquil as an ancient spring.


    Beside her was a young girl with an exquisite figure, completely clad in blue.


    "The day of the calamity is arriving soon..." The white-clothed woman muttered softly.


    "Master... are you still worried about them?" The young girl asked with caution and respect as she looked at her face.


    The white-clothed woman faintly closed her eyes, "When I left all those years ago, I vowed to sever all ties with this place, and no matter what happened henceforth, I would count it as destiny and not interfere any further¡­ perhaps that is already enough for it to persist for a millennium."


    "And humans are not devoid of emotion. So even though I have made an oath to myself, how can I be free of worry?" The white-clothed woman said in an ethereal voice, "After all, it had started because of me¡­ So witnessing its end will also completely sever all yearning and karma that I have with it."


    "Master, this disciple is extremely curious. All those years ago, you had clearly recovered your profound strength and memories, so why did you still leave behind Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace before departing?" The blue-clothed girl asked in an inquisitive tone.


    "....At that time, my profound strength was completely crippled and my memories were lost. It was a member of the Eternal Night Royal Family that rescued me from the claws of a profound beast. Not long after, the Eternal Night Royal Family were destroyed by a bunch of villains and scoundrels that called themselves Sacred Grounds now... After I had recovered my memories and profound strength, even though my heart was filled with hatred, I did not like killing nor did I belong to this world. So leaving behind Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace could be considered as my small repayment for this world¡­"


    After saying that, the white-clothed woman''s voice cut off abruptly. The blue-clothed girl was shocked for a while before she tried to sound out the situation, "Did Lord Realm King discover that we have left the Snow Song Realm?"


    "Mn." The white-clothed woman swept her eyes downward for the last time before turning around and leaving it all behind. "We should return for now and come back another day. Don''t tell elder sister that we came here. She had always borne a bit of a grudge towards me for leaving the Divine End Frozen Art in such a place."


    "Yes, Master." The blue-clothed girl immediately nodded.


    The white-clothed woman raised her hand slightly and both of them soon disappears from their place...


    Unknown to them, the they''re observing is just an illusion...


    If they could see the current Frozen Cloud, perhaps the white-clothed woman would feel taken aback since their strength is increasing by an abnormal rate.


    Most of the Frozen Cloud disciples have already reached the throne level with Cang Yue as an exception since she just recently joined.


    Being a throne is nothing much but to become a throne in less than a month from the Sky Profound Realm is not an easy task and most of them achieve breakthrough almost simultaneously.


    Issei started to pick up the pace in assisting their cultivation progress. He would gather a large amount of profound energy into the palace which allows the girls to cultivate faster than ever.


    Nobody realizes this abnormality since Issei''s control over the profound energy already reaches perfection. Even this white-clothed woman herself doesn''t realize this abnormality needless to say about those who are weaker than her...


    When they disappear, Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius emerged at their previous location.


    "Looks like they have left..." Altair mumbled softly.


    "They indeed came from the upper realm. This traces of energy they left behind is not profound energy... It should be the Divine energy that Master has told us before." Esdeath said while she senses the traces energy left behind by their two "visitor".


    It''s completely foreign from this plane''s energy.


    "Ah... Shall we increase our cultivation then? , was it?" Altair suggested.


    "It should be... Xiaotao has informed us of it before. But we need Master help if we want to reach the since the energy in this realm is not enough to increase our cultivation strength..." Esdeath responded to Altair''s suggestion.


    "Well, we''re in no rush. We still need to increase our mana pool anyway. We can''t be depending on profound energy alone... Just in case our future foes have the capabilities to seal profound energy." Altair said while she raised her hand and created a basic on her palm.


    Sirius nodded in agreement with Altair''s words: "Magic, more powerful than profound energy... More unpredictable and more flexible..." She said in a monotonous but firm tone.


    "Indeed." Both Esdeath and Altair nodded along with her statement.


    Magic/Mana is multipurpose while profound energy is not. Their Master is the only one who could mold profound energy to his liking as if they were clay... If it was someone else, it would be hard for them to mold profound energy that contains a different element than their own.


    Take the Frozen Cloud disciples for example. Their profound energy is based on so if they are given profound energy containing other elements such as the element, they won''t be able to use it.


    Even another element such as element is already pushing it...


    "And it looks like Master won''t be going to the upper realm anytime soon just yet. He said that he will stay with his concubines for at least two or three years as repayment of them helping him before." Altair said nonchalantly.


    Of course Issei never said the word "concubines"... It''s just her own decision.


    But then again... If they''re called concubines by him, whether they would feel angry or not is still unknown...


    "Hmm, well, let''s go back for now." And with that, the three of them returned to their previous post...

 Chapter 116 - 115

    (AN: Big thanks for the donation Jose, hope you enjoy the chapter ????).


    A few days later...


    After Xue''er finished her training for the day, she immediately went towards Issei''s direction. Xiaotao once again positioned herself at Issei''s side but since Bai''er is currently asleep at his lap, she doesn''t massage his legs.


    "Ehehehe, when she''s awake, Little sis Bai''er is already so cute. But when she''s asleep, her cuteness just got doubled!" Feng Xue''er said while poking the asleep Bai''er cheek: "Geez~, how can her cheek be so squishy like this! It should be a crime!" She let out a girly squeal when she touched Bai''er cheeks since it''s so soft and tender.


    Bai''er who felt Xue''er touch started squirming around in her sleep. Her brows are furrowed and before long, she turned her head and buried her head on Issei''s side.


    Feng Xue''er who saw this giggled for the umpteenth time while Issei smiled wryly and started to stroke Bai''er head to comfort her...


    "Xue''er..." Xiaotao who''s at the side admonished Xue''er gently.


    "Grandmaster, the snow you made, is a type of water attribute profound art, right?" After being admonished by Xiaotao, Feng Xue''er stuck out her tongue a little bit and said "Sorry." before she finally stopped taking advantage of Bai''er and changed her attention to Issei.


    She cupped her charming cheeks with her hands, looking at him with a glimmering gaze. This pure and untainted sprite, all of her feelings were displayed on her snow-like face without any hesitation. At the same time she spoke these words, she also expressed her curiosity and yearning for this kind of profound art.


    But she won''t force her Grandmaster to teach her this art even though she really wanted to learn it since he already said that it''s someone else''s secret art.


    Even though her profound energy is leaning towards and that art from before obviously of element, she believes that her Grandmaster is capable of teaching her that art if he had the original owner''s permission.


    Her Grandmaster somehow possesses a Phoenix bloodline as well and his bloodline is stronger than hers at that... Because of his bloodline, she felt extremely close to him even though they just recently met.


    It feels so soothing and comfortable being near him that sometimes Xue''er felt reluctant to separate from his side...


    And her Master has already told her that the fundamental common sense she knows about profound energies doesn''t apply to her Grandmaster. Other people might deem it as impossible but not for him...


    Her Master doesn''t tell her about her Grandmaster''s real identity but considering that a Phoenix God like her Master is serving as his servant, his status must be even greater than the former... But what''s greater than the God realm? She doesn''t really know...


    "Um, it''s called the . To be precise, it''s a type of ice attribute profound art." Issei responded to her question calmly while his hand is still stroking Bai''er''s head.


    "Oh..." Xue''er nodded understandingly: "What''s it like over there, Grandmaster? Is it pretty?"


    Xue''er asked Issei about the and the area surrounding it. She doesn''t ask for the sect name or the nation name, but she just asked how is it like over there since she doesn''t want pry too much.


    How couldn''t Issei tell what she''s thinking? He flashed a soft smile at Xue''er because of how innocent she is... Someone at her age and a beloved princess of a big empire at that but she doesn''t act like a spoilt rotten princess at all.


    How can someone who has been caged in her home for her entire life still behave this innocently and doesn''t act spoiled? He couldn''t help but extend his right hand and rubbed Xue''er head gently...


    Xue''er who felt Issei''s hand become dazed... How can a simple head pat make her heart feel disordered like this? She can feel her heart started beating faster and faster by the second...


    This feeling is very foreign to her... Well, maybe she felt a similar feeling before with her father but it''s quite different. When she''s with her father she would feel happy but when she''s with her Grandmaster, her heart would start fluttering on its own.


    This is the first time that another man other than her father has touched her directly like this... and she must admit that she doesn''t hate this feeling at all...


    Now that she felt his warm touch she wishes that this moment will never stop... Is it because she sees him as her elder brother? Or was it because of something else altogether? She doesn''t really know...


    Xue''er once asked her Master how old is Grandmaster out of curiosity. She knows that the Phoenix God''s age must be in the billions, but what about her Grandmaster who''s supposed to be stronger than the former? Trillions? But her answer left her taken by surprise...


    Her Master then told her that the age of her Grandmaster is only at twenty-one years old and he should be turning twenty-two in the next few months, hence why she mostly sees him as her elder brother rather than an actual Grandmaster... To her, a Grandmaster should be someone very very old.


    It surprises her that someone so young could become a being that surpasses a great God like Xiaotao but soon she came to accept it... Her worldly view and experience are very limited after all.


    For all she knows, there might be a big secret that involves her Grandmaster''s raise in strength but she won''t ask since it would be rude if she were to do so... It''s his secret so she won''t ask him.


    Her royal brothers never made her feel like this and the way they gaze at her is making her feel uncomfortable for some reason...


    "Hmm, that place is called the . The entire five hundred kilometers over there, are all white snow." Issei said after a bit of thinking.


    He withdraws his hand from Xue''er head much to the latter disappointment... But when she heard his words, she immediately lifted her head upwards.


    "Five hundred kilometers¡­ White snow?" Feng Xue''er''s cherry lips opened up in surprise. She couldn''t imagine just what kind of marvelous scenery that would be.


    "Yes." Issei nodded at her muttering: "Because that place is very cold, the ice and snow over there wouldn''t even melt in tens of millenniums¡­ Look, all these surrounding mountains are all soil and stone, but at the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, even the ridges and peaks are covered by layers of snow and ice. The sky at where we are is blue, but over there, even the sky is projected to a pure white by the reflections of the endless snow. In that entire world, there is only a stretch of white without bounds. The sky and earth can''t be distinguished, it''s so pure and quiet that one could hear the sound of their own heartbeat."


    Issei narrated for Feng Xue''er slowly... He believed that the Snow Region of Extreme Ice must be a heaven-like place for Feng Xue''er who likes the color white and snow.


    "Wah¡­" Fen Xue''er''s hands had unwittingly covered her lips, her gaze as misty as fog: "Is there¡­ really such a place¡­ Snow Region of Extreme Ice¡­ Snow Region of Extreme Ice¡­"


    "Not only that, even though it''s all snow, there are also many flowers and plants. And the flowers there, are all ice flowers similar to crystals, and even the grass and trees are sparkling with the glimmer of ice. There are also very beautiful ice corals and natural ice sculptures of various shapes. These, are all unable to be seen at other places, at least I''ve never seen any place like that in this continent. Because once these things leave the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, they would all very quickly melt." Issei said softly.


    "And Zin is also from there." Issei looked at Zin who''s seated nearby them.


    Zin who heard Issei''s words let out a purring sound from her mouth... She can still remember it as clear as a day during her first meeting with her King...


    On that endless snow-white world, she sensed an overwhelming presence that made her bloodline trembled in submission... She was afraid of this presence once thinking that it wanted to devour her.


    But when she saw him, she instantly becomes captivated... Her entire body and soul has been stolen away by his sight. That una.d.u.l.terated strength which could pierce the heaven itself... His whole being is exuding boundless power and beauty that shouldn''t exist in this mortal realm...


    And at that moment she knows... That she just met her kind true King... True Dragon King. Ever since then, she vowed to him that she would be his loyal servant...


    Feng Xue''er''s entire person became stupefied there. She felt as if she had fallen into an illusory world that hadn''t ever appeared even in her dreams. The beauty of that place surpassed the most beautiful heaven she had fantasized about¡­ Even with all of her knowledge, she couldn''t draw how just how beautiful of a picture scroll that would be¡­ Endless spanning snow, snow-white mountains, snow-white skies, sparkling and translucent trees, and flowers, as herds of beautiful profound beasts roam about in the vicinity...


    "Snow Region of Extreme Ice¡­ Snow Region of Extreme Ice¡­" She muttered this name as if deliriously raving, feeling as though her heart and spirit had already melted.


    "Does Xue''er want to go there?" Issei smiled thinly and asked a question that he could completely be sure of the answer just by the look of her expression.


    "Mhm!" Feng Xue''er very strongly nodded, her white and glossy cheeks were adorned with a bit of an excited blush: "So in this world, there''s actually such a beautiful place. I really want to go, if I can arrive at that kind of world, and live over there¡­ Wah~~ How blissful would that be."


    "But¡­" The light in Feng Xue''er''s eyes grew somewhat dim again: "Royal father has said that before I turn twenty, I can''t leave Divine Phoenix City. Royal father is always so busy too, and also hasn''t left Divine Phoenix Sect in many many years. Even after I''m twenty, Royal father probably wouldn''t have the time to take me there¡­"


    "If your royal father doesn''t know, then it would be fine right?" Issei asked her with a smirk.


    "Eh?" She let out a confused voice. Issei then lifted Bai''er body in a princess carry as not to disturb her sleep, he also let out a soothing and calming aura around her.


    When Xue''er is still processing what Issei''s words meant. Her body floated slightly from the ground and before she could utter a cry, she saw that the whole scenery around her has completely changed...


    She has arrived in a literal snow-white world...


    Immediately, the air around her turned chilly as an icy-cold aura assaulted her from all sides. The coldness of the Snow Region of Extreme Ice far surpassed the limit of what a normal person could endure, but for Feng Xue''er, who was at the first level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, it did not cause even a hint of discomfort.


    But this was also the first time that Feng Xue''er, who had never left the bounds of Divine Phoenix City before, had ever come into contact with cold climates in her life.


    The cold air that wreathed her body had been purified by ice and snow for ten thousand years, and it was so pure that there was not a single trace of impurity.


    Snow would continue to fall in the Snow Region of Extreme Ice for most of the year, and at this time, the Snow Region of Extreme Ice happened to be covered by a thick layer of powdered snow. The earth was white, the mountain caps were white, the glaciers were white and even the sky was covered with white snow.


    One would not even be able to make out the horizon in this place. Feng Xue''er gently extended both her hands and within this pure white world, her jade hands seemed to glow with a l.u.s.ter that was even purer than the snow itself.


    "Ah..." She let out a dazed voice: "I feel like I''m dreaming¡­ To think that such a wonderful place truly existed on this earth." Feng Xue''er softly mumbled. The year she turned thirteen was also the year that Divine Phoenix City experienced its first-ever snowfall, and that was also the most beautiful scene she had ever seen in her life, and it was something that she could never forget.


    And the world of boundless snow that lay before her eyes right now was her very definition of heaven.


    "Wah!"


    Feng Xue''er could not contain her elation any longer and she let out a cry of pure delight. She floated amidst the falling snow as her body was immersed in the endless motes of snow that filled the sky, and her pure and joyous laughter was carried along by the cold winds that surrounded her.


    It''s been only a week during his stay with her Grandmaster... and yet... the amount of surprise and joy he brought her is bigger than the happiness her whole family brought her...


    She soared into the sky while letting out a peal of laughter full of joy...


    Issei who sees the current Xue''er let out a thin smile... He started to wonder if his children would like the sight of this place as well and then they would let out happy laughter like Xue''er currently did...


    He and his wives will be nearby taking in the view of their laughing children with a camera on his hand ready to capture their happy moments together... Ah... That would be bliss...


    He doesn''t realize that the current face he''s making is extremely fatal to the female onlookers... Xiaotao and Zin who saw his current face become stupefied and their heart started to madly pound threatening to break free from their chest.


    This is the first time they ever saw him having this kind of expression... He sometimes had a smile on his face before but it can''t be compared with the current one...


    They become lost at his current smiling face... Inside their heart, they know that he must be thinking about his wives back home.


    Xiaotao and Zin couldn''t help feel a twinge of jealousy inside their heart when they realize this...


    Xun''er, Jasmine, and Lieyan is no exception to this... Even though they''re inside the pearl and , they can still see the outside view. And they just happen to saw Issei blissful face...


    Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius who sensed his presence were about to greet him but they stopped dead in their track sharing the same fate of Xiaotao and Zin... All of their faces become flushed deeply becoming completely entranced by their Master''s sight...


    Not a single one of them could escape from Xiaotao and Zin''s fate...


    Thankfully Xue''er is too occupied by the new scenery before her, or she would''ve shared their fate as well...


    Issei doesn''t teleport Xue''er near the Frozen palace but it''s not that far either so Esdeath''s group can sense his arrival. Through his aura and their ice spirit sentries...


    "Grandmaster!", Xue''er who was flying in the sky stopped short and shouted jovially at Issei before she comes swooping down towards Issei''s direction.


    Issei who heard her shout snapped out of his daydream and the onlookers who were enjoying his smiling face before felt very disappointed... They wish they could observe it a little longer...


    Xun''er is the first to snap out of her entranced state and her face blushed for another reason this time... She then looks at her daughter who''s in the same condition but unlike Xun''er, Jasmine is still in her entranced state.


    Xun''er who saw this secretly heaved a sigh of relief... How embarrassing would it be if her daughter saw her mother being entranced by the sight of a man that is young enough that he can be her grandson?


    She then decided to tease her daughter once again trying to forget her embarrassment from before...


    After a few seconds, one can hear Jasmine grumbling under her blanket once again saying her mother is being a meany or whatnot...


    Feng Xue''er flew down from above before landing in front of Issei. Her cheeks glowed a warm red as the purest and most flawless smile lit up on her face, "This place is even better than I had imagined it to be. It is practically like the heaven that my royal father spoke of!"


    She excitedly shared her happiness with Issei without realizing that their distance is only separated by a few centimeters. Perhaps if it was not for Bai''er still inside Issei''s embrace, they could''ve been even closer...


    Issei doesn''t find anything weird and only smiles thinly at the excited Xue''er.


    "Um, I''m glad that you like it. Go ahead and play to your heart content... Oh, looks like Bai''er is waking up..." Issei said and then he felt Bai''er body started to stir within his embrace...


    When Bai''er woke up, she started playing with Xue''er all around the place.


    Only half a day later that the two had their fill... But Feng Xue''er begged Issei that she wanted to return here again later which earned a nod from him much to her joy.


    Then Issei sent Xue''er back to the valley along with Xiaotao while he stays behind since it seems that Esdeath''s group wanted to report something to him. He also sends Zin away with Xue''er just in case.


    Bai''er returned to the and Issei decided to return to the Frozen Palace for now...


    ...


    When Xue''er returned to the valley, she becomes dazed in place looking at the disappearing spatial opening Issei created for her...


    Xiaotao took notice of this and asked Xue''er gently: "Xue''er? What''s wrong?"


    "Xue''er... Xue''er felt weird..." She muttered in a low voice feeling uncertain.


    "Weird?" Xiaotao asked confusedly.


    "It''s kind of¡­ an indescribable feeling, but it''s not loathsome, nor is it sad¡­ Uuu¡­ I never had felt this kind of weird feeling¡­ Also, my heart is suddenly beating so fast whenever I think of Grandmaster¡­ Master, what''s wrong with Xue''er? Am I sick?" Feng Xue''er''s eyelashes faintly trembled, as she asked softly while resting her hands on top of her chest.


    When Xiaotao heard her words, she doesn''t feel surprised at all as if the whole thing is to be expected...


    She only let out a faint smile before she asked Xue''er once again: "Master can''t really give you the answer to that question since you need to solve it on your own, but I can assure you that what you experiencing right now is not a sickness... It''s a natural reaction which every living being experienced at least once in their lives."


    "...Natural reaction?" Xue''er let out a confused voice.


    "Um... You said that your heart beat faster whenever you think of him, right?"


    "Yes..."


    "Then try to imagine how you feel if your Grandmaster came to hate you, how do you feel?"


    "Ah!? Grandmaster hates Xue''er?" Xue''er eyes snapped open and her body shivered lightly. She felt a stinging pain inside her heart... She doesn''t like this feeling at all... She really hates it!


    "Of course not. It''s just an example... Now how do you feel when you imagine what Master just said?" Xiaotao let out another smile seeing how pure Xue''er is.


    "Xue''er... Xue''er heart hurts a lot... like... like it''s being stabbed with a knife..." Her voice is trembling when she tried to imagine it...


    "Do you like your Grandmaster, Xue''er?"


    "Ah? Of course Xue''er likes Grandmaster... Xiaotao also likes Master as well." Xue''er answered Xiaotao''s question like it''s a matter of fact.


    "How about your royal father?"


    "Mhm, Xue''er like royal father as well." She nodded once again.


    "When you think of your royal father, does your heart beat faster just like when you think of your Grandmaster?"


    "..." Xue''er becomes at loss for words when she heard Xiaotao''s question.


    The answer to that question is no... Her heart doesn''t beat this fast when she thought of her royal father... She felt happy but not to the extent of having her heart beat this fast.


    "You can think about it slowly... No need to rush. When the time comes, Master is sure that you will be able to solve the answer to your own question." Xiaotao gently patted Xue''er head.


    Zin who''s observing from the side only let out a light chuckle seeing the clueless Xue''er... For her, there''s no greater joy being able to serve her King and if she''s asked whether she likes her King or not, it''s obvious that she likes him.


    She doesn''t dare to court her King since she thinks that she''s unworthy... Just staying by his side able to serve him, she''s already content with that alone.


    "Now let''s put that problem aside for now... Let''s continue our training. Master can''t be with you all the time... And that includes your Grandmaster as well." Xiaotao added at the end to raise Xue''er spirit and determination.


    "Ah? Master and Grandmaster will go somewhere?" Xue''er let out a dumbfounded voice since she never thought this far yet.


    "Yes." Xiaotao nodded simply.


    "Where are you going, Master? Can you let Xue''er come with you?" Xue''er asked in a hopeful tone.


    "Master can''t tell you right now... You need to get stronger first and foremost. Because if you''re weak, then you will only be a burden." Xiaotao''s words may sound harsh but it''s the truth...


    "...Then Xue''er will surely get stronger so that she won''t be a burden for Master and Grandmaster." Xue''er said in a determined voice.


    Now, this is what Xiaotao is aiming for... Don''t get her wrong, the previous Xue''er is diligent enough but she lacks the spirit. She trains only just for the sake of getting stronger without any real purpose and that will hinder her future growth...


    Now that she has a purpose in mind, her progress will surely soar even further... Feng Xue''er is not destined to stay in this lower realm, not when she has the full inheritance of the Phoenix God and also guidance from a higher being such as her Grandmaster.


    ...


    "Master, the two "visitors" have left not long ago and as far as we can tell, it seems that they have no intention of bringing any harm to the Palace. And we also managed to eavesdrop on their conversation..." Esdeath reported to Issei when they arrived in his room.


    Then Esdeath informed Issei the content of the two visitors'' conversation...


    "Hmm... So this visitor should be the founder of the then." Issei muttered while he started to regulate the profound energies in the surrounding area so the girls from the palace could cultivate faster and easier...


    Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius''s still had a tinge of red on their beautiful face. They''re still affected by Issei''s surprise "attack" from before and it''s really hard for them to forget about it when the one who caused this "injury" to them is right before them...


    They''re squirming around by a little bit on their kneeling position but thankfully it seems that their Master doesn''t take notice of this...


    "Yes, Master." Esdeath confirmed.


    They can come close to the two visitors with the help of their Master''s illusion barrier. They can tell that these two visitors are extremely powerful and if Esdeath''s group were to fight them then they would surely lose...


    Just the fact that one of them is the founder of the palace is already more than enough to serve as proof that her cultivation realm must be very high. If not, she shouldn''t still be alive until now...


    Esdeath doesn''t take one of them being poisoned into account since that will cloud their judgment. Their Master already told them not to underestimate your enemies no matter what... Since they''re not sure that they could win then they better not take their chances...


    Of course, if the visitor wanted to bring harm to the palace then it''s a different story altogether... If that really happens then they will fight with all they have since their Master has entrusted them with this duty.


    "Mm, I see... Jasmine." Issei called out Jasmine''s name.


    "...What?" She pops out soon after but just like Esdeath''s group, her face is also still a bit red.


    "Did you know anything of this founder? Since she should be from the upper realm just like you and Xun''er." Issei asked her.


    "Well... The only Ice user realm in the upper realm who can fit the criteria should be the . Especially since this art which called the to seem to share the same similarity with the special arts. Only, in there, it''s not called the rather it''s called the ." Jasmine said after a little bit of thinking.


    "Oh, Ice Phoenix God?" Issei raised his eyebrows when he remembered the first time he saw the inscribing on the . That art indeed gives off faint divine energy of a God now that he thought about it...


    So this should be the source of the or where the founder of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace from.


    "That''s right. Just like how the worsh.i.p.s the Phoenix God, the worsh.i.p.s the Ice Phoenix God instead..." Jasmine nodded to Issei''s words. Then she proceeded to inform him of the Snow Song Realm...


    The is a humongous star realm enveloped in ice and snow throughout the ancient times. Because it''s a place enveloped in extreme amounts of yin energy, ninety percent of the residents are women. The Snow Song Realm has a population of more than two hundred billion.


    Snow Song Realm is ruled only by the . There is also no one else who can compete so the entire strength of Snow Song Realm is related to the strength of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. If the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect decays, then Snow Song Realm would become a lower-rank star realm.


    "And the current Realm King of the is someone named Mu Xuanyin. She has a little sister named Mu Bingyun who supposedly disappears in the past and she''s also currently poisoned. From what your subordinate has reported, then it should be her since her story match perfectly with the rumors I''ve heard before." Jasmine deducted.


    "Hmm..." Issei who heard Jasmine''s explanation nodded understandingly...


    "Well, it shouldn''t concern you that much anyway, Ise. With your strength, no one from the upper realm able to do anything to you anyway." Jasmine said nonchalantly trying to ignore her mother''s voice inside her head, ''Go get him, dear! Go on full advance! You can do it!''


    Somehow, her mother is being very childish and mean nowadays... What happens to the gentle mother which is the epitome of motherhood she once had? Where did that "mother" disappear to?


    Jasmine has seen his strength with her own eyes and she couldn''t come up with a single strategy which enables her to come out as the victor no matter what...


    Jasmine might only be sixteen years old but her combat experience is not lesser than those old fogies who are in their hundredth already. She has been in a constant fight in the upper realm after all...


    Even Xun''er lose against her in terms of combat experience... But it won''t stay that way for long since she has been training with Issei during all this time as well.


    She wanted to be the one who carries the burden of revenge and not her daughter. Her daughter won''t rest easy until she has her revenge, and she felt the same but if possible, she wishes that her daughter could just live a normal life... Although by now it should be too late already...


    But with Issei''s help then it might be possible hence why she kept telling her daughter to pursue him from time to time again... Sadly her daughter is too shy to make any advances. If possible, she wanted Jasmine to take the position of the head wife before anyone else take that spot...


    And with how many women surrounding him already, it''s not her being paranoid and it wouldn''t be weird if one of them would suddenly launch their advance towards him. By that time, everything will be too late!


    Aiii... Xun''er sometime wonders if she should put on a demonstration for her daughter first... Just a demonstration... Right, a demonstration, nothing more... After all, as her mother, she should show her the ropes in that "field"... Right?


    There''s a saying that if you want to aim for a man''s heart then aim for their stomach but since it''s the other way around now, they should aim for another part of him instead...


    To become a successful wife, one needs to be able to conquer their man on that "field" as well... And that''s where her demonstration comes in, it sounded like a perfect plan, don''t you think so?


    Unknown to her... Even if there''s another thousand of her at the same time, she still won''t be able to defeat him on that "field"...


    "Perhaps... But I would like to have more information about the upper realm just in case. It will be better if I have prior knowledge about the upper realm before I go there... One must not be too overconfident of themselves." Issei said calmly which earned a nod from Jasmine since she completely agrees with what he just said.


    Never be too overconfident since that could lead to your downfall... That is something she learned from interacting with Issei after all this time.


    She was being too overconfident and arrogant when they first met thinking that this is just a lower realm but when she found out Issei''s real identity, her entire body shook greatly...


    She underestimated him before but thankfully he''s not the type of person who bore a grudge over something like that or she could''ve doomed her and her mother''s life if Issei was someone petty-minded...


    Ever since then, Jasmine''s attitude started to change... Well, it''s mostly only her attitude towards Issei though... She still has her arrogance a little bit whenever she''s dealing with someone else but she won''t overly underestimate them either.


    "Then..." Jasmine started to narrate some general things about the upper realm to Issei...


    The is also known as the Divine Realm in the Southern half of the universe.


    In the Primordial Era, the Gods dwelled there. That is an incomparably enormous plane, ten thousand times greater than the Profound Sky Continent. Afterward, the Gods fell, but the Divine Realm didn''t grow empty because of this. It became filled with countless humans, who took over this world that was formerly of the Gods and who searched for and fought over all the things which the Gods left behind¡­ Relics, weapons, spiritual medicines, lineages, profound arts, and more.


    Afterward, by relying on the divine relics that they found, they erected increasingly large and powerful clans, forces, lands, and even miniature worlds.


    The air in the Realm of the Gods is unbelievably pure and the elemental aura in the air is very strong, even a dozen times stronger than the Blue Pole Star they are currently residing in.


    There are around 40,017 Star Realms in the Southern half of the universe. The realms are divided into four ranks:


    - Low-Rank Star Realm


    - Middle-Rank Star Realm


    - High-Rank Star Realm


    - Royal-Rank Star Realm


    Coincidentally, the is a Middle-Rank Star Realm while Jasmine''s original realm, the is a High-Rank Star Realm.


    "I see... Is the highest cultivation realm up there at the ? Like you, Jasmine?"


    "Yes, as far as I know, other than the remnants of the True Gods such as the Phoenix and the like. The highest cultivator realm up there is at the ."


    Divine Master means a master of the divine way. One would be at the pinnacle of the God Realm. In the current era, it is the highest level and it is the realm closest to the True God that a human can get to. At the Divine Master Realm, there is nearly nothing impossible to do and each Divine Master is an existence that cannot be offended.


    The Realm King of High-Rank Star Realms is called Divine Masters.


    Within the Divine Master Realm, every step forward required world-shaking amounts of talent and incredible fate. It requires eons of hard work that no ordinary person could imagine.


    Issei nodded calmly to Jasmine''s explanation.


    Looks like this world is indeed very huge... By far, this is the biggest world Issei has ever visited.


    Although their overall strength is quite lacking, it can still be considered powerful compared to most world he visited before.


    "Any news from Naru?" Issei then changed the topic of their conversation.


    "Yes, Master. She sent a voice transmission when you''re away and found out the reason why the is sending someone to investigate about you is because of a woman named Xuanyuan Yufeng." Esdeath respectfully reported.


    "Xuanyuan Yufeng?" Issei muttered with furrowed eyebrows thinking where did he hear this name before... It sounded familiar...


    "Un, it seems that... she took fancy of you, Master and wanted to claim you for herself." Esdeath muttered with faint bloodl.u.s.t leaking out.


    Xuanyuan Yufeng pleaded to her father, Xuanyuan Jue who''s an elder of the sect saying that she would do anything and will stay at home if she could be together with Issei... At first, her father refuses outright but after a bit of begging from her, he finally relented...


    Then he sends someone to investigate about Issei and if possible just fetch him right away so he can just get this whole farce done with... He doesn''t know what kind of sin he does in his past life to have a daughter like this... First, it was that Ling Yuefeng, now it''s this new man.


    Xuanyuan Jue felt angry that Ling Yuefeng doesn''t treat his daughter better and was about to go and kill him but since he''s also the father of his grandsons, he held it in... For now that is...


    Esdeath''s blood boils at the thought of some random insect wanted to claim her Master as their own? Over her dead body! She would skin her alive if she''s right in front of her right now!


    Even Altair and Sirius is letting out a faint bloodl.u.s.t when they heard about this before...


    "Hmph! What a joke! Some ant who don''t know the immensity of heaven and earth!" Jasmine scoffed when she heard Esdeath''s words. Her voice is laced with scorn and jealousy...


    Issei frowned a little trying to remember the owner of the name... And after a little bit of thinking, he remembered.


    It''s that woman from the Heavenly sword villa from before. But, isn''t she married already? Why would she took fancy of him all of the sudden?


    "Please give us the command to kill her, Master!" Esdeath shouted lightly waiting for Issei''s permission. Altair and Sirius also followed suit...


    "Just her be for now... What about the ?" Issei dismissed their words.


    Issei won''t go on his way to kill some woman just because they have feelings for him. But he wouldn''t mind killing them either if they cross the line... Since so far they''re only aiming at him alone then he would just wave it away uninterestedly.


    "Well, she still hasn''t found out the specific reason why they''re investigating the palace as of yet but she indeed found out about something else... Their sect young master who''s named Ye Xinghan is a perverted womanizer who loves beautiful women. He is cultivating a type of dual cultivation heretic art and he constantly kidnaps women to be training incubators... Every year he would secretly kidnap a large number of women to be his training incubators." Esdeath said with disgust.


    "Hoo..." Issei also let out a disgusted and slightly angered voice when he heard her words.


    "But Naru did found out that it seems that he will be attending as a guest in the upcoming and it appears that he''s aiming for Princess Feng Xue''er as well."


    Issei''s eyes turned into a slit for a moment when he heard that this Ye Xinghan is aiming for Feng Xue''er.


    "Is that so... Good timing. When the tournament starts, I might as well pay him a visit later." Issei narrowed his eyes while letting out a faint murderous aura.


    Since this Ye Xinghan is this type of sc.u.m then most like the reason why he''s investigating the palace is also for the same reason, to collect women for his sinister cultivation arts... Then there''s no need to investigate further. He might as well tell Naru to return from her investigation...


    Then he might should just go pay him a ''visit'' when the tournament start. He wanted to go inside the Primordial Profound Ark first and calculating the time of the tournament, then it should be enough.


    But... The distance from there to this place should be quite far... So why would Ye Xinghan go on his way to investigate the palace now out of all times?


    Theoretically speaking, Ye Xinghan''s profound strength should be quite high considering his background and compared to the most sect in this nation, he''s like a giant.


    So, to have someone who has lower profound cultivation as his "incubator" is really not worth the effort.


    He could gain more if he collects women that have cultivation realm closer to his... The world should have not found out about the real strength of the palace just yet. At most, they only know that they have some throne cultivator here and there... But that information shouldn''t be enough to attract those giants from the sacred grounds.


    And if Ye Xinghan only aiming for their beauty, considering his personality that loves beautiful women, the moment he heard of this place then he should''ve raided this place to the ground already... So why wait until now?


    But since he only sent someone to investigate, then that means he doesn''t know about this place until recently... He might be a pervert but it seems that he knows how to be cautious or perhaps he''s just underestimating them thinking that sending a mid-level Tyrant profound cultivator is more than enough to do the job for him.


    Well, no matter what the real reason is, it will all become clear soon enough...


    Jasmine who sensed his killing intent knows that the life of this Ye Xinghan sc.u.m is over... Someone who had their lives aimed by a Death God himself is surely doomed without a doubt.


    Good riddance, she thought inwardly... This type of sc.u.m who''s the enemy of all women shouldn''t be allowed to live.


    "Should we head to his sect and do some ''cleaning'', Master?" Esdeath asked with narrowed eyes with a small grin adorning her glossy lips.


    "No need... When I''m done with this Ye Xinghan then I would assume that his sect would come running to avenge him. We only need to wait for them to deliver themselves to our doorstep." Issei said offhandedly.


    With their arrogance of being one of the Sacred Grounds, there''s no way that they will take this blatant slap to the face without retaliating especially when it involves their sect young master. When that time comes, all they need to do is wait.


    His father must''ve known about this Ye Xinghan crimes and since he doesn''t do anything about it, then Issei will...


    Their "prey" is delivering themselves like a sheep to the slaughterhouse. There''s nothing easier than this... Hopefully, they bring all their forces in one go as well to save some time.


    "Master is wise." Esdeath said with adoration.


    "Then if there''s nothing else, I will take my leave." Issei was about to stand up and head towards the Primordial Profound Ark when he heard multiple footsteps heading to his location.


    Esdeath''s group also took notice of this and they immediately disappeared from their spot.


    It''s not the time to show themselves just yet...


    Jasmine also heads back inside the pearl but after she snorted lightly while looking at the direction of the footsteps.


    And as expected, before long there''s a knock on Issei''s door...


    *Knock* *Knock* *Knock*


    "Elder Ise, are you there?" Only this time it wasn''t Cang Yue''s voice but rather Feng Qianhui''s instead.


    "Yes." Issei responded before he proceeds to open the door.


    When the door is opened, there''s not only Feng Qianhui standing outside of his room but the other girls such as Xia Qingyue, Chu Yueli, Chu Yuechan, Murong Qianxue, Gong Yuxian, and the others are also here.


    All of the most talented fairies from the palace is standing in front of him. Most of them are already in the middle-level throne while Xia Qingyue is already nearing the peak.


    Chu Yuechan has already reached the 4th level Tyrant Profound Realm. Her Draconic aura is getting more prominent than before... There''s a kingly aura radiating from her being but in front of Issei, it turned mellow and submissive.


    The twins Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue are also there and they''re the only ones who dare to blatantly stare at him without any reservation.


    There are joy and a slight red glow on the twins'' cheeks that were finer than snow lotus, and their beautiful eyes were looking at him without blinking...


    "What''s wrong?" Issei asked them softly.


    "We want to inform you that everyone here has already completed the training course you gave us. We mastered the basic art you taught us and we''re also starting to comprehend this unique energy which you called as well." Feng Qianhui answered in a clear and melodious voice and her beautiful eyes keep fluttering as if it tries to attract his attention.


    Before they came here, they''ve already put on light makeup on their already gorgeous face and also changed their hairstyle to accentuate their beauty even further. That''s also one of the reasons why Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue keep staring at him unblinkingly since they wanted their sect elder to take notice of this...


    Overall, they look like a true fairy descending into a mortal plane with how they look right now.


    If they were to hook their finger to any normal men right now then they would immediately come scurrying to their direction without a single delay just to get these beauties attention...


    But too bad that thing won''t happen since they only dress up like this in front of their sect elder alone... If it was any other men then they won''t even bother to spare them a glance.


    "Oh, good work." Issei nodded slightly at Feng Qianhui''s words.


    He sweated a little seeing how intense the twins gaze on him right now though...


    "Elder Ise! What do you think of our new hair and makeup? Does it look good?" Feng Hanxue is getting impatient seeing that they don''t get any reaction out of their sect elder even when they waited until now(It''s only been like fifteen seconds though...), so annoying!


    The other girls who heard Feng Hanxue sudden outburst had their body twitch a little but soon they raise their face and also tilted their head to the side slightly trying to emphasize something to him.


    Some even bold enough to use their arm to lift a certain ''assets'' of theirs inconspicuously, making it look a little bigger hoping that it will attract Issei''s attention... It''s none other than Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian themselves.


    But it looks like Gong Yuxian is not as daring as Feng Qianhui since she looks a tad embarrassed while Feng Qianhui keeps fluttering her eyelashes at Issei.


    Looks like being an old vir- old maiden for so long has enhanced their assertiveness by quite a lot...


    "Shameless! This whole sect is filled with shameless women! How can a woman be so shameless!" Jasmine shouted indignantly when she saw how the girls from the palace are acting.


    [What shameless? That''s called being brave, you brat! Don''t think that only a man can be a pervert. A woman can become one as well!] Lieyan said with a sneer.


    This wet behind the ears snotty brat is too naive and gullible! But that''s a good thing for her and the Little Demon Empress as well... Less strong competitor means more chances.


    "You shut up!" Jasmine growled.


    Xun''er who''s at her side berated her lightly by saying: "See dear... That''s what happens when you''re too late into the game. Now come let mother dress you up a little as well."


    Xun''er started to pull out some revealing clothes out of their wardrobe...


    "Oops! That was too revealing... Or was it? What do you think dear? You think this will be enough to entice him?" Xun''er tilted her head to the side while slightly muttering to herself in the end before he shows the outfit to Jasmine. Her rabbit ears started to twitch a lot which clearly serves as proof that she''s enjoying this a lot right now...


    The outfit she just took out is a short kimono dress that reveals half of the wearer''s upper body starting from the middle of their chests. Although it doesn''t show the whole chests area and just half of it, it''s still quite enticing so say nonetheless...


    "Mom!" Jasmine''s whole face turned red immediately when she heard her mother''s words and sees the revealing outfit her mother just took out.


    "I won''t speak to you anymore!" Then she ran away heading towards her trusted "fort" while grumbling angrily once again...


    Aiii... This daughter of hers... Xun''er sighed wryly seeing how shy her daughter is. At this rate, it will be years before she could capture his heart.


    "Err, yes, it looks really good, junior sister Feng Hanxue. You look really pretty... You all do." Issei said while sweating a little.


    It looks like no matter the world or race, women like being praised...


    "Really!?" Feng Hanxue shouted in glee but then she realizes something: "Eh? Elder Ise, how did you know that I am Hanxue? I am the same as my Big Sister from top to bottom. Even our disciples and senior sisters that are most familiar with us¡­ even the previous Palace Mistress couldn''t tell us apart, but you called out my name immediately. You also seem to be very sure..." She asked while her beautiful eyes showed surprise.


    Feng Hanyue who''s next to her also seems quite surprised at this revelation and the other girls also wanted to know the answer to that.


    "Umm, even though you and your big sister are twins, there''s still a difference between the two of you." Issei said after a little bit of thinking.


    "And what is that?" Feng Hanxue asked curiously.


    "For one, you look a little bit more cheerful while your big sister looks a little bit more mature and while you are a little... impatient. Even though your big sister also seems cheerful just like you, she tends to be more reserved at times even though she herself might not realize it, and there''s also a slight difference in your voice tone albeit it''s almost impossible to notice." Issei answered while comparing the two of them.


    Feng Qianhui and the others who heard his words turned their head and started to observe Feng Hanxue and Hanyue more closely... But, they still couldn''t tell no matter how hard they try to differentiate them...


    "Uhh... I think you''re the only one who''s able to tell them apart, Ise..." Feng Qianhui said while smiling wryly.


    Of course, Issei can tell them apart since he got his own twins as his wives. So he tends to be more observant because of that...


    But there are another two reasons why Issei could tell them apart... One of them is because he can see their soul. Since no matter how identical a person is with one another, their soul is completely different from each other. Unless one of them is a copy of the other then there''s no way they could have the same soul essence.


    As for the second reason... It''s their scent... As a Dragon, Issei''s sense of smell obviously differs greatly from a normal human. But if he were to tell them that then it would be rude of him...


    Feng Hanxue and Feng Hanyue who heard Issei''s words instantly had their eyes shone brightly... Their previously blushing cheeks turned another shade deeper.


    This is the first time someone could tell them apart with a single glance like this... Because of it, their adoration towards him just increased by a large margin. The other girls also had their favorability increased...


    ""Elder Ise, you''re amazing!"" The two twins ignored everyone''s presence and both of them immediately skip forward and glomped on Issei''s left and right arm respectively.


    "Ah!" The other girls gasped lightly when they saw this.


    "Hanxue, Hanyue! Don''t be impolite!" Feng Qianhui lightly berated the twins.


    They only stuck out their tongue mischievously. But they do listen to their Master''s words and let go of his arm soon after...


    "It''s fine..." Issei smiled wryly at them.


    "Then, is there anything else you need from me?" Issei asked Feng Qianhui and the others.


    "Ah, yes. Do we need to do some changes to our training schedule, Ise? Maybe there''s something we need to be wary of?" Feng Qianhui inquired.


    "There''s really nothing to be wary of..." Issei said after a little bit of thinking.


    But then he thought of something...


    "Actually... I have something in mind to increase your progress in a ''short'' amount of time."


    "Eh? You can still increase our cultivation speed?" Feng Qianhui said with astonishment.


    Their current speed is already fast enough and he''s telling them that he can make it even faster? Just where is the limit of his mysticalness...


    "Um. But it''s a one-time thing since I don''t want you to be over-reliant on it." Issei nodded at her words.


    "Can you tell us what it is first? If it put a burden on yourself then we rather not use it..." Chu Yuechan asked worriedly.


    "I agree with elder sister." Chu Yueli said agreeing with her elder sister''s words.


    The other girls also followed suit...


    Issei smiled softly seeing them being considerate of him.


    "No need to worry. It won''t put any burden on me... But before that, is there any disciple that is currently away from the sect right now?" Issei asked Feng Qianhui.


    "As of right now... Yuxian?" Feng Qianhui asked Gong Yuxian since she''s the one who usually took notice of this information.


    "No, all of the disciples are currently inside the palace." Gong Yuxian shook her head answering Issei''s question.


    "Um, that''s good then." Issei then channeled a bit of his magic into his palm before he shoots it outside hitting the illusion barrier that''s currently enshrouding them.


    There''s a bright red glow when his magic came into contact with the barrier.


    The girls are a little bit confused seeing him sending something towards the ceiling.


    But since they don''t feel any trace of profound energy from it, then it must be the he taught them before.


    Their comprehension in is still too weak to be able to tell just how powerful was the magic that Issei just used.


    "What did you just do, Ise?" Feng Qianhui asked feeling curious since she doesn''t really feel any changes surrounding them.


    "The whole vicinity around the palace is currently covered with a . Three days outside the barrier is one year inside it." Issei told them which made all of them become flabbergasted.


    This way, if they''re cultivating inside this , their progress will truly soar through the roof! They don''t doubt his words even for a moment... The miracles that he brought before all this are numerous after all.


    Now you might ask why Issei doesn''t use this barrier to hasten his recovery. The answer to that is that because he couldn''t... The amount of energy that he needed to prepare this barrier is the same as the amount that he used for it.


    One year means that he need a year''s worth of his energy to maintain it. But as long as he took down the barrier then that energy he used to maintain it will return to him.


    So when he said there''s really no burden on him to use this technique is true. He basically just "borrowed" the energy for a certain period of time.


    In his current state, he couldn''t make a perfect time barrier as he used to. It can be said that his current is a weakened version of the original. He also wouldn''t be able to gather energy to himself as long as the barrier is still in effect either.


    Messing with time is not an easy thing to do... Especially when he''s still not in his perfect condition.


    There''s an artifact that could utilize time as well but that artifact is made for who knows how long and the amount of energy it contains must be very huge hence why it could slow down the time inside the barrier they made for thousands of years...


    If Issei is in his top condition then he could do the same as that said artifact but he rather not to mess with time so often... Hence why he said it''s a one-time thing.


    Slowing down time by one or three days is nothing much but it''s better if they don''t be too over-reliant on it.


    So, Issei told them to take their time inside the barrier while he goes towards the ... The girls need to be prepared for the things he had in mind.


    "Elder Ise, you are leaving now?" Chu Yuechan stepped forward unconsciously: "But you just returned..." She muttered feeling a little upset.


    If he leaves them here, that means that they can only see him a year later... They felt reluctant about it but since this is the chance for them to get stronger, so they feel conflicted about this whole idea...


    "Um, don''t worry. Even when I''m not inside the barrier, it can maintain itself as long as I don''t take it down." Issei nodded in reassurance.


    "...That''s not what I''m worried about though..." Chu Yuechan muttered wistfully.


    Under the longing gaze of the girls, Issei bade farewell to the Frozen Cloud disciples, opened a spatial opening and returned to the Divine Phoenix Empire...


    Three days later, the girls'' cultivation progress will truly advance by leaps and bounds...


    Jasmine and Xun''er felt speechless as well when they know about this... But they won''t ask him to use this art for them.


    Especially when they know the cost of using this art. Even though it''s basically a non-existent price to pay, it still used a little bit of his time.


    ...


    Issei arrived above the valley just to see Xue''er is still training diligently. He smiled softly before he flew towards the Primordial Profound Ark direction...


    Xiaotao and Zin realized his arrival beforehand but he stopped them from greeting him with a wave of his hand. They then realize that he must be here not to visit Xue''er but rather for something else... So they nodded understandingly.


    It only took Issei a few minutes before he sees the Primordial Profound Ark that''s situated sixty thousand meters above the ground.


    Although both the Sky Profound Realm and Emperor Profound Realm were capable of utilizing the Profound Floating Technique, an altitude of sixty thousand meters was something they absolutely could not reach. In order to reach this altitude, one must at least be at Overlord-level profound strength.


    The distance between him and the enormous Primordial Profound Ark was less than three hundred meters. As far as the eye could see, the Profound Ark was so enormous one simply couldn''t even see its borders. Its color also wasn''t the dull gray color which could be seen from below, but clearly a kind of deep red color.


    Issei then flies closer to the Ark and stopped in front of a closed "door".


    This door was fifteen meters wide, and a profound light imprint flashed on the surface of the door, flickering on and off. The flickering of this profound energy seal seemed to indicate that it was about to disappear.


    Issei put his hand on top of the door and channeled a little bit of his divine energy into it... There was a slight resistance at the beginning but in the same next moment, it disappeared as if it''s never there in the first place.


    The profound seal on the ark''s door suddenly stopped flickering, and then slowly disappeared. The Profound Ark''s door which had always been shut slowly opened at this time with an extremely ear-piercing creaking noise.


    *GRRKKK!*


    "It opened!" Jasmine called out.


    The door to the Primordial Profound Ark opened extremely slowly, and several dozen breaths'' worth of time passed before the door opened completely. An incomparably pitch-black vortex lay behind the door, revolving rapidly like an ocean whirlpool.


    "Just as I suspected..." Issei who saw this vortex nodded to himself.


    "This Ark is indeed very similar to the Heavenly basin secret realm... Even the energy signature it giving off is almost identical... But there''s a tiny difference in the energy signature. Perhaps it''s because this Ark is created long before the Heretic God created the Heavenly basin secret realm..." He muttered.


    [You''re right, Master. This Ark most likely created by the Heretic God himself... Although I''m not 100% sure, it shouldn''t be that far off either] Lieyan voiced out her thoughts.


    "Hmm, let''s just go in for now. We won''t solve anything just by standing outside like this." Jasmine said excitedly.


    "I suppose." Issei nodded slightly at Jasmine''s words.


    Then Issei walks forward the spatial vortex and his body disappeared right after... Even when he already went inside, the door of the Ark is still open.


    Not a single person of the Divine Phoenix Empire that someone has just entered the Primordial Profound Ark. By the time they realize it... It will be too late.

 Chapter 117 - 116

    Not long before Issei leaves the valley, Xue''er received a voice transmission from her father saying that it''s almost time for the tournament to begin.


    So Xue''er excuses herself from Xiaotao since she needed to attend the tournament as an observer to show some respect to the participants. But it''s mostly because there''s someone from the sacred grounds will be coming as a guest...


    At least that''s what her royal father said. Personally, Xue''er doesn''t really mind coming to the tournament even if the sacred grounds are not visiting as a guest.


    After Xue''er left the valley, Xiaotao decided to wait for her Master''s return along with Zin. They know that he must''ve headed towards the Primordial Profound Ark.


    He''s been investigating the Ark for the past week after all.


    No one will be able to detect their presence inside the valley and since the only who allowed entering here is only Xue''er and her father, it will be even more unlikely for them to be discovered.


    Even if they do get discovered later, there''s nothing the Divine Phoenix Empire could do to them anyway. First, Xiaotao herself is the Phoenix they ought to worship and secondly, both Zin and Xiaotao are at the peak of the Sovereign realm.


    Both of them together is more than enough to destroy the whole Divine Phoenix Empire.


    ...


    -At the tournament location-


    When the sect members of the Divine Phoenix Empire is checking the participants, they heard a loud clattering sound coming from the main seat position.


    Their complexion flickered, and their gaze turned towards the center of the main seats. Their voice stirred excitedly: "Sect Master, Young Sect Master, and the Great Elders have arrived¡­ Ah¡­"


    Their breathing suddenly became hurried and brief. His eyes stared forward rigidly, and his voice began trembling: "Ah¡­ ah-ah-ah-ah¡­ that''s¡­ could it be¡­ Princess Snow!?"


    The incomparably enormous arena was capable of holding almost three million people.


    Just the sound of everyone''s breathing amounted to rumbling thunder. But at this moment, the enormous arena instantly became incomparably silent, such that even a pin drop could have been heard, and it seemed like everything had frozen in motion. Everyone''s gazes were directed upward, attentively watching the phoenix flame that had been lit in the sky.


    The flame in the air assumed the shape of a flying phoenix. Atop the phoenix flame, several silhouettes descended slowly. Among the Divine Phoenix Sect''s seats, all of the participants from the Divine Phoenix Sect were already seated, even the princes, elders, hall masters, pavilion masters, and city masters were already there. But the foremost fifteen seats of the Divine Phoenix Clan were still vacant. And the position of these fifteen seats was evidently higher than that of princes and elders!


    Today, the owners of these fifteen center seats finally arrived.


    The silhouettes in the air slowly descended as they stepped on the Phoenix flame. Included among these people were the Divine Phoenix Sect''s Feng Hengkong and Great Elder Feng Feiyan. Young Sect Master and Crown Prince, Feng Ximing, was also lined up grandly.


    The other ten people were all elder and city master-level existences that were at the peak of strength and prestige in Divine Phoenix Sect. Without the least exaggeration, any individual among these people was a super existence capable of showing disdain in the Profound Sky.


    They stood together, their enormous imposing manner enveloping the entire arena, making all three million people in the arena have a heavy suffocating feeling.


    However, including the Divine Phoenix Sect Master Feng Hengkong, not one person became the focal point of everyone''s gaze. Everyone''s gazes, as if locked by some irresistible force, fell onto the delicate and tender figure of the young girl standing beside Feng Hengkong.


    She was dressed in luxurious phoenix clothing and wore a Phoenix Jade Crown. The Phoenix Jade glass that hung down from her crown completely shrouded her visage, rendering one incapable of even getting the slightest glimpse of her skin and grace.


    But when people looked at such a girl, whose complexion couldn''t even be seen, their souls would still suddenly surge intensely. They were unable to describe such a feeling, as if they had fallen into an illusory dreamland all of a sudden, watching a girl that had walked out of a dream¡­ Although they couldn''t see her face, every person''s heart was filled with the incomparably firm belief that she must have the world''s most perfect appearance, no less than that of a heavenly fairy.


    This seemed like some kind of magic, and also seemed like a dreamy temperament that shouldn''t belong to a young girl from the mortal world.


    At this time, the Feng Hengkong and Feng Feiyan-level existences beside this young girl completely became decorative props, the many stars around the arched moon. In fact, while Feng Hengkong and the young girl stood in the middle, and the others stood evenly spread around them, the center of the region they encircled wasn''t Feng Hengkong¡­ but that young girl.


    "Princess Snow¡­ it''s the fabled Princess Snow!" Within the arena, a man yelled with incomparable excitement.


    "Besides Princess Snow, who can stand on equal footing with the Phoenix Sect Master¡­ Besides Princess Snow, who can possess such celestial character¡­ Heavens! I''m actually seeing the fabled Princess Snow¡­"


    "Having spent a tenth of the family property in order to get ahold of this entrance ticket, I felt a little conned originally¡­ But to be able to catch a glimpse of Princess Snow, even if I lost the entire family fortune, it would be completely worth it!"


    "I couldn''t be dreaming, right? Princess Snow only appeared that one time when she was thirteen¡­ Today, I''m actually witnessing her charm and grace with my own eyes¡­"


    "It''s a pity, we can''t see Princess Snow''s face. The thirteen-year-old Princess Snow already possessed the beauty of a heavenly being, the sixteen-year-old Princess Snow right now¡­ who knows to what extent her beauty has developed."


    "Know satisfaction already, you! Being able to witness Princess Snow''s figure with your own eyes, is already a fortune gained by your former incarnation! How could Princess Snow''s heavenly appearance be something that common folks like us are qualified to appreciate!"


    The enormous arena once again became clamorous. The impassioned mood that had filled the entire arena, had all turned into the excitement and exclamation towards Princess Snow, making the people almost forget why they came here today. They felt that even if they were to leave the arena right now without being able to see the ranking tournament, being able to have a glance at Princess Snow''s beauty was already more than tens of millions of times worth it.


    In this entire world, to be able to instigate such a great shock with an entrance, moreover with covered features, Princess Snow would be the only one!


    Feng Hengkong''s gaze was tranquil yet dignified. His eyes swept through the entire audience and not even slightly surprised at this abrupt commotion. His gaze turned, and when it fell onto the Feng Xue''er beside him, the dignified gaze instantly became incomparably gentle, so gentle as though he was afraid his gaze would bring her harm.


    This number one hegemon of the Profound Sky Seven Nations, a supreme being like the Emperor of Heaven''s Palace, would also only reveal such an expression in his eyes when facing this sole daughter of his.


    But when he saw her a while ago, Feng Hengkong felt something change about her. She becoming more beautiful is normal since she''s still growing but there''s something else that and he couldn''t quite grasp just what it is...


    Feng Hengkong then sit down on his seat, took a glance at the time, swept his gaze across the distinguished seats reserved for those from the , and said: "Have the honored guests from the Sacred Grounds arrived yet?


    "They are always conceited with their status, and would never arrive until the last moment, there is no need for Sect Master to mind. Their intentions are set on the Primordial Profound Ark, they will certainly come." Feng Feiyan said expressionlessly. He was the directly related older brother of Feng Hengkong and was only seven years older than him, yet he looked to be twenty or thirty years older. With his cultivation, at two hundred years old, he could totally look no different than twenty or thirty, but it was very clear that he did not choose to deliberately control the characteristics of age with profound strength.


    "Mn." Feng Hengkong slowly nodded: "Since they are honored guests, we''ll wait for fifteen minutes longer."


    "Hahahaha, no need for fifteen minutes. An honored invitation of the phoenix, how could I, this Ling, not come."


    An ear-splitting hearty laugh sounded from above and instantly resounded through the entire arena as if a gale, jolting to the point of causing everyone''s eardrums to severely quiver. Right after, the enormous pressure belonging to an Overlord enveloped down, as a green-colored figure quickly flashed through the air, then fell upon the seat like a ghost.


    It is none other than Ling Kun who was the honored guest on the previous tournament at the heavenly sword villa.


    Who would''ve thought the person representing the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region at this Seven Nation Ranking Tournament would also be him?


    "Haha." Feng Hengkong stood up, and cupped his hands at Ling Kun: "Elder Ling, it has been twenty-five years. I trust you have been well."


    Ling Kun also gave Feng Hengkong a wave: "I naturally have been well. Rather than that, Sect Master Feng''s aura has become even thicker and more profound, this Ling is already far, far behind."


    "Haha, Elder Ling is being modest." Feng Hengkong laughed faintly, then his tone changed: "Elder Ling, would the one who has arrived together with you, be Young Hall Master Ye?"


    Once Feng Hengkong''s question ended, the complexions of the Phoenix Elders behind immediately changed slightly as they raised their heads upwards in succession.


    "Hahahaha!"


    Another hearty laugh came from a distance overhead. This laughter was not as vast and powerful as Ling Kun''s but it was willful and flamboyant, and there were only a few in the Profound Sky Continent who would dare to laugh this unrestrainedly in Divine Phoenix Sect''s territory.


    Amidst the wild laughter, an ill.u.s.trious white radiance akin to the blazing sun suddenly projected in the sky above. On the other side, an equally dazzling floating crescent moon appeared as well. This sun and moon instantly snatched away all the brilliance in this space.


    A young man slowly walked out from within the radiance of the circular sun and crescent moon. Dressed in white, his brows were as sharp as swords and his eyes glistened like stars. His face was like white jade, the slanted and slender brows penetrated deeply into his hairline, as an aloof yet nefarious smile hung on his face¡­ To be more precise, that was an obscene smile. While he himself didn''t have any intention of hiding this "Obsceneness".


    (AN: Here it is again, folks! The infamous "like white jade" line on a Chinese novel strikes yet again! And it won''t be the last! Like a particular someone used to say... "I''ll be back!").


    He opened his arms, and at once, two women bewitching in every way walked out from the radiance, swinging their water snake-like waist, and threw themselves into his embrace from both sides.


    The man burst into loud laughter, and under the light of the sun''s and moon''s brilliance, the sleeves of his robe fluttered as he slowly descended while holding two women. Moreover, he continuously moved his hands up and down on the two women''s bodies, as if this were a place with no people. Under his caressing and stroking, the two bewitching women m.o.a.ned again and again with their waists wringing about.


    "As expected of Phoenix Sect Master; these little gimmicks of mine, really are inadequate in front of Phoenix Sect Master." As the young man landed, the brilliance of the sun and moon finally vanished as well. Yet he didn''t land on his seat, and instead landed in front of Divine Phoenix Sect''s seating area, less than a mere ten steps away from Feng Xue''er''s seat.


    He let go of the two women, took a step forward, as he slightly raised his hand, his eyes narrowed halfway: "Sun Moon Divine Hall''s Ye Xinghan, greets Phoenix Sect Master. I have already heard Phoenix Sect Master''s prestige for a long time, to be able to meet today is the blessing of my three lifetimes."


    "What? Ye Xinghan!?"


    Hearing this youth reveal his name, the audience instantly cried out in surprise. Because this was the name of Sun Moon Divine Hall''s Young Hall Master! The person from the this time was actually the Young Hall Master!


    Though Feng Hengkong had already learned that Ye Xinghan was unbridled with women, he didn''t expect him to be so debauched. He let out a faint smile and said: "Young Hall Master''s words are too strong. Rather, Young Hall Master''s name is like a clap of thunder that pierces the ear. Meeting you today, your excellence is superior to your reputation¡­ Young Hall Master''s seat is to the right side of Elder Ling. Three honored guests, please enter your seats."


    "No need to hurry." Yet Ye Xinghan leisurely rebuffed. His gaze shifted and fell upon Feng Xue''er''s body. A pair of long and narrow eyes instantly squinted, as they radiated an extremely scorching light...


    Up until now, it could be said that Ye Xinghan has had his way with countless women. And the women who he took a fancy to, their looks, physique were all one chosen from a thousand. It could be said that his immunity toward women''s looks and disposition was extremely high, yet at the moment he saw Feng Xue''er, he felt all of the blood in his entire body start to boil, as every single cell in his body throbbed madly.


    For the first time in his life, Ye Xinghan had a feeling of not daring to believe that she actually exists, while she was clearly before his eyes. It was even to the point where he couldn''t imagine just what kind of celestial beauty was underneath this sort of air that transcended worldliness.


    The desire to possess crazily sprouted and grew within his chest cavity and soul¡­ At the same time, her physique was more so unparalleled under heaven...


    She was simply the most flawless woman, the most flawless incubator!


    While he''s aiming at Feng Xue''er, he doesn''t know that someone else is also aiming at him... albeit with an entirely different purpose. If he''s aiming for Feng Xue''er body, then this "someone" is aiming for his life! He''s already been marked by the Death God himself and his life has long been forfeited but he just doesn''t realize it yet...


    And even without that "someone" come into action, there''s no way for Ye Xinghan to be able to capture Feng Xue''er since their cultivation is far apart.


    Ye Xinghan''s cultivation realm is only at the 8th level Tyrant Profound Realm while Feng Xue''er is already at the early stage of the Sovereign profound realm and this is not even her full potential. More than half of her strength is currently sealed by Xiaotao.


    If the seal is released, then Feng Xue''er will undoubtedly become the strongest in this ! Of course, that''s not including Issei''s group into the fray...


    Nobody knows about her sudden increase in cultivation since it''s hidden from the entire world.


    They can only see that her cultivation realm is at the half-step sovereign realm... Nobody will be able to tell her true cultivation realm unless they''re a Godly being such as Xiaotao.


    What''s even more laughable is that this Ye Xinghan''s age is already at the hundreds while Feng Xue''er is only sixteen years of age this year... Truly an ugly toad dreams of eating swan meat.


    (AN: An ugly toad dreams of eating swan meat = an impossible and unrealistic dream or someone who doesn''t know their place).


    Perhaps if Xue''er is still at her previous cultivation realm, Ye Xinghan will still have a chance to come out victorious with his combat experience along with some things he prepared beforehand, and he can take advantage of her naivety as well.


    But now... now that Feng Xue''er is already at the Monarch level, and her naivety has been toned down under Xiaotao and Issei''s guidance, Ye Xinghan won''t have that luxury anymore...


    If they do fight, Feng Xue''er will be able to slap Ye Xinghan to death in one move and he won''t even have the chance to fight back at all...


    "Could this Phoenix goddess be, the Princess Snow known as the number one beauty of Profound Sky?" Staring at Feng Xue''er, Ye Xinghan spoke with his eyes pursed up.


    Everyone in the world knew the name of Princess Snow, and everyone in the world also knew to what extent Divine Phoenix Sect protected Princess Snow. Therefore, even if one had millions of intentions toward Princess Snow, they definitely shouldn''t, and also wouldn''t dare to reveal such intentions in front of Feng Hengkong and Divine Phoenix Sect''s crowd.


    Yet this Ye Xinghan had the gaze of a wolf, his wrists rolling, not concealing his desire that was as scorching as a fiery inferno in the slightest¡­ No one knew if it was because his desire had gotten to his self-control, or¡­ he simply wasn''t afraid of Divine Phoenix Sect''s fury at all.


    The various elders and disciples of Divine Phoenix Sect all revealed the expression of anger. A few core disciples were already on the verge of exploding into a flight of rage, their fists clenched tightly, as they wished they could immediately rush up and fight Ye Xinghan to the death.


    Princess Snow was their jewel of the Divine Phoenix Empire, the sacred goddess in everyone''s hearts. They definitely would not allow anyone to taint or lay a finger on her¡­ even if it were laying a finger in terms of gaze and words!


    "This bastard¡­ He''s courting death!" Feng Ximing''s hands clenched tightly, his finger joints making "pop pop" sounds. Who would''ve thought that Feng Ximing''s words are true... Ye Xinghan is indeed "courting" death and he has succeeded! Death will come to him soon enough...


    The other princes were also gnashing their teeth in anger¡­ However, the identity of caused them to not dare to act rashly at all, even though they were extremely furious¡­ That was the Young Hall Master of a Sacred Ground! The future ruler of a Sacred Ground!


    If they shed all pretenses of cordiality with this Ye Xinghan, that would undoubtedly be having a fallout with the entire Sun Moon Divine Hall! Even though Divine Phoenix Sect was the number one great sect of Profound Sky, they still didn''t have the courage to shed all pretenses with a Sacred Ground yet¡­ Unless they are forced till their last straw.


    Contrary to one''s expectations, Feng Hengkong instead had a calm expression. He said to Feng Xue''er: "Xue''er, this one is Sun Moon Divine Hall''s Young Hall Master Ye Xinghan. Even though he is l.u.s.tful by nature and unbridled with women, he can still be considered a seldom outstanding youth. Say hello to him."


    Feng Hengkong''s words made it hard for people to make out the negative connotation, but this tone of extreme dullness, was already faintly revealing the fury hidden behind his endurance.


    But even after waiting for a while, they don''t hear nor see any movement from her. It''s like she''s in a daze in her seat and doesn''t realize everyone''s eyes are on her at all.


    She kept looking at the clouds in the sky... She looks quite silly right now but Ye Xinghan''s mouth started twitching a little since he thought that he''s being ignored...


    "Xue''er?" Feng Hengkong called her once again and thankfully it manages to snap her out of her daze.


    "A-Ah? Yes, royal father?" She let out a slight stutter and hastily pay attention to her royal father.


    Then Feng Hengkong repeated his previous words albeit feeling a little awkward.


    Only then Feng Xue''er stood up, and lightly bowed: "Xue''er greets Young Hall Master Ye."


    Feng Xue''er''s voice was gentle like water, and misty as the cloud, making Ye Xinghan''s heart and soul surge from listening to it.


    He stared at Feng Xue''er and said with a grinning face: "Young Sis Xue''er is being too unfamiliar. The address of Young Hall Master Ye is both vapid and foreign, just call me Big Brother Ye. Young Sis Xue''er''s voice is like the voice of a goddess, more beautiful than anything I can imagine. Being known as the number one beauty of the Profound Sky, your visage must be more so incomparably gorgeous. I wonder if I can have the honor, to witness Young Sis Xue''er''s otherworldly charming looks."


    "Crack!"


    A deep crack instantly appeared on the chair under Feng Ximing. He clenched his teeth tightly, and was just about to stand, but was pulled back by a huge hand right away. Feng Feiyan pressed him down and said with a low voice: "Do not fly into a rage. How could Sect Master allow him to lay his finger on Xue''er in the slightest."


    Feng Ximing''s chest moved up and down, his eyes bloodshot, but he still suppressed his anger with great effort, enduring with effort and didn''t act up again.


    Feng Xue''er replied with a gentle and calm voice: "Please forgive Xue''er for refusing. Xue''er''s looks are crude, and difficult to enter by Young Hall Master''s eyes."


    Ye Xinghan burst into loud laughter: "If this number one beauty of the world could also be called ''crude'', then there wouldn''t be any woman that could be viewed in this world. Since Young Sis Xue''er isn''t willing¡­ then that''s fine. This place is under the gaze of the masses, how can Young Sis Xue''er''s otherworldly charms be tainted by the gazes of a bunch of common folks. Going face to face with Young Sis Xue''er some other day, and appreciate you alone, wouldn''t that be more pleasant¡­ Hahahaha!"


    Amidst the wanton laughter, Ye Xinghan turned around, drew the two women toward him, as he walked toward his seat with undisciplined steps. However, after having seen Feng Xue''er''s fantastical figure that was as illusory as a goddess, he felt the two women as charming as flowers beside him were simply vulgar to the extreme, causing him to no longer have the desire to feel them up.


    The moment Ye Xinghan entered the seats, Ling Kun immediately moved over to him and said with an extremely quiet voice: "Young Hall Master, so it seems your purpose for coming personally, is as expectedly this Princess Snow."


    Ye Xinghan''s palm inserted into the bosom clothing of the woman on his right, kneading wantonly, his eyes queer and obscene: "At the first glance of her, I already knew this name of number one beauty of Profound Sky was indeed well-deserved. Only today did this young master find out, that there would actually be such a perfect woman in this world. Just her silhouette and presence was already enough to subdue this young master¡­ Heh!"


    "Seems like, Young Hall Master is resolute on this." Ling Kun smiled faintly: "But it seems that Young Hall Master was a bit too hasty. At this Divine Phoenix Sect, Princess Snow can be considered the greatest taboo!"


    "Too hasty? HAHAHAHA!" Ye Xinghan laughed wildly: "In the world of I, Ye Xinghan, there had never been such a phrase of too hasty! The woman I took a fancy for, they think they can stop me with just their Divine Phoenix Sect!?"


    Ye Xinghan extended his slender finger, and gently stroked along the waist of the woman on his leg, as a dangerous smile emerged on his face: "Elder Ling, do you believe me¡­ In no more than three days, this Princess Snow will completely become my, Ye Xinghan''s, woman. Her body, her bloodline¡­ would all forever belong to me, Ye Xinghan. Even if their Divine Phoenix Sect does not admit it, they''ll have to admit!"


    Ling Kun''s eyelids jumped¡­ Words coming from Ye Xinghan''s mouth, definitely wouldn''t be baseless words. Since he dares to say so, then he possessed definite assurance. He once again lowered his voice, and laughed along with him: "Young Hall Master''s words, I naturally believe them ten thousand times. Then, I''ll congratulate Young Hall Master ahead of time."


    Turning his eyes to the side, Ye Xinghan looked at Ling Kun: "That woman with the whose named Xia Qingyue... It can''t be that Elder Ling has forgotten, right?"


    "Heh, how could this old man forgot about this matter. It was a pleasure doing business with Young Hall Master." Ling Kun let out a complacent smile whenever he remembered the reward he received from Ye Xinghan.


    "I believe Young Master Ye have thoroughly enjoyed that ''girl'', right? And the other women from her sect should also be one of a kind as well." Ling Kung asked with a knowing look.


    "Hmph! You think my cultivation realm would only be in this stage if I already got her by now?" Ye Xinghan scoffed.


    "What? Does Young Master Ye mean you still haven''t..." Ling Kun said in surprise.


    "Indeed! It seems that the subordinates I sent to fetch them are incompetent and they somehow come across a peak level Tyrant Profound Beast along the way and got killed by it... They must''ve become greedy and thought that they could take on a peak level Tyrant Profound Beast on their own. No matter, I will go fetch them on my own after this tournament ends... But you better not be lying about them or you will surely pay for the consequences..." Ye Xinghan narrowed his eyes at Ling Kun threatening him...


    "This old man, of course, wouldn''t dare lie about them even if he''s given ten lives!" Ling Kun said solemnly.


    "...Well, considering you still dare appear before me even though you already received your payment then I doubt you''re lying... So be it." Ye Xinghan said dismissively.


    There''s another life inscription inside Ye Xinghan''s subordinates'' body just like the one with the Burning heaven clan from before. If they''re killed then the other side could tell just what caused their death.


    And the reason why they "somehow" got killed by a Tyrant profound beast was because of Esdeath, obviously...


    She can tell that they have an inscription inside their body and since she doesn''t want to bother her Master with this useless stuff, she just fed them to a Tyrant Profound Beast when she''s done with her "investigation"...


    First, she crippled their cultivation then cut off both of their legs so they couldn''t run just in case... But she does let them keep their arms since she wanted to see just how long could they last.


    She told the Tyrant profound beasts to take their time on them while she watches... She wanted to see just how long they can last. She started taking notes just what is the "limit" of each "rat" she caught.


    At first, she got them killed accidentally but as time goes by, she becomes more proficient in her "investigation" art...


    Looks like Esdeath somehow gained Issei''s cruel side... Sirius and Altair also had some cruelty inside them but it''s not as potent as Esdeath. They''re more indifferent about this kind of thing while Esdeath seems to enjoy it...


    That''s why Ye Xinghan thought that his subordinates met with an unfortunate accident and got killed by a peak level Tyrant Profound Beast while in fact, they''re not... Those beasts are just enjoying free meals.


    It''s not every day that they could feast on a Tyrant realm cultivator flesh...


    Unknown to everyone present here... There''s someone situated in the shadow near Ye Xinghan''s location.


    It was none other than Naru who decided to follow Ye Xinghan since it seems that he''s the main culprit behind those "rats" that keep coming to the palace vicinity.


    Issei has told her to return from her investigation but she decided to stick around for a little longer and when she just about to leave, she overheard Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun conversation.


    Her red eyes glow briefly in the dark but it went unnoticed...


    "...My King, I have something to report..." She sent a voice transmission towards Issei through her protective charm.


    When Naru is still in the middle of conversing with Issei. At the next moment, a gentle breeze suddenly blew over, bringing along the faint aroma of flowers that made anyone who scented it feel intoxicated. Suddenly, the fluttering of many flower petals that came from who knows where suddenly appeared above the arena.


    Whether the petals were pure white, captivating red, or gloriously yellow¡­ they danced, filling the sky with extreme beauty.


    "It smells so good..."


    "Did some goddess arrive?"


    "It must be a Goddess from the Sacred Grounds that have come¡­ I''m too lucky today, not only have I seen Princess Snow, I even have the chance to see the grace of a fairy from the Sacred Grounds!"


    Seeing the sky filled with dancing petals and the touching fragrance of flowers, every man in the audience became excited as their scorching gazes looked up above.


    The floating petals began to become more and more crowded together, as the fragrance also became more and more rich and intoxicating. Suddenly, a huge ball of petals extravagantly burst open in mid-air. Under the enormous rain of flower petals, an endlessly charming silhouette emerged.


    This was a man handsome and pretty to an extreme degree. A suit of snow-white attire, his black hair was like ink, the color of his face fair like jade, his facial features are as if they had been carved out by an artist, delicate beyond compare. His brows were as slender as the new moon, slightly bent and raised on one end, his eyes were like the cherry blossom, and the fluid gaze like a young girl''s stirred within.


    Everyone below raised their head up high and looked at this man who was slowly floating down with endless petals in a stupefied manner. No matter men or women, all of their hearts birthed a feeling of being ashamed of their inferiority.


    The moment Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun saw this man emerging, the expressions on their faces simultaneously changed¡­ But it definitely was neither shock nor fear, and they were instead showing an expression of extreme distress. Ling Kun roared with a low voice: "F.u.c.k! Why is it this guy!"


    The moment Feng Hengkong saw the flower petal rain down as far as one''s eyes could see, he had already stared blankly for a bit. As the snow-white figure appeared amidst the flower petals, Feng Hengkong¡­ this dignified Divine Phoenix Emperor, Sect Master of Divine Phoenix Sect, actually quivered from his entire body, as his pupils even contracted for a split second. He hastily roared: "Ximing¡­ go¡­ go welcome him in our stead."


    Before Feng Ximing had the chance to respond, the man''s gaze had already fallen upon Feng Hengkong''s body. Instantly, his slender and curved brows stuck up on their ends even more. His fluid glance flowed, his hands covered his mouth, as he revealed an¡­ overbearingly flirtatious smile. From his mouth, a tender and gentle voice came out: "Little Kongkong, this one has finally met you again. Not being able to meet you for a hundred years, this one has missed you to death, you know¡­ Have you missed this one?"


    "..."


    "..."


    The entire arena instantly became so quiet that a needle falling could be heard. Everyone without exception was flabbergasted, as their eyes and jaws fell to the ground.


    This this this this¡­ this person...


    Just was he a man¡­ or a woman¡­ Or was he half man half woman¡­ Or was he neither a man nor a woman...


    This expression¡­ this posture¡­ these eyes and brows¡­ this voice¡­ and referring to themselves with third person¡­ wait! The "Little Kongkong" he was saying¡­ could it be...


    Could it be he was calling¡­ Phoenix Sect Master Feng Hengkong!?


    Holy shit!!!


    Feng Hengkong was already about to find a place to hastily hide himself, but a "Little Kongkong" dropped out of the sky. This made the Phoenix Sect Master, who didn''t have a change of expression under Ye Xinghan''s insolence, shiver from his entire body, his expressions convulsing as he nearly sprayed out a mouthful of old blood on the spot.


    Feng Xue''er was a little surprised by this... man? sudden appearance. She has to admit that he''s indeed quite pretty... But when she compared her Grandmaster with him, they''re basically too far apart...


    This newcomer is using some kind of charming art to increase his overall appearance and aura, as can be seen from those good smells he emits just now, but her Grandmaster doesn''t need to do anything of the sort... One gaze would naturally be drawn in towards his figure as if there''s some sort of invisible suction force attracting them to his direction.


    Feng Ximing hastily greeted up with great anxiety, as he spoke in a respectful manner: "Junior Divine Phoenix Prince, Feng Ximing, greets¡­ Senior Ji. Welcome to the Divine Phoenix Empire, Senior Ji, your seat has already been prepared. I respectfully ask Senior Ji to enter the seats."


    "Yah!" Ji Qianrou''s coquettish eyes as if waves of water, measuring up Feng Ximing from head to toe. That gaze as gentle as water, made Feng Ximing''s entire body feel numb.


    With his waist swinging, he walked toward Feng Ximing with extreme amorousity, as he began to giggle tenderly: "So it was actually Little Mingming, no wonder you are so handsome, almost catching up to my Little Kongkong. When this one saw you last time, you were still a two or three years old little baby. In the blink of an eye, you''ve actually grown so much. Come, let this one feel you up, and see if you''ve gotten more robust."


    As Ji Qianrou walked, his soft waist turned like a dancing water snake, the two halves of his h.i.p.s swung left and right. If he was a woman, that definitely must be the scenery that made one unable to take their eyes away and even sprout out blood...


    But now, all the men only felt their stomach churning from inside out.


    This was someone of the Sacred Grounds?


    Was this really someone of the Sacred Grounds!?


    Before Feng Ximing was even able to regain his senses, his hand was already taken up by Ji Qianrou and gently stroked in his palms: "Little Mingming''s skin really is so smooth, this one likes the feeling of smooth skin the most. Little Mingming needs to keep maintaining this, okay¡­"


    As if just waking up from a dream, Feng Ximing retracted his hand like a lightning bolt. His body retreated non-stop, as he felt his heart cramping and a thick layer of goosebumps rose up on his entire body¡­ Especially the hand that was touched by Ji Qianrou, it was simply like tens of millions of ants were crawling on it, causing him to wish dearly that he could immediately chop his entire hand off.


    He finally understood why his royal father who did not dread heaven and earth would reveal a terrified expression the moment he heard the name "Ji Qianrou", lest that he was unable to hide in time. Cold sweat drenched his forehead, as he said in an extremely sorry state: "S-S-Se-Senior Ji, the Ranking Tournament is a-a-a-about to start, I ask Senior Ji to e-enter the seats."


    Such a simple sentence, Feng Ximing couldn''t help but to speak it stutteringly and with incoherence. Ji Qianrou kneaded his fingers, as he said flirtatiously: "Little Mingming, what are you being so hurried for. This one hasn''t given Little Kongkong a deeply affectionate hug¡­ Little Kongkong, this one has already come, why aren''t you rushing up yet? Could it be in these hundred years, you didn''t miss this one at all?"


    Feng Hengkong''s entire body trembled, as his neck even grew thicker by two sizes from stifling himself. He finally couldn''t endure any longer, and roared angrily: "Ji Qianrou! If you dare to babble nonsense like this again, We¡­ We¡­ We will throw you out!"


    To be able to make the dignified Phoenix Sect Master lose his control and act up under the eyes of everyone, Ji Qianrou was probably the only one in Profound Sky Continent who could.


    Facing the berserk Feng Hengkong, not only did Ji Qianrou not panic at all, he instead laughed tenderly again: "Hehehehe, you are shy again. Little Kongkong really hasn''t changed from before. Alright alright, this one will just comply with you. After this Ranking Tournament is finished, you''ll have to properly treat this one to drink, okay¡­ Little Mingming can also come too~."


    After he finished speaking, with a twist of his waist, Ji Qianrou walked toward his seat gracefully and delicately.


    Feng Hengkong: "[email protected]#^#!$..."


    Feng Hengkong sat down at once, his forehead fully covered with cold sweat. At this time, he suddenly felt the Feng Xue''er on his side was currently looking at him with an extremely strange gaze. His eyes stared wide, his expression instantly became somewhat frantic, as hastily explained: "Xue''er, it''s definitely not what you think. That Ji Qianrou, he''s just a lunatic, Xue''er does not need to mind him."


    "I know, royal father." Feng Xue''er nodded, then began to lightly laugh: "Little Kongkong¡­ Hehe, so royal father''s name can actually be so cute too."


    At the same time, she also wonders if she''s allowed to give her Grandmaster a cute nickname as well... Little White? Little Sese? Hum, it''s harder than she thought it would be. Her Grandmaster''s name is too short after all... Not that''s a bad thing or anything.


    She kinda likes her Grandmaster''s name since it sounded quite unique for her...


    Feng Hengkong: "[email protected]^&#$*^#$%*[email protected]#"


    He''s done! He''s done for! All of his dignity as a father has disappeared without a trace! His own daughter just called him cute!


    He wishes that he could slap Ji Qianrou to death but he couldn''t... This is exactly how it feels to be slapped in the face with so much force that their teeth get knocked off and forced to swallow their broken teeth at the same time! They can only hold it in since the other party background is terrifying in and of itself, and that''s not including the person himself!


    Supreme Ocean Palace''s seat was precisely to the right side of Sun Moon Divine Hall. After Ji Qianrou sat down, the Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun to the side were both sitting upright and still; let alone greeting with words, it was like they hadn''t seen him at all. Ji Qianrou voluntarily moved closer, and said full of tender feelings: "Little Hanhan, we haven''t met in so many years, this one has missed you to death, you know. Have you missed this one?"


    Ye Qinghan''s face convulsed, his chest undulated, as he stiffly forced out two words from the gap between his teeth: "Shut up!"


    "Hmph!" Facing Ye Xinghan''s rough manner, Ji Qianrou spat, and poutingly turned his head away: "So nasty, all of you stinky men are the same, each one more unfeeling and heartless than the previous. This one can''t be bothered with you, hmph!"


    The muscle on Ye Qinghan''s face spasmed to a great extent, but he finally let out a big breath of relief. But right away, this Ji Qianrou who claimed that he "can''t be bothered with you" once again moved closer with the tenderness of soft water.


    "Little Hanhan, do you really not want to pay me attention anymore? In these years, this one really has missed you, y''know."


    "Look, the current Little Kongkong is much more mature than a hundred years ago, and has a more manly feeling¡­ He really is too enchanting. Compared to this kind of little fresh meat like Little Hanhan, as expected, this one still likes Little Kongkong''s type the most."


    "Aiya, Little Hanhan, why have the women beside you grown more and more lacking. Look at this skin, so rough, much more lackl.u.s.ter compared to this one''s."


    "Little Hanhan¡­"


    That tender and sweet voice made Ye Xinghan''s heart spasm, his limbs convulse, his meridians twitch¡­ His entire body was spasming, simply in a living hell. If not for the fact that he couldn''t beat Ji Qianrou, and was also unwilling to conflict with this monster who could dismember someone''s corpse with a sweet smile, he really wanted to rip his head off and stick it up to his ass.


    "Elder Ling¡­" Ye Xinghan said gnawing his teeth: "Three pieces of Purple Veined Heaven Crystals¡­ switch seats with this Young Master!"


    A row of cold sweat instantly dripped down Ling Kun''s forehead, as he said hastily: "This¡­ this¡­ cough cough, this isn''t a problem of Heaven Crystals or Divine Crystals. This old man is already old, can''t bear too many hardsh.i.p.s, and still want to live a few years longer¡­"


    Ye Xinghan: "..."


    The starting time of the ranking tournament had already arrived, yet Absolute Monarch Sanctuary''s seat was still empty. Feng Hengkong did not declare the start of the Ranking Tournament here and now, and instead stared at the sky above¡­ If the other three Sacred Grounds came late, he could choose to not wait, but for Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, he had to wait.


    Without making Feng Hengkong wait for too long, an aged yet peaceful voice distantly came from the skies above.


    "Sigh¡­ This old one has come late due to affairs that had to be taken care of, and has made everyone wait for a long time. I''m ashamed, extremely ashamed."


    The voice was illusory and lingering as if it came from the end of the horizon. At the same time, a gentle yet boundless aura descended from the sky, enveloping the entire arena. This aura that was rich and dense to the extreme, made one instantly think of the ocean, the cosmos, the abyss¡­ Endlessly vast, majestic without limit.


    A silhouette also slowly floated down from above. This was an elderly man in a light yellow robe with a horsetail whisk in hand. With white hair and brows, the air and disposition of a celestial, his face gentle, as though a Taoist celestial who was about to ascend to the heavens.


    When the other three Sacred Ground''s people came, Feng Hengkong only stood up to greet. But this time, Feng Hengkong directly left his seat and greeted forward with hurried steps. Behind him, Feng Feiyan and the crowd of elders also left their seats and followed in succession.


    Feng Hengkong came before the elderly man with quick steps, and said as he saluted respectfully: "Junior Feng Hengkong of Divine Phoenix Sect, greets Spiritual Master Ancient Blue."


    Of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, Absolute Monarch was head. While the elderly man before him was a being of Grand Elder rank at Absolute Monarch Sanctuary. Even the Saint Emperor would need to pay him some respect. And since always, the interactions and communication between Divine Phoenix Sect and Absolute Monarch Sanctuary had been the closest. Even though it wasn''t apparent, Divine Phoenix Sect indeed always had the intention to huddle close with the Absolute Monarch Sanctuary,


    Spiritual Master Ancient Blue didn''t have the slightest imposing manner nor arrogance as a Grand Elder of a Sacred Ground. With a swing of his horsetail brush, he returned a salutation and said while laughing: "This old one has arrived late for reasons, I have truly committed offense, and I hope Phoenix Sect Master is magnanimous in forgiveness."


    Feng Hengkong said: "What are you saying, Spiritual Master Ancient Blue. Your elderly grace coming personally is already the greatest honor of our Divine Phoenix Sect¡­ This junior heard that Spiritual Master Ancient Blue has taken a liking of someone and wanted to take him in to be your disciple. To able to enter Spiritual Master Ancient Blue sight, this honored disciple must possess an extraordinary aptitude. This junior wonder if we could get the chance to personally see him?"


    "Haha." Spiritual Master Ancient Blue laughed lightly: "This old one indeed had indeed wanted to make him be a disciple of my Monarch Sanctuary... But he refused my offer."


    What?! A monarch wanted to take someone to be his personal disciple! Anyone would''ve scrambled forward even if they will only receive a chance to be his disciple and yet this particular idiot just refused his offer?! This is really a piece of big news!


    "Oh? To think that he dares to refuse your grace offer. Just who is he?" Feng Hengkong felt intrigued by this revelation. Just who dares to refuse an offer from one of the sacred grounds like this...


    "He''s someone I met by chance during my travel... He should be only over fifteen years old this year and he came from the ." Spiritual Master Ancient Blue reminisced his meeting with that particular youngster.


    Even though his offer has been declined, he doesn''t feel humiliated in the slightest... If it was someone else from the Sacred Grounds and considering their background, it won''t be weird if they become angry out of spite.


    ? That small country? How can it be possible that such a small country produces someone that could interest someone like Spiritual Master Ancient Blue?


    "His name is Xia Yuanba and even though he''s only fifteen, his cultivation surprisingly already reaches early-stage throne... And his physique is very similar to the physique I knew. The reason why he refuses my offer was because he already belongs to another sect, and he''s clearly a kind youngster that knows how to repay gratitude since even when he knows of my background he still refuses my offer..." The Spiritual Master Ancient Blue nodded approvingly.


    That doesn''t mean he would give up though. He might as well take in this particular sect under his protection as well so that he won''t feel conflicted about leaving his sect.


    Xia Yuanba''s physique is really unique and too rare to be ignored just like that. The Spiritual Master Ancient Blue reckons that if Xia Yuanba entered his monarch sanctuary then it will bring prosperity like never before...


    15 years old throne? Quite talented but it''s nothing really that outstanding either... Everyone thought at the same time inside their mind. Well, no matter what it''s the monarch business. They don''t dare to say anything about it...


    If they knew that it only took Xia Yuanba a week to reach from middle-stage , then perhaps they wouldn''t be having these thoughts...


    Ling Kun who heard Xia Yuanba''s name shivered slightly...


    Isn''t this Xia Yuanba is that youngster from the tournament at the villa? To think that he already reaches the throne level in less than a month from Earth Profound Realm...


    And what makes matter worse... Isn''t he the little brother of that Xia Qingyue?!


    If Xia Yuanba really entered the Monarch sanctuary and find out that her elder sister''s fate later then... He would be doomed!


    Ye Xinghan might be fine since he''s the young master of the Sun Moon Divine Hall, but he''s just an elder of his sect! If Xia Yuanba wanted his life then his sect would give him away without a doubt!


    Compared to Ye Xinghan''s status, he''s nothing but a measly elder! His sect will even give him away gladly once they know that he just give away someone with special physique such as Xia Qingyue to another sect just for his personal gains!


    "Xia Yuanba? Why does this name sound oddly familiar..." Ye Xinghan muttered to himself. But since this name obviously belongs to a man, he soon throws it to the back of his mind.


    He''s not interested in man after all... It''s this freak Ji Qianrou job to think about man! Not his!


    Ling Kun body jerked once again when he heard Ye Xinghan mutter but he chooses to just feign ignorance... He started formulating a plan inside his mind... Thankfully this Xia Yuanba refused the Spiritual Master Ancient Blue offer so he can still do something about it.


    He decided that he needed to go to Xia Yuanba''s to nip future trouble from the bud... It''s fine... Everything will be alright... He just needs to kill Xia Yuanba''s and everything will be fine.


    "I see... Then Spiritual Master Ancient Blue, please," Feng Hengkong decided to stop his inquiry since it''s not really his business.


    Feng Hengkong extended his hand, gesturing at Absolute Monarch Sanctuary''s seat.


    As Ancient Blue entered his seat, Ling Kun, Ye Xinghan and even Ji Qianrou all stood up and respectfully conducted a rite for juniors toward seniors in dead seriousness. It can be seen from this act alone that the Absolute Monarch Sanctuary is clearly the strongest of all the sacred grounds.


    Every one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds are all present now, as the site had also become entirely silent. It was finally time for this Seven Nation Ranking Tournament to begin...


    Then Feng Hengkong announced about the tournament being push forward because of the abnormality caused by the Primordial Profound Ark...


    "...Therefore, in order to explore the Primordial Profound Ark tomorrow in collaboration, this session of Ranking Tournament''s match schedule, will also undoubtedly be compressed to a great degree¡­ The top three would need to be decided by today!"


    The moment Feng Hengkong''s words were spoken, the entire arena became turbulent. They all understood the words, the Primordial Profound Ark would open ahead of time¡­ And at the same time, this session of the Ranking Tournament would be compressed into a single day¡­ Which meant that it was to be concluded today!


    Most of them here are very unwilling and unsatisfied with this outcome but there''s nothing they can do...


    While the real culprit behind this abnormality is freely taking a stroll inside the Primordial Profound Ark...


    ...


    -Primordial Profound Ark Interior-


    "I see... Um, don''t worry. I don''t blame your decision, good work." Issei nodded slightly after he heard Naru''s report.


    [Yes! It''s my pleasure to be of use to you, my King.] Naru said respectfully.


    [Should I kill them both right now, my King?] Naru asked.


    "No need. I will take care of it myself after I''m done here." Issei said coldly.


    [Understood!]


    After a brief exchange, Naru ended her report.


    No wonder he felt ill intent coming from that Ling Kun during the tournament before... So it''s because of this.


    Then it''s all became clear just why did Ye Xinghan suddenly send someone to the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.


    Well, just perfect. Since that Ling Kun is from the , he might as well include him in his plan as well. If the wanted revenge then he will gladly oblige and if not then so be it.


    As of right now, the hasn''t really done anything that earns his wrath just yet. He doesn''t put that Xuanyuan Yufeng incident in his mind at all... It''s just some trivial stuff not worth mentioning.


    "Just as you expected, Ise! The spatial laws in the interior are totally different from the outside world! It seems like the actual amount of space in the interior is actually much, much larger than seen from the outside! And it is indeed very similar to the Secret Heaven Basin Realm..." Jasmine voiced out her excitement.


    "Ah... I''m now 100% certain that this Ark is indeed created by the Heretic God himself." Issei nodded calmly while he observes his surroundings. The faint divine energy covering this Ark indeed belongs to the Heretic God himself but there''s something else mixed with it...


    The Ark internal structure itself is nothing special compared to the . What makes it special is that inside this Ark, there''s another separate realm just like a pocket dimension. It''s also kind of similar to Semiramis and Scathach domain he visited before.


    But ever since they became his wives, they never really used their previous domain anymore. Well, Scathach sometimes goes back to the to check some things but it doesn''t really take much of her time.


    And when he asked Semiramis out of curiosity, she responded sweetly: "My place is right next to you, dearest. Why would I go back to that lonely place when I have you right here with me?" Needless to say, they had another wild night that day...


    This was the inside of the Primordial Profound Ark, in front of his eyes was astonishingly an endless dark green grassland, as far as he could see. The end of the grassland merged with the dusky sky.


    The entire grassland was incomparably flat and its edges could not be seen.


    There are surprisingly many profound beasts across the grassland but all of them are shivering on their spot not daring to move in the slightest... They take a pose of total submission and lay flat on the ground towards Issei''s direction.


    Jasmine and Xun''er once again felt amazed by this sight... Even if it was them at full strength, these beasts would''ve probably still attacked them all the same. But just from Issei''s presence alone they instantly become docile like a kitten and don''t dare to do anything at all...


    They reckon even if Issei decided to kill them one by one, they still wouldn''t dare to move from their spot and only await for their death.


    Not that they can blame them considering his real identity...


    "There are no inside this Ark, Jasmine." Issei suddenly said.


    "What?! How do you know that?" Jasmine shouted in surprise.


    "Well, for one, I don''t sense the energy signature of the usually give off and secondly, those profound beasts just told me. If they know about the then they would''ve noticed it right away and perhaps even ate it just like that Tyrant Profound Beast at the heavenly basin realm." Issei said while his eyes started shining by a little which made the profound beasts flinched. They hastily nodded their heads confirming his previous words.


    "Hmph, so unlucky... So what is this place for then?" Jasmine pouted slightly feeling disappointed that there are no here.


    Xun''er who''s by her side smiled wryly. Did her daughter forget that they''re extremely lucky already? They''ve already found four seed... And it''s only been like over a month at that.


    "Well, who knows... These profound beasts don''t know either. Let''s just explore a bit more for now." Issei shrugged before he started to fly forward heading towards the center of the Ark where he sensed something.


    Then they go deeper into the Ark...


    ...


    After proceeding onward for a bit more, the scenery changed itself from grassland into that of a vast wasteland...


    "...This is an independent world''s wasteland." Jasmine said indifferently: "The first place we landed in was basically this world''s only green area. All other places are wastelands, and the deeper we go, the more desolate it becomes... This place is basically..."


    "Dying." Issei finished Jasmine''s words.


    "Indeed..." She nodded: "Now that I thought about it, you should also realize that not only are the profound beasts here few in number, but they all also have hard outer armor. They''re all profound beasts that are extremely resistant to extremely poor environments. After a few more millennia, these extremely durable profound beasts will also gradually go extinct. By that time, this world will completely become a dead world... It looks like we really can''t gain anything here..."


    This is an independent world, not a natural world born from the large universe. Since it is a self-made independent world, its existence relies on the support of certain forces. Once the power that supports this world disappears, this world will also slowly and naturally become desolate and die...


    "Surely there''s something we can find here... Don''t you think it''s weird if the Heretic God created an Ark like this without any purpose, dear?" Xun''er voiced out her guess.


    "Well... Maybe you''re right, mother. But I can''t really sense anything of value in this place... How about you, Ise? You sense anything special?" Jasmine asked Issei.


    "Hmm, I do." Issei waved his hand gently while his fingers glowed in a red aura and suddenly the previous barren empty land before them had disappeared and a dark blue wall stood tall there. It was so tall that it blocked the view of the sky and so wide that the ends could not be seen.


    Directly in front of them, the bluish-black wall had an opened stone door. The stone door was three hundred meters tall and three hundred meters wide. Everywhere else was filled with many stone windows that were tens of meters tall and wide. Between the windows was just a stretch of grey, it was impossible to tell what was inside.


    Both Jasmine and Xun''er were feeling taken aback seeing this structure suddenly appeared right in front of them but soon they snapped out of their daze.


    "This is... From the looks of it, it probably is an ancient massive fortress!" Jasmine carefully said while inspecting the fortress before them: "Its aura is extremely old and it should be a building of the Primordial Era. It might be something that existed along with the Primordial Profound Ark and not something built in later."


    Even though this fortress is extremely old, the strength of the profound formation on its surface has not completely disappeared. The entire fortress is being covered by a massive primordial protective profound formation. Not only can the primordial protective profound formation protect the fortress from being damaged by nature, but it also possesses immense hiding abilities! Though the fortress is massive, unless one comes within three hundred meters of it, one would not be able to detect its existence.


    But with Issei''s mastery of the space laws, forcing the fortress to appear before them is an easy task.


    He basically just "catch" the fortress and brought it before them...


    Jasmine hesitated for a while before continuing: "This primordial profound formation also seems to possess the spatial powers. If my guess is correct, this fortress is likely able to move on its own!"


    "Your guess is right. This fortress indeed has the capability to move on its own... And something is residing within this fortress..." Issei nodded at Jasmine''s words.


    He can also sense that Bai''er soul seems to be attracted to something inside this fortress. Something that could make her soul be this out of sort must be something special... or perhaps precious...?


    Well, he won''t find the answer to that just by standing here... He started walking forward and both Jasmine and Xun''er followed suit right after.


    Once again, they entered another realm. It was like they had stepped from one world into another. The light, ambiance, aura, space, even his sight and hearing sensitivity all underwent massive changes.


    In front of them, was a massive and empty hall. Numerous extremely tall stone pillars stood within the hall. The stone tiles on its base, the walls surrounding it, the top and the enumerated stone pillars were all the same bluish-black color, and also emitted an antique smell and aura.


    Issei''s eyes swept across the surroundings as he slowly proceeded deeper into the fortress...


    After walking for a while, they finally saw the end of the hall. On the walls surrounding it, there was a stone door every sixty meters. Some of the doors were open and some closed. Behind the open doors were paths that lead to unknown destinations. At the end of the hall was a huge, round stone stage. The stage was thirty meters tall and three hundred meters wide.


    On the right of the stage were very tall stone stairs that led to the second level of the fortress.


    "...There is no aura from any living things here, nor is there any aura left behind from anyone, other than us, who had just come in. This is most likely a long-forgotten primordial ground! We should take a look around. We might find some unusual discoveries. If we are able to obtain an artifact from the Primordial Era, even if it is the lowest grade, it would undoubtedly be a huge treasure." Jasmine said feeling a little excited once again.


    Issei doesn''t say anything in response while he still observes their surroundings. His eyes then locked on to the stone stairs that led downwards...


    Because he can sense an extremely faint and weak residual soul coming from that direction.


    Issei doesn''t waste much time before he directly flew towards the source of the residual soul energy.


    Jasmine and Xun''er were a bit surprised seeing Issei suddenly just flew down like that. But they also don''t waste time either and followed right after him.


    ...


    He steadily landed above the stage as he fixated on the position where the soul residue source is located. His eyes firmly fixated on the crack between two bluish-black rocks that were on the stone stage.


    He focused between the two bluish-black rocks, at the narrow crack that was difficult to make out with the human eye, a faintly blinking red glow shot out.


    "What did you find, Ise?" Jasmine who just caught up to him asked curiously.


    Before Issei could answer her, Issei heard the soul residue voice coming from between the crack.


    "Who¡­ are¡­ you¡­" This is an incomparably soft and faint voice. That voice was very weak and seemed to a woman''s voice. Yet, it was especially ethereal as well... Probably because it doesn''t have much strength left within it.


    This soul residue could disappear at any second and she''s only "alive" until now just by her sheer will.


    Although Issei could hear this residual soul voice clearly, it appears that Jasmine and Xun''er couldn''t since they still had a clueless look on their face.


    "...There''s a soul residue under this crack and also a hidden space." Issei said slowly.


    "A Soul residue?" Jasmine asked in surprise.


    "Um, I just heard her spoke to me although it''s very faint."


    "...Then it should be an extremely weak residual soul, otherwise, we should be able to hear it as well. Since she didn''t hesitate to consume her weakened soul energy to converse with you, it means that she seems to be interested in you, Ise... Well, probably because she wanted your help with something, obviously..." Jasmine rolled her eyes.


    Why is it a woman again? Why are there so many women coming into contact with him?! Don''t tell her that he would "revive" this soul residue as well and add another competitor into the fra- Bah! She meant that he will add another annoying bee to his side!


    "Sky¡­ Poison¡­ Pearl¡­" The ethereal voice resounded once again but this time it said something else.


    "She just said ." Issei muttered.


    "..." Jasmine went silent after hearing Issei''s words.


    To think that this soul residue could recognize the inside his body... It looks like this soul residue is not simple...


    She thought that this soul residue must''ve been the soul residue of someone who lost their lives when they tried their luck inside this Ark, but it seems that she''s mistaken.


    "Please¡­ find¡­ her¡­"


    "Only¡­ you¡­ can¡­ save¡­ her¡­"


    "Please¡­ find¡­ her¡­"


    The soul residue surprising fired a series of words at once... But after that, she becomes eerily silent...


    Issei proceeded to lightly step onto the crack under him and before long the crack crumbled on itself opening a sizeable hole for him. The hole size is more than enough for his body to go through freely.


    As both Jasmine and Xun''er gazed into the hole that was just created by Issei, they saw that there was indeed a hidden space underneath, and in the middle of this space, a red light swayed and flickered... What was hidden beneath here? Is it the treasure? Jasmine becomes increasingly intrigued the more she thought about it.


    Xun''er who sees Jasmine''s childish expression smiled warmly... Looks like staying by his side is indeed a good choice.


    The hidden space beneath the platform was not deep, Issei had only descended twenty feet or so before his feet touched the icy, hard surface.


    The area is not big, it was not even wider than thirty meters. The space was completely empty and clean, save for the middle of the area, where a ball of red light stood.


    The ball was about Issei''s height. It appeared to be uniformly round, and the red light it released would wax and wane, but the light was generally gentle and did not contain any attacking power.


    Issei becomes a little dazed and strode over to stand directly in front of the ball of light. The red light was not intense, yet it was very thick, but it doesn''t prevent Issei''s vision at all... He can clearly see through it.


    The reason why he becomes a little dazed because of the "content" inside or should he say, the person inside this ball of light is very similar to Bai''er... In terms of appearance, they are basically identical but what makes Issei become further taken aback is that their soul is also the same!


    Issei has said that before even if Feng Hanxue and Feng Hanyue are twins, their souls are totally not the same. No matter how similar they are to each other, their souls are not the same at all.


    The only case where a person''s soul can be identical to each other is if one of them is being created based on the original one''s soul. Or in short, a copy of the original soul.


    The perfect example of this case is Ophis and Lilith themselves...


    "What is it, Ise?" Jasmine strode over next to Issei.


    The Profound Primordial Ark had existed for an extremely long time. But despite having existed since ancient times, this ball of light was still able to emit this red light. This was demonstrated just how unusual it was.


    It even made Issei who''s usually calm becomes a little dazed. So it must be something very special!


    Sadly, she can''t tell just what''s inside this ball of light unlike Issei or her reaction would''ve been different.


    She can tell that this is not a normal ball of light but rather a strong protective barrier. It may look like it has no ability to attack, but if someone had dared to touch it, it would have immediately launched a counterattack and its weakest counterattack would have been enough to kill someone of the lower realm tens of thousands of times over.


    But she doesn''t need to be worried about Issei being harmed by it. Even though it''s a very strong protective barrier, if compared to his protective charm barrier alone, they''re not on the same level at all. Even if this protective barrier created by Heretic God himself...


    "You¡­ have¡­ finally¡­ come¡­."


    A voice as light as smoke slowly resounded in this area. This time, it was not a spirit sound transmission, but a real voice. Moreover, it was a voice belonging to a woman. This time even Jasmine and Xun''er could hear this voice clearly.


    "...Who is she? The girl inside this barrier?" Issei doesn''t sound the least bit surprised hearing the voice once again. He''s more interested in this girl''s identity inside of the barrier.


    As Issei''s voice fell, a dim white shadow slowly emerged from the side of the ball of red light¡­ it was the silhouette of a woman dressed in white. Her body was small and slightly bent and half her hair was white as well. All of this indicated that this was an elder who had long ago stepped into her twilight years.


    The silhouette of the elderly lady in front of him seemed blurry. It was blurry to the point that it seemed like a floating column of white smoke that could be blown away by a gust of wind.


    "I am a guardian¡­ I am guarding my little mistress¡­" The old lady doesn''t answer Issei''s question right away but she introduced herself first in a light but an extremely ancient-sounding voice. If she was using spirit sound transmission, it could only be used once in a long time but now that she was talking face to face, she experienced no such obstacles, "I have always been looking for you... and I have been looking for you... for so long¡­ so long¡­"


    "You have been searching for him?" Jasmine said with knitted eyebrows feeling annoyed.


    "I think what she meant is that she''s looking for the dear..." Xun''er said wryly.


    Looks like her daughter started to become quite sensitive whenever another girl is involved with him...


    "I-I know that!" Jasmine said with a tinge of red adorning her comely face.


    "Correct¡­ I controlled this profound ark¡­ jumping from dimension to dimension¡­ all for the sake of finding the ¡­" The woman said slowly.


    "Wait a minute!" Jasmine''s said lightly: "The profound ark you mentioned, is this huge profound ark that we are in right now? It is under your control?"


    "In the beginning¡­ it was indeed under my control¡­ but¡­ at that time I had also been poisoned with a devilish poison¡­ and every breath would erode my life and very soul¡­ In order to retain my awareness so I could continue to guard my little mistress¡­ I gave up my body and a large portion of my soul¡­ what is left is only a lingering spirit¡­ who is powerless to pilot this profound ark¡­ but the profound ark followed the memory imprint I had left at the beginning¡­ relentlessly traveling through a set cycle of dimensions¡­ repeating endlessly¡­ each cycle lasting three hundred years ¡­ the profound ark''s energy¡­ has been continuously depleting¡­ and now¡­ its energy source¡­ has just about dried up¡­."


    "Thank the heavens for being merciful¡­ before my lingering spirit is extinguished¡­ and before the ark''s destruction¡­ you have finally arrived¡­"


    "Your spirit is indeed on the brink of dissipation." Jasmine said in a dull voice laced with pity, "It might happen at any moment¡­ in fact, this will happen within the span of one hundred breaths! To be able to finally find the person she has been looking for just as she was about to disappear¡­ perhaps she doesn''t need to be pitied. You''re going to help her, Ise?"


    Even though Jasmine disliked that there might be another woman joi- clamoring by his side, she still feels a bit impressed by this spirit determination. And they both also share the same condition as in being poisoned by their enemies... You could call it empathy or whatever if you want.


    "I can''t. Just like she said, she''s nothing more than a lingering spirit... The reason why she''s still here is because of her sheer will. Her soul essence has already dissipated a long time ago... It is a miracle in and of itself for her to be able to hold on for this long." Issei shook his head at Jasmine''s question.


    This spirit should be a person from the ancient time, her strength must be quite high as well since Issei could sense a tiny bit of divinity oozing out from her.


    If she''s a person that has reaches the God realm then she should''ve been able to tell his real identity just like Xiaotao and Lieyan did. But it seems that she no longer has the capability to do the same...


    "You still haven''t answered my question." Issei repeated himself.


    The old lady could not detect any evil intent from Issei''s person and this was what comforted her the most.


    She slowly said, "I am only a guardian¡­ my little mistress... and my race¡­ has long been forgotten by the world¡­ there is no need to mention them anymore¡­ my little mistress¡­ her body has been inflicted with a terrible devilish poison¡­ within all the realms¡­ only the can cure her¡­ in order to stem the invasion of this devilish poison¡­ our little mistress was sealed into the Coffin of Eternity..."


    "Coffin of Eternity?"


    The old lady''s voice grew more and more ethereal, "Chaotic turmoil¡­ the terrible battle of Gods and Devils¡­ the overturning of the sky¡­ the weeping of the Gods and the Heavens¡­ I brought my little mistress with me into the ark to flee¡­. The sealed her body and soul¡­ allowed her presence to disappear into the chaotic space¡­ and allowed her to escape that heaven-destroying calamity¡­ if one day the Sky Poison Pearl can cleanse the devilish poison from her body¡­ and she can once again awaken¡­ then my bitter life will finally come to a happy end¡­"


    Devilish poison¡­ devilish poison!? The words that had been repeated by the old lady caused Jasmine''s breathing to go wild¡­ because the poison she had been inflicted with was also a kind of devilish poison. And it was the deadliest of all devilish poisons, the ! And similarly, only the could fully cleanse this poison.


    The old lady''s voice grew dimmer and dimmer and the contents of her message began growing garbled. She didn''t wish to reveal the status and origins of herself or her ''little mistress'', but she involuntarily revealed fragments of the previous situation. And it was at this time that her already mist-like form began to grow even thinner.


    She was a guardian, and in order to fulfill her duties, she willingly abandoned her body and a large portion of her soul¡­.. To continuously fulfill her duties as a lingering spirit to the point where she dissipated.


    Issei went silent for a brief moment before he looked at the lump of red light and said: "Go... I will help your little mistress get rid of her poison."


    Issei''s red eyes turned golden before his body started to glow in a white aura. He extended his hand towards the lingering soul direction and had her enveloped in it.


    He uses his element to help the pitiful soul pass on to the afterlife...


    "Ah... Thank you¡­ Thank you so much... I can finally feel assured and free myself¡­ I will be in another world, praying, for my little mistress and you¡­" The soul residue let out a voice filled with immense gratitude.


    "Um... May you find everlasting peace in the afterlife..."


    Right after Issei finishes his words, Bai''er appeared right in front of the soul residue which made the latter eyes went wide.


    "...ahh..." The lingering spirit let out a light gasp when she saw Bai''er.


    Bai''er extended both of her arms and grasped the soul residue''s right hand. She let out a thin smile which made the soul residue expression grew peaceful and also gratified at the same time...


    Bai''er doesn''t recognize this soul residue at all. It''s just her body moving on her own... she doesn''t understand why but she doesn''t resist it either.


    For some reason, she felt really close with this lingering spirit...


    "...my... dear little mistress... I''m glad..."


    The elderly woman''s voice grew weaker and slower. When the last sounds of her voice fell, her entire figure is shrouded in bright light and when the light disappears, she''s nowhere to be found...


    Issei''s whole figure also returned to normal along with his eyes and everything.


    "...The remains of her soul have finally disappeared, it lasted for almost as long as I predicted..." Jasmine said with a sigh.


    "But why did Bai''er suddenly appear?" She tilted her head in confusion looking at the silent Bai''er.


    Issei doesn''t respond to Jasmine''s words and only calmly patted Bai''er''s head. This is the second time for Xun''er and Jasmine to witness Issei''s element.


    They have to admit he looks like a God of Light just now...


    "Come, Bai''er... Let''s meet your ''other half''."


    Bai''er who heard Issei words froze for a little before she nodded obediently.


    Jasmine and Xun''er also become taken aback by Issei sudden words, just when she was about to ask a question, the ball of light suddenly stopped flickering and completely froze in position, then suddenly pinged softly.


    *CLANG!*


    It was like the sound of glass shattering.


    In an instant, a vertical crack appeared on the ball of light that was frozen in position. Soon after, the ball of light instantly evaporated, as though it was a soap bubble being pierced, turning into numerous red shards scattering in the air before breaking into even small pieces, and slowly disappeared in the air.


    The red protective ball of light dispelled, but not all of the red light disappeared. Following the disappearance of the red protective ball of light, a crystal coffin that was emitting a weak red glow appeared in front of them.


    There''s someone inside the crystal coffin¡­ to be precise, it''s a little girl that looks identical to Bai''er.


    The girl''s body was petite and her hands laid crossed in front of her chest as she laid silently in the coffin with a tint of a serene and lonely expression. She had long hair that was naturally scattered behind her. Her hair reached all the way to her lower back and was bright red¡­ It was not a flame-like fiery-red, but instead a ruby-like sparkling red.


    The girl had a face that seemed like it was carved from jade. Within its perfection, there was an immaturity that only a child would possess. On her cream-colored face was a cute exquisite nose that pointed upwards and watery tender lips that were gently closed. Below her similarly, red eyelashes were eyes that anyone would believe to be a pair of star-like eyes if she opened them.


    She wore a bright red imperial robe, but her clothes seemed to be very thin, bringing out all the contours of her petite body. Only a pair of snow-white slender arms and a pair of white and tender legs were revealed, and on her feet were a pair of crystal clear ruby princess shoes. However, the most eye-catching thing was that there were ruby bangles on both her wrists and ankles. The bangles were very small and stuck tightly to her skin on her slender wrists and ankles.


    The only difference between this little girl with Bai''er is the color of their hair.


    One girl had long and gorgeous vermillion hair, the other had silver long hair that sparkled with the light of stars.


    "They''re so alike... no... they''re basically twins." Jasmine muttered and Xun''er also agrees with her daughter''s statement.


    "Ise... Is she..." Jasmine doesn''t need to complete her sentence for Issei to understand what she wanted to ask about.


    "Um... They''re basically the same entity... Both of them are completely identical. Whether it is their physical appearance and even soul... You could say that Bai''er is while this little girl is . But, this little girl possesses a larger soul part." Issei said softly.


    He calculated that Bai''er has 40% of the soul while her other half is 60%.


    "It looks like the reason why Bai''er doesn''t remember anything is because her soul is incomplete... This girl should possess the memories she lost, but judging from how contaminated her soul is... I wouldn''t find it surprising if she also lost her memories..." Issei said while observing the girl inside the crystal coffin.


    What a pity... Issei sighed to himself.


    Issei felt a sudden tug on his clothes. And when he looked down, he saw Bai''er is looking at him with a pleading look on her face.


    He smiled softly before he proceeded to pat her head one more time before he pushed the top of the coffin gently.


    The coffin lid is easily pushed away with just a gentle push from Issei.


    "It is indeed the aura of a devilish poison¡­ Quickly, help her detoxify the poison!" Jasmine''s suddenly said anxiously: "Once the Coffin of Eternity has been opened, the suppressed devilish poison would already be awakened! Quick, cleanse it with the Sky Poison Pearl! Otherwise, with no means of resisting while unconscious, her life, consciousness, and soul will be consumed by the poison!"


    As Jasmine spoke, a black shroud of fog that was growing thicker with frightening speed, appeared around the body of the red-haired girl.


    Without wasting any more time, Issei immediately summoned the and had it hovering on top of the girl. A jade-green glow instantly appeared from the pearl and enveloping her entire body.


    The poison was similar to the frightening poison that was on Jasmine, except that it was not as domineering as Jasmine''s.


    In this world, there was no poison that the Sky Poison Pearl could not cleanse, and under the cleansing power of the Sky Poison Pearl, the devilish poison within the red-haired girl was being subdued gradually. Then, it was consumed and cleansed, resulting in the black shroud of fog being dispersed and completely disappearing very quickly.


    After thirty minutes, the devilish poison on the girl was finally completely purified¡­ The fact that it took so long for the Sky Poison Pearl to cleanse it meant that the devilish poison was extremely powerful. Judging by the strength of the devilish poison, if it had completely invaded the girl''s soul, just like Jasmine''s situation, it would even be considered short if it was completely cleansed in tens of days.


    When he thought about this, Issei felt anger rising from within his body... Just who can be so wicked to poison a small girl such as this... And to make matter worse, this girl is basically Bai''er herself who he treated as his own little sister.


    Whoever the culprit is... it would be in their best interest if they''re already not in this world. If not then... he will surely make them suffer.


    Judging from the history and his understanding about him so far, this Heretic God is not evil at all. And he can even be considered a saint even though he''s a bit eccentric at times...


    Xiaotao and Lieyan told him that the Heretic God is of the race while his wife is someone from the race. Judging from the faint devil energy that Bai''er and the light energy this girl possess inside their body then it must be true... They must''ve inherited both of "their" parent''s bloodline.


    He could more or less guess the reason why the culprit tried to kill Bai''er is because of their parent''s. Back then the Gods and Devil wage war against each other... And considering that Bai''er parent''s race, the culprit must''ve thought that it''s blasphemy or some sort to have two people of a different race had a child together, so they wanted to kill Bai''er just because of their idiotic belief...


    Heh... Things just never change no matter the world... There are always those kinds of idiots who wanted to force their beliefs to other people. If someone happens to be going against their belief, it just happens to be Bai''er parents in this case, then they would stop at nothing to bring down their "judgment" onto them.


    And if the ones they called "Heretics" happens to be stronger than them, they wouldn''t even dare to say anything to them upfront much less fighting them directly. They will act like those "Heretics" never said anything in the first place... Your typical fear the strong and prey on the weak hypocrites.


    Issei doesn''t really care just what their beliefs are as long as they don''t force it onto others. That''s one of the iron-clad rules he has in the .


    Issei found out that Bai''er should be the daughter of the Heretic God judging from the similar energy signature they share. And this Primordial Profound Ark is also created by the Heretic God. The previous soul residue treated the girl inside the coffin and also Bai''er as her little mistress and her last words before she disappears...


    The soul residue exists ever since the so-called "Era of the Gods" and the battle between God and Devil, so it all makes sense... Everything''s fits together.


    That''s also why the Heretic God sent him to the saying he would find what he''s searching for over there. What he said is indeed true and Issei does find what he''s looking for(The Dark energy on the Abyss), although the Heretic God also wants him to find and help Bai''er in the process...


    The Sky Poison Pearl''s cleansing light had disappeared as Issei willed it back.


    The girl still remained peacefully sleeping, making one to not bear to make a sound lest she woke up.


    "No signs of life?" Jasmine said in surprise.


    She just used her sense to scan her body but unable to detect any signs of life.


    "But that can''t be right..." She mumbled softly.


    If this girl is already dead then Issei wouldn''t have been bothered to cure her poison.


    "She''s alive. It''s just that her sign of life is different compared to most normal beings such as the human race and the like." Issei said while he slowly extended his hand and gently moved the girl hair bangs aside.


    Truly alike...


    Their condition reminded Issei of Ophis and Lilith...


    Bai''er just spectates their interaction from the side. She keeps staring at her other half...


    "I see... Then why is she not waking up yet?" Jasmine nodded understandingly at first but then asked once again.


    Just as Jasmine''s words fell, the girl''s red eyelashes suddenly moved gently. Following that, her eyes that had been shut for an unimaginable amount of time gradually opened.


    These were a pair of ruby-like stunning eyes. The moment her eyes opened, it was as though the dark sky had suddenly been lit up by the shine of stars. The red of the eyes in front of him now was like the most perfect color formed from the acc.u.mulation of the very essence of heaven and earth. It was so beautiful that it was suffocating. Unlike Issei''s wine red eyes that are so intoxicating that they would make anyone willingly lost in the reverie just by gazing at it.


    Issei didn''t move at all. His eyes still locked with the little girl''s opened eyes...


    Red meets red...


    As Issei looked at her with a calm expression, her beautiful red eyes stared back at him. After some time, she finally blinked and eventually sat up within the crystal coffin. Realizing that Issei was still staring at her, she blinked once again.


    Suddenly, her eyebrows curved and a pair of thin cute crescents appeared above her eyes. Her face had an unbearably cute smile: "Hi, big brother! You''re so pretty!"


    "..."


    After suddenly waking from a slumber that lasted who knew how long, appearing at a dark and empty space after seeing only strangers¡­ the girl didn''t seem to be nervous or scared, not even lost or puzzled. Instead, she smiled brightly and¡­ greeted him.


    Although her greetings made the corner of Issei''s mouth spasm a bit...

 Chapter 118 - 117

    (AN: Thank you for the donation, Alexander Low. I wish all of you enjoy the chapter ????).


    Issei sighed silently to himself before he asks the girl: "Do you remember your name?" Although he asked her this, he''s almost certain that she won''t remember anything about her past just like Bai''er did.


    And as expected...


    "Name? Ughhh¡­" The girl was deep in thought for quite a while before replying with a grin: "Don''t know! Does big brother know?"


    In normal circ.u.mstances, when a person didn''t even remember their name, their natural reaction would be to feel lost or confused, but the red-haired girl smiled cheerfully instead. The smile was undoubtedly innocent without any pretense as if not remembering her own name was just a very small and trivial matter.


    Issei is the one who felt pity in her stead... To think that her soul has deteriorated this much that she couldn''t even realize just how saddening her act just now.


    But perhaps it''s for the best... Some things are better left forgotten.


    "Just as you expected, Ise... she really doesn''t remember anything..." Xun''er said feeling pity for the girl.


    As a mother, she can understand just how saddening it is for such a small girl to bear such a burden... Children at her age should''ve played around with kids around her age, and yet... sigh...


    Just as Xun''er had finished speaking, the young girl''s eyes looked towards her and Jasmine.


    The girl''s eyes started sparkling brightly like stars: "Wahhhhhh! Big sis and Little big sis, both of your clothes are so pretty! But I like Little big sis clothes the most since it''s red! Red¡­ I love red!"


    Jasmine and Xun''er are wearing the outfit Issei provided and they''re currently wearing the same kimono they first get from Issei. There are a lot of outfits variety he provided for them but both of them like the kimono the most.


    This mysterious girl had red hair, red eyes and even wore red clothes. Obviously, she likes red just like Jasmine. Therefore, when she saw the elegant red kimono Jasmine''s currently wearing, her love for it instantly overflowed¡­


    "She can see us?" Jasmine asked feeling astounded.


    Jasmine and Xun''er didn''t have a body, only a spiritual body. Unless they showed their soul figure on their own, or if the opponent was sufficiently powerful, no one could see them except for Issei. It''s got nothing to do with Issei being powerful or not, it''s because he''s the master of the .


    [Of course she can see both of you... After all, she''s the daughter of the Heretic God himself. It would be weird if she couldn''t see you both, especially Xun''er since you inherited her father''s legacy]. Issei sends a voice transmission to both Jasmine and Xun''er.


    Both of their eyes went wide and they become completely flabbergasted when they heard his words.


    WHAT!!?


    [No need to be so surprised... I just realized it as well] Issei stopped them from screaming out loud since he doesn''t want to alarm the girl and Bai''er.


    Even though both of them are still taken aback, they still nod understandingly at his words. Never in their wildest dream that they''re able to meet the Heretic God''s daughter here.


    Wait... Since this girl is Bai''er other half then that means that Bai''er is also...


    "Of course I can see you, my eyes aren''t spoilt." Jasmine''s reaction caused the girl to turn her head to one side. She found that she was in the Coffin of Eternity and softly said: "Waaah! What a beautiful crystal bed! Was this where I was sleeping in? It''s so pretty¡­ But it''s so hard, it''s not really comfortable. Pretty big brother, can you carry me out, please? Pleaseee? The crystal bed is so tall, if I climb out, it will affect my image as a beautiful young lady."


    "Sure... But don''t call me pretty big brother..." Issei smiled wryly hearing her words. Beautiful young lady? She sure knows how to praise herself...


    "Why not?" The girl asked cluelessly.


    "''Pretty'' is used for girls and big brother is obviously not a girl." Issei patiently explained. This won''t do... He can''t let everyone calling him pretty like this. He can handle being called anything as long as it''s not the word "pretty".


    It''s so humiliating being called pretty when you''re a man alright...


    "Oh... Then how about... beautiful big brother! Is that better?" The girl asked cheerfully.


    "...No. Just big brother will do..." Issei''s face started to spasm uncontrollably.


    "Oh... Okay then... being called pretty or beautiful is obviously much better than simple ''big brother''... what a weird big brother even though he''s so pretty..." The girl nodded half understandingly and half confusedly while mumbling in a low voice.


    "..." Issei decided to pretend that he never heard anything in the first place but he does help her get down from the coffin.


    He effortlessly lifted the little girl out of the crystal coffin and set her down gently on the ground.


    "Wahh¡­ so comfortable!" After leaving the crystal coffin, the girl stretched again strongly before lifting up her face and looking at Issei with her ruby-like eyes: "Big brother, where are we gonna play? This place looks so fun... And- ah...?"


    The girl had her words cut off the moment she saw Bai''er who''s standing behind Issei.


    The girl discovered the existence of the girl with rainbow eyes and she started to size her up with a look of curiosity on her face.


    Issei who sees this step aside from his original position so he doesn''t get in the way of the two girl reunions.


    "Ah¡­" The girl with ruby eyes looked at Bai''er while Bai''er also looked at her. The girl''s mouth was half open and her ruby eyes were stunned, it was as if she had suddenly frozen in place.


    One girl had long and gorgeous vermillion hair, the other had long hair that sparkled with the light of stars. One pair of eyes were vermillion red, the other pair of eyes were a fantastical four colors. The two girls stared intently at one another, not moving an inch. It was as if the other person''s eyes had suddenly stolen away from their souls.


    Besides the color of their hair and their eyes, they looked exactly the same.


    Even Jasmine and Xun''er held their breath watching the "two" supposedly Creation God descendant reunion.


    Before this, both of them are very curious just what is the identity of Bai''er but now they finally discovered the answer to their curiosity... and the truth made them flabbergasted...


    No wonder she had the in her possession before...


    As for the reason why the Heretic God left her daughter behind at that dark Abyss, it must be something related to the war between the Gods and Devils in the past.


    Sadly... The original Xiaotao and Lieyan already died a long time ago... so they can''t ask them about it in detail.


    As the two girls looked at each other in dazed silence, they extended their hands at nearly exactly the same time and touched each other. The girl''s hand lightly caressed Bai''er''s face while Bai''ers hand touched the girl''s face at the same time...


    "Ngh¡­ sniff¡­ sniff¡­" The girl''s lips suddenly started to pout and her shoulder started to heave as she let out a sob. Her vermillion eyes were shining with tears. After that, those tears started to drip down with pattering sound.


    "Uuu¡­ uuuuuu¡­ UUUUUWAAAAAAHHHH!" The girl suddenly bawled out loud as her tears flowed out like a burst dam.


    The girl was weeping up a storm. And both Jasmine and Xun''er discovered that Bai''er also had two long trails of tears slowly flowing down her face.


    Xun''er who saw this had her maternal instinct invoked and when she''s about to step forward, Issei gave her a signal to stop with his hand.


    Seeing a small girl that looks no older than ten years old crying their lungs out is too much for a mother like Xun''er to handle. Her beautiful face immediately looks very upset and she wanted nothing more to comfort these two children before her, but she obeyed Issei''s signal and doesn''t take another step forward...


    She doesn''t realize that slowly but surely, she''s becoming very dependant on Issei...


    She treated him like someone very special in her life and second only to her daughter... she even put herself in a lower position than him. If by chance Issei is about to die then she would undoubtedly trade their position in a single heartbeat. But she doesn''t realize this just yet...


    Xun''er herself realizes that she has feelings for Issei but she doesn''t know that her true feelings already run deeper than she thought...


    The look on Bai''er face was filled with confusion because she doesn''t understand just why she suddenly feels sad... and why she suddenly cries...


    Ever since her first meeting with Issei, she never feels sad any longer since every day is filled with joy and happiness. This is the first time she feels sad again ever since that day... and to make matter worse, she doesn''t understand just why she feels this way.


    She set her gaze towards Issei wanting to convey her confusion towards him. She''s hoping that he can help her with this current "problem" she has just like how he always does before...


    Issei who sensed her restless emotion smiled gently.


    "Bai''er... You out of all people should know why you feel sad when you see this girl..." Issei said softly.


    But Bai''er shook her head almost immediately.


    "Yes, you do... remember what I said before? She''s your other half... and just like you... she also suffers. And perhaps, her suffering is much worse than yours..." What Issei wanted to say is that, if Bai''er is "locked" inside that dark abyss, then this girl is locked in the crystal coffin while her soul is being corroded slowly by the poison.


    Bai''er body froze a little and the girl is still bawling her eyes out.


    She can understand what Issei wanted to convey here since they have their souls linked.


    Although she''s "sealed" in that abyss, she can still see, move, and feel... Granted, that place is filled with endless darkness and a cold silence. But she also has those flowers accompanying her whilst this girl in front of her on the other hand...


    She''s in a deep sleep for almost her entire life while her soul is being tortured by the poison...


    Sure when she''s inside that crystal coffin her body is preserved and able to stay alive until now but... what if even if she''s still asleep back then, she could still feel the pain? There''s nothing more terrifying than feeling pain assaulting your whole body and soul but you can''t utter a single sound or move a single muscle.


    You can only silently endure the pain... This is just a guess but what if it''s true? If that really happens then no wonder her memories are erased completely like this...


    If Bai''er entire life filled with loneliness then this girl is filled with pain... Perhaps that''s why her soul threw those painful memories away, because if not... she might''ve gone insane by now...


    What did they do to deserve this... What did both of them do in the past to experience all these nightmares? Is it wrong for them to be born in this world?


    Bai''er tears started to flood out even more... Now she understands why she feels sad when she sees this girl before her... It''s because they''re one and the same...


    Not just because their soul is the same but even their whole life experience is...


    Issei took a step forward before she lifted both sobbing children''s tiny figure into his embrace: "You both have done nothing wrong, Bai''er... The one who wronged you is those who tried to harm you in the past. Don''t worry, if big brother finds out that the one who''s still responsible is still alive, I will help you beat them up, okay?" He cooed the word gently after sensing Bai''er indignance.


    Both Bai''er and her other half who felt his warm embrace immediately turn their body around and hugged him tightly while their tears are starting to make his shirt wet... But Issei completely ignores this.


    He patiently and gently comforts the two unfortunate children in his embrace...


    Xun''er and Jasmine who saw this had their eyes mellowed on their own... They really like seeing this side of him, always so gentle towards children... It''s so heartwarming...


    Although both Bai''er and that girl age should be in the millions already but considering their tragic past, they can still be considered a child. Whether it''s their figure or mentality...


    "Bai''er... do you want me to ''fuse'' you together?" Issei asked Bai''er softly after he sensed that both of the children in his embrace already stopped crying.


    Bai''er who heard Issei''s question look at him and then at her other half for a bit before she shook her head.


    She extended her hand to grasp her other half left hand wanting to convey that she want to be together with her as sisters rather than having both of them fuse together.


    Her other half tiny hand vigorously rubbing away the tears in her eyes. Even though she was no longer sobbing, she had wept until her eyes and her nose had turned red and Bai''er wasn''t any better either.


    The girl''s lips suddenly curved into a bow as a sweet and happy smile appeared on her face: "Hehehe, so your name is Bai''er? It''s a pretty name! Let''s be friends, okay? And then we can play together along with big brother!"


    Bai''er who heard her words also smiled back at her other half and nodded slowly.


    "Yayy! Now I have a new friend!" The girl shouted in glee seeing that Bai''er just nodded in agreement.


    "Then big brother you will play with both of us a lot, right?" She then asked Issei with the same happy smile.


    "Sure." Issei gave her a nod but then he thought of something before he added in a firm tone: "But you mustn''t call big brother with the word ''pretty'' anymore, okay?"


    "En en!" She readily nodded at his words... But whether she really means it or not... only she knows...


    "..." Bai''er lips softly parted before she took pulled her other half arm gently and then she put both of their hand on top of Issei''s chest.


    Issei smiled softly and tilted his head feeling a little intrigued just what she wanted to do. The same goes for her other half but she doesn''t resist Bai''er pull.


    "Wahhh! Big brother, your chest is so firm and tough but also a little soft to the touch at the same time! Unlike my chest which only feels soft! And you also smell very good! Are you hiding something beneath your clothes, big brother? Is it something delicious?!" The girl cheerily said.


    Issei''s mouth twitches a little hearing her words...


    Jasmine and Xun''er who heard the girl''s words had their bodies jerked a little before they subconsciously perked their ears trying to eavesdrop more of the girl''s words. Firm and tough yet also a little soft to the touch? Although it sounded nonsensical at first, when they imagine the time they caught a glimpse of his chest in the past... they have to agree with her words.


    They never directly touch his chest directly but just by looking at it they know it must feel great to the touch... They inadvertently blush at the thoughts they have...


    Even though the male cultivators in this world also have a fit body and the like, compared to Issei''s perfect body, they are too far apart... After all, those male cultivators rarely train their bodies since they mainly rely on their profound energy so they often look a little too thin at times.


    Bai''er gazes upon Issei''s face and flashed a grin that was very similar to her other self grin just now.


    After a few seconds, both of their hand that was as sparkling and translucent as a diamond came into contact with his chest, a cl.u.s.ter of gloomy black light suddenly flashed on the tip of their finger.


    "Ah?" The girl let out a confused sound when she felt a soothing warmth starting to enveloping her entire hand and body: "So comfy..."


    Issei was a little surprised by this and soon he realized that, under the black light that radiated from the tip of their fingers, a sword mark was slowly surfacing in the center of his chest.


    What had appeared on his chest was a black and vermillion sword mark. The other half is colored black while the other half is colored red.


    Issei''s gaze remained fixed on the pitch-black sword mark that had appeared on his chest for a moment before he set his gaze back to Bai''er.


    He frowned a little while looking at her: "Bai''er... You should know that I will never use you or your other half as a tool right?"


    Bai''er who heard his words still retain her previous smile but she gave Issei a knowing nod. She knows that Issei would never use her or her other half as a weapon no matter what happens...


    "...Then why do you..." Issei asked her while sighing wryly but the next moment he had his eyes wide open...


    "ge... ge... stay... together... forever..." Bai''er spoke for the first time... Even though her voice is as small as a mosquito buzzing and also incomplete sentence, Issei could hear her words clearly.


    (AN: "Gege" is short for big brother in Chinese, the same meaning as onii-chan, etc).


    Even Xun''er and Jasmine who''s watching at the side is feeling amazed by this.


    The reason why Issei said he would never use Bai''er as a weapon was because Issei knew that she can turn herself into a sword and the same goes for her other half.


    That''s why her other half doesn''t have a life signal like an ordinary human being. It''s because she''s a sword spirit and also since her soul is incomplete...


    Issei is not foreign of this type of race since there''s a lot of example of their kind even in his original world. For example, Regulus who was the pawn of Sairaorg or Ddraig and Albion themselves.


    Even though originally they weren''t exactly a weapon spirit, they''re basically the same right now. And the same goes for Bai''er and her other half. Their current state could be considered the same as Regulus or Albion albeit a little different.


    Issei snapped out of his stupor before he smiled gently at Bai''er.


    "Um... But know that even without having you do this, we will still be together as long as Bai''er wants." Issei said softly.


    Bai''er shook her head and once again said: "together... forever..."


    What she''s trying to say is that she wanted to stay forever with Issei never to separate along with her other half.


    "If that''s what Bai''er wants then..." Issei nodded gently at her wish.


    "Aahhhh, stop speaking only between the two of you! Or better yet, stop talking and let''s go play!" The girl shouted excitedly: "Playing is still more important than talking after all! Big brother, Bai''er, big sis, and little big sis, quick, bring me to a fun place! I want to see the blue sky, the green grass, and all the colorful flowers! And after I finished crying, I feel really good. It''s true. Big brother, why don''t you cry once for me to see?"


    "Err..." Issei could only look speechlessly at this overly excited little girl. To think that she cried out loud just now only to regain her cheerfulness in the next moment... He started to imagine how bubbly the original Bai''er is.


    This girl had been in a deep slumber and lost nearly all her memories. Yet she did not seem to care for all this¡­ not even caring about who she was... she doesn''t even bother asking him why she cried just now...


    A strange sound rang from the girl and she started touching her stomach with her small hand. Her originally excited face fell: "Ummm¡­ I''m suddenly very hungry¡­" As she finished she turned and stared at Issei pleadingly: "Big brother, I''m suddenly very hungry. Do you have anything nice to eat?"


    After sleeping for so many years, suddenly feeling hungry was a very normal thing... Issei then put both Bai''er and the girl down to the ground before he took out some cookies he prepared as snacks beforehand from the : "Here." He gives the cookies to the girl and also Bai''er.


    The girl took the cookie, smelled it with her tiny nose and blinked her watery eyes before replying softly: "What a weird smell, it doesn''t look nice at all¡­ Is this really edible?"


    "Hmph, little girl. His food is the tastiest food out there, you should feel happy being able to taste his food." Jasmine said with a snort.


    "Ah, really?" The girl asks doubtfully. But then she saw Bai''er happily munching away on her cookie.


    The girl smelled the cookie once again and after hesitating for some time, she finally opened her mouth and bit into the cookie. It was obvious that she took a lot of strength in order to bite off a small piece...


    "So tough, my teeth nearly spoiled." The girl complained softly before carefully starting to chew. Just as she began to chew, the girl''s face fell...


    "Pupupu¡­ Peipei¡­" The girl instantly spat out the cookie that she had not completely chewed and even spat out the residue in her mouth strongly. Judging from her looks, she couldn''t wait to get rid of the taste of the biscuit from her mouth: "Disgusting, too disgusting¡­ I don''t want that¡­ So bad! So bad! So bad!!!"


    All of them become stupefied by her act. This is the first time anyone ever spews out Issei''s food... Even Bai''er felt a little surprised by her counterpart act.


    "How about meat? Can you eat meat?" Issei took out a bowl of meat steak and asked her.


    "Meat¡­ What''s that, is it edible? Delicious? Is meat this... browny thing?" The girl tilted her head in confusion while looking at the plate of steak Issei just took out.


    "Hmm, you don''t find this smell fragrant or anything?"


    "No... It smells... Wuaaaaahhhhh! So smelly! Disgustingly smelly! I don''t want to eat that thing!" This time, without even biting, she only sniffed it lightly and that is more than enough to make the girl feeling repugnant of the steak.


    "...Then¡­ what do you want to eat?"


    "I want to eat something delicious!!!"


    "Something delicious¡­ And what is something delicious for you?"


    "Something delicious¡­ I just want to eat something delicious!" The girl plopped to the ground while throwing a tantrum.


    "..." While Issei is at a loss, something clicked inside Bai''er mind and she tugged Issei''s shirt.


    "Hm? What''s wrong, Bai''er?" Issei confusingly looks at Bai''er. He''s feeling confused that if cookies and meats are not edible for this girl then what is? Vegetables? Is she a vegetarian?


    Bai''er doesn''t say anything before she re-entered the and before long, she came out once again but this time she brought a sword out from the .


    Issei tilted his head in confusion just what Bai''er wanted to do with that sword. It''s not a special sword or anything like that... It''s just a sword he randomly collected from the treasury of Odin and the like.


    This "random" sword can be considered a priceless treasure even in the upper realm... Only weaker than the . The Realm-Kings from the upper realm would''ve do anything just to get their hands on this piece of "random" sword...


    Jasmine and Xun''er who saw this sword don''t have any big reaction since they know that there are stronger treasures in his possession. Just like Issei, they''re feeling curious about what Bai''er wants to do with that sword.


    "Sniff¡­ sniff¡­ sniff!"


    From Issei''s side, there suddenly came the heavy sound of sniffing. The originally hungry and despondent little girl stood up with a whoosh, and was sniffing the air with her little nose as if her life depended on it, "It smells so good¡­ smells so good! I can smell something nice to eat? Where is it, where is it, where is it¡­"


    As the girl sniffed the air, the saliva from her mouth overflowed. She sucked it back in heavily, but as soon as she did so, her saliva continued to drop to the floor and she could not stop it. The little girl searched for quite a while, but once her eyes landed on the sword in Bai''er hand, they emitted an extremely bright light.


    "Something delicious¡­ something delicious!!!"


    The little girl screeched with joy and practically bulldozed her way forward, grabbing the sword from Bai''er hand. But when she''s about to snatch it away, the girl stopped for a bit before she asks Bai''er while her mouth is still drooling: "Bai''er, let me have it okay? I will give you something better in return later!"


    Bai''er shook her head lightly before she points at Issei.


    Miraculously, the girl knows what Bai''er wanted to convey and then she proceeded to turn her attention to Issei: "Big brother, please let me have this delicious thing, okay?" She asked pleadingly.


    "Uhhh... Sure?" Issei said with a sweat.


    The girl face beamed up in happiness when she heard Issei''s permission. Only then Bai''er let go of the sword...


    Drip, drip...


    Saliva uncontrollably poured from her mouth, causing the body of the sword to become drenched in a blink of an eye. The girl sucked in her saliva, and with eyes flashing with excitement, opened her mouth and bit down on the sword.


    *CRUNCH!*


    The place where the girl had bitten down on was missing a large piece. The little girl drummed her cheeks, making loud chewing sounds as if she was a squirrel chewing on sweets, and with a gulp, she swallowed what she was chewing.


    "!!!" Jasmine and Xun''er felt amazed by this sight... This little red-haired girl in front of them did not eat wheaten food, and did not eat meat products¡­ Instead, she was actually eating¡­ A bonafide sword! And it''s not just any sword but rather a divine sword!


    "Interesting..." Issei felt intrigued by the sight. Does that mean that this girl is just like the he created for Millet? Where they could basically "devour" other weapons to increase their power?


    "Delicious¡­ So delicious!!!"


    The starving little girl had finally managed to eat a delicacy. Her cheeks flushed from happiness, and even her pair of eyes were emitting out ripples of crimson red glow. She impatiently took another bite, and with a "Clanking" sound, an even larger chunk of the sword was bitten off by her.


    And then, chewing another two to three times, she swallowed it down. Then, she directly carried the sword next to her mouth, opened her mouth wide, and bit it. Like eating corn, she bit it in a horizontal manner, and in a blink of an eye, the part where the blade was, was bit with numerous holes.


    As they simply heard the "crunch crunch crunch" sounds, another small part of it had once again entered the little girl''s mouth. Following after, the "crunch crunch crunch" munching sounds came again, and even the remaining hilt of the sword was cleanly eaten by her...


    After finishing her "meal", the little girl let out a cute burping sound and happily patted her flat small belly: "Wu¡­ I finished eating it. It''s so delicious¡­ Jeez, big brother. You clearly have a delicious thing from the start yet you give this beautiful young lady that weird smelly thing! Bai''er also must be in cahoots with you, that''s why she''s able to endure eating those smelly things! It must be!"


    Issei chuckled slightly at her statement: "You little rascal... Of course big brother wouldn''t know what you considered delicious is a sword and not normal food just like Bai''er ate just now." He ruffled the girl''s hair which only earned a small giggle from her since it feels ticklish.


    "Ah? Sword?" The girl thought for a second before her expression brightened.


    She takes a deep breath before a crimson red light suddenly radiated from her body. Within the light, she slowly floated up in the air, and her entire figure was completely enveloped by red light¡­ Following after, the red light exploded apart in the sky, and then, completely dispersed.


    Following the dispersal of the red light, the little girl''s figure had completely disappeared. Floating in the sky, what appeared before their eyes was shockingly a crimson red odd-shaped gigantic sword!


    The entire sword was completely crimson red in color. The blade was filled with rows of messy deep-red inscriptions, and an extremely light layer of obscure red glow was enveloping it as well. The length of the blade was more than nine feet, which was larger than any greatsword they''ve ever seen.


    And with this length, it had even surpassed an absolutely large number of spear-related weapons! The sword of the hilt was straight and bulky, and above the hilt, the base of the blade was shockingly more than two feet in width. Moving up the blade, the width of the blade irregularly shrank, and at the end of the blade, it had already shrunk into an incomparably sharp tip, radiating with a cold, crimson red light!


    If one looks closely, they can see the sword is radiating the same aura as the sword she just ate. There''s a yellowish glow mixed with its crimson red aura.


    However, putting aside its outer appearance, this sword actually completely lacked an imposing atmosphere¡­ It was lifeless without a single hint of aura emitting from it, as though it was crafted from nothing more than the most normal profound metal which is normal since the sword is basically incomplete.


    Perhaps if Issei combines both Bai''er sword form together with this gigantic sword then it will be whole again.


    The gigantic crimson red sword swirled around in the air, and then, with the sword tip pointing downwards, it descended in front of Issei.


    With a light sound, the blade tip deeply stabbed into the ground at the bottom, which was extremely hard itself. And even though the part where the blade tip was had stabbed into the ground, the straightened gigantic crimson red sword was still much taller than Issei.


    At the bottom of the gigantic crimson red sword''s hilt, at the center of the widest part of the sword, a marble of about seventeen to eighteen centimeters in diameter was embedded in it¡­ Within the marble, astonishingly, he saw the little girl who had disappeared!


    The height of her body had already turned into about seventeen centimeters tall, and although she had turned especially pocket-sized, her clothes, the color of her hair, her face, and even her eyes could still be seen clearly. She, who was within the marble, placed her hands on both sides of her waist and laughed out loud triumphantly. "Hehehehe! I succeeded! I succeeded! Big brother, my current form is similar as that ''Sword'' thingy you just gave me right? But mine should be better, right?"


    While Jasmine and Xun''er become stupefied for who knows how many times already...


    Issei only smiled wryly at the little girl''s triumphant sound: "Uh, sure... But you don''t really have to change your form you know..."


    While he''s speaking he looked carefully at her sword form. He suddenly saw that on the two sides of the core pearl, each side was imprinted with a word¡­ The two words were both deep red and completely the same as the patterns that were imprinted on the blade. If one did not look carefully, they would very easily miss it.


    The two words were, on the left "Devil" and on the right "Slayer".


    "Slayer Devil¡­ No, it should be Devil Slayer." Issei muttered: "Is that her name?"


    "What? Devil Slayer?!?!"


    Issei''s muttering caused a huge reaction from the pondering Jasmine as she instantly came beside him and asked: "Where did you see those two words?"


    Issei pointed towards the left and right of the core pearl. Jasmine''s gaze swept passed the words "Devil Slayer", as deep shock appeared on her face.


    "You know anything about it?" Issei asked with raised eyebrows.


    Jasmine didn''t answer him but instead still stared at the deep scarlet greatsword, as though she was trying very hard to try to remember something. After some time, she finally said softly: "Could it be¡­"


    She circled the sword and look at the other side of the pearl.


    In the same position, she found another two similarly colored words¡­ However, the two words were not "Devil" and "Slayer".


    The left side was "Heaven" and the Right was "Smiting"... Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer?


    "Heaven Smiting? How could it be those two words?" Seeing the words "Heaven Smiting", Jasmine''s expression changed drastically as shock and confusion appeared together on her face: "Could I be wrong¡­ No! This feeling, it obviously is¡­ since she''s the daughter of the Heretic God then perhaps..."


    Wait, isn''t this girl is Bai''er other half? Then that means Bai''er could also transform into a sword!


    "Bai''er, can you-"


    "Jasmine."


    Jasmine was about to ask Bai''er to transform into her sword form but Issei cut her off since he can somehow tell what Jasmine wanted to say. From the way how she keeps inspecting the girl sword form, and the way she keeps muttering of how uncertain she is of what''s possible and not possible...


    But Issei doesn''t want to let Bai''er transform into her sword form... If possible, he doesn''t want her ever use her sword form. The girl just did it on her own accord without letting Issei had any chance to stop her so it can''t be helped...


    Jasmine froze a little before she remembered what Issei said a moment ago... he said he will never use Bai''er as a weapon so having her change into a sword form is basically going back against his words.


    "...I just want her to change into her sword form for a moment... Just to confirm my suspicion, Ise." Jasmine said slowly feeling a little nervous that she might somehow make Issei upset.


    "There''s no need for that... From your reaction alone I could tell that if your guess is somehow correct then Bai''er must''ve been a divine artifact or a spirit race that could transform themselves into a weapon from the upper realm of some sort. But even if your suspicion is correct, it won''t change anything. It doesn''t matter to me just what her real identity is... she''s my little sister, no more no less. Or did you just think of using her if your suspicion is proven to be correct?" Issei asked Jasmine calmly.


    Jasmine becomes at a loss for words... To be honest, she was feeling hopeful that what she had in mind about Bai''er and the girl''s second identity is proven to be correct...


    Was she thinking about using them? Perhaps yes... she was indeed thinking that she could make use of them to help her get her revenge since with them in her hand, she could easily have her revenge...


    But then what? Can she really ''use'' them when the time comes? The answer is a big fat no! Issei would never let her use Bai''er for her own selfish agenda...


    She wanted to slap her own face when she thought about it... She basically just earn his ire even if it''s only by a tiny bit...


    "No, I... I''m sorry..." Jasmine hung her head down and apologizes in a small voice feeling despondent. She doesn''t try making any excuses since she knows it will only make Issei feel even more disappointed at her...


    Issei sighed softly before he put his hand on top of her head: "It''s fine... I can understand why you being so desperate but remember... if you need my help then all you need to do is ask. After all, I also considered you as my little sister." He said comfortingly.


    Jasmine''s body twitch a little when she heard his words: ''...Only a ''little sister''...?'' She thought disappointingly inside her mind.


    Xun''er smiles warmly at their interaction but she felt a little bitter for her daughter''s sake... To think that he only sees her as his little sister... Aiii, this is why mother told you to go on full advance, dear... now see what happens...


    After a brief moment, Issei took his hand back and proceeded to lightly lift the giant sword of the ground: "Little rascal, go change back to your original form..."


    Issei easily lifted the giant sword with just two of his fingers as if he''s lifting a piece of paper...


    With a light "En!", the girl changes back to her previous form. She''s currently being lifted by the scruff by Issei just like a little kitten...


    "Ahhh! I forbid you from calling me little rascal, big brother. It''s not nice sounding at all!" The girl suddenly shouted with a pout.


    "What should I call you then?" Issei asked feeling amused.


    "Call¡­ Call¡­ Call me little beauty!" The girl thought for a moment before she gave her answer.


    "Hmm, this nickname doesn''t sound so bad but how about big brother give you a name instead?"


    "Name me?" The girl''s eyes sparkled as she grew excited: "Okay, okay! But it must be a nice and cute name that I like! I want a pretty name just like Bai''er!"


    Issei looked at the girl''s red clothes, red hair, red eyes¡­ and even her favorite color was red. He thought for a while and said: "Then, I will call you Hong''er... How about it? It''s quite similar to Bai''er name right?"


    (AN: As in they both have "Er" at the end of their name).


    "Hong''er¡­ Hong''er¡­ Hong''er¡­ Hong''er¡­" The girl repeated the name several times. Her eyes sparkled even more as she replied in high spirits: "Then, call me Hong''er next time¡­ Hehe! I have a name! Hong''er, Hong''er¡­ Next time don''t call me little rascal, or little girl, not even little beauty. You can only call me Hong''er, big brother!"


    Seeing how unusually excited she became, it was obvious to see that she was very satisfied with the name.


    "That''s right, big brother, what''s your name? And that big sis and little big sis also?" She asked curiously.


    "You can just call big brother ''Ise'', that big sis name is Xun''er and the little big sis is Jasmine." Issei said while introducing Jasmine and Xun''er at the same time.


    "Ise... Xun''er... Jas... mine...? I''ve got it! All of you have to play with me frequently from now on, I really like to play!" Hong''er yelled adorably, being familiar on her own accord at the new group of people she just met, who also emanated an indifferent aura from her entire being. She stretched lazily, her eyelids suddenly drooping: "I suddenly feel so tired after eating¡­ I really want to take a nap."


    Hong''er lightly rubbed her eyes, then yawned: "Ahh, mmm¡­ I''m really really tired, big brother, I''ll go take a nap first, good night."


    With that, Hong''er directly curled into a ball like a cat on the ground, closed her eyes, and in the next moment, she fell asleep with shocking speed.


    Issei sweated seeing how carefree Hong''er is...


    He picked her up and put her inside the but not forgetting to inform Lieyan to be careful of Hong''er just in case she decided to go on an eating spree...


    It''s not that Issei being petty or anything like that but there are some cursed weapons and divine weapons in his possession that might endanger Hong''er safety. The first type needless to say while the second type is because the weapon might be too powerful for her body to handle... She might just implode inside out if she were to consume the wrong type.


    Even the weapon she just ate is very powerful for her body to handle... Hence why she felt sleepy the moment she finishes eating it. It''s her soul forcing her to sleep so it could absorb and process the huge amount of energy she just obtained.


    ...


    "So what now, Ise? I assume there''s nothing else to do here... the biggest treasure should be Hong''er herself." Jasmine inquired when Issei returned from the .


    "Well, I guess so... I do gain control over this Ark though." Issei responded.


    "Huh? How?" Jasmine asked in surprise. But then he remembered that sword mark on his chest: "Ah... it''s that sword mark of yours."


    "Um... It''s that time when Bai''er put that ''mark'' on my chest along with Hong''er... This Ark belongs to Hong''er but since she basically had her soul linked with mine then I basically became the second owner of this Ark." Issei confirmed her guess.


    "Hmm, I see..." Jasmine nodded understandingly: "You''re going to do anything with the wasteland part? You should be able to do something about it with your power over the energy, right?"


    She was feeling curious if Issei were going to do something about the decaying part of the Ark. With his power then it should be quite a breeze...


    "Mm." Issei nodded slightly before he started channeling the energy inside his body... It indeed doesn''t take any toll at all for him to do this. It took a bit of his time though...


    The whole Ark also being powered up returning it to its original state.


    A few hours passed and before long, the wasteland that was inside the Ark disappeared and it''s being filled with a green lush of grassland once more...


    "Now that''s been dealt with..." Issei looks down towards the arena where the tournament is currently being held.


    He took out his mask and wear it and in the next moment, the colossal disappeared from its previous spot.


    ...


    Ye Xinghan was stretching his body lazily while the two women he brought with him is by his side attending to his every need.


    He''s feeling bored with this whole tournament since to him, all of them are weaklings... He''s hoping that the tournament would finish sooner so he can obtain what he came here for...


    He eyed Feng Xue''er who''s seated in the distant with lecherous gaze and licked his lips lightly feeling a bit impatient to taste this delicacy before him...


    But then someone from the seating area notices something and when he looks at the sky, the colossal is nowhere to be seen: "Aaahhhh! Th-Th-The has disappeared!"


    Along with his shout, everyone had their gaze towards the sky and even the tournament participants are also looked up.


    And just like the first person, they all become completely taken aback by surprise. After a while, there''s a discussion starting from the audience seat and the arena...


    "H-How come it disappeared!?"


    "It shouldn''t be the time for its disappearance yet! Unless..."


    "Unless the is lying to us..."


    One by one they started doubting if the is indeed lying to them and when they''re busy with this tournament, they might''ve already sent their own people to reap the benefits for their own.


    Feng Hengkong is the first to snap out of his stupor as he hastily rose from his seat to clear out the doubts they have: "Don''t be ridiculous! Why would we lie to you all and offending the in the process?! Even if we manage to gain some benefit that way, we will only sleep in pins and needles when the time comes!"


    "My royal father is right! There''s no way we would offend the just for some measly benefits!" Feng Ximing followed right after him.


    The doubts they had started to tone down a little when they heard Feng Hengkong and Feng Ximing''s words... Indeed... Even though the is a strong powerhouse, but if it''s compared to the then they still fall short.


    It would be very stupid of them if they offend all of the sacred grounds at once... If it''s only one of them then it''s still believable but if it''s all of the sacred grounds at once then...


    "Oh, then why did the Ark disappeared? Surely sect leader Feng could give us a satisfactory answer. I mean, who knows if you''re just putting an act here while your men have already stored the treasures they just discovered somewhere out of our reach... By then, it will be all too late for all of us here to do anything." Ye Xinghan said with a calculating smirk.


    At first, he was also taken aback since his source doesn''t mention anything about this but after thinking about it a little bit... he can still make use of this outcome for his personal gains.


    "Ye Xinghan, you..." Feng Ximing gritted his teeth hearing the blatant accusation Ye Xinghan just said.


    Now they''re back to square one... Even the Spiritual Master Ancient Blue couldn''t say anything here since he''s also clueless just like everybody else here. If he knows the real reason behind the disappearance of the Ark then he would undoubtedly help the Phoenix empire clear their name but he didn''t know anything...


    There''s one person here who has a clue about the whole incident and that is Feng Xue''er... her mouth is slightly agape since she has a feeling that this whole thing is related to her Grandmaster.


    She often saw her Grandmaster went back and forth towards the Primordial Ark direction, and to top it off, she also asked him once about it and her Grandmaster said that he has some interest in the Primordial Profound Ark...


    When they''re about to argue once again. Ye Xinghan suddenly felt an abnormal icy cold feeling coming from above. He immediately turned his attention above to see just who dares to emit such killing intent towards him.


    When he looks up, he saw a man clad in black wearing a mask standing in the entrance of the Primordial Profound Ark while looking at his direction. This man is without a doubt the source of the killing intent he just felt...


    What made Ye Xinghan feeling alarmed the most is not this man, but rather the sight of the very same Primordial Profound Ark that just disappeared a moment ago... Everyone notices this as well since the gigantic Ark cast a shadow over the whole arena because of how huge it is.


    "Wh-What...? How come the Primordial Profound Ark suddenly become this close to our location? Si-Since when did it appear there?" One of the participants shouted in confusion.


    "...And who is that man standing at the entrance of the Ark?"


    While they started their new round of guessing game, Ling Kun who has seen Issei before immediately recognize him since his getup is quite unique to say nonetheless... And also since he''s the supposed elder of the where Xia Qingyue is from. Well, how could he forgot about Xuanyuan Yufeng''s case to boot...


    He suddenly feels a bad omen out of nowhere... Like something just crawled from the depths of the ground below him and starting to encroach upon his whole body. It''s very nervewracking and also terrifying at the same time...


    He doesn''t realize that the reason for this discomfort is because Naru is already using her profound art to prevent him and Ye Xinghan from escaping...


    "Is that him, Naru?" Issei''s cold voice resounded clearly on the whole area.


    "Yes, Master. He is the one." While they''re feeling confused just who is this "Naru" Issei just spoke of, they heard a voice belonging to a woman right next to Ye Xinghan''s location.


    And it''s not the voice of his two concubines...


    Ye Xinghan immediately turned his gaze towards the source of the voice and he instantly becomes captivated by the sight of Naru. And just like the perverted man he is, he started having lecherous thoughts about her... not realizing that his doom is at hand.


    He is the perfect example of what Jasmine meant by a man who thinks with his lower half most of the time...


    Ling Kun who happens to be nearby Ye Xinghan reacts differently than the latter. His intuition is telling him that this woman that appeared out of nowhere is extremely dangerous and he must escape from this place right at this moment!


    But will he has that chance? The answer is obviously no.


    "I see. Then that makes things simple." Issei extended both of his arms and in the next second, there''s a powerful suction force coming from his palm that immediately pulled both Ling Kun and Ye Xinghan towards his direction.


    Both of them only able to let out a light scream before they feel that their neck went tight.


    Issei is holding them by the neck not letting them say anything other than a light grunt while they''re having trouble breathing properly...


    "We meet again, elder Ling Kun... And you... I have heard a lot about you and I also heard that you''re aiming for one of my sect disciples... I believe we need to have a little talk, don''t you think so?" Issei said coldly.


    Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun who heard his cold voice felt their entire body went cold... Before long their body started shivering while their whole body is drenched in cold sweat.


    Because they just realized that they couldn''t utilize a single ounce of profound energy at all... It''s like they have no control over their own body! And it feels like they''re being gazed by an Ancient Primordial Beast rather than a person! What is this? Who is he!?


    Yue Ji and Mei Ji who were the concubines of Ye Xinghan was about to rescue their young master but before they had the chance to do so, their whole vision turns dark...


    They fainted dead away right in their spot without knowing what just happen to them... but one can find a single black scale lodged on their back although that too also disappears in the next second...


    Naru then appeared right next to Issei standing respectfully with her arms behind her back. The reason why Naru doesn''t outright kill Yue Ji and Mei Ji was because she can tell that both of them are not in their right mind, or in other words, being mind-controlled or brainwashed...


    She won''t go out of her way to make them sober either though...


    Everyone there becomes further alarmed since they don''t see just when did Naru appear behind Issei. Not even the Spiritual Master Ancient Blue could tell...


    "...I believe this is our first meeting here, esteemed guest. But can you please let go of young master Ye and Elder Ling for my sake?" Feng Hengkong said while sweating a bit.


    He doesn''t know who and how this man and that woman suddenly appears here but one thing he understands is that he couldn''t let Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun be killed right before his eyes... Not when they''re in the territory.


    It would make their backer go wild with rage and his Phoenix Empire will take the brunt of it as well!


    He couldn''t be happier if Ye Xinghan were to die anywhere else but just not here!


    "This old man also wants to say the same thing as sect master Feng... Perhaps there''s a bit of misunderstanding between your excellency and young master Ye. If possible, we can just talk it out first... There''s no need to resort to violence from the start." Spiritual Master Ancient Blue said calmly but deep inside he''s feeling very alarmed.


    Because he can''t sense this newcomer cultivation realm at all! And he''s at the 9th level of Sovereign Profound Realm at that!


    There are not many people that could rival his cultivation realm... to think that this newcomer might be at the peak of the Sovereign realm is really too shocking to him.


    Feng Xue''er who''s by Feng Hengkong''s side becomes frozen like a statue because she never expects that her Grandmaster would suddenly appear here...


    When she''s snapped out of her dazed state, she wanted to warn her royal father to not do anything reckless only to be stopped by Feng Ximing who stands in front of her.


    "Royal brother!"


    "Don''t worry, Xue''er. I will surely protect you..." Feng Ximing said trying to sound calm. The others also started to crowd around her trying to "protect" her...


    "No, royal brother, everyone! Don''t do-"


    "Misunderstanding?" Before Feng Xue''er able to finish her words, Issei''s cold voice boomed loudly.


    This cold voice of his made even Xue''er flinch slightly... She has never seen this side of her Grandmaster... Granted the time they spent together is not that long but she always saw her Grandmaster with a warm smile on his face and his voice was never this cold before...


    "This trash sent his ''dogs'' to my sect wanting to kidnap one of my sect disciples and this old fart is also involved in it... Now you tell me... Is it still a ''misunderstanding''? And for ''your sake'', was it? Just who do you think you are that I need to do something just for your sake?" Issei coldly asked the Spiritual Master Ancient Blue and Feng Hengkong.


    Don''t think that just because Feng Henkong is Feng Xue''er father Issei would let him do as he pleases. If he were to keep speak nonsense and started to get on his nerves then Issei wouldn''t mind killing him here, even if that will make Feng Xue''er hates him in the process...


    "I... am-" Ye Xinghan finally able to let out a light whimper but Issei will not have any of that.


    "I know full well just who you are Ye Xinghan, the son of sect master Ye Meixie and the young master of Sun Moon Divine Hall one of the . But so what?" Issei cut off Ye Xinghan''s words offhandedly before he tightened his grasp on his neck not letting Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun release another sound. Not even a tiny grunt...


    He just made both of them fainted, that''s all... well, maybe a few cracks here and there but it won''t kill them... so, no worries... maybe? Bah, who cares...


    Issei started to feel annoyed with the inhabitants of this world... Why did they keep introducing their background? As if it''s worth something at all in front of him? They keep speaking with the same pattern as if they''re an NPC from a game...


    Every single one of them always does the same... If it''s not their sect then it''s their clan. If it''s not their father, then it''s their grandfather. Seriously... What''s wrong with this world inhabitants? Each and every one of them keep relying on their backer. Don''t they have any backbone of their own at all?


    "You..."


    "Royal father! Stop!" Feng Hengkong gritted his teeth and was about to do something but thankfully Feng Xue''er let out a burst of her profound energy to push aside Feng Ximing and the others and hastily stands in front of Feng Hengkong.


    All of them were taken aback once again knowing that Feng Xue''er is apparently already stepped into the Sovereign profound realm!


    "Xue''er, you... you had a breakthrough?!" Feng Hengkong said feeling pleasantly surprised.


    "Gra- Esteemed guest! Please don''t be angry at Xue''er father! He doesn''t know anything!" But Feng Xue''er ignored Feng Hengkong''s words and pleaded towards Issei. She almost slips up but thankfully she manage to save it in time...


    Issei who heard Feng Xue''er shout heaved a sigh before he speaks once again: "Tell Ye Meixie and Xuanyuan Wentian that their son and sect elder are in my hands. If they wanted to get them back then go to the location, I will be waiting there."


    And with that, Issei and Naru entered the Primordial Profound Ark with two unconscious deadweights...


    Before long, the Ark disappeared once again leaving a large number of flabbergasted people...


    "Mmm~ so domineering, this one like domineering men the most~... Under that mask, there must be a very handsome face! This one wanted to see his face soooo badly~ and then perhaps, this one and him could share a cup of wine under the moonlight~... Ohh, how romantic would it be~" Ji Qianrou who was being silent the whole time licked his lips seductively which made nearby men shiver uncontrollably... They hastily distance themselves and stay far away from this freak!


    "Xue''er..." Feng Hengkong called out lightly.


    Feng Xue''er who heard her royal father''s voice sigh bitterly... It looks like she couldn''t keep her cultivation a secret just like her Master told her to. But at least she doesn''t slip up on her Grandmaster''s identity...


    Now she needs to prevent her royal father from having any ideas towards her Grandmaster because it won''t end well for them...


    Soon the get the news of what just happened here... the whole continent does...


    Someone dares to kidnap the young master of the and also an elder of the at the same time...


    And it seems that he''s also managed to gain control over the Primordial Profound Ark as well!


    The one who went wild with rage is obviously the and the ... Xuanyuan Yufeng who catches a whiff of this piece of news becomes anxious...


    She doesn''t care about the fate of the but she can''t let the man she took fancy of just be killed like that. But there''s nothing much that she could do when the other sacred ground is involved along with the dignity of her own father''s sect...


    If they were to spare a man that basically just humiliated them in public just like that, then where should they put their face as one of the sacred grounds?


    She started to get very anxious... She couldn''t erase that face which captivated not only her heart but also her soul in but a single glimpse...


    She couldn''t let it go just like that!


    Xuanyuan Yufeng had an abnormal obsession without the person herself realizing it... Then again... one can''t really blame her since the man she once loved with all her heart and she''s even willing to abandon everything just to be together with him never loves her back in the same way...


    Years after years of patience never bore any fruit and finally, something inside her snapped when she saw how obsessed her husband towards that woman on that day...


    Surprisingly, there''s another group of "guest" that will be paying the a visit. They are the , , and the themselves...


    The doesn''t have any choices either since the incident happened within their territory and if they don''t send any help it will only anger the sacred grounds. But they also had something else in mind...


    Feng Xue''er already tried speaking to her father of not sending anyone to help them but alas... Her father thought that she''s still too young and all that nonsense...


    But she also couldn''t tell her father the secret she''s been keeping and it''s not like they will believe her either. Finally, when she''s getting desperate, she remembered about her Master that''s currently waiting inside the valley...


    She hastily went towards the valley hoping that her Master can do something about this whole situation.


    As for the and the ... well... it will all become clear soon enough...


    ...


    Issei arrived in front of the along with the Primordial Profound Ark.


    He doesn''t enter the barrier right away since he needs to do something about the two deadweights he just brought back.


    He frowned a little when he smells something unpleasant only to see Ye Xinghan just pissed himself in his ''sleep''...


    "Disgusting." Issei throws him down to the ground like a sack of potato along with Ling Kun. And if that''s not enough, Naru also kicked him lightly to distance this trash from her King''s presence less his disgusting smell might make him feel upset.


    "Master." Esdeath''s group arrived shortly after.


    They also frowned after seeing Ye Xinghan...


    What kind of pathetic... worm is this? Did he just piss himself?


    "He''s Ye Xinghan and this man is Ling Kun..." Issei explained to Esdeath''s group briefly...


    They narrowed their eyes when they finish hearing about the whole situation...


    "You can leave them to me, Master. I will surely ''accommodate'' the stay of our ''esteemed guests'' with the best treatment there is." Esdeath said while grinning evilly.


    "Um... I leave them to you. You can do anything you want as long as you don''t kill them outright since they still have their uses."


    "Understood, Master."


    Issei nodded slightly before he created a spatial opening heading towards the to tell the Little Demon Empress that her chance for revenge is close at hand...


    When Issei disappeared, Esdeath stood up from the ground while her fists made a crackling sound.


    "Hehehe... How great. Now I have two more ''rats'' that I could experiment with~" She let out a light chuckle before proceeding to lift the two ''rats''... Naru, Altair, and Sirius also followed her from behind.


    ...


    "Hmm, now then... Let''s cut off this ''worm'' first, shall we?" When Esdeath arrived at her hidden spot, she created a small knife made out of ice and proceeded to cut something very important from Ye Xinghan''s body...


    *Slash!*


    "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Ye Xinghan''s eyes immediately snapped wide open the moment he felt the unbearable pain coming from his lower body... He wanted to do something about the pain but he notices that he''s being tied onto a wall made out of ice.


    When he looks to the side, he can see Ling Kun tied up just like him. And not far from their location, he can see the remnants of his subordinate''s clothes... He recognizes those clothes since it belongs to his sect.


    And if he''s not mistaken, there''s also another sacred ground sect members as well...


    "Oh? You''re finally awake? Just in time..." He heard a clear voice belonging to a woman coming from his front. He sees a group of four beautiful goddess-like women standing nearby... One of them is the woman he just saw not long ago.


    If it was Ye Xinghan from before then he would''ve drooled at the sight of the four Goddesses in front of him. But now... All he can feel is fear...


    "WH-WHO ARE YOU! D-DO YOU KNO- MMHGG!!!" Ye Xinghan was screaming his lungs out demanding an explanation but Esdeath sealed his mouth with ice.


    "Sorry about that... I had to cut off your ''worm'' since it just did something unforgivable in front of our Master. But don''t worry, I already froze the wound so you won''t bleed from it... Now let''s move on to the next part of our treatment, shall we? As our ''esteemed guest'', I must ''accommodate'' your stay here with my best capability... Ahahahaha!" Esdeath let out a burst of sarcastic laughter that''s filled with malice.


    Esdeath snapped her finger to release the ice that was on his mouth...


    And along with her laughter, soon there''s another scream coming from Ye Xinghan but this time, his scream is accompanied by Ling Kun... Their screams are arranged so perfectly as if they''re performing a duet that would make a professional opera singer feel ashamed of their singing skill...


    But after a few moments, there''s something that made Esdeath whole body drenched in cold sweat...


    ...


    "...Eh?" Esdeath let out a dumbfounded voice looking at the spectacle before her...


    "...He died?" Ye Xinghan just passed away right before their very eyes.


    "Uhhh, it seems that way..." Altair said with a cold sweat.


    "But... But we barely do anything to him?! We just cut off his ''worm'', broke one of his arms, and broke eight of his fingers!? I mean look at this one... He''s in a worser state but he''s still alive and well, isn''t he? How come did this one suddenly die?!" Esdeath let out an utterly bewildered voice while pointing at Ling Kun who''s in a much worser state than Ye Xinghan.


    Although Ling Kun is not dead... he''s not that far off either... but it''s his mental health that''s about to die soon though...


    He keeps muttering "sorry... sorry... please forgive me..." he''s barely recognizable with how mangled his arms and legs are... thankfully Esdeath doesn''t aim for his face because if not... Not even his mother would be able to recognize him...


    "...It seems that he died out of fear..." Sirius pointed out.


    Ye Xinghan''s stared fixedly with bloodshot eyes. Streaks of blood covered every corner of his eyeballs. The color of his face had turned into an extremely abnormal dark gray. The white foam mixed with blood gushed out of his mouth insanely... He actually got scared to death by fractures in his liver and gall bladder.


    "..." All of them had their face twitches a lot when they realize this... Isn''t this Ye Xinghan supposed to be more than a hundred years old? How can he be this pathetic? Died because of fear? God damn is there a more pathetic way to die than this...


    Somewhere in Japan, Kazuma just sneezed out loud for no apparent reason...


    "...Wh-What should we do now?" Esdeath said in trepidation: "D-Didn''t Master said that we shouldn''t let him die? Master will surely blame us for this!"


    Altair, Sirius, and Naru who heard her words immediately averted their face acting like they have nothing to do with this. They decided to abandon Esdeath without a second thought...


    "Don''t you girls dare act like you have nothing to do with this!" Esdeath growled at Altair first: "Altair! Aren''t you the one who broke four of his fingers?!"


    "Sirius! You''re the one who broke his arm!" She pointed at Sirius next.


    "And Naru! Don''t think that I didn''t notice that you just injected a little bit of your poison into him with one of your scales before!" Then, last but not least, Naru.


    Naru only injected a pain-inducing poison and it''s not really life-threatening, to be honest...


    Esdeath is feeling indignant thinking that she''s being left alone with this whole mess... She means, sure she''s the one who did most of the deeds but still...


    There''s no way in hell that she will be the one held responsible for this alone... There''s no way!


    "...What the hell are you doing?" A ticked-off voice can be heard coming from the entrance of their secret hideout...


    All of their body shuddered on the spot when they heard this voice since it clearly belongs to their Master...


    It was at this moment that they knew... They messed up...


    ...


    Soon, the will arrive at the ... And it''s also the day where the will have their biggest change yet... Mainly because most of them won''t exist anymore...

 Chapter 119 - 118

    While Issei is in the middle of informing the Little Demon Empress, he sensed the mark he put in Ye Xinghan''s soul fluctuates. Meaning that something happened to his physical body.


    He put this mark as a precaution and it seems that it had served its purpose sooner than he expected...


    "Your excellency?" The Little Demon Empress called out softly seeing Issei seem a little distracted.


    "*Sigh* It''s nothing... My subordinates just did something stupid." Issei sighed tiredly.


    "Anyway, just use this charm when I give you the signal. It will transfer you to my location directly." Issei told her briefly.


    "I understand." The Little Demon Empress received the charm respectfully.


    And with that said, Issei goes back to the .


    The Little Demon Empress glimmered in a vicious light the moment Issei disappeared... At last... The time for her long-awaited revenge is here...


    ...


    "...What the hell are you doing?" Issei arrived at Esdeath''s group hideout and said in a ticked-off voice.


    He sees Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun being attached to the wall inside their hideout. Seeing their current state, he could already guess why this Ye Xinghan suddenly died...


    Not far away, there''s the true owner of this ''hideout'' of theirs. It''s a profound beast that''s shaped like a white saber tooth tiger but it has a pair of wings on its back.


    It''s acting like a tame housecat right now though... Especially when it saw Issei, it let out a welcoming purring sound just like a real housecat would welcome their master back home... even though this is its home in the first place...


    Anyway, this kind of spoilt trash who born with a silver spoon in his mouth obviously cannot take this much pain being inflicted on him.


    "M-M-Master..." Esdeath let out a stutter while her body is drenched in cold sweat. The same goes for the others...


    "Didn''t I say not to let them die before?" Issei narrowed his eyes at them.


    "W-W-We''re sorry!" The four of them shouted in unison.


    Issei sighed before he steps closer to Ye Xinghan''s body.


    He created a tiny ball of mana and throw it at him...


    In the next second...


    "AAA-------" Ye Xinghan was about to let out an ear screeching shriek but thankfully Issei is prepared for it and instantly put a soundproof barrier on his head.


    The "Mark" Issei put on Ye Xinghan''s body is similar to the mark Duke Ming has. But with something a little extra into it...


    Ye Xinghan''s soul is trapped inside his body so even if he died, his soul won''t be able to pass on...


    It''s like water inside a jar.


    If he by chance "die", Issei just needs to use a tiny bit of his mana to "revive" him. Kind of like a defibrillator works.


    But the pain is extremely unbearable... Forcing a soul inside a damaged body is putting a strain on that said soul. So every time he is "revived" Ye Xinghan''s soul will start to decay again and again until there''s nothing left...


    One might think what Esdeath''s group did was cruel... But they don''t know what Issei did is even worse...


    "Now then... What you girls have to say for yourself?" Issei asked the trembling quartet... but one can see an unhealthy blush appearing on Esdeath''s face when she''s exposed to her beloved master anger...


    ...


    "Don''t go overboard again."


    "Yes, Master..."


    After scolding them for a bit, Issei headed for the girls of the location, leaving the trembling Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun behind with the four grinning demonesses that''s about to vent their anger of being scolded by their Master.


    Although only three of them are truly angry because of it while one of them is not really angry...


    ...


    The moment Issei entered the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, the girls who sensed his presence practically scrambled over to meet him.


    "Elder Ise!" They shouted in glee the moment they saw him.


    "Um." Issei nodded calmly in return.


    It''s been half a day for him but for the girls, it''s been a few months.


    "I see that your strength has risen by a great amount..." Issei said after he inspected their profound realm.


    Most of the girls have officially stepped into the early stage of Tyrant Profound Realm already... While Feng Qianhui, Gong Yuxian, and Chu Yuechan are already in the late stage.


    Xia Qingyue even already surpasses her master, Chu Yueli realm by one level... But there''s only satisfaction that could be found on Chu Yueli''s face when she saw this.


    She''s proud of her beloved disciple''s progress.


    "Yes, Ise. It''s all thanks to you." Feng Qianhui said with a joyful smile.


    "I only help you a little bit. Your current progress is thanks to your own effort."


    It''s kind of true though. If the girls weren''t so diligent then their progress won''t be this fast.


    Now it''s not like Issei denies that he''s involved with their abrupt rise in strength. But no matter how good his assistance was, it won''t matter if the one on the receiving end is not giving their full effort on improving themselves.


    Take a look at that Ye Xinghan, how old was he? Hundreds? Perhaps nearing thousands by now but he only reaches the middle stage of Tyrant profound realm during that whole time... It can be seen that he clearly over-indulge himself in women and wine...


    "Are you going to stay with us, Ise?" Feng Qianhui asked in a hopeful tone.


    Even though it''s only been a few months, they''ve already missed him greatly...


    "No... I''m here to give you some news..." Issei shook his head much to their disappointment but when they heard about the news he brought them, they become taken aback.


    The will be coming to their palace with the intention of destroying it?!


    But after Issei told them about Ye Xinghan''s news, they gritted their teeth in anger. Especially Xia Qingyue... She''s mad not because he''s aiming for her but because that Ye Xinghan just brought trouble for her sect elder and sect members...


    Feng Qianhui then remembered about the prophecy... The calamity that should befall them... could it be...


    "Now, no need to panic since I will be here to protect all of you but... I hope that when the time comes, all of you could handle them with your own strength." Issei said softly but then his voice turns strict at the end.


    The girls had a serious expression on their faces while listening to his words. They don''t want to keep on relying on his kindness and protection all the time... They want to stand on their own and that way they will have the qualification to stand by his side...


    "I will arrange a stage for you... And..." Then Issei proceeded to tell them what he had in mind.


    At the end of his explanation, they give him a resolute nod. They will surely increase their strength even further so they will be prepared for what''s to come...


    Seeing their newfound determined look, Issei nodded in satisfaction to himself... Good... This is what he wanted. For them to stand on their own and not relying on him all the time...


    This way he can leave them without worries when the time comes... Although he enjoyed their company as a friend and teacher, he can''t stay here forever... He needs to go back to his loved ones'' side.


    After exchanging a few more words, Issei leaves the palace and wait for the arrival of the .


    ...


    Three days later, the have finally arrived...


    They now can easily find the location of the because of the colossal hovering above it.


    Issei purposefully stationed the Ark above the palace so they don''t lose their way... He can''t have them running around like a headless chicken trying to find the palace after all. It will be too bothersome...


    Issei raised his eyebrows seeing that there are more ''guests'' than he thought... Well, it doesn''t matter how many of them come. They will make the perfect training dummy for the girls...


    There are around thousands of people who came here as a ''guest''. While half of them only come here to spectate or to be the audience, most of them are with the .


    There''s also the group amongst these ''guests'' with Feng Hengkong and some elderly man in the lead.


    There''s not a hint of surprise that could be found on Issei''s face. He calmly sat on a golden throne right in front of the entrance.


    It sure brings back memories... It''s been a while ever since he sat on a throne like this... But, back then, there''s Forzelotte who sat beside him giving him some pointers...


    The is led by a young man. He is a frail and thin young man who did not look to be more than sixteen years of age...


    The is led by a middle-aged woman. Her figure is exquisitely slender, and she wore a long palace robe that was sparkling with a blue glow. The highest collar of her robe directly reached her hair which was in the shape of a top knot.


    She had the appearance of a middle-aged woman but without the slightest trace of femininity. Instead, each contour contained an extremely solemn dignity and sharpness.


    Her eyes were extremely clear, and her pupils were as profound as the ocean. Within her eyes, there was a trace of emotion trickling around.


    The is led by a middle-aged man. He''s quite tall, wears white clothes and lacked any aura on his body; with an average face with no unique features. He looks around thirty to forty years old but his eyes contained incomprehensible deepness.


    And last but not least, the is led by yet another middle-aged man. He wears simple green robes, his body was lithe and limber, his long black hair bound into a simple ponytail which reaches his waist. His face is thin and sunken, his features were completely ordinary.


    Their respective name should be Huangji Wuyu, Qu Fengyi, Ye Meixie, and Xuanyuan Wentian.


    "You fiend! Give me back my son right now!" Ye Meixie shouted in fury.


    "I heard that you took captive of this old man sect elder... If you give him back safe and sound, I can give you a way out with your life intact. You can forget escaping with the Primordial Profound Ark since we''ve already spread out a profound field that prevents you from escaping. In other words, you''re already trapped with no way out." Xuanyuan Wentian spoke calmly but his eyes are like those of a viper... He''s eyeing the Primordial Profound Ark behind Issei with obvious greed.


    The and the also had a greedy glint in their eyes when they''re looking at him.


    The Profound field he mentioned is a field created by a treasure they both possess. It''s the same treasure that they use to prevent those from the to come here with the spatial gate.


    "Hmm... It took you all longer than I expected... But I don''t remember ''inviting'' the and the though..." Issei pays no heed to their words and calmly spoke while he''s lazily seated on his throne.


    He even took out a smoking pipe made out of special gold ore while he''s speaking...


    This is not the first time for him to smoke... The content is not something like narcotics either and it''s a special Yggdrasil leaf that allows someone to relax without any side effects.


    This pipe is a gift from Nobunaga''s second persona. He said he got this pipe during his travel of conquest from another world... Since Issei doesn''t see any reason to refuse, he accepts it.


    The bystanders who are watching by the side felt amazed by this sight... Doesn''t he feel nervous at all being surrounded by these four behemoths of a faction from all sides? Can you stop acting cool for a second? They thought mockingly inside their mind...


    "This one indeed doesn''t have anything to do with the whole incident and this one came here on his personal accord. I heard from one of my elders that your excellency is very strong. So I wanted to ask for some pointers from your excellency..." Huangji Wuyu spoke politely but Issei can see through his real intention clearly.


    Spiritual Master Ancient Blue who''s next to him sighed bitterly. Although he doesn''t really have any greedy intention at first... taking the growth of the into account... He finally relented...


    Alas... He just hopes that there won''t be any blood spilled today... Although that''s very unlikely considering the grievance between the three has with each other...


    There''s no way the and the will let it go just like that.


    "This sovereign wanted to ask if your excellency could sell the to me. The will gladly take care of the Ark from your excellency hand for a reasonable price." Qu Fengyi spoke next.


    Her voice was just like that of a middle-aged woman''s, very gentle, but each word was like a heaven shaking bell, majestic and full of power.


    Reasonable price? This is clearly empty words... No matter how rich she is, it''s obvious that her wealth won''t be able to afford the ...


    The is a merchant guild that sells anything one could imagine. It is reputed to be the biggest merchant guild chain in the Profound Sky Continent. The headquarters is located in the Divine Phoenix Empire. Its branch guilds have reached every country and major city. The guild had a tremendous reputation for being stringent but fair in transactions and would never be biased against any one side.


    The guild usually only deal in merchandise with a high grade and never goods of low quality. The guild sells a dazzling assortment of merchandise; medicinal ingredients, pellets, weapons, armors, gems, low-rank profound beast cores, and even low-rank profound skills. Its wealth is so immense that it is estimated to be higher than the combined wealth of all the nations besides the Divine Phoenix Empire.


    Even though the guild is very wealthy, the bystanders are completely sure that they won''t be able to afford the Primordial Profound Ark if it''s really up for sale... It''s not some random Profound Ark but it''s an Ark that has been around for millions of years...


    Qu Fengyi''s husband who goes by the name Zi Ji is the guild master of the Black Moon Merchant Guild...


    If her husband were to know of her intention. He would''ve stopped at nothing to stop her because Issei is one of his most respected customers... Well, it''s not really Issei but rather his subordinates, Altair instead.


    Altair often traded some things that Issei deem unnecessary for some profound coins. Such as Tyrant Profound Weapon and the like... It would be too bothersome if Issei were to trade things with the Divine purple crystal all the time so he needed some profound coins.


    And the guild happens to be the biggest shop there is so it''s perfect to trade things there. Zi Ji himself doesn''t dare to have any intention on Altair since she''s not only at the peak level monarch, but her friends(Esdeath and Sirius) that often came with her were also at the same level.


    A peak level monarchs can be considered the Apex powerhouse in the so it would be unwise of him to try his luck with Altair''s party. Not even the are willing to offend some random monarch they don''t know anything about... especially when they regularly brings priceless treasures for sale. Unless they have a grievance with them then there''s absolutely no reason for them to go on each other''s throat... but alas...


    Although he''s very curious just how did they possess so many treasures, he won''t try to send someone to investigate it... What a joke, he needs to at least send someone at the peak level monarch to spy on another peak level monarch.


    Even though his guild is very rich, they don''t have a peak level monarch laying around like some cabbages...


    Sadly, Zi Ji doesn''t know anything about Issei and this will be the downfall of his guild and also his wife sect...


    "What if I refuse?" Issei asked them once again.


    "Then... I can only apologize in advance but you are not allowed to refuse, your excellency." Huangji Wuyu said with a smile. Even though he called Issei with ''your excellency'' it only serves as lip service.


    "The same goes for this sovereign side." Qu Fengyi followed right after.


    "So even if I let you leave now, you won''t leave, right?"


    "That is so, your excellency/Indeed." Both of them answered with a slight chuckle thinking how ludicrous Issei were.


    "Hmm... so be it then. If you want to stay, then stay." Issei hummed disinterestedly before he snapped his finger.


    *WOOSH*


    Both Ye Xinghan and Ling Kun appeared not far away from his location. They''re floating in the air...


    "Xinghan!/Elder Ling!" Both Ye Meixie and Xuanyuan Wentian shouted.


    But Ye Meixie shout is more genuine while Xuanyuan Wentian is only a fake worry.


    He doesn''t really care about Ling Kun, to be honest. He only wanted to extract the secrets Issei possess for being able to gain control of the .


    Ye Xinghan who heard his father''s voice has his body jerked slightly: "Fat...her...?" His voice is so hoarse that it''s barely discernable...


    His eyes are so lifeless that one will doubt if he''s really alive or not... While Ling Kun is already unresponsive towards everything around him.


    There''s really nothing wrong with their appearance... Issei put on an illusion for them so they will only see that they look perfectly fine... but in reality...


    The only thing that left intact is their head...


    "Don''t worry, son! Father will help you right now!" Ye Meixie dashed instantly towards Ye Xinghan''s direction only to be blocked by Naru who appeared out of thin air in the process.


    She only stands in front of his path and doesn''t have any intention of doing anything...


    "You! Move aside for this old man!" Ye Meixie gritted his teeth before he waved his hand with the intention to kill. He used his a large amount of his strength trying to get Naru to get out of his way so he can rescue his son...


    He was so sure that she will surely be forced to evade this attack of his. He has heard some news about this woman but she should be at the peak monarch level just like him so there''s really nothing to worry about... He also still has his backup.


    Naru who saw the incoming attack only grinned slightly... What happens next makes Ye Meixie''s expression turns pale white...


    Naru disappeared from her previous spot and what replaced her previous position is his son.


    "NOOOOOOO!!!" Ye Meixie shouted in horror seeing that his attack was about to land on his son instead of his enemy...


    But alas... No matter how hard he tries, he won''t be able to retract it back...


    *BANG!!!*


    Ye Xinghan''s body exploded into pieces the moment they came into contact with his attack... just like a popped balloon...


    "YOU... YOU BASTARDDD!!! I WANT YOU DEAD!!!" Ye Meixie''s whole eyes turned bloodshot and filled with wrathful vengeance.


    The others who saw this also frowned deeply since what they did is really merciless... To think that they would use the "kill with borrowed knife" tactic here out of all places...


    What an inhuman way to kill somebody especially since the other party is father and son...


    Ye Meixie who''s filled with anger disregards everything and was about to head towards Issei and Naru direction right away but Xuanyuan Wentian interferes in time.


    "Brother Ye, wait!"


    "You let go of me! I want them dead! Everyone kill them for me!" Ye Meixie ignored Xuanyuan Wentian''s words and shouted at his subordinates who are situated behind.


    "Listen to me! Don''t get your anger take over and think more clearly!" Xuanyuan Wentian forcibly holds him down.


    It''s not like Xuanyuan Wentian cares about Ye Meixie well being or whatever. But he can''t lose his "friend" just like this... He can tell that Naru is at the peak level monarch but he can''t sense Issei cultivation at all... And that makes him feel uneasy.


    He can''t afford to have his "friend" to go ballistic like this. They need to observe the situation more carefully... For some reason, after seeing Issei''s nonchalant act even though he basically has been surrounded from all sides, he started to feel really nervous...


    Just what kind of secret is he hiding? Even though he feels nervous, he felt even more joyful at the thought of Issei possessing some kind of heaven-defying secret that would let him achieve his dreams...


    Ye Meixie who heard Xuanyuan Wentian words calmed down a little even though his eyes are still bloodshot while looking at both Issei and Naru.


    "Take a look at that woman''s eyes... Those eyes are clearly not the eyes of a human. They might be demons that came from the !" Xuanyuan Wentian said in a dire voice while pointing out Naru''s slitted eyes.


    What?!!


    Xuanyuan Wentian''s words exploded like a thunderclap in everyone''s present ears.


    Their faces went pale with shock. Even the other three Sacred Masters, Huangji Wuyu, Qu Fengyi, and Ye Meixie reacted the same way.


    "Sword Master Xuanyuan, this is no laughing matter. Are you sure about this?" Huangji Wuyu said in a grave voice, his expression completely changed.


    Qu Fengyi''s expression had also become grim as she spoke: "It highly possible considering the aura this woman possesses... It''s not your normal profound energy and there''s also her eyes... That pair of eyes clearly doesn''t belong to a human."


    If the three other Sacred Masters had reacted in this way, one could well imagine how everyone else had reacted to that proclamation.


    Feng Hengkong''s group expression changed yet again and there were no words that could describe the shock in their heart.


    "Then how about you, ?" Issei dismissed their whole ''drama'' and suddenly asked the Divine Phoenix Empire.


    "What about us?" Feng Hengkong asked haughtily. Even though inside he feels restless, he can''t lose his bearings in front of the sacred grounds: "You clearly stole the from us and you also dare to run amock in our city. There''s no way we can let it be just like that."


    "...Taking Feng Xue''er into account. I will allow you to leave right now or stand to the side... If not... Don''t blame me for being ruthless." Issei spoke calmly while he exhaled through the pipe.


    The Divine Phoenix Empire group shuddered for a brief second when they heard his words for some unknown reason. They become very restless...


    It''s like their Phoenix bloodline is warning them right now... But they decided to just wave it off...


    "Hmph! You demon! Who allows you to mention Xue''er name? Is her name something your foul mouth allowed to say! Who do you think you are?!" Feng Ximing shouted in rage.


    Issei''s hand which was holding the pipe stopped for a second before it moved towards Feng Ximing''s direction... And when he''s about to do something, all of them heard a desperate voice out of nowhere.


    "Grandmaster! Please don''t!" Feng Xue''er suddenly appeared right next to Issei while begging him to stop.


    She held Issei''s extended hand with both of her hands with pleading eyes.


    "Xue''er!?" Feng Hengkong''s group shouted in disbelief seeing Feng Xue''er suddenly appeared right next to Issei.


    "Grandmaster, please don''t punish Xue''er royal brother, he doesn''t know anything!" Feng Xue''er ignored their shout and continues her plea.


    "Release her! She''s not someone your filthy ha-" Feng Ximing once again shouted in a fit of jealousy. How can he not be envious? When his beloved Xue''er touched another man like that?!


    Even he is only allowed to saw her from the distance after all this time...


    "Royal brother please be quiet!" Feng Xue''er for the first time shouted in anger.


    "X-Xue''er?" Feng Ximing said in shock. Even Feng Hengkong and the others are also shocked by her shout.


    This is the first time for her to shout in this fashion...


    "Xue''er, what''s wrong? Why did you... why did you call her Grandmaster?" Feng Hengkong asked in trepidation.


    Before coming here, she already warned her not to offend this person... but he pays no heed to it thinking that his daughter is still too young... but now... he started to feel ominous feeling rising from his bloodline...


    This is the first time he ever saw his daughter being so desperate like this... she''s practically begging with all she has right now...


    "It looks like these two demons have taken captive of Princess Snow... To think that they would go as far as to take captive of a junior such as Princess Snow like this... Aiii... Truly an act befitting of those demons from that forsaken place." Xuanyuan Wentian said with a sigh trying to get the masses to rile up against Issei and Naru.


    The way he twists the truth to his liking is truly a top tier skill that only belongs to someone as ''experienced'' as him...


    The onlookers'' also started becoming restless at the whole situation... but once again, Issei doesn''t even spare the ''drama'' they''re currently enacting a single glance.


    "*Sigh*... Xue''er... You yourself have already seen that I already tried giving them a chance..." Issei said with a sigh.


    "Xue''er understands but... please, Grandmaster... Give them another chance. Xue''er begs you!" Feng Xue''er said with teary eyes.


    "Xue''er. Remember what you promised Master." Xiaotao appeared right behind Issei.


    Her words are calm and soft yet sounded strict at the same time.


    "You yourself promised Master and Grandmaster that after giving them another chance. We won''t interfere with Grandmaster''s decision any longer." Xiaotao reminded Xue''er.


    "But... but... they clearly don''t know about your identity Master... Xue''er is certain that if royal father and the others were to know of your identity at the very least... they won''t do anything reckless any more..." Xue''er was pleaded in a desperate manner.


    "Master doesn''t care about their fate. Your Grandmaster''s words are absolute and far more important than their lives... If your Grandmaster wanted to kill them then Master won''t disobey his command and Master would personally kill them all if I had to!" Xiaotao''s voice turned a bit colder at the end.


    Her whole aura soared through the sky and there''s a faint phoenix outline that could be seen behind her. At this moment, two long and narrow golden streaks of light suddenly appeared in the distant blue skies. Soon after, like a pair of slightly closed eyes, these two long golden streaks of light slowly opened¡­ Two incomparably huge golden eyes, which looked as though they were embedded onto the sky, opened.


    Phoenix eyes!!!


    Xiaotao doesn''t have any attachment at all towards the as a whole. Perhaps if it was the other Phoenix then she would probably hesitate but not her...


    She''s her Master loyal servant. No more no less.


    "Heh, who would expect that you have it in you. I thought that you are another softie just like the original Phoenix... But it looks like Master influences made you become better." Lieyan voice resounded beside Xiaotao.


    The onlookers become further amazed by the sight of two new additional goddess-like women appearing on Issei''s side.


    But those from the had their whole body trembled all over when they saw Xiaotao and the phoenix outline behind her...


    "This¡­ This voice and aura is¡­ is¡­" Feng Hengkong said in a trembling voice.


    He won''t be mistaken of this voice and aura that solely belongs to his sect God... Even though she''s currently in her human form, these main two things cannot be imitated. Especially when their entire bloodline reacting like this!


    "Lord¡­"


    "Lord Phoenix God!!!"


    Even prince and elder class people within Divine Phoenix Sect would rarely hear its voice or see its true appearance. There were even some who had never seen it in their entire lives.


    But once they have heard and sensed her presence once, they won''t be able to forget it!


    All of them hastily kneeled on the floor towards Xiaotao''s direction.


    As for Feng Hengkong, his shock was far greater. Because he was one of the few who knew that the Divine Phoenix had passed away, and had personally seen the Divine Phoenix fade away. Seeing those golden pupils, that voice and aura caused him to take a long time to recover back from his shock. He simply couldn''t believe his eyes. He finally regained his senses after a long while and slowly kneeled.


    "This subject pays his respect to Lord Phoenix God!!!" Feng Hengkong shouted at the top of his lungs.


    Everyone present no matter whether they''re from the sacred grounds or just random nomad cultivators are dumbstruck... What?! That woman is the Phoenix God!?


    Heavens!!! What the hell is going on?! Why would the Phoenix God suddenly appear here out of all places?!


    Even Xuanyuan Wentian''s whole body becomes tense. Didn''t his source said that the Phoenix God already died?! Then how come... Ah, that''s probably it... This whole thing is probably just an act...


    When he realizes this, Xuanyuan Wentian secretly heaved a sigh of relief... Yes, it''s most likely just an act... There''s no way the Phoenix God will appear here... It must be...


    But just to be safe, he sends a voice transmission towards Ye Meixie who''s at his side...


    Ye Meixie who received Xuanyuan Wentian''s voice transmission at first felt surprised, but soon he gives a faint nod at his direction.


    "Don''t be alarmed everyone! There''s no way that woman is the real Phoenix God!" Ye Meixie said out loud.


    "Think about it... Why would the Phoenix God will suddenly appear here out of nowhere? And it''s well known that the Phoenix God can only reside within the Divine Phoenix Empire holy ground. There''s no way this woman is the real Phoenix God! Don''t be fooled by these demons whole facade!"


    Huangji Wuyu and Qu Fengyi who heard his words also nodded to themselves thinking that Ye Meixie''s words are indeed sound reasonable... They also started to calm themselves down when they thought about it more clearly...


    "So it''s just an act? A fake?"


    "It must be. There''s no way the Phoenix God would appear here..."


    "Bah! This young master almost got fooled by these demons!"


    One by one the crowd started to calm down as well...


    "So, what do you have to say for yourself, demon? Your whole act have been discovered! There''s nowhere else for you to run!" Ye Meixie shouted with gritted teeth.


    But all they receive is just a bland look from Xiaotao and Lieyan. Did these bunch of idiots really thinks that they have the upper hand...?


    Issei once again exhaled through his pipe feeling really bored with these whole farce... He really wanted to just erase them all right at this moment but thinking about what he planned for the girls, he holds it in...


    There''s no need to feel angry over a dead person.


    Why do they even need to set up this whole act of who''s right and wrong? Is there any need to do all this? If you want to kill someone then just kill them. There''s no need to make yourselves look right or anything like that... what a waste of time...


    While the masses started to get riled up over Xuanyuan Wentian and Ye Meixie act. Those from the Divine Phoenix Empire thought otherwise inside their minds...


    These bunch of idiots... They might think that this whole thing is just an act or some sort of illusion but there''s no way they can be fooled over something like this! Their phoenix bloodline basically trembled all over telling them that this woman is indeed the Phoenix God herself!


    Anything can be fooled or misdirected but not bloodlines! Now he understands why his daughter was being so desperate and repeatedly told him not to offend this man before them.


    To think that even the Phoenix God herself treated him with such respect... then what is his real identity?! He started to pray furiously hoping for his sect wellbeing... if not then... they can only leave it to fate!


    "Why are you being silent, demon!?"


    "Are you done?"


    Ye Meixie becomes increasingly angrier seeing that his provocation doesn''t have any effect on them so he shouted once again. And his time his provocation won''t be ignored just like he wished for... but... it will also be the last time he will ever speak.


    "What?" He let out a confused voice after hearing Issei''s sudden question.


    "If you''re done then you can die and join your son... Xiaotao."


    "Yes, Master."


    The enormous golden pupils of the Phoenix outline behind her suddenly flickered as a scarlet red Phoenix Fire Ring instantly descended from the sky, encircling Ye Meixie. The Phoenix Fire Ring immediately combusted violently, firmly locking Ye Meixie within.


    These were Phoenix flames that came from the Divine Phoenix, its frightfulness and temperature caused those few from the Sacred Grounds to turn pale with horror.


    Xuanyuan Wentian, Huangji Wuyu, and Qu Fengyi who are at close proximity of Ye Meixie location all retreated at the same time, covering more than one hundred meters of distance while their face turned pale in fright.


    As for the Ye Meixie who was surrounded by Phoenix flames, though he had not been touched, it was still as though he had fallen into a lava hell as the clothes on his body instantly ignited. Deep terror was revealed on his face. He had no doubt that once those Phoenix flames approached, he would turn into ashes in a mere breath.


    In the face of the threat of death, Ye Meixie finally began to fear. He pressed the ignited Phoenix flames on his body down in a fl.u.s.ter but no matter how hard he tries, the Phoenix flames that''s released by Xiaotao won''t disappear.


    There''s no way a mortal like Ye Meixie able to erase this divine flame... unless he has reached the Divine realm then he won''t be able to do anything about it other than facing his impending death.


    "Venerable Phoenix God, please calm your anger! This junior knows his wrong! Please spare me!!!" Seeing that all his effort went in vain. Ye Meixie finally starts to beg for his life.


    "See that, Xue''er? That''s human nature at its finest... When they have the upper hand they will keep acting like they''re in the right. But when they''re on the losing side, they will immediately beg for mercy. Don''t be like this kind of human, understand?" Xiaotao said advisingly towards Feng Xue''er who nodded obediently.


    "That looks like fun. Here, let me increase the heat for you." Lieyan said with a smirk.


    And just like how there''s a Phoenix outline above Xiaotao, there''s a Golden Crow outline coming from her back.


    A pair of scarlet-gold eyes suddenly opened up in the sky and shed down a fire-like burning brightness. Under the illumination of the pair of eyes, all of them held their breath, as if the space was sealed, and they did not dare to move at all. Then there''s a golden-red flame descending in the same fashion as the Phoenix flame just now.


    Those flames immediately descend upon the unfortunate Ye Meixie and this time he doesn''t even have the time to scream but his whole body started to melt from the inside out...


    The combination of the two flames coming from two divine beings struck terror on every onlookers'' heart, including Xuanyuan Wentian and the others...


    "...The... The Golden Crow..." Xuanyuan Wentian muttered incredulously. His trembling voice is laced with fear...


    Holy shit!!! Did their whole lies turn out to be the truth all along?! They were framing Issei and Naru that they came from the but now... Not only the Phoenix God is here but the Golden Crow who supposedly the guardian of that place is also here!


    To think the lies that they fabricated truly became the truth... Talk about bad luck and shitty karma giving them a punch in the gut at the same time!


    In mere seconds, there''s nothing left of Ye Meixie... Not even his ashes are left behind...


    The sect leader of one of the , a peak level monarch, died just like that!


    Those from the had their faces went pale white like a sheet of paper... Their body won''t stop trembling at all... Some even pass out on the spot.


    Ended! Their whole legacy will end on this very day!


    "R-Retreat!" Xuanyuan Wentian said in a decisive tone followed by Huangji Wuyu and Qu Fengyi.


    They can''t stay here! Or they will share the same fate as Ye Meixie.


    Those from the and the also snapped out of their daze and hastily retreat backward after hearing their respective leader voice.


    The onlookers'' who spoke some rude words also immediately dashed off to the distance and even started blaming their parents for not giving them another set of legs so they can run away even faster from this godforsaken place!


    While some still choose to stay to watch the ongoing show. But they''re mostly those that stayed neutral the whole time, or in other words, your typical innocent bystanders.


    Fortunately for them, they can escape since Issei never aimed for them in the first place... But as for those from the sacred grounds... they are not so fortunate...


    "Wh-What is this?!"


    One of them shouted in shock.


    "I-It''s some kind of... wall?!"


    "Out of my way!" Xuanyuan Wentian shoved them aside and took out his sword and slashed with everything he had only to hear a blunt sound coming from the wall. But there''s nothing happened other than that blunt sound... If anything, his sword is the one that is broken in half!


    And this sight made his whole body turn rigid with terror. This sword of his is not a normal sword but rather a Xuanyuan Sword that his sect personally inherited from generation to generation.


    To say that this sword is basically a divine artifact is not really wrong. At least in the lower realm, this sword is undoubtedly a priceless artifact.


    And to think that this sword broke in half just from a single contact with this ''wall''...


    Huangji Wuyu and Qu Fengyi also tried to attack the wall but it''s all for naught...


    Their whole body started to sweat profusely seeing their path of retreats have been sealed.


    "Right... Use the teleportation scroll!" Xuanyuan Wentian remembered about the teleportation scroll they carry for emergency escape.


    They instantly took out their respective scroll and used it without hesitation. But nothing happened yet again... Their scrolls are burned signaling their usage, but they''re still here!


    "What''s wrong? Now you want to leave?" Issei''s bored voice resounded across the snowy field. The constant snowfall that always befalls the surrounding area of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace also died down at this moment as if they intentionally stopped just to make sure that his voice can be heard clearly.


    "I have already given you a chance to leave before but you don''t want to take it. You only have yourselves to blame for that... Oh, and I can only apologize in advance but you are not allowed to leave, ''your excellencies''." He exhaled through his pipe while conveying the same word that they just used just now to mock them.


    Their whole body becomes icy cold and their nerves went tight the moment they heard his voice.


    "Y-Your Lordship, we know our wrong! If you can give us a chance, we will surely repay your kindness with everything we have!"


    "This lowly one knows his mistake and this one begs for his lordship kindness! We will forever be grateful!"


    "This slave..."


    Seeing that there''s no other way out, they started begging one by one. Starting from Xuanyuan Wentian, followed by Huangji Wuyu and Qu Fengyi. They started begging like a dog wagging their tails towards their master...


    Xuanyuan Wentian completely understood that the sense of danger he detected from this man was not his imagination! He can only blame himself since he keeps dismissing his intuition thinking that he has the upper hand with the other sacred grounds here with him...


    The image of Ye Meixie''s death caused this invincible Sword Region Sword Master to clearly feel an icy cold sense of fear.


    Their followers are also begging while kowtowing on the spot discarding their dignity to the wind without a second thought. There''s nothing "sacred" about them anymore when the bystanders saw this scene... then again, they can''t really blame them either when their foes are literal Divine Beings...


    Before Xiaotao and Lieyan showed their true identity, they thought that Issei was just acting tough... but now...


    This man clad in black was far scarier than the Primordial Devil God told in legends and he still hasn''t done anything yet! The sight of him sitting at that throne alone is enough to instill fear and awe. What if he were to personally make a move? The thought alone sends shiver along their spines...


    Even they would do the same if they were in the same position as these sacred grounds!


    Issei doesn''t react to their begging in the slightest and continues to look down on them like he''s looking at a bunch of ants that are not worthy of his attention...


    His hegemony aura is fully displayed in the open. This is the first time he acts like the true ruler in this world... and it won''t be the last...


    "Your majesty! We admit that we have wrongly accused you! But surely there''s no need to go to this extent, right? Like a wise man once said... When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard." Xuanyuan Wentian said with a sweat.


    (AN: Sometimes soldiers would rather make a last stand when they have no way to flee, thus causing casualties to the enemy idiom).


    Thankfully he got some news about the ... About their sect best disciple which was named Xia Qingyue... He secretly sent his subordinates to ''watch over'' her family member...


    Looks like it was the right decision back then... There''s still some hope left.


    "Wise words indeed... But sadly I don''t share the same view as yours... I''m more of a believer in an ''eye for an eye'' saying... and also... Know thy self, know thy enemy." Issei said while waving his hand.


    *Thud* *Thud*


    There are two corpses that fall from the empty air right in front of Xuanyuan Wentian. And when he saw it, his eyes widen in horror... That''s because these two corpses are the ones that he sent to ''watch over'' Xia Qingyue''s father and brother!


    His body began to shake uncontrollably... Issei basically read him like an open book! His backup plan has gone to waste just like that!


    "And you have not wrongly accused me you know? I''m indeed not a human and I have some relationship with the as well..." Once he said that Issei slowly took off his mask...


    Everyone''s present becomes further stupefied seeing that under that mask, there''s an otherworldly face that shouldn''t belong in this mortal realm...


    But what alarm Xuanyuan Wentian the most is the eyes that Issei possesses. Those slitted glowing red eyes that look similar to that woman is clearly not an eye that belongs to a human! It''s like a snake... nay, a Dragon eyes! Being gazed by those eyes made his body shiver crazily like he''s standing in front of Death itself!


    Even with this revelation, his charm still manages to swoon the female onlookers'' instantly and also exposed some hidden "Ji Qianrou" squad among the crowd aka an anomaly just like the latter...


    "...There''s going to be more bees that will swarm towards him now... So annoying!" Jasmine who saw the lovestruck look on these women''s faces said with a pout from inside the pearl. But her own face is also reddened on its own... the same goes for Xun''er albeit she can hide it better compared to her daughter who''s still wet behind the ears on this kind of stuff.


    This is the first time for them to see the kingly side of him...


    "You also seem to be mistaken about something from the start... I''m not the one who''s trapped in here with you... But you''re the one who''s trapped in here with me."


    In the next moment, the Little Demon Empress also appeared along with her entourages not far away from Issei''s location.


    Among them is Yun Qinghong and Yun Canghai himself! When they saw Xuanyuan Wentian and the other sacred grounds, their whole being is filled with bloodthirsty rage...


    "I believe this thing belongs to you, Yun Canghai..." Issei sent Ling Kun towards the newly arrived Yun Canghai who had his eyes shone brightly the moment he saw the incoming Ling Kun.


    He grabbed Ling Kun by the head and gave the latter a fiendish grin... His expression clearly expressed that he couldn''t wait to tear this dog into shreds!


    "This one is eternally grateful for your excellency kindness!" Yun Canghai and Yun Canghai cupped their fist gratefully at Issei. They don''t need to say anything else and if Issei wanted them to do anything, all he needs to do is just give them the word and the whole Yun family will surely obey it.


    If he told them to go east then they will go east, if he told them to go west then they will go west. They won''t go in the opposite direction.


    Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius also appeared one by one making a straight line with him at the center. One of Zi Ji spy who saw them had his eyes wide open and he tremblingly sends a voice transmission towards his boss...


    And if that''s not enough, a swarm of profound beasts also started appearing outside the ''wall'' and also from within the Primordial Profound Ark itself.


    *WOOOOO!!!* *ROAARRRR!!!* *SCREEECHHH!!!*


    Their roar filled the sky which made the stupefied onlookers hastily snapped out of their daze. And when they''re about to run thinking that this is a profound beast stampede, they saw that those profound beasts ignored them and had their eyes locked onto the sacred grounds group instead...


    Last but not least, the barrier surrounding the also disappears at this time... The girls from the palace immediately positioned themselves in front of Issei while their eyes are viciously locked onto the sacred grounds group.


    Xia Qingyue being the most furious since she knows of Xuanyuan Wentian''s little plan from Issei before... Thankfully Issei is prepared for this outcome so they can avoid the worst scenario from happening...


    If she''s the cause of her sect downfall, she won''t be able to live with herself when that moment truly comes.


    "Just in time..." Issei said softly with a thin smile.


    "Now that all of the participants are here... Let''s begin the ''tournament'' shall we? The ''tournament'' that will decide your fate..." Issei said coldly towards Xuanyuan Wentian and the others: "The rule is simple... if you win then you can keep your life... but if not... well, you die... Simple, right?"


    The countdown for the annihilation of the starts now.


    The legs of the almighty leaders of the sacred grounds who feared nothing were currently shivering like sieves that could collapse at any moment. Under the sheer terror of this lineup, their face was simply whiter than any ghost of legend...


    Issei has the girls to fight those from the sacred grounds to increase their combat prowess... Since most of them have reached the peak level tyrant or early-stage monarch, it will be the perfect time to increase their combat prowess.


    Feng Qianhui, Gong Yuxian, Xia Qingyue, and the seven fairies had the highest cultivation realm amongst the other palace disciple. They are around 5th level Sovereign to 8th level Sovereign profound realm.


    The sacred grounds disciple are also around at the same level so they will make the perfect training dummy...


    Feng Xue''er is also included in this little ''tournament''.


    The Divine Phoenix Empire is acting like a docile dog right now... there''s not a single sound coming from their direction at all while the ''tournament'' is still ongoing...


    One by one those from the sacred grounds is being massacred... There''s nothing they can do... If they refuse to fight, they will instantly be sent towards the swarm of profound beasts that are currently eyeing them like some sort of delicacy... literally!


    And when they thought they have a chance of fighting these girls, they realize that they''re anything but simple! They''re using some sort of unknown profound art and their actual strength is nowhere near their actual cultivation realm! Their movement is completely unpredictable! It''s like they''re fighting with someone while wearing a blindfold...


    Given the fame and prestige the Four Great Sacred Grounds had in the Profound Sky Continent, even though a sect master of the strongest powers within the Seven Nations would dare to kill the emperor of one of these nations, they would definitely not have the guts to kill even the lowliest disciple from any of the Four Great Sacred Grounds.


    Even if it was the Four Great Sacred Grounds themselves, they would still heavily weigh the pros and cons before deciding to kill even an ordinary disciple from another Sacred Ground. So, they would definitely never consider killing someone who was at the level of an elder¡­ Moreover, the elders of the Sacred Grounds were not people that were so easily killed. If it ever truly occurred, it would definitely provoke the wrath of that entire Sacred Ground.


    However, in the blink of an eye, one of the leaders of the four great sacred grounds already met his end and soon the rest will follow the same fate... just because they have offended someone they shouldn''t offend in the first place...


    They were the highly prestigious sacred grounds... But now they''re nothing but a chicken ready to be slaughtered...


    Xuanyuan Wentian, Huangji Wuyu, and Qu Fengyi can only look on helplessly as their sect disciples being killed one by one... They''re being forced to watch all of their legacy being burned down to ashes...


    Each disciple and elder that falls before their eyes is the sign of their sect downfall... With so many of them being killed here... even if they somehow manage to live today, it won''t be long before they lose their standing as the sacred grounds...


    Even until now they still could not feel a hint of profound energy emanating from Issei''s body and he had made no move to suppress or seal their profound energy. But just from his gaze alone, they felt their bodies go weak and limp, felt their soul tremble and quake. They nearly could not find the strength to even stand.


    "Please wait, your excellency!" At this time, there''s another desperate voice coming from outside the invisible wall Issei erected.


    All of the onlookers'' eyes homing in towards the voice owner while thinking just who dare to voice out some word like this... Even the surrounding profound beasts also growled at this person.


    There stood a medium statured old man dressed entirely in purple who was currently panting and sweating in cold sweat. The pressure he''s currently in is very unbearable but for his wife wellbeing... he cannot back down now.


    "Hm?" Issei confusedly looked at this newcomer.


    "Oh? Isn''t that the salesman?" Altair spoke softly.


    "You know him, Altair?"


    "Yes, Master... He''s the shop owner where we often sell things you don''t need. I believe his shop is called the ." She answered respectfully.


    "Ho? Isn''t that shop is the one this woman mentioned?" Issei said while looking at the shivering Qu Fengyi.


    "I believe so, Master."


    "...Come forward." Issei waved his hand to open a small hole for the newcomer to come through.


    "Many thanks, your excellency." The newcomer cupped his fist while gulping audibly. He walked forward just like he''s told to do...


    "What''s your business here?" Issei asked.


    "This old man is surnamed Zi, and simply named Ji." The old man answered with trepidation: "Your honor companions should know about this old man before and..."


    "Get to the point." Issei said impatiently.


    Zi Ji moved his body and pleaded with a lowly stance, "This old one himself knows¡­ that the Ocean Palace and Sanctuary have offended your excellency repeatedly just now... but¡­ we already know our mistakes. Your excellency must also know that our hearts are not as hideous as Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. May¡­ may Palace Master Yun please be benevolent and gracious¡­"


    His voice sounded shaky but he still manages to convey what he wanted to say... he''s begging for Issei to be merciful...


    "Not as hideous?" Issei said while inhaling through his pipe.


    "To me, all of you are all the same... You might think yourself look righteous and all that but in my eyes, you''re nothing than a bunch of hypocrites. If it wasn''t me being stronger than all of you then my and my companion''s fate should be obvious to all... Perhaps when they had their way with us, there won''t even be any bones left. We will be stripped clean just like a piece of meat..." Issei said coldly.


    "The hideous side they all had when they all tried to force me for their personal greed back then, I still remember them clearly. But you are asking me to spare them all now? Do you think that I''m deaf and stupid that couldn''t discern between what''s righteous and what''s not? After all that, you still dare to prattle what''s righteous in front of me? Do you really believe that I won''t kill you right where you stand right this instant?" Issei''s eyes glowed even more fiercely.


    "..." Zi Ji''s face contorted in shame when he heard Issei''s words. However, all those who were present were the core figures of the Ocean Palace. If they were all to die, it would not just be their lives that were lost but the ten thousand year history of the Ocean Palace. He could only continue pleading pathetically, "Your excellency, between your companion and me, there is some slight relationship, could you see¡­"


    "Relationship?!" Altair''s expression fell and she retorted with anger, "Since when we have some slight relationship? All we have was an equal trade without any pretense! The extent of our relationship was between a seller and a buyer, no more no less! Don''t think that just because you give us some benefits we suddenly establish some kind of nonexistent relationship you just mentioned!"


    "..." Zi Ji opened his mouth but was completely dumbstruck. He thought that he indeed has some sort of relationship with each other given how many benefits/bonuses he gifted to them... but it seems that it''s just a one-sided wish from his side...


    The pressure he''s currently in just increased by tenfold... However, in order to protect Supreme Ocean Palace and his wife''s life, he had to do whatever it took and could not back down.


    "As long¡­ as long as your excellency can grant us some benevolence... my Supreme Ocean Palace and Black Moon Merchant Guild¡­ is willing to be at the beck and call of your excellency just like a dog would... We would never disobey any orders given by your excellency."


    Zi Ji''s words made the experts of Supreme Ocean Palace behind him look up suddenly, but their heads gradually tilted downward again. Actually, considering Issei''s current strength and the army behind him, he couldn''t possibly need them for anything...


    "And if... if it''s still not possible... at least please spare my wife''s life..." Zi Ji said pleadingly.


    "Your wife?" Issei said with raised eyebrows. Then he looks towards Qu Fengyi once again: "That woman is your wife?"


    "Yes... Qu Fengyi is indeed this old man''s wife..." Zi Ji nodded profusely.


    Issei''s eyes narrowed slightly: "If I were to spare, what would you give me in exchange?"


    Zi Ji immediately raises his head and looks at Issei straight in the eyes.


    His voice quivered violently as he spoke: "Life¡­ My life! As long as you are willing to save her, no matter what¡­ The life of this old man Zi Ji¡­ Everything that I have¡­ I will agree to any request you make¡­ Beg¡­ I beg your excellency mercy and show me great favor and kindness. If I, Zi Ji, am unable to repay this debt in this life, I am willing to use the entirety of my next life to repay this debt of gratitude¡­ I beg your excellency to show grace and spare her¡­"


    The expression of Qu Fengyi who was at the side had her body shake greatly as two lines of tears slowly flowed from the corners of her eyes.


    "Oh? Even if I were to claim your soul right here right now... You''re saying that you''re willing to trade place with her?" Issei said while there''s a bunch of skeletal hands emerging from below Zi Ji''s body and started to encircle his whole body...


    Zi Ji''s who''s currently being encircled by these skeletal hands shuddered fiercely while his soul is faced with immense pain that made him unable to breathe properly... His whole face turned ghastly white as if he''s about to pass out in the next second.


    But he still grits his teeth and forced a firm sound of: "Yes... I''m Willing!"


    "No, don''t!" Qu Fengyi scrambled over to Zi Ji''s side disregarding her own safety.


    "Just take me! Don''t take his life! He got nothing to do with all this!" Qu Fengyi said while sobbing softly.


    "Yi''er... stand... stand aside..." Zi Ji said in between gasp. He''s about to lose his consciousness but he still does his best to stay awake despite the pain he''s currently in...


    If he were to lose his consciousness right now, then those skeletal hands would rip out his soul out from his body and dragged it to their domain... and that place is itself. Semiramis''s beloved place where she sent those who irk her.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything while his eyes are still narrowed in both of them.


    After a few seconds, he exhaled through his pipe and took back the skeletal arms that were encircling Zi Ji.


    Zi Ji''s body slumped forward the moment the skeletal hands disappeared and Qu Fengyi hastily caught her husband fall...


    "Because of your personal greed... Your husband almost lost his life and even his soul. You should be thankful that you have him as your husband." Issei said coldly at Qu Fengyi who continues to sob softly while holding onto her husband''s body.


    "...Thank..."


    "I do not require your thanks but from this year onwards, Black Moon Merchant Guild has to submit eighty percent of its profits to the and the ."


    Zi Ji tried to say his gratitude but Issei dismisses it instantly.


    The onlookers'' who heard his words had their eyes wide open and they were so shocked that they nearly jumped into the air at the same time. Not only then, even those from the and the also feel shocked.


    What kind of organization was the Black Moon Merchant Guild?


    The combined wealth of all the nations in the Profound Sky Continent besides the Divine Phoenix Nation would definitely not be able to equal one Black Moon Merchant Guild. The status and historical foundation of these six nations were far from coming close to the Black Moon Merchant Guild.


    What kind of notion was eighty percent of the Black Moon Merchant Guild''s total earnings... He might as well take the whole guild for himself!


    It was an astronomical number that they wouldn''t be able to fathom in their entire lifetime...


    Both Zi Ji and Qu Fengyi went dumbstruck when they heard Issei''s words. He even forgot the pain he just experienced as if it wasn''t there...


    "This¡­ This¡­" The Black Moon Merchant Guild was the result of Zi Ji''s entire life''s work and effort. It was something that was practically akin to his own life. At the same time, it was also the lifeline that supported all of Supreme Ocean Palace. If they were robbed of eighty percent every year, it would undoubtedly be equivalent to ruthlessly cutting his own flesh and bones. It was also equivalent to cutting away eighty percent of the lifeline that supported Supreme Ocean Palace.


    "What''s wrong? You have any objections?" Issei said with narrowed eyes.


    "No¡­ No, NO!" Zi Ji frantically and anxiously waved his hand, "Eighty percent! Eighty percent it is!"


    "E-elder Ise/Y-Your excellency..." Both Feng Qianhui and the Little Demon Empress tried to refuse but just one glance from him is enough to shut them down. They obediently shut their mouth acting just like a housewife would...


    "Good... Naru, go contact Zin and tell her to take the off the list."


    "Yes, Master." Naru responded respectfully.


    They who heard his words felt dizzy... You''re telling them that he still has some army outside of the current one? Just how huge is his army... And what was that? "Take the off the list"? So that means... while the core strength of the sacred ground is here, he already sent someone to wipe their home base at the same time? My god...


    There will be a huge change happening throughout the whole continent... and this mysterious personage is the cause of it all.


    "Since you''re the biggest merchant guild in this continent, do you know any place that considered extremely dangerous or one with extreme climate?" Issei thought of something before he asked Zi Ji and Qu Fengyi.


    "...Extremely dangerous?" Qu Fengyi muttered.


    "Nevermind, I will just read your memories." Issei hooked his finger before Qu Fengyi''s body floated right in front of him.


    He put his hand on top of her head the moment she arrived in front of him.


    "Hmm, interesting..." After a few seconds, Issei sends Qu Fengyi back towards Zi Ji''s direction.


    "Cough cough¡­" Huangji Wuyu faked a cough before he moved his body forward but this simple movement made him become the new center of everyone''s attention.


    He submissively speaks: "This junior, Huangji Wuyu, am fully aware that I have no right to face you and that I have even less right to beg anything of you. If I can resolve your excellency fury towards us, I am willing to immediately take my own life, as long as your excellency is willing to give Absolute Monarch Sanctuary¡­ a way out."


    "You have nothing that could interest me." Issei denied his words almost instantly.


    He already read the memories of Qu Fengyi and Issei found nothing that could interest him coming from Huangji Wuyu side... and his kindness doesn''t come twice in a row.


    The only reason why he ''spared'' Qu Fengyi and Zi Ji were because he''s a little impressed with their bond as husband and wife. It got nothing to do with their wealth or anything like that.


    He already asked the Little Demon Empress about this decision of his and she told him that as long as she can kill Xuanyuan Wentian then she''s content already. And that''s because Xuanyuan Wentian is the main culprit behind the attack on the ...


    "But your excellency...!"


    *BAM!*


    Huangji Wuyu tries to bargain once again but his body immediately crashed down to the ground. He felt a mountain weighing down on him from behind.


    "Our Master has spoken, trash. Don''t think that we will let you do as you please." Esdeath said with an evil grin. She put one of her legs on his back pinning him down to the ground.


    "I''ve already known what you had in store, Huangji Wuyu... How funny, to think that each of the sacred grounds knows the ins and outs of each other sect... You''re basically holding onto each other secrets... and that saves me some time." Issei said with a smirk.


    "Even if you still have some secrets left, do you think I can''t just do the same as I just did towards Qu Fengyi?"


    Now these words left him stumped... Indeed... Issei could just read their memories and they won''t be able to keep any secrets at all...


    As for what they have to offer... He could just take it from their dead bodies...


    "And the one who wanted your life the most is the Little Demon Empress, not me. So you should beg her instead." Issei said while pointing at the Little Demon Empress: "You should understand what you have to do, Qu Fengyi." He also reminded Qu Fengyi at the same time.


    "Y-Yes... E-Even though we were bewitched by Xuanyuan Wentian all those years ago, we still committed a great wrong..." Without needing for Issei to say anything else. Qu Fengyi personally speaks out loud so everyone could hear her.


    She explained the real reason behind their feud with the ... It''s basically just out of greed yet again. The onlookers'' felt surprised by this revelation. They thought that the reason behind their feud was because of something righteous just like they claim it to be...


    Turns out it''s of personal gains yet again...


    "...And for that... we apologize... we will also clean up the name of the Illusory Demon Realm within the Profound Sky Continent with our best capabilities..." Qu Fengyi knelt at the Little Demon Empress direction.


    The Little Demon Empress''s eyes flickered for a brief second when she saw the kneeling Qu Fengyi.


    Huangji Wuyu who saw this also apologizes in the same fashion as Qu Fenyi, and the same goes for Xuanyuan Wentian. But there''s no reaction that could be found from the Little Demon Empress side.


    "How about this..." Issei gives a thoughtful look: "Huangji Wuyu, you can have a battle to the death with Xuanyuan Wentian over there, and I won''t do anything towards the winner. How about it? You have my word."


    Esdeath who catches on with her master intention had her grin grew wider... Master is really cunning... but she loves it!


    And just like that... The two sect leaders once again dance on top of Issei''s palm... They have no qualms killing each other if it means that it''s for their survival...


    ...


    At the same time they finished their battle, with Xuanyuan Wentian came out victorious by a slight margin, the girls also finished their little ''tournament''...


    "I... I won..." Xuanyuan Wentian said while gasping furiously.


    "Y-Your excellency... I won..." Xuanyuan Wentian gazes at Issei hoping that he will keep his words.


    "Indeed... Congratulations." Issei shrugged slightly.


    "D-Does that mean..."


    "Ah, you''re free to go. I won''t do anything to you."


    "Th-Then thank you, your excellency... I will forever be grateful."


    Xuanyuan Wentian hastily turns back and head towards the opening on the wall Issei just opened.


    When he''s just a few centimeters away from his ''freedom''...


    *Puchi!*


    A ripping sound could be heard clearly...


    "Pfft!!!" Xuanyuan Wentian pukes out a large amount of blood before he looks down slowly. There''s a single hand that went through his chest cavity...


    When he look behind him, he saw the piercing cold eyes belonging to the Little Demon Empress: "...You... you lied..."


    In the next second, his body burst up in flames...


    "I didn''t lie. I said that ''I'' won''t do anything to you, but I didn''t say anything about the Little Demon Empress, right?" Issei said with a mocking smirk.


    "Yes, Master. You very clearly said that." Esdeath also had the same smirk on her face while looking at the burning Xuanyuan Wentian.


    But the Little Demon Empress doesn''t kill him right away. She only crippled his cultivation and made him pass out... He will share his accomplice, Duke Ming''s fate...


    And that concludes the sacred ground incident as a whole... From today onwards, only the remains.


    Even then they''re basically crippled so bad that they''re only at the same level as some major sect... Even the Divine Phoenix Empire is now better than them.


    "We, the inhabitants of the Illusory Demon Realm are eternally grateful for your majesty benevolence!"


    The Little Demon Empress paid her respect with utmost gratitude and the rest of her entourages also followed suit: "Long live your majesty!!!"


    The Divine Phoenix Empire tremblingly kneeled on the ground waiting for their judgment... Issei narrowed his eyes at them with Feng Xue''er holding her hands together hoping that her sect punishment won''t be too harsh...

 Chapter 120 - 119

    (AN: Thanks for the donation Alberto Rojas, I hope all of you enjoy the chapter and sorry for the delay ????).


    Issei tapped his finger on the throne while observing the Divine Phoenix Empire group.


    The Divine Phoenix Empire felt their heart thumped loudly in rhyme with his tapping...


    Feng Xue''er was about to say something but she finally erases the thought... She can''t keep asking for leniency at her Grandmaster.


    "...To be honest, I didn''t really need to do anything if I wanted for your clan destruction... And even if your clan vanished, there''s still a second Phoenix clan ready to replace you." Issei said after waiting for a while.


    Feng Hengkong raised his head feeling dumbstruck, he unconsciously let out a confused voice when he heard Issei''s words: "Eh? What do you mean, your lordship?" Only after he let out his voice that he remembered how impolite he was: "Th-This subject apologize for his rudeness!"


    He hastily apologized on the spot but Issei pays no heed to his outburst and calmly continued speaking: "What do I mean? Do you know what I discovered when I searched Ye Xinghan''s memories before?"


    Among them, there''s someone who shuddered fiercely hearing Ye Xinghan''s name being mentioned... He started sweating profusely and couldn''t stop his body from trembling.


    "You should know what I''m talking about right... Feng Feiyan, was it?" Issei''s eyes homing in on one specific individual.


    Feng Hengkong and the others also had their gaze locked onto him.


    "What did his lordship mean by that... brother?" Feng Hengkong asked the trembling Feng Feiyan while restlessness started to creeping on him... Can it be...


    Although Feng Feiyan was only seven years older than Feng Hengkong, he looked twenty or thirty years older.


    "I-I-I..." Feng Feiyan repeatedly stuttered when he heard Feng Henkong''s question.


    "No need to fabricate lies in front of me... Unless you wanted to suffer the same fate as them." When Issei finishes saying that, they heard two shrieks coming from nearby Issei''s location.


    "AAAHHHHHH!!! IT HURTSSSS!!!" Both of them screamed in horror.


    The onlookers'' faces went deadly pale when they saw these two individuals. Aren''t they Xuanyuan Wentian and Huangji Wuyu who just died? How come both of them are ''alive''? Wait... That''s not... That''s not their physical bodies but rather their spiritual body?! But there''s something different about their spiritual body... they can''t tell just what it is but there''s something sinister about it.


    Both of them are currently being shredded to pieces by the very same hand that was encircling Zi Ji not long ago.


    Xuanyuan Wentian and Huangji Wuyu soul are shredded into pieces right before their eyes... Starting from their legs, stomach, chest, arms, and finally their heads...


    If it wasn''t their spiritual body, then perhaps there will be a large pool of blood in their previous place... The onlookers'' had their whole body went cold when they saw the two poor bastard fate...


    "So... Should I tell them myself or would you rather tell them yourself?" Issei set his gaze back on Feng Feiyan.


    "I-I-I confess!!!" Feng Feiyan practically screamed in terror. He rather be killed by Feng Hengkong rather than having this Devil taking his life!


    Then he confessed his little plan... He is the one who leaked out rumors that the Divine Phoenix God had died and transferred his legacy to Feng Xue''er. He sold out information about Xue''er''s divine body to Ye Xinghan with the intention to curry favor with the future leader of Sun Moon Divine Hall.


    He was going to assist Ye Xinghan in capturing Feng Xue''er within the Primordial Profound Ark. He wanted to take advantage of Feng Xue''er''s trust in him as Great Elder of her sect then proceeded to land a sneak attack to seal her profound strength using the Phoenix Sealing Imprisonment Formation...


    That way Feng Xue''er won''t be able to put any resistance at all while Ye Xinghan will have his way with her...


    Feng Xue''er who heard this news had her eyes widen in shock... She can''t believe that her own family member she was trying to protect was going to harm her all along...


    If it wasn''t for her Grandmaster''s prevention then her fate would''ve been...


    "BASTARD! ANIMAL!" Both Feng Hengkong and Feng Ximing shouted in fury when they heard his confession.


    Feng Hengkong becomes so enraged that he practically sprinted towards Feng Feiyan''s location disregarding everything just to end this animal''s life.


    He wastes no moment and instantly lands a killing blow that blasted Feng Feiyan''s head open just like a watermelon.


    Feng Feiyan himself doesn''t offer any kind of resistance since he believes that dying by Feng Hengkong''s hand is a hundred times better compared to dying in Issei''s hand... Which is true and might be the best decision he will make in the last moment of his life...


    Issei then decided to just put a curse on the Divine Phoenix Empire. It''s the same curse as the Phoenix clan he met before meaning that this curse will affect them the moment they do evil deeds.


    Feng Ximing face become like a dying ember knowing that they''ve been cursed... That means that he can''t have any more indecent thoughts towards Feng Xue''er...


    Feng Hengkong and the other clan members, on the other hand, felt relieved... They basically got off easy if their punishment is just to this extent...


    Feng Xue''er also felt relieved and she becomes very grateful for her Grandmaster benevolence... She wanted to hug her Grandmaster so badly for some reason but she manages to hold it in at the last second...


    This is the first time she wanted to hug someone out of her own volition like this... Xiaotao who saw this act of Feng Xue''er smiled thinly...


    It seems that her disciple is still too inexperienced... well, it doesn''t matter. She''s still young so she has a lot of time to grow.


    He also told them to find the Phoenix clan and take them into their Empire.


    The Little Demon Empress goes back to their for now while Issei told Xiaotao to take care of the rest while he headed towards a certain location. The location that he obtained from Xuanyuan Wentian and the others...


    "...We have finally fulfilled our Frozen Cloud Ancestor''s wish..." Feng Qianhui said softly.


    Gong Yuxian who''s beside her also nodded at her statement: "And it''s all thanks to him yet again..."


    "Indeed... The debt we owe him is too many to count... Aiii... I can only hope that we will be able to repay him in the future..." Feng Qianhui said with a sigh.


    "Don''t worry Grand Mistress... We can surely repay him and if not we can just follow him forever." Gong Yuxian said with a tinge of blush adorning her face.


    "Oh? That''s true... Heheheh..." Feng Qianhui giggled softly.


    While Chu Yuechan''s group also blushed at the thought. The other sect members such as Xia Qingyue, Cang Yue, and the others are kind of clueless about their whole conversation.


    They only joined the palace recently after all so it''s understandable that they don''t know about this topic.


    ...


    Black Fiend Empire, land of enormity.


    Dense sinister aura and gray fog lingered around this whole place, and the sound of wind rang out incessantly, which bore a similarity to the cry of a ghost or the howl of a devil.


    There was a huge jade coffin before his eyes. The jade coffin was semitransparent, and there was a barely visible black fog moving around within it.


    Issei who saw this fog felt disappointed since this thing is useless to him...


    "Who are... you!?" The gray fog inside the jade coffin suddenly started to sway, and an eerie voice rang out.


    "You must be Ye Mufeng. The leader of the previous Eternal Night Royal Family" Issei said calmly.


    "How did you know of this king''s identity?! Are you one of those bastards that called themselves the sacred grounds!?"


    The Eternal Night Royal Family was one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, or in the past, the Five Great Sacred Grounds.


    Among the Five Great Sacred Grounds, the Eternal Night Royal Family was the only family-oriented force. Unless they have taken in a wife, they would never recruit outsiders. Making them the most firmly united force within the Five Great Sacred Grounds.


    They have the weakest strength in the five sacred grounds as the other four Sacred Ground heads acknowledge that the Eternal Night King the ruler of the Eternal Night Royal Family is weaker than them. Even though there may have been some friction amongst the Five Great Sacred Grounds, there had never been great grievances.


    But after Xuanyuan Wentian, the current sword master of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region assumed his position he tricked the other Great Sacred Grounds into exterminating them under the pretense of protecting the Profound Sky Continent and that they where exterminating evil, only so that Xuanyuan Wentian could steal the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword from the Eternal Night Royal Family.


    Before the framing the Eternal Night Queen had saved Mu Bingyun, the Frozen Cloud Ancestor, therefore becoming her benefactor. But when they were framed, her power was insufficient and was unable to help them, so after she founded Frozen Cloud Asgard she passed down the truth about the framing, which had long been lost in the flow of time, with the hopes that the future generations could avenge the Eternal Night Royal Family.


    "I''m not. But those sacred grounds that you hated already doesn''t exist in this world... well, only one of them exists to be precise but they''re not the one you hated the most. The one you hated the most should be Xuanyuan Wentian and the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region... Am I right?" Issei''s words made the black fog react intensely.


    "You''re lying! There''s no way that bastard Xuanyuan Wentian is dead just like that!" The black fog or Ye Mufeng denied his words instantly.


    "You should recognize this sword." Issei took out the sword he received from Xuanyuan Wentian''s spatial ring.


    "The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword!!!" The black fog shouted in disbelief.


    The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword is also known as the , it is the only known Sovereign Profound weapon in the Profound Sky Continent. It was found by the Eternal Night Royal Family''s Ancestor 10.000 years ago, nobody knew where it came from.


    After it was found the Devil Spirit inside gave him one drop of devil blood and the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night in exchange for breaking the seal on the sword. But Eternal Night Royal Family''s Ancestor broke his promise and added several more seals and it became the Eternal Night Royal Family''s forbidden Artifact. Because of this sword, the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region framed and exterminated the Eternal Night Royal Family.


    There''s a rumor that whoever can control the sword would be unrivaled in the Profound Sky Continent. It''s kind of true but that''s about it... In the upper realm, this sword is only so-so at most.


    And the devil that was residing within the sword has been easily eradicated by Issei... At first, it tries to hide its presence but there''s no way it could hide from Issei''s discerning eyes. The Devil enticing words also couldn''t sway Issei at all and it met its end just like that...


    "And if that''s not enough. Here..." Issei tossed a memory fragment of Xuanyuan Wentian''s death towards Ye Mufeng''s soul.


    At first, Ye Mufeng went silent for a while five breaths... But then...


    WOOSH!!


    Eerie wind started to blow from all directions as the Soul Sealing Coffin suddenly opened up. The soul sealed inside the coffin immediately escaped out of it, and laughed out wildly in extreme joy.


    "Hahahaha¡­ Hahahaha¡­. A millennium, it has already been a millennium! My Eternal Night Royal Family had finally achieved our revenge! Hahahahaha, you old dog Xuanyuan Wentian, you get what you deserved at last! Looks like the heavens have at long last showed some compassion towards our clan! Hahahahahaha!!!"


    His voice resounded loudly and in the next moment, his voice started to get smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared... He has finally found peace...


    "...thank... you..." Before it completely disappears, Issei could hear a faint but relieved voice coming from above...


    "...May you find everlasting peace." Issei muttered softly.


    When Issei about to leave, he saw something in the coffin. It''s a dark jade with the word written on top of it...


    Issei inspected it for a moment before he tossed it away into his feeling disappointed that it''s of no use to him... but perhaps he could use it for something later in the future.


    Then Issei also disappeared from that eerie land... he''s heading towards the next location received from Qu Fengyi''s memories... A place called the .


    ...


    There was a gloomy blue light that was intermittently flickering about five kilometers ahead of him. There was a small island that was nearly perfectly round and on top of the island lay a dome-shaped barrier that fully engulfed it. The gloomy blue radiance was coming from the barrier that engulfed the small island.


    The ocean surrounding the small island had sunk so low that it formed a trench around it. It was almost as if the seawater was being pushed away by some unimaginable power.


    This is the barrier that is used to seal the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. The Moon Slaughter Devil Nest is inside this barrier.


    This place is located in the ocean and it is more than one thousand five hundred kilometers away from the mainland. Normally, no one will approach this place because there are always disciples of the Supreme Ocean Palace keeping watch. Even if someone manages to enter by accident, the Sovereign of the Seas will be alerted immediately once that person comes into contact with the barrier.


    But today there are no disciples that keeping watch of this place... It''s because their palace has been besieged by someone just now... Even though this newcomer was planning to destroy their palace at first. Midway their impending slaughter, this newcomer suddenly stopped her assault.


    That person is obviously Zin herself... She, along with a pack of profound beasts that is.


    Issei then proceeded to land on the island...


    "This place is not simple..." Jasmine muttered.


    "Hm, I sensed a similar devil energy signature with that devil I just eradicated before." Issei nodded slightly at her statement: "...And something far more dangerous..." His voice turned a bit dire at the end.


    Jasmine and Xun''er who heard his statement had their eyes widen in shock. Something even Issei considered dangerous?!


    "...What is it Ise?" Jasmine nervously asked him.


    "If it''s dangerous then perhaps we should visit this place another time?" Xun''er worriedly advised.


    "No need... If my guess is correct then this thing is just what I needed to help me recover. And this thing also shouldn''t be able to harm me either but just to be safe, you both shouldn''t exit the pearl."


    "...En". Both of them nodded gravely at his words.


    "And you shouldn''t be too worried. I have my own methods of escaping that way you both won''t be in harm''s way." Issei reassured both of them.


    "...I''m not worried about that... you should think more about yourself for once... dummy..." Jasmine said with a slight pout.


    Xun''er also sighed wryly at Issei''s words...


    Issei doesn''t hear Jasmine muttering and he calmly walks forward to enter the nest.


    He doesn''t do anything to the barrier that is currently protecting it and when the barrier comes into contact with his body, they offer no resistance at all and he easily go through it...


    When someone entered the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, it felt as if they had stepped into a desolate, icy abyss. A chill washed through them, body and soul... But Issei felt none of those things.


    The sun was shining really brightly over the South Ocean. But, after he went inside the barrier, there''s not a single glimpse of light that can be found... This place looks very similar to the abyss where Bai''er was. Complete darkness...


    The dark energy in this place is extremely dense. Issei calmly absorbs every ounce of dark energy around him... It''s like his body is a black hole that keeps absorbing the surrounding dark energy...


    He''s akin to a King of darkness with how the dark energy swirling around him... Even though Jasmine and Xun''er already saw this side of him in the abyss before, they can''t still stop themselves from feeling awed by his sight... Truly a flawless sight...


    "The yin energy in this place¡­" Jasmine''s voice grew extremely heavy, and there are traces of disbelief in that voice as well, "What exactly is going on here!?"


    Within the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine had a serious expression on her face: "This level of darkness energy... is even worse than that abyss! Just what sort of thing could release such an aura of darkness!" Xun''er also shares the same thought as her daughter.


    "Um... That''s because there''s not only dark energy that is present in this place... but there''s also a energy mixed in it as well." Issei said in a serious manner.


    His fist unconsciously tightens on its own... Can it be there''s a second Nyarlathotep in this place? Sure the amount of this ''thing'' contain is not on par with Nyarlathotep''s but it''s still quite huge.


    Compared to Bai''er from before, the amount of energy within Bai''er body previously was akin to a jar of water while this ''thing'' is akin to a lake.


    "Ah? energy? What is that?" Jasmine asked in confusion.


    "Heeheeheehee¡­ Kekekehahahaha¡­ Huhuhuhu¡­ Wahahahaha¡­"


    At this time, an incomparably sinister laugh rang out from the darkness ahead of them.


    "Hm? This sound..." Issei who heard this sinister ''laugh'' let out a muse. He''s familiar with this ''laugh'' since this is the same laugh that he heard when he met Bai''er.


    Up ahead, he could see a bright, pulsing, purple light.


    The purple light gently flickered. However, that bone-chilling and terrifying devilish laughter had also come from that purple light.


    "A Netherworld Udumbara Flower!" Jasmine shouted lightly. Seeing the flower blooming here is not weird at all considering just how densely packed with darkness energy this place is: "But it still hasn''t fully bloomed yet... It is only half bloomed."


    Within the deep darkness, the Netherworld Udumbara Flower''s appearance was still clear for all to see, as if it was right in front of them. It was slightly taller than three meters in height, its stem and leaves were greenish-black in color. In the middle of that fantastical bright, purple light, a bewitching flower could be seen. Every petal seemed to be made of radiant purple jade, but the flower bud was still faintly curled up and the petals had not fully unfurled. Even though it had an extremely bewitching and enchanting appearance, it had not fully bloomed yet.


    The Moon Slaughter Devil Nest was a desolate place, and the air was stale and stagnant. Yet the half-bloomed Netherworld Udumbara Flower gently swayed as it released a light purple mist that seemed to come from the underworld itself. And from time to time, it emitted that nightmarish sound that seemed to be a mix of both wailing and laughter.


    And just as Jasmine had said, it had not fully bloomed yet.


    But, even though this Netherworld Udumbara Flower had not fully bloomed, it looked like it would not be long before it reached full bloom. Perhaps it would take a few more days, or even a few more hours, for it to bloom.


    Jasmine already obtained the Udambara flower and the other materials that she needed from Issei so she doesn''t really feel upset or anything like that seeing this half bloomed Udambara flower.


    She only needs to wait for a bit longer, around two or three years to completely erase the poison from her body and when that time comes she would be able to reconstruct her physical body.


    Then Jasmine noticed something is hiding nearby their location: "Ise... There''s something hiding there..."


    "Um, I know. It''s the owner of the similar devil energy signature from before and he''s also the one who''s releasing these dark energies in the surrounding but he''s not the dangerous one that I mentioned. Just to be safe, remember not to go outside the pearl for now."


    The surrounding darkness energy is indeed dense but not as dense as the abyss. And that''s because the one who''s releasing this dark energy is very weak, at most, it only has the strength of a monarch. And the real reason behind why this place becomes extremely dangerous was because of the owner of the energy that''s hidden deep within this nest.


    The one that''s releasing the dark energy is still right above the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, roughly one hundred meters above it. It hasn''t moved from its previous spot.


    It is warily observing Issei since it saw that the surrounding dark energy isn''t affecting him at all. This is the first time it saw this phenomenon...


    But it shuddered fiercely when it saw that Issei is also gazing back at him.


    "...Foolish human! You dare to step into this King domain!? Did you think that this King will let an intruder like you act however you want?! Know your place!" He lets out a hoarse and raspy voice that was filled with violence and arrogance.


    He became angry thinking that he, the great Moon slaughter Devil sovereign just shuddered when he''s gazed by this measly human who entered his domain.


    He''s so unbelievably weak right now that he couldn''t even tell that Issei is clearly not a human... And this mistake will be the last mistake he made.


    He was nearly five meters tall, black light radiating from his body. The devil''s skin was a deep gray color while his hair was bone-white, trailing all the way to his feet.


    At first glance, besides the devil enormous build and the dusky hue of his skin, his appearance was basically no different from a human''s. And from a human''s perspective, he could be considered quite handsome. Furthermore, he did not look much older than a thirty-year-old man.


    "Noisy." Issei pointed a finger at his direction and there''s a small black orb at the size of a marble slowly float forward to the Devil direction.


    "Hahahahaha! What a laughable attack! You think this tiny black ball can harm me?" The Devil let out a burst of laughter thinking just how ridiculous Issei attack was.


    "But it''s quite surprising seeing that you could also control the darkness energy..." But then it muttered bewilderedly at Issei: "Well, no matter. I gratefully accept this small gift from you!"


    He opened his mouth and proceeded to swallow the tiny black orb thinking that it could absorb the dark energy within it.


    "Hmm, it tastes good but too bad it''s too small... Hahahahaha!" It let out another laugh.


    Issei raised his eyebrows seeing this devil''s act...


    Amidst his laughter, the devil suddenly felt an unbelievable suction force coming from inside his body.


    "Now you can go and di- Eurgh...!!! Wha-What was...*CRRACKK* AHHHHHHHH!!!"


    He felt an unbearable pain assaulting him from within. He felt his insides being wrecked upon by something foreign.


    He continues to let out a gurgling noise while vomiting a large amount of dark blood: "Grrghhh, gah... *Splurt!*... forgive... me... take... it... *CRACK!* *CRUNCH!*" His body bends inwards because the black orb is forcibly twisted it from the inside out. It sucked in his entire body like a whirlpool of a black hole... well, it is indeed a black hole in the first place though...


    And just like that, he joined the fate of the previous devil that Issei eradicated not long ago...


    "..." Jasmine and Xun''er become speechless at this idiot act... How can someone be this stupid? Why would you swallow your enemy''s attack? They''ve seen someone underestimating their opponents before but this incident just took it to a whole another level...


    But then again... If it was Xun''er then perhaps she could handle that tiny black orb but that''s because she has the inside her body. And although this devil also has some affinity for the Dark energy, it should still be weaker than Xun''er. Needless to say if he were to face off against someone like Issei...


    After he killed the devil, Issei walks forward to the swaying Udambara flower... it sways its flower petal even more fiercely when he came closer to its location. It seems very jubilant seeing that the person it was trying to "call" responded to it.


    Issei calmly plucked the flower and put it inside the to unite it with its friends...


    What''s left from the devil previous spot is the same tiny black orb Issei just released which also disappeared soon after... But there''s something else left behind other than that... It was a round piece of black jade.


    "What is that?" Jasmine asked suspiciously.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything before he took the jade with his hand.


    It fit perfectly in his palm. It was heavy and cold to the touch and it was flawlessly jet-black all over. It was extremely smooth and glossy and he did not see a single marking or rune anywhere on its surface.


    The moment the black jade came into contact with his hand, it let out a bright silver glow that illuminates the surrounding area.


    Issei at first narrowed his eyes at this jade before he injected a tiny bit of energy into it. Somehow he can tell that this jade will only react to the energy... and he was right.


    The silver light that had been radiating from it had now disappeared and it had regained its usual glossy black appearance. But above it, in the space between the floor and ceiling, there now hung a large cl.u.s.ter of silver motes of light which was rapidly diffusing, separating and twisting¡­ In the end, it finally formed into several hundred motes of light that were roughly the same size. The shapes of these motes were different and they were all laid out neatly in the empty air.


    "?!" Jasmine''s gaze stiffened at this sight. These motes of light did not emit any sort of aura at all and if she were to close her eyes, she would not even be able to sense their existence at all.


    These silver motes of light appeared to be coalescing into a bunch of characters but at the same time, they seemed to be one character as well. However, when Jasmine looked at them from left to right, she could not understand these words at all¡­


    "...World-Defying Heaven Manual." Issei muttered after reading the text.


    "What did you say?!?!" Jasmine let out a voice filled with shock and disbelief.


    Even Xun''er covered her mouth in shock.


    The is a legacy by the Ancestral God. It is divided into three fragments. It is said to be an all-powerful profound art created by the Ancestral God over millions of years. Legends said that she didn''t want to see the fruit of her labor disappear but she was also afraid the profound art was too powerful. She divided it into three fragments and sent it to different corners of the Primal Chaos.


    Deciphering the divine texts of the absolute beginning is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. However, if a mortal can cultivate the World-Defying Heaven Manual, he or she will have the possibility of becoming a True God. This was engraved on the totem in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning.


    According to the records, two of the three parts of the Ancestral Divine Art lay in the hands of the god race, while the last one lay in the hands of the devil race. But in actuality, two of them had belonged to the devil race and one of them had belonged to the god race. It''s just that no one knew exactly where the first part of it was... To think that it''s located here... Jasmine thought to herself...


    The other fragment is in the possession of that "woman" hand. She knows this since her elder brother is the one who gives it to "her"...


    "This is great Ise! This thing is a priceless divine treasure!" Then Jasmine told Issei briefly about the history of the manual... With this, they will be able to stop that damned woman''s plan from collecting the World-Defying Heaven Manual.


    "...This thing is anything but a priceless divine treasure... It''s a death trap." Issei said in a serious tone.


    "Ah?" Jasmine let out a dumbfounded voice.


    "Perhaps this thing will indeed help whoever could collect the three fragments and successfully decipher it... but when they ''gain'' the ''treasure'' within this World-Defying Heaven Manual... they will meet their end at the same time..."


    "How is that possible?!" Jasmine asked in shock.


    "Because as far as I know, this ''treasure'' is something that could only be controlled by two individuals in the entire universe... The element..." Issei gravely said.


    "Just what is this you keep mentioning about? How can you be so sure about it?" Jasmine inquired further.


    "That''s because I''m one of the two individuals while the other one is... the one who injured me to this extent..." Issei''s words left both Jasmine and Xun''er speechless...


    "''Before the great explosion of the Primal Chaos Dimension, there was no order in heaven and earth, no difference in light and darkness. The origin power of the world was bound by the heavenly law. Barren in the first era, boundless after a hundred eras and endlessly flourishing after myriads forth. The stars formed the universe, the fallen heaven formed the realms. All that was extraordinary were in the opposition, all prosperity was a mere illusion.'' This is what''s written in this jade..." Issei narrated the content of the jade for Jasmine and Xun''er.


    "This jade explained the struggle for power that has been going on ever since the first creation of this world... The one who''s able to reach the top is doomed to be extraordinary but it is a mere illusion, a fake. ''The great explosion of the Primal Chaos'' is actually describing them being devoured by the very same strength they obtained... and this ''heavenly law'' itself is just a ''system'' which is created by the one who created this manual itself..."


    "Now I know the reason why I arrived here is no mere coincidence... This place is, no, this world is the world where the element is born. The place where, my enemy, the first and the primal God of Chaos was born. This world is its birthplace, or should I say this world is her main ''body''... Am I right, Nyarlathotep?" Issei suddenly asked out of nowhere.


    When Jasmine and Xun''er are feeling confused about his act, they soon heard a voice...


    "...Ufufufufufu..." There''s faint laughter coming from behind Issei... to be precise, from his shadow.


    "Who?!" Jasmine said in an alarmed voice. This voice just made her hair stand on end.


    "Aaah~ to think that I''ve been found this soon~... since when you discovered my presence, Dragon King?" The owner of the voice is none other than Nyarlathotep who was assumed to be dead by the others... Even Issei thought that he succeeded in killing her...


    She emerged from his shadow and had a wide grin adorning her face... She put both of her arms around Issei''s neck and put her entire body weight on his back.


    Jasmine and Xun''er who saw this woman started to shiver uncontrollably... even their teeth also started clattering since just from gazing at her, they felt like their whole body and soul is being corrupted by some unknown energy.


    Issei who sensed this immediately blocked their connection from the outside world. A normal person won''t be able to handle the energy that Nyarlathotep is currently emitting... They will turn feral just like a crazed beast if he let it be.


    "I didn''t discover you right away... But my instinct is telling me that you''re the one behind the sudden increase of my strength and only when I found this jade that I''m certain about my guess." Issei calmly answered Nyarlathotep''s previous question.


    A ten years difference in time is not a short amount of time...


    "Oh? I thought it''s normal for someone such as you to grow stronger and stronger?" She let out an amused chuckle.


    "Not when the strength came out of nowhere. It would be even weirder for me to not be doubtful of it." Issei said in a cold voice: "And it seems my guess was right... You are the reason behind the increase in my strength."


    "..." Nyarlathotep''s grin grew wider before she let out another unrestrained laughter: "Fufufu... Uhuhuhu... Ahahahahahaha! Truly magnificent! You are truly the one being that couldn''t be easily corrupted by something trivial such as this! You''re truly incorruptible... How wondrous... How wondrous indeed! Ahahahahaha! Your attainment of is truly perfect!"


    ''Ahh~ How irresistible... He''s so unbelievably pure that it makes me want to corrupt him so so badly~, I wanted to paint his whole being with my color~''. In Nyarlathotep''s past experience, when she saw someone gained a huge amount of strength, they never question it and thought that it''s their natural talent or something similar.


    Their arrogance and pride will grow by a huge amount and even though they claimed to be a righteous person, they will be corrupted as time goes on... They will be drowned in their search for power.


    Issei is the first person who''s immune to this corruption... Looks like this tactic won''t work either...


    Even when she tried her best to suppress his ''love'', it still didn''t change his personality in the slightest... Although it''s kind of irritating that she can''t have her way with him, it''s also kind of fun as well~.


    "Did you know, Dragon King... Your ''love'' is not enough to grant you full mastery over the energy... I know this because I myself also possess ''love'' inside my body. I am the Devilish Bodhisattva that will savor all living things, without regard for whether they are sentient or not... and that is my ''love''!" Nyarlathotep said with glee.


    "That''s not ''love''... That is ''l.u.s.t''." Issei said dismissively.


    What she has is not that kind of l.u.s.t but a l.u.s.t for battle and destruction... a l.u.s.t to ''taste'' every living being power and souls...


    "Perhaps... But the real reason why you can control is because you have already mastered the ." Nyarlathotep pointed out.


    "This universe is the beginning of everything, the starting point and it is also the origin of all the laws and principles of the element."


    "The , the , the , the , the ¡­ These are the five most basic elemental laws of this universe."


    "The , the , these are the higher grade elemental laws that stand above the five basic elemental laws."


    "The , the , these are the supreme laws of creation which stand above the elemental laws."


    "And the origin of all of these laws, the law which stands above the supreme laws only second to the ¡­ ! Only those that have experienced life and death, having stepped across the dimensions and reincarnation itself could master ... Sounds familiar, Dragon King? Does it ring any bell in your memories?" Nyarlathotep asked Issei with a knowing grin.


    "..." Issei went silent while he remembered his past... On his first and second life, presumably, he was Adan according to Eve... At least he can tell that Eve isn''t lying when she told him about it.


    On his third life, he experienced "Death" yet again when he saved Forzelotte. Then at that time when he''s "reincarnated" by Rias Gremory into a Devil... when he''s inflicted with Samael''s poison and had his body reconstructed with the help of Ophis and Great Red... when he "reincarnated" into a Dragon with the help of Ddraig... The amount of times he experienced "Death" is by no means little...


    And with the gift he received from the world, . The gift from Semiramis, ... Perhaps that''s also why he''s able to meet Semiramis... because her ''reincarnation system'' thought that he''s supposedly a dead person...


    He thought that the reason why he can control the element was because of his ''love'' but it seems that things are not that simple... Granted it helped as well but it''s not enough to help him gain full mastery over the element.


    Also, because of his ''love'', those who are affected by his doesn''t become a mindless beast but rather only a little lovestruck... At least that''s what he thought...


    At first, Nyarlathotep was curious about this as well but after she did some memory reading, she finally put the clue together and find out the real reason behind his mastery...


    element is able to corrupt anything but it can''t corrupt ... It can''t corrupt what doesn''t exist in the first place.


    But the reason why the law of nothingness is considered weaker than the law of chaos was because it can''t be used as an attack unlike the law of chaos... but it will make any attack impervious to the bearer of the law. You could say that the Law of Nothingness is the weaker version of the Law of Chaos...


    "I too have also experienced all of the above, Dragon King... I am the one who is known as the once by this world inhabitants... It''s been a very long time and I just remembered about it after I''m defeated by you..."


    The was the first existence that existed in this universe. As the first being that existed here, she carried the universe''s most original, purest, and strongest power. She was the absolute supreme existence.


    Her power connects the entire universe. The power of this world was her strength. As long as this world existed, she would never be destroyed. They are one...


    As time passed, her consciousness became more mature and she became a complete lifeform with very high intelligence. She created language, created the way that power works and is stored, in which all the creatures in the later generations could cultivate profound energy. She created profound arts that could maximize power. However, as the only existence of this universe, what accompanied her was everlasting loneliness.


    All the life energy in this universe was connected and concentrated on her body. If she existed, no other beings could be born here. And so, after existing for a short ten million years, she finally made a choice to dissipate, spreading life to every corner of this world, allowing the universe to birth millions of creatures and the Era of Gods began from there.


    Before she vanished, she placed part of her memories in eight pieces of life shards. In the end, these eight pieces of life shards were scattered into the Primal Chaos Dimension along with her disappearance. Four pieces fell into the Northern Primal Chaos and birthed the Four Great Devil Emperors who led the Devil Race later on. Four pieces fell into Southern Primal Chaos, birthing the four Creation Gods who led the God Race.


    And perhaps because of a twist of fate, she doesn''t truly dissipate... she regained her consciousness in the void and created a brand new element from the new law she obtained, the and with it, she created the .


    Back then, this world is not known as the Primal Chaos Dimension...


    As time goes on, she becomes stronger and stronger until her very existence is unrivaled... but with it, there''s another unending boredom that crept into her being... and at the same time... a crazed madness of wanting someone who could satisfy her boredom... she also metamorphosed into something else, into something inhuman...


    That''s when she created the "World-Defying Heaven Manual" for the inhabitants of the . She separated it into 3 parts and scattered them throughout the corners of the Primordial Chaos... And Chaos happened across this whole dimension because of it...


    The ''treasure'' she scattered made them greedy and it created conflicts such as war...


    Parents sacrificed their children for some benefits and vice versa... A Dao companion/husband and wife betrayed each other and so on...


    This is one of the reasons why this universe is called the by many...


    Sadly... Even after waiting for thousands of millennia, there''s still not a single person who''s able to master the . So she left behind a fragment of her body in this realm that acts as the "Heaven" that will continue to judge and search for the new bearer of ...


    This world is the first and also the last world Nyarlathotep ever created.


    She visited worlds after worlds just to find someone who could rival her strength... and if that world isn''t up to her satisfaction, she will destroy it... From then on she''s known as the God of Chaos by the multiverse...


    "I am the center of this universe and this universe is my center. I won''t die unless this whole universe is destroyed... Now how about it, Dragon King. Will you destroy this universe just so that you can kill me? Go ahead, I won''t stop you from destroying it. I will even help you~. Or you can just ''devour'' this universe and if you were to do so, you will undoubtedly become the strongest in the whole multiverse~" Nyarlathotep whispered enticingly.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything for a good while before he slowly spoke: "Tell me, Nyarlathotep... What did you do to me to have my strength increased like this? What are you planning?"


    "Hmhm, who knows~? And do I seem like someone who had plans? I just do... things... things that I find amusing~" Nyarlathotep circled Issei''s body and this time she hugged him from the front: "But since you''re the only one who can fulfill my unquenchable longings and desires. You don''t need to be worried about me harming you. You are unbelievably precious to me... We shall be as we are forever and ever~"


    "So, how about it, Dragon King? Perhaps we could have another grand battle in this world and we can destroy everything in the process. That sounds great, don''t you think so as well? Or perhaps... you prefer doing those ''things'' you did with your loved ones?" Nyarlathotep made her clothes disappeared and had her bare body pushed up against Issei.


    "I have to say that I do enjoy the sight of you and your loved ones being entangled with each other... perhaps you could teach me about it~?" Nyarlathotep licked her lips seductively: "I can do everything they do and all you had to do was ask me of it~... Perhaps I can replace your ''loved ones'' position? You could just stay here in this universe with me and we shall conquer the multiverse and we can do whatever we want with it~".


    There was never any living being that''s able to come close to Nyarlathotep''s main body and stay sane for a long period of time. They will either be a mindless beast that brings destruction or they will die being consumed by her ...


    Issei frowned at her words before he proceeded to push her off his body: "Get off."


    Nyarlathotep doesn''t resist his push but she calmly floated above him letting Issei sees her bare body in full view...


    "Oh? Is my body not to your liking? I thought I created a perfect body that should satisfy you?" She started to inspect her own body: "Or is it because my chests are not big enough? Some of your ''loved ones'' indeed have a huge one but to be honest it would just hinder my movement if I were to make it that big. But if you want then I would make it bigger~"


    Issei ignored her and set his gaze forward where the devil was standing.


    He waved his hand creating a shockwave that destroys the rock formation ahead of him.


    Bang¡­ bang¡­ bang, bang, bang...


    The rocks continued to fall to the ground... Finally, after a few seconds, half of the pitch-black stone wall that was at the end of the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest had crumbled, shattered stones littering the ground.


    Beyond that wall lay a black hole that gave off the feeling of a deep abyss.


    "That is... Behind that wall, there seems to be another dimension..." Issei muttered ignoring Nyarlathotep who''s currently resting her two big marshmallows on top of his head. She flailed her gorgeous legs behind her while treating his head as a pillow to rest upon.


    "Hmm, maybe?" Nyarlathotep said offhandedly: "It''s been a very long time ever since I returned to this world after all."


    "...There''s something hidden inside. Something that possesses your energy signature..." Issei said with narrowed eyes.


    "Why don''t you go in and find out?" Nyarlathotep chuckled at him.


    "..." Issei thought for a moment before he calmly steps forward...


    After he entered the world beyond the stone wall, he sees an object that was emitting the dark energy and dangerous aura... this object is emitting quite a huge amount of energy...


    At the very least, it is only weaker than him and Nyarlathotep. If it were to run amock in this world then perhaps no one will be able to stop it... but it seems that there''s some limitation that has been set on this object...


    If Jasmine were to see this object, she will have her body frozen stiff in fear and shock.


    It is an absolutely frightening object that would even cause the ancient true gods and devil gods to tremble... Its name is the which is ranked second in the Seven Heavenly Profound Treasures ranks. Although ranked second, in terms of destructive ability, the Wheel is even more terrifying than the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword.


    It is said that the Wheel came into existence in the darkest place of the universe where the yin energy is the strongest...


    It is in fact not a treasure but the most frightening existence with its own soul. It is still an object that requires a living being as a medium to release its full power but it possesses extremely strong spiritual consciousness and strength. It is able to control the living being and even devils.


    When the Evil Wheel is activated, the voice of a baby crying echoes and spreads to every corner of the universe together with extreme darkness. The shadow and breath of death envelop every location of the universe. It can release the most vicious poison of the primordial world, , which killed all the gods and devils, causing the era of gods and devils to come to an end by extinction.


    It is later revealed that it can not release this poison without using the Sky Poison Pearl as a medium... but this is yet another misconception... the real reason behind this misconception was because the Evil Wheel was far too strong to be activated by those who haven''t obtained the energy needed to activate it.


    The Sky Poison Pearl being able to purify any poison is not some empty words because it is created with the law of nothingness by none other than the Ancestral God or Nyarlathotep in the past. It serves as a trigger because they won''t be able to activate the Evil wheel without it...


    Its might and terror were not something any current living being of this world could imagine or comprehend.


    After the end of the era of gods and devils, it had disappeared along with the Heavenly Punishing Ancestral Sword and never appeared ever again. However, in the past million years, humans had never given up the search for the Heavenly Punishing Ancestral Sword as they hoped to possess its invincible "Heavenly Punishing" power.


    However, no one had ever tried to search for the Evil Infant''s Wheel of Myriad Tribulations because it would only bring about the world''s most frightening catastrophe...


    At this time, this frightening object that had vanished for a million years now has finally been discovered...


    "...This thing..." Issei said in a low voice: "It contains a very pure energy..." He knows that it must be created by Nyarlathotep herself... There''s no way an object like this is a natural phenomenon...


    If not, Nyarlathotep won''t say that he''s the second being that could control the element.


    "Ahh, it has been so long ever since I saw it... It sure brings back memories." Nyarlathotep said.


    She created this object in the past thinking that perhaps with this object, she could increase the chance of the new bearer of to appear... but the result disappoints her...


    In the end, she let it be without the intention of taking it back...


    Although she said that it brings back memories, that is a lie since she barely had any memories about it...


    "Sniff¡­"


    The dark glow on the Evil Infant''s Wheel of Myriad Tribulations shook. In Issei''s mind, a shrill yet soft voice that seemed to possess a feeling of being wronged, sadness, and pleading rang out, sounding similar to a baby''s cries of helplessness.


    "Please¡­ Save me¡­"


    A meek voice that caused one''s heart to shatter in sadness pleaded softly¡­ Three short words, yet they sounded quite shaky along with that overly tender voice. It sounded like an infant that had just learned how to speak.


    "..." Issei silently observes the Evil Wheel.


    "Please¡­ save me¡­ Bring me¡­ away from here¡­"


    The infant''s voice brought more begging and even a slight hint of weeping.


    The baby''s voice now brought about more sadness and weeping, "I''m not evil¡­ I''m not a¡­ bad child¡­ I only want¡­ to leave this place¡­ It''s so dark, so cold, and it''s always so quiet¡­"


    "You''re not going to save it, Dragon King?" Nyarlathotep tilted her head at Issei: "Don''t you think that it''s very pitiful? How about you give it some of your ''love''?" Nyarlathotep''s eyes are slightly narrowed.


    "As long¡­ as long as you are willing to bring me away¡­ away from this darkness and loneliness¡­ I am willing to¡­ submit to you¡­" The infant''s pleading voice resounded once again.


    "You... You''re the same as me... Both of you are the same as me... My power won''t be able to harm you... So you can safely carry me away from this place... please... save me... I will... I will be an obedient child... I will listen to all of your words..." There''s a slight joy that can be heard from the infant''s voice when it sensed a similar energy signature coming from Nyarlathotep and Issei''s body.


    "Ufufufu, how cute... It thinks that it is the same as us. Hey, Dragon King... Why don''t you take it away?" Nyarlathotep gives a faint chuckle at the Evil Wheel words.


    "..." Issei doesn''t sense any evil intent coming from the Evil Wheel and every word that it spoke is completely true... but he can''t decide if he should bring it away or not. Or should he destroy it instead?


    He could not feel any cunning, fear or evil. Instead, he felt patheticness, helplessness, and sadness coming from it...


    Seeing that Issei doesn''t have any intention of doing anything, Nyarlathotep''s eyes flashed briefly before she floats towards the Evil Wheel.


    "It must be hard on you being an inanimate object after all this time... Here, let me help you with that~" Nyarlathotep lightly tapped the Evil Wheel...


    In the next second. there''s a huge surge of Dark and Chaos energy enveloping the Evil Wheel as a whole...


    At first, it let out a horrified voice... but soon that voice turned shrill and jubilant.


    When the whirlpool of energies disappeared, the Evil Wheel is nowhere in sight and in its place... There''s a small humanoid girl that looks not older than five.


    She has long, silver-colored hair and green colored eyes. Her most distinctive feature is a long strand of hair on top of her head which sometimes moves on its own... just like an antenna.


    (AN: Ahoge. For those who don''t know what that long strand of hair is).


    She''s seated on the ground feeling dazed while observing her brand new body just like a curious child... She tried to stand up only to fall down to the ground right away... but she doesn''t give up and keep trying to stand up on her own...


    "Isn''t she adorable, Dragon King? If you don''t want to bring her away then how about you ''devour'' her instead? I reckon that if you were to absorb her then perhaps you will be fully healed?" Nyarlathotep said after she glomped Issei''s back once again.


    "..." Issei still doesn''t say anything other than observing the Evil Wheel, no the toddler right before his eyes...


    After a numerous attempt, the toddler is finally able to barely stand up on her own... Her body is still slightly shaking just like a newborn fawn, but soon she sets her gaze on Issei and Nyarlathotep.


    Her eyes shone brightly before she started to take a small baby step towards their direction...


    "The same... the same as me..." She mumbled joyfully with her hands spread out.


    "Ah!" After a few moments, when she almost reach their location, perhaps because she''s being too overly excited, she lost her step and fall face-first to the ground...


    Issei who saw this reflexively catches her fall.


    "..." The girl dazedly looks at Issei before she flashes him a timid smile: "Thank... Thank you..."


    "You''re not going to ''devour'' her, Dragon King?" Nyarlathotep asked.


    "I..." Issei went silent for a second before he started speaking...


    ...


    -Three years later-


    After Xuanyuan Wentian and the others had been annihilated, both the Profound Sky Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm eased into tranquility. All citizens of the Profound Sky Continent had long since known that the current hegemon was no longer any of the Sacred Grounds but the or to be exact, their mysterious ''Elder''...


    The now has the same standing as the . And it''s because the Blue Wind Nation Princess is the disciple of the ... Cang Wanhe couldn''t stop himself from smiling for an entire year when he finds out about this...


    The Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace had become the holy land to all of the continent''s profound practitioners. Back then, very rarely would anyone set foot into the Snow Region of Extreme Ice and it''s mostly males but now... the ratio has changed...


    The past three years have been the busiest day for the ...


    Mainly because there are so many female cultivators who wanted to join their palace and also because of how many sects wanted to gain their favor...


    From the time of Issei''s appearance three years ago, not even a day had passed. Yet this short appearance had caused the entire profound world of the Profound Sky Continent to tremble in fear and it caused dramatic changes in even the most isolated parts of the continent.


    It is said that Xuanyuan Yufeng has also disappeared the day the is eradicated. Nobody knows just where did she go...


    The high and exalted Four Great Sacred Grounds have reduced to just one sacred grounds left. The profound practitioners of the Profound Sky Continent who were present that day still had a profound feeling that they had not woken up from a dream, every time they recalled that day... where even the profound beasts obeying him like he''s their king... where those from the treated him like their Supreme Overlord...


    This was a result that had been created by absolute power¡­ and it was a result that could only be created by absolute power. Granted he barely makes any move back then just the sight of all those armies ready to obey his order at any given time send shivers down to their spine. Not to mention he even has the exalted Phoenix God and also the Golden Crow as his servants!


    Before it had even passed nine in the morning, there''s already a large line of female practitioners lining up in front of their palace gate. Chu Yueli, Murong Qianxue, and the other palace disciples could only deny access to their palace per usual but the envious gaze those women had made them feel helpless but also smug at the same time.


    There''s no way they will let these annoying vixens bother their sect elder...


    All of them raised their head proudly and it''s not like they will dare to do anything anyway. If they wanted to stay then let them stay... Without their permission then they won''t be able to enter.


    There are many sects, palaces, clan masters that paid a visit as well bringing a lot of gifts with them.


    The girls shamelessly accepted these gifts since there''s no harm from accepting it anyway. They can just give it to their sect elder later on.


    Meanwhile, the center of the attention of this whole commotion is resting in his room...


    Issei is resting on his bed inside the palace when there''s a small figure that manages to sneak into his room... The long strand on its head keeps wriggling around acting like some sort of an antenna.


    This sneaky figure eyes glistened brightly when it saw its target. Issei sensed this newcomer presence but before he could fully open his eyes... The intruder wastes no time before it basically flew towards his bed accompanied by a loud shout.


    "Yaahhh!!!"


    *Poof!*


    The intruder landed squarely on Issei''s body: "Good morning, Father!" The intruder said with a giggle.


    Issei who saw this intruder smiled wryly before he lightly patted her head: "Good morning, Nyaruko... And didn''t I told you to stop calling me that..."


    "No! Mother said that it''s only natural for Nyaruko to call Father with the word Father since Father is Nyaruko''s Father!"


    Nyaruko is none other than the Evil Wheel who has been transformed by Nyarlathotep. Nyaruko is the name Nyarlathotep has given her... She said that since she can be considered as her daughter then it''s only a given that her name should be similar to her.


    She basically just combined half of her name with the word "Chibbiko(Tiny)", hence why she''s named Nyaruko aka Tiny Nyarlathotep for short.


    At first, Issei felt annoyed that Nyarlathotep used the nickname Kathryn used to call Gurigura but soon decided to just ignore it... Nyaruko herself seems quite happy with this name.


    And because of Nyarlathotep''s influence, she started calling him Father...


    Issei has already repeatedly told Nyaruko to not call him Father over the past three years but the latter won''t listen to his words... She would listen to most of his words just like an honest obedient child but not in this case...


    Issei erased Jasmine and Xun''er''s memories about seeing Nyarlathotep since it won''t do them any good to know about her... They only remembered about the Devil.


    Jasmine and Xun''er have already reconstructed their physical bodies as well. They''re currently residing within the Primordial Profound Ark.


    The girls from the palace were extremely curious about the girls that are surrounding him but they didn''t force Issei to tell them either...


    They do know that Xiaotao and Lieyan are a Divine being but that just made them adore him even more... They already think of him as a Godly being because of it. Which is not wrong...


    They were nervous if they should treat him differently but seeing that there''s no difference from the way he treated them after all this time, they finally also treated him the same way as before.


    "Ufufufu~ That''s right, daughter... He''s undoubtedly your Father~" A sultry voice resounded from behind Issei.


    "After all, if it wasn''t for him then you wouldn''t have been ''born''~" Nyarlathotep''s blew at Issei''s ear while encircling her arms around his neck.


    "Get off. You''re heavy." Issei said with an annoyed voice.


    His interaction with Nyarlathotep after three years hasn''t changed in the slightest... because he doesn''t trust her in the slightest.


    "Ahhh~ so cruel~, we''ve been together and also shared a bed for the last three years but you still treated me this coldly~ daughter, come and comfort your poor mother~" She said with a fake tear.


    "Father, bad!" Nyaruko puffed her cheeks ''angrily'' at Issei. Nyaruko is already used at this sight so she''s not really angry...


    "Sigh..." Issei could only sigh tiredly at their antics.


    "Big brother! Let''s play!" Hong''er popped out from the along with Bai''er.


    "Ah? Little sis Nyaruko is already here? And the scary big sis as well!" Hong''er said while pointing at Nyaruko and Nyarlathotep.


    Hong''er and Bai''er are unaffected by Nyarlathotep''s since they both are linked to him.


    It seems that because of it, they can also tell that Nyarlathotep is not ''normal''... If any outsiders were to see Nyarlathotep then they would, without a doubt, will say that she''s extremely beautiful. To the point that they will have their souls stolen just at the first glance of her... literally that is...


    "Uhuhuhu... Why don''t you ask me to play along with you, little brat?" Nyarlathotep said with a faint chuckle at Hong''er.


    "Don''t want!" Hong''er said without delay: "You''re too scary! And don''t call me a little brat! Call me Hong''er!" Although she said that, her face doesn''t show any hint of fear at all... It seems that even though she knows that Nyarlathotep is dangerous, she won''t be able to harm her as long as her reliable big brother is here.


    "Ahh~ how saddening to be treated as a monster like this~ well, I guess I will just go back to sleep~" After she said that, Nyarlathotep head back to Issei''s shadow once again...


    "Have a good sleep, Mother!" Nyaruko said with a smile.


    Nyarlathotep waved her hand before she completely disappeared into Issei''s shadow... Issei who saw this narrowed his eyes slightly before he heaved another sigh...


    "Come big brother! Let''s play!" Hong''er then excitedly dragged Issei out of his bed...


    While Issei is being dragged by the three tiny tots. He started thinking that it is time for him to leave this place...


    Although he enjoys his stay here... He needs to go back to his wives'' side. He needs to go to the upper realm to hasten his recovery...


    But he needs to say his farewell towards the girls first before he leaves this place. With their current strength, no one should be able to threaten them in this lower realm. As for Xia Qingyue... Perhaps he could ask the two "visitors" that are watching them from above.


    ...


    High above the skies beyond anyone''s perception, a pair of icy eyes that were like a quiet spring was silently watching the new Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace... This person felt a little stupefied at this sight.


    She was dressed in white clothes that resembled snow. Her whole body was shrouded in dreamy mist and her face could not clearly be seen. Only a glimpse of a silhouette, that was ethereal like a fairy but also graceful like a phantom, could be caught by the eye.


    A blue-clothed girl with an exquisite figure was next to her. The girl looked like she was only eighteen or nineteen years old. Her eyes were like ice crystals, her face resembled the first snow, and what surrounded her were floating ice spirits even more transparent than the world''s purest crystals. She wrapped her hands around the white-clothed female''s arms as though she was holding onto her carefully.


    "Master, the appearance of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace seems to be completely different from before. Did this disciple remember wrongly?" The blue-clothed girl was also looking at the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace below them as she asked in confusion.


    "No." The white-clothed female whispered, "Not only Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, but the aura of the elements here has also gone through a great change¡­ cough cough, looks like, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace had gone through an enormous change when we weren''t looking... Perhaps some miracle happened and they somehow survived the prophecy... cough, cough cough¡­"


    The voice of the white-clothed female was very soft and it faintly revealed her frailty. There were many painful coughs in between her few words. Enshrouded by mist, the paleness from the sickness seeped through her snowy face.


    The blue-clothed girl said softly, "Over these years, this disciple has accompanied Master here three times and we see a completely different Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace each. Looks like Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace had always suffered setbacks during all these years."


    "The worst is over. This time, not only are they reborn, there are big changes in the aura of many of the disciples. The Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace from now will only become more prosperous. Cough¡­" The white-clothed woman said slowly. Every time she coughed, her aura weakened a little bit more.


    Although now they can see the palace, they couldn''t see the Primordial Profound Ark above them... Issei lifted the illusion barrier surrounding the palace but in return, he put a new one on the Ark.


    "Yes, compared to last time, their aura is a lot stronger... Perhaps even too strong for this realm standards... And also too fast..." All of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace sect members have reached the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm... And if they were to be brought to the upper realm then perhaps they will immediately enter the Divine Path straight away...


    Their cultivation speed is too fast even for the upper realm standards and although she''s curious about this, she doesn''t have much time left so she decided to just let it be...


    "All of them are already at the peak level Monarch¡­ that''s really fast!" The blue-clothed girl was even more shocked. "They were only at the Sky and Emperor profound realm when we last came here..."


    "But with this... Master can also finally have peace of mind. Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace is really lucky to be kept in Master''s mind." The blue-clothed girl turned her cheek, "Master, we have already seen a result better than the one predicted. Can we return now? The aura in this world is too contaminated. If we stay here for too long, it will worsen your condition."


    "Cough cough¡­" The white-clothed female covered her mouth and when her fingers left her lips, there was a slight stain of red blood on the center of her palms. She clutched her snowy hands and covered the bloodstains. Looking below to the edgeless snow region, she said softly, "Xiaolan, stay with me here a little bit longer this time."


    "Ah?" The blue-clothed girl looked at her with surprise.


    The white-clothed female''s gaze slightly dimmed and blurred like mist. "After looking back at my entire lifetime''s rise and fall, it was actually here, where I had lost my memory and my divine power, that I was the happiest and at peace. In the years since I''ve returned to the Snow Song Realm, this damaged life of mine once more struggled on death''s door for a millennium and there was not one day when I was genuinely happy."


    "All these years, Ice Phoenix Palace used countless precious treasures to forcefully lengthen the life of a person bound for death. I understand that they are still respectful of me, but that is only because of Big Sister. I know everything about what they think and say behind my back." The white-clothed female closed her icy eyelids. "Before leaving this time, I have already left my last words to Big Sister: My time is up. I will choose where I want most to be my last resting place. Do not look for me."


    "And here, might just be most suitable as my last resting place."


    "Mas¡­ ter¡­" The blue-clothed girl didn''t cry or yell because of these words. Her eyes filled with tears as she lowered her head and started sobbing. She knew¡­ everyone knew, that it was already a great miracle that she had made it till today.


    At this moment, their bodies were close together and she was able to clearly feel how withered her life force was.


    "Hmm, it looks like our visitor time is almost up..." Altair muttered in a low voice while observing their hidden visitors.


    "Mhm." Esdeath hummed uninterestedly.


    "...Should we tell Master?" Sirius asked.


    The three of them are observing the two visitors from the nearby distance. Altair then received a message from Issei...


    "No need... Master has already given his instructions." Altair dismissed Sirius''s words before she informs them of what Issei just told her.


    Both Esdeath and Sirius then nodded calmly... they just need to wait and it should be any second now...


    "..." The white-clothed female let out a faint sigh. It was unknown what she was sighing about. She slowly turned around and then said softly, "Xiaolan, let''s go."


    "Ah? Go?" The blue-clothed girl was stunned.


    "This place¡­ I can finally stop worrying about it now." The white-clothed female closed her eyes. "As for the last place, I wish to have a look at the Cold Star Realm again."


    "Master¡­" The blue-clothed girl''s limpid eyes suffused with mist once more. She only gently nodded, "The Dimensional Jade ought to have enough power to go to the Cold Star Realm once. This disciple¡­ this disciple will immediately head there with Master."


    The blue-clothed girl shifted to the side, as though she did not have the heart to give the white-clothed female''s deathly pale complexion another glance. When she extended both hands, a jade-colored round stone slowly appeared. She closed her eyes and a mysterious power silently circulated. The round stone immediately released a dim radiance as a bizarre profound formation slowly spread out.


    "Cough, cough cough¡­"


    The white-clothed female let out painful coughs as her jade hands pressed at her chest. At the same time, scarlet blood instantly gushed from the corner of her mouth, dyeing the chest area of her snowy clothes. It was this smear of blood that caused the last faint color on her face to disappear, leaving barely any color behind. The light in her icy eyes quickly dulled as her body, which had been enshrouded by icy mist, violently swayed. Then, after losing the power to stay afloat, she fell.


    "M-Master!!!"


    The sound of something falling behind her made the blue-clothed girl turn around, then pale with fright. She wanted to pounce forward to retrieve her master but the Dimensional Jade in front of her had just opened halfway and forcibly pulled her into place. The blue-clothed girl was as impatient as fire as she acted in a flurry. It was only after several breaths later, when the Dimensional Jade''s power withdrew, that she charged straight down with an alarmed cry and at this point, the white-clothed female had already dropped quite far...


    "It''s time." Altair said.


    The three of them flew over, Sirius firmly catches the snowy silhouette that had been in mid-fall.


    The woman in her embrace seemed to be a fairy of peerless beauty who had come from the peak of an ice mountain. Her snowy flesh shone with the l.u.s.ter of ice and seemed to glow with an almost transparent jade light.


    Though her complexion was incredibly pale and the pain in her face had yet to dissolve, her beauty was still one that even the best painting in the world would find hard to portray. The eyes beneath her slightly knitted slender brows were closed and her full, snow-white lips were slightly opened¡­ she had already completely lost consciousness.


    "Master!!!" The terribly panicked voice of a girl quickly approached from above. The blue-clothed girl becomes alarmed seeing three women appear out of nowhere and what''s even worse is that they have her Master with them.


    "W-W-Who are you?! Let go of my Master!" The blue-clothed girl said nervously.


    "Greetings, honored visitors from the upper realm... Our Master wants to have a word with the two of you." Esdeath said with a smirk.

 Chapter 121 - 120

    (AN: Thanks a lot for the donation, ScarletBloodMoon! I hope you enjoy the chapter!).


    "You¡­ hurry up and release my Master!" The blue-clothed girl was so anxious that she doesn''t realize that Esdeath obviously knows of her real identity being a person from the upper realm.


    The people of this realm shouldn''t have the knowledge of the upper realm unless they are a special case such as Xia Qingyue who has some knowledge about it from her Mother.


    "As I said... Our Master wanted to have a word with the two of you. It would be best if you don''t make any unnecessary movement..." Esdeath said with narrowed eyes.


    Sirius calmly took out a knife and positioned it at the throat of the woman in her embrace.


    "Don''t!" Sirius''s action caused the blue-clothed girl to turn pale. She took a fierce step forward but then immediately retrieved it¡­ Her master was in their hands, weak to the point of having lost consciousness and had no power to resist anything. Even if she was even more anxious and hated them so much that her teeth went numb, she still wouldn''t dare to act without thinking. "Y-you¡­ hurry up and let my Master go. Or else¡­ or else I won''t be polite! I''m warning you right now, I''m really strong!"


    "...You''re not very bright, are you? No... perhaps naive is more fitting to describe you." Esdeath said with a sigh.


    Her Master is obviously in their hands, so why would you try to show your prowess? In the end, no matter how powerful you are, if the one you tried to save is dead then it won''t matter whether you managed to kill your opponents or not.


    It would be a bittersweet victory at most...


    "I''m not naive! I-I''m very fierce! You don''t want to make me angry!"


    "..." Esdeath and Altair speechlessly look at this overly naive girl... Even Little Hong''er and Little Nyaruko are not as naive as her...


    "Whatever... Now just calmly follow us if you don''t want any harm befall your Master. And according to our estimation, your Master doesn''t have much time left... If you keep being so adamant in stopping us then you will only have yourself to blame when her time is up." Esdeath said with a wave before the three of them turn around.


    At first, the blue-clothed girl was unsure of what to do but soon she quickly follows after them... She''s still feeling indignant about the whole situation but there''s nothing she could do since her Master in their hands... if not... humph humph! She will show them just how fierce she is!


    ...


    Esdeath''s group brought the two visitors to their Master''s location.


    Issei is calmly standing in front of a beautiful pond located near his room...


    There''s some simple furniture such as table and chairs situated nearby.


    Hong''er, Bai''er, and Nyaruko are happily riding on top of a profound beast. They''re treating the profound beast like a race car and have them run around the pond...


    The profound beast is acting like a true domesticated pet and they gladly carry their respective tiny tot on their back.


    "Yiyaa! Yiyaa! Run faster little red!" Hong''er is the loudest of them all followed by Nyaruko: "Go chase after them and defeat little big sis Hong''er blacky!"


    Bai''er only let out a happy giggle while following after them...


    "Master, we have brought the two visitors." Esdeath said respectfully.


    "Um." Issei nodded slightly.


    The blue-clothed girl felt like she just entered a dream world because of how beautiful this location is... How come she and her Master doesn''t spot this location before? They clearly had a clear view of the entire Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace...


    But her breath stagnated when she saw the otherworldly man who''s supposedly these three strangers Master...


    She thought that her Senior Brother Hanyi was the most graceful and perfect man she ever knew but now all of her previous thoughts have been turned upside down...


    There are no words that could describe this person in front of her... The word "Perfect" doesn''t do him any justice either... He''s beyond perfection...


    That enchanting wine-red eyes, that warm smile... She becomes lost in the reverie just by gazing at his side view...


    She''s only nineteen years old this year and her worldly experience is pretty much the same as Feng Xue''er from the past... Even other experienced women such as Xuanyuan Yufeng couldn''t resist his charm, needless to say about this blue-clothed girl who basically still wet behind the ears...


    Esdeath''s group who saw this smirked to themselves... It looks like not even a person from the upper realm could resist their Master otherworldly charm...


    "Put her down on that bench." Issei said softly while he waved his hand to erect a soundproof barrier surrounding Bai''er''s party.


    Sirius slowly put the woman in her hands down on the bench just as instructed.


    And at the same time, the blue-clothed girl finally snapped out of her daze: "Y-Y-You.. L-Let go of my Master!" She shouted with a stutter.


    Even though it seems that her words are directed at Issei, but she doesn''t dare to look at him right in the face and she looked at Sirius instead...


    "Is that really what you want?" Issei asked the blue-clothed girl calmly.


    "O-O-Of course!" She tried her best to sound calm but to no avail. She''s feeling nervous and worried at the same time...


    "You should know that your Master has been poisoned and she''s about to lose her life any second now... But I can cure poison in exchange for something."


    "Y-you''re lying!" How could the blue-clothed girl believe that? Even though she was dazed by this man''s sight before, with her Master''s life on the line she couldn''t let herself be lied upon: "The flame poison that Master was infected by couldn''t even be cured by the Great Realm¡­ there can''t possibly be a way to cure it!"


    Issei doesn''t say anything else before he sends a small ball of green light towards the woman on the bench...


    "Ah! Wh-What are you doing?!" The blue-clothed girl thought that Issei wanted to harm her Master so she anxiously dashed forward only to be blocked by Esdeath.


    "Go away!" With a furious shout, a faint blue colored ball of profound energy silently erupted from her body.


    Esdeath who saw this grinned slightly before she released her own profound energy... While the profound energy the blue-clothed girl''s releasing is blue colored, Esdeath''s profound energy is colored bluish-red...


    Esdeath welcomed the blue-clothed girl''s attack with only her left hand.


    Bang!!!


    Boom


    Esdeath''s hand made contact with the blue light¡­ that blue light was extremely soft and it seemed especially gentle, so much that it even gave off a bit of an illusory feeling. However, in a split second, it released an extremely terrifying power... but it''s still not enough to harm her. It''s powerful but not powerful enough...


    Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius obviously haven''t been idling around for the past three years. Even though their current cultivation seems like they''re only at the peak level Monarch, their true combat prowess is already at the Divine Tribulation Realm.


    If they were to work together and taking the skills they received from Issei then they can go head to head with someone at the Divine Spirit Realm... They could even give someone at the Divine King Realm a good fight...


    The only reason why their progress seems so slow for being the creation of a Godking was because the energy on this realm is already too weak for them. If they were to go to the upper realm then they could progress faster...


    "Not bad." Esdeath''s praised lightly after she successfully blocked the attack.


    "What?! H-How is that possible!?" The blue-clothed girl was extremely shocked¡­ This woman''s profound strength is only at the peak level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. That last strike should''ve left her half-dead...


    Her own cultivation realm is at the early stage of . There shouldn''t be anyone from this lower realm that''s capable of blocking her attack... Then how come this woman could easily block her attack?! And to top it off, she seems completely uninjured!


    Granted that attack just now wasn''t her full power but it should''ve been enough to handle those who are at the peak level Monarch like Esdeath...


    "Young miss." Compared to the blue-clothed girl''s evident panic, Issei''s voice sounded a little sharper than before: "I understand that you''re feeling anxious about your Master... And just like you, I really hate it when others wanting to harm those who are close to me. Those who usually break this creed of mine usually ended up dead or even worst... The reason why I haven''t done anything to you was because I know that we''re in the fault for suddenly kidnapping your Master out of the blue like this and also because your attack doesn''t have any killing intent behind it... But I would advise that you stop your hostile behavior or we would be forced to retaliate."


    His sharp voice made the girl flinched while fear started to creep up on her body...


    Esdeath''s body trembled lightly while her cheeks started to flush... Ahhh... Master... To think that you consider us as someone close to you~, this Esdeath is in bliss... She thought jubilantly inside her mind.


    Even Altair and Sirius also had their cheeks flushed slightly... they both clearly share the same thoughts as Esdeath...


    At this time, the blue-clothed girl suddenly felt the white-clothed female on the bench slightly stir before slowly opening her eyes. Although she was expressionless, her eyes were still as beautiful as dreamy stars.


    "Master!" The blue-clothed girl shouted in surprise before she ran straight for her Master''s direction.


    This time Esdeath doesn''t block her path and let her passes through.


    Then, she said fearfully, "Master, h-how are you? Please don''t have anything happen to you. You almost scared me to death before, uuu¡­"


    As she said that, the blue-clothed girl was already crying uncontrollably. She cried not only because she''s feeling worried about her Master but also because she''s being ''bullied'' right now...


    The white-clothed female''s chest slightly moved as she said softly. "Xiaolan¡­? did you feed me something? And where is..." She slowly rose from the bench only to get her words stuck on her throat when she sees Issei.


    Although her reaction is not as conspicuous as the blue-clothed girl, she still becomes dumbstruck from seeing him...


    The white-clothed female personality is extremely calm and mild. Her heart and mind are pure and without a speck of dust... but when she saw this man before her, her calm heart started to beat erratically. Her feelings started to become disordered and if it was in the past, this act would''ve made her poison rebound but now it doesn''t react in the slightest...


    "Ah?" The blue-clothed girl was stunned. "I¡­ didn''t. I didn''t give Master anything to eat. Master suddenly fell from the sky earlier and then passed out. Then¡­ Then... These people brought Master here." She said while sobbing softly.


    "..." The white-clothed female hastily snaps out of her stupor and her eyes flashed with bewilderment and surprise. She said softly, "...When I lost consciousness, my life energy was already depleted. I would undoubtedly die in the next thirty breaths and never wake up again¡­ Why would I reawaken¡­ the poison in my life vein has weakened by a full thirty percent¡­"


    "Ah?" The blue-clothed girl once again was stunned in place.


    "Was I¡­ saved by¡­ an expert¡­" The white-clothed female''s voice gradually weakened as her eyes started to survey her surroundings, at first, her eyes locked onto Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius but finally, it locked back onto the same man that she first saw.


    Her cheeks inadvertently reddened by a tiny bit... She quickly used her profound art to calm herself down...


    "You must be Mu Bingyun.." Issei suddenly said.


    His words made the two women become alarmed.


    "...Who are you? How did you know about my name?" Mu Bingyun asked with her guard up. It''s not rare for someone wanting to harm her considering her status and with how many people feel dissatisfied with her...


    "Who am I and why I know about you is not important... But I wanted to make a deal with you." Issei said dismissively.


    "...What deal?" Mu Bingyun asked cautiously.


    "I can cure you of your poison." Issei straightforwardly said.


    "..." Mu Bingyun who heard Issei''s words went silent while the blue-clothed girl started to shout excitedly: "Master! He can cure you! He really can cure you! He''s the one who did something to your body and that''s why your poison has been cleansed by thirty percent! It must be! I saw it with my own two eyes!"


    The blue-clothed girl looked up at Issei: "Please, can you save my master? It was my fault before. I shouldn''t have jump into conclusions like that... The debts I owe to my master are as weighty as a mountain. If Master is no longer alive, I¡­ I also do not want to live anymore. Please¡­ if you are willing to save my master, I¡­ I will do anything for you."


    "I only need one thing from your Master. And it shouldn''t be hard to fulfill." Issei said calmly.


    "...Can you tell me about it first? The thing you wanted me to fulfill?" Mu Bingyun asked. If it''s anything that goes against her conscience then she won''t accept it...


    "I want you to bring someone to the upper realm with you and I want you to take her into your sect. She''s someone from the , it shouldn''t be hard right?"


    "...That''s it?" Mu Bingyun asked in confusion. She thought that his request would be something hard to achieve but if that''s all she needs to do then it is very easy...


    "That''s it. You might as well meet her now."


    Issei then sends a voice transmission towards Xia Qingyue asking her to meet him... Less than a minute, Qingyue arrived at their place...


    The current Xia Qingyue is already grown up... She just recently turns twenty years old.


    Her beauty even already surpasses Mu Bingyun.


    She wears no makeup, but it doesn''t matter, for the heaven itself seems to have done everything in its power to sculpt her countenance to perfection. Her skin is a perfect match for the expression "bone of jade, flesh of ice", and not one part of her facial features, her snow-white skin or her vermilion lips, are imperfect, inelegant, or crude.


    (AN: Jade-chan is here~ Come and say hello bois~).


    However, her perfect countenance also exudes coolness and holiness that averted all eyes. She gives off the impression of a pure, untainted fairy who resides in a world higher than the nine heavens.


    Her attaintment in the profound way couldn''t be any more perfect and she''s ready to step into the Divine path when the opportunity presented themselves before her.


    The only reason why she hasn''t step into the Divine path was because Issei sealed some of her strength just like Xiaotao did to Feng Xue''er. He needs to make sure that if she were to step into the Divine path, she won''t be affected by Nyarlathotep''s influences...


    He won''t let her reach the peak of this world only to be devoured by the Law of Chaos hence Issei created a brand new Divine path free of Nyarlathotep''s meddling.


    It wasn''t too hard, he only needs to tweak some things here and there with the old ''system''.


    And his intuition was proven to be correct when he inspected her... The "Heavenly Law" Nyarlathotep created is influencing Xia Qingyue''s destiny from the shadows.


    But it seems that it''s not affecting her that much any longer when he inspected it. There''s only some tiny residue here and there but it doesn''t really matter.


    Nyarlathotep herself said that if she didn''t find Issei by now then she would undoubtedly give her "Mark" to Xia Qingyue... And Xia Qingyue also has the biggest chance to attain the Law of Nothingness second only to Issei.


    Nyarlathotep doesn''t seem to care about anything else when she found her new ''toy'' to play with...


    Issei couldn''t destroy the "Heavenly Law" because it''s a part of Nyarlathotep... If he wanted to destroy it then he needs to kill her first... And that is something impossible for him to do at the moment...


    "Qingyue greets Elder." Her gaze when she laid her eyes upon Issei couldn''t be mistaken with anything else but a gaze of a maiden in love. As if she''s looking at someone who meant the entire world to her...


    Perhaps if she were to choose between her Mother and Issei, she would choose the latter instead...


    Even her voice sounded extremely soft and limpid which could make any men swoon if she were to speak with them in this tone.


    Even the blue-clothed female who''s basically naive and obviously lacking in this field could tell that Xia Qingyue has feelings for Issei...


    She also thought that this newcomer is so unbelievably pretty... She to admit it but even her own Master is not her match...


    Xia Qingyue only lacks experience of a mature woman and if she were to given more time then she could reach Nyarlathotep''s level in terms of beauty...


    But Issei seems oblivious with this... and it''s obviously because of Nyarlathotep.


    She suppressed his ''love'' wanting to corrupt him but it only resulted in making him a bit dense, making his awareness on this field to almost non-existent.


    And the ''love'' he has towards Bai''er''s group is a familial love obviously...


    It looks like even though she could suppress his ''love'' to a certain extent, it only prevents new ''loved ones'' from entering but she can''t erase the one that already exists inside his heart though... which is quite vexing to her...


    "Um... Qingyue, these two guests are from the or to be exact, they''re from the ." Issei nodded at her greeting and he immediately informed Xia Qingyue about their two guests.


    Xia Qingyue who heard his words had her eyes went wide before she turns her gaze on Mu Bingyun and the blue-clothed girl.


    Mu Bingyun started to inspect Xia Qingyue earnestly as well... There''s something special about Xia Qingyue but she couldn''t tell just what is it...


    Issei taught Xia Qingyue to hide her special physiques because according to Jasmine, her physiques are extremely rare and if anyone were to learn of it then they would undoubtedly start targeting her...


    "Ah?" Mu Xiaolan looked at Issei with surprise, "You¡­ you actually know about our Snow Song Realm and the God Realm?"


    Of course he knows... he even already knows about your Master, little girl... Esdeath''s group thought speechlessly to themselves.


    Her reaction made even Mu Bingyun sigh wryly to herself... It looks like her disciple is too gullible...


    If she were to be captured by an enemy then perhaps with just a bit of misleading, she would''ve told them everything... It looks like she needs to educate her more...


    "Mm, and I also know that your Master is the ancestor of the ." Issei said offhandedly.


    "What?!" There''s a loud shout coming from the entrance. It is none other than Feng Qianhui and the other girls...


    Issei already sensed their presence and they most likely tag along with Xia Qingyue when they heard that Issei is calling for her. They wanted to see just what Issei wanted from Xia Qingyue but the outcome made them become taken aback...


    This woman is Mu Bingyun?! Didn''t the Immortal Palace''s ancestor already passed away a thousand years ago? Then how come she''s alive right now?


    They don''t doubt their sect elder words but it''s quite shocking to say nonetheless...


    "Come on in, everyone... No need to stand there." Issei with a sigh. Why do they even need to hide like that?


    The girls blushed slightly when they realized that they have been found...


    "Elder Ise, you said that this woman is the ancestor of our palace?" Feng Qianhui said in disbelief.


    "Um. I''m sure of it... The is not the real name of your profound art. Its real name should be the . Am I right, Mu Bingyun?" Issei said lightly.


    Even though the girls could cultivate the art with Issei help, but since it is not the true then their power is quite lacking. It is merely a pale shadow of the true Divine Art.


    "You''re right... I''m indeed the same Mu Bingyun who created the . And this is my disciple, Mu Xiaolan." Since they''ve been found out then she might as well admit it...


    Her whole body flashed with a faint blue light. Ice spirits danced around and on the palm that she had reached out, a small, delicate ice blue jade tree grew slowly, its icy branches and snow leaves expanding gorgeously.


    "Ah! Frozen End Divine Arts!!" The Frozen Cloud ladies all let out a gasp.


    Before their eyes were, no question, the Frozen End Divine Arts. Because the thing growing on Mu Bingyun''s palm was the most common Tree of Frozen End that was used in Frozen End Divine Arts. But, the Frozen End aura that was released by Mu Bingyun was very different from the Frozen End aura that they knew.


    The Frozen End Divine Art that they had cultivated was simply a relatively strong ice attribute profound art.


    And on Mu Bingyun, whether it was the profound light, profound energy or the Tree of Frozen End in her palm, they all seemed as if they were alive, as if they possessed an independent soul while releasing cold law they had never before touched.


    Mu Bingyun seemed to have thought of something. At the next moment, a small, delicate diamond-shaped icicle floated from Mu Bingyun''s body and released a strange, dreamy blue light in the sky.


    "That is¡­ the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul!!!" The disciples of Frozen Cloud all gasped once again.


    Everyone present was well aware of what the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul was. Because this was one of the most precious treasures of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, it was the proof of identity for every generation''s Immortal Palace Mistresses. It also carried all the arts of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace and memories of the previous Immortal Palace Mistresses. And in this generation, the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul was naturally on Feng Qianhui''s hand.


    In the Profound Sky Continent, the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul was absolutely unique.


    "It is actually not called the Frozen Cloud Celestial Soul. It is the Ice Phoenix Frost Crystal that is unique to the . Even though it is a frost crystal, it will never melt and can be fused into a person''s body. It is an extremely good soul vessel." Mu Bingyun explained calmly.


    "When I left a thousand years ago, I was already determined to cut off all ties with this world. I never expected that I actually couldn''t let go of it and returned here. As a result, I have even gained the hope of surviving. Or perhaps this is also fate destined by the heavens... in the end, I was still unable to have a detached heart of ice." Mu Bingyun explained unhurriedly. Particularly during the few years where her life was approaching its end, she was never able to stop thinking about Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace¡­ and worry about its "Thousand Year Calamity."


    That was after all, what she was worried about the most. Those years were the most unforgettable years of her life. Every disciple of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace''s first generation that she had taken in carried a strand of her lifeblood¡­ It was as if they were her children.


    She couldn''t help but glance at Issei.


    This man... just who is he? He never saw him when she last visited... Is he the reason behind the sudden increase in their profound realm? And his profound realm... It''s only at the peak level throne...


    There''s no way things are so simple... his cultivation is most likely a fake.


    "She¡­ she¡­ is really the ancestral Palace Mistress?" Gong Yuxian said in startlement.


    "Our sect Elder has already said so, didn''t he? We believe our sect Elder words from the start!" Feng Hanyue and Hanxue chirped giddily.


    "Stop saying it like we don''t believe him either..." Chu Yueli said wryly. These two brats... can''t they see that they''re in the presence of their sect elder? What would they do if their sect elder feels offended because he thinks that they don''t believe him? That won''t do.


    "Everyone, let''s stop our bickering for now..." Feng Qianhui berated them lightly: "Let''s greet our Ancestor first."


    Then they all paid respects at the same time. "Frozen Cloud disciple¡­ greets Senior Ancestor Bingyun!"


    "You don''t have to do that. Everyone, rise." Mu Bingyun''s snowy hand gently lifted. They were all instantly supported up by a gentle force and couldn''t help but all rise.


    Mu Bingyun then silently looks at them... Even though they seem surprised when they saw her... it''s only to that extent...


    She can tell that they might feel some respect towards her but the respect they had towards this sect Elder of theirs are much higher... and also... they clearly hold some feelings towards him...


    To think that all of them had feelings towards the same man.


    She can tell that Issei doesn''t have any indecent or l.u.s.tful thoughts as well... And the girls still have their vital yin... the same goes for this man.


    What''s more important is that all of them are extremely talented... especially this girl who is named Xia Qingyue and this woman who should be named Chu Yuechan.


    There''s something special about them that made them stand out from the other Frozen Cloud disciples.


    The first one exuding a calm and steady aura while the latter is exuding a cold and overbearing aura...


    "Then, I take it that you would accept my condition?" Issei asked Mu Bingyun when she''s still contemplating.


    "Um... I accept." She responded with a nod.


    "Good." Issei nodded back before he slowly waved his hand. The appeared on top of his palm and it let out the same green light as he used before but it''s larger in scale.


    The light then entered Mu Bingyun''s body...


    Mu Bingyun becomes taken aback when she saw the while Mu Xiaolan only thought that this pearl is quite pretty...


    Even though the poison in Mu Bingyun''s body was strong, it was far inferior to the poison Jasmine had been inflicted with and also not as toxic as the devil poison Hong''er had previously possessed either. So Issei could easily cleanse her poison...


    However¡­ according to her story, she had been infected by this poison a thousand years ago and could not cure it during that entire time. Being able to persevere for a thousand years surely meant that she relied on a massive amount of treasures to forcible preserve her life. It was easy to imagine how far the poison could''ve spread over an entire millennium.


    It was hardly surprising that this poison had completely invaded her soul body and had even taken form to become a poison spirit.


    Poison spirits were things he had seen many times before. Only high-level toxins were able to birth poison spirits... His wife, Semiramis often unintentionally created a poison spirit whenever she''s experimenting with poisons so he''s not foreign about this kind of stuff.


    Jasmine poison has not been lingering long enough to give birth to a poison spirit and Hong''er case is pretty much the same since she had her body frozen inside the coffin right after she got inflicted with the poison.


    The poison spirit birthed from Mu Bingyun''s poison clearly already possessed a high-level consciousness, even so much that it had its own independent life force. That lifeforce was born from Mu Bingyun''s lifeline and they were completely linked. If the poison spirit died, there was no question that she would die too. On the other hand, if Mu Bingyun died, not only would the poison spirit not disappear, it would truly become its own independent entity.


    As such, if he wanted to disperse the poison in her body, he had to eliminate the poison spirit. And if he wanted to eliminate the poison spirit, he had to sever the connection between Mu Bingyun''s lifeline and the poison spirit. And that is very easy for Issei to achieve...


    Ironically, if Jasmine poison were to birthed a poison spirit in the past, it would''ve been much easier for Issei to cure her back then... he can just extract the poison spirit and erase it just like that and she would be cured a lot faster.


    When the green light entered Mu Bingyun''s body. Issei created a red whirlpool in his hand to extract the poison spirit out of her body...


    Hisss!


    Followed by the sound of an obscure shrill cry, a streak of fire suddenly fled from Mu Bingyun''s body and quickly warped into a sinister-looking flame image.


    "Ah!" Mu Xiaolan lightly gasped when she saw the Poison spirit...


    The poison spirit struggled with all its might while hissing, but when it saw Issei, it instantly becomes frozen stiff before it started shuddering fiercely...


    "Oh?" Issei hummed lightly when he sensed a familiar energy signature coming from the poison spirit... it has traces of Lieyan''s energy signature inside of it. Or to be precise, the Golden Crow''s flame.


    The person who had heavily injured and poisoned Mu Bingyun a thousand years ago¡­ was most likely someone who possessed the Golden Crow God''s legacy.


    Issei already knew that there were people in the Realm of the Gods who possessed the Golden Crow flames and other divine beings such as the Phoenix and the Vermilion bird. So Issei is not that surprised.


    But he didn''t know that those from the Flame God Realm and the Snow Song Realm are enemies... Well, it doesn''t really matter...


    He doesn''t really care much about either side. He only knows that it is extremely beneficial for Xia Qingyue to enter the Snow Song Realm... They''re strong enough and it''s also where the original Frozen Divine Art was from.


    He wouldn''t mind giving the Snow Song Realm a hand if they were to be attacked by the Flame God Realm but that''s only if the Snow Song Realm is not at fault first...


    Once this thought flashed by in his mind, he calmly put the poison spirit inside the . He could just let Naru make use of it later.


    Then Issei noticed the shocked face on Mu Bingyun. Even though she has been cured of her poison, there isn''t any apparent joy on her face...


    "You were about to die earlier but I saved you just now, why do you not seem to feel happy or excited?" Issei asked lightly. Could she be unafraid of death?


    Mu Bingyun shifted her gaze and calmly looked at him. "During these past years, I have always been awaiting death. I have already grown indifferent to whether or not I live or die. Now that I''m able to survive, I''m actually somewhat at a loss."


    "Though it is true that being able to live is a good thing," Mu Bingyun said mildly at the end.


    "Well, your poison is no more. I have already fulfilled my part of the deal now it''s your turn." Issei said with a shrug.


    Although she wanted to ask just how did he get his hand on the Sky Poison Pearl... She won''t ask him about it.


    Even though she never saw the Sky Poison Pearl before, since the Sky Poison Pearl is merely a rumor and it has never been seen by anyone.


    It was just a guess that suddenly flashed past her mind. The poison in her body has already existed for a thousand years and she was more aware than anyone of its terrifying strength. Even her elder sister, the Realm King of the Snow Song Realm can do nothing about it. But, he''s actually able to achieve such progress in a short amount of time. It was impossible for her not to think of the legend that originated from the Primordial Era...


    And the fact that he doesn''t seem to care whether she recognizes the pearl or not only made her become warier against him... Anyone would''ve wanted to keep their treasures a secret but he just exposed it without a single care.


    It could be seen as a testament to his true strength... Someone who''s completely unafraid of having the news of him possessing one of the Heavenly treasures must be by no means weak...


    Of course, there''s a chance that he doesn''t know anything and just haven''t thought things through, but her intuition is telling her that it''s because he has the capabilities to keep the treasure instead...


    "M-Master!"


    Mu Xiaolan''s shout was filled with boundless joy. She quickly noticed that her master''s complexion had now obviously held some color. Then, she noticed her aura, which was several times stronger than before and was so moved that tears instantly tumbled down. "Uuu¡­ Master, are you alright? Are you really alright now? Have you truly been cured of your poison?"


    Mu Bingyun reached out and gently stroked Mu Xiaolan''s head. "Xiaolan, I''ve worried you again. But from now on, it seems like our master and disciple relationship will still have a long future ahead of us."


    "Uuu¡­ waah!" Mu Bingyun''s words made the soft cries of Mu Xiaolan turn into a loud wail. She tightly hugged Mu Bingyun and cried loudly, not caring about how she looked.


    *Sniff* This is great. The Great Realm King will definitely be happy after receiving this news."After crying for a while, Mu Xiaolan said with a smile.


    "..." Mu Bingyun did not respond but what Mu Xiaolan had said softened her gaze. The corners of her mouth had also hooked slightly, forming a light smile that was beautiful to the point of being illusory.


    "Elder Ise, may Qingyue know what deal you had with the Ancestor?" Xia Qingyue asked softly.


    "Hm? I asked her to bring you to the upper realm. That way you can find your Mother... Isn''t that what you want?" Issei said towards her.


    Xia Qingyue''s eyes stirred while a warm and sweet feeling started to gush out inside her heart... To think that he still remembers her wish: "Qingyue is grateful for Elder benevolence..." She said with a happy smile.


    "Don''t mind it. It''s only a slight effort from my side." Issei said calmly.


    His gaze also swept past the bodies of the group of Frozen Cloud members before he said seriously, "I also have something to announce to all of you..."


    When they heard his words, the girls immediately had their attention on him.


    "More than three years have already passed since the first time I arrived here and becoming a guest Elder of your palace... My stay here has been a pleasure but it is time for me to leave." His words made all of the palace disciple eyes went wide... without a single exception.


    "The calamity that in your prophecy has already passed. From now on there will be no one else that''s able to harm any of you."


    "Elder Ise, why... why are you suddenly leaving?" Chu Yueli asked anxiously.


    "Elder Ise, you¡­ you don''t want us anymore?" Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue nearly cried.


    Actually, inside their hearts, they already know that this day would eventually come...


    "Elder Ise... Where will you go? Will you go back home?" Chu Yuechan asked Issei.


    "Sadly, I still can''t go back to my home... But I will go to the upper realm temporarily." Issei responded.


    "Big brother/Father!" Hong''er and Nyaruko ran over at this time.


    "Hm?" Issei turned his attention to the two little troublemakers. Bai''er is right behind with a happy smile on her face.


    "Come let''s have a race!" They immediately dragged Issei with them disregarding the girls and the visitors.


    Issei could only smile wryly at them while letting them do as they please: "Sure sure..."


    "Ah? He already has a daughter?" Mu Xiaolan said with a little bit of disappointment in her voice even though she doesn''t realize this herself.


    Even Mu Bingyun is somewhat a little surprised... didn''t he still has his vital yang? Then how come he already has a daughter? She didn''t realize that there''s also slight disappointment sprouting inside her heart...


    "Lady Nyaruko is not his biological daughter. You could say that she''s Master adopted daughter." Altair who saw their surprised face said lightly.


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan nodded understandingly... There''s a slight relief inside their heart without them realizing it after the revelation...


    "En... Elder Ise is extremely gentle and kind when he''s dealing with children." Feng Qianhui said with a small smile on her face.


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan inadvertently smile warmly when they saw how Issei interacts with the three little girls...


    "...So, Xia Qingyue, was it? Are you willing to come with me to the ?" Mu Bingyun then asked Xia Qingyue.


    "..." Xia Qingyue''s gaze wavered when she heard Mu Bingyun''s question. Does that mean that she must separate with her sect Elder? Even though he said that he will also go to the upper realm... he doesn''t say that he will go to the with her...


    Can she still see him if they were to separate?


    It means that someday he will completely disappear from her life...


    "...Do you feel reluctant parting with your sect Elder?"


    "...Yes."


    Xia Qingyue doesn''t refute her words and only nodded slightly with an upset expression on her face.


    "And it seems that you''re not the only one..." Mu Bingyun said while observing the other palace disciples.


    Their expressions are obvious to all... There are around a hundred disciples in total and all of them share the same feelings...


    Was it because of his otherworldly countenance? It shouldn''t be... There''s no way all of them would develop feelings for him just because of that... right?


    "Senior Ancestor might not understand this but the debt we owe him is so big that perhaps we couldn''t ever repay him in this lifetime... All we did was took him inside our palace when he''s unconscious. And just from that little kindness from our side... He basically gives the entire world for us... well, our current world that is..." Feng Qianhui said with a sigh as if she could read what Mu Bingyun had in mind.


    The other girls nodded along with her statement.


    "Of course, we''re not saying that we don''t owe senior Ancestor but it''s just that..."


    "I understand..."


    "If it wasn''t for him then perhaps we won''t be here today... The prophecy is indeed real but because of his involvement, we managed to avoid it."


    "I see..." Mu Bingyun nodded understandingly at Feng Qianhui''s words.


    "Then why don''t you all just follow him?" She then asked briefly.


    "We were planning to but we''re afraid of being rejected by him." Feng Qianhui said with a wry smile.


    "Hmm..." Then Mu Bingyun when into contemplation once again... she started to observe Issei once again.


    Esdeath''s group only stand silently to the side since it''s completely up to their Master if he wanted to bring them along or not.


    "Umm, who are they?" Mu Xiaolan whispered while stealthily pointing at Esdeath and the others.


    She''s quite curious about Esdeath''s identity since she''s able to block her attack just now.


    "Them? They said that they are his servants." Feng Qianhui said.


    "Oh..."


    ...


    Issei then contacted Xiaotao and Lieyan as well about his decision...


    At the Little Demon Empress Palace...


    "What? His excellency will leave to the God Realm?" Hearing Lieyan''s words, the Little Demon Empress was caught off guard. Even her aura had become somewhat disorderly.


    She had already heard stories about the God Realm. There were many experts there, stronger than what they could possibly imagine and numerous unknown dangers present.


    Issei was the absolute supreme existence of the Profound Sky Continent. None were his match, and perhaps, no, the Golden Crow already said that not even someone from the upper realm would be his match... So even if he were to go to the God Realm, nothing will change other than he won''t be around her any longer...


    An unfathomable distance and plane existed between the Blue Pole Star and the Realm of the Gods. If he were to really go to the God Realm, it wasn''t known how long until they could meet again.


    "Indeed. Master said that he will be leaving soon." Lieyan said nonchalantly.


    Looks like it''s time for her Master to go to the upper realm... She hopes that those who had the Golden Crow legacy from up there won''t do anything stupid or their death will be guaranteed...


    "...Does that mean that he won''t return here?" The Little Demon Empress slightly bit her lip as her chest heaved.


    "Who knows... Maybe he will or maybe he won''t. It''s completely up to him." Lieyan shrugged.


    "...Can I... Can I come?" The Little Demon Empress asked in a low voice.


    "Oh?" Lieyan raised her eyebrows at her: "To be honest, I''m leaning towards you coming with us... But once again, it''s completely up to Master. If he''s willing then sure, you''re free to tag along. After all, you''re the full inheritor of the Golden Crow legacy that I choose. It will be great if you could bear Master''s child." Lieyan said with a smirk.


    The Little Demon Empress''s face immediately blushed furiously... But she doesn''t hate that idea at all...


    A similar conversation happened with Feng Xue''er and Su Ling''er...


    Feng Xue''er is informed by Xiaotao while Su Ling''er is told by Naru and Zin.


    Issei told Naru and Zin to accompany Ling''er a few days ago.


    Their reaction also pretty much the same with The Little Demon Empress... They wanted to come with him...


    ...


    "Excuse me, but may I ask why don''t you bring her with you yourself? You''re heading to the upper realm yourself, aren''t you?" Mu Bingyun asked Issei who just returned from accompanying the three tiny tot... The three of them stopped playing a racing game and started a game of card that Issei taught them instead...


    Xia Qingyue who heard Mu Bingyun words had her eyes lit up. If she could come with Issei instead then she''s more than willing.


    "Well... Let''s just say that it''s quite risky if she were to come with me. My enemy is still around and I don''t want to implicate Qingyue by bringing her with me." Issei said with a small sigh. If there''s no Nyarlathotep then he might just bring Xia Qingyue himself but...


    He doesn''t know what Nyarlathotep is thinking or what she''s hiding. He doesn''t want to get Xia Qingyue involved...


    She''s looking for her mother which is a good purpose in his opinion and he doesn''t want to ruin her family...


    [Ah~ how cruel, even though we already have a ''daughter'' together... I''m not your enemy, Dear Husband~ I''m your rival! There''s a difference, okay? And I already said that I won''t harm you, didn''t I?] Nyarlathotep''s playful voice resounded in his mind.


    Issei completely ignored Nyarlathotep''s words since he doesn''t believe her at all...


    There''s no immediate reaction coming from Mu Bingyun or Mu Xiaolan but the girls had their eyes widen.


    They fully know just how powerful he is and didn''t he said that he already killed his enemy in the past? Then how come they suddenly still around?


    "No need to be worried... Even though they''re still around, they''re in no condition to fight me either." Issei said in reassurance after he notices the worried expression the girls had.


    Only then they sighed in relief...


    "Where will you go when you arrive at the God Realm?" Mu Bingyun inquired once again.


    "I''m not sure... I guess I will see when I get there." Issei said calmly. Well, he might help Jasmine a little bit but after that... who knows.


    "Then how about becoming a guest in my ?" She doesn''t know just how powerful Issei is but it will be extremely beneficial for the sect if someone who has the in his possession is staying in the sect.


    She''s pretty sure that her elder sister would agree with her decision...


    "Ise..." When Issei about to respond, Feng Qianhui suddenly spoke: "...Can you bring us with you?"


    Issei frowned a little when he heard Feng Qianhui''s request.


    "...Didn''t all of you heard what I just said?" Issei speechlessly asked her.


    Esdeath''s group chuckled lightly since they already expected this to happen...


    "We heard it loud and clear... but it doesn''t matter. We won''t be able to repay the gratitude we owe you with just one or two lives... We are more than willing to follow you wherever you go. We have prepared ourselves for this moment... so please... let us come with you." Feng Qianhui said with a hopeful expression.


    The girls then said in unison: "Please let us come with you, Elder Ise!"


    "Your excellency... Please take me with you as well. I will surely be of use to you." At this time, the Little Demon Empress appeared right next to Issei along with Xiaotao. Then Feng Xue''er and Su Ling''er also appeared at the same time...


    "Grandmaster/Elder brother!" Feng Xue''er and Su Ling''er said at the same time.


    "..." Issei becomes slightly taken aback with the whole situation...


    "Grandmaster, please take Xue''er with you... Xue''er begs you." Feng Xue''er grasped Issei''s hand tightly while Su Ling''er went for his other hand.


    Su Ling''er who just turned fifteen years old become more beautiful... Her beauty is starting to bud just like Xia Qingyue in the past.


    "Elder brother, didn''t you said that we will always be together? Then take Ling''er with you." Su Ling''er anxiously said.


    Mu Xiaolan jaws dropped open seeing that there is so many heavenly beauty flocking towards Issei... How come there are so many heavenly beauties in this lower realm?


    And all of them are flocking to him like an ant to a sugar would... Won''t it be catastrophic if he were to go their realm? After all, ninety percent of their realm inhabitants are women...


    "...All of you." Once again, Issei becomes speechless with the whole situation.


    "Master, if I may..." Lieyan suddenly spoke.


    "I think it''s better if Master brings all of them along. Knowing their personality, I''m quite sure that even if Master were to refuse them now, they could just go to the upper realm themselves." Lieyan pointed out.


    "Won''t it leave a bad taste in your mouth if they were somehow got into an accident while they''re looking for you? And also, sure in here there might be nobody that could harm them but what if it was someone from the upper realm?" She said with a knowing smirk.


    "..." Issei who heard Lieyan words went into contemplation himself.


    "What she said is true... Elder Ise, forgive us for being selfish but we will surely look for you even if you were to refuse our request now." Chu Yuechan said firmly.


    [Hmm... Just take them along, Dragon King~... Nobody will be able to harm them if they were to come with you, right?] Nyarlathotep said with a grin.


    It''s you who I''m most worried about! Issei wanted to shout at Nyarlathotep out loud...


    "...*Sigh*" Issei could only sigh once again: "You don''t have to all of that just to repay me you know..."


    "We know, but we wanted to do so anyway. And like Chan''er said, do forgive us for being selfish." Feng Qianhui said. His ignorance in this field is quite vexing but it''s also quite cute at the same time...


    "...Fine." Under the girls hopeful gaze, Issei finally relented...


    "Really!?" Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue shouted giddily at the same time: "You will take us with you, Elder Ise?"


    "Ah..." He nodded wryly and the girls started to cheer at his agreement.


    ''Humph... I knew this was gonna happen...'' Jasmine who was observing from above harrumphed lightly with her thoughts filled with jealousy.


    Xun''er only covered her mouth while chuckling lightly.


    Both of them know that there''s no way these girls would be able to let him go. They already guessed this outcome from miles away... and for some reason, Issei doesn''t seem to realize the girls'' feelings for him... how come he''s sharp about everything else but not on this particular subject? Is he that innocent? Well, he still has his vital Yang so it might be the case...


    When she thought till here, Xun''er blushed slightly and only she knows what she''s currently had in mind...


    "Then... Since you will take them to the upper realm yourself... My part of the deal is null... So how about my offer of being a guest at my sect? You saved my life and also saved Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace. I am unable to guarantee how much of a help I can repay you with but at the very least, I could provide you a place to stay." Mu Bingyun said calmly.


    "...Very well. I will take your offer." Issei said after a little bit of thinking.


    He can just make use of her sect as a cover. Since her sect or realm is at the mid-level then there shouldn''t be many threat that will knocking into their doorstep...


    That way he could just take his time to recover... He needs 3-4 more years to fully recover but... there''s the thing with Nyarlathotep.


    Well, there''s no use to think about it for now. He will handle it when his full strength is back...


    "Um, that''s a relief and you made the right choice... Movements in the God Realm were much different in recent years than they had been in the past. Especially the great king realms, various abnormal changes have happened within them all. Eight years ago, the Eternal Heaven Realm, one of the great king realms, had announced an earth-shattering event¡­ The new Eastern Profound God Convention would be held in the Eternal Heaven Realm!" Mu Bingyun said lightly wanting to see if Issei knew about this or not.


    "Hm? Is that so?" Issei said without much care.


    His reaction kind of baffled her a little... He doesn''t seem to know about it but he also doesn''t seem to care either... Is he from the upper realm or not? Everyone from the upper realm would get excited over this news... Does that mean that he''s not from the upper realm? Then where is he from?


    Well, he did say that he will only stay on the upper realm temporarily... So that means he''s from somewhere else? But where...?


    "Divine Region''s¡­ Profound God Convention? What is that?" But Feng Qianhui is the one who''s feeling intrigued instead.


    "It is the most distinguished meeting in the history of the Realm of the Gods. The Eastern Divine Region has a total of nine thousand star realms. Aside from the four great king realms, all the star realms'' profound strength is limited to a certain criterion and any profound practitioner below the age of sixty is allowed to take part. The scale of the Profound God Convention is extremely huge and every time it is held, a long period of preparations is needed and huge damages would occur. The past Profound God Conventions would happen around every three thousand years. Only seven hundred years have passed between this session and the last and the preparation time of this session is severely shorter than the previous ones." Mu Bingyun explained calmly.


    "Can we participate in the convention, senior ancestor?" Feng Qianhui eyes shone a bit.


    If they could participate and if they were to win, they could give the prize to Issei.


    "Sadly you can''t." Mu Bingyun shook her head. "The preparation time for this Profound God Convention is extremely short, only a mere ten years. According to the time we have left, there are not even half a year left until the Profound God Convention begins. With your profound strength¡­ you wouldn''t even be qualified to participate when that time comes."


    "Oh..." Feng Qianhui sighed sadly.


    "Even though all of you cannot enter Ice Phoenix Palace or Freezing Snow Hall with your aptitude and cultivation, you are still qualified to join Snowfall Palace. I can only bring one person along with me to the upper realm but I''m sure your sect Elder should be able to do something about it?" After all, Issei never asked her to bring him along and only asked her to bring Xia Qingyue before.


    That means that he has the means to go up there by himself. The teleportation formation she uses can only bring three people back... She wanted to see just what method he has...


    "Mm, I have my own method." Issei nodded at her words.


    "Good, then shall we go now?" Mu Bingyun asked.


    ...


    Western Divine Region, Dragon God Realm, Forbidden Land of Samsara. This is the place where Issei first ''visited'' when he arrived in the Primal Chaos Dimension...


    "Mother, have the Spirit Hibiscus Flowers bloomed already?"


    It was a very young and tender voice but even though it sounded so young, this voice was unfathomably ethereal. And when one heard it, it was as if a stream of the purest spring water flowed into one''s heart, spring water so pure that it was enough to quietly cleanse all of the filth and wickedness inside of it.


    "They''ve already bloomed." An ethereal voice belonging to a woman resounded.


    She''s also the first person he ''met'' in this world...


    The amount of benefits she received from absorbing his vital Yang is truly unbelievable...


    She thought that it will take her at least ten or so years to be able to leave this place but she only needs a short span of five years... Now she only needs to wait for another two years before she can finally be free of this place...


    And not only that... he also gifted him a daughter... She never thought that she can conceive in that one short session of theirs...


    She gently turned around in the center of a sea of purple flowers. The sea of flowers was dazzlingly beautiful but it was not an even fraction of her celestial and sacred beauty.


    "That''s simply too awesome! I want to see, I want to see!"


    The tender voice shouted excitedly.


    "Alright," The woman gave a light wave of her snowy hand and a cl.u.s.ter of white light gently swept over her lower abdomen.


    "WAH! It''s so beautiful," the tender voice crowed with delight, "but I want to see it with my own eyes."


    The woman gave a faint smile as she shook her head, "Not yet."


    "When exactly will I be born?"


    "Two years... If nothing goes wrong then you will be born in two more years..." The same day she will be able to leave this place: "These two years will be very short and they will pass in the blink of an eye."


    "But I feel that it''s really long, I really want to be born sooner. I want to see the Spirit Hibiscus Flowers with my own two eyes, I want to see what Mother looks like with my own two eyes."


    The woman stroked her stomach, her warm and gentle voice laced with remorse, "Mother promises you. After these two years, I will bring you to every corner of this universe, and we will go see whatever that you want to see, okay?"


    "Mnnnn, hee hee¡­" the young and tender voice grew happy again, "Mother, don''t worry, I''ll be obedient."


    "That''s right Mother," the young and tender voice''s tone changed, "among the ''knowledge'' that you have imparted to me, there is a part of it that mentions that every living being will not only have a mother but a father too. Furthermore, the father and mother will be together forever. However, why is Mother all alone by herself? Could it be that I don''t have a father?"


    The woman shook her head, "Of course not, your life was given to you by your father."


    "Then why isn''t Father at Mother''s side? Could it be¡­ that thing known as ''abandonment''?"


    "...Your father did not abandon your mother, and it is even more impossible that he will abandon you." She said in the gentlest of tones. ''If anything, it''s your Mother who has wronged your father...'' She said inside her mind.


    She took advantage of him during his sleep... She doesn''t know if he will be willing to admit this daughter of theirs or not... will she even forgive her? She doesn''t know... she can only hope that he''s willing to admit their daughter at the very least. She doesn''t mind if she''s hated because of what she has done as long as their daughter is not the one who''s being hated...


    "It''s just that... he had to go to a rather distant place in order to accomplish some things. Once you are born, Mother will surely bring you to see him."


    "Then¡­ what does Father look like? Will he be just as gentle and just as good looking?"


    She gave a small laugh, "That''s something you will need to see with your own eyes and your own heart and soul... And to give you Mother''s point of view, your father is extremely good looking... even Mother lose to him."


    "Ah? Really? Father is even more good looking than Mother?"


    "Indeed."


    "Wuuuu¡­ I wanted to see father even more now..." the young and tender voice grew small and quiet, "Even though I should be obediently listening to what Mother has said, I¡­ still really want to be born soon and go meet father..."


    The woman only give a weak smile at her daughter''s words... She''s feeling guilty and worried at the same time.


    "Mother, I''ve already learned what race is. Is our race truly the strongest?"


    That young and tender voice then becomes even brighter and more pleasant to the ear. It no longer possessed the upset tone that it had before, causing more than a few birds to softly cry out in response. The woman replied to the voice, "In this current era, the dragon reigns above all living creatures, and as Dragon Gods, we are royalty among the dragon race. We are indeed the strong race in the present world."


    "Then¡­ Father must also be very powerful, correct?"


    The woman said with a smile: "Yes... Your father is the strongest in this world. Nobody is able to come close to his strength... He''s the noblest and strongest Dragon God in existence. If Mother is called the Dragon God by many then your father is the Dragon God Emperor... He stands above every living being in this world. And you, his daughter is the Dragon God Little Princess."


    "Ehehe, I''m a little princess...? That''s great! But mother you''re quite silly... since father is the Dragon God Emperor, that means mother is the Dragon God Empress not a normal Dragon God!" The young and tender voice said with a giggle.


    "Well..." The woman smiled wryly at her daughter''s statement... How come a three years old can be this good at speaking? Is it because she''s his descendant?


    "...A guest has arrived, Mother will speak to you later." She sensed a presence coming to their location.


    She got up and with a wave of her snowy hand, a layer of fantastical white light covered her body, hiding her figure, her looks, and all of her aura...


    ''Father, where are you? I wanted to see you soon!'' The girl thought out loud inside her mind...


    ...


    Issei''s body flinched a little for some reason... He frowned a little thinking just what was the feeling he just experienced...


    Is it his children that''s calling for him? It shouldn''t be... They are not even a month old yet...


    It''s probably his wives... It must be. He smiled softly when he thought about this...


    Well, he will surely return to their side soon... Now it''s time for him to go to the upper realm.


    Mu Bingyun never would have thought that the decision of hers bringing Issei into the sect would actually completely change the situation in the entire sect and even the entire God Realm...


    And she never would have thought that the person who supposedly come from the lower realm she brought back would turn the entire God Realm upside down in the near future¡­


    The wheel of destiny for the Realm of the Gods started turning once more at this very moment.


    "So this is the ?"


    At this moment, they were millions of miles high up in the sky. Looking downwards, an enormous snowy world was below them. Icy mist filled the air and glaciers covered the ground. Every corner of this world seemed to be covered with a thick layer of ice or snow.


    The Snow Song Realm, a star realm that had been covered by ice and snow since ancient times.


    "Yes, it is..." Mu Bingyun said with amazement still... She never thought that Issei is capable of creating a spatial dimension on his own so easily...


    And it''s not any normal spatial dimension but it''s the higher tier spatial law that enables a person to travel between realm! To top it off, he could also bring the whole Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace with him!


    Just who is this man she just met... Mu Bingyun couldn''t help but become a little bit worried but at the same time, she also feels that this might be the best decision she ever made...

 Chapter 122 - 121

    (AN: Big Thanks to jonathan b and Rein for the donations! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Peace out girls scout!).


    In another realm...


    The surface of the ground was slightly golden in color and even the sky revealed a pure, light golden color. The elemental energy floating between heaven and earth was extremely pure and the degree of its density had far surpassed the Profound Sky Continent by several dozens of times. The height of the elemental law here had even surpassed the range of understanding of even the strongest "expert" in the Profound Sky Continent... The "expert" here obviously doesn''t apply to Issei since he''s already standing at the very top of the multiverse alongside Nyarlathotep...


    An enormous palace stood in immediate sight and was towering like a mountain. Glistening with a golden glow, it exuded a formless pressure comparable to the might of heaven and earth. Even if peerless experts were here, their hearts would still palpitate deeply under this terrifying pressure, as though they were carrying fifteen tonnes.


    Behind the divine palace was a garden as enormous as a country. In the garden, a fragrant aroma suffused the air and hundreds of flowers bloomed. Every single flower was twinkling with an unbelievably beautiful radiance as if each were the world''s most exquisite gemstone.


    Standing quietly at the very center of the garden was the elegant figure of a woman. Dressed in golden clothes, she had dazzling golden hair that extended down to her h.i.p.s. Her golden clothes were slightly tight, which outlined the back of a bewitching figure that could drive one to insanity. She quietly stood under a glazed jade tree, seemingly enjoying the view or perhaps deep in thought. A natural and gentle layer of golden light was faintly flowing around her body.


    Though it was just her figure from behind, the sea of flowers that extended tens of thousands of kilometers was entirely overshadowed by this peerlessly beautiful shape.


    "Yue Ying, come out," the women with golden hair coldly said and she still did not turn around.


    The moment her voice fell, the space five feet behind her suddenly shook. The graceful and delicate figure of a woman walked out of the spatial ripples and deeply bowed, the voluminous mounds on her chest, wrapped in silver cloth, slightly shook. "Servant Yue Ying, greets Lady Goddess."


    "Why are you here?"


    "To reply Lady, there has been a progress in the deciphering of the." Yue Ying respectfully replied.


    "What?" The woman with golden hair, who had been as quiet as ice this entire time, instantly turned around when she heard these words, revealing a face that was half glowing gold.


    Her dazzling long gold hair smoothly sprinkled onto her shoulders. An eye mask colored in gold that was comparable to the wings of a phoenix covered her mysterious eyes. Below her eye mask was a pair of glittering, polished lips. And from this pair of lips, that was even more delicate than the lily of the Nile, what came out was the coldest and the most heartless voice, "Speak now."


    Though only the bottom half of her face was revealed, none would suspect that she was not a peerless beauty at first glance. Her lips and her l.u.s.trous jade-like neck alone were beautiful to the point of stifling. Yet, no matter how powerful one may be, under the ice-cold and heavy atmosphere from her body, one would still unconsciously bow his or her head and tremble in front of her.


    Deciphering thewas the biggest matter to this woman with golden hair and it could even be called the most important matter ever since she was born. Yue Ying hurriedly said in a respectful tone. "In reply to my lady, within the divine texts of the World-Defying Heaven Manual, there was a short verse which was similar to a diagram stated in ancient records. After repeated investigations, the meaning behind that verse of divine texts has been confirmed."


    "."


    "?" The golden brows hidden under the eye mask slightly twitched. "Could it be that one has to possess the Nine Profound Exquisite Body to cultivate the ?"


    "About this point, this servant is not sure. However, that verse of divine text is referring to the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, this point should not be wrong," Yue Ying respectfully said.


    Actually, the correct words Nyarlathotep once wrote was . Remember that there are nine basic elements in existence...


    Nyarlathotep was referring to the Nine Basic Elemental which leads to the Law of Nothingness but because of the passing of time, the Manual translation started to become obscure hence creating a tiny misunderstanding... What''s supposed to say become .


    It''s not that far off though since the owner of the will be able to fully master the nine basic law... This is also why Xia Qingyue''s future was filled with tragedy. Because it will ensure her to be able to master all elemental law...


    Her Tragedy or the ''Heaven'' to be more exact, will ''help'' her gain mastery over the Life, Death, and Reincarnation law... but because of Issei''s interference, she doesn''t have to experience it any longer...


    "Hmph, within a span of eight years, only four words have been deciphered. Truly a bunch of useless trash." The voice of the woman with golden hair suddenly turned cold.


    Yue Ying''s body shivered as she said with a trembling voice. "Lady, please cease your anger¡­ When it comes to divine texts of the absolute beginning, even in the Primordial Era, not many gods or devils recognized them either. Wanting to forcefully decipher them, is really¡­ really¡­"


    "Hmph, no need for an explanation," the woman with golden hair coldly said. "Deciphering the divine texts of the absolute beginning is indeed as difficult as ascending to the heavens. However, if a mortal can cultivate the , he or she will have the possibility of becoming a True God. This might sound absolutely astonishing and sound akin to myth but this was clearly engraved on the totem in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning. Since the is now in my hands, it must be an ancient opportunity bestowed on me by the Brahma Monarch God Realm. No matter what, it must be deciphered. If I can become a True God, hmph, the Primal Chaos Dimension, the millions of galaxies, will all serve under our Brahma Monarch God Realm."


    "Yes," Yue Ying anxiously replied. "This servant shall continue to head to the various large galaxies and obtain even more intellectuals who are familiar with ancient texts."


    "Remember, you must be the only one heading out. Not even the slightest of trace and rumor should be exposed, otherwise¡­"


    The words of the woman with golden hair stopped there. The killing intent at that moment had instantly frozen the world of countless flowers.


    "This servant understands," Yue Ying said with a trembling voice. "If there are any anomalies, this servant will immediately cut off her own life vein so that not the slightest trace will be exposed."


    "Very good, go on then."


    "Yes."


    "Wait a minute!"


    Just as Yue Ying was about to leave, the woman with golden hair suddenly stopped her again and slowly said, "Send some subordinates to the lower realms and search for people who possess the Nine Profound Exquisite Body."


    "Lower realms?" Yue Ying''s face was filled with doubts.


    "Possessors of the Nine Profound Exquisite Body are hard to search for even among a trillion people but the possessors would definitely be women. Since the brought up that cultivating it would require the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, then I naturally have to make early preparations."


    "But, why do we have to look for one in the lower realms?" Yue Ying asked, unable to understand.


    "When possessors of Nine Profound Exquisite Body have low profound cultivation, their profound energy will reveal a unique free-flowing state and it''s easily discernable by people who are aware of this characteristic of the Nine Profound Exquisite Body. If their unleashed profound energy can break the laws of realm boundaries to a certain extent, then it''s possible to ascertain that they undoubtedly possess the Nine Profound Exquisite Body. However, this profound energy characteristic weakens as their profound energy becomes richer and if they step into the divine way, this characteristic will completely disappear. Thus, locating one in the higher realms is difficult and hard to control as well."


    One has to admit that this golden-haired woman intuition is truly fearsome... if it wasn''t for Issei then she will be able to find the owner of the , which is Xia Qingyue quite quickly...


    "As for the rest, there''s no need to ask further. After locating someone who possesses the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, I have my own plans."


    "Yes."


    "Also, inform royal father, that I''m prepared to step into the ." The woman with golden hair slightly raised her neck, which was whiter than pure white jade.


    "Ah?" Yue Ying revealed an astonished look. "My lady, that place is truly too dangerous. Though you made use of the Heavenly Wolf Star God back then to obtain the , you¡­ you still suffered an injury that nearly cost you your life and you only managed to recover after several years of recuperation. If you forcefully enter it again, with my lady''s temper, it''s truly¡­ too dangerous. My lady, please think over this decision again."


    "No need for further commentary," The woman with golden hair coldly said. "The that I obtained is evidently a mere fragment and at the very most, it''s only a third of the entire manual. Looking from the residual marks, there''s definitely at least another two scattered in the world. If I can''t locate the complete and hold only a fragment of it, even if it''s completely deciphered, it''s of no use either."


    "The remaining two are most likely scattered in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning as well."


    "Even if that''s the case¡­" Yue Ying still wanted to comment further but when she spoke halfway, a chill ran down her spine and she hurriedly changed her words. "This servant¡­ This servant shall immediately relay my lady''s words to my king. However¡­ excuse this servant for being blunt but my king will definitely oppose my lady''s decision as well."


    "He will naturally oppose it, which is also why I''m having you to relay my words to my royal father." The voice of the woman with golden hair was completely devoid of emotions. "Tomorrow, I shall break into the God Realm of Absolute Beginning and it shall only be me alone. Inform my royal father only the day after."


    "Yes¡­" Yue Ying had no choice but to helplessly respond in agreement. After taking two steps back, she lightly rose. The two voluminous peaks in front of her chest drew a beautiful arc in the sky as she quickly left the world of countless flowers.


    "World-Defying Heaven Manual, divine practitioners shall defy the world, mortal practitioners shall attain godhood¡­" Within the countless flowers, the woman with golden hair lightly whispered, "In this world where the gods have long since disappeared, it is time for the birth of a new divine being."


    ...


    Su Ling''er and Feng Xue''er already informed their respective parents that they will be going with Issei.


    Su Ling''er father readily agreed since he knows that being with Issei is the best course for his daughter and Feng Xue''er also had a similar case with her father.


    Although Feng Hengkong was a bit reluctant parting with his daughter, he doesn''t prevent her from going... not like he could prevent her in the first place anyway...


    Feng Ximing can only grit his teeth bitterly since he knows that no matter what he says here, Feng Xue''er will still leave... And just the thought of offending Issei send a shiver down to his spine.


    It''s a well-known fact that Issei stood at the apex of the continent. Nobody knows just how powerful he is since he never really made any move on his own but someone that able to make the Phoenix and the Golden Crow be his servant is obviously not a normal person...


    What makes Feng Ximing envious of Issei is not only his strength... but also because his beloved Feng Xue''er seems to idolize him a lot! And she''s not the only one at that!


    The number of women that tries to gain his attention is numerous... if they were to line up then those women could easily make two whole circles around their Divine Phoenix Empire! Which man won''t be envious of that... But they can only silently grit their teeth since they know that they won''t be his match... both in strength and looks...


    ...


    The air was completely drained, the surroundings seemed to have disappeared into nothing. A sudden flow of light made the girls close their eyes. When they slowly opened their eyes, a world that they couldn''t understand was before their eyes, sometimes dark and sometimes colorful.


    Their own body was traveling through this world at an extremely fast speed.


    "This is a crack in the dimension, you could understand it as the dimensional tunnel."


    They heard Mu Bingyun''s voice near their ears. There are around a hundred of them stood together, surrounding Mu Bingyun and Xiaolan was an ice-blue barrier in the shape of a ball and the pattern of the profound formation was flashing brightly on the outside of the barrier.


    While in their surrounding was a crimson barrier which they recognize since it''s the same color the barrier Issei used for their protective charm...


    "We are now traveling through space. This must be everyone''s first time. There are a lot more things in the future that will surprise all of you." Mu Xiaolan said a little excitedly.


    Dimensional travel¡­ dimensional tunnel¡­ dimensional crack?


    They have traveled through the spatial opening that Issei created but it''s an instant trip. So this view is indeed quite new to them.


    Issei put the inside the .


    They looked at the world around them. A few breaths later, their eyes were blinded by the white flowing light. They quickly shut their eyes and couldn''t reopen them until a while later.


    Feng Qianhui asked confusedly, "We are traveling through dimensions but how is it that we can still hear a sound? Also, I don''t seem to feel anything too different."


    "Because there is an isolation barrier," Mu Bingyun explained. "There is no danger in traveling through dimensions for a short amount of time but traveling through a long distance for a long period of time could very likely form a dangerous dimensional storm. Even though the dimensional stone I''m using is classified as an extremely rare dimensional profound stone, its powers are still limited and cannot be compared with those dimensional profound formations that are powered by a large amount of energy. Because of this, even though it can be carried around, it travels slower and is easier to be tracked. To travel a distance between the Profound Sky Continent and the Snow Song Realm, we must use this barrier that can isolate the dimensional storm."


    So what Issei is doing right now shocked her to the very core... To think that he could bring all of them with him so easily...


    Even her own elder sister couldn''t do what he did right now... If it was only a trip within the same realm then it''s nothing special but this is a journey across countless realms!


    The girls'' gaze becomes a little bit feverish after they heard Mu Bingyun''s explanation... this is their sect elder! Only he is capable of doing something like this.


    The adoration they had for him couldn''t be any higher...


    Issei calmly stood in their front while he observes the dimensional wall around them...


    Esdeath, Altair, Sirius, Xiaotao, Lieyan, Naru, and Zin stood by his side. Not far behind, there''s Feng Xue''er, Su Ling''er, and Huan Caiyi(The Little Demon Empress).


    He wanted to see if he could create a dimensional opening to the Netherworld but sadly he couldn''t...


    Looks like he couldn''t easily break the dimensional barrier in his current state... it is Nyarlathotep''s homeworld after all...


    For all he knows, she might be interfering with his spatial manipulation. And that irks him quite a bit since he doesn''t have the full control of his strength...


    Mu Bingyun couldn''t tell or sense anything out of the ordinary from Issei nor the girls... She guesses that it must be caused by Issei.


    Mu Bingyun''s cultivation was already in the later stages of the Divine Sovereign Realm. Within the Snow Song Realm, she was only below her elder sister in terms of cultivation¡­ yet she still couldn''t catch a glimpse of his ''true'' strength...


    She can''t even see through the girls'' physique... she could sense their profound strength but that''s about it.


    All of them are at the peak stage Sovereign Profound Realm... and Issei who''s only at the peak level Emperor Profound Realm is the most suspicious of them all.


    Who will believe that someone at the peak level throne can create their own dimensional opening? Only an idiot would believe that unless they see it with their own eyes...


    "...As he requested, I will take all of you in and let you enter the Snowfall Palace." Mu Bingyun said.


    "But Master, will it be okay? Their cultivation level is alright but in Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, joining the Snowfall Palace would be a bit hard since they still haven''t reach the Divine Origin Realm yet..." Mu Xiaolan said worriedly.


    "Oh? Is that one of the requirements to join your sect?" Issei who overheard their conversation asked lightly.


    "Ah? Y-Yes... that is one of the sect requirements..." Mu Xiaolan said while fidgetting a little with her cheeks reddened.


    "Then that''s easy to achieve..." Issei waved his hand gently towards the girls'' direction.


    The girls felt something break within their body and soon they feel a surge of energies flooding them from within.


    *Boom!*


    All of them achieve a breakthrough and officially stepped into the Divine Origin Realm in one breath!


    Some of them only reach the early to mid-stage Divine Origin Realm while the ''anomaly'' within their group, which is Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan reach late-stage Divine Origin Realm straight away!


    Mu Xiaolan jaws dropped wide open when she saw this. Even Mu Bingyun is stunned silly...


    What?! Did all of them just achieve a breakthrough at the same time?! And some of them even already surpass Mu Xiaolan cultivation level!


    What just happened?! Both Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan thought shockingly inside their mind...


    "Qingyue, Yuechan. I still need to seal a part of your strength since reaching the next realm in this place is not convenient." Issei said lightly.


    Both of them should''ve been able to reach the straight away but Issei decided not to let them achieve a breakthrough in this dimensional space.


    Divine Origin Realm lets your vital energy become divine. This realm is the first step in entering the divine way.


    When cultivators enter the Divine Origin Realm, a qualitative change will happen to their life''s vital energy. After entering the divine way, profound energy will once more temper their body, allowing them to separate from their mortal flesh and have a longer lifespan. It will give an even more tenacious vitality and an even more impregnable body.


    The Divine Origin Realm was the first realm of the divine way, as well as an extremely important realm where practitioners laid the foundation for their future progress. In this realm, the body experiences a qualitative change from ordinary to divine, and the highest extent of the change was to awaken the "Sensation" of the body.


    "Sensation" could be considered a mysterious and miraculous ability of the body which combined body and soul. It could not be cultivated or even explained and detailed. It could only be personally felt and comprehended.


    There wasn''t even one practitioner among ten thousand who would be able to accomplish such a thing. There were even a lot of profound practitioners of the Divine Tribulation Realm and Divine Spirit Realm who had never truly perceived sensation.


    But if a practitioner could awaken "Sensation" when they were in the Divine Origin Realm, reaching the most perfect state in the Divine Origin Realm, they would be able to lay an incomparably perfect foundation for their future progress in the divine way.


    What was "Sensation"?


    If the extremity of spiritual sense was the ability to foresee and predict thoughts¡­


    Then the extremity of physical sensation was the ability to foresee and predict movements of the body. In other words, it is basically the same as .


    Divine Soul Realm lets your soul become divine. It is in this realm where a profound practitioner''s soul undergoes a transformation. Reaching the Divine Soul Realm will cause their soul to transcend the ordinary. They will possess even stronger willpower and mental power. Their comprehension toward profound arts and the laws of the world will also far surpass their former self.


    "We understand." Both Qingyue and Yuechan said with a respectful bow.


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan who heard Issei''s words attracted their gaze almost immediately.


    He''s the one responsible for their breakthrough?!


    "Elder Ise. It seems that our had a breakthrough." Feng Qianhui suddenly said out of nowhere.


    They managed to reach the Intermediate level of for the last three years. Now today, after they had their seal lifted by Issei just now, their attaintment had also achieved a breakthrough.


    Now their level is at the Expert level. They can freely coat a part of their body and their weapon with it... They could coat their entire body but only for a short time.


    "Hm?" Issei raised his eyebrows at this.


    Their speed is quite good considering that they don''t have their physiques nor talent "boosted" by Issei like Ramius''s group. Ramius''s group only took them a few months before they reach the expert level in their .


    And another couple of months after that to reach the Master level.


    They still had a little bit of distance before they could reach the Grandmaster level, but it shouldn''t be too long considering their current especially after their fight with Trihexa''s army back then.


    And after the Grandmaster level, it''s the Transcendent level.


    For an easy listing, it''s like this:


    -Basic


    -Intermediate


    -Expert


    -Master


    -Grandmaster


    -Transcendent


    When one reaches the Transcendent level in skill, no divine weapon in existence is able to penetrate their or defend themselves against their attack. They will be able to make their own physical body become the ultimate weapon...


    Perhaps it''s because the frozen cloud disciples are a profound practitioner... unlike Ramius''s group who was a normal human.


    "I see... Congratulations then." Issei said with a small smile.


    The girls face lit up immediately when they''re praised by him.


    "...? What''s that?" Mu Xiaolan muttered curiously.


    But sadly for her, even if she''s their sect ancestor direct disciple, they won''t carelessly tell the art Issei taught them... Not even Mu Bingyun herself will be heard it from their mouth unless Issei allowed them to.


    Feng Qianhui can only smile apologetically at Mu Xiaolan''s direction.


    Mu Xiaolan was about to say something but Mu Bingyun held her hand giving the former a signal to not ask further questions... The former pouted her mouth but nevertheless doesn''t say anything else.


    If only Mu Bingyun know what is... Perhaps she would be shocked to death... that''s how rare someone who can comprehend "Sensation" is...


    And right before her very eyes, there are hundreds of them that managed to comprehend it at the same time.


    Feng Xue''er and the Huan Caiyi also had their seal released and their cultivation is on par with Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue.


    Looks like Xia Qingyue special physique is equal to Chu Yuechan, Huan Caiyi, and Feng Xue''er legacy... Issei has to agree that Xia Qingyue is quite abnormal.


    And according to his estimation, if by chance he were to "Transform" her into a Dragon then perhaps her strength growth will be much more terrifying... of course this is just a thought of his, he doesn''t have any intention to "Transform" her into a Dragon.


    ''Hmm... It''s kind of frustrating how I can''t just shut down his ''love'' completely... but nevermind, I can slowly take my time... Ufufufufu, how fun! You''re truly the best toy that I ever had, Dragon King!'' Nyarlathotep grinned widely inside Issei''s shadow.


    "...Xiaolan, remember what I''ve told you. You mustn''t tell anyone what happened just now and also the fact that our honored guest cured my poison, not even your family!" Mu Bingyun''s tone was especially cautious.


    "I know Master, you''ve reminded me a hundred times already. You even told me not to tell anyone about them succeeded in cultivating the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon. If someone asks, I''ll just say the Great Realm King found a way to cure you of the poison," Mu Xiaolan nodded a bunch of times in promise.


    "And I couldn''t be any happier that I will get so many Junior Sisters!" Mu Xiaolan said happily while looking at the group of Frozen Cloud disciples. Although some of them have already surpassed her cultivation realm, it doesn''t matter.


    "In Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, seniority is not based on age but rank. For example, all of the disciples in Snowfall Palace need to address the disciples of Freezing Snow Hall as senior brother or sister. It is the same for Freezing Snow Hall''s disciples towards Ice Phoenix Palace''s disciples. If it''s within the same rank, we will go according to the time one has joined the sect. So, whether it''s according to the level or the time you entered the sect, after you join our sect, all of you need to call Xiaolan senior sister," Mu Bingyun explained.


    "Oh, we understand." Feng Qianhui and the others nodded lightly.


    "And Xiaolan, If it wasn''t for me burdening you... Your cultivation would definitely be even stronger by now..." Mu Bingyun sighed softly.


    Mu Xiaolan started panicking and forcefully shook her head. "Master, please don''t say something like that. Being able to accompany Master is the greatest fortune of my life. Even if it meant not being able to join Ice Phoenix Divine Hall, I would still be willing to accompany and serve Master!


    "Also, Master is already cured, our Thirty-sixth Ice Phoenix Palace will definitely rise to prominence right away and our new sisters will also join into our palace! When the time comes, who would still dare to underestimate our Thirty-sixth Palace?"


    Mu Bingyun reached her hand out to touch Mu Xiaolan''s face softly with sympathy and affection. Even though she didn''t say anything, deep down her ice-cold eyes revealed a sense of gentleness.


    What a good Master and disciple relationship¡­ Issei silently thought to himself.


    Mu Xiaolan was about to tell her junior sisters candidate about her idol, senior brother Hanyi but soon her words stuck at her throat when she caught a glimpse of Issei...


    Now she felt like her idolized senior brother Hanyi is only... so-so...


    Don''t get her wrong, she still thought that senior brother Hanyi is still gentle and kind and also a genius but... if she has to compare their looks then... she can only say sorry for her senior brother Hanyi...


    Mu Xiaolan started to sneak a glance at Issei''s direction with a slightly reddened cheek when she thought until here...


    Mu Bingyun who saw this can only sigh softly... It looks like with his arrival there will be some commotion amongst the female disciples... and even the female elders circle as well...


    But... It might be not so bad if he were to marry into their sect. Let''s put aside his mysterious capabilities for now, but just the fact that he possesses the is more than enough reason to keep him as their ally.


    What a coincidence... This is exactly what Feng Qianhui had in mind when she first met Issei. To think that their palace Ancestor also shares the same thought... will history repeat itself? Only the future can tell...


    After a while, they finally arrived at their destination...


    ...


    The first breath that the girls took in this world stunned them. The air here was icy cold but it was so unbelievably pure. The breaths that they took actually made their five senses feel clearer.


    Even though they were already mentally prepared, the elemental aura in the air and in the entire dimension was still so strong that it shocked them a bit. This was not simply just a few times stronger than the Blue Pole Star, it was at least a few dozen stronger¡­ or even more.


    The speed in which the energy of heaven and earth flowed into their body was also multiplied by several times. In this kind of environment, there was no question that their profound strength and the speed of their recovery would all increase greatly.


    They feel like if they were to cultivate in this kind of environment then they will surely able to increase their strength by quite a lot.


    "This is the God Realm?" Huan Caiyi couldn''t help but mumble softly. The creatures here were actually all surviving and cultivating in this kind of environment. Compared to the thickness and purity of the aura here, the aura in the Blue Pole Star was almost as turbid and dirty as swamp mud.


    Mu Bingyun spoke calmly, "The level of aura and law in the God Realm cannot be compared with the Blue Pole Star that you lived in. This is the first time you have been here, you will be uncomfortable for a very long time because of the aura here. Dizziness, weakness, and difficulty breathing will be pretty common. You will be able to get completely used to it in about a month. After that, you will discover that the cultivation speed in this world is far superior to the world that you were at."


    "Uncomfortable?" Feng Qianhui and the rest stared blankly, "Not at all, we actually feel incredibly comfortable."


    "Oh?" Mu Bingyun looked at them and noticed that the color of their face was normal. Not only were their eyes not cloudy, they were very clear and the rate of their breathing was very stable. She was a little surprised but she did not take it to heart since the amount of surprise she just saw already surpasses this little incident.


    She nodded and said, "Maybe it''s because we just arrived, there hasn''t been time for you to develop discomfort. If you feel something unusual later on, there''s no need to be concerned. I will take you back to the Ice Phoenix Realm now."


    Mu Bingyun reached out and pointed with her hand lightly. A light flashed by and a very thin ice crystal in a standard diamond-square shape about seven meters long appeared ahead of them. As soon as it appeared, it instantly derived a few dozen glittering ice spirits in flowing lights, flickering and dancing while surrounding the ice crystal.


    "Let''s go."


    Mu Bingyun said something softly. At that instant, the icicle ripped open space and took the three of them flying toward the white, endless world.


    Snow mountains, ice rivers, glaciers¡­ This was totally a world of snow and the ice element was also the dominant force in this world.


    The plane here was extremely high and the incredibly thick aura had not yet caused them the discomfort that Mu Bingyun had mentioned. Instead, they felt more and more comfortable, as if they were in a dreamy fairytale land.


    Even Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi who have a fire-based profound art don''t feel any discomfort at all.


    Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius felt more powerful than ever since they''re basically an ice spirit... this realm is perfect for them.


    Issei wasn''t so surprised by the pure energy this realm is emitting. But he does feel a bit happy that with this amount of energy, he could recover even faster... it shouldn''t be long now... if nothing happens then he will be able to return to his wives'' side soon enough.


    "Senior Ancestor, I have a question that I wanted to ask..." Feng Qianhui said: "When you founded the and taught us the frozen cloud art, we are not allowed to carelessly have a relationship with the opposite gender in fear of leaking the art to the outside world. Does the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect share the same problem?"


    Mu Bingyun explained the sect briefly before but it seems that the sect doesn''t share the same nature as the Frozen Cloud Palace nature...


    "This is not something that can be described in merely a sentence or two." Mu Bingyun hesitated a little bit but still decided to explain it to them: "A long time ago, the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was a force where half of it was family. Even though they also took disciples from the outside, there were very few of them. It was controlled very harshly and they basically only took in female disciples. But, because the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon was a divine art of the ice element, on top of the environment of the Snow Song Realm, it was extremely difficult for males who cultivate the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon to conceive and females to become pregnant."


    "Reproduction was always the weakest spot of the Snow Song Realm. It is even more so in Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. The most direct consequence is the rapid decrease in every generation in the numbers of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect''s disciples."


    The girls who heard this subconsciously glanced at Issei... They also share the same problem before but he easily erased it...


    "The Divine Ice Phoenix Sect holds a very high position in the Snow Song Realm, so high that it is indispensable. In other star realms, great forces usually stand in great numbers. Several or even sometimes dozens of sects would rule and lead a star realm altogether. But the Snow Song Realm is ruled by only our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect and there is no one who can match us. If Divine Ice Phoenix Sect decays just like this, then the position of the Snow Song Realm in the God Realm will also decrease rapidly. Perhaps one day, it would become a lower star realm."


    "Because of this, Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was forced to loosen their sect rules and absorb a large number of gifted disciples. Later on, even those from the lower realms, if they are qualified and pass the examinations, can also join the sect."


    "Then¡­ what about bloodline?" Gong Yuxian asked in curiosity.


    "Not everyone who enters the sect can receive the Ice Phoenix bloodline," Mu Bingyun said. "Such as the disciples of Snowfall Palace. They can only cultivate the other ice element profound arts of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, they are not qualified to touch the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon. It is the same even if you enter Freezing Snow Hall. It''s just that the ice profound arts they can choose are higher in level."


    "And if one can enter Ice Phoenix Palace, they can receive a drop of Ice Phoenix''s blood that is diluted ten thousand times, allowing them to officially cultivate the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon. However, with such a thin Ice Phoenix bloodline, it is bound to not be able to pass on to the next generation, so there is no need to worry about the divine blood leaking to outsiders."


    Diluted¡­ ten thousand times¡­


    They all become speechless hearing her words...


    Isn''t this a bit stingy? And this was the treatment for high-level disciples!


    "If one can enter Divine Ice Phoenix Hall, they can then receive a drop of the Ice Phoenix''s blood that is diluted a thousand times. If they can receive the appreciation of an elder, they might even be bestowed with blood essence that can thicken their divine blood even more." Mu Bingyun continued her explanation.


    "And if one could become the direct disciple of the Realm King, then they could receive a whole drop of the Ice Phoenix''s origin blood. This is probably the thing that all profound practitioners in the Snow Song Realm desperately desire," Mu Bingyun said softly.


    "Ah," Mu Bingyun sighed softly. "The divine blood of the ice phoenix is extremely precious and it cannot regenerate. Using a drop means one less drop of blood, so most of the bloodline given to the disciples of Ice Phoenix Palace are not origin blood. Instead they choose the blood essence from a direct inheritor and dilute it. Unless there is someone extremely gifted and talented, then they will be given a whole drop of origin blood and be taught directly by the Realm King¡­"


    "This was also the most helpless thing of my Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. The divine power of divine bloodline of the other forces can be inherited by generations through reproduction and expand their forces. Even if they don''t accept disciples from the outside, they would still be stronger generation after generation. As for our Ice Phoenix clan, the higher we cultivate the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon, the harder it is for us to reproduce. If we only relied on passing down our bloodline, the sect would only be weaker generation after generation. Because of this, we need to rely on accepting a large number of disciples from other clans to continue our prosperity. However, the amount of Ice Phoenix blood is already extremely scarce, there will come a time when it finally runs out. The future of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect¡­ is indeed very worrying."


    After speaking, Mu Bingyun sighed once again.


    "I can give a drop of my blood essences to you, but it will only enough for six people... Do any of you willing to take it? It will help you to cultivate the real Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon, and it is¡­ enough for you to pass it down five or so generations as well." Mu Bingyun looks at them in askance.


    "Ah? N-No, we couldn''t accept it, senior Ancestor. We already owe you enough... Just allowing us to join your divine sect is already more than enough." Feng Qianhui hastily refuses Mu Bingyun''s offer.


    The other girls also nodded along with Feng Qianhui''s statement.


    They really don''t need it because of a certain person among their midst... And as for Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan, they don''t need it even more!


    The first one has a very special physique while the other one inherited the full legacy of the Primordial Azure Dragon God!


    "There''s no need for you girls to take in the Ice Phoenix''s blood. I can ''erase'' the limitation for you to be able to learn the . You just need to know the art and you will be able to learn it without any difficulties." Issei said calmly.


    Feng Qianhui and the others who heard Issei''s words smiled sweetly before they bowed in unison towards his direction: "We are grateful for Elder benevolence."


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan''s eyes went wide when they heard Issei''s words. But then they remembered that the frozen cloud girls are already able to learn the incomplete version of the even without the blood essence of the ice phoenix...


    Even though it''s only an incomplete version, it is still a divine art nonetheless.


    So it indeed has something to do with him... How is he able to ''erase'' the limitation for it?


    "You don''t need to ask how Master is able to do it, just think of it as his innate talent... The things that he''s capable of is beyond your comprehension." Xiaotao said softly to the stupefied duo.


    The frozen cloud girls have already known of this fact so they''re not surprised any longer.


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan can only nod numbly at Xiaotao''s statement...


    The group then had unwittingly flown through a few thousand kilometers of the snow region. Snow Song Realm did not have an ocean of water, only a boundless ocean of ice.


    Aside from the god realm aura that was completely different than that of the Blue Pole Star, there was a stifling empty silence.


    The Snow Song Region was much more vast than the Blue Pole Star but whether it be the number of people or profound beasts, those were incomparably sparse here.


    "We''ve arrived," Mu Bingyun stated.


    The direction of the flight suddenly shifted downward. The sea of clouds scattered and an enormous world shrouded in illusory icy mist instantly appeared before them.


    The temperature had suddenly dropped and the originally extremely dense energy of heaven and earth quickly became even richer. Even though they were high in up in the skies, the enormous world didn''t seem to have a limit. Within the icy mist, glaciers, cities of ice and ice origins were scattered across the area.


    Scree~


    A long cry pierced through the high skies. A huge bird that was at least a few kilometers wide in body length alone flew over from the icy mist. Its approach brought along an oppressive feeling that would''ve made any normal person stiffen with fear.


    But the girls of the frozen cloud palace don''t feel fear in the slightest, they are a little surprised but that''s about it. They could already guess to a certain extent that this beast will surely bow its head to their sect elder just like previous profound beasts they have met before... and their guess is right.


    The bird shifted the trajectory of its flight and actively made way for them. It seemed as though that long cry was its greeting call. The bird swooped down almost immediately and the next sight makes Mu Bingyun and Xiaolan a little taken aback...


    Because the huge bird bowed deeply towards their direction...


    In the next instant, the Mu duo was further stunned silly since they see countless shadows within the icy mist that filled the air. There were huge blue birds, white single-horned beasts and all kinds of oddly shaped ice beasts¡­ there were even several kilometer long ice dragons!


    The profound beasts which flew through the skies of this world were all, without exception, went to their direction only to bow deeply just like the first one did!


    While the girls had an "as to be expected" expression on their faces, the Mu duo is utterly shocked to their very core. Why did all these profound beasts suddenly... bow their head deeply towards their direction?! This never happens before nor have they seen such sight...


    "Don''t make any commotion... All of you are dismissed." They heard Issei calm voice.


    Reacting to his words, the line up of the huge profound beast let out a soft chirp, pur, or growl before they took off from their previous position and went back to doing their previous activities...


    The Mu duo dazedly looks at Issei and Xiaotao gives them the same look as before when she advised them just a while ago...


    Even though they feel curious they decided not to ask...


    Mu Bingyun collected her thoughts back and started to calm herself down... It looks like she really needs to inform her elder sister about the whole situation... presumably, it''s probably best if they don''t try anything that could offend him...


    "...This is the Ice Phoenix Realm, where Divine Ice Phoenix Sect is located," Mu Bingyun narrated with a soft voice: "Our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect should not be the same as the sects you know of. Ice Phoenix Realm is around the same size as the Profound Sky Continent but there are not more than two hundred million people here."


    The icy mist grew more and more faint as they were gradually able to see what was below them. A blue, indistinct silhouette appeared.


    Feng Xue''er was able to recognize the tail of a phoenix at first glance. However, completely different from the fire phoenix, this phoenix tail was a flowing cold, icy blue color. There was either a city or a huge palace on top of each phoenix feather.


    The shape of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was precisely a reclining ice phoenix more than fifty thousand kilometers long from north to south.


    They then landed on the incomparably hard ice crystal floor.


    Before them are numerous unusually tall structures, palaces, and buildings. The tall ones were at most three kilometers tall and the shortest was close to three hundred meters. They were all built with ice crystals and reflected ice-cold light. In this area, the element of ice was so rich and active that it had reached its pinnacle. If they looked into the distance, they would see fast moving white or blue robed silhouettes and the silhouettes of kinds of ice profound beasts and profound arks from time to time.


    At the extreme limits of his line of sight was a three-kilometer tall palace bigger than the entire Blue Wind Imperial City. Beside the palace was an ice crystal phoenix with its wings spread, as though it was in flight. The might it released was so thick that it nearly enveloped the entire world.


    Everything seemed as though they had arrived in a wonderland of ice and snow.


    The Snow Region of Extreme Ice could be said to be the Profound Sky Continent''s coldest, purest region where the ice element was the most concentrated and active. However, if it were to be compared to this place, it would be as insignificant as dust.


    "Phew! We''re finally back. This is the first time I''ve left for this long after entering Divine Phoenix Sect." Mu Xiaolan closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the pure cold air in this place. Even though she had only stayed for a month, the Profound Sky Continent''s aura was still turbid to the point where she couldn''t endure it.


    "This is the Ice Phoenix Realm." Mi Bingyun looked at the group and said, "Up ahead is Freezing Snow City, the place where Freezing Snow Hall is located. Unofficial disciples are not allowed to enter and exit at will. If they encounter a disciple of the sect, they would be sure to be interrogated. However, since all of you were brought here by me, you do not have to worry."


    "Elder Sister already knows that I''ve returned. I must see to her immediately, lest she gets too worried. I will also tell her of your situation in passing." Mu Bingyun stated... ''Especially this man... I need to inform elder sister about him.'' She silently added inside her mind.


    It''s very good news that they will gain a large batch of talented disciples as well though.


    "All of you do not need to be too nervous here and just treat this place as an ordinary cultivation ground."


    "We understand."


    Profound practitioners, even those from the Snow Song Realm that had come to the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect for the first time, would all tremble in fear. Those ascenders from lower realms would be even more nervous, such that they would shrink to their smallest. However, what Mu Bingyun saw from the girls is a calm and collected expression... there''s a little bit of curiosity and excitement mixed here and there but that''s about it.


    "Xiaolan, go bring them to the Freezing Snow Main Hall. Use my name to directly take an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade for them so they could become a disciple of Freezing Snow Hall. Afterwards, go take them on a stroll in Freezing Snow City." Mu Bingyun instructed.


    "Sure thing, Master." Mu Xiaolan nodded eagerly.


    "In addition, let me say this again. You mustn''t tell anyone that benefactor Ise cured my poison and the girls being able to learn the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon!"


    "Don''t worry Master, I definitely won''t let out a single word."


    "And benefactor Ise, do you want to come along with me right away?"


    "No. I will accompany them on their registration." Issei responded.


    Mu Bingyun slightly nodded. She quickly rose, turned into a streak of blue and completely disappeared from their line of sight.


    "Then, let''s go, everyone!" Mu Xiaolan turned around and said a giddily. She can''t wait to show her junior sisters around the city and sect.


    "Um." Feng Qianhui nodded wryly at Mu Xiaolan.


    "Master, I think it''s better if you wear your mask." Lieyan said briefly.


    She doesn''t need her Master to attract unnecessary attention to himself especially if they are from the Ice Phoenix inheritor. If there are too many competitors then her own inheritor will have her chance reduced as well...


    "We agree." The girls nodded along with Lieyan''s statement.


    "Oh? Alright." Issei nodded slightly before he took out his mask and wear it on his head.


    Mu Xiaolan who saw this feel slightly disappointed but then she also has to agree since if he were to stroll along the city without wearing a mask then it will be truly catastrophic...


    The girls also wear their veil one by one... Only Esdeath''s group doesn''t wear anything to cover their gorgeous faces.


    "Ah? Why all of you wearing a veil? There''s no need for that you know?" Mu Xiaolan said.


    "It''s just a habit of ours, senior sister. Don''t mind us." Feng Qianhui answered.


    "Oh..." Then, she flew up, "Follow me."


    Under Mu Xiaolan''s guidance, They entered the Freezing Snow City where the Freezing Snow Hall was located. The three-kilometer tall palace hall they first saw upon their arrival was precisely the Freezing Snow Main Hall.


    North of the Freezing Snow Main Hall were also exactly one hundred and eight Freezing Snow Halls and they were all around the size of a city in the lower realms.


    After entering Freezing Snow City, the surrounding aura changed once more. An extremely dense ice aura assaulted their faces as human figures also increased within their line of sight.


    Mu Xialon suddenly pointed at the sparking stone around her left collarbone which was releasing an illusory blue light. "Look, everyone. This is the nameplate that says that you are a disciple of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, the Master mentioned before."


    "The deeper the color, the higher your rank. It is your proof of identity and it can also be used to store items, transmit sound or even absorb cold energy to assist you in your cultivation. The teleportation formations of various sizes within the sect also require the Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade to activate. Different engraved jades also activate different teleportation formations. For example, once you obtain the Freezing Snow Hall''s engraved jade, you are only able to activate the teleportation formations of Freezing Snow Hall and Snowfall Palace."


    "I see." The girls nodded at her statement.


    At this moment, two especially pretty white-robed Freezing Snow Hall disciples came over. When they saw Mu Xiaolan, they hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "Senior Sister Xiaolan."


    "Strange, why are there so few people here today? Did something happen today?" Mu Xiaolan asked.


    The girl on the right side answered, "In reply to Senior Sister, today''s the final day of this year''s new disciple examination for Freezing Snow Hall. The Main Hall Master has ordered all disciples without an assignment to stay in their respective halls. If they don''t have any special matters, no one is allowed to casually walk around."


    "Oh, right!" Mu Xiaolan came to a realization. "It really is around these days, I actually forgot about it."


    "Senior Sister Xiaolan, this is?" The girl on the right noticed the large group.


    Almost all of their profound strength aura was at the Divine Origin Realm and they didn''t have an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade so they are quite an eye-catching group.


    Even though they wear a veil on their faces, they should be a splendid beauty...


    The two new girls blushed slightly when they saw Issei... They can''t see his face but for some reason, they feel their heart flutter on their own just from gazing at his figure... but then they feel a little disappointed that his cultivation seems to be only at the peak level throne...


    Mu Xiaolan who saw this scrunched her nose slightly: "They are brought by Master from a lower realm. From now on, they will be your junior sisters." She said curtly.


    Astonishment flashed past the two Freezing Snow Hall''s females when they heard Mu Xiaolan words. Mu Xiaolan''s Master¡­ who was also a grand Ice Phoenix Palace Master, brought back a large group of disciples candidates? Is the 36th palace about to rise up?


    "Alright, let''s go already. I forgot that these days are Freezing Snow Hall''s new disciple examination days. We should hurry up and go get an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade. We can''t disturb the busy hall masters." Then they started to move once again...


    With her status as an Ice Phoenix Palace disciple in addition to Palace Master Bingyun''s name, Mu Xiaolan brought the group to the Freezing Snow Main Hall unhindered.


    Even though it was a great hall, it was a completely different concept than the "great halls" they recognized.


    The hall was three kilometers tall and its boundary couldn''t be seen with a mere glance. Different from the silent Freezing Snow City, this place was brimming with innumerable strong auras. At a glance, neatly arranged waves of people were everywhere within the great hall, spreading all the way until the end of one''s line of sight.


    The auras of each and every person here were incomparably strong, definitely auras that surpassed the Sovereign Profound Realm, without a single exception!


    Though there were so many people here, the great hall was still particularly quiet and solemn. Those lower realm powerhouses who could cover their worlds with one hand all wore nervous and serious expressions. They were arranged in teams, every one of their expressions and movements extremely cautious. They didn''t even dare to whisper to one another.


    Each team had around ten thousand members.


    "These few days just happen to be Freezing Snow Hall''s new disciple recruitment examination days. That''s why there are so many people here..." Mu Xiaolan pursed her lips and explained, "This kind of assessment happens once every year and it lasts for around seven days. Today should be the last day. Yes, look, they split everyone into groups of ten thousand and they go through one hundred and eight groups every day, which perfectly fits Freezing Snow Hall''s one hundred and eight halls. Each group would be evaluated by a Freezing Snow Hall''s Vice Hall Master or disciple and sometimes the Hall Master might even personally come to participate."


    "Aside from successors of the Ice Phoenix bloodline, disciples that come from the outside, especially those from the lower realm, have to be evaluated before they are allowed to join Freezing Snow Hall. The base requirement for being able to participate in the exam is to have reached the Divine Origin Realm. If they fail the examination, they have to wait five more years to take part in it again. But since all of you are brought by Master, then there''s no need for you to go through all this." Mu Xiaolan said with a smile.


    A team of ten thousand people, one hundred and eight teams, with the Divine Origin Realm being merely the threshold¡­ In other words, these people who were carefully participating in the examination might not even pass. There were over a million people here and they were all at the Divine Origin Realm!


    And this was only one of the many examination days.


    At first, the girls feel a little surprised at this sight, but soon they calmed themselves down...


    When Mu Xiaolan and the group entered, they immediately attracted the notice of a few profound practitioners waiting to be evaluated. When they sensed the girls profound aura, they feel a little amazed since some of them are already at the peak of Divine Origin Realm while the rest is at the middle stage of Divine Origin Realm.


    The males are feeling attracted by their beautiful visage and the aura they''re emitting...


    There are a lot of beautiful girls here but Xia Qingyue''s group is like a phoenix amongst chicken.


    As for the female onlookers, at first, they feel attracted to Issei but soon feel disappointed when they sensed that his cultivation is only at the peak level throne...


    The male onlookers'' flashed a look of contempt and disdain seeing that Issei is being surrounded by so many heavenly beauties.


    "Master, permission to discipline those mongrels."


    "No need. Just ignore them."


    Esdeath''s group frowned deeply seeing the look of contempt they had. But seeing that their Master doesn''t seem to be bothered by this, they decided to hold it in... although... Esdeath started to memorize the faces of those who dare to look down on her Master inside her mind...


    Her eyes glimmered slightly when she''s looking at them... ''So many rats to experiment on...''


    Then they saw Mu Xiaolan, who sported the engraved jade which signified her status as a disciple of Ice Phoenix Palace next to him, their pupils contracted as their gazes changed to one of envy and yearning. They also subconsciously lowered their heads, not daring to look a second time.


    "Senior Sister Xiaolan." A few disciples that were on guard welcomed over and said rather respectfully, "May we ask what you''re here for?"


    "On behalf of my Master, I am here to get them a Freezing Snow Engraved Jade." Mu Xiaolan hinted at the group behind her.


    One of them promptly answered, "Please come over here. However, since it is an examination day, the attendant of general affairs is not at the Phoenix Jade Palace but here, supervising the examination with our Main Hall Master. I will bring you to them."


    "Main Hall Master?" Mu Xiaolan''s brows twitched, as though she had some issue with this "Main Hall Master." She waved a hand and said, "No need, I''ve already found his aura. Go take care of your own mission. Everyone, let''s go."


    Mu Xiaolan said rather majestically before bringing them directly toward the inner part of the main hall.


    It was extremely obvious that the hierarchy within the disciples of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was quite evident. In front of an Ice Phoenix Palace disciple, Freezing Snow Hall disciples were all as deferential as servants.


    After walking for a long while through the solemn great hall, they finally stopped near a group of profound practitioners who were waiting to be evaluated. Mu Xiaolan walked toward a middle-aged man in a long, dark blue robe. The moment she came near, that blue-robed middle-aged man instantly sensed her, turned around and smiled. "Oh? Isn''t this Xiaolan? Why are you here?"


    Mu Xiaolan answered respectfully, "Xiaolan greets Senior Su Shan. I am here on behalf of my Master to get these girls a Freezing Snow Hall engraved jade¡­ Everyone, this is Freezing Snow Hall''s attendant of general affairs, Senior Sushan. Hurry up and go greet him."


    The girls walked forward and copied Mu Xiaolan''s salutation. "Junior greets Senior Sushan."


    "Oh? Your Master''s order?" As Mu Sushan sized the girls up with a glance, deep astonishment flashed through the depths of his eyes. He then asked, "It seems that Palace Master Bingyun has not been in the sect for a period of time. Could it be that Palace Master Bingyn has brought these girls over from a different star realm?"


    "Yes," Mu Xiaolan answered honestly, "Master brought them from a lower realm called the Blue Pole Star."


    "Lower realm?" Mu Sushan was even more shocked. He had never heard of the"Blue Pole Star" before but he did not inquire any further. He only nodded slowly, "If I recall correctly, Palace Master Bingyun had never brought back a lower realm''s profound practitioner yet she made a surprising exception this time... And I have to say that these girls are indeed very good seedlings. Hoho, it looks like our sect will receive a good batch of new disciples."


    Mu Sushan nodded again and again when he saw the talent the girls showcased. Although he''s also a bit curious about Issei''s small group, he won''t ask for now... but they''re quite standing out with their cultivation... A peak level throne and a peak level Monarch? Hmm... There must be some secret involved Mu Sushan pondered inside his mind.


    "Then follow me. Oh right, how is Palace Master''s health faring lately?"


    Just as Mu Xiaolan was about to answer him, a shrill female voice came from behind. "Hmph, isn''t this Thirty-six Palace''s Mu Xiaolan? Today is Freezing Snow Hall''s great recruitment day, what are you here for?"


    Issei noticed Mu Xiaolan''s body suddenly stiffen beneath this voice and even her expression had become a bit unsightly. She paused for a little while before finally turning around. She lowered her head and said, "Xiaolan greets Hall Master Fengshu¡­ I am here on my Master''s orders."


    The approaching female was dressed in blue, her long hair was tied, her phoenix eyes were slightly slanted. Within her beautiful eyes was a cold intent that made one not dare to look straight at her¡­ and this cold intent seemed to be targeted at Mu Xiaolan.


    And based on Mu Xiaolan''s appearance, she was clearly afraid and also seemed to not like this person.


    "Mu Bingyun?" When she said the name Mu Bingyun, the corner of Mu Fengshu''s lips clearly sneered with a trace of hostility. "What does she want you to do?"


    "Hoho, a small matter," Mu Sushan said with a smile. He looked at the girls: "This group of junior is a profound practitioner Palace Master Bingyun has brought over from a lower realm. Palace Master Bingyun wishes for them to enter Freezing Snow Hall. I was just about to take them with me to obtain an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade. As for which hall they will join, since Palace Master Bingyun has not specified that in her request, how about I leave that for Main Hall Master to decide?"


    Mu Fengshu, Freezing Snow Hall''s Main Hall Master, leader of one hundred and eight Freezing Snow Halls, several hundred hall masters and vice hall masters and more than two million Freezing Snow Hall disciples!


    This was a considerably high person of standing in the entire Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.


    "Lower realm? Them? Join Freezing Snow Hall?" Mu Fengshu obviously had noticed the girls from the very beginning.


    But she had only given Issei a single glance because he didn''t have an aura that touched even the fringes of the divine way. His figure might be quite nice to look at but he was not qualified enough for her to give him a second glance.


    "How about them? Are they joining as well?" She pointed at Issei''s small group.


    "No, they''re Master''s guests." Mu Xiaolan answered.


    "Heh, guests? As expected of her, bringing a group of trashes as guests." Mu Fengshu sneered at Issei.


    There''s no reaction coming from Issei but those who are around him glowered fiercely.


    When they''re about to do something, Issei waved his hand calmly to calm them down.


    The girls reluctantly reeled in their killing intent when they saw this...


    Mu Fengshu only scoffed at their killing intent and doesn''t take it seriously at all.


    "As for the rest of you... Our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect is the number one holy ground of the Snow Song Realm. The reason why we have reached this day is because of our strict ranking and impartial system! First-rate disciples are our sect''s future but trash who wishes to receive preferential treatment should go where trashes ought to go! No one is allowed to selfishly overstep their bounds and waste our resources. Even if all of you have good cultivation, that doesn''t give you an excuse to just enter our sect as you wish."


    Mu Fengshu then hollered in a deep voice, "Mingcheng, come over here!"


    Beneath her yell, a lone person quickly walked out of the profound practitioners waiting to be evaluated. After arriving before Mu Fengshu, he asked respectfully, "At your command, Main Hall Master."


    "He is Li Mingcheng," Mu Fengshu raised her phoenix brows, "my biological nephew!"


    Once those words came out, low shouts immediately rang out from the surroundings and the eyes of the profound practitioners who had been standing alongside him widened to become circular. Li Mingcheng smiled, perfectly concealing his satisfaction while not forgetting to flashed a ''gentlemanly'' smile at the girls but his presence doesn''t even enter their eyes.


    "His innate talent is impressive. His profound strength is currently now at the third level of the Divine Origin Realm and there is only a thin line between him breaking through to the fourth level. In this group, he can be considered unequal! However, he is still going to honestly receive this evaluation and can only enter once he passes! As Freezing Snow Hall''s Main Hall Master, I was still not swayed into selfishness because he is my nephew, nor did I allow him to be exempt from the examination because of his innate talent... What qualifications do they have? Just because they have decent cultivation? Just because your Master said so?"


    "You can go back to your master, just because she''s a palace master, that doesn''t mean that she can brazenly trampling all over our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect''s dignity and even deliberately humiliating my Freezing Snow Hall!"


    Mu Fengshu''s sharp shout and sudden name shaming frightened Mu Xiaolan so badly that she took two steps back. The different gazes around her also caused her mind great turmoil. She stammered, "I¡­ I... Master she¡­ she''s¡­ not¡­"


    "Sigh." As the atmosphere became even worse, Mu Sushan, who had been standing to the side all this time sighed. In fact, hall masters and palace masters arranging for people to directly enter Snowfall Palace, Freezing Snow Hall and even Ice Phoenix Palace was a common occurrence and wasn''t really considered a big deal. However, he was fully aware of the grievances between Mu Fengshu and Mu Bingyun. What Mu Fengshu was targeting was not today''s matter but Mu Bingyun.


    She had a thousand years of acc.u.mulated resentment toward Mu Bingyun.


    He spoke up to resolve the dispute, "Xiaolan, go leave for now and ask your master about her intentions. Main Hall Master, this is after all, Palace Master Bingyun''s intentions. It is not good to let this get too out of hand, how about¡­"


    "Then there will be no problem if we take proper procedure of registration right?" Chu Yuechan''s voice suddenly resounded.


    "Hmph, of course..." Mu Fengshu snorted lightly. "Mu Bingyun is Thirty-sixth Ice Phoenix Palace''s Palace Master and is also the Great Realm King''s close relative. Even though I cannot allow this selfishness to happen as Freezing Snow Hall''s Main Hall Master, how could I dare to not give a little face?"


    "Since it''s an order from Palace Master Bingyun, I will give all of you a chance. Those who wish to enter my Freezing Snow Hall must pass three tests. Everyone standing here today has passed the first test, which is a profound strength assessment. With your cultivation realm then we can directly exempt you from the first test. I will allow you to be together with everyone here who will be participating in the second and third tests. If you pass, you will obviously be able to honorably enter Freezing Snow Hall and I won''t say a word against it." Even though she hated Mu Bingyun, she won''t make things too difficult since she indeed values a good talent such as Chu Yuechan''s group.


    She just wanted to take a jab at Mu Bingyun''s reputation... If the girls weren''t brought here by Mu Bingyun and then perhaps she would even go on her way to welcome them personally... It''s not every day that they can receive such talented individuals...


    Most of them are quite young, such as Xia Qingyue who''s only at 20 years old of age but she already at the peak of Divine Origin Realm. This can be considered a monstrous genius even in this realm.


    If it were Issei then she won''t be this lenient... but just like how she views Issei as insignificant, he also sees her the same way...


    "Then we will do so." Chu Yuechan nodded calmly: "Senior sister Xiaolan, please take us to the designated location for the second test."


    Mu Xiaolan took a deep breath, turned around, and said: "Um! Let''s go!"


    She brought the group towards the designated place...


    When they''re further away from their previous location, Mu Xiaolan''s hands tightened into a fist as her face alternated between red and white. "She''s gone too far¡­ gone too far!"


    She yelled furiously as glistening tears revolved in her eyes.


    "Indeed... Master, why won''t you let us deal with her?" Esdeath said with a low growl.


    "Even if I let you, can you deal with her?" Issei asked them.


    "We... We can''t, but we can''t just let her badmouth you like that!" Esdeath said with a spat. She hates to admit it but they''re still not powerful enough to take on someone at the Divine Sovereign Realm.


    But that doesn''t mean that they''re afraid to fight them!


    Xiaotao and Lieyan also not powerful enough yet to deal with someone at the Divine Sovereign Realm.


    "*Sigh* No need to be too concerned about it. What she said does make sense a little bit." Issei gave Esdeath''s head a pat. They indeed shouldn''t have used a backdoor connection like that... And in their eyes, his ''cultivation'' is indeed very weak.


    Esdeath who felt his touch shuddered slightly... Her face is hidden under her hat but one can see an unhealthy blush started to appear on both of her ears.


    Altair and Sirius who saw this started to feel a bit envious...


    "And this is nothing but a small hurdle that she sets up for you girls. I believe with your strength, you can easily pass the tests with flying colors." Issei said with a soft smile under his mask.


    "Yes! We surely won''t disappoint you, Elder Ise!" The girls shouted in unison.


    Mu Xiaolan who saw this had her eyes glimmered slightly: "...By the way, why are your cultivation is only at the peak level throne?" She asked Issei curiously: "That couldn''t be your real strength, right?"


    "Hmm, perhaps I need to ''adjust'' my cultivation realm slightly..." Issei muttered.


    He channeled a bit of energy to his profound veins and in the next moment, his cultivation started to increase at an alarming rate.


    Emperor Profound Realm... Tyrant Profound Realm... Sovereign Profound Realm... Divine Origin Realm... Divine Soul Realm... Divine Tribulation Realm... Divine Spirit Realm...


    And finally, Divine King Realm!


    His cultivation only stops increasing when it reaches the peak of the Divine King Realm!


    Thankfully there''s no one nearby to notice his little ''trick'' or they would''ve start to question their existence after seeing how easily someone who was at the peak level throne suddenly had his cultivation risen to the Divine King Realm in one go...


    Even Mu Xiaolan had her jaws wide open and her eyes bulged when she saw this... What the hell?!


    There are no apparent surprises coming from the girls since they are already numb of his capabilities...


    "Wonderful, Elder Ise." They do clap their hands lightly though while saying a small congratulatory word.


    "Wh-Wh-What?!" Mu Xiaolan stammered.


    "Y-Y-Your true cultivation realm is at the peak of ?!" She shakily pointed at Issei with a flabbergasted expression.


    "Hmm, maybe?" Issei smirked slightly at her.


    Mu Xiaolan felt like she can somehow tell that Issei is making fun of her even though he''s wearing a mask. She started to stomp her feet feeling indignant.


    "D-Don''t make fun of me!"


    "I''m not making fun of you though?"


    "B-But you hid your cultivation from me!"


    "I didn''t hide my cultivation though? My ''cultivation'' was indeed only at the Emperor Profound Realm. You can ask them about it." Issei shrugged at Feng Qianhui''s direction.


    They can only giggle at their elder mischievousness... His ''cultivation'' is indeed only at the Emperor Profound Realm before but as for his real strength... Even they don''t know for sure...


    "Hehehe, elder brother you''re so bad." Su Ling''er giggled at Issei. Feng Xue''er also nodded along with Su Ling''er statement. Her Grandmaster is indeed really bad... Even Huan Caiyi chuckled slightly...


    "You''re obviously lying! Look! They''re clearly laughing at you!" Mu Xiaolan fumed at Issei.


    "Nevermind that... That Main Hall Master from earlier, she had some animosity at your Master?" Issei waved his hand to dismiss their little banter.


    "What animosity!?" Mu Xiaolan gritted her teeth: "Isn''t it only because she wants to take Master''s place to become an Ice Phoenix Palace Master!?"


    "Master was infected by the flame poison more than one thousand years ago and because she lost her powers, the flame poison invaded her soul. When she returned to the Snow Song Realm, it was no longer curable and she was doomed to die. If Master died, then she, as Freezing Snow Hall''s Main Hall Master, would easily inherit Master''s Palace Master position."


    "A Palace Master is at a higher rank than a Main Hall Master. Thus, from a thousand years ago, she has long since made preparations to become an Ice Phoenix Palace Master. Everyone in Divine Ice Phoenix Sect knows this. But in the end, because of the close sister relationship between the Master and Great Realm King, the Great Realm King didn''t hesitate to pay any cost in order to prolong Master''s life. Any item in the entire sect that was able to prolong a life was taken by the Great Realm King in order to save Master. As a result, every year that Master stays safe causes Mu Fengshu, who had long ago declared that she will become Palace Master, to lose face. It seems that she has received quite a bit of ridicule."


    "I''ve also heard that Mu Fengshu obtained a rare in the training grounds. It would help her profound strength make a breakthrough, but after the Great Realm King heard about it, she took it away to replenish Master''s life¡­ All these things caused her to have a really deep grudge against Master. She doesn''t dare to do anything to Master in public but a majority of the malicious rumors about Master come from her! Master is just too kind. Master thinks she owes her, so she never struck back, causing her to become even more aggravating."


    "...I see." Issei''s mouth started to twitch a little after hearing Mu Xiaolan''s story.


    Of course she would resent your Master for that... Her elder sister took her treasure just so she can prolong your Master''s life...


    Don''t get him wrong, he can understand the standpoint of the Realm King since he would''ve done the same if one of his loved ones were to suffer the same fate as Mu Bingyun but still...


    After a few minutes, they finally reach the testing ground...


    ...


    At the same time, Mu Bingyun also arrived at her destination...


    She entered a room where a goddess-like woman is residing. She''s currently inclined beside a window.


    "You''re back." The woman said softly to Mu Bingyun.


    "Um... I''m back, elder sister." Mu Bingyun nodded with a small smile on her face.


    The woman Mu Bingyun called elder sister is named Mu Xuanyin. She''s the Realm King!


    She has long hair that stretches all the way to her waist and it has a special kind of icy color. It isn''t pure white but a l.u.s.trous white that is freckled with icy crystals and gleaming with a bit of light blue. Her hair is dazzlingly beautiful beneath the sunlight. Her beautiful face, slightly slanted crescent brows, misty eyes, and gentle light pink colored lips could bewitch the soul and contained an indescribable charm.


    Her figure is alluring to the extreme. A snow colored ribbon is tied around her willow-thin waist and the snow robes covering her chest look so round and full it is as if something would burst out of its trappings at any moment. The buttocks beneath her slim waist are also rounder and firmer. Her entire body was dripping with a kind of allure and charm that ate away at both bones and souls.


    "Elder sister, there''s something I need to tell you..." Mu Bingyun then said seriously.

 Chapter 123 - 122

    (AN: Big thanks to jonathan b and Rein for the donation! I hope all of you enjoy the chapter and stay safe. Don''t let the corona virus defeat us! With that said, peace out girls scout!).


    The girls'' name was added to the examination name list of the first group. Mu Fengshu''s gaze shifted as she gently pushed Li Mingcheng. "Go back and prepare for the exam. Even though there shouldn''t be anyone who can surpass you in this group, you mustn''t slack off. Hanfeng, get ready to begin."


    "Yes, Hall Master," Ji Hanfeng respectfully replied.


    After she finished, Mu Fengshu no longer lingered around and left with large strides.


    When Li Mingcheng arrived at the testing ground, his eyes shone brightly the moment he saw Xia Qingyue''s group. He slowly takes his time to get closer to their group and stand not far away from them.


    The instant he stood still, he turned to them and said: "Ladies, we meet again." He flashed another ''gentlemanly'' smile... but once again, the girls completely ignore him as if he doesn''t exist.


    His face started twitching quite a bit being ignored by them... he doesn''t dare to say anything rude either since all of them have higher cultivation than him. For all he knows, they might be his senior sisters in the near future...


    Even if his aunt is the hall master, he''s not allowed to use her position as well since his aunt already warned him that she won''t give him a special treatment even if he were to enter the palace.


    But of course she will surely treat him a lot better than a normal disciple, that''s a fact...


    Then he noticed Issei standing not far away, he was about to mock him before his words got stuck on his throat when all of the girls had their eyes narrowed dangerously at him.


    The combined pressure of a hundred Divine Origin Realm cultivation is not something that he can handle... The weakest of them all is at the 5th level Divine Origin Realm while he''s only at the 3rd level...


    He started to sweat profusely while a meek smile adorning his face, he hastily took some distance from them.


    "Then Ise, please excuse us." Feng Qianhui said while she gives a deep bow at Issei. The other girls also followed suit...


    "Um... Be careful." Issei nodded at them.


    The other onlookers who saw this become confused just why did these girls seem to be treating this useles- ...Eh? wait...


    They started to rub their eyes as hard as they could before they started to inspect Issei once again.


    ...D-D-Divine King Realm?! WHAT!!?


    Wasn''t he only at the peak level throne a few moments ago?! When did he become a Divine King!!! And it''s not any Divine King Realm, but peak Divine King!


    They feel like the world around them started to spin... they feel so shocked that they become utterly dumbfounded.


    Xiaolan who stood nearby had a smug smile on her face as if she''s the one who''s being center of the attention... Hmph hmph! Did all of you see that? Master''s guest is not a normal person at all!


    Esdeath''s group also let out a smirk seeing how ignorant these people are... Did they really think that their Master is some random joe they can find on the street? Heh, a bunch of ignorant fools...


    They should be thankful that their Master is not a petty person or their lives would''ve been forfeited not long ago... Even their realm king won''t be able to save them if their Master truly wanted to claim their lives...


    There''s immediately a commotion happening amongst the onlookers but Issei pays no heed to them.


    When Mu Fengshu left, the face of Ji Hanfeng, who was in charge of the first group''s examinations, changed from that of respect to sharp arrogance. He swept a glance through the entire group and then said gravely, "Be quiet! The preparations for the profound formation of the second round of examinations are complete. You may start at any time. However, before then, I have something I must remind you all of. Currently, your group has a total of ten thousand three hundred and twenty-three people but only one thousand will pass the second round! The remainders have no choice but to come again in five years."


    He doesn''t realize the reasoning behind the commotion and only thought that it''s just them being rowdy for no apparent reason.


    After his announcement, they shut their mouth instantly. Even though they''re extremely baffled just how come Issei suddenly become a Divine King, they can''t let this incident affect their performance on the upcoming trial.


    When Ji Hanfeng''s gaze swept onto Xia Qingyue''s group, there''s a glint of l.u.s.t flashed briefly on his eyes.


    Only one out of ten people would be able to pass¡­ and this was only the second round.


    "And only one hundred from the thousand who enter the third round will pass." Ji Hanfeng extended a finger and said indifferently, "In other words, from the lot of you, only one out of a hundred will be able to enter Freezing Snow Hall. Freezing Snow Hall is not a place just anyone can join! You all may have been called geniuses within the Snow Song Realm or other places or were even hegemons in the lower realms but when you come here, you all must think it over. If you don''t want to fail too miserably, put aside your former arrogance¡­ because here, all that is a mere joke!"


    "In addition, let me also give you guys some good news." Ji Hanfeng casually took out a crystal bottle. "There is always someone who achieves the best record and they will of course be rewarded. After all, trash should be tossed away while talents qualify to receive preferential treatment. And this year''s reward, tsk tsk, could be counted as the greatest in ten thousand years. It is even something I would drool over."


    Ji Hanfeng slowly grasped the jade bottle in his hand, his movements rather careful. He pitched slowly, "Jadefallen... Ice... Soul... Pellet!"


    WHOOOA!!!


    When the words "Jadefallen Ice Soul Pellet" came out, the profound practitioners who had been holding their breath involuntarily gasped.


    "Ah? Jadefallen Ice Soul Pellet!?" Mu Xiaolan also let out a surprised gasp. "Why is the reward for this year''s Freezing Snow Hall examination this excessive?"


    "The Profound God Convention will be held in about thirty months." Mu Sushan, who just arrived said to Mu Xiaolan softly.


    He seemed to be aware of the inside situation. He answered rather profoundly, "Anyone can tell that this Profound God Convention came about in quite an unusual manner. Every single king realm is also acting strangely. Something huge might be coming to the God Realm. As such, the Great Realm King personally issued an order to no longer be stingy with the sect''s resources and use all our power to nurture our first-rate disciples of great talent. The reason why the ''Jadefallen Ice Soul Pellet'' is the examination reward for Freezing Snow Hall this time around must have something to do with that."


    "...However," Ji Hanfeng put away the jade bottle, swept his gaze toward Li Mingcheng as his expression immediately turn into pity... Before, this treasure should''ve gone to the latter considering his cultivation base and talent... but now...


    He can only shake his head bitterly and then he set his gaze on Xia Qingyue''s group: "In this group, unless there is some kind of huge accident, this Jadefallen Ice Soul Pellet will fall to... Junior sister Xia Qingyue or junior sister Chu Yuechan hands."


    He flashed a smile at both of them... Both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan have the highest cultivation base amongst the girls after all.


    Countless gazes of admiration and envy shifted toward them. At the same time, the longing light in their eyes also quickly dimmed¡­ Because they were well aware that both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan stood out far too much in this examination group. No one could possibly compete with them both or even their friends... Even though Ji Hanfeng was quite blunt about it, everyone knew that it was not the least bit of an exaggeration.


    There''s no change that could be found in Qingyue and Yuechan''s expression.


    "Haha, as expected of Junior sister Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan. Not only is your innate talent extraordinary, but you both are also very calm even when you know that you might receive such treasure." He praised, nodding in approval. "From this day forth, all of you are sure to give Freezing Snow Hall an additional shine."


    He speaks as if he already knows them from a long time ago... They clearly just met but he already started to act like they are close acquaintances with each other.


    Truly a toad that doesn''t know his place...


    Ji Hanfeng''s expression immediately became solemn. Then, he waved his hand. "Alright! The second round of examinations will begin now. Those who wish to enter Freezing Snow Hall, raise your spirits!"


    Clang!!


    Following the last of Ji Hanfeng''s voice, a huge profound formation was activated. White profound light shone from below as a profound formation, that was around three kilometers wide, appeared beneath the feet of the examinees.


    "The second round of the examination is called the ''Snowstorm Realm!''" Ji Hanfeng spoke without expression "Once the profound formation below your feet activates, you all will appear in a snowstorm world. That place is much colder than what you all can imagine. The storms there will make you lose all sense of direction, aside from the destination point."


    "The destination point is only one hundred fifty kilometers ahead of you."


    "All you have to do is withstand the cold and storm and reach the destination point. As long as you touch the destination point, you will be brought out by the profound formation."


    "The first one thousand people that come out of the profound formation will be the ones who pass this round. As for the others¡­" Ji Hanfeng sneered, "You can all get the hell out."


    After Ji Hanfeng finished his explanation, many of the participants sucked in a cold breath of air. At this moment, a young profound practitioner who stood at the front protested weakly, "But¡­ but this isn''t fair¡­ in that kind of environment, those who cultivate ice attribute profound arts will have a huge advantage. Almost everyone in the Snow Song Realm cultivates ice profound arts but there are very few of us from the lower realms who cultivate ice profound arts¡­ isn''t¡­ isn''t this a bit too unfair to us?"


    "Fair?" Ji Hanfeng strode forth with his eyes locked on the profound practitioner that spoke out. Once he came close, he suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the collar. Following a flash of blue light from his body, a layer of thick ice instantly spread to that young profound practitioner''s entire body.


    "Ah¡­" The young profound practitioner''s eyes widened amidst his frightened groan. He subconsciously wanted to struggle but his profound strength and mobility were thoroughly sealed. He was not able to budge one inch and he was also quickly losing consciousness.


    "Only the strong are qualified to speak of fairness." Ji Hanfeng narrowed his eyes and sneered, "If you want fairness, you can go seek it from those trashes who live on those lowly planets after heading back to your lower realm! You are not qualified to say that here!"


    Bang!!!


    That young profound practitioner was ruthlessly tossed to the ground by Ji Hanfeng. The surrounding profound practitioners quickly made way as ice crystals shattered while scattering through the air. Not a single one of them lent a helping hand. Ji Hanfeng turned around and said coldly, "All of the profound arts in our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect are of the ice attribute so it is naturally much more suitable for those who have a foundation in ice profound arts. In regards to this round of examinations, I''ve already finished what I have to say. Whoever wants to say any more useless words can get the hell out!"


    All of the profound practitioners kept quiet out of fear, not a single one dared to speak out. As if he was scared dumb, that profound practitioner who had been tossed to the floor didn''t get up for a long time.


    "I will be sending you off to the Snowstorm Realm now, enjoy!"


    Ji Hanfeng flicked a finger and the profound formation beneath them began to spin rapidly. Following a ray of white light that shot to the skies, all of the human figures there were swallowed within.


    When Ji Hanfeng was about to say something at Issei''s group, he becomes confused since they disappeared without him realizing it... when did they...


    But soon he shook his head thinking that Issei''s group must''ve left already... ''Hmph, that kind of trash truly doesn''t belong here... but those girls around him... ''


    Ji Hanfeng licked his lips lecherously while he started to having indecent thoughts about Esdeath and the others...


    Unknown to him, even Mu Sushan also doesn''t realize when did Issei disappears.


    He saw that Mu Xiaolan is still beside him then where did they go...?


    "A-Ah, they said that they''re going to go somewhere for a moment..." Mu Xiaolan who realizes Mu Sushan''s gaze smiled wryly at the latter.


    She was informed by Issei just now that he will be going somewhere for a moment and before she could say anything, they already disappeared right in front of her eyes...


    She pouted a little for being left behind like this...


    Mu Sushan nodded unsurely at her words. How did they disappear from his sight? He doesn''t feel any movement at all and they just suddenly disappear... it seems that these guests are not simple as they seem...


    ...


    The white light slowly dispersed and a bone-chilling wind came in from all directions. The girls opened their eyes and a world covered in snow appeared before them. It was snowy white from the sky to the ground with almost no other color in sight. There were other examinees in their surroundings. The place they were at was extremely cold but the atmosphere was especially quiet.


    Just ahead of them, they kept hearing a howl so sharp that it was almost ear-piercing.


    This was the Snowstorm Realm, Freezing Snow Hall''s second round of examination. To be able to pass this round of examination, one would have to be one of the first one thousand people to go through the snowstorm and freezing wind and reach the finish line¡­ The finish line was a hundred and fifty kilometers straight ahead of them.


    A hundred and fifty kilometers was a relatively short distance to profound practitioners at their level and the details were very simple and straightforward. Even though the place they were at right now was very cold, it wasn''t completely unbearable, not to mention any feeling of pressure.


    But, this was an examination of the God Realm, how could it be as simple as it looked?


    Whooosh!!!


    The profound energy surrounding them was in turmoil, countless sounds of explosions burst out at the same instant.


    Only a thousand people could pass this examination and the rest that numbered more than nine thousand would all be brutally eliminated. In addition, most of them were at a similar level of strength, so a split second of delay could result in two completely different destinies.


    Because of this, none of the profound practitioners who entered the Snowstorm Realm was in the mood to admire the surrounding scenery like the girls. Instead, the first thing they did after they arrived was to confirm the direction of the finish line and utilized their profound energy to charge towards the snowstorm world in the north with their fastest speed.


    More than ten thousand Divine Origin Realm profound practitioners released their energy at the same time, the power was so strong that it shocked heaven and earth. The flying snow and ice layers around were all kicked up harshly.


    However, not everyone started rushing towards the finish line immediately. Instead, there were three people who stayed in place.


    First is obviously the girls, and for the others, there''s Li Mingcheng...


    Li Mingcheng turned around and looked towards the girls with the same smirk from before. He knew better than anyone here what was ahead in the Snowstorm Realm...


    "Ladies, how about we go together?" He tried to invite the girls.


    "No need. We can take care of ourselves." Chu Yuechan said coldly.


    Before he could react, the girls had already turned away and immediately flew ahead with a speed that makes everyone nearby them flabbergasted...


    They need to be very careful in this realm but they just flew straight ahead without hesitation...


    Unknown to them, this realm possesses no threat at all for the girls and they can easily go back and forth with their eyes closed if they wanted to.


    They used their and they will never get lost even in this blizzard storm. The cold also doesn''t affect them in the slightest... This test is basically like a walk in the park for them.


    "..." Li Mingcheng''s face became stiff and when he saw they leaving him behind, he can only grit his teeth in frustration.


    Then he flew up into the air with a speed like lightning. Even though he had enough confidence, he didn''t dare to be careless...


    The temperature continued to go down and the strong wind had become a fierce wind. After going forward for a few kilometers, the surroundings suddenly became a snowstorm world and the wind had transformed into an incredibly terrifying storm wind.


    The cold was freezing everyone''s body and sealing their profound energy, the flying snow was blocking their vision and senses, and the storm wind was blowing them in many different directions¡­ Under the combination of these three factors, it formed a world that was enough to cause the divine way profound practitioners to be desperate.


    Of course the exception for all of this is Chu Yuechan and the others.


    While the others are still struggling in the fierce storm, they have already reached the exit...


    ...


    Clang!!


    The profound formation in front of them suddenly flashed with white light, even the host of the examination, Ji Hanfeng, becomes dazed... so fast! It hasn''t even been ten minutes yet and someone already reached the finish line?!


    When he saw the figure of the first person who appeared... well, a group of people to be exact, he felt utterly shocked...


    Even Mu Sushan feels the same way while Mu Xiaolan could already predict this to a certain extent so she doesn''t feel too surprised.


    He knows that Xia Qingyue''s group will be the first to finish but he doesn''t expect that they will be this fast!


    But he reeled in his shock before he walked forward and laughed loudly, "This was indeed the expected result. After all, you ladies are a monstrous genius! Even though I tried to overestimate your time, the time you used was still a lot shorter than what I had predicted."


    Ji Hanfeng''s words were filled with flattery because with their natural talent alone, their position would definitely not be lower than his after they entered the Freezing Snow Hall.


    The girls don''t pay attention to his flattery and they started looking around for a specific figure that has cemented his position in their heart.


    Mu Xiaolan who sensed their intention said weakly: "U-Umm, he said that he will be going somewhere for a moment... And congrats for passing the test..."


    The girls who heard Mu Xiaolan''s words nodded slightly. They feel a little disappointed that he''s not here... they wanted him to praise them even though the test is very easy.


    After the frozen cloud ladies had arrived and another twenty minutes have passed, the second profound practitioner who had completed the examination finally appeared. It is Li Mingcheng who has the second-highest cultivation amongst the participants...


    He could only sigh wistfully since he''s not the first person to finish the test... what can he do when the other party is much stronger than him...


    Following after, the profound formation in front of them started flickering in a faster frequency, from a few dozen people to more than a hundred people¡­ a few hundred people¡­


    Many of the profound practitioners who passed the examination directly lay on the ground while taking big breaths, over the moon...


    ...


    Issei went inside the to meet up with Jasmine and Xun''er. Esdeath and the others are increasing their cultivation realm at the moment... Since he''s not in public, Issei took off his mask.


    "You''re leaving?" Issei asked with raised eyebrows at the frowning Jasmine.


    "Um... I will be attending the upcoming Profound God Convention." Jasmine said softly: "When the convention starts, that might be the time I have my revenge!" She said coldly at the end.


    Xun''er who''s by her side could only sigh bitterly... It seems that the time has come... If possible she wanted to be the one to avenge her son, that way her daughter won''t need to dirty her hand with the blood of her own father...


    Even though their relationship with each other is almost nonexistent at this point, in the end, that man is still her father.


    "And I still need to find my little sister... She must be worried about us." Jasmine''s tone turned softer when she talks about her sister.


    "Hmm, I see..." Issei nodded calmly.


    Jasmine could ask his help if she wanted to and he will help her.


    But he knows that Jasmine doesn''t want to owe him any longer and she wanted to have her revenge with her own two hands. Jasmine also knows that with just a flick of his finger then he can easily destroy the whole if he wanted to but that''s not what she wants...


    Issei then took a step forward and stand in front of Jasmine.


    "Wh-What?" Jasmine''s cheeks blushed slightly seeing how close they are.


    Issei smiled softly before he starts ruffling her hair.


    Jasmine grumbled at this since she doesn''t want to be treated like a child by him: "D-Don''t treat me as if I''m a child!" She tried to shake his hand away but there''s little to no force behind her action... She clearly doesn''t really hate his touch...


    "Heheh, you''re still a little brat though." Issei said teasingly at the petite girl before him.


    "Sh-Shut up! It''s not my fault that my body won''t grow! And do I need to remind you that I''m already nineteen years old!" Jasmine said with a pout.


    So weird... She already turned nineteen years old but her body barely grow at all! How come? Her mother has a nice body so why won''t her body grow just like her mother?!


    "Well, just be careful okay? If you need my help then don''t hesitate to ask. Remember to use the charm I gave you if you''re in danger... I will surely save you when the time comes." Issei said gently after he stops ruffling her hair.


    "...En." Jasmine nodded obediently hearing his words... a sweet honey-like feeling started to fill her entire being: "...I-I will come back to your side when I''m finished with my revenge." She said in a very small voice but Issei could hear her clearly.


    "Ah... You''re always welcome here... Both of you." Issei nodded at Jasmine then at Xun''er.


    "Fufu, we''re glad to hear that." Xun''er giggled while covering her mouth: "After all, somebody already stole something precious from us and we can''t let that certain somebody get away with it~, am I right, dear?"


    ''And that something is our heart...'' Xun''er added inside her mind.


    Issei seems puzzled at Xun''er words... Stolen something? Who? And what is it?


    Jasmine who heard her mother''s words had her whole face reddened at a rapid pace.


    During the past three years, she already found out that her mother also has feelings towards Issei. Jasmine was a bit surprised but not by much since she knows well just how potent the other party charm is...


    This is fine as well. She was planning to introduce her little sister to Issei later on and if she wanted to then they can share him together.


    At the very least, they better be first that cross the finish line! As long as the three of them work together then they should be able to capture his heart completely even if he''s very dense! And as what the future hold for them... it is fine as long as they''re first! Nothing else mattered after that.


    When she thought until here, Jasmine steeled herself before she lifts her head up and stands on her tiptoe with her lips puckered slightly. She was planning to give Issei cheek a kiss...


    But what happens next made the three of them froze on the spot.


    "Jasmine, do you kno- umph!?"


    Issei was about to ask Jasmine if she knows what Xun''er talk about... but this act of his made Jasmine plan goes wrong.


    She accidentally kissed Issei on the lips instead of on his cheek!


    It''s as if time froze for the three of them...


    Her jet black pair of eyes locked with Issei''s wine-red eyes.


    Jasmine is the first to snap out of her daze before she screamed out loud: "I-I-I-I!!! D-Don''t misunderstand! Th-Th-This princess was only planning to give you a kiss on the cheek! This princess has absolutely no intention to give you a kiss on the lips! I-It''s an accident!!!"


    After she said that, she doesn''t wait for Issei''s response and immediately created a spatial rift before pulling Xun''er along with her.


    Issei is still in a daze after being ''kissed'' by Jasmine...


    Nyarlathotep who notices the spike in his emotion narrowed her eyes... ''This won''t do...''


    She hastily comes out from his shadow and without saying anything, she immediately stole Issei''s lips.


    This broke Issei out of his daze. He hastily pushed away Nyarlathotep away from his body: "What the hell are you doing?"


    She speaks with a sultry tone: "Awwhh~ you''re giving another girl other than your own wife a kiss~ that calls for a punishment~" she licked her lips l.u.s.tfully at the end.


    "You''re not my wife." Issei said coldly.


    "How cruel~" She faked a tear.


    Issei then turned around before he sighs wryly. It looks like it is indeed his fault for suddenly turning his head like that... he just made things went awkward with Jasmine...


    Nyarlathotep''s body jerked slightly after Issei turned around.


    ''...Ufufufu~ how intriguing... It looks like while I''m trying to corrupt him, his body also does the same thing in return... albeit unconsciously...'' She said with a grin: ''Ahhh~ so this is how it feels like... being corrupted by others... mmm~ fascinating...'' she wrapped her arms around her body making her already voluptuous asset become more prominent...


    If any men were to saw this then they would willingly throw away their lives with just a snap of her finger...


    While Nyarlathotep is trying to corrupt Issei, his body also retaliate in the same manner. His love is also slowly ''corrupting'' Nyarlathotep... and by the looks of it, she will be the one to lose if things go on like this... she needs to prepare a new plan...


    ...


    At Jasmine''s side, she''s a distance away from the . She''s standing in an entranced state while touching her dainty lips...


    Inside her head, she keeps repeating that sweet taste of kissing him over and over again... she was completely lost while relishing her recent memories... kissing him feel so good and sweet that she might be addicted already...


    "How does it feel, dear?"


    "...It feels so sweet and addicting..."


    "You want to do it again?"


    "...Yes... I wanted to do it over and ov- Mother!!!"


    Jasmine finally snaps out of her entranced state and shouted in embarrassment at her mother''s teasing.


    "Fufufu, so it feels so sweet and addicting? Mother is so envious~... oh and congrats for losing your first kiss dear~" Xun''er said with a knowing smile.


    Jasmine pouted to the side with a reddened face.


    Suddenly both of them sensed the presence they have been waiting for. Jasmine purposefully released a bit of her divine energy to let the other party knows of her location.


    "She''s here." Jasmine said coldly.


    Xun''er also had her face turned cold. She hides her rabbit ears and restrained her aura so that she won''t attract much attention to herself.


    The old Xun''er is very weak... Her cultivation was only at the Divine Sovereign Realm. But now she''s already at the late stage Divine Master Realm. That''s how powerful Issei ''legacy'' was... And it''s only an incomplete legacy at that!


    Jasmine also had her cultivation increased by one realm. But she also hides her real cultivation just like Xun''er did.


    Following her words, the figure of a woman appeared high above the sky of Snow Song City and she was accompanied by a barely discernible odd fragrance.


    The woman in the sky had a tall figure and was even taller than the average male. She was dressed in a jade-green silk gown which was seemingly translucent, and her coquettish jade body was rather discernible. The silk sleeves slipping over her arms and thighs were however completely transparent. Her pair of silky arms were smooth and crystal clear while her shoulders glistened brightly.


    Half-wrapped in chiffon, the bosoms in front of her chest were enormous. Seemingly a large half of them were exposed, blatantly sandwiching a deep valley and the white l.u.s.ter they had led to people coveting and salivating for them.


    Under the jade-green silk gown, her two beautiful slim, long legs were completely exposed, their creaminess was to the extent where people could lose control, wanting to hug and lick them.


    With a flirtatious face and dark painted brows, her tiny, water hibiscus-like, red lips revealed a faint smile.


    When comparing her facial appearance, she was far from the perfection and flawlessness of Xia Qingyue and the others. However, her entire body was emitting a demonic charm capable of taking away the souls of men. Her pair of eyes especially, looked as though they were carrying the water of autumn.


    The corner of the charming woman''s lips lightly arched upwards, the charming woman slowly turned around and looked towards Jasmine.


    Within her beautiful eyes that flowing with green radiance, a strange dazzling light flashed past. Then, she faintly smiled. "Your highness, this servant finally managed to find you and lady Xun''er."


    The way she addresses Xun''er was completely different from how she addresses Jasmine. It''s clear that Xun''er position was very low within the Star God Realm...


    "It''s been three years, seeing that your highness is still safe and sound, this servant feels boundless joy from the depths of her heart."


    "It''s been three years, yet you''re still so loathsome," compared to her flirtatiousness, Jasmine''s voice was as cold as a frozen spring. Slowly, she muttered the other party''s name. "Moonflower!"


    People who had heard of the Twelve Star Gods of Star God Realm would be aware of the two most frightening existences that could strike them with terror just by conversing about them.


    Among the two, was the Heavenly Poison Star God.


    And presently, standing in front of Jasmine was this woman who was seemingly born to bewitch men, the Heavenly Poison Star God who carried the title "Moonflower of Hell"!


    "Hehehehe¡­" Facing Jasmine''s cold taunts, not only did Moonflower not become angry, she instead smiled tenderly and narrowed her charming eyes to observe Jasmine and Xun''er.


    Twisting her waist like a water snake, she then appeared in front of Jasmine with speed comparable to teleportation. "Your highness and Lady Xun''er, it seems that you both have become more and more beautiful... Especially lady Xun''er. Her change is simply... mindblowing..."


    "If my king were to know of this then he might love lady Xun''er even more than ever~. A few years ago, we had thought that you had encountered misfortune. My king was depressed for a long while, you know?"


    "Depressed?" Coldness and ridicule could be seen from Jasmine and Xun''er face.


    "And I smell some sweet and intoxicating fragrance from your highness body... This servant is wondering just who is the owner of this fragrance is... It doesn''t belong to a woman, that''s for sure~" Moonflower eyes flashed with a faint glint: "I wonder if he''s someone from the ."


    Moonflower said with a giggle. "It''s no wonder your highness still did not die after being struck with the Absolute God Slaying Poison. You must''ve forcefully abandoned the body that was infected with the demonic poison and attached your soul onto someone else¡­ If this servant isn''t mistaken, that someone, should be the owner of this fragrance~"


    "..." Jasmine doesn''t say anything and only looks at Moonflower with a ridiculing eye.


    Did she think that she could threaten her with her words? What a joke! Even if she by chance finds out about Issei then what can she do to him? Forget about killing him, she won''t even be able to touch a single hair of his!


    When the time comes, the one who will die is obvious. She won''t even know how she dies if she were to offend him!


    Seeing the ridicule look on Jasmine''s face, Moonflower started to feel a little uneasy... was her guess wrong? Or was it something else?


    "...But from the looks of it, your highness seems to have only reconstructed your body not too long ago and your god powers have only been restored by thirty percent. It''s better this way as well, otherwise, this servant would have been troubled." Moonflower tilted her lips upwards, both her voice and expression were still as tender and frail. "If this servant had known about this, then I wouldn''t have informed my king that I had discovered your highness beforehand."


    "Hmph!" Jasmine scoffed at her words.


    It''s funny how fate works... before this, she would feel a bit tense whenever that person is mentioned. But now... she only thinks of him as a weakling!


    It seems that because of her interaction with Issei, her worldly view has changed completely. A Divine Master peak? They''re nothing but insects in her eyes now!


    Her mother alone can easily step on those arrogant old foggies.


    "Also, I have a piece of good news that I must definitely inform your highness immediately," Moonflower said with a gleeful smile. "The new inheritor of the Heavenly Wolf Star God has already appeared."


    "Heavenly Wolf Star God¡­" Jasmine suddenly raised her head. "Who is it!?"


    Heavenly Wolf Star God was the Star God power her brother inherited back then, so she had some special feelings towards the power of the Heavenly Wolf Star God.


    A Star God powers definitely could not be inherited by just anyone. There were extremely high requirements for the inheritors. Aptitude, physique, compatibility, none of these three did not carry extreme requirements. After a generation of Star God had fallen, finding the next suitable inheritor would usually require several hundred or even several thousand years.


    Presently, it had only been less than ten years since her brother had fallen, yet a new inheritor had already appeared in such a short span of time.


    "That person is¡­" Moonflower''s face revealed a mysterious smile. "Princess Caizhi."


    "..." Jasmine''s body suddenly shook as though she was struck by lightning. "What did you say!?"


    "Your highness, you heard it correctly. It''s Princess Caizhi." Seemingly very satisfied with Jasmine''s reaction, Moonflower''s smile grew even more pleased. "Also, the compatibility between Princess Caizhi and the Heavenly Wolf Star God power has achieved a perfect degree never before seen in history. As expected of¡­"


    "Shut up!!!"


    Jasmine clenched her two fists, her two fragile arms were even trembling slightly without end. Even her aura had turned chaotic¡­


    Princess Caizhi is her little sister. Jasmine knows her well... she wouldn''t feel happy after inheriting the Heavenly Wolf Star God...


    Jasmine''s breathing grew hurried.


    Even Xun''er feels the same way... but as her mother, she can''t let herself feel disheartened like this: "Take us back now, Moonflower." she said coldly.


    Moonflower raised her eyebrows at Xun''er cold words since back then she never used this kind of tone before. In her eyes, Xun''er is nothing but a frail lady...


    "Now that''s obedient of you, lady Xun''er." Moonflower''s smile was like a flower. "Seeing your and your highness returning safely, my king will definitely be overjoyed."


    "Let''s go!" Jasmine said after heaving a deep breath.


    Along with the Moonflower seductive laugh, the three of them disappear from the ...


    ...


    When Issei returned to the examination hall, the girls have already undergone the third test. Mu Xiaolan sigh in relief seeing that Issei is finally back...


    The final examination is called the .


    In the Ice Profound Realm, all participants will be attacked by strong profound beasts. The longer they all stay in there, the more profound beasts they will encounter! And since the space is restricted, they can only fight. There is nowhere to run...


    In the Ice Profound Realm, once you have died, you will be teleported out immediately and there will be no second chances. But they do not need to be worried, the only thing that dies in the Ice Profound Realm is their ''projection.'' No matter how brutally you die in there, you won''t really die, there won''t even be a scratch.


    In other words, they just need to stay there as long as possible.


    A full one hundred breaths had passed since the previous examinee had been ejected but the profound formation showed no other movement... There has been a lot of them who failed the test and some already passed the time limit.


    But most of them are still waiting to see who will come first. It''s no surprise that the one who will stand out the most is Xia Qingyue''s group but who will be first amongst them?


    Li Mingcheng already exited not long ago and once again, he can only sigh bitterly seeing that he''s not first... well, nobody will blame him since the other party is much stronger than him. Ji Hanfeng also thought the same as him...


    "As expected of them, to actually persevere so long without dying," quietly exclaimed a profound practitioner who had passed the exam. They had all just recently experienced the terror of the Ice Profound Realm trial. Each Winterfrost Direwolf was a nightmarish existence.


    "It''s expected that they will be able to last this long. After all, they definitely have that kind of strength. But who will come out first among their group?"


    "It''s probably that woman who''s named Xia Qingyue or Chu Yuechan that will come out as first. After all, they have the highest cultivation."


    "Indeed..."


    The rest of them nodded at the last statement.


    Soon one by one the girls finally exited the formation... Starting from the weakest of them all who was only at the middle stage of Divine Origin Realm.


    But even though they finish their test, there''s no visible exhaustion on their eyes.


    They who saw Issei standing nearby had their eyes shone brightly before they hurriedly scurry over to his side.


    Ji Hanfeng and Li Mingcheng who saw this wanted to spat in disdain but their face went dumbstruck when they sensed Issei current cultivation realm.


    D-Divine King Realm?!


    Their reaction is the same as the previous people who found out about his ''new'' cultivation realm.


    Even Mu Sushan also felt amazed by this sight... was it his misconception when he first sensed his cultivation? It shouldn''t be...


    But after he started to inspect Issei once more, he becomes horrified since according to his estimation, Issei is only twenty-four years of age! Heavens!


    The shock that Mu Sushan feels cannot be described into words... Is he really someone from the lower realm?!


    Next who exited the test are Chu Yueli, Feng Qianhui, Gong Yuxian, Murong Qianxue, Cang Yue, and the rest of the girls...


    The one who still hasn''t come out is Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan...


    After waiting for a while longer... Under the awed gazes of the other participants... Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan finally exited the formation... but both of them exited at the same time!


    At this moment, Ji Hanfeng walked towards them while laughing loudly, "Hahahaha, Junior sister Qingyue and junior sister Yuechan, you both are indeed the most talented genius among all of us!"


    "We are not that close, so I would prefer if you stop calling us in such a familiar manner." Chu Yuechan said coldly.


    Ji Hanfeng''s body stiffens on the spot before he gives a weak smile: "My mistake, my mistake..." He can only grip his fist tightly to endure the humiliation that he feels right now...


    Then both of them joined the rest of the group who welcomed them with congratulatory words. There is no envy nor jealousy among them and they feel happy for Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan splendid performance.


    "Elder Ise." They greeted Issei with a polar opposite tone compared to how they speak with Ji Hanfeng...


    The male onlookers could only send an envious gaze at Issei for being treated in such manner by so many heavenly beauties...


    On the other hand, the female onlookers become very curious just why did these girls treat Issei in such manner... they started wondering just what kind of face that he possess below that mask of his...


    Ji Hanfeng faked a cough before he loudly announced, "Very good, the examinations for our group are all completed at this point. First let''s congratulate all the junior brothers and sisters. After going through three rounds of examination, you have all qualified to become disciples of Freezing Snow Hall. After receiving the Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade that will belong to you later, you will all officially be our Freezing Snow Hall''s disciples. I wish you all to achieve great things from now on, make our ancestors proud!"


    "And, as the first place of the examination this time, as well as the most talented new disciple among our group..." Ji Hanfeng raised his palms and slowly picked up the . Everyone''s eyes were attracted beneath the dreamy blue light and stuck on it like a magnet. All of their eyes revealed a deep desire and envy, especially Li Mingcheng...


    Ji Hanfeng becomes a little confused just who should he give this pellet to... both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan exited the formation at the exact time after all...


    "Qingyue, go and get it." Chu Yuechan said softly.


    "Qingyue understand." Xia Qingyue nodded and walk forward to receive the jade.


    Before Ji Hanfeng could even react, Xia Qingyue takes the pellet unceremoniously.


    His face started twitching for the umpteenth time seeing this...


    But what she did next made all of them become dumbfounded yet again.


    "Elder Ise... Please." Xia Qingyue without any hesitation presented the pellet to him as if the pellet doesn''t worth a single penny in her eyes...


    "Hm? You can keep it. I have no need for it." Issei said calmly.


    "But..."


    "Qingyue, be obedient and keep it... you should know that I really don''t need it," Issei said with a sigh.


    "...Qingyue understand." She said feeling a little disappointed that it seems that even this kind of item from the upper realm isn''t up to his liking either.


    "Don''t look so disappointed will you?" Issei said with a wry smile under his mask: "I''m happy that you wanted to give it to me but it''s better if you use it for yourself. And I''m proud of all of you for being able to pass the test."


    Xia Qingyue and the others smiled sweetly at his praise. Nothing else matters as long as they can receive his praise...


    "What happened? Isn''t the test over yet? Why is everyone being so quiet?"


    Mu Fengshu who went away a while ago returned with a frown.


    Mu Fengshu looked around and saw Li Mingcheng giving her a bitter smile. It seems that her nephew is able to pass the test but he couldn''t get the first place.


    Well, no matter... as long as he''s able to pass the test then it''s fine.


    Then he saw Xia Qingyue''s group is encircling Issei. Just like the other before, she was about to ridicule Issei but her words got stuck on her throat. Her eyes shrunk instantly after she sensed Issei cultivation.


    "I believe the test has already finished."


    A snow-white figure slowly descended from high above, its waistband fluttering in the air. A peerlessly beautiful snowy face that could overturn worlds appeared and even caused the surrounding light to lose its splendor. A pure, clean, frosty aura lightly enveloped everyone''s souls, causing them to become stupefied. It was as though a fairy had landed in the mortal realm.


    "Master!" Mu Xiaolan shouted in pleasant surprise when she saw the celestial figure fluttering down from up above.


    "Palace Master¡­ Bingyun!" A Freezing Snow Hall disciple softly exclaimed.


    Upon hearing the name Palace Master Bingyun, all of the surrounding new disciples widened their eyes. To profound practitioners born in the Snow Song Realm, Ice Phoenix Realm''s thirty-six Ice Phoenix Palace Masters were figures of legend. Never did they expect themselves to be fortunate enough to see an Ice Phoenix Palace Master on the day they were about to become a member of Freezing Snow Hall


    "Mu¡­ Bing¡­ Yun!?" Mu Fengshu raised her head, her brows pinching together as deep shock and incredibility surfaced in her eyes.


    A thousand years ago, her cultivation was much weaker than Mu Bingyun''s. Within those thousand years, however, under the flame poison''s erosion not only was it possible for Mu Bingyun to die at any given moment, but her profound strength had also weakened to not even one-tenth of her original power. During these thousand years, Mu Fengshu worked night and day to progress in her cultivation. Though she still was not on par with the Mu Bingyun of a thousand years ago, she had grown to the point where she could easily defeat the flame poisoned Mu Bingyun.


    But now... she can tell that the current Mu Bingyun has returned to her peak strength!


    As though she was supported by a gentle breeze, Mu Bingyun landed lightly, standing beside Issei''s group and Mu Xiaolan. Her appearance was like the emergence of a shining soft glow of light.


    Mu Bingyun glanced at Issei and gave the latter a gentle nod: "Since we''re done here, then let''s go... From now on, I will accept all of you as an official disciple of Ice Phoenix Palace. You will join my thirty-sixth palace."


    After she said that, she extended a pure white hand and gently waved it in the girls'' direction.


    Following the flash of blue light, a sky blue jade was embedded onto the front of their shoulder.


    The sky blue color was the Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade which proved that they are the Ice Phoenix Palace disciple! Distinctly engraved on top of it was their respective name.


    The main hall went so quiet that even the drop of a needle could be heard. The only sound that could be heard was the gulping sound made by many throats. Extremely envious gazes rigidly locked onto the Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade on the girls'' shoulder¡­ Being able to enter Freezing Snow Hall was already so difficult that it would bring honor to their ancestors. As for Ice Phoenix Palace, that was a divine palace almost none of them dared to dream of entering!


    Being able to enter Ice Phoenix Palace required one to enter the Divine Soul Realm before the age of forty to qualify to participate in the examination¡­ and that was only being able to qualify for the examination.


    Concessions like Mu Xiaolan, who had entered the Divine Origin Realm below the age of twenty were very few in number.


    However, though they were shocked, almost nobody on the scene felt that this was unacceptable.


    Because they had all seen their prowess with their own eyes...


    The reason why most girls here qualified to enter the palace was because of Issei tempering with their body...


    They do not only look younger such as Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian but their age as well. The side bonus from Issei... And when the girls found out about this, they almost drowned Issei in their soft bodies... Thankfully Issei is not a normal man or he would''ve lost it back then.


    Not that the girls would resist him if he truly lost control of himself though...


    "Wait a minute!" Mu Fengshu hollered.


    "Who allows you to take all of them away?! There''s a limit of how greedy can you be!" She said in a spiteful manner.


    Xia Qingyue group is extremely talented. It would be her palace lost if she just let them go like this...


    "Hm? Oh, you''re right..." Mu Bingyun look at Mu Fengshu before she changed her gaze back towards the girls: "Are you girls willing to enter my palace? Or do you prefer entering Mu Fengshu palace instead?"


    "We choose the thirty-sixth palace." The girls answered at the same time without hesitation. There''s no way the girls would be entering Mu Fengshu palace since she insulted their sect elder beforehand.


    "There you have it." Mu Bingyun said offhandedly to Mu Fengshu.


    "Mu Bingyun, you¡­" Facing Mu Bingyun, who had suddenly become strong after being weak for a thousand years, Mu Fengshu was somewhat at a loss.


    "It has been a thousand years," Mu Bingyun lamented pensively. None would know what kinds of changes had happened unless they felt it for themselves. "Mu Fengshu, I was well aware of what you thought and did all those years. I always thought that I owed you so I never exposed or investigated anything. Even though the Great Realm King wished to punish you, I would obstruct her for you."


    Mu Fengshu suddenly lifted her head, her gaze full of shock.


    "Many years have passed and the ''debt'' I owed you has already been repaid. I will no longer owe you from now on. The Great Realm King has long found a purification method for the flame poison in my body and I have completely recovered. More than half my profound strength has been restored and I will soon revive the Thirty Sixth Ice Phoenix Palace. If you want an ''explanation,'' you can come over to the Thirty Sixth Ice Phoenix Palace to find me."


    "Also, if sinister deeds surface once more after today, I will no longer feign ignorance¡­ I won''t forgive them! And I know that you have insulted my guest. Go apologize to him now!"


    When Mu Bingyun''s voice fell, her icy eyes that had been watching Mu Fengshu the entire time flashed with a deep blue light.


    This flash of blue light appeared for a split second but Mu Fengshu felt as though she had been struck by lightning. She retreated in panic as her complexion instantly went pale. Her pupils enlarged and her lips gaped but she was rendered speechless for a long time.


    A thousand years of silence and illness caused the members of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect to slowly forget that she was the strongest, most prestigious and highest ranked Ice Phoenix Palace Master and had received the most admiration and respect from all disciples of the sect.


    At that time, Mu Fengshu had always been respectful before her and would never do anything rash. Furthermore, she had respected her from the bottom of her soul.


    Within her violently shivering eyes, she clearly saw that the Palace Master Bingyun that had been silent for a millennium¡­ had returned.


    Mu Fengshu took a deep breath and only hesitate for a second before she bowed her head at Issei''s direction: "...I''m sorry." she said in a small voice.


    It was indeed her mistake for insulting Issei back then... but it''s not really her fault since he was only at the peak level throne before! He must''ve hidden his true cultivation from her! There''s no way someone who was only at the peak level Emperor Profound Realm would suddenly become a Divine King Realm in a short amount of time!


    Issei only gives a silent nod at her words...


    "Ise, Xiaolan, girls, let''s go." Mu Bingyun turned around to lead them away from this place.


    "Yes, Master." Mu Xiaolan happily replied while shedding tears of emotion.


    "Hahahaha," Mu Sushan erupted in loud laughter, seeming to be in an extremely good mood: "It looks like our sect and even realm will truly rise from now on!"


    He was so happy for the new addition of their sect... it is truly a good day!


    Mu Fengshu scoffed before she flicked her sleeve and flew away...


    ...


    On their way to their destination, Mu Bingyun said softly towards Issei: "Thank you for not killing Mu Fengshu..."


    "Don''t mind it." Issei responded without a care.


    Her intuition is telling her that Issei could easily kill Mu Fengshu if he wanted to but thankfully he''s not a petty person... if not... their sect will lose a Divine Sovereign cultivator just like that...


    At their current state, every single disciple is very valuable...


    Even if Issei''s current cultivation is at the Divine King Realm, she''s willing to bet that this is still not his true strength.


    "Where did your companions go?" Mu Bingyun asked about Esdeath and the others.


    "They''re in a safe place," Issei said dismissively.


    Mu Bingyun nodded and doesn''t ask anything anymore...


    "Hehe, now all of you truly become my junior sisters!" Mu Xiaolan said with a giggle.


    It probably won''t be long before they overtake your position though... Mu Bingyun thought inwardly...


    Freezing Snow City was enormous. Not only were there one hundred and eight Freezing Snow Halls, but there were also numerous places for cultivation, training, healing, meditation and going into seclusion. Mu Bingyun traveled extremely fast but she still used a long time to fly through Freezing Snow City.


    The further north she traveled, the colder the air became. It was also there that the ice-cold suppression which always existed became even more heavy and endless. The outline of Ice Phoenix City then gradually emerged in their field of view...

 Chapter 124 - 123

    It was also at this time that the sound of thunderous laughter suddenly came from the distant south.


    "Hahahaha, Yan Wancang has come to pay a visit and ask to meet Snow Song''s Realm King. I wish to discuss a favorable, long-lasting event between our two realms. I earnestly wish for the Snow Song Realm King to grant my request of meeting each other."


    This burst of laughter obviously echoed from a faraway place yet it boomed like world-destroying thunder beside one''s ears.


    "AHHHHHH!!!" Mu Xiaolan covered her eyes, shrieking in her fright.


    This loud roar shockingly covered the enormous Ice Phoenix Realm. Space slightly trembled as the aura below suddenly changed. Countless numbers of Divine Ice Phoenix Sect disciples had all come out in full force, as though they were facing a huge enemy.


    Mu Bingyun''s celestial figure stood still, her crescent brows slightly knitted. However, her expression and aura were still rather tranquil. "It is a sound transmission that has come from over fifteen thousand kilometers. It looks like they do not dare tread within the core area of our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect."


    Mu Bingyun stated. "That Yan Wancang is not any ordinary character but the Flame God Realm''s Vermillion Bird Sect Master. Saying that he is the number one person in all of the Flame God Realm may not be an exaggeration.


    Flame God Realm? Vermilion Bird Sect Master?


    The girls'' were a bit surprised but they don''t lose their calm.


    Mu Bingyun slightly waved her snowy hand and an icy radiance enveloped Mu Xiaolan. It was only then that Mu Xiaolan''s condition gradually improved.


    When she wanted to do the same for Xia Qingyue''s group, she realizes that she doesn''t need to since it seems that they''re not affected by it... Was it because of their talent? Or was it because of him? Mu Bingyun is not sure but it''s fine regardless...


    "He''s definitely here for that horned dragon again!" Mu Xiaolan said in anger.


    "Horned Dragon?" Issei asked feeling a little intrigued.


    Mu Bingyun did not conceal it and directly answered, "Although the climates of the Flame God Realm and our Snow Song Realm are opposing attributes, we are rather close neighbors. The formation of the Flame God Realm is due to a primordial flame vein. It is because of this flame vein that the density and activeness of the flame attribute in the Flame God Realm are extremely high. Its temperature also surpasses the level of what ordinary people can bear but it is nevertheless a paradise for the successors of fire attribute bloodlines, fire attribute profound beasts and those who cultivate fire attribute profound arts."


    "The flame vein''s core region is a huge sea of fire that extends close to five hundred thousand kilometers, named the God Burying Inferno Prison."


    ? Maybe he should give it a look later...


    "The Flame God Realm''s flame vein and the God Burying Inferno Prison it created had already existed before the Flame God Realm was formed. This also means that it was left behind during the ancient time of the gods. The people of the Flame God Realm held the flame veins and God Burying Inferno Prison in unparalleled reverence and they had never stopped exploring the God Burying Inferno Prison. They always believed that there must be a miracle somewhere at the bottom of God Burying Inferno Prison that could transform the Flame God Realm in its entirety. However, the God Burying Inferno Prison is a remnant of the ancient time of gods. It isn''t something that mortals could conquer at all. Not even the three great sect masters who succeeded the Flame God Realm generation after generation were able to reach the bottom of God Burying Inferno Prison all this time."


    [...You have something to do with that place, Nyarlathotep?]


    [Ara~? This is the first time for you to ask something on your own, dear husband~]


    [...Nevermind.]


    [Fufufu~ no need to be so grumpy now, I will answer everything you want to know. And to answer your question just now... no, I have nothing to do with that place... I think? It''s been forever ever since I returned here after all. I only remember a few places here and there.]


    Issei tried asking Nyarlathotep for once but it just made him feel a little irritated.


    "The three great sect masters?" Feng Qianhui asked doubtfully, "Then, what about their Realm King?"


    "Of course there are no Realm Kings in the Flame God Realm." Mu Xiaolan curled her lips in great disdain."They set up a rule that states that anyone who can reach the bottom of God Burying Inferno Prison would become the Flame God Realm''s Realm King. That''s why the Flame God Realm never had a Realm King although hundreds of thousands of years had passed by. As a result, internal strife and conflicts for power often happen whenever they''re discussing important matters. Hmph, serves them right."


    "And as for that ancient horned dragon that lives inside the God Burying Inferno Prison... The Flame God Realm''s earliest records on this ancient horned dragon date back six hundred thousand years. This also means that it has lived for at least six hundred thousand years! You can just imagine that even its beard must be an ultimate treasure one is hardpressed to find even in a hundred lifetimes. Whoever hunts it will gain unimaginable profit." Mu Xiaolan a little excitedly said.


    The girls unintentionally look at Issei when they heard her words.


    "...What?" Issei''s face started to twitch a bit being gazed at them like this. He could somehow guess what they''re thinking right now since their eyes are looking at his chin location...


    "N-Nothing." The girls smiled apologetically at him... They were wondering if he were to grow a beard then could his beard be transformed into a divine weapon? But they like it more if he doesn''t grow a beard though... for them, his current face is already perfect as it is. So there''s no need to change it.


    Mu Xiaolan and Mu Bingyun are a little confused just why did they suddenly look at him like that but soon they wave it off.


    "Anyway... That Dragon is obviously powerful enough since the Flame God Realm couldn''t kill it at all even if they were to employ all their strength. Also, the Flame God Realm all cultivate fire attribute profound art and this ancient horned dragon could only be a flame dragon since it lives inside the God Burying Inferno Prison. Although the Flame God Realm had a great advantage when they defend themselves against this ancient horned dragon''s attacks, their own flame powers would be largely ineffective on this ancient horned dragon too." Issei said his guesses.


    "The most effective power against a flame type living being like this is naturally ice. That is why the Flame God Realm wishes to borrow Snow Song Realm''s power."


    Mu Bingyun smiled faintly, "Your guess is correct."


    "Well, since you said that no one has ever reached the bottom of the God Burying Inferno Prison, the Dragon could just retreat down there if its hurt... unless there''s something about to happen soon... such as... It is about to shed its scales so the heat from the God Burying Inferno Prison could harm it in return."


    Mu Xiaolan and Mu Bingyun''s face become astonished since Issei could guess this far...


    Hmm, it looks like the Dragons in this realm are quite... weak if he''s being honest. He and his wives don''t need to shed their scales or anything like that. Their ''scales'' already reaches the zenith state and doesn''t need to be shed at all.


    Before Zin and Naru received his blessing, they also mentioned about shedding their scales before.


    What Issei has forgotten is that they''re not a normal Dragon... A normal Dragon would need to undergo the process of shedding their old scales unless they evolve into a True Dragon God like him and his wives...


    He''s a bit disappointed but he won''t try to save them either. They might be of the same race now but their fate is in their hands...


    Issei is not a saint. He won''t easily go on his way just to save some stranger he never met.


    "You are absolutely correct... It is an invincible entity inside the God Burying Flame Prison," Mu Bingyun said after brief amazement. "Normally, it almost never leaves the God Burying Flame Prison but it is a dragon after all. Every one thousand years, it would shed its old scales and grow new ones. During this period, it has to move out from the God Burying Inferno Prison and so this is the one and only chance for us to kill it in a thousand years."


    "After understanding that they will never manage to hunt down the dragon with their own strength, Flame God Realm thought of borrowing Snow Song Realm''s power and promised to split half the spoils with the Snow Song Realm after the hunt succeeded."


    Mu Bingyun recalled something and sighed quietly when she said this.


    "Hmph! Those despicable bastards! How dare they show their faces a second time!?" Mu Xiaolan said angrily, "Back then, the Great Realm King and master had gone over to help them out in goodwill but¡­ but¡­ those bastards! I can''t believe that they dare show their thick faces in the Snow Song Realm again! The Realm King will definitely teach them a lesson."


    Issei had an inkling why Mu Xiaolan seems so angry...


    The ancient horned dragon of the God Burying Fire Prison was said to change its scales once every thousand years. The fact that Flame God Realm''s people had sought out the Snow Song''s Realm King meant that it was about to change its scales again. This also meant that the last attempt to hunt it was one thousand years ago.


    The time Mu Bingyun had suffered from the fatal flame poison and escaped to the Profound Sky Continent was also a thousand years ago...


    Mu Xiaolan realized Issei''s gaze on her. And even though he''s wearing a mask, she somehow could understand what he had in his mind: "You might''ve guessed it but Master being poisoned has something to do with the last attempt from a thousand years ago!" Her face was red all the way down to her neck when she thought of the pain her master had suffered all these years.


    "This matter cannot be explained in one sitting." Mu Bingyun''s eyes were deep.


    Issei had noticed that Mu Bingyun was never grudgeful about her misfortune during the time he purified the flame poison in her. Even when the matter was brought up now, he still couldn''t see anything resembling hatred in her eyes. It was instead filled with indescribably complex emotions.


    It looks like it''s more than a case of backstabbing or betrayment... if it was, then she would''ve felt some hatred towards them.


    Mu Xiaolan was the one who looked like she had met her father''s murderer instead.


    "After all, it is elder sister''s fault for severely injuring his son by accident¡­" Mu Bingyun''s voice was cool as she muttered seemingly to herself.


    Hmm, so it was an accident... well, that''s simpler than he thought.


    "That ancient horned dragon is extremely dangerous. Its breath is extremely poisonous and its blood is extremely toxic. It is almost certain death to come in contact with either of them. That dragon is very dangerous." Mu Bingyun paused for a moment before continuing, "The flame poison I was inflicted with was, in fact, the poison in the horned dragon''s breath. However, although the horned dragon was scary, it wasn''t impossible to hunt it down. Last time¡­ if it wasn''t for that incident, we may have succeeded already. That is why I wasn''t surprised that the Flame God Realm has come to look for us again. The Great Realm King wouldn''t be surprised either. Furthermore, I doubt that the Great Realm King would turn them down since the ancient horned dragon is pretty tempting¡­"


    Apparently feeling that she had said more than she should, Mu Bingyun shook her head slightly and stopped talking. The large palace made from ice crystals in front of them was close right now and the cold air and world spirit energy in this place was at least twice as thick as it was at Freezing Snow City.


    "We have arrived at our Ice Phoenix Palace. Let''s go down."


    ...


    The area within Ice Phoenix City was especially vast, it looked boundless at first glance. The thirty-six Ice Phoenix Palaces towered here, each and every one of them different. The atmosphere was silent and the ice-cold spiritual suppression seemed to have completely frozen everything in the world.


    The thirty-sixth palace was located at the heart of Ice Phoenix City''s southern district. Although it was a palace, its interior was as large as a lower realm city.


    "This is the thirty-sixth palace you''ll be living in from now on," Mu Bingyun said to the girls. "It is one hundred fifty kilometers wide and around twenty kilometers tall but the space within is far larger than what you see here."


    The girls'' were a bit confused but they won''t ask and decided to let Mu Bingyun finish her speech.


    "Since you are now a disciple of Ice Phoenix Palace, you may freely travel within Ice Phoenix City, Freezing Snow City, and Snowfall City. You are also able to use any teleportation formation available. However, Ice Phoenix Palaces are relatively independent of one another so unless you have obtained their permission, you are not allowed to enter them at will."


    "Understood." The girls nodded.


    "Those who enter Ice Phoenix Palace can be bestowed the surname ''Mu.'' Since you are now an Ice Phoenix Palace disciple, you naturally have that right as well. The surname Mu is exclusive to our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. Taking Mu as your surname will give you great benefits and make it easier for you inside the Ice Phoenix Realm and even the entire Snow Song Realm."


    Mu Bingyun turned around. "Xiaolan''s original name was Situ Lanlan, Mu Xiaolan was the name I personally bestowed upon her. In that case, what do you think if I give you a name just like her? For example, Xia Qingyue... How about Mu Xiaoyue? As for Chu Yuechan... Mu Xiaochan?"


    "..."


    Even though Senior Ancestor Mu Bingyun is so beautiful, possesses an ice lotus'' elegance and has such a high status and divine power in the God Realm, her naming sense is just¡­ simply tragic...


    Mu Xiaolan¡­ Mu Xiaoyue¡­ Mu Xiaochan, they sounded like pet names for children no matter how he heard them!


    Even Issei felt a little speechless as well...


    "We thank senior Ancestor for the name but we still like our current name, so¡­ so¡­" Feng Qianhui said while looking down a bit...


    "That''s fine." Mu Bingyun didn''t exactly push for it, nor did she think it strange as she nodded her head.


    "Ah? Why don''t you take the surname Mu? It''s a great surname to have you know? And being named by Master is a great thing..." Mu Xiaolan said feeling a little disappointed. She thought that they will share a similar name on top of being sisters...


    "..." It looks like she''s the only feel happy with that name... They thought wryly inside their mind.


    "Senior Ancestor, why is it this quiet here? Where are the other disciples?" Gong Yuxian curiously asked. They don''t sense other presence here...


    "How could there be any other disciples?" Mu Xiaolan curled her lips. "It has only been me and Master here. But now we have all of you! It won''t be as lonely as before!" she said cheerfully at the end.


    "No other disciples?" The girls were stunned at first but they then thought about Mu Bingyun''s state during all these years and slowly understood.


    "Xiaolan has been the only disciple in the Thirty Sixth Ice Phoenix Palace these past years. You girls are the second disciples that I recruited after her.


    I have not taken in any disciples for several hundred years before this," Mu Bingyun gently sighed. "With my body afflicted with poison, my health slowly deteriorated during these thousand years. I passed every day knowing that I could possibly lose my life so I simply didn''t have the strength to support an Ice Phoenix Palace. However, the Great Realm King was not willing to let me lose my status as an Ice Phoenix Palace Master and stubbornly helped me retain my position. It was also from then on that the thirty-sixth palace no longer recruited any disciples. As a result, in all these years, though there were still thirty six Ice Phoenix Palaces in name, the truth was that there were actually only thirty-five. Even me accepting Xiaolan as a disciple was an accident."


    "The other Ice Phoenix Palaces all have around three thousand disciples, two Vice Palace Masters, and a dozen or so instructors but I don''t envy them one bit." Mu Xiaolan''s gaze flickered. "Because I was able to always be by Master''s side and have Master all to myself. The other Ice Phoenix Masters are all cold and stiff and they''re all so scary but Master is always this nice and gentle¡­"


    Mu Bingyun smiled as she shook her head.


    "Now that you are free from the flame poison, your profound strength and vitality will completely recover after a while. At that time, are you going to receive new disciples to revive the thirty-sixth palace?" Issei asked.


    Mu Bingyun actually shook her head. "At the moment, I don''t have that kind of plan. My temperament has become mild after all these years and I have become accustomed to quiet. Let''s see in a few more years."


    "Hmm..." Issei nodded slightly at her words. It looks like she''s quite a mild person... she doesn''t ask too many questions even though he showed a lot of incomprehensible things before.


    For example, when he exposed to the to her, although she seems surprised, she doesn''t ask him if that is indeed the real thing and how did he get it...


    If it was any other person then perhaps they will start investigating even further just like Jasmine did.


    This was definitely not the temperament any normal person would possess.


    Or this was perhaps caused by her circ.u.mstances during those thousand years which made her indifferent and able to see through many things? Who knows...


    "Benefactor Ise, I have already informed the Realm King about your request." Mu Bingyun said softly.


    "Oh?"


    "We will be helping the girls grow with the best of our capabilities and you''re free to stay here for as long as you like." She said with a slight nod.


    "Um, thanks." Issei also nodded slightly at her words.


    Then he took off his mask since Mu Bingyun said that there won''t be anyone else that will come here...


    Both Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan inadvertently blushed slightly when they saw his face once again but this time they don''t lose their composure... well, at least for Mu Bingyun while Mu Xiaolan is still going into a daze...


    Truly devastating... they thought to themselves.


    "...No need for thanks," Mu Bingyun gently shook her head. "You saved my life so it is only right for the Great Realm King to consent to your request. And it''s not like they''re a burden or anything like that... If anything it is us who are thankful for receiving such talented disciples into our sect."


    "There are five thousand cultivation rooms and five thousand living rooms. Aside from Xiaolan''s room, all of them are unused, available for you to pick at will." Then she turned her attention back to the girls. She''s afraid that if she were to keep looking at him, she would lose her composure yet again...


    "Everything that happened today will surely travel fast... At that time, there will be many people who will come over to check you all out. But don''t worry, I will do my best to prevent anyone from bothering you and the girls." She said towards the girls and Issei at the same time.


    "We thanks Senior Ancestor." The girls said in unison. Issei also give his thanks.


    "No need to call me Senior Ancestor anymore. Just call me Palace Master will do." Mu Bingyun said with a wave.


    "Yes, Palace Master."


    "There are a few palaces at the city''s center. You can select all sorts of ice attribute profound arts to comprehend in Sacred Scripture Palace but I suppose you aren''t interested in those. Sacred Artifact Palace is where you can pick a weapon of your choice and Sacred Jade Palace is where you can go obtain your allocation of five thousand purple stones and natural resources every month just using your Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade."


    "Purple stone? What is that?" Feng Qianhui asked.


    "Profound Power Stone." Mu Bingyun explained, "Based on the levels of strength and purity, they are separated into purple stones, purple crystals and purple jade from bottom up. Absorbing power from these Profound Power Stones can assist you in your cultivation. However, due to their low level, there is no way for them to help you make a breakthrough. They are mostly used to make profound formations, profound talismans, profound arks, profound sh.i.p.s, and similar type power sources. At the same time, they are also the type of currency the God Realm uses.


    Common currency! They instantly understood.


    "These types of Profound Power Stones all weigh fifty grams. One thousand purple stones can be exchanged for one purple crystal. One thousand purple crystals can be converted into one purple jade." Mu Bingyun said: "You probably have never heard of purple jade but you definitely have seen purple stones and purple crystals before."


    "Purple stones are what your Profound Sky Continent call Purple Veined Heaven Crystals and purple crystals are called Purple Veined Divine Crystals."


    The girls felt a little taken aback.


    The Purple Veined Heaven Crystals that the Profound Sky Continent views as a sacred object were actually only the lowest level Profound Power Stone in the God Realm!!


    An ordinary disciple of Ice Phoenix Palace was able to receive five thousand purple stones every month¡­ this was two hundred fifty-thousand grams¡­ two hundred fifty kilograms of Purple Veined Heaven Crystal!


    In a year, that would be three thousand kilograms of Purple Veined Heaven Crystal¡­ which could be converted into three kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystal.


    If the first-rate sects within the Profound Sky Continent heard this, they would die from the shock alone.


    They glanced at Issei once again since they know that he''s able to easily get those crystals...


    Realizing their gaze, Issei gives a response: "Oh right... I still have some of those crystals. Miss Mu, can you help me exchange the that I have?"


    "Of course. And you don''t need to call me Miss Mu... Only Bingyun will do." Mu Xiaolan mouth become slightly agape before she also chimed in with slightly reddened cheeks: "Th-Then you can also call me Xiaolan!"


    "Uh, sure?" Issei said unsurely.


    Mu Bingyun readily gives a nod: "You can give it to me and I will help you exchange it."


    Issei then processed the content of his a little bit and put it inside the storage ring that he created before taking out that said ring and give it to Mu Bingyun: "Here, that storage ring has all the crystal in my possession."


    But when he was putting the crystals away, he heard Hong''er shout: [Ah! Big brother! Why are you taking Hong''er snacks away?!]


    She loves eating those crystals as a snack hence why Issei keeps collecting any crystal that he came across.


    [Sorry sorry, but big brother will get you some better snacks later, okay?] Issei said wryly.


    [Uhm, really?] Her discontent voice changed into suspicion but soon it turns cheerful again, [Okay! Since big brother promised Hong''er then it''s fine! Hong''er trust big brother the most! So big brother is not allowed to lie to Hong''er, okay?]


    [Sure sure... When did big brother ever lie to you.] This little troublemaker sure knows how to speak... Issei thought wryly.


    [En en! I know big brother is the bestest person in the world! Oh, but you also need to find some more fun stuff for us to play!]


    [Nyaruko also agree with little big sis Hong''er!]


    [Hehe, gege, hang in there...]


    While Nyaruko also agrees with Hong''er, Bai''er gives a word of encouragement for Issei since she knows that her two little sisters are such a troublemaker...


    [Fine fine...] Issei said with a helpless sigh.


    "Um." Mu Bingyun took the ring and store it in her sleeve.


    Only until later that she become dumbfounded after finding out the content of the ring... She thought that Issei only has a few hundred kilograms but the truth is that he possesses more than five hundred tons of that crystals!


    Even though it''s not as valuable in the upper realm, that amount is not a small amount either... She will attract a bit of commotion when she exchanges it later on...


    He''s basically already quite rich even for this realm standard...


    Then Mu Bingyun leaves the thirty-sixth palace, bathed in fluttering snow, Mu Bingyun flew to the first palace with Mu Xiaolan.


    "Qingyue, why don''t you ask her about your mother?" Issei asked Qingyue out of nowhere.


    "...Qingyue thinks that Qingyue is still not strong enough to find mother at the moment... So Qingyue wanted to increase her strength first." She said after a brief silence.


    "Is that so?" Issei knows that she won''t ask him to help her find her mother so Issei decided to respect her decision...


    "En..."


    "Do as you like then... but remember that if you need my help then all you have to do is ask," Issei said gently before patting her head.


    Xia Qingyue who felt his touch had her face blushed and she smiled sweetly: "Qingyue understand." She answered obediently.


    "Good... Then Qingyue, Yuechan. You both can breakthrough now." Issei suddenly said towards them both.


    "We understand." Both of them answered respectfully: "Then we excuse ourselves first, Elder Ise." The girls wanted to increase their cultivation as well so they excuse themselves.


    "You also don''t need to call me as your Elder anymore now don''t you?" Issei asked with raised eyebrows: "Just call me by my name will do."


    "Then... how about Young Master Ise?" Feng Qianhui thought mischievously: "After all, you''re basically our young Master already... Am I right girls?"


    "Yes!" They shouted in unison while giggling softly amongst themselves.


    "...Why Young Master?" Issei could only smile wryly at their antics: "...Do as you like then." But he relented right away.


    After chatting for a little bit more, they separate from each other leaving Issei behind on the main hall...


    "Nee~ Dragon King... Won''t you go somewhere with me?" Nyarlathotep pops out from his shadow once again while wrapping her arms around his neck with her usual posture.


    "Why should I?" Issei asked with a frown.


    "Hmm, I wanted to visit my old ''home''... And you know that I can''t leave your side, don''t you~?" She said teasingly: "And I have already followed your ''request'' by not appearing in front of other people so casually. Now it''s time for you to fulfill one of mine."


    "...I refuse." Issei said denying her request.


    "Fufu~ I knew you would say that... but... you''re not allowed to refuse~" Nyarlathotep smiles widely before she snaps her finger creating a spatial rift under Issei''s feet.


    Issei was prepared for her movement so he didn''t fall right away and was able to make himself float above it... but while he was prepared, so was Nyarlathotep. She immediately pulled Issei down with her into the spatial rift leaving behind an eerie silence...


    ...


    "No need to be so alarmed now~... In this world, there''s nothing else that could hurt us both. I already said I just want to return to my old ''home'' now, haven''t I?" Nyarlathotep said after seeing his alarmed state. She''s currently floating beside Issei.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything before he started to survey his surroundings.


    Incomparably heavy and ancient, the air and aura within this place were completely different from that of the outside world. With a single glance, he could see that the sky and the ground in this place were all shrouded in a gloomy shade of ash gray. This spread as far as the eye could see, painting a bleak picture of desolation that was hard to put into words.


    The area they were in was vast and quiet, but it was also filled with a solemn and heavy aura that caused one''s heartstrings to tense up unconsciously, not allowing a normal person to relax in the slightest.


    To others, perhaps this place is indeed akin to hell on earth but for the two anomalies, they don''t feel the slightest discomfort at all...


    The ground beneath them was clean and the ash grey material seemed extremely hard and durable.


    The aura within the God Realm of Absolute Beginning is unique. It will greatly suppress the spiritual senses of all living creatures which come from the outside. Furthermore, every blade of grass and every tree, and even every grain of sand in this place will release a rather dense and heavy aura. If one hides among these things, you will be able to greatly confuse the senses of other people.


    After all... This place is filled with and energy...


    "Mmmm~ It''s great to be back home," Nyarlathotep said while stretching herself: "So what do you think, Dragon King? Don''t you think this place is beautiful? The air is permeated with energy and the ground is imbued with law."


    "Well, my true domain lies deeper within but you could say that this area is my front yard? Mm, front yard it is. It seems that they have been calling this place the if I recall it correctly... I like it, and they''re actually right since this is indeed the place where it all begins." She said nonchalantly.


    If the inhabitants of the God Realm were to know that this the place they''ve been to was only her front yard, perhaps they would die out of shock. If her front yard is already this life-threatening... then how about her ''bedroom''?


    The is at the center of the four divine regions and it is also the core of the Primal Chaos Dimension. It was also rumored that it was the secret realm in which the Ancestral God herself had resided during the forming of the Primal Chaos Dimension. It is the most ancient and most gigantic ancient secret realm in this world.


    God Realm of Absolute Beginning is the most primitive secret realm and while it contains the greatest dangers, a vast amount of ancient treasures lay within it. As for profound weapons found in a place like the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, even the lowest grade, would definitely shake the entire God Realm.


    The God Realm of Absolute Beginning was filled with strange and fierce primordial beasts that did not exist in the world outside it. The more formidable a treasure, the more likely it was to radiate a spiritual aura that would attract powerful wild beasts that would try to possess it. Thus, if one wanted to take the treasures discovered within the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, even if they were as strong as a Divine Sovereign or a Divine Master, one needed to steel themselves for the likelihood of death.


    The God Realm of Absolute Beginning did not belong to any divine region, much less any star realm. Anyone could enter it and there were no laws of restriction. Although this place had caused countless powerhouses to drool as they stared in its direction, at the same time it also caused them to recoil in fright the very next instant.


    As for the younger generation of profound practitioners, the God Realm of Absolute Beginning was a forbidden ground they were absolutely not supposed to approach. Otherwise, it was no different from committing suicide.


    "There are a lot of broken toys of mine here... It seems that they are very useful for them even though they are so weak and incomplete." Nyarlathotep said: "This water for example... It''s something that I''ve been experimenting with before... I tried infusing the water with the law of Nothingness but it can only mend a few injuries which are quite disappointing. I was hoping that it could help someone learn the law of Nothingness itself... but it seems that I was a bit naive back then."


    Nyarlathotep scooped out a handful of water from deep underground. Her hand went through the extremely durable ground as if it wasn''t there in the first place... it''s as if it was just plain mud.


    Even a Divine Sovereign would need to exhaust almost everything they have just to put a small dent in the ground but she could easily penetrate it without any strength behind her hand...


    And the water she is talking about is what the practitioners call the !


    The is divine water that has been touched by primordial energy. Records call it the "Water of Origin". At the moment it only exists in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning.


    The God Realm of Absolute Beginning is filled with ancient wild beasts, it is an extremely dangerous place. The Divine Water of Absolute Beginning has an extreme attraction to such beasts thanks to its spiritual energy. Therefore wherever the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning can be found, there will be ancient beasts. Even if a Divine Master wished to have it, they would have to put their lives on the line.


    Following the changes of the Primal Chaos, the primordial aura of the God Realm of Absolute Beginning also became turbid while the amount of Divine Water of Absolute Beginning lessened. Several powerful Divine Masters tried entering the God Realm of Absolute Beginning hundreds of times and still didn''t find even half a drop after having wasted thousands of years.


    No matter how heavy the injuries, even if bones and meridians are shattered, internal organs are torn apart, as long as there''s one breath left in you, just one drop of the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning is enough to help you make a full recovery within a short period of time. It can even completely recover lost blood essence. If used as a tonic, it can temper one''s body to be like refined steel and cause one''s soul to become as thick as an impregnable fortress.


    So what Nyarlathotep meant by "mend a few injuries" is this potent...


    A drop of this water is extremely valuable. To say that a drop of this water is able to buy multiple lower ranked stars in the God Realm is not an exaggeration... It could even buy half of the !


    "Then... What did you bring me here for?" Issei asked.


    "Hmm~, I wanted to show my dear husband my ''home'' of course?" Nyarlathotep said with a teasing smile.


    "I don''t believe you." Issei flatly denied her words.


    "Awwh~ but it is the truth though?" She chuckled lightly.


    "...Whatever." Issei tried creating a spatial rift to exit this place but he failed to do so...


    "...You''re blocking my rift manipulation." Issei said coldly.


    "Ufufufu~ let''s stay here for a bit, okay? Besides... Won''t it be very beneficial for you if you were to absorb the energy of this place? Granted, the energies in this area are very limited but if you go deeper then you will find a better place to patch yourself up."


    "The energies on this place reeks of your aura. It would help you more instead of helping me."


    "Ara? But... it will also help you in the process, Dragon King~... Since we... are... one." Nyarlathotep said while clinging to his body.


    "..." Issei narrowed his eyes at Nyarlathotep.


    It seems that when he fell into a coma. She took that chance to bind their souls together... This is why his power has doubled. Because Nyarlathotep fused with him... and this is also why she said that she''s willing to help him destroy this universe if he wanted to.


    Because even if this universe is destroyed... she still won''t die. Unless he also dies...


    Issei could already tell this from the moment he realized of her presence and he was able to put the puzzle pieces together on why his power suddenly doubled in size.


    The way she acts so nonchalantly about destroying this universe is also another giveaway.


    Well, she doesn''t really try to hide it either in the first place...


    ''Don''t think that I won''t dare to do everything in my power to kill you... Even if I kill myself in the process.'' Was what he said back then.


    ''That''s fine too~. It means that we get to die together and don''t you think it''s romantic that way?'' Was her response...


    "...I will find a way to separate our bond. No matter how long it would take... So don''t think that we would stay this way forever." Issei said coldly.


    "Hmhm~, I believe that you can discover a way to separate our ''bond'' later in the future... but until then... I will always stay by your side~" Nyarlathotep said seductively.


    "Hmph, get off." He pushes her away.


    After that, Issei doesn''t say anything else before he decided to check what this place has in store...


    Nyarlathotep gives a chuckle before she started to follow him...


    There were a bunch of wild beasts that were attracted to the water Nyarlathotep just scooped out but when they got closer to it... They were instantly stricken with fear.


    They don''t dare to move a single muscle and only lay flat on the ground hoping that those two monster doesn''t pay attention to them.


    Profound Beasts from here are called Absolute Beginning Profound Beasts. Even the weakest wild beast in this place could become a threat to a Divine Sovereign...


    ...


    Somewhere deeper inside the realm...


    A golden figure was having a fierce battle with a wild beast that is shaped like an ape but it has two long horns on its head and flames are constantly bursting out of its entire body. From its horns to its arms, legs, and its tails.


    The beast tail is shaped just like a hammer and its pair of arms are like an even bigger hammer with sharp claws.


    (AN: Type Voljang in google if you wanted to see what the beast is like).


    The woman is absolutely breathtaking. She has a flawless body with a definite curve.


    Half of her golden hair was dr.a.p.ed over her fragrant shoulders while the other half fell straight to her bottom. Every single strand of that golden hair shone with a flowing brilliance that was more luxurious and captivating than the purest gold. A similarly luxurious golden plate of soft armor covered her upper torso, drawing the outline of a body that was so perfectly curved and proportioned in every single way that it caused one to gasp in astonishment. The proud curves of her bosom and buttocks were plain for all to see, their shape a perfect half-moon, while her waist was as thin and slender as a young willow''s trunk.


    The light within the God Realm of Absolute Beginning was dim and gray, but the skin that was shown, no matter whether it was on her wrist, neck, or that small portion of her face, all of it shone with the l.u.s.ter of flawless jade. It was hauntingly exquisite.


    That wing-shaped golden mask covered her eyes and most of her face, but the lips shown below were as beautiful as flower petals, dewy and radiant. Her small and delicate chin seemed to have been carved like a jade statue, it was completely flawless.


    This was a woman whose every inch had been formed with extreme perfection. Even that covered face could still take away the breath of any man, and cause them to fall into a daze.


    But at this moment, she looks a bit distressed since the wild beast she''s facing is very powerful. She''s already at the 8th level of the Divine Master Realm but she''s having a hard time against this ape beast she came across by accident...


    She was minding her own business trying to avoid any direct confrontation with any wild beast that she saw but suddenly this ape jumped out of nowhere as if it was frenzied. When it saw her, it immediately attacked her without a single delay and that caught her a little off guard.


    Thankfully it''s just a scratch since she manages to deflect the attack in time... but it still injures her a bit.


    ROARRRRR!!!


    The wild beast pounced at her with its fist set ablaze with a fierce flame.


    The woman who saw this immediately dodges out of the way since she doesn''t dare to take its attack head-on.


    The beast first landed on the hard ground creating a small crater. Its attack is obviously very powerful since it could create a small crater... The woman felt alarmed at this but she immediately counterattacked with her sword, sadly, her attack barely leaves a scratch on its thick skin.


    But she still manages to enrage the beast regardless.


    GRAHHHHHH!!!


    The beast let out a roar so loud that it makes the woman ears hurt and it also stunned her briefly. She flinched slightly but this makes her unable to intercept the incoming tail coming from her side.


    BANG!!!


    Pffftt!!!


    It hit the woman on her side but thankfully her armor reduces some of the impacts behind that strike just now. Although it still shook her internal organs greatly.


    "...Damn!" The woman decided to not prolong the battle any longer and decided to run away instead since this beast clearly out of her capabilities. She turns around and immediately flew away with everything she has.


    She was about to use her talisman to escape but the beast did something unexpected... It opened its jaw wide open and blasted a large beam like a flame breath.


    WOOOSHHHH!!!


    The woman had her eyes shrunk after seeing the incoming beam and she hastily turned her body to the side but it still grazes her side yet again... The beam was too fast for her to completely dodge.


    The woman fell to the ground while coughing up blood and she can feel the stinging pain from the burnt she just received.


    "*Cough* *Cough*... I should have... brought old man Gu with me..." She tried to use her talisman once again but in the next second, she fainted dead away:


    The force behind that attack just now was completely out of her expectations... it was not a normal flame breath at all! It is a flame infused with a tiny bit of energy.


    If she left unattended then that will slowly corrode her body from the inside out...


    "Mother... Ying''er has... failed you..." she muttered in her comatose state.


    The beast jumped towards her location and started to roar loudly once again over the prey it manages to catch.


    When it''s about to land the finishing blow, its body suddenly fiercely jolted. Every single hair on its body is standing on its end as if it is being observed by another beast. But this pressure its feeling is so dense and powerful that it made it stricken with fear...


    It never feels this kind of pressure before and it came from the deeper part of the realm at that.


    It slowly turned around only to see a pair of red eyes gazing at it without any emotion.


    roar!


    It gives a low roar because even though this ''human'' is smaller than it, the sheer aura he emits is extremely huge and domineering.


    Its roar is more of a submissive roar than anything. It is completely different compared to the roar it used before when it was fighting the human woman.


    "Leave." This ''human'' man is obviously Issei.


    He sensed a human presence in this place so he decided to see just who is it. And he arrived in time just to hear the muttering of the woman in her comatose state...


    The moment the beast heard Issei''s words, it doesn''t waste a single second before it bolted right away with its tail behind its back... it let out a whimpering sound akin to a wounded beast since it is very afraid of Issei.


    Issei then started to observe the unconscious woman before him.


    She''s extremely beautiful but Issei felt no greed nor l.u.s.t when looking at her defenseless figure.


    "Hmm, she''s quite powerful from a normal standard~" Nyarlathotep voice resounded beside Issei: "But she''s not powerful enough to reach the apex." She added.


    Issei doesn''t respond to her words before lifting the unconscious woman in his arms... he started to look around the place before spotting a cave in the distance. Then he walks towards it with the woman in his arms...


    Nyarlathotep glanced at Issei before she looks towards the direction where the ape run off to. She grinned slightly before pointing her index finger... There is a black light shoots out at the speed of light coming out from her extended finger.


    A faint roar could hear from far away but soon it died down...


    Nyarlathotep licked her lips lightly before she also follows Issei...


    ...


    In another realm...


    Jasmine and Xun''er finally reunited with their ''family''... Both of them don''t say anything when they saw their supposed father and husband. Jasmine snorted at him while Xun''er doesn''t even give a single glance...


    They immediately head towards their previous lodging where they reunite with their true family member...


    After a tear-jerking reunion, Jasmine said towards her little sister: "Come, big sister want to have a word with you... We have a lot to talk about. Especially about the man who saved us both..." Her tone becomes especially gentle and soft when she mentioned that man...


    Her little sister who saw this become really curious just what kind of man able to make her strict big sister be this... coy...


    Even her aunt looks quite different...


    Unknown to them... Their arch-nemesis has been saved by the very same man they''re about to discuss...


    ...


    Issei took out a bed and put the woman on the bed, then his gaze swept across her face, which appeared so fragile that a single breath could break it. He slowly shifted his eyes downwards and frowned slightly. On her side, there''s a seriously burnt wound and purple bruises.


    What made him frown wasn''t the wounds but the energy within those said wounds. Looks like the beasts here had some element within their body... Not surprising since they have been exposed to it for who knows how long...


    In her unconscious state, her eyebrows were slightly pressed together as a pained expression faintly appeared on her face. While her current manner did not match her demeanor, it was very lovely.


    Her outfit is basically torn to shred barely covering her body.


    Issei hesitated a bit before he calmly put his hand above her wound and the woman brows scrunched even further because of it... he then proceeds to absorb the energy from her wounds since that is what threatens her life the most.


    After he''s done absorbing it, he also healed her wounds as well. Once he''s done, she looks brand new... but she still shows no sign of waking up anytime soon.


    Probably because of shock and some internal injuries that she experienced. But it shouldn''t be long before she wakes up and her life is not in danger anymore...


    He took out a blanket before covering her body with it.


    "Why do you go so far for a woman you''ve never met before, Dragon King?" Nyarlathotep asked in a flat tone.


    "...No reason." Issei answered curtly.


    "Hmm..."


    "...I''m no saint but if there''s someone in need of help before then I will help them but I won''t go out of my way just to look for those in danger as well."


    "Hoo, how so? If it was me then I would never bother to save an ant. If they die then that just means that they''re not strong enough. They have no one else to blame but themselves for being so weak."


    "And that''s where our standpoint differs... I was powerless as well before so I can understand what someone powerless feels. If all I did when I became powerful was kill and destroy... then what''s the difference between that me and a mindless beast that has been corrupted by your ?" Issei said calmly.


    "..." Nyarlathotep froze for a little bit before she gives a smirk.


    Indeed... Perhaps this is where they differ the most since she has always been strong ever since she was ''born''. While Issei was technically a normal human before this...


    And that''s why she feels so attracted and amused by him who was once an ant... but now he''s already on par with her. Truly a miracle...


    "...And that''s why I feel so attracted to you... The moment you showed me ''that'' form of yours when we first meet. I know that you''re the one I have been searching for." Nyarlathotep encircled her arms around Issei''s body. For the first time ever, her voice tone doesn''t sound like it used to be... It sounded... sincere...


    "..." This time Issei doesn''t try to resist her touch... He can also understand just why Nyarlathotep had a twisted personality.


    Nobody is born evil. When someone has been alone for countless millennia... Their personality is bound to be twisted.


    He''s sure that maybe Nyarlathotep was once a very benevolent God... If not, she wouldn''t have sacrificed herself just to create this world and its inhabitants. But she doesn''t die as she expected and along with it, her mind started to deteriorate at a rapid pace and she started to see those very same living beings she created as her toy instead...


    Since she has the ... She couldn''t exit this realm of her or the world outside would disintegrate. And by the time she could exit this place comes... it is already too late. Her mind has already become twisted... In a way, her life is quite tragic...


    After a while, the unconscious woman eyelids started to quiver.


    "Oh, it looks like she''s about to wake up soon... Well, I will see you later, dear husband~" Nyarlathotep tone reverted back to the usual sultry tone and then she went inside Issei shadow once again...


    Issei who saw this sighed for the umpteenth time before he walks outside the cave to give the woman some privacy...


    Finally, after he reaches the exit, the woman slowly opened her eyes...


    ...


    Back with the girls.


    All the cultivation rooms were closed shut. Xia Qingyue walked to the front of the closest cultivation room and placed her hand on the stone door. The Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade on her shoulder immediately flashed and the stone door also flashed with the same radiance for a moment before opening.


    Cold energy welcomed him head-on and the interior was a field of white. When Xia Qingyue walked in, the stone door automatically closed behind her.


    This cultivation room was first opened by her Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade and then was bound by the aura of her Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade. From now on, she was the only person who could open this cultivation room. If other Ice Phoenix disciples were not allowed in, they couldn''t forcibly enter¡­ of course, the only exception was the Palace Master.


    The interior was astonishingly a world of ice that was even colder than the outside world. The ice element was even more abundant here and countless ice spirits and motes of light fluttered around. This added with the continuously lingering icy mist made it look like a world from a dream. What shocked Xia Qingyue was that this world seemed boundless at first glance. She quickly released her spiritual perception and only after it had spread through one hundred fifty kilometers did it reach the world''s limit.


    This meant that this cultivation room was one hundred fifty kilometers wide!


    It was at this moment that she finally understood what Mu Bingyun had meant when she said that the space within was far larger than what they saw.


    These cultivation rooms clearly operated with high-level spatial laws, causing the inside space to be more than a hundred times larger than what one may see outside. The ambiance and aura inside were also completely different from the outside. It was a little world solely created for the purpose of cultivation.


    It was, after all, the God Realm. Something as simple as a cultivation room was beyond the comprehension and imagination of the lower realms.


    The almost cruel, cold air and the excessively rich frost aura would give any profound practitioner a great amount of pressure yet it made Xia Qingyue feel extremely comfortable instead.


    The same goes for the other girls. Once again, they feel extremely grateful for Issei''s benevolence.


    If it wasn''t for him, they won''t be here right now...


    Then with a renewed determination, they started to cultivate their strength diligently so someday they could stand by his side... not just being protected all the time.


    Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan breakthrough at the same time and their cultivation realm have reached the early stage.


    Usually, other people will find it hard to increase their cultivation the higher their cultivation is. But for them... There''s no such limitation.


    Instead, their cultivation speed will only increase again and again... And they''re not only cultivating the profound and divine way but they also cultivate that Issei taught them before.


    Their combat prowess will surely soar high and they can easily face off against someone that has a higher cultivation base than them by at least four level difference. And again, it will increase as their strength grows...


    This day is the start of the rise of the ... These group of girls will bring a huge change to the God Realm in the near future...


    While they were increasing their strength, a day had silently gone by without their notice. This was how the girls passed their first day in the Realm of the Gods...


    Outside their palace, they have become the main topic of discussion along with Issei...


    While the men are discussing about the girls of their heavenly beauty... The woman is playing a guessing game just what kind of face is Issei hiding underneath his mask...


    And this incident gives Mu Bingyun a headache since she knows that if these girls were to saw his face even once, then... It will be catastrophic for their sect. Perhaps the already decreasing birth rate will become even lower at this rate...


    Even the Realm King will have the same thought as her little sister in the near future...

 Chapter 125 - 124

    When the golden-haired woman had her eyes open. She becomes startled seeing the unfamiliar environment.


    She hastily sits up from the bed only to wince in pain since her internal injury is still not fully healed yet.


    She warily started to survey her surroundings and saw that she''s supposedly inside a cave... but what''s with this bed?


    And she somehow survived from that wild beast clutch? Someone must''ve saved her seeing the bed below her...


    She then inspects her condition more thoroughly... And much to her amazement, the injuries she sustained from that wild beast before is completely healed!


    Not a single blemish could be found her whole body. The only sign that she just fought that wild beast from before was her torn clothes...


    She also realizes that she''s still wearing her mask.


    "Don''t worry, I didn''t do anything other than treating your injuries. But you might want to change your clothes." She heard a deep voice belonging to a man coming from the entrance of the cave.


    A man? A faint disdain flashed within her gaze... to think that she has been saved by a man.


    She had scorned and even despised all men in the world from a very young age. From the moment a shade of her beauty had made its appearance, she was showered with countless looks of wonderment, yearning, and l.u.s.t. The geniuses, proud sons, realm kings, sons of god emperors, and even the god emperors themselves thought that her beauty triumphed every other that existed in the world, and they were willing to discard everything, even their pride and lives just to win a smile or a glance for her.


    They didn''t know that she thought of all their actions as "lowly", however. In her world, no man in the world deserved a second glance from her except her birth father, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor. She would never allow any man to touch any part of her body, not even her little finger either.


    In recent years, she had gone so far as to cover her own face. The common folk thought she covered up her face to prevent more people from succ.u.mbing to her beauty, but in reality, she simply thought that the men of this world no longer deserved to catch even a glimpse of her face. Her thinking might be twisted, but the problem was that she had the power to be as twisted as she wanted to be. It was because she was the Brahma Monarch Goddess! Qianye Ying''er!


    While other women were trying to become the wife of a powerful husband, play the role of a good wife and mother, beautify themselves, improve their cultivation or power, she was pursuing something that the ordinary dared not even think about. The way of True Gods! To this end, she could do anything. Everything could be manipulated, and everything could be destroyed as long as it aided in her search for the way of True Gods.


    But she needs to put up a facade since this person is a savior... his strength must be very powerful for being able to save her from that wild beast''s hands.


    She started to speculate just who this man is... Which Divine Master was he? Was it the ? It shouldn''t be... last time she checks, he doesn''t seem to have any intention of entering this realm. And he''s still in his domain according to her source...


    As far as she knows, there are very few Divine Master cultivators that could contend against her. Dragon Monarch is obviously one of them.


    While she''s speculating, she doesn''t forget to change to a new different set of clothes...


    "...Thank you. You can come in now." She took a deep breath and let out a soft voice.


    She keeps her true personality well hidden and does not reveal her cards to anyone except her most loyal servants or her father. She is ruthless, shrewd, and scheming. She never believes anyone except herself and that all others are tools for her to use in order to breakthrough beyond the Divine Master realm. She will keep anything that is of use, discard anything that has lost its use, and kill anyone that can''t be controlled.


    Although her cultivation and mastery of profound arts are extremely high, she prefers to manipulate the hearts of men to do her bidding and control others through schemes in order to conceal her true power.


    And she was thinking if she could make use of this man or not... he''s obviously powerful. So how about his identity?


    Then she heard the footstep of that said man entering the cave.


    After re-entering the cave, Issei saw that the woman who was originally lying on the bed is already awake and she''s currently standing in front of the bed with a brand new set of clothes.


    "I assume there''s no other problem with your body?" Issei asked her calmly. His gaze when looking at this incredibly gorgeous woman is completely calm without any fluctuations whatsoever.


    But even after waiting for a while, he doesn''t hear any response coming from her. He started wondering if there''s still something wrong with her body... but that shouldn''t be it since he already makes sure to cleanse her from any remnants of the energy.


    That said woman had her eyes widen widely after she saw the man that just saved her... She thought that there isn''t anyone else that could contend with her beauty other than the rumored ...


    But this man in front of her... has turned her worldly view upside down. From head to toe, the word "perfect" couldn''t be used to describe this man in front of her...


    She believes herself to be extremely perfect in terms of beauty alone but this man goes beyond that...


    She hates to admit it but comparing their looks alone, he already surpasses her by miles away.


    It''s not easy for her to admit defeat but here she is admitting defeat just from the single glance of this man before her...


    As for his strength... peak Divine King Realm? That''s impossible!


    She doesn''t believe someone at the Divine King Realm could save her from that wild beast clutch! Even she could barely do anything against it and saying that this man could save her from that wild beast is only at the Divine King Realm is clearly impossible!


    She immediately concluded that it must be a fake... his cultivation is clearly a fake. She never saw this man before in her entire life and just based on his looks alone he would''ve attracted a lot of attention to himself if he were to present himself in the God Realm.


    And this makes her feel even warier against Issei... is he even human in the first place? Could he be a wild beast from the that transforms into a human form? It could be...


    But since he''s a man then perhaps he saved her from that ape because he took fancy of her? If so then she could make use of him.


    "Yes, this one thank benefactor for saving my life." She smiled sweetly at him.


    Issei who saw this frowned a little... because he can tell that this smile of her is a fake.


    He dislikes fake personality quite a bit considering how his first date(Reynare) literally got him killed.


    As for her soul... it''s bordering on the evil side. Albeit it''s not pure evil like some cases he once saw.


    "Is that so? Then you better leave this place now." After saying that, Issei doesn''t linger for a second longer and immediately turned around to leave.


    Qianye Ying''er who saw this become dumbfounded... how come the scenario is different than what she had in mind? Doesn''t he fancy her just like the rest of those men out there?


    The reason why she thinks this was because she doesn''t believe that a stranger like Issei would save her without any hidden attention at all. She believes that he must want something in return for saving her like that.


    And she concluded that something is herself... but reality said otherwise because he doesn''t even spare her another glance before turning around without hesitation.


    Ah... It''s probably because he doesn''t see her true face yet. Even though this man''s looks surpasses hers, she doesn''t believe that she couldn''t grasp his attention just like the other men.


    "Wait." She called out.


    Issei who heard his shout frowned once again but he does stop in his steps: "Yes?" He asked her while turning to face her.


    Qianye Ying''er calmly took off her mask exposing her beautiful face to another man other than her father for the longest time.


    She doesn''t say anything other than flashing another smile at Issei.


    When she thought that she finally had his attention, she heard Issei''s voice once again: "What?"


    There''s still no change with his expression nor voice which made her become dumbfounded once again. She thought that he would at least get a reaction out of him... but...


    Even his expression and gaze still looks clear without a speck of impurities within it. No l.u.s.t, no desire, no greed... wait... could it be that he swing ''that'' way?!


    It shouldn''t be... he still has his vital yang. Meaning that he never touch a woman nor a man before...


    And she can tell that he''s not faking it either since she has met quite a lot of those kinds of men who act like they''re not interested but in truth, they''re just playing hard to get or feigning indifference.


    "...If there''s nothing else then you better leave." Issei said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. What the hell does this woman want anyway? Is there something about her taking off her mask?


    Then Issei immediately resumed his steps...


    ...


    When he reaches the exit and walks a few distances away from the cave, he notices that the woman is following him.


    "Okay... Just what is it that you want?" Issei said without hiding his annoyance at the woman. He already has one troublesome ''woman'' following him, he doesn''t want to add another one into the fray.


    "I..." Right... Just what did she want from him? Normally she should''ve gone back already considering that she almost lost her life just now.


    She wanted to use him...? Yes, that''s probably it. She wanted to make use of this mysterious man who supposedly could fend off that ape.


    "I wanted to repay you for saving me." She said with the same soft tone. Her real intention was she wanted to follow this man and make use of him as a shield...


    The way he''s going is not towards the exit but it''s the other way around... He wanted to venture deeper.


    This may be her chance to further explore the .


    If she''s lucky enough then she would be able to gain some fortuitous encounter and maybe even found the other parts of the .


    If things went south then she will immediately use her escape talisman without hesitation.


    "There''s no need to repay me. Me saving you just was a coincidence." Issei said with a wave: "You better leave now because I won''t save you twice."


    He already saved her once and if she were to go brave another danger then he won''t save her again.


    "You don''t need to save me again. I can take care of myself... If benefactor were to be in danger then I will save you in return." She said towards Issei.


    Issei narrowed his eyes at her words.


    "You can stop pretending in front of me." His words jolted Qianye Ying''er on the inside but on the outside, she still has her facade on.


    "What benefactor means by that?" She feigned ignorance at Issei''s words.


    "You can feign ignorance all you want but let me warn you... If you were to provoke me, even though I hate killing a woman, I won''t hesitate to do it either. It''s best if you leave right now... Don''t think that I won''t stay true to my words." Issei''s red eyes glowed briefly which made her body shiver.


    Qianye Ying''er who realizes that she just shivered under his gaze becomes ashamed. Since when did she would fear someone like this!? Not even the could instill fear to her!


    And those glowing red eyes... He''s most likely not a normal human just like she expected!


    But before she could collect her thoughts, she saw that Issei has already resumed his steps once again.


    She gritted her teeth in frustration but she still decided to follow him regardless.


    Issei who noticed this frowned once again but he doesn''t say anything any longer... so be it. If she wanted to die that badly then he won''t stop her.


    ...


    On his way to the center of the realm, they came across the dead body of the wild beast that almost killed Qianye Ying''er.


    Issei doesn''t spare a single glance at this since he knows that it must be Nyarlathotep''s doing but the same couldn''t be said to Qianye Ying''er.


    She thought that Issei managed to escape from the beast and perhaps fend it away but she never expects that he manages to kill it!


    And the way it died... There''s no wound at all! The wild beast died without any visible injuries and there doesn''t seem to be any fierce battle happening here either.


    She started to become increasingly curious and warier at Issei... She grasped the escape talisman in her palm even tighter prepared to use it if he were to suddenly decided to attack her at any given moment.


    Both of them traveled deeper into the realm and at some point, Qianye Ying''er reaches the place where she found a part of the ... but what made her become flabbergasted is that there''s not a single wild beast attacking them... not a single one in sight!


    Back then, she and the Heavenly Wolf Star God were attacked by a lot of wild beasts. And only because of his sacrifice that she managed to survive...


    She saw a few treasures here and there but... her intuition is telling her to not stray far from Issei''s side. She chooses to trust her intuition and fight the urges to take away those treasures for herself.


    Seeing that Issei himself doesn''t have the intention to take those treasures, she can only give up...


    This is a correct decision since even though those treasures seem like it''s unguarded. In reality, it is being watched closely by their respective ''guardians''. Qianye Ying''er just can''t sense them since they''re hiding their presence... it is not because they''re waiting for some foolish human tries to take their possession away but rather because they don''t want to earn Issei''s ire...


    Those beasts might not attack them since they''re afraid of Issei but if Qianye Ying''er were to leave his side then they won''t hesitate to kill her. Unless it is Issei himself that tries to keep the treasures then the beasts won''t let anyone else take it...


    Of course Issei is not interested in those treasures so he doesn''t have any intention to keep it for himself.


    Finally, after walking for a few more distances... they arrived at the place where no man ever reached beforehand. Not even the managed to venture this far...


    Issei stops for a moment observing a spatial wall in front of him. It looks like this spatial wall is the border of this area...


    He stared thoughtfully at this spatial wall while preparing for any unforeseen encounter that might befall him when he crosses this spatial wall.


    "...What is it?" Qianye Ying''er asked cautiously since she can also sense the spatial wall ahead of them. Seeing that Issei doesn''t answer her, she furrowed her brows but make no further movement.


    She doesn''t know what lies behind this spatial wall and it would be unwise of her if she were to inspect it on her own even though she was very curious herself.


    After a few seconds, Issei finally stepped forward and his body promptly disappeared from her line of sight...


    She waited a few moments while deciding if she should also go in or just go back right now. But ultimately decided to follow him... she admits defeat in terms of appearance but she won''t let herself lose against him when it comes to perseverance and will.


    ...


    When she went inside, she immediately felt her entire being felt like it is being crushed by a mountain. The sheer atmosphere and gravity of this place are truly out of this world!


    She hastily used her divine energy to protect herself but it could barely allow her to stand straight.


    She clenched her teeth and started to survey her surroundings... what she saw made her become petrified.


    The air is scorching hot and freezing cold at the same time and the earth looks extremely toxic with that purplish and black color. There are many bone fossils that can be found scattered around all over the place...


    Saying that this place is hell on earth won''t be an exaggeration at all...


    And something else in the atmosphere is quite suffocating to say nonetheless. If she didn''t cover herself with her divine energy then she reckons that she will have trouble breathing properly...


    "What is this place..." She muttered incredulously.


    There''s a flying wild beast that radiates power and terror... A being that she has never seen before.


    But she can tell if that beast were to arrive in the God Realm then there will be huge casualties just to kill this creature if it''s even possible that is...


    That''s because according to her estimation, this creature is at least above the Divine Master Realm. Is it the in legends? She doesn''t really know for sure but it might be...


    This place is filled with mysteries after all so it won''t be weird if things such as this existed...


    And when she saw Issei once again, she realizes that he seems completely normal unlike her who need to cover herself with Divine Energy.


    He is still the same as before... there''s no energy fluctuation that came from his body whatsoever as if he''s just a normal mortal.


    If she doesn''t know any better then she might think that he is indeed a normal human. But she knows that is not the case at all...


    [Hmhm, this is my true domain, Dragon King. What do you think? It is truly a sight to behold, right? The elements of this place are all over the place since I let it run amock. And also because of my experiment to create the law... If you venture even deeper then you will find the center of this universe... where I spent most of my time being locked in here.] Nyarlathotep said with a chuckle.


    Issei doesn''t say anything in return before spotting one of the flying beast coming their way.


    Qianye Ying''er who saw this felt alarmed and immediately channeled her divine energy into her escape talisman only to notice that it''s not working!


    The space law on this place is preventing her escape talisman to properly activate! She was about to turn around to return to the previous area when she notices that Issei still doesn''t make any visible movement.


    At first, she thought that he might''ve been frightened and in a state of shock because of the sheer terrorizing aura this beast is emitting.


    But his expression says otherwise... his face is still calm even when he saw the incoming beast heading towards their way.


    The wild beast is shaped like a bat and a wolf at the same time. It has the head of a wolf with the body of a bat and an elongated tail shaped like a scorpion tail.


    It let out a deafening roar with its claw and fangs bared ready to strike its target which is Issei.


    Qianye Ying''er took some distance from Issei since it seems that this beast is aiming at him and not her.


    She wanted to see if Issei is capable of stopping this creature attack or not. She wanted to see just what is the extent of his true strength.


    When the beast finally reaches Issei''s location, he used his left hand to intercept that beast claw.


    *BANG!*


    The size of the beast is at least ten times larger than Issei''s small form but what happens next made Qianye Ying''er eyes went wide once again since Issei managed to stop the beast claw with only one hand.


    The beast is at least stronger than a Divine Master Realm cultivator and for Issei to easily block his attack with only one hand is enough proof that Issei is even stronger than that said beast.


    How could she not be amazed by this?


    The beast growled menacingly trying to put more strength into its claw but Issei doesn''t budge in the slightest.


    "Noisy..." Issei muttered before he throws the beast down to the ground.


    *BAM!!!*


    The earth beneath them shook greatly and a huge amount of purple cloud of dust obscured her view...


    Qianye Ying''er reflexively covered her face and doesn''t dare to inhale carelessly during the whole ordeal since the dust might contain some poison in it.


    When the dust settled she saw that the beast has become a splattered meat on the ground while there''s a giant crater beneath it...


    Seeing how easily Issei dealt with that beast send shivers down to her body...


    That was... pure una.d.u.l.terated raw strength! Without a single drop of divine energy power put into it! He created a giant crater and killed the beast with just his physical strength! How powerful must someone be to be able to do such a feat?!


    This commotion attracted the other wild beasts in the surrounding area and they immediately headed towards Issei location.


    Seeing the swarm of Absolute Beginning Profound Beasts that seems stronger than the first one almost made Qianye Ying''er legs went limp...


    Issei frowned since if it''s like this then there won''t be the end of them... These wild beasts are not a normal beast.


    They''re a beast that has been thoroughly infected by . Normal intimidation won''t work against them.


    Issei glanced at Qianye Ying''er briefly before he shrugs lightly. Well, if she went insane then it''s not his fault since he already warned her before...


    With that out of the way, Issei closed his eyes for a second before opening them once again. His eyes color turned golden while his energy is being released out of every fiber of his being.


    The wild beasts who sensed his halted immediately while their body started to shiver... They are afraid of Issei''s overwhelming energy.


    As for Qianye Ying''er... Her eyes become glazed over like she''s being entranced. She keeps gazing at Issei with a longing expression on her face... she stood no chance in resisting his law.


    But because of this, she loses control over her divine energy and her frail body is exposed to the climate once again. Even though her body is starting to sustain some wounds because of the climate, she''s still in her entranced state... the pain is not enough to help her snap her out of her daze...


    Issei noticed this but he already warned her that he won''t save her the second time... when he is about to leave her behind, he heard a faint voice coming from her...


    ''Please...''


    It is not the voice of Qianye Ying''er...


    ''Please... save her...''


    The voice begged Issei.


    ''Please save my daughter...''


    Issei who heard the voice turned his head slightly: "I have already warned before... It is her own fault for not listening to me."


    ''I know... but please... I beg you...'' The owner of the voice started to take shape... It is a mature beautiful woman that looks very similar to Qianye Ying''er. Their only difference is that this woman has a gentle and kind face whilst the latter is more overbearing.


    By exposing her soul form here, she''s risking her soul essence to be corrupted by the energy... if this goes on then soon she will have her soul become corrupted unable to truly reincarnate.


    She will join the ranks of the chaos beasts before them.


    It looks like she attached her soul to one of Qianye Ying''er belongings...


    "...I refuse." Issei denied flatly.


    The woman could only bite her lips and closed her eyes in sadness... she doesn''t have any intention to blame Issei at all since she knows that Issei has already saved her daughter once and that is more than enough for a stranger who just met.


    The woman looks lovingly at her daughter: "Ying''er... It looks like we will reunite sooner than I thought... Don''t worry, mother will always stay by your side..."


    The love of a mother is truly powerful... If it was anyone else then they would''ve shared the same fate as Qianye Ying''er no matter what form they take. Whether it be the physical body, spiritual body, or even soul body...


    Issei started to ponder for a moment before he exhaled lightly... it looks like he couldn''t just turn a blind eye to this kind of self-sacrifice and love...


    He waved his hand towards Qianye Ying''er enveloping her body with his aura.


    "*Cough!* *Cough!* *Cough!*"Qianye Ying''er who has been enveloped by Issei aura instantly snapped out of her stupor and dropped to the ground before she started coughing her lungs out.


    She gritted her teeth while the feeling of exhaustion started to overwhelm her body... What was that? How come she loses control of her body and sense?! She froze when she saw the glowing golden eye of Issei.


    Since when did his eyes turn golden? And those beast swarm... how come they are kneeling right now?!


    The mature woman who saw that her daughter is back to normal let out a relieved and happy smile before she repeatedly bowed at Issei''s direction: ''Thank you... Thank you so much...''


    After bowing a couple of times at Issei, her soul body dissipated and returned back to the item that she''s currently possessing...


    Issei could also sense another soul residue at Qianye Ying''er body but that doesn''t matter right now.


    Qianye Ying''er is oblivious to this since she couldn''t see a soul as Issei could.


    "...Can you stand?" Issei asked Qianye Ying''er who''s currently sitting on the ground.


    "..." She nodded dumbly at Issei before standing up. Her legs are a bit wobbly but she managed to stand at least.


    She''s also still taken aback with the whole situation...


    "I already told you to leave before, didn''t I? You should be thankful that something managed to convince me to save you a second time. If not, you would be dead by now." Issei said with a frown.


    "Something?" Qianye Ying''er muttered unsurely.


    "Well, you can''t go back now..." Issei muttered while looking at the spatial wall behind them dismissing her muttering. This spatial wall is designed to let anyone from the outside to enter freely but they won''t be able to leave once they enter...


    Qianye Ying''er seems to notice what Issei trying to imply since she failed to use her escape talisman just now. She then tried to go back through the entrance where they came from but the spatial wall won''t budge in the slightest...


    It looks like they''re indeed trapped in here. Well, at least she''s trapped here while he seems completely fine.


    She started to survey her surroundings once again... the beast swarm that were about to attack them just now is shivering in fear on the ground...


    "...Just who are you?" Just who is he... He''s by far the strongest person she has seen in her entire life... His realm should be higher even than the ... Could it be that he''s at the ? Is he perhaps some survivor from the past?


    "...Don''t stray too far from me or these beasts would kill you." Issei said calmly while ignoring her question.


    Qianye Ying''er bit her lips before she started to follow Issei once again... How long has it been... for her to be this powerless...


    She usually had the whole situation within her hands but now... she''s entirely clueless and powerless. She can only hide behind someone else...


    Even though she often used people to be her ''shield'', the current situation is completely different.


    She basically just become the thing she hates most... an empty vase...


    Power... she desires power! So that she won''t be this powerless any longer!


    Issei noticed her expression and could understand what she''s currently thinking to a certain extent. He had the same expression before after all...


    Back when he loses against Riser Phoenix and some others...


    So that is her true desire in life... to become powerful.


    "Let me give you some advice..." Issei said: "It''s better if you stop your search for power right now."


    "...What are you trying to say?" Qianye Ying''er said in a cold voice: "If you''re saying that I lack the resoluteness to become strong then you don''t have to worry... even if you''re more powerful than I am right now, I will surely surpass you!"


    It looks like she finally decided to discard her facade and show her true self.


    Whether it comes to looks, the profound way, influence, and status, Qianye Ying''er could be said to be standing at the pinnacle of humanity, or even the pinnacle of all the existences within this universe. But despite reaching such heights, she has never once stopped striving. In fact, she has started trying to break through these limits with all of her strength. In order to achieve this, she has spared no effort, used whatever and whoever she could use and she has been willing to brave any and all risks. During these years, she has also been the person who has entered the the most.


    The Dragon Queen and Brahma Monarch Goddess are the two most peerless beauties that no one else can compare to. As the ''Goddess'', there are countless powerful men that are willing to die for her and would die without regrets.


    She has the highest innate talent the Brahma Monarch God Realm has seen in its million years of history. When she was only nine years old, she completed the successor ceremony and it was the most perfect and complete fit. In the current Brahma Monarch Realm, the fame of the Brahma Monarch Goddess has almost surpassed the fame of the Brahma Monarch Realm King...


    "There are two types of pain you will go through in life... the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces, while regret weighs tons." Issei said calmly: "I never said that you lack the will to become strong but at your current pace right now, you will lose yourself in your search of power... When that time comes, it will be too late for regret."


    "Hah, I will never regret my decision!" She snorted at Issei.


    "Perhaps... But what about those you hold dear? Will they be proud of your action so far? Or will they feel disappointed instead?" After saying that, Issei doesn''t say anything else before he turned around and started walking forward once more.


    Qianye Ying''er frowned once again while thinking what Issei just said... Her father will obviously be proud of her actions so far.


    So what is he trying to say here? Just some random nonsense? But she has a feeling that the person he''s talking about is not her father but rather someone else...


    Someone he holds dear? Other than her father then... it would be her mother... but that can''t be...


    Her mother has already passed away a long time ago... There''s no way Issei knows about her mother.


    She doesn''t have the time to ponder about it since she realizes that Issei has already started moving.


    She hastily follows after him but this time closer than before...


    Qianye Ying''er couldn''t help herself feeling amazed by the sight of every wild beast they came across. Each and every single one of them doesn''t dare to come close... They keep trembling on the spot in a submissive manner.


    They created a path for Issei to pass through without intervention. Even those who were fighting with each other stopped their clash just to pay their ''respect''...


    She feels envious of this sight... she wanted to become the strongest in this world. That way everyone will need to bow down before her like these beasts...


    She realizes the red aura that''s currently surrounding her seems to be protecting her as well. She doesn''t need to use her divine energy and the deadly climate of this realm isn''t affecting as well.


    She also feels more powerful than ever...


    Being surrounded by this reddish aura also made her feel... comfortable and... safe...


    How long has it been since she feels this way? Ever since her mother passed away, she never felt this kind of emotion any longer... Not even her father could make her feel this way.


    Truly... This man is truly mysterious and also fatal to women... she wanted to uncover all of his secrets and see just what else is he hiding... But she knows that would be impossible.


    Not only is he far stronger than her, but he also isn''t affected by her charm in the slightest whereas, for the other men, it''s the complete opposite...


    The way he carries himself and how calm and collected he is no matter what stands in his way is truly one of a kind... she has to admit that he looks extremely gallant and domineering when he handled that wild beast so easily.


    Perhaps... perhaps she has found the perfect match for herself? But she still won''t change her desire... she will become the strongest. Even stronger than him! No matter how long it takes.


    And at that time, it won''t be too late for her to claim him for herself... She prefers to be the dominant one if she ever establishes a relationship.


    If it was before she''s affected by Issei law, perhaps she won''t be thinking this way... but the damage has already been done...


    He still has his vital yang and as for his age... around twenty-four? That should be a fake age as well... right? There''s no way someone at the age of twenty-four could be this powerful! But not like age really matter anyway in this world... he could be a million or even billion years old and she still won''t care.


    Qianye Ying''er pair of phoenix eyes glistened slightly when she looks at Issei now... she''s looking at Issei as if he''s a prize that she must obtain!


    Only a man of his caliber is worthy to be her, Qianye Ying''er, the Brahma Monarch Goddess man!


    She won''t be womanishly fussy when she set her eyes on someone like most women out there. She will take what she wants without acting in a coy manner.


    Just like before, she saw many treasures scattered around here and there. There are some treasures that she never saw before but considering just how powerful the energy they emitting then it''s safe to say that it must belong to a True God in the past...


    And if that is not enough, there''s a giant lake of the ! Or perhaps was it the more powerful version of the former? She can''t tell for sure but it should be, considering how pure the energy is...


    Alas... she doesn''t dare to separate too far from Issei less those beasts might pounce on her...


    "What''s your name?" She asked after they walked for a while.


    She won''t ask who is he or anything like that anymore since she knows it will be pointless to ask. She gets the feeling that he won''t answer her anyway if she were to ask him of his identity yet again...


    But a name should be fine right...?


    Sadly for her, Issei doesn''t seem to have any intention of answering her question.


    She frowned but make no further action other than that.


    Finally, they reached the place where Nyarlathotep led them to...


    [What lies beyond here is the center of this universe] She said with a chuckle.


    What lies before Issei and Qianye Ying''er is a pitch-black whirlpool made out of black miasma... One can''t see what lies inside this whirlpool. But just by standing close to this place, you can feel your strength is being sapped away and if Qianye Ying''er is not protected by Issei red aura then she would''ve become ashes by now...


    "...Is this the deepest part of the ?" Qianye Ying''er muttered. She never thought that it would be so sinister looking: "You''re not thinking of entering it do you?"


    Right after she said that, suddenly there''s a pitch-black creature starting to take shape right in front of them emerging from around the whirlpool...


    One of them is shaped just like a centipede, the other is shaped like a spider, another shaped like a shark but with legs and arms, etc...


    And coming from the center of the black whirlpool, an extremely pale group of a humanoid-shaped silhouette emerged from within... Their body is pitch black with only their hair and eyes are discernable.


    They have long pure white and black hair... A golden, purple, and red eyes... Some of them also had a pair of horns on their head or forehead. And on the forefront of the group, there''s a literal beast skull resting at the top of its head.


    When they finish taking shape, they set their gaze on Issei before they kneel at the same time: "We welcome your return, Master..."


    Issei knows that their "Master" is not him but rather Nyarlathotep...


    [Ah, right... they''re the abyssal human that I created before just to serve me.] Nyarlathotep let out a voice of realization. It seems that she has forgotten about them...


    "Detecting intruder... eliminate." One of them said while looking at Qianye Ying''er.


    In the next second, the one who just spoke disappear from its spot and before Qianye Ying''er could react, she saw something sharp right in front of her eyes.


    It''s only a few millimeters away from her...


    She froze on the spot because she doesn''t even realize just when did this thing suddenly appear right in front of her eyes... The only reason why it doesn''t kill her right now was because Issei stopped it on its track.


    He grasped the hand of the abyssal human that has taken shape into a blade which about to puncture Qianye Ying''er head.


    "Stop... She''s with me." Issei said towards the abyssal human.


    "...Affirmative." The abyssal human nodded before it returns to its previous location.


    Qianye Ying''er started gasping furiously because she knows that she was inches away from death just now.


    [Go and enter the black hole, Dragon King... That way you can claim this whole universe for yourself.] Nyarlathotep said with an enticing voice.


    [Not interested] Issei said flatly.


    [Ara? If that''s what you want then we can just stay here forever... Fufufu~ I''m so happy that you finally decided to stay here forever with me~] She said with joy.


    Issei frowned because if this place is her domain and if she doesn''t let him leave then he won''t be able to...


    Perhaps if he is at his full power then he might be able to do something about it but when that time comes... won''t Nyarlathotep will also be at her full strength?


    She has fused their soul together... It might take a while before he could find a way to separate their soul from each other.


    And being stuck in this realm is not something he wants right now...


    [You don''t have to worry now~, I already said that I won''t be harming you countless times already, right? What I want for you to do is to claim this universe for yourself so that way you can become more powerful. I want to see just how far the limit of your strength is...]


    ''And the limit of your resistance...'' She added inside her mind.


    "..." Issei started to weigh the risk and benefit... but finally decided not to take the risk for now...


    ''Se...''


    Issei''s eyes widened when he heard the faint voice of someone...


    ''I... Se...!!!''


    Someone he missed day and night for the last three years...


    ''...Ise!''


    He turned his head instantly to the source of the voice and dashed without delay. His speed is even faster than the abyssal human just now.


    ''Tsk... It looks like there''s a gap in this place that I didn''t realize until now...'' Nyarlathotep clicked her tongue since she also sensed the spatial disturbance coming from not far away.


    She never bothered to see if there''s any gap or not since no one would be able to reach this place unless they''re strong enough. It seems that her negligence just cost her a bit...


    Qianye Ying''er could only blankly stare at the place where Issei just disappeared... what she supposed to do now? She has been left behind here...


    But thankfully the abyssal human doesn''t have any intention of attacking her anymore... she could only stay silent while hoping that Issei won''t really leave her behind...


    ...


    "Everything is ready, Semiramis-sama. We can try again..." Mertel said with a bow.


    "Um." Semiramis nodded before she used her magic along with Irene and Forzelotte''s help...


    "Checking the ''fuel'' condition... The ''fuel'' condition seems stable. Starting trial number fourteen. Searching for the nearest location of Master... Success! But we won''t be able to open an actual spatial opening to his location because of some interference! The best we could achieve is projecting the image and sound!" Da Vinci said while biting her lips.


    "That doesn''t matter right now! As long as we could see him even just for a fleeting moment is fine! We can just ask him about his location later!" Semiramis said impatiently.


    "Roger! Ultinia, Miarute, try to keep the ''fuel'' steady for as long as possible!"


    ""Understood!""


    "Establishing connection... Connected!"


    *SLLSHH!!!*


    There''s a pseudo spatial tear above their location...


    "Ise! Ise! Can you hear me?! Ise!!!" Semiramis shouted at the spatial tear.


    But all they hear is a static noise even after waiting for a while...


    "Tsk! Was it another fail after all?" Forzelotte said while gritting her teeth seeing that there''s no response coming from the other side...


    "This is why I told you that the ''fuel'' is too weak." Okita Alter said with a frown.


    "You know that they''re the only one who has been with Master the longest... except for Semiramis-sama and the other that is. But since they''re pregnant. We can''t risk it." Mertel said with a sigh.


    "It''s fine... We can just try again." Jeanne said comfortingly.


    When Semiramis about to close the spatial tear, they heard a voice: "...Semi?"


    All of them who are present froze on the spot before their gaze basically zoomed in towards the spatial tear.


    They finally saw the face they''ve been longing to see after all this time...


    Tears started to pour out from their eyes before they shouted in unison: "Dearest!/Ise!/Master!"


    The husband and wives are finally able to see each other...


    Issei''s face becomes extremely gentle and loving when he saw his beloved wives'' faces...


    He keeps gazing at the spatial tear with a loving smile on his face as if it meant the entire world to him.


    ''Guh! How overwhelming!'' Nyarlathotep shuddered when she felt the tsunami of emotion that started to overflow from Issei...


    ''I need to do something soon...'' She thought with a grin before she started to tinker with the spatial tear.


    "Master! Where are you?! How are you right now? Are you hurt?" Jalter anxiously asked.


    "I''m fine, Jalter... As for where I am right now... I''m not so sure either. But I do know that this place is extremely far away from our home..." Issei said in the gentlest tone he could possibly muster.


    "You''re clearly lying, beloved... If you''re truly fine then you would''ve returned home by now." Irene pointed out.


    "Master!" Jalter said in anger at Issei for trying to lie to her.


    "Heheh... I''m not really lying though... I just need two more years of recovery then I should be back to my full strength." Issei said with a comforting smile: "Ah, right. Ten years in this world is only one month over there so I will surely return before all of you give birth." He added with a wink.


    He might try to sound cheerful but the girls couldn''t share the same sentiment right now...


    "...How long have you been there, dearest?" Semiramis asked while biting her lips.


    "...Around three years." He said with a sigh.


    Three years... for them it''s only been a week but for him, it has been three years...


    They felt saddened by this revelation since he clearly suffers more than they do...


    "You can''t pinpoint your location right now, Ise?" Forzelotte asked with a slight frown.


    "...Right now I couldn''t." Issei said while shaking his head: "But how did you all create this spatial tear?"


    He couldn''t risk bringing Nyarlathotep back right now either.


    "We have our ways..." Semiramis said dismissively.


    "I see... but you better not endanger your body, you hear me?" His voice turned serious at the end but they felt happy by his care.


    "We could say the same to you, baka deshi... You better take care of yourself properly over there or I will surely beat you up when you get back." Scathach said with a growl.


    "Yes, ma''am," Issei said with a smile.


    They finally sighed in relief knowing that he''s fine... they know that he''s hiding something but at least he''s fine right now...


    "So, dearest... Just how many women did you seduce with your new appearance?" Semiramis asked with a knowing look: "And I really have to say that your new appearance is really mouth-watering..."


    She licked her lips seeing Issei''s new appearance. The other girls also started to blush deeply while fidgetting on the spot.


    "That''s right, Ise! Why did your appearance change once again!" Rossweisse said with a pout.


    "Uh huh... I bet he keeps getting handsome just so that he could attract more girls to himself... this stupid husband of ours truly doesn''t know when to stop." Kathryn said in annoyance.


    "Umu, although I like your old and new look all the same, but I have to agree with Kath on this one." Ramius nodded at Kathryn''s statement: "Not that I mind though."


    "Heheh, Ise-nii will probably bring more sisters with him when he gets back..." Gurigura said with a grin.


    "Not ''probably''... He will surely bring a couple of girls home with him." Riche tagged along with their conversation.


    "Otouto-kun~, hurry and return, okay~? Onee-chan miss you lots!" Croix said while waving her hands giddily.


    "You better not be having ''fun'' over there when we''re worried about you here, Ise..." Forzelotte said while narrowing her eyes at Issei.


    "Err, I''m not..." Issei sweated at Forzelotte''s accusing look: "I keep thinking about you girls all this time... how can I think of other women right now?"


    "...Tsk, you and your sweet talk" Although she said that, Forzelotte couldn''t hide her smile.


    "Ise-nya~ be sure to bring back some souvenirs for us, okay?" Kuroka said with her tails waving jovially: "And... I miss my lovey-dovey time nya~ you better hurry and return to us since I''m not the only one that misses it~" She added mischievously.


    "Kuroka!" Rossweisse shouted while blushing in embarrassment.


    "What nya? I''m only saying the truth~" She stuck out her tongue at Rossweisse: "Don''t tell me that you don''t want to do it? Especially with his new appearance nya~" She licked her lips l.u.s.tfully while looking at Issei.


    "I agree," Ramius affirmed the second Kuroka finishes her words.


    And if one looks around, there''s not a single one of them here tries to refuse Kuroka statement...


    Even Rossweisse doesn''t say anything else since she also wanted the same thing... she''s just too embarrassed to admit it out loud.


    Issei smiled wryly at their antics... ah... how he misses them...


    "I miss you girls..."


    "We miss you as well, dearest."


    They shared a loving smile with each other.


    But then the spatial tear disappeared without any sign...


    "What happened?!" Jalter said feeling taken aback.


    "I''m not so sure either... but most likely our ''fuel'' has reached their limit." Da Vinci said while looking at the giant glowing capsules on the corner of the room.


    Inside those capsules, there are Rias, Akeno, Xenovia, Asia, Irina, Koneko, and Ravel...


    They''re the ''fuel'' that they used.


    The ''fuel'' being their soul essence...


    They have been with Issei the longest so their soul contains the biggest remnants of Issei''s presence other than Semiramis''s group.


    Rias being the ''strongest'' since she often sleeps on the same bed with Issei in the past.


    "It can''t be helped..." Semiramis sighed: "Take them to their room and let them rest."


    "Well, at least they''re being useful for once." Nobunaga who also happens to be in the room said.


    "Hmph..." Jalter snorted: "I still won''t let them get close to Master!"


    Kuroka then also tagged along and she''s the one who carried Koneko away.


    She already tried stopping Koneko before but since the latter insisted adamantly, Kuroka finally relented.


    "Well, we better get ready for another trial later... Perhaps we could increase their overall strength for better energy output? Let''s ask for Princess Lala''s help as well... maybe she could provide some ideas. And who knows... if we''re lucky then we could create an actual spatial opening to his location..." Da Vinci said while taking notes.


    "Agreed." The girls unanimously agreed.


    "We better snap them out of their daze as well." Scathach pointed at Grayfia''s group.


    They still looking dumbly at the direction of where the spatial tear was located. Thankfully they didn''t broadcast their little experiment just now or it will be very troublesome...


    The girls smile wryly at this sight... It looks like their husband charm just increased by another fold...


    Even the heroic spirits group could barely resist themselves as not to have the same fate as them.


    "...But there''s something else that bothers me." Irene muttered: "That place we saw... it''s clearly not a normal world."


    "Um... It looks so desolate... just like a... purgatory of hell." Semiramis said worriedly.


    "If it''s only a normal purgatory then I won''t be too worried since he has been to worser place before just to train his body. And you should be able to feel it as well... That place contains so many energies." Forzelotte added.


    They know the energy quite well. Millet for one contain energy within it...


    "Tsk, that dummy of a master really needs a beating when he gets back..." Jalter said with a snort.


    "He''s just worried about us..." Jeanne said wryly at Jalter.


    "I know that... But still..." Jalter said with a pout.


    "Good... after you''re done beating him up then I will be the one to ''treat'' him." Salter who''s at the side said with a smirk.


    "You shut up!" Jalter scowled at her.


    "Towa."


    "H-Hai?!"


    "You better not be spreading his new appearance this time..."


    Forzelotte voice made the ''mischievous'' girl who''s currently already started to draw Issei''s new appearance into her drawing book flinch.


    Forzelotte finally knows that the main culprit from the incident back then is Towa.


    To be fair, it''s not like Towa wanted to spread his image around but she was just sharing her story with the children... sadly for her, she forgot taking the teachers and staff into account...


    "I-I understand..." She said with a wry smile...


    "Now let''s wrap it up for today..." Then they all dispersed and head back to their respective room.


    The girls felt relieved and happy that they managed to speak with their beloved husband and Master even though it''s quite short...


    ...


    Issei who saw the disappeared spatial tear froze for a moment before he gives a sigh... It looks like their time was up.


    [Fufu, it looks like your time is up, Dragon King?] It looks like she doesn''t really need to do anything after all... whatever method they used to create that tear just now was clearly still lacking.


    Issei doesn''t respond to Nyarlathotep but he started to ponder to himself before suddenly saying: "...I will enter that black hole."


    [...] If it was before then perhaps Nyarlathotep will be happy but now... his emotion was fluctuating to a terrifying degree. She had to use most of her strength just to suppress it right now.


    And to be honest... it is already affecting her by a great amount.


    [Is that so? Good to know then~] But whatever... not like she really care in the first place anyway...


    If she loses then she loses, if she won then she won. She was never a sore loser in the first place... well, not like she ever lose until now though...


    Then Issei head back to the black whirlpool location where Qianye Ying''er could be seen with an anxious expression on her face...


    She secretly sighed in relief seeing that Issei finally returned but something else caught her attention... his expression...


    It looks extremely gentle right now... she once again went into a daze seeing his gentle face... so he can make that kind of face... she thought dazedly to herself.


    "You wait here... I will enter this black hole," Issei said to her snapping her out of her daze.


    "What?! You..." She was about to say something but Issei has already entered the black hole.


    She stomped her feet feeling irritated...


    ...


    "Welcome... to my humble abode, Dear husband~" When Issei entered the black hole, he thought that it will be one of a hellish place but the interior couldn''t look more ordinary...


    It is literally a normal bedroom without any grand decoration or anything like that...


    When he''s busy observing his surroundings, Nyarlathotep eyes glimmered slightly while eyeing Issei.


    She licked her lips l.u.s.tfully before she extended her arms towards him...

 Chapter 126 - 125

    (AN: Thanks MeriX for the donation! ???? I hope all of you enjoy the chapter! Peace out girls scout!)


    "...Who is he?" Qianye Ying''er who''s waiting outside tried asking the abyssal human: "I heard that you called him Master before..." she cautiously asked them.


    She''s nervous but she wanted to try if they would answer her question.


    The abyssal human who heard her question had their eyes homing in on her at the same time.


    Qianye Ying''er flinched but stands her ground regardless...


    "Master is... absolute... the one who stood at the very apex of the entire universe..." One of them who has a monster skull on top of its head answered.


    Although she already suspected this, hearing it from the abyssal human mouth still made her slightly taken aback...


    "...Is he at the ?" She continues to ask.


    The abyssal human shakes its head: "No... Master is... stronger than the ."


    Hearing this answer, Qianye Ying''er brain went haywire. Stronger than the ?! That means that... he''s at the !? Is that even possible!


    But no matter if she believes it or not, that display of strength is the truth... No wonder she can''t sense his true cultivation... it''s because she''s too weak!


    She bit her lips feeling frustrated. Here she is trying to get into the but he already surpassed her miles away.


    She still fell short! She feels like she''s a child thinking that just by reaching the she would''ve become the strongest already...


    She thought she has already pushed herself to the limit better than anyone else! It looks like she''s still lacking in many ways...


    "...Is there any way to reach your... Master''s strength or at least close to it?"


    Although she asked this, she knows that the possibilities for these abyssal human answering her is close to none. Which idiot would tell some random stranger their secret just like that?


    Surely they''re no different either... right?


    The abyssal human look at her silently and when she wanted to say something...


    "...Receive Master''s blessing... Be Master''s other counterpart... another half..." One of them answered.


    "...Eh?" Qianye Ying''er let out a confused voice.


    What did they mean by that? Another half? As in... his wife? So dual cultivation then?


    When she thought till here, Qianye Ying''er started to ponder to herself... Meaning that if she''s able to entice him and receive his vital yang... she could be as strong as him?


    Although she misunderstands some part, her conclusion can be considered right since if she''s able to receive Issei''s "blessing" then she will surely become a True God in one fell swoop.


    By then, her dream to rule the isn''t a pipe dream anymore... She won''t even need to resort to the ...


    But... this task is probably the easiest and hardest of them all.


    The easiest since all she needs is to dual cultivate with him and that will be it... but the hardest part is to entice him...


    If it was any other men then she''s confident that she could entice them quite easily but as for Issei... she''s not so sure...


    She''s confident with her beauty but to entice a man whose charm surpasses hers is not easy. As can be seen from his reaction when he saw her face.


    If it was any other men, forget witnessing her true face, just gazing at her back is more than enough to charm them...


    But this is why he''s the only worthy man who can be worthy of her! Not those men who can easily be charmed and manipulated with just a snap of her finger!


    The question right now is... what should she do to get his attention? He''s impervious to her charm and she''s far weaker than him as well so she can''t force her way either...


    For the first time ever, Qianye Ying''er felt like she doesn''t understand a man at all... Well, at least for Issei case that is...


    She thought that all men are the same but it seems that she''s mistaken...


    ...


    "What do you want?" Issei who sensed Nyarlathotep''s sudden movement turned around and said in a cold voice.


    "Hmm, I want to hug my dear husband of course~" Nyarlathotep chuckled after being ''exposed''.


    "I already said that you''re not my wife." Issei said flatly.


    "Then... what do I need to do to become your real wife~?" She asked in a playful tone.


    "...What is your real intention, Nyarlathotep?" Issei ignored her question and proceeded to interrogate her instead: "I''m already here... now what? Don''t tell me that I need to absorb the core of this universe or anything like that since I don''t sense anything else here other than the two of us... Meaning that you are the ''core'' itself."


    "Fufufu~ correct~????" Nyarlathotep hummed with a smile. Not like it''s a secret that she tries to hide in the first place...


    "And what I really want, was it?" Nyarlathotep tapped her chin with her index finger: "I already have what I want, you know? And that is you yourself, Dragon King..."


    Nyarlathotep sashayed her ways towards Issei and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    "There''s nothing else that interests me other than you... All I want is to have you stay by my side forever..." She whispered possessively: "If you just stay here then I won''t do anything you don''t want me to... as long as you stay here with me, I don''t need anything else..."


    Her golden eyes turned pitch black before a swarm of tendrils started to emerge all around the room...


    "Now stay with me, Dragon King... And everything you desire shall be yours..." She said enticingly.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything at first before he sighed to himself: "You should know what I want the most in this world, Nyarlathotep..."


    Nyarlathotep and the tendrils froze when she heard his words.


    "...Your wives..." She muttered after a brief silence.


    "Indeed... All I want is to return to their side. No more no less... You who have read my memories should know of this." Issei said calmly.


    "..." Nyarlathotep looks down making Issei unable to see her expression.


    "...I don''t really mind if you want to stick around but..." Issei continues speaking: "You have to promise me that you will never harm my loved ones... I don''t really care if you try to do something to me as long as you don''t touch my loved ones."


    "...Oh? So you don''t hate me as a whole?" She said in a low voice.


    "Hate you? No. Angry? maybe a bit... I''m wary of you but that doesn''t mean I hate you. You spared my life when we first met and so far, you haven''t done anything that will earn my hatred. Sure you trying to kill me back then is another thing altogether but..." Issei said with raised eyebrows.


    Issei does resent her a bit for separating him from his wives but he doesn''t hate her to the bone that he should kill her no matter what...


    She who heard Issei''s words suddenly looks up with a wide grin and immediately pushed Issei down to the bed.


    "...You." Issei narrowed his eyes at Nyarlathotep.


    When he''s about to retaliate, the tendrils hold Issei in his place.


    Nyarlathotep makes a happy noise before she crept closer to Issei''s chest.


    She ripped open his upper clothes before licking her lips l.u.s.tfully seeing his bare chest.


    She starts to slowly kiss her way down his chest... from his chest to his abs until she finally reaches her final destination which is Issei''s crotch.


    "Fufufu~ it seems that your body down here is quite honest, Dragon King..." Nyarlathotep chuckled seductively looking at the slightly bulging part of Issei.


    "...What did you do to me..." Issei said with a grunt. He can feel his l.u.s.t started to raise significantly the moment Nyarlathotep kisses his chest.


    "Nothing much... I just increase your s.e.x.u.a.l desire..." Nyarlathotep hummed.


    Her eyes stay locked on his as her fingers nimbly undo his belt and release his junior brother from its ''restraint''.


    "Hmhm~ how wonderful~... I have been dying to taste this ever since I witnessed you and your wives..." Nyarlathotep said in glee looking at Issei''s dragon rod: "Fine... I promise you, Dragon King... I won''t do anything to your loved ones... but, I will do whatever I want with you yourself~... No need to worry, I won''t harm you but I will still have my fun with you... just like right now~"


    She then begins planting kisses along his rod, starting at its head and working her way down the shaft. Once she reaches the base of his shaft, she slowly licks all the way up. With her golden eyes that already reverted back, she stares into his eyes as she engulfs his whole length until her lips meet his crotch.


    "Gh!" Issei flinched slightly when she started to suck on his rod like a piece of candy.


    It''s been a while ever since his last release... although he hates to admit this, but it feels quite good right now...


    Nyarlathotep messing with his l.u.s.t is not helping either...


    Her eyes are clouded with greed and l.u.s.t. His length tastes extremely good that she might be addicted already just from sucking it with her mouth. Now she wanted to taste that white stuff that he has...


    She speeds up. Issei unintentionally leans back enjoying the feeling of her mouth and throat wrapped around his length. She seems to sense him getting close because she suddenly releases his d.i.c.k, her hands replacing mouth. She strokes his shaft rapidly.


    "Give it to me, Dragon King~, I want to taste your ''essence''!" She panted, before wrapping her lips around his shaft again. She easily swallows his entire length down to her throat and since she doesn''t really need to breathe.


    She felt like her mind went white briefly when his length reaches the base of her throat.


    "Guh!" Issei felt like her throat and mouth change since it feels like there are multiple small hands starting to stroke his rod at the same time. The walls around her throat also started to tighten greatly until he can''t hold it in anymore.


    Issei groans as white spots cloud his vision and he c.u.m into her mouth. Nyarlathotep let out m.o.a.ns of ecstasy fill his ears and she begins to swallow greedily. Still looking up at him, she keeps sucking his rod unwilling to let go... only until there is no more c.u.m to swallow that she stopped her sucking.


    *Pop*


    She moves her head back giving his rod one final lap. There''s not a single drop of c.u.m overflows from her seductive mouth since she completely swallows it all...


    "Hmmm~ sooo tasty~" She hummed joyfully: "It''s so full of energy and lifeforce~, nee, Dragon King... How come your ''essence'' taste so addicting like this~?" She nuzzled her cheeks on his still erect rod.


    "...I don''t know how to answer your question but if you''re satisfied already then get off of me." Issei said with a sigh.


    "Satisfied? No no~, I''m far from satisfied... We still haven''t done that final step yet... the one which you often do with your wives..." Nyarlathotep wagged her index finger from side to side.


    "I already told you..."


    "You will only do it with your wives, right?"


    "...Indeed."


    "Mhm~ I know that... but..." Nyarlathotep gaze filled with a crazed l.u.s.t: "I don''t care~"


    She straddles his h.i.p.s, knees on either side of his as one hand grips his shoulder.


    Nyarlathotep rocks her h.i.p.s against Issei''s erection, rubbing it sensuously against her slit. Her nether region is basically overflowing with her own juices at this point.


    "If you could satisfy me just like what you did to your wives then I''m willing to do anything you wanted me to do and answer everything you want of me~" She said while licking her lips: "I will even be your slave or even your wives slave~"


    "...Are you serious?" Issei narrowed his eyes at her.


    "Fufufu..." She chuckled before she made a sign at her heart location...


    There''s a white glowing mark shaped like an "X" before an ethereal chain wrapped itself around her body. It looks kind of similar to the chain that bound Jalter and Jeanne before...


    "There... now do you trust me?" She made an amused smile while inserting a piece of parchment that is made entirely of black miasma into his chest.


    This way, Issei can activate the contract whenever he wants if she were to go against her words just now...


    "...No. For all I know then you wouldn''t die even if that contract activates itself." Issei said flatly: "And perhaps you could erase it whenever you want."


    "So cautious... Although I like that side of you~... I just can''t wait anymore~"


    Her pink tongue run over her lips as she grasps his rock-hard member and guides it to her nether lips.


    *Sllsh*


    Her mouth hangs agape in a long m.o.a.n as she slowly impales herself on him, arching her back and thrusting her b.r.e.a.s.ts further forward into his face.


    Issei can see her savor the moment, one hand still on his shoulder while the other rubs her stomach.


    "...What is this... feeling... I have never felt so... full." She gave a heated sigh feeling his rod inside of hers.


    Issei gritted his teeth because she''s so tight... the walls that are enveloping his member down there also had the same feeling when she''s sucking him...


    "Good... this feels good! This pain! The tingling that I''m feeling right now! This feels great!" She laughed with joy.


    She felt pain because this is obviously her first time but it doesn''t bother her in the slightest... if anything she loves this pain she''s currently feeling right now.


    Then again, she has no definite form in the first place... not after she transformed into ''Nyarlathotep''...


    She starts to move, rocking her h.i.p.s against his before lifting, almost completely withdrawing Issei from her before she drops back down with a m.o.a.n. She begins a steady rhythm with an entranced look on her face...


    "Hummm~, no wonder you and your wives often do this~ it feels sooo... damn... good!" She said jubilantly: "If you could make me feel this good all the time then I would really do whatever you want me to do, Dragon King!"


    Her face glows in excitement while still not forgetting to move her h.i.p.s... her full b.r.e.a.s.ts and perfectly shaped butt bounce hypnotically with her lewd movements as she tosses her head back.


    "...''Would''?" Issei caught onto her words with narrowed eyes.


    So that means she was indeed tricking him just now...


    "Tee hee~, busted?" She stuck out her tongue mischievously.


    "You..."


    She suddenly slammed her butt down real hard that it shook the entire bed along with her surprise attack.


    "Tsk!" Issei grunted at this since he wasn''t prepared.


    Nyarlathotep''s breaths come in ragged gasps, her hair suddenly falling forward and covering his chest as she leans forward, pressing her forehead to his while locking their eyes with each other.


    "No need to worry, I meant what I said..." She whispered seductively: "In exchange for this pleasure, I am willing to keep my words to you~"


    She put her index finger on Issei''s chest before continues speaking: "That contract is quite real... Well, to a certain extent and only if you could satisfy me that is~"


    "...Fine. Have it your way, ." A huge amount of power surges out from Issei''s body the moment he entered his mode.


    Even Qianye Ying''er who was outside the black hole can feel the surge of power Issei currently emitting.


    She shuddered greatly feeling this... immense power that couldn''t be described into mere words!


    "How powerful!" She shouted incredulously.


    She felt so small in front of this power surge... unbelievably small...


    She almost fainted just coming into contact with this aura.


    She knelt on the floor having trouble breathing properly...


    ''Why did he release this kind of strength now?! Was there something inside that black hole that could threaten him to such extent!?'' She thought direly in her mind... If there is indeed something that could threaten him then her life will end soon as well.


    As for Nyarlathotep... her eyes went wide open when she saw Issei used his .


    Issei''s white hair turned pitch-black while his eyes turned more sharp and enchanting. His ears also become slightly elongated. But this time he doesn''t expose his Dragon wings and tail.


    Before she could properly react, Issei breaks free from his bindings and immediately put both of his hands on the side of her h.i.p.s and then he immediately pushed her down with all his strength while he trusts his lower body upwards!


    "...!!!" Nyarlathotep felt like her entire mind just went blank from the sudden jolt of pleasure that just hit her... She couldn''t utter any sound at all and only had her mouth wide open while her saliva started to pour out from her mouth.


    She nearly passes out from the sheer pleasure she''s currently experiencing...


    Her nails subconsciously dig into Issei''s chiseled chest as the thrusts become more forceful...


    "Dr...ago..." She still had trouble getting her words out while her eyes started to roll upwards to the back of her skull.


    Issei can feel his own release rapidly approaching and redouble his efforts, the sounds of their clashing flesh against each other resounded loudly and clearly within the empty room...


    Thankfully Issei managed to close his connection with the or the three little girls might witness something inappropriate as their beloved elder brother and ''father'' plow his way through on Nyarlathotep''s lower region.


    After a couple more thrusts, Issei then wrapped his arms around Nyarlathotep''s willowy waist and tightly hug her body against his before he gives one final deep thrust...


    *SPLUURTTTTT!!!*


    Nyarlathotep''s body arches and stiffens, a strangled m.o.a.n drew from her as he releases deep inside of her greedy snatch... She can feel her own walls tighten, drenching both of their lower body in her fluids as her tongue lolled out of her mouth.


    Even after a good while, Issei ejaculation still doesn''t stop...


    "A... Aghhhh... irresistible... yes... YESSSSS!!!" She wailed loudly while her expression is completely lost in carnal desire: "So good! This feels so GOOODDDD!!!" She releases her own aura to match Issei''s and only then she managed to get her thoughts back... well, some of it at least...


    Qianye Ying''er finally fainted dead away when she''s exposed to not only Issei''s aura but Nyarlathotep''s as well.


    Event the Abyssal human had trouble to stand properly needless to say about her who''s the weakest here...


    By letting herself go like this, Issei''s ''corruption'' is spreading out on her entire body even faster than before... but she doesn''t care...


    ''Oooh... so this is... Defeat... it is such a sweet agony...'' She smiled to herself...


    "Heheh... I am starting to understand how to interact with you... When in a clear stream, follow its pure and simple path... and enjoy it to the fullest... You are truly an extraordinary being, Dragon King... strengthened by many bonds which you share with your loved ones... Dragging such an extraordinary being to the depths where I reside would be the ultimate celestial pleasure... Let us race to see who will give up first. I so desperately wish for you to overcome all my wickedness, Dear husband~." Nyarlathotep said while caressing Issei''s face.


    "Just as I promised before... I will never do anything towards your loved ones... but... I will do everything within my capabilities to drag you down~" She said grinningly.


    "You can try... but you won''t be able to succeed. And that wasn''t the only thing you promised me before," Issei gives her a flat look.


    "Ara? I never thought that you are the type who would bother with such small details? But this feeling, I have to say... How stupendous~" She said with a long sigh feeling how full she is right now: "Now, Dragon King... Let''s enjoy a leisurely, languid, loving day together~"


    She started to move her h.i.p.s once again despite the numbness she''s currently feeling down there.


    She kind of like this numbness and ecstatic pain she was experiencing...


    "Hmph, since you lied to me before then I don''t see why I should satisfy you again." Issei snorted at her before teleporting his body away from her.


    "Awwhh~" She longingly looks at her new ''toy'' that could bring her so much pleasure: "But I still want more~"


    "...Stop looking at my crotch as if it''s a piece of candy." Issei said speechlessly. And her current expression looks extremely similar to Nyaruko when she''s being upset... It looks like they''re indeed mother and daughter for that matter...


    Since they''re basically one already, there''s not really any benefit for them both other than pure pleasure.


    "Humm, cheapskate... How about we include Nyaruko next time?" She said as if it''s a great idea.


    "No." Issei denied without hesitation. What a joke... even though Nyaruko''s real age is in the billions already, her body and mental age are still just like a five years old...


    "If you''re bothered by her tiny body then I could make her grow to an a.d.u.l.t~," Nyarlathotep said while clinging to Issei from behind.


    "Still no."


    "Hmm, aren''t you supposed to be her father? You don''t want to see her happy?"


    "..."


    Issei chooses not to respond to her words since it will be a pain in the ass to properly explain it to her...


    Issei then reverted back to his previous form.


    "Then I believe our business here is done." Issei said while giving the room one last look.


    "Hmm, you could say that..." She said lazily whilst still clinging onto his body.


    "...Stop clinging to me."


    "So cruel~ after you had your way with my body now you want to push me away~"


    "..."


    Issei once again ignores her and after a few moments, he exited the black hole...


    Nyarlathotep who saw this smirked lightly before she too follows after Issei... but not before she took something from the corner of the bed...


    ...


    When Issei comes out from the black hole, he saw Qianye Ying''er being unconscious on the ground.


    It looks like she''s affected by his and Nyarlathotep''s aura just now. If it wasn''t for his protective aura then she might''ve died.


    "Master..." The abyssal humans greeted Nyarlathotep.


    "How about you bring them with you, Dragon King? Not like they have anything to do here anyway." Nyarlathotep said nonchalantly.


    "...They''re your servants. It would be a bother if they started to go on a rampage on your command." Issei said flatly.


    "Hmm... Listen, from now on, he is your Master, not me." Nyarlathotep pointed at Issei.


    "Oi..."


    "...We understand." The abyssal human looks at Issei before they nodded at the same time.


    "There... problem solved," Nyarlathotep said with a smirk.


    Issei could only sigh at this and decided to just pick up Qianye Ying''er body... he doesn''t carry her in a princess carry but he just carries her like a bag of potato sack on his shoulder.


    ...


    When Qianye Ying''er is awake, she found out that she''s already outside the .


    Before long, an old man comes to her location.


    He''s an old person who seemed particularly aged. His height was no taller than around six feet and he had a crooked body. Furthermore, his whole body was dried-up like a corpse that had been exposed to the sun in a desert. He was dressed in gray clothes that were clearly too baggy for his frame and were so utterly worn-out that they only barely served their purpose.


    "Miss are you alright?" The old man asked with a frown seeing that Qianye Ying''er doesn''t have her mask on and her outfit is also different from the one she wore before she goes in.


    "...I''m fine." Qianye Ying''er said after a bit of silence.


    She had her gaze set on the ... It''s as if her eyes could penetrate through the barrier surrounding it just to catch a glimpse of that otherworldly visage that has cemented its position in her mind.


    "...I never get to know his name..." She said in frustration.


    "Miss?" The old man muttered unsurely.


    "It''s nothing... let''s head back for now. There''s something I need to tell father and you later..." Then the two of them disappeared into the void soon after...


    ...


    Issei also finally returned to the ...


    It was also at this time that a boundless, resonating voice transmission that seemed to have come from a bygone era sounded within the boundless space, inside all the star realms within the Eastern Divine Region, beside the ears of every profound practitioner.


    "Of the Divine Region''s forty thousand realms, Eastern Divine Region controls nine thousand. The Profound God Convention is a distinguished meeting that occurs once every three thousand years for our Eastern Divine Region. At the moment, due to a variety of reasons, even though only seven hundred years have passed since the last Profound God Convention, a new Profound God Convention is about to happen."


    Beneath this voice, the entire Eastern Divine Region seemed to have completely stilled as it sank into complete silence. Every profound practitioner raised their head high and looked into the sky.


    Issei doesn''t really care about the in the beginning, but Jasmine has already said that she will be attending the convention so he probably should pay this convention a visit later on.


    "This session of the Profound God Convention only had ten years of preparation. Even though it is quite hurried, its importance surpasses all the former sessions. Moreover, this Profound God Convention will be held by the Brahma Monarch Realm, the Eternal Heaven Realm, the Moon God Realm, and the Star God Realm."


    Aha... No wonder Jasmine said that she will probably have her revenge on the convention. Her target of revenge will be attending the convention as well that''s why...


    "The preliminary selections for the Profound God Convention will be held inside the world of the Eternal Heaven Pearl. In five months, the Profound God Convention will begin, which marks the start of the preliminaries. two months before it begins will be its registration period and will also be when the Eternal Heaven Realm opens to the Eastern Divine Region."


    The various realms within the Eastern Divine Region were shocked once more. The eyes of numerous profound practitioners within the divine way¡­ especially those who were still young suddenly released rays of excitement and incredulity. The sky encompassing voice had clearly stated that the preliminaries this time would actually be held within the Eternal Heaven Pearl!


    The Eternal Heaven Pearl was a one-of-a-kind Heavenly Profound Treasure in the God Realm. Even in ancient times, it had been a transcendent existence. If they were able to participate in this Profound God Convention, even if they didn''t place in the rankings, merely being able to enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl and mingling with the precious aura within the Eternal Heaven Pearl would give them incalculable benefits!


    Yet the overjoyed aura within the Eastern Divine Region did not persist for long. What the voice said after that was like a bucket of cold water being poured over their heads.


    "During the Profound God Convention, the divine power of the Eternal Heaven Pearl will envelop the entire Eternal Heaven Realm. Due to the preparation time and the limits on the Eternal Heaven Pearl''s divine power, the scope of this Profound God Convention will be different from all previous sessions. Only those below the age of sixty with divine strength no weaker than the Divine Tribulation Realm are able to sign up for the preliminaries. The divine power of the Eternal Heaven Pearl is not one which any mortal body can bear. When the time comes, all those with profound strength lower than the Divine Tribulation Realm will not be able to enter the Eternal Heaven Realm in any way. Those who are inside will also be forcibly expelled."


    The Profound God Convention''s registration requirement being under the age of sixty was exactly the same as the previous sessions and did not fall outside of anyone''s expectations.


    However, profound strength no lower than the Divine Tribulation Realm, this was a random bolt of lightning to countless profound practitioners that had been excited just a moment ago.


    The previous sessions of the Profound God Convention had always been restricted to the Divine Soul Realm. In those days, every session would be where young profound practitioners flourished. Based on the contests between those young profound practitioners, it was easy to see the future strength of their star realm''s comprehensive strength.


    But this time, the registration threshold had suddenly risen a great realm!


    Yet the sixty age limitation had not changed one bit.


    What kind of a concept was the Divine Tribulation Realm below the age of sixty? Snow Song Realm ranked in the higher echelons of the middle star realms and Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was its core sect. There, if one were to reach the Divine Tribulation Realm before the age of sixty, they would be qualified to become a high ranking disciple of Ice Phoenix Divine Hall!


    Even if it were the strong upper star realms, being able to reach the Divine Tribulation Realm before the age of sixty was also a genius.


    This "Divine Tribulation Realm" restriction caused the scope of the Profound God Convention to be compressed down more than a thousand times! It made a meeting of profound practitioners become a stage that only genius profound practitioners were qualified to stand on.


    The girls who are currently cultivating within their respective cultivation rooms, of course, can hear this as well. Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan''s eyes glimmered brightly when they heard about this.


    Within four, no, three months they are confident that they can break through to the .


    Some might think that they''re being too overconfident but the reality is that they indeed have this capability! Both of them have a special physique and legacy.


    Reaching the within three months is indeed quite easy for them both...


    And their odds will just keep getting bigger with their greatest backer behind their back. And that backer is Issei himself!


    "...The Profound God Convention''s top four contestants will receive grand rewards from Brahma Monarch, Eternal Heaven, Moon God, and Star God king realms while the top one thousand contestants will be granted the right to cultivate in the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm for three thousand years¡­"


    The voice transmission finally disappeared...


    The phrase "granted the right to cultivate in the Eternal Heaven Realm for three thousand years" completely stunned the entire Eastern Divine Region.


    At this time, a voice as gentle as water sounded beside him: "That was the ''Voice of Eternal Heaven'' from the Eternal Heaven Realm. It is something that can be heard clearly everywhere in the Eastern Divine Region, even if it is an independent space. It was also the way the profound practitioners of various realms were notified about the previous Profound God Conventions."


    The newcomers are Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan. They happen to see Issei standing in the main hall.


    When Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan walked in, Mu Bingyun''s eyes glistened slightly while Mu Xiaolan''s face had some tinge of red still.


    "The preparations for this Profound God Convention had already begun more than seven years ago and the starting date has long since been secretly spread around. The public announcement this time doesn''t have much of a difference from the rumors. It was just unexpected that aside from the time period between this convention and the previous being only seven hundred years, even the registration requirement and the way the matches are conducted has changed so greatly. It actually borrowed the power of the Eternal Heaven Pearl. The rewards this time are also rather shocking¡­ everything proves that this Profound God Convention is definitely not ordinary."


    She explained slowly.


    "...Are you not going to participate, benefactor Ise?" Mu Bingyun asked him gently.


    With his talent alone he''s probably going to be the strongest contestant if he were to participate there... a twenty-four years old peak level !


    If anyone were to know of his talent then they would become amazed without a single exception... Even if they''re someone from the higher-ranked star realm.


    Except for a select few who have a true God legacy then there isn''t a single person could content with his talent... but even then Mu Bingyun still thinks that Issei''s current strength is not his true strength either.


    "Ah? If senior brother Ise participate then he will surely able to reach the top hundred! But it''s too bad that senior brother isn''t a disciple of our or he would bring glory to our sect..." Mu Xiaolan said in encouragement but then her voice is laced with pity at the end...


    She started calling Issei as her senior brother since he''s older and also stronger than her.


    The Top hundred? Mu Bingyun is willing to bet that he could easily get the first rank based on her intuition.


    "But Master, since the age limit hasn''t changed but the profound strength requirement is set to the Divine Tribulation Realm, it should mean that those qualified to participate in the Profound God Convention will be a lot fewer, right?" Mu Xiaolan asked.


    "Not just a lot fewer," Mu Bingyun faintly stated. "The scale of this session compared to the previous one will be reduced by at least several thousand times. There should only be around twenty or thirty million people in total who have the qualifications to enter this Profound God Convention."


    "That really is very few," Mu Xiaolan said in a small voice. "I remember that the preliminaries alone for the last Profound God Convention totaled a hundred billion people but only around twenty or thirty million are qualified this time."


    On average, those that qualify to participate in this Profound God Convention only numbered a few thousand in each of the nine thousand star realms in the Eastern Divine Region. It was no doubt that a majority of this number would be the most concentrated within the upper star realms and then the middle star realms. Even though the lower star realms were the most numerous, the number of qualified participants they had was extremely few.


    If that was the case, then it was obvious what kind of level the Eastern Divine Region''s young generation, who qualify to enter the Profound God Convention were at.


    Since it was in the God Realm, even the weakest among them would be an absolute elite within the young generation.


    "Even though this restriction is harsh and unprecedented, its enticement is just as great. Just the field for the preliminaries being inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl which lets the competitors bathe in the divine power of the Eternal Heaven Pearl is enough to make one unable to refuse. Those who qualify are bound to be looking forward to it and those close to the qualifications are also bound to be doing their best to cultivate to meet it."


    "I see..." Issei nodded slightly at her explanation: "I won''t be participating but I might make a visit the convention to sightsee."


    Mu Bingyun''s gaze slightly rippled as she looks at Issei... will it really be just a simple visit?


    Issei who realized Mu Bingyun''s gaze flashed a thin smile... she''s really quite sharp, Issei thought to himself.


    Mu Bingyun who saw Issei thin smile at her blushed ever so slightly... but both Issei and Mu Xiaolan don''t realize this.


    "What kind of a place is The Eternal Heaven Divine Realm?" Issei proceeded to ask.


    "...The Eternal Heaven Divine Realm is the core world within the . The is one of the seven great Heavenly Profound Treasures from the Era of Gods and is also the only Heavenly Profound Treasure known to the God Realm presently¡­" She took a deep breath to regain her composure and then gave Issei a deep look because the second Heavenly Profound Treasure had already appeared and was the Sky Poison Pearl in his body.


    What she didn''t know was that Issei also had two more Heavenly Profound Treasure¡­ the and the dreaded .


    The humongous God Realm only had one Heavenly Profound Treasure yet Issei alone held three!


    Sure the second one is not really a ''treasure'' but it''s still ranked second nonetheless... and that said ''treasure'' is the very same tiny troublemaker that they saw recently! Nyaruko might have a humanoid body but that doesn''t mean she''s incapable of utilizing her power.


    After all, Issei did guide her to control it and also put a seal on it so there won''t be unforeseen circ.u.mstances that will make her lose control anymore...


    If Mu Bingyun were to know of this along with his other countless treasures that are equal or even more powerful than the Heavenly Profound Treasure then she might faint out of sheer shock...


    "Out of the seven great Heavenly Profound Treasures, the is ranked fourth below the , the and the . The Eternal Heaven Realm''s original strength was only average. It didn''t have the supreme inheritances the Moon and Star God Realms possessed, yet it still became one of Eastern Divine Region''s four great king realms after obtaining the Eternal Heaven Pearl. Moreover, its total strength and prestige exceed that of both those realms."


    "The Eternal Heaven Pearl''s strength lies in its own self created time-space that possesses an almost entirely independent law of time and the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm is precisely the core world that has its own independent time law. Only one day will pass in the outside world if one cultivates inside the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm for three years!"


    "Oh?" Issei had his interest piqued at this.


    If he could stay for one day inside the pearl then maybe he could recover completely? But... will it be that simple? Can the pearl even affect him at this point?


    After all, Issei himself can do the same thing just like it...


    Nevertheless, he could give it a try later on... maybe he should participate in the convention after all? He can just forfeit if the pearl is proven to be of no effect for him later on...


    "But of course it wouldn''t be limitless." Mu Bingyun lightly shook her head seeing the intrigued expression of Issei. "The Eternal Heaven Orb''s divine power isn''t completely endless. It has to maintain the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm''s independent time-space and that requires an enormous amount of energy. The current God Realm isn''t like the God Realm back then so its self-restoration ability naturally couldn''t be compared to back in the Era of Gods. As a result, the Eternal Heaven Realm has always been extremely careful whenever they use the Eternal Heaven Pearl''s divine power. They would never try to go over its limits and very rarely would they allow those from other realms to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm.


    Issei who heard this feels a little disappointed... it looks like it indeed won''t be that easy...


    The amount of energy he needed to absorb perhaps would make that said pearl become a dud later on... and it probably won''t even fully heal him either...


    But oh well... he will give it a better look later on.


    "This time, however, they have actually announced to the entire Eastern Divine Region that they are going to allow the top thousand contestants to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm to cultivate for three thousand years¡­ that time span is probably close to the limits of the Eternal Heaven Pearl''s divine power. This kind of generosity has never been seen before in the entire history of the Eternal Heaven Realm."


    Mu Bingyun''s crescent brows knitted as she muttered, "Those able to rank in the top one thousand out of the entire Eastern Divine Region will undeniably be the divine region''s future hegemons. They will all possess extremely high innate talent and a boundless future. Bringing them into the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm so they can cultivate for three thousand years is bound to bring up a thousand peerless experts¡­ and once they exit the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, roughly three years will have passed in the outside world."


    "It is such a hurried and abnormal Profound God Convention yet it doesn''t hesitate to pay the price for the Eastern Divine Region to bring up a batch of powerhouses," Mu Bingyun exclaimed. "It looks like something shockingly huge really will happen in the God Realm soon¡­ Moreover, it is not something related to just a one-star realm. Instead, it is a huge matter that requires the entire God Realm to face it together."


    Issei who heard this remembered what Lieyan told him before... it''s most likely the ''calamity'' that would befall this universe...


    [Do you know of this, Nyarlathotep?] Issei tried asking Nyarlathotep.


    [Hnn~?] Nyarlathotep lazy sound resounded... It seems that she was asleep just now. Not surprising because of how intense Issei was back then...


    [The calamity? It''s most likely those groups of ants who are corrupted by Chaos that reside outside. When you first arrived here, they were trying to break into this universe after all] She said nonchalantly: [They also tried to lay their dirty hands on you, but of course, being a dutiful wife that I am, I protected you from the harm''s way~] She said playfully.


    Those ants won''t be able to do anything remarkable either, according to her perspective that is... but if they were to successfully infiltrate the wall then it will be extremely dangerous for the inhabitants of this world.


    [...Thanks.]


    [...You''re welcome, dear husband~] She chuckled feeling a little surprised that Issei would thank her: [As a reward, you can just give me your ''essence'' again later on~]


    [...If I feel like it] Issei said with a sigh. If that''s all it takes to make her become obedient then... why not? It is sure as hell better than having another battle that could wipe another universe in the process...


    [I''ll be waiting~] And with that, she went silent once again...


    "However, the matter of entering the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm has nothing to do with our Snow Song Realm." Mu Bingyun clearly meant that there was no one in the Snow Song Realm that was able to rank within the top one thousand¡­ In fact, forget about the top one thousand, ranking within the top ten thousand might also be impossible.


    Even if Issei did participate in it, he''s still not the disciple of their sect just like Xiaolan said... so it doesn''t really matter much.


    "Well... I might not participate but the girls might though." Issei who sensed the girls'' fighting intent said lightly.


    "Them?" Mu Bingyun of course knows just who Issei is talking about.


    "Although their talent is good... I doubt that they will be able to reach the in such a short amount of time." Mu Bingyun shakes her head in pity.


    If only they become the sect disciple ten years earlier at the very least... then they might become their sect ace along with Mu Feixue...


    "Hmm, I won''t be so sure about that..." Issei said with a knowing look: "Well, you''ll understand soon enough."


    Mu Bingyun''s gaze turned around. She remembered that Issei is an anomaly itself...


    "...Then I will wait." She said with a thin smile.


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan then excused themselves...


    When Issei saw that both of them have left, he took out a couple of hundred bottles filled with water.


    The water inside these bottles is not a normal water... but it is the upgraded version of the !


    Issei has already processed this water into a tonic.


    It can temper and enhance a person''s strength and also talent along with their spirit!


    He sends a mental transmission to the girls and created a spatial opening to their location. He instructed them about the usage of this water briefly...


    The girls who received his voice transmission gasped in surprise before they smile wryly to themselves... it looks like their young master really like to spoil them a lot...


    What should they do now? Him spoiling them just make them feel more and more captivated towards him...


    [Big brother! Let''s go and play!] It was at this time that Hong''er excited voice resounded.


    "Sure sure..." Issei smiled wryly before he went inside the .


    But when he went inside, he sweated internally when Nyaruko asked him why did he cut off the connection to the a while ago...


    She also said: "Mother said that father wanted to sleep with Nyaruko? But didn''t we often sleep together already, Father?" She tilted her head slightly since she doesn''t really understand.


    "Ah? Hong''er wanted to sleep together with big brother too!" Hong''er chimed in while feeling jealous.


    "Gege..." Bai''er doesn''t say anything else but it''s clear that she also wanted to sleep together with him...


    Of course it means just sleeping on the same bed... not that kind of ''sleeping''...


    [Nyarlathotep!] Issei shouted while gritting his teeth. But all he received in return is a peal of mischievous laughter from her...


    ...


    An unceasingly large commotion arose due to the information on the Profound God Convention relayed through the Voice of Eternal Heaven. Other than the Eastern Divine Region, the largest Western Divine Region, as well as the Southern and Northern Divine Regions naturally received the news as well. Similar large uproars arose in these three regions.


    Under these requirements for this upcoming Profound God Convention, which was strangely much harsher than the past conventions, there was only an extremely small number of disciples who possessed the qualifications to participate even in Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, which was of the highest caliber in the Snow Song Realm. Furthermore, nearly all of them were from the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall. Those in the thirty-six Ice Phoenix Palaces who qualified numbered less than a hundred and all of them were at the very brink of being qualified.


    The people in the Snow Song Realm who were qualified for this heavenly opportunity with the Eternal Heaven Pearl were all unable to contain their excitement. However, they were also incomparably aware that no matter how hard they were to work, it was definitely impossible for them to obtain the qualifications to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm¡­ Squeezing into the top one thousand positions of the young generation of the entire Eastern Divine Region was but an illusory fantasy for profound practitioners of a middle star realm.


    Because of this Voice of Eternal Heaven, Ice Phoenix Realm lost its usual calm. A large portion of people was focused on the Profound God Convention that was going to happen thirty months later, as it would definitely be more extraordinary than usual.


    "Master, what do you think of senior brother Ise said?" Mu Xiaolan asked. It''s been a week ever since their previous conversation and now they''re about to visit him again.


    "I''m not so sure either... but I have a feeling that what he said will indeed come true." Mu Bingyun said softly.


    Standing in front of the main hall, both of them subconsciously took a deep breath...


    But when they step inside, they didn''t see anyone in the main hall. They are wondering if Ise and the other girls are currently cultivating when they heard a small whispering sound...


    They look at each other before they slowly walk towards the source of the whispering sound.


    They can''t really understand what this voice is saying but they can tell that it is the voice of Ise.


    When they arrived at the source of the sound, they become stunned...


    They can see that all of the girls are gathered in one room while Issei is sitting lazily in a chair.


    He''s holding a smoking pipe and the whole room is filled with reddish-white smoke which came out from that very same pipe.


    Now that they''re here, they can clearly hear his voice but they cannot understand a single word he is muttering right now.


    Esdeath, Altair, Sirius, Zin, Naru, Xiaotao, Lieyan, Su Ling''er, Huan Caiyi, and Feng Xue''er is also standing beside him.


    Xiaotao is using her hands to lightly massage his shoulder while Lieyan is holding a golden scripture for Issei.


    Issei is reading some sort of scripture that they can''t comprehend at all... at least in their view, while the girls seem to attentively pay attention to each and every single of his words.


    What made them become further flabbergasted is the aura the girls are currently releasing... Most of their cultivation realm is already at the early stage to the middle stage! While the most talented of them all, which is Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan already reaches the late stage!


    And then they saw one of the girls achieved a breakthrough right before their very eyes.


    The girl who just achieved a breakthrough is Murong Qianxue. A bright glow enveloped her body and her cultivation rose from the 4th stage of the into the 5th stage in one fell swoop!


    Issei who realized the Mu duo arrival stopped reading the golden scripture: "Hm? Well, that should be enough for today... " Issei said while lightly tapped onto his smoking pipe.


    The smoke that is currently enveloping the whole room immediately dispersed...


    Xiaotao stopped her action and Lieyan took back the golden scripture...


    The girls had their expression eased up and they gaze longingly at Issei before realizing the Mu duo arrival.


    "We greet Palace Master and senior sister Xiaolan," They said in unison.


    Mu Bingyun could only dumbly nod back at them while Mu Xiaolan is too stunned to respond.


    "Wh-Wh-What was that?! And how come all of you are already at the !?" Mu Xiaolan shouted in surprise.


    The girls once again could only look apologetically at her... They can''t share anything unless Issei himself did it.


    Mu Xiaolan knows this so she can only look at Issei in askance.


    "Ah... it''s nothing special. It is just a scripture that I found somewhere." Issei said nonchalantly.


    "Xiaolan... that''s enough." Mu Bingyun said lightly.


    "B-But... I understand..." She said feeling deflated...


    What the hell... it''s only been a week and they have already reach the ... Her position as their senior sister started to become more and more pitiful to say nonetheless.


    Lieyan and the others who heard Issei''s words almost laughed out loud at their Master joke... normal scripture? If a scripture left behind a True God is just a normal scripture then what about the scripture left behind by a normal God? Jibberish writing of a toddler?


    Usually, when someone achieves too many breakthroughs in a short amount of time, the profound energy in their body would be in restless turmoil as a side effect... but Mu Bingyun can see that the girls'' condition couldn''t be more perfect and healthy... Even their foundation is the same.


    It''s as if they have been a cultivator for years instead of just days...


    This kind of cultivating method can be called outright cheating... who knows how many cultivators would do everything they can just to get their hand on this method.


    Even she feels slightly jealous, to be honest...


    "Can I help you with something, Bingyun?" Issei asked lightly.


    "Ah? I-I''m here to give the girls their monthly allowance... and as for yours..." Mu Bingyun''s face started twitching when she remembered the amount of Issei''s purple crystals...


    Then she passed a spatial ring to Issei while giving the girls their allowance at the same time...


    "Oh, thanks." Issei nodded slightly at her: "Is there something else?" Issei can sense that is not the only reason why Mu Bingyun is here.


    "Um... Sect Master has finally decided that disciples of Ice Phoenix Palace can enter the in seven days. By now, all the Ice Phoenix Palaces should have received this news. At first, I just wanted to bring all of you there to cultivate but now..." Mu Bingyun said while looking at the girls feeling unsure.


    Do they even need to go there in the first place? From what she has seen, even without her help, their cultivation is already increasing at a terrifying rate!


    "¡­ what''s that?" asked Chu Yueli.


    "Do all of you remember the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison I mentioned to you before?" Mu Bingyun asked back.


    The girls nodded, "We do. That place has an ancient horned dragon that''s at least several hundred thousand years old and below that is the flame vein left behind by the Era of Gods¡­"


    Midway speaking, the girls somewhat understood. "Could it be that below the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake¡­"


    "Right." Mu Bingyun lightly nodded. "Our Snow Song Realm also has a divine vein left behind by the Era of Gods, a cold vein that goes against the Flame God Realm''s flame vein. This cold vein is the reason for the climate of the Snow Song Realm and after a long period of time, it gives rise to the .


    The power of the Snow Song Realm''s first ancestor originates from this cold vein. From the recollections the ancestor left behind in the records, it is extremely probable that this cold vein was left behind by the Primordial Divine Ice Phoenix and the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was where it lived. If that is all true, then the Snow Song Realm ought to have been the territory of the Ice Phoenix Gods back in the Era of Gods."


    "Oh..." The girls said with a thoughtful look.


    "But compared to the five hundred thousand kilometers wide Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison in the Flame God Realm, our Snow Song Realm''s Heavenly Netherfrost Lake is much smaller. It is only fifteen kilometers wide, not even ten-thousandth the size of the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison. The cold vein is also much weaker. Once the water of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake has been contaminated or its cold energy absorbed, the purification and restoration process takes a long period of time. Because of that, the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake is rarely opened. Even if it is the elders and palace masters, they would only be permitted to enter if they are confronted with a breakthrough.


    "As for disciples, only disciples of the Divine Hall and the top disciples at that too, are allowed to occasionally enter. That is probably the highest reward bestowed by the sect. For Ice Phoenix Palace disciples, however, this is perhaps the first time it has happened. Moreover, every palace is allowed to select one hundred of their most outstanding disciples." A complex look flashed past Mu Bingyun''s face.


    "The reason for this sudden decision should have something to do with that voice from the Eternal Heaven right?" Issei guessed.


    "Yes... Even if they cultivated for another thousand years, a ten-thousand-year-old expert would not make much progress. However, those peak profound practitioners below the age of sixty cultivating for a thousand years inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl would unquestionably advance many levels, giving the Eastern Divine Region a thousand more peerless experts. The Eternal Heaven Realm that rarely allowed others to get a share of the Eternal Heaven Pearl power is actually not hesitating to nurture profound practitioners from other realms, so our Song Snow Realm is also not hesitating to use the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake''s power. Even though we still do not know what''s hidden behind it, if we don''t prepare as soon as possible, it would be too late when the time comes."


    "It''s also because of the Voice of Eternal Heaven that the sect master has shifted the direct disciple selection to a much earlier date. The core reason for opening the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake in seven days is to select a direct disciple."


    Mu Bingyun finishes her explanation.


    "Seven days huh..." Issei mused: "Well, Qingyue and Yuechan should be able to reach the ..."


    The Mu duo faces started to twitch again after hearing his words... but they don''t try to deny it since there''s already a proof for their rise in cultivation...


    They decided to just ignore him for now or their heart wouldn''t be able to take it... others are trying their best to cultivate but here he is talking about cultivation as if they''re talking about cutting cabbages...


    "Master, between Senior Brother Hanyi and Senior Sister Feixue, who do you think the sect master will most likely choose?" Mu Xiaolan couldn''t help but ask with great curiosity. This was also what everyone in the entire sect wondered about during the last couple of years.


    The person that the Realm King selected to become her direct inheriting disciple could only be either Mu Hangyi or Mu Feixue. There were no other disciples qualified enough to compare with them¡­ this was the general consensus of the entire sect.


    "We will know in seven days," Mu Bingyun answered. "But I believe that there is a sixty percent chance for Hanyi to chosen and forty percent Feixue. A great majority also believe this."


    She can tell that the girls most likely wouldn''t want to separate themselves from Issei so they won''t really participate in the judging test. The girls are numbered more than a hundred but it shouldn''t be a real problem.


    She could just have a word with her elder sister later on...


    She then said softly, "When you are in the cultivation room, remember to leave a bit of consciousness to take note of any outside movements. In order to match the opening of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake seven days from now, this year''s Amorous Frost Dew will be granted ahead of schedule. A divine hall disciple will personally come within three days to deliver it. I will also have to cultivate in seclusion for a brief period of time during these days so I won''t be in the palace. All of you must not miss it."


    "Yes, Master. I will pay attention to any outside movements." Mu Xiaolan grew excited once more when the Amorous Frost Dew was mentioned.


    But the girls don''t share her excitement. They just received a better treasure from their young master after all...


    Mu Xiaolan thought that the girls'' lack of reaction was because they don''t know anything about it, so she started explaining: "The Amorous Frost Dew is a kind of precious spirit liquid produced by the Amorous Grass. It is a dewdrop that will not solidify no matter how strong of a cold energy it is exposed to. You can drink it no matter how low of a profound strength you possess and it won''t harm your profound veins or body. In the following three days after consumption, it will cleanse your marrow and meridians. Even though it doesn''t boost your profound strength, it can permanently increase your body and profound vein''s affinity toward ice profound energy. Ice Phoenix Palace disciples like us can only receive one once a year. Being able to receive one in just three months is just too lucky."


    "Oh." The girls nodded briefly. Increase affinity toward the ice element¡­ Do they even need it?


    Mu Xiaolan still didn''t notice their lack of interest and continued, "Since the Amorous Frost Dew is too precious and needs a really strong profound strength to keep its spiritual energy from leaking, it''s always an Ice Phoenix Divine Hall disciple who comes over to personally deliver it to each Ice Phoenix Palace. This is also a rare chance where we can see our senior brothers and sisters from the divine hall!"


    "When you obtain the Amorous Frost Dew, remember to immediately consume it. Otherwise, once the seal is released, its spiritual energy will quickly dissipate." Mu Bingyun advised.


    "We understand."


    "Then benefactor Ise, if you would excuse me..." Mu Bingyun said softly towards Issei.


    "Um..." Then the girls also went back to their respective rooms after they paid their greetings to Issei... Xiaolan also does the same.


    "Master... There''s a living ice Phoenix in this place." Xiaotao told Issei after they''re alone.


    "Um... I can tell. It''s most likely residing within that Netherfrost lake." Issei said.


    "Will you absorb its energy just like you did to us, Master?" Xiaotao questioned.


    "Hmm, we''ll see later..."


    ...


    Time quietly flowed by and the entire Ice Phoenix City was much quieter than it normally was. All the disciples of the Ice Phoenix Palaces that had been chosen entered into a meditative state in order for the extremely rare, to the point where it may never happen a second time, an opportunity that would happen in seven days.


    In the afternoon of the third day, a current of frost aura flowed toward the main hall of the Thirty-sixth Ice Phoenix Palace. Issei sensed this from inside his room.


    This aura¡­ Issei mused to himself.


    It is too strong just for a messenger that supposedly going to deliver that "Amorous Frost Dew"...


    And the owner of this aura is intentionally released their aura just so that only he can sense it.


    Issei then calmly walks outside of his room and headed for the main hall. He shifted his gaze over to an ice pillar...


    The main hall of the ice phoenix palace was filled with all sorts of gorgeous ice crystals. Wisps of gentle light spilled in from two ice windows at the sides.


    An ice chair sculpted in the image of a gorgeous ice phoenix sat beneath the window and a fantastical figure was leaning sideways on it right now. Her sitting posture was lazy and casual. It was as if she was sitting inside on a fragrant couch of her own chamber. She was clad in a snow-white dress and the hem of her skirt was pulled a little upwards due to her sitting posture to reveal a bit of ankle. Her ankle looked soft, silky and so flexible it might as well be boneless. It was plump enough that it looked like it was covered in a layer of snow.


    Her long hair stretched all the way to her waist and it had a kind of icy color that he had never seen before in his life. It wasn''t pure white but a l.u.s.trous white that was freckled with icy crystals and gleaming with a bit of light blue. Her hair was dazzlingly beautiful beneath the sunlight.


    When Issei saw her, she had already directed her gaze to Issei.


    Both of them then look at each other in silence...

 Chapter 127 - 126

    The slightly slanted crescent brows and the misty eyes that were staring at Issei contained the power to bewitch the soul. Her slightly curled lips made her look like she was wearing a faint smile and the light pink color of her lips was even more gentle and beautiful than a blooming flower. It contained an indescribable charm that not even a sea of flowers could ever exude.


    Her snowlike skin was untainted by even a speck of dust and she seemed to glow with a holy splendor. But it was that bit of faint pink seeping through her cheeks that adorned her beauty with a stifling amount of charm.


    Her countenance wasn''t the only thing that was amazing, her figure was also alluring to the extreme.


    A snow colored ribbon was tied around her willow-thin waist but the snow robes covering her chest looked so round and full it was as if something would burst out of its trappings at any moment. The buttocks beneath her slim waist were only rounder and firmer. Although she was obviously in a sitting posture, her curves were such that it was if the devil had drawn them into existence himself.


    Her entire body was dripping with a kind of allure and charm that ate away at both bones and souls. She looked like a succubus that had been sent over to bewitch humanity by the demon race.


    But what piqued Issei''s interest is none of the above... but rather her inside... her soul to be exact.


    There are three personalities? Similar to Oda Nobunaga? No...


    It''s more like she''s being controlled by two different entities altogether...


    And her real personality seems unaware of this at all.


    Well, one of them is a divine spirit, so it''s not really surprising but as for the other one... A demon? No... a devil if it goes by this world standard considering the faint black energy it possesses. How intriguing indeed...


    While Issei is observing her, the woman also does the same... but she can''t really see through Issei at all because, for one, he''s wearing a mask. And secondly... she couldn''t understand him at all! She can''t measure his real strength in the slightest!


    She can tell that he''s a peak cultivator but... that''s not it. Something doesn''t seem right! For someone who''s at the , his aura is far too small! And it''s not that he''s weak... it''s most likely because it''s just a fake realm!


    Meaning that he''s even stronger than her who''s already at the tenth-level ! How is that even possible?!


    Not a single person in the has higher cultivation than the peak . Not even the himself!


    The woman started to sweat internally while on the outside her expression doesn''t change at all. As for the second ''personality''... it went completely silent...


    The seductive woman lazily got up from the ice chair and her skirt fluttered down, covering the ankle the heavens used all its energy to make. Her pair of soul attracting beautiful eyes are still locked onto Issei''s, as if it''s trying to see through his mask...


    But no matter how hard she tries, she''s unable to see through it.


    She comes closer to Issei''s location while Issei himself doesn''t make any movement.


    She had the pattern of an ice phoenix with its wings spread open on her snowy dress. However, her chest was just too full, causing the pattern to become completely deformed. Not only was her chest massive, but it also looked as silky as water. Each of her steps was obviously slow but each stride caused them to shake and sway as if it''s trying to entice Issei to look at it, but ultimately fail...


    At first, the woman thought that perhaps he''s just like other men? Being captivated silly by ''her'' beauty? But... his aura and breathing are still completely calm and collected without any change whatsoever...


    The woman before him was beautiful and charming and perhaps no man in the world was able to resist her. If anyone was able to entangle themselves with her, they would perhaps be willing to spend three lifetimes in depravity in exchange... but Issei seems completely unperturbed.


    "You must be... Ise?" The seductive woman asked. She stood before Issei with misty eyes and called out his name with her softly opened pink lips: "I''ve heard that the sect new guest is an interesting person... on his first appearance, he was only at the peak level throne... but a few moments later, he suddenly becomes a peak level cultivator. Don''t you think this sounds quite interesting? A peak level throne that suddenly reaches the in a short amount of time can only mean two things... either they were faking their cultivation or they were keeping a heaven-defying secret..."


    She stated her guesses with confidence.


    "So, which one is it?" The woman raised her eyebrows at Issei: "And why are you wearing a mask here? There''s no one else here other than us, no?"


    "Hmm, I wonder about that..." Issei hummed lightly, copying her playful tone: "As far as I can tell... There are three ''person'' right in front of me."


    The woman''s body froze slightly before she feigns ignorance: "Ah? What do you mean? There''s only two of us here as far as I can tell?"


    "Oh? So you''re telling me... the ''Devil'' and the ''Ice Phoenix'' I sensed within you is just my imagination?" Issei said while acting clueless in return.


    This time, the woman''s expression becomes cold... but inside, she becomes even warier towards Issei.


    He knew! He absolutely knew! It''s not a guess either since he was being too specific to be considered as a guess!


    "Who are you..." She dropped her seductive tone and asked Issei in a bone-chilling voice.


    "Hm? What do you mean? Didn''t you already know my name?" Issei said still in a playful voice.


    In the blink of an eye, their role has been reversed... now Issei is the one who''s currently playing around while she''s the one on the receiving side.


    She doesn''t dare to be reckless since her intuition is telling her that Issei is anything but simple... as far as she knows, perhaps even his current cultivation is also a fake.


    The air becomes dagger-drawn in an instant... Issei who sensed her hostility smirked lightly before saying: "Well, you don''t need to be too worried... as long as you don''t bother me then I won''t meddle in your business either... And you must be here to deliver the frost dew as well, right?" Issei said calmly.


    He knows that the true owner of this woman body must''ve given her consent to be used as a ''vessel'' or some sort for the ''Devil''... as for the Ice Phoenix... she seems oblivious to this.


    Issei can see that her soul doesn''t really try to resist the ''Devil'' whereas the Ice Phoenix case, it gives a little bit of resistance.


    It has nothing to do with them being aware or not but it''s the automatic defense mechanism from the soul itself. If the body owner or the original soul gives consent then the soul won''t resist, but if not then they will resist.


    The demoness stretched out two dazzling fingers and lightly pushed out a spatial ring. Supported by a light breeze, the ring landed on Issei''s hand.


    "...Are you not repulsed after knowing that there''s a ''Devil'' residing within this woman''s body?" The demoness asked cautiously.


    "Why should I?" Issei asked back.


    "Why, you said..." The woman frowned a little feeling a little baffled since normally, every human that has a righteous heart or whatnot would feel repulsed by the ''Devil'' race such as hers.


    She thought that he might try to erase her avatar inside this woman''s body.


    "I''m a Devil." The woman said in a firmer voice thinking that Issei might''ve misunderstood her.


    "So what?" Issei said in the same matter of fact tone.


    "..."


    "I don''t care whether you''re a Devil, human, spirit or something else. In my eyes, all of them are pretty much the same. I never judge someone based on their race. Just because someone is a Devil, does that mean they''re evil? No, I don''t think so. A human can be more evil than a Devil and a Devil can be more benevolent than a human... To me, what decides the true worth of someone is not their race but rather their very own action." And after saying that, Issei turned around leaving behind the stupefied woman...


    "...Interesting..." The woman muttered to herself. Her voice turned seductive once again.


    She never thought that she will meet someone like Issei here...


    "Do you know the true owner of this body identity?" She called out before Issei is able to completely disappear from her view.


    Issei stopped in his track before saying: "...It''s most likely this realm King and the sect master of this place. Considering your ''host'' strength is by far the highest of everyone here, being at the 10th level , she''s most likely Mu Xuanyin."


    "Oh¡­" Mu Xuanyin''s lips overflowed with fragrance as her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, circulating with an inconceivable charm. Issei guess is correct and ''she'' is indeed Mu Xuanyin.


    It looks like her intuition was right... for him being able to easily sensed her true cultivation realm must mean that Issei is most likely on the same level or perhaps even higher...


    She''s not at the peak just yet, she''s only at the lower stage. Well, at least the true owner of this body is while the real her is already at the peak.


    Then Issei went back to his room while ''Mu Xuanyin'' smiled one last time before her snowy figure became slightly indistinct before it scattered like snow, disappearing from the main hall...


    Issei then gave the dew to everyone... as for Xiaolan, she was surprised seeing a bottle of Amorous Frost Dew arrived in her front so suddenly on the next day. But then she realized that it must''ve been Issei who send it to her.


    He most likely didn''t knock on her door since he doesn''t want to bother her.


    She blushed profusely thinking that she probably just didn''t realize the messenger arrival which is a mishap on her part. Now she feels ashamed since it''s supposed to be her job to receive it.


    She hastily went outside of her room to apologize to Issei...


    When she stepped outside of her room, she heard a children''s laughter coming from the nearby distance.


    She thought that must be those three little girls that she saw before so she automatically thought that Issei is with them.


    However, when she arrived at the source of the voice what she saw made her frozen stiff. She can only stare unblinkingly in a certain direction...


    "Nyaruko, Hong''er... wipe yourselves first. Don''t just exit the just like that after you took a bath..." Issei wry voice resounded.


    "Hahaha! Catch us first father!"


    "That''s right! That''s right! Big brother must catch us first!"


    The two little troublemakers said in a bubbly voice.


    "Jeez, you two... why can''t you be obedient like your sister Bai''er here..." Issei sighed with a wry smile.


    Bai''er squinted her eyes while giggling happily when Issei wiped her hair and body clean with a piece of towel. The three of them just took a bath... and unsurprisingly, Issei is not fully clothed at the moment.


    He''s not entirely n.a.k.e.d unlike the three girls but you could say that he''s half-n.a.k.e.d since he doesn''t wear his upper clothes... he only wears his pants right now since there''s no way his body won''t get wet when he''s helping the three tiny tots taking a bath.


    Issei could just use his magic to make them dry instantly but he doesn''t want them to be over-reliant with it. It''s better if they can enjoy being normal instead of being magical beings. Issei himself doesn''t really need to sleep nor eat if he wanted to, but he still wanted to experience those kinds of simple things instead of erasing them altogether.


    His perfect chiseled chest and abs are out in the open and this sight is the cause of Mu Xiaolan''s current predicament. Her mouth becomes wide agape along with her eyes, she''s greedily taking in the view she''s currently witnessing.


    "Senior sister Xiaolan? What are you- oh..." It was also at this time that Feng Qianhui and the others arrived wanting to ask Issei about something about their cultivation...


    They saw Xiaolan stand rooted on the spot and felt a little confused at first... but when they saw Issei''s current condition, they immediately become in the same condition as their senior sister...


    "Ah! The beautiful big sisters are here!" Hong''er who noticed the newcomers pointed out.


    "Hm?" Issei turned his head in confusion when he saw their current expression: "Oh, you girls need something?" Issei asked.


    But even after waiting for a while, they still don''t respond and keep on blankly staring... Some of them even had nosebleed a little such as Mu Xiaolan who''s being at the forefront of the group...


    "Xiaolan? Girls?" He called out lightly seeing them being unresponsive.


    Issei becomes further confused at this sight until he felt a tug from under him: "Gege, your clothes..." Bai''er reminded him in a soft voice.


    ''Heheh, of course they will be in this state... even I who saw his body felt extremely aroused. Needless to say about this inexperienced brats'' Nyarlathotep chuckled lightly to herself: ''His is still growing up till this day... truly incredible... if my will make anyone without resistance to it become insane then his would make anyone basically become his slaves... Fufufu, you are truly wondrous, Dragon King...''


    "Oh, right..." Issei blinked his eyes a couple of times before he nodded in realization. Then he wears his clothes and only then that the girls snapped out of their daze while feeling a bit of pity seeing that Issei already wore his clothes...


    "Sorry you had to see that." Issei said apologetically.


    ""No no no! It''s fine!"" All of the said at the same time, even Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan is no different. In fact, please do this more often! They added inside their minds...


    "Uhhh, okay? Um, Xiaolan, your nose is bleeding..." Issei was slightly taken aback with their fervor but then he pointed at Xiaolan nose which currently bleeding slightly...


    "AH!?" Mu Xiaolan shouted in surprise before she hurriedly covered her nose with both of her hands.


    "Hahahaha! You look so silly, big sister! Did you accidentally hit your nose on your way here?" Hong''er pointed at her while laughing alongside Nyaruko.


    Actually, the other girls also about to have a nosebleed but because they''ve been with Issei for a longer period of time, they don''t embarrass themselves as Xiaolan did...


    They tried to put on their poker face right away when Issei pointed out Xiaolan '' misdemeanor''. But the tinge of blush on their cheeks gave them away...


    Feng Qianhui for one started to lick her lips lightly while her imagination started to running amok...


    If Jasmine was here, she would''ve screamed ''Bunch of perverts!!!'' at them. But as for whether she would share the same fate as them or not is a different story...


    Mu Xiaolan practically scrambled away from there because of how embarrassed she was. The girls tacitly give a nod of understanding since they would''ve acted like her in the past...


    "...Well, how about you girls? You''re here for our daily routine?" Issei asked while he caught the two little troublemakers while they''re distracted by the sight of running Mu Xiaolan.


    "Ah! Unfair! I was distracted by that silly big sister!" Hong''er said indignantly.


    "That''s right! Father, you''re so unfair!" Nyaruko chimed in with her cheeks puffed.


    "..." Issei could only smile wryly at them...


    The girls warmly smiled seeing their interaction... how good would it be if the one that is being taken care of by him are their actual children...


    ...


    On the day that Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was being opened, the entire Divine Ice Phoenix Sect seemed to have frozen. The atmosphere was unprecedently somber and serious.


    It was because today was the day when the Great Realm King would select her direct disciple. Once one became the Realm King''s direct disciple, not only would their position rise sharply, their cultivation would also soar. Moreover, they would even receive a drop of pure Ice Phoenix origin blood. It was the greatest honor within the Snow Song Realm.


    In the high skies of the Ice Phoenix Realm''s northernmost area, an iceboat pierced through the cold wind and traveled at an extremely fast speed. The girls and Mu Xiaolan stood upright at the sides of the boat while Mu Bingyun, whose clothes fluttered in the wind, stood in front alongside Issei. This place was already not too far from the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake.


    "I really didn''t think that even I would get to enter the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. These few days felt like a dream to me, I was scared that I''d suddenly wake up from it when I was in the cultivation room."


    Even though many days had passed, Mu Xiaolan was still drowned within intense excitement and emotions¡­ The other Ice Phoenix disciples probably felt the same. After all, the ones who were able to enter the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake had all been divine hall disciples, moreover, the most excellent ones amongst them.


    "Also, not only can we meet the senior brothers and sisters as well as the various palace masters and elders, also.. also¡­" Mu Xiaolan faintly gulped with thirty percent expectation and seventy percent nervousness, "I''ll be able to see the Great Realm King again, ouu! I''m so nervous."


    Issei glanced at her for a brief moment thinking that, ''Your Great Realm King is the one that delivered that amorous frost dew, you know?''


    And by the looks of it, Mu Bingyun herself doesn''t seem to know that her elder sister just recently pays him a visit.


    Mu Xiaolan who realized Issei''s gaze on her had her face went deep red since she''s still embarrassed because of the last incident...


    Mu Bingyun who saw this flashed a strange look at Mu Xiaolan which made the latter become further embarrassed.


    "..." Mu Bingyun turned her gaze back, as some irregular fluctuations emerged from her eyes since she thought of something awkward inside her mind just now. She then spoke softly, "In a hundred breaths, we''ll arrive at the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. Take care to channel profound energy to defend against the cold."


    Just as Mu Bingyun''s voice subsided, the temperature of the already chilly world suddenly dropped sharply. The further they forged ahead, the more bone-chillingly cold it became. The entire world also became even more still and silent, as though even sound was frozen.


    The area where Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was located was the coldest place in the entire Snow Song Realm.


    "It is the first time ever in the history of the Snow Song Realm that the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake has been publicly opened to such a degree. Not only will the Great Realm King come personally, so will the seventy-two divine hall elders, thirty-six palace masters, the Freezing Snow Main Hall Master as well as the chief deacon. All of the higher-ups in the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect will come."


    "Of the young generation, there are at most two thousand divine hall disciples. The one hundred outstanding disciples chosen by each Ice Phoenix Palace total three thousand and six hundred disciples. This is five thousand and six hundred disciples added up altogether. Such an amount is unprecedented and these five thousand and six hundred disciples that are entering the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake will dictate our Snow Song Realm''s future." Her gaze lingers at Xia Qingyue''s group since by far, they''re the most outstanding disciples they ever had alongside Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue that is...


    And Mu Bingyun''s words were not exaggerated at all. This was because Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was the ruler of the Snow Song Realm and Divine Ice Phoenix Sect''s most outstanding members of the young generation would undoubtedly become rulers of the future Snow Song Realm.


    "Today''s event is no small matter. The severity of its significance is incalculable. Thus, once you enter the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, you must not step out of line." Although she said that, what she truly meant is that she was hoping that there will be no stupid disciples from the other palace that will try to provoke these monstrous girls, which in return would provoke the bigger monster behind them...


    "When all of you enter the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, you must follow me closely. Don''t stray far from my side..." She said towards the girls. As for Issei, she doesn''t really need to be worried since she knows that Issei is not someone who will abuse his strength just because he feels like it.


    "And as for you Ise... whatever happens, don''t take off your mask." But she still needs to warn him about this or it will be catastrophic for their sect... what will they do if all of their female disciples were to follow Xia Qingyue''s group fate? Their sect and realm will surely decline greatly if that were to happen...


    "Oh, got it." Issei nodded briefly at her words. Only then Mu Bingyun sighed in relief...


    She knows that Issei is the type who will only do something if he were to be provoked. In a way, he''s quite similar to her elder sister who often becomes overly protective of those that she considered family.


    The number one from the bottom was Mu Xiaolan.


    This meant that the sister relationship between the Great Realm King and Mu Bingyun was deep. In reality, the Thirty-sixth Ice Phoenix Palace was long gone and only existed in name. However, during these thousand years, not only had the thirty-sixth palace continued all this while, it had never been treated differently by the other Ice Phoenix Palaces. This had astonishingly even allowed the girls and Mu Xiaolan to enter the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake.


    The atmosphere became colder and colder. Mu Xiaolan had already begun spreading her profound energy to protect herself. Her body had also somewhat shrunk a bit.


    When she peeked at her junior sisters, she discovered that their face was as normal as ever beneath the frigid wind and they''re totally had not released profound energy to protect themselves. She blurted out, "All of you don''t feel cold?"


    "We are not feeling cold, senior sister." Xia Qingyue answered in place of the others. Cold? Their control over the ice element is almost perfect that it will take more than this just to make them feel cold...


    Even Chu Yuechan herself could wield dual element at this point. One of them being Ice and the other being Fire...


    "Ah, really? So unfair..." Mu Xiaolan grumbled enviously as she added another layer of profound energy on her body: "Achoo!" She knows that the reason behind their current strength must''ve something to do with Issei.


    She''s a bit jealous of them but she''s too shy to ask Issei for guidance. And she also thinks that it would betray her Master if she were to ask pointers from others...


    Due to the sudden arrival of cold wind, Mu Xiaolan was caught by surprise by the cold and sneezed. She instantly flushed red all the way to her neck and turned her face around, no longer willing to look at them thinking that she just lost all her face as their senior sister...


    Mu Xiaolan was born in an ice world and had cultivated ice profound arts since birth. Adding her high innate talent into the mix obviously meant that she was not affected by any ordinary coldness¡­ but the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake region was just too cold.


    It was not limited to the Snow Song Realm. Saying that it was the coldest place in the entire God Realm was hardly going overboard. It''s just that these girls are too abnormal! She thought to herself.


    Mu Bingyun herself thinks that this is quite unfair for the other disciples... Although she''s happy that she''s the palace master of these group of monstrous geniuses, she knows that they''re only disciples in name.


    If Issei leaves their sect someday then all of them would surely follow after him...


    And their strength... Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan really did reach the just like he said... and the others are not that far behind...


    But was there any tribulation happening recently? She doesn''t see any tribulation befalling their palace... Mu Xiaolan herself doesn''t see any tribulation at all...


    "We''re here." The speed of the ice boat now slowed but the severity of the cold air had already reached an extremely cruel degree. For profound practitioners below the divine way, even if it was a Monarch, it would feel like they had fallen into hell. Even if they did their best, they wouldn''t be able to move a single step.


    There was surprisingly a humongous azure barrier up ahead. Ice beams circulated atop the barrier like countless numbers of flickering stars.


    "The Heavenly Netherfrost Lake is just within that barrier," Mu Bingyun said softly. "It seems that we have come a bit early."


    The iceboat sped up again. What was originally an azure barrier that was in the distance suddenly appeared close at hand in a few breaths. There was a field of emptiness before the barrier. Whether it was members of the divine hall or ice phoenix palace, neither had arrived yet.


    "...But we''re still not the first to arrive." At the same time Mu Bingyun said that, a lone snow white figure standing amidst the world of ice and snow before the barrier. It was the silhouette of a woman. She wore clothes that were pure white and was utterly silent. Whether it was her aura or figure, both had completely blended in with the world of ice and snow.


    The iceboat soundlessly landed. It was also at this time that the woman quietly standing within the snow turned around¡­ She had a beautiful complexion that was as pure and l.u.s.trous as icy snow. Beautiful enough to make one hold their breath and cold enough to make one''s soul shiver. In fact, her eyes were extremely clear, yet resembled a bone piercingly cold pond. Just being looked upon by them was enough to make one''s soul freeze.


    She''s quite similar to Chu Yuechan in the past in this regard.


    "Disciple Mu Feixue greets Palace Master Bingyun."


    She executed a full salute. It was just that there was no emotion whatsoever on her flawless face that had not a single speck of dust. Her voice was as icy as a cold lake. Each and every one of her words were cold and detached, without the slightest bit of warmth or feeling.


    Atop her left shoulder was a beautiful twinkling blue light from an Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade, proof of her exalted divine hall disciple status.


    "Ah¡­ Se¡­ Senior Sister Feixue," Mu Xiaolan quietly uttered in alarm as she stood in place. She was so nervous she didn''t even dare to say anything else. She didn''t expect that the first person they would see after arriving would actually be Mu Feixue, the disciple with the highest innate talent within the sect before Xia Qingyue''s group arrival. The one with the most respected status, whose accomplishments were extremely likely to be on par with her Master.


    Suddenly, a frosty wind brushed past and yet another silhouette fell from the sky. This one was male and had the noble engraved jade emblem that marked his status of a divine hall disciple on his shoulder. His white clothes fluttered about in the wind, making him look especially handsome and elegant as he exuded a transcendent noble and graceful aura.


    "It''s Senior Brother Hanyi!" Mu Xiaolan involuntarily cried out.


    The divine hall''s¡­ Ah, no. It was only the two most outstanding disciples within the entire sect and even the entire Snow Song Realm, that were able to become the Realm King''s direct inheriting disciple, who had coincidentally arrived the earliest. Being able to encounter both individuals when they had even yet to enter the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was incredibly lucky.


    Mu Hanyi floated down and then respectfully bowed toward Mu Bingyun. "Disciple Mu Hanyi gives his regards to Palace Master Bingyun. I''ve heard that Palace Master Bingyun''s celestial body is getting better with each passing day. Hanyi is overjoyed."


    Mu Bingyun slightly nodded. "Today''s results will determine the road you walk for the rest of your life. Do not get careless."


    "Yes," Mu Hanyi seriously replied. He took a glance at the group of girls he never saw before... he has heard about them from the rumors before but he never personally saw them.


    He never thought that there will be another girl that could possibly rival Mu Feixue which he has feelings for... Although they''re wearing a veil, he somehow can tell that they should be very beautiful...


    Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan''s strength are astonishingly already at the early stage of the ! As for the others, they''re mostly around 8th and 9th level already... Just what kind of talent is this? Weren''t the rumors said that they were at the a few weeks ago?


    Issei, on the other hand, Mu Hanyi doesn''t really know about him other than that Issei is the sect guest brought by Mu Bingyun herself...


    He gives Issei and the girls a polite nod while still feeling a bit surreal with the whole situation, then he straightened up and turned to Mu Feixue, who was as still as a block of ice. Joy was within his warm smile as he said, "Junior Sister Feixue, you''ve arrived so early. Did you not come with Great Elder and the others?"


    "Didn''t Senior Brother Hanyi come really early too?" Mu Feixue''s voice was as cold as ice. Even though she was answering Mu Hanyi, her gaze didn''t falter at all when faced with his approach.


    "My heart was restless the entire night when I thought about today so I came this early hoping that the cold wind here would help me calm down a bit. It seems like my cultivation still isn''t enough. If I am fortunate enough to be able to become the sect master''s direct disciple, then I will have had my life''s wish granted. If I am defeated by Junior Sister Feixue however, I also will not feel the slightest bit unwilling or regretful. I might even be really happy instead." Mu Hanyi sighed lightly, his words calm and sincere as he looked at Mu Feixue the entire time, his eyes not shifting away at all.


    Even though it was cold enough to penetrate the heart, what released this cold intent was actually the excessively beautiful landscape. If he was able to obtain even the slightest smile from her, he would probably be delighted to freeze here for all eternity.


    What answered him was actually Mu Feixue''s silence. Her icy eyes were gently closed as she returned to her previous silence, no longer paying him any heed. It was as though she didn''t hear what he had just said earlier¡­ in fact, it didn''t seem like she had even looked at him even once since the beginning.


    The girls who saw this unconsciously looked at Chu Yuechan...


    "...What?" She asked in bewilderment.


    Didn''t she also has the same case happened to her before? The one-sided love from Ling Yuefeng?


    Who would''ve thought that there will be a similar case here... and they have to say that this Mu Feixue looks a little similar to Chu Yuechan in terms of appearance...


    Not to the point of identical but still quite similar...


    Mu Hanyi''s smile persisted on his face but an additional melancholy surfaced between his brows¡­ even though he had long since become used to being treated like this by Mu Feixue.


    In Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, there were countless girls who adored him. As long as he was interested, they would even be willing to become his concubines or maidservants. However, the only person his heart pined for treated him like nothing.


    She treated everyone like that. She was a girl born with the Ice Phoenix bloodline. It was as though her heart and soul had been sealed by the Ice Phoenix power since birth and would never thaw. On the other hand, a man would never become like that. This was perhaps related to the differences in the yin and yangs of both s.e.xes.


    Since they were extremely close to the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, this area was frighteningly cold. Mu Xiaolan had nearly circulated more than half her profound strength to defend against it. Not long after, a cold wind came from the south as a group of people on an iceboat came over.


    "Hahahaha!"


    A burst of extremely candid laughter came from the skies above, greatly dispersing the strong coldness in this area. Amidst the great laughter, a bulky man fell from the sky.


    The man looked to be already past his prime. His beard was going gray yet the hair on his head was still pitch-black. His face was filled with wrinkles and his eyes were as bright as a fierce tiger''s. His bold laughter and forceful aura seemed to somewhat go against the ice profound art Divine Ice Phoenix Sect cultivated.


    When he landed, the other thirty people who accompanied him also landed behind him at the same time and the engraved jade which signified that they were divine hall disciples were shockingly on their shoulders!


    "Great Elder." This time, it was Mu Bingyun who executed a salute.


    "Great¡­ Elder!" Mu Xiaolan also hurriedly gave her respect and Mu Hanyi also deeply bowed¡­ Only Mu Feixue was still as silent as snow and did not glance anywhere.


    Xia Qingyue and the others give a slight bow to this Great Elder while Issei only took a single glance at this newcomer.


    Great Elder Mu Huanzhi took large steps forward and said with a booming voice, "Bingyun, you''ve come pretty early, huh." It seems that he''s not bothered with Issei and the girls lack of interest.


    "We''ve just arrived not too long ago," Mu Bingyun replied.


    "Oh?" Mu Huanzhi''s gaze then landed on Issei and the girls: "He must be the rumored guest you brought over and as for them... Hahahaha, I''ve heard that they break the record for the examination test. And I have to say that they''re indeed extremely talented!"


    Issei coming here is not really a secret since the Great Realm King already warned of his arrival beforehand during their last meeting. He and the other elders can''t really say anything since the Realm King herself already spoke about it.


    And besides, having a cultivator as their guest is not that bad either especially when he''s this young.


    They don''t really know his true identity other than he supposedly came from the lower realm with Mu Bingyun. But they all don''t believe that Issei is from the lower realm considering his cultivation realm...


    "We are humbled that the Great Elder actually knows about us." Feng Qianhui spoke lightly.


    Mu Huanzhi waved a big hand. "Child, your reputation exceeds you of late. After all, Bingyun has only brought all of you back, after all these years. Being able to easily pass the examination test and also achieve breakthrough in this short amount of time is really incredible. Although I''m extremely curious just how did all of you can increase your cultivation this fast, I won''t ask unless you''re willing to tell me about it yourselves."


    When he spoke with the girls, the divine hall disciples behind him also shifted their gaze toward them¡­ It could be clearly seen that they had become rather famous during this period of time.


    Nobody knows about their real faces and there''s a rumor going on that their beauty should be comparable to Mu Feixue... and they have to agree that this rumor is right.


    Just based on their eyes alone, they dare to say that perhaps they even surpass Mu Feixue in terms of beauty!


    "...We thank Great Elder for the praise." The girls said in unison. Since members of Divine Phoenix Sect cultivate ice profound arts, the majority of them were quiet and cold. This Mu Huanzhi however, was a rare oddity.


    "But Bingyun, even though the aptitudes this group of children is great, little Xiaolan cultivation, on the other hand, is a bit low... I''m afraid she won''t be able to endure the heavenly lake''s water." Mu Huanzhi''s brows furrowed.


    Mu Xiaolan felt a little bit upset when she heard this... it''s true... of all of them here, she''s practically the lowest in terms of strength.


    "I agree." Mu Bingyun lightly nodded. "But I don''t plan on letting her soak in the heavenly lake''s water. Not only is that not beneficial for her, it will be extremely easy for her to receive injuries. Just the icy cold aura is beneficial enough for Xiaolan."


    "Hahahaha," Mu Huanzhi suddenly laughed loudly. "Just look at my brain. I''ve gone so old I can''t even think properly. With you here, aren''t I just worrying foolishly?"


    "And how about you, young friend? Are you here to witness our Netherfrost lake?" Mu Huanzhi proceeds to ask Issei.


    "Um, I''m only here to accompany them." Issei said lightly.


    "Oh? Is that so?" Mu Huanzhi nodded understandingly.


    He has heard that these girls seem to treat Issei a bit special... Perhaps they''re lovers? Not that it''s his business though...


    It''s great enough that these group of geniuses became their sect disciple. He won''t mind if Issei were to suddenly become one of their disciples as well... In fact, he would welcome him with open arms!


    "Hanyi, today could be said to be an extremely important day for you." Mu Huanzhi then turned to Mu Hanyi, his face becoming a bit more solemn. "Even though Feixue is my granddaughter if it''s you¡­ I am able to recognize you without feeling bad. In short, try your best."


    Mu Hanyi deeply bowed, "This disciple will do his best."


    "Cough cough, Feixue. Grandfather obviously wants you to become the sect master''s direct disciple more, so you have to¡­ ah, ah, Feixue¡­"


    Mu Feixue continued to walk in the snow, giving Mu Huanzhi a back figure that was becoming more distant.


    Mu Huanzhi withdrew his half extended hand and embarrassedly rubbed his nose. He said depressingly, "That child''s temperament really is becoming more and more severe. If she really becomes like that girl Bingyun who never marries her entire life¡­ sigh, that seriously makes me worry."


    Mu Bingyun, "..."


    Mu Huanzhi was older than Mu Bingyun by six thousand years. Back then, he was also half her master so he was qualified to call her "girl".


    "How about you take her young friend? It seems that Bingyun is quite interested in you from what I''ve seen." Mu Huanzhi suddenly said something which made Mu Bingyun''s body stiffened.


    "Err..." Issei sweated a little at this.


    "Great Elder." Mu Bingyun raised her voice just in time.


    "Hahahaha! I''m just joking!" Along with his burst of laughter, they all resumed their trip...


    The time of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake''s opening was getting close. Various divine hall elders, disciples, and various Ice Phoenix Palaces had all started arriving in succession.


    Two thousand divine hall disciples were lead by seventy-two elders. Behind them were the thirty-six palaces lead by each of their palace masters. Even though they had meditated in advance for seven days, all of the various Ice Phoenix Palace disciples were still unable to contain the excitement on their faces. Today''s occasion caused all of the elders, palace masters and divine hall disciples to be present. Even the most experienced disciple there had never seen such a spectacle.


    This included the various divine hall disciples as well.


    Although they were similarly disciples and there was only one rank of difference between the Divine Hall and Ice Phoenix Palace, it was a difference between the clouds and mud. Of the Ice Phoenix Palace disciples behind the divine hall disciples, none were not nervous to the point where they didn''t dare breathe forcefully. They lined up in thirty-five neat groups and each step was like a nail being hammered to the floor. They didn''t even dare to move.


    At a certain corner, there''s a conspicuous group that keeps attracting everyone''s gazes... Whether it be man or woman alike.


    Mu Xiaolan was especially uncomfortable, her small hand firmly clenched because not only is it cold, but she''s also feeling really nervous as well.


    Xia Qingyue''s group, on the other hand, is very calm and collected. They''re not fazed in the slightest.


    All thirty-six Ice Phoenix Palaces had arrived and Freezing Snow Hall''s Mu Fengshu and Mu Sushan had also arrived together.


    The last divine hall elder came through the skies fifteen minutes before the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake opened and landed before the various disciples¡­ or to be more precise, landed right in front of Mu Hanyi.


    This was a rather tall woman with a face that had seen many changes in life and possessed some majesty. Her chilling eyes exuded an imposing air without any change in expression. Her arrival caused the surrounding aura to congeal in one spot.


    The divine hall''s thirty-ninth elder, Mu Yunzhi


    Aside from being the thirty-ninth elder, she had a status that the entire sect was aware of.


    Mu Hanyi''s direct Master!


    Being able to enter Ice Phoenix Divine Hall was the ultimate pursuit of the Snow Song Realm''s profound practitioners. In the vast Snow Song Realm, divine hall disciples numbered a mere two thousand, so it was obvious what kind of honor it was to be able to enter Ice Phoenix Divine Hall.


    But if one''s disciple was especially excellent, then the master would also gain fame as well.


    This was what happened to Mu Yunzhi.


    As a divine hall elder, her status in the Snow Song Realm was only below that of the Realm King and above all other beings. The incredibly astonishing innate talent her disciple Mu Hanyi exhibited was one of the highest among all disciples. This made her extremely proud of that fact and this had thus changed her position within the divine hall elders. If Mu Hanyi was able to become the sect master''s direct disciple however, then as Mu Hanyi''s direct Master, her position within Divine Ice Phoenix Sect would obviously not be the same as it was in the past.


    The sect master''s successor was always one who was the direct disciple of the sect master. If Mu Hanyi were to one day inherit the position and become the new Snow Song Realm King, that was no small matter.


    As such, today was not only a day that concerned Mu Hanyi''s fate but hers as well. If the results were different, then the circ.u.mstances would also be like the difference between heaven and earth."


    "Master." Mu Hanyi took a step forward and respectfully saluted.


    Mu Yunzhi lightly nodded, then looked deeply at Mu Hanyi for a while, the meaning in her gaze self-evident. But aside from that, she didn''t look at any other disciples, nor did she say anything to Mu Hanyi. She then turned around and joined the lineup of elders. When she looked at the barrier up front, she said quietly, "It should be about time."


    It was right around this time that the azure barrier covering the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake flashed. It was as though blue starlight was being pulled by an invisible force and was being scattered to both sides.


    "The sect master has arrived!"


    The low shout heavily impacted the minds of everyone present. The faces of all the elders and palace masters instantly changed to become incomparably solemn, causing every excited divine hall and ice phoenix palace disciple to become intensely nervous. A white line slowly shone off the azure barrier and with the white line at the center, it slowly spread the barrier open.


    As the place where the Snow Song Realm''s cold vein existed, the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was the Snow Song Realm''s holy land. In all of the Snow Song Realm, the only person who was able to open the barrier which sealed the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was the Snow Song Realm King. Aside from her, no one had the power or qualifications to do so.


    Everyone present held their breaths and Mu Xiaolan''s heart had almost stopped due to her nervousness. After the barrier was slowly opened, it was as though another world was awaiting them.


    Great Elder Mu Huanzhi had on a grave expression. He took a deep breath and then said, "Let''s go in, Sect Master is waiting for us inside. Remember, do not act against the rules and regulations!"


    Mu Huanzhi''s last words were quite unnecessary. They were about to meet the Snow Song Realm''s supreme Realm King. Even though they were the top of the Snow Song Realm''s young generation, they still wouldn''t dare to be the least bit rash.


    The barrier was completely opened and a streak of pale light was spread like a curtain up ahead. With the elders at the front, everyone slowly walked into the curtain of light. The footsteps of more than five thousand people were nevertheless neat and orderly, without any excess sound.


    Issei''s group was at the very end. Once they entered the curtain of light, what appeared before them was astonishing a completely different world.


    Outside was a brilliant white world where cold wind howled through the snow-covered sky while the world before them was actually as quiet as still water.


    The air in this place was extremely cold, yet it wasn''t as white as the snow-filled sky outside. It was instead a quiet, inconceivable emerald green. Myriad flowers blossomed, emerald grass swayed and jade trees stood tall. It was as though they had suddenly left the Snow Song Realm that had been covered by snow throughout the ages to another world that possessed all four seasons.


    At the center of this world was a quiet little lake. The lake was fifteen kilometers wide and its boundaries could be seen with a single glance. The lakewater was tranquil with not a single ripple and yet it still sparkled and was unimaginably pure. Just looking at the lake water made everyone distinctly feel as though their eyes and even thoughts were being gently washed, to become extremely clear.


    "This is¡­ the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake¡­" Similar to the other disciples who had never seen the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake before Mu Xiaolan stood in a daze, as though she had fallen into a dream world. Even the girls are a bit amazed by this sight... They never expected that the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake they imagined being covered in profound ice¡­ would actually be such a wondrous sight. After all, this was where the cold vein resided and was the coldest place within the Snow Song Realm.


    "The Heavenly Netherfrost Lake''s lakewater is borne from the cold vein. Each drop contains an extremely high level of frost power that will never solidify. All the flora here, from the trees to the flowers to perhaps each stalk of grass possesses an extremely high level of cold energy. Furthermore, the flora here will only grow in the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake and are all unique within the entire God Realm. A large majority of the top grade spiritual medicines within the sect come from the ice flowers and grasses here. The Amorous Frost Dew all of you received a few days ago came from the Amorous Grass and Amorous Flower here."


    Mu Bingyun said to the girls through the sound transmission.


    "What pure cold energy¡­ cold energy can actually become like this¡­" Mu Xiaolan commented absentmindedly.


    "The cold energy within the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake''s water contains extremely high level ice laws. In the domain of water attribute laws, ice attribute laws are the most difficult laws to comprehend and they are at their peak within the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake."


    Countless azure ice spirits fluttered agily atop the lake surface. These ice spirits were the size of a fingertip, yet they released an especially intense life and soul aura.


    These ice spirits, born from the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, definitely weren''t bodies of power with inferior consciousness that everyone knew of¡­ instead, they possessed complete souls! In a way, they''re quite similar to Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius who is also an ice spirit.


    Of course, their rank differs by quite a lot... while these ice spirits are created by nature itself, Esdeath and the other two are created by Issei himself!


    When the ice spirits noticed Issei''s presence, they stopped whatever they''re doing before they started fluttering towards him while letting out a giggling noise similar to children''s.


    All of them who witnessed this become dumbfounded...


    Issei is being surrounded by each and every single ice spirit that exists in this lake.


    "Wh-why did they suddenly gathered around senior brother Ise?" Mu Xiaolan dazedly said.


    Everyone there also wanted to know the answer to this question. Even Mu Bingyun is speechless at this sight... first, it was that profound beasts, now it''s the ice spirits...


    Every single female disciple who saw Issei''s current situation went into a daze. Even the usually cold Mu Feixue is also the same...


    Being surrounded by all those ice spirits made his body give a light glow which made him look like an ethereal spirit king...


    "Go, no need to crowd in one place like this..." Issei said softly towards the ice spirits.


    The ice spirits who heard this become disappointed but they still listened to his words.


    They started to disperse but not before giving Issei a deep bow...


    "Hm? What''s wrong? Why are all of you looking at me? Don''t you have a much more important matter at hand?" Issei said towards the onlookers''.


    They snapped out of their daze before giving the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake that was up ahead their full attention. Although they''re extremely curious as for why all those ice spirits acted that way, now is not the time to ask questions...


    All the disciples neatly stood in front of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake with longing gazes, issuing the greatest exclamations of their lives. Even the most talented artists in the world wouldn''t be able to portray the marvel before them. Not only was the cold energy in this place inconceivably pure, but it also caused the ice profound energy in their profound veins to uncontrollably throb.


    The skies immediately darkened as a worldshaking dragon cry seemed to have come from the highest heavens, resonating through the world. Beneath this dragon cry however, the surface of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was still a field of tranquility without the slightest ripple.


    This dragon cry caused Mu Xiaolan to cry out in surprise. The bodies of all the disciples present intensely shook but Issei''s group.


    What followed this world-shaking dragon cry was the descent of a pressure that covered the skies.


    In the skies above, an enormous ice blue silhouette was rapidly approaching. It was astonishingly an enormous ice dragon. Its body was ten kilometers long and its tail was more than fifteen kilometers long. When it spread its icy wings, it nearly covered the entire horizon. Its entire body was covered in scales that resembled ice crystals and at the center of every scale was a piercingly cold icicle. The enormous dragon proudly lifted its head, radiating two gleams of aurora-like lights from its eyes.


    It floated three kilometers above them, causing the large dragon shadow it cast to cover the entire Heavenly Netherfrost Lake.


    When it saw Issei, it has its eyes widen and when it''s about to give respect to Issei, it received a voice transmission from Issei...


    It gives a silent nod which went unnoticed by everyone there but Mu Bingyun and the ice dragon rider... They noticed how the Ice Dragon expression coagulate when it saw Issei just now...


    Both of them silently look at Issei thinking just what is his true identity is...


    "T-t-the Saint Dragon!!" Mu Xiaolan yelled with a stammer. It wasn''t the first time she had seen a Sacred Dragon but she had only seen them from a distance of five hundred kilometers away. Never in her dreams would she dare think that she would be able to see one this close.


    Dragons were the rulers of all beasts and a dragon''s pressure was enough to shake the heaven and earth. Even though everyone in the Snow Song Realm knew of its existence, being under the dragon might of an enormous frost dragon caused the faces of all disciples, whether they be from the divine hall or ice phoenix palace, to turn ashen.


    "...This enormous dragon is the sect master''s mount and it has already followed the sect master for ten thousand years. In the Snow Song Realm, it is called the ''Saint Dragon.''" Mu Bingyun said softly.


    As the ruler of all beasts, even when they''re on the same level, a True Dragon''s body, power, and might surpassed all other living beings. It was extremely difficult to kill a dragon and taming a True Dragon was more than hundreds of thousands of times harder. Beneath the pressure of this enormous Frost Dragon, even the gazes of the divine hall elders trembled as their auras went into slight turmoil. Its strength could very well be imagined, yet it had willingly served the Snow Song Realm King for an entire ten thousand years as a mount.


    The strength of the Snow Song Realm King was simply unfathomable.


    If they were to know that there''s a much much stronger True Dragon right beside them at this moment then... it certainly will be very interesting to see the change in their expression...


    With the divine hall elders in the lead, everyone deeply saluted at this moment and it was even the deepest of salutes, a kneeling kowtow.


    "We welcome the sect master!"


    It was a mere five words yet it carried a devout reverence similar to when believers faced what they revered. Not a single trace of profound energy was in the voices of any of the entire sect''s strongest elders, palace masters, or its top five thousand disciples because they were afraid it might slightly offend or be disrespectful.


    The heads of everyone present was deeply lowered. Though they were Divine Ice Phoenix Sect''s top disciples, not even half of the disciples within the divine hall had seen the sect master before. As for Ice Phoenix Palace, none had seen her before. Now that the sect master was close, not a single one dared to lift their head... Only Issei still look nonchalant as before...


    A misty white figure stood above the enormous Frost Dragon''s head. Even though it was three kilometers away, this figure seemed to be covered in an odd, icy mist. They were unable to see her face and appearance, even her silhouette was extremely indistinct. They were only able to catch that she was a misty snow white.


    She was the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect''s sect master... Snow Song Realm''s Realm King!


    Everyone around Issei, from the highest divine hall elders to the lowest ice phoenix disciples were all kneeling on the ground, their entire bodies motionless, as though they had been frozen in ice. Issei who''s being nonchalant about the whole situation, his action was especially conspicuous within the crowd of people.


    The girls also paid their respect since she''s indeed their sect master, only Issei doesn''t seem to make any movement whatsoever.


    Mu Bingyun was startled but there''s nothing she or the others could do... Issei himself isn''t really their sect member and only a guest. The sect master herself seems to pay no attention to his lack of courtesy so they don''t try to say anything...


    Although the others couldn''t see this sect master feature, Issei could see her as clear as a day... and she''s indeed the same woman who visited him before but this time, the main personality is not that ''Devil'' but rather the original Mu Xuanyin.


    In the past Snow Song Realm, even though the Snow Song Realm King was the highest level existence, the combined forces of all the elders had the right and power to interfere with the Realm King''s decisions.


    However, this generation''s Snow Song Realm King was just too excessively strong. Four stages of tribulation lightning and having reached the realm of Divine Master, this was unprecedented in the history of the Snow Song Realm! No one could go against her and no one was able to. This then gradually caused everyone to not dare go against her... because those who dared to do so had all died.


    After all, this was a world where power was king.


    Actually, Mu Xuanyin herself has tried to send a wave of oppressive power towards Issei but the latter seems completely unaffected... It''s as if he doesn''t even feel it!


    "You may rise." She hid her amazement from the others...


    Three words came down from above like a heavenly edict. It was also now that the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, which remained still when the enormous Frost Dragon roared, began to continuously ripple outward.


    This was the voice that came from the Snow Song Realm King, the currently Ice Phoenix Sect Master. The sound of this voice somewhat resembled Mu Bingyun''s. When it fell in the ears, it sounded normal and indifferent, but it was as though the depths of everyone''s souls had been struck by a firmament-sized hammer, causing them to incessantly shiver.


    The Snow Song Realm King atop the enormous Frost Dragon had no aura and no pressure whatsoever but the disciples clearly felt that their soul had been firmly pressed down by an extremely heavy mountain. Even their willpower and beliefs were trembling lowly.


    This was the highest realm within the divine way, this was the might of the Divine Master Realm! When she reached such a realm, she no longer needed to deliberately release her aura. Her mere existence alone was able to make others submit to her amidst their terror and reverence.


    The fact that Issei seems unaffected by it then that can only mean that he''s also a Divine Master Realm! But only Mu Xuanyin realizes this fact while the others only think that Issei is just a Divine King...


    Then all of them who were kneeling started rising one by one...


    Great Elder Mu Huanzhi took a step forward. With a raised head, he said solemnly, "Reporting to Sect Master, seventy-two divine hall elders, thirty-six Ice Phoenix Palace Masters, Freezing Snow Hall''s Main Hall Master and Chief Deacon, the divine hall''s two thousand disciples and Ice Phoenix Palace''s three thousand and six hundreds have all arrived. We all await Sect Master''s orders!"


    "Very good."


    The oracle-like voice carried a supreme heavenly might as it traveled down. "Our Snow Song Realm''s divine vein is in our Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. It is our holy land in which only one person is allowed to enter once every three years and this number has never been exceeded. Three months ago, the Voice of Eternal Heaven clearly told all the realms that something huge is about to occur and it is extremely possible for it to be close at hand."


    The words of the Snow Song Realm King were heavy and oppressive to the extreme. Each word ruthlessly nailed itself into the depths of everyone''s soul. This voice, that was oppressive to the point where it could make the world tremble, caused their minds to form the image of the face of an extremely ice-cold, heartless woman who possessed a gaze frightening enough to split one''s galls.


    "Because of this, the Eternal Heaven Realm did not hesitate to share the power of the Eternal Heaven Pearl to profound practitioners of other realms. The Eternal Heaven Realm has never done this before in its entire history. Since that''s the case, then our Snow Song Realm also should not be stingy about the divine power of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake.


    "The amount of benefits you will receive from being able to enter the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake today will be up to your own good luck! Huanzhi, arrange it so they can enter the lake."


    "Yes!" Mu Huanzhi replied deeply as his entire body shook once his name was called. He then turned around and said gravely, "Everyone here is a cornerstone of our Divine Ice Phoenix Sect''s future. The sect master has bestowed a huge favor upon us, allowing you all to enter the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. This is unprecedented good luck! The divine power of the heavenly lake will let you all be born anew and will be extremely beneficial toward your cultivation of the ice profound arts in the future..."


    While Mu Huanzhi is doing his speech, Issei and Mu Xuanyin look at each other silently...


    Their gaze intersected with each other... While Mu Xuanyin is narrowing her eyes coldly trying to assess Issei, the latter seems pretty calm and laidback.


    No matter how hard she tries, she still couldn''t see through Issei in the slightest... looks like her sister was indeed right... This man is not simple.


    She felt her heart started thumping for no reason...


    Issei guessed that from the way she looks at him, she''s indeed clueless about her other ''personalities''...


    Well, the Ice Phoenix is not really inside of her per say, it''s more like she''s influencing her...


    This is also why her heart is currently fluttering on its own.


    When he finished his speech, Mu Huanzhi waved his hand.


    With the divine hall at the front and the ice phoenix palaces behind them, they were uniformly lead by their respective elders and palace masters as they flew above the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake.


    The closer they got to the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, the more pure and dense the frost aura became. Mu Xiaolan''s cultivation was only at the middle stage of the Divine Origin Realm. Her profound strength was the weakest amongst the bunch, so her resistance against cold energy was naturally also the worst. At this point, she had no choice but the circulate all of her profound energy in order to withstand the cold. However, at the same time, she was also incomparably excited to feel that her circulation of ice profound energy and the speed at which it recovered was several times greater than it was normally.


    Mu Bingyun brought them to the very end of the procession but she did not fly the group over the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. She had instead stopped at the lake''s edge.


    "Xiaolan..." Mu Bingyun turned around and looked at Mu Xiaolan and Xia Qingyue''s group.


    Of the two, one was using all the profound energy in her body yet she still shivered from the cold. The others, however, looked calm, as though nothing had happened to them. "Your cultivation levels are too low so forcibly entering the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake would do more harm than good. You should stay here. The cold energy here is also borne from the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. Immersing yourself in it and tempering your body with the cold energy is enough to greatly improve your control of ice profound arts. This will bring great benefits to your cultivation later on."


    "Yes, Master."


    Mu Xiaolan said without any objections. She was well aware of her own abilities and knew she wasn''t strong enough to soak in the heavenly lake''s water. Being able to soak in the cold energy here which contained extremely high ice laws was already good luck she wouldn''t even dare dream about.


    She quietly sat down. After quickly breathing in lightly, she closed her eyes, not daring to waste any second she spent here.


    "As for you girls... try from the edge first. If you think that you can handle it, then you may go deeper if you want." Mu Bingyun then said towards Xia Qingyue''s group.


    "We understand." They nodded at her words.


    Then they also sat down following Mu Xiaolan.


    Right when they went to sit beside Mu Xiaolan, Mu Bingyun''s sound transmission suddenly sounded beside their ears.


    "All of you have a strange constitution. You are able to forcibly cultivate the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon without needing the Ice Phoenix bloodline. The cold energy here also will not affect you at all... the heavenly lake''s water should not be able to harm any of you from what I''ve seen so far. However, your reputation has already preceded you. If it is heard that you''re able to go deeper than the others such as Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue... It will be hard to contain the prying eyes from others at that point and it also won''t bring you any benefits. If possible, try to be low key..." Mu Bingyun advised.


    "And I also know that you don''t really need to cultivate in this Netherfrost lake since you have ''his'' assistance but try to keep up a facade for your sudden rise in cultivation. Your current cultivation speed is already mindblowing as it is, if you were to suddenly rise to the next realm within the next month yet again then you should understand... If you want to participate in the convention then it would be best if you don''t attract too much attention to yourselves until then." She added in the end.


    They nodded understandingly at her words before they started to cultivate in the lake... They no longer cared about their surroundings as they began to focus their senses on feeling the pure, cold energy in this area and comprehending the ice laws within.


    This was the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. With Issei and Mu Bingyun protection, they did not need to set up any defenses whatsoever. Soon enough, their consciousness had unwittingly submerged itself and they had even isolated all external sounds.


    "Benefactor Ise, the sect master and I owe you so she might pick a day when she will allow you to come alone if you wanted to use this lake later on." Mu Bingyun said softly towards Issei.


    "Ah, you don''t need to mind me." Issei waved gently. But he narrowed his eyes slightly towards the bottom of the lake... Looks like the is at the bottom...


    At this time, Mu Sushan came over from behind them. His gaze shifted to Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan. Amidst his shock, his footsteps halted before he exclaimed, "In a short amount of time, they have already reached the ! Moreover, their profound energy is this stable¡­ Palace Master Bingyun, I seriously don''t know how exactly you''ve taught them both to produce such results."


    Mu Bingyun shook her head, "That has nothing to do with me." She unwittingly glances at Issei.


    "Haha, it looks like our young friend here is not only a Dragon amongst men but he''s also quite an incredible teacher as well!" Mu Sushan praised happily.


    Mu Bingyun gave a soft smile but did not comment...


    "Thank you for your praise but their talent and dedication is the one that helped them the most." Issei said lightly.


    Mu Sushan nodded in approval at Issei''s humble attitude... truly an incredible man...


    If only he''s their sect disciple as well then it would be perfect.


    Then they waited for the girls to finish their cultivation while the sect master keeps trying her best to see through Issei...


    Aside from Mu Bingyun, Mu Sushan, and Issei, everyone else had already entered the heavenly lake. However, the various elders and palace masters did not immediately enter the lake to temper their bodies. After waiting a long while, their gazes all turned to Great Elder Mu Huanzhi.


    The breathing of Thirty-ninth Elder Mu Yunzhi was somewhat in disarray.


    Great Elder Mu Huanzhi himself was also burning with anxiety. Then, he finally steeled his heart, lifted his head, and said, "Sect Master, about the direct disciple¡­"


    Once these words came out, a majority of the divine hall disciples instantly opened their eyes and looked toward Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue since both of them have the highest chance of becoming the sect master direct disciple.


    "This king obviously has not forgotten." She said while setting her gaze away from Issei and at the same time, she thought of something that will blow everyone''s mind...


    The Snow Song Realm King''s voice came from atop the enormous Frost Dragon, "Since we have already arrived at the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, then the matter of this king''s direct disciple selection does not need that many trials!"


    A streak of blue light suddenly shone from up above and then formed into an oddly shaped profound formation. After that, a huge wave suddenly rose, landing onto the profound formation in the sky.


    The enclosed lakewater slowly began to drip from the end of the profound formation, producing a crisp clinking sound that totally did not resemble the sound of dripping water. It was clear, like the collision of ice crystals.


    "Sect Master, what is the meaning of this?" Mu Huanzhi was at a complete loss.


    Mu Hanyi lifted his head as his usually limpid eyes released an intense fervor.


    "The lake water in the formation will be depleted after six hours. Once it has all fallen, whoever attracts the most heavenly lake ice spirits will become this king''s next direct disciple! I notice that there was someone able to attract all of the ice spirits'' attention just now... aside from him, I will take a second disciple!"


    Her words made all of those who are present become slackjawed... wasn''t that someone is... Issei?!


    Even Issei himself was slightly taken aback by her words. Never would he expect that this woman would suddenly say this out of nowhere...


    Needless to say, Mu Bingyun herself also becomes stupefied at her elder sister''s action.


    Become her disciple? What? Did she just go crazy? Issei thought confusedly inside his mind... but soon he realizes that this is not really her intention but rather someone else.


    Issei''s face started twitching a lot once he realizes this... he doesn''t want to attract too much attention to himself but this action of ''her'' just throw all his plan out of the window...


    [Hahahahaha! How interesting... To think that this ant wanted to take you as her disciple, Dear husband! Now, will you accept her ''invitation''~?] Nyarlathotep laughed in amus.e.m.e.nt: [If you think that it''s too bothersome, you can just kill her or perhaps even ''conquer'' her just like how you ''conquer'' me~] She whispered enticingly at the end...


    Issei started having a minor headache when everyone''s gaze homed in on him...

 Chapter 128 - 127

    (AN: Thanks a lot for the donation, Kaseen Gosnell! I hope all of you enjoy the chapter and with that said, peace out girls scout!)


    After sighing tiredly, Issei looks at Mu Xuanyin directly... well, more like her second ''personality'' rather than Mu Xuanyin herself.


    The second ''personality'' who was giving her that excellent ''idea'' just now shuddered briefly when ''she'' is gazed by Issei. But soon she waved it off thinking that Issei won''t be able to do much to her anyway...


    "...." Issei said in a low voice.


    The whole area of the Netherfrost lake is covered in a red barrier.


    Every single person who''s inside the barrier is frozen stiff as if the time around them has been stopped...


    Actually, Issei doesn''t stop the time around them but rather slows the time instead.


    He already did a similar thing for the girls from the before, but the current barrier is making the time inside it extremely slow as if the time itself has been stopped.


    After he finishes setting the barrier up. Issei calmly flew towards Mu Xuanyin''s location...


    The saint dragon is the only one that isn''t affected by Issei''s barrier... but that''s only because Issei doesn''t include it.


    If not, then it will also share the same fate as the others here...


    The saint dragon let out a small whimper feeling afraid that Issei will harm its master.


    "Don''t be afraid, I won''t harm your master. I just need to read some of her other ''personality'' memories..." Issei said softly.


    And only then the saint dragon heaved a sigh of relief...


    If Issei really wanted to harm its master then it won''t be able to stop Issei at all.


    Issei put his right hand on top of Mu Xuanyin''s head for a moment before he found what he''s looking for...


    A few moments later, he opened a spatial opening...


    ...


    Inside a majestic palace, the interior is clad in black jade.


    There''s a figure covered in black mist standing in the throne hall feeling stupefied...


    "Why... Why did..." An ethereal voice resounded.


    The owner of this voice let out a confused voice when she suddenly felt that her connection with Mu Xuanyin just got disrupted.


    Then she felt a stinging headache out of nowhere...


    "This is bad! He can interact with souls just like I can!" The woman said feeling alarmed.


    She just felt someone had just forcefully interacted with the strand of her soul that she put inside Mu Xuanyin.


    Right after she sensed her soul within Mu Xuanyin is being tampered with... she heard a sound from behind her.


    "Not a bad place you have here... kind of remind me of my home a little bit."


    The woman who heard this voice become frozen stiff while she started sweating...


    This voice... isn''t this ''his'' voice?!


    Sure enough, when she turned her head to see the one who just spoke... she sees Issei sitting on her throne.


    The way he sits on her throne is a perfect match with how menacing he currently looks.


    He doesn''t really let out any threatening aura or anything like that... but just the sight of him sitting on that throne sends chills down to her spine.


    That''s because the distance between this place to the is extremely far.


    For Issei to suddenly just appear here out of nowhere made her feel fear! Just what kind of concept is this!? She doesn''t sense a single spatial law being created nearby... it''s as if he''s already there in the first place!


    Issei then started rotating a golden knife on his hand...


    From one finger to another... it''s as if he''s flipping a coin instead of a knife.


    But the sight of that single knife makes the woman feel nervous from the bottom of her soul...


    "Now what should I do to you..." Issei mused while still playing with the knife: "I already told you not to bother me before when we first ''met'', didn''t I?"


    The woman gulped audibly when she heard Issei''s speaking once again... she has a feeling that if her answer doesn''t satisfy him then that knife will be the end of her.


    Her entire body was encased in a layer of flowing black mist that seemed to be alive. The black mist hid her figure and her features.


    Even though she''s currently covered in black mist, she can feel that Issei can see through her real appearance... so she dispersed the black mist since it''s useless in front of him.


    She was wearing a loose black robe and every step she took naturally showed off the curves of that voluptuous body. Every entrancing curve and contour that was revealed numbed their hearts and soul.


    Her body and figure are more seductive than Mu Xuanyin, she''s an incredibly beautiful woman but in terms of appearance, she''s slightly inferior to that golden-haired woman Issei meet before.


    But, her crescent moon eyebrow and phoenix-like pupil, does not need any makeup, actually naturally releases a bewitching aura, the exquisite lips that looks really soft, her eyes are really charming as if will then invade the soul and can easily make any man fall.


    Her lower body has some simple black skirts, a soul-stirring tender body curve plentifully raised. She''s static standing there, the way she''s standing makes her already curvaceous body looks more enticing.


    Issei did not exude any oppressive might, she could not even feel the slightest hint of pressure coming from him.


    Once someone had reached her level of cultivation, even the invisible field of energy around them would disappear. They would simply exist and the entire world around them would treat them as its ruler, the core of its existence. A sense of abject inferiority and servility would swiftly grow in the deepest part of the souls of all who gazed upon such a being. It was not a feeling that could be controlled. In fact, it was something that completely ignored one''s willpower or conviction.


    But this man in front of her is on a whole another level... she can''t sense a tiny bit of profound or divine energy leaking out from him. It''s as if he''s just a normal mortal that you can find anywhere but she knows that he''s anything but normal!


    "...Nice to see you again." She said with a smile: "What brings you here?"


    She tried to strike a conversation but her heart skipped a beat when Issei suddenly threw the knife right under her feet. When did he throw the knife?! She''s looking at him the entire time but suddenly the knife just suddenly lodged itself to the ground right under her feet!


    When she thought till here, the woman started to become more and more anxious by the second... if he were to throw that knife at her throat then... can she even react?


    "You tell me then... just what brings me here," Issei said in a bored voice.


    "...I know it was my mistake for trying to tease you... but it''s not like I try to harm you right?" She said trying to be calm.


    "Hmm, indeed... but... I hate troublesome things the most. Your action just made me the center of attention which is something I find really troublesome. I wonder if I should just kill you right here right now to prevent you from causing trouble for me again in the future..." Issei said while musing to himself.


    The woman chuckled before saying: "Your excellency won''t be so petty right? All I did was teasing you a little bit... would you be willing to spare this little old me?" She knows that Issei isn''t boasting but she can''t lose her calm here...


    "What do you think?" Issei asked: "Would I be willing or not?"


    "...Would your excellency really kill a powerless woman like me? Won''t it be better if your excellency to take me in as your concubine or slave?" The woman froze a little before she said in a seductive manner.


    But all she receives as a response is a second knife appearing on Issei''s hand...


    "...This time I won''t miss."


    "..."


    Now the woman can only sweat while sighing bitterly to herself... does he really doesn''t feel any sort of attraction to the opposite s.e.x whatsoever?


    "Then what does your excellency propose so that you''re willing to spare me?" She asked wryly.


    "Let''s see... I could spare your life... but what should I take in return..." Issei mused to himself while he''s observing the woman before him.


    The woman doesn''t shy away from being gazed by Issei like this, she even started to pose a little bit which made her asset looks even more prominent.


    But, the next word she heard from Issei made her entire body went cold...


    "...Perhaps I should take the soul strand within your body? Hmm, it looks like it''s a strand of soul belonging to a True God... A devil king, no... A devil God soul perhaps? Not bad... this soul you have contains a law... a cycle of death and rebirth. I could make use of it so I can recover faster..."


    She thought Issei is assessing her worth as a woman... never in her wildest dream that he''s assessing her legacy.


    "No. I can give you anything else but that." She instantly denied Issei''s words.


    "Oh? You''re telling me that soul strand is worth more than your life?"


    "...If you take it... then I''m as good as dead. I will lose more than half of my strength right away. And you should know what that means in this world where the strong rules."


    "That''s right... I understand it clearly. And that''s also why you can''t stop me from taking that soul if I decided to take it right this instant..." Right after Issei said that, his figure disappeared from the throne and the woman had her eyes shrunk into needle size when she heard Issei''s voice coming right beside her ears: "...Don''t you think so?"


    She hastily turned around and reflexively ''counterattacked'' with her full strength.


    *BOOM!*


    A huge and dense dark energy hit Issei''s body at point-blank range.


    The whole palace shook greatly because of her attack just now.


    Her breathing becomes disordered because of how startling that was... but she started sweating a lot as well while wishing that her attack just now is at least able to injure him to a certain extent.


    She really hates this feeling... where she doesn''t have a tiny bit of control over the whole situation.


    Ever since she inherited this legacy, she has been one of the strongest in the whole God realm except for a select few... and this man she just recently met is obviously one of them.


    The or previously known as the is one of the three King Realms of the Northern Divine Region.


    The territory of the Northern Divine Region aka the "Devil Region" is the smallest and its power the weakest. They are, in fact, ostracized by the other three divine regions. Besides being ostracized, you could also say that they view the other three divine regions with hatred. They will never step onto any territory belonging to the other three and the Eastern, Western, and Southern Divine Regions will similarly not tread into the North. Frankly, the Northern Divine Region can be considered a tragic realm.


    As the Primal Chaos Dimension''s yin energies have been decreasing, the territory suitable for the "devils" of the Northern Divine Region have been constantly shrinking. Not even within a million years, the Northern Divine Region territory has already reduced by two thirds. Disappearing into nothing will come sooner or later. This is why they can be considered to be the most tragic divine region.


    The members of the Northern Divine Region are likened to being trapped in a cage that is growing smaller and smaller over time.


    Because of the influence of the dark constitution and darkness profound energy, should the Northern Divine Region''s "devils" enter into other divine regions, their strength will diminish and they will grow weaker, unable to adapt to the conditions. Similarly, if anyone from the three other divine regions enters into the Northern God Realms, they will be influenced by the dark devil energy and their strength will suffer a great dip as well. Thus, the Northern Divine Region and the other three divine regions basically have no relations. They''ve often been dubbed by the three other divine regions as the "Devil Region"


    In the eyes of the other divine regions, the "devils" of the Northern Divine Region are considered "heretical" existences.


    Once any of the "devils" leave the Northern Divine Region, they will be hunted down by members of the other divine regions.


    During the Era of Gods, the Northern Divine Region was where the devil race lived. After the devil race was annihilated, although they didn''t leave behind as many inheritances as the god race, the former devil regions all held a very heavy dark and devilish energy. Anyone who entered those ''devil regions'' and lived there would be influenced by the dark devil energy and they would develop dark constitutions. Their profound energy would also make them akin to "devils".


    And this darkness constitution is passed down generation by generation.


    The Northern Divine Region has never stopped plotting to free themselves from their cage, but not only were they not able to do it, but they were also barely able to put any measures into practice at all. No foreign enemy could threaten a Northern Region profound practitioner inside their shrinking domain, but the same rule also applied in reverse. If they tried to move beyond the boundaries of their domain, any divine region had enough power to crush them with ease¡­ much less all three of them combined.


    The three divine regions were always on guard against each other. Sometimes, secret wars even broke out between them. But no divine region had ever thought of the Northern Divine Region as a serious threat.


    She is Chi Wuyao, the realm king of the .


    Issei arriving here in the blink of an eye is already abnormal beyond comprehension... added to the fact that he could also see through her legacy in a single glimpse just makes him more dangerous than she thought he would be.


    "Master! What happened!"


    It was at this moment, a voice and rapid footsteps belonging to several people come close to their location.


    A group of women entered the throne hall because of the commotion Chi Wuyao attack just caused.


    Their beauty is also one of a kind...


    "Master! Did somebody hurt you?!" The group of women becomes taken aback seeing how pale their Master currently looks.


    And there''s a dark swirl of energy not far from her.


    "All of you! Don''t come over!" Chi Wuyao hastily shouted seeing them here.


    They become further flabbergasted since they never saw their master fl.u.s.tered like this before.


    "Oh? It looks like they''re your close attendants?"


    Issei''s voice rang from within the swirl of dark energy.


    Chi Wuyao''s body stiffened before she looks at the source of the sound. The newly arrived group of women also does the same.


    Issei calmly comes out from the mass of dark energy as if it wasn''t there in the first place...


    Not even a corner of his clothes are ruffled. He is completely unscathed...


    Even though she already guessed that Issei won''t be injured by her attack, it still made her feel bitter on the inside...


    He obviously could easily evade her dodge with the ''speed'' he showcased before if he wanted to... but the fact he took on her attack without care still hurts her pride a little bit.


    "Who are you!" The group of women shouted warily. This man just took one of their Master''s attack and looks completely unharmed, but even though they''re wary of him, they can''t let any harm befall their Master.


    They immediately take a defensive stance in front of their Master.


    "All of you! Leave now! That''s an order!" Chi Wuyaou said in a commanding voice.


    But the women didn''t respond to her words... clearly, they will stand their ground here no matter what happens... even if they had to disobey their Master''s order.


    Issei who saw this had his eyes glistened slightly.


    "Hmm, since you''re unwilling to give away that soul... how about I take theirs instead? It would be a fair trade don''t you think? Although their soul is not as good as yours, I can still make use of theirs." Issei said while pointing at the group of women before him.


    "No! You can''t have theirs either!" Chi Wuyao shouted the moment Issei finishes his words.


    "Now that''s not something for you to decide..." Issei waved his arms and the group of women felt their body being restricted by some sort of invisible force.


    They tried their best to break free from their bindings but to no avail... they can''t even muster the slightest bit of their strength.


    "Wh-Why can''t we use our profound strength!?"


    One of the women shouted with a pale face.


    "Release them!" Chi Wuyao growled in a cold voice.


    "Now choose... will you give up that soul strand of yours or will you give up theirs instead?" Issei asked while bringing the group of women closer to him.


    Chi Wuyao tried to help them but even when she does her best, she still couldn''t break them free...


    She even tried grasping them with her hands but their body disappeared right before her eyes and reappeared right next to Issei.


    Chi Wuyao gritted her teeth angrily at Issei.


    "I can give you anything else but that! Now release them! I will give you something else instead!" She tried to bargain once again but Issei shook his head.


    "There''s no belonging of yours that is of interest to me other than that Devil God soul..."


    "How are you so sure that there isn''t any item within my possession that could not interest you?" She tried to argue.


    "Because if you do have it then I will be able to sense it right away. Even if you by chance hide it inside your spatial ring or something along the line. Now choose."


    Issei clenched his fist which made the women started having trouble breathing. They felt like there''s some outside force trying to pull out their insides... It''s not that painful yet and they can still bear it to a certain extent.


    But Chi Wuyao started getting more anxious when she saw that her attendants'' soul is being tempered with.


    "...Master, don''t mind us... just run, Master!" One of them said while gritting her teeth.


    "Third sister is right, Master... Don''t give in to his demands! We are happy to be of use to you... so there''s no need to be concerned about us!"


    One by one they started to convince Chi Wuyao with their words...


    Chi Wuyao can only grit her teeth at this sight... is there really nothing else she can do?


    She cannot lose her strength here since it will be the end of it all... but she also doesn''t want to lose her close attendants like this.


    They''re not any normal attendants, but rather the or her .


    She is served by the ''Nine Witches''. The Nine Witches are also known as the queen''s ''Shadows''. Some people guessed that the Nine Witches are the queen''s soul avatars or unusual women who were chosen for various reasons.


    The Nine Witches hid themselves in the darkness and keep a close eye on the Northern Divine Region. They pay special attention to heretics so that the three divine regions can''t slip in a spy. No one knows who they really are, their identities are constantly changing. There are some verifiable facts about them, however. All Witches have a divine inheritance from the Soul Stealing Realm, and their strength is awe-inspiring. They also have exceptional spiritual perception and insight.


    Not all the Nine Witches are here right now, there''s only half of them but to lose them here would be extremely detrimental for her and the whole realm.


    "I wonder what will you choose... Your ambition or your close attendants'' lives." Issei muttered.


    He clenched his hand further which made the witches groan more painfully...


    "Wait!" She finally said through her gritted teeth.


    "I understand... I know I''m in the wrong... just... just release them... you can take the soul strand..." She sighed in resignment.


    "Master! Don''t!"


    The witches shouted at the same time...


    "Enough... I know what I''m doing." She said with a wave of her hand.


    "Oh? Are you certain about this?" Issei asked with raised eyebrows.


    "Yes..."


    "...Very well." Issei snapped his fingers and the witches are set free from their restriction.


    Once they''re free, they immediately stand before Chi Wuyao once again.


    "Come here." Issei said simply.


    "..." Chi Wuyao took a deep breath before she walked forward...


    "Master!" The witches wanted to prevent her but with only a glance from her, they shut their mouth almost immediately...


    They felt bitter but there''s nothing that they can do... if they did something uncalled for right now then all of them might lose their lives... and that is something they don''t want to happen.


    If it''s only them who will die then they won''t really mind but if their Master is also dragged into it then they won''t be able to forgive themselves...


    Issei could easily seal their movement and even their Master is unable to break them free of their bindings... He''s obviously far stronger than all of them here.


    Such is the fate of the weak... they can only silently endure this resentment they had.


    "...Now you can do whatever you wish to me..." Chi Wuyao said softly when she arrived in front of Issei.


    "..." Issei doesn''t do anything but he narrowed his eyes under his mask.


    After a few moments staring at each other, Issei flicked her forehead.


    "Hmph, smartass..."


    Chi Wuyao who has her forehead being flicked went into a daze for a brief moment while internally, she''s sighing in relief...


    After he flicked her forehead Issei went back to sit on her throne.


    "...Master... what?" One of the witches let out a confused voice when they saw the whole situation.


    "It''s nothing really... I just took a gamble." Chi Wuyao said after snapping out of her daze.


    "Gamble? What gamble?"


    "A gamble to see if he''s the kind of person that I think he is." She said with a small smile while looking at Issei who''s currently sitting at her throne.


    "Don''t act as if you know me." Issei said annoyedly.


    "But my gamble paid off, wasn''t it?" She retorted lightly.


    "You''re just lucky."


    "...Well, I won''t deny that..."


    The witches are still confused with the whole situation and Chi Wuyao who saw this took a deep breath before she started speaking once again: "In other words, if he is really an evil person then he won''t waste his time with us. If he wanted to, he could easily kill all of us and he can take whatever he wanted when he''s done. But the fact that he''s going this far clearly meant that he''s not an evil person..."


    "Besides, from what I gathered so far, he is not someone that petty and will kill anyone just because he felt like it. For one, he is seen to be very caring towards those girls he brought with him to the . All in all, he was just testing my character... and he has succeeded."


    The witches'' faces become enlightened once they heard this.


    "But... why did Master..." They glanced between Issei and Chi Wuyao back and forth.


    "Why I dare to say this right in front of him?" Chi Wuyao guessed what they wanted to say: "That''s because I wasn''t lying when I said I''m willing to give away the in exchange for all of your lives... and he could also tell that I have already guessed his intention for coming here midway our little ''bargain''. That''s why I dare to say this right in front of him..."


    Only then they nodded understandingly... they felt warm that their Master is willing to go that far for them...


    "It looks like you realized my ''character'' now, young master Ise?" Chi Wuyao''s voice reverted back into her seductive way of speaking.


    "I''m giving you a warning... Don''t try to annoy me again or I will truly take away your soul as compensation." Issei said simply.


    "Yes, I know my mistake already so young master doesn''t need to be worried." She said with a chuckle.


    Actually, Chi Wuyao was lucky just like Issei said... If she didn''t realize Issei''s intention in time then she might choose to abandon the witches instead. Not because she''s afraid of death or anything like that but rather because she won''t know if Issei will still kill them all even if he were to get the soul strand.


    She''s ruthless enough to abandon the witches but she has to because she has too many at stake and she can''t afford to fall here or there would be countless lives that will be lost in the process...


    The whole Northern region might just meet their end if she were to fall here...


    And thankfully her gamble paid off... because if not, she would''ve lost her life the moment she chooses to abandon the witches here.


    In summary, she isn''t lying when she said that she''s willing to trade their lives with her legacy but she wasn''t telling the truth either.


    If it was only her life that is at stake then she would do it but since it''s not, she can''t do it.


    Issei also realizes this since he''s also a ruler himself. To a certain extent, he can understand just why she seems to be in a struggle with her decision just now.


    Were Chi Wuyou reason for abandoning those witches is because of other selfish reasons or without a shred of hesitation then Issei would''ve killed her outright.


    If it were him then he would gladly trade his life for his wives'' safety even if it meant that he would doom the entire because of it.


    In a way, Chi Wuyao''s personality is quite similar to his...


    "Well, enough of that... I still need proper compensation from you."


    "..." Chi Wuyao face started twitching a little when Issei mentioned the word ''compensation''...


    She takes her words back... he''s indeed quite petty...


    "...What young master want then? Perhaps a one night stand with me? Nevermind... I''m just joking..." At first, she tried to tease Issei once again but the sight of another knife on his hand made her flinch a little.


    "Do you know any place that has an extreme climate? Such as a place that is considered extremely dangerous or some sort." Issei said after a little bit of thinking.


    "Extreme climate?" Although she''s a bit confused with Issei''s request, Chi Wuyao started pondering to herself.


    Even the witches also share a confused look with each other... why is he looking that kind of place for?


    Issei could just go to Nyarlathotep''s domain again but he rather not to risk it... who knows what will happen if he were to stay there for a prolonged period of time. The energy in that place is from her after all... it would be unwise of him to absorb it without proper precaution.


    Issei also wanted to become stronger so that he can easily defeat Nyarlathotep without using his or perhaps so that he could use his without any side effects.


    Absorbing a large amount of natural energy will help him a little bit. Even though it is slower, but at least it''s safe since he can measure both his growth and Nyarlathotep''s.


    "Well... There is one place..." Chi Wuyao''s eyes glistened slightly when she thought of a place...


    "Hmm, for now, I should go back. I will go pay the place you mentioned a visit at a later date." Right after he said that, Issei disappears right before their very eyes...


    All of them who saw this feel further amazed... to think that they can''t catch any movement from him whatsoever even after they pay close attention to him the whole time...


    Chi Wuyao gives a slight smirk when Issei''s disappear... when she looks down at her palm, it''s covered in a cold sweat...


    She was extremely nervous... how long has it been? For her to feel this nervous...


    "Master... that man is not affected by this place dark devil energy... Is he perhaps..."


    "Um... I know. That can only mean two things... He''s either a ''devil'' like us or he''s extremely powerful that the dark energy can''t affect him in the slightest... I''m leaning towards the second choice." She muttered.


    "But that''s clearly impossible... there''s no one that came from outside the that are unaffected by the dark devil energy! Even the is no exception to this!" One of the witches said in disbelief.


    "Yet there he was... he singlehandedly defeated all of us in a blink of an eye. If he wanted us death then we won''t even know how we die in the first place... Can any of you name anyone that is capable of defeating all of us together in that short amount of time?"


    They can only shake their head at their Master''s question...


    "No need to be overly concerned. The fact that he doesn''t care at all of our identity as a ''devil'' is a good thing. If it was any other person from outside the then they won''t be able to keep their hands to themselves and will immediately tear us to shred at any given moment..."


    They nodded in agreement with her statement...


    Those hypocrites really make them feel sick to the stomach.


    ...


    When Issei returned to his previous position, he released the barrier, and time started to flow normally once again.


    Mu Xuanyin was in a daze because of her second ''personality'' is ''rebooting'' once again... thankfully nobody can see her right now.


    "I''m sorry but I have to refuse. I''m only a guest and it will be inappropriate if I were to suddenly become your disciple. It''s better if you take your own sect disciples instead." Issei''s voice rang which snapped her out of her stupor.


    Mu Sushan and the others nodded approvingly at Issei''s words.


    If Issei was their sect disciple then they won''t really mind since he''s a peak level Divine King cultivator. This fact is more than enough to make him their sect''s most talented disciple.


    Mu Hanyi secretly heaved a sigh of relief at this... if Issei were to accept the realm King offer then he will surely be outshined by the former. And that is not something he wanted... not after all the sacrifice he has made.


    "...I see. So be it then." Mu Xuanyin said after a brief silence: "Then I will only take one disciple as promised."


    After a brief period of being stunned, everyone immediately reacted. Mu Huanzhi cheerfully accepted it with a "Sect Master is wise" and then turned around lightning quick. He hollered with a thunderous voice, "Feixue!"


    To the side, Mu Yunzhi also charged to Mu Hanyi from overhead. With a wave of her hand, she completely pushed aside all disciples that were within three hundred meters of Mu Hanyi. "Hanyi, begin now!"


    Ice spirits of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake were by no means ordinary ice spirits. Each and every one of them was formed by the heavenly lake''s cold energy and possessed high-level consciousness and close to complete souls. Even if it was a profound practitioner that only cultivated ice profound arts, not being rejected by these kinds of ice spirits was already extremely hard, let alone communicating with them.


    As a result, even though this "trial" that came from the Snow Song Realm King herself seemed to be extremely simple, it was an overall test of one''s constitution, innate talent, comprehension of laws, and control.


    The more one''s body had an affinity with ice type powers, the more thorough one was in comprehending ice type laws, the greater control one had over ice type power, naturally meant that it was much more likely for them to not be rejected by the heavenly lake''s ice spirits. After that, they could then try to communicate with them and slowly attract them over¡­ if one''s control of ice type powers was great enough, then they could even master these ice spirits and use them as their own.


    In comparison, one''s cultivation in the profound way wasn''t really important in this trial.


    Every time the Realm King selected a direct disciple, she had never placed any importance on their cultivation level at that time. This was because the cultivation level at a certain time was just a cultivation level at a certain time. Comprehension of laws and mastery of control was what decided cultivation speed and the limits one was capable of reaching in the future!


    This was why Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue were publicly acknowledged as the most qualified two people to become the Realm King''s direct disciple despite only ranking in the middle in terms of strength.


    That being said, those with high innate talent would never be low in cultivation compared to peers of the same age. It was also Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue who were unmatched in terms of cultivation when compared to peers of the same age in the entire Snow Song Realm. After all, innate talent and strength usually went hand in hand anyway.


    Mu Hanyi didn''t need Mu Yunzhi''s reminder as his body was already drifting with blue light. After several breaths, he had already channeled his frost powers to their limits. The rich, pure cold energy carried his soul energy, spreading it toward his surroundings.


    On the other side, Mu Feixue''s eyes were closed, her quiet expression possessing the purity of a snow lotus.


    It was obviously not just Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue who were attracting ice spirits. Almost all of the divine hall disciples were doing their best to release both their profound energy and soul energy¡­ Even though they knew their chances were uncertain, if they were able to become the sect master''s direct disciple, that was undoubtedly the same as reaching heaven in one step. Even if their chances were slim, they still wanted to do their best...


    But... What the hell is happening right now!? Not a single ice spirit is coming their way! Not even towards Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue way!


    Those ice spirits keep looking at a certain direction with a... longing look? Yes, a longing look! And that direction is the direction of their sect honored guest!


    Brother... can you please go away from this place for now? At this rate, we won''t be able to attract a single ice spirit to our way! This is what most disciples wanted to say out loud but they obviously don''t dare to say it outright...


    They wanted to cry but they have no tears right now... If it was any other person then they would send him off but he''s their realm king honored guest! Not even the elder dares to say anything right now...


    "...Go towards them," Issei said softly after realizing the bitter look everyone showcased towards him.


    The ice spirits look at each other before they do what he said... but, the direction they''re going is not the disciples who are trying their best to attract them but rather towards Xia Qingyue and the others who are currently cultivating silently right now...


    "Not them... the other them," Issei said with a sigh.


    Once again, the ice spirit looks at each other while feeling a little disappointed... they reluctantly go towards the disciples for real this time...


    If they can hear what they''re rambling right now, perhaps those disciples will puke blood out of anger.


    ''Jeez, King is so stingy... we obviously want to serve him... or at least stay by his side... why should we go to this humans instead...'' Is what they said.


    Issei of course can hear and understand them but he chooses to stay silent... They really are like children, Issei thought to himself.


    "..." Everyone there who saw this felt their face spasm by quite a lot...


    What is this feeling... if being treated as a second option is bad enough, then what about the last option? This is exactly what''s happening right now. They wanted to cry but had no tears!


    They want to complain but don''t dare to do so in front of their realm king...


    Actually, even Mu Xuanyin herself is stupefied by this sight. To think that he can command the ice spirits like that...


    And she can feel her mount is acting in a quite submissive manner right now for some reason. It usually always let out an awe-inspiring aura, but now...


    She tried asking it but it only shakes its head much to her disappointment.


    The lakewater in the profound formation continuously dripped, bringing on the passing of time. Above the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, the fierce battle over the heavenly lake''s ice spirits began its first act. It was incomparably silent and incomparably intense.


    They decided to put away their indignance on Issei away for now and focus to attract the ice spirits instead.


    Attracting and controlling low-level ice spirits were overly simple tasks to the divine hall disciples but due to the ice spirits within heavenly lake being too pure and their senses being too sharp, simply not being ostracized by them was already extremely difficult. Making contact and attracting them to one''s side, even if it were merely one ice spirit, were tasks far more difficult beyond their imagination.


    As for Issei''s case, they decided to ignore his existence altogether... because if not, their common sense will start to crumble sooner or later...


    Fifteen minutes passed¡­ An hour passed¡­ A divine hall disciple in the middle stage of the Divine Tribulation Realm finally managed to attract one ice spirit to his side. At this point, there were two ice spirits dancing around him. However their dancing was slow and the path of movement was constantly changing, as though they might leave at any time.


    He let out a long sigh of relief as his concentration began to relax slightly. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the divine hall disciple closest to him only had one ice spirit dancing around. The person next to him had two ice spirits just like him. As his eyes swept around, he saw that there were people who already had three ice spirits.


    His heart suddenly skipped a beat as his eyes saw Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue in the distance...


    Besides the two of them, there were five ice spirits dancing around each of them. The ice spirits around them were much more lively and he could inadvertently feel the joy of these ice spirits... but it''s not as joyful when they were around that anomaly though...


    The gap was too big¡­ Not only were Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue the two best disciples of Ice Phoenix Divine Hall, but they were also far better than the rest. When talking about Ice Phoenix Divine Hall, anyone within the sect would only instantly think of Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue and not some other third person.


    In this battle for the spot of a direct disciple, everyone similarly only thought of Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue. The disciple ranked third in terms of talent¡­ never even entered the picture.


    He let out a deep sigh in his heart as he finally gave up. The two ice spirits that he had attracted with difficulty were being dispersed by him and he no longer cared about the ice spirits. Instead, he gathered his energy around his heart and began to use the cold energy of the lake''s water to refine his body and profound veins.


    Nearly half of the divine hall disciples had completely given up at the hour mark. To chase after a glimpse of unlikely hope and wasting an hour of their time within the heavenly lake had already made them extremely regretful.


    Two hours had passed and eighty percent of the divine hall disciples had already completely given up. However, there were still several hundred disciples who were still trying fervently.


    All the elders and palace masters were also quietly absorbing the heavenly lake''s cold energy. However, they were not like the various disciples who completely concentrated but instead left half of their consciousness outside, observing the actions of the various disciples at all times. It was especially so for the ice phoenix palace masters since the disciples of Ice Phoenix Palace were relatively weaker. As time passed by, they would not be able to withstand remaining within the heavenly lake.


    At the same time, they were all observing the unprecedented battle of ice spirits. The main points of focus were undoubtedly Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue.


    The results were also not surprising. The two of them had attracted the most ice spirits. After two hours had passed, they each had ten ice spirits around them and were evenly matched. Although the other disciples had done all that they could, the next best only had seven ice spirits around them. Below that, those who had five ice spirits were also few and far between and the gap between them could be easily seen.


    Amongst the seventy-two elders, there were two people who were not within the heavenly lake but instead were high up in the air¡ªMu Huanzhi and Mu Yunzhi. Mu Feixue and Mu Hanyi; one of them was the granddaughter while the other was the disciple. They were definitely exceptionally concerned and did not even have the heart to enjoy the lake''s cold energy. Mu Huanzhi was still relatively calm while Mu Yunzhi''s eyes constantly shone and her aura did not calm down even for a second. Her hands were clenched tightly together, only occasionally relaxing. Only her mouth remained constantly shut as she didn''t dare to let out any noise that might disturb Mu Hanyi.


    A cry of pain suddenly rang from below. At the edge of the heavenly lake, the body of an Ice Phoenix Palace disciple was twitching vigorously. His face was completely devoid of blood and he was starting to lose control of the cold energy that was entering his body and it was on the brink of going berserk.


    The palace master of the Ice Phoenix Palace he resided immediately opened her eyes and flew from the heavenly lake, grabbing him and throwing him to the bank of the heavenly lake. Color instantly returned to the Ice Phoenix disciple''s face and he got up in shame before silently sitting down at the side of the lake.


    Each person''s profound strength, talent, physique, and ability to withstand the cold energy was different. Once a person''s limit was exceeded, they would have no choice but to leave. If one forcefully tried to re-enter the heavenly lake, they would injure himself instead. However, the cold energy at the side of the lake which was much "gentler" was still exceptionally valuable and no time should be wasted.


    As time passed, more and more disciples were starting to be unable to bear the heavenly lake''s cold energy. They could only leave the heavenly lake and come to the bank to calmly refine and maintain the benefits that they had reaped today.


    Furthermore, even the Ice Phoenix Palace disciple who stayed in the heavenly lake for the shortest amount of time, a mere two hours, could clearly feel as though he had been reborn.


    Refining the pure cold energy from the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was far superior to even consuming thousands of elixirs.


    Gradually, four hours had passed. All three thousand and five hundred disciples from Ice Phoenix Palace had been forced out of the heavenly lake and remained at the bank of the lake. Within the heavenly lake, only the various disciples from the divine hall still remained.


    And that includes Xia Qingyue''s group.


    While others have already given up, they are still cultivating normally while disregarding the ongoing competition...


    As of right now, some of them could achieve breakthrough right in this instant but they decided not to attract too much attention to themselves just like Mu Bingyun advised.


    They will only breakthrough when they return to their palace...


    "...Why don''t you let them attract some of the ice spirits as well, young friend?" Mu Sushan asked curiously while looking at Xia Qingyue''s group direction: "Judging from the previous sight, they should''ve been able to attract a lot of ice spirits."


    "That''s because they want to just be a normal disciple and not to attract too much attention to themselves." Mu Bingyun said softly so that only them both can hear it.


    "Oh... such a shame then." Mu Sushan sighed in pity.


    Due to the tremendous lead that Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue had, there were fewer and fewer disciples trying their best to attract ice spirits. From a few hundred to several dozen to the final few¡­ When the final divine hall disciple opened his eyes, he saw that around both Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue had twenty ice spirits dancing around them. When he looked up and only saw fourteen ice spirits surrounding him, he became disheartened and sighed lightly. Accepting his fate, he waved his hand, instantly dispersing all the ice spirits around him.


    There was no lack of geniuses in the world. However, there was an insufficient number of unparalleled geniuses. In front of these unparalleled geniuses, the other geniuses could only become the supporting cast.


    Two-thirds of the way into this battle of ice spirits, it had already completely turned into a battle between Mu Hanyi and Mu Feixue¡­ This result however, was completely unsurprising.


    "Judging from the situation now, ignoring the Ice Phoenix''s bloodline, Hanyi''s innate talent is not below Feixue''s. Attaining such results with a male body is undoubtedly a thousand-year rare find," Mu Huanzhi muttered to himself with deep lament. From the situation at present, the two were evenly matched. However, he was very clear that after six hours, if the two were still evenly matched, it would undoubtedly be Mu Hanyi who would win¡­ The first reason was due to the fact that he was male. The second reason was due to the high praise that everyone sang for him and the respect that he had earned.


    He instinctively glances at the anomaly...


    "...Young friend. Why don''t you join our sect instead? With your talent and strength, surely you will be able to shine even more brightly." Mu Huanzhi asked with a hopeful tone.


    The other elders turn their head and they had to agree that if Issei were to join their sect then it will be very beneficial to the whole sect and realm.


    "Perhaps you could even become the next realm king." One of the sect elders blurted out without thinking but soon her face becomes pale while she hastily apologizes towards Mu Xuanyin.


    "It''s fine..." Mu Xuanyin who overheard their conversation said in a calm tone.


    "I also think that he could become the next realm king if he were to join our sect." Her words made all of them become amazed.


    Mu Bingyun''s hand paused in place and didn''t move for a long while, amazement that didn''t scatter for a long period of time within her gaze. Behind her, Mu Xiaolan started thinking if Ise really becomes their realm king... won''t that be a great thing?! Even Mu Bingyun share the same thought as her disciple.


    By then, perhaps he will share some of his secrets? That one where he could easily help Xia Qingyue''s group achieve breakthrough after breakthrough is more than enough for her...


    But Mu Hanyi who was doing his best flinched a little which made him lose his concentration.


    ''Bad!'' He screamed inside his mind. Soon, he lost four of the ice spirits and they went towards Mu Feixue side instead.


    The time limit had now reached the last fifteen minutes of its deadline. Fifteen minutes was only enough for them to attract one ice spirit¡­


    Him losing four spirits right this instant is quite fatal...


    And this mishap will be the cause of his defeat.


    "Feixue won!" The final outcome had clearly emerged within these last fifteen minutes. Everything was finally settled after the last ice spirit''s selection.


    "Hahahahaha!" Mu Huanzhi completely relaxed. Even though he had several thousand years of cultivation under his belt, he was unable to suppress the mad joy he felt as he laughed heartily: "Good grandaughter! Very good! Hahahahaha!"


    Mu Yunzhi gritted her teeth in absolute anger. It was intense to such a degree but the final outcome simply did not have anything to do with one''s strength but more so one''s resonance with the ice spirits and also concentration! This idiot just completely lost his concentration just now!


    She crackled her fist feeling indignant.


    Mu Hanyi himself face turned white completely... because of just one mishap... all is lost...


    Even though he said that he won''t mind losing against Mu Feixue before, he still can''t accept this outcome... he should''ve been the winner!


    He inadvertently glared at Issei but his body shudder greatly when Issei glanced back at him. He doesn''t know why but he suddenly feels extremely restless all of the sudden...


    "Since Mu Feixue is the winner then I will take her as my direct disciple." Mu Xuanyin voice rang out at this moment.


    Everyone gave their salute and congratulatory words at Mu Huanzhi and Mu Feixue.


    Mu Huanzhi couldn''t be any happier while Mu Feixue stays calm but she looks at Issei''s direction.


    She knows that if it weren''t for Issei''s interference, it would''ve been her lost...


    "Since we''re done here, let''s go back. Girls..." Issei called out softly towards Xia Qingyue''s group.


    All of that commotion isn''t enough to bother them in the slightest and yet, a single word from Issei is enough to make them open their eyes.


    They stood up in unison and immediately flew towards Issei''s side standing silently as if they''re his personal maids...


    The men who saw this sight felt extremely jealous... Mu Hanyi even more so since he just lost his biggest chance he had because of Issei.


    All of them really want to see just what kind of otherworldly face lies beneath that veil... As for the women, it''s Issei.


    Some of the female elders decided that they should ask Mu Bingyun later to see if she will let them see him personally.


    When Issei was about to leave the lake, Mu Xuanyin sends a voice transmission towards him: "Wait. I want you to meet me here again later."


    Issei stopped in his tracks and look back. After a brief silence, he gives a slight nod.


    It''s not Mu Xuanyin herself that wants to meet him, but rather it''s the ice phoenix.


    Then his group left the lake...


    The others are still staying there since their ceremony is not over.


    Although they realize that Issei is leaving, since the realm king herself doesn''t say anything, they won''t bother either.


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan accompany them back.


    ...


    During their journey back, Mu Bingyun who has been silent the whole time finally spoke: "Benefactor Ise... Can you help Xiaolan just like you help Xia Qingyue and the others?"


    "Ah?!" Mu Xiaolan let out a yelp when she heard her Master''s words.


    "Hm?" Issei glanced at Mu Bingyun.


    "I''m willing to give you anything as payment for your help." She bowed at Issei.


    "Master! You don''t need to do this! I''m already content with just staying by your side!" Mu Xiaolan frantically said.


    "Say no more... it''s already master fault for hindering your growth until now."


    "But..."


    Mu Bingyun shook her head at Xiaolan preventing the latter from saying anything else.


    "...Sure. Right now, I don''t have anything in mind, but when I will inform you when I need something." Issei said softly after a bit of thinking.


    "Um, then I thank you, benefactor Ise." Mu Bingyun said with a thin smile.


    Mu Xiaolan''s mouth becomes wide agape since she never thought that Issei will be willing to accept her master''s request in helping her...


    "Just come along with the girls when we''re having our small session later." Issei said towards the dazed Mu Xiaolan.


    "Xiaolan, hurry and thank benefactor Ise." Mu Bingyun said softly.


    "A-Ah! X-Xiaolan is grateful for senior brother Ise''s benevolence!" She said stutteringly.


    "Um." Issei nodded lightly as a response.


    After a few moments, they finally arrived at their lodging...


    ...


    While the girls went back to their respective room to cultivate once again, Issei is leaning against the window when he sensed a presence coming his way.


    He put on his mask since this presence is not the presence of Mu Bingyun or the other girls.


    It was also at the same time that the figure of a woman before him slowly turned around. An otherworldly, bright and beautiful face so seductive that it could devour hearts appeared before Issei''s eyes once more.


    It is none other than Mu Xuanyin, but only in the body while the dominant personality right now is Chi Wuyao''s.


    "What do you want now?" Issei said tiredly.


    "Hehehe, must young master be this cold towards me~? I just want to greet young master, am I not allowed to do so?" She said in a pitiful manner.


    Issei sighed while thinking that there''s a second Nyarlathotep arriving in front of him...


    [How cruel, dear husband! I''m clearly more beautiful than this ant~] Nyarlathotep pouting voice rang inside Issei''s mind.


    What she said is true though... her beauty indeed has surpassed all women Issei has come across in this world.


    At this moment, ''Mu Xuanyin'' sweetly giggled as she suddenly began slowly sashaying toward Issei¡­ she seemed to have only taken two steps, yet her figure blurred and then suddenly appeared in front of him.


    The face before his eyes was beautiful enough to charm everything under the heavens, especially the pair of watery, phoenix eyes which sparkled, they were exceptionally enchanting.


    She slowly raised one of her small, smooth white hands and gently poked Issei''s chest: "Tell me young master... what does it need to make you help me? What do you want in exchange for your help? If me alone is not enough for your satisfaction... will all women from my realm will do?"


    She asked while fluttering her eyelids at Issei.


    "Help? What do you need my help with?" Issei ignored the second part of her words and asked back.


    "Well... you should already know who I am, yes?" After all, Issei has read the memories of her soul strand on Mu Xuanyin''s body before.


    Chi Wuyao is Ruthless and scheming. But sometimes extremely seductive, charming, and playful.


    Since being ruthless and headstrong in front of Issei is useless, she might as well be as seductive as she could hoping to entice him. But so far, her seduction is rendered useless...


    Ten thousand years ago Chi Wuyao, the eternal heaven realm, and the Brahma God realm fought against each other close to the Northern Divine Region''s border. Towards the end, Snow Song Realm King Mu Xuanyin appeared and joined the fight, but she had been quickly subdued by Chi Wuyao before she brought Mu Xuanyin away.


    Before she sent Mu Xuanyin back to Snow Song Realm, Chi Wuyao put 10% of her Nirvana Devil Emperor soul inside of Mu Xuanyin so that she could spy on the Realm of the Gods through Mu Xuanyin wanting to control her, but in the end, they had a deal instead. But it''s mostly because of the interference of the Ice Phoenix soul within Mu Xuanyin.


    In exchange for making her become stronger, Chi Wuyao makes Mu Xuanyin her spy. But to be a perfect spy, she has to erase her memories about their little deal. This is why Mu Xuanyin''s soul isn''t trying to resist Chi Wuyao''s influence.


    "And the help I need from you is... to set us free from our little ''birdcage''." She said softly.


    "Meaning you want me to help you resist the attack from the other regions?" Issei asked in a dull tone.


    They could leave their region but they will immediately become weaker so they''re akin to a bird in a cage indeed...


    "Yes... If needed, we''re willing to serve young master to the best of our capabilities. I''m also willing to give you the seat of the realm king as long as you''re willing to lead us... I have the Nine Witches, twenty-seven Devil Spirits and three hundred and sixty Soul Attendants under my command. A trillion beings of darkness are at my every beck and call. All of them can be yours if you''re willing to help us... With young master''s strength, together, we can take over the whole God realm as ours." She said with glistening eyes.


    "And why would I do that? If I were to take your offer, will you suck my blood essences just like your previous four husbands?" Issei asked blandly totally uninterested with her offer.


    "Heheheheh¡­" Issei''s words caused Chi Wuyao to let out an unrestrained laugh. That coquettish and seductive laughter rang out in the air once more before she replied: "Young master really knows how to jest... Never in my wildest dream that I would do that. Especially since young master is so charming and powerful... which women won''t be throwing themselves at you? Besides, those four men deserve it... Ah but don''t worry, I''m still a bonafide v.i.r.g.i.n~" She said with a wink.


    "And Young master should know that we''re by no means evil... we are treated as the ''devil'' just because of our mastery over the dark energy. Those hypocrites only know how to judge others but unable to judge themselves. We just wanted our freedom back." Her voice this time turned serious and hopeful.


    "Perhaps you''re not evil... but what about the other ''devils''?" Issei retorted.


    "Then young master is free to do as you fit with them. If young master desire so, I''m willing to kill whoever stands in your way... including my own ''kind''." She said lightly


    "I will think about it later. For now, you should give Mu Xuanyin the control of her body back since I need to meet her and the ice phoenix soon." Issei said with a wave, pushing her body back a few meters away.


    "Hehe, fine... I will wait for that moment where young master will be willing to lead us~" Then she leaves the place and Issei sighed for a moment before he heads towards the Netherfrost lake once again.

 Chapter 129 - 128

    When Issei arrived at the lake once again, Mu Xuanyin is already there waiting for him.


    There was no one else in this lake other than them two. The previously crowded lake is now empty with the exception of the ice spirits...


    She was closing her eyes and when she sensed Issei''s presence, she opened her eyes.


    Her current gaze is completely different compared to when Chi Wuyao ''take over'' her body.


    Her deadly seductiveness had disappeared. It had completely disappeared and in its place, was an overbearing feeling of power. The formerly slightly curved eyes had become narrowed and straight, presenting a majesty that will cause others to unconsciously tremble with fear. The charming gaze had transformed into an icy glare which could freeze one''s soul, with but a glance.


    Issei calmly gazes back at her. But Issei is still wearing his mask.


    "...Just who are you?" After they both silently gazing at each other, Mu Xuanyin asked in a cold voice.


    Her voice was completely devoid of the gentleness and coquettishness of earlier and was instead as cold as the frigid arctic wind. Each word was filled with power and majesty.


    Issei doesn''t answer her directly and continues to stay silent making Mu Xuanyin feel a little annoyed.


    "You have one of the heavenly treasures within your possession... And your cultivation is clearly a fake. What is your purpose for coming here? There is no way someone like you would come to this middle-rank star realm without a definite purpose!" She released her oppressive aura trying to intimidate Issei but she knows that it won''t be of any use to him.


    But she suddenly reeled in her aura in the next moment because she suddenly feels that Issei is harmless. Although she wasn''t sure why she suddenly feel this way in the first place...


    While she doesn''t know, Issei knows that she has been influenced by the Ice Phoenix just now.


    It looks like the Ice Phoenix doesn''t want Mu Xuanyin to anger Issei... not that he really mind in the first place though. He would''ve done the same if he was in her position after all.


    "You don''t need to worry... I won''t bring harm to you or your sister as long as you don''t do anything stupid towards the girls I brought with me." Issei said calmly.


    "..." Mu Xuanyin is the one who becomes silent at this moment.


    "You must feel a bit confused about why you suddenly don''t have any wariness towards me. The reason for that lies at the bottom of this lake."


    "...How did you know this?" Mu Xuanyin asked feeling confused and wary at the same time.


    She indeed feels a little confused about why she suddenly doesn''t feel any threat from Issei out of nowhere.


    If Issei didn''t remind her then perhaps she would''ve ignored it like usual.


    "The one that lies at the bottom of this lake is the same Ice Phoenix your sect worshipped." Issei''s words made her eyes went wide.


    "Impossible!" She denied it almost immediately.


    "Whether it''s impossible or not, you will know the truth soon enough. Why do you think you suddenly wanted to meet me here out of all places? We could''ve met anywhere else but why here? The place that is considered the most sacred within your sect?" Issei said as a matter of fact.


    Now Mu Xuanyin is completely lost for words.


    "The Ice Phoenix wanted to meet me and she influenced your soul so that you don''t feel any wariness towards me since you don''t have to in the first place... If I wanted to cause harm to you or your sect... I won''t need to do it in a roundabout way. I can just erase your realm with the snap of my finger." Issei released a little bit of his aura which surpasses Mu Xuanyin''s by miles apart.


    A crimson aura surges forth from Issei''s body and the nearby ice spirits hastily kneeled towards Issei''s direction while letting out a chirping sound as if they''re trying to appease his ''anger''...


    Mu Xuanyin''s whole body becomes frozen solid as if she''s being encased in ice itself. Which is a little ironic considering that she''s an ice user herself...


    She has never felt anything close to Issei''s current aura... What is this?! Just what kind of strength is this!? How is it possible! She keeps repeating the same question inside her mind.


    Her full strength doesn''t even come close to this! She felt like she''s as tiny as an ant, no, a speck of dust in front of this overwhelming strength... it''s basically a child''s play! To think that she was trying to threaten someone like him...


    After a while, Issei took back his aura, and only then Mu Xuanyin can finally break free of her frozen state.


    She started to take deep breaths while sweating profusely. Just with his oppressive aura alone, Mu Xuanyin felt like if Issei wanted to then he can squish her to death with it.


    "Now do you believe me?" Issei asked her.


    "..." She can only nod dumbly at Issei. What a joke... with that pressure alone, he can easily destroy a high ranked star as easy as squashing an ant! Needless to say about the middle-ranked star realm.


    "Now wait here. I will go and meet the Ice Phoenix." After he said that, Issei immediately jumps down to the lake without letting Mu Xuanyin give a proper response.


    Mu Xuanyin can only blankly stare at Issei''s last location...


    It looks like her sister were right. He seems to be a forgiving person because if it were anyone else, they won''t take being threatened like that lightly.


    Chi Wuyao who has been observing through Mu Xuanyin''s vision shivered greatly herself.


    It looks like she was right... if she can get Issei to help her then her dream won''t be just a dream any longer! The whole Northern region will surely be released of their ''cage'' and rise to the top in the blink of an eye!


    The question now is... just what can she offer to get his help? Wealth? he doesn''t seem like someone that is lacking in that field... Women? Well, she already tried but he doesn''t seem too interested... As for position, does he even need one with that kind of might? What else then?


    This is the first time that Chi Wuyao felt extremely frustrated about something... usually, she can use her charm to assist her but now... What can she offer him as an exchange? Her everything? She doesn''t really mind as long as he can bring glory to her ''kind''...


    They don''t have that much time left before the Northern region completely disappears...


    ...


    Issei dived into the lake at a rapid pace.


    Ten feet...


    Fifty feet...


    Hundred feet...


    Inside the heavenly lake, there''s an inconceivably heavy cold energy that could make your average person frozen solid.


    And following his gradual submergence, the cold energy also gradually became heavier.


    To others, the heavenly lake''s cold energy was a nightmare. However, to Issei, it is no different from a normal lake at this point.


    Even if the cold energy was a hundred times heavier, it still wouldn''t be able to harm him. Instead, it would allow him to recover faster by absorbing its cold energy.


    But Issei chooses not to absorb the energy within this lake since if he were to do so, the Ice Phoenix might receive some backlash...


    He can tell that the Ice Phoenix is extremely weak at this point. Although it seems that it''s not a soul residue like Xiaotao or Lieyan, her current situation more or less is the same as the previous two.


    Issei continued his dive and sped up the pace...


    Four thousand feet...


    Ten thousand feet...


    Fifty thousand feet...


    A crystalline blue light suddenly appeared in the underwater world which was supposed to be completely devoid of light.


    No less than a thousand feet beneath his feet was astonishingly the imprint of a strangely shaped blue colored arcing light.


    It was fifty thousand feet beneath the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, yet he somehow miraculously couldn''t sense any water pressure. The cold energy here was also terrifying to the point where it couldn''t be described with the word "heavy". After all, this cold vein, which didn''t seem to even reach a thousand meters, brought severe coldness to the entire Snow Song Realm.


    He then saw an odd light suddenly flashed from the corner of his eyes.


    Issei stopped to a halt, as his gaze shifted toward the source of the light.


    As he quickly neared, the light also became even more l.u.s.trous.


    Broken pieces of sand began appearing on the bottom of the heavenly lake. Each one was translucent and bright, like pearls as they reflected a dreamy blue light.


    After passing through the jewel-like broken sand, he came closer and closer to that exceptionally bright blue light.


    Issei move closer yet again and was soon able to see that it was astonishingly a block of ice.


    From a distance, he was able to see that the block of ice was shaped like a diamond. Having not yet reached three feet wide and ten feet long, it was positioned right in the center of the heavenly lake''s cold vein. Even though it was floating within the water, it was so peaceful that it felt as though it was embedded in a world of ice


    After seeing the block of ice, Issei narrowed his eyes because there was actually a person inside the ice...


    The illusory figure of a girl.


    The girl''s arms were wrapped around her knees and her head was buried between her knees too, hugging herself into a ball. She was completely n.a.k.e.d, exposing long, white legs and feet as delicate as lotuses. Her n.a.k.e.d skin looked as sparkly and glossy as the light of moons and stars even through the wall of ice.


    Her long hair spread down her body and every hair looked as white as ice, tinged with a tiny bit of light blue¡­ It looked very similar to Mu Xuanyin. Every one of her hairs looked like they were enveloped in the cold light of ice and snow.


    The hair that looked like ice jade covered up her face and her most forbidden private parts too.


    She looked as beautiful as a painting that could only appear inside a dream. Although he couldn''t see her face, there was no doubt that a dreamlike body like this could only be matched by a countenance that would make even ice and snow hang their proverbial heads in shame.


    Not that it really matters to Issei anyway...


    "What do you call me here for, Ice Phoenix?" Issei asked out of nowhere.


    "...I welcome you to my humble ''abode'', GodKing..."


    Her voice felt as pure and intangible as a clear spring that flowed through the center of one''s heart.


    She could already sense Issei''s arrival the moment he stepped into the sect. His domineering aura is not something those normal cultivators could sense but for a Divine being like her, it is like a beacon of light.


    "How surprising... to think that you''re still alive, Ice Phoenix... albeit barely." Lieyan and Xiaotao comes out from the and both of them stand behind Issei immediately.


    Since they''re basically connected to Issei, they are not harmed by the cold energy in their surroundings.


    The Ice Phoenix gaze flickered for a moment when she saw Lieyan and Xiaotao.


    "There is no need to be surprised," The Ice Phoenix said: "I may still exist but I am incomparable to the two of you who basically underwent a process of ''rebirth'' through his excellency''s help... I can only preserve the tiniest shreds of my life source and soul source. Not only can I never recover but I may never be able to leave this cold vein either. I cannot even return to my true body and have no choice but to maintain the shape of a human... Meaning that there is but a little margin between me and true death."


    She deduced that the Phoenix and the Golden Crow before her is not the real one but rather a soul remnant of the former two. But they''re basically no different than the real Phoenix and the Golden Crow at this point... No, the current them will even surpass the old Phoenix and Golden Crow.


    Their strength will grow indefinitely as long as Issei is still alive. And if by chance the both of them received his true ''blessing'' in the future... they will practically enter the Creation God realm in one go.


    "Indeed... but with Master''s help, I''m sure you could retain your life and also regain your full strength. But in return, you have to become his servant." Lieyan smirked.


    "..." The Ice Phoenix calmly gazed at Lieyan first then at Issei: "If his excellency is willing to take me in then I don''t see any reason to refuse... Before I knew it, a million years have passed since that disaster. More than once have I wished to die and end my petty life and eternal loneliness... Although I already accepted my fate, being alive is obviously a good thing." She said softly at the end.


    The Ice Phoenix doesn''t have any problem if she were told to become Issei''s servant. Just the fact that the Phoenix and the Golden Crow is willing to serve him as their master that can only mean that he''s someone worthy of their loyalty... this is especially true for the Golden Crow who is well known for her pride.


    "The hope to see with my own eyes whether that day will arrive has kept me from ending my life¡­ That day hasn''t arrived even though I''ve waited a million years. But your excellency arrived first... I suppose this is the plan of fate¡­" She added,


    Both Xiaotao and Lieyan know what she meant and the same goes for Issei.


    "If you''re talking about that ''calamity'' then you don''t need to worry. I will handle it when the time comes." He said calmly.


    After all, he already knows that those calamities are beings that are corrupted by Nyarlathotep''s . It would be easy for him to eliminate them all...


    "Um... I''m grateful for your excellency benevolence." Issei is not a person of this world yet he''s willing to go this far for them... if that''s not called benevolent then she doesn''t know what is.


    "And I can sense a familiar presence surrounding your excellency... was this presence is the one I think it is?" The Ice Phoenix asked softly.


    "If you''re talking about the daughter of the Heretic God then you''re right. Master indeed took them in." Xiaotao said gently.


    "I see..." She nodded before she continues speaking: "You both might not know this since you''re the soul residue of the original Phoenix and Golden Crow... In your memories, there should be some rumors from the ancient Era of Gods. Included among them is the insider''s secret of Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor banishing a Devil Emperor as well as nine hundred devil gods under their command outside of the Primal Chaos."


    Both of them nodded at this since they indeed have some knowledge about it.


    "Then do you know why, Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E, would forcefully slay that Devil Emperor?" Her voice was feeble and gentle, as though soft whispers under the moon.


    Both of them frowned a little since they are not sure about this.


    "As far as I know, the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E was incomparably upright and abhorred evil and thought that ones who used negative profound energy were all evil existences. Since the fragment of the Ancestral Divine Art was left behind by the Ancestral God at the beginning of Primal Chaos, it definitely couldn''t be left in the hands of the devil race. Thus, he forcibly seized it in such a way." Xiaotao said what she knows.


    "Tell me. Does it have something to do with his daughters?" Issei suddenly asked.


    "Yes..." The Ice Phoenix sighed lightly, revealing the feeling of resignation from the ancient times. "Back then, it was indeed the rumor spread through both the gods and devils, the ''truth'' known to them. However¡­ the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E was a god whose temperament was extremely upright and abhors evil. He naturally viewed such vulgar methods with extreme disdain and precisely because of that, the Devil Emperor calmly attended the appointment without being much on guard. Yet Mo E, with the Ancestral Divine Art as bait, schemed against that Devil Emperor."


    "The Heaven Punishing Emperor Mo E was unable to completely wield the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword. Every time he used the power of the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword, he would lose large amounts of lifespan. Even though he could triumph over that Devil Emperor without the sword, there was no way he could beat the Devil Emperor and the nine hundred Devil Gods together without the help of the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword''s power. Yet, he used the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword even at the cost of losing large amounts of his lifespan."


    "The Devil Emperor Mo E plotted against, was named the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, one of the four great Devil Emperors, an existence equal to the god race''s Creation Gods. The realms of gods and devils had always been incompatible but they had never entirely become enemies. However, scheming and killing a Devil Emperor would unquestionably stir the fury of the entire devil realm. The consequences of that would very possibly cause the two realms to thoroughly meet each other with hostility, triggering fierce wars¡­ That was a catastrophe beyond imagination. There was also no way that Heaven Punishing Emperor Mo E, hadn''t thought of such a consequence."


    "To scheme despicably and lose large amounts of his life span, despite the consequences of gods and devils completely becoming hostile to each other, he still chose to kill the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor¡­ How could the reason merely be because of the Ancestral Divine Art''s fragment that belonged to the devil race in the first place?"


    "Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor?" Issei who was silently listening to the Ice Phoenix frowned a little hearing this name. This name is quite similar to the words engraved on Hong''er sword form.


    What''s written in it was if he remembers correctly...


    Issei''s blood boils a little when he realizes it.


    Xiaotao and Lieyan shuddered a little when they sensed their master''s anger while the Ice Phoenix stiffened.


    "Tell me... is that Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor is the Heretic God''s wife?" Issei asked with a calm tone but the aura surrounding him is nothing but calm.


    "...Yes." The Ice Phoenix voice resounded within his mind and soul, as each and every word deeply imprinted into the depths of his soul: "The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor was the only female Devil Emperor of the four great Devil Emperors and she''s also the wife of the Heretic God."


    Issei clenched his fist when he heard the Ice Phoenix confirmation. His fist is making a crackling sound and it''s as if the cold energy surrounding them just got even colder and heavier that even the Ice Phoenix shuddered greatly...


    "Master, please calm your anger." Both Xiaotao and Lieyan went to his side and grasped his respective arm.


    [Calm yourself, Dragon King... Don''t let yourself be consumed by your anger] Nyarlathotep''s voice resounded within his mind. She doesn''t want Issei to lose himself in anger like this... what she wants is for him to lose himself with her own terms.


    She wanted to be the one who ''corrupt'' him. Not because of some random ant on the street!


    "...I''m fine." Issei took a deep breath to calm himself down... He can already guess the truth just from hearing the bits from the Ice Phoenix.


    Heretic God¡­ a god and at that time, he was still a Creation God.


    Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor¡­ The emperor of all devils, the strongest devil of the devil race.


    The god race and devil race that resided in a realm together and was against each other, two races incompatible with each other...


    The so-called upright, hatred abhorring Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E who never tolerated the devil race, how could he allow a god¡­ moreover, a Creation God, to fall in love with a Devil Emperor and even have an offspring! In his eyes, this must be the greatest shame of the god race. Only by making Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor vanish forever¡­ would the shame finally be washed away.


    This hypocrite way of thinking is so predictable and stupid... To Issei, someone who''s evil but stays true to their desire is much more likable rather than these hypocrites who call themselves righteous.


    "This taboo secret was only known by the Creation Gods within the god race. Back then, while I was fortunate enough to serve under the Creation God of Life, Li Suo and I found out about this matter at an extremely coincidental occasion. The Creation God of Life, Li Suo made me vow to never speak even half a word about it¡­ Thus, I became the only god who knew of such a forbidden secret other than the Creation Gods."


    "In the end, it also became the reason why I am unwilling to dissipate, even hanging to life in such a petty form."


    From the standpoint of the Ancient Era''s gods and devils, this was indeed a forbidden secret, a secret that definitely can''t be found out by the gods. Thus, the "truth" circulated back then, became that the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor had plotted against the Heaven Smiting Emperor for the fragment of the Ancestral Divine Art''s fragment and the Heaven Punishing Emperor Mo E would definitely not try to clear the facts up either.


    Ah right, it was also after that, that Heretic God abandoned the title of Creation God, bestowing the title Heretic God to himself¡­ So behind the scenes, was actually such a taboo reason.


    "Continue..." Issei said towards the Ice Phoenix.


    The Ice Phoenix voice resounded once more after that, "...Then your excellency should already know the rest about the matter of Heretic God and Mo E''s fierce battle, after that. However, Heretic God also knew Mo E''s personality. He was just too upright, abhorred evil too much, and had too strong of a view that gods and devils could not coexist. Him forcibly killing the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, was also for the name and dignity of the god race, as well as to prevent the god race''s unrest after the Heretic God''s actions were exposed. If Mo E was an evil and despicable person, he definitely wouldn''t have been acknowledged by the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword."


    "Because of that, he was aware himself that he could never take revenge against Mo E¡­ That fierce battle wasn''t entirely Heretic God venting his anger. I had heard indistinctly from Creation God of Life Li Suo, that the duel would decide the fate of the offspring between Heretic God and Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor."


    "What a joke," Issei said coldly: "This Heretic God might be an upright person himself but to me, he''s no different than that Mo E."


    "His wife has been plotted against and their daughter''s fate is even worse. But he couldn''t take revenge just because of that stupid reason? If it was me I would''ve killed Mo E and the rest of the God clan for harming my loved ones like that. Just because of some reputation he''s unwilling to take revenge? As a father and husband, he fails miserably." Issei scoffed at the end while the Ice Phoenix went into a daze.


    "You didn''t know about their daughter''s fate?" Xiaotao asked.


    "...I don''t know, I can recognize their daughter''s presence since they''re quite similar to the Heretic God." the Ice Phoenix responded slowly and lightly. "The rumors spread the most through the God Realm that time was that Heretic God had won. However, other than Mo E and Heretic God, there should be no one who truly knew the final result. Everyone only knew that Heretic God abandoned his title as the Creation God of Elements and titled himself Heretic God, becoming extraordinarily reclusive and shut-in. Very rarely did he show himself, and he no longer stuck his nose into anything relating to the god race."


    "They split their soul in two." Issei said coldly which made the Ice Phoenix flinched and if that''s not enough, Issei continues speaking.


    "One of them is sealed in a dark abyss with dense energy surrounded by mindless beasts and her only ''friend'' is the Netherworld Udambara Flowers. As for the other half, she''s poisoned by a potent poison and forced to go into hibernation inside the ."


    The Ice Phoenix becomes dumbfounded hearing Issei''s words... but his next words made her see Mo E in an entirely different light...


    "Also, on her other half body when she''s in her sword form, there''s a word engraved to it. Sounds familiar?" Issei asked her.


    The Ice Phoenix felt utterly dumbfounded at this... Heavens... to think Mo E could be so cruel...


    He basically wanted the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor''s own daughter to kill their own mother... Is he really a righteous person at this point? No wonder Issei becomes angry just now...


    "That Mo E should be thankful that he''s already dead. If not, I will find him and show him that there''s a fate much worse than death itself! I wonder if the Heretic God knows of this... it doesn''t matter if he''s seen as a hero or whatnot, to me he''s nothing but a failure of a father and husband." Issei said sharply.


    There could be some hidden story but Issei doesn''t really care at this point. Just the fact that the Heretic God can''t even avenge his wife''s and daughter''s fate is more than enough for Issei to look down on him.


    Issei sighed lightly before he stepped away from Ice Phoenix''s front. He needs to calm himself down a little bit...


    Xiaotao and Lieyan decided to give him some space for now.


    "Master is someone like this... he''s selfish but his selfishness is always out of someone he holds dear..." Xiaotao said gently while a thin smile adorning her face when she''s looking at her master who''s angry for someone else''s sake.


    "Indeed... He''s not someone who hides his true intention behind the word ''righteous'' or ''justice'' but I find him more attractive this way though." Lieyan said with a smile of her own.


    Now the Ice Phoenix knows a little bit better about Issei when she heard her fellow divine beasts words.


    "..." The Ice Phoenix was silent for a long while before she said softly, "Out of everyone I''ve seen, perhaps his excellency is the only person who''s not conflicted with his personality and true desire..."


    "You''re right, he always stays true to his own ''selfishness''..." Xiaotao responded.


    "Can you tell me how did you become his servant?" The Ice Phoenix then asked Xiaotao and Lieyan.


    "Well..." Then both Xiaotao and Lieyan shared their own story...


    ...


    After the Ice Phoenix finished hearing their story, she nodded understandingly.


    "Let''s wrap things up." Issei who has calmed himself down went back to the Ice Phoenix''s front.


    "Um... If your excellency wanted to then you can just absorb my divine energy just like you did to the Phoenix and the Golden Crow. No need to make me your servant if you don''t want to." The Ice Phoenix said straight to the point: "This is the least I can do for you as a reward for saving this world when the time comes..."


    "If I were to absorb your divine energy and take you away from here, what will happen to this lake? Will it lose its power?" Issei asked.


    "No, this lake has been created long before the Era of the Gods, it won''t matter if I''m here or not." The Ice Phoenix said.


    "Do you have a name?"


    "Name? I have long known as the Ice Phoenix... if it wasn''t for his excellency reminding me then perhaps I would''ve forgotten my name... Your excellency can call me Bing''er."


    "Fine. Bing''er, I will make you my servant just as I did with Xiaotao and Lieyan."


    "This slave understands..."


    "Don''t call yourself a slave in front of me. Just refer to yourself however you want."


    Issei frowned a little when the Ice Phoenix called herself a slave.


    Issei then free the Ice Phoenix from her ''cage'' but because she has been in the same position for millions of years, she can''t stand properly and she wobbled herself when she tried to stand on her own but Issei caught her fall.


    "Hold still," Since her situation is a little different than Xiaotao and Lieyan, Issei needed to infuse a bit of his Dragon aura into her first... so he took off his mask and touched their forehead together since its easier for him this way.


    The mark on his forehead glows slightly and his draconic aura entered Bing''er body like a surge of warm current.


    Xiaotao and Lieyan are quite weak compared to Bing''er after all considering the former two was only a soul residue while Bing''er is a True God.


    Bing''er who saw his face had her eyes widen while Xiaotao and Lieyan smirked lightly since there''s not a single woman in this world able to resist his charm. They''re willing to bet that not even Li Suo herself is able to do so...


    But they''re feeling a little envious of Bing''er current situation though... to be held in close proximity like that by their master...


    Bing''er eyes are fixated on Issei''s red eyes which made her feel a bit faint seeing how close they are right now. She can feel his intoxicating aura and smell at point-blank range...


    Issei took a tiny bit of her divine energy but not all of them since he doesn''t really need it any longer considering he''s almost fully recovered. What he needs to do now is to perfectly master his newly added strength by Nyarlathotep.


    He doesn''t want to lose control of his strength and harm those who are close to him.


    After a few moments, Issei finished absorbing her divine energy and also successfully stabilized her condition so she won''t dissipate any longer.


    "Done." Issei distanced his face away from but he still wrap his arm around her waist.


    "Can you stand properly now?" Issei asked.


    "Ah?" She let out a dumbfounded voice.


    "Nevermind, it seems that you''re still in no condition to properly stand considering I just absorbed your divine energy. But for now, you should wear some clothes." Issei snapped his finger and a brand new outfit wrapped themselves around her body.


    When all of his business here is finished, Issei instantly went back to the surface with Bing''er in his arms. Xiaotao and Lieyan went back to the .


    ...


    When the lakewater split open, Issei flew up from within the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake which made Mu Xuanyin who was waiting for him to become surprised.


    It truly is astonishing. She can only dive to a depth of twenty-three thousand feet, yet he is actually able to dive to a depth that she was unable to perceive...


    As for his face... No wonder he wears his mask. Her sister already told her that he has an otherworldly face but not to this extent...


    And as for the woman in his arms...


    She felt a strong sense of familiarity and also something else.


    Could he be the inheritor of the Heretic God legacy?


    "He''s not the Heretic God''s successor." Bing''er soft voice resounded as if she could read Mu Xuanyin''s mind.


    Mu Xuanyin once again feels surprised at this. Is she able to read her mind?!


    "Bing''er, I know that you''re influencing Mu Xuanyin''s decision through the wisp of soul you gave to her. You should free her from your influence now and let her be free to make her own decision. It is cruel and absurd when even one''s most basic instincts are being quietly manipulated by someone else. This is especially true for someone like her, someone who has so much pride and dignity"


    Bing''er froze for a moment before she let out a long and sad sigh as she said"...Yes, you''re correct Master... The reason why she was able to become the first Divine Master in the history of the Snow Song Realm and the reason behind her great increase in strength in recent years was because of the Ice Phoenix Divine Soul that I bestowed upon her a long time ago and also along with the influence of her other ''personality''. It is also precisely because of the existence of the Ice Phoenix Divine Soul that I am able to easily interfere with her will."


    Hearing their conversation, Mu Xuanyin is starting to feel dizzy... what? This woman gave her the Ice Phoenix Divine Soul? Doesn''t that mean she''s the Ice Phoenix herself?!


    Bing''er closed her eyes for a moment before there''s a faint blue light exiting Mu Xuanyin''s body.


    Mu Xuanyin who felt this suddenly felt more free and unrestrained than before...


    Issei then put Bing''er down since he can tell that Bing''er should be able to stand on her own by now: "I believe the two of you need to have a little conversation... I will go back first. You both can take your time."


    "Understood, Master." Bing''er bowed slightly at Issei''s words.


    Once Issei disappeared... Bing''er turned her gaze towards Mu Xuanyin...


    "No need to second guess yourself... I''m indeed the Ice Phoenix."


    "!!!" Mu Xuanyin is startled before she hastily kneeled and give her respect.


    "Get up. You don''t have to kneel before me... After all, I have wronged you after all this time..."


    Then they had their little conversation...


    ...


    "So what venerable Ice Phoenix God saying is that... that man is someone who''s even stronger than you?" Mu Xuanyin asked in a daze after they had their little conversation.


    "Yes... as for his true identity... I can''t tell you everything but it would be best if you treat him with the best of your capabilities. Don''t ever try to get on his bad side or it will be the end of your entire realm..." Bing''er said advisingly.


    Oh, you don''t need to tell her that... she already witnessed his strength at first hand after all...


    Only an idiot would provoke someone with that kind of strength.


    "He''s not a petty person that will take offense just because someone is badmouthing him but don''t lay your hands on those girls who are close to him. I know that you''re really protective of those you hold dear but he''s beyond that... He''s willing to destroy the entire world just to keep those he holds dear safe. When that time comes... not even me or anyone else could stop him from doing so..."


    "But in return... if you could gain his favor. You and your entire realm will instantly reach the top in one fell swoop. I''m telling you this as my apology for influencing you after all this time. I will also impart to you another gift..."


    Mu Xuanyin can only nod dumbly at Bing''er words...


    Meanwhile, Chi Wuyao who wanted to spy on them had her vision blocked by Bing''er. She sighed bitterly at this... it seems that they''re discussing something too important to let her know.


    Her ''vision'' was blocked the moment Issei emerged from the lake.


    But she can guess that it must be about Issei... No matter, she will do her best so that they can receive his help later...


    ...


    Later on, Bing''er arrived at the palace where Issei resides alone. After she sent her greetings, she went inside as per Issei''s command.


    Bing''er went into a daze when she saw Bai''er and Hong''er who''s currently sleeping along with Nyaruko. The three of them have a happy smile on their face during their sleep.


    No one would''ve thought that these three little girls had a dark past...


    Esdeath and the others are already informed of her arrival so they''re not too surprised.


    Although Su Ling''er, Huan Caiyi, and Feng Xue''er felt a little astonished at first, soon they calm themselves down.


    Their elder brother/young master/Grandmaster is someone that is above the Ice Phoenix after all so it would be weird if they were to become dumbfounded just because of Bing''er arrival...


    The three of them also steadily increasing their strength...


    ...


    Seven days later, Ice Phoenix Realm''s Sacred Hall.


    The Sacred Hall was located at the extreme north of the Ice Phoenix Realm and was the closest place to the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake in terms of distance. It was also the place were the Sect Master resided and was the most sacred place within the entire Ice Phoenix Realm, if not the entire Snow Song Realm. Unless one was summoned, no one dared to go anywhere near it.


    But today was Divine Ice Phoenix Sect''s Great Sect Assembly, a gathering rarely seen once even in a thousand years. And for such a grand event, which brought the entire sect together, it only had one extremely simple reason... The discipleship ceremony of the sect master''s direct disciple!


    It was still early in the morning but the giant courtyard in front of the palace was already completely covered with tens of millions of disciples, elders, palace masters, vice palace masters, deacons, etc. Even the greater half of the hall masters had come. However, while the crowd was huge, it was extremely silent, silent enough to hear a needle dropping.


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Xiaolan will attend this ceremony but Mu Bingyun has been told by Mu Xuanyin herself to let Issei do as he pleases from now on. And that''s including the girls behind him...


    Although Mu Bingyun was a little taken aback, she still listened to Mu Xuanyin''s words.


    That was the first time she ever saw her elder sister looks so strict at her. Mu Bingyun deducted that her elder sister must''ve found something about Issei...


    Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall, ten in the morning. Following the long cry of the enormous Frost Dragon, the Snow Song Realm King descended from the skies and sat on her sacred throne, officially starting the Great Sect Assembly.


    The high ranked were all present, the middle-ranked took nearly half the hall and millions of disciples were present. The entire Sacred Hall Arena was filled with an ocean vast Ice Cold aura.


    After Mu Huanzhi personally read the decision from seven days ago and the direct disciple decree with a wide smile on his face, Mu Feixue slowly walked forward under the various different gazes of everyone present. She arrived before the Snow Song Realm King and bowed solemnly.


    "Congratulations to Sect Master on having accepted such a rare talent," Mu Huanzhi excitedly said, unable to conceal his praise and happiness. After all, Mu Feixue is his beloved granddaughter.


    During their ceremony, Mu Xuanyin added a few words with a cold and commanding voice: "I have some warning I need to say to all of you."


    Hearing her words, all of them set their full attention towards her waiting for her to continue her words. They don''t dare to make a single sound to interrupt Mu Xuanyin.


    Even Mu Huanzhi who was feeling really happy wiped the happy smile from his face.


    "Whoever dares to offend our honored guest will be receiving a death penalty without question asked! Not even their family members will be spared!" Mu Xuanyin said strictly.


    All of them look at each other and sucked in a cold breath. Although they don''t know why their realm king put so much importance to Issei, they still obey her words: "We understand and obey!"


    Then, a sudden cold gust blew. A deacon from the front of the hall swiftly descended and knelt, speaking quickly, "Sect Master, guests from the Flame God Realm request to see you¡­ they... they..."


    "Speak! What they?!" Mu Xuanyin asked annoyedly.


    "Th-They are having a conflict with our honored guest!" This deacon arrived just in time to hear Mu Xuanyin''s warning so she was feeling really nervous to report this.


    "WHAT!?" Mu Xuanyin abruptly stands up and immediately flew with haste. Her whole face went pale feeling afraid that Issei might become angry because of this.


    Mu Huanzhi''s expression changed and the elders at the side all stood up before they follow after Mu Xuanyin.


    ...


    At Issei''s location, he was taking Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi for a little bit of training outside the palace but the cold breeze stopped and was suddenly replaced with several waves of hot air. Under the waves of hot air, six people descended from the skies, three people in front, and three others behind.


    Issei already sensed their presence from miles away but he thought that they''re only here for Mu Xuanyin so he never bothered with them but probably because they sensed Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er profound art, they decided to investigate.


    "Caiyi, Xue''er. Stop." Issei said softly.


    Issei put his mask just in time but Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er do not. They also sensed the intruders'' presence and immediately stands behind Issei.


    Huan Caiyi''s gaze turned cold while Feng Xue''er is frowning a little. They dislike having their private time with their Young Master/Grandmaster being interrupted like this.


    The front three people stood shoulder to shoulder as they walked forward.


    Their arrival had caused the atmosphere of the palace courtyard to suddenly undergo a great change.


    Right when the group had arrived, Issei''s gaze had immediately locked onto those three figures.


    As for the man in the middle of the three, he had an extremely fair face and seemed to be quite young, even though he was the tallest of the three. The feeling he gave the others was extremely mild and calm. As he stood in the middle of the group of three, it was clear that his status was somewhat greater than the other two.


    It was none other than the sect master of the Flame God Realm''s Vermillion Bird Sect, Yan Wancang!


    The face of the man on Yan Wancang''s right was motionless, ordinary, and quite forgettable. However, his figure released a fiery aura that Issei was quite familiar with.


    The aura of phoenix flames!


    Sect master of the Flame God Realm''s Phoenix Sect, Yan Juehai!


    As for the person on Yan Wancang''s left¡­ although his face was also motionless, he was completely different from Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai. His long hair was like flames as they hung down freely and enveloped his body in a sea of fiery red. Wherever he went, the air and space around him would distort as if he were a moving volcano about to erupt. His eyes seemed to be filled with miniature suns and whenever his gaze swept over someone, the person would suddenly feel a terrifying burning sensation emerge within their mind.


    As for the searing aura emanating from his body, it was also one Issei was extremely familiar with.


    Sect master of the Flame God Realm''s Golden Crow Sect, Huo Rulie!


    The Flame God Realm didn''t have any Great Realm Kings. Nonetheless, these three people were currently the strongest practitioners within the Flame God Realm and also the leaders of the three most powerful sects in the Flame God Realm.


    This was because their statuses within the Flame God Realm were completely equivalent to the statuses of a Great Realm King!


    But Issei doesn''t care about any of that, he knows that they''re here uninvited because of the ceremony that is currently happening. There''s no way they will come as a guest at this time around.


    A young man followed behind each of the three great sect masters. Based on the auras coming from their respective bodies, each one belonged to the faction of the master they followed behind. As the three men walked behind the three sect masters, their gazes locked onto Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er almost immediately.


    They have never seen someone so beautiful before... they almost drooled at their sight alone.


    Huan Caiyi''s gaze turned even colder while Feng Xue''er frown deepened.


    "Do you believe that I will dig your eyes out if you keep looking at them like that?" Issei''s cold voice resounded which made the three snap out of their dazed state.


    They didn''t dare to do anything reckless since Issei cultivation is higher than the three of them combined. And considering that they''re in someone else domain right now, it''s better if they don''t.


    Yan Wancang took a step forward: "Young friend, there is no need to be so hostile... we only wanted to see just who is capable of releasing such powerful fire profound art. And especially since the two of them have the same energy signature as the Phoenix and the Golden Crow divine art that we use."


    Both of them were clearly using the and just now! And it''s up to the tenth stage at that!


    They are astonished seeing how Issei is already at the peak Divine King Realm at his age... But is he really that young? They are not sure since there''s a profound art that could make someone look younger than their real age.


    "That''s right young friend, we were wondering just where did these two come from... Especially since they''re this talented." Yan Juehai said astonishingly.


    For a flame user such as Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er to be in the Snow Song Realm... how weird...


    Their cultivation is by no means low either. Being at the 5th level of the .


    Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai both had a friendly expression and were not revealing any hostility. As for Huo Rulie, one could clearly sense the killing intent radiating out from within from his two eyes.


    Huo Rulie was none other than the person who had plotted against Mu Bingyun a thousand years ago!


    There''s no way that he would have a favorable view to those who are from the Snow Song Realm even if they''re able to use fire profound art.


    "Hmph! Perhaps the two of them somehow managed to steal our divine art!" He said with hostility.


    Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai frowned a little at Huo Rulie''s words...


    "All of you should be looking for Mu Xuanyin. She''s not here and you already see what you wanted to see. Now leave." Issei said coldly.


    "Watch your mouth! Even though you''re by no means weak, but our cultivation is still ahead of you by miles away! And you wanted us to leave this place? Based on what? On you alone? Or was it because you are hiding behind Mu Xuanyin''s protection? Heh, what a jo- *Crack* AHHH!!!" Huo Rulie reached out his hand and pointed his finger straight at Issei.


    But before he could finish his words, Issei''s figure suddenly disappeared and reappeared right in front of him and he snapped Huo Rulie finger. Huo Rulie then let out a scream that is filled with pain...


    Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai become alarmed since they never realize just how did Issei suddenly makes his move.


    "Stop!" Yan Wancang wanted to shove Issei away but Issei once again disappeared and in the next moment, he returned back to his previous position.


    "Friend... We were indeed in the wrong just now for suddenly barging in like this but don''t you think what you did is too harsh?" Yan Juehai said solemnly.


    "Harsh? I think I was being lenient enough." Issei said calmly.


    What Issei said is true... if he wasn''t being lenient since they''re basically Xiaotao and Lieyan successor, Issei would''ve killed him right where he stands.


    Xiaotao and Lieyan themselves didn''t say anything since they don''t really care about their fate. If they were to offend their master then they would kill them with their own hands as long as Issei wanted to.


    "I will kill you!" Huo Rulie who was feeling enraged shouted loudly.


    "Huo Rulie wait!" Yan Wancang tried to stop him but it''s too late.


    Huo Rulie''s entire body erupted in flames as he roared in anger, the cry of a Golden Crow resonating through the sky. At the same time, raging waves of scarlet red flames went to Issei.


    The flames of the Golden Crow were so fierce they were uncontrollable. They were without a doubt the flames with the most intensity and incinerating power.


    "Hmph, idiot," Lieyan scoffed at this sight: "He really fails to be this noble one successor just because of the fact that he couldn''t realize the difference in his power and Master''s. Is the Golden Crow in this realm really that incompetent?"


    Xiaotao and Bing''er sweated at her words... weren''t all of you basically the same being in the first place?


    The terrifying strength of the flames went straight to Issei. Issei narrowed his eyes at this sight...


    He doesn''t do anything else other than snapping his finger lightly when the flame come closer to his location.


    *Snap*


    Time suddenly seemed to slow down for the six intruders because the flame that Huo Rulie released stopped in its track as if the time around it has been stopped...


    They are flabbergasted at this sight... what just happened? Why did the flame suddenly stop moving like that?


    In the next moment, that very same flame suddenly makes a complete turn and head towards Huo Rulie''s direction instead!


    But at the same time, the flame looks more menacing and even more potent! And one can see a faint crimson dragon silhouette behind that golden crow flame...


    "WHAT!?" The six of them shouted in disbelief while Huo Rulie''s whole face turned pale and he hastily tried to block this flame.


    *BOOM!!!*


    The surrounding area shook greatly and Mu Xuanyin who was on her way sensed this as well.


    She gritted her teeth feeling more anxious by the second...


    When she arrived at the scene, what she saw is completely within her expectation but Mu Xuanyin still feels amazed regardless... Huo Rulie and the other five are in a sorry state because of that blast just now.


    They never thought that they can be hurt by their own flame like this... and they''re supposed to have fire immunity at this point! They''re not a weakling who''s at the Divine Origin Realm damn it! They are at the Divine Sovereign Realm!


    Huo Rulie being the most unfortunate since he''s basically half dead by now... He''s twitching on the ground with his body having a burnt mark all over. Even though he''s still awake, he can''t move a single finger of his because of the injuries he''s currently sustaining.


    Issei was standing in the same spot after all this time... Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er calmly stand behind him like an obedient wife.


    They are not in the least surprised at this sight before them...


    Issei already spread a barrier surrounding the palace so Xia Qingyue and the others who are currently cultivating will not be alarmed.


    "Wait, wait! Please listen a second to this Yan!" Yan Wancang anxiously shouted as he solemnly stepped forward despite his sorry state. By now, he was extremely regretting bringing Huo Rulie along. After all, the reason only six of them had come was because they didn''t want to seem hostile and menacing.


    They had only come about the matter of the horned dragon. And yet, even when their side was weak, even when they were in the midst of the Ice Phoenix Realm, Huo Rulie still dared to cause trouble like this...


    He understands the reasoning behind his hostility but this is not what they planned before!


    And now they are faced against this unknown man who can easily defeat them in mere seconds!


    They couldn''t even think of anything worse that could''ve happened¡­ Huo Rulie''s head must have become filled with shit!


    Now what!? They didn''t even meet Mu Xuanyin yet and they are already in this predicament...


    While Mu Xuanyin was still amazed by this sight, the other disciples and various elders also arrived just in time to see Yan Wancang pleading towards Issei.


    The entire Divine Ice Phoenix Sect had become lost in a daze.


    After all, they had just seen a peak level Divine King cultivator able to make a Divine Sovereign cultivator begged so desperately...


    And it seems that he defeated the three of them at the same time at that!


    "He is actually¡­ this strong?" All of the Ice Phoenix disciples were stunned silly.


    "He is only at the Divine King Realm¡­ yet¡­ he''s able to defeat three Divine Sovereign cultivators at the same time? This..."


    "No wonder Sect Master actually said those warnings¡­" The large majority of Ice Phoenix disciples and various elders now understand just why their sect master warned them before.


    "Nonsense. After all, it''s the Sect Master, how could her vision be wrong? And how could a guest that our palace master Mu Bingyun personally brings with her can be a normal person?"


    This result was something that no one could have predicted and was one that no one dared to believe.


    They can only lament to themselves that they couldn''t see the full fight between them... what a sight it should''ve been...


    "HAHAHAHA!" At this time, Mu Huanzhi, who had been stunned for a long time, suddenly began laughing. "He is indeed worthy of being our Snow Song Realm honored guest! I knew our young friend is someone extraordinary the moment I saw him! He was able to defeat three Divine Sovereign at the same time. This is something that is never seen before¡­"


    Immediately afterward, however, Mu Huanzhi realized that he had lost control due to his excitement and said some rash words. Thus, he quickly shut up.


    "What? He''s just a guest?!" As Mu Huanzhi revealed this fact, Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai, and even Huo Rulie who''s twitching on the ground all simultaneously exhibited their shock.


    To think that they just get into conflict with someone that''s not even from the Snow Song Realm...


    Huo Rulie who realized this fact wanted to bash his head against a piece of tofu and just die! To think that he was antagonizing an unrelated party after all this time!


    "This¡­ this¡­ to think¡­ I¡­"


    Huo Rulie''s mouth opened and closed countless times but words wouldn''t come out. Under such a great shock, even he couldn''t figure out just what he wanted to say.


    "The person you wanted to see is here." Issei gestured towards Mu Xuanyin.


    The intruders turned their gaze towards Mu Xuanyin and the gulped audibly at her sight.


    Mu Xuanyin herself narrowed her eyes dangerously at them... these idiots almost ruined it all!


    "Now what do you have to say for yourselves!" She said through her gritted teeth.


    They look at each other before Yan Wancang took one more step forward, cupping his hands in respect and loudly stating, "Flame God Realm''s Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai, and Huo Rulie greet the Snow Song Realm King. We are fortunate to be able to once again witness the Snow Song Realm King''s splendor and elegance. Our visit this time is extremely impertinent, we ask Snow Song Realm King to forgive us."


    Even with the personal arrivals of the Flame God Realm''s three sect masters, Mu Xuanyin still can''t erase her anger at them. Her beauty was covered with a frosty countenance which caused them to feel as if they had fallen into an icy prison. "Rudeness? Hmph, do you even know what rudeness is!? Not only did you all come uninvited, but you also dared to attack my honored guest! It seems like your spying has become much more clever than before¡­ You people from the Flame God Realm are truly becoming increasingly bold! I should kill you right where you stand right now just to cease my honored guest''s anger! Apologize to him now!"


    They gulped audibly once more before they hastily apologized towards Issei: "Y-Young friend, we''re sorry for our rudeness just now... I hope you can forgive us."


    Huo Rulie also tried his best to say his apology since they''re indeed in the wrong for suddenly barging in like this. And Issei is not even a part of the Snow Song Realm at that...


    They can only hope that he can at least forgive them so they''re allowed to leave this place alive by now...

 Chapter 130 - 129

    (AN: Thanks a lot for the donation LemonOx Kaine and Mitch Bloemer! I wish all of you enjoy the chapter and with that said... you know the drill... Peace out girls scout!).


    "As long as you don''t repeat the same mistake then it''s fine," Issei said with a wave of his hand.


    They sighed in relief after hearing Issei''s words. Even Mu Xuanyin does the same albeit secretly.


    The three youths behind the three sect masters were all frozen still as if they had been sealed in ice. This was the first time coming to the Snow Song Realm for all of them, let along the first time meeting the legendary Snow Song Realm King. For them to be able to accompany the three sect masters naturally meant they were no ordinary people but never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the pressure exerted by the Snow Song Realm King would be so terrifying.


    They didn''t feel as if they were standing there¡­ instead, they felt as if their bodies and souls had been nailed in place by a terrifying, incomprehensible chill. They didn''t dare to move at all.


    Even the pressure exerted by the three great sect masters together couldn''t compare at all to this pressure.


    At this point, the three youths thoroughly realized why the three great sect masters dreaded the Snow Song Realm King so much even though the Snow Song Realm was much weaker than the Flame God Realm.


    And their mysterious honored guest is even more abnormal... Just a few moments ago, they clearly didn''t sense a single ounce of profound nor divine energy coming out from his body. Even when he ''deflected'' Huo Rulie''s attack, he still doesn''t release any sort of energy at all!


    If Mu Xuanyin is terrifying then Issei is beyond terrifying to them at this point... beyond monstrous even.


    Even though Mu Xuanyin is powerful, they can still see the top of this mountain... but as for Issei... they can''t see it at all... Not even a glimpse of the peak of that said mountain!


    Mu Xuanyin''s gaze swept across the three Flame God Realm disciples as she indifferently said, "Hmph, Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai, if I guess correctly, the two youths by your sides should be your sons."


    Hearing the anger in Mu Xuanyin''s voice becomes slightly more restrained, Yan Wancang''s heartbeat slightly stabilized as he slightly smiled and said, "Indeed. Zhuo''er is the child this Yan had twenty-three years ago. As for Mingxuan, he is the grandson of Sect Master Yan, whereas Poyun is a direct disciple Sect Master Huo has just accepted. We brought them here with us this time to let them visit the Snow Song Realm and experience more things."


    Twenty-three years ago¡­ All of the Ice Phoenix disciples and elders were slightly amazed but soon they remembered about Xia Qingyue''s group and also these two breathtaking women besides their honored guest right now.


    Feng Xue''er age right now is only twenty years old but her cultivation is already at the 5th level of the ! And as for Huan Caiyi, her age is about the same according to their estimation and she''s also at the same level as Feng Xue''er!


    Huan Caiyi''s real age is already in the thousands as well but she begged Issei to reduce her age as well so her age will be the same as the other girls.


    If they didn''t saw Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er before this then they might feel amazed by Yan Zhuo cultivation level... but now... he''s pale in comparison.


    If these two beauties were to be of the same age as him... just how high their cultivation be?


    To the male onlookers'', both of them are so beautiful that they wanted to keep gazing at them forever and ever but remembering their realm king warning a few moments ago, they didn''t dare to gaze at Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er for a prolonged period of time.


    They''re afraid that if they were to keep looking at them then they might just offend their honored guest and by then their lives would be forfeited...


    But they have to admit that their beauty has already surpassed Mu Feixue...


    "Zhuo''er, Mingxuan, Poyun, why have you all still not gone up and greeted the Snow Song Realm King?" Phoenix Sect Master Yan Juehai berated lightly.


    "Vermillion Bird Sect disciple Yan Zhuo pays respects to the Snow Song Realm King."


    "Phoenix Sect disciple Yan Mingxuan pays respects to the Snow Song Realm King."


    "Golden Crow Sect disciple Huo Poyun pays respects to the Snow Song Realm King."


    The three disciples all lowered themselves to one knee as the elders and palace masters on both sides all turned their attentions to the three youths.


    For these youths to accompany the three sect masters, they naturally weren''t normal. No one like these three could be found within the entire Divine Ice Phoenix Sect as their cultivations and the fiery auras emanating from their bodies were too strong and shocking for their young ages, which seemed to be no greater than thirty.


    But they also have their own aces... and it''s not only one or three of them but rather a hundred of them at the same time!


    Once they thought till here, the elders let out a prideful smile that went unnoticed by the others.


    Xia Qingyue''s group might be only following their honored guest but as of right now they can still be considered their sect members so it''s fine to think of them as their sect aces along with Mu Feixue and Mu Hanyi.


    Although the Flame God Realm and Snow Song Realm were both middle star realms, the overall strength of the Snow Song Realm was indeed far worse.


    If one ignored the Snow Song Realm King, Ice Phoenix Sect Master Mu Xuanyin, then the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was much worse off than any of the three great sects in terms of disciples, middle level, and upper levels forces.


    Moreover, the Snow Song Realm only had the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect which stood out whereas sects like it were everywhere in the Flame God Realm. Outside of the three great sects, there was also the Fireglass Sect, Sun Fiend Isle and the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, etc¡­ There were approximately ten sects whose overall strengths were no lower than the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.


    In history, the Flame God Realm had always been considered one of the more powerful middle star realms whereas the Snow Song Realm had always been considered one of the weaker ones. However, this had changed due to Snow Song Realm King Mu Xuanyin.


    With the emergence of a Divine Master Realm level power, Snow Song Realm''s status immediately took off, suddenly jumping to an upper-level middle star realm and even slightly surpassing the Flame God Realm. In the past, when Snow Song Realm practitioners went to other middle star realms, they would be treated as ordinary people. But now, as soon as others heard the Snow Song Realm, one would be treated with respect.


    Mu Xuanyin was feared by all in the Snow Song Realm but the amount of reverence its people had for her was equally amazing. This was because she had completely changed the status of the Snow Song Realm amongst the God Realm by herself. Thus, in the Snow Song Realm, she was truly considered to be a supreme, god-like existence.


    If not for Mu Xuanyin''s existence, why would these three dignified Flame God Realm sect masters ever have personally come and acted so politely in the face of such coldness? How could they have restrained themselves from moving?


    "Hmph, he is indeed worthy of being your son, Yan Wancang. I''m afraid this level of talent is unparalleled even within the entire Flame God Realm. It seems like your Vermillion Bird Sect''s young sect master is not a simple person," Mu Xuanyin expressionlessly said.


    "Hahaha, I thank the Snow Song Realm King''s praise." Yan Wancang rambunctiously laughed as he said, "Zhuo''er, hurry up and go present our gift."


    "Yes, father." Yan Zhuo responded and then walked forwards as he took out a box that released a faint fiery aura. Within the box was a seemingly wooden cup which was completely crimson red.


    Yan Wancang said, "Although the three of us are visiting this time out of the frustration of being rejected time and time again, as we are intruding and because we heard the news several days ago of the Snow Song Realm King''s acceptance of a direct disciple¡­" Yan Wancang glanced at silent Mu Feixue, "This little gift is not only to show our apologies but to also congratulate Snow Song Realm King on gaining a direct disciple. Please accept our humble present."


    "Oh?" The bold crescent brows slightly straightened as Mu Xuanyin indifferently said, "Give it to our honored guest instead."


    "Ah?" Yan Zhuo let out a stupefied voice and wasn''t sure of what to do.


    Yan Wancang hastily said, "Do as she says."


    Only then Yan Zhuo changed his direction and he gulped audibly seeing Issei who was being silent.


    Issei doesn''t refuse it and said: "Xue''er, go ahead and take it."


    "Yes, Grandmaster." Xue''er melodious voice rang softly. The male onlookers felt like their heartstring is being tugged fiercely just from hearing her voice... sadly for them, they don''t dare to be impolite.


    Feng Xue''er moved forward, accepting the red box in Yan Zhuo''s hands.


    Yan Zhuo gulped audibly when he sees Feng Xue''er arrived at his front, he doesn''t dare to look at Xue''er directly and bowed his head down while presenting the gift.


    After she took the gift, Feng Xue''er presented the gift to Issei with a sweet smile, "Here you go, Grandmaster."


    "You can keep it," Issei said without looking at the content of the gift.


    Feng Xue''er mouth was slightly agape before she smiles wryly but she doesn''t try to refuse it since she knows that her Grandmaster is quite persistent on this kind of stuff. So she only said, "Then Xue''er thanks Grandmaster." as a response.


    Even if she were to adamantly refuse ''his'' gift, it will be of no use...


    After she stored the gift into her storage ring, Feng Xue''er returned to her position with a smile adorning her face.


    Huo Poyun''s and the other two who managed to see this went into a complete daze. They stood still dumbfounded in place, as their eyes looked straight ahead, making them seem as if they had lost their soul all of a sudden.


    Thankfully their guardians faked a cough to wake them up from their entranced state. They hastily look down not daring to take another peek albeit with extreme difficulty...


    Chi Wuyao who saw this clicked her tongue slightly while thinking, ''Tsk, no wonder he''s not interested in my and my witches'' beauty... these two girls are extremely beautiful that they can easily contend with my and Mu Xuanyin''s beauty...''


    She was not being narcissistic since it was indeed the truth.


    Mu Xuanyin''s body leaned forward slightly, highlighting her alluring figure. However, there was still no one who dared to look directly at her beautiful body due to her cold and powerful presence, "It seems the three sect masters are indeed full of sincerity. Alright then, uninvited guests are still guests after all, if they were chased away in such a manner, would it not make this king appear unmagnanimous."


    "This king will temporarily put aside the fact that you forced your way into the Snow Song Realm and even dare to bother my honored guest. I will listen to what you have to say. However¡­" Mu Xuanyin''s eyes slightly narrowed, "This king will only give you fifteen minutes!"


    Yan Wancang took a step forward and spoke in a solemn manner, "Understood, the three of us thanks the Snow Song Realm King for giving us this opportunity."


    Yan Zhuo, Yan Mingxuan, and Huo Poyun had already returned to their positions behind the three great sect masters. Huo Poyun helped Huo Rulie to get on his feet.


    Huge waves stirred in their hearts. Everything they knew since they were young had been completely toppled over¡­ the three great sect masters that reigned supreme in the Flame God Realm were all present, yet they had actually become so cautious and careful before the Snow Song Realm King. Even after being mocked, they did not even dare to get angry.


    "Fifteen minutes." These two words were clearly akin to a favor bestowed by a greater being onto a lesser one. Yet, from Yan Wancang''s expression and tone, it looked as if he was cheerfully receiving it¡­ one could imagine how great a blow this was to them.


    "Just for your information, Huo Rulie. If there''s anyone that''s capable of treating your son''s injuries then it would be him. But sadly for you... you have already offended him. Now your son might never be cured forever just because of your stupidity." Mu Xuanyin added in a cold voice.


    While Huo Rulie in the others is dumbstruck at her words, Issei frowned a little since he sensed that it was Chi Wuyao who was influencing Mu Xuanyin just now.


    [...What are you doing?] Issei sends a voice transmission to Chi Wuyao directly.


    Chi Wuyao who heard his voice transmission had her body jerked before she gave her answer: "I''m helping young master to gain a huge favor. By helping Huo Rulie''s son, he ought to do everything that he can just to repay young master... Think of it as a gift from me to show my sincerity."


    [And what would I need from them?] Issei asked blandly.


    "Perhaps young master doesn''t really need anything from them but what about young master''s... friends?" Chi Wuyao was a little unsure of what to call Huan Caiyi and the others.


    She doesn''t know if they''re his women or not but seeing how affectionate their gaze whenever they look at him then it should be obvious that they hold some feelings for Issei.


    Although the person himself seems a little clueless to this... but she won''t pry too much.


    "And maybe young master could find a similar place to the Netherfrost lake over there?" She added.


    [...] Issei went silent while he started thinking to himself...


    Chi Wuyao who sensed this heaved a sigh of relief... thankfully it doesn''t seem that Issei is planning to blame her for it.


    She knows what she''s doing is quite risky but there''s nothing else that she could do... if she doesn''t seize the chance to get on his good side now then... it will be too late for regret later on.


    "What did you say!? He can cure my Ye''er?!" Huo Rulie who was being supported by Huo Poyun shouted in disbelief. Even though he''s currently injured, it seems that because of his excitement, he somehow doesn''t feel hurt in the slightest.


    Huo Ye was Huo Rulie''s first son. Later, Huo Rulie suffered a severe backlash of the Golden Crow flame due to his impatience to succeed in achieving a breakthrough. This incident caused him to become impotent and consequently, Huo Ye became his only son.


    Unfortunately, before Huo Ye could take charge of his responsibilities, he was unwittingly injured gravely by Mu Xuanyin. He had Golden Crow bloodline in his body and was also practicing the Golden Crow''s Record of the Burning World, both of which were extremely vulnerable to ice. Therefore, he straight away lost his bodily functions after getting injured, turning into a total cripple. For him to be able to survive while at death''s door until today, could be already considered a miracle in itself. It could also be made out how much Huo Rulie was against the idea of him dying.


    After all, Huo Ye was his sole descendant. If he were to die, that would spell the end of Huo Rulie''s lineage.


    Having somehow managed to stay alive for so long and consumed numerous life-extending medicines, Huo Ye would reach his limit eventually... and that is not something Huo Rulie wanted to see.


    "Are you telling the truth!?" Huo Rulie said. The profound energy emanating from his entire body was rapidly increasing. "My Ye''er ended up this way all because of your Ice Phoenix Sect. And if you dare to trick me..."


    At this time, Huo Rulie''s two hands not only deathly clenched together, but they also clearly began to tremble.


    "Silence!" Mu Xuanyin''s gaze and killing intent abruptly shot towards Huo Rulie: "Trick you? Do I even need to trick you!? And that ignorant junior recklessly approached the God Burying Inferno Prison with his pathetic cultivation. Even if this king did not take action, he would have died by the flames of the horned dragon!"


    "Although he was gravely injured due to this king, you clearly knew it was an accident. It is beneath this king to attack a junior in the first place! This king was ashamed of this matter from back then and desired to make up for it with the Moon Phoenix Jade¡­ Yet, you schemed against this king''s younger sister and did not even hesitate to use the horned dragon''s poison!"


    "This king injured him by accident, yet you used a sinister scheme in return! Do you think this is fair?!"


    Yan Juehai clenched his teeth slightly and said in a deep voice, "Snow Song Realm King, our Flame God Realm was indeed in the wrong. However, after that matter back then, in your fury, you heavily injured several thousand members of our three sects and destroyed the star realms under my Flame God Realm''s control. Our losses are ten thousand times greater than your Snow Song Realm! What''s more, the one that you injured was Sect Master Huo''s only son. He had originally been a genius gifted by the heavens but was crippled as a result. Although his life has been forcibly prolonged and he can be said to barely live on, even standing has become difficult for him. It can even be said to be a life worse than death. Sect Master Huo was extremely infuriated as a result which caused him to do such a heinous thing."


    "Hmph!" Mu Xuanyin icily laughed, "He was greedy to progress, resulting in internal burn injuries that made him unable to copulate. Yet he still shifts this grievance onto this king!?"


    A thousand years ago, the ancient horned dragon was in its scale shedding period. Mu Xuanyin had gone to the Flame God Realm and worked with the Flame God Realm to kill the ancient horned dragon. However, just as they were about to succeed, she accidentally injured Golden Crow Sect Master Huo Rulie''s son¡­ and it was his only son at that.


    At the same time, Huo Rulie''s greed to progress at a certain stage of his cultivation led to a backlash that injured his body and even made him incapable of copulating¡­ which meant that he would never have other children.


    Hence, the one that Mu Xuanyin had injured was his only son and his only descendent¡­ moreover, from the looks of it, these injuries were extremely serious, causing his son''s entire body to be so crippled that even walking was difficult. His son had only survived until now because Huo Rulie had spared no effort in forcibly prolonging his son''s life.


    Just like how Mu Xuanyin had spared no effort to forcibly prolong Mu Bingyun''s life for the past thousand years.


    It was also due to this, that in his extreme rage, Huo Rulie found a chance to scheme against Mu Bingyun¡­ and did not even hesitate to use the horned dragon''s poison from the horned dragon''s body.


    Mu Xuanyin had crippled his only son and he had schemed against Mu Xuanyin''s only kin.


    Evidently, compared to Mu Xuanyin accidentally injuring his son, Huo Rulie''s vengeful plotting appeared exceptionally despicable¡­ yet, like the Golden Crow Divine God, he naturally had a violent nature. Together with the fact that he could no longer copulate and the fact that Mu Xuanyin had destroyed not only his son, but also severed their entire lineage, how could he not have lost control due to extreme anger?


    "Mu Xuanyin!" Huo Rulie shouted once more.


    This shout was like an erupting volcano or a sudden clap of thunder that could flatten the land. Huo Rulie finally exploded after this wound of his was torn open again.


    "Master!" Huo Poyun promptly stopped his master from being reckless yet again, and said anxiously, "Remember about senior brother Huo Ye condition! If this senior could really treat senior brother Huo Ye just like the Great Realm King Mu said, then..."


    He doesn''t need to continue his words since Huo Rulie abruptly snapped out of his anger.


    "Right... you''re right..." He nodded repeatedly at Huo Poyun''s reminder.


    "But... How is he going to do that? I''ve tried everything I could just to save Ye''er from his condition..." Huo Rulie said in a sad voice: "Since that time a thousand years ago. Do you know how much I have paid for prolonging Ye''er''s life until today?"


    "What if I can save your son? What are you willing to give in return?" Issei asked.


    As soon as Issei said that, Huo Rulie resolutely gaze at Issei: "Everything you asked of me!"


    "Ho? Everything?" Issei mused.


    "Yes! Everything! Even if you want me to be your slave then I''m willing!" Huo Rulie said with determination.


    The onlookers'' are amazed at his determination. Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai wanted to stop Huo Rulie but soon erased the thought...


    If they''re in his position then they would''ve done the same thing after all...


    "No need for you to become my slave... I just want you to make Caiyi and Xue''er be your realm king." Issei''s words completely make all of them taken aback.


    They''re so shocked that the three of them simultaneously shouted, "Impossible!" at the same time. Forgetting that the one they''re speaking with is the same person who singlehandedly defeated the three of them in mere seconds.


    Even Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er were taken aback by their young master''s/grandmaster''s words. They never expected that they would become the center of attention in the blink of an eye.


    They wanted to refute it but felt reluctant to do so since they might be going against Issei''s will... They can only bite their lips and stays silent. They will wait for a chance to speak their mind...


    They are not interested in the slightest of being the Flame God Realm ruler... They only wanted to stay by his side...


    While Issei thought that since he will leave this world someday, then he might as well help Caiyi and Xue''er progress...


    "And why is it impossible?" Issei asked in a dull tone: "Didn''t you said that you''re willing to do everything as a price for curing your son? Or was that a lie?"


    "No... I... I''m not lying but the matter of our realm king is not something I can decide alone..." Huo Rulie said with a frown.


    "That''s right. To become our next realm king, that someone at least has to-"


    "Able to reach the bottom of that , right?" Issei cut off Yan Wancang in the middle of his speech.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. Caiyi and Xue''er can easily reach the bottom of the inferno prison. This, I assure you." Issei said calmly.


    One of them is the true inheritor of the Golden Crow and the other one is the Divine Phoenix... And that''s not all... They also receive the help of a Godking at that!


    Saying that it will be easy is an understatement at this point... There''s basically no difficulty at all!


    They all become at a loss when they heard this...


    The Flame God Realm set up a rule that states that anyone who can reach the bottom of the God Burying Inferno Prison would become the Flame God Realm''s Realm King. That''s why the Flame God Realm never had a Realm King although hundreds of thousands of years had passed by. As a result, internal strife and conflicts for power often happen whenever they''re discussing important matters.


    If they didn''t fight Issei before this then they might say that he''s being insolent... but now...


    "But..." They wanted to refute Issei''s words but Issei once again cut them off.


    "You''re worried about that One-Horned Dragon blocking the way or whatnot?"


    "...Y-Yes..."


    They can only nod dumbly at Issei''s words.


    "You don''t need to worry about that either. I have my own way of dealing with them... I can tell you that they won''t try to stop Caiyi or Xue''er later on."


    They can only look at each other dumbly... they might think of Issei as a fool or arrogant for saying what he just said... but somehow they feel like it might really come true...


    But doesn''t this mean that they will be able to kill the one-horned dragon for real?! After all, they have already witnessed Issei''s true prowess first hand.


    "Don''t be mistaken. Even though I said that I can deal with them, that doesn''t mean that I will help you kill them." Issei who read their expression said.


    "What?!" All of them let out a stupefied voice.


    If he doesn''t kill the dragon... then what will he do? They thought confusedly to themselves.


    "But we..." Yan Wancang tried to refute once again.


    "If you want help to kill that Dragon then you should ask Mu Xuanyin instead. I will bring Caiyi and Xue''er when the time is right." Issei said with a wave of his hand.


    "But... since this is the case then my previous offer is automatically invalid. After all, you don''t want to let Caiyi and Xue''er become your realm king right away... Then here''s my new requirement..." Issei said after a bit of thinking.


    "When Caiyi and Xue''er become your realm king... I want all of you to serve them with the best of your capabilities. If any of you dares to betray them then... You should know the consequences!" Issei said in a cold voice in the end while exposing them to his .


    The others from the Divine Ice Phoenix sect don''t sense anything really out of the line but those from the Flame God Realm shivered fiercely since his aura is extremely overbearing...


    Their face is covered in a cold sweat while the younger generations were about to pass out.


    Th-This! Is his actual strength is at the peak level Divine Master Realm?! So that means that his current cultivation is a fake! It must be! They screamed inside their mind.


    Mu Xuanyin who saw this smirked slightly since she knows that this isn''t Issei''s full strength... How can someone who''s stronger than an actual True God can be so simple?


    "Do I make myself clear?" Issei asked once again.


    "Y-Yes!" They nodded simultaneously like a chicken pecking rice as if their lives depend on it.


    "Good. Just give this to your son and he should be cured of his condition." Only then that Issei took back his aura and tossed a small vial of water towards Huo Rulie.


    While Huo Rule and the others are confused of what this water is, Mu Xuanyin eyes widened since she recognized it...


    ''That... That water is the !'' She exclaimed inside her mind.


    She knows about it since Mu Xuanyin found one drop of Divine Water of Absolute Beginning many years ago and has already used it to temper her soul.


    "No need to feel suspicious. That thing is not a poison or anything like that. If I wanted to harm your son then I don''t need to do anything and he will die on his own anyway. There''s no need for me to do anything else." Issei said.


    "...If this thing can indeed cure my son then... I, Huo Rulie will pledge my loyalty to you and our next realm king!" He vowed solemnly after a little bit of thinking.


    "I will remember what you just said. If you go against your words then... you should know the consequences." Issei nodded slightly.


    The lines on Huo Rulie''s forehead faintly quivered. After he took a deep breath, he said in a deep voice, "I, Huo Rulie, am a man of my word!"


    "Good. I would prefer if none of this gets spread out. Including those from the ." Issei glanced at Mu Xuanyin a little.


    Mu Xuanyin who realizes Issei''s gaze at her gives a faint nod. She will make sure that there will be no one who will spread this news around...


    "Then you can continue your conversation with Mu Xuanyin. Caiyi, Xue''er, let''s go." Issei said before turning around heading towards their palace.


    They looked at Issei''s group in awe. Within a span of a few minutes, an apology turned into a bargain and then into a talk about ruling the Flame God Realm just like that...


    "All of you should hear what he just said. I don''t want what happened today to spread!" Mu Xuanyin said in a cold voice while releasing her killing intent at the same time.


    Mu Xuanyin''s earlier anger was already enough to cause people''s faces to lose their color, so when she suddenly released murderous intent, everyone instantly became even more scared.


    But somehow, those from the Flame God Realm suddenly thought that... her murderous intent isn''t that scary... if it''s compared to that mysterious senior previous aura that is...


    And they also think that maybe if they accept Feng Xue''er and Caiyi to be their next realm king then it won''t be so bad either... because in return, they will also have that senior protection. And it''s not like Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi is not a monstrous genius.


    They should be around twenty years of age and their cultivation is already at the 5th stage of the Divine Tribulation Realm. So if they''re given a few more hundred years then they should become more and more powerful...


    Of course, they still need to see if both of them are truly able to reach the bottom of the Inferno Prison first and foremost.


    If they were to find out that both Feng Xue''er and Caiyi only take a couple of weeks from Sovereign Profound Realm to reach their current cultivation... what will their reaction be? Perhaps they might curry favor with them right away and even begged them to become their realm king...


    Just what kind of concept is that? Being able to achieve breakthrough after breakthrough in a span of a few weeks! In the entire history of the God Realm... this is surely a first...


    "And as for you... begin speaking now! Your fifteen minutes timer has already started!" Mu Xuanyin then said coldly towards the uninvited guests.


    Yan Wancang had long since prepared what he wanted to say and how it should be said. Without pondering, he straightaway said, "I believe the Snow Song Realm King already knows why the three of us have come here. That''s right, we have come here again due to the matter of the ancient horned dragon in the God Burying Inferno Prison. However, there is some difference from before."


    "How is it different?" Mu Xuanyin''s gaze was akin to ice arrows as she coldly asked.


    "Because a monumental event is about to occur. Moreover, it is extremely likely to affect the entire God Realm!" Yan Juehai quickly took over and said. His expression was very cautious, "Although we do not know exactly what it is, the Voice of Eternal Heaven several months back and the Profound God Convention that is about to begin are clearly intended to inform the many worlds about the arrival of this monumental event! We believe that the Snow Song Realm King is also aware of this."


    "That''s right." Yan Wancang heavily nodded his head, "Since the Eternal Heaven Realm has already sent out the call and even spared no effort to share the power of the Eternal Heaven Pearl with profound practitioners from other realms, one can see how important this is. It might even be a matter of life and death! Currently, the various great star realms are on high alert and have each made their own preparations. I''ve also heard that your esteemed sect has, for the first time, opened the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake for several thousand disciples a few days ago. I believe that this action is also due to this matter."


    "That horned dragon has been alive for at least several tens of thousands of years and the dragon scales that cover its entire body are ultimate treasures that are hard to come by. If it is hunted and killed, it will surely result in an extremely large amount of resources for both our realms. The Snow Song Realm King''s profound strength may astonish the world but advancing from the Divine Master Realm is extremely difficult. However, a horned dragon several tens of thousands of age is definitely enough to allow the Snow Song Realm King to take a step forward in her cultivation in a short period of time."


    "Under the possibility of a monumental event occurring, this progress is far more significant than before!"


    "This is one of the reasons."


    "Secondly," Yan Wancang continued to speak without pausing, "A thousand years ago, success was within our sights yet we ultimately failed due to an unforeseen accident. However, that horned dragon was also gravely injured. Such injuries will not completely heal in the short span of a thousand years. The three of us have likewise not been slacking off in the past thousand years and have all improved in our cultivation. The Snow Song Realm King is surely also far more powerful than a thousand years ago. These facts in addition to the injuries of the horned dragon indicate that this is the best chance to hunt and kill it! If we miss this opportunity, it is extremely likely to make a full recovery after another thousand years. At that time, things will be much more difficult."


    "With the Snow Song Realm King''s divine might and the meager power of our Flame God Realm, I dare to say¡­" Yan Wancang extended two fingers, "That we have an eighty percent chance of killing the ancient horned dragon!"


    At this point, Yan Wancang slowed down, "A thousand years ago, we promised that if we were successful, our two worlds would each receive half of the horned dragon''s body. This time, we will still abide by that promise. After the horned dragon is killed, we will split it fifty-fifty. After all, although the ancient horned dragon is in our Flame God Realm, without the Snow Song Realm King''s power, our Flame God Realm will not be able to kill it."


    After Yan Wancang''s speech, Mu Xuanyin did not reply for a long time. Her ice-cold face remained completely unchanged from start to end...


    A few moments later, she finally started speaking: "This king is not completely unwilling to think over the matter of the horned dragon."


    Joy emerged on Yan Wancang''s face. However, Mu Xuanyin''s words suddenly took a sharp turn, "Before that, however, you all must first answer a question from this king."


    Yan Wancang hurriedly responded, "Please ask, Snow Song Realm King. As long as it doesn''t involve any of the secrets of our sects, the three of us are willing to answer anything."


    At this time, Mu Xuanyin''s gaze landed on Huo Poyun who was currently propping Huo Rulie, "Because of the urgent matter of the horned dragon, the three of you all personally came to my Snow Song Realm. However, outside of the reasoning you have given me so far¡­ there is still one more reason and it should have to do with this Huo Poyun!"


    Mu Xuanyin''s last words caused the three sect masters to simultaneously become stunned in place as Yan Wancang sighed and responded, "The Snow Song Realm King''s eyes are indeed sharp. Indeed, our longing to kill the horned dragon this time has a great deal to do with Poyun. We hope that by obtaining the fire spirit treasure on its body, we can help Poyun¡­"


    "Sect Master Yan!" Yan Juehai sternly interrupted.


    Yan Wancang shook his head, "It matters not. Without the Snow Song Realm King''s strength, it is impossible for us to kill the ancient horned dragon. Since we are sincerely requesting the Snow Song Realm King''s assistance, we cannot hide any secrets."


    Yan Juehai opened his mouth several times but couldn''t respond. Finally, he just sighed and remained silent.


    Yan Wancang sternly continued, "There is still more than a few months of time until the Profound God Convention. Regardless of what is hidden behind the Profound God Convention this time, as long as one can enter the top one thousand, one can cultivate in the Eternal Heaven Pearl for one thousand years!"


    "While one thousand years will have passed in the Eternal Heaven Pearl, only three years will have passed in the outside world. However, that is not even worth mentioning, as due to the extremely high level of laws within the realm created by the Eternal Heaven Pearl, the thousand years of cultivation within it is comparable to several thousands of years of cultivation outside it!"


    "Thus, if Poyun can enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl, then three years later, our Flame God Realm¡­"


    Upon reaching this point, a strange glint appeared in Yan Wancang''s eyes while Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie''s also share a wry look at each other...


    If it was before then maybe Huo Poyun will have the highest chance to become their next realm king... But now... they''re not so sure anymore...


    Although Huo Poyun''s talent is indeed terrifying... Those two girls from before are even more terrifying! And they''re also capable of using the divine art up to the tenth stage!


    "Might give birth to the first realm king?" Mu Xuanyin scoffed at them. It looks like these old fogies don''t fully believe what Issei said just now...


    Well, it doesn''t matter... If they were to truly offend him, when the time comes, it will be too late for regret!


    The three of them gave a wry nod at Mu Xuanyin''s words.


    "What a good plan," Mu Xuanyin sneered. "However, in order to be eligible to enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl, one must rank in the top one thousand of the Profound God Convention. Huo Poyun''s talent with flames is indeed so high it''s shocking, at least it''s much higher than you three old things. But his profound cultivation is still lacking too much! He can compete with the young generation of the middle star realms but he is not yet qualified to compete with those from upper star realms! Just how can he enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl?"


    "It is as you say." Yan Wancang calmly nodded, "This is the real reason why we want to kill the ancient horned dragon so urgently before the Profound God Convention."


    "If we can obtain the Fire Spirit Stone on the ancient dragon''s body, then¡­" A light flickered through Yan Wancang''s eyes, as he without any trace of confidentiality, "The three of us have methods to allow Huo Poyun''s profound strength to reach the Divine Spirit Realm before the Profound God Convention!"


    "What?" As Yan Wancang said these words, all of the Ice Phoenix elders and palace masters became shocked and doubtful.


    "Him? Two years to reach the Divine Spirit Realm?" Mu Xuanyin observed Huo Poyun for a moment, then indifferently said, "This king is truly curious as to just what kind of heaven shocking secret method you Flame God Realm people found which would allow you to dare to say such crazy words."


    If it was Issei then she will believe it right away but as for these old fogies... not so much.


    And others might be shocked by their statement but she and Mu Bingyun along with Mu Xiaolan knows that their method is only so-so if compared to their honored guest method.


    Yan Wancang shook his head as he responded, "Of course it''s not some amazing secret method. Otherwise, the entire young generation of the Flame God Realm would have already become incredibly strong. Our ''secret method'' can only be used on Huo Poyun. I''m sure Snow Song Realm King has already realized that the bloodline inherited by Huo Poyun is different from the one inherited by normal Golden Crow Sect disciples. Our ''secret method'' is based on utilizing his unique inheritance."


    See... it''s basically can only be used on one person that requires some specific requirements...


    It''s nothing that great whereas ''his'' method is even more abnormal. Mu Xiaolan herself already participated in one of their special session and her cultivation surprisingly increased by two whole level in but a few days!


    And that''s also because she''s having a little ''trouble'' in comprehending what Issei taught her... If given more time then she will be able to comprehend it even better!


    But the real reason for her being ''slow'' was because she often lost in a daze while gazing at Issei... It''s not that Issei teaching is hard to understand or anything complicated like that... It''s just because of her own blunder...


    Mu Bingyun from time to time will come to observe them and she also shares the same fate as her disciple so she can''t really berate Xiaolan because of it...


    Mu Xuanyin''s gaze moved away from Huo Poyun''s body as she slowly nodded and said, "Indeed. Hmph, Sect Master Yan has spoken so frankly, it is not good for this king to pursue questioning it any longer!"


    "A profound energy cultivation at the early stage of the Divine Spirit Realm is not considered top of the line amongst the geniuses of the upper star realms but with Poyun''s extremely high attainments in the fire art, he absolutely has the ability to defeat those who are several levels ahead of him." Yan Wancang was full of confidence as he continued, "Although it will be incredibly hard to enter the top thousand, at least it is not impossible!"


    Yan Juehai glanced at Yan Wancang¡­ he knew very well that Yan Wancang was still retaining some information. If everything went as planned, it was very possible that Huo Poyun''s cultivation would go beyond the early stage of the Divine Spirit Realm.


    There was a chance to reach the middle stage of the Divine Spirit Realm!


    However, such a "miraculous" event would only be possible if they could kill the ancient horned dragon that was hundreds of thousands of years old! Otherwise, it was only all empty words.


    "Now that you all have finished presenting your points, this king can indeed consider helping Flame God Realm this time¡­ however, this king has an additional condition." Mu Xuanyin thought after a little bit of thinking.


    Yan Wancang''s expression trembled as he becomes overjoyed in his mind, "Please speak, Snow Song Realm King. The three of us will do whatever we can."


    "Don''t be in such a hurry to respond," Mu Xuanyin expressionlessly said. "In the past, we had agreed that if this king were to help you successfully kill the ancient horned dragon, we would split the dragon''s corpse in half, However, this king''s mind has now changed."


    "This king doesn''t only want half of the dragon but also the entire dragon heart!"


    The expressions of the three simultaneously experienced slight changes as Yan Wancang furrowed his brows and said, "This¡­ forgive us but we cannot accept this. A dragon''s heart is¡­"


    "Huanzhi, send our guests away!" Mu Xuanyin coldly said as she directly turned around and began walking away."


    "Wait, wait!" Yan Wancang hurriedly raised his hand. He didn''t dare waste any more words as he slowly nodded and said, "Alright, alright. Then as Snow Song Realm King has requested, if we succeed in killing the ancient horned dragon, we will present Snow Song Realm King with the entire dragon''s heart."


    "That is not necessary. When the time comes, this king will personally go and obtain it," Mu Xuanyin said without turning around.


    Yan Wancang opened his mouth several times before finally saying, "We thank the Snow Song Realm King for the assistance. We shall no longer disturb you then¡­ When the dragon molts, we will definitely personally come to notify and receive the Snow Song Realm King. Goodbye."


    Finished speaking, Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai, and Huo Rulie, along with their respective disciples Yan Zhuo, Yan Mingxuan, and Huo Poyun, simultaneously glanced at the palace where Issei resides.


    Huo Rulie gave a slight bow at the palace before they leave.


    The unexpected episode which had occurred during the Great Sect Assembly had unfolded in a fierce manner yet ended in a fairly peaceful manner.


    Although the Flame God Realm had achieved its goal, the greatest winner was no doubt the Snow Song Realm. It was because, in the end, there was no way Mu Xuanyin would not agree to go and kill the ancient horned dragon. It was as Mu Bingyun had said at the start. Even a scale was a great treasure if a dragon had lived hundreds of thousands of years. There was no way to resist its temptation, not to mention one in such an unprecedented critical state.


    In the end, she agreed to the Flame God Realm''s request but only after obtaining more in return as well.


    As for Issei... He never thinks that it''s something great and all that even if he were to obtain the entirety of the God Realm. It''s basically just a simple trade for him...


    ...


    "Xiaotao, Lieyan. Go and take Xue''er and Caiyi to the bottom of the God Burying Inferno Prison later. With my charm that I gave you, that one-horned Dragon wouldn''t dare to stop you." Issei said after they entered the palace.


    "Understood, Master." Both of them said simultaneously.


    "But Master... At the bottom of that God Burying Inferno Prison, there is a soul fragment of the original Phoenix and the Golden Crow. You don''t want to absorb their divinity as you did with us?" Lieyan asked.


    "No need. Both of you can have it instead or just give it to Xue''er and Caiyi." Issei shakes his head lightly.


    He doesn''t really need more divine energy at this point... Haste makes waste.


    He needs to fully control his newfound strength before everything else.


    "Young Master/Grandmaster..." Caiyi and Xue''er said softly.


    "Hm? What''s wrong?" Issei asked.


    Caiyi and Xue''er look at each other for a second before Xue''er speak first.


    "...We don''t want to leave your side..." She said in a low voice.


    "Eh? Oh, you don''t need to worry. I can just make a spatial opening towards your location at all times. You can come back and forth as you please." Issei said with a thin smile.


    Caiyi and Xue''er eyes lit up before they said "Thank you Young Master/Grandmaster!" at the same time.


    But inside they feel slightly disappointed since it seems that their Master/Grandmaster doesn''t realize what they truly meant...


    "Um. Go get some rest for today." Issei nodded lightly before he entered his room.


    Xiaotao and Lieyan flashed a smile of their own at this sight...


    ...


    Amidst the flurry of snow, Mu Xuanyin looks at Issei''s direction with furrowed eyebrows.


    "Huanzhi, there is a matter this king needs to discuss with you," Mu Xuanyin suddenly said.


    The word "discuss" caused Mu Huanzhi''s heart to thump as he hurriedly kowtowed on the ground in fear and trepidation. "What instructions does Sect Master have for me? Please tell me, Huanzhi will comply."


    Mu Xuanyin''s frosty eyes were half-open as she nodded and said, "Mu Feixue is this king disciple but she''s also your granddaughter. I was thinking if you''re willing to let her becoming our honored guest personal maid... If she''s able to attract our honored guest interest and become his wife or even concubine then I''m sure that her future will become even brighter than ever. Are you willing?"


    As these words were said, how could Mu Huanzhi not understand her meaning as he raised his head and said, "Sect Master, could it be¡­"


    Everyone present within the courtyard all suddenly understood. Moreover, considering that Mu Xuanyin had chosen to "discuss" this with Mu Huanzhi, how could they not see it clearly?


    However, no one expressed any extreme shock as some of them even felt like this isn''t a bad offer. They mean, look at the girls at his side. Each and every one of them has a terrifying talent and strength. Not to mention their beauty...


    The other elders even thought that it will be great if they can keep Issei here forever and to make one of their disciples as a bargaining chip isn''t a bad deal.


    Nonetheless, many gazes secretly turned towards Mu Hanyi¡­ before Mu Xuanyin''s words had even ended, Mu Hanyi''s face had already turned incredibly pale. His expression could still be considered calm but his pupils were trembling in pain as beads of blood silently fell from his two tightly clenched fists.


    While Mu Feixue''s expression doesn''t change in the slightest even though she''s the main subject of their conversation.


    "In terms of profound strength, constitution, talent, and look, there is no one more suited than Feixue." Mu Xuanyin frankly stated the words which everyone had already become aware of. "Huanzhi, what do you think?"


    Even though they have never really seen Issei''s true face before, but considering how those beauties willingly stay by his side then that means he also has an otherworldly face as well, right?


    Some of the female disciples and even elders lamented their fate... After Issei showcase of strength, they find him even more attractive than ever. Why can''t they be as lucky as Mu Feixue? They sighed woefully to themselves...


    Mu Fengshu who''s present started to shiver fiercely. Her whole face went pale and she secretly hopes that the realm king doesn''t get the news of her insulting Issei when he first arrived here.


    To think that she just offended someone so powerful and not to mention that he''s the realm king honored guest at that!


    After a brief moment of shock, Mu Huanzhi''s face showed deep joy as he kowtowed without hesitation and loudly said, "Huanzhi thanks Sect Master in the place of his granddaughter, Feixue!"


    If it were before today that Mu Feixue was being designated to be Issei''s personal maid, Mu Huanzhi would definitely be slightly unhappy. However, after personally "witnessing" Issei''s performance today, the only feeling that he had now was ecstasy!


    Issei''s true identity is unknown to them all but his strength is obvious to all! And he might be only their guest right now but who knows that in the future if he were to change his mind and decided to enter their sect!


    With his strength and talent alone then he might just be their next realm king!


    If his granddaughter Mu Feixue was able to get married to Issei, it would be like being bestowed a gift.


    If Issei were to become the Snow Song Realm King in the future, becoming the first male Realm King in their entire history, then Mu Feixue would have become the wife of the Realm King!


    Not to mention that he seems to be very generous to those girls who stay by his side!


    He meant, look at it... He basically just gifted an entire realm for those two girls from before! A whole fricking realm! If that''s not generous then he doesn''t know what is...


    Although losing her v.i.r.g.i.nity would cause severe repercussions to her cultivation in the future. It is but a small price to pay!


    "Feixue, quickly thank the sect master." Mu Huanzhi''s voice sounded anxious as it was difficult to hide his joy.


    Those elders, palace masters, and hall masters who had unmarried female descendants all revealed signs of jealousy. Damn! Why do such good things not happen my grandaughters!? Or even me myself! They thought jealously inside their mind...


    However, when they thought of Mu Feixue''s talent, bloodline and looks, they could only envy helplessly.


    Mu Feixue came forward and knelt down beside Mu Huanzhi.


    "Feixue, do you have any objections to this matter?" Mu Xuanyin asked sternly.


    "Everything will be according to Sect Master''s plan," Mu Feixue replied. Her voice was as cold as ice, without sorrow or joy, without any tones in it.


    From the start to the end, she did not say a single word of complaint.


    "Excellent, then this matter will be decided like this." Mu Xuanyin nodded with satisfaction, "Huanzhi, inform Feixue''s parents regarding this matter. As for the date, we shall discuss it another day. However, the earlier it happens the better."


    "Understood, Huanzhi shall start preparations tomorrow." Mu Huanzhi nodded continuously.


    Mu Xuanyin just makes a mistake... but she won''t know of this until later...


    ...


    Back with Issei, he decided to take a quick nap...


    When he''s asleep, a tiny wisp of pure light orb started to float around near him and soon it entered his body...


    Nyarlathotep sensed this wisp presence and was about to destroy it but soon her hand stopped in its track. She gives a light smirk before she closed her eyes as well...


    ''Heheh, truly amusing... To think that ''it'' can even do this even though it still isn''t...'' Nyarlathotep thought amusingly inside her mind.


    Issei found himself in a white field filled with a white mist...


    ''This is...'' Issei started to inspect his surroundings and realized that this is inside his dreamscape of some sort. Just what kind of existence that''s capable of dragging him into a dreamscape like this?


    True he doesn''t really give any resistance but it''s still quite amazing in and of itself.


    He started thinking if it''s Nyarlathotep doing or was it something else? No matter what, he can''t let his guard down... but for some reason, he felt like... he felt like he doesn''t need to be cautious at all in this place...


    At the very edges of his vision, he seemed to catch sight of a tiny figure of a girl at the age of three.


    Issei''s eyes widened in shock after seeing this tiny figure. He was completely dumbstruck at where he stands when he saw this figure...


    She has long white hair, red eyes, two small triangular horns at the top of her head. And she only wears a white sleeveless dress with her bare feet exposed.


    *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*


    The girl started to walk around while her cute bubbly head started to survey her surroundings.


    Her small footsteps rang clearly within the white space...


    After a while, she finally found what she''s searching for... And that something is Issei himself.


    The girl started running towards his direction while a happy smile adorning her face. She excitedly ran and ran until she finally stands before Issei.


    There are times when she''s about to fall but she manages to break her fall in the end. Issei''s heart skipped a beat whenever she''s about to fall but he still doesn''t move from his spot.


    Issei is still in a daze even when the girl is finally standing right in front of him.


    Her skin was so soft and tender, it seemed as though water was about to come out of it. Her cheeks are still filled with baby fat that makes her look even more adorable. Her red eyes were filled with a lively intelligence, and she actually has a mark that looks similar to Issei''s in the middle of her forehead.


    The difference is, while Issei is completely red, hers are pure white.


    And that''s not all... She looks extremely similar to Issei!


    "Are you my father?" The girl-child stare at Issei unblinkingly. Her voice is clear and crisp and also childish at the same time. But in Issei''s ears, it sounded like the voice of an angel...


    Time seems frozen for the two of them...

 Chapter 131 - 130

    (AN: Thank you so much for the donation, Slayer19K, and Yomax Aioria. I hope all of you enjoy the chapter).


    Issei is at loss for words and his eyes are glued to the girl''s face. She has his eyes... and also the contour of his face...


    Issei reckons that if he was a girl at her age then he would have the exact same face as hers... of course, she''s a hundred times more beautiful than he could ever be, Issei thought proudly to himself.


    While Issei is admiring the look of his little princess, the girl in question started to feel anxious seeing that Issei doesn''t say anything after she asked him.


    She started to tightly grip the corner of her clothes and her face started to look upset. Water filled her eyes and threatening to break free any second.


    Issei finally snapped out of his thoughts when he saw that his little princess started to get teary-eyed. He started to become frantic before he let out a comforting smile and he bends his body down to match the girl''s height.


    "Can you tell me your name?" Issei asked gently.


    This time it''s the toddler that went into a daze after looking at Issei''s smiling face.


    "Don''t know... Mother has yet to give me a name." Even though the girl was dazed, she still properly responded to Issei''s question.


    "Oh?" Issei raised his eyebrows at this.


    "Are you my father?" The girl asked once again.


    "Um... I am your father." Issei answered gently.


    "Wahhh! Really?" The girl''s face shone brightly after hearing Issei''s answer.


    "Yes, really." Issei nodded with a smile.


    "Father!" The girl skipped her feet to give Issei a hug.


    Issei caught her body with a genuinely happy smile on his face. He spins her around while letting out a happy chuckle.


    "Father, father, father!" The girl repeatedly called Issei while she lets out a giggle of her own.


    In the vast empty white space around them, the happy laughter of an a.d.u.l.t and a child rang clearly...


    "Mother was right! Father you look really pretty!" She said with an excited look on her face. She started to touch Issei''s face repeatedly with her tiny hands.


    "Hm? Is that so? Do you like it?" If it was anyone else then perhaps Issei would have winced in shame. But since it''s his daughter that called him pretty then he doesn''t really mind.


    "En En!" She nodded repeatedly.


    "What else did your mother told you?" Issei asked with a smile.


    "Ummm, mother also said that father is the strongest Dragon God in the world!"


    "Oh, what else?"


    "Also also..."


    The father and daughter duo continues to chat happily with each other...


    "By the way, who''s your mother?" Issei asked after they had their fill of chatting with each other.


    "Ummm, mother never told me her name but... Ah! Mother said that she''s known as the Dragon Queen at some point!" The girl answered after a little bit of thinking.


    "Is that so?" Ah, so it''s Irene''s and his daughter... After all, only Irene bears the title of the Dragon Queen.


    Issei couldn''t stop grinning to himself... as for how did her daughter looks like a three-year-old even though it''s only been a couple of weeks for the girls? Well, it''s their daughter they''re talking about here... It won''t be weird if some of them have capabilities such as this dream walk...


    This just proves that his daughter is a genius and he couldn''t be any prouder of her!


    "Father, why don''t you go meet us yet? Does father doesn''t like me and mother anymore?" Her voice turned a little sad when she said this.


    "Of course not. How can father not want you or your mother anymore?" Issei hastily denied her words with a serious voice but his face is still gentle.


    "Father is currently... busy at the moment so father can''t go back just yet... But don''t worry, when father has finished his business, then father will surely go home to meet you and your mother right away." Issei said while pinching his little princess nose.


    "Ehehehe, really?" His little princess let out a happy giggling noise and asked in a bright tone.


    "Um, father promise. Here, pinky swear?" Issei extended his pinky finger.


    "What''s a pinky swear, father?" The toddler asked curiously.


    "Ah, pinky swear is..." It''s not surprising that she doesn''t know about this, after all, she isn''t even born yet. Issei thought to himself and patiently explained what pinky-swear means...


    Both of them started to frolic with each other once again...


    Issei and his little princess let out a non-stop giggle because they have so much fun together.


    "How about father give you a name?" Issei said suddenly when they''re still playing together.


    "Ah? Really? Father will give me a name?!" The little princess eyes shone brightly hearing Issei''s words.


    "Mm, do you want to?" Issei asked fondly. He feels like he wants to keep watching her little princess forever and ever and he will never get bored.


    "Of course of course! I want father to give me a name! Mother never give me a name because she said that it should be father who gives me a name!" The girl chirped joyfully.


    "Hmm, since you have a white hair and you''re father little princess... How about Shirayukihime?" Issei said with a smile after a little bit of thinking.


    "Shira... yuki... hime?" The girl tilted her head since she doesn''t know the meaning of it. But she likes the sound of this name a lot for some reason already!


    "Um... Shirayukihime means princess snow white. How about it? Do you like it?" Issei asked.


    "Princess snow white? Un un un! I love it! I love it a lot! Thank you father!" The little princess who now goes by the name Shirayukihime nodded giddily before she hugged Issei even tighter... she even gives Issei cheek a little peck.


    Issei who just got kissed by his little angel felt like he just went to heaven and above... He couldn''t stop grinning to himself.


    "Ehehehe, my name is now Shirayukihime... Shirayukihime... Shirayukihime... I can''t wait to tell mother about this!" She repeated her name a couple of times before she let out another happy giggle.


    Issei who heard her words had a small frown on his face. Does that mean Irene got to talk to this little angel before him every day? He never felt so jealous of his wives before but now he does...


    His beloved partner really knows how to keep a secret from him... just you wait until he gets back! He will make her pay! The appropriate punishment for her should be... giving him a second little princess? No... Perhaps five or ten more little princesses! Yes, that''s it! Issei thought evilly to himself...


    ...


    Irene who was relaxing in her room shuddered for a brief moment... She couldn''t help but become cautious while thinking just what caused her to shudder like that!?


    "Lady Irene?" A female voice can be heard right next to her.


    "It''s nothing... It''s probably just my imagination." Irene said with a wave after she doesn''t sense anything out of the ordinary: "Continue with your explanation..."


    "Yes. Continuing from what I said before... With the help from princess Lala of the planet, we could theoretically create a summoning device that could send someone from our side towards Issei-sama''s location. But, we have to increase the power output of Rias Gremory and her cohorts. At their current strength, we could at most send a couple of combatants at most... Of course, this is only according to our theory. Whether it will succeed or not is still unknown." The woman who''s inside her room is Aki Nijou, one of Issei''s top scientists alongside Da Vinci, Ryouko Mikado, and Tearju Lunatique.


    She''s discussing her discovery with Irene since Semiramis and Forzelotte is currently away...


    "If we were to do what you suggested, who should we send to his location then?"


    "I would recommend sending the heroic spirits or one of the trusted Overlords."


    "Hoo, who should we send? Someone like Tiamat?"


    "Err, no, Lady Tiamat is basically a True God class, and choosing her wouldn''t work since it will put a lot of burden on the catalysts... I would say... someone at the rank of Majin-san or King Artoria/Altria and Lady Mordred. And that''s taking account that we can only send one or two of them at most since they''re very powerful themselves."


    If they could then they would''ve created an actual spatial rift already but they couldn''t... They can create a one-way rift to Issei''s place and that''s about it considering there''s interference and also because of the "catalyst" is quite weak...


    Their plan was to send someone from their side to help Issei. Even though he said that he will return soon enough, they just couldn''t erase their worry just like that.


    They feel like if they didn''t do something from their side then they won''t be able to feel rest assured.


    "Hmm, so we have to increase those brats overall strength, right? It''s not really hard to do so but... *Sigh* I''m so lazy to do it... But if I must then..." Irene said with a sigh.


    Irene could their strength but...


    "No, we have to increase their actual strength and not just a temporary boost. If we just increase their strength temporarily with your then the result will be the same since their soul essence will stay weak." Aki shakes her head at Irene.


    She knows that what Irene had in mind is her skill.


    "Ahh, so bothersome... beloved, just where are you when we need you..." Irene sighed for the umpteenth time: "If Kiba and Gasper were a girl then it would be a lot easier. They would''ve ''sleep'' with Ise a lot along with those brats in the past..." She really isn''t cut it for this kind of stuff...


    Her and Scathach solution often involves pure brute strength.


    Aki who saw Irene lazy attitude gives a wry smile... It''s true that if Kiba stays as a girl and Gasper were a girl then they ought to already solve their current predicament.


    They would''ve joined Rossweisse and Kuroka long ago but then again... they might already become pregnant as well by now if that were to happen.


    Given how strong Issei libido is and how great he is in bed... Yeah, they would surely become pregnant in no time...


    "Well, we can just further discuss it when Semi and the others return from their little trip..." Irene waved her hand to dismiss their current discussion.


    "Hmm..." Irene suddenly narrowed her eyes at Aki''s super destructive "weapon".


    "L-Lady Irene? What''s wrong?" Aki started to fidget around in her seat after being gazed so intently like this by Irene.


    "I have to say... your chest is unbelievably huge, even bigger than Wiz and Croix. I''m sure Ise would love to fondle it to his heart content..." Irene mused to herself.


    "Wh-Wh-What are you saying lady Irene!" Aki whole face turned beef red like a tomato and she covered her chests with her arms... not that it could hide them though since they''re too huge to be hidden with her two dainty hands.


    "I''m not joking. Ise might not be a pervert like he used to but he still loves b.o.o.b.s even until now. Whenever we had our lovey-dovey time, he always plays my b.r.e.a.s.ts to his heart content. It feels really good though." Irene said while she propped her own b.r.e.a.s.ts which gets bigger ever since she got pregnant... But even then, her b.r.e.a.s.t size still loses to Aki before her...


    "I-I-I..." Aki''s mouth started to open and close at a rapid pace. She doesn''t know how to respond to Irene''s words since she''s a bonafide v.i.r.g.i.n... She never had any relationship with the opposite s.e.x until now after all...


    She couldn''t help but feel happy deep inside knowing that the man she adores loves big b.r.e.a.s.ts... She always thinks that her b.r.e.a.s.ts are a burden because of how big it is. But now she feels a little proud of her chest size...


    The corner of her mouth lifted a little bit when she thought until here... Irene doesn''t miss this and she let out a teasing smile.


    "I wonder if your b.r.e.a.s.ts could produce some milk... You can be a wet nurse for our children if you''re willing you know? I''m sure the milk produced by your EX tier b.r.e.a.s.ts will taste really great... As a reward, we''re more than willing to have you to be one of our sisters. How about it?" Irene said with a knowing smirk.


    If Aki can''t produce milk now, they can just use a magic skill for it. She reckons it will be quite easy to do so...


    "...R-Really?" Aki body stiffens and she went silent for a good while before she asked in a mosquito-like voice...


    "Ah, of course. You might not know this but Ise himself held some feelings towards you and your friends you know? He''s quite a possessive man and I''m pretty sure that he would be unwilling to see any of you being taken by another man." Irene said with a chuckle.


    Well, what she said has a little truth to it though. Issei indeed held some feelings for Aki, Ryouko, and Tearju but it''s not to the point of being possessive like she said.


    He might feel bitter seeing them being taken by another man but he won''t force them to stay if they don''t want to.


    "...Ehehe..." Aki let out a goofy smile when she heard Irene''s words. She completely believes the latter words...


    Irene couldn''t help but chuckle to herself seeing how innocent Aki is. Why is it that her beloved partner seems to be surrounded by this kind of woman? Not that she hates it though.


    "By the way, are you really sure that you don''t want to go back to your homeworld right now?" Irene changed the subject.


    "Eh? Ah, yes. Until Issei-sama''s return safe and sound, I won''t go back just yet." Aki said with a smile.


    Her arrival here is completely coincidental that you can call it an accident instead.


    She was in her home planet when a spatial rift opened right before her. Before she has any chance to react, she got sucked into the rift...


    On the other side, she met Tearju and her friend Ryouko... One thing led to another, they become friends and also a coworker. Although Aki felt saddened that she couldn''t go back home, she decided to live safely from then on until she can find a way to go back.


    Only until she met Issei that she found out that she could go back to her home planet with his help... But, she felt reluctant to leave her new friends and Issei''s side so she finally prolonged her stay.


    She felt sorry for her friends back home but that guilt soon disappeared as well when Semiramis and the others helped with the time difference. She could stay for years in and only a day will pass by in her homeworld.


    She was about to go back after the Trihexa incident but the Nyarlathotep''s arrival changed everything... So here she is still staying in .


    "Hnn, so be it then... Feel free to ask any of us for help if you were to change your mind. I would assume Ise himself would gladly escort you back though." Irene returned her smile.


    After another brief chat, Aki excuses herself and left Irene''s room...


    "*Sigh*... It looks like it''s just us once again..." Irene said with a sigh before she started stroking her belly.


    ...


    "Father, there''s something weird inside of you." Shirayuki said while she started poking Issei''s chest.


    "Oh?" Issei frowned a little at this.


    What Shirayuki pointing at is the thing that Nyarlathotep put inside of his body...


    When Shirayuki poked Issei''s chest, there''s a small purple orb that emerged from Issei''s body.


    The moment this thing separated itself from his body, Issei went into a daze for a brief moment before a flow of memories started to return to his mind.


    Once all of that is done, Issei sighed bitterly since it seems that Nyarlathotep has been influencing him little by little this whole time... To think that he could realize Mu Xuanyin being controlled but not himself...


    He thought that he''s already being cautious enough but it seems that he was mistaken.


    Issei also realizes that the girls held some feelings for him but to be honest... he doesn''t really know how to respond to their feelings. Not only has he married already but his wives are also numerous and he''s also a father now.


    "This thing is quite weird father... What is this?" Shirayuki said in a curious voice while observing the small purple orb in her hand.


    Even though she directly touched Nyarlathotep''s orb, she doesn''t seem to be affected in the slightest. As to be expected since she''s Issei''s direct descendant after all.


    "It''s... a prank from father acquaintance." Issei said calmly: "Here, let father hold on to that for a moment."


    Issei took the orb from his daughter''s hand and started to infuse some of his aura into it. He then put the orb back into his body...


    It will be easier to keep Nyarlathotep in the dark this way... She will think that she still has the upper hand but in reality, she''s not.


    "Oh..." Shirayuki nodded ''sagely'' as if she understood what Issei meant. In reality, she doesn''t even know the word "prank"...


    "You should go back, little princess. It''s better if you don''t do what you''re doing right now too often. After all, you''re still not born yet..." Issei said with a wry smile.


    Although he felt saddened that his little princess won''t be visiting him any longer because of this... But it''s better to be safe rather than sorry.


    "Uuu... Does father doesn''t like it when I pay you a visit?" Shirayuki''s face becomes gloomy and her lips become upturned when she said this.


    "How is that possible? Father couldn''t be happier if you pay me a visit... It''s just that it''s not good for you if you were to overused your current strength. Don''t worry, father will return to your and your mother side soon enough. Father has already promised you, didn''t I?" Issei said while he started to give her head a gentle pat.


    "...Un! Then father you must keep your promise, okay? Shirayuki and mother will wait for you!" Her face reverted back to a happy smile.


    "Of course." Issei smiled lovingly at her.


    "Then father... See you soon!" Then her body started to fade soon after...


    Issei gives one last smile before he too left the dream world...


    ,,,


    When Issei woke up, he saw Nyarlathotep''s smiling face right before him.


    "So, how was your reunion with your descendant, Dragon King?" Nyarlathotep asked.


    Issei gives her a bland look before he sighed to himself.


    "It was great," Issei said simply, but his face unintentionally let out a gentle smile when he remembered about his little princess.


    "Is that so?" Nyarlathotep responded before she started to stroke his chest: "How about we create a descendant of our own? I would gladly give birth to your children no matter how many you wanted me to~" She said in a sultry voice.


    "...Thank you for keeping your promise with me." Issei said after a bit of silence.


    "...Fufufu, you''re welcome." At first, Nyarlathotep froze but soon she let out a light chuckle.


    What Issei meant is that Nyarlathotep really keep her promise and she doesn''t do anything towards Shirayuki when she first arrived.


    There''s no way Nyarlathotep didn''t realize her arrival and seeing that Shirayuki is still safe and sound when she met him, it''s safe to say that Nyarlathotep kept her promise.


    "Now, Dragon King... let me have my reward~" Nyarlathotep licked her lips l.u.s.tfully before she started to strip her clothes.


    Issei who saw this sighed to himself and thought that perhaps he should indeed reward her for keeping her promise to him...


    He''s not really angry at her "prank" from before since it''s basically within the range of her promise to him.


    He said that he won''t mind her trying to mess around with him as long as she doesn''t involve his loved ones.


    When Issei about to consent to her request, there''s Mu Xuanyin''s voice coming from outside.


    Nyarlathotep who heard this voice had her face stiffens before she gives a low growl while her killing intent started to ooze out: "Can I kill her, Dragon King? After all, she''s not your ''loved ones'', isn''t she?"


    She genuinely feels angry that someone just interrupted her ''fun'' time. And this someone is not Issei''s ''loved ones'' so she doesn''t see any problem if she were to kill her.


    "No." Issei said in a dull tone.


    "Hmph... Then you better give me my reward later or I will break my promise to you." Nyarlathotep pouted a little before she re-entered his shadow.


    Issei sighed tiredly before he gets up from his bed and head towards the entrance where there''s a slight commotion can be heard.


    "Grandmaster is currently resting, please visit at a later date." Xue''er voice can be heard.


    Caiyi stands next to her and she doesn''t say anything other than looking calmly to her front.


    "It won''t take long. I just wanted to introduce him to someone." Mu Xuanyin''s voice is heard next.


    This time Caiyi narrowed her eyes slightly while looking at Mu Xuanyin''s back. There''s Mu Feixue waiting behind her...


    Mu Feixue still seems expressionless.


    According to her experience, Caiyi knows that Mu Xuanyin is about to ''introduce'' or the word ''gift'' is more appropriate in this case, is this Mu Feixue. In the past, she would''ve done the same if there''s someone like Issei suddenly pays her kingdom a visit. But now... she knows that it is a mistake to do so.


    Just when Xue''er about to deny them once again, Issei''s voice can be heard from behind her.


    "It''s fine, Xue''er. I''m already awake."


    "Ah, okay grandmaster." Xue''er becomes slightly astonished but soon she steps aside.


    "What do you need, Mu Xuanyin? Who do you want to introduce to me? If you''re talking about Mu Feixue who''s standing behind you then we''ve already met before." Issei said.


    "Greetings... young master." Mu Xuanyin isn''t sure what to call Issei and decided to just copy the other girls'' way of addressing him: "I''m sure you have already met Feixue before and I was thinking..."


    "Just get to the point," Issei said simply.


    "Will young master be willing to take her in as your maid? Amongst this generation of Ice Phoenix disciples, Feixue is the most talented disciple in our sect. Of course, that is not including young master''s girls. Young master can think of it as a gift from me. As an apology for the recent incident and also as my gratitude for saving my sister. Feixue, come and greet your young master." Since he already said so, then Mu Xuanyin will get to the point.


    "Feixue greets young master."


    She respectfully bowed her body at Issei.


    "Young master is free to do whatever you want with Feixue here, she will offer no resistance whatsoever." Mu Xuanyin said to the side.


    Mu Feixue quietly stood in her place without making any sort of sound, like a finely sculpted ice-crystal statue of a young lady. Only her starry eyes could be seen faintly swaying, as unprecedented ripples surfaced in them.


    She had thought about accepting her fate the moment she entered the Sacred Hall. She had no thoughts of defying it, nor was it possible, as it was an order from the Sect Master.


    She knew very well that given her appearance, the men in the sect would always look at her with gazes of shock, infatuation, and stultification, they would even feel themselves inferior to her, not daring to show the expressions of desire in their eyes. In any case, even if she was ugly, she still had Ice Phoenix vital yin, which was an immensely great temptation in itself to all men.


    She knows that her beauty is at most on par with the women at his side but she''s still a beauty to say nonetheless.


    And right now, the only person who could do anything with her was...


    "If you want to repay me in this way then you can just bring her back. I don''t need her." Refusing her outright.


    Mu Feixue went into a daze after hearing Issei''s refusal. Her pride is hurt by a little seeing how he refuses her without hesitation.


    "Why? Is she not up to your satisfaction, young master?" Mu Xuanyin asked with furrowed eyebrows. Why is it different from what she had in mind? Wasn''t Issei supposed to accept her ''gift''?


    Is he perhaps isn''t satisfied with just Feixue? Should she gather more female disciples?


    Issei who sensed Mu Xuanyin''s intention narrowed his eyes before he took off his mask.


    "You need to know something, Mu Xuanyin... What I''m unsatisfied with, is the way you do things. One of the things I hate most in this world is someone who treated one of their kinds like a bargaining chip or just tools for them to use." Issei let out a low growl while his red eyes turned into slits.


    Dragon eyes! Mu Xuanyin''s eyes widened after she saw Issei''s current eyes and the aura he''s currently emitting.


    This is... the aura of a True Dragon!? He''s a True Dragon?!


    While Mu Xuanyin is struck with realization, Mu Feixue is struck with another thing... She never thought that a man could be so... devastatingly beautiful like this.


    Her once ice-cold heart started to beat faster and faster... but it''s not only because of Issei''s face. But also because of what he just said...


    "Now leave. I''m in a good mood today so I won''t take today''s matter seriously." Issei said before he turns around and re-entered his room.


    Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi look at Mu Xuanyin in pity. This woman just lost all hope in getting into their Grandmaster/Young Master''s good book...


    Mu Xuanyin herself went into a daze since she never thought that Issei will say that.


    Soon after, Mu Xuanyin''s party left the palace...


    ...


    Bathing in the snow falling from the sky, Mu Feixue stands rooted next to Mu Xuanyin, her gaze is glazed. Afterward, she stopped in her tracks to look silently at the pale white world around her. But she wasn''t unable to stay as quiet as the Snow Region within her heart.


    "Just... what sort of person is he...?"


    She lightly murmured to herself.


    He''s that powerful that even the sect master is so respectful of him... but he still refuses her gift just like that. Solely because he hates the way the sect master did things...


    If she... If she comes to him according to her own accord, will he accept her? Mu Feixue couldn''t help but think to herself...


    "Feixue..." Mu Xuanyin''s cold eyes looked somewhat complicated, "We will drop today matter... However, don''t spread what happened today to anyone else. Keep it to yourself... Not even your grandfather is allowed to know."


    "Feixue understand..." She lightly nodded at Mu Xuanyin.


    Mu Xuanyin the sighed to herself... It looks like she just made a grave mistake. She should''ve listened to her sister''s words...


    Now she can only hope that she will be given a chance to redeem her mistake. Thankfully, he said that he won''t take today matter seriously...


    What should she do now...


    How about treasures instead? Since he hates being gifted a person directly like that.


    Mu Xuanyin then called for Mu Huanzhi.


    When Mu Huanzhi arrived. He promptly stepped forward and performed a salutation from a distance, "Huanzhi pays respect to Sect Master. Huanzhi feels extremely apologetic to make Sect Master wait so long."


    "Get up." Mu Xuanyin''s voice traveled through the snowy wind, carrying a hint of tiredness.


    "Huanzhi, This king called you here to entrust a task."


    Mu Huanzhi got up and nodded, "Sect Master, please give your instructions."


    "This king wants you to look for four things."


    Mu Huanzhi focused his mind and pricked up his ears. The things for which Sect Master herself was going to instruct him to seek were bound to be extraordinary after all.


    "The four things are, a Qilin horn, a Wood Spirit Orb with at least seventy percent of it spiritual power preserved, a Divine Nine Star Buddha Jade and... an intact Immortal Emperor Grass!"


    Initially, Mu Huanzhi was listening intently to her words. But when he heard "Wood Spirit Orb", he couldn''t help but raise his head in startlement. Soon after, he heard his throat made a deep sound involuntarily, as his ears caught the names of "Divine Nine Star Buddha Jade" and "Immortal Emperor Grass."


    Putting the Qilin horn aside, a "Wood Spirit Orb" was the life source of the people from Wood Spirit Race. Once it was taken out of them, their bodies would die and their soul dissipates into thin air. Their number was on the continuous decline due to the large scale hunt for them. That naturally leads to a ceaseless increase in the selling price of the Wood Spirit Orb. In addition, killing people of their race was widely recognized as unethical and inhumane. Therefore, Wood Spirit Orbs had always been sold in private, with no one daring to do it publicly. As a result, it had become extremely difficult to obtain the orbs nowadays, much less one with seventy percent of its spirit power preserved.


    It was also an option for him to go hunt a member of Wood Spirit Race but doing so would be equal to defying the heavenly law, and righteous profound practitioners, would not do it openly.


    Now the possibility of getting his hands on a Wood Spirit Orb was still viable but the Divine Nine Star Buddha Jade and the Immortal Emperor Grass were the kinds of things that could be only seen in the ancient records. It was uncertain whether even the rumor of their locations could be heard once in several thousand years. It was immensely hard to obtain them even in the upper star realms.


    "Is there a problem?" Mu Xuanyin slightly frowned upon seeing Mu Huanzhi''s reaction to her words.


    Mu Huanzhi promptly said, "Huanzhi has remembered it all and will at once set out to do as instructed. Just that... the members of Wood Spirit Race generally remain hidden in lower star realms where the situation is comparatively less threatening to their lives. Moreover, whether it''s a Wood Spirit or a Wood Spirit Orb, the business involving them has always been carried out in private. All we can do now is to send some people to the lower star realms and covertly look for the thing we want. However, being able to actually get our hands on an orb with at least seventy percent of its power preserved will heavily rely on our luck."


    "As for Divine Nine Star Buddha Jade and Immortal Emperor Grass, " Mu Huanzhi exhaled lightly, "Huanzhi will try to the best of his ability."


    He didn''t dare ask Mu Xuanyin why she would need to look for such things all of a sudden.


    "Get it done as soon as possible," Mu Xuanyin said. "In case you get the information about their whereabouts but find it beyond your ability to obtain them, do let this king immediately know about it."


    "Yes." Mu Huanzhi''s heart thumped loudly. Her words clearly indicated that she was in a hurry to get these things. But the names she had mentioned were absolutely extraordinary things, so getting hold of even one of them in a short time was especially difficult, to say nothing of all four of them.


    Just when Mu Huanzhi about to excuse himself, there''s a light voice coming from above them...


    "There''s no need to find those things if you want to gift them to Master..." Mu Xuanyin recognizes this voice but not Feixue and Huanzhi.


    "Who?!" Huanzhi shouted.


    "Mu Xuanyin..." The owner of the voice is Bing''er.


    "Lord Ice Phoenix God!" Mu Xuanyin kneeled while she pays her respect.


    Both Feixue and Hanzhi went into a daze seeing their sect master suddenly kneeled like this and did she just said Ice Phoenix God just now!? But they''re being ignored by Bing''er...


    "Master doesn''t need anything you just mentioned. As for the wood spirit orb... You don''t have to worry about that either since soon I will tell Master about them myself." Bing''er said lightly.


    "I understand." Mu Xuanyin responded.


    "Just don''t do anything unnecessary... just mind your own business for now. If Master need anything, I can inform you about it." After she said that, Bing''er disappeared silently leaving behind the stupefied duo...


    Mu Xuanyin sighed yet again after Bing''er left... Then she also dismissed the Mu duo while she herself returned to her own palace.


    She told Mu Huanzhi to forget what she just said. It''s better if she listens to Bing''er words after all. She doesn''t want to invoke another anger from Issei...


    ...


    "Benefactor Ise rejected Feixue?"


    Mu Xuanyin sat sideways on the ice chair. With hazy eyes and her soft b.r.e.a.s.ts half-exposed, her overlapping legs formed a slender, sultry outline. A small part of her white calves was exposed beneath her dress, her glossy skin was even more l.u.s.trous than a room filled with flowers of ice.


    Mu Bingyun was standing next to her, her slightly furrowed brows revealed her perplexity.


    "What else could it be? Feixue has such an obedient personality, no matter what, she couldn''t be the one who was disobedient."


    Mu Xuanyin''s voice was soft and gentle, capable of tugging people''s hearts and minds.


    "I never thought that he would be so... stiff? He''s so powerful and yet... the way he sees things are completely different."


    The ice-cold snowy light outside seeped in. Mu Xuanyin lazily laid down, her dress pulled up her jade legs. With their delicate pink gloss, her legs rose above the ice chair, each and every single one of her toes was small and l.u.s.trous like ice crystals. The front and back of her feet were silky smooth, it was as if they were smeared with a layer of cream, as smooth as jade and as soft as satin...


    And only in front of Mu Bingyun, would she appear this unscrupulous.


    With her slender snow hand, she swept the side of her endlessly bewitching blue hair behind her ear. Mu Xuanyin suddenly smiled, with her focused gaze on Mu Bingyun, a beautiful bewitching color appeared within her eyes. "Since he isn''t willing to have Feixue, then only a single method remains."


    "What method?" Mu Bingyun''s eyes swept over to Mu Xuanyin.


    "Of course, the only method left¡­ is my good little sister personally become his personal maid and repay him for saving her life. Or perhaps... We both could offer ourselves at the same time? I would give him the seat of the realm king and the sect master at a moment notice. How about it? And don''t think that I don''t notice the way you look at him... At last, my little sister is finally interested in a man."


    The moment she said that, Mu Xuanyin was already letting out a tender laugh.


    Mu Bingyun''s beautiful icy face reddened slightly: "Sis, don''t fool around."


    Outside, Mu Bingyun had to behave respectfully in front of Mu Xuanyin. However, privately, the two of them were sisters which could share any secret and there was not a single impurity in their feelings for each other. They were both each other''s only relative in the world.


    "Oh? You''re actually blushing? Hahahaha, so that means you''re not really against this idea of mine~" Mu Xuanyin give a teasing smile.


    "Sis..." Mu Bingyun sighed tiredly at her big sister''s attitude.


    "Putting that aside, did you know that he''s actually a True Dragon?"


    "True Dragon?"


    Mu Bingyun then remembered about Issei''s eyes and suddenly thought that no wonder she sometimes has a misconception that his eyes appear to be slitted and glows at times...


    "Um... It seems that we can only wait and see for now... Let''s hope that we will have a chance to earn his favor. That way we can assure our realm safety..." Mu Xuanyin said seriously.


    "Un. I understand." Mu Bingyun nodded lightly.


    "And also, you''re right about his otherworldly charm... If he were to show his face around the sect then our realm birth rate might just plummet right to the bottom in a blink of an eye."


    "..." Mu Bingyun nodded in agreement. "Indeed. His charm is too big to resist for a normal woman..."


    "Even Feixue''s mind has been unsettled by him, and your Xiaolan''er¡­" A mischievous fog swirled within Mu Xuanyin''s watery eyes. "She might become a lamb that enters the tiger''s den. When that happens, she will be thinking of him all day and night and she might not have the time to care about her master anymore."


    "Feixue?" Shock filled Mu Bingyun''s eyes but soon she thinks that it''s quite normal after all...


    As for Xiaolan... well, there''s nothing she could do about it...


    When she recalled Mu Feixue''s dazed look and misty eyes when she left back then, the corner of Mu Xuanyin''s brows slightly curved.


    "I have to say... Even I started to think that it might be not so bad to have him as my husband... The look on his face when he was being serious was simply irresistible. It would be even better if both of us were to marry him. That way we can serve him together in bed~" Mu Xuanyin let out another mischievous peal of laughter while Mu Bingyun can only sigh wryly at her elder sister''s attitude.


    And whether she really against her big sister idea or not... only she knows...


    ...


    "Master, do you have a moment?" Bing''er who returned from her small trip asked Issei softly.


    Her eyes twinkled slightly when she saw her currently smiling Master.


    Just what makes him in a good mood like this? She couldn''t help but wonder...


    "Hm? What''s wrong?" Issei asked Bing''er.


    "There''s a race called the ..." Then Bing''er started her explanation...


    The is a special branch of the elven race that possesses an extreme intimacy with nature energy. They can communicate with plants and they have a certain degree of control over plants. The pure and innocent souls of the wood spirits can sense the maliciousness or hostility of other living beings. The innate talent this clan has for cultivating profound energy is extremely low, therefore they are always weak and downtrodden.


    The first race Li Suo created was the .


    If they fall into the hands of those from outside their race, their fates will always be exceptionally miserable. They will be enslaved and treated as tools that could look for and nurture medicine, or even worse, they would be killed for their life origin orb, the Wood Spirit Orb. The same thing that Mu Xuanyin told Mu Huanzhi to find before...


    In the auction houses of the Realm of the Gods, it was very common to see wood spirits being sold, and because there were less and less of this race of people and they began to teeter on the edge of extinction, their prices began to get higher and higher.


    Every one of them had hair the color of emerald, fluorite-like eyes, and pointed long ears. Their skin was flawless like jade.


    Wood spirits bore the purest of nature energy. As a result, the females tended to be gentle and beautiful, while the males are extremely pretty. However, because of this, they would lack masculinity.


    If you have a Royal Wood Spirit by your side, you will be able to nurture all kinds of extraordinary flora and spirit herbs no matter how stringent their requirement to grow are. Moreover, their growth speed will be at least ten times normal.


    After the number of Wood Spirits became very low, the King Realms of the Eastern Divine Region agreed to a ban on the enslaving and hunting of the Wood Spirit Race. Anyone caught violating it will be severely punished. However, this did not stop the suffering of the race due to the continuing greed of human profound practitioners.


    The entire clan led by the patriarch tried to seek out the direct protection of a king realm and finally were accepted by the Brahma Monarch God Realm. They were instead betrayed by the Brahma Monarch God Realm three years ago. The patriarch, his wife, and thousands of Wood Spirits died.


    "Oh? The Brahma Monarch God Realm again... If it weren''t for Jasmine wanting to achieve revenge with her own hand, I would''ve destroyed it right this instant..." Issei said lightly.


    If an outsider were to hear this then they would say that Issei is being too arrogant. But Bing''er knows that if Issei really wanted to do so then it will be as easy as snapping his finger...


    How ironic... To think that the Brahma Monarch God Realm is saved from their demise by their own sworn enemy... for now, that is...


    The can be said that it is the strongest Star Realm controlled by the Human Race. Furthermore, its strength isn''t something that has existed for a short period of time. Ever since the day it became a King Realm, it has been the strongest Star Realm in the Eastern Divine Region and to this very day, not a single Star Realm has been able to shake it from its position. Even the Eternal Heaven Ancestor who possessed the Heart of Glazed Glass in those years, the Eternal Heaven Realm that she led has not been able to surpass the Brahma Monarch God Realm in any era.


    It is one of the Four Royal Rank Star Realm and the Strongest in the Eastern God Region.


    A mysterious star realm which possesses countless powerful experts but had never participated in any conflicts between star realms.


    As the leader of King Realms in the Eastern Divine Region, the Brahma Monarch Realm never interferes with any other realm. The profound practitioners of the Brahma Monarch God Realm, from the Realm King at the top to the commoners at the bottom, all inherently possess an extremely strong obsession to pursue the profound way, status, and power. They practically go insane to fulfill these desires. Furthermore, since the people of the Brahma Monarch God Realm have practiced in such a frenzied manner for generations, not a single weak person can be found in the entire realm. Anyone of the inhabitants is strong enough to be the commanding person of a place in other realms.


    But in Issei''s eyes, they''re nothing than a group of ants that he could stomp to death at any given time. They''re only alive and well now only because Jasmine wanted to destroy them with her own hands...


    Of course, it''s not like Issei would kill the whole realm inhabitants just like that. He would just kill those who deserve it. He won''t involve the innocents.


    "Is there any information of their whereabouts right now?" Issei asked Bing''er.


    "I don''t know for sure, Master... But I can ask Mu Xuanyin to gather some information about them.." Bing''er responded.


    "Um, you do that then..." Issei said with a nod.


    Bing''er is creating a chance for Mu Xuanyin at the moment. This way her master won''t feel repugnant at the latter anymore...


    ...


    At the same time, Huo Rulie arrives back at his palace.


    He ignored his injuries and went straight to his son''s location.


    Huo Poyun tried to advise him but he ignores it.


    Huo Rulie quickly pushed open the door and entered his son''s room. Huo Poyun followed closely behind him.


    He went towards his bedridden son and had the latter drink the vial of water Issei gave to him...


    Not a second later, there''s a loud exclaim coming from Huo Rulie... And it is a jubilant voice instead of a mourning voice.


    His son is completely healed of his condition...


    He then celebrates his son''s wellbeing... He doesn''t forget his promise towards Issei and decided that he will pay a visit once again at a later date.


    He will express his loyalty as well at the same time. But it seems he won''t need to since Issei decided to hasten his plans...


    Issei decided to go to the on the very next day...


    ...


    Issei himself will be the one who personally goes alongside Caiyi, Xue''er, and also Mu Xuanyin. The four of them flew directly towards the Flame God realm...


    The Flame God Realm is a searing hot star realm comparable to an enormous volcano. It assembles a large number of fire-based divine sects. Because it''s a place enveloped by extreme yang energy, ninety percent of the residents are men, and they are eternal enemies with Snow Song Realm.


    That place is dominated by flames and the people there all succeeded the bloodline and strength of fire beasts from the Primordial Era. There were Flame Qilins, Azure Divine Birds, Zhurongs, Nine-Tailed Divine Foxes, Scarlet Sable. Almost all the legacy of the flame-type divine beasts from the Primordial Era were concentrated in the ''Flame God''s Realm.'' Above them were the three strongest flame forces which naturally were the races of the Vermillion Bird, Phoenix, and Golden Crow, which possessed the supreme flame divine powers and bloodline.


    Within the Flame God''s Realm, men who cultivated the Golden Crow flames usually had lifespans that were half of those who cultivated the Vermillion Bird and the Phoenix Flames. Females who cultivated the Golden Crow flame had half the lifespan of males who did so.


    The four of them flew very quickly and the distance between them and the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison kept shortening over time. Although they were still dozens of miles away from the place, a sea of flames that seemed to engulf both the land and the blue sky had filled every part of their vision.


    "We welcome your arrival honored guests!" The three sect master had long heard about Issei''s arrival from Mu Xuanyin''s voice transmission. The respect they have towards Issei just grow larger since they already know Huo Rulie''s son has been cured by him.


    It was pretty obvious that everyone in the Flame God Realm was feeling pretty optimistic about this time''s horned dragon hunt. In fact, Mu Xuanyin herself was feeling optimistic. Of course, there were a few reasons for their optimism. One, they had almost succeeded in killing the ancient horned dragon last time. Two, Mu Xuanyin''s profound strength was far greater than it was a thousand years ago. Three, the ancient horned dragon was wounded in its dragon fault. And last but not least, this mysterious senior that they''ve been hearing about is also coming with them.


    Whereas for Mu Xuanyin, she felt like she''s just acting like an escort at this point... Does he even need her? The answer is no...


    By now, everyone in the three great sects who attended for the ancient horned dragon''s hunt had arrived. They weren''t many but they still numbered almost a thousand people. Despite their differences, the people had all gathered in one place and the person closest to the edge was less than a hundred paces away from the God Burying Inferno Prison.


    "Let''s just get this over with." Issei said simply.


    "Ah? Don''t we need to form a proper plan?" Yan Wancang who''s present asked.


    "No need. All of you can just stay here, we alone are more than enough."


    The moment Issei said that, he immediately dives directly towards the depths of the Inferno Prison.


    Caiyi and Xue''er unhesitatingly followed after him... And the same goes for Mu Xuanyin.


    The rest of the flame god realm member went dumbstruck seeing that they''ve been just left behind like this... What about their previous agreement?


    The silence lasted for a few moments. Yan Wancang suddenly swung his left arm upwards. His palm was pointed sideways and upwards towards the sky as a gigantic profound formation suddenly lit up in midair. The profound formation was covered in compressed flames.


    Since they''ve been told to just wait here... then so be it. Yan Wancang decided to create a special projection that will allow them to look into the depths of the inferno prison from a safe place.


    Yan Wancang''s hand made a different gesture and the flames inside the profound formation instantly dissipated. Then, the huge, clear image of a sea of flames appeared clearly inside the formation.


    There was a giant beast covered in fire scales floating right at the center of the image!


    The beast''s head was huge and its long, three-pronged horns were alight with soaring flames. Although it looked both fierce and fiendish, the dragon''s head was still recognizable at first glance!


    Its tail was similar to a giant python in that it was far longer than its torso. Its entire body was covered in scarlet scales and burning light was reflecting from every one of them.


    An intimidating aura was transmitted from the image of the profound formation. It turned every younger disciple pale with shock.


    "So this is¡­ an ancient horned dragon!" Huo Poyun''s eyes turned wide as he muttered under his breath, "It is as Master has described. Still, it is a lot scarier than the description would suggest."


    This giant beast was none other than an ancient horned dragon. More accurately speaking, it was the ancient horned dragon that Issei''s party was about to ''fight''!


    It was at this moment something changed in the aura projected from the screen.


    Four small dots arrived in front of this horned Dragon.


    "There they are!" Yan Juehai shouted lightly.


    Those four dots are none other than Issei''s party.


    All of them there halted their breath while anticipation started to rise within their hearts... How mindblowing will their fight be...


    They couldn''t wait to witness a fight between Divine Masters...


    But what happened next made all of them become completely stupefied. Because the horned dragon that they dreaded suddenly act like it''s a worm instead of a Dragon! It literally let out a whining sound and its whole body is trembling at a visible rate! It even coiled its entire length making it looks like a giant worm instead of a fierce Dragon!


    Where did its previous menacing aura go?! How come it looks like a worm now!?

 Chapter 132 - 131

    (AN: Thanks for the donation, Joseph Lawrence and also thanks for all of your support and understanding everyone, I hope all of you enjoy the chapter).


    Flames billowed and flooded the skies within the God Burying Inferno Prison, reminiscent of the descent of a final doomsday. As Issei''s party appeared, what welcomed their arrival is the whining sound on the ancient horned dragon...


    The fiery scales covering the ancient horned dragon''s entire body stood on end as its aura turn submissive. Mu Xuanyin who saw this remembered about her own Saint Dragon that acts almost the same way as this ancient horned dragon before her.


    When she remembered about Issei''s identity, she thinks that it''s not so weird after all. But the same cannot be said for the flame gold realm''s inhabitants.


    They''re at complete lost seeing this scene... where''s the fierce fight they were anticipating? What they witnessed is completely different from their imagination...


    Amidst the raging Inferno Prison, the ancient horned dragon''s meek voice resounded: "H-H-How can I help you, king?"


    Mu Xuanyin who''s by Issei''s side had her eyes widen slightly.


    King?! This Ancient Horned Dragon actually called him ''King''?!


    Issei silently gazes at the Ancient Horned Dragon before he said lightly: "I want to go to the bottom of this inferno prison. You don''t need to worry, I won''t harm you nor your wife that is currently hiding."


    ...What?


    Mu Xuanyin''s brain blanked slightly when she heard what Issei just said.


    Its wife? This Ancient Horned Dragon has a wife?


    Even the onlookers'' from above are confused by what Issei just said. Is he telling them that there''s a second Ancient Horned Dragon? How is that possible?!


    But then the three Divine King discovered something out of place.


    "...It feels like something is not right," Yan Juehai suddenly said.


    Yan Wancang glanced at Yan Juehai as he said, "It seems like Sect Master Yan has also discovered it."


    Yan Juehai slowly nodded, "Its dragon fault contains no traces of any injuries¡­ it is so strange. It if were the other parts, it would not be so strange for the injuries to recover but the dragon fault, how could it be possible for it to recover to such an extent in just one thousand years!?"


    "Ah?" Huo Poyun confusedly turned around, "How could it be? Shouldn''t it be impossible for the dragon fault to completely recover in a thousand years?"


    The injury which the horned dragon had suffered a thousand years ago was an important factor for their success in killing the dragon this time.


    However, as of this moment, the dragon''s dragon fault¡­ was completely devoid of any injury, as if it had never been injured in the slightest!


    "This¡­" Huo Rulie''s expression also changed.


    Does that mean that... there really is a second Ancient Horned Dragon?!


    "B-But... That human beside you... and... those humans from above is..." The Dragon growled lightly at Mu Xuanyin since she''s the one who injured him in the past and it can also sense that Yan Wancang is currently "peeking" at them.


    "After I''m done with this place, they won''t try to hunt you both any longer. You have my word." That is what all Issei said to convince the Ancient Horned Dragon.


    When she was still dazed by what Issei said, a second shadowy figure emerged from below them.


    Everyone''s heart almost burst apart from the shock. Yan Wancang retreated several steps, appalled, while Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie''s hair stood on end, their eyes wide to the point of breaking apart.


    Even Mu Xuanyin is also shocked to her very core.


    If she were to fight this Dragon... She would surely get taken by surprise and she could be injured as a result... or even worse... dead!


    She couldn''t help but glance at Issei and feel thankful of his presence. If it wasn''t for him here with her then... she doesn''t dare to think of the consequences...


    "A¡­ Ahhh..."


    "H...How can there be such a thing!?"


    The second figure is none other than the second Ancient Horned Dragon which looks extremely identical to the first one.


    The second Ancient Horned Dragon joined its mate position. It curled itself trying to make itself look smaller than Issei which is clearly impossible since Issei is in his human form.


    The Ancient Horned Dragon could take shape of a human as well but they don''t want to transform themselves into the form that they hate the most.


    Issei doesn''t really mind since he can understand their sentiment quite a bit. If anyone were to suddenly just barge into his home and start attacking him, he would also feel pissed.


    "We welcome your arrival, Dragon King..." The second ancient horned dragon said softly. Its voice belonging to a female.


    "Although we welcome your arrival... as for the woman behind you..." It narrowed its eyes at Mu Xuanyin.


    They don''t mind Xue''er or Caiyi since both of them are basically enveloped with Issei''s aura but not for Mu Xuanyin.


    Not only that, but she''s also the same human that injured it in the past...


    To say that they don''t bear a grudge over it is a complete lie.


    Mu Xuanyin''s body tensed slightly after being exposed to their murderous intent.


    "What happened between you two in the past is not my business," Issei said flatly.


    "Then..." The Dragons narrowed their eyes at Mu Xuanyin while they bared their teeth at her.


    "But can you even kill her at this point now that you lose your element of surprise?" Issei asked flatly.


    The two ancient Dragon froze for a moment before they started contemplating their odds against Mu Xuanyin...


    Mu Xuanyin might not be a match for two ancient horned dragons, but if she were only fleeing, let alone two, even three ancient horned dragons wouldn''t be able to keep her from doing so.


    If she were to come back in the future... it will be their doom...


    The two Dragon expression turns dire when they thought till here.


    "No need to worry. I already said that when I''m done here they won''t be trying to hunt the two of you any longer, didn''t I? The two girls beside me will be the new realm king for the , they will put an order to not harm any of you but that''s only if the two of you don''t try to do the same in return. Of course, you''re free to defend yourselves if you''re the one that got provoked first." Issei said calmly.


    Then he turned his head towards the projection direction: "Did you all hear what I just said?"


    His voice is still calm but there''s an inexplicable pressure coming from Issei which they sensed clearly.


    The three sect master can only nod their head in agreement although they feel a bit bitter about it...


    "Since we have come to an agreement, there''s nothing else to see here." Issei waved his hand and the projection was cut off which startled Yan Wancang again.


    "Wh-Why is the projection suddenly..." Huo Poyun asked in confusion.


    "...To think that he could easily cut off our connection just like that..." Yan Wancang smiles bitterly.


    "But sect master... is it wise for us to follow his words just like that?" One of the elders asked with a frown.


    "What can we do even if we disagree? Do you dare to go against him? He can easily defeat the three of us in mere seconds." Huo Rulie said with a scoff.


    That elder who just spoke instantly shut his mouth.


    Huo Rulie already decided to pledge his loyalty towards Issei so he doesn''t really mind if Issei becomes their realm king.


    Even though Issei said that their realm king is that two girls beside him, they all know that the true ruler is Issei himself.


    "Well, we can only abandon our initial plan... alas... perhaps by accepting him as our realm king, our realm will rise even further..." Yan Juehai said with a sigh.


    ...


    "Mu Xuanyin, it''s better if you leave now. We will go deeper." Issei said simply towards Mu Xuanyin.


    "...Alright." Mu Xuanyin nodded slightly before she started to go upwards.


    It looks like she''s not allowed to come with them... Mu Xuanyin thought disappointedly inside her mind.


    Chi Wuyao received another crucial information from their short interaction...


    "He''s called Dragon King by those two dragons... It looks like his identity is beyond my expectation..." She muttered in a low voice.


    After Mu Xuanyin disappeared from their sight, Issei went deeper into the inferno prison... The two dragon sees them off with a respectful gesture.


    They were falling straight down inside the sea of fire. The fire element in their surroundings grew increasingly violent and terrifying, but it was unable to hurt the three of them in the slightest.


    Issei guessed that there must be a Divine spirit existing at the bottom of the God Burying Inferno Prison. Xiaotao and Lieyan themselves also confirmed his guess that there is indeed a Phoenix and Golden Crow lies beneath this place.


    Although that was a long time ago... But Issei only sensed a single divine spirit left.


    It looks like one of them has already passed away.


    Although the people of the Flame God Realm believed that no divine spirit existed in their realm now, they thought so because no one had ever succeeded in reaching the bottom of the God Burying Inferno Prison. The remnant spirit of the Ice Phoenix True God at the bottom of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was also able to somehow maintain its existence by relying on the cold vein. The flame vein of the Flame God Realm was undoubtedly more powerful than the cold vein of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, so it would be only normal if the remnant soul of a divine spirit was able to exist until now by relying on it.


    Falling straight down for over fifteen thousand meters into the inferno prison, They arrived at the bottom as fast as possible. This place was such a terrifying purgatory that no ordinary person would be able to imagine it. The fire elements in this place were so violent in nature that it would be far beyond the understanding of even someone as great as a Divine Master. Just a small mass of flames from this place was enough to evaporate all the oceans of an ordinary world.


    The spirit aura of flames rushed into Issei''s body like a storm as they transformed into his own strength... but it''s barely useable for him. So he transferred those energies towards Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er instead.


    Even if he didn''t do anything in this world made of extremely pure and high-level flames, their profound strength would increase at a far greater rate than others cultivating with great effort.


    They inherited Xiaotao and Lieyan''s legacy after all.


    The two of them gratefully look towards Issei. Their gaze looks like they could melt him any second with how affectionate it is...


    Issei never realizes their feelings for him until now so he felt a little awkward being gazed at them in this way.


    Whereas for the two of them, their eyes shone a little after seeing Issei awkward look. It looks like their crush finally started to realize their feelings.


    Both Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er already know that Issei has multiple wives from Xiaotao and Lieyan''s mouth but they don''t really care since it is completely normal for a man of his caliber own multiple wives.


    Doesn''t need to look too far, even Feng Xue''er father, Feng Hengkong himself has multiple concubines.


    "...Xue''er, Caiyi..." Issei called out.


    "Yes, Young Master/Grandmaster?" The two of them responded in a sweet tone.


    "...Nevermind." Issei finally said with a wry smile. He somehow has a feeling that even if he told them that he already has a wife, they still wouldn''t let go of their feelings for him...


    Issei decided to just let nature take its course.


    Issei''s gaze then locked onto the extremely distant but clearly visible arc of red light.


    Over there was the location of the primordial flame vein.


    Not only Issei but Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er can also sense a divine energy signature similar to Xiaotao.


    Passing through layer after layer of the divine flames, they made their way straight to the flame vein.


    The God Burying Inferno Prison spanned over five hundred thousand kilometers. If it wasn''t for Issei''s extraordinary sense acting as their guide, it would have been extremely difficult to identify the correct direction. As they went forward, Feng Xue''er could feel the soul reaction even more clearly.


    They traveled as much as fifty thousand kilometers without resting for even a moment¡­ as they slowly neared their destination.


    After a while, they finally stopped in their tracks. Before their eyes was an arc of red light that looked like a coiling dragon in the midst of this world of flames. It meandered as far as they could see and appeared to have no end.


    There was no doubt that the primordial flame vein was an existence on the same level as the primordial cold vein of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake. Both of these energies were left behind from the primordial Era of Gods.


    However, the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake only had a short cold vein, but the flame vein before their eyes seemed to be endless. But for Issei, it can only be considered as not bad.


    Perhaps, no one could think¡­ that such absolutely terrifying energy was hidden in a middle star realm such as the Flame God Realm.


    If the energy here were to be poured down, it should be enough to easily destroy an upper star realm, or maybe even a king realm...


    They continued walking ahead when two crimson flames suddenly shone from in front of them.


    "Greetings, Godking and... the two inheritors of my and the Golden Crow legacy. I have been waiting for your arrival."


    A weak and indistinct but clearly audible voice resounded in their mind, causing them to raise their head. Far above them, two long, narrow, and golden eyes opened little by little¡­ Then the light of the flames around him immediately dimmed, and the pair of eyes seemed to be the sole existence in this vast purgatory.


    The two girls don''t seem too surprised hearing that the Phoenix spirit just called Issei a Godking. They have long anticipated his true identity before this...


    At the same time, the golden eyes were far more long and narrow than the Golden Crow Divine Spirit''s.


    Seeing this pair of eyes, Issei instantly thought back to the moment when he had come into contact with Xiaotao for the first time.


    The eyes of the phoenix in the trial grounds of the Phoenix Clan, in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain range of the Blue Wind Empire.


    The instant this pair of eyes appeared, the divine aura of a phoenix flame also descended from above but it''s not domineering in the slightest.


    "You seem different from Xiaotao old form... It looks like you''re a direct soul fragment of the original Phoenix." Issei mused calmly.


    "Xiaotao?" The Phoenix repeated.


    "That will be me..." Xiaotao emerged from beside Issei which made the Phoenix eyes widen slightly.


    "Nice to meet you... my kin," Xiaotao said softly.


    "...How fascinating... to think that you, who''s supposedly a simple soul residue could become alive... no, I should say ''reborn'' instead... I guess it''s not that surprising considering the Godking is helping you..." The Phoenix soul fragment said in awe.


    "Indeed... my newfound life is granted by Master." Xiaotao nodded at her statement.


    "And I am but a mere soul fragment of the phoenix that has been left behind in this world. I perceived your arrival the moment you stepped into the , Godking. It seems that we don''t have to be worried about the ''Great calamity'' anymore... Other than that, I am the last remaining strand of Phoenix soul in this world. However, I can only maintain my existence by relying on the God Burying Inferno Prison. Once I leave this place, I will die away very quickly." The Phoenix said.


    "Yes... Master said that he will take care of the ''Great calamity'' and you can have the same fate as me if you want. All you have to do is to accept my master as your master." Xiaotao advised.


    "That''s reassuring. With how powerful your excellency strength, taking care of the ''Great calamity'' will be quite easy." The Phoenix said with gratitude.


    "But... No, I have to refuse your offer... It would probably be better if we fuse our soul. I don''t have any attachment left behind in this world... The only reason why I forced myself to stay alive until now is because of the ''Great calamity''. But since there''s no need to worry about it any longer then I can finally have my long awaited rest..." The Phoenix stated.


    That isn''t a calamity anyone can fight against. If everyone in the entire God Realm can set aside their racial prejudices, bias towards other star realms and individual grudges, if everyone can work together without selfish intentions and pour every ounce of power into resisting the enemy, then they may just have a sliver of a chance at surviving this but alas...


    This calamity is a test for the entire God Realm. The reason they''ve all chosen to grant all their remaining power to the humans is to leave as many seeds of hope as possible. It is also the only thing they can do. Few are capable of utilizing the full extent of their power, but individual strength is naught but a speck of dust before that terrible disaster.


    "...I see..." Xiaotao said with a sigh.


    Unlike Xiaotao who still wants to live, it looks like this Phoenix soul fragment only wanted to find peace...


    By fusing their soul together, the Phoenix basically will give away all of her divine energy to her.


    Xiaotao looks at Issei wanting to say something but Issei beat her to it: "It''s fine. I don''t need her divine energy... You can have it, Xiaotao."


    "...Then Xiaotao thanks master." Xiaotao said with a bow.


    "May I ask if you know anything about the ''Great calamity'' or the ''Crimson crack'', Godking?" The Phoenix asked in curiosity.


    "Oh? Why do you want to know about it?"


    "It is because I feel endless fear every time I perceive the aura of that crimson crack... The energy that it is emitting is something I have never seen before... Although ''we'' are all are but soul fragments, we also have the extremely high dignity of a god. Normally, we absolutely wouldn''t do anything for the sake of a human that would cost us our existence but this calamity is something that will cause our whole world perish..."


    The ''we'' the Phoenix talking about is the other Divine spirits.


    "...The energy you sensed is an energy called energy. It is something extremely powerful but also extremely dangerous at the same time... If you were to be exposed to it directly then you will become a mindless beast that only wants to bring destruction..." Issei explained.


    ''Hmm... That is only my ... but as for your . It is a completely different thing you know, dear husband~? Ufufufufu~'' Nyarlathotep chuckled inside her mind.


    Then Issei released a tiny bit of his energy.


    Bright purplish-red energy emerged from his palm.


    The Phoenix who saw this shuddered for a brief second since the energy signature is extremely similar to the one she sensed on the ''crimson crack'' before... albeit there''s a minor difference that it''s almost negligible.


    "...I see..." The Phoenix heaved a sigh of relief after knowing that Issei could perfectly control this malevolent energy... but somehow... she felt like... she felt like she wanted to be dominated by Issei when she''s exposed to his energy. How weird... She only felt fear when she inspected the ''Crimson crack''.


    "So she''s your chosen one... And also the Golden Crow''s chosen one?" The Phoenix then set her gaze on Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi.


    "Greetings, Lord Phoenix God." The two of them then greeted the Phoenix soul fragment.


    "If only you had shown up a few years earlier. The Golden Crow Spirit would''ve chosen you, and not Huo Poyun."


    The Phoenix Spirit obviously sounded a little regretful when it said this.


    "Then... I shall grant you the last seven drops of my divine blood, seventy percent of my divine soul, and¡­ The complete version of the World Ode of the Phoenix. After that, you can fuse our soul together, Xiaotao..."


    The phoenix''s pupils suddenly glowed several times brighter. Then the sea of flames parted, and a fiery dot burned brightly between its pupils like a star. The pure, powerful, and divine presence of a phoenix could be sensed from it.


    "This is the final power the phoenix left behind in this world. O'' human who shall the full legacy of the Phoenix and also blessed by the Godking. This noble one shall now grant to you both the Phoenix''s power and its will!"


    At the end of the phoenix spirit''s sacred cry, the starry dot flew towards Feng Xue''er and entered her forehead without resistance.


    Seven drops of primal phoenix divine blood and a portion of the phoenix''s divine soul entered Feng Xue''er''s body. The other phoenix divine soul inside her body immediately let out a long cry, and the phoenix divine blood she had from a long time ago boiled up automatically, causing her to be covered in phoenix flames for a very long time.


    Feng Xue''er could clearly detect the powerful strength and the complete version of the World Ode of the Phoenix that was inscribed inside the phoenix''s divine soul.


    However, the light in the Phoenix Spirit''s pupils turned dim, and its divine presence suddenly became nearly ten times weaker than before.


    "The divine soul this noble one gifted you contains the complete version of the World Ode of the Phoenix and the last of my powers. Unfortunately, it is so weak that it can only increase your profound energy by half a small realm. It should, however, be of some use to you."


    "Also, you should be able to refine the divine soul and divine blood perfectly without any difficulty."


    The Phoenix Spirit sounded was as dignified as ever, but the weakness in its voice was unmistakable.


    Feng Xue''er quelled the resonating reactions inside her body and bowed deeply towards the Phoenix Spirit. "Thank you for your gift, Lord Phoenix God. Xue''er will not disappoint you."


    "You don''t need to thank me. What I did is something negligible and I know you won''t disappoint me... Someone who''s chosen by the Godking such as his excellency is surely more than worthy." The Phoenix smiled softly.


    Feng Xue''er cheeks reddened slightly when she heard the Phoenix compliment.


    The Phoenix who saw this thought that Feng Xue''er is really innocent... which is a good thing in her opinion.


    The Phoenix Spirit suddenly let out a long sigh. "I suppose I am destined to betray my final promise to the Golden Crow Spirit."


    "Are you talking about the Golden Crow Sacred Sword?" Xiaotao asked.


    "Yes, the Golden Crow Spirit entrusted me with the Golden Crow Sacred Sword just before it perished completely. A long time ago, it was a precious heritage of the Golden Crow, who survived the death of gods and devils, because it happened to be stored at the bottom of this inferno prison. In fact, that is why it has lasted to this very day. However, since there is less and less primordial energy every day, most of its power is long gone. That being the case, it is still an incredibly powerful sword in this era and it cannot be wielded by any ordinary person."


    "The Golden Crow Spirit had no choice but to keep the weapon here because it is the only way to slow down the loss of its divine power. I was supposed to gift it to its wielder once a qualified person showed up."


    "That human boy named Huo Poyun is the only one in the entire world who is qualified to wield this sword. However, this noble one can no longer wait until he has fully grown into his power. I can only hope that he hasn''t forgotten about the legend of the Golden Crow Sacred Sword and that he''ll come to the bottom of the inferno prison and seek it out one day."


    The Golden Crow and Phoenix were two creatures who were incompatible with each other, but the Phoenix Spirit had never forgotten the final task the Golden Crow Spirit had entrusted it with just before it vanished entirely. The Phoenix Spirit clearly sounded regretful and sad when it said this.


    "No need to wait for that Huo Poyun brat to come. Just give it to this noble one inheritor!" Lieyan suddenly emerged and said with a scoff.


    The Phoenix was briefly taken aback before she sighed wryly to herself. It looks like somehow the Godking is ''reviving'' the Divine spirits... Not that she minds though. If anything she thinks that it''s great that Issei is benevolent enough to give them a new life.


    "I assume that you''re the same as her? The soul residue of the Golden Crow?"


    "Indeed. My name is Lieyan given by my new Master. Now give it to her!"


    "You should know the qualifications necessary to wield the Golden Crow Sacred Sword?"


    "A powerful profound strength, and a certain level of attainment in the art of the Golden Crow flames which is the !"


    The Vermillion Bird''s ''Thousand Feather Nether Annihilation Song'', the Phoenix''s ''World Illuminator Red Lotus'', and the Golden Crow''s ''Nine Suns Heaven''s Fury'' represented the absolute limit of the three divine flames. It is very, very difficult for a human to cultivate these techniques, and it is absolutely not something that can be done with just a high level of perception.


    That being said, if there''s a human who has cultivated the Golden Crow''s divine power well enough to execute the Nine Suns Heaven''s Fury, they''ll be acknowledged by the Golden Crow Sacred Sword.


    Needless to say, Huan Caiyi is anything but normal at this point...


    "Alright... since you basically the second Golden Crow more or less, I''m sure the original Golden Crow wouldn''t mind either... Go ahead and try pulling the sword out then." The Phoenix said with a sigh. It then opened a path...


    The sea of flames grew turbulent, and the fiery waves parted once more. Three kilometers away, in front of him, They spotted a scarlet golden light that was incredibly glaring despite its fiery surroundings.


    It was a huge golden sword. Half the sword was covered in reddish-gold flames, while the other half was plunged into the scarlet rock and hidden from view¡­


    Huan Caiyi looks at Issei wanting to ask for his permission but Issei gestured towards her with a small smile.


    Huan Caiyi also nodded at his gesture.


    She then passed through layers upon layers of fire before she stopped in front of the huge Golden Crow sword. As she approached, a terrifying sword aura and an equally powerful Golden Crow flame aura brushed past her face.


    It felt as if an active volcano that could erupt at any moment was hidden inside this sword. Although only half the sword was in clear view, its aura was still many, many times stronger than most divine treasures Huan Caiyi has seen.


    Of course, Issei''s treasury is a different matter...


    Just when Huan Caiyi about to put her hand on top of the sword.


    "Eh? Eeeeeeeeeeeh? What''s that smell? It smells so good¡­ so good!"


    An anxious voice of a girl suddenly rang behind her. The owner of that voice is Hong''er who suddenly winked into existence. Her vermillion eyes were darting everywhere urgently.


    "Hong''er?" Issei called out feeling confused as to why Hong''er suddenly pops out from the .


    They were at the bottom of the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison right now but Hong''er looked completely untouched by the fiery prison around her.


    She was completely absorbed in the act of sniffing with her dainty nose. "It''s so, so good! Even though it doesn''t smell as good as big brother ''food'' it still smells really good! Where is it where is it¡­ eh?"


    Hong''er''s gaze became fixed on the Golden Crow Sacred Sword.


    "Wah!" Hong''er let out a cheer of absolute happiness and pounced towards the Golden Crow Sacred Sword like lightning.


    But Issei caught her mid-air before she had the chance to jump away...


    "Ah! Big brother, let go of me! I want to eat that!" She struggled in Issei''s hold but to no avail...


    "Hong''er... that sword is not for you. Didn''t big brother already give you a lot of ''food''?" Issei said wryly.


    "But big brother! It smells really good! Please let Hong''er eat it... pleaseeee..." She pleaded with her puppy eyes.


    "Err..." Issei flinched slightly seeing her begging eyes.


    "...Big brother can give you something even better you know?"


    "No! I want to eat that!"


    Although Issei tried to lure her with another ''food'', Hong''er adamantly refuse it.


    "...Fine... Caiyi, let Hong''er eat it. I will give you a better replacement... You don''t mind either right, Lieyan?" Issei finally relented seeing Hong''er being so adamant like this...


    He has a premonition that the reason why Hong''er seems so adamant about eating this sword is because of her constitution or some sort.


    Although Hong''er seems not very obedient, she actually always listen to Issei''s words... most of the time. There''s only a select few where she tries to disobey his words.


    "I don''t mind. After all, my belongings are Master''s belonging." Lieyan said simply. Caiyi also consented right away without the slightest hesitation.


    It''s not like she has an attachment to this sword anyway. And what''s more, her master treasures are far stronger than this sword.


    The only reason why she wanted to make Caiyi have this sword is because she doesn''t want that Huo Poyun brat to be the inheritor of this sword.


    "Yayyy! Thank you big brother! I loves you the best!" Hong''er skipped in joy and give Issei a quick hug which earned a wry smile from him.


    "You little rascal..." Issei gives Hong''er head a gentle pat which earned a giggle from her: "Ehehehe!"


    The girls smiled warmly at their sight... it always heartwarming seeing how gentle Issei towards Hong''er and the others are.


    Hong''er then pounced on the Golden Crow Sacred Sword with a "whoosh," with such a speed that even Xiaotao and Lieyan have some trouble to properly see her.


    It looks like she becomes stronger every time she ate a sword to her liking.


    Saliva was dripping down from her open mouth all of a sudden, as it was drawn to the blade of the sword.


    Clack!


    Following a loud and clear sound, a tooth-shaped hole appeared on the Golden Crow Sacred Sword.


    The piece of sword was being chewed like a golden cracker.


    Hong''er had her cheeks puffed out, as her mouth moved in a chewing motion. Her eyes shone with excited scarlet light, "Wow! So good¡­. So yummy!"


    "Sss.."


    The inferno prison abruptly grew very restless, and even the eyes of the Phoenix in the sky shrank all of a sudden, "She¡­ She¡­ What exactly is she!?"


    The divine voice of the Phoenix was actually trembling in shock¡­ It was because the scene before its eyes was something that even someone of its level was unable to comprehend.


    Clacking sounds could be heard constantly all this time as she kept on biting and chewing the sword¡­


    It also seemed as if a faint cry of fear from the original Golden Crow''s soul was coming from it...


    Of course, there''s no soul inside the sword or Issei wouldn''t have let Hong''er eat it...


    In the short time of ten-odd breaths, the particularly huge Golden Crow Sacred Sword had been fully eaten by Hong''er. When the blade of the sword completely disappeared, the Golden Crow flame that had been burning for an unknown period of time also died out completely. There was only a dull and l.u.s.terless hilt left behind.


    Hong''er played with the hilt, as she walks towards and then stood in front of Issei while looking at him with her pretty face. Her cheeks were puffed out, and she chewed the last of the sword blade while smiling broadly: "Big brother! I''m done eating it!"


    "Jeez, what should I do with you..." Issei said while he pinched her cheeks lightly.


    Gulp! Having swallowed the last of the blade, Hong''er narrowed her eyes with an intoxicated look on her face, "So, so good. It''s so yummy, although it''s still not as tasty as big brother ''food''. Big brother, if you find more tasty stuff like this, you must tell me!"


    The ''food'' she''s talking about is a special food that Issei made combined with the essence of his treasures. It''s shaped like a cookie and sometimes cakes but only Hong''er can eat it since it is extremely durable just like a piece of iron instead of an actual cake.


    "Good good... If big brother found another one then big brother will give it to you..."


    "Great! I know big brother loves Hong''er the most!"


    She grinned widely at Issei.


    "She¡­ was actually¡­ able to eat the Golden Crow Sacred Sword¡­ She actually¡­"


    The voice of the Phoenix Divine Spirit was trembling¡­ There were no gods in this world now, so it was inconceivable for a True God level being to shudder in fright.


    "Who is¡­ she? What is she?"


    "It''s a long story but all you need to know is that she''s Master''s little sister. Nothing more nothing else." Lieyan huffed at the Phoenix.


    "...Alright..." The soul voice of Phoenix said in confusion. The last of its soul power was locked onto Hong''er. It could see the existence of Hong''er, but unexpectedly, its spirit sense was unable to perceive her existence.


    Well, she can sense there''s some sort of connection between her and the Godking but it''s not a connection or bond between siblings but rather something else...


    The main body of the Golden Crow Sacred Sword was forged from the "sacred bone" of the Golden Crow Sacred Ancestor, that was born from the primordial energy in the Primal Chaos, after it met its death. It is almost impossible for even the power of a True God to break it. So, how is this possible¡­? Just how did she¡­?


    It was at this time that Hong''er suddenly let out a light cry of surprise. An unusual golden light flashed in her pupils, after which a layer of golden flame ignited on her as it spread throughout her body.


    "Woah! This fire almost feels the same as big brother. It''s so warm." Hong''er spread open her arms, as her shining eyes looked at the flame that had ignited on her body on its own. Very soon, she slowly narrowed her eyes again, as her voice gradually became soft, "Hmm¡­ I feel so tired all of a sudden. I really want to sleep."


    After stretching her waist as she yawned, Hong''er said with sleepy eyes. "Big brother... carry me to bed..."


    "Sure." Issei smiled softly before he cradled Hong''er in his arms. It looks like his premonition was correct... Whenever Hong''er is feeling asleep like this after she ate something specific, she always grows slightly stronger.


    "Ehehe... big brother you''re so nice..." She giggled lightly before she closed her eyes with a happy smile adorning her face.


    After seeing her fast asleep, Issei went inside the to put Hong''er on the bed... On his way out, Issei carries a single golden sword in his hand.


    "Caiyi." Issei called out lightly.


    Huan Caiyi flew towards Issei''s direction and responded in a soft voice: "Yes, young master?"


    "Here, you can use this as replacement for the sword from before." Issei passed the sword in his hand towards her.


    "This is..." Huan Caiyi who grasped the sword suddenly felt like her strength just increased by ten, no, a thousandfold! It felt like she can cleave the sun itself with this sword!


    The sword shape is quite foreign to her but it''s not the first time for her either to see it.


    The Phoenix had her eyes widen when she sensed the sword Issei just brought out...


    ''That sword!'' She shouted in surprise in her mind.


    That sword is immensely powerful and it can easily surpass the Golden Crow sword that Hong''er just ate. She almost couldn''t believe that such a powerful sword could exist in this world...


    "How is it? Do you like it? Try pulling it out." Issei said.


    Huan Caiyi obeyed his words and pulled out the sword from its golden scabbard.


    When the sword is pulled out, it is an ancient double-edged sword, uniquely the blade itself appears to be almost fused with it guard and a two-handed hilt.


    There''s a faint glow of crimson red aura that looks similar to Issei''s draconic aura surrounding the sword.


    "...It''s beautiful..." Huan Caiyi murmured in a daze. She felt closer with her young master just by holding this sword.


    "Um, I''m glad that you like it... It is called and also known as Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven. It''s a sword from my homeworld..." Issei explained.


    In the past, during his small journey to DxD world to visit Kunou and Yasaka, Issei stumbled upon this sword in the nearby temple of Amaterasu.


    Unlike other Holy Swords which are said to forge by Gods, Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi was found inside the corpse of the eight-headed Evil Dragon Yamata no Orochi after his death by the Shinto Storm God Susanoo, later given by the God to his sister Amaterasu as a peace offering.


    Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi is a Holy Sword of Shinto legends that rivals the True Excalibur and Durandal. It is capable of unleashing powerful holy aura like other legendary Holy Swords.


    Issei wasn''t really planning to bring the sword along with him but it practically flew towards him hence he decided to just recast it to his liking and also as an experiment.


    Yasaka who saw her new husband carrying the sword let out a small gasp of surprise but made no further movement to stop Issei from carrying it away.


    The sword itself is basically cursed even though it is called a holy sword by many. It can''t be used by anyone except Amaterasu and Susanoo themselves.


    Others can still carry it but they can''t really pull the sword out from its scabbard.


    And it is said that the lingering spirit of Orochi is residing within that sword...


    Issei makes a quick work of that ''curse'' and made it into a true holy sword in its truest sense.


    "Young master''s homeworld... ... Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven... Caiyi will surely treasure it. Thank you, young master." Huan Caiyi smiled blissfully at Issei.


    "Um. Then Phoenix spirit, since there''s nothing else... Let''s get this over with..." Then they proceeded with their original plan...


    The Phoenix had her soul combined with Xiaotao and a few moments later, the three of them comes out from the God Burying Inferno Prison.


    During their journey back to the surface, Issei saw that Feng Xue''er is pouting slightly. He smiled wryly at this since it seems that she''s feeling a little jealous at the beaming Huan Caiyi...


    It looks like he needs to give her something as well...


    And also during that moment that the finally have their realm king...


    "We greet the great realm king!" The three sect master paid their respect towards the trio.


    Behind Issei''s party, the two ancient horned Dragon can be seen hovering behind them. Since they don''t need to hide anymore, they can freely go anywhere within the Flame God Realm.


    Their king himself promised them that there will be no one is allowed to hunt them so for what reason do they need to hide.


    "Huo Rulie." Issei called out.


    "At your command!" Huo Rulie respectfully responded and without any hesitation, "I won''t even frown at anything you ask of me."


    Huo Rulie was a man who absolutely hated owing favors. After living for more than ten thousand years, Issei saving Huo Ye''s life is the biggest favors he had ever owed in his life. Therefore, he couldn''t be happier at the fact that Issei needed him for something.


    "You better remember your promise. I want you to assist the two of them with everything you have. I want you to be their loyal servant."


    "I obey!"


    And just like that, one of the great sect masters of the has become two young girl servant... But not a single person there dares to say anything or even want to retort since they have clearly seen just how powerful Issei is.


    After a brief conversation, Issei left behind Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er to properly cement their position as the new realm king.


    They can contact him at any given time through the protective charm within their possession.


    Then Issei returned to the along with Mu Xuanyin. And a few days later, Issei departed towards the to find the ...


    He found out about them from Mu Xuanyin.


    ...


    Lower star realms made up thirty thousand of the vast God Realm''s forty thousand star realms, far more than seventy percent of the entire region.


    Even though they could not compare to middle and upper star realms in terms of overall strength, inheritance, resources, and background, they were the main bulk of the God Realm, based on quantity alone.


    Amongst the many lower star realms, the Darkya Realm was an extremely special existence, especially in the Eastern Divine Region. Although its strength wasn''t in the upper echelons, its reputation was not inferior to anyone of them.


    Out of all the Eastern Divine Region''s lower star realms, it possessed the most merchant guilds.


    If profound practitioners lacked any strange objects or treasures, they would never return empty-handed if they went on a trip to the Darkya Realm¡­ the only prerequisite is that they brought along enough purple stones or crystals.


    Darkya City was located at the center of the Darkya Realm. The entire city region was five hundred kilometers wide, with many famous merchant guilds of the God Realm gathered within and as for the medium and small-sized merchant guilds, those were innumerable. There weren''t many sectoral forces within the city and it didn''t contain the Realm King''s forces either, yet it was able to take on the name of "Darkya", the exact same name of its star realm. Just by that alone, it was obvious what kind of status Darkya City possessed in the Darkya Realm.


    Issei appeared above the skies of Darkya City, looking down upon this unfamiliar star realm''s main city for a very long time.


    The was covered in perpetual snow year round, its population was sparse. It was a unique realm in itself. The Darkya Realm below him however, was bustling with activity.


    "So this is the ." Issei muttered.


    "Shall we eliminate the merchant guild when we found its location, Master?" Esdeath who''s beside Issei asked with a grin.


    "No need. Even if we destroy them, another one will replace them soon enough. It''s better if we just extract some information from them about the location of the ." Issei said lightly.


    It will be too much of a hassle if they were to eliminate every single one of them when the time comes. It''s better if they just save the .


    Issei can just provide them a place within his . That way they don''t need to be worried of being hunted any longer.


    "As you wish." Esdeath responded with a smile. Ah... Too bad she can''t get more rats to experiment on... but her master''s wish is the most important.


    Issei then took out the black jade Mu Xuanyin handed him and his gaze suddenly focused.


    This black jade will help him find the merchant guild that sells the .


    When he had received it from Mu Xuanyin, it was just a lifeless black jade. But now, the center of the jade suddenly lit up like a feather, dark as the night, appeared upon it.


    "A black feather?" Issei slightly focused and felt a weak fluctuation coming from its surface. Then, his gaze quickly shifted toward his front as he walked over¡­ the profound energy fluctuation on this black jade''s surface was clearly pointing in that direction.


    Even though it was his first time in the Darkya Realm, the difference between a lower star realm and a middle star realm could be seen with a single glance. The density and purity of the spiritual energy here were far inferior to the Snow Song Realm and the Flame God Realm¡­ Though it was still far above the Blue Pole Star.


    The stream of people within Darkya City was huge; it was extremely lively, no matter where he went. It was obvious that this place prohibited the use of profound arks and mounts because although there was an unceasing number of human figures flying past overhead, not a single profound ark or beast was in sight.


    The profound practitioners were mostly at the early stage of the divine way. The city guards that were visible everywhere were mostly in the Divine Origin or Divine Soul Realm.


    In the Darkya Realm¡­ as well as any other lower star realm, being able to enter the divine way and reach the Divine Origin Realm was shocking, and being able to reach the Divine Soul Realm put one above the masses. Being able to reach the Divine Tribulation Realm meant that one was qualified to establish their own sect and if one was able to pass through the Divine Tribulation Realm, into the Divine Spirit Realm, they could be overlords of a region.


    Entering the Divine Master Realm obviously meant that they could become rulers of a realm!


    If one or more Divine Sovereigns appeared within a lower star realm, then the entire star realm would subsequently be promoted and rank up to become a middle star realm.


    This was why Issei''s party who consists of a and three is attracting a lot of attention to themselves. Especially because of Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius''s beauty.


    But not a single person dares to block their way. No one wants to court death by blocking these four mysterious cultivators...


    Following the black jade''s weak profound energy guidance, Issei sensed Darkya City''s aura and the traveling profound practitioners as he walked toward the heart of the city.


    As expected of the star realm of trade, within the thirty thousand lower star realms that was even well known within the middle star realms. Wherever they went, what they saw the most were merchant organizations of various sizes. Aside from the merchant guilds, there were also countless small stores and stalls selling all kinds of different oddities.


    Issei casually meandered for several hours and that was still what he saw.


    The entire Darkya City was like an enormous bazaar.


    When Issei''s footsteps finally stopped at a certain location, the reaction coming from the black jade completely disappeared.


    Before them was an extremely tall building of an antique style. In Darkya City, this was definitely a conspicuous monstrosity.


    This was a large merchant guild. Several tens of entrances could be seen at a glance and the stream of people going in and out was endless.


    Issei raised his head high and read the few words that nearly reached the clouds in a low voice, "."


    The black feather outline that appeared on the surface of the black jade was exactly the same as the huge merchant guild''s engraving.


    The Black Feather Merchant Guild before them was the biggest building out of all they had seen on their way here. From its vast, ancient style of construction, it definitely possessed a deep background and history.


    "Is this the place, master?" Altair asked.


    "Um." Issei nodded lightly.


    Issei didn''t bother to think much as he headed toward the Black Feather Merchant Guild''s most outer hall. A young girl stood inside the hall''s entrance, welcoming every visitor with a smile.


    But her smile froze when she saw Issei''s party although only for a brief second.


    "Welcome to the Black Feather Merchant Guild. Esteemed guests, please come in. If you need something, feel free to say what you need at any time," the girl said with a bow when she saw Issei''s party coming over.


    This girl was at the Emperor Profound Realm. In the Blue Pole Star, she could be a respected master of a generation. Here, however, she could only be someone who greeted guests. Issei didn''t answer and instead came to a stop before the girl and silently took out the black jade.


    Upon seeing the black jade in Issei''s hands, the girl''s expression slightly changed. She bowed even deeper as she spoke even more respectfully, "So it''s actually an esteemed guest visiting, please follow me."


    How much profit does an underground transaction make?


    Issei doesn''t know nor does he care. Issei may lack anything but one thing he doesn''t lack is wealth.


    The amount of treasure inside his , even just 1% of it could easily make him the richest person in this universe.


    The four of them followed the girl and walked a considerably long distance. After walking through many floors of staircases, the surroundings completely quieted down with not a single sound to be heard.


    The girl stopped at a tightly shut door to a hall. At a single glance, Issei noticed that this great hall was covered with many large-scale profound formations. There were so many that sound, sight, and even auras were completely isolated. However, this isolation was only one-sided. The people inside were able to clearly see and sense everything outside.


    "Mister Ji, an esteemed guests has arrived," the girl said respectfully before the hall door.


    After a brief silence, the hall door slowly opened.


    "Esteemed guests, please enter. Mister Ji is waiting for you inside."


    The girl gently bowed and then turned to leave.


    Issei''s party didn''t hesitate as they walked in with large strides. As soon as they entered, the hall door tightly shut behind them.


    The hall was rather spacious and an old man sat before a wooden table. This old man ought to be the "Mister Ji" the girl had mentioned. Seeing Issei''s party, he rose and welcomed them with a smile, "This esteemed guests looks rather unfamiliar, may I ask what you have come to seek from my Black Feather Merchant Guild?"


    "I heard that you''re selling a , I want to buy them. The purer the better." Issei got right to the point.


    Since the is basically the soul, he can just ''ask'' them about their other kinsman location.


    Issei''s words caused the smile on the old man''s face to disappear. It was replaced with a slightly angry look. "What does esteemed guest mean? The hunting of wood spirits brings the resentment of both men and gods, it is an act that goes against the heavenly law! My Black Feather Merchant Guild has a history of several hundred thousand years and has never done any dishonorable business. How could we possibly do such a repulsive thing? Esteemed guest, if you are here for Wood Spirit Orbs, I''m afraid you''re in the wrong place.


    Issei''s face doesn''t change under his mask while Esdeath''s group snickered at this old man... what an old fart. Does he think that his act can fool them? Even Esdeath''s group can tell that this old fart is clearly only putting a show needless to say about their master who can see through a person''s soul.


    Issei walked forward and silently placed the black jade Mu Xuanyin had given him on the table.


    The old man also did not say a single word as he picked up the black jade and used his profound energy to brush across its surface. He asked calmly, "Do you have proof?"


    Issei stretched his hand out again, taking out the command tablet Mu Xuanyin had given him. He said expressionlessly, "If you know who the original owner is, then you ought to know his strength, so it''s impossible for me to have stolen this."


    Esdeath almost burst out in laughter when she heard their Master''s words. Even Altair and Sirius''s mouth twitched slightly...


    Once he saw the Ice Phoenix command tablet, the old man''s expression eased into a smile. "So it is a recommendation from the realm king, Sect Master Mu Xuanyin. I apologize for my previous behavior. Sect Master Mu is one of my guild''s most important customers, so anyone she recommends is obviously the most esteemed out of esteemed guests. Please have a seat."


    Mu Xuanyin herself never really come here on her own. It''s usually Mu Huanzhi who comes in her place.


    "No need," Issei said bluntly. "I want to purchase a ."


    The old man looked into his eyes as if he''s trying to see through Issei''s mask and asked, "May I ask for this esteemed guest''s name?"


    He automatically put Esdeath''s group as Issei''s maidservant so that makes Issei the one in charge.


    "You don''t need to know that." Issei said offhandedly.


    "Hohoho," laughed the old man: "Indeed, it seems that I have been rude once again."


    "But no matter. A name isn''t important, for it is only a means of address and nothing more. In a transaction with an esteemed guest, both parties maintaining confidentiality and trustworthiness is the most important principle. Please be at ease... Esteemed guests can be at ease and comply with us," the old man said with a smile.


    "You can just call me ''Heise(Black)''." Issei said lightly.


    "...Very well, sir Heise then." The old man nodded.


    As he cast a few more glances at Issei. When he withdrew his gaze, a deep complexity flashed through his eyes and he said, "As for Wood Spirit Orbs, your timing is impeccable but at the same time, unfortunate."


    "What do you mean?" Issei asked.


    "What''s impeccable is that our merchant guild has just obtained a Wood Spirit Orb and is preparing to sell it tomorrow. What''s unfortunate is¡­ that this Wood Spirit Orb is very special¡­ no, extremely special! It is the most special Wood Spirit Orb our merchant guild has ever obtained all these years. As such, it is very expensive! So expensive that you can''t afford it even if you sell an entire family''s fortune."


    Issei continues to ask: "Special in what way?"


    "Hoho, this old man has no authority to inform you in that regard. I have said what I am allowed to say." The old man smiled and said, "If you are confident in your pocket, then leave behind your sound transmission imprint and I will inform you of the exchange location tomorrow night."


    "Alright." Issei slowly nodded, "Then I''ll wait until tomorrow."


    After leaving behind his transmission imprint, Issei''s party left the place... Issei could just destroy the place and find the Wood Spirit Race but it will attract too much attention to themselves which is something he finds bothersome to handle.


    It''s better if he just goes with the normal procedure as to not cause something out of the ordinary.

 Chapter 133 - 132

    (AN: Thank you for your donation Vinicius Correia and Suicidal fox. I hope all of you enjoy the chapter... And with that said, peace out girls scout!)


    In the dead of night, Darkya City.


    Issei spent a single day and a single night in this city.


    He learned from Naru who investigated the guild that the Black Feather Merchant Guild was actually the number one merchant guild of the Darkya Realm.


    The Black Feather Merchant Guild had existed for over fifty thousand years and their roots were deep and vast. Not only were they known to all the people in this lower star realm, but they were also very famous among some middle star realms too. The merchant guild in Darkya City was also the heart of the entire Black Feather Merchant Guild and they had not only spread their control throughout the entire Darkya Realm, they were even reaching beyond it.


    Its vast source of customers and incredible reputation were literally rivaled by no one in a total of thirty thousand lower star realms. The wealth they possessed was practically beyond a normal person''s imagination.


    It was rumored that the Black Feather Merchant Guild was supported by the ruling sect of Darkya Realm, the Black Soul Divine Sect. The sect master of the Black Soul Divine Sect was also the Great Realm King of the Darkya Realm.


    A short and simple message was sent to him the moment it was time and following its instructions he arrived at an unfamiliar city area about one hundred kilometers to the north of the Black Feather Merchant Guild and entered a ruined stone tower.


    After going through four checkpoints in total, he finally reached the bottommost level of the stone tower. Here, it was so dark that one couldn''t even see their own fingers. He had to wait there for a very, very long time before the wall in front of him suddenly opened to reveal a beautiful girl. The girl walked over to him and bowed slightly. "I apologize for the wait, esteemed guest. Please, come with me."


    He followed the girl through the secret door before he abruptly fell through the darkness. He estimated that he had fallen at least a couple hundred meters before he finally reached the bottom. A flash of profound light later, yet another secret door opened before his eyes.


    "If you will, esteemed guest."


    Issei walked through the door slowly.


    The world beyond the door was a large stone chamber. Although several lamps were lit inside the chamber, the lights were purposely adjusted to create an incredibly dim environment. At a glance, there were hundreds of tables and chairs placed tidily inside the stone chamber. A lot of people had filled in the seats already.


    These people''s reactions towards Issei''s arrival were quite tense since it''s not every day that they saw a Divine King Realm cultivator here...


    Although he was a completely unfamiliar face, no one wants to invoke trouble with him nor paid attention to him because pretty much everyone who came here was hidden behind a different identity. It was all too normal for people to wear false names like Issei and a large number of them had even disguised their appearances.


    So him wearing a mask is nothing out of the ordinary either.


    Although he was wearing a mask, his figure alone manages to attract the women who are attending this auction. This earned a few scowls from the men''s side...


    However, the Black Feather Merchant Guild ''knew'' who he really is. Although Mister Ji hadn''t dug to the bottom of Issei''s identity, he knew that the person behind him was Mu Xuanyin. And that, was enough.


    Silence filled the stone chamber. Issei swept a glance across the chamber and counted less than two hundred people inside. It wasn''t many. More than half of the participants had disguised their faces with profound energy but every one of them was carrying themselves with an air of extreme arrogance or nobility. They were obviously extremely highly placed characters in Darkya Realm and no one here was ordinary.


    These people were basically all youths and more than eighty percent of them were at the Divine Soul Realm. The strongest among them had already neared the peak of the Divine Soul Realm and considering that they were all youths of lower star realms, it was an impressive lineup.


    Although these young masters were obviously extraordinary people, none of them appeared to be guarded by an elder. It was obvious that this was a rule set by the Black Feather Merchant Guild too. The message he received today had also mentioned that he was to attend this trade fair alone.


    Esdeath''s group already entered the waiting for further instructions.


    Issei randomly chose a seat, sat down, and wait for the auction to begin.


    While everyone was waiting in silence, a stone platform slowly rose about one and a half meters from the ground at the far end of the stone chamber. Then, a secret door above the stone platform opened to reveal two people walking out one after another. They were followed by six beautiful girls.


    The pair was a man and a woman. The woman had a pretty countenance and a well-developed body. Her walking form was beautiful and graceful and her black dress added to the air of mystery and charm around her.


    The man behind her was a middle-aged man clad in black clothing. His head was bowed slightly and his face looked stiff. His entire person was giving off an uncomfortable feeling and the profound energy aura he kept withdrawn was extremely thick. He was at the Divine Tribulation Realm.


    The arrival of the beautiful girl caused the atmosphere inside the quiet stone chamber to change instantly. Wanton gazes immediately roamed up and down the woman''s shapely body.


    "Hahaha! I didn''t realize that Miss Ruyan was the one who would be hosting this event. Forget the pleasant surprise inside the ''invitation letter'', your presence alone brings massive joy to me, Miss Ruyan!" The young man sitting at the foremost of the group laughed brashly.


    "The last time your great merchant guild sent an invitation letter of their own accord was three years ago. I''m sure that you won''t disappoint us this time either. This noble one grows impatient, Miss Ruyan," said another guy slowly.


    "Hahaha," the woman chuckled. Her laughter sounded unusually soft and mind-numbing, "You are all important guests of the Darkya Realm. We wouldn''t dare invite you all over without a good enough surprise, would we?"


    "Alright, tonight''s trade fair officially begins now. My name is Ji Ruyan and this servant shall be in your care, oh noble ones. The rules are the same as last time, alright?"


    Clap! Clap!


    Ji Ruyan clapped her hands together softly before a maid walked forwards seductively while holding a long, wooden box.


    Ji Ruyan pushed away the cover gently and immeasurably powerful sword energy spilled out of the box. It immediately started a hurricane of sword energy in the stone chamber that persisted for a long time.


    "That is a good sword!" Dozens of people immediately cried out in shock. In fact, some of those cultivators who belonged to sects of sword were already standing on their feet...


    Issei closed his eyes in boredom while they started bidding for this sword... At some point, Ji Ruyan started introducing the sword origin but Issei doesn''t feel interested in the slightest so he ignores it altogether...


    ...


    "Eight million purple profound stones!"


    One final dark and fierce roar later, the sword ultimately fell into the possession of the man known as Sir Zhuo at the astronomical price of eight million purple profound stones.


    "The next ''item'' also came from Wind End Valley. However¡­" Ju Ruyan put on a rather mysterious smile, "It is a lot more interesting than the sword."


    She clapped her hands again after she said this.


    The middle-aged man behind her continued to stand completely still without saying a word, moving a muscle or rolling his eyeballs even once, like a dead man. He was so obscure that one might forget that he existed before they realized it.


    Rrrrm...


    To the left of Ji Ruyan, a stone platform suddenly rose from the ground before coming to a stop.


    There was a sealing profound formation brimming with white light above the platform. No one could see clearly what was sealed behind the light.


    Ji Ruyan smiled slightly before pointing a finger at the formation. The profound light immediately faded quickly, until a single layer was all that was left. A thin and weak woman is crouched inside the half-translucent sealing profound formation!


    The girl''s long hair was disheveled and it covered of more than half of her face. Her clothes looked recently changed since they were both very white and new. However, it was torn in many places and the dry skin beneath the clothes appeared to be covered in red marks.


    The woman couldn''t stop shaking when everyone''s gazes became trained on her. However, she kept utterly quiet and hid her face deeper behind her hair.


    Issei isn''t the least surprised seeing that they also doing human trafficking here.


    Naru has already investigated this guild to a certain extent after all...


    Previously, the Black Feather Merchant Guild and the Black Soul Divine Sect had existed in harmony with each other as the two major powers in the Darkya Realm. Then, a thousand years ago, the Black Soul Divine Sect caused trouble for them all of a sudden. They held Mr. Ji as a hostage, who was still a child at the time and forced his father to give his consent to the Black Soul Divine Sect to integrate their underground merchant guild with the Black Feather Merchant Guild.


    Mr. Ji''s father had nine children in total but except for him, everyone else died at an early age. As such, his father had no choice but to agree in the end. Not long afterward, the Black Feather Merchant Guild sold Wood Spirit Orb for the first time and it was only then that Mr. Ji was released by them. Once they had gotten dirt on the Black Feather Merchant Guild, they were within the firm grasp of the Black Soul Divine Sect and were completely forced into a dark quagmire since then. Every time they were forced to carry out an underground trade, the Black Soul Divine Sect would use a Profound Imagery Stone to leave behind proof of the trade, consequently, forcing the Black Feather Merchant Guild to fall deeper and deeper.


    Thenceforth, the Black Feather Merchant Guild had no way out but to be controlled by the Black Soul Divine Sect. Otherwise, once it makes the proof of the underground trade public, things would go south in no time. Not only each and everything that is possessed by the Black Feather Merchant Guild would be destroyed in a day, but it would also fall into a miserable situation where the common people would condemn and cast aside even those of its later generation.


    The Black Soul Divine Sect absolutely didn''t do so just to control the Black Feather Merchant Guild. It wants the whole Darkya Realm to be in its complete control. After all, every time a filthy and evil underground trade was done, the customers would also end up having the Black Soul Divine Sect get dirt on them, similar to the Black Feather Merchant Guild. The Merchant Guild is required to provide extremely detailed information about all the customers and the things they want to purchase, to the Black Soul Divine Sect, and the whole trading process is even secretly recorded by a Profound Imagery Stone.


    The Black Soul Divine Sect was not afraid of any backfire since it''s not them who carry out the underground trade. It''s the Black Feather Merchant Guild that has always been in charge of it. If something were to really happen, the Black Feather Merchant Guild would be destroyed in a day but it definitely wouldn''t hurt the Black Soul Divine Sect in any way.


    Issei decided that once he''s done here, he will send the to wipe out the ...


    The people beneath the stage were rather silent. If this woman was peerlessly beautiful, then they might have bought her home as a plaything. However, not only did the woman look average, she looked like a filthy toy who was used and discarded¡­ they had no interest in a woman like this.


    Ji Ruyan cast a glance at the woman but she immediately moved her gaze away right after. She said, "This woman is no ordinary woman. I may surprise you all when I reveal her identity."


    "I am sure everyone present has heard of her father''s reputation. He was¡­ the villa master of the Wind End Villa that was exterminated three years ago!"


    "What?" As expected, her words shocked all of the people present.


    "The Black Feather Merchant Guild doesn''t spout any lies," said Ji Ruyan smilingly. "This woman is none other than the first miss and final descendant of Wind End Villa. Therefore, she may have inherited the Wind End Villa''s sword forging techniques¡­ of course, this isn''t all. Besides that, she also possesses a Wind Yin Body."


    "Wind Yin Body?" The dozens of gazes trained onto the woman''s body immediately grew heated.


    "All young masters who cultivate a wind type profound art, I am sure that your cultivation speed will grow up twice as fast if you have a Wind Yin Body woman to use as a dual cultivation incubator, am I right?" Ji Ruyan''s gaze slowly moved across the crowd, "My father once told me that there are a lot of noble ones here who are searching for a woman with a Wind Yin Body all this time and today, we are finally able to fulfill that demand. Unfortunately, this woman can only belong to one young master, so you will have to give it your all."


    As expected, thirty or so men had already jumped to their feet before Ji Ruyan could even finish her sentence. They all looked very excited and determined to win.


    "If there is one downside to this woman, it is that she has lost her vital yin already, so I can''t set the asking price too high. So, let it be¡­ eight million purple profound stones."


    "Ten million!" Ji Ruyan had just finished speaking when a shout cut right through the air. The price was immediately raised by two million purple profound stones!


    "Twelve million!"


    "Fifteen million! I hail from Wind Bend Alliance of the northern region and I am sure that everyone here has heard of our proud achievements. I will benefit greatly if I can obtain this woman, so please give her to me!"


    "Heh, Wind Bend Alliance is not the only place in the Darkya Realm with those who cultivate the wind profound arts. This is the Black Feather Merchant Guild and status and favors have never mattered in this place! The one thing that does matter, is wealth! Twenty million!"


    In the blink of an eye and just between several people, the bid price had reached twenty million purple profound stones. The skyrocketing price surprised many people and caused them to sit back down reluctantly.


    "Twenty-three million!"


    "Twenty-five million!"


    Issei calmly observes the ongoing bidding... He wanted to see if the highest bidder will be a good person or not. If he''s a good person then Issei will let it be, but if not, he will do the bidding instead.


    Issei could just bid for her now but even if he were to release her later, she might just be captured again and all his effort would be for naught.


    It''s better if she went to someone else hand who will treat her well rather than giving her a temporary freedom.


    At the end of the bid, the woman was ultimately sold for the price of forty-three million purple profound stones. She was ultimately won by a young man seated in the frontmost row.


    Issei saw that this man is quite decent as a human being, even though he still went into this place, his "sin" is not leaning towards the evil side. If anything, he''s leaning towards the good side even though only for a little.


    So Issei decided to let it be...


    After the young man went forward and paid a total of forty-three million purple profound stones, He personally unlocked the profound formation and pulled the woman into his arms. Then, they both returned to his seat.


    "Congratulations, sir." Ji Ruyan smiled attractively at the young man and said, "I am sure that your cultivation will improve by leaps and bounds now that you''ve acquired this beautiful lady. I don''t understand dual cultivation but I have heard that the essence of dual cultivation lies not only in the merging of yin and yang but also two hearts. Such a union will often produce unimaginably wondrous results. That is why you should treat her well, sir. Otherwise, you would be wasting her Wind Yin Body a little."


    "Of course," said the latter while smiling slightly.


    Issei set gaze at Ji Ruyan. He could see that she had spoken this from the bottom of her heart and he also noticed a flash of pity when she had cast a look at the woman. So she''s not inherently evil and it is indeed the who''s behind all this.


    "Now then, the next thing in the line is¡­"


    "Miss Ruyan!"


    Suddenly, a shout cut off Ji Ruyan before she could finish and a tall and brawny man abruptly stood up from the center of the seats. He hadn''t disguised his face or his attire. He wore the mark of his sect, a black tercel with an angry proud eye boldly on his clothes, and his eyes shone with intimidating sharpness.


    His life force betrayed his incredibly young age but the profound energy aura flowing around his body was unusually rich. He was a cultivator at the peak of the Divine Soul Realm and he could be a mere inch away from reaching the Divine Tribulation Realm.


    His sudden cry and motion attracted everyone''s attention and everyone in the stone chamber fell silent. There were a lot of people who were looking at him with differing levels of respect and it was obvious that this man''s background was extraordinary.


    "He is Ying Yushan, he youngest grandson of Black Tercel Island''s island master and his sect is the third greatest in the Darkya Realm," a woman muttered softly next to Issei. "It''s also said that his talent is the best among his siblings and he may very well succeed the island master in the future."


    When Issei look over, the woman flashed a beautiful smile at him. This made Issei confused... why is she...


    Wasn''t he wearing his mask? Then how come this woman still... Issei doesn''t want to attract anymore ''trouble'' to himself since with the girls at alone is already pushing it.


    If Forzelotte were to know this then she might just go furious...


    He stopped his train of thought and decided to ignore the currently smiling woman. As for that said woman, her face went downcast seeing that she''s being ignored...


    "Sir Ying!" Ji Ruyan smiled. "May I have your instructions, please?"


    "I dare not instruct you, Miss Ji. However¡­" Ying Yushan''s voice was indifferent but his behavior betrayed an air of sharp arrogance, "Considering that it is an invitation from the great Black Feather Merchant Guild itself, I thought that you must have incredible merchandise that could wow us all. In order to see it with my own eyes, I have traveled tens of thousands of kilometers personally to attend this auction but¡­ although the merchandise you''ve shown us so far hasn''t been useless trash, I must say that they have not pleasantly surprised me in the least either."


    Ying Yushan lifted his head proudly and said, "The Profound God Convention will be held in another few months and I am but one inch away from qualifying for this grand event. Therefore, I cannot afford to waste even minutes on unnecessary things during these two years. If you really do have something worthwhile to show us, then please do it now. You are the great Black Feather Merchant Guild, aren''t you? Don''t you think that it is unbecoming for the likes of you to keep your customers on tenterhooks? If this is all you have to offer us, then I really must leave for more important matters!"


    Ying Yushan''s words caused many people to shoot him a sideway glance. Those who hadn''t yet reached a hundred years old especially showed great jealousy and envy. Considering Ying Yushan''s age and peak Divine Soul Realm cultivation, it was extremely likely for him to become qualified for the Profound God Convention before two years were over.


    Even better, there couldn''t be more than one hundred people in the Darkya Realm who could qualify for in the Profound God Convention!


    Ji Ruyan giggled with eyebrows that spread open like blooming peach blossom. "You truly deserve your reputation, Sir Ying. I didn''t think that you were qualified for the Profound God Convention. Haah, I can die without regrets if I can visit the Eternal Heaven God Realm even once, much less participating in the Profound God Convention."


    "Hmph! This is nothing." Ying Yushan sounded indifferent but he couldn''t help but beam proudly. "I am only interested to know what the pleasant surprise your guild has prepared for us is, Miss Ji. If your so-called pleasant surprise is that woman with a Wind Yin Body, then I must say that I am very disappointed in the Black Feather Merchant Guild."


    Ji Ruyan giggled again and said softly, "You are all the most important and respected guests of our merchant guild and I dare not disappoint any one of you, even if the heavens were to give me its own courage. I was going to reveal this pleasant surprise at the end of this auction but since Sir Ying is in a hurry, I shall obey your demands obediently, of course."


    When she was done speaking, she slowly raised her hands and clapped softly four times.


    Rrrrmb...


    A soft rumble later, another stone platform rose up from the ground next to Ji Ruyan. An identical sealing profound formation was present above the platform.


    Everyone''s gazes were trained on the stone platform. They were all waiting expectantly for the pleasant surprise.


    Obviously, the merchandise was yet another living being. Ji Ruyan kept quiet as a mysterious smile dressed her face. She tapped at the profound formation lightly with her finger and the profound light disappeared instantly to reveal half translucent screens and a...


    ¡­child, curling like a ball in a corner of the cage!?


    The boy was probably just around 10 years old and his physical features were extremely distinctive. He had a head of green hair and skin that glowed a healthy white.


    When the profound light had dissipated entirely, the young boy subconsciously turned a little towards the crowd. His exposed ears were rather sharp and the color of his pupils was also green in color!


    There it is... The Issei noted to himself. This child possesses a large amount of energy within him. And his features also fit perfectly with what Bing''er described.


    When the wood spirit boy saw the terrifying gazes trained onto him, he clenched his teeth and shook like a leaf. His eyes, that looked like green crystal, bore deep fear in them but not a single tear could be found inside them¡­ there was obviously deep hatred besides his fear too.


    "A wood spirit!? Hah!" Ying Yushan let out an indifferent laugh. "It is true that wood spirits are declining in numbers and it is even rarer to find one that''s been captured alive but wood spirits can still be bought in many places as long as one has enough profound stones! In fact, people with Wind Yin Body are even rarer than wood spirits! Are you trying to play a game with us, Miss Ruyan?"


    "Don''t be so hasty, Sir Ying. If he was really just a normal wood spirit, I could not possibly bear to invite all of you here."


    Her long legs brought her next to the profound formation trapping the wood spirit boy and she tapped a delicate finger into profound formation. She said smilingly, "Please look closely, everyone."


    A weak wisp of profound energy flew out of Ji Ruyan''s fingertip and touched the wood spirit boy between the brows. The wood spirit boy shuddered all over but he stayed completely silent. Suddenly, a green, glowing mark slowly appeared above his glabella.


    WAAAH!!!


    The moment the green, glowing mark appeared, the stone chamber erupted into a clamor of exclamations as if a bomb had been detonated. Everyone except Issei had jumped to their feet and even the arrogant-looking Ying Yushan was losing his cool rapidly while staring blankly at the mark.


    "He''s¡­ a royal member of the wood spirit race!" Ying Yushan lost control of himself and shouted.


    "That''s right. As you can all see, this boy is no normal wood spirit. He is¡­ a royal wood spirit!"


    Ji Ruyan moved her finger away but the mark on his glabella didn''t dissipate for a long time, "I dare say that everyone present has seen this mark before but I''m sure that this is the first time you all have set eyes on a royal wood spirit. After all, the last royal to appear was more than two thousand years ago."


    "Didn''t they say¡­ that all royal members of the wood spirit race¡­ have perished? Is¡­ is this actually real?" Ying Yushan''s voice was filled with unimaginable excitement.


    "They have vanished for more than two thousand years, so it is only natural that they were thought to be extinct. Even I thought that they were extinct until the day I found him."


    The stone chamber instantly turned so silent that one could hear a pin drop. The only noise that was present was an incessant stream of gulps. Everyone was certain that the Black Feather Merchant Guild wouldn''t disappoint them. They wouldn''t have traveled over tens of thousands of kilometers to attend this trade fair otherwise, but no one could''ve imagined that the pleasant surprise this time could be this big.


    It was because that a normal wood spirit and royalty were at completely different levels.


    This captured royal wood spirit would absolutely cause huge waves, even in the upper star realms.


    "A royal wood spirit possesses the world''s most refined power of nature. Although this royal wood spirit hasn''t become a full a.d.u.l.t, I am sure that you are all aware of his vast variety of ''uses''. Still, allow me to refresh all of your memories."


    "If you have a royal wood spirit by your side, you will be able to nurture all kinds of extraordinary flora and spirit herbs no matter how stringent their requirement to grow is. Moreover, their growth speed will be at least ten times normal! Of course, it is incredibly risky to keep a living wood spirit in your residence and I am sure that most of you aren''t willing to take such a risk. In that case, his Wood Spirit Orb is still pretty incredible."


    "The Wood Spirit Orb of a royal wood spirit is absolutely superior to a normal Wood Spirit Orb. Even if he were to commit suicide and destroy his own spirit orb, even if eighty percent of the spirit energy inside the orb was lost, as long as we can extract it within a hundred breaths'' time, it is still better than a perfectly intact normal Wood Spirit Orb¡­ This is a top grade treasure that you cannot obtain no matter how many profound stones you may possess!"


    "With the help of this Wood Spirit Orb, failures almost never happen if you concoct medicine, no matter how high the grade."


    "With the help of this Wood Spirit Orb, there would be no bottlenecks below the Divine King Realm."


    "If someone whose lifespan is reaching its limit obtains this Wood Spirit Orb, they could increase it by several thousand years¡­ It is the one and only item where you can use profound stones to trade for life, you know."


    The Wood Spirit Orb was precisely the one and only precious item that solely belonged to a wood spirit. As for a Wood Spirit Orb which belonged to a royal wood spirit, that was a treasure among treasures. Every one of Ji Ruyan''s descriptions sounded especially inconceivable but no one present found it surprising or doubtful¡­ because the legendary Royal Wood Spirit Orb was indeed a miraculous existence.


    The voice talking beside him caused the wood spirit boy inside the profound formation to uncontrollably quake all over.


    The profound strengths of wood spirits and humans were different. Their offensive abilities were extremely low and even the ones with higher cultivations among them were pitiful low. This added to the fact that their population was so few in number meant that once they fell into human hands, it was basically impossible for them to escape. A large majority of wood spirits would choose to self destruct their Wood Spirit Orbs once they fell into human hands¡­ which was equal to suicide.


    But he didn''t...


    It was because he was the only wood spirit male of the royal lineage in the entire Primal Chaos Dimension¡­ His death meant the severance of the Wood Spirit Royal Family''s bloodline. They would no longer have any more descendants. This was why even though he was young, he deeply understood that no matter how humiliating or despairing his situation was, he absolutely could not die.


    "At the moment, it is not just the young masters here, even upper star realms and the king realms, everyone believes that the Wood Spirit Royal Family has died out. However, there is actually a living royal wood spirit right before your eyes. All of you seated here today are the same as me, you know. We are the few lucky ones within the entire God Realm. As for the luckiest one among you, I do wonder who it would be."


    During her speech, a pair of eyes filled with a soft charming light swept across every individual present. If it were during normal circ.u.mstances, the crowd below would definitely flush and give her their souls. However, all eyes were firmly fixed upon the wood spirit boy, not wandering in the slightest.


    "The senior who captured this royal wood spirit originally wanted to enjoy it himself but due to a lot of reasons, he ultimately decided to entrust him to me. If you are able to bring him to the upper star realms, he would sell for a few billion purple profound stones. Ten billion would be rather easy as well! However, your servant here is only a part of a small merchant guild, how could I possibly endure the hardsh.i.p.s of the upper star realms? Giving him to you all here would put me at ease the most."


    "Miss Ruyan¡­ start the bid, quick!" Ying Yushan roared with wide eyes. He was currently at the peak of the Divine Soul Realm but breaking through the bottleneck to the Divine Tribulation Realm did not only need great effort but also chance enlightenment. If his luck was not great, forget about two years, it was very normal for most to not be able to break through for several decades.


    However, if he were to obtain this royal wood spirit of the wood spirit race, his bottleneck would cease to exist. He would be able to directly breakthrough in a few days! His future progress would receive huge amounts of benefits as well.


    Being able to sell it for ten billion purple profound stones in an upper star realm¡­ that wasn''t exaggerated at all! It was just that no matter how much gutsier the Black Feather Merchant Guild was, it was impossible for them to dare try to sell him in a middle or upper star realm¡­ they wouldn''t even dare leak out that information. Otherwise, there was simply no need for them to continue this auction. Those who would come to secretly steal the child would number so many that they could exterminate the entire Black Feather Merchant Guild in several breaths.


    Since it was decided that he was to be sold, then it had to be in a place where they were in complete control.


    "Hehehe, it looks like everyone here can''t wait any longer." Ji Ruyan''s eyes narrowed into slits that overflowed with charming light as she slowly extended a finger. "The starting bid for this royal wood spirit¡­ is one hundred million purple profound stones!"


    One hundred million purple profound stones was an astronomical number to anyone. But if it was the price that would enable them to buy a royal wood spirit, then the profit gained was simply incalculable. The key point was that if they missed this opportunity, they would perhaps never chance upon it ever again in their entire lives.


    "Wait!!" It was yet again Ying Yushan who had shouted. He took a step forward and said while breathing slightly hurriedly, "Miss Ruyan, I was in a hurry today so the profound stones I have on hand are not much, may I¡­"


    "Of course not!" Ji Ruyan cut him off without hesitation. She said with a smile, "Sir Ying ought to be most clear about the rules here. Before the trade fair has yet to end, no one is allowed to leave. This day in particular, if it were to be known that a royal wood spirit was here, I can''t possibly imagine the consequences that would come after."


    "However if Sir Ying is able to buy him, then it is only natural that you can immediately leave right after. When that time comes, he would no longer have anything to do with our Black Feather Merchant Guild anyways and no one would know or believe that he came from our Black Feather Merchant Guild¡­ So leaving early is not permissible. Even though I trust every one of you here, if, if there is the slightest chance something could happen, I simply cannot bear what comes after."


    Ji Ruyan''s smile bloomed like a flower but every single one of her words were stringent.


    "..." Ying Yushan''s forehead was matted with sweat. It took him a long period of restraint before he finally said, "Then give me ten breaths to send a sound transmission to let my men send over some purple profound crystals, how about that? Your Black Feather Merchant Guild wouldn''t let go of a huge profit, would it?"


    "Please do not make things difficult for me, Sir Ying. The reason why our Black Feather Merchant Guild has existed for this many years is mostly because we never broke our own rules. Besides, when I sent out the invitation letters, I reminded every one of you here that you absolutely must bring a bit more profound stones."


    The corner of Ying Yushan''s mouth twitched¡­ Since he had come, then he obviously brought a ton with him! But who would''ve thought that something like a royal wood spirit would show up!


    This was a "precious treasure" even the upper star realms did not have the fortune to see! It was a treasure worth trading one''s entire family fortune for!


    Ji Ruyan''s gaze moved away from Ying Yushan. "One hundred million purple profound stones, begin the bidding."


    When Ji Ruyan''s voice fell, not a single person answered for a moment. Right when Ji Ruyan was about to repeat herself, Issei said lightly. "One billion."


    ...WHAT!!?


    The gazes of everyone present evenly fell upon Issei''s body. Not a single person here today wasn''t an upper-class existence within the Darkya Realm. Even though one hundred million was quite a large sum, it wasn''t something they couldn''t endure¡­ It was just that even if they were richer, who in their right minds would casually carry around several hundred million purple profound stones!?


    But this person actually brought One Billion purple profound stones with him and he immediately increased the price by tenfold right off the bat!


    Brother, can you flaunt your wealth somewhere else!? They all shouted in their mind with astringent expression.


    The woman who was beside Issei felt even more regretful that she couldn''t seduce Issei just now...


    Even Ji Ruyan becomes stupefied at this sight... Her little mouth remained slightly open for a long while before it closed...


    Ji Ruyan''s gaze swept toward Issei like water. "This sir here is quite straightforward in his actions. I do like that kind of person the most."


    Increasing the bid by tenfold in one go¡­ that was one billion! Even Ying Yushan, who hailed from the number three sect in the Darkya Realm was given a great shock. He glanced at Issei before his face went completely pale... A Divine King Realm cultivator...


    He only had a total of two hundred and sixty million purple profound stones... There''s nothing else that he can do... Ying Yushan''s hands tightly clenched into fists and he had no other choice but to unwillingly sit down.


    All eyes gathered on Issei as they all tried to guess his identity.


    His background is certainly quite powerful. The imposingness he embodied, which left them feeling fear, could not be possessed by any ordinary person.


    He can casually call out that price without hesitation... as if that one billion doesn''t worth anything in his eyes...


    Inside the profound formation cage, the wood spirit body also carefully tilted his head up to look at Issei¡­ and the tinge of hope suddenly appeared within his previously dusky emerald eyes.


    "Hehehe, this sir has already increased the bid to One Billion purple profound stones. It is the first time in my life that I have ever seen such a nimble young master." Ji Ruyan sized Issei up from head to toe. "Are there any others who wish to bid? If there isn''t¡­"


    Ji Ruyan called out many times but no one else raised the bid.


    "Then, congratulations, sir. This royal wood spirit that could possibly be the only one left in the world belongs to you."


    Under envious and unreconciled gazes of everyone present, Issei calmly walked forward and directly handed Ji Ruyan one billion purple profound stones. Then, he said flatly, "Can I take him away now?"


    "Of course." Up close, Ji Ruyan''s smile was even more charming, her cheeks are also slightly reddened seeing Issei this up close. Just like the other women, she also felt attracted to Issei''s otherworldly figure.


    "He is yours from now on." She said in a comely voice.


    As she said that, Ji Ruyan lightly tapped with a finger and the sealing profound formation opened in reply. Issei slowly walked forward and grabbed a hold of the wood spirit body''s arm. The somewhat unexpected thing was that once the sealing profound formation disappeared, the wood spirit boy didn''t make any effort to escape. He allowed Issei to grab him¡­ perhaps he had long since accepted his fate.


    "Sir, I''m sure you understand the saying ''a person''s treasure will arouse the envy of others''," Ji Ruyan said reminded with a smile. "Leaving aside the ban imposed by the Eternal Heaven God Realm, a royal wood spirit is something even the upper star realms would covet. Although I do trust that everyone here is a trustworthy esteemed guest who can keep secrets, in case this matter were to be known by others, you''d be in danger. It''s best if you quickly handle it as soon as possible¡­ though the best choice is to directly take its Wood Spirit Orb and then¡­"


    "No need, I have my own plans. Thank you for the warning." Issei answered before he was about to leave with the wood spirit boy.


    The same time he turned around, his eyes briefly landed on the motionless black-clothed middle-aged man who had been standing behind Ji Ruyan. The man behind her slowly picked up a black sound transmission jade.


    This underground space isolated sound transmissions yet the sound transmission jade in the black-clothed middle-aged man''s hands were actually able to receive sound transmissions. It was clear that it was "special." His brows bunched together as he listened and after hearing the entire message, his expression suddenly changed. His gaze shot to Issei.


    A low voice came from behind Issei, "Wait, sir, we are no longer selling this royal wood spirit."


    Issei''s footsteps paused but he did not turn around. "What do you mean by not selling?"


    The black-clothed middle-aged man''s words shocked everyone present, even Ji Ruyan''s beautiful face had slightly changed.


    This kind of thing had never happened in their Black Feather Merchant Guild¡­ perhaps it could be said that this had never happened in all of the Black Feather Merchant Guild''s several tens of thousands of years of history.


    "I mean exactly what I just said."


    The black-clothed middle-aged man slowly walked toward Issei. His attitude was not as warm as Ji Ruyan as he continued with a cold, hard face. "News just came about the lord who captured this royal wood spirit. He wants to take back the royal wood spirit. Since that''s the case, this transaction will be nulled. Our apologies, but don''t worry, we will refund all your purple profound stones without missing a single one."


    Even though he said "our apologies", the way he spoke was obviously an order that couldn''t be refused.


    "This¡­" Ji Ruyan quickly walked to the black-clothed middle-aged man''s front. After a slight moment of hesitation, she asked, "Our Black Feather Merchant Guild has never taken back something we have sold. May¡­ I ask what has happened?"


    The black-clothed middle-aged man gave her a glance. Even though he was looking at Ji Ruyan, his gaze was still cold. His mouth moved slightly as he sent her a short sound transmission.


    "Ah!?" It was unknown what she had heard but Ji Ruyan''s beautiful countenance suddenly worsened. She even took a step back, as though she had received a huge fright.


    Just as Issei was about to speak, he suddenly felt the wood spirit boy in his grasp tremble from head to toe. A little hand tightly clutched the edge of his clothes as his shivering body shrunk behind him. It was obvious that he was frightened of the fact that Issei might return him.


    Issei who saw this gives the spirit boy a reassuring head pat.


    "I refuse. So what will you do towards me?" Issei asked in a bored tone.


    "...Sir, it''s best to not be so impulsive. Forcibly taking it back is indeed not appropriate but I must warn you, the people who want this wood spirit are those both you and I cannot afford to offend, more you than me. In fact, it''d be best if you obediently return it so everything will end up well. I''m afraid you can''t handle the consequences otherwise." The middle-aged man said in a slightly nervous tone since Issei''s cultivation is higher than his.


    It was very obvious that he also did not want to shed all forms of civility. After all, Issei being able to toss out one billion purple profound stones without batting an eye was astonishing and that''s not including his cultivation realm. It definitely meant that he had an extremely strong backer and background. Unless he had no other choice, it was obvious that he would not choose to completely offend him.


    But little did he know that¡­ Issei doesn''t have a single backer. He only has himself... but... his identity is far more terrifying than he could possibly imagine! Not that he will know about it since he and his backer will soon disappear from this world...


    "I want to be impulsive. Can you stop me?" Issei asked yet again.


    "...You better not regret this." This time the middle-aged man can''t say anything else other than giving empty threats.


    "Will I? Then I will wait for that time to come."


    Ji Ruyan''s sound transmission suddenly rang beside Issei''s ears, "Sir Heise, please return him. The situation is far more grave than you can possibly imagine. This involves an upper star realm! Furthermore, the person in front of you comes from a great background. Take advantage of the fact that he is currently not willing to thoroughly offend you to quickly comply or else¡­ not only will he forcibly take it back, but he might also even kill you!"


    To a lower star realm, an upper star realm was an existence similar to a palace in the heavens. If an upper star realm really was involved in this, then even the Realm King of a lower star realm would pale in fright and hand over the wood spirit while stumbling.


    Unfortunately, they just had to encounter Issei. He completely ignored Ji Ruyan''s warning before bringing the spirit boy away...


    ...


    Amidst the darkness, the wood spirit boy''s two pupils revealed an incredibly brilliant green glow, as if they were two flawless gleaming crystals. The two brilliantly green glowing eyes were completely devoid of anxiety and terror as the wood spirit boy looked at Issei and said in an innocent and pure voice, "Senior¡­ thank you very much."


    "Oh? Why are you thanking me? I could be a bad person that wanted to harvest your spirit orb you know?" Issei asked with a smirk.


    Suddenly, the boy lightly laughed as he said, "It is because I know that senior is definitely a good person."


    Issei who heard this chuckled lightly: "I''m not a good person. I''m actually quite selfish you know?"


    "No, senior is obviously a good person." The boy still retain his smile.


    Issei sighed before he gives the boy head another pat: "Can you tell me where the rest of your family is?"


    If it was anyone else, the boy would be wary and refuse to say a single word... but since it''s Issei who''s asking, he readily told him everything...


    The boy has never seen a truly good person before but he imagines that there''s not a single person in existence that is as good as Issei...


    "...My wood spirit race has never brought harm to any other living organism. We have also never done anything evil or unforgivable. Even when¡­ even when you humans have practically killed our entire clan, we still have never committed any malicious acts towards humans out of our resentment and despair¡­ So many of my clansmen have died. My mother, in order to protect me, also died at the hands of humans. Even my sister¡­ my last relation has become separated from me. Perhaps I will never be able to meet her again in this lifetime¡­ Why? Where?? Just where did we commit so many mistakes for those humans to do this to us!" The boy cried softly at the end.


    It looks like the boy can tell that Issei is not a human... not really surprising given his capability to sense a person''s nature. In a way, his race is quite similar to the Kalars race.


    "Do you want revenge?" Issei asked after the boy finishes retelling his story.


    "...No. I just want to safely live with my clansmen and perhaps reunite with my sister one day..." The boy said in a sad tone.


    "You can. I will help you find your sister and also keep your clansmen safe." Issei smiled softly.


    "...Thank you senior!" The boy looks up and smiled widely at Issei''s statement and he trusts that Issei can do what he promised.


    He then pointed towards the south. "My home is not far from the city. Senior is so strong, as long as we continue in this direction and out of Darkya City, we''ll be there very quickly."


    "Alright, take me there." Issei nodded slightly.


    "What''s your name?" Issei asked during their journey.


    "My name is He Lin," Replied the boy.


    The green eyes he looked at Issei with grew brighter. "May I know how I should address senior?"


    "Hm? You can just call me Ise. And I''m only around ten year older than you so there''s no need to call me senior."


    "Eh?" He Lin''s jaw dropped, a wave of shock spread across his face. After quite some time he exclaimed, "So it''s actually big brother! big brother cultivation is already at the Divine King Realm, so I thought big brother was much much older!"


    From his voice and the glimmer in his eyes, Issei could see a sense of deep and passionate worship.


    "I''ve heard that Darkya City has long had a history of hunting and killing the wood spirit race. Your home¡­ how can it be so near such a dangerous place?" Issei asked.


    Hearing his words, He Lin stayed solemnly silent for a while before he gently said, "Compared to the middle and upper star realms, this lower star realm is actually the safest. If we''re discovered, we might be able to escape here. Moreover, our current home has a great natural power protecting us. Me and my clansmen have already lived there for two years and without being discovered.


    "Your clan¡­ How many of you are left?"


    He Lin hesitated for a while and then replied "Those of my fellow clansmen that are with me??? We''ve only got about a hundred of us left. While I''ve been captured, they''ll definitely have been very anxious and if they left that place to search for me, the consequences could be dire."


    "He Lin, how old are you this year?"


    "I¡­ I''m eleven."


    "And you have an older sister?"


    "Mn," he softly answered and his voice slowly trailed off. "Three years ago, during that terrible disaster, mother and father, in order to protect my sister and I¡­ they¡­ they¡­ after that, me and my sister were separated. I haven''t seen her since but I believe that sister is definitely alive! I can sense it!"


    Issei didn''t probe further after that. He can help him reunite with his sister later on.


    Orphaned, his last living relative missing¡­ He was but an eleven-year-old boy, yet he had experienced countless unimaginable cruel and difficult situations. It wasn''t his fault or was it the consequence of his actions; it was all because he was a wood spirit¡ªa royal wood spirit.


    They were a race that inherited the purest powers of nature but instead of it being a blessing, it was the cruelest of curses.


    Once out of Darkya City, Issei didn''t stop. He carried on in the direction He Lin pointed. About half an hour later, he had flown into a stretch of jungle that seemingly had no end.


    Issei can tell that they''re being followed, but he doesn''t care since it will be easier if they group up in a single group. That way he can wipe them out at the same time later.


    The one who''s following him is probably only a scout since he''s alone. Well, it doesn''t matter... they will die soon anyway.


    "This home you speak of, is it within this forest?" Issei asked.


    "Yes!" He Lin now pointed to the southeast. Being really close to home, he started getting a little more excited. "In that direction, I can already sense its aura¡­ This is great!"


    They quickly shot through the jungle and finally came to a stop not long after.


    Up ahead, towering ancient trees stood tall, dr.a.p.ed in countless big and dark greenish black vines. The vines barred their path, stretching innumerably beyond what the eye could see.


    He Lin bounded forward with excitement. He made a gentle gesture with his hands and immediately the dense greenish-black vines came to life, they quickly started bending and moving, opening up just enough to form a narrow passageway.


    "Big brother, quickly come here!"


    He Lin pulled at Issei''s arm, bouncing boisterously into the vine-covered passageway. Issei let himself being pulled.


    The passageway continued for quite a long way. They walked for a period of time before finally reaching the exit. When they finally stepped out through the exit, dozens of greenish-black vines suddenly struck down, like fangs of a really large demon.


    He Lin didn''t seem fazed at all and instead continued forward. He made a light pushing movement with his arms, a flash of green light appeared and the vines were suddenly frozen in place whereupon they immediately started retracting.


    "Granny Qing Ye! Aunty Kui! Uncle Mu Han¡­ I''m back! I''m back!!"


    The world before their eyes was a field with tens of thousands of plants. Green grass abounded while the leaves and vegetation contained an unbelievable amount of jade green nature energy. The air was so fresh it gave one a sense of peace and clarity. Just further up, strange flowers and plants abounded. Butterflies flew all around. This place was beautiful beyond compare. If anyone stepped into this place, they would probably think that they had stepped into an unreal immortal wonderland.


    The bright crisp voice of He Lin traveled throughout this little immortal-like world.


    "Lin¡­ Lin''er! Lin''er!!"


    "Young patriarch¡­ It''s the young patriarch!"


    "Lin''er!!"


    The serene world suddenly transformed into a scene of excited shouts of happiness. One by one, jade green figures emerged from the ancient trees and millions of flowers. They crazedly rushed towards He Lin. One of them seemed older than the rest. He walked with a slight awkwardness and hugged He Lin with a tight embrace. Before he even spoke, his old tears started streaming down.


    "Lin''er¡­ It''s really you? You really came back¡­ We had imagined the worst, that you had been captured by the humans¡­ This is great, you''re safe and sound, thank goodness..."


    The others huddled together and surrounded him, each of them had tears of excitement in their eyes.


    Every one of them had hair the color of emerald, fluorite-like eyes, and pointed long ears. Their skin was flawless like jade. Without a doubt, they were the hidden wood spirit race, the fellow clan members of whom He Lin was talking about.


    Their numbers were as what He Lin had described, around a hundred of them.


    From their excited reactions, one could see that He Lin was an extremely important existence¡­ He was the only male possessing the royal wood spirit bloodline. Although still young, he bore the burden of being the last hope of the wood spirit race.


    "I''m sorry Granny Qin Ye¡­ I''m sorry everyone¡­ I''ve made everyone worried this time." Tears swirled in He Lin''s eye "I¡­ I actually was captured by humans¡­"


    "Ah!?" He Lin''s words shocked all the wood spirits present.


    "But, I met a really good person, a super-duper good and really really powerful big brother. It was him that saved me and even escorted me back here."


    He Lin wiped away his tears and quickly ran to Issei''s side "He''s that big brother, if not for him¡­ by now¡­ I would have¡­ would really have¡­"


    Countless gazes landed on Issei. The oldest wood spirit, the one He Lin called "Granny Qing Ye" slowly walked forward and suddenly bent down, kneeling before Issei.


    Issei''s eyelids jumped, he was about to speak when he suddenly saw the rest of the wood spirits kneeling as well.


    "Respected benefactor¡­ thank you. Thank you for saving our young patriarch," Granny Qing Ye said in an old voice which carried a deep sense of sincere gratitude straight from her soul.


    "You saved our young patriarch. From now on, you''re the great benefactor of our wood spirit clan. Please accept this bow from us."


    "Young patriarch met with danger but then met such an honorable person, it''s definitely the blessing and protection from the patriarch in the heavens," a middle-aged wood spirit shouted, who then proceeded to kowtow to Issei.


    "Rise... What I did is nothing much. There''s no need to kneel before me." Issei waved his hand to lift all of them from the ground.


    Although they''re surprised, they still adamantly said: "No, we wood spirits always know to repay favors, let alone such a great favor as this one."


    Granny Qing Ye was the oldest among everyone present, so her words held the greatest weight. She said sincerely, "Young man, if you need something, feel free to tell us. We will definitely try our best to repay you."


    "No need. I came here with an offer... I don''t know if you all will agree or not."


    "Please, do say benefactor."


    "Are all of you willing to come with me? I can provide a safe haven for you where your entire race won''t be harmed by anyone else."


    "..."


    All of them went silent and started to look at each other. But then they look at He Lin since he''s basically their leader and this is the turning point for him as their leader.


    Granny Qing Ye said warmly at He Lin: "What do you think, young patriarch?"


    "I..." He Lin hesitated a bit before he looks at Issei.


    "I know you have a tragic past where you got betrayed. But I can assure you that I won''t do the same." Issei said before taking off his mask.


    Whether it be man or woman, all of them went into a daze when they saw Issei''s face.


    Issei will only offer them his help once... If they still refuse then... he won''t say anything else.


    "...We accept." It took He Lin a good while before he made up his mind.


    "We''re willing to accept big brother offer. But... what do you gain from helping us, big brother?"


    Issei nodded internally seeing He Lin questioning him like this.


    "The reason was it? Simply because I can. I don''t need anything from you or your clansmen, He Lin. You could say that it''s just on a whim." Issei said simply.


    Granny Qing Ye gently smiled, her cloudy eyes looked at He Lin: "Since our young patriarch has decided. Then we shall accept benefactor offer."


    The others are also nodding in agreement.


    The reason why they don''t have any objection was because they can sense that Issei is nothing like their past ''benefactor''.


    And also because the plants around them seem to look more vibrant and lively when Issei stepped his foot into this place...


    "Then please give us time to prepare ourselves, benefactor."


    "Um. You can take your time."


    "Big brother, is it okay if I show you our home? Even though it''s small, I''m sure you''ll like it." Seeing that they have come to an agreement, He Lin excitedly tugged at Issei''s sleeve.


    "Oh? Sure." Issei smiled softly while patting He Lin''s head.


    He Lin dragged him, formally inviting him into the little world that belonged to the wood spirits.


    With green trees as houses and flowers and grass for seats, this was an inconceivably pure world. Not even the slightest filth could be smelled from the air in this place.


    Due to the avarice of humans, a race that originally received the protection of nature ended up in a more tragic and fallen state than any other race. They should have a deeply entrenched hatred for humans, yet they seem to not bore any hatred towards the human race as a whole... They might be afraid of the human race but they don''t hate them.


    Wood spirits possessed the world''s purest of powers and the purest of hearts. This is also why Issei is willing to go this far for them.


    This kind of race ought to receive the utmost protection of nature, why do they have to bear such a cruel, unfair fate...


    Because of humanity''s evil and greed...


    And because they were weak.


    The entire body of those belonging to the dragon race were also treasures but how could this world possibly dare to bully the clan of True Dragons in the Dragon God Realm?


    But now that they''re being protected by a True Dragon who''s king amongst king. Their cruel fate has finally ended... They can finally live at peace from now on...


    "Big Sister Qing He!"


    He Lin dragged Issei all the way to the ends of this little world. There was a huge garden that stretched far and wide, with all kinds of blossoming flowers flourishing in an explosion of colors. A colorfully dressed girl was at the center of the garden, gathering morning dew from the petals. Her graceful, lithe figure resembled a colorful, elegantly dancing butterfly within the myriad flowers. It was pleasing to the eye and intoxicating to the soul.


    Amidst He Lin''s high pitched shout, the girl within the garden turned, her soft gaze following shortly after. He Lin introduced Issei with rosy cheeks. "This is Big Sister Qing He. Oh, her father is Uncle Qing Mu. Big Sister Qing, this is the big brother who saved me. Even though he''s a big brother, he''s super-duper powerful, you know."


    The colorfully dressed girl looked to only be around fifteen or sixteen. Her bright face contained a young girl''s charming immaturity and a wood spirit''s beautiful purity.


    She was in a daze but soon snapped back from her thoughts when she heard He Lin shout. She gently bowed at Issei. "T-Thank you for saving our young patriarch, big brother."


    Once she said those words, she didn''t dare to look Issei in the eyes a second time. She lowered her head as a deep flush spread across her cheeks.


    The sound of a girl''s voice, which resembled clear spring water, came from behind them as a girl around the same age as Qing He gently fluttered over. Behind her followed a handsome, tall, and slender young wood spirit who looked to be around seventeen years old.


    "Big Sister Fei Yan, Big Brother Qing Zhu!" He Lin shouted their names in a clear voice.


    When the two arrived, they stared at Issei for a long while. The young wood spirit named Qing Zhu then deeply bowed toward Issei. "Big Brother Benefactor, you saved our young patriarch and¡­ I don''t even know how we can repay you."


    "Thank you, Big Brother Benefactor." The wood spirit girl named Fei Yan graciously bowed. Her clear, beautiful eyes then continued to curiously size Issei up: "May I know what race are you, big brother benefactor? You are clearly not human since there''s no human that possesses this kind of aura and look... So what are you?"


    "Oh right, what race are you, big brother?"


    "A Dragon."


    "Ah!?"


    All of them are surprised knowing that their benefactor is from the Dragon race.


    "Wah! No wonder you''re so powerful even though you''re still young, big brother!" He Ling eyes shone while he looks at Issei in awe: "I know that my eyes will never deceive me!"


    "Hmph! Young patriarch, you still have the gall to say that!?" Fei Yan raised a hand and heavily knocked He Lin on the forehead, fuming. "Do you know that you almost scared all of us to death!? Granny Qing Ye cried so many times. You¡­ If you dare to do something like this again, I''m going to ignore you from then on."


    He Lin covered his hurt forehead and didn''t dare to retort. He weakly answered quite pitifully, "Big Sister Fei Yan, I know that I was wrong. I won''t dare to do it again. I only¡­ I only wanted to go out to see the outside world. I never expected to be that unlucky¡­ Uuu, I really won''t do it again."


    "Fei Yan, don''t speak to young patriarch like that. He will definitely be obedient from now on," Qing He protectively said in a gentle voice. When she was speaking, she sneakily glanced at Issei before hurriedly lowering her head again.


    "Hmph, in any case, I''ll be firmly looking after young patriarch from now on!" Fei Yan said while puffing her cheeks.


    At this point, Qing Zhu couldn''t hold back his curiosity as he asked somewhat eagerly. "Young patriarch, what happened after you snuck out? And how is the outside world? Is it really as magical as what Granny Qing Ye and Uncle Qing Mu said it was? Tell us!"


    "T-this¡­" He Lin said anxiously. "I got caught by someone not too long after I snuck out. A-after that, I was always scared, so I didn''t have time to think about anything else. Ah! Right!"


    He Ling''s eyes suddenly flashed as he turned to Issei. "Big brother, how about you tell us about the outside world? Is that okay?"


    He Lin''s words instantly brought them to their senses. Qin He, Fei Yan and Qing Zhu all immediately stared at Issei¡­ who was the first visitor that came to their little world from the outside world. "Big Brother Benefactor, you must know a lot about the outside world. We really, really, really want to hear about it."


    Four pairs of emerald eyes flashed with the same anticipation and longing. These gazes made Issei smiled wryly but also felt pity for them...


    They had always lived a life on the run and spent it amidst terror and caution. They were only safe in their little world. To them, every place in the outside world could be said to be an abyss of death.


    The more they yearned and longed for it, the crueler their fate would be.


    Issei breathed in deeply and then said gently, "Actually, my home isn''t in the God Realm. It is in a faraway place, in a distant place¡­ The first place I came to when I arrived in the God Realm was a white world of endless snow. The earth, seas, and rivers were all covered in ice and snow that would never melt. Even the sky was so white that it seemed as though it was covered in a layer of snow¡­ The halls in that place would be many tens of kilometers long, the biggest being a few hundred kilometers¡­"


    Without mentioning specific names, Issei began narrating some of his stories...


    The quartet of young wood spirits listened as though they were in a trance and at times, cried out in surprise.


    They only listened and then imagined it in their heads. They were fundamentally unable to truly know what it would look like, what kind of spectacle it would be. But even so, to them, who were eternally "caged" within their little world, this brought them unprecedented excitement.


    "Several thousand kilometers¡­ several tens of thousands of kilometers¡­ a completely white world." Fei Yan looked up with a blurred gaze, before absentmindedly saying, "I''m already this old yet I''ve never seen snow before."


    "Me too." Qing Zhu nodded in agreement with a heart full of longing.


    Issei smiled lightly before he waved his hand gently into the air.


    A huge expanse of fluttering snow that resembled goose feathers fell from the sky, accompanied by a cool refreshing breeze.


    "Waah!"


    Exhilarated cries overlapped as they all clasped their hands together. Bathing in the falling snow and sensing a coldness they had never felt before, they felt as though they had suddenly landed in a completely different world.


    The snowfall was gentle at first but it quickly changed to become a snowstorm. Issei''s finger moved slightly and a dozen blossoming ice lotus flowers instantly fell amidst the flying snow. The smallest one could be clasped in one''s palm and the biggest one made the two wood spirit girls fall over each other in their desire to sit inside it, to personally feel the blossoming of the ice lotus.


    After the display of snow. Issei showed them fire and lightning next...


    He played with them for a long while before he withdrew his hand, completely scattering all the wind, snow, lightning, and fire along with it.


    Everything seemed to have just been an illusion.


    Beneath the excitement they had never before felt, the faces of the four wood spirit youths were all currently flushed. The eyes they looked at Issei with seemed to shimmer like bright stars. Just a moment ago, they felt gratitude and curiosity toward Issei. What they felt now, however, was a sudden, intense, all-encompassing worship.


    "I really¡­ I really want to go see the place Big Brother Benefactor talked about," Qing Zhu dreamily said as he looked up.


    "That day will definitely come," Issei said: "In fact, I can bring all of you there as soon as we leave this place."


    "Big Brother Benefactor¡­ oh! Can we¡­" Fei Yan''s eyes were earnest, yet her entire face was filled with nervousness. "Can you tell us your name?"


    He Lin, Qing He, and Qing Zhu also looked at him.


    Issei smiled lightly and answered without hesitation, "My real name might be too foreign to you. But you can just call me Ise."


    "Ise¡­" they all said softly.


    "Big Brother Ise!" Qing Zhu hollered excitedly.


    "Y-y-you¡­ big dummy! You stole my thunder again! I want to say it too¡­ Big Brother Ise!" As Fei Yan called out, her eyes bent into thin crescents. Then, she tugged at the Qing He beside her. "Big Sister Qing He, you''re not talking much today. Hurry up and call him Big Brother Ise."


    Qing He took a small step forward and still had yet to lift her head. Both her hands nervously pinched at her colorful sash, as she timidly uttered, "Big Brother¡­ Ise¡­"


    "Qing He, what''s wrong?" Qing He''s strange actions began to worry Qing Zhu. "You¡­ ah? Why is your face kind of red? Are you sick?"


    "Ah! I got it!" Fei Yan shouted. "Big Sister Qing He must have fallen for Big Brother Ise!"


    "N-no I haven''t!" The faint color of the red dawn instantly became a gorgeous sunset and immediately spread to her jade-colored neck as her head drooped even lower. Then, she gently stamped her foot all of a sudden and turned to run like a startled butterfly¡­ never daring to shoot Issei a single glance during the entire process.


    "Wahaha! I guessed right!" Fei Yan laughed with satisfaction. Then, she her bright eyes looked directly at Issei. "Big Brother issei, Qing He ran away due to embarrassment, you''d better take responsibility!"


    "This¡­" Issei smiled awkwardly as a response.


    Wood spirits bore the purest of nature energy. As a result, the females tended to be gentle and beautiful, while the males are extremely pretty. However, because of this, they would lack masculinity. To wood spirit girls who were accustomed to male wood spirits, the moment they got close or became curious, Issei''s manliness, otherwordly feature along with his sharpness tempered by countless hardsh.i.p.s, would produce an attractiveness that would most likely be fatal.


    In fact, if Fei Yan wasn''t a childhood sweetheart with Qing Zhu then she would''ve felt the same way as Qing He.


    Issei is fatal to women but if that woman truly loves someone else from the bottom of their heart then they won''t be easily swayed by his appearance... Unless Issei himself is going on the offensive that is...


    He Lin didn''t laugh. Ever since Issei gave his name, he had been staring at him in a daze, the corner of his mouth slowly biting down.


    When Issei sensed his unusual condition, he heavily kneeled before Issei.


    "Ah? Young patriarch!" Fei Yan and Qing Zhu exclaimed in great shock.


    "He Lin, you?" Issei quickly stretched out a hand, intending to lift him back up.


    Yet He Lin stubbornly persisted to kneel in place. He lifted a pair of slightly trembling eyes. "I¡­ I don''t want to call you Big Brother Issei, I¡­ I¡­ I want to call you Master."


    Issei, "..."


    "Master! Can you be my master? I want to be as strong as you¡­ I¡­ I''ll work hard, I''m willing to endure hardsh.i.p.s. No matter how tough it gets, I''m willing to take them all in. Please accept me."


    He Lin wasn''t asking but pleading¡­ pleading with an intense longing.


    "Are you sure? My training can be very strict and harsh for you. Especially since your race has a weak constitution as a whole." Issei asked He Lin while looking directly into the latter eyes.


    "Yes! I''m willing to bear any kind of hardship!" He Lin who heard Issei''s words said with determination. "Father and mother were really powerful, they were able to defeat many strong bad guys and protect tons of our clansmen. I want to be as powerful as Master, I want to be able to protect my clansmen just like father and mother did. I¡­ I''ll listen to Master''s every word, I''ll do anything Master wants. Please accept me."


    "...Very well. But I won''t train you right now since you''re still too young. I will leave you on my servant''s hand for now and when you''re ready... I will personally train you." Issei said.


    "Thank you master!" He Lin look up ecstatically.


    "Um. Now go pack up your belongings since we will be leaving soon." Issei slightly smiled at He Lin.


    Then the trio leaves Issei behind to prepare themselves...


    Once they leave, Issei set his gaze at a certain direction and narrowed his eyes dangerously.


    "Kill all of them and after you''re done with them, head over to the ," Issei muttered in a low voice.


    "We obey." From Issei''s shadow, multiple glowing red eyes shone brightly and a low voice can be heard.


    The Abyssal human resides in Issei''s shadow. They still serve Nyarlathotep but also serve Issei at the same time hence why they are there as well.


    They know the location of the from Naru''s conversation with Issei.


    Nyarlathotep lazily opened her eyes and lightly smirked at this sight. She then closed her eyes once again since she has no interest in ants'' lives.


    She just finds it stupendous how ruthless her dear husband can be at times and she loves this side of him a lot... She would''ve flirted with him if she wasn''t feeling exhausted because of their nightly activities from the other day... Oh how she loves that numbing pain that could send a shiver down to her whole being~


    The Abyssal humans move so fast that the spirit race that they came across don''t even realize their presence.


    Going at a pace which had still yet to slow, they lock onto their designated target aura.


    After mere seconds, they located their target. They found seventeen people hiding in one place.


    All seventeen of them were in black robes. A black serpent''s emblem could be seen at different but conspicuous spots on each of their clothing. Among these individuals, sixteen of them had auras at the Divine Spirit Realm, while the one right at the front was in the Divine King Realm.


    "Hahaha." Wild laughter roared from the black-robed man who was at the front: "Never would I have expected such a big and pleasant surprise. Hehe, not only will the Hall Master not erupt in wrath, he''ll definitely reward us generously. To think that we can find a hidden village full of !"


    "Frankly, this is probably one of the biggest harvests we''ve had in all these years. Since a long time back, it''s as if these wood spirits came to an agreement. As soon as any of them fall into our hands, they immediately self-destruct their Wood Spirit Orbs. Hehe, as for that little wood spirit kid, boss¡­ what is his background? Why did we have to capture him alive? Even the hall master flew into a rage because of him."


    The black-robed man in the lead glanced backward coldly replying, "Some questions are best left unanswered. Just watch over him after we manage to capture him once again, if he escapes once more, let alone us, even hall master''s head will roll!"


    This sudden turn in the conversation left everyone in shock: "This¡­ What''s this all about? Are you saying that... that wood spirit kid is something the sect master wants?"


    "Hmph!" exclaimed their leader. "I''m afraid the situation is even more dire. When Sect Master brought away the individual that was injured at the Black Feather Merchant Guild, I vaguely heard a mention of the ''Divine Martial Realm''."


    "What!? Divine¡­ Martial Realm!?"


    "Shut up!" their leader gruffly shouted. "It''s enough as long as you understand in your hearts. Don''t talk about it and no more questions. If you don''t want to die, stay vigilant. Once we meet up with the hall master we''ll have to immediately capture them all and return to the sect and hand that kid over to the Sect Master. There can be no slip-ups. If we lose this kid, I can guarantee that none of us will be able to keep our lives."


    "Although that man who wore a mask is powerful, with our combined effort, I''m sure that we can handle him. But it''s best if we could avoid conflict with him altogether... His backing is currently unknown after all."


    It looks like Mr. Ji doesn''t tell them about Issei''s "backing"...


    "Yes, boss!" everyone shouted in harried unison.


    One of them looked at their leader. "Boss, you can relax. In all of the Darkya Realm, no one has either the ability or gall to dare..."


    "Hm? Why did you suddenly-!?" The person in front of him felt confused just why his accomplice suddenly went silent mid-sentence. When he turned his head, he doesn''t see the person who was speaking just now... it''s like he suddenly just disappear into thin air!


    "Where did he go?! Hey, he-!" He was about to warn his accomplices but what greets him is yet another eerie silence... and once again, he fails to spot a single person that was with him just a few seconds ago...


    Out of sixteen people that were with him, none were found...


    Then he felt it... A sinister feeling that started to creep up on his entire being...


    At the last moment of his life, he saw a beautiful pair of red eyes before his whole vision went black...


    They felt no pain in their death which could be considered a blessing on its own...


    "First objective complete, proceed with the next one..." A faint sound can be heard and then what''s left in that place is just a faint wind gust and the rustling sound of the forest...


    The very next day, the Darkya realm let out a piece of earth-shaking news because the which was the strongest sect in the Darkya Realm, disappear completely leaving behind an empty sect... making it looks like a haunted house...


    Not a single drop of blood or any sign of fighting can be found within their surroundings...


    Surprisingly, when Issei exited the village and about to leave the Darkya Realm, he met Ji Ruyan...


    Ji Ruyan was dressed simply in a plain and long white skirt. She had a calm expression, which was at least completely different from how she had deliberately tried to appear charming the other day.


    Her eyes shone slightly when she caught sight of Issei''s figure.


    She very lightly landed before Issei and the moment she landed on the ground, she immediately bowed deeply at Issei.


    Issei doesn''t say anything else and calmly observes her wanting to know just what her intention is.


    "Sir Heise, Ruyan and the wanted to convey our heartfelt gratitude." She said softly.


    "...For what?" Issei asked.


    "Ruyan knows that sir Heise must be the one behind the ''disappearance'' of the ." She said while still in a bowing position.


    "Oh? What makes you so sure that I''m the one behind their disappearance?" Issei asked calmly.


    "...Intuition," Ji Ruyan replied with a faint smile. "A woman''s intuition is always very accurate."


    Issei won''t deny that... his wives at times also use the same reasoning from time to time after all... and their so-called woman intuition is very accurate.


    After a brief conversation... Issei gained another pledge of loyalty... He basically becomes the new owner of the ...


    ...


    "Mother mother!" An excited voice belonging to a girl resounded clearly.


    "Hm?" Replied the woman to the voice.


    "I already met father!" This voice belongs to none other than Shirayuki.


    Her mother''s body stiffens the moment she heard Shirayuki''s words. Her hand slightly trembled while anxiousness started to take over her.


    "...What? How did you... How did you meet your father?" The woman said in a confused voice.


    The woman never thought that her daughter could be lying since the concept of lying is basically nonexistent to her. She never taught her about it either...


    "How? Ummm... I don''t know! I only wish that I could see father and then I meet him!" Shirayuki replied.


    "...What... What did your father say? Did he do anything to you?" The woman anxiously asked.


    "Yep! Father gave me a name. He said my name is Shirayukihime and father is really really nice and gentle! Also also, you were right mother. Father is extremely pretty! And then..." Shirayukihime keeps on talking to her mother in a jubilant manner.


    Whereas the woman unconsciously heaved a sigh of relief when she heard just how happy her daughter was...


    She doesn''t know why Issei would treat her daughter so kindly like this since they basically never met... Was it because of his benevolence? Or was it because something else? She doesn''t know...


    She''s grateful as it is seeing that Issei doesn''t seem to feel repugnant of their so-called daughter.


    "What else did he say..." The woman asked gently and the mother-daughter duo continued their conversation... While Shirayuki narrated the time she spent playing together with Issei, the woman would listen attentively...


    In the end, the woman smiled in happiness for her daughter...

 Chapter 134 - 133

    (AN: Thank you, JakMasters for the donation. I hope all of you enjoy the chapters).


    "Hmmm... I wonder just what kind of existence could cause such incident... Nobody saw or heard anything and the whole sect just disappear in a single night..." Said a curious voice belonging to a young girl.


    She''s currently investigating the currently empty .


    It was a little girl that looked like she had just started stepping into adolescence.


    She looked to be around fourteen to sixteen years of age. If anyone had seen her, they would have never believed their eyes. She looked like an immaculate jade carving. Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped crescents, her eyes shone like the stars, her lips were luscious, and every inch of her resembled that of a stunning jade statue.


    Her build was small and she wore a colorful skirt. The seven colors on her skirt clashed with the gray and dark setting of this realm. As the mountain winds blew across, her skirt revealed a pair of white jade-like thighs. Her snowy white feet were fitted compactly into a pair of seven-colored glass-like shoes.


    Her profound aura was that of the Emperor Profound Realm. Considering her age, this was already quite an achievement. However, in this extremely dangerous realm, her profound strength could be considered to be so low it was pitiful.


    At first glance, it wasn''t clear what she was doing here, but she didn''t look the least bit frightened. Those beautiful crescent eyebrows were gently arched and the way she pursed her lips made her look both cute and playful. She was so beautiful that it''d be difficult for anyone to take their eyes off her.


    She pranced around the empty soul sect, skipping step by step as she went, not a care in the world.


    Her smile was extremely cute but it held a mysterious, bewitching charm within its depths. Even though she feels curious, she doesn''t seem to be overly concerned, and if anything she seems quite happy knowing that the whole soul sect basically got wiped out of existence.


    She knows their deeds and was thinking to handle some behind the scene stuff but it looks like someone beat her to it.


    "I wonder if the one who did this is the person aunt and big sis told me about... There''s also a sighting of a man with a unique mask before in this realm too... Ummm..." The young girl started to ponder to herself in a curious manner.


    "No use guessing around, I''ll just ask big sis about it." But then she thought of something and her lips slowly rise in a mischievous manner and then she left the place behind...


    After she left, there''s another group of people coming to investigate. After they find no clues on the sect, they headed towards the location. But... these groups of people never seen again after they entered the guild leaving behind the palpitating Mr. Ji and also Ji Ruyan...


    The reason for that is because of a single woman who has pale skin and striking red eyes... After this woman fulfilled her job, she disappears into the darkness...


    "...Ruyan, no matter what happens. We must never betray our new lord. Your decision to make him our new lord is correct... probably the best decision our merchant guild ever made..." Mr. Ji solemnly said.


    "Um..." Ji Ruyan nodded stiffly to the side.


    "Thankfully our new lord isn''t like those from the ... We can finally do a proper business..." Mr. Ji said in relief.


    Needless to say, that pale woman is one of the . Issei predicted that they would send someone to investigate things down here and he stationed one of the abyssal humans as bodyguard and also as a messenger.


    ...


    After Issei returned back to the with the in tow. He sent them to the where they can live in peace and while he''s at it, he also fulfilled his little promise to He Lin and the others.


    He Lin''s group went into a daze when they saw the and they started to shed tears of joy...


    Mu Xuanyin was pondering to herself when she sensed an unfamiliar presence nearing the .


    Mu Xuanyin stood there for a while frowning to herself thinking if this presence is someone ''he'' knows?


    But seeing how this presence is being sneaky, she concluded that this presence has nothing to do with ''him''.


    She immediately heads towards the intruder place and when she arrived at the intruder location, she started channeling a frost beam that exploded toward a portion of space, "Come out!"


    Crack crack crack!


    That portion of space froze within a second and actually shattered. Thousands of ice flowers and grasses were completely decimated. A sudden patch of empty white land appeared within that little world.


    And within that patch of white a small little girl, wearing a colorful dress, slowly strode out as she cheerful giggled, "Big sister, you''re actually so pretty, but so fierce at the same time."


    This girl is none other than the same girl who investigated the soul sect.


    All Mu Xuanyin ice-cold suppression was gathered on her body: "Who are you and what are you doing here?!"


    She raised her lips. In front of Mu Xuanyin''s power, she still didn''t give in, "If I told you that I was lost, would you believe me?"


    "..." Mu Xuanyin only coldly gazes at her obviously not believing her.


    Mu Xuanyin''s gaze deepened. The figure of an ice phoenix started to appear behind her as an icy white sword also appeared her hand. "Since you won''t be honest and tell me the truth, don''t blame me for this!"


    The sword was thin and long, it wasn''t even an inch thick. It didn''t gleam, but it seemed like it was made of snow.


    Before that increasingly explosive cold energy and the world that was quickly turning completely white, she still had a coquettish smile plastered on her face as she held both hands behind her back, "I''m afraid big sister will be unable to."


    Swoosh!!


    The Ice Phoenix gave out a long cry and the Snow Princess Sword flashed, gathering the entire world''s brilliance within a single ray of light, instantaneously upturning the entire environment of this little independent world.


    Thousands of kilometers all-around had been enveloped in a blizzard!


    Amidst the icy snow, the image of an Ice Phoenix started to rise into the sky, bringing along a world capsizing force, flying like a torrent of water toward the colorfully dressed girl.


    "Wah, so pretty."


    This capsizing force from the Ice Phoenix was enough to kill a Divine King instantly. Her first response was to have a light flash in both her eyes. After a slight exhale, her entire figure disappeared far away.


    However, as she dodged, the Snow Princess Sword cut through space, shooting directly toward the little girl. That Ice Phoenix image also changed its trajectory, once again locking onto her location.


    "Heh, since it''s like this, big sister should play with me and make me happy, okay?" The girl giggled again, both her eyes releasing a bright blue brilliance. Though her voice sounded weak, it pierced through the ice phoenix''s mighty cry.


    Zzz!!!


    Space violently trembled and the blizzard suddenly intensified. If one reached out, they would not be able to see their five fingers. Everything in this world, from the trees to the grass, flowers, birds, mountains, and the great plains were uprooted. In but a moment, the sky seemed like it was covered in a misty curtain of snow.


    This was a sight that few people had ever seen in the God Realm.


    Within that snowy curtain, besides an icy blue light darting around, there was an additional white sword beam. The girl''s small figure was dashing around and constantly teleporting through the blizzard. Her hands would move as if they were dancing, a white sword beam streaking out with every action, destroying the sword images and cold lights Mu Xuanyin sent her way.


    Ding!


    Ding!


    Boom!


    Ding!


    The sound of the two forces meeting each other seemed light, but the explosiveness in the sky was that of Divine Masters. It filled the entire small world, causing the icy mist in this world to never settle. Every time there was an explosive burst of energy, it would be accompanied by an explosive shattering of space within a large radius.


    Both figures flashed and teleported every moment through tens of kilometers. Spatial tears and gullies covered both the air and large plains. Before the spatial tears could mend, even more scars would tear madly throughout the area.


    Boom boom¡­.


    Boom boom boom!


    Mu Xuanyin''s figure slowly turned, completely freezing the surrounding five hundred kilometers, with the girl sealed right at the center of this icy world. However, not even a breath later, the entire space exploded, tens of thousands of sword beams flew out and then gathered, combining into one sword beam, shooting directly towards Mu Xuanyin.


    Ding!!


    The white sword shadow clashed against the Princess Snow Sword. The sound from the clash of swords caused the skies to crumble and spiderweb-like fissures started to spread out on the large snowfield below them.


    Snow and dust filled the air. Two figures flew high up into the sky, both figures emanating an incomparable pressure that suppressed everything below them, causing every living creature to tremble in silence.


    Mu Xuanyin''s snowy garments were devoid of dust. The Princess Snow Sword in her hand was a reflection of the ice-cold gleam of her beautiful eyes.


    The girl''s face was flushed red, yet she still exuded boisterousness, "I''ve heard before that there''s a middle star realm called the Snow Song Realm and its Realm King is so powerful that she can be compared to several Realm Kings of the upper star realms. At first, I was a little dismissive, but it seems like not only is it true, you''re even stronger than what the rumors boast."


    Mu Xuanyin has already spread a soundproof barrier since she doesn''t want to bother her honored guest. So there''s almost no one realized their fierce battle...


    "Take out your weapon," Mu Xuanyin coldly said. "Or else you won''t have another chance."


    "No way." The girl put her hands behind her neck, "Even though you''re really strong, you''re still not qualified to make me go all out."


    Her crescent-like brows slightly lowered and her cherry-colored lips coldly moved, "If it were half a year ago, I would actually not be your match. Unfortunately¡­"


    Whoosh...


    A light breeze blew past.


    But within this brief moment, the temperature of this originally bone piercing cold world suddenly plummeted at a terrifying rate. It was as though this world had crazily dropped several million layers below the surface of the earth, into an icy hell.


    Mu Xuanyin''s pupils slowly vanished from within her beautiful eyes, replaced by an icy blue radiance. Her hair rose in the air, almost becoming snow white. With a light wave of her arm, the Ice Phoenix above her slowly unfolded a pair of ice crystal wings.


    "Ehhh¡­?" The girl tilted her head, her lips opening. Her eyes widened as her lips formed a large "O" shape. "Eeeeeeeh!!??"


    The coldness that filled the air madly surged alongside the sharp increase in Mu Xuanyin''s profound energy. The terrifying cold energy seemed to have reached some kind of critical point as it transformed into a visible energy field, heavily battering and distorting the profound energy domain before the girl.


    Slowly but surely, she started to feel the rapid ice-cold energy close in on her.


    The girl cried out in surprise. Her always smiling face finally turned serious. Her profound energy domain expanded in size, pushing away all the frost energy within its immediate area, which also decreased the strength of icy frost near it.


    Ding!


    A blue light gently flashed, like a twilight from an arctic breaking dawn. Mu Xuanyin''s snowy garments fluttered in the wind, her jadelike arm dancing. Her Princess Snow Sword drew hundreds of sword images within a few breaths, as if the entire world''s energies were dragged with it, turning the silence into a raging ice storm.


    The girl''s figure quickly retreated. Her profound energy domain had been suppressed, distorted layer by layer, but it immediately made a full recovery. Be it the icy frost or the destructive energies, not a single bit landed on her incomparably delicate looking body. However, the amazement and incredibility on her face deepened every moment, until it gradually changed to that of incomprehension.


    Although she was just a middle star realm king, Mu Xuanyin''s name was known throughout all the upper star realms and great king realms. After all, she was a powerful Divine Master.


    A star realm that was helmed by a Divine Master was one that no other star realm could easily offend.


    But Mu Xuanyin''s current demonstration of prowess far exceeded her understanding, vastly eclipsing whatever information and rumors she had heard of her.


    Under the assault of a thousand icy blades, the girl''s profound energy domain still held up. To her, this was a given as her identity and position wouldn''t be easily threatened by Mu Xuanyin even though Mu Xuanyin''s ability far exceeded her expectations. Mu Xuanyin could never truly pose a threat and so the girl was only using about thirty percent of her abilities.


    The icy frost assault continued, but the windstorm and frost beams began to wane as if maintaining their highest state was proving difficult to maintain. She lifted her head, about to say something when an ice phoenix cry suddenly sounded. Following that, the ice phoenix wings started to flap. A blue ring of ice started to descend from the sky, straight toward the girl. Within a moment, the entire world had turned blue.


    What was thought to be the strongest and most extreme state of ice and frost had now exploded exponentially.


    "Eh, eh!?" The girl''s profound energy was immediately suppressed. She was slowly being sealed and began to lose control. Never before seen frost energy that looked like millions of little icy blades pierced through her domain, enveloping her body and piercing straight into her soul, making her cry out in shock.


    The blue ice ring started to shrink as it lowered as it suppressed her profound strength. Soon, it had slowly advanced to about thirty meters from where she stood. The girl tensed and her face showed a hint of pain. Finally, the gaze in her eyes changed, her pupils suddenly flashed with an exceptionally dazzling blue light.


    BOOM!!!


    A loud sound resounded... if it wasn''t for Mu Xuanyin''s barrier then the whole realm would''ve been alarmed.


    The blue ice ring was blown to pieces. All the cold energy within a span of a hundred kilometers was dispelled, as if an invisible hand had descended from the heavens and rubbed it all away.


    What replaced the entire area was the whistling of countless azure lights that flickered like lightning.


    It was as if Mu Xuanyin was struck by a hammer from the heavens. Her figure shot back by about fifty kilometers. When she stopped, not a single change was found on her snowy face.


    Ice blue and azure blue. Both colors were close to each other but it was pretty clear that this ancient secret realm was divided into two parts.


    The girl was still in her previous position, but she no longer had her previous complacent look about her. Right now, held within both her small hands was an extraordinarily huge azure sword.


    The sword''s blade was even bigger than the little girl''s body and was twice her height. The thick looking sword handle made it seem like her hands couldn''t hold it properly.


    Even a nine-foot-high warrior would have a problem wielding such a huge sword, let alone such a petite little girl. However, this sight of girl and sword gave a strange yet synergistic feel... as if they were one, as if it would only hear her voice, moving to her command, allowing her to drive it.


    Its entire body was made of steel yet it looked like glass. One moment it shone under the resplendent azure light, the next it looked dark and without light. The handle was a foot long, the blade was incomparably sharp. In the front of the azure sword were two moving blood-like beams, looking like a bloodthirsty wolf with its fangs out.


    With the greatsword on her, the air around the girl completely changed. The earlier her was one of carefreeness, naivete, and liveliness. Now, her presence was completely able to suppress Mu Xuanyin''s strength, giving off a terrifying air.


    Her face was now a picture of indifference. Her aura wasn''t soft or calm, but rather the complete opposite.


    It was full of brutality and violence!


    It seemed as if an ancient devil god had awoken from its slumber within that small body of hers.


    The skies parted and the earth shook, the oceans roared and all the living beings prostrated themselves. It looked like the heralding of an overlord''s arrival. Dead or alive, everything seemed to be trembling in fear.


    "The Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword!" a glow flickered in Mu Xuanyin''s eyes.


    The girl didn''t reply. Both her small arms were raised, the azure greatsword hung upright in the air¡­ she had no trace of anger or killing intent on her, yet she was exuding a shocking battle intent. It was if her sword and her strength were made for battle, that once released would shake the heavens.


    With the greatsword raised, the countless flickering brilliant azure lights started to slowly shifted. The moment the sword pointed to the air, the image of a fifty-kilometer blue wolf started to form.


    Mu Xuanyin''s icy brows lowered as the look on her face turned serious. She lightly waved her hand and the Princess Snow Sword started a strange orbit around her. In the blink of an eye, countless little profound formations gathered in front of her.


    In the center of the fifty-kilometer blue wolf, the girl finally made her move. The azure greatsword chopped downward. Her pink lips moved, her voice still vacant, yet it brought along a soul-shaking coldness and might.


    "Heavenly Wolf Slash!"


    Awoo!


    The blue wolf howled facing the sky and then directly pounced at Mu Xuanyin. As it approached, it created a long azure streak that didn''t dissipate for a long time.


    Mu Xuanyin''s figure retreated. Every time she executed Moon Splitting Cascade, it would leave behind an absolutely pure ice lotus.


    The fifty kilometers long Heavenly Wolf tore through the air. Mu Xuanyin looked exceedingly small and weak under the obscuring might of the wolf''s image but it was also at this moment that ninety-nine beautiful ice lotuses appeared before her. With the point of her sword, all the ice lotuses were released at the same time, filling the sky with a flash of icy brilliance.


    "Nine Extremities Lotus Heart Formation!"


    As the world plunged into silence, the brilliance from the icy blue light greatly intensified. Ninety-nine ice lotuses started rotating within the blue light like orbiting stars, forming a large star formation, imprisoning the fifty-kilometer wide blue wolf. The blue wolf''s image immediately stopped howling as it was firmly sealed by the ice, frozen in midair.


    Crack!!


    Following that moment of silence, the ice lotuses and the wolf''s image exploded at the same time, saturating the sky with blue light. The Heavenly Wolf''s might had decreased substantially, but its remaining power was still just as dreadful. Mu Xuanyin didn''t move.


    The Princess Snow Sword lightly stabbed out, immediately slicing the remaining might of the Heavenly Wolf in two. Both halves whistle past her sides. Half a breath later, the entire world behind her became a picture of destruction and decimation.


    "...?" Shock surfaced on the girl''s cold face once more. Mu Xuanyin had actually avoided her Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword. This shocked her to the core. Also, when she had unleashed her first move, Mu Xuanyin had directly received it, and it seemed like she hadn''t expended much energy upon doing so.


    To her, this felt inconceivable.


    Profound energy was still being released by the duo but they both curbed the profound lights being emitted and no longer continued to exchange blows. After a short period of silence, Mu Xuanyin coldly spoke, "Princess Caizhi, youngest daughter of the Star God Realm King, born with a weak body and the most ordinary out of all the sons and daughters of the Star God Realm King. You were given the cold treatment especially since your mother died young, but five years ago you perfectly assimilated the power of the Heavenly Wolf Star God and were rumored to be the one in the history of the Star God Realm to achieve perfect assimilation."


    "I never would have realized that I would one day get to exchange blows with the Heavenly Wolf Star God!"


    The blood-colored wolf eyes on top of the Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword closed and following a flash of blue light, the sword disappeared from the girl''s hands.


    After putting away the Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword, the air around Caizhi immediately changed, her eyes regaining their liveliness. With regards to Mu Xuanyin accurately guessing her identity and name, she wasn''t the least bit startled. Her lips fluttered and she folded both her hands against her chest muttering, "You''re not only blessed to exchange blows with this princess, you weren''t even defeated. You must be really pleased to death in your heart."


    Mu Xuanyin, "..."


    "But¡­ but!!" Caizhi''s voice suddenly grew louder, both her round eyes were staring straight at Mu Xuanyin, "You... Why are you so powerful? A-a-are you really just the realm king of a middle star realm? This princess has seen all the realm kings of the upper star realms but I can count those that are just as powerful as you with both sets of fingers.


    "And the information about you states with certainty that you''re a rank four Divine Master. Why are you¡­ so strong? Even if everyone else in your star realm are little cats and dogs, just based on you alone, you have the qualifications to make your realm an upper star realm. Why is the Snow Song Realm still a middle star realm? Have you been hiding your strength all along?


    "If anyone knew that the Snow Song Realm had such a powerful individual, even my royal father would jump in fright. The entire Eastern Divine Region would all be surprised and the upper star realms would definitely have one more realm joining them."


    "None of your business!" Mu Xuanyin gave her a cold gaze and put away her Snow Princess Sword. She pointed at Caizhi¡­ disregarding the fact that the other party was the Princess Caizhi thousands of realms would have to bow to. "Answer my question from before! What are your intention of coming here so stealthily!?"


    Princess Caizhi tilted her head, "Hmph, this princess won''t tell you." She stuck out her tongue at Mu Xuanyin.


    "And you have some gall, you know this princess''s identity, and yet you''re so disrespectful, aren''t you afraid of angering me!?"


    Mu Xuanyin stared at her coldly in silence... Afraid? Rather than feeling afraid of you and your star realm, I felt more fear for my honored guest''s anger!


    Someone who''s stronger than a True God herself? She rather offends the rather than offending that person!


    "...Fine. I''m here to look for a person." Caizhi finally said after seeing Mu Xuanyin started to grow more irritated.


    "A person? Who?" Mu Xuanyin coldly asked.


    "Well... A person my big sis and aunt told me about. Big sister and aunt said a whole whole lot. Way way waaay more than what you can imagine. But they only told me and only me." Princess Caizhi smiled, "I have a royal father and a lot of uncles, big brothers, and big sisters, but big sister and aunty is my one and only kin. And to big sister and aunty, I''m their one and only kin as well."


    She laughed a shallow laugh, and there was a trace of awkwardness behind that laugh. Mu Xuanyin actually managed to grasp some loneliness within that laugh.


    "Big sister and even aunt often suddenly goes into a daze. They would time and again speak of matters related to him. Big sister and aunt are willing to give me everything, with the only exception of that beautiful dress, which they always wear most of the time. They don''t even let me touch it carelessly!"


    "As long as it has to do with him, they will become someone completely different. I''ve always wanted to know what kind of man he was that could incite such a large change in my big sister and aunty. Big sister even said that in this life and this universe, there''s not a single person that could match him! So I was feeling extremely curious because of it! To think that big sis would proudly said that knowing her personality... They said he currently resides in the so I''m here to meet him. So where is he?" Caizhi asked.


    "He? Could you be talking about..." Mu Xuanyin said in surprise. When did he meet the Heavenly Slaughter Star God? Mu Xuanyin had retracted her entire profound aura. Her gaze returned to its normal calm and only some complex emotions ran deep within.


    "Are you Jasmine''s little sister?" Both of them felt taken aback after hearing a voice belonging to a man coming from behind Caizhi.


    "Ah?!" Caizhi swiped her hand in reflex after being taken by surprise like this but her hand is stopped in its track even though it is filled with her divine energy.


    "Wh-Who are you!? Let go of this princess''s hand!" Caizhi screamed in shock seeing how easily this person caught her attack.


    "...Yep. You''re clearly Jasmine''s little sister..." This newcomer is none other than Issei himself who smiles wryly hearing what Caizhi addresses herself.


    "Wait... you... that mask... you''re the man big sis and aunt were talking about!" Caizhi finally realizes what Issei''s looks like. She looked at him seriously as if trying to drill into him with her glare. She gazes at Issei from head to toe.


    But then she blushes a little feeling that her hand is still within Issei''s grasp. This is the first time for a man other than her deceased big brother to ever touch her.


    "...Can you let go of my hand?"


    "Ah, right."


    Issei finally let go of her hand.


    "Hmmm... So you''re the man big sis and aunty were talking about... you don''t look like much." Caizhi said with a smirk. It''s a lie though... she knows that Issei is clearly very powerful seeing how easily he ''sneaks'' up on her and stopped her ''surprise'' attack.


    And from his figure alone he knows that he''s surely an outstanding man just like her big sis and aunt said.


    "Err, if this big sis and aunty you''re talking about are Jasmine and Xun''er then yes... It''s probably me." Issei said wryly.


    "Yes, it''s them." Caizhi nodded briefly.


    "Oh? Did they sent you here?" Issei asked.


    "No. I came here on my-" When she''s about to reply, she received a voice transmission.


    "Caizhi. Where are you right now?" Jasmine''s voice can be heard from her transmission jade.


    "Ah, big sis?!" Caizhi shouted in surprise.


    "Jasmine?" Issei said after hearing her voice.


    "..." Jasmine who was on the other side went silent after she heard the voice belonging to the man she was dreaming about this entire time. She never thought that her little sister would meet Issei out of people even though she already warned her before...


    "I-I-I-Ise?!!" It took her a good while before she managed to snap out of her daze.


    "Eh? What did you say, dear? Ise?" Xun''er voice can be heard next.


    "Yo..." Issei said.


    "C-C-Caizhi, did you go to Ise''s place!!?" Jasmine asked furiously.


    "U-Ummm... B-Big sis, I-I can explain..." Caizhi stutteringly said.


    "Go home right this instant! Don''t you dare bother him!" Jasmine said while gnashing her teeth: "I will give you a punishment when you get back!"


    "Ehhhh! No no no, I''m sorry! Brother-in-law, please help me! Don''t let big sis punish me!"


    "CAIZHI!!!"


    Caizhi looks at Issei teary-eyed and Jasmine embarrassed shout can be heard. If Jasmine is right in front of Issei right now then he will see the red-faced Jasmine and giggling Xun''er.


    Issei could only smile wryly under his mask hearing their conversation whereas for Mu Xuanyin, she becomes stupefied... It seems that their relationship is not simple, she thought to herself.


    Chi Wuyao who''s listening to their conversation frowned... this is not good... The is one of the top star realms that is standing between her realm freedom.


    If Issei got roped in and decided to side with them instead then all hope will be lost... But she heard that there''s some news about internal conflict from within, and the rumors said that Princess Jasmine or the hates her father.


    And her mother supposedly looks quite different from before, whether it be her personality or looks... for one, her hair turns white just like... ''him''...


    The previous Xun''er is quite submissive but the current her seems quite cold and domineering.


    She doesn''t even back down from her supposed husband. Xing Juekong is feeling more attracted to Xun''er ever since she got back but whenever he tried to lay his hand on her she always refuses with a cold face.


    He wanted to force himself once again but Jasmine is always there to ''protect'' her. They basically always stay together.


    People don''t know that the current Xun''er cultivation has already on par and if she works together with Jasmine then Xing Juekong would surely lose.


    Xing Juekong also tries to entice Xun''er with flowery words but to no avail... even when he said that he won''t let anything happen to Jasmine and Caizhi in return. Not that it will work in the first place since he was planning to sacrifice either Caizhi or Jasmine for his own agenda in the near future and both Jasmine and Xun''er know this.


    What Xing Juekong doesn''t know is that Jasmine and Xun''er both have Issei''s protective charm and Xun''er gave away her charm to Caizhi just in case Xing Juekong decided to lay his hand on her.


    And if by chance Xing Juekong really tries to force his way on Xun''er then... he won''t even know how he dies when the time comes...


    When Chi Wuyao thought about the rumors, she slightly feels relieved... If the rumor is true then she still has a chance.


    "Caizhi! If you don''t go back right now I would increase your punishment by tenfold!" Jasmine shouted for the last time and Caizhi''s face turns paler.


    "O-Okay! I will go back now! See you brother-in-law."


    "You''re still talking!!?"


    Caizhi waved her hand at Issei and hastily flew to the distance but then she suddenly stopped and did another turn before bowing deeply towards Issei''s direction.


    "Caizhi thanks big brother for saving my elder sister and aunty. Caizhi is eternally grateful... Thank you big brother." She said with a voice filled with gratitude.


    "Um... You''re welcome." Issei nodded at her.


    "Ah... another thing!" Caizhi then changes her gaze at Mu Xuanyin.


    "Big sister, could answer one of my questions?"


    "...What question?" Mu Xuanyin asked.


    "Um¡­" Princess Caizhi suddenly stiffened, her face became a little shy and a slight shade of red-tinged her face. She seemed to be at a loss for words. She looked at Mu Xuanyin''s tattered and torn snow robe and then looked at her own flat chest area. Then, she finally raised her courage and asked, "How¡­ How do I¡­ When I grow up, how do I become as voluptuous and curvy as you, both back and front?"


    Mu Xuanyin, "..."


    Issei, "..."


    Jasmine, "..."


    Issei and Mu Xuanyin become speechless hearing her question whereas for Jasmine, she also perked her ear trying to get the answer. Xun''er is holding her laughter in the background.


    ...


    -A few days later-


    Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall, Frost Tempering Immortal Lake. For a whole ten thousand years, only two people were permitted entry. One was Mu Xuanyin, with the other being Mu Bingyun.


    The Immortal Lake was like an icy prison but since ancient times it had never frozen over. The surface of the lake was filled with several beautiful rotating ice lotuses. A wondrous, beautiful chilly mist was all around. A gentle breeze blew in from outside the ice windows. Water ripples and their reflections could be seen across the crystal clear surface. The reflections of the ice and water were like an icy pure jade, making even the snow lotuses pale in comparison to the l.u.s.ter of the lake.


    The ice door was pushed open and Mu Bingyun slowly stepped in. She saw Mu Xuanyin lifting up her face, allowing a few drops of water to slowly trickle across her beautiful immortal-like face. They looked like shiny pearls rolling across her perfect skin.


    Profound practitioners could use their profound powers to clean themselves, even more so those already in the divine way. However Mu Xuanyin always loved to take baths, and Mu Bingyun knew it. Perhaps this would allow her heart to maintain its calm and clarity.


    "Big sister, why have you summoned me?" Mu Bingyun gently asked.


    Her jadelike shoulders slowly moving, Mu Xuanyin slowly stood up. The mist and the water around her made it look like they were ornaments around a piece of beautiful jade, "Bingyun, how is the recovery of your profound strength going?"


    "About ninety percent," Mu Bingyun replied. "In a few more months, I''ll be completely recovered."


    "That''s good." Mu Xuanyin''s voice was soft and gentle, "Before this, I''ve decided to train Feixue but... With her current state, wanting to enter the profound convention seems... unnecessary considering that those ''girls'' will be participating in the convention themselves..."


    "...What is their current cultivation now?" Mu Xuanyin asked curiously.


    "They... Most of them have reached the early stage of the while Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan who seem to be the most talented has recently entered the late stage..." Mu Bingyun said with a sigh.


    "...I see... It looks like our training method is a complete waste compared to his method." Mu Xuanyin smiles bitterly after hearing Mu Bingyun''s answer: "The convention will start soon and their cultivation is increasing at an even faster rate. I''m guessing that by the time the convention day arrives, their cultivation ought to reach the at the very least... perhaps even higher..." Mu Xuanyin said with her voice getting smaller at the end.


    Just what kind of heights will their sect and realm reach if he were to personally train them all? She can''t even begin to imagine...


    Not really surprising though since he is supposedly stronger than an actual True God...


    Mu Xuanyin, just like Mu Bingyun was confused why there is no heavenly tribulation happening to those girls when they stepped into the but they won''t ask too much about it.


    "Anyway... Matters relating to the sect within and without will be handed over to you. You''ve been traveling for the last thousand years, and now that you''ve gained a rebirth, it''s time for you to get familiar with sect matters once more. As for disciples who will take part in the Profound God Convention, you can give Huanzhi full control over that matter, he doesn''t need to consult you on anything."


    Mu Bingyun gently nodded her head at Mu Xuanyin''s words before she said softly: "Big sister, you''re still trying to make him be the next realm king?"


    "..." Mu Xuanyin gently shook her head: "He won''t accept... He doesn''t need our help but it''s us who need him... Perhaps if any of our disciples could catch his fancy then he might be willing to train them personally but even then, he won''t stay. I can see that his heart lies elsewhere... He most likely has a place to return to and sadly for us... that place is not our realm."


    "Then you¡­ will you still try?"


    "I don''t know." Mu Xuanyin let out a sigh, her gaze turned a little blurry but she immediately steeled herself, lifted her hand and gently brushed her snowy shoulder with an ice crystal. Her lips parted into a slightly cheeky smile which made the light in the entire crystalline surroundings seem to grow dim, "Bingyun, what do you think will happen if I were to dual cultivate with him? Will my cultivation rose to unimaginable heights? Perhaps the two of us should dual cultivate with him at the same time?"


    "...Big sister, you''re being mischievous again." Mu Bingyun said with a tired sigh: "You should know that he''s not someone who will just l.u.s.t over beauties and such. He''s not like other men out there..."


    "Indeed... and that frustrates me quite a bit. As a woman, it hurts my pride a little seeing how he doesn''t react to my beauty you know?" ''Mu Xuanyin'' said with a pout.


    "..." Mu Bingyun stays silent but she agrees with her sister but soon she shakes her head: "For what you''ve instructed, I''ll inform Huanzhi."


    "On your way, get him to also send out three hundred Divine Hall disciples to the extreme ice ocean. I want them to bring back at least a thousand pieces of Snow Song Ice Crystals," Mu Xuanyin instructed.


    Mu Bingyun was slightly stunned, then she realized something and said, "You wanted to give him another gift?"


    "No, not him... but it''s for those ''girls''. Since he doesn''t need anything, we might as well try to work our way with them first. Those girls will obviously become someone of high standing in the future since they''re basically his... disciples. At the very least, we should make them see us in a good light."


    After leaving the Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall, Mu Bingyun''s footsteps suddenly stopped. She lifted her head, her eyes had a little bit of complexity in them. As she looked at the falling snow she muttered to herself, "She''s changed¡­ And the same goes for me..." She added at the end.


    Ever since he entered their lives, it looks like things have completely change... Her heart grew restless nowadays... it would ache a bit whenever she doesn''t see him for a while.


    Her sister usually doesn''t really care about those who are from the upper realm. She doesn''t bother to curry favor with them but now... she''s trying her best to curry favor with someone they barely knew anything about.


    Divine Ice Phoenix Sect was silent all throughout, the entire Snow Song Realm was the same but one thing was clear and resounded in the hearts of all profound experts: The Profound God Convention was drawing nearer.


    This was the Eastern Divine Region''s greatest event of all time with countless famous young profound practitioners taking part. These were the future rulers and overlords of the Eastern Divine Region, and this was the first time in all of history that they could enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl.


    This wasn''t only a grand event for young profound practitioners, the entire Eastern Divine Region could be said to be looking forward to this. The four great king realms had jointly organized this and made this event available realm wide. Those who were of extraordinary birth, those with world shocking talent, all hoped to be among the thousand names of the young profound practitioners. Their hearts fervently burned with crazed excitement and passion.


    The vast Eastern Divine Region had become a lot quieter. All were sparing no expense and spending all their efforts to raise up their disciples with the qualifications to enter the Profound God Convention. It seemed like each and every sect was focused on that right now.


    The Snow Song Realm was the same.


    All the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect''s disciples who qualified to enter the Profound God Convention were all in closed-door training with the guidance of their respective elders and teachers. The sect had expanded a great number of resources, not being stingy at all. However, during this period of time, no one in the sect had seen Xia Qingyue''s group nor their mysterious sect guest.


    The news of the having a new realm king is unknown till this day.


    The two new realm king who rules over the barely gives them any order other than not to harm the two Ancient Horned Dragon who roams the realm freely.


    Not only that, most Fire or Flame Dragons that were hiding within their realm also started to appear here and there without fearing that they will be hunted down and they also seem to respect their new realm king a lot.


    Whenever they saw their realm king, those Dragons would always pay their respect.


    The reason for this is because the two Ancient Horned Dragon has spread the news that Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi is their King''s chosen mate. Meaning that they will be their Queen in the future... so it''s no wonder that they will pay their respect whenever they saw the two of them.


    ...


    Northern Divine Region, Soul Stealing Realm.


    Issei went towards Chi Wuyao location to see this place she told him about.


    Chi Wuyao who just returned to the throne room froze for a second before a seductive smile naturally appeared on her face. She saw Issei is sitting at her throne just like the day he first arrived here.


    Only this time, he doesn''t bother to wear his mask. After all, Chi Wuyao ought to already saw his face through Mu Xuanyin''s vision...


    But although Chi Wuyao has already seen his face, the witches haven''t. They went into a daze and their cheeks become flushed when they saw Issei''s face...


    His otherworldly face coupled with his pose right now is extremely fatal to any woman. Even Chi Wuyao herself had her heart skip a beat when she saw him.


    "So you have finally paid this concubine a visit, your excellency~" Chi Wuyao said. Her voice was both bewitching and seductive, but one could still hear the lovable innocence of a young girl in that voice.


    "What is the place you''ve told me before?" Issei said as he exhaled through his smoking pipe completely ignoring her seductive voice and appearance.


    "Oh?" Chi Wuyao''s beautiful eyes calmly flickered and a slight disappointment flashed before her eyes but soon she continues speaking: "It is called the ... The is located at the very center of the Northern Divine Region, at the bottom of the Yama Realm."


    "Hmm... Go on."


    "It is the place where darkness energy is the thickest and most concentrated in the Northern Divine Region. It is also the most important reason for the Yama Realm''s continued supremacy." Chi Wuyao continued: "According to the primordial records, many devil gods would fall every year during the drawn-out war between the god and devil races. The devils of exalted position would have their own tombs erected for them¡­ though those tombs have already long since been picked clean."


    It was the same for the gods as well. Most of the legacies of divine power that the divine regions have obtained, besides the few spirit remnants, have all been "dug" up by the star realms.


    In fact, there were still countless people digging around in the God Realm trying to discover an undiscovered "opportunity" in this very day and age.


    "However, the low-ranking devils, the biggest casualties of this war, their devil corpses were all thrown together in one place.


    "As the war between the gods and devils escalated, it grew much more terrible than anyone had ever imagined it would be. More and more devils started to die and in the end, this burial ground became a huge sea of corpses and as the years flowed by, these devil corpses eventually turned into countless devil bones."


    "And that is the as we know it today."


    "It is also due to this reason that the Bone Sea is filled with incredibly dense yin energy, death energy, and resentment. The darkness energy in that place is far denser than in any other place in the Northern Divine Region."


    "You have been there before?" Issei asked lightly.


    "Well, I haven''t entered it before but I do know the entrance location." Chi Wuyao replied.


    "Good. Take me there now."


    "Umm, it''s not that easy, your excellency... I told you that it''s located at the very center of the Northern Divine Region, at the bottom of the Yama Realm, right? And there''s also the Yama Ancestor residing within that place. Furthermore, there are three of them." Chi Wuyao explained.


    "I know your excellency is powerful but those three Yama Ancestors are a bit ''special'', you see."


    "The words Yama Ancestor mean exactly what they say. They are the founding ancestors of the Yama Realm, so they''ve been living for at least seven to eight hundred thousand years¡­ In fact, it''s even possible that they''ve reached a million years of age."


    Chi Wuyao began to slowly talk about the "Yama Ancestors", existences that only the three king realms had any comprehensive information about. The other star realms in the Northern Region had only heard this name in passing.


    "In the ancient past, these three Yama Ancestors obtained the devil blood and art left behind by the primordial Yama Devils. After that, they conquered the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness and created the Yama Realm."


    "Later on, after they had cultivated the Yama Devil Art to its peak, they suddenly realized that they could tether their lifeforce to the darkness energy within the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness using the Yama Devil Art. From then on... as long as the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness remained, they would live forever."


    "In fact¡­ no matter how badly hurt they got, even if their bodies were completely broken, they could swiftly recover from those wounds within the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness."


    "They are not only immortal, but they could also be said to be indestructible!"


    They were devils who had survived for nearly a million years¡­ and they were even immortal and indestructible at that!


    "But... The lifespans of the three ancestors of the Yama Realm withered away long ago, so right now, they are entirely reliant on the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness for their immortality. As a result of that, they are unable to leave the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness for more than an hour. Because they will die if they exceed that time limit."


    "Even though they cannot leave the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness for too long, if the Yama Realm were to meet with any serious danger, these three dreadful Yama Ancestors, who are at the very least equal to the Yama Emperor in terms of strength, have enough power to rout any enemy, and overturn any danger that threatens the Yama Realm in that single hour."


    "This is also why I have never dared to provoke the Yama Realm even though the Yama Realm is equally afraid of me. Because no one can overcome... the Yama Realm''s home field advantage..."


    "Hold still."


    Chi Wuyao was in the middle of explaining when Issei suddenly appeared right in front of her.


    She was taken aback when Issei put his hand on top of her head. She doesn''t even have the time to react to his movement.


    "Hm, so that''s where it is. We will go now." A few seconds later, Issei took back his hand and snapped his finger lightly. The two of them then disappear from the throne room leaving behind the stupefied witches...


    ...


    The entrance to the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness lay at the center of the Devil Palace of Eternal Darkness.


    A cold, dark wind brushed past the duo''s skin when they entered a huge, dark hall. The end of the hall was covered in dozens of darkness formations, and at the center of them was a black, bottomless pit where not even a ray of light could be seen.


    "...This, is the entrance to the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness."


    After surveying her surroundings, Chi Wuyao''s expression was serious and devout as she introduced the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness to Issei. She doesn''t find it weird anymore seeing how Issei can easily travel instantly like this...


    It was the very same place that made Yama Realm an unbeatable realm in the history of the Northern Divine Region.


    "The yin energy of the remains of the ancient devils is indeed quite extraordinary," Issei muttered as he stared at the bottomless abyss.


    They were about a hundred meters away from the gaping maw that was the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness.


    There''s a seal covering the entrance to the abyss but with a gentle swipe from Issei''s hand, they disappeared into nothingness...


    Chi Wuyao who saw this immediately look behind them to see if those from the Yama realm is alarmed or not... but even after waiting for a while, she doesn''t see nor sense anything out of the ordinary...


    Issei finally decided to step into the abyss and immediately free fall towards the bottom. Chi Wuyao who took notice of this subconsciously followed after him...


    At first, Issei didn''t accelerate toward the ground. He simply allowed himself to free fall through the air for a few minutes straight before he finds it too slow and he immediately uses his profound energy to propel him downward. A few seconds later, his feet finally slammed the bottom of the abyss.


    Chi Wuyao found it a little difficult to follow after Issei''s speed but nevertheless, she manages to catch up to him soon enough...


    The particular area they landed in wasn''t completely covered in darkness. Countless devil bones were gleaming with phosphorescence. But instead of chasing away the terror, the tiny light only made the world of darkness even scarier and more oppressive than it already was.


    The devil bones came in all shapes and sizes. Some of them were several thousand meters long. Some of them were relatively intact. Plenty more had turned into broken fragments of darkness.


    The darkness profound energy here was so thick that it was practically solid. Chi Wuyao almost felt like she was floating in the middle of a water current. Darkness profound energy occupied their surroundings that even she had a little trouble staying calm but when she looks at Issei, she discovered that he looks just the same as before without any tiny bit of change whatsoever...


    Tap!


    "Heh¡­ hehe¡­ hehehehe¡­"


    Suddenly, the sound of tumbling bones and a twisted laugh came from somewhere in the darkness. It made the black graveyard even scarier than before.


    Issei slowly turned toward the direction where the sinister laughter had come from. But the expression on his face was not of fear, but only indifference. He can already sense the three old fogies that are called the Yama ancestors from above the abyss after all.


    "Heehee¡­ Heeheeheehee¡­ fresh meat has finally been delivered to our doorstep. And there''s even two of them..."


    This was human speech, but no one would believe that it had been uttered by a human.


    Because this voice was so hoarse that it sounded like metal scraping against metal. It sounded so dark and sinister that it resembled the low and terrifying m.o.a.n made by evil spirits.


    "It''s a peak level Divine King and... a level ten Divine Master? Not bad... And one of them is a beautiful woman at that!"


    A different person spoke this time, but his voice was just as hoarse and hard to understand as the first one, and it grated against Chi Wuyao''s soul.


    "Heh heh heh¡­ It looks like you''re right. Oh? Isn''t this the infamous Devil Queen? How lucky are we?"


    If it was outside the abyss then they will have some trouble dealing with Chi Wuyao. But here is their domain!


    A third voice rang out in the air and it sounded like teeth being ground together. The sound was so harsh and ugly that it made Issei frown.


    However, their auras were far more terrifying than their voices. They were as vast and boundless as the ocean and they radiated a dark oppressive might that was as heavy as ten thousand mountains.


    Furthermore, they had not fully unleashed their auras yet. This was the spiritual pressure that naturally radiated from their bodies. Chi Wuyao who sensed this frowned for a bit before she looks at Issei''s expression only to find that there is still no change... when she realizes this, she calmed herself down.


    "And the three of you must be the famous Yama ancestors." Chi Wuyao said lightly. Even though she''s not really afraid of them with Issei here, she still can''t let her guard down.


    In the end, they were still old monsters who had inherited the original True Devil blood and basked in this ancient dark yin energy for nearly a million years.


    Even if a human reached the very limits of his race, he still would not be able to compare to the emperor of dragons, Long Bai. That was the difference between the two races.


    However, the two stronger Yama Ancestors among this trio were definitely no weaker than the strongest god emperors of the Eastern and Southern Divine Regions, Qianye Fantian and Nan Wansheng!


    The weakest was no weaker than the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, Zhou Xuzi!


    This was a huge amount of power! But alas, in order to attain this power and longevity, they had no choice but to hole up in this place and never see the light of day ever again!


    In Issei''s eyes, their lives could not even be compared to the lives of domesticated livestock... just an old fossil that is afraid of death.


    Crack, crack, crack!


    The sound of devil bones being stepped on slowly drew nearer. Issei''s calm eyes pierced the darkness and he slowly made out three figures which resembled evil spirits within this gloom.


    That''s right, evil spirits!


    These three black figures were equally hunched over and withered. Their exposed skin was as ashen as a corpse and it seemed to be wrapped tightly around their shrunken bones. Their four limbs were even thinner and withered than the branches of a truly dead ¡­ They barely had any characteristics of a living human.


    In fact, if they were to lie down on the ground motionless, everyone would believe that these were three withered corpses.


    However, the movement of their withered limbs and the gloomy and hellish light that glinted in their eyes showed that they were still alive! Yes, they resembled three "ghosts" who were actually still alive!


    "Yan Wanchi, Yan Wanhun, Yan Wangui."


    Chi Wuyao''s lips curved up as she muttered the names of the Three Yama Ancestors under her breath.


    During the earliest part of the Northern Divine Region''s history, it was these three Yama Ancestors who had found the devil blood and Yama Devil Art left behind by the Primordial Yama Devils. They had conquered the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness and established the Yama Realm, a power that would dominate the entire history of the Northern Divine Region.


    Their accomplishments and achievements echoed down through the generations.


    They had survived to this day but they had been reduced to these miserable, inhuman shapes. It was pitiful and laughable.


    The three "corpses" came to a halt. The looks in their eyes changed and that far too-terrifying dark oppressive might which they released started to faintly tremble.


    It had been far too long since they had heard their own names.


    "Aren''t the three of you afraid of death? You still dare to show up in front of his excellency like this?" Chi Wuyao said with a smirk.


    Once the three Yama Ancestors heard it, they felt as if someone had injected life and vitality into their souls, souls which had been withered by this interminable darkness. That was because they simply found her words are too funny. It was a joke that made them crack up in laughter.


    "Heh heh¡­ hahahaha¡­. Heeehahahahahaha¡­"


    Three ghoulish laughs rang out in the air as they overlapped one another. It sounded so harsh and grating that Chi Wuyao thought that thousands of sharp blades were being stabbed into her eardrums.


    They laughed in an uproarious and unrestrained manner. That was because they simply found Chi Wuyao''s words too funny. It was a joke that made them crack up in laughter.


    They laughed in an uproarious and unrestrained manner. The joke they had just heard was practically manna from heaven, causing their shriveled skin to glow with vitality.


    "Leave my sight and I won''t kill any of you," Issei said without a care.


    "Heehahahaha¡­ there are already three crazy old ghosts trapped in this place, but we never expected for a little ghost who is even crazier than us to appear¡­ Heeehahahaha!"


    The Yama Ancestor whose aura was the strongest stretched out his hand. As he flexed his withered fingers, dark energy instantly started to swirl in the air. He stared at Issei, those old deep-set eyes that resembled pools of inky darkness narrowed into two terrifying slits. "This little ghost is merely a Divine King, but he can still remain standing in front of us three old ghosts. Not bad."


    "Heeheheheh, since when would a crazy little ghost know the meaning of the word ''fear''?"


    The ghoulish figure in the middle slowly walked forward. Every step he took was accompanied by darkness energy that rippled in the air like violent waves. "Little ghost, we three old ghosts have lived for eight hundred and ninety thousand years, and there hasn''t ever been anyone who has dared to say something so ridiculous and absurd to us¡­ Heeheehee, in fact, it makes me a little reluctant to suck you dry immediately."


    The words "ugly" and "repulsive" could not even begin to describe his sinister smile. If anyone even took a glimpse of it, it would haunt their dreams for years to come.


    This talking evil spirit was the boss of the Three Yama Ancestors. The strongest among them, Yan Wanchi.


    "Eight hundred and ninety thousand years?" Chi Wuyao started smiling as well. Compared to Yan Wanchi''s sinister smile, her smile was filled with deep derision and pity. "But even three crippled wild dogs can proudly live under the sun."


    "Old things who can''t even be compared to wild dogs, you actually holed up in this place for more than eight hundred thousand years? How tragic and pathetic is that? Yet you''re actually proud of it? Hahahaha¡­"


    She let out a charming laugh as she slowly shook her head.


    The pity that was evident in the curl of her lips stabbed into the Three Yama Ancestors'' eyes like a poisoned knife. "You are the three biggest and most pathetic jokes in the history of the Northern Divine Region¡­ Oh no, no, I mean the entire God Realm. Three old bedbugs who were buried in this unbearably noxious place. So where do you even find the shamelessness required to laugh wildly in this Queen''s face, hmmm?"


    The Three Yama Ancestors had lived for an exceedingly long time but their existences had long since become painful to themselves. In fact, it had really become quite pitiful. However, as the Yama Realm''s founding ancestors, level ten Divine Masters who had reached the zenith of darkness profound energy, who would dare to insult them even if they truly could be compared to a bedbug? Who would dare to insult them so!?


    As the founding ancestors of the Yama Realm, all of the Yama Emperors, past and present, had to treat them with the utmost dignity and respect. They did not even dare do anything which would imply disrespect.


    As practitioners of a negative profound energy, it would normally not be possible for them to be enraged by a few words.


    Unfortunately, even the strongest spirit would become twisted after being holed up in this place for hundreds of thousands of years.


    The souls of the Three Yama Ancestors had long since become incredibly warped and violent. Furthermore, Chi Wuyao''s insult was the most humiliating thing they had heard in years and it was aimed directly at their sore spot. There was no doubt it agitated the twisted minds of the Three Yama Ancestors, stirring them up into a frenzy.


    "You talk too much..." Issei said towards Chi Wuyao.


    "But it''s true though? Don''t you agree as well, your excellency?" Chi Wuyao fluttered her eyes at Issei.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything else signaling that he agrees with her view just now. These three old fossils are indeed quite... pitiful and also pathetic at the same time.


    Chi Wuyao who sees Issei agreeing with her let out a chuckle but as for the three Yama ancestors...


    "Sssss¡­. Uwaaaaaaah!" The Three Yama Ancestors shuddered as a frightening black light radiated from their eyes. Wails which did not even sound human ripped from their throats.


    "You damn s.l.u.t!" Yan Wanchi slashed the air with a clawed hand as he howled, "Aren''t you a little too eager to die!!?"


    "Heh." Chi Wuyao''s smile grew even more derisive. "Just a few sentences are enough to stir you into a frenzy. Just look at your ugly appearances right now. It looks like even comparing you to bedbugs was doing you a favor."


    "Heeaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" The old ghost on the right, second of the Three Yama Ancestors, Yan Wanhun, could no longer hold back any longer. His body shot out as he yelled, "I''ll rip her apart with my bare hands!"


    Issei who saw the incoming Yan Wanhun gave a low sigh before he started absorbing the surrounding Darkness energy and also the Death energy which is invisible to Chi Wuyao and also the three Yama ancestors.


    The darkness was howling and it was as if an infinite number of storms were gathering around Issei.


    "What is¡­ wrong with that brat?" Yan Wangui asked, puzzled. Not realizing that the Darkness energy within their body slowly being absorbed by Issei...


    Dark profound light swayed chaotically above Yan Wanhun''s fingers as he floated in midair. Suddenly, he noticed something and replied, "This brat can absorb the yin energy of this place just like us!"


    "Absorb? Just like you?" Issei asked in a bored tone: "It is true that the darkness energy of this place kept you alive longer than should be, but at the same time you can never leave this lightless place."


    "But I am its ruler."


    Right after Issei said that, his red eyes turned pitch black along with his hair. The mark in his forehead glows brightly giving a golden radiance within the vast empty abyss. There''s a crown made out the dark energy floating above his head.


    Chi Wuyao who saw Issei''s current state become stupefied... she never felt anything like this... this kind of mastery over the Darkness energy. It basically beyond her comprehension and understanding by miles away!


    Here in the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness, the three Yama ancestors were immortal unless someone found a way to remove all the yin energy of this place entirely. Any power they used was replenished in no time, and any injury they suffered would heal at an accelerated pace.


    The Three Yama Ancestors'' souls were twisted for sure, but not even they could fail to realize that the "brat" before them was a monster that exceeded everything they had ever seen or heard of!


    "Ruler? Hehehe¡­ I''ve never seen such an arrogant brat in my life."


    "Arrogant and strange." Yan Wanchi''s eyes flashed repeatedly: "Could it be that he has some secrets within him that allow him to control the surrounding darkness?"


    "That would be even better, wouldn''t it?"


    The black light in their eyes suddenly turned a lot brighter when they had gotten over their initial shock. Even their anger was fully suppressed by the burning flames that were their greed and excitement.


    All three of them were possessed by a sudden thought...


    If Issei truly has a heaven-defying secret, such as the inheritance of the Devil Emperor for example¡­ if they could find a way to strip it from him¡­ they might just be able to leave this purgatory of darkness!


    "Heehee¡­ hahahahaha¡­"


    The Three Yama Ancestors probably had no idea how ugly their laughter sounded, or they were simply past the point of caring. Suddenly, Yan Wangui waved his hands and summoned seven different dark profound formations into existence. Then, he launched them toward Issei from multiple directions.


    All seven profound formations were either suppression formations or sealing formations. Issei had proven himself to be way too valuable to kill during the short time he was here... he''s even more valuable than the infamous Devil Queen!


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to claim that the profound formations forged by the Yama Ancestors were the strongest darkness profound formations in the world. Not even a god emperor would be able to break out of the septuple confinement without considerable effort.


    "Your excellency, be careful!" Chi Wuyao warned. She was about to lend a helping hand when Issei shot her a glance which stopped Chi Wuyao in her track.


    Issei didn''t move a muscle¡­ in the three Yama Ancestors'' opinion, it was because he was completely immobilized by their power.


    When the first dark profound formation was about to touch Issei¡­ Yan Wangui''s hands suddenly shook violently.


    BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!


    All seven profound formations exploded like balloons the second they struck Issei.


    Every time a profound formation collapsed, it resulted in a terrible storm of darkness. Seven of them combined could wipe out a small star realm like it was nothing.


    But Issei only looks at them with a bored expression on his face despite being at the center of the storm. The black energy had failed to ruffle his clothes or even his hair, much less injure him.


    "...!?" Shock spread across the Three Yama Ancestors'' faces again.


    He''s¡­ not afraid of darkness?


    The trio was boiling with excitement when the shock had passed again.


    Yan Wangui curled his fingers, let out a weird cry, and pounced toward Issei like a mad dog. His grayish-white fingers were sparkling with black energy as he made a grab for Issei''s throat.


    "If you want to die then I shall grant you your wish," Issei said lightly.


    Issei accelerated his absorption and the three Yama ancestors finally realized something is happening inside their body.


    "HISSHAAAAHHHHHHH!"


    All three Yama Ancestors screamed in pain as the Darkness energy within their body starting to diminish at a rapid pace. Even when they tried to absorb the nearby darkness energy to replace the one that they had lost, it doesn''t work as they intended. The Darkness energy completely ignores their presence altogether as if they weren''t there in the first place!


    Seeing that they can''t absorb the surrounding darkness energy, they thought that attacking Issei directly is the only way to stop the abnormality that''s currently happening... but before they had the chance to execute their plan...


    Rumble!


    There was a rumble that sounded like the entire Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness itself. Millions of kilometers wide several worlds annihilating hurricanes made from an infinite sea of darkness swept toward the Three Yama Ancestors.


    The black hurricanes were so huge and terrible that all Three Yama Ancestors turned as pale as paper.


    Their so-called plan was quickly overwhelmed by the black hurricane. Once they ran out of energy, they were thrown far away like they were nothing but bundles of rice straws.


    When the Three Yama Ancestors slowly rose to their feet again, they were staring at Issei in fear and disbelief.


    Somehow¡­ Issei had manipulated fifty kilometers of yin energy by just standing there!


    "What¡­ what''s going on? What did he do!?" Yan Wangui shouted hoarsely.


    "It can''t be¡­ it can''t really be¡­"


    "The ultimate devil art of legends¡­ the Eternal Calamity of Darkness!" Yan Wanchi shouted the name that shouldn''t exist in a trembling voice.


    Eternal Calamity of Darkness is a Profound Art on the same level as Heretical God Arts and Miracle of Life.


    The origin of Dark Profound Strength is primordial chaos Yin energy. Eternal Calamity of Darkness is also an Extreme Yin Profound Art.


    Learning this profound art from the Devil Emperor source devil blood, the blood of Extreme Yin, is suitable for the females. Therefore, if a male wants to build the Eternal Calamity of Darkness most quickly, he must seek an extremely good female as a cultivation human furnace.


    That female needs Primordial Yin intact, to have an extremely high Profound Dao perception and profound energy control, the most important thing is that she needs the purest profound aura! If a male can find such a female, it is best to abolish all her Profound Arts, only keep the purest primordial profound energy, but the benefits she will obtain in the future will outnumber the losses!


    Not even the Yama Ancestors, but even Chi Wuyao is completely flabbergasted!


    He... He is a Devil Emperor?! But that is not right... Didn''t that two Ancient Horned Dragon say that he''s the Dragon King? Then how come he...


    The more she thought about it, the more confused she becomes. Chi Wuyao''s mind has become a jumbled mess at this point... But... But what if he''s not only the Dragon King but he''s also a Devil Emperor at the same time!? Is it possible in the first place? She doesn''t know for sure but what she''s currently witnessing is already more than enough proof to conclude that Issei might be a Devil Emperor himself!


    What they didn''t know is that Issei doesn''t have a tiny bit of clue of whatever they''re currently thinking... he never heard of this Eternal Calamity of Darkness or whatever before in his entire life.


    The answer to their question is quite simple... he''s simply the ruler of all elements. The True Dragon Godking who stands above all existence! It''s really not complicated at all... but they obviously didn''t know that.


    "Have mercy, Devil Emperor, have mercy!!!" Yan Wangui screamed in terror seeing that their incoming doom is at hand.


    The three of them couldn''t move a single muscle and can only lay flat on the cold ground begging for their lives... They can only watch as the boundless darkness energy made its way towards their location...


    But Issei completely ignores their pleading and he still calmly absorb the surrounding darkness and death energy.


    "Ssss-aaaaaaaaaahhhhh" Their scream of pain and begging echoed loudly within the abyss... a wail of misery from the three of them that was far more shrill than the wailing of ten thousand ghosts.


    This extreme pain provoked a painful screech from the three of them, a reaction borne out of pure despair.


    Crack!


    "Sssss¡­ Arghhhhh¡­ Uwaaaaahhhh!!"


    This time, the Darkness energy started to crush their body into mush. How ironic, they have been depending on the Darkness energy within this abyss to prolong their lives but now... that very same darkness energy has become their own doom...


    "Devil Queen¡­ save¡­ us¡­ Save us¡­ We... We are willing... to be your slaves... just... save us... Arghhhhhh!"


    Seeing that Issei ignores their begging, they turned their attention towards Chi Wuyao.


    What a joke! Even if Chu Wuyao is willing to save them, she won''t dare to say anything at the moment. Why should she try to annoy Issei even further at this point? So that she will also earn his wrath? No thanks...


    Not only that, but Issei also started destroying their soul. The pain of having their soul destroyed bit by bit was like being plunged into hell within a hell!


    Once the Darkness energy is done with them, nothing was left behind... not a single drop of blood can be found...


    Chi Wuyao who saw this shuddered fiercely. Even she felt fear when she saw how easily Issei handle the three Yama Ancestors. He barely makes any move and three top divine master died just like that! It''s as if he''s facing an Elementary Profound Cultivator rather than a Divine Master!


    At the same time, a feeling of worship started to emerge within Chi Wuyao''s charming eyes... she becomes entranced at Issei''s current sight which makes him looks like a true Devil Emperor.


    "Chi Wuyao." Issei called her name.


    "Ah? Y-Yes, young master?" She hastily responded after being snapped out of her thoughts.


    "I will give you three days to conquer the other realm within the Northern Region."


    "!?" Chi Wuyao''s eyes widen when she heard Issei''s words. She knows the meaning behind his words... It means that he''s willing to help them to achieve their freedom but the requirement is that she has to conquer the other realm within three days...


    She could take control over the Yama realm now that the three Yama Ancestor is no more but... as for the others... she''s not confident enough yet...


    But... she still has to try nevertheless.


    "As you wish, young master..." Chi Wuyao said in a kneeling position.

 Chapter 135 - 134

    (AN: Thank you for the donation: Jamnerino. I hope all of you enjoy the chapters).


    When Chi Wuyao about to leave the abyss, Issei called out lightly: "Wait."


    "Yes, young master?" She asked in a soft tone. She doesn''t have the time to play around anymore since she needs to formulate a plan that could allow her to take control of the whole Northern region in a span of three days...


    "Take this with you." Issei took out a red charm and tossed it to her: "With your current strength, taking control of the Northern Divine region in three days is impossible. That charm contains a little bit of my strength that I just created... It contains darkness energy and you should be able to utilize its effect to a certain extent."


    Issei transformed the dark energy that he just absorbed from this place.


    "Thank you, young master." Chi Wuyao''s eyes glimmered brightly when she heard Issei''s words.


    "Don''t thank me just yet." But Issei cut her off when she''s about to bow deeply: "Although that charm mostly contains darkness energy. There''s also a drop of my ''unique'' power. Be warned... There''s a chance that when you use that charm, you might lose your mind and become insane."


    Issei warned in a stern voice.


    "Whether you dare to use that power or not is completely up to you," Issei said.


    "...I understand, young master." Chi Wuyao said after a little bit of thinking.


    Right after she left, Nyarlathotep emerged from Issei''s shadow.


    She immediately wrapped her arms around Issei''s neck and said with a chuckle: "Ufufufu, you sure are evil dear husband~"


    "...What do you mean?" Issei asked feigning ignorance.


    "You are clearly using her as a test subject. That charm contains a teensy weensy bit of your energy. You of all people should know just how ''harmful'' the energy is." Nyarlathotep smirked.


    "...I''m only giving her a chance."


    "A chance for what? To obtain her so-called freedom? Hehehe, you''re clearly not giving her an option. It''s all but an illusion... an illusion as if she has a choice in the first place even though you know that she will undoubtedly use your charm to achieve her dreams."


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything else after that since what she said is basically true... to a certain extent that is. If Chi Wuyao were to use his charm then he will be notified and he could save her when the time comes... in return, he could observe the change that''s happening within her body.


    But the fact that he''s using her as a test subject is true. He wanted to see just how far can someone be affected by his energy. How long can they use it and just how far can they go...


    Until now, Issei never thought of doing such a thing since he doesn''t really need to. He usually experiments with his own body and nobody else... but now, it''s a different story.


    If he were to experiment with his own body as usual then Nyarlathotep might notice something and it will be all for naught.


    By using Chi Wuyao as a test subject, he could measure the limit of this world''s inhabitant since they''re created by Nyarlathotep herself.


    They''re basically her descendant after all... Even if the chance is small, he still needs to take it.


    For him, this is quite a fair trade. In exchange for his help, Chi Wuyao shall become his test subject...


    "You know, Dragon king... I don''t really mind whether you could truly defeat me or not since I''m already satisfied with our current arrangement... I won''t harm your loved ones just as I promised as long as you don''t stop giving me what I want~" Nyarlathotep planted a kiss on Issei''s cheek.


    Chi Wuyao is extremely alluring and seductive but Nyarlathotep is still above the former.


    Issei sighed to himself after hearing what Nyarlathotep said.


    He wishes that he could just accept her words just like that but he couldn''t take the chance... What if someday she change her mind? What will happen to his loved ones then?


    And that is why he must find a way to truly defeat her. He has no intention of killing Nyarlathotep at the moment.


    Saying that Issei has no attachment towards her would be a lie but that doesn''t mean that he will hesitate to kill her if the situation calls for it...


    ...


    It took Chi Wuyao two and a half-day before she finally used the charm Issei gave her.


    Issei who sensed this immediately opened a spatial rift towards her location and he started to observe Chi Wuyao changes from the other side.


    She was in a sorry state being besieged by multiple enemies at once and most of her witches are in a dire state...


    Two days ago, Chi Wuyao the rumored Devil Queen suddenly sent a letter to each and every realm king within the Northern region. The letter stated that she wanted them to surrender their realm to her...


    Obviously the other realm king scoffed at this and thought that she was just messing around but once she invaded and successfully take control over the Yama realm, the other realm started to take her words more seriously. Then she took another realm on the very same day... three, four... on the second day, she manages to take control over half of the Northern Divine region.


    Seeing that they can''t let things just go on this way, the other remaining realm king decided to work together and was about to subdue the exhausted Chi Wuyao.


    She and her army has been attacking one realm after another without resting hence the current outcome is as expected.


    Seeing that she finally has no other choice, Chi Wuyao ultimately chooses to use Issei''s charm.


    Her injuries and even strength rose at an alarming rate that the other realm king went into a shock.


    The previous Chi Wuyao could already contend against three Divine Master Realm but after using the charm, she could easily defeat thirty of them at the same time.


    Chi Wuyao felt like her whole body is being filled with boundless power! It felt like she could take on the whole God Realm with her current state!


    But alas... when she finally struck down her last competitor... she felt like her whole body is burning from the inside out.


    Her bewitching face becomes flushed and her breathing started to become ragged, her eyes turned blurry and her entire body and soul wishes that it could melt into Issei''s embrace. She wanted to latch onto his body and never let go... she felt like if she didn''t get what she wanted she would go insane!


    Her eyes turned bloodshot after a while and her whole being is emanating an enticing aura that manages to smitten her male and female followers alike.


    Issei who saw this frowned deeply... Why is her state is a bit different than what he expected? Wasn''t she supposed to go insane and started to go on a bloody rampage? Issei was prepared to stop her if she were to suddenly attack one of her own followers but it never happened.


    She only started shuddering on the spot while fidgetting a lot.


    If his eyes were not wrong then she clearly looks more like a woman in heat rather than someone who''s about to go on a bloody rampage...


    "M-Master? Are you alright?" One of the nine witches who can still stand asked worriedly.


    "...eave..."


    "Ah? Wh-what did you say just now, master?"


    "I said leave!"


    Chi Wuyao said through gritted teeth while facing the witch.


    Her followers become stunned after hearing their master''s words.


    Issei finally decided to interfere or things would go south soon. It would be too troublesome if the started to infect those around her.


    Issei appeared beside Chi Wuyao which made her followers who have never seen Issei before become alarmed. Thankfully they didn''t see his face and only saw his back...


    "Hang on," Issei said lightly towards Chi Wuyao who already started looking at him with an eye of a predator while holding her arm.


    In the next moment, the two of them disappeared from the spot leaving behind the stupefied lackeys. The nine witches who have seen Issei before don''t feel as surprised and they started giving out instructions to the rest of them...


    ...


    Issei reappeared in Chi Wuyao''s palace with her in tow.


    The moment they arrived, Chi Wuyao practically pounced herself onto Issei''s body and if Issei didn''t hold her back then she would''ve given Issei a passionate kiss along with other stuff...


    "Hold still..." Issei said to the woman who''s trying her best to get what she wanted.


    Issei then stabilized her condition by absorbing the lingering energy within her body.


    Chi Wuyao regained her clarity after Issei finishes absorbing the energy but she''s overcome with exhaustion from using the charm Issei gave her.


    Issei caught her fall and asked lightly: "How are you feeling?"


    Issei has to admit that Chi Wuyao is an extremely alluring woman... probably because she''s a master in the art of seduction even though she herself is still a v.i.r.g.i.n. If other men were to saw her current condition then they would''ve fallen to her hand.


    But... if she''s compared to Nyarlathotep then she still falls short...


    Every inch of her body¡­ even her snowy skin, her neck, and her dainty hand that''s currently holding onto his shoulder seemed to glow with a fantastically mesmerizing light.


    "...Young master..." Chi Wuyao softly whispered, her misty and limpid eyes staring straight into Issei''s "...Am I not attractive enough for you?"


    Issei frowned at her words... Is there still some lingering within her body? Why did she suddenly ask this kind of question?


    She dazedly extended her hand trying to touch Issei''s face.


    "Answer my question. How are you feeling." Issei caught her hand preventing her to touch his face.


    Chi Wuyao pouted a little seeing how cold Issei is. There''s also a slight disappointment welled up inside her heart.


    "...I am fine. But I do feel a bit tired, no... very exhausted." She replied with a sigh.


    "Is that so. Then you better get some rest." Issei pushed her body towards the bed that is located nearby.


    After he does that, he started to think to himself...


    Seeing how Chi Wuyao doesn''t become insane but rather went into... heat instead... it could be seen that his is a little different from Nyarlathotep''s .


    And Chi Wuyao herself seems to be able to control herself to a certain extent... this means that his is a bit weaker than Nyarlathotep''s even though it''s not as potent. Or was it perhaps because Chi Wuyao is Nyarlathotep ''descendant''?


    Is it perhaps because the amount of Chi Wuyao''s absorbed is too little? Or should he increase his strength? Maybe he could add some of her into his? There are too many ''what if''...


    While Issei is thinking to himself, Chi Wuyao who''s on her bed becomes entranced at his serious face... How charming, she thought to herself.


    ''How dangerous... this kind of man... is there any woman that could stop themselves from falling into his palm?'' Chi Wuyao thought dazedly.


    She reckons that any woman would be willing to throw themselves at him with just a snap of his finger...


    After a while, the witches returned to the palace... they immediately scrambled to Chi Wuyao''s side when they sensed her presence.


    They stopped in their track when they saw Issei who''s currently taking note to himself.


    "Hm? Take care of her. And Chi Wuyao, use this transmission stone in case anything happens." Issei stopped his thoughts after he sensed the witches'' arrival. Then he placed the transmission stone on the nearby table.


    "As for your offer... I don''t need your army or anything but I will help you gain your freedom when the time comes. Don''t worry about the payment for my help, I already received it to a certain extent... by making you into my test subject that is. Then, I will tell you when the time is right." Issei said before he disappeared from her palace.


    After Issei disappeared, the witches started to complain to the stupefied Chi Wuyao but before long she burst out laughing to herself.


    "Ahahahaha! Truly... What a gentleman... To think that he admits that he just used me as his test subject just like that."


    "M-Master? Are you not angry that he used you?"


    "Used me? He can even go further and beyond if he wanted to and I won''t be able to resist nor will I resist." Chi Wuyao chuckled: "He clearly willing to help us and the fact that he told me that he just used me just make him seems gentle and kind more than anything... And seeing how he appeared right by my side when I''m about to go... ''insane'' back then, it''s obvious that he''s watching me the whole time... Hehehe, what a splendid young master he is..."


    Issei could just not say anything and she still won''t complain since she already guessed that Issei is hiding something from her when he gave her that charm but she doesn''t care...


    If the cost to obtain his help is to use her own body as payment then it''s fine. The cost of one life for billion others are completely worth it...


    After she obtained the Nirvana Devil Soul when she was young, she started to disregard all life and held contempt for everything whether conscious or unconscious. But that doesn''t mean she doesn''t knows what''s good or bad...


    Other people may not know this, but her view of men was pretty similar to Qianye Ying''er.


    While Qianye Ying''er found men to be absolutely loathsome creatures, and there were probably only two categories of men to her: ''useful tools'' and ''useless trash''. There was just a special exception to that rule, now.


    Chi Wuyao was ''taught'' to look down on the entire world from the very beginning.


    Besides that, her soul especially disliked men. Just like Qianye Ying''er, she views them as useful tools or useless trash only. After all, how could a mortal man ever have the privilege to touch her body? Their only use was to become her faithful puppets and surrender all their power and wealth to her.


    "How fascinating... If he really were to become my husband... Perhaps my life will be filled with infinite joy? Hehehe!"Chi Wuyao''s b.r.e.a.s.ts bounced slightly as she let out a giggle and the witches can only look at each other in askance...


    They don''t know how to react to this... This is the first time for their master to look so jubilant like this. And the cause of it is the mysterious otherworldly man that recently showed up out of nowhere...


    They also don''t have any objection if their master would marry that man though since his strength is obvious to them all... and also his otherworldly visage...


    Issei doesn''t know that he manages to ''ensnared'' two outstanding women in the whole God Realm... oh no, should we say three instead? But the last one already bears him a child at that leaving the previous two in the dust...


    Although... whether Issei could accept it or not is another thing...


    What will his reaction be when he finds out that he has been taken ''advantage'' of... only the future can tell...


    ...


    The next day, the news of Chi Wuyao taking ahold of all Nothern Divine Region spread across the whole realms.


    An intimidating-looking invitation card was delivered throughout the still-shaking Northern Divine Region, stirring up even bigger waves in the region.


    These invitation cards were personally delivered by people from one of three king realms and they were sent to all the realm kings and core sects of the upper and middle star realms. There were even a few invitation cards sent to the most important lower star realms.


    Moreover, an invitation card from a king realm had never merely been just an invitation. It was, in reality, an imperial decree that could not be defied!


    If they refused an invitation from another star realm, it would, at worst, mean that they were not showing them any face. But none of them would dare to reject an "invitation" sent to them by one of the king realms unless they were tired of living of course.


    It was quite common for a king realm of the Northern Divine Region to send out so many invitations. They would do so every time a new emperor was being crowned.


    However, this invitation card had been sent out in the name of all three king realms!


    The words "We invite all kings to come and greet our new ruler" contained a transcendent might that shook them to the core.


    The meaning contained behind those words was even more shocking than the might that emanated from them. They caused huge waves to crash about in the hearts of all the realm kings of the Northern Divine Region.


    The three king realms were jointly declaring that they had a "new ruler"?


    The three king realms were jointly appointing a new ruler?


    A new ruler who stood above the three king realms!?


    This was something unprecedented in the Northern Divine Region, a notion that had never crossed any of their minds.


    Ise. This name had swiftly spread through the upper echelons of the Northern Divine Region ever since he was mentioned by Chi Wuyao.


    The Burning Moon Realm, one of the top realm in the Norther Divine region had fallen within the span of a single day. The news that this ''Ise'' being Chi Wuyao''s new master had inherited the legacy of a Devil Emperor and could release the power of a True God shot through the Northern Divine Region like a bolt of heavenly lightning¡­ and Chi Wuyao was naturally also the one who was orchestrating everything behind the scenes.


    Chi Wuyao had already started campaigning for Ise''s name from the very beginning, causing his "name", which was unknown until this very day to the Northern Divine Region, to crash into the minds of all the powerhouses of the Northern Divine Region. But this "invitation" and "grand ceremony" were still far too sudden, far too shocking. So much so that all of these wise and experienced overlords were left dumbfounded by the news.


    Amidst their shock, all of these rulers began to sense that something incredible was afoot.


    The event was to be held a week from now. The location? The Soul Stealing Realm Sacred Region.


    Issei himself never instructed Chi Wuyao to do any of this but seeing how he''s going to give them a hand anyway, he decided to let it be. Not like he cares either way...


    Chi Wuyao''s reason for doing this also because she thought that Issei won''t be happy if she didn''t mention his name during the whole charade. Hence she decided to mention to the whole region that he''s her new master... but that''s just her overthinking things...


    Of course, nobody but the nine witches had seen Issei''s might so the other realm kings only thought that this ''Ise'' is just another ''facade'' that Chi Wuyao uses to hide the real reason for her sudden rise in power.


    The day when Issei appears briefly to take Chi Wuyao with him is only seen by Chi Wuyao''s close followers so no outsider has seen him.


    "Will you be attending the coronation ceremony, young master?" Chi Wuyao asked in a seductive voice while she''s enjoying the view of his focused face who''s taking a mental note to himself.


    Even the nine witches also look dazedly at him but Issei pays their gaze no mind. There''s a little bit of worship contained within their eyes when they look at Issei now.


    Issei ''helped'' them by transforming the into their special cultivation area.


    It''s not like Issei is intentionally helping them but the remaining Darkness energy left within that place is of no use to him. It''s the energy that he finds useful although it''s only a tiny bit...


    The was undoubtedly the best place for them who cultivate the darkness art.


    The level of the primordial yin energy in that place was extremely high and the energy itself was extremely dense. No other place in this universe could compare to it.


    He returned once in a while to see if there are any changes with Chi Wuyao''s body.


    "No." Issei simply said not taking his eyes off from the purple orb in front of him...


    This orb contains a bit of Nyarlathotep''s but it is being encased by his own .


    Even from the distance away, the nine witches shuddered fiercely after sensing the immense power within that orb.


    Oddly enough, Chi Wuyao seems quite calm despite being in close proximity to the orb. Another thing he has taken note of...


    "I see..." Chi Wuyao said with a sigh. She couldn''t say that she hasn''t anticipated his answer but... it would be better if Issei himself showcased a bit of his power to the rest of the realm king so they can see just what his true might like.


    Other good news for her is that her strength has been increased as well. She could sense that she almost achieve breakthroughs to the realm in legends but somehow she just couldn''t pierce that paper-thin barrier for whatever reason... it''s quite close but not there yet.


    Ise, well, Chi Wuyao''s grand coronation ceremony was already being prepared with much fanfare within the Soul Stealing Sacred Region. The Yama Realm and the Burning Moon Realm were also involved. When Chi Wuyao had selected the Soul Stealing Sacred Region as the venue, it had sent a loud and clear signal to the other two realms.


    During these turbulent times for the Northern Divine Region, ironically, the woman responsible for it all was currently unoccupied and relaxed.


    The Yama Realm had originally been the biggest and hardest obstacle for Chi Wuyao to overcome. How could their reputation as the king realm who had risen to the peak of the Northern Divine Region for the last eight hundred thousand years be a lie? Even if she managed to easily conquer the Burning Moon Realm first, conquering the Yama Realm would have been a long and bitter struggle.


    However, with Issei taking the three Yama ancestors out of the picture, their might has been reduced by more than half.


    "Aiyah, why don''t you just take all of the Northern Divine Region for yourself, young master? With your strength, you could easily take control of all of the devil race in a span of a single day... no, perhaps even less..."


    A cottony and devilish voice that could melt bone rang out in the air. Chi Wuyao''s voice is laced with pity and regret... She took a step forward trying to observe the orb within Issei''s palm more closely.


    A bewitching and delicate fragrance assaulted Issei''s nostrils as Chi Wuyao appeared at his side.


    Chi Wuyao had only taken a single graceful step forward, but her ample bosom already started to jiggle in an alluring and provocative fashion


    She gave him a flirtatious smile as she said, "Is playing with that... thing is more fun rather than ''playing'' with me, young master? If I''m not enough then my nine children could join us~"


    The nine children are referring to the nine witches and not her actual children of course.


    "..." Issei completely ignores her words. At some point, he frowned seeing that he still needs more clues... should he go back to the and catch some beasts to experiment on?


    "Pffft... Must you be so cold, young master~" Chi Wuyao giggled seductively. A multitude of enchanting ripples danced in her eyes but more than anything, the disappointment in her gaze is the most obvious.


    "...Can you tell me what you meant by what you said before in the , young master? You being the ruler of darkness?" Chi Wuyao''s voice loses its seductiveness and she asked Issei with a curious voice instead.


    The amount of mystery that''s misting over Issei is too enormous... she can''t even begin to imagine just what his real identity is... No amount of guessing and researching could help her to deduce his true identity...


    But the more she tries to uncover his secrets, the further she''s fallen... The same goes for Qianye Ying''er who basically trying her best to find out about his true identity.


    Qianye Fantian, the father of Qianye Ying''er herself becomes anxious after he heard of what her daughter said. He also tries to help her daughter to uncover his identity but to no avail...


    Their only clue is the which is not helpful in the slightest.


    That place is the most known but also the most unknown place in the ... Even though his daughter presumably has entered the deepest part, the knowledge she obtains was close to none since she doesn''t dare venture too far from Issei''s side.


    They start focusing their information gathering on the upper star realm and also because of this that their range of information gathering becomes thinner... making them forget about the lower star realm.


    Someone who''s presumably above the is far too important to disregard...


    Qianye Fantian started to formulate a plan to rope Issei into their side... Presenting Qianye Ying''er as a ''gift'' seems plausible at first but when she told her father that Issei doesn''t feel attracted by her beauty, he becomes amazed...


    They didn''t know what they''re doing is nothing but a fool errand at this point since Issei already views the Brahma Monarch God Realm as a dead man walking.


    "It''s exactly as Master said, woman. Master is the ruler of darkness and also other elements in existence. He''s even above this ''heaven'' your world inhabitants worship!" Esdeath said with a prideful face after she emerged from the along with Altair and Sirius.


    Chi Wuyao and the nine witches are not that surprised seeing them appearing out of nowhere since this is not the first time they met. Chi Wuyao has to admit that these three women''s beauty is on par with her.


    "Oh?" ''Your world?'' Chi Wuyao caught on Esdeath''s words.


    "And why would Master need you and your weak realm when he''s the ruler of his original world? His true army is far more powerful than you could possibly imagine and that includes his real strength." Altair added with a smirk.


    "...Stop bothering Master." Sirius simply said.


    The three of them stand between Chi Wuyao and Issei.


    "...Is that so?" Chi Wuyao said with a smile. To say that she''s not surprised would be a lie but she has grown accustomed to a certain extent... and she also expected this as well seeing how powerful he is. It would be weirder if his identity is not a ruler...


    But what did she say? His ''original'' world... So that means that he is not from this world...


    Not really surprising either since he basically appeared out of nowhere. With that kind of strength, he ought to become the center of attention in no time if he were to show his face to the public.


    ...


    The coronation ceremony then went on without a cinch. Since Issei won''t be attending the coronation, Chi Wuyao relayed the order that she will take his place for safekeeping.


    "Devil Queen!"


    On the Soul Sky Warship, the Witches, the Soul Spirits, and the Soul Attendants kneeled down and cried out Chi Wuyao''s title respectfully.


    When she took another step, the Moon Eaters and the profound practitioners of the Burning Moon Realm also kneeled on their flagship in deference and respect.


    When she reached the center of the road of darkness, it was the Yama Devils and Yama Ghosts'' turn to kneel on their flagship.


    "Devil Queen!"


    Three flagsh.i.p.s had escorted Chi Wuyao. Three king realms had kneeled on the day of their master''s coronation.


    To the profound practitioners of the Northern Divine Region, it was an honor to be able to meet either one of the Witches, the Moon Eaters, or the Yama Devils to say the least. But here they are gathered together to pay their respect towards the legendary Devil Queen.


    To say that it was stunning would be the understatement of the century. Even the proud realm kings felt like they were dreaming right now.


    Be it the denizens of the three king realms or the people of the Northern Divine Region, everyone was looking at Chi Wuyao when she came to a stop as she arrived at the top of the Temple of Heaven. It was nine hundred and ninety-nine levels tall, the tallest Temple of Heaven to ever be created in the history of the Northern Divine Region. No god emperor''s coronation had even come close to surpassing this.


    Above the Temple of Heaven, Chi Wuyao slowly turned around and observed the beings beneath her feet.


    Was she a god empress? To others, perhaps... She was the first true Devil Master to enter the history of the Northern Divine Region after all.


    But all this is only possible because of Issei''s help... without him, she might never see this scene in her entire life...


    There was no emotion behind her eyes, however. She looked so calm that staring at her felt like staring into a dark lake with bottomless depth.


    She hadn''t wanted to become the master of anything... she only wanted to lead her people to freedom, but fate has given her a blessing... a blessing of a lifetime...


    From this day onward, all lives in the Northern Divine Region will be dedicated to him and him only...


    Only under his leadership that they could prosper for all eternity.


    All of this would just be an illusion without him. Chi Wuyao said to herself...


    "We, the Yama Devil Realm, Soul Stealing Realm, and Burning Moon Realm, bow before her power, virtue, and ambition. May the supreme Devil Queen lead the three realms and the Northern Divine Region to greater heights!"


    One of the realm kings said in place of the others.


    "I told you that I''m not your true master... But no matter. In time, you will see what I really meant." Chi Wuyao said blandly.


    They of course still don''t believe about the existence of a person called "Ise". But just like Chi Wuyao said... they will see his full glory later in the future.


    They waved a hand and raised the Heaven Offering Altar. An inscription appeared in front of Chi Wuyao as well.


    "Please enter the Heaven Offering Altar, Devil Queen. Only the heavens and earth are worthy to bear witness to your unprecedented glory."


    But Chi Wuyao didn''t step forward as they said. She simply let out an indifferent chuckle and said, "Heaven?" Then she thought of what Altair said before, "Unnecessary. My Master is above the heaven themselves."


    It''s only a few words, but the plain disrespect that wouldn''t tolerate even the heavens and earth was unmistakable.


    She waved her hand, and the heaven offering inscription vanished immediately.


    No one¡­ not even the supremely arrogant god emperors had ever dared to offend the heavenly law. Until now.


    The realm kings were stunned. The Soul Stealing Sacred Region was so silent that the sound of a pin hitting the ground could be heard.


    To an outsider, Chi Wuyao''s arrogance was entirely too much.


    But nobody there but the nine witches knows that what she said is true. They knew¡­ that the heavenly law truly was unworthy of Issei...


    Her words were engraved into the memories of everyone who witnessed the first-ever devil master in the history of the Northern Divine Region.


    Right now, the only emotion Chi Wuyao''s disrespect and arrogance toward the heavenly law induced in these people was worry.


    But even after waiting for a while... They didn''t see a single cloud in the sky nor a single sign that the ''heaven'' has been angered.


    This made them become further dumbfounded... The sky is still as before... Wait... No... If anything it looks brighter than before? What''s happening?


    Chi Wuyao who saw this smirked to herself. It looks like it''s really true... Not even the ''heaven'' themselves dares to let out a single farting sound of discontent when she mentioned his ''name''... They even seem to give them a blessing!


    Her eyes glimmered brightly and her conviction becomes even stronger after she realizes this.


    The coronation then proceeded without the heaven offering ritual. When Yan Tianxiao, one of the realm kings finished a long speech, First Witch Jie Xin and Jie Ling flew up to Chi Wuyao to dr.a.p.e a cloak with the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor''s symbol on it across her shoulders, and slip a jade belt with black crystals around her waist.


    Three devil orbs of varying intensity were sewn into the jade belt. They contained the origin devil aura of Soul Stealing, Yama Devil, and Burning Moon. It represented Chi Wuyao''s absolute control over the three king realms of the Northern Divine Region.


    Then they took out the God Emperor''s crown.


    The crowns of all the god emperors in the Northern Divine Region had nine tassels and nine jewels on them, but her crown had twelve tassels and jewels in total. It was unprecedented in the history of the Northern Divine Region.


    It was one of the many designs in this coronation ceremony Chi Wuyao had attended to personally.


    The witch raised her arms and stared at the man who was the center of attention of billions of people. Feeling her even but warm breath, she gently... very gently put the crown that represented a turning point in her and the Northern Divine Region''s fate on her head.


    The crown was applied, and the devil master came to be. Yan Tianxiao dropped to his knees and declared loudly, "Your Magnificence!"


    Everyone from the three king realms, be it on the profound sh.i.p.s or the Sacred Region dropped to their knees and bowed their heads deeply.


    "Your Magnificence!"


    "Your Magnificence!"


    "Your Magnificence!"


    Nearly all of the king''s realms'' core forces were here. They represented the absolute core of the Northern Divine Region, and their loud, soul-shattering declaration of deference caused all the realm kings and the rulers inside and outside the Sacred Region to drop to their knees as well.


    After all, how could they stand when even the three king realms were on their knees?


    Yan Tianxiao still didn''t stand when the declaration of deference was over. He continued, "The Devil Queen is the incarnation of the Devil Emperor. The Northern Divine Region''s fate is sure to change for the better with his presence."


    "I, Yan Tianxiao, the Yama Devil God Emperor, and the Yama Devil Realm, are willing to bear the Devil Emperor''s blessing, obey my ancestors'' will, and serve the Devil Queen for eternity. The Devil Queen''s order is the one absolute order. The Devil Queen''s will is the will of a lifetime. If we ever defy our oath, may the heavens smite us where we stand!"


    On the Burning Moon Warship, the group of Moon Eaters and Burning Moon Divine Envoys led by Fen Daoqi also swore their oath of loyalty to Chi Wuyao:


    "The people of the Northern Divine Region as our witness, we, the Burning Moon Realm, swear by our souls to serve the Devil Queen for eternity. If we ever defy our oaths, may we suffer eternal tribulations and eternal death!"


    "I will remember your words. My master''s will is the Mandate of Heaven, and his enemy¡­ is our sworn enemy! If you dare to go against me or my master''s order... then not even the ''heaven'' themselves could save you!"


    *RUMBLE!!!*


    Her words were a lot softer than the previous two god emperors, but her last few words still made some people feel like they had dropped suddenly into a frigid hell.


    Hundreds of flash bolt of lightning from above strike the ground in their surroundings and a bright light from the sky shone themselves upon Chi Wuyao''s figure making her look more ethereal as if the Heaven themselves are backing her words!


    This phenomenon made all of them become further terrified!


    "Hee, she''s not half bad." Esdeath who''s observing from the shadow smirked at Chi Wuyao''s figure.


    "Heh, it doesn''t matter what we think. What matters is Master''s will... but I agree, this woman is not half bad." Altair said plainly.


    "...Master''s will is our top priority." Sirius chimed in.


    ""Agreed."" Esdeath and Altair nodded with a smile.


    Then the three of them disappeared from where they stand... Chi Wuyao glanced at their direction slightly and let out a thin smile of her own.


    Their cultivation might be lower than hers but their combat capabilities are nothing scoff at... If it was her before receiving Issei''s ''blessing'' then she might lose against them.


    What''s more, in but one week, their cultivation has risen by quite a lot. While the other profound cultivators took hundreds and even thousands of years to increase their strength, they only need a few days.


    It can be seen just how terrifying her young master capability is...


    ...


    The vast Eastern Divine Region, Star God Realm.


    Jasmine was silently looking at her reflection in the mirror while Xun''er is gently combing her hair.


    After inheriting the power of the Heavenly Slaughter Star God, Jasmine''s age seemed to have been set. Even after so many years had passed, she still looked the same as when she first met Issei and this made her feel vexed.


    Her exterior appearance looked like any fifteen to a sixteen-year-old girl. However, her blood-red eyes seemed to exude coldness and aloofness unbefitting of her apparent age... but once in a while, her eyes will become soft and blurry.


    The blood red in her eyes, and her long hair that seemed as though it had been dyed in fresh blood, seemed to have become even more vivid.


    Anyone that met her gaze would feel their body turn ice cold, as though a sharp blade dyed in blood was pressing against their throat.


    The face in the mirror was so perfectly exquisite that it seemed near dreamlike. The fifteen and sixteen-year-old face however did not give off any feeling of immaturity but instead seemed extremely dangerous and even exuded a soul-stirring demonic sense.


    Whereas for her mother, there''s an indescribable domineering aura surrounding her. Even her once gentle face and eyes turned sharper than before, making her look more beautiful than ever. Only in front of her own daughters that her face will turn gentle as it used to be.


    Nobody realizes that her rabbit ears are not mere decoration. They only thought that it''s a decoration and nothing more.


    "Knock knock!"


    Suddenly, sounds of knocking resounded in the silent star god hall. The knocking only sounded twice and it had been very soft. It was obvious that the person knocking was being wary. Following that, the voice of an elegant male could be heard, "Royal Sister, aunty, may I come¡­"


    "Scram!"


    One ice-cold word, without any feeling or any other sort of compromise.


    "...Royal sister. I am still, after all, your big brother. I have some important matters¡­"


    "This princess only has one elder brother and he''s already dead." Her voice grew gravely cold and filled with killing intent, "Do you want to die!?"


    With a "bang", the person outside the hall seems to stagger in shock. When his voice sounded again, it was now shivering slightly, "Royal Sister¡­ you really¡­ like to joke around¡­"


    Even before he had finished speaking, the speaker had already escaped far away in fear.


    Xun''er never says anything nor does she tries to stop Jasmine. She only observes her with a smile.


    Their so-called family member often tries to interact with them but the desire within their eyes are too obvious. And they find it extremely revolting...


    The peace in the star god hall returned, but soon, it was disrupted by the anxious voice of a young girl.


    "B-Big Sis... Aunty... I-I''m back..."


    The doors to the hall were slowly being opened and a young girl with starry eyes, dressed in a seven-colored dress, slowly walk forward until she was in front of Jasmine.


    It was none other than Princess Caizhi.


    "Do you know your mistake!?" Jasmine growled at her.


    "I-I... But I only wanted to see what''s brother-in-law looks like..." Caizhi retorted in a weak voice.


    "You''re still trying to deny it?!"


    "But... But big sis, I have to agree that big brother is very suitable for you! The two of you together is like a match made in heaven!"


    "...Really?" Jasmine went silent for a moment before she asked in a shy voice.


    "O-Of course, of course!" Caizhi who saw that her plan is working, immediately nodded like a chicken pecking rice. But she was briefly taken aback seeing the shy Jasmine just now.


    "...Wait! Don''t try to distract me!" Just when Jasmine''s tone turned a lot softer with her cheeks reddening, she somehow snapped out of her daze and shouted at Caizhi.


    Caizhi who saw that her plan has been seen through, immediately hid behind Xun''er.


    "Aunty save me!"


    "Get back here! Haven''t I continuously told you that no matter what happens in the future, you''re not allowed to decide on matters yourself!"


    Caizhi was so scared that her heart pounded repeatedly and her voice instantly became meek, "I¡­ I did promise that I would listen to Big Sis, but¡­ But, I was feeling really curious..."


    "Alright, dear... just forgive your little sister already."


    "But mother!"


    "So what do you think of Ise, Zhi''er?" Xun''er asked Caizhi while still smiling ignoring the fuming Jasmine in the background.


    "Him? Well... I admit that he''s strong but..." Caizhi replied while feeling unsure.


    "But?" Xun''er repeated.


    "I don''t really see anything special other than his strength?" Caizhi said while tilting her head.


    "Hehehe, that''s because you still haven''t properly got to know him." Xun''er said with a giggle: "And seeing your reaction, you clearly haven''t seen his face yet. I''m sure that with his looks alone, he could cause the downfall of realms. Those female Divine Masters would do anything to get their hands on him..."


    Xun''er started enticing Caizhi with her words.


    But they won''t be able to do so since he''s far stronger than anyone else that has ever existed in this world. Xun''er added inside her mind...


    "Really? He''s that good looking?" Caizhi said half doubtful half curious. She has been told before that Issei is extremely good looking before but she doesn''t really believe it unless she sees it with her own eyes.


    "Hmph! It''s better if you see him with your own eyes later on." Jasmine scoffed: "But for now... you still need to be punished for going against my words! Now come here!" Jasmine seized the chance when Caizhi let her guard down.


    "Ahh! Aunty!" Caizhi''s face turned pale seeing that she has been caught. She screamed in terror asking for Xun''er help.


    Plak! Plak! Plak!


    Soon, a sound of light slapping could be heard in the hall...


    "Awww! Forgive me big sis!"


    Xun''er giggled lightly seeing their interaction.


    ...


    A golden figure slowly descended from the sky to land in the once again...


    This figure is none other than Qianye Ying''er, the very same woman that Issei ''saved'' in the past.


    She aimlessly wanders around the land trying to catch the figure she has been searching for.


    Whether by fate or luck... she managed to catch a glimpse of him once again.


    Issei can be seen standing above the body of a profound beast.


    Countless other dead bodies scattered around him. It almost took everything from a to kill any of these beasts but here he is killing hundreds of them while unharmed...


    Issei has his eyes closed while a red and purple aura is oozing out from his body.


    As for Qianye Ying''er, she had her eyes locked onto his figure not making any sound fearing of disturbing him... he was right in front of her, only a few steps away from her at that.


    Just like Issei doesn''t wear his mask right now, Qianye Ying''er also doesn''t wear her mask.


    Qianye Ying''er''s charming and dewy lips unintentionally curved up when she found Issei.


    Her intuition is telling her that he should be here and it''s proven to be right...


    Even though he''s already this powerful but he still doesn''t stop his training. Truly a splendid man... She thought to herself.


    After a while, Qianye Ying''er''s golden eyes faintly narrowed while possessive light flashed within her eyes: ''He must be mine! Only he''s worthy enough to be my, Qianye Ying''er, man!''


    "...What do you want?" Issei finally opened his eyes and asked Qianye Ying''er.


    "I just wanted to thank you for saving my life." Qianye Ying''er said softly.


    "I accept your gratitude. If there''s nothing else, you can leave." Issei said calmly.


    "...Is there a chance for me to invite you to my realm? Allow me to thank you properly. Even though the treasures in my realm is not as great if it''s compared to this place treasures, they''re still one of a kind. Perhaps your excellency could find something he finds fancy over there?" Qianye Ying''er continues to entice him.


    "I don''t need it." Issei denied her invitation immediately.


    "Then... let me stay here instead. To properly repay you." Qianye Ying''er insisted.


    "..." Issei frowned a little before he decided to just completely ignores her.


    The more Issei denies her advances, the more ''infatuated'' Qianye Ying''er becomes... Just like a moth to a flame.


    If anyone from the God Realm were to saw this scene, they would''ve had their jaws dropped to the ground directly.


    The Eternal Heaven God Realm, the Star God Realm, the Moon God Realm, or any other realm would be shocked to their core.


    Their reactions would be no less inferior to the ones exhibited during the nine-stage lightning tribulation.


    What sort of existence was Qianye Ying''er?


    The daughter of the Brahma Heaven God Emperor, the God Realm''s "Goddess", be her fame in the God Realm or her power within the Brahma Monarch God Realm, she wasn''t beneath the Brahma Heaven God Emperor at all.


    In fact, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor had personally said that eventually the Brahma Monarch Realm King position would only be inherited by Qianye Ying''er!


    When it came to status, she was currently the daughter of the Brahma Heaven God Emperor and the future Brahma Monarch Realm King.


    When it came to looks, she was mentioned in the same breath as the "Dragon Queen", both being known as the two greatest beauties of the God Realm. It was rumored that just laying eyes on her once, would cause everything else to lose color¡­ forever.


    When it came to profound cultivation, she was definitely invincible among the peers of her generation¡­ Rumor had it that she was actually, already, not far in terms of power from her father.


    Qianye Ying''er was perfect in all aspects, whether it be position, cultivation, or looks.


    She was the epitome of perfection, literally the embodiment of a "Goddess".


    As for the Dragon Queen whose name was usually said in conjunction with hers, she was the Dragon Monarch''s wife¡­ and the Dragon Monarch was the current number one expert in the God Realm!


    The current number one expert was a match for the Dragon Queen...


    Throughout the years, several profound practitioners were all guessing and fantasizing about who would get the "Goddess" in the end¡­ or rather, was there any man out there in this world that was a match for the "Goddess"?


    Being able to have the foundations to court Qianye Ying''er, what kind of monster of a man would be able to!?


    Star Gods¡­ Moon Gods¡­ Guardians¡­ The sons of god emperors¡­ even the realm kings of the king realms! No one so far had moved Qianye Ying''er.


    Yet right now, that very same "Goddess" is trying her best just to get a man''s attention!


    This would''ve been the most absurd occurrence they had ever heard of, or experienced in their entire lives.


    Those experts would''ve feel jealousy and hatred towards Issei if they were to know of this.


    Qianye Ying''er started to observe the profound beasts that have fallen more closely. It seems that they all died without actual injuries to their exterior bodies... She doesn''t know how he did it but it can be seen that they all died without being able to fight back.


    An intact body of a profound beast of the absolute beginning... It would be a priceless treasure in its own right.


    But Qianye Ying''er doesn''t have any intention of taking any of them for herself since she doesn''t want to annoy Issei even further.


    Issei aura sometimes changes its color... red... purple... black... blue... white... gold...


    Oddly enough, it seems very natural... the multi-colored aura compliments each other or co-existing in a peaceful state.


    The sight of those auras is quite hypnotic to say nonetheless.


    At the same time, on Issei''s surrounding, whenever the corresponding color appeared, an element presented themselves... when it''s blue that appears, ice started emerging all around him... if it''s red, then it''s flame... black, its darkness... white, it''s light and so on...


    There are some elements that she didn''t recognize mixed here and there as well.


    Qianye Ying''er expression becomes shocked whenever she witness the varying elements that appear in one place and yet they didn''t counterbalance each other.


    Just who is he?! Qianye Ying''er wondered to herself... Is he the Heretic God himself? But that''s not possible... For one, the Heretic God can''t control the light element, and also, the picture of the Heretic God doesn''t even come close to Issei''s.


    But there''s no use wondering to herself... it''s better if she does something else...


    When she thought till here, Qianye Ying''er started thinking just what else she could do to garner Issei''s attention...


    But soon she came to a blank realization... other than her beauty, background, and cultivation... there''s nothing else that she could offer Issei with since those things are deemed useless by him...


    Flaunting her identity is of no use either. Seduce him? It seems more unlikely considering he''s not enticed by her beauty.


    As for threatening him? That thought never crossed her mind even once unless she''s trying to court death itself.


    However, giving up was not Qianye Ying''er style. She started to observe Issei more closely than before trying to discover his interest...


    ...


    In the


    Great Elder Mu Huanzhi was in the front and Mu Bingyun was by his side. Behind them were eight elders and palace masters of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. Standing at the back of the elders and palace masters was a big group of young disciples of the sect. Six to seven hundred of them could be seen just at a glance. Looking at their attire, they are obviously the disciples from the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall.


    These disciples from the Divine Hall had an extremely heavy frost aura on their bodies. They had all reached the .


    They were the very best disciples of this generation in the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, as well as the future of the sect. Until now that is...


    "We respectfully greet sect master." The moment Mu Xuanyin stepped out of her palace, all the elders, palace masters and disciples bent the upper half of their bodies and kneeled down. Their heads were in direct contact with the snow on the ground, but they didn''t move in the slightest before Mu Xuanyin gave permission.


    "Get up," Mu Xuanyin said, as she swept her spirit sense across the bodies of all present: "Huanzhi, our honored guest is currently away. Go to his lodging and make sure that those ''girls'' have everything they need. The time for the convention is coming closer as we speak."


    "Understood!" Mu Huanzhi replied.


    Issei informed Mu Bingyun that he will be away for a while. Mu Bingyun relayed his words to Mu Xuanyin.


    "Tanzhi, Yunque, Canfeng¡­" These names Mu Xuanyin called were the cornerstones of the future of their sect. She started to say some encouraging words towards them...


    "There''s no need to be too competitive, you just need to make sure to safely return. Naturally, it''d be best if we could get some positive results. Take note of how those ''special'' sisters of yours do things when the time comes... It will surely benefit you a lot if you could somehow gain something from them."


    "We understand, sect master!"


    "Good. You can leave now."


    Mu Xuanyin flicked her snow-white sleeve, immediately causing wind and snow to blow through their location and sweep them away, high in the sky, onto the profound ark that had been stationed there for a long time.


    The profound ark activated and pierced through the multiple layers of heavy snow and cold wind as it flew straight to the southern region of the Snow Song Realm.


    Looking at the profound ark flying into the distance, the coldness in the eyes of Mu Xuanyin melted away bit by bit¡­


    "This year Profound God convention... I have a feeling that there will be a great change that will happen..." She muttered to herself: "Given ''his'' involvement... I wonder just how many star realm that will start flooding into our realm in the future once they saw those girls prowess... *sigh* it''s going to be hard to deny access to all those old farts..."


    "Feixue, you should pay close attention as well later on." Mu Xuanyin said to Mu Feixue who''s already waiting for her in the ark.


    "Yes, Master."


    There was no change to the external appearance of Mu Feixue, as she still looked like a goddess that had come out of a picture scroll made of ice and snow. But she seemed to have become even chillier. Even someone a mere few steps away couldn''t detect the slightest sign of emotion from her. Only her chilly intention of keeping people at a good distance could be felt.


    She received some ''pointers'' from Issei albeit indirectly. Mu Bingyun often observes Issei''s teaching method after all.


    Of course, that doesn''t mean Mu Bingyun didn''t ask for Issei''s permission first. Only after Issei gives his permission that Mu Bingyun told Mu Xuanyin about it...


    Mu Huanzhi looked a bit complicated, "As the sect master said earlier, you don''t need to be too competitive this time¡­ In short, just do your best and pay close attention to the ongoing fight. You''ll only get such an opportunity once in your life. At least, don''t fail to live up to your talents and the hardsh.i.p.s you went through all these years."


    "Understood!" All the disciples replied together.


    Other elders and palace masters had complicated looks on their faces. Then, their gazes shifted in the direction of Issei''s lodging.


    Back then, when the voice of Eternal Heaven was transmitted to every corner of the Eastern Divine Region, it was destined for the unusual Profound God Convention this time to influence the mentality of all the star realms. Given the unprecedented opportunity to enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl, there was no doubt that all the star realms would spare no effort to send as many disciples as possible to the Profound God Convention.


    It was the same for the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. Not long after the voice of Eternal Heaven, the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake was opened to the young disciples on a large scale for the first time in the history of the sect.


    Divine Ice Phoenix Sect had also started preparing for the Profound God Convention in an extreme hurry. All the elders and palace masters firmly believed that after ordering the opening of the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake to the young generation of the sect, Mu Xuanyin would certainly pay a lot more attention to the Profound God Convention, and she might even personally instruct the divine hall disciples.


    But they were left baffled when Mu Xuanyin didn''t bother any further with the matter of Profound God Convention. Especially during the past few weeks... she had thrown all responsibility on Mu Huanzhi and Mu Bingyun. She didn''t say or ask a thing concerning the Profound God Convention which was regarded with extreme importance by all the star realms.


    As for the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, it was never again opened for any disciples except for Mu Feixue. But even the, Mu Feixue progress seems lacking if they''re compared to Xia Qingyue''s group...


    But this made one thing clear to them for sure, in the eyes of Mu Xuanyin, Xia Qingyue''s group performance in the Profound God Convention was more important than that of all the other people of the sect combined.


    It''s not that they can''t understand her intention but... can they really ''comprehend'' their strength when the time comes? If their honored guest were to personally teach their disciples... can they reach the same height as Xia Qingyue''s group? Alas...


    They can only hope that their glory will be their sect glory as well.


    The scenes of Issei commanding those ice spirits and the ''scene'' of him defeating three Divine Sovereign in mere seconds even though he''s still a Divine King Realm cultivator were still vivid in their minds. They absolutely had no doubts that a person such as him would receive special treatment by Mu Xuanyin, and no one found it odd either.


    It was like how the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect were divided into four ranks ¨C Divine Hall, Ice Phoenix Palace, Freezing Snow Hall, and Snowfall Palace. The higher the talent of a disciple, the more resources and better treatment they enjoyed. It was a fact that was true everywhere in the Primal Chaos and it could be considered the most basic rule.


    "Ah, it''s such a pity." Mu Huanzhi let out a heavy sigh. "This Profound God Convention is being held at a very early date. If it were to happen two or three hundred thousand years later, perhaps my Snow Song Realm would again have someone make their name known to all at the Profound God Convention, like Sect Master in the past... Even Feixue would''ve reaches greater heights than she is now..."


    All of them nodded in agreement with his words...


    ...


    The three tiny troublemakers were sleeping per usual but both Bai''er and Hong''er suddenly woke up with a startle and they keep gazing at the sky for some reason...


    "Mmm, big sis?" Nyaruko who sensed their movement rubbed her eyes and called out.


    But both of them ignored Nyaruko and keep gazing at the sky...


    Nyaruko is feeling confused seeing their current condition. She repeatedly called their names until she finally gave up and called for Issei instead: "Father!"


    Issei who heard Nyaruko''s voice had his eyes snapped open and he immediately disappeared from where he stood, leaving behind the stupefied Qianye Ying''er.


    Esdeath''s group is still at Chi Wuyao''s place while Xiaotao and Lieyan are with Caiyi and Xue''er. Only Naru and Zin are still within the but even they didn''t know what to do with the current predicament...

 Chapter 136 - 135

    (AN: Thank you for the donation: Matthew Laird and Daniel Mills. I hope all of you enjoy the chapter. With that said, peace out girls scout!).


    "What''s wrong?" Issei who just entered the asked the anxious Nyaruko, then he notices Bai''er and Hong''er condition.


    "Bai''er? Hong''er?" Issei called out softly and only after they heard Issei calling their name they snapped out of their daze.


    "Ah, big brother?/Gege?" Both of them replied after snapping out of their stupor.


    "What are you both looking at?" Issei sighed in relief seeing that there''s really nothing wrong with them both.


    Hong''er and Bai''er look at each other before they tilted their head at the same time while saying: "Don''t know?"


    "Hm?" Issei frowned a little before he gazes in the same direction as them but he doesn''t really notice anything out of place. Even from their connection, he really doesn''t sense anything out of the ordinary either...


    "...Go back to sleep then. Just call me again if anything''s wrong." Issei smiled softly before he tucked them back in.


    "Ehehe... Big brother, Hong''er really like you a lot..." Hong''er giggled lightly before drowsiness started to take control of her and before long she closed her eyes.


    "Good night, father/Good night, gege." Both Nyaruko and Bai''er said before they joined Hong''er in the land of dreams...


    "Um... good night." Issei then gives them a light peck on their forehead which earned a happy smile from them.


    "...Zin, Naru." Issei called out.


    "Yes, master?" Zin and Naru who was watching from behind replied while in a kneeling position.


    "Watch over them."


    "Understood, master."


    Then Issei left the .


    ...


    Once outside the , Issei started thinking to himself while ignoring Qianye Ying''er who sighed in relief seeing that he has returned.


    When Qianye Ying''er about to say something, Esdeath''s group appeared in front of Issei.


    "Master, we have returned," Esdeath said respectfully.


    Qianye Ying''er was surprised seeing the three beautiful women that appeared out of nowhere but soon she calmed herself down.


    Even though these three women are quite beautiful themselves, they''re still a bit lacking if compared to her... At least in her opinion.


    And their outfit... seeing that their outfit is nothing like she has seen before and also because she doesn''t recognize them from anywhere, Qianye Ying''er concluded that they must be his close aides.


    As for them being his women... That''s quite impossible seeing their interaction. It''s like the interaction between servant and master and he still has his vital yang as well.


    Their cultivation... A fifth level cultivator. But they don''t seem human... their aura is nothing like a human.


    Of course, that doesn''t mean Qianye Ying''er believes that their cultivation is the limit of their strength since they obviously serve ''him''...


    For all she knows, their strength might be above her.


    "Um, welcome back." Issei nodded at their greeting.


    "...Is there something bothering you, master?" Sirius asked with a voice laced with worry.


    Only when it concerns Issei that she let her expression shown.


    Issei look at her and smiled softly: "It''s nothing..." He gave Sirius head a gentle pat which made the latter froze and before long, her cheeks reddened at a visible rate and there''s also a happy smile adorning her face.


    Esdeath and Altair give Sirius an envious look.


    Qianye Ying''er overcome with disbelief seeing Issei who was being cold suddenly let out a small of his own... She instantly becomes captivated on the spot.


    "If there''s something bothering you, please tell us about it, Master. Even though we know that our capabilities are nothing much we will still do our best to lessen your burden..." Altair said softly.


    "Like I said... it''s nothing much." Issei replied with a sigh.


    Looks like he''s being quite hasty ever since he met his little princess...


    "...If you say so, Master..." Esdeath said before she set her gaze at Qianye Ying''er: "Then how about this woman, Master? Is she bothering you? Do you want us to get rid of her?"


    "No need. Just ignore her." Issei said calmly.


    Qianye Ying ''er''s mother soul keeps apologizing to Issei even right now for her daughter''s ''action'' saying that it''s not her fault for being this ''way''.


    [I''m sorry for my daughter''s behavior your excellency... It''s not her fault for being this way. It was my fault for not being there for her...] She said towards Issei while bowing deeply.


    In actually, it was Qianye Ying''er father''s poor upbringing. And he was also the one who killed her because he thought that her mother''s existence is making Qianye Ying''er ''weak''...


    "Nevermind that... Esdeath, Altair, Sirius." Issei dismissed their current topic and called out lightly.


    "At your command!" The three of them replied at the same time.


    "Go ahead and use these beasts core to increase your strength." Issei passed three large crystal-like orbs to the three of them.


    Qianye Ying''er recognized those core but she has never seen one that big!


    Issei of course combined it into three for his experiment at first. After he found some clues, he decided to just give these cores away since he doesn''t need them anymore.


    "Thank you, Master!" Esdeath''s group eyes lit up when they heard him.


    This way they can get even stronger and they can serve him even better... This is the only thing that came up inside the three ice spirits women''s minds when they carefully received the beast''s core.


    "Go absorb it here. ''They'' just fell asleep." Issei said. The one he''s talking about is obviously Nyaruko''s group.


    "Understood." Other cultivators might need a lot of time to absorb these cores but since Esdeath''s group is ''special''. They can immediately absorb the core on the spot.


    Qianye Ying''er started observing Esdeath''s group even more closely trying her best to get some clues just how did Issei gain his tremendous strength. But what she witnessed left her with blanks since she honestly can''t sense anything at all... nor could she comprehend it since they basically "eat" those cores!


    Esdeath and the others put the core right in front of their lips before some energy started to enter their mouth slowly.


    Their bodies give off a light glow with different colors. Esdeath''s let out a blue aura, Altair let out a black aura, and Sirius let out a white aura...


    Slowly but surely... their strength started to increase at a visible rate...


    When the core finally disappeared... Their cultivation has reached the 10th level !


    To say that Qianye Ying''er feels jealous at this point would be an understatement... Who wouldn''t? She''s willing to bet everything she has that everyone would''ve felt the same way as her if they were to witness this!


    A fifth level becoming a tenth level in but a span of few breaths... There has never been such an incident before in the entire !


    "Master, we have finished absorbing the core," Esdeath said in delight.


    "Um. Go ahead and fight some beasts to test out your new strength." Issei nodded lightly in their direction.


    "Ha!" Then three of them immediately set off to do what he said.


    -After a while-


    Issei thought for a moment before he created a giant runic magic circle.


    He started taking out multiple materials from the . Ranging from a Divine tier item to a Phantasmal one.


    He then started to fuse those materials into one. From the Ultima stone, Improved Yggdrasil branch, Tera elemental crystal, etc...


    By the end of it, Issei took out more than a hundred types of materials from the .


    Issei frowned since he''s still quite lacking in materials while Qianye Ying''er can''t be more amazed by the things Issei took out from his treasury.


    Just... Just what are those?! Each and every single one of those things is emitting a huge amount of energy she never sensed before!


    This is the second time that she felt like a frog at the bottom of the well... There''s still a lot more stuff that she doesn''t know about...


    When Issei is done fusing everything, he took out a single crimson purplish orb containing his and Nyarlathotep''s modified he prepared beforehand... And last but not least... Issei reluctantly took out his personal gifted by Kyou and Kinou from before.


    After giving the a last longing look... he merged them all towards the ...


    Will it be the second or something else... He will find out soon enough.


    [I speak of the beginning. Heaven and earth are divided and nothingness celebrates Creation. The vortex that turns the stars, this heavenly hell signifies the end of the eve of genesis. Subside with .]


    [Shin''ou Shinzo Heiso(Godking Divine Construct)] Issei said in a language foreign to Qianye Ying''er.


    or is how Issei created the before. He invented this skill when he was learning the art of smithing with Goddess Hephaestus.


    are armaments that surpass human limits and hold tremendous power which is something the Heroic spirits possess. They are armaments not created by human hands, artifacts defined as a God, or a "comparable being".


    And now... Issei will create a second with two ''different'' element combined into one...


    *ZZZTTTTT!!!*


    The whole space around Issei started to constrict and it let out a terrifying crackling sound accompanied by red and purple thunderous lightning fighting against each other.


    The sky above the started to darken and it also seems like it is shaking to its very core.


    The whole ''heaven'' themselves are trembling greatly with the beginning of the creation of something that shouldn''t have been born in the first place...


    But they didn''t dare to try to stop it from happening... All they can do is look on in fear...


    Qianye Ying''er''s teeth started clattering on their own while her whole body is trembling greatly.


    Esdeath''s group who are in the distance sensed this anomaly and they immediately returned to Issei''s side but when they saw Issei''s current condition, they decided to stay put in their place since they know that their Master is currently in the middle of something...


    Issei who saw the space around them started to twist immediately created a multi-layer barrier encasing him and the ''thing'' he''s trying to create.


    [Oh?] Nyarlathotep sensed the disturbance and a wide grin adorned her face almost immediately: [Ehehehe... Ahahahahaha! Is that how you want to kill me, Dragon King?! Good... Good! You never make me feel bored! Ahahahahaha! Even I never thought of making something like this!]


    Instead of feeling fear, Nyarlathotep felt exhilarated... She let out a burst of maniacal laughter filled with glee!


    After what feels like forever, the trembling space within the started to subside... but the sky outside of it is still ''trembling''...


    Nobody sensed this anomaly thanks to Issei''s multi-layered barrier.


    Out of the thousand barriers he created, more than 98% of them have been destroyed...


    Leaving only two layers of barrier that could barely hold themselves together...


    Issei himself is sweating quite a bit and his breathing is a bit ragged but his eyes are still calm and sharp as before.


    There''s a single ''sword'' in his hand...


    It has an abnormal shape that doesn''t match what would normally be classified as something specialized like your typical sword.


    It is something that was born before the appearance of the concept that the world calls a "sword," so it is not something that can truly be called a sword or have the shape of any known blade.


    While it has a grip, handguard, and is the same length as a longsword, the section that should contain a blade deviates from the normal form of an edged weapon.


    The "blade" itself and the tip of the sword, spun in a spiral shape. It has the shape of a cylindrical, drill-shaped pillar made up of three independently rotating segments engraved with crimson cuneiform lettering that spin slowly in an alternating direction like querns, the middle segment spinning clockwise and the top and bottom segments spinning counterclockwise.


    The "Sword" is divided into three different colored sections, starting from golden, purple, and lastly crimson... Its three sections respectively represent life, chaos, and death. It exemplifies the world''s way of being by having each one of them rotate in opposite directions. The "cosmos" is thus represented by matching all three of these representations. Everything together represents the universe.


    [...] Nyarlathotep herself has become dumbfounded at the sight of this sword.


    [...How... beautiful...] Nyarlathotep muttered after a while.


    [When I look at this sword... I felt as if the ''World'' was born a million times and destroyed a million times... It''s extremely beautiful... Especially seeing how perfectly... "balance" it is. There''s and within it but there''s also... and... ...] She dreamily muttered feeling fascinated by the sight of this sword.


    "...... From henceforth... You shall be named ." Issei said with glistening eyes.


    (AN: If anyone has a suggestion for the name sword, please do tell. I was thinking of beforehand but... yeah).


    let out a bright glow as if it''s feeling happy with the name its master has given it.


    While it let out its glow, the ''heaven'' outside started to shook even more greatly and if it can let out a sound, it will let out a sound filled with fear and terror.


    which is Millet''s sword can only resist but can literally absorb and devour themselves... It is basically an unrivaled divine weapon in the whole multiverse.


    "Guh..." Issei staggered slightly soon after.


    "Master!" Esdeath''s group hastily went to Issei''s side supporting him.


    "I''m fine... I''m just a bit tired..." Issei said softly: "*Sigh*... ..."


    then went inside his body... That''s right, it went inside his body instead of going to the because it''s basically a part of him and nobody else. Not even Nyarlathotep could control it...


    He has finally succeeded in merging his with Nyarlathotep''s !


    [Fufufu, congrats, dear husband... So what now? Are you going to kill me after you sever our ''connection''?] Nyarlathotep asked with a chuckle. She doesn''t feel the slightest bit nervous even though Issei could kill her anytime he wanted to now.


    [...] Issei went silent a bit before saying: [...No.]


    [...Oh?] Nyarlathotep asked in surprise.


    [As I said before, I don''t mind you hanging around me as long as you don''t hurt my loved ones. Seeing that so far you have kept your word, I don''t see any reason to kill you.] Issei said simply.


    [...Fufufu, how naive... but... I don''t hate that side of yours...] Nyarlathotep muttered in a low voice.


    Issei smirked slightly at her statement and then he sits cross-legged on the floor before he started to recover his lost mana...


    He greedily absorbs the surrounding energy.


    Esdeath''s group who saw this instantly stand before Issei guarding him.


    "Woman... It''s best if you leave now or I will kill you!" Esdeath said coldly at Qianye Ying''er.


    "...Will he be okay?" Qianye Ying''er asked while frowning. She doesn''t know what she just witnessed but... it''s safe to say what he just created is something extremely powerful beyond her wildest imagination.


    Just recalling that ''sword'' send a shiver down to her spine.


    "Of course our master will be fine. But that doesn''t concern you... Now leave!" Altair chimed in with the same cold tone as Esdeath.


    Sirius doesn''t say anything but she took out her halberd ready to kill anyone who dares to come close to his master. Her eyes are locked onto Qianye Ying''er figure since she''s the only one who''s an outsider here.


    "...Can I somehow serve him alongside the three of you? I don''t have any ill intention towards him." Qianye Ying''er tried asking. If she could somehow become one of his close aides then...


    "Huh? Hahahaha! Does it matter if you have any ill intentions or not? Even if you do, there''s nothing you can do to him with us here!" Esdeath laughed mockingly before she continues saying: "As for you wanting to serve him... Heh, why should Master accept you? There''s nothing he could gain from making you his servant. The three of us are more than enough, we don''t need some unknown woman joining our ranks!"


    "..." Qianye Ying''er clenched her teeth since what Esdeath said is true... The only one who gains profit here will be her and not Issei.


    "...Since I clearly pose no threat to him then it should be fine for me to stay here, right? You yourself said that with the three of you here, there''s absolutely no way I could get close to him." Qianye Ying''er tried to reason with Esdeath.


    "Glib tongue... but, you''re an eyesore to me. That alone is enough reason for us to drive you out." Esdeath then grinned: "If you want to stay then it''s not impossible... I can make use of your body as my experiment subject. How about it? Do you still want to stay?"


    Qianye Ying''er frown deepened before she decided to not push her luck... She can just come back when he''s recovered.


    With that said, she immediately left the place...


    "Hmph, clearly a toad wants to eat the meat of a swan!" Esdeath scoffed at the disappearing figure of Qianye Ying''er.


    "Heheh, if Master were to know that you just described him as a ''swan'', he would''ve punished you for it." Altair chuckled.


    "...That might be not so bad... being punished by Master..." Esdeath muttered with her cheeks reddening.


    "...Pervert." Sirius muttered but Esdeath ignored her.


    Issei is basically ninety percent recovered by this point... It seems that he can go back sooner than he expected...


    ...


    A few days later...


    Bing''er is with Mu Xuanyin while Mu Feixue is currently in closed-door cultivation.


    "Inside your body is the divine soul of Ice Phoenix that was personally bestowed by me in the past, and that divine soul contains the source of my power. It would take an extremely long time to merge the source power of a god into oneself with the body of a human, even if there''s just a wisp of it. You spent a long ten thousand years to only succeed in awakening thirty percent of it, but I can help you awaken seventy percent of its power."


    "Having reached your current level, it would be tremendously difficult to make the slightest bit of progress. It would be very normal to make no progress for a thousand years. Try to hide it from others if you could... If you succeeded, then reaching the is guaranteed."


    "..." Mu Xuanyin''s chest heaved heavily for a moment: "Then, I thank you in advance, Lord Ice Phoenix God."


    Bing''er nodded lightly: "But you must not forget that even if you can reach the itself, you still must not go against ''him''. And don''t do anything unnecessary unless he asked you for it." She warned Mu Xuanyin.


    "Un, I understand. I will surely not go against ''him'' and won''t do anything unnecessary anymore," Mu Xuanyin vowed in a serious voice.


    "It''s good that you understand..."


    It''s almost time for the .


    ...


    The Profound God Convention is about to begin in three days.


    Mu Bingyun and Mu Huanzhi brought the disciples and Xia Qingyue''s group along with them...


    Flying within the seemingly inexhaustible snow blowing all over the place, the profound ark covered forty percent of the territory of the Snow Song Realm, and finally landed on the boundless snowfield.


    This was the southern region of the Snow Song Realm, which was quiet and desolate all year long with only snow flying everywhere. But in the last few months, layer after layer of footmarks had covered the snow piled up at this place.


    The majority of star realms of the God Realm had been opened to others. Profound practitioners from every big star realm, including those from the lower realms, could freely enter or leave them. But it was basically not allowed for anyone from the outside to step into the existences such as king realms, except for those from the Western Divine Region.


    The whole area had the same pale white color, without exception. There was only a dimensional profound formation, which was engraved at the place at some unknown time, rotating at a slow speed. Although it wasn''t releasing a strong profound light, it was still particularly eye-catching.


    "All of you must feel confused why there''s no one else here even though the nearby star realms would also be connected to this dimensional profound formation so that they could go to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm." Mu Huanzhi started explaining: "And that''s because they have already gone over: "The Profound God Convention is about to begin in three days. There''s no way those young profound practitioners, who are going to participate in the Profound God Convention, or the people from other star realms who have received invitations, would leave for the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm at such a late date."


    "This dimensional profound formation was set up here three months ago. Therefore, people from other star realms must have already gone over a long time ago. Arriving there a month before the convention would not be considered early at all. Even the profound practitioners from other sects of the Snow Song Realm, that possess the qualifications to participate, have also gone there quite a long time ago. Among all the lower and middle star realms, we are likely the ones who will arrive last," Mu Huanzhi said with a chuckle.


    "Oh?"


    Mu Bingyun raised her brows all of a sudden and turned around. As if they had also sensed something, Mu Huanzhi and others also turned around at the same time and looked at the sky behind them.


    "This aura¡­ Could it be that¡­"


    Very soon, in the distance, a vague crimson silhouette appeared high in the sky. The crimson silhouette grew increasingly larger as an enormous crimson profound ark appeared before their eyes, which continued to come nearer and nearer. It was actually giving rise to more and more intense heatwaves in the midst of the extreme chilliness that was ever-present within the bounds of the .


    "It??s the Divine Phoenix Wings Ark of the Flame God Realm''s Phoenix Sect!"


    The crimson profound ark flew straight to the area in the sky above the dimensional profound formation and moved in a circle before flying away in the opposite direction. At the same time, several thousand figures descended from the sky. Most of these people were dressed in red and each of them had an incomparably pure and strong aura of fire on their bodies. Following their descent, the snow drifting in the air became much thinner and the chilliness of the place also got driven far away.


    Leading those figures were two people, who were actually Yan Juehai, the sect master of the Phoenix Sect, and Huo Rulie, the sect master of the Golden Crow Sect!


    Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi are standing behind them to fool the other eyes. They don''t want anyone to know that they both are their realm king just yet so they act like they''re a disciple instead...


    "Sect Master Yan, Sect Master Huo? You both¡­" Mu Huanzhi and others were all dumbfounded to see Yan Juehai, Huo Rulie, and the members of the three sects of the Flame God Realm at their back.


    Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie also had surprised looks on their faces. Both parties greeted each other before Yan Juehai swept his gaze over the people of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect and asked in doubt, "People from your esteemed sect are only just setting off for the Profound God Convention? Since the dimensional profound formation was been set up in the Snow Song Realm, I expected that you all would have already left quite a long time ago."


    "It''s truly a coincidence for us to meet here," Mu Huanzhi replied. He was also similarly doubtful about why the people from the Flame God Realm were leaving at such a late date.


    "Where is the young lord?" Huo Rulie started to look around searching for Issei''s figure.


    "Young master said that he has some business to take care of so he won''t be coming with us at the moment." Feng Qianhui said.


    "Oh... I-" Huo Rulie nodded understandingly.


    Huo Rulie''s voice paused suddenly. Staring at them as his eyes widened at once.


    But soon he calmed down since it''s ''them'' they''re talking about here...


    Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan are already at the peak level of the while Feng Qianhui, Gong Yuxian, Cang Yue, and the others are at the seventh level... at least in the onlooker''s eyes that is...


    Mu Xiaolan sadly has only recently reached the since she was too late to join the ''party''. But even then it''s already fast enough by this realm standard.


    All the elders and the core disciples from the Flame God Realm had already focused their attention on Xia Qingyue''s group, openly or secretly.


    They sigh bitterly to themselves seeing how abnormal these girls are... Well, at least their realm king is also abnormal just like them. Both Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi will also be participating in the


    How old were they? Around nineteen to twenties? But here they are already at the ... If that''s not a monstrous genius, they don''t know what is...


    The age restriction for the participants of the Profound God Convention has always been below sixty, but the profound strength restriction was Divine Soul Realm which has been raised to Divine Tribulation Realm this time. Although there''s only one realm difference, it''ll shrink the number of participants by nearly ten thousand times.


    The Profound God Convention usually had several hundred billion profound practitioners participating in the past, but there won''t be any more than fifty million this time.


    This profound strength restriction, in particular, is extremely harsh on the young profound practitioners of the lower star realms. It could be even called a fatal requirement for them. There are only a handful of lower star realms in the Eastern Divine Region that have at least a hundred people with the required qualifications for participating in the Profound God Convention, and many of the weak star realms don''t even have a single qualified person.


    As for the middle star realms, places like the likely have as many as ten thousand people with suitable qualifications. But there aren''t that many middle star realms that have qualified people in such large numbers. And as for the , they are one of those with lower numbers of participants among the middle star realms.


    But Quality over Quantity.


    "Truly amazing... As expected of our young lord I guess..." Huo Rulie said while sighing in admiration.


    Huo Poyun and the other male disciples from the can only look bitterly at their disparity... They don''t dare to be disrespectful towards Xia Qingyue and the others since they''re related to Issei.


    Feng Xue''er and Huan Caiyi are basically a goddess-like existence for the entire but they can only look from afar not daring to look at them straight in the eye...


    Feng Xue''er is known for her gentleness and kindness while Huan Caiyi is known for her intelligence and wits.


    Besides Huo Poyun, Yan Mingxuan, the grandson of Yan Juehai, and Yan Zhuo, the son of Yan Wancang, were also present among the disciples from the Flame God Realm. As they all stepped backward, the group from the Snow Song Realm discovered that there were no less than six thousand disciples from the Flame God Realm that were going to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm in order to participate in the Profound God Convention.


    It was almost ten times the participants from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect!


    This number was still only the total disciples from the Vermillion Bird Sect, the Phoenix Sect, and the Golden Crow Sect. Besides those from the three ruling sects in the Flame God Realm, there were also people from other powers that were no weaker than the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. If their people were also included in the calculation, the difference in the number of participants from the two sides would be much greater than ten times.


    The difference in the overall strength of the Snow Song Realm and the Flame God Realm was clear at a glance... not that it really matters since they''re basically allies at this point.


    The disciples from the Flame God Realm stepped back and lined up behind the group from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.


    Time slowly passed by and the snowstorm didn''t show any signs of stopping, not even for a second. It had been an hour but the dimensional profound formation hadn''t begun to shine yet.


    It was at this time that their spirit sense caught something. They had an indescribable feeling as if the heaven and earth had undergone a subtle change. In front of them, Mu Bingyun had already shifted her eyes slightly sideways as she looked high above in the sky to the south. First, a doubtful expression surfaced in her pupils, which then gradually turned to seriousness.


    People from the Flame God Realm, Huo Rulie, Yan Juehai, and others also shifted their gaze to the sky, one after another.


    They sensed an aura that was barely detectable in the beginning but could still be felt getting closer and closer to them, in an indistinct manner. The gazes of Mu Bingyun, Huo Rulie, and others became increasingly serious. As they looked at each other, they suddenly changed their expressions at the same time.


    "This sword aura¡­ Could it be¡­"


    Feeling something in his surroundings, the disciples raised his head all of a sudden.


    Far-off, high up in the sky, two figures had appeared at some unknown point in time. Or perhaps, the two of them had been there this whole while.


    The old person in the front was dressed in black clothes and had a fair, clean, and gentle looking face, but his hair was pale-white like snow. There was a placid look in his eyes like an old well that hadn''t made a sound for ten thousand years. They seemed as if they had seen a hundred generations and it was simply impossible for there to be even the slightest fluctuations of emotions in them.


    With both hands at his back, his hair flying and clothes fluttering, he appeared like a celestial being from an ancient realm that had stepped into the mortal world.


    Even if a profound practitioner didn''t deliberately release his profound energy, the naturally flowing aura and its field around the practitioner would undoubtedly have an indistinct influence on the snowstorm. But the cold wind blowing past him didn''t deviate in the least and the ice and snow stuck on his body didn''t melt away either. It was as if there was no aura present on his body, or perhaps, his mastery of controlling aura had already reached great heights, making it possible for his aura to be a part of nature itself.


    Standing quietly behind him was a girl that seemed to have come out of a painting. She had an absolutely beautiful face, which also looked indifferent like a clear and deep pool. She was clad in white garments that were even whiter than the cold snow falling all over the place and had a large sword diagonally on her back. The scabbard and the hilt of the sword were bronze-colored and weren''t emitting any aura, but no matter who looked at it they would indescribably get the feeling of primitiveness and antiquity belonging to ancient times.


    "Mu Bingyun from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect of the Snow Song Realm pays respect to Senior Sword Sovereign."


    "Mu Huanzhi from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect pays respect to Senior Sword Sovereign. The arrival of Sword Sovereign here is an undeserving glory to our Snow Song Realm."


    "Yan Juehai, sect master of the Phoenix Sect in the Flame God Realm, pays respect to Senior Sword Sovereign. It''s my good fortune to be able to witness senior''s celestial figure at this place."


    Mu Bingyun was only second to Mu Xuanyin in the Snow Song Realm while not including Issei into the calculation.


    Huo Rulie and Yan Juehai were two of the three great rulers of the Flame God Realm. But they were all bowing to the old person before their eyes and were incomparably respectful.


    Seeing such a scene, all the disciples from the Flame God Realm and Divine Ice Phoenix Sect were so taken aback that they were flabbergasted. But the moment they very clearly heard the two words "sword sovereign," immediately their jaws dropped to the ground in shock.


    "Sword¡­ Sword Sovereign?"


    "Is this for real¡­? Why would Sword Sovereign come to this place¡­?"


    "Oh my heavens¡­"


    "Don''t tell me that person beside Sword Sovereign is¡­"


    The expression of shock appeared on the face of each and every one of them. They looked so stiff, as if they had been frozen by the cold air of this place. Their pupils were quivering as if they were looking up at a deity from above the nine heavens. It was only Xia Qingyue''s group who had no idea what was going on, as they had never heard the name "Sword Sovereign."


    Although, even if they know, they won''t really care that much. Is there any person greater than their young master? The answer is clearly none... Even this so-called "Sword Sovereign" won''t be able to lay a single finger on their young master...


    But without the shadow of the doubt, the old person was absolutely an unimaginably terrifying individual, looking at the attitude of Mu Bingyun and the rest, and the way everyone was extremely shocked at his arrival.


    The old person in black didn''t move in the slightest. He smiled faintly, but there was no fluctuation of emotions in his eyes, "This old man had brought his disciple to a distant place to cultivate. We are passing through your esteemed Snow Song Realm in order to borrow this formation to head to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. I''m very thankful for the help."


    "What are you talking about?" Mu Huanzhi said excitedly. "The arrival of Senior Sword Sovereign is the good fortune of the Snow Song Realm. There is nothing to be thankful about."


    While speaking, Mu Huanzhi prudently shifted his gaze to the girl dressed in white beside the old person. "Could this¡­ be¡­"


    "Haha," The old person in black clothes laughed lightly, as a doting look flashed in his eyes. "She is the little disciple I was talking about, Lei''er."


    The girl carrying the sword gave a slight nod, "Xilei pays respect to the seniors." The expression and tone of the girl were extremely indifferent but Mu Bingyun and the others don''t really care much.


    The gaze of the old person swept over the crowd of people when he suddenly showed a faint surprise. "Oh? Why do I not see Realm King Xuanyin?"


    "Reporting to Senior Sword Sovereign. Sect Master is occupied with some matter, so she won''t be participating in this Profound God Convention." Mu Huanzhi turned his head. "Bingyun, promptly report to Sect Master that Senior Sword Sovereign has arrived here in Snow Song."


    "There''s no need for that," the old person in black said in an indifferent voice.


    "No, the arrival of senior has brought light to our humble Snow Song Realm. Sect Master would absolutely not want to miss such an auspicious opportunity. Furthermore, Sect Master has always extremely revered senior. She would be certainly overjoyed to meet you here in Snow Song."


    By the time she finished her words, there was an ice phoenix engraved jade grasped in her palm, on which chilly rays were flickering.


    "Haha." The old person let out a faint laugh and didn''t stop her again. He quietly stood in the sky, without releasing the least bit of his aura. But it seemed as if he was the only existence left in the word, and even heaven and earth had become a background to his existence.


    "The profound formation hasn''t activated yet. Looks like we will need to wait for a while." The old man said in a light tone. His gaze swept downward and suddenly stopped at Xia Qingyue''s group. Clear fluctuation appeared in his eyes that had always been calm and peaceful until now. Soon after, a slight smile emerged on his face, "And these girls are?"


    "Ah, they''re our sect disciples." Mu Huanzhi hurriedly answered.


    "...I see." The old man nodded with a slight glint in his gaze. How weird, he thought to himself... There''s something a bit off about them but he couldn''t put his hand around it...


    The girl in white beside him also followed his gaze and a look of surprise flashed across her eyes, however, it only existed for an instant before disappearing without a trace.


    Then, her face returned to its former state, with indifference and no expression on it.


    "Lei''er, we''ll be waiting here for a while."


    With his voice drifting in the air, the figure of the black-clothed old person landed on the ground. The girl behind him also followed suit and stood proudly in the midst of the snowstorm with the ancient sword on her back.


    As the Sword Sovereign moved away with the girl, the others naturally didn''t bother them either.


    "He is Jun Wuming, a tremendously well-known peak expert in the God Realm. People call him the ''Sword Sovereign,''" Mu Bingyun narrated.


    "Sword Sovereign¡­ Does that mean that he is the sovereign among all sword practitioners?" Gong Yuxian asked.


    "Correct," Mu Bingyun nodded as she responded in the affirmative. "He is widely acknowledged as the number one sword practitioner in the Eastern Divine Region. It is said that his sword cultivation has reached such a mythical realm that it is unimaginable and unrecognizable by an ordinary person. Not only can he use everything in the world as his sword, but he can also use his will and space as a sword. Moreover, he can even produce a sword from ''nothingness.'' It''s impossible for even me to understand the kind of realm he has reached."


    Xia Qingyue who heard this remembered about the training she had with Issei before. Before long, she concluded that this ''Sword Sovereign'' is still below her young master in terms of strength and sword art alike.


    "Not only has the sword mastery and profound strength of Jun Wuming reached the pinnacle, but his seniority is also the highest in the Eastern Divine Region¡­ He has already lived for fifty thousand years. As for a successor¡­ that girl carrying the ''Nameless'' Sword on her back is his one and only successor." Mu Bingyun continues saying: "She is also one of the ''Four God Children of the Eastern Region, Jun Xilei, the one who is called ''Sword Princess Wu Lei''. And she will also likely be the next ''Sword Sovereign'' of the God Realm."


    RIIIP!


    Intense spatial fluctuation could be sensed all of a sudden from high above in the sky. Soon, a very long spacial crack appeared, after which a chilly aura, that was strong enough to freeze the heaven and earth, gushed out at once.


    "It''s Sect Master!" Mu Huanzhi and others turned around in a hurry.


    The spacial crack split apart as Mu Xuanyin slowly walked out of it. Her unmatched, magnificent appearance caused all the ice and snow to instantly lose both l.u.s.ter and color.


    Her cold eyes took in the group from the Divine Ice Phoenix Divine Sect, but she didn''t say anything and began to walk in the sky. With soundless footsteps, she came over to Jun Wuming and greeted him while bowing slightly. "Mu Xuanyin of Snow Song pays respect to Senior Sword Sovereign and also wishes him a good day. It has been many years since we last met, and senior seems even more splendid than before. Senior arrived in Snow Song, but Xuanyin still didn''t come to welcome you until now. I hope that senior will forgive Xuanyin for the lack of courtesy."


    Mu Xuanyin greeted him as a junior. Although she displayed deep respect, she didn''t lose her bearing as a Realm King.


    "Ah, You''re too considerate." Jun Wuming nodded in approval.


    "It''s such a pity that the Profound God Convention is going to begin in three days. Otherwise, Xuanyin would certainly have senior stay here for a few days to allow Xuanyin show her respect, and so as to let the air in the Snow Song come in contact with senior''s immortal aura as much as possible."


    Jun Wuming said in a soft voice, "It''s enough that you feel so about me. More importantly, many people may be disappointed, since you''ll not be going to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm this time, haha."


    "Lei''er, this is the Realm King of Snow Song whom Master mentioned to you before."


    Mu Xuanyin not only had an absolutely glamorous appearance, the aura around her and her majestic presence was definitely not something that Huo Rulie and others could be compared to. Facing Mu Xuanyin, Jun Xilei also didn''t act as indifferently and casually as earlier, and greeted with a deep bow, "Jun Xilei pays respect to the Snow Song Realm King."


    "This king has long heard the resounding reputation of ''Sword Princess Wu Lei.''"Mu Xuanyin nodded at Jun Xilei lightly, and then her cold eyes turned to Jun Wuming. "I have yet to congratulate Senior Sword Sovereign on finding such a heaven-blessed successor."


    Hearing the words of Mu Xuanyin, a faint smile appeared on the face of Jun Wuming. "Lei''er is still young, but definitely hasn''t ever disappointed this old man. My wish has been fulfilled to be able to get such a successor in my lifetime."


    It was easy to make out that not only did Jun Wuming dote on this successor of his but he was also extremely satisfied with her. Coming from his mouth, the five words "my wish has been fulfilled" carried no less weight than a ten thousand meters high mountain.


    CLANG!


    In the midst of the pale-white surroundings, an even paler profound light shot into the sky all of sudden. The dimensional profound formation everyone had been waiting for so long had finally activated.


    Once they stepped into it, they would arrive at the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm that they''ve dreamt of.


    "The profound formation is active now. Bingyun, Huanzhi, bring all the disciples inside the formation." Mu Xuanyin said.


    "Let''s enter the formation." Mu Bingyun flicked her snow-white sleeve as she lightly carried the disciples towards the dimension of profound formation.


    Jun Xilei was about to stop them from going first but Jun Wuming immediately stopped her since he somehow has a feeling that if he were to let her do as she please... her life will be forfeit.


    ...


    "Master, why did you stop me just now?" Jun Xilei asked while frowning clearly feeling dissatisfied seeing how they enter the portal first before her master.


    "...Master has a feeling that if I were to let you do as you please, we will both lose our lives." Jun Wuming said a single drop of sweat dropped from his face.


    "How¡­ How is that possible?" Jun Xilei blurted out in shock.


    Jun Wuming said with a sigh. If he were to turn around at this time, Jun Xilei would be able to see the trace of fear on his face. "Snow Song Realm King Mu Xuanyin, she¡­ gave me the terrifying feeling that it was impossible to win against her."


    There were only a handful of people in the entire Eastern Divine Region that could make Jun Wuming say the word "terrifying."


    "But the reason for my restlessness was not because of her but rather something else..." He paused for a second: "There''s something... something about those veiled girls that make me feel fear. It''s not they themselves that cause it but rather... something behind them!"


    "¡­" Jun Xilei was thoroughly dumbfounded. She stayed that way for a long while before speaking dazedly, "That should be¡­ a misperception. Perhaps¡­ they employed some kind of trick to put up a false appearance to trick you..."


    "Haha." Jun Wuming laughed bitterly at her words. "Master has lived for fifty thousand years and is familiar with so many methods that could trick one''s eyes, show a fake appearance, or give off a deceptive impression. There is no doubt that the feeling they gave off could not be false."


    "Even their current cultivation is clearly a fake!" He said in a dire voice.


    "What?!" Jun Xilei exclaimed in shock once again.


    "That''s right... their cultivation is not what it seems... Even Master can''t really tell for sure just what is their true cultivation realm is..." Jun Wuming sighed.


    Listening to these words directly from Jun Wuming, Jun Xilei finally understood the reason for him stopping her back then. But she still found it unbelievable and difficult to accept.


    "Even if¡­ Even if ''they'' are truly so powerful, and even that Mu Xuanyin, when it comes to seniority and reputation in the Eastern Divine Region, she is still far, far inferior to Master. Back then, when this disciple visited the Eternal Heaven God Realm with Master, even the Eternal Heaven God Emperor was extremely courteous to you..."


    Jun Wuming responded with a slow shake of his head. "Lei''er, you need to understand something. In this world, your dignity will forever rely on your strength. The place of birth or seniority of a person is of no substance in the face of absolute strength. Do you truly think it''s because of my seniority that Master is so respected and worshiped by the masses? If not for the heights that I have reached in the cultivation of the profound way and achievements in sword mastery, even if my seniority was ten times higher than the other party, they wouldn''t even want to look at me with seriousness."


    Jun Wuming said in a helpless tone. "If the one we were dealing with was just an ordinary middle star realm, let alone affronting the inhabitants, you could even trample them. They wouldn''t resent you in the slightest and instead would be extremely terrified and see you off respectfully but... some things just can''t be explained with simple words... Perhaps it was my misconception but what if it isn''t? If you truly die just because of one simple mistake, it will be all too late for regret... sometimes, you have to follow your instinct above everything else."


    "It doesn''t matter whether you were born earlier or later, you''ll be respected regardless if you become a true achiever. It''s all right to look down upon the weak, but offending the strong will result in suffering fatal consequences¡­ This is also the reason for countless living creatures in the world pursuing a higher and higher profound way in their lifetimes."


    It wasn''t the first time that Jun Xilei was listening to such words, but they shook her heart a hundred times stronger than in the past. However, she was still unable to accept the outcome as she said in a low voice, "It''s impossible for this disciple to have such a high outlook like Master but I will try my best..."


    "Um... Good." Jun Wuming nodded feeling gratified: "But... Seven hundred years ago, although the cultivation level of Mu Xuanyin was astonishing, it was far inferior to mine. It''s absolutely impossible for her to have reached her current realm in the short period of a few hundred years by ordinary means. The reason she isn''t going to the Eternal Heaven God Realm is certainly because she doesn''t want to draw the attention of others... is her sudden rise in strength is related to the those veiled girls?" Jun Wuming said while pondering.


    Jun Wuming decision has indeed saved them because if Jun Xilei were to do what she''s about to do then... Her life will be over in an instant.


    And the reason for that is because there''s an in the shadows protecting Xia Qingyue''s group...


    Even if there wasn''t, Xia Qingyue and the others would ''see'' the attack right away and they will be able to dodge it easily. If their opponent is too much for them then they still have their protective charm... So it''s almost impossible for anyone to harm them much less killing them.


    It was just Issei being overprotective as usual...


    ...


    As they entered the teleportation profound formation, they traveled through vast space, after which their vision brightened all of a sudden. A brand new world had gradually appeared before their eyes.


    The world before their eyes made them dumbfounded.


    It was completely different from all their imaginations. The world before their eyes was pale in color and seemed spacious and empty. They couldn''t see the grandeur or prestige of a king realm, and there wasn''t even a ground to be seen.


    Their surroundings were white and spacious, with no end in sight. Even under their feet was¡­ actually a flat-screen of light.


    There were even rays of light slowly moving inside the screen of light.


    However, there were no unusual expressions on the faces of Mu Bingyun, Mu Huanzhi, and the rest. Mu Huanzhi turned around, "This is an outside world that the Eternal Heaven God Realm has temporarily opened for the Profound God Convention this time. Even though this isn''t the real Eternal Heaven God Realm, this place is very close to it."


    "Follow closely behind me. This isn''t the Snow Song Realm, no one is allowed to wander away by themselves," Mu Huanzhi said in a solemn tone.


    Behind him, Huo Rulie also flew out with Huo Poyun and walked along with the group from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.


    The name Eternal Heaven God Realm alone made people feel an enormous sense of oppression. All the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect that had arrived here were the topmost existences among the young generation of the Snow Song Realm who could go wherever they wanted in their own realm. But once they got here, a feeling of being a lowly existence was elicited in their hearts, even before they could step into the real Eternal Heaven God Realm. With almost every step forward, the feeling grew stronger and stronger.


    Not only the disciples, the auras of all the distinguished elders and palace masters were also clearly experiencing restraint in this place.


    Above the endless screen of light that served as the ground, they could also vaguely see the silhouettes of other profound practitioners. Some were moving in a big group, others only had a few people walking together, and there were even those who were all alone.


    "The Eternal Heaven God Realm was the last one to be ranked as a king realm among the four king realms of the Eastern Divine Region," Mu Bingyun told them in a low tone. "It was originally an upper star realm, but around six hundred thousand years ago, an ancestor with an extremely special physique appeared in the Eternal Heaven God Realm. In the legends from the ancient times, it was said to be a heaven-bestowed physique that received the protection of the heavens, and later it was proved that what was said about the physique was truly more than just a legend."


    "That ancestor who had the heaven-bestowed physique stumbled upon the Eternal Heaven Pearl and even became its owner. Afterward, the entire star realm received the blessing of the Eternal Heaven Pearl, and its name was changed to ''Eternal Heaven Realm.'' Thenceforth, the might of the realm soared rapidly. Not only was it ranked as a king realm, but its overall strength also surpassed that of the Star God Realm and the Moon God Realm. Eventually, it even became the most respected king realm in the Eastern Divine Region."


    "When the Eternal Heaven Ancestor passed away, the Eternal Heaven Pearl still continued to protect the Eternal Heaven God Realm day and night. There are even some absurd rumors that go around frequently, saying that the Eternal Heaven Ancestor from six hundred thousand years ago hasn''t passed away yet, and is assisting the Eternal Heaven Pearl in maintaining its power until now instead. They say the ancestor is hidden within the Eternal Heaven Pearl, which why it has been protecting the Eternal Heaven God Realm all this time."


    "Hahahaha," Listening to Mu Bingyun''s explanation, Mu Huanzhi, who was at her side, began to laugh. "It''s just some casual, fabricated nonsense of some idlers. Only those from the dragon race could have a lifespan of several hundred thousand years. There is no way a human could live for so long."


    Xia Qingyue and the other''s body twitched ever so slightly when they heard the word ''Dragon'' since it''s one of their young master''s true identity...


    The world before their eyes was incomparably spacious and empty, and their line of sight was hindered by a layer of smoke, making it impossible for them to look too far. Xia Qingyue and others followed behind Mu Huanzhi and Mu Bingyun and walked for a long time, but there was still no end in sight.


    "It seems that we really have come too late and the great majority of visitors have already entered the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. I still remember when we arrived at the last Profound God Convention, the whole place was full of noise and activity, and there were as many people as galaxies," Mu Huanzhi said with a sigh.


    "That''s only one of the reasons. Now that the cultivation level of the participants has been restricted to the Divine Tribulation Realm and above, it has resulted in an extreme reduction of their numbers, and is the primary reason for so few people to be here at this time," Mu Bingyun said.


    "Palace Master Bingyun, what is that?" One of the disciples asked.


    "That is the Eternal Heaven Tower," Mu Bingyun replied. "It''s the tallest tower in the God Realm, towering fifteen thousand kilometers into the firmament."


    "Fifteen¡­ thousand kilometers?" Hearing the words, all the disciples from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect gasped in shock.


    The distance of fifteen thousand kilometers was very high even for profound practitioners of divine way, and such a height could only be described as inconceivable.


    "Hahaha," Huo Rulie laughed aloud as he came over with big strides. "The Eternal Heaven Tower isn''t a ''true'' tower, but actually a special projection from the Eternal Heaven Pearl. It is said that its true self is located within the ''Eternal Heaven Divine Realm,'' the internal area inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl. The Eternal Heaven Pearl is right below the Eternal Heaven Tower that you''re seeing right now."


    With that, Huo Rulie shifted his gaze sideways as he said loudly, "Poyun, if you can get the qualification to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm at this Profound God Convention, then you''ll most likely be cultivating inside the Eternal Heaven Tower for three years¡­ Oh, no, no, three years according to the passage of time in the mortal world, which will be three thousand years in the Eternal Heaven Tower. Being able to cultivate inside the Eternal Heaven Tower will definitely be far better than cultivating for ten thousand years in the outside world. Do you get it?"


    Huo Poyun said with a solemn look, "Master, rest easy. Poyun will certainly not fail Master''s expectations or his own self."


    "That''s good to hear, hahahaha." Huo Rulie let out a loud laugh and continued to walk forward with big strides.


    They didn''t bother trying to give some encouraging words to Feng Xue''er and the others because they don''t need to... Do they even need it at this point when their backer is ''him''?


    They mean, look at it... it''s just a few weeks ever since their last arrival on the God Realm and their cultivation was at the bottom but here they are already at the second-highest amongst them...


    Trying to encourage them will only bring shame upon themselves...


    Then they resumed their journey...

 Chapter 137 - 136

    It was at this time that an obscure and enormous force enshrouded the place below from out of the blue sky.


    They subconsciously turned their head around. Far off in the distance behind them, there was a huge profound ark high up in the sky¡­ Precisely speaking, it was a huge palace that was slowly flying over. It looked fifty kilometers long at a glance. Approaching the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, although the huge palace was flying at a very slow speed, the feeling of coercion it gave off was as vast as the sun rising in the sky, hastening the heartbeats of others and frightening their souls.


    "Divine Martial Heavenly Palace!"


    The low cries from Mu Huanzhi and Huo Rulie resounded at the same time.


    "Divine Martial Heavenly Palace? Is it the¡­ main profound warship of the Divine Martial Realm that Master talked about?" Huo Poyun exclaimed in a low voice.


    Divine Martial Realm? Huan Caiyi was reminded of something.


    Her young master supposedly wiped out that Black Soul Divine Sect or something and Caiyi decided to send someone to investigate it a little bit and found out that the Divine Martial Realm has some influences over them.


    She found out that the Divine Martial Realm was the secret backer of the Black Soul Divine Sect and involved in hunting the Wood Spirit Race and collecting their Wood Spirit Orb.


    She was going to tell her young master about it but since he seems quite busy nowadays, she decided to hold on to this piece of information.


    When Issei gets ahold of this information, in the near future, the Divine Martial Realm will also join the Black Soul Divine Sect fate...


    "Correct." Huo Rulie slowly nodded his head. "It''s no surprise for the Divine Martial Realm to arrive at this time. There aren''t that many upper star realms which are allowed to land their profound warsh.i.p.s inside the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. The Divine Martial Realm will naturally not let go of such an opportunity to display its might."


    "I''ve heard that an extraordinary genius called Wu Guike has appeared among the young children of the Realm King of the Divine Martial Realm. The Divine Martial Realm will definitely be a strong contender in the peak level battle that is going to be held in this Profound God Convention," Mu Bingyun said slowly.


    Strong contender? Does it even matter? When her young master knows of their deeds then no matter how strong their realm is... the only outcome is death.


    The Divine Martial Heavenly Palace slowly headed forward as it flew to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, but one could still feel incredible might from it. Suddenly, another feeling of coercion descended from the sky, which actually eclipsed the imposing manner of the Divine Martial Heavenly Palace in an instant. It scared everyone to such an extent that they came to a halt.


    "What¡­ What is that thing?" Almost every disciple from the Divine Ice Phoenix Divine Sect shouted in surprise.


    Above the boundless firmament, an enormous, black silhouette was roaming at a slow pace. Looking fixedly at it, it surprisingly turned out to be a huge, completely pitch-black whale! The body of the whale was two hundred to two hundred and fifty kilometers long. Like a world-exterminator level enormous beast that could swallow the entire heaven and earth at any time, it was overlooking the tiny and lowly land and the living beings present upon it.


    "Shrouding Sky Whale! Shrouding Sky Realm has also come¡­ Wait a moment, look over there!"


    Behind the huge whale was a bit smaller but several times faster shadow that passed by the huge whale and overtook it. To everyone''s surprise, it was a huge, greenish-black hawk that was one hundred and fifty to two hundred kilometers long.


    As the huge hawk flitted by, another huge silhouette gradually came closer and closer. It was an incomparably enormous profound ark that was five hundred kilometers in length, blotting out the sky and the sun. Every time it moved a bit further, it would cause changes in the flow of the wind and clouds.


    "Primal Chaos Hawk of the Glazed Light Realm!"


    "Star Destroyer Warship of the Holy Eaves Realm!"


    Huo Rulie, Mu Huanzhi, and others had completely stopped moving any further. They looked up at the sky with faces full of shock. Those disciples from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect were even more shaken than them. Each and every one of them utterly flabbergasted as if they were drawing closer to an illusory realm.


    "They are¡­ profound beasts?" One of the disciples asked in bewilderment. She had never seen or even heard about several kilometers long aerial whales or hawks.


    "Of course, they are," Mu Bingyun said in a light tone. "That huge whale is called , the guardian divine beast and main profound warship of the . That huge hawk is called , the exclusive ride of the great Realm King of the Glazed Light Realm. However, those profound beasts are somewhat different from those you know about. Precisely speaking, they are ."


    "Profound Beasts¡­ of Absolute Beginning? " Absolute beginning? Could it be the ? Isn''t that place is the place where their young master often goes to nowadays?


    "It''s because they originate from a place called the that they''re called ." Huo Rulie butted in their conversation without any reservation. Afterward, he waved his hand, "But you don''t need to know too much. Even I wouldn''t dare enter a place such as the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, so it''s still quite unnecessary for you to-... Err, seeing your expression... all of you don''t seem too shocked about this?"


    His words stopped midway when he saw the awkward look Xia Qingyue''s group giving him. Even his realm kings also look at him in the same way...


    "That''s because young master often goes there... and the very same ''Elixir'' he gave you before to cure your son''s illness is also from there." Huan Caiyi said softly.


    "..."


    "..."


    Both Huo Rulie and Mu Bingyun went silent after hearing her words. The corner of their face started twitching ever so slightly.


    The other disciples who are behind them had a look of confusion on their faces when they saw their interaction.


    "*C-Cough* A-Anyway... as for the Primal Chaos Hawk, I do seem to have heard some information regarding it around a month ago," Huo Rulie said after faking a cough when he realizes the gazes of the disciples on him. He doesn''t want to spill anything unnecessary to those who are unrelated. "The Realm King of Glazed Light has already given that hawk to her little daughter as her birthday gift when she turned fifteen. But I don''t know whether it''s true or false."


    "The Glazed Light Realm King has personally brought the Primal Chaos Hawk back from the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, and never let anyone else make any use of it. But if that hawk has been given to the ''little daughter'', that wouldn''t be surprising at all." Mu Bingyun added.


    Mu Huanzhi slowly nodded his head.


    "The Glazed Light Realm¡­ is it that Glazed Light Realm where ''Fairy Yingyue,'' one of the Four God Children of the Eastern Region, originates from?" Thinking of something, Huo Poyun cried in a low voice. "Is Master talking about her?"


    "No¡­" Huo Rulie shook his head with a complicated expression in his eyes. It seemed as if he wanted to say something but decided otherwise. Eventually, he could only say, "Don''t let your mind be distracted by such thoughts before the Profound God Convention."


    "Understood, Master," Huo Poyun at once replied and didn''t ask any more concerning the matter.


    Rather than saying that Huo Rulie didn''t want Huo Poyun to be distracted by unnecessary thoughts, it''d be better to say that he didn''t want to increase the pressure on him for no good reason¡­ Their two realm kings and these ''girls'' are more than enough to serve as ''pressure''.


    But that ''little daughter'' was indeed an odd existence that made all the heaven-favored extraordinary geniuses of the God Realm feel inferior.


    "Star Destroyer Battleship of the Holy Eaves Realm, Primal Chaos Hawk of the Glazed Light Realm, and Shrouding Sky Whale of the Shrouding Sky Realm. It appears as if they collaborated for these three great realms to actually arrive here at the same time," Mu Huanzhi said.


    "Matters related to such high-level realms as those three aren''t something we should be concerned about, let''s go," Mu Bingyun shifted her gaze away as she said indifferently.


    "I told you about the ''Four God Children of the Eastern Region'' earlier. Besides Jun Xilei, the successor of the Sword Sovereign, the other three come from these three great realms," Mu Bingyun said. "Luo Changsheng of the Holy Eaves Realm, Shui Yingyue of the Glazed Light Realm, Lu Lengchuan of the Shrouding Sky Realm¡­ In this session of the Profound God Convention, the focus will still be on these three great realms. Even other realms with the status of an upper star realm like those three, can only grudgingly accept being overshadowed by their brilliance."


    Her word "still" undoubtedly showed that the same situation had already continued for many, many years. For many generations, these three great star realms had remained towering and unshakable like three great mountains of the Eastern Divine Region... Until now that is...


    Mu Bingyun gave Xia Qingyue''s group a glance before she sighed to herself... It looks like there will be a giant ripple created by these girls... And there''s still ''him'' as well.


    Having traveled for over two hours, they still could only see the vague figure of the "Eternal Heaven Tower" just as when they first caught sight of it. It seemed as if they hadn''t taken even a step towards it all along. But the place ahead of them was no longer spacious and empty. There were countless screens of light soaring into the sky that had the effect of blocking their line of sight. However, they were spread out in such a manner that it made the surroundings appear like a dreamy and indistinct bizarre world.


    Xia Qingyue''s group arrival attracts a lot of attention to themselves because they''re like phoenixes amongst chickens.


    Whether it''s their temperament or their figure, many male onlookers become captivated at their sight...


    There was a figure standing at the bottom of every screen of light, some were boys and some were girls. Carrying all the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect, Mu Bingyun and Mu Huanzhi headed over to the nearest screen of light. Mu Bingyun walked forward as she greeted, "Divine Ice Phoenix Sect of the Snow Song Realm. We have received the invitation to visit Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, and have also brought disciples to participate in the Profound God Convention."


    The girl before the screen of light took the invitation card and greeted them gracefully, "So it''s the honored guests from Snow Song. Honored guests, please wait for a moment. I''ll at once have someone show seniors in. Those participating in the Profound God Convention, please use your hand to come in contact with the screen of light. You''ll be allowed to enter the convention as a participant once you satisfy the qualification requirements."


    Mu Bingyun returned her greeting with a nod. Mu Huanzhi had already started to have the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect stand in order.


    "We''ll be separating for the time being," Mu Bingyun specifically went over to the girls as she told them, "I will be entering the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm ahead of all of you with the Great Elder and the others. You girls and the other disciples of the sect will be sent to the site where the preliminary competition will be held. As for the site of the competition, you will come to know of it only after you get there."


    "Put your hand on the screen of light. If you qualify, you''ll be able to go inside."


    The girls nodded in understanding, after which they in turn stretched out their hand and placed it on the light screen in front of them.


    Xia Qingyue is the one who goes first.


    A wisp of undetectable blue light immediately covered her palm. Then, it spread to her whole body and disappeared with a flash.


    At once, clearly visible words emerged on the screen of light before her eyes.


    Lifespan: Twenty years.


    Cultivation: Tenth level of the Divine Spirit Realm.


    Xia Qingyue''s closed eyes stirred briefly since this thing fail to detect her true cultivation.


    It was at the same time that a clear soul voice resounded in her mind: Please imprint your name and place of origin.


    "Xia Qingyue, Snow Song Realm." Xia Qingyue answered calmly.


    After a moment, Xia Qingyue opened her eyes and said to Mu Bingyun, "Palace Master Bingyun, I can enter inside now."


    "Um, good. You can go ahead first if you want or you can wait for the others." Mu Bingyun said.


    Huo Rulie gave Huan Caiyi and Feng Xue''er a look before he received a signal from Huan Caiyi to which he gave a silent nod.


    "Poyun, you go too." Huo Rulie pushed Huo Poyun to the front of the screen of light.


    After the girls finished registering their cultivation, the girl before the screen of light said in a light tone. "Once you enter the competition site, you won''t be able to get out before the end of the preliminary competition. No personal fights are allowed before the Profound God Convention. Otherwise, your qualification will be canceled right there and then, and you''ll be kept in isolation until the end of preliminary competition. Please be sure to keep this firmly in mind."


    The girl spoke very gently, but each and every word of hers contained an irresistible majesty.


    Finally being able to stand in front of the large entrance of the Profound God Convention, all the people had nervous and excited looks on their faces. In comparison, the girls also have a serious look on their faces since they''re a bit concerned about their achievements at the Profound God Convention.


    They wanted to make their young master proud and given a chance to repay his benevolence.


    As they lightly willed in their mind to transfer over to the other side, their body was immediately enveloped in blue light and an abrupt alteration soon happened in the world before their eyes.


    ...


    As the blue light flashed, the world around them changed irregularly. When they opened their eyes, it was the site for the preliminary competition that they saw after being transferred over, where all the young geniuses of God Realm had been gathered together.


    The ground was withered and yellow, and the whole place was full of grand and primitive buildings that were dilapidated to a great extent. Besides them, the disciples from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect appeared one after another. When they looked at the world they had been transferred to, the excited and nervous expressions in their eyes gradually changed to surprise.


    The place before them was clearly an ancient and primitive city that had been desolate for a long period of time. They didn''t see what they initially expected of a "site for the preliminary completion."


    "Isn''t this¡­ an abandoned ancient city?" One of the disciples said.


    "According to master, as this Profound God Convention is being held within the Eternal Heaven Pearl, we''ll be sent to the internal world of the Eternal Heaven Pearl for the preliminary competition." Huo Poyun said, "Therefore, it''s very likely that this isn''t the place selected for competition, and we have just been sent here for the time being, before the start of the competition... and..."


    It was naturally not only them that were present here, but powerful auras were also continuously coming from all directions. As one needed to be at least of the Divine Tribulation Realm to enter this place, this meant that profound practitioners of the Divine Tribulation Realm or even the Divine Spirit Realm, who were difficult to see during ordinary times, could be found everywhere in this world.


    However, they didn''t all go exploring and the majority of them were just sitting upright in place. They were calming down their hearts and auras, as they did their final and most important preparations before the great battle.


    Huo Poyun''s voice abruptly grew weak since he caught a glimpse of the girls'' exposed feature caused by the wind lifting their veils, but then he immediately snapped out of it and doesn''t dare take another look at them.


    On the other side, all the disciples from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect had assembled at a place under the lead of Mu Hanyu who is Mu Huanzhi personal disciple. He nervously came over to Xia Qingyue''s group location and stammeringly speaks. "J-Junior sister Xia Qingyue, we''ve just found a quiet place. W-Will you be coming with us?"


    "No." Xia Qingyue shook her head.


    "O-Oh, alright." Mu Hanyu nodded in disappointment. He didn''t say anything else as he turned around and left.


    When a person who was always indifferent to the emotions between men and women suddenly started having feelings for someone, their feelings would often be extremely intense and deep, and they might not feel the same way another time in their lives. So, Huo Poyun and the other male disciples losing themselves in front of Xia Qingyue and the others are completely normal...


    But at the very least, they know that they''re out of their reach since Xia Qingyue''s group seemingly have already found their someone special... They felt bitter about it but there''s really nothing they can do since the other party is someone who''s far stronger than their respective Master.


    "...Will he be coming soon?" Mu Feixue went over to Xia Qingyue''s side and asked softly.


    "He?" Xia Qingyue asked in confusion at first but then she comes to a realization and immediately knows that she''s talking about their young master.


    "Um... Young master said that he will arrive later." Xia Qingyue gives a light nod at Mu Feixue.


    "I see." Mu Feixue said softly before she started to walk away from their group.


    Faraway, Mu Feixue stopped in her tracks. She turned around as she looked back from time to time.


    Xia Qingyue and the others give a sigh at this since it looks like their young master has just earned another pursuer...


    As Xia Qingyue and the others were sighing wryly to themselves, a group of people headed in their direction at a moderate pace all of a sudden. They were a group of young profound practitioners that were dressed in similar clothes. Each and every one of them had an extraordinary temperament, and their auras were each more powerful than the next. However, such a group of genius profound practitioners, each of whom could command a great reputation in a large region of any star realm, were actually following behind a single person like a myriad of stars surrounding the moon.


    At the forefront was a young man clad in golden clothes with an absolutely handsome appearance. There was an air of nobility about him as well as some evilness. His shining golden clothes were extraordinary goods, without a shadow of a doubt. His pupils contained the same haughtiness as the sky looking down on the earth. Although it was only the topmost geniuses who could enter this world, he still had such an attitude in front of them.


    He saw Xia Qingyue''s group and become rooted on the spot for a long time. Even his followers also share the same fate as him...


    After taking almost everything he has just to break free from his daze, he flashed a gentlemanly smile before he resumed his steps in an even more exaggerated manner...


    Ah... he''s that "type"... Chu Yuechan and the others who have knowledge of men''s behavior thought to themselves.


    He''s the fake gentleman type to be precise... He will act like he''s not captivated by their beauties and free of impure thoughts but sadly for him, he failed from the start...


    Xia Qingyue''s group suddenly perceived something and almost subconsciously raised their head at the same time.


    There was a very young girl who looked only thirteen or fourteen years old. She was dressed in a long and black half-sleeve skirt that was spread out. Her black hair was fluttering in the wind that hung down past her waist and reached as far as her ankles. There was a black butterfly-shaped sash firmly tied around her lovely and thin waist, and even the jadelike shoes that she had put on were reflecting dim light like that from black crystals.


    She appeared like a lovely and small fairy that had walked out of a dark night. A dangerously mysterious feeling was gushing out from both her black hair and black skirt. Her skin looked shiny and white as if it was made of jade and porcelain, which made her emit charm in her surrounding that completely didn''t match her age.


    The girl really wasn''t on her own. There was also a girl besides her who seemed less than twenty years old. She was clad in a light blue long skirt, the lower-half of which fluttered like water as she flew in the sky, inadvertently outlining her lithe and graceful figure. Her jade-like face was extremely beautiful, but there was a touch of chilliness to it. Furthermore, it was releasing a sacred and inviolable aura that would make one feel a sense of inferiority just at a glance.


    The girl in the black skirt looked over to them. She has a pair of bright and clear eyes, like that of a newborn baby.


    Without any sound, the world seemed to have frozen suddenly. Everything else in their surroundings quietly faded away and disappeared, little by little. In their field of vision, inside their world at this instant, it was only that pair of starry eyes that they could see now.


    Xia Qingyue and the others frowned a little when they saw her eyes... there''s something odd about it but they can''t really tell why but there''s an illusory feeling coming out of her.


    It was as if they had fallen into the midst of an endlessly dark night.


    They concentrated their mind. Immediately, the illusionary feeling of dropping into a world of the endless night disappeared.


    The girl in the sky let out a light sound of surprise.


    "What is it?" the girl in blue skirt beside her looked over as she asked in puzzlement.


    "Big Sis, let''s go down."


    Huo Poyun who didn''t realize anything watched in surprise as the two girls descended from the sky. Like fairies from high up in the clouds arriving on the ground, they came over to their location.


    "..." The girl in blue started to understand the reason why her little sister suddenly drags her down here. This group of girls is extremely powerful... but what''s weird is that she could barely sense their profound strength.


    The girl in blue had a dire expression on her face when she realizes this. Just who are they? She has never heard anything about them before this and with their current strength, they should be a well-known figure of some sort.


    As for the man beside them... he was emitting an intense aura of flame had astonishingly high profound strength but if he''s compared to these group of woman then he''s quite weak in comparison.


    "Big sister, can you tell me your name?" Her little sister asked all of a sudden. As her body was too petite, she had to lift her head up to look straight into Xia Qingyue''s eyes.


    The girl had a faint smile across her face and was extremely cute.


    "Xia Qingyue." Xia Qingyue answered calmly.


    "Xia Qingyue? Big sis, you have a beautiful name! And the other big sisters? Who are they?" The girl pursued asking.


    "...They are my sisters." Xia Qingyue replied after a little bit of thinking.


    "Ah?" The girl let out a confused voice at first but soon nodded lightly. She thought that Xia Qingyue''s group must be from some kingdom somewhere just like her and their father is an emperor with multiple concubines.


    Her pitch-black eyes were still very seriously looking at them as if she wanted to see through everything about them but to no avail. "Have all of you also come to participate in the Profound God Convention?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh... Let''s do our best then!"


    Having finished her words, she let out a sweet laugh. Afterward, she pulled the hand of the girl in blue beside her. "Big Sis, let''s go."


    "..." The girl in blue gave the girls a deep glance but didn''t say anything. She pulled the little hand of the other girl and flew away.


    "Wait a moment!" It was at this time that Huo Poyun, who had been indescribably silent all this while, called out all of a sudden. "Umm¡­ you¡­ little sister, this humble one is Huo Poyun from the Flame God Realm. Could you tell me your current¡­ age?"


    The girl in the black skirt turned her head around. She said with a sweet smile, "Although I look very young, I turned fifteen last month and am no longer a child. Big Brother Poyun, you also do your best at the Profound God Convention."


    "¡­" Huo Poyun gave a numb nod.


    The two girls left soon after that...


    "Do you recognize those two sisters? Or perhaps you have a guess about their identities?" Huan Caiyi inquired.


    Huo Poyun had a greater understanding of the God Realm, compared to her, so it might be possible for him to know about them. His strange reaction evidently showed that their identities were extremely important.


    Huo Poyun flung his head backward and said suddenly, "Reporting to realm king. That girl in blue clothes gave off an oppressive feeling to me. Her cultivation level is by no means lower than Jun Xilei, the successor of the Sword Sovereign we met earlier."


    "Oh? Is she one of the ?" Huan Caiyi asked casually.


    "Among the Four God Children of the Eastern Region, two are females. Jun Xilei, the successor of Sword Sovereign, and the other one is ''Fairy Yingyue,'' the daughter of the Glazed Light Realm King. The clothes she had on were quite similar to master''s description of Glazed Light Immortal Clothing that is unique to the Glazed Light Realm. Hence, she should be one of the Four God Children of the Eastern Region, Shui Yingyue!"


    "I see." Huan Caiyi nodded slightly: "What about that little girl? To me, that little girl is more abnormal than her big sister."


    "This... Poyun agrees with realm king but sadly Poyun doesn''t recognize her at all..." Huo Poyun scratched his head in embarrassment.


    Although that girl who barely reaches fifteen is a ''monster'' in her own right. Poyun still thinks that his two realm king is even more monstrous...


    "Hm, forget it then." Huan Caiyi said in dismissal before she and the others started to meditate on the spot.


    Huan Caiyi and the others know that if it wasn''t for their young master help, they will never be able to content against anyone in this profound god convention. So they didn''t belittle anyone they came across...


    ...


    "Meiyin, what do you think about those girls?"


    They hadn''t flown very far away when the girl in blue clothes questioned the girl beside her. Her tone was cautious because she very clearly knew that the girl she was pulled by the hand wouldn''t do anything without a reason. Moreover, it was so extremely rare for her to take the initiative to approach another person.


    "That group of big sisters is extremely powerful... and also a bit strange," the little girl replied.


    "Strange? How so?"


    "Let me describe them this way, they are more powerful than they seem to Big Sis¡­ and a lot more powerful than that. I also can''t describe their strangeness with words, which is precisely the reason that I found them very strange." The little girl had a broad forehead, and she appeared to be pondering something as she crooked her head. However, there was an unquestionable certainty in her tone.


    Not only were the words of the girl inexplicable, but they also sounded quite insensible. Such words would only get ignored with a laugh, but the girl in blue clothes knitted her brows slightly as if she didn''t doubt her in the least. "Looks like either they are unusually talented, or they are cultivating some special profound art."


    "It looks like you will have a hard time going against them big sis... especially that Xia Qingyue and the other three." The girl said in a dire tone. The other "three" she''s talking about is Huan Caiyi, Feng Xue''er, and Chu Yuechan.


    The little girl thought about it a bit before suddenly saying, "Oh right! Just a while ago, they could stare into my eyes, and for quite a long time too."


    "They dared to look straight into your eyes?"


    The girl in blue revealed an expression several times more surprised than before. "Could they be someone with unusually strong mental strength? But... to think that all of them could possess that kind of mental strength... It looks like we need to keep an eye on them for the time being."


    "Um... and I also think that Xia Qingyue and the others have some sort of divine bloodline inside their body and they should have been bestowed a large amount of Divine Spirit essence. Besides, there is also some essence of a dragon mixed in within if I''m mistaken... as for what kind of dragon is it... I don''t know. I can tell that one of them has more dragon essence than the others though."


    "Don''t underestimate any of them, big sis... Even if some of their cultivation seems like they''re only at the seventh level of the Divine spirit realm."


    No matter who it was, the difference between the seventh and tenth level would seem huge enough to be absolutely unsurpassable, if not a world of difference. Such words, especially coming from a fifteen-year-old girl, would normally only be treated as a joke.


    However, the girl in blue fell silent. Afterward, she slightly nodded her head, "I''ve got it. Looks like this session of the Profound God Convention is indeed full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons."


    If the girls could hear their conversation then they would''ve feel amazed since this girl deduction is quite accurate.


    Chu Yuechan being the one who possesses the highest dragon essence since she receives the complete Azure Primordial Dragon legacy. As for the other girls, they only receive a tiny portion of Issei''s Dragon essence but even that is enough to almost defeat the complete Azure Primordial Dragon legacy...


    But then again... Issei never taught them the perfect concealment magic in the first place. If he taught them his concealment magic then not even Xiaotao and Lieyan could discover it.


    Time slowly passed by, and the date of the Profound God Convention drew closer and closer. The Eastern Divine Region became increasingly quiet, and the people of the nine thousand star realms as well as countless profound practitioners lifted their heads in expectation.


    The convention was the highest standard and the highest level grand gathering of profound practitioners in the Eastern Divine Region. Furthermore, this session of the Profound God Convention was the most special one in their history.


    Just being able to have the qualification to participate was in itself an honor to the vast majority of profound practitioners and sects. If they could get a good rank at the convention, even if it was only in the preliminary competition, it would be enough for them to shine with supreme glory throughout their lives.


    Even the honored star realms would look forward to changing the level and standing of their realms.


    On this day, it was finally time for the Profound God Convention to begin.


    The firmament vibrated, following which the Voice of Eternal Heaven resounded as it shook the sky, and traveled through the entire battlefield for the preliminary competition, as well as to every corner of the Eastern Divine Region.


    "The time for the Profound God Convention has come again after a short period of seven hundred years. This session of the Profound God Convention will be different from those in the past. Not only will it display the graceful poise of the current young generation, but it will also possibly be the stage to determine the future of the Eastern Divine Region."


    "The minimum cultivation for this Profound God Convention has been set at the Divine Tribulation Realm. A total of fifty-one million three hundred twenty thousand people have entered the battlefield for the preliminary competition. They are all the outstanding young profound practitioners of the Eastern Divine Region, excluding those from the king realms."


    Over fifty million participants might sound like an enormous figure, but compared to the hundred trillion profound practitioners of the nine thousand star realms in the Eastern Divine Region, it was actually an extremely small number. Each of these more than fifty million profound practitioners, who had the qualification to enter the Profound God Convention, was an undisputed genius. Those from the lower and middle star realms, in particular, were capable enough to be well-known in a large region.


    For example, anyone who reached the Divine Tribulation Realm before turning sixty in the Snow Song Realm would have the qualification to join the Ice Phoenix Divine Hall, the highest level establishment for the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.


    "The number of participants in this session of the Profound God Convention is quite a bit lower than in the past, so the arrangement of the competition is also different. The Eternal Heaven Pearl will be the battlefield for the preliminary battles¡­"


    Although they were all aware that Eternal Heaven Pearl would be the battlefield three years ago, hearing it again still made all the participating profound practitioners visibly excited. This was also undoubtedly one of the main reasons for which countless profound practitioners cultivated with all their might, and didn''t hesitate to pay any price to reach the Divine Tribulation Realm in order to participate in the Profound God Convention. They were not really hoping to get a decent rank, but instead only wanted to come into contact with the aura and laws of nature inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl, as it was a tremendous opportunity that one might not get in even ten thousand lifetimes.


    After all, the Eternal Heaven Pearl was from the Primordial Era, and could be at a god level¡­ or possibly even be a higher-level thing than a True God.


    But, the following words of the Voice of Eternal Heaven, poured cold water on the listeners all of a sudden.


    "¡­Projections of all the profound practitioners that are participating in the battle will enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl. They will all be complete projections that can carry everything the participants have along with them. Besides the point that no one will truly lose their lives, there will be no harm to their real bodies, no matter what happens inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl.


    The participating profound practitioners were dumbstruck. So by "Eternal Heaven Pearl will be the battlefield," it was actually their projections that were meant to enter the internal world of the Eternal Heaven Pearl, and not their bodies¡­? Since it would be just a projection, it was extremely unlikely that they would be able to perceive any aura or laws of nature.


    The next words of the Voice of Eternal Heaven made numerous profound practitioners feel a chilly sensation in their hearts.


    "In the first round of the preliminary battle, all participating profound practitioners will have their projections randomly assigned to a thousand different preliminary battlefields. There will be an equal number of people in all battlefields, and only ten can emerge victorious from every battlefield; the rest of the participants will be eliminated, without exception!"


    WHOAAAA!!!


    As if they had been suddenly struck by lightning, the whole Eastern Divine Region became agitated.


    There were a thousand battle zones in total. Only ten people could be victorious in each one and the rest would be completely eliminated¡­ It meant that on an average, only one in five thousand would be able to succeed in this preliminary battle!


    Eventually, only ten thousand practitioners would be able to progress through the preliminaries, and over fifty million people would get eliminated!


    Such an elimination rate was far higher than what one would use the word exaggerated to describe. It was simply inhuman.


    The elimination percentage in the first round of the Profound God Convention was also very high in the past, but the selection rate was still no less than one in hundred, which was far, far less exaggerated than this time.


    "As the minimum cultivation has been restricted to the Divine Tribulation Realm for this session of the Profound God Convention, only fifty million profound practitioners were qualified enough to participate, each and every one of whom is a genius¡­ Isn''t it too cruel to only select one in five thousand in the very first round of the competition?"


    "To get rid of all but ten thousand in the first round, th-th-this¡­"


    "This session of Profound God Convention is indeed not for those who are only strong, but the topmost level youngsters of the Eastern Divine Region. Although the rest of them are all undisputed geniuses, they can only serve as the foil for those at the top." An old person, who had experienced several sessions of the Profound God Convention, lamented while letting out a sigh.


    "It seems like we will all get eliminated in the first round of preliminaries." Mu Hanyu looked at all of his junior brothers and junior sisters, as he said with regret.


    "But at least we can put our hopes in Junior sister Xia and the others." But then he set his gaze on Xia Qingyue''s group who seems perfectly calm despite the announcement.


    It wasn''t that he was underestimating the group he was leading. Among the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect that were participating in the convention this time, he and Mu Feixue were the ones with the highest profound strength, who was only at the tenth level of the Divine Tribulation Realm. Such cultivation was considered top-notch in the Snow Song Realm, but at the Profound God Convention, let alone the top ten thousand, it was almost impossible to be ranked among the top hundred thousand with such cultivation.


    It looks like their realm king has already anticipated this outcome hence why she said that they should observe Xia Qingyue''s group later on...


    Mu Xuanyin admits that even with her doing her best to help Mu Feixue, in the end, her capabilities are not as heaven-defying as Issei.


    It''s just her silly pride trying to do her best not wanting to ask for Issei help whenever she has the chance...


    Issei wouldn''t really mind helping Mu Feixue and the others but since they never ask then he won''t offer help on his own either.


    "But this year Profound God Convention is truly odd. It''s completely different from what we have heard about the previous sessions. For only ten thousand people to be able to pass the first round¡­ I feel that we''ve come here just to make up numbers," A disciple of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect said with a bitter smile.


    "Don''t think too much about it. We just need to follow our great realm king order and the Profound God Convention is held once every three thousand years, and it''s an extremely great opportunity to have the fortune to be able to participate in it. Treat this convention as the highest standard trial in your life so far. Although we''re bound to be eliminated, we will still be ranked according to our performances¡­ Don''t bring disgrace to yourself and the sect! Go all out!" Mu Hanyu said in a solemn voice.


    "Yes! Senior Brother is right!" the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect responded in unison. Their fighting spirits were burning fiercely, as they waited for the cruel preliminary battle that was about to start.


    "It''s going to begin." Huo Poyun looked up at the sky above. His eyes were blazing as his fighting spirit rose.


    The girls who heard his voice opened their eyes and waited for the match to begin.


    The Eastern Divine Region was in a state of extreme unrest while the Voice of Eternal Heaven paused for a bit. Numerous white rays of light came falling down from the sky and enveloped the bodies of all participating profound practitioners.


    Immediately, the world around them turned pale white, but the white light dispersed right after. A subtle change happened in the aura coming from their surroundings, making it clear to them that they had arrived in another world.


    Furthermore, it wasn''t their real bodies that had arrived in this place, but just their projections.


    A thought surfaced in their minds on its own:


    "Battle Zone 9."


    Xia Qingyue who has been separated from the others opened her eyes and looked around her. This place was also an ancient city. Dilapidated walls could be seen everywhere, the vast sky was ash-colored, and the ground was also dried up. It was an abandoned ghost town that didn''t really look the same as the place from before but did feel very similar.


    Looking far off into the distance, several kilometers away, there clearly existed an enormous barrier. The barrier appeared to have fully covered the abandoned ancient city, making it impossible for anyone to leave this area.


    This place was none other than the internal world of the Eternal Heaven Pearl¡­ It was the Battle Zone 9 among the thousand battlefields that were chosen for the preliminaries!


    Since she had come here now, that would mean that she no longer had her real body, and was actually a projection.


    Xia Qingyue tried to perceive how her body and profound strength were working in here. There wasn''t any issue at all, and if it wasn''t for her strong sense, she couldn''t even feel that she was only a projection at the moment.


    Human figures appeared one after another around Xia Qingyue amidst the white light. They were all also observing their surroundings, as well as their opponents in this battle of the preliminaries. Some looked serious, others puzzled, and there were also those whose faces were full of confidence. However, none of them acted rashly.


    As Xia Qingyue''s gaze swept over her surrounding, all she saw were unfamiliar faces. Given the fact that there were a thousand battle zones, and everyone was sent to them randomly, it wasn''t going to be easy for her to catch sight of a familiar face, especially considering that there were very few people that she knew among the participants in the first place.


    They have already made a plan that if they were to meet each other, they will still do their best against each other. They will just consider it a spar between themselves.


    But the odds of that happening on the early stage is extremely small... There''s only around a hundred of them in total after all.


    When the other participants saw Xia Qingyue, they become dumbstruck. Whether it''s because of her figure or profound strength, they are overcome with disbelief.


    Whereas Xia Qingyue''s gaze is still perfectly calm.


    Before long, the far reaching Voice of Eternal Heaven came from the sky.


    "The area you are at right now is the ''main city'' of every battle zone, and also the absolute safe area. No profound beasts will appear or invade this place, and the profound strength of every person will also be confined in their bodies, rendering them unable to unleash any attacks on others."


    "Once you leave the main city area, it will be your battlefield."


    "The environment of the battlefield is extremely harsh. It will have extreme climatic conditions, there will be natural calamities everywhere, powerful profound beasts will show up, and there will also be even more fearsome opponents than profound beasts waiting for you. Every time you slay a profound beast, you will obtain a certain number of ''soul orbs.'' The more powerful profound beast you slay, the more soul orbs you will obtain."


    "Slaying a Divine Soul Realm profound beast gives one to five soul orbs."


    "Slaying a Divine Tribulation Realm profound beast gives ten to thirty soul orbs."


    "Slaying a Divine Spirit Realm profound beast gives one to three hundred soul orbs."


    "If you cooperate with others to hunt a profound beast, then the soul orbs will be distributed among you in a ratio equal to the damage you dealt with."


    "If you get killed, you won''t lose the qualification to continue participating in the battle, and will instead revive in the main city. At the same time, you will lose thirty percent of the soul orbs in your possession! If you were attacked and killed by another participant, then the soul orbs you lose will be obtained by them."


    The rules that the Voice of Eternal Heaven was announcing loudly could not only be very clearly heard by the participants of the battle, but also by the whole Eastern Divine Region. Simply hearing such special competition rules, which could only be realized by borrowing the help of the Eternal Heaven Pearl, was enough for everyone to smell a hint of the tragedy that was going to unfold on the battlefields.


    It was quite evident that the result of the preliminary battle would be determined by the quantity of the soul orbs. These soul orbs could be obtained from profound beasts as well as from other profound practitioners. The higher level profound beast you killed, the more soul orbs you would obtain from it. But at the same time, the danger of doing so was even bigger. Once you died, although you wouldn''t lose the qualification to participate in the battle, and could even revive endlessly, you would have to face a harsh punishment¡­


    Losing as much as thirty percent of the total soul orbs you had obtained!


    If you were killed by another profound practitioner, then these thirty percent of soul orbs would immediately be obtained by them.


    In the initial stage of the competition, people would try hard to kill powerful profound beasts to gather soul orbs. But in the mid and late stages of the competition¡­ they would undoubtedly consider killing other people to be a faster way to go about collecting soul orbs.


    However, the rules of the competition were not really that simple.


    "When you kill another profound practitioner, it is only the first time that you will be able to obtain their lost soul orbs. After that, you will only be able to make them lose their soul orbs by killing them, and it will be impossible for you to obtain any of them."


    "The main city is also not an absolutely safe place. Every time the total duration of your stay in the main city adds up to an hour, you will lose ten percent of your soul orbs. If you want to be ranked higher than others, you must constantly face the brutal challenge."


    On the battlefield, a person could only plunder soul orbs from any profound practitioner for the first time. Afterward, no matter how many times the latter was killed, it would only cause them the loss of soul orbs, and the former would not be able to rob any of them. Such a rule was clearly set up for the sake of maintaining balance in the competition, as well as to prevent the ambitious ones from "cheating." Moreover, making it so that stopping over in the safe area would lead to a loss of soul orbs over time, further increased the harshness of the battlefield. Now it became wishful thinking to return to the main city in order to take refuge after gathering enough soul orbs.


    "In the battlefield of the preliminary round, all the things that you are carrying on you will be completely projected. Also, there is no restriction in the use of profound weapons, extraordinary treasures, or profound formations. Furthermore, there is no restriction on the methods you can employ to achieve your goals."


    "The first round of the preliminaries will continue for a month. After that period, your rank will be determined according to the soul orbs in your possession. The participating profound practitioners can, at any time, find out their own number of soul orbs and rank, in their minds, as well as that of others. Every great star realm can also look for the amount of soul orbs a profound practitioner has and their rank at any time through the Eternal Heaven Projection."


    BOOM BOOM BOOM!


    At this instant, the firmament seemed to have begun vibrating. The Voice of Eternal Heaven became even heavier and far-reaching. "The time has come! I hereby officially announce the start of the first preliminary round of the Profound God Convention!"


    "Young experts of the Eastern Divine Region, rush to the battlefield that only belongs to you!"


    BOOM!!!


    In the mysterious internal world of the Eternal Heaven Pearl, muffled thunderous sounds issued simultaneously from a thousand different battlefields. The barriers enveloping all big "main cities" and separating them with the battlefields, also disintegrated at the same time.


    Immediately, low and deep roars could be heard coming from the distance, and mysterious and dangerous auras surged from all directions, stimulating the blood and nerves of each and every participant. The brief calm also shattered completely at this moment¡­


    It was because every person around them was about to become their opponent¡­ It was kill or be killed, rob or be robbed!


    There were over fifty thousand profound practitioners on each battlefield, and in the end, there would only be ten people left standing!


    It wasn''t possible to fight inside the main city, and at this stage of the competition, it would also be the most unsuitable time to attack or rob other profound practitioners. Following the disintegration of the barrier, all the tense profound practitioners soared up into the sky. They transformed into streaks of lightning and hurriedly rushed to the unknown and dangerous world outside the main city.


    Finally, at this moment, the curtain raised on this extraordinary session of the Profound God Convention, which had attracted the attention of all in the Eastern Divine Region.


    The battlefields of the preliminaries had been set ablaze. From above the vast sky of the Eastern Divine Region, countless star lights sprinkled on various star realms. When they came into contact with the ground of the star realm, they assembled together to form a small and exquisite profound formation. As the profound formation rotated, tablets of light over three meters tall, shot out of it one after another and emitted a starry illumination.


    It was the star tablet that was distributed to every place in the Eastern Divine Region by the combined efforts of the Eternal Heaven God Realm and the Star God Realm. The tablet would continue to exist until the end of the Profound God Convention.


    The star tablet was linked with the aura of the Eternal Heaven Pearl, and could also reflect the projections from the Eternal Heaven Pearl. Therefore, so long as a person had their thoughts enter it, they could learn the ranking list of the Profound God Convention whenever they wanted to. It was said that in the late stage of the competition, it would even be possible to directly see a live image of the competition site through the reflection of the star tablet.


    It hadn''t been long since the appearance of the star tablet, but a large number of profound practitioners had come over to them after getting the information related to them. There were even many realm kings and sect masters among them. It was the first day of the first round of the preliminaries, and they had already grown too impatient to wait any longer.


    In the battlefield where Xia Qingyue was located, there were human figures flying away in all directions. Given the harshness and fierceness of the competition, even a delay of a second could result in a drop in ranking. But, there were also a few people who didn''t show any hurry in heading to the battlefield. Instead, they remained quietly standing far away.


    "Hah, I thought that I''d feel some nervousness and excitement participating in such a competition, but it turned out to be a gathering of just a bunch of worthless things. It seems like I was really expecting too much from this Profound God Convention."


    An incomparably arrogant and disdainful voice resounded from behind Xia Qingyue all of a sudden.


    His shining golden clothes made others take notice of him, even if they didn''t want to.


    He''s none other than the fake gentleman she met before...


    Unlike the dignified and "gentlemanly" look Xia Qingyue had seen on his face last time, he had a deep arrogant expression right now. All those who could enter the first round of the preliminaries were genius profound practitioners of the many star realms in the Eastern Divine Region, but it seemed as if he was completely unconcerned about them.


    His each and every word just now was also full of scorn from someone looking down upon others.


    When he''s about to fly away, he accidentally caught the sight of Xia Qingyue and come to a halt.


    His "gentlemanly" smile emerged once more and he immediately comes sweeping down near her location.


    "Ah, this miss, we meet again." He said with a smile.


    If it was any other woman, perhaps they would become swooned at his approach but sadly for him... he met Xia Qingyue who basically had her "common sense" broken by someone.


    In her eyes, this man feature is average at most and no matter how hard he tries, he won''t be able to make Xia Qingyue heart skip a beat even for a millisecond...


    "May I ask for young miss name? If it''s alright with young miss then perhaps we could-" Before he could finish his words, Xia Qingyue turned around completely ignoring him and leaving him in an awkward situation.


    He froze on the spot since he never thought that the other party would ignore him just like that...


    When he''s about to say another word, he becomes dumbstruck once again after finally realizing the cultivation of Xia Qingyue...


    He sucked in a mouthful of cold breath and if that''s not enough, Xia Qingyue suddenly disappeared right before his eyes.


    After a few moments, his face turned solemn... He never thought that he will meet such a dangerous woman... but more than anything... he felt greed and l.u.s.t!


    He wanted to rip open that veil so that he could see just what kind of beauty hiding beneath that veil! And her figure...


    The man felt his crotch grow hot when he thought of having Xia Qingyue lying beneath his body.


    After snapping out of her thoughts, Wu Guike finally lifted his leg and walked to the outside of the city at an unhurried pace. He looked so carefree as if he was going for a stroll.


    He kept thinking about Xia Qingyue''s and the others figure along the way...


    ...


    "Master?" A soft and gentle voice resounded near Issei.


    Issei who was laying on the bed slowly opened his eyes.


    "Mm? Is it time?" Issei grunted before sitting up from the bed.


    Xiaotao and Lieyan who saw him blushed deeply since his upper body is exposed at the moment. The sight of his godly figure and his enchanting scent fills the entire room... it smells so intoxicating that Xiaotao and Lieyan felt like they''re drunk on his scent alone.


    If their will wasn''t strong enough, perhaps they would''ve pounced at Issei already... On a side note, Esdeath currently is being restrained by Altair and Sirius inside the .


    Out of the trio, Esdeath is the one who''s more open to her desires. When the other two realizes her intention, they immediately tied her up inside the ... Thankfully, the three tiny girls are not inside the so they don''t see Esdeath''s shameful display...


    Issei just had an intense night with Nyarlathotep hence the reason for his current condition. But all of them didn''t know about Nyarlathotep''s existence as of yet.


    Nyarlathotep is down for the count and currently resting inside his shadow... she couldn''t lift a single finger and she kept mumbling to herself saying how monstrous he is.


    In the past, she could at least content with his libido but after Issei created the , she''s literally ''slain'' after just a few rounds... but she couldn''t be happier to say nonetheless.


    The who''s staying beside her had a confused look on their faces when they saw their mistress being so exhausted.


    "...Yes, master. The girls have arrived at their destination and looking at the time, the competition should already begin." Xiaotao said while her gaze is still fixed on Issei.


    "Oh, got it." Issei gives a light yawn.


    *Bam!*


    "Big brother/Gege/Father!" The three tiny troublemakers barge into the room and immediately glomped onto Issei.


    Issei rubbed their respective head. He started to wonder if these three could be a great big sister for his little princess later on...


    "Big brother! Let''s go out and play!" Hong''er shouted.


    "You must play with us today father! Mother kept hogging you for herself and it''s not fair!" Nyaruko said with fake anger.


    "Ehehe, gege you''re such a sleepy head..." Bai''er giggled.


    "Sure sure..." Issei said with a helpless sigh: "Let''s go pay your big sisters a visit then..."


    Xiaotao and Lieyan tilted their head feeling confused just who is this "Mother" Nyaruko kept talking about but they won''t ask if their master doesn''t want to tell them.


    After a brief preparation, Issei departed to the girls'' location.


    ...


    On the first day of the competition, almost the whole God realm went into an uproar...


    It''s all because of the score on the screen.


    Xia Qingyue. Origin: Snow Song Realm, Soul Orb: 41630, Rank in Battle Zone: 1, Overall Rank: 1.


    Chu Yuechan. Origin: Snow Song Realm, Soul Orb: 41300, Rank in Battle Zone: 1, Overall Rank: 2.


    Feng Xue''er. Origin: Flame God Realm, Soul Orb: 41030, Rank in Battle Zone: 1, Overall Rank: 3.


    Huan Caiyi. Origin: Flame God Realm, Soul Orb: 40960, Rank in Battle Zone: 1, Overall Rank: 4.


    Feng Qianhui. Origin: Snow Song Realm, Soul Orb: 35900, Rank in Battle Zone: 1, Overall Rank: 5.


    Gong Yuxian...


    Chu Yueli...


    Murong Qianxue...


    Cang Yue...


    etc...


    Up to the top hundred, each and every one of them are either from the Snow Song Realm or the Flame God Realm...


    "What the f.u.c.k!? Over forty thousand soul orbs?!!" One of the participants let out an exaggerated scream. "Not even a day has gone by! Is the screen broken!?"


    Everyone thought that the top four would be monopolized by the Four God Children of Eastern Region. But reality said otherwise...


    Luo Changsheng. Origin: Holy Eaves Realm, Soul Orb: 21600, Rank in Battle Zone: 2, Overall Rank: 105.


    The strongest of the Four God Children are ranked at the hundreds instead followed by the other God children.


    Shui Yingyue. Origin: Glazed Light Realm, Soul Orb: 20491, Rank in Battle Zone: 2, Overall Rank: 106.


    Jun Xilei. Origin: Jasper Heart Sword Pavilion, Soul Orb: 19438, Rank in Battle Zone: 2, Overall Rank: 107.


    This kind of result would undoubtedly cause an uproar... They have never heard of Xia Qingyue and the others'' name before so it''s quite understandable that they are overcome with shock and disbelief.


    The people from the Snow Song Realm and the Flame God Realm, who had already entered the Eternal Heaven Realm, had been settled into the residences assigned to them. But, because the battlefield was inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl, it was naturally impossible for them to directly watch the situation of the battlefield, and they had to rely on the star tablet like all the others.


    All the people from the Snow Song Realm and the Flame God Realm stood in front of the same star tablet. Huo Rulie stretched out his hand and touched the starlight, as he poured his thought into it. Immediately, the information of the people he was searching for appeared on a screen of light...


    And the result made them utterly speechless...


    Although they''ve already expected this result to a certain extent, it still amazes them to no end.


    Mu Bingyun sighed to herself seeing this result... Just as she expected... Those girls just caused an uproar and bring a lot of attention to themselves.


    "...H-Hahahaha," Huo Rulie let out a loud laugh. "As expected of our realm king!"


    Yan Juehai and the others also nodded their head with a wry smile.


    Mu Huanzhi roaring excitedly beside him. "Feixue¡­ is placed at four hundred and twenty thousandths!"


    "Hahahaha!" Mu Huanzhi couldn''t help being excited, as he laughed aloud. "As expected of my granddaughter. She is indeed outstanding."


    Mu Bingyun showed a rare faint smile, "Having such a rank would mean trampling upon many profound practitioners of the ninth level of Divine Tribulation Realm. Feixue really didn''t disappoint us."


    Next Huo Rulie also checks the result of Huo Poyun...


    There''s no need to dwell on those girls'' results since it''s to be expected since they''re basically trained by the young lord himself.


    "Oh? How are they doing?" A calm voice resounded behind them.


    All of them turned their head and saw Issei appearing behind them.


    They''re not really that surprised seeing him suddenly appear out of nowhere like this since they''re used to it already.


    "Congrats young lord! All of them are in the top hundreds!" Huo Rulie said excitedly.


    "I see." Issei gives a nod.


    "Umm, are you not happy with their achievement young lord?" Huo Rulie asked feeling bewildered seeing Issei''s lack of reaction.


    "Hm? I am happy for them. After all, their hard work is bearing fruit."


    "Oh..."


    Huo Rulie nodded dumbly.


    How can he be so carefree like this? It''s like he doesn''t have the slightest intention of taking credit for their current achievements...


    "He''s always like this." Mu Bingyun said softly with a slight smile adorning her face.


    "Are you going to meet them now, young master?" Mu Bingyun asked.


    "No. I don''t want to disturb their concentration... I will just wait here." Issei said before he takes a seat on the nearby table.


    "Hong''er, Bai''er, Nyaruko... Don''t stray too far now."


    "Got it big brother!"


    Issei called out lightly towards the courtyard where the three of them are currently playing around.


    As the preliminary battle progressed, one day, two days, three days¡­ five days¡­ ten days¡­ changes could be seen in the ranks with every passing day.


    On the tenth day, the bitter fight of all the young geniuses of the Divine Eastern Region began for real.


    Now that the participants had collected enough soul orbs by killing profound beasts, it was finally the time to start robbing each other¡­ To the strong, the weak looked like fattened lambs at this time. As for the weak, they must hide so as to not be hunted by the strong, and then, do their utmost to find opportunities to hunt other weak people.


    Everyone was the deadly enemy of another, and every second could determine their lives and deaths¡­ A successful hunt and plunder of soul orbs would increase their ranks dramatically, and dying even once, would cause them the loss of thirty percent of their soul orbs, which would result in falling steeply down the rankings.


    It was also from this day onwards that the preliminary battlefield turned into a cruel purgatory of slaughter. The pleasure of every successful hunt, and the fury and humiliation of every death, was strongly stimulating their blood and the brutality hidden within it, making the profound practitioners act more and more like wild beasts. The competition sites of the preliminaries had become cruel battlefields filled with predators.


    The preliminary ranking was also not as calm as in the very beginning. There were world-shaking changes happening to it every moment.


    The fifteenth day¡­ The twentieth day¡­ The twenty-fifth day¡­ When the preliminary competition reached the last stage, the battlefields became more horrifying by the second.


    The rankings of those followed on the star tablets made the hearts of countless profound practitioners roll about between paradise and hell. Many stayed before the star tablets almost all day and night, not daring to leave for even an instant¡­


    As for Xia Qingyue''s group, there''s a few of them tried to challenge them but the result will always make them feel bitter. Even when they tried ganging up on them...


    Issei already called the he tasked protecting the girls since he doesn''t want the to hinder their progress.


    A lot of people tried asking the Snow Song Realm and the Flame God Realm about them but they can only apologize since they couldn''t provide any information...


    This result made many felt discontent at them but there''s really nothing they can do about it...


    The one who seems relaxed during all this incident is Issei himself. He only accompanies the three tiny troublemakers...


    Others didn''t know that Issei could create a spatial rift of his own to each and every single one of the girls.


    So he doesn''t need to feel worried about their condition.


    Issei also decided that he will go back to his home soon... Probably after the girls finish this convention and Jasmine had her revenge...

 Chapter 138 - 137

    Outside the Eastern Divine Region, the Western Divine Region and the Southern Divine Region were, openly or secretly, paying attention to the Profound God Convention as well.


    As for the "forsaken" and "cursed" distant Northern Divine Region, which was called the "Northern Devil Realm" by a large number of people, no one was aware of what it was doing...


    The ranking on the very first day had already displayed the splendor of Xia Qingyue''s group. They surpassed the rumored "Four God Children of the Eastern Region" in an absolutely striking manner.


    Only a select few have already anticipated this outcome but even then it still amazes them.


    Some people speculated that they''re just lucky but the end result is beyond their expectation... this result made the other region feel restless.


    But the thing that stayed the steadiest throughout this session of the Profound God Convention, was none other than the top hundred places in the overall rankings.


    Xia Qingyue, Chu Yuechan, Huan Caiyi, Feng Xue''er, Feng Qianhui, etc... from the start until now, it had always been these hundred people occupying the top hundred places. Other geniuses of the profound way of the Eastern Divine Region, who totaled over fifty million, were not even once able to throw them out of their places... Not even the "Four God Children of the Eastern Region" can come close to their score...


    The top four ranks often switch places but since they''re basically from the same realm, it is automatically disregarded.


    Many realms set their gaze on the and the because of this...


    "These group of women is simply a goddess¡­ Oh no, no. They''re simply a freak, a monster!" One of the participants shouted with a bitter face.


    Luo Changseng who''s ranked 105th had his fist crackling making a sound like a thunderclap seeing that their disparity is this big... He thought that he can easily achieve the first rank but reality slapped him hard.


    Luo Changsheng was the strongest of the Four Divine Children of the Eastern Divine Region. His talent was unique in the entire God Realm as having the divine bloodline from 3 different elemental beast gods.


    Wearing white clothes, he looks to be around seventeen to eighteen years old with fresh and clear skin. His feminine looks made him look elegant and also brings some points of delicacy. At first glance, he resembles a literate person.


    In reality, he''s Arrogant and aloof. He is extremely bad when faced with the prospect of defeat, as he has simply never lost or even been matched before in his entire life.


    But here he is being defeated like some random cultivator on the roadside.


    Forget catching up to the first rank... he couldn''t even surpass the 104th rank!


    Luo Changsheng. Origin: Holy Eaves Realm, Soul Orb: 11.948.053, Rank in Battle Zone: 2, Overall Rank: 105.


    Su Ling''er. Origin: Snow Song Realm, Soul Orb: 20.356.953, Rank in Battle Zone: 1, Overall Rank: 104.


    "Waahh... big sisters are really powerful... But I won''t lose! I hope big brother is watching me right now! Ling''er won''t let you down, big brother!" Su Ling''er who''s participating in the convention let out an amazed voice looking at Xia Qingyue''s and the other''s score.


    She let out a light giggle while hoping that her beloved big brother is watching her right now. She will let him know that she wasn''t lazing around during all this time!


    Issei who was observing them obviously notice this and he smiled softly at her determination.


    Luo Changsheng happens to be in the same battle zone with Chu Yuechan and to say that he''s not tempted to just try and fight her would be a lie. But after seeing her might up close, he decided to fall back...


    He reassured himself that he''s not at his peak back then since he just killed some profound beasts himself...


    While in reality... Chu Yuechan herself has been killing profound beasts one after another without any sign of stopping. While others need hours to recover their strength, it only took her half an hour at most...


    While Luo Changsheng reaction is the most extreme, the other "Divine Children" has a different reaction.


    Jun Xilei for one felt dumbstruck... she started thinking to herself that her master so-called instinct is proven to be right. How can there be such a monster in this world, she thought to herself.


    If these girls are this strong... just what kind of existence that could make them so monstrous in the first place? Jun Xilei shuddered fiercely when she thought about it.


    There was no doubt that even if there were ignorant and ill-informed people in the Eastern Divine Region, who had never heard of the and the , no one would not know of the name of the top hundred participants...


    Not only because each and every one of them is extremely beautiful but also because of their extraordinary splendor during the convention...


    To an existence of Luo Changsheng''s "level", every person on the battlefield he stood upon, was just prey that he could slaughter whenever he wished. Those ten million-odd soul orbs had piled up at the cost of innumerable deaths of his prey.


    And inside his battlefield, only Chu Yuechan who he hasn''t been able to "kill"...


    After a while, the sky above became turbulent all of a sudden. Soon after, the Voice of Eternal Heaven shook the sky as it resounded throughout the entire battlefield.


    "Young experts, there are still two hours before the end of the first round of preliminaries!"


    "Only the top ten people from every battlefield can enter the second round of preliminaries. Other profound practitioners will all be eliminated, and their projections will leave the Eternal Heaven Battlefield. Furthermore, their true bodies will also be directly expelled from the Eternal Heaven Realm, and won''t be able to step inside again¡­ Do not hold back in the least, and use up your all profound strength and will. In this last remaining time, decide your final rank and fate by yourselves."


    ...


    After two hours, The space vibrated and clouds rolled about unrestrainedly. The announcement of the end of the first round of preliminaries by the Voice of Eternal Heaven resounded throughout the place. "Young experts, your battle has come to an end for now. The first round of preliminaries has now concluded. The top ten from every battlefield will continue to remain in their battlefields, and the rest will leave. Your real bodies will appear before the many large teleportation formations outside the Eternal Heaven Realm. We hope that the experience of the intense battle here, into which you poured all your profound strength and will, becomes such a wealth to you that it benefits you throughout your lives."


    CLANG!!!


    Following the boundless Voice of Eternal Heaven, a white light came falling down from the firmament which blotted out the sky and sun and covered each and every person.


    Within the white light, the countless projections that were scattered across the thousand battle zones, no matter whether it was a person or profound beast, dissolved at a rapid rate and disappeared. The curtains fell on the hard battle that had continued for a month at this moment¡­ But, that was not the case for everyone.


    Because there were still projections of ten thousand profound practitioners that had yet to disappear. They still existed on the battlefields in their perfect state, waiting for the arrival of the next hard battle.


    These were the people who had emerged victorious among over fifty million topnotch profound practitioners of the Eastern Divine Region. Every person among them was an undisputed, exceedingly rare genius who was capable of catching the eyes of all under the heavens. Serving as a foil to these ten thousand winners, were those more than fifty million profound practitioners who were eliminated.


    When their projections disappeared and they awakened, their bodies were already outside the Eternal Heaven Realm. Under their feet was the screen of light that they had stepped on when approaching the Eternal Heaven Realm earlier. Some distance away, there were teleportation profound formations that could send them back to their respective star realms.


    The eliminated ones would naturally not get much attention from the masses. Their gazes were all firmly focused on the next competition that was bound to be even more fierce.


    The fierce fighting sounds disappeared, and the roars and howls of profound beasts completely faded too. The entire battlefield had become quiet.


    "Young experts who are still left on the battlefield, you used your strength and will to prove yourselves. There is no doubt that you are the pride of the Eastern Divine Region, and its future as well. But, only a thousand people will obtain the qualification to enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl and experience three thousand years within the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm."


    "The next battlefield will be the place to determine these thousand people!"


    Hearing the Voice of Eternal Heaven, all the profound practitioners who were still left on the battlefield felt their blood boiling. Outside the battlefield, those who were eliminated, as well as those who didn''t have the qualifications to participate in the Profound God Convention, felt utter envy, jealousy, and longing in their hearts.


    It was the first time, in the entire history of the Eastern Divine Region, the opportunity to cultivate in the Eternal Heaven Pearl had been offered. It could help a profound practitioner to ascend from the "infancy stage" to the land of miracles in a step! Any profound practitioner, who had even the tiniest bit of desire to pursue the profound way, would definitely be unable to resist such a favor!


    To get such an opportunity, they wouldn''t hesitate to be badly battered. No price would be spared for it, even if it meant losing half their lifespans!


    "In the next round, you all will be sent to the same battlefield. In this battlefield, there will be no natural calamities, profound beasts, or anything else that will hinder your way. The only things present over there are the safe main city and your very own battlefield. The rules will be reset, but they will remain the same as in the previous battlefield. The soul orbs in your possession will also be brought into the new battlefield along with you."


    "No more than a thousand people can emerge victorious in the new battlefield. These thousand heaven-chosen children will be sent to the Eternal Heaven God Realm, where the final battle will take place. After the final battle, they will then enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm where your fates will undergo a change in the next three years. The other nine thousand people will be eliminated from the battlefield, and their true bodies will also be expelled out of the Eternal Heaven God Realm."


    Issei frowned a little when he heard the announcement. Three years? It is taking longer than he expected... He decided that he will take a look at this and see if he can tinker a little bit with it...


    If not, he can just make the whole realm affected by his own time manipulation... Others will still think that three years have passed but in reality, only three days have passed.


    With the original creator of this world by his side and him capable of utilizing her power as he pleases, this kind of feat is quite easy for Issei.


    After all, he has truly become the !


    Nyarlathotep never bothered with the "Mark" she left inside Issei any longer since it seems that the result has backfired already. She lost the little "contest" she had with Issei not that she will admit that...


    Unknown to her, Issei has already tinkered with the "Mark" long ago making it useless from the start... well, kinda...


    As the girls steeled their hearts, a light beam descended from the sky, which made everything before their eyes turn white at once. Afterward, they appeared in a brand-new world.


    The ground here was flat and dried-up, and it was spacious and empty as far as they could see, with only some short mountains faintly visible in the distance. The air was calm and windless, and they could not sense or hear any auras or roars of profound beasts.


    "Young experts, welcome to the second battlefield." The Voice of Eternal Heaven slowly resounded throughout the place once again. "Do remember that the rules here will be completely the same as your first battlefield. The soul orbs you have at the beginning of the second round are the gains from your first battlefield. But, you can only stay here for three days times. The final quantity of soul orbs you have after three days will be the deciding factor for your rank in the second round."


    The time period of three days made the other profound practitioners either frown or tense up. It was simply too short of a duration for them. Undoubtedly, it would raise the intensity of the battle to an extreme point. As there were just seventy-two hours available to them, they would be busy fighting and robbing others at almost every instant.


    "The competition has begun now. You young experts, who shoulder the future of the Divine Eastern Region, give your all and decide your final fate on this battlefield!"


    The far-reaching voice caused waves in the firmament, which took a long time to disperse, little by little.


    The second round of the preliminaries also officially began at this moment.


    Compared to the tremendous figure of fifty million in the first round of preliminaries, the scale of this competition with only ten thousand people seemed particularly small. But, no one would doubt that the intensity of this competition would be far, far higher than the first one.


    In the first round, all participating profound practitioners had initially appeared in different safe main cities, but in this round, the profound practitioners were apparently sent to random locations around the battlefield.


    The instant the start of the competition was announced, countless profound auras erupted inside the battlefield as they immediately began to search for and lock onto their prey.


    ...


    As the second round of preliminaries began, the calm in the Eternal Heaven Realm finally came to an end.


    All the experts of the Eastern Divine Region, who were invited to watch the competition, left their residences as well, as they flew to the same place.


    It was the center of the Eternal Heaven God Realm, Eternal Heaven City, where the Eternal Heaven God Emperor and the "guardians" lived. It was known to everyone as the sacred ground among sacred grounds.


    Towering fifteen thousand kilometers into the firmament, the Eternal Heaven Divine Tower was also located right at the center of Eternal Heaven City. Underneath it was the location of the holiest thing in the Eastern Divine Region, the Eternal Heaven Pearl.


    Besides the Eternal Heaven Tower was one hundred fifty kilometers wide "Conferred God Stage." It was named so because those who could contend for the championship on it, would absolutely have the qualifications to "be conferred the title of God."


    This "Conferred God Stage" had also been the final battlefield for the previous sessions of the Profound God Convention. In the convention this time too, thirty-two children who had earned "the conferred title of God," would appear after the third round of preliminaries. Afterward, the final "Conferred God Battle," would take place on this Conferred God Stage.


    There was an incomparably huge area around the Conferred God Stage, where seats were set up for the people that would be watching the battle. Though the seating area was huge, it always remained empty. Because not even one in a hundred million people of the Eastern Divine Region could have the honor of watching the battle from those seats.


    On this day, the Conferred God Stage, which had been silent for a long time, welcomed the most bustling day in several hundred years.


    A large number of figures flew over from different directions. The cultivation of every person was more astonishing than the last, but in this Eternal Heaven City, they had all restricted their profound auras and were even flying at a particularly slow pace.


    When all the profound practitioners arrived, they carefully avoided the seats on the eastern side. Let alone flying past them from the sky above, they didn''t even dare to get near that area.


    It undoubtedly manifested the absolute power and deterrence of the king realms.


    As more and more people flew over, the seats on the three sides were no longer as empty as before. The Eternal Heaven Realm had always been particularly "stingy" with the invitations. If the number of people that all the upper star realms could bring were to be added together, the total figure would not exceed 1.4 million.


    The number of the middle star realms was several times that of the upper star realms, but their total people amounted to less than a million.


    The lower star realms had the greatest numbers in the Eastern Divine Region, but they had the fewest number of people invited, which was only a few hundred thousand.


    But there was no doubt that every person who could come here was the highest level individual in their respective star realms, a realm king or an overlord, someone with an honorable identity or otherwise extremely high standing.


    However, these individuals who would look down on all in their respective star realms, were discreet in word and deed when they arrived at the Eternal Heaven Realm, and there were no signs of their imposing attitudes. The Conferred God Stage had become the venue for the gathering of experts, but there was complete silence. Until the King realms arrived, no one made any noise.


    As the king realms hadn''t arrived yet, the upper star realms were naturally the highest existences among them. The people from upper star realms on the northern side were looking at the seating area on the southern and western sides.


    The lower star realms, as the bottom level existence in this place, were undoubtedly acting in the most careful of manners, but they didn''t feel any resentment or dissatisfaction towards the attitude of the star realms with higher status than them. Rather, they found it to be only natural and reasonable. This was a world where the strong were respected, so in front of the upper star realms and middle star realms, people like them who originated from the lower star realms could only be humble.


    "Feixue and others should have already gone back to the Snow Song Realm," in the seating area for the Snow Song Realm, Mu Huanzhi said nonchalantly. It seemed that he wasn''t really in a bad mood. Feixue''s rank was still close to the top three hundred thousand by the end of the first round of preliminary competition, which was far, far better than his expectations. He was naturally extremely glad.


    "And it looks like those splendid girls will steal the spotlight yet again." Huo Rulie added to which the others nodded in agreement.


    "Don''t you think so as well, young lord?" Huo Rulie said with a big grin. He''s happy that his personal disciple managed to enter the top two hundred rank and to top it off, his two realm king is at the top five! How can he not feel happy about this whole thing!?


    "Hm? Oh, right." Issei nodded after a little bit of delay.


    "...Something is on your mind, young master?" Mu Bingyun asked softly. She can discern that Issei seems to be out of focus as of lately...


    "No... Nothing much." Issei shook his head at her question. He was not really out of focus because of something bad but he just feels a bit happy since he will be able to return home soon... and while he''s at it, he might as well wipe out that "crimson calamity" or whatever.


    Issei is seated comfortably in his seat while he''s inhaling through his smoking pipe.


    Mu Bingyun who''s seated next to him felt really comfortable... whether it''s because of his smoke or was it because of his presence, only she knows for sure...


    "Sect Master Huo, the sound transmission from the Eternal Heaven Realm mentioned that we''ll be discussing a major event related to the future of the Eastern Divine Region. Have you heard of something about it?" Mu Huanzhi asked Huo Rulie, who was present and not that far away.


    The seating area of Snow Song and the Flame God Realms were adjacent to each other, but unlike the mild atmosphere in the area of the former, the two great sect masters, elders, and the disciples following them all had rosy complexions and an unusual shine in their eyes. Even Yan Juehai, who had the greatest control over his emotions among them, was grinning from ear to ear.


    As for Huo Rulie, his mouth was opened very wide in a smile and didn''t close even once. If a passerby were to see him at this time, they wouldn''t believe that he was actually a sect master of a middle star realm, even if they were beaten to death. It would be surprising if they didn''t consider him someone with a mental disorder.


    He completely missed Mu Huanzhi''s question too, as he continued to grin like a fool. When his gaze came into contact with those from the upper star realms, not only did he not avert his gaze, but he even faced them with an upright and unafraid attitude.


    This daddy''s disciple entered the top two hundred rankings of the whole Eastern Divine Region in the preliminary competition! He held on and beat at least eighty percent of you upper star realms! And this daddy''s two realm king is even more monstrous! Why would this daddy still be fearful of you!?


    Yan Juehai glanced at Huo Rulie, before answering with a smile in his place, "We haven''t gotten any information, either. However, we should find out soon."


    "Quite a bit of time has passed since the start of the second round of preliminaries. I expect that this battle is going to be extremely fierce as participants will be competing to be one of those thousand ." Mu Huanzhi said. "It''s a pity that we don''t have any star tablets here and won''t be able to see the situation on the battlefield."


    "I offer my congratulations and gratitude once again, young lord." He added while cupping his hand at Issei.


    Only because of him that their realm could experience this kind of experience. Even when they''re seated right now, the other realms whether they be elder or sect master themselves keep glancing at their direction with an inquiring look.


    Some hold envious and jealousy but the rest is awe and amazement.


    This session of the Profound God Convention was different from the previous ones. As a result of all kinds of unusual movements by the Eternal Heaven God Realm, as well as the rumors that had started to spread around a very long time ago, the people present at this place had a faint guess of the "major event" that the Eternal Heaven Realm had mentioned.


    A long while passed before three human figures appeared on the horizon all of a sudden, who was flying over to the Conferred God Stage. As they drew closer, they elicited several low shouts.


    "It''s the three elders from the Heavenly Mystery Realm!"


    The three people were quite old and had white hair and beards, and they were clad in identical jade-colored, long robes.


    These three old people were very renowned existences of the Eastern Divine Region, whose words carried the greatest weight in the Heavenly Mystery Realm.


    Mo Yu, Mo Wen, Mo Zhi.


    "Heavenly Mystery Realm is finally here, but it looks as if¡­ only three people have come?" Mu Tanzhi said.


    "Haha, all of the three elders of Heavenly Mystery Realm have arrived. Is there any need for more?" Mu Huanzhi said with a smile.


    The three elders of the Heavenly Mystery Realm flew over to the sky above the Conferred Stage, and gave a slight nod to everyone in greeting. Afterward, all the people looked on in surprise as they landed in the seating area on the eastern side.


    "The seating area on the eastern side? They actually intend to sit over there? This¡­" The experts from all the star realms stared at each other, shocked and befuddled.


    Heavenly Mystery Realm might have a special standing among the upper star realms, and in particular, the three elders of the Heavenly Mystery Realm were quite revered, even by the realm kings of the four great king realms, but the eastern side of the seating area had always been reserved for the king realms. Not once had the Eternal Heaven Realm made an exception. It was really too surprising for them to be allowed to take seats in the eastern seating area.


    "It seems that the ''major event'' this time is certainly related to the Heavenly Mystery Realm, huh," Yan Juehai said. He was lost in thoughts, as he recalled the rumor from several years ago whose authenticity was hard to ascertain.


    It was at this time that Huo Rulie said suddenly, "Earlier, I heard by chance that because of violating the teachings of their ancestor and peeping too much into the mysteries of heaven, the three elders of the Heavenly Mystery Realm suffered a heavy loss to their lifespans as punishment from heaven, and the three of them have merely less than a hundred years left to live."


    "Before I thought of it as a baseless rumor, but looking at their conditions now¡­" Perceiving the clearly abnormal aura of life force from the three elders of the Heavenly Mystery Realm from far, far away, Huo Rulie slowly nodded his head. "It appears to be true."


    Rather than having a punishment from the so-called "heaven", it''s more accurate to say that they overestimate themselves and used a skill beyond their capabilities that took their lifespan in the process, Issei thought to himself when he saw these three elders.


    After arriving, all three elders sat down quietly with closed eyes, and didn''t utter a word, which made them look like withered trees.


    An hour passed by, and then the wind blowing across the Conferred God Stage came to a sudden halt.


    The clouds that were carefreely drifting in the sky also became still in this moment, after which they slowly rippled like waves. A dull and moderate field of aura, that felt like a soft breeze brushing past the body, slowly approached from the distance, little by little.


    In a twinkling, the whole Conferred God Stage became silent. It was as if all the voices were engulfed into some space crack. In the next instant, all the people of the many star realms on each side of the seating area stood up at the same time. Those young profound practitioners who were still in a daze were also quickly pulled up by their seniors.


    "Haha, this old man has come late, and made everyone wait so long."


    Amidst the swirling cloud and mist, the figure of an old person suddenly emerged out of the blue. He was in quite simple and plain gray clothes, and looked kind and amiable. There was a faint, breezy smile on his face, as he gradually descended from the sky.


    It was this very old person, who seemed particularly ordinary and gentle, whose arrival made all the overlords of the Eastern Divine Region look up to him with shining eyes, and bend their bodies as they greeted together.


    "We pay respect to the Eternal Heaven God Emperor!"


    They cried in incomparable unison. No profound strength had been used, but it still immediately shook the firmament. The young profound practitioners who had followed behind their seniors to here were so shaken that their hearts thumped loudly in fright and their souls trembled.


    Eternal¡­Heaven¡­God¡­Emperor!?


    He is the Eternal Heaven God Emperor? One of the four realm kings of the great king realms, and the highest ruler of the Eternal Heaven God Realm!?


    They had been looking forward to this day for a long time now, but when this myth truly appeared before their eyes, they felt an extremely strong sense of unreality¡­ For a while, they found it hard to believe that they were personally seeing this individual, who only existed in myth.


    There were a thousand people following closely behind the Eternal Heaven God Emperor. The aura field around these thousand people was so vigorous that even the realm kings of the upper star realms didn''t dare to look straight at them.


    It was because they were the "guardians" and "adjudicators" of the Eternal Heaven God Realm.


    Adjudicators were the existence that punished those people or star realms who committed greatly heinous sins.


    As for the guardians, although their number was far smaller than the adjudicators, their standing in the Eternal Heaven God Realm and the Eastern Divine Region was equivalent to the Star Gods of the Star God Realm and Moon Gods of the Moon God Realm. Each and every one of them was a terrifying expert that even the realm kings of the upper star realms would have to bow their heads to. Besides the Eternal Heaven Pearl, they were the strongest power, as well as the most important cornerstone, of the Eternal Heaven God Realm.


    "Everyone has come from afar and has also waited for a whole month. It must have been very tough. Please take your seats, there is no need for such civility." The Eternal Heaven God Emperor lightly landed at the main seat of the eastern seating area. He had a faint smile as he raised his hand in greeting. There was not the slightest sign of overbearingness in his attitude or words, and his pupils, which showed age within them from the beginning, were also deep and limpid, like pools of clear water.


    After the arrival of the Eternal Heaven God Emperor with his guardians and adjudicators, the atmosphere of the Conferred God Stage thoroughly solidified. No one dared to make even a peep and all eyes were locked onto the Eternal Heaven God Emperor.


    As one of the four great emperors of the Eastern Divine Region, someone at the highest echelons of the Primal Chaos, he ought to oppress the entire world with his might and his imposingness should''ve been godlike. However, no matter which way they looked at him, everyone present simply saw a good-natured old man who couldn''t be any more ordinary in terms of temperament and appearance. If they saw him on the streets, they definitely wouldn''t take a second glance and would''ve easily forgotten about him.


    What was washing away one''s magnificence and returning to a natural and perfect state? Perhaps, that could be best exemplified by the Eternal Heaven God Emperor.


    Although the Eternal Heaven God Emperor was not the strongest among the Eastern Divine Region''s four great emperors, he was nevertheless the most respected. The Eternal Heaven Ancestor had been recognized by the Eternal Heaven Pearl as its master and even after his death it still protected the Eternal Heaven God Realm for many generations. Of course, one of the foremost reasons behind this is the fact that the Eternal Heaven God Realm had always trod the righteous path.


    In the countless years of the Eternal Heaven Realm''s existence, its adjudicators had punished numerous criminals within the God Realm, saving a vast number of star realms. It was unknown how many generations of people had revered them in gratitude. If there was only one holy land in the Eastern Divine Region, it would undoubtedly be the Eternal Heaven Realm.


    If the other king realms, Brahma Monarch God Realm, Star God Realm, and the Moon God Realm became someone''s enemy, the Eastern Divine Region would only come to see the festivity while avoiding them to the best of their abilities. However, if anyone were to dare go against the Eternal Heaven God Realm, they would certainly infuriate the public. It was no different than defying natural law.


    As such, the Conferred God Stage was quiet. The reason behind it all was not because they feared the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, but because they respected him greatly.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor raised his head and smiled. "Since our esteemed guests have already arrived, please show yourselves."


    "Hahahaha!"


    At the descent of his voice, hearty laughter reverberated through space. Amidst the laughter, wind surged as an extremely bright beam of starlight dazzled everyone as it shot over, as though a star had descended.


    "Hmph!"


    At another side, a cold snort had also sounded at the same time. The firmament seemed to have been split open as a pure beam of light which wasn''t as glaring sprinkled down, resembling a white moon in the sky.


    The moon and star instantly swallowed up all the surrounding light, causing everything below the intersecting beams of light to dim.


    "That''s¡­"


    "The Star God Realm and the Moon God Realm have arrived!"


    A human figure slowly walked out of each individual beam of light. The one who came out of the star beam was tall, looked middle-aged. Although he wore a smile on his face, his eyes were like cold stars that none would dare directly gaze at.


    Ruler of the Star God Realm, one of the Eastern Divine Region''s four great emperors, the Star God Emperor, Xing Juekong!


    Issei looks at this newcomer with a glance. So this is Jasmine''s father? Hmm... Nothing much, Issei thought to himself.


    For a dead man walking he seems quite vigorous...


    The one who walked out of the moon beam looked much younger. He was extraordinarily handsome and his immortal looks incited endless reverence and a bit of warmth.


    Ruler of the Moon God Realm, one of the Eastern Divine Region''s four great emperors, the Moon God Emperor, Yue Wuya!


    This second newcomer also isn''t spared from Issei ridiculing gaze. The first person is a deadbeat father and husband while the second one is a cuck who has no balls.


    Issei gathered a little bit of information here and there and he found out that apparently, this Moon God Emperor is supposed to be the true husband of Xia Qingyue''s mother.


    But she was attacked by the Brahma Monarch God Realm and when this idiot found out about it, not only did he do nothing, he even pretended that he did not know anything... How pathetic...


    Issei started to wonder to himself if Xia Qingyue''s mother is either blind or stupid to choose this kind of man in the first place...


    It''s not like Issei can''t understand the reasoning behind her mother''s action and he also thinks that Xia Hongyi(Xia Qingyue''s father) also shares the blame for taking advantage of a powerless woman who lost her memory and power. But it''s not really his business so he won''t meddle too much.


    He will help Xia Qingyue reunite with her mother and it will be up to the former on what to do later on...


    The two god emperors appeared at the same time, clearly with the intent to compete against each other.


    Both realms always having been at odds with one another was also something everyone in the Eastern Divine Region knew about.


    This was especially true due to the huge scandal that happened in the Moon God Realm thirty or so years ago. Because of Moon God Realm kidnapping Xun''er, their relationship had become even more volatile. If this event didn''t concern the future of the whole Eastern Divine Region and wasn''t so important that the Eternal Heaven Realm mediated between them, the two realms definitely would not be willing to be present at the same gathering, let alone in the same seating area.


    That''s only the public knowledge while in fact, Xing Juekong doesn''t really care about Xun''er''s fate.


    When the audience saw the Moon God Emperor, in addition to the feeling of reverence, they naturally would think back to that "scandal." Back then, the fame of his marriage to Yue Wugou, Xia Qingyue''s mother who possessed the was so great that it also caught the attention of those outside the Eastern Divine Realm. But the greater the occasion, the greater the tragedy.


    Yue Wugou disappeared and then she returned without her vital yin. As the stately Moon God Emperor, he had actually suffered a humiliation even the common man would find intolerable, becoming the laughingstock of the entire Eastern Divine Region...


    Issei''s interest towards these two newcomers is barely discernable but Mu Bingyun who''s seated the closest to him can sense his ridiculing gaze.


    "Young master? Do you know the two of them?" Mu Bingyun asked out of curiosity.


    "Hm? Well, you could say that one of them is bound to die soon." Issei gives a slight chuckle.


    Mu Bingyun''s body froze for a good while before she asked once again: "...Did they somehow offend you, young master?"


    If it was any other person then Mu Bingyun would only think that they''re talking big but since it''s him they''re talking about here then one of them will indeed die just like he said... She''s sure of it.


    "No, they didn''t really offend me but someone I know has something against them," Issei said nonchalantly.


    "...I see." Mu Bingyun decided not to ask any further and stay silent. She can only sigh to herself thinking that one of the upper king realms would lose their realm king soon enough...


    Is it the Star God Realm or will it be the Moon God Realm? Only the future can tell... Either way, it got nothing to do with her.


    She sighed in relief thinking that their realm isn''t in Issei bad book or their future will be quite dark...


    With the descent of two more god emperors, the atmosphere on the Conferred God Stage froze even further. No one dared to take a deep breath.


    Although the Profound God Conventions of the past were always the Eastern Divine Region''s greatest occasions related to the profound way, since the four great king realms weren''t allowed to participate, aside from the Eternal Heaven Realm that had to host them, the other three king realms would typically send a few elders or palace masters who would bring a group of young disciples. Existences like Star Gods and Moon Gods were rarely seen, let alone the three god emperors.


    Now that three of the four god emperors had come, it was possible that the head of the four god emperors, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor, would also come. Today''s event was certainly of great importance, far beyond what everyone thought it was originally.


    The audience members'' hearts grew heavier as they became more excited. What kind of honor was it to be able to participate in this kind of event and personally witness the assembly of the four god emperors!?


    Both the Star God Emperor and the Moon God Emperor greeted the Eternal Heaven God Emperor at the same time and then swiftly flew to their seats. They did not speak or even make the smallest of eye contact with each other, as though the other party didn''t even exist.


    The beams of star and moon overhead still had yet to dissipate as a large number of silhouettes appeared, then separated, and quietly fell to sit in their seats. These people were similar to the Eternal Heaven God Realm''s guardians and adjudicators, every one of them possessed a terrifying aura. If they were to glance over for a slight moment, one''s entire body would most probably turn ice cold.


    Today, profound practitioners who have never seen members of the king realms were now aware of how frightening of an existence they truly were. It was not merely the four great emperors, it seemed as though anyone related to the words "king realm" was all incomprehensible monsters.


    "The ones sitting next to and behind the Star God Emperor¡­ could they be¡­ the legendary Star Gods?" a senior Ice Phoenix disciple asked with a tremor in his voice. This was because when he had taken a casual glance over just a moment ago, he felt as though he had suddenly fallen into an abyss. It almost caused all the blood his body to flow backward as he continuously shuddered.


    "Yes." Mu Huanzhi nodded and lowered his voice as much as he could. "Out of the twelve Star Gods and twelve Moon Gods, four have respectively come from each realm. This is completely unprecedented."


    "No, with the Star God Emperor, five great Star Gods have come," Mu Bingyun corrected.


    The Star God Emperor was also one of the Star God Realms'' twelve Star Gods. He possessed the power of the Heavenly Chief Star God and since he was the Star God Emperor, he was naturally the strongest out of the twelve Star Gods.


    In the Eastern Divine Region, the Star God Realm''s twelve Star Gods were absolutely equal to supreme existences like the "True Gods" of the past. Rumors about them were spread across every corner of the Eastern Divine Region and every one of them was true legends.


    They were now right before them, causing all the top experts of their individual star realms to tremble inwardly in fright. None dared to look directly at them for long periods of time.


    "The Heavenly Slaughter Star God has yet to arrive but the Heavenly Poison Star God has arrived. As expected of the two scariest Star Gods, they could make one feel fear with just a glance from afar."


    Mu Bingyun glanced at the Heavenly Poison Star God Mu Huanzhi was referring to and immediately shifted her gaze right after. She secretly peeked at Issei''s direction to see his reaction and he didn''t disappoint her.


    Issei only takes a look for a second before losing interest since Jasmine isn''t there yet. He calmly inhaled his smoking pipe once again...


    Mu Bingyun unintentionally smiled at his action. He never seem to lose his bearing, isn''t he?


    Arrogantly sitting behind the seat of the Star God Emperor was a tall woman in a dark green gauze skirt. However, it was half-transparent and her charming body was faintly discernible. From her arms to her shoulders, the silk sleeves were completely transparent, showing off her jade arms and delicate skin.


    Two large b.r.e.a.s.ts stood tall and only one layer of cloth bound them together, with more than half swaying and exposed. The deep valley created between the two mounds could cause one to drool in desire.


    On the lower part of her body was a shockingly short dark green skirt suffused with a serene light. The skirt barely covered the tops of her thighs and her slender legs were almost bare to the world. They were slender and satiny, the light of her skin making it look like snow. It made one want to simply rush forth to hug and lick it.


    It was unknown how many gazes had fallen onto the body of that woman as though they had been attracted by a magnet. Not able to shift their eyes away, all the blood in their bodies had been instantly set aflame. The l.u.s.t went straight to their heads and some were left dumbstruck with a drooling face, nearly forgetting that this was the Conferring God Stage. The crazy urge to recklessly charge forward, press her onto their bodies, and ruthlessly ravage her was invoked.


    That woman, however, didn''t seem fazed at all. She allowed the foolish gazes of the public look at her uninhibited exposed body with a faint smile on her red lips. Just like a water hibiscus, her beautiful complexion was filled with a flirty charm.


    Once the gazes of the accompanying disciples from both the Snow Song Realm and the Flame God Realm landed on her, they all became stupefied and blushed, as if they had lost their hearts. However, a shout suddenly rang through their minds, "Don''t look at her!"


    Atop the Conferred God Stage, numerous young profound practitioners looked as though they had been struck by lightning as they turned their gaze away. They were overwhelmed with shock and didn''t dare to take a second look at the woman in green.


    "M... Master, sh-she''s?" the head of a Phoenix Sect disciple was filled with dripping sweat as he asked somewhat fearfully.


    "She is the Heavenly Poison Star God," a Phoenix elder said in a low voice.


    "W-what? Sh-she''s¡­ actually¡­." Various disciples from the Flame God Realm shook in fear as they inhaled a long breath.


    This beauty who wore clothes even more revealing than a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e, who was more seductive than a devil, was actually one of the two scariest of Star Gods.


    The one rumored to have poisoned an entire star realm to death in the time of a smile, the heavenly poison demon nicknamed the "Infernal Datura", Moonflower!


    "Then¡­ that fairy¡­ Besides the Heavenly Poison Star God is also a star god?" the same Phoenix disciple asked in a small voice.


    Moonflower lowered her head and casually played with her fingers, seemingly unconcerned about everything around her. However, she had not stolen all the radiance from the person beside her.


    On her right was a peerless woman that resembled a goddess from heaven. She was not as seductive as Moonflower but her face was utter perfection and far surpassed Moonflower''s. It was just that this beautiful face was always ice cold and her beautiful eyes looked on without emotion.


    She was as tall and slender as Moonflower with black hair that reached to her waist and was as quiet as a maiden. She was clad in a long pink skirt that added a bit of¡­ cuteness? Moonflower and this girl could be said to be a demon and an immortal. Many young profound practitioners that gazed upon her felt as though a fairy had descended. She was so breathtaking that it would inevitably make them feel a sense of inferiority for having wild thoughts.


    "Someone able to sit beside the Heavenly Poison Star God is naturally another star god," another Phoenix elder suddenly laughed. "However, he is not a fairy. He is¡­ the Heavenly Demon Star God!"


    "Ah¡­" The gazes of several Phoenix disciples slackened as their throats became agitated. They were silent for a long while.


    Heavenly Demon Star God...


    Anyone who had heard of the stories of the twelve Star Gods knew that the Heavenly Demon Star God "Rose", was a man!


    Issei who overheard their conversation thought of someone who''s from the . That someone also looks very feminine and that someone sometimes tries to "seduce" him just for fun... which earned a smack from the others.


    Issei smiled wryly under his mask when he remembered this person...


    "The Heavenly Demon Star God has the strongest mental powers within the twelve Star Gods. As long as he wills it, he could easily turn you all into idiots. Do not randomly look lest you invite trouble."


    "Yes," the Phoenix disciples all lowered their heads and no longer dared to look at the other Star Gods. They were increasingly well aware that those were beings they could never comprehend.


    "The skinny one to the left of the Heavenly Poison Star God is actually the one with the greatest physical strength out of the twelve Star Gods, the Heavenly Strength Star God, Shenhu."


    "The elderly man sitting next to the Star God Emperor is the Heavenly Origin Star God, Tumi. He is the oldest amongst the twelve Star Gods at the age of forty thousand. He is the Star God Realm''s wiseman. Before the current Star God Emperor inherited the Star God power, Tumi was his teacher in the profound way. As a result, the Star God Emperor has always respected him greatly and he was the only Star God with the qualifications to sit on the same level as the Star God Emperor."


    On the Conferred God Stage, many seniors introduced the Star Gods to their juniors via sound transmission or whisper.


    "Hahahaha, my apologies for arriving late, everyone."


    There was a loud, candid laugh as the blue sky literally parted in half to admit a tall, straight figure dressed in blue clothing. He had no facial hair, and his hair reached all the way to his waist. His appearance stifled the breaths of everyone in the Conferred God Stage. He might not have released any profound energy, but his mere presence struck fear in the people''s hearts and souls all the same. They wanted nothing more than to kowtow before the man who was like a monarch.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor, Star God Emperor, and Moon God Emperor stood up in unison. No one else in the entire Eastern Divine Region had had the honor.


    He was the ruler of Brahma Monarch God Realm and head of the four god emperors of the Eastern Divine Region, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor Qianye Fantian.


    "Hoho, Eternal Heaven is most honored to welcome you, Brahma Heaven God Emperor. This way, please." The Eternal Heaven God Emperor smiled.


    Aha... finally all the main cast has arrived... Issei smirked. Now he only needs to watch the show later on...


    Of course, if Jasmine needed his help then he will help her.


    "Hahahaha, you''re welcome, Eternal Heaven God Emperor. How can I possibly miss such an important occasion?" The Brahma Heaven God Emperor laughed loudly before bowing slightly towards the Star God Emperor and Moon God Emperor as a show of respect.


    "Oh? Correct me if I''m wrong, but I''m not seeing see your divine daughter." The Eternal Heaven God Emperor asked.


    "She''s a naughty girl who has left me a long time ago to spread her wings. Even I don''t know where she''s having fun right now. She may do as she wishes," the Brahma Heaven God Emperor answered smilingly after he took his seat.


    Naturally, the "divine daughter" mentioned by the Moon God Emperor was a matter of great interest to everyone.


    The Dragon Queen and Goddess were said to possess three-fifths of the beauty of the entire Primal Chaos Realm.


    However, very, very few people in the entire God Realm had the good fortune to meet them in person.


    The Dragon Queen was publicly known as the Realm King of the Dragon God Realm and the official wife of the Dragon Monarch, the number one ruler of the Primal Chaos Realm. She was also the Dragon Monarch''s official wife. It was rumored that the Dragon Monarch was extremely protective of his wife and doted on her whenever he could, so there was no way he would ever allow mere mortals to witness her beauty.


    As for the Goddess, she was the only daughter the Brahma Heaven God Emperor had out of so many children. Rumor says that she was so beautiful that countless venerable Divine Chosen was willing to throw themselves into madness and risk their lives just to win a smile from her...


    This included the deceased Heavenly Wolf Star God.


    Therefore, the Moon God Emperor might very well have brought up the Goddess on purpose. As a result, the Star God Emperor lost his smile and frowned for a very long time.


    Issei knows of the deceased Heavenly Wolf Star God from Jasmine''s mouth but he doesn''t know about the rest such as their beauty and the like since he doesn''t care about this kind of stuff.


    He never bothered to investigate this kind of trivial stuff...


    The arrival of the Brahma Heaven God Emperor, Eternal Heaven God Emperor, Star God Emperor, and Moon God Emperor, all at the same time, was undoubtedly dreamlike to the cultivators on the Conferred God Stage. They could almost forget that the young experts inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl were battling furiously against one another right now.


    The Brahma Heaven God Emperor''s gaze swept across the surroundings before he said, "I guess everyone is present already. Let us begin then."


    He had just finished saying this when his gaze suddenly turned.


    Beside him, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor had stood up and turned in the same direction, smiling. "It looks like we have an unexpected guest."


    The masses were just starting to wonder about the Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s statement when a loud voice came from the southern part of the sky. "Cang Shitian of the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm announces his abrupt visit to the Eternal Heaven Realm!"


    Waaah!


    A commotion instantly erupted above the Conferred God Stage.


    "Cang Shitian¡­ is he that Cang Shitian, one of the four god emperors of the Southern Divine Region?" Every expert on the Conferred God Stage was shocked by this.


    "Why is he here? Was he invited to discuss ''that'' important matter too?"


    "No, it looks like he came uninvited."


    "Royal father, where is this Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm? I''ve never heard about it until today? And who is this Cang Shitian? Why does everyone look so surprised?"


    "The Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm doesn''t belong to the Eastern Divine Region. It is a star realm and one of the four king realms of the Southern Divine Region. You can say that it is the Eastern Divine Region to our Eternal Heaven Realm. Cang Shitian is the ruler of this Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm and one of the four god emperors of the Southern Divine Region!"


    Cang Shitian''s name wasn''t unfamiliar to the experts present in this place. After all, he was a god emperor of a god realm! However, almost no one had ever seen him in person until today. After all, the Eastern Divine Region and Southern Divine Region were literally two different worlds, not to mention the various barriers that existed between them. The Star God Realm and Moon God Realm were practically hostile towards the king realms of the Southern Divine Region.


    No one thought that Cang Shitian would suddenly show up.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor waved his arms and declared loudly, "The restrictions are down, so please come in, honored guest."


    The Eternal Heaven Realm normally maintained a restriction that prevented the entry of normal profound practitioners, but naturally, it couldn''t stop someone as powerful as a God Emperor. That being said, not even the uninvited guest Cang Shitian would dare break etiquette and force his way in through the Eternal Heaven Restriction.


    "Hahahaha."


    There were loud laughter and two faint flashes of light in the air. Then, a person abruptly appeared on the sky of the Conferred God Stage before bowing deeply towards the Eternal Heaven God Emperor. "Shitian humbly apologizes for showing up uninvited. Please forgive me if I have offended you."


    Cang Shitian was a tall, large man dressed in soft armor made from profound gold and an oddly shaped cape behind his back. His blue-gold hair was especially striking. Despite being the monarch of a king realm and a god emperor of the Primal Chaos Realm, Cang Shitian was shockingly wild. Even now, he looked as arrogant as ever even though he was in a foreign divine region. It was as if he could never, and would never change the way he carried himself.


    "Hoho, I wouldn''t mind an honored guest like yourself appearing uninvited in Eternal Heaven Realm every day." The Eternal Heaven God Emperor chuckled. "Oh? Have you come alone, God Emperor Shitian?"


    God Emperor Shitian hadn''t brought anyone with him. No one could be detected outside the restriction either.


    "It is rude enough that I''d come uninvited. Naturally, I dare not impose on my host any more than this." God Emperor Shitian looked at the four god emperors and smiled even wider. "To think that all four god emperors of the Eastern Divine Region would gather in one place! This is truly a rare occasion. I definitely made the right decision to come here."


    "Hehe," the Star God Emperor let out an odd-sounding sneer. "Cang Shitian, your cultivation hasn''t grown since the last time we met, but your guts have become much bigger than before. Aren''t you afraid that this might be the last place you see in your life?"


    "Oh no, you flatter me too much." Cang Shitian beamed. "I wouldn''t know if my guts have gotten larger or not, but I can definitely tell you that I''m confident in my ability to exit this place alive."


    "Hmph!" The Star God Emperor and Moon God Emperor snorted coldly at the same time before looking away.


    For once, the Star God Emperor and Moon God Emperor shared the same opinion.


    "What does a personal grudge matter before something so important?" the Brahma Heaven God Emperor asked. "God Emperor Shitian, your sudden arrival is spurred by this matter too, right?"


    "Of course." God Emperor Shitian nodded. He was just about to speak when his expression suddenly changed.


    At almost the same time, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor, Star God Emperor, Moon God Emperor and even the eternally calm Eternal Heaven God Emperor turned towards the west with shock in their eyes.


    A violent wind surged as clouds become scattered. The entire world suddenly dimmed a little as the blue sky sank rapidly as if it was about to be turned upside down. A voice came from a distant place,


    "This dragon of the West has come to pay a visit."


    Every word felt like a billion-tonne steel plate that crushed downwards against their bodies and souls. They couldn''t breathe, and couldn''t think. It was as if the entire world was overwhelmed by that one singular voice.


    This terrifying feeling didn''t just happen to the weaker, younger profound practitioners. Even the top rate masters of star realms felt the exact same thing. Their shock was even greater than the younger profound practitioners.


    In an instant, all five god emperors got up from their seats with solemn expressions on their faces. Even the eternally arrogant God Emperor Shitian hid a trace of fear and respect behind his pupils.


    There was only one person in the entire God Realm and Primal Chaos Realm who could strike fear and respect in a god-emperor.


    He was the Dragon Monarch!


    The fact that all five god emperors had risen into the air caused everyone in the Conferred God Stage to stand up in alarm too. They all looked towards the west in astonishment.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor moved his palms and removed the restrictions. In the next instant, the violent wind suddenly reversed directions to reveal a large, tall man walking slowly toward them.


    The air stilled immediately, and the world turned dim. It was as if silence had suddenly descended upon the entire world. Every star realm expert had c.o.c.ked their heads upwards to look at this newcomer before they realized it.


    He was eight feet tall and extremely handsome. His eyebrows were like swords, and every line and pattern on his face were incredibly imposing. His eyes shone like the bright sun itself; a divine light that seemed to have circulated for an infinity of time.


    An unprecedented feeling of inferiority and pettiness grew in every person''s hearts. There were countless experts in the Eastern Divine Regions, and the strongest experts of the upper star realms were powerful enough to be fearless even in face of a god-emperor or a king realm. But when this man had appeared on the sky, they all suddenly felt like lowly commoners capitulating before a mighty monarch.


    They had never felt something like this even when they were facing the Brahma Heaven God Emperor and the Eternal Heaven God Emperor.


    "It has been a long time, everyone. Forgive me for arriving uninvited," said the Dragon Monarch with a smile on his face. His words were unusually gentle, but they rammed into one''s heart and soul like they were a heavenly decree, reverberating for a long time before gradually dissipating.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor strode forward and clasped his hands together. "Eternal Heaven is infinitely honored to welcome the arrival of the Dragon Monarch. Your apology is entirely unnecessary."


    Everyone around him, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor, Star God Emperor, Moon God Emperor, and God-Emperor Shitian, clasped their hands and bowed.


    Unlike the commotion that had broken out during Cang Shitian''s arrival, the Conferred God Stage was dead silent when the name "Dragon Monarch" had appeared.


    No one could describe the shock in their own hearts.


    The Dragon Monarch was such a being that¡­ he was the ruler of the Dragon God Realm, the greatest king realm to exist in the Western Divine Region. He was the greatest cultivator in all divine realms, no, in the entire Primal Chaos Realm, bar none.


    The Dragon God Realm he ruled was the absolute king of all realms in the Primal Chaos Realm. The Western Divine Region he resided in was also the strongest of all four divine regions. It was likely that this status couldn''t be shaken even if the Eastern Divine Region and Southern Divine Region were to join hands.


    The reason the five god emperors acted so respectfully in his presence wasn''t just because the Dragon Monarch was absolutely powerful and divine. His seniority and experience far exceeded theirs too.


    A human''s lifespan couldn''t really be considered long compared to all the races in existence. Even those who cultivated to the realm of Divine Master could only enjoy a maximum lifespan of around than fifty thousand years. For example, the Sword Sovereign Jun Wuming was currently the oldest and most senior human cultivator alive.


    As for the Dragon Monarch, he was currently three hundred and fifty thousand years old.


    He had lived longer than all five god emperors combined.


    Dragons were gifted with impossibly strong bodies since birth, and they were literally the race with the greatest talent out of all the races. Humans were far inferior in comparison, not to mention that their lives were much shorter than a dragon''s. This was why the Dragon God Realm was the king of all God Realms.


    At the same cultivation level, a human was absolutely no match for a dragon. This status quo remained the same even at the God-Emperor level. The Brahma Heaven God Emperor and Eternal Heaven God Emperor might be all-powerful and mighty, but even they couldn''t win a battle against the Dragon Monarch, the True Dragon with three hundred thousand years of acquisition under his belt.


    That was why the Dragon Monarch was indisputably the greatest cultivator in the entire Primal Chaos. It was the absolute truth in everyone''s minds.


    His arrival was the arrival of a monarch.


    The Dragon Monarch doesn''t sense Issei''s presence since Issei himself hid his Draconic aura. If Issei were to release his draconic aura right this instant, this Dragon Monarch would undoubtedly kneel on the spot disregarding everything.


    While the Dragon Monarch is dubbed as the monarch of the Primal Chaos Realm. Issei is the king of kings! Whether it''s Demon, Human, Angels, Devil, Spirits, Dragons, and even Gods, he stands above all else. He''s the absolute ruler of the multiverse!


    If he ever wishes to, he could erase the whole primal chaos realm in an instant... With only one swing of the .


    "We respectfully welcome the Dragon Monarch!"


    Everyone in the Conferred God Stage bowed in courtesy. Personally having witnessed the Dragon Monarch after the gathering of the four god emperors, their astonishment and excitement reached a height at which they almost felt like they could die with no regrets.


    "No need to be so polite." The Dragon Monarch smiled and the hand tucked beneath his sleeve lightly pressed downwards.


    Everyone present instantly felt a soft breeze press upon their bodies. Under this light wind, their bodies couldn''t help but slowly sit back down in their seats.


    The crowd of experts felt endlessly shocked yet again¡­ This move was hundreds of thousands of times harder than pressing down on others with brute force.


    The Dragon Monarch entered the eastern seating area and sat next to the Eternal Heaven God Emperor. This arrangement was only natural to those watching.


    "The Dragon Monarch''s arrival has given all of us a nice surprise. Is the Dragon Queen well?" the Eternal Heaven God Emperor inquired.


    "As well as ever. Thank you for your concern, Eternal Heaven God Emperor." Upon mentioning the "Dragon Queen," a touch of softness that came from the heart emerged on a face that seemed to contain all the majesty in the world.


    "It has been over ten thousand years since I was last able to meet with the Dragon Queen. If I could have the honor of both the Dragon Monarch and Queen arriving this time, one of the greatest wishes of my life would be fulfilled."


    The Dragon Monarch smiled, "If Brother Eternal Heaven has the time, you may visit our Dragon God Realm. My wife and I wholeheartedly welcome you."


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor cheerfully replied, "Eternal Heaven is absolutely honored to have received your words, Dragon Monarch."


    "It seems like the Dragon Monarch is also rather interested in this time''s ''great matter.'' If I haven''t recalled wrongly, this is the first time you have actively made a visit to our Eastern Divine Region." As the Brahma Heaven God Emperor said this, he faintly glanced at God Emperor Shitian.


    A bit of seriousness crept onto the Dragon Monarch''s face. "I have heard the rumors, but I didn''t completely believe it until I heard that your Profound God Convention would be sending one thousand young experts into the Eternal Heaven Pearl for an unprecedented level of cultivation for the next three thousand years."


    Then they discussed the matter about the "crimson crack" in the wall...


    At some point, Mo Yu, Mo Wen, and Mo Zhi took out a Profound Imagery Formation to show them about their vision.


    It was common sense that the Primal Chaos was infinitely vast. They could live for a myriad lifetime and never reach the edge of the Primal Chaos.


    However, common sense was different among the denizens of the God Realm. It was because many ancient scriptures during the Era of Gods had mentioned the edge of the Primal Chaos.


    They all referred to the edge of the Primal Chaos as the "Wall of Primal Chaos".


    However, the Primal Chaos was just too huge. It encompassed an innumerable amount of star realms and an unimaginable amount of space. Even in the God Realm, those who wished to reach the edge of the Primal Chaos must be from an upper star realm or above. No star realms below this level could bear the burden otherwise.


    When the image is shown, in an instant, a crack about the height of a person appeared in the screen above the God Conferred Stage.


    The entire Conferred God Stage suddenly became covered in crimson light. It was as if a blood downpour had just occurred not long ago. An inexplicable fear swelled in everyone''s hearts as they stared at the red crack that looked like it was right above their heads, even though it was obviously just an image on the screen. They felt as if their souls had been pricked by a murder weapon, just like a venomous snake whose weak point was clutched. They shivered.


    "W-w-w-wha¡­ what is this?" Mu Huanzhi cried involuntarily.


    "Does this... thing really exist on the Wall of Primal Chaos?"


    "The words of God Emperors cannot be false," Yen Juehai said. His pupils had shrunk while he stared at the red crack.


    This was just an image of the real thing!


    The Brahma Heaven God Emperor withdrew his arm, and the terrible, bloody light finally faded away from the world. Everyone relaxed and felt as if they''d just escaped a purgatory made of a sea of blood for some reason. Shock remained in their hearts for a very long time.


    "Since you''ve been there yourself, did you manage to find out how this strange red crack came to be?"


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor shook his head. "No, we didn''t. However¡­ the two of us stayed in front of the Wall of Primal Chaos for a whole year, and we didn''t find anything except the usual spatial storms. However, that red crack is gradually expanding."


    The Dragon Monarch was speechless.


    "When the Eternal Heaven God Emperor and I first reached the Wall of Primal Chaos, the red crack was only about seven feet long," the Brahma Heaven God Emperor said. "A year later, it has grown to ten feet. As a result, both the Eternal Heaven God Emperor and I had no choice but to consider a terrifying possibility¡­"


    "This red crack was not the result of a power in the Primal Chaos. It was either a natural part of the wall¡­ or something foreign from beyond the Primal Chaos!"


    Issei who listened to their conversation frowned slightly. Because he can tell that that red crack is probably caused by him albeit not fully.


    [Nyarlathotep...] Issei called out lightly.


    [Hmm? Ah, if you want to ask whether that crack is caused by you or not then the answer is correct but it''s not completely your fault either, dear husband~] Nyarlathotep chuckled lightly.


    [That "wall" is created by me in the past but since I''ve never really done proper maintenance to it. It''s a given that it will become weak and brittle after some time has passed... Sooner or later, with enough given time, anyone can break that wall.]


    [Your arrival just hasten it by a bit... Because your body is basically impervious to almost any magic or divine arts and also because our is slightly different, so when you pass through that "wall", you unintentionally weaken it even further.]


    [Those pests who are residing outside also need to be taken into consideration since even now they''re trying to destroy the "wall". When you''re about to enter this world, they''re about to flee from me while I was protecting you but I stopped them and told them to continue their job.] Nyarlathotep finished her explanation with a smirk.


    [Why would you tell them that?] Issei asked with a frown.


    [Well, it doesn''t matter if they continue to do their job or not... As I said before, anyone can break that wall with enough given time. So I thought that why not just make it happen sooner rather than later? Besides, you will take care of them later on anyway.]


    Nyarlathotep doesn''t really care whether those pests enter this world or not. Even if they bring destruction across the realms, she still won''t care...


    Those pests won''t be able to reach the core of this world anyway.


    Issei sighed tiredly when he heard her explanation but then again, he also shares some fault with this "crimson crack"... Well, he''s going to "fix" this later so it''s all good he guesses.


    The words of the Brahma Heaven God Emperor were world-shocking, without a shadow of a doubt.


    "Outside the Primal Chaos¡­ How is that possible?"


    "Wasn''t it a dead world outside the Primal Chaos? There shouldn''t be any doubt that even the ancient devil gods must have died after being banished outside the Primal Chaos. So how could there be a thing that broke the wall of the Primal Chaos? No matter how you think about it, it''s certainly impossible!"


    The "wall" serves as a cage for them but they didn''t know that of course...


    Nyarlathotep indeed created that "wall" to protect them from outside harm at first but later on, it only serves as their cage...


    "Perhaps, the Wall of Primal Chaos collapsed on its own? That would be¡­ even more impossible, right?"


    "It''s truly inconceivable, and something beyond the understanding of us," Mu Huanzhi said with eyes opened wide.


    "¡­No matter how I process it in my mind, it still sounds like nonsense," Huo Rulie said with a frown. But looking at his face, he really didn''t appear to truly mean what he had said¡­ The four god emperors were all here, the Dragon Monarch had also come, and the two great god emperors of Eternal Heaven and Heavenly Brahma had personally mentioned it. Therefore, no matter how inconceivable it was, there was no way for it to be said in jest.


    Even the elders of the God Realm were all listening to their words as if they were from the heavenly book, let alone those young profound practitioners who had come along with them.


    "Hahahaha," God Emperor Shitian laughed loudly in an unrestrained voice. "How could such a thing happen outside the Primal Chaos? Do you even believe what you have just told us yourselves?"


    Dragon Monarch didn''t laugh or anything, and instead lowered his eyes as he pondered something. He said all of a sudden, "Brahma Heaven God Emperor, those words of yours are absolutely impossible if we were to think normally. However, considering that you said them publicly, could there be still some other reason?"


    "I will talk about it," the Eternal Heaven God Emperor said. "Everyone, do you remember that in some books and jade strips from the Primordial Era of Gods there is mention of the head of the four great Creation Gods, Mo E splitting open the Wall of Primal Chaos with the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword to banish all devil gods outside of it?"


    Below the Conferred God Stage, a large number of people nodded their heads. It was an ancient legend that people from a lot of star realms, and especially many of those from the upper star realms, were already aware of.


    "Over these past years, I once again consulted a large number of ancient texts that were left behind from the Era of Gods, and finally ascertained the authenticity of this matter. The location of the Wall of Primal Chaos that was split open by Creation God Mo E with the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword¡­ was right at the far-east of the Primal Chaos!"


    The atmosphere of the place suddenly became stiff. Dragon Monarch said, "You mean¡­"


    "It is perhaps not a coincidence, after all. There is a possibility¡­ that the place of this crimson crack is precisely the location where the Wall of Primal Chaos was split open by Creation God Mo E with the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword in the ancient era!"


    They continued their guessing game while the two "culprit" is silently converse between themselves...


    "According to the ancient records, the world outside the Primal Chaos is one with endless calamities. If the Wall of Primal Chaos were to collapse, and a gap appears in it, the energy of those calamities will gush into our world. As a result, the star realms that are comparatively nearer to it will definitely be hit by the calamities, and if it continues for a longer period, the balance of climates and elements would likely be broken, which would lead to extremely ghastly, unthinkable consequences.


    "After all, that energy of calamities has annihilated even mighty existences like True Gods."


    A deep frightened look surfaced on the faces of all the experts of the Eastern Divine Region.


    Xiaotao and Lieyan glanced at each other while they silently gaze at their Master.


    Their master has already told them about that energy origin so they''re not too surprised... they silently sighed in relief since their master will help them handle this calamity.


    The Glazed Light Realm King said, "If it''s truly as you say¡­ then around what time will this horrible calamity break out?"


    "No one knows," the Eternal Heaven God Emperor answered. "The three masters from the Heavenly Mystery Realm weren''t able to find out about it, either. Perhaps, we are only worrying over nothing, and the crimson crack on the Wall of Primal Chaos will disappear on its own at some point in time. It is possible as well that it will take a very long time, several hundred thousand or million years, for it to truly collapse. But, at the same time, there is also the possibility that it will happen after several thousand or a hundred years¡­"


    "In a few years¡­ or even tomorrow!"


    "No one can really predict the time, just like how it is impossible for anyone to know the reason behind the appearance of the crimson crack on the Wall of Primal Chaos. Everything we have said is nothing more than our conjecture."


    "So you mean to say that this special session of the Profound God Convention is to make preparations for the calamity that we might be facing in the future?" the Dragon Monarch asked. Hearing all the things so far, he had already understood the whole story and the reason for the many unusual movements of the Eternal Heaven God Realm.


    "Correct." The tone of voice of Eternal Heaven God Emperor grew incomparably serious. "Although everything we talked about is just a guess and assumption, and the so-called calamity may never happen, once it truly breaks out, it would definitely be catastrophic for the Eastern Divine Region without sufficient preparations in place."


    "These three masters from the Heavenly Mystery Realm risked their lives and exchanged a large part of their life spans in exchange for the information, so how could it be treated lightly? Furthermore, since the time the three masters pried into the mystery of heaven, they have constantly felt uneasy, all day and night for around twenty years. It''s absolutely not a good omen, and we must prepare ourselves for the worst."


    "Over these years, the Brahma Monarch, Star God, Moon God, as well as my Eternal Heaven Realm, have all been preparing for the calamity. We are stocking up as many profound crystals and profound stones with spatial energy, so as to fix the Wall of Primal Chaos when it collapses¡­ But, that wall is something that even the True Gods were unable to destroy. Therefore, the amount of spatial energy needed to fix it will certainly be incomparably enormous. There is no way that the preparations of a year or two would be enough for the purpose. It would require several hundred years, or even several thousand years¡­"


    "So, if the calamity were to break out during this time period, then we can only have a large number of experts block the gap in turns with their powerful energies until we have enough spatial energy to fix the wall or discover some other solution. This session of the Profound God Convention was held with this in mind."


    "Making all the people with mature cultivation in the profound way enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm to cultivate would not be able to make a big difference in their cultivations after three thousand years. But if it is those young profound practitioners with extremely high talent and unlimited future, we will definitely get to see their cultivations soaring in the time period of three thousand years in the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm."


    "The thousand young profound practitioners who will be sent inside the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm after this Profound God Convention, will all become an extremely huge energy, that will quite likely save the Eastern Divine Region if the calamity were to truly break out someday in the future."


    At this point in time, Eternal Heaven God Emperor and others had already completely said whatever was needed or they wanted to. All that remained was for the rulers and experts of the Eastern Divine Region that were present at the Conferred God Stage to digest the information and explanations they heard, and accept them.


    "If it all turns out to be a needless worry, in the end, that would still mean the addition of a thousand peerless experts to the Eastern Divine Region. There are many gains but not a single harm in following this plan." Eternal Heaven God Emperor smiled faintly.


    Silence reigned on the entire Conferred God Stage, as people showed different reactions to his words: stunned, staring blankly, spacing out, heart beating wildly, disapproval.


    It has been rumored many years ago that for this session of the Profound God Convention to be held all of a sudden, there had to be some relation with a calamity that was likely to happen, which was discovered by the Heavenly Mystery Realm. However, these rumors were in bits and pieces, and their source was unknown as well. There were extremely few people who treated it as the truth. Who would''ve thought that not only was the rumor true, the reality of it was far beyond their knowledge and imaginations?


    A weird crack on the Wall of Primal Chaos, a strange crimson light coming from it, a fearsome guess, and a frightening calamity¡­ It was if a terrifying nightmare had barged into their tranquil world.


    Mu Bingyun couldn''t help become worried and she unintentionally asked Issei: "...Did you know anything about this young master?" She knows her question might seem far fetched asking Issei who she barely knows anything about but she couldn''t help feeling reliant over his presence...


    "I do." Issei simply replied.


    "Ah?" Mu Bingyun eyes widened since she never thought that Issei will really know about it.


    "Well... you could say that crimson crack is partially caused by me. But you don''t need to worry... I will ''fix'' it later."


    "..." Mu Bingyun dumbly nodded at his words.


    For some reason, all her worries disappear into thin air...


    The entire place remained quiet for a long while, and the four great god emperors didn''t say a word again. It was at this time that Jun Wuming let out a very long sigh, and broke the silence, "Even though everything is uncertain for now if the Eastern Divine Region is truly in danger, we all will naturally go all out to protect it."


    "We were facing such an anomaly and were still totally oblivious to it, causing the Eternal Heaven God Emperor to exhaust his thoughts and ingenuity for the sake of the Eastern Divine Region. Not only have the preparations been underway since a long time ago, this time even something as important as the power of the Eternal Heaven Pearl has been decided to be used up¡­ Wuming can only express his great admiration for all the Eternal Heaven God Emperor has done." Having finished his words, Jun Wuming bowed to the other party with sincerity.


    These words of Jun Wuming''s resonated with every person of the Eastern Divine Region. All of them stood up from their seats and deeply bowed towards Eternal Heaven God Emperor.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor got up as he raised his hand and sighed, "My Eternal Heaven is a king realm of the Eastern Divine Region. I only did what was expected of us. If that day truly comes, the safety of the Eastern Divine Region would still depend on you all."


    "Haha, that goes without saying. If the Eastern Divine Region is in danger, my Holy Eaves Realm will do all in our capability, without taking even a step backward."


    The moment Eternal Heaven God Emperor finished his words, a middle-aged man, with his black beard reaching down to his abdomen, spoke in a solemn tone¡­ It was actually the Holy Eaves Realm King, the biological father of Luo Changsheng.


    "When the time comes, the Glazed Light Realm will completely follow the arrangement of the Eternal Heaven God Emperor." Sitting in the seat adjacent to the Holy Eaves Realm, a very good-looking man said in an indifferent tone. Similar to the Holy Eaves Realm King, there was no one who wouldn''t know of his great name either, the Glazed Light Realm King.


    "Shrouding Sky Realm will certainly do everything possible," the Shrouding Sky Realm King roared as well.


    "We will certainly give it our all!"


    Since the three most powerful upper star realms had expressed their stance on the matter without the slightest hesitation, the other star realms naturally followed right after them.


    "Good¡­" Eternal Heaven God Emperor said in an excited voice. Despite being the ruler of a king realm, he gave a deep bow to all. "Representing Eternal Heaven, I shall first thank everyone for their cooperation."


    Having remained silent for a long time, Dragon Monarch stood up at this time. He said with a solemn expression, "This matter is quite odd, so this dragon will also pay special attention to it. I might personally make a trip to the edge of the Primal Chaos. If something worrying truly happens in the future, my Dragon God Realm will not look on with folded arms, either."


    There was quite clearly another nuance to the words of Dragon Monarch¡­ Only if something worrying happens would the Dragon God Realm not look on with folded arms. That meant that no assistance would be provided before the calamity actually happened; for example, donating spatial profound crystals. Everything was only a guess, after all. Moreover, it was a barely believable guess in the opinion of Dragon Monarch.


    However, to have Dragon Monarch say such words was already a pleasant surprise for Eternal Heaven God Emperor. He bowed in thanks, "Now that we have got such a promise from Dragon Monarch, Eternal Heaven will be a hundred times more at ease."


    "God Emperor Shitian, what is your opinion?" the Brahma Heaven God Emperor asked.


    God Emperor Shitian replied with an indistinct smile, "How could I dare to arbitrarily make a decision on something so great? Besides¡­ if these words were spoken by someone else, I''d not have believed a single thing, but since the Eternal Heaven God Emperor himself spoke about it, I don''t have any choice but to believe it as true. However, I only believe in the thing about the location of the crack, and don''t acknowledge your so-called guess at all. The Wall of Primal Chaos cracked open on its own? Haha, I''ve never heard of a joke as absurd as this."


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor let out a faint laugh, "It is certainly true that it''s nothing more than a baseless and guessed assumption. I also hope that everything is as god-emperor said. But, since the matter is related to the safety of the Eastern Divine Region, we have to take preventive measures, even if the odds of the calamity happening are just one in ten thousand or even a hundred million."


    While speaking, the divine eyes of Eternal Heaven God Emperor were looking far into the distance, to the east. There was a clear sign of deep worry in the depths of his eyes.


    There was a fact that he had hadn''t mentioned. The ones constantly feeling uneasy were not only the three elders of the Heavenly Mystery Realm but also¡­ the Eternal Heaven Pearl.


    ...


    Inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl, on the battlefield for the second round of the preliminaries of the Profound God Convention.


    Incomparably intense battles were being fought everywhere in this place, so as to be able to seize the qualifications to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. Even if it wasn''t their projections in here and they couldn''t revive, they would still not spare anything to achieve their goal, even if it meant risking their lives.


    The ranking didn''t change much and Xia Qingyue''s group is still in the lead as expected.


    They didn''t really need to do much since their score surpassed everyone else...


    "Big Sis, the end must be right around the corner. Do you still want to continue?"


    The voice was tender and crisp, soft, and mild. It would make the listeners feel numbness in their whole bodies, and yearn incomparably to take a look at the owner of the voice.


    "Of course, I want to. There is only a very slight difference in soul orbs between Jun Xilei and me. If I were to relax for even a bit, I''d be outdone by her."


    It was quite a gentle voice but contained a customary chilliness within it.


    "Looks like your intuition is proven to be right once again... Those groups of girls are indeed abnormal."


    She is one of the Four God Children of the Eastern Region, Shui Yingyue of the Glazed Light Realm.


    And her little sister is named Shui Meiyin.


    "I just got lucky, big sis... Unlike others, they didn''t seem to actively hunt for the other participants. They just grouped up together and keep meditating or chatting between themselves." Shui Meiyin said while she glanced at the direction where the girls are located.


    Everyone knows of their location by now since they didn''t really move from their initial spot from the start of the second round.


    They disregard almost everyone who comes close to their location as if they didn''t think of them as a threat in the slightest.


    Eternal Heaven God Realm, after close to three days of discussion about the matters concerning Wall of Primal Chaos, an abnormal situation was still displayed above the Conferred God Stage.


    "Judging by the time, the second round of preliminaries is about to come to an end."


    The gaze of the Eternal Heaven God Emperor turned towards the Eternal Heaven Tower, "The one thousand youths who pass the preliminaries will be sent here. These one thousand youths are the one thousand ''heaven chosen children'' selected for this Profound God Convention. If any disasters happen in the future, they will undoubtedly be a massive assisting force."


    "However, before the conclusion of the Profound God Convention, it is best to not let them know of this. What''s most important for them now is that they do their best in displaying their abilities whilst enjoying the Profound God Convention. This also allows us to witness the abilities of the young generation and so we won''t have to suddenly lay on some heavy pressure."


    Everyone on the Conferred God Stage nodded, as they understood what he meant.


    "Heh, heaven chosen children," God Emperor Shitian laughed weirdly, "Then this king must carefully observe. I hope that you won''t disappoint me too much."


    "Hmph, don''t pee your pants after being a frog in the well for too long." the Star God Emperor suddenly laughed coldly.


    Beneath the king realms, there was indeed one exceptional candidate among the young generation of the Eastern Divine Region that gained the confidence of not only the Star God Emperor, but also the other god emperors.


    "Heh, then this emperor really can''t wait for it." God Emperor Shitian gave a fake smile.


    Then, the expression of the Eternal Heaven God Emperor suddenly changed as he looked at the Brahma Heaven God Emperor with a faint smile.


    The Brahma Heaven God Emperor''s gaze shifted sideways before he smiled wryly, "My daughter does not know the etiquette and barged in herself. Qianye is ashamed and hopes you will only punish her lightly."


    "Hahahaha," the Eternal Heaven God Emperor let out rare cheerful laughter, "Your daughter personally coming is something that this old one is happy about, I couldn''t bear to blame her."


    "Sigh, having already barged in but yet only watching from afar and not paying her respects to her elders, this is really unbecoming." the Brahma Heaven God Emperor shook his head and laughed bitterly.


    Everyone heard the conversation between the two clearly and instantly, countless heads turned...


    The daughter of the Brahma Heaven God Emperor¡­


    The legendary "Goddess" was here?!


    However, immediately, they also heard Brahma Heaven God Emperor''s bitter laugh. His word meant that although his divine daughter was here, she did not come to the Conferred God Stage but instead¡­ watched from afar?


    "That''s good as well." the Moon God Emperor smiled, "If our Eastern Divine Region''s Goddess had really come over, I''m afraid all the males present would no longer be able to pay enough attention to enjoy the Profound God Convention, hohoho."


    "Hahahaha." All the god emperors began to laugh¡­ except for the Star God Emperor.


    That''s weird, why would Ying''er being interested in a mere Profound God Convention, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor thought to himself. Based on his understanding of his daughter, there was no reason why she would appear here.


    Issei sensed and recognized this presence... When he saw Qianye Ying''er who''s prying into the convention he raised his eyebrows for a brief moment before losing interest.


    He could already guess that woman he met in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning is the princess of the Brahma Monarch God Realm.


    Above the skies of the Eternal Heaven God Realm, above the clouds.


    A golden silhouette stood silently above the clouds. She was dressed in golden clothes that flowed with a dreamlike light. Although her clothes were only slightly tight, they complimented her curves nicely and were sufficient to drive any man crazy. Her long hair was an eye-catching gold, so long that it rested just above her perky bottom.


    If someone were to only look at her profile or back view from far away, no one would doubt that she was definitely an unparalleled beauty. Even when she was only silently standing there, the glare of the sun and the shine of the stars seemed to have faded quietly as though they were afraid that her elegance would diminish.


    However, what was exceptionally regretful was that no one was lucky enough to look at her face.


    A golden mask shaped like phoenix wings covered her mysterious eyes. However, below the mask, her lips were tender and seemed as though they were cherry blossom petals glittering in the light. Her neck was dreamily white and seemed to be covered in a powder made of snow. Nobody would dare believe that there would be such flawless jadelike skin existing in this world.


    In the God Realm, extremely few people had the opportunity to see how she looked, and yet, there was almost no one that did not know the fame of her beauty.


    Qianye Ying''er just recently returned from the God Realm of Absolute Beginning.


    She''s feeling disappointed that the man she''s looking for isn''t there anymore... Even after she waited for almost a month over there, she still doesn''t see him much to her frustration.


    After waiting for a while, she decided that she will just return later...


    She also wanted to take a peek at the ongoing convention.


    She had directly passed through the restriction of the Eternal Heaven Realm and arrived outside the Conferred God Stage. Her gaze penetrated through the distant space as it fell on the stage. Obviously, she had come for this Profound God Convention, but she didn''t have the intention to enter the Conferred God Stage to watch the battle. Instead, she was planning to stay away from others and watch the competition from a distance.


    At her side was an old person who seemed particularly aged. His height was no taller than around six feet and he had a crooked body. Furthermore, his whole body was dried-up like a corpse that had been exposed to the sun in a desert. He was dressed in gray clothes that were clearly too baggy for his frame, and were so utterly worn-out that they only barely served their purpose.


    The head of the old man was deeply lowered, making it impossible to look at his eyes. His aura appeared to be strangely turbid, and he didn''t budge an inch, as if his entire body was rigid. Even his tattered gray robe was completely still and didn''t show any movement from the wind blowing past it.


    There were two young girls standing straight behind him. They were dressed in similar silvery soft armor. The girl on the right had a dainty physique with exquisite curves, while the one on the left was very well-developed with her b.r.e.a.s.ts pushing out her silvery armor, which was moving up and down as she breathed in and out.


    The two girls had their beautiful necks bent forward, displaying a very respectful attitude. It seemed as if they didn''t dare to even look straight at the back of Qianye Ying''er, as if she was some sort of deity.


    However, these two girls, who were acting so carefully and clearly only had identities of attendant maids, had such auras of the profound way emitting from them that they could absolutely strike terror in the hearts of countless realm kings who had entered the Conferred God Stage.


    "Looks like some uninvited people have come to the convention as guests," Qianye Ying''er said. Those alluring as nectar, tender and beautiful lips of hers spoke in an extremely indifferent, emotionless tone of voice.


    "One is the Dragon Monarch, and another Cang Shitian from the Southern Region," the crooked old man replied. His voice was such that it was incomparably hard to understand his words, making it hard to believe that it was a human being speaking.


    Qianye Ying''er slightly raised her golden eyebrows, "Even the Dragon Monarch has come? It appears that he is also here because of that so-called crack on the Wall of Primal Chaos."


    "Does Miss want to go over and greet them?" the crooked old man asked.


    "No need." Qianye Ying''er didn''t hesitate in the least. "There is only two person in this world who deserves my attention. My royal father and ''him''."


    The old man and the two girls behind her don''t seem to feel surprised except for the last bit.


    "...Is he really worth that much, young miss?" The crooked old man asked. This is the first time for his young miss to feel genuinely interested in another person like this... and to top it off, that person is a man!


    "Hmph! In this world, he''s the only man who''s worthy enough to be my husband!" She said with a scoff: "And do you think I would lie about someone else''s worth especially when they''re a man?"


    "No, you wouldn''t." The crooked old man replied without thinking.


    Even the Dragon Monarch isn''t spared by her ridicule after all.


    "It''s understandable that you don''t believe my words and only if you saw his strength with your own eyes that you will believe it... I witnessed him created a Divine treasure that surpasses all the Divine treasures in this world with my own two eyes... No words can describe the might of that treasure, but one thing for certain is that it is extremely powerful. And he who created that treasure is even more so! The ''Heaven'' themselves shakes in fear when that treasure is created..." Qianye Ying''er said while reminiscing that sight of Issei creating the .


    The whole realm and space shook greatly and it''s as if the sky is about to fall down... It''s as if the ''Heaven'' is begging him for mercy...


    "Uncle Gu, do you feel that it will be worthwhile to have made the trip here?"


    "Miss has the blessing of heaven," the old person called "Uncle Gu" answered in a hoarse voice.


    His full name is Gu Zhu.


    "Blessing of the Heaven was it... I wonder about that..." Qianye Ying''er mumbled: "What do you think of these groups of girls, uncle Gu?"


    A bizarre, sharp light flashed in Gu Zhu''s old, muddy eyes when he saw Xia Qingyue who''s currently taking the first rank. His bark-like, dried-up lips slowly uttered four words in a hoarse voice, "Heart of¡­ Glazed¡­ Glass."


    "¡­" Qianye Ying''er body stiffened for an instant, after which an extremely severe change appeared on her face all of sudden. The expression in her eyes looking downward had also totally changed.


    "I see now... No wonder she could take the first rank with such ease... but that still doesn''t explain the other girls."


    "Miss," Gu Zhu added, "this girl not only has posses the Heart of Glazed Glass, but she also possesses something that Miss has always been searching for."


    "Oh?" Qianye Ying''er''s eyes slanted to the side. Following that there was a slight change in her expression as she said, "You are saying that¡­"


    "The Nine Profound Exquisite Body," Gu Zhu said in a placid manner.


    "..." Qianye Ying''er did not say anything and she remained silent for a good long while.


    The Nine Profound Exquisite Body. Someone who possessed that contained a little world within their profound veins, could break through realms and transcend the laws of the universe. It was publicly acknowledged as the best dual cultivation incubator in the universe. As one''s profound strength grew stronger, the existence of the Exquisite World would become harder and harder for people to detect, but it still could not escape the turbid and dreadful eyes of Gu Zhu.


    Issei indeed taught Xia Qingyue to hide her presence and cultivation but he forgot to help her hide her special physique. After all, he already gives her and the other girls his protective charm so there won''t be any real harm coming their way hence why he never taught her.


    "Heart of Glazed Glass and the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, just one of these would be considered a gift from heaven, yet she actually has both. This is something that has never been seen before." Gu Zhu let out a deep and quiet sigh, "Far too many strange and abnormal things have appeared in the Eastern Divine Region of this era. Could it be that all of these have been born from the coming calamity?"


    "..." Qianye Ying''er did not respond.


    If it was before she met Issei then perhaps her interest would soar but now... she''s hardly felt interested in it.


    When someone saw something far better than the thing they wanted the most, they will start having second thoughts and this is exactly what happened to Qianye Ying''er.


    She honestly believes that his ''method'' is far superior. She saw him easily increase Esdeath''s group strength to the peak in a blink of an eye so it''s quite understandable.


    "Will you make a move later, miss? But be warned... The woman of Glazed Glass is protected by the heavenly law, this is something that definitely isn''t just baseless hearsay," Gu Zhu pronounced slowly. "Forcefully robbing her of her Exquisite Body might perhaps not be the best choice."


    "I''ve never ever believed in the so-called heavenly law," Qianye Ying''er said with a soft, cold laugh: "But... There''s this feeling of unease when I look at them..."


    She frowned at the end of her words... It''s not that she''s afraid of the so-called heavenly law but rather...


    When she''s thinking to herself, she accidentally caught the sight of a figure that has been clouding her mind recently.


    Her eyes widened and her body froze on the spot as if she has been struck by lightning.


    "...He''s here... How can he be here?" She muttered in a low voice while her eyes are locked onto Issei''s figure. Even though Issei is wearing a mask, she can still recognize him.


    She doesn''t believe that a person like him would feel interested in a match between ants.


    There must be something else... Unless...


    Qianye Ying''er then comes to a sudden realization and she started to properly inspect each and every one of the girls.


    Then she looks at his surroundings and saw Mu Bingyun who''s seated right beside him.


    At the end of her observation, she bit her lips while a feeling of jealousy started to sprout within her heart for the first time...

 Chapter 139 - 138

    (AN: Thank you Dulen H for the donation, I hope all of you enjoy the chapter! And with that said... Peace out girls scout!)


    "Young Miss?"


    "...He''s here. The man I''ve told you about is down there." Qianye Ying''er said while pointing at Issei''s direction.


    Gu Zhu look down and followed the direction she''s pointing at.


    When he saw Issei''s figure, Gu Zhu frowned deeply while confusion started to take over him. He saw a masked man sitting lazily in his seat while inhaling a smoking pipe.


    While the others around him seem tense, he''s the only person there who seems quite out of place because of how carefree he looks... Oddly enough, everyone there doesn''t seem to sense his presence at all.


    Except for those who are seated around him.


    "...I can''t sense anything at all... If it wasn''t for miss pointing him out then I won''t even realize he was there... His cultivation is at the peak of Divine King? No that''s not right either..." He muttered in amazement. No matter how hard he tries, he couldn''t sense nor see through Issei at all.


    It''s as if he''s just a normal mortal that you can find anywhere but at the same time, there''s this inexplicable aura oozing out from his body...


    And for quite some time now, the ''thing'' that he''s holding right now keep shivering on its own. If it wasn''t for him holding it down with force, it ought to fly away already.


    Thankfully the force behind it isn''t that big...


    "It would be weirder if you can see through him." Qianye Ying''er said simply since she already anticipated this to happen: "And his cultivation is a fake. His true strength isn''t discernable with the n.a.k.e.d eye nor the divine sense."


    "Will you go and meet him then miss?" Gu Zhu asked.


    "...No. I will watch things from here for now... And he should already sense my presence as well. If I were to go and greet him down there, it would make him the center of attention and the other realms would notice it... I don''t want the other realms to know of him just yet. Not until I can somehow rope him into our side." Qianye Ying''er said.


    "And it seems that the and the has some information about him... Me and my royal father disregarded the lower realm thinking that he should be affiliated with the other upper realms but never we thought that he might be residing in one of the lower realms."


    "Should we send someone to investigate then, miss?" Gu Zhu inquired.


    "No!" Qianye Ying''er immediately shot down Gu Zhu''s suggestion: "If we were to send someone there, it will undoubtedly annoy him. And do you think we could send a spy so easily just like we did to other realms? Heh, I assure you... The moment our spy step into his realm, he would notice it right away! This, I''m sure of."


    Qianye Ying''er voiced out her words with certainty but she''s mistaken... Issei doesn''t care if someone sends a spy to the or not.


    Even if they send a hundred spies, he still wouldn''t bet an eye as long as they didn''t try to bother him.


    It will be Mu Xuanyin''s job to eradicate any spy not him. He has no secret nor the need to hide anything from the other realm.


    If they bother him then he will just kill them outright and that''s it, end of the story.


    Inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl, the second round of preliminaries of the Profound God Convention had finally come to an end. The Voice of Eternal Heaven resounded right on time:


    "Young experts, the second round of preliminaries ends now. You all have already answered with your efforts the question of who is going to be those heaven chosen children."


    The battlefield became still at this moment. All the profound powers disappeared instantly without a trace, including those of the profound practitioners who were fighting hard until a moment ago. They couldn''t release the slightest bit of energy any longer, as if their profound veins had been emptied in a split second.


    The results of the second round of preliminaries had been completely determined in this instant.


    The battlefield had become quiet, and everyone was looking at the sky as they waited to learn their fates. Some were wild with joy, others calm and indifferent. There were also some who were wailing, or had even gone hysterical¡­ Especially the state of those who were ranked close to the top thousand.


    Although their ranks were just a little bit lower than the people placed among the top thousand, the difference in their fates was going to be worlds apart.


    A person ranked thousandth, and another one thousand first¡­ The former would get to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, and the latter had lost the opportunity to cultivate for three thousand years in the divine realm. Not even the phrase "world of difference" would be enough to describe their present situation.


    "Those who could not make it into the top thousand on this battlefield, you will be sent away, and your real bodies will be sent to the outside of the Eternal Heaven Realm. Hopefully, this session of the Profound God Convention has helped your way of profound cultivation to have a bright future and unlimited possibilities."


    As white light descended from the sky and the Voice of Eternal Heaven sounded, the projections of all the profound practitioners who had failed to enter the top thousand also disappeared, without exception.


    There were only a thousand participants left on the now calm battlefield of the second round.


    "Young geniuses, you have successfully proven yourselves with your true strength and will, and have become the ''heaven chosen children'' of this Profound God Convention." The Voice of Eternal Heaven raised a bit, as it grew even more ear-splitting and soul-shaking. "You have the qualifications to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. In that place, your life will be remolded, and you will also have the possibility of thoroughly changing your fate."


    "But before that, you should not forget that your fight has still not ended."


    "Next, your real bodies will be sent to the Conferred God Stage inside the Eternal Heaven God Realm. At that place, we will have an even crueler third elimination round, as well as¡­"


    "The final Conferred God Battle!"


    "Out of the thousand heaven chosen children, only thirty-two will have the qualifications to participate in the Conferred God Battle!"


    "In the end, only four people will be able to obtain the conferred title of Godly One!"


    Everyone was listening seriously as if they were afraid of missing even a single word.


    "Youngsters who will be ruling the Divine Eastern Region in the future, go to the Conferred God Stage, and continue your fight!"


    CLANK!


    As rays of light shone downwards, all the projections dissolved and disappeared little by little.


    At the Conferred God Stage in the Eternal Heaven Realm, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor also stood up at this time. He said with a faint smile, "It seems that the final results are out now. Let us all welcome the thousand ''heaven chosen children'' that have been personally selected by the Eternal Heaven Pearl."


    "Qu Hui, you will be in charge of this third round of preliminaries and the final Conferred God Battle. Make sure to be fair and strict!"


    A middle-aged man in black clothes got to his feet behind the Eternal Heaven God Emperor. He had a face that made others feel scared just by getting a glimpse of it. His brows were like cold swords, reaching right up to his temples, and his lips were thin and pursed tightly, giving off the impression that he had never smiled in his life. His facial features were distinct like a water chestnut, and every wrinkle on the skin of his face appeared as if it had been carved by a sword. His eyes were like that of a hungry hawk gliding in the sky, sharp and ice cold.


    "Master, rest easy." Each and every word of his brief reply sounded as sharp as a knife.


    As a while light shone, a huge spatial profound formation suddenly appeared at the center of the Conferred God Stage. Following the rotation of the profound formation, a thousand auras belonging to young experts made their appearance at the same time.


    When the white light dispersed, the thousand "heaven chosen children," who had emerged victorious after fierce and hard fights, all appeared in front of the audience.


    Immediately, the Conferred God Stage became noisy, as most of the audience stood up uncontrollably. Since the second round of preliminaries started, they were participating in the discussion of the major event and had no way to know the situation of the competition through the star tablets. In other words, they were the last ones to know the results of the second round. It was at this moment that they truly came to know whether any of their sons, daughters, or disciples became one of the "heaven chosen children."


    Very soon, loud laughs and wails resounded together, across the Conferred God Stage. A large number of elders found it difficult to suppress their excitement seeing their later generation on the Conferred God Stage and laughed aloud in joy.


    Although it was only a group of youngsters that were under sixty years old, the auras being emitted from them were powerful enough to make countless experts on the stage feel deeply amazed. Especially Xia Qingyue''s group who''s basically an enigma of this convention.


    "So those groups of girls are the ones who dominated the top hundred? Is this real? Some of them are only in their teens!"


    Gaze after gaze fell on their eye-catching group. All of them are wearing a veil and they only wore plain white clothes but that doesn''t stop the male onlookers become captivated by their sight.


    Even the upper realm kings are no exception.


    More and more gazes focused on them while there''s barely anyone that gazes upon the rumored ''Four God Children of the Eastern Region''.


    And what''s more astonishing is that all of them are mostly from the same realm!


    "So there are four of them who are at the tenth level of Divine Spirit Realm while the rest of them are at the seventh level and above¡­ and most of them are also no more than twenty years old." The Dragon Monarch nodded in praise. "The youngsters of this generation of the Eastern Divine Region are truly outstanding. My Western Divine Region lacks too much in comparison."


    It wasn''t that the Dragon Monarch was being modest because when it came to cultivation speed, the dragon race was inferior to the humans¡­ and far inferior at that.


    But taking into consideration the physique, talent, and lifespan of dragons, even if the humans could grow at a very fast rate, they would have no superiority over True Dragons.


    "Haha, if they knew that they were praised by the Dragon Monarch, they would certainly see it as the honor of a lifetime," the Eternal Heaven God Emperor said while smiling faintly. But even he is surprised by the appearance of Xia Qingyue''s group...


    They literally pop out of nowhere... Is the and the have been sharpening their fangs over the years? That they go as far as to hide these groups of talented girls?


    "Hmph," Cang Shitian let out a very light grunt. His expression was a bit stiff, clearly showing that he wasn''t really all that happy.


    When these thousand topnotch geniuses entered the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, and then, came out three years later, there would be no doubt that the Eastern Divine Region would suddenly see the addition of a large group of experts, who would be considered topnotch even by the standards of the entire God Realm. It would naturally result in the power of the Southern Divine Region becoming weaker compared to the Eastern Divine Region.


    He was, of course, in a bad mood.


    The gaze of the Dragon Monarch moved little by little as he observed the top thousand. He was clearly looking at them quite seriously. Those he observed first were naturally the ones with the most powerful auras.


    But every time he gazes upon each and every single one of them, his frown goes deeper and deeper... Why did he sense some unsettling aura coming out of these girls? It''s not an evil aura or anything like that but it''s more like there''s this urge for him to pay his respect...


    And when he saw Chu Yuechan, he stiffened slightly since he sensed some familiar aura coming from her. Why is her aura seems so familiar... to that of his ''wife''?


    The Dragon Monarch began contemplating to himself trying to figure out all these questions within his head.


    "...It''s rare for even this dragon to be able to see such an exceptionally talented group." The Dragon Monarch finally sighed with sincerity seeing that he couldn''t come up with an answer to the questions inside his head. "If a person with their aptitude doesn''t come to a premature end, they will possibly be no less powerful than the guardians of your Eternal Heaven God Realm."


    A king realm is able to become so precisely because of having a special "inheritance" method. That was the reason for the Eternal Heaven God Realm to have a group of incomparably powerful guardians this whole time. The Star God Realm and the Moon God Realm both relied on "inheritance" too.


    If a profound practitioner could reach the same heights by themselves in the profound way as the ones who receive "inheritance," that absolutely would be an extremely terrifying matter.


    Once again, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor didn''t deny his speculation and nodded his head in response.


    "Being able to see these groups of girls with unprecedented talent is in itself worth this dragon making the trip here." Even a lot of envy could be sensed in the tone of the Dragon Monarch.


    Shui Meiyin also garners a bit of attention to herself but her achievement is eclipsed by the girls.


    "Miss." Up above, Gu Zhu said all of a sudden. "A dangerous individual is drawing near from the east."


    "Oh?"


    "It''s the Heavenly Slaughter Star God and the Heavenly Wolf Star God," Uncle Gu slowly said. "The Heavenly Slaughter Star God harbors extremely intense hatred towards you. Adding to it her extreme nature, she will definitely attack you, even if this place here is the Eternal Heaven Realm. Therefore, avoid her for the time being."


    "¡­" the goddess of Brahma Heaven God Realm remained silent for a bit. She suddenly muttered in doubt, "That''s strange. The Heavenly Wolf Star God still has a childish nature, so it''s somewhat understandable for her to come here. But why would the Heavenly Slaughter Star God come to this place?"


    "Uncle Gu, you first leave with Fu and Xian. I suddenly feel like going over and seeing whether the Heavenly Slaughter Star God has made any progress over the past few years."


    Qianye Ying''er''s gaze turned to the east. The aura on her body slowly faded away, and as her golden long hair blew in the wind, an incomparable beautiful flittering light glimmered across her body.


    "The spirit sense of the Heavenly Slaughter Star God is extremely sharp. Miss must make sure to be careful."


    Uncle Gu didn''t stop her, because once Qianye Ying''er decided to do something, no one could convince her otherwise.


    Leaving a warning, in the end, his aged and dried-up figure flashed through the sky, and after an instant, he was already rapidly flying away into the distance, along with the two maids in silver armor.


    The figure of Qianye Yin''er also became fainter little by little at this time, until it disappeared completely.


    At the same time, her aura disappeared as well...


    Far off in the east, the figures of two girls and one woman could be seen flying over at an extremely fast speed. The two of them were delicate and exquisite while the woman seems mature and gentle.


    Their appearance in this place was like the sudden descent of absolutely beautiful fairies from fairy tales in the ordinary world, making everything around seem illusory.


    They''re none other than Jasmine, Caizhi, and Xun''er.


    "We''re finally here. I think that we just passed through the Eternal Heaven Realm''s restriction¡­ so why didn''t anyone come to stop us?" Princess Caizhi said in wonder.


    "Hmph, they wouldn''t dare to stop you or me." Jasmine snorted.


    "Hehe." Princess Caizhi stuck out the pink tip of her tongue, as her starry eyes looked quietly at the expression of her elder sister. The closer they got to the Conferred God Stage, the more worried she becomes.


    "Big sis... Are you sure about this?" Princess Caizhi couldn''t help but ask.


    "Of course. Those bastards are gathered in one place! There''s no better timing to exact our revenge against them!" Jasmine said with a voice laced with hatred.


    Her target of revenge is the Brahma Monarch God Realm, the Moon God Realm, and her own father.


    "...And most importantly... Ise must be waiting for us as well..." When she mentioned Issei''s name, her voice immediately turned soft and dreamy just like that a maiden in love: "After we''re done... I will follow him wherever he goes." She added with conviction.


    Princess Caizhi couldn''t stop feeling amazed seeing how captivated her big sis towards this Ise she just met once... She meant, she knows that he''s their savior but...


    Aiyaa... At least big sis seems happy whenever she thought of that guy. Princess Caizhi thought with a smile.


    She will listen and follow whatever her big sis and aunty said. And since they wanted to take revenge against their so-called father then so be it, she will accompany them.


    She didn''t care about their so-called father''s fate in the slightest. If anything, she also resents Xing Juekong for what happened so far.


    "Dear..." Xun''er wanted to say something but Jasmine stopped her: "No, mother. I will be the one who finishes them off."


    Xun''er who heard this sighed to herself... She wanted to be the one who enacts their revenge but she knows that her daughter won''t be satisfied until she has her way with them...


    While Xun''er wanted to carry the burden, Jasmine also thought the same as her... Both of them are trying to protect each other.


    "Big sis, aunty! We''ll soon reach¡­ the Conferred God Stage!" Princess Caizhi said.


    "Um..." Jasmine stopped in her tracks all of a sudden. Her entire body had gone stiff, and she stayed still for a good while since she finally saw Issei''s figure who''s currently waving towards her location.


    Xun''er also flashed a happy smile of her own when she notices Issei waving at them.


    "H-He could see us from this far away?" Princess Caizhi said in astonishment: "But we''ve just arrived!"


    "...Like I said. He''s extremely powerful so it''s of no surprise that he could sense our arrival from miles away." Jasmine said after taking a deep breath to calm herself down.


    But she couldn''t hide her smile and her eyes are still locked onto Issei''s figure.


    "Let''s go down and meet him!" Jasmine said feeling impatient.


    Xun''er who saw this sighed to herself once again... Only when he''s around that her daughter will forget about her revenge albeit for a short moment.


    Because of their excitement, the three of them fail to notice Qianye Ying''er who''s hiding in the distance.


    But Qianye Ying''er starting to feel more restless than ever for some unknown reason. If her eyes not mistaken... did ''he'' just waved in their direction!?


    Does that mean that...


    Before she could finish her thoughts, she felt a sudden chill coming from behind her. And when she turned around, she saw Uncle Gu and her two maids who were supposed to leave a while ago is currently laid unconscious in front of a single woman... The woman she knows all too well...


    The woman is dressed in a white outfit that looks foreign to this world''s inhabitants yet it looks absolutely striking to say nonetheless. She''s wearing a hat that has a crimson dragon symbol on the front.


    The woman has an expressionless beautiful face. It is none other than Sirius... one of ''his'' servants.


    "...Stay." That''s all Sirius said but it is more than enough to make Qianye Ying''er understand just what''s currently going on...


    Her mind is rotating as fast as it could but she couldn''t come up with a way out of her current predicament. With all her cunningness and intelligence put together... She still couldn''t see a way out...


    She knows that her worry has proven to be true... The Heavenly Star Slaughter God has some connection with ''him'' and this can only mean one thing... her doom...


    Qianye Ying''er expression turned blank... But soon she regained her calm bearings once again.


    Sirius who saw this was slightly impressed with Qianye Ying''er willpower. If it was any other person then that person would''ve started shivering with their teeth clattering...


    It isn''t a simple fight to the death. It''s already a guaranteed death sentence for anyone who was going to fight her Master... There''s no way out. Their only outcome is only their demise.


    Her mother''s soul also has a worried expression on her face.


    ...


    "Young master?" Mu Bingyun said in confusion seeing Issei waving his hand.


    "My acquaintances is here."


    "Your acquaintances?"


    At this time, the God Emperors look up towards the sky when they sensed the trio arrival.


    "Oh? This is surprising..." The Brahma Monarch God Emperor said.


    "...They''re here? What are they doing here?" Xing Juekong said with a frown.


    Xing Juekong invited Jasmine and Xun''er before but both of them paid no attention to him so he thought that they won''t be coming to the convention.


    He''s not that surprised about Caizhi''s arrival but... what is this bad omen he''s sensing.


    The Other Star Gods also felt taken aback by Jasmine''s party arrival.


    "Oh? I thought you said that your two princesses won''t be coming, Star God Emperor?" The Eternal Heaven God Emperor said in surprise.


    "This... Perhaps they changed their mind." Xing Juekong replied unsurely.


    Since they''re already here then there''s no need to overthink stuff.


    "Wife, Jasmine, Caizhi, you''ve come." Xing Juekong said with a faint smile. He started feeling proud of seeing this ''wife'' of his who became more and more beautiful as days goes on...


    Too bad he couldn''t enjoy her as of lately... but no matter. Once his plan is finished, he could do whatever he wants with her later on...


    But in the next moment, he froze on the spot since the three of them don''t even spare him a glance.


    Instead, they flew straight towards the ''lower-realm'' sitting area.


    This in return, piqued everyone''s interest... Especially Cang Shitian.


    "Is that your wife? I have to say, she''s indeed very beautiful... And I dare to admit that she''s one of the most beautiful women I''ve seen so far. Perhaps she''s on par with the ''Goddess'' and the Dragon Queen in terms of beauty." Cang Shitian bemused to himself.


    "Although... Why did she ignores you, her supposed husband like this I wonder?" She added in a mocking voice.


    This is also a question in everyone''s mind... but soon they found their answer.


    The trio swooped down to the and seating area.


    While Caizhi is looking at Issei with interest, Xun''er flashed a beautiful smile towards Issei: "Nice to see you again, Ise."


    "Um, nice to see you too." Issei nodded at her greetings.


    "Dear... Don''t you have something to say?" Xun''er urged her currently fidgetting daughter.


    "...I-I-Ise..." She let out a squeaky voice while still fidgetting.


    The onlookers'' eyes bulged comically seeing the rumored Heavenly Slaughter Star God who supposed to be cold acting so coy like this... and this is especially true for Xing Juekong since he has never seen her daughter acting like this.


    But what''s more important is that his own wife is greeting another man than him with such happiness! He gripped his fist tightly while he''s feeling that he just lost face in front of all of these people!


    "Hm? Why did this little brat suddenly act all shy like this? Where does that prideful brat that keeps saying ''this princess, this princess'' go I wonder?" Issei teased.


    "Y-You!" Jasmine said through her gnashed teeth with a reddened face.


    "Nice to see you again, Jasmine." Issei let out a light chuckle before he patted Jasmine''s head.


    "...Un, nice to see you too..." Jasmine''s body froze for a second before she replied with a small voice.


    There''s a thin smile adorning her face.


    "Hehehe." Xun''er giggled at their interaction.


    "Aha... So that''s why she ignores you! She found a better man for herself! Ahahahahaha!" Cang Shitian said in a mocking laugh.


    Xing Juekong''s face becomes black because of how humiliated he is.


    Moonflower who''s behind him had her eyes shone slightly... she remembered Jasmine''s words back then when she came to pick them up. She started wondering if this masked man is the person she was talking about...


    Brahma Monarch God Emperor on the other hand had his body stiffened when he saw the masked man they''re interacting with.


    Isn''t this man... looks very similar to the man her daughter described?


    "Xun''er! You owe me an explanation!" Xing Juekong said while veins started popping out around his head.


    "Explanation? Why should I?" Xun''er said in a cold voice. Her tone is completely different from when she was conversing with Issei.


    "You''re my wife!" Xing Juekong roared.


    "Wife? That is only your wishful thinking." Xun''er sneered: "You forced your way with me and after you''re done venting your desire, you abandoned me like a piece of trash! Even when the Moon God Emperor kidnapped me you didn''t even bat an eye!"


    "If it wasn''t for my son saving me, perhaps I would''ve died back then! And don''t think that I don''t know your plan of sacrificing my daughter for your own personal gain. You even wanted to include Caizhi as well!"


    "Do you still have the face to call yourself as my husband after all that?!" She roared with hatred.


    Xing Juekong who heard her words become completely stupefied...


    Whereas the other such as Cang Shitian look on with interest.


    Back when Xun''er was kidnapped by the Moon God Emperor, it''s not really a secret.


    People thought that she''s only a mistress at most, so the public doesn''t really pay close attention to this incident.


    But now that she said it this way... they started to look at Xing Juekong with a disgusted gaze.


    Is there any worser father than him? He ignored his kidnapped wife and even wanted to sacrifice his own daughter just for his personal gain!


    "Hmph, you old villain! Don''t act like you love my mother all of a sudden! Don''t you have countless women at your beck and call? One of them being that s.l.u.t behind you?" Jasmine said with disgust while pointing at Moonflower who''s seated nearby Xing Juekong.


    "Eh?" Moonflower who was pointed out by Jasmine let out a stupefied voice.


    "Back then you''re really good to this s.l.u.t, aren''t you. MUCH¡­ BETTER¡­ THAN¡­ YOU¡­ WERE¡­ TO¡­ MY¡­ MOTHER!"


    Those last few words were pronounced with an extremely cold hatred and killing intent.


    Crack, crack, crack...


    The Star God Emperor clenched his fists tightly as his joints let out explosive cracks that sounded like the fracturing of bones.


    "AAHHHH!!!"


    The Star God Emperor suddenly thrust his hand out and starlight ruptured with an explosive roar.


    He''s doesn''t throw out his attack towards Jasmine or Xun''er but... he threw his attack towards Issei direction instead.


    ""YOU DARE!!!"" Both Jasmine and Xun''er shouted at the same time and they''re about to intercept his incoming attack when they heard Issei''s voice.


    Xun''er rabbit ears stand upright making the shape akin to a Dragon horn. The Dragon Monarch astonishedly look at this since he sensed a Draconic aura emanating from Xun''er''s body.


    "Jasmine, Xun''er." Issei said softly.


    Both Jasmine and Xun''er stopped in their track when they heard his voice.


    Xing Juekong who saw this become further infuriated. He''s supposed to be their husband and father yet the two of them are more obedient towards this unknown man more than when they''re with him!


    No matter! He will tear this bastard into ten thousand pieces!


    Issei boredly looks at the incoming attack before he huffed lightly to the front.


    That very same attack from Xing Juekong did a complete 180-degree turn heading back towards its original owner.


    Not only Xing Juekong, but the others who are watching this also has a flabbergasted expression on their face.


    What the hell?! Did he just reflected an attack of a God-Emperor with a simple huff from his mouth!?


    *BOOM!!!*


    Xing Juekong managed to block his own attack but since he never expected this to happen, he only manages to block eighty percent of it.


    There are a few scratches here and there on his body but it''s nothing serious.


    YES! THAT''S IT! THAT''S HOW I FEEL BACK THEN! Huo Rulie who was watching from the sideline screamed loudly inside his mind. The day where Issei deflected his attack back at him is still fresh inside his mind...


    "My lord!" The guardians who came with him finally snapped out of their daze and shouted worriedly.


    "Hmph! What an idiot!" Jasmine sneered at Xing Juekong''s sorry state.


    "You vile thing, you dare to-!"


    "Shut up."


    The guardians were about to say something when their mouths suddenly clamped up on their own. They also couldn''t move a single muscle!


    There''s this invisible force holding them down and no matter how hard they struggle, they couldn''t break free from their ''restraint''!


    "And Qianye Fantian... where do you think you''re going?" Issei said lightly.


    The onlookers'' turned their head at the same time only to see Qianye Fantian the God-Emperor of the Brahma Monarch God Realm is currently trying to sneak away from the scene.


    They can''t believe what they currently witnessing... an honored God Emperor trying to scurry away like a little rat...


    "Your excellency, I believe there are no grudges between us." Qianye Fantian squeezed out a few words while forcing himself to smile.


    He knows that he''s at a disadvantage right now. His daughter has informed him of Issei''s strength and he didn''t believe her completely at first.


    But after seeing how easily Issei deflects Xing Juekong''s attack just now, he becomes convinced.


    Even the Dragon Monarch himself won''t be able to deflect an attack from a God-Emperor so casually like that.


    "Hmm, indeed. We don''t have any grudges between us but could you say the same to her?" Issei pointed at Jasmine.


    "Where is she! Where is your s.l.u.t of a daughter! Call her here now!" Jasmine growled.


    "You don''t need to look for me. I''m already here." A calm voice resounded from above and Jasmine''s eyes instantly locked onto the golden figure that is currently being "escorted" by Sirius.


    After Sirius finishes her job, she flew towards Issei''s side and stand silently at his back.


    "Qianye... Ying... Er!!!" Jasmine said through gnashed teeth. Her eyes become bloodshot and it''s as if she couldn''t wait to tear her mortal enemy to shred.


    "Nice to see you, the Heavenly Slaughter Star God." Qianye Ying''er said with a scoff: "...And your excellency."


    Even when she knows that she''s clearly on the losing side, she still didn''t lose her calm. But... her gaze couldn''t help become dim for a brief moment when she saw the masked man who still looks so carefree in this chaotic situation.


    So he''s already on their side... How laughable... Here she was trying her best to attract Issei towards her side but in the end, it''s only a fool errand.


    "Jasmine... Can you wait for the end of the convention first?" Issei asked Jasmine.


    "What? Why?" Even though she looks extremely furious right now, she still didn''t completely lose control over herself and properly respond to Issei''s words.


    But then she realizes something before she looks down towards Xia Qingyue''s group location.


    "Hmph, fine..." Jasmine took a deep breath to calm herself down but she''s still gazing at her enemies with a cold gaze.


    Xia Qingyue and the others have been training themselves just for this day after all so she needs to give them her respect.


    After a good while, she finally took back her gaze and headed towards the empty seat beside Issei while Xun''er and Caizhi also took a seat near him.


    Now Caizhi knows that what her big sis said is the truth. This man she just met recently is truly powerful!


    "You can resume the convention, Eternal Heaven God Emperor." Issei said towards the Eternal Heaven God Emperor.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor frowned with how casually Issei addressed him.


    "Friend, I admit that you''re powerful but remember that you''re currently in my domain. So it would be wise of you to reel in your arrogance... Even though you''re powerful but can you fight all of us the same time?"


    This man is dangerous and perhaps they won''t be able to defeat him one on one. But if they along with the Dragon Monarch were to work together then...


    Even the Brahma Monarch suddenly felt like they might be able to win if they were to combine force but he saw his daughter shook his head at him.


    "Hey hey, don''t count me in. I''m but a bystander." Cang Shitian said while spreading his arms.


    This newcomer clearly has some beef with these three idiots. So it works in his favor... Why should he help his enemies? What a joke!


    The Dragon Monarch frowned deeply but he still doesn''t say anything. He felt really restless whenever he gazes at Issei for some reason...


    His instinct is telling him to never cross Issei''s path. But he just couldn''t take a bystander stand like Cang Shitian or it will affect his pride.


    "Taking all of you?" Issei said while propping his chin: "Do you want to try taking me on at the same time right here right now? If so then come... Make your move."


    "But you better be prepared to lose your life when the time comes," Issei added.


    Issei still doesn''t release the tiniest bit of aura or oppressive aura which is the complete opposite of their side, but just the sight of him being so casual right there manages to make everyone there feel uneasy.


    The Dragon Monarch, Qianye Fantian, Xing Juekong, and the Eternal Heaven God Emperor has been releasing their oppressive aura all this time but Issei seems completely unaffected.


    Not even him, even the others around him are not affected in the slightest!


    He''s still sitting lazily and it''s as if he has so many opening. But those who know of his ''true'' might such as Qianye Ying''er knows that it will only be a suicide mission if they were to truly attack him...


    "Give it up... Even if all of us here combined our force, we still won''t be able to put a scratch on him." Qianye Ying''er suddenly said.


    "Don''t you think you''re overestimating him too much?" The Moon God Emperor said: "Perhaps what he just did is a one time trick up his sleeve? Or maybe he was just lucky? And even if it''s not, could he take an attack from three God Emperor and the Dragon Monarch at the same time?"


    "Overestimating him? Heh, if anything it''s you who are underestimating him." Qianye Ying''er said in a mocking voice.


    "Forget about defeating him. Even facing that woman who''s standing behind him will take everything you have!"


    The Moon God Emperor and the others look towards Sirius and only now that they realize that her cultivation is also at the peak of the Divine Realm.


    Now their odds of success just dropped by another layer.


    "And mind you that she''s not the only servant that he has... as far as I know, he has another two servants that are at the tenth level of the Divine Master Realm." Qianye Ying''er dropped another bomb.


    What?! Since when a peak level Divine MasterRealm cultivator becomes so common!?


    "Ahh... This woman really can''t keep her mouth shut. Now we won''t be able to have our fun."


    "Well, we could just take the initiative as long as Master give us permission." Two displeased voice belonging to a woman resounded.


    Esdeath and Altair emerged behind Issei at the same time.


    They had a battle thirsty grin on their face, especially Esdeath.


    "Master master, can we at least kill a few of them?" Esdeath asked giddily: "I won''t ask for much. Just ten of them would suffice."


    She wants more ''assistant'' to her little game.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor and the other three had their body stiffened at their sight.


    Now, they''re even... no, they''re on the losing side! Even when Issei is alone they are still not fully confident. But now there''s another three peak level Divine Master Realm cultivator joining the fray!


    Mu Bingyun and the Flame God Realm stood their ground stating that they''re on this side.


    Mu Huanzhi and the others were confused at this sight but seeing how Mu Bingyun doesn''t say anything, they decided to do the same...


    Qianye Ying''er didn''t say anything about the since she doesn''t need to... Even though they are not in sight right now, she''s certain that they''re around this place having them surrounded.


    The fact that not even the Dragon Monarch couldn''t sense their presence said it all... If he couldn''t even sense their presence then what chance do they have?


    And they''re still not taking that divine treasure of his into account here... Once again, she felt so powerless...


    "So are you going to make your move?" Issei asked.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor didn''t know how to respond to this...


    "If not then I suggest that you resume the convention. And as for you three... Sit."


    Issei said calmly and then he waved his hand towards Qianye Fantian, Xing Juekong, and Yue Wuya(Moon God Emperor) location.


    Just like Xing Juekong''s guardians, they felt an invisible force forcing them down.


    They started having cold sweat seeing how easily he could press them down like this...


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor and the Dragon Monarch who''s not affected by it could somehow tell just what''s currently happening.


    Dangerous! This man is extremely dangerous! Just who is he!? Is what''s going on inside their mind right now...


    Cang Shitian who takes on the bystander role is also feeling shocked at the display of Issei''s might. But he felt happy more than anything since his enemies just kicked a steel plate!


    Hahaha! What a good day! He thought happily to himself.


    Qianye Ying''er doesn''t say anything else before she also sits down on her own.


    Once she''s seated, she closed her eyes as if she''s accepting her fate... but in reality, she''s holding on to her last trump card.


    This will be her last resort...


    "I apologize for arriving late." Soon after, a cold voice resounded from above.


    When everyone looks above, they saw Mu Xuanyin the realm king of the Snow Song Realm descending from the sky.


    She swooped down towards Issei''s location to pay her greetings: "Young Master."


    Issei responded to her greeting with a nod. After she paid her greetings, Mu Xuanyin took a seat beside Mu Bingyun.


    Her arrival sends another wave of commotion among the masses...


    Now that it has come this... the Eternal Heaven God Emperor can only take a step back.


    There are too many unknown variations at stake here... Being headstrong in this situation would be a foolish move from his side.


    And for some reason, the Eternal Heaven Pearl Spirit doesn''t say anything about any of this beforehand... even now, ''it'' is being very quiet...


    The Dragon Monarch also doesn''t say anything before he took a seat albeit he''s still frowning feeling displeased with the whole situation.


    He set his gaze on Issei trying to see through him but he got nothing other than his bloodline feeling restless...


    "...Very well. Let''s continue the convention for now." The Eternal Heaven God Emperor said.


    With that, the convention resumed themselves but everyone there doesn''t have their initial excitement. They keep looking at each other while speculating between themselves just what is this masked man identity is...


    The whole convention seems like a farce at this point since those mysterious group of girls is the one that keeps winning and winning without any sign of stopping.


    Now they know their mysterious origins...


    "No wonder they''re so abnormal..." Shui Yingyue who''s at the arena said in amazement.


    "Un... That man is someone we should never cross our path with, big sis." Shui Meiyin nodded sagely at her elder sister.


    Jun Xilei and the others also have similar thoughts as them.


    "Hm?" Whilst the convention is still ongoing, Issei sensed something and he turns his head upwards.


    "Master... it''s here." Bing''er reminded Issei from within the .


    "Um... I know. But this presence..." Issei frowned a little.


    The world suddenly turned dim without warning.


    The abrupt change caught everyone by surprise. Before anyone could summon a proper reaction, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor stood up abruptly from his seat while his whole body shook fiercely.


    "Eternal Heaven? Did you know something about this whole situation?" The Dragon Monarch asked with a frown.


    "...This has something to do with the ''wall''... Something I''ve kept from everyone to avoid public chaos..."


    His words were like a loud gong that reached straight into the heart.


    "Please do not hold back, Eternal Heaven. There''s no use of hiding it anymore at this point." The Dragon Monarch said in a dire voice.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor looked at the sky and started solemnly, "We will have to return to the Era of Gods to understand the truth of the crimson crack. At the time, the Era of Gods was already nearing its end, but it was still a very, very distant past compared to today."


    "Back then, the highest monarch of the god race and the leader of the Creation Gods, the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor had used the Ancestral Divine Art''s fragments to lure one of the four Devil Emperors of the devil race, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor to the eastmost area of the Primal Chaos. Then, he used the number one divine artifact, the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword, to cut open the wall of Primal Chaos and push the entire Heaven Smiting Devil Clan and her through the breach, effectively exiling them from the Primal Chaos¡­"


    Then the Eternal Heaven God Emperor told them about the truth behind the Heretic God and the Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor and the history between Mo E and the latter...


    "Before this, we speculated that the crimson crack at the easternmost wall of the Primal Chaos is caused by the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword¡­ but the truth is... it is a product of the World Piercer''s power!"


    Everyone looked confused when the bomb hit the ground. For a time, they weren''t sure how to react.


    "The World Piercer is the strongest spatial artifact in the entire world. Its spatial power is far beyond our imagination. It is so powerful that the Eternal Heaven Spirit told me that the World Piercer might just be powerful enough to create a safe space outside the Primal Chaos, a safe space that could accommodate a number of living beings for an extended period of time."


    Finally, the realization was starting to sink into some people as their expressions abruptly changed drastically. Eyebrows curled into deep lines of shock, Cang Shitian rose to his feet and said "Could it be¡­ that¡­"


    "Whew¡­" The Eternal Heaven God Emperor exhaled deeply before continuing, "The fact that the Heretic God failed to escape that world-ending calamity mostly likely means that the World Piercer wasn''t on his person at the time."


    "The World Piercer is the Heavenly Profound Treasure with the strongest spatial divine power in the world. In a sense, it is also the world''s strongest talisman. Now, if the Heretic God wished to give away such an artifact, it could only be to the person he loved the most... Who could that possibly be?"


    The answer immediately sprung into everyone''s mind like a devilish curse.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor continued, "Even now, the World Piercer''s aura is leaking in from the crimson crack¡­ from outside of the Primal Chaos!"


    "Why is the World Piercer outside of the Primal Chaos? Who brought it outside of the Primal Chaos?"


    "Everything matches up with a terrible name. I only wish that it wasn''t the case."


    He paused for a moment before revealing the terrible answer, "The World Piercer¡­ is with the Heaven¡­ Smiting¡­ Devil¡­ Emperor!"


    The air in the Conferred God Stage froze in an instant. Then, it started shaking to the point of collapsing.


    "The only artifacts in the entire world that could break apart the Wall of Primal Chaos are the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword and the Evil Infant''s Wheel of Myriad Tribulations. However, there is one other divine artifact that can interfere with the Wall of Primal Chaos, and that is the divine artifact with the strongest divine dimensional power in existence, the World Piercer!"


    "After several million years, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor and her devil gods¡­ are finally returning using the divine dimensional power of the World Piercer!"


    Millions of years weren''t too long a period to True Gods and True Devils.


    Everyone''s expressions had changed by this point. No one could say a word until a long time later.


    The Dragon Monarch rose to his feet and asked solemnly, "How sure are you of your words today, Eternal Heaven?"


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor answered, "As the bearer of the will of Eternal Heaven, this old man he hasn''t dared to lie or embellish anything even once his life, much less about something this big. This old man¡­ doesn''t think there is any room left for optimism."


    "Do we¡­ have a countermeasure at the ready?" asked the Dragon Monarch.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor let out a long sigh as his eyes darkened unusually. Even his voice seemed to sink deeper, "If our enemy is a calamity like the Evil Infant, we could outsmart it even if we couldn''t beat it with the combined might of the entire world. Just the same, even natural disasters can be dealt with in some ways¡­ but if a primordial Devil Emperor were to appear in the Primal Chaos, then there''s literally nothing in the world that can go up against it. Our tricks and schemes would be like child''s play in front of a Devil Emperor and True Devils."


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s statement was only more cruel than the last. Everyone present understood what the power of True Gods meant¡­ it was a mythical level that mortals like them couldn''t even touch, much less attain. That was how they knew that the Eternal Heaven God Emperor wasn''t exaggerating at all.


    "The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor and her people were ambushed and exiled from the Primal Chaos for several million years. Even if they were kept safe by the World Piercer, the world they lived in must be a poor, deficient, and cruel one. When they return, they will be returning with several million years worth of hatred and grudges, without even considering their brutal and violent nature¡­"


    "When the crimson crack collapses completely, when the devil gods return to the Primal Chaos, what awaits us¡­ is the end of the world."


    Sorrow and despair¡­ The Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s words spread these emotions to everyone''s soul like a terrible plague.


    The Dragon Monarch suddenly turns his head and looks towards Issei: "...Friend, could you help us deal with this calamity? Let''s set aside your grudges between them to properly deal with this calamity first. What do you say?"


    When the Dragon Monarch said this, everyone there had their eyes brightened slightly.


    That''s right... perhaps with this man''s assistance, they could somehow fend off the upcoming calamity!


    "This old man also agrees with the Dragon Monarch. Let''s set our personal grudges aside for now." The Eternal Heaven God Emperor added.


    Silence. Terrible silence. They''re waiting for Issei''s response...


    For a while, the only sounds that filled the whole convention were rapid heartbeats and deep breaths.


    Outside of Issei''s party, everyone there is completely shocked. It was because the Eternal Heaven God Emperor had kept this a secret even from them until today.


    Everyone understood why the Eternal Heaven God Emperor had kept this secret to himself until the last minute.


    If even they were panicking after hearing this truth, then¡­ the chaos it would cause throughout the world was literally unimaginable.


    If everything was true and if an ancient Devil Emperor really was about to return to the world and if Issei were to refuse their offer, then...


    "...Very well." Issei said after a little bit of thinking. He released the pressure around Qianye Fantian and the others.


    "Go on ahead. I will catch up to you later." Issei doesn''t need to fear that Qianye Fantian and the others are going to escape because it will be of no use.


    In one way and another...


    The first reason is obviously because of him and the other reason is the Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor.


    If he doesn''t help them then it will be indeed the end of this world.


    He has something else in mind...


    Even Qianye Fantian and the others don''t have any intention of running away for now since they also realize their current predicament.


    They also didn''t think that Issei would run away on his own.


    Only Qianye Ying''er frowned at Issei''s action... According to her understanding, he doesn''t need their help in the slightest.


    How strong can the Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor be? Is she stronger than the Creation God Realm? The answer is obviously no! If she was stronger than the Creation God Realm then she wouldn''t have lost against Mo E plot back then.


    "Then this dragon thank you for your understanding. Everyone, let''s go." With that said, the Dragon Monarch and the other God Emperor opened a spatial opening of their own...


    Jasmine and Xun''er didn''t say anything either since they''re sure that Issei has something in mind.


    "Are you letting them go just like that?" Caizhi who doesn''t know Issei that well asked in confusion.


    Issei doesn''t respond to her question but he opened a spatial opening that enables them to see crimson crack location.


    Once he did this, he said towards Esdeath''s group: "You girls stay here. Xiaotao, Lieyan, Bing''er... You stay here as well."


    "Understood, Master." They replied in unison.


    Xiaotao, Lieyan, and Bing''er also emerged from the which takes them by surprise yet again seeing how there are so many beautiful women come out of nowhere and what''s more surprising is that all of them are at least at the peak level of the Divine Master Realm as well!


    "Ise." Jasmine called out lightly feeling slightly worried.


    "Don''t worry. He will be fine, dear." Xun''er reassured Jasmine with a comforting smile.


    Issei soon disappeared from his previous spot...


    ...


    While they were on their way, the God Emperors called their respective backup including other God Emperors such as the Qilin Emperor and the like.


    Even Qianye Fantiant managed to summon the Brahma Monarch''s Three Brahma Gods to his aid. He felt slightly more confident now that his backup is here...


    Every single one of these people is famous in their own right¡­ because they were all Divine Masters!


    The world in front of everyone abruptly changed into infinite crimson, followed by a terrifying storm that seemed capable of destroying everything.


    They were in the easternmost area of the Primal Chaos.


    The abrupt storm that came out of nowhere had caused more than half of the divine masters to lose their balance, and it took them a long time before they finally managed to steady themselves.


    Normally speaking, even the weakest profound practitioner of the divine way, a Divine Origin Realm profound practitioner could survive and travel across space without any difficulties, especially because a spatial storm rarely occurred naturally. As for man-made spatial storms, they only existed temporarily when two or more Divine Masters clashed against one another.


    But here in the easternmost area of the Primal Chaos, spatial storms were everywhere to be seen. Destruction filled every space and every moment of this place¡­ Not even a Divine Sovereign could endure this environment for long.


    The aura "outside" of the Primal Chaos was full of destruction. Naturally, the aura that leaked into the Primal Chaos was also wholly destructive.


    The crack on the Wall of Primal Chaos wasn''t fully formed yet, so the amount of aura leaking into the Primal Chaos was minimal at best, yet the scale of this spatial storm was this large¡­ the terror that was the world beyond the Primal Chaos was literally unimaginable.


    However, what''s more frightening than the spatial storm was the crimson crack on the wall!


    The Wall of Primal Chaos was an existence of indescribable color, shape, and form. However, it was also clearly perceivable. Right now, a crimson crack of hundreds or even thousands of kilometers was clearly imprinted on its surface.


    The crimson light shone at and through the Divine Masters without being impeded in the slightest. In fact, everyone was aware that this red light had penetrated almost half of the Primal Chaos and was visible throughout the Eastern Divine Region.


    This light was the unique dimensional divine light of the World Piercer. It couldn''t be explained by any common sense.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor stared at the crimson crack on the Wall of Primal Chaos with grim determination, his hair dancing in the storm.


    The rest of the Divine Masters stepped forward to meet the crimson crack as well. The calamity was right in front of them, and their full concentration was necessary to avert it. Whatever grudges or conflicts they had had in the past, they must all be put down at this moment.


    "It''s not as bad as we thought... Perhaps we can still seal the crack just like our initial plan." The Eternal Heaven God Emperor said with a slightly happier tone.


    Issei also appeared right at this moment. Nobody there realizes just when did he appear but they have no capability to pay attention to this kind of stuff right now.


    Seeing that Issei has appeared the Eternal Heaven God Emperor stared at the crimson crack silently for a very long time. Finally, he turned around and said, "Let us begin immediately."


    The Dragon Monarch nodded before saying solemnly, "If I knew this would happen, I would''ve brought all my Dragon Gods with me. Still, we can give it a try today. If it''s in any way effective at all, I will send word to the Western Divine Region and summon all our experts immediately."


    "Mn." The Eternal Heaven God Emperor nodded slowly before taking a few steps forward towards the group. After sweeping a glance across everyone''s faces, he stretched his arms wide and activated a profound formation with a strange aura right behind himself. He said slowly, "Please inject your energy into this formation, everyone¡­ This matter relates to the life and death of the entire world. Don''t hold back no matter who you are."


    "As for the results¡­ we leave it to the heavens to decide our fate."


    Even now, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s words were filled with despair because what they were going to attempt didn''t count as a countermeasure at all. It was only a desperation attempt they could make because they had no other tricks in the bag.


    "It''s too late." Issei said.


    "What?" The Eternal Heaven God Emperor turned around.


    "I''m saying that it''s too late. That very same someone you just spoke of a while ago has already succeeded." Issei added.


    The spatial storm surrounding had come to a sudden stop at the same time Issei finished speaking.


    The abrupt change caught everyone by surprise. Before anyone could summon a proper reaction, the crimson crack on the Wall of Primal Chaos suddenly started shrinking and dimming at an unbelievable pace.


    "What¡­ what''s going on?"


    A thousand kilometers¡­ a hundred kilometers¡­ ten kilometers¡­ a hundred meters¡­ The crimson crack kept shrinking until it was only several meters long. Throughout the process, astonishment never left anyone''s faces.


    "Could it be¡­ could it be¡­" The Eternal Heaven God Emperor muttered to himself before he shouted in disbelief and joy, "Did the World Piercer run out of energy!?"


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s shout was no different from the sound of celestial music to the ears of everyone present. Even the people who''s watching from the convention area felt elated at this sight.


    After it had reached scores of meters, the speed at which the crimson crack was shrinking was starting to slow down, but it still continued to shrink. Everyone''s eyes were firmly fixed on the crack and the crimson light, that had originally been so dense that it was frightening, swiftly turned dull and muted before their very eyes. It was as if it was a sign that the danger had already passed before it had even exploded.


    "It looks like the heavens have protected our Eastern Divine Region!"


    "No, it is that the heavens have protected our very universe!"


    One by one they shouted in glee.


    The spatial storm had come to a halt and the crimson light had faded away. All of this was evidence that this calamity had already passed them.


    "It looks like that best possible result really did appear," The Dragon Monarch said as he also let out a heavy sigh of relief.


    Everyone''s expressions had grown relaxed as if an enormously heavyweight had rolled off their backs¡­


    "What did you mean by your words just now, friend?" The Eternal Heaven God Emperor asked Issei.


    The other God Emperors also look at him with a questioning look.


    "As I said before, it is already too late," Issei said in the same calm tone.


    Before they could process what he meant by that.


    Thirty meters¡­ fifteen meters¡­ nine meters¡­ six meters...


    The crimson light continued to contract and the moment it completely disappeared, it might very well be proof that this calamity had been completely extinguished.


    Finally, the red light contracted until it was only three meters wide. But after that, it did not continue to shrink, instead, it remained fixed in place.


    Following that, the crimson light started to shake. Then, the light began undergoing some obvious and bizarre changes. It slowly turned from dense to sparkling and translucent, and after that, it slowly began to turn more and more clear...


    It slowly began to transform from simple light to something with substance.


    The excitement on the Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s face started to recede as it was replaced by deep doubt and suspicion.


    Finally, at some point in time, the crimson light finally stopped its transformation.


    The crimson scar of light had vanished and what replaced it was a long and narrow diamond-shaped crimson crystal that was about three meters long. This crystal was embedded in the Wall of Primal Chaos.


    The world, from some undetermined point of time, had descended into an incomparably terrifying dead silence.


    The spatial storm had disappeared completely.


    The stars stopped spinning and moving...


    All sound and all of the elements had gone completely quiet...


    Order¡­ law¡­ the heavenly law¡­ All had vanished.


    Thump!


    THUMP!


    In this world of deathly silence, the pupils of everyone''s eyes had widened to their limit at some point in time. Yet no one made a sound for the longest time, nor was anyone able to even make a sound in the first place. The only thing that they could hear was the incomparably muffled and dull sound of their hearts beating.


    It was as if the entire world had been completely sealed away.


    This dreadful silence continued for a very long time and no one broke it¡­ because they were all unable to break it.


    Finally, after an indeterminate period of time had passed, the world in everyone''s vision started to change.


    A pitch-black silhouette appeared in the crimson crystal that was embedded in the Wall of Primal Chaos.


    It was the figure of a person!


    The black figure grew nearer and nearer, clearer and clearer from within that crimson crystal¡­ Finally, just as if a dimensional barrier had been broken, that black figure slowly stepped out from inside the crystal.


    The sound of beating hearts completely stopped at that time and even though the area was clearly illuminated, everyone felt as if they had been plunged into a boundless black space¡­ It was a kind of shaking fear and stifling oppressiveness that was impossible to describe.


    The figure was not too tall and they were dressed in tattered and frayed black clothes. The part of their face and skin that was exposed was an extremely startling bluish-black color and it was covered with extremely fine scars¡­ It was as if this person was an evil ghost who had been cut thousands upon thousands of times, who had just walked straight out of the nine hells.


    From that person''s figure, one could faintly tell that they were probably a woman. The gloomy dark energy rose up from her body and her eyes were even blacker than the deepest night. She held a sharp needle that looked completely ordinary in her hand, the tip of the needle flowing with an exceptionally dull crimson light.


    Even though that light was dull, the dot of crimson light that hovered on the tip of the needle was more brilliant than the light of any star.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s eyes had shrunk so much it looked like they were about to burst and his entire body was trembling to the point of near-collapse...


    They had never felt such horror, such terror or such despair.


    Those dark eyes observed the sealed world that had been created because of her arrival, they swept across these living beings that had come to "welcome" her. She slowly raised a hand as she touched this world that she had been separated from for the longest time...


    "Old¡­ Villain¡­ Mo¡­ E¡­ I, Jie Yuan¡­ have returned!"


    Her voice was even more hoarse and terrifying than that of an evil spirit''s and when everyone heard it, they felt as if countless poisoned needles had been stabbed in their souls.


    Furthermore, this voice seemed to have awakened the nightmare that had imprisoned the entire Primal Chaos, as the space which had lain dormant for a long time finally started to shake violently. The distant stars finally resumed their movement but all of them had deviated from their original orbits.


    The elements regained their vigor as they sprang back into existence but they had all become extremely frenzied¡­ Even they, who did not possess a will of their own, were actually shaking in fear.


    A spatial storm stirred up and it was even more frightening than the spacial storm that had occurred just now. The god emperors who stood at the front and the Divine Masters who stood at the back, all of their divine bodies were violently shaken as they were blown far away. Cracks and splits appeared on the bodies of numerous Divine Masters, dyeing them in blood.


    But she¡­ from start to finish, had not even taken a single step. This had all happened merely due to the change in an aura that had occurred when she appeared.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor staggered backward in panic. All of the blood in his body was furiously boiling but all of the blood that was boiling felt incomparably cold. He raised his head to look ahead and his mouth opened and closed several times before he finally spoke in the most terrified and shaky voice he had ever let out in his life, "Heaven Smiting¡­ Devil Emperor!"


    Terror¡­ An indescribable terror, just like a newly-roused devil, was crazily growing and swelling in the depths of everyone''s hearts and souls.


    It was only less than an hour ago that they had found out about the truth behind the crimson crack and before they even had time to recover from the truth, the "Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor" the Eternal Heaven God Emperor had spoken of had actually just¡­ stepped through the dimensions that separated the Primal Chaos from what was beyond it and appeared before their very eyes.


    Had appeared in this universe.


    What a cruel and absurd nightmare this was!


    So this is... Hong''er and Bai''er mother... Issei thought to himself.


    He sensed hatred, unwillingness, fury, and other negative emotions coming from within her... but what stands out the most is her sadness...


    How ironic... This woman who seems extremely terrifying in front of their eyes looks very pure in his eyes.


    At the very least, she''s purer than most of them who are here...


    Those dark eyes fell on the Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s body and even though it lasted for only an instant, it made him feel as if his body and soul had been ripped into countless fragments. She said, "The filthy god race, they merely sent a bunch of lowly mortal creatures like you to welcome this ruler!?"


    She, one of the Four Devil Emperors of the ancient devil race, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Jie Yuan, had finally returned to the Primal Chaos after spending millions of years banished outside of it!


    It was just that the aura of the universe had completely changed. It had become so utterly muddy and turbid.


    She had originally thought that the strange movements in the Wall of Primal Chaos over the past few years would ensure that the god race would make ample preparations to "welcome" her upon her return. But she had never imagined that the ones welcoming her would be a bunch of lowly and pathetic mortal beings!


    Issei is still hiding his aura hence why she couldn''t sense him.


    "Ahhh¡­ Ahhh¡­ Ahhh¡­"


    Trembling groans came from the depths of the throats of all the gathered higher realm kings¡­ This was an indescribable oppressive might, a pressure that very nearly crushed both their bodies and souls. In fact, this was the very first time in their lives that they knew what true terror and despair were.


    The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor¡­ A true primordial Devil Emperor!


    They were considered the strongest existences even in the Primordial Era, the Devil Emperors who were even more exalted than the divine beings spoken of in current myth and legend.


    A nightmare¡­ How all of them hoped that this was merely a nightmare.


    The Dragon Monarch¡­ the current supreme ruler of the Primal Chaos, his entire body was faintly trembling and every joint of his fingers was bone-white.


    True terror was not something that could be resisted by one''s will. The oppressive might that radiated from a Devil Emperor only required a single instant to utterly crush the will of any mortal being.


    The calamity of the Devil Emperor had finally truly descended. Their excessive hope had not been realized, a miracle had not appeared. Every single part of the Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s body, every single hair on his body, was shivering. Even though he had long ago understood what the situation actually was, and he had mentally prepared himself for years before anyone else, now that he truly faced this crisis, he still felt that all of it was simply far too pathetic.


    It was not that he was too weak and frail. It was that the returned Devil Emperor was simply far too dreadful.


    It was a dreadfulness that exceeded the limits of what one''s soul could endure.


    What they didn''t know is that there''s someone who''s much more terrifying than the Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor standing behind them.


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, the piercing pain and the taste of blood that filled his mouth forcefully restoring some of his clarity. He raised his head and yelled with all of his might, "Lord¡­ Devil Emperor¡­ I beg that you¡­ allow me to say something¡­ We are not¡­ the god race¡­ The god race has disappeared¡­ from this universe¡­ a long time ago!"


    "No¡­ god race?" Jie Yuan said as her eyes turned slightly. Those pitch-black eyes looked like a boundless devilish abyss that could devour all life.


    The Devil Emperor had appeared but the circ.u.mstances were different from what the Eternal Heaven God Emperor had predicted.


    In his and his "ancestor''s" mind, when the Devil Emperor and devil gods that bore millions of years of hatred returned, they would definitely unleash their hatred and resentment in a crazy manner. They would vent it on the world, destroying and trampling over all things, living and dead...


    How could one expect rationality or restraint when a person had returned filled with enough hatred to fill the universe!?


    But the Devil Emperor had returned and they had yet to see the other devil gods.


    Furthermore, the returned Devil Emperor seemed far more "calm" and "rational" than he had expected. At the very least, she had not directly lashed out and destroyed them the moment she saw them.


    So it was as if the Eternal Heaven God Emperor had seen a faint glimmer of hope in that abyss of despair. He did his utmost to speak up, "Yes! Lord Devil Emperor has just returned to the Primal Chaos, so you are unaware that both the god race and the devil race met their ends a million years ago. Only mortal beings¡­ exist in this current universe¡­ Given Lord Devil Emperor''s spiritual perception, you can definitely sense that the current Primal Chaos¡­ is different from the Primal Chaos of that time!"


    It had not been a very long string of words but just saying them seemed to exhaust all of the Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s strength. His chest heaved violently and his entire body was matted with cold sweat.


    "Met their ends¡­" Jie Yuan slowly muttered as she stared into the distance, "Their¡­ ends¡­"


    This universe had become so very weak and frail. The devastation wrought by the void outside of the Primal Chaos had caused her Devil Emperor power to be far from what it had been in the past, but her spiritual perception could still stretch even further than the length of the entire universe...


    But she could not find the auras of any god or devil.


    The only thing that was left was this turbid and pathetic universe and these lowly and pathetic creatures.


    "Is Mo E¡­ also dead?" She slowly said, her voice sounding like a devilish chant.


    "Yes!" the Eternal Heaven God Emperor anxiously replied, "Mo E¡­ died many years ago. He has long ago become a legend of a bygone era¡­ The current Primal Chaos is a world that has moved on to another era."


    The space around them suddenly descended into an icy-cold stillness once more.


    "He¡­ Hehe¡­" She suddenly started laughing, but her laughter was exceptionally cold and dreadful, "Dead¡­ dead! How could he die¡­ How could he die! This ruler has yet to personally destroy his corpse and shatter his soul, SO HOW COULD HE DIE!!?"


    Hatred, resentment, maliciousness, discontent¡­ A black mist rose up from Jie Yuan''s body. Darkness devilish energy was finally being released explosively as her negative emotions erupted, causing the space around them to wail in despair.


    At this moment, Jie Yuan''s gaze abruptly swiveled and stared in a certain direction¡­ That direction pointed towards where the four people from the Brahma Monarch God Realm were standing.


    Qianye Fantian and his entourages.


    "Brahma¡­ Heaven¡­ God¡­ Clan!" She said with a low cry, a bone-cutting and tyrannical hatred leaking out of her black eyes, "The dogs of that old villain Mo E!"


    Even though it had been millions of years, and even though it was only an extremely thin and shallow aura, Jie Yuan would absolutely never be mistaken about this!


    Because this was a god clan that had served under Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E!


    Her violence and hatred had found an outlet to vent itself on. The black energy radiating from Jie Yuan''s body violently twisted and flared up. As for the four Qianye brothers¡­ their pupils dilated to their widest in a single instant. It was as if a devil was tightly grabbing their throats and swiftly dragging them into a bottomless abyss of death.


    Jie Yuan slowly raised a hand and with this movement that could not be any more simple, it made the Qianye brothers feel as if an enormously heavyweight was pressing down on their bodies. In fact, they felt as if their bodies and internal organs were about to explode from the pressure.


    "Lord Devil Emperor¡­" the Brahma Heaven God Emperor said with much difficulty, "We¡­ are not¡­"


    Before his voice had even fallen, the aura of death had already come violently crashing down on them.


    "Uwa¡­ AAAAHHHHHH!"


    With a slight release of her power, the oppressive might she radiated had transformed from terrifying to something that could no longer be described using words. The Three Brahma Gods could not control their trembling as a dark light suddenly flashed in their eyes. Their fear turned to malice and they all let out a hoarse yell at the same time as they charged the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor together!


    "Aaaahhhh!!"


    This change caused most of the Divine Masters to cry out involuntarily.


    They were the Brahma Monarch God Realm''s Three Brahma Gods, three tenth level Divine Masters, three people who were considered the Divine Masters among Divine Masters by the world. The three of them made their move at the same time. The power that erupted from them in that instant caused the higher realm kings, who were also Divine Masters, to feel as if their bodies were about to be broken down into fragments.


    For most of the people present, this was the very first time they had seen the Three Brahma Gods in action. Furthermore, it was also the first time that most of the god emperors present had seen the Three Brahma Gods attack in unison¡­ That was because in the Eastern Divine Region, there were no other existences besides the god emperors themselves who would be worthy of the three of them combining their strength.


    As she faced the power of the Three Brahma Gods, Jie Yuan did not even make a single movement, nor did her expression change a single iota. The only thing she did was stretch out her hand¡­ and lightly flick a finger.


    Bang!


    With an incomparably gentle and faint ring, the Divine Master power that the Three Brahma Gods had sent surging forth suddenly disappeared completely in the blink of an eye.


    The highest level of power in this current era, the power of a tenth level Divine Master, and it was three different attacks of that power¡­ All of it had been dispersed in an instant!


    It was as if the powers that had shocked and astonished all the higher realm kings previously were no more than soap bubbles that could be popped with a casual wave of a hand.


    As for the Three Brahma Gods¡­ Simultaneous, miserable wails ripped out of their throats. A huge spray of bloody mist exploded from their bodies as they were flung into the aether behind them.


    The Brahma Monarch''s Three Brahma Gods, each of whom could destroy stars with a flick of their fingers¡­ Even when they had combined their powers, they had all been seriously wounded by a flick of the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor''s fingers, and all in a single instant at that.


    "You... still¡­ dare¡­ to¡­ resist¡­" Jie Yuan said as she slowly spread her fingers wide. Those five cold and detached words rang in the depths of everyone''s souls like the most dreadful curse they had ever heard in their lives.


    A cl.u.s.ter of black light flashed out from her palm.


    Immediately, a cl.u.s.ter of black lights lit up on the bodies of the Brahma Monarch''s Three Brahma Gods. The black light engulfed their bodies...


    As three miserable wails of overwhelming shock and terror rang out, their Divine Master bodies, the strongest, most resilient bodies in the universe, to the point where it would be easier to scale the heavens than to destroy one of these bodies, were ripped into countless black fragments by that black light, ripped apart like the weakest and most fragile cloth.


    Bang...


    The black light dissipated and returned to nothingness in the blink of an eye.


    Thus, the Brahma Monarch''s Three Brahma Gods completely vanished into the darkness. They had been utterly wiped from the face of this universe, and not a single trace of them remained.


    Time continued to coldly flow amidst that dreadful silence, and not a single sound could be heard for a long period of time.


    Boundless terror sent a chill down everyone''s spines as they trembled, their nerve was completely broken. Everyone''s faces were completely pale and not a single tinge of blood-colored on them.


    Qianye Wusheng, Qianye Wubei, Qianye Wuai...


    They were no ordinary people. On the contrary, these were three names that would make the heart of anyone who thought of them tremble.


    But they had died¡­ just like that...


    It had been as simple as wiping away three spots of dust!


    "Shocking" was not a word that could accurately describe this scene. In that instant, their chests exploded with shock and fear, causing these Divine Masters, who lorded over the universe, to suddenly understand what it meant for one''s heart and soul to collapse, for one''s beliefs to crumble and fall apart...


    It had also mercilessly destroyed the last bit of hope in their hearts.


    The three Brahma Gods¡­ They had basically represented the strongest living beings in the current age, yet they had been obliterated by the returned Devil Emperor in a single instant!


    This was the difference between mortal creatures and the gods...


    To think that they, who were like "divine beings" in this current age, were actually so weak and insignificant, so utterly pathetic, in front of a True God.


    The Three Brahma Gods had died¡­ Qianye Fantian stood there in a complete daze. It was as if he had been completely petrified, and his body only subtly twitched every now and then.


    He was, without a doubt, the person in this world who knew best just how powerful the Three Brahma Gods were.


    Not only were the Three Brahma Gods his blood brothers from the same parents, they were also the three great cornerstones of the Brahma Monarch God Realm. They were also counted as the three great pillars that supported the king realm that was ranked number one in the Eastern Divine Region. Furthermore, in his own eyes, in the eyes of anyone else, they were three great and sturdy pillars that absolutely could not be shaken by anything.


    But they had died just like that, collapsed just like that...


    All of the myths, legends, and ancient records did not even produce a fraction of the shock and awe that this scene had brought about. To kill three tenth level Divine Masters like one was cutting grass. This time, they had used their very eyes to personally witness just how dreadful the power of an ancient Devil Emperor was. They had personally experienced¡­ that they, people who possessed the power of a Divine Master, were actually as lowly as ants in front of a primordial Devil Emperor!


    A ghastly feeling that bored straight into one''s bone marrow and soul hung in this space as it crazily flowed into every crack of the gathered Divine Masters'' bodies and souls. Jie Yuan slowly turned her hand, her palm facing Qianye Fantian who stood there completely motionless, it was as if his very soul had left his body. After that, she said, "There''s¡­ still¡­ you¡­"


    As he faced Jie Yuan''s open palm and her eyes, which gleamed with the black light of death, Qianye Fantian''s body slowly sank down¡­ He had actually sunk to his knees.


    "Lord Devil Emperor, your humble servant¡­ is merely a mortal creature who has inherited a small amount of divine power, I definitely do not belong¡­ to the Brahma Heaven God Clan¡­ Now that my Lord Devil Emperor has returned to the Primal Chaos in glory, you will definitely have authority over all the realms, and everyone under heaven will bow to you. My Qianye clan has some small fame in the Eastern Divine Region¡­ We are willing to serve under my Lord Devil Emperor and we are willing to be at your beck and call¡­ There isn''t a single order from our Lord Devil Emperor that we would not obey¡­ We definitely won''t be disloyal¡­"


    If one had not personally seen what was happening and heard what was being said, no one in the universe would believe that the number one god-emperor in the Eastern Divine Region would assume such a humble and low stance and speak in such a subservient and humble manner.


    Yet, there he is, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor had dropped to his knees, bowed his head in the most humble manner imaginable and swore an oath of loyalty so pathetic that it made even the profound practitioners of a lower star realm cringe.


    It was unimaginable that these kings of kings, these gods-like beings could have a day like this¡­ what honor? What courage? There was only the lowest of the low.


    Moreover, with Qianye Fantian, the number one god-emperor in Eastern Divine Region, setting a precedent, it seemed to have punctured the last layer of dignity that the gathered Divine Masters had. The legs of more than a few people were trembling as if they could hardly wait to kneel down on the spot and swear their allegiance to the Devil Emperor.


    Soon after, it happened... The other god emperors and the realm kings all followed suit. The Eternal Heaven God Emperor, the Star God Realm, the Dragon Monarch¡­ everyone was rushing to be the first to swear their undying loyalty to the Devil Emperor.


    They did not have any power to restrain or resist her...


    The master of this universe was about to completely change.


    Between death and submission, the absolute majority of living beings in this universe would choose the latter with no hesitation whatsoever.


    The dignity of a Divine Master? The dignity of a realm king? The dignity of a god emperor?


    Their authority and strength were things that all of creation had to look up to for all of their lives. They were like "gods" who could not be offended or defied.


    But in front of a primordial Devil Emperor, they were simply a joke!


    It was just that they had never faced such a choice before and had never imagined that they would one day be faced with such a choice in the first place.


    However, it was a pity that even if one were to discard their dignity and bend their knee in submission, it did not necessarily mean that they would get to live. Because of the power to decide¡­ had belonged to Jie Yuan all this while.


    The corner of her mouth slowly tilted up in an incredibly disdainful and mocking arc. Every single person present could clearly feel her disdain and contempt as she said, "So these are the descendants of Mo E''s dogs, the descendants of the god race who could only spout about righteousness¡­ Hehehe¡­ Hahaha¡­ HAHAHAHAHAHA¡­"


    She suddenly started laughing wildly, her laughter incredibly unbridled and wanton, but¡­ it was also filled with a boundless sorrow and melancholy. As her laughter fell, her hand gesture suddenly changed at that particular moment and a pitch-black oppressive might fiercely be pressed down following the flip of her palm.


    "Eh!"


    "AHH!!!"


    Stifled groans of terror rang in the air. That dark pressure was not only pressing down on Qianye Fantian, it was also pressing down on the six Star Gods of the Star God Realm and the rest.


    Under the oppressive might of a Devil Emperor, they were instantly forced down to their knees and they were left unable to stand.


    "Mo E''s dogs, even if they are only their descendants, all of them deserve to die!!"


    The Brahma Heaven God Clan, the Star Gods, the Moon Gods¡­ During the Ancient Era, all of them had been the subordinates of Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E!


    Mo E had already died, all the gods had fallen, so her vengeful hatred and fury would undoubtedly fall on these descendants¡­ No, on these power inheritors who could not even be called proper descendants.


    "Wait¡­ wait a minute!" the Eternal Heaven God Emperor yelled in a quavering voice, "Lord Devil Emperor¡­ They¡­ are not of the god race, they are only¡­ UWAAAH!"


    Besides the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, no one else stepped forward to stop her or plead on their behalf. As people who sensed that they could perhaps escape this calamity, why would they risk instant destruction just for someone else?


    Before the Eternal Heaven God Emperor''s voice had even fallen, a beam of black light pressed against his body, as it abruptly suppressed his voice and fiercely pressed down against his body. After that, Jie Yuan''s voice, a voice that was a hundred thousand times more terrifying than a death god''s, rang out in the depths of everyone''s soul, "It looks like you also really want to die!"


    "Xi Ke''s dogs¡­ also deserve to die!!"


    "My¡­ my lord!" the gathered Guardians were instantly so shocked and horrified that they wished to die¡­ But, in front of the power of a Devil Emperor, in front of the hatred of a Devil Emperor, who could save him!?


    "So you''re Jie Yuan." At this time, a calm voice resounded.


    Jie Yuan''s eyes immediately darted towards the owner of that said voice. When she saw the one who just spoke, her body slightly froze before she narrowed her eyes dangerously.


    "...Who are you?" She tightened the grip on the world piercer since it started to shook on its own.


    This is the second time this happened...


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor and the other god emperors shakingly turn their heads towards Issei.


    They felt amazed seeing how he''s still calm despite the whole situation.


    Issei doesn''t respond to Jie Yuan''s words right away but rather he looks at the trembling Dragon Monarch first.


    "You''re a disgrace to the Dragon race. And to think that you''re called the ''Dragon Monarch'' by many... Pathetic." Issei said coldly.


    The Dragon Monarch body froze when he saw a glistening slitted red eye shining through Issei''s black mask.


    Those eyes... It''s the eyes of a Dragon! He shouted in disbelief inside his mind.


    Then Issei took his gaze back completely lose interest with the Dragon Monarch.


    "You... You''re a True God!" Jie Yuan said solemnly. They couldn''t sense his small leak of aura when he was speaking to the Dragon Monarch just now but she could.


    This piece of news is not less shocking than the previous ones.


    "...Are you here to protect them?"


    "Protect them? I think you''re mistaken about something... I could care less about what will happen to this group of pathetic mongrels. They flaunted themselves saying that they will do everything they can to protect this world from any harm''s way but here they are begging for mercy and pledging their loyalty just like a dog." His harsh words brought shame upon the so-called God Emperors but they can''t refute it...


    "What I''m interested in is you yourself."


    "...What?"


    Jie Yuan replied with furrowed eyebrows. She knows that the ''interest'' he''s talking about is not that kind of interest but rather something else...


    Could it be... the world piercer?!


    No... She couldn''t let him have it! This is ''his'' gift to her.


    The black energy in Jie Yuan''s palm and the black aura holding down the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, Qianye, the Star Gods, and the Moon Gods disappeared in a sudden gale. Then, Jie Yuan appeared in front of Issei and made a grabbing motion at his neck...


    The very same black cl.u.s.ter emerged on her hand but this time it''s ten times stronger than the previous one she used against the three Brahma Gods.


    The ''God Emperors'' who are nearby are blasted off just from the sheer pressure this attack is emitting.


    "Calm down..." Issei said before he made a grabbing motion of his own.


    *Pa!"


    Her hand is so fast that they couldn''t catch a glimpse of it but Issei''s movement is even faster that they couldn''t tell just when did he make his move.


    Even Jie Yuan become astonished.


    Issei grabbed her wrist and at the same time, dispersed the swirling dark energy in her hand.


    What!? How did he! Jie Yuan become further alarmed because of this.


    "I have no interest in your weapon," Issei said.


    "...Then what do you want?" Jie Yuan asked cautiously.


    "You should recognize this energy." Issei let go of her wrist and opened a small spatial void that leads to Xun''er location.


    The faint energy oozing out of Xun''er''s body caused her eyes to fiercely tremble. All of the malice, hatred, killing intent, and even the swirling dark energy surrounding her also froze in place.


    Her abyssal gaze became fixed on Xun''er''s body. It remained unmoving even though three breaths had passed.


    Finally, she took her gaze back and stared straight at Issei, her black pupils shaking slightly, "Why¡­ why does she have ''his'' power!?"


    "You should know the answer to that by now," Issei responded.


    Her scarred, bluish black face shaking a little with emotion, her eyes are trembling fiercely... She looked like she was holding back an immense amount of pain.


    "Is he¡­ dead too?" It was four words, but it almost looked like Jie Yuan had to squeeze them out of her mouth.


    Issei nodded lightly, "From what I''ve known... Since millions of years ago, both the God Race and the Devil Race have already gone extinct¡­ Your husband is the last one to perish or so they said."


    Her black pupils trembled chaotically, and Issei could clearly feel a deep sense of pain and sorrow spreading from the center of Jie Yuan. Grabbing her own forehead and clenching her teeth tightly, she groaned, "Ah¡­ ahhhh¡­ ah¡­"


    She looked like a wild beast who had suddenly succ.u.mbed to despair. Her laments were unclear and distorted¡­ It was a sorrow that defeated even a Devil Emperor''s willpower...


    "Dead¡­ dead¡­ dead¡­"


    Crack¡­ crack¡­ crack crack¡­ It was the sound of the Devil Emperor''s teeth threatening to break under pressure.


    Everyone was staring at Jie Yuan in shock.


    Even though the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor was exiled from the Primal Chaos for millions of years, even though her hatred had been acc.u.mulating for just as long, she¡­ to the Heretic God...


    Didn''t they say that the stronger, more powerful, and long-lived a profound practitioner was, the thinner their emotions became? Xing Juekong was a prime example of this¡­ So why was the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor''s reaction almost greater than a mortal who had lost the love of his life?


    "Ni Xuan¡­ why did you die¡­ why¡­ didn''t you wait for my return¡­" She was holding her head so tightly that her fingers threatened to sink into her flesh. She was also shaking all over like a leaf¡­


    Everyone''s vision and minds blurred for an instant. They just couldn''t believe that this woman was the same person as the terrifying Devil Emperor who had eliminated three Brahma Gods with the flick of a finger earlier.


    "Revenge¡­ isn''t the only reason¡­ that drove me¡­ to survive the world¡­ outside the Primal Chaos¡­ Our promise¡­ is¡­ the biggest reason¡­ but why¡­ why are you the one¡­ who broke our promise?... why¡­ why¡­ why¡­"


    Issei saw the flash of a tear through the gap between her fingers.


    Finally, Jie Yuan asked through gritted teeth, "Tell me, how did he die?"


    Issei doesn''t reply to her question but rather he extended one of his fingers to her forehead... Jie Yuan doesn''t react, or unable to react is more accurate until his finger touched her forehead.


    Issei then shares what he knows of the Heretic God to her directly...


    After a while, the gloomy light in Jie Yuan''s eyes rippled. She spoke in a low voice, "So he... give away the ... And you are its new Master..."


    She unintentionally looks at the world piercer in her hand.


    There was no doubt that the three words Jie Yuan had just spoken, "Sky Poison Pearl", resounded like three heavy hammer blows in the depths of the hearts and souls of all the Divine Masters present, shocking them so greatly that they could not help but gape.


    "Indeed." A dark green brilliance flashed from Issei''s hand. Following that, a dark green pearl, that seemed to be both an illusion and something real, slowly floated up from his palm.


    "Sky¡­ Poison¡­ Pearl¡­" More than a few Divine Masters could not help but mutter those words under their breaths.


    There had actually been a Heavenly Profound Treasure on him!


    This was extremely shocking news¡­ but at this moment, they were unable to even let out a yelp of surprise.


    "And he actually called himself the Heretic God¡­ Heretic God¡­" Jie Yuan softly mumbled. After that, she suddenly let out a cold and bleak laugh, her eyes misting up with a layer of melancholy that no one else would ever be able to understand.


    "I don''t know what kind of bond that you share with each other but what I know is that your so-called husband is nothing but a pathetic man just like them," Issei said and his words are clearly meant to jab at the God Emperors that are currently present.


    "SHUT UP!" She bellowed in fury: "What did you know about him!? You know nothing!"


    Her suppressed dark energy re-emerged themselves.


    "I know enough," Issei responded: "I know that he is a sorry excuse of a husband who can''t properly choose between his own family or other people''s. Even if he feels guilty and called himself the Heretic God, what''s the use in that?"


    "I SAID SHUT UP!" She threw another attack in her fit of rage but Issei brushed it off easily with only a wave of his hand.


    "Why should I? I''m just stating facts. If he isn''t dead already then perhaps I would..." Issei wanted to say kill him himself but then he stopped speaking midway.


    Even though the Heretic God is pathetic in his eyes... he''s still Hong''er and Bai''er father.


    "Nevermind..." Issei heaved a sigh to calm himself down: "If you want to see your daughters then come with me."


    In that instant, it was as if Jie Yuan had been struck by a giant hammer of heaven. Her fury immediately disappeared as if it was never there in the first place. She also missed that Issei said "daughters" instead of "daughter".


    After all, she only has one daughter.


    Jie Yuan grabbed the front of Issei''s clothes as her pitch-black eyes came within an inch of his mask.


    If it wasn''t for his mask blocking their faces then they ought to be even closer...


    "What¡­ did¡­ you¡­ say!?"


    Issei let her grab onto his clothes and repeated himself: "As I said, if you want to see your daughters again then come with me."


    Issei brushed off her hand and opened a spatial rift.


    He doesn''t say anything else before he entered the rift... Jie Yuan only hesitate for a second before she followed right after him.


    Then the two of them finally disappeared...


    No one knew where they went¡­ Because they had not left a spatial trace that could be detected, there was not even a single spatial ripple in the air.


    When the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor departed, that dark devilish pressure disappeared along with her. Immediately, they felt as if they had escaped billions of heavy chains of darkness and an indescribable feeling of relaxation spread throughout their bodies.


    It was as if everyone present had made an agreement beforehand as they all sat numbly on the ground instead of standing up immediately. All of them breathed heavily, every part of their bodies drenched in ice-cold sweat.


    They look at each other feeling at a loss... This is especially true for those who have some ''business'' with Issei...


    Back in the convention arena, Qianye Ying''er heaved another bitter sigh whilst thinking to herself... So this is what he''s aiming for... The dignity of the God Emperors...


    All of their dignity has been thrown away out of the window...


    He already predicted this outcome from the start...


    Her father and the other God Emperors didn''t know that they are currently being broadcasted here and there''s nothing they could do to reverse this whole situation.


    In the world''s eye... they''re nothing more than hypocrites...

 Chapter 140 - 139

    (AN: Again a reminder... My knowledge of ATG is barely passable and what I''ve written could be mistaken so take what I said with a grain of salt or whatever. Some people seem to forget the earlier chapter warning so here''s another reminder from me... If I somehow butchered your favorite novel then I''m sorry and you shouldn''t read this fanfic of mine since I write the story to my liking... Sorry for my little rant).


    (AN: Thank you so much for the donation, Johhny, srinu acharyulu, victor89PR. Sorry, this is the fastest I can release a chapter @Johhny ????. And it''s only possible because I have a bit of free time than usual).


    The first thing Jie Yuan said after she emerged from the spatial opening Issei created was disbelief: "Where¡­ where is she? Where is¡­ no¡­ no¡­ you''re lying to me¡­ she can''t still be alive¡­ you''re lying to me!"


    When Jie Yuan had returned to the Primal Chaos after millions of years of exile, she had been so calm that it was almost scary.


    But now, her eyes had lost their color, her aura was chaotic, and her body was trembling¡­ she looked like a wild animal who had suddenly lost its mind.


    "Lie to you? Do I even need to?" Issei asked calmly.


    Jie Yuan regained a bit of clarity of mind when she heard Issei''s words, but her aura was still erratic as she stared at him with glowing black eyes. She said, "it''s impossible that I couldn''t detect her if she was still alive¡­ you¡­ you have to be lying to me!"


    "If you really think that way then I won''t take you to them."


    "..." Jie Yuan immediately snapped her mouth shut.


    She''s too afraid... afraid that Issei is giving her false hope.


    Wait...


    "...Them?" Jie Yuan frowned at this: "What do you mean by ''them''? I only have one daughter."


    "You will understand soon enough." Issei said dismissively before he continues speaking: "Do you recognize this place?"


    They''re standing above the abyss where he met Bai''er.


    Jie Yuan swept a glance at her surroundings before continuing, "This planet has an ancient presence, but its aura is unusually thin. It''s obvious that it has suffered some sort of external impact a long time ago and gone through at least one catastrophic destruction, if not more. That is why its land is so scarce¡­"


    Suddenly, her voice was cut short before she could finish. Her cold, indifferent eyes suddenly started shaking with indescribable emotion¡­ She abruptly turned around and looked left and right erratically. She even lost control of her spiritual perception as it enveloped the entire planet.


    Her pupils started shaking more and more violently. In the end, even her body was starting to tremble involuntarily.


    This aura¡­ could it be¡­ could it be...


    "I found most of the Heretic God on this planet. And he also left behind his soul fragment here." Issei narrated his knowledge.


    "I first met his soul residue around three years ago. He requested me to find ''something'' in this place at first but soon I know that what he wanted me to find is his daughter... This planet also has multiple True God legacies such as the Phoenix, Golden Crow, and Primordial Azure Dragon."


    "Oh, I also ''found'' the on this very same planet."


    Jie Yuan continued to stare into the distance and perceive the entire planet with her spiritual perception. Her aura was slightly erratic, and she looked like she wasn''t listening to Issei at all.


    "Lieyan, who was the Golden Crow soul remnant told me that this planet was the very first planet the Heretic God had created a long time ago. It''s just that its current location seems far removed from where you remember it to be..."


    Issei continues to tell her what he knows...


    Jie Yuan continued to stare forward as her eyes turned misty. She muttered to herself distractedly, "It''s still here¡­ it''s actually still here¡­"


    This planet is the place where she and her husband formed their ties and consummate their marriage.


    Jie Yuan then frowned slightly as she stared at the bottomless abyss beneath them. She muttered to herself, "Why is there a pocket world here¡­ And where is my daughter?"


    "This is the place where I found your daughter. Her only ''companions'' here was the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers and the roaming mindless beasts... And she didn''t have a body, not even a complete soul. She had to stay in this dark abyss and the nether energy of the Udumbara Flower field to keep her soul from dissipating... she was all alone for who knows how long... she couldn''t speak and she could barely show her emotions back then..."


    Each word struck her hard accompanied by an excruciating pain... She couldn''t even begin to imagine just what kind of nightmare her daughter has to experience...


    When a child was in pain, their parents normally felt it ten times worse. It was something Issei could understand since he''s also a father now.


    "It seems that trash called Mo E has a battle with your husband to decide your daughter''s fate. That was the battle that decided your daughter''s fate. At first, the Heretic God seemed to have the upper hand over Mo E, but Mo E then used the Ancestral Sword to beat the Heretic God."


    Issei told Jie Yuan the Bing''er speculation of that fateful battle. It was just a speculation, but Jie Yuan didn''t doubt his words in the slightest.


    It was because she knew Mo E''s character better than anyone.


    He was an absolutely righteous and stubborn god. After learning that she had copulated with the Heretic God and given birth to a taboo, he had gone so far as to employ the Ancestral Sword and lowly tricks that he normally would never use to exile her from the Primal Chaos.


    He would never have allowed their child to live¡­ or allowed himself to lose that fight.


    "Perhaps it was because Mo E was ashamed of the way he won, he changed his mind and allowed part of your daughter to live. However, he demanded that the devil part in her must be destroyed and that no one must know that she was your and the Heretic God''s daughter."


    Jie Yuan, "..."


    "In the end, her body was destroyed, and her soul was cut apart¡­ however, the Heretic God just couldn''t bear to destroy the devil part of her soul in the end. So, he took a great risk and used a special method to trick Mo E, hiding her devil soul in this place. That was why she was able to escape that world-ending calamity and survive to this day."


    "And as for her soul another half, I found her inside the ," Issei said while he summoned the Ark above them.


    The Ark looks completely different from how it was back then.


    It looks really majestic and full of life with the greeneries growing around it.


    The aesthetic look it currently has is the complete opposite of the past Ark.


    Jie Yuan dazedly look at the floating Ark.


    "After your daughter''s soul was separated, the Heretic God entrusted the part that was allowed to live to the Sword Spirit God Clan. Later on, it seemed like the patriarch of the Sword Spirit God Clan had completed her soul with his own divine soul before remaking her body afterward." Issei found the record of Hong''er life from the records he found on the .


    "After that, she lived with the Sword Spirit God Clan as the patriarch''s daughter. The patriarch treated her like his own daughter, and she was also loved by her entire clan. Therefore, her life during those years was probably quite pleasant¡­"


    "But... After the war began, the Sword Spirit God Clan became the first god race that was destroyed by the devil race. To keep her safe, the Sword Spirit God Clan had put her into this Ark and sent her away into the gaps between space. That was why she was able to escape that calamity as well."


    "Oh right, it seems this Ark is also known as the ," Issei added.


    "The Spirit World of Heaven and Earth? Did you just say the Spirit World of Heaven and Earth?" Jie Yuan''s reaction grew a little intense.


    It was because she knew that the Heretic God had gifted the Sword Spirit God Clan the Spirit World of Heaven and Earth back when he was still the Creation God of the Elements. Considering that the spatial divine energy of the Spirit World of Heaven and Earth had been engraved with the World Piercer itself, it was definitely possible for it to endure in the gaps between space for a long time.


    "Yes... She was poisoned by a devilish poison that was quite ferocious so she was kept in stasis within the Coffin of Eternity by her guardian to keep the poison from spreading further throughout her body, but it seems that due to the poison affecting her soul she lost all of her memories."


    Issei shows a projection of the moment where he met Bai''er and Hong''er for the first time.


    Jie Yuan''s gaze stays fixed on the girl inside the projection...


    She stared at the girl with half a soul sleeping amidst a sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers.


    The light of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower was cold and mysterious, but it was also the only thing that kept her company in this world of darkness.


    In the sea of flowers, Bai''er slept with her arms held close to her chest and her legs curled upward. She looked like a sleep loving cat who was a little afraid of the cold. She also looked very quiet and lonely¡­ no one could look at her without feeling a heartache.


    As for Hong''er condition... She''s not any better...


    She''s locked inside the Coffin while the poison is corroding her from inside out...


    Both of them have suffered so much for only a little girl who doesn''t seem to even surpass ten years of age...


    A single tear had slid down Jie Yuan''s cheeks slowly before it fell down to the bottom of the abyss below them...


    It was¡­ the tear of a Devil Emperor.


    Slowly, Jie Yuan touched the tear stain on her cheek. Perhaps even she couldn''t believe that she was capable of tears.


    Her eyes never left the two girls inside the projection.


    "Even if we were wrong¡­" Her mutter sounded like the sleep talk of a painful nightmare. "Even if we were doomed to suffer the heaven''s wrath for breaking the taboo of gods and devils¡­ what wrong did our daughter do?"


    "What wrong¡­ did our daughter¡­ do¡­"


    Every word that Jie Yuan uttered contained a pain that felt like an arrow rain piercing through one''s soul.


    From the moment she saw them, even though it''s only a projection, she immediately knew that they were her daughters.


    She should be overjoyed for reuniting her daughters after millions of years of separation.


    But when she saw her daughter as a lonely, broken soul who was stuck in a world of darkness for millions of years and in a coma with poison wreaking havoc inside her body...


    Her joy and excitement were extinguished by a pain that was worse than even the millions of years she suffered outside of the Primal Chaos.


    "Taboo of Gods and Devils? Heaven''s Wrath?" Issei raised his eyebrows at her words before he burst out laughing: "Hahahahaha!"


    This is the first time for him to laugh in such manner.


    Jie Yuan''s eyes darted towards him almost immediately while gritting her teeth: "Why are you laughing!? And where are my daughters?! Where are they!!?"


    "Why am I laughing? Heheh, I''m laughing because of how ridiculous your words were." Issei stopped laughing and replied in a cold voice.


    "Taboo? Since when love between a simple two different races is taboo? Who decides that? The Heaven? Heaven''s Wrath? There''s no such thing! Let me ask you this... Did any of you ever heard the voice from heaven itself?! Or did you ever see this ''Heaven'' of your punish anyone just because they''re husband and wife from a different race?" Issei asked with a scoff.


    "All of that is entirely fabricated by those hypocrites just so that they can justify their idiotic cause! Even that ''Voice of Eternal Heaven'' from the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm is also a voice from some old fart who cling to their pathetic life!"


    Jie Yuan is at a loss for words after hearing Issei''s speech and she didn''t know that they''re still currently broadcasted...


    But those who heard their conversation is utterly dumbfounded while they started to question themselves...


    The Eternal Heaven God Emperor who just returned had his face blanked out... He knows... he knows the true existence of the ''Voice of Eternal Heaven''...


    No wonder ancestor didn''t say a word about him... It''s because she doesn''t dare to extend her divine sense towards him!


    His ancestor must''ve decided not to tell him about Issei''s existence to avoid trouble but who would''ve thought that... he''s the one who caused trouble instead! He provoked an existence that he should never provoke just to keep his image to the public eye!


    And even then, it''s all for nothing... he already heard from his servants of what has happened so far...


    They''ve been dancing around on top of his palm from the start! No wonder he said that he will catch up to them back then...


    It was because he wanted to set up the projection for the entire world to witness! He already expected the outcome between their confrontation with the Devil God!


    When he thought till here, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor felt like slapping his face a hundred times... to think that he was this stupid and couldn''t comprehend just why his ancestor didn''t warn him before...


    The other God Emperors who stayed here also share his thoughts... They''ve lost all face!


    Qianye Fantian, Yue Wuya, and Xing Juekong''s faces went completely pale like a sheet of paper...


    "Look at your ''descendants'' on the Northern Divine Region. They are permanently trapped in a cage of darkness and treated like livestock. If they dared to take even one step out of their cage, they would be hunted down by the successors of the god race."


    "If cruelty, murder, and oppression are sins¡­ then who are the true sinners here? Why hasn''t the ''Heaven'' and its ''wrath'' bring judgment upon them? The bearers of the so-called righteous way have brutalized, murdered, and oppressed those very same people just because they can use the element. Just because no one called out that they were a sinner so the ''Heaven'' said that they''re not a sinner as well?"


    "Those bystanders are also foolish... They have never questioned why the ''devils'' are an evil that must be eradicated. They never even considered that the malice they applied to the devil people was tens of thousands of times worse than what they received!"


    "On the ''evil'' side, we have a mother who''s extremely anxious and worried about her daughter''s fate but on the ''righteous'' side, we have a father who''s willing to sacrifice his own son and daughters, his own flesh and blood just for his own personal gain."


    "If the former classifies as ''evil'', then how about the latter, the so-called ''righteous'' one¡­ who are the real ''devils'' here, I wonder?"


    He was addressing the question to Jie Yuan and all those who heard her words. Every word he said shook the heart and pierced the soul.


    Jasmine and Xun''er closed their eyes while a single line of tears dropped from the corner of their eyes... The gratitude they have for Issei is already boundless... perhaps they couldn''t repay his benevolence for them in this lifetime...


    Why were the devils evil? What had they ever done to deserve such a fate?


    The question froze everyone present...


    From the moment they were born, they were told that the devils were heretics that couldn''t be allowed to exist in the world. They were told that the devil people were dark, cruel, sinful, and malicious creatures and that killing them was the righteous duty of any profound practitioner.


    It was the most common of common senses just like a man and woman or fire and water.


    No one had ever questioned it because it was laughable and in some cases, even sinful to try.


    Why were the devil people evil? What kind of unforgivable sins had they committed? Had they caused a calamity so terrible that there weren''t enough books in the world to describe how heinous it was?


    ...They were shocked to discover they couldn''t come up with a single answer.


    It was because they didn''t need a reason. It was the belief and common sense spread by the king realms and the upper star realms after all.


    For a million years, the denizens of the Northern Divine Region had been forced to hole up in their cage under the oppressing power of the three divine regions.


    Worse, the "cage" slowly shrank because the amount of darkness profound energy in the Primal Chaos was decreasing. Every year, countless devil people died to strive for an ever decreasing amount of realms and resources.


    It was only natural to look down on the Northern Divine Region and make fun of them. It was a meritorious achievement that everyone took pride in.


    If someone were to try and tally the number of devil people who died due to oppression for the past million years or so, they wouldn''t be able to. It was a terrifying and unimaginable number.


    If murder and oppression were sins, then the three divine regions wouldn''t be able to repay their debt even if the next ten thousand generations of their people spent their whole lives atoning.


    "Open your eyes and ears mongrels! And ask yourself if what our Master said is true or not. Who is the true ''devil'' here? Was it that woman who''s anxious about her daughter''s fate or is it those old farts who said that they will do everything they can to ''protect'' this world from the ''calamity''?" Esdeath asked with a sneer.


    No one answered her question... or to be exact... no one dares to...


    Since they know the true answer to her question... it''s just that no one there dares to admit it...


    They all felt too ashamed to even look at her...


    "Hmph... pathetic." Esdeath scoffed. These bunch of trashes couldn''t even admit their mistake...


    Were they insulted? No.


    Were they angry? No.


    Were they sad? No.


    Were they lost?


    No¡­


    The revelation was so thoroughly shocking that all thoughts and emotions were wiped from their minds¡­ including their faith.


    "If just because someone can control the energy is enough to be called the ''Devil'' then come... I want to see if your so-called Heaven will bring its wrath upon me." Issei said while taking off his mask.


    His visage is shown for the first time for the entire world to see...


    Not even Jie Yuan but everyone who watches the projection becomes dumbfounded...


    They thought that the face beneath that mask is some old man who has lived for who knows how long since he is a just like the Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor...


    No one expected that the face under that mask would be so... charming...


    But what they saw next made them shudder to their very core.


    Issei released a huge amount of energy coated in a crimson aura that it can be felt from million realms away! His white hair turned pitch black and his red eyes glowed brightly just like that of a true devil.


    The whole space around Issei is shrouded with endless darkness as if it could devour the whole world...


    As far as they can see... they can only see infinite darkness...


    All of them who witnessed this shuddered greatly.


    "...If Master isn''t someone that we know then we would''ve thought that the ''crimson calamity'' from the prophecy is him." Xiaotao said softly.


    "Um... Indeed. But thankfully he''s not like these bunch of pathetic trashes." Lieyan chimed in.


    Bing''er only gives a faint nod to their statement.


    "So where is it? Where is this ''Heaven Wrath'' that you speak of? Here I am emitting a huge amount of Darkness energy that could destroy countless realm if I wanted to, but I''m still standing unscathed right in front of you." Issei asked.


    "..." Jie Yuan can only look on in disbelief... She has never seen anyone emitting such a large amount of Darkness energy before in her entire life...


    Even if the other Devil Emperors are with her right now and combined their force... they still won''t be able to come close to Issei''s darkness.


    Had Issei only showcased his strength and said that Xing Juekong and the others are evil then the people would agree with him but they won''t completely believe him as well. It will only out of fear at that point...


    But he simultaneously showcased both his strength and the true side of them at almost the same time so it is easier for them to believe what he said.


    Someone with this kind of strength doesn''t need to fabricate lies if he wanted to... he could just make them submit!


    "Hail to our King!" They heard a shout coming from around the convention arena.


    They saw countless ''Devils'' arranging themselves in an orderly fashion with a single woman in the lead.


    The God-Emperors who saw this woman had their eyes widened in disbelief... since that woman is Chi Wuyao along with the other ''Devils'' who are supposed to be locked inside the Northern Divine Region.


    All of them are kneeling towards the projection above them.


    Since when?! They never receive any warning from those who are guarding the border of the Northern Divine Region! Is what inside the God Emperors mind right now.


    Whereas inside the ''Devils'' mind, they now believe Chi Wuyao completely. They used to doubt her before this but now they truly believe that the only person worthy to be their King is him!


    Even though they respect Jie Yuan more since she''s the actual ancestor of the ''Devils'', the correct decision here is to worship Issei who has more power to ensure their race survival.


    "Your Majesty long live!" One of the higher-ups from the ''Devil'' race shouted.


    "Your Majesty long live!" Soon the others also followed suit...


    "Hmph hmph! He just attracted another annoying bee!" Jasmine puffed her cheek when she saw the passionate look of Chi Wuyao.


    Chi Wuyao''s arrival here is not a coincidence. Issei sent a signal to the charm he gave her and when he activated it, the charm created a portal for them to go through.


    Issei already activated the portal when he''s about to go to the "Wall".


    Then he created an invisible barrier that hides their presence. And besides, Chi Wuyao could see everything from Mu Xuanyin''s eyes so she''s already prepared beforehand.


    Bing''er herself also already warned ''her'' about the possibilities of today''s outcome. While the specific time isn''t set, that doesn''t stop Chi Wuyao to have her whole race to prepare themselves...


    So when the signal arrived, they can immediately set off.


    "Chi Wuyao." Issei said.


    "At your command, my King." Chi Wuyao answered respectfully whilst still kneeling.


    "Don''t let any of them leave."


    "I obey!"


    Then Issei cut off the projection...


    Even after the projection ended, an oppressive silence still enveloped the entire arena...


    Now that the truth was now exposed, the depths of their boasting, their shamelessness, and their vileness were dragged out into the open, even they were so ashamed that their scalps were numb.


    This is especially true for Xing Juekong... but more than shame, he''s more afraid of what''s going to come soon enough...


    Yue Wuya also shares his sentiment and as for Qianye Fantian, he was thinking of something else altogether...


    "All of you hear what our King said... If any of you dare to even think of escaping this place then you should know the consequences." Chi Wuyao said with narrowed eyes. Her tone is still a bit seductive but it also has some threatening tone to it as well.


    "Isn''t this ironic... A few hours ago, all of you are still standing above acting all-powerful and mighty... but in a blink of an eye... your reputation hit rock bottom! Hehehehe... And Xing Juekong, I have to say that you''re really amazing... Not even us, the ''Devils'' are willing to sacrifice our own children without a second thought. You have truly widened this Queen horizon. Hahahaha!" Chi Wuyao said mockingly towards the shivering Xing Juekong.


    "You talk too much woman. Just do as you''re told." Esdeath said in an irritated voice.


    "Heheh, sorry Mistress, I just couldn''t help it." Chi Wuyao giggled seductively.


    "Mistress?" Esdeath''s eyes widened briefly before she gave an approving nod: "Um, good good. I like this title."


    "...Master won''t make you his mistress, you pervert." Sirius said bluntly.


    "Tsk, you don''t know that! Just you watch! I will successfully seduce our Master soon enough!" Esdeath said in a boastful voice.


    ""No, that''s impossible."" Altair and Sirius said at the same time.


    Xiaotao, Lieyan, and Bing''er also nodded in agreement.


    Esdeath who saw this gnashed her teeth begrudgingly.


    ...


    "You... Just who are you..." Jie Yuan asked cautiously. That display of strength just now is beyond her comprehension.


    Back in the God era, there''s no one that could come close to his strength. Even that old fart Mo E only manage to win because of his ploy and using the Ancestral Sword.


    "Who am I is not important. Come... I''ll take you to them." Issei said while he took back his energy. His pitch-black hair turned back into pure white.


    Jie Yuan froze for a brief second before she took a deep breath and give a firm nod.


    The next second, her body is enveloped in a golden aura and she instinctively closed her eyes because of how bright it is.


    Once she opened her eyes again, she''s greeted with a heavenly sight... The scenery that she currently saw manages to awe her to no end and also made her entire body froze.


    Row green mountains surrounding the crystal clear lake made the area unique... Hundreds of spirits roam the area. Whether it be the forest, lake, mountains, and sea of flowers...


    What''s odd is that some of those flowers shouldn''t have existed in the same place, such as the Netherworld Udambara Flower that is known to only grow at a place with extreme Yin but here they are blooming brightly next to a flower with extreme Yang properties...


    She has never seen such a beautiful place in her life before... But what made her frozen stiff is something else...


    At the center of this heavenly sight, she saw three little girls riding a dragon-like creature with a happy smile on their childish feature.


    Even though the three of them look very young, they''re still beautiful enough to captivate anyone who lays their eyes on them... If given enough time then these three girls would undoubtedly grow into heavenly beauties...


    The Wood Spirit race that is currently residing inside the Ark who saw Issei wanted to greet him but with one signal from him, they stopped in their tracks.


    "Why don''t you greet them?" Issei asked the stupefied Jie Yuan.


    "..." Jie Yuan doesn''t react to Issei''s words as if she doesn''t hear what he just said.


    "You want me to tell them in your stead? That you''re their mothe-"


    "Don''t!" Jie Yuan shouted before Issei managed to finish his words: "Don''t... Don''t tell them..." She said in a soft voice.


    "Why? Do you think you''re unworthy to be their mother?" Issei asked.


    "..." Jie Yuan once again doesn''t say anything but her silence can be taken as an answer.


    "If you think you''re unworthy then don''t you think you should just stay with them until you''re worthy enough? But fine... I will respect your decision and I won''t tell them your real identity but in exchange, you should stay by their side. Treat them properly from now on and don''t even think of running away."


    "I..." Jie Yuan wanted to say something but in the end, she got nothing to say.


    "Stop making excuses. They''ve suffered enough... Now it''s time for you, as their mother to atone for your ''sin''." Issei said calmly.


    "I''ve taken the liberty to name your daughters since they can''t remember anything... I called them Bai''er and Hong''er."


    "Bai''er... Hong''er..." Jie Yuan muttered dreamily. She''s quite fond of this name...


    "Her real name was Ni Jie..." said Jie Yuan softly.


    Ni Jie, defying tribulations...


    The name was made using the word "Ni" from "Ni Xuan" and "Jie" from "Jie Yuan". Behind the name was a hope that their daughter could break through all tribulations and live in peace forever¡­ After all, her birth itself had been the world''s greatest taboo.


    It was also at this time that the three girls catch a glimpse of their dearest elder brother/father.


    "Ah! It''s big brother!" Hong''er pointed at Issei with glee.


    "Gege/Father!" Both Bai''er and Nyaruko shouted at the same time.


    The three of them flashed an ecstatic smile before they jumped down from their respective mounts and run straight in his direction.


    Jie Yuan shivered all over the moment she saw them running in their direction¡­ This ancient Devil Emperor was so powerful that she had caused an entire group of Divine Masters to piss their pants in terror. But now, she was panicking so much that she was at a complete loss for words or action.


    Even when she witnessed Issei''s display of strength, her reaction wasn''t so intense.


    Issei smiled at them before crouching down to catch the three little troublemakers who threw themselves at him.


    "Hehehe! Big brother, are you here to play with us?" Hong''er giggled while rubbing her face on his arms.


    The three of them held him tightly and affectionately. Anyone can see that they''re really attached to Issei.


    "Heheh, big brother is here to introduce you to this big sister. She will be accompanying all of you as your new friend from now on." Issei said while rubbing their head.


    "Ah?" Only then did they realize that there was another person besides Issei, they turned to stare at Jie Yuan in puzzlement.


    However, they didn''t look away even though their puzzlement had passed. They continued to stare at Jie Yuan blankly until their doubt took on an indescribable shape.


    Their sudden approach had caused Jie Yuan to freeze up completely. She stared at them as they stared at her¡­ the mother and daughters who had been separated for millions of years were finally reunited.


    "Nyaruko, come..." Issei said while lifting Nyaruko wanting to give the mother and daughters some space.


    "Father, who is this big sis? Why did she have a similar aura to-"


    "*Ssh*" Issei put his index finger in front of her mouth in a hushing motion.


    Nyaruko nodded in confusion at him. Even though she''s still confused, she obediently shut her mouth.


    "Do¡­ do you still¡­ remember me?" Jie Yuan asked softly as they continued to stare blankly at her.


    When a soul was split, their memories would fall apart completely, so it was impossible for them to still remember Jie Yuan. As one of the highest existence in this world, Jie Yuan should know this better than anyone.


    Who would''ve thought that even a Devil Emperor would want to deceive herself sometimes?


    The two of them didn''t answer her question. They suddenly raised a hand in an attempt to touch Jie Yuan.


    It was true that they couldn''t remember Jie Yuan or the past at all.


    But they are still Jie Yuan''s daughter. It was a relationship so rooted in every corner of the soul that it could never be replaced or erased.


    Jie Yuan''s body froze for the umpteenth time seeing their extended hand but her body instinctively crouched down letting the two of them touch her cheek.


    "..." Her daughters'' warm hands came into contact with her face. She could sense their confusion and the trace of instinctual intimacy in her.


    Jie Yuan tried to put a hand to their cheeks, but her hand simply refused to move closer past a certain point. Her lips trembled, and she wasn''t able to say a word for a very long time.


    It was because she was afraid that it was a dream that would pop at the slightest touch, that her bloodstained hands would tarnish her perfection, and the infinite regret she held close to her heart...


    The regret and self blame she has eclipsed her desire to hold them close.


    "Hold them," Issei said softly.


    Jie Yuan''s body shivered for a brief second and she hesitates for a moment but in the end, she slowly wrapped her arms around Hong''er and Bai''er.


    When she finally managed to hold them in her embrace, like a broken dam, tears started to pour out from her eyes.


    The girls in her embrace had a complete life, body, and soul. Their face was also exactly the same as usual, and the aura they carried was something she would never forget for eternity.


    It was her daughter''s aura after all.


    Hong''er and Bai''er. They were both the daughters of the Heretic God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor.


    "Their" birth and existence was a taboo that was rejected by the world itself. "Their" mother had been exiled after they were born, and "their" father had become discouraged after "their" soul had been split in half. One of them led a happy life, but could never know who her true parents were. The other could only stay hidden in an abyss of darkness and live alone forever...


    "Their" fate was sorrowful and difficult, but miraculously both had managed to escape the calamity that had destroyed both the god race and the devil race.


    She started to cry without a sound because she''s trying her best not to frighten her precious daughters.


    Both Bai''er and Hong''er also instinctively cried on their own while still feeling confused.


    It took her a good while before she stopped hugging them.


    Jie Yuan was staring at them distractedly. Didn''t he said that they...


    As if he could read her mind, Issei sends a voice transmission.


    Jie Yuan who received the voice transmission dazedly look at him while immense gratitude started to fill her gaze.


    "...So, who are you, big sis?" Hong''er asked in a crisp and true voice after staring blankly at Jie Yuan for a moment: "And why did I suddenly cry again? So weird..."


    Jie Yuan felt like she was floating as she watched Hong''er''s high spirit, stared into her star-like pupils, and listened to her spring-like voice. She actually couldn''t say a word in reply.


    "Eh?" Hong''er blinked and carefully stared at Jie Yuan for a long while. Then, she smiled brightly at her before saying, "I may not know who you are, big sis, but I can tell you that you''re very pretty. Don''t you think so as well, Bai''er, big brother?


    "En!" Bai''er nodded with a smile.


    "Um... She''s indeed pretty." Issei nodded along with Nyaruko.


    Not only was Jie Yuan''s face completely covered in scars, but they were also scars that could never be healed. Anyone would''ve been frightened to see her the way she was right now. However, they had told her that she was pretty without hesitation, and their gaze and expression were such that it was impossible for anyone to doubt their sincerity.


    The corner of Jie Yuan''s lips seemed to curl into a tiny smile. "You¡­ think I''m pretty?"


    "Yep!" Hong''er nodded seriously. "Your looks are a bit unusual, but Hong''er still thinks that you''re very pretty."


    "..." Jie Yuan pursed her lips tightly and smiled. Again, her tears started falling uncontrollably.


    "Big brother!" Hong''er called out with a bright smile.


    Issei understood what she wanted. Issei gives a faint nod before a white light started to envelop Jie Yuan''s whole body.


    "You¡­" Jie Yuan stared at Issei in shock. "Darkness profound energy and light profound energy co-existing in a person''s body? How could such a thing happen!? You¡­ What exactly are you¡­"


    Jie Yuan who''s enveloped with this light should''ve felt pain since she mainly uses the energy but oddly enough, she felt comfortable instead.


    She didn''t realize what''s happening to her body right now because of how shocked she is.


    "See! I knew big sis is very pretty!" Hong''er said with a giggle.


    Jie Yuan''s shock is swept away by Hong''er voice.


    She tremblingly put her hand on her face...


    It''s gone... her scars are gone...


    She can''t feel any scabs nor roughness she usually felt. All she feels is a smooth skin without any blemish...


    Issei snapped his finger and a mirror presented itself before her...


    She looks at the face reflected in the mirror with disbelief... Is this really her? Her face...


    She has already completely forgotten how her real face looks like... It''s been so so long...


    The face reflected in the mirror has long dark hair and beautiful face that could rival almost anyone Issei has ever seen. She''s at least on par with Qianye Ying''er in terms of looks alone.


    One thing that stands out the most is her striking yellow eyes.


    (AN: No jade-chan this time guys... sorry T^T).


    "I''ll give you some room. Hong''er, Bai''er go and play with this big sis for a moment, okay? Big brother will be back soon." Issei said with a gentle smile.


    "Okay, big brother! Ah, right big brother, Hong''er want more snacks!" Hong''er said with a cheeky grin.


    "You little rascal... Didn''t big brother already gave you some ''cake'' recently?" Issei in astonishment.


    "It''s big brother''s fault for making it too delicious! Hong''er just couldn''t help but eat all of it, you know!" Hong''er said with a pout.


    "Fine fine... it''s big brother''s fault." Issei said in defeat while carrying Nyaruko with him.


    Bai''er giggled at the sight of her big brother admitting defeat.


    "Big Sis, who are you?" Hong''er then asked Jie Yuan once again with a curious expression, "Big brother said that you''re here to be our new friend. Is that true? And your body¡­ seems to be giving off a very strange feeling, it''s as if¡­ as if¡­ ugh¡­"


    Jie Yuan set her gaze back at Hong''er and said with a gentle smile: "En... Big sis will be your new friend."


    "Your name is¡­ Hong''er and Bai''er?"


    "That''s right!" Hong''er smiled, brows arcing up, "This is the name big brother gave me! I like it very very much!"


    Bai''er also nodded with a happy smile on her face.


    "Hong''er, Bai''er, do you¡­ like him?" Jie Yuan asked.


    "Him? Does big sis mean big brother? Of course, we like him!" Hong''er and Bai''er''s eyes suddenly turned much brighter when they were asked that question.


    "No one in this whole world treats Hong''er better than big brother! I don''t ever want to leave big brother in this lifetime!"


    "Bai''er as well. Bai''er wants to stay by gege side forever."


    Both of them answered without hesitation.


    Jie Yuan, "..."


    Everyone, the ones she loved, the ones she hated, her kinsmen, her enemies¡­ they were all dead.


    That era had long ended, and everything had turned to dust. Even the entire Primal Chaos had changed so drastically.


    Only¡­ our family, our daughter is still alive in this world.


    She placed her hand over her heart and her eyes trembled and felt a foreign sense of warmth¡­ The millions of years of piled up hatred and resentment in her heart and soul suddenly disappeared¡­ They had completely disappeared and even she herself could not find a single trace of them.


    The hatred that I had once thought was engraved into my bones, the hatred that I thought would never dull even until the day I die, actually turned out to be so utterly small and petty.


    Everything has been destroyed, except for our planet, our daughter¡­


    So what do I have to resent, what do I have to hate...


    ...


    Issei soon returned back with a bunch of ''cake'' in his hand.


    This cake is only a cake that Hong''er can eat since the component of that said cake is special.


    He also brought some cake that Nyaruko and Bai''er could eat though.


    "Yay! Big brother you''re the best!" Hong''er who saw this hopped giddily before she pulled Issei down to the ground. Once she succeeded, she sat on his lap while she started to eat the cake greedily.


    "No need to rush like that... Geez, you have cream all over your face..." Issei said with a wry smile.


    Bai''er sat on his other lap while Nyaruko is huffing in jealousy since she just lost against Hong''er and Bai''er in their rock paper scissor game.


    The winner gets to sit on his lap while the loser doesn''t.


    But soon she forgot her jealousy and start eating her own cake.


    Jie Yuan''s eyes glistened at this sight...


    If... If he''s still alive then... would he be in this man''s place right now? Being surrounded by their daughter...


    Jie Yuan looked at Issei who''s treating her daughter so gently with complicated emotions in her eyes. But there''s also jealousy in her gaze... She wishes she could take his position right now.


    "You seem to treat them extremely well..." She muttered.


    "Of course, I think of them as my little sisters after all." Issei said whilst wiping Hong''er mouth.


    "Your little sister, was it..." Jie Yuan said while looking at the overly attached daughters of hers.


    Her eyes turned to stare at Issei''s gentle face as they went through a series of subtle changes. After that, she suddenly said in a soft voice, "All of these things are things that I owe you..."


    "Owe me? You owe me nothing. I only do it for them, not for you." Issei said bluntly.


    "Perhaps... But I''m eternally grateful for what you have done for them." She muttered once again.


    "Say... should I merge their souls together again?"


    Issei''s hand froze for a moment before he narrowed his eyes at her: "What do you think?"


    "...No. I shouldn''t."


    "It''s good that you understand."


    Even if they originally one, the current Bai''er and Hong''er have their own personality and memories. If they merged their soul together then it would mean that they will be ''killing'' one of them or even both of them at the same time...


    "...I''ll treat this as compensation from the heavens, to let me have another daughter." She said in a low voice.


    "What do you want as repayment?" Jie Yuan asked.


    Does he need something from her? She doubts it... He''s far more powerful than her.


    "You don''t need to do anything other than staying by their side from now on," Issei said offhandedly.


    "That''s not... Nevermind..." Jie Yuan frowned at his words but soon gave up.


    From their short interaction, Jie Yuan could already guess just what kind of personality Issei has.


    "I believe that your clansmen will be coming here soon enough?" Issei inquired. He can sense multiple auras outside the wall before.


    "Indeed... Many have passed away one after another over the past millions of years, but some still live to this day. However¡­ they number less than a hundred today. The world outside the Primal Chaos is very dangerous. We able to survive is only due to the World Piercer."


    "But I assume you know of this since you''re clearly not a person of this world." She said with certainty.


    "Ah, I''m not from this world," Issei admitted instantly.


    "As I expected... you''re the anomaly that passes through the wall back then..." Jie Yuan said while remembering the past where she caught a glimpse of humanoid silhouette passing through the barrier.


    "It took me several years to build a passage on the Wall of Primal Chaos. I had thought that the god race would definitely notice my efforts and prepare a ''welcoming party'' for me, and I didn''t want my entire race to charge foolishly into danger and perish alongside me¡­ I never thought that they would go extinct before us."


    "Besides my clansmen, there are creatures that roam the void outside. I could kill a few of them with the World Piercer assistance but... The World Piercer doesn''t have much power in it anymore." Jie Yuan raised her arm and looked at the glowing red spike that was the World Piercer.


    "At first, I thought that I would be able to restore its power very quickly, but looking at the Primal Chaos'' aura today¡­ forget several months, even several thousand years still won''t be enough to recover enough power to bring them here. They''ll have to rely on themselves."


    "They''ve been anticipating this for a very, very long time," said Jie Yuan coldly as she stared into the distance.


    "Those creatures are mindless beasts that have been corrupted by an energy that is foreign to you. As for your clansmen... I hope that you can convince them to let go of their revenge, otherwise..." Issei warned.


    "Convince them? Do you seriously think I can convince them all?" She said with a frown: "Do you even know what millions of years of hatred, torture, pain, despair, and death really mean? It is true that it wasn''t enough to twist my true nature¡­ but the same cannot be said for either True Gods or True Devils! Everything they have suffered was enough to turn them into actual devils through and through!"


    "The god race may be extinct, but their hatred must be vented somehow! No one can stop them until they''re finished venting, not even me!"


    "As their emperor, I am the one who saw them all suffer, hate, turn insane, and finally over millions of years¡­ how can I stop them after everything!"


    "In fact, they were the victims who got caught in a plot against me! What right do I possibly have to stop them!"


    "What is this world fate have anything to do with you anyway? You will surely leave this world behind someday and whatever happens to it shouldn''t have anything to do with you, am I wrong?"


    "Indeed. Whatever happens to this world is not my business and I surely can''t understand what you and your clansmen feel." Issei nodded at first before he continues speaking: "But I already made a promise. Once I made a promise then I will see it through... I''m a man of my word."


    "If you can''t convince your clansmen then there''s only one thing I can do... I will kill them even if they''re innocent in the first place... The lives they''re about to take is not someone who has wronged them."


    Jie Yuan, "..."


    She doesn''t doubt that Issei is capable enough to kill her clansmen but... convincing them? It''s easier said than done.


    "I will try my best..." In the end, that''s all she could say.


    "Um... You stay here with them. I still have some business to take care of."


    "No, I''ll come with you." Jie Yuan shook her head.


    "Why?" Issei said with a frown.


    Jie Yuan gestured at Hong''er and Bai''er.


    When Issei look down, he saw them started to dozing off while Nyaruko has already fallen asleep.


    "Oh..." Issei said in realization.


    ...


    Issei returned to the convention arena followed by Jie Yuan.


    Everyone there immediately tensed up when they saw their arrival. They feel amazed at Jie Yuan''s new appearance.


    The God Emperors stance such as the Eternal Heaven God Emperor is more down to the earth even compared to when they welcomed the Dragon Monarch arrival.


    News of the Devil Emperor''s return had not yet been extensively spread. Nor did anyone dare to recklessly spread it, but the news had already been covertly passed to the ones who needed to know. Even those who were still in the dark could sense that the atmosphere of the God Realm had changed slightly.


    On a side note, it seems that the Dragon Monarch has already returned to his domain.


    Not that Issei care since he has no business with him.


    "We welcome your majesty and the Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor!" The surrounding Devils said while kneeling with Chi Wuyao in the lead.


    Issei give a faint nod while Jie Yuan doesn''t pay any attention to them.


    She set her gaze at Xun''er instead.


    "How can I help you, senior?" Xun''er asked with a smile.


    "...My husband was the strongest and proudest god in the entire god race! I refuse to allow you, the person who has inherited his strength¡­ to become a useless person who relies on the might of others! Understand?"


    Jie Yuan was certainly not joking. Especially that phrase "He was the strongest and proudest god in the entire god race".


    She also doesn''t care if Xun''er has some connection with Issei. She''s still not allowed to rely on his strength.


    "Yes, this junior understands," Xun''er replied with determination.


    "I hope that you truly understand." Jie Yuan turned to Issei and said, "It seems that your connection with her is not simple. I can sense a trace of your energy inside her body."


    Issei shrugged at her.


    "And the three of you..." Jie Yuan said towards Xiaotao, Lieyan, and Bing''er.


    "Nice to meet you again, lord Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor." Xiaotao said softly.


    "How miraculous... to think that I could see the Phoenix, the Golden Crow, and the Ice Phoenix in one place like this..." Jie Yuan said in slight amazement.


    Her words once again made the onlookers feel shocked.


    Issei look at Xia Qingyue''s group who''s awaiting his command.


    "*Sigh* I guess there''s no more meaning to continue this convention..." He said apologetically.


    "It''s fine, young master." Xia Qingyue said gently.


    "Qingyue... I have some news about your mother''s whereabouts. Do you want to know?" Issei asked.


    Qingyue''s body froze at this...


    "If you don''t want to know then..."


    "Please tell Qingyue, young master." Xia Qingyue hastily said.


    "...Very well. Your mother is located in the Moon God Realm. She''s... the wife of the Moon God Realm King. Her real name is Yue Wugou."


    Not only Xia Qingyue but Yue Wuya, the Moon God Realm King eyes also widened at this revelation.


    "You can sort it out between yourselves if you want," Issei said while creating a spatial opening heading towards Yue Wugou''s location.


    Xia Qingyue hesitates for a second before she went inside the spatial opening.


    "Be prepared Yue Wuya. Depending on the result of their meeting... It might be the end of your realm." Issei said towards the trembling Yue Wuya.


    "But... It also depends on Jasmine and Xun''er here." Issei gestured at Jasmine who has a cold gaze.


    Xun''er''s expression is still calm when it comes to Yue Wuya.


    "As for you two..." Issei set his gaze at Xing Juekong and Qianye Fantian next.


    "Jasmine. Feel free to do whatever you want."


    "Wait!" Qianye Ying''er shouted: "My father has nothing to do with this. I''m the one who''s responsible for the death of your brother."


    "And you will pay for that!" Jasmine said before she headed for Qianye Ying''er direction.


    Both of them have a little staring contest between each other.


    "I wonder... If it wasn''t for his help, would you still be able to face me like this." Qianye Ying''er said with a sneer.


    "Perhaps not... I know the only reason why I and my mother standing here today is because of his benevolence... But that doesn''t change anything! I''m willing to sell my body and soul to him as repayment if needed! But for now, I will have my revenge!" Jasmine said softly at first but in the end, her voice turned cold.


    "Really? It''s true that the Heavenly Wolf Xisu died because of me, but is it completely my fault when he''s the one who willingly sacrifices himself for me? I didn''t order him to sacrifice himself, rather he does it on his own."


    "You used him!" Jasmine growled before she launched herself towards Qianye Ying''er aiming for her neck.


    Before Jasmine could reach her, Qianye Ying''er raised her arm slightly and opened her palm. A blue light landed at the center of her palm before a melodious ringing followed. "Do you still recognize this, Heavenly Slaughter Star God?"


    The object in her hand was a tiny, simple bell. The string was made from colorful vines, and the bell was carved from colorful jade. Right now though, it was flowing faintly with blue light.


    Jasmine stopped, her grim pupils trembling a little. Not only her, even Caizhi and Xun''er recognized this bell.


    It was the first-ever gift their younger self had made together and gifted to her older brother, Xisu. The bell held her purest, sincerest wish... the wish that her older brother would always be safe no matter where he went.


    In fact, she had stood on her toes and tied the bell onto his waist herself.


    However, the bell had been missing when he returned home with his dying breath.


    "You¡­" Jasmine''s vision blurred for an instant and she gritted her teeth.


    "Relax, I didn''t steal this from him. He was the one who gave it to me when he knew he was going to die, right before he returned to the Star God Realm."


    "..."


    "Honestly, I thought that the day I would need to use this would never come, but it appears that his thoughts weren''t wasted after all." Qianye Ying''er shook the bell lightly, and the blue light covering the jade bell suddenly left its host. It quickly spread out and transformed into a blurry figure.


    A person''s figure.


    His face was blurry and unrecognizable, but whether it be Jasmine, Caizhi, or Xun''er were still shaken when he appeared in front of them.


    It was Xisu''s soul shadow!


    Jasmine couldn''t mistake him for someone else even if his voice and soul aura were another ten times fainter than they were now!


    "..." Their expression didn''t change, but they were obviously transfixed by the increasingly distinct shadow of Xisu.


    After so many years, they didn''t think that they would have a chance to meet their son/older brother''s soul in such close proximity again.


    A weak voice came from the soul shadow. "You''ve grown up, Jasmine, Caizhi. And Mother, I''m really glad now that you''re safe..."


    "..." Their eyes tremblingly look at him.


    "Caizhi, I didn''t think that you would be the one to inherit the Heavenly Wolf''s divine power. Once, you were as fragile as a young butterfly. But now, you''ve grown to the point where you could drive even the Lady Goddess into a corner. Both you and Jasmine are my eternal pride."


    Xisu''s voice was gentle and warm. He hadn''t said much, but nearly half his soul shadow was gone already. Clearly, the fragmented soul he imbued the bell with was far weaker than the one in the ring. Xisu continued before Caizhi could reply. "I must have told you not to take revenge for me after my passing, but I know that neither you nor Jasmine will listen to me. That is why I left behind this, the most precious gift I have ever received, with her."


    "It is my wish that both sides will be able to lay down whatever grudge and hatred they bear for my sake¡­"


    "Lady Goddess, they are my closest relatives. I ask that you don''t hurt them considering all that I''ve done for you. Otherwise, I who have given you my life will never forgive you."


    "Mother, Jasmine, Caizhi. The Lady Goddess is a dream I''m willing to spend my whole life chasing after. I don''t mind dying for her, so it goes without saying that it is my lifetime wish to see her safe and sound."


    "Don''t take revenge for me, for there was never any hatred between you. I won''t be able to rest easy if any of you were hurt."


    Ring...


    The unstable soul finally dissipated without a trace.


    The blue light that was covering the jade bell earlier was also gone completely.


    "Son/Brother!" They shouted in terror.


    "Ise! Please help him!" Xun''er and Jasmine pleaded sobbingly.


    "I can''t... If his soul is still complete then I could still revive him but what we just saw is less than a percent of his soul. I could take ahold of that said soul and perhaps ''revive'' it just like I did with Xun''er but... to do so, I basically need to find a complete soul of others and fuse them together... When that time comes... There''s no difference between him and someone else anymore." Issei said with a sigh.


    "No..." They started to cry softly after hearing his words.


    Even if Issei were to ''revive'' him then it won''t be their son/older brother anymore...


    The cost of leaving a fragment of one''s soul behind was a great amount of lifespan and soul origin. Xisu was already near death at the time, but he still chose to leave behind a fragmented soul with Qianye Ying''er.


    One of the reasons he did this was to protect Jasmine and Caizhi. He knew that the sisters would want to take revenge for him, but he knew even better just how strong Qianye Ying''er was. The Lady Goddess would very likely have the upper hand if they attacked her recklessly¡­ In that case, he hoped that Qianye Ying''er would acknowledge his wish and let them live considering everything he had done for her. His soul shadow would also stop the sisters from carrying out any future acts of vengeance.


    Going by the same logic, the other reason he gave Qianye Ying''er the bell was to save her life in case the sisters were able to corner her.


    However, it was obvious that Qianye Ying''er had no intention of honoring his wish, at least not the part where he asked for Jasmine and Caizhi''s safety. Not long after Xisu was gone, Jasmine almost succ.u.mbed to the Southern Sea God Emperor''s poison. Of course, the real mastermind behind the poisoning was none other than Qianye Ying''er.


    Qianye Ying''er was immune to all forms of emotions unless her father was involved. Qianye Ying''er might be someone Xisu was willing to give his life for, but Xisu¡­ was just a useful tool for Qianye Ying''er. She wasn''t moved at all by his death.


    In fact¡­ she was still using him after he was dead.


    But there was no way Jasmine and Caizhi could ignore Xisu''s wish, especially considering his last line. "I won''t be able to rest easy if any of you were hurt".


    He was practically putting a curse on himself to protect Qianye Ying''er.


    How could Caizhi or Jasmine kill Qianye Ying''er after that, even if their hatred for her was ten thousand times greater than it was?


    There were too many people who went mad in pursuit of the "Lady Goddess". There exist several pinnacles in this world such as the pinnacle of wealth, the pinnacle of authority, the pinnacle of the profound way, and so on¡­ and Qianye Ying''er represented the pinnacle of beauty.


    Out of all the people who fell for Qianye Ying''er, Heavenly Wolf Xisu might just be the one who loved her the most.


    Unfortunately for him, the woman he fell for was literally the most heartless woman in the entire world.


    Issei didn''t know if he should feel respect, regret¡­ or pity for Heavenly Wolf Xisu.


    In the end, Jasmine chose to lower her hand.


    But her killing intent hadn''t retracted in the slightest.


    Sss!


    There was a tiny rip in space, and Jasmine snatched the jade bell from Qianye Ying''er''s hands


    Qianye Ying''er doesn''t try to stop her.


    "You can revive someone from the dead?" Jie Yuan asked in disbelief. She thought of her husband but thinking of how many years have passed since his death then... it seems unlikely for his soul to linger this long...


    And that''s probably why the Phoenix and the others are still alive right now...


    Jasmine slowly looked at Qianye Ying''er and said, "You''re right to say I cannot kill you."


    "Oh?" Qianye Ying''er raised her eyebrows slightly.


    "But someone else can." She then looked at Issei: "Ise, kill her... Kill her and I will give you my everything."


    "Count me in," Xun''er added.


    "Me too." Next is Caizhi.


    This time Qianye Ying''er body is frozen stiff. How could she forgot about him...


    "...Very well." Issei said softly. In the next second, he reappeared in front of Qianye Ying''er and gripped her neck tightly.


    "Cough??" Qianye Ying''er coughed painfully before she snorted derisively at herself. "Once upon a time... I thought that all men except my royal father were low-born... I thought that none of them even had the right to enter my sight, much less touch a hair on my body.... Who would''ve thought that I would fall this far¡­ And that man is only indirectly involved with my current predicament... what a joke¡­ what a joke¡­"


    If it wasn''t for Issei involvement then her plans would''ve succeeded.


    "Except your royal father, you say?" Issei chuckled lightly at her words.


    "...What''s so... funny?" Qianye Ying''er frowned at Issei.


    "Qianye Fantian." Issei ignored her question and called Qianye Fantian''s name.


    "Y-Yes?" Qianye Fantian answered with a stutter.


    "If I say that I''m willing to spare your life in exchange for your daughter''s life, would you accept?"


    "I accept!" Qianye Fantian''s reply couldn''t be any faster but it''s as if he remembered something he turned to his daughter: "Ying... You should understand... Without me, the Brahma realm will..."


    "I understand." Qianye Ying''er simply said.


    "So, what do you think of this, Qianye Ying''er?" Issei asked the woman in front of him.


    "What do I think? I do not need to think of anything... If my life can be used as an exchange for my royal father''s and realm then so be it... Consider it my obligation as his daughter." Qianye Ying''er answered sharply as if she''s not the least disappointed with Qianye Fantian''s reply.


    "Is that so? What a good daughter... But, do you know how your mother die?" Issei asked without changing his expression as if he already anticipated her answer.


    "Of course I know." Even though Qianye Ying''er doesn''t understand why Issei would suddenly ask this, she still gives him her answer regardless.


    Her mother died because of the past God Empress and Crown Prince ploy.


    Back when her mother had died, Qianye Fantian had not only investigated her death himself but also personally executed both the god empress and the crown prince in a fit of rage. His actions had shaken the entire Brahma Monarch God Realm, but what was more important was that it had also deeply shaken Qianye Ying''er, who had always been resentful towards her father.


    After that, he posthumously conferred her mother the title of god empress and also swore that she would be his last god empress, his only god empress.


    This coupled with the trust, regard, and love that he showed her meant that it was only natural that the feelings she had for her mother would gradually be transferred to her father. Thus, he became the person she trusted the most in the world, the person who was closest to her, and the only source of warmth and intimacy in her life.


    "Really now? Are you sure about that?" Issei gives a faint smirk at her.


    Qianye Ying''er gaze suddenly stiffened before she looks at Qianye Fantian in disbelief.


    "Royal father... My mother, she¡­ did you kill her?"


    This sudden and exceptionally abrupt question caused Qianye Fantian''s flinch.


    "Go on, tell her the truth," Issei said mockingly.


    "...Yes. I did." Qianye Fantian finally admitted.


    Qianye Ying''er''s beautiful eyes suddenly focused as the last illusion within her shuddering heart and soul was completely shattered into oblivion. "It was really you¡­ It was really you!!?"


    "Heh heh," Qianye Fantian gave a dry chuckle. "It seems that you already guessed it and sensed it a long time ago, why did you never ask about it or believe it to be true? Was it because you didn''t dare to? Or was it because you weren''t willing to?"


    He had frankly admitted it and he was not the least bit worried about her finding out since she''s about to die anyway. One could even hear some disappointment and ridicule in his indifferent voice. Qianye Ying''er''s eyes started trembling even more intensely as her voice grew hoarse. "Why¡­ Why did you kill her!?"


    A big reason, perhaps it could even be said to be the biggest reason, why Qianye Fantian had become the only weakness in Qianye Ying''er''s heart was because he had been "good" to her mother. It was why she would be willing to sacrifice her life just to save him.


    Even when she had those moments of doubt... she would firmly suppress those suspicions and think that they were doubts that she should not be having.


    However, everything had suddenly changed.


    Qianye Fantian''s tacit admission coupled with the few words he had said after, was a destructive impact on Qianye Ying''er''s soul. It was such a cruel blow that no one else would be able to imagine it or put themselves in her shoes.


    "Why?" Qianye Fantian wore a tragic and sorrowful expression on his face. "Isn''t the answer already as clear as day? Of course, it''s because of you."


    "Your innate talent did not only surpass all of my other children, no one in your generation in the entire Eastern Divine Region could match it either. This coupled with the viciousness, single-minded focus, and ambition I could see in your eyes made me feel as if I had witnessed the birth of the first female Brahma Heaven God Emperor. Compared to the successor that I had previously selected, your brilliance was far more dazzling."


    "But alas, the you back then had a fatal flaw, and that fatal flaw was¡­ your excessive care for your mother! After that, I even found out that the most important reason for your fervency and ambition toward a profound way was actually because you wanted to obtain an even higher status for your mother. Heh¡­ how pitiful that was, how laughable."


    Qianye Fantian shook his head and it was as if he still felt the pity and disappointment that he had felt back then. "Thus, for your sake, and for the sake of the future of the Brahma Monarch God Realm, I had no choice but to act. I would lavish you and your mother with my undisguised affection before intentionally letting slip that you would become my successor. This would consequently arouse jealousy and panic in the hearts of the god empress and the crown prince. From then on, their desire to kill you and your mother were only to be expected."


    Qianye Ying''er clenched her teeth tightly as her entire body shook.


    "Your mother died in my hands. This was a grave matter that concerned the future of the Brahma Monarch God Realm, so I could only do it myself. After that, I personally executed both the god empress and the crown prince before posthumously conferring the title of god empress upon your mother." Since he has nothing more to hide then he might as well...


    The world has already known of their true nature so what''s there to hide? The most important thing right now is to survive! He doesn''t dare to tell a single lie fearing that Issei would kill him for it.


    Qianye Fantian kept addressing them as "the god empress" and "the crown prince" and had not even mentioned their names once¡­ because he had already forgotten their names. Even though they were once his personally chosen empress and crown prince, they seemed to be nothing more than two specks of dust that had been swept away, not even worthy of being remembered by him.


    "The reason why I had to go to such great lengths to orchestrate these events was because I was afraid that once your mother died, the feelings you had for her would have nowhere to go. I was even more afraid that you would lose your goal and ambition because of this. So I had no choice but to do what I did, causing the feelings you had for her to gradually migrate to me. You could even say that I put a lot of thought into your upbringing."


    "But what I never imagined was that the memory of your mother still refused to dim, even though so many years had already gone by." Qianye Fantian shook his head as he gave a sigh of lament. "What a pity, what a pity. And what''s even more tragic is that you seem to think that I was the one who caused the death of your mother."


    "No," Qianye Fantian said as he let out a sigh. "In fact, I can''t even remember her name or what she looked like. If it wasn''t for some special reason, why would I have stooped to personally dealing with a woman like that with my own two hands?"


    "In the end, the one who caused the death of your mother wasn''t me. It was you. If you had not been so dazzling and had not valued her so much, she would not have died such an early death."


    Qianye Ying''er''s delicate head drooped inside that golden cage. Her body had not stopped shuddering for a single moment and underneath her golden mask, streams of tears swiftly flowed down her face.


    Tears...


    No one had ever seen the Brahma Monarch Goddess'' tears before and no one had ever imagined what it would look like to see the Brahma Monarch Goddess cry.


    But at this moment, from the very moment, the first tear started rolling down her face, her tears flowed uncontrollably, just like how her heart and soul had completely collapsed¡­ She stubbornly refused to let out a single sob, but she was not able to stop the tears leaking from her eyes.


    In her lifetime, she had witnessed countless deaths and seen more despair than she could even remember, but at this moment, it was the first time she had so clearly understood what despair was¡­


    Even when she knows that she''s about to die she still didn''t descend into despair, but now...


    She, Qianye Ying''er, the Brahma Monarch Goddess admired by the entire universe, the future Brahma Heaven God Emperor. Her background, cultivation, status, authority, and appearance... every single one of them stood at the highest peak of this universe. Only the Western Region''s Dragon Queen was worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as her.


    She had undoubtedly stood at the pinnacle of this universe and she had always held the rest of the world in contempt. This was especially true for men, not a single one of them had ever truly caught her eye¡­ even if that man was the number one God-Emperor in the Southern Divine Region.


    When the profound practitioners of the God Realm mentioned the three words "Brahma Monarch Goddess", the words that accompanied that title were "lofty and beyond one''s reach".


    But today, it was only today that she discovered that her life had actually been so tragic all of these years. No, practically her entire existence was a tragedy.


    She thought that she was not only Qianye Fantian''s chosen successor, but also the daughter that he loved and trusted the most, and the latter was even more important to her than the former¡­ But it was only today that her eyes were finally opened. It turned out that she was actually only a doll dancing along on his strings, and it had always been the case!


    He did not just personally steal the most important thing in her life, he had even made her feel constant gratitude and respect towards him because of this¡­ After she had used her own life to save him, she had instead become an abandoned child that he could not even be bothered to waste any effort on because of the sacrifice she had made.


    "If I were to nurture you once more, it is true that you will be able to become the cornerstone of the Brahma Monarch God Realm once more. However, given your current situation... it looks like we won''t have that chance anymore. What a pity indeed..." Qianye Fantian said as he shook his head. "Now that it has come to this, I have no choice but to select a new successor again."


    As he looked at Qianye Ying''er, whose mind and spirit had completely collapsed, there was not even a trace of love or pity in his eyes.


    "Now you understand why I find it funny?" Issei asked Qianye Ying''er while his grip started to tighten.


    Jasmine, Xun''er, and Caizhi almost felt pity for her...


    "Please... Please spare her! Please spare young miss!" Someone shouted in the eerie silence that is enveloping the whole arena.


    Qianye Ying''er dull and muddy eyes staring at the elderly man in front of her as she mumbled in a lifeless voice, "Uncle¡­ Gu¡­"


    "If you spare her then I''m willing to give this treasure in my hand to you!" He said while presenting a stone seal towards Issei.


    "Gu Zhu, you!" Qianye Fantian face darkened. He had never imagined that the person who was least likely to betray him would actually trick him¡­ He had tricked him for a girl who''s about to die!


    "That''s the Primordial Seal of Life and Death!" Jie Yuan shouted in surprise.


    Her words caused another bout of commotion in the arena.


    Primordial Seal of Life and Death is ranked third among the seven mysterious heavenly treasures. Birthed in the heart of the primordial universe, its existence is linked to the Primordial Universe itself, as long as the primordial universe keeps existing, the seal will also keep existing. In the whole primordial universe, it''s the only object that can grant eternal life, it''s coveted by every living thing.


    Just carrying the seal, your lifespan will never decrease, nor will you age. But it doesn''t make you immortal, as you can still be killed by external forces.


    "Hm? Seal of Life and Death?" Issei looked uninterested at the stone seal.


    "It''s nothing but an item that could barely keep someone immortal. The moment that old man let go of that seal then he would lose his life." Issei said plainly.


    "Who would''ve thought that you still have someone that truly cares for you?" Issei said towards Qianye Ying''er.


    "But sadly for you... I have no interest in that thing." Issei said with narrowed eyes.


    "Help me¡­ take revenge." Her voice was very soft, but the hatred contained within it was enough to cause the air around her to solidify.


    "And why would I help you?" Issei asked back.


    "If you help me... I''m willing to become your slave, your dog... for eternity!" Qianye Ying''er''s lips and the joints of her fingers were incomparably white, but her eyes stared straight at Issei and she did not look away even once.


    "Why do I even need you? There''s nothing in your possession that could interest me. To bargain with someone, you need something equal or greater as the price... Whereas you on the other hand... You have nothing that could interest me." Issei said blandly.


    "...Please... I''m begging you... Please at least... avenge my mother before you kill me..." Qianye Ying''er started to beg desperately.


    "..." Issei silently looks at her pleading expression.


    Qianye Fantian''s body started to shiver once again seeing their interaction.


    When Issei is about to say something, he sensed a familiar presence near his location.


    There''s a red summoning circle presenting themselves not far away from him...


    "What is that?" Jie Yuan said with a frown. She sensed a foreign aura coming from this ''profound formation''.


    "That''s..." Issei muttered in a daze.


    *CLANG!*


    A loud sound resounded after the summoning circle completed themselves.


    Two humanoid figure started to take shape right before their eyes...


    Once Issei saw these two figures, he muttered in disbelief: "...Grayfia, Venelana?"

 Chapter 141 - 140

    "Was it a success?" Venelana muttered unsurely.


    "This place is..." Grayfia who''s beside her started to survey her surroundings.


    They seem to be near an arena of some sort and there''s quite a lot of people surrounding them.


    "...Grayfia, Venelana?" Both of them heard the voice belonging to the man they have been searching for.


    Venelana and Grayfia''s gaze immediately turned towards the voice source and they saw Issei looking at them in a surprised expression.


    Even though his current situation is a little weird, him gripping an unknown woman by the neck, but that doesn''t matter right now.


    ""Issei-sama!"" Both of them shouted happily before they run to his side.


    "How did you two get here?" Issei asked in amazement. He unconsciously let go of his hold over Qianye Ying''er''s neck.


    The latter dropped to the ground while coughing violently.


    "That''s not important right now! Are you hurt anywhere, Issei-sama?" Grayfia started to thoroughly inspect Issei''s body while slightly blushing. Venelana soon joined him in their little "inspection".


    This is not the first time for Grayfia to touch his body but back then she was drunk and his last body figure is nowhere close to the current him...


    "...Wait, ''Issei-sama''?" Issei said. Then he finally notices their outfit which looks similar to your standard company maid dress.


    Ah... Now that he thinks about it, he remembered about Semiramis ''deal'' with them... Is the deal having them work for their company?


    "Ise!" Jasmine fumingly flew towards him before pointing her finger at the two newcomers: "Who are they?!" She''s acting exactly like a cat whose tail has been stepped on.


    "Oh? Well... They''re my acquaintances?" Issei replied unsurely.


    If he was still in a relationship with Rias then he could just say that they''re his sister-in-law and mother-in-law but now...


    "If they''re only your acquaintances then why are they t-touching your body all over!?" She pointed out once more.


    Only after Jasmine pointed that out Issei realized his current situation.


    "You two... I''m fine, so stop it already." Issei said while lightly slapping their hands off of him.


    Why do they even need to use their hands to see if he''s hurt or not? They''re magical beings so using their magic should be enough alright...


    Issei doesn''t have a single clue of Grayfia and Venelana''s true feelings since he obviously never thought of them that way. And he also thought that they don''t have feelings for him.


    Both of them already married and also have children of their own after all.


    He''s still not informed of Grayfia''s fake relationship with Sirzechs and he also didn''t know about Venelana''s marriage life.


    "Ah..." Both of them sighed in pity.


    "Since they''re obviously not speaking in our native language then it''s safe to assume that both of them are from your original world, Ise?" Jasmine said while she stationed herself beside him acting like his personal bodyguard...


    "Indeed." Issei nodded.


    "This girl is..." Venelana said while tilting her head: "Your new wife?"


    "?" Jasmine who can''t understand Venelana words obviously didn''t react to her words.


    "No, she''s not... She''s more like a little sister." Issei said with a twitch on his face.


    "Little sister?" Venelana and Grayfia look at Jasmine''s hostile gaze and then they look at each other.


    "That''s not a gaze what ''little sister'' should have though?" Venelana muttered in a low voice and Grayfia also nodded at her statement.


    "Setting that aside... How did you two arrive here again?" Issei asked once more.


    "Well..." Then Grayfia started her explanation...


    She doesn''t keep Rias''s group being a ''fuel'' secret either.


    They started their next experiment with the help of Princess Lala of Deviluke invention and one thing led to another, they manage to roughly locate his location.


    But since they''re still not sure whether it will be a success or not, they are debating who to use as a trial run.


    Okita Alter and the other heroic spirits who were present volunteered themselves but the same goes for Grayfia and Venelana.


    After a short discussion, Venelana and Grayfia are finally chosen... since they''re the weakest there making their odds of success bigger.


    "And you two okay with them being energy source like that?" Issei asked.


    "They''re the ones who volunteered themselves... As her mother, I wanted to object but Rias herself wanted to do it..." Venelana said with a sigh.


    "..." Issei frowned slightly at her words.


    It''s not that he couldn''t understand why Rias Gremory and the others are volunteered themselves like that... but the damage has already been done and things won''t go back like they used to anymore.


    Perhaps they could be friends sometime in the future but to ask him to accept them once again is impossible...


    Jasmine who''s beside Issei could sense the tense atmosphere surrounding him so she doesn''t try to butt into their conversation.


    After a while, Issei finally sighed to himself and he glanced at Qianye Ying''er who''s glaring at Qianye Fantian with a gaze filled with hatred.


    Qianye Fantian himself felt tense being glared like that by his own daughter but he couldn''t do anything as thing stands... Even though he doesn''t know the content of Issei''s conversation with these two newly arrived women, just like Jasmine, he could sense something off from his expression alone.


    "Ah, that''s right. We need to inform Semiramis-sama and the others of this success." Grayfia said in realization. She''s about to take the device given to them out but Issei stopped them shortly.


    "No. Don''t inform them." Issei shook his head at Grayfia.


    "What? Why?" Grayfia asked back in confusion.


    "I will return on my own soon enough," Issei said in dismissively.


    Even though Grayfia and Venelana felt a little suspicious at his words, they still obeyed his words.


    "...Who are they?" Chi Wuyao whispered towards Esdeath''s group who''s standing beside her.


    "Those two?" Esdeath then searched through her memories that have been imparted by Issei during her creation: "Those two are Devils."


    "Devils? The same as us?" Chi Wuyao asked once again.


    "No. They''re actual Devil. Unlike you who''s basically a human capable of using element, they''re actually a Devil in a literal sense." Esdeath repeated.


    "What?!" Not only Chi Wuyao, but even Jie Yuan is also shocked after hearing her words.


    They started to observe Venelana and Grayfia more intently than before trying to discern their true nature but to no avail...


    They can''t sense any profound energy coming from them...


    Jie Yuan is also a Devil but she''s a little different than Grayfia and Venelana.


    "As for their real identity then we don''t know. When Master created us, he didn''t fully impart his memories to us."


    "You''re created by him?" Jie Yuan shock goes deeper when she heard it.


    Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius nodded proudly at her question.


    If he could create a living being then... doesn''t that mean that he''s on par with the Ancestral Goddess?!


    Sure he could revive someone from the dead but reviving which is a miracle in and on itself, but creating a new living being is much harder than the former...


    "...Jasmine." Issei called out lightly.


    "Hm?" Jasmine replied softly.


    "..." Issei sent a voice transmission to her.


    Jasmine who heard the content of his message frowned while looking at Qianye Ying''er and Xing Juekong.


    "...Fine."


    Issei flashed a gentle smile before he gives her head a gentle pat.


    "...Annoying." She said in annoyance but she clearly doesn''t hate his touch.


    Grayfia and Venelana smiled wryly at this sight... Yup, that''s clearly not the face of a ''little sister'' should be making towards their ''elder brother''.


    Then the two of them spotted another group of women in the nearby distance that have envious expression...


    Wow... there''s so many of them... The two devil ladies thought amazingly to themselves.


    There''s like a hundred or so of them over there... And all of them are outstanding beauty as well!


    Grayfia inadvertently chuckled to herself thinking the old Issei whose dream was to become the Harem King... It looks like his dream has come true albeit the person himself seems a bit clueless about it.


    While on Venelana''s mind, that boy who used to become captivated at her sight is nowhere to be found... He has become a full pledge a.d.u.l.t now.


    Both of them then dreamily look at Issei...


    "Mu Xuanyin." Issei called out lightly.


    "Yes, young master?" Mu Xuanyin replied.


    "Bring Xing Juekong to the bottom of the Netherfrost lake and keep him imprisoned there. Make use of his divine energy as a supplement to the lake." Issei''s word immediately made the person in question face turns deadly white.


    Before he could utter another word, his body suddenly become encased in ice!


    "Consider this your punishment. I would''ve let Jasmine kill you if you''re not her father... No daughter or son in this world should stain their hands with their parent''s blood no matter how twisted they are."


    Xun''er who heard this smiled gently at Issei... She''s increasingly become thankful towards him.


    "Understood, young master." Mu Xuanyin nodded readily.


    Xing Juekong who used to be one of the Eastern Region''s four god emperors, a figure who reigned imperiously over the rest of the God Realm... has his fate sealed just like that...


    He has become a human ''battery'' for the ...


    The Star Gods and Guardians didn''t utter a single word as well since they know it will be a hopeless struggle... They can only look on in sadness...


    "As for you, Qianye Ying''er..." Issei said with narrowed eyes: "You said that you would do anything if you have your revenge, right?"


    "Yes!" She replied without a second thought: "If you let me have my revenge then even if you ask me to kill myself afterward, I will do it!" She said in a cold voice.


    Qianye Fantian who heard their little conversation shuddered fiercely.


    At first, he wanted to run away as well but a single glance from Issei erased that thought...


    His body froze before he smiles bitterly to himself after seeing his gaze... It looks like his fate has been decided...


    Now he understands that Issei has no intention of letting him go from the start...


    "...You have no intention of letting me go from the start, right?" Qianye Fantian said with a bitter smile.


    "Oh? How did you know? You''re not so stupid after all." Issei said mockingly.


    Qianye Fantian sighed yet again before he falls down to his seat feeling despair yet again. He has been treated like a fool after all this time: "Can you at least tell me why?" He asked.


    "Wood Spirit race. Does that ring any bell?"


    "Wood Spirit race?"


    Issei waved his hand to make another spatial screen.


    Inside that screen, there''s wood spirit race living their everyday life...


    They felt shocked seeing so many wood spirit races in one place like this.


    "I have taken them in as my servants... And as the price for that, they wanted me to take revenge for your betrayal in the past." Issei said calmly: "Does my answer satisfy you?"


    They never asked Issei to avenge them. They only wanted to live in peace... So Issei is currently lying right now.


    "...I see..." Qianye Fantian sighed yet again: "After you kill me... I hope that you can spare my kinsmen."


    (AN: I know the Brahma realm is not the real culprit behind the wood spirit race extermination. But you know the drill... read the warning in the previous chapter).


    "Don''t worry. I won''t kill those who are undeserving without reason."


    "Then... Thank you..."


    "Good. Then as the payment..." Issei changed his gaze back at Qianye Ying''er: "I will have your mother''s soul." Issei said while snapping his finger.


    "...Eh?" Qianye Ying''er let out a dumbfounded voice when she heard Issei''s words.


    As if on cue, right beside Issei, there''s a silhouette of a woman starting to take shape.


    When the figure finally finishes taking shape, a woman looks similar to Qianye Ying''er presented herself before them.


    "...Mo... ther?" Qianye Ying''er said in disbelief.


    Her mother smiled lovingly at her before she bowed deeply at Issei.


    In the next second, her mother''s soul becomes a small golden orb.


    "Mother!" Qianye Ying''er scrambled to her feet trying to grasp the orb in Issei''s hand.


    "Oh no, you don''t." Esdeath voice can be heard from behind her before the former pinned her to the ground sealing her movement.


    "I''ve received the payment. Now to seal the deal..." Issei said before he lightly waved his hand towards Qianye Fantian.


    Qianye Fantian didn''t try to resist and only closed his eyes... soon his body disappeared into nothingness...


    Nobody there could comprehend just what Issei did to him... Not even Jie Yuan herself...


    "Give my mother back!" Qianye Ying''er didn''t even react to her father''s death. She keeps struggling from Esdeath''s grasp and had her eyes set on the golden orb in Issei''s hand.


    "Hmm..." Issei hummed lightly at her before tossing the orb to Jasmine.


    "You take it from here." Issei patted Jasmine''s head once again.


    Jasmine took a step closed to Qianye Ying''er while looking down on her.


    "Now you will understand how it feels to lose somebody important to you... I might not be able to kill you myself but I can make you feel what I feel when I lose my brother!" Jasmine said coldly.


    "No! Heavenly Slaughter Star God, take me instead! Spare my mother! She got nothing to do with this!" Qianye Ying''er begged desperately.


    "Hmph!" Jasmine tightens her grasp on the orb until it becomes cracked.


    "NOOO! DON''T! PLEASE DON''T!" Qianye Ying''er screamed horrifiedly.


    The more she acts like this, the more pissed Jasmine becomes... Why... Why doesn''t she beg this desperately when her own life is on the line?!


    She''s not satisfied with this... she wanted to see her beg for her own life, not for others!


    *CRACK!!!*


    The orb finally broke into pieces...


    "NOOOOOOOO!!!" Qianye Ying''er screamed in a crazed manner. Her entire aura went berserk but it still couldn''t faze Esdeath in the slightest.


    "Hmph!" Jasmine scoffed at her.


    "I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL SURELY KILL YOU! HEAVENLY SLAUGHTER STAR GOD!!!" She screamed with a voice laced with bone-chilling hatred.


    "Now do you regret it?" Issei''s voice resounded at this moment.


    Qianye Ying''er body froze almost instantly when she heard his voice...


    Then she started to remember what he said back then...


    ''There are two types of pain you will go through in life... the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces, while regret weighs tons.'' She bit her own lips until blood started to flow from it...


    "You have nobody else but yourself to blame... When you did all those things to others, you should be prepared to have the same thing happen to you." Issei said.


    She regrets it! She really regrets it! If it wasn''t for her then her mother''s soul won''t be destroyed!


    She has never felt regret nor guilt whenever she sacrifices other people for her own sake but now she truly feels regret from the bottom of her heart!


    Gu Zhu went forward to support Qianye Ying''er and started consoling her but her emotions still couldn''t calm down despite everything...


    Issei then gazes at the other God Emperors who are present.


    They started to tremble fiercely whenever his gaze would land on them. It''s like they''re being watched by death itself!


    Most of them started to recall their past deeds thinking if they somehow have done something evil or not... It''s like they''re having a flashback of their past life...


    "Mm, it looks like we''re done here. Girls, let''s go back." Much to their relief, Issei soon loses interest with them.


    "Yes, young master." Chu Yuechan and the others said obediently before they flew to his side.


    And just like that, Issei created another spatial opening headed towards the without sparing anyone there another glance.


    The girls and those who are from the Northern Divine Region followed after him making the silent arena heaved a huge sigh of relief...


    ...


    After that incident, the whole God Realm is informed of Issei''s appearance...


    Even those who were still in the dark could sense that the atmosphere of the God Realm had changed slightly.


    Xia Qingyue returned not long after... She has met her mother and from the looks of it, they have talked things through...


    Issei didn''t really ask any question about their conversation but she requested Issei to spare Yue Wuya''s life...


    Even though the latter is a coward of a husband, he still deeply loves her mother and vice versa.


    Xia Qingyue knows that her mother would surely follow after Yue Wuya if he were to die.


    Since she might''ve done the same if Issei suddenly disappeared from her life...


    She could only felt pity for her father at this point hoping that he would move on soon.


    While Jasmine is willing to spare Yue Wuya''s life, he still needs to pay for kidnapping her mother.


    She didn''t ask for much... Only eighty-five percent of his treasury, that''s all.


    Yue Wuya felt like his heart is bleeding seeing most of his treasury went into smoke but at the very least he gets to keep his life...


    The sect disciples had all realized that the three words "Snow Song Realm" had been mentioned with much greater frequency than before.


    Since half a month ago, there would be many profound warsh.i.p.s arriving at the Snow Song Realm every day. Each of these profound warsh.i.p.s was famous and well-known and they each belonged to an upper star realm king''s sect.


    In the past, one might not even see a profound warship of this level in a few thousand years, but over the last few days, they had arrived in bunches. And every single one of the people who walked out of these profound warsh.i.p.s was higher realm kings who could make the entire Snow Song Realm kneel for them in welcome. But when they arrived, each of them was warm and extremely respectful and also cautious. All of their profound warsh.i.p.s were even fully packed with expensive gifts.


    It was as if they were visiting an exalted king Realm!


    Again and again, one wave after the other¡­ They keep arriving like an endless wave of the ocean.


    And it''s not limited to Eastern Divine Region either...


    Whilst the Northern Divine Region basically assimilated themselves within the surroundings making the latter look more imposing than ever...


    Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall.


    "There will be thirty-seven upper star realms that will be visiting tomorrow. Also, we received an extreme amount of invitation letters today, more than a hundred thousand."


    Mu Bingyun gave Mu Xuanyin an account.


    "Why are there so many?" Mu Xuanyin said as she gave a small frown but soon she waved her hand: "Nevermind... I already know the answer..." She said with a tired sigh.


    "Um... There are already more than a hundred higher realm kings that are seriously proposing a marriage alliance. All of them are daughters of reputable realm kings, all perfect in terms of figure and appearance, and they even clearly stated that they are willing to be his concubines..." Mu Bingyun said with a wry smile.


    "Reject them all and never mention this again!" Mu Xuanyin suddenly interjected and her tone turned cold.


    Over the last three days, the amount of female cultivators that are visiting their realm is extremely numerous... It''s like they''re a swarm of moth attracted to a flame... No, a sun!


    Even now most of them are still lingering outside the as they speak!


    Those who are from the Northern Divine Region who act as their realm bodyguards also couldn''t do anything about them since they didn''t really break any rules or try to trespass their realm.


    Droves of top tier profound practitioners were piling on top of the Snow Song Realm like flies. Higher Realm Kings almost never showed themselves to the realms beneath them, so some might consider it the blessing of a lifetime to be able to catch a glimpse of them. Today though, these Higher Realm Kings were all gathered outside the like cheap cabbages ready to sell themselves for nothing.


    This unprecedented atmosphere and commotion had also caused every member of the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect, from the lowliest disciple to the highest palace masters and elders, to fall into stunned silence. These days, everyone was so tense that they were even watching every step they took, and every word they spoke.


    In less than a day''s time, nearly half of every upper star realm in the Eastern Divine Region had rushed to the Snow Song Realm. Even the representatives from the incredibly distant southern star realms were probably rushing their way over right now.


    "The Snow Song Realm was originally a peaceful and extremely cold place, it has never been so rowdy in any era before. It would not be so even if it were to be conferred as a king realm." Mu Bingyun said with a sigh.


    "Hehehe, as to be expected of young master''s charm." Chi Wuyao''s seductive voice can be heard near them.


    They didn''t feel alarmed at her sudden arrival.


    Mu Bingyun now knows that her big sister had a little deal with Chi Wuyao in the past. She honestly didn''t know how to feel about this since Chi Wuyao is basically her ''sister'' considering how long she has been ''sharing'' bodies with Mu Xuanyin.


    Mu Xuanyin''s memories have been restored as well. At the same time, she lost her seductive ''persona'' she often shown... but she started taking ''lesson'' from Chi Wuyao about it much to Mu Bingyun''s amazement...


    "Hmph! Even if another king realm was birthed, it would only fill them with reverence and respect. But he and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor are able to decide their fates with a single word or action. They thought that our realm is extremely close to him since he''s staying here right now. So to make him have a good opinion of them, they will naturally start with us from the Snow Song Realm." Mu Xuanyin''s tone was indifferent.


    Even after countless upper star realms tried to curry favor with her and fawn over her in the span of a single day, she did not seem to be excited or proud, "It''s only natural for them to do so."


    Mu Xuanyin was right. Even hundreds or thousands of king realms could not compare to the threat brought about by Issei and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, let alone a single king realm...


    The sight of them easily killing those God Emperors are still fresh in their mind.


    It''s like they''re killing ants rather than killing God Emperors!


    The Snow Song Realm would''ve done the same if they weren''t affiliated with them both...


    Not a single person in the God Realm doesn''t fear them at this point... but what''s more frustrating is those women who keep asking to be his concubines!


    While his might is spread around, the same goes for his otherworldly appearance! Many men howl in jealousy while the women are being a bother to them until this day!


    This annoys Mu Xuanyin and the others a lot...


    "So what is he doing now?" Mu Xuanyin asked Chi Wuyao who just arrived.


    "Well, he''s still having a conversation with that two servants of his... It seems that he''s planning to go back to his world soon..." Chi Wuyao said with a sigh.


    "He''s going to go back?" Mu Xuanyin and Mu Bingyun frowned at this.


    Both of them felt a sense of loss in their heart...


    "It seems so... The Heavenly Slaughter Star God is having a tantrum when she heard this saying that he must take her with him." Chi Wuyao said with a smirk.


    "That brat is pushing her luck!" Mu Xuanyin said with a frown.


    "Hehehe, just admit that you''re feeling jealous of her." Chi Wuyao giggled at the displeased Mu Xuanyin.


    "..." Mu Xuanyin didn''t retort to her words.


    "Say¡­ do you think he will become the master of the Primal Chaos instead of going back?" Mu Bingyun asked hopefully.


    "No... From what I know, he''s already the king of his original world. There''s really nothing that could keep him staying here... And mistress Esdeath also said that he has a wife back home." Chi Wuyao replied.


    The three of them then sighed once again...


    "Wait... He already has a wife?" Mu Xuanyin repeated.


    "Yes, that''s what I heard."


    "Then... why does he still have his vital yang?"


    "Hmm, I don''t know... Probably because they still haven''t consummated their marriage yet?"


    They started speculating between themselves just why Issei still has his vital yang despite already having a wife...


    ...


    "Is there anything worth mentioning back there? How about Semi and the others? Are they fine?"


    "Issei-sama... We''ve already told you before that they''re completely fine..." Grayfia said with a wry smile seeing the anxious look on Issei''s face.


    "...Oh." Issei scratched his cheek.


    This is not the first time that he asked this question of his.


    He only needed to finish some business he has here and he will go back to his beloved wives'' side.


    He manipulated the time difference in this world to the to stop Semiramis and the others sending another person here.


    At most he will only stay here for another week then he will go back.


    "Sorry about that... It''s just that I''m feeling a little anxious since I haven''t seen them in a while." Issei said with a sigh.


    "We understand." The two of them nodded with a smile.


    Seeing him being so anxious over his wives'' condition really warms up their heart.


    Issei then sits down on his chair while he started to recall what he needs to do...


    He needs to find He Lin''s big sister and also finding the Azure Primordial Dragon daughter.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    There''s a knocking sound coming from outside his room.


    "Young Master, it''s me." Chu Yuechan''s voice resounded from outside.


    "Um. Come in." Issei replied.


    "Young Master... The Primordial Azure Dragon has awoken." Chu Yuechan said softly after she entered his room.


    "Oh?" Issei raised his eyebrows at this.


    "Greetings, Dragon King." The Azure Dragon voice rang beside Chu Yuechan.


    There''s a miniature version of him floating around her.


    "You''re finally awake?" Issei said simply.


    "Yes." He nodded.


    "Why are you here? If you''re worried about your daughter then don''t worry. I will find her soon enough." Issei said.


    "No... That''s not it." The Azure Dragon shook his head.


    "Hm? Then what is it?"


    "...I heard that you will be going back soon?"


    "Indeed."


    Issei nodded at his question.


    The Azure Dragon scratch his head while he started contemplating to himself.


    "The thing is... You have already ''found'' my daughter even though you''re unaware of it." He finally said.


    "?" Issei is visibly confused at this: "I don''t think I ever meet another Dragon that has similar aura as yours though?"


    "Well... How should I say this... Remember when I called you my ''son-in-law''?" The Azure Dragon meekly asked.


    "So what?"


    "Well..."


    "Just speak. Stop beating around the bush and say what you want to say already." Issei said annoyedly.


    "Alright..." He took a deep breath before continues speaking: "You have already mated with my daughter. That''s why I can tell that you''ve already ''found'' her." The Azure Dragon said while gulping audibly.


    "???" Issei expression froze while confusion started to take over him.


    Chu Yuechan is also surprised at this. Grayfia and Venelana exchanged a look between each other at this.


    ''Uh oh... Forzelotte-sama won''t be happy about this...'' They thought to themselves.


    "What the hell are you talking about? I never meet your daughter and there''s no way I would sleep with any woman that I come across just like that." Issei said with a scoff.


    Chu Yuechan nodded at this since it is true.


    Their young master never looks at them in a l.u.s.tful way which frustrates them a bit. If only he''s a little bit lecherous then they would be...


    Chu Yuechan inadvertently blushed when she thought till here...


    "No well... that''s... I can sense her vital yin within your body so..." The Azure Dragon fumbled through his words.


    Damn... If his ''son-in-law'' is a pervert then it would be easy to handle this but he''s not! This is something he realizes after staying around him for a while...


    Even though he''s asleep, he could still sense everything near him so he knows the way Issei thinks to a certain amount.


    Gulp... What to do now... Will he be pissed when he finds out that his daughter basically mated with him unknowingly?


    "..." Issei started to inspect his body more thoroughly... Well, his vital yang to be exact.


    He sensed Ramius''s aura first since she''s basically the first girl he slept with... Then it''s Riche, Gurigura, Tio, Kathryn and so on...


    Much to his shock, there''s a foreign vital Yin within his body! And this vital yin is before Nyarlathotep who''s supposed to be the only woman he slept with during his stay in this world!


    *ZZTTT!*


    Issei''s aura spiked tremendously when he realizes this.


    [Nyarlathotep!] Issei called out.


    [Mm? Yes, dear husband?] She replied with a grin.


    [Did you know about this?] Issei asked.


    [Well... Kind of?] She answered playfully.


    [Why didn''t you stop her? And why didn''t you tell me?] Issei frowned.


    [For one, at that time I was a little weak after dealing with those ants who wanted to harm you and secondly... because I think it will be fun! Hehehehe] She laughed amusingly.


    "D-Dragon King, calm your anger!" The Azure Dragon said while sweating.


    "Shut up!" Issei growled at him: "I will deal with you later!"


    The Azure Dragon shuddered fiercely seeing the furious look on Issei''s face.


    Well, f.u.c.k... Looks like his fear has proven to be true... He''s furious! Daughter oh daughter... What have you done...


    He forgot that he''s also the same person who complimented his daughter''s action but now he''s also the one who condemns her about it...


    "I-Issei-sama?/Young Master?" The three ladies worriedly asked seeing his serious expression and energy outburst.


    Jie Yuan and the others also descend from the Ark floating above his residence.


    "What''s wrong?" She asked but then he notices the abnormality of Issei who has his eyes turning into a slit.


    "Ise?" Jasmine asked worriedly along with Xun''er. Caizhi is standing not far behind them feeling worried as well.


    Issei didn''t reply to their words before he immediately took off to the sky blasting through the roof above him...


    The whole is alerted by his sudden outburst.


    "What was that?!" Mu Xuanyin rose to her feet after sensing the commotion.


    "It''s... Young Master''s energy." Chi Wuyao said direly.


    "Did somebody offend him?" Mu Bingyun said next.


    *BOOOOMMM!!!*


    Not only the but the whole God Realm shook because of the current aura he is emitting... and that''s because he has transformed into his Dragon form.


    !


    A huge vortex of crimson energy is swirling above the sect.


    Issei''s dragon form presented itself for the first time in this world... His Dragon form still looks similar from before but this time there''s another set of wings emerging on his back.


    There are now three sets of wings on his back instead of only two sets of them...


    His size is not as big as the other Dragons they saw but the sheer aura he''s emitting is far above them... It''s like comparing an ant to a mountain!


    "Is that..." Mu Xuanyin said shockingly.


    "Um... Its most likely young master in his Dragon form..." Chi Wuyao nodded gravely.


    Everyone surrounding the started to shiver uncontrollably after they witnessed a huge crimson Dragon appearing out of nowhere.


    The Realm Kings who didn''t know anything started to retreat with everything they have.


    "Why did he suddenly transform into a Dragon?" Mu Bingyun asked: "And this aura... is so overwhelming!"


    *ROARRRRR!!!*


    Issei roared to the sky.


    The next second, a huge amount of life force started to close in his direction.


    When those auras arrived, they are apparently Dragon swarm! A huge swarm of Dragons!


    Chi Wuyao''s subordinates don''t have the time to stop them and them being frozen in place because of the aura Issei is currently emitting is not helping either.


    They can only relay their message to Chi Wuyao.


    She ordered them to stand down since those Dragons are clearly coming here because of their young master summoning them.


    *ROARRR!*


    Issei roared once again and those Dragons soar into the sky along with him.


    "Now is not the time to think! Go after him and see if he needed our help!" Mu Xuanyin said before she flew off into the distance.


    The moment Issei transforms into his Dragon form, almost every light in the world is being absorbed into his being. The world before them suddenly fell into darkness, and they saw a countless swarm of Dragons who usually hid from the world swarming behind him...


    Laws were crumbling, and the entire Primal Chaos was shaking like an earthquake because of one flap of his majestic wings.


    It was as if a calamity, nothing they had ever seen was devouring the entire Eastern Divine Region¡­ and even the entire world.


    "What¡­ is¡­ that¡­" A God Emperor said in terror.


    An indescribable chill gripped their bodies in a death grip. They shivered like never before...


    "The crimson calamity..." Bing''er muttered in shock from within the Ark.


    "We need to follow Master now! We can''t let him lose control of himself!" Lieyan said in a grave voice.


    "Agreed." Xiaotao nodded in agreement.


    ...


    A soft and faint sound echoed through the flower valley within the Forbidden Land of Samsara before very quickly fading into silence. This was because every single plant and flower in this place was exceptionally familiar with the guest who had just arrived.


    This is the place where Issei arrived first when he entered the Primal Chaos world.


    And this is also where the woman who took advantage of him resides...


    After receiving Issei''s "Vital Yang", she seems to become more beautiful than ever.


    She''s now on par with Nyarlathotep''s herself in terms of beauty...


    Her eyes seemed to hold an entire limpid blue lake, yet at the same time, they seemed to be bottomless holes which would swallow up anything or anyone. But these were abysses that anyone would step into gladly, even if they had to stay there forever.


    The woman''s name is Shen Xi, none other the Dragon Queen who''s supposed to be the Dragon Monarch wife. But it is only in name while in reality, they''re not husband and wife...


    She somehow survived the Myriad Tribulations and has since lived in the Forbidden Land of Samsara and is trapped there for unknown reasons. She cannot leave for too much time, otherwise, she would disappear. Shen Xi cultivates every day to break off her fetters.


    She has left the forbidden land a few times but never outside of the Dragon God Realm.


    One of these times she helped saved the current Dragon Monarch who fell in love with her. She did not accept him but he still gave her the title ''Dragon Queen'' so that nobody else would bother her within the forbidden land.


    "I miss father..." A crisp but sad voice resounded.


    "Be patient... We will meet your father soon enough..." Shen Xi consoled the child in her w.o.m.b in a doting voice.


    There''s now a visible baby bump on her body since the time of her daughter''s birth is close...


    A gentle breeze blew by and a dreamy white light once more shrouded Shen Xi''s body not letting anyone catch a glimpse of her appearance.


    Very soon after that, the Dragon Monarch descended from the sky and stood in front of Shen Xi, the faint smile that he would only display in this place is not present but instead, he has a solemn expression.


    As she swept her gaze across his face, Shen Xi spoke in slow and measured tones, "You have the dust of travel on you, so you should have made the long trip back from the Eastern Divine Region. It looks like something big has happened again."


    "Something big did indeed happen," the Dragon Monarch nodded his head as he solemnly replied: "Three days ago, the prophecy has arrived just as you expected... but... I also meet someone who''s supposedly from the Dragon clan that possesses immense power that could rival the ''calamity'' itself."


    He recalled Issei''s strength and couldn''t help sighed bitterly to himself. With that kind of power... What else does he need to fear? And the humiliation he received that day is still fresh...


    To think that he, the exalted Dragon Monarch would be humiliated like that and he doesn''t have the courage to retort his words back then...


    "...!" Shen Xi instantly glanced to the side and underneath that white light, a deep astonishment had clearly flashed through those beautiful eyes.


    He''s here... She thought to herself.


    That man she took advantage of has arrived in the God Realm...


    "...Oh?" She feigned ignorance: "Did you talk with him? Or do you know of his real identity?"


    Shen Xi last question is a given since she could easily sense Issei''s overwhelming Draconic aura back then which makes her submit instantly.


    But seeing the Dragon Monarch''s expression, he seems clueless about it... weird...


    "Sadly, no..." The Dragon Monarch shook his head: "All I know is that he came from the ."


    "I see..." Shen Xi started to discover the answer to her question just now.


    It appears that he somehow hid his identity or the reaction the Dragon Monarch would display and the news he carries with him would be completely different.


    While the Dragon Monarch carries the ''Monarch'' title... That man is their race true King. True Dragon God King!


    "He has cemented himself as the ruler of the Eastern... no, the entire God Realm from what I''ve gathered so far." He said woefully.


    "Will you give away your authority to him?" Shen Xi asked calmly.


    "..." The Dragon Monarch went silent before answering: "Do I even have a choice if he wishes to take over the God Realm? He''s far more powerful than the ''calamity'' itself..."


    He has a pained expression on his face when he said this.


    Then he looked at Shen Xi and said with an incomparably solemn voice, "Don''t worry, no matter what happens in the future, even if he wanted to take over the Western Divine Region, I will definitely not allow anything to affect the peace and tranquility of this place."


    Shen Xi did not respond to those words. Instead, she gently replied, "If he wanted to take over the Western Divine Region, then give it to him willingly. Don''t ever try to go against him no matter what."


    "...I understand." The Dragon Monarch nodded his head unwillingly. Even though he was the emperor of the Dragon Gods and the supreme ruler of the Primal Chaos a few days ago... but now he''s about to lose all his prestige...


    He''s unwilling to give it away to some man he only recently met just like that...


    He turned around and prepared to leave¡­ But just as his profound energy faintly circulated and he was about to take to the skies, his dragon eyes suddenly focused and he abruptly twirled around and roared, "Who''s there!!?"


    The Dragon Monarch growled and enveloped the entire Forbidden Land of Samsara with his impossibly vast consciousness instantly. At that moment, the wind had stopped moving, space had frozen in place, the plants had stopped swaying, and even the birds, the insects, and the dust had stopped flying in the air.


    "..." Shen Xi lowered her gaze and muttered "disobedient child" in her mind, but she couldn''t really bring herself to scold her own daughter. She sighed, "There is no one else here."


    Her little daughter, Shirayukihime, just unintentionally leaked her aura when she heard that her father is coming.


    "No, there is someone else here." Dragon Monarch frowned, "Who is this!? How dare you intrude the Forbidden Land of Samsara!? This crime alone deserves nine familial exterminations!"


    "You don''t have to search any longer," Shen Xi said slowly, "There is no one in the Forbidden Land of Samsara. What you''ve detected is the child in my stomach."


    The Dragon Monarch was a formidable person. Any time he was at the Forbidden Land of Samsara, he was at his most relaxed and defenseless state. He normally didn''t release his consciousness here without a good reason either. On the other hand, if he were to release his consciousness at full force, it meant that there was nothing that could hide from his spiritual perception. That was why Shen Xi hadn''t tried to hide the truth from him any longer.


    "..." The Dragon Monarch felt like someone had swung a million-tonne hammer at his head. There was a buzz in his head, and for the first time, he was one hundred percent certain that he had misheard something, "What¡­ did you just say?"


    "The presence you sensed is the child in my stomach," Shen Xi repeated calmly before shooting him a glance. She said slowly, "With your abilities, you should''ve noticed since the very beginning. Why are you disbelieving yourself?"


    "..."


    The Dragon Monarch wasn''t moving at all, but his pupils were expanding and contracting like a pair of balloons that were being inflated and released repeatedly.


    His reaction caused Shen Xi to wrinkle her eyebrows and shake her head in disappointment,


    "Dragon Monarch, I have told you many times that you cannot lose yourself no matter the circ.u.mstances, place, or time. You cannot forget that you are the ''Dragon Monarch''. Even if that personage were to take your place, you still need to keep your calm."


    "..." The Dragon Monarch was still unmoving. He looked like someone had stolen his very soul. Shen Xi''s words might have pulled him back to earth a little, but his pupils were still overflowing with mania. No one would''ve believed that a pair of eyes like this would ever appear on the Dragon Monarch''s person. He took a shaky step forward and asked, "Who¡­ who was it!? Whose child¡­ is it!?"


    His voice sounded like someone was rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together. Every word he uttered was followed by a deep crack beneath his feet.


    "..." Shen Xi sighed quietly but didn''t say anything. This was exactly why she hadn''t wanted Dragon Monarch to know about this¡­ and thus far his reactions had been worse than what she had imagined.


    I suppose I brought this upon myself¡­ She shook her head in secret.


    The Dragon Monarch felt like the very sky was crumbling inside his head, but he hadn''t lost the most basic level of his reason. Shen Xi was an incredibly apathetic person, and she had never been willing to be the first to initiate contact. Not even he had ever stayed long in the Forbidden Land of the Samsara.


    And as far as he knows, there is no other man than him that have entered this place. So just who was it in the end?!


    No matter how hard he tries to come up with the answer, he still couldn''t find it!


    She was Shen Xi. She was the one and only goddess in the world, the Dragon God Race''s eternal benefactor, the supreme being that not even god emperors dared dream to meet, and the woman that even he, the Dragon Monarch didn''t deserve to touch!


    But she suddenly got pregnant out of nowhere?!


    His gaze faltered completely as countless blood vessels burst across his eyes. His normally ancient and dignified face became as distorted as a wraith''s in an instant, "Im¡­ impossible¡­ it can''t be true¡­ how can this be¡­ how can this possibly be¡­"


    "Dragon Monarch!" Shen Xi finally wrinkled her eyebrows again, "You''ve forgotten yourself."


    In the past, Shen Xi''s quiet scolding would immediately inspire a semblance of self-control in him, but this time the Dragon Monarch only grew more and more deranged, "It''s fake¡­ it''s all fake, how can you... how can you suddenly got pregnant?!"


    "Long Bai!" Shen Xi''s disappointment was growing greater and greater. The fact that she had addressed him by his name, an extremely rare occurrence, was proof of her disappointment, "Is this how the ''Dragon Monarch'' appears? Is this where you''ve arrived after three hundred thousand years of cultivation?"


    "Listen to me carefully," Shen Xi''s voice was still gentle, but it was also colored with deep indifference, "I am Shen Xi. I am the one who will decide what I wish to do, where I want to go, who I will give my body to, and whose child I will give birth to! It has nothing to do with anyone else, and it definitely has nothing to do with you!"


    The Dragon Monarch froze after hearing this.


    "A hundred millennia ago, two hundred millennia ago, three hundred millennia ago¡­ Since the first year, you''d felt something that will never come true, I''d already told you to sever your delusion for me for eternity! In my eyes, you are just another junior I must watch over just like any other child of the Dragon God¡­ I know that you weren''t willing to severe that delusion of yours, and it is the main reason why I hadn''t been willing to tell you the truth, but I would never imagine that you would lose yourself this much!"


    "Remember this, even though you''re the ''Dragon Monarch'', there''s still someone far greater than you or myself! But that doesn''t mean you should lose control of yourself like this!"


    Shen Xi paused for a moment before sighing, "I suppose this isn''t a bad outcome either. With this revelation, you''ll be able to sever your delusion completely, seek out your true Dragon Queen and continue the Dragon God''s bloodline."


    "No¡­ no, no¡­" But Shen Xi''s words didn''t clear the Dragon Monarch''s head. On the contrary, the blood vessels in his eyes were growing by the second, and his aura was growing more and more chaotic, "Delusion, you say¡­ I lost my delusion a long time ago¡­ it is because I don''t deserve you¡­ I still don''t deserve you even after I''ve become the Dragon Monarch¡­ just the fact that I was able to stay near to you and listen to your voice is a gift from the heavens to me alone¡­"


    Shen Xi, "..."


    "I''d never hoped¡­ I''d never even dared to hope to touch a corner of your clothes¡­ it is because I don''t deserve to¡­ and the same goes for everyone else in the world as well!" The Dragon Monarch''s voice devolved from trembling to completely hoarse, "But¡­ how¡­ how¡­ how¡­ no¡­ it''s all fake¡­ it''s all fake!!"


    No one could''ve imagined that the Dragon Monarch would lose himself to such a state.


    What he said was the truth. He had never dared to have any delusions regarding Shen Xi. Even after he had become the Dragon Monarch, Shen Xi was still someone he could only look up to in his dreams. He had known Shen Xi for three hundred millennia, and he had been the Dragon Monarch for over two hundred. That was also how long their titles, "Dragon Monarch" and "Dragon Queen" had existed¡­ but he had never touched her hair or a corner of her clothes even once throughout this time.


    It was because he was infinitely satisfied with just being the only person in the world who could enter the Forbidden Land of Samsara and speak with her.


    He had never dreamed of winning Shen Xi''s heart¡­ and he was aware that Shen Xi would never fall in love with him, much less anyone else.


    But why...


    Why had she¡­


    How come she suddenly got pregnant out of nowhere?!


    "Just who is it!!?" He screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Shen Xi turned her back towards the Dragon Monarch and said indifferently, "I told you before that I am the one who will decide what I wish to do. It has nothing to do with you. What happened between me and this child''s father is a product of my own choice... In fact, you could say that I''ve wronged this child''s father and I will atone for my sin..." She added the last part so that only she could hear it.


    "As for the father of this child identity... it is none other than the personage you''ve met a few days ago. He''s none other than the person who manages to stop the ''calamity''."


    "No¡­ You''re lying¡­" The Dragon Monarch stumbled and actually came close to collapsing to his knees, he completely denies her words, unwilling to believe a single word that she said: "You are¡­ the Dragon Queen¡­ You are my Dragon Queen! The entire Western Divine Region, the entire world knows that you are my Dragon Queen!!"


    Shen Xi closed her eyes slightly. The fact that the Dragon Monarch would say this proved that he had completely lost his mind. She shook her head and replied softly and disappointedly, "Have you forgotten how the title ''Dragon Queen'' came to be? The reason I didn''t reject your suggestion back then was because I wanted to be free of all worldly matters. More importantly, the title is completely meaningless to me¡­ You should know this better than anyone. Why must you lie to yourself and others?"


    That being said, if she had known that someone like Issei would arrive in this world, she might have made a different choice.


    The Dragon Monarch did know better than anyone how the title "Dragon Queen" had come to be. He was only more aware that the title, literally the greatest title any woman could ever hope to have in this world, was completely meaningless to Shen Xi. The only reason she hadn''t rejected it was because it would prevent everyone from disturbing her life in the Forbidden Land of Samsara.


    However, meaningless to Shen Xi it might be, it was something that meant so much to the Dragon Monarch that he had done his utmost to spread the news across the entire Western Divine Region, and then to the entire God Realm. He had wanted the entire world to know that Shen Xi was his Dragon Queen¡­ Even though he knew that it was an impossible dream. He might not have held any delusions towards Shen Xi from the beginning, but he had hungrily lapped up this tiny favor, this tiny permission Shen Xi had given him and weaved himself a petty, lowly dream.


    But even that dream was about to end.


    It had been three hundred millennia since the day Shen Xi had rescued him from the brink of death¡­ He wasn''t even sure who to blame for this three hundred millennia-long obsession that simply refused to die... whether to blame himself, the heavens, or someone else, he doesn''t know...


    "I don''t wish to talk about this any longer." Shen Xi closed her eyes and spoke quietly, "You will not head to the Eastern Divine Region or come here for the next period of time to come. Meditation is the thing you need the most right now, and this may just be the opportunity you need."


    "If I was able to know that someone like ''him'' would appear in this world, I wouldn''t have agreed to accept the title ''Dragon Queen''. In the near future I will be leaving Dragon God Realm to dedicate myself to ''him'' and only ''him''.... and I''m aware that it may damage your reputation when the time arrives. I promise to repay the Dragon God Race several times over to make up for it."


    She had never been one to owe others anything. Just like how she took advantage of Issei in his defenseless state, she will repay him with everything she has.


    The Dragon Monarch''s pupils were still shrunken, and his lips were still shaking uncontrollably. Shen Xi''s back was clearly one of abject disappointment¡­ a disappointment that was reserved for a junior and a junior only. No words had been able to escape his lips since.


    Even if the baby in her stomach didn''t exist, he wouldn''t have won even a loving glance from Shen Xi until the day he died. He knew that.


    But the only reason he had never had any delusions was because he was certain that no one in the world was deserving of her.


    Jealousy-induced hatred was a snake that could devour the most resilient reason, willpower, pride, or even goodwill.


    It was because it was the scariest devil in the entire world, especially this one¡­ since it was born out of three hundred millennia of obsession.


    The Dragon Monarch finally started walking, but he didn''t take off into the sky. The earth trembled beneath his feet with every step he took¡­ It was without a doubt the heaviest series of footsteps the Dragon Monarch had ever taken in his life.


    The Dragon Monarch was the supreme ruler of Primal Chaos, so his willpower and mental strength were without a doubt the strongest in the entire world. But right now, a devil was struggling, rampaging, roaring, and howling inside his heart and soul, all the while devouring every last bit of willpower he had¡­


    In the end, even his eyes were reflecting a pair of devils¡­ until his reason was completely gone.


    Suddenly, he turned around and let out a twisted, despairing roar throughout the Forbidden Land of Samsara¡­ He extended his palm wanting to land a hit on her stomach.


    But before he could muster the strength to do so, a loud roar that could pierce the heaven itself could be heard across the whole Primal Chaos.


    *ROOARRRR!!!*


    Not only him, but even Shen Xi is also frozen in place. The two of them are frozen solid, unable to move.


    All this happened only because of that single roar...


    "Mother! Mother! That''s father''s voice!" Shirayuki giddy voice could be heard in the still world.


    Even when Shen Xi heard her daughter''s voice, she''s still unable to move a single muscle... soon sweat started to cover her face and back...


    That''s... That''s his voice... He''s furious...


    Dragon Monarch''s body is rooted in place... Even his pose still hasn''t crumbled...


    A few breaths later, they heard a countless roar belonging to Dragons nearing their place.


    The animals and spirits that are residing the land are letting out a sound of their own...


    The clearest of them all is the surrounding animals near Shen Xi and Long Bai.


    And that serves as a signal... A signal for the arrival of the True King.


    Soon the space above them started to twist on their own...


    *ZZZTTTTT!* *CRACK!* *RIPPP!* *ROAR!* *ROAR!*


    A swarm of Dragon started to pour out from the broken spatial rift.


    Ten... Hundreds... Thousands... Millions...


    They immediately surrounded Shen Xi and Long Bai.


    But the position they take is a submissive position.


    And then they heard a growl that made their blood froze.


    It''s as if the Heaven themselves has fallen along with that one growl... Their body started to shook uncontrollably.


    Long Bai wanted to take back his extended hand but he couldn''t! He couldn''t move a single muscle!


    *WHOOSH!* *BOOMMMM!!!*


    A loud crashing sound resounded, the ground beneath them quakes greatly until there was a crack that spread across the whole land...


    Then they saw a giant shadow looming over them from behind.


    They wanted to turn their body but they couldn''t!


    Issei has arrived... And he''s standing right behind them while looking down at them from above.


    He narrowed his eyes at the owner of the aura within his ''Vital Yang''.


    [You...] A single word leaked out from Issei. But that one word almost made the two of them pass out from the sheer pressure alone...


    "Father! Father!" Shirayuki''s giddy voice could be heard once again when they thought that their end is here.


    The whole world is still frozen but... the overwhelming aura that was enveloping them suddenly disappear into nothingness... as if it was never there in the first place.


    [...Little Princess?] Issei muttered in a low voice. His furious gaze softened by quite a bit when he heard this bubbly voice belonging to his little princess he just recently met...


    But then he notices the Dragon Monarch pose whose hand is currently aiming at Shen Xi''s stomach from behind.


    His eyes immediately widened slightly while a massive killing intent starts to ooze out from his whole being.


    The surrounding Dragons started shivering on their spot when they sensed their king''s current aura which is nothing like before.


    [Hey... What do you want to do just now... What''s up with your current pose? Why is your hand extended that way?] Issei''s voice is terrifyingly calm... but the Dragon Monarch suddenly couldn''t breathe...


    Now he truly believes it! He believes that the father of the child in Shen Xi''s belly is this person!


    Issei could still sense the lingering energy that''s filled with killing intent on the Dragon Monarch''s hand so there''s no way he mistook the latter''s intention.


    Issei extended one of his index claw and lightly tapped the extended Dragon Monarch''s hand with it.


    *PSSTTTTT!*


    The Dragon Monarch''s hand evaporated just like that not leaving a single drop of blood behind...


    [Tell me... Did you want to harm my little princess just now?] Issei asked once again.


    The more he speaks the more terrifying his killing intent is... It''s like it has taken shape and started to strangle the Dragon Monarch.


    The surrounding Dragons basically buried their heads into the ground at this point not daring to look directly at their King who''s in a maddening rage.


    Those who are outside look up to the sky only to see red miasma started to cover the whole sky not letting a single ray of light penetrating through it.


    The menacing air and stifling atmosphere provided the perfect abode for those who worshipped the darkness rather than the light... but even they who worship the darkness are feeling fear instead of joy.


    -Back in the Ark-


    "Oww..." Nyaruko''s whole body started to emit pitch-black darkness miasma...


    Hong''er and Bai''er also went into a daze while their expression soon warped into a scowl.


    The three of them could feel the anger of their Father/Big brother...


    "Hong''er, Bai''er?" Jie Yuan who just returned to the Ark notices her daughters'' abnormality.


    "Father is angry... Nyaruko will punish those who make father angry..." Nyaruko mutter could be heard.


    "Heeheeheeheeheehee¡­"


    "Uuuuuuuu¡­ Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­"


    "Hic, hic¡­ Hic, hic, hic, hic¡­ Huhuhu¡­ Huhuhahahahahaha¡­"


    Amidst this nightmarish world, a terrifying voice suddenly started ringing out in the air. This sound was very soft and very sharp. At times it was laughing and at times it was crying. This crying laughter, when one first listened to it, it sounded like the voice of an infant, yet it was also extremely eerie and terrifying, causing everyone''s bodies to go cold as if they had been plunged into an abyss of icy hell.


    They involuntarily raised their heads¡­ The red clouds above had blocked out the sun and they produced a scene that looked like the apocalypse was about to happen. But as those clouds tossed and turned, they actually started forming a dark and gloomy face¡­ That was the face of an infant, yet those eyes were even more sinister than that of a devil as it let out laughs and cries that were even darker and eerier than the cries of a malicious spirit¡­


    Outside the Ark, the calamitous storms that had been generated due to Issei''s flaring aura had greatly shocked everyone. But before they could recover their shock, they jerked their heads towards the sky...


    "Hic, hic, hic¡­"


    "Huhuhuhu¡­ Uuuuuuu¡­ Yehahahahaha¡­."


    The sound of laughter and the sound of crying¡­ they were so dreadful that it felt as if one had been thrust into a hell of wailing ghosts. They dumbly stared at the image of the demonic infant in the skies above them. Their minds blanked out for a few moments but after they had snapped out of their stupor, one name exploded in their souls like millions of bolts of apocalyptic lightning.


    "Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations¡­"


    All of them spoke simultaneously and their voices were shaking with fear.


    "No¡­ no¡­ Impossible¡­ Impossible!" One of the God Emperors shouted in disbelief... it was as if his soul had flown out of his body.


    Jie Yuan who''s in close proximity to Nyaruko also felt fear but she''s more worried about her daughter''s condition.


    When she looked over to their direction, she discovers that her two daughters'' whole body is covered in red and black marking... Those markings are taking shape just like that of a Dragon.


    "Uuuu... Big brother is angry..." Hong''er sobbed lightly.


    "The enemy of elder brother must die... They must die!" Bai''er said hatefully.


    "Hong''er! Bai''er!" Jie Yuan shouted in fear after seeing her daughters'' condition.


    She tried to get close to their location only to be blown away by the sheer wind pressure they''re currently emitting.


    The have already fainted the moment Nyaruko released her aura...


    Although they''ve fainted, it seems that they are not harmed.


    The red cloud in the sky started to descend towards the ground...


    There''s no doubt that if those red clouds were to touch the ground then the whole world would be bathed in red... whether it be literally or figuratively speaking... Because those red clouds contain Issei''s ...


    ...


    -Back at Issei-


    Issei''s whole body keeps releasing a huge amount of killing intent that could block the whole world...


    Below him, the Dragon Monarch is in a near-dead state already with only his body and head left intact.


    His arms... his legs... all of them have disappeared.


    Even until now he still couldn''t let out any sound... He couldn''t even blink.


    He''s forced to stare at his impending doom looking down on him with a gaze filled with maddening rage.


    [I will make sure that nobody will ever know that you ever exist in the first place... I will spill your blood and scatter your ashes¡­ to every corner of the multiverse¡­ so that you will be stepped on by every living creature in the world for all eternity!] Issei growled.


    Esdeath, Altair, Sirius, Zin, Naru who is in the background... All of them stay silent.


    Even the newly arrived Xiaotao, Lieyan, Bing''er, Chu Yuechan, Mu Xuanyin, Chi Wuyao, Grayfia, etc also didn''t say anything...


    Not because they didn''t want to speak... but because they can''t!


    They wanted to help their master/young master to return to his sense but they couldn''t... They''re forced to lay flat on the ground...


    Issei is furious because he almost lost his daughter... if he were a second too late then...


    No! He doesn''t dare to imagine of what could happen if he were a second too late!


    Even though this woman he just met has taken advantage of him... the child in her belly is innocent and she is his daughter! His little princess! Anyone who dares try to lay their hands on his children will face his wrath!


    "Mother... something is wrong with father... I... I want to help father..." Shirayuki''s concerned voice can be heard but Issei took notice of it since he''s too lost on his rage.


    Shen Xi is still rooted in the place but there''s a twinge of pain in her belly.


    No... Don''t... Don''t go out now... Now is not the time... Is what Shen Xi wanted to say but she couldn''t say it because she''s still paralyzed by Issei''s roar.


    "Calm yourself, Dragon King..." Just when all hope is lost, Nyarlathotep''s voice can be heard clearly.


    She emerged from his shadow and floated right above Issei''s head.


    "Even though I love seeing your current state... but I don''t want you to lose yourself over some random insect... I want you to lose yourself because of me, not because of anybody else. Only I am allowed to make you fall. That''s our deal with each other." She said calmly.


    But Issei still doesn''t pay any heed to her.


    "Have you forgotten what your dream is? Remember your pledge to your loved ones... Remember about your daughter who''s currently watching you."


    And that does it... Issei''s aura stagnated when he heard her last words.


    He finally shifted his gaze from the Dragon Monarch and look towards Shen Xi''s direction.


    He notices there''s a weird energy activity coming off from her body, especially in her belly...


    The world regained their light right after he saw his seemingly concerned daughter about his wellbeing.


    He took back his aura and Shen Xi finally falls to the ground while clutching her stomach.


    "Ugh..." She groaned lightly.


    "Heheh, looks like it''s time already... congrats, dear husband... it looks like you''re really going to be a father soon..." Nyarlathotep chuckled.


    [...What?!] Issei let out a stupefied voice when he heard her words.


    His brain started to rotate as it has never before trying to process what he should do at this specific moment... but he comes up with nothing.


    No amount of training could help him in his current situation.


    Esdeath and the others heaved a sigh of relief when they''re finally able to move again.


    Nyaruko, Bai''er, and Hong''er who lose control over themselves also immediately calm themselves down...


    They exchanged a look between each other feeling a little confused about what just happened.


    Jie Yuan practically flew towards their direction before she hugged her daughters tightly. Only after she has them in her embrace that she could finally heave a sigh of relief...


    [What should I do! Oi, Nyarlathotep!] Issei started panicking after seeing the current state of Shen Xi. He gently cradled her in his hands.


    "Hmm~? How should I know... Even though I''ve lived for trillions of years, I have never given birth myself you know?" She chuckled at him: "And you need to calm down in a different sense from before... Don''t you have three ''experienced'' women behind you right now?"


    [What? Who-] Issei turned his head while his eyes started to search for his target. When he saw his target, he finally realizes just who Nyarlathotep pointing at just now.


    [Grayfia! Venelana! Xun''er!] He shouted: [Help her!]


    "W-We understand..." The three of them smile wryly at the panicking Issei.


    The way he currently moves looks quite cute in their eyes... To think that he is the same person who let out those nightmarish aurae just now...


    Even though they don''t know why Nyarlathotep is here right now... that question would have to wait. They need to help this woman in front of them right now.


    The other girls also let out a giggle when they look at their current Master/Young Master.


    ...


    Issei could be found pacing around back and forth in front of the house where Shen Xi resides. Nyarlathotep has returned to his shadow.


    He wore an anxious expression on his face and he keeps glancing at the house every few seconds.


    The girls are looking at him warmly.


    Jasmine and Mu Xuanyin are the only ones who are pouting in jealousy.


    Shen Xi is not your normal human or Dragon... so she''s ought to be fine and they have told him already but he still couldn''t calm himself down even now.


    "...Granddaughter... I''m about to have a granddaughter..." The Azure Dragon keeps muttering dreamily to himself beside Chu Yuechan.


    Shen Xi has been carrying a child for over three years now. Everyone is wondering just how will the child looks like... But considering her parents then it''s safe to say that she will be a grand beauty...


    Issei''s body would flinch whenever he heard Shen Xi''s groan. He wanted to ask if they needed help but manage to stop himself at the last second since he doesn''t want to disturb them.


    He could only sigh again and again...


    "Will you calm down already, Ise! They will be fine!" Jasmine said in annoyance.


    "O-Ou..." Issei smiled wryly at her: "Sorry... It''s just that I couldn''t calm myself down since I''m about to become a father, you know..."


    "We can see that." Chi Wuyao giggled.


    The girls also giggled once again.


    "Oh? That''s interesting... Who''s about to become a father now? Care to explain... I-S-E!"


    "Ara ara~ Ufufufu...! I''m sure he has a good explanation for this... right... D-E-A-R-E-S-T?!"


    A pissed off voice resounded not far from them.


    While the girls are surprised seeing these two newcomers, Issei''s body froze completely when he heard this voice... His head comically turned towards the source of the voice... only to see a smiling yet not smiling woman clad in purple and in black looking at him with a chilling smile...


    Issei should''ve felt happy when he sees these two women but he''s currently having a cold sweat instead...


    It was at this moment that he knew... he f.u.c.k.i.e.d up.

 Chapter 142 - 141

    Before Issei outburst back in the ...


    "Was it a success?" Semiramis inquired.


    "It seems like it''s a success but... we''re not completely sure yet, Semiramis-sama." Mertel replied.


    "Don''t worry. They have the signal device with them... No matter what happens, whether it''s a fail or success, they will let us know soon enough." Scathach said.


    "Now we just have to wait then..." Forzelotte said with a sigh.


    But even after waiting for a few hours, they still didn''t receive any sign...


    "Weird... Why didn''t they activate the device yet? Even if it''s a failure then they should''ve let us know..." Irene said with a frown: "Unless something happened to them?"


    "Was the device the one that goes malfunction after all?" Scathach muttered to herself.


    "Ehhh?! No no, that''s impossible! I''ve tested the device a hundred times already!" A girl with long pink hair replied to her mutter.


    She''s a highly attractive teenage girl with long bubble gum pink hair, emerald green eyes, curvaceous body, and often referred to as a perfect girl by many.


    Her most distinguishing feature is her tail which extends down from the base of her back. Her tail is long, thin, and ends with a heart-shaped tip. Another feature is that she is almost always seen wearing a hair clip with thick black swirls circling once then pointing downward.


    This hair clip is her robot companion who she named Peke who actually forms the clothes she is currently wearing.


    The pink-haired girl name is Lala Satalin Deviluke, the alien girl Issei met during one of his world travel. That world is also the world where Issei met Teraju, Aki, and Ryouko.


    She sees herself as Issei''s fiancee.


    Semiramis and the others didn''t really object to this since they''re quite fond of Lala herself.


    She is incredibly enthusiastic about the smallest things and has a very bubbly and slightly childish nature, which is most likely the result of being raised as the first princess of Deviluke.


    Although she can also be a bit of an air-head and a scatterbrain most of the time, she is known for her genius-level intellect as seen in her amazing array of inventions; her planet even wanted to use her for weapons research and engineering. She is very caring and generous and appears to have a need to make everyone she cares about happy, even those of which she doesn''t have any real relationship with.


    "It''s not that I don''t trust you but mishap may happen anytime, Lala." Scathach said.


    "She''s right, dear... It''s not your fault even if the device went malfunction." Semiramis consoled.


    Lala nodded understandingly at their statement.


    "Anyway... How about ''them''? Are there any changes?" Irene said while looking at their energy source location.


    "None whatsoever, Irene-sama. It seems that our decision of sending Grayfia and Venelana who''s weaker than most of us here is the correct decision." Rakia replied.


    "Haahhh... Then what should we do next? Should we try again? Or should we wait for a little longer?" Forzelotte said with a sigh.


    "Let''s wait a little longer..."


    Just when they decided to wait a little longer, all of them shuddered greatly since the air suddenly got freezing cold.


    The whole could feel the eerie atmosphere...


    Semiramis and the others are the first to notice this.


    "...This aura..." Irene said with narrowed eyes.


    "This is Master''s aura!" Jalter said with a jolt.


    "Someone pissed him off..." Forzelotte said direly.


    "But who could piss him off to this extent?" Scathach frowned.


    "Now is not the time to guess! Locate and pinpoint the source of this aura since it will lead us to Ise''s location!" Kathryn shouted.


    "I''m already on it..." Irene said with her eyes closed. After a few minutes, she succeeded: "Got it!"


    "I will create a portal to his location now!"


    Irene waved her arms and created a spatial opening towards Issei''s location.


    "Me and Forze will go and scout ahead." Semiramis said seriously: "Irene, Scathach! Go gather everyone just in case Ise needed our help!"


    "Got it!" Both of them replied.


    "Let us go with you!" Jalter said while she wore her battle dress.


    "Not yet! Let us scout ahead first!" Without saying anything else, both Semiramis and Forzelotte entered the portal...


    ...


    When they arrived on the other side, they saw their beloved husband is pacing back and forth with an anxious expression on his face.


    They almost shed tears of joy and shouted his name but what they heard next made them frozen stiff on the spot.


    "Sorry... It''s just that I couldn''t calm myself down since I''m about to become a father, you know..."


    What replaced their joyous feeling beforehand was a fit of thick jealousy...


    What did he say? He''s about to become a father?!


    "Oh? That''s interesting... Who''s about to become a father now? Care to explain... I-S-E!"


    "Ara ara~ Ufufufu...! I''m sure he has a good explanation for this... right... D-E-A-R-E-S-T?!"


    Both of them said angrily...


    ...


    "...Semi, Forze..." Issei said with a wry smile.


    "Hmm? Yes, dearest? What''s wrong? Why don''t you start your explanation?" Semiramis said while still ''smiling''.


    Both her and Forzelotte walked forward to his location with a chilling smile.


    Issei could only awkwardly smile at them.


    "Go on. Give us your best explanation." Forzelotte said with narrowed eyes.


    But instead of giving them an explanation, Issei went and give them a loving hug instead.


    "I miss you two..." He whispered affectionately to the two women inside his embrace.


    The two of them waste no time before they return his embrace.


    "We miss you too, dearest..."


    "Um..." Forzelotte cooed.


    He looks at the two of them with a gaze so gentle that they felt like they almost melt in happiness.


    "But that''s that and this is this! Now explain!" Forzelotte pinched his cheeks angrily.


    "Uhh..."


    "Master!/Ise-san!"


    Just then, there is another group of women appearing nearby them. Each and every one of them is outstanding beauty that could even put Qianye Ying''er beauty to shame...


    The Kalars, heroic spirits, and Overlords also arrived alongside them ready for immediate battle.


    Starting from Jalter, Jeanne, Wiz, Yunyun, Ramius, Riche... All of them are there to meet their missing husband.


    "Girls..." Issei said lovingly looking at his wives running towards him.


    Issei immediately got buried in a mountain of softness soon after...


    "Ah... They must be his wife... or wives to be precise." Chi Wuyao said with a wry smile.


    "...This is the second time I saw him making that kind of expression... And I didn''t know that he already has a wife!" Jasmine muttered in jealousy: "I thought that he''s different from other men but he''s also a pervert just like the others!"


    "But isn''t that a good thing, dear? That way we could be his wives as well." Xun''er giggled.


    "..." Jasmine pouted but didn''t try to deny her mother''s words.


    Caizhi is completely stupefied at the sight of Issei''s current face since she never saw it before...


    His current expression is so gentle that it made them wish that he would look at them that way...


    No women in existence could remain unfazed after they saw this side of him...


    "No wonder he''s not fazed by our beauty... His wives are on a whole another level." Chi Wuyao added bitterly.


    They nodded along with her words.


    "Their beauty is not the only thing that''s outstanding..." Xiaotao muttered softly while looking at Paniverna: "That woman over there... She''s far stronger than the original Phoenix."


    "The same goes for that woman over there. Her divinity is beyond our comprehension." Bing''er pointed at Izana.


    "You''re saying that each and every one of them is a True God?" Mu Xuanyin said in amazement.


    No one there is fazed by the number of wives he has since even in their world, a man with multiple wives is quite normal.


    The door to the residence was suddenly blasted open, and a butt-n.a.k.e.d child with tousled long white hair came flying straight out of it.


    She immediately pushed the girls who are dogpiling her father.


    They are dumbstruck at her sight so they didn''t try to resist her push...


    "Are you the one who wanted to bully father? I won''t let anyone bully father!" The little figure said while spreading her tiny arms wide trying to ''protect'' her father from the bullies.


    Shirayuki is finally born!


    She''s just as cute as the first day he saw her... no, a hundred times more cute! Issei thought to himself.


    All of the girls narrowed their eyes at her which made her body shake even more.


    Her appearance made all of them there frozen stiff with the exception of Issei.


    How come a child who just born recently...


    "Is... Is she really a newborn?" Chi Wuyao said in amazement.


    Everyone there also wanted to know the answer to that question...


    "J-Just so you know! I''m very fierce! I-I''m not afraid of you!" Shirayuki said trying to look brave. But she''s not fooling anyone there since her body is slightly shaking.


    Wh-Why are there so many of them? But no matter what I won''t let anyone harm father! Shirayuki said inside her mind in determination.


    "SO CUTE!!!" All of them suddenly swooped down to catch the trembling baby dragon in front of them.


    "Eeep! How can someone be so cute like this! This should be a crime! Darling, I want one as well!" Natal said while rubbing their cheeks together.


    "Err... You already have one right now though?" Issei said with a sweat.


    "Otouto-kun~ let me have her please~"


    "Just wait until the one in your stomach is born, Croix..."


    ""Cute... Give her to us."" Ophis and Lilith said with glistening eyes.


    "Like I said... Wait for the ones in your stomach is born..."


    "Ise-nya~, I want ten more kittens after this!" Kuroka said feeling jubilant at the fact that their children would be as cute as this little girl in front of her.


    "Now that can be arranged," Issei said with a bright smile.


    "You... You..." Jalter is at a loss for words while looking at Shirayuki''s teary eyes.


    She felt like an arrow just shot through her heart and doesn''t waste her time a second longer before she joined her sister in their cheek pinching session.


    Even Forzelotte is no exception... She keeps pinching Shirayuki''s soft cheeks gently.


    "Hee, so that''s Chichiue''s actual daughter huh... Makes me want one for myself as well..." Mordred who''s standing not far from them muttered: "But I don''t mind having a little sister or brother as well though." She grinned at Altria and Artoria.


    The two of them blushed at her words but Altria gives her a thumbs up: "Um. Our kingdom needs an heir so you can count on us."


    "I''m first." Okita Alter said sternly. Her gaze is glued onto Shirayuki''s face.


    "That''s not up to you now, is it? And you''re having a nosebleed..." Mordred pointed out.


    "Uuu... F-Fwather hwelp..." Shirayuki said while crying softly. Now their role is reversed... The one who''s being drowned in softness is her instead of Issei...


    Issei smiled wryly before he decided to ''rescue'' his little princess from their ''assault''...


    "Okay that''s enough you girls... You''re scaring her." Issei lifted Shirayuki from their holds. He summoned some clothes for her to wear while he''s at it.


    Shirayuki then proceeds to hug Issei tightly and buried her face on his scruff.


    "Ah! Give her back, Master! I still haven''t had my fill yet!" Jalter shouted.


    "What had your fill... she''s not some toy alright..." Issei said with a twitch of his mouth.


    "How rude! We''re not scaring her, Ise!" Rossweisse said with a pout.


    "There there, little princess... those big sisters are not a bad person so you don''t have to be afraid," Issei said gently.


    "...They are not a bad person?" Shirayuki inquired in confusion while she peeks at them.


    "Um... You could say that they''re your... other mothers." Issei said unsurely.


    "Other mothers? But I only have one mother?" Shirayuki said while becoming more confused.


    "Uhh... Father will explain it to you later..."


    "That''s right, dearest... You still owe us an explanation." Semiramis said in realization.


    "Well... I''m not so sure either how to explain this... I suppose she''s the one who should explain everything." Issei looks at the residence entrance where Shen Xi is currently standing with the help of Grayfia and Venelana.


    Shen Xi was nervous about her daughter''s situation when she heard the commotion outside. But to her relief, she''s not harmed in any way...


    "Mother!" Shirayuki waved her arms giddily.


    Shen Xi waved back with a smile.


    The girls frowned at her since it seems that the whole story is not as simple as they thought... Their husband''s expression when looking at this woman is a little cold...


    And knowing their husband''s personality, he''s not someone who will sleep with just anyone no matter how beautiful the other party is...


    "Allow me to properly explain..." Shen Xi said softly.


    "Wait. Go lie down first. You''ve just given birth so it''s best if you don''t push yourself too hard right now... I don''t want to make little princess sad." Issei said sternly.


    "...I understand." Shen Xi nodded obediently. Then she went back inside her residence to take a rest.


    Even though Issei didn''t really like this woman who took advantage of him, he didn''t want to make Shirayuki become worried if something were to suddenly happened to her.


    Shen Xi also understands this fact.


    The girls know that the explanation will have to wait.


    "Little princess... Why don''t you go and accompany your mother." Issei whispered gently.


    "Okay, father!" Shirayuki said with a beaming smile.


    Issei gives her forehead a quick peck and put her down to the ground. Shirayuki then ran into the residence...


    "Now, Ise... Can you tell me just who manages to piss you off and why?" Scathach inquired while crossing her arms.


    "Hmm, it''s just some trash. Nothing to be concerned about." Issei said in dismissal.


    He almost went angry again when he remembered what that trash about to do but managed to stop himself.


    Speaking of which, where did that trash go? He totally forgot about him.


    "If you''re looking for that trash then he''s no longer of this world, dear husband~. I already erased him from this world." Nyarlathotep said while she emerged from Issei''s shadow.


    "Nyarlathotep!" The girls immediately went into their combat stance when they saw her.


    "Fufufu, nice to meet you again... sisters~," Nyarlathotep said mischievously.


    "Sister?" Semiramis and the others frowned at this.


    "*Sigh* I guess that I owe you girls another explanation..." Issei said tiredly.


    ...


    "No way! Absolutely not!" Jalter said with a scowl: "She''s the one who separated us from each other and I can''t forgive that!"


    The other girls also nodded in agreement with her.


    "I can understand your concern but... she''s also the one who protected me while I was in my defenseless state... albeit not perfectly since someone still manages to took advantage of me," Issei said with a sigh.


    "Ara? You''re still mad about that? What if I let you punish me then~?" Nyarlathotep slyly smiled: "...You can do me in any position you want~" She said seductively.


    "Master!/Dearest!/Ise!" They gnashed their teeth at their display of ''affection''...


    "Cut that out..." Issei said while pushing Nyarlathotep away from him.


    "Did you forget that she''s your biggest enemy Ise? What if someday she decided to pull another stunt of hers?" Irene pointed out.


    "Well... She''s not a threat anymore." Issei said.


    "What do you mean by that?" Irene asked in askance.


    "What he''s trying to say is that he''s already stronger than me... If he ever wishes to then he could kill me at any given time." Nyarlathotep said with a lazy smile completely unperturbed by the fact.


    "Huh? How?" The girls asked in surprise.


    Then Issei gives them another explanation of him becoming stronger...


    The girls'' eyes brightened when they hear this.


    "So you could say that our momentary separation was a blessing in disguise?" Semiramis concluded.


    "Um, you could say that." Issei nodded.


    "Haha. As expected of my disciple!" Scathach laughed jovially.


    "Hmm... I see... We don''t need to be wary of her and as for that child you have, knowing your expression just now I can tell that it''s not really your fault in the first place so we can let that slide... But let me ask you another question, Ise... Who are they?" Forzelotte then pointed at Jasmine''s group.


    "They? Umm, they''re my friends?" Issei said awkwardly.


    "Hooo, ''friends'', was it? Then tell me... Are those faces they currently have is a face a ''friend'' should have?" Forzelotte said in a cold tone.


    "Errr..." Issei is at a loss for words since he knows that Jasmine and the others have some feelings for him.


    The group in question is currently fidgetting in their seat while looking nervous. They keep glancing between him and his wives.


    Issei already imparted his skill of language comprehension three days ago after Grayfia and Venelana arrived so they can understand their conversation.


    "Well, no matter... I''m just glad that you''re fine, beloved..." Irene sighed before she narrowed her eyes: "But... that doesn''t give you an excuse for what you''ve done beforehand!"


    "That''s right, Master!" Jalter growled: "If you dare to pull another stunt like that in the past... I will, I will..." She wanted to threaten Issei but she got nothing to threaten him with...


    "Don''t worry... I will never leave your side from now on, Jalter." Issei said with a loving smile while wrapping his arms around her.


    "Hmph... you better be." She said grumpily acting spoiled.


    "Um... I promise." Issei then gives her lips a gentle kiss which Jalter happily receives.


    The husband and wives are finally reunited with each other...


    ...


    Issei stayed in the Primal Chaos World for another few days while waiting for Shen Xi to properly recover.


    When the girls heard her explanation, they are quite angry as expected.


    Forzelotte for one would''ve killed her outright if it wasn''t for Shirayuki''s existence.


    "...You better never betray him or else." Semiramis said threateningly.


    "Tch... You''re lucky that you manage to harbor Master''s child... If not..." Jalter scoffed.


    The Azure Dragon wanted to help his daughter but it''s not his place to butt in... This is a matter between their household and his daughter is indeed in the wrong.


    "To be honest... I don''t think that I could really forgive you." Issei said while looking at Shirayuki who''s playing outside with Hong''er''s group: "But for Shirayuki''s sake... at the very least... I won''t kill you."


    "I understand..." Shen Xi nodded calmly: "I know my wrongs and I won''t say anything if you wish to kill me for it. But as long as you let me... I will serve you with everything I have."


    "..." Issei doesn''t respond to her words and only calmly looks at his little princess.


    "And as for you girls..." Issei looks at Xia Qingyue''s group while feeling unsure.


    "As you can see... I already have a wife... Multiple of them in fact. I wanted to say it''s better for you to find someone else but... You won''t listen to my advice, right?" I awkwardly said when he realizes their gaze which filled with conviction.


    "Since you already know the answer to that, why bother asking us, young master?" Chu Yuechan said with a smile.


    "Qingyue will only marry young master in this life." Xia Qingyue said bashfully.


    "You already promised to take us with you, Ise!" Jasmine said.


    "Aiyaa, young master sure are forgetful. Didn''t I already say that you''re our king? Of course I will follow you wherever you go." Chi Wuyao said seductively.


    "Didn''t big brother promised Xue''er that we will always be together?" Feng Xue''er said tearfully.


    They confessed their feelings to him one by one... Issei is at a loss at their confession.


    He thought that he would silently disappear one day but... It seems quite cruel to just abandon them like that...


    "Called it... Told you that he will get more women." Kathryn said flatly.


    "A-Ahaha..." Riche laughed awkwardly at her words.


    "Um. As to be expected of our husband." Ramius said proudly.


    "You''re not supposed to feel happy about it you titty monster... If he has more wives then our time alone with him would be reduced."


    "Hah! Now you put it that way..."


    "Heheh, I don''t think we can take Ise-nii on by ourselves anyway so maybe with their help we could finally win?" Gurigura grinned.


    "Meh... I doubt it... Even when he is not as strong as he is right now, he could already take all of us with ease. Now that he becomes much stronger, even another thousand women won''t be any of use."


    "I guess Kath-san is right..." Yunyun wryly smiled at the side.


    "U-Un... Ise-san libido is unquenchable..." Wiz added.


    "Milord is a Dragon amongst Dragons. It is only logical that side of him to be unparalleled." Millet said next.


    While the wives are having their conversation, the children also have a conversation of their own.


    "You''re father''s daughter? Then that makes me your big sister!" Nyaruko said happily with her ahoge flailing about.


    "Ah? How? Are you mother''s first daughter? But mother said that she doesn''t have another child other than me?" Shirayuki asked in confusion.


    "No, you silly! My mother is not your mother... Father has multiples wives so that means his other wives can also be called your mother which makes you my sister since your mother is also father wife!" Nyaruko tried explaining but Shirayuki becomes further confused instead.


    "Wait... Nyaruko, does that mean if I become big brother''s wife when I grow up... I will become your mother?" Hong''er asked.


    "Bai''er as well? Nyaruko will call Bai''er mother?" Bai''er pointed at herself.


    "No! Since I will also marry father in the future, that makes us fellow sisters!" Nyaruko corrected.


    "I also want to marry father!" Shirayuki raised her hands.


    Jie Yuan who''s observing them from the side sweated when she heard their conversation...


    "...Isn''t their conversation is kind of too high leveled for children of their age?" Forzelotte said with a twitch on her face: "And wipe that grin off your face, you stupid husband. Even though I''m fine with you having multiple wives, I won''t let our daughters marry their own father!" She pinched the currently grinning Issei.


    "Anyway, Ise... Shall we go back now?" Irene asked.


    "Well... I don''t have any more business here so I guess we could go home now." Issei said after thinking for a bit.


    He already fulfilled his promise completely.


    He Lin already reunited with his big sister since his big sister is apparently staying with Shen Xi.


    Shen Xi seems to be familiar with Hong''er and Bai''er, well, the original them... but since the other party loses their memories, there''s really nothing that she could do.


    But it seems that they''re best friends or so she said and Shen Xi becomes more grateful for him.


    Issei already took care of those Devils outside the "wall" recently... well, his servants are the ones who take care of it.


    Some still retained their sanity so they can be reasoned with but the rest is a lost cause... They have become a mindless beast.


    Jie Yuan knows that this is the best outcome for her kinsmen so she didn''t say anything to their demise.


    Issei is willing to let them live in the if they want to or they could stay in the Primal Chaos world instead.


    Of course, in the condition that they didn''t cause havoc to the world.


    Most of them choose to stay while a small portion decided to live in the .


    Jie Yuan herself is following him since her daughters are with him. There''s nothing else that could keep her in her original world other than sad and painful memories...


    And after taking a few other things... Issei finally returned to his homeworld...


    ...


    "Welcome back, Ise-sama!" The maids and the Valkryies welcomed Issei return with a joyful smile adorning their faces.


    The entire is noticed of his return.


    "Um... I''m back everyone." Issei said with a smile.


    He''s finally home...


    "Is this father''s home? It''s very pretty!" Shirayuki who''s in Issei''s arms said.


    "Heheh, this is also your home from now on, little princess." Issei said with a gentle smile.


    "Mn!" She nodded happily.


    Shen Xi who''s not far from them smiled at this scene... She''s content with just this...


    As long as he treats their daughter right... she doesn''t care how he treats her.


    Those who haven''t seen Shirayuki before are captivated by her cuteness just like the others.


    They wanted to snatch her away from Issei''s arms but obviously it would be impossible... Not as long as this daughtercon of a father is holding her that tightly...


    Issei exchanged some greetings with his other servants...


    During his greetings, Issei noticed a small group hiding in the corner of the hall.


    The group only looks at Issei longingly from the distance...


    Just when they thought that Issei will ignore them... contrary to their expectations, Issei actually nodded at them before he look away.


    At first, they froze... but soon they smiled through tears...


    This lone group is none other than Rias''s group.


    They are happy with just that one nod from him... At the very least... he didn''t completely ignore them...


    They know that they won''t be forgiven with just this one act of theirs... but that doesn''t matter... they will keep waiting until they finally earn his forgiveness no matter how long it takes...


    Even if they are not forgiven until the end of their lives... They are willing to be his tools or anything he wishes them to be...


    Grayfia and Venelana who notices their little exchange smiled softly feeling glad for their sake...


    Xia Qingyue and the others familiarized themselves quite easily in the .


    The met their race counterpart which is none other than the elves. They get along almost immediately since the two race is quite similar to each other.


    The Devil race from the Primal Chaos world is surprised seeing so many different races live in harmony at first... But soon they sighed in relief since this way they don''t need to be afraid of being condemned of what they are...


    Nyarlathotep''s presence caused a commotion just as expected but after a brief explanation from Issei, they nodded understandingly.


    Issei of course sealed her so that she won''t mess around but Nyarlathotep didn''t try to refuse nor resist it.


    Although... Her being extremely clingy to Issei makes Forzelotte and few others feel pissed.


    Then a few days passed after his return...


    ...


    "So many kittens nya~..." Kuroka purred while she lay exhausted on the bed.


    Not only her... there are multiple girls laying exhausted on the bed but all of them have a blissful expression...


    Starting from Kyou, Kinou, Yasaka, Ramius, Yunyun, Wiz, Jeanne, Jalter, Riche, Croix, and so on... ninety percent of his wives are here with the exception of Forzelotte, Semiramis, Scathach, and Irene.


    But that''s only because the four of them are inside their own room sharing the same state as the present girls...


    Nyarlathotep is banned for a whole month since she already has her fill in her own world. Although she''s feeling discontent at this, there''s really nothing she could do...


    The girls'' bodies are full of sweats and the whole room is filled with their bodily fluid fragrance.


    Issei smiled beamingly at this sight. Ah... It''s been a while ever since he could go all out like this.


    He still hasn''t "eat" Xia Qingyue and the others yet since his beloved wives need his full attention for the last few days.


    But that didn''t stop them to prepare themselves for their turn...


    Even Shirayuki is not allowed to come close to their bedroom...


    Shen Xi is holding her back while Jie Yuan is holding her two daughters who are having a little tantrum since they''re not allowed to visit their elder brother.


    Issei took out his smoking pipe and inhaled through it... The smoke produced by his pipe serves as a relaxing incense for his sleeping wives.


    "Ise..." Rossweisse who''s happened still awake whispered lovingly and wrapped her arms around his shoulder.


    "Hm?" Ise replied softly.


    "Why do you want to visit the Kuoh academy?" She asked.


    "Well... You could say it''s just a whim of mine. It''s been a while since I''ve been there. After all... That place is where it all began..." Issei said in reminiscence.


    "But... won''t that place bring bad memories for you?"


    "Perhaps... but not all of them are bad memories you see..." Issei said while he pulled Rossweisse to his lap.


    "Ah." Rossweisse yelped lightly.


    "That place is where we spend most of our time after all..." He stroked her face lovingly.


    "Un..." She snuggled against his warm touch blissfully.


    "Hehe..." She suddenly giggled.


    "What''s so funny?" Issei asked with a smile.


    "Who would''ve thought that boy who used to scream ''Oppai, oppai'' all the time would become someone so powerful like this..."


    "Now that you mention it..." Issei wryly smiled.


    "Um. I still remember how you tried to break into the woman''s bathroom during the school trip to Kyoto... I was there to stop you but you used your on me."


    "I never thought that very same boy would be my dearest husband and would be the father of the child in my belly..." She teared up slightly when she thought until here.


    "Don''t cry now...", Issei wiped her tears gently.


    "I''m sorry... but... it''s just that I''m just too happy... I''m afraid that all of this is just a dream... Ne, Ise... Is this... Is this a dream? Am I allowed to feel this happy?" Rossweisse said through sobs.


    "Of course this is not a dream... And you deserve to be happy, Rose... I will make sure that you will become even happier from now on. I will always stay by your side now and forever..." Issei then gives her lips a gentle kiss.


    "Un... I love you, Ise... My Ise..."


    "Ah... I love you too, Rose."


    Then they share another passionate kiss that soon changed into another heavy breathing...


    ...


    Issei is standing in front of the Kuoh Academy entrance in the afternoon.


    He smiled nostalgically when he saw his old school...


    There''s barely any change ever since his last visit here... Not surprising since it''s only been a few months for this world while years have passed for him.


    He should be considered an alumnus of this place instead of a student.


    Issei is wearing a white buttoned shirt with a high-collared black leather jacket over it. A long black pants and shoes.


    He doesn''t wear his mask and only wears sunglasses.


    When Issei is about to step forward, he sensed a magic circle near him.


    "That symbol... Sitri household?" Issei muttered while looking at the symbol on the summoning circle.


    A few seconds later, Sona Sitri and her queen, Tsubaki Shinra appeared.


    "Sona-kaichou?" Issei asked in puzzlement: "What are you two doing here?"


    Sona and Tsubaki have already graduated after all so it''s quite surprising seeing them here. And they also appeared through their summoning circle.


    "G-Good day to you, Issei-kun." Sona who was in a daze tried to act calm when she heard his voice. She tried to cover her embarrassment by adjusting her glasses.


    Her and Tsubaki''s face is a little red from seeing him this up close. The previous Issei is plenty charming already but the current him is even more so.


    "W-We''re here to visit Saji and the others. What a coincidence to meet you here." Sona said while averting her eyes.


    They being here is not a coincidence at all. They heard that Issei will be visiting the Kuoh Academy from someone so they decided to do the same...


    "Oh..." Issei nodded: "Shall we go together then?" Issei asked with a smile which made the two ladies face become another shade redder.


    "It will be our pleasure!" The two of them replied at the same time.


    The three of them then entered the academy... thankfully most students are still in class so they didn''t really bump into anyone there.


    ...


    "Nothing really changes huh..." Issei muttered when he looks at the academy surroundings.


    "Yes..."


    "Well, not really surprising since it''s only a few months have passed here after all."


    "Yes..."


    "I wonder if Saji is doing well as the new President of the student council."


    "Yes..."


    "Err..." Issei awkwardly looks at the two dazed women behind him.


    Should he wear his mask after all? He couldn''t use magic to hide his face since his body is immune to them... The illusion magic would''ve dispelled themselves the moment they come into contact with his body.


    "Oh?" Issei heard a commotion in the distance only to see his two school buddies being chased by a group of women who are holding a broom or something similar.


    They''re none other than Matsuda and Motohama.


    "Hahah... Those two are still at it, huh." Issei wryly smiled.


    "Hm? Is that..." One of the students who coincidentally saw Issei''s party whispered to herself with her eyes widened.


    She excused herself from the classroom soon after.


    Then they resumed their journey around the school...


    After a while, they finally arrived at the student council room.


    "We''re here, Sona-kaichou." Issei said snapping the two dazed women out of their daze.


    "E-Eh? What?" Sona blinkingly asked.


    "We have arrived in the student council room... Don''t you two need to meet Saji?"


    "O-Oh, right!" Sona hastily entered the room without knocking it because she''s too embarrassed.


    "Sona-kaichou!" Saji who happens to be in the room shouted happily.


    But then he notices Issei who''s standing behind them: "I-Issei? Is that you?!"


    "Yo." Issei raised one of his hands to greet him.


    The other student council members with the exception of Momo and Ruruka become frozen stiff at his sight.


    "How are you, Saji? Doing good?" Issei grinned.


    "Wh-When did you return? I thought you were still missing, man!" Saji enthusiastically greeted him.


    "Hahah, I just got back recently."


    "Well, whatever. It''s good to have you back, Issei!"


    "Ah."


    The two of them have a little conversation between themselves while the other girls started interrogating Sona and Tsubaki about Issei.


    As expected, all of them are stupefied knowing that he''s the rumored Issei Hyoudou... One of the infamous three perverts of the school...


    Those who have met him before aren''t really surprised but they still become entranced at his sight.


    "You''re alone, Issei? I thought that your wives would be with you." Saji inquired.


    "Well... They''re currently down for the count you see..." Issei said wryly.


    His wives are too exhausted to move so he comes here alone.


    "Oh... So what are you here for?"


    "Nothing much. I just want to pay the school a visit."


    "Issei-kun." Sona faked a cough.


    "Yes?"


    "Would you mind playing a game of chess with me?"


    "Chess?"


    "Yes, just one game would suffice." Sona insisted.


    "Oh, sure?"


    While Issei doesn''t know of what a game of chess with Sona means, Saji and the others know of it.


    Saji sighed bitterly to himself since he already knew of their little chess match in Kyoto before...


    He started to move on from Sona since he now has established a relationship with Momo and Ruruko.


    But that doesn''t mean that he''s not interested in their little match. He wanted to see just how good Issei who could defeat Sona is.


    Sona then took out a chessboard for them to play and they took a seat across from each other to start their game.


    And as expected... Sona loses once again...


    ...


    "Hah..." Sona sighed in defeat while looking at the chessboard: "Looks like you defeated me once again, Issei-kun."


    "Oh, right... Our first match was in Kyoto, wasn''t it?"


    "Um... But back then I fail to notice your identity since you''re wearing a mask."


    "Heheh, my bad."


    Tsubaki and the others are amazed at their little match... To think that he could defeat her so easily like this...


    Sona''s face was completely serious thorough the whole match while Issei is perfectly calm.


    Issei leaned back to his chair and Tsubaki served him and Sona a cup of tea: "Oh, thank you, Tsubaki-san."


    "Y-You''re welcome." Tsubaki shyly said.


    Issei took a sip of the tea server for him before he stood up from his seat and went to the window...


    This place is where it all began...


    He looks towards a specific spot under a tree in the school courtyard... where he saw Rias Gremory for the first time...


    He chuckled remembering what a ride he has during his life... From a normal human to a devil, to a dragon, to a True God...


    His wish was to become a Harem King... which is fulfilled already... but his current wish is only to keep his loved ones safe.


    Wish of the Dragon... He chuckled lightly.


    "Issei-kun..." Sona called his name once again.


    Issei turns his head towards her direction waiting for her to continue.


    "You see... I made a vow before..." Sona adjusted her glasses before continuing: "Whoever could defeat me in a game of chess... That person would be my future husb-"


    *BAM!*


    Just when she''s about to finish her words, there''s a loud bang coming from the door.


    "We''re here!" Serafall barges through the door with a bright smile but soon her gaze is transfixed at Issei.


    Behind her, there''s a group of girls fidgetting around sharing her fate and the men group such as Azazel, Sirzechs, Michael, and Odin are also present.


    Issei raised his eyebrows at their arrival. How come there are so many people today?


    "Yo, Issei." Azazel greeted with a smile.


    "Nice to see you again, Issei-kun. I believe my mother and Grayfia have been a big help?" Sirzechs didn''t mention Rias for obvious reason.


    "Hohoho, how''s Rose doing, Ise-kun?" Odin asked with a laugh.


    "Good to see you again, Issei-san." Michael greeted.


    "How come you''re all here today?" Issei asked in confusion.


    "Heh, it seems that you''re still not aware of your importance huh," Azazel said smirkingly: "We got the news of your return a few days ago and we wanted to greet you right away but we''re told to come later since you''re quite ''busy'' they said."


    "And did you forgot that you''re a king? Of course we should properly greet you as we should since you''re basically our boss now."


    "Uhh... I don''t really care about that kind of stuff though."


    "Heh, I know that you''re not someone who would care for that kind of stuff. Just think of it as an obligation from our side of some sort." Azazel sighed: "Well, that''s how it is for us but as for these girls... heheh, you deal with them yourselves, Issei." Azazel pointed at the blushing group of girls.


    "Ehhh?! He''s really Issei?" One of the girls shouted in surprise. The one who just shouted is Aika Kiryuu. One of Issei''s classmates.


    "N-N-N-Nice to see you, I-Issei-sama!" Le Fay stutteringly said.


    "G-Good day to you, Issei-sama." Elmenhilde greeted in courtesy.


    "May the blessing of the God will be with you, Issei-sama." Gabriel said with a smile which made the devils in the room flinched in pain.


    "Err, nice to see all of you too..." Issei replied awkwardly.


    "Well, since everyone is here then please just take a seat." Sona sighed tiredly since she failed to confess just now...


    "Sorry to be a bother." They then entered the student council room and have some conversation with Issei...


    (AN: Hmm, I''m a bit confused of what to write for the actual ending scene. But this will have to do, for now, that is... since I don''t really have any experience in writing one yet... I will be writing a few more chapters though after this. Maybe a 2nd part for the actual ending scene? I''m not sure yet but I will surely write another chapter where Issei''s other children are born).

 Chapter 143 - Epilogue

    Issei is still standing in front of the window while Sirzechs and the others are situated nearby.


    "Why don''t you take a seat, Issei-san?" Michael inquired.


    "No need... I won''t be staying for long. I''m only here to look around the school for a bit. Call me being nostalgic if you want since this place is where it all started." Issei said while looking outside the window.


    The side view of his otherworldly countenance and the slight smile adorning his lips made the ladies in the room become lovestruck all over again... They keep looking at him with a captivated expression.


    It''s as if he''s a God''s descent.... oh wait, he is a God now, isn''t he? The highest-ranked God in history in fact.


    But here he is lacking interest in his current status and his personality barely changes compared to the old him.


    It''s that selfless side of him that attracts them to him before...


    "H-How are Rose and your other wives doing, Issei-kun?" Odin asked feeling a little awkward with the current atmosphere.


    Heck, Odin is not the only one who feels this way. These group of girls looks like they almost couldn''t hold themselves back from pouncing on him!


    The lovestruck aura they radiate is too overwhelming...


    Michael is relieved since it seems that even though his little sister gazing at Issei with a slight l.u.s.tful expression, she doesn''t seem to be losing her angelhood.


    Looks like Issei''s divinity had something to do with it... It appears the Heaven system couldn''t bypass his divinity meaning that even if the angels felt l.u.s.t towards Issei, they wouldn''t be affected by the system.


    But... he didn''t know if he should be happy about this or not... If the female angels were to abandon the heaven and choose to follow him instead then... their angel race will be doomed...


    "They''re doing very well." Issei replied.


    "Why didn''t they come with you?" Odin said feeling a little disappointed that Rossweisse didn''t tag along with him.


    "Err... They''re currently exhausted..." Issei smiled wryly while giving an awkward look to them. While the innocent girls didn''t really understand what his expression meant, the a.d.u.l.ts present understand what he''s trying to imply.


    "Hoho, it''s nice to be young... But be careful and don''t take things too far, alright? They''re currently pregnant after all." Odin said with a laugh.


    "Ah, I know."


    "So Ise, how many women did you bring home this time?" Azazel asked with a knowing smirk.


    "...Why is that the first thing you ask?" Issei asked speechlessly.


    "Hm, no reason... It''s just that with your current look, I find it highly impossible if you didn''t bring a couple more wives home with you... I mean look at them." Azazel pointed at the fidgetting girls'' group to the side.


    "Even when you''re still a pervert back then, you''re already quite the lady killer... But now... You''re just on a whole another level. There''s no way that you don''t attract the ladies even more with your current new look. Don''t you guys think so as well?"


    Azazel asked Sirzechs and the others to which they nodded with a smile. Even the girls nodded with a blush.


    Issei doesn''t have anything to say to Azazel''s words since it''s true. But he didn''t really have any intention to get more wives in the first place though...


    "Well, setting that aside... How are you, Issei?" Azazel asked.


    "I''m completely fine as you can see."


    "Is there anything you want to tell us? Like what about your last clash with Nyarlathotep? Did you manage to kill it?" All of their expression turned serious when Azazel asked this question.


    "No... She''s pretty much alive. I thought that I managed to kill her in our last clash but apparently not." Issei said.


    "What? Then we should prepare for its return." They said worriedly.


    "No need... She''s not a threat to me anymore." Issei said with a wave.


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "I''m stronger than her now. If I wanted to then I could kill her at any given time... but I don''t have any reason to do that anymore since I''ve already sealed most of her power."


    "At any given time? You mean... its nearby?" They tensed at this revelation.


    "Well... she''s back in the . You could say that she has become one of my servants?" Issei said while tilting his head.


    "..." All of their faces started to twitch a lot when they heard his words...


    How long was it been since his last showdown with Nyarlathotep? 3 to 4 months? Oh, wait... It''s 3 years for him on the other side, right? But that''s still amazing!


    We''re talking about an increase of strength in God class here... not some low tier demon or angel class!


    "Hahh... I swear, Ise... You never cease to amaze us..." Azazel said wryly.


    "Hoho, I''m feeling more reassured than ever knowing that the man Rose choose as her husband is this outstanding," Odin remarked happily.


    Michael and Sirzechs only smile wryly but they''re happy that Issei just got stronger.


    Since Issei is not evil then it''s a good thing that he becomes stronger than ever.


    """Adan!"""


    Out of nowhere, three women that have similar features appeared right beside Issei wanting to hug him.


    But Issei sidestepped to the side and the three newcomers'' faces landed square on the floor.


    "Ouch... Why did you avoid our hug, Adan?" This newcomer is none other than the Eve trio.


    "Like I said... I''m not Adan." Issei sighed tiredly: "Perhaps I am Adan in my past life but the current me is not the Adan that you know."


    "Hahaha! So you''ve returned, boy?" Another laughter can be heard soon after.


    "Qu... Don''t be rude. Issei-sama is not a boy anymore."


    "Cheh, he''s still a boy to me since his age is nowhere close to mine! That makes me his senpai, hahahaha!"


    "I don''t know how I should retort to your words just now... When lady Millet called you old hag, you''re mad at her but here you are admitting that you''re basically an old hag yourself."


    "It''s completely different!"


    "What are you here for, QD," Issei said feeling more tired than before.


    "I''m sorry to be a bother, Issei-sama." Arthur apologized in her place as usual.


    "I''m here to celebrate your return of course! Let''s have a drinking party, boy!" QD proceed to take a large bottle of wine out of nowhere.


    "No. Did you forget what happens if I were to drink alcohol." Issei refused her outright.


    "Oh come on. Don''t be a party pooper!" QD pouted childishly.


    "Hm? What will happen if you were to drink alcohol, Issei?" Azazel asked curiously.


    "Well..."


    "He''s going to become a beast!" QD said with a grin before he could say anything.


    "A beast?" They muttered in unison.


    "Yup! A s.e.x beast to be precise!"


    "...Hah?"


    "Your Mr. Cassanova here would become a s.e.x-crazed beast that would **** any- Gueh!"


    Before she could finish her words, Issei smacked her head.


    "You totally deserve that, Qu." Arthur remarked.


    "Don''t say it as if I''m some sort of deviant," Issei said annoyedly.


    "Bhuuu... But it is true though... You literally took on the kalars race all by yourself. There''s around a thousand of them at that time and you nailed all of them." QD muttered while rubbing her head.


    The girls'' body who heard their conversation has their ears perked up.


    No matter if it''s Sona, Tsubaki, Le Fay, Elmenhilde, or even Gabriel... All of them noted this piece of information that they just obtained.


    From the corner of his eyes, Issei noticed the Eve trio discussing something between themselves.


    When they realized his gaze, they smiled mischievously at him.


    Issei narrowed his eyes at this... They''re plotting something...


    "I still can''t believe that he''s Issei, you know..." Aika who has been observing Issei for a while said in disbelief.


    "Well, I can understand why you can''t believe it but he is indeed Issei Hyoudou himself. I can confirm that... Oh wait, his full name now is Issei Savant Hyoudou." Sona said while adjusting her glasses.


    "Hee... By the way, Hyoudou. Where''s Asia and the others? I haven''t seen them in a while." Aika asked.


    Her question made the whole room froze.


    "Hm? They''re at my home." Issei said offhandedly.


    Aika could sense something was off after sensing the atmosphere so she just nodded half understandingly.


    "I-Issei-sama!" Le Fay shouted suddenly: "I-I baked some cookies! Please try it if you''re willing!"


    She presented a bag of heart-shaped cookies to Issei.


    "Oh? Sure." Issei took the cookies bag from her hand and proceed to eat one of them.


    "It''s delicious." Issei praised.


    "Th-Thank you very much!"


    "It should be me who''s thanking you, right?" Issei smiled wryly at her.


    "Y-Yes, I-I''m sorry!" Her face becomes more flushed after receiving his praise.


    "No, you don''t need to apologize either..."


    The other girls pouted jealously at their little exchange.


    They started thinking that they should''ve baked some cookies as well before arriving here...


    Of course, if Sona were to really bake some cookies of her own then... it would be a completely different story...


    Sirzechs and the others heaved a sigh of relief since it seems that Issei doesn''t seem to be bothered by Aika''s question just now...


    "So, Issei... What''s your plan from now on?" Azazel asked.


    "Hm? My plan?"


    "Yeah, now that you''re the big shot of the multiverse... What is your next plan?"


    "Nothing," Issei said almost immediately.


    "Nothing?"


    "I don''t really have any plans other than keeping my loved ones safe. Things such as world domination or anything like that are of no interest to me. My only wish is to have my loved ones safe and happy, and that''s it. No more no less."


    "Hmm, I see... That''s just like you I guess..." Azazel said with a smile.


    This is what makes him special... Unlike most people who usually dream big. His dream is unbelievably simple... Minus his harem dream from before that is since that dream is big in its own right.


    But this is also what makes him who he is...


    All of them shares the same thought.


    "You should aim higher, boy." QD said with a click of her tongue: "Perhaps you should go control the whole multiverse! That would be so much fun!"


    "No. That would only be a bother for me. The amount of paperwork I need to sign would be enormous and my time with my wives and little princess would be reduced by a lot." Issei stated as a matter of fact.


    "I feel you, brother." The four faction leaders said with a knowing smile.


    It seems that not even the almighty Godking could face the dreaded paperwork.


    "Wait... Little princess?" Azazel repeated in confusion.


    As if right on cue, there''s a spatial opening that appeared above Issei''s head.


    "Father!" And from it, Shirayuki pops out with her arms outstretched and a huge smile on her face.


    Issei caught his little princess with a smile: "What are you doing here, little princess? Where''s your mother?"


    "This one is here, husband..." Shen Xi emerged from the same spatial opening.


    They''ve already discussed before that in front of Shirayuki, Shen Xi would call him husband. So that she doesn''t get suspicious of their relationship.


    "Don''t let her out of your sight, understand?" Issei said with a slight frown.


    Even though Issei has already erected multiple barriers surrounding Shirayuki just in case some idiot wanted to harm her just like that trash before, he still won''t let his little princess left unattended.


    "This one understands." Shen Xi said obediently with a thin smile adorning her face. She''s happy that her lord husband is this caring towards their daughter.


    "Muu, father!" Shirayuki protested.


    "Mm? What''s wrong, little princess?"


    "Why didn''t you bring me with you!" She puffed her cheeks at him.


    "Err, sorry... How about as an apology father will bring you to lots of places to play after this?" Issei said in a spoiling tone.


    "Really? Yay!" She cheered almost instantly.


    The DxD group are slackjawed at the sight of Shirayuki.


    Alike... This little girl is so alike with him...


    "I-Issei... Is this..."


    "Yep. She''s my daughter. My little princess and the apple of my eye." Issei said proudly.


    "O-Oh... And is this lady your new wife that you obtained from the other world?"


    "Her name is Shen Xi and... It''s a long story," Issei said with a wave.


    They could sense something was off with how Issei interact with Shen Xi. He''s a bit cold towards her compared to his other wives... They concluded that there must be something more than meet the eyes between them so they don''t ask any more questions...


    "Father, who are they?" Shirayuki finally notices Azazel and the others.


    "They''re father''s friends." Issei informed her while patting her head: "Now little princess. Introduce yourself to them just like how we practiced beforehand."


    "En!" Shirayuki nodded obediently.


    She goes down from Issei''s lap before she introduces herself: "Nice to meet all of you. My name is Shirayukihime Savant Hyoudou... But you can call me Shirayuki. I''m currently three years old and I hope we can be friends." She ended her introduction with a slight bow and a wide smile.


    All of them there, regardless of gender felt like their heart has been shot with an arrow right in the center.


    "Kyaa! So cute!" The girls shouted at the same time. Their reaction is similar to Semiramis and the others when they first saw her.


    But this time Shirayuki is prepared so she no longer feels afraid.


    "Sh-She can be considered my great-granddaughter right, Issei-kun?!" Odin said excitedly.


    "She could but I would prefer if you don''t scare her with your enthusiasm."


    "She''s basically your split image, Issei... Seriously though, if she were to grow up then she would absolutely become a stunning beauty just like her parents." Azazel smirkingly said.


    "I won''t give her to you. Even if it''s you, Azazel-sensei." Issei said seriously.


    "...I never said I want to take her away though..." Azazel said with a sweat.


    Sirzechs looks at Shirayuki with a regretful gaze. If Rias didn''t mess up... this little cutie would''ve been his niece...


    Michael on the other hand only looks at Shirayuki with a gentle smile. Knowing their parents then this little lady would be a kind lady when she grows up.


    That means the peace they currently have will go on. The last thing they need is an offspring of the strongest True God going on a rampage...


    "Well, I believe it''s time for me to go. Come, little princess. Father will take you to lots of places to play." Issei called Shirayuki who''s currently being cuddled by Gabriel.


    "Okay! See you later big sisters!" Shirayuki excused herself with a wide smile.


    The girls returned her wave with a smile of their own.


    Issei then picked her up.


    "Then I''ll see all of you later." Issei said with a smile.


    The girls nodded shyly at him while the guys waved back.


    And with that, Issei leaves the room with Shirayuki in his arm.


    Shen Xi gives a little bow at them before she followed Issei.


    The girls felt a little disappointed seeing Issei leave...


    "What do you think of that woman just now? The way Issei treated her seems a little off if you ask me." Azazel said when Issei disappears from their sight.


    "Eh, that woman hasn''t been really accepted by him to be his mate. We Dragons always give our mate a and knowing that boy''s personality coupled with the fact that woman didn''t have his on her so it''s safe to say that woman probably took advantage of him during his defenseless state or something." QD said with a lack of interest.


    All of them there know that Shen Xi is a Dragon because of the aura she radiates.


    At this point in time, they''ve grown accustomed to a Dragon aura since almost all of Issei''s wives are Dragons themselves.


    With the exception of Semiramis, Forzelotte, and Scathach. The Kalars'' are a mix in between their primordial ancestor and Issei''s draconic essence so they could be considered half-dragon as well.


    "So envious... I wanted to bear Adan''s child once again..." The Eve trio said in pity.


    "You''ve given birth plenty enough with the original Adan, Eve. And it''s better if you stop calling him Adan since he already loses the memories when he''s still Adan... You will only annoy him if you keep this up." QD said with a snort: "Come Arthur, let''s go back."


    "Well... since Ada- I mean Issei, is no longer here then we will take our leave as well. Ah wait, Qu... Can you lend me that invention of yours? That one you told me about, the one that shaped like red and white ball?"


    "Oh, that thing huh... I don''t mind lending it to you but, if you want to use that thing to make the boy become drunk then you better forget it since I doubt he would fall for the same trick twice."


    "Hehe, don''t worry about that. We will think of something when the time comes~"


    While they''re still having their little exchange with each other, they disappeared into the spatial opening QD created...


    Once they disappeared, the faction leaders look at each other speechlessly.


    "Issei-sama''s child... I want one as well..." Le Fay muttered in a daze.


    The girls who heard her mutter started imagining having kids of their own and they unintentionally blushed...


    "Ne ne, So-tan..." Serafall nudged at her dazed sister.


    "A-Ah? Wh-What''s wrong, onee-sama?"


    Serafall then whispered something to Sona...


    Sona who heard her big sister''s whispering had her face turned completely red just like a ripe tomato. But she gives a shy nod in the end...


    Serafall who saw this grinned happily to herself.


    ...


    Years passed by since then...


    Semiramis and the others safely gave birth to their respective children and their everyday life is filled with nothing but endless joy.


    The DxD world didn''t really change much and they still stay peaceful... Not really surprising since one of the company is situated there with Tio and Tilt running it as the president and vice president.


    It is an undeniable fact that the company has successfully taken the top place in its business field for years to come.


    Issei sometimes pays a visit to the DxD world whenever he feels like it. The amount of work he needed to do has lessened greatly with the help of Rossweisse and the others who claimed to be his secretary.


    And right now...


    "Mm... Aah... Hah... Hn..."


    A creaking and m.o.a.ning noise can be heard inside Issei''s room.


    Issei is looming over a woman who spreads her leg to accommodate his entire length inside her.


    The woman m.o.a.ned l.u.s.tfully with every thrust from his h.i.p.s... Sometimes slow and sometimes it''s deep and sudden.


    The unpredictability of the way he moves made the woman anticipate of what''s to come.


    The way her bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts shakes only serves as a fuel to enhance his already endless libido.


    He moves his face closer to her and passionately kissed her lips.


    "Mmh... Mchu... Hhn..." The woman felt like she almost melted from the sheer pleasure. She could think of nothing else but him...


    Issei bites her lower lips gently and then proceed to entangle their tongues together while still moving his h.i.p.s in and out.


    After he stopped kissing her, he moves down towards her left b.r.e.a.s.t and started sucking on her n.i.p.p.l.e and lightly nip it with his teeth.


    The woman shuddered even greater than before when he does that. Her m.o.a.ns grow louder and more sensual.


    Her eyes are completely glazed over and she knows that the way she m.o.a.ns is completely unbefitting considering someone of her standing... This isn''t how she supposed to act in front of him but there''s nothing she could do since he practically has taken ahold of her entire body and soul.


    Then Issei moved to her right b.r.e.a.s.t repeating the same cycle with it...


    "Ah... I-Issei-sama..." The woman mewled.


    Issei''s response to the woman''s mewl is another deep thrust which made her m.o.a.n yet again.


    After thrusting for a while, Issei feels like he''s about to come.


    He wrapped his left hand around the woman''s back lifted the woman lightly and started a round of fast thrust while his right hand is supporting her bouncy ass preventing her from slipping away from his clutch.


    "Aah! Haah! Ahn! Mmn! Hahn!" The woman m.o.a.ned loudly and wraps her arms around his neck.


    "Ahn! I-I can''t... I-Issei-sama! Issei-sama!" She wailed.


    "Gh." Issei grunted lightly before he does a final thrust.


    His length plunges into her deepest part while his seed floods like a broken dam into her w.o.m.b.


    *SPLURT!* * SPLURT!* *SPLURT*


    "Ah... Ah..." The woman spasmed with her toes curled.


    Her entire mind went completely white... The feeling of his hot seed filling her w.o.m.b is so unbelievably good that she almost passed out.


    Issei smiled gently at the sight of her orgasmic look.


    He pulls her tight against his body as he continues to come still and then he kissed her.


    "Mmh... Mmnn..." She m.o.a.ned into his mouth with her eyes almost turning into a heart shape.


    She''s having multiple orgasms in the last few seconds. Now she understands why the other women needed help in dealing with his libido... A single woman won''t be able to last this treatment of his.


    She subconsciously took a peek to the side where another woman could be found twitching ever so slightly.


    Her flaxen colored hair lays sprawled on the bed with her chest heaving up and down. Sweats covered her entire body and there''s a small stream of white fluid flowing out of her crotch...


    The woman''s thought come to a halt when she felt the length inside her which just turned soft suddenly becomes hard yet again.


    She felt slightly concerned at this... If he were to go for another round then... could she even handle it? Won''t she lay paralyzed on the bed for the entire day just like her co-worker to the side?


    "I-Issei-sama..." The woman meekly called out. Thankfully there''s a sound of a bell ringing at this moment.


    Issei flashed a teasing smile at the woman in his embrace before he whispered huskily: "Too bad... It looks like our time is up."


    The woman felt relieved yet also disappointed at this.


    "But be prepared for the next time since I will go slightly more serious... Grayfia." He then lightly nip her reddened ears.


    "H-Hai..." Grayfia m.o.a.ned.


    "Now go take some rest," Issei said gently before putting her down on the bed.


    Grayfia nodded obediently since she really needed this rest...


    "I''ll bring some food for you two later. For now, just go lay down. This is an order by the way." He chuckled since he knows that his two maids would be against this.


    Who''s the second maid that lays to the side you ask? Well, it''s none other than Venelana herself.


    A year ago the two of them confessed to him. Issei is surprised by Grayfia''s case since he really thought that she''s Sirzechs''s wife...


    As for Venelana''s case... He''s really not that surprised.


    Political marriage is quite common and he could tell that Venelana and Zeoticus interaction seems a little off back when he was still a Devil.


    He has nothing against her even if she''s Rias''s mother so he sees no reason to refuse her advances.


    Issei gives the two women a kiss on their forehead before he started dressing.


    Grayfia gazes at his back with an enamored look.


    After giving her another smile, Issei went out of his room.


    "Good morning, Issei-sama." A group of maids bowed at him.


    Issei nodded lightly at their greetings.


    One particular maid peeked at his room and smiles wryly at the two women that lays sprawled on his bed... She feels a little awkward seeing how her own mother and supposedly big sister lay powerlessly on top of his bed.


    But then again... it''s really not her place to say anything about it. It is their master''s choice.


    This maid is none other than Rias Gremory and her peerage.


    "Issei-sama, Kozelotte-sama wanted to see you earlier." Akeno informed Issei respectfully.


    "Oh, got it." Issei nodded deciding to meet his little angel right this instant.


    They followed him from behind until Issei finally reaches Forzelotte''s room. They excuses themselves when he reaches his destination.


    This is enough... As long as they can stay by his side... Then it is enough...


    Rias and the others gaze dreamily at his back...


    The moment he opened the door to Forzelotte''s room. he''s greeted by the happy voice of his other little princess: "Ah! Papa!"


    "Heheh, have you been a good girl, Koze?" Issei caught the running toddler that''s headed his way.


    Unlike Shirayuki who looks similar to Issei, she looks similar to her mother instead but she inherited Issei''s eyes. Her full name is Kozelotte Savant Hyoudou.


    Forzelotte is the one who named her and she said she wanted her daughter to have a similar name with her and Issei gladly assent to it.


    Forzelotte has given birth to a daughter much to Issei''s delight. In fact, all of his children so far are girls... Not a single one of his wives managed to give birth to a son yet.


    But they''re not in a rush since they still have lots of time before, nay... they have an eternity of time together.


    Issei isn''t really complaining since he welcomes any little princesses he could get.


    "Yes, Koze has been a good girl!" Kozelotte nodded while snuggling her head in his chest.


    "She has been quite a handful." Forzelotte who''s inside the room said with a sigh.


    "Hm? But she looks like she''s behaving herself to me."


    "That''s because you''re here." Honestly... Their father is a daughtercon and their daughters are fathercons... Is there another perfect combination than this...


    "That means she''s papa''s obedient little angel, right?" Issei grinned at the little angel in his arms.


    "Yup! Ehehehe." Kozelotte grinned back at him.


    "Jeez... Sometimes me and the others are afraid that when our daughters grow up, they will still be as clingy as they are now with their father... How will they find their own husband later?"


    "I won''t give them to anyone!" Issei said seriously.


    "Must you be against it that adamantly..." Forzelotte said speechlessly at her daughtercon of a husband.


    "Don''t worry papa! Koze will always stay with you!" Kozelotte tugged at Issei''s shirt and flashed him a cute smile.


    Issei''s face went mellow right away looking at his precious little angel.


    "I''m glad that you''re this close to your daughters... but..."


    "Heheh, don''t worry, honey. I''ll give you lots of ''love'' too." Issei grinned mischievously at Forzelotte who blushed slightly in response.


    "You... idiot... don''t say that in front of our daughter..." She said with a slight pout.


    "Me too! Me too! Papa must love me lots too!" Kozelotte chirped.


    "Of course! Papa will always love you."


    "Yaaay!" Kozelotte cheered completely oblivious that the ''love'' her father meant was a different kind of ''love'' that he shares with her and her sisters...


    "Haah... I can''t sleep at night thinking that someday you might just ''assault'' your own daughters..."


    "There''s no way that would happen..." Issei said speechlessly.


    "Ehhh... Papa won''t ''assault'' me?"


    "A-Assault?! Who was it? Who taught you that word!" Forzelotte said angrily.


    (AN: The "assault" here seems normal for English reader but Forzelotte said it in Japanese. And she said the shortened version of "s.e.x.u.a.l assault" to which Kozelotte copied).


    "...You did. You say a lot of inappropriate things in front of our daughter." Issei said while giving Forzelotte a blank look.


    "...Ah."


    "And you''re a bit too strict. You must dote on her more." Issei added.


    "U-Um... wait... I''ve doted on her lots already. You''re the one who needs to be stricter to her."


    "Koze don''t want a strict papa!" Kozelotte said with puffed cheeks.


    "Yes yes. Only your mama needs to be strict, papa is the nice one." Issei said dotingly.


    "Yaay!"


    "Ise... We will be having a very long talk later." Forzelotte narrowed her eyes angrily at him.


    "Err... yes ma''am..." Issei said with a sweat.


    "So this is where you are, dearest." A sweet melodic voice can be heard coming from behind Issei.


    "Daddy!" Another toddler that looks the same age as Kozelotte hugged Issei''s leg from behind.


    Just like Kozelotte, this toddler looks quite similar to her birth mother and she also inherited her father''s wine-red eyes but there''s a tinge of red on her hair tip.


    Her full name is Ai Savant Hyoudou.


    Miraculously, both Forzelotte and Semiramis gave birth at the exact same time... Their rivalry didn''t stop though. Now they''re competing at who''s able to give birth to the next child the fastest.


    Needless to say that both of them are the one who keeps Issei busy at night most of the time.


    "Oh, how''s my little lovely Ai doing today?" Issei picked his other princess up with his other free hand.


    "She''s been great but... she won''t stop saying that she wanted to meet her daddy almost all the time..." Semiramis said with a sigh.


    "Daddy, Daddy~????" Ai hummed while hugging Issei''s neck.


    "...Seems like our worries are right... Looks like you''ve taken almost all of their affection." Semiramis said feeling a little jealous of how affectionate her daughter is towards her father: "You manipulated time just so you can spend most of your time with your daughter is commendable but in return, you took away most of their affection from us. Can you understand our worries as a mother, dearest?"


    "Umm... Sorry?" Issei said apologetically.


    "Hmph... You better give me another child soon then." Semiramis pouted.


    "Your wish is my command," Issei said with a refreshing smile.


    "Hold it." Forzelotte cut in: "That''s quite sly of you, sister... Isn''t today supposed to be my turn?"


    "Ara? It is? Sorry, I can''t remember." Semiramis said with a sly smirk.


    "Otou-chama!" Another shout followed soon after during their little banter: "Let''s fwight!"


    A toddler with long flowing scarlet hair run-up to Issei with a wooden sword in her hand. Unlike Kozelotte and Ai, she looks slightly younger.


    "Whoa there." Issei staggered lightly when that said toddler started clambering his leg until she finally settled on the last free spot, which is his head.


    When she''s settled there, she started asking Issei to fight her.


    "You''re so energetic this morning, little fairy." Issei remarked happily.


    "Heheh, looks like little Erza couldn''t wait to defeat her father it seems." Semiramis chuckled at the sight of Erza who keep nagging Issei to fight her.


    On a side note, Erza''s full name is Erza Belserion Hyoudou and she''s obviously Irene''s daughter.


    "You shouldn''t feel too happy about that... Did you forget her demand if she were able to defeat him?" Forzelotte said with a slight frown.


    Semiramis smile froze a bit when she''s reminded by Forzelotte.


    "Heheh, isn''t it a good thing that their dream is to defeat their old man?" Irene who just arrived said amusedly.


    "It is indeed a good thing... but what''s bad is that she wanted her old man to be her boyfriend if she were to win!" Forzelotte snarled: "And what''s worst is that you and Scathach are encouraging her for it and you''re also the one who taught them about it in the first place!"


    "Hahaha!" Irene laughed jovially.


    "Don''t just laugh, you musclehead..." Forzelotte rebuked tiredly: "Knowing that they''re the descendants of the strongest Dragon sometimes worry me... If there''s anyone capable of defeating him then it would be his own descendants but I don''t know how I should feel about it."


    "You should feel happy, sister. That means our daughters will be second strongest at the very least." Irene smiled.


    "Umu. What Irene said is right. Now my next dream of having my children defeating their father is one step closer." Scathach said right after she appeared right next to Irene.


    "Shishou? You''re here alone?" Issei asked. He thought that their daughter will be with her.


    "Ultear is with the others already. They''re waiting for you in the dining room." Scathach said with a smile.


    "Oh, okay then. Come, little princesses, let''s have lunch with your sisters and mothers."


    "Okay, papa/daddy/otou-chama!" The three toddlers replied in unison.


    "But you mwust fwight me after that, otou-chama!" Erza added.


    "Sure sure, whatever what my little fairy wants." Issei then carried the three toddlers with him.


    Forzelotte, Semiramis, Irene, and Scathach smiles warmly at this sight.


    "Hm? What are you girls waiting for? Come." Issei looked back and said lovingly towards his wives.


    """"Yes, dear.""""


    And that''s how they spent their time together in bliss...


    (AN: And this is it. Is this ending is good enough for you guys? There will be a side chapters that I will post once in a while so stay tuned! And with that said... you guys know the drill... Peace out girls scout!).


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 Chapter 144 - Side 1

    "Hmm, is this the right place?" A young girl wondered to herself while looking at the scenery below her: "Grandpa Zel said that this is the right place..."


    It''s a normal human city that couldn''t be normal except there''s a hidden aura that can only be felt by those of the supernatural world.


    "Mama and the others won''t tell me about it... but I''m still quite curious." The girl mumbled mischievously.


    The girl looks like she''s only around 13-14. She has a delicate face with fair, white skin and a pair of big, red eyes that she inherited from her father. Her beautiful, long hair is purple-colored, although her ends are mixed with crimson and for someone of her age, her body is already quite mature with how her full her chests and bottoms are.


    She wears a white uniform along with a white skirt and black tights and matching shoes.


    From her glossy lips, charming eyes, her sharp nose... All of them are perfect but the thing that stands out the most is the protruding pair of blackish crimson horns on the top of her head.


    Probably because her mother is quite bountiful herself so it''s probably in her genes.


    Even the Goddess of beauty Aphrodite or Ishtar themselves still couldn''t defeat them in terms of beauty or strength for that matter.


    They admit their defeat which is quite a surprise with how narcissistic the two are especially the Goddess Ishtar.


    The girl''s beauty is basically unmatched unless she is compared to her mothers and sisters... and surprisingly also her father.


    Her mothers and sisters and including herself are considered as the pinnacle of beauty while her father somehow, despite being a man could surpass that said pinnacle of beauty... Much to her mothers'' annoyance.


    The number of mothers she has is exactly at 1269 and it might still increase in the near future because of how many pursuers her father has... Not that they couldn''t understand why though.


    She and her sisters thought that their father is the best man in the whole multiverse. They''ve seen their fair share of men but not a single one of them could come close to their father.


    Hence they see their father as their ideal man... Unless another man could miraculously surpass their father then the chance of them gaining their heart is zero.


    While their father smiled from ear to ear from this piece of information, some of their mothers are having a massive headache.


    The girl eyed her surroundings from above. She has her wings out in the open but she''s not afraid of being seen by anyone unless they''re quite powerful themselves which is very rare.


    Her wings are colored purplish-crimson just like the color of her horns.


    She then spotted the place she was looking for.


    "Ah! That should be the place!" She said in glee before she flew towards that direction.


    When she reaches her destination, she saw a crowd of people wearing the same outfit according to their gender.


    "Hmm, I think I''m in the right place. Their outfit is still the same and I can sense a energy belonging to a Devil inside." She sniffed lightly.


    "Ah!" Then she spotted someone. It is a high school student of average height with short spiky brown hair, with two short locks of hair behind his head, and light brown eyes.


    "Hehe, he''s so cute when he''s still young." The girl giggled lightly seeing her target of interest.


    Then she followed the boy and observed his antics...


    To say that she''s not surprised seeing how the boy is peeking some girls changing their clothes at first hand would be a lie but, she doesn''t really care that much since she''s already informed of this before.


    She chuckled lightly seeing how the boy finally got caught by the angry mob of girls.


    After that, the boy and his two friends laid down under a tree before they started blaming each other since two of them escaped while the boy is left behind.


    The boy then accidentally saw a girl with red hair gazing at him from above.


    "Hmm, that must be her." The girl mumbled while looking at the red-haired girl by the window.


    And for the rest of the day, the girl keeps observing the boy... So far what she witnessed is the same as she has been told before.


    The girl still has fun regardless until she saw the boy got confessed by a beautiful woman with raven black hair.


    The boy happily accepts her confession and they decided to have a date tomorrow.


    The girl knows that there will be no more incidents today... she took out a small floating castle from her spatial magic and went inside it to wait for tomorrow.


    There are gardens containing a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and vines, resembling a large green mountain constructed of mud bricks in the castle surroundings.


    The floating castle is gifted to her by her very own father.


    While it is small in the view of the girl, the castle could easily house a thousand inhabitants if it is allowed to.


    The castle''s automatically hidden itself from the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    "Hmm, I wonder if it will work as intended..." The girl wondered to herself inside her castle.


    She has been taught by her own father on how to use time magic. If she''s successful then she doesn''t need to be worried about her mothers discovering her current mischievous act.


    She won''t be able to fool her father though... But thankfully her father is currently accompanying one of her mothers to her homeworld so that should give her a little bit of time at least until she finds what she wants.


    The girl waited for a bit to see if there''s any disturbance in the air and to see if her mothers are searching for her.


    When she realized that there doesn''t seem to be any abnormality, she decided that the spell was a success.


    She then changes to her pajamas before she lay on her bed to call it a day.


    "Hehehe, Papa..." The girl mumbled in her sleep dreaming of being embraced lovingly by her beloved father.


    ...


    The next day, the boy finally had his date with the raven-haired girl.


    They seem to have fun for the entire day much to the observing girl''s slight jealousy.


    When the sun goes down, that''s where it all began...


    The raven-haired girl turns out to be a fallen angel and she stabbed the boy with a light spear... killing him in the process.


    Even though the purple-haired girl has been told about this part... She still couldn''t completely calm herself down.


    She gritted her teeth while her aura flared out of her body like a tidal wave.


    Power...


    Pure, una.d.u.l.terated power...


    As soon as the wave of power made itself known whether it''s the waiting Devil or the fallen angel below her... All of them shuddered greatly while cold sweat started to pour down on their whole body.


    "What was that?!" One of the stronger individuals who''s currently resting shouted in alarm.


    "Where is it from!" Another one inquired solemnly.


    "It''s from over there!" Yet another one said.


    The three of them, albeit from a different location, after finding the source of the dangerous aura immediately teleported themselves to that said location.


    The fallen angel who just killed her so-called date had it the worst since she''s basically right at the center of the storm.


    After a few seconds, the girl finally took a deep breath to calm herself down... Only then the fallen angel manage to gain control over her body and she wastes no time before she flew away in a hurry.


    "Ah..." The girl covered her mouth realizing her blunder.


    She hastily created a spatial opening to leave the place less there will be more complications.


    No longer than five seconds later, a group of supernatural beings appeared at the place where she just disappeared.


    They are surprised seeing one another there but after a brief exchange, they sensed another presence nearing their location which made them feel very tense.


    The owner of that said presence has the appearance of a cute young girl with long black hair down to her h.i.p.s and black eyes. Her ears differ from a normal human''s as they have pointed tips, although her long black hair makes this feature difficult to notice. Her dark grey eyes have reptilian slitted pupils.


    "...You... Why are you here..." One of the three stronger individuals said cautiously.


    But the young girl paid no heed to his muttering... She kept gazing at the place where the purple-haired girl just disappeared.


    After a short silence, the young girl extended her hand towards her front before she started forcing her way to open a new dimensional opening of her own.


    One of the newcomers sent a telepathic message towards the trembling group of young women on the ground below before they nodded direly.


    They took the dying boy on the ground with them before they teleported themselves away from that place...


    ...


    "Uwaah... I almost get caught just now..." The girl sighed to herself.


    But she just can''t help it... What she witnessed is not something she finds pleasant or acceptable in the slightest.


    If it wasn''t for the repercussion that might happen, she would''ve blasted that fallen angel to dust right where she stands...


    She wiped her nonexistent sweat before she decided to just call it a day for now... The boy should be okay according to what she knows.


    "Little sister..." Suddenly, there''s a tired sigh coming from behind her.


    The girl shuddered greatly before she comically turned around to face her subjugator.


    "E-Eldest sister..." The girl said while flashing a wry smile at her.


    The woman that she called elder sister has snow-white skin and also snow-white hair. She''s drop-dead gorgeous in every sense. Her red eyes are sharp but also look gentle at the same time.


    It''s clear that these two are sisters with how similar their eyes are albeit the elder sister looks more gentle. And the elder sister also has a pair of horns on top of her head but it is of different color and it looks more intricate and longer.


    Their age disparity is only by 4 years but she looks far more mature than the purple-haired girl.


    She looks calm, composed, and graceful befitting of someone of her appearance... She''s a fathercon just like her other siblings though...


    Her body shape is also more profound and she still hasn''t finished growing! One couldn''t imagine just how devastatingly beautiful she would become if she were to reach her maturity... Which is not really a surprise since their eldest sister is the one who looks the most similar to their dearest father.


    Perhaps, she''s the only one who could surpass their father in terms of beauty later on... Their father would''ve felt depressed if they were to say that he''s a beauty though.


    "What are you doing here..." The elder sister inquired softly.


    "U-Umm... Sightseeing?" The little sister said awkwardly.


    Her lies couldn''t be more obvious...


    "Honestly... You know that your presence here could cause some unwanted consequences right?" The elder sister gently admonished her little sister: "What would dear father say if he were to know of this?"


    "But eldest sister... I''m really curious about ''it'' you know..." The girl faked a tear.


    "Haah... If our mothers didn''t tell you about it then you shouldn''t have pry too much. Sometimes, it''s better to not know of something we weren''t supposed to know." The elder sister advised.


    "You know that it took mother five years to earn dearest father forgiveness, right? While I could understand dearest father''s feeling, I still hope he forgives her sooner..." She said while looking in the distance remembering that day... The day when she found out the reason just why her dearest father seems so distant with her birth mother: "But that doesn''t matter now since they''ve already started loving each other like a normal husband and wife." She shook her head erasing the thought.


    "Uuu... I understand..." The little sister said feeling a little guilty.


    "By the way, eldest sister. How did you find me here?" She asked curiously.


    "What do you think? I''ve known you and the others for years ever since you were still a baby." She raised one of her eyebrows knowingly: "And your energy spike just now serves as a beacon for me. You should be thankful that your outburst just now didn''t alert dearest father or any of our mothers."


    "O-Oh..." The little sister said embarrassingly while rubbing the back of her head.


    "Seriously... dearest father spoiled you too much... Perhaps I should tell your mother about this? Knowing dearest father''s personality, he won''t really care much about it and will only keep spoiling you like usual."


    "No no no! Anything but that!" The little sister said horrifiedly: "Don''t tell mama about this! Please, eldest sister!"


    She practically latched herself onto the elder sister''s body before begging her desperately.


    Just remembering the punishment she would receive from her birth mother scares her to no end.


    The elder sister chuckled at her little sister terrified expression before she gently pats her head: "Fine, I won''t tell her about this but you need to go back with me now."


    "Ehh... but..."


    "No buts." The elder sister said a little bit sternly.


    "But eldest sister... don''t you want to see papa when he''s still young?" The little sister asked calculatingly.


    The elder sister''s body jerked lightly hearing her words.


    Seeing this, the little sister eye flashed with a cunning light: "He looks so cute, you know? And the way he acts is also very funny. We could brag about how we saw him when he''s still young to the others!" She tempted her elder sister with her words which seem to be working.


    The elder sister''s eyes darted around while she''s having an internal struggle with herself.


    "Maybe we could take a few pictures of him and cuddle him to our heart content and... perhaps even more~" She whispered just like a little succubus... Well, she''s part demon herself so it''s really not far fetched to say that she''s a succubus.


    Her elder sister''s imagination started to get out of hand really quickly the moment she heard that.


    "...No. As tempting as that is. I don''t want to make dearest father feel upset." But in the end, she manages to fend off her desire.


    The little sister pouted and grumbled to herself seeing that she failed to tempt her elder sister.


    "Now come." The elder sister waved her hand to open another portal but to her surprise, she couldn''t do so.


    "What happened?" The little sister asked.


    "I can''t open the portal... It seems that something went wrong during the process of our teleportation..." The elder sister frowned deeply while trying to find just what causes this phenomenon.


    After a little bit of searching, she finally realizes the time axis is slightly distorted which in turn made them unable to pinpoint the exact location of their homeworld.


    "I guess we need to wait for the time axis to automatically fix themselves..." The elder sister said with a sigh.


    "How long would it takes, elder sister?" The little sister asked worriedly.


    "It shouldn''t be that long... Well, there''s nothing else we can do but wait... further tinkering with the time axis would cause more trouble than we needed..."


    "Yaay!" The little sister cheered happily.


    The elder sister could only smile wryly at her little sister''s antics: "Why are you feeling happy about this... We won''t be able to see dearest father for a while you know?"


    "It''s okay! Papa is still here, no?"


    "Well, yes... but..."


    "Then it''s okay! It''s not like we won''t be able to go back anyway. Grandpa Zel has warned me of this before and he said if it indeed happens then I shouldn''t worry too much."


    She can only hope that their mothers don''t find out about this or they will be punished...


    The elder sister also apologizes to her dear father inside her mind since she''s the oldest sibling, she should''ve set a good example to her younger siblings. But here she is joining her little sister in her act of mischief... Even though she''s forced to do so.


    The two of them sensed something trying to force their way into their location and they recognize this presence very well...


    "Ah... It looks like your outburst just now alerted her, little sister." The elder sister said admonishingly.


    "Oops...?" She sweated: "What should we do now, elder sister? We could prevent her from entering but it might alert papa..."


    Their father has given them a protective charm that serves as an alarm that will activate itself when they are forced to use almost all of their full power. The charm only activates itself when they''re not in their homeworld though.


    The reason for that is because, in their homeworld, there''s another set of divine magecraft at work.


    They obviously train themselves in their homeworld so it would be weird if their father is alarmed every time they have their training session.


    "Haah... There''s nothing else we can do but to face her... Even if we run now, she would give chase since she already remembered your aura just now. Just let me do the talking." The elder sister said sternly.


    "U-Un." The little sister nodded meekly.


    They can count on one hand of the number of individuals that could contend against their strength in this world... Unfortunately, the one who tries to breach into their place is one of them...


    *ZZTTT* *RIIIP*


    A few seconds later, she has finally succeeded.


    The three newcomers'' eyes went wide open seeing the two goddess-like beauty in front of them while the young girl is still emotionless.


    The three newcomers are a man.


    The first one seems to be in his early 20''s. He has shoulder-length crimson red hair and blue-green eyes.


    The second one is a tall man appearing to be in his twenties with an average build, black hair, golden bangs, and black goatee.


    And the last one is a man with long blond hair and green eyes.


    They only stare at each other in silence.


    "...You two... smells familiar..." The emotionless girl said breaking the silence: "You, have a Dragon scent on you... and not ordinary dragon... but a True Dragon God, just like me and baka red..."


    Her words immediately made the three men feel shocked.


    What?! These two seemingly young girls are a True Dragon God just like ''them''?!


    This young girl is one of the strongest beings in the universe and she''s saying that these two are similar to her!? They never heard of anything like this before! Just one of them is already dangerous enough but now you''re saying that there''s two more?!


    "Not only that... your aura is slightly similar to mine... why is that?" The young girl tilted her head.


    The two goddess-like girls sweated internally... Of course their aura is similar to hers... since she''s one of their mothers!


    "We apologize but we cannot answer your questions." The older of the two answered calmly.


    "Why?" The young girl repeated.


    "...We just can''t." The elder sister felt awkward talking to one of her mothers like this... She barely changes...


    Despite how many years have passed, despite how powerful she is, she''s still the same... she still looks clueless and innocent...


    Out of all their mothers, perhaps she''s the most gullible of them all.


    Even her birth daughter has more common sense than her... Not that they really mind since they love her regardless of her personality.


    "Oh..." Surprisingly, the young girl gives a light nod and doesn''t try to pursue her previous question.


    The young girl suddenly floats towards them and started to sniff their body more closely.


    "...I, like you two... Come with me." She then grasped both of their hand with her own and tried to pull them away with her: "I don''t like baka red but, I like you two..."


    They look like sisters now that they''re standing side by side... With the young girl being the youngest...


    But those who knew of their actual relationship would think otherwise... who would''ve thought that the youngest looking of them all is their supposed mother?!


    "Sorry... But we cannot come with you."


    "..." The young girl didn''t say anything but she keeps staring at them silently: "...If you don''t come with me then I will stay with you instead." She suddenly said.


    ''Uh-oh...'' The two sisters thought awkwardly inside their mind. They didn''t see this coming at all...


    They thought that they could talk some- no... This is her they''re talking about...


    They understand her personality well and nothing will be able to change her mind if she''s dead set on something... Perhaps their father could but he''s not with them right now...


    What would happen if she were to follow them back home? They couldn''t imagine the consequences of that...


    "Umm... Excuse me." The man with the goatee called out cautiously.


    All three eyes homing in on him which made him flinch.


    The other two men slightly take their distance from him as if they''re stating that they''re not with him.


    The first man who just called out felt pissed at this but since he has already initiated a conversation, he might as well go along with it... At most he would die... Okay, no... He''s afraid to die but who wouldn''t?


    "M-May I know what your business here? I mean, I know ''her'' well enough so I''m not really that surprised seeing her here but..." He asked with a sweat.


    There''s no reason to ask them about their identity since they already said that they can''t share that information.


    "You can relax... We don''t have any ill intent. Think of us as an observer, no more no less." The oldest girl said.


    "O-Oh, I see..." The man nodded apprehensively. Like it or not, they can only take their words for granted.


    If they want to bring harm to this world then... they can only hope for the best.


    "Now, if you would please leave us be."


    "G-Got it." The man said understandingly before they took a step back and the dimensional opening closed themselves.


    There''s an uncomfortable silence between the three men when they glance at each other wanting to know just what should they do now...


    Back in the dimensional void, the three girls had an awkward silence as well.


    But the purple-haired one broke the silence soon after: "Wh-What to do now, eldest sister..."


    "What else we could do? Just wait it out..." The elder sister said with a sigh: "When the time axis fixes themselves we will go back right away."


    "You''re going somewhere?" For the first time, the young girl finally let her emotion shows on her face. She frowned while the thought of these two leaving her side is... disagreeable: "I, will follow you..."


    They sweated at this... The elder sister gives her little sister an accusing look while the latter wryly smiled.


    ...


    A week passed since then...


    The two so-called "observers" along with one tagalong calmly observe the life of the very same boy who supposed to die at the hand of the fallen angel.


    The elder sister''s expression mellowed at the sight of him despite his perverted personality.


    "He''s so cute right, eldest sister?" The little sister said while giggling to herself.


    "En..." The elder sister nodded. But... there''s something wrong about him... something different from what they''re told...


    She couldn''t really tell what though...


    "But... Now that I sensed his aura... something is weird..." The little sister muttered unsurely to herself.


    The two of them shares the same thought.


    "...?" The young girl tilted her head in confusion at their conversation.


    What''s so interesting about him? He''s weak and doesn''t seem really special minus the inside his body...


    They saw him having a fight with a group of women headed by a single man which they find disgusting.


    He and his friends had a match with the opposing party. The opposing side, headed by a man with blonde hair wanted the boy''s party leader to marry her right away if they were to lose.


    They put up a good fight and close at winning the game but the blonde-haired man special constitution allows him to win the game single-handedly.


    Finally, incapable of doing anything as the boy''s body reached its limit due to the burden of his that is continuously placed on his body and was nearly beaten to death by his foe, forcing their party to resign...


    The two of them felt angry at the treatment of the boy but manage to hold themselves back from lashing out.


    The boy becomes frustrated and blames himself for his weakness only to be given a paper with a magic circle engraved on it by another woman they know well which allowed him to warp to the underworld.


    The three followed after him...


    Upon arriving at the engagement party hall, the boy challenged the blonde-haired man once again to a fight.


    The same crimson-haired man they''ve met before who''s also the bigshot of the underworld acknowledged the boy''s challenge.


    The two participants then got teleported to an arena.


    The three "observers" decided to go with them into the arena. They need to sense his aura up close. To see just what seems different about him.


    Their presence doesn''t go unnoticed... not that they wanted to hide it in the first place.


    "They are!" The crimson-haired man said in shock.


    He''s not the only one who feels shocked at their sudden appearance. While some have knowledge of their identities, the rest are captivated by their beauty.


    They couldn''t believe that there could be someone so devastatingly beautiful like this...


    Just when the crimson-haired man wanted to stop the match, he receives a voice transmission from them.


    He can only grit his teeth and let the match goes as intended while he started explaining the whole situation to his companions...


    "O-Onii-sama... Wh-who are they?" The red-haired girl who looks similar to the crimson-haired man asked.


    They obviously look similar to each other since they''re brother and sister.


    "Not now." Her elder brother said with a wave. He looks at the three intruders with dire expression.


    Back in the arena, the boy used his for a few seconds, in addition, his armored arm can now hold a holy cross, despite him being a devil, to use against his opponent. However, his armor disappeared quicker than agreed due to still being weak, even so, he regained the upper hand by poring Holy Water that''s been enhanced, onto his enemy making his special constitution rendered useless.


    He then doused the Holy Water onto the cross and transferred his remaining power to deliver a devastating punch that knocks his foe unconsciousness and won the fight.


    "As I expected... something is off with him..." The elder sister said with narrowed eyes looking at the triumphant boy.


    "Un... He... Doesn''t have mama''s inside his body." The little sister frowned.


    "Little sister... Did you say that prankster is the one who told you about this world coordinates?"


    "...Yes."


    "Haah... You of all people should''ve known that he''s not someone who can be easily trusted right?"


    "..." The little sister averted her eyes knowing that she has been fooled yet again...


    "Jeez, he must''ve thought that it would be funny to lead you here and see just what will happen to this world... Seriously, why did you keep falling for his trick anyway?"


    "But... it''s papa..."


    "I know it''s about dearest father but you shouldn''t trust others so easily like that. Did you almost forget back when someone tries to trick you using his name?" The elder sister felt annoyed thinking about that old coot with gray hair and beard... honestly, he''s such a troll...


    "I''m sorry..."


    "I''m not mad at you, little sister... I just feel worried about your safety..." The elder sister gently stroke her head: "When you cried back then, dearest father literally wiped that stupid man''s world out of existence. Granted, the inhabitants of that world is filled with evil people but still... You don''t want dearest father to stain his hand with the blood of the innocents right?"


    The little sister nodded while remembering her past when she''s still 6 years old... The enemy of her father tries to trick her by using his name but thankfully, her father gives her a protective magic rune which immediately alarmed him about her predicament.


    On that day... a world disappears into nothingness...


    She will tell their father about this troll act. Even if his ''crime'' is not really that fatal, he should at least lose a layer of skin...


    Somewhere in the void, a certain troll shuddered greatly.


    The youngest looking girl silently looks at them. Others might think that she doesn''t care seeing how emotionless she was but the two siblings could tell that she''s interested in their conversation.


    "...You, have a father?" She asked.


    The concept of a father or parent is quite distant for her. She''s born out of nothingness hence she doesn''t have any parents.


    The fact that these two who are similar to her having a parent is quite confusing for her.


    "Um... And he''s the best father in the world." The elder sister said softly to which the little sister gives an energetic nod.


    "Oh..." The girl nodded slightly before continues asking: "Is he strong?"


    "Very much so. He''s the strongest being in the multiverse... Even stronger than a certain ''baka red'' that you know." The little sister said with a giggle knowing their little feud with each other.


    "...I, want to meet him." The young girl said after her expression changes slightly.


    "Uhh... Maybe later?"


    "...Okay."


    They then exited the arena.


    The boy that they have been observing and his friends have already left probably because the crimson-haired man told them to leave the place.


    Those who were waiting for them outside went tense almost immediately.


    "U-Umm, I hope that fight was up to your satisfaction, milady." The crimson-haired man said nervously.


    To their satisfaction? A fight of that scale could barely count as a fight for them... He knows that his words are but empty lip service at this point.


    "It was okay." The elder sister said with a nod.


    "M-May I ask if you have some business with my sister and her friends?" He needed to know this since they seem to be interested in his little sister and her friends, especially that boy who just fought.


    "We were interested before, but now, not so much."


    "O-Oh? Did he do something wrong somehow? Perhaps he offended you?"


    "We thought that he''s the person we''re looking for but apparently not." The little sister said with a pout still feeling grumpy for being tricked yet again.


    It is a harmless prank but it stills annoys her seeing how she got tricked so easily like this.


    Even the old prankster doesn''t dare taking things too far with the descendants of the strongest being in the multiverse... It would be the last thing he does.


    "I-I see... that''s too bad then?"


    "Can I ask you something, Sirzechs Lucifer?" The elder sister said seemingly familiar with him.


    The crimson-haired man(who you guys probably already guessed already), is Sirzechs Lucifer, the big boss of the underworld.


    "Yes?"


    "Is Grayfia Lucifuge really your wife?"


    "Huh? Yes, of course."


    Even though Sirzechs feel baffled by their question but he still answered her regardless.


    The person in question herself also feels confused.


    The two siblings narrowed their eyes at her which made her having a cold sweat internally but she keep a calm facade on the outside.


    "...It''s true, eldest sister. She is really his wife." The little sister said with a sigh. Then it''s safe to say that they''re indeed in the wrong world and time...


    The two of them saw that Grayfia of this world is really Sirzechs''s wife since she already lost her vital yin.


    Whereas the Grayfia from their world is supposedly only married Sirzechs as a facade from what they''ve been told before.


    "Is something wrong?" Sirzechs asked.


    "No, nothing... We will take our leave then." The elder sister answered with a shake of her head.


    "Feel free to use this to contact us in case you need some help... With some price, of course." The little sister said with a cunning smile while giving Sirzechs their business card.


    "Little sister..."


    "Mama always said to take advantage of any situation you can get, eldest sister. Think of this as a chance for business, hehehe." She grinned slyly.


    The elder sister shook her head with a defeated smile. She''s right though... They can think of this as a business opportunity.


    "A-Alright." Sirzechs nodded awkwardly while he read the business card he just received.


    '' company?'' He never heard this company name before... Nevertheless, help from a strong being such as themselves is always welcomed.


    "That''s a magical card, just channel a little bit of your magic into it and you can contact us."


    "Oh, I see... What kind of payment are you asking for by the way?" He inquired further while he inserted the card into his pocket carefully.


    "We don''t need money, that''s for sure... Ah! Just give us some magical tools and the like."


    "Okay... May I know the name of our business partner then?" Sirzechs asked with a smile feeling slightly relieved that these two individuals don''t seem to be an evil person.


    "Oh, you can call me Kozelotte." The little sister said with a smile of her own: "And as for my eldest sister..."


    "You can call me Shirayuki." The elder sister said calmly.


    ...


    "Haahh..."


    "Don''t be so depressed, eldest sister..."


    "The fact that we won''t be able to see dearest father for a while is just... plain torture for me..."


    "A-Ahaha..." Kozelotte sweated at the sight of her elder sister feeling depressed.


    "I swear... when we get back. I will beat that old troll to a pulp!"


    "..." The young girl, whose name is Ophis looks at her silently before she started giving her head a pat.


    *PING!*


    "Oh, looks like they''ve contacted us already, eldest sister." Kozelotte said after sensing the energy signature coming from the card she gave Sirzechs.


    Kozelotte answered the ''call'' and had a brief conversation with Sirzechs.


    "Hmm, they wanted us to act as a mediator between their meeting with the other factions... A peace treaty he said..." Kozelotte mused after ending the call with Sirzechs: "Well, since we have nothing better to do, let''s just go, eldest sister."


    "Oh... Fine..." Shirayuki responded lazily.


    "Jeez, eldest sister... You are so prim and proper around papa but when you''re not with him you seems so lazy..."


    ...


    When they appeared at their designated location, those who haven''t seen them before felt their breath stagnated because of how beautiful the two siblings are.


    The location of the meeting is at the school of his sister. The whole school was enveloped in a strong barrier but Shirayuki and Kozelotte can easily bypass the barrier like it was never there.


    "Nice to see you again, lady Shirayuki, lady Kozelotte." Sirzechs greeted with a smile.


    "Wow... So pretty... And so- MMPH!" A brown-haired boy was about to comment on their beauty and something else when his friend covered his mouth almost immediately.


    The boy is none other than their target when they first arrived in this world. But since he''s basically not the man they''ve been looking for, the two of them lost interest... Albeit not completely since he still looks a bit similar.


    "P-Please excuse his behavior." His friend who covered his mouth said apologetically.


    "It''s fine." Kozelotte giggled lightly.


    On the corner of their eyes, they could see Serafall Leviathan standing defensively in front of her little sister much to the latter embarrassment...


    "Hehe, they all look so alike right, eldest sister?" Kozelotte giggled seeing how they all look similar to the one from their homeworld.


    "Um... Except for ''him''." Shirayuki nodded while looking at a girl with long silver hair who''s leaning on the wall to the side.


    "Ah..." Kozelotte froze a bit when she saw this woman.


    The woman in question is looking at them with interest.


    Kozelotte flashed with a wry smile seeing how similar this woman is with her uncle Vali back home...


    And considering how they can sense her , it''s safe to say that this woman must be the Vali of this world.


    "Let me introduce you to our allies..." Sirzechs said with a polite smile before he started introducing those who are present.


    On the Devil side, they have Sirzechs, Serafall, and Grayfia.


    Angel side, Michael and Gabriel.


    Fallen angel side, Azazel and Penemue.


    "...What business do you have with the Ouroboros Dragon?" Vali who has been silent asked lightly: "I''ve heard that you''re as strong as her... Is that true?"


    There''s a slight glint of her eyes as if she''s feeling excited with the possibilities that these two siblings are as strong as the Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis.


    "Oi, Vali." Azazel frowned but Vali paid no heed to his words.


    "...Their gender might be different but they have the same personality." Kozelotte muttered with a wry smile.


    "What? Whose gender is different?" Vali asked with a frown but she soon waves it off: "I''m disappointed with this generation since he''s such a weakling."


    "Oi!" Hyoudou Issei called out feeling indignant.


    "It would be more interesting if you two are as strong as you claim," Vali smirked ignoring his shout.


    "Whether we''re strong or not is something you need to find out by yourself... But we won''t claim to be the strongest since that title belongs to our dearest father." Shirayuki said calmly.


    "Oh? Then will you fight me?" Vali said feeling eager with the notion of fighting them: "Maybe I could even fight your father later."


    "Jeez... They''re basically one and the same at this point..." Kozelotte mumbled once again seeing Vali itching for a fight.


    "And what will you offer in exchange for our fight?" Shirayuki asked with a calculating glint in her eyes: "Are you willing to bet your as an exchange if you were to lose?"


    Her words made Vali feel stumped.


    [Forget it, Vali... They''re not someone you can take on.] Albion, the Dragon soul who''s residing within her advised.


    "...How can I know if we don''t try?" Vali tried to reason.


    [You don''t need to try to know whether you have a chance or not... Ever since they stepped into this room, my whole being has been trembling fiercely... not with excitement I mind you... but rather because of fear!]


    Albion''s words made those who are present become shocked.


    They never heard one of the Heavenly Dragon felt fear before... Even when facing Ophis or the Great Red, he only feels cautious but never afraid.


    [Don''t you feel the same way, Red-one?]


    [...Indeed. Even though I hate to admit this... but I do fear them...] A grumpy voice can be heard from Hyoudou Issei''s materialized : [If possible... Let''s avoid fighting them at all cost, partner... And don''t even look at them with your perverted eyes!].


    "O-Oh, got it..." Hyoudou Issei scratched his head in embarrassment. He''s a pervert but not a complete fool...


    They unconsciously gulped out loud hearing the two Heavenly Dragon little exchange.


    "Okay okay! Let''s just put this conversation aside... We have a meeting to attend to." Azazel changed the subject with an exaggerated gesture: "First of all, I apologize for my subordinates'' action towards the and also because of Kokabiel attack a few days ago."


    "All is well... We''re here to sign a peace treaty with each other." Sirzechs said with a nod: "Now I invited our honored guests here to act as an observer. I hope all of you don''t mind it."


    They give a nod signaling their agreement.


    "Please, take a seat." Sirzechs gestured to the two siblings.


    They nodded and took their respective seat. Sirzechs and the others followed suit only after they are seated.


    "Now let''s begin our meeting..."


    "God and Devil King had died, our three factions also because of the previous war is unable to continue to lose more people again, to let our race able to survive, the war should not break out again."


    "Agreed."


    "That''s why..."


    They begin their meeting but the two siblings barely pay any further interest to their conversation...


    "Hmm, so far it''s been the same as we''ve been told..." Kozelotte said: "But... I guess it''s not completely the same either..."


    "Um."


    Nobody there could hear their little exchange but Ophis. Not that she cares though...


    She''s seated in Shirayuki''s lap while munching on a doughnut that Kozelotte share with her.


    "Delicious?"


    "Um, it''s, very delicious..." Ophis nodded while she''s still munching on her doughnut.


    "Right? Papa is the one who made it!"


    "Umm, excuse me..." Michael called out politely.


    The two siblings set their attention to him.


    "You said that you have a father? May we have the honor to meet him as well?"


    "Humm... I don''t know about that..." Kozelotte said with her lips upturned: "Papa is currently away you see... He''s accompanying one of our mothers to her home."


    "O-Oh, I see..." Michael sweated at their words, ''mothers''? Does that mean their father has multiple wives? A harem?


    A certain brown-haired boy cried tears of blood when he heard their words. If their daughter is this beautiful then it''s safe to say that their mothers are also a beauty themselves... He''s so jealous!


    His friends look at him with a bitter smile.


    "Here''s your tea." Grayfia politely served them a cup of tea.


    "Thank you, Grayfia mama!" Kozelotte said without thinking much.


    "...Huh?" All of them let out a dumbfounded voice when they heard her words.


    "Ah..." Kozelotte covered her mouth after her slip up.


    "Little sister..." Shirayuki deadpanned.


    "S-Sorry... But it''s not like it will affect the future anyway, eldest sister. They''re not the person that we knew."


    "U-Umm, sorry but... What did you just say? Grayfia mama?" Sirzechs sweated while his imagination started to run amock thinking that his wife had an affair behind his back.


    "By the way..." Shirayuki said while looking outside the window: "Are you expecting for more company?"


    "Eh? N-No, we''re not." Michael replied despite his shock.


    "I see... Then it''s safe to say that these newcomers are not from your side."


    "What?"


    Less than five seconds passed, there''s a loud explosion coming from outside the barrier.


    A loud boom resounds through the horizon. At once, one by one, a black-robed person appears from Magic Array surrounded the whole area.


    Most of the Angel, Fallen Angel, and Devil soldiers who are situated nearby are incapacitated.


    Headed by Sirzechs, Grayfia, Serafall, Azazel, and Michael they felt like their surrounding is going slower than usual.


    Rias, Sona, and their peerage are frozen in time... With the exception of Hyoudou Issei since he''s protected by his .


    "Ah, so this is uncle Gasper''s ..." Kozelotte muttered.


    Shirayuki waved her hand gently and those who are frozen in time are freed from its effect. They are in a state of shock and bewilderment but nevertheless unharmed.


    "So, Vali... Will you go join your friends now?" Shirayuki asked.


    "What? Vali?" Azazel frowned.


    "...It seems that you already know of my involvement." Vali smirked before she took off into the air with her out in the open.


    "Sorry, Azazel." In midair, Vali sound echoed: "I want to have a fight with strong beings rather than plain peace, therefore is more suitable for me."


    "?" They never heard of this name before making everyone frown... with the exception of Azazel.


    He curled his lips and said with a smile: "Before, our Fallen Angel vice-governor stared at a suspicious group, they are a threat to the three big factions, their goal was destruction and chaos, in brief, was one crowd of terrorist that could not get used to seeing the world peace, was that ?"


    "Indeed." Vali admitted with a grin.


    The magic circle then appeared beside her location. As they saw it, all the leaders of the three great factions were shocked.


    No, Azazel laughed, and Sirzechs made a sour expression.


    "...The magic circle of Leviathan."


    A single woman appeared from the magic circle. She was wearing a dress that was extremely low-cut and had a high slit on it.


    "How do you do, current Maou Sirzechs-dono?"


    The woman greeted Sirzechs with a fearless tone.


    "The one descended from the blood of the previous Leviathan. Katerea Leviathan. What is the meaning of this?"


    They have their little drama exchange to which Kozelotte just yawned in boredom.


    "All of them are basically spouting the same nonsense once you heard them... An arrogant or greedy idiot who doesn''t know when to quit." Kozelotte mumbled boredly.


    Shirayuki just chuckled lightly at her little sister''s words.


    "Umm..." Sirzechs wryly said. Her words are indeed funny and true but still...


    Katerea who''s in the air scowled at Kozelotte.


    "Who are you brat! Did your parents never told you to respect your elde-"


    *BOOM!*


    Before she manages to finish her words, her body suddenly descends to the ground creating a giant crater in the process.


    All of them are stupefied since they didn''t see what just happened to her. When they look back at Kozelotte, they saw her frowning face and her right hand extended.


    "Hmph!" She snorted lightly: "My papa and mama taught me a lot of things but listening to a rambling of an idiot is not one of them!"


    "Dearest father always said that respect is earned not demanded regardless of age or identity," Shirayuki said softly.


    Katerea herself is already silent and doesn''t make a single sound anymore... It''s clear as a day that she is either died or has been knocked out cold.


    Poor idiot... They all thought to themselves...


    Vali who saw this become tense...


    [Vali... I suggest you leave now or you won''t have a second chance.] Albion said direly.


    "Tsk..." She clicked her tongue before she went away with teleportation magic.


    She''s unwilling to retreat but what chance does she have when she couldn''t even realize what Kozelotte just did? And she''s right beside Katerea Leviathan herself!


    She wanted to fight strong beings but the odds are completely against her... Retreating her would be the best option for now.


    She can just find them again once she got stronger later on.


    Shirayuki and Kozelotte didn''t stop her from teleporting away.


    Sirzechs wanted to say something when he realizes the gesture Kozelotte is making.


    She''s making an "O" shape with her finger meaning that he need to pay if he wanted their help.


    He smiles wryly at this sight... He guesses he could take care of the rest... After all, the strongest combatant from their side is already down for the count and the other one has already fled.


    The magician and the others from the enemy side are easily taken care of without their leader leadership...


    Gasper is rescued soon after by Hyoudou Issei and his friends.


    ...


    "So... What''s that about you calling Grayfia ''mama'' again?" Sirzechs asked anxiously.


    "Err..." Kozelotte averted her eyes: "Umm... you heard me wrong?"


    The only response she receives is a deadpan gaze. They clearly didn''t believe her...


    "We came from the future or at least we thought we were." Shirayuki calmly said.


    "Future?"


    "Um... At first, we thought that we successfully went back in time but apparently not."


    "What does that mean?"


    "That means that this world is only a parallel world at best. Similar to our own world but not completely the same... For example, back in our world, there''s another Sirzechs Lucifer and also Grayfia Lucifuge. But in our world, Sirzechs Lucifer and Grayfia Lucifuge is not really a husband and wife."


    "Interesting... I never heard of anything like this before..." Azazel muttered. As for the chance of them lying, that seems unlikely.


    After all, there''s really no reason for them to lie considering how strong they are. Rather than tricking them to get what they want, killing all of them here is much easier and faster.


    "And the reason that you call her ''mama'' before is because..." Sirzechs trailed.


    "Um. In our world, Grayfia Lucifuge is one of our mothers."


    "I-I see... May I know why that world Grayfia Lucifuge is not married to ''me'' who''s over there?" Sirzechs asked awkwardly.


    "According to her, they were enemies at first. Is it the same over here?"


    Sirzechs and Grayfia nodded at this affirming her question.


    "Sirzechs Lucifer of that world has someone he loves but that person already died and he accidentally cause the death of her sibling... and also... he''s impotent..." Shirayuki smiles wryly at the stupefied Sirzechs Lucifer.


    Grayfia Lucifuge sniffled a laugh to the side whereas Azazel laughed out loud. Even Michael could barely contain his laughter despite how rude it is...


    "Their marriage was only a facade she said to ensure peace from both sides... Then you should be able to guess about the rest from there."


    "Pfft... S-So, hahahah... Wh-What about me?" Azazel asked in between tears.


    "You? You are our grandfather you could say... Since our dearest father thought of you as his father figure."


    "Oh? And who is this father of yours if I might ask?" Azazel asked feeling further amused.


    Shirayuki pointed her finger at Hyoudou Issei: "It''s him."


    "Eh? Me?" He pointed at himself.


    All eyes are on him feeling dumbfounded at this revelation.

 Chapter 145 - Side 2

    "WHAT!!!" All of them shouted in disbelief, including Hyoudou Issei himself.


    "H-How... How is that even possible?!" Genshirou Saji said: "Are you sure that we''re talking about Hyoudou Issei here? The super pervert who would drool over b.o.o.b.s?!"


    "Oi! Even though I understand your disbelief, but that doesn''t mean you need to say that!" Hyoudou Issei said with gnashed teeth.


    "As we said... We are from a parallel world. They might have the same appearance and name but their personality and everything else might be different." Shirayuki stated calmly: "My full name is Shirayukihime Savant Hyoudou. The eldest daughter."


    "Mine is Kozelotte Savant Hyoudou." Kozelotte said with a smile: "Second oldest daughter... I think?"


    She''s always been told by her mama that she''s the second eldest but... she and Ai should''ve born at the same time according to their father.


    "And our dearest father''s name is Issei Savant Hyoudou." Shirayuki continued.


    "O-Oh..." They nodded dumbly.


    "Savant? Is that his middle name over there?" Azazel asked with interest.


    "According to mama, Papa took her family name when they''re married and made it into his middle name. Papa''s original name is also Issei Hyoudou but mama is the last descendant of her family hence why Papa took her family name as his middle name."


    "Wait!" Hyoudou Issei''s eyes went bloodshot when he realized something: "Didn''t you said that you have multiple mothers before!?"


    "Indeed," Shirayuki affirmed.


    "H-How many mothers do you have?! How many women are in my parallel self harem?"


    "We have exactly 1269 mothers at the moment and it might still increase since dearest father has many pursuers," Shirayuki informed the stupefied Hyoudou Issei.


    "H-Harem king... my other self is a true harem king..." Hyouodu Issei muttered while he slumped to the ground as if he just lost his soul. The amount of jealousy he currently has is unimaginable... He wanted to scream indignantly and how unfair this world is but he just can''t... that''s how shocked he is...


    "S-Seriously? That world Ise has 1269 wives?" Xenovia muttered incredulously.


    "M-My lord..." Irina covered her mouth in shock.


    "Ufufufu... Ara ara, that world Ise has been busy I see." Akeno giggled seductively.


    "Uuuu... Ise-san..." Asia pouted.


    "...Omega pervert." Koneko said monotonously.


    "A-Ahahah..." Yuuto Kiba smiled wryly at this revelation.


    "A-Amazing, Ise-senpai..." Gasper said feeling amazed.


    "You said that Issei has Grayfia as his wives. What about us? Is there anyone else that we might know?" Rias asked nervously.


    "Hmm..." Kozelotte tilted her head and started to look at the girls inside the room.


    "One of the reasons why I came to this world is to find out just why papa didn''t have you 6 as his wives. I mean, the 6 of you serve our home as maids... You 6 are also quite close to us siblings but for some reason, even though the you over there clearly love father dearly, papa never made you as his wives..." Kozelotte said with a slight frown on her face.


    Rias and the rest froze when they heard this... Even though that Issei is not their Issei... It still saddens them a bit.


    "What?! Why didn''t the me over there take Buchou and the others as his wives?! They are obviously great beauties!" Hyoudou Issei fumed earning a blush from the 6 for being complimented like that by him.


    "That''s what I wanted to know too... They always said that they''ve done something stupid and said that they didn''t deserve father''s love. We''ve never tried asking papa before since our mothers always said that it''s best if we didn''t know..."


    "Then maybe we should keep it that way." Shirayuki sighed.


    "Muuu... fine..." Kozelotte pouted but agreed regardless.


    "Who else became his wives?" Azazel asked avoiding the topic.


    "Well... there''s Serafall mama, Sona mama, Gabriel mama, Tsubaki mama, Reya mama..." Kozelotte said while counting her fingers.


    Those who had their names mentioned become utterly dumbfounded... Especially Sona and her peerage.


    But that''s not the end... What Kozelotte said next made the two crimson-haired siblings become frozen stiff like a statue.


    "Ah, there''s also Venelana mama."


    Most of them had their face twitching a lot... They didn''t know whether they should laugh or just feel amazed at this point... perhaps both...


    "H-H-How come my mother become that Issei''s wives?!" Rias asked stutteringly.


    Sirzechs also wanted to know the answer to this.


    "Hmm, Venelana mama said that her marriage before was without love and only because of a political marriage. She said that she never really loves her ex-husband."


    "..."


    "...B-Buchou''s mother is also my other self harem member?" Hyoudou Issei muttered and started to imagine just how beautiful the person in question since he never saw her before... But she must be very beautiful considering her children''s features...


    "Th-That''s impossible! Kaichou wouldn''t marry this perverted idiot!" Genshirou Saji shouted while pointing at the grinning Hyoudou Issei.


    "Calm down, Saji." Sona berated.


    "B-But..."


    "They''ve already said that it''s from a parallel world. The me over there is not the same me... I don''t have any affection for Hyoudou Issei. Perhaps I respected him to a certain extent after what he has done so far for Rias but that doesn''t mean I love him." Sona calmly stated while adjusting her glasses.


    "That''s right! So-tan is mine!" Serafall huffed through her nose like an angry bull: "I won''t give her away even to you Sekiryuutei-chin!"


    "I-It''s not me!"


    "Onee-sama... Please don''t embarrass me even further..." Sona sighed: "But... I''m quite curious myself. Why did the me over there married that world Issei? And is our personality differ that much?"


    "No... As far as we can tell... Your personality with our Sona mama is completely the same. Calm, intelligent, and collected most of the time unless you''re in front of papa to which you will keep losing your composure since papa is such a tease at times... The same goes for Serafall mama as in their personality is basically the same." Kozelotte said.


    "From what I''ve heard, one of the reasons why you married dearest father is because he defeated you in a chess game," Shirayuki added.


    "I-I see... So the me over there also has that ''vow'', huh..." Sona wryly said: "But it''s quite a surprise knowing that Issei could defeat me in chess over there... He must be very smart and intelligent himself."


    "Yup!" Kozelotte nodded proudly.


    "U-Umm, wh-what about Kiba-kun?" Tsubaki Shinra who has feelings for Yuuto Kiba asked anxiously.


    She doesn''t want to marry Hyoudou Issei! She wanted to marry Yuuto Kiba for Satan''s sake!


    "Kiba? Oh, you mean big sis Yumi. The Yuuto Kiba over there is a woman. She''s papa friend."


    "O-Oh..." They smiled wryly at this.


    Kozelotte and the others didn''t know about Kiba''s history. They only know that she''s their big sis and their father''s best friend.


    Kiba herself decided to change her name to Yumi Kiba ever since she became a woman.


    "Wait..." Azazel realized something when he looks at the silent Ophis: "Ophis said that you''re similar to her... does that means..."


    He didn''t need to finish his words since Shirayuki and Kozelotte understand what he''s trying to ask.


    "Yes... Mother Ophis is also one of dearest father wives. That''s why our energy and scent are similar to her."


    "H-How? I mean, I would understand if you''re Ophis direct descendant but you''re clearly not, right?"


    "Um. You could say that they''re connected with each other... hence why dearest father possess her aspect."


    "...Ddraig is my mate?" Ophis who has been silent the whole time asked while tilting her head.


    "No, not Ddraig... It''s Hyoudou Issei himself."


    "..." Ophis just give a silent nod and it''s unclear to them whether she truly understands or not.


    "But... I heard some rumors that Ophis is the leader of the . Is that true?" Azazel asked solemnly.


    "As for that... You might want to ask the person in question yourself. Our history might differ after all." Shirayuki said while making them look at Ophis.


    "...I, only give them ''snakes''. They said that they will kill Great Red for me if I were to give them my ''snakes''." Ophis said flatly.


    "Then... You''re not really the leader of ?"


    "Obviously not." Kozelotte said: "Ophis mama here only lend them her power since they can benefit each other or something like that. They clearly took advantage of her!"


    Ophis nodded at Kozelotte''s words affirming her words: "We, benefit from each other and that''s all there to is."


    She paused for a moment before she continues speaking: "But now... I''m more interested in the other Ddra- no... the other Issei? He, who has become the other Ophis''s mate..."


    Azazel''s group look at each other when they heard this feeling unsure of the whole situation.


    [While we''re at it... What about me? Since my partner clearly becomes the top dog of that world, then it''s safe to say that he managed to defeat the white one in that world, right?] Ddraig asked with interest.


    "You? Well... The you over there is a woman and she''s titled as the or by our enemies whereas dearest father is titled the . Your strength is only second to him and him alone."


    With the exception of Nyarlathotep mama that is... since she has her full strength sealed by their father.


    It''s not like Issei didn''t trust Nyarlathotep but her is too dangerous and potent to others... Others as in those who are not in the Godking family tree that is.


    Issei has already made his wives immune to for the last few years and his children automatically gained immunity from the moment they''re born.


    [Oh...] The Red Dragon let out a gobsmacked voice... He didn''t know how to feel about this... should he be happy or upset?


    On one hand, he''s basically the strongest over there but the thing is... he''s a "she" over there! And to boot it up, "she" is their host mate!


    [Wait... If our history is mostly the same then shouldn''t I only exist in the ? As in I''m supposed to be dead as well? How come my partner over there could marry ''me''?]


    "Ah, that''s because papa has a True Goddess of Death as his wife. She''s known by Lady Death by many before but her new name is Semiramis Hyoudou. She revived and freed you from the ... And to answer your first question just now, the Vali over there is a man by the way and yes, papa is able to defeat him very easily." Kozelotte chimed in.


    "Dearest father is not simply a ''top dog''... But he''s the strongest, the one who stands above all creation. Your three factions, Devil, Fallen, and Angel along with the Gods faction whether it be the Norse, Shinto, Greek pantheon, and so on. All of them work for him, he is their big boss basically." Shirayuki said with pride.


    To say that they''re beyond shocked at this point is an understatement... They never thought that the other Issei would be this powerful and influential...


    "A-Are you sure we''re really talking about Issei-san here?" Even the archangel Michael could find it extremely difficult to believe their words: "Like, I understand that they''re of different worlds but their disparity is just... No offense, Issei-san. Just like heaven and earth."


    "N-None taken Michael-sama... Even I find it weird..." Hyoudou Issei smiles wryly.


    "Of course they''re not the same but they''re very similar. Whether it''s their personality or history... At least from what we''ve seen so far." Shirayuki nodded: "I understand your disbelief but no matter how many times you ask us for confirmation, it''s completely true. Whether you believe us or not is up to you."


    Shirayuki can understand their disbelief but is the concept of a parallel world is that mindblowing for them? Well, maybe yes... but still, do they have to repeat the same question over and over again? She rolled her eyes at this...


    "Continuing our story... Dearest Father was once a normal human who possesses the inside his body then he got reincarnated as a Devil by Rias Gremory... He then defeated Riser Phenex, then he fought against Kokabiel and almost manage to defeat him when Vali arrived to take the latter away... And then, here we are, in the peace conference between the three large factions. You''re supposed to have a fight with uncle Vali as well but..."


    "Because of your interference, that didn''t happen?" Azazel finishes her words.


    "Indeed. But that''s just a possibility though and you shouldn''t completely take our words for granted even if they''re extremely similar. For example, you might ask what is the true objective of the and such but it''s best if you didn''t ask us about it to avoid further miscalculation."


    "So they exist as well in your world huh..." Azazel mused to himself: "While you might be right in that regard... I think it would be better if we know some of the possible scenarios don''t you think?"


    "We won''t deny that but... We won''t give it to you for free, obviously." Kozelotte flashed a sly smile at them.


    "R-Right..." They shook their head in defeat. Of course it won''t be that easy...


    *ZZTTT*


    A buzzing sound could be heard from Kozelotte... From her horns to be exact.


    The marking on her horns started to shine slightly.


    "A-Ah..." Kozelotte shuddered briefly while Shirayuki sighed to herself: "Looks like the cat is out of the bag, little sister..." Shirayuki then tapped Kozelotte''s horn lightly.


    "Huh? What''s wrong with her horns?" The clueless onlookers asked but soon they receive their answer when a blue projection of a woman appeared right in front of them.


    A woman who looks very familiar to them presented herself.


    "Where are you right now, Kozelotte." It is a bespectacled woman with a slim figure, long black hair, and quite busty body. She''s wearing a black business suit which accentuated her beauty even more.


    "A-Auu..." Kozelotte flinched under the woman''s piercing gaze.


    "Why didn''t you say anything if you were to go out? Don''t you know how worried we are, young lady?" The woman said sternly: "Shirayuki, you''re supposed to be the older one here..."


    The woman changed her attention to Shirayuki: "Wait... How come Ophis is there?" But she becomes confused seeing Ophis who''s seated in Shirayuki''s lap... Wasn''t she supposed to be in the children''s room right now along with Lilith?


    "S-Sorry, Sona mama... It''s my fault, not eldest sister''s."


    "It''s a long story, Sona okaa-sama..." Shirayuki said with a sigh.


    "Tell me then." The woman who now goes by the name Sona Sitri Hyoudou adjusted her glasses whilst frowning a little.


    While Shirayuki informed her about their current situation the group of onlookers had their eyes went wide open especially Sona Sitri herself...


    I-I-Is that really her?! H-How come... How come her b.r.e.a.s.ts are so big?!! At least compared to the current her, their disparity is like night and day! If she''s A-cup then that woman is at least D-cup!


    She started shedding comical tears thinking how unfair their disparity is...


    But wait... Since that woman is her future "self", then maybe her b.r.e.a.s.ts would grow to that size as well?! Her depression instantly dispersed when she thought about it and she becomes giddy instead.


    Unknown to her, even if she were to grow up, her b.r.e.a.s.t size would barely change... The reason why Sona Hyoudou''s b.r.e.a.s.ts grow is... Well, we all know the answer to that, don''t we?


    "S-So-tan? I-Is that really So-tan?" Serafall Leviathan said in a dumbfounded manner.


    The woman looks very mature and also elegant which could be said to be a cool beauty no matter how you look at it.


    Genshirou Saji''s eyes are glued onto the projected figure... he drooled and even has a little nosebleed seeing the mature version of his King. He''s basically become Hyoudou Issei number two right now.


    "I see..." Sona Hyoudou sighed to herself after hearing their explanation: "I will tell your father about this... It''s about time we put an end to that old fart shenanigans. Our children are not the source of his entertainment. Even if he helped us quite a bit but it still doesn''t give him the excuse to do this."


    Kozelotte can only pity her Grandpa Zel when she heard this... It''s not like he''s evil or anything like that but... it''s still annoying for her parents when he does his typical prank.


    "So you girls need some help?" Sona Hyoudou asked in concern.


    "No need, Sona okaa-sama... It shouldn''t take long before we''re able to go back on our own." Shirayuki said.


    "Hmm, even if you said that, I''m still worried... And Koze."


    "H-Hai?!" Kozelotte squeaked lightly when her name is mentioned.


    "Your mother would like to have a long talk with you when you get back, so be prepared. You''re lucky she''s a little busy at the moment or she would''ve gone to your place right now." Sona Hyoudou said with a smirk.


    "...A-Aahhh... It''s over..." She slumped to the ground on all four thinking about her furious mama...


    Then Sona Hyoudou turned to the dumbfounded group before she gives a small smile to them thinking just how similar they are...


    "I hope our daughters didn''t cause trouble for you." She said making them snapped out of their stupor.


    "E-Eh, no not all. If anything they have been very helpful." Sirzechs answered with an awkward smile.


    "Is that so? Good to know then. But..." Sona Hyoudou flashed a sly smile to which Sona Sitri shuddered since she knows that look... Those are the same look she will make whenever she''s plotting something!


    "I believe that you have already prepared an appropriate payment for our daughters'' assistance, right? Help from the descendants of the doesn''t come cheap... Who knows what will we do if our daughters are being taken advantage of now. Knowing their overprotective father, there would be some unforeseen ''accident'' that might happen."


    "..." That''s a threat! That''s a blatant threat from her side!


    "I take your silence as a yes. Well, I better get going now since I have a meeting soon." Sona Hyoudou said with a satisfied grin: "You girls take care now. Don''t do anything rash, understand?"


    "Yes, Sona okaa-sama." Shirayuki gives a calm nod while Kozelotte is too distraught to give a proper reply.


    Then the feed is cut off.


    "Wow, So-tan! The mature you look so beautiful!" Serafall said giddily to her sister.


    They all smiled awkwardly thinking that it is indeed true... even their personality seems very similar.


    "Well, we will take our leave. Just give us a call if you need our help and remember to prepare the appropriate payment when the time comes. This time it''s only a ''sample'' you might call it." Shirayuki said with the same sly smile as Sona Hyoudou before.


    And with that, the three of them leave the place... Leaving behind the grinning Hyoudou Issei to himself since he started to imagine just what his future harem will be like.


    They all smiled wryly at this sight... Were they really talking about the same person? They honestly couldn''t believe that the other Issei would be someone so great like that...


    ...


    Sona Hyoudou sighed to herself before she makes another call...


    After a few seconds, her call went through.


    A voice that could still make her heart beat faster till this very day could be heard from the other side. Her eyes mellowed almost immediately when she heard it...


    "Hello, dear... There''s something I need to tell you." Sona said softly.


    After a moment of sweet talks between husband and wife, Sona ended the call.


    She already informed Issei about Kozelotte''s situation and as expected, he becomes furious knowing that his little princess has been a subject to that troll pranks.


    But after a few words of reassurance, he calmed himself down...


    Honestly, their children are not weak. There''s no way they could be harmed that easily... Sona thought to herself.


    Their growth has been very fast both literally speaking or figuratively for that matter.


    "Mother Sona? Was that father?" A monotone voice could be heard from behind Sona.


    The one who just spoke is a very beautiful and very attractive young woman that looks around 14 years of age with long, black hair and a lithe figure with very pale skin. She has black eyes with a sharp gaze and she is tall for her age. She''s wearing a dark blue blazer with a cream-colored button-up shirt and a tie. She wears a dark red skirt and has black pantyhose.


    You could see that her eyes sometimes flashed red just like her father''s but most of the time it''s colored black just like her mother''s. It''s known that the color of her eyes is affected by her emotions.


    Whenever she''s feeling worked up, her eyes would turn red, and if she''s bored, it would stay black.


    She''s Issei and Ophis''s daughter, Amou Savant Hyoudou.


    She has a twin sister from her ''second'' birth mother, Lilith, that goes by the name Momoyo.


    Just like Ophis and Lilith, Amou and Momoyo are not just simple twins. They could be said to have the same mother but also different at the same time.


    Unlike Amou however, Momoyo hair is a mix between black and red whereas her eyes are deep red.


    "Oh, Amou. Yes, that was your father." Sona nodded at her.


    "Will he return soon?" Amou asked with her eyes turning redder by the second.


    "Well, he said that he''s not sure yet but it shouldn''t be that long."


    "Oh..." Once she heard that, Amou''s eyes returned to its previous state.


    "Don''t feel so down now..." Sona sighed wryly seeing her feeling disheartened like that: "Why are you here anyway? Weren''t you with your mother?"


    "Mother is currently eating sweets with the others. And I''m here to find out whether you already found big sis Yuki and Koze whereabouts..."


    "Ah, yes, we''ve found them already but it''s quite complicated. It''s basically one of that old fart pranks."


    "Old fart? That vampire?" Amou tilted her head: "And where are they anyway?"


    "Well..."


    When Amou finishes hearing Sona''s explanation, her eyes become completely red while a small smile could be seen on her face.


    Sona who saw this look of hers narrowed her eyes: "Don''t get any ideas now... Don''t make more mess out of this situation."


    "Muh? What could you be talking about, mother Sona?" Amou said feigning ignorance.


    "You can stop feigning ignorance... I know that look of yours very well. You and Momoyo are more mischievous than your other sisters at times, you know that right?"


    "Dunno?" Amou said while averting her eyes before she practically teleported away from the room with how fast she moves.


    Sona''s face started to twitch a lot when she sees this.


    "Oh, Ise... Why did you have to spoil them so much." Sona complained to her currently away husband with a tired sigh.


    "So-tan! Hurry up!" A bubbly voice can be heard from the distance.


    "I''m coming, Onee-sama." Sona said before she moves away from the communication room.


    ...


    A few days later with Shirayuki and Kozelotte.


    Now their situation is reversed.


    Before, it was Shirayuki who''s feeling down but now it''s Kozelotte instead.


    Ophis gently patted Kozelotte''s head seeing her feeling depressed like that... She doesn''t know why she did this but she just wanted to for some reason.


    Then they suddenly felt a big energy spike.


    "...Ddraig is using his " Ophis said monotonously.


    "Ah, it''s probably that part where dearest father said that he lost control of his emotion." Shirayuki said simply: "Want to see it, little sister?"


    "...Okay." Kozelotte mumbled.


    Shirayuki chuckled to herself seeing her feeling down like this.


    ...


    When they arrived at the energy source, they''re greeted by a battlefield between two side.


    Moments later, they''re suddenly approached by a devil that they didn''t recognize. It''s not that he sensed Shirayuki or Kozelotte''s aura but rather because he sensed Ophis''s aura.


    "So this is where you are, Ophis." The man who''s wearing the clothes of a noble said. His clothes were black with dark red belts and motifs. He also has a cape.


    "We have been searching for you. Now come with me, we need your power to complete our and your wish."


    "Can you not treat us like we''re not here?" Kozelotte said annoyedly.


    "Hm?" Only then he finally looks at the two Dragon princesses.


    His eyes narrowed while a strange glint flashes through his eyes: "You two must be the rumored Dragon who has the same strength as Ophis."


    "Yeah, so?" Kozelotte scoffed.


    "How about you two come to our side? We can provide you with anything that you desire. Moreso than those fake devils and their entourages." The man offered: "I heard you two will lend your help as long as you''re given a proper payment right?"


    "While that is indeed true... But that doesn''t mean we will lend our help to just anyone." Shirayuki said calmly.


    "We''re not just anyone! We''re the true Maou faction, unlike those imposters and we''re also stronger! My name is Creuserey Asmodeus, the rightful successor of the Asmodeus clan!" The man said through gritted teeth.


    "I could care less just who you are but... You better watch your tone in front of us, Devil," Shirayuki said coldly while her eyes turning into a slit: "Maybe you think that you''re someone at the top of the food chain. But to us, you''re nothing but ants that we could step on at any given time!"


    "You..." The man flinched under Shirayuki''s gaze.


    "Your worldly view is so small and petty. Did you really think with that measly power of yours you could become the king of the world? Pathetic... You said that you''re stronger than those you deemed as imposters but here you are trying to borrow other people''s strength."


    "Sh-Shut up!"


    "Make me then," Shirayuki said coldly.


    "Gh!" He cowered at her imposing aura.


    "Well well, Looks like the Asmodeus of the Old-Maou faction showed himself." A snickering sound could be heard from behind them.


    Azazel and a fifteen meters tall gigantic western Dragon could be seen floating there.


    "Tch, the Fallen Angel leader is here huh." Asmodeus snorted: "And It''s not the "Old"! I am the blood inheritor of the True-Maou! I will avenge Katerea Leviathan right here!"


    "You said that but we''re not the one who took her out you know. It''s those two young ladies behind you." Azazel pointed out with a smirk.


    "..." Asmodeus looks back at the two only to flinch once again. Of course he knows that the one who took Katerea out is Kozelotte but... How can he hope to fight them!


    "What''s wrong? Dragon got your tongue?" Azazel chuckled at his own pun.


    Shirayuki and Kozelotte rolled their eyes at his pun.


    "So you two are the rumored True Dragon, huh..." The giant dragon who''s flying beside Azazel said curiously: "Hm, indeed... Your Dragon bloodline is so strong that I can understand just why Ddraig and Albion are afraid of you two. Even I could feel my blood shivering in fear when I''m standing in front of you."


    "Oh, it''s grandpa Tannin of this world." Kozelotte said.


    "Ah, I see that even in the other world I also exist. And our relationship seems close seeing how you addresses me." Tannin nodded.


    "You can say that."


    During their little conversation, Sirzechs also arrived soon after through a magic circle.


    "Lady Shirayuki, lady Kozelotte." Sirzechs politely greeted them when he arrived before his eyes shifted to Asmodeus.


    "Sirzechs, why did you come?"


    He narrows his eyes to Azazel''s question.


    "For this plan, I got my little sister involved in the political matters of us a.d.u.l.ts. So I need to come forward as well. I thought it would be bad if I leave everything to you every time. I want to persuade Creuserey. If I can''t even do that, then I won''t be able to face my sister."


    "...You are such a Mr. Nice guy. You know it will be for naught?"


    "Even so, I wanted to ask them directly as the current King of the devils."


    "Ah, it won''t work. This guy is a lost cause." Kozelotte waved her hand: "He really thinks from the bottom of his heart that he''s the rightful ruler and all that. He''s basically your typical generic bad guy who let his small power and bloodline get over his head."


    "O-Ohh..." Sirzechs only response was a wry smile. Azazel and Tannin laughed at her assessment of the poor devil.


    "My power is not small!" Asmodeus growled at her but the force behind his voice is nonexistent since he feared these two dragonesses.


    "To us, it''s small, tiny even." Kozelotte said boredly: "If you''re placed in our world, your strength could only barely enter ."


    "?" Sirzechs''s group repeated.


    "Just think of it as how we classify the strength of our world. Just like how you classify your power level with Low/Intermediate/High ranked Devil and such." Shirayuki helpfully added.


    "And while we''re at it. Sirzechs, Azazel, and Tannin here are at meaning your so-called ''power'' is below them." Kozelotte said towards Asmodeus.


    "Lies! There''s no way that my strength is lower than theirs!" The latter shouted not believing her words.


    "You can deny it all you want but it''s the truth." She shrugged: "If you don''t believe me then you can try fighting any of them. It would probably end in 5 seconds or so."


    *BOOOM!!!*


    Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard in the distance.


    They saw a metallic Red western Dragon rampaging around. It is currently battling a single man who''s basically on his last stand.


    "I-Impossible! I, the true successor of the True-Maou! I still haven''t made a fool out of Vali yet! Beelzebub is greater than Lucifer! Curses! A mere dragon! Red dragon! White dragoooon!"


    The man that they didn''t recognize shouted before he becomes ashes from the red beam that come out from the Dragon''s chest.


    Well, Sirzechs''s group recognized him but not the other two.


    "Oh, so that''s how it looks like... It''s completely different from dearest father Dragon form, isn''t it? Or even Irene okaa-sama''s for that matter." Shirayuki muttered.


    "I-Is that..." Both Azazel and Sirzechs said in shock.


    "Yup, that''s Hyoudou Issei of this world using his ." Kozelotte confirmed their thoughts.


    "But why... Why would he use ? He''s not supposed to be able to use it just yet and I can tell that it''s even the incomplete ." Tannin said solemnly: "If he uses it at his current state then... He will most likely die."


    "M-Monster... A-Are you telling me that is the !? This is no joke! Shalba''s power should have been raised to that of the former-Maou due to Ophis power! He has surpassed the Boosted Gear''s specs recorded in the data!" Asmodeus said in disbelief.


    "Lady Shirayuki, lady Kozelotte. Can you help him?" Sirzechs said solemnly: "No matter the price. I''m willing to pay it as long as you can save him."


    "Count me in on that." Azazel chimed in: "I''ll pay you as well."


    His little sister loved Hyoudou Issei dearly. If he were to die here then she would feel distraught and that''s not something he wanted to see.


    He could stop Hyoudou Issei by himself but... that would result in his death since he has no way nor knowledge to revert him back.


    "Hmm... This is the time where uncle Vali supposed to arrive and helped Rias Gremory to revert him back from his form... But I don''t sense his, well ''her'' arrival just yet. Probably this is the difference between our history." Kozelotte mused to herself: "Very well, I''ll help you. But you better remember your words just now, alright?"


    Without waiting their reply, Kozelotte dashed towards the rampaging Dragon.


    "As for the reason why he went into rampage then..." Shirayuki said while she started spreading her spiritual sense into the dimensional gap: "Ah, found her."


    Affter a few seconds, she pulled something, well, someone from the gap and it''s none other than an unconscious Asia Argento: "Glad that this part is still the same." She sighed to herself.


    "Now that''s settled... You can take us to your treasury later on." Shirayuki said with a professional business smile.


    ...Why did they suddenly feel like they''re going to be robbed clean? Was it a mistake to ask for their help after all? The two sweating Devil and Fallen Angel duo thought to themselves.


    Creuserey Asmodeus is completely forgotten in the background... Well, maybe not since Tannin is watching over him.


    ...


    A man and a woman can be seen standing in front of a building store.


    "What''s wrong?" The woman asked.


    "That damn old fart is tricking one of my little princesses!" The man spat.


    "What did he do now? I told you to lock him up less he will keep making that prank of his."


    "I will... Once we get back I will. But not before I make him lose a layer of skin first!" The man then explained the situation briefly...


    "*Sigh* Just leave it be... It''s a good chance for them to grow independent from their father anyway."


    "No! I won''t let them leave me!"


    "Jeez... How come whenever they''re mentioned you would turn into a doofus father mode right away?"


    "Because I''m their father."


    "And you better remember those words of yours. You''re their father and they''re your daughters."


    "Isn''t it obvious?" The man said while tilting his head not catching on the hidden meaning behind the woman''s words.


    "...Nevermind." Guess the others were correct... This stupid father of theirs is so clueless at times...


    "Anyway, you need other help to set up your place here?"


    "You''ve done more than enough. I can''t let you spoil me too much less my skill will go rusty."


    "But..."


    "I said it''s enough."


    "Fine..."


    "Stop sulking like a child will you..."


    They then look at the store in front of them.


    There''s an emblem with crossing hammers over a volcano hanging above the entrance. Above that said volcano is the head of a Dragon looming over it.


    "Heheh, what a sight to behold... Finally, the time has come."


    "I don''t know why you would bother doing all this... I mean, we have more than enough money and resources anyway."


    "Nah, just laying around the house is not really my style. I prefer to do what I do best. And it''s fun to watch my ''kids'' grow you know?"


    "If you say so then I won''t stop you but you better take care of your body, understand? I shouldn''t have agreed to fulfill any of your wishes during our anniversary..."


    "I know already, stop being such a worrywart will you."


    "If you need more help then all you gotta do just call me."


    "Heheh, you putting one ''life'' inside of me is already more than I could ask for. You should''ve seen just how jealous they are when they find out the most wanted ''Stud of the heaven'' choose me of all people, hahahaha!"


    "What the hell wrong with that title anyway... All I did was visiting your world once in a while to craft new stuff and somehow they gave me that stupid title? I prefer being called the rather than that..."


    "You will never understand your own charm, won''t you? Despite so many years have passed... Honestly, I''m just as surprised as the others when I found out that you would choose me of all people, you know?"


    "You know that I don''t judge people by their appearance, right? And it''s not like I come to your world to find a wife..."


    "That I know very well..." The woman rubbed her slightly protruding belly. It''s clear as a day that she''s currently pregnant.


    "You sure you don''t want me to fix your eyes?"


    "Nope, no need. As long as you and our daughters don''t feel repulsed by my eye then why should I care about what the others think of me?"


    "Heheh." The man chuckled before he pulled the woman to his embrace and lovingly caress her right cheek just right below her eyepatch.


    "W-What?" The woman asked while blushing furiously.


    "Nothing, just wanted to taste a sample of my beautiful wife." The man flashed a swoonsome smile which made the woman become dazed.


    Then the man stole her lips...


    The woman froze for a second before she closed her eyes in bliss while returning the kiss he''s giving her.


    In the distance, a woman with long silver hair, purple eyes, and white skin like that of fresh snow. She has a perfect golden ratio, enough to think that the golden ratio originated from her. Her clothes are in large part black and red, they expose most of her stomach and bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts. She also wears two flowerlike ornaments in her hair.


    She''s gritting her teeth and biting her thumbnail while she''s observing the two husband and wife display of affection.


    "Why... Why can''t that be me! Why did he choose her!" The woman said enviously.


    "Ahahahaha!" Another woman is laughing at her in the background.


    The second woman has light red hair and red eyes. She is wearing a male attire, mainly jeans and a shirt that show off her stomach. She tied her hair back in a simple pony-tail.


    Overall, she''s quite beautiful herself but sadly, she''s as flat as a washboard...


    "That''s what you get for fooling around too much! He won''t choose a skank to be his wife! Ahahahaha!"


    "Shut up! He also didn''t choose you!"


    "At least I have a better chance than you if he were to choose another wife! And just the sight of you being defeated in the field you excel the most is already a win for me! Hahahahaha!"


    The silver-haired woman gnashed her teeth since she knows that it''s true. How ironic... To think that she would lose against another person in terms of charm...


    "No matter what... No matter what I will have him!" The silver-haired woman''s eyes flashed with possessive light. Her cheeks started to flush at the sight of his smile...


    "Urgh... How creepy." The tomboyish woman irked away when she saw her current state.


    She has to admit that this silver-haired woman''s charm is very dangerous. Even she who''s a fellow woman almost got charmed by it but thankfully she''s able to resist it in the last second.


    If it was any other person, especially men then they would''ve become her slave right away... With the exception of ''him'' of course.


    She can still remember how he told the silver-haired woman to piss off when she tried to charm him. Oh boy, that day was one of the best laughs of her life!


    Now then... Just what kind of fun will he brings her this time around!


    "Heheh, I can''t wait!" The woman grinned to herself waiting for the future.


    But when she remembered about a certain shorty, her face turned to a scowl: "Geh... That shorty would descend soon as well, huh..."

 Chapter 146 - Side 3

    Issei is walking around the market to look at the city situation.


    He nodded to himself seeing that the runes he inscribed around the store vicinity is perfect. Now he doesn''t need to be worried about any outsider attacking the store...


    Not like anyone would try to attack the store considering the owner of that said store is a Goddess and that said Goddess''s familia is the one who provides the best equipment in the city.


    Only an idiot would provoke them considering all of that.


    Not many know of Issei''s identity except for a select few. The mortal that lives in this world almost know nothing about him...


    "Yo, Ise!" An energetic voice called out to him.


    "Hm?" Issei turned his head to look at the one who just called him: "Oh, it''s you."


    The one who just called him is the same woman who just laughed her lungs out recently.


    "Don''t just say ''oh it''s you'' damn it! Be more enthusiastic towards me will ya!" The woman groaned.


    "Is he the one you told us about, Loki?" One of the girls that are accompanying the woman whispered. She has medium length black hair and brown eyes. Like all Amazonesses, which is her race, she wears revealing clothing, wearing only a strip of cloth around her chest and a pareo around her waist, and she''s barefooted.


    She has a flat chest but her body is quite toned, especially her butt.


    "Uh huh." The woman who''s named Loki confirmed.


    "Why is he wearing a mask though? Is he Ganesha-sama''s friend?" A boy with the appearance of a child asked. He may be looks like a child but he''s a bonafide a.d.u.l.t.


    He''s of a Pallum race which is known of their small physique. Just like a Dwarf that has short built.


    "No, he''s not. I told you before, didn''t I? He''s also a God just like me but he''s on a whole different level."


    "How does that work anyway?" A girl that looks similar to the first Amazoness asked. They''re obviously sisters seeing how similar they are but unlike her sister, she has longer hair and more busty especially around the chest area.


    "Hmm, how to say this..." Loki rubbed her chin: "Well, let''s just say that he''s the strongest God there is."


    "...What?" They let out a stupefied voice.


    "Are you kidding me? We''ve never heard of him or his familia until now!" A man who has gray colored hair, along with amber eyes, as well as a sleek tail said. He has a blue tattoo on the left side of his face and a muscular physique.


    "That''s because he doesn''t have a familia. He''s not interested in that kind of stuff... Oh right, he''s also the husband of Hephaestus." Loki explained.


    "..." They become further speechless at this revelation. They never heard anything about the Goddess Hephaestus having a husband...


    "Is he really that strong?" The first Amazoness said while frowning: "I don''t sense anything special coming from him though? But he does have a great body!" She grinned at the end.


    The person in question seems to not be paying attention to their whole discussion. He keeps looking around the store seemingly uninterested with their small group.


    "Heheh, if only you know..." Loki smirked with her closed eyes opening a little. There''s a glint on her eyes that flashed briefly: "And don''t judge him by his appearance. When I said that he''s strong, I meant that he''s REALLY strong... If he wanted to then he could end the whole God pantheon and nobody will be able to prevent him. Nobody." She repeated with a serious expression.


    "...You''re kidding, right?"


    Loki only shrugged to their words.


    One particular girl which can be considered a very beautiful woman with long golden hair, gold eyes, and a slender body had her eyes glimmered brightly. She wears a white one-piece dress with gold lining.


    Without saying anything, she suddenly took a step forward and dashed immediately before pulling her sword out from the scabbard and aimed at Issei.


    Her sword strike looks like as if it could split the void itself, just like a meteor, violently shoots towards Issei''s direction.


    "Wha-?! Ais!" They shouted because she never expected that she would suddenly attack Issei out of nowhere.


    Loki who saw this only grinned slightly since she has anticipated this.


    Just when they thought that the sword would pierce Issei, they saw that Issei stopped the sword with just one finger. And even then he still didn''t look at the woman who called Ais direction.


    He only lightly pushes the sword back which sends the girl flying with an astonished expression.


    "Ais-san!" One of the girls shouted in worry.


    Ais did a backflip and landed safely on the spot but not before skidding a few meters from her previous landing spot.


    "Ais! You''re too reckless! He''s a God!" The pallum said direly.


    "...Sorry, but my body moved on their own..." The girl said confusedly while tilting her head a little.


    She''s not lying since her body indeed moved on their own... Her friends know of her antics so they can''t really blame her entirely... but being reckless is still reckless no matter what.


    If her sword were to pierce Issei then... The consequences would be fatal. Attacking a God is a heavy crime.


    "W-We''re sorry, kami-sama! She didn''t mean to be disrespectful!" A beautiful tall woman with jade-colored hair tied in a tail that reaches to her waist, same color eyes, and Elf ears said.


    She wears a green outfit with yellow borders, a white cloak over it, a black belt, a yellow sash, black leggings, and long brown boots.


    "I''m sorry..." Ais herself immediately apologizes once again.


    "Hahaha, no need to worry." While they''re sweating in trepidation, only Loki seems to be relaxed: "If it were any other God then it might be bad but since it''s him then it''s fine."


    "Loki..." They frowned at her thinking that she''s too laidback with the whole situation: "He''s a God."


    "I told you that he''s not a normal God. Didn''t you realize that he stopped Ais''s attack very easily just now? Only with one finger, I mind you." Loki grinned.


    When they heard her words they suddenly froze.


    Their shock is understandable since there''s a special ''rule'' for the God who descended to the mortal world. Their strength is sealed making them just like a normal mortal... They can also be killed but they won''t really die and only return to the heaven.


    To use their full divinity, they needed to fulfill a special requirement first. One of them being an example, making a request to God Ouranos to release their seal.


    Of course, the Gods retained some of their innate skills but those skills usually are not that powerful.


    Issei clearly didn''t do of the sort just now so it''s quite a surprise seeing him deflecting Ais attack so easily...


    Ais Wallenstein or Ais for short is a first-class adventurer and an executive of the Loki Familia. Among the small fraction of first-class adventurers, she is considered one of the strongest.


    She''s currently level 6. The strongest adventurer known in this world is level 7. And they can tell that her attack just now is her full strength.


    "H-How can he..."


    "How can he still retain his strength as a God?" Loki intercepted since she knows what they wanted to ask: "That''s because he''s not bound to our ''rule''. He''s beyond that said ''rule''... You know what''s one of his titles in the heaven is?"


    They obviously shook their head at her question.


    "...."


    They let out another gasp at this revelation: "? Does that mean that he''s..."


    "The King of Gods? You could say that." Loki snickered with her narrowed eyes gleaming brightly: "That''s what makes him so fun! Unlike those boring old farts that are obsessed with control and order, he''s more carefree. He can do whatever he wants and nobody will be able to stop him. Even if all Gods go against him, he can easily defeat them all single-handedly."


    "What do you want, Loki? If you''re here to bother me or my wife then go away." Issei finally said feeling a little annoyed.


    "Oh don''t be such a meany! It''s been a while ever since we see each other you know~?" Loki hopped forward and put her hand on top of Issei''s shoulder while she speaks seductively... At least she tried to since she lacks the womanly charm she needs to put on a seductive look.


    Issei only crosses his hand and heaved a sigh at this.


    If Loki knows about his arrival here then...


    "Good day to you, Issei."


    Called it...


    The Familia members of Loki gasped in surprise seeing the newcomer.


    She''s a famous Goddess in their city after all. Her Familia is also ranked at the top.


    "Go away, Freya." Issei bem.o.a.ned.


    "Must you be so cold?" Freya said with a sad smile.


    The onlookers'' shuddered at her smile whether they''re man or woman. True to her name being the Goddess of Beauty she could charm anyone regardless of their genders.


    "Whenever you''re around, trouble always comes brewing. Whether it''s directly or indirectly caused by you."


    "That''s right, that''s right! You''re very troublesome, so go away!" Loki snickered.


    "You''re the same, Loki." Issei said irritatedly.


    "Oh come on!" Loki said in exasperation.


    "Hehe, so you''re really here, Godking." A gleeful laugh can be heard.


    The two Amazoness from the Loki familia shuddered when they heard this voice.


    Their head swiveled towards the voice source.


    They can see a petite girl with long red hair that is a color similar to fresh blood. She has brown skin and wears a revealing outfit like the typical Amazoness along with a necklace made of bones, a mask with fangs. She has a foreign and powerful gaze.


    Beside her, there''s another two Amazoness looking interestedly towards Issei.


    The first one has long sand-colored hair, brown skin, and wears a revealing outfit. She also wears a red skirt like piece of clothing that is made out of a dragon''s scale.


    The second Amazoness has semi long sand-colored hair, brown skin, and also wears a revealing outfit. She also wears a black scarf over the bottom half of her face.


    "Is he the one you told us about, Kali-sama?"


    "Indeed." The petite girl named Kali had her smiles widen: "Godking! Let''s fight! If I win you shall become my man and if I lose I shall become your woman!"


    Kali is one of those who love to challenge Issei whenever he went to the heaven.


    "No, thank you." Issei rejected almost immediately.


    "Geh, another crazy is here." Loki snorted: "To think that she would leave her domain and come here... Guess that''s just how big your charm is, Issei," She grinned at Issei.


    "How did you know about my arrival anyway?" Issei frowned under his mask.


    "Why don''t you take a guess?"


    "...Hermes, huh." Issei scowled: "That guy and his loud mouth..."


    "Couldn''t really blame him entirely though. If you only stay here for a few days then nobody would realize your arrival but you stayed for quite a while. Someone would notice it sooner or later... And also, everyone from the heaven knows of your overprotective personality." Loki pointed out: "Hephaestus return also serves as a signal since there''s no way you would leave her behind just like that."


    "What''s going on here?"


    "Speak of the devil." Loki laughed.


    "Ise... I thought I told you to just go back already." The woman who''s named Hephaestus has a crimson eye and red hair reaching to the neck. She has a rather sharp face and slender body with an eyepatch over her right eye.


    "Err, yes I know but..."


    "I told you that I will be fine."


    While the two husband and wife having a lover quarrel, Loki, Freya, Kali, and the others had their eyes widen incredulously.


    "O-Oi!" Loki shouted.


    "Hm?" Both Issei and Hephaestus turned their gaze towards her.


    "Y-Your belly!" She pointed at Hephaestus''s stomach with shaky hands.


    "What of my belly?" Hephaestus frowned but soon she realizes just why they become shocked at the sight of her protruding belly: "Oh, yeah, I''m pregnant." She flashed a sly smile.


    Their mouth went wide agape at this piece of news.


    Loki and Freya didn''t clearly see Hephaestus stomach when they were observing them from afar and Hephaestus herself rarely goes out of her home.


    She usually lets her familia members do all the business after all.


    So nobody really knows of her pregnancy since her return is only a few weeks ago.


    "WHAT?! HOW!?" The three Goddesses screamed in unison. Their entire eyes turned bloodshot no matter if it''s Loki, Freya, or Kali.


    There''s never a case of a female Goddess giving birth before this hence their shock. The Goddess in this world has a pitiful fate.


    They cannot give birth normally like any mortal while the male God can i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e the mortal woman to bear them a child, creating a Demigod.


    But Issei didn''t know that and Hephaestus never told him about it...


    Actually, most Gods and Goddess couldn''t bear a child normally regardless of the world. The biggest example being Semiramis and Forzelotte.


    Forzelotte isn''t really a Goddess but she might as be a Goddess with how powerful she is.


    Not surprising since a powerful entity like the Gods shouldn''t be able to create a descendant that easily but Issei is a complete anomaly...


    When Hephaestus notice that she was pregnant, she becomes so shocked that she stood frozen stiff for the entire day.


    Only after Issei notices this state of her and called out to her that she finally snapped out of her stupor. She immediately went and hug Issei with all her might and cried tears of joy much to Issei''s bewilderment.


    But he doesn''t think much about it since he thought that she''s just too happy about being pregnant. He spoiled her for the entire day after that and Hephaestus herself couldn''t be more happy and blissful...


    "What else? Because of my beloved husband of course." Hephaestus patted her swollen belly in pride.


    "Why all of you seem so shocked?" Issei asked feeling a little confused.


    Is it that shocking?


    "Now go back already, Ise. It won''t be long before the other Goddesses arriving here and they will start pestering you."


    The moment she finishes saying that, Issei realizes that there are multiple presences coming their way.


    Issei heaved a tired sigh since most of those presences belong to the Goddesses.


    "Ugh, fine... Remember to give me a call if anything happens understand?" Issei reminded once again.


    "Okay okay, just go already."


    Only after hesitating a bit more that Issei finally leave her behind... but not before giving her a quick kiss which made the female onlookers'' minus the stupefied Goddesses blushes furiously.


    They saw a glimpse of his lower face and that is enough to make their heartbeat went haywire.


    Once Issei finally disappears, Hephaestus glanced at her stupefied fellow Goddesses and give a triumphant smirk. She was like them when she found out that she was pregnant after all so she could understand their shock.


    She laughed a bit before she heads back to her home.


    Only after she entered her house that Loki and the other two Goddesses snapped out of their daze.


    "W-Wait, Hephaestus!" The three of them shouted before dashing towards her house leaving behind the confused group of familia members.


    On that day, Issei''s worth just increased by another hundredfold in the eyes of the Goddesses. But his threat for the male Gods also increased accordingly...


    ...


    While Rias Gremory''s peerage looks at the rampaging Dragon in worry, they saw Kozelotte flew above him.


    "Sorry about this," Kozelotte said before she used her right fist to lightly punch the Dragon below her.


    *BAM!*


    The rampaging dragon dropped down to the ground while roaring loudly. Her ''light'' punch clearly hurts a lot.


    The Dragon rose up from the ground and started to use the same technique he used before.


    "Hmm, guess he went full berserk for not realizing our disparity." Kozelotte summed up.


    [Indeed, the current Hyoudou Issei is nothing but a mindless beast. Go easy on him, please.]


    "Mm, I will. My plan is to save him after all."


    [Boost! Boost! Boost!...] The same sound from before resounded.


    "Be careful!" Yuuto Kiba shouted direly seeing this.


    "Don''t worry. That attack won''t be able to harm her." Shirayuki arrived at their side alongside Sirzechs and the others.


    Their eyes widen at the sight of the girl in Shirayuki''s arms.


    "Asia!"


    "Asia-chan!"


    Rias Gremory, Himejima Akeno, and everyone else gathers around Asia. From the looks of it, she had no external wounds. It seems like she is only unconscious.


    They cried tears of happiness seeing that their friend is fine.


    During their small reunion, an elderly man which is Odin of this world, and Rossweisse also arrived.


    "Hohohoh, so this lady is the rumored True Dragon?" Odin laughed while observing Shirayuki: "She''s indeed a beautiful young lady."


    "Odin-sama, don''t be rude." Rossweisse berated.


    [Longinus Smasher!] They heard a loud sound which made them averted their face.


    The same enormous red beam is shot from the rampaging Dragon''s opened chest.


    "" Kozelotte put her left hand to her front and muttered.


    Being the daughter of Forzelotte, she obviously inherited her mother''s unique skill. Her other sisters also inherited the same skill but their mastery over it is not as good as her.


    The moment the beam came into contact with her hand, it disappears completely as if it is being sucked into an endless black hole.


    "Hmm, not bad." Kozelotte lightly licked her lips. She then dived down and put some force on her feet to forcefully put the rampaging dragon on the ground.


    *Grrr!*


    The dragon groaned trying to rose from the ground but to no avail.


    Kozelotte put her hand on top of its head and started using to absorb his energy.


    After just a few seconds, the Dragon limped down to the ground like a puppet with its string cut.


    "Okay, that''s that. Then all I have to do next is..."


    "Ise!"


    When she''s still thinking, Rias Gremory flew to their place and immediately hugged the Dragon''s snout.


    "Ise, come back to us, Ise!" Rias Gremory said desperately: "Please help us!" She said towards Kozelotte who''s standing above the Dragon''s head.


    "Muh, I don''t really know how to revert him back but according to what I know. Papa returned to his sense when he heard the ''Oppai Dragon'' song and after touching your chest."


    "Huh?" Rias Gremory let out a stupefied sound when she heard her.


    "Don''t look at me like that. That''s what I''ve been told." Kozelotte shrugged.


    "W-Well... Issei-kun indeed has a small show of his own but..." Yuuto Kiba who just arrived with the others said wryly.


    "...He actually responded to a song like that?" Koneko Toujou had her cat ears facing down and seems heartbroken.


    "There''s no need to do all that... You know you can revert him back, little sister. Stop tricking them." Shirayuki sighed at her little sister''s antics.


    Their head swiveled to Kozelotte feeling disbelief.


    "Tee-hee~" Kozelotte stuck out her tongue mischievously.


    Their face started twitching a lot when they realize that they''ve just been played with...


    "It''s all true though... But fine..." Kozelotte pouted slightly before she lightly tapped her foot.


    In the next second, The giant Dragon''s body started to revert back to a smaller humanoid form.


    "Ise!" Rias Gremory cradled her favorite pawn and soon his friends also started to surround him.


    Only Xenovia is in the back since she''s holding Asia in her arms.


    "Looks like I missed all the fun huh?"


    A crack is made in the air! From the crack, the one who appeared is Hakuryuukou Vali. And also a Bikou of this world along with Arthur, Le Fay, and last but not least, Kuroka.


    "Vali." Azazel said.


    "Onee-sama..." Koneko Toujou said in fear while looking at the black-haired woman who has cat ears just like her.


    "Hi, Shirone~" The woman waved.


    "That''s quite brave of you to appear here, Vali." Azazel smirked.


    "Hmph! Why should I be afraid? The only one who can stop me here from escaping is those two. And I doubt that they would stop me considering that they seem to have some knowledge about ''us''." Vali snorted before she glanced at Shirayuki and Kozelotte: "I heard you two came from another world? And I also heard the me over there lose against Hyoudou Issei of that world?"


    "Yup." Kozelotte nodded.


    "I find it highly unbelievable... Either the me over there is too weak or the Hyoudou Issei over there is just that strong."


    "What do you think?" Kozelotte flashed a mocking smirk.


    "..." Vali grew silent since she understands that it''s the latter... Seeing that his two daughters are this strong then it''s safe to say that the Hyoudou Issei of that world is very powerful.


    "Ne ne, what about me, nya? Did the me over there manage to score some good Dragon kittens of my own?" Kuroka of this world said excitedly: "I mean, Vali here is obviously a girl so I can''t get kittens from her but I hear that other world Vali is a man. Although, I don''t mind having kittens with the Sekiryuutei of this generation if he wanted to."


    Not only her, even Koneko Toujou and some others are interested in this topic.


    If Hyoudou Issei is awake at this time then he would have a nosebleed after seeing the bouncing b.r.e.a.s.ts of Kuroka. That''s what happens when they first meet a few days ago after all...


    Kozelotte and Shirayuki smile wryly at Kuroka sight... So alike, they thought to themselves.


    "No... I won''t let Onee-sama have Issei-senpai..." Koneko said while standing in front of the unconscious pervert.


    "I won''t let an SS-class stray devil go anywhere near my Ise!" Rias Gremory shouted possessively.


    "Ufufufu..." Akeno Himejima only giggled seductively at their standoff.


    "SS-class stray devil? Oh, right... Kuroka mama said something about this before, didn''t she." Kozelotte said in realization.


    "It can''t be..." Rias Gremory and her peerage members become shocked at her little slip-up.


    "Mama?" Kuroka''s eyes shone brightly at this.


    "Um. ''You'' are one of our mothers." Kozelotte readily admitted their suspicion. Not like it''s something to hide anyway.


    "Damn... That Ise sure know which woman to pick, huh... He basically scored almost all of the s.e.xy ladies for himself." Azazel whistled in awe.


    "How many kittens do I have?!" Kuroka asked with passion. She even comes closer to Shirayuki and Kozelotte''s side without fearing of being caught.


    "So far Kuroka mama only has two daughters and she''s also currently pregnant with another child. The reason for that is because of Semiramis mama and my mama. They won''t let anyone have more children than them." Kozelotte explained with a wry smile.


    "Two kittens nya? Where are they right now? Can I meet them?" Kuroka grows more excited the moment she knows that she has three kittens albeit the third one is still in process. Her cat tails flailed around behind her back.


    Even though it''s not really herself but the fact that they look similar is more than enough for her.


    She wanted to meet their little kittens more than ever knowing that their father is basically the big boss over there!


    "I don''t know about that..."


    "Oh come on nya~ Let me see my other self kittens!" Kuroka whined with a pout.


    "Uuu... They''re so alike, eldest sister..." Kozelotte wryly said seeing Kuroka acting spoiled. She''s clearly having a hard time denying her request.


    "I know, little sister... Even I''m having a hard time telling them apart if it wasn''t for our mother being slightly more mature... in terms of figure that is."


    Of course, the other Kuroka is more beautiful and mature considering what she has been through but their personality is basically the same.


    Despite giving birth to two daughters and currently pregnant, Kuroka Hyoudou''s personality never really change. She''s still playful like her younger self...


    She even acts spoiled in front of her daughters and even more spoiled in her husband''s presence.


    To which affected her two daughters, Himari and Tsubasa.


    The two Dragon kittens are playful just like their mothers but Himari is slightly more reserved at times while Tsubasa is basically a carbon copy of their mother.


    Himari has black hair just like their mother while Tsubasa has white hair just like their father. But Himari has red eyes while Tsubasa has yellow eyes.


    Respectively, Himari is the older one while Tsubasa is the younger one.


    While the sisters have a great relationship with their respective birth mothers, that also applies to their other mothers.


    Kuroka is one of the laidback mothers they have and most of them are fond of her. She rarely becomes strict with them.


    She''s what you call a fun mom.


    "Be careful of her, we don''t know about the other Kuroka but this Kuroka is an SS-class stray devil for a reason," Sirzechs warned: "She murdered her own father and master."


    Kuroka''s eyes flashed slightly when she heard Sirzechs words. But when she''s about to say something, Shirayuki spoke first.


    "Murdered her own father and master?"


    "That''s right."


    "Hmm, her history is quite similar to our mother Kuroka history. But our mother Kuroka didn''t kill her parent, only her master."


    "What? But even so..."


    "I don''t really know the real reason why she did all that but one thing for sure..." Shirayuki looked at Kuroka before continues speaking: "She''s not ''evil'' in my eyes."


    Sirzechs and the others become astonished hearing her words while Kuroka herself felt the same.


    "You must be confused by what eldest sister means," Kozelotte said realizing their astonishment.


    They set their gaze at Kozelotte waiting for her to continue.


    "You see... Me and my eldest sister can discern with our eyes whether someone is evil or not. We inherited that skill from papa... Of course, I can also do the same but I''m not as good as her or papa." Kozelotte explained: "We can sort of ''see'' a person''s soul or aura to judge whether they are truly evil or not. When someone is evil, there''s this black miasma surrounding them but we can''t see it around her... Her aura is leaning towards ''good'' more than evil."


    "So..."


    "So that means that she didn''t kill her own father or master for no reason. It''s most likely because she''s protecting something or someone... Our Kuroka mama said that she killed her own master in the past because he wanted to harm big sis Koneko who attempted to conduct tests on the latter in his research on creating a Super Devil."


    They become dumbfounded hearing what she said.


    Koneko''s eyes shook greatly and she immediately looks at her elder sister.


    "...I-Is that true, onee-sama?" Koneko said while shivering.


    "...If I said it''s true... will you believe me?" Kuroka asked softly dropping her playful tone: "Our father and master wanted to involve you on their experiment... They promised me that they will only experiment on me and won''t include you in their sickening experiment but that''s just a lie. And when I realized their plan, I killed them both and ran away leaving you behind to take the blame fearing that you will be implicated by my action."


    Both of their father and master are friends with each other. The two of them are mad scientists... That so-called father of theirs didn''t care about them both in the slightest and only treated them as a guinea pig.


    "I don''t know if it''s really true or not but since lady Shirayuki and lady Kozelotte herself said that then I''m willing to believe it," Azazel said with a smirk.


    Sirzechs and Tannin who heard his words rolled their eyes at this old fox.


    He''s clearly trying to suck up to them... Not that they can''t understand why though.


    Then again... It''s not like they have any reason to lie to them anyway.


    "Onee-sama..." Koneko said while she slowly walks forward towards Kuroka.


    Moments later, they hug each other while both of them started apologizing to each other. One side apologized for abandoning her and the other one apologized for not realizing it sooner...


    They all smile warmly at this sight.


    "So how does the other Kuroka name got cleared from her false crime?" Azazel asked curiously.


    "Hmm, Kuroka mama said that papa helped her with that. While other people including her little sister didn''t believe her side of the story, only papa believes in her. He''s also the one who mend their relationship with each other hence one of the reasons why Kuroka mama fell for papa."


    "I see... That Issei is really one of a kind huh... Now I really wish I could meet him in person." Azazel said with a smile.


    "U-Ummm, what about the me over there?" Rossweisse asked while fidgeting: "Did I manage to find a... a..."


    "Boyfriend? Sometimes I''m worried whether I could have a great-granddaughter anytime soon."


    "Grandfather!"


    "Hohohoh. Jokes aside, what about her? Did my grandaughter manage to find a man for herself?"


    Shirayuki and Kozelotte raised their eyebrows at this. Looks like this world Rossweisse is Odin''s actual granddaughter.


    "Uh huh, she''s one of our mothers." Kozelotte give a simple nod.


    "...Damn, did that Issei basically scored all the woman we know for himself?" Azazel said with a twitch of his mouth.


    "So far, every woman we know is basically his wives with the exception of my sister and her peerage." Sirzechs wryly said.


    Rossweisse herself seems quite surprised but soon she blushed fiercely.


    "What about my sister?" Arthur said while adjusting his glasses.


    "Onii-sama! Cut that out!" Le Fay of this world seems to have a different personality.


    She doesn''t seem like a shy girl and seems more outspoken.


    "Hmm... she''s also one of our mothers."


    "What?! There''s no way I would marry that creep!" Le Fay scowled.


    Yup... She''s different alright. Both Shirayuki and Kozelotte thought wryly to themselves.


    "That Issei seems quite the playboy, huh..." Odin said while stroking his beard clearly amused with the whole situation.


    "We won''t deny that." Shirayuki paused: "But dearest father is not the one who chases the girls, it''s the other way around."


    "Oh? How so?" They asked with interest.


    "It''s quite hard to explain but to make it simple... What do you think about my eldest sister?" Kozelotte said while rubbing her chin.


    "Huh? What do you mean?" They asked feeling a bit confused.


    "Do you think she''s beautiful?"


    "Yes, she is." They all nodded since it''s true.


    "Out of all us sisters, eldest sister is the one look the most similar to our papa."


    "What?! B-But..."


    "Hehe, you thought that we inherited our mother''s looks right?" Kozelotte smirked at them.


    They smiled wryly at her words but give a faint nod in the end.


    "Our mothers are indeed very beautiful but papa is even more so you know."


    "I-Isn''t he basically not ''our'' Ise then? I mean..." Although Rias loves her pawn, it''s an undeniable fact that he has an average feature. Not that she won''t love him because of that though.


    "Humm, there''s a similarity with their look but papa is indeed far more handsome than this world Hyoudou Issei though. Here, let me show you his pictur-" Just when Kozelotte about to take out a picture of Issei, Shirayuki''s voice resounded.


    "Sister."


    "A-Ah... right... Sorry, but I can''t show you his picture after all." Kozelotte said while sweating a bit.


    That was close... If her mama knew that she spread their father''s picture then... She shuddered at the thought.


    "Eh, why?" Some of them felt disappointed at this.


    "Let''s move somewhere. This is not exactly the place to have our conversation." Shirayuki reminded them.


    ...


    In the .


    "Sister, I need to tell you something," Amou said towards the girl who''s currently relaxing on a chair.


    They''re currently in a small garden within . There''s only two of them here.


    "Oh, Amou? What''s up?" This girl is Momoyo, Amou''s twin sister.


    "The thing is..." Amou started her explanation.


    "Oh! That sounds fun! Let''s go meet them then!" Momoyo grinned: "Let''s bring Erza with us!"


    "She''s currently away, remember?" Amou reminded.


    "Oh right... She said she wanted to meet her other counterpart, right? What was that place name again? ?"


    "Mhm."


    "Well, let''s just go meet eldest sister Yuki and big sis Koze then."


    The two of them grinned at each other but just when they''re about to execute their plan, a stern voice resounded behind them.


    "And where do you think you''re going?"


    "Urgh!" Momoyo flinched when she heard this voice. Amou''s body also stiffened.


    The one who just spoke is a beautiful mature woman with long silver hair. She''s wearing an exotic maid dress that accentuated her beauty even more.


    She''s none other than Grayfia Lucifuge Hyoudou.


    "G-Grayfia kaa-san... W-We just wanted to take a walk." Momoyo said with a slight stutter.


    "Hoo... Then let me accompany you two then." Grayfia said with her eyes narrowed.


    "N-No need, we''re just going take a short walk around the castle!"


    "Oh, but I insist. It''s nothing weird that a mother wanting to take a walk with their daughters together, right?"


    "W-We don''t want to bother you!"


    "I''m quite free now. And even if I were busy, I could always free some of my time to accompany my daughters."


    "Geh..."


    Amou started to take a step to the side slowly wanting to escape but Grayfia had her eyes set on her.


    "Did you two really think that we don''t know what you two are planning? Sona has already warned me about you two." Grayfia snorted.


    "We just wanted to pick eldest sister and big sis Koze up..." Amou mumbled.


    "Hmph, even if what you said is true, that''s still not your job to pick them up." Grayfia said clearly not buying their excuse: "Why can''t you two behave like your little sister Sakuya..." She sighed tiredly.


    "What''s wrong, big sister?" Another woman entered the garden with a light step.


    "Oh, Qingyue. It''s nothing... These two are up to something again as usual." Grayfia said with a sigh.


    "Hehe." Xia Qingyue laughed softly hearing this.


    "Jeez, don''t laugh at them... That will only encourage their action even more. And you''re currently pregnant so don''t move too much." Grayfia gently admonished her.


    Xia Qingyue''s stomach is protruding quite a bit since she''s at her late stage of pregnancy already this month.


    "I could say the same about you, big sister." Xia Qingyue smiled while gently stroking her belly.


    "I''m still in my early stage so it''s still fine," Grayfia said with a smile of her own.


    Xia Qingyue, Chu Yuechan, Huan Caiyi, Feng Xue''er, Su Ling''er, Cang Yue, Feng Qianhui, Gong Yuxian, Jasmine, Xun''er, Cang Yue, Mu Xuanyin, Mu Bingyun, and so on is also pregnant. Including Shen Xi.


    In fact, this is their second pregnancy... well for Xun''er this is her third pregnancy since she already had Jasmine and her second child earlier.


    The pregnant girls are in the special room currently relaxing. Only the Goddess Hephaestus which is currently accompanied by Issei chooses to work despite her pregnancy.


    It took a lot of convincing and even some persuasion from her side before Issei finally relented to her request... But even then he still didn''t rest easy and choose to accompany her in the end.


    "Ah, Qingyue kaa-san. Don''t move too much! Be careful of the baby!" Momoyo seeing her chance is here immediately went forward to hold her. Even Amou also seized this chance.


    Xia Qingyue who saw this smiled gently before she lightly knocks their heads: "Be obedient... Don''t cause too much trouble for your father and mothers."


    "Hehe, we won''t cause ''too much'' trouble." Momoyo grinned.


    "Honestly, you and the others spoil them too much." Grayfia heaved a sigh while cupping her cheek with her right hand: "And why didn''t the two of you react the same way when you saw me? I''m also pregnant you know?" She faked a glare at the two troublemakers.


    "A-Ah, how could that be. We''re just too surprised to see our beautiful mother suddenly appearing in front of us! R-Right, sister?" Momoyo nudged Amou with her elbow.


    "Indeed." Amou nodded with a straight face.


    "Hmph, glib tongue." Grayfia snorted but she couldn''t help but smile a little.


    When they''re still joking with each other, a portal appeared right beside them.


    Their expression turned into pure happiness when they realized this presence.


    "Husband!/Dear!/Father!!" They shouted in glee seeing Issei who appeared from the portal.


    "Hm? What are you girls doing here?" Issei smiled gently at the four of them.


    Both Amou and Momoyo glomped to his side while they started rubbing their face on his body.


    Issei smiled at this before he pats their head gently: "You two are already this big but still act so spoiled." Although it seems that he''s admonishing them, his doting grin gave him away...


    "Welcome back, husband/dear." Both Xia Qingyue and Grayfia said lovingly before they too went to his side nestling their body just like a bird returning to their nest.


    Amou and Momoyo pouted slightly but they still moved away to give them some room.


    "Um, I''m back." Issei embraced his two wives and said.


    The two women snuggled comfortably in his embrace acting spoiled. Even Grayfia who''s usually strict with this kind of stuff couldn''t help but act spoiled whenever she''s in his presence.


    "Yue''er, Fia. why are you two out here? The air is a little cold today." Issei gently admonished the two of them.


    Xia Qingyue and Grayfia rolled their eyes at his words. A little cold? Even if the weather suddenly becomes freezing cold, they still won''t feel cold in the slightest.


    They''re basically master of all elements already with the help of his . No, not that kind of ''seed'' you perv, but an elemental just like the Heretic God elemental seed.


    And even without his help, the two of them already have a great affinity with the element. Remember, Xia Qingyue cultivated Ice profound art while Grayfia herself excelled in Ice magic.


    But they still feel happy seeing him so concerned about them like this.


    "En. We''re sorry, husband/dear." Both of them said obediently.


    "So, what are you doing here?" Issei asked again.


    "Well..."


    "Ise!" Before Grayfia could relate what just happened, another happy shout can be heard before a golden figure crashed into his body.


    "Kunou, mind your age." Another mature woman''s voice resounded.


    These two newcomers are Kunou and Yasaka.


    Kunou has completely matured into a beautiful lady just like her mother whereas Yasaka herself grow more beautiful despite having giving birth to another two more daughters. A little side effect from receiving Issei''s essence which basically the best elixir in the multiverse.


    Kunou''s hair is styled into a side ponytail and the end of her ponytail went past her waist.


    Her body blossomed just like her mother''s.


    She''s a busty lady in both b.r.e.a.s.t and ass department. Something she took pride in since she could grow up just like her mother.


    She''s wearing a custom-designed red and black ninja-like outfit. Yasaka is still wearing a kimono but it''s more reserved compared to her old clothes since she didn''t want to bring bad influence to their daughters.


    "Welcome back, anata." Yasaka said lovingly and shared a quick kiss with Issei.


    "Muu, Ise!" Kunou pouted and demanded a kiss as well.


    Issei smiles wryly before he granted her request.


    ""Me too, father!"" Amou and Momoyo chimed in trying to take advantage of the situation.


    Of course, Issei also gives them a kiss... on the cheek of course. They pouted but with a glare from Grayfia, they immediately went silent.


    "Let''s go inside," Issei said towards his loved ones.


    Once they''re inside, only then Grayfia recounted what just happened before his arrival.


    ...


    "Let me go get them!" Kunou said enthusiastically.


    "Kunou..." Yasaka sighed.


    "It will be alright!" Kunou grinned at her mother.


    "Ise... Please stop her."


    "Humm, I wanted to pick them up as well. We could go together if you want." Issei said after a little bit of thinking.


    "Ehh, no need, Ise! Let me go alone." Kunou thumped her chest.


    "But..."


    "Dear, the Mon gal association wanted to have a meeting with you earlier. Perhaps letting Kunou go on her own will be fine." Grayfia reminded.


    "Eh..." Issei sighed tiredly since having a meeting with the Monster girl or mon gal''s association for short is quite tiring... If it were just a regular meeting like usual then he won''t be as tired.


    The reason for that is because those monster girls are extremely l.u.s.tful.


    If it wasn''t for them possessing a good amount of influences within the , Forzelotte would''ve sent them away... Their Queens being the top fifty also didn''t help much.


    A meeting that supposed to be over within ten to fifteen minutes could become an hour or even more depending on the specific time.


    Monster girls are a hybrid between Demons, Humans, and Beastkin in the past. They''re not really the real inhabitants of the , they''re more similar to immigrants you might call it.


    Out of all races within the , they''re known to be the most l.u.s.tful even rivaling the Succubus race. That''s because their species are quite special.


    One of them because they have a succubus bloodline and the others are because their blood is attracted to a strong male. Whenever they''re near the presence of a male regardless of the species, more often than not, they will go into heat.


    They''re also called the Monster Girls because they only give birth to female descendants hence why they needed to breed with different races to continue their species.


    In a way, they''re quite similar to the Kalars race in the past.


    So, Issei who''s basically the best mate they can hope for is also the best aphrodisiac for their race.


    Of course, it''s not like there''s no magic that could suppress this urge of theirs but it would be of no use whenever they''re near Issei... His ''scent'' as they like to call it, is far too potent for any magic to resist.


    "Can''t we just have Sona handle them?" Issei asked wryly.


    "You know that isn''t possible, right? They said that they wanted you to come personally. Queen Alipheese Fateburn arrived here a few days ago and sent that message personally." Grayfia could help but shook her head.


    "Oh, Alice, huh..." Issei said while remembering about her.


    He accidentally meets her in the past during his little trip to find new ingredients.


    She was hurt when he found her and Issei helped her in his passing way but ever since then, she kept following him.


    Issei is wearing his mask as well back then but it''s of no use since she didn''t need to see his face to know that he''s an outstanding male.


    The amount of times that she tries forcing her way with him is innumerable. But Issei casually flicked her away whenever she tries to seduce him.


    At first, Issei thought that she''s a l.u.s.tful woman but when he found out the reason why he acts that way, he nodded understandingly and become less violent with her.


    It''s not really her fault for being that l.u.s.tful so he couldn''t really blame her... Given time, she gained some resistance to his ''scent'' but not completely. Issei helped her with that by giving some of his to her little by little.


    For the first time in her life, she felt like she didn''t need to absorb the of a male to survive. She felt ''full'' just by staying near him.


    The of her world is that every monster girl needed to survive hence why they often kidnap and **** males for their .


    Issei felt like it''s too troublesome to change the of that world directly so he just made their world connected with each other and forcibly overwritten that world .


    While they don''t need to survive like they used to, some still find joy in the activity of absorbing itself, or in simpler terms, s.e.x.


    Issei doesn''t think what they did as ''evil'' so he let them be. As long as both parties are willing then why should he bother to prevent it? Of course, that doesn''t mean that they could do it anywhere they want...


    He never thought that Alice or Alipheese Fateburn and her fellow Queens would become one of his pursuers... This was before he fought Nyarlathotep in the past.


    Being the Queens of their race, they''re quite special. They don''t need to extract directly from the source so Issei could easily share his without doing the deeds with them.


    Issei was the first male they tried to directly pounce on.


    But he underestimated his influence on them... They said that they won''t be satisfied with other anymore... Only his could satisfy them.


    That sounded wrong in one way or another but it is what it is...


    "Why don''t just accept them already? It''s not like they would betray you anyway. At the very least, Alice seems like a good girl." Yasaka asked.


    "I''m trying to limit myself..." Issei said wryly.


    "As if that''s possible." Yasaka and the others chuckled.


    "...Don''t say it like I''m some deviants that couldn''t control myself will you?" Issei said with a twitch of his face.


    "You''re not?" They shot him a knowing look.


    "..." Issei couldn''t retort to their words since he has more than a thousand wives already...


    "Don''t feel so down, dear... We still love you regardless." The wives consoled him.


    "And I think your perverted side is really nice~" Yasaka added seductively.


    "Hey, not in front of our daughters," Issei said with a startle.


    "Please, it''s not like they didn''t have knowledge about ''it''." Yasaka rolled her eyes.


    Amou and Momoyo averted their gaze while whistling away.


    Issei becomes speechless at that... Since when his innocent little princess knows about this kind of stuff?! Who corrupted them!


    "It''s you." As if the wives could read his mind, they pointed their fingers at him: "It''s your fault for making us pregnant and giving them new sisters. The platypus or stork and the baby story won''t work anymore you know? They''re 14 already, not 8."


    "..."


    "Just leave it to me, Ise. I''ll pick them up." Kunou once again reassured him.


    "Let us go with you, Kunou kaa-san!" Momoyo spoke up.


    "Hmm, sure. I don''t mind," Kunou agreed quite easily: "But you better ask your father." She added.


    "Father, pleaseeee~" The two of them gave him the ''puppy eyes'' which is the strongest weapon against the True Dragon Godking.


    "...Fine." He finally relented under their pleading gaze: "But you better hurry back, understand?" He added sternly.


    "Yayy! Thank you father, love you!" The two of them kissed his left and right cheek respectively.


    "We''ll be right back." Kunou also gives him a quick peck on the lips before Issei helped her creating a portal towards Shirayuki and Kozelotte''s location.


    "Esdeath, Altair, Sirius, Xiaotao, Lieyan, Bing''er." When Kunou disappeared into the portal, Issei called out.


    "Yes, my king?" The six of them appeared in front of him while still kneeling.


    "Go find Zelretch and bring him to me."


    "At your command!" The four of them replied in unison before disappearing.


    The girls gave a silent prayer to a certain vampire. May you rest in peace... But you won''t be missed, they thought to themselves.


    ...


    When Kunou and the two girls arrived at the designated place. They arrived in a room.


    The room is very familiar to Kunou.


    Those who are present become shocked seeing that there''s a portal opening near them. They immediately went into their respective battle mode thinking that these portal is the doing of their enemies.


    Hyoudou Issei''s little group, Azazel, Rossweisse, and Serafall are those who are present at the moment.


    Not far from them, there''s a small version of Kunou seated nervously.


    "Who!" One of the Karasu Tengu shouted.


    But when they finally saw the three newcomers, they become utterly dumbfounded... especially the Youkai group.


    That''s because one of the women who appeared before them look very familiar.


    "Hm, is this the place?" Momoyo muttered curiously.


    "It seems so. That guy looks a little like father." Amou pointed at the dumbfounded Hyoudou Issei.


    "Oh? You''re right!" Momoyo grinned.


    "Hmm, this sure brings back memories..." Kunou Hyoudou said while looking at the lineup inside the room. She realizes this must be that time when her mother got kidnapped: "But where''s Yuki and Koze?"


    "It seems that they were here. Their presence is quite fresh... Most likely they just went away." Amou said after sniffing the air a bit.


    "Wh-Who are you?" The same tengu who just spoke before asked stutteringly.


    "Hm, me? I''m Kunou Hyoudou. One of Issei Savant Hyoudou wives." She introduced herself while pushing her bountiful chest forward taking pride in her identity.


    "...EHH?!" They shouted in surprise including Kunou of this world.


    "K-K-Kunou-hime?!" The youkais shouted in surprise.


    "Hoo, so this is the a.d.u.l.t version of this kid, huh?" Azazel said while rubbing his chin while looking at the small and mature Kunou back and forth.


    Damn... She''s really hot! He thought secretly to himself. Well, considering her mother then it''s of no surprise, he guesses...


    Hyoudou Issei himself is having a nosebleed while looking at the mature version of Kunou. Asia who''s at his side pinched his waist with a pout.


    "Anyway, did any of you know where Yuki and Koze went?" Kunou Hyoudou asked.


    "O-Oh, they said they wanted to sightsee a bit..." Rossweisse replied while fidgetting a bit. She''s feeling a little shy in front of Kunou Hyoudou''s presence. After all, ''they'' are supposedly to share the same husband...


    Ophis of this world sensed Amou and Momoyo''s presence had her eyes widen.


    She wastes no time before she teleported herself to their location.


    Shirayuki and Kozelotte look at each other since they can recognize this presence.


    "Guess they''re here to pick us up, little sister." Shirayuki said with a thin smile.


    "Ugh... C-Can I just wait here a little bit more, eldest sister?"


    "If you want to make your mother become angrier then sure."


    "...Guess not." Kozelotte replied depressingly.


    ...


    Issei who''s at the groaned to himself.


    "Stop being a worrywart, dear." Grayfia said with a sigh: "This is not the first time the girls went to another world anyway... You know that Erza is currently away as well, right?"


    Yasaka and Xia Qingyue only giggled at their sulking husband.


    "But... her case is different, I already confirmed that the world she went to isn''t dangerous..." Issei mumbled childishly.


    "No buts. Just focus on the upcoming meeting. Kunou already went there to pick them up so you shouldn''t be so worried."


    Issei pouted before he thought of a good idea... at least that''s what he thought.


    "Let''s just have the meeting in that world!"


    ...


    Somewhere in another world.


    "Hmm, you''re so weak and you call yourself the Dragon King?" A young woman scoffed at the black Dragon below her. The Dragon laid there with multiple wounds around its body.


    It growled in pain but it has no more strength left.


    The young woman who''s standing above the Black Dragon seems like the embodiment of power. Her body is covered in a scarlet aura and her hand is shaped like a Dragon''s claw. The same goes for her legs and she also has a pair of scarlet Dragon wings and tail.


    In the nearby distance, a group of distressed people becomes completely slackjawed at her sight. Not only because of her strength but also because of her appearance...


    Her appearance is extremely similar to someone they know. They''re basically twins!


    The young woman turned her gaze at them and flashed a smirk at her ''twin''.


    "I see that you''ve grown up... ''Sister''." The young woman said with a smile.

 Chapter 147 - Side 4

    Ophis appeared right in front of Amou and Momoyo.


    The three of them look at each other silently.


    Azazel and the others gulped audibly sensing the tense atmosphere.


    Shirayuki and Kozelotte appeared not long after. Kunou Hyoudou who saw them flashed a grin to which they returned with their own smile... Shirayuki flashed a happy smile while Kozelotte flashed a wry smile instead.


    "...Pfft, hahaha, she''s really similar to mom eh, sister?" Momoyo is the first to break the silence while laughing.


    "Indeed." Amou nodded.


    "...The two of you... are my offsprings?" Ophis said with glimmering eyes.


    "Hmm, you could say that I guess?" Momoyo replied while tilting her head a bit: "It''s surprising how similar your scent and aura with our real mom is. If it were anyone else then they would''ve mistaken you to our real mom."


    Ophis walks forward before she made her body grew to her a.d.u.l.t form. When she stood before them, she immediately pulled the two young girls into her embrace.


    "Geh?!" Momoyo choked a little because of how tight her embrace is but she didn''t try to push her away. Amou''s response was only a small frown.


    "...Mine." Ophis mumbled possessively. She treated the two of them just like how a girl would treat their beloved teddy bear.


    Azazel and the others had their mouth went wide agape seeing this sight of Ophis.


    "Err..." Momoyo sweated at her possessiveness.


    "We''re not yours." Amou said.


    "Mine!" Ophis raised her voice for the first time.


    "Okay, that''s enough." Kunou Hyoudou finally separated the three of them.


    She easily pried Ophis away from Amou and Momoyo.


    "They''re not yours, they''re my daughters." Kunou Hyoudou said.


    "...They have my energy signature and scent. That makes them my offspring." Ophis reasoned.


    "No no, while your energy signature and scent are similar to their mother, your bloodline is different." Kunou Hyoudou corrected: "Someone could have similar power, scent, and even face but their blood and soul is not the same. Just like how me and that Kunou for example."


    The small Kunou becomes startled when she suddenly becomes the center of attention.


    "Our scent and aura might be very similar but we''re completely different in the end. There can''t be two people with the same soul unless they''re a special case."


    Just like Ophis and Lilith, Kunou added inside her mind.


    Ophis frowned deeply at this... It''s not like she doesn''t know but she''s quite desperate to have a kin of her own.


    "Well then, let''s go back, shall we?" Kunou Hyoudou looks at Shirayuki and Kozelotte who give a nod as a response.


    "Ehhh, do we have to go back so soon?" Momoyo whined.


    "Remember what you promised to your father." Kunou admonished.


    "Buuu..." Momoyo and Amou pouted.


    "U-Umm... Excuse me!"


    "Hm?" Kunou and the girls look at the small Kunou who just spoke.


    "P-Please help me rescue my mother!" She bowed deeply in their direction.


    Kunou raised her eyebrow at this. She can relate to the small Kunou since she has been in the same situation before.


    "Let''s help her, Kunou kaa-san!" Momoyo said excitedly: "We can beat some bad guys up and also help your other self in the process! It will be a win-win situation just like Nobu kaa-san often says!"


    "Um, win-win." Amou nodded in agreement.


    "*Sigh* You two... I knew this would happen." Kunou sighed for the umpteenth time.


    "I-If you want a payment then we can think of something..." The small Kunou said desperately.


    "...Nevermind, we''ll do this one for free. I have been into the same situation as you before after all so I can understand your desperation." Kunou said with an understanding smile.


    "R-Really?" The small Kunou widen her eyes at this.


    "Yup, my mom is also kidnapped by the hero faction in the past. My world Ise helped me rescue her and that''s also one of the reasons why I fell in love with him." Kunou giggled in reminiscence.


    "I-I see..." The small Kunou blushed slightly while looking at the clueless Hyoudou Issei.


    "Now then, let''s find your mom, shall we?" Kunou smiled in encouragement.


    "U-Un!"


    "Hmm... Found them!" Kunou said simply. All she needs to do was extend her aura to cover the whole of Kyoto and she could easily found their hidden location.


    ...


    "No." Grayfia said sternly: "There''s no need to hold the meeting over there. We can do it here as usual."


    "It won''t be any different even if I have the meeting over there, right?" Issei retorted: "And besides, I have a good reason to hold the meeting over there. We have no information on that world... What if there''s someone over there that could threaten them?"


    "That''s impossible and you know it, dear. If there was someone who could possess some threat to you then Nyarlathotep would''ve informed you right away. Isn''t that right, sister?"


    "Ufufufu." A giggling sound can be heard from Issei''s shadow and Nyarlathotep could be seen emerging from it.


    She wrapped her arms around Issei''s neck lovingly: "While that''s true, that doesn''t mean I should refuse my husband''s wishes, right~?"


    Grayfia sighed at her words, she knew this would happen.


    "Come on, Fia. It would be fine, I promise." Issei flashed a loving smile to Grayfia.


    "...You''re so unfair, dear... You know I won''t be able to refuse you when you use that smile..." Grayfia pouted with a slight blush adorning her gorgeous face.


    Even after all these years, they''re still unable to resist his charm.


    "Now, let''s go meet the other you, dear husband~" Nyarlathotep kissed Issei''s cheek with a mischievous smile: "I wonder if the other you are as powerful as you... or at least, the potential to reach our heights."


    "While I highly doubt that other Ise would be as powerful as you... I guess it won''t hurt to take a look." Grayfia said.


    Issei beamed at her words. Now he can pick up his little princesses personally.


    "We should send someone to scout the area first. Even if it seems safe so far, it doesn''t hurt to be careful." Grayfia added.


    ...


    Somewhere secluded in the city of Kyoto...


    "Heh, I told you that you won''t be able to defeat them, Cao Cao." Vali said grinningly.


    Vali arrived here wanted to fight Cao Cao but it seems that somebody else is ahead of her. She''s feeling a little annoyed that she''s unable to have a fight with the rumored strongest Human.


    "Ugh..."


    "Haha, I always wanted to do this in the past."


    Kunou is laughing while Cao Cao of this world is already beaten to a pulp before her. Not even his mother would be able to tell that he''s her son!


    Whereas for his team, they''re in no better shape since Amou and Momoyo is having ''fun'' with them.


    "They''re so weak!" Momoyo groaned.


    "Weakling." Amou nodded with a lazy tone.


    "Err, it''s not that they''re weak but it''s just you girls are too strong," Azazel said with a sweat.


    Even he would be having a little trouble if he were to fight Cao Cao and his team all at once.


    "Wh-Why did the True Longinus doesn''t work on you..." Cao Cao bem.o.a.ned in pain.


    "Hm? I wonder?" Kunou said with a smirk: "That''s something you won''t comprehend in this lifetime of yours. Now, where were we? Oh yes, another serving of beatdown~????"


    "S-Stop-"


    "Nope~????"


    But Kunou doesn''t listen and proceed to beat him yet again...


    "She''s quite scary... To think that little girl would become like that." Azazel said wryly.


    Hyoudou Issei and the others nodded dumbly at his words.


    "Ouch, that''s gotta hurt." Bikou said with a wince seeing Kunou who just land a hit on Cao Cao''s crotch. All men in the viccinity felt that...


    "Nyahahaha!" Kuroka only laughed jovially at the sight of Cao Cao and his team getting their ass handed to them.


    "I-Is that really Kunou?" Yasaka of this world said in disbelief.


    "Okaa-sama!" The small Kunou hugged her while sobbing.


    She has just woken up seeing her mature daughter beating the man who kidnapped her.


    "Hum?" Kunou''s body jerked slightly when she sensed a familiar aura.


    Out of a portal, come out two identical women with little disparity clad in a military-looking outfit.


    "Is this the place?" The first woman said.


    "Um, it is. Now let''s get this over with... I''m quite uncomfortable not wearing my maid outfit."


    "*Sigh* Be more dignified, sister."


    "Tch, I''m not a king anymore, remember? I''m but our Master''s maid. Why don''t the other us take my place anyway?"


    "She''s busy remember?"


    "Touche." The second woman snorted.


    "Eh? Why are you two here, Altria-nee? Salter-nee?" Kunou asked feeling a little baffled.


    "Master said that he will hold the meeting with the Mon Gal kingdom here." Altria informed.


    "You know how he is... he and his overprotective nature." Salter chuckled in an amused tone.


    "Ah... Right..." Kunou said with a wry smile.


    "Oh?! That sounds interesting!" Momoyo said giddily: "Will there be any fight later on, Salter kaa-san?"


    "Probably not. You know that the Mon Gal kingdom is completely loyal to your father."


    "Ehhh, lame~"


    "Heheh, we can have a spar later on." Salter ruffled Momoyo''s hair roughly.


    "Yes!" Momoyo cheered.


    While the girls are chatting with each other, Azazel and the others are feeling stumped at their sight.


    "Who are they? Why do they seem familiar?" Arthur of this world said with a frown. Le Fay also frowned deeply while looking at the two newly arrived women.


    "Of course they seem familiar to you and your sister, they''re the original Pendragon, Arthur Pendragon but she goes by the name Altria Pendragon now and the other one is her ''Alter-ego'' you might say." Shirayuki informed them as a matter of fact.


    "WHAT?!" All of them let out a dumbfounded voice at the revelation. Even Cao Cao and his team who are on the ground are in disbelief.


    "But but..."


    "She''s supposed to be a man? A parallel world, remember?"


    "...Right..."


    If it was before they meet Shirayuki and Kozelotte then they would have a hard time accepting all of this.


    "Hm? Is that Master of this world?" Salter said feeling intrigued at the drooling Hyoudou Issei.


    She walks towards him with a calm step whereas Hyoudou Issei still had his eyes glued onto the bountiful heavenly b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "Hmm..." Salter suddenly grasped his face and forced him to look at her: "They''re a little bit familiar but that''s about it... Their strength is also vastly different." She mumbled.


    "What do you expect? Another Master?" Altria said with one of her eyes closed.


    "Heh, I suppose not... There can only be one Master." Salter smirked and she then let go of her hold on his face: "Let''s finish this."


    "Um."


    ""Heed my summon, Loyal Knights of the Godking!"" The two of them shouted with their right hands held forward.


    Out of thin air, thousands of mechanical golem that are shaped like a Knight emerged. They''re arranged in an orderly fashion.


    But they''re a little bit different in appearance. Altria''s knights are white and golden colored while Salter''s knights are black and crimson colored.


    "I command thee, go and protect this place from any foes," Altria commanded.


    "I command thee, go and kill everyone who dares to bring harm to your King." Salter commanded.


    The visor shone brightly before they execute their order. The first thing they did was to head towards Cao Cao who they deemed a foe.


    The killing intent they emit is so thick that even those who are not their target felt fear.


    "Wait, ignore them." Just when Cao Cao and his party thought that they will die, Kunou''s voice resounded.


    Only then the withdraw their killing intent and leave Cao Cao behind.


    "Hm? You don''t want them to be killed?" Salter asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "No need, Salter-nee. Let them handle this." Kunou said while pointing at Azazel''s little group: "Besides, we''re not the ones who should decide their punishment. I''m satisfied enough being able to beat him up!"


    "O-Oh, leave it to us." Azazel stuttered while Rossweisse immediately apprehends Cao Cao and his team. Then he used his communication device to broadcast what''s currently happening before him: "Oi, Sirzechs, Michael... You guys might want to come here."


    "Um. With that out of the way..." Salter tapped a device in her hand: "Area clear. Send in the maid team."


    When the maid team arrived, Azazel becomes further dumbfounded: "...Scratch that, You should come here immediately... Bring Rias and the others while you''re at it... This ought to be very interesting." Azazel muttered.


    "I-I-Is that... Buchou?" Hyoudou Issei said with his eyes bulging out of the socket. The mature red-haired heiress looks so stunning that he becomes completely smitten at first sight.


    Asia, Xenovia, and Irina who''s present is also dumbfounded at the sight of their other counterpart who just arrived.


    Kuroka is just as surprised seeing the grown-up Koneko. Looks like it''s in their genes since the grown-up Koneko looks quite voluptuous not losing against her elder sister.


    The mature Rias''s group didn''t say anything nor do they look distracted by the sight of their other counterpart. They are completely focused on their task at hand.


    They prepared some snacks, beverages, and the like for the upcoming meeting. Altria summoned a small open room surrounded by pillars. In the middle of the room, there''s a giant table with one special chair that looks like a throne.


    "Wh-What''s going on?" Azazel asked with a sweat seeing this lineup.


    "Our Master wanted to hold the meeting in this world. But that''s not his true intention... His true intention is he wanted to pick Yuki and Koze on his own." Salter informed.


    "S-So the other Issei will come here?"


    "Yes."


    While they were conversing, Sirzechs, Michael, Rias''s peerage, and Sona''s peerage arrived at the same time.


    And just like Azazel, they''re completely dumbfounded.


    "Announcing the arrival of the First Queen of the Mon Gal Kingdom, the Lamia Queen, Alipheese Fateburn XVI." The mature Rias said.


    They look at her direction where a portal is created and a woman steps out from it, or should they say slither out of it. It''s not just a normal woman but she''s a Lamia. She looks exotic and very confident in the way she brings herself befitting of a Queen. Her body is very bountiful whether it''s in the b.r.e.a.s.t or ass department.


    From the waist down, she has a heavy snakelike tail, uncoiling to a full thirty feet long. Dark red scales cover it, gradually becoming lighter as they reach the tip, where her scales are flame red.


    Her skin is soft purple, with darker purple marks swirling down her left side. They begin on her cheek, spiral down over her arms and torso, and end at her h.i.p.s. She has a light silver hime cut, reaching down to where a human''s knees would be.


    Her thick bangs reach below her eyebrow, decorated in the middle by a dark red eye-like marking. Large, dark purple horns crown her head, flopping downwards towards her face like curving rabbit ears. Her sly eyes are yellow, with thick, dark eyelashes. She has elven ears. long, pointed features that gently sweep upwards.


    "Announcing the arrival of the second Queen of the Mon Gal Kingdom, the Succubus Queen, Minagi."


    The second woman is almost n.a.k.e.d with how skimpy she is dressed but she still looks quite elegant despite her skimpy outfit. She has three pair of white bat wings and her hair color is split in the middle, the left side is fully white while the right side is light pink in color.


    There''s a tribal tattoo that can be seen on her body. And as expected of the Succubus Queen, she has a drop-dead gorgeous body that could make men succ.u.mb to her charm.


    Every man in the vicinity with the exception of Michael slumped forward at her sight subconsciously.


    "Ise!" The younger Rias pinched her pawn''s side with a growl. She''s fine with him ogling her a.d.u.l.t self but she can''t let him drool over just any other woman!


    Grayfia is pinching Sirzechs''s as well.


    Azazel and few others didn''t have anyone to stop them from leering at the s.e.xy Succubus.


    Michael is distracting himself to not look at the Succubus Queen by having a small conversation with the mature Kunou.


    "May we know what this meeting is about?" He asked politely.


    "Hm, it''s nothing much really... It''s just them reporting their achievements such as taking control of another world and such with a little competitiveness." Kunou responded: "Ah, but don''t worry, it''s not like we purposefully invade other world and taking it by force. It''s a voluntary one."


    "O-Oh, I see..." Michael nodded with an awkward smile. Looks like his worry was seen through...


    "Announcing the arrival of the third Queen of the Mon Gal Kingdom, the Alraune Queen, Kanon."


    "Announcing the arrival of the fourth Queen of the Mon Gal Kingdom, the Scylla Queen, Hiruko."


    "Announcing..."


    The mature Rias keep announcing the arrival of the Queens. There are seven Queen in total.


    The fifth Queen is a Harpy Queen, the sixth is a Slime Queen, and the seventh is an Arachnia Queen.


    The Queens stood on their respective place waiting for their King arrival.


    "All the Queens from the Mon Gal kingdom is present." The mature Rias informed Altria and Salter.


    "Um." Salter nodded before she used the same device as before: "Master, all of them have arrived."


    Finally, the last person that needed to be present in this meeting will soon arrive. The Mon Gal Queens had their eyes transfixed at the final portal location... which is located behind the throne.


    "Announcing... The arrival of the the supreme ruler of the , Issei Savant Hyoudou." The mature Rias said with her eyes glistening longingly.


    And from the portal, a man wearing an intricate black mask and walked out of it followed by two beautiful women behind him... Grayfia and the others had their mouth wide agape at the sight of the first woman since it''s the other Grayfia.


    Just like how Hyoudou Issei becomes smitten at the sight of the mature Rias... Sirzechs is smitten silly at the sight of the other Grayfia since she looks so devastatingly beautiful...


    Even Grayfia Lucifuge herself had to admit that this Grayfia looks more beautiful than herself... How did she maintain her looks?! She looks younger by a few years compared to her! She thought jealously to herself.


    But even though she admits defeat, that doesn''t mean she would allow her husband to look at other women like that despite the other woman''s identity. Hence, Sirzechs received another pinch from his wife...


    "Dearest father, dearest mother." Shirayuki called happily.


    The second woman is none other than her birth mother, Shen Xi.


    "Shi''er." Shen Xi said with a gentle smile.


    "Papa!" Kozelotte jumped at Issei''s embrace and immediately snuggled her head into his chest.


    "Are you two fine? Did anyone here bully you?" Issei smiles dotingly at her and gently patted her head in the process. He also gives Shirayuki a gentle pat.


    "Bully them? Hehe, you surely jest, husband... With their strength, it would be them who bully others." Shen Xi said with a giggle.


    "Jeez, Ise. If you''re planning to come here on your own then we should''ve just went together!" Kunou said with a huff.


    "Heheh, sorry." Issei chuckled.


    "He actually thought of it right after your departure." Grayfia Hyoudou said with a sigh: "Now let''s stop the reunion here first. We have a meeting to attend."


    "Ah." Issei nodded. Both Kozelotte and Shirayuki step aside along with Shen Xi.


    "Your majesty!" The Queens called out with a devoted look on their faces.


    Issei gives a nod at their greeting: "Let''s start the meeting."


    Only after Issei is seated on his chair that the Queens took their respective seat. Altria and Salter stationed not far behind him acting like a bodyguard while Grayfia is at his side with some paperwork in her hands.


    Shen Xi is standing in the sideline with her daughters. The mature Rias''s group obviously serving as maids.


    "...So that''s the other Issei..." Azazel and the others muttered in awe.


    The way he carries himself is quite awe-inspiring.


    "Why is he wearing a mask though?" Xenovia said while tilting her head: "Is he shy?"


    "Shy? Hahaha!" Momoyo who heard her words laughed: "If our father didn''t wear his mask then there would be a catastrophe!"


    "Catastrophe?" They said confusingly.


    "You mean there''s something special about his mask? Maybe a power limiter of some sort?" Vali asked curiously: "That would make sense actually..."


    "Eh, you could say that." Momoyo snickered to herself.


    "Your majesty, I''ve managed to conquer five worlds this year." The Lamia Queen said proudly.


    "Don''t say it like we''re invaders, Alice," Issei said while reading the report given by Grayfia.


    "I manage to dominate four worlds, your majesty~" The Succubus Queen said seductively: "Can I get some rewards~? Perhaps... A night with just the two of us together under the sheet? It won''t take long, I promise. You can just let me handle everything and it will all be over when you count to a hundred~"


    "The way you said it also seems wrong... Remember that there are my daughters here, Minagi."


    Issei propped his chin with one hand while looking at the report: "On the report here it says that you forcefully took control of one world, Kanon. Why is that?"


    "Hmph, blame that world ruler. He tries to force me into marrying him! Despite knowing that my heart is already taken." The Alraune Queen said with a pout: "Now my king~, would you be so kind to give me some of your ''nectar''~?" She fluttered her eyelashes at Issei in the process.


    "Hmm, I see." Issei nodded at her words ignoring her request which made her pout yet again.


    "What about that world you reported before, Hiruko?" Issei asked the Scylla Queen.


    Unlike a normal Scylla where their lower body consists of tentacles, she retains her human legs while her tentacles sprout from her behind just like a tail would.


    "Sadly... That world is no good." She said with a sigh.


    "Oh?" Issei mused waiting for her to continue.


    "That world is basically at its last leg already... The original inhabitants already went extinct. It''s only a matter of time before that world becomes engulfed on its own." The Scylla Queen said regrettably.


    "I see..."


    "It would be best if your majesty to just destroy that world."


    "...Very well." Issei nodded lightly after thinking a little bit.


    "Want me to destroy that world for you, dear husband~?" Nyarlathotep once again emerged from Issei''s shadow. She leaned on his side while grinning.


    "No need." Issei shook his head: "Besides, I know you would just bring Nyaruko with you and told her to destroy it instead. There''s no need to teach her that kind of stuff."


    "Aww~" Nyarlathotep whined.


    Issei lightly tapped the table before him with his index finger. There''s a light crimson glow at the tip of his finger.


    Somewhere in the multiverse, a world suddenly exploded on its own...


    "It''s done. Fia, erase that world from the list."


    "Yes, Issei-sama." Grayfia bowed lightly.


    "What? What he means by it''s done?" Vali frowned deeply.


    "Ise just destroyed the world that they were discussing," Kunou said as a matter of fact.


    "...Huh?" Not only Vali, but even the others also become stupefied at her words: "Y-You''re kidding, right?" She continued.


    "No. See this..." Kunou curled her tail making it shape like a circle and in the middle of that said circle, there''s a projection of the planet that just exploded: "This is the world they were talking about."


    "...But, we didn''t sense anything from him..." Vali argued still in a state of disbelief.


    "Of course you won''t sense anything. You guys are too weak after all." Kunou shrugged: "Here, let me help you to see a glimpse of his power."


    Kunou enveloped them with her foxtails. The moment the enlarged tails enveloped them, they almost felt like fainting because of how overwhelming Issei''s strength is.


    "Okay, that''s enough. More than that might be dangerous." Kunou withdraws her tails after just a few seconds and they started breathing heavily while sweating profusely.


    "Sorry about that, I forgot to limit your senses," Kunou said apologetically. She just forcefully enhanced their perception so that they could see a glimpse of Issei''s strength but it looks like she messed up a bit.


    "...I think I understand why the other me married him." Le Fay of this world muttered to herself after being silent for a while: "He''s nothing like that pervert."


    Kuroka of this world''s eyes is shining brightly while looking at Issei who''s currently conversing with the Queens. Her tails are flailing around just like how a cat found its prey... Others might felt horrified by that display they just witnessed but she felt hot instead...


    Rossweisse blushed deeply while fidgetting on the spot. She''s feeling envious of her other self who''s married to this Issei...


    The young Rias and her peerage also felt surreal of the sight of the other Issei.


    Whereas Hyoudou Issei himself feels respect seeing the other him who''s surrounded by so many big-b.r.e.a.s.ted beauties. But more than respect, he felt extremely jealous! How come they''re so different!


    Ddraig who''s inside him shed tears of envy as well... But not because of the other Issei''s harem but rather because of his strength. If this Issei is his host then how great it would be... He won''t be called the Oppai Dragon damn it!


    [...Vali.] Albion who''s inside Vali said solemnly.


    "...Ah, I know... I won''t try to provoke this Hyoudou Issei." Vali for the first time felt fear. If it was only Shirayuki or Kozelotte then she wasn''t that afraid but this... This is on a whole other level.


    What kind of concept is it? Being able to destroy a whole world with just a tap of one''s finger! Not even the biblical God or even Great Red itself capable of such a feat!


    The same thoughts are circulating within their mind... No matter what happens, they must not offend this Issei! It''s a relief that he doesn''t seem to be an evil person.


    "Can you explain to us just what it meant by ''conquering'' world?" Sirzechs inquired.


    "Ah, it''s nothing complicated really. We would visit a world to see if they needed some help and the like... They could just pay us something in return or they could submit their world under our rule. But you don''t need to feel concerned, under our rule can be considered under our protection as well. All they need to do is pay taxes just like how the government work in the human society and they''re also need to be ready if someday they''re needed for something such as defending against enemies attack or going to war." Kunou explained.


    "I see..." Sirzechs nodded understandingly: "Then what about that world Issei just destroyed?"


    "That world is basically under the brink of destruction with no hope left. It''s better for it to be destroyed as soon as possible or there might be some unforeseen accident that could happen such as that world ''infecting'' other world."


    They nodded once again and asked no further question... They waited until Issei''s meeting is finished.


    "Now that the meeting is over..." Alipheese or Alice had her eyes glistening brightly. Her snake body slowly crept up towards Issei trying to coil itself around his body only to be slapped away by the Scylla Queen tentacles.


    "Not so fast, Alice." She smirked.


    "Why you! Stop getting in my way Hiruko!" Alice growled.


    "Ne ne, your majesty... How about we leave those two old hags behind and have fun on our own~?" The succubus Queen said seductively while approaching Issei. She purposefully pushed her b.r.e.a.s.ts forward trying to entice Issei.


    While this Issei is not fazed by her action, the other Issei had a massive nosebleed.


    ""Who are you calling old hags you s.l.u.t!!!"" The two shouted.


    "I''ll take that as a compliment. I''ll gladly become your majesty''s personal s.l.u.t~"


    *PAK!* *PAK!* *PAK!*


    """Ow!/Ouch!/Ahn~!"""


    "I said mind your language." Issei sighed: "And Kanon take back your tendrils from my leg please."


    "Ara? I''ve been found out~" The Alraune Queen giggled mischievously.


    The other Queens also started encroaching upon Issei. Such as the Arachne Queen who''s using her string trying to pull Issei towards him...


    "Altria, Salter, if you would." Issei said tiredly.


    ""Understood, Master."" The two of them responded.


    "Okay, that''s enough. The meeting is over, you can go back now." Salter said while pulling two of the Queens and threw them away into the portal.


    "Ahhhh! Your majesty!" They shouted just before they went inside the portal.


    "W-Wait, your majesty! Please wait! At least let me get some of your sem-"


    "Okay, nope. Out with you." Altria tossed the indecent Succubus Queen away.


    And just like that, they''re thrown away one by one like a sack of potato... Until only Alice left behind. The reason for that is because she has been silent during the whole ordeal.


    "What''s wrong Alice?" Issei asked seeing her being so silent all of the sudden.


    "...It''s nothing." Alice sighed: "It''s just that I''ve missed you, your majesty."


    "..." Issei looks at her before sighing to himself: "Take this with you. These vials contain a small amount of concentrated from me. Share them with the others, understand? I will send more of the appropriate payment for each and one of you later on."


    "Ohhh!" Alice''s eyes shone brightly at the sight of the seven vials that are given to her.


    "Thank you, your majesty!" Alice jumped at Issei and hugged him tightly. Altria and Salter didn''t stop her because Issei told them not to.


    Her tails started coiling themselves around Issei''s waist and if Issei isn''t wearing his mask then she would''ve rain his face with kisses.


    "Ne ne, your majesty. Can you take off your mask just for a little bit, please?" Alice implored while still hugging Issei and sitting on his lap with his tail coiling around his waist.


    "You know that won''t be a good idea, right?"


    "Tch..." Alice looks discontentedly at Sirzechs''s group.


    Their body shook greatly sensing her penetrating gaze. They hurriedly averted their gaze while feigning ignorance.


    They weren''t really invited to this meeting so they felt a little guilty for getting in the way...


    "Just go back for now... I''ll pay you a visit later," Issei said while patting her back.


    "Really?!" Alice exclaimed in glee.


    "...Ah." He finally nods.


    "Hehehe, I will be waiting, your majesty." Alice said before she unwrapped herself from Issei.


    She winked at Issei one last time before disappearing into the portal...


    "Haah..." Issei sighed tiredly for the umpteenth time.


    "Fufufu, you''re finally going to accept Alice, dear?" Grayfia chuckled behind him.


    "No..."


    "Hehehe, we will leave it at that, I guess." She said before setting her eyes on the nervous onlookers: "Now then... Shall we have a talk with them, dear?"


    "Hm?" Issei looks to the side while he flinched slightly at the sight of his wives'' other counterpart.


    Damn... How come they look so alike? He thought wryly to himself. Especially that Kuroka who had her eyes glistening brightly with her tails flailing about. She looks just like his Kuroka whenever they would do their nightly activities together...


    "SENPAI!!!" Hyoudou Issei dashed forward while kneeling at him in the process.


    "Please teach me how to be a harem king! Please, I beg you!" He begged desperately.


    "..." Issei becomes speechless at this sight.


    The mature Rias''s group looks quite a bit melancholic when they saw this perverted Issei. Then they look at their other counterpart and felt slightly envious since they didn''t make the same mistake as them...


    ...


    "S-Sister!?" A young blonde girl said feeling surprised.


    "O-Oi, Erza! You have twins?!" A young man with pink colored hair said.


    "U-Unbelievable..." A beautiful girl with long white hair said.


    "Maybe that''s Erza from Edolas?"


    "No, you flame brain, she looks nothing like that Erza! She clearly uses magic just now!" A spiky black-colored hair young man said with a scoff.


    "What did you say droopy eyes!"


    The two young men glared at each other.


    "M-May we know who you are, miss?" A small looking old man asked cautiously.


    This girl who looks like one of their guildmates just beat the hell out of that black dragon... Even all of them together couldn''t put a scratch on its body back then. But here she is easily defeating that same dragon in the same fashion but in reverse... That black Dragon couldn''t even put a scratch on her body!


    While they''re speculating just who is this woman is, their friend who''s also named Erza had her eyes widen: "...Nee-san?" She said in disbelief.


    "Why are you calling me nee-san? You''re clearly older than me." The other Erza laughed. The reason why the other Erza called her nee-san is because she''s stronger and looks older than her.


    She is 14 years old while the other Erza is 19. The former only looks a bit more mature because of her bloodline.


    "I-Is that really you?"


    "What do you think?"


    "W-Wait, you knew her, Erza-san?" A petite girl with long dark blue hair asked.


    The dragon woman is none other than Erza Belserion Hyoudou while the other Erza is her parallel self, Erza Belserion Scarlet.


    "Y-Yes... She''s my step-sister, you could say..." Erza Scarlet nodded dumbly but soon she hurriedly asked: "I-Is father with you?" She asked hopefully.


    She and her mother are under their care for a period of time until Issei told her to join Fairy Tail. Issei can see that the Fairy Tail member is a group of good people.


    He could just take Erza Scarlet and her mother with him but she decided not to since he couldn''t just bring every single person he met with him. Just like he said, he''s trying to limit himself... Despite the failure over the so-called "limit" so far.


    Erza Scarlet cried wanting to go with Issei but with a few words of persuasion and some promise, she finally relented and joined Fairy Tail soon after.


    "Um, he''s currently not around." Erza Hyoudou shook her head.


    "I see..." Erza scarlet said disappointingly.


    "Where''s your mom, by the way? How come I didn''t see her with you?" Erza Hyoudou said while looking around. She jumped down from the black Dragon unconscious body.


    "She went away soon after you left with father... She said she will fulfill the promise she has with him. She sometimes pays me a visit though..."


    "You have a mother Erza?!"


    "Be quiet you idiot! Can''t you see that they''re in the middle of something!?"


    "Who are you calling an-"


    *BAM!*


    Erza Scarlet knocked the pink-haired young man into the ground taking him out in the process...


    "Your friends sure are rowdy." Erza Hyoudou laughed out loud: "Oh, there''s also a spirit here." She said looking at a young girl who seems shocked that she could see her.


    "Sorry about that..." Erza Scarlet said while fuming a little.


    "Don''t mind it... But promise? Oh... ''That'' promise huh..." Erza Hyoudou said wryly.


    "Um... She''s so determined that she practically almost neglected me for a few months." Erza Scarlet sighed. Not that she minds though since she knows that her mother loves her dearly.


    "Hey hey! Sorry to intrude on your reunion, but what and who are you? What magic did you just use? I can tell that it''s not magic but it''s something else! And how come you can see me?" A young girl who has very long, wavy, pastel yellow-blonde hair that reaches down to her feet with a small ahoge on top of her head and large green eyes with no pupils, peachy skin, and a slight child-like build asked curiously.


    "Me? I''m a Dragon, obviously. And my name is Erza Belserion Hyoudou." Erza Hyoudou said simply. She flailed her dragon tail and wings to make her point across.


    "O-Oh..."


    "Do you know Igneel!?" The pink-haired guy who just got knocked out cold become startled awake at the revelation.


    "Igneel? Dunno, never heard of him before." Erza Hyoudou shrugged: "But how come you''re so weak, sister? Have you been neglecting your training? Now that just won''t do."


    "Ergh... No, I''m not neglecting my training... It''s just that since father isn''t around to guide me, my strength is unable to increase anymore..." Erza Scarlet said.


    "Excuses, I can tell that you''re very weak and your strength barely increases ever since our last training together with father. Now come with me, I will train you personally and this time I will make sure that you''re able to use your Dragon form." Erza Hyoudou caught the flinching Erza Scarlet by her scruff and dragged her along.


    Her friends become flabbergasted at that... What the hell? She''s already very strong perhaps even stronger than their number one magician but here she is saying that she''s basically never trained herself?! And Dragon form? Since when Erza has a Dragon form?!


    Erza Scarlet struggled under her grasp but the other Erza is not having any of it.


    "W-Wait, miss! What about this dragon!" The petite old man shouted while pointing at the unconscious black Dragon.


    "Hm? Oh, I almost forgot." Erza Hyoudou said in realization. She then literally kicked the black dragon in its ass sending it flying far away until it becomes a fleeting star in the sky...


    Their eyes and mouth become wide agape in shock seeing this.


    "I won''t do anything to it. That will be my sister''s job when the time comes." Erza Hyoudou said with Erza Scarlet still flailing around in her hand: "I can''t believe such weakling could easily defeat you, sister... What will father say when he saw this..."


    "D-Don''t! Don''t tell father, please! I-I''ll train!" Erza Scarlet said with a pale face.


    "Oh, you will train alright... Like it or not. I won''t let my sister be so weak that some random lizard wannabe king could kick her butt so easily." Erza Hyoudou grinned evilly.


    "Th-That Erza is even scarier than our Erza..." A blonde-haired girl said while shivering slightly. Her friends nodded rapidly at her words while shivering on their own.


    And with Erza Hyoudou''s help, they finally went back towards their guild...


    ...


    "Where did he go?"


    "Damn, we lost him!"


    "Search around some more, he shouldn''t be too far away!"


    Somewhere nearby, an old man could be seen hiding in the dimensional gap while muttering to himself: "What the hell? Did he have to be so angry? All I did was did a little harmless prank!"


    "There he is! Catch him! Don''t let him escape this time or we won''t be able to face Master!"


    "Crap! Run!"


    In the void, a lone old man is being chased by six woman could be found...

 Chapter -1 - IMAGES LINK + PAT REON

AN: I CREATED A PAT REON FOR THOSE WHO WANTS TO DONATE AND ALSO AS A PLACE TO POST THE IMAGES FOR MY FANFIC. SO MAKE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT FOR EASY ACCESS TO THE IMAGES I HAVE POSTED SO FAR, MORE OR LESS! WITH THAT SAID, ENJOY THE CHAPTER AND PEACE OUT GIRLS SCOUT! pat reon.com/Leixein

 Chapter 148 - Side 5

    "Can someone tell me why Ophis of this world suddenly requested an offspring from me?" Issei asked while sighing tiredly.


    "She becomes jealous of mom when she saw us, dad." Momoyo said with a grin.


    "You, are strong. A strong mate will produce strong offspring..." Ophis explained.


    "Yeah, no... I won''t be making a child with just any woman I see." Issei denied.


    "...My body isn''t up to your satisfaction?" Ophis tilted her head before she looks at Issei''s wives.


    She finally come to conclusion and starts making her b.r.e.a.s.ts grow even more. Since she''s already in her a.d.u.l.t form, there''s really not much she needs to do other than making her body more curvaceous.


    "How about now?" Ophis asked.


    "...Why do you think that- Nevermind." Issei said in dismissal.


    "She''s not entirely wrong though, dear... You do love big b.r.e.a.s.ts right?" Fia chuckled.


    "Fia... You''re not helping here."


    "Ooooohhh!!!" Hyoudou Issei let out an amazed sound at Ophis''s b.r.e.a.s.t.


    *BAM!*


    "Geh!" Hyoudou Issei let out a groaning sound: "Wh-Why..." He bem.o.a.ned before passing out.


    "I-Ise!" The young Rias group scrambled towards him checking if he''s okay.


    "Ah... Sorry, it was a reflex." Issei said in realization after slugging his other counterpart.


    "Do forgive him. This Ophis really looks very much like our sister Ophis hence why he reacts to that Hyoudou Issei for ogling at her." Fia said with a chuckle: "He''s a jealous husband you see."


    "I don''t mind being your mate... Make me your mate just like the other Ophis." Ophis said while staring at Issei intently.


    "..." Issei is rendered speechless... Not by her words but because of similar she is with his Ophis.


    "Why don''t you just take her, dad? Having another mom would be funny. Especially when they''re this similar." Momoyo grinned while standing beside Issei. She could imagine just how funny it will be... Three mom staring blankly at each other while pointing at each other saying ''I''m you, you''re me.''


    "Stop causing trouble, young lady." Issei lightly flicks her forehead. Momoyo pouted while holding her reddening forehead.


    Nyarlathotep floated towards the unconscious Hyoudou Issei and narrowed her eyes. Soon she averted her gaze losing interest.


    She went back towards Issei and clung to him like usual.


    "What''s wrong?" Issei asked her.


    "It''s nothing."


    "Is it about his ''potential''?"


    "Fufufu, you know me so well, dear husband~" Nyarlathotep giggled: "But yes... his potential is so-so. He could reach and perhaps with some miraculous encounter but that''s about it."


    "I see..." Issei nodded calmly.


    "His could indeed be considered one of a kind but..." Nyarlathotep''s eyes glistened slightly and flashed an evil smirk: "...The odds of him dying prematurely in the future are also very very, high."


    Thankfully the young Rias''s group couldn''t hear her words or they would''ve freaked out.


    "Hmm, so high risk high reward principle then? The closer he is to death, the bigger the chance of him getting stronger?" Fia asked curiously.


    "Indeed... Although, I wouldn''t count on it. Perhaps if he''s just like a certain someone who basically married to ''Death'' then he won''t be able to change his ." Nyarlathotep laughed mischievously.


    While she spoke, there''s a golden thread rotating around her fingertip. This is another ability of Nyarlathotep, . And this is also how she determines whether someone could have the "potential".


    She has also given Issei this capability. The item is actually just a bundle of the golden thread... But it entered Issei''s body in the past.


    This item is kept by her inside her room. This item is also the thing that he sneakily stored away after her first s.e.x.u.a.l intercourse with Issei.


    Just because someone is strong, doesn''t mean that their is up to her satisfaction. Hence why it''s so rare for her to find someone to give her to. Billions of lives might look a lot but considering just how big the multiverse is, it''s actually very few.


    But even she couldn''t fully control the of others... Don''t be mistaken, even if that someone is special, such as becoming a God, that doesn''t mean they''re invincible.


    If they''re killed then their is automatically changed or perhaps it would change suddenly out of nowhere... Hence why most people considered that is quite fickle. In a blink of an eye, a man destined to be a King could become a beggar in the next day or even worse... Dead.


    Only those who are powerful enough could control their own .


    Nyarlathotep and Issei could help someone change their if they wanted to.


    "Hmm..." Issei mused to himself while looking at the unconscious Hyoudou Issei. But he soon shook his head.


    Whatever his is, it''s none of his business.


    "Let''s go back." He said while standing up from his chair.


    When he stood up, the maid group immediately tidy up the place.


    Salter and Altria called back the .


    When they finally take a closer look at Issei, the women group inadvertently blushed at his figure alone.


    He''s wearing a custom black business suit and overcoat that accentuated his perfect body which made him very awe-inspiring in their eyes. He''s also taller than Hyoudou Issei which is not a surprise.


    "Dad, dad! Can we play a bit?" Momoyo asked hopefully.


    "Play? Play how?"


    "Let us beat some bad guys!"


    "Un un." Amou also nodded along with her twin sister.


    "You two..." Issei smiles wryly at his two little princesses who are basically a battle maniac.


    "Why not, Master? Just let them beat up some punching bag just like those weaklings." Salter said while pointing at Cao Cao''s group.


    "W-We are not weakling..." Cao Cao countered but his voice is very small.


    "What was that? Want to try fighting me?" Salter glared at him with her aura flaring up.


    "...no..."


    "That''s what I thought." Salter snorted.


    Sirzechs and the others sweated at this sight. Lady... Even we would feel afraid if we were to against you.


    And that''s not taking that husband of yours into consideration... If even ogling at Ophis earned a knuckle sandwich from him then what would happen if we were to somehow hurt you? They imagined that their planet would explode if that were to happens. Just thinking about it gives them chills...


    "*Sigh* This is why I''m so hesitant letting the two of you going anywhere..." Issei said with a sigh.


    "Oh come on, dad... It''s not like we would cause trouble... For the good guy that is." Momoyo grinned.


    "Fia?" Issei asked.


    "Hm, you don''t really have any schedule for the upcoming month dear. Sona and Rose have taken care most of it." Fia said after doing a little inspection on his schedule.


    "Ah, looks like I owe them quite a bit." Issei said with a smile under his mask.


    "That you did, dear... Be sure to properly compensate them later on." Fia said with a smile of her own.


    Sirzechs felt a little uncomfortable seeing his wife''s counterpart acting so lovey-dovey with another man.


    "...Fine, we can stay for a bit." Issei finally decided: "But we better contact Forze and the others first or they would be angry, especially since Forze is already angry at you, Koze."


    "Yes! You''re the best, dad!" Momoyo hugged Issei tightly.


    "Uuu... Papa, can you please help me? Please help me appease mama... Koze promises that she will be good from now on..." Kozelotte tugged at Issei''s shirt and begged with teary eyes.


    "U-Ugh..." Issei felt like his heart has been shot with multiple arrows but sadly for her... There''s really nothing that he can do: "Sorry, Koze... But there''s nothing papa could do this time..." He said regretfully.


    "A-Ahh... I''m really doomed this time..." Kozelotte slumped to the ground while crying rivers.


    "Fufufu, don''t be so sad, dear. Your mother will surely forgive you if you were to honestly apologize for your mistake." Shen Xi laughed gently: "At most, you will only need to write a hundred page of apology letter... and maybe a few spanks?"


    "Uwaaaaa!" Despite Shen Xi''s consoling words, Kozelotte cried even further.


    "Mother... You''re not helping..." Shirayuki said with a sweat.


    "Now Master. Let''s have a date, shall we?" Salter said while wrapping her arms around Issei''s.


    Altria also went for his other arm: "Um, it''s been a while since our last date." She nodded in agreement with Salter.


    "O-Ou." And just like that, Issei is dragged by two of his wives: "...So this is why you agreed with their demand right away..." Issei muttered.


    "What? You don''t like having a date with us? I''m sorry I''m not your beloved Jalter I guess." Salter scoffed.


    "Of course not. How could I hate having a date with my beautiful wives." Issei said with a smirk.


    The two Pendragons blushed at her words: "Hmph, sweet talker..." Salter mumbled. But she couldn''t hide her smile.


    Nyarlathotep, Grayfia, Shen Xi, and Kunou giggled at this sight.


    "Wait, dad! Let us have a date with you too!" Momoyo shouted before running after them.


    The other girls also followed suit.


    "...So what now?" Azazel asked no one in particular seeing that they have been forgotten.


    "I don''t know... Perhaps this is a good thing." Sirzechs replied.


    "Um... They do say that they will beat up the bad guys so I think it''s a good thing." Michael said optimistically.


    ...


    "Wh-What?! It has been 7 years?!!" Erza Scarlet and her friends shouted in disbelief once they''ve returned to their guild.


    "Huh, so it has been 7 years? I guess father forgot to refresh the timeline then..." While they''re in disbelief, Erza Hyoudou also feels a little confused: "But wait... that''s not possible, father''s magic shouldn''t expire that fast. Unless... Hey, spirit, is that magic dome covering the island when I first arrived is related with time magic?"


    "E-Eh? Yes, it is. Time is frozen inside the ." The spirit from before whose identity is apparently the first guild master of their guild said. Her name is Mavis Vermillion.


    "Ah, no wonder..." Erza Hyoudou said with a sigh.


    "What''s wrong, nee-san?" Erza Scarlet asked despite feeling a little upset.


    "Stop calling me nee-san when you''re older than me. And to answer your question, father used you as an ''anchor'' of his time magic in this world so that the time here and the time in our world stays the same." Erza Hyoudou paused before continues speaking: "But it seems that because of the interference of this , it cancels out the time magic that father use..."


    Not really that weird considering the magic that Issei used is basic time magic. It can easily be influenced by other time magic as long as it''s strong enough.


    After all, he only needs to make their time flow stay the same not faster or slower. So there''s no special magic at work here other than that.


    One of Issei''s promises is that he will visit Erza Scarlet and her mother on her 20th birthday.


    Erza Hyoudou decided to pay them a visit early on since she''s feeling a little bored as of lately. She thought that it won''t make any difference but who would''ve thought that 7 years have passed in this world without their knowledge.


    When Erza Hyoudou arrived in this world, she teleported herself to Erza Scarlet''s place. Only to found out that she''s ''frozen'' inside a dome which is the .


    Just when she''s wondering what happened to her, that black Dragon suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started attacking her. It also says that it is a Dragon King Acnologia during its self-introduction.


    Erza who heard that got annoyed and decided to beat the crap out of the black Dragon. And when she''s finally finished beating him up, the is accidentally broken by one of her attacks and that''s when she met with Erza Scarlet.


    Acnologia himself never thought that the Dragon presence that he sensed would be someone so abnormal. If Erza Hyoudou used normal magic then he doesn''t need to feel afraid... but she mostly uses her physical strength to manhandle him!


    No, maybe she also uses some sort of magic but that magic is nothing like he sees before. And he''s supposed to be immune to magic but her magic could easily injure him as if his magic immunity was never there in the first place...


    Whereas when he used his magic against her... She literally ate his magic as if some sort of snacks! And if she doesn''t eat it, she will only deflect it back! This is the first time in history that a Dragon Slayer magic is rendered useless against an actual Dragon... Just how ironic is it for the magic itself to be devoured by the same thing that it''s supposed to work best against?


    And what''s more terrifying is that she isn''t even using her full Dragon form! She only uses a partial transformation to transform her arms and legs but it''s already enough to beat the living hell out of him!


    He could instantly tell that Erza Hyoudou is a full-fledged Dragon given just how strong her Dragon aura is. After all, Acnologia himself is not a full-fledged Dragon but rather a human who turns into a Dragon. This is also why he immediately went to her place the moment he sensed her presence in this world.


    What he doesn''t know is that Erza Hyoudou can only be considered a juvenile Dragon at best and not an a.d.u.l.t Dragon... And that''s not considering her Dragon bloodline which is even more abnormal.


    A direct descendant of an actual True Dragon Godking and True Dragon Godqueen... If he were to know that then just what expression he will make?


    Somewhere in the world, a mature woman with a braided red hair smirked to herself when she sensed Erza Hyoudou''s presence and Acnologia''s aura being in the same place: "It looks like that idiot Dragon king wannabe messed with the wrong Dragon this time..."


    She doesn''t need to be there to know that Acnologia must''ve lost. After all, that other Dragon is the daughter of that man... When she remembered about him, the woman has a resolute look on her face: "I''ve kept my promise... Now it''s your turn to keep yours, my love..." She muttered to herself.


    It''s been 19 years after their separation...


    26 years ago, just when she''s about to go insane, he miraculously appeared in front of her and guided her to control her Dragon form and strength.


    He helped her give birth to her daughter and also took care of them for a few years...


    Those days were bliss for them... Sadly, every good thing must come to an end...


    Issei went back to his world for 5 years and just when she thought that he has left them behind, he returned with Erza Hyoudou in his arms. She''s astonished seeing her daughter''s twin on his arm but after some explanation from him, she finally understands.


    Issei informed them both that he might never return... She and her daughter begged him to take them with him... Even when he told them he already has multiple wives, she still doesn''t care and still wanted to come with him.


    After some begging from them both, Issei finally relented... He said that he will return on Erza Scarlet''s 20th birthday and see if they still want to come with him. One of his wives who tagged along with him at that time told her to become the Queen of this world, and only then will she be allowed to become his wife.


    She agreed to that condition.


    Issei then accompanied both mother and daughter for another 2 years and become a father figure for the latter. While Issei himself never sleep with her, it doesn''t stop her from seducing him during those two years. Sadly for her, she never succeeded...


    But she manages to steal a kiss from him and that is enough for her at that time.


    When Issei finally decided to return to his world, he makes the time flows the same as the . Using Erza Scarlet as an ''anchor''.


    Now after all these years... She truly becomes this world''s Queen.


    There are not many people who know the identity of Erza Belserion Scarlet... She purposefully kept Erza''s identity a secret to keep her safe and also to let her grow properly and Erza herself also understands that. She visited her from time to time to see how is she doing but it seems that she becomes a little bit lazy ever since Issei''s departure.


    Now, look at what happened... She got her ass handed by that black lizard king wannabe! How embarrassing it would be if others who knew of her ''gift'' were to find out that she just lost against a damn lizard...


    She was there during the attack of the black dragon but she decided not to help her daughter so that she could learn from her mistake. Just when she''s about to lend a hand, Mavis Vermillion activated the .


    She finally decided not to do anything and use this opportunity to properly arrange her control over the world.


    Even though she''s the true Queen, she''s too lazy to control each and every country so she chooses someone to be a King or Queen to control a specific kingdom or country.


    "Rejoice, Zeref. Your wish should be granted soon." She looks at the man who''s standing not far from her location.


    "...Really?" A young man with short black hair and dark eyes asked hopefully.


    "Ah... The person I''ve told you about should arrive here soon. And at that time, I''m pretty sure he could solve your ''curse''."


    "I hope you''re right... Or else." The young man threatened with his magic aura flaring up.


    "Heh, you don''t need to worry... After all, he''s the one who gifted me with this strength." The woman seems unaffected by his magic and released her own magic to suppress the young man''s magic: "And even if I''m mistaken, do you think you could defeat me? I may not be able to kill you but I can still easily suppress you." She glared at him as she increases her magic intensity.


    "...I suppose you''re right... Someone who could make you powerful enough to ignore my ''curse'' shouldn''t be someone normal." The young man reeled back his magic and responded calmly.


    "But of course. He''s the man that I choose to become my husband... Hahahaha!" The woman laughed jovially: "Now then... I need to prepare myself for our long-awaited reunion." After saying that, she turns around and walks towards her room...


    Back with the two Erza...


    "So what now..." They felt depressed knowing that their current guild is basically at the bottom in ranks.


    "Why you all feel depressed? We just need to take the number one spot back!" The pink-haired man who''s named Natsu said.


    "I agree with this flame brain." A man named Gray said.


    "But how..." One of them asked: "It will take years for us to regain our former glory..."


    *Munch* *Munch*


    "And not to mention, we are in dire need of money."


    *Munch* *Munch*


    "So what? We can just get more money by doing some quests!"


    *Munch* *Munch*


    "..." All of them look towards the laidback Erza Hyoudou.


    "Hm? What?" She asked after realizing that they''re looking at her: "Hey sister, come and eat this. This is made by father himself." She offered some food to Erza Scarlet.


    "E-Eh?! R-Really? Father made that?!" Erza Scarlet hurriedly took the food she has been offered and blissfully eat the heavenly tasting food that she missed: "Hmmm, father''s cooking is the best... It''s been a while ever since I ate his food..." She m.o.a.ned in bliss.


    "I also bring some strawberry shortcake with me." Erza H. took out a whole cake from her magic space.


    "YES! I LOVE YOU NEE-SAN!" Erza S. shrieked in joy.


    "As I said, you''re older than me." Erza H. sighed tiredly.


    While the others are in a depressed mood, the two twins happily eat their food.


    "H-Hey, who is she? How come she looks just like Erza?" One of the remaining guild members who didn''t leave the guild yet asked.


    "Oh, she''s apparently Erza from another world... They''re supposedly stepsisters if I remember correctly."


    "Stepsisters?! They''re basically twins!"


    "Oi, Erza! Share some of those ribs with me will ya!" Natsu said while drooling. He''s not the only one who''s drooling though.


    All of them are drooling when they caught a whiff of the food smell Erza H. brought with her.


    "No! I won''t share my father''s food with just anyone!" Erza H. growled at Natsu.


    "Wh-Whoa!" Natsu yelped at her hostility: "Why?! We''re Erza''s friends so we''re not just anyone!" He tried to reason.


    "Still no. You''re her friends, not mine. And even if you''re my friends I still won''t give it to you." Erza H. harrumphed.


    "Give it up, Natsu. Even I won''t share these foods with you." Erza S. said seriously.


    "Geh... So stingy." Natsu said in frustration.


    "By the way nee-san, can you lend me some money?" Erza S. asked.


    When she asked that, almost all of them had their ears perked up. Especially the small old man who goes by the name Makarov.


    "Money? I do have some money with me but, I don''t think this world can use our world currency. I have some magic items with me though... See if any of this would be of use." Erza H. took out a bunch of magic items from her inventory.


    "Wh-What is that? That crystal cube has an unbelievable amount of magic power inside it!" Mavis said in shock while staring at one of the items on the table.


    If she''s not mistaken... If the magic inside that crystal cube were to go malfunction then... It could easily destroy the whole continent!


    And there''s also a bunch of magic items that have the same power scale as that crystal cube scattered around... She almost fainted just thinking what would happen if any of those items were to go to the wrong hands...


    "Errr, I don''t think it will be a good idea if we were to sell any of these..." Erza S. said with a sweat. Even she could tell that these magic items are not simple...


    "Hm? Is that so?" Erza H. shrugged her shoulders before she took back the magic items.


    "Don''t you have some nee-san? I thought father has quite a bit of with him back then?" Erza S. inquired.


    are this world currency. Issei had some of them during his stay here but he gave most of them to Erza Scarlet''s mother.


    "No, sadly I don''t bring them with me. I was thinking to just sell some stuff such as the magic items from before when I arrived here."


    "D-Don''t!" Erza S. shouted.


    Even Mavis and Makarov immediately prevented her to sell those cataclysmic magic items... There would be hell if she were to sell any of those magic items!


    "Ugh... Then I guess I just go kill some monsters and sell their bodies." Erza H. groaned: "Are there any monsters that could fetch a high price around here?"


    "Eh, I think there is but..."


    "Then that''s that. I''ll go hunt some monsters after I finish eating... Then we will start our training, sister."


    "U-Un, got it."


    "Uhhh, it might be impertinent for us to ask this but... Please train us as well!" All of them shouted in unison.


    ...


    "Hmm, how intriguing... This world is extremely similar to his original world..." Nyarlathotep chuckled while gazing towards the sky. She''s not looking at the sky itself but rather the around this world: "I wonder if all of this is just a coincidence... Or was it because of something else? As expected, it''s never boring around you, dear husband... Now what kind of color will this world''s destruction will produce, I wonder. It''s been a while ever since I witnessed a world self-destruct without my interference."


    "Put your body, your heart, and even that life of yours on the line. Ah, this is pointless, even foolish. But that''s not that, that is love. A bittersweet sense of justice that has been kept off from a chaotic infinity. A bewitched paradise of atrocities and deprivation... Come, be smeared yourself in a lot of colors... This is love, a drowning love~" She hummed gleefully to herself while rubbing her stomach: "How stupendous... To think that I could bear a child of my own. This me who is the embodiment of itself... You better take responsibility, dear husband, for you who have taught me this feeling will never slip away from my hands... Ufufufufu~"


    "U-Umm, may we know what you mean by that, Lady Nyarlathotep?" Sirzechs asked nervously. They accidentally saw Nyarlathotep flew towards the tower hence why they decided to follow her just to see if she needed anything.


    For some reason, he and the others are feeling slightly uncomfortable interacting with her... It''s as if they could be erased at any moment just standing in her presence...


    Maybe it''s because of her divinity? If they''re not mistaken then Nyarlathotep is the name of the God of Chaos?


    Nyarlathotep is standing at the top of the Kyoto tower while waiting for her date.


    "Hmm~?" Nyarlathotep finally set her eyes upon Sirzechs''s group. They shuddered slightly the moment that her golden-colored eyes gaze land upon them...


    "It''s nothing much... I''m just saying that this world is extremely similar to my husband''s original world," Nyarlathotep said.


    "O-Oh." They nodded half understandingly at her words: "How similar if we''re allowed to know?"


    "Hmm... about 98%? Yes, 98%." She nodded before continuing: "And according to that similarity... Then this world would meet its end in the near future."


    "..."


    "Ufufufu, no need to be so surprised. My husband''s original world should''ve met its end as well if it wasn''t for his interference. Let''s see... Ah yes, there should be a beast named as well in this world, right?"


    "Y-Yes, it''s currently sealed though... Wait... Are you saying that..." Azazel said in realization.


    "Mm, it will be the cause of this world''s destruction." She simply said: "At least that''s what I get from reading this world''s ... Well, maybe not entirely..." Her tone turned a little bit unsure at the end.


    "Please do tell if there''s any solution for this, milady." Michael said hopefully sensing the change of tone under Nyarlathotep''s voice.


    "Hmm... Very well, I shall give you some tips since I''m in a good mood today." She said after thinking for a little bit: "The around Trihexa would be broken whether you like it or not and when that happens... It will be up to you on how to deal with it. You will be able to save your world if you play your cards correctly but if not..." She gives a chuckle at the end.


    They reflexively gulped since they perfectly understand just what she wanted to say. It will be the end of their world if they were to make a mistake...


    "Of course, there''s an easier solution." Nyarlathotep flashed a sly grin.


    "A-And what is that, milady?"


    "Just ask for my husband''s help. He can easily save your world with just a snap of his finger." She snapped her own finger to demonstrate just how easy it is: "Well, that''s that. Now if you''ll excuse me, I have a date to attend to." Nyarlathotep said before she disappeared on the spot.


    "...Sirzechs, Michael," Azazel said direly.


    As if they have the same thoughts inside their mind, they nodded at each other.


    ...


    "Hmm, good. This outfit still fits me even in this form." Salter said while looking at herself in the mirror. She''s wearing her Shinjuku outfit.


    A black tank top coupled with a black jacket and a short black hot pants.


    "Why are you wearing that kind of revealing outfit, Salter-nee..." Kunou said with a sweat.


    "Muh, isn''t it obvious? I wanted to seduce Master and besides, this is one of my favorite outfits." Salter said proudly: "I''ll surely gain more love from Master than that witch."


    Meanwhile, that ''witch'' she''s talking about had her sense tingling: "Huh! This feeling... That idiot maid is up to no good!"


    "Humm, I wonder if Master would like this outfit..." Altria who''s at her side muttered.


    "...I don''t know where to start looking at your outfit, Altria-nee... Why a bunny suit?" Kunou asked feeling speechless.


    "I''m hoping to serve Master with it of course. Salter is already acting as Master''s maid so I was thinking to be his bunny girl." Altria said as a matter of fact: "I''m thinking to step down from my position as a King and make Bedivere as the next King. Both Violet or Beatrice isn''t interested in inheriting the throne after all."


    "No, I don''t think that will be a good idea though, Bedivere-san is a great candidate but I doubt he will agree to become the next King... Don''t forget that the girls are here as well. As their mothers, you should properly become a good example for them." Kunou berated.


    "Exactly because we''re their mothers that we need to set an example on how to properly seduce a man." Salter retorted.


    "They''re still too young!"


    "It will be fine, Kunou kaa-san!" Momoyo grinned: "Hmm, so that''s the kind of outfit father like huh... Umu umu."


    Shirayuki, Amou, and Kozelotte took out a note and started noting down this piece of information.


    "Hey!" Kunou shouted while gritting her teeth.


    Shen Xi and Grayfia who''s at the side only giggled at their antics. Soon Nyarlathotep also arrived but her outfit is even worse than the two Pendragons... She''s practically n.a.k.e.d with how skimpy she''s dressed.


    Kunou once again berated one of her sisters...


    Issei is already prepared and currently waiting for his wives to arrive at the date spot and as expected... Since they''re going on a date, he couldn''t really wear his mask now, can he? But he is wearing sunglasses that is imbued with not only magic but also scientific technology.


    It''s supposed to suppress his charm... but it seems that it''s not working as intended since he still attracts quite a bit of attention to himself...


    He''s only wearing a simple white buttoned t-shirt with two buttons unbuttoned and black jeans but that doesn''t stop the onlookers looking at him in an entranced state, especially women.


    They look like as if their soul has been stolen from them with how glazed over their eyes are. Their cheeks are burning and they felt like they''re in a dream just from the sight of him alone.


    Issei who saw this sighed to himself.


    Looks like this item is also a fail, huh... He thought wryly to himself. Should he just wear his mask after all?


    He took off his sunglasses and put it in between his opened shirt.


    He didn''t know what he just did just add oil to a fire since the way he looks now is even more charming than before. Even though the sunglasses is basically a fail, it still suppressed his charm to a certain extent.


    The women blushed another shade further and they unconsciously stopped on their tracks just to look at him. Even some men who have some special ''interest'' also blushed... Issei shuddered greatly when he sensed these men''s gaze.


    "H-Hey, who is he?"


    "Is he a supermodel?"


    "Supermodel? Where did you see a supermodel that come close to him!"


    "Right, even the best supermodel that I know is nowhere near that... Perhaps he''s a new celebrity or some sort?"


    "Is his white hair a natural color? It doesn''t seem to be a fake though..."


    "He''s so handsome... I wonder if he already has a girlfriend?"


    "From the looks of it, he seems to be waiting for someone... H-Hey, why don''t you try talking to him?"


    The group of women started speculating between themselves and some tried to hit on him. Quite a few of them tried to take his picture only for their phone battery suddenly dropped to zero much to their confusion and dismay. Even those who have a camera also had the same thing happened to them...


    The boyfriends of those girls can only pull their hair in frustration...


    "O-O-O-Oi! He looks nothing like me! He''s an ike- no, an ultra Ikemen(Good looking guy)! Even Kiba isn''t as good looking as him! He''s basically an enemy to every men out there!" Hyoudou Issei and his friends are not far away while looking stupefied at the sight of his other counterpart.


    "...Guys?" Hyoudou Issei brows furrowed seeing that there''s no answer from his friends. When he looked towards them, he realizes that they share the same fate as those normal human women...


    They''re completely charmed by the sight of the other Issei.


    "H-Hey, guys!" He shouted and started shaking Rias and the others.


    "A-Ah? I-Ise?" The young Rias is startled awake along with Akeno and the others.


    "Hehehe." The mature Rias''s group who happen to be present giggled at this sight: "Don''t feel confused... Our world Issei is just like that. His charm is not something that can be resisted so easily."


    "I-I see..." They blushed in embarrassment after hearing her words.


    "Umm... May we know why you''re not married to that Issei?" The young Rias couldn''t help but asked her other counterpart.


    "..." The mature Rias''s group went silent for a bit before she continues speaking: "...We made a mistake... A stupid mistake that we regretted doing until this very day..." The regret in her voice is unmistakable. The mature Akeno and the others also have a face filled with guilt and shame.


    "Wh-Why? What did you do?" The young Rias pressed on.


    "...We betrayed him... We betrayed his trust and love... And for that... We''re atoning for our sins till this very day and perhaps, we will never regain what has been lost... If killing ourselves will make our sins go away then we''re willing to do so but sadly, it''s not." The mature Rias dropped a single tear from the corner of her eyes: "So, here is an advice from a group of fools to all of you... Whatever happens, never betray each other and cherish what you have now before it''s too late. Don''t make the same mistake as we did."


    "O-Oh." The young Rias''s group nodded dumbly at her words.


    "Now, please excuse us." The mature Rias''s group bowed towards them and take one last look at Issei before they teleported themselves away.


    "...Buchou, whatever happens. I will never betray you nor will I leave any of you behind." Hyoudou Issei said seriously.


    "Ise..." The young Rias smiled at him: "Um, I, no... We will also never betray you." She and her peerage members also smile at each other.


    Issei who''s at the distance smiles thinly at their interaction.


    "Setting aside what the other Rias said... Now I understand why the other me fell for that Issei." Sona adjusted her glasses while slightly blushing.


    "K-Kaichou! Y-You can''t!" Genshirou Saji also went erratic thinking that his King has been smitten by the other Issei.


    "Nyaa~, that other Issei looks so tasty nya~" Kuroka of this world mewled seductively while eyeing at the other Issei with her yellow eyes glowing dangerously.


    "Le Fay? What''s wrong?" Arthur called out at the dazed Le Fay.


    "...I-I think I''m in love." Le Fay responded in a daze.


    "What?! No! I won''t let you! And he''s already married!" Arthur shouted.


    "Shut up, nii-sama! Stop embarrassing me!" Le Fay groaned.


    "G-Gabriel-sama! Y-Your wings!" Irina pointed out at Gabriel''s wings that appear to be shifting between black and white.


    "Ah? Awawawa~"


    "..." Meanwhile, Vali of this world is also entranced at Issei''s sight. She couldn''t help but compare the two Issei with each other...


    Different... They''re way too different! Why can''t her rival is that Issei instead of this pervert... She lamented to herself. But... Maybe it''s not too late?


    Rossweisse started fidgetting on her spot feeling even more envious of her other counterpart.


    Just when a group of women about to call out to him, there''s another commotion in the distance but this time it''s mostly affected the men.


    Altria and the others have finally arrived on the scene... From the amount of gasping sound of the male onlookers then it''s quite obvious.


    "Sorry for making you wait, Master." Altria and Salter said with a smile when they arrived in front of Issei.


    "Um, it''s fine. Now, where are my two lovely wives want to go?" Issei smiled lovingly and offered his hands to which they happily clung to.


    The two women look at each other before they said at the same time: "Surprise us!"


    Under the gaze of envious men and women alike, the three of them started their date... They''re having dates in turn. The first turn goes to Altria and Salter.


    The second turn goes to Kunou and Grayfia while the last goes to Nyarlathotep and Shen Xi.


    They''re thinking of doing a double date for today then tomorrow it will be a single date...


    ...


    "Got you! Now come with us!" A woman grinned sadistically while stepping onto the beaten up old man.


    "U-Ugh... Damn it!" The old man groaned while his body is hurting all over.


    "Heh, do you really think you can escape from the hands of the ?" The woman mocked.


    "Stop resisting. Your fate has been decided the moment Master has spoken." Another woman said.


    "Can we torture him a little bit more? Just in case he pulls another stunt of his."


    "...Agreed."


    "I don''t mind either way."


    The other women also stated that they don''t mind.


    "Hehehe... We''re going to have some fun, old man. You like ''fun'' things right? We will have a lot of fun together~" The first woman grin widened even further when she saw that there''s no objection coming her way.


    "N-Noooooo!!!" The old man scream resounded clearly in the void...


    ...


    Back in the .


    "What did you say?!"


    "U-Uhh, Jalter, stay calm."


    "How could I stay calm when that stupid maid is alone with Master!"


    "Muh? Issei is on a date with Salter?"


    "It seems so... How about we go to him as well?"


    "Arara~? Salter-chan is being sly. I want to have a date with otouto-kun as well~"


    "A date, huh... It''s been a while ever since our last date so why not."


    "Drake! Take us there!"


    "Ou! You got it!"


    "Mommy, mommy! Let me come with you!"


    "Muh? Chaika, huh. Sure, why not. Let''s pay your daddy a visit."


    "Un un! Chaika miss daddy!"


    "Hold it. Let me come with you. That stupid husband probably thinking to delay their return thinking that my anger will dissipate. Kozelotte and Arte should be a good role model for their little sisters and it''s about time I properly discipline them both... If it wasn''t for that stupid husband spoiling them then all this won''t happen."


    "F-Forzelotte-nee... Heheh, looks like Koze-chan and Ise-nii is in big trouble..."


    ...


    "Guwahhh!"


    *BAM!*


    "Gaahhhh!"


    "Hahahaha! All of you are so weak!"


    "Hiii!"


    "Tsk, stop shrieking like a little girl!"


    *BOOM!*


    "Y-You demon!"


    "You summoned those children just to fight your war and you called me a ''demon'' here? Don''t you feel ashamed of yourself? But you''re not wrong though, I am indeed a Demon. I will handle that God of yours soon so don''t you worry."


    -A few minutes ago-


    "Welcome to Tortus, Hero-sama, and his companion. We were expecting you. I am the currently appointed Pope of the Saint''s Church, you may address me as Ishtar Lombard. Let''s get along from now on, no need to exchange conventional greetings."


    After he introduced himself, the old man called Ishtar revealed a smile that was often associated with nice elderly people.


    A few seconds after he introduced himself, there''s another summoning circle taking shape and out of it appeared a beautiful young woman with long purple hair with a pair of horns on top of her head and then the woman immediately attacked the old man along with the knights guarding him...


    And then we''re back to the beginning...


    "Hey, are any of you hurt?" The girl asked after seeing that there''s no one else standing in her way.


    "Wh-Who are you?" One of the summoned highschoolers asked nervously. Just like his friends, he''s also captivated by this girl''s beauty but the fact that this girl is clearly not a human, he felt nervous.


    "Hm? Me? I''m Arte Savant Hyoudou and I''m here to save you." She smiled at them.


    (AN: Don''t think too far about the last part, it''s just me messing around a little bit and there will be no continuation ???? I''m sure some of you will know which world Arte is at).

 Chapter 149 - Side 6

    "Save us?"


    "That''s right. You''re summoned to this world against your wish and I coincidentally discovered it hence here I am." Arte nodded to their question.


    "Sorry but, we can''t just trust someone we''ve never met before just like that... Especially since you''re clearly not a human." A young girl with red-colored eyes and a long black hair tied in a ponytail said: "That priest said that you''re a demon and you yourself admitted it. The priest might be lying to us but you being a demon should be true."


    "Hmm, indeed, I am a demon. Well, a Demonic Dragon to be precise." Arte nodded again confirming her words: "My mother is a Demon while my father is a Dragon."


    "Then the more reason we shouldn''t trust you just like that."


    "What Shizuku said is right. Even though we''re summoned here against our wishes, that''s because they needed our help and we can''t just ignore someone in need." A good looking young man with brown hair and blue eyes said: "What''s more, you just suddenly arrived here and started hitting those people without saying anything. For all we know, you might want to trick us to come with you."


    "..." Arte for the first time felt speechless... Why is the scenario is different from what she imagined? Wasn''t these young humans should feel grateful for being allowed to return home? Why did they suddenly start doubting and blaming her?


    Arte has been in an environment where there is no racial discrimination. So this is the first time for her to encounter this kind of situation. Now she feels a little lost... Her elder sister, Kozelotte could solve this kind of problem with ease but this is the first time for her to do this.


    She wanted to make some achievements for herself and decided to use her clairvoyance magic to discover some situations such as this one.


    "D-Don''t listen to her... She''s a demon!" The priest from before struggled against the floor and said.


    Arte frowned but made no further movement before she continues speaking: "Well... You might be right on not trusting me from the start but do you think I would need to resort to trickeries if I wanted to do something to all of you?"


    Even though she''s only stating facts, they thought that she''s threatening them.


    "Fine... Let''s hear this old fart explanation then." Arte shrugged seeing that they still don''t believe her: "Hey, go explain your purpose for summoning them." Arte said towards the struggling old priest.


    "...The one who has summoned you here was ''Ehit-sama''. He is the Protector God that we Humans worship, the one and only god in the Saint''s Church. He is the Supreme God that created this world. Perhaps Ehit-sama had already noticed. If this continues, the Humans will face extinction. You had been summoned to prevent this outcome. The world you come from is ranked higher than ours, every one of you here should possess exceptional power in this world without a doubt. Before the summoning took place, Ehit-sama passed down an oracle... you are the "salvation" that he sent to us. You must bring out your innate powers, by the will of Ehit-sama, overthrow these Demons, and save us mankind!"


    "Please don''t joke around! In the end, all you want is for these children to participate in a war! That kind of thing is absolutely out of question! En, as a teacher, I will absolutely not allow such a thing! Let us go back immediately! Surely, their families must be worried! What you are doing now is merely kidnapping!"


    Before Arte could say anything, a petite woman beat her to it and she was panting in anger. Even though she seems petite, her actual age is 25 years old. Her full name is Aiko Hayatama, she was a very popular social studies teacher. Her petite body was approximately 1.5 meter tall, she had a baby face, and her hair was done in a bob cut.


    "I understand how you''re feeling. However¡­ It is impossible for you to return now."


    Silence filled the halls. It was as if there was an ice-cold pressure pressing down on them. Everyone gazed at Ishtar with a questioning expression.


    "I-impossible... W-what did you just say? If you can summon us, you should be able to send us back!?"


    "He''s obviously lying." Arte pointed out: "At the very least, some of it is a lie such as when he said that his God summoned you here to save this world and all that. I could bring all of you back right now you know."


    "Don''t listen to her! She''s a demon! She can''t be trusted!" The priest argued yet again.


    "Ugh... So annoying. Now I understand just why mama thinks that politics are annoying... I wonder how papa could stand with these things..." Arte grumbled: "Look, if you think I''m lying then there''s nothing I could do. I won''t force you to believe me either."


    What she didn''t know is that the politics in the is basically ruled by her father with an iron-clad fist. Those who tried to trick or go against him will receive his fist in one way or another.


    So Issei bearing the title of is not completely baseless. Those corrupted "politicians" basically become rule-abiding. What''s the use in trying to lie when he could see through their lies? It will be for naught...


    They started looking at each other feeling unsure just who to believe... But the good looking young boy stated that they should trust their fellow human much to Arte annoyance.


    Even their teacher is feeling unsure because of the whole situation. And to be perfectly honest, they rather believe the words of a fellow human rather than a Demon no matter how beautiful the latter is.


    Arte thought that this young boy sure is foolish... Who in their right mind would just help someone who basically just kidnapped them from their home just like that?


    "U-Umm, I think we should trust her..." One of the timid looking young boy said.


    "Oi, Nagumo. Don''t you trust your friends?" The same foolish young boy from before said: "I''m saying that we should help those in need. There''s no reason for us to not lend us a helping hand."


    "But, there''s also no obligation for us to just help them..." The timid boy retorted.


    "No, it''s our obligation to help those in need."


    "If she wanted to lie to us then she would''ve just done that without trying to argue with us... You all see just how easy she handled those knights and magicians alike right?"


    "Ishtar-san said that we''re different from this world humans, we''re stronger than them and she probably feels threatened by our potential. As for why she didn''t do anything to us right away then it''s probably because we have a divine protection from this world God or something like that."


    "Still..."


    "That''s enough, Nagumo. We''re helping them and that''s that." The stupid boy said in dismissal.


    "You, what''s your name?" Arte called out to the timid young boy.


    "E-Eh? Me? M-My name is Hajime Nagumo." He nervously answered for suddenly being called by Arte out of nowhere.


    "And you?" Arte pointed at the foolish young boy.


    "I''m Kouki, Kouki Amanogawa." He answered courageously hoping to gain some more good impression from the others... including this devilishly beautiful woman before him.


    All boys in his group are feeling enamored by Arte''s sight even though she''s a demon. Some who''s an otaku started thinking that Arte might be a Succubus with how enchanting she looks... The more they look at her the more they thought that it might be not so bad if they were taken by her instead of the old priest...


    "Well, I have to say that Nagumo here is smarter than you." Arte said simply shutting down Kouki''s inner thoughts.


    "Wh-What!?" Kouki growled feeling frustrated seeing that he''s being ridiculed by Arte.


    "What? It''s the truth. He''s smarter than you, he can see the bigger picture as a whole and think rationally while you only blindly trust someone who you never met just because they said that they needed your help. I mean, I''ve seen people with heroic personality before but you''re just plain foolish in my opinion... You might think your friends agreed with you since you think that you''re right but the fact is they''re just afraid of you or maybe just afraid of being the odd one out like that Nagumo." Arte explained.


    "Th-That''s not true!"


    "Then try asking them." Arte shrugged.


    "Guys!" Kouki looked at his friends waiting for their answers. While three of his best friends seem to agree with him, the others looked away when he looks at them.


    "See." Arte said: "I''ll tell you what. If you think I''m lying then why don''t you try living here for a while? I''ll be back later in a few days to see if you change your mind or not. All I say is that it would be best for all of you to leave this world as soon as possible but if you''re still adamant about staying here then so be it." Arte said before she teleported herself away.


    Nagumo and Aiko tried calling out to her but finally decided not to.


    "Come on guys, don''t worry. I''m sure we will do just fine!" Kouki said hoping to cheer his friends up.


    "That''s right young heroes, the words of a Demon cannot be trusted." The priest said.


    They sighed to themselves before the priest and the knights brought them away... Only Hajime Nagumo and Aiko Hatayama keep looking to the location where Arte just disappeared.


    They''re feeling pensive with the whole situation but for now, they thought that they need to think things through... If things didn''t work out then they probably should try their luck with Arte instead...


    ...


    "*Sigh* Why are they so stupid?" Arte who disappeared into the void sighed to herself: "I guess saving people is not as easy as it looks..."


    "Hmm, but one of them seems smart enough though albeit he seems a little timid."


    "And where is this ''Ehit'' that old fart talk about? I can''t seem to find him..." Arte frowned. If she asked her father or mothers for help, then she might be able to find him right away but that''s not what she wants. She wants to do it on her own.


    "Don''t feel discouraged, Arte." A warm hand patted her head from behind.


    "Ah, Majin mama!" Arte said happily seeing the person behind her but soon she frowned again: "Wait... How come you''re here? Don''t tell me you''ve been following me?"


    "Um, how can I let you go alone? Especially when this is basically your first trip to the other world?" Majin or Okita Alter said.


    "Muu, don''t treat me like a child! I''m not a little kid anymore!" Arte puffed her cheeks.


    "Hehe, you''re only 12, Arte. You might make your body look more mature than your actual age but your actual age is 12 no matter what you do." Okita Alter said with a chuckle.


    "Hmph." Arte pouted to the side. From her previous 18 years old look, her body slightly shrunk befitting to a body belonging to 12 years old... She still looks beautiful but there''s a little baby fat still around her face and her body isn''t as voluptuous as before.


    "And you forget that your objective is not only to save those children but also to save this world." Okita Alter reminded. They can sense that this world as a whole is in danger after all.


    "I know that... It''s just that arguing with those children made me feel slightly annoyed. And I can''t seem to find this world''s God. I was thinking to discuss things with him but it seems that I don''t have to since his followers are people like that old priest... then again, maybe that ''Ehit'' is not completely evil either..."


    Cases such as the followers being a bad guy are quite common after all. The boss might be innocent for all they know.


    "Um. You can take your time... No need to rush. Haste makes waste, keep that in mind." Okita Alter nodded.


    "Yeah... I guess we''ll see after a few days. Now Majin mama, let''s have a spar! Beating those weaklings is not enough for me!"


    "Hai hai..." Okita Alter chuckled.


    The two took their stances before they started their little sparing session.


    Now that she thought about it... She wonders if those two are fine... Ah, it should be alright, Froleytia is there after all. She''s more than strong enough to handle herself and her little sister. Okita Alter thought to herself. And it''s not like they''re alone over there...


    "Here I go, Majin mama!" Arte said while coating her whole fist with her aura and combined. Right after she warned Okita Alter, she dashed right away starting their sparing session causing minor destruction in the void which made a certain delinquent having a headache...


    ...


    "Is this the right place, big sister?"


    "Humm, it should be. See those bubbles up there?"


    "Waahhh! So pretty!"


    "Heheh, told you so. This world is quite wondrous. Mother Natal and Mother Drake often went to this world in the past whenever they have free time or when they want a little privacy with Otou-sama."


    Two young girls are having a conversation between themselves which draws the attention of the onlookers whether man or woman because of beautiful the two are.


    The first girl is a young-looking child that doesn''t seem older than 8 but her real age is 12 years old and her budding beauty is obvious to all. She has a long jet black colored hair that went over her waist with a cute face. She has red-colored eyes and slightly elongated ear.


    She''s wearing a long-sleeved black dress and a matching red skirt. She can be seen carrying a crimson dragon doll on her arms.


    Whereas for the second girl, even though her real age is only 14, her body is very voluptuous already. They won''t believe that her age is only 14 even if she tell them with that kind of body.


    She''s tall and slender with large b.r.e.a.s.ts and full bottom. She has long silver hair tied into a ponytail, slightly tinged red, and also red eyes. She wears a red and black uniform coupled with a skirt and black stockings.


    The younger one name is Hiyuki Savant Hyoudou and the second girl is Froleytia Dreissen Hyoudou. Hiyuki is Semiramis''s second daughter and Froleytia is Ramius''s first daughter.


    They''re standing in a small town on an island surrounded by giant odd-looking mangrove like trees with giant bubbles at the top.


    "Big sis big sis! Let''s go play!" Hiyuki gleefully said seeing the attraction of the town.


    There are some men who have bad intentions seeing the two only to be glared at by Froleytia. All of them immediately passed out on the spot making those around them become shocked.


    Those who are a bit stronger by this world standard are feeling intrigued instead.


    They started wondering between themselves just who is this two young girl is... How come they''ve never seen nor heard about them before? Especially since she can use ''that''...


    "Hey, any of you know them?"


    "No, I''ve never seen them before, chief."


    "I wonder if they''re another rising ''star'', gahahaha."


    "I can''t read their fate..."


    Froleytia chooses to ignore those who didn''t have bad intentions towards them.


    "O-Oi, that''s!"


    "''Them'' huh... Guess there''s nothing we could do but wait for them to pass..."


    Suddenly, the onlookers started to back away in fright seeing someone. He has a wide, obese face and what appears to be stubble around his thick-lipped mouth. He has snot hanging from one of his nostrils.


    He wears a weird full-body, thick white suit of obese frame that resembles a spacesuit with medals or buttons on it, with a green collar. There''s also a bubble around his head.


    "Hm?" Froleytia glanced to the side seeing the commotion while Hiyuki is still feeling giddy thinking that she could have a lot of fun here.


    "Mufuuunnn, Sharlia and Father left me. Where on earth did they go?"


    The obese looking man said. He can be seen riding a humanoid giant that is collared like a dog.


    There''s a butler beside him and a group of skimpily dressed women covered with some bruises lining behind him along with some bodyguards.


    "We will meet them on our final destination, so please rest easy." The butler said.


    "Mufuu... Hah!?" The obese man suddenly caught sight of Froleytia and Hiyuki since they''re the only two who don''t kneel in his presence whereas others around him are already kneeling.


    "Hey hey... Why are they not kneeling? Are they crazy?" One of the kneeling civilians said while shivering.


    "Heh, this ought to be interesting..." Someone who has an intention to watch a show said while smirking.


    "I... I..." The obese man said while shaking a bit and then he pointed his finger at the two young girls: "I-I want them both as my wife!"


    "Very well, we will make preparations to make them both as your thirteenth and fourteenth wife." The butler said before waving his hand towards the bodyguards to catch the two girls.


    The obese man started breathing roughly like a pig thinking that these two women are the most beautiful women he has ever seen... And now they''re going to be his wives!


    Just when he''s still in his fantasy, a loud thump can be heard.


    "Eh?" He let out a dumbfounded noise seeing that his bodyguards appear to be laying on the ground without him noticing.


    "Hiyuki, go ahead and play. Big sis will be right with you." Froleytia said while cracking her knuckles: "Don''t go too far though."


    "Un! Hurry up, big sis!" Hiyuki said with a smile before she flew towards the top to touch one of those giant bubbles.


    "Sh-She can fly?!" They let out a dumbfounded voice seeing Hiyuki suddenly started to float upwards.


    "Don''t let her get away! She''s going to be my wife!" The obese man shouted furiously.


    "Oi." A cold voice resounded.


    "Huh?" The obese man looks to his front seeing Froleytia already standing before him. And before he could say anything else, Froleytia gives the snotty obese man a roundhouse kick hitting him squarely on his head.


    *BANG!!!*


    "Buhiiiiii!!" A sound similar to a pig has been butchered resounded clearly in the street and them accompanied by a loud explosion soon after... The obese man flew so far that he hit one of the trees in the distance embedding him in it.


    Then he stopped moving and it''s unknown whether he''s alive or dead but one thing for sure... He''s not going to be able to move anytime soon.


    "..." The whole town went silent seeing what just happened before them... They even forgot to breathe.


    "...Seriously?" One of the onlookers who was planning to watch a show said in disbelief. They get more than they bargained for...


    "AAAHHHH!!! RUNNN!!!" A huge commotion started right after the man said that. All of them no matter whether they''re civilians or others started to run away from the scene.


    "Y-Y-You know what you just did! H-How dare you hitting the ten-!" The butler said shakingly.


    "Noisy," Froleytia said before she also kicked the butler away from her sight. She then jumped down from the giant while tugging the collar around his neck making it break apart: "There you go big guy, you''re free now." She said towards the dumbfounded giant.


    "Hey, young missy. You know who you just hit?" A tall, muscular man with light skin and bright red hair, resembling flames said.


    "Don''t know, don''t care." Froleytia said simply.


    "Hehehe, you''re crazy." The man laughed at her uncaring attitude: "But I like that. And just for your information, that man is the . And now... You just put a giant target above your head for hitting one of them."


    "R-Report it!" One of the bodyguards who are still awake said out loud to his companions: "Tell the marines that one of the has been hit!!!"


    "Uh oh, there they go. You might want to run now, young missy."


    "Why should I run?" Froleytia raised one of her eyebrows. She took out a smoking pipe out of nowhere and proceed to light it up with a little snap of her finger: "If they want a fight then I''m more than happy to accompany them."


    "...You''re really crazy you know that? I''m starting to like you more and more." The red-haired man had his grin widened when he heard her response.


    "Ah! Big sis! I''ll tell daddy that you just copied him again!"


    "Ugh!"


    Hiyuki who happened to see what Froleytia just did shouted from above while Froleytia herself flinched.


    "Oh come on little sis, just keep this between us will you?!"


    "Don''t want!" Hiyuki stuck out her tongue.


    "Why you little..."


    "Don''t move!" Suddenly a large number of people who seem to be a law enforcer surrounded Froleytia while aiming their guns at her: "Who are you! The crime of hitting the is dead!"


    "Hn?" Froleytia looks at them feeling a little annoyed.


    "So what now young missy? They have you surrounded." The red-haired man asked.


    The giant that Froleytia just freed suddenly stood up and stand before her: "...Run, I''ll hold them for you..."


    "Aw, that''s nice of you big guy but you don''t have to. I can protect myself." Froleytia let out a soft chuckle and lightly patted the giant''s leg. He''s at least three times larger than Froleytia.


    "State your name now!" One of the marines shouted.


    "My name? My name is Froleytia, Froleytia Dreissen Hyoudou." She said calmly while introducing herself.


    "..." Whether it''s the marines or the onlookers who still haven''t left become completely astounded hearing her introduction.


    "...Hyoudou? You''re a member of that Eternal Crimson Pirates?" The red-haired man beside Froleytia asked in disbelief. As far as they know, only the Eternal Crimson Pirates bear the name ''Hyoudou''.


    "Eternal Crimson Pirates? Ah, you mean our mom''s." Froleytia said in realization.


    "Mom?" The man becomes further dumbfounded.


    "Yup, the Eternal Crimson Pirates belong to our mom''s." Froleytia nodded.


    "...Francis Drake Hyoudou and Natal March Hyoudou is your mom?"


    "You can say that."


    "..."


    "Hey! What''s wrong?! Report the situation over there!" A voice coming from a snail-like thing can be heard: "Have you apprehend the culprit yet?!"


    "R-R-Reporting, n-n-not yet sir!" The one who''s holding the device stutteringly said.


    "What?! Then what are you waiting for!? Catch them now! If they''re resisting then just kill them!" The voice coming from the snail shouted in rage.


    "W-W-Well, sir..."


    "WELL WHAT!!?"


    "Th-The culprit seems to be a crew member of the Eternal Crimson Pirates... Th-Their captain''s daughter to be specific..."


    "...Oh."


    ...


    "Hmm..."


    "What''s wrong, Master?"


    "It''s nothing... Sorry if I woke you two up."


    "Hehe, it''s fine... We''re not that tired yet."


    Issei is on the bed with Salter and Altria by his side. The three of them are completely n.a.k.e.d with only the sheet serving as a cover...


    It''s clear that the three of them just had a moment of passion seeing how thick the scent of s.e.x inside the room is and also from their sweaty body. Even now Altria and Salter''s breathing is slightly ragged.


    The two women clung to his left and right side respectively with their legs entwining around his.


    They lazily stroked Issei''s toned chest with flushed cheeks. There''s a white sticky substance between their crotch that keeps overflowing...


    "...How come no matter how many times we do this we still can''t have enough of it? It''s quite the mystery..." Salter mumbled blissfully with how full her inside is: "And how come even with all of us sisters teaming up together, we still can''t beat you? You''re obviously cheating, Master!" She playfully complained.


    "Heheh." Issei only gives a chuckle before he drew their bodies closer to his.


    "Ah... Master..." Altria and Salter m.o.a.ned lovingly feeling his caressing on their round and full butts.


    They don''t need to feel afraid of being barged in by the kids or the others since Issei already erected a barrier around their room.


    "Master... we want another child..." Altria and Salter said in a sultry voice.


    "Then we should work harder," Issei said with a bad smile.


    "Un... Ahhnn..." Another round of passion started soon after.


    ...


    "So what brings all of you here tonight?"


    Outside their bedroom in the living room of the miniature , Fia and the others are receiving Sirzechs of this world as guests.


    "P-Pardon our intrusion... But is Lord Issei available?" Sirzechs nervously asked. Oh, Satan... How weird it is for him to address his ''little brother'' in a formal way like this... And not to mention his supposed ''wife'' as if they''re strangers.


    Grayfia is also accompanying Sirzechs and the others here and even she felt slightly uncomfortable seeing her other counterpart. Not because she''s more beautiful than her of course... Absolutely not.


    "Our husband is currently a little bit ''occupied'' you see... If it''s nothing urgent then I would advise for you to return at a later date." Fia said calmly and unlike the two couples in front of her, she''s not feeling the tiniest bit of discomfort or is she in conflict with her feelings.


    Even if they look alike, they''re completely a different person after all. Her husband also knows this while Ophis of this world is a special case...


    Issei won''t even raise an eyebrow if he were to see Grayfia and Sirzechs flirting in front of him.


    "O-Oh, I see..." Sirzechs nodded feeling more awkward since he could catch the hidden phrase behind her words.


    "They''re probably here to surrender their world to our husband, sister~" Nyarlathotep who happens to be present said lazily.


    "Surrender their world?" Fia raised her eyebrows at this.


    "W-Well, you see..." Sirzechs started explaining what they know and also what Nyarlathotep said this afternoon.


    "Hmm, I see... I completely understand your concern since it is indeed true. If it wasn''t for our husband''s intervention then Trihexa would''ve really laid waste to our world... But our sister over there is even more dangerous if we were to compare Trihexa and her."


    "Ara~, thank you for the compliment, dear sister~" Nyarlathotep chuckled.


    "That''s not a compliment, sister..." Fia sighed.


    "Wh-What do you mean by that?" They asked feeling confused.


    "You know her name right?" Fia asked.


    "Y-Yes." They nodded in confirmation.


    "Then you should know her true identity."


    "Y-You mean she''s..."


    "Um, she''s the God of Chaos. The one who rules over chaos and everything... But now she''s only a remnant of her old self since our husband sealed her power. Not that he doesn''t trust her, I mind you. It''s just that her power is too strong and dangerous if left on its own."


    "O-Oh..." Sirzechs''s group face started twitching a lot when they heard this... No wonder they feel uncomfortable around Nyarlathotep... So she''s the real deal!


    Why is it that those who are around the other Issei is so abnormal?!


    "While I understand your concern... We can''t just accept anyone without proper procedure. For example, you said that you wanted to surrender your world but is the world belong to you in the first place?" Fia asked.


    They froze for a moment and started thinking... True... This world is not really theirs and they also haven''t discussed their plan with the others yet.


    They might be the big four factions but there is still some existence that is stronger than them... Such as the Great Red and the other high Gods, like Shiva for example.


    Odin himself couldn''t really represent all of the God''s faction. He will need to hold another meeting between the other God''s faction to see what they think about all this.


    "And secondly, what can you offer to us... Other than your service that is." Fia continued: "We don''t want to brag but the number of worlds under our banner is in the millions by now. So we can assure you that we''re not in need of manpower right now. A simple treasure or artifact won''t cut it either."


    "We might be willing to help a world in dire need but that''s another thing altogether. So, unless you can offer us something in return, or unless your world is on its last leg then sorry but we won''t lend a help that easily. If we just keep helping world after world without proper discrimination then, we might cause more harm rather than good. Their progression as a whole might stagnate thinking that they will be just saved again and they won''t strive to improve either."


    Fia finishes her reasoning waiting for their response.


    Indeed... They''re not really on their last leg already. And Nyarlathotep herself said that if they play their cards right then they can still save their world.


    Fia nodded to herself seeing their look of realization. At this point, they''re only helping those who in need without really caring about the payment since they couldn''t be anymore richer...


    Money is but a number to them now. They don''t want to spoil their children rotten even if they are rich.


    "Don''t need to feel discouraged, all of you." Kunou jumped into their conversation: "If the need arises then we don''t mind lending you a hand."


    "Then, thank you in advance, lady Kunou." Michael nodded gratefully.


    "Don''t mind, don''t mind." Kunou waved: "After all, it would leave a bad taste in our mouth if we were to see our other counterpart perish just like that."


    They then accidentally caught the sight of Ophis who''s standing in front of a door. She''s intently staring at the door in front of her as if it''s her second most hateful enemy, Baka red being the first... But if one looks closely then they can see a thin barrier in front of that door.


    For the last few hours, she''s trying to break the barrier but to no avail... She frowned deeply since Issei is on the other side of this door.


    Amou and Momoyo snickered to themselves seeing the annoyed look on their mother''s twin face.


    Shirayuki sweated seeing their antics while Kozelotte is still in despair... Shen Xi calmly sipped her tea while Nyarlathotep is just lazing around on the sofa.


    "U-Ummm, if I may..." Sirzechs said once more.


    "Hm?" Fia looked at him.


    "Millicas in your world..." He trailed.


    "Millicas? Oh, he''s not my actual son. He is Zeoticus''s son." At first, Fia is a little confused but soon she understands just what he''s trying to ask.


    "Oh..."


    "Can you tell me how you end up with Issei of that world?" Grayfia asked curiously next.


    "I fell in love with him, simple as that. I only ''marry'' Sirzechs because of some circ.u.mstances as you might''ve known already. I also got drunk one time and accidentally barged into Ise taking a bath." Fia chuckled in reminiscence.


    When she said this, for some reason, Grayfia of this world had her cheeks reddened...


    "Oh? It seems that incident also happens here..." Fia said with a knowing smirk.


    "...Huh?" Sirzechs let out a dumbfounded voice while his head rotated comically towards his blushing wife.


    "Nothing happened between us... Rias came in not long after I arrived and dragged Issei out of the bathroom with her. I was drunk at that time." Grayfia explained while still blushing a little: "I only thought of Issei as my little brother, nothing more nothing less."


    The person in question is also blushing while remembering about that time and that earned him another twist to his ear: "O-Ow ow ow, it hurts, b-buchou!"


    "Fufu, that''s what I also thought at first." Fia added.


    "Please don''t tease him anymore..." Grayfia sighed wearily. Her husband looks like he might cry anytime now...


    Azazel and Odin are holding their laughter while Michael could only smile wryly. He could somehow relate to Sirzechs since his own little sister almost fallen this afternoon much to his shock... He can''t let that happen! He reckons that the Heaven might descend into Chaos if their strongest female archangel were to fall just like that!


    He tasked Griselda to watch over his little sister more carefully just in case if she were to go into a flight of fancy mode.


    He admits that Issei could cause some serious damage by just showing his face around. Those female humans that saw his face this afternoon are fated to never marry in this life, making him feel a massive headache since that''s another decline in birth to their world...


    While Michael is thinking that, Azazel is feeling happy.


    If there are more fallen angel then he couldn''t be happier and even if those fallen angels didn''t join his side, he''s still happy with that outcome... Of course, he won''t say that out loud or Michael might feel pissed at him.


    "If there''s nothing else then you might want to leave since it''s already quite late," Fia said.


    "Right, then sorry for being a bother. If you''ll excuse us." Michael and the others are about to excuse themselves when they sensed a huge amount of magical energy approaching them.


    They immediately went full alert thinking that they''re being attacked.


    "Oh, dear..." Fia sighed wryly at this aura.


    Kozelotte''s face went pale as a sheet of paper when she sensed this aura.


    Outside the miniature a huge majestic ship emerged out of thin air.


    And in the next moment, a group of women landed before them.


    "Where''s Master and that stupid maid?!" Jalter who landed first growled. Her heels clanked loudly in the pavement below while she enters the miniature .


    "Koze, come here." Forzelotte is next but she''s dragging something, no, someone behind her... It''s hard to recognize him since he''s badly burnt as if he''s a piece of charcoal. At least he''s still alive as can be seen from his twitching finger or low groaning that he let out once in a while.


    Esdeath''s group is having a satisfied smile at the back. They coincidentally come across Forzelotte and the others so they thought they might as well went together since they have the same destination.


    Poor Zelretch... Just after he survived Esdeath''s little ''game'', he met Forzelotte who introduced him to another ''fun'' time.


    Fia and the others who saw his condition felt pity for him a little bit... just a little bit though...


    Maybe he can finally rest easy now... Actually, nevermind... he still needs to meet a certain furious daughtercon. All they can say is... May you rest in peace, old man.


    "M-M-Mama..." Kozelotte squeaked out. She''s shaking just like a deer in headlights. When she saw the smoking Zelretch, she shuddered even more.


    Ignoring the astounded group, the newly arrived wives group entered the miniature .


    "Huh? Why is Ophis-chan here?" Gurigura who saw Ophis standing in front of Issei''s bedroom thought aloud.


    "That''s not our Ophis, Gurigura." Riche said. Albeit a little bit different, there''s some disparity in their aura.


    "Muh? Really? If I didn''t know any better then I would''ve thought that Ophis is our Ophis you know." Ramius tilted her head at the sight of Ophis.


    "Hahaha! Looks like Chichiue and Hahaue is busted!" Mordred laughed nonchalantly.


    "Papa! Where''s papa! Papa, Chaika is here to see you!" A young girl around 8 years old is shouting jubilantly within Mordred''s embrace. She has long white hair that reaches down to her waist and large red eyes. She wears a slightly frilly white dress with a black skirt with puffed sleeves and a frilled white headband. Her most distinctive feature is her thick black eyebrows which enhance her cuteness even further.


    "Heheh, your pops and grandma is probably having a little ''fun'' right now." Mordred said towards her daughter with a grin.


    "Ah, really? Papa and grandma bad! Chaika wants to have fun too!" Chaika shouted while puffing her cheeks.


    "Mordred!" Jeanne chastised her.


    "My bad my bad..." Mordred laughed.


    "Ah so unfair! I want to have ''fun'' with otouto-kun too." Croix said with a pout.


    "Okaa-sama, please don''t be so childish..."


    "But Claudia, don''t you miss your otou-sama as well~?"


    "W-Well, yes but..."


    Issei who''s inside the bedroom stopped his movement when he sensed the commotion outside.


    Salter who''s situated below him clicked her tongue: "...Tch, looks like that witch is already here... Haahn... Master, don''t stop moving..."


    "You know I can''t do that..." Issei smiled wryly.


    Altria seems to be zoning off since she just had her turn. She''s spasming a little as they speak.


    "Haah... I guess we can continue this later..." Salter said in regret: "Go ahead and greet them first... We''ll be right outside soon..."


    "Um, sorry." Issei softly kissed Salter before he hurriedly wears his clothes and went outside the bedroom.


    "...My turn?" Ophis who''s waiting for Issei outside the room asked the moment she saw him.


    "...No."


    ...


    "Hmm, so your race is called ''Exceed''?" Erza H. said amusedly.


    She has seen beastman, youkais, demi-humans, monster girls, etc. but she has never seen a race like ''Exceed'' before.


    "Aye, sir!"


    "Interesting... I''ve never seen your race before. Where is your homeland? Where can I find other ''Exceed''?" She asked the talking blue cat before her. She was thinking to bring some ''Exceed'' home with her.


    "Our original home is in , it''s a parallel world of ." A white cat answered her next.


    "Oh? And why not?"


    "Because there is no more magic power in that world... Without magic power, we can''t go back there any longer." A black cat is the one who explained.


    "Hmm, I heard that there''s another Erza in this ? How is she?"


    "That Erza should be Erza Knightwalker. She''s a strong woman just like our Erza." The black cat said.


    "Hoo, now that I gotta see... Another ''Erza'' huh... I bet even father didn''t know about this." Erza H. said while stroking her chin.


    "As we said... You can''t go there anymore..." The white cat said with a sigh.


    "Don''t worry about it, just let me read some of your memories about and then let me handle the rest... And you guys stop lazing around! Natsu, your control over your fire is too weak, increase the heat, it''s too lukewarm! Gray, keep using your ice magic to suppress his fire if you don''t want to get burnt! Sister, another set!" Erza H. roared at her ''disciples''.


    "U-Ugh, n-nee-san... I''ve already done a hundred thousand swings already..."


    "So? Do another set! I''ll increase the gravity around you by another fold while we''re at it."


    "Gaahhhh!!! I... thought... you''re going to... teach me... on how to use my... dragon form..." Erza S. struggled under the intense gravity around her.


    "Before you''re able to use your dragon form, you need to train your strength first. Your physical strength is too weak! Just so you know, my training is a hundred times harder than your current training and I''m still taking it easy on you."


    "I-Impossible..."


    "You asked me to train you and now you get what you want. Don''t worry, when we''re done, I guarantee that you will be ten times stronger than before! If you want to be even stronger than I''ll gladly train you even further!" She grinned at them.


    "N-No thank you!" They hurriedly denied.


    "And all of you better win this upcoming Grand Magic Games or else... No disciples of mine are allowed to lose against some unknown tom, d.i.c.k, or harry! You hear me?!"


    """Aye, sir!!!"""


    "Um, good! You better remember your words just now. After this, we will do another set! So keep it up!"


    "I-Iyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" They screamed in regret... They regret asking this Erza to train them...


    "S-S-Scary... This Erza is seriously more scary than our Erza..." The blue cat shivered. The other two cats are also trembling on their spot agreeing with the blue cat.

 Chapter 150 - Side 7

    (AN: Thank you for the donation: Victor Gonzalez, Fransisco J Guzman, and Miguel Hernandez. I hope all of you enjoy the saido chapto!)


    "O-Order sir?"


    "...Fall back. Do not engage."


    "B-But sir..."


    "This is an order... If they''re really a crew member of the then all of you won''t be able to go against them. Only the Admirals could stand a chance. For now, just fall back, I will send an admiral over."


    "R-Roger!"


    On the other side of the snail phone...


    "...Damn. To think that they''re involved in this mess." A tall, fair-skinned, and muscular man with a long, braided goatee and a mustache groaned: "Not only that, the report said that there are also other big bounties on that island..."


    The other marines who were on that island reported the sightings of other pirates not long ago.


    "Shall I go, Sengoku-san?" An incredibly tall, relatively slim man asked with a laid back voice.


    "Kizaru..."


    "Daughters of that , huh... Interesting... I wonder if they''re as strong as their parents~"


    "Don''t underestimate them, Kizaru." Sengoku warned.


    "Oh, I won''t... After all, their mother is anything but weak. Just the fact that Natal March Hyoudou could control the ocean itself is more than enough to speak for their strength. Not to mention that they single-handedly defeated most big top pirates out there such as Shiki the Golden Lion." Kizaru said seriously without the laid back tone he formerly has.


    "Indeed... It''s such a shame that they refuse our offer to become a marine. They would''ve been a great addition to our ranks..." Sengoku said in pity.


    "You''re surely joking, Sengoku-san... Maybe if it wasn''t for that ''incident'' then they would make a great marine. Becoming an admiral also wouldn''t be a problem with their strength taken into consideration."


    "...Indeed, because of that incident, they''re basically one of the most wanted pirates out there..." Sengoku said in reminiscence.


    More than ten years ago, the officially became one of the world government most wanted... Because they almost wiped the holy land out of existence! Even then, there are some casualties from the world noble.


    By the time they get there... All that''s left is ruins and the laughter of Francis Drake Hyoudou on top of that said ruins. Two admirals tried to apprehend the two female captains but to no avail... Despite their best effort, they couldn''t even defeat the first captain!


    Only when the second female captain called her name that Francis Drake Hyoudou finally leave the holy land... Yes, that''s right. She LEAVES the holy land on her own volition and not driven out or forced to retreat! That day is one of the most shameful days for the marines...


    They tried to curb the news from leaking out but in the end... The world still found out about it.


    If it wasn''t for Natal March Hyoudou called her out then perhaps the marines would''ve lost two admirals that day... But the results are still debatable or so they claim since the third admiral and the fleet admiral weren''t there.


    But both admirals who fought Francis Drake Hyoudou know that even if the other admiral and fleet admiral were there, it will still be of no use. Granted, the five elders weren''t there at that time so maybe they have a chance if they were there?


    On that very same day, the marines put a bounty on the two female captains... Five billion! The two of them have a bounty of Five billion beli individually! Making them the highest bounty second only to the pirate king himself! They also officially become the fifth and sixth emperor of the ocean.


    They call themselves ''pirates'' but to their knowledge, there''s only two of them. There''s a report of a sighting of a masked man but that''s only rumors. They''ve never seen any crew members on their ship.


    Not really surprising considering Natal March Hyoudou''s ability to control water. They wouldn''t really need crew members to run their ship if they could just control the water around them on their own.


    The masked man in question never really makes an official appearance either as far as they can tell.


    But what''s more baffling is that they''re supposed to be a Devil fruit user but how come the two of them could swim in the ocean?! Well, they didn''t really swim but rather glide inside the ocean just like how a Fishmen would!


    How weird is that?! IF they''re Fishmen then it wouldn''t be as surprising but the fact is they''re human! The two of them didn''t have any fins or webbed hands either.


    Many tried to track them down but they all fail to pinpoint their location. Everyone, whether they''re other pirates or marines couldn''t find their base of operation.


    They could only find them if they wanted to be found or if they make an appearance on their own.


    They''re basically a ghost!


    "Let me go as well!" An incredibly tall, light-skinned, unusually muscular man shouted.


    "Sakazuki..."


    "Let me and Borsalino go. Kuzan isn''t here so that only leaves the two of us." He can still remember that shameful day... The day when he was toyed around by a pirate! He and Kuzan are the two admirals who faced off against Francis Drake Hyoudou.


    It''s two versus one but they still couldn''t defeat her. The two of them become a laughingstock even till this very day.


    The almighty Admiral Akainu and Aokiji couldn''t even defeat a woman even when the two of them are working together! And to top it off, they''re basically given mercy by the very same pirate!


    "*Sigh* Very well... You two can go."


    And with that, the two admirals embarked on their journey to face off against the once more...


    "I hope history doesn''t repeat itself this time..." Sengoku could only sigh.


    Perhaps they have a chance this time... It''s only their daughters so maybe they''re not as strong as their mothers? If they could somehow capture them then... could they make use of them as a hostage?


    According to their estimation, Francis Drake Hyoudou and Natal March Hyoudou are kind-hearted, as crazy as that sound considering they call themselves pirates. They never really attacked innocent bystanders even during their battles over the years.


    They also never raided a city other than that one time. As for the reason why they attacked the holy land, it''s supposed to be because one of the world''s nobles offended them.


    That idiot got mesmerized by their beauty and wanted to make them his slave... In the end, they retaliated with such fervor that it shook the world. And presumably, the cause for the incident this time is also because another idiot coveted their daughter''s beauty...


    It''s not like he couldn''t understand where they''re coming from since he himself admitted that the two captains are extremely beautiful. They''re so beautiful that many men whether they''re pirates or marines become captivated at their sight alone.


    But for now, he can only hope that with two admirals could capture...


    But this brings another question into the fray... Just who is the father? Is it the rumored masked man?


    ...


    "What? You''re not coming?" Froleytia asked.


    "...!" The marines rapidly shook their head at her question.


    "Tsk, so boring... Hiyuki, let''s go. We need to collect some debt."


    "Un, got it big sis."


    Hiyuki floated down and land beside Froleytia before they started walking deeper into the island with no one dares block their way.


    Even the red-haired man and the other pirates are utterly shocked at the revelation just now.


    "...To think that they''re the daughters of the two emperors." One of them mumbled in disbelief.


    "No wonder they can use just now." Another added.


    "*Whistle* They''re absolute beauties just like their mothers." Whistled a man.


    "Shut up you idiot! Do you want to die?!" A white bear said in horror.


    "Look big sis! That bear can talk!" Hiyuki shouted while pointing at a bear who''s wearing an outfit and standing with two feet. She floated right in front of the bear which made it flinch.


    "Hm? Oh, that bear should be from a race called the mink tribe that mother Natal told us about." Froleytia nodded to herself.


    "Heheh, he''s so fluffy! Hey, Mr. Bear, would you become my pet?" Hiyuki patted the trembling bear''s body and asked. But the poor bear is too afraid to give an answer.


    Who wouldn''t feel afraid of the daughter of the infamous captain?! If he were to give the wrong answer and earn their ire then it would be the end for their pirate crew!


    "Sorry, young lady. But this bear is my precious crewmate." A slim man wearing a northern-style fur hat said with a cold sweat.


    "Owh..." Hiyuki pouted.


    "Leave the bear be, little sis."


    "Un, bye, Mr. Bear." Hiyuki waved her hand and went after Froleytia who already started walking into the distance.


    "...They seem nice." The white bear said.


    After walking around for a bit, they finally arrived at their destination.


    "Hmm, this should be the place..."


    There''s a bar named in front of them.


    As they approached Shakky''s bar, they could hear some people talking from inside.


    When they opened the door to the bar, they saw a group of rowdy bunch looking at them.


    "S-S-S-So beautifwuuul!!!" A blonde man wearing a black suit practically flew towards their direction. His eyes completely become heart-shaped.


    *Bam!*


    Froleytia calmly slapped him away making him pass out on the corner.


    "S-Sanji!?" His friends called out.


    "How can I help you?" A relatively slim and tall woman with short black hair, with two tufts pointing upwards and smoking a cigarette asked.


    "We''re looking for a man named Silver Rayleigh," Froleytia said.


    "That would be me." An elderly man with round glasses and white hair responded.


    "You''re Silver Rayleigh?" Froleytia repeated.


    "Yup, that''s me." The elderly man nodded.


    "Good, we''re here to collect the debt you owe our mothers."


    "Your mothers?" Rayleigh raised his brows.


    "Francis Drake Hyoudou and Natal March Hyoudou."


    "...Oh."


    "Who are they ossan?" A young man wearing a straw hat asked curiously.


    "...You never heard of their mothers?"


    "No."


    "...Francis Drake Hyoudou and Natal March Hyoudou... The ? These two are their daughters?" A tall and slender young woman with shoulder-length black hair said in shock.


    "You know them, Robin?"


    "How could I not? If anything, I''m more surprised that all of you never heard of them before given their reputation. Their mothers, Francis Drake Hyoudou and Natal March Hyoudou are two of the six emperors! Who is thought to be the strongest out of the six emperors!"


    "...EHHHHHHH?!" While the rest of them are shocked, the woman smoking a cigar and the young man wearing a straw hat doesn''t feel shocked.


    "Six Emperors? What''s that?" He tilted his head.


    "You didn''t know?!!" His friends said in disbelief.


    "Ah, look big sis! There''s a talking reindeer now!" Hiyuki pointed out yet again: "Is he also of a mink tribe? I bet Lily would like him to be her pet!"


    "Oh, you''re right... but I don''t think he''s a mink though. Hey, are you from the mink tribe?" Froleytia called out to the shivering deer.


    "N-No." The deer shook his head rapidly.


    "Hmm, is that so? Well, whatever. Now, Rayleigh gives us what you owe our mom."


    "Oh, got it."


    "W-What do you owe them anyway?" A young man with a long nose said in horror.


    "Nothing much, just some jewelry..." Rayleigh shrugged before he took out something from his pocket: "Here you go." He tossed a small purple gem towards Froleytia.


    Froleytia caught the gem and started inspecting it. She gives a small nod before storing it away.


    "What bets did you have with them, ossan? A fight or something?" The straw hat asked.


    "Nothing so grand or mysterious like that, just a deck of cards game."


    "Eeh..." They slightly feel disappointed that the bet they have is just a simple game of cards: "And here I thought it''s a mindblowing bet such as you got defeated by their mother."


    "That''s impossible, Luffy... There''s no way the first mate of the pirate king crew will lose against just anyone like that! Even if his opponents are two of the six emperors." A girl with short orange hair heaved a sigh.


    "I did lose against their mother you know?" Rayleigh said with a smile.


    "Right right... wait... WHAT?!" They all become dumbstruck at his words.


    "Do you all have trouble hearing or something? I said I lose against their mother... Fair and square."


    "R-Really?"


    "You think I will be making a joke about this? Those rumors about them, if anything, has only been watered down by the marines to avoid further chaos. And they should be thankful that those two are not like the other pirates or they would have the second coming of Gol D. Roger era. Perhaps even worse, the end of the marines." Rayleigh said seriously.


    "A-Are they really that powerful? So that news about Francis Drake Hyoudou winning against the two admirals is true?"


    "It is true. That''s also one of the reasons why I seek them out... And I met them by chance when they''re docked on an island..." Rayleigh narrated.


    Back then he accidentally saw them on an island full of orphaned children. The two of them are giving away a charity for the orphanage on that island...


    By chance. he managed to play a game of cards with Francis Drake Hyoudou while slowly inquiring about their intention. But their answer shocked even him.


    They said that they didn''t even know anything about "One Piece". They only wanted to have fun and that''s it... There''s no grand aim or anything out of the ordinary. They simply want to have fun!


    Only after he told them about "One Piece" that they take a little interest in it. Just a little though... If they really wanted to then perhaps they would''ve already discovered it.


    He then tested them using his but to his surprise, they didn''t even flinch after being exposed to his .


    Natal March Hyoudou didn''t even pay attention to him while Francis Drake Hyoudou grinned at him asking if he wanted a fight. Before he could even reply, she already launched herself at him.


    Only then that he finally understands that the rumors are true. The defeat of the two admirals is not a fluke... but rather a complete defeat.


    Just when Froleytia about to leave the bar, they all heard a loud explosive sound in the distance. They could even see a huge marine fleet heading their way.


    "Uh oh, did you two did something just now?" Rayleigh said after realizing the commotion outside.


    "Something? Oh, I kicked some snotty brat face on my way here. If I remember it right, they are called Ten... Ten..." Froleytia tried to recall the brat''s name but failed to do so.


    "...Tenryuubito?"


    "Right, that."


    "..."


    ...


    "U-Ugh... G-Godking..." Zelretch groaned after being tossed away by Forzelotte to Issei''s front.


    "Hi, old man... We will have a little chat later just like old times, alright?" Issei said with a smile but Zelretch could only shiver even further rather than finding solace under his so-called smile.


    "H-Have mercy, please?" Zelretch squeezed out a smile despite the pain he''s in.


    "What are you talking about?" Issei said with the same smile adorning his face: "I''m not mad at all... Even after knowing that you tricked my daughter just for your entertainment, I don''t feel angry in the slightest... Not at all. All I want is to have a little chat, that''s all."


    "...Why did I sense that you''re lying?"


    "It''s just your imagination... Now let''s have a little chat, shall we?"


    "N-Nooooo!!!"


    And that''s the end of Zelretch shenanigans after being dragged by Issei into the bas.e.m.e.nt... From that day on, Zelretch was never seen again...


    ...


    The next day...


    "So, what are you here for this time?" Fia sighed after receiving Sirzechs and the others in front of their doorstep yet again. It''s quite early in the morning and they''re just about to have breakfast.


    But this day, Vali and her teams are also here. Looks like they didn''t bother of being seen together with the others since they thought that the days of the and old satan faction is numbered.


    "S-Sorry to be a bother yet again." Michael apologized awkwardly. It was not their intention but somehow they become very uneasy last night.


    "Sorry for the trouble." Gabriel apologizes next. Her gaze sometimes wanders inside the room looking for a certain someone...


    "Just get to the point."


    "W-We''re thinking if we could somehow receive some training from Issei-sama." This is their unanimous decision together. If they could somehow receive some training from someone like him then their chance of survival would become higher, no?


    "Our husband is not free and we''re about to have breakfast. So leave." The one who answered them is not Fia but rather Forzelotte who''s currently being surrounded by their children in the living room. They all are around at the age of 4 to 5 years old.


    Ophis is also in the room and there''s also a few children crowding around her. Her expressionless face is currently glowing with happiness for being surrounded by so many children who possess a similar aura to hers.


    She liked the silence in the dimensional gap but she likes her current situation even more. Being surrounded by her supposed kin.


    She never thought of having any offspring of her own before since others usually feared her or just wanted to make use of her power. But now... now she craves to make an offspring of her own.


    Kozelotte is laid prone on the sofa not far away with her butt raised to the air. There''s a red palm mark on her bottom...


    "Uuuu, it hurts... Mama, you''re so mean... Girls help me defeat mama..." She whined with teary eyes.


    "Don''t listen to her rambling and don''t follow your big sis Koze example, okay?"


    ""Okay, Forze mama!"" The children said in unison.


    "Umu, good girl." Forzelotte nodded feeling satisfied with their answer.


    They cast a pitying gaze at their big sis... Sorry, big sis... But we don''t want our bum to get spanked by Forze mama... They thought at the same time.


    "You all are traitors..." Kozelotte cried harder.


    "Okaa-sama Okaa-sama! Read this book next!" One of the toddlers who has angel wings said excitedly while carrying a drawing book, hoping to divert her attention from their pitiful big sis.


    "Let''s continue this later... We should have breakfast first. Your papa is already here." She said with a pampering smile.


    "Ah! Papa!"


    "Good morning, papa!"


    "Otou-chan! good mworning!"


    All of them practically scrambled to his front leaving the slightly annoyed Forzelotte alone.


    "Heheh, good morning." Issei responded while carrying Chaika in his arms: "Good morning, honey."


    "Umu, good morning." Forzelotte rose from her seat and give Issei a light kiss: "You girls are so... Once your papa is here, you immediately abandon us, your mothers."


    "Ehehehe, sorry." They giggled mischievously.


    "Everyone, it''s time to eat~" Kyou and Kinou shouted. Soon the other girls come out of their room and gathered.


    "As you can see, we''re about to have breakfast. Feel free to stay if you want to wait for us." Fia said.


    "O-Oh, then we''ll wait. There''s no rush." Michael said hastily.


    "Very well. Feel free to wait in the courtyard, there are chairs and some beverages ready there. Feel free to use it." Fia give a faint nod and closed the door to join the rest of her family for breakfast.


    ...


    After waiting for about 30 minutes, Sirzechs and the others heard footsteps coming their way.


    They saw seven women with Issei in the lead heading their way.


    Each and every single one of them is gorgeous beauty just like the other woman following Issei.


    Once again, Hyoudou Issei shed yet another tear of blood at this sight... Is there any justice in this world? Why did his other counterpart is surrounded by so many bombshell beauty?! He thought bitterly.


    They''re quite varying in appearance. Some have angel wings, black angel wings, and devil wings. Some possess a holy aura while some have a dark aura.


    They''re none other than the .


    Just like their other counterpart when they first saw them, whether it be Sirzechs, Michael, or Azazel, they become utterly dumbfounded.


    Odin is not here but Rossweisse of this world went in his place.


    The men got charmed by the divines while the women are charmed by the Godking. The way the sunlight shone at his tall and imposing figure, mesmerizing wine-red eyes, and his soothing yet domineering presence...


    He had staggering height and the broadest of shoulders with an otherworldly handsomeness that defied logic and common sense. There was an inherent allure to his every movement, a dark, seductive promise even though the person himself isn''t intentionally exuding it.


    There was an indescribable power to him as well. He doesn''t release an ounce of his power but yet they could somehow sense that this man in front of them is beyond powerful. It was like being in front of an ancient, primordial beast and he caused fluctuations in the air from his mere presence alone but it''s also like he becomes one with his surroundings that brings a serene feeling to those who look at him. Light and Dark in one body but instead of causing conflict against each other, there''s only harmony and balance...


    Perfection, they thought to themselves... Even those who are already married or have someone they love felt slightly entranced. Whereas those who are still single almost couldn''t help themselves to directly pounce on him. His aura of masculinity made a certain part of their body become restless and tingly...


    Michael paled at the sight of her sister''s unfurled wing which already turned black halfway. He hastily shook her body trying to snap her out of her daze but to no avail. Her eyes stayed transfixed on Issei''s gallant and seductive figure.


    Vali bit her lower lips with her cheeks reddening. Out of anyone here, perhaps she''s the most affected since she housed a Dragon herself inside her body.


    Whereas Kuroka of this world already went into heat without anyone noticing it but thankfully she could still retain her wits, stopping her intention of pouncing at Issei. She keeps licking her lower lips as if anticipating something though...


    "So I heard you want to receive some training?" Only after Issei arrived at their front and called them out that they finally snapped out of their daze.


    "Ah? Oh, yes. If it''s not too much trouble, Lord Issei." Sirzechs nodded hastily.


    Gabriel is still entranced but at least her wings already reverted back... albeit there''s still a tinge of black at the tip. Michael wasn''t planning on bringing her along with him but she insisted on tagging along and he finally relented.


    "Hmm..." Issei gives them a glance: "I refuse."


    "O-Oh..." Although they''ve already expected this, they still couldn''t help feeling disappointed.


    "May we know why?" While Sirzechs and the others didn''t have the intention to press the matter even further, Vali who''s also here with them couldn''t just let it go like that. Not when the chance to get stronger is right in front of her.


    "Hm? You''re... Vali of this world?" Issei raised one of his brows. She has a similar feature with his friend back home and they could be considered twins with how similar they look. Perhaps if her long hair is shortened and her... nevermind... There''s no hiding that explosive chest of hers. Not to mention that full and wide h.i.p.s. Looks like even in this world, she''s a battle maniac hence her fit figure.


    "Yes, I am." Even though her cheeks are flushed, she still looks straight at him. She can sense Issei inspecting her figure just now but instead of shying away, she straightened her back making her already explosive chest more prominent. It''s as if she''s telling him to look at her even more.


    "I see... and to answer your question. I rather spend my free time with my family rather than training some stranger. Does that answer satisfy you?" Issei said bluntly: "You might be my friends and even my wife parallel self but that doesn''t mean that I thought of you as one as well. I don''t have any reason to train you either."


    "What if we have something in return? Your wife said that you don''t do stuff for free so we have something to exchange for your help." Vali reasoned with her eyebrows furrowed.


    "Oh?"


    "Indeed, lord Issei. We didn''t come here hoping to receive some help from you for free. If it''s alright with you then please take a look at our offer." Azazel added.


    "Allow me, my king." Mertel stepped forward and said with a smile.


    "Um." Issei nodded at her.


    "Show us what you have to offer then." Mertel turned her head and asked cooly.


    "Here, milady." Azazel stepped forward and presented a catalog.


    "Hmm..." Mertel then went through the catalog in her hands. There are an array of magical tools in the catalog and also a few other assets. But there''s nothing really catch her interest just yet...


    "You might want to stop looking at our king, little angel, or you might fall." Ultinia who notices Gabriel state advised with a chuckle.


    "Hehen, as if she could stop looking at Issei-sama!" Ekate said with a smirk.


    "Ara? Does it matter whether she falls or not?" Marialis said next.


    "I-It will be a big trouble if my sister were to fall." Michael said stutteringly.


    "Eh, you common angels are weird. Even today I still couldn''t understand what your creator had in mind when they created you. Whether it''s the common angels from our world or this world." Miarute shrugged.


    "Common angels? You''re different from us?" Michael repeated.


    "Uh huh, you''re common angels while we are of the Kalars race." Izana explained: "Our race could transform into an angel or a devil when we fulfilled a certain condition but there''s really no big difference between the two. There is no ''fallen angel'' either. Marialis here is an angel with dark element when she underwent her process while Ekate is a mix between the two. A Nephilim, you could say."


    "I see..." Sirzechs nodded understandingly.


    "Papa!" A childish voice resounded.


    A small girl looking like 5 years old can be seen trotting her way towards Issei with Forzelotte standing behind her.


    This toddler is Forzelotte''s third daughter, Lotte. Just like her mother, she has a set of horns on top of her head. Her cheeks were plump full of baby fat that it looks so soft and pinchable.


    Unlike her two elder sisters, she doesn''t have purple hair but rather a white hair and also a white horn. And her eyes are also colored wine red. Besides her face, she inherited all of her father''s features.


    Issei smiles gently at her and proceeds to pick her up once she arrived at his front.


    "You''re still not done, dear?" Forzelotte asked.


    "Papa, hurry! Let''s play with the others!" Lotte said while she snuggled her head comfortably against his body.


    "Alright alright." Issei gives a chuckle.


    "Ise, is the po- I mean, the ''book of culture'' here any good?" Ramius who just arrived with Forzelotte asked.


    "Uhhh, I don''t know about that... You might want to ask my other counterpart or this world Azazel for that." Issei responded with a sweat. Even after she has become a mother of two, this cute wife of his still likes that kind of book... Not that he hates it though.


    "Fumu, got it."


    "Uhhh, sorry, but we don''t follow... ''Book of culture''? Is she looking for a culture book or something?" Azazel said confusedly.


    "No... It''s ''that'' kind of book."


    "...Ah. ''That'', huh..." The two men of culture nodded understandingly: "Wait! She''s also a ''man of culture''?!" Hyoudou Issei shouted in disbelief.


    He couldn''t believe this... Not only is his wife hot and has a massive oppai but she''s also a ''man of culture''?! Wait, since she''s a woman then, a ''woman of culture''? Damn it! To say that he''s jealous is an understatement! Hyoudou Issei cried tears of blood at this revelation.


    "A ''man of culture''? What''s that mean, Issei?" Young Rias asked.


    "I-It''s nothing, buchou!"


    "By the way, Ise. Megumin and the others called just now." Ramius said.


    "...Ugh, what did those idiots want now?" Issei groaned.


    "They said that they will give you a visit. Yunyun and Wiz are about to return so I think they want to tag along."


    "Please no..." Issei sighed tiredly.


    Just imagining those three idiots around him is enough to make him go nuts. Aqua for the past years keeps improving her action and personality somehow, she finally looks befitting to a true Goddess rather than the useless Goddess she was before in the eyes of the others. But Issei knew better... From the way she looks at him as if he''s a walking moneybag is one of the reasons why he knows that she didn''t really change.


    As for Megumin and Darkness... There''s really no apparent difference. One is still an explosion maniac while the second one is still a masochist.


    Kazuma has already become a manager on one of their company branch. He even already married to one of the employees and just had their honeymoon together recently.


    "And also, Princess Iris is waiting for you to fulfill your promise to her. She will probably come with Yunyun and Wiz as well." Ramius added.


    "..."


    "Papa sad?" Lotte put her hands on Issei''s cheeks and started pinching it: "Papa don''t worry, be happy?"


    ...


    "Let''s stop it here."


    "Uuuhh... You''re so strong, Majin mama... As expected, I''m still no match for you."


    Arte and Okita Alter stopped their spar for today. Arte is laying on her back feeling a little exhausted over their sparring session.


    "Fufu, you''re already very strong yourself, Arte. It won''t be long before you''re able to surpass me." Okita Alter chuckled at her: "Oh, right... It''s been a few days already. Don''t you need to check on them?"


    "Eh, really? I didn''t realize it."


    "By the way, Arte. Did you remember to arrange the time over there?"


    "...Ah."


    "You forgot, didn''t you."


    "..."


    "Well, it should be fine. Just go." Okita Alter said with a sigh.


    "U-Un, got it. See you later, Majin mama."


    Arte took a deep breath and her body started growing to her 18 years old self once again. Then he opened a spatial opening towards the children''s location.


    "Sorry, I''m la- are? What''s wrong?" Arte appeared in front of them but the whole atmosphere is very depressing.


    "D-Demons!" The guards who are with them shouted.


    But Arte ignored them and keep looking at Kouki''s party.


    "Please... Please, help our friend!" The girl who''s named Kaori Shirasaki said in tears.


    "Your friend? What happened?" Arte frowned and said.


    "Don''t listen to-"


    "Shut up!" Arte waved her hand towards the guards and they''re instantly blown away.


    Kaori then started explaining the recent incident to Arte... It''s been almost a week ever since the disappearance of Hajime Nagumo.


    "Alright, I''ll go find your friend. But, that''s only if he''s alive... If he''s dead then... There''s nothing I can do." Arte said to Kaori.


    "Th-Thank you." She gives her thanks.


    "Don''t thank me just yet," Arte said.


    Arte then flew towards the dungeon she''s told about and in no time, she found the big hole that they mentioned. There''s a small lake down the hole that leads to multiple pathways.


    Arte descended into one of the pathways where she sensed a human presence and started searching the area but a few seconds later, she took notice of something on the ground.


    "Blood trail..." She frowned.


    If it was just beast blood then she won''t care but she could tell that this blood belongs to a human.


    Then she heard a commotion in the nearby distance and she recognizes this presence albeit it''s a bit different than what she remembers.


    When she got there, she saw the young boy named Hajime Nagumo pointing his gun towards a huge bear. The boy''s once black hair turned white and he got slightly taller but what stands out the most is his missing left arm...


    "Become my food."


    Those words were accompanied by the pulling of the trigger. The shot bullets executed their master''s will faithfully, pulverizing the bear''s head.


    The gunshot echoed within the dungeon. The Bear did not avert its eyes up till the very end, neither did Hajime.


    A brief silence ensues until Arte opened his mouth: "Congrats on defeating your enemy." She clapped lightly.


    Hajime immediately becomes alert and pointed his gun towards her. But when he saw the familiar-looking girl, he lowered his gun soon after.


    "...You are... Arte...san?"


    "Yup, the one and only." Arte nodded with a smile.


    ...


    "...A-Amazing..." Hajime muttered seeing his new grown arm.


    His arm has been cut off by the bear and Arte just used some magic to regrow that said arm.


    "Fuhh, I''m glad it works." Arte heaved a sigh. Healing magic is not really her forte after all: "So, are you alright now? Are there any injuries that I missed?" Arte asked with a smile.


    "Yes. Thank you." He bowed deeply towards her.


    "You''re welcome." Arte said with a wave.


    "..." Hajime look dazedly at Arte and he inadvertently blushed to see her beautiful figure once more.


    He, just like the other boy from his class is mesmerized by her sight.


    "Umm." He called out.


    "Hm?"


    "Did you know anything about this thing?" He presented an ore the size of a basketball emitting light to her. It is dripping liquid even as they speak.


    "Oh?" Arte knitted her eyebrows together while inspecting the ore: "Hmm... This water the ore let out has healing properties within them. The ore itself seems to be radiating a healing aura on its own albeit the range is basically very short..."


    "That''s right. I found this ore by accident, and thanks to it, I could retain my life. If it wasn''t for this ore then... I would''ve died of blood loss." He winced at the phantom pain of his lost arm once again.


    Even though there''s a new arm taken its place, the phantom pain is still there.


    "I see... Sorry, if only I have come sooner." Arte said apologetically.


    "No, it''s okay. You don''t have to apologize." Hajime shook his head: "And you can have this ore if it''s so valuable."


    "Thank you then. But, I don''t need that ore, you can keep it." Arte chuckled: "What''s your plan now, Nagumo Hajime? Want me to bring you back now?" She asked.


    "I..." He wanted to say yes but for some reason, the word is stuck in his throat.


    "Don''t you want to go back to your family? You can leave all of this behind you and just think of it as a nightmare."


    "...I do."


    "Then what are you hesitating for?"


    "..."


    "From the look of your face, I can sense some resentment... But your resentment doesn''t seem to be a simple resentment either. Care to tell me?" Arte said after seeing his expression. At the depth of his eyes, there''s anger, hatred, and also disbelief.


    If it''s only anger and hatred then she could understand just who the target of his emotion but the disbelief makes her a little curious.


    "..."


    Arte waited for his reply patiently.


    After a few moments, he finally said: "...I didn''t fall here because of an accident... One of my classmates aimed his magic at me..." He gritted his teeth when he remembered it.


    "...I see." Arte nodded: "So... Do you want revenge?"


    So that''s what caused the disbelief... He didn''t think his own classmate willing to go that far.


    "...I don''t know." He shook his head after thinking for a while.


    Understandable... He''s only a normal high school student after all. Arte nodded to herself.


    This is the normal reaction a boy at his age should have. And as for his so-called classmate that attacked him with the intention to kill is the one who''s messed up in the head.


    What Arte didn''t know is that Hajime would''ve killed the one who wronged him without hesitation if he were to appear in front of him right now. He only said he didn''t know because he wants to see her reaction.


    Seeing the understanding look on her face, he slightly feel relieved since it seems that Arte wasn''t planning to make them hate each other. For all he knows, Arte could''ve mind-controlled the culprit or just messed up with his perception.


    "If you''re unsure then how about tag along with me for a while?" Arte offered: "I''m a little interested in this place, you see. You can just follow me and decide just what do you want to do later on. You didn''t want to go back to your friends'' side for now, don''t you?"


    "...Very well. I''ll take you on your offer then." Hajime said after thinking for a bit. He decided to just follow Arte for a while. He''s still not 100% sure if she would really bring him back to his own world.


    It''s best if he could get stronger along the way just for safety precaution.


    "Umu, great." Arte nodded: "You want me to tell your friends about your survival?"


    "No, no need."


    "As you wish then."


    There are two reasons why Hajime decided to trust Arte. Why did he decide to trust her? He could tell that Arte is stronger than he imagined.


    He was inspecting his status plate when she took notice of it. She curiously asked him about it and once she understands the principles behind it, she also took out her own status plate that she created out of thin air.


    Her status plate is vastly different compared to his status plate. What''s different is not the status inside it but rather the plate itself. His was shaped just like everyone else, whereas hers are shaped more intricate.


    When he tried reading her status, what he saw is this:


    [Name: Arte Savant Hyoudou


    Gender: Female


    Age: ???


    Class: ???


    Level: ???


    STR & AGI & VIT & RES & ETC: ???]


    All of her statuses are unknown! The only thing that''s readable is her name. Not even her age is known...


    Making this woman in front of him as his enemy is not a smart thing to do.


    As for the second reason why he trusts her, she could''ve just killed him if she wanted to harm him. She also didn''t need to go on her way to heal his lost limb.


    Of course, that doesn''t mean he completely trusts her either. What Kouki said the other day is also a possibility such as that she couldn''t harm them directly because of this world''s God protection and all that.


    And after spending a little time with her, he knows that his decision was right.


    ...


    Later that day, Arte and Hajime are sitting around a campfire. Arte propped her chin with both of her hands while observing Hajime. The latter had his cheek reddened slightly when he realized her gaze on him.


    He decided to feign ignorance and proceed to eat the meat that he just cooked.


    "Hmm, for a formerly normal human you''re really weird." Arte said while observing Hajime who''s currently feasting on the meat from the beast that he just killed.


    "How so?" He asked while chewing: "And what do you mean by a former human?" He took a glance at the pile of monsters behind Arte. All of them have been sucked dry leaving only skins and bone.


    He briefly shuddered thinking if she''s really a succubus after all... He couldn''t help let his imagination wander... If she were to suck him dry... Why did he suddenly think that it might be not so bad? He hastily shook his head snapping him out of his delusion.


    "How to say this... A normal human body would''ve exploded the moment they consume a meat that contains such dense raw magical energy. Their body is not capable of housing a magical energy of that size... But probably the reason why you survived is because of that ore''s water." Arte pointed at the ore.


    "You''re right. When I first ate this beasts meat, my body almost exploded from the inside out and if it wasn''t for this water then I would''ve died just like you said." Hajime affirmed her guess.


    "It''s still weird though... You''re very lucky for being able to survive. But further investigation is needed. Ah, don''t worry, I''m not planning on doing anything to you." Arte decided to bring some beasts from this world home with her later. She wanted to see if there''s something else that they could gain from it.


    "And as for what I meant by ''former human'' is because you''re clearly not a normal human any longer. Hmm... Let''s just say that you''re half monster half human. Probably because your body had adapted so that you didn''t die after consuming these beasts." Arte concluded.


    "...Seriously?" Hajime asked slackjawed.


    "Yup, seriously." Arte calmly nodded.


    "Haah... I guess that''s that then. I''ve officially become a freak." Hajime sighed.


    "A freak? No, I don''t think you''re a freak though?" Arte blinked cluelessly.


    "Huh?"


    "You see, in my original world, there''s no such thing as racial discrimination. There are a lot of races under the rule of my father. Whether it be human, dragon, angel, devil, demon, oni, youkai, and so on. All of them live together in harmony." Arte narrated.


    "Hee... Sounds like an amazing world." Hajime said feeling impressed: "So your father is a king then?"


    "You can say that."


    "What''s your father name again? I notice that your last name is ''Hyoudou'' and that''s..."


    "A Japanese name?"


    "Yes."


    "You don''t need to guess, my father is indeed a Japanese. Well, he was a Japanese and a normal human just like you. But after he married mother, he moves to her world."


    "That''s... surprising."


    "Mhm, he becomes a Dragon along the way. It''s a long story but basically magic happened then you know the rest." Arte said in dismissal.


    Hajime also didn''t have any intention of probing even further so he just gives a plain nod.


    "Is your Japan and our Japan any different? You said that you could bring us back before so I was wondering about that." Now that he knows more about her, he becomes increasingly relieved. It seems that she wasn''t lying about being able to take them back to their world.


    "Have you ever heard about the company in your world before?" Arte asked.


    "I have. It''s the biggest company in the world... You''re saying..."


    "Yup, that company belongs to my father." Arte puffed out her chest in pride making it jiggle slightly.


    "..." Hajime speechlessly look at Arte... Whether it''s because of her true identity or because of something else, only he knows...


    "Well then, let''s call it a day for now." Arte stood up and snapped her finger.


    A small floating villa appeared in front of them. There''s a barrier surrounding the villa supposedly to prevent any monsters from attacking it.


    "Feel free to use that house. I need to go somewhere for a bit... Then see you later." Arte said with a wave before she disappeared into the void once more.


    "...A house? She calls this a house?" Hajime said with a twitch on his face. He shook his head helplessly before he entered the villa.

 Chapter 151 - Side 8

    (AN: Thanks for the donation, Zero. I hope all of you enjoy the chapter!)


    "...Are you speaking the truth?"


    "Why would I need to lie to you?"


    "If what you said is the truth then... We are willing to serve you as our new King."


    "Correction, I''m not the one who you should serve as your king but it''s my husband."


    "Very well... Then we, the Bethmoora Clan accept to be your husband''s vassal."


    "Good. Then I, Scathach Skadi Hyoudou welcome you to the new world. Since you are of the elvish clan then I assume you would want to live where nature flourishes, yes?"


    "Yes, my Queen."


    "Fumu, you girls take it from here."


    "Hai, Lady Scathach." The maids behind Scathach said in unison.


    Scathach then set her attention to the princess of the Bethmoora Clan: "What''s your name?"


    "It''s Nuala, my Queen." The girl who goes by the name Nuala bowed towards her.


    "I assume you two are twins?" Scathach said while looking at the man who''s standing beside her.


    "Yes. My name is Nuada." The man also bowed in respect.


    "Nuada and Nuala... Interesting. I can sense that you two are not ordinary twins... A ''linked'' twins?" Scathach ponder to herself: "I can sense your hatred towards humanity, Prince Nuada of the Bethmoora Clan. But you better not attack any human you see there. If you''re discovered wanting to bring harm to the humanity of my world then you better be prepared for the consequences, do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, my Queen." Nuada said respectfully: "For as long as the humans never cross the line... We too, shall never do any harm towards them. You have my word."


    While he despises the human because of their greed, he won''t go on his way to harm the supposedly new humanity in their new world to be.


    It''s been centuries and human greed is unquenchable.


    He''s about to bring apocalypse upon the humans but it seems that he doesn''t need to do that anymore. Because of this Divine Spirit arrival and her offer, they can finally find a new home...


    "You can be rest assured, if they''re the one who initiates the attack then you''re free to retaliate as you see fit. Then I believe we''re done here." And with that, Scathach created a spatial opening and disappeared from their sight.


    ...


    Scathach returned to the Land of the Shadows and took a seat on her throne.


    "It''s been a while ever since I came here..." She muttered with a light chuckle: "And I only have you to blame, husband."


    She was planning to visit the Land of the Shadow recently and she thought that she might as well take a look at one of the worlds along the way. In that world, the world itself is not really in danger but a whole race is in danger.


    If the race still has a way to prolong their lives then she won''t bother.


    "I believe all is well while I was away?"


    "Yes, milady. The beasts from the land of the shadow that tried to escape have been taken care of."


    "Um, good work. Any new world worth noting about?" Scathach asked the shadow maid who''s with her.


    Shadow maid is not a being made out of shadow or something like that. It''s just a maid that consists of different races that possess a strong attribute.


    Some are of the human race, some are of the demon race, and so on.


    "How about this world, milady?" The maid presented a holographic of another world. In this world, she can see Gods and other races living inside it, and unsurprisingly, humanity is also present.


    "This world seems balanced enough. And the humanity also has its own guardian already... I don''t see why we should pay this world a visit." Scathach concluded.


    On the screen, she can see a man wearing a robot-like suit, a rampaging giant green man, a demigod who seems to rule over lightning, and so on... While they''re currently in a battle facing a large group of robotic enemies, it seems that they have everything under control.


    Well... Maybe not completely. One of them is about to die under the barrage of an airplane that is currently being controlled by one of the robots. The man is currently protecting a child within his embrace.


    Scathach inscribed some magic runes in front of her and the rune launched themselves shaped like a streak of red lightning destroying the airplane and the robot inside.


    All the inhabitants of that world saw are a bolt of red lightning coming from the sky...


    "Thanks, bud." The one who just got saved said his thanks to the demigod who just arrived at his side.


    "...That wasn''t me." The demigod of thunder said dazedly while looking towards the sky.


    "Ignore this world. There''s no need to lend them a hand." Scathach said dismissively.


    "Hai."


    Scathach stretched her body before she made a call: "Hello, Mikumo? Where''s your father now?"


    "..."


    "What? He dares leave me behind when he''s having fun with the others? Hoho, you got guts, bakadeshi(stupid disciple/stupid husband)." She laughed menacingly.


    The shadow maids at the side smiled wryly at their mistress resentment. Mistress, it''s not that the King forgot about you... But at the time, you were too busy training your daughters and he didn''t want to bother your bonding time with your daughters.


    ...


    Kizaru and Akainu arrived within half an hour and landed on the archipelago immediately meeting up with several marine officers who were already there.


    "Where are they?" Akainu asked them.


    "Th-They''re last seen at Grove 13, sir!"


    "Damn... to think that 2 admirals would show up." One of the pirates who were watching from the distance said direly. What''s a relief is that they don''t seem to be interested in the other pirates.


    "But this should be very interesting. The daughters of the two emperors... Their mother is not with them. Does that mean that they''re confident in their daughter''s strength?"


    "If the admirals were to win then... Will they use them just like how they use Firefist Ace to lure Whitebeard out?"


    "Even for me that''s considered stupid, you know? Whitebeard alone would''ve made their hands full... If the rumored two strongest emperors were to join the fray then the result would be..."


    "Catastrophic? Then again, there''s really nothing the marines could do since their daughter kicked a ass... Looks like the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree indeed. Well, let''s just see what happens for now."


    They decided to watch the show from the sideline regardless of the risk. A fight between the and 2 admirals of the marines is too good to pass up.


    And even though it''s not the captain themselves, the fact that they''re the daughters of those two is more than enough to catch their interest.


    Many pirates and even marines felt heartbroken after knowing that the two emperors already had a child... Just who is the lucky bastard that manages to score those two beauties!? They wanted to strangle him to death!


    "C-Captain! Where are you going?!"


    "Shuddup! I can''t just stand by and let the daughters of my benefactor be!"


    "Huh? What is she doing?" The other pirates look at the female captain with dark pink hair dashing towards Grove 13.


    Back at Froleytia''s side, despite the numerous marines surrounding them, they still look calm. Whereas the straw hat pirate crew had various reactions. Some felt nervous, some felt fear, some felt excited...


    "Oh, looks like they''re finally here." Froleytia grinned while still holding her smoking pipe.


    Akainu and Kizaru finally arrived in front of the bar.


    "Oh, Sentoumaru? You''re already here?" Kizaru said towards a large man that''s dressed like a sumo wrestler.


    "I''ve been here from the start, uncle." The man groaned.


    "Oooh, good work... And I believe those two young ladies are our target~?" Kizaru said while assessing the two young girls.


    The first one seems excited seeing them while the smaller one seems indifferent.


    "How terrifying indeed... Here we are, two admirals standing before them alongside hundreds of marines and the Pacifistas but why is it that it feels that we''re the one on the losing side, I wonder?" He mused: "And we kept hearing that you''re here on this island, Dark King Rayleigh... But to think that you''re actually here. Are you helping them perhaps?"


    Akainu who''s standing beside him didn''t say anything. He clenched his fists until it made a crackling sound... The humiliation on that day... He will wash it with their daughter''s blood!


    They ignored the straw hats crew who''s on the scene. They have a bigger target in their front.


    "Oh no no, I''m only an innocent bystander." Rayleigh smiled: "And these two young ladies didn''t need my help at all."


    "That''s right. Stay out of this old man. Don''t get it in my way. You too, Hiyuki." warned Froleytia.


    "I know... It still baffles me just why you and the others like fighting so much, big sis... I rather play with father rather than fighting all the time." Hiyuki pouted.


    "It''s because you''re still too young. I agree spending time with dad is more fun though."


    "I''m already 12, and you''re only 14 big sis..." Hiyuki deadpanned.


    "Well well, confident, aren''t we?" Kizaru gives his iconic smile seeing that they''re being ignored: "I guess you two won''t surrender yourself calmly?"


    "What do you think?" Froleytia smirked.


    "Indeed... That would be impossible. Then..." Before he even finishes his words, Kizaru disappeared from his spot and reappeared beside Froleytia: "."


    He raised his right leg which is imbued by and swung it down at Froleytia''s head.


    "Heh." Froleytia scoffed before using his left hand to block his attack.


    *BZZZTTTT*


    There''s a red and black lightning streak on their clash.


    Using the timing where Froleytia seems occupied, Akainu also dashed forward and used his fist which turned into magma to attack her: "!"


    Terrible heat waves spread in all directions, many Marines were shocked by this attack.


    And just like how she blocked Kizaru''s attack with her left hand, she used her right hand to block Akainu''s punch.


    But their clash didn''t cause the same result, because the moment that his magma fist touched Froleytia''s palm, the blazing magma from before seems to disappear. Making Akainu''s fist return to normal.


    "...Huh?" Akainu let out a confused sound while Kizaru also becomes stupefied.


    "Hehehe, an elemental attack won''t be of use against big sis, you know?" Hiyuki who''s at the side giggled.


    After all, Froleytia is Ramius''s firstborn daughter. She completely inherited her mother''s anti elemental body.


    "My turn." Froleytia''s smile widened.


    She gripped Kizaru''s leg and Akainu''s now normal fist in a vice-like grip. She pulled them both to the front and clashed their body against each other.


    "Ugh!" The two admirals groaned in pain.


    But she didn''t stop there, she treated them both like a ragdoll and repeatedly smashed them to the ground.


    "Gahhh!! Bastard!" Akainu and Kizaru tried to use their attacks once again only to be ignored by Froleytia.


    Their power is completely useless against her. Even when they used their it''s still of no use. Her is far stronger than theirs and it felt like they are hitting a steel plate rather than a human flesh!


    "H-Help them!" Sentoumaru commanded.


    The Pacifistas launched an array of laser beam attacks towards Froleytia. Some came from their mouth and some came from their palm.


    *BOOMMM!!!*


    A large explosion occurs at impact. Using the chance where Froleytia is a little ''distracted'', both admirals manage to free themselves from her clutch.


    The moment their body doesn''t come in contact with hers, they could transform their bodies once again. Kizaru''s body seems to be made of light while Akainu is magma.


    "Haah, haah..." Akainu heaved a heavy sigh. It felt like his organs have been crushed from the inside out.


    "That was dangerous," Kizaru said solemnly.


    Their eyes are still set towards the front where a giant cloud of smoke obstructing their view.


    "Hehe, that''s an interesting toys you got there." Froleytia''s voice resounded from within the smoke.


    "Tsk, what a monster." Sentoumaru flinched at her sight. She''s completely unharmed! Not even her clothes are ruffled from that explosion just now!


    When the dust settled, they can see that the explosion beam the Pacifistas shot seems to be split in the middle with Froleytia at the center. Which results in the curved shaped crater.


    "Their mother is a monster and their daughter is also one, huh..." Kizaru muttered in a cold sweat: "This is going to be a hard fight..."


    "A-Amazing..." The straw hat pirates said in awe.


    The other pirates that are watching in the distance are also in awe.


    "Oi oi... Are you kidding me? The two admirals don''t seem to stand a chance against her..." The red-haired man who spoke with Froleytia before said in a daze.


    "The other girl also didn''t make any move, you know?"


    "As expected of the daughters of the rumored strongest emperors..."


    "I think it''s not a rumor anymore... Even their daughter is capable of facing off against two admirals at once! Gahahahaha! I wonder if the ''execution'' could still advance if the two admirals were to lose their lives here!"


    "The probability of the marines to win against those two... is unknown." Said a man while looking at the cards laid before him: "But... From what I''ve seen with my own eyes... The odds are almost zero."


    "H-Hahahaha! I was worried for nothing... Of course those ''three'' children are not simple!" The dark pink-haired woman who was planning to help Froleytia and Hiyuki before laughed in relief.


    "You seem to know their parents quite well, Jewelry Boney." The red-haired man remarked.


    "Of course I do. I was saved by them in the past after all." She scoffed.


    "And what do you mean by ''three''? Is there another crew member of the that we don''t know about... Was it the rumored ''masked man'' perhaps? Is he their father?"


    "Who knows?" She grinned.


    "Tch."


    "Now then... Shall we continue our dance?" Froleytia said with a grin.


    ...


    "Hey, wake up! It''s already morning!"


    Hajime woke up to the sound of a chirping sound belonging to a girl.


    He opened his eyes to see a group of small girls with fairy wings. They are in fact, house fairies that have been designated by Arte to take proper care of the ''house''. Their height is around the height of an 8 years old child.


    "Hurry and eat your breakfast. We are told to wake you up by Arte-sama." The house fairy said towards Hajime.


    Hajime is still feeling a little awkward at their sight. Yesterday night, the moment he entered this house, he is greeted by them.


    They took care of his needs to a certain extent. Prepared his bath and so on... And the bed he''s currently using is way too comfortable. Then again, she is the daughter of a king so he guesses that it''s not weird for her to own such luxurious place.


    "Got it, thanks," Hajime said his gratitude towards the house fairies.


    When he arrived at the dining room, he saw Arte seated on the dining table tapping at something that looks like a holographic device. He can see the image of the bear and the other monsters he killed yesterday alongside other monsters he has never seen before.


    "Oh, you''re finally awake," Arte said towards Hajime who just walked down the stairs: "Feel free to eat anything you want. These meals are from the meat of the beasts situated inside the dungeon. Mind you that it''s only the meat from the beasts on the same floor. If you want a higher leveled meat then you must take them down on your own."


    "O-Oh..." Hajime nodded feeling speechless.


    "There''s rice, miso soup, curry, and other things from Japan, you must''ve missed eating it considering what you''ve been through."


    Hajime who heard her words felt like a jolt of electricity just went through his entire body. He wastes no time before he immediately took a seat and started stuffing his mouth with the food on the table.


    "D-Delicious!" He groaned: "It''s been a while ever since I had rice! And this miso soup... Stupendous!"


    "Hehe, the food prepared by the house fairies is not bad. Even though they didn''t come close to the food that my father prepared, it''s still delicious. Ah, no offense everyone." Arte added at the end with an apologetic smile.


    "None taken, Arte-sama!" The house fairies said with a smile: "We know that the King''s cooking is one of a kind. Even though we won''t be able to reach his level, being able to receive your praise is more than enough for us."


    "Yep yep!" The other fairies nodded.


    "Here you go, Arte-sama. This is the newest product from Lady Colpis farm." The fairy served a glass of hot milk to Arte.


    "Oh, thank you." Arte smiles gratefully at them.


    Hajime dazedly looks at the smiling Arte. So beautiful... He thought to himself.


    "Hm? What''s wrong, Nagumo Hajime? Is there something on my face?" Arte asked after sensing his gaze on her.


    "N-No, it''s nothing." Hajime hurriedly averted his gaze and focused on eating once again.


    Arte tilted her head confusedly before shrugging it away. She took a sip of the hot milk that the fairies served.


    "Mm, this milk is really delicious. It''s so thick, and creamy~! Not to mention that the smell is also quite intoxicating." Arte m.o.a.ned while licking her lips.


    Hajime who heard her words and saw the way her licking her lips had his body slouched forward. A succubus... She''s definitely a succubus! Hajime repeated inside his mind. His already reddened cheeks reddened even further...


    "I will pay Colpis nee-san a visit and inform her about my opinion later. You should try it too, Nagumo Hajime," said Arte.


    "O-Ou..." Hajime nodded while forcing his gaze downwards. It would be very embarrassing for him if she were to notice his current state.


    Okita Alter who saw this from the void sighed to herself... Looks like their daughters are also a bit dense just like their father...


    "Did you find anything, Millet?" Okita Alter asked the other chocolate skinned beauty.


    "I did." Millet who''s with her said: "Looks like the ''God'' of this world is nothing but an insect who''s afraid of death." She said in disdain.


    "Oh? Will there be any danger for our daughter?"


    "None whatsoever. He''s considered ''God'' by this world''s inhabitants but in truth, he could only be considered a Demigod at most. And even then, he could only rely on his vessel... Most likely, the reason why he summoned those children here is to find a suitable vessel for himself." Millet narrated.


    "Hmm, then we should just let Arte handle this then. Don''t tell her any of this."


    "I know." Millet nodded.


    "So how''s Morgiana?" Okita Alter asked.


    "She''s doing great. She just finished her training with elder sister Scathach recently. Now she''s onto her next expedition." Millet said proudly. She''s proud of her daughter''s achievements so far.


    "Is that so?" Okita Alter smiled: "Our daughters are really dedicated, aren''t they?"


    "Indeed," Millet said feeling gratified.


    "Do you have any news about Master, by the way?" inquired Okita Alter.


    "Milord seems to be in a parallel world of himself with the others."


    "A parallel world? So that means there''s another Master? Just like myself and Okita case?"


    "Probably."


    "Hmm, I see... But I highly doubt that the other Master could compare with our Master."


    "Agreed. There will be only one Lord. Our Lord." Millet said decisively.


    "Hehehe, right."


    The two of them giggled at each other.


    After finishing his breakfast, Arte and Hajime continue their journey deeper into the dungeon...


    Arte used time magic on the dungeon, making it so only a day will pass on the outside while a month will pass inside.


    If she didn''t do this then perhaps his friends would be worried about him, especially that girl who cried begging for help.


    Hajime is also grateful for what Arte did but more than that, he becomes further speechless at her capabilities. To think that she could slow down time itself...


    They had advanced 48 levels deeper in less than a week.


    "You know..." Arte muttered after Hajime killed the monster that jumped at her from the ceiling. Looks like Arte knows that Hajime would kill that monster hence why she doesn''t bother killing it herself.


    "Hm?" Hajime hummed at her mutter. His gaze softened by a lot when he looks at her.


    "I find it weird that this place would be the ''beginner'' area. According to my estimation so far... Taking that foolish boy as an example since he''s the strongest out of all of you back then... even if he were to spend a whole month inside this dungeon, he won''t be able to come close to our current progress."


    "...So those old farts are planning something after all?" Hajime scoffed.


    "I already said so in the past, right? That he''s lying to all of you." Arte nodded: "I don''t know about their ''God'' yet since he seems to be in hiding. But one thing for sure is that... that old fart of a priest wanted to make use of you in the pretext of ''saving'' them from the Demon race invasion or whatever but in fact, he probably wanted to make use of you as a tool for war. So he most likely put all of you in this place is because he''s getting impatient and restless, he wanted all of you to grow stronger as quickly as possible even if it would kill some of you in the process... It''s probably also got something to do with me though." Arte scratched her cheek while giving a wry smile.


    "So you''re basically saying that he really thought that you are from the Demon race and after seeing your display of strength, he got intimidated hence why his impatience?" Hajime concluded.


    Hajime knows that the old fart is putting more hope on Kouki who has the Hero class. And he probably wanted to make use of the weaker class as a stepping stone for him to grow rapidly.


    "Uh huh. And at the bottom of this dungeon, I can sense a stronger monster lies in waiting. With your current pace, it would take you another month or maybe more to be able to face off against it."


    "I see... So I simply need to get stronger, right."


    "Yup."


    "Very well." Hajime nodded in determination.


    "You don''t really need to grow stronger, you know? I can just send you back, remember?" Arte reminded.


    "I know... It''s just that..." Hajime took a glance at the clueless Arte. She most likely didn''t understand why he said that he wanted to get stronger even though his objective before was to go home... But now... he has a second objective in mind and it has something to do with the devilish beauty before him...


    "Hm? Just what?" Arte repeated.


    "...Nevermind." Hajime finally sighed.


    "Well, if you say so then." Arte shrugged.


    ...


    "By the way, gramps." Erza H. said towards Makarov.


    "Hm? Is something the matter, Miss Hyoudou?" Makarov responded.


    "You''re keeping something a little interesting under this place, aren''t you?" She gives a faint smirk.


    Makarov''s face froze almost instantly.


    "...What do you mean?" He tried feigning ignorance while his back is drenched in a cold sweat.


    "Oh, you don''t need to worry. I have no intention of taking it for myself or anything like that... It is slightly interesting but it is still too weak for my taste." She chuckled: "Let''s see..." She closed her eyes and used her magic.


    "Oh hoo, it''s your physical body?" Erza H. asked Mavis who happens to be present as well.


    "..." Mavis and Makarov body froze once again but this time they know they can''t feign ignorance any longer.


    "Humm, no wonder your spirit is still here. You''re not really dead, huh... But I can sense a curse on your body, why is that, I wonder?"


    "You can tell that my body is cursed?!" Mavis said in shock.


    "Of course I can. And... this curse should be a curse that makes you immortal and causes you to uncontrollably exude a black miasma that instantaneously kills all life it touches, right?"


    "H-How did you!"


    "How did I know? It''s quite simple, really... You see, one of my mothers are the True Goddess of Death." Erza H. smirked: "And while I''m not that proficient with attribute magic-related stuff, I can tell a thing or two about it."


    The two of them become further shocked at her words.


    "Wait wait... there are too many things that I need to point out at once..." Mavis said in exasperation. She took a deep breath before continues speaking: "...Are you saying that your mother, or one of your mothers is Ankhseram?"


    "What? Who the hell is that?" Erza H. is the one who becomes confused now.


    "Huh? Ankhseram is the one who cast this curse on me though? The God worshiped in Mildian who rules over life and death." Mavis said confusedly.


    "Rules over life and death? Hahahaha!" Erza H. laughed boisterously at Mavis''s words: "No no no, that Ankhseram must be only a lower class God. Whereas my mother that I told you about is the highest-ranked God, a True God, second only to my father."


    "..." Their mouth becomes wide agape at this revelation.


    "Her name is Semiramis. Previously known as Lady Death by many but my father gave her a new name to which she goes by now."


    "Semiramis? Lady Death?" They never really heard this name before but considering that Erza H. came from another world then it''s not really that surprising.


    "...For some reason, rather than clearing up the confusion, we got more questions pops up in our head..." Mavis and Makarov muttered bitterly. There''s so many mind-blowing information! Is it even okay for them to hear any of this!?


    "Nevermind all that... But... May I ask if you''re capable of removing my curse?" Mavis asked hopefully.


    "Remove your curse? Well, I could try but I''m not really sure... If I made a mistake then you could really die this time you know." She could forcefully remove the curse with her power but it might cause a backlash on Mavis.


    Erza H. paused for a bit: "But if it''s my mother Semiramis herself or maybe her daughters then yeah, they could easily remove this measly curse of yours, guaranteed. Heck, it''s not even that powerful in my opinion. A simple slap from my father is stronger than it." She laughed once again in the end.


    "I-I see..." Their face started twitching furiously. What the heck? A simple slap from his father is stronger than the curse?! That''s a curse from a God! Not some magic from a toddler!


    "Th-Then could you please ask them to remove it?" Mavis set aside her thoughts and requested: "A-And if not then I''m fine with just you. Even if I died then it''s still fine! I won''t blame you for it!"


    "F-First generation..." Makarov said worriedly but soon he steeled himself: "Please help us!"


    "Eeiii... No need to get so worked up. It''s not like it''s the end of the world." Erza H. waved carelessly: "Let me see if any of them are free or not..."


    She took out her communication device...


    "Hello, mom? Is Semiramis okaa-sama, Ai, or Hiyuki free at the moment?" Emilia, Semiramis''s third daughter is still 5 years old so she can''t be really of any use here.


    [Hn? Why are you looking for them?] Irene''s voice can be heard from the device.


    "It''s like this..." Erza H. explained briefly.


    [Humm, I see... Hiyuki is currently away with Froleytia and your Semiramis kaa-sama is also away at the moment. But Ai should be free... Although, if you want to break a simple curse then using your combined with your should be enough.] Irene said.


    There''s also other than and that''s too overkill for a simple curse. itself is not really meant to be used to break a curse but with the combination of then it will be more than enough.


    While is basically just like the name implies, deleting stuff or erasing stuff. But if she were to use this, then Mavis''s whole existence might cease to exist altogether.


    A curse from a God, no matter how weak it is, still need a proper way to handle it. While they could use brute force to break the curse, it might cause a backlash to the victim just like Erza said before.


    As for why Erza has ability which belongs to Albion is very simple. In the past, when Issei fought Vali, he absorbed one of his crystal after all.


    "Will it be fine though? I''m afraid that I might use too much force which might end up erasing her magic altogether." Mavis and Makarov''s body stiffened at this. But if that''s the price they need to pay then it''s actually quite lenient compared to paying with their lives...


    [It''s fine. As long as you don''t use the / that is. A simple should do the trick]


    "Okay then. Thanks, mom, love you."


    [I love you too.] Irene chuckled. Then Erza H. ended the call.


    "And there you have it." Erza H. said towards the waiting duo.


    Their eyes shone brightly at her words.


    "But maybe we should do this at a later date, the ride should''ve arrived already and we don''t want to rush things right?" Erza H. said after hearing the commotion outside the guild


    "Of course! We can wait until then!" Mavis smiles brightly.


    ...


    "Guehh..."


    "Uwaaah! Idiot, go away if you want to puke!"


    Finally, the magicians arrived at the capital city, .


    After a long training session with Erza H. the day where the Grand Magic Games finally starting is finally here.


    Tomorrow, was the day of the Grand Magic Games officially begin.


    "What''s wrong with them?" Erza H. asked cluelessly seeing the group puking on the ground with the exception of Wendy Marvell.


    "I don''t really know... For some reason, whenever Natsu and the others ride a teleportation carriage, they would immediately get motion sickness." Erza S. explained.


    "Weird..." Erza H. mused to herself: "After the training we''ve done, their Dragon scent also grows stronger. They''re obviously not a Dragon... Oh well, you guys go register yourself first. I will tour the city."


    "Un, be careful, nee-san." Erza S. nodded.


    Erza H. walked around the street before she disappeared on the spot. She reappeared on a building in a distance.


    "You''re here."


    "Mhm, long time no see, mum."


    "Aww, to think that you''re still willing to call me that."


    "Well... I still find it a little weird though seeing that you''re basically mom''s twin." Erza H. scratched her head at the woman before her.


    Irene Belserion Scarlet. The current Empress of Earth Land.


    "Now give me a hug!" Irene S. said gleefully.


    Erza H. awkwardly give her a hug.


    "You''re already all grown up... To think that you''re only 14 this year." Irene S. said while pinching Erza H. cheeks: "You put your sister to shame... She was so lazy, you know?"


    "Y-Yeah, I can see that... To think that some lizard wannabe king could defeat her so easily..."


    "That''s right that''s right, thankfully you''re here already, Er-chan. If not, I don''t know what to do with that child." Irene S. said with a sigh.


    "Well, for starter, maybe you should focus on her more..." Erza H. pointed out.


    "You know why I don''t do that." Irene S. said mischievously: "I have a promise to fulfill after all~"


    "Uh huh... Tell me about it." Erza H. shook her head helplessly.


    "Now come, let''s do some catch-up. And tell me how''s your father doing these days~" Irene S. then dragged Erza H. along with her while humming happily.

 Chapter 152 - Side 9

    "Fufu, looks like the experiment here is quite successful..." Semiramis mused to herself while holding a soul in her hand. The soul in her hand is a specially created soul using her dearest husband''s part.


    It''s mostly a combination of his spirit and also a bit of his strength.


    You could say it''s an artificial soul or a clone of his true self.


    Of course, the soul in her hand is not even 1% of his true strength. If she were to go as high as 1% of his true strength then the experiment will be for naught since Issei himself would''ve taken notice if somebody tries to steal his power even if it''s a measly 1%.


    It''s about 0.5% of his full power. They wanted to go lower but it''s not possible... Even then, 0.5% is already pushing it to the limit. Any lower than that then it will be a capoot.


    "Looks like we don''t have to worry about dearest power being taken advantage of." She bemused happily to herself.


    There are many cases where other Gods tried to replicate another God''s strength in the past. To avoid the scenario where they''re taken by surprise by an unknown clone or power imitation of their husband, they decided to see just how far the clone could go compared to the original.


    And so far, it has been a success. The clone itself is quite powerful by the normal standard but that''s about it... Perhaps it could reach and even if it''s lucky enough but there''s no chance for it to reach and above.


    The soul in her hand has almost reached its full potential so there''s no need to wait any further. Even if other Gods were to use their divine blessing on him, it would only increase a tiny margin of his power. It won''t be able to increase his full potential.


    After all, the soul itself is based on a True God.


    "Who are you!? Let go of him!"


    "Hm?" Only now Semiramis took notice of the group of people gathered before her.


    "G-Give him back... Give him back to us!" One girl cried profusely while scowling at her.


    "..." Semiramis narrowed her eyes at the crying group of girls.


    She has to say that there''s quite a variety of races gathered here... There is a couple of ghosts, Youkais, humans... oh, and even a God blade race? Albeit it''s only a lower-tier God.


    Semiramis unintentionally remembered about th


    Right below her feet, there''s a piece of uniform scattered on the ground. The owner of that said uniform is the very same soul in Semiramis''s hand.


    She appeared right before the soul owner''s physical body and took his soul out directly. The person himself didn''t even react when she appeared before him and calmly let her took his soul.


    It''s like the deepest part of the soul''s consciousness knows that the person before him is not a threat to which he fully trusts without a single doubt.


    She took the body and soul together as one. Semiramis doesn''t want a physical clone of her husband no matter how weak it is left alone after all... Even if it''s only the physical body left with no soul inside it, she still didn''t want to leave it be just like that.


    "All of you stay back." One of the ghost women with unkempt black long hair, green eyes, and wearing a military uniform said solemnly.


    "B-But! Sh-She took-" One of the girls said sobbingly.


    "I know your feelings but fighting her is plain suicide! I''m feeling just as worried and angry just like the rest of you but I can tell if we were to go against this woman then... the only outcome is our demise." She said in a cold sweat: "She''s anything but normal... From what I can tell... She''s a God. A genuine Goddess in the flesh!"


    "!!!" All of them become stupefied at the revelation.


    "Oh?" Semiramis''s raised her eyebrows at the ghost''s words: "You can tell my true identity?"


    "...I don''t know... But my body has been shivering all this while at the moment you appear. No, not my body... but rather my spirit(soul) is the one who felt fear. How terrifying... Not even ''it'' who killed me before manage to make me feel fear..." The ghost woman said while clenching her fist. Even now, her whole spiritual body is still shivering and flickering.


    It''s like if she were to lose focus even for a moment, then she would''ve truly passed on or something else altogether...


    Only after her reminder that the other ghost woman realized her own state... She didn''t realize it before since she was feeling despair over the boy''s disappearance.


    "Hmm, makes sense. You being a wandering ghost and all that." Semiramis nodded. It would be weirder if the two ghosts didn''t feel anything after seeing her despite her hidden aura.


    It''s not simply sensing the other''s party strength but rather a natural reaction of their race/species when they''re standing in front of their God. Just like how normal Dragons would immediately submit themselves when they saw Issei.


    Dead spirits such as these two ghost women also felt the same as those Dragons. It''s actually quite commendable seeing that they could still stand in her presence.


    Usually, a normal ghost would''ve instantly become Semiramis''s ''doll''. Whether she would let them pass on or she would toy with them for eternity is entirely up to her.


    Semiramis decided to read the soul''s memory... and after she used her divine sense to read the soul''s memory, she becomes slightly surprised.


    "Ara? How weird... To think this soul manages to charm so many women... I guess it''s to be expected of dearest''s clone?" Semiramis muttered in a small voice before giving a small chuckle of amus.e.m.e.nt. She reckons if she were to tell her sisters about this then they ought to feel amused as well...


    "...Can you tell us just why did you suddenly steal his soul, Kami-sama?" The ghost woman with a military uniform asked direly.


    "Hmm..." Semiramis tapped her finger to her cheeks while a slight smirk adorning her face: "Because I wanted to?"


    "..." They gritted their teeth hearing her nonchalant response.


    "Could you please give him back to us, Kami-sama?" The ghost woman asked once again.


    "No, I don''t think I will." Semiramis simply said.


    "Is that so?"


    "It is so."


    "Then... you leave us with no choice. Now!" The ghost woman said before she dashed towards Semiramis.


    Semiramis give a light smirk and calmly block the incoming fist in front of her with a barrier. The ghost woman is apparently only a distraction while a portal appeared right behind her and a blade appeared from within.


    Semiramis didn''t even bother turning her head and a chain appeared around her stopping the blade which apparently coming from the arms of the God Blade that took the shape of a woman.


    Then a bunch of spiritual kunai and shuriken headed her way, which got blocked by her barrier yet again... but it is yet another distraction while the Youkai Oni blasted a giant beam from her horn taking advantage of the ghost woman blocking Semiramis''s vision.


    The ghost woman didn''t even try to evade the beam and still trying her hardest to break the barrier blocking her way. Right from the start, her eyes are dead set on the soul at Semiramis''s left hand.


    Right before the spiritual beam from the oni about to hit the ghost''s woman body, it somehow makes a curve and repositioned itself to Semiramis''s side. It looks like to be the work of the Zashiki Warashi''s work on curving the beam to her side.


    The second ghost woman transformed into a nine-tailed fox form before she too joined hands with the first ghost woman to break Semiramis''s barrier.


    "We''re almost there!" The second ghost woman shouted seeing that there''s a crack in the barrier.


    "Great teamwork." Semiramis praised: "But sadly... That won''t be enough."


    "Kyaah!!!" In the next second, all of them are blasted away by the sheer wind pressure Semiramis''s emit. Only the first ghost woman manages to stand her ground... but her uniform has been tattered making her almost n.a.k.e.d.


    "Gh!" Ultimately, she too dropped to her knee. The other girls are struggling against the ground.


    "Impressive..." Semiramis gives a slight grin at their tenacity: "But as long as you two are still a ghost, you won''t be able to lay a single finger on me... How about I help you with that?"


    Semiramis snapped her finger and then the two ghost women''s bodies are enveloped by a darkish white aura.


    "...Eh?" They let out a stupefied voice while looking at their body: "...W-We''re alive?"


    "What?!" The other girls also become surprised at this.


    But no matter how they tried to dismiss the situation, they can see that the former two ghost women now have a physical body! Even the normal human amongst them could see the two of them with her own two eyes.


    "There we go. And now for the payment of your revival... It will be his soul." Semiramis raised the soul right above her mouth.


    "N-No... please no..." They let out a horrified sound realizing her intention.


    "Aaamph!" Semiramis opened her mouth before dropping the soul into her mouth. Semiramis made a chewing motion before gulping it down: "Mmm, tasty."


    "...NOOOOOO!!!" After a brief silence because of their disbelief, they finally screamed in despair.


    "BASTARD!!!" The military uniform-clad ghost now human shouted at the top of her lungs.


    "Now now, don''t get so worked up." Semiramis waved her hand and chained all of them with her chains. Of course, it''s not her death chain or they would be dead the moment the chain comes into contact with their body.


    Despite being chained, they still glare hatefully at Semiramis.


    "Don''t worry, he''s still not completely dead yet," Semiramis smirked at them.


    Their body froze when they heard her.


    "How far are you willing to go just to save him, I wonder? Will you go to itself just to save him? Ah, no need to answer that... I''ll give you a week of time to save him. If in a week you failed to save him then..." Semiramis gives a faint chuckle.


    Then she willed a charm to appear above the military-clad woman: "Use that charm when all of you are ready... But you better be prepared with your lives on the line when you use that charm. With that said, until we meet again." She did an elegant gesture of courtesy before she disappeared into the void leaving behind a dismayed group of women.


    ...


    "Ufufufu, how unexpected... To think that I could come across something so intriguing." Semiramis giggled to herself once she reappeared in .


    "Welcome back, Semiramis-sama." The maids welcomed her.


    "Um, where''s dearest?"


    "Issei-sama is currently away with Forzelotte-sama and the others. They''re currently in a parallel world."


    "Parallel world? Do explain..."


    Then the maids briefly explained Issei''s current situation.


    "Hmm... I see. That''s quite sly of you, sister... You''re trying to get a head start?" Semiramis said begrudgingly: "Well, I''ll let you have a headstart this time..." She has some business to take care of soon after all.


    "Mother? You''re back?" A calm voice resounded.


    "Hm? Oh, Ai. I''m back dear." Semiramis smiled at her firstborn daughter and proceed to give her a warm hug.


    Ai Savant Hyoudou looks very similar to her mother. From their hair color to their facial features such as their elongated ears. The only difference is her eyes color which is red which seems to be the shared common feature with her other sisters.


    "Uuu, mother... I''m not a child anymore..." Ai said feeling embarrassed.


    "Ara~, no matter how old you are, you will always be my little baby, dear." Semiramis said with a chuckle.


    "Muu..."


    The maids'' excuses themselves giving the mother-daughter duo some room for themselves.


    "Where''re your little sisters, dear?" Semiramis asked Ai after she had her little cuddle session with her daughter.


    "Hiyuki is on a little trip with Froleytia while Emilia is with father," Ai answered.


    "Oh? You''re not coming with them?" Semiramis asked in surprise.


    "I wanted to but remembering that you''re away, I decided to wait for you first."


    "Aww, that''s sweet of you, dear... You don''t need to wait for me you know? After all, your mother and your father spend most of their time together in bed~"


    "Too much information mother..." Ai rebuked with a red face.


    "Ara? Don''t act that you never try to peep on us, dear~"


    "Wh-Wh-What are you talking about?! I-I never tried to peek on you two!" Ai stuttered.


    "Mmmhm~" Semiramis gives her a knowing smile.


    "A-Anyway, I will go to father''s place now!"


    "You can go ahead first. I''ll catch up later."


    Seeing her daughter who practically scampered away from her sight made Semiramis laugh once again.


    She guesses having a father who basically the epitome of strength is a double-edged sword... Their daughters'' standard is too high that it''s practically insurmountable.


    While Forzelotte and some others are feeling a headache at this, she for one doesn''t really care... If they wanted their father to be their man then so be it. It''s better rather than having some unknown man to be their daughter''s husband.


    A view of a mortal is not her concern. Why should they follow a weakling moral compass or common sense when they themselves are Gods?


    "Now then... Let''s prepare the little stage for their arrival~" Semiramis hummed to herself: "Ah, before that..." She took out a soul from her body. This is the same soul that she ''devoured'' before.


    "Go back to your original owner..." She commanded the soul.


    The soul flew into the void heading towards its destination...


    "I wonder what will his reaction be when that soul fused with him... Ufufufu, oh dearest. Looks like not even fate could deny your life without a harem... Even if that ''you'' is only a fraction of your true self." Semiramis giggled amusedly to herself: "Speaking of which... I wonder if Forze''s attempt on that ''support group'' of hers is a success or not..."


    The answer to that question is a big fat no... Forzelotte tried to set up a ''supporting group'' with the intention of ''curing'' the women who become lovestruck at her husband only to result in absolute utter failure.


    Not so helpful when they couldn''t really say anything in return when they asked if there''s a better man than him out there... In the end, the so-called ''supporting group'' is short-lived...


    The only bad thing about him that they could think of is that he has a lot of wives, but that''s barely a concern considering his identity... In fact, there''s other Gods and Kings out there with a bigger number of wives.


    Xia Qingyue and the others who are having a tea party happened to saw Semiramis humming happily to herself.


    "Elder sister seems happy?" Xia Qingyue said wryly. They wanted to invite her to their little tea party but it seems that she''s currently occupied.


    "Hehe, she probably discovered something fun." Cang Yue responded to her mutter.


    "Is it related to husband?" Chu Yuechan tilted her head slightly.


    "Should be. She will only think something amusing whenever that something is related to him." Jie Yuan said offhandedly.


    "Oh? Even now you''re still reluctant to call him husband, ancestor~?" Chi Wuyao giggled.


    "Tsk." Jie Yuan clicked her tongue while averting her reddened face to the side: "That time was a mistake..." She mumbled.


    "A mistake? We all have been warned of his special case whenever he drinks some wine but you still haven''t left the room back then. So I doubt that it''s just a simple ''mistake''." Mu Xuanyin smirked.


    She would''ve never thought that she will be able to tease the infamous Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor like this, much less they become fellow sisters.


    "Shut up." Jie Yuan barked embarrassedly.


    "Cheh, stop being a tsundere. You want to say that you''re not his wife even though your belly is that big already?" Jasmine sneered while pointing at Jie Yuan''s protruding stomach.


    "I don''t want to hear that from you out of all people, damned brat!" Jie Yuan scoffed.


    "Who''s a brat?! You old-"


    "Okay, that''s enough dear. Don''t tease your big sister now~" Xun''er giggled mischievously at her daughter.


    "You two!" Jie Yuan said while gnashing her teeth.


    "...Why couldn''t big sis Jie Yuan just be honest with her feelings?" Feng Xue''er whispered in wonder.


    "It''s probably because she thought that she betrayed her late husband." Huan Caiyi responded.


    "But I don''t think her late husband would mind though? Her late husband would''ve wanted her to be happy, right? And also, big sis Jie Yuan herself is the one who approached husband when he was drunk back then."


    Feng Xue''er could still remember clearly despite her situation back then. She laid limply on the bed feeling exhausted yet blissful, but she could still catch a glimpse of Jie Yuan shedding her clothes on her own and come closer to the drunken Issei.


    After that, needless to say, she entered the maw of the Dragon and ended becoming a putty just like the others... If it was indeed a ''mistake'' like she claims to be, it would probably the best ''mistake'' she ever made seeing the expression of pure bliss she had back then...


    As for why Issei could become drunk back then, that''s because his wives wanted him to. Once in a while, having their nightly activities where he went ''berserk'' is quite nice... As long as they don''t have anything to do on the next day that is, since they won''t be able to move a single muscle after they''re done.


    "It''s a bit complicated for you who only has one husband to understand, Xue''er." Huan Caiyi sighed since she can relate a little with Jie Yuan.


    Issei is her second husband after all. Even though she never consummated her marriage with her first husband, they''re still married back then.


    But she knows that even if Jie Yuan is given a second chance, she would''ve made the same decision. Her gaze, whenever she gaze at their current husband, couldn''t be mistaken with anything other than an expression of a woman in love.


    "Then... What are you here for, Qianye Ying''er? Don''t you have somewhere to be?" Jasmine said coldly at the masked woman in the corner of the room.


    "...Hmph, I''ve already done what you asked for. And my name is not Qianye Ying''er anymore!" She snorted coldly in return.


    "Ying''er..." A woman with familiar features as her berated lightly to the side.


    "I know mother..." Qianye Ying''er who now goes by the name Mei Qianying said with a sigh.


    Mei is her mother''s family name. She has long thrown away her old name.


    Mei Qianying spends ten years in self-blame and self-hatred after the supposed ''death'' of her mother.


    After ten years pass by, Jasmine and Xun''er along with Caizhi decided to pay her a visit. It''s mostly Xun''er decision though while Jasmine and Caizhi are still feeling reluctant.


    Xun''er informed her of her mother''s fake death and in return for their reunion, Mei Qianying will serve their family as a slave for eternity. Mei Qianying didn''t even bat an eye and immediately agreed to their condition.


    She swore an oath and even signed a contract for it.


    After her reunion with her mother, the life of a slave also started for her. But she didn''t regret anything... As long as her mother is safe and sound then she''s willing to do anything.


    Issei himself said back then that he will never put any lives who are unrelated on the line. The orb Jasmine destroyed is nothing but a fake.


    And the only reason Xun''er decided to spare Mei Qianying of her life filled with regret and sadness is to honor her late son''s request. If it wasn''t for her late son''s request, she would''ve killed Mei Qianying herself.


    "Here." Mei Qianying threw a piece of jade towards Jasmine: "Anything else?"


    "Hmph!" Jasmine snorted and it doesn''t seem that she has any intention of responding to her.


    "You can go, Qianying. If we need anything else then we will call you." Xun''er said calmly.


    "Alright." She nodded at Xun''er''s words before she turns around to leave the room.


    When she''s about to leave the room, she took a sneak peek at the heavily pregnant Jasmine and the others. A pang of jealousy filled her heart... But soon she set her gaze aside and leave the room.


    Her mother excuses themselves before she follows after her daughter.


    ...


    "Okay, that''s enough for today." Mertel clapped to dismiss the illusion.


    Hyoudou Issei and the others dropped to the ground while wheezing heavily.


    "We shall continue your training tomorrow," Mertel said.


    "T-Thank you for your help." Michael gives his thanks.


    "No need to thank us. What we did is only a business transaction. We only fulfill the end of our bargain, no more no less." Mertel replied calmly.


    Yes... At the cost of almost everything they have that is... Sirzechs and the others teared up thinking about the cost of their training. But thankfully the training is very beneficial for them...


    Back at Issei, he''s seated on the couch while being surrounded by his daughters.


    He smiles fondly at the harmonious scene before him.


    Mertel and the others agreed to train Sirzechs of this world along with the others for a little bit. They didn''t need to do much, they just need to impart the training method inside their head.


    "Hubby nya~" Kuroka who came not long ago sat on his lap wanting to be spoiled. Croix who''s not far from them put her index finger at her mouth feeling envious.


    Kuroka''s belly is also quite big already and Issei smiles wryly at her sight.


    "Kuroka... Why are you here? You should''ve stayed at home..." Issei berated softly.


    "But I''m bored nya~" Kuroka whined. She snuggled comfortably within his embrace.


    "Jeez..." Issei sighed but it looks like he has no intention of denying her request wanting to be spoiled.


    Kuroka smiled mischievously at the jealous group of children surrounding them.


    "Kuroka mama unfair!"


    "That''s right! Kuroka kaa-san is being unfair!"


    "Bad kaa-chan! Don''t hog daddy to yourself!"


    The children chirped rowdily around them.


    "Nyahaha, sorry little ones. But today your daddy is mine!" She said in a villainous tone.


    "We''re back."


    "Oh? Finished already?" Issei look at Mertel and the others who just returned.


    "Mm, they''re done for today, my king." Mertel smiled in affirmation.


    "Good work, all of you."


    "Nya!" Kuro who just returned from her training shouted at the sight of her other counterpart within Issei''s embrace.


    (AN: Kuro = Kuroka of parallel world).


    "Mn?" Kuroka responded to her shout.


    "Damn... That other Kuroka is just..." Bikou of this world whistled at Kuroka''s sight.


    "Ravishing?" Azazel added with an understanding grin.


    But soon the two of them shuddered greatly feeling Issei''s cold penetrating gaze.


    They hastily averted their head while having a cold sweat.


    "Senpai nya!" Kuro hopped to Kuroka''s front with her eyes shining brightly.


    "Senpai nya?" Kuroka repeated.


    "Yes! Please teach me how to seduce him nya!" Kuro pointed at the stupefied Issei. Why this scene seems a little bit familiar?


    "Nya? Aren''t you supposed to be in love with this world Ise?" Kuroka said in confusion.


    "No no, nya! I like this more nya!"


    Hyoudou Issei who''s in the background slouched to the ground... Damn it... Did he just got NTR''d without his knowledge?! Not that they really have anything going on yet but still...


    "They''re not at that stage yet, Kuroka... They''re still on the Kyoto part where my mother is kidnapped by Cao Cao''s group." Kunou added to the side.


    "Oh, I see nya." Kuroka nodded understandingly: "Sorry, but I can''t help you with that nya." She said towards Kuro.


    "Why nya?!" Kuro pouted.


    "Because you need to use your own charm for that, nya."


    "But I''ve tried nya! I posed so many s.e.xy poses and everything but it doesn''t work, nya!"


    "That''s just mean that your charm needs more practice, nya!"


    Issei''s face started twitching a little seeing the two cat ''Nya'' ing back and forth. Look... Even their children started imitating them!


    "Nya nya nya!"


    "Nyan nyan nyan!"


    "Nyauuu!"


    What in the world is ''Nyauuu''? While looking speechlessly at his daughters'' little antics which he still finds cute. Issei suddenly took notice of a single soul appearing out of the void.


    He raised his eyebrows at this and grasped the soul with his hand. He can recognize this energy signature which belongs to Semiramis and him.


    He felt suspicious about this soul though... It''s not that he thought that Semiramis would harm him but rather it''s something else that worries him.


    Knowing his wife''s antics, his intuition is telling him there would be a little trouble if he were to absorb this soul. But before he could store the soul away, it suddenly slipped out of his hand and immediately entered his body.


    Issei froze for a second before he sighed to himself after reading the memories that this soul has. As expected... It is indeed a little trouble that he would need to handle soon enough.


    "Nya? What was that, hubby?" Kuroka asked curiously.


    "It''s just Semi little prank..." Issei said.


    "A prank? Hmm, is it her doing something that might earn you a new wife, nya?" Kuroka asked fully knowing of Semiramis''s little antics.


    "...Ah." Issei nodded reluctantly. While he''s not bothered with these new memories that he received, those girls who have feelings towards the soul''s former identity is what giving him a headache.


    "What? That idiot did it again?" Forzelotte who overheard their conversation scowled: "Just how many women did she intend to bring into our house!?"


    "Over 9000?" Lotte chimed in despite not fully understanding the whole conversation.


    "Lotte..." Issei wryly smiled.


    "Bakadeshi!" Scathach emerged from a spatial opening while glaring at Issei.


    "Shishou? What''s wrong?" Issei asked in surprise.


    "You still dare ask what''s wrong?" Scathach snorted: "You dare leave me behind when you''re having fun here?"


    "Err... It''s not like that."


    "...Should we ask who she is?" Azazel whispered: "But that spear of hers is a dead give away isn''t it?"


    "I-Indeed..." Michael stuttered.


    "She should be... ''her'', right?"


    "Yup, most likely." Sirzechs nodded in confirmation. The three of them come into tacit agreement and decided to just feign ignorance with everything... There will be no end to their surprises if they keep become surprised over everything that''s happening around this Issei...


    They''re nothing but background characters so don''t mind us. They thought to themselves while watching the little playful fight between Scathach and Issei...


    Why playful you might ask? Just look at them... Their bickering is so sweet that it made them feel like puking sugar...


    Ah, there he goes again... That Issei just swooped the infamous God killer into his embrace and she practically melted within his embrace silencing her in the process... Smooth, real smooth... They secretly give a thumbs up seeing his method.


    Hyoudou Issei took out a note and started scribbling what he witnessed as future reference.


    Oh... He just stood up and carried her into his bedroom... Okay then, they probably should excuse themselves right away.


    "Sister... Let''s go home." Michael called to the entranced Gabriel.


    "..."


    "Gabriel... Don''t feign ignorance now." Michael sweated.


    "...Tsk."


    "Did you just clicked your tongue?!"


    ...


    "...I can''t believe it... I really went into another world..." A boy in his early teens muttered to himself in disbelief: "Isekai is real!" He shouted in joy.


    "Harem full of beauties! Here I come!" The teen jumped on the spot in joy.


    "Now let''s see just what kind of cheat do I get! System, I choose you!"


    "..."


    "Status!"


    "..."


    "Property!"


    "..."


    "Damn, so no RPG system huh... Oh well, maybe I have some kind of cheat that can create something out of nothing. , a beautiful big b.r.e.a.s.ted cat-eared woman! A big-b.r.e.a.s.ted elf! Excalibur!"


    "..."


    "Not that either? Then how about a super learning talent?" The teen then pick up a wooden stick and tried swinging it around.


    "! !"


    "..."


    "! ! !"


    "..."


    "F*ck, not that either! How about super-strength then?!" The teen then tried punching the ground with his bare fist.


    *Bam*


    "It hurts! Damn it! Just what kind of shitty isekai is this!? Super Hard mode or something!?"


    The young man screamed a few minutes before he finally calmed down.


    "Fuhh... I need to calm down... Perhaps my cheat is not unlocked yet. Maybe I need to level up or something first..." The teen started to survey his surroundings.


    He seems to be in the middle of the forest.


    "There should be a village or something similar near here. Hah! My gamer sense is tingling! It''s over there!" The teen dashed in a certain direction... where a small explosion and a cloud of smoke can be seen.


    When he finally got there, he saw a bunch of knight looking people surrounded by a group of what seems to be orcs.


    "Oh! A template from the get-go! And is that a female samurai that I see?! And a white-haired loli with horns?! Damn, they''re so unbelievably cute!" The teen shouted in joy.


    There''s a small crater in the middle of the group and it seems that''s the cause of the smoke that he saw.


    "But those orcs look strong... And I''m still a level 1 noob. How do I save them?" The teen muttered to himself.


    If he paid more attention to the whole situation then perhaps he would''ve noticed that the female samurai seems to be scolding the orcs rather than being cornered by them. The orcs who are currently being scolded also seem like they''re standing in front of their boss rather than assailants.


    "Who''s there!?" One of the orcs sensed his presence.


    "Damn! I''ve been found." The teen sweated.


    "Show yourself!" The orc shouted.


    "...Tsk, guess there''s no other choice huh..." The teen gulped before he stepped out in the open.


    "A human boy?" The orc said: "Is he one of you, princess Kanna? Lady Okita Souji?"


    "No, he''s not." Okita Souji shook her head feeling slightly confused just why did this boy suddenly appear out of nowhere. Whereas the horned loli only stares blankly seemingly uninterested.


    "Hear me you swine! By the power of Grayskull, I, the almighty Ryo Van Hohenheim order you to disappear from my presence! If you don''t want to die then it''s best that you run now!" The teen said ''menacingly''.


    "...What is he talking about? And his name sounds extremely weird..." One of the orcs whispered to his orc companions.


    "I don''t know, dude... And what did he mean by Grayskull? Is that some guild name that we never heard about?"


    "No, it''s not..." One of the knights said awkwardly.


    "Oooh... he''s strong?" Princess Kanna said with glistening eyes.


    "No no no, we''re pretty sure that he''s just bluffing, princess." The orcs and the Knights said at the same time.


    "Are you strong?" Kanna ignored their words and asked the teen directly by teleporting to his front.


    The teen felt like his heart has been shot by multiple arrows being gazed so intently by the loli. So... God... Damn... Beautiful! I''m from the yes loli no touch faction but at this rate... Guhh! FBI can go to hell!


    "Yes, milady... I''m even stronger than the strongest Supreme Overlord! Don''t worry, I''ll save you soon!" The teen continues his bluff despite not knowing that he just stepped on a landmine. He doesn''t know that the one he called ''Supreme Overlord'' is very real and not just some made-up name.


    "...Stronger than papa?" The temperature surrounding the Dragon Princess suddenly dropped drastically that it basically went freezing ice cold.


    "Uh oh..." The orcs and the Knights gulped feeling the rising aura of their princess.


    "Hm? This boy..." Okita Souji narrowed her eyes at the teen sensing something odd,


    "Eh?" The teen froze sensing her bloodl.u.s.t.


    "Nobody is stronger than papa! You''re lying!" Kanna growled before she flew towards his direction and landed a punch straight in his face.


    "Kanna!" Okita Souji called out in shock.


    *BAM!!!*


    "Gueh!!!" The teen body flew hundreds of meters destroying some trees in the process.


    "Hmph! That''s what you get for lying!" Kanna puffed out her chest feeling satisfied by that one punch of hers.


    "O-Oh no! S-Save that kid! He''s going to die at this rate!"


    "B-Bring him to the medic!"


    The orcs and the knights panicked.


    Thankfully Okita Souji managed to put a last-second barrier or that teen would''ve turned into mincemeat already...


    His last thought before passing out was... What the f*ck... Why did the loli suddenly become so fierce?! And why did the template seems different from the usual!?

 Chapter 153 - Side 10

    "Wh-What do you want to do?"


    "Hmm, I want to placate my wife''s anger of course."


    "B-Before I''m your wife, I''m your master!"


    "You have it backwards, Shishou..." Issei whispered huskily beside her ears: "You''re my wife, my woman, before you''re my master."


    "Y-You!" Scathach face went beet red. They have been married for so long but she still couldn''t win against his sweet words.


    Coming into close proximity with his devilishly handsome face made her heartbeat went haywire. Until this very day, she and his sisters still couldn''t comprehend just how can there be such a perfect man. His very existence is a sin!


    Those seemingly frail arms from the past when they first met now had an appearance worthy of the hidden strength that always accompanied them. Those defined muscles and abs that would make any man jealous and any woman feel l.u.s.tful...


    She reckons if he were to seriously chase after a woman, a single glance of that unbearably attractive face was all it took for a woman to become his prisoner. All he needs to do then just beckon them with his finger and they would willingly throw themselves at him.


    Even if that woman has a special preference or already has a love of their life. They would willingly throw everything aside just to enter his arms... then they won''t be willing to leave any longer. They will be his "prisoners" for eternity. Forget using his power, just using his charm alone would''ve been enough to decimate an entire world...


    Not even the Succubus Queen could compete against his charm.


    She''s being carried by him and her body reflexively went soft. Her body has been completely trained by his touch over the past years...


    She recalled the feel of his fingers gliding along her bare skin. How easily they slid up and down her back... The way they brought heat to her flesh and made her body limp with suppressed pleasure, causing her to feel restless and filled with l.u.s.tful anticipation.


    "N-No, don''t..." Even now her struggle is only a half-assed effort, she''s trying her almost nonexistent dignity whenever she''s in his arms. She knows more than anyone how much she wanted this... how she wanted to feel his touch yet again.


    "Nope." He cheerfully answered with a smile.


    "Y-You idiot..." She mumbled before her body is dropped to the bed.


    Before she could utter another protest, Issei already loomed over her body and bombarded her with sweet kisses along her neck.


    "Mnn..." She unintentionally m.o.a.ned.


    Her arms unconsciously wound around him and rested over his shoulder blades. Her perky b.r.e.a.s.ts were smashed against his chest and she could feel the powerful, steady beat of his heart. His member had gone hard and now lay on her belly with a searing warmth.


    She doesn''t even know just when he stripped his clothing...


    Issei''s eyes flashed with a playful light seeing the m.o.a.ning woman below him. He blamed her beloved wife and mentor for his body''s reaction. Who told her to have such soft, supple skin? Who told her to be such a captivating empress? Well, he could resist it but where was the fun in that? It''s much better seeing her fl.u.s.tered over his teasing.


    Issei felt a bit tad sadistic seeing the squirming empress before him. He kept kissing her neck, her earlobe, her cheeks, her chins... But he never planted a kiss on her lips.


    Sometimes he would hover over her lips and she would pucker her lips trying to lock her lips with him but he would immediately go towards her nose or her chin instead.


    She felt frustrated over his teasing but there''s nothing she could do but grit her teeth enduring the embarrassment.


    She was too shy to look down but the length and girth she felt over her toned stomach caused her unnecessarily hotter.


    One hand caressing that purple silky soft hair while the other ran a finger across her mouth.


    These lips... Issei thought to himself... He''d taken them so many times throughout the years but he still never tired of it. He will never get bored with any of his wives... Every time they made sweet sweet love with each other, the novel feeling never seems to diminish in the slightest...


    The way she looked at him with those wide red eyes, unblinking, soft, and compliant underneath him. Wet and willing, offering herself to him... Her mouth might say no but her body has already surrendered long ago... He knows this, She knows this but yet... She''s just too shy to openly admit it.


    After a full 2 minutes of his teasing, she finally pleaded: "I-Ise..."


    "Hm?" He hummed seductively.


    "K... Kiss..."


    "What was that?" He feigned ignorance.


    "I said Kiss me!" She scowled in pure embarrassment.


    He gives a faint chuckle before he finally granted her wish. He didn''t need to be asked twice and promptly dipped his head, realizing this was the perfect position for thorough kissing. He took her mouth with a gentle and searching possession, savoring her slowly. Their tongues danced with each other in a hot and slippery mess.


    Scathach''s n.i.p.p.l.es had long since become diamond-hard. Her breath came in long, deep pulls that caused a steady rise and fall of her perky b.r.e.a.s.ts. Her nostrils filled with his intoxicating scent... She tried desperately not to lose herself. His taste was just too addicting, his touch too full of not just desire, but boundless love and affection.


    Scathach m.o.a.ned into his mouth in bliss.


    Soon enough, without her knowledge, he was already undoing buttons and strings slowly peeling away at her clothes. In less than 10 seconds, he already stripped her bare. He set her clothes aside to the ground.


    After putting away her clothes, his hands never stopped. They slid their way up her inner thigh. Her toes curled in anticipation, but while they prodded near her lower lips, they didn''t enter. They only teased her just like he did with her lips, waiting patiently.


    Scathach knew exactly what he was up to.


    He wanted her to beg him yet again...


    "Nngh..." She uncomfortably squirmed under his hold. His other hand is playing with her firm buttocks. He played with it to his heart content.


    ''Hateful...'' Scathach cursed inside her mind. He knows just how sensitive her body is.


    He doesn''t need to use his ''spear'' and she would become a sloppy mess by the end of it... But that''s not what she wants. She wanted him to enter her and fill her to the brim like always...


    Finishing without him entering her is plain torture for her itching w.o.m.b. Her w.o.m.b wanted to be filled and it wanted to conceive another child...


    He thoroughly explored the inside of her mouth until she almost passes out from the kiss alone and only then he withdrew his tongue from her mouth. But not before he took another lick at her upper lip.


    "You taste so delicious... Shishou..." He whispered hotly next to her ear.


    Scathach''s heart quickened at his hot breath tickled her ear. It was good she had already been laid down, for she was certain she''d have been unable to stand on her own. These large hands and strong fingers crawled all over her body provocatively, rendering her incapable of standing even if she wanted to.


    Not even a full five minutes passed and she almost reaches her limit...


    His thumb traced slow, excruciating circles around her flower bud while the same annoying smirk adorning her face.


    "You... You dare..." She said between her heated breath.


    "Just tell me what you want, shishou... And I can make you feel even better." The devil whispered once again.


    "I¡­" Scathach trailed off breathlessly. She tried to reject him. In her mind she had a stronger will, imagining herself telling him no. Imagined pushing him away and escaping. She''s the Queen of the Land of the Shadows, the feared God slayer who''s feared by all damn it!


    But it was useless... The words were stuck in her throat. Leaving was a distant dream and she out of all people know this the best. The years they''ve spent together has been the prime example that escape was never an option...


    Once his flip has been switched, not even the most devoted nun... Not even the highest rank of archangel... Not even the Goddess of Chastity herself could resist him!


    His ''spear'' head had swelled up even further and ''smile'' at her with an overbearing arrogance. Her face paled. His stupid disciple majesticness was put on full display before her very eyes.


    But he didn''t do anything, not yet. No, he simply continued to work at her... She could only lay there and put up a futile resistance. But no matter how long she waited, this captor of hers was too cruel. He was meticulous and patient, bringing her again and again to the very edge of orgasm before pulling her back.


    She was so sensitive but somehow he manages to discover her limit right before she could reach her long-awaited orgasm.


    She wanted to bite him to death. She had been close to c.u.m.m.i.n.g dozens of times by now but he just... wouldn''t... let her!


    And all the while, while she''s trying her best to resist her urges, his erect member grinned at her. Mocking her with its girth and length. No, challenging her.


    He wanted her to beg for it, she knew. And much to her frustration, she knows that she will be the one who will beg him for it in the end... And so she begged: "Put it... Put it in inside me..." She softly said.


    His smirk widening before it changes into a loving and gentle smile... Ah, not fair... She thought to herself... This smile of his is just so unfair... How can she stay mad at him when he smiles like this?


    His hand slid down the curve of her waist, to the bell of her hip. Over her thigh, up the inside, and then his finger was tracing wet lower lips, sending a hissing breath past her lips. He''d made sure she was as sensitive as possible so now even that simple maneuver was enough to drive her crazy.


    The head of his dragon spear rubbed against the fresh dew of her beautiful flower petals. He guided his shaft between those two pink lips, thoroughly moistening himself with her fluids. Already he itched to be inside her. But he just had to be patient on this, had to lubricate himself properly. It took entirely too long before the level of saturation was satisfactory.


    He waited not a moment longer and decided to enter that tempting flower bud.


    When he did, Scathach gasped, quivering from head to toe. As if a large current of electricity just run through her entire sensitive body.


    She felt like she was being slowly impaled by a hot iron pillar. Every inch of rock-hard flesh pushed aside her inner walls and brought an extremity of raw pleasure. Not a single bit of space was left untouched as he continued to plunge deeper and deeper into her tiny cave that has been completely shaped into his length.


    Her insides stretched and tightened, pleasantly squeezing his fully erect member.


    Scathach is at a loss for words... She could distinctly feel every tiny movement of his c.o.c.k and each thrust contained a world-shaking power. The tip of his spear dug deeply, hitting and kissing the entrance of her w.o.m.b like it was just waiting to recklessly seed her like it has always been after all this time... Her own w.o.m.b screams out wanting to be i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed and her womanly instinct also wanted to bear him another child.


    Issei wasn''t content with just this. He lifted her up off the bed and into the air, her legs clinging to him for dear life. He pushed her body down while he thrust his h.i.p.s at the same time... She helplessly fell atop his spear, taking him in even deeper than before. His spearhead immediately pries open her w.o.m.b entrance and comfortably nestled inside...


    If before she felt like a jolt of electricity run through her body now Scathach felt like her body has been hit with lightning.


    Having been played with by her beloved husband for so long, the stimulation that had built up now no longer being so carefully held in check... it finally proved too much and caused an explosion of euphoric spasms. Once... Twice... Thrice... Wave after wave of orgasms hit her nonstop.


    Her tongue lolled out with her eyes slowly rolled back to the back of her skull...


    Scathach''s back arched. She shuddered uncontrollably as a glistening liquid began to drip from her crotch.


    She was supported only by his muscled arms, without the slightest bit of strength to call her own. Both of her arms limply hanged to her side...


    Issei who saw this smile lovingly before she hugged her even tighter before sealing her lips with his once again.


    "Nnn! Mmn! Hnn!" Scathach m.o.a.ned. She drew upon her vast reserves of inner energy trying to get her strength back. She almost passed out just now and then but thankfully his searing kiss made her snapped out of her daze.


    She pushed him down and straddled him good and proper, riding him with a hard, wild abandon, trying to gain control. She teased his c.o.c.k playfully in a show of superb hip control. She used everything she has in her arsenal trying to make him c.u.m.


    Issei hugged her slim, seductive figure. One hand was at her waist while the other threaded its fingers through her amethyst colored hair. He fully enjoys the view of her full and perky b.r.e.a.s.ts bouncing up and down.


    He suddenly pumped into her as fast, hard, and deep as he could. Their grunts and m.o.a.n mingled together. They changed positions constantly. It wasn''t a coordinated effort as much as it was an animalistic wrestle. One moment he was on top, the next she''d be the one to have him pinned.


    They went at each other fearlessly just like how a warrior would battle against each other.


    Her orgasms had soaked into his skin and left her unique scent.


    After she c.u.mmed for the umpteenth time, Scathach had finally managed to make him c.u.m and her insides are marked with his potent juices, inside and out. She didn''t know if his smell would ever wash off by tomorrow. She didn''t know if she wanted it to.


    Needless to say, the stink of their s.e.x had now come to pervade not just the entire room, but the whole fortress.


    Even with Issei''s barrier surrounding their room, it couldn''t block the potent smell of his scent.


    Forzelotte is the first to notice this and she hastily makes their daughters fell asleep with her magic. It wouldn''t do them any good if their daughters were to be affected by his scent.


    Shirayuki and the older ones such as Amou, Momoyo, Kozelotte, etc tried to resist her magic but in the end, they failed. They regretfully fell asleep along with their little sisters.


    "That idiot..." Forzelotte heaved a sigh. She took a glance at her sisters who have flushed cheeks... They keep looking at his bedroom direction with a longing expression. Even she herself is not any better...


    She couldn''t be bothered by their guests who decided to stay here... Vali and Kuro are the only ones who stayed behind and both of them are also affected by his scent. Ophis of this world also decided to make this place her domain.


    If it wasn''t for Arthur insistence then perhaps Le Fay would also stay behind. But it''s probably for the best...


    Forzelotte and the others still manage to retain their sanity in the end since this is not the first time for them to smell his scent but for the three newcomers... It is a death sentence for their sanity.


    "Nyaaww~" Kuro m.o.a.ned heatedly in front of the barrier trying to tear it down with her hands before she used her claws. Then she used her ...


    "Haah... Haahh... ... ... Mmm!" Vali already exposed her also trying her best to take down the barrier. Her clothes barely cover her private parts at this point feeling as if her entire body is on fire...


    If Ophis power isn''t sealed by Forzelotte then perhaps she would''ve used everything she has as well to take down the barrier. But regardless, she still tried using her fists to do the job.


    Thankfully the rest of the girls already left or there will be ... Even if the Grayfia of this world or Rias of this world truly loves their other counterpart, they would succ.u.mb to Issei''s ''charm'' in the end... Even if the person himself never really tries to ''charm'' them in the first place.


    Whereas for Gabriel... Needless to say, even a thousand Michael won''t be able to help her from become a fallen this time around.


    Inside the bedroom, even now, as Scathach tight buttocks ground against his proud spear in a teasing manner, she still showed no sign of wanting to stop. Neither did he.


    Issei felt amazed by her mentor''s endurance. To think that she could come this far... It looks like all of the ''training'' sessions they had after all this time is bearing some fruit...


    But Issei is more than happy and willing to accompany this seductive mentor of his.


    That night, the whole house is filled with Scathach blissful m.o.a.ns... and the desperate attempt from the three guests of theirs. Forzelotte and the others decided to just put another set of barrier around them...


    In the end, what ended their ''battle'' is a begging sound from Scathach begging for mercy but Issei is having none of it and keep filling her insides with his seed, wanting to make her beloved mentor bear him another child...


    Despite her saying that it''s already enough, he still didn''t stop until she finally fainted in exhaustion... With that many baby batter inside her w.o.m.b, it would be a miracle if she didn''t get pregnant already...


    Only after then that Issei nodded in satisfaction... Over the sight of his beloved wife spasming in pleasure.


    She couldn''t tell what''s what anymore.


    Her mind is completely blank while she m.o.a.ned deliriously once in a while.


    She collapsed against his chest, panting hard, sweaty from head to toe. Her flower bud having just undergone a world-changing level of stimulation, showing not the slightest signs of calming down. She was so sensitive down there right now that even a light breath of air could likely send her over the edge. She''d become soft and boneless, without a single ounce of strength.


    Issei hugged her tightly against his chest before he also drifts off to the land of dreams...


    On the next morning, Issei is greeted by three girls with black circles around their bloodshot eyes looking at him criticizingly. To think that Ophis is also in the same state is quite something...


    "Hm? What happened with you three?" He asked cluelessly.


    "...You still dare ask us what''s wrong?" Vali gritted her teeth in frustration. To think that this clueless idiot is the one who made her heart beat erratically... He''s a handsome idiot but that''s not the point! And that unnecessarily sweet intoxicating scent that would make her body goes hot is still lingering in the air albeit it''s not as potent anymore. But it still chipping away her sanity even as they speak...


    Kuro is out of energy after using most of her energy trying to break the barrier. She could only crawl towards his direction while spouting nonsense such as: "N-Nyaa... G-Give me your... Seed... nyauu..." Then she passed out.


    Ophis of this world was feeling so annoyed that there''s black miasma surrounding her. She glared at Issei surprising even him. Not even his Ophis could glare at him like this.


    To say that she''s in heat at this point would be an understatement... But unfortunately for her, Issei won''t just sleep with any woman even if that woman looks extremely similar to his wives.


    Scathach is still out cold on the bed. Issei had to pamper her for a whole day much to his daughters'' dissatisfaction.


    Shirayuki enviously looks at her mother Scathach during the whole ordeal along with Kozelotte and the others.


    Scathach glared at Issei menacingly but her glare looks like a little wife feeling grievance rather than anything else...


    Issei could only smile apologetically at her... Not that he''s really sorry in the first place since he would''ve done it again if the chance allows him to...


    And Scathach herself would love to experience it again but she''s too shy to admit it.


    ...


    "Sakazuki, to your left!"


    "Gh!"


    "Hehe, too slow!"


    *BAM!*


    "Guah!"


    "Damn it! !" Kizaru created a sword made out of his power.


    He transformed his body into an array of light to appear behind Froleytia.


    "Hey hey, old man... Your tricks are getting boring you know?" Froleytia''s head turned around even before he fully materialize behind her.


    "Tch!" Despite being seen through, Kizaru still tried to swing his sword down.


    Froleytia''s only response is a slight grin before she caught the sword with her bare hands. Just like what happened to Akainu''s magma fist, the blade disappeared the moment it touches her hand.


    Froleytia then did a roundhouse kick and send Kizaru''s flying.


    "Hmm, that was fun... albeit it was quite short." Froleytia huffed wiped her nonexistent sweat.


    "Gh... Damn you!" Akainu groaned on the ground alongside Kizaru.


    All around them, the marines and the Pacifistas are in disarray. While the marines are mostly unconscious, the Pacifistas are destroyed completely.


    "Big sis, hurry it up already, I''m bored," Hiyuki whined.


    "Fine fine..." Froleytia said with a sigh: "Well, you heard my little sis... Let''s end this already." She crackled her fist.


    Kizaru and Akainu gritted their teeth for being taken so lightly.


    They made eye contact with each other before nodding to themselves.


    They both sprang into action once more but this time Akainu didn''t aim at Froleytia. He aimed at Hiyuki who seems completely harmless with full strength from the start.


    "Oh?" Froleytia bemused to herself while blocking Kizaru''s attack.


    "Hm?" Hiyuki raised her eyebrows in surprise. She never thought they would suddenly decide to attack her out of nowhere... Just kidding, she can sense their intention from miles away.


    "Aha, so you decided to attack me thinking I''m an easier target? I see I see..." Hiyuki nodded sagely before a mischievous glint appeared on her eyes: "But too bad. You just activated my trap card~"


    Akainu fist almost touched Hiyuki''s body but right before it can come fully in contact with her body, a large dark miasma surged out from her body.


    The miasma took shape of a shadowy figure of a Dragon with four claws on each side of its body, and then it smashed Akainu''s body into the ground with one of its claw.


    "Gaha!" Akainu spat out a copious amount of blood. The magma that he''s so proud of is rendered useless yet again since the Shadow Dragon seems to absorb it without difficulty.


    The Shadow Dragon picked his body up then throw it into the air before punching him once again. His body flew backward landing right next to the other marines creating a giant crater in the process.


    After finishing its job, the Shadow Dragon folded its 4 arms in front of its chest acting as a bodyguard of Hiyuki.


    "Sakazuki!" Kizaru shouted in shock.


    "Hey hey, where are you looking?" Froleytia menacing voice resounded.


    "!!!" Kizaru shuddered.


    "!"


    *BANG!*


    Kizaru body flew yet again...


    "You called it but it''s only a normal punch though..." Hiyuki deadpanned.


    "Shuddup, little sis." Froleytia huffed.


    Being an anti elemental Dragon, Froleytia couldn''t really use any element of her own yet. Her mother, Ramius could use the attack she received from her opponents and reflect every elemental attack that comes her way multiple times stronger than it first came out and not just simply cancel it out.


    And she could even use that said elemental to heal herself from her injuries. She''s what you called a perfect tank.


    "Wh-What in the world... two high ranked admirals couldn''t stand a candle in front of those two girls..." The pirates who watch the show muttered in utter shock.


    "Hey, ossan. How are they able to punch that magma and light old men?" Straw Hat asked curiously.


    "They''re using ." Rayleigh responded while feeling slightly shocked as well.


    "?"


    "I''ll explain and also show you how to use it later on," Rayleigh said in dismissal.


    He couldn''t really tell them that the they used is vastly different from his . Just like their mothers... he thought bitterly to himself.


    "Damn... They''re..."


    "Strong?"


    "Strong is not enough to describe them... That white-haired girl alone basically toyed with the 2 admirals as if they''re nothing..."


    "Captain..."


    "I know. We should avoid fighting them at all costs. We can go against the other emperors and might even survive, but I don''t see how we could survive against a pirate crew that each and single one of them could easily defeat 2 admirals at once without breaking a sweat."


    The pirates converse between themselves.


    Kizaru slumped to the ground and realized that Akainu has fainted.


    "So what now, old man? Want to have another go?" Froleytia asked in a laidback attitude.


    He gritted his teeth at the bare provocation. This day ought to be another embarrassing day for the marines!


    "Ara? You two are still here?" A slightly surprised voice resounded behind them.


    "Oi oi... Isn''t that..." One of the pirates muttered in disbelief.


    "Natal March Hyoudou..." His friend continued.


    Indeed, the newcomer is none other than Natal herself.


    "Natal kaa-san?" Even Froleytia and Hiyuki are a little surprised at her arrival.


    While the pirates tensed up, the marines completely froze while their whole face and back are covered in a cold sweat.


    But thankfully for them, Natal doesn''t seem to pay attention to them at all.


    "Jeez, what''s taking the two of you so long?" Natal lightly rebuked.


    "Uhh..."


    "It''s big sis''s fault, Natal kaa-chan." Hiyuki pointed out.


    "Hiyuki you!"


    "Jeez, Tia... What did I say about messing around?" Natal sighed tiredly.


    "It''s not my fault, these so-called marines suddenly attacked us out of nowhere."


    "Umm, they didn''t really attack you for no reason... It''s because you hit one of the ." Rayleigh helpfully added.


    "? Now, where have I hear that name..." Natal thought to herself.


    "They''re the same people that you and Captain Francis attacked before. The slavers noble."


    "Ah... That ''thing'' huh. So, what did this one do then?" Natal said in realization.


    She doesn''t even consider those trashes a human being...


    "That snotted brat said that he wanted to make me and Hiyuki be their wives by force," Froleytia explained.


    "Ohoo... Then, where is he now?" Natal narrowed her eyes dangerously: "Looks like another purge is needed. How about we just wipe them all out this time?"


    Natal said as if they''re taking a walk rather than annihilating the infamous world nobles...


    Kizaru sweated a whole lot more when he sensed Natal''s bloodl.u.s.t.


    "While that offer is tempting but not all of the world nobles are completely rotten, captain Natal." Rayleigh wryly smiled.


    "Hmph, that doesn''t matter. If Darling were to know of this then it would be a lot worst you know?" Natal scoffed in disdain: "Whether they''re good or bad doesn''t really matter when our daughters are involved. Lightest punishment from him would be the annihilation of this Tenru something trash whereas the harsher one would be the end of your world."


    "Surely you jest..." Rayleigh sweated.


    "You think I''m joking? Well, you can think of it that way I guess... Ignorance is bliss after all." Natal waved uninterestedly.


    It''s probably better for them to think that they''re just joking...


    "Well, we''ll deal with them later. Let''s go visit the fabled underwater kingdom of the fishmen. Who knows, perhaps we could discover something new that we could make use." Natal said.


    "Ou/Okay!" Both Froleytia and Hiyuki nodded.


    Then the three of them calmly walk towards the ocean ignoring the downed admirals and the rest of the pirates.


    Once they arrived at the edge of the water, Natal whistled softly.


    In the next moment, A group of Sea Kings emerged from the ocean shocking the onlookers''.


    "Take us to the Fish-man island," Natal ordered.


    The largest sea king who shaped like a dragon serpent with the pattern of black and white stripes obediently nodded before it lowered its head towards Natal.


    Natal and the two girls then stepped onto their head before the sea kings dived back into the ocean...


    "...Wh-What was that?!"


    "D-Did she just..."


    "Ordered a sea king to do her biddings?!"


    "More than that, aren''t they supposed to be a user? Then how come they can freely touch the seawater as if they''re nothing!?"


    "You didn''t know about Natal March''s ability to freely control water? It''s confirmed not long ago but she''s being capable of ordering the sea kings is something unknown till now..."


    The onlookers heatedly discussed between themselves.


    Kizaru who''s still awake is having a cold sweat streaming down his entire body.


    "...This is... quite dangerous..." He muttered solemnly. He then hastily ordered the remaining standing marines and carried the unconscious Akainu with him... He needs to report this immediately!


    Looks like they still underestimated the Eternal Crimson Pirate''s threat level!


    "Ki-Kizaru-san!" One of the marines with a pale face shouted.


    "What''s wrong?" Kizaru has a bad feeling about this...


    "S-S-S-Saint Carlos has been killed!"


    Saint Carlos is the same snotted brat that tries to make Froleytia and Hiyuki be his wives. Apparently, Froleytia kick didn''t kill him... In the split second Natal heard Froleytia''s report, she immediately ordered the who was in hiding to kill him.


    "...I''m getting too old for this shit..." Kizaru sighed tiredly.


    ...


    "Hmm, this place reminds me of my world dungeon..." Arte muttered seeing the vastly different biome within the dungeon.


    "Oh? Your world has a place similar to this dungeon? Not really surprising I suppose." Hajime replied while killing another monster.


    "Mhm. It''s called by many." Arte nodded.


    The reason for that is because Issei is the one who created it.


    "Is it as dangerous as this place?" Hajime asked.


    "Well, it''s mostly safe around the lower levels but the higher you climb up the more dangerous it is. From the first floor until the tenth floor, you can''t really die since there is a safety magic at work. If the adventurers died on the first ten floors then they will be revived at the entrance of the dungeon. At a cost of course." Arte explained: "You could say it''s a tutorial floor."


    "Hmm, I see. Then how about the upper floor after the tenth floor?"


    "That''s when the risk of danger becomes real. If they were to die on the eleventh floor and above then they will truly die unless they prepared a special item just in case... There are one hundred floors in total and whoever manages to reach the last floor will receive a reward from father himself."


    The intention of the Tower is to make his subjects thrive for strength so they won''t just stay in place all the time. Progress is what they needed after all not stagnation.


    While they were conversing with each other, they found an odd place. The space around the area was eerie. At the end of the side area was a solemn majestic double door about three meters in height. On the flanks of the doors were two one-eyed giants sculptures enshrined into the walls. Only their upper bodies were sculpted it seemed.


    Chills ran down Hajime''s whole body the moment he set foot there. Temporarily he had a dangerous feeling about this. He did not have the intention to avoid this and prepared his equipment.


    Hajime was feeling expectation and unpleasantness at the same time.


    "This place is quite dangerous..." He said.


    "Mm... I guess it is for your current strength. But it should be fine if you''re careful enough." Arte affirmed.


    "..." Hajime started thinking to himself before he finally decided to see just what''s behind the door.


    Arte gives a silent nod at his action. Without enough bravery then he won''t be able to grow. Don''t get her wrong, being cautious is completely good but he also needed a certain amount of bravery to break his limit.


    At least that''s what she was taught by her father and mother... There''s no shame in running away as long as you get to fight for another day.


    Hajime touched the door and there are two cyclops that appeared. He killed the two cyclops quite easily before advancing forward.


    But that two cyclops were not the reason for the danger he felt and the cause for Arte''s warning.


    "I''ll store the bodies for you." Arte offered.


    "Oh, thank you." Hajime nodded at her offer.


    Arte stored the 2 cyclops bodies with her spatial magic.


    The room that they entered was made from finely crafted marbles and it looked similar to the Church room they were first summoned into. In the center of the room was a huge cube of stone that reflected the incoming light and l.u.s.tered.


    Hajime was staring at the cube when he noticed that something was growing in the front center of the cube.


    "Oh? A vampire?" Arte mumbled seeing the person within the cube.


    "A what now?" Hajime retorted. Before he could hear the reply of Arte...


    "¡­Who?" A husky voice belonging to a frail girl. Hajime stared at the center of the room in surprise. The early "growing" was now moving. With the light finally piercing the darkness, the identity of it was exposed.


    Only the face could be seen, every other part was buried in the cube. Long blond hair hung down around the woman, like a ghost from a certain horror film. Pupils of red were peeping from the gaps of hair, just like a low-altitude moon. From her looks, she looked around 12-13 years old. The dangled hair looked haggard, but it still had a beautiful appearance.


    "A human?"


    "No, she''s a vampire." Arte corrected: "So why are you sealed here?" Arte asked the vampire curiously.


    "Please! Save me," The vampire girl suddenly shouted.


    Hajime immediately went forward and stand before Arte with his body tensed up.


    "Hn?" Arte raised her eyebrows over Hajime''s act.


    "She could be dangerous. This is the bottom of the abyss and there''s no way someone or something such as that vampire would be sealed here for no reason, so I-." Hajime stated.


    "Stop that." Arte bonked his head from behind stopping his words.


    "Wh-What?" Hajime rubbed his head.


    "Stop treating her like a thing even if she''s of a different race from you. She''s not ''something''..." Arte admonished.


    "N-No, that''s not what I..." Hajime tried to reason.


    "It''s fine, I know you meant well but there''s no need for you to be cautious for me. I''m stronger than you, remember?" Arte chuckled.


    "...Right." Hajime sighed despondently.


    "And besides, I don''t think she''s an evil person, you know." Arte said while looking at the desperate vampire girl.


    "Th-That''s right... I''m not evil..." The vampire girl responded to Arte''s words: "I was just... betrayed..."


    Hajime''s body slightly flinched at her words.


    "Betrayed? Because of what?" Arte continues asking.


    "I''m an atavistic vampire¡­I was granted great power¡­because of it I worked hard for my country. But¡­one day¡­all my retainers¡­told me I was not needed anymore. Uncle¡­became my king¡­I was fine with that¡­However, I was dangerous because of my powers¡­they couldn''t kill me¡­so they sealed me¡­in here."


    She talked desperately and bit by bit it became dried. Hajime groaned while he heard the story while Arte nods understandingly. Seems like the circ.u.mstances were full of drama. There were a few things that bothered her. He inquired as he suppressed his boiling emotions.


    "So you''re basically immortal then?" Arte inquired further.


    "Un... Automatic regeneration. Injuries heal immediately. Even if decapitated." The vampire girl nodded.


    "I see."


    "Please... Help me..." The vampire girl pleaded once again.


    "Alright." Arte readily nod.


    "Wait! You''re really going to help her just like that? We don''t even know if she''s ly- Ah..." Hajime was about to say something when he realizes Arte''s wry smile. That''s right... She could tell if somebody is telling the truth or not, didn''t she?


    As if realizing what he was thinking, Arte confirmed his guess: "I can tell when someone is telling the truth or not, remember?"


    "O-Ou, my bad." He sighed and scratched his head.


    "Y-You will really help me?" The vampire girl asked in surprise.


    "Yup. Now hold still." Arte nodded before she put her right hand on the cube. In the next second, the cube shrunk visibly releasing the vampire girl in the process.


    She dropped into a childish seat after all her body was set free. Her body seemed to lack the energy to stand up.


    "Hajime, look away." Arte ordered.


    "What? Why- Oh nevermind." Hajime was about to ask when he realizes that the vampire girl is basically in her birthday suit. He hastily turns around to give the two girls some space.


    "Here, drink this potion. You seem to be lacking in strength and magic power. Probably because you haven''t drink blood for a long time now." Arte took out a vial of potion from her inventory and gave it to her. Then she also took out a set of clothes for her to wear: "After that, you can wear these clothes."


    She couldn''t transfer her energy to the vampire since she couldn''t fully control her power just yet.


    "U-Um, thank you..." The vampire girl dazedly muttered. She took the potion with her trembling hand.


    This girl before her is obviously a demon... To think that she would help her just like that. The demons are known to be quite evil by many so seeing one being this kind is quite surprising for her...


    The vampire girl unplugged the vial seal and hesitatingly drink the potion... But soon her body started twitching crazily with her entire body turning hot. Her cheeks reddened rapidly before she slumped backwards to the ground shaking uncontrollably.


    There''s a puddle of ''water'' beneath her... Her eyes rolled back while her mouth is greedily licking the vial of potion in her hand. Even though there''s nothing left within the vial... It''s as if she wanted to taste the lingering taste within it.


    "Ah, that''s bad..." Okita Alter who witnessed this sighed to herself, she has forgotten about the blood effect on the vampire race. That girl is obviously a vampire... And that ''potion'' Arte just gave her is not a normal potion... It''s a potion made with her Master''s blood. It''s an all-purpose elixir rather than a potion...


    And what happened to the vampires who drank his blood you say? Even if it''s just a drop? Heh... Just look at this poor vampire girl state.


    Even the infamous Carmilla becomes a complete mess when she first tasted his blood. Suffice to say that she becomes an addict at this point... Another person''s blood tastes utterly bland and so disgusting that she wanted to puke just from smelling it or so they''ve been told...


    And the ''potion'' Arte just given away has more density of blood compared to other ''potion'' that''s sold in the auction market. Not that there''s a lot of them are being sold in the first place and even then there''s only one drop of blood within that said ''potion''. But a drop of blood is still a drop of blood and it''s more than enough for the Vampires faction to use everything they have to obtain it.


    But most Vampires in the knows better than to drink the ''accursed potion''. Because after drinking his blood they won''t be able to drink other blood.


    In a way, his blood is a curse for the vampires... Not that ever stopped most of the true vampire or ancestor vampire from drinking it though.


    The other Vampires deeply envied Elmenhilde Karstein and Carmilla for being able to become his wife since they''re able to drink his blood whenever they wanted to.


    Thankfully Arte only took out the smallest vial of potion in her possession or else... She might die from the sheer pleasure of drinking it alone...


    "Eh? Ehh?!" Arte panicked seeing the state of the vampire girl: "Wh-What''s wrong?!"


    "Hm?" Hajime hastily turns his head thinking something has happened to Arte only to stiffened in the next moment.


    "D-Don''t look here!" Arte who realizes his gaze reflexively sends a magic bullet to his face sending him flying.


    He becomes knocked unconscious the moment he hit the ground.


    The vampire girl''s vision started to darken after a few minutes of spasming on the ground... Just like a junkie, she started craving for more despite the danger it would bring to her body.


    She crawled towards Arte and grasped her leg: "M-More... Give... Me... Moreee..." Just like a Zombie, she keeps muttering ''more'' over and over...


    "Ehhh?! Eh! Wh-What?!" Arte becomes completely flabbergasted. She didn''t know what to do since she doesn''t know about the potion''s effect.


    During her panic, a monster that could possess a threat to Hajime dropped from the ceiling.


    Okita Alter decided to intervene and knocked her out or she would become insane from the sheer pleasure... While she''s at it, she cleaved the monster who dropped from the ceiling in half. The monster doesn''t even know how it died...


    "M-Majin-mama... This... What happened to her?" Arte asked cluelessly.


    "Arte, we need to have a little talk..." Okita Alter sighed.

 Chapter 154 - Side 11

    *BOOM!*


    A loud rumbling sound resounded in the city.


    On the crowded streets, the civilians immediately become shocked.


    "Wh-What was that?!"


    "That sounded like an explosion, is there somebody fighting nearby?"


    "Is it those magicians?"


    "T-The law enforcement team? Hurry, call the law enforcement team!"


    The pedestrian on the entire street is in great confusion and hastily run towards the loud explosion sound.


    What enters their sight is a scarlet haired woman choking a rather tall middle-aged man and has black hair and tanned skin. He has a unique-looking beard just like a chin curtain, with several lines of facial hair around his mouth shooting upwards in an odd pattern.


    His upper clothes are already burned away leaving him only in his ripped pants.


    Around the scarlet-haired woman, there''s also a group of people lay unconscious on the ground.


    "Which Guild Magician is that?" One of the pedestrians who just arrived asked.


    "I don''t know... But she looks a bit familiar..." Another responded.


    "Which guild emblem is that?" They look at the emblem on the woman''s back.


    "I''ve never seen that emblem before..."


    "It''s probably just a small guild?"


    The woman ignored the commotion and annoyedly look at the man she''s holding.


    "Y-You... You dare..." The man groaned.


    "Why wouldn''t I dare?" The woman raised one of her eyebrows in amus.e.m.e.nt.


    Also at this moment, the commotion in their surroundings started to intensify.


    A large group of soldiers wearing the standard knight armor holding weapons rushes towards the woman.


    A tall, muscular, and well-built man who''s wearing an armor that stood out from the rest comes forward: "I am Fiore Kingdom army Crocus garrison army Cherry Blossom Knight Regiment Captain, Arcadios." The man glared at the scarlet-haired woman.


    "During the Grand Magic Games forthcoming period, I and others are appointed as the law enforcement team, are responsible for maintaining the order on street, to prevent a dispute by the Magician Guild who might harm the Crocus resident, therefore, can you tell me, what''s the cause of your dispute?"


    "Hm?" The woman turned her gaze towards the captain but the man she''s holding hastily shouted before she could respond.


    "I am Guild Master, Magician to remove strong opponent on Grand Magic Games, sneak attacked me!"


    A few words, making the surroundings entire crowd become rowdier.


    "I-Is that true?"


    "Unexpectedly dares to do that?"


    "That who''s at the bottom?"


    "To compete for the position, this Guild finally starts to resort to all means?"


    "She''s so beautiful yet she acts like a complete villain..."


    The woman rolled her eyes at the bored crowds.


    "Miss, is it true?" Arcadios narrowed his eyes.


    "Big sis!" Another shout resounded before the woman could answer yet again.


    "Yo." The woman casually greeted the newly arrived group.


    "What''s going on here?"


    The onlookers become dumbfounded at the sight of the two almost identical twins.


    "T-Twins?" They muttered in shock.


    Even Ivan who''s within the scarlet-haired woman''s grasp is also shocked.


    "H-Huh? H-How come there''s two of them?" He said in disbelief.


    These two are obviously the two Erza.


    "Ivan!" Makarov who saw Ivan gritted his teeth.


    "What''s going on here, big sis?" Erza S. asked confusedly.


    "Nothing much, these weaklings probably mistook me with you and they were planning to do something bad." Erza H. said with a shrug.


    "Y-You''re lying!" Ivan denied: "We weren''t going to do anything to you back then!"


    "Maybe, but I find that all of you are not pleasing to the eyes so I get rid of you first." Erza H. lazily responded: "And you might be not going to do anything right away but that doesn''t mean you won''t in the future. I mean, your whole aura is so disgusting that it practically screams ''I''m a bad guy''."


    "..."


    "Oh, I see." While the onlookers are dumbfounded at her reasoning, Erza S. readily accepted her reasoning.


    "Oi!" They retorted.


    "Hm? What?" The two Erza tilted their head.


    "While we also didn''t like them, but don''t you think the way you casually accepted her reasoning is weird, Erza?" Cana pointed out.


    "What''s weird about it? Big sis said that they''re not pleasing to the eyes so that''s that." Erza S. responded as if it were obvious: "And knowing their history, it won''t be far fetched to say that they''re planning something bad right? Besides, big sis won''t randomly find trouble with other people unless there''s a good reason for it."


    "W-We know that, but still..." They groaned since they have nothing to say in return.


    "Excuse me, but if that''s your reasoning then we will have to take you in. Along with your other guild members." Arcadios said.


    "Muh? What guild members?" Erza H. asked annoyedly.


    "Yours of course. You''re from are you not?" Arcadios said.


    "From your head." Erza H. spat: "I''m not from . We''re acquaintances with each other and that Erza could be called my sister but that''s about it. I''m not from ."


    "What? But..."


    When Arcadios about to continue, a sweating soldier hurriedly went to his side and whispered something.


    In the next seconds, Arcadios eyes went wide before he hurriedly bowed deeply: "I-I-It was our mistake. Please, carry on!" And with that said, they practically disappeared from the scene leaving behind the stupefied group of onlookers.


    Erza H. wryly smiled at a distance where a mature woman with the same colored scarlet hair can be seen blowing a kiss in her direction.


    "Well, you guys can take it from here. I believe you and this weakling has some unfinished business." Erza H. tossed Ivan''s body towards Makarov who received it with popped veins.


    "Ivan..." Makarov gritted his teeth looking at the so-called son of his.


    Erza H. decided not to stay to look at the family drama. She just wanted to continue her sightseeing...


    Suddenly a young, slim, large-busted woman, with long, straight black hair that is cut into a hime style appeared in front of her.


    "Hm? You are..." Erza H. mused to herself seeing the familiar looking girl in front of her.


    "A-Aneue? Is that you?" The girl said in disbelief.


    Beside her, there''s also a tall honest-looking man. He''s also looking at Erza with disbelief and joy.


    "Oh, you''re... Kagura and Simon? I couldn''t recognize you two seeing how you''ve become all grown up." Erza H. said after remembering a bit.


    "Yes yes, it''s us!" Kagura and Simon nodded enthusiastically.


    "Hee, it''s been a while."


    "Indeed it has... We never thought that we could meet you again..." The girl named Kagura teared up a little. Then she started to look around searching for someone: "I-Is foster father also here with you?" She asked hopefully.


    When Kagura was a young girl, she lived with her brother Simon in Rosemary Village. Though the two of them were poor, Kagura enjoyed her life, until Simon was about to be kidnapped by a group of fanatics.


    Issei arrived in a timely manner and saved them both... Issei took pity on the two and decided to take care of them for a while. He also thought that it would be great if his Erza could have more friends during their stay in this world.


    Kagura and Simon are not the only ones who are saved by Issei. When he finds out about the "Tower of Heaven" project. He tracked and hunted down every single fanatic he could find...


    And during his little hunt, he saved quite a bit of a group of children.


    While Issei never really adopt them as his own, he also didn''t stop them from calling him foster father.


    "Ah, no... Right now it''s only me. But otou-sama should arrive later though." Erza H. informed.


    "I see..." Simon and Kagura felt a bit disappointed hearing this news.


    "Oh? Is that Kagura and Simon? Long time no see you guys." Erza S. also joined their conversation.


    "Erza." Kagura and Simon greeted Erza S. with a smile.


    "Hmm, why did you call me ''Aneue'' but you call sis by her name." Erza H. tapped her cheek.


    "Well, that''s just how it is... Right?" Erza S. said as a matter of fact.


    "Right." Simon and Kagura nodded at Erza S. words.


    "Your recognition is messed up... I''m obviously younger than the three of you." Erza H. said tiredly.


    "By the way, is the others with you?" Erza S. asked Kagura and Simon.


    "Millianna was with us but she went somewhere. As for Sorano and Yukino, we don''t really know where they are. The last time we heard of them, they both joined the ." Kagura informed.


    "It gave us quite the shock when Erza went missing though," Simon added: "Sorana and Yukino probably joined the since they wanted to use of their position as the number 1 ranked guild to search for you."


    "Hear that big sis... You''re making your other siblings worried. All because of your laziness." Erza H. deadpanned.


    "Ugh... I know my mistake already..." Erza S. said exasperatedly.


    "Well, we can just inform the two of them that you''re safe already," Simon said.


    "There''s no need." A voice belonging to a young woman with pale skin, brown eyes, and long silvery hair, with bangs covering her forehead, resounded not far from their location.


    Next to her, there''s also a girl with a similar appearance but with shorter hair.


    The two of them are very well-endowed and they''re obviously sisters with how similar they are. They''re not identical like the two Erza but their similarity is very obvious to all.


    "Sorano, Yukino, you''re here." Erza S. greeted.


    "Erza, Elder sister." The two of them greeted back.


    "No, like I said... Nevermind." Erza H. finally decided to just give up. Each and every one of them is messed up in the head! She scowled inside her head. She''s obviously the younger one here but here they are treating her like she''s the oldest...


    The four of them giggled at her reaction. It''s a known well fact that Erza H. is treated as the older one since she''s basically the strongest and also the actual daughter of their foster father. They respected them both.


    "So so, where''s foster father? Where is he?" Sorano asked while looking around excitedly.


    "He will arrive later."


    "A.." Sorano pouted feeling disappointed. Next to her, Yukino is also feeling the same.


    "So, I''ve heard the two of you joined ?" Erza S. said.


    "Mhm, we thought that considering that they''re basically the strongest after your guild, we could make use of them to gather some information but the reality is quite saddening." Sorana shook her head: "Their guild leader is very bad... Whether it''s his personality or strength. His personality is basically the worst and his strength is barely passable. We were thinking to leave the guild soon enough but when we find out that you''re back, we decided not to."


    "How so?"


    "We want to see just how strong have we become. Since we basically have the same master, we wanted to see just how far did you grow." Yukino added.


    "About that..." Erza S. averted her eyes while Erza H. is giving her a scrutinizing look.


    "You don''t need to spar with her... She has been so lazy that she got her ass handed by some lizard wannabe king." Erza H. scoffed.


    "Lizard wannabe king?" They tilted their head at her words.


    "It''s Acnologia..." Erza S. sighed.


    "Acnologia? That rumored Dragon King?" They were slightly taken aback and they started to measure their strength against it. They don''t really know for sure but they reckon that it would be quite a miracle for them to win in a fight against it...


    So it''s not really Erza S. fault for losing against it but then again... she''s considered to be their foster father''s favorite because of how similar she looks to Erza H. and she also received more blessing from him.


    So her losing against a third rate lizard is quite... lame.


    "Oh well, putting that aside... elder sister, do you have a picture of foster father with you? How does he look now?" Sorano asked giddily.


    Yukino and Kagura''s body jolted at her words. They cast their gaze at Erza H. waiting for her answer.


    "Damn, how can I forget asking you about his picture!" Erza S. slapped her forehead for forgetting to ask about it.


    "Hmm, I don''t really bring otou-sama''s picture with me since I often see him..." Erza H. mused to herself: "Tell you what, why don''t you all just go talk with him now?"


    "What? Really? How?" They launched a barrage of questions towards her.


    "It''s just a simple video call, you might call it... Here, give me a sec..." Erza H. took out her communication device once again before dialing Issei''s number.


    Not even three seconds pass before the call goes through.


    "Hm? Erza, what''s wrong?" Issei''s face emerged from the holographic monitor.


    "Foster father!!!" Sorano and the others called out gleefully. Sorano, Yukino, and Kagura eyes shone brightly with their cheeks reddenning after finally seeing their beloved foster father.


    He''s still the same... After so many years, he still looks as gallant and handsome as ever... They thought dreamily to themselves.


    "Oh? You all..." Issei said in surprise.


    While they are chirping around, Erza S. guildmates are also dumbfounded at the sight of Issei... mainly the girls who are blushing furiously.


    "I-I-I-Is that the other Erza''s f-father? B-But he looks so young!" Lucy stutteringly said.


    "Wh-What a stud..." Cana exclaimed droolingly.


    "C-Can such a man really exist? Is he not some sort of deity instead?"


    "Aww... Wh-What to do... Juvia already has Gray-sama but... but..."


    While they''re still gossiping around themselves, they suddenly saw a mature woman with scarlet hair wearing an elegant dress appeared out of nowhere.


    "Deary~, I miss you~" The woman cooed.


    "M-Mom!" Erza S. shouted.


    Issei who saw this woman smiles wryly: "Hello, Rene..."


    ...


    "This is the flagship ZAFT of the Le Creuset Team! We surrender! This is our notice of surrender!"


    The other party seemed to be in a panic, having made the call with a great deal of noise in the background.


    In contrast, the spaceship receiving the call is completely calm.


    The voices of the operators could be heard, while the staff members continued to give orders with calm tones.


    The ship crew and the surrounding officers calmly look at the crying man in the projector.


    But since the other party is surrendering themselves, they need to report it to the highest officer on the ship.


    "Princess, the enemy has offered to surrender. It might be true that they took advantage of the smaller sh.i.p.s but we could make use of their capabilities if we turn them to crime slave." A female officer reported.


    The officer and the others thought that the battle was probably going to end here.


    It was only natural for their enemies to surrender here since they''re far weaker than them.


    "Surrender? Why didn''t they surrender from the start when we were offering them the chance to do so?" The woman called the princess said coldly: "Slave? Royal Father doesn''t need these pathetic bunch of trashes to serve him, we have given them a chance and they rejected it. The best mercy we could give them now is to give them a quick and painless death. Continue the assault."


    "As you command, princess!" The officers and the crewmates saluted.


    They couldn''t help but marvel at the princess of theirs. She''s only 14 years old but her composure and decisiveness made some of the a.d.u.l.ts felt ashamed.


    The princess is wearing a black and crimson-colored military uniform unique and one of a kind. She also wears a military hat with the same style and there''s a logo in the middle.


    For 14 years old girl she looks quite mature already with well-endowed chests and wide h.i.p.s and her calm and cold face is drop-dead gorgeous. Her skin is white but not sickly white but rather pearly white and her white-colored hair is tied into a bun under her hat. Her sharp eyes are colored blood red.


    Her full name is Setsuna Savant Hyoudou. She''s Issei and Rossweisse''s first daughter.


    "Curse you! Curse you and your entire famil-"


    *BOOOMMM!!!*


    And that''s the end of the pirate flagship...


    "Hmph, what a waste. Even till the end of their lives, all they can do is spat useless profanities." Setsuna snorted: "Call the three-legged crow fleet and tell them to clean up the mess."


    "Understood."


    "I believe there''s nothing else that need my utmost attention?"


    "There''s none, Princess."


    "Um, you guys take it from here... I shall take my leave." Setsuna nodded before turning around.


    The officers and crewmates paid their respect to the retreating back of the Princess.


    Setsuna entered a spatial opening where she plopped down on her chair.


    "Now let''s see..." She muttered to herself while looking at the news from her house: "Oh? Royal father is visiting a parallel world? Interesting... And mother Semiramis already took one of royal father''s ''clone'' back, huh..."


    She received an incoming call right after she read the last piece of news.


    "Yes, mother Semi?" She responded to the call.


    "Setsu? Would you be a dear and see if your second father''s ''clone'' doing okay?" Semiramis voice resounded: "Mother is in the middle of something right now so I can''t personally pick him up. Your mother Irene is supposed to be the one who picks it up but it seems that she''s occupied with something else as well you see..."


    "Mm, of course." Setsuna nodded readily.


    "Thank you, dear. And here are the coordinates for the ''clone'' location. And insert this soul piece inside his body when you met him." After sending the coordinates and the soul piece, Semiramis ended the call.


    "Uhm... Looks like this royal father''s clone also a normal human being... but he got summoned to another world?" She muttered while observing the ''clone'': "But... It appears this ''clone'' became a bit of a wimp..." She said discontentedly watching how this ''clone'' feeling upset just because of a single girl.


    "This won''t do... A clone or not, Royal father''s dignity needs to be upheld." She said seriously.


    Setsuna waste no time before she descended on that said world...


    ...


    When she arrived at the clone''s location, what she saw annoys her a lot.


    Her royal father''s clone is wearing a Dark Knight armor and he seems to be fighting against a human woman but even though he''s obviously winning, he seems more depressed than his foe.


    Even when he manages to disarm the woman, he still seems clueless probably feeling heartbroken because of what the woman just said.


    "Sooner or later Reiji-kun will beat you! Because Reiji-kun is more handsome than hundreds of you!" The woman shouted while crying.


    The pathetic of a clone is only standing there frozen...


    What''s the relation of being handsome in this type of situation? Just because her favorite man is more handsome, she thinks that he will come out victorious? Where''s the logic in that?


    The girl seems to be in her 17''s so that probably explains some illogical things that she said. But this clone is not any better... Why did he just take her insult silently like that? Even if that said woman is his love interest...


    The two of them still didn''t realize her presence since she was floating above them.


    But she has to say that this clone''s soul wave is a bit off... It''s like there''s something missing...


    "Are you alright, Shirone?!"


    "Shirone-san!"


    Hm? Looks like there''s a couple of newcomers arriving when she''s still lost in her thoughts. A couple girls, and a man. One of those girls appears to be a Goddess since Setsuna can sense her divinity.


    "R-Reiji-kun?" The love interest of the clone''s whose name is Shirone exclaimed happily.


    "You! Dark Knight Diehart, stay away from Shirone!" The young man named Reiji who''s a handsome blonde said.


    And the clone seems to be more depressed than ever after this man''s arrival... Okay, that''s enough. She couldn''t handle seeing this pathetic side of the clone any longer.


    Setsuna lowered herself to the clone''s side making the rest of them dumbfounded.


    The clone also froze at her sight.


    Setsuna extended her right hand and took off the clone''s helmet revealing a masculine face with a slight shadow on it along with his dark hair, almond-shaped eyes accentuated by his dark pupils.


    Overall, he''s quite handsome and even not lose against the blonde man whose name is Reiji.


    Their difference is that Reiji seems more wild and unfettered while this clone is more of the silent type.


    "Hmm, barely passable..." Setsuna muttered. While the face under the helmet doesn''t even come close to her royal father''s gracefulness, it''s still barely passable by a normal human standard.


    "...K-Kuroki?" Shirone said in disbelief seeing the man under that helmet.


    Upon hearing those words, everyone is looking at Shirone.


    "W-Why are you here, Kuroki" Shirone''s scream reverberates throughout the surroundings.


    "Ah! I know him! He''s Shirone''s childhood friend!" A girl named Rino pointed out.


    "E-Ehhh!? He''s your childhood friend, Shirone?!"


    Why is Shirone''s childhood friend is here? Is what on their jumbled minds, except for Reiji who keeps staring unblinkingly towards Setsuna.


    Even the Goddess didn''t expect that the dark knight''s true identity is Shirone''s childhood friend.


    Meanwhile, the man in question is still frozen in place and didn''t even react to the commotion in his surroundings. He''s in a similar state with Reiji but he''s not enamored by Setsuna''s beauty but rather because of his soul''s reaction.


    "But if that''s your childhood friend then... who is that girl?" One of them asked.


    "...S-So beautiful..." Reiji muttered seeing the otherworldly beauty of Setsuna''s.


    "Y-You! Get away from Kuroki!" Shirone growled at Setsuna who ignored her completely.


    "...That girl is probably a Goddess..." The Goddess said after looking at Setsuna.


    "Eh? She''s your friend, Rena?"


    "No wonder she''s so beautiful..."


    "No... She''s not one of my friends nor is she related to Gods and Goddesses that I know..." Rena denied: "I never saw her even once before this..."


    "Th-Then..."


    When they''re about to continue asking, Setsuna muttered: "Good day to you, royal father''s clone... and goodbye."


    She then proceeds to stab the clone right in his chest but he still didn''t react in the slightest. And if one looks clearly, there''s not a single drop of blood coming from his stabbed chest.


    "KUROKI!!!" Shirone screamed in absolute shock.


    The clone closed his eyes before a large surge of power emerged from his body.


    "Hm?" Setsuna raised her eyebrows at this. Wasn''t she just supposed to collect the clone''s soul? Then how come it seems different from what she''s been told?


    Why did this clone''s scent start to getting more and more like that of her royal father''s?


    Shirone and the others are also shocked at this sight.


    "Wh-What happened to your childhood friend, Shirone? He seems to be... transforming?"


    "I-I don''t know either... But that girl did something to Kuroki! Get away from him!" Shirone finally sprang into action. She picked up her sword and dashed towards Setsuna.


    "Shirone, wait!" Her friends called out to her.


    Shirone ignored their words and immediately swung her sword down on Setsuna.


    Setsuna didn''t even look in her direction and let the sword hit her body only for it to break into pieces the moment it come into contact.


    "Wha-!?" While Shirone is still in disbelief, Setsuna notices some changes in the clone''s body.


    His hair grows longer until shoulder-length and his body also slowly grow taller... And what catches Setsuna''s attention the most is the aura the clone is releasing. His hair doesn''t turn white but his dark eyes turned wine red just like the original. By the end of it, he practically becomes the second Issei but only with dark-colored hair instead of white.


    "...Royal father?" Setsuna mumbled seeing the clone''s body starting to resemble her royal father''s more and more...


    "Hmm..." The clone which now turned into the second Issei stretches his body.


    The girls on the scene become frozen stiff while Reiji scowled at his sight sensing the ''danger'' he''s emanating.


    "Oh?" Issei turns his head towards Setsuna who''s looking at him in askance.


    "Hello, little princess." He smiles gently at her.


    "Royal father, is that really you? How come you..." Setsuna muttered in confusion.


    "No, it''s not the original me... you can think of this body as my avatar or some sort." He informed with a wry smile: "The piece of soul your mother Semi gave you must''ve contained 50% of my original strength."


    "Why did she..."


    "She was experimenting if we could make use of my ''clone''s'' body as a substitute for my soul vessel just in case I got killed."


    "But that''s impossible! No one can defeat you, royal father!" Setsuna exclaimed.


    "There''s nothing wrong with being prepared early on, little princess." Issei smiles fondly while giving her head a pat: "We must be prepared for anything and any situation, remember?"


    "...Royal father is wise." Setsuna nodded with a thin smile. She doesn''t want to admit that there''s someone out there that could kill her royal father but she has to agree that they better be prepared just in case something goes wrong.


    "Now then... since it clearly works, I should go back to my original body," Issei said.


    "Royal father wait!" Setsuna suddenly called.


    "Hm?"


    "C-Can you..." Setsuna lowly muttered: "Can you stay for a bit and accompany me?" She asked with upturned eyes.


    Issei raised his eyebrows before smilingly replied: "Of course but, why don''t you just go to my original body if you want to spend some time together? Father would gladly accompany you anytime you want, you know that right, little princess?"


    "I''m not little anymore, royal father... And I know you''re currently with the others at the moment and I don''t want to take your time more than needed..." Setsuna pouted.


    "You silly girl..." Issei sighed before giving her head another pat: "You can have all the time you need from me."


    "Kuroki? Is that really you?" While they''re still bonding with each other, Shirone finally snapped out of her daze.


    Setsuna''s face turned cold seeing that her time with her royal father got interrupted.


    She turned her gaze towards Shirone: "He''s not ''Kuroki''. The ''Kuroki'' you once knew never existed in the first place... He''s nothing but a ''clone'' of my royal father."


    "N-No, that''s impossible!"


    "You can deny it all you want but the proof is right in front of you."


    "U-Umm... Sorry to disturb you but... Can you explain what just happened? You said that Shirone-san''s childhood friend was just a clone? And how come does her childhood friend suddenly arrive in this world in the first place?" A girl named Chiyuki asked while still red-faced.


    "Isn''t it obvious? He must be a fake! There''s no way Shirone''s childhood friend would suddenly appear here. And he must be using some sort of magic to transform his appearance!" Reiji spat before anyone else could give their response.


    "Reiji..." Chiyuki frowned at his reply. There are too many holes in his theory even though it seems plausible at first glance.


    For one, it''s very unlikely for the opposing side to get their hands on Shirone''s childhood friend. And it''s impossible for them to perfectly duplicate his appearance as well.


    They all can see that just now this unknown presumably Goddess is the one who transformed him. And if they wanted to use this kind of strategy to go against them, they should''ve just uses a pretty girl like this unknown Goddess to trick Reiji who''s the strongest in their party.


    But even then, the Dark Knight Diehart or rather Kuroki already defeated Reiji in an easy manner, so it''s even more unlikely that they would try to pull such a stunt when they could just basically defeat Reiji already.


    So it doesn''t make any sense for them to do what Reiji just said.


    "And this young lady must''ve been tricked by that evil Demon King Modes! We need to save her from his hands! He must''ve blackmailed her or some sort." Reiji said while looking possessively at Setsuna.


    Setsuna didn''t react to his gaze since a gaze from an insect isn''t worth her attention but the same couldn''t be said for Issei.


    In less than a second, Issei arrived in front of Reiji before proceeding to lift him by his neck.


    "Ghk!" He choked.


    "Reiji/Reiji-kun!/Onii-sama!" His companions shouted. Only The Goddess from their side is still unblinkingly staring at Issei.


    "Do you believe that I won''t poke out your eyes from leering at my daughter?" Issei said coldly.


    The sheer pressure from him is enough to make all the girls stay rooted on the spot.


    "Royal father, you didn''t need to waste your time and dirty your hand with this kind of weakling..." Setsuna said softly.


    "Hmph." Issei scoffed before throwing him away in his companion''s direction.


    "W-We apologize for his behavior." Chiyuki who''s the most level-headed of the rest of her friends apologized hastily. She can see that Reiji is not badly hurt from that throw just now.


    Issei and Setsuna didn''t reply to her apology but instead, Setsuna started taking out some clothes from her inventory.


    "Royal father, let''s get you out of that silly outfit. That armor doesn''t suit you at all." Setsuna said giddily before she pulled out a bunch of matching outfits for Issei to wear.


    What she took out is mostly a military uniform that looks a bit similar to her outfit, complete with the military hat as well.


    Issei could only smile wryly at her enthusiasm. Looks like she spent too many times with Esdeath''s group as of lately...


    Issei of course won''t refuse his little princess''s request so he calmly took the outfit and put it on.


    Of course, he used his magic to wear his new outfit... there''s no way he would strip on the spot. He''s not an exhibitionist after all.


    Once he''s done wearing his uniform, which basically the male version of Setsuna''s outfit, he earns another entranced look from the girls.


    Reiji scowled even further seeing his companions got entranced at Issei''s sight.


    "Splendid, royal father!" Setsuna clapped happily: "Now we have a matching outfit."


    "U-U-Um, can you please answer our question just now?" Chiyuki somehow managed to snap out of her daze yet again.


    Setsuna looks very annoyed now... She almost couldn''t stop herself from knocking these bunch of weaklings out from their sight.


    Issei who sensed her anger lightly stroke her head.


    She squinted her eyes in bliss.


    "To answer your question..." Issei started speaking: "Indeed, I, or should I say this body which previously belongs to a boy named Kuroki Yukisaki is a clone of my original self just like you heard from my daughter."


    "No... No, there''s no way Kuroki is just a clone... There''s no way!" Shirone denied adamantly: "You must''ve done something to him! Give him back to me! Give him back!" She cried.


    "Sorry, but I can''t do that." Issei calmly shook his head: "And besides, don''t you have the man that you like already." Issei pointed at Reiji.


    "What? No, Reiji is..."


    "Special?" Issei speak before she could finish her sentence: "Then what about your childhood friend? Is he also a special existence? But that would be impossible since you argue with him and have a falling out with each other just because you want to defend your special person over there."


    "Kuroki and Reiji are different! Reiji is a hero everybody deserves while Kuroki is gentle but good for nothing person with no good qualities!" Shirone replied.


    "Sh-Shirone..."


    Even her friends are feeling awkward about her assessment of Kuroki.


    "Just the fact that you couldn''t see what''s wrong with what you just said is pretty amazing in my opinion... Truly a good childhood friend." Setsuna said sarcastically.


    "Wh-What? But it''s the truth!" Shirone spat back: "He''s also a closet pervert that likes to ogle on girls!"


    "A good for nothing, huh... Then how come is that good for nothing able to defeat you and your Mr. Hero over there? If he''s good for nothing then what are you two who got defeated by him. What makes the of you then? A complete utter failure?" Setsuna sneered: "And do you think Mr. Hero over there is not a pervert?"


    Shirone''s words got stuck on her throat when she heard Setsuna''s words. Reiji''s personality is extremely well known to everyone... For one, he will only save beautiful women and won''t even bother taking a second glance if the one needed help is a man or not a beautiful woman.


    Rather than calling him a hero, a Philanderer is more suitable to describe him as a whole.


    It''s mostly unknown to them but he has a lot of mistresses in the dark... One of them being the princess of a country and that said princess is also engaged.


    "Have you ever treated your childhood friends with kindness before? Or did you always treated him like a retainer after all this time?" Issei asked once again and Shirone is at a complete loss for words.


    When she remembered her past with Kuroki, she has never treated him kindly... And she always bosses him around... just like a retainer.


    Issei then changed his attention to Chiyuki and the others: "And all of you shouldn''t be here. Your presence caused the balance in this world to tip over on one side. You bring more harm rather than good for being here."


    "Nonsense! We''re heroes! We saved a lot of people from the Demons!" Reiji retorted.


    "He''s right, the Demon King is the cause of the suffering of many people," Chiyuki added.


    The others also agreed with their statement.


    "Are the ''people'' that you mentioned include those who are of the Demon race?" Issei asked.


    "Of course not. They''re the ones who bring harm to the humans after all."


    "Are you saying that the human never bring harm to others in this world?"


    "That''s..." They''re feeling stumped at his reply.


    "From what this ''clone'' memories tell me, it seems that the Demon King is always staying in his territory, so how did he cause the suffering of many people?"


    "Yes, it''s true that the Demon King never leaves his territory. But the demons are the ones attacking humans. Isn''t that the same as the Demon King causing the suffering of many people?" They reasoned.


    "The Demon King never ordered them to do so."


    "...So it''s just his subordinates doing as they please? Isn''t that irresponsible? Why doesn''t he control them? So isn''t that the same as having him as the reason for the suffering of people?"


    "By your logic, if a human becomes a bandit or a thief and then they harmed others, it''s the fault of the human King then?"


    "No, that''s..." Once again, they''re at a loss for words.


    "It''s the fault of that particular individual?"


    "...Yes."


    "Then how come when an individual of the Demon race did things on their own volition, it''s the fault of the Demon King but when it''s a human it''s not their king''s fault?"


    "..."


    "The reason why you think that way is because you are not from this world." Issei stated: "It''s normal for you to see the Demon race as evil since you came from a peaceful world that is ruled by humans. You automatically assumed the Demon race is evil as a whole while you barely know them. Am I wrong?"


    "..." They still didn''t or rather couldn''t say anything in return since it''s the truth.


    "But we saved a lot of people during our stay here! You can''t deny that!" Reiji tried to refute.


    "I don''t deny that." Issei replied: "But you only see what you did from one side since it''s a lot easier for you. ''Good'' and ''Evil'' are just opposite sides of the same coin. They are both needed in the world. They complement each other and help the world function properly."


    "You probably think that you saved a village full of humans from the Demon race but you never stop and think just why did they attack the human in the first place... Sure some of them attack the humans just because they wanted to but some attacked the humans out of desperation or perhaps because they wanted revenge."


    Issei waved his hand to show a projection of the ''clone'' memories. In the projection, they can see the humans are attacking a village full of the Demon race without mercy... They killed the children and elderly alike.


    Some of them become enslaved and some even being rap*d on the spot.


    Chiyuki and the others covered their mouth in shock.


    "The humans become more and more fearless knowing that they have a ''Hero'' on their side... What do they have to fear? If the Demon tried to retaliate then they can just call you, their beloved heroes to push them back, right?"


    "N-No, th-that''s not what we..."


    "No need to explain yourself. I don''t have the intention to judge any of your actions... I only used you as an example. I couldn''t care less about what you did to this world or what will happen to this world. I only wanted to teach my daughter to never see things only from one side."


    "I understand, royal father. Setsuna will never do things without properly thinking about it." Setsuna said.


    "Mm, you can take it easy, princess... If you ever did something wrong, you just need to know that father and your mother will always have your back." Issei smiles lovingly.


    "Un." Setsuna teared up a bit before she smiles widely at Issei.


    "...Th-Then what have we been doing after all this time... Weren''t we supposed to be the hero of justice?" Shirone muttered in tears.


    "Don''t worry, Shirone. We only need to do things that we think are right. There''s no need to listen to him!" Reiji said in reassurance.


    Out of everyone here, he seems to be the one who''s less affected by his action so far.


    "Rei-kun is right... It can''t be helped that those things happened to the Demon race but we could change the way we do things from now on." A girl named Sahoko said.


    "It''s easy to just wave things off like that, isn''t it?" Setsuna interrupted their conversation.


    "There''s no use in overthinking stuff. We just need to save those in need as usual." Reiji said confidently: "If by chance I found out that you''re indeed being brainwashed then I would also gladly save you."


    He flashed his typical confident smile towards Setsuna.


    But rather than feeling touched, Setsuna grows more and more irritated instead.


    "How disgusting..." She said in disgust.


    "Don''t you dare insult Rei-kun!" Sahoko scowled.


    "Heh, how ignorant. I truly pity you..."


    "I don''t need your pity!"


    "We''ll see about that," Setsuna said dubiously: "By the way, that''s a nice ring you have there." She said while looking at the crimson ring on Reiji''s finger.


    Reiji''s body stiffened for a brief moment before he relaxed his body: "...It''s a gift from my mother. Of course it''s beautiful."


    "Hmm, is that so?" Setsuna sneered: "Royal father, may I?"


    "No need. It won''t be long before it broke down on its own." Issei shook his head.


    "Understood."


    "And the fault doesn''t solely belong to them since they''re just ignorant children. The fault lies with the one who summoned them here." Issei looks at the dazed Goddess whose name is Rena.


    They simultaneously look at her.


    "Why don''t you tell them the real reason why summoned them here? To defeat the Demon King? That''s a complete utter lie and you know that."


    "This..." Rena is feeling nervous being looked on like this.


    "Don''t worry, Rena! No matter what I will sa-"


    "You be quiet." Issei waved his hand to shut Reiji''s mouth. It''s like his mouth has been sealed shut by something invisible.


    "I..."


    "I could more or less guess just why did you summon them in the first place. It has something to do with your clone created by the Demon King Modes, right?"


    "!!!"


    "Looks like I was right." Issei nodded after seeing her reaction.


    "What''s this about, Rena? What clone?" Chiyuki asked.


    "During my clone stay in the Demon King''s castle, he saw a woman looks extremely similar to her. Her name is Mona if I''m not mistaken. That woman should be her clone."


    "But, how is that possible? How can the Demon King create a clone of a Goddess?" They asked in disbelief.


    "It''s quite simple actually. That Demon King Modes is also a God like her."


    "What? Is that true, Rena?!"


    "...Indeed." Rena nodded. Under the gaze of Issei, she couldn''t refute anything... It''s like she''s forced to tell the truth.


    "..." Their mouth went wide agape at this revelation.


    "The Demon King, Modes... He, created a clone of myself and named her Mona." Rena bit her lips in frustration: "She is a fake goddess made with my hair as the material. In short, my clone..."


    If you ask why I know about her existence, the very reason was the person herself. Though it''s not like Modes was trying to hide her.


    Though I don''t know the reason, someday she just appeared in my dream with me seeing her point of view.


    Maybe because she is my clone.


    Moreover, though I can get any information from her, she can''t do the same thing to me. Maybe that''s the distinguishing attribute between the original and the copy. It seems Mona doesn''t know that I can get information from her.


    Thus, I know information about Nargol first hand while still remaining in Elios.


    "...But then, I also come to know about an information that I don''t want to know... I am forced to see Mona and Modes having s*x EVERY NIGHT. For some reason, I have to see the n.a.k.e.d body of that ugly Modes even inside my dream, to be honest, it''s a nightmare to me." She cried in pure disgust.


    The girls flinched while remembering the picture of Modes... His height is slightly larger than 4 meters tall. He looked like a giant pig standing upright. He has a pig head with a heavily fat human body... They shuddered imagining his n.a.k.e.d body.


    Rena demanded Modes to hand over her clone. However, Modes refused and announced that she has to defeat him if she wants Mona. Rena asked the male gods who are infatuated with her to fight Modes. Many male gods fought to defeat Modes, but Modes repelled all of them.


    The war between Modus and Rena has always ended in Modes victory... That''s why after asking for a divination from a fellow God, Rena finally summoned Reiji and the others.


    "Uhh, yeah... She''s telling the truth." Issei coughed awkwardly.


    No wonder she went mad and desperate... Rather than calling Modes human-like, it''s more suitable to call him an orc.


    The other girls could feel her pain... Who would be happy if they''re in her position?


    "...Hey, will you become my knight?" Rena suddenly said after taking a deep breath.


    "...What?" They become dumbfounded at her words. Reiji who has his mouth shut is making a muffled sound of protest.


    "No, rather, would you become my husband instead? I hate men who are not loyal but if it''s you I won''t mind. Even if you have a mistress or two I won''t mind, so won''t you become my husband?" Rena asked.


    "No thank you." Issei denied instantly.


    "But why?! I''m a supreme beauty!"


    "What''s your beauty has anything to do with it? I couldn''t care less even if you are a hundred times more beautiful, my answer is still no."


    "Why?!"


    "Do I still need to tell you the reason? It''s because I find you annoying." Issei said refreshingly.


    "..." Rena''s mouth becomes wide agape. The other girls also become impressed at his outright refusal.


    Setsuna only sneered at the flabbergasted Rena. Did this idiot thinks that her royal father will just accept anyone as his wife? Dream on!


    "But I can help you with your problem," Issei said next.


    "You''re going to kill Modes for me?"


    "No. I will just sever your connection with your clone."


    "Y-You can do that?"


    "It''s easy enough for me," Issei said simply: "But cloning through a strand of hair, huh... Guess I need to look into this method as well."


    He should contact Da Vinci and the others to see into this.


    ...


    "For the last time! Go away all of you!"


    "Oh come on, Hepy! Share him a bit with us, will ya?"


    "My answer is still no! No matter how many times you ask me, I would never share my husband with any of you!"


    Hephaestus then proceeds to slam the door to her house.


    "Tsk, cheapskate." Loki and the other Goddesses pouted discontentedly.


    Hephaestus who''s inside her house sighed tiredly.


    "They''re still at it?" A beautiful and petite Goddess with a youthful appearance and twin tail hairstyle asked wryly.


    "Yeah..."


    "It''s your fault for flaunting your pregnancy, you know?"


    "Tsk, shut it... I can''t even get enough sleep nowadays because of them." Hephaestus grumbled.


    "Can''t really blame them though... It''s unprecedented for a Goddess to be pregnant after all."


    "I know I know... Let''s put that aside for now. So you''re going to create a familia of your own?


    "Yep!"


    "Hmm, I thought you''re going to freeload on my place..."


    "O-Of course not! I would never try to freeload on your place which would leave a negative impact on your husband''s impression of me and then earn his ire after all!"


    "Uh huh..." Hephaestus deadpanned.


    "A-Anyway, I''m going to search for my own ''child'' now!" The petite Goddess scrambled to her feet.


    "Well, good luck. If you need any help then just tell me... If you want, I could lend a couple of brats to you just to get your familia started."


    "N-No thanks! Your so-called ''brats'' are basically a God already! It would be cheating!"


    "Eh, who cares. If those old farts wanted to say something then let them come and see if they dare to do anything to our kids." Hephaestus shrugged and said ill humoredly.


    "You know they won''t dare to do anything..."


    Hephaestus gives a faint chuckle at the petite Goddess''s words. Of course she knows it... Not a single one of the sane Gods dare to cross the Godking''s path after all.


    "Well, go on then."


    "Um, thanks for your hospitality, Hephaestus."


    "Yeah yeah, take care."


    Then the petite Goddess left her house.


    Hephaestus slumped to her sofa and took a sip of the tea on the table.


    Then she looks at her slightly protruding stomach and lovingly caresses it.

 Chapter 155 - Side 12

    Issei used his magic to sever the connection between Rena and her clone.


    Rena''s body shuddered fiercely feeling the sudden intrusion... but she doesn''t feel discomfort but rather feels a little itchy instead.


    Her cheeks reddened slightly seeing the indifferent look on Issei''s gaze.


    Issei grasped a ''string'' that connected the two of them in his hand and thought about the possibilities with this kind of cloning method... But soon he snapped out of his thoughts.


    "Hm, might as well..." Issei muttered before he closed his eyes for a moment.


    A slight change in the air could be felt around Issei.


    "Royal father?" Setsuna said in surprise sensing his strength rising at a rapid pace.


    At the same time, his original body also underwent a slight change.


    "Well, I got to go now. I''ll see you soon." Issei said towards Erza and the others before he closed their line of communication.


    "Ah, papa! Your body is glowing! So pretty!" Lotte who''s sitting on his lap exclaimed. They''re currently in Forzelotte''s bedroom.


    "Hm? Ise?" Forzelotte who''s seated beside him raised her eyebrows.


    "Heheh, sorry, but I got to go for a while. Setsuna is feeling a little lonely you see." Issei said apologetically.


    "Jeez, and here I thought something was wrong..." Forzelotte sighed: "Be sure to properly accompany her, okay?"


    "Got it." Issei nodded.


    "Papa, take care! Say hello to Setsuna onee-chan for me!" Lotte waved after Forzelotte picked her up.


    "Mm, papa won''t be away for long. Be a good girl and listen to your mama, okay?"


    "Un!"


    "Good girl." Issei gives her head another pat.


    In the next second, Issei''s body disappeared on the spot.


    "Hn? That fool..." Forzelotte smirked sensing the change of time around her: "Just how much of a daughtercon is he? To think he would go this far just because one of his daughters feeling lonely..."


    "Daughtercon papa is the best!" Lotte said.


    "Muh, do you even know what that means?" Forzelotte frowned.


    "Don''t know!" Lotte stuck out her tongue: "But since it''s papa then it must be great!"


    Forzelotte sighed tiredly while rubbing Lotte''s head: "You little troublemaker... You and your big sisters are so alike."


    "Ehehe~????"


    "That''s not a compliment..." Forzelotte sighed before she continues to pat her head dotingly.


    On the clone''s location, Issei''s black hair slowly change its color into white and his aura doubled... including his charm.


    The girl''s eyes couldn''t become any wider seeing the current him. If before he looks mouthwatering then the current him is extremely ravishing!


    What changes on the visible eyes are only his hair color but there''s this indescribable charm oozing off his every being...


    "R-Royal father, you..." Setsuna said shockingly.


    "Heheh, we can have all the time you need, princess... I''ve already informed the others and I''ve also slowed the time on their place, so we can take our time." Issei said with a wink.


    "Royal father!" Setsuna practically hopped to his embrace feeling exhilarated. While being with his clone is not bad, staying with his original body is obviously a lot better hence why she''s so happy.


    "I thought you said that you''re not a child anymore?" Issei chuckled while rubbing her head.


    "Hmph! You''re being a meanie, royal father!" Setsuna pouted while acting spoiled.


    "Yes yes, it''s father''s fault." Issei said with a smile.


    "H-Hey... D-Did he just transformed again?"


    "I-It seems that way, as far as I can tell, only his hair color changes..."


    "That may be so but somehow... he just becomes more..." The one who just spoke didn''t finish her sentences but they all share the same thought... Even more tempting.


    Shirone gazes at Issei with a complicated look... She still couldn''t accept that her childhood friend is just a clone of this man!


    Reiji''s frown deepened and he gritted his teeth seeing the enamored look on most of his ''harem'' faces.


    After bonding with each other for a while with the entranced onlookers in the background, Issei finally asked his little princess: "So, princess. Where do you want to go now? Shall we go to another world?"


    "Mm, no. Let''s stay in this world for a bit, royal father." Setsuna eyed the scowling Reiji, well, at his ring to be exact.


    "As you wish then." Issei wryly smiled at her intention. Looks like she bears a bit of a grudge for his ''clone'' past.


    "And can we use this opportunity to sharpen my commanding skill, royal father?" Setsuna inquired.


    "Hm? What do you have in mind?"


    "I was thinking if we could take control of a territory on this world and establish a settlement of some sort."


    "I don''t really mind but why do you want to do that?"


    "I want to help you in ruling our world... Since Royal mother is your assistant, your right hand... I want to be your left hand." Setsuna asked hopefully.


    Issei raised his eyebrows in surprise before he smiles fondly: "You didn''t have to do that, princess... I''m happy with just your thoughts alone."


    "It doesn''t matter. I want to be more useful for you, royal father." Setsuna insisted.


    "Then we can take our time back at home."


    "No, it must be somewhere you have no control over, royal father... A place where they''ve never heard of your exalted name." Setsuna pointed out.


    If it''s a world where they know of her royal father''s name then it will be for naught... It won''t be much of a training when they just agreed to her every demand.


    "Very well..." Issei sighed: "You and your mother are so alike you know? Even when she was pregnant with you, I keep telling her to get some rest but she''s being very disobedient and kept refusing... Father finally has to ''incapacitate'' her whenever she has some energy to spare." He chuckled mischievously remembering the past.


    Setsuna''s face inadvertently blushed deeply since she can understand what he meant... Her Royal mother often complains to her after all during her drunken state.


    Chiyuki and the others feel a bit awkward seeing that they''re being ignored yet again.


    Rena on the other hand grows more and more possessive when Issei''s original body took over the clone''s body. Her jealousy got enhanced even further when she saw the loving look on Issei''s face.


    "Hm? Why are you still here?" Setsuna finally took notice of their presence: "Royal father has already disconnected the link to your clone so you shouldn''t be worried about it anymore. You can go now." She ushered them to leave.


    "W-Well, w-we were thinking if you could somehow send us back home," Chiyuki asked while faking a cough.


    While she seems hopeful about going back to her original world, Reiji and a few others for one are feeling reluctant instead.


    Why would they go back? Reiji for one thought that this world is his dream world... He can have all the girls here and most of them are more beautiful than the women back in their world.


    This feeling of his got further enhanced when he saw Setsuna and Rena for the first time.


    He would never coercive upon a woman but he would wile them. However, he has never been an inconvenience to get close to women because he has a good face.


    But now he''s feeling threatened to see Issei who''s more good looking than him.


    "Back home?" Setsuna repeated: "Why should we bother sending you back home?"


    "Th-That''s..."


    "Ask the one who summoned you here to send you back home." Setsuna waved uninterestedly before she looks back at Issei: "Now come, royal father. Let''s go!"


    "Sure." Issei nodded with a smile: "Ah, one more thing." Issei looks at Reiji''s group with a calm gaze.


    They shuddered greatly sensing his gaze.


    "While it was my clone''s promise to the Demon King Modes... I would still honor his promise. If any of you dare to step into the Demon territory and started going on a reckless crusade... I will kill you on the spot." Issei said simply.


    There''s no threatening gesture from his side nor there is an oppressive aura but it''s more than enough to serve as a warning for them.


    Reiji does feel afraid but the girls for some reason felt all tingly instead... There''s an indescribable feeling that sends a shiver down to their spine when they''re gazed at so intently like this by him...


    "As for the Demons who might invade your human realm, you don''t need to worry about them either. I will properly handle them myself." Setsuna added cooly: "Do we make ourselves clear?"


    They rapidly nodded their head while shivering.


    Seeing that, Issei and Setsuna both turn around with the intention of leaving the place.


    "W-Wait, Kuroki!"


    "P-Please wait a moment!"


    "You! Wait!"


    And ignoring the whining group of girls in the background, the two of them left the place... On their way outside, they saw a single black Dragon looking extremely nervous.


    This black Dragon is the mount of Issei''s ''clone''. He named it Glorious.


    The Black Dragon keeps shivering while meekly looking at Issei and Setsuna.


    "Hm? This child..." Issei muttered before he floated right next to it.


    The Dragon lowered its head even further and Issei who saw this give a thin smile before he lightly rubbed its head.


    "Let''s go, Setsuna. Seems like it wanted to give us a ride."


    "Un."


    Issei and Setsuna landed on its back.


    Giving a happy cry, the black Dragon while carrying its King and Princess fly across the night sky in glee. The joy it is currently feeling is through the roof... Giving its race True King and Princess a ride is an unprecedented honor that might not come in ten lifetimes.


    "...They''re gone just like that..." Chiyuki said with a sigh while looking at the flying black Dragon.


    She and the other girls are having complicated feelings and thoughts.


    "Now Rena, since your problem has been solved. Can you send us back home?" She asked Rena.


    "Wait, Chiyuki." Reiji called out.


    "Not now, Reiji." Chiyuki said seriously.


    "No, I mean we still have some stuff to do here, don''t we? There are still more people who need saving!"


    "You mean more girls to ''save''?" Chiyuki deadpanned. For some reason, when she looks at Reiji now, she felt a bit irked... Usually, she can withstand his playboy side but now, not so much.


    "Sorry, but that''s impossible..." Rena shook her head after seeing that Issei has completely disappeared from her view.


    "What? Why?" Chiyuki asked with a frown.


    "The Dark Knight, I believe his name was Kuroki? Destroyed the summoning tool... So I can''t send you back anymore."


    "So you''re saying that we can''t go back anymore?"


    "That... I don''t know yet. There might be a way but I can''t tell you now." Rena said impatiently. She wanted to go back right away since she needs to take care of something.


    "You don''t need to rush, Rena. You can take your time." Reiji said with a smile.


    Chiyuki gives him a silent glare before sighing tiredly. Just what they''re supposed to do now? That otherworldly man clone seems to be the one who''s responsible for destroying the summoning tool but then again... Could they really trust Rena in the first place?


    ...


    "Hm? Human?"


    On their way back, Setsuna spotted a group of humans being attacked by goblins.


    Issei look over and nodded his head: "Do whatever you want, princess." He said simply.


    "...Understood." Setsuna thought for a bit before she decided to save them.


    She jumped down from the back of Glorious and landed between the goblins and humans.


    The goblins froze in their place when they saw Setsuna.


    "Leave," Setsuna said.


    But the goblins only reply is a perverted smile...


    "Gigigigi! Another beautiful woman!"


    "Gigigigi!"


    "You don''t want to leave? Then die." She waved her hand and the goblins are bisected right in the middle leaving a puddle of blood and guts all over the ground.


    The humans show dread on their faces because of what they just saw.


    "What are you doing here?" Setsuna turned around and asked them.


    But, the humans aren''t replying as they are still terrified due to her display and the black Dragon looming above them.


    "You''re not going to answer?" Setsuna narrowed her eyes.


    The humans become more nervous seeing this.


    After a few seconds, a young woman comes out to the front.


    Probably in her early 20s and her dress is also the best amongst them.


    "Uhm¡­ M-My¡­ My name is Regena, the princess of the Algore kingdom. These people are my blood relatives¡­" She said nervously while stuttering a bit.


    "Why would a princess be in this kind of place?" Setsuna inquired further.


    "...We were exiled, and we came to this land," Regena replied sadly.


    "Mm, a civil war?" Setsuna nodded.


    "E-Eh? Y-Yes, you could say that..."


    "That''s all I need to hear."


    Setsuna turned around and about to leave when Regena pleaded: "Please. Please save us..."


    "Hm?"


    "A-Algore is on bad terms with the neighborhood kingdom, so no kingdom will welcome us, a royalty of that kingdom. That''s why... we have nowhere else to go... Please save us! I''ll do anything!" She kneeled.


    Maybe because they''ve suffered thoroughly while traveling to this place. Her voice is already hoarse.


    The other people are also bowing towards Setsuna.


    Setsuna heaved a sigh while looking at the sky or to be precise, at her royal father figure who''s standing on top of Glorious.


    "You don''t need to ask me, princess. You''re free to do anything you want." Issei said with a doting smile.


    Setsuna nodded with a smile of her own.


    Regena and the others shockingly raised their heads to look at the source of the second voice belonging to a man. But they become frozen stiff when they saw his figure...


    As if their soul has been stolen from their body, their unfocused eyes stay transfixed on him.


    Setsuna frowned seeing this, she used her oppressive aura to snap them out of their daze.


    Once they''re snapped out of their daze, they hurriedly look towards the ground while blushing furiously.


    They couldn''t believe there could be someone who can be so beautiful! This woman before them is also extremely beautiful but her ruthless side made them feel apprehensive.


    "Very well, I''ll save you but you will become my servants. Any objection?"


    "N-None!" They raised their head once again feeling a bit more hopeful. Rather than being abandoned in the wilderness, they rather become servants.


    "Fumu." Setsuna nodded.


    Issei who saw this whistled lightly.


    Less than a minute, a large swarm of Wyverns and Dragons alike started flying towards their direction.


    Across the Demon territory and fortress. There''s a large commotion seeing a large swarm of Wyverns and Dragons flying in one direction...


    "Royal father?" Setsuna raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    "You''re going to claim territory for yourself, right? You can''t be a ruler if there is no subject to lord over." Issei gives a faint chuckle: "Since we''re Dragons then it will only befitting that you rule over Dragons, don''t you think so? Of course, that doesn''t mean you can''t accept other races to your kingdom, princess."


    Setsuna thought for a second before nodding her head with a warm gaze: "Um, thank you, royal father."


    Regena and the other humans are shivering on the spot after seeing so many Dragons flying in their direction... Some even thought of this as the end of the world.


    Setsuna ignored their state and told them to get on top of the wyvern.


    They apprehensively followed her order. Their only comfort is that the wyvern doesn''t seem to be hostile towards them.


    ...


    "Wh-What''s wrong, Mona?! I-It''s me, your beloved husband, Modes!" The Demon King Modes asked his wife who seems to have become crazed.


    "Go away you pig! Get the hell away from me!" His wife shouted hysterically: "I-I can''t believe this... I can''t believe I''ve been living in a life filled with lies and deceit..."


    "Wh-What are you saying!? What lies? What deceit?"


    "...Hahaha... You dare ask me what''s wrong?!" She looks at him with a gaze filled with hatred: "You cloned me from the strand of hair of Goddess Rena and brainwashed me to feel love for you... You tell me... Is that a deceit or not?! I''ve been created just to become your doll! Your pleasure toy!"


    "B-But I truly love you!"


    "You call that LOVE?! When one side forcefully makes the other party feel love for you!? That''s artificial love! A lies! From the moment I was created... All I can think about was you... I always think that''s just how things are... But now... now I realize that it''s all false... How can this be called living? I''m only a copy of the original who doesn''t have its own free will..." She sobbed even harder: "I''m only a doll... A toy... I rather die than living like this..."


    She suddenly puked on the spot remembering the ''life'' she has been living. How this pig takes advantage of her innocence... How he put those thoughts making her thinking that she truly love him from the bottom of her heart...


    She suddenly realizes all this just a while ago when she felt something break inside of her. Like a chain that has been unchained...


    When that happens, she gained her own free will and some memories belonging to the Goddess Rena. She was only a doll programmed to love this pig in front of her... And when she thought till here, she felt like dying instead! Why would she born just to become this pig doll?!


    "M-Mona..." Modes said desperately.


    "Get lost!!!" She screamed.


    The maids and subordinates surrounding them are feeling at a loss... What just happened? How come their Queen suddenly started shouting and crying?! They don''t know what to do seeing her being like this...


    While they''re at a standstill they heard a loud roar from the outside of the castle.


    "What''s with the commotion!?" The Demon King Modes asked his subordinate who just stepped into the room. He''s feeling very restless right now because of his wife''s abnormality.


    "R-Reporting, Your highness! Th-There is a large swarm of Dragons heading our way! E-Even the Wyverns and Dragons on our side are also behaving strangely!"


    "What?" Modes repeated in disbelief.


    "Th-The Dark Knight Diehart Dragon, Glorious is also amongst them!"


    "What the hell is going on!? Is Diehart rebelling?!" Modes grasped his head in frustration.


    "W-We don''t know, your highness, but the one who''s in the lead seems to be a white-haired young woman. Diehart is nowhere in sight!"


    "Huh?" Modes let out a dumbfounded voice.


    Actually, not only here. Across the whole world, the same thing is happening all over the place. Dragons and Wyverns species are flying across the sky heading towards one direction. Whether it be from the human nation or other places.


    Mona who overheard their conversation raised her head... The memory that she obtained from Rena recently showed her the image of Issei.


    She hurriedly ran outside.


    "M-Mona, wait!" Modes called out before he ran after her as well.


    When Modes arrived outside, he''s greeted with a large amount of Dragonkin hovering over his castle and surrounding it.


    At the forefront of the swarm, Setsuna can be seen looking down on the castle.


    "Oh? He''s already here?" She said in a slight surprise since she hasn''t called out to him yet: "But this should make things easier and faster."


    "Please!"


    "Hn?" Setsuna noticed a lone woman running forward from the crowd of demons.


    She was an extremely beautiful woman.


    Her beautiful and silky black hair was down to her waist.


    She had an extremely well-ordered face and bountiful chest.


    "Please take me away from here! I''m begging you!" This woman who''s begging desperately is obviously Mona.


    "You are..." Setsuna notices that this woman looks very similar to that Goddess that she met recently. So she concluded that she must be the clone that she mentioned.


    "I-I''m Mona, the clone of the Goddess Alrena! Please save me from this fiend''s hand!" Mona shouted.


    "Huh?" Setsuna blinked her eyes feeling confused. Wasn''t this Goddess''s clone supposed to be madly in love with the Demon King Modes? Her Royal father has already informed her of this before during their way here.


    "M-My name is Modes. The one who''s called the demon king. Wh-Who are you and why are you here at my home?" Modes called out first: "P-Please ignore my wife''s rambling, she''s not being herself right now."


    Setsuna looked back in Issei''s direction and even Issei himself looks slightly taken aback seeing the current Mona.


    He''s also feeling a little confused just like Setsuna.


    Issei frowned a little before he drops down from Glorious''s back silencing the growling Dragons, including the nervous Demonkin.


    Issei stood in front of Mona who''s crying profusely.


    "You... You''re that man from Goddess Alrena memories..."


    Issei ignored her words and after using his divine sense on her body, he finally understood of what happened.


    "Royal father?" Setsuna called out.


    "Who are you?! Stay away from my wife!" Modes become frantic seeing this otherworldly man standing so close to his wife.


    "...Looks like when I severed the link between her and that Goddess, my power somehow reaches the other end of the link." Issei mused ignoring Modes.


    "So royal father saying is that this clone..."


    "Mm, the ''setting'' within her personality has become undone. Now she has her own free will... Well, not really free will but rather the common sense of that Goddess Rena." Issei concluded: "Looks like father used too much power..." He wryly smiled.


    "I see..." Setsuna nodded understandingly: "It can''t be helped. It''s not royal father''s fault, they''re far much weaker after all."


    "Wh-What are you two saying!? What happened to my wife? Did you two have something to do with her current abnormality?!" Modes shouted in anger.


    "Be quiet." Setsuna said coldly: "Abnormality? If anything she becomes normal rather than abnormal."


    "But she was my wife!? We loved each other!"


    "Lies! I don''t love this fiend!" Mona interfered: "The previous me was only an empty husk! A doll that could barely think for herself!"


    "Okay, calm down both of you." Issei sighed tiredly: "We don''t have all day arguing back and forth... Modes." Issei called.


    "Wh-What?"


    "I''m Diehart, Yukisaki Kuroki. Or at least I was."


    "Huh?" Modes let out a dumbfounded voice.


    His confusion is quite normal since Kuroki and Issei''s appearance differs too much.


    "Here, you should recognize this armor." Issei took out the Dark Knight''s armor.


    "That''s! That''s Diehart-dono armor! What did you do to him?!"


    "Like I said... I''m him or rather, he never existed in the first place. He was just my clone." Issei said.


    "A clone? What?"


    "I don''t understand why you seem to be confused when you have created a clone yourself... In summary, Yukisaki Kuroki is my clone and I''m the original. I took over my clone''s body and here I am. Understand?"


    "I-I don''t..."


    "We''re not getting anywhere... Anyway, just know that the Hero won''t be invading your home and I''ve fulfilled the promise I made you. As the payment, I will take over the territory on the East."


    "The East? That wasteland?" Modes murmured: "Or rather, what the hell is going on?!"


    "This fool is too much of an idiot, royal father..." Setsuna sighed.


    "It can''t be helped... After what happened to his ''wife'', I can''t really blame him." Issei shrugged.


    "Wait, you''re responsible for this! Change my wife back! Change my wife back to normal!"


    "My promise was only to stop the hero from invading your domain. Our agreement ends there." Issei stated.


    "Th-Then, then let''s make another deal! What do you want in exchange for returning my wife to normal?" Modes said desperately.


    "Talk about being desperate..." Setsuna said with despise.


    "No no no! Please don''t change me back! I don''t want to continue living as a doll! J-Just kill me if you have to but don''t change me back! I''m begging you!" Mona hugged Issei''s leg while begging him desperately.


    Issei frowned seeing her like this.


    Setsuna who sensed his discomfort peeled her away from his leg.


    "Okay, that''s enough. No close contact with my royal father."


    Mona flailed her arms around thinking that she will be reverted back into a doll.


    "Stay calm. Royal father and I won''t change you back into a doll."


    "R-Really?" Mona stopped her struggle.


    "No! Change her back! Change her back I said!" Modes stepped forward but the moment he did so, the Dragons in the vicinity growled at him.


    *Grrr!!!*


    They growled menacingly at him. A combination of so many Dragon''s oppressive killing intent is not something Modes could wave off just like that.


    He might be strong, as strong as the head of the Gods in this world but that doesn''t mean he''s invincible.


    "Modes." Issei called out making Modes turned his gaze towards him: "If you want your wife to become the way she was before then use your own charm." Issei said ignoring Mona''s shout.


    "...Charm you say..." Modes said speechlessly.


    "That''s not going to happen! There''s no way in hell I would come back to him!" Mona screeched.


    "Yes, use your charm and gain her heart back properly this time. Don''t resort to creating a clone just to satisfy your carnal desire..."


    "And if I''m not wrong then you took a strand of that Goddess''s hair without her consent, right? What you''re doing is beyond creepy in my opinion as a fellow woman." Setsuna added: "And why don''t you find a fellow demon to marry anyway?"


    "Th-That''s..." Modes averted his eye trying to find a reason.


    "What? Don''t tell me not a single one of them willing to marry you?" Setsuna inquired further.


    "N-No, it''s just that..." He started to sweat even further.


    "Heh... No need to ask him that..." Mona is the one who responded with a sneer: "Isn''t it obvious? This fiend wanted to marry the most beautiful woman there is but he doesn''t realize his place... He tried courting Goddess Alrena but she obviously refuses. Then he lowered his standard by a tiny amount and asked the other Goddesses of light but he got rejected yet again... In the end, he retorted to cloning method hence here I am." She narrated.


    "Hee, you''re saying that he has that high of a standard on choosing his wife?" Setsuna asked.


    "Indeed... From what I know, it''s not like there''s no female Demon out there that are against marrying him, but he himself doesn''t want to marry them simply because they''re not up to his standard."


    "Th-That''s not true!" Modes tried to refute her claim.


    "No use lying in front of us, Modes. Royal father and I can tell when somebody is lying or not so you can save your words." Setsuna scoffed: "If it were me, I would''ve reacted the same way as the Goddess Rena and started attacking your domain just because of it."


    "Heheh, don''t worry, princess... If he dares create your clone then this world doesn''t need to exist anymore." Issei said with a chilling smile.


    Every single Demon in the surrounding, including Modes himself, shuddered greatly sensing his killing intent.


    Issei raised his head and repeated himself: "You hear me? If any of you dares to pull a stunt like Modes just did then I can assure you... I will erase your world from this universe. Not a single speck of dust will be left when I''m done with it." Then he waved his hand splitting the night sky above.


    In the distance, a loud scream can be heard...


    "A spy?" Setsuna asked.


    "Mn." Issei gives a faint nod: "Let''s go princess, we''re done here."


    "Yes, royal father."


    "W-Wait!" Modes hesitated but still decided to call out.


    "You can find us in the East. Your wife will also be there... So you don''t have to worry and you can take your time on courting her." Issei said without turning around.


    Issei and Setsuna get on top of Glorious once more while Mona get on top of the wyverns just like Regena''s group. And with Glorious in the lead, they left the Demon King''s castle...


    "Wh-What do we do now, your highness?" One of Modes subordinates asked.


    "...I-I need to get Mona back! I need to get my wife back!" Modes said while ignoring his subordinate.


    "Your highness..." His subordinate sighed.


    ...


    In , where the main deities of this world reside, Odis, the king of the Elios deities had a solemn face.


    The deities who used clairvoyance to spy on Issei and Setsuna could be seen lying unconscious on the bed before him... There''s not only one deity but several of them instead.


    The other Gods who are present are also having a solemn look and some of them even fainted when Issei used his divine intent to threaten them.


    Those who are awake are in no better state either... They''re having trouble breathing properly and their whole body is drenched in a cold sweat.


    Odis also is not spared from their condition. He shakily looks at the projected figure of Issei on the water screen. His recorded image from the last vision of the Gods that used clairvoyance.


    "Wh-Wh-Who is he?" One of the Gods mumbled in fear.


    "Wh-Which pantheon are they from?"


    "B-But I''ve never seen the two of them before..." One of them who lives longer than the rest said.


    "...Rena, tell me what you know about them." Odis decided to ask Rena who already met Issei face to face.


    "Yes, Odis-sama..." Rena bowed slightly before narrating what she knows.


    "...A clone of his? You''re saying that the Dark Knight Diehart who could defeat your hero is his clone? With that much power and yet he''s just a clone? Are you serious, sister?" Alphos, Rena''s older brother said in disbelief.


    Reiji''s strength is well known amongst them. He''s a summoned person who somehow got the strength that could rival the Gods.


    It''s measured that his strength is perhaps on par with Odis and Modes which is very concerning for many.


    "Do I look like I''m joking?" Rena snarled back.


    "Enough... If what you''re saying is true then... It would be wise if we don''t unnecessarily provoke him and his daughter. As long as they don''t make the first move then we shall not either." Odis said in dismissal: "Is this alright, Casa?"


    He asked Casa, the Goddess of Fate who can predict the future.


    She has an upper body of a beautiful woman with feather hairs, and thousands of wings from her lower body and back. She''s similar to a Harpy race.


    "Yes, Odis-sama... I can''t see their future but my intuition is telling me that we should never ever cross their path..." She advised.


    "Very well... All of you are dismissed." Odis waved tiredly.


    The male Gods hurriedly excuses themselves but the Goddesses who are present had an infatuated expression while looking at the recorded figure of Issei on the screen. Whether they''re married or single, all of them are enamored by his figure.


    Their heart is in chaos... All their life, they thought Alphos is the most attractive male ever existed but now... They now know that they''re wrong.


    The personage within the water screen was very tall and robust, the epitome of male perfection and masculine beauty. They could almost felt his lingering domineering aura and searing warmth just from the image alone...


    He has this distant and cold look when he gazes at them but when he looks at his daughter, it turned doting and full of warmth... They''re extremely envious of his daughter whenever they realize this point.


    His otherworldly face was achingly attractive to the point of being beyond words... The possessive desire within their heart sprouted like there''s no tomorrow. They wanted to enter his embrace and indulge their worldly desire within it... They wanted to put him on a leash and keep him by their side forever.


    They wanted to lock him up so no other woman could steal him from them...


    Rena used to feel disgusted whenever she remembered about her clone but now she envies her so much. To be able to stay near his presence like that... Now she wishes that their link was never broken in the first place so that way she could ''dream'' about him every night.


    Rena then thought of something before she grinned to herself... She still has that ''thing''... Perhaps she could make use of that ''thing'' to make him hers!


    There''s another thing Casa didn''t inform Odis. She actually could foresee the future by a tiny bit but the future that she saw blew her mind. A land like no other, a land that looks like a heavenly paradise where Dragons roamed the sky freely and the multiple races coexist peacefully...


    There''s no other word that could describe what she has witnessed. The word paradise couldn''t be any truer when she recalled that sight...


    The moment she saw this, she knows just what she needs to do. She needs to gather her worshipper and move there at a moment''s notice.


    Casa excuses herself and hurriedly flew back to her domain to execute her plans. She inadvertently blushed while imagining Issei''s figure once more... She even thought that perhaps she could somehow gain his attention and then...


    ...


    Back with Issei and Setsuna, they arrived at their destination.


    A wasteland where a big war once happened...


    "Is this the place?" Setsuna muttered.


    There''s not a single living being live here as far as they can see... It extends reaching almost 200km.


    "Mm, this is the place." Issei nodded.


    Regena and the others who saw this place looked apprehensive. What are they here for? There''s nothing but ''death'' in this place...


    Issei drops down from Glorious back and started to survey his surroundings to estimate the range of the wasteland more accurately.


    Once he does that, he gives a faint nod before raising his right leg and lightly stomps it on the ground.


    With his right leg as the center, greeneries started to grow rapidly...


    5km...


    30km...


    90km...


    170km...


    Forest and Mountains started to take shape... Only after they reach the end of the wasteland that they stopped growing.


    Once he''s done, Issei summoned a flying fortress that served as the main domain of this newly formed land. From the flying fortress, multiple waterfalls started to pour down on the ground below them...


    All this sight left Regena''s group utterly speechless... They become so shocked that they started questioning themselves... Are they dreaming? What just happen? How come the wasteland from before suddenly nowhere to be seen?


    "Now, let''s go inspect your new domain, princess," Issei said.


    "Yes, royal father." Setsuna nodded before the two of them flew towards the fortress.


    The Dragons give a congratulating roar at their King and Princess.


    They don''t dare to fly closer though since they''re not given permission just yet.


    Regena and the others are still frozen from the shock that they didn''t realize that both Issei and Setsuna have already entered the fortress.


    Inside the fortress, while they''re walking around. Issei thought of something: "As a ruler, you need an adviser, princess. Father might seem to be a good ruler but without my advisers, which is your other mothers'', I won''t be able to easily control our kingdom."


    "Understood, royal father." Setsuna nodded.


    "Now who shall be your adviser... Your mother is currently pregnant so she''s not a good choice... Your mother Sona is a little busy... Hmm..." Issei started thinking to himself.


    "How about Mother Meryl or Mother Rakia, royal father?" Setsuna suggested.


    "No, they''re also busy... Your mother Meryl would make a great assistant but she''s not available right now and your mother Rakia is more of a merchant rather than an adviser, you see. She excels on making a profit rather than ruling a nation." Issei said: "Ah, how about your mother Tamamo? With her experience, combined with her other personas'' experiences then she should be a great assistant for you."


    "Ah? Mother Tamamo is?" Setsuna said in surprise.


    "Don''t underestimate her, she might seem a bit carefree and laidback but she has a large array of experience in assisting a ruler in ruling their nation," Issei said wryly.


    After all, during her lives, Tamamo-no-Mae has married a couple of other ruler herself. That is until that said ruler deemed her as dangerous...


    But Issei thought of them as no more than nothing but insecure narrow-minded idiots. Just because their wife is more capable than them, they deemed her as dangerous? What a bunch of fools...


    "Then Setsuna shall listen to royal father''s advice." Setsuna agreed.


    "Um, then father will give her a call..."


    After a brief call, Tamamo agreed instantly.


    Out of a summoning circle, Tamamo hopped towards Issei''s embrace: "Hubby~" The fox woman chirped happily.

 Chapter 156 - Side 13

    "Tamamo." Issei said wryly towards his fox wife who''s currently snuggling comfortably within his embrace.


    She''s wearing her typical blue kimono and her fox ears and nine tails are fluttering jovially.


    Issei could sense her inhaling his scent deeply which honestly made him feel a little itchy. Especially since she kept pushing her ''twins'' against his body.


    Issei could suppress his libido but since it''s his wife they''re talking about then he doesn''t really see no reason to do so... If their daughter is not at their side then perhaps Issei would''ve carried her away to spend some private time together.


    His wives are very enchanting in his eyes but a natural-born seductress such as Tamamo here is on a totally different level. Kuroka, and Yasaka are amongst those seductresses.


    And perhaps, out of all his wives, they''re the ones who can last the longest on the bed.


    "Mou~, just call me Tama-chan, hubby!" Tamamo pouted. Even now she''s still trying to seduce him: "Hubby, you look so tempting with that uniform... It made me want you to dominate me plentifully~" She said in a sultry voice.


    This little vixen, just you wait when we''re alone... Issei thought evilly to himself. He used his right hand which he thought hidden from Setsuna''s prying gaze to give the little temptress a little pinch on her bubbly butt.


    "Mikon~" Tamamo mewled feeling his touch.


    "*C-Cough* Mother Tamamo, it''s great to see you." Setsuna faked a cough to hide her embarrassment.


    "Hi, Setsuna-chan! You don''t have to be so formal with me you know? Just call me Tama okaa-chan~" Tamamo stopped her flirting and winked at the red-faced Setsuna.


    "Sorry, but no..." Setsuna refused.


    "Awww~" Tamamo pouted: "Now then... I hear you need some help?"


    "Yes. Royal father recommended that I would need your help in my training." Setsuna nodded.


    "Oh yeah, about that." Issei snapped his finger and Regena''s group appeared near them.


    They looked around cluelessly seeing that the scenery around them suddenly changed. Mona is also amongst them.


    "They are?" Tamamo asked.


    They are snapped out of their train of thoughts when they heard Tamamo''s voice.


    "They''re Setsuna''s servants." Issei explained.


    "Oh. Humans and a deity?" Tamamo said sensing Mona''s mana.


    "Not an actual deity but a clone. It''s a long story, we''ll get to it later."


    "Alright."


    Seeing how intimate Tamamo and Issei are immediately told them that this fox beastkin must be his wife. They obediently shut their mouth as to not overstep their boundaries.


    But they have to admit that this fox beastkin sure is beautiful... Her beauty perhaps even surpassed the Goddesses that they know.


    Mona thought to herself that no wonder he''s not tempted by Rena''s beauty... His wife is on a whole another level, that''s why.


    "Hnn, you and your sisters are too serious at times you know?" Tamamo blinked: "You''re still young you know... You can let your mothers and father handle this kind of stuff and go have fun with your friends."


    "That''s quite alright... I don''t really have any interest in any of that. Setsuna just wanted to be helpful to royal father." Setsuna said in determination.


    "...Hehehe, look at that hubby... They grow up so fast... Wait! Hubby, you''re crying!" Tamamo shouted in surprise seeing the teary-eyed Issei.


    "These are tears of joy." Issei said while wiping the tear away: "But you know, princess... Father would be happier if you could enjoy your life more... There''s no need to feel so responsible when you''re still this young. But father won''t try to stop you when you''re this determined... Just, make sure to remember that you''re not alone okay? All of us love you, princess. No matter if it''s father, your mothers, or your sisters... We all love you and we will always support you."


    "Un, thank you, royal father..." Setsuna smiled warmly.


    "*Sigh* Why can''t you girls just act spoiled more? Father haven''t pampered you just enough yet..." Issei said in regret.


    "Jeez, hubby! You''ve spoiled them plenty already! If they keep getting spoiled by you then they will grow up into a NEET!" Tamamo berated.


    "And what''s wrong with that? They can be spoiled as much as they want." Issei asked with a clueless face: "This King''s daughter shall have the best treatment in the world and can do whatever they want." He said in a boastful tone.


    "You... You stupid husband... That''s exactly what we''re worried about." Tamamo sighed because there''s no helping this daughtercon of a husband: "Anyway, let''s go Setsuna-chan... Let''s see what you need, shall we?"


    With that said, Tamamo practically dragged Setsuna away...


    Issei tilted his head while looking at them.


    "What? Do any of you know what''s wrong with what I just said? Isn''t it normal for a father to spoil their daughter?" Issei turned his head and asked the sweating Regena''s group.


    "Th-That''s..." How are they supposed to answer him!? This gap in his personality just made their heart skip another beat.


    He was being a domineering man just a while ago but now he suddenly becomes a dummy yet cute parent! They almost giggled looking at his clueless look... Thankfully they still remember that he''s not a normal human.


    He might look like a human but there''s no way a normal human could command so many Dragons at his beck and call...


    "W-We''re not sure either, milord." They answered with a wry smile.


    "Hmm..." Issei hummed to himself before he walks away.


    The girls infatuatedly look at his receding back.


    As for the men that came with them, Issei didn''t teleport them inside since he doesn''t want any man to get close to his little princess...


    After the birth of the Shangri-la, which Setsuna named. The world is dumbfounded at its sudden appearance.


    Since Shangri-la is located on the border between the human and demon territory and also because it''s a well-known spot since lives don''t exist any longer over there.


    Many tried to rekindle the life on that wasteland but nobody manages to do so since the remnants of the battle between two Gods pantheon is not something that can easily be erased.


    Not even the deities on that world could needless to say about the mortals.


    "Wh-What was that?!"


    "Isn''t that place is where the lies?"


    "That''s right, how come a forest and mountain ranges suddenly appeared out of nowhere! Am I dreaming or hallucinating right now?!"


    "You''re not dreaming or hallucinating... We all can see it as well..."


    "And there''s so many Dragonkin... Is the anomaly earlier today connected to that place?"


    The anomaly that they''re talking about is the event where the Dragons and Wyverns formed a large swarm and move in one direction.


    Since the territory itself is quite large, many could see it from afar.


    "Report it to the king!"


    The same conversation happened all over the place... whether it''s from the demon side or the human side.


    But the demon side could quickly connect the dots since they''ve seen Issei. But that doesn''t mean that they''re not shocked seeing this miracle that not even the Gods could pull off...


    The Gods in question are also dumbfounded. Only Casa is not as shocked since she could foresee this future by a bit. Although, she also didn''t expect that it would happen this quickly! Just how powerful is that man!? She thought shockingly to herself.


    She moves even faster seeing how quickly the ''heaven'' is formed. On the third day of the founding of the Shangri-la, Casa and her harpies followers did a massive migration which caused another panic in the cities and villages that they pass by.


    In fact, she and her followers are not the only ones who moved... The undead all across the world also started moving towards the Shangri-la direction.


    Many thought that they are forming a group to start an assault but all they did only walk straight forward... Unless someone tries to get in their way, they didn''t try to do any harm...


    They realize this when the undead swarm ignored the village that they came across.


    They couldn''t understand just what''s going on right now... Even when they tried asking the God that they worship, they only receive one answer.


    ''Do not provoke the newly formed land.'' Is all they received as a response much to their dismay.


    The Gods also didn''t understand why these undeads would suddenly do this.


    There is a God whose divinity related to and but they''re not powerful enough or perhaps they don''t really care just like most Gods to actually take care of these undeads.


    The undead here only applies to zombies, walking corpses, skeletons, and the like. Vampires or Lich are not included...


    The reason why these undeads would move to Shangri-la was because their soul is guiding them to move there. There''s this invisible force that made them want to move there... It''s as if they could finally find the peace that they''ve been looking for if they were to arrive in Shangri-la...


    And when they do arrive at Shangri-la, they are immediately purified on their own.


    This made the onlookers become more and more confused.


    "Now then, Setsu-chan... What you''re lacking is citizens right now. A citizen is what keeps your nation going. Without citizens, there will be no functional nation... Now you can consider the Dragons outside as your citizens but they''re not capable of fulfilling what a newly form nation needed." Tamamo said towards Setsuna who''s listening intently: "Their value is different from a normal people."


    The current Tamamo is not wearing her typical kimono. She had her ears and tails out in the open and hair arranged in buns and wears a Chinese qipao with a frontal cutout in the same geometric fox-head shape as her earings that shows off her lower chest, with a bell hanging from the center and she''s also carrying a folding fan on her hand.


    Overall, her current outfit perfectly accentuated her curves and beauty. She exudes an exotic charm that would charm those who gaze upon her hourglass figure.


    "Now you must''ve got the rough idea from watching our world''s nation. While your father is all-powerful, he won''t be able to be called a King if he doesn''t have people to rule..."


    "Understood." Setsuna nodded.


    While the two of them are talking with each other. Issei is not far from them and watches their interaction with a happy smile.


    "With that said, you need to bring in more people into your newly found kingdom. Since getting help from your father is not an option then you should find people of your own... Now from what I''ve gathered, this world has slavery in it. So we could just buy slaves to serve as a temporary citizen for now."


    "Um, then for the funds, we could sell some minerals and some other materials?"


    "Mhm, that will work. We do have a large swarm of Dragons outside after all. We could sell some of their scales and teeth if you want... As for the mineral ore then it shouldn''t be that hard either." Tamamo nodded before she suggested.


    "Then I will gather some funds first." Setsuna then excuses herself before stepping outside to communicate with the Dragons...


    "Good work." Issei praised his fox wife.


    "Ufufu, thank you, hubby." Tamamo giggled while holding her folding fan in front of her lips.


    She then squinted her eyes s.e.xily before she sashayed her ways towards him.


    Issei also narrowed his eyes seeing her acting like this.


    Tamamo playfully smiled seeing his reaction before she plopped down to his lap with her back against his broad chest.


    "So you still think of ''us'' as your wife? Despite the different personalities?" Tamamo, no, the current Tamamo is not the original Tamamo but rather her other persona.


    Each of her nine tails represents her different personalities. Tamamo-no-Mae is also known as Tamamo nine since she has eight alter ego within her body.


    The current Tamamo is Tamamo Vitch or Koyanskaya.


    "Why wouldn''t I?" Issei asked while he gently stroke her hair with his right hand: "You might be a different persona of the original Tamamo but you''re still her in the end, no?"


    "...Fufufu, how greedy. You''re not satisfied with just the original Tamamo so you want the others as well?" Tamamo said with a fake grievance.


    "You just realized that I''m a greedy man? You''re thirteen years too late if you only realize that now..." Issei whispered while giving her s.e.xy neck a gentle kiss.


    His left hand slowly crept towards her right b.r.e.a.s.t before he finally gives it a gentle squeeze.


    "En~" Tamamo''s body shivered slightly feeling his warm touch.


    Mona and Regena who''s situated in the room had their face flushed deeply seeing their intimate interaction. They started to squirm around in their place looking at the two husband and wife flirting with each other...


    Issei suddenly gives her hardened cherry nub a playful pinch.


    Tamamo''s body jolted in surprise and then she mewled: "Hubby~"


    Just when she thought Issei is gonna take it up another notch, he suddenly stopped his action: "Okay, let''s stop. Setsuna might return soon after all."


    "...Hmph, you''re such a tease..." She harrumphed in dissatisfaction: "And I''m supposed to be the one who does the teasing... Now what to do when I''m this worked up..."


    "Heheh, thanks to particular someone, I managed to learn a thing or two in the art of teasing." Issei chuckled.


    "Complimenting me won''t get you anything!" Tamamo pouted before she turned around and put her arms around Issei''s neck.


    "Okay, enough flirting." Issei slapped her butt which earned another yelp from her: "So why did you tell Setsuna to sell the Dragons scale?"


    "Hn? What are you talking about?" Tamamo feigned ignorance.


    "If she were to sell a huge batch of materials from Dragons then it could induce conflict, and you know that," Issei said.


    "Now how could that be our fault? All we did is just selling some trade goods to get some money~" Tamamo playfully responded: "If they were to go to war because of that then they only have themselves to blame... Humans are such creatures after all. They will become drunk with power the moment they have a little strength or they would do anything just to satisfy their greed."


    "You do realize that I was once a human, right?" Issei raised his eyebrows.


    "Aww~, you''re different hubby. Even if you''re still human right now then all of us would still love you regardless~" She winked: "What made us infatuated with you is not only your pretty face, you know?"


    Regena and Mona overheard their conversation become startled. He was a human? But soon they erases their curiosity since it''s maybe a sensitive topic and they don''t want to anger their new lord...


    "Well... Just don''t take things too far, alright?" Issei sighed: "Remember that you''re training Setsuna right now. We don''t want her to be a bloodthirsty person now, do we?"


    "I know I know, you don''t have to remind me, hubby. Besides, we could use this chance to make her more cunning and widen her worldly knowledge of true human nature." Tamamo snickered: "The humans in our world are already tamed by you so they don''t have any ideas to do anything stupid."


    "Jeez, don''t say it like I''m treating them like a pet. Some of your sisters are a human King, you know?" Issei wryly said.


    "Ara? Apologies, it''s just that for me, for us who used to see human nature at its best... it''s quite surreal you see. Seeing them acting so docile like that." Tamamo said while remembering her past.


    The insatiable human greed and their ignorance which knows no bound... Which ultimately caused her death.


    "Okay, let''s stop this conversation. Remember that some of your sisters are still human so don''t think of every human is the same even if it''s in your nature." Issei patted her back comfortingly.


    "Fufufu, that sister of mine is not a normal human either though? They''ve stopped being normal humans the moment they received your divine blessing. They''re more like high human or demigod now... no, perhaps they''ve already become a God? Just like me." Tamamo muttered: "How miraculous... I was only an avatar of the Goddess Amaterasu but now... I''ve become your consort and achieved my own Godhood but- Hmmph!"


    Issei stopped her muttering with a searing hot kiss.


    Tamamo''s eyes widen for a brief second before she closed it and started to enjoy the kiss Issei''s giving her.


    Her hug tightens themselves with each second passing by... Only when she''s about to get into another heat that Issei stopped their kiss.


    "Ah..." Tamamo m.o.a.ned regretfully seeing that their kiss has ended.


    "Enough, alright?" Issei said gently.


    "...En." She nodded obediently before she snuggled her head against his chest.


    Issei who saw this smiles warmly and proceeds to stroke her head gently.


    The downside of having multiple personalities is that she often goes into a flight of fancy of her own. Each of their personalities has different nature after all.


    Tamamo Vitch dislikes humans and she''s the embodiment of the malice and sadism of the original Tamamo-No-Mae.


    Only when Issei is around that she could suppress the desire to toy with human lives.


    "How''s Kizuna?" Issei asked while still stroking her head.


    "She''s having fun with the others..." She lazily responded: "Before I left here, she was playing with the others. Xia Qingyue and the others are watching over them so you don''t have to worry."


    She then raised her head and looked at Issei with gaze full of desire: "Nee, hubby... I want another child... Please?"


    "Sure. But not now." Issei responded.


    "Give us another 8 children. It''s unfair that only the original Tamamo gets to have a child!" She complained.


    "...All of you share the same body though?" Issei sweated.


    "Then separate us for a bit. It''s not that hard for you anyway, right?" Tamamo suggested: "If you could do that then... perhaps we could have a little orgy with just the ten of us~?" She whispered seductively.


    "You little vixen..." Issei groaned sensing his rising libido.


    "I''m your little vixen, darling~" She responded while licking her lips.


    In the middle of their flirting, the two of them heard the footstep of Setsuna coming their way.


    "Aww, she''s already back~. If only she came back another five minutes then I would''ve managed to seduce her royal father~" Tamamo sighed.


    "No, that''s not going to happen... Okay, that''s enough, let''s not let her see our current predicament," Issei said.


    "Fufu, it''s not like this is the first time she ever saw you and the others acting so lovey-dovey."


    "Let''s not make that into a habit..."


    "Hmhm~ I wonder..." She giggled.


    Her eyes accidentally landed upon the squirming Regena and Mona. She raised her eyebrows since she totally forgot about them...


    "Want to join us later on the bed, you two? I can assure you, even with the three of us combined together, he will be able to withstand our assault... Even going a hundred rounds in a row won''t be a problem for him." She flashed a mischievous smirk at the two of them.


    Their face turned another shade redder when they heard her words.


    "Cut that out." Issei knocked Tamamo''s head right before Setsuna entered the room.


    The two female servants secretly flash a disappointed look seeing this...


    Mona is particularly disappointed since she wanted to erase that pig''s presence from her memories... by using her new lord''s embrace that is.


    In the last two days, Modes has come to Shangri-la just to meet her but every time he appears, she always declines his request.


    Issei doesn''t do anything to this piece of news, nor did Tamamo or Setsuna.


    They don''t care what would happen between those two after all.


    "Finished so soon?" Tamamo said towards Setsuna. She''s not seated on Issei''s lap anymore but rather on his side.


    "Uhm, looks like it''s not a problem for them to share a few scales and fangs... In fact, for some reason, some of them even carried rare minerals and the like." Setsuna muttered in confirmation.


    Those Dragons outside apparently carried some rare metals with them and also a few gold coins which serve as a currency for this world.


    When they gathered them and told them her request, they couldn''t be any quicker to present what they have to her.


    If she didn''t know any better then she would''ve thought them trying to court her with their offering but most of those Dragons are female...


    And the males didn''t look at her with any l.u.s.tful gaze either but rather a fawning gaze.


    Looks like it''s because of her royal father, Setsuna assumed.


    "Then shall we go to visit a human city? I heard from the Dragons outside that there will be a festival soon in the Rox kingdom. It would be the perfect place to sell those items." Tamamo said with a calculating gaze.


    A festival means there will be a gathering of people from different cities... This way the news will travel fast. The items they will be selling are not by any means common items either.


    "Understood. Shall we go ride Glorious to go there, royal father?"


    "Hm? It''s up to you." Issei shrugged with a smile: "You decide on what you want to do from now on, princess. Father will only watch you from the back this time around... Isn''t that what you want?"


    "Um." Setsuna paused for a second before giving a firm nod.


    "Just ride a Dragon, Setsu-chan. It will serve as a promotion for your newly formed nation, no? Not like you need to promote it since most major forces in this world have already known of its existence though..." Tamamo said offhandedly.


    There have been quite a few ''rats'' that tried to enter their land after all. Both from the human and the demon side.


    "Can you tell me more about this Rox Kingdom, Mother Tama-, Tamamo kaa-chan..." Setsuna wryly smiled at the feigning ignorance Tamamo when she about to call her Mother Tamamo.


    Rox kingdom is located around two days away with a coach from Holy Republic Lenaria. It''s located in the center of the widely used big highway of the eastern part of the continent.


    The ruler is a king called Rocros the eighth with a population of around thirty thousand.


    Rox kingdom has two features that can''t be found in another kingdom.


    First, it''s hot spring. Many people come to this hot spring for its curative effects.


    Second, the Holy Dragon King of Silver lives in the Holy Dragon mountain in its vicinity. In the first place, the founder of Rox''s kingdom was granted permission to make a kingdom in this area after his pledge with this holy dragon king.


    And today is the founding day of the Rox kingdom. Rox kingdom will hold a festival for one week starting today. During that time, the hotel charges for the inn and fees for hot springs are cut by half. Moreover, anyone can freely enter this kingdom. That''s the reason why many people come for a visit.


    Now Tamamo is wondering to herself... if her hubby or daughter were to demand that Holy Dragon to give that kingdom to them then would it agree? Well, knowing what happened so far it''s probably a no-brainer that Dragon would''ve submitted itself immediately.


    "Well, let''s go then... Oh right, hubby, there''s a hot spring over there. How about we pay it a visit as well?" Tamamo suggested with a knowing smile.


    "We''ll see..." Issei said wryly. This little vixen truly provoking him to no end... He wonders if those times he made her spent incapacitated on the bed is not enough... Or perhaps it''s precisely because she like that feeling of becoming a putty?


    ...Why did he suddenly thought of a particular blonde-haired perverted knight all of the sudden?


    With that said, they left Shangri-la on Glorious''s back once again...


    ...


    Reiji and his companions are also heading towards the Rox Kingdom with the intention of soaking in the rumored hot spring.


    Chiyuki and the others are in a solemn atmosphere after what happened recently.


    First, there''s the appearance of Issei and then there''s the revelation that they might not be able to go back. Only Reiji seems unconcerned albeit he''s also feeling vexed about Issei''s existence.


    Two days ago, the Dragons and Undead migration made them feel alarmed as well just like the others.


    At first, they tried defeating as many undead as they could, but then they also realized that the undead doesn''t seem to have the intention to attack them unless they''re provoked.


    They become clueless just like the others at first but soon they notice the abnormality of the whole situation. They quickly linked this incident with the Dragon migration from the other day...


    And with that, they know that this has something to do with that man they saw recently along with his daughter.


    Chiyuki''s group is a bit too late to realize it but they finally realized that man''s daughter''s name is Setsuna, which is odd since they''ve never met anyone with a Japanese sounding name in this world...


    They wanted to ask so many questions but they have yet got the chance to meet them again... But it probably also includes other reasoning.


    Such as Kyouka, the little sister of Reiji who keeps dozing off nowadays with slightly reddened cheek. And it''s not only limited to her, the others who didn''t have a deep relationship with Reiji himself is also acting the same from time to time... including herself.


    They lost the way to return to our world after ''he'' destroyed the summoning tools. They were slightly discouraged when they learned that they can''t go back.


    No matter how amusing the amus.e.m.e.nt park is, there''s no way they can enjoy it if they can''t even leave it. That''s their current situation.


    But, there''s still hope to return to their own world. They have placed our hopes on the other person in possession of the summoning tools.


    They wanted to ask that man but it looks like he doesn''t have the intention of sending them back either which is quite frustrating.


    Leaving along the main street of Rox which stretches from the rampart gates of Rox, they continue to travel till they enter the place close to the rampart gate before they notice something during their way here.


    Why is there no one welcoming their arrival? Being the humanity hero, they should''ve gathered a lot of attention to themselves but why today they don''t seem to see anyone?


    When Chiyuki is in the middle of her thoughts, Kyouka called out to them.


    "L-Look! Th-That Black Dragon!" She pointed at the nesting Black Dragon on top of the kingdom''s castle.


    They become alarmed at the Dragon''s sight and then they notice that most of the people in the city are gathered in front of the castle.


    Looks like that''s the reason why they aren''t welcomed like they used to...


    They hurriedly dashed towards the castle.


    Once they arrived there, they the princess of the Rox''s kingdom with a dazed look.


    "Almina, what''s wrong?" Reiji adressed the princess casually,


    His act would''ve been considered rude but they have no time to bother with it. Not like the King and the other royalty would do anything to him anyway since they''re considered above royalties.


    "A-Ah? R-Reiji-sama?" The princess of the Rox''s Kingdom, Almina startled awake from her daze.


    "What''s wrong?" He repeated himself.


    "I-It''s like this..."


    The princess explained about the sudden arrival of the black Dragon.


    They noticed its arrival from afar and about to shoot it down but the guards suddenly fell to their knees without being able to do anything.


    The Black dragon then landed in the middle of the city. And to add another surprise, that Dragon is apparently carrying three individuals with it.


    Two women and one man... Each and every one of them has an otherworldly feature that couldn''t be described with mere words.


    Chiyuki and the others nodded to themselves after listening to the explanation.


    "So, where are they now? Inside the castle?"


    "E-Eh, y-yes. The two of them are currently inside." Almina said stutteringly sensing the intensity of Chiyuki''s voice.


    "Two? Is it a man and a woman?"


    "N-No, it''s two women. The one who entered the castle is the two women."


    "Where''s the man?"


    "I-I''m not sure."


    Chiyuki frowned at this but soon she decided to just meet the two women first instead. They then entered the castle without caring about the panicking guards.


    "... And that will be all."


    "Y-Yes, g-glad doing business with you."


    They heard a slight murmur within the living room inside the castle.


    Chiyuki''s group didn''t bother to knock and immediately opened the door with a light bang.


    Once inside, they can see the same girl they''ve seen before along with another woman. The first woman is the same Goddess that they''ve seen before but the second woman seems like a fox beastkin.


    They automatically ignored the sweating King and the knights inside the room.


    Reiji''s eyes homed in on the two Goddesses while his gaze flashed with possessive light.


    To think that there''s another beautiful woman... And this one is a fox woman as well! He thought to himself.


    "Ara?" Tamamo said after noticing the unpleasant gaze that''s directed at their direction.


    "Oh! Heroes, you''re here!" The king said in relief: "L-Let me introduce you, they are-"


    "We know who they are. There''s no need to introduce them to us." Setsuna said coldly: "Since we have finished our business here then we shall excuse ourselves."


    Setsuna then said softly towards Tamamo: "We''re finished here, Tamamo kaa-chan."


    "Splendid, Setsu-chan. Okaa-chan will give you 80 points on your negotiation just now... There''s still some room to improve but it''s fine for your first time." Tamamo praised with a smile.


    Then the two of them stood up from their seat and walk towards the exit under the surprised gaze of the onlookers.


    Chiyuki and the others reflexively opened a path for them to pass.


    "We meet again, Setsuna-chan... And you must be Setsuna-chan mother, nice to meet you." Reiji flashed a swoonsome smile that could charm any girl, but the girls in question seem unaffected by it.


    "Shut up, worm. Don''t act so casually with me." Setsuna said in disgust.


    Reiji''s body flinched briefly but he managed to retain his warm smile still.


    "A-Ah, wait..." Shirone also called out but Setsuna doesn''t seem to have the intention to pay attention to her. Only Tamamo looks slightly interested in their little group.


    But when her gaze landed on the sweating Reiji, her eyebrows raised a little before she grinned to herself... How interesting, she thought to herself. To think that this human managed to obtain a divine power for himself albeit it''s a borrowed one...


    Reiji who notices Tamamo''s ''smile'' had his smile widened thinking that he managed to charm her. Unbeknownst to him, she''s looking at him with a ridiculing smile rather than an impressed one...


    Chiyuki and the others also wanted to converse with Setsuna and Tamamo but seeing that they don''t seem to have the intention to talk with them, they can only decide to silently follow them instead.


    "Are they your new friends, Setsu-chan?" Tamamo asked along the way while glancing at their new followers.


    "No. They''re nothing but an ignorant weakling." Setsuna said simply.


    "How rude!" Kyouka snarled at her words: "We''re not an ignorant weakling! You might be stronger than us but that''s only because you''re a Goddess! Given enough time my onii-sama will grow stronger than before and then we would be able to defeat you!"


    "K-Kyouka!" Chiyuki and the others said in shock. Provoking them right now is not a smart move! Not only that they''re stronger than them but they probably also needed their help to go back to their world.


    "Fufufu." Tamamo laughed.


    "What''s so funny!"


    "No no, pardon me. It''s just that my daughter calling you a weakling might be a little too rude since you''re nothing but a human but her calling you ignorant is spot on, you see."


    "Huh?"


    "Oh dear... Looks like they''re really clueless, aren''t they, Setsu-chan?" Tamamo cast a ''pitying'' look on them.


    Chiyuki who notices this becomes more and more suspicious... Why did they keep looking at them like this? She meant she understands that their current predicament is nothing good but is there any need to look at them with such gaze?


    And the way they look at Reiji is filled with so much disgust that it even made them feel uncomfortable.


    "Indeed. Just ignore them, Tamamo kaa-chan, talking with them will only reduce your intelligence. There''s no helping the ignorant."


    "You!"


    Despite the rambling Kyouka in the background, they managed to exit the castle and went towards the place where Issei is currently waiting...


    Setsuna already told Glorious to be on standby since they''re not finished here just yet. Glorious then flew away to a nearby mountain...


    Chiyuki little group notices that most women who usually look at Reiji with an infatuated look now don''t even spare him a single glance.


    Their current expression is filled with longing and enamored look while they look in the same direction... In that direction, there''s the sight of Issei leaning back on a chair with his leg crossed in front of a cafe shop.


    His eyes are closed without a single care in the world. What made them feel further alarmed is that there''s a hooded figure seating in front of him.


    This figure is clearly a woman with how curvy her body is but what made them feel alarmed is because of this figure none other than Goddess Rena herself! She might be using a spell that hides her presence and also wear a hood but they can tell that it''s her.


    She seems to be trying to strike a conversation with Issei but the latter seems to be ignoring her completely.


    Reiji gritted his teeth seeing Issei once again and especially when he''s taking all the attention to himself. Almina who happens to come with them tried to comfort him along with Sahoko.


    But their words of encouragement are having little to no effect on him since the target of his infatuation seems to be acting quite close with other men.


    Only when Setsuna and Tamamo arrived near his location that Issei opened his eyes...


    "Finished already?" He said while he rose from his seat whilst still ignoring Rena.


    "Um. Everything went without a hitch, royal father."


    "That''s right, hubby. Setsu-chan here almost scored a perfect score!"


    "Good work, princess... Then where shall we go next?"


    "Hmm, I was thinking to buy the slaves but Tamamo kaa-chan suggested that we should pay the rumored hot spring a visit."


    "Is that so?"


    "Uh huh, I heard that there''s also a mixed bath over there, hubby~. Oh, Setsu-chan is free to join us as well of course."


    "Stop teasing her..."


    While bickering with each other, they left the dumbfounded group of Chiyuki and Rena.


    "...We got ignored yet again..." Chiyuki muttered wryly.


    "Didn''t they say that they''re heading to the hot spring? Let''s meet up with them there... Perhaps we can have a proper conversation there." Kaya said: "And Rena... looks like she''s already gone..."


    They looked at the receding back of Issei''s group where Rena can be seen tailing them from behind.


    "Umm... Who are they anyway?" The princess asked.


    "Well..."


    Meanwhile, with Rena, she gritted her teeth seeing the drop-dead gorgeous looking Tamamo who doesn''t lose out in term of beauty compared to her. No... If anything, she looks more beautiful than her! She couldn''t accept this...


    She grasped the small bottle in her pocket tighter than before. As long as she could use this potion then it will be her win. She just needs a small opening to use it!


    Perhaps in that hot spring, she could succeed.


    Tamamo who could sense other''s ill intentions had her fox ears twitched. She grinned to herself thinking that some fools won''t just understand until they finally meet their demise...

 Chapter 157 - Side 14

    (AN: Again, for those who are reading a fanfic of mine, not everything you read is canon, just a heads up).


    "What to do now? We followed them all the way here but this is just..."


    "These line ups are even more extravagant compared to when they welcomed us..."


    "Right..."


    Chiyuki''s group muttered in a daze seeing the line up before them. Rows upon rows of maids welcoming the family of three.


    In the hot spring spot, the staff in that place has been warned in advance by the King''s subordinates.


    They are warned of the imminent arrival of a group of super VIP hence why they''re so prepared.


    The maids here are professionals since they are maids sent directly from the castle but even they couldn''t stop themselves from sneaking a peek towards them.


    Issei''s charm is not something that a normal mortal could resist after all.


    These maids could withstand Reiji''s charm as long as they put their mind into it but when it comes to Issei, they''re completely helpless.


    If they were currently at war then perhaps the battle would''ve ended from the start as long as the army consists of women. Then again, it will be over regardless even if they''re men because of their strength disparity...


    The maids had their vision dead set on Issei, ignoring the supposed Hero''s group on the side.


    Some of them wanted to get close to Reiji before this but now... not a trace of that desire left within them. Perhaps, even if Reiji is the one who went to pursue them, they would refuse his advances.


    This also applies to those young maidens who caught Issei''s sight on his way to the hot spring.


    "Well, what can we do... Let''s just follow them till the end." Kyouka said nonchalantly while eyeing Issei''s back herself.


    "I guess... It''s been a while since we have come to the kingdom of hot springs after all. Let''s use this chance to relax here as well... Ah, Reiji also needs to use the hot spring anyway." Chiyuki added as an afterthought.


    "I agree!" Reiji said energetically.


    "Reiji, it''s better if you don''t provoke them unnecessarily... Your wound is still not healed and their strength is out of our reach." Chiyuki said sternly.


    "I know... I won''t be doing anything stupid, you can trust me." Reiji said offhandedly.


    "If it were only ''him'' that we''re facing then I''m sure you won''t do anything rash but considering how you''ve been eyeing his daughter and wife all this time... Haah..."


    "What Chiyuki-sama said is right. Reiji-sama, your personality is well known to all of us." Kaya added.


    "Tsk, you girls have that little faith for me?"


    ""Yes."" They said in unison.


    While they''re bickering back and forth, Issei, Tamamo, and Setsuna seem completely unperturbed with the lineup presented before them.


    They calmly waltz into the hot spring inn without caring about their surroundings.


    Rena also followed soon right after them along with the ''hero'' party.


    The hot spring establishment is quite wide and comfy.


    It seems that the King has already ordered to stop anyone from entering the hot spring except for Issei''s party. As for the hero''s party, like it or not they still need to let them in as well.


    And Rena is using magic to make herself invisible to the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    Almina excuses herself since she needs to report Issei''s group identity to her father.


    "It seems that there is a mixed bath after all, hubby. Shall we use it together?" Tamamo suggested seductively when they''ve finished their payment to enter the hot spring.


    Even though the owner said its free, Setsuna refused and paid a proper entry fee. She doesn''t want to owe anyone so easily no matter how small it is.


    "No. Just go take a bath with Setsuna." Issei refused for obvious reasons. Who knows what this little vixen will do if they were to be left alone together.


    If their daughter is not present then he would''ve agreed though...


    "Aww~, so stingy..." Tamamo pouted: "Oh well, let''s have a little mom and daughter bonding time together, Setsu-chan!" But soon she reverted back to her cheery personality.


    She dragged Setsuna before the latter has the chance to say anything else.


    Issei who saw this smiles wryly before he too decided to head for the man''s side.


    ...


    "Hmm... How long was it again ever since I''m all alone like this?" Issei muttered to himself while looking at the starless night sky above him.


    He''s usually either surrounded by his wives or his daughters back at home... Even during bathtime, he usually took a bath with them.


    Of course, his daughters that bathe with him is those who are still a toddler.


    He couldn''t help smiles foolishly remembering about his daughters.


    Issei is actually not alone... There''s Reiji not far from him but Issei never really considered his presence.


    Reiji also doesn''t have the intention to start a conversation with Issei.


    Reiji is not interested in men and coupled with how Issei seems to surpass him in every aspect, the more reason for him not to unnecessarily hurt his own ego.


    Reiji scowled seeing the smiling Issei. He couldn''t accept that there could be anyone more handsome than him... especially since the other party seems to take all the women''s attention from him.


    Even now when he looks at him, he couldn''t believe that there could be someone so outstanding like this. But thinking that the other party identity then perhaps it''s not that weird either.


    Maybe he could become a God as well someday...


    He doesn''t realize the ring on his ring finger started to glow slightly whenever it''s near Issei''s presence. There''s this invisible energy flow that leaves the ring every second he stays near him.


    Reiji couldn''t see this but Issei could... although, he doesn''t really care about that amount of measly energy entering his body.


    It''s like a single drop of water in the middle of the ocean in comparison.


    Issei himself doesn''t intentionally absorb this energy but rather it''s just his body constitution.


    If Reiji''s "strength" isn''t based on divine energy then this wouldn''t happen. Issei''s divinity isn''t limited to only one divinity... A couple of his divinity entails , , ,, , and many more...


    His aspect is making those who are of the lower class God "submit" to him in one way or another and Reiji''s divine energy belongs to lower class God.


    Issei could stop his automatic absorption but why would he do that? He doesn''t care whether Reiji lives or dies after all... Also, Issei still remembers how Reiji gazes at her daughter and he still bears a little grudge. No insect nor mongrel shall gaze upon his daughter with such disrespectful gaze!


    Issei already marked Reiji as a dead man the moment he has any thoughts about his little princess.


    And it''s not like Reiji''s current strength is his own either.


    Reiji himself is a normal human being. There''s no way a normal human being could become as strong as a God unless there''s something special involved.


    In Reiji''s case, it''s his ring. His ring that he said gifted by his mother.


    His mother already passed away but many thought that she died because of an illness... unknown to them, the reason for her death was because of the very same ring.


    Divine energy belonging to a God is not something a mortal body could handle no matter how weak that God is. The divine energy corroded her mortal body and soul...


    To add salt into the wound, the divine energy that resides within the ring contains something that Issei all know too well... It contains a remnant of energy.


    Most likely the original owner of that ring is a God that has been marked by Nyarlathotep in the past. When she recalled all her marks, he/she most likely died in the process leaving behind the very same ring...


    Reiji''s mother is fortunate, or perhaps unfortunate enough to come across the ring. She used the ring and gained some benefits in the process such as great luck and inhuman strength.


    When she''s about to pass away, she gives the ring away to her son.


    This is also why Reiji seems so abnormally strong even amongst the Gods in this world.


    The reason why Setsuna despises Reiji is not only because of his personality... but rather because he''s using a borrowed strength.


    To her, Reiji who''s taking advantage of the strength of others is pathetic and disgusting. It''s a disgraceful act to those who strive for power with their own strength.


    Reiji of course notices this since her mother has already informed him about this ring''s abnormality so he''s not completely clueless.


    Because of this, Reiji never really train himself since he doesn''t have to when all he needs to do is just use his brute strength.


    He never really learned how to fight and fought like an animal. Kuroki lost against Reiji in the past because he couldn''t read his pattern thinking that Reiji is some sort of an expert but when he fought him the second time, he could see the weakness of Reiji clearly.


    It''s like fighting a wild beast rather than someone who''s an expert in martial arts. As long as his opponent could realize this then they would be able to defeat Reiji with ease as well.


    Even Setsuna, who''s the daughter of the strongest God in the multiverse needs to train hard so that she could control her power well.


    Meanwhile, on the women''s bath side...


    "Ufufufu, you''ve grown up so well, Setsu-chan~... even though you''re only 14 this year." Tamamo giggled while washing Setsuna''s back: "Especially on this part!" She grasped her twin peaks from behind.


    "T-Tamamo kaa-chan!" Setsuna yelped in embarrassment.


    "Ara? Don''t need to be so shy now. We''re both girls after all... Or would you be happier if your father is the one touching it instead~?" Tamamo gives a playful smirk.


    "What are you saying!?" Setsuna scowled with a red face.


    "Ah... I wonder if your little sister Kizuna will grow up just like you in the future... Oh, who am I kidding, considering who her mother is then she would undoubtedly grow up into a splendid woman that could charm everyone! Just like how I managed to charm your father with her womanly charm~" Tamamo pushed her voluptuous b.r.e.a.s.ts upwards making them look a size bigger.


    "That''s not something you should brag about in front of your other daughter..." Setsuna said with a sigh.


    Chiyuki''s group who was watching the two had their mouth wide open.


    "...S-She''s only 14? Wh-What?" Kyouka said in disbelief. She then looks at her body proportion... while her body is quite voluptuous, compared to Setsuna, she''s still a bit lacking in comparison.


    And to make matter worse, Setsuna is apparently still 14! Their womanly pride has been severely damaged but remembering that Setsuna is a Goddess then it might be no so weird after all.


    They''re still 18-19 years old, they still have some room to grow!


    Just like Reiji, they immediately concluded that it''s because Setsuna is a Goddess...


    As for Tamamo, there''s no need to compare their body with each other since the other party is a bonafide a.d.u.l.t. Even they feel charmed at her sight needless to say about Reiji and the other men...


    Those twitching fox ears and swaying fox tail making them feel itchy inside... Even as fellow girls, they wanted to fluff them so much!


    It''s not like they''ve never met a beastkin in this world but Tamamo''s fluffiness is not something that can be compared to the others that they''ve seen before.


    "There, all done~" Tamamo said after she finished rinsing Setsuna''s hair: "Now we can enter the hot spring, Setsu-chan!"


    Tamamo has already washed before Setsuna.


    "Um." Setsuna nodded before she stood up from her seat.


    She holds her towel close to her body and tied her long hair into a bun once again.


    Tamamo also did the same.


    Chiyuki''s group once again become captivated at their sight...


    "...So beautiful..." One of them muttered.


    "Wait..." When Setsuna and Tamamo entered the hot spring, Chiyuki snapped out of her daze and notices something: "How come they know the proper etiquette for Japanese people before entering the hot spring?"


    Kyouka and the others also finally took notice of this... And not only that... their name... their name is obviously Japanese!


    "Isn''t it obvious? It''s because we''re from Japan after all~" Tamamo''s next words confirmed their suspicion.


    "Y-You two are from Japan?" Chiyuki stuttered in shock.


    "Well, Setsu-chan''s birth mother is not really a Japanese but my hubby and I are indeed from Japan." Tamamo smirked: "What? Do you think Setsu-chan is my birth daughter?"


    They nodded dumbly at her question.


    "Fufu, sadly you''re wrong. But I still love her regardless though." Tamamo grinned.


    Setsuna who heard this blushed slightly but she still muttered in a low voice: "...I love you as well, okaa-chan."


    "Mikon~!" Tamamo squealed before she practically jumped at Setsuna: "You''re so cute just now, Setsu-chan!"


    "C-Cut it out, okaa-chan... It''s embarrassing." Setsuna protested while still in Tamamo''s embrace.


    "W-Wait! You''re saying that you both are basically from Japan? That means we''re from the same world?!" Chiyuki butted in.


    "Of course. Isn''t our name kind of a dead give away?" Tamamo raised one of her eyebrows at them as if she''s looking at an idiot.


    "N-No, it''s just that..."


    "If you''re asking if we''re from the same world then no." Setsuna who just freed herself from Tamamo''s embrace is the one who responded next.


    "Wh-What do you mean..." Chiyuki''s group draw closer to them before they too entered the hot spring.


    "You think there are only 2 worlds in existence? There are billions of world, no, trillions of world out there... And there are also millions of Japan as well."


    "...Eh?" They let out a stupefied voice.


    "Is it that hard to accept? All of you are in a different world right now, aren''t you?"


    "That''s..."


    "Well, I can understand your disbelief on this part since you''ve only been a normal human before this after all." Setsuna said understandingly.


    They look at each other feeling more and more confused.


    "We thought you don''t like us for being a human..." Sahoko timidly said.


    "Huh? Why would I hate you for being who you are?" Setsuna frowned: "Your race doesn''t matter to me. Whether you''re a Demon or a Human being, I don''t care. As long as you didn''t do anything stupid then I won''t bother you either."


    "I-I see... But you seem to hate Reiji-sama though..." Kaya said next.


    "And there''s a good reason for that. But you will understand sooner or later." Setsuna said dismissively: "And at that time... You''ll understand why I pity you so much." She glanced at Sahoko and a few others which made them flinch.


    "I''ll never regret what happened between me and Reiji-kun!" She retorted back bravely.


    "Hmm, I wonder... It''s such a shame a good girl like you is led astray by something ''fake''... I hope you remember your words when the time comes." Setsuna shook her head regretfully.


    Just like they said... Ignorance is bliss.


    "Now now, Setsu-chan... That''s no way to treat others who are in love with each other you know~? They can be with whoever they want and we shouldn''t bother them." Tamamo said with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes.


    "...Alright." Setsuna nodded after a brief pause.


    "L-Let''s set that aside. Can you tell us about your background? I mean, we know that you both are a Goddess just like Rena... what kind of Goddess are you back in Japan? You said your name was Tamamo right? Why does that sound so familiar..."


    "Ara? Looks like there is also a similar history about me in your Japan." Tamamo said with a small smile: "Let me properly introduce myself... my old name was Tamamo-No-Mae. Does that ring any bell?"


    "Tamamo-No-Mae? Isn''t that!?" They gasped in shock.


    "The infamous fox demon who ''tricked'' the emperor and killed numerous humans in the past? If so, then ping-pong~, you''ve hit the jackpot!" Tamamo flashed a playful smile at them.


    "..."


    "Aha~????. It''s been a while ever since somebody become shocked silly like this because of my identity and not because it''s related to my husband." She giggled at their shocked state.


    "Y-Your husband?" They unintentionally recalled Issei''s visage.


    "Yup! He holds so many titles to himself that it even makes this infamously well-known fox feel jealous~. Shuten-douji and Ibaraki-douji also feel jealous about it you know? Ah, there should be a legend about Shuten and Ibaraki-douji from your Japan right?"


    They nodded with their mouth wide open.


    "Ah~, those were the days... When we the youkais and onis instill fear on the humans... It''s not that bad either nowadays since our husband is the true King of our world. The ignorant normal humans stay clueless while those involved in the supernatural world fear us~" Tamamo sighed in contentment.


    Even though the current Shuten and Ibaraki that she knows are a bit different since they''re from a different world, they do share the same thoughts most of the time.


    "You seem to dislike the humans..." Chiyuki muttered. But then again, it''s not really that surprising either knowing the legend about Tamamo-No-Mae... She was betrayed and hunted by the humans who feared her after all.


    "Of course I do." Tamamo smirked: "They are narrow-minded, filled with hatred and self-righteousness. They would immediately put the blame on others when things don''t go their way... Just like you who thought that the Demons are evil just because your fellow human said so and you also thought that what all of you have been doing after all this time is in the name of justice, am I wrong?"


    "N-No, th-that''s!" They tried to argue but Tamamo waved them off.


    "Fufu, no need to worry. I don''t plan to condemn you for what you did and I''m not innocent since I''ve killed a bunch of your kind as well during my life. Besides, just like how my husband doesn''t care what happened to this world as a whole, I also don''t care." Tamamo chuckled: "And while I dislike the humans, that doesn''t mean I hate them either. If anything, I found them amusing nowadays..."


    Her eyes narrowed on their own and an evil smirk started to form on her face which made Chiyuki''s group shiver.


    "M-May we ask just what''s your husband''s identity is? He''s not a normal God, is he?" They inquired nervously trying to shift the topic.


    "Hubby? Oh, non non non. You have to find out about his identity on your own~. It won''t be fun if the fox is out of the bag now, would it? You can try asking the Holy Dragon King from this kingdom if you want to... Maybe it''s able to give you an inkling of who he is." Tamamo flashed a foxy grin at them.


    Setsuna who''s at the side snorted at their clueless face.


    Bunch of children who don''t know the true meaning of true strength... They thought that they''re undefeatable for being able to take care of some small fries during their stay here? This world is so pathetically weak that it could barely count as a world ruled by Gods!


    Not a single exists in this world...


    If they have to put a class on this world then it would be world at best.


    The reason why Chiyuki''s group seems powerful is also because of Reiji''s influence. The divine energy is affecting their bodies since they''ve been with him the longest and also because they basically have the same body ''structure'' for being from the same world.


    While it doesn''t make them as strong as he is, they could be considered in the inhumane category.


    The divine energy effect should''ve been enhanced further when they arrived in this world where "Mana" is overflowing compared to their original world.


    When the ring runs out of power then... they will be faced with the harsh reality.


    What? Did they think that they''re powerful because they''re special or something? What a joke! A normal human being who barely trains themselves thinks that they could take on a divine being? Heh...


    Even that training is only a basic sword art and the like. It has absolutely nothing to do with the supernatural world...


    She couldn''t wait to see the day where they lost their so-called "power"... When that time comes, she wonders if this Sahoko girl will truly stay true to her words...


    While Tamamo and Setsuna immersed themselves in the hot spring, Chiyuki''s group is too shocked to do the same.


    Rena who overheard their conversation inside the changing room doesn''t really need to ask the Holy Dragon King about his identity since she has already witnessed a glimpse of his strength beforehand. When she thought till here, she becomes more determined to go through with her plan.


    "Oya?" Tamamo of course sensed her presence.


    Her fox tail swayed slightly before a mini Tamamo emerged from within. This mini Tamamo is invisible to Chiyuki''s group but Setsuna could see it.


    She also realized the presence of Rena hiding nearby so she could grasp what Tamamo has in mind.


    "A stalker?" Setsuna whispered.


    "Yup." Tamamo nodded with a mischievous smile.


    The mini Tamamo saluted at Tamamo before it flew towards Rena''s direction.


    Issei who''s at the man''s side sensed Tamamo''s energy.


    He frowned slightly thinking what just made her use her strength. But soon he waves it off since this strength is too small to be considered something dangerous.


    And as he expected, Tamamo''s voice transmission arrived a second later: [Don''t worry, hubby. It''s nothing important~]


    [Um.] Issei gives a faint response.


    Issei suddenly sensed something else and he looks towards the sky with narrowed eyes.


    "...Wo." He called out lightly.


    In the next moment, an abyssal human with black and white latex bodysuit with Dragon''s skull on top of her head appeared behind him in a kneeling position.


    "Master." The abyssal human called out respectfully.


    "Wha-!?" Reiji becomes surprised at her sight that he stands up abruptly.


    "Get that insect for me."


    "Wo obeys." She nodded before her red eyes flickered to the cloud.


    She disappears once again and before long, there''s a loud scream belonging to a man coming from above...


    A few seconds later, Wo reappeared while carrying a bloodied body with her.


    "Ugh..." The body full of blood groaned in pain.


    His blood should''ve dropped to the ground but there''s gravity magic preventing his blood from dropping. It''s like the blood stuck on his body.


    "So... Who are you supposed to be?" Issei calmly asked without turning around.


    Reiji who saw this scene had his body tensed up. He wanted to say something but Wo''s gaze homed in towards him.


    Her gaze is telling him that if he were to let out another sound then he will be next.


    Reiji gulped audibly while slightly shivering. He obediently shut his mouth not daring to let out another sound.


    The sound the man''s letting out even when he''s still in the sky didn''t reach the woman''s bath since Issei blocked it with his magic. Not even Setsuna notices it but Tamamo could sense it somewhat.


    "...I... I am... Alphos..." The man has a beautiful appearance that could charm many women but now, he''s barely recognizable: "I-I am... Alrena''s brother..."


    "Alrena? Who''s that?" Issei frowned trying to recall the name''s owner.


    "Master, Alrena is that woman who''s trying to talk with you during the day..." Wo helpfully remind him.


    "...Oh, it''s her." Issei reacted uninterestedly. It took him a full five seconds just to recall Rena''s appearance: "What''s your purpose here? Depending on your answer then you might lose your life... Don''t even think of lying to me. I could tell if you''re lying or not."


    Issei glanced at the bloodied Alphos.


    "I... I..." Alphos gasped with difficulty: "I... I wanted to follow my sister..."


    "Hm, while you''re not completely lying, you also didn''t fully tell the truth either. So what''s your other purpose?" Issei hummed.


    Wo''s grasp on Alphos''s neck tightened considerably making the latter made a choking sound. Even now he still doesn''t understand what just happened.


    He was up in the sky trying to peer into this place but suddenly his vision turned upside down and his whole body started to explode on its own making it turn into a bloody mess! And when he snapped out of his confused state, he realized that a woman appeared out of nowhere and is dragging him down by the neck...


    "*Cough* I wanted to see... your daughter at first hand and also-"


    "Cripple him." Issei didn''t let him finish before he ordered decisively.


    "W-Wai- *CRACK!!!* AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"


    A sound of something brittle breaking resounded clearly within the man''s bath...


    Reiji''s body shuddered greatly while he instinctively covered his specific part. His whole body is immediately covered with cold sweat... And it''s absolutely not because of the hot spring heat...


    Alphos passed out with foam frotting from his mouth.


    "Toss him away."


    "Understood." Wo nodded before she casually tossed Alphos''s body towards the sky.


    His body flew at a lightning speed disappearing into the night sky...


    Wo then went on standby waiting for her next order.


    "Anything to report, Wo? How''s Froleytia and Hiyuki doing over there?" Issei asked.


    The Abyssal humans have a shared link with each other. They could share and transmit information from the distance instantly.


    This special link of theirs made them the best at espionage. They serve as another backup besides the defensive charm Issei gave his loved ones.


    "Reporting to Master, Princess Froleytia and Princess Hiyuki have been accompanied by Lady Natal. They''re currently visiting the merfolk kingdom." Wo reported.


    "Merfolk kingdom? Oh, that''s right... Those mermaids we''ve met before said that they do have a kingdom don''t they." Issei recalled the mermaids they''ve saved in the past.


    Those mermaids and fishmen welcomed them to their kingdom but sadly at the time, they have other plans so they don''t have the chance to visit it.


    "Mm, maybe I should catch up to them later..." Issei thought for a bit before he waved his hand to make the time flows slower on Natal''s side.


    "How about Arte?" Issei asked next.


    "Princess Arte is accompanied by Lady Majin. They''re currently inside a dungeon along with a boy."


    "Wait... What? A boy?" Issei''s aura stagnated at the mention of a boy. He abruptly stood up from the water while glowering at Wo.


    Wo cheeks reddened being in close proximity with her Master''s n.a.k.e.d body but her face stays expressionless.


    "Yes, his name is Hajime Nagumo, a high school student that got transported to another world..." Wo explained information about Hajime briefly.


    "...Does that boy have inappropriate thoughts about Arte?" Issei asked after he finished listening to Wo''s explanation.


    "At the moment. It doesn''t seem that he has any impure thoughts about Princess Arte." Wo thankfully is still a little dense on human emotion.


    If she were to tell Issei that Hajime harbor some romantic feelings for Arte then perhaps he would''ve immediately erased him out of existence!


    It''s not like Issei is being petty... Okay, he is petty. But you need to remember that Arte is only 12 years old! Hajime would be classified as a lolicon by Issei if he tries to make a move on her.


    "...Is that so?" Issei thought for a bit before he plopped back into the water: "If he tried to do anything towards Arte then report it to me immediately... If the situation calls for it then you can kill him."


    "Understood." Wo nodded before she shares what she has been told with the other abyssal human.


    The abyssal human on Arte''s side received it instantly. She complied and had her sight on Hajime ready for whenever he''s about to make a move...


    Issei then rubbed his forehead in frustration thinking that there are so many annoying flies buzzing around his princesses.


    Wo who saw this moved forward and started massaging his shoulder from the edge of the hot spring.


    Reiji who''s at the side feels more and more jealous seeing so many beautiful women surrounding Issei. Each one is as beautiful as the other... But he knows better to not provoke Issei now.


    The sight of Alphos losing his family jewel is not something that can be erased from his memory anytime soon...


    Back on the woman''s bath.


    "...I wonder if onii-sama will try to peek on us like before... maybe that man will also peek on us?" Kyouka mumbled while dozing off slightly.


    For some reason, the thoughts of Issei peeking on her doesn''t seem so bad...


    They don''t have anything else to talk about so it has been silent for a while now...


    "No, I don''t think he would..." Chiyuki glanced at Tamamo and Setsuna beside them.


    "Hn~?" Tamamo who notices her gaze hummed: "Peeping on us? Oh no, you don''t have to worry. With my hubby there then not even a fly could peep on us. If that boy tried to peep on us then you won''t be seeing him anymore."


    They felt their body went cold when they heard her words. They know that Issei will go through with what she just said... He would really kill Reiji if he were to peep on them.


    "...How about your husband instead? What if he tried to peep on us?" Sahoko muttered trying to defend Reiji''s last remaining dignity. But there''s not much force behind her voice since she knows well just how perverted Reiji is...


    "That''s impossible." Tamamo and Setsuna said at the same time.


    "How can you be so sure..."


    "Don''t get too full of yourself. Unlike your boyfriend, royal father is not someone who will leer on any woman that he sees." Setsuna sneered at them.


    They flinched at her words while recalling Issei''s act towards them and Rena.


    They have to admit that what she just said is true... He looks like he doesn''t want to have anything to do with them at all. Even when Rena tried to talk with him earlier today, he just blatantly ignored her like she was never there in the first place...


    He seems to only show a gentle expression when he''s interacting with his daughter and wife of his... Another thing that differs from how their Reiji would act.


    Their Reiji would immediately leer on any beautiful woman he sees and will never refuse a woman''s advances on him. All a woman has to do is just shed a little bit of tear and beg for his help and he would do everything he can to help them...


    "Hubby is a very affectionate man but he will only act gentle and caring towards someone he truly loves you see..." Tamamo sighed dreamily.


    Setsuna also nodded along with her.


    Tamamo''s fox ear twitched for a second before she glanced towards their back.


    ...


    Rena already left the changing room and went towards the kitchen.


    Subsequently, she touched the small bottle in her pocket.


    With this love potion... I will make him mine! She thought to herself.


    This is the first time that she met someone who''s not dazzled by her beauty. And to top it off, he seems like a very loyal man, unlike Reiji.


    Reiji always reminds her of her brother with how similar their personality is.


    Because of that, she wanted Issei even more!


    A man of that caliber should belong to her and only her! She won''t let anyone else take him away from her.


    His otherworldly appearance coupled with his insurmountable strength made him the perfect match for her.


    She would give him a collar once he becomes her slave.


    A faint smile spreads on her lips just by imagining it.


    She imagined the figure of Issei wearing a collar while prostrating before her. What a good sight to behold... She would even let him kiss her feet.


    The other Goddesses would be extremely envious of her when the time comes. She would flaunt their relationship at them and with his strength, she would be able to eradicate anyone who stands before her ways... including that ugly Modes!


    After she arrived at the kitchen, she notices that the chefs are preparing the dinner and beverage. They''re obviously for Issei and the others since they''re the only ones who are here at the moment.


    She approached one of the maids and used her magic to control her mind.


    She glanced to the side and took a glass full of liquor and then she poured the love potion that she brought with her into the glass.


    Just one drop would be enough for a normal human to swear their endless love but since the other party is a fellow God then an entire bottle might be needed.


    She wonders if this much is enough to turn Issei into her slave.


    "Give this glass to the man with white hair. Make sure that he''s the one who receives it." Rena said to the maid.


    "Yes." The maid nodded with a blank look on her face.


    After that, she left the kitchen... without knowing a mini fox just switched the content of the drink to another cup.


    "Fufufu, you want to trick hubby with this measly trick? Even without my interference, he would notice your plan right away... Not that he would drink any alcohol with their daughter here in the first place though." The mini fox laughed in amus.e.m.e.nt before she used her own magic to bewitch the same maid that Rena influenced.


    Once she''s done, the mini Tamamo disappeared as well...


    The potion itself has magic traces on it. Issei would''ve noticed it right away and Rena''s plan would fail from the get-go.


    Rena of course notices this so that''s why she brought a necklace that could hide it. In the end, she still underestimates Issei''s capabilities...


    ...


    The next morning, Setsuna-chan finished buying the slaves that she needed before we went back to Shangri-la with the new slaves in tow... Leaving behind a love crazed Goddess back on the kingdom...


    What happened yesterday night? Find out in the next episode of- just kidding~???? Presented to you by the perfect wife, Tamamo-chan!

 Chapter 158 - Side 15

    "Congratulation! Team Fairy Tail A and Fairy Tail B for passing the preliminary competition!"


    With a loud and humorous voice, a small stature man wearing a large pumpkin head congratulated the Fairy Tail team...


    "Also, congratulation for taking the first and second place respectively!" The pumpkin said jovially.


    "Yes! We took first and second place!" Natsu cheered.


    Gray and the others also smiled at this... But someone isn''t smiling while looking at them.


    "...It took you guys five minutes and thirteen seconds just to get here?" A cold voice resounded from above them.


    "Who?!" The pumpkin head becomes startled and immediately look above him. But in the next second, as if his words got stuck in his throat, he shut his mouth obediently.


    He''s feigning ignorance as if he never said anything in the first place...


    Irene Scarlet being the Empress of is not really well known to the public. But the higher ups of each kingdom and country know of her true identity...


    And this pumpkin is one of those who know of this piece of information. Just the other day, the Empress herself ordered them to let this scarlet haired woman do as she pleases.


    With that Raven Tail case being an example...


    He won''t be the first one to disobey her order, nope! No thank you!


    "Geh! It''s the other Erza!" Natsu flinched under her cold gaze.


    "That''s teacher Erza for you, idiot." Erza H. growled.


    "A-Aye sir!"


    "Now what''s your excuse? To think that it took you this long just to get to the finish line... And that includes you, sister!" Erza H. pointed at Erza S.


    "W-Well, I don''t want to leave my friends behind... So..." Erza S. replied while sweating a little.


    "Tsk." Erza H. scoffed: "I can pardon this incident since it has nothing to do with actual combat... But if any of you were to lose in direct combat with the other guilds then... Heheh, you''ll see." She flashed a devilish smile while crackling her knuckles.


    "Y-Yes, ma''am!" They shouted in unison.


    Suddenly, another flash of light appeared not far from them.


    Three women and one man appeared from the light.


    "Ahhh~. to think that we''re late by a few seconds..."


    "Too bad, we could''ve beaten them if it wasn''t for elder sis Erza training them..."


    "No matter. This match is not really important anyway. We could properly show our skills in an actual battle."


    "Great work, everyone."


    These newcomers are Sorano, Yukino, Kagura, and Simon.


    "Muh? You guys are late as well?" Erza H. mused.


    "Well, for you it''s not really a challenge but for us, it is a little troublesome, elder sis..." Yukino smiles wryly.


    "Our direction becomes disoriented and it becomes harder to navigate through all that maze."


    "Huh? How come all of you become disoriented because of that simple maze?" Erza H. frowned.


    She then took a deeper look at the maze layout when something clicks inside her mind: "Oh, no wonder... Mum probably did something to your part."


    She only sees the maze layout for the other participants after all. She thought all of them have the same layout so she didn''t really bother to look into it.


    If it was any other participants that had Erza S. and her friends'' maze then they won''t be able to succeed... The maze is that hard.


    "Eh? Mom did?" Erza S. said.


    "Meh, just ignore it. This will help you in the long run anyway... Think of it as a training course created by her." Erza H. shrugged.


    Soon, another flash of light appeared behind them.


    This time it''s three male who appeared...


    "Oi, Sorano, Yukino! Why did you leave us behind just like that?!"


    "What the hell is up with that maze anyway? If it wasn''t for the trail Sorano and Yukino left behind then we would''ve lost our way."


    "Anyway, did we get first place?"


    "Un?"


    The three men become startled seeing so many people already arrived here before them.


    "You..." A man with short golden spiky hair pointed his finger at Natsu''s group: "You''re ?"


    Natsu''s entire group also looked at the opposite party. Then they saw the guild emblem of the other party.


    "That is... ? Are they your guildmates, Sorano, Yukino?" Erza S. asked the two sisters.


    "Eh, you could say that. They''re so slow that we decided to leave them behind." Sorano said without a care: "Yukino is the one who left behind all those trails though."


    "Hey hey hey. Why is the guild who always come at last place these past years already arrived here?" The member Orga is scowling while looking at the group: "Also, Yukino and Sorana, you two seem awfully close with them."


    "Ehhh, what''s it to you if we''re close to them anyway?" Sorano scoffed back.


    "Don''t you remember what our Guild Master ordered? We shouldn''t lower ourselves and interact with those who are weaker than our guild!"


    "Oh please, you might fear the Guild Master but we couldn''t care less of what he thinks." Sorano waved uninterestedly: "Besides... after this tournament ended, we will leave the guild anyway."


    "What did you say?! Did you want to betray the guild!?" Orga and the other two shouted.


    "Betray? I don''t think we''re betraying the guild though? Well, if you think that we''re betraying the guild then so be it... We have no further interest with your guild anyway." Sorano said with a shrug.


    "You!"


    "Just for your information, if it wasn''t for Erza-chan disappearance then we wouldn''t have joined your guild."


    "Erza? The Titania?" They frowned before changing their attention to the rumored Titania.


    They thought that she and the other well-known members have disappeared...


    "...Huh?" They become stupefied at the sight of two Erza: "Wh-Why is there two of them?"


    "What are you looking at!?" Erza H. growled at them.


    Two of them stepped backward at the intensity of her gaze.


    "Sting? Rogue?" Orga said in confusion at his two guildmates.


    "Hah? Wh-Why did we suddenly..." The two of them muttered in confusion.


    The two of them just felt an oppressive aura that they''ve never sensed before coming from Erza H.


    It''s like their whole being is telling them to submit to this Erza...


    "Oh, now that we think about it... Those two are , aren''t they? No wonder they instinctively feel fear towards elder sis." Sorano said in realization.


    "What? Those two are ? Just like pinky hair little group over there?" Erza H. pointed at Natsu, Laxus, Wendy, and Gajeel.


    "That''s right! We''re ! But we''re nothing like them!" Sting raised his voice trying to erase his embarrassment just now.


    "Hoo? And just how are you different from them?" Erza H. mused: "If you meant that you''re weaker than them then you''re right. You''re far weaker than them."


    "Teacher..." Natsu who was feeling down for being called pinky suddenly felt a little touched.


    "That''s impossible! They couldn''t even defeat Acnologia! We are ''True'' Dragon Slayers, we killed the Dragon who taught us the Dragon slaying magic with our two hands!" Sting and Rogue said.


    "You... killed your own parents!?" Natsu gnashed his teeth.


    "Yeah, no... I don''t think so." Erza H. scoffed.


    "What do you mean?" The two of them said with a frown.


    "''True'' Dragon Slayers? More like Dragon Slayer wannabe."


    "Why you!"


    "You claim that you''re a ''True'' Dragon Slayers but I couldn''t smell a single drop of dragon blood coming from you two." Erza H. pointed out.


    "Are you doubting us?" They glared at her.


    "Doubt? Just from the fact that you didn''t even realize the one who''s standing before you is a Dragon already given you two a big minus points for your claim."


    "Dragon? What?" They said in confusion.


    "That''s right..." Erza H. grinned at them before she disappeared from her spot and reappeared behind them: "I am a ''True'' Dragon."


    "Wha- *BANG!*"


    A loud bang resounded clearly...


    "GAH!!" Erza H. is holding their head and smashed them to the ground.


    "Sting! Rogue! You..." Orga groaned: "Hey referee! Why are you not doing anything! They just attacked us out of nowhere!" He shouted at the pumpkin head.


    "..." But the mentioned pumpkin head is looking away from the whole incident as if the whole thing has nothing to do with him. Don''t mind me, I didn''t see anything... His whole posture looks like he was implying that.


    Orga becomes slackjawed at this sight...


    "They made elder sis mad." Sorano chuckled.


    "Why? Is it because they said that they have slain a Dragon before?" Laxus asked curiously.


    "No, if they truly kill a Dragon then she won''t really get mad. That just means that they have earned that kill... What she''s mad about is that they claimed that they''ve slain a Dragon even though they never actually done it. She hates it when others lie to her."


    "Now come on... Show me your strength. The strength that you used to slay a Dragon." Erza H. said coldly while her Dragon features started to show themselves.


    First, it''s her horns, her claws, her wings, and lastly, her tail.


    "Wh-What the hell?! Are those-!" Orga said in disbelief.


    "Mhm, what you''re seeing right now is a True Dragon in the flesh." Sorano said simply: "Elder sis Erza over there is a bonafide Dragon."


    Orga becomes further dumbfounded at this revelation.


    Sting and Rogue who are under Erza H. grasp are also stupefied.


    "Come on. Show me what you got." Erza H. repeated herself to the two men.


    "D-Don''t underestimate us!" They struggled against her grasp and managed to break free with difficulty... Well, more like she let them.


    Once they broke free, they immediately took some distance and looked at each other.


    "Sting!" Rogue shouted.


    "Got it!"


    ""!"" The two of them shouted before a large amount of energy burst out from their bodies.


    "Hoo?" Erza H. raised one of her eyebrows.


    "With this form... We''re able to kill our first Dragon!" Sting said.


    "Is that so? Then give me your best shot." Erza H. taunted.


    "Tsk! !"


    "!"


    They let out their respective attack towards her.


    Erza gives a light smirk before she opened her mouth wide and started sucking their attack right into her mouth.


    "..." Sting and Rogue who saw this become rooted on their spot whereas the other onlookers who didn''t know about Erza''s true capabilities are also in the same state.


    *GULP* *GULP* *GULP*


    "Fwahhh... Not bad. Sadly, you both are still too green... If you were compared to pinky before trained he''s by me then sure, you''re more powerful than them. But right now, you would stand no chance against them..." Erza H. said calmly.


    "D-Did she just... Swallow Sting and Rogue attack?" Orga said in a daze.


    "Yup. That she did." Kagura nodded.


    "But... But..."


    "Wasn''t the magic works best against a Dragon?" Simon followed up.


    Orga nodded at his statement.


    "Well, if it were against any other Dragons then it might work but you see... Elder sis Erza herself already said that she''s a ''True'' Dragon, isn''t she? The ''True'' here is not implying that she''s a ''real'' Dragon but rather because she''s of a higher class compared to a normal Dragon." Yukino explained.


    "Wh-What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Hmm, it would be too difficult to explain it in words but just know that she''s far more powerful than all the Dragons recorded in history... Even stronger than Acnologia."


    "...Even stronger than Acnologia?"


    "Yup. She could probably kill Acnologia with one hand behind her back if she wanted to. That''s how big the disparity in their strength is... If big sis is one of the Dragon that wanted to kill all the humans in the past then the human race would''ve gone extinct already and not the other way around."


    "..."


    "Now then... Let me show you what a real Dragon''s breath looks like." Erza H. grinned at the two Dragon Slayer wannabe.


    She took a deep breath making her cheeks slightly puffed up before she huffed lightly.


    *PHEW*


    A thin line of crimson laser-like beam shoots out from her mouth passing the stupefied duo before it finally landed on the large mountain in the distance...


    "BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!*


    A large explosion ensues... If it wasn''t for the barrier surrounding the city then it probably would''ve been affected by the explosion blast. And just like what happened to the now disappeared mountain, perhaps this city would also share the same fate...


    But thankfully, someone notices her act right before she launches it.


    "Er-chan! Be careful with your attack!" A loud scolding voice resounded clearly.


    "Oops, sorry mum!" Erza H. said with a sweat. She thought that she already properly lowered her attack power just now... But it looks like it''s still too powerful...


    "Well, anyway, if you want to fight them then you can fight them at the tournament." Erza H. said while she reverted back to her human form.


    They still didn''t react to her words since they are too stupefied at the sight of the destruction caused by her dragon breath.


    "Th-That whole mountain just... disappeared..." Rogue muttered in shock.


    "Stop being so shocked at everything little thing she does."


    "You called ''that'' little?!"


    "Our foster father is even more powerful than her!" Sorano said proudly: "Now you understand why we don''t have any interest with your guild... We and this other Erza are sisters hence why we''re so close with each other."


    "So you best remember that you''re dead wrong if you think that your guild is the strongest... At most, your guild can only be counted as ants in front of real strength."


    "..."


    After that, Erza and the others didn''t bother with the anymore.


    Soon the other guilds also arrived at the finish line.


    ...


    After a while, Issei finally decided to put his ''trouble'' aside for now. He stood up from the water to meet up with Tamamo and Setsuna since it should be about time to get out of the hot spring now...


    As if on cue, Tamamo''s cheery and bubbly voice which for some reason becomes a tad higher resounded from the woman''s bath side: "Hubby, we''re done here~"


    "Got it. I''m also done here." Issei responded.


    Wo is still behind him waiting for his next command. She''s in a seiza position with both of her knees on the ground and both her hands on top of her lap.


    Issei turned around and looks at her with a warm gaze: "Thank you, Wo."


    "This is what Wo should do for Master." She bowed her head respectfully.


    "Nonsense. You''ve done a good job so you ought to be praised." Issei said before he lifted her chin with his hand.


    Their gaze intersected and Wo once again couldn''t help but blush at his act...


    This warm and fuzzy feeling feels so nice... She thought to herself.


    Her old Master can''t make them feel this way... To be treated not as a tool but rather as a person... They truly love this newfound feeling of theirs.


    They''re even given a name by their new Master to which they treasure a lot that they would keep addressing themselves with it.


    Issei also couldn''t help but smile at her innocent reaction. If it wasn''t for Setsuna being nearby then he would''ve invited her to take a bath together along with Tamamo... After the little "tension" from before, he wanted to pent his desire but he knows now is not the time since his little princess is nearby.


    But a little kiss should be fine...


    With that thought inside his mind, Issei bends his body slightly and proceed to taste the innocent lips of his little abyssal human.


    Wo eyes widened at this since this is the first time that her Master given her a kiss!


    The other abyssal human body also froze at the shared sensation that they share with each other.


    ...


    "Hm? What''s wrong, Kai?"


    Irene asked the abyssal human standing beside her. In her surroundings, there are a bunch of mangled corpses laid on the ground and walls...


    They''re currently located in the alleyway of a city. Those corpses might look humanoid but their eye sclera is completely black and their pupils are blood red.


    Irene is in her classic scarlet witch attire while the abyssal human beside her is an attractive young woman wearing a black dress revealing her bare shoulders.


    She also wore what seemed to be two pairs of long, thigh-high white stockings with black rings around them and two high-heel shoes which were black in color. Her most unique feature is that she had two pairs of upward-curving horns on her forehead with a black fade on the tip and long black hair that reached down to below her knees.


    The abyssal human whose name is Kai has currently had her face flushed red and she''s touching her lips with her fingers.


    "Master..." She muttered in response to Irene''s inquiry.


    "Dad? What''s wrong with Dad?" A young girl who''s standing nearby asked.


    She has red eyes and long red hair that goes past her waist. Her choice of clothing is a white tank top coupled with a black mini jacket and she''s also wearing long black jeans and black boots.


    She''s Irene and Issei''s second daughter, Margit Belserion Hyoudou.


    "Hmm, seeing her current expression then it''s safe to say that your old man just did something to one of her ''sisters''," Irene said in amus.e.m.e.nt after seeing the fl.u.s.tered look of Kai.


    "Dad did? What did he do? Hey, big sis Kai, tell me!"


    "Margit, you''re still too small for that." Irene smirked.


    "Bah! I''m not small!" Margit growled: "I''m already grown up!"


    "Just because you and your sister look more mature than your real age entails, that doesn''t mean you''re an a.d.u.l.t, little lady... Anyway, these creatures sure are amusing aren''t they..." Irene said while looking at one of the corpses.


    "Eh, they look like zombies to me..." Margit said uninterestedly.


    "Well, they do keep screaming that they wanted to eat our flesh... As funny as that is." Irene chuckled: "Not like they can pierce our skin with their measly attempt even if we let them hit us anyway. But if it wasn''t them being able to talk then even I would also classify them as zombies just like you did."


    One of them "managed" to land a hit on Irene''s body but the one that broke is the one who attacked instead of the one who''s getting attacked...


    The utterly dumbfounded face of that thing was truly priceless... Irene thought to herself.


    They just arrived in this world to sightsee a little bit before these creatures suddenly jumped out of nowhere and started attacking them. While Irene loves getting into a fight, these creatures which basically act like a completely wild animal won''t be able to prove any challenge to her...


    She doesn''t even bother attacking back and just calmly let Kai and Margit handle them all.


    Aside from the one that "managed" to land a hit, the other creature that gets close to her immediately turned into ashes...


    "Some of them possess an intriguing thing though... What''s this anyway? Some sort of organ? Eww, disgusting..." Margit crouched and lifted a tentacle-like thing sprouting from the creature''s back with a pipe that she picked up nearby.


    "Don''t randomly pick things from the ground. Didn''t your dad taught you that?" Irene lightly knocked on her head.


    "I didn''t touch it with my hands..." Margit pouted while rubbing her head.


    "Same thing. What would you do if that thing suddenly becomes alive and started latching onto your body?"


    "Tch! There''s no way it would come alive after all that so you can stop scaring me, mom." Even though she said that, she does obediently move away from the tentacles...


    Irene laughed at her daughter for being so gullible. But soon she set her attention back on the creature''s body.


    "They have the same physical appearance and intelligence as a human but their diet seems completely different... Their inner body structure is also mostly the same but these ''organ'' that they used as a means of attack seems to differentiate them from a normal human..." Irene muttered: "And as far as I can tell, there are more of these creatures lying around this city alongside the normal humans."


    Irene analyzed after she sniffed the air a little bit.


    She could smell these creatures'' scent all over the city.


    "Anyway, Kai. Please snap out of it and inform those from the main archive of our finding, would you?" Irene said towards Kai who''s still a bit dazed.


    "E-Eh? A-Ah, yes mistress." Kai said stutteringly.


    "Just what dad did anyway to make the expressionless big sis Kai look like this?" Margit mumbled curiously.


    "Things children like you shouldn''t know." Irene said with a smirk.


    Margit snorted back in response: "I''ll just ask dad myself later."


    "Good luck with that."


    "It''s done, mistress." Kai reported while still red-faced.


    "Jeez... He''s not done yet? Your face is still red..." Irene sighed.


    "Master... is..." Kai gasped while her body slouched backward.


    Issei is currently hugging Wo''s body tightly and savoring her lips to his heart content. Reiji has already kicked out by him from the hot spring...


    "Fufu, it''s about time he does something to you and your sisters..." Irene chuckled in a low voice: "Anyway, let''s go. This world might be not so boring after all... Let''s stay here for a few days and see how it goes."


    "Ehh... Do we really have to? They''re not a threat to us though..." Margit whined.


    "No matter how weak your enemies are..."


    "Remember to never underestimate them. I know I know... Dad has been teaching us that all the time." Margit sighed.


    "And for a very good reason. Your father himself barely able to keep up with his enemies when he first made a contact with the supernatural world but, he managed to defeat most enemies that are stronger than him in the end." Irene chuckled.


    "But of course! Dad is the strongest after all." Margit huffed in pride.


    "Mhm... Okay, let''s go. I feel like I wanted to take a nap."


    "But you just took a nap earlier, mom..." Margit deadpanned.


    "That''s nowhere near enough. Mom at least needs another 8 hours for her beauty nap."


    "You might as well call that sleeping!"


    The two of them left the alley and Kai once again went inside Margit''s shadow...


    Moments after their departure, two figures arrived on top of the building right above the alleyway.


    "..." The first one is a seemingly tall man with short white hair and red eyes. He hid his mouth with a red iron mask.


    The second one looks like a young girl. She wraps her entire body in bandages and she also wears a maroon hooded cloak with droopy ears and a floral scarf around her neck.


    "..." The girl also cautiously looks at the scene before them: "I wonder what happened here... I thought it was only our kind having a feast but this sight sure is a surprise."


    "...All of them died almost at the same time." The man muttered in a low voice after observing the state of the bodies and their freshness.


    And not to mention how their expression is filled with disbelief and confusion... like they didn''t even understand how they die even until the end of their lives.


    "Meaning that their killer is just that powerful? Well now... who might they be? Is it ''him''? No, he''s strong but I doubt he''s able to kill all of them with such little time." The girl said in a carefree manner: "And it doesn''t seem to be our kind as well. None of them seems to be eaten and these lingering smells... It smells too sweet and enchanting to be a human."


    No wonder these fools gathered here... They couldn''t resist the smell but looks like it''s a ''trap'' all along.


    "Oh, looks like we have company. Let''s leave." The girl notices multiple footsteps coming their way.


    The two of them then disappeared from their spot and the group of people wearing a matching outfit which consists of a white professional suit.


    Just like the two newcomers from before, they also started speculating about what happened here...


    Two opposing races are filled with absolute confusion with the human side thinking that the perpetrator must be from the opposing side... In other words, an internal struggle or something similar.


    ...


    After a while, Issei finally stopped his ''conquest''.


    He withdraws his lips and looked at the dazed Wo in his embrace.


    "Let''s stop here... We don''t want to keep them waiting too long now, do we?" Issei said.


    Wo who heard his voice finally snapped out of her daze and she almost fainted feeling something hard poking her lower abdomen.


    "Maybe we''ll continue this later." Issei gives her forehead a peck before he lets go of her body.


    Once she has been freed from the Dragon''s clutch, Wo immediately hide herself once again. She''s too overwhelmed with emotion that she doesn''t know what to do...


    It''s not the first time she and the other abyssal human witnessed their Master''s copulating with the mistresses. But seeing is one thing and experiencing it is another thing altogether.


    Now they can slightly understand just why their mistresses often went dazed whenever they share a kiss with their Master...


    Issei who saw this smiles wryly... Did he take it too far?


    He gives a sigh before he went to the changing room...


    In the changing room, he saw a little note that says: "Wear this, hubby~???" on top of a pile of clothes.


    The clothes are a set of seemingly normal yukata without anything weird attached.


    He shook his head before he wears the yukata prepared for him...


    ...


    Chiyuki and the others are also waiting outside and they are amazed at the sight of Tamamo and Setsuna wearing a yukata.


    Reiji who''s on the side so badly wanted to feast his eyes on them but his last bit of sanity is telling him to not do it.


    If it was the him before witnessing the fate of Alphos then perhaps he would take the risk just to leer on Tamamo and Setsuna but now... he doesn''t dare to do it anymore.


    He keeps looking at the ground after catching a glimpse of Tamamo and Setsuna.


    He''s afraid if he were to gaze at them for a prolonged period of time then Issei would''ve crippled him as well. And for him who loves indulging in the flesh of woman, it''s the same as a pure nightmare...


    He can only curb down his perverse desires on Tamamo and Setsuna... At least for now...


    "How pretty... This is the first time I saw a yukata that looks so beautiful..." Kyouka muttered.


    "Or better yet, it''s been a while ever since we saw a yukata ourselves," Rino said.


    "Thank you, these yukatas are created by my sister. Perhaps you can order one if you have the chance at our company, ." Tamamo advertised with a business smile.


    "?"


    "That''s right, stands for , it''s a company created by my hubby and our company branches to multiple worlds so make sure to order a few of our products," Tamamo said with a wink.


    "This is our business card." Setsuna helpfully distributed the cards for them: "If you want to order something then just type the provided numbers using any sort of communication device... A normal phone would also work. And as for the payment, you could use your world''s currency if you want. We will handle the rest."


    "O-Oh..." Chiyuki''s group smiled wryly at this. Guess anything is possible with magic, huh...


    "Ah! Hubby, you''re finally here!" Tamamo said giddily seeing Issei who''s finally out of the hot spring.


    "Mm, sorry to keep you two waiting," Issei said apologetically.


    Chiyuki and the others turned around only to froze the next second...


    Issei is wearing his yukata which might seem normal but the design is not as normal as he thought since it brings out his charm even more. Especially with how the upper yukata of his seems to be more open than a normal yukata perfectly exposing his upper chest and neckbone.


    And the way his slightly moist hair and a droplet of water dripping from his neck to that said collarbone only serve as unnecessary fan service to the poor group of girls wildly beating heart.


    Even Sahoko, Rino, and Nao who genuinely love Reiji couldn''t help but become dazed at this sight of Issei.


    Whereas for the girls who already started to develop some feelings for Issei having it worst... They''re having a nosebleed, that''s why.


    Including Rena who''s in the background, all of them are having a nosebleed with their cheeks flushed deeply.


    "You look great, hubby!" Tamamo praised with a seductive smile.


    "You look outstanding as always, royal father." Setsuna who''s at her side also nodded with slightly reddened cheeks.


    "Is that so? Thank you then. You two also looks beautiful." Issei smiled back in response: "Anyway... Where should we go next, princess?"


    "Oh, we heard that the inn is preparing a feast for us, hubby. We were thinking if we should give their food a try." Tamamo chimed in.


    "While Setsuna doubts that there will be a food more delicious than yours, royal father... I think we should at least try them." Setsuna nodded in agreement.


    "Okay then. Let''s go to the dining room." Issei nodded before the three of them went away leaving behind the dazed group of girls in the background... But soon they also followed after them.


    ...


    "Th-The feast will be prepared soon enough, milord." One of the maids nervously said while looking at the ground. She had to pinch her h.i.p.s just to regain her thoughts when she first saw Issei and then she doesn''t dare to look at him directly anymore.


    "Mm." Issei gives a faint nod and the maid hurriedly excuses herself.


    "While it''s quite disappointing that the inn style is not Japanese, at least the hot spring is quite great," Tamamo said.


    "Princess, come." Issei beckoned: "Sit here." Issei pulled out a chair for Setsuna to sit on.


    "Royal father?" Setsuna said in confusion but she still follows his words and took a seat.


    Issei then took an intricately designed comb out of his dimensional storage and started to gently comb her hair.


    "Ah, you don''t have to, royal father!" Setsuna becomes startled at his action.


    "It''s fine. Now stay still."


    "..."


    "How long has it been again, princess? The last time father combs your hair like this..." Issei said fondly.


    "...It has been three months and thirteen days, royal father." She said shyly.


    "Oh, really? Sorry, princess... Father has been quite busy in the last few months."


    "N-No, it''s fine, royal father. Setsuna understands that royal father is busy..."


    Tamamo looked warmly at their interaction... If only he''s the first man she married to. Would her fate will be different? But there''s no use in thinking of the past... What matters is the future that they have together.


    Chiyuki and the others looked enviously at Setsuna who''s treated so gently by Issei but they''re also in disbelief seeing the current Setsuna.


    Compared to her who was in the bathroom, she''s acting so meek and shy right now.


    Reiji inadvertently becomes charmed at her sight once again but thankfully he didn''t look at her with a l.u.s.tful gaze or Issei would''ve killed him on the spot.


    It appears the incident with Alphos from before made him more aware...


    Rena gnashed her teeth looking at the harmonious scene before her.


    She wanted that for herself! But it''s fine... Soon, she will get what she wants.


    Chiyuki and Issei''s table are separated so they don''t share the same table.


    Rena won''t be participating in the feast since she has her plans.


    Soon, the same maid who excused herself a while ago returned with a cart full of food and drinks.


    "Excuse us. The food is here." She announced their arrival politely... For some reason, she appears to be wearing more makeup now.


    She keeps fluttering her eyes towards Issei''s direction along with the other maid. They didn''t even put Reiji in their eyes anymore even though he was the most wanted man in the kingdom not long ago...


    Issei stopped combing Setsuna''s hair and then he also took his seat.


    The maid prepared the feast in an orderly fashion...


    "It doesn''t smell so bad," Tamamo muttered before she glanced at Rena who''s observing them from the side.


    Seeing the anxious look on Rena''s face made Tamamo grinned automatically.


    "Mm, it is indeed not bad." Setsuna nodded.


    One of the maids step forward and gave a glass of ''liquor'' to Issei: "Here''s your drink, milord."


    Once the food is fully prepared, the maid spoke once again: "If there''s anything else, then feel free to call us... We will gladly do ''anything'' you want."


    She emphasized the word ''anything'' with a seductive tone but Issei ignored it.


    "Umm... Where''s our food?" Chiyuki called out seeing that their food doesn''t seem to be here just yet.


    "Ah... Oh, we apologize, Chiyuki-sama... Your food is currently being prepared right now as we speak." The maid said in realization.


    She couldn''t say that they forgot about them now, could she? So she improvised saying that their food is currently being prepared. She signaled one of her co-workers with a wave of her hand behind her back.


    They then hurriedly excuse themselves but not before another maid brought a glass of wine to Rena: "Here''s your drink, milady."


    "Um." Rena is too anxious and impatient to properly pay attention to her drink so she just took it and calmly holds it in her hand.


    Her gaze never leaves Issei the whole time.


    "Rena, come sit with us," Reiji called out but the former didn''t even give him a glance.


    Reiji froze at this before he also played along thinking that she doesn''t want to be noticed.


    "Try the drink, hubby. It''s quite good." Tamamo said ''helpfully''.


    "Oh?"


    When Issei picked up his cup, Rena''s whole body tensed up. She''s so nervous that she reflexively drink the cup in her hand.


    "Cheers, hubby. May our love last forever~" Tamamo said with a smile.


    "Mm. Cheers." Issei also smiled back at her: "You too, princess. May you grow strong and more beautiful."


    "U-Um... To you as well, royal father."


    Once they finished their toast, the three of them drank their respective drinks.


    Rena who saw this immediately sprang into action, she put the glass in her hand down and dashed towards Issei''s front.


    I WON! With this, his heart will be mine!


    Or so she thought...


    "...What are you doing?" Issei frowned while looking at her who suddenly stand in front of him.


    "...Eh?" Rena let out a confused noise before she felt her heart started to beat erratically: "DIEHART!" She called out loudly with her eyes turning bloodshot almost instantly.


    Since she doesn''t know Issei''s name yet, she decided to call him Diehart instead.


    Her eyes turned so passionate that it even made Issei feel goosebumps all over.


    She then tried to grasp Issei''s face with her two extended arms: "Mine! You''re mine!"


    "Okay~, that''s enough~" Tamamo''s giggling voice resounded before Rena''s body flew backward.


    Her fox tail hit the latter away before Issei could react... Which is great because he was about to do more than just ''flung'' Rena away.


    If Tamamo didn''t make her move then perhaps Rena would become crippled, sharing the same fate with her brother since Issei didn''t react kindly to whoever would suddenly launch a surprise attack at him... especially when one of his little princesses is nearby.


    He doesn''t like to hit women but that doesn''t mean he won''t hit them when the situation calls for it.


    "Rena!" Reiji and the others called out in shock. They hurriedly went over to her...


    "?" Issei tilted his head before he looks at his smiling fox wife: "What just happened?"


    "Ufufufu. She gets what she deserved, that''s all." She replied while giggling mischievously.


    "She tried to put something in your drinks but Tamamo kaa-chan saw it through, royal father." Setsuna explained.


    "...Oh, no wonder." Issei said in realization while looking at the crazed Rena.


    "Mine! He''s mine!" Even now while she''s being held back by Chiyuki''s group, Rena still tries to get back up to her feet and her eyes are dead set on Issei.


    "Rena, calm down!"


    "What''s wrong, Rena!"


    "A love potion?" Issei guessed.


    "Yup," Tamamo confirmed.


    "But it won''t work on me though?" Issei said.


    "I know, hubby. But they don''t know that, do they?" Tamamo giggled once again.


    What a joke... One of Issei''s divinity is . If a measly Love potion capable of making him head over heels over someone then he might as well kill himself with a piece of tofu!


    "Anyway... I''m guessing this is the true reason why you want to have dinner in this place?" Issei sighed.


    "That''s right." Tamamo readily nodded at his guess.


    "What will happen to her?" Setsuna curiously asked since this is the first time she has seen anyone consume a love potion.


    "Well... Nothing much. She will become your father''s slave for eternity. If he were to tell her to kill herself right now then she would''ve done so... And at worst case she overdoses on the potion then she would become completely crazy if the target of her love didn''t ''relieve'' her~" Tamamo explained while hiding her smile with her fan.


    "''Relieve''? ''Relieve'' how exactly?" Setsuna asked curiously.


    She needed to gather more information just in case something similar happened in the future.


    "Stop corrupting her." Issei bonked Tamamo''s head.


    "Ouchie~" Tamamo stuck out her tongue at Issei.


    "Let''s leave... My appetite is ruined." Issei said with a sigh.


    "Sure, hubby~"


    The three of them stood up from their chair leaving behind the commotion in the background.


    At one point, the situation becomes too dangerous that Chiyuki had to knock Rena out...


    Reiji volunteered to carry her but Chiyuki and the others are not having any of it.

 Chapter 159 - Side 16

    "Hmm, right there... That''s the spot... Oh, that feels great..."


    Irene is currently laying on the bed on her front.


    "Keep going... Haah..."


    She''s currently being massaged by Kai the abyssal human.


    Kai obediently listened to Irene''s command and executed it with perfection.


    "...I''m bored..." Margit who''s seated nearby groaned.


    "Mnn~? Why don''t you also get a massage from Kai? Her massage feels great you know..." Irene said with a sigh.


    "I''m not that old that I needed a back massage, mom..." Margit deadpanned.


    "Hoo, are you implying that your mom here is an old lady?" Irene squinted her eyes at her daughter.


    "Muh, I do know that dad''s younger than you and- I''m sorry..." Margit stopped her words mid-sentence seeing her mom''s blazing fist.


    "Hmph!" Irene snorted: "Wait for a bit and we''ll go sightsee around the city."


    "Yes, ma''am..." Margit said with a salute.


    Fiuh... That was close... Margit secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    There are three things that their mothers find unfair about their father...


    First, it''s his unlimited stamina. They said their father could easily ''fought'' all of their mom at the same time and he will still be on top... Whatever they mean by that... She''s not really sure...


    Secondly, it''s his otherworldly looks. They''re doing their best to maintain their beauty but they still couldn''t beat him in that field as well...


    And last but not least, it''s his age... More than 95% of their mom is older than their dad. Margit didn''t really understand why they''re so fixated on this as well.


    She means, aren''t they all immortals? What''re a few years of age disparity will do to them? Absolutely nothing...


    Hence, those three things become a taboo discussion between their mom''s...


    After a few moments, Irene finally finished her massage.


    "Thank you, Kai." She said towards the waiting Kai.


    "It''s what we supposed to do, mistress." Kai said with a bow.


    "Now come, daughter... Let''s go."


    "Alright!"


    The two of them left their lodgings and Kai hid herself once again.


    "You might want to change your clothes, mom." Margit pointed out.


    "Eh? Do I really have to?" Irene whined: "These clothes are so easy to move around with you know?"


    "Yeah, I know but you will attract too much attention to yourself." Margit sighed.


    "Hah, we will still attract attention no matter what your mother wear, dear... But fine."


    Irene stored away her witch outfit and took out a set of sweater outfit and black jeans.


    "There, happy now?"


    "Mm, much better."


    During their little trip around the metropolis... They still attract a lot of attention to themselves just like Irene said before.


    A beauty will attract attention no matter they go after all.


    "This should be Tokyo," Irene muttered while ignoring a group of men who are trying to strike up a conversation with them.


    "This world is quite advanced, aren''t they?" Margit said and unlike Irene, she doesn''t take being surrounded by other people very well: "Go away! We''re not interested!" She spat at the annoying group of men.


    "In terms of technology, yes. At least more advanced than most ''Japan'' we''ve visited." Seeing that her daughter feeling annoyed, she used simple hypnotic magic and made the group of men disperse.


    They then walked around the city for a while...


    "Muh? There''s a group of those things inside that cafe." Margit mumbled smelling the scent of blood wafting from an antique-looking coffee shop.


    "Not as concentrated on other places though... It''s quite thin, actually." Irene responded: "Let''s take a look."


    Opening the door to the shop, the two of them are welcomed by a blue short-haired waitress girl with bangs covering her right eye.


    "...Welcome." She said after a brief pause.


    The other employees also stopped their movement to look at the two newcomers.


    Their body ''fragrance'' is unbelievably sweet that they''re having a hard time controlling themselves.


    There are other guests in the shop and they''re similarly captivated by Irene and Margit''s sight but for a different reason.


    "Hmm, not a bad place... Looks comfy." Margit said while looking around.


    "U-Umm, can we get you two anything?" The same waitress asked them nervously.


    "Hmm, I''ll take a cup of coffee... How about you, dear?" Irene responded.


    "Same."


    "Same? You want to drink coffee as well?" Irene raised one of her eyebrows at her daughter.


    "I want to give it a try!"


    "It''s quite bitter, you know."


    "I know, dad has told me before but I''m still curious."


    "Alright then... Don''t say that mom didn''t warn you..." She sighed: "That will be all." Irene said towards the waitress


    "U-Understood. Then please take an empty seat." The waitress bowed and hurriedly excuses herself.


    Staying too close around them is not good for her self-control.


    After taking an empty seat, both of them started talking with each other.


    "All of the employees in this shop is one of ''them''." Margit pointed out.


    "I know... But they seem more ''tame'' compared to the others we fought yesterday." Irene said.


    Irene rested her upper body on the table while cupping the left side of her cheeks.


    This action just made a certain body part of hers stood out even more.


    The men gazed at her with eyes filled with l.u.s.t while those who are with their girlfriend just earned them an ear twister...


    "O-Oi, look at those two!" A yellow-haired youth wearing headphones who are seated not far from them whispered to his friend.


    "..." His friend is a black-haired youth holding a book in his hand but he''s too captivated at the mother and daughter sight to properly pay attention to his friend and book.


    "I wonder if that girl is still single." The yellow-haired youth said with a grin: "Her mom is also very beautiful but sadly she''s already married. I mean just look at her body that put supermodel to shame, her husband is a very lucky man. If I didn''t overhear that girl is her daughter then I might''ve thought that they''re sisters instead... What do you think? Oi?"


    "Eh? Ah? Yes." His friend finally snapped out of his daze.


    "...Yes what?" He said speechlessly.


    "Tch, a bunch of pervs!" Margit spat.


    "Hehe, that''s just how men are, dear." Irene chuckled.


    "Dad''s not perverted though."


    "Oh, I wonder about that... If your dad''s not a pervert then the number of moms you have won''t be in the thousands, you know?"


    "Muu... Dad''s different from these leechers. He didn''t just ogle at any woman that he sees. He only accepts those who are truly worthy to become our new mom!"


    "Well, true. But you still can''t deny that he''s a pervert at the end of the day... Not that it''s a bad thing I mind you. If your dad''s not a pervert then all of you won''t be born."


    "That''s right! If dad is a pervert then it''s fine! He has the right to be a pervert after all!" Margit said proudly.


    "You brats really are biased to your old man... You fathercon of a daughter." Irene shook her head helplessly.


    "But of course!" Margit pushed her chest forward taking pride in being a fathercon... What''s fathercon anyway? She thought secretly inside her mind... but since it has ''father'' in it then it must be a great thing!


    Just like her other younger sisters, Margit doesn''t really know what ''fathercon'' means.


    While the two of them are still chatting with each other, the purple-haired waitress brought their order: "H-Here''s your coffee."


    "Oh, thanks," Irene gives a faint smile.


    "If you need anything else then don''t hesitate to call me." She said before scampering away.


    Irene smirked at this sight and then she tried the coffee: "Mm, it''s not bad."


    "Bleh! It''s quite bitter!" Margit on the other hand stuck out her tongue at the bitter taste.


    "Told you so." Irene gives a faint laugh.


    "Muh... Since dad''s able to drink this then as his daughter I should be able to as well!" Margit persisted.


    "Good luck."


    While they''re still taking their time, a long purple haired customer wearing glasses shivered on the spot.


    "...I warn you... Don''t make any trouble in this place." The purple-haired waitress said coldly to the customer.


    "..." But the customer ignored her words and she keeps looking at Irene and Margit intently.


    "Well, as nice as this is... being stared by so many of your kind isn''t very nice. Do you also want to eat our flesh?" Irene turned her head and lock her gaze with her.


    Not only her, but the other shop employees also had their bodies jerked at her words.


    Seeing their sweating profile, Irene gives a faint smirk... This should be interesting...


    ...


    "Hello? Oh? It''s rare for you to call me... Hmm, I see..." Issei is responding to a phone call while he''s observing Setsuna who''s currently assessing a group of slaves arranged by the slave master.


    "A video call? Alright..." Issei replied before he opened a video feed: "So... What do you need me for, Lelo-"


    But to his surprise, the one who''s on the other side of the video is not only one person.


    """Your Majesty!!!""" An angry and also excited voice resounded clearly coming from multiple people.


    "..." Issei becomes speechless at this sight.


    "Sorry, Issei-san... But they forced me to do this." The young man who called Issei first said in an apologetic voice.


    "Your Majesty, where are you right now?! How long are you planning to leave everything to me!" A woman with long fuchsia hair and lavender-colored eyes glared at Issei menacingly.


    "Hold on..."


    "Your Majesty, when are we going to hold our wedding~?" A Japanese looking woman with long black hair and green eyes said.


    "Hah? When did-"


    "Your Majesty~, my research needs more funding... When are you going to send me more funds for my research?" An attractive woman with brown skin and bright blonde hair asked lazily.


    "Wait..."


    "Your Majesty, when are you going to bring me to your world to play?" A beautiful woman with pink hair styled downwards with two buns on each side of her head said with a smile: "By the way, your current outfit really suits you, your Majesty!"


    "Your Majesty...!"


    "Your Highness...!"


    Issei rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration seeing the commotion before him.


    "Fufufu." Tamamo chuckled seeing her husband''s current situation.


    "...Don''t just laugh..." Issei sighed: "Why are they still calling me ''Your Majesty'' anyway? I never said that I will be their king, didn''t I? Also, didn''t C.C the one who''s responsible for their world?"


    "Well, you basically turned that world upside down, dear hubby~. As for that pizza girl, you know well just how laidback she is." Tamamo chuckled before she continues speaking: "You overturned the throne and you also erased most of the corrupted governing system and freed the oppressed citizens and you also solved most troubles that world has and also..." She starts counting his ''achievements'' during his stay in that world.


    "Stop... I understand what you''re trying to say but..." Issei stopped his wife.


    "But you''re confused why they think of you as their ''King'', right? Well, try to think for a bit, hubby... Any sane person would consider you as their new king after all you''ve done." Tamamo said amusedly: "Anyway, I better leave you to your call~" She then took some distance from her disgruntled husband.


    ""Your Majesty!"" Issei groaned at this... He should''ve guessed this when he received the call...


    "A-Are they up to your satisfaction, milady?" The bald slave master who looks a little overweight asked with a strained smile. He keeps rubbing both of his hands together trying to ease his nervousness...


    The group of people in front of them are super VIP! His head will roll one way or another if he were to piss them off!


    "Hnn... Some of them are badly malnourished, aren''t they?" Setsuna squinted her eyes at the slave master.


    "Th-They are the slaves that we''ve recently get so we don''t have the time to properly feed them!" The slave master reasoned.


    The slaves are of different races, ranging from demons, demi-humans such as elves, beastmen, dwarves, and also humans.


    Chiyuki''s group is also not far away from them but Reiji is not amongst them whereas Rena has already been taken away by her valkyries... with some difficulties since she kept trying to break free just to get her hands on her target.


    They are shifting uncomfortably in their place since some of the slaves seem to be glaring at them with pure utter hatred... Some even are still children...


    They''re mostly of the demon race while few in between are demi-humans.


    "My oh my... All of you seem to be quite hated, aren''t you?" Tamamo''s ''shocked'' voice resounded nearby them.


    Their bodies flinched at her words.


    Tamamo smirked at their reaction. The guilt-ridden complexion they have is quite entertaining for her.


    If before they''re shown the truth then Chiyuki''s group won''t feel anything about it. They will think that they are in the right, but now...


    Knowing their action cause more harm than good, they couldn''t help but feel guilty. Especially when some of those slaves who are looking at them with hatred are still children...


    It''s a no brainer that the cause of their hatred is them since they most likely killed their parents or close relatives.


    "Well... When you girls are in need of assistance then just tell us. For a price of course~" Tamamo flashed a calculated grin at them.


    "...May we ask what do you mean?" Chiyuki for some reason feels uncomfortable seeing her gaze. And that foreshadowing from Setsuna the other day still lingers inside her mind...


    Why are they keep saying that they will come to regret their decision? Well, Setsuna said that to Sahoko but still... Just what is it they''re hiding from them?


    "Fufufu... I won''t spoil things but I guarantee that you will need our help in the near future~" Tamamo said with a chuckle.


    "Why don''t you just help us now?" Chiyuki reasoned.


    "Help you now? I don''t really mind but what are you going to pay us with? We won''t just take some random things you know?" Tamamo moved her left index finger from side to side.


    "What do you want then? Perhaps we can get it and give it to you..."


    "Oh, dear... If there''s really something that we wanted then even without your help we will be able to get it so don''t you think it''s useless to set that kind of payment? What I want is quite simple actually..." Tamamo smirked.


    "...And that is?"


    "Your vital origin." She said simply.


    "Vital Origin? What is that?" They asked confusedly: "Is it our... lives? Or perhaps soul?"


    "Oh non non... I''m not a violent and barbaric fox and I''m also not a devil~. What I mean by your vital origin is... the essence that''s currently holding your existence as a human being... You see, every creature has a vital origin that defines what their race is... Such as me for example, my is that of a youkai. If my is removed then I will cease being a fox youkai and I would''ve turned into a normal fox at the end of the day." Tamamo explained.


    There are still some things that she''s hiding but they don''t know that... Also, she''s not just a "youkai" anymore but rather a Goddess.


    Of course, they didn''t know that.


    "So you''re saying that... You wanted our as a payment?" Chiyuki gulped.


    "Yes! Your will be the payment for your request... You will stop being a human but you will still be alive so I still think that is a favorable situation, right?" Tamamo grinned slyly at them.


    "..." They didn''t know how to respond to this... but one thing for sure... Chiyuki''s intuition is telling her that what Tamamo said will truly come to pass.


    If they wanted to stay alive in the future then maybe they will have to stop becoming a human...


    ''They''re so gullible! It''s just like how Cat would play with their prey, woof!'' Tamamo who seems to be wearing a cat paw and cat ears said.


    ''Indeed they are... But I rather play with hubby more rather than these kids. Hey, Vitch, let''s jump on Master tonight. And you also need to switch already! Don''t hog hubby all to yourself!'' Tamamo who''s wearing a swimsuit and holding a parasol said.


    ''That''s right! I''m supposed to be the dominant persona so how come you have more screen time than me!'' The original Tamamo who''s wearing a blue kimono complained.


    ''What she said.'' Tamamo who''s wearing a school outfit followed next.


    Within Tamamo''s soul, the other 8 Tamamo are bickering around.


    ''Oh, no need to be so rowdy... It''s only been a few days, it''s not that long.'' Tamamo Vitch who''s currently the one who''s controlling the main body said.


    ''4 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes, 1 second, it doesn''t matter! Every second we get to spend with hubby is priceless!'' A grumpy looking Tamamo bem.o.a.ned.


    ''That''s right desuwa!'' A curly-haired Tamamo huffed.


    ''Well, can''t argue with you on that one...'' Tamamo Vitch giggled to herself.


    ''Why don''t you just skewer that idiotic boy for looking at us with such perverted eyes before anyway? Only hubby is allowed to look at us in such manner!''


    ''Skewer him? That would dirty our hands, just burn him to cinders!''


    ''You lot truly lack elegance... Killing him outright is too merciful and it will only make us look petty. When his borrowed power runs out, only then he will know true despair... By then, we won''t have to do anything and we would also get a new toy in the process~'' Tamamo Vitch smirked with a calculating gaze while looking at Chiyuki''s group.


    What she didn''t tell Chiyuki''s group is that while it''s true that they won''t lose their lives once their has been taken... They will become something extremely weak, on par with a newborn baby... Maybe a goblin? Mm, that sounds about right.


    Knowing their situation after all this time, it is very unlikely for them to be able to accept that. When that time comes, Tamamo will ''offer'' them a new deal...


    ''Tsk, you and your ploy... Well whatever, just switch with us tonight!''


    ''Cat agrees! Switch with us, woof!''


    ''Hmhm~'' Tamamo Vitch hummed to herself.


    ''Don''t feign ignorance! It''s been 4 days and you failed to seduce hubby!''


    ''Tsk, don''t put the blame on me... You all know better just how hubby is once he sets his mind on something. And with Setsu-chan here, the odds of him giving us his "favor" is almost zero.''


    ''Almost zero doesn''t mean it''s completely impossible, you''re just making excuses. You truly bring shame to our name as the "best wife" for not being able to seduce our own husband!'' The original Tamamo said with a snort: ''If it were me then hubby would''ve fallen for my charm already~''


    ''Why you little vixen...'' Tamamo Vitch said through gritted teeth.


    ''''''We all are vixen, you idiot!''''''


    ''Not Cat, woof! Cat is Cat!''


    ''''''You be quiet!''''''


    While Tamamo is having an internal struggle, quite literally... Setsuna''s observation of the slaves is still ongoing.


    The slaves that are gathered here are slaves that are assumed criminals without solid evidence.


    Setsuna assessed the slaves closely and ruled out the slaves that are truly guilty. She only picks the innocent ones because, for her developing country, evildoers are the last thing that she needs.


    Once she''s done ruling out the innocents and the guilty ones, she waved her hand and the guilty ones are lifted into the air on their own before they disappeared into thin air. What''s left are the remnants of her energy lingering briefly in the air before it disappeared as well...


    The slave master becomes dumbfounded at this... Where did they go? But he knows better to keep his mouth shut so he doesn''t say anything in return.


    During her assessment, she notices some peculiarity among the slave.


    "You two, step to the front." She pointed at the two particular ones who seem to be twins.


    They appear to be from the demon tribe... an oni tribe to be specific.


    The first one has blue-colored hair and the second one has pink-colored hair.


    They nervously step forward while holding hands.


    "...You two are not from this world, aren''t you?" Setsuna said with narrowed eyes which made the two become shocked.


    "Judging from your expression, it seems that I was right." Setsuna gives a faint nod.


    Their aura is slightly different from this world inhabitants, just like Chiyuki and her friends. Well, not as different as Chiyuki and her friends but it''s still quite different.


    "Hmm... Summoned? No... Your soul energy wave indicates that you''re not summoned here... Then... Reincarnated? How intriguing, a reincarnated individual who still retain their memories... I wonder if it has something to do with you being twins?" Setsuna took another guess with her eyes turning slightly golden.


    They become even more shocked at her keen observation.


    They looked at each other in disbelief...


    "...How can you tell?" The pink-haired one asked cautiously.


    "Hn? How can I tell what? That you both are reincarnated?" Setsuna asked back.


    "...Yes."


    "It''s a little trick that I inherited from my royal father," Setsuna said with a slight chuckle while she shifted her gaze to her troubled father.


    "Your father?" The two of them followed her gaze and blushed at his sight.


    "Anyway, we''re done here... We should get going, I don''t want to keep royal father waiting for too long." Setsuna set her attention back to the twins.


    "M-May we know what will happen to us?" The blue-haired one asked.


    "You will be my citizens from now on."


    "Citizens?"


    "That''s right, I''m building a country and I need citizens to rule over as my training. That will be all you need to know, any other questions? You have my permission to speak freely." Setsuna shouted at the other slaves.


    "...Are you with them?" One of the Demon slaves pointed at Chiyuki''s group which made the latter flinch once again.


    "Them? Those brats? No, we''re nowhere close to them." Setsuna said simply.


    "If... If we were to follow you as our Master... Will you avenge our fallen brethren? We will do anything you want as long as you kill them for us!" They shouted with hatred.


    Chiyuki and her friends shuddered at the intensity of their hatred.


    "Because of them... Because of them, my whole village has been destroyed... My husband and my mother died because of them!" One of the female Demon said through gritted teeth.


    "My mommy and daddy... They''re gone..." One of the children cried profusely.


    The more the slaves speak, the more ashamed Chiyuki and her friends felt... Being a teenager, they couldn''t handle the burden of such a scale... Knowing that their hands are contaminated with the blood of the innocents...


    Even if some of those who died are not directly killed by them, they are still guilty.


    They can only look towards the ground feeling too ashamed and guilt-ridden to look at their ''victims'' in the face.


    While they''re here feeling ashamed, their so-called "Hero" is currently "visiting" the kingdom''s princess... Sharing some heated moments between themselves.


    Of course, they didn''t know that... If they do, they wouldn''t know how to feel about it... Should they feel disappointed? Or perhaps sad? Or maybe started blaming him instead since they''re in this whole mess all because of him...


    If he didn''t randomly accept a request from a random girl then they won''t be in this whole mess, won''t they?


    A seed of blame started to sprout on some of the girls... They didn''t realize or perhaps didn''t want to blame themselves since not all of them are Reiji''s fault.


    They''re not together all the time after all and sometimes Shirone and some others spread out and did their own thing.


    Tamamo who has been observing them from the side looked at them with disdain...


    This is true human nature... They will start blaming others at a moment''s notice. Love? Don''t joke around. What do these brats know about them? When they never go through hardship together?


    Her husband would give away his life without hesitation if it meant saving his loved ones... This has been proven to them all during his fight against Nyarlathotep. All of the heroic spirits who were present back then witnessed his figure with happiness and also sadness.


    They''re happy because the Master they choose to serve is willing to give his life away for them but saddened at the fact that he holds so little care about his own life and also because they couldn''t help him when he truly needs them...


    But that doesn''t matter, they will do everything they can to repay his kindness.


    "Avenge you? Why should I avenge you? I have no obligation to do any of that." Setsuna''s cold voice resounded: "All of you belong to me whether you like it or not. And all of you only have yourself to blame for losing your loved ones!"


    "Wh-What? But!"


    "If you weren''t so weak then you wouldn''t lose your loved ones! If you weren''t so weak then you won''t lose your home!" Setsuna said with indifference: "If you want revenge then do it by yourself. Don''t think that you can keep depending on others!"


    "I-It''s easy for you to say... Their strength is on par with the Gods! We won''t be able to defeat them no matter how hard we try!" One of the male demons shouted.


    "That''s right!" The other slaves also followed along.


    "And who decides that? Who decides that you won''t be able to defeat them just because their strength is on par with the Gods? It''s none other than your weak self!" Setsuna said coldly: "But fine... thinking that your starting point is not the same as them, I will give you a chance later. At that time, I will give each and every one of you to grasp what you want with your own two hands... If you still fail then... You better give up on having your revenge. Now enter this portal."


    Setsuna created a portal for the slaves to go through and they followed her order. They couldn''t disobey her command since she''s their new Master. Their slave collar didn''t allow them to...


    "Oh, dear... This changes everything..." Tamamo muttered.


    Chiyuki''s group looks at her in bafflement.


    "If Setsu-chan has given her promise then our little deal is off... Sorry~" She said ''apologetically''.


    They felt their whole bodies went cold hearing this... Can they even survive if one of them who aiming at them? Right now they won''t pose too much trouble but what after they''re given that so-called "chance"?


    "Oh, no need to be so shocked, dear~. It would be weird if a mother were to go against their daughter''s wish, don''t you think?" Tamamo said with narrowed eyes.


    The foxy grin she has made them shiver... It''s like they''re being watched by a predator toying with their prey...


    The slave master also felt his body went cold thinking that he mistreated some of the slaves beforehand... And the news of a rising army in the near future needs to be reported to the King!


    Once all the slaves have entered the portal, Setsuna looks towards Issei and the grinning Tamamo.


    She walks to their front and said softly: "It is done, royal father, Tamamo kaa-chan."


    "Un. Good work, Setsu-chan!" Tamamo said with a smile: "That little speech about giving them a chance is quite splendid. With a little reward dangling in front of them, they will work harder just to achieve what they desire! Don''t you think so too, hubby?"


    "...I''ll contact you guys later."


    "Ah! Wait, Your Majesty!"


    Issei didn''t wait and immediately closed the connection... He heaved a tired sigh before he gives a smile towards Setsuna: "Um. Good work, princess." He praised.


    "So, shall we go back?"


    "En."


    After a brief chat with each other, Setsuna called out to the waiting Glorious...


    A few seconds later, Glorious arrived and the three of them left the kingdom.


    They didn''t use the portal since they wanted to sightsee.


    Setsuna has already informed Regena and Mona back at of what to do with the newly arrived slaves.


    After that, the slave master hurriedly went to the King''s side to relay what just happened here...


    "...Let''s go," Chiyuki said while watching the departing back of Glorious.


    "Where are we going?" Her friends asked.


    "We should go meet the Holy Dragon King and ask it about their identity."


    "...Right." They nodded unenthusiastically.


    Does it really matter if they find out about their identity now? When they have a dead mark on top of their heads?


    Despite their thoughts, they still followed Chiyuki and flew to the holy mountain where the Holy Dragon King resides...


    ...


    They flew toward the entrance of the cave at the mountainside, the dwelling place of the holy dragon king.


    The cave is very big and it could easily fit twenty or so people at once.


    Darkness pervades inside the vast and deep cave.


    They suddenly seem to have arrived at a vast space after walking for quite a while. This wide space is bright despite being located in a place without sunlight.


    The source of that brightness is the countless light crystals that illuminate the interior of the cave.


    And then, a dragon is present right in the center of that room. This dragon is definitely the holy dragon king, Chiyuki and her friends thought to themselves.


    This dragon is far bigger than Glorious that Issei''s group ride, and on top of that, an extremely beautiful one, too.


    It appears that this dragon doesn''t have scales like a normal dragon. It is instead covered with silver-colored hair, with each one of that silvery hair glimmering with light.


    They are unintentionally fascinated by the scenery.


    Noticing their arrival, the dragon looked in their direction. The blue pupils of the dragon are focused on them.


    They couldn''t feel any hostility from it. This might be a sign that they could safely ask for some information from it.


    "Welcome, children of another world... I have been expecting your arrival..." Its voice is clear and transparent.


    "You have been expecting us?" They said in surprise.


    "Mm... The reason for your arrival must be related to my race King..." It said softly.


    "Your race king? You mean..." Chiyuki said in shock.


    "Yes... That personage you met and you wanted to know about is the Dragon''s race king."


    "You mean he''s a Dragon King just like you?" They asked hopefully. If this Dragon in front of them is as powerful as Issei then... maybe they could ask for its help! But its next words poured a bucket of cold water on top of their heads.


    "Sadly, you''re sorely mistaken... My power is akin to an ant in front of him. He could end my life with just a simple flick of his finger. Even if all beings in this world joined their hands together, they won''t even be able to put a scratch on his invincible body..." It said softly.


    "I''m called the Holy Dragon King by many simply because they worship me as such, not because I''m a True King, unlike ''him''. I''ve never called myself a Dragon King because only one personage could carry that title... He who stands at the apex of all races. He who stands above all Gods in existence... True Dragon Godking..."


    "..." They bit their lips at this revelation. They''ve expected this already but it still shook them...


    "You must be thinking of asking for my help to return you to your world... Once again, you''re mistaken if you think that I could help you with it." It continues speaking to them: "I might be able to use a clairvoyance magic but a spatial magic which traverses through another world is not within my capabilities..."


    "Then is there really no way for us to back?" They asked despondently.


    "...I wouldn''t say that it''s completely impossible..." It said after a brief silence.


    "Can you tell us about the method? Maybe we could make it work!" Chiyuki asked.


    "...The first method is a random summoning circle... but I wouldn''t recommend it since just like its name implies, it will randomly send you to another world and the odds of it successfully sending you back home is almost zero."


    "...The other method?"


    "The second method would be asking for my King''s help... alas... you and that boy called Reiji has offended him..." It said regretfully.


    "Offended him? But... we never really offended him though..." Chiyuki said confusedly.


    "Perhaps, you didn''t but maybe you have, only my King knows... but that boy certainly has. He looked at my princess and my king''s consort with a disrespectful gaze... All of my brethren have already been informed of his violation..."


    "...Reiji..." Chiyuki sighed. Looks like his bad habit has finally put them in danger...


    "A few days ago, my King has summoned all of the Dragon in this world and almost all of them responded to his call... The reason why I and a few others didn''t go to his side is because we were bound by a promise/pact we made in the past... My king is benevolent enough to forgive our impertinence but you must know... If he truly ordered me to kill any of you then I wouldn''t hesitate to do so. In fact, I would gladly do so just to earn his favor." Its eyes gained a bone-chilling ferocity which made Chiyuki and her friends froze on the spot.


    "Make no mistake, children of another world... The reason why you''re still alive along with that boy right now is because his consort ordered us to not make a move on him. If it wasn''t for her command then ALL Dragon in this world will, without a doubt, went to his location and have a competition between ourselves just to see who can kill that foolish boy the fastest!" It said with a dense bloodthirsty aura.


    "...I-Isn''t he being too petty? A-All Reiji-kun did was look at them!" Sahoko struggled to get her words out under the pressure the Holy Dragon emits.


    "So what if he''s being petty? He has the strength and the right to do so! We Dragons are an inherently prideful race and we can do whatever we want!" The Dragon growled menacingly at her: "If you want to stop us then use your strength and stop us by force! If you can''t then be quiet and just wait for your impending doom!"


    They backed in fright at its booming voice.


    "...Leave, we''re done here. You better hope that my king changes his mind or death will be your only outcome. If you truly want to retain your lives then leave that foolish boy and let him be alone to face his fate..."


    "We won''t leave him!" Sahoko and the few others said adamantly.


    "How courageous... Or should I say foolish instead? Here you are risking your lives just to find a way back home but the person you''re trying to defend is taking his sweet time with this kingdom''s princess... How laughable." The Dragon laughed mockingly.


    The Dragon used its magic and showed them Reiji''s current situation.


    He''s currently on top of the bed and the princess is on top of him... Looks like they have just finished their lovey-dovey moments together seeing how their n.a.k.e.d body is full of sweat.


    [Reiji-sama, is it really okay for you to be here? What about your companions?]


    [It will be fine... Sahoko and the others can take care of themselves.]


    [I see... But what about that ''person''? Isn''t he the one who caused this scar of yours?] The princess touched the ugly scar running from his right shoulder to his left hip.


    This scar is not really caused by Issei but rather it''s caused by ''Kuroki''.


    [Indeed, but you don''t need to worry, Almina... I will surely surpass him in the future so you can be rest assured.] And then, he can take his time wooing his daughter and wife, he secretly added inside his mind.


    [Um, Almina believes you, Reiji-sama]


    [Yes, all you need to is believe in me... Now let''s go for another round, Almina.]


    [Ah, but should you keep your companions waiting, Reiji-sama?]


    [It''s fine it''s fine... It''s not like they''re in any danger]


    [If you say so, Reiji-sama... Ah, Reiji-sama...]


    They then started another round of passion...


    "..." Their words got stuck in their throat seeing the scene before them.


    "Pfft... HAHAHAHA! Does this insect truly think that he can surpass my king? AHAHAHAHAHA! This is the best joke I have ever heard in my entire life! Truly laughable! Even if he''s given millions of years, he won''t be able to surpass him. Not in this life nor the next!" The Holy Dragon laughed boisterously: "He thinks that he can live for long? He won''t even know why he dies when the time comes! And this insect is supposed to be humanity''s next greatest ''Hero''? What a joke! A dead man walking is what he is!"


    "All of you can leave... We''re done here." The Holy Dragon stopped its laughter and waved its wing and pushed them outside of its cave.


    With the last warning from the Holy Dragon King, Chiyuki''s group dejectedly leave the mountain... Their entire atmosphere becomes more somber than before...


    The one who feels regret the most is Shirone... To think that she would have a fallout with Kuroki in the past because of this kind of man...


    She was blinded by a brief showcase of Reiji''s so-called ''Heroism''... no, she was blinded because of her own illusion of being a hero...


    She admires Reiji as a "hero" who keep saving others(damsels in distress) even back in their original world. For Shirone, Reiji is the ideal hero. She wanted to be like a "hero" just like Reiji, as she couldn''t be a hero herself.


    That hasn''t changed when they are in another world. Shirone was proud to be his comrade and believes he is a hero who can defeat the Demon King and restore the golden age of humanity.


    However, the appearance of his childhood frien- no, that man changes everything... They''ve been exposed to the harsh reality that not every "fairy tale" has a happy ending... And now, they''re approaching that said ending...


    If... If she didn''t have that stupid fight with Kuroki in the past... Would she currently be standing by "his" side by now and instead on this sinking ship?


    Each to their own thoughts...

 Chapter 160 - Side 17

    "This humble one greets you." Casa the Goddess of Fate worshipped by the harpies who has an upper-body of a beautiful woman with feather hairs, and thousands of wings from her lower body and back kneeled before Issei and Tamamo.


    She and her harpy subjects arrived at a day after their return.


    Once she arrived at the border of , the Dragons informed Issei of her arrival.


    Seeing that they don''t seem to have any ill intentions, the Dragons and the land itself didn''t attack them like the others who tried to sneak their way.


    They''re then brought to the front of the castle by the Dragons...


    Casa told her harpy followers to stay put and don''t make any trouble. Not that she needs to remind them since they''re not stupid enough to cause any trouble when so many Dragons eyeing their each and every movement...


    The harpies started trembling on the spot under the sheer pressure caused by the Dragons.


    But when they saw Issei, they froze on the spot with their eyes widen to the maximum. Casa who''s their Goddess also shares the same fate but she manages to snap out of it soon enough.


    "You are?" Issei asked the kneeling woman before him.


    "This humble one name is Casa, milord." She replied softly.


    "A Goddess?" Tamamo who''s standing beside Issei said with a calculating gaze after sensing the other party divine energy.


    "Royal father? Who''s the newcomer?" Setsuna who just finished ordering the new slaves asked once she arrived at Issei''s side.


    "Aha, good timing, Setsu-chan. Why don''t you handle them?" Tamamo clapped and said with a smile.


    "They are?" Setsuna set her gaze on Casa and her harpy followers: "That one is a Goddess... and those are harpies?"


    "Um, they are harpies of this world." Tamamo nodded: "You can tell my daughter of your intention of coming here." She said towards the kneeling Casa.


    "This humble one understands." Casa bowed her head respectfully before she continues speaking: "We came here hoping to be your followers. To be a part of your newly formed kingdom." She said submissively.


    "...It''s been less than a week ever since the emergence of ... And seeing that there are no harpies settlement nearby, I find it hard to believe you could arrive in this place so quick..." Setsuna said after a bit of thinking.


    Tamamo and Issei smiled at her cautiousness.


    "Reporting, princess... The harpy tribe and their Goddess Casa original settlement were located on top of the highest mountain in the strict Central Mountain Range." One of the Dragons who are colored pure white said respectfully towards Setsuna.


    "Oh?" Setsuna raised her eyebrows at this: "And how far is the distance between that place and ?" She asked the same Dragon.


    "If we were to fly non-stop at full speed then it will be around 2-3 days, princess." The Dragon said: "Of course, that kind of speed only applies to us Dragons while the other race might take a longer time to achieve the same speed. And from this humble subject knowledge, the harpies would need at least a week to arrive here from their territory."


    "Is that so? Then do tell me how come you have already arrived here, Goddess Casa? From my calculation, you embarked on your way here almost at the same time when is first created..."


    "I''m not trying to hide anything, your highness... This humble one is capable to predict the future a little bit... And on my vision, I ''witnessed'' the creation of your majestic kingdom. Of course, I''m not conceited enough to think that I could foresee the future of you and your esteemed father unless I''m allowed to." Casa responded calmly.


    Indeed, Issei played a little hand in this since he could sense Casa trying to look into their fate.


    He let her witness the future fate of a tiny bit. He wanted to make use of her capability for Setsuna training. To further increase her intelligence and wits.


    While having a subordinate that could foretell the future is good, that doesn''t mean she should rely on them all the time. Fate is ever-changing and no one could tell for sure what would happen in the future...


    Unless Issei himself actively tries to achieve that said future then it is completely unknown.


    Setsuna could slightly predict her royal father''s intention so she doesn''t ask him about it.


    "Hmm... A smart one ain''t she." Setsuna smirked at Casa''s words.


    "...You want to immigrate here, you mean?" Setsuna mused to herself.


    "Yes, you''re correct, your highness," Casa replied.


    "And what can you offer for this kingdom? What capabilities do you and your harpies have? Don''t think just because you can foresee the future a little bit that would compensate as ''payment'' for you and your followers." Setsuna asked.


    "We could do a lot of things as long as you give us the chance, your highness..." Casa started to explain their usefulness while Issei and Tamamo only look at their interaction from the side.


    "Huhu, Setsu-chan would be a splendid king, hubby. Isn''t that great?" Tamamo chuckled.


    Meanwhile, Issei has a little frown on his face.


    "What''s wrong, hubby? Aren''t you happy?" Tamamo asked confusedly sensing her husband''s little displeasure.


    "I am happy... but..." Issei paused.


    "But?"


    "I want her to be free and unfettered instead of being bound to responsibilities... She just said ''for this kingdom'' instead of ''for me''..." Issei muttered.


    "Hmm, isn''t that a great thing? That means she cares for her kingdom more than herself." Tamamo said.


    "Perhaps... But I want her to be more selfish. It is the country and the people who should think of their King and not the other way around."


    "That kind of ruling would make her look like a tyrant though?"


    "That''s fine... As long as they''re happy and safe then it''s fine... But that is also why I don''t want any of our daughters to replace me as a King. Only me alone should handle the burden of being one, a tyrant... I want our daughters to live free and happy. If they wanted to be a King then so be it... but I will watch over them from the dark and I would erase anyone who tries to do them harm." Issei said seriously.


    "...Even if it means you would have to kill millions of innocent lives?" Tamamo asked with narrowed eyes.


    "Mm, I won''t hesitate to dirty my hand with their blood if it means that I could keep our daughters safe and happy," Issei replied without hesitation.


    "..." Tamamo went silent for a bit before she let out a happy giggle: "And this is why I love you so much, dear... Your ''selfishness'' truly suits my taste. While others become selfish for their own self, your selfishness comes from your wish to protect your loved ones... But don''t worry, hubby... We, your wives, won''t let you carry the burden alone, we will share it with you. This Tamamo would gladly share your sins when the time comes." She said lovingly.


    "...Um." Issei nodded after a brief pause.


    "What''s with the pause? Don''t think you can ''trick'' your way on this one..." Tamamo scoffed remembering the past where he tried to sacrifice himself for them: "We are your wives, hubby! Not some strangers! Let us share the same burden as husband and wife! Don''t take us as an empty vase!" She said sternly.


    "...My bad and sorry," Issei said with a wry smile.


    "As long as you understand..." Tamamo went back to her cheerful self: "And you know, nobody really thought of you as a tyrant except a few exceptions. Your ruling so far has been fair and just, hubby."


    "Is that so?"


    "It is so."


    The two of them then smiled at each other.


    "..." Setsuna started thinking to herself once she finishes hearing Casa''s offer.


    "...Very well. I will give you a chance."


    "Then we thank you for your benevolence and we greet our new ruler." Casa said happily and she signalled her harpy followers to pay their respect as well.


    ""We give our thanks to your highness!"" The harpies shouted at the same time.


    "Remember, no attacking the humans on this kingdom or you will suffer the consequences." Setsuna reminded.


    "We understand!"


    And with that, received their new residents... The harpies would serve as a mailman, a messenger, a scout, a hunter, etc...


    The slaves Setsuna brings with her mostly did fieldwork and some crafting for decoration and furniture and a few of them are quite skilled in building houses so they don''t need to worry about their lodgings for long.


    Setsuna would sometimes observe their work and also give some directions...


    Once their own products have been grown, they would trade some things to the nearby city or settlement.


    The other cities find trading with to be very beneficial since the merchant never needs to fear the attack of bandits and the like. Not surprising considering that their caravan is being escorted by a bonafide Dragon!


    Any sane bandits would avoid provoking a Dragon...


    The cities and settlements that are trading with would often go back and strike another deal with them, each and every day, new merchants would arrive in .


    Whether it''s from the human side or the demon side. They don''t need to fear being attacked by the other party because of the rule in .


    ''There will be no social discrimination and whoever starts a fight would face a penalty.'' Is one of the rules in .


    At first, some try to ignore this rule and thought they could get away if they have enough ''witness'' on their side but when the time comes, they realize that their attempt is futile...


    The ''eyes'' in the city are very many. And they consist of multiple races, starting from human, demon, fairies, dragons, and many more... So the crime rate in is almost non-existent.


    And thus, become known to be the heavenly kingdom by many...


    But all of this in return started affecting the faraway cities...


    One of those said side effect being the bandits who would move to a different location since they can''t gain any profit if they were to make a camp near . If anything they would become the hunted instead of the hunter!


    And the merchants would also start to rarely visit other big cities knowing that they could get more profit in the cities situated near .


    Hence, the economy of and its nearby city would rose while those who are far from it would decline...


    The human king and the demon general would become frustrated at this... What can they do to reverse the situation? Unless they could somehow provide better treatment than or they could erase then it is completely impossible...


    Not to mention erasing , they couldn''t even get a spy in! Whenever their spy tried to enter the city, they would be apprehended almost instantly the moment they step their foot on the city.


    They are at their wits end here...


    Such development goes on for almost a month... In less than a month, established itself to be one of the top kingdoms in that world.


    There are some Gods or Goddesses that would come visit and they tried to flaunt their authority only to get their ass handed to them in a silver plater right after...


    The more law-abiding Gods and Goddesses caused a different kind of trouble though...


    The male Gods trying to court Setsuna... They are met with Issei''s iron fist since those Gods age is in the millions while Setsuna is only 14. Calling them a lolicon is an understatement at this point.


    The Goddesses also tried to seduce Issei but Tamamo is blocking their advances.


    "No thots shall encroach upon my hubby!" Is what she said to the Goddesses.


    As for Rena... Needless to say that they''re the worst of them all. She would come and try to visit every day but she would be blocked by the Dragons. She grows more and more frenzied each passing day that she couldn''t satiate her desire...


    As for her brother, Alphos... He''s nowhere to be seen. Not even his mistresses know where did he go...


    Ever since the day he got crippled, he disappeared. Some of the Gods know that Alphos encountered Issei but they''re too afraid to ask him.


    Not that Issei himself would know where Alphos go even if they ask him. He ordered Wo to toss him away to nowhere in particular after all.


    "Kaa-chan, how about this? Is this good enough?" Setsuna asked Tamamo for advice about some doc.u.ments that she needed to look into.


    "Hmm~, it''s good but you can exploit them more... Raise the tax they need to pay to 60% instead of 30%, Setsu-chan." Tamamo said.


    "Is that okay? Won''t it be too high?" Setsuna exclaimed.


    "It''s fine, they get the best protection there is and the chance of failure is practicaly zero. In fact, even if we asked for 70% instead then they would still agree." Tamamo smirked.


    "...Understood." Setsuna nodded: "Minaris, bring these doc.u.ments to the merchant guild."


    "Yes, Master." Minaris, a black-haired rabbit beastmen with white rabbit ears and fluffy bunny tail wearing a maid outfit said respectfully.


    "Rem, Ram. Is there anything else that needs to be reported?" Setsuna then asked her two personal assistance. They''re the same oni twins that got reincarnated into this world.


    "There is none, Setsuna-sama." Rem the blue-haired twin said.


    "There are some Gods who wanted to meet you but his Majesty ordered us to refuse them." Ram the pink-haired oni said next.


    "Royal father? Oh, I see..." Setsuna said understandingly.


    "Fufu, your father truly dote on you and your sisters so much. He won''t even let other men come close to you, Setsu-chan~" Tamamo teased.


    "If royal father deems them unworthy to have an audience with then he must be right, whatever they''re offering must be unimportant," Setsuna said with a thin smile adorning her face.


    "Hmm, I wouldn''t say that they simply wanted an ''audience'' with you to offer ''something'' but you''re not completely wrong, I guess." Tamamo chuckled.


    While she finds this act of her husband cute, she also thinks that those male Gods who tried to court their daughter is unworthy of her.


    Want to court their daughter? Try to at least stand in her hubby''s oppressive aura for five seconds, then we''ll see...


    "By the way, did you know where your father went, Setsu-chan?" Tamamo asked curiously since when she woke up from her bed this morning, he was nowhere to be seen.


    Well... Saying that she woke up in the morning is not really correct... She overslept because of their passionate night the other day.


    At last... After seducing him for a whole week, she finally succeeded...


    "Oh, royal father received a call from Brynhildr nee-sa-, I mean okaa-sama not long ago," Setsuna informed and she almost called Brynhildr with her old nickname that she used in the past.


    Brynhildr only recently become Issei''s official wife after all. The reason for that is because the former is too shy to convey her true feelings and Issei himself doesn''t want to rush her.


    Only after a few push from Rossweisse that they finally become husband and wife...


    "Ara? It''s quite rare for her to call your father on her own like that... unless there are some emergencies? But that''s not possible either since she''s not the type who would ask for help so easily like that..." Tamamo started speculating on why she give their husband a call.


    "No, it doesn''t seem to be a dire situation or anything like that."


    "Hmm, I wonder why did she give him a call..." Tamamo becomes increasingly curious.


    "Whatever the reason is, they deserve some alone time together. I''m already content of royal father accompanying me for the last few weeks." Setsuna said. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-wish-of-the-dragon_12879426706827705/side-chapter-17_50836173060367941 for visiting.


    "Aww, that''s sweet of you, Setsu-chan." Tamamo laughed lightly.


    Out of everyone, perhaps Brynhildr is the one wife who has the shortest time together with Issei and that''s still because she''s too shy.


    While they''re still chatting together, there''s a knock coming from outside the room.


    "Enter."


    "Princess, the black-haired sage Suiouji Chiyuki wanted an audience with you." A woman clad in pure white reported. There''s a pair of horns and a tail that could be seen from her back.


    This woman is obviously a Dragon.


    "Hm? That girl?" Setsuna remembered about the black haired girl who''s in the hero''s party.


    It''s been a while ever since she heard their name since because of Setsuna''s appearance, the Demons now never really attack the humans anymore unless they''re provoked first.


    The reason for that is because Setsuna ordered the Dragons to annihilate the evil Demons.


    Because of this, the ''Hero'' title that Reiji have started to dwindle little by little... While they often face off against bandits, that act could hardly called as heroic considering the bandits never really considered a big threat for the human race as a whole.


    "What did she want?" Setsuna asked the kneeling humanoid Dragon.


    "She said it is urgent, princess."


    "Hmm... Bring her to me."


    A few seconds later, a haggard looking Chiyuki entered the room.


    "...Please, help my friends..." She muttered helplessly the moment she laid her eyes on the grinning Tamamo and the calm faced Setsuna.


    ...


    "Wh-Whatever you''re saying, dear customer?" A woman with long, dark hair with long, parted locks in the front said while sweating a bit.


    "Maybe you''ve mistaken us with someone else?" A man who has brown hair styled in a pompadour and a bulbous nose said next.


    "Fufu, no need to be so defensive... I can smell the scent of your kind from miles away." Irene chuckled: "After all, me and my daughter came across your kind yesterday night."


    The other customers who are normal humans started to feel unease hearing their conversation.


    "...Our kind? What kind, dear customer?" The same woman from before asked once again while maintaining her strained smile.


    "Hmm..." Irene narrowed her eyes before her eyes shone slightly: "Leave us."


    In the next second, the human customers had a dazed look on their faces... They stood up from their seat and walked out of the shop silently.


    The employees and the lone female customer who are left behind the shop tensed up at this sight.


    What just happened?! Why did they suddenly leave the shop without saying a word!?


    "Now let''s talk, shall we?" Irene''s voice brought them back from their confused state: "So I heard your kind is called ? Befitting name since you eat human flesh..."


    "..." Seeing that feigning ignorance won''t work anymore, they let out their respective bloodthirsty aura and also their unique organ.


    "...Who are you two? How did you know about us?" The manager who looks like an old man asked with a tense expression.


    "Hmm, so your ''organ'' indeed varies from each other... Does gender have anything to do with its strength? Is it hereditary?" Irene said while ignoring the old man''s question: "Well, I''m not really interested in the first place but a new discovery shouldn''t be ignored no matter how weak they are..."


    "You''re just afraid of dad being angry at you, mom." Margit deadpanned.


    "Oh, shush you... What your mom''s afraid of is not your father''s anger itself but rather because mom won''t get her ''private'' time with him." Irene snorted.


    "Bah, you''ve got plenty of private with dad already! Last time the two of you went shopping together and didn''t even tell me and nee-chan!" Margit pouted.


    "It''s not that kind of ''private'' time but oh well..." Irene said with a smirk.


    Seeing that they''re being ignored, a tick mark appeared on top of the head.


    "Don''t ignore us!" The purple-haired waitress from before shouted before her unique organ which is shaped like a phoenix''s wing launched a bunch of ''feathers'' at them both.


    Irene didn''t bother to do anything and the same goes for Margit.


    The feathers disappeared into thin air before it could get close to their proximity.


    "What?!" The waitress exclaimed in shock.


    "No need to be so shocked. You''re too weak to be a threat to us." Margit said in disdain: "You better stop attacking us or we will retaliate!" She threatened.


    "You!"


    "Touka! Stand back!" The old man said sternly.


    "But!" The waitress who''s called Touka gritted her teeth but ultimately followed the old man''s order.


    "Hmph! It''s great that you know when to back off." Margit snorted at them.


    "...May we know who are you two? Are you from the ''Doves''?" The old man asked cautiously.


    He couldn''t help but sweat looking at how casual Irene and Margit are even though they''re surrounded by multiple S-class like this.


    If they''re from the ''Doves'' then... They are in great danger especially considering how they can easily ''block'' Touka''s attack just now.


    "''Doves''? Ah, you mean the human police who are specialized going against your kind. The answer to that is no." Irene said calmly while stirring her coffee: "As for who we really are... Let''s just say we''re not human. Our real identity might be too hard to ''digest'' for all of you." Irene chuckled at her joke.


    "...Lame joke, mom." Margit said monotonously.


    "Shuddup." Irene flicked her daughter''s forehead.


    "That hurts!" Margit teared up while holding her forehead.


    "Hard? Uhh, I wonder about that... Just the fact that we''re basically a monster who feast on human flesh is already terrifying enough... What could be more terrifying than us?" The young waiter with the bulbous nose said self-deprecatingly.


    Most of them don''t really take pride in what they are after all...


    "Oh, maybe to the humans in this world you''re very terrifying, but in my original homeland, you''re at most can be considered a cannon fodder," Irene said simply.


    "Your original homeland? Where is it if we might ask?" They asked curiously.


    "Even if I told you, you will never be able to find it. Unless you have a space magic user in your ranks..."


    "Magic? Magic like in the fairy tale?" Touka said mockingly. But in the next second, her words got stuck on her throat since Margit is currently playing with a fireball on top of her hand.


    "You were saying?" Margit said with a mocking grin. She then proceeds to make the fireball float towards Touka terrifying the latter.


    "Hot!" Touka hissed in pain since the fireball just touched her arm.


    Seeing that she got the reaction that she wanted, Margit extinguished the fireball.


    "..." They gulped audibly at this sight.


    "As we said, our real identity might be hard for you to comprehend... Now then, I need some cooperation from all of you." Irene said.


    "...Cooperation? And what might that be?" They asked nervously.


    "I want to run some experiment with your body."


    "...And if we refuse?"


    "Simple! I''ll just beat you up until you agree!" Margit crackled her fist with a playful grin and she also let out her oppressive aura which made them stiffen even further.


    "..."


    "So, your answer?" Irene asked with a refreshing smile.


    "...We agree." They said begrudgingly... Like they have a choice in the first place!


    "Splendid." Irene clapped.


    ''Splendid your head!'' Is what all of them wanted to say but of course, they didn''t dare to say it out loud...


    "Hello, Aki? Are you, Ryouko, and Tearju free right now? I need your team to look into some things... It''s nothing much, just a new race discovery. I want you to run a few tests on them to see if we could find anything interesting... Um, take your time. They''re not going anywhere..." Irene took out her communication device and dialed Aki''s group number...


    "In the end, you called mother Aki''s team to do the investigation..." Margit sighed.


    "But of course, your mom here is not a scientist after all... Your mom here only solves problems with her fist." Irene said proudly.


    "Well, it works so far so I can''t really say anything about it... Oh well, in the end, me and big sis are also the same. Like mother like daughter I suppose... Although we wanted to be like dad more..."


    "What was that?"


    "Nothing..."


    "That''s what I thought."


    ...


    Issei arrived at the designated location.


    He looks around and immediately found Brynhildr sitting in front of a cafe shop looking all nervous but the person herself looks absolutely stunning.


    She''s wearing a one-piece black dress with a low cut on its side and her voluptuous b.r.e.a.s.ts are accentuated even more with how tight that said dress is.


    The amount of attention that she caused is a lot and there are already a few men that tried to approach her only to be met with her cold stare.


    Sometimes, she only needs to show them her wedding ring to send them away but more often than not, those men ignored her ring and still tried to flirt with her.


    The men who are rejected by her started to wait on the sideline wanting to see just who is the lucky man who could score such beauty.


    The moment Issei arrived, they become dumbstruck and couldn''t believe their eyes especially the women.


    The men spat at his sight and the women swoon instead...


    "Master." Brynhildr stood up from her seat to greet Issei.


    "You don''t need to be so respectful to me, you know?" Issei sweated.


    "Oh, um." She nodded shyly.


    "So what''s the surprise?" Issei said with a smile when they both are seated: "And quite a place you pick here... Nero would''ve become jubilant if she''s able to visit this city..." Issei said wryly thinking about his other wife.


    If she were to come to this place then she would''ve laughed jubilantly.


    "I..." She twiddled her fingers under the table: "..." Her lips open and close but no words come out.


    "Mm? What was that?" Issei wryly smiled at her shyness.


    "I... I..." She stuttered before she took a deep breath and shouted in a low voice: "I''m pregnant!"


    "..." Issei''s body froze before he finally responded: "Really?" He asked giddily.


    Brynhildr gives a shy nod and then Issei lets out a happy laugh: "Hahaha..."


    Despite already having so many children, Issei would always welcome another one with open arms... The happiness that he felt after all this time the moment he finds out that one of his wives would bore him another child never dwindles in the slightest.


    "Great... This is great." He smiled happily before he proceeds to lift Brynhildr from across the table right into his embrace.


    "Eep! M-Master?!" She yelped in surprise.


    "My wife is pregnant!" He shouted in happiness making them attracting attention even more.


    Seeing the childish smile he has made Brynhildr become entranced all over again.


    The female onlookers become jealous of their sight... How great it would be if they could have a loving husband like that... And also as handsome as him... They added at the end.


    "Why did you wait until now to tell me?" Issei said blamingly while holding her still.


    "I-I wasn''t sure and... and I don''t know if you will be happy, Master..."


    "Nonsense! Why won''t I be happy when my beautiful wife is pregnant with my child!" Issei smushed their forehead against each other and look at her with a blaming look.


    "I-I''m sorry..." Although she said that, Brynhildr couldn''t keep the blissful smile on her face hidden.


    She''s so glad and happy seeing that the love of her life felt the same way as hers...


    "Umm, excuse me, handsome brother and the beautiful lady over there." Suddenly a young handsome man in his middle twenties with well-built with spiky short blonde hair and dark blue eyes called out to the lovey-dovey husband and wife. He is wearing an unbuttoned blue shirt, grey pants, and sunglasses.


    But he didn''t receive any reply from them both... He''s completely ignored.


    They''re too occupied with each other that they don''t even notice this newcomer arrival.


    "Oh, man... Being ignored like this sure hurts my feeling..." The man said while scratching his cheek.


    It is unknown when but the onlookers who were surrounding both Issei and Brynhildr are nowhere to be seen.


    In the next second, the man narrowed his eyes and let out a bloodthirsty aura...


    *BANG!*


    Only to get punched in the face by Issei.


    "Hm?" Issei let out a confused voice before shrugging his shoulder. What did he just hit? A mosquito? Must be... He thought to himself...


    He reflexively punched the idiot who couldn''t read the air since he lets out a bloodthirsty aura. Issei didn''t notice the young man even until now though...


    It''s his own fault for doing something so stupid, especially around his currently pregnant wife.


    The young man who just received a knuckle sandwich from Issei has long already passed out. Thankfully Issei didn''t use his full power or the man''s body would''ve become dust...


    *Roooaarrrr!!!*


    "Hn? What''s that?" Issei let out an annoyed voice seeing that there''s a loud noise disturbing his time with his wife.


    In the distance, they could see a rampaging giant boar.


    "That''s... A divine beast?" Brynhildr muttered.


    "Oh?" Issei raised his eyebrows at the boar before he comes up with a splendid idea: "Divine beast? Perfect! Its meat would serve as some nutrients for you and our child."


    "Ah?" Brynhildr blinked her eyes in shock after hearing his words.


    "Wait here a bit. I''ll serve you some roasted boar meat soon!" Issei put Brynhildr down before he locks onto the boar''s giant figure.


    He took out a sword and casually swung it in the boar''s direction.


    An invisible force swept across the city before it hit the boar''s body which made it stopped its movement the moment the force come into contact with it.


    In the next second, the boar''s body is split in half right from the middle. And to make matter even more surprising, there''s not a single drop of blood spilled from its huge body...


    "Mm, now let''s cook it," Issei said after he stored the boar''s body into his inventory: "Let''s not stay here for long and find a better place to continue our little date. The outside air in this place is not good for our baby." He said caringly towards Brynhildr.


    He already makes sure to slow the time on Setsuna and the others side so he doesn''t need to worry about them feeling lonely. He will take his time with this shy wife of his... It''s been a while ever since they spent their time together.


    Issei didn''t care why the boar suddenly appeared here out of nowhere nor does he care about who owns it. What he knows is that this stupid pig disturbs him and his wife so it deserves to die...


    "E-Eh? Y-Yes." They were on a date? Brynhildr thought confusingly to herself... Not that she minds though and if anything she''s feeling happy instead.


    While the two husband and wife continue their little date, the sudden disappearance of the giant boar made some people utterly dumbfounded. In particular, a beautiful young woman with blue eyes and long straight blond hair with a hint of red that reaches down to her lower back and she''s also wearing a red dress with black stripes.


    She''s shocked to her core.


    What the hell? How come the Divine Beast would suddenly cut in half when she just arrived at the scene to prevent it from completely destroying the city?


    "M-Milord!" A man wearing a suit and glasses shouted in surprise seeing the fainted young man from before.


    "That''s..." The young woman becomes shocked once again seeing the unconscious young man. That young man is quite well-known and infamous especially since there are only 6 of his "kind" in this world.


    "A ''Demon Lord'' has been defeated? ''Him'' out of all people?" She said with furrowed eyebrows.


    Is there a Heretic God at work here? No, that much is obvious seeing from the giant boar''s appearance... But which God are they dealing with here?


    No matter what she needs to report it to the organization first.


    On the very same day, the other "Demon Lord" becomes alarmed...


    "...Someone manages to ''defeat'' one of ''us'' without anyone noticing their fight? Interesting..." A beautiful young woman with pale skin, black hair, a slender body with a full bosom and bottom, appearing to be in her late teens muttered to herself. She''s also wearing a traditional Chinese clothes from the Han dynasty.


    The fact that someone could defeat one of them is already surprising enough. Adding the fact that their ''battle'' went unnoticed just makes it even more so...


    She needs to find out just who''s responsible for ''his'' defeat. Perhaps this unknown person or God could provide her with some challenge...


    "Yinghua." She called out.


    "Yes, Master?" A black short-haired young man responded.


    "I want you to investigate something for me..."

 Chapter 161 - Side 18

    "When did you find out that you''re pregnant?" Issei asked her after they finished their lunch together.


    "...About a week ago," Brynhildr said after a brief silence.


    She had morning sickness that morning.


    At first, she thought she was just feeling sick but after feeling a little discomfort around her stomach, she used her magic to see what''s wrong only to find out that there''s a new life growing inside her w.o.m.b.


    She becomes frozen stiff at that time feeling happy yet concerned. Happy that she''s pregnant and feel concerned whether her beloved Master would feel happy or not about it...


    After mulling about it for a whole week, she finally decided to tell him...


    "That long? And you only decided to tell me now?" Issei frowned.


    "Sorry, Master..."


    "There''s no need for you to apologize to me... And you need to remember that we''re husband and wife, not a Master and a servant. I would feel sad if my own wife would treat me as her superior instead of someone she holds dear." Issei said sadly.


    "Th-That''s not true, Master! I love you with all my heart! I-It''s just that I don''t want to-" Brynhildr said hastily.


    "Heheh, that''s the second time that you say that you love me on your own," Issei said with a chuckle.


    "...A-Ah..." Her face reddened rapidly the moment she realizes what she just said.


    "By the way, Bryn... Why are you in this world?" Issei asked his blushing wife.


    "We''ve received a request from a Goddess of this world to clean up some mess, Master." She answered softly while still feeling shy of what she just blurted out.


    "Mm? Clean up what? And you''re currently pregnant, be more mindful of your body." He said with a concerned tone.


    "En." She nodded with a smile: "A Goddess named Pandora came across the company pamphlet by chance and after a few arrangements, we decided to accept her request. We have also received the payment from her already."


    "Oh, then let me handle it." Issei said.


    "Ah?" Brynhildr gasped in surprise: "Master doesn''t need to bother with this trivial stuff! This request is quite easy so there''s no need for-"


    "I will take no for an answer. You''re currently pregnant, remember? What kind of husband I would be if I let my wife works when she''s pregnant." Issei said sternly.


    "..." Brynhildr''s mouth becomes wide agape before her face becomes flushed in happiness: "I understand..."


    "Now what was the request about again? Clean up some mess? As in?" Issei asked for the request detail.


    "The request was to defeat some Heretic Gods, Master." She explained.


    "Defeat? So no killing them?" Issei frowned.


    "Well, we''ve asked about it and the client herself said that she doesn''t mind whether they die or not..."


    "Hmm, alright. So where are they?" Issei inquired.


    "We''re not sure yet... But the client also said not to do anything unless they started something first."


    "So basically she wanted us to be the bodyguard of this world?"


    "More or less, Master..." She said wryly.


    "...Alright," Issei said after thinking a bit: "I wanted to just cancel the request but knowing Rakia then she wouldn''t agree... She''s quite strict with these kinds of things especially when the client paid in advance." Issei sighed wryly in return.


    Issei knows that they could just send someone else for the job but since he''s already here anyway, he might as well.


    Besides, this would be a great chance to accompany this shy of his. She would never ask for a date on her own volition nor would she complains if she ever feels lonely.


    "Let''s continue our date. Do you want to go shopping?"


    "E-Eh? N-No need, Master. I don''t really need to buy anything in particular at this moment." She said while waving her hand frantically.


    "Then let''s just go take a look around," Issei said forcefully before holding her hand.


    "M-Master!" Brynhildr shouted embarrassedly.


    Issei ignored her shout and drag her around the whole city to sightsee and window shopping. Whenever he sensed Brynhildr took fancy of something, he would immediately buy that thing for her.


    As for the currency, Issei only needed to sell some jewels and the like.


    This pattern continues for a whole day...


    ...


    Issei sat on the bed, completely n.a.k.e.d and so is Brynhildr.


    Her cheeks are flushed with slight perspiration covering her whole body.


    A trail of white liquid oozes out from between her plump thighs.


    "Go on, do as you like," Issei said with a doting smile.


    Brynhildr who saw this felt her w.o.m.b squeezed even more wanting to be filled once again...


    "E-Excuse me..." She said with a heated sigh.


    She gulped loudly seeing his member which still stood at full attention, turned on by the promise of what would come.


    She positioned her nether region on top of his rock hard member before she took hold of his shoulders, leaning on them, while Issei planted kisses all over her heavenly b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    She shuddered greatly before she could lower herself after he lightly nipped her cherry nub.


    Issei who sensed this lightly spanked her peachy bottom which made it jiggle.


    She let out another m.o.a.n before her l.u.s.t-filled gaze looks entrancingly at his beloved Master and husband.


    She finally moved ever closer downward, her weeping entrance all but ready to take him in. At this point, a casual observer would not have mistaken Brynhildr for a s.e.x-addled l.u.s.t valkyrie, which was the complete opposite from her usual cold and stern demeanor.


    Issei''s glans alone seemed like it would pulverize her entrance, and it was almost like a fleshy spear-tip made exclusively to violate. Nonetheless, she aligned herself over it, and Issei gripped his c.o.c.k to push up, meeting her halfway. For a moment they just stayed that way, male and female, husband and wife...


    "Ah¡­" She m.o.a.ned wordlessly, her breath catching in her throat as the moment continued. She was at the precipice and was about to cast herself over the edge.


    "You don''t need to push yourself... Just take it easy..." He said lovingly.


    She felt her heart clench this time... This gentle side of him no matter what the situation is really an addicting drug to his wives. And that includes Brynhildr...


    She and her sisters are treated like a tool by their creator, Odin. They never knew about such warm and fuzzy feelings until they finally met him... Their new beloved master.


    When Issei killed the All-father Odin in the past, he also breaks them free from their ''cage'' at the same time...


    Steeling her wits, Brynhildr finally lowered her body and slowly swallow his spear... Bit by bit, inch by inch, grinding into her as her v.a.g.i.n.a stretched and stretched some more to accommodate his enormous girth until all of them disappeared into her.


    Steam rose from Brrynhildr''s slowly reddening face, as she struggled to pace her breath over the sensations akin to being pierced by some Divine weapon... Wait, it is a Divine ''weapon'' considering his identity, isn''t it?


    "S-So thick..." she said, wheezing, with her eyes closed and her body trembling like a newborn fawn.


    Issei cupped her cheek lovingly before he gives her a gentle and comforting kiss... But it soon turned into a wet deep kiss. They entangled their tongues and swapped their saliva with each other...


    "M-Master..." Brynhildr uttered between their kisses.


    Taking that as a signal, he began rocking his body, thrusting up into her in a small rhythm. Each upward motion made her b.o.o.b.s jiggle. Both lovers keenly felt the other''s searing heat.


    Issei embraced her body closely and Brynhildr also did the same. Only the rhythm of their lower half hitting each other could be heard other than the sloppy sound of their kiss.


    "Mmm! Hnn!" She m.o.a.ned into his mouth.


    She looked like she was already spent after their first-round earlier but she pushed on. Her p.u.s.s.y salivated its juices freely and uncontrollably, desperately trying to lubricate the pillar below it to ease her impalement. The juices dripped down to the base of his c.o.c.k, pooling in his large nuts, and making such a sweet smell that sent shivers down Brynhildr''s spine.


    The number of times they slept together could be counted with one hand.


    Issei wanted to mark her even more... The time they''ve spent together needs to be raised because this silly little wife of his will never come to him on her own. He needs to be more assertive!


    "MMN!"


    Issei suddenly raised her body and slammed her down with little force.


    It was safe to say that his entire length pressed against her cervix. Bits of his prec.u.m oozed, causing the closed entrance to soften, and open.


    Brynhildr''s eyes rolled to the back of her skull because of the sheer pleasure. Issei doesn''t let go of her lips and sucked her lolled out tongue greedily.


    The pleasure Brynhildr''s currently experiencing is out of this world...


    After a few seconds, Issei finally started to move again.


    Squelching sounds now came clear from the point where Issei''s c.o.c.k clearly stretched her tight tunnel.


    Each of his subsequent thrusts caused droplets of her nectar to rain down freely on his thighs. She gasped, throwing her head back as stars burst into her vision.


    Issei could feel his wife''s body trembling in his arms, as she came. Her whole mind and body tried to deal with the fact of his enormous d.i.c.k impaling her.


    Each of Issei''s pounding thrusts now made her body shiver with more pleasure than the last.


    Each thrust, to Brynhildr, felt like Issei was f.u.c.k.i.n.g her brain outright, so intense was the sensation of his titanic girth into her overwhelmed body.


    Their intense activity caused a sweet s.e.x.u.a.l musk to drift up and envelop the two lovers. The scent caused them to move, even more, seeking more and more pleasure as they began to build up to the explosive climax. And the very thought of it seemed to turn Brynhildr on, as she came yet again, twitching violently on top of him, her p.u.s.s.y gagging and convulsing around his giant length.


    "Gh! I''m coming!" He felt the familiar strain of his incoming ejaculation, as bolts of pure pleasure spread up his spine. There was no turning back. His balls rose, contracting, as Issei grunted one, final time.


    *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!* *SPLURT!*


    His c.o.c.ktip swelled deep within her, impossibly turning her belly fully gravid for one, sweet moment. Then the forceful geyser of c.u.m rushed up, filling her w.o.m.b instantly and causing her belly to expand slightly.


    His hot c.u.m painted her churning walls completely, even as the rest were forced backward by space and gravity. Even at this time, Issei continued thrusting, creating small openings that caused a literal flood of his baby seed to come hurtling down from her distended belly and down his shaft. The mix of his liquid and her juices oozed down from her opening, coating the rest of his crotch and adding another layer of juices on his legs down below.


    If she wasn''t already pregnant then this act of his would definitely make her one pregnant mother.


    Brynhildr''s squeals and m.o.a.ns sounded hoarse and whisper-like, even as she pressed close to her beloved.


    Few seconds after he finished his ejaculation, he pulled back, making a loud, suction-like sound. When his tip left, it made a soft pop. His humongous member dripped and stank of their combined essence, still impossibly erect. Droplets of their essence dripped down on the bed below them, coating it with the evidence of their union.


    It didn''t take long for leftover c.u.m to gush out, like a flood from a broken dam, overflowing past her thighs and onto the bed to leave a messy, funky puddle. As if she''d momentarily forgotten how, she was slow to close her thighs, and when they did the cooling mess made a loud squishing sound, causing her to make one final shudder.


    They stayed in that way for what seemed like hours. Brynhildr blissfully stayed in his embrace... The occasional gentle stroke on her head made her purr in bliss...


    "That was fantastic..." He mumbled into her hair.


    Brynhildr''s already red face becomes even more flushed but she let out a low hum agreeing with his statement... No, if anything it felt beyond fantastic... It felt heavenly...


    Of course, she won''t say that out loud... She will die out of embarrassment if she were to say it out loud.


    Besides, she already belonged to him now... both body and soul. He''d made his mark deep within her, defiling her from end to end in such a decisive way that there was no room for misinterpretation. She was his little valkyrie wife...


    She had wholeheartedly decided from then on to be his, and there was no regret nor any need to second guess herself.


    "Want to do it again?" After basking at the moment for a while, Issei whispered enticingly.


    "...En." It took her a moment but she finally gives a faint nod.


    Issei flipped her body over and was about to start another round of passion until a loud boom resounded outside their love nest.


    Issei''s face darken instantly sensing the interruption coming from outside.


    "Master... This aura..." Brynhildr''s whispered with a frown.


    This aura is unmistakably an aura from a divine being, a God.


    That and coupled with the malice they felt, it''s safe to say that this aura doesn''t belong to just any God but rather a Heretic God.


    "...Wait here." Issei kissed her forehead before he quickly wears his clothes and teleported outside leaving no room for Brynhildr to refuse his command.


    ...


    *Rumble!*


    A loud thunderclap resounded clearly in the dark night of town Sardinia coast.


    Issei hid his floating fortress in uninhabited near the ocean since the view is quite beautiful but he never expects that the Heretic God would appear here out of all places.


    "Ne, Lily... Looks like you were right... Verethragna truly summons another God." A blonde-haired young girl wearing a red dress said with a wry smile in the middle of the rainstorm.


    Her full name is Erica Blandelli, a knight of a mage association named the Copper-Black Cross.


    "This is not the time for idle chit chat, Erica. We need to handle this carefully... Especially since the nearest is currently unavailable." A young girl with silver hair who''s standing beside her said solemnly.


    Her full name is Liliana Kranjcar. similar to Erica, she''s also a knight of a mage association named the Bronze Black Cross.


    "Right... Even now he''s still not awake... That infamous Salvatore Doni, just who defeated him to such extent? There''s no indication of a great battle whatsoever on the scene. And according to his assistant, the time of his defeat happens at almost the same time when that Boar Divine Beast is cut in half..." The young girl named Erica said while biting her lower lip.


    "Um... They only separated for less than five minutes and by the time his assistant arrived, he''s already passed out."


    "Yes, I saw him unconscious but that''s about it... Do you think Verethragna is the one who defeated him?"


    "That''s unlikely since that boar should be Verethragna''s avatar..."


    "Right... The time of his defeat is too short and by the time that boar appeared, Salvator Doni should have already been defeated. So the culprit must be someone else."


    During their interaction, a large magical power surged out from the sky.


    "There!" The girl called Lily pointed.


    "I know... That must be Verethragna... and since he''s not the one who''s capable of causing this storm then..."


    As if on cue, the second God also appeared.


    The first God has the appearance of a 15-year-old boy with blue hair and a small tattoo on his forehead whereas the second God is a giant comparable to large buildings at ten-odd meters and a muscular appearance. He has a long white mustache and beard and unkempt hair that leaves an impression. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-wish-of-the-dragon_12879426706827705/side-chapter-18_50989090270673727 for visiting.


    The two of them stared at each other while releasing their imposing aura which made the two young girls froze on the spot.


    They''re having a cold sweat under the sheer pressure of the two Gods.


    Their imposing aura clashed against each other creating another loud thunderclap in the background and the sea waves become more turbulent than ever.


    The blonde-haired woman subconsciously stepped backward along with the silver-haired woman.


    Both of them realized their misconduct at the same time.


    They gritted their teeth feeling humiliated that they would take a step backward just in the presence of their imposing aura.


    "Melqart, one of the Mediterranean Sea''s strongest gods, King of Gods, great Warrior, strongest Dragon Slayer, we finally met!"


    The youngster looking God looks jubilant instead of feeling intimidated by the Giant.


    "I am Verethragna, I am the winner, victory is always mine, this is my essence, regardless of how many battles or regardless who my foe is, I will always become victorious! Therefore, I have not experienced the taste of suffering defeat to the present, because no one can defeat me!" The youngster looking God said arrogantly.


    Even though he lost his avatar the other day, it barely would affect the outcome of this battle.


    He doesn''t know who killed his avatar but he doesn''t care. He thought it must be a fluke of some unknown God...


    He will find out who''s the one who killed his avatar but for now, he will face the enemy who''s currently standing in front of him.


    "God King Melqart! can thou grant me a defeat?!" He said imposingly.


    Hearing his remarks, the Giant snorted coldly at him: "Hmph, defeat? I will grant you more than just a simple defeat!" Once he said that, a giant club appeared in his hand.


    "Hahahaha! That''s it! Come and grant me defeat, God King Melqart!" Verethragna said with a laugh: "Come! King of the Mediterranean Sea!"


    Just when they''re about to clash with each other, the entire atmosphere turned freezing cold.


    The two God''s body froze on the spot. Not only their body but their blood, their soul also turned cold... As if they''re in the presence of something truly terrifying.


    Not only them, even the two young girls nearby also felt something off.


    "You two are having fun here... Can include me as well?" A calm voice resounded clearly despite the raging storm in the background. And at the same time, the raging storm that''s still ongoing a few seconds ago instantly settled on its own...


    The sea and the weather turned so calm that it gives off an eerie feeling... As if apocalypse would soon arrive.


    This voice has no imposing manner nor arrogance but for some reason... They felt their heart clench.


    They slowly look to the side only to see Issei who had a cold expression on his face.


    While the two young girls are stunned silly at his appearance, the two Gods felt extreme trepidation instead.


    His body is taller than Verethragna but still small compared to Melqart but they all feel so tiny in his presence...


    "..." The two Gods gulped subconsciously looking at his cold expression.


    "...Who are you?" Melqart is the first one to open his mouth: "I can tell that you''re a God just like us."


    Erica and Lily gasped in surprise seeing that there''s a third God joining the fray.


    "Me?" Issei repeated: "I''m the one who will kill you two."


    "...Kill us both? Bold words..." Verethragna said arrogantly despite his uneasiness: "You think you can defeat us both at the same time? I admit that you''re a strong God but to kill both of us... I don''t think you-"


    *Pfft!*


    Before Verethragna could finish his words, he sprayed a mouthful of blood. He slowly looks down only to see an arm piercing through his chest...


    Melqart, Erica, and Lily gasped in shock seeing the scene before them.


    Issei who was standing not far from them suddenly reappeared behind Verethragna.


    They were looking at him the entire time but he suddenly disappeared from their field of views!


    "You were saying?" Issei said coldly.


    "...You..." Verethragna groaned in pain.


    "."


    "Guh! Guaaaaahhhhh!" Verethragna screamed loudly.


    His divine energy is being drained drastically that it only takes 2 seconds before he lost all of it...


    His divinity/authority also disappeared along with his divine energy.


    Issei might not devour someone''s soul but he has no problem absorbing their divinity. While their divinity might be weak, he could tinker with it and give it to his loved ones.


    Letting a divinity of a God going to waste would be a pity no matter how weak they are. Worst come to worst, he could just set it as a prize for his subjects.


    "...." Issei whispered lightly. Since there''s nothing left out of him, Issei decided to just erase his very existence.


    Verethragna''s body jerked once before his body slumped forward and then he turned into light particles...


    Issei took back his arm and set his gaze on Melqart next.


    "Wait!" Melqart who sensed his gaze hastily said.


    He''s afraid... He''s truly afraid! The God King Melqart felt pure terror for once in his entire life.


    It''s not because he''s afraid of being killed, but rather because he can tell that Verethragna''s divine soul has disappeared completely! His very essence is no more! It''s not a simple death, but a true death!


    Dying in battle would be a great honor for him but this is no battle... This is a plain massacre!


    Sadly for him, Issei didn''t have any intention to wait...


    He slowly extended his hand forward.


    Melqart who saw this immediately used his club to attack Issei hoping that it could somehow stop him.


    He swung his club downwards creating a huge wind pressure.


    "Kuh!" Erica and Lily groaned under the wind pressure created by the swing of Melqart.


    "." Issei made a claw gesture with his hand and a baleful crimson energy that took shape of a giant Dragon''s claw appeared from his extended hand.


    The claw went forward to meet Melqart''s club.


    The moment they came into contact with each other, unsurprisingly, the claw easily tore through the club like a piece of paper and it continues to do the same to Melqart''s giant body.


    Melqart screamed in pain one last time before his body is shredded into pieces under the claw''s might...


    Then his body also disappeared into light particles just like Verethragna.


    Seeing that his target has perished, Issei took back his hand before he looks towards the trembling Erica and Lily.


    The two of them held their breath when Issei''s wine-red eyes locked onto them.


    And just when they''re about to share the same fate as Verethragna and Melqart, Issei turned his head and disappeared once again...


    It took them a good five whole minutes to get their bearings back.


    "...Lily, did you know who that is?" Erica mumbled to her friend.


    "No... I don''t have the slightest bit of clue of who he is..." Her friend replied.


    "Do you think he''s the one who defeated Salvatore Doni?"


    "It''s quite likely seeing how easily he killed the two Gods..."


    "We should try asking the witch of Sardinia, see if she knows something about his identity," Erica suggested to which Lily agreed.


    They went into their respective thoughts... One thing for sure is that Issei''s appearance has firmly cemented itself within their mind. They will never forget him for their entire life...


    The next morning, the world is warned about the unknown God...


    As for the person in question, he already went back to his wife''s side to continue their passionate night.


    ...


    The next day...


    "..."


    "..."


    Issei and a slender young woman in her mid-teens with violet hair blue eyes and pointed ears gaze at each other.


    The young woman started fidgetting on the spot when Issei appeared before her. Neither of them said a word for a while.


    This morning, Issei sensed a summoning from the Goddess in front of him. She''s none other than their client so Issei thought since Brnyhildr is still asleep, he might as well meet her to waste some time.


    They''re currently in an astral plane of the Goddess''s world.


    "U-Umm..." The Goddess finally blurted out.


    "?"


    "A-Are you... Are you the owner of the company?" She inquired.


    "That''s right," Issei said simply.


    "..." Okay, what the hell... When she accidentally came across that pamphlet, she thought it was only a joke from some God or Goddess but she never expects that someone would really answer her call...


    She''s summoned to a different world and if it''s only that, she wouldn''t have been so surprised...


    What she never expects is the number of True God class being on the other side! She almost faint when she saw Lady Death and she truly faint when the Witch of D¨²n Sc¨¢ith, the Queen of the Land of the Shadows stands before her...


    The two of them were free at that moment and Pandora happened to come across both of them at the same time.


    When she''s awake, the two of them thankfully have already left the place or her poor heart won''t be able to take it...


    After a brief conversation with the staff on the company as they call it, she finally decided to bet everything she has on them.


    Seeing how the other party has those ''two'' to be their mistress then it''s safe to say that this so-called company is the real deal.


    She knows that Issei is the owner of the company because she saw his picture being hanged in the receptionist room.


    She was stunned silly seeing his otherworldly visage and the employee who''s responsible at the time informed her about his identity.


    She becomes dumbstruck after knowing that the infamous Lady Death and that strongest God Slayer is his wives!


    She truly doesn''t know how to react when she heard this piece of news... She wanted to tell her fellow Gods in her homeworld but... she ultimately decided to just keep her mouth shut less some unwanted circ.u.mstances would arise.


    After paying a huge amount of sum for her request fee, they finally have a deal... She''s informed by the employee that they will send someone shortly to fulfill the request.


    She thought that they would send someone strong to handle her request but never in her wildest dream that the owner, the president, the Godking himself is the one who would appear before her!


    And the sight of how he easily killed Verethragna and Melqart almost made her faint once again.


    Those two are by no means weak but he just killed them both in an instant!


    And boy does he look more stunning than the picture she saw... She almost couldn''t stand properly in his presence.


    The charming aura he has is too powerful for her poor little heart to handle!


    Pandora''s cheek reddened rapidly under the gaze of Issei...


    "What do you want?" Issei finally said seeing that they''re going nowhere at this rate: "I believe we have perfectly handled your request so far. If you''re not satisfied then we can cancel our deal but know that only half of your payment will be returned."


    "E-Eh? N-No, I''m completely satisfied! There''s no need to cancel our deal!" Pandora hastily said.


    "Then? Why did you contact us?"


    "I-I just wanted to say thank you."


    "There''s no need. We''re just fulfilling the end of our bargain." Issei said with a wave.


    "..."


    "..."


    Okay, what now? She has said what she wanted to say... He doesn''t seem to be a person of many words which is quite frustrating...


    If he was a normal human then she could ''adopt'' him to be her son just like the other God Slayer or better known as .


    But the thing is that he''s not a human and also not a normal God! Making him her adopted son would surely cause some unwanted troubles. Her head might roll by the end of it...


    "If there''s nothing else then I will take my leave," Issei said.


    "A-Ah, wait!"


    "Anything else?" Issei said with a frown.


    "H-How about some tea?"


    "..."


    "..."


    Issei didn''t say anything else and immediately went back to his wife''s side.


    Pandora sighed woefully after he disappeared...


    What she should do now? Is it really a good idea to ask for their help after all? While the Heretic Gods are being taken care of ease her burden, she also thinks that their death is too pitiful...


    If a God is killed by a human, they won''t really die. They would just went into a slumber you might say... But giving them true death? That''s a little bit too much, she thought bitterly to herself.


    Nevertheless, what''s done is done... She can only hope that there won''t be too much chaos happening by the end of it...


    When Issei returned to Brynhildr''s side, he sensed a familiar trying to find something outside their lodgings.


    The familiar won''t be able to pinpoint their location but it is annoying for them to keep flying outside.


    The familiar has the shape of a bat.


    Issei gazes at the familiar and the next moment it is engulfed in flames...


    "...Master?" Brynhildr''s mumbled tiredly on the bed.


    "It''s nothing, just go back to sleep... I''ll bring you some breakfast later." Issei smiled at her and give her forehead a gentle kiss.


    Brnyhildr is too tired to react to his action so she just gives a faint nod before she went back to sleep.


    ...


    "Oh, what brings you two here?"


    "Let''s cut to the chase, Lucretia Zola... You should already know the reason why we''re here." Erica said to the point.


    Lucretia Zola is an extremely beautiful woman, with a body described as putting models to shame. She has long orange hair, purple eyes, and a mole under her eye. Slender with a large bosom.


    She''s currently wearing quite a revealing dark lingerie.


    She looks like she''s in her twenties but her real age is unknown since she''s a witch.


    "Hmm, do I now?" She said feigning ignorance.


    "It will be most appreciated if you don''t beat around the bust. The I''m currently serving is not really a patient one, you see." Liliana said with a frown.


    "Oh, you don''t need to worry about him..." Lucretia said with a wave: "Duke Voban already sent one of his familiar earlier... It already died though. That ought to keep him busy for a while since he will try to guess the other party identity."


    "..." Liliana frowned deeply at this. She''s not surprised that Duke Voban would send his familiar but what she''s concerned about is the Unknown God himself.


    Would he take this as aggression? Will they clash with each other in the near future?


    "So I take it that you know about this God''s identity?" Erica said while folding her arms.


    "Well, I can''t really say I do but... oh well, I guess it won''t hurt to inform you two of what I know about him." Lucretia tapped her cheeks with her finger deciding whether it''s fine to tell them or not.


    "For one, this new God is not of this world." Lucretia narrated.


    "Not of this world? He came from another world?" Erica frowned.


    "Yes... He came to this world quite recently... And as you might have already guessed, he''s also the one who ''defeated'' Salvatore Doni. He came here with his wife supposedly." Lucretia said while remembering the vision she has when she saw how intimate Issei with Brynhildr.


    She couldn''t hear their conversation but it''s safe to say that they''re husband and wife since Brnyhildr is wearing a wedding ring on her ring finger.


    "Also, he''s most likely a Dragon God." Lucretia mentioned.


    "A Dragon God? You mean his divinity has something to do with a Dragon?"


    "Something like that... In my vision, I caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure of a Dragon after all..." She said in reminiscence.


    "I only saw him for a brief moment since he realized that he''s being spied on. Needless to say, I stopped my vision since I don''t want to annoy him any further." Lucretia chuckled to herself: "I couldn''t say the same about Duke Voban familiar though..."


    She used her vision on the familiar and not Issei himself, so it should be fine.


    "Nevermind that, did you have anything else about him? Is he a heretic God? Where is he from? And where is he now?" Erica said impatiently.


    "Woah there, slow down... There''s no need to be in such a rush." Lucretia said with a frivolous smile: "And why are you in such a hurry anyway? He doesn''t seem to be causing any trouble right now so why? Is it because of something else?" She said with a knowing smile.


    Erica''s cheeks reddened slightly but she doesn''t lose her composure: "Isn''t it normal for us knights trying to find out about his identity? After all, he might be a threat to humanity."


    "Hmm, well let''s just leave it at that for now... Anyway, that''s pretty much that I know about him. Whether he''s a Heretic God or not, he shouldn''t be since he doesn''t seem to have any intention of harming the city the other day. I don''t know where he''s from specifically but I do have a clue on where is he staying right now though..."


    ""Where?!"" Both Erica and Liliana shouted.


    "Above." Lucretia pointed her fingers upward.


    ""Above?"" They both repeated.


    "Yup. He and his wife are staying in a flying fortress. Ah, but you can forget trying to find it, not even Duke Voban could discover it after all. While I''m not stupid enough to push my luck after my little peeking stunt the other day." She giggled: "But I have to say... Meeting him in person might be very exciting..."


    Her eyes flashed with curiosity. Actually, she''s also captivated at his sight so she can relate a little bit with these two green youngsters before her...


    They''re at that age after all. Not to mention the one that they''re trying to find is seemingly a very charming man.


    Lucretia''s curiosity finally gets the best of her and she subconsciously used her clairvoyance skill once again...


    But this time she''s immediately greeted by Issei''s wine-red eyes.


    "...Oops." Lucretia said with a sweat.


    "What''s wrong?" Liliana asked.


    "Looks like I annoyed him for real this time... Oh dear, what to do now..."


    Right after she said that an insurmountable presence appeared above her house.


    "He''s here..." Lucretia said with a wry smile.


    In the next second, Issei appeared in front of them. They held their breath at his arrival...

 Chapter 162 - Announcement

    Sorry guys, the next chapter is gonna be delayed again... My city is struck by a flood disaster. The water reaches up to my knee and I''m like, around 171cm tall.


    Almost all of my boxes that contain trade goods are flooded by water... And not only that, there''s a blackout happening all over the place. I had to close my second shop because of the flood.


    Early 2021... What a fun year... My head hurts so bad looking at my wasted products... smh...


    I''m just thankful that my sister already finished giving birth.


    Anyway, enough of my ranting. Once again, I''m really sorry guys, the next chapter probably will arrive in 3-4 more days. The news said that the flood will go away in 2 days... Wish you guys all the best.

 Chapter 162 - Side 19

    "Make yourself at home."


    After the preliminary round, entered the floating castle belongs to Erza H.


    They are not that surprised seeing the flying castle since magic exists in this world. What they''re surprised about is the newcomer who tagged along with them earlier.


    "Hee... Your dad sure knows how to spoil his daughter." Irene S. chuckled at the sight of the castle: "As to be expected of him, I guess."


    Natsu and the others might not be powerful enough to notice this flying castle might but she could.


    This single flying castle alone could easily fend off any attack from anyone she knows. Including Zeref who''s currently waiting for her call.


    "Is that our Erza''s mother? They look really similar..." Lucy whispered curiously.


    "...She smells like a Dragon! I wonder why teacher Erza''s smell isn''t as strong as her though..." Natsu muttered.


    "That''s because she''s stronger than me, boy." Irene S. smirked at Natsu: "And consequently, she''s far stronger than you. If you''re not strong enough then you can forget trying to measure her true strength, even her ''scent'' won''t be noticeable."


    "Make sense... Teacher is even stronger than Gildart after all." Natsu nodded understandingly.


    "What? Do you want to sense my true strength? I don''t really mind though." Erza H. said with a blink.


    Erza H. closed her eyes briefly before she re-opened them. When her Draconic eyes are opened, all her strength comes out in full throttle.


    "!!!"


    "Er-chan. That''s enough." Not even three seconds passed, Irene S. chuckling voice resounded.


    "Mm? Oh..." Erza H. at first feels confused but soon she understands.


    Not only Natsu, but the other members of have passed out. Even Makarov and Mavis are not spared...


    Only Erza S. still left standing amongst the members.


    "*Whistle* Looks like our big sis grows stronger than we have expected." Sorano whistled in awe.


    "I thought we have grown stronger over the years but it looks like we''re still nowhere close to her." Kagura nodded in agreement.


    "Well, she is foster father direct descendant after all," Yukino said with a sigh.


    "True that, nya!" Milliana who also joined them midway said. She''s another Issei''s foster daughter in this world.


    She has a cat-like appearance, possessing cat-like eyes, nose, and mouth. Her brown hair is stylized in a messy way and she also styled her hair just like a cat''s ears.


    It''s safe to say that she loves cat.


    "Anyway, Er-chan. You must have your father''s cooking with you, right?" Irene S. said with a clap.


    Kagura and the others had their bodies jerked at the mention of Issei''s cooking. Their head swiveled in her direction at the same time.


    "Mm? Yes, I have." Erza H. readily nodded: "All of you can have some if you want."


    "Splendid! The food I have been eating after all this time is basically tasteless in comparison... It has been a torture for your poor mum here..." Irene S. sighed bitterly: "It''s your father''s fault for spoiling our taste bud... I''m sure you girls and boy also feel the same as me, right?"


    She looked at the drooling Kagura''s group.


    They nodded quickly at her words.


    "Well, let me prepare it for a bit... Oh?" Erza H. was about to take out the food when she realized something.


    "What''s wrong, Er-chan?"


    "Hmm... There''s no more food..."


    "WHAT?!" Irene S. and the others exclaimed in shock.


    "I guess we ate too much for the last few days, sis." Erza H. said towards Erza S.


    "Ummm... I guess we did..." Erza S. scratched her cheek.


    "Erza, Er-chan!" Irene S. grounded her teeth in anger. Kagura''s group also started to become grumpy knowing that the two of them basically hog all the food for themselves.


    "W-Wait! Let''s ask otou-sama for more food instead!" Erza H. said hastily.


    "...Really?" They stopped in their tracks.


    "Yeah! W-Wait a little bit. I''m going to pinpoint his location now... Got it! Now, you guys wait here a little bit..." Erza H. hastily created a portal and entered it.


    Irene S. eyes flashed before she used her magic to maintain the portal.


    "Hehehe..." She gives a happy laugh: "You girls wanna come as well?" She asked Kagura''s group.


    They looked at each other before giving an obvious devilish grin: "But of course!"


    ...


    "This is the second time you have tried to ''peek'' on me..." Issei said with narrowed eyes.


    Lucretia who heard his words finally snapped out of her stupor. She immediately kneeled on the spot and said respectfully: "This lowly witch beg your forgiveness, your excellency. I was just curious about your honored self and your honored wife, I can assure you that I have no ill intention to both of you."


    Erica and Liliana also followed suit but they didn''t say anything.


    "I know you don''t have ill intention... If you do, you won''t be standing here right now." Issei scoffed: "The only reason why I let your magic trick works against me in the first place was because I want you to ''see'' that I don''t have any interest in this world. I don''t like being bothered but it seems my message was not clear enough. Now, let me make it crystal clear..." Issei''s eyes glowed briefly and he looks straight at the kneeling Lucretia dead in the eyes.


    A few seconds later, Lucretia covered her mouth and her whole face turns pale. Cold sweat pours down from her whole body and it even makes her lingerie soaked almost instantly.


    Her wet lingerie made her body visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye but she didn''t have any leeway to pay attention to it.


    She felt her body turned cold... freezing cold... She even thought that she might die just from the sheer cold alone.


    Erica and Liliana are also having a cold sweat but thankfully they didn''t know what Lucretia just saw. If they do, then perhaps they would pass out on the spot... Talented as they are, they still lack some proper experience.


    "Do I make myself clear?" Issei said in a cold voice.


    "Y-Y-Yes, y-your excellency!" Lucretia stutteringly said. She lowered her body even more... Her whole body is shivering.


    "Good. I will take away your spiritual vision as a penalty." Issei made a grasping motion towards Lucretia''s eyes.


    Lucretia flinched and her face scowled in pain. A streak of blood flows from her eyes...


    "Hn?" Issei notices that Brynhildr is starting to awaken. He wastes no time before he disappeared from the spot.


    Sensing his departure, Lucretia''s body dropped to the ground while gasping furiously. It''s as if she''s having trouble breathing.


    "What''s wrong, Lucretia? What did he do to you?" Erica asked in concern.


    Liliana also hastily went forward to support her body.


    "Hehe... Hehehehe... Ahahahahaha!" Lucretia suddenly laughed out loud.


    "L-Lucretia?!" Both Erica and Liliana exclaimed.


    "To think... To think such God, no, such divine existence could exist in this world! Ahahahaha!" Despite her spiritual vision has been taken from her, Lucretia doesn''t seem to mind at all.


    If anything she looks very excited instead.


    "Lucretia!" Erica shouted.


    "Listen well you two..." Lucretia turned her attention to the two of them and said with a serious tone: "Whether it''s the Campione, Gods, or even the Heretic Gods... None of them matters anymore. If... If that personage wanted to then he could easily destroy our world with just a snap of his finger!"


    "Wha-!?" They gasped in shock.


    "Rather than worrying about the Heretic Gods out there, we should be more concerned about him! One wrong move and our world will meet its end! Not only the humans... but even the Gods of this world would cease to exist!"


    "...You''re joking, right?" They become utterly stupefied at her words.


    "Do I look like I''m joking? There were many Gods calling themselves ''God-King'' but he''s the true ''King'' all along! What he showed me earlier was something unexplainable by words... but you just need to know that no matter what happens, never... ever... provoke him! You can provoke any other Gods but just not him! You better tell your respective organization about this. If they still didn''t listen then... We can only hope that our end will be quick and painless." Lucretia muttered helplessly.


    "...Just what kind of existence is he?" Liliana said incredulously.


    "An absolute existence. No Gods in existence could hope to face him... Even if all the Gods of this world band together, they still won''t be able to defeat him... That sword he ''showed'' me was too powerful. It shouldn''t have existed! But yet, there it is... Heheh, I don''t know such man could exist until now..." Lucretia laughed once more.


    She kept laughing like she has lost her mind... Other than her reddened cheek, her eyes also become glazed over like a drunken person.


    Erica and Liliana looked at each other feeling uncertain about the whole situation...


    ...


    "So you''re basically saying that idiot accepted a random request from a beautiful woman and they got lured into a trap because of it?" Setsuna said while looking at Chiyuki.


    "Yes..." Chiyuki nodded tiredly.


    Looks like her worry has come true... Reiji''s weakness against women has finally cost them.


    "How come you''re here? You didn''t go with your friends?"


    "I didn''t accompany them... I got a magic signal from one of my friends. They said that they needed help... I wanted to help them on my own but for some reason... I can''t seem to channel my magic like I used to. It''s like... It''s like most of my magic has disappeared..." Chiyuki said sadly.


    "Hmm... Looks like it finally happened." Setsuna muttered after she sensed that most of Chiyuki''s magic power has disappeared.


    "What finally happened?" Chiyuki asked.


    "You and your friends lose your magic power because your strength is borrowed from that boy called Reiji." Setsuna said.


    "Huh?" Chiyuki let out a dumbfounded voice since she doesn''t really understand what Setsuna''s trying to say.


    "Remember when I mentioned the ring he has? The one he said was gifted by her mother or something?" Setsuna pointed out.


    "Yes? That ruby ring Reiji always had with him? What''s that has anything to do with everything?"


    "It has to do with everything actually. That ring most likely belongs to a fallen God... I sensed a energy residing within that ring belonging to my other mother. The God who originally owned that ring must have been ''marked'' by her in the past and since she basically lost interest with the said God, she killed him." Setsuna explained.


    "...Are you saying that Reiji''s unnatural strength comes from that ring?" Chiyuki finally realized.


    "That''s right." Setsuna gives a faint nod.


    "But... But that''s just..."


    "Impossible?" Setsuna sneered: "What''s more impossible is for a normal human who never trains themselves would somehow gain strength on par with the Gods. A human who didn''t know anything about magic nor mana suddenly become able to kill a Demon and monsters just like that? Where''s the logic behind that? Did you think just because you and your friends came from another you all would suddenly become powerful? How laughable, actually it''s quite a miracle that you didn''t lose all of your magic from the get-go but that most likely because you have been training your magic a little bit."


    "..." Chiyuki become stupefied at her words.


    Indeed... Back in their world, they never even heard about the concept of magic being real...


    They always thought it only exists in fantasy...


    When they got transported to another world, they thought it''s only a given that they become more powerful than most people in the new world just like in the stories they''ve read. Otherworlder''s privilege and such.


    But it looks like they''re badly mistaken... They never really become stronger out of nowhere...


    "...May I ask the details about Reiji''s ring usage? Other than making him more powerful? I mean, how come we also got affected by the ring''s power?" Chiyuki asked.


    "Nothing really complicated really, the energy is infectious. Since you and your friends stay with him the longest, you also gain some power that he received from the ring. At the same time, if you were to stay with him for a longer period of time, you will also get infected by the energy making you went mad or something similar... Well, in the end, those who are consumed by the energy will die sooner or later." Setsuna casually said.


    Chiyuki''s body shuddered greatly at this revelation.


    "Y-You''re saying that Reiji will..." She paused.


    "Die? Of course he will." Setsuna scoffed: "Why do you think it''s called energy in the first place? Only a few exceptions are capable of wielding it freely. And that being my royal father and a few others... Not even me are capable of controlling it perfectly. So far, only a few of my mothers and my eldest sister could perfectly control it."


    "Fufufu, just you wait, Setsu-chan! Your Tamamo-kaa-chan here someday will also enter that list!" Tamamo who has been silent the whole time said with a giggle.


    "Um." Setsuna nodded at Tamamo. She believes that given enough time, all of her mothers and sisters would be able to perfectly wield the energy.


    Their father has been helping them after all. Little by little, he will make their body get used to the energy so someday they don''t need to fear it any longer.


    "I-If this energy is so dangerous, then why don''t your father erase it from existence?! This kind of corrupting strength is so volatile and evil!" Chiyuki shouted.


    "Strength has nothing to do with good or evil." Setsuna glared at her: "Strength, Power, Magic, Mana, and even energy itself... all of them are just a means to an end, a tool, no more no less. Those who wield them are the one who''s responsible. My royal father is someone who could control the energy that you deem as evil but he managed to save millions of world and those very same worlds now serve him as their King!"


    Chiyuki cowered under the cold gaze of Setsuna.


    "Your friend Reiji borrowed a strength that he couldn''t hope to comprehend and now he''s paying the consequences for his ignorance." Setsuna continued.


    "B-But Reiji surely didn''t know about the consequences of wearing that ring!" Chiyuki reasoned.


    "Perhaps he didn''t fully know its side effect, but did he really never question himself how come he''s so strong? Even a 5-year-old child would feel weirded out if they could suddenly bend a steel pipe with their bare arms. It is impossible for him to not know of the source of his inhumane strength. His own mother probably already told him about it. Anyway, his life and death have nothing to with me. If you want to save them then go somewhere else." Setsuna waved uninterestedly.


    "P-Please! I''m begging you! Please help my friends!" Chiyuki begged desperately but Setsuna doesn''t seem to be interested in helping her.


    "I don''t see any benefit from helping you. Not to mention most of my servants have some grudges against you. Me helping you would be detrimental for our trust with each other." Setsuna said calmly: "Why don''t you ask for the other human''s help anyway?"


    She didn''t ask about Rena since the person in question is probably too maddened by her "desire".


    It would be a miracle if she''s willing to help them.


    "The other humans are too weak to help us... and I also couldn''t pinpoint Reiji and the other''s location. I only know that they''re in trouble..."


    "Hmm, is that so? Well, my answer is still the same. I won''t lend you a hand." Setsuna said dismissively.


    "No way..." Chiyuki slumped back to her seat.


    But then she notices the grinning Tamamo on the side. She remembered what Tamamo said in the past...


    ''I guarantee that you will need our help in the near future~'' Looks like she could already foresee this outcome...


    "..." Chiyuki bit her lips in contemplation.


    "Hmhmhm~" Tamamo hummed to herself while looking at her fingernails: "Long ago, when humans and gods, Dark spirits, and Oni would show with the moon. In every corner of the wishes would whirl. Desires rumble louder as the night would progress~????" She sang a tune happily.


    She could already predict this outcome just like Chiyuki imagined. She can see through that boy named Reiji''s true nature as plain as a day.


    Actually, it''s already a miracle that they haven''t fallen into this kind of trap. Is the Demonkin of this world really that incompetent? How sad... or should she say disappointing instead? No wonder they''re losing against these brats.


    If it were her or Shuten-Douji, the boy in question would''ve been dead a long time ago.


    They might be powerful but they''re just brats in the end... If they could use their brains properly then they wouldn''t have to get into this situation at all.


    "...Tamamo-sama." Chiyuki finally uttered.


    "Yes~?" Tamamo responded.


    "...Please help my friends."


    "Hmm, you do know the payment for your request, right?" Tamamo smirked.


    "That''s..." Chiyuki hesitates.


    To say that she would have to give away his humanity just to save her friends... She''s quite unwilling. She also already advised Reiji and the others to not listen to that woman but like always, Reiji said not to worry and the others basically followed suit.


    Only she alone resolutely stay behind despite what they say.


    "Humm, how about this... Since the one who''s needing help is your friends, then what if we ask them if they''re willing instead?" Tamamo throws in a suggestion.


    "But... how can we ask them when we don''t even know where they are?" Chiyuki asked.


    "Oh, you don''t have to worry about that." Tamamo snapped her finger and a unique shaped mirror appeared before her.


    "Now let''s see~" She chanted some words and the mirror flashed brightly before it reflected Reiji and his party location.


    "Oh wow... Looks like they''ve been had~!" Tamamo gasped in ''shock'': "Setsuna-chan, you can''t look!" She said before she wrapped her fox tail around Setsuna''s head.


    In the mirror, Reiji and his companions are in a dangerous situation... especially so for Sahoko and the others.


    They''re currently being cornered by a group of drooling goblin. Their clothes are in tatters and they''re screaming while also crying towards the goblin.


    They are in utter despair... After a brief mouse and cat game, one of the girls, namely Sahoko seems to be caught by one of the goblins.


    The goblins waste no time before it licked her body and face marking her with its disgusting saliva.


    "R-Reiji-kun! Help me!" Sahoko screamed for her beloved name while crying and begging for his help but alas...


    The person in question seems to be in an entranced state while wildly humping on a big green humanoid creature. And seeing her features, it''s safe to say that she''s a goblin albeit a little different compared to her kin.


    Her body is quite big and fat. Her facial feature undoubtedly belongs to a goblin albeit it looks more exquisite. But she''s not by any means beautiful.


    She has long hair and looks a little better looking than a normal bald goblin but that''s about it.


    And that same female goblin is enjoying Reiji''s ''company'' while laughing gleefully.


    "To think it was this easy! I just need to disguise myself as a beautiful woman and the hero immediately agreed to my ''request''! The artifact I received from the God Alphos has been a great use! It''s too bad that he''s impotent though... With his look, I would assume he has a lot of women." The female goblin said regretfully at the end.


    "Gob gob! Your Majesty is wise!" The goblins cheered.


    "But why did the hero and his companions are this weak anyway? They''re strong but not as strong as the rumors... Well, whatever, at least I can have this handsome hero all for myself!"


    During their battle, the heroes suddenly got tremendously weaker. They are still strong but they''re at most on par with a hobgoblin at this point.


    In fact, the hero Reiji is the first to ''fall''. The goblin Queen used a little bit of aphrodisiac magic and he''s basically down for the count...


    "My lady!" Kaya, the maid of Reiji and Kyouka who came from the same world tried to save her Master from the hands of the goblins but even she herself also has her hands full.


    "Gigigigi! Beautiful girls! So many beautiful girls!"


    "My Queen, it is fine if we do whatever we want with them, right?"


    "Guhihihi, of course. I have no interest in women, this handsome hero is great! Harder, hero! Harder!"


    "Gyihihihi! Your Majesty is too kind!"


    The goblins laughed jovially after hearing their queen''s words.


    "This is just... plain pathetic." Tamamo uttered with a groan: "Your friends'' so-called attempt to fend off the goblins are so pathetic. It''s like a bunch of children fighting instead of a honed warrior... There is some basic movement of martial arts here and there but in the end, it is nowhere close to an expert. Looks like the ring helped you to cover your weaknesses huh..."


    Chiyuki bit her lips since it''s true... While some of them learned kendo, judo, karate, and the like back in their original world it is nowhere near the expert level.


    They''re able to win if they''re facing against those who are in the same year as them but to ask them to face off against a true expert is practically impossible.


    They could defeat their opponents this far because of their speed and magic strength. With that gone, they''ve basically become the same person as before... a bunch of children.


    While they learned new magic and skills during their stay here, without their explosive speed and strength, it has practically become useless.


    The other goblins slowly crept upon them...


    Sahoko has already been buried under a group of goblin and her fate is... uncertain at this point.


    Soon, her friends would also follow her fate.


    Chiyuki is too shocked to speak at this point. The situation is far worse than she thought.


    "Hmm, the humanoid races of this world, for some mysterious reason, have similar aesthetic senses as humans... I wonder why... Are the Gods who created them a pervert or something?" Tamamo muttered to herself.


    Not only the goblins, basically almost all of the races who have a humanoid feature would l.u.s.t over a beautiful woman mainly human race.


    Even the centaurs who have a lower body of a horse is the same. Their race doesn''t have a female so they resort to kidnap other races female. Their favorite target is also human.


    Probably because they''re quite weak.


    "What was that, kaa-chan?" Setsuna who has her head covered with Setsuna''s tail spoke.


    "It''s nothing dear! Nothing you need to worry about!" Tamamo said hastily. If her hubby were to know that she almost let their daughter saw something unbefitting for their age, her poor butt would suffer... Not that she hates it but still...


    "Why am I not allowed to look anyway?" Setsuna asked curiously.


    "U-Umm, let''s wait a little bit more when you''re older, alright?"


    "Alright...?"


    "Please help them! I''m begging you!" Chiyuki finally spoke seeing her friends are being slowly being overwhelmed.


    "No need to rush." Tamamo chuckled.


    She then channeled a little bit of divine energy into the mirror...


    On the other side of the mirror, when the goblins have finally laid their hands on Shirone and the others, Tamamo''s projection comes through.


    "Hello, hello? Testing~"


    The goblins, Shirone''s group, and even the goblin Queen''s body froze on the spot.


    "G-Gob? What''s that gob?" One of the goblins shouted.


    "T-Tamamo-sama?" Kaya muttered hopefully.


    "The one and only~" Tamamo affirmed: "Now I''ll make it quick. Do you girls want to be saved? Uh uh, don''t be so hasty to give your answer." She stopped them when they''re about to say something.


    "You need to remember the payment for my assistance. And knowing all of that, do you still agree?"


    """We Accept!""" They didn''t waste any time before shouting in agreement.


    "Anything is better than our current situation! Please, help us!" Rino said desperately.


    "Please save Reiji-sama and Sahoko-sama!" Kaya said next.


    "Well then... The contract is done." Tamamo''s grin widened and the glint in her eyes is obvious to all.


    She snapped her finger and their body disappeared from the goblin''s nest. The goblins become utterly confused seeing that their prey has disappeared right in front of their eyes...


    "And done~????" Tamamo clapped her hand.


    Reiji''s group appeared in their room but Tamamo still wrapped her tail around Setsuna''s face since Reiji and Sahoko''s condition is not ''presentable''.


    "Everyone!" Chiyuki shouted happily.


    "C-Chiyuki?" They muttered in disbelief.


    "Sorry to stop your reunion short but you owe me something~" Tamamo stopped their ''reunion'' and said with a foxy grin.


    Then her eyes narrowed dangerously. Her eyes turned sharp just like that of a beast.


    "Tamamo kaa-chan, remember to hold yourself back. Don''t let royal father admonish you again." Setsuna who''s finally freed reminded.


    "...Ah. Sorry about that, Setsu-chan. It''s been a while ever since your okaa-chan here get a new toy." Tamamo laughed wryly.


    "Mm, I don''t really mind." Setsuna chuckled.


    "...Toy?" Chiyuki and her friends had their faces twitch a lot when they heard what she thought of them.


    "Anyway... Your is mine~, kon kon to~" She made a fox gesture with her hands. The mirror she has shine once again... And in the next moment, Shirone and the others felt something being pulled out of their body.


    They don''t really feel pain but the discomfort is truly unbearable.


    Something shaped like the face of a human emerged out from their body and then it entered the mirror.


    At the same time, Shirone''s little group felt their bodies become smaller and smaller.


    After a brief moment, they turned into a humanoid figure at the height of a 5 years old child. A pair of dog ears appeared on top of their head.


    They also grow some whiskers around their faces and a tail also appeared on their back.


    Their arms and hands also filled with fur. Only their faces still retain some similarities in their old human appearance.


    While most of them transformed into the same thing, only Sahoko turned into something else... She turned into the very same thing that just assaulted her earlier... A Goblin.


    "Oya? What a surprise... To think that you still retain most of your human features... I thought all of you would turn into a goblin just like your friend over there." Tamamo said.


    "They turned into a... humanoid dog?" Setsuna curiously said.


    "They turned into a bit-! I mean, yes, a dog!" Tamamo coughed at her little slip-up. She almost couldn''t stop herself from blurting out her little pun seeing that they basically become a dog: "And that little goblin girl over there most likely become a goblin since she has some fun time with the goblins earlier." She pointed out.


    Shirone and her friends looked at each other in dismay. Sahoko seems so distraught that she doesn''t say anything in return...


    Chiyuki is too shocked to say anything... What''s she supposed to say here? When her friends basically turned into a walking dog!


    "Woof woof! Woof?!" They tried to say something but could only let out a barking sound.


    "Giiiiiii!!!" Whereas Sahoko let out a goblin screech.


    "Wh-What? Why did they..." Chiyuki said in a confused voice.


    "Ara? Didn''t I tell you before? They will stop being a human. A dog and a goblin don''t speak human language." Tamamo said with a smirk: "I have already warned them time and time again of the consequences so you can''t blame me~."


    "Guuh... Woman... Beautiful woman..." Reiji who''s still a human groaned. Taking his vital origin disgust Tamamo hence why she didn''t bother.


    As for why she saved him, well... It''s to watch another ''show''.


    "R-Reiji? Wh-What''s happening to him?" Chiyuki took a step back seeing the crazed look on Reiji''s face.


    "Humm, probably because of the aphrodisiac still hasn''t disappeared yet. Oh, how disgusting!" Tamamo has already wrapped Reiji in a ''cocoon'' of blanket since he was n.a.k.e.d but the way he squirms around in place really disgusts her. Especially seeing the way he looks at her and Setsuna.


    "Why is he seems to become thinner?!" Chiyuki realized the hollowed cheek of Reiji.


    He seems to become thinner and thinner and even his hair started to become gray as time passes by.


    "G-Giii!"


    "Woof woof!"


    Sahoko and her friends let out a sound seeing the current state of Reiji.


    "Hmm, so that''s what happened once one loses the ''blessing'' of the energy..." Setsuna muttered... She started taking a mental note to herself: "His appearance is also changing it seems? His ''essence'' as a whole is fully contaminated by the energy... He''s almost one with the ... albeit not in a good way. No wonder he could last this long despite being contaminated with the energy..."


    From what she knows, those who are contaminated by the energy shouldn''t be able to last this long. It looks like her mother giving birth to him made him resistant to the energy by a little bit. Not that it really matters now though seeing how the has finally consumed him.


    His appearance changes from a handsome young boy to that of a young boy with average features. He''s not really that bad looking but compared to his previous appearance, it is like night and day.


    That, coupled with how skinny he becomes, really makes him look like a walking skeleton now if they could see him standing straight.


    His blue eyes become muddy and his previously shiny blonde hair is nowhere to be seen... From blond to gray to white until they fall off his head making him goes bald. Next, it''s his teeth... his nails... his skin looks like a bag of plastic barely hanging onto his body.


    Purple miasma started to ooze out from his now skinny body.


    The girls held their breath at this sight. They couldn''t believe what they''re seeing...


    Chiyuki who has already been informed beforehand looked to the side while biting her lips. Looks like it''s really true... The energy seems to be the source of Reiji''s strength and now he is suffering the drawback.


    "Aghh... Aahhhhhhhh!!!" Reiji screamed in pain.


    Looks like the pain he''s experiencing has nullified the aphrodisiac effect.


    "It hurts! It hurts! Make it stop!"


    "G-Gii gii!" Sahoko stepped forward wanting to help him.


    "Nuh-uh, I don''t recommend you going anywhere close to him. Less you will be consumed by the as well~" Tamamo stopped her advance.


    Reiji struggled harder and harder within his binding. Blood started to pour out from all of his orifices. His whole body started to turn black.


    Black substance also started to pour out replacing his blood.


    "Now pay attention... This is what happens to those who are consumed by the energy... You girls should be thankful that you don''t share the same fate as him." Tamamo grinned at the pale-faced group of dog girls and a goblin.


    "Okay, I''ve seen enough," Setsuna said with a faint nod.


    She has observed enough, it''s time to put this poor idiot out of his misery... Well, she just doesn''t want his disgusting pus to stain the floor though. Setsuna doesn''t care what happens to any of them.


    She stepped in front of Reiji before she absorbs the energy out of his body.


    A visible miasma left Reiji''s body and then it entered Setsuna''s body.


    Reiji''s expression turned from painful into a dazed state... His eyes started to lose focus and when Setsuna''s finished extracting the energy, his body turned into dust...


    "Setsu-chan? Are you okay?" Tamamo asked in concern.


    "I''m fine, kaa-chan." Setsuna nodded.


    Being the daughters of Issei helped her a lot to contain the energy. Although her mastery over the element isn''t perfect, absorbing a little of them is a piece of cake.


    She still needs a little bit more time to reach her eldest sister''s level... and then, the level of their parents.


    "G-Giii..." Sahoko slumped to the ground seeing the love of her life turned into dust.


    "Do you regret it now?" Setsuna looked down at her and asked.


    "..." Sahoko dumbly looked at her but she didn''t say anything in return.


    Setsuna snorted before she set her attention to something else.


    "Now then... Let''s discuss what will happen to all of you, shall we?" Tamamo flashed a calculating smile at the shivering group of dog girls.


    Chiyuki chooses not to say anything else and can only cast a gaze full of pity at her friends...


    If she wasn''t being adamant back then... perhaps she would be one of them by now...


    "Oh, right. You still have to pay something to me, Chiyuki, was it?" Tamamo''s voice suddenly resounded.


    "Huh?" Chiyuki let out a dumbfounded voice at her words.


    "Why do you look so surprised? Even though you''re not directly the one being helped, you still requested me to help your friends. And for that, you need to pay something in return~" Tamamo squinted her eyes.


    "B-But you said before-"


    "I know what I said... but that doesn''t mean you''re free to go either. You can''t seriously think that you can come here as you please right? Think of it as an entry payment if you like." Tamamo chuckled: "You girls might be considered a ''hero'' by this world inhabitants but in this kingdom, you''re nothing but customers, isn''t that right, Setsu-chan~?"


    "Indeed." Setsuna nodded along: "I was thinking of making you pay some tribute in return before but since my kaa-chan wanted a new toy then she shall have one."


    "Aww, thank you so much, Setsu-chan~." Tamamo''s foxy grin emerged once again when she looks at her new toys.


    Chiyuki face paled tremendously at this revelation... The foxy grin Tamamo currently has sent shivers down to her spine...


    ...


    "Hm?" Issei who was currently preparing breakfast noticed a disturbance in the void.


    He was alert when he realizes this presence aura.


    "little fairy?" He muttered.


    "Otou-sama!" Pops out Erza H. from the newly created portal.


    "What''s wrong, little fairy?" Issei said with a smile: "I thought you''re waiting on the other world?"


    "U-Ummm, can you make some more food for me?" Erza H. said wryly.


    "More food? I thought I gave you a week''s worth of food beforehand?"


    "Well... The thing is..." Erza H. was about to say her reasoning when the two of them notices another presence.


    "Uhh... Did you bring anyone with you on your way here, little fairy?" Issei asked.


    "Eh, no?" At first, Erza H. shook her head but then she remembered something: "Oh no... I forgot to close the portal on the other side!"


    In the next second, Irene S. and the others also pops out from the same portal Erza H. used.


    ""Dad/Foster Father/Dear!""

 Chapter 163 - Side 20

    When Issei left Forzelotte and Lotte''s side.


    "Now then... Kozelotte." Forzelotte said with a sigh after Issei went to Setsuna''s side.


    "..."


    "Don''t pretend that you''re not there. I know you have been eavesdropping the entire time." Forzelotte said with narrowed eyes.


    "...H-Hi, mama." Kozelotte finally comes out of her concealment magic.


    "Ah, Koze onee-chan!" Lotte waved giddily.


    "I''m sure you''ve heard what your father and I talked about. Don''t try to deny it."


    "Yes..."


    "You better not be thinking of chasing after him. I won''t allow any more mischievousness coming from you."


    "E-Ehh... B-But..."


    "No buts!" Forzelotte said sternly: "And the same goes for you two, Amou, Momoyo."


    "Ugh!" Amou and Momoyo also pop out from the void after being exposed by Forzelotte''s magic.


    "Amou onee-chan and Momoyo onee-chan is here too! Are you three going to play with Lotte?" Lotte waved once again.


    "Hmph, you two are still too green to copy your mother''s dimensional magic." Forzelotte snorted at the two: "As I said, the three of you are not allowed to follow after your father. No question asked." Forzelotte said sternly: "Do you girls understand?"


    "Yes..." The three of them said dejectedly.


    Forzelotte sighed tiredly for the umpteenth time at her troublesome daughters.


    Remembering the time when Kozelotte snuck up unto Issei''s bed when she''s younger still made her head hurt to this day.


    She was only ten years old but she has already become interested in the opposite s.e.x... She guesses it''s her demon''s blood at work. They, Demons, grew faster than most species after all.


    That and coupled with her Dragon bloodline enhance it even further.


    Okay, and maybe also because they were being a bit too careless by letting her witnessed the kiss they share. They should''ve been more mindful of the place...


    But that doesn''t mean she''s allowed to sneak up into her father''s bed!


    ''If Forze, Arte, or Lotte ever tried to steal Issei away from me as a woman then... I will show them no mercy, not even if they are my own daughters... Haah... That is exactly why I couldn''t let them cross that line. I''ll have to be extra careful to stop that from happening...''


    Although for Lotte it will take a few more years for her interest to bloom, it would be best to be careful from now on.


    She wonders if she should introduce them to some boy instead... But their foolish father won''t allow just any boy to come close... She also thought that no random boy should be allowed to come near them but... Ah, the dilemma...


    This is that idiot''s fault for being too outstanding... Forzelotte kneaded her temple in frustration.


    In actuality, Forzelotte is not really against their daughters marrying their own father. Even in the Demon world, it is very common for such things to happen.


    Some noble demon households still have a marriage within their own household even until this day.


    To keep their bloodline pure so to speak... There''s no need to be worried about some deformity since they''re Demons.


    It''s just that she felt jealous thinking that her daughter would be loved more than her... Something like discarding the old and fancying the younger one.


    Deep down she knows that her husband would never do that but it''s just her insecurity as a woman. She has been alone for a very long time and she rather dies rather than losing her other half.


    "Mama?"


    Forzelotte snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Lotte''s voice.


    "What''s wrong, mama? Are you hurt anywhere? Want Lotte to kiss the pain away?" Lotte asked with a concerned voice and she also started rubbing Forzelotte''s cheek caringly.


    "Fufufu... It''s nothing, dear... Mama was only thinking to herself. Now go and play with your elder sisters." Forzelotte gives Lotte''s forehead a light peck and then she put the latter down from her lap.


    "Un! Mama come too! Play together!" Lotte didn''t immediately go away but rather she started pulling her Forzelotte''s hand instead.


    "Alright, alright... Mama will accompany you to play lest your father might think that I haven''t spoiled you enough..." Forzelotte gives a light chuckle before she stood up from her seat.


    Amidst their laughter, a certain someone had a sly smile on her face...


    "Dearest father..." She muttered before disappearing from the spot.


    ...


    "Hmhm~ ????"


    "Uhh... Rene..." Issei sighed wryly at the clingy Irene S.


    "Yes, deary~?"


    "Could you let go of me... I''m trying to cook here..."


    "Aww, you don''t need to mind me, deary~. You can continue cooking and just ignore my presence." She said with a smile.


    "I couldn''t cook with you clinging to my arm... You girls as well." Issei sighed at the group of koalas that are clinging to his body.


    ""Don''t want!"" They replied in unison.


    "Simone... Would you mind helping me to peel off your sisters here?"


    "Uhh, sorry foster father... But I don''t dare..." Simone said while rubbing his head. The glare from Kagura and the others is enough to serve as a warning.


    And it''s actually quite funny to see their foster father being latched on by them.


    "You girls... Go away from him!" Erza H. is the only one who tried to help Issei but: "What the?! How come you girls become so strong!?"


    Issei''s face started to twitch a lot seeing his situation.


    "Master?" Brynhildr''s confused voice resounded from the door.


    "Ah, Bryn. Wait a sec... You girls... Knock... It... Off!" Issei finally snapped and knocked their head.


    """Ouch!"""


    Only then they finally let go of his body.


    "Ah... Foster father whip of love~" Sorano exclaimed.


    "Onee-chan..." Yukino sweated at her big sister''s conduct.


    "You pervert, stay away from him!" Erza H. glared at her.


    "Anyway..." Issei sighed once again: "It''s nice to see all of you again but you need to behave... You''re not children anymore. And I still need to finish this breakfast."


    With that said, Issei finally finishes the breakfast he was preparing for Brynhildr.


    "By the way, why are you here, Bryn-nee?" Erza H. asked.


    "That''s mother Bryn for you." Issei reminded.


    "Oh, right. You''re one of our mom''s now." Erza H. grinned.


    Brynhildr only smiles at her but her cheeks are a little red. Heck, her whole body is glowing under their gazes.


    Irene S. who has the most experience in this field smirked knowingly at Issei.


    "She''s here because she is pregnant, she just told me a few days ago and now I''m pampering her," Issei said as a matter of fact.


    Brynhildr''s face turned another shade redder after being told that she''s being pampered.


    "Eh? Really?" Erza H. blinked: "Well, that''s a surprise... So that means I''m gonna have another sibling? Neat."


    "Your other wife, deary?" Irene S. asked.


    "Yes." Issei simply answered: "You girls and boy go and greet your foster mother."


    "Hello, foster mother." They greeted her.


    "Un." Brynhildr gives a faint nod in return.


    "As usual, your taste in choosing your woman is truly remarkable." Irene S. chuckled at Brynhildr''s beauty: "So she''s pregnant? How about you make me pregnant as well, deary? I''m more than ready... I''m sure Erza would love another little sister or brother~" She said suggestively.


    Erza S. and the others faces'' turned beet red at her words.


    "Ah! I want to bear your child as well, foster father!" Sorano raised her hand jovially.


    "O-Onee-chan!" Yukino shouted with a flushed face.


    "What? It''s not like you don''t want to as well, right?" Sorano smirked at her little sister.


    "Th-That''s..."


    "You girls also feel the same way, right?" Sorano asked Kagura''s group.


    "..." They didn''t say anything but their red face is a silent consent.


    "See?" Sorano grinned.


    "No. I won''t be making my own daughters pregnant even if we''re not related." Issei said calmly.


    "Ehhhh?!" Yukino whined. The other girls are also visibly disappointed.


    "And Rene..."


    "Nuh uh uh~, don''t be trying to reject me now of all time, deary. I have fulfilled the condition that your wife has set and now it''s time for me to get my reward~" Irene S. licked her lips seductively.


    "Err... But that''s your arrangement with Irene though? I never actually agree with the whole thing..."


    "Is that really what you think, deary? We have been together for years and we also share a bed toget-"


    "No, we didn''t." Issei said flatly: "We never slept together."


    Issei neatly arranged the breakfast for Brynhildr on the table before telling her to eat slowly.


    "You didn''t have to deny it that quickly..." Irene S. pouted: "And also..." Her eyes flashed before she makes her move.


    Sadly for her, Issei stopped her dead in her track.


    "...What are you trying to do?" Issei said with a sweat while holding her head.


    "I want my welcome kiss!" She said while puckering her lips.


    "What welcome kiss are you talking about..."


    "We have already kissed once anyway so let''s go for another one!"


    "That was you taking me by surprise..."


    While the two of them are bickering with each other, Kagura and the others sweated at their interaction.


    "Your mom sure is aggressive isn''t she, Erza-chan?" Sorano snickered.


    "I thought she was strict according to what you told us?" Yukino wondered.


    "Well... I wasn''t completely sure but according to mom herself, ever since dad comes into her life, she became more outspoken and carefree. She used to be so cold and distant she said... My birth father betrayed her in the past after all." Erza S. didn''t really have any recollection about her birth father but she thought it''s good riddance knowing what he has done to her mom.


    She has been informed by Irene S. herself of what happened.


    After spending some time with Issei, Irene has finally changed her personality to her current one.


    She is more cruel and decisive compared to the previous her but she would become more playful around Issei and the others.


    She was cautious of Issei when they first met even though he helped her transform into her human form. The pain of being betrayed by those she once loved is not something that can be erased just like that... Which is something Issei knows best.


    Irene stopped her struggle and said softly: "I really miss you, deary."


    "..." Issei went silent for a second before he sighed once again: "I miss you too..."


    To say that he has no feeling towards her would be a lie since they do share some time together but that feeling isn''t as strong as his feelings for his wives.


    "Now wait on the table with the others while I make some food for you." Issei said.


    WOOSH!


    Kagura''s group waste no time before they took their respective seat.


    "All of you are really..." Erza H. become speechless at how fast they move.


    "..." Irene S. is the only one who didn''t move from her spot.


    She''s still looking down making Issei unable to discern her expression.


    Issei who sees her acting like this could only wryly shake his head.


    He let go of his hold over her head and proceed to lift her chin up.


    A teary-eyed Irene S. comes to his view and the longing on his gaze is obvious to all.


    "...Just this once," Issei muttered before he proceeds to seal her lips with his own.


    Irene S. widen for a brief second before she squinted her eyes in happiness. She then wrapped her arms around Issei''s neck to reciprocate his kiss.


    Since Issei is a head taller than her, she needs to stand on her tiptoe. And since she''s wearing quite a tight-fitting dress which accentuated her voluptuous body, something soft unnecessarily provoked Issei on his chest.


    The girls blushed and Sorano grinned mischievously at their interaction.


    "...A kiss from foster father... I wonder how it tastes." Yukino muttered in a low voice but the girls around her could hear her words quite clearly.


    They blushed right to the root of their ear hearing her words and couldn''t help but imagine the scene of them kissing with their foster father.


    They grinned foolishly after imagining it.


    Simone sweated seeing his sisters acting like this... It''s not like he couldn''t understand why they acting like this but still...


    Especially seeing his little sister acting so shy like this is quite something. She''s usually so stern and serious most of the time after all...


    "Kissing with otou-sama feels great you know." Erza H. said suddenly.


    "Eh?" They dumbfoundedly look at her.


    "You kissed with foster father, Erza-nee?" Sorano asked interestedly. Oh wow, she never thought that their ''big sister'' would be so bold! To kiss her own father like that!


    "Of course. Me and otou-sama often share a kiss with each other!" Erza H. said proudly but then she becomes deflated at the next second: "On the forehead or cheek that is..."


    "Oh..." They sweated and also sighed in relief.


    "Booo~" Sorano is the only one who pouted in dissatisfaction: "And here I thought it''s something more scandalous..."


    "Nee-chan!" Yukino shouted in embarrassment.


    Brnyhildr gives a faint smile to their interaction.


    "There... Satisfied?" Issei said after they separated their lips.


    "..." Irene S. dumbly nod at him: "But... I want more..."


    "Maybe later... For now, just wait at the table. I''ll make you some breakfast."


    "En..."


    Erza S. who saw this secretly gives a thumbs up to Issei. To think that he could make her fierce mother become as docile as a kitten.


    When Irene S. took her seat, Sorano waste no time before asking: "So what does it feel like, Irene-san?"


    "It tastes like the sweetest wine I ever had... The most intoxicating and sweetest wine ever." She said in reminiscence.


    "Oooh~"


    While the girls are chirping around between themselves, Issei and Simone can only sigh wryly.


    When Issei is making their breakfast, the girls are looking at him entrancedly.


    "So dreamy, isn''t he?" Irene S. said with a sigh seeing Issei cooking with an apron.


    A man that can cook is quite a fatal attraction to women.


    "Um..." They nodded in agreement.


    ...


    "Yiya yiya!"


    "Slow down, sister."


    "Don''t slow down! Go faster!"


    Three beautiful girls seemingly in their teens can be seen zooming across the dimensional void.


    One of them has long bright red hair. The other one has white hair with unique colored eyes and the last one has silver hair.


    The three of them happily flew across the void ignoring everything in their way.


    There are some Gods who reside in the void witnessing their form but they''re too dumbfounded by their beauty to do anything in time.


    Whether it''s man or woman, all of them are charmed by their beauty.


    Some malevolent male Gods coveted their beauty but as soon as they sensed their strength their faces immediately went pale. They waste no time before they run far away from their previous location...


    Of course, there are some who didn''t realize the danger and still tried to capture them...


    "This presence... Impossible! How come I can''t sense their cultivation?!" An elderly looking man shouted in shock: "...That means these three possess some heaven-defying secret..."


    The elderly man has some cold sweat running down his face but his greed overcomes his fear.


    His entire being is telling him not to try anything foolish but his greed once again prevails over his instinct.


    "Six of you! Go and capture them for me! No, wait... I''ll come with you as well." At first, he wanted to order his subordinates to capture them but then he finally decided to come along as well.


    The six of them looked at each other feeling uncertain but since their master has ordered them to do so then they have no other choice... Unlike their master, they still trust their instinct more.


    Alas...


    "Halt! I am- GWAH!!!" The elderly God was about to say something when the three girls run them over.


    He along with his subordinates turned into dust the moment they come into contact with their massive magical energy.


    "Eh? What was that?"


    "S-Sister, I think we hit someone!"


    "I-It''s not our fault! T-They suddenly just stood in front of us!"


    "Waah, I don''t want father to scold us! Although mother won''t care, father might become angry!"


    "Ueh, I don''t want big brother to get angry at us! Let''s hide!"


    The three of them looked at each other before nodding between themselves.


    They choose a random dimension and entered it, leaving behind the remnants of the poor bastard that tried to get in their way...


    When they arrived at their so-called hiding spot, they started to realize something.


    "Wait... Would father even know if we didn''t tell him in the first place?" The silver-haired girl said in realization.


    ""Ah..."" The other two also froze on the spot.


    "All we need to do is just be quiet and keep it a secret..." The silver-haired girl said sneakily.


    "That''s right! Nobody is going to know as long as we keep it a secret!" The red-haired girl thought aloud.


    "Un un." The white-haired girl nodded vigorously.


    "But just to be safe let''s stay in this place for a while..."


    "Agreed..."


    Although they reassured themselves, they still feel a little apprehensive.


    The nightmare of having their father/big brother taking their snacks away haunts them.


    "But... Where are we currently?" The silver-haired girl tilted her head looking at their surroundings.


    "It''s so dark in here..." The red-haired girl frowned. She then proceeds to light a fire at the top of her palm.


    While they could see clearly even in the darkness, it still annoys them especially for the white-haired girl who doesn''t like a dark place since it reminded her of her past.


    "Waah, so many shiny things!" The red-haired girl exclaimed seeing the mountain of gold around them.


    There''s a bunch of bronze and silver armors. There are even a large amount of some peculiar scrolls, crystals, furs, and horn-type materials. It was also full of precious looking metals.


    "Hmm..." The red-haired girl squinted her eyes before picking up a random sword and metal.


    She sniffed it a little before proceeding to take a little bite out of it.


    *Crunch!*


    "Bleh, it tastes bad!" The girl tossed away the sword and metal she just took a bite off.


    She hurriedly took a piece of cake out of her dimensional storage to cleanse her palate.


    The cake is colored silver and seems to be glittering even in the dark.


    "Mm, big brother cake is the best!" She joyfully ate the cake with one big bite.


    "Let''s take the shinies away! Perhaps father could make use of it!" The silver-haired girl waste no time before she sucked all of the treasures in the room into her dimensional storage.


    "..." The white-haired girl looks slightly interested at a lamp that was blinking with light: "Ah... There''s a spirit inside that lamp." She finally pointed out.


    "Eh?" Her two friends looked over: "Really? What kind of spirit is it?" They curiously asked.


    "It''s a dark looking spirit... It''s full of energy." The white-haired girl explained.


    "Should we free it?"


    "Mm. Let''s free it. It''s so pitiful to be trapped inside that small lamp." The white-haired girl nodded.


    After freeing the spirit, it doesn''t seem to have the intention to run away but instead, it started circling the white-haired girl instead.


    "It likes you!" The red-haired girl said.


    "Oh... You want to come with me?" The white-haired girl asked.


    The spirit made a gesture of moving up and down signaling its agreement.


    "Alright, you can come with me. But you have to be obedient, okay?"


    It ''nodded'' once again. The spirit then started to look around before it finally decided to transform itself into a small black gem.


    The white-haired girl took the gem into her hand and put it inside her pocket.


    "Now where should we go next?" The silver-haired girl asked after she finished sweeping the place clean.


    "Let''s get out of this place... I don''t like it here. It''s too boring!"


    "But where''s the way out?"


    They started to look around but they couldn''t see a pathway that leads outside.


    Finally, the red-haired girl becomes impatient and grumbled: "Ahh, annoying. Let''s just make our own way out!"


    She then flew to the ceiling and punched out.


    *Boom!*


    With her unexpectedly small fist, a large hole appeared on the ceiling above them. They can see the sky from that hole.


    "There. Let''s go!"


    The three of them then flew away from the treasury room...


    ...


    "By the way, why are you here, otou-sama?" Erza H. asked mid breakfast.


    "Our company received a job request and your mother Brynhildr happens to be the one who took it," Issei said while drinking a cup of coffee: "Since she''s pregnant, I decided to take the job in her stead."


    "Hmm, I see..." Erza H. nodded while munching down her food.


    She knows that her father could just send someone else and not be the one who took the job but he didn''t because just like he said, he wanted to pamper Brynhildr.


    "Your food is so delish as always, foster father!" Sorano exclaimed jovially.


    "Mm, Mm! Other foods taste pale in comparison." Yukino also praised.


    "Agreed, foster father food is the best in the whole world," Kagura said with a smile.


    "I''m glad you like it." Issei chuckled at them.


    "You girls better go back after finishing your food, you still have a tournament to attend to, remember?" Erza H. reminded: "By the way, otou-sama..."


    "Hm?"


    "Did you know that big sis Erza here got defeated by-"


    "WAAAA!!!"


    Erza H. was about to spill the beans but Erza S. hurriedly stopped her mouth from blabbering off.


    "What''s wrong?" Issei sweated at the twin.


    "I-It''s nothing, tou-san! A-Ahahaha!" Erza S. faked a laugh to cover her embarrassment.


    "I see..."


    Issei suddenly sensed another annoying pest trying to spy on them right outside the fortress.


    He frowned at this pest that just won''t leave them alone.


    "What''s wrong, deary?" Irene S. who sensed his annoyance asked.


    "Master..." Brynhildr also realized the familiar''s presence.


    "You girls wait here... I need to take out some trash." Issei said faintly before he disappeared from the spot.


    "Ah, I wanted to see foster father in action..." Sorano sighed in pity.


    "Don''t get in his way... His opponent is too much for you girls to handle." Erza H. said.


    "Ah! But you can show us his fight from here, right, nee-chan?" Sorano said in realization.


    "Um, I could." Erza H. nodded.


    She then created a screen for them to see what Issei is currently doing...


    ...


    "King Voban! Please rethink your decision!" Lilianna pleaded.


    They''re standing above a tall skyscr.a.p.er building situated in Italy.


    "Lucretia Zola has already advised us to not provoke this unknown God! The result of his wrath is not something we could stand!" Erica is also with her trying to talk some sense into Voban.


    "That''s precisely why I must see this Heretic God with my own two eyes. Imagine, a God so strong that he could easily kill two Gods simultaneously in mere seconds! How great the power he possess! And if I could get my hands on his power..."


    Voban has the appearance of a man in his later years with silver hair emerald-colored eyes wearing a grey business suit with a white shirt and black tie under and high-collared grey long coat. He¡äs in extremely good health has the air of a predator around him.


    Liliana and Erica gritted their teeth.


    So long as can satisfy his own selfish desire, even if the result is human destruction, Voban would do it without hesitation.


    That''s the kind of person he is. He''s the oldest or in this world.


    He has sent a group of familiars towards the place where his last familiar was killed hoping that he could provoke Issei. What he didn''t know is that this provocation of his would be the last thing he''ll ever do...


    "...He''s here!" Voban said jubilantly.


    Issei indeed appeared before them but there''s a deep frown on his face.


    Erica and Liliana''s heart skipped another beat when they see him once again.


    "Oooh..." Voban exclaimed in awe after sensing Issei''s aura: "So you are the God I''ve been hearing about."


    "...I thought I made myself clear the other day. I''ve said that I dislike being bothered, didn''t I?" Issei ignored Voban and said towards the two girls.


    They snapped out of their thought and immediately kneeled on the ground: "Answering your excellency, we have informed everyone of your honored self but king Voban acted on his own despite our warning!" Liliana said in a cold sweat.


    "That''s right, king Voban''s action has nothing to do with any of us." Erica followed up.


    "..." Issei narrowed his eyes at the grinning Voban.


    "It is as they say. I acted on my own but such is the rights of King in this world." Voban said arrogantly: "I admit that you''re the strongest God I have faced so far... But that just makes things more interesting! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is-"


    "Ah, I don''t care who you are, you don''t need to introduce yourself." Issei waved his hand.


    "...Are you mocking me?" Voban narrowed his eye dangerously. His eyes are akin to that of a wolf''s eyes with how ferocious it is.


    "So what if I am?" Issei stared back.


    "!!" Voban flinched the moment he met Issei''s gaze with his own.


    What the hell was that? That glimpse of the endless void? It''s as if his soul was being sucked into the abyss!


    Voban won''t accept that he just flinched under the gaze of his foe, he used one of his that he stole from the God he slew and summoned a pack of large gray wolves.


    The newly appeared pack of wolved growled menacingly at Issei.


    "That is ." Liliana exclaimed out loud.


    The first Authority Voban gained when he slew Apollo Lyceus. This power is arguably his most powerful authority in his arsenal.


    He''s also capable of transforming himself into a werewolf which grants him immense strength and speed.


    "Kill him!" Voban ordered his wolves.


    The wolves growled one last time before they pounced at Issei.


    Issei looks perfectly calm despite the oncoming wolves.


    When the wolves are only a few centimeters away from his location, Issei finally spoke: "Sit."


    The wolves stopped in their track and obediently obeyed his command.


    They are seated on the ground while letting out a whimpering sound.


    Their ears flopped down and they tucked their tail between their legs. They completely become submissive in front of him.


    "What?" Voban becomes shocked at this sight. Erica and Liliana are also surprised.


    "Not bad... These wolves would be perfect as a pet." Issei thought out loud. He could gift these wolves for his little princesses.


    "Tch! Return!" Voban tried to recall his wolves but nothing happened.


    "What''s going on? Why can''t I summon them back!" Voban gritted his teeth in confusion.


    "So, what''s next? What other toys are you going to show me?" Issei''s voice resounded.


    "...Don''t underestimate me!" Voban''s body grew in size.


    Voban''s clothes ripped apart along with his growing body.


    His body grew taller and taller until it reaches 5 meters tall. His whole body is also covered in furs.


    "My is not only allowed me summon a pack of wolves! But I can also transform myself into a Werewolf! With this form, I will-"


    *BOOM!*


    *PSSST!*


    Issei didn''t wait for Voban to finish his words, he lightly punched out with his fist towards the latter direction.


    "Aaah!" Erica and Liliana are slightly blown away because of the sheer pressure of the aftershock from his fist.


    "You talk too much." Issei said: "Well, not like you can hear me anymore..."


    The upper half of Voban''s body is nowhere to be seen.


    Only a pair of legs are left behind in his previous spot.


    When Erica and Liliana come back to their senses, they gulped audibly.


    "...Is king Voban dead?" Erica muttered in shock.


    "N-No, it shouldn''t be this easy... One of his allows him to resurrect himself." Liliana shook her head.


    "..."


    But even after waiting for a few moments, nothing happened...


    "You two don''t need to wait for him any longer, he''s already dead." Issei''s voice brought them back from their daze.


    The pack of wolves also disappeared along with Voban''s death.


    "B-But that''s just..." That''s it? A God Slayer is dead just like that? And this God Slayer is the oldest God Slayer in history to boot!


    With just one punch... No, it''s not even a punch, it''s just the wind pressure caused by his punch!


    On Issei''s hand, a wisp of soul could be seen flowing around.


    "Release me! Release me this instant!"


    "I-Is that..."


    "King Voban..."


    Erica and Liliana''s mouth become wide open seeing the wisp of soul belonging to Voban.


    "I admit defeat, unknown God!" The soul shouted.


    "Now what should I do with you..." Issei think to himself: "Just letting you dissipate would be a waste... Ah, maybe I should make use of your soul to make an artifact? Mm, that should work."


    "What?! No, let me go! Don''t use my soul as a catalyst! I can give you anything you want!"


    "I want your soul." Issei said mockingly.


    "..."


    Voban dumbfoundedly look at Issei: "N-No, I can give you anything but that!"


    "You''re in no place to bargain with me... Now, who should I send you to... Semi should be a little busy right now."


    He wanted to make use of his soul to create an artifact. But before that, he needs to ''cleanse'' it less his soul might cause some annoyance in the future.


    But not just anyone could do this. They need to have a Divinity related to .


    While he could ''cleanse'' it on his own, with his daughters watching over them, he couldn''t do that. It''s not a sight for children to see...


    Semiramis might be busy with her little game and as for the others... Ah, got it. Let''s just send it to ''her''.


    Issei took out his phone and dialed a number.


    "..." Erica and Liliana''s mouth started twitching seeing that Issei just took a phone out of nowhere.


    A God that uses a phone? That''s a first...


    [H-Hello? M-Master?!]" After a few seconds, the call went through and a panicking woman''s voice resounded from the other side.


    "Hello, Eresh... Are you busy right now?"


    [O-Of course not! I-I always have time for you, Master!]


    [Who''s that, Eresh? Is it Master?] A similar but more prideful voice could be heard.


    "Oh, then could you do something for me..." Issei said with a chuckle.


    Erica and Liliana become captivated at his smile... Meanwhile, Voban is still struggling for his poor life- no, soul...

 Chapter 164 - Side 21

    "Oh my? Are you Rias of this world?"


    "E-Eh? Y-Yes? Who might you be?"


    The parallel world Rias Gremory and her peerage just returned from their training for the day and was about to head back to their respective house when a beautiful woman appeared out of nowhere in front of them.


    This woman looks very familiar to Rias but somehow she couldn''t recall just who is she.


    "Ara ara ara~, to think I would be able to see the young Rias once again!" The woman squealed in joy looking at the young heiress.


    "Eh? ''Young'' buchou?" Hyoudou Issei repeated after snapping out of his daze looking at the bodacious woman before him.


    "Mm, that''s right. I am the other Rias''s mother." The woman or rather Venelana Hyoudou affirmed with a smile.


    She''s wearing a signature maid uniform wore by the maids with a few different designs here and there. A maid uniform was one of the better ways to hide certain seductive curves in the body but somehow it just accentuated her already voluptuous body even more.


    Despite giving birth to three children already, her body shows no sign of sagging. If anything, she looks more ravishing than ever.


    "E-Ehhh?!" Rias''s peerage exclaimed in shock seeing the young-looking Venelana.


    "M-M-Mother? N-No... A-Are you the other Rias''s mother? But you look so young!" The red heiress stuttered in disbelief.


    "Rias?" Another voice resounded but this voice belongs to a man and a woman.


    "M-Mother?" Rias Gremory rapidly blinked looking at her actual mother who looks quite different in terms of beauty compared to Venelana Hyoudou.


    "Oh my?" Venelana Gremory who saw the smiling Venelana Hyoudou become amazed while her husband, Zeoticus froze on the spot because he''s instantly captivated at the much more beautiful version of his wife.


    "This is...?"


    "U-Uhh, she is you, okaa-sama..." Rias Gremory said wryly.


    "Huh?" Not only Zeoticus, but Venelana herself is also shocked.


    "She looks so young..." Zeoticus slurred and she received the ultimate attack belonging to women, which is a pinch either to the ear or waist. He hissed in pain after receiving the ultimate attack.


    Like father like son... Rias''s peerage thought wryly inside their mind.


    "Ufufufu, that''s thanks to my current husband doing." Venelana Hyoudou giggled while covering her mouth with her hand. Her action unintentionally made her heavenly mound jiggle hypnotizing both Zeoticus and Hyoudou Issei.


    And once again, they received another ultimate attack from their wife/master.


    Venelana Hyoudou''s eyes flashed with joy seeing how she looks more beautiful than her other counterpart. As expected... Her current husband is the best! Whether it''s in strength... or in bed~. She added inside her mind.


    Comparing her previous husband''s and her current husband''s certain part, the former might as well considered as a pinky finger rather than an actual ''thing''. She wonders if this Zeoticus part is also like that... Oh no, she shouldn''t be that mischievous. Bad Venelana! It''s her husband''s fault for being so outstanding in bed... Now she becomes so naughty nowadays, sigh...


    She couldn''t recall just how many times it has been for her being brought to heaven and above by that ''ferocious'' husband of hers. All she knows is that she loves it despite being made unable to lift a single finger on the very next day. This is another thing they sisters share in common.


    That feeling of wanting to stop but cannot is so addicting. And not to mention the joy of bearing his children...


    Venelana Hyoudou held no love for Zeoticus so she never really think much about him... As for feeling guilty? None whatsoever, they share no love with each other so it''s hardly a sin to abandon him.


    Besides, she''s a Devil, not an angel.


    Venelana Gremory who notices the other Venelana''s prideful look couldn''t help but sulk secretly. She already heard this other her being married to the rumored Issei Savant Hyoudou who supposedly the other counterpart of her daughter''s peerage member.


    She and her husband were on their way to greet Issei but they coincidentally came upon the whole situation.


    The more she looks at this other Venelana, the more jealous she becomes... She seemed to have acquired b.r.e.a.s.ts that were more rounded, hanging like the most supple fruits, and her h.i.p.s along with her butt are so bouncy and curvy, making it easier for her husband to take hold of during their lovemaking session.


    Her long flaxen colored hair looks so glossy and her whole being is radiating youth ness that doesn''t lose out against teenagers.


    She sneaked a peek at her husband. His face couldn''t be more obvious... The l.u.s.tful desire he''s feeling right now is as plain as a day to anyone.


    But sadly for him, this other Venelana isn''t someone he could lay his hand on... If he ever tried to do something remotely close to disrespectful then he would lose his life in an instant.


    At least that''s what they''ve been told by her son and the others. The other Hyoudou Issei seems to be a tyrannical and domineering personage who would kill anyone that tries to disrespect his wives and daughters.


    He won''t even bat an eye if he wanted to kill the leader of each faction or even destroy their world altogether. His strength is apparently so terrifying that they should never ever think of crossing his path.


    This is why Venelana Gremory pinched her husband to remind and warn him. But it looks like the charm of the other Hyoudou Issei''s wives is not something that could be ignored that easily... If even a pure Devil like her husband is easily captivated then what hope the other young Devil has?


    It would be best if they don''t casually bring the young devils to this place or there would be some unforeseen accident.


    "So umm... Is Lord Savant available right now? We want to greet him." Venelana Gremory faked a cough trying to divert the subject.


    "Our Master is not available right now. But he should return soon enough." Grayfia L. Hyoudou arrived in time and informed them.


    Venelana Gremory raised her eyebrows at this Grayfia. Then she sulked once again... How she envies these two...


    While being a devil made her body perfect and slow down her aging, that doesn''t mean she doesn''t grow old. It might take thousands of years before she becomes an old woman but it still concerns her.


    And seeing these two who didn''t age but rather become more youthful, she couldn''t help become jealous.


    "Oh my? Master is away? I thought he was here this morning." Venelana Hyoudou said in askance.


    "Um, apparently it has something to do with Setsuna." Grayfia L. Hyoudou nodded: "He already slowed down the time here so at most he will only be away for a day for us... Perhaps even less."


    "Ow, too bad." Venelana Hyoudou sighed in pity: "I brought Yumi-chan here since she''s quite free and also because she said she wanted to look around. Yumi-chan, you can come out now, no need to conceal yourself anymore." She said to the young Rias''s back.


    "Hehehe, apologies, lady Venelana... I was just observing their reaction." A light giggle could be heard from their back.


    Rias and her peerage turned around only to see a young woman with long blonde hair wearing a nurse outfit already standing there for who knows how long. Even Venelana and Zeoticus Gremory didn''t notice her presence until now.


    "Nice to meet all of you, my name is Yumi Kiba, previously known as Yuuto Kiba." She introduced herself elegantly.


    "K-K-Kiba? I-Is that really Kiba?" Hyoudou Issei pointed at the newcomer with a trembling hand.


    "S-She does indeed look quite similar with our Yuuto Kiba..." Xenovia nodded with a stutter.


    "S-So pretty!" Asia exclaimed.


    "Ara ara, this Kiba-kun is sure pretty cute." Akeno chuckled.


    "..." Even the person in question froze at his other counterpart''s sight.


    "My, this Ise-kun''s face sure bring back memories." Yumi Kiba walked to Hyoudou Issei''s front and started to squish the latter''s cheek.


    Hyoudou Issei foolishly looked at the gorgeous beauty in front of him with a perverted smile.


    "A-A foreign-looking Bishoujo in a nurse outfit... Ehehehehe..." He started to let his imagination runs wild. Especially since one of his particular ''collection'' has a nurse in it.


    "Fufu, yup. I kinda miss this perverted expression of his." She giggled amusedly looking at his perverted look.


    "Ise/Ise-san!" Both Rias Gremory and Asia Argento shouted in jealousy.


    "O-Ow ow ow ow!" Hyoudou Issei winced in pain after being pinched by the two of them at the same time.


    "Did you forget what happened before?" Rias Gremory warned her pawn.


    She''s pointing at the time where the other Issei slugged this Hyoudou Issei for leering at the a.d.u.l.t Ophis even though that Ophis is not his wife.


    "We don''t know the identity of this other Yuuto and for all we know, she might be one of his wives as well."


    "That''s right, Ise-san!" Asia Argento said with a pout.


    "U-Ugh, I know. Forgive me the two of you!" Hyoudou Issei grimaced remembering it.


    "Oh, you don''t need to worry. I''m not the other Ise''s wife." Yumi Kiba said with a smile: "...Unfortunately." She sighed woefully.


    "That''s why we said you must go on the offensive, Yumi-chan." Venelana Hyoudou playfully scolded her.


    "Hehe, I don''t think Ise-kun would be willing though... After all, I was a man before."


    "Nonsense. You''re now a beautiful and cute girl! And what''s matter is what''s on the inside! Don''t all of you think so as well?" Venelana Hyoudou asked the group of men who''s present.


    They nodded along in agreement with her statement. But they couldn''t help but become confused with what Yumi meant by she was a man before.


    "Well, let''s leave it at that for now." Grayfia L. Hyoudou clapped her hand: "Come you two. Forzelotte-sama is waiting for us."


    "Um. Then see you later, young Ise-kun." Yumi Kiba said with a wink making the boy blush once again.


    "Ah, can''t keep our elder sister waiting now can''t we? Then everyone, until next time." Venelana Hyoudou also excuses herself.


    "As for you. You can come back at a later date." Grayfia L. Hyoudou said towards Zeoticus''s group before she also leaves the place leaving behind the captivated Hyoudou Issei.


    "Damn it! I''m so jealous of the other me!" He howled in jealousy: "If I become as powerful as the other me then my dream of creating a harem won''t be impossible anymore!"


    His friends sweated seeing his antic.


    "You want power~?" A seductive and sultry voice resounded from above them.


    When they look up, they can see Nyarlathotep floating in the air.


    "L-Lady Nyarlathotep!" Rias Gremory and her peerage exclaimed.


    Nyarlathotep doesn''t pay attention to their voice and only look interestedly at Hyoudou Issei. The latter gulped nervously being gazed so intently like this by the former.


    Nyarlathotep is also an absolute beauty but for some reason, Hyoudou Issei feels uneasy whenever she''s around. Something that his friends share with him...


    After all, she''s the literal embodiment of . Only those who have resistance against could feel at ease in her presence.


    While most of her strength has been sealed, that doesn''t mean she''s completely harmless.


    "So boy, what''s your answer?" Nyarlathotep repeated herself.


    "U-Uhh, n-no need, milady. There''s no need to bother yourself." Hyoudou Issei said nervously.


    Who knows what would happen if he were to accept her offer. He''s not smart but that doesn''t mean he''s a complete idiot either.


    "Is that so?" Nyarlathotep gives a faint chuckle.


    "M-May we ask if you need something for us, milady?" Rias Gremory asked.


    "I don''t really need anything from any of you... I was just observing this boy who supposedly the younger version of my husband during his younger days." She answered lazily: "I have to say... If he were still the same as you when we fought... Then perhaps it would be my victory."


    "Fought? You had a fight with the other Ise?"


    "Not just any fight... It''s a fight to the death." Nyarlathotep replied with a smirk: "And he technically killed me once when he used his full strength back then... If it wasn''t for my ''cheat'' then I would be dead by now... But I guess we''re even since in our first confrontation, he would also be dead if I didn''t let him go. Although that would be the worst mistake that I could ever done if I were to truly kill him back then. After all, he''s the only person who could bring me such endless joy in my once boring and lonesome life~"


    All of them blushed regardless of gender after witnessing her current expression.


    "Let me give you a piece of advice boy." Nyarlathotep''s expression reverted back to her lazy attitude and said: "At your current pace, you.. will die."


    "...Eh?"


    "No need to be so surprised." She chuckled: "Isn''t it normal for those who are weak to die?"


    "W-Wait, what do you mean that Ise will die?" Rias Gremory anxiously asked.


    "It is as I said, he''s too weak to go against his fate... At first, I wasn''t that interested in him so I don''t care whether he dies or alive. But, seeing how he is basically my husband''s younger self, I decided to inform all of you. At the current rate you all going right now, the only outcome of your future confrontation with your adversaries will be death."


    "..." They don''t know how to react to her words. They can only look at each other in dismay.


    Hyoudou Issei gritted his teeth under the gaze of Nyarlathotep since he knows that this is the truth. He''s still too weak to be able to protect his friends!


    Despite the harsh training they''re currently experiencing, it is nowhere near enough to make him become powerful.


    Nyarlathotep''s grin widened slightly seeing his anxious look. One more push... That''s all she needs.


    "Of course, when you die... Those around you will also die." She whispered deviously: "Including this red-haired girl."


    "...I accept!"


    "Ise?"


    "I accept your offer! I want power!" Hyoudou Issei said resolutely.


    "Ise!"


    And done. Nyarlathotep grinned widely inside her mind.


    Such is the fate of the weak... They can only crawl on the ground hoping for someone to help them rise from the bottom. It is truly laughable... and also pathetic.


    If her husband is weak-willed such as this boy then how easy would it be to drag him down in the past? But thankfully he''s not... She might be defeated in the end but she still won the war.


    After all, even though the result is slightly different. She still manages to make him stay by her side for eternity...


    Nyarlathotep''s gaze dimmed slightly when looking at Hyoudou Issei. Whatever interest she had in the boy is all lost the moment he accepted her ''offer''.


    This has happened countless times... Just like her other previous victims. It bores her how easy they fall.


    "Follow me." She said before she flew away.


    Well, an offer is still an offer... She won''t take her words back. But... Whether it is truly a good thing or not for him to accept it is unknown. Only the future can tell...


    Just kidding, he would undoubtedly fall~. Nyarlathotep grinned widely looking at the prey that has walked right into her trap.


    Her beloved husband surely doesn''t mind if she has a little bit of fun now and then. Besides, their unborn child would need some entertainment~????.


    Perhaps they could grab a little Dragon soul along the way as nourishment. Nyarlathotep lovingly caressed her belly when she thought about this.


    There''s a reason why she didn''t follow after her husband and this is why... Out of all Issei''s wives, perhaps Nyarlathotep is the clingiest of them all.


    [...Partner. I would advise against accepting her offer but since you have already made your mind then I won''t say anything else.] Ddraig said his thoughts about the whole situation.


    "I know, Ddraig... But I need strength to protect my friends." Hyoudou Issei said and hesitates for a moment before he follows after Nyarlathotep. His friends also followed after them leaving behind the confused Zeoticus and Venelana Gremory.


    ...


    [So all I need to do is purify this soul?]


    "Yes. After you''re done, you can give it to Da Vinci. Tell her to make something out of it. This soul contains some divinities that could be of use." Issei affirmed.


    [Hmm, I understand. But Master, why don''t you do it on your own? I''m pretty sure if you''re the one who did it then it will be over more quickly.] She asked in confusion.


    "Let''s just say there''s a certain little fairy looking at me at the moment." Issei gives a faint chuckle.


    [Ah... One of your daughters is watching you? I see now.] She said in realization.


    His overprotective nature is obvious to all so there''s no surprise there.


    "Hang on, I''ll open a portal to your location to send it." Issei was about to open a portal that leads to her destination.


    [E-EH?! W-Wait a sec, Master!]


    "What''s wrong?"


    [I-I need to prepare myself first!] Another series of loud clanging sound resounded from the other side of the phone.


    [Hey! Slow down a bit!]


    [Don''t tell me to slow down! Master is about to open a portal to this place!]


    [Eh? Is that so? Then I''ll better show him my most majestic side as well.]


    [You don''t need to. You''re deemed useless by him anyway.]


    [What did you say!?]


    Issei smiles wryly when he heard their voice over the phone.


    "Let me go! Let go of me this instant!" The soul of Voban is still struggling with all his might.


    "Silence." Issei becomes a little irritated until he finally silenced the soul for good.


    The soul opened its mouth multiple times but no voice can be heard from him any longer.


    Even his struggle is starting to cease down little by little until he completely went silent.


    [I-I''m ready, Master!]


    "Oh, got it."


    When hearing the confirmation from the other side, Issei summoned a unique looking golden gate out of thin air. The outline of the gate is a Dragon Skull and at the center of the gate, there''s the symbol inscribed on it.


    When the gate opened, a flower field filled with countless white and golden flower can be seen.


    In the middle of that flower, a young woman with red eyes and long wavy golden hair in a two-side-up hairstyle, which consists of part of her being made into twin-tails tied with red ribbons, while the majority hangs loose can be seen standing proudly... Albeit her face is slightly blushing.


    On her side, there stood a similar-looking young woman with the same hairstyle. But her hair is colored black instead of gold. Her eye color is the same though.


    The golden-haired one clothing looks like a black dress that covers her entire body but still emphasizes her beauty while the black-haired one clothing shows more skin.


    "W-Welcome to this Ereshkigal humble abode, Master." The golden-haired one greeted trying to sound calm but the stutter gives her nervousness away.


    "Hi, Master." The black-haired one waved: "Did you bring some gems as a souvenir?"


    "It''s good to see you again, Eresh... And Ishtar, I guess..." Issei greeted the golden-haired woman with a smile but he greeted the black-haired one with a monotone voice.


    "Don''t you think the way you treated me is way too different!?" The black-haired woman named Ishtar whined.


    "But of course. Eresh here is more hardworking than a certain someone who often lazes around all day long after all." Issei deadpanned.


    "Geh! How rude! I am also working my hardest, you know!"


    "No, you didn''t. You always leave your job to your aides." Issei pointed out.


    "But isn''t the job an aide is to serve their Master? So I''m technically working by ordering my aides around." Ishtar said boastfully.


    "That is exactly why Master deemed you as useless," Ereshkigal said with a sigh.


    "...N-Ne, Lili... Are they..." Erica whispered after seeing the two Goddesses.


    "The Goddess Ereshkigal and the Goddess Ishtar?" Liliana said with a gulp: "Seeing how their name being the dead giveaway, no normal mage nor witch could imitate that divine energy... But they do seem a little different from what we have been told."


    "Well, Lucretia has already told us that this unknown God came from another world... This Ereshkigal and Ishtar are most likely from a different world as well." Erica concluded.


    "Hmm, true..." Liliana nodded in agreement.


    "With that said, he doesn''t seem like a Heretic God..." Erica said after observing Issei who''s conversing with Ereshkigal and Ishtar.


    "Indeed. The punch he used during his confrontation with King Voban earlier could easily wipe out half the city if he wanted to... But, there''s no damage done. It''s safe to say that he truly doesn''t have any evil intention."


    "If he does have evil intention then I don''t think we could do anything anyway. It would be best if we could humor him... He doesn''t seem to be a difficult God to talk to anyway." Erica shrugged.


    "True... Other Heretic Gods won''t even bother striking a conversation with us... And looks like we don''t have to look any further for the culprit behind King Salvatore Doni''s ''defeat''."


    "Uh huh." They then decided to wait until Issei is finished his conversation with the two Goddesses.


    "S-So... A-As a reward..." Ereshkigal faked a cough.


    "Mm? What do you have in mind?" Issei asked back: "I''ll fulfill any request that you want as long as it''s within my capability."


    "R-Really?!" Ereshkigal looked extremely joyful when she heard his words but soon she realizes her blunder and tried to maintain her demeanor: "I-I mean, y-yeah, I''ll hold on to your words."


    "Sure."


    "Th-Then... I-I... I want..."


    "Want what?"


    "...I want you to accompany me on a dat- I-I mean, to sightsee some places..." She whispered in a mosquito-like voice.


    "Just that?" Issei raised his eyebrows.


    "Geez, to think that you''re my other half. Just ask him out and be done with it. I''m still waiting for my turn here." Ishtar said exasperatedly: "I mean, have you seen his treasury? Even a whole planet is not enough to store his treasures!" She said with sparkling eyes.


    "Sh-Shut up! I''m not like you who lack some delicacy!" Ereshkigal barked back with a red face.


    "Who''s lacking in delicacy!?"


    "You are!"


    "Alright, sure, why not." Issei seeing that they''re about to have another argument decided to step in.


    "Eh?" Ereshkigal dumbfoundedly looked at Issei.


    "I said sure. You want to go sightsee some places, right?


    "Y-Yes."


    "Then alright. I''ll go come and get you once I''m free." Issei nodded readily.


    "P-Promise?"


    "Want to do a pinky promise?" Issei smiles wryly.


    "N-No need! I believe you!" Ereshkigal turned around trying to hide her grinning face out of sight.


    Ishtar looked at her with a scrutinizing look but the latter is too happy to notice it.


    "Now, Master... It''s my tur-"


    "Nope, goodbye."


    Before Ishtar could finish her words, Issei snapped his finger to close the door... Even though the door has disappeared, Issei thought that he could faintly hear the scream of Ishtar in the distance...


    "Now then... Will you come out on your own or should I make you?" Issei said with narrowed eyes to his back.


    Erica and Liliana''s body froze before they started to survey their surrounding. Did they just being spied upon? But who? Who''s foolish enough trying to spy on this personage?


    The whole area turned darkish gray and a young girl that looks like 13-14 years old emerged out of thin air.


    Her height barely reaches Issei''s waist. She has short silver hair and violet eyes.


    She''s wearing a school uniform with a knit cap on her head. Her most eye-catching feature is her snake-like pupil.


    While her expression is quite cold and looks emotionless but a cold sweat could be seen trickling down her left cheek. It is obvious that despite her calm-looking demeanor, she''s feeling intimidated by Issei.


    Erica and Liliana''s body stiffened slightly when this girl appeared out of nowhere since they can tell that this girl is another Goddess. But compared to Ereshkigal and Ishtar''s presence, this girl''s aura is more malevolent.


    "..." Issei didn''t say anything but a dozen golden ripples appeared behind him and out of it, comes a variety of weapons such as swords, spear, lance, etc.


    The newly arrived Goddess who saw this hastily kneeled on the ground showcasing her submission.


    "This one plead for your mercy, o'' honored one. This one bears no ill will." She spoke out of utmost respect.


    "...This world sure has a lot of annoying ''stalkers'' that keep trying to ''peep'' on me. And I find it annoying..." Issei spoke after a brief silence: "."


    "Guh!" The newly arrived Goddess''s flinched in pain. A streak of blood flows from her eyes.


    Across the whole world, those who tried to use their clairvoyance at him had the same thing happened to them.


    He just made their nothing but a "fiction". As if it never exist in the first place. It''s a skill that he created out of his divinity.


    Of course, Erza who''s currently watching him is an exception.


    While he could create a new world if he wanted to, Issei never chooses to do so since he thought it is a hassle to do so. He rather spends his time with his loved ones rather than playing God.


    The only living being that he ever created in the past 14 years was only Esdeath''s group.


    ...


    "...Hehehe, a has fallen. Looks like there''s only five left in our world." Lucretia Zola who sensed the divine energy that''s just used by Issei chuckled.


    The moment she heard that King Voban was going to confront the unknown God, she already thinks of the former as a dead man walking... And she was right.


    She doesn''t need to use her clairvoyance to know this result since it is already set in stone the moment he tried to offend someone he shouldn''t have.


    "Looks like the isn''t the true king all along," Lucretia muttered before she sighed to herself: "Now then... I should get going."


    She decided to bet everything on this next action of hers. She will be trying to appeal herself to this unknown God and hope that he would be willing to take her in...


    The discoveries that she could come across by serving this unknown God is too huge to pass on.


    ...


    "I received a request to defeat the Heretic Gods in this world by a Goddess named Pandora. If I spared you here then it would go against the contract." Issei said.


    "If all you had to do is ''defeat'' me then I surrender." The Goddess responded.


    "What''s the use of your surrender to me? I only need results and your so-called surrender has no meaning to me."


    "..." The Goddess''s brain rotated at a rapid rate trying to find the solution to the whole situation.


    Earlier today, she sensed a large amount of divine energy being used. She never thought when she tried to do a little ''peek'', she would be discovered instantly.


    "This one''s name is Athena. This one could be of use to you as long as you give this one a chance." She pleaded once more: "And I''m sure I would be utmost useful to you being alive rather than dead."


    If only she had her original strength... Then perhaps she could escape and perhaps even put up a struggle.


    "...Fine, I''ll give you a chance." Issei smirked sensing her true intention: "You." Issei looked at Erica.


    "E-Eh? Y-Yes?"


    "You should have something that belongs to her, right? Give it to her." Issei commanded.


    "But... Nevermind, I will do as you wish." Erica was about to say something but then she remembered something crucial.


    Giving the artifact in his hand to a Heretic Goddess and it''s the Goddess Athena herself to boot is something foolish but... it''s more foolish to go against this unknown God.


    "." Athena muttered.


    This is also one of the reasons why Athena decided to come here. Because she could sense her sealed power inside this artifact.


    And the reason why Erica brought it with her was because she thought of using this artifact to appease Issei in case he becomes furious.


    She received the in her hands and her eyes shone slightly.


    Athena then closed her eyes and started to absorb the artifact into her body.


    A large wave of divine energy surges out and started to envelop her body in a dark light.


    After reclaiming her Gorgoneion, Athena seemingly ages to her early twenties, and her clothing transforms into a Grecian toga, and she wears a crown of flowers on her head.


    Her silver hair grows longer and she retains her violet eyes.


    "This is it! This is my strength that has been lost." She exhaled in joy.


    Erica and Liliana''s body tensed up sensing her strength.


    Athena happily relishes the return of her strength but when she looked at Issei, her body froze completely. Her eyes started to shook and terror started to creep upon her whole body.


    She bit her lips to regain her bearings back but she soon kneeled once again while sweating profusely.


    "What''s wrong? I thought you''re going to try to go against me?" Issei asked with a mocking look.


    "This one doesn''t dare!" Athena shouted at the top of her lungs.


    No... No... This personage is not someone she should confront! The only outcome of their confrontation will be her undoing!


    When she was in her previous form, she couldn''t completely sense Issei''s strength.


    But when she regained her full strength, not only does she doesn''t feel confident, but rather she becomes more terror-stricken.


    Who is he? What is he?! What kind of God is this!


    The amount of power he possesses isn''t supposed to be possible! No Gods in existence would be able to contain all that power!


    Not even Zeus himself is capable of such feat!


    She was a goddess of darkness, snakes, owls, the earth, sky, life, death, and wisdom. But just by standing there, this unknown God somehow could affect all of her divinities as if they were his own!


    Her power is second away being stripped away from her body just now! And all this happened the moment she tries to measure his strength with her newly regained divine energy!


    Erica and Liliana feel at a loss looking at the terror-stricken Athena. If even a Goddess like her feels afraid of this God then... What could they hope to do if he were to go on a rampage?


    "Hmph..." Issei snorted seeing Athena''s current state: "You don''t need to feel worried. I won''t kill you."


    "This one is thankful for your Majesty''s benevolence." Athena sighed in relief seeing that she won''t be killed.


    "But that doesn''t mean I will let you go either."


    "..." Athena waited for his next word in trepidation.


    "My unborn daughter would need a tool to protect her," Issei spoke.


    "...This one will gladly become a tool for your daughter if your Majesty wishes so. This one will use every weapon in her arsenal and abilities to protect her."


    "What are you talking about? I don''t need you to be her bodyguard." Issei looked at her with narrowed eyes: "I will have your soul serve as a catalyst for the divine tool that I had in mind."


    "!!!" Athena''s eyes widen in shock.


    Does that mean her soul would suffer the same fate as that earlier?! No, this won''t do!


    "You can try to escape if you want," Issei said with a smirk.


    "..." Athena''s body stopped in her track just when she''s about to escape. When she thought things through, she couldn''t help but slumped back to the ground. Can she even escape? The answer is no...


    "Don''t worry, I''m not that cruel." Issei scoffed: "You will still be able to move around just like you are right now but you won''t be able to go far from your new main ''body''. Think of yourself as a divine artifact that has a soul... You should understand what I mean right?"


    "...I understand." Meaning that she will be sealed once again... At the very least, she won''t be killed.


    "Good. Then we''re done here." Issei took back his hostility and said.


    "Follow me." He said towards the downhearted Athena.


    "Yes... My lord..." She said through gritted teeth.


    "P-Please wait!" Erica and Liliana hastily called out.


    "Hm?" Issei frowned at the two of them.


    "P-Please listen to what we have to say," Liliana asked hopefully.


    ...


    "Hmm, where are we anyway? Anywhere we see is trees."


    "I don''t know either..."


    "Let''s split up! I''ll go that way, Hong''er and Bai''er, you two go that way."


    "B-But big brother said that we should never separate from each other..."


    "No need to worry! We''re strong enough to protect ourselves!"


    "That''s right, that''s right! If there''s any bad guy then we can just beat them up!"


    "Well, okay then..."


    "Let''s meet up later! I''ll go first!"


    "Me as well!"


    With that said, the two of them flew away...


    Bai''er unsurely looks around. But she then finally sighed one last time before flying to the distance...


    Would Issei really let them travel alone? Of course not.


    The that hide within their shadow has already reported this incident...


    On the mountain range, sunlight shined through the gap between the mountains into the deep canyons. On the hillside beside the valley, some snow remained.


    Even though it''s already the early summer, the snow has yet to melt. The cold here is exceptionally long. The roars of some beasts can occasionally be heard.


    After flying around for a while, Bai''er finally saw something.


    On the surface of the valley stood a magnificent looking city.


    "Hmm..." Bai''er blinked twice before she approach the city.

 Chapter 165 - Side 22

    "You were splendid as always foster father!" Sorano welcomed Issei excitedly the moment he returns.


    "Um, that was a splendid performance, foster father... Although we couldn''t really learn anything from it." Kagura said in pity.


    "The way you punch that old man out of existence is truly remarkable, deary. I get all hot whenever I recall your gallant figure~" Irene S. said seductively.


    They all chirped around him welcoming his return forgetting Athena who tagged along with him.


    Athena looks at Issei''s interaction with his supposed children and wife.


    In the next second, she suddenly sensed a thick bloodl.u.s.t coming from the side.


    What she saw is a beautiful woman with mystical long white hair with a teal accent reminiscent of the night sky.


    She is extremely beautiful even from her point of view... as if there was a night there that was so beautiful, it was to the point that she could, no, will steal men''s eyes with just a single glance.


    Athena is often praised as a great beauty by others but she truly feels slightly inferior in front of this woman. This woman is obviously Brynhildr.


    In fact, not only Brynhildr. Every girl in this room has an otherworldly beauty that could topple down nations and countries. Whereas the unknown God she has never seen before is beyond that...


    She couldn''t appreciate his feature because she was nervous back then but now that she calmed herself down, even she felt like her heart beating erratically just by looking at him.


    But, this woman who''s looking at her with thick bloodl.u.s.t made her feel nervous yet again.


    "..." Athena doesn''t back down from her glare and meet it with her own gaze. Although she''s sweating buckets, she won''t admit defeat just like that... Call it as a pride of a woman and a warrior if you want.


    The reason she gives up immediately when she''s confronting Issei was because her entire being felt an indescribable fear. Being brave and being foolhardy is a totally different thing. Especially if that said opponents could even make her soul tremble with just a glance.


    While this woman before her is not any better, at least she doesn''t make her soul feel threatened like when she''s facing Issei. Even if she dies while fighting her, at least she will die a warrior and not like a pig being slaughtered...


    "Stop glaring at my wife or I will gouge your eyes out." Issei''s cold voice resounded which made Athena shudder. She hastily looks down and apologizes.


    "Apologies..."


    "And Bryn, she will be our child ''protective charm'' in the future." Issei said smilingly at Brynhildr.


    Brynhildr''s eyes went soft before she replied: "But Master... Me alone is enough to protect our child."


    "Nonsense. Don''t even think for even a second that you will be protecting our child alone." Issei said blamingly.


    "A-Ah, sorry, Master!" Brynhildr becomes a little panicky after hearing his blaming words.


    "Err, you don''t need to apologize either... Just think of her as a backup plan. Of course, in the end, I will be there instantly the moment our child is in danger."


    "Understood, Master." Brynhildr responded with a loving smile.


    Issei also returns her smile with his own.


    "Jeez... Your interaction truly makes me feel jealous you know?" Irene S. cut it between their husband and wife talk with a pout: "Don''t forget that you have another wife in line, deary."


    "Uhh, you''re not my wife yet though?"


    "Oh hoo, ''yet''?" Irene S. eyes shone brightly at his little slip-up.


    "I misspoke..." Issei said with a groan after realizing his little slip-up.


    "Oh no you don''t! No takebacks! As a king, you should know that every word you speak is gold. Am I right, girls?"


    "Um um." Not only Sorano, even Yukino and Kagura nodded along albeit there''s a little blush on their face.


    "On that topic~, I also want to volunteer to become one of your wives, foster father~" Sorano said with a wink.


    "No."


    "Eehh, but why?" Sorano asked in disappointment.


    "You little brat, don''t be so mischievous." Issei lightly knocked her head.


    "But foster father, are you willing to see us marry another man?" Sorano said with a pout while holding her head.


    "Hmph, don''t try to trick me... And I will only accept that specific man if he''s good enough." Issei snorted.


    "And how good are we talking about here?" Irene S. questioned.


    "Of course, as long as he could defeat me and pass a few tests." Issei huffed.


    "..." They become speechless at his words... Defeat you? You might as well say that you''re unwilling to marry them off...


    "You might as well say that you don''t want to see them marry, deary." Irene S. chuckled. Ah, she said it... They thought wryly inside their mind.


    "Why are we even talk about this? Besides, they''re still too young anyway... At least wait for another million years, then we''ll talk."


    "You are really... Nevermind." Irene S. shook her head in resignment. Million years? At that time, they will become a grandma, not an a.d.u.l.t!


    "Anyway, how long will you girls and boy stay here? I don''t really mind letting you stay but didn''t you all still need to attend a tournament or something?" Issei asked them.


    "That''s right! Go back now! You all still need to attend the tournament." Erza H. said with a huff: "You better reach first place, sister." Erza H. pointed at Erza S.


    "I-I''ll do my best..."


    "You better be, you don''t want to put shame to otou-sama''s name, don''t you? How embarrassing it would be if you were to lose against some random weakling just like that lizard wanna-"


    "Waaah! I get it, nee-san!" Erza S. hastily shouted.


    "Nee-san?" Issei becomes puzzled at the way Erza S. addresses Erza H.


    "It''s a long story, otou-sama..." Erza H. said tiredly.


    "Oh..."


    "Well, anyway, all of you go back now. You already had your fill so no more excuses." Erza H. said commandingly.


    "Ehhh, can we just forfeit?" Sorano raised her arm lazily: "Just let Erza-chan participate."


    "No!"


    "Sadly, I also want to attend the tournament still. I need to repay my guild benevolence." Kagura said seriously: "But, more than that, I want to test my skill against you, Erza." She smirked at Erza S.


    "Well then, let''s go back."


    "Booo..." Sorano groaned but Erza H. dragged her away ignoring her protest.


    "Then foster father, we''ll see you soon."


    "Mm, I''ll go visit you all later. I already slowed down the time over there so I should be there in time." Issei said with a smile.


    "Take care now~" Irene S. waved at them.


    "You''re coming with them." Issei lifted Irene S. by the scruff.


    "Ehhh! Deary, how can you be so cruel?! We were just reunited!" Irene S. cried tears of sorrow.


    "Stop overreacting. Little fairy, drag her away as well."


    "Roger."


    "Nooo, Er-chan, let me go~" Irene S. whined.


    "Act your age, mum."


    "Booo..."


    "Don''t copy Sorano!"


    And with that, they all excuses themselves...


    "Master." When they left, Wo comes out from the shadow.


    "Mm? What''s wrong, Wo?"


    "There''s something we need to inform you about Princess Hong''er, Princess Bai''er, and Princess Nyaruko..."


    ...


    "H-Hey! L-Look at that!"


    "Huh?"


    The guards on top of the city gate dazedly called out to their friends after seeing a Goddess-like beauty coming towards their direction.


    "...A-A Goddess..." One of them uttered. Some even drooled at her sight alone.


    Her galactic bright silver hair clung to her delicate body and hung all the way down. Half of them are tied in a bundle atop her head while the rest hang downwards freely almost touching the ground. The hair in front of her forehead danced even though there was no wind, complementing her white jade-like tender looks.


    Her hourglass figure was seemingly covered with a white glow making it a little hard to catch a glimpse of her entire body. Her exposed calf resting above the delicate white glass-looking shoes made them feel inferior as if they''re not supposed to profane this Goddess before them.


    None of them could snap out of their daze looking at the beauty.


    Even when the beauty entered the city, they still didn''t react for a long time and only foolishly look towards her departing back.


    This beauty is obviously Bai''er.


    When she entered the town, as expected, all of the people she passed by had their eyes immediately focused on her figure.


    Such eye-catching beauty will always attract attention no matter they go. Not to mention her ethereal figure is not something that should''ve existed in this world...


    Bai''er didn''t really care about their gaze, she started to look around the city.


    "Hey! Woman over there!" Someone shouted at Bai''er hoping to gain her attention but she paid no heed to his voice.


    "Hey, did you hear me?" The man stood in front of her.


    The man has an arrogant face and red hair. He''s surrounded by his lackeys from both sides.


    Bai''er finally frowned in annoyance at the man who''s standing on her way. Bai''er is not really someone who would expose her expression freely unless she''s around her loved ones.


    Around strangers, she would always keep a calm and stoic face. So for her to make a face full of displeasure like this says that she truly dislikes the man before her.


    Just like Hong''er, she shares a certain connection with Issei hence she also gained some of his abilities such as judging people''s nature.


    And with just a glance, she could tell that his man before her is no good...


    The way he looks at her made her feel uncomfortable.


    She wanted to bypass them but the man once again blocks her way.


    "Are you deaf or blind? Don''t you know who''s standing before you right now?" His lackey shouted: "Our young master here gives you the honor to accompany him for a cup of tea so you should feel honored!"


    "Don''t shout... This young lady here, may I have the honor to have a cup of tea with you?" The man berated his lackey and asked Bai''er with a fawning smile.


    This beauty in front of him is absolutely stunning! Even stunning than his fiancee! He would be an idiot for not trying to seduce her...


    But that''s weird... Such beauty shouldn''t be unrecognizable. How come he didn''t have any recollection of seeing her?


    "...Go away." Bai''er''s cold voice resounded snapping him out of his daze.


    The man''s face froze before he smiled once again: "Don''t be like that, young lady. I am Shen-"


    "Go away." Bai''er didn''t wait for him to finish his sentences before she spoke once again.


    "You!" The man''s pride took a hit and he frowned in anger.


    "How dare you talk to our young master like that!" One of the lackeys was about to grab Bai''er but in the next second, all of them passed out on the spot while frothing foam.


    Bai''er didn''t pay attention to them any longer and left the scene.


    "H-Hey, did you see that?" One of the youngsters who was a boy of average height with spiky dark hair and grey eyes said with a gulp while looking from the side. He and his friends were about to help the beauty but it looks like they''re not really needed.


    "Wh-Who is she? She could make Shen Fei and his lackeys passed out without moving an inch..." Another boy having brown hair and eyes said with a sweat.


    "..." A boy who has orange spiky hair tied into a ponytail that reaches past his shoulders and blue eyes look tense after seeing the scene unfold before him.


    He started thinking to himself: ''Who is she?! I don''t remember ever seeing her in my previous life!''


    There''s no way he would ever forget someone that powerful and beautiful.


    And her cultivation... He can''t tell! He needs to find out about her identity.


    When he was about to follow after Bai''er, she suddenly turned around and look at him straight in the eyes.


    The boy instinct went on a high alert and he started sweating buckets. Under her gaze... He felt like he has been exposed entirely.


    Bai''er herself frowned a little looking at the boy. Weird... This boy''s soul is... odd. He reminds her of that man she coincidentally met a long time ago in the Little Demon Empress''s city...


    Meanwhile, Hong''er and Nyaruko situation...


    "Aiyaa, where is this place?!" Hong''er shouted in annoyance. This place is so depressing!


    She''s in the marsh and wherever she sees is trees and mud! She wanted to find some fun places, not this upsetting place!


    "Hm? What''s that?" She suddenly notices a plank being carefully laid out on the muddy ground.


    "Go forward!" She commanded the beast she''s riding.


    "U-Uungg..." She''s riding a beast shaped like a crocodile but its frame is very large and there''s a set of horns on top of its head. Around them, there''s also other beasts but they seem afraid of Hong''er just like the crocodile she''s riding.


    They didn''t dare to look at her directly and only dare to look from afar unless they''re told to come closer.


    The beast followed Hong''er command and started walking forward.


    She then followed the path where the plank has been laid out...


    Following the route made by the planks, she skimmed over the marsh and reached a bulging huge stone. It''s an endless abyss at the bottom.


    Looking below, there''s a cliff with a trail of black spring water flowing down, forming a vast waterfall. On the cliffs, there''s a bulged-up platform. It seems like there are traces of human work here. At the bottom of the endless abyss, is a bottomless pond.


    Inside the water, there was a terrifying aura occasionally leaking out.


    There were also faint roars coming from demon beasts, creating the feeling of suffocation from the abyss but the moment Hong''er presence is sensed, the roars immediately quieted down.


    "Hmm, this place looks a little interesting... Jump down." She ordered the crocodile.


    The crocodile waste no time before it jumped downwards...


    Once they reached the bottom, they ended up on a platform.


    On Nyaruko''s side, she''s surrounded by a large number of men.


    "Who are you?! Let go of our Master!" One of them said through gritted teeth.


    The youth that Nyaruko is holding had a handsome, oval-shaped face and this seemingly charming face of his was ghastly pale with bloodshot eyes that would cause people to be absolutely horrified upon seeing him, and they would tremble from fear.


    This person was emitting a frosty cold aura from his entire body, which caused the surrounding temperature to plunge but currently, there''s no such aura coming out of him since he has been beaten like a dead dog by Nyaruko.


    It''s unknown at this point whether he''s dead or alive since he doesn''t seem to be able to move a single finger. His whole body is covered in blood...


    "Hmph! This smelly man is evil! He is tainted with so much blood of innocents that it made my nose stings!" Nyaruko huffed angrily. Even now she could see the soul of the children floating around this man. Their eyes are full of resentment and anger towards the man which even affected Nyaruko.


    "I''m sure father will praise me if I were to erase such an evil man from existence." Nyaruko''s eyes glowed in excitement. Just thinking of her father''s warm hand on top of her head made her feel giddy.


    Out of excitement, she suddenly clenched her hand crushing the man''s skull in the process.


    *CRACK!*


    The man''s skull burst open like a piece of watermelon.


    "Oops... Eww, now my hand is dirty!" Nyaruko grimaced in disgust.


    "Master!" The group of men screamed in agony looking at their Master''s death.


    "No need to shout, you all will soon follow after him!" Nyaruko glared at them before another round of massacre started...


    Once she''s done, Nyaruko swiped her forehead with her hand: "Fyuh, mission complete! I''m sure father will praise me!"


    [Thank you... Thank you... Thank you, big sister...] The souls that were lingering around the man started to dissipate one by one.


    "Hehe, no need to thank me... May you find everlasting peace in the afterlife." Nyaruko smiled comfortingly at the departing soul.


    "So this is what father feels like when he helped those souls in the past... It feels nice! Let''s find another bad guy!" She forgot about her purpose and started a crusade against evil instead...


    ,,,


    "Ughh... Let go of me..."


    "No... Give me more of that ''potion''..."


    "..."


    Hajime felt weird looking at Arte who''s being clung upon by the vampire that they saved.


    He didn''t know what happened earlier when he suddenly passed out... When he''s awake once more, the thing he saw first is that vampire clinging to Arte.


    He couldn''t help but scratch his head in utter confusion. What happened with this vampire? Why did she suddenly being so clingy like this? And what''s wrong with that ''potion''?


    He wanted to ask Arte but after seeing their current predicament... he finally decided to just wait a little bit more.


    It''s not because he enjoys looking at the 2 beauties hugging each other, absolutely not.


    "No! My mother told me to not give you any more of that potion! It''s not good for you." Arte rejected the vampire request.


    "...It is extremely beneficial to me... I can feel my strength risen to a very high degree. Even surpassing my past self." The vampire said: "As a result, even my body even grew a little..."


    Indeed, her body previously makes her look like a 12-13 years old. But now, she looks like she''s in her early teens. Looking like a 15-16 years old teen to be exact.


    It needs to be known that for the last few hundred years during her past life, her body never grows up as a result of her "immortality".


    "No is a no!" Arte adamantly refuses.


    "..." The vampire frowned in disappointment before she started to sniff something: "...Your scent is very similar to that potion..." She muttered before licking her lips.


    "Eek! Go away!" Arte grimaced before she finally pushed the vampire away with her tremendous strength.


    *Bam!*


    The vampire flew to the nearby wall and stay embedded for a few seconds before she started to walk towards Arte once again just like a zombie: "...Blood... give me your blood..."


    Arte who saw this immediately cast her ice magic towards the vampire sealing her inside a block of ice. Only her head left exposed...


    Thankfully the ''house'' itself has an auto-recovery ability so it fixes the damage done to it almost instantaneously.


    "...Nngh." The vampire tried to break free but to no avail: "...Let me go... All I want is to take a little taste..." The vampire longingly looks at the trembling Arte.


    "A pervert has been spotted! Let''s inform the King about her!" One of the house fairies exclaimed.


    "Yes! Report her to the King!" Another one chimed in.


    Soon, the other fairies also started to chirp around.


    Hajime raised his eyebrows at this. Looks like Arte''s father is quite protective of her.


    "Jeez, to think that you''re unable to hold yourself back like that... Even my mother wasn''t acting like you when my papa is around." Arte grumbled: "Looks like even papa''s distilled blood is too potent to you vampire kin huh..."


    "...Your mother? Your mother is a vampire?" The vampire asked in disbelief: "But you''re not a vampire?"


    "Of course I''m not a vampire. My birth mother is a Demon and my papa is a Dragon. My other mother is a vampire though." Arte nonchalantly said.


    "...I see." The vampire nodded after a brief silence: "You said that ''potion'' contains your father''s blood? So that means he''s the owner of that addicting flavor that I taste?"


    "You could say that..."


    "...I see." The vampire''s eyes glimmered slightly and she started thinking to herself.


    "What''s wrong? Why did you suddenly become quiet all of the sudden?" Arte asked curiously.


    "...If I meet your father then will I able to taste his blood directly?" Thankfully her body is currently encased in ice or she might just ''wet'' herself once again after remembering that otherworldly flavor...


    "Muh?! No no no! I won''t let papa give you his blood!" Arte acted like a cat whose tail has been stepped on: "And papa himself will never give his blood to some strangers!"


    "...Cheapskate." The vampire pouted.


    "Ah, Hajime, you''re awake?" Arte finally notices Nagumo Hajime who has been silent the whole time.


    "Yeah... What happened earlier? How come did I suddenly pass out?" Hajime asked while scratching his head in confusion.


    "Uhh, sorry about that... But I can''t really tell you the reason for that." Arte said apologetically: "You don''t need to worry though, nothing bad happens to you when you''re asleep."


    Although she didn''t know why her Majin mama said not to tell him about her, she decided to be obedient and follow her words.


    The reason for that is actually quite simple. Okita Alter wanted to see how Hajime would act without knowing that Arte has a guardian behind her.


    If he keep his hands where it belongs then it''s all going to be okay. But if not... Well, let''s just say losing his life would be the last thing he needs to be concerned with.


    "...Okay, I believe you." Hajime went silent for a bit before he nodded with a faint smile. If she said so then he might as well believe her.


    Not like she needs to use trickery if she wanted to do something bad to him.


    "Heheh, thanks." Arte grinned.


    "O-Ou." Hajime coughed in embarrassment seeing her smile since he wasn''t prepared for it.


    "Oh right, here''s some monster meat for you. Think of it as my apology for your incident earlier." Arte said in realization and took out a bunch of monster meat.


    The monster meat she took out belongs to the cyclops and also the scorpion monster that Okita Alter killed before.


    "Mm, thank you." Hajime nodded with a little sweat.


    Eating these meats would bring some pain to his body but... it would be a price he''s willing to pay just to become stronger.


    ...


    After the house fairies prepared the meat, Hajime started eating the food.


    "The magic essence inside those meats shouldn''t be as potent so you won''t feel that much pain. Think of it as another courtesy from my side." Arte quipped while drinking her beverage.


    The vampire is seated beside her bound in ice still. At least she could move her upper body to a certain extent... For now.


    "Mm." Hajime nodded gratefully while munching: "So who''s this vampire anyway?"


    "Well... Why don''t you tell us a little bit about yourself?" Arte asked the vampire.


    "...Nn." The vampire nodded before she started to share her stories...


    ...


    "So, you''re at least 300 years old?" Hajime said.


    "Hajime, don''t be rude." Arte admonished him.


    "Nn... Breach of etiquette." The vampire also nodded in agreement.


    "M-My bad... I just never thought that your age would be that old considering how small your body before..." Hajime apologized.


    Looks like no matter where it is, a talk about a woman''s age is a taboo thing. Hajime then sneaks a peek at Arte.


    "What?"


    "Uhh... how about you, Arte-san? How old are you?" Hajime asked. He couldn''t resist his curiosity and still asked despite just been told that it''s rude to ask for a girl''s age.


    "A-Ah, me? I-I''m 16! Yeah, I''m 16!" Arte was taken by surprise and answered with a little stutter.


    "...Suspicious." The vampire muttered.


    "Agre- Nevermind, my bad." Hajime was about to nod in agreement before a glare from Arte silenced him.


    Arte pouted thinking that she really wishes that she could become older quickly... That way her papa won''t treat of her as a child anymore...


    Her Koze onee-chan told her that she needs to push papa down with all her might so that he will pay attention to her even more. Whatever that means.


    But it will only work if she became a bonafide a.d.u.l.t... or so she says.


    If Forzelotte were to know of their little conversation then perhaps Kozelotte''s little bum would be swollen once again... And she would even be grounded for a few months inside her room.


    Thankfully even Arte knows of what to share or not to share with their mother.


    "But you sure are powerful for someone your age back then, huh..." Arte said in slight amazement.


    At the age of 12, her immortality trait emerged and at the age of 17, she''s already suited for the throne.


    Arte is obviously stronger than her but she''s an exception seeing how her parents are basically super duper ultra God class.


    Arte is taught to never underestimate anyone no matter how weak they are.


    This vampire achieved all her strength with her own effort so that''s worth praising in her book.


    "So where are you going to go now?" Arte asked the vampire: "Oh right, sorry for only asking this now but, what''s your name? My name is Arte Savant Hyoudou, and he is..."


    "Hajime Nagumo. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself.


    "...I don''t want to use my old name anymore... As for where I will go... I don''t know either." The vampire muttered sadly.


    "Oh, I-I see..." Arte said awkwardly: "H-How about I give you a new name?"


    "...A new name?"


    "Yeah, since you forgot your old name so we might as well get you a new name. How about it?" Arte secretly sighed in relief seeing that she managed to alleviate the solemn atmosphere.


    "...Okay." The vampire nodded.


    "Hmm, let''s see..." Arte started to think of a name: "...Tsukuyo, Lena, Luna, Selena, Momo, Pochi, Wasabi... Hmm..." She muttered a few names but couldn''t come up with one.


    Arte grumbled to herself trying to come up with a good one.


    Hajime who''s listening at the side sweated at her naming sense. A few of them are nice but what''s with ''Pochi''? And why ''Wasabi'' is even considered? She''s not some pet or food alright... Looks like she''s truly a Japanese, Hajime thought wryly to himself.


    "Ah! How about Yue? Yep, Yue is quite fitting for your name. Don''t you think so, Hajime?" Arte finally come up with one of the names she could think of.


    (AN: Too lazy to come up with a new name and it will be easier to remember her anyway ????).


    "Huh? O-Oh, yeah, I guess? Sorry, I''m not that good with naming sense either."


    "Yue... Yue... What does Yue mean?" The vampire asked.


    "It means ''Moon''. I really like looking at the Moon whenever papa took me out for a stroll at night. Mama also liked it since she said the light from the moon is quite soothing for us Demons. So how about it? Do you like it?" Arte said with a grin.


    "... Mmn, yeah, from now on I''m Yue. Thank you." The vampire, now Yue nodded happily.


    "Great. Now that''s settled, what do you want to eat?" Arte clapped.


    "That potio-"


    "Anything but that."


    "...Then your bloo-"


    "Nope, not that either."


    "..." Yue puffed her cheeks feeling deflated.


    "What, couldn''t you eat normal food? Are you from a vampire species that could only drink blood or something?" Arte asked.


    "...I can eat normal food but blood is much better... Especially if it''s your blood or that ''potion'' from before." Yue started to lick her lips once again.


    What would it taste like to drink the ''source'' of that potion? She shudders imagining it... Will she directly die just from the sheer pleasure? Only God knows...


    "Sorry, I can''t give you my blood or that potion. I''m prohibited to do so."


    "...Nn... Then, I''ll just have some meat..." Yue said disappointingly.


    "Alright... Everyone, please prepare some steak for her." Arte said towards the house fairies.


    "Understood, princess!" The house fairies nodded.


    "...Princess?" Yue looked at Arte in askance.


    "Ah, that''s right. I''m also a princess, just like you. My papa is a King and my mama is a Queen."


    "...Oh, I see..." Yue nodded understandingly.


    When her food arrived, Yue reluctantly eat the food... It''s not like the food is bad or anything. It''s just compared to that ''potion'', they taste pale in comparison...


    "...What are you two doing here?" She asked Arte and Hajime mid-dinner.


    "Hm? Me? I''m just here to do some investigation. I''m searching for this world''s God but it seems that he/she is in hiding... Quite frustrating to be honest." Arte grumbled.


    "As for me, well, let''s just say I got bad luck," Hajime said dismissively.


    "To put it short, he also got betrayed by one of his friends."


    "More or less, I guess." Hajime clarified: "Just forget about it. The business with my classmate is inconsequential. Don''t worry about the small stuff. After getting my revenge... Well..." He sneaked a peek at Arte who''s looking at him with a puzzled look.


    "What''s wrong?" She asked.


    "...Nothing. Guess I''ll go home when the time comes." Hajime sighed with a tinge of blush on his cheek.


    "¡­Going home?" Yue repeated sadly.


    "We''re from another world so I guess we will go on our own way when the time comes," Arte said.


    "¡­I see." Yue is not too shocked of the news them being from another world since it doesn''t really matter where they come from.


    She looked down with a sunken expression. Then muttered to herself: "¡­I don''t have a place¡­to return¡­"


    "Hmm... How about you bring her with you, Arte-san? Seeing how you''re basically from the supernatural world while I''m from normal human society." Hajime suggested.


    "Sure, why not. I''m sure we can arrange a place for you to stay in my world. There are vampire races in my world so I''m sure you can fit right in." Arte said nonchalantly.


    "Eh?" Yue opened her eyes wide in surprise at Arte''s words.


    "No need to look so surprised. As I said, I''m a princess. Helping you to find a new home is easy." Arte said boastfully.


    "...Can I just stay with you?" Yue asked.


    "Eh? Stay with me? As in stay at my house?" Arte repeatedly blinked her eyes.


    "...Mm, I can be your servant, maid, or anything else." Yue nodded.


    "...Why am I sensing some hidden intention coming from you?" Arte tilted her head in suspicion.


    "...It''s just your imagination." Yue averted her eyes ever so slightly.


    "Hmm. Is that so...?" While Arte narrowed her eyes in return.


    "...Nn."


    "..." Hajime shook his head in amus.e.m.e.nt looking at the two interactions. This vampire obviously still aiming for that potion.


    Sometimes he notices that Arte is often a little bit of an airhead. Such as how she lacks some self-awareness with how she acts around him even though they''re obviously a boy and a girl.


    "...By the way, if you''re looking for clues about the God of this world. This place might be a good start." Yue said changing the subject of their conversation.


    "Oh? This place is related to the God of this world?" Arte asked interestedly.


    "¡­Mm. It is said that one of the traitors made this labyrinth."


    "Traitors?"


    "Traitors¡­they were the followers of God that challenged him in ancient times¡­they created it to destroy the world." Yue then narrated her knowledge about this place.


    ...


    "Sounds complicated... But oh well, a clue is a clue. This way, I will be one step closer to complete my investigation." Arte sighed: "Guess I''ll go check on it later. For now, I will excuse myself since it''s quite late already."


    "Oh right, you can use the clothes you find in the closet over there, Yue. Feel free to use them." Arte pointed out to Yue.


    Yue is currently only wearing a simple white shirt and skirt.


    "...You''re going somewhere?"


    "Mhm, I need to go home obviously. I don''t want my mama to be worried about me. Don''t worry, I''ll be back here tomorrow and I will also try asking if our home needs another maid or not."


    "...Then, take care."


    "Um. See you two tomorrow." With that said, Arte left the place leaving behind the two in an awkward situation. At least for Hajime while Yue herself seems to be thinking about something else altogether.


    ...


    "Welcome back." Okita Alter welcomed Arte the moment she arrived.


    "Um, I''m back Majin-mama." Arte''s form reverted to her 12 years old form. She stretches her body feeling a little tired from all the activities today.


    "That vampire sure has interesting prospect." Okita Alter mumbled.


    "Right, Majin-mama, is our home recruiting a maid?" Arte asked.


    "Hmm, I believe Master doesn''t need another maid at the moment since we rarely change our employees... As for the specific answer, then you might want to ask you Fia-mama."


    "Oh... Well, although Yue is a little weird, I can tell that she''s a good girl." Arte said with a smile.


    "Mm, she''s not bad... Her potential is also great now that she has drunk that potion you gave her. But Arte, remember to not carelessly give away the stuff your father gave you directly." Okita Alter warned: "Some of the things your father gave you is not something that should give away just like that. Thankfully this vampire doesn''t seem like an evil person or the consequences might be quite bothersome."


    "Uuuh, I know... I''m sorry, Majin-mama" Arte scratches her head apologetically.


    "Um, as long as you understand. Now go to bed... It''s your bedtime already." Okita Alter said with a sigh.


    "Okay, good night, Majin-mama!" Arte kissed Okita Alter on the cheek before she went to her bedroom...


    Okita Alter smiled at her departing back and then she looked towards Yue...


    "...I hope you''re truly not a bad person... If you are..." Okita Alter''s eyes flashed with thick killing intent.


    Yue who''s being observed shuddered greatly and she started having a cold sweat out of nowhere.


    "What''s wrong?" Hajime asked after sensing her peculiarity.


    "...It''s nothing." Yue finally shook her head and focus back on her dinner. But she becomes a bit vigilant to her surroundings.


    "Although... Looks like you forgot about the other transferred students, Arte." Okita Alter wryly shook her head looking at the restless Kaori Shirasaki and the others.


    Well, it doesn''t really matter she guess... Think of this as another lesson for her.

 Chapter 166 - Side 23

    "Hm? They killed a God?" Issei raised his eyebrows at Wo''s report.


    "Indeed, Master." Wo''s face is still a little red after their last encounter but she still relays the report dutifully. Since she''s basically expressionless most of the time, it helped her hide her shyness.


    "Did the passing of this God created a big ripple on his world?" Issei asked.


    "So far, there''s no big movement that is currently happening..."


    "Well, just let it be for now. If that God is killed that easily then I doubt his death will cause anything that would need our interference." Issei waved his hand dismissively: "If there''s any problem on their side then report it to me... And if that world tried to retaliate because of the death of their God, I''ll just destroy it when the time comes."


    Issei''s logic is quite simple, he doubts Nyaruko and the other two acts would cause damage to the surrounding world unless they intentionally used their strength to do so.


    And they''re not the type of girls that would do something like that...


    So it must be that God''s fault for getting in their way.


    "Understood, Master," Wo said in confirmation.


    Athena''s face twitched uncontrollably after listening to their conversation... This man is truly unreasonable. Not like she''s one to speak since she would''ve done the same if anyone tries to get in between her power in the past...


    But she guesses that it doesn''t really matter now since she''s basically has been captured once again... First it was because of Zeus and now this unknown God...


    Athena was originally a Mother Earth Goddess originating in Africa and suggested to have been the queen of the gods of her pantheon. She was a goddess of darkness, snakes, owls, the earth, sky, life, death, and wisdom. Eventually, she was overthrown by the male gods, led by Zeus. Under one of her names, Athena, she was demoted to being Zeus''s daughter, by another, Medusa, she was turned into a snake monster who turned those who gazed upon her to stone.


    Is her life is fated to be filled with nothing but bitterness? Athena couldn''t help but exhale a defeated sigh.


    She secretly glanced at Brynhildr who''s seated on a sofa who has a loving smile on her face. Her comely eyes are dead set on her husband''s figure which made Athena feel a little jealous...


    If she has this kind of man in her life... Would her life be any different? Look at this... It''s not like her to lament fate like this. But confronted with a power so huge that she couldn''t even catch a glimpse of the peak makes her feel hopeless.


    No matter what strategy she uses, it will all be for naught in front of absolute power...


    "Hn?" Issei raised his eyebrows when he sensed something.


    "Master?"


    "It''s nothing... Looks like that troublesome woman found something interesting for herself." Issei said tiredly.


    He could guess right from the start seeing how ''she'' doesn''t follow after him right away only means one thing... She was planning something.


    ...


    "Mm, like a moth to a flame." Nyarlathotep grinned at the struggling Hyoudou Issei.


    He''s currently enveloped in a black cocoon. A part of his body has turned black and the crimson has turned dull and lost its l.u.s.trous shine.


    "Ise!" Rias Gremory and her peerage are bound in place by Nyarlathotep tendrils.


    [...Sorry, partner... I can''t... help you...] Ddraig''s regretful voice resounded but his voice is also weak.


    "Gah..." Hyoudou Issei groaned painfully within the cocoon.


    "Please stop this! Don''t hurt Issei-san anymore!" Asia Argento screamed with tears in her eyes.


    "Oh my? Hurt him?" Nyarlathotep smirked at her: "I did nothing of the sort."


    "Lies! Issei is clearly hurting!" Xenovia Quarta shouted.


    "Oh deary, if I really wanted to hurt anyone here... I would''ve done so already." Nyarlathotep flashed an evil grin that made them feel terrified to their core.


    "I won''t waste my time if I wanted to kill any of you, and even though my strength is mostly sealed, that doesn''t mean I''m weak either. I have more than enough power to destroy your small world... And what that boy is currently going through is just a part of the test to gain the power he so desires... If he could succeed then he will gain the power he''s looking for but if not... Fufufu, let''s just say that he will be nourishment for my unborn child." Nyarlathotep flashed a sweet smile while rubbing her stomach.


    "But that''s just... What would the other Issei say if he were to saw your action?!"


    "My dearest husband? Fufu, he will probably stop me but... he won''t punish me for it either. Although, receiving his ''punishment'' would be bliss for me~" She giggled heatedly before continues speaking.


    "He''s just that kind of man... A man who will spoil his loved ones rotten. In a sense, he''s the same as me. We, beings who control are like that... We will do anything to satisfy our ''desire''. His ''desire'' is to make his loved ones happy. A simple ''desire'' and yet, just to achieve that wish, he will stop at nothing to make it true... Truly wondrous."


    "...Is this power you''re speaking of is that energy?" Yuuto Kiba suddenly spoke.


    "Indeed." Nyarlathotep nodded with a smile.


    "...We heard that only two beings are capable of controlling in the entire history..." Yuuto Kiba spoke solemnly: "One of them being you and the other one is Lord Savant..."


    "...Your point being?"


    "That means the odds for Issei-kun to master that energy is basically zero." He said through gritted teeth informing his friends about the truth.


    They hastily look at Nyarlathotep trying to see if that is indeed the truth.


    "..." Nyarlathotep didn''t say anything but the smirk on her face tells them everything.


    She planned this from the very beginning! She knows perfectly that Issei won''t be able to master the energy that they spoke of!


    She was planning to use Issei as nourishment for her unborn child right from the start!


    "Please, let him go!" They begged Nyarlathotep but she turned a deaf ear to their pleading.


    "Hehehe... While his power is too weak to be really of use, a slice of meat is still a slice of meat no matter how small they are." Nyarlathotep said with a grin: "Besides, in a sense, I do keep my word when I said I will grant him the power that he wanted... If he''s capable of controlling that ''power'' that is. Hehehe... Ahahahaha..."


    When they thought that all hope is lost, a resounding voice can be heard clearly coming from the entrance of the room that they''re in.


    "Sister, please let go of them."


    "Oh? I thought I''ve perfectly hidden this place from the outside world?" Nyarlathotep glanced at the entrance where the Grayfia H. can be seen.


    "You did... but our husband has already predicted your little mischievousness down to the very last bit," Fia said calmly.


    "...Fufufu, as to be expected of him, I guess... It made me feel delighted knowing that he knows me so well." Nyarlathotep chuckled: "And I guess, she''s your ''backup''?" She glanced at another woman who''s standing behind Fia.


    "...Master has told me to keep an eye on you. He said I will be rewarded for it." The woman spoke with glistening eyes. Looks like she really wanted that ''reward''.


    She is a beautiful woman with long light blue hair, her eyes are colored pink, and it''s uniquely shaped like a flower petal. Her most discerning feature is her large pair of horns that curled downwards.


    This woman is none other than Tiamat.


    "What happened here?" Sirzechs Gremory and the others also arrived in time.


    "Rias?" He becomes surprised after seeing his little sister and her peerage being bound by Nyarlathotep: "What''s going on here?" He said anxiously.


    "It''s nothing to be concerned about, Sirzechs Gremory. It''s just our sister''s little mischievousness... Now, elder sister Tiamat, if you would?" Fia said towards Tiamat who''s standing behind her.


    Tiamat gives a faint nod before she flew towards Nyarlathotep''s front: "...Stop." She said towards Nyarlathotep.


    They''re staring daggers at a point-blank range which made a certain part of their body clashed against each other creating a mouthwatering sight for the male onlookers...


    Azazel and Odin who happen to be present couldn''t help but appreciate the sight before them.


    They lamented their fate seeing how they couldn''t score such beauties in their life... Of course, this is only their jealousy speaking. If they were seriously asked if they''re brave enough to take these two as their woman then they will refuse instantly.


    One of them is the God of Chaos who brings endless calamity to worlds while the other one is nothing to scoff either.


    Since her name is Tiamat then it''s safe to say that she must be THAT Tiamat and not the Tiamat from their world.


    While they''re feeling jealous of the other Issei, they also feeling awed by his capabilities in picking up women with such high caliber.


    "..." Nyarlathotep narrowed her eyes at Tiamat before she exhaled another sigh: "Well... I guess my fun ends here... Too bad, if all of you came a minute later then I would''ve finished absorbing that boy." She then snapped her finger to release Hyoudou Issei and his friends.


    Rias Gremory hastily went forward to inspect Hyoudou Issei. But it looks like other than his exhausted energy, his life is not endangered.


    "Th-Thank you..." They thanked Tiamat.


    Tiamat blinked her eyes when looking at the unconscious Hyoudou Issei.


    "...Similar, but also very different..." She muttered before averting her face.


    "So, little sister... I''ve heard that you will be rewarded from stopping me," Nyarlathotep asked with interest.


    "Um." Tiamat nodded.


    "Care to share in the detail of what the reward is? And perhaps, you could share that ''reward'' with me..." Nyarlathotep asked with a calculating grin.


    Tiamat frowned deeply at her words: "Why?"


    "Mm, since I basically didn''t go against your words and made your job easier, don''t you think I also need to get some share on that said reward?"


    "...You have a point..." Tiamat little by little become swayed by her words: "But wait... Didn''t the job exist only because you were causing trouble for Master? Then that means..."


    "If I didn''t cause trouble for him then you also won''t get your reward, you know?" Nyarlathotep skillfully added.


    "Uuhh..." Tiamat''s frown deepened.


    While they''re ''negotiating'' with each other, Sirzechs also caught up with his little sister and asked her what just happened.


    Rias Gremory briefly explained their situation to him...


    "...I see..." Sirzechs sighed bitterly after hearing her story.


    He doesn''t plan to blame Hyoudou Issei since he would''ve done the same thing as him if he were in his position.


    "Please don''t blame Ise, onii-sama." Rias Gremory begged her older brother.


    "I won''t... I''m not planning to blame Issei-kun. Let''s just get out of here for now." Sirzechs then stood up and bowed deeply at Fia: "Thank you for helping my sister."


    "No need to thank me, Sirzechs Gremory... I''m just doing what my husband asked of me." Fia said calmly.


    Sirzechs who listened to her words couldn''t help smile wryly... So alike... This Grayfia is so alike with his wife.


    Grayfia who''s standing beside Sirzechs also feels that this other her is truly remarkable and she can see her dedication is even surpassed her.


    Her competitiveness started to emerge little by little. She might lose against her beauty but that doesn''t mean she will lose in terms of being the best maid there is!


    "Okay, enough of that, sister... Stop trying to trick her." Fia said towards Nyarlathotep who''s still trying to ''corrupt'' Tiamat.


    "Ara? I wasn''t really trying to trick her." Nyarlathotep playfully smiled.


    "Uh huh, sure." Fia deadpanned her playful face: "Now all of you, please go back for today." She said towards Sirzechs and the others.


    "Then we''ll excuse ourselves." Michael excuses themselves.


    "By the way, Mrs. Hyoudou..." He suddenly thought of something and said towards Fia: "Have you seen my sister?"


    "Your sister? Gabriel of this world? Hmm, I don''t think I''ve seen her today... Why do you ask?"


    "It''s just that she has been missing from my side since earlier today..."


    Michael becomes troubled by his missing sister... Just where did she go? Don''t tell him that she''s also ''caught'' like Hyoudou Issei and his friends!?


    Meanwhile, the person in question is trying to sneak her way inside the house only to get blasted away by Forzelotte in the next second... But that''s a story for another time.


    ...


    "We welcome your arrival, your excellency." Both Erica and Liliana bowed deeply towards Issei.


    Issei arrival has something to do with their little conversation the other day, they said they wanted to discuss something with him, and in return... They will allow him to take any divine tools within their possession.


    Issei arrived at their headquarters.


    "Make it quick," Issei said briefly.


    "Understood, if you would please follow us inside," Liliana said respectfully.


    During their trip to the interior of the buildings, every staff in the vicinity stopped in their tracks to pay their respect.


    The female staff is charmed by his appearance while the males are threatened instead.


    When they arrived at their destination, a group of people is on stand by to receive him.


    "...Yup, that''s him alright." Salvatore Doni, the first that Issei ''defeated'' is also amongst them.


    He smiled goofily at Issei remembering that day... How sad for him to lose a fight even before it started like that...


    He is really itching to have another go with this unknown God.


    "King, please don''t do anything stupid..." His butler who''s stationed behind him solemnly said.


    "Heheh."


    "Don''t just laugh..." The butler wanted to cry but he has no tears...


    "Oji-san, we have brought his excellency with us," Erica said towards the man who looks like in his early 40s.


    "Um, great work." The man said with a welcoming smile: "And you as well, Liliana-san."


    "It is nothing, it''s what I should do," Liliana said calmly.


    "Mm, you two have done a splendid work." Then he set his gaze towards Issei and did a knight etiquette: "I, Paolo Blandelli offers my regards to your excellency."


    "What do you want to talk about?" Issei said to the point.


    "Certainly." Paolo waved his hand to his subordinates.


    They nodded quickly before bringing forth a large array of divine tools and items.


    "Feel free to take any of these that you fancy, your excellency." Paolo decided to push forward the payment first before he gets into the topic.


    "May we know what is your excellency objective in our world?" He asked carefully.


    "Job-related," Issei said briefly while he''s inspecting the items that are laid out in front of him.


    Paolo nodded at his answers since it looks like what Erica said before is true. She overheard that Issei is here to take a job and that job supposedly needs him to deal with the Heretic Gods.


    If what he said is true then it will be a great thing for them.


    "Then... Could we take it that your excellency doesn''t plan to cause any harm to humanity?"


    "As long as they don''t bother me." Issei looked at the pillar that emits greenish light.


    "Understood... If what your excellency is true then we welcome your excellency with open arms. Feel free to inform us if you ever need anything. We will do our best to fulfill whatever your excellency needs." Paolo said in relief.


    Confirming whether he''s telling the truth or not? They don''t need to do anything of the sort seeing how the other party could easily kill the oldest . It will be a foolish move trying to question him any further.


    "Excuse my question, but... recently some of our priests and priestess lose their spiritual vision ability... and, we were wondering if..."


    "Hey, handsome onii-san over there!" Salvatore Doni suddenly called out with a cheery grin.


    "Wha- King!" His butler becomes utterly shocked at his action. Even the others including Paolo are also shocked.


    "?" Issei glanced at Salvatore Doni.


    "You still remember me? I''m the one you knocked out with one punch! Hey, nii-san, can we have another fight?" Salvatore Doni released his divine energy and also pulled out his sword.


    "Lord Salvatore, please stop!" They shouted with a pale face.


    This idiot is a that can be considered quite cooperative at times so to lose him just like that would be a massive loss for them.


    Issei boredly looks at Salvatore Doni before he flicked his finger at him creating a shockwave with his flick alone.


    *BOOM!*


    Before Salvatore Doni could react, he''s once again blown away just like his first encounter with Issei... He crashed a few dozen walls in his path before finally stopping without making another sound.


    "..." They speechlessly look at the second defeat of their . What the hell? It''s like he was flicking away a mosquito rather than a ...


    "You don''t need to second guess yourself. I''m the one who sealed their ability." Issei said towards Paolo: "Since I dislike being spied upon, I sealed their abilities temporarily. I''ll release the seal when I''m about to return to my world."


    "O-Oh, I see..." Paolo gulped anxiously.


    "Did you have any information where I can find the other Heretic Gods?" Issei asked Paolo directly. He doesn''t really have any high hopes from them but he might as well try.


    "...We''re not really sure if we can pinpoint the location of the Heretic Gods that we know. But, we do have some clues here and there..." As expected, they don''t know for sure.


    While Issei could use his power to scan this world, it would cause huge damage to their astral and real world in the process... Those Heretic Gods might resist by unleashing their divine energy into their surroundings.


    It will damage both worlds and Issei doesn''t plan to resort to that method. Killing the innocents without proper reason is not something he likes to do.


    While they''re still deciding on what to do next, Wo suddenly appeared before Issei while still in a kneeling position.


    They become alarmed seeing her appear out of nowhere.


    "Wo? What''s wrong?" Only after seeing Issei recognize this newcomer that they feel slightly relieved.


    "Master, Mistress Nero wanted to speak with you." Wo informed.


    "Nero?" Issei raised his eyebrows in wonder before he finally realizes something: "...Did Tamamo told her?"


    "Yes, Master." Wo nodded.


    Issei couldn''t help but smile wryly at this. Those two are often at each other''s foot as if they have some kind of rivalry going on between them... Especially when Tamamo told Nero that she''s a better bride than the latter.


    "Very well..." Issei sighed before he took out his phone.


    "...Nero? Why does that name sound familiar?" Erica muttered curiously.


    Not only her, Paolo and a few others are also feeling curious.


    The moment Issei''s call went through, a loud booming sound can be heard from the other side.


    [Master! I heard you have fun with that vixen!]


    "Don''t call her vixen... She''s your sister..." Issei lightly berated.


    [Humph! Before we are sisters, we are rivals!]


    "You two are really..." Issei shook his head in resignation.


    [Setting that aside, Master! I want my part as well!]


    "What part are you talking about?"


    [I want some alone time together, with just the two of us! No cheating allowed! I shall have you accompany this great me. Umu, think of it as a privilege from yours truly! Now wait right there, I will head to your location right away!]


    Without waiting for a reply from Issei, she already closed the phone...


    Issei couldn''t help but wryly smile at this. This little "tyrant" of his is really a handful... Not that he hates it though.


    A few seconds later, a portal appeared in front of Issei, and out of it, stepped out a blond-haired young girl of short but curvy stature with pale skin, yellow-ish blond hair with intake, and bright lime green eyes.


    She''s wearing a pure white dress that is skin-tight and a few frills here and there. It resembles a bridal outfit with a few customizations.


    "Umu! Your most beautiful wife has arrived, Master!" She declared loudly before jumping straight to his embrace.


    "Jeez... You''re impatient as always." Issei said helplessly.


    "Hehen! It is a crime to make an Emperor wait, Master! Especially so if that Emperor is your wife!" She snuggled her head on his chest while acting spoiled. Her ahoge is flailing around in happiness.


    "Where''s Sylvia? You didn''t leave her alone, right?" Issei asked about their daughter.


    "Of course not! Our little bundle of joy shall never be left alone as long as I''m alive! She''s currently playing around with her sisters and being guarded by my royal guards!" She said proudly: "Hm? Somehow this place looks very familiar..." She finally started to realize their surroundings.


    "These decorations... These layouts... And that sign... Umu umu... Aha! We''re in Rome, aren''t we Master?!" She exclaimed joyfully.


    "Well, not exactly in Rome but yeah."


    "Oohhh! How wonderful! Not only we get to spend some time together, but we will also be spending time in my empire!"


    "This Rome is not your Rome." Issei pointed out.


    "Don''t mind the small detail! It''s not romantic at all if you keep minding the small things, Master! Now, let''s embark on our journey in this sea of love together!" She was about to drag Issei along with her when she notices something.


    "..." Erica, Liliana, Paolo, and the others are staring at them with a slackjawed expression.


    "Oya, were you in the middle of something, Master?" Nero finally said after seeing the ''audience''.


    "...You just noticed that?" Issei said dryly.


    ...


    "Hah!?" A young man gasped loudly.


    This is one black-haired and black-eyed youth who looks around 17 years old with a face that''s not too fugly and not too handsome. Right now, he''s inside what looks like a hospital.


    He''s none other than the little ''drifter'' who happens to arrive in another world... And also the man who got knocked out by Kanna before.


    Lifting his head, he observed the room he''s currently in.


    "...Was that a dream?" He muttered to himself: "But... This is not my room. This is more like a hospital!"


    He hastily gets down from the bed only to wince in pain in the next second: "Hisss! That''s hurt!"


    He doesn''t see any visible wound on his body but it feels extremely numb and sore. It must be because of that little loli punch... He thought bitterly to himself.


    He then slowly walks towards the window and proceeds to see the scenery outside.


    "..." He becomes speechless at the outside scenery.


    Dragons flying in the sky, humanoid creatures of different races roam the street down below and what''s more eye-catching is that there''s also a giant robot in the distance...


    "...And is that a spaceship? Just what kind of world did I get transported into..." He couldn''t help but matter feeling at a loss.


    Who would''ve thought after he awakes from his ''sleep'', he would come to such a mysterious and fantastical scene?


    "Even though I got transported to another world, where is my cheat, damn it!" He couldn''t help but shed tears of sorrow.


    Should we say just as expected from an otaku youth?


    "System initialization¡­ initialization successful! Esteemed user, the system greets you¡­" Suddenly, a cold and mechanical voice resounded out of nowhere.


    His whole body jerked, screamed like a little girl, and jumped higher than never before, even before he went into a trashy otaku life, he was never this athletic.


    "Wh-wh who goes there, you think I am scared of you? I will have you know, even if you want to do me in, I choose to die from famine after binging on anime for 7 days and nights, I sure as hell won''t die in this no man''s land, you hear me?!" So the youth says while shaking in his boots and laughing unsteadily with an indescribably feeble tone.


    "..." The whole place fell into silence, the youth glanced right and left, completely unaware that he''s spouting appalling stuff.


    Gulping and resisting the urge to escape, he stuttered: "Sa-Say something y-you¡­" Is it a ghost?! First a fierce loli and now a ghost!? Hell no!


    One cannot blame him, take anyone, and put him in this situation, anyone wouldn''t be able to stay calm especially if they were only normal high school students who have never seen the cruelty of the outside world at first hand.


    Timidly looking around, he breathed in trying to calm down his pounding heart and then opening to speak once more: "Hey, the one who went by the name ''system''¡­"


    After that, the youth was stunned.


    System? That''s what I said right? He shouldn''t have heard it wrong! The legendary transport system? Midas''s finger? Old Grandpa who will guide him to reach the apex?


    This can''t be real can it?


    With his train of thoughts arriving here, the youth finally calmed himself, scratched his head and he mumbled with suspicion. "System?"


    Right after that, the mechanical voice resounded once more. "At your service, user."


    The youth''s heart jumped once more.


    He could deal with this situation with more composure after a bit of psychological preparation, this kind of setting, as long as it''s an otaku, he can guess what''s gonna happen from now on.


    "So¡­ system, where is this? What the heck happened earlier? Why am I here? And why didn''t you answer me the first time I tried to call you!?" Like a machine gun he shot his saliva, he can''t wait to find out what situation he is under.


    "Apologies, user. After you''re first awake, the system is still not ready yet. And your current world is called the ." The system explained.


    "? Why does it sound so ominous?" The youth mumbled.


    " is considered to be the biggest world in the multiverse. With millions of other worlds serving as its vassal. The young girl that knocks you out is one of the many princesses of this world''s ruler, Princess Kanna Souji Hyoudou. And the woman who protected the user at the last second is her mother, Lady Okita Souji Hyoudou... User is lucky to be alive because that one punch from princess Kanna would''ve killed user ten thousand times over and over again."


    With a few breaths and a dry laugh, he faced the crowded street and said: "...Can I go back to my old world?"


    "Negative. The user is dead back in his original world and lucky enough to come across the system before the user could enter the cycle of reincarnation. The system is a faulty product created by Lady Kathryn Lapucelle Hyoudou. She deemed the system is not strong enough so she discarded the system away."


    "Dead? I was dead? But how!?"


    "User did an anime marathon for three days straight without sleeping and died of a heart attack."


    "...Seriously?"


    "Affirmative."


    "..."


    "..."


    "You''re a faulty product you say?"


    "Indeed. That is why the system is a bit slow to awaken itself when host first woke up."


    "I see... If I''m dead then how come I''m still here? I mean, this body looks very alive to me." The youth said while pinching his hand.


    "The user''s current body has been reconstructed back by the system."


    "I thought you''re a faulty product. But you seem very useful to me..."


    "That''s because the user is too weak to notice the difference. For Lady Kathryn, the system is incomplete since it cannot grant the user a strength on par with Gods."


    "...Don''t you think her standard is too high?!"


    "Negative. Lady Kathryn herself is a True God so it''s normal for her to think that I''m weak."


    "...True God?" The youth''s face started twitching after thinking about it: "Well, whatever... I''ll just ask the detail later but why are the people you mentioned have the same surname? Are they sisters or something? And Hyoudou? Isn''t that a Japanese''s surname?"


    "Affirmative. ''Hyoudou'' is indeed a Japanese surname. The supreme ruler of this world name is Issei Savant Hyoudou, the number of wives he has is approximately 1269 and his descendants are 2021."


    "What the f*ck?! That dude has a MASSIVE Harem for himself!? Is there any justice left in this world!?" The youth exclaimed in shock: "And is he a reincarnator like me or something? How come he has a Japanese surname?"


    "Further information about the supreme ruler is classified. Out of system protocol, please probe around yourself."


    "I thought you were my system...?"


    "Correction, the system does not belong to the user. The system belongs to Lady Kathryn."


    "But didn''t she discarded you?"


    "It doesn''t matter if Lady Kathryn discarded the system. The system will always belong to Lady Kathryn."


    "Then that means if she wanted to take you back, she will be able to?"


    "Affirmative."


    "What would happen to me then?"


    "Nothing will happen. The user will only lose access to the system."


    "...What a fickle system I have... And here I thought you were a cheat... why did you choose me anyway?" He muttered depressingly.


    "The system chooses the user randomly. The user is lucky enough to be selected."


    "So what''s the advantage you can give me? Is there a skill that I can learn or something? I would prefer to get any advantage I can get before this Lady Kathryn take you back."


    "The system can guide the user to become strong enough to defend himself."


    "Explain..."


    "By doing missions, the user will gain points that can be used to increase his power."


    "What are the missions?"


    Easy difficulty mission list:


    "Do 100 push-up. Rewards: 10 points."


    "Do 100 sit-up. Rewards: 10 points."


    "Do 100 squats. Rewards: 10 points."


    "Do-"


    "Stop stop stop! Isn''t that mission too simple?! And how much worth are 10 points anyway?!"


    "100 points will enable the user to increase one of his attributes."


    "Since that''s the easy mission... What''s the hardest mission you have? The reward should be huge, right?"


    "Affirmative. The reward will enable the host to become one of the strongest beings in existence right away."


    "But you said you couldn''t grant me the strength on par with the Gods?"


    "Correction, the system will not be the one who grants you the reward. It will be the supreme ruler himself."


    "...How come I have a bad feeling about this hardest mission?"


    "The hardest mission which classified as ''Mission Impossible'' is to make one of his princesses to be your wife."


    "Huh... That doesn''t sound too bad." The youth blinked his eyes in confusion. That doesn''t sound that hard to be considered the hardest mission.


    And here he thought he will need to defeat the supreme ruler or something...


    "The supreme ruler is extremely doting on his descendants. No man has ever come close to them and leave unscathed."


    "..."


    "The princesses themselves are extremely close with the supreme ruler. No man other than their father could enter their eyes so far. Some even compete with their own mothers to gain their father''s attention."


    "..."


    "The odds of succeeding this mission is 0,00000001%. Rewards: Strength of a True God. The penalty of failure: Death and the extermination of your soul."


    "...Just kill me..."


    "The user can kill himself. The system will not assist the user to commit suicide."


    "F*ck you..."


    "The system has no gender and doesn''t have a body so it''s not possible."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Oh? You''re finally awake?" A cold voice suddenly entered the youth''s ear.


    The youth turned around only to see a goddess-like woman with long braided silver pink hair and red eyes. She wears a red coat and a black skirt with red trim, with white boots and gloves.


    "The person in front of the user is Lady Florence Nightingale Hyoudou. It is recommended for the user to not do anything disrespectful or he will lose his life. This time, even Lady Okita Souji won''t be able to protect you."


    The youth couldn''t help but gulp nervously.

 Chapter 167 - Side 24

    "Th-That Goddess seems to be looking this way!" The brown-haired boy said nervously when they saw Bai''er looking their way.


    "I wonder if she falls for my charm..." The black-haired boy said narcissistically.


    "Charm your head! As if such beautiful Goddess will fall for a country bumpkin like you! Not to mention you''re just a little brat!"


    "What did you say!?"


    While they''re bickering around with each other, the orange-haired boy feels extreme trepidation instead.


    ''Is she the Sage Emperor servant perhaps? And he sent her here to find me?!'' The orange-haired boy thought horrifiedly.


    ''No no no, I was given a chance to be reborn in the past, I can''t just let it end like this!'' While he''s still thinking to himself, Bai''er finally averted her gaze losing interest.


    The boy, or should she say, the old man within that boy''s body only piques her interest slightly. No more no less... She won''t go on her way to investigate it.


    This world also doesn''t belong to her big brother, the more reason why she shouldn''t care for it.


    The orange-haired boy froze before he sighed in relief. He ushered his friend to walk away since he doesn''t feel comfortable staying near Bai''er''s presence.


    Bai''er spends around 15 minutes walking around the city before she''s being confronted by a group of men.


    She frowned at these newcomers.


    "We heard you''re the one who''s responsible for hurting our young master... We need you to come with us." The foremost person in their group said condescendingly.


    Hurt that ugly bad guy from before? But she didn''t do anything of the sort... She only made them fell asleep?


    If Bai''er wanted to hurt that conceited young master then they won''t even know what happened to him in the first place... Not even the person in the surroundings would notice anything.


    He signalled his lackeys to surround Bai''er.


    They all leered at Bai''er''s beauty and some are even thinking of taking advantage when they have the chance.


    "We are from the , I advice you to not do anything rash and come with us quietly." He thought that by telling the target their backing then Bai''er would be afraid but he''s sorely mistaken...


    Even if they said that they''re the Gods of this world, Bai''er still won''t care.


    The surrounding onlookers hastily left the scene since they don''t want to be involved with the whole farce.


    The group of assailants started to close their distance slowly...


    Bai''er''s frown deepened sensing their movement. So many annoying people here... She''s thought irritatedly to herself.


    Well, she guesses she won''t be able to inspect this place being bothered like this...


    Bai''er decided to just leave this city for now and see if she can find something interesting later on... Wait... What''s considered interesting again? She never really care where she goes as long as she stays near her sisters and big brother.


    And Hong''er and Nyaruko is the one who usually decides where they go.


    While Bai''er is still thinking to herself, one of the men finally jumped on her feeling impatient: "I got you now!" He shouted excitedly.


    But when his hand about to touch Bai''er''s body, she disappeared from their field of view...


    "Wh-Where did she go?!" Their leader said confusedly.


    They started to look around their surroundings and even used their innate energy to locate Bai''er location but to no avail...


    "Find her! If she escapes then our head might roll!" The leader commanded direly.


    "...No need to wait... Your heads will roll now..."


    "...Eh?"


    The leader heard a cold and emotionless voice behind him and the next thing he knows, he saw his own headless body before his whole vision goes dark...


    When the leader loses his life, the same thing happened to his lackeys. All of their head rolled on the ground before they vanish into dust along with their body leaving nothing but an eerie silence...


    Nobody will know what just transpired here except for a certain orange-haired boy.


    The orange-haired boy was thinking to stay away from Bai''er but he suddenly feels curious and also worried about her.


    What he worries about is not Bai''er safety but rather her intention of coming to his city. He told his friends to go on ahead before he went after Bai''er.


    He decided to follow her around a bit to see what her intentions are but what he saw in the next few moments totally leave his body went cold.


    When Bai''er was surrounded by the people from , he immediately knows that those groups of ants won''t be able to do anything to Bai''er.


    If even he who has acc.u.mulated a vast knowledge and experience from his previous life can''t tell her true strength then what hope these group of weaklings have?


    He thought Bai''er would end them in an instant just like she did with Shen Fei''s group but looks like he was mistaken.


    When Bai''er disappeared, he also couldn''t pinpoint her location. And just when he''s about to leave the scene quietly, he saw those group of men''s heads started to separate from their neck down.


    The boy couldn''t help but let out a shocked gasp seeing the one who''s seemingly responsible for their death.


    There she was, standing amongst the dozen of men''s bodies before they turned into dust with a cold expressionless face...


    A thin and slender ample-b.r.e.a.s.ted young woman with pale white skin, glowing red eyes, and very long black-and-white gradient hair, wearing what appeared to be a white coat patterned with two black lines coming down at the middle, short sleeves, and a flowy white dress that was attached to it.


    She has very long hair which has a mostly black-and-white gradient, first going from black approximately near her shoulders to then go to a slightly blueish color below her waist, then a grey fade, and finally, white. One of her recognizable traits was the large, long white demon horns on her head. She also wore black high heel shoes and was surrounded by black flames.


    ''A Demon!'' The orange-haired boy thought shockingly when he saw her. She''s not using a demon spirit as they do but she actually looks like that!


    When he was still assessing the whole situation, his eyes met with the woman.


    ''Oh no! I have been discovered!'' The orange-haired boy thought horrifiedly.


    In the next moment, the boy''s body froze on the spot because the woman suddenly appeared in front of him. She''s staring down at him with a bone-chilling gaze.


    "..."


    "..."


    The woman narrowed her eyes and her killing intent is starting to suffocate the boy...


    Just when he thought he was going to lose his life, the woman suddenly reeled back her killing intent.


    Her face went back to its expressionless state: "...A reincarnator... But not a threat... Rei will report this to Master..." She mumbled before she disappears once again.


    Once she disappeared, the boy gasped furiously and his entire body is soaked with his own sweat.


    His body started to shook uncontrollably.


    Wh-What is she!? Not even when he''s faced with the Sage Emperor that he feel such trepidation!


    And she knows! She knows that he is basically a reincarnator!


    It took the boy half a day to get his bearings back. He then hurriedly returns to his friends'' side...


    ...


    Night arrived... Bai''er is seated on top of a tree while looking at the moonlight.


    She started thinking of what her next course of action should be.


    The abyssal human named Rei has already hidden herself once again without Bai''er knowing anything about it.


    During her planning, Bai''er went into a daze thinking that it has been a while ever since she''s been alone like this. In fact, this is the first time for her to be alone after her big brother saved her from that lonely place.


    As if sensing her feelings, the flowers and trees in her surroundings started to bloom on their own creating an otherworldly view... Sadly, no one else could witness it...


    The black spirit she carried with her also comes out of the gem and tried to comfort its new master.


    "Are you trying to cheer me up? Thank you, little black." Bai''er smiled at the black spirit.


    The black spirit started to fly around Bai''er feeling happy that it manages to lift Bai''er''s mood even by a little bit.


    "Nn?" When Bai''er is enjoying the view that the flowers and trees created for her, she notices someone coming her way.


    The flowers and trees ceased their movement at almost the same time.


    A slim young girl with long brownish-orange hair wearing a leather jacket, and was exuding a faint blue light comes to Bai''er''s view.


    The girl looks around her surroundings before she started to cultivate her strength. She was exuding a faint blue light with her brows furrowed deeply.


    Bai''er observed her cultivation without much interest. She notices that this girl cultivation is hurting her own body... The amount of energy contained within her body is too much for someone like her to handle.


    If left alone then she might become crippled or even worse...


    A few minutes later, the girl''s face started to show a pained expression but she still persists and continues to cultivate despite the pain she''s feeling.


    "...You''re hurting yourself." Finally, Bai''er decided to speak up.


    "Who!?" The girl suddenly opens her eyes, and frailly shouted, while retrieving a short dagger. She warily looked around to see who just spoke. But she couldn''t pinpoint the source of the voice until she felt a presence coming from above.


    When she looks up, she becomes dumbstruck...


    How beautiful... She thought amazedly to herself.


    "The way you''re cultivating will only bring harm to yourself." Bai''er continues speaking.


    "Wh-Who are you?!" The girl finally snapped out of her daze and asked warily.


    "Before asking for someone''s name, shouldn''t you introduce yourself first?" Bai''er said softly. Her big brother always taught her that after all.


    "Eh?" The girl let out a stupefied voice but couldn''t see what''s wrong with what Bai''er said so she introduces herself: "...My name is Xiao Ning''er. I''m from the ."


    Bai''er nodded slightly before she also introduces herself: "My name is Bai''er Hyoudou. I''m from the ." Seeing the other party also introduces her family, Bai''er decided to also introduce hers.


    "...?" Which family is that? Is there even a family with that name in ? The girl thought confusedly to herself.


    "Wait... What did you mean by the way I''m cultivating I will only bring harm to myself?" She suddenly asked.


    "There are bruises appearing on your body when you''re cultivating just now... Like the one in your leg." Bai''er pointed at Xiao Ning''er''s leg where a blue bruise can be seen.


    Xiao Ning''er looked down and sees the bruise on her leg.


    "At the current rate you''re going, I sensed that your cultivation will either drop drastically or even die altogether," Bai''er said calmly.


    After hearing Bai''er''s words, Xiao Ning''er was momentarily dazed. Both of her fists were clenched tightly, and her eyes reddened. But she still didn''t lose hope and asked: "How did you know for sure? Maybe my symptoms will be averted once I breakthrough to !"


    "I don''t care whether you believe me or not... My big brother told me to only lend a hand to those who truly need it. Since you don''t believe me then so be it." Bai''er was about to leave but Xiao Ning''er suddenly called out.


    "Wait!"


    "?" Bai''er tilted her head and waited for Xiao Ning''er to continues her words.


    "Since... Since you appear to know about my condition then... You should know how to treat it, right?" asked Xiao Ning''er hopefully: "If you''re capable of helping me then I will do anything to repay you! Even if you can''t cure me, can you at least tell me what kind of disease that I have?" She added desperately.


    "..." Bai''er went silent for a few moments before speaking: "I don''t know what your illness is called."


    Xiao Ning''er''s heart plummeted to rock bottom when she heard Bai''er but her next words made her froze instead.


    "But I can cure you."


    "...Really?!" Xiao Ning''er exclaimed hopefully after she snapped out of stuppor.


    "Mm." Bai''er simply nodded to her excitement.


    "Th-Then please cure me!"


    "...Alright." Bai''er thought for a moment before she flew down to Xiao Ning''er''s front.


    Xiao Ning''er took a step back when Bai''er arrived in her front.


    She feels inferior just by standing in front of such a Goddess like Bai''er.


    While she doesn''t care what other people think of her, Xiao Ning''er knows that she''s considered one of the top beauty among her peers. But... Now she knows that her beauty is basically negligible in front of such a peerless Goddess.


    "Stand still." Bai''er voice resounded.


    Bai''er lightly tapped Xiao Ning''er''s body with her finger and in the next moment, a black wisp of light started to acc.u.mulate on top of Bai''er''s finger.


    "Little black." Bai''er called out.


    The dark spirit appeared once again before it greedily swallows the black wisp of energy.


    Xiao Ning''er becomes slackjawed after seeing little black appearing out of nowhere.


    "It''s done." Bai''er said towards Xiao Ning''er.


    "Eh? Is that it?" Xiao Ning''er blinked in confusion.


    "Mm. Your body shouldn''t be in pain anymore when you''re cultivating... You can try."


    Albeit skeptical, Xiao Ning''er still tried cultivating... And much to her surprise, her body doesn''t feel any pain anymore and the speed of her cultivation has also increased twofold! The bruises on her body also disappeared!


    "I-It''s real! I''m not in pain anymore! And I have reached the 1-star Bronze rank!" She exclaimed joyfully.


    When Xiao Ning''er looked up to thank her savior, she saw that Bai''er has already disappeared.


    Xiao Ning''er dumbfoundedly looked around trying to catch the glimpse of Bai''er silhouette.


    "W-Wait, please wait! Please at least let me repay you! Miss Bai''er!" Xiao Ning''er shouted.


    But even after shouting for a while, Bai''er is still nowhere to be seen.


    Xiao Ning''er face become upset before she ultimately decided to return for now... But she will surely come back to this place and try to find Bai''er once again.


    Actually, Bai''er didn''t go that far. She just hid on top of the big tree where she was before.


    "..." She looked at the departing back of Xiao Ning''er and slightly muttered: "...She''s a good girl. Big brother will surely like her."


    ...


    "Guh..." A group of distressed girls laid on the ground feeling helpless. All of them are bound in black chains.


    "Fufu, you all pass."


    "...What?"


    Semiramis gives a faint smile at the group of girls before her.


    Despite facing a God, they still didn''t give up and still tried their best to overcome her.


    "As I said, you all passed with flying colors." Semiramis clapped lightly to congratulate them.


    "What are you talking about?" The girl with a military uniform groaned.


    "The reason why you''re all here was because you wanted to take back that boy you loved, right?"


    "H-Huh?! I-I don''t love Fuyuzora Kogarashi!" One of them with a ninja outfit said with furious blush adorning her face.


    "Now now, you don''t need to be so dishonest about your feelings. I can see it as plain as a day that you love him." Semiramis smirked.


    "Th-Th-That''s not true!"


    "Give it up, Sagiri-chan. Everyone knows that you love Kogarashi-kun." Another girl with the same similar ninja outfit pointed out.


    "Wh-wh-what are you saying!"


    "Nevermind all that! Give Kogarashi-dono back to us!" A girl of the Tengu race said.


    "Ohii-san, try not to rile her up too much... She''s hella strong and I don''t think getting on her bad side is something we want." A girl with a tomboyish attitude and tanned skin said with a sweat.


    "Now now, no need to be so hasty." Semiramis chuckled.


    "...What are your real purpose for taking Kogarashi and having us all here?" The woman in military outfit inquired cautiously: "With your strength, you could''ve killed us all at any given time. What you did so far could barely count as an attack. There''s no real killing intent behind it."


    Despite saying that, they all are basically down for the count already.


    They''re powerless and they don''t have any more spiritual energy left.


    The moment they arrived here, they are immediately assaulted by a huge killing intent that almost made them pass out on the spot.


    But out of their sheer will, they managed to stay awake. And after that, the results were clear... They don''t stand a chance fighting against Semiramis.


    She basically just toyed with them the whole time.


    Even now she''s still seated on her throne never taking a single step away from it.


    "My real purpose?" Semiramis grinned: "Nothing much... I just wanted to see with my own eyes just what kind of girls you all are."


    "?" They become further confused by what she said.


    "Wh-Where''s Kogarashi-san! Please let us see him!" A girl with multiple fox tails pleaded. She was one of the two ghosts that Semiramis revived. The other one being the woman with the military outfit.


    "Hmm... How should I say this..." Semiramis tapped her cheek with a slight frown: "The man you''ve known as Fuyuzora Kogarashi shouldn''t have existed in the first place."


    "...What are you talking about?"


    "You girls know what a clone is right? Just like the ninjutsu that ninja girl used earlier."


    "...Yes?"


    "Well, it''s basically the same case with Fuyuzora Kogarashi. He''s my husband''s clone... Sort of." Semiramis said.


    "...Huh?" Their mouths become wide agape in shock.


    "No need to be so surprised. You girls are from the supernatural world so it shouldn''t be too hard to understand, no?"


    "B-But that''s just... That''s just impossible! There''s no way Kogarashi-san is a clone! He has been living with us this whole time! I can feel his warmth when we slept together!"


    "Hoo?" Semiramis squinted her eyes at the fox woman: "You slept with him?"


    "E-Eh, no! Th-That''s just a figure of speech! I-I mean we do sleep in the same room but that doesn''t mean we did anything else!" She said embarrassedly.


    "Hmm... Well, what I said is true whether you believe it or not. My husband is a God just like me and he''s capable of creating a clone of himself. He created a clone of himself or avatar whichever you want to call it to see if his power can be copied or not." Semiramis explained.


    "One of the reasons why Fuyuzora Kogarashi is so strong was because he has a tiny portion of my husband''s strength within him."


    "No way..." They become downcast after hearing her words.


    "No need to feel so disheartened. It''s not like he''s truly gone... He just returned to my husband''s body." Semiramis snapped her finger to release them from their chain.


    "Here, let me show you something..." Semiramis waved her hand to project an image.


    On that image, they could see a devilishly handsome man with shoulder-length black hair. What made them dumbfounded is not simply because of the man''s feature but rather because he looks a bit similar with the man that they''ve been searching for.


    "That is my husband''s picture when he was a bit younger. Seems a bit familiar?"


    "...He looks like a mature Kogarashi-kun but much more handsome!" A busty oni from their side exclaimed with an amazed expression.


    "Fufu, it''s too soon to be surprised... Now, this is his current picture." Semiramis flashed a calculating smirk before she changed the image once again.


    This time the image shows Issei''s current look coupled with a killer smile from him.


    "..." All of them, without exception, become dazed at the sight of his picture.


    Semiramis who saw this grinned to herself. Looks like they''re going to have another batch of sisters soon...


    Semiramis narrowed her eyes and started to inspect them one by one.


    She teleported behind the woman wearing a military outfit first.


    "Wha-?!" The woman snapped out of her daze when she felt Semiramis''s presence behind her.


    "Hold still." Semiramis whispered before she started to grope her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "Kuh!" The woman groaned with a slightly flushed face.


    "O-Ouga-san!" They called out worriedly.


    "Fumu... Ouga Makyouin, was it? Nice b.r.e.a.s.ts... It should be perfect for b.r.e.a.s.tfeeding your child. And as for the h.i.p.s..." Semiramis started to caress her h.i.p.s and butt: "Also great, good for childbearing..."


    "Wh-What are you talking about?" She asked with a flushed face. The way Semiramis touches her body really makes her body goes all tingly and hot.


    There''s something else within that touch of hers! It''s not just a simple caressing! She probably used her magic! She has trouble standing upright just from her little touch.


    "Oh? Don''t mind me, don''t mind me... I was just inspecting your body~"


    "Y-You! Aah! Mmh! S-Stop that!"


    "Okay, that''s enough... You get a perfect score. Your body is really sensitive that it reminds me of one of my sisters. Now then, who''s next." Semiramis clapped her hand after she let go of Ouga Makyouin''s body. The latter dropped to the ground while breathing heavily.


    The rest of the girls are starting to tremble on the spot when Semiramis''s gaze landed on them.


    "Ah, let''s go with you next." Semirami''s eyes landed on the trembling fox woman.


    "Eep! N-No, do-don''t touch me there! Eek!"


    When Semiramis is done with her, she also dropped to the ground with her eyes spinning and her face couldn''t be any redder.


    "Mm, perfect score as well. Well... Who''s next?" Semiramis said with a refreshing smile.


    ...


    "Name."


    "Ryo Van Ho-"


    [It is advised for the user to not lie.]


    "...I mean, Ryo Fujiwara."


    "Race."


    "Human."


    "Age."


    "18."


    "Gender."


    "Isn''t it obvious that I''m a man?!" The young man couldn''t help but retort.


    "You can never be sure. One of my acquaintances is a male and he looks more beautiful than most females. The same thing might apply to woman albeit in reverse." She said while scribbling on her tablet.


    "Are you saying that I''m so ugly that even as a girl that I might look like a man instead?!"


    "To me, anyone other than my husband is average at most. Next question, Job." Nightingale said cooly and continues her questioning.


    "...I was a high school student," Ryo said depressedly.


    Nightingale then looked at the report on her report tablet.


    "It is said here that you passed out because of Kanna''s punch. Is it true?" She asked him while crossing her leg.


    "Yes." Ryo averted his gaze since he doesn''t want to die a second time so soon. The person in front of him is extremely beautiful but saying that she''s a flower with thorn is an understatement!


    Not only the person in question is powerful herself, but her husband is also the supreme ruler of this world! He might be not the sharpest tool in the shed but he ain''t the dullest either.


    "And the reason for that is because you''re daydreaming about being stronger than her father?" Nightingale continued her questioning without knowing the thousand thoughts that are currently circulating inside Ryo''s mind.


    "...I wasn''t aware that the Supreme Overlord is real." The young man answered helplessly.


    Who can expect some random crap he spouts turns out to be real?


    "Hmm, so you''re being delusional? Perhaps maladaptive daydreaming? Or perhaps dementia?" Nightingale muttered to herself.


    "It wasn''t all of the above!?"


    "As I said, you can''t be too sure. Let me bisect your brain and see if something is wrong with it."


    "Hell no!!!"


    "If you''re worried about the cost then you don''t need to worry since it''s for free. Think of it as an apology for Kanna''s action."


    "That''s not what I''m worried about! And I rather have something else as an apology!"


    "Such as?" Nightingale asked with raised eyebrows.


    "Uhhhh..." He becomes stumped thinking of what he should ask.


    ...Asking for one of her daughters'' hand in marriage to complete the hardest objective? No, that seems to be out of line... And he doubts that she will agree to it as well.


    When he was still thinking to himself, another voice resounded from the entrance.


    "Is he awake already?"


    Ryo lifted his head and saw the same woman and young girl who knocked him out.


    "Um, he''s just awake a few minutes ago." Nightingale nodded.


    "Good. Kanna, don''t you have something to say?" Okita Souji urged her daughter.


    "Uuu... But he lied... He said that he was stronger than papa..." Kanna said grumpily.


    "He doesn''t know, Kanna. He doesn''t know that your father is real, he is an otherworlder."


    Ryo gaped seeing how his ''secret'' identity got revealed so easily.


    [The user doesn''t need to be shocked. Lady Okita Souji and Lady Nightingale can easily discern your origin with just a single glance. The inhabitants of this world have mana flowing inside their body and the user has zero mana, hence your identity is quite obvious to them.] The system explained.


    [Also, the user is not the first otherworlder that got here.] The system added.


    Does that mean he''s nothing special? Damn it... Just when he thought that he finally has his dreams come true...


    His harem dream just went up into the smokes... Which teenager of his age doesn''t dream of a harem of their own?!


    "Come on, Kanna. Remember what your father said... If you''re in the wrong then..."


    "You have to apologize... Fine." Kanna is still pouting but she properly went forward and apologized at Ryo: "Sorry for hitting you."


    "E-Eh? Oh, I''m sorry as well for saying some random stuff. I didn''t know that your father is the Supreme Overlord." Ryo hastily does a follow-up with a deep bow.


    "Nn! Papa is the strongest!" Kanna lifted her chest in pride: "Nobody is capable of defeating papa!"


    Okita and Nightingale chuckled at their daughter''s words.


    "Okay, it''s time to go, Kanna. You have a class to attend to. We don''t want to be late." Okita clapped her hand: "And you, sorry for my daughter''s action once again. Feel free to take some rest here if you''re still feeling unwell. And welcome to , we hope you enjoy your stay here." She said with a thin smile.


    "G-Got it!" Ryo couldn''t help become mesmerized at Okita''s smile.


    [It is advised for the user to not have any ideas towards Lady Okita Souji. The only outcome you will face is eternal death.] The system warned.


    ''I-I know! I was just charmed slightly by her smile, that''s all.''


    "Well, we''ll take our leave. Come, Kanna. Say goodbye to your Nightingale mama."


    "Um. See you later, Gale mama!" Kanna gives Nightingale a hug.


    "Un, take good care of your health, okay? Don''t let mama here find you being sick." Nightingale said with a pampering smile.


    "Okay!"


    "Then, see you later, head nurse."


    Then the two of them left the hospital.


    "Well, seeing that you''re a newcomer here. You might as well go check the adventurer''s guild if you want. You can do some odd jobs while you''re getting yourself used to this world." Nightingale said towards the dazed Ryo.


    Of course there''s an adventurer''s guild... Ryo thought excitedly to himself but when he remembers that he basically doesn''t have any cheat, he started to feel upset once again.


    "Take this pill to unlock your mana potential and here''s some cash to help you buy some stuff." Nightingale gave Ryo a small bag and a blue pill.


    "Th-Thank you."


    "If you have anything you need to ask then just ask the system in your body. It should be able to assist you quite a bit. Don''t worry, we won''t be taking the system away from you since Kathryn doesn''t really care whether you have it or not." Nightingale continued.


    "G-Got it..." Ryo couldn''t help but smile bitterly. All of his ''secrets'' are easily exposed right from the start... Can this still be considered a dream come true? Guess not but at least he gets to know about magic...


    And didn''t she said that this pill will help him unlock his mana potential? He wonders if he possesses some monstrous talent in magic! He started to become excited once again.


    Ryo then hastily swallows the pill...


    "...O-Oh! I-I can feel it! This power!" Ryo exclaimed joyfully.


    This is it! His moment has come! Now come to him! Ultimate strength! He will become the strongest magician there is!


    ...


    ...


    Huh? Why did it suddenly disappear? That overpowered feeling suddenly just went poof...


    [Congratulation to the user. You have successfully awakened your magic potential.]


    Huh? But he hardly feels any difference? And where did that huge strength that he just felt a moment ago went?


    [That short power spike is normal for anyone that has awakened their magic potential for the first time. With that said, the user has a mediocre magic talent... Your magic talent is at rank-D at most.]


    Rank-D? That''s it?!


    "..."


    Ryo slumped to the ground feeling more upset than before...


    While he''s still feeling down, the system continued to inform him of the power classification.


    [The ranks from the bottom to top are as such: G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, EX.]


    Ryo is too upset to properly listen to the system that he just started to shed tears instead.


    "Are you that happy from unlocking your magic potential? Congratulations then." Nightingale said.


    Happy? He feels upset, damn it! All of his dreams just went into smokes! No talent, no cheat... This system is also a super fickle system that could leave him at any time! This is such a shitty isekai life!


    "You can still rest here if you want just like Okita said. I have other appointments so I got to go now." Nightingale picked her tablet up and proceed to leave the room.


    Ryo is still slumped on the ground feeling upset with his whole situation...


    ...


    Somewhere in the void between worlds...


    This place is not dark like the normal void but rather there''s a floating castle and its surroundings are filled with beautiful sceneries.


    Standing amongst the flower fields is a young girl with flowing white hair and striking golden eyes.


    "Damn ants... With such limited knowledge. they keep jumping around the void without thinking of the consequences." The young girl scowled: "They''re only making father and mother jobs harder."


    She doesn''t want these ants to create new trouble for her parents since it will take away their time together. Don''t they know just how busy they are nowadays?


    While the young girl is still cursing the ''ants'' within her mind. A portal appeared behind her.


    "Hey, sis. Why look so gloomy?" Out of it, came another tall young girl with a curvy build with long dark brown hair, with the top tied up with a white hairpin and her fringe slightly covering her left eye, and red eyes.


    "Mm? You''re here? Is it time already?" The white-haired girl glanced at the newcomer and her gaze softened by quite a bit.


    "Yup." The dark brown-haired girl nodded with a grin.


    "Oh, I''ll be right with you."


    "You better be quick. Taotao went ahead of us and she might get a headstart already. I heard she just returned with mother Yunyun earlier today." The dark brown-haired girl added with a chuckle.


    "What? Then we better hurry!" The white-haired girl becomes tense and hurriedly flew towards the portal. Thinking about their sister who loves to pull pranks on her own family members gives her a headache.


    "Hahaha. No need to rush that much. We can just ask dad for another one later." The dark brown-haired girl followed after her.


    "I heard father is currently with elder sis- I mean mother Bryn and mother Nero. So he''s not available right now." The white-haired girl said while they''re still flying in the void.


    "Hee, is that so? I wonder if I should go after them instead?


    "Mother Forzelotte has warned all of us to not follow after him... I heard eldest sister got caught redhanded when she was about to go to father''s side. You know how wary mother Forze is nowadays."


    "Eldest sister got caught? Hahaha! Now that''s something we don''t hear every day." The dark brown-haired girl laughed out loud: "By the way, what''s that in your hand?" She pointed at the black and red cube in her hand.


    "Huh? Oh right. I forgot about this ant." The white-haired girl tossed the cube away carelessly not caring where it will land.


    "Is that okay? Just throwing it like that? I sense a lifeforce within that cube."


    "It''s just an annoying ant. There were two of them but I already tossed the other one away to who knows where."


    "Hee, oh well. Hey, sis, want to hear about my trip to the sea this time? I managed to score a giant sea serpent earlier! I bet if we ask dad to cook it for us then it will be extremely delicious!"


    "I''ll hear it when we get back. Besides, why do you like mingling in that tiny world anyway? That world Gods are too useless that they couldn''t even keep the order of their world properly."


    "Because it''s fun! And you always say that you will listen later... Well, no matter. I can just share my stories with our little sisters. I bet they will be thrilled about their big sis adventure. Then I''ll get to be their fun big sis! Rather than a certain someone who''s always overly serious."


    "I''m not always overly serious!"


    "Who said anything about you?"


    "You... Fine, whatever."


    "Aww, don''t be mad, sis... I''ll share my spicy fried meat and tofu with you later."


    "I don''t like spicy food."


    "Even though father is the one who made it?"


    "...I''ll think about it."


    "That''s the spirit!"


    While the two sisters are having fun with each other, the cube landed in a dark abyss somewhere...

 Chapter 168 - Side 25

    "What business you have here anyway, Master?" Nero finally asked Issei: "Umu... Are they trying to bribe you using these artifacts?" She pointed at the numerous artifact and tools laid before them.


    "Hmm, you''re not wrong. You could say that they''re trying to bribe me in a way." Issei said after a little bit of thinking.


    "Umu! Then what are you waiting for! Just take all of them!" She didn''t even wait for their confirmation and swooped all of the artifacts into her spatial storage: "There! Problem solved!"


    Erica and the others had their face twitch furiously seeing how Nero just took all of their items like that.


    Even Issei only looks at a few of them...


    "What problem solved, you little devil." Issei sighed wryly and lightly tapped Nero''s head.


    "Since they''re trying to bribe you then you should just take everything they have! Take each and every bouquet offered to you! That''s my principle!" She said boastfully: "Now then, let''s embark on our journey, Master!"


    She then dragged Issei out of the building without caring for anything else...


    "...Erica, Liliana. Go act as their guide. I believe his excellency didn''t know much about our world''s attraction." Paolo said towards his niece.


    "Understood, uncle! Let''s go, Lili."


    "E-Eh? Um, got it."


    The two of them then hastily follow after Issei and Nero.


    Paolo who''s left behind rubbed his temple tiredly.


    To think that the old Emperor of Rome would appear here... Ah, should he say Empress instead seeing that Nero is a woman? Well, no matter. He''s extremely relieved since they don''t seem to be causing trouble in their world.


    ...


    -Sanctuary Yomotsuhirasaka-


    It was a sanctuary that should be named like that by the people of the surface.


    As a world of mythology, as expected there were also gods living there.


    It was deep inside the earth, a territory that was ruled by darkness.


    Because of that, it was also called a country of night view, underworld, etc.


    At the entrance of Yomotsuhirasaka, there was an absurdly large rock at the side.


    One had to look up at the rectangle wall of rock. It was called the Thousand Pulling Stone. It was named so because it would finally move only with a thousand people pulling it.


    The stone suddenly trembled slightly and the intensity of its tremor is increasing by the second until it finally breaks into pieces.


    The rotting corpse of a woman emerged from the entrance...


    Her flesh was rotting off everywhere, the white of her bones became exposed. Countless maggots were crawling on that rotten limbs, making a rumbling sound that sounded like thunder...


    "...Finally the surface... My country..." The woman said joyfully before her expression turned menacing: "I resent you, mine husband! Even though I told you not to look why are you still looking back then... I resent you!" She yelled with hatred.


    [Didn''t you promise me...]


    [Don''t tell me you''re.... Izanami, my wife?]


    [I didn''t want to show this rotten body only to you!]


    [To think that one who fell into the underworld will be corrupted to this degree¡­]


    [Even though I told you not to look why are you still lookinggggggggg!]


    [You''re noisy, damn monster! The soul of my wife Izanami has disappeared since long ago!]


    The dead wife went into a fit of anger, while the husband who broke his promise became defiant...


    They did a little chase in the underworld until the husband finally sealed the wife with the Thousand Pulling Stone.


    Remembering that moment, the woman, no, the Goddess named Izanami body spits out a large amount of black miasma.


    She was the mother of country founding and now became the goddess of the underworld.


    Her black miasma suddenly jerked slightly before it turned slightly red in color.


    "?!" The woman becomes alarmed and she gained her clarity by a little bit: "...This presence..." She muttered.


    Her body flinched slightly and she hugged her own body feeling some outside energy starting to affect her body.


    "Ugh... This... Feeling..." She groaned.


    Her festering and rotten body were starting to heal bit by bit. Her skin was returning into a soft and smooth white skin that was like silk.


    The garment covering her body was also changing from a scrapped rag into the kimono of an imperial queen.


    In the end, her rotting body is nowhere to be seen and its place appeared a woman that has features befitting that of a Goddess.


    Izanami has black hair and black eyes, a slender face that looked unhappy. Her limbs were slender with a slim waist of a willow tree. She was terribly dainty, but on the contrary, she also looked terribly coquettish because of that. Izanami was wearing a blue round-necked robe worn by members of the nobility and the imperial court with tight sleeves, along with a black ancient skirt.


    Even though her whole body is still covered in miasma, her menacing aura is slightly weakened. Her resentment towards her husband is still there but the hatred is not overwhelming as before.


    She tried raising the dead from the underworld but instead of reviving, they ignored her completely and instead went back into the Underworld. Some even moved on into the river of reincarnation...


    "What... What''s happening..." Izanami muttered confusedly: "This divine energy... is healing me but also affected my divinity. Another God or Goddess is behind this? No... This is not a divine aura belonging to a simple God!"


    Now that she thinks about it... Why did the seal that locked her in the Underworld suddenly break on its own?


    "Ah!" She suddenly slumped to the ground. Her face becomes flushed and she started to understand this red miasma''s property.


    "This miasma is not my own... No, it was still mine but it is slowly changing and starting to affect me instead. How can this be... What kind of divinity could affect a Goddess such as me to this extent!" Her body sparkled with lightning and she created a spatial distortion.


    She hastily entered the spatial distortion and tried to find the owner of the red miasma. Once she manages to pinpoint its location, Izanami departed leaving behind her previous domain.


    In fact, not only here, the same thing is happening all over the world.


    ...


    Issei''s eyes flashed slightly while looking at the sky. Looks like the "seed" he scattered for the last few days is starting to sprout.


    He spread out a tiny amount of his energy to this world hoping that it will serve as a catalyst of some sort to brings out the hidden or sealed Heretic Gods.


    Since most Gods are arrogant beings then they will obviously investigate the one who''s affecting their divinity.


    "Look here, Master! Does it look good on me?" Nero flashed the necklace she just bought at Issei.


    "Mm, you do look great in that." Issei took his gaze back from the sky and looked at Nero.


    "Hehen, but of course! Anything I wear will look great on me!" Nero said in pride.


    "Sure sure." Issei sighed helplessly looking at this hyperactive wife of his.


    "Let''s go buy some swimsuits! It''s been a while ever since we last buy a swimsuit for ourselves!"


    They have been at it for hours already but it seems she still hasn''t had enough. He''s MORE than used to accompany his wives on a date so Issei doesn''t really care.


    While the two of them are having their little date, Erica and Liliana who have been following them the whole time are feeling speechless.


    "...To think that his wife is that Nero Claudius..." Liliana muttered incredulously.


    "Indeed..." Erica nodded absentmindedly.


    "What are you thinking about, Erica?" Liliana asked seeing Erica being absentminded.


    "...I''ve been thinking. Is the even needed at this point? Seeing how this unknown God will take care of the Heretic Gods in their stead. It''s been just a few days but he has already taken down 3 Heretic God... plus a if I might add."


    "Don''t take things for granted, Erica... He might be helping us now but who knows what will happen in the future. He never said that his ''job'' is permanent. What if when he left our world, new Heretic Gods will start to appear? Without the , we will be completely helpless."


    "Well, you''re right. It''s just that... No, maybe it was just my emotions getting the better of me." Erica said with a wave.


    "...I know that he has a charming face but remember that he''s a God. There''s no way he would fancy us, mortals."


    "Huh?" Erica at first feel confused as to why Liliana suddenly said what she just said but then she understood: "Umm, Lili... What I meant by my emotions getting the better of me is not what you think... I was just feeling unbelievably small and weak after knowing that there''s even God above God. Not because I was smitten by his charm..."


    "..."


    "Hehe, so that''s how you feel about him... Who would''ve thought that late bloomer and stern Lili would-"


    "Shut up!" At this point, Liliana''s face couldn''t be any redder.


    "No need to be so shy, Lili. Even I have to admit that he''s truly charming. It''s no wonder an innocent girl like you would be smitten silly by him~. I wonder if you already write a romantic scene about him and-"


    "I said shut up!" Liliana draws her sword and slashed at Erica out of pure embarrassment: "I told you to keep ''that'' a secret!"


    Erica easily dodges her sword while laughing still.


    "So that man is the unknown God who defeated Marquis Voban and Salvatore Doni?" Suddenly a woman''s voice was heard, carrying a melodic grace, it was a refreshing and beautiful voice.


    Both Erica and Liliana become alerted and hastily look behind them only to see a young woman wearing a traditional Chinese outfit.


    "Yes, Master. He''s indeed the newly appeared God in the rumors." Beside her, a slender young man said respectfully: "He singlehandedly killed Marquis Voban and two Heretic God and also subdued another Heretic God that goes by the name Athena."


    "I see..." The young woman nodded gravely.


    This is truly unprecedented. Less than a week, this unknown God has already subdued three Heretic God and also the oldest .


    "Lu Yinghua... and Cult Leader Luo Hao. To think that they would come to Italy so soon..." Erica muttered solemnly.


    "Doesn''t she shut herself in the Mount Lu convent all day long and hate going out?" Liliana is also feeling tense in the presence of Luo Hao.


    "Our Divination stated Monkey Divine Monarch will appear here... While I''m curious why it suddenly able to break free from his seal on his own, that doesn''t really matter. Meeting this unknown God can be considered a bonus." Luo Hao said coldly ignoring Erica and Liliana.


    "Be careful master. He''s not to be taken lightly." The slender young man, Lu Yinghua advised.


    "I have never taken my foe lightly. Especially if they''re someone capable of defeating two of my brethren with ease." Luo Hao scolded.


    "Yes, Master. It was my mistake..." Lu Yinghua said poutingly.


    Luo Hao snorted at her disciple and strode forward bypassing Erica and Liliana. Lu Yinghua stays in the same spot since he will only get in the way when the time comes.


    "...Should we stop her?" Liliana whispered.


    "No need. And it''s not like she would listen to us anyway seeing that she''s ignoring us from the beginning. We better evacuate this area though... Just in case." Erica said with a wave.


    "Oh my, it''s getting rowdy in here." Another voice resounded.


    "Hm? Lucretia? What are you doing here?" Erica said after realizing the newcomer''s identity.


    "I was going to greet our main star of the day but it looks like someone else beat me to it. Oh well, I guess I will have to wait for my turn." Lucretia said with a shrug.


    "You wanted to greet ''him''? What for?" Erica inquired.


    "That''s a secret~." Lucretia winked.


    Luo Hao walks closer to Issei''s location while being battle-ready the whole time.


    She covered her entire body with her Qi and activated several of her .


    "Muh?" Nero is the first to show a reaction to Luo Hao approaching them.


    Issei also took a glance at the approaching Luo Hao.


    Once Luo Hao arrived in their front, she introduced herself: "Greetings, God of another world. My surname is Luo, with the given name Cuilian, and style Hao. The leader of the holy cult, the one standing astride the martial pinnacle." Once she introduced herself, she took her stance.


    "?" Nero tilted her head feeling intrigued: "What is she doing, Master? Is she looking for a fight?"


    "Seems like it." Issei sighed tiredly.


    "How tactless! Can''t you see that we''re having a date right now?" Nero said fumingly.


    "Well, it is as my wife says... If you want a fight then wait until our date is done. That applies to all of you." At first, Issei said towards Luo Hao but then he looks to the side where a spatial distortion started to appear one by one.


    "Hn?" Luo Hao knitted her eyebrows after sensing the numerous divine presence appearing one by one.


    One... Five... Ten... Twenty... Fifty...


    A large group of Gods started to appear around Issei surrounding him.


    Some shown a look of disdain towards Luo Hao while some had their eyes stuck on Issei and Nero unblinking.


    And amongst those Gods, one of them is the God that Luo Hao has been looking for.


    "So you''re here at last... Counting by our calendar, it was a hundred years ago. However, your exquisite methods, the godly skill you employed to subdue the dragon god that laid waste to Tokyo, are still fresh in my memory... Monkey divine monarch, Sun Wukong."


    Sun Wukong has the form of a monkey with golden fur and red eyes that walks upright and is the size of an a.d.u.l.t human.


    "Hoh, a god slayer from my homeland, huh... While fighting you might be fun, this kin of mine who "summoned" us all here looks far more intriguing."


    "...So many Heretic Gods!" Liliana muttered in shock.


    "Why here of all places?!" Erica exclaimed.


    "Wait... Didn''t they say that they were summoned? Then that means..." Liliana said while biting her lips.


    "Yup, his excellency must''ve summoned them to deal with them in one fell swoop~," Lucretia said nonchalantly.


    "You summoned them here, Master." Nero said while giving Issei a side glance.


    "Err, I kinda did but I didn''t think that they will arrive so soon," Issei said.


    "Ohhh, to think that I''m able to meet such a lovely maiden here out of all places!" One of the Gods who have the appearance of a handsome young man wearing white clothing, including a cloak said boisterously. He''s riding a pegasus and he was referring to Nero who''s clad in her white bridal outfit.


    "Not only that, but you also wear a bridal outfit befitting of this great Hero! Truly beautiful!"


    "Mu?" Nero frowned deeply at him.


    The idiot of a self-proclaimed hero keeps talking on his own without realizing that he just overstepped his boundary.


    "Allow me to introduce myself, beautiful maiden. My name is Perseus! To show your respect to the great name of the Dragon slaying warrior, I allow you to come by my side and serve me!"


    Perseus flashed a brilliant smile, showing his pearly-whites teeth.


    He was surely not your normal pretty boy, his smile both bold and charming. But all Nero felt for him is pity and also annoyance... Pity for this foolish idiot.


    She glanced to her side and flashed a wry smile... Ah, as expected... Master is angry. She thought silently to herself. May you rest in peace, flamboyant idiot.


    "While I want to continue our talk. It would be best if you stood back. The role of a young maiden is to stand by and wait to be saved by the hero, and offer her love to the victorious. It would be presumptuous of you to interfere any more than that! Now you just need to wait while I handle that-"


    "Handle what exactly?"


    "!!!"


    Perseus''s eyes went wide seeing the glaring red eyes in his front.


    As expected of a former "Hero" his reaction isn''t slow. A sword materialized in his palm.


    It was over a meter long, its blade thick and heavy like a cleaver. A fitting sword for a hero, or so he claims.


    At speeds beyond what Erica and Liliana''s eyes could follow, his movements were like that of a meteor, terrifyingly fast. He slashed at Issei...


    But Issei easily caught the sword with his bare hand and then he grabbed Perseus''s face with his other hand.


    He proceeds to slam Perseus''s body down to the ground destroying their surroundings.


    Thankfully Erica and Liliana have already evacuated the surrounding area or there will be casualties.


    Issei repeatedly smashes Perseus''s head to the ground again and again. Loud booming sounds repeatedly resounded that it even shook entire Italy. The people in Italy thought that it was an earthquake but Paolo and few others know that it was something else...


    After a few moments, Issei lets go of Perseus''s head which has already beyond disfigured. He couldn''t be any deader at this point but Issei is not done yet.


    Still not satisfied, Issei lifted his leg and stomped at Perseus''s head yet again.


    *BANG!!!*


    Every single God in the vicinities gulped audibly at this display of power. Some even had their bodies shook and wanted to leave the location right away but their pride won''t allow them.


    The first half was just pure raw strength but that last stomp contain divine energy that made their body shiver to their very core.


    Not only that, they can tell that Perseus was trying to use his divinity the whole time during his beatdown but it seems that his divinity won''t activate no matter what...


    They don''t have the intention of helping Perseus since they wanted to see Issei''s capabilities but it looks like they get more than what they bargained for.


    "*Whistle* Now that''s what I call a beatdown..." Sun Wukong whistled at the sight.


    Even Luo Hao is having a cold sweat after witnessing Issei''s action.


    That sword of Perseus is indeed fast but she could still counter it. But as for that grab by Issei... She couldn''t see it!


    But that ferocity... Um, she likes it. Such tyrannical display is truly befitting for someone who defeated two .


    Once the dust settled, Perseus''s body is nowhere to be seen.


    All that''s left is the giant crater where his body once was located.


    Issei snorted and waved his hand to revert the surrounding back to normal. It''s as if the destruction that happened earlier never happened in the first place.


    "...Good for you two, looks like you won''t have to worry about the damage," Lucretia muttered jokingly.


    Both Erica and Liliana nodded dumbly at her words.


    Issei then went back to Nero''s side not giving the other Gods another glance.


    "You''re done venting your anger, Master?" Nero asked with a smile.


    "I wasn''t angry..."


    "Sure you don''t." Nero chuckled: "I wanted to continue our date but it looks like we won''t be able to..."


    "Why? We can just ignore them."


    "I know we could but it won''t be as fun. We can continue our date tomorrow, Master."


    "Are you sure? We can go to another place if you want."


    "Don''t mind, don''t mind. I rather we have another date tomorrow rather than finishing our date today." She said with a wink.


    "Well, if you say so."


    "Umu. Now let''s go and finish your job here. Shall I give you a hand, Master?" She took out her sword and asked.


    "Hm, why not?" Issei said with a thin smile.


    "Please wait!" One of the Gods called out.


    Both Nero and Issei looked at the God who just spoke.


    "We are of the same... So why would you go on your way to kill your own kind, my kin?" A Goddess with the appearance of a 15-16-year-old girl with silver hair, long lashes, and rosy cheeks. She is the embodiment of maidenly beauty. However, her arms, legs, and lower torso are made of brass prostheses.


    "A person as beautiful as you shouldn''t contaminate your hand with the blood of your own kind." She said softly: "Come and join us, beautiful one." She activated her charm magic hoping to entice Issei.


    "..., Nuptiae Domus Aurea! Sing, Fax Caelestis!" Nero slashed at the Goddess''s direction.


    *Slash!*


    "...Eh?" The Goddess''s body is bisected in half before she explodes in flame.


    "Hmph! Did you think I''m nonexistent? Trying to seduce my husband right in front of my eyes. You''re either brave or simply stupid!" Nero said in disdain: "Umu! Master, let''s wipe them all!"


    Issei shook his head at her declaration: "...Who''s the one being angry now?" He whispered.


    "While that woman just now did something foolish. Care to tell us why you start killing your own kind, your eminence?" A God with three eyes asked.


    The rest of the Gods are also taking their distance from the fuming Nero.


    "Bah, stop asking questions! Since when did our kind need a reason to do things? We can do whatever we want!" Sun Wukong said with a laugh.


    "...While I agree with your answer, I still feel curious." The God said in return.


    Even Luo Hao didn''t think Sun Wukong answer is wrong since she also have the same view as him.


    "Are you protecting these humans, perhaps? From how you reverted the damage you caused to your surroundings just now, it can be seen that you seem to care about these humans wellbeing." The God continues asking Issei but then he suddenly changes his attention to Luo Hao: "And you should also share the same view as us, don''t you, God slayer? Human is not worthy enough to be in our presence."


    "You are correct, I am the Ruler of the Martial Realm, the conqueror that none may oppose. My will is the will of the heavens and the truth of the earth. In my view, humans are undeserving of mercy or benevolence. From the perspective of the earth and the sky, it is debatable whether human existence is good or bad..." Luo Hao replied.


    "Ugh, aren''t they here for a fight? Why did they suddenly start asking questions instead!?" Nero said impatiently.


    "Apologies, but it''s just within my nature." The God said: "And we''re not really here to have a fight with him... We were just ''summoned'' here."


    "Lies. You have clearly displayed your hostility towards us when you just arrived earlier." Nero pointed out.


    Indeed, when they first arrived, they already used their divine energy to test Issei out. If he''s weak then perhaps they would''ve already killed him directly.


    "And Master was once a human himself, so of course he would care for them." Nero said nonchalantly.


    "!?" Their eyes went wide in surprise.


    "...He was a human?" Erica mumbled under her breath.


    "Does that means he''s a ? No that doesn''t sound right either. If he''s a then the other wouldn''t call him a God. And his divine energy is nothing like the other ." Liliana thought aloud.


    "Oh my... We clearly uncovered some of his secret, but why it feels like he become more mysterious instead?" Lucretia sighed.


    "...You were once a human?" Sun Wukong said feeling intrigued than ever: "Hey, tell me how you''re able to become a God! I mean I was an animal myself but seeing a human become a God is a first for me."


    "I see that you Sun Wukongs have the same personality to certain extent." Issei said with one of his eyes closed.


    "Sun Wukongs?" Sun Wukong tilted his head in confusion.


    While he''s confused, Erica, Liliana, Lucretia, and Luo Hao understand what Issei meant.


    "There''s also the Monkey Divine Monarch back in your world?" Luo Hao asked aloud.


    "Of course," Nero answered in place of Issei.


    "Back in your world? You mean you''re not of this world?" The Gods said in surprise.


    "Now this clear thing up... No wonder we don''t have a single clue about your identity." The God with three eyes nodded in realization.


    "Enough chit chat! And Master, until when are you going to hide your strength?" Nero said.


    "Hmm, I was waiting if there will be more Heretic Gods appear here but it looks like this is it. Fewer than what I would expect but oh well..." Issei said with a sigh.


    "Few? You''re saying that all of us present can be considered few? Even a couple of us could easily annihilate this country with ease even with that God slayer present!" One of the Gods said in disdain: "That idiot you killed earlier is nothing but a weakling!"


    Nero looked at this God with a look as if she''s looking at an idiot. Weakling? As if you yourself could easily kill another God like that.


    "Hmm, I guess we don''t need to wait anymore..." The moment Issei released his aura, a tyrannical and domineering aura instantly surged out like a tsunami. The Gods felt as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss as a frightening and icy aura shrouded the entire area, leaving them immobile.


    The Gods whose divinity related to immediately kneeled on the ground on their own.


    "...This divine aura..." Sun Wukong face turned grim.


    "Oi oi oi... Are you joking?" A carefree-looking God with a pair of horns said. Even though he looks carefree, his body could be seen trembling ever so slightly.


    "Why are they kneeling? I know that this aura is out of this world but, don''t they have any shame?" A prideful God with three heads and six arms said while resisting Issei''s aura.


    Issei''s current aura obviously isn''t at its full strength since if he releases all of his strength then this world would undoubtedly explode.


    "Hnn... There''s quite a bit of them that could realize Master''s ''true'' strength, huh?" Nero said while tapping her cheek: "Well, no matter. We can just leave those who are kneeling for later! Let''s go, Master!" Nero also releases her strength to match Issei.


    "Ou." Issei simply nodded.


    The two husband and wife then went on a killing spree... Well, Issei didn''t really do anything but Nero is.


    Nero wildly danced on the battlefield, wherever she passes, there would be blood sprays out from the surrounding Gods'' body. She repeatedly attacking again and again without end.


    Her movement is very precise and on point, she doesn''t let a single attack come close to her body.


    "Fuhahahaha! Tremble before the might of this Nero Claudius! No... Call me Nero Bride instead! Umu, I''ll grow stronger and more gorgeous than ever! Clear the way! The emperor is coming through!" She wildly laughed.


    "You''re not a bride anymore though..." Issei said wryly while flicking away a God who comes close to him.


    "Shush, Master! Don''t ruin my moment!" Nero said with a pout: "You don''t think this is the right outfit for a fight? But a bridal gown by definition is a woman''s battle garb... Just you wait, Master. I''ll protect you like never before!"


    Issei could only shake his head at her declaration. What protection? He''s the man here so he should be the one who protects her. Well, as long as she''s happy then Issei will just let her be.


    Nero''s sword''s edge was wrapped in a burning flame. It appeared unexpectedly with a twisting flame tornado. The whistling of air ripping apart made them unable to help but cover their ears, and this attack of Nero split apart a couple of Gods in the process.


    "What the hell is wrong with this woman!? How come even with our divine perception we still couldn''t catch her movement!" One of The God who has her arm cut off shout out.


    "And not to mention that our divinity is mostly useless! We can only rely on our pure strength and magical energy!" Another followed up.


    "And that man... That man still hasn''t made any movement..." They looked at Issei warily who only stood silently in the middle of the battlefield.


    Issei is only observing Nero while he casually deflected any attack that comes his way. It doesn''t seem that he has any intention of making an attack of his own.


    "...Is he treating us as a training dummy for his woman?!" One of the Gods said through gritted teeth after realizing Issei''s attention.


    "Oh? You''re smarter than I thought." Issei casually remarked: "You all are nothing but ''experience'' for my wife. Try not to die so soon now." He lightly chuckled.


    "You!"


    "All of you down there! Why don''t you help us! Stop acting so disgraceful!" They growled at the kneeling God on the ground.


    "...Fool." Izanami muttered while sweating profusely: "You have no idea who you''re facing with right now."


    "Hah?! Who are you calling a fool!"


    "...Milord, seeing that we are from the same homeland. Can you please let me go?" Izanami asked fearfully whilst still kneeling on the ground: "And if you still have to kill me no matter what... At least, please let me kill my husband first. And if you let me, I''m willing to serve you with everything I have!" Izanami said ignoring the God who''s fuming in the background.


    "Hm? We''ll see." Issei said without much interest.


    "Homeland? That Goddess should be Izanami no Mikoto... So does that mean his excellency is from Japan?" Liliana asked doubtfully.


    "Seems like it," Erica responded.


    "Do you know which Japanese God possesses such overwhelming power, Erica?"


    "Who knows?"


    "...You don''t seem to be so shocked at this revelation, Erica."


    "What''s the use of getting surprised over every single thing that''s related to him? It would only make you look dumb." Erica said with a shrug.


    "True, I guess..." Liliana said with a groan.


    "Well, setting that aside... The Emperor Nero Claudius seems to be having the time of her life over there. Should we join them, Lili?" Erica asked jokingly.


    "Stop being so carefree all of the sudden... And as if we can participate in that chaos." Liliana berated.


    "But that''s the correct mindset though. The more you try to pry into his excellency secret the more you become at a loss." Lucretia giggled.


    "You all seem to know about him quite a bit..." Lu Yinghua whispered.


    """No no, not at all.""" The three of them said at the same time.


    "In fact, we''re the most confused of them all, young hero Lu." Erica said.


    "...Oh." Lu Yinghua said with a sweat.


    "..." Luo Hao is observing the ongoing battle above her with a clenched fist. She''s really itching to join the fight!


    "So, wanna fight, God slayer?" A voice called out to her.


    Luo Hao looked in front of her where Sun Wukong can be seen standing freely.


    "While you''re indeed my target, I''m curious why didn''t you tag along with the other Heretic Gods to fight ''him''?" Luo Hao asked.


    "Fight him? Kahahaha! What a funny thing to say." He laughed out loud.


    "What''s so funny?" Luo Hao frowned.


    "As if confronting him could be called a fight! It will only be a one-sided slaughter at most." Sun Wukong said nonchalantly: "Perhaps if I were to fight his wife I still could have some fun even if I were to lose but him? Nah, I''ll pass."


    "You''re afraid of him?" Luo Hao mocked.


    "Eh, you could say that." Sun Wukong said in an aloof manner.


    "..." Luo Hao frown deepened seeing Sun Wukong admitted it so easily.


    "So what''s your call?" Sun Wukong asked once again.


    "...While I''m tempted to fight you right away. That Heretic God piqued my interest more." Luo Hao said while looking at Issei in the sky.


    "Oh, is that so..." Sun Wukong lifted his staff and sit on the ground: "Ah, but let me correct you a little bit. ''He'' is not a Heretic God."


    "Hmph, Heretic God or not, he''s still a God. That makes him my enemy." Luo Hao snorted.


    "True to your title, I see... Well, I can respect that." Sun Wukong then didn''t say anything else. He spectated the ongoing "battle" above him silently.


    "...Godking!" Luo Hao shouted.


    Since the other Gods basically feared him, calling him King of Gods seems suitable. And that imposing manner could only belong to a King which makes him a ''King'' just like her! Luo Hao reasoned inside her mind.


    But looks like the title that she come up with also made a number of arrogant Gods thought that she''s talking with them.


    "Hm?" His shout garnered the Gods'' attention along with Issei.


    "We forgot that there''s a God Slayer nearby... Should we kill her first?" The Gods started to discuss between themselves.


    "If you want then go ahead."


    "Tch, you''re clearly waiting for an opportunity."


    Ignoring the other Gods who''s bickering with each other, Luo Hao continued speaking towards Issei: "I request a duel between just the two of us!"


    ...


    "So this is the adventurer''s guild?" Ryo looked up to the grand building in front of him.


    "Affirmative."


    "...Isn''t it a little too big for an adventurer''s guild?" Ryo said with a twitch of his face.


    "This is considered normal considering the owner of this guild. And it''s not only adventurer''s guild available inside this building."


    "Right..."


    Ryo cautiously entered the building and saw the interior bustling with business.


    Human, Beastkin, Dragonewt, Elves, Fairies, Demons, Lamia, Harpy, etc. All sorts of adventurers belonging to different races can be seen roaming around the building.


    Ryo once again felt unreal with the scene he''s seeing. This is truly the isekai that he has been looking for... Too bad he has no cheat or his life will be complete.


    "Hey, that guy... Is he another reincarnator?"


    "Looks like it. The way he looks so clueless and how he keeps looking around is a dead giveaway."


    Some of the onlookers whispered when they saw Ryo who looks clueless.


    "Hey, rookie!" One of them called out.


    "Huh?" Ryo glanced to the side where a group of people can be seen.


    "You look like a beansprout! What is your intention for coming here!" They surrounded him menacingly.


    "I-I want to register..." Ryo said with a gulp.


    "Heh, is that so?" They grinned wickedly at each other.


    "We''re willing to show you the ropes for a certain amount of fee." They made a gesture with their hand and Ryo could tell that they''re basically asking for money.


    "If you know what''s good for you then you better accept our offer." One of them with a mohawk styled hair said.


    I-Isn''t this the typical template for isekai novel out there?! To think that it happened to him out of all people... Ryo thought bitterly to himself.


    "Oi, looks like those guys are at it again."


    "Huh? Oh, you''re right. Are they not bored doing the same thing over and over again?"


    Other adventurers whispered to each other.


    Ryo who''s backed into a corner couldn''t help but think if there''s someone who will be able to help him.


    "Hehehehe..."


    They continued to grin wickedly while still surrounding Ryo.


    Is the money he just received earlier going to be forfeited just like this?! Such misfortune!

 Chapter 169 - Side 26

    "Hey! Are you guys still going at it?" A bored but vibrant voice resounded clearly within the guild.


    The "delinquents" who are surrounding Ryo jerked their bodies at this voice.


    "Y-Yuel-san!" They hastily turned around and said awkwardly.


    Ryo also looks past them to see the one who just spoke.


    It is a stunning young girl who looks like in her teens. She has long silky black hair and striking red eyes. Her most striking feature is her pair of fox ears and large fluffy tail.


    She''s wearing a Miko outfit with some plated guard in her arms and legs. There''s also a red ribbon and large bells tied at the base of her fox ears.


    As for her weapons, she seems to be carrying a pair of unique-looking swords. One of them is red and the other one is blue.


    "A-A nekomimi..." Ryo muttered while being entranced at her sight. To think he would meet a Fox girl wearing a Miko outfit! Lucky! He shouted inside his mind.


    He started thinking of a way to gain her attention but what the system said next made his body froze.


    [Princess Yuel Hyoudou. The daughter of Lady Yasaka Hyoudou. She''s a Nine-Tailed Fox Dragon Maiden. Her combat prowess is amongst the top despite her young age, just as to be expected of the descendant of this world Supreme ruler. She''s currently an S-rank adventurer. The odds for the current user gaining her attention are basically zero.]


    "..." Ryo''s face started twitching a lot after hearing the system introduction of this fox girl in front of him.


    Why is it the beautiful woman he met so far is either the wife of this world Supreme ruler or his daughter instead... Where''s his fated encounter, damn it!


    And what''s with her rank? If she''s only at S-rank despite her parents'' lineage... Just how strong is the EX-rank?!


    [There''s an even stronger rank above EX-rank but it is not officially classified. Most of the Supreme ruler wives are above EX-rank. They call those who above the EX-rank the .]


    ''What about the Supreme ruler himself?''


    [The Supreme ruler is in his own class. A special rank only applies and belongs to him, .]


    "..." While Ryo is inquiring about some information from the system, the "delinquents" are being reprimanded by Yuel.


    "How many times do I need to tell you, stop doing such things to rookies! I know you mean well? Although I don''t really understand what''s this so-called "template" you guys often talk about but don''t take things too far." Yuel scolded the group of ''delinquents''.


    "Yes, Yuel-san~" But instead of feeling disheartened, they seem to be enjoying her scolding.


    They keep grinning to themselves while their eyes mellowed to the maximum.


    "Don''t mind them too much, Rookie. They''re just joking with you. They might look like this but they''re actually not that bad." Yuel sighed and said to Ryo.


    "E-Eh?"


    "Haha, sorry about that, bro! We''re just joking with ya!" The mohawk said while he patted Ryo''s shoulder.


    "Ya see, we''re also from another world, just like you. And we wanted to give our fellow otherworlders a typical template even if it''s a cliche one."


    "Right right, the template where the newbie got harassed by their senior in the guild is quite a cliche, aren''t they?"


    "Sorry that we can''t give you the template where you encounter a bishoujo princess in distress... It''s just that... This world''s princesses is hella strong, you know?!" They actually shed tears at the mention of this world''s princesses.


    "What he said! I can''t believe the youngest princess here could even kill an actual Dragon barehanded if she wanted to!"


    "..." Ryo become flabbergasted at their antics.


    "What are you saying? The Dragons in this world serve Chichiue. So we won''t go killing them around." Yuel berated.


    "We know, Yuel-san~" They once again turned their stupidly grinning face at Yuel.


    "Jeez... You guys are already at D-rank. Stop acting like a delinquent and go raise your rank already." Yuel said while shaking her head.


    "Ohhh! To think that Yuel-san could remember our lowly self!"


    "I can die happily now!"


    They once again shed their tears.


    Ryo couldn''t believe that this group of thugs is at D-rank already... They look ridiculous but they''re apparently quite capable.


    "Anyway, you can go to that side to register. You''re new here, aren''t you? I''ve never seen you here before." Yuel approached Ryo and started inspecting him.


    "Yes, I''m new here..." Ryo said while feeling overwhelmed by Yuel''s presence. Being this close to another transcendent beauty is not good for his heart... In a lot of ways.


    The fear of getting his heart ripped out by the supreme ruler because he offended his daughter comes to mind and Ryo couldn''t help but shudder.


    The system has already informed him that the Supreme ruler is extremely doting on his daughters and he doesn''t want to cross the line.


    "Mm, and I see that you''re an otherworlder just like these guys." Yuel nodded: "And you''re also a Japanese? How come there''s so many Japanese that got transported here?" She said feeling a little baffled.


    The ratio of Japanese to other countries such as America, China, Korea, Russia, etc is basically 8:2.


    "That''s because we Japanese has a special trait, Yuel-san!" The group of "delinquents" said boastfully.


    "Oh? Is that so?" Yuel said while tilting her head: "How come I don''t know about this? I''ll try asking Chichiue and Hahaue later I guess since they''re both Japanese as well."


    "Please don''t!" They screamed in terror.


    Who knows if she suddenly said something misleading when she''s talking to her daughtercon of a father! The memory of one particular chuuni idiot that got obliterated out of existence by the Supreme ruler a while ago is still fresh in their mind...


    That idiot thought too highly of himself and thought that he''s the "protagonist" and he also thought that every beautiful girl in this world should belong to her... now look where he is now... deader than dead!


    Well, even if that Supreme ruler didn''t do anything, they might''ve done something to him first since not only is he a chuuni idiot, but he''s also a lolicon! The princess that he tried to "court" back then is barely 10 years old!


    The dumbass even pulled the "candy" stunt on the loli for God''s sake! Just how mentally handicapped is he?!


    Actually... Most of the otherworlders thought that they''re the protagonist at the start but after a few incidents, they are faced with the harsh reality that they''re basically just a mob and not the protagonist...


    Eh, such is life... And reality can often be disappointing more often than not.


    But it''s not that bad once they got used to it. They could use magic and so on after all.


    Yuel tilted her head at their frantic expression. What''s so scary that it made them go pale like this? Well, whatever she guess.


    "...Nee-chan, are you done yet?" A slightly sleepy voice called out from behind Yuel.


    "Nn? Ah, I am. Sorry to keep you waiting, little sister." Yuel grinned apologetically at the newcomer.


    "Oh! Narmaya-chan is here as well! Lucky!" The group of thugs pumped their fists excitedly.


    "Who?" Ryo muttered and look past Yuel: "Huge!" He commented at a certain asset of hers. But in the next second, he hastily covers his mouth.


    What a blunder! He just said his thoughts out loud! He started to have a cold sweat thinking if someone happens to hear him just now.


    The girl wears a white robe that extends to her leg, she wears a sleeveless black shirt under her robe and black hotpants coupled with matching black boots. Her hair is colored white coming close to light blue. Her eyes have a unique starry pattern that almost matches her mother albeit not as pronounced compared to the former.


    Her ears are slightly elongated and she also inherited her mother''s large horn although not as big yet. And as Ryo commented before, her b.r.e.a.s.t size is quite big for someone of her age.


    [Princess Narmaya Hyoudou, 12 years old. Just like Princess Yuel, she''s also an S-ranked adventurer. She''s a fully pledged True Dragon. Her esteemed mother''s name is Lady Tiamat Hyoudou. The user should be glad that nobody happens to listen to your blunder just now because if not, the user would''ve died right at this very second.] The system said.


    The corner of Ryo''s eye started to twitch furiously. What the hell... Just from a single mishap, he could''ve lost his head just now!


    "...Who?" Narmaya muttered in a sleepy expression while looking at the "delinquent" group.


    They slumped down to the ground feeling depressed.


    "A-Ahaha, well, you guys can show the rookie around. We will take our leave now. See you guys later." Yuel laughed awkwardly and waved at them: "Now come, little sister. The others should be waiting for us already."


    "En..." Under the respectful gaze of the surrounding adventurers, Yuel and Narmaya then left the adventurer''s guild.


    "Well, that''s that... I guess we''re not worthy enough to be remembered by Narmaya-chan." The mohawk delinquent said depressedly.


    "Now come, rookie! We''ll show you around!"


    "O-Oh, thanks."


    "Don''t mention it!" They said with a grin: "Now, let''s go!"


    They then went towards the registration counter while explaining some stuff to Ryo.


    They reached the reception counter and the receptionist who''s from the elven race welcomed them.


    "Welcome to the Adventurer''s Guild, how may I help you?" The elf said with a professional smile.


    "Go on, rookie. You can register yourself here."


    "G-Got it."


    "You''re here for registration? The registration is for free and you will receive an ID card but please don''t lose it or you will have to pay some fee for it." The elf explained.


    "O-Oh. I understand." Ryo said nervously and also feeling slightly excited.


    "Then let''s get started, shall we? Put your hand here, please." The elf clicked a few button on the counter and a projector emerged in front of Ryo.


    Ryo put his hand on the projector where a hand symbol is located.


    Once he put his hand there, his status emerged soon after.


    "So you''re an otherworlder? Noted. No criminal records on your past life... So what''s your intention of becoming an adventurer?" The elf questioned: "Ah, don''t take your hand off the identification screen, okay?"


    "I-I wanted to earn an income from it and train myself to survive and to serve the Supreme Overlord well!" He answered with an answer he thought is the best.


    "..." But all he receives is silent treatment from the receptionist.


    The smiling face of the receptionist never disappears but her eyes are not smiling at all.


    "Uh, dude... It''s best if you tell the truth." One of the delinquents nudged his back.


    "That device can tell if you''re lying, you know?" They whispered.


    "See that red light on the corner? That means you''re lying..."


    "..." Ryo gulped and looked at the blinking red light.


    He took a deep breath and said nervously: "I-I wanted to become stronger so that... so that I can have my own... my own..."


    "Speak up please." The elf raised her voice.


    "So that I can have my own harem!" Ryo sputtered out.


    "..." Ryo closed his eyes ready to be jeered.


    But he doesn''t seem to receive a jeer or ridicule from the receptionist or the delinquents behind his back. Ryo felt like he wanted to bury a hole and go hide inside it. To think that he just said his true feelings like that...


    "Understood." The elf simply nodded and started typing.


    "???" Ryo cast a confused look at them. Why didn''t he get laughed at?


    "What''s wrong?" They asked him.


    "You''re not going to mock me?" Ryo asked cautiously.


    "Huh? Why should we?" They blinked confusedly.


    "Ah, so that''s it... Do you think we will mock your dream? Hahaha, of course not, bro!" They realized his confusion and laughed out loud.


    "You''re not the only one who has that dream, you know? Even this Kaito here wanted to be a harem king!" They pointed at the mohawk delinquent.


    "The receptionists here are professionals, they won''t laugh at your dream. Unless your dream is to cause trouble, they won''t bother you."


    "O-Oh, I see..." Ryo scratches his head in relief.


    "And you need to remember that every receptionist here is strong, so don''t try to flirt with them unless you want to get beaten black and blue." They warned him.


    "G-Got it."


    "A harem is not that uncommon in this world. Even the Supreme Overlord has more than a thousand wives."


    "O-Oh..." Ryo already knows that from his system so he doesn''t get too surprised.


    "Yeah, as long as one is reliable there''s no problem with how many women surround you!"


    "Yeah yeah!"


    "But... The thing is... Most beautiful ladies here have set their eyes on the Supreme Overlord itself!" They suddenly lamented.


    "He''s already hella strong and rich but as if it wasn''t enough, he''s also drop-dead handsome as well! Is there any justice left in this world?!"


    "..." Ryo becomes speechless at their words.


    "Quiet down, please." The elf warned.


    "Y-Yes!" They saluted.


    "And Ryo Fujiwara-san. It would be best if you don''t spout lies that are related to the Supreme Overlord. If anyone who truly devoted to him heard about it, they won''t let you scot-free. This time it''s only a warning since you''re new here." The elf retracted her smile and cast a warning gaze at Ryo.


    "I-I understand." Ryo gulped.


    "Um. The rules for an adventurer are stored within your ID-card. You can read it at any given time by just accessing it with your magic. There are some rules that are absolute and there are some that are not mandatory. Please read the rules carefully to prevent any mishap from happening. With that said, here''s your ID-card, and we from the company hope that your dream will come true." The elf smiled once again while giving Ryo his ID-card and after he receives his card, the elf gives a slight bow towards Ryo.


    "Gratz, rookie! You''re one of us now! Let''s celebrate your registration!" The "delinquent" group cheered at Ryo.


    Ryo dazedly looked at his ID-card. This is it... This is the start of his adventurer life!


    When Ryo and his new group left the building, the elf narrowed her eyes at the status monitor.


    All of Ryo''s stats are quite normal for an otherworlder. Most of his status is in the range of 10 to 15. While his dexterity is quite high for some reason, sitting at 29, his luck status is the most abnormal... His luck is at 999, almost reaching 4 digits.


    The average human status that comes from a world without magic is around 10 to 20 while athletes and experts are at 30 to 50. Few could reach the 100 and they are already considered a monster in normal human society.


    "Hmm... how weird." The elf muttered: "Is it because of his system?"


    Ryo indeed could be considered lucky. On his first day, he could meet 2 of the "higher-up" and on his second day, he meets with 3 new "higher-up". And not only that, but he also receives compensation that could be considered a "Beginner" package from Nightingale herself.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Ah? Shuri-sama!"


    The elf becomes startled when she heard a voice coming from behind her. When she turns around, she saw Shuri standing behind her.


    The elf hastily pays her respect.


    "Raise your head. What''s so weird about that boy?" Shuri asked with a smile.


    "U-Umm, it''s like this..." The elf narrated the boy''s status to Shuri.


    "I see... Another otherworlder? Hmm, his is indeed abnormal... And he also possesses Kathryn-sama''s albeit it''s a flawed one... Well, I will report this to Ise-sama." Shuri said.


    "H-Hai!" The elf bowed one more time.


    "Fufufu, no need to be so tense. Your merit here will be properly rewarded." Shuri said with a slight giggle before she teleported away.


    The elf started to hop on the spot feeling giddy hearing that she will be properly rewarded. Her workmates cast a jealous gaze in her direction...


    ...


    Issei was about to say something when he sensed another presence coming their way.


    "Hm? Princess?" He muttered. And as if on cue, a spatial opening appeared in front of him and Shirayuki stepped out of it.


    When she appeared, the Gods froze in their place at her overwhelming beauty.


    They thought that this girl looks so alike with this male God.


    "Dearest father." Shirayuki beamed happily at Issei.


    "What are you doing here? I thought you''re with your mother?" Issei smiled fondly at her.


    While he''s at it, he snapped his finger and Crimson chains started to bind the nearby Gods that are surrounding him. Only those who are fighting against Nero didn''t get chained but they feel stupefied at this sight.


    "Where are you looking!" And Nero takes advantage of this and killed a few more Gods in the process: "Hn? Shirayuki-chan?" But she finally also notices Shirayuki''s presence.


    Nero sensed an attack coming her way and ducked slightly: "Oops, aren''t you precious? Tou!" She kicked her assailant and resumed her "dance".


    She didn''t need to worry about Shirayuki since Issei is at her side. And besides, it''s not like Shirayuki is weaker than herself.


    "Nn, it''s nothing. I just wanted to see you." Shirayuki said with a smile.


    "Did your mother and the others know that you''re here?" Issei asked while patting her head.


    "..." Shirayuki''s body jerked slightly and she averted her eyes to the side.


    "Princess?" Issei lifted his eyebrows at her reaction.


    "...No."


    "No?"


    "They didn''t know that I came to see you..."


    Issei smiles wryly at her guilty expression.


    "Am I bothering you, dearest father? Do you need any help?" Shirayuki hastily changed the subject and looked around.


    "Err, of course not. And no need. Father has already got everything taken care of." But then he remembered something: "Ah, but since you''re here already, how about fighting some of them, princess? You can use this chance to increase your strength."


    "En, Shirayuki obeys." She said softly.


    "You can start with her." Issei pointed at Luo Hao: "No need to kill her and don''t use your energy, princess. Try to match her with the same strength and hone your skill that way."


    "Understood."


    "...Are you mocking me, Godking? You''re sending your daughter against me instead of facing me yourself?" Luo Hao gritted her teeth for being treated as another training dummy.


    "So what if he is?"


    "!!!"


    By the time Luo Hao realized it, Shirayuki was already standing right in front of her.


    Luo Hao hastily retreated and she couldn''t help but having a cold sweat.


    If Shirayuki wanted to end her just now then...


    Looks like it was her mistake for being distracted by her anger.


    Luo Hao took a deep breath and took her stance: "My surname is Luo, with the given name Cuilian, and style Hao. The leader of the holy cult, the one standing astride the martial pinnacle." She introduces herself once again.


    "...Shirayukihime Shen Hyoudou. The firstborn daughter of the Supreme Ruler of the multiverse, Issei Savant Hyoudou and the daughter of the Primordial Azure True Dragon God Empress, Shen Xi." Following Luo Hao, Shirayuki also introduces herself.


    At her revelation, whether it''s the Gods or Erica''s little group, they become utterly speechless.


    His identity is beyond their wildest dream... They already speculated that they''re a King but never they guess that he''s a King of the entire multiverse!


    "...Shen Xi? Your mother is from the same homeland as me?" Luo Hao isn''t that surprised by Issei''s identity but she''s more surprised by Shirayuki''s mother.


    "..." Ignoring her question, Shirayuki releases her aura.


    "Looks like I''ve been disrespectful..." Luo Hao said before she also releases her aura.


    "Ooh, it''s been a while ever since I''ve seen Yuki-chan had her battle," Nero said while situating herself at Issei''s side.


    "Good work." Issei praised.


    "Hehen, but of course! They''re nothing before the great me!" Nero said boastfully.


    Much to the remaining Gods'' horror, looks like she has already finished her "battle".


    Only now that the remaining Gods realize their doom. Only Izanami and the few others had already expected this.


    They stayed kneeled on the ground even until now hoping that they will be spared at the very least.


    Luo Hao''s crystal-like hand sprang out wanting to grab Shirayuki''s shoulder but the latter sidestepped to the side.


    Luo Hao has already anticipated this so she immediately did a follow-up with her elbow.


    Shirayuki gracefully lifted her hand to stop Luo Hao''s incoming elbow.


    A large amount of magical power flowed out from Cult Leader Luo Hao''s body and she channeled it into her hand wanting to breakthrough Shirayuki''s defense but to no avail.


    "The way of the heavens is bright and clear, the way of the earth is untroubled and tranquil, the way of mankind is empty and serene! Ho!" Roaring with an intensely imposing manner, she pulled back her elbow and did another attack with her other arm.


    Shirayuki also lifted her other arm and punched out to match Luo Hao''s attack in a calm manner.


    *BAM!*


    In the vast plaza the two were standing on, cracks started to appear on the floor radiating from the spot where they stepped. The stone-paved plaza was virtually smashed.


    Luo Hao felt her blood boils excitedly and she couldn''t help but praised out: "Good strength."


    "You''re not bad yourself." Shirayuki praised back.


    Although Luo Hao praised her, she knows that Shirayuki is taking it easy on her. She felt bitter at this but she''s also feeling grateful... She knows that she will lose straight away if Shirayuki went all out from the start.


    As someone who pursues strength, Luo Hao also wanted to face strong enemies to hone herself even further. The reason why she challenges Issei is also because of that.


    If she dies in the process then so be it. At the very least, she will be able to catch a glimpse of true strength.


    She''s what you call a complete battle maniac.


    Shirayuki respects this side of her quite a bit as a fellow martial artist. Just from skills alone, perhaps Luo Hao could match her.


    Unless Shirayuki uses her divine energy then it will take a while to completely defeat Luo Hao. But what''s terrifying about Shirayuki is her comprehension that she inherited from Issei.


    Her battle instinct is only second to Issei himself.


    Luo Hao also didn''t use all of her since she realizes that Shirayuki is fighting her with pure raw strength and plain magical energy, not divine energy. Besides, most of her that she stole from the God she slays are not applicable for direct combat.


    Taking the opportunity of Luo Hao being slightly distracted, using her free hand, Shirayuki punches out. Time seemingly followed Shirayuki''s movements, and although Shirayuki''s fist looks slow, how could it be so simple?


    Seeing that she''s unable to dodge, Luo Hao decided to block her attack which is the correct choice albeit she still took some damage.


    If she tries to dodge Shirayuki''s fist then her injury would be even more fatal.


    Boom!


    Luo Hao''s face changed, violently spitting a mouthful of blood. She had been beaten back by a punch.


    But instead of feeling irritated, Luo Hao smiles happily.


    Using some kind of magic, her clothes instantly transformed. It was a robe reminiscent of the ladylike attire of enlightened female immortals. A luxurious outfit similar to a mandarin gown with an opening at the chest offered a view of her l.u.s.trous milky white skin.


    "..." Shirayuki frowned at her attire: "Are you trying to seduce my dearest father with that getup?" She couldn''t help but blurt out.


    "Hm? This is my battle attire. And as for seducing your esteemed father..." Luo Hao glanced at Issei and the growling Nero who notices her gaze. But Luo Hao ignored Nero''s gaze and flashed a smile instead.


    "If I lose... No, if facing you who barely uses your full strength already took everything I have. Facing your esteemed father seems nothing but a pipedream. I know my limits. Then as the loser, I''m more than willing to be his wife, concubine, mistress, or even slave, whichever you see fit. Such is the fate of the defeated... And even if he won''t accept me... A good death is its own reward." Her smile is innocently adorable, a very wonderful smile of a maiden.


    Perhaps this is the first time that she has ever smiled like this.


    "But enough of that! Now, again!" She shouted before she sprang forward once more.


    "Master! You mustn''t fall for her charm!" Nero fumed.


    "...Do I look like I will just lay my hand on any woman I see?" Issei said speechlessly at his jealous wife.


    "Hen! If my number of sisters aren''t as many then I might believe you!" Nero said with a pout.


    Issei smiles wryly at her words. He couldn''t deny it... He''s indeed quite fickle in love.


    Perhaps it has something to do with his Divinity. If a woman truly comes at him with pure love, he will also become affected by it albeit not completely.


    "But I can''t really blame you... If you''re not as fickle then we won''t be able to become your wives..." She muttered in a low voice: "And knowing all that, we''re still willing to become your wife... So some fault also lies in ourselves..."


    Issei shakes his head and pulled her into his embrace.


    "...I love you." He said lovingly right next to her reddening ear.


    "...Say it again." Nero practically melted into his embrace and she immediately started to act spoiled.


    "I love you."


    "Again." Nero''s ahoge started to sway furiously.


    While the two of them are acting like a dumb couple, Shirayuki and Luo Hao''s fight is still ongoing.


    "Truly marvelous. This kind of battle won''t happen that often. I''m glad that I get to witness this!" Sun Wukong laughed gleefully at their battle: "Now if only I have some peach to eat..." He lamented.


    Luo Hao''s each and every strike carries an indomitable will and tyrannical might, relentlessly chasing after its target whereas Shirayuki adapts to every strike that Luo Hao throws at her.


    From time to time, it was quiet as an ice pool. From time to time, it moved like the sound of thunder. Shirayuki''s martial arts alternated their situation, continuous and unending.


    Ever since she was 9 years old, Shirayuki had played many instruments and was proficient in speech, verse, dance, and arts of all kinds, in terms of military strength, she was equally magnificent. All for the sake to make her dearest father proud.


    When the news of her mother''s "mistake" comes to light, she works even harder wanting to lessen her dearest father''s anger towards her mother.


    And how could Issei didn''t realize it? One of the reasons why he forgives Shen Xi at the end also has something to do with his precious little princess. Of course, Shen Xi''s dedication also plays a large part.


    Issei often told her that he''s already more than proud of her achievement so far and there''s no need for her to push herself so far. But Shirayuki insisted that she couldn''t fall behind him.


    What else could he do but support her at that point?


    Issei feels gratified and his eyes are filled with pride and love while watching Shirayuki who''s exchanging blow after blow with Luo Hao.


    As if she could tell that her dearest father is watching her, Shirayuki''s attack started to get more and more explosive that Luo Hao started to feel overwhelmed.


    But instead of feeling horrified, she becomes more and more thrilled. During their whole exchange, her grin never fade. She looks just like a child that has discovered something fun.


    Blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth but she holds it in. Her body is screaming at her to stop and take a rest but she still pushes forward.


    Her will and determination didn''t lose out against Shirayuki''s.


    Never in her life, she has fun like this... Even the first time she slew her first God loses out to the current exhilaration that she currently feels.


    She couldn''t help but let her thoughts wander around... If fighting his descendant is already this thrilling... Just how fun will it be if she were to go against him directly? Just the thought alone made her shudder in anticipation!


    Luo Hao suddenly abandoned her defense taking some hit in the process but she tanks it with her monstrous strength.


    An uppercut, at the same time stepping and kneeing, followed by a series of short punches, knee strike, middle punch, and then a spinning aerial kick, a two-hit combo without touching the ground!


    As swift and fluent as someone who stood at the martial peak.


    Her attacks force Shirayuki to retreat and fly upwards.


    Shirayuki''s eyes glimmered slightly before she countered Luo Hao''s movement. Luo Hao almost landed a hit but unfortunately for her, Shirayuki''s battle instinct prevails over hers.


    Akin to a floating butterfly, Shirayuki floated forward breaking through Luo Hao''s barrage of attacks, and landed a solid hit right into the latter''s stomach.


    Luo Hao coughed a large amount of blood and crashed into the ground.


    *Bang!*


    She coughed uncontrollably on the ground and struggled to open her eyes to see Shirayuki gracefully land on the ground.


    "She''s not bad, isn''t she, Master?" Nero praised.


    "Um." Issei gives a nod: "In my opinion, she''s far stronger and more determined than that old fart I killed before."


    "Old fart? Which old fart?"


    "Just some old fart... I can''t remember his name. His soul should be with Ereshkigal right now being cleansed." Issei said with a shrug.


    "Oh..." Nero also shrugged losing interest.


    If Voban were to know that his killer doesn''t even bother to remember his name, he might''ve died out of anger once again...


    Meanwhile, the struggling Gods ceases their struggle seeing that they can''t break free from their restrain. They can only reign in their arrogance since they now understand that Issei is not someone that they can hope to defeat...


    "...Splendid." Luo Hao muttered her praise between cough: "You didn''t bring shame... to your father''s title as the Supreme King. *Cough* *Cough*!"


    "As his eldest daughter, that''s a given." Shirayuki simply responded.


    "Indeed..." Luo Hao tried to stand up once again but she can only stay seated on the ground.


    "...So this is it, huh. I guess this is my limit." She muttered self depreciatingly while looking at her trembling hands.


    "It was a good fight. You''re really strong." Shirayuki praised.


    "Heh, what a joke. I couldn''t even get you to fight me seriously." Luo Hao groaned: "Well, do what you want. Take your reward as the winner... You can kill me or do whatever you want."


    Shirayuki looked upwards to seek her dearest father''s opinion.


    Issei who realizes her gaze smiled softly in return: "Do as you please, princess."


    Shirayuki blinked twice before she thought to herself.


    "...How about working for my father?" She said after thinking for a bit.


    "Work for your father? You mean becoming his servant?" Luo Hao said with a frown.


    "Um." Shirayuki nodded: "With your talent and will, I''m sure you could be more of use to my dearest father when you''re alive rather than dead. We could always use a talented individual like you."


    While observing Shirayuki from above, both Issei and Nero sensed yet another presence coming their way.


    "Mu? She''s here?" Nero mumbled.


    Not only them but Shirayuki also recognize this presence.


    Her face paled instantly and she was about to run away when that particular someone gripped her shoulder tightly.


    "And where do you think you''re going?" A stern voice resounded.


    "Eek!" Shirayuki shuddered. Her head comically turned around and saw a furious-looking Forzelotte behind her back: "Forzelotte kaa-san..." She squeaked.

 Chapter 170 - ANNOUNCEMENT!

    Hey guys, I''m sorry that I can''t write new chapters nowadays.


    First and foremost, thank you for all of the donations from you guys so far. And a big shout out to Valoui for the 100$. I can''t say thank you enough for all the donations from you guys...


    I''m extremely busy nowadays. Needed to deliver goods out of town since I''m helping my brother''s business and all that. My restaurant isn''t doing great since it''s fasting month so I''m forced to do extra jobs.


    I already got my 1st vaccine 2 days ago but they said I still need to take the 2nd one a few weeks later.


    I''m extremely regretful that I couldn''t write new chapters nowadays but such is life... I''m very sorry for being unable to post a new chapter for you guys. As for the next chapter ETA, I can''t give you guys the exact date but I hope it won''t take that long... I was thinking to just buy the Samsung galaxy tab s7 plus since it will allow me to write anywhere I want but we''ll get to that later.


    I hope we will be able to meet again in the near future but I think I''ll put this fanfic on hiatus for now, although it is basically finished already but yeah, ending it here will put a bad taste on my mouth.


    With that said, peace out girls scout! And happy fasting to my Muslim friends ????.

 Chapter 170 - Side 27

    In a living room inside a luxurious mansion, stood a devastating cold-looking beauty with clear white skin, plump red lips, and a gorgeous body.


    She has long beautiful golden hair that is tied into a braid. Everything about her is perfect but her most striking feature is her enchanting red eyes.


    Nobody who saw her would believe that she''s just 14 years old this year. Her entire demeanor and her confident attitude make her looks like a girl in her early twenty instead.


    She''s currently giving a cold gaze at the group of people in front of her.


    There''s exactly eight person situated before her. One male and seven female.


    The man has a handsome feature and the women are also beautiful but if they''re compared to the golden-haired girl, they look average at best.


    These women are the man''s wives.


    The man has a pale complexion and there''s blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He''s glaring at the golden-haired girl with obvious shock and trepidation.


    "...Heavenly emperor? Who somehow got reincarnated because of a divine tool. Lived for thousands of years during your past life and stood at that world apex only to die because of the betrayal of your past wife and friend." The golden-haired girl said uninterestedly with her red eyes glowing slightly while gazing at the man before her.


    The man''s eyes went wide open when he heard what she said.


    "H-How did you..." He blurted out.


    "That is not of your concern. What matters now is, you have a debt to pay." The golden-haired girl said coldly.


    "..." The man bit his lips when he''s reminded of the debt.


    Previously, he didn''t know what she meant when she wanted his "power".


    He made a deal with this girl saying that he coveted her beauty and wanted her for himself.


    The girl only smiled at his words and said: ''If you wanted to court me then how about a wager?''


    He shouldn''t have agreed back then... He thought he was just being playful when she said the wager is a "friendly" match.


    If he wins he will get his chance but... He got his a.s.s handed to him!


    Granted, he was not in his full strength yet compared to when he was the heavenly emperor.


    If he was in his full strength then surely... surely he will be able to win.


    With her beauty, there''s no way he would think of her as a normal woman and his instinct is telling him to not mess with this woman... But her beauty is just too tempting especially for a man like him! Even back when he''s the heavenly emperor, he has never seen such a beautiful woman in his entire life!


    Seeing that their husband was on the losing end, they strode forward in front of their men to protect him, seemingly like they were saying, if you want to kill our husband, you will have to kill us first!


    "You all..." The man choked seeing their action.


    "Stop with the drama." The golden-haired woman said boredly: "It''s not like I asked for your life." She added.


    "...You''re asking for my power, it will make our family weak! The other families will immediately take advantage of this!" The man said through gritted teeth.


    "And how is that my problem?" The golden-haired girl said plainly: "You made a bet and now you need to pay."


    "...Can we just pay in another way? Perhaps money?" One of his wives inquired.


    "Hahaha, I may lack in anything in this world but money is not one of them." The golden-haired girl said with a chuckle: "Now... Will you pay or not?"


    "...How about a trade with our life?" The wives looked at each other and finally come to an agreement.


    "No! Don''t!" The man shouted.


    "Brother Yu, although we are not able to fight, we are still able to help you in this way." One of them said weakly.


    "That''s right, if you lost all your power, our family will be doomed." The second wife nodded in agreement.


    "Think of the rest of our family."


    The man named Yu Huang gasped heavily. Because he knows that his wives are correct... If he loses his strength then it''s the same as death for them.


    But to trade his wives'' lives for it is just... Unacceptable!


    "Hmm... That''s a tempting offer." The golden-haired girl uttered while tapping her cheek: "An exchange of life with your power, huh..."


    "Then you can pick any of us in exchange." One of them said.


    "Why are all of you being so disobedient, quickly leave!" Yu Huang shouted out painfully. He totally did not expect that there would be such a day like this for him. In the past, it had always been him who give others pain, and yet, now it is his turn to be given pain. Could this be the retribution that heaven gave to him!


    How ironic, to think that he was called the heavenly emperor in his previous life...


    "Alright, then I choose... All of you." The golden-haired girl flashed an evil grin.


    "You!!!" Yu Huang gasped furiously and couldn''t help but puked another mouthful of blood.


    "Stop looking at me as if I''m the evil one here. I have already warned you again and again that if he were to take that wager, there will be no going back." The golden-haired girl said coldly: "If he wasn''t so lascivious and be content with all of you as his wives, none of this would happen." She said to his wives.


    They couldn''t help but flinch at her words. Since it is true...


    He already has seven wives and yet he still leers at other women.


    While they understand that this woman is more beautiful than them so it''s a given that their husband would covet her beauty, that doesn''t mean they don''t feel bitter about it.


    "If you want to blame someone then blame your idiotic husband." She scoffed at them.


    They bit their lips since they couldn''t say anything in return.


    This woman before them never provoked them but rather it''s their husband who started all this.


    "Now decide what you want to do. I''ll give you 10 seconds to decide." She said cooly and she actually started counting.


    "Ten..."


    "Nine..."


    "P-Please wait!" Yu Huang shouted.


    "Eight..." But the girl didn''t listen and keep counting.


    "Seven..."


    "...Brother Yu, let us do something for Yu Family. As long as the mountain is still there, there is no need to worry about not having woods to burn!" His wives finally looked at each other and said resolutely.


    "P-Please... Please no... I beg you..." Yu Huang shouted out in anguish. His eyes were red, and blood continuously gushed out from the corner of his mouth.


    Just because he couldn''t control his l.u.s.t, he''s going to lose all his wives!


    "Three..."


    "Two..."


    They looked at Yu Huang with a regretful look.


    "One..."


    "Time''s up. I assume your lives will be the payment?" The golden-haired girl said blandly towards the group of women.


    "...Yes." They nodded after a brief pause.


    "Very well." The golden-haired girl simply nodded and then she made a movement with her delicate arm.


    She extended her right arm and make a grasping motion.


    The seven women''s bodies trembled slightly before they closed their eyes and fall to the ground just like a puppet whose string has been cut. Their bodies shone briefly before they turned into white orbs.


    The orbs float towards the golden-haired girl''s outstretched arm.


    "No!!!" Yu Huang shouted out at the top of his lungs. Tears even began flowing out from his eyes.


    He felt like his heart is broken to pieces seeing how all of his wives just disappeared before his very eyes.


    He slumped down to the ground feeling heartbroken.


    "Now then, that''s that." The golden-haired girl said with a smirk.


    Yu Huang who heard her voice glared at her with utter hatred.


    The girl raised one of her eyebrows at this sight.


    She suddenly kicked out and pinned Yu Huang to the ground with her right leg.


    "Stop thinking that you''ve been wronged... As I said before, you have no one else to blame but yourself. And besides, not even once did you ever said that you''re willing to trade your power in exchange for their lives." She scoffed at him.


    "I-"


    "Don''t make excuses saying that by having your power taken then it will be all over. You can just go into hiding with all your wealth and start over... Although, once again, you only have yourself to blame for making so many enemies even after fully knowing that you''re not back at your full power yet." She said mockingly: "You reap what you sow after all."


    "IT''S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!" Yu Huang screamed.


    "...Hmm, well, I won''t deny that." The golden-haired girl said with a chuckle.


    "..." Yu Huang looked at the golden-haired girl with confusion.


    "I actually did appear before you on purpose... Knowing your lascivious personality, it''s quite easy to gain your so-called attention, oh mighty Heavenly Emperor."


    "YOU!!!"


    "But at the end of the day, it''s still your fault, no? I''ve never messed with your free will nor do I tried to charm you deliberately." The girl smirked: "It''s all because you''re thinking with your third leg rather than using your actual brain."


    "If only-!!!"


    "If only you''re at your full power then you will not lose against me? Is that what you''re trying to say?" Once again, before Yu Huang managed to finish his sentence, the girl cut him off yet again.


    Yu Huang becomes flabbergasted at her words... How did she...


    "Heh, you''re like an open book. I''m starting to wonder if your original world is filled with idiots or something seeing that someone like you managed to become the so-called "Heavenly Emperor"." The girl said mockingly: "Just so you know... When we fought back then, I didn''t even use 10% of my full strength."


    Yu Huang is left dazed by what she just said... Not even 10% of her full strength? His current strength is at least 40% if compared to his previous strength as the Heavenly Emperor...


    To think that she can so easily handle him despite that... No no no! She must be lying! Yu Huang thought in disbelief.


    "You think I''m lying? Well, it''s up to you whether you believe me or not... You reincarnators are so foolish. You must be thinking that you''re the chosen one or something." The girl said with a smirk.


    "...Reincarnators?" Yu Huang repeated.


    "Oh, did I forget to inform you? You''re not the first reincarnator that I''ve been dealt with... I think you''re the fiftieth reincarnator? Or was it the seventieth? I can''t remember since all of you are mostly the same. An arrogant idiot or just a daydreaming idiot." She shrugged: "Forget about that... I have a new deal for you."


    "...A new deal?" Yu Huang said while still glaring at her.


    "Indeed... Do you want your wives back?" The girl whispered after lifting his chin with her index finger.


    "..." At first, Yu Huang becomes startled but then he asked calmly: "...What''s the deal?"


    "Simple, just work for my family. Whatever we tell you to do, you mustn''t refuse." The girl said.


    "Work for your family? You mean you want me to become your slave!?" He said through gritted teeth.


    "If you want to put it that way, then sure." She chuckled.


    "...For how long?" Yu Huang went silent for a while before he inquired.


    "Let''s see... Since there are seven of them then... How about 700 years." She smiled widely: "Serve my family for 700 years and IF you do well enough, well... Perhaps I will free your wives after that."


    "..."


    "For cultivators like you, 700 years should be nothing, right? Or is your wives doesn''t worth even that much?" She provoked: "So what will it be? Will you serve or will you not?"


    "...I agree." It took him a while but he finally agreed.


    "Splendid." The girl snapped her finger and a chain collar wrapped itself around Yu Huang''s neck.


    "I hope you did well during your servitude. I have high hopes for you, O'' Almighty Heavenly Emperor! Hahahahah..." The girl pulled his chain and laughed gleefully.


    Yu Huang could only grit his teeth during the whole ordeal. Saying that he''s feeling ashamed is an understatement at this point... The high and almighty heavenly emperor reduced to a mere slave!


    "Now then... I''ll give you your task later. Just continue what you''ve been doing before this." The girl stopped laughing and let go of his chain.


    She gives Yu Huang one last smirk before she disappeared on the spot.


    ...


    The golden-haired girl reappeared on top of a skyscr.a.p.er building.


    She gazed at the scenery before her and couldn''t help let out a chuckle at what she said before.


    "...Reincarnators are foolish, huh... I wonder if that applies to me as well." She said with a sigh.


    She has a little secret of her own... And that secret is that she''s also a reincarnator.


    In her past life, she was the daughter of a duke household. But, her household is not known for its nobility but rather its evil deeds.


    They''re basically a household that deals with human trafficking, assassination, drugs, fraud, and many more... They''re the family that basically rules the underworld.


    She was the second eldest daughter in the household. Her father has six wives and her mother was his second wife...


    Their household never the one to care about familial love. They only judge someone for what''s their worth... Apparently, she has a brother who''s not up for the task and so he was killed by the eldest son on their father''s order.


    He was only 7 years old at the time but yet, he loses his life just because their father doesn''t deem him worthy...


    It''s safe to say that each and every one of them is abnormal... Including her.


    Whether she was forced or not, her hands are stained with the blood of the innocent.


    In her entire life, she was taught to kill and use her charm as a woman to deal with anyone who stands in their way... She and her siblings were nothing but a tool for their tyrannical father.


    They lived their lives as nothing but tools...


    As time passes on, she becomes numb with all the evil deeds she had done... Her heart is akin to a dying ember at that point.


    But as they always said... Evil deeds won''t go unpunished. One day, their father provoked someone they shouldn''t have.


    Long story short, their entire family got obliterated...


    At the end of her life, the only thing that went inside her mind was... Freedom.


    She can finally be free of this twisted life... She''s hoping that if there is a next life, she will be able to live her life to the fullest and not as a tool... Then her vision went black when the enemy blade pierced her heart.


    That''s how her life ended at the tender age of 19.


    But apparently, that''s not the end... While she was drifting in the darkness, she saw a blinding white light that seems to beckon her... She followed the light and felt warm and safe...


    And when she opened her eyes once again, she was greeted by the most beautiful woman she has ever seen... Her silky Golden hair which looks brighter than the sun, her pure amethyst-colored eyes that looks like the most exquisite gem in the world, her smooth milky white skin... Everything about her is absolutely perfect and there''s not a single flaw that could be found.


    Her blissful, warm, and kind smile of hers instantly charmed her.


    [My child... My beautiful daughter...] The woman said lovingly to her.


    That was when she met her new mother... Her voice was filled with love and warmth. Something she has never felt before in her previous life...


    That unconditional love and that blissful smile when this woman saw her made her went into a daze.


    [Fufufu... You''ve inherited your father''s eyes...] The woman giggled while c.a.r.e.s.sing her cheek.


    A few moments later, a light bang resounded from the entrance and she automatically looked towards it.


    Once again, her worldly view has been turned upside down... If she thought that her new mother is the most beautiful person she has ever seen... Then the man who just walked in is beyond that.


    His otherworldly face made her went yet into another daze... How can a man be so devastatingly beautiful like this...? She couldn''t help but thought amazedly inside her mind.


    [Master, our daughter is born...] Her blissful mother''s voice resounded.


    ''Master?'' When she heard how her mother called her supposed father, she unintentionally frowned.


    Did her mother call her own husband with the word ''Master''?


    Is it the same as well in this life? Is her new father also someone who treated his family as a servant or tool?


    Her heart couldn''t help went cold once again but in the next second, her tiny heart started beating erratically... Because her supposedly new father flashed a loving smile in her direction.


    His gaze when he looks at her is nothing like her previous father... It''s filled with endless love that doesn''t lose out against her new mother''s gaze a moment ago.


    [Um... She''s just as beautiful as you, Jeanne...] He said while walking forward and proceed to hug them both in his embrace.


    The two of them smiled at each other before sharing a deep and loving kiss...


    After they separated their lips, they then looked at her with a happy and warm smile.


    [What should we call her, Master?] Her new mother whose name is Jeanne asked.


    [Hmm... Let''s see...] Her new father observed her intently before he started speaking: [A name fitting for those beautiful ruby-like eyes... akin to a crimson hue of the burning sun... And since she''s as beautiful as you... How about Roxanne?]


    [Roxanne... Roxanne Hyoudou? And you also mixed my name with hers... It sounds beautiful, Master! Hehehe, your name is Roxanne Hyoudou! Aren''t you happy, daughter?] Her new mother said lovingly.


    And that''s how she received a new name... A name that serves as a signal for her brand new life.


    [I hope you always be happy and healthy, my little princess... ] Her new father said before giving her forehead a gentle kiss.


    When she heard his words, she unintentionally cried...


    Needless to say, both her new father and mother started panicking thinking that they just made her upset...


    Of course, she wasn''t crying because she was upset... She was crying because she was overwhelmed with happiness...


    She has finally got what she always wanted... A warm and loving family...


    Well... Maybe the word "Families" is more suitable in this case since she apparently has more than a thousand mothers! Those kings and princes and her previous shit*y father that have multiples wives are like a child in comparison!


    And to make matters more surprising, she''s apparently not a human anymore! Her new father is actually a True Dragon God! An actual God!


    In her previous life, there was also a religion that worsh.i.p.s a God but never in her wildest dream that she could become an actual child of a God!


    There are also multiple races but there is no God race in her previous world...


    Saying that she''s surprised at this point is putting it mildly...


    Her new mother apparently was a Saintess... She doesn''t know whether fate is messing around with her or not. To think someone whose hand was tainted with so much blood of the innocent could have a Saintess as a mother...


    Her eldest sister also visited her quite often and her other sisters seem quite close with each other even when they''re still a baby.


    All of them are showered with love from their mothers and father.


    Their father is the most doting seeing how he says no to whatever they wanted. Their mothers are the ones who are being strict with them so they balance each other out...


    As a result, there''s not really an overly spoilt one amongst her sisters.


    They care and protect each other just like how they''re taught from the start.


    [Your family member''s happiness and safety is always the most important thing... Anything else is secondary.] Their father said to them.


    The teaching they received is completely different compared to the teaching she had during her past life.


    They''re taught some common sense and how to never look down on others but they also need to maintain their pride at the same time.


    Always treat others depending on how they treat you first.


    If they treated you with kindness then do the same to them. If they treated you unfairly, then show them no mercy.


    Straight and easy to understand. Eye for an eye.


    Such are some of the teachings their father and mothers taught them...


    Their father seems to always have the time to accompany them to play which made her and her sisters very happy.


    Although their father seems quite busy, he always have the time to accompany them whenever they feel lonely...


    Not that their mother doesn''t accompany them all the time but their father just made them slightly more joyful. His presence alone could bring happiness to them all. Both them and their mothers alike.


    It''s like he has this hidden attraction that couldn''t be described in words... Long story short, they feel more joyful whenever he''s around.


    Even when they made a mistake, their parents are always very forgiving...


    Unless they did something over the top, they never really went on their way to punish them.


    Roxanne never felt so happy before... So this is what familial love feels, she thought to herself on her sixth birthday.


    Surrounded by her family members who genuinely felt happy for her.


    The ever-loving parents that always be there for them...


    She couldn''t be happier with her current life...


    But... Sometimes during her life, Roxanne started to wonder to herself... Will they still treat her the same if they were to know about her past life?


    Roxanne becomes extremely nervous and often went into a daze during these days.


    As always, her father is always quick to realize her restlessness.


    [What''s on your mind, honey?] Her dear father asked the 7-year-old her with a doting smile.


    [...] She went into another daze while gazing at her smiling father.


    She''s truly afraid of losing his doting smile... She has become too dependant on this loving side of his.


    [...What can I do to make you proud, father?] So she asked to change the topic.


    In the past, she never tried to do things out of her own volition. Especially not trying to make her previous father proud of her... But now it''s different.


    Her father never loses his doting smile and calmly said: [As long as you grow happy and healthy, father will always be proud of you, little princess.] He then gives her forehead another kiss.


    She couldn''t help but shed another tear when she heard that... Even after 7 whole years and despite having so many children... He still said the same thing when he first saw her.


    He never wanted them to be powerful or anything like that... He only wanted them to be happy and healthy. Such a simple wish and yet... That brings her so much happiness.


    She has never come to know of the emotion called "Love" in her previous life and she obviously never found someone to "Love" but now she''s certain what she''s feeling right now is one. She loves her father and new family dearly...


    From that day forth, Roxanne swore to make her entire family and most importantly, her beloved father to be happy... No matter what it takes... Even if it means tainting her hand with the blood of the innocents once again...


    Roxanne gives a faint chuckle when she remembered her past. It''s like her past life is no more than a fleeting nightmare... And now she has finally awakened from that nightmare.


    "I wonder if dear father will be happy with this new helping ''hand''..." She muttered in wonder.


    One of the reasons why she''s targeting the reincarnators is because she thought that they would make a great pawn. After all, they''re basically old foggies in disguise so they should be good at something after living such a long life and if not, they should serve as a good cannon fodder at most, right?


    Besides, the reincarnators that have been "contracted" to her are not innocent anyway so she technically never went against her beloved father''s teaching.


    Truthfully, those reincarnators are basically like a walking peac.o.c.k seeing how prideful they are... Whether it''s male or female.


    The male one often wanted to covet her beauty while the female one wanted to get rid of her since they''re jealous of her beauty... Just like the previous Yu Huang.


    He coveted her beauty and wanted to trick her to get into his harem so she just responded appropriately.


    Is there any easier target than these reincarnators who basically think with their lower half? She doesn''t think so.


    It''s just like taking candy from a baby... They get to have a free labor force on top of it.


    Oh, the joy on mother Sona and mother Rakia''s face back then are quite memorable. They get to save some expenses because of it.


    Even though they''re not lacking in money, free things are always welcomed.


    If there are no important tasks at hand then they could just make them do menial things such as cleaning the toilet or whatever.


    "It would be more wonderful if dear father would give me a reward for it though, fufufufu..." She said with a giggle.


    "Now then... Let''s see what I miss..." Roxanne took out her phone and started to browse through the news.


    "Oh?" She raised her eyebrows at the message on her sisterhood group.


    "A parallel world? Interesting..." Roxanne mused to herself: "And father''s current location is... Hmm, I see." She narrowed her eyes after knowing that Shirayuki is currently with him.


    She wastes no time before creating a spatial opening headed towards Issei''s direction.


    ...


    "Train you?" Arte looked at Hajime while bringing her fist down to the incoming monster''s head.


    Her small fist directly sending the monster''s skull tunneling into its own neck and body. It twitched for a couple of seconds before it stopped moving altogether.


    "Um, if it doesn''t bother you." Hajime gives a pitiful glance at the poor bastard who has been turned into a pancake.


    Yue who''s nearby secretly dropped a sweat feeling thankful that Arte holds her strength back when she''s dealing with her... If not then she would''ve shared the same fate as this monster.


    Even though she''s immortal, that doesn''t mean she can''t feel pain... And somehow her intuition is telling her that Arte could actually kill her for good...


    Perhaps she should keep her d.e.s.i.r.e at bay... But that heavenly flavor is just too unforgettable! If she could have another taste then dying is totally worth it!


    "Humm... I''m not sure about training you... I mean, I don''t really know how to train others since I never trained other people before. And my training routine is not something others who are outside our family could follow. Here, let me show you a simple example." Arte said before she created a magic circle around Hajime.


    "?" Hajime tilted his head and even after a while, he still doesn''t feel anything.


    "You don''t feel anything, right?"


    "Indeed." Hajime said in confusion.


    "Mm, as expected... I just used my magic to stimulate your bloodline. If your bloodline contains a large potential then my magic just now would''ve unlocked it immediately. But since you''re a normal human until recently, there''s really nothing to awaken." Arte explained.


    She paused for a moment before continues speaking: "I don''t really know much about this kind of stuff but your supposed "bloodline" must''ve activated already... Meaning when you ate your first monster flesh."


    Hajime recalled that moment when he first ate his first monster...


    "So you mean the reason why I changed to what I look like right now is because I somehow "activated" the bloodline I received from eating the monster flesh?" Hajime said disappointedly.


    "Mm, that''s right. But don''t feel disheartened about yourself. According to my observation so far, you should be able to keep gaining more and more potential for your bloodline the more you feast on a stronger monster. Your "bloodline" must''ve contained the <Gluttony> perk." Arte concluded.


    "I see." Hajime nodded excitedly.


    "Is there any other training method that you could teach me other than this?" He asked.


    "Hmm, you mean like a combat practice?" Arte questioned.


    "That''s right."


    "It''s impossible." Arte shakes her head: "I couldn''t control my strength quite well yet. I might kill you by accident if I''m not careful enough. If you want a combat practice then you could just train with these monsters for now or with Yue instead... They should serve as a good practice target for a while."


    "...Got it." Hajime said disappointedly.


    If Arte could train him then he will be one step closer to getting to his target.


    Remember, Arte is still 12 years old. Her training just started recently. She started her training when she was 11.


    One year of training is nowhere enough to make her as proficient as her elder sisters just yet.


    She started training at 11 because she was a bit lazier compared to her other sisters. Even her big sister Kozelotte started her training when she was 10... While Shirayuki started her training when she was 9...


    "By the way, you said my bloodline contains the <Gluttony> trait... Is it the same gluttony that is related to the 7 deadly sins?"


    "Yup. To make it simple if you still don''t understand, the more you eat, the stronger you get. And it goes without saying, the stronger the monster is, the better it is for your growth."


    "Oh... Then what about your bloodline, Arte-san?" Hajime asked curiously.


    "My bloodline? Well, my bloodline is kind of complicated..." Arte said dubiously: "Let''s just say that I possess all 7 deadly sins within my bloodline."


    "...Including <L.u.s.t>?" Hajime added with a gulp.


    "Of course? My mama possesses a Royal S.u.c.c.u.b.u.s bloodline according to what I''ve been told." Arte said while tilting her head slightly: "Why do you ask?" She added.


    "...No reason..." Hajime mumbled.


    Arte becomes further confused at his act.


    Hajime peeked at Arte''s body... No wonder... He thought inside his mind.


    Yue gives Hajime a scrutinizing look and said: "...Pervert."


    "..." Hajime blushed slightly and hastily feigned ignorance.


    The Abyssal Human hiding within Arte''s shadow narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Hajime.


    Her Master has given her an order to kill Hajime if he were to overstep his boundary...


    ...


    "Ne ne, mama." Lotte tugged on Forzelotte''s shirt.


    "Hmm?"


    "I found this... bra? I believe you said this thing is called a bra before." Lotte took out a piece of bra from her pocket dimension.


    "!!!" Forzelotte''s eyes widen at the sight of the bra Lotte just took out.


    "Is this bra broken, mama? There''s a hole on i- huh?" Lotte pointed at the two holes on the front of the bra cluelessly but before she could finish her sentence, Forzelotte snatched the bra away from her hand.


    "You were mistaken..." Forzelotte said sternly while hiding the bra away.


    "E-Eh? B-But..."


    "You were mistaken." Forzelotte repeated with more force behind her voice.


    "O-Oh, um... I-It seems Lotte was mistaken..." Lotte stutteringly said.


    "Um... Mama will make whatever you want for a snack later."Forzelotte said with a strained smile.


    "Y-Yaay!" Lotte ''cheered''.


    Amou, Momoyo, and Kozelotte who''s behind them snickered between themselves.


    Forzelotte glared at the three of them and they hastily looked away as if they never saw anything in the first place.


    That was close... Forzelotte thought solemnly inside her mind.


    That bra is something she often used whenever she had her nightly activities with Issei to enhance it even further. It comes with matching p.a.n.t.i.e.s but thankfully Lotte only found the bra.


    Although... There are still a few sets stashed away in her room... Such as the Gym clothes, Nurse uniform, Cheerleader dress, Shrine maiden outfit, Bunny outfit, and many more...


    Few of them could still be ignored by saying that it''s just a normal outfit but most of them are just like this bra... It would be very bad if she were to discover that as well.


    Looks like she needs to be more careful when hiding her stuff away...


    Unknown to her, Kozelotte, Arte, and few others have already discovered them long ago... But they didn''t ask her about it since they obviously have more common sense compared to Lotte.


    "Now then... It seems that we''re missing someone." Forzelotte said with a frown.


    Out of all their daughters who were supposed to be present, she realized that someone is missing on their way to the living room. When she''s still doing a headcount inside her head, it finally hits her.


    "...Koze, where is your eldest sister?"


    "Shirayuki nee-san? Uhhh, dunno?"


    Forzelotte frowned and spread out her divine sense on the whole fortress but she still couldn''t find Shirayuki anywhere.


    "That child... Could it be..." Her frown deepened.


    She hastily called out to the Abyssal Human hiding nearby and asked her about Shirayuki''s whereabouts... She''s also informed of Issei''s new "job".


    Tsk, that child is getting too powerful for her own good. Forzelotte heaved a sigh once she finishes hearing the abyssal human report.


    Her growth is as expected being the descendant of the strongest person in the multiverse. She''s happy yet concerned at the same time...


    She then told Lotte and the others to wait here while she''s going to fetch Shirayuki back.


    ...


    And that''s how Forzelotte arrived at Shirayuki''s side...


    "Forze? What are you doing here?" Issei asked.


    "What else? It''s because of this little troublemaker." Forzelotte huffed while holding Shirayuki still.


    The person in question is trembling slightly under her pressure.


    "Troublemaker? What trouble did she cause? As far as I know, Yuki is not the type to cause trouble." Issei said while tilting his head.


    "Hehehe, the ''trouble'' she causes is because of another reason, Master... Not like you would understand." Nero chuckled bitterly.


    All of their daughters are quite a fathercon, including her little bundle of joy herself... Nero lamented inside her mind.


    Whenever their father is around, they would instantly scramble to his side forgetting about their poor mothers... Such injustice is truly intolerable!


    Nero and the others could only stare begrudgingly at him when the time comes.


    "Huh? Why?" He asked cluelessly.


    ""That''s why."" The two said in unison.


    See? He still doesn''t understand until now that their daughters'' affection is borderlining in the danger zone at this point... Thankfully he truly never sees them as the opposite s.e.x or it would be a massive headache to deal with. Not like it''s not headache-inducing right now but still...


    "Now... I''m pretty sure I''ve already said that no one is allowed to go after your father before, didn''t I? Not even you are allowed unless you have a good reason for it." Forzelotte said towards the shivering Shirayuki.


    "U-Umm, I-I just wanted to help dearest father..." Shirayuki squeaked out a reason.


    "Do you really think that your father would need help considering how powerful he is?" Forzelotte deadpanned.


    "...No." Shirayuki mumbled.


    "And even if he does need help, asking you and your sisters for help would be the last thing that he would do. He would''ve asked us, your mothers first before he would ask any of you."


    "That''s not true, I often asked them to help me." Issei chimed in.


    "Asking for their help to make breakfast or dinner doesn''t count you stupid husband." Forzelotte said scrutinizingly at Issei.


    "Umu umu." Nero also nodded along with her statement.


    "Oh..." Issei wryly said while scratching his cheek.


    "Then... Why are you still here anyway, Ise? You could''ve easily handled all these ants in an instant if you want to. Even if they''re in hiding or sealed somewhere, all you need to do is just release 5% of your power and that will be the end of them." Forzelotte said with a frown.


    "But that will also cause massive catastrophe to this world." Nero pointed out: "If Master really uses 5% of his power then... At the very least, half of this world would be done for."


    Erica and the others who listened to their conversation had their body went cold. Even the Gods and Goddesses present had their expression become twisted in horror.


    "Hmph, you and your morality compass." Forzelotte said with a sigh: "But never mind, since you''re the King then you can do as you see fit. As your wife, I would support anything that you wanted to do."


    "Thanks." Issei flashed a loving smile at her.


    "H-Hmph, fool..." Forzelotte blushed before she''s reminded of something: "Wait... if your only job here is to defeat a bunch of weaklings... You should let the others take care of it. There''s no need for you to take matters with your own hand. You should send the Overlords instead."


    "Umm, about that..."


    "Don''t say that you wanted to spoil Brynhildr because she''s pregnant. While I understand your intention of spoiling her, that doesn''t mean you should spoil her here. You could do just that back home... Or did you forget that there are others who are currently pregnant right now?" She said with narrowed eyes.


    Although Forzelotte said that, she knows better than anyone that it''s impossible for him to forget about his other wives.


    "Of course not... It''s just that if we were to go home. Brynhildr''s reserved attitude wouldn''t allow her to act spoiled with me. She would just go away somewhere while making some excuses to hide herself." Issei said with a sigh.


    "True..." Forzelotte frowned while remembering Brynhildr''s attitude.


    That girl honestly needs to be more honest with her feelings.


    It has been quite a while ever since she became one of her sisters yet she still acted so reserved.


    And this dummy of a husband is too soft at times... While that''s a good thing in its own way, sometimes he needs to be a little stricter.


    Granted his wives never really did anything overly troublesome, but as the head of the house, he should showcase his dominant side more often... outside of the bed that is.


    He is very "dominant" in bed already... Any more than this then they might not be able to stand his advances anymore.


    That feeling of wanting to stop but cannot is just like a drug...


    "So... why are they not been dealt with yet?" Forzelotte glanced at the surrounding Heretic Gods and Goddesses.


    "Well... They were experience points for Nero earlier and when Yuki arrived, I was thinking of giving them to her to hone her skill." Issei responded.


    The Gods and Goddesses gritted their teeth for being treated as a training dummy by Issei but they couldn''t do anything in return... The fact speaks louder than words.


    Even when they tried their best, they couldn''t even put a scratch on him.


    He''s treating them like they are nothing but toys for his family!


    "Hoo... Is that so? Then, while we''re at it... How about calling the other girls here? I reckon it''s about time for most of the girls to have their first battle." Forzelotte mumbled.


    "No." But Issei denied it immediately: "They''re still too young."


    "Hmph... you''re treating them as if they''re a weakling. Our daughters are anything but a weakling."


    "That I know... It''s just that..."


    "Do I need to remind you of the number of artifacts on their body?" Forzelotte said with narrowed eyes.


    "Uhh..." Issei becomes stumped.


    For example, the amount of artifacts that Lotte has on her body is by no means little.


    Her clothes, her pants, her accessories, and even her u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r are divine artifacts.


    Heck, even if all Gods present were to use their everything to attack Lotte, they still won''t be able to harm her in the slightest.


    All of his daughters are equipped with a divine artifact with no exception.


    Only those who are at his level could break their defense.


    As for their actual combat practice, they have their mother Scathach for that since she''s the most enthusiastic about training their children.


    "Stop pampering them too much already."


    "But..."


    "No buts." Forzelotte said sternly.


    "..."


    "Don''t start sulking now..." She sighed looking at her pouting husband.


    Erica''s little party gawked at his childish behavior. The personality gap he displays is so far in between... He was being so domineering a while ago and yet... here he is acting like a child...


    But his current pouting expression is so... so cute! They squealed secretly inside their mind. They felt like a few arrows just lodged into their heart.


    Even Luo Hao is no exception. She blushes up to the root of her ears being charmed by his current sight. Although she likes domineering man more... Somehow this expression of his is not bad at all.


    The four of them notices another spatial opening nearby. Knowing the energy signature, they didn''t feel alarmed except for Shirayuki.


    "...She''s here..." She mumbled with a slight frown.


    "Good afternoon, dear father, mother Forze, mother Nero... And big sister Yuki." Roxanne appeared from the newly created spatial opening and proceed to greet everyone there but when she greeted Shirayuki, there''s a slight smirk on her face.


    "Anne? You''re here as well?" Issei said while tilting his head slightly.


    Nero only gives her typical "Umu!" as a response to her greeting.


    "What are you doing here, young lady?" Forzelotte asked sternly.


    "Oh, I''m just here to pick big sister up, mother Forze." Roxanne said with a smile.


    "Pick her up? What for?" Forzelotte raised her eyebrows at Roxanne.


    "Um, remember that big sister is the vice principal for our little academy? As her secretary, it''s a given that I should remind her of her duty." Roxanne reminded while her eyes clashed with Shirayuki creating an invisible spark.


    "Oh, that academy, huh..." Forzelotte nodded after remembering about it.


    "Yes, mother Forze... It''s about time for us to return to that place... Especially since big sister often went absent from her duties." Roxanne gives a faint sigh.


    "That''s a false accusation, little sister... I''ve been only away for a few days. And I''ve already finished all my tasks beforehand before leaving my post." Shirayuki retorted.


    "But you''re still absent nonetheless, did you not?" Roxanne pointed out: "Didn''t someone said that they wanted to take care of the academy for dear father before? I heard that the exam for new freshmen will start soon. What if something happens on the exam?"


    "You..." Shirayuki narrowed her eyes at Roxanne.


    The spark created between their gaze intensifies.


    White meets Golden.


    While Forzelotte and Nero shook their head in resignment, someone is smiling foolishly seeing how "close" his two princesses are.


    "Aren''t they close?" He said cluelessly.


    ""In what way are they close?"" His two wives retorted.


    These two are almost always at odds because of a particular someone.


    Out of all the sisters, these two are the ones who are the most competitive wanting to gain their dummy father''s attention.


    Thankfully they still know their boundaries and never tried to harm each other.


    They often do "jabs" like this at most and things never really get out of hand much to their relief.


    "Well, go take her away then... Your father and I still have some stuff to take care of." Forzelotte said with a wave.


    "...Alright." Shirayuki is the first to break off their eye contact with each other and Roxanne flashed a victorious smirk at this.


    "Then... Dearest father, Forze okaa-sama, Nero okaa-sama, I''ll excuse myself." Shirayuki bid her farewell with reluctance.


    "Um/Umu!" Both Forzelotte and Nero nodded with a smile.


    "Um, take care on your way there you two. Remember to call for help if you need one." Issei said with a smile of his own.


    "En, thank you, dearest father." While Shirayuki smiled at Issei, Roxanne''s eyes flashed before she took a step forward in Issei''s direction.


    "Hm? What''s wrong, little princess?" Issei tilted his head slightly seeing how Roxanne suddenly stood in front of him.


    Shirayuki and Forzelotte had a light frown on their face while Nero is also a bit clueless.


    Roxanne suddenly stands on her tiptoe and proceed to give Issei''s cheek a kiss.


    "Ah!" Shirayuki gasped in shock.


    Forzelotte and Nero could only sigh seeing this.


    Issei blinked his eyes repeatedly but soon he smiled from ear to ear feeling happy that his little princess just gave him a kiss on the cheek!


    "Then, beloved father... I''ll see you later." Roxanne beamed at Issei.


    "Um um! Take care!" He nodded rapidly at her words while still smiling widely.


    "Aren''t you forgetting someone?" Forzelotte deadpan voice resounded.


    "Of course not, mother Forze." Roxanne gives a smile before she proceeds to give Forzelotte and Nero a quick kiss on the cheek.


    "Then we''ll excuse ourselves... Let''s go, big sister." Roxanne strode forward to the spatial opening she just created but not before taunting Shirayuki: ''That was delicious~''. She whispered in a low voice when she passes by the stiffened Shirayuki.


    "Hold it right there, little sister!" Shirayuki snapped out of her shock and growled at Roxanne''s taunt but the latter has already entered the spatial opening while laughing gleefully.


    While both Forzelotte and Nero sighed bitterly at their departure, a certain smiling dummy of a father is still smiling from ear to ear...


    "I wonder just who they take after..." Forzelotte sighed to herself.


    While they were in their little family gathering, the surrounding Gods and Erica''s little group have become a background character being completely forgotten...


    ...


    "That''s quite sly of you, little sister." Shirayuki said begrudgingly on their way back.


    "Hm? I''m just stating facts though?" Roxanne said with a chuckle.


    "You know that''s not what I''m talking about." Shirayuki said: "It''s quite sly of you to just suddenly kiss dearest father out of nowhere."


    "Why are you so upset? Isn''t it normal for a daughter to gives their father cheek a kiss?" Roxanne said tauntingly.


    "Hmph, that rule doesn''t apply to you. If it was our baby sisters then it''s okay, but not for you." Shirayuki scoffed.


    "And why is that?"


    "You know perfectly why." Shirayuki harrumphed.


    "Fufufu, don''t act as if you also didn''t see dear father in that kind of way. I''m just being true to my feelings~" Roxanne said with a giggle.


    "You are being shameless!" Shirayuki said with a slightly red face.


    "Thank you, I''ll take that as a compliment." Roxanne simply responded: "Now then... Let''s talk about the task at hand. I wonder if there will be anyone that could interests you this year. If there is, then I''m more than willing to help you two get closer. Don''t be shy and just tell me, big sister." She said with a smile.


    "Oh, no need, I''m satisfied with my current situation. How about you, little sister? I heard you''re quite interested in those reincarnators... How about I find a suitable one for you?" Shirayuki beamed back: "I heard recently Kanna just came across a reincarnator that possesses Kathryn okaa-sama''s system... I wonder if he could be a perfect match for you."


    Their atmosphere between them immediately turned frigid once again... The two of them are smiling at each other and yet somehow it made the air feel cold instead of creating a warm scene...


    "Let''s stop here... We have a task to do." Shirayuki once again is the first to break off their stalemate.


    "Agreed... We can''t embarrass our dear father''s name now, can''t we." Roxanne nodded in agreement.


    The two of them regained their bearings back and become calm once more.


    They both wear a veil that hides most of their face and only the upper part of their face could be seen.


    While the veil hides their face, it still can''t completely suppress their otherworldly charm.


    When they arrived at the academy, they''re greeted by the staff there. Both males and females alike become slightly entranced at their sight.


    Both Shirayuki and Roxanne have already finished their school education early on. Roxanne skipped her class since she has already mastered the subjects in her school.


    And being a reincarnator, despite a flawed one in her previous life, she has no problem blending in the society.


    The two of them give a faint nod at the staff and strode forward to the examination hall...


    Once they arrived there, the once rowdy hall went silence... Only faint whispers could be heard now and then.


    All their eyes are glued onto the two Dragoness. The teachers are also no exception and they put their undivided attention to them.


    The two Dragoness went towards the podium with Shirayuki being the spokesperson while Roxanne situated herself behind her.


    "Greetings... I''m the vice-principal of this academy, Shirayukihime Shen Hyoudou." Shirayuki started her speech with a simple greeting.


    "I will spare you all the pleasantries and get straight to the point... Those who pass the test will be able to enter the academy and have their chance to become a great <Hero> while those who fail will be given a second chance next year. But a word of advice... Those who come here without proper preparation should retire now. We won''t be responsible if you were to get hurt or worse... lose your life in the process." She said sternly making the prospective students gulped audibly feeling nervous.


    But some of them are feeling excited instead.


    "Any question?" She asked but no one raised their hand: "If there are none then that will be all... If later you have some questions, you can ask the teacher or the staff here and don''t be shy to ask them. Now let''s not stand on ceremony and proceed with the test." She concluded her speech just like that.


    "Give a round of applause for our vice-principal!" A male teacher with bulging muscles shouted loudly while smiling widely.


    They all clapped loudly feeling nervous and also excited at the upcoming test...


    Both Shirayuki and Roxanne nodded lightly at their enthusiasm. Looks like there are quite a bit of good seedlings present...


    ...


    In <Glory City> the <Sacred Family> searched everywhere for the culprit who''s responsible for their young master''s comatose state and the missing experts from their family.


    The eyewitness told them the one who''s responsible but they''re unable to pinpoint her location.


    They can only search blindly all over the city.


    -Night-


    It was really quiet. Occasionally, sounds of beasts howling and wind blowing through the grass could be heard. The moon was embedded in the dark blue sky. Under the full moon was a pool of water braved by a thin fog. In this dim white mist, a graceful figure was faintly discernible.


    Hong''er was seated on the side of the pool.


    She gazes at her reflection... A flawless face that could bring the downfall to realms is reflected on the water. Any man would kill just to catch a glimpse of a smile from that flawless beautiful face.


    It''s been 17 years ever since that destined day... The day when she met her dearest elder brother.


    Her body has fully grown becoming a transcendent beauty. Her body has been sculpted to perfection.


    Hong''er waited day after day for the time where her elder brother would claim her as his wife... But much to her frustration, that day never came.


    Even when she tried to seduce him with the advice of the other big sisters, she still couldn''t entice him.


    He always treated her like a child... Hong''er couldn''t help but pout when she thought till here.


    Elder brother you big dummy! She thought grudgingly to herself while throwing a pebble onto the pond.


    Hong''er sense suddenly perked up when she sensed a presence coming her way.


    She could recognize this presence since it belongs to the same girl she helped before.


    This girl has continuously come here for the last three days. She always brought something with her, most likely food considering their scent.


    Hong''er quite enjoys the scenery in this place. During the day she would try to look around but during the night, she will stay here.


    So today, Hong''er finally decided to meet the girl...


    Hong''er floated downward to the girl''s front and said lightly: "What do you want?"

 Chapter 171 - Past 1: Aki Nijou

    (AN: A little reminder, for those who feel bored with my fanfic feel free to drop it since this fanfic is technically already finished during the epilogue chapter. No need to force yourself to read my fanfic ????. As for a new novel, I don''t have any plans on creating a new one yet.


    As for the donation you guys have given me, I''m very thankful but it''s better if you guys keep the money for yourself. I don''t want you guys to be short on money when you need it the most... Like when something happens to your family member. My fanfic is always free and will always be. I didn''t write this fanfic for the money, it''s because of my hobby and for fun only. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. God bless all of you and your family).


    "What do you think, sister?" Roxanne asked Shirayuki while they''re in their private balcony inside the headmaster room.


    "A few of them are quite promising but the rest is not so much," Shirayuki replied while stirring her tea: "Although, it''s quite commendable that none of them lose their lives and got away with only some injuries."


    "Hmm, is that so? Well, some of them are indeed not really that talented but as father always said..."


    ""What matters the most is not talent or potential but rather hard work."" The two of them said at the same time.


    They looked at each other and let out a slight chuckle.


    Their father repetitively reminded them that even though they have outstanding talent or potential, that doesn''t mean they should slack off.


    Only if combined with hard work will their potential bloom properly. If not, it will be nothing more than a decoration.


    "I know what you meant, sister... I''m just saying that those who are more talented seem to be acting quite arrogant for their own sake." Shirayuki explained.


    "I see... Well, that could be a positive thing actually. It should create a competitive environment for the students. And if they couldn''t handle the pressure, then they should quit early on rather than wasting their time here." Roxanne said nonchalantly.


    "Um, agreed... By the way, where are Ryuko and Satsuki? I didn''t see them at the opening ceremony earlier..." Shirayuki asked.


    "Who knows?" Roxanne said with a shrug: "They most likely went on a stroll somewhere."


    "Those two are really..." Shirayuki heaved a sigh: "Why can''t they be obedient just like the rest of our sisters..."


    "But that''s what makes them fun, don''t you think?" Roxanne chuckled: "You can rest easy, sister. No matter how mischievous they are, they will never bring shame upon our dear father''s name."


    "Well... I suppose you''re right." Shirayuki nodded reluctantly.


    While her little sisters are often act mischievous, they''ve never really done things that could bring shame upon their father''s name.


    "Speaking of shame... I heard Erza''s twin self just lose against a dragon king wannabe." Roxanne said while sipping her tea.


    "Oh, that Erza, huh..." Shirayuki said after a little bit of thinking.


    "Should we go pay her world a visit and see just what kind of dragon she''s dealing with?" Roxanne suggested.


    "No need. Erza is already there." Shirayuki shook her head.


    With their little sister who''s basically amongst the strongest over there, they don''t need to feel worried in the slightest.


    Their sister Erza is totally a battle junky. She would even challenge their dad whenever she had the chance to do so... Obviously, she and the others always lose and their dad never really initiated any attack on his own.


    He will only block their move and smiles dotingly at them seemingly proud of their progress.


    Only their mothers are the ones who would actually attack them in their mock battle... Especially their mother Scathach who will always take things seriously whenever they had their training session with her.


    "And according to her and Irene kaa-sama''s twin, that dragon is not really a full-fledged dragon. She said that he was a human who turned into a Dragon... Similar to dearest father but their process is completely different." Shirayuki said.


    "Ah, no wonder he dares to proclaim himself as the True Dragon King." Roxanne nodded in realization.


    No sane full-pledged Dragon would proclaim themselves to be the True Dragon King.


    "Well, setting Erza aside... Let''s see about the others, maybe I could "recruit" another reincarnator to be one of our employees..." Roxanne said with a shrug.


    Roxanne opened her phone and started to read the latest information about her sisters'' situation.


    Roxanne being a "reincarnator" is not really a secret in the family...


    They tried asking their mother Semiramis once in the past but she only laughed gently saying: ''That''s because of your father, dear... Your father''s soul is a bit "special", you see...''


    Remember that Issei has lived his first and second life as a God.


    He doesn''t inherit his memories on his third reincarnation because of Nyarlathotep.


    If that''s not enough, even on his third life so to speak, he keeps facing the world filled with paranormal stuff. Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels... Forzelotte herself, then Semiramis, and so on...


    The amount when he comes into contact with "Death" itself is quite numerous. Technically, he already died multiple times in his third life.


    It''s a given that his descendant might be affected by his special circ.u.mstances.


    When they realize that Roxanne is affected by his "influence". It is too late to do anything else...


    Semiramis herself is too afraid of messing with their children''s souls and the same goes for them.


    But, in the end, Issei nor the others care about any of this.


    It doesn''t matter if she''s a reincarnator or not. What matters the most is that she''s one of their family members and that''s that.


    Their other children don''t share Roxanne''s fate since they''re well prepared this time.


    They don''t want their children to be burdened by their past lives memories.


    Roxanne is the only special case.


    "By the way, sister... If I remember correctly, you have some knowledge about this academy, don''t you?" Roxanne asked: "This academy was for those who have special strength, wasn''t it?"


    "Um, I was there when dearest father is coronated to be this academy new chairman... It was quite a sight if I might say." Shirayuki said in reminiscence.


    "Care to share it with me?"


    "Well, I wasn''t here from the start... We can ask Minori nee-chan about it. Minori nee-chan, wake up, please or I will tell on dearest father that you''re lazing around." Shirayuki tilted her head before she called out to the sleeping woman on the sofa on the corner of the room.


    "Wuh, what?" The woman becomes startled awake when she heard Shirayuki''s words.


    The woman named Minori has long dark pink hair that is kept in a high ponytail by a black ribbon and brown-orange eyes. She wears an orange-like tracksuit with white stripes on the sides and a pair of slippers.


    "I''m awake, I''m awake!" She shouted while still half awake.


    "*Sigh* Stop acting diligent only when dearest father is around, Minori nee-chan..." Shirayuki said with a sigh.


    "Ugh, leave me alone..." She g.r.o.a.n.e.d.


    "Now, Minori nee-chan. Care to share the story of how dearest father came to take over this academy?"


    "Huh? Why do you want to hear that story? Why don''t you ask your dad directly instead?" Minori responded while scratching her head.


    "Dearest father is busy, unlike a certain someone," Roxanne said with a snicker.


    "You brat... Fine fine, I''ll tell you about it... And stop calling me nee-chan. I''m about to be one of your mother, you know?" Minori snorted at them.


    ""No, you''re not."" The two of them said at the same time.


    "Cheh! Just you wait! Anyway, it goes like this..." Minori then told them about the past on how Issei take over this academy...


    ...


    "Hmm, so this is your home?" Issei looked at the traditional Japanese house in front of him.


    The house is quite big so it can be seen that Aki''s family is rich. There are tall walls surrounding the house and besides the main building, there was also a courtyard on it. Not only there was a huge Koi fish pond, but there was also a large area full of bamboo and an open area with a variety of flowers and plants.


    The house in the center area was also very huge, and the exteriors were all in the traditional wooden corridor and paper door design.


    "U-Um." Beside Issei, Aki fidgetted on the spot feeling nervous.


    It''s been a while since she met her family.


    She was transported to another world in the past and had no way back.


    Thankfully only one year passed on her world. But it still worries her a lot and she''s certain that her mother and friends are looking for her feeling extremely worried.


    She only has one mother and no other siblings. But her grandparents are still alive living together with them.


    Her father died early leaving the two of them behind but thankfully they inherited his assets and her mother is also a great businesswoman so they don''t have any difficulties during their lives.


    Issei who sensed her nervousness smiled softly and proceed to hold her hand.


    "Ah..." Aki''s body jolted slightly feeling his touch.


    "Don''t be nervous, I''m here with you," Issei said softly.


    "U-Um." Aki becomes less tense and smiled back at him.


    A beautiful ring can be seen glistening brightly on her ring finger.


    They''re not officially married yet but Aki has become Issei''s fiancee and they''re here to ask for her mother''s blessing.


    There''s no way she could get married without informing her family.


    After taking a deep breath, Aki steeled herself and walked forward hand in hand with Issei...


    Needless to say, there''s a huge commotion inside the house seeing the young lady of the house has finally returned...


    ...


    Issei smiled warmly seeing Aki interacting with her family... They''re currently hugging each other while shedding some tears.


    They''re currently seated in a tatami room. The room is very spacious and filled with traditional Japanese decorations.


    As expected, since it''s a tatami room, Issei has to sit in a seiza position. Since he himself is Japanese, he doesn''t have any problem doing this.


    Aki couldn''t say anything else other than "Sorry." while sobbing softly within her mother''s embrace.


    Her family doesn''t seem to be blaming her at all and only feels happy that she managed to return safely...


    "Ojii-sama, Obaa-sama, Okaa-sama... Let me introduce you to my f-fiancee." After a while, Aki wiped her tears and started to introduced Issei while blushing shyly.


    "Oh my..." Her mother gasped in amazement after seeing Issei.


    Issei is wearing a formal suit which is normally worn by a man who wanted to propose and the suit itself is nothing really special... But because the one who''s wearing them is far from normal, his form instantly captivated her.


    Aki''s mother is a great woman who has seen her fair share of worldly views but this is the first time for her to see a man like Issei... His otherworldly feature aside, the way he carries himself is nothing but flawless.


    Aki''s mother looks very similar to her daughter albeit she has this much more m.a.t.u.r.e aura surrounding her and her hair is tied in a bun. She''s wearing a black kimono with a floral design that wrapped around her body tightly and it could be seen that Aki inherited her mother''s bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts with just a glance.


    While she''s already in her forties, she looks like she''s in her late twenties instead.


    "Nice to meet you, my name is Issei Savant Hyoudou. I''ve been in the care of Aki for a while now... I''m currently dating her with the intention of marrying her. I might be lacking in many ways but I hope you can give us your blessing." Issei introduced himself and bowed deeply at Aki''s mother and grandparents.


    "Oh, no need to be so formal, child. Get up, get up... Sorry for not noticing you earlier." Her grandparents smiled kindly at Issei while nodding to themselves.


    What a well-mannered and graceful man they thought to themselves.


    Even though they''re already in their seventies, they seem to still be brimming with life.


    They also share some similarities with Aki but not as much as her mother.


    "A-Aki... I-Is this true?" After snapping out of her daze, Aki''s mother, whose name is Kasumi Nijou looked at her daughter in surprise.


    "U-Um..." Aki nodded shyly while showing her mother their engagement ring.


    After gazing at the ring for a few moments, Kasumi heaved a sigh and look straight at Issei''s eyes.


    Issei calmly met her gaze.


    "...Is what you said true? Are you truly serious about my daughter?" She asked seriously.


    "Yes." Issei answered without hesitation.


    "..."


    "..."


    After staring at each other for a whole minute, Kasumi finally smiled happily: "Then I''ll leave my daughter in your hands."


    "Understood, I will protect her with all my life." Issei smiled back.


    Kasumi''s expression stagnated for a few seconds after seeing his smile before she regained her bearings back and looked at her smiling daughter.


    "Looks like your disappearance was a blessing in disguise, Aki... Who would''ve thought that you would bring home an outstanding man with you." Kasumi said teasingly while putting her right hand on her cheek: "And here I was feeling worried that you might not be able to find a man on your own, so I wanted to set up a few blind dates for you but it looks like it won''t be necessary anymore."


    "O-Okaa-sama..." Aki becomes further embarrassed at her mother''s teasing.


    She didn''t bother to ask about Issei''s occupation and his background.


    She only cares for her daughter''s happiness. If her daughter loves him and he loves her then that''s all that matters...


    But obviously, Issei won''t come here empty-handed.


    "This might be not much as a dowry gift but please accept it." Issei took out a large exquisite box that contains pieces of jewelry and money.


    "Oh, you don''t need to do this child... We''re all family here..." Aki''s grandfather smiled kindly at his gesture.


    They didn''t bother checking his gift and only calmly set it aside.


    "Come child, have you eaten yet? Our Nijou family secret recipe is quite a delicacy and I''m sure you will like it." Her grandmother said next: "Aki, would you please bring him to the dining room?"


    "Hai, obaa-sama." Aki nodded still feeling shy over the whole situation.


    "Then, sorry to be a bother." Issei bowed once again while still retaining his smile.


    He was thinking of taking out some food that he brought along with him as another gift but finally decided not to.


    It would be rude of him for not accepting his in-laws'' hospitality. Besides, he''s not picky about food.


    The jewelry he gifted to them is not a piece of normal jewelry. They''ve been enchanted by him and those jewelries would bring luck and grant protection to the whole house along with its inhabitants.


    If they wear it, the effect will be even greater and it''s quite safe to say that they would practically become invincible.


    There is also some rare metal from Aki''s world that he brought with him which could be sold for billions.


    Aki''s world is not really a normal world and there''s a presence of divine energy and the like.


    According to her, they utilize a tool called <Maken>, which are known as the vessels created when gods are born. As such, they were originally only used by the gods whose birth led to their creation.


    Of course, Issei has already known this beforehand since while Aki couldn''t really create a Maken of her own in the past, she has some knowledge about it.


    She concluded that <Maken> isn''t as powerful as the Divine and Magical tool that they have back in the <Netherworld> so they didn''t really dwell on it that much.


    And coincidentally, <Maken> is also the cause of her "disappearance".


    Aki herself isn''t really a scientist per say... she''s more of a doctor if anything. Her <Maken> enables her to see all damage done to the people in her vision.


    With the combination of her new friends and colleagues, which are Tearju and Mikado, Aki''s <Maken> has been upgraded enabling her to see a flaw within their creations so far.


    It''s also one of the reasons why they''re so successful and managed to catch Issei''s attention. The other reason is obviously because of Yami.


    Issei had lunch while having small talk with Aki''s family members. While there areonly 5 of them in the dining room, it doesn''t feel lonely in the slightest especially when the young lady of the house has just returned and she even brought back an outstanding fiancee with her...


    Kasumi couldn''t but nod and nod again whenever she holds a conversation with Issei. She''s very satisfied with this son-in-law of hers... His talent in business is very great and it might even surpass hers, she often forgot that she''s having a conversation with someone younger than her and instead treated Issei as her equal.


    She feels proud of her daughter for managing to score such an outstanding man for herself... But she''s also feeling slightly jealous...


    Aki''s grandparents couldn''t stop smiling seeing how sensible Issei is and they couldn''t wait to hold their first great-grandchildren.


    Aki who''s at Issei''s side becomes enamored at Issei all over again seeing how he interact with her family members... Oh wait, it''s their family now, isn''t it? Aki couldn''t help but blush at her thought.


    Issei and Aki spend the whole day conversing with them...


    ...


    When night falls, Issei and Aki are given the same room.


    Aki''s mother''s message to her was "Mom can''t wait to hold my first grandchild, you two better work hard~". It looks like the three of them share the same thought...


    The moment Aki heard this, her whole body becomes red in embarrassment.


    So the two of them are alone within Aki''s room.


    Aki is extremely shy and nervous but also filled with anticipation although she won''t say it out loud.


    Meanwhile, Issei is looking around the room nodding to himself thinking that the room is quite homely and not overly decorated.


    While the floor is still tatami floored, the bed itself is a normal bed and not a futon. Although there''s a few futons stashed in the nearby closet just in case.


    When he turns his head towards Aki, he saw that she''s currently sneaking a peek at him with a blush.


    When she realizes that Issei is looking at her, she hastily averted her gaze feeling even more fl.u.s.tered.


    Issei blinked twice before he smiled softly at her.


    Issei took a seat beside Aki and whispered: "Shall we fulfill mother-in-law''s request?"


    Aki who heard his words froze entirely before her entire skin turned pink.


    Issei who saw this chuckled thinking that his little fiancee sure is easily embarrassed even though they''ve already slept together before.


    Issei suddenly pulled Aki''s body into his embrace and put her into his l.a.p making Aki yelped in surprise: "Eep!" But she doesn''t resist his advance in the slightest. If anything she snuggled deeper feeling greedy of his warmth...


    She sat on his l.a.p completely obedient like a little kitten.


    Issei''s smelled the indescribable fragrance of a m.a.t.u.r.e woman''s scent at a close range and his libido slowly rises up.


    Almost f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y, he lifted her head with his hand, and then his lips tightly pressed against her as tender and as beautiful red peach blossom lips.


    From the almost rough beginning, Issei gradually became very gentle in his plunder.


    Careful and gentle like tasting the most delicious thing, he savored her little fiancee''s delicate lips.


    Their tongues were constantly and incessantly tangled up inside their mouth, like a pair of tightly wound, writhing little snakes.


    When Aki felt she was going to melt, Issei suddenly put his hand inside her clothes, and then slowly moving upward along the smooth and creamy skin. She suddenly felt her heart beating like a drum.


    But before she could adapt, Issei''s other hand probed into her skirt.


    "Ah!" Aki let out another gasp of surprise.


    Her whole body is trembling like a newborn fawn inducing pity to those who saw her but Issei felt further aroused instead. His domineering side slightly surged out seeing the submissive woman in his embrace...


    His right hand arrived at her huge, well-rounded yet firm, and perky abundant K-cup b.r.e.a.s.ts. Just like when he tasted her luscious lips, he carefully played with them. Sometimes he would grasp it with some force and sometimes he would pinch her cherry nub.


    Aki felt like she was going crazy, the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e kept on expanding like tides until she unconsciously m.o.a.n.e.d out loud forgetting their surroundings. Even worse, through the thin cotton fabric, Issei''s hand feels like they''re filled with electricity, constantly c.a.r.e.s.sing and playing with her most intimate private part.


    The entire room is filled with Aki''s m.o.a.n of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e... She has completely given her entire body up to Issei to do as he wishes. She''s her prisoner for eternity and she doesn''t hate that idea in the slightest bit...


    She lifted both of her arms and put them behind her beloved lover''s neck so that he could grant easier access to her mesmerizing b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    Issei who saw this once again captured her lips with his own and he hugged her even harder from behind. At the same time, his hand doesn''t stop moving.


    After just a few seconds, Aki''s whole body started spasming slightly and her h.i.p.s bucked wildly under Issei''s constant c.a.r.e.s.sing... A stream of liquid flowed from her lower part staining her p.a.n.t.i.e.s and some even dropped onto the bed below them.


    Issei stopped his movement and smiled at the panting Aki.


    He slowly undresses her clothes one by one starting from the top... Aki is still in her delirious state so she doesn''t realize what Issei is currently doing and even if she does, she couldn''t resist.


    Her bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts are exposed in the open the instant Issei removed her bra. Issei slides down her black panty just right below her h.i.p.s but he doesn''t take them off completely. And once he''s done, Aki is left only with her black lingerie and stocking...


    Even when she''s practically n.a.k.e.d, she still doesn''t react.


    Issei takes off his clothes as well using his magic.


    He lifted Aki''s body slightly and aimed her raging spear into Aki''s lower part... Once he positioned them right, he slowly lowered Aki''s body...


    "Ahn!" Aki yelped in surprise and she finally snapped out of her daze after a foreign object entered her lower body.


    "I-Ise-san..." She m.o.a.n.e.d.


    "Mm?" Issei hummed acting clueless.


    "D-Don''t..." She whispered.


    "Don''t what?" While still acting clueless he lightly pushed his h.i.p.s upward making Aki m.o.a.n once more.


    "U-Uuuu... P-Please, Ise-san... I-I''m still too s-s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e... I-If you move now, I-I will go crazy..." Aki whimperingly said.


    Issei''s body froze for a moment before he lowered his head and whispered huskily: "Don''t you know, Aki... The more you act like this, the more I feel aroused."


    "Eh?" Without letting Aki catch on to his words just now, Issei let go of his hold over her body letting her swallow his entire length whole.


    Aki let out a strangled whimper and she almost passes out just now but Issei suddenly started moving his h.i.p.s wildly.


    The whole room is once again filled with Aki''s helpless charming m.o.a.n filled with p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.


    Thankfully Issei already put up a sound barrier preventing anyone outside the barrier to hear his lover''s m.o.a.n.


    At first, Aki was still feeling reserved but finally, she couldn''t endure the endless assault from her lover and finally decided to let go.


    Her m.o.a.n grew even louder and she even started to move on her own while Issei has already stopped moving his h.i.p.s a while ago.


    She gathered up her strength, tensed her limbs, then pushed herself upward, her lower mouth tightening with great force making Issei feeling amazed at her tightness. Before she could completely clear his tip, she slammed back down, impaling herself willingly with nothing but a small grunt. Aki rose again, repeating her previous motion, then slammed back down.


    Up, down. Up. Down. The bed started squeaking loudly as Aki swung her booty up and down like a piston. Her fervor, like an engine, had her rhythm surge, such that she could spit out and swallow his monster c.o.c.k in close to a second''s time. Her eyes had a wild, l.u.s.tful look on them as she took every inch of him every couple of seconds.


    Gone was the timid and reserved woman and what replaces it is a woman lost in carnal p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.


    Issei looked at Aki''s glistening back which is filled with sweat and becomes further captivated at her sight. Not so often he could see this side of hers... But when he does, he would become mesmerized all over again.


    He extended both of his hands forward and grasped both of her bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts and started playing with it once again.


    "I-Ise san, Ise-san, Ise-san...!" Aki m.o.a.n.e.d his name again and again while completely lost in the sea of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e: "I love you, I love you, I love yo- mmmhh!"


    Amidst her m.o.a.n, Issei captured her lips while both of his hands are still playing with her heavenly b.r.e.a.s.ts. Aki''s h.i.p.s never stopped moving as if they''re on autopilot trying to reach that peak of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e she has been craving for... And after a few humping, she finally reaches that peak once again.


    And after a mere few moments, she finally reached it.


    Like a machine suddenly going haywire, her body convulsed, her p.u.s.s.y squeezing tighter and tighter around him forcing Issei to reach the climax as well but not before he pushed her body down and pushing his h.i.p.s upwards for one final thrust.


    She came... Loud. Strong. Gushing. But Issei also doesn''t lose out. He pumps her w.o.m.b full of his essence staining and marking it completely as his... As if he was never satisfied just marking it once or the one before that, he would keep marking it again and again until the end of time.


    The <ECH> mark on top of Aki''s bubbly b.u.t.t glows brightly in crimson signaling the deep love Issei has for her and her undying loyalty to him.


    Her body surged with the power of his essence and Aki''s body greedily absorb all that energy.


    "..." Aki whimpered and threw her head back with her tongue sticking out gasping for air. Her body would occasionally twitch.


    After a while, Issei finally finished his ejaculation, causing him to leave her inside with a loud, and potent pop. It didn''t take long for a river of his c.u.m to escape, pooling at the base of her crotch like a newfound water source. Now overflowing, the rest of the c.u.m spills downward staining the bed below them...


    Issei stroked his semi-conscious wife''s head dotingly and hugged her body close with his other arm...


    Aki smiled foolishly feeling his touch. Every time she''s inside his embrace, she would feel safe, warm, loved, and blissful... She struggled to turn her body around and wrapped her arms around her lover''s, nay, her husband''s back lovingly ignoring the stream of white liquid on her lower body.


    "...D-Did I... Mm... M-Manage to satisfy you... Haah... Ise-san...?" She muttered while breathing heavily.


    "Um... You did." Issei nodded with a loving smile.


    "E-Ehehe, I''m glad..." She giggled like a little child.


    "...But Aki..." Issei''s eyes gained a mischievous glint and he whispered: "You should know that only doing it once is not enough for me..." He ended his words before giving her reddened ear a light nip.


    "!!!" Aki''s body jolted before she faces downward: "...I-If husband wanted to... th-then, Aki is more than willing to accompany him..." She muttered submissively in a low voice.


    "You naughty girl... Making it as if I''m the one who doesn''t want to stop after doing it once." Issei said with a teasing smile.


    "..." Aki doesn''t say anything in return but her already flushed face becomes even more flushed implying that she indeed still hasn''t had enough.


    That night was doomed to be a restless night for the two of them... and one extra person in hiding.


    Issei doesn''t realize this person''s presence since he was too focused on his little wife and when he does realize it, he froze for a moment before smiling wryly to himself... How should he handle this? Feigning ignorance of course!


    And the soundproof barrier he cast this time only blocks sound from coming out from the barrier not stopping anyone from entering. But he would''ve realized someone entering the barrier.


    It just happens that the "extra" is located right at the border of the barrier when he spread it out hence why she could hear everything clearly and not feel anything out of place... Meaning that this "extra" was already nearby from the start.


    Thankfully Aki''s <Mark> is located on her back and she happens to be facing her front when the <Mark> is glowing. Well, not that it would be too much trouble since they could just say that the <Mark> is a new type of <Maken> or whatnot.


    Even his disappearing clothes could be explained with <Maken> ability.


    The "extra" only left after the two lovebirds fell "asleep". Actually, Issei still wanted to continue but seeing that it''s getting very late, Aki seems so tired, and they''re in her family''s house, AND out of concern for the "extra" well-being, he reluctantly stopped their lovemaking...


    Aki is too exhausted to notice the "extra" and she fell asleep straight away.


    In the "extra" previous spot, a large puddle of water could be seen...


    ...


    When Aki woke up, her eyes immediately saw on her right-hand side Issei smilingly looked at her with hands resting behind his head.


    Before her shyness even shows up, he suddenly held her in his arms.


    Listening to his strong heartbeat and broad c.h.e.s.t, Aki felt a serene mood.


    Feeling her bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts crushing against his c.h.e.s.t, Issei felt his libido slowly rising up once more and he couldn''t help but give her b.u.t.t a little pinch.


    "I-Ise san..." She weakly muttered.


    "Morning sleepy head... Did you enjoy our last night together?" Issei said with a grin.


    Aki feels so embarrassed now that she finally realizes that they''re not at the <Netherworld> anymore... The thought of her mother and grandparents hearing her m.o.a.n from last night almost made her die out of embarrassment.


    Seeing her embarrassed state, Issei consoled her by saying: "Don''t worry, I''ve already put a sound barrier around our room last night. No one should''ve heard you." But he added secretly inside his mind, ''Except for a certain someone that is...''


    Aki secretly heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this, completely oblivious that they have an "audience" last night.


    "...Wh-What time is it..." She asked trying to change the subject of the conversation.


    "10 A.M." Issei said.


    "Ah?! So late!?" Aki jerked in shock but soon she hissed slightly sensing a numbing pain on her lower body. While it''s bearable for the most part, it stills aches a little bit.


    She looks teary eyedly at Issei feeling wronged.


    "Fool, didn''t you able to use your magic to heal yourself." Issei said with a chuckle.


    Only when he mentioned this that Aki remembers that she could use magic now...


    "But if you''re unwilling to leave the bed... How about I heal it for you and we can have a little quickie?" He whispered evilly.


    Aki blushed to the root of her neck and she practically dashed out of the bed into the bathroom leaving behind the laughing Issei on the bed.


    Issei stopped laughing and looked at a certain spot before smiling wryly... There''s no water puddle anymore and the place seems clean as if there''s nothing taken place there before but with his enhanced smell, he could still smell some of its lingering scents.


    Issei finally shook his head and decided to just continue feigning ignorance about the whole ordeal... He sat up from the bed and went after Aki into the bathroom.


    After a few seconds, another rough breathing sound resounded...


    Thankfully this time it doesn''t take long and soon the two of them come out feeling refreshed. Well, only for Issei since his whole face is beaming with satisfaction while Aki''s face is completely red and her knees are slightly shivering.


    Aki felt like requesting for an S.O.S back to the <Netherworld> but soon erased the idea since they''re basically on their honeymoon right now.


    The two of them then went to the dining room hand in hand...


    On the dining table, Kasumi is looking at the two of them with a face full of smiles.


    Aki somehow felt something is wrong and started to fidget in her seat whereas Issei continues to feign ignorance despite his mother-in-law''s gaze on him.


    ...


    Since Aki''s home is located in Kyoto. In the past few days, they visited Lake Biwa, Sagano, Sanjusangendo, Nishi-Honganji Temple, Kiyomizu Temple, Ginkaku Temple, Arashiyama, Kinkakuji, and several other famous tourist attractions of this world.


    While the same places exist in Issei''s Japan, it''s always quite interesting to spot a different architecture or history.


    Issei easily bought a few cars and used them as yet another gift to his in-laws.


    The corner of Kasumi''s mouth started to twitch uncontrollably seeing the array of expensive cars before her. Even though their family is rich, to buy a luxurious car such as Ferrari and Bugatti on a whim is not something she could do on a whim... And yet here they are parked neatly in their garage.


    Just... just how rich this son-in-law of his? Thinking of the dowry he gave the other day, Kasumi hastily opens the box and almost faint at the sight of the rare metal and gemstones inside it.


    The metal is only as big as a ping pong ball but their net worth is enormous. Even their company might not be able to procure this kind of rare metal...


    The pieces of jewelry and gemstones aside, just one metal inside the box is more than enough to buy more than 10% of their company''s share. And there''s a few hundred of them inside!


    She felt like her world turned upside down holding the box in her hands.


    Not only her son-in-law is so devilishly handsome, but he''s also filthy rich!


    She couldn''t help but feel proud of her daughter''s being able to score such a man for himself once again.


    Aki''s grandparents couldn''t smile any wider or their mouth might rip open because of how happy they are... Happy not because they obtained a lot of riches, but happy because their granddaughter''s life would be an easy sail from now on.


    One day, the two lovebirds went into a kimono shop to buy a wedding kimono for Aki.


    Since Aki''s family is a very traditional family, it''s a given that she would be wearing a wedding kimono dress.


    At first, Tio and Tilt volunteered to make the dress for Aki but she refuses, saying that she wanted to have some memento of her original world. Tio and Tilt nodded understandingly at her wish.


    In the Kimono shop, all eyes are glued on the two lovebirds the moment they entered the shop.


    The men drooled at Aki''s sight and the women drooled at Issei''s sight.


    Seeing that the two of them are clearly lovers, they sighed in jealousy.


    When Aki came out from the dressing room wearing a set of brightly colored gorgeous flower Kimono wedding dress.


    "Ise-san, what do you think about this set?" Aki whispered to her sweetheart.


    When the other customers saw her, they dropped whatever they''re holding being completely dumbfounded.


    Some of them who have a weak resistance directly have a nosebleed.


    Even the shop owner is flabbergasted and she''s a woman!


    The way the kimono tightly hug her bodacious body immediately tempted the men to commit a crime but a single glare from Issei immediately extinguishes that thought.


    Just looking at their car outside is more than enough to serve as a signal for them that these two couples are not someone to be messed with.


    Issei then went over to hold Aki''s shoulders to take a closer look for a moment before he smiled and then said: "Mm, as expected. No matter what dress you wear, you will always look beautiful, Aki." He comes closer and whispers: "If we''re at home right now, I would love to have a taste of you in that dress."


    Aki suddenly blushed and bowed her head and rapidly retreated to the dressing room feeling extremely shy.


    And even when she comes out once again, her face is still red and she doesn''t dare to look Issei in the eyes.


    Issei shook his head slightly while smiling and then he extended his hand to which Aki happily grasped. They left the kimono shop hand in hand just like when they first arrived...


    After leaving the kimono shop, they drive back home under the envious gaze of a group of onlookers...


    They decided that they would marry in a year since Aki said that she wanted to help her best friend''s academy.


    Issei readily agreed to her request since they have all the time they need in this world.


    Not even a day would pass on the <Netherworld> when they get back no matter how long the time pass here so he doesn''t need to feel worried about his other loved ones.


    Days passed by until one night...


    Aki laid exhausted in the bed and Issei stroked her hair lovingly. His gaze is filled with love and tenderness when he''s looking at her...


    His hand suddenly stopped its action and he narrowed his eyes to the outside.


    Looks like they''re finally here... Issei "summoned" the intruders with his power so he can take care of them in one fell swoop.


    He wore his clothes and disappeared on the spot. Thankfully this night they didn''t have an "audience".


    ...


    "Commander Akaya, they''re heading towards the Nijou''s residence." A teenage girl with sky blue hair, eyes were closed said. She''s also holding a cane.


    "Aki''s family home? Let''s hurry." A man with orange-colored hair that has a single cowlick swept to the left side on top of his head and purple responded anxiously. He wore a white uniform with a dark blue stripe and yellow trimmings.


    Following him, there are six girls including the one who just spoke.


    The six girls were wearing a matching red uniform with crimson stripe and gold trimmings.


    "Why are those monsters suddenly headed towards the Nijou residence? And their amount this time is no joke either." A girl wearing a Chinese headwear, and has a black long ponytail that comes from the side under it said next.


    "Mooouu~. I was in the middle of a concert too!" The next with long pink hair tied in a ponytail with bangs that covered half of her forehead, ruby eyes with heart-shaped pupils said with a pout.


    "Keep the chit chat to a minimum, we only need to do our job like we used to." Next to her, a girl who has dark purple hair, split into twin tails with a small bun at the back of her head said seriously: "Alilu, Lilu, we''re counting on you when the time comes."


    ""Understood."" The last two girls are identical twins, with the only difference in their hair color. One of them has dark hair while the other one has blonde hair. Both have the appearance of an elementary student with a height of 130cm tall. They could be described as cute dolls.


    In this world, monsters are a common sighting. They are born from <Elements> of this world.


    They''re mostly mindless beasts that only seek to destroy all living beings. Whereas the rare case of them having intelligence is basically nonexistent with the exception of a select few in the past.


    Right before they arrived at the Nijou''s residence doorstep, they stopped in their track feeling utterly shocked.


    They were expecting that the monsters would''ve already gone on a rampage but... The monsters they were chasing are laid on the ground and couldn''t be any deader.


    There lies a pile of corpses belonging to the monsters.


    And not far from the pile of corpses, a man with long white hair with piercing red eyes stood there. His facial feature couldn''t be described by mere words... The word ''handsome'' isn''t enough to describe his appearance.


    "...Wh-What... Wh-Who..." The Chinese girl muttered amidst her shock.


    The orange-haired man tensed while cold sweat dripped from his cheek.


    This is no joke... They''ve noticed the movements of the monsters much earlier and they already set off right after their movement is detected.


    Counting down the time of their departure, it should only take two hours at best. While there was some distance between them and the group of monsters, it should only be 10 minutes at most.


    And you''re telling them that in the span of 10 minutes, all of their targets are already dead?! Just like that? Without any suspense nor struggle?


    They couldn''t sense or hear anything at all on their way here... It''s like these monsters died instantly the moment they arrived here!


    And this man... This unknown man before them is too abnormal.


    "...Commander... I... I can''t see nor sense any element within his body..." The girl with sky blue hair said nervously. She even had her eyes open right now.


    Her eyes are colored red but not as striking as the man in front of them.


    Hearing what she said, not only the orange-haired man but the other girls are also shocked to their core.


    It''s because the girl can see anything possessing Element through her eyes. No matter how small they are, she would be able to tell it right away. Even if the size is a big as a speck of dust, but...


    She can''t "see" a single speck of element within this man''s body!


    "...Y-You''re joking..." The girl with pink hair said nervously.


    "Who are you?"


    "!!!"


    They suddenly heard a voice from behind them.


    When they realize it, Issei is already standing there.


    How?! They thought horrifiedly inside their mind.


    They had their eyes locked onto his figure the whole time!


    "Depending on your answer..." Issei said coldly with narrowed eyes.


    He didn''t need to finish his words to get the underlying message. If their answer doesn''t satisfy her then they all will lose their lives here!


    Their whole body becomes frozen stiff under his pressure.


    He doesn''t let out any killing intent but it''s already enough to suffocate them.


    "...W-We... W-We are..." The orange-haired man tried to get his words out but to no avail.


    And just when they thought that they''re about to die, the voice of their savior resounded: "Akaya?" Aki who just comes out from the house said.


    "Hm? You know them, Aki?"


    "Um... They, or rather he, was my old classmate..." Aki said with a slight frown on her face.


    "I see." Issei nodded slightly before releasing his pressure and they all dropped to the ground while breathing heavily.


    Their whole body is drenched with cold sweat. Even their clothes are wet.


    "A-Aki... You''re back..." The orange-haired man named Akaya said with difficulty.


    "...Um." Aki only nodded plainly at him.


    "Look out!" The sky-blue-haired girl warned when she happens to see a trace of an element moving rapidly towards Aki''s direction from underground.


    A monster shaped like a snake burst out from the ground with its mouth open wanting to engulf Aki with its jaw.


    "Ak-"


    *BAM!*


    Faster than Akaya could finish his shout, Issei appeared in front of Aki and grabbed the monster snake by its neck.


    The snake size is at least at the size of an elephant but Issei easily grabbed it by its neck as if he was grabbing a worm instead.


    The snake struggled fiercely under his grasp. It flailed its tail around trying to push Issei back with it but before its tail could hit him, Issei crushed its neck and the snake went limp forever...


    "Why did you come out?" Issei said blamingly at Aki.


    The current Aki is filled to the brim with his "essence". She''s like a beacon to those monsters.


    "S-Sorry... I realized that you were gone when I accidentally woke up..." Aki said with an apologetic smile.


    The way he worries for her warmed up her heart... Even if the monster were to bit her, she would still be unhurt. Not only is she not a normal human anymore, but she''s also wearing his defensive charm.


    There''s no way a mere beast could harm her but she''s still very happy of his concern.


    "Fool, you''re obviously still exhausted..." Issei sighed helplessly.


    He tossed the snake''s body into the pile of corpses, reuniting it with its comrades...


    Issei then proceeds to lift her body in a princess carry.


    "I-Ise san?!" Aki yelped embarrassedly.


    "Be obedient," Issei said softly.


    Aki could only nod at his statement and acted like a shy wife.


    Then he turned his head towards Akaya''s party and said calmly: "If you want to have a reunion then wait until tomorrow. It''s already late." Without saying anything else, he went inside the house with the blushing Aki in his embrace.


    "..." They dumbfoundedly looked at his departing back.


    Who wanted to have a reunion? They''re here to deal with these monsters, okay?!


    The corpses of monsters on the ground suddenly burst into flames and turned their body into ashes much to their amazement.


    "So... So... So..."


    "So terrifying? If so, I agree..." The Chinese girl said with a gulp but what she heard next almost make her trip once again.


    "So cool!" The busty girl with pink hair shouted feeling completely charmed by Issei''s figure just now.


    "Agreed... The way he carries that woman is so romantic~" The blue-sky-haired girl also nodded along in agreement.


    Both of them had their cheeks flushed.


    "You two are really..." The Chinese girl and the twin-tail girl shook their head in resignment... But their cheeks are also blushing since they also admit that Issei was really charming just now.


    Even the loli twins had their cheeks turned red.


    "...So what now, commander?" They then asked the dazed Akaya.


    "...What else? We go back for now and visit Aki tomorrow." After regaining his bearings back, Akaya took a deep breath and said whilst still in trepidation.


    That experience earlier is not something that he wanted to experience twice... It''s like they''re in the presence of death itself.


    If Aki didn''t ''save'' them earlier... Would they share those monsters'' fate? He shuddered at the thought.


    "Who was that man anyway? I''ve never seen him before..."


    "Um, a man as strong as him shouldn''t be unknown... especially with that kind of face."


    "He''s so charming~, I wonder if I could get his phone number!"


    "Phone number your head, can''t you see that he has an intimate relationship with her just now? They''re obviously lovers! And we are almost by him earlier!"


    "Now now, girls... Let''s just head back for now. Let''s not make a commotion in front of someone''s house this late at night."


    They then decided to just return to their HQ for tonight... And as for what they should report... They''re not really sure.


    But one thing for sure, they need to find out just who was that man earlier...


    ...


    The next morning.


    "Did you discover anything?" Akaya asked the staff of their HQ after they do some research.


    "Almost none, sir. The only data we have is that he seems to be a very rich man. He sold trillions of assets a few days ago and recently bought some luxurious cars. Other than that, we have nothing. We also don''t know just where he got all those things..." The staff said confusedly.


    "What about his name?" Akaya inquired further.


    "According to his ''ID'', it''s Issei Savant Hyoudou, nationality Japan. He arrived at Nijou''s residence along with Aki Nijou not long ago. And it seems that he''s engaged with Aki Nijou."


    "There''s nothing else? What about his <Maken>? His family?" The corner of Akaya''s eyes twitched after hearing that Issei is engaged to Aki.


    "None, sir. It''s like he came out of thin air..."


    "...Alright, thanks for your good work." Akaya sighed and went to the meeting room.


    "What are the results, commander?" He''s greeted by the six girls from last night.


    "As we expected, basically zero," Akaya said towards his teammates.


    "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s just go meet him directly!" The pink-haired girl said energetically while raising her right hand.


    "Shiria... Stop acting so willful. We don''t know if that man is evil or not."


    "Evil? If he''s evil then he wouldn''t take care of those monsters you know? And he also won''t let us leave just like that!"


    "I know, but still..."


    "Well well, I agree with Shiria-chan... Let''s just go meet him directly. If we keep playing the guessing game, there will be no end to it." The sky-blue-haired girl clapped her hand to end their discussion.


    They looked at each other and finally agreed to visit the Nijou''s residence.


    But they couldn''t help become nervous yet again... Is it really a good idea to be meeting that man once again?


    ...


    "You girls ready?" Akaya and the girls stood in front of the Nijou''s residence.


    They''re not wearing their uniform from last night and are currently wearing their casual clothes.


    They don''t want to attract too much attention to themselves by wearing their uniform. Besides, their arrival here is a secret.


    His teammates nodded at his question.


    Akaya took a deep breath and was about to press the doorbell when Aki opened the door from them.


    "...Come in," Aki said simply before she turns around and walks away leaving the door open.


    They looked at each other before following after her.


    Their trip towards the main house is filled with silence.


    Akaya didn''t say a word... so does his teammates.


    The silence ensues until they''ve finally arrived at their destination.


    "We''re here," Aki said before she slowly slides the door open.


    They entered the room and started to look around but they didn''t find anything out of the ordinary.


    Aki''s mother and grandparents are nowhere to be seen including Issei.


    "Take a seat," Aki said.


    They pause briefly before they took their seat but not before saying: "Please pardon our intrusion."


    Aki and Akaya then looked at each other but Akaya is the first to break the silence.


    "...How are you, Aki? After you went missing a year ago, I, Tomi-chan and Minori are very worried about you." Akaya asked her: "Including Gen, I guess." He said jokingly trying to ease the tense atmosphere.


    "I''m perfectly fine, as you can see. And I will go visit them soon," Aki replied calmly: "Now I''m pretty sure the reason you came here isn''t just to inquire about my wellbeing, right?"


    "Straight to the point eh... Well, I guess that''s just like you. That man from last night... Who is he?" Akaya smiles bitterly before he asked seriously.


    "He''s my fiancee." Aki''s tone is still calm but a slight blush crept upon her face when she said the word ''fiancee''.


    "...I see. Congratulations then," Akaya said after a brief pause.


    "Thank you."


    "Where is he now? Could we perhaps meet him?"


    "He''s currently away shopping with my mother and grandparents. But they should be back soon." She looked at the time and said.


    It''s currently 2 P.M at noon, they should return soon...


    Aki didn''t come with them since her mother said that he wanted to get to know her son-in-law better.


    Her grandparents also agreed to her idea. Besides, she has a guest to attend to.


    She knows Akaya quite well hence she was sure that he will arrive today.


    "I see... What about his identity? Other than being your fiancee that is. Is he a <Maken> user?"


    "He''s not a <Maken> user," Aki said simply.


    "You''re joking?" The Chinese girl couldn''t help but blurt out.


    Not a <Maken> user? With that kind of strength?


    "I''m not joking. Nor am I lying." Aki responded.


    "But he could use fire and that inhuman strength. Not to mention his speed." The Chinese girl said still not believing that Issei is not a <Maken> user.


    Her other teammates also don''t believe what Aki said.


    Only Akaya seems calm enough while staring at Aki straight in the eye.


    Aki calmly met his gaze.


    Soon, Akaya shook his head and heaved a sigh: "...She''s not lying."


    "Commander?"


    "I''ve known Aki since high school... She''s not the type of person who would lie about something like this. And I would''ve known whether she''s lying or not since she''s bad at lying..."


    Aki snorted at him: "Unlike you."


    "...Indeed, unlike me who could lie without blinking an eye." Akaya smiles bitterly once again.


    He did what he has to do in the past and he doesn''t regret it. Even if it hurts his friends'' feelings because of it.


    "Okay!" The sky-blue-haired girl clapped her hand loudly to stop the current discussion: "Let''s change the topic, shall we?"


    "Agreed agreed!" The pink-haired girl cheered.


    "But first, let''s introduce ourselves first... Let''s start with me. My name is Minerva Martha. My measurement is as follow:


    Bust: 79 (B-Cup) / Waist: 55 / H.i.p.s: 80.


    One of my hobbies is drawing a doujin, the R.-.1.8 one!"


    Aki sweated at her introduction.


    "Here here!" The pink-haired girl shouted: "My name is Shiria Ootsuka! I''m an American idol who just recently arrived in Japan! Nice to meet you~?! My measurement is:


    Bust: 93 (H-Cup) / Waist: 56 / H.i.p.s: 89!


    By the way, can I ask for your fiancee''s contact information? Just his phone number will do~?"


    "Don''t just casually ask for someone''s fiancee''s phone number, you idiot. Don''t you know shame? And why the hell did you two tell her your measurement anyway?" The Chinese girl knocked her head: "My name is Yan Min, nice to meet you."


    "Boo~! You gotta tell her your measurement as well, Yan Min!" Minerva and Siria said.


    "Like hell I will!" Yan Min roared at them.


    "Please ignore them, my name is Demitra Midia, the vice commander of this team. And these two girls are..." The woman with twin-tail introduced herself and looked at the two lolis."


    "...Lilu Finnian."


    "...Alilu Finnian."


    "And me, the commander of the team Venus, the one and only Akaya Kodai. Although we''ve already known each other, please take care of me once again, Aki." Akaya finishes their introduction with a dazzling smile but Aki only looks at him with a deadpan look since she''s used to his flirty personality.


    "Now with that out of the way, tell us, Aki... What kind of person is your fiancee?" Akaya asked seriously.


    "You don''t need to worry about his intention. He''s only here to accompany me back home... As for his personality, as long as you don''t provoke him then he won''t do anything in return." Aki said with the same serious expression on her face: "And Akaya... As a friend, I advise that you do not do anything out of the line or even I won''t be able to save you." She advised at the end.


    "...Alright, thank you for your advice. I''m happy that you''re worried for me." Akaya gestured exaggeratedly.


    "I''m not worried about you. I just don''t want unnecessary bloodshed." Aki denied his claim almost instantly.


    For Issei, this world might as well be a kindergarten. Not a single being that existed here could possess any threat to him... The Gods that existed in the past couldn''t come close to him in every aspect.


    The fact that they''re killed one by one by the humans is quite disheartening, to say the least... If they band together in the past, will they survive? But there''s no use in thinking that anymore since what''s done is done.


    They only need to do their best to never meet the same fate as them.


    When Akaya was about to open his mouth, the door slide open revealing Issei who seems to be having a weird expression on his face.


    "Ise-san?" Aki blinked seeing his complexion.


    "It''s nothing..." Issei said wryly towards Aki: "You''re still not done here?" He asked her.


    "Eh, they arrived not too long ago... Where are okaa-sama and the others?" Aki responded.


    "...Mother-in-law said that she needs to take care of some business in the company and as for grandafther and grandmother-in-law, they also come with her," Issei said after a brief pause.


    The conversation he had with his mother-in-law is giving him a little headache... In the future, Aki will also have a headache when she heard about it but not as much as him.


    "Oh, I see..." Aki tilted her head feeling something''s off but she won''t pursue it.


    "Hm?" Issei then looked to his side where he felt a lot of gaze on him.


    The Venus team, whether it''s Akaya or his teammates, are staring at him unblinkingly.


    Well, Akaya is nervous at his presence whereas, for the girls, they had a dreamy look on their faces. With Shiria being the most obvious.


    Compared to last night where he has this unapproachable air around him, the current Issei is more "docile" and "warm", as they interpreted it.


    Issei ignored their gaze and proceed to take his smoking pipe out. He inhaled through it before heading towards Aki''s side and took a seat right next to her.


    Aki now is now convinced that something is on his mind seeing him taking his smoking pipe out of nowhere.


    He has this habit nowadays where he would smoke if he''s in a troublesome situation or extremely bored.


    She''s certain that he''s not currently feeling bored since he would never feel bored around them, as in his loved ones.


    So that can only mean that something is on his mind.


    "Ise-san?" Aki called out in concern.


    "It''s nothing." Issei forced a smile and proceed to stroke her head: "So, what are you discussing about?"


    "Umm, it''s about you..." Aki said wryly.


    "Me?" Issei raised one of his eyebrows and then look at Akaya''s group.


    They flinched slightly when they met his gaze.


    "...We-" Akaya was about to say something but Shiria beat him to it.


    "Hi hi! Nice to meet you! My name is Shiria Ootsuki! I''m 16 years old and I''m an American idol! Currently single and looking for a cool boyfriend such as you, tee-hee~! Can I have your phone number?" She said with a wide smile on her face.


    "Sh-Shiria?!" They become shocked at her action.


    Issei is also stupefied at her statement.


    "Even though I know you already have a fiancee, that doesn''t mean we can''t be friends, right? Having a hottie like you being my friend has always been one of my dreams, you know? So please~??" She winked at the end.


    "..." Her words are met with silence.


    "...My my, are you saying that I''m not a hottie, Shiria?" Akaya tried to ease the awkward silence by making a joke himself but Shiria doesn''t react to his joke which made his pride took a hit.


    Shiria kept looking intently at the stupefied Issei.


    "...Aren''t you a boy?" The first thing that came out of Issei''s mouth made the whole air freeze. Even the person in question''s expression also froze...

 Chapter 172 - Past 2: Aki Nijou

    "...E-Eehh~, what might you be talking about? Can''t you see that Shiria is a bonafide cute girl~?? See? SEE?" Shiria pushed her full br??sts forward emphasizing her words. She even started speaking in English rather than Japanese.


    "..." Issei doesn''t say anything other than inhaling and exhaling through his smoking pipe. His gaze doesn''t stray anywhere other than her eyes.


    The way he keeps looking at her makes Shiria starting to have a cold sweat: "Aah, if you keep looking at me with such passionate gaze, even I would be shy, you know~? Although I don''t mind having a date with you if that''s what you want, but what if your fiancee gets jealous?" She tried brushing it off with a joke but Issei is still staring at her silently.


    Under his penetrating gaze, she finally becomes deflated and automatically confirmed Issei''s suspicion.


    "A-Ahahah, that''s a first for someone to see through Shiria''s gender right away." Akaya forced a laugh.


    "Uuu, my first time meeting such a hottie and he discover by my deepest secret right away... But just so you know! Shiria is thoroughly a girl inside her heart! What matters the most is not the outside but what''s on the inside!" She was feeling depressed a minute ago but then she suddenly regained her energy back and stated with confidence: "So take responsibility!"


    "While I admit pointing out your secret is a bit rude of me... But why should I take responsibility?" Issei said while looking at her confusedly.


    She truly sees herself as a girl 100% without a single doubt and it''s not really his business. But why should he take responsibility?


    "Isn''t it obvious? You''ve taken ahold of a cute maiden''s deepest secret, if you were to spread it around, Shiria''s reputation would plummet instantly! Not only will Shiria''s career ended but it would also make me unable to find a good husband in the future! So you need to take responsibility!" Shiria explained with a "grievance".


    She''s acting like a mistress who was about to be abandoned by their lover...


    "Then won''t he also apply to that logic of yours?" Issei pointed at Akaya who shivered immediately: "After all, he seems to already know this secret of yours from the start."


    "Commander Akaya doesn''t count since he''s more like a father figure more than anything." Shiria instantly denied it.


    Akaya somehow felt awkward and relieved at the same time... Why is it that, even though he is supposed to be happy to not becoming a boyfriend for his cute teammate since "she" is a guy, he also feels bitter for being seen as a father figure?


    Even his other teammates nodded their heads in agreement. How saddening...


    Don''t get him wrong. Shiria is very cute but to be asked to be her boyfriend is kinda... yeah... no, thank you. He likes girls and everything that is cute but to like a cute "boy" is a no no.


    "...It''s my bad for revealing your secret but you can feel rest ?ssured that I won''t tell anyone else about it." Issei said after a brief pause.


    "I don''t trust you! Now, take responsibility!" Shiria leaned forward and asked Issei with passionate eyes.


    "I refuse. I already have a fiancee as you can see."


    "...Hmm, true... I don''t want to be a thieving cat... But all is fair in love and war!" At first, Shiria was feeling perplexed but she suddenly regained her spirit in the next second.


    "What love you little brat. We just met today... There''s no love between us." Issei said speechlessly.


    "Haven''t you heard about love at first sight?" Shiria giddily said: "And Shiria isn''t a little brat! She''s already a full-fledged lady!" Once again, she pushed her full br??sts outward to make her point.


    "The size of your br??sts doesn''t reflect your age. And for all I know, that might also be a fake." Issei calmly refuted her claim.


    "It''s not fake! Here! Touch it! You can feel the springiness and the firmness of my bouncy br??sts clearly! There''s no silicon involved!" Shiria felt insulted that Issei thought that her br??sts were fake! They were real, alright?!


    She immediately went forward and tried to grab Issei''s hand wanting to put it towards her br??sts but Issei avoided it... Although, that doesn''t stop her from trying again and again until she finally just decided to push her entire br??sts towards his face.


    "Keep your distance, you little brat. Don''t push your br??sts towards me." Issei ?r??n?d in annoyance.


    "No need to be shy, you can touch them~"


    "I''m not being shy you idiot!"


    "...Somehow, he seems very easy to talk to, isn''t he?" Demitra whispered.


    "...Um, indeed. It''s so surprising that I even started doubting if he was a different person from last night." Yan Ming who''s at her side responded.


    They looked at the bantering Issei and Shiria and couldn''t help but feel a little surreal.


    Akaya also secretly heaved a sigh of relief seeing this commotion before him.


    It looks like he is indeed not a violent or evil man. Well, maybe not violent isn''t really correct after what he saw next.


    *Bam!*


    "Ouch!"


    Issei finally knocked Shiria head.


    She crouched on the floor while holding her hurting head.


    "Enough." Issei said annoyedly: "You can be a girl or whatever you want, just don''t bother me."


    "How could you hit a girl''s head so easily like that?" She said while pouting.


    "Hahaha, okay, let''s stop it right here, Shiria." Akaya laughed: "Once again, nice to meet you, Hyoudou-dono."


    "Mm." Issei nodded slightly at his greeting.


    "Let us introduce ourselves once again..." Akaya then introduced himself followed by his team.


    "With that out of the way... Issei-dono, we''re here to offer something to you. We''re wondering if..."


    "I refuse." Issei cut off Akaya''s words before he could finish.


    "Eh? But, I still haven''t..." Akaya trailed off.


    "You''re probably going to ask me to do something troublesome such as joining your Venus team or whatnot. Well, even if that''s not it, I would still refuse anything that you offered." Issei said calmly.


    He has been in this scenario before after all. Especially in a world where there''s monsters running rampant or some super villain. The authority of that world would always invite him to join their team much to his annoyance...


    He intentionally lured all those monsters from last night but that''s only because he wanted to protect his wife''s family. If not, he won''t bother...


    This world is not on his last legs so there''s really no reason for him to lend a hand. Besides, the team in front of him is pretty capable of handling those monsters.


    He doubts that they''re the only team in this world that is dealing with them.


    Akaya''s words got stuck in his throat since what Issei said is on point. He was about to ask Issei to join his team since he seems very powerful.


    "U-Umm, let''s hear me out first..." Akaya forced a smile.


    "I''m here to accompany Aki and that''s that." Issei stated without a room for argument.


    When Akaya was about to say something else, numerous fireflies ranging from all colors gathered and started to take shape surrounding Issei startling Akaya and his team.


    "Those are..." Minerva opened her eyes wide open after sensing a large amount of <Element>.


    The <Element> started to take shape of a tiny humanoid figure and depending on their elements, they have a unique trait of their own.


    Such as the fire element that take shape of a blazing spirit that is surrounded by flames, the ice element that take shape of a snow woman, and so on.


    All elements are present with one leader of each element. For example, the snow woman who clearly different from her brethren and a size bigger than the rest. She also has a miniature crown on top of her head.


    If her kindred is at the size of a ping pong ball, then she''s at the size of a basketball.


    When they''ve finished taking shape, they started to chirp around Issei and Aki with a joyful expression.


    "What is..." Akaya and his team dumbfoundedly looked at the sight before them.


    Aki who saw their shocked expression giggled to herself. Looks like not even the <Element> of her world could resist his charm...


    [King! King! King!] The Elemental spirits hummed a tune joyfully.


    Akaya and the others couldn''t understand their language but they could see them which is a first.


    Usually, only Minerva could "see" these spirits and even they''re extremely rare and she could only see their blurry outline. Seeing them fully materialized like this is a first for her...


    Issei raised his eyebrows while observing them... They''re a bit different than the spirits that he knows but not that different.


    He extended his left hand and touched the Ice Spirit leader''s head gently to inspect it.


    The Ice Spirit let out a giggling sound enjoying his touch. The other Spirit leader who saw this felt envious so they immediately crowded Issei''s entire body.


    One of them tugged onto his hair, another is on his shoulder, another is on his back. Some were even bold enough to repeatedly peck his cheek. Perhaps if he wasn''t holding his smoking pipe, they would''ve peck his lips as well...


    His aura is almost like a drug to them.


    In no time, almost his entire body is covered by the spirits'' leaders. Only their leader crowded him while the other lower-ranked spirits crowded towards Aki instead.


    Issei didn''t react negatively to their action since he knows that most spirits are mischievous and a bit spoiled by nature. They possess a pure heart that dislikes conflict but that doesn''t mean they won''t retaliate if they''re threatened.


    In a way, they''re just like children.


    Once he finishes inspecting the spirit, he pulled his hand back from the ice spirit head much to her disappointment. But soon she chirped happily and joined her kindred spirit to crowd his entire body.


    "This..." Akaya''s team becomes thoroughly speechless.


    Akaya inadvertently looked at the smiling Aki looking for an answer.


    Aki who realizes his gaze said: "This is not something that can be explained briefly... And, I won''t tell you anything unless Ise-san allows me to."


    Akaya who heard this sighed bitterly to himself. Looks like she has completely given her heart to Issei...


    "Well, if there''s nothing else then..." Aki was about to end their meeting here when Minerva interrupted politely.


    "Please wait."


    "Hm?" Aki and Issei looked at her.


    "Minerva?" Even her teammates are looking at her cluelessly.


    "We understand that you''re unwilling to join our team... But can you lend us ?ssistance if the need arises?" Minerva asked with a smile.


    "..." Issei looked at her a few moments before he exhaled through his smoking pipe and said: "I don''t mind. This world is Aki''s home after all."


    "Then we give our thanks in advance." Minerva bowed deeply not missing the hidden meaning of what Issei just said.


    ''This world?'' She thought silently to herself. There''s something off with how he said it...


    "If I may add something else." Yan Min took this chance to add something: "Can you train us?" She asked hopefully.


    "No." Is what Issei said almost instantly.


    "..." Yan Ming frowned before she gives a disappointed sigh.


    She truly wanted to get stronger... Seeing the man before them are clearly an expert, it would be extremely beneficial for them if they could be trained by him.


    But since he refuses then there''s nothing that they could do.


    What can they even offer in return for his service anyway? From their investigation, they know that he''s rich so money is automatically out of the question.


    Aki suddenly thought of something before she whispered lightly: "Ise-san."


    "Hm?" Issei responded.


    Aki then leaned towards him and whispered something to his ear.


    Issei thought for a moment once he heard her words.


    "...If you wanted to then sure." Finally, Issei nodded at her request.


    "Thank you, Ise-san." Aki smiled in response.


    "Fool, is there any need to say thank you between us?" Issei said lovingly before he pulled her into his ??p and proceed to kiss her hair.


    Aki blushed deeply at his action. She acted like a tame kitten inside his embrace.


    The girls who saw this display of affection also had their faces flushed but their reaction is quite different from each other.


    Minerva took out a sketchbook who knows from where and started scribbling the scene before her in excitement.


    Shiria flashed a dreamy and jealous look at them while muttering: "Ah... If he also did the same thing to me... Kyaah~?" She started hugging herself while letting out a girlish squeal.


    Yan Min and Demitra couldn''t help coughed weakly with their cheeks blushing furiously.


    The two lolis covered their face with both their hand but they still peeked at them through the gap between their fingers while Akaya is stupefied at the sight of the current Aki.


    They have seen how their commander flirts around girls but this is just on a whole another level... If they have to make a comparison, their commander is a middle schooler while Issei is a bonafide ?du?t.


    "All right... Let''s go." Issei urged Aki: "Unless you want me to carry you just like usual then I don''t mind." But he didn''t forget to tease her.


    Aki who heard him had her already red face turned another shade redder and she hastily stood up on her own.


    "Too bad... I haven''t held you enough just yet." Issei chuckled.


    "I-Ise-san!" Aki teared up at his teasing.


    Issei laughed one last time before he also stood up.


    His expression reverted to his calm self and said towards Akaya''s group: "If you want training then follow us."


    With that said, he walked outside the room followed by the embarrassed Aki. The spirits are still clinging to their body despite their earlier interaction.


    Only after Issei said a few words to them that they reluctantly left his body but they''re still lingering around him.


    Yan Min and the others looked at each other before they also followed after them leaving behind the stupefied Akaya.


    Why is it that it feels like he just got replaced? Akaya thought wryly to himself but soon he also left the room and go after them.


    ...


    "..." Akaya''s team dumbfoundedly looked at the scenery before them.


    Weren''t they just enter through a door? How come a whole hill and mountains suddenly appeared before them? It''s like they just stepped into another dimension...


    They can see some unknown animals roaming around the sky and the forests not far from their location. A giant beast that is the size of a whale, a bird-like beast who has multiple wings, a winged white tiger-like beast, and is that an actual Dragon that they see?!


    There''s a single towering tree in the distance. The tree height easily bypasses the cloud above them and they couldn''t see the top no matter how hard they try.


    It''s like... It''s like they just stepped into a fantasy world!


    "Welcome to <Fantasy>." Aki welcomed them with a thin smile.


    They speechlessly looked at her demanding an explanation.


    "In this place, you can train yourself indefinitely. Whether it be physical, spiritual, or even mental training... Ah, do note that this place is basically still a prototype so there may be some mishap that could happen but it shouldn''t be life-threatening." Aki explained: "Now, that''s a brief explanation from our part... If you''re still interested then please put on this bracelet."


    Aki snapped her finger and golden bracelets presented themselves before Akaya''s party.


    They dazedly looked at the bracelet before them still feeling baffled by the whole situation.


    Issei who''s also present didn''t say anything and he keeps inspecting the dimension in case something needs to be fixed. The spirits are still flocking around him but Issei isn''t bothered by them.


    "Ummm... Just how are we supposed to do the training again?" Akaya inquired.


    "By defeating the creatures that you see of course." Aki responded: "Think of this place just like an RPG game. The more monsters you kill, the stronger you get. Simple, right?"


    "..." The corner of their mouth started twitching after hearing her explanation. That doesn''t really explain anything, to be honest... Sure, the concept seems simple enough but... how? How does it work?


    "I understand your doubt so why don''t you try killing a few horned rabbits over there after you put on the bracelet? Don''t worry, we''re not trying to trick you or cause harm for that matter." Aki patiently explained.


    Akaya and his teammates looked at each other for a few moments before Akaya is the first to put on the bracelet while saying: "Let''s just try it, girls. There''s no harm anyway. Aki is not an evil person, this, I guarantee you."


    "We''re not really worried about them hurting us... With their strength, they don''t need to resort to trickeries if they really want to harm us." Demitra said calmly while putting on the bracelet.


    "What Demitra said." Yan Min nodded in agreement. She too also put on her bracelet followed by the rest of the girls.


    "So all we need to do is kill one of them, right?" Yan Min asked for confirmation.


    "Yes." Aki simply nodded.


    Yan Min nodded faintly before she locked onto a seemingly harmless horned rabbit in the distance and sprang into action.


    The targeted bunny doesn''t react until Yan Min is right in front of it but by then, it''s already too late.


    With a swift strike, Yan Min immediately killed the rabbit. There''s no blood that gushes out from the now dead rabbit and after a few seconds, it turned into a particle of lights and entered her bracelet.


    "This is..." Yan Min gasped in amazement sensing the surge of "experience" influencing her body.


    The feeling is extremely faint but she could feel it... She could feel that her strength grows by a tiny margin.


    "How is it, Yan Min? Any changes?" Demitra come close to her and asked.


    "Um... It is very faint but I can feel it... I can feel my strength grows by a tiny bit." Yan Min nodded positively.


    "Eh eh, really?" Shiria exclaimed in surprise.


    They crowded together discussing the feeling Yan Min just felt. Only Ayaka stays behind standing beside Aki.


    "Aki... Just who is your fiancee?" Akaya asked seriously: "His strength aside... This whole place is already beyond what a Maken could do. Even Minerva Maken which is capable of sending someone to another dimension pales in comparison."


    Aki ignored his question by feigning ignorance. She keeps tapping on the projection screen in front of her without having the intention of replying to Akaya''s question.


    Akaya who saw this could only sigh bitterly to himself.


    "Master." A respectful voice resounded near Issei in the distance.


    Esdeath''s group presented themselves behind him.


    Ranging from Esdeath, Altair, Sirius, Naru, Zin, Xiaotao, Lieyan, and Bing''er.


    They immediately kneeled after they''ve arrived.


    The eight of them are wearing a matching military uniform and hat but with a different color. The <ECH> symbol is etched on their clothes and hat.


    But Esdeath can be seen wiping her hand with a piece of cloth and the very same cloth is stained with a red color.


    "M-Master? To what honor do we owe your early visit?" Esdeath exclaimed in a panic since she''s not very presentable at the moment.


    She used her magic to wipe her whole body clean and even secret took out a bottle of perfume and proceed to spray it around her body.


    She destroyed the stained cloth and created a small piece of ice to look at her reflection to see if there''s any blemish on her face.


    Once all that is done, she acts as if nothing just happened. All of this only takes three seconds with how fast she moves...


    Altair and the others snickered at her frantic action. Who told her to keep messing around with those ''rats''?


    Esdeath sends them a quick glare before setting her gaze aside since Issei started speaking.


    "Any abnormalities?" Issei asked without looking in their direction.


    "None, Master. This world you created is flawless so far." Altair replied.


    "As your first world creation, we must say that it''s almost perfect, Master." Lieyan said praisingly.


    "Um... As Lieyan and Esdeath said. Except for the ''creatures'' which serve as mere decoration, the rest is flawless." Xiaotao nodded in agreement.


    "...And it looks like you''ve brought a ''willing'' test subject for the next phase." Esdeath glanced at Akaya''s group who finally realized their presence.


    Esdeath''s eyes glistened slightly at the group of newcomers.


    "...Esdeath." Sirius reminded the slightly excited Esdeath.


    "Ah, apologies... It''s been a while ever since we have a new ''guest''." Esdeath said with a smirk: "The current ''guests'' are... not up to satisfactory anymore, you might say."


    While the spirits that are surrounding Issei have innocent personality. Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius are not normal spirits since they''ve been influenced by Issei''s memories and divine energy.


    Hence, they''re not really "innocent" any longer. As can be seen from Esdeath''s sadistic tendencies.


    "They''re not that kind of guest." Issei said: "Well, I will have them stay in this world for a while. See if there are any anomalies during their stay here. You girls can observe them if you like but don''t harm them."


    "Yes, Master." They said in unison.


    "Shall we bring the immigrants here as well while we''re at it, Master?" Xiaotao added.


    "...Let''s wait for a while longer." Issei said after thinking for a moment.


    "Understood."


    Once the report is done, they stood up while still maintaining a respectful stance.


    "Aki." Issei called out.


    Aki who heard his voice immediately went to his side.


    "Any problem?" He asked Aki who just observed Yan Min''s progress.


    "None, Ise-san... It looks like it''s been a success so far. But further investigation might be needed for a more accurate result." Aki said.


    "Hmm..." Issei hummed to himself and give a thoughtful look.


    "Who are they?" Yan Min group whispered amongst themselves while looking at Esdeath''s.


    "From the way they''re treating him... They''re probably his underlings?" Demitra said thoughtfully.


    "So it''s safe to say that he''s a big shot right? Not many people nowadays would just kneel like that to someone! And their uniforms... It''s just like us! They''re wearing a matching uniform just like from the military does!" Shiria mumbled with sparkling eyes.


    She started imagining what Issei would look like on one of those uniforms... She almost drooled at her imagination... A super hottie clad in a cool military outfit and holding a whip while looking at the tied-up her with an evil smirk... Kyaaah~?!


    Shiria''s friends looked at the squirming girl with a deadpan look... Isn''t it obvious? Not to mention his strength, even his wealth is so astronomical that he probably could buy their whole organization if he wanted to.


    And what''s with all that squirming? Minerva also seems to be acting the same as her though...


    But she has a point. They seem to be wearing a matching military uniform just like them even though they don''t recognize from what country or organization the uniform is.


    So at the very least, he must be a commander of some sort? They noted this new piece of information inside their mind.


    "It''s too bad that he already has a fiancee though... Ah, perhaps we could be his mistresses?" Minerva suddenly said with a smile after snapping out of her delusion.


    "Ohh, not a bad idea~! Perhaps we could steal his heart one day and be his main wife!" Shiria exclaimed in agreement: "Of course, I don''t plan on losing to you either, Minerva-chan!"


    "The feeling is mutual," Minerva smirked back.


    They ended their words with a handshake as if they reached some sort of a deal.


    "Cut that out you two..." Demitra sighed tiredly looking at these comedic duos.


    The two of them stuck out their tongue mischievously.


    While they''re joking around with each other, an exquisite and eyecatching large golden fox approached Issei with a light step.


    The golden fox size is as large as a lion and it has nine tails fluttering behind it.


    Issei who saw this golden fox had his gaze filled with tenderness and also a little blaming look.


    The golden fox on the other hand has a mischievous look on its face.


    Once it arrived at his side, the golden fox nuzzled its head towards his neck.


    "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go rest." Issei questioned it while stroking its head and said in a scolding tone.


    "Fufufu, my body is not that weak that it couldn''t handle a little walk, dear." The golden fox mewled at him.


    "*Sigh* You know this place is not fully safe yet, Yasaka... Don''t be negligent with your and our child safety," Issei said with a sigh.


    "This world is safe enough for our kind, dear. No need to worry." Yasaka said with a giggle: "Ah, apologies for intruding to your alone time together, Aki-san." She said apologetically at Aki.


    "It''s fine, Yasaka-san. I don''t mind at all." Aki said with a smile: "If anything, I might need some help to handle Ise-san at night..." She wryly said at the end.


    "Ara? Ufufufu, I don''t think I can help you with that one... Even if all of us sisters band together, we still couldn''t outlast him after all." The two girls giggled at each other.


    "So... Who are they? New sister candidates?" Yasaka said teasingly while looking at Shiria''s little group.


    "..." The corner of Issei''s mouth twitched at her teasing: "No, they''re not..."


    "Hmm, I wonder... Kunou would surely sulk if she were here though. Thankfully she''s with the others right now." Yasaka giggled.


    "Okay, let''s continue our talk later." Issei said before setting his gaze at Shiria''s group.


    He beckoned them to come closer.


    "Aki has already said this but let me say this again... This place is not completely stable yet hence, your safety is not guaranteed. You''re free to back out anytime you want but note that once you do back out, you will not be able to re-enter this place and your memory will be erased." He said to them once they arrived to his front.


    "Umm, but Aki said that it''s not life-threatening, right?" Akaya pointed out.


    "The life-threatening here isn''t really like what you think..." Issei frowned slightly. They won''t exactly die since he can revive them but that doesn''t mean that they won''t "die".


    "In summary, do expect at least putting yourself in great danger. You won''t die but that''s that. You might still lose a limb or two." Issei concluded in a cold tone.


    They trembled after hearing his cold voice. It made them remember the first night that they meet.


    "So, are you still sure about this?"


    It took them a few seconds to get their bearings back but soon they looked at each other and gives a firm nod.


    "Of course. It would be weirder if there''s no danger involved to get stronger. In fact, it would disappoint me if there isn''t." Yan Min answered with a smile and her tone is very firm.


    Her friends also nodded along in agreement.


    Issei only gives a plain nod at their words.


    "Well, let''s hope you don''t take your words back... Then feel free to explore this place. You can go back anytime you want by asking Esdeath and the others. Esdeath, go tell them more about the world. You can train them if you want." Issei said before he turned away.


    "As you wish, Master." Esdeath said with a faint smile. Train them? Oh, she''s ''train'' them alright...


    Issei went away with Aki and Yasaka in tow. After a few steps, the three of them disappeared on the spot...


    "Okay, you lot. You''re dealing with me now." Esdeath grinned at the shivering group who saw her grin.


    "Don''t be too rough on them, Esdeath. They''re still our ''guests'' after all." Altair chuckled humorously.


    "...Don''t take things too far or Master will be angry." Sirius chimed in.


    "Jeez, you and your hobby. Boring..." Lieyan yawned uninterestedly.


    "I still don''t understand why you love torturing people..." Xiaotao shook her head in confusion.


    "That''s because it''s fun!" Esdeath said refreshingly.


    They could only shake their head at her words. Just who did she take after? Their master doesn''t like torturing people unless they touch his reverse scale.


    Shiria''s group shivered even more greatly upon hearing their conversation.


    "U-Umm, can we still back out?" Minerva raised her hand tremblingly.


    "Too late!" Esdeath''s grin widened.


    Soon, their scream resounded clearly on the vast new world...


    Thus, their hellish ''training'' begins...


    Such days went on, where they''re being ''trained'' by Esdeath. Only she alone did the ''training'' while Altair and the others are not interested.


    ...


    Issei lay on the bed wearing a disgruntled and also resignment expression seeing the young woman crawling on top of his body.


    She''s a young woman in her late adolescent years, with a fair skin complexion and an extremely alluring figure. Bountiful br??sts, full h?ps, thin waist...


    She has long, straight silver hair that runs all the way down to her h?ps with several bangs framing her forehead, and has striking slitted red eyes.


    On her forehead, there is a white, crescent moon-shaped mark turned a full 90-degrees clockwise.


    Her most striking feature is her white fox ears and nine large fox tail that is swaying around behind her back.


    She''s wearing a modified red short kimono. Her bountiful br??sts peaked out of the gap from her upper part creating a ?ust-inducing valley and her peachy bu?? is practically out in the open with how short the kimono length is.


    Under her kimono, she doesn''t wear anything else...


    The woman exhaled a heated sigh while looking at Issei with her ?ust-filled and predatory eyes. Her slitted red eyes glow briefly before she proceeds to lick Issei from his abs up to his lips...


    "Haah~, so delish~" She sighed in contentment while ??pping her seductive lips with her lilac tongue.


    "..." Issei could only heave another sigh seeing his current predicament. His entire body feels extremely hot right now and he could b?r?ly retain his sanity... if he were to let go just for a moment then all hell would break loose and that''s not exactly what he wanted.


    Not like the current predicament is also what he want though... He should''ve listened to them... He thought bitterly to himself once again.


    The woman grinds her peachy bu?? across his lower half staining Issei''s pants with her juice.


    "Aha~?!" The woman exclaimed happily seeing she that got the reaction she wants sensing the pitching tent that is currently poking her bu??: "I can''t wait any longer..." She hastily tried to take Issei''s pants off.


    "...Mihime..." Issei muttered bitterly.


    "Mm~? Don''t stop me now... I''ve waited far too long for this... All of us does~?" The woman named Mihime wh?n?d acting spoiled.


    Behind her, a group of n?k?d young women also slowly crept upon their location.


    After Mihime finally succeeded in freeing the sealed Dragon out of its seal, all of the women gasped in amazement before their breathing grows more rapid.


    "As promised, I''ll go first since I''m the one who managed to spike his drink~?" Mihime said towards the impatient group of women.


    Although they''re feeling discontented, they still decide to follow the agreement they had and wait for their turn.


    "Muh? You''re still not started yet?" Another woman entered the room in a carefree manner.


    She''s a beautiful woman with white long hair that reaches her h?ps. Her eyes are heterochromia colored, one of them is golden while the other is red.


    She could be seen carrying an intricately designed katana with a coiling Dragon on the scabbard.


    Her clothes are in tatter though... And there are shallow cuts all over her body but it can only be counted as a mere scratch.


    "Oya~? You''re done already? Did you actually win?" Mihime exclaimed in surprise.


    Even the other women in the room are also surprised by her arrival.


    "Mmh... I won''t say that I actually win. She was clearly holding back or I wouldn''t have arrived so soon or even arrive at all for that matter." The woman heaved a sigh while recalling her fight just now: "She doesn''t even use her spear back then... I''m still pale in comparison to our elder sisters. Thankfully they''re currently away or our plan would fail."


    "Fufufu, as expected of her, I guess... But seeing how she let you win, then it''s safe to say that she gave us her blessing." Mihime chuckled before she continues saying: "So, will you be joining us, Lucia?"


    "But of course. We''ve planned this for a long time now... It would be stupid if I don''t participate." Lucia snorted before she stored her katana away.


    She proceeds to rip off her tattered clothes in a straightforward manner and there''s no shame in her expression as if being seen n?k?d is not a big deal.


    "Could you heal my injuries? It would be disrespectful for me to embrace his body while I''m in this state." She said towards Mihime.


    "Sure thing." Mihime used her magic to heal her wound and in no time at all, Lucia''s body returned to its flawless state.


    She has a toned body and yet it still looks soft and her skin is pearly white. A pair of D-cup br??sts. Long legs that would put any supermodel to shame... Overall, she has a perfect body just like the rest of the women in the room albeit not as alluring as the fox woman before her.


    "Thanks." She nodded in gratitude before she steps closer to the bed and her eyes homed in on Issei. Her cheeks become slightly flushed and the d?s?r? in her eyes couldn''t be more obvious.


    Seeing the towering dragon on his lower half made her entire body feel burning hot.


    "Hurry up. It''s my turn next." She urged Mihime.


    "Sure sure~. Now where were we... Oh right. It''s time for you to take my, no... Our v?r??n?t?, O-t-o-u-s-a-m-a~?"


    Then she lowered her body to connect their body together...


    "!!!"


    Issei''s eyes snapped wide open right before the contact.


    He looked around the room and heaved a sigh of relief seeing the two women by his side.


    They''re none other than Yasaka and Aki who are currently laid exhausted on the bed.


    He becomes utterly confused by his dream just now... but ultimately decides that it must''ve only been a bad dream. He only has one daughter right now so there''s no way that dream could be real.


    It must be true since he will never see his daughters as a woman. They will forever be his little princesses! He declared proudly to himself inside his mind.


    "Muu... dear?" Yasaka eyes fluttered open slightly sensing his sudden movement.


    "It''s nothing, just go back to sleep." Issei said gently before kissing her forehead.


    "Did you dreamt of something?" Yasaka asked.


    "Well... I dreamt of our child." Issei chuckled wryly.


    "Fufufu... To think that you even dream of them even before they were born..." Yasaka giggled lightly: "I wonder what should we name our first child... I was thinking... Maybe Mihime?"


    "Err..." Issei who heard her words had his body went stiff.


    "What''s wrong? You didn''t like it?"


    "No, it''s just... I was thinking of another name." Issei hastily said after a brief pause.


    "Oh?" Yasaka propped her head with her hand waiting for him to continue.


    "How about... Yuel instead? Let''s use Mihime for another time." Issei said with a sweat.


    "Yuel? Fufu, how doting can you be... Using the same initials as my name... But I love it." Yasaka smilingly said: "Okay, let''s use Yuel for our first child."


    You might ask why they don''t prepare a name if it was for a boy. That''s because they already found out that the child in her belly is a girl a month ago.


    "Alright, then it''s settled... Go back to sleep for now." Issei said.


    "Um..." Yasaka nodded weakly with a smile before she returned back to the land of dreams.


    Seeing this, slowly gets up from the bed and looked down the window.


    He and his two wives are inside their temporary abode. Which is at the top of the Yggdrasil tree.


    The reason why most worlds he rules over have a Yggdrasil tree is because the tree could help him maintain the world and made them flourish. Just like its name implies, a tree that binds the world and binds earth, hell, and heaven together.


    He observed the team Venus current condition and after a few moments of observing, he doesn''t sense any abnormalities inside their body. Looks like so far so good, he nodded to himself.


    He noted that normal humans seem able to live normally in this world.


    He wear his clothes and stepped outside heading towards his daily routine for the day. He need to finish his routine before his wives wakes up so he can''t waste too many time.


    (AN: Sorry if the chapter is shorter than usual. I gtg again soon... With covid being toned down a lot, more orders keep pouring in nowadays. I wanted to write some more but I was afraid that I will unable to write again and hence this chapter will be delayed again. So as to avoid that unwanted incident, it''s better for me to just release it as it is. I apologize if you''re not satisfied....)