Villain: The Play of Destiny by FateDevilAce

Griffin City, the former Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Morzar, which existed before it fell and was assimilated into the Netherian Federation back in 1425, was now the capital of the Morzar Province of Netheria.

It was a city rich in culture and heritage and was one of the Cultural Capitals of Netheria. And it was here that the Imperial School of Medicine existed, which was built back in 1767 as one of the sister schools to the Royal Medical School of Austria, and it was still under the direct Administration of the Royal Medical Association.

The University was built on the outskirts of the City, quite close to the Orisis Lake and the Zenza Forest.

Since its inception back in 1767, the University Town had been expanding, and now, it had an ever-so-busy market as well as several high-rising buildings, some of which were the new Hostels of the University.

It was a famous tourist spot too, which was why there were several Hotels in the Town, and then a housing society existed right next to the Orisis Lake, which was called the Gryphon Society and was one of the most prized lands of the country and outrageously expensive that only the ridiculously rich or very powerful could afford to live there.

Last year, someone bought the last remaining and one of the most prized plots, and now, a gorgeous mansion stood there with a perfect, elevated, and unhindered view of the Lake.

It was very early in the morning when the gates of the newly built mansion opened, and a series of luxurious cars entered it.

"Isn't that the design Amelia built last year?" Kiara exited the driving seat of her latest Mclaren Artura 313, and curiously looked at the beautiful mansion.

"Yes." Keith smiled at her as he got out of his Pagani Moonshade and then lazily stretched his arms.

"So it was not for the Mansions in Noxville." She understandably nodded her head and then turned to smile at him. "Have you named it yet?"

"No."

"I will think one for it!" She told him and then happily grabbed Minami's hand, who had just stepped out of the cosmic grey Mclaren.

Yingying and Iseul parked their cars in the garage and then entered the house together with their Master.

It was just five of them who had come here.

Ingrid and Ingvild were made to stay at the Manor with the rest of the girls, and Keith did it because he wanted to give the two sisters some more time with each other.

The older Carmilla Princess was just like a mother around her little sister, and ever since the day Keith brought Ingvild back to her, she had been busy teaching her little sister everything she knew and was even learning new things together with her.

Everyone at the Manor had tried to poke some fun at her, but Ingrid did not care and did not stop her motherly care for her younger sister.

It was so obvious that she was trying to make up for all the time that they had been separated, but she was also keen on spending time with her to discover some of their newfound powers, which unbeknownst to them were all thanks to Keith.

"Brother!" Kiara came excitedly running downstairs, and Keith smiled at her as he accepted her in his arms. "I want the third Master Bedroom!" She told him and was elated when he nodded his head.

"It's yours."

"Thank you!" She immediately tip-toed and kissed him, savouring his taste before she reluctantly let go. "You don't have to go to the University today, right?" She hopefully asked.

"We have four days before the next Semester starts." He informed her and laughed at the excitement in her eyes. "Let's go for horseriding after breakfast." He suggested and received another enthusiastic kiss in reply.

"I will go get ready!" She said right before she picked up her suitcases and rushed into her room.

Minami, Iseul, and Yingying picked their rooms as well, and Kiara, after she had gotten ready, made a call to the Goldsmith Twins, who had returned to Mystich City to stay a couple of weeks with their family before coming here to live with them.

On the call, she showed the Twins all the rooms of the Mansion and then asked them which one they wanted, and the Twins did take their time.

Keith had to wait for fifteen minutes at the breakfast table when Kiara joined them after making her calls back home.

"Can we explore the University Town in the evening?" She requested, already knowing that he was not going to say no.

"Yes." He smiled.

"You can bring your girlfriend too!" She giggled.

"She's not my girlfriend." He chuckled and then sipped some water. "And she does not know I am here and that I will have joined the University. I plan on keeping it a surprise."

"Aww... How romantic!" She teased him, but he was not someone who could be teased like this. "You haven't told us much about her." She suddenly voiced her curiosity, and when he did not answer her, she turned to look at Iseul, knowing that Keith's Iris would know about her.

"She's very beautiful," Iseul told her and glanced at Keith.

He did not stop her from revealing things about Kashish, so she smiled at Kiara and told her some important things about the daughter of the Mir Family.

"She's twenty years old, raven hair, ice-blue eyes, an Auror in the True Profound Realm, and she is very talented in Medicine," Iseul told them. "Kashish was four years old when her parents were killed after their enemies risked everything to harm the Mir Family. Since then, she has been raised by her grandfather, who had suffered grievous injuries in the war that resulted after the death of her parents. She cares a lot about her old man, and a major reason why she is a great Aura Doctor is that she had been looking for a way to cure her grandfather and save him from his death."

"Oh..." Kiara was no longer smiling and was very seriously listening to the story of the girl who was going to become a part of their family.

"She has been studying Medicine diligently ever since her childhood, and two years ago, she, together with her great-grandfather, Eshin, who is the Grand Elder of the Mir Family, came to Austria to meet some renowned doctors of the Royal Medical Association," Iseul informed them. "It was the Mir Family's last bet before they would have to lower themselves to their great rivals, the Arya, if they wanted to save her grandfather's life."

"And you were there at that time?" Kiara turned to Keith and asked.

"Not really." He smiled. "But I had been expecting them." He vaguely said and nodded to Iseul to continue.

"The Doctors at the Royal Medical Association could not give them the promise they needed. The state of her grandfather was beyond saving. Kashish was already expecting it, but she had still not lost hope, and out of a favour that the Austrian Royal Family owed the Mir, they told them about Master." Iseul smiled as it was all planned by Keith, but it was not something that she was going to reveal. "Kashish and Eshin waited nine days before Master arrived at the Royal Medical School with Princess Avriel, and it was then that they met and the girl managed to convince Master to save her grandfather by begging him on her knees."

"I see." Kiara sighed and then looked at her brother. "What did you make her promise?"

"Nothing." He told her, taking her by surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really?" She asked again, and he could only chuckle at her words.

"I did not make her promise me anything. But she was very grateful to me after I saved her grandfather, and she promised she would do anything if I ever asked her for something."

"And here I was thinking she was smart." She giggled.

"It is hard to resist my charm." He shrugged, making her giggle some more.

"She very filial and caring, isn't she?"

"She is, but only to those who matter to her." He smiled. "Also, she's very smart, thirsty for knowledge, and she is very talented in both Cultivation and Medicine. She's quite special."

"Twenty years old and already in True Profound Realm. She is indeed special." Kiara nodded her head, and Keith smiled in his heart.

"Interestingly, she has never paid her Cultivation any attention." He revealed, and all the girls turned to look at him in surprise.

"What?"

"Yes." He nodded. "She has only spent her life studying medicine."

"Then..." Kiara was about to say something when a thought crossed her mind. "She has a Special Physique?" She guessed.

"Yes." He nodded to her.

"So that's why you want her." His little sister looked him in the eyes, but then mischievously smiled. "Or is she really that beautiful to catch your attention?"

"Both." He admitted.

"I would love to meet her!" Kiara was suddenly quite excited to meet Kashish and wanted to see for herself how special and beautiful the girl truly was. "But I will have to wait, right?"

"You will meet her after a few days." Keith nodded. "Finish up for your breakfast now. We have to reach the Equestrian Club by 9 am."

"Okay!" Kiara happily smiled and proceeded to finish her meal.

The yellow lights of a summer night, a cool breeze by the lakeside, a memory that would never leave your mind.

There were people on the street, not a lot, but it was still unusually very quiet. It was partly because the people who were on this street were all lovers or people who had come here to find some peace and appreciate this place's beauty.

A melodious laughter suddenly sounded out, and the people who heard it, could not resist looking for its source.

However, a stage phenomenon occurred, and then reaching eyes suddenly turned away before they could land on the enchantingly beautiful girl who had just failed to suppress her laughter.

It was as if the mere memory of that melodious laughter had been erased from their minds, but in truth, their minds had only been distracted away from it.

Had it not been the case, their eyes would have found a girl who was still laughing, but they would have never heard her voice because it was being shielded as well.

"What? Are you really going to do it here?" Kiara teasingly asked, knowing well that Keith was only messing with her after her little joke.

"Sure."

Her heart nearly stopped when she heard his answer and he picked her up to help her sit on the railing. However, she soon calmed down as she knew he would never do it.

She accepted his kiss, reciprocating it with all her heart, wrapping her arms around his neck, and then she locked her legs around him as well, clinging onto him as a koala would.

No one was going to look their way, but even if they could, she did not care if someone caught them kissing like this.

He was her husband, her man, and the love of her life. And in his arms, she was happy, happier than any girl could ever be.

It had been a perfect day for just the two of them. Something she had not had in a long time and had been yearning for.

They went to the Equestrian Club as they had planned, and then Keith took her to the Military District, where they tried their hands on firearms.

The lunch was her favourite seafood, after which he took her out to the movies.

In the evening, they returned to the University Town, and they spent hours trying all the Ice-Creams around every Ice-cream Parlour there.

And here they were now, by the lakeside of one of the world's most beautiful lakes, the Orisis, on a street with yellow lamps and maple trees, kissing each other without a care in this world.

When their lips separated, their eyes were locked, and they stayed locked as they smiled at each other.

"You would never do it." She finally grinned.

"I am not into Exhibitionism." He nudged his nose with hers and chuckled when she stuck her tongue at him.

"Neither am I." She told him.

"Yes. But I am not into Voyeurism either, which you are very much into." He grinned as he watched her cheeks bloom into a furious blush.

She could not deny it. After all, she, along with Rebecca and Celine had been caught red-handed when they were secretly watching Keith make love to Qingyue in the Training Room.

It would be a lie to deny that she did not enjoy it, so, he was not exactly wrong.

"I liked it because it was you." She meekly said, and without him needing to ease her nerves, she retained her confidence. "Qingyue was very mad that night." She laughed when she recalled what had followed after they had been caught.

"Well, she took it all out on Celine and Rebecca. You were saved." He too chuckled when he recalled the night.

"You know, Rebecca told me that Iseul loves watching you have sex." She suddenly said, looking at him with curious eyes.

"I know." He smiled. "She has my permission."

"She asked for it?"

"Yes." He nodded to her.

"And you say you are not into Exhibitionism!" She took a jab at him, but he just shrugged it off.

"She belongs to me." He simply said, and then took a step back before courteously bowing to her. "May I have this dance, My Lady?"

"You may, My Lord." She politely smiled and then placed her hand in his awaiting hand.

Soon, the two of them were swaying with each other under the starry sky and in the middle of the street, being completely ignored by the people who never looked their way, and just when Keith started spinning her around, Kiara briefly felt a little weightless before she realised that their surroundings had changed.

She gasped when she saw what was under their feet and where they were, but did not lose her focus on the dance even for a moment.

They were dancing now, right in the middle of the lake, on top of the water, far away from the street they were standing on. And here, they were truly alone.

"I love you." She made sure she voiced out the feeling that was overwhelming her, and Keith kissed her on the lips, allowing them to bask in each other's taste.

It was truly a beautiful day for her, and Kiara wished that it would never end.

Half an hour later, Keith teleported them back to Yellow Street, and Kiara excitedly walked over to the Ice-Cream Parlour to get them their favourite Slushies.

She returned a few minutes later and found Keith sitting on top of the railing, looking up at the starry sky.

"Here."

"Thank you." He smiled at her as he accepted his serving and nodded to her, telling her that it was just as he liked.

"You're welcome!" She happily smiled back and then sat by his side without much effort, and then stared at the sky too. "Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"What's up there?" She asked.

"Resources, Planets, Stars, Solar Systems, Galaxies, Blackholes..."

"No, no!" She cut him off. "I was curious if we can travel to another world through space."

"We can not." He smiled. "It's an infinite Prison Maze, and if someone does somehow manage to find a destination, in this Realm, there would only be remote worlds like ours, without any guarantee of life."

"Oh..."

"However, there's great mystery and knowledge in the alignments of the Stars. Even though this Realm is a lower Realm and an Isolated Realm, it still functions because of the Divine Laws..."

The two chatted over their topic over their icy beverages, and when they finished, they both stood up, ready to leave for their home. The girls were waiting for them, and the dinner was supposed to be ready by now.

They had only walked for half a minute when Keith stopped and turned to look down the street they were coming from.

"What is it?" Kiara curiously asked as she looked in the same direction, trying to search for what had caught Keith's attention.

"She's here." He lightly said.

"Who?" She frowned. "Kashish?"

"Yes." He nodded to her.

"Are we going to meet her?" She expectantly asked, but Keith remained silent.

It was not only Kashish who had arrived at the street but as Destiny would have it, Samrath was here too.

Keith could feel that something interesting was bound to transpire here, and the two blessed by Destiny were going to meet each other for the first time.

He randomly ran his eyes on everyone present in the street and sensed everyone present there in the shops and the buildings, and could not help but sigh in his heart.

His guess was right. Something interesting was indeed going to happen there. It was not something significant that required his immediate attention, but he decided to stay and spoil the intentions of Destiny anyway.

"You want to meet her?" He turned to his little sister and smiled.

"Yes!"

"Okay." He squeezed her hand a little and then led her in Kashish's direction.

A couple of minutes later, they reached the southern end of Yellow Street, and Kiara's eyes were already locked on a beautiful figure, who was standing under a street lamp, leaning on the railing, and looking far into the lake and the starry sky above it.

And a playful smile crept on her lips as she decided to have some fun.

"Wait here." She told Keith as she started walking towards the girl her brother had taken a liking to.

Weaning up to the girl, she leaned on the railing right next to her and turned to look at her with a light smile.

"Missing someone?" She curiously asked, and the girl with the raven hair turned to look at her, her eyes briefly widening in surprise, perhaps at the beauty of the girl that surpassed hers.

Kiara too took a better look at the girl, and she had to admit in her heart that Keith had excellent taste in girls.

Kashish was tall, almost as tall as her, and her icy-blue eyes were a little haunting, forming a very stark but compelling contract with her raven hair. And then there was her figure which was very sensually developed, and covered under her modest clothes, hiding every inch of her skin even in the summers.

"You are beautiful."

The sudden words took Kashish off-guard, and she could not help but feel a little shy and happy in her heart.

A compliment from someone who was just as beautiful as you if not more was not something she was immune to since she could sense that Kiara truly meant it.

"So, whom are you missing?" The little miss of the Demiliore Family asked again.

"No one," Kashish replied, and Kiara was again impressed at her sweet and melodious voice.

"Ouch." She feigned some hurt at her words. "And there is my brother, who is helplessly in love with you. But you don't even miss him."

"Your brother is a little too young to be hopelessly in love with me, Lady Kiara." Kashish smiled at her words, and this time, it was Kiara's turn to be surprised, but she soon recovered and smiled brightly.

"I have an older brother too, and he happens to be my Husband as well." She told her, and Kashish did not know what to say to her.

Her eyes inadvertently turned to look around, trying to search for the man whom she had not seen in years.

"Are you finally missing someone now, Mir Kashish?" Kiara giggled when the girl became a little flustered after her question but was also impressed that she regained her composure.

"Is Lord Keith here?" She straightforwardly asked.

"He is, and he is watching and listening to us."

"Where?" Kashish turned to look around once again, this time, not so discreetly, but she failed to spot him.

"Behind you," Kiara told her when their eyes met again, and even though she had just looked at her back, she turned around to look again.

He was there, just like Kiara had said, and he was a little too close as well.

Her icy-blue eyes were locked on his perfect profile, and she could feel his intense eyes boring into her as well, making her heart start racing in an inexplicable feeling.

Kashish did not know how to put it into words. She just felt very unsafe, and at the same time, very safe under his eyes, if that made any sense. But it was what it was, and she was unable to take her eyes off him.

"You seem bored," Keith whispered, breaking her out of her trance, and the girl with icy-blue eyes immediately lowered her head.

"Lord Erebus." Kashish did not hesitate as she dropped to her knees, and Keith did not stop her.

"We are in public, you know?" He lightly smiled and asked.

"And yet no one looks your way." She smiled and cleverly replied.

"Keen as ever." He chuckled and then nodded to her. "Stand."

Kashish straightened up and dared to look him in the eyes again, once again losing herself in their depths.

"His eyes are more beautiful than what you see right now." Kiara playfully said, and only then did Kashish realise her presence again.

A blush bloomed on her face and she lowered her head.

"What bored you?" Keith asked, coming to her rescue and saving her the embarrassment.

"There's not much to learn at the University." She honestly replied to him.

"For you." He added.

Kashish was in a very special class, a class filled with future Aura Doctors, and their studies were very different from that of the Mortal humans who were pursuing their Medical Degrees.

"You learned everything they are teaching now years ago." He reminded her, and she could only smile at his words. "Want to see something interesting?"

Both Kashish and Kiara looked up at him curiously and nodded their heads.

"Come." He smiled and then turned around to walk to the other side of the street, where the restaurants and cafes were situated.

He stopped right under a maple tree, leaned against the trunk, and folded his arms over his chest, waiting for something.

The girls were curious but remained silent and stood by his side, looking in the same direction he was looking in, but they could not contain their curiosity for long.

"What are we waiting for?" Kiara asked, and Kashish looked at him as well.

"You see that old man in the grey suit?" He asked, not they both turned to look at the open restaurant in front of them.

There were actually two old men, but somehow, their eyes became fixed on the old man who was sitting next to a pretty girl with pigtails.

"He is not feeling well but is keeping his smile because his dear daughter is quite depressed." He informed them.

"She studies at the University and is my junior," Kashish informed him. "Mortal Class."

"Hmm..." He nodded. "The old man will suffer a brain haemorrhage in a few minutes."

"What?" Kashish asked in surprise and then keenly looked at the old man.

She said the signs, formed a guess, and Keith's next words proved it true.

"He has a brain tumour that is about to rupture."

Keith glanced at the girl and smiled when she stayed in her place and did not rush forward to help the man after hearing his words.

"Don't want to save him?"

"No." She shook her head. "You asked her to watch something interesting. Are you going to save him?"

"No." He shook his head. "But someone will." He mysteriously said, and both Kiara and Kashish silently waited to see what was about to happen there.

Just like Keith had said, a few minutes later, right when the girl with pigtails started sobbing and shedding tears, the old man reached for his head but then his body swayed and he fell out of his chair.

The girl was stunned when she watched her father fall, but then her face turned pale and she cried out in alarm.

"Papa!"

She rushed out of her seat and reached her grandfather's side, who was already being felled by a few people, who turned out to be the medical students of the Imperial School of Medicine.

Someone immediately called for the Ambulance, but it was going to take, at least, five minutes to reach the place, and by the time the old man would reach the hospital, he would be long dead.

"Papa..." The girl kept calling out to her father, but there was no response.

Kashish did not know where the sudden urge to go forward and help the man emerged in her heart, but she stayed in her place, obediently waiting for someone to help the old man out as Keith had said.

And they did not have to wait for long.

"Please step aside." A tall young man who looked very refined and handsome suddenly said.

He had been sitting in front of the next restaurant and he had seen everything that unfolded there.

"The patient is in a critical condition..." Someone tried to advise him but turned silent when the young man told them that he was a doctor.

The people curiously watched as the young man began inspecting the state of the old man by touching the points of his body where his vitals existed, and finally, he reached for the brains, and a frown marred his face.

"Doctor..."

"He has suffered a brain haemorrhage. He won't make it to the hospital." He sighed, and the young girl nearly fainted after hearing his words.

"Please..." She begged, already losing all her hope.

Samrath debated if he should really take action or not, but then looked up at the heart-wrenching state of the beautiful young girl and sighed.

"Please step aside." He lightly said, and a few people did listen to him and stepped aside, but a few medical students stayed their ground.

Kashish narrowed her eyes when she watched a green Aura shroud Samrath's hands, and of course, only Aurors could see it. And there were a few of them present there.

The technique she watched the young man use was more profound than anything she had seen in her life before, and by the time the ambulance arrived, the old man had been brought out of danger of losing his life or falling into an indefinite coma.

"He will be fine." Samrath, who seemed a little haggard, smiled at the young girl, who absently nodded to him and then climbed into the ambulance to stay by her father's side.

Before the few Aurors who had witnessed Samrath perform such a miraculous technology could approach him, he excused himself away and then ran from the place at a speed that shocked quite a lot of people.

"What was that Technique that he performed?" Kashish turned to look at Keith and asked.

"The Life Reversing Threads." He lightly said. "But he does not seem to have a complete grasp over it, and the Technique he used is some basic and toned-down version of the Life Reversing Threads."

Kashish's heart thumped hard in excitement after listening to his words, and despite herself, she could not help but expectantly look at him.

"The young boy we just saw is the only Grandson of the Head of the Arya Family." Keith suddenly said, and Kashish's eyes widened in surprise.

"He's an Arya?"

"Samrath Arya." He nodded. "And he will be studying together with you starting the next Semester."

"What?" She was even more shocked and questioned herself how Keith would know it, only to feel a little silly after recalling what his true identity was. "Lord Erebus..." She stopped herself from voicing out what she yearned for, but Keith knew exactly what was on her mind.

"You want me to accept you as my disciple, don't you?" He knowingly asked, and Kashish embarrassedly lowered her head. "I would not teach a secret like the Life Reversing Thread to a mere disciple of mine, Miss Mir." He told her, making her feel a little at loss. "And I don't intend for you to become a mere disciple of mine." He added.

She curiously raised her head and met his eyes, having sensed an underlying meaning behind his words. But before she could try and decipher it, he leaned near her ear and laid it out clearly for her.

"I want you." He told her. "And if you truly want to become my disciple, know that you would forever belong to me, in every sense there is." Leaning in some more, he inhaled her scent, sending shivers up her spine that made her body tremble as well. "But in the end, it's your choice."

Kashish wanted to reach and grab him when he pulled back, but stopped herself and lowered her head, blushing hard.

Against her will, she recalled the words Kiara had earlier said to her about her brother being in love with her, and it made her blush harder.

"Take your time, Miss Mir." He smiled when he found her a little lost. "There is no rush. And hopefully, your time at the University won't so boring anymore."

Kashish frowned a little at his words, but when she raised her head, both Keith and Kiara had disappeared.

She looked around in a little panic, but then calmed down and subconsciously reached for her left ear, where the warmth of his breath still lingered.

Other the other side of the Yellow Street, in a parking lot, a girl was laughing her heart out at what she had just witnessed.

"You love playing with a maiden's heart, don't you, brother?" Kiara teased. "But weren't you a little too straightforward?"

"She's someone who appreciates it." Keith shrugged and then opened the door of her Mclaren to take the passenger seat. "Let's go. We are late for dinner."

"Oh no!" Kiara suddenly realised that Minami, Iseul, and Yingying were waiting for them back home and immediately got into the car.

In a quiet and dark room, a young and handsome man sat on a lounge chair, reading a mysterious Tome in his hand.

Even though he did not need to read it since every word inside this Tome was already preserved in his mind, he liked reading it whenever he needed to go through some things and information.

And right now, he needed to go through it.

Knowing everything was not the same as understanding everything one knew. And Keith needed to understand whatever was in his mind on the pages of this mystical black Tome.

The Devil Sutra, a Divine Ranked Cultivation Manual. The epitome of mystery and marvel, and one of the very few Complete Divine Manuals in existence.

Keith knew that this Tome was unlike any other, and every word inside it was basking in the light of the Divine Laws. And he knew that there were only a handful of Complete Divine Manuals in existence and one such Manual was in Nyx's possession.

These Manuals were priceless and even the most powerful of the Gods yearned to take just a look inside one of these pages that he so casually flipped over and read through.

This book was a book of Knowledge, a treasure even more precious than the Spirit Eyes that he had gifted to Amelia or even the Time and Space Steele that Yexuan Parker had in his possession.

With this Tome alone, he could reach the pinnacle of existence.

Keith frowned as he read through one of the Cultivation Methods written inside the manual, and soon lost himself in its profoundness.

He was so invested in it that he did not even look up when someone entered his room and then sat by his side, snuggling close to him. However, it did not mean that he had not recognized her.

Her scent was very familiar to him, and no matter where he was, he could always sense her because they were bound and wedded by the Sacred Runes and a Divine Vow.

His beautiful wife was smart enough to not disturb him, and silently lay by his side, resting her head on his shoulder and looking at the text written on the pages that he was reading and trying to understand.

She did not say a word for hours, and a very peaceful and comforting silence reigned in the room.

"System. I can filter it out and make a much simpler Cultivation Method out of it, right?" He asked after hours of going through the one Cultivation Method that had caught his eye.

{You can create Several Cultivation Methods from this one, Host. This Method in itself is a Divine Grade Cultivation Method. You can create a few Immortal Grade Cultivation Methods from it, or several Heavenly Grade methods from it, all without any side effects.}

Keith sighed in his heart when he heard the System's response. This was indeed a Priceless Treasure.

"Create one out of it that will suit Ryou. Make it an Immortal Grade Method but in progressive pieces so that he can Cultivate it safely.."

{Has the Host decided on giving him the Blood?}

"Yes."

{Aknowleding and Initiating Host's request...}
{50000 System Points Consumed...}
{Ding! The Host's request has been completed.}
{The Immortal Grade Cultivation Manual, The Four Lives of the Demon of Pride, has been created.}

Keith checked the System Inventory and found a new Cultivation Manual inside it in form of four booklets.

He knew that if he did not possess the Devil Sutra, purchasing a Cultivation Manual of this Grade and quality from the System would have cost him easily over a hundred million System Points.

After taking a quick look at the first Volume of the Four Lives of the Demon of Pride, Keith put the Devil Sutra inside the inventory and closed his eyes, digesting the information he had just learned and understood.

When he opened his eyes, he was met by gorgeous sterling grey orbs that were lovingly and curiously staring at him.

"Hey." He leaned in and captured her lips in a soft kiss.

"Hey." She smiled and then kissed him back, her hand clutching his shirt as she tasted him to her heart's content. "What were you reading?" She asked after she separated and looked into his eyes again.

"A mysterious book." He playfully smiled.

"What languages was it? All I saw were beautiful but weird runes that were floating and moving all over the pages."

Keith smiled at her words and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"You will learn it one day." He promised her, evoking a smile on her lips. "So, what's bothering my lovely bride?" He asked and watched her pout before she lowered her head and rested it back on his chest, hugging him.

"Keith."

"Yes?"

"Am I naive?" She straightforwardly asked, and narrowed her eyes when she heard him sigh.

"In a sense, you are too kind and naive, but it is a matter of perspectives."

"But it is naivety in your eyes, right?" She pressed and sat up, looking into his eyes.

"Yes." He truthfully said.

"Why?"

"Because you don't know things that I know." He nudged his nose with hers.

"Then tell..."

"Yue." He cut her off as he stared into her eyes. "It's not something I can tell you. You will have to learn and experiences the reality of life on your own. You are young, very young right now." He playfully said and chuckled when she glared at him.

"You are only a few months older than me!"

"Yes, but we are very different." He gently stroked her cheekbone and smiled. "You are breathtakingly beautiful, and I am just perfect." He grinned, and Qingyue rolled her eyes at his narcissism.

"Not again!" She sternly said, and then stared at his face, looking at his light smile that was indeed just perfect. "What do you want me to be?" She asked, looking at him with a seriousness that made him sigh in his heart.

Keith knew that she madly loved him, and she would do anything he would ask her to do if she learns that it would please him, but it was not something he wanted.

"Just be you." He planted a kiss on her forehead. "My dear Yue is destined for greatness. Just let the time take its course."

His words made her eyes turn misty and then she lowered her head.

"I love you." He told her, and she nodded her head before lying on top of him and snuggling her face in his neck.

"I love you, Keith." She whispered.

"I know."

Qingyue smiled when she felt him tightly wrap his arms around her, and as she stayed in his embrace, filling her lungs with his scent and basking in his warmth, a wave of tiredness washed over her and she fell asleep.

It was nearly dinnertime, but Keith decided to not have it tonight.

He sent a message to Rebecca, informing her to not allow anyone to disturb him, and then he closed his eyes too as he went through the details of the Four Lives of Demon of Pride.

What happened earlier today when he met Ryou and Victor was something very unexpected.

The System issued him an Optional Side-Quest, and it was quite a surprise.

[Side Quest (Optional): Help Ryou, whose Destiny you have changed, to reach the peak of the Spirit Profound Realm and send him to the Lower Heaven. Have him create a force for you to utilise when you arrive in that world in the future.]
[Quest Tools: An unidentified Teleportation Stone.]
[Quest Reward: 20,000 System Points, Wicked Sabre.]

The reason the System had generated this Quest was to send Ryou to the world they would be going to in the future so that his slave could pave a way for them and also grow by himself and develop his Battle Body.

It had of course led to a lot of questions, and the System finally informed him about the world he would be going to after seven years.

Just like the one he was in right now, his next destination was going to be a world blessed by Destiny and Fate, where a lot of Children of Destiny will be born, so sending Ryou beforehand was quite beneficial to both him and his servant.

Since this was an Optional Side Quest, he had no obligation to accept it, and there were no penalties either. The Quest Reward was not too lucrative as well, but the true reward was going to be the foundation Ryou would lay for them in the next world.

Though it would be seven years in this world, it was quite possible that Ryou would be centuries old when they meet again. Time worked differently everywhere, and Lower Heaven had its own Laws of Time. Therefore, Ryou would get enough time to gather substantial power in his hands.

Keith thought things over before he accepted the Quest. He had to make some decisions and decide if Ryou was truly worth it.

Time could change people. Their loyalties could change, and even the most grateful could turn selfish when their hearts belong somewhere else. And hundreds of years was truly a long time for a Mortal.

Therefore, he was going to make sure that Ryou would forever be rendered incapable of betraying him.

"Minami."

Keith whispered her name as soon as he exited the dressing room, having woken up very early in the morning.

He smiled as he found Qingyue asleep in his bed, and though she had woken up last night, he had tired her enough to put her back to sleep after a few strenuous love-making sessions.

As soon as he exited his room and walked down the hallway, he watched the door of a room open, and out walked his ever-so-loveable maid, dressed up for the day and wearing a very light smile on her lips.

"Good morning, Master." She bowed to him, and then raised her head and closed her eyes, smiling brightly as she received her morning forehead kiss.

"Good morning." He nudged his nose with hers and then grabbed her hand, leading her out of the Manor.

They moved with absolute silence, and no sound came of out their steps, shielding them from the ears of the people who would have heard them.

The summer mornings in Sameran were quite chilly, but to the natives, it was the most refreshing feeling. And it was something that both Keith and Minami enjoyed a lot.

"I am sending your brother away." Keith lightly said as soon as they arrived outside the Manor and walked down the cobbled path that led to the house where Victor and Ryou stayed.

He glanced at her and watched her understandably nod her head.

"He will be leaving this world, and it would be a long time before you see him again." He smiled at her when she curiously looked at him.

"Lower Heaven?"

"Yes." He nodded, and Minami again understandably nodded her head.

There was no hint of worry on her face. And it was not because she did not care about Ryou. She cared a lot about him. It was just that she trusted Keith with all her heart and mind.

"And before I send him to the Lower Heaven, I will make him take an Eternal Vow of Servitude." He told her, and Minami smiled at his words.

"He won't refuse." She confidently said, and Keith nodded to her words.

Yes. Ryou would not refuse if he asked him to take the Eternal Vow right now, which was exactly why Keith wanted to have it done before he sends him away.

Once taken, there would be no turning back for the Assassin, and he would forever be rendered incapable of betraying him and his family, no matter what happens.

The two of them arrived outside the house, and they saw the young man they were here to see practising on the front lawn with his draggers.

"Master." Ryou was surprised when he saw the two of them and was a little alarmed and amazed as well as he had not even realised or sensed their presence until his eyes landed on them.

"Ryou." Keith nodded to him, and the young Assassin walked over to him before he dropped to his knee in a proper greeting. "Stand." He said and then smiled at the young man. "You have done exceptionally well in the last few years."

Ryou found his words a little strange but kept his head lowered.

"It was all thanks to you Master."

"No. You did your best too. The credit is yours." Keith shook his head. "Here." He said and then threw and black box to the young man, who deftly caught it. "A present for you. Congratulations on stepping into the Late-Stage of the Spirit Profound Realm."

"Thank you, Master." Ryou did not stand on the ceremony and graciously accepted what he gave him, but as soon as he opened the box, his eyes widened and were transfixed at the two beautiful daggers lying in the box. There were two small vials inside it as well, one containing a couple of Pills and the other containing a Potion.

These were the Marrow Baptising Pill and the Aura Refinement Potion. But the young Assassin had his eyes set on the two beautiful blades.

Ryou had never before seen a metal with such an intricate pattern and a flawless dark grey colour. And the handles were simple and elegant with strange runic markings on them.

Just a look at those blades told him that they were deadly sharp, and Ryou was certain in his heart that these were not some normal daggers.

"Master..." He was a little at a loss for words now, but when he saw Keith nod to him, he carefully picked up one dagger and inspected it.

"Like it?" Keith knowingly asked.

"It's beautiful." Ryou nodded his head and then placed the box down on the grass as he wielded the daggers in his hands.

He frowned a little when no matter how swiftly he swung them, there was no sound of it cutting through the air, and it all made him believe even more that these daggers were not normal.

"Be very careful. You could cut your hands with them, and even your Aura Soul would not be able to save you." Keith warned him and enjoyed the alarm and shock on Ryou's face.

"Thank you for the gift, Master." Ryou smiled and thanked him again, and Keith nodded to him before looking the man in the eyes. "I have a mission for you."

"Please command."

He smiled when he heard the man's response.

"But it depends on your response to my next question."

Ryou frowned at his words and nodded to him.

"I will give you a choice today, Ryou." Keith folded his hands at his back and seriously looked the man in the eyes. "You are free from this day onwards if you wish for freedom or you can choose to submit yourself to me for eternity." He shook his head when he saw that Ryou was about to hastily answer him. "Think carefully. And what you should know is that if you choose to serve me eternally today, there will be no turning back. I will make you take a very special Vow, an Eternal Vow, which would kill you if you ever try to run from my clutches or betray me. You will forever be my Eternal Slave."

He laid it all out to him, not keeping anything.

Keith had no reason to manipulate the young man, and it was also because he needed Ryou to take that Vow with willingness, knowing everything it would entail, which would make it stronger and would leave no way out for the young Assassin.

Ryou remained silent after he heard those words, and he subconsciously looked at his little sister, who was lightly smiling at him.

He had never seen her sad ever since they had come here, and with every passing day, he had seen the happiness in her expression and eyes only becoming more profound.

There was nothing in his life he wanted to do, and after staying with this family and serving them, he had developed a familial connection with this household.

Yes, Keith and Rebecca made him do things that could have cost him his life. But he was always ready to give it because he knew that they deeply cared for his little sister and that she would stay happy by their side even if he was gone.

And Keith had fulfilled his end of their deal by fixing his little sister's sense of hearing. It was truly something he was eternally grateful for.

"I wish to serve you for eternity, Master." Ryou dropped to his knee and announced his decision.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Keith smiled and then stepped forward.

"Draw your left hand forward." He ordered, and Ryou obediently did as asked. "Pull your sleeve up."

As soon as Ryou revealed his forearm, Keith placed the tip of his forefinger on his wrist and then started reciting some very mysterious verses.

His finger moved, tracing a strange pattern on Ryou's arm, which glowed in a beautiful golden light and stung a little as well.

"Say your Vow, taking your name and mine, and promising yourself in my Servitude for eternity," Keith said after he was finished drawing the Sacred Rune of Servitude on Ryou's arm.

It did not matter which language Ryou would say his vows in. The Divine Laws could understand all languages, and if his heart was sincere enough, the Vow would take root. If not, then the Sacred Rune of Servitude would disappear from his arm.

"I, Ryou, a servant to my Master, Keith Argus Demiliore, Vow myself in his servitude for eternity."

As soon as his words finished, the Rune on his forearm brightened up, and then Ryou felt a strange constriction take root in his heart.

It was nothing that disturbed him, but he could sense that he was now bound by something he could never escape from.

Keith watched the Rune settle down in his servant's arm and then smiled at the young man, gesturing him to stand up.

"Your command, Master." Ryou asked him about the task Keith had prepared for him.

"You will be leaving this world in a few days and ascending to a higher world. There, you will be on your own for a very long time, and your mission is to form an organisation in that world. An organisation of the finest killers, so that when we arrive there, we have some Power under our hands."

Ryou was stunned after he heard those words and amazedly looked at Keith.

He could have never imagined that his mission would be something like this. It was too hard to believe, but he believed every word that Keith said to him.

"How much time would I have?"

"It's hard to say. It could be decades or even centuries." Keith smiled at him. "You can take your time. The organisation you create does not have to be too powerful or big. It is fine if it is a small organisation, but everyone you recruit should be capable and loyal to you. Other than that, focus on learning, living your life as you want, and do explore the world you will be sent to. Have fun. Understood?"

"Yes, Master." Ryou lowered his head and acknowledged his words.

He felt a little desolate as he was going to go away on a mission that would last for decades.

"The Pills are very precious. Consume one once you enter the Primal Desolation. After you enter the Martial Realms, consume the Potion and focus on Cultivation. You can save the second Pill, and if need be, sell it. Remember, this Pill is extremely precious, and if someone sees it and recognises it, many powerful people will come after your life to steal it."

"I will keep it safe." He promised, feeling extremely grateful that Keith was willing to give him something so precious.

"The Daggers are special too. Don't lose them." He smiled and said, refusing to tell him what was special about them.

He wanted Ryou to explore the potential of these daggers on his own.

"Sleep." He suddenly said, and before Ryou could react, Keith had pressed a few acupoints on his neck and the back of his head, making him fall unconscious.

And then he telekinetically lifted the body and entered the house with his loveable maid.

Arriving in Ryou's room, he settled him down on the bed and then gave instructions to the System to transfer the drop of blood he had chosen for Ryou.

Keith closed his eyes, and soon he sensed the drops of Blood that revolved in his heart.

They were not all equal, some were very precious and powerful, like the one he gave to Minami, and there were some that he could never generate again, something he had given to Venessa. And then there were a lot of drops of Blood that could be regenerated and were very different from the ones he had given to Venessa and Minami.

These drops of Blood were his creation in a true sense rather than his progeny, and they did not link to him in a familial sense, but rather that of a Master and a Servant. Therefore, these drops of Blood were meant to be given to people who would serve him and his family as Slaves, but he could sense great power from a lot of them.

In all, these drops of Bloods in his heart could be classified into four Tiers, and the first two Tiers held a very strong and familial connection to him, whereas the other two Tiers were meant for people who were deemed to serve him, a different race of lesser beings.

The one he was giving to Ryou was one of the most powerful of the Third Tier. It was what the System had recommended, and Keith could regenerate this drop of blood in exactly a thousand years from now.

Minami silently watched as her brother was shrouded in a strange Orb of Light, and waited patiently as Keith observed and checked the state of her brother's body.

She narrowed her eyes a little when she saw Ryou gaining height at an alarming rate. In a matter of an hour, Ryou, who used to be a man of average stature, was well over six feet now, and all the scars on his body had disappeared as well. His complexion had gotten a little fairer, and his above-average-looking face had changed as well, making him appear quite handsome.

He was still recognisable, but only to the people who were familiar with him. The others would never be able to realise who he was unless they were told. It was how much he had changed.

"Do you want to stay here?" Keith asked after the changes in Ryou's body had stopped taking effect.

"No, Master." She smiled at him, and then placed her hand in his, allowing him to hold it and lead her away.

"He will be fine," Keith assured her.

"I know." She sweetly smiled, showcasing all her trust in him.

"Master, I want to become handsome too!"

Everyone who heard those words was briefly stunned, and then a ruckus of laughter erupted in the Hall.

Victor, who had spoken those words, did not seem fazed or felt embarrassed by their reaction and kept looking at Keith with those pleading eyes.

"Why?" After a short while, when some people regained their bearings, Keith raised a question, and Victor was a little at loss for words.

Yes, why did he want to become handsome? He did not.

The only reason he had said those words was because he had seen the change in Ryou after the young man woke up, and when they had their daily spar, he realised that his friend and colleague was way superior in both speed and strength after Keith had turned him into a handsome man.

"I want to become stronger too!" He clarified his words and seriously looked at his Master.

The ladies who were present in the hall curiously looked at Keith's smile. They had their questions, of course.

Ryou was very different from what they all remembered, and they had witnessed the spar between Victor and him, where he effortlessly defeated the muscle head and beat him to a pulp.

"You want to become stronger?"

"Yes!" Victor nodded his head like a child would say yes to a treat.

"Be patient then." Keith smiled. "Your day will come."

The words depressed the muscle head, but he obediently nodded his head before lowering it.

Keith did not pay Victor's dejected self any sympathy and turned to look at the young man who was standing behind the muscle head.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, Master." Ryou nodded to him, keeping his head lowered.

"You can stay for a few days if you want."

"I want to get to work as soon as possible."

"But there is no rush." Keith smiled. "Or are you excited about the new adventure?"

"It's part of the reason." Ryou nodded his head.

"Very well." He stepped forward and offered him a Storage Ring. "Prick your forefinger or thumb and let it soak a few drops of your blood."

Ryou did as asked, and was a little amazed at how his blood disappeared inside the ring. He felt that the ring was a little too big for his fingers, but as soon as he put it on, it magically adjusted itself to the size of his finger.

"Focus on it, imagine looking inside it," Keith instructed and smiled when Ryou's eyes widened in shock.

"What do you see?"

"A book."

"It's a Cultivation Manual. And you will start Cultivating it once you enter the Martial Realms. The Manual is quite detailed, so you should not have any issues with it, but there is something you must pay attention to." His voice deepened in seriousness, and Ryou attentively looked at him. "You must not teach it to anyone else. And this book must not fall into another person's hands. Understood?"

"Yes, Master." The young Assassin promised him, and then curiously looked at the Crystal that suddenly appeared in Keith's hand.

It was a high-grade Teleportation Stone that the System had provided him to help Ryou leave this world for the one this Stone was locked on.

"Hold it in your hand and crush it," Keith said and handed it over to Ryou.

"Be safe." Minami lightly said, and Ryou smiled and nodded to her before he knelt to Keith and the family that was standing behind him.

"I will await your arrival, Master."

"You will have to wait a while." Keith chuckled. "Farewell."

Ryou kept his head lowered as he crushed the Crystal in his hand, which took great effort, and then, within a blink of an eye, he disappeared from his position, leaving behind Spacial Cracks, which healed when Keith waved his hand at them.

[Ding! Congratulations Host on completing the Optional Side Quest!]
[You have received 20,000 System Points and a Wicked Sabre.]

A prompt sounded out in his mind, which meant that Ryou had safely reached his destination.

Sadly, the rewards did not include any System Experience, but Keith was not really interested in these rewards.

To be able to send Ryou to their next destination ahead of time was a reward in itself, and he was ardently looking forward to leaving this boring world too.

However, there was still some time before he could leave.

Turning around, he was met with some very curious looks from his family, and he was not oblivious to their excitement and anticipation of the Lower Heaven, which they had learned about from the storybooks and now looked forward to witnessing its beauty with their own eyes.

"Let's go. Grandfather and grandmother are waiting for us at the dinner table." He informed him, and Rebecca pouted at him as she could see that he was refusing to answer any of their questions. "Go get some rest. I will train you tomorrow." He patted Victor's shoulder, who excitedly smile at him after he heard his words.

"Yes, Master!"

As soon as the muscle head left the hall, Keith started walking too, not waiting for his ladies to approach him and grab him for their interrogation session.

He really did not want to keep his grandparents waiting any longer than they already had.

"Keith!" Alana, who had been sitting at the table with his grandparents, brightened up as soon as he entered the room, and he offered her a light smile.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting. Something urgent came up." He said and then took his seat by her side, which caught her by surprise.

"Alana wants to take a sneak peek at the Noxville. Celine has filled her head with all the fun that the Theme Park is." Diana informed him, and his little songbird blushed when the old lady informed told him what they had just talked about.

"I will take you there tomorrow and will show you around the rest of Noxville." He lightly said, which surprised her and she expectantly turned to look at him. "Promise."

"Thank you!" Alana blushed some more but then averted her eyes, taking her time to compose herself by chatting with the ladies who were now taking their seats.

"The dinner was a harmonious affair, very lively, but as soon as Keith excused himself away at the end of the meal, one by one, his wives excused themselves too and chased after him.

"Hey." He could only smile when he saw them catch up with him, and Kiara happily latched onto his left arm.

"Brother, do you have another Storage Ring?"

"No." He shook his head, which made her pout. "And what do you have that you would like to keep in it?" He teasingly asked.

"Just stuff." She stuck her tongue out and giggled when she heard him break into chuckles.

"What was that Stone?" Qingyue asked, still curious about the shiny crystal that Keith had given to Ryou.

"A Teleportation Stone."

"One capable of transcending World Barriers?" She frowned.

"Yes." He nodded to her. "But it's a one-way ticket since that Stone is locked to the Aura and Location of a specific world."

"She gave it to you?"

"Yes."

Keith could only sigh in his heart when he heard her question. Qingyue thought that it was Nyx who gave him that Stone. After all, what other explanation could there be that he possessed such a precious thing?

Rebecca and Amelia both stayed quiet as they listened to the questions that Kiara and Qingyue threw at him. They too had a lot of questions, but their questions were a little more technical, and they both wanted to ask him those questions in private.

"Don't you have anything for us?" Kiara asked as soon as they entered his room, and Keith sighed and turned to look at her.

"I have this." He said and took out the Wicked Sabre he had received from the System in Quest Reward. "Here." He handed it to his little sister, who held it with a lot of care.

"It's different from the one you gave to Rebecca," Qingyue spoke as soon as they took the blade out of its scabbard.

It was a lot like the Wicked Sword but had a broader blade, and even Rebecca and Amelia stepped forward to inspect it.

"It's a Wicked Sabre." Rebecca, who remembered Keith talking about it informed her sister-wives. "It is supposedly more balanced for some people."

She swung the blade and then lost interest in it.

Amelia too checked it out, but then handed it back to Kiara.

Keith knew that the blade was a little too fancy for her liking, and then smiled when his little sister handed it to Qingyue.

"Yours." She smiled at her sister-wife, who was very interested in the sword and had taken a liking to it.

"You don't want it?" Qingyue hesitated and asked.

"No. I want a Wicked Sword. The blade is a little too broad for my liking." She honestly told her, and Qingyue smiled at her words.

"Thank you!"

Keith shook his head when he exited the dressing room and found a lot of girls gathered and waiting for him, and he understood their intentions when he saw his loveable maid holding her storybook in her hand.

"Let's go to the lounge." He said to them with a smile and the girls happily led him away to a private lounge in his section of the manner.

There, Minami read to them a story about a young girl who was born in a world in Lower Heaven and forged her way to Immortality, overcoming all the obstacles and pains that life threw her way.

Fiona nervously stood in a room that was dimly lit in warm golden light. In front of her, on the couch, sat her new Master, who was not even looking at her but chatting with someone on his phone.

Finally, after half an hour, Keith put the phone away and raised his head. Their eyes met before she immediately lowered her head, and an amused smile crept on his lips as he caught her staring at him in a daze.

"Yes?" He lightly asked.

It was he who had called her to his room, and now he was asking her a question as of she had come here on her own accord.

However, Fiona did have something on her mind, and she had mustered up enough courage during their dinner to finally speak to him about something that scared her.

"I don't want to leave my child..." She beggingly spoke, and tears brimmed in her eyes.

"You must." He did not show any mercy and indifferently denied her request. "You can stay with him until the end of August 2046, but then he must live by himself in this world."

"He's just a kid..." She pleadingly spoke.

"He can live by himself." Keith smiled. "He has been, for the last year and a half."

The reminder ached her heart a lot, and then she just kept her head lowered.

"Why?" She subconsciously whispered, and it was unclear which question she wanted an answer for. There were a lot of them running through her mind.

"The reason why I saved you was because I saw some potential in your child, Fiona." He called her out by her name, which made her raise her head and look at him. "He needs to live by himself if you want him to succeed and achieve everything he is capable of achieving."

Keith smiled as he saw her frowning. His words now had all her attention, and it was very easy for him to trick her with half-truths.

"And I am not talking about a normal person's life, but that of a life of an Auror. Don't you want your child to live a very very long life?" He devilishly asked her and heard her heart thump hard against her chest.

"I..."

"You could live a long life too, a very very long life." He devilishly whispered.

Fiona was at a loss for words now, and her mind was not working anymore. It was all so chaotic, and her heart started racing as a result.

"You will not harm him, right?" She nervously asked.

Perhaps it was a mother's intuition that his words unsettled her and made ever worry for her child's safety, and he was not wrong to consider him a threat to her child's life.

Keith stood up and walked over to her, smiling as he pulled her chin up to look him in the eyes.

"I will kill him if he ever betrays me or becomes a threat to me." He clearly told her, making her body tremble.

"He wouldn't..."

"I know. He is a filial child."

His gentle stroke on her cheekbone comforted her a little too much than what she would have liked, and against her will, looking into his eyes and staring at his perfection from his close, made her cheeks warm up in a blush.

"He told you that he would be able to meet you when I allow it, right?"

"Yes."

"Why are you worried then?" He smiled and asked, and her mind was no longer capable of thinking clearly.

She just stared into his eyes, feeling calmer and calmer with every passing second.

"I will keep an eye on him. You don't have to worry about his safety." He gently said, and watching her nod to him made him smile.

Keith stepped back, breaking the eye contact, and pushing her out of her trance.

Her mind finally started thinking about what he had just said to her, and her heart was a lot calmer than before.

Though still unwilling to part with her son after a year, she was now willing to compromise with it if it meant that her child would grow up to live a very long life.

"You are an Auror, right?" She asked a silly question, and it made Keith chuckle a little.

"Not exactly, but you can consider me one." He nodded to her.

"How powerful are you?" She curiously asked, little keeping her head lowered.

"More powerful than any Auror you have seen in your life. In fact, no Auror in this world can harm me." He truthfully replied, which made her look at him in surprise.

"How old are you?"

"23."

"What?" She cutely blurted out and looked at him in dismay, and it made him chuckle. "How..."

"Did your son not tell you that I am a God?" He asked, not hiding that he was amused by her reaction.

"I..." Fiona did not know how to react to his words.

Part of her heart was inclined to believe his words, but her rationale prevented her from taking his words seriously.

However, when a sudden wave of dizziness and weightlessness hit her, and the next moment she found herself standing next to a king-sized bed, her heart slowed down and her face turned a little pale.

"I am not exactly an Auror, Fiona." She heard him whisper near her ear, and her body trembled as he wrapped his arms would her from behind and pulled her against his chest. "You will warm your Master's bed tonight." He planted a kiss on her head and then leaned near her ear. "Turn around."

Fiona was terrified, but at the same time, she found herself drawn to him like a moth to the flame.

She turned around, and her body trembled a little where his hands descended on her ass and unceremoniously squeezed it. She thought that she did not like the feeling, but as soon as he let go, she left at loss and searchingly looked up at him.

"Help me undress." He ordered and patiently waited for her to collect her thoughts and make her decision.

It was a good minute later that Fiona reached a decision, majorly for the sake of her son, and partly because she found herself drawn to him as she had never before to another man.

Of course, how could an ordinary Mortal such as her be able to resist his scent and charm? It was an unfair game that he was playing with her.

Keith smiled as he watched her take her time undressing him, and patiently allowed her to treat her eyes to his perfection, which warmed up her body and made her blush harder.

She pretended to not stare at him, but she failed terribly as she could not resist taking glances at his torso, but her mind his shake when she felt and saw the constrained erection in his pants.

Fiona nervously helped him take off his shoes and then helped him undo his pants.

The moment she pulled them down, together with his boxer briefs, she froze as his manhood sprang to its freedom.

She dumbly stared at it, amazed by its size and form, which was rather beautiful if she had to be honest. She could not think of another word to describe its form, but the size was something that terrified her.

Keith did not say anything to her to guide her to what she had to do. He allowed her to do as she wanted, amusing himself with her hesitance and gradual submission.

Fiona did not stand back up on his feet but adjusted herself on her knees before reaching forward and grabbing his member.
She trembled a little when she grabbed it, and then inadvertently squeezed it, making it pulse in her hand.

It had been years since she has last served Roy's father, but she had the experience and an idea about what she needed to do.

She slowly started moving his hand up and down his length, feeling even more nervous as with every passing moment, she felt more and more sure that if he took her tonight, it was going to hurt and would leave her sore for days to come.

Keith finally reached forward and caressed her head when she took the glans in her mouth, preparing him in hopes that it would not hurt her too much.

Even though she had an experience with it, he was not like her former Master. They could not even be compared, and it tired her jaw very soon as she clumsily tried to prepare him as much as she could.

"Stand up." He ordered, and Fiona struggled a little as she found her way back on her feet, and then her eyes widened in shock as she felt an invisible force start taking off her clothes.

In under a minute, he stood before him, stark naked, and staring at her clothes that were now neatly folded and placed on Bedroom Bench.

She only broke out of her trance when she felt a naked body pressed into her from behind, and then she found herself in a warm and comforting embrace.

"Mhmm.." A content sigh escaped her lips, which immensely embarrassed her, but her heart calmed down a little when she heard him chuckle near her ear.

Keith planted a wet kiss on the nape of her neck, and then he gently helped her settle her hands on the bed as he adjusted her ass to the right position so he could mount her.

Fiona felt ashamed as she realised that he planned on taking her from behind, and to add to her shame, she found herself yearning to see what it would feel like to have him nestled inside of her.

Years of pent-up lust that she had paid no attention to was burning brightly now, but her face soon contorted in pain when he pierced into her, expanding her walls beyond they had ever been, and reaching deeper and deeper into her.

She felt like there was going to be no end to it, but when he kissed the door to her womb, a painful yet gratifying moan escaped her lips.

"Master... please..." She requested to be given a minute to allow her to adjust to his size, freeing that he would start ravaging her right away, but to her relief, he was gentle with her.

Keith helped her adjust to him by kneading her waist and stroking her beautiful back. It felt good being inside of her, but he was far too experienced and had way too much self-control to not succumb to his lust like another man in his position would have.

"Thank you..." Fiona rested her cheek on the cold bed and breathed unevenly, and then bit her lower lip and grimaced when he started pulling out of her.

Her ass inactively leaned back into him when only his glans were left inside of her, and then Keith harshly thrust in, pressing hard against her cervix.

He slowly, but forcefully moved in and out of her, shaping her insides into his perfect sheath.

It only took a couple of minutes to make her leak her love juices, and his movements became easier for both of them, and much more enjoyable.

Fiona moaned her heart out as her mind and body bathed in ecstasy. She had never before in her life tasted her pleasure that it made her lose all sense of her identity and make her forget all the worries she had in her mind.

It all felt like a dream to her, and her silly mind even questioned if it was all indeed a dream or an illusion.

Keith enjoyed his time making the young mother moan and writhe under his body. She had melted to his touch and the feel of him, and he had ruined her now.

When he felt his impending orgasm kicking in, he painfully called on her soft waist and started ravaging her faster, making her moan her lungs out and beg for mercy, but then a grutrul and gratifying scream escaped he marked her womb with his essence, making her tip off her fourth orgasm of the night.

Not giving her any time to relax, he pulled out of her and helped her lie down on the bed.

"Please..." She hazily looked at him through her misty eyes, yearning for the warmth of his body, and he fulfilled her desire as he climbed on top of her, and entered her once again, taking her on another ride in search of excruciating pleasure.

Whilst the two of them indulged in their carnal desires, inside a room in another suite, a young boy lay on the most comforting bed he had ever laid on, but still failed to find some sleep.

His heart was restless as his mother had not returned yet.

Roy tried his best to convince himself that she was fine and she would not be harmed, but the restlessness in his heart would not go away.

Eventually, his mind became tired enough that he fell into dreamland, but even in his sleep, a frown marred his handsome face.

"Mammy, are you okay?" Roy worriedly asked as he found his mother walking a little funnily.

Fiona's cheeks burned in blush at the words of her son, but she managed to wrap her arm around him and pulled him closer to her.

"I am fine, Roy." She sweetly said and planted a kiss on his head.

Roy frowned a little when he saw the genuine smile on her face, but then he too smiled and resumed looking around the place.

It was in the morning after their breakfast that Keith took everyone to shop at this famous and biggest mall in the city of Reykjavík.

Though Keith had given them a go on buying whatever they find a liking to, both of them were very restrained, and they were even hesitant after they looked at the prices of the clothing articles in the shops Keith took them inside.

However, after they watched the Hubo Twins enjoying their time and indeed buying whatever they liked, Fiona allowed Roy to get something as well.

Her eyes inadvertently glanced at Keith, who was walking ahead of them, with Iseul clinging onto his arm, and chatting about something with him.

Fiona immediately lowered her eyes when she felt her body warm about again and the images of last night flashed in her mind.

She staggered again, feeling weak in his legs, and felt ashamed as she found herself getting wet just by her thoughts.

However, she soon distracted herself when a few people from the Mall approached them and bowed to Keith in a very respectful greeting.

They did not seem like normal people, and were undeniably very respected and rich folks, given how extravagantly they were dressed and carried themselves.

"Master Demiliore."

She heard one man address Keith by that name, and she frowned a little as she found it familiar.

Fiona tried to recall where she had heard the name before, and after several minutes, her eyes widened in shock when he realised where she had heard the name.

Demiliore was one of the richest Families in the world, and they would appear in News around the world from time to time.

Even someone like her, who did not spend any time on social media or listening to the news had heard their name, and her heart started racing very quickly.

She was a little more terrified now that she realised how prominent Keith's Family was. It was ever richer and more prestigious than the House of Winford where she was born and served. And as she guessed Keith's identity, she became even more nervous.

"You haven't bought yourself anything." She looked to her left in alarm but immediately lowered her head when she found him smiling at her.

They were inside a clothing store right now, and Roy was picking some clothes together with Ruru and Riku.

"I..."

"You don't any clothes on you." He reminded her, which added to her nervousness.

"Come, I will help you pick some." He said and grabbed her hand, leading her to the second floor, which was reserved for ladies.

For the next half an hour, Keith selected dozens of dresses for her, then helped her pick shoes, casual attires, coats, jackets, sweaters, night and loungewear, and even underwear.

It was so fun manipulating the heart of a lady, and he was a Master of this Art. His showering so much much money on her made her feel troubled and uncomfortable, but at the same time, sprouted a little sweetness in her heart as well.

"Master..." She softly called out to him as they returned downstairs.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled and replied, amused at her nervousness. "You what to ask me something?" He knowingly asked, and chuckled as she looked like a terrified rabbit.

"No..."

"Yes." He cut her off, smiling at her, and she embarrassedly lowered her head.

"Do you treat all your maids like this?" She meekly asked.

"Yes." He shrugged. "I like taking care of people who belong to me."

His answer made her feel relieved, but a little at loss too, however, she felt quite relaxed now.

"May I ask your name?"

"My mother gave me the name Keith, my Grandmother gave me the name Argus, and I belong to the Demiliore Family of Sameran." He told her and smiled when he watched her nod but keep her head lowered.

"Keith Argus Demiliore." She took his name. "You are the president of the Black Forest Group, the one who created Memoir."

"Yes." He chuckled and playfully continued. "I am surprised that you did not recognise me."

"No... I..."

"Don't worry about it." He assured her. "It is actually refreshing to not be recognised." He shrugged, and it brought a smile to her lips.

"Sorry." She courteously said, and Keith planted a kiss on her cheek which made her blush.

"It's okay."

Fiona watched him return to Iseul and Minami's side, and when she looked away, her eyes inadvertently landed on her son, who was looking her way with a frown.

Her heart skipped a beat when she released that he had seen Keith kiss her, and she felt a little guilty in her heart.

However, to her relief, the young boy smiled at her and then approached her.

"Come, Mammy! I will show you what I bought." He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the counter where their bill was being prepared.

The group then had their lunch at a restaurant near the mall, and the food was just as delicious as the one they had last night.

Roy was still a little timid in Keith's presence, but he was not as nervous as before.

After their lunch, they did not return to the Hotel but arrived at the Airport where a Private Jet, which was different from the one they had used yesterday, was waiting for them.

An hour-long flight later, they landed at a desolate airport where very few people and aircraft could be seen, but what caught their attention were the three modern tiltrotor Helicopters, which were waiting for them.

Roy was excited to see them. They had come out only a few years ago, and at that time, all the kids at the school were very excited about them and incessantly talked about them. He was no different and his green eyes were sparkling with excitement.

And he was even more excited when he saw that Keith was going to fly one, and Iseul and Yingying were going to operate the other two.

His excitement was shared by Hubo Twins as well, and all three of them sat together in the one Keith was going to fly.

To add to their excitement, once they were in the air, Keith playfully manoeuvred the aircraft, giving them a full taste of the experience, making them laugh and enjoy their time, but soon they were silent and just amazed by the beautiful scenery they looked at.

The place they arrived at was straight out of a dream, and the beautiful castle that stood proudly under the hills was very majestic.

But it was the lake which had crystal blue water, and the mountain peaks that were covered in blankets of snow that enchanted them, and then there were the beautiful green trees and the serenity that threatened to steal their souls away the more they looked and experienced it.

"You will be staying here for the next year," Keith informed them, much to their glee, and then they all entered the Castle where a very tall man was wearing for them, hearing a suit and a long coat.

"My Lord."

"Romeo." Keith nodded to him with a smile and then followed his butler as he led them inside and showed them around the place.

The Castle belonged to Hermes, but Keith had taken a liking to it and asked for it, and Hermes was more than happy to hand it over to him.

Keith did not change the Castle's name, and it was still the Castle of Khione, named after Hermes' daughter, who had left this world a few decades ago.

Fiona, Roy, Ruru, and Riku were shown their rooms in the Castle, and then everyone gathered in the main Hall where a few maids were waiting for them.

"Do you like the place?" Keith asked Fiona, who nodded her head with a smile.

"Yes, Master."

"In my absence, you will take care of Ruru and Riku, and Romeo here will take the four of you to travel around Iceland for the next two months." He told her.

"You are leaving?" She nervously asked when she realised what his words implied.

"Yes." He nodded to her and then turned to look at the Hubo Twins. "Romeo will train him for another couple of months." He spoke to them in Persian, and both of them nodded their heads without any complaint.

Keith then chatted with the butler for a while and then gestured for Roy to step forward.

"The maids here are well versed in different languages, they will teach you Netherian and Persian." He told him. "Romeo will also help you train physically, so you will listen to him."

"Yes..." The boy nervously nodded his head.

"I hope you won't slack off and disappoint me." He seriously said, adding to the young boy's nervousness. "And be friends with Riku and Ruru." He patted the boy's head, which eased his nerves a lot, and Roy smiled at him.

"I will."

Keith smiled in his heart as he looked into the boy's eyes.

"Take care." He said and then walked towards Fiona, who was very unconfirmed right now.

Keith mischievously raised her chin and captured her lips, which stunned her and Roy, who was looking their way, and then he leaned in to whisper something in her ear which made her furiously blush.

"And one more thing..." Keith grinned. "The butler and maids are all Vampires."

Fiona's mind froze at his words, and before she could react, he was already walking out of the hall with three girls.

She nervously looked at the tall man, who was called Romeo, and then looked at the four maids by his side.

The smiles on their faces made her uneasy, and she kept hoping in her mind that Keith was joking with her. However, a part of her mind was telling her that he was not bluffing.

Thankfully, all of them dispersed to return to their tasks, and Romeo took the three children away to get them started with their training.

Fiona only debated for a moment before she courageously followed the butler. She needed to keep an eye on her child and make sure he was safe, otherwise, her heart would never be at rest after what Keith had just revealed to her.

Thursday, August 1st, 2045
Essra Space City, Red Desert, Luxaria, Netheria.

A small but futuristic town, which had been built in the last few years, proudly sparkled under the sunlight, in this Desert which was famous for its reddish sand.

Keith had never been here before, and it was the first time he was stepping inside the Space City that his mother had built here, and he was very impressed by what he saw.

Of course, building such a city would have taken a lot more time and effort had he not helped her search for the finest engineers in the world, and Amelia had helped with the designs as well.

It was truly a marvel for the modern world, and it was not a surprise that this place was already counted amongst the modern wonders of the world even though it was still not finished.

"Welcome to Essra, Master Demiliore." A few men in black suits stepped forward and bowed to him when he exited the car, and he politely nodded to them before entering the Spiral Tower which was the main office building of the Essra Space City, as well as the residence of his mother.

Though he had never been here before, everyone was already aware of his identity and recognised him, and most people who worked inside the Tower had connections with the Underworld and knew about his status as a Mortal God as well.

Whilst he was gone on his Military Duty, his mother was not just focused on building this city, but she had built her own network in the Underworld through the City of Sin to maximise the profits and gather power under her hands.

Of course, she was only linked to the Underworld on the business front and did not dig deeper into muddy waters, which would have proven detrimental to their businesses in Netheria.

However, she now held a lot more power in her hands than most people realised, and it was one of the reasons why Keith considered her the most dangerous person in his family.

"Keith!" As soon as the door of the lift opened on the 96th floor, a melodious voice called out to him, and Celine, who was wearing a tracksuit, came running into his arms.

"Hey." He chuckled and planted a kiss on her head, hugging her back with just as much enthusiasm, not meaning the sweat on her body.

She had obviously been training, and by the light bruises on her arms and the back of her soft hands, it was clear that she was training in fighting.

"I missed you!" She told him, refusing to let go.

"I missed you too." He gently said, stroking her back. "And I can see that you have been working very hard."

His words elated her and she finally let him go before looking at him with a bright smile.

"I have improved a lot!" She declared. "Venessa and Sibyl have been training me and Ginara every day."

"Is that so?" He smiled as he looked into her eyes.

He had guessed her intentions when she had decided to follow his mother here, and now it was all clear.

Celine then happily greeted Minami, Iseul, and Yingying, and then urged the four of them to follow her as she gave them a tour around the place.

"You guys wait here. I will go take a shower!" She left them inside the living room and then ran off to her room.

Venessa was presiding over a meeting right now, which was why they had not met her and Sibyl, and Ginara was in her room taking a shower after her training session.

The 96th Floor was the Guest Floor, the 97th was where the Gym and the Training Room were, and the 98th was where Celine and Ginara had their rooms.

Venessa lived on the topmost, 99th Floor of the Tower, and with only four of them occupying these four floors, there was just too much space.

Kiara too had a room on the 98th Floor, where she stayed for more than a year while he was gone, and Minami shared it with her.

His beautiful maid excuse herself to her room to get changed and freshen up, and Iseul went together with her to find herself a room and take a better look at the place.

"Master." A sweet voice called out to him, and he raised his head to look at the beautiful girl with wavy brown hair and blue eyes who was bowing to him.

"Ginara." He smiled at her and watched her stand straight back at her. "Come here." He said, and then walked over to him without any hesitation and did not even feel troubled when he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Ginara blushed when she felt him plant a kiss right now on her neck, and the touch of his lips sent tremors throughout her body.

He had never kissed her before like that, and as shy as she was, it just felt too good.

She was glad that she decided to take a shower, as it felt her feel a little more confident about herself, and had she been sweaty, she would have been very conscious about it.

"The peak of Great Profound Realm." He smiled a little. "Impressive."

It was quite astonishing for any normal person how much she had improved in a little over three months. But he was not too surprised as he was aware of her potential.

Her potential was the reason why he had not hesitated in acquiring her.

"Thank you." She meekly said, feeling quite happy in her heart that she had not let him down, but she felt a little worried when he pulled up her sleeves and looked at her arms that had light bruises on them.

"Mother has not been going easy on you, has she?" He smiled.

"Mother is very good to me." She immediately shook her head. "She treats me very well and cares for me."

"Is that so?" He smiled and asked. "And you call her 'Mother'?"

"She has allowed me to call her Mother." Ginara blushed and lowered her head.

Keith was not too surprised, after all, Kiara and Minami called her mother too when they were alone. Almost everyone in the family called her Mother.

"It's fine." He planted another kiss on her head and then urged her to sit on the couch by her side. "Focus." He instructed, and understanding what he meant, Ginara sat cross-legged on the couch to meditate, and then braced herself for the pain.

Her expression contorted a little when he started breaking the muscles in her body, but she had already been through it a lot of times before, and immediately started utilising the One-Fold Heart Pulse Recovery Art to heal her body.

"Help me too!" Celine, who had taken a quick shower excitedly said when she witnessed Ginara meditating on the couch.

"Since when did you become a Cultivation freak?" He amusedly asked.

"I don't want to lag behind everyone." She seriously said and then sat cross-legged on the couch, closing her eyes.

"Of course." Keith inwardly whispered as he saw how much his mother had influenced her, and then chuckled before fulfilling Celine's request.

A short while later, Keith heard the lift on the 96th floor open and two people walk out of it.

His mother chose to take the stairs rather than the life to reach the 98th Floor, and her steps were not unhurried in the least.

When she entered the living room, a sweet smile crept on her lips, and then she walked straight into his arms before pulling him down to her by his collar and stealing a kiss from his lips.

"I love you." Those were her first words, and as always, the possessiveness in her voice brought a smile to his lips.

"I love you too." He kissed her forehead before hugging her tightly. "And what have you done to these innocent ladies?" He playfully asked, which prompted her to smirk.

"They want to become stronger." She replied before she let him go, and Keith helplessly shook his head before smiling at his mother's Shadow and pulling her in his arms.

"It's good to see you again, Sibyl." He whispered after he sipped her lips and the silver-haired lady smiled and helped him set his collar.

She was never a lady of words, and some might have found it awkward when trying to converse with her, but Keith was used to her silence.

"We are not leaving for Sameran today, right?" Venessa asked as she smiled at him.

"No. We can stay here for a week." He smiled back at her, and then she nodded to him before making a call for someone. "I will show you around after lunch."

"Fine with me." He nodded to her and then sat down with her as she chatted with him, asking what he had been busy with for the last three months.

When Celine opened her eyes, she could not suppress her smile as she found Keith sleeping with his head resting in Vanessa's lap. And her dear friend was lovingly running her fingers through his hair, looking at him with such fondness that it could melt anyone's heart.

"Let's lock him up with us for a few months." The grey-eyed lady mischievously proposed, and Venessa smiled at her words.

"I just might." She playfully replied and then leaned in to plant a kiss on her son's forehead.

"Mother." Minami entered the room and greeted her with a respectful bow, and Venessa gently looked at her.

"Prepare his favourites. Take Gina with you."

"Yes." Minami happily nodded to her, and Ginara, who had just opened her eyes, immediately stood up to listen to her Mistress' command.

"I will help." Celine decided to let Venessa have some alone time with Keith, and she dragged Yingying and Sibyl out of the living room with her.

On their way out, they came across Iseul, who was returning after taking a quick tour around the place, and Celine grabbed her too and took her with them to the kitchen where all of them prepared lunch together.

"So, where were you guys?" She curiously asked Yingying.

"Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Italia, Ireland, and Iceland," Yingying told her what she wanted to know, and everyone smiled as the grey-eyed lady pouted.

"You had so much fun!" She complained as those were some of the places she wanted to visit too."

"We did." Minami nodded to her. "And then told her about some of the fun times that they had, not going into details or speaking about anything that should not be revealed."

And Venessa, who was sitting on the couch in the livingroom, heard their conversations very clearly.

The curtain of Darkness receded, getting smaller and smaller, eventually merging with the tall young man who was standing at the centre of the battlefield without a single scratch on his body or his black suit.

Everyone stared at the lifeless body of Nergal, and how pitiful it looked, covered in blood from head to toe, and silence reigned as their hearts felt a little heavy.

In the long lives that they had spent in this world, this was the first battle between Mortal Gods that they had witnessed where someone had been so helpless that even their God Powers had proved useless.

Qin Feng stared at Keith with a multitude of thoughts running through his mind. He was hoping to see even the faintest signs of fatigue which would give him some idea about Keith's strength, but the Inheritor of Erebus seemed as fresh as ever.

A 23-three-year-old Auror had so effortlessly dealt with someone in the Third Martial Realm. Had he not witnessed it with his own eyes, he would have never believed it, and it was the same for every Mortal God present in the Valley.

One thing that was certain was that no one was going to even think about standing against Keith from this day onwards. And most wanted to become friends with him to stay on his good side. It was something that depressed the Inheritor of Hades as it meant that if things fell apart between them, no one would come to stand by his side.

However, what weighed the most on his heart was the fact that Keith was much more talented than him.

Qin Feng could not help but think that he probably did the right thing by handing Ingvild over to Keith. He definitely could not afford to be this man's enemy.

This train of thoughts made him feel a little hollow and dizzy, and he started feeling weak until he brushed these thoughts aside and seriously looked at the young man who was brightly smiling at his blonde wife.

No matter how strong Keith was or how unfathomable he seemed, Qin Feng vowed to himself that he would surpass him one day.

As if his thoughts were heard, Keith looked in his direction and a light smile curved on his lips.

A wolf was looking at a Dragon, and it was the Dragon that felt intimidated. How laughable was this?

"Lord Erebus." The Inheritor of Hades politely nodded.

"Qin Feng." Keith nodded back to him and then smiled some more as he watched the Inheritor of Hades take his leave from the Valley of Tombs.

"I hope that you will not target his forces, Lord Erebus." Abuzar walked over together with Ian and Caspian, and Keith simply shrugged at his words.

"I have no interest in them." He honestly said, and then looked at the Inheritor of Poseidon, who approached Azdaar's body and then waved his hand, which resulted in the earth reaching out and enveloping Azdaar's body in its hold.

Under their eyes, Caspian gave the fallen Inheritor of Nergal a burial, and then even created a tombstone for him that held his name.

The Mortal Gods who had gathered here all approached Keith one by one, greeted him politely, and then took their leave.

Only Abuzar, Ian, and Caspian remained, and it was then that the Inheritor of the Babylonian God of Light raised a question that was running through his mind.

"What was that yellow light that emerged out of Azdaar's body? I sensed a Divinity from it." He curiously looked at Keith.

"It was a Divine Protection." He nodded. "Azdaar had something on him that granted it, a Magical Artifact."

His words piqued their interest, but he refused to give them more details.

"It's precious?" Abuzar curiously asked.

"Probably not to you. But it is valuable to me, a little security." He nodded.

The Inheritor of the Babylonian God of Light nodded his head and then smiled at him and Rebecca.

"I am holding my Ascension Ceremony two weeks from now." He happily said. "I hope you would join us that evening, Lady Hecate." He invited Rebecca, having already invited Keith when they last met.

"I will be there with my husband, Lord Abuzar." She politely bowed.

Her words elated him and he nodded his head before looking at Keith.

"The Erra will be disbanded and they will not pursue the matter, I assure you of that."

Now that Azdaar was dead, no one could head the Organisation of Erra, and it was just a matter of time before it was disbanded.

"Don't think Qin Feng would miss the opportunity." Keith smiled. "You don't have to care about these mundane affairs, they don't concern me."

"As you say." The boy nodded to him and then bowed before leaving the place at an astonishing speed, leaving behind a trail of light.

"What's your plan now?" Volos asked as he looked Keith in the eyes.

"I am going to spend the next two weeks with my beloved wife in Italy." He told him, and Rebecca was elated to hear his words.

"Fine. I will return to Netheria and will see you at the Ascension Ceremony." Tronten nodded to them and then to Caspian before walking away.

It was only after he had walked dozens of metres that he suddenly picked up speed and blurred from the eyes of people who could not keep up with it.

Now only Caspian remained with them, and Yingying and Minami, together with Iseul, Julian, and Naomi approached them.

"It was an interesting fight." The blonde man smiled.

"Glad you liked it." Keith chuckled and then looked into his eyes. "You have a message for me." He guessed.

"No." He shook his head. "A request. But it can wait another day." Caspian nodded to him and then to Rebecca before taking his leave.

"Congratulations, Captain!" Julian and Naomi saluted him with bright smiles, which prompted him to chuckle.

"You may return to Netheria with Zor after you have finished your tasks. I will be leaving for Italy tonight."

"Yes, Sir!" They acknowledged his command and then followed him and Rebecca out of the Valley.

A couple of hours later, the sky darkened as the sun sank, and a private jet departed from a desolate airport in the middle of nowhere.

As soon as they ascended to the sky, Keith gently placed his head in Rebecca's lap and closed his eyes.

"You over-exerted yourself today." She lightly said as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Just for tray locket."

Keith smiled in his heart at her words.

As expected, he had picked up on it when Azdaar spoke about it back in the Valley of the Tombs.

"It is not an ordinary locket." He told her.

"That I can tell." She smiled.

"It's the legacy of the Yellow Emperor." He told her and chuckled as he heard her heart thump hard.

It was the same for Minami as she had read a tale about one of the Inheritors of the Yellow Emperor and had an understanding of what this legacy meant.

"The Yin half or the Yang?" Minami curiously asked, and Rebecca perked up her ears at the question.

"The Yang half." He told them.

Yingying and Marianne were the only ones who did not understand what they were talking about, and though they looked curious, they were not going to raise a question about it.

Keith sensed their curiosity even though his eyes were closed, and smiled.

"Yellow Emperor was one of the main Gods of the Tian Pantheon. You can find his name in Chinese folklore." He told them. "There were four other Emperors, and all five of them left behind very interesting Legacies."

"The Blue, White, Black, and Red Emperors?" Yingying, who knew a lot of Chinese folklore asked.

"Yes. But the original Blue and Red were Empresses." He informed her.

"What's interesting about their Legacies?" Marianne finally asked as she found Keith willing to tell them details.

"No one can be born with their Inheritance." He told them. "One can only find them."

"All five lockets are divided into Yin and Yang halves, and they are invaluable treasures that even Immortals would kill for." Minami indifferently said, but her words were gravely serious.

"Yes." Keith nodded his head. "It is because once someone has found the two pieces of the same lovket and merged them, they have a chance to become the Inheritor of the said Emperor by going through the trials that have been divinely prepared for them." He opened his eyes and smiled at his blonde wife. "There are four trials in total for each of the five Legacies, and once you have failed a trial, you don't get to retake it or get access to the next trial. However, you can still keep the locket till the end of your life or as long as you can hold onto it as the world comes after it," He chuckled. "And these lockets are one of the finest Defensive Artifacts with a lot of benefits for the wearer."

"What happens if you pass one trial and fail the next?" Rebecca curiously asked.

"The first trial holds 10% of the Emperor's Legacy, the second trial holds 20% of the Emperor's legacy, the third holds 30%, and the last holds the final 40%." He told her.

"I see." She smiled at him. "Too bad that we can't use it."

"We don't need it."

Hecate's legacy was slightly superior to any of the Five Emperors, not to mention the legacy of Erebus, which stood at the top of the Divine Hierarchy.

Besides, True Inheritors were not eligible for the Trials of the five Emperors. To them, these lockets were merely Magical Artifacts.

"Whom do you plan to give it to?" Rebecca curiously asked.

"I am keeping it with me until I find someone worthy of passing all four Trials." He told her and she nodded to him, resuming to run her fingers through his hair.

"Sleep." She strictly said.

"Yes, Ma'am." He smiled and then closed his eyes, and smiled some more when he felt her plant her soft lips on his forehead.

Thursday, July 13th, 2045
Demiliore Castle, Florence, Italia

The rays of the sun finally peeked through the windows of the Lord's Chambers, but just as it had been for the last few days, the curtains blocked them from approaching the young man, who was sleeping in his bed, stark naked, and only covered in white silk sheets.

His even breaths suddenly slowed down, and then he inhaled deeply as his eyes fluttered open, revealing a haunting Amethyst shade that could make anyone lose themselves in their depths.

Keith stared at the familiar ceiling and assessed the state he was in without looking around or down at his body.

He was not in the least bothered by his nakedness, and with the scent that he was all too familiar with covering him and his bed, he knew that Rebecca had been sleeping by his side and with her warmth still lingering, and the sound of the shower running inside the bathroom, he understood where she was and then located every individual in the Castle with his sharp senses.

"How long have I been sleeping?" He asked the question in his mind, and soon a voice answered him.

{86 Hours}

"I see." He smiled and then closed his eyes again, not to sleep, but just out of laziness.

The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was the touch of his wife's soft lips pressing on his forehead, and then all the tiredness kicked in and he dozed off.

"Show me my information." He commanded, and soon a panel appeared in his mind.

[Fate Plundering System: Level 2]

Host: Keith Argus Demiliore
Age: 23
Status: True Inheritor of the God of Darkness, Erebus. Heir of the Demiliore Family. Young Master Demiliore. President of the Black Forest Group. Prince of the Phoenix Cell 969. Lt. Colonel is the Netherian Military, Dragon Corps. Member of the Royal Medical Association and Academy.
Cultivation Rank: Martial Warrior (Late-Stage)

Strength: 36
Speed & Reflexes: 40
Constitution: 40
(10 is the Average
Limit for Cultivators in the First Martial Realm. 50 is the Maximum Limit.)

Charm: 99 (Can not rise. 100 is the Maximum Limit for every living being.)
Fate: 666 (Black) + 13145 (Rising Trend).

(Fate Points will keep rising with the growth of the Heroines of Destiny whom you have conquered.)

Personal Net-Worth: 99 Billion Nr
Family Net-Worth: 97 Billion Nr
System Wallet: 2145 System Points.

{Skill-Set: Medicine (Grand Master), Alchemy (Expert), Business Mastery (Expert), Vehicle Mastery (Expert), Combat Mastery (Expert), Weapon Mastery (Advanced), Swimming (Master), Chess (Master), Piano (Master), Violin (Master), Cooking (Expert), Diplomacy (Expert), Drawing (Expert), Equestrian (Advanced), Administration (Advanced), Calligraphy (Advanced), Football (Advanced), Programming (Advanced), Singing (Intermediate), Painting (Intermediate).
Note: Only the Skills that have Intermediate and above Levels are listed in the Skill Set.}
.......

After taking a good look at his information and Skill-set, Keith decided on what he planned to do next in the next year before he would have to deal with Yexuan Parker, the Immortal Sovereign who had returned in time with the help of the Stelle of Time and Space, a Forbidden Treasure that he wanted to get his hands on at all costs.

This was one of the Treasures that could never be allowed to stay in anyone else's hands but his, so sparring Yexuan was out of the question even if it meant that he would have to sacrifice Alana.

Then again, his little songbird was quite valuable too, and he was not a man who liked bearing losses.

Only time would tell what would happen, all he could do was make some plans, but there was never a guarantee that things would go as planned.

He had already learned his lessons from Kylian Dusk and Mathew Frost, and the latter proved to be a huge disappointment.

There was no fun in playing around with him, and waiting for his Invincible Halo to wear off was already a drag.

And then there was the fact that his actions had disrupted the Plans of Destiny, where Qin Feng had decided to deal with Azdaar years ahead of the supposed time.

Thankfully, it was all fun and he got his hands on the legacy of the Yellow Emperor, and also got the chance to test his limits.

As he went through everything that happened in the last two years, a name suddenly appeared in his mind, and a date as well.

"System, where is Roy Windson right now and how much time is left until his mother's death?"

Five System Points were deducted as soon as he asked for the information, and then the System answered his questions.

{The Child of Destiny, Roy Windson, is currently in Waterford, in his mother's apartment in the western part of the city. His mother, Fiona Windson, is losing her life and will likely die on the 31st of July as designed in the Plan of Destiny you read.}

"I see." He thoughtfully went through Roy's Plan of Destiny, and he knew that he was already going to be as boring as Mathew if he decided to eliminate him.

However, his mind now entertained some very different thoughts as this Child of Destiny was unlike the rest he had read Plans of Destiny for.

A playful smile crept on his face as he formed a plan for Roy Windson.

"Keith!" A girl's excited voice sounded out, and he opened his eyes to watch his blonde wife briskly walk over to him.

"Hey." He smiled as Rebecca climbed on top of him and straddled his waist.

Their eyes met, and they could clearly read the intentions of one another, and they both desired the same thing.

Without saying anything, his wife started taking off the clothes that she had just put on to get ready for the day, and then she pulled the sheets aside to sit on his nakedness.

She bit her lower lip as she started grinding herself against his hardness, and being overwhelmed by her sensuality, Keith did not hold back and grabbed the back of her head to pull her down into a deep kiss.

They both gasped into each other's mouths when she guided him inside of her, slowly filling herself to the brim, and as soon as his glans kissed the door of her womb, her body shuddered in the pulsating pleasure.

Keith did not urge her to move and kept tasting her mouth. His hands caressed and clawed her sides, and roamed all over her back before eventually descending to her bubble bottom and playfully clawing on it.

As if on cue, Rebecca slowly started swaying her hips, looking right into his eyes as she provided him with the pleasure he sought.

They did not need to say any words as their eyes conveyed all their feelings to each other, and once her insides started gushing out love juices, she picked up the pace and let her moans echo in the room.

Keith grunted as his wife rode him as if her life depended on it, and her moans drove him crazier.

He patiently waited for her to climb the peak of her pleasure, and when her orgasm jolted through her body, he flipped her over and pressed her under his weight.

"Keith..." She called out to him, begging him for more, but at the same time, to allow her to catch her breath, but his thrusts were relentless and he punted her insides, hammering her cervix, which ached her but heightened her pleasure as well.

Rebecca sensed his urgency when he was about to burst inside of her, and she wrapped her legs and arms around him out of instinct, burying his face in her neck, listening to his grunts and biting and planting kisses on his neck and shoulders as she tried to suppress her moans and cope with the ecstasy that he was bathing her in.

Her hold on him only tightened when he pressed hard against her cervix and they jumped off the peak in unison.

She was addicted to the feel of this mystical warmth that spread inside her womb every time he marked it with his essence and the pleasure and love that poured out of them even forced tears to slip out of her eyes.

They stayed locked together as they caught their breath, squeezing each other in his arms from time to time before Rebecca resumed planting kisses on his neck.

"Want more?" She playfully gigged as she sensed his hardness pulse against her walls that gripped and squeezed him.

"Do you?" He nibbled on her neck, which made her moan, and she answered him by thrusting her hips forward, trying to take more of him inside of her which was not possible without breaking into her womb.

Her action made him grunt, and then he pulled back before ruthlessly thrusting back inside of her, slamming himself against her cervix, which made her moan in ache and pleasure.

"More..." She devilishly demanded, and he obliged by picking up a rhythm that bathed them both bask in pleasure that hit them even harder than before.

Their wild passion continued for the rest of the morning, and they even missed lunch as they were unwilling to let go of each other's bodies.

They did not let go of each other until their stomachs grumbled to complain and ask for attention.

However, despite indulging in her carnal desires for most of the day, Rebecca still wanted more.

"Let's continue in the bathroom." She giddily said, and Keith could only chuckle at her words.

"Yes, Ma'am." He kisses her swollen lips and then picked her up and walked into the dressing room.

"Did you take advantage of me when I was asleep?" He painfully asked, and his blonde wife burned in a blush.

"Of course, I did." She honestly answered him, which made him chuckle and then he decided to punish her under the shower, which left her legs weak for the rest of the day.

In the back courtyard of the Castle, a very tall man was engaged in a playful spar with little kids, a pair of twins with pitch-black hair and warm brown eyes.

It looked like a playful spar from the man's perspective, but the siblings were doing their utter best to land a hit on their opponent, which they had failed to do so far.

There was just something feral about these two children, whose teeth were slightly elongated, and their battle stances were quite animalistic. Not to mention their speed, which any normal Auror in the Foundation Profound Realm could not keep up with.

Suddenly, the tall man stopped and bowed, ignoring the pincer attack that was headed his way, and the siblings were already in the air and could not stop in time when they realised the anomaly.

"Master Demiliore." Romeo politely said, and to an untrained eye it looked like he telephoned himself out of the way, Keith had clearly seen him move to avoid the attack.

The two siblings crashed into each other and then hurriedly stood up, wincing a little at the ache in their bodies.

"Good evening." Keith smiled as he stepped into the courtyard and looked at the pair of Hubo Twins he had picked up a few weeks ago.

He had sent them here right away and had not had a chance to talk with them, but seeing them bow to him, he could tell that Romeo had done a good job to make them understand their circumstances.

"Come here." He lightly said, and to the alarm of the siblings, they felt their bodies move on their own at his call.

They were both only 9 years old, they were quite tall for their age, and when they arrived to stand before him, they barely reached his chest and did not dare to raise their heads.

Keith stepped forward and walked behind them, and then placed his hands on the nape of their necks, tensing them. They expected pain, but both relaxed when they did not feel a tight hold around their necks.

A minute passed, and then another. Keith carefully observed the changes that had taken place inside their bodies as a result of the Blood Purification Potion and a little more that he had mixed in it.

"I saved your lives, and you now serve me." He lightly said. "And you will serve me until your last breaths." He told them with absolute certainty and the twins tensed up again but nodded their heads lightly.

"Yes, Lord Erebus." They replied in unison.

"You will address me as Master Demiliore except when we are alone."

"We understand." They nodded their heads again.

It was something that Romeo had already taught them and knew that they had to be very careful about how they addressed him.

Keith nodded appreciatively, content with the effects of the Blood Purification Potion, but it had not worn off yet, and the Potion would keep purifying their blood for the next year.

"What's your name?" Keith smiled and asked the little girl who sneaked a glance at him and he could tell that she was holding back a question.

"Ruru Hubo." She replied.

"And you?" He turned to the boy and asked.

"Riku Hubo." The young boy replied.

"You want to know what happened to your family?" He knowingly asked, which made them stiff, but they both nodded their heads and then lowered them.

"Everyone else who was there that night is dead. The rest of your clansmen, who had been sent to Persia are alive and in no danger." He told them. "As for your father, he is not dead." He said and watched them both raise their heads to look at him in surprise. "However, he is no longer in this world. He has ascended."

"Thank you for telling us this, Master," Ruru replied, and then together with her brother, bowed to him.

"You don't have to thank me. And you are not allowed to see your clansmen again." He clearly said, making them feel a little at loss. "A day will come when you will have to drop the name Hubo, and I will give you a name worthy of your blood. But that is only if you live up to meet my expectations."

Keith smiled as he saw the desolation in their expressions and then patted their heads.

"Leave." He ordered, and they both obediently left the courtyard. "How have they been?" He turned to the tall Vampire and asked.

"They are very intelligent." Romeo smiled. "And they learn fast."

"Only good words?" He chuckled.

"They are children, my Lord."

"Well, they won't be children for long." He smiled and then walked past the tall man, who obediently followed after him.

The Castle and its grounds were in a better shape than the last time he had come here.

Keith toured around the place and Romeo gave him an account of all the recent happening in the Kingdom of Italia, and how he had managed to finish the tasks he was assigned.

"The Royal Family have expressed their desire to host a dinner for you," Romeo informed him when they returned to the Castle.

"I will see them at Noxville Netheria's opening ceremony." He gave his answer and Romeo understandably nodded his head. "You are hurt." He pointed out and heard the Vampire chuckle.

"Lady Minami did not hold back in our spar." He informed him. "And she's astonishingly fast." He reverently said, which made Keith smile.

"Make arrangements. We will be leaving for the Manor in Corsica at the weekend." He ordered, and his servant bowed to him before leaving to inform the workers at the Manor about his arrival.

"Iseul." He lightly called out the name, and by the time he reached the main hall, the said girl came rushing to meet him after Minami informed her that he had called for her.

"Senpai!" She excitedly said and saluted, which made him smile.

"Have they finished their tasks?"

"Yes, Senpai!" She nodded her head. "Zor is awaiting your orders."

"He is to stay at his compound and focus solely on his Cultivation." His words made the girl mischievously smile and then she called Zor through the watch she was wearing.

"You are to stay at your compound and focus on your Cultivation until further notice." She told him as soon as he picked up the call, and ended it as soon as she finished her words.

"Naomi and Julian?"

"They have returned to Netheria and are currently in Sameran." She informed him.

"And the situation?"

"Stable." She answered. "Erra has been disbanded, and Zero has assimilated some of their forces and is trying to assimilate the rest as well. The others have formed their own Mercenary Organisations, and a few have returned to their homes."

Iseul made it brief, and it was good enough for him as he was not really interested in what was happening.

"I want you to locate someone and keep a lock on them." He told her and she nodded her head.

"Do you have a name?"

"Fiona Windson, Waterford, Ireland."

"It will be done, Senpai." She nodded her head, promising the result.

"We will leave for Ireland after Abuzar's Ascension Ceremony. Make arrangements."

"Yes, Senpai!" She smiled and nodded her head, happy that she was going to get more time to spend with him.

"Come." He suddenly said, and Iseul lunged into his arms as fast as she could, hugging him and inhaling his scent.

Keith hugged her back and let her hold him for exactly a minute before separating from her.

He smiled as her heart thumped hard when he looked into her eyes and traced her cheekbone with his thumb, but to her loss, he leaned in to plant a kiss on her forehead and not her lips.

"Go."

"Yes, Master." She smiled again and then bowed to him before leaving to get to work.

Keith watched her leave and smiled some more.

He had plans for her, and he needed to make her wait for a few more days before giving her what she desired the most, and also giving her what he had planned for her.

One of the reasons why he had to kill Mathew was for his Blank Physique.

This Physique was special in the sense that it could be developed from scratch, and if done right, it could be evolved to an Immortal Grade Physique.

The Flower Cultivation System was designed to help the Inheritor of the Will of the Flower Emperor to evolve his Blank Physique into a Yin-Yang Physique, a Physique that would have immensely helped Mathew to Dual-Cultivate his way into Divinehood and be able to control the spirits of Ice and Fire at the same time.

However, what he had planned for Iseul was different and he had formed it after consulting with the System.

Though the System was keen on not outrightly telling him about his Bloodline, he had understood it better in the last year and now he had a guess what it was.

And he was not exactly happy or distressed about it.

For some reason, it all made sense and felt right to him.

"Master." A sweet voice called out to him, and he turned around to see Minami standing there, smiling at him.

"Good evening, Princess." He smiled and drew his hand to her, which she accepted before proceeding to hug him. "I am famished." He told her as he planted a kiss on her head.

"Supper is ready, Master." She informed him as she bowed and then smiled when Keith gestured to her to lead the way.

The last few days at the Demiliore Castle were as lively as they could be, and though Keith planned on focusing on his Battle Art Training, he decided to postpone it to have some fun with his family.

It had not taken long for Ingvild to become everyone's favourite since she was the youngest of them all, and everyone had started doting on her a lot.

Since the little princess had not seen a lot of places in the world, Rebecca and Kiara showed her all around Sameran City and even took her to the Noxville Amusement Park, which had not opened to the public yet.

After four days of touring around the city, Kiara and Ingrid decided to teach their little sister horseriding, which she evidently enjoyed a lot when she happily narrated her experience at the dinner table to the family.

She was still a little shy, but she was always smiling as she talked with everyone. She got along very well with everyone, but Kiara and Rebecca were her favourites.

Perhaps it was because the two of them were the easiest to get along with, but this did make Qingyue feel a little dejected, so one day, she invited the little princess to try out Calligraphy with her.

Ingvild did not know a lot of languages, and once Qingyue realised it, she took it upon herself to teach her Netherian and Persian.

But Rebecca hit back at her by taking the opportunity and spending all the time with Keith whilst she stayed busy with Ingvild.

This did not sit well with the grey-eyed girl, who openly talked about it at the dinner one night, confronting Rebecca on trying to keep Keith all to herself.

However, what flowed was a round of laughter and a round of bickering between the two, which eventually ended up with Keith proposing something that took everyone by surprise.

"How about we hold a Football match?" He playfully said.

"You will take on all of us?" Rebecca mischievously asked back, but he shook her head.

"No. I will be on the Team with Qingyue, Nana, Ayesha, Ingvild, and Marianne." He said, and Qingyue immediately announced that she was okay with it.

Of course, it was because he was going to be on her team.

"So, it's me, Amelia, Kiara, Yingying, Ingrid, and Minami?" Rebecca exchanged glances with her team before they all nodded their heads.

They were seemingly at an advantage since Nana, Ayesha, Marianne, and Ingvild were not as strongest or fast as their team. The only one who could really carry the team was Keith, and maybe Qingyue.

"You are on!" His blonde wife smirked at him, and after a sleepless night, they arrived at the Football Stadium in the Sports City of Noxville.

There was no one else in the stadium but them, and Amelia asked her maid Viola to serve as the Referee of today's game.

Viola had only recently started Cultivating after Amelia decided that she wanted to keep her by her side for a long time.

Rebecca had helped her with it, and though she was still in the Foundation Profound Realm, she was better than any ordinary Mortal to serve as their Referee.

The goals were left open without a Keeper, and the rule was set that the first person to reach the six-yard box from the defending team could stop the ball with their hands.

Qingyue offered to stay back as she did not want to risk letting Nana and Ayesha hold the defence, and from the other side, they put Kiara on defence.

As soon as the game started, the Blue Team, which was Rebecca's Team, started showing their superiority in speed as they toyed around with the Red Team.

It only took 15 minutes for Ingvild, Ayesha, Nana, and Qingyue to grow frustrated, but Marianne kept her cool.

"Come on, Keith!" Qingyue could tell that he was not putting in much effort, and though they had not allowed the other team to score a goal yet, they had not once attacked or threatened Kiara, who was leisurely standing in the other box, cheering on her team.

"Hey, Yingying, pass me the ball." Keith playfully said, but his Shadow did not fall for the trick and dribbled part Ingvild to rush at the goal.

Amelia was reaching forward to support her on the other wing, and Rebecca was in the middle.

There was no way Qingyue could have stopped the goal, and when Amelia put the ball in the back of the net, Qingyue stomped over to him angrily.

"It's because of you!" She complained. "You did not fall back!"

Keith planted a kiss on her cheek, which calmed her down a little, and then whispered something in her ear which caught everyone's attention.

Qingyue pouted, but then nodded her head and obediently returned to her position.

At the end of the first half, the score stood at 4-0 in favour of the Blue Team, but they did not seem too comfortable with their lead.

They had sensed that Keith was letting them score those goals as he did not put much effort into defending, and they had also heard when he whispered into Qingyue's ear, asking her to wait for the second half.

"Amy, you and I will cover him." Rebecca proposed a plan, and the others agreed to it.

They were now going to put all their effort into making sure they defend the score.

The whistle sounded out, and Ingvild passed the ball to Keith, who rushed forward at alarmingly fast speed and twisted with the ball on his foot, getting passed Amelia who had rushed in for a tackle and then dodged everyone before reaching the box from the left wing.

Everyone on the opponent's team was so focused on him as he refused to pass to anyone else and kept trying with them, that they did not pay much attention to the little Carmilla Princess, not until Keith suddenly passed the ball to her, and she put it in the back of the net.

"Yes!" Ingvild happily rushed up to him and jumped into his arms, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Good job!" He nudged his nose with hers and then celebrated the goal with his team.

With the whistle, Rebecca passed the ball to Amelia, and then they charged forward, to their dismay, Nana, Marianne, Ayesha, and Ingvild all surrounded Amelia, and she was forced to pass the ball to Rebecca, but Keith Intercepted the pass and charged at the goal, once again, he began toying with all of them, making them slide on the ground and bearly crash into each other as he dribbled, and all his team was now waiting for the ball in the box.

Keith, however, seemed to be in no rush and kept toying with the Blue Team, who were now hesitant to commit as that would leave Kiara at the mercy of the four people who were looking forward to putting the ball in the back of the net.

"Ayesha..." Keith suddenly called out, and everyone on the Blue Team was alarmed.

Ingrid disengaged and backed off to cover the girl in question, but it left an opening for Keith, which he utilised and cut in, before shooting at the goal, narrowly getting past Kiara's safe hands.

Viola's whiskered sounded out as the Red Team scored another goal, and they happily cheered.

For the next several minutes, the Blue Team kept the ball as they decided to pass it to each other in their own half, but ultimately, a mistake was forced, and Keith was there to Intercept and charge at the goal.

This time, it happened to be Ingvild again who was passed the ball at the last moment, and she managed to put it in the net.

The Blue Team changed their tactics again, and Amelia decided to guard the goal. A decision that proved to be very wise as it take the game to the late stages, but Keith still managed to find the goals and with the Final Whistle, the Reds won the match by 5-4.

Qingyue felt like this was the happiest day of her life as she celebrated with her team, but the Blues were very upset with themselves.

"Come on, it's just a game," Qingyue smirked at Rebecca, who pouted, not even trying to mask that she was upset, and it brought more delight to the grey-eyed girl.

Keith then made the losing team prepare lunch for them, and everyone from his team did not hold back as they ordered whatever they liked, taking all the dissatisfaction from the first half out of them.

"We want a rematch!" Rebecca announced when they sat down for lunch.

"Nope." And Keith straightforwardly shook his head.

"Come on!" She pouted, but he shook his head again, much to Qingyue's delight.

"We will be leaving tomorrow." He said, and the table suddenly turned silent.

"When will you be back?" Kiara asked, not pleased that he was going to leave again.

"A few weeks." He lightly smiled as he watched her pout but nod her head. "And all of you have had enough fun now. Focus on your work and training." He seriously said, and they could only sigh in their hearts.

"Can I come?" Qingyue requested.

"Are you sure you want to come?" Rebecca smiled at her, which made her frown. "There will be blood and lots of deaths." She bluntly said, and this froze everyone at the table.

However, everyone, except for Qingyue returned to focusing on their meal, not saying anything.

Ayesha and Nana were disturbed and fearful after Rebecca's revelation, but they decided to keep quiet and behave as if they had not heard her words.

"You are going to kill people?" Qingyue looked at Keith and asked.

"We are going to a war." He nodded his head.

The silver reigned at the table for a good while before Kiara could not help it and worriedly looked at him.

"Be careful." She said.

"I will be fine. Don't worry." He promised, and his words finally eased the weight that was pressing on their hearts.

Qingyue finished her lunch before everyone else and then excused herself away.

No one followed after her as they knew that she needed to be alone right now, and eventually, normalcy returned to the table as Keith engaged them all in miscellaneous conversations.

Friday, June 16th, 2045

Somewhere in Al-Hajarah, Iraqi Desert, Iraq, the fiercest war cries, clanks of metals, and gunshots could be heard from even a mile away, and in an area surrounded by cliffs, the smell of gunpowder and blood contaminated the air.

"Ahhh!!!" A blood-curdling scream sounded out as a man was shredded into pieces by a Monster.

It was a creature well above nine feet tall, with appendages that resembled a wolf, and a body covered in thick grey fur.

His eyes were ominous red too, and from his beastly face, protruded two pairs of large canines that whispered fear in the hearts of his enemies.

The Monster rushed forward at a group of people who were busy reloading their machine guns, however, it suddenly stopped and turned around to book an attack from another Monster, who was taller and bigger than him in size, with thick black fur.

"Seth Greyback, Master Nergal has promised me a great reward if I bring your head to him." The black Werewolf spoke as it menacingly clashed against its enemy.

"Blackwood..." Seth seethe in rage as he recognised which pack this unexpected enemy belonged to, but he was not fearful of the enemy's bigger size and greater strength as he was the faster of the two.

Soon the two engaged in a battle, covering their bodies in their Auras, not holding anything back, and the forces of Zero, the Mercenary Organisation led by Hades, whom Seth was commanding, soon overpowered the enemies who has ambushed them in the middle of the night.

An hour later, the gunshots had quietened down, and all the metallic clangs had stopped as well.

The ground was littered with hundreds of bodies, and from the battalion of 300 Mercenaries, only 32 of the finest survived and now solemnly watched their Captain battle against a terrifying opponent.

Both the Greyback and the Blackwood had cuts and gashes on their bodies, and both were covered in blood. However, they were still ferociously fighting with each other, rilling and biting at each other's Aura Armours, breaking past them from time to time to land lethal blows.

Seth was suddenly sent crashing into the cliff when the Black Werewolf overpowered him, and his Aura Armour receded as he was seemingly totally spent of all his energy and reserves.

The mercenaries debated if they should step in to help their Captain, but the enemy gave them no time to think as he carved at Seth again to end him.

However, at the very last moment, the fallen Werewolf's Aura burst out, and then his jaw was gripping Blackwood's neck, sinking its canines into the skin.

Seth refused to let go even after his enemy sank its terrifying claws into his sides, and his resilience paid off as the Black Werewolf started losing his Hybrid form and then took his last breath.

"Aawooo!!!" The victory cries rose in the field after Seth howled to the night sky.

*Zing*

A strange sound was picked by a free people, and Seth's stopped howling as his eyes were wide in disbelief.

The Mercenaries watched in horror as their commander's head was cleanly separated from his body, with a fountain of blood sprouting up, and when the Werewolf's large body hit the ground with a thud, they finally saw the person responsible for it.

It was a figure clad in black, wearing a mask and a cloak, but they could guess that it was a girl who was about average in height from her stature and the strands of long black hair that fluttered in the air.

And before anyone could say or ask anything, the girl charged at them with her sword which had a very alluring silver blade that shined even in the middle of the night.

Cries rose again, and a Battle ensued as the girl charged straight into the group of enemies, cutting them into pieces and toying with them as of they were some dummies set there to practice her sword.

Some tried to run, and the others tried to contact the backup which was on its way, but they were all cut clean by her.

Those who remained had released that they were going to die, and they had lost all their fear of death now.

"Go to hell!" Someone bellowed as he charged at the figure in black, and the rest surrounded and lunged at her as well.

*Boom!!!*

A deafened explosion resulted when the remaining members of the Battalion committed suicide, detonating the explosives they had on their bodies.

Had they lived, they would have ruefully smiled at seeing the result of their sacrifice.

The dust and debris settled, and in the crater the black figure stood completely unharmed, shielded by his Aura Soul Avatar, which was a shining red cat.

"Master, Seth is dead." The girl lightly spoke, and soon heard a reply from the earpiece she was wearing.

"There's another battalion rushing to your location. Eliminate them as well."

"Yes."Yingying acknowledged the command and then recalled her Aura Soul Avatar.

Exactly 15 minutes later, a battalion of around over 200 Mercenaries reached the location and their vehicles blocked the two entrances of the area that was situated between the two cliffs.

A tall man, who was wearing a white bandana on his head stepped forward, and under his signal, all the men on top of the two cliffs, raised their guns and weapons at the girl who was standing silently next to a large crater, amid all dead bodies and what remained of them.

"Who are you?" He solemnly asked after he looked at the decapitated head of Seth, and tried his best to get a grip on his burning anger.

However, the girl refused to answer him, and as if mocking him and everyone who surrounded her, she drew one of the swords she was wearing on her back.

"Fire!" He shouted, and then bullets started raining on their target.

To their dismay, the red Aura Armour around the girl blocked everything. There were not even ripples on it, and since it was covering all of her body, she was undoubtedly at least in the True Profound Realm.

The mercenaries decided to fire Rocket launchers at her since the bullets were not going to work, but the girl in black elegantly dodged them and survived the explosions that created another crater in the ground where she had been standing.

They all watched in apprehension as she started imbuing her sword with her red Aura, and then she seemingly blurred from her position.

The cries rose as she charged forward at the man with the white bandana. She wanted to take this man out first.

Yingying knew who he was. His name was Kemoo, and just like Seth, he was one of the Commanders of Zero and one of Qin Feng's most trusted men.

Iseul had given them all the details about all the commanders of Purgatory Island, and she was aware that this man was rather strong and in the late stages of True Profound Realm.

Losing him was bound to hurt Hades' organisation. Perhaps even more than losing Seth.

"Together." Kemoo was not an idiot to look down on the enemy and take her own by himself, so he called out to all the Elite Mercenaries around him.

A greyish-blue Aura burst out of his body, and he gripped his large battle axe and swung it to meet the enemy's sword.

*Zing*

A weird sound came out when the two weapons clashed against each other, and to Kemoo's sheer horror he watched the sword cut through his axe as if he was made of butter and then do the same to his Aura Armour.

Several attacks landed on the girl in black, her Aura Armour withstood them.

Her blade proceeds to diagonally cut Kemooo in half, and it was such a clean cut that those who watched the body separate blanked at the sight.

"Zoro, call send a signal to Master Hades!" A man who was standing on top of the cliff broke out of the trace and gave an order, but what he received in reply was a Dagger plunged into his heart from behind. "Zoro..."

"Sorry, Brother Han." The man named Zoro smirked at him, and then pulled the Dagger out, letting the blood gush out of the wound. "Your friend has been dead for while, but you will see him soon now."

The mercenaries could not believe what was happening there. Their Commander and the Vice-Commander were dead, and their numbers were falling at an alarming rate as the girl in black ended a life with every swing of her blade.

"Zoro..." A man apprehensively looked at their Intel Officer, but Zoro evilly smirked back at him, sending chills up his spine.

Before the group around him could respond, Zoro charged at them with his dagger, showing an expertise they never knew he was capable of.

Soon the sensible ones, mostly the people who were watching everything unfold from the other cliff, decides to do the wise thing and run for their lives.

The vehicles started as people filled them, and neither Yingying nor Zoro showed any interest or concern about it.

They went after those who were on foot, eliminating them, and then Zoro smirked as he started pressing buttons on his watch, detonating the explosives he had planted on all the vehicles that came with their battalion.

It was carnage, and when everything quietened down, only the two of them were left standing.

"Mission Accomplished, Master. There are no survivors." Zoro spoke into the earpiece as his body started morphing into his real form.

"Eliminate all the traces of the dead."

"Yes, Master!"

Yingying watched the black man get to work, still quite intrigued by his ability to change appearance.

Keith had not told anyone where Zor was, but now she knew what he was up to. However, she did not stay there to help him out. It was not her job, and she had her orders.

She blurred from her position, rushing to the location where Naomi was waiting to pick her up.

Somewhere in the Kurdish region of Iraq, a few miles away from lake Dohuk, a battalion was camping, away and safe on this uninhabited land.

However, right underneath them was an underground settlement that had existed there for centuries, and this was where the tribe of Hubo resided.

The tribe of Hubo was an ancient tribe of werewolves, one whose roots dated back thousands of years, and they were one of the backbone forces of the current Inheritor of Nergal.

Their Chieftain, Oros Hubo, was one of the Nine Warlords of Erra, the Mercenary Organisation named after its Master, and he was also one of the strongest and oldest Werewolves on Gaia.

Oros was present on the surface with the people who were camping on his land for the night.

These people had been led here by one of his fellow Warlords, Mushka, a lady, who had aged unlike him over the last century.

Though age had depreciated her beauty, she could still be considered quite attractive to anyone who was into women who looked like they were in their early fifties, and in her prime, she had served as one of Nergal's lovers.

Muskha was there with her Son, Renzo, who was the Vice-Commander of their battalion that consisted of 300 strong Auror, all handpicked and trained by her in the art of battle.

Renzo was a middle-aged man who had lived for nearly a hundred years, and he was a strong man, just as strong as his mother, perhaps even more.

His mother had birthed him when she was only 14 years old, a result of marriage to her older brother, as per the code of their family, and whom she dearly loved. However, her happiness was only short-lived when their cousin killed her brother to usurp the position of the head of their family.

She managed to run away with her baby, and for months she survived the chase of their bloodthirsty kin, who wanted to make sure they were both dead. And in a twist of fate, she came across Nergal and Oros.

Seeking vengeance against those who killed her brother, she submitted herself to Erra, who took an interest in her beauty and madness and helped her avenge her late husband.

The mother and son had since served Erra as his most loyal, and they were amongst the most powerful commanders under him.

Had it not been Renzo's choice to stay by his mother's side, he would have already been made a Warlord with his own force to command, but he was a filial child who deeply cared for the woman who birthed and raised him.

There were also some rumours and whispers that his children were all birthed by his own mother, so maybe, he was not sticking by her side because she was only his mother.

"What's wrong, Hubo?" Mushka downed a jug full of liquor and curiously asked her friend, whom she had known for nearly a hundred years now.

Oros was sitting across from her on a rock, wearing his tribe's traditional loose white clothes. He was not wearing any shoes on his feet, which were surprisingly not callous even after staying bare since the day he was born.

"I have a bad feeling about this war." Oros, whose once black hair now had a fair amount of white in them, sighed as he broke out of his thoughts.

He was over three hundred years old this year, but he looked to be only in his late thirties, and still was as handsome as the day Mushka had first seen him.

"So do I." She replied and then raised her head to look at the bright moon in the sky that was littered with countless shining stars. "You should have moved your tribe out of this land."

"It's under progress." He admitted and then reached for the flask of liquor that was placed on his side.

"Persia?" She knowingly asked.

"Yes." Oros nodded to her.

Persian was the safest place for them as no one could dare bring the war to that land unless they wanted to perish.

"Have you two hidden your children?" He asked as he glanced at Renzo, who was taking a stroll around the campsite and making sure everything was okay.

No one else could dare ask Mushka this question, but Oros had no qualms about it. Though it was not a Taboo to the likes of them to marry their closest kin, even their children, a bond between a parent and a child was still discouraged.

Then again, Renzo had no sister to marry or a cousin left who could be considered. Her decision was quite understandable.

"Yes." Their eyes met and she nodded to him.

Werewolves possessed the ability to smell even the blood in a person's veins and could tell a child's parentage through it. And they could also tell whose essence a woman carried in her womb.

If one wanted to have some privacy, it was a bad idea to stay in the company of a Werewolf. The Powerful Vampires were no different either as they could see through all your secrets too.

"Persia?"

"Yes," Mushka replied and chugged on some more liquor, but froze as she caught the alarm in Oros' expression as he turned to look to the right, far into hills that were situated there.

"Intruders." He whispered and then his expression turned solemn as his ears registered the whimpers of his men who were guarding the perimeter. "Vampires."

Mushka's eyes widened at his word and she immediately downed the liquor before standing up.

"Up!" She shouted. "Arm yourselves!"

Her forces immediately responded to her calls and then rushed up to stand behind her, ready to take the enemies head-on.

"Renzo, inform Master Erra that we are about to engage with Hades' forces."

"Yes, Mother." The man replied as he picked out a transmitter from his sachet, and called the Intelligence Head of their Mercenary Organisation.

There was no doubt that these Vampires belonged to Hades, after all, there were no Vampires in this region.

Only five minutes later, the warriors of the tribe of Hubo were all assembled behind their Chieftain, and unlike Mushka's forces, they were not wearing any Armour, but some did carry blades on them.

Seeing the enemy rush at them from all sides, Mushka frowned.

"This could not be all of them." She unleashed her Aura Soul, which was that of a white wolf, and laced the sabre with her Aura as well. "They are too few."

Yes, the Vampires who were attacking them numbered exactly 52, and against their forces of over 500 strong, this was akin to suicide.

"There are 48 more, who will reach us in a minute," Oros affirmed her doubt. "And Hades is here as well."

Mushka expression turned sullen at those words, and then she took a deep breath.

"Let's slay a Mortal God tonight." She slightly smiled, and Oros took a deep breath before he signalled his men to meet the oncoming enemies.

"Follow me." He said to Mushka and Renzo, who nodded and then followed him to the left side.

Half of Mushka's Battalion was right behind them, and all of them tensed when they watched a serpentine Golden Dragon flying a few metres above the ground and rushing at them at a ridiculous speed.

Renzo and Oros unleashed their Aura Souls too, and like all other Werewolves, Oros' Aura Soul Beast was a Wolf as well, but it was much bigger when compared to the Mushka and Renzo's Wolf Souls, who but normal Aurors.

"How strong is he?" Mushka asked as she could not get a read on Qin Feng's strength, and she was someone who was on the verge of stepping into the Realm of Primal Desolation.

"Stronger than me," Oros informed her with a light smile.

"I see." She was not scared to learn that Hades had already stepped out of the Primal Desolation Realm, but she was a little depressed.

It was unfair to the mortals like them that they had to deal with such people.

"Surrender!" A cold voice reverberated in their ears, but all three of them mockingly smiled at the words of the Mortal God.

"Your children are here, Hubo. I won't blame you if you take the offer." Mushka spoke to her friend, already sure what his answer would be.

"And watch you die?" Oros smiled at her words. "I am not brave enough to bear that shame, dear friend."

"No, you are dumb as ever." She laughed. "Let's bleed for the final time!"

Her voice rose in the air, and then the three Aura Wolves lunged forward at the Golden Dragon, showing only their resolve and no fear of death.

A deafening explosion resulted as they clashed, and then a soul-stirring battle ensued in the land that had only known peace for the last few centuries.

A mile away from the battlefield, on top of a hill, two figures stood next to each other, looking in the direction of the land of Hubo.

"It will take a while, Master." A sweet voice with a hint of amusement sounded out, but even if someone had been standing right behind them, they would have not heard her words.

"Brave, aren't they?" An equally amused voice replied.

"They are." The girl nodded and focused all her senses back on the battlefield.

It was the first time she was witnessing a battle of this scale, and she was quite excited about it.

Sunday, May 28th, 2045
Eden Palace, Eden, Netheria

The security at the Palace could put any well-guarded place in the world to shame. After all, this was the headquarter of the most powerful country in the entire world.

Despite the security, no one stopped the pair of a young man and woman, who walked down the long corridor to the office of the Governor-General of Netheria.

"Good evening, Colonel Keith! The Governor General has been expecting you." A tall man with a scar running down his left eye saluted to him, and Keith smiled at him.

"Good evening, Tiger 1." He simply said and then nodded to Iseul, who stayed outside as he entered the room.

It was a very decorated, spacious, and majestic office with a red wooden theme and gold plating, but in this spacious room, only two people were sitting at the table made out of pure gold.

One was a handsome man seemingly in his late twenties, with curly brown hair, and dark eyes. And the other was a man in his mid-fifties, with a short black bread, which met the tuft of white hair at his temples, and unlike the other man, the black hair on his head was short and neatly kept.

Both of them stood up and he entered the room and waited for him to approach the table.

"Governor General, Lord Volos!" He smiled and greeted them, and the Governor General of Netheria, Ascher Zenworth, chuckled as he drew his hand to him.

"Lord Erebus."

The two shook hands, and Keith and Ian nodded to each other before they all sat down.

"I was informed of a little issue in Mystich City." Ashcer looked at him with a light smile.

"It's been dealt with." Keith brushed off the subject and then handed him the file that he had brought.

As he read through the information on the file, Ascher's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and then he sighed before he handed the file to Ian.

"I have already read it," The wandering God of Netheria told him.

Keith had already sent him a copy of it last night.

"Though I understand the reason and the need to send you there, it is still unwise for our country to officially interfere in what happens in a part of the world that is not allowed with us and not our responsibility." Ascher meaningfully said.

"It does not have to be official. I only need two members of my Cell with me." Keith smiled at him.

"Nergal has lived in this world for over six hundred years, Lord Erebus. He's even older than Ian."

"I know."

"The country can not afford to lose you."

The words made Keith smile in his heart. He was not some passionate man with an unyielding love for his country. And he understood very well that every relationship was built on benefits.

Right now, he was indeed very valuable to the country because of his medical skills, ability, and his connection with Nyx.

"I am not a man who gambles with his life, nor do I have that luxury." He lightly but meaningfully said.

"If you manage to take him down, you will be plunged into the affairs of the Underworld." The Governor General smiled back at him.

"It will be taken care of." He nodded, not denying the words.

"Is Hades going to work with you?"

"No." Keith shook his head.

Ascher looked at him for a good minute before he looked at the file on the table.

"Eridu, Nineveh, Samarra, and Hatra." He read out the names of four places.

"Yes. I want the Ninevah base to be vacated for me, and I need partial access to the other three bases."

These were the places where the Netherian secret bases in the Kingdom of Iraq existed.

Ascher nodded to him and then picked up the phone to make a call to the Head of Phoenix Corps, informing her that Prince has his permission.

"Thank you, Governor General." Keith nodded and stood up.

"You are welcome. However, you will have to take Ian with you." Ascher too stood up and smiled at him. "He has expressed his desire to watch what transpires there."

Keith knew very well that Ian had not expressed any such desires, but he understood the fears of Ascher and the need have someone like Ian to his back in a war he was going to participate in.

"I have no objections." He smiled and then nodded to Ian, who stood up to follow him out of the room.

"Lord Erebus." Ascher suddenly called out.

"Yes?"

"Keep the casualties low, if you would." He expressed his fears.

"There can be no such guarantees in war, Sir. All we can do is try."

"I understand." Ascher sighed and reached for the bottle of whiskey before sitting in his chair. "Be safe."

"Sir." Keith nodded to him and then walked out of the office.

"Colonel Ian!" Iseul saluted to Tronten when he exited the office with Keith, and then silently followed the two of them.

"You know, you don't have to get involved in this war." Ian suddenly said. "Nergal has earned himself a lot of enemies, and Hades is... special." He narrowed his eyes. "Even if he can't win, he would not lose either. Let them hurt each other."

Keith smiled at his words.

Yes, it would have been a wise thing to just stay on the sidelines and watch the fun if anyone else was in his shoes, but it was not wise for him. How could he let Qin Feng successfully overcome one of the biggest Stepping Stones prepared for him by Destiny, gain a sudden boost in strength, and accumulate more power? Besides, Nergal had something in his hands that Keith did not want to let Qin Feng get his hands on it.

It was also an opportunity for him to instill fear in Hades' mind and devour some of his Fate Value. And he had to make that prideful Child of Destiny understand that it was in his best interests to abide by their deal.

His recent actions reflected that Qin Feng was entertaining some other thoughts about their deal. After all, how could a Child of Destiny simply hand over one of his Main Heroines to his enemy?

Unfortunately, it was not an enemy designed by Destiny that he could overcome. It was an enemy Destiny had no hold over, and no matter how favoured and blessed Qin Feng was, he was always going to fall short before him.

"I know that Hades would not lose against Nergal, which is why I must deal with him myself." He lightly said, and Ian curiously looked at him.

"And what's that?" He asked.

"Erra was a little rude to me when we first met." He smiled. "I don't like being threatened."

"Ahahaha..." Ian suddenly laughed at his words and shook his head. "Never thought you would be so vindictive."

"That sounds like an accusation, which would have been fine if it was not from the man who killed all his enemies, and also innocents who were not directly responsible for what happened to his family."

Iseul suddenly felt suffocated as she watched the backs of the two men and the silence between them made her head throb together with her heart.

"You know, you are so much like Caspian. And despite being just as old as him, you are much weaker than him." Keith continued. "Do you know why?"

Ian did not say any words and just silently kept walking, but his eyes were very serious right now.

"The difference between him and you is that he has not lost hope, Tronten. And he did not get too attached to this world."

"This world is enough for me." Ian simply said. "And there is no hope left for me, Lord Erebus."

"Too bad." Keith chuckled. "But how do you know that you have no hope left?" He playfully asked, and he heard Ian's heart skip a beat at his words.

Volos curiously looked at him with his narrowed eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not get a read on him.

"It is rude to rip off the scabs over someone's wounds, Lord Erebus."

"Yours were never scabbed." He pointed out and then looked him in the eyes. "You have potential. After all, you were born an Inheritor."

Ian looked away from his eyes and clenched his left fist.

"How much do you know about me?"

"Everything that I need to know," Keith replied.

"For what?"

"To decide if you would make a great asset for me in the future." He truthfully replied.

Ian frowned at his words, not liking where this conversation was headed.

"And where does your future lie?"

"Who knows?" Keith shrugged. "But certainly not in this boring world."

"This boring world is where you were born." He pointed out.

"I know. Perhaps that's why I tolerate it." He chuckled.

Ian glanced at him and then turned to look ahead again.

The Wandering God of Netheria was relieved that Keith did not harbour any intentions that would plunge the land he was born in into chaos. And Keith knew exactly what was going through his mind right now.

"This is not where you belong, Tronten."

"It's my choice, and I alone am the judge of that." Ian shook his head.

Keith smiled in his heart.

He wanted to tell Ian that he was too weak to make a choice now that he had made one for him. But now was not the right time...

The three of them walked out of the Palace, and then entered the car that was waiting for them.

"When do we leave for Iraq?" Ian asked.

"We have our flight at one in the morning," Keith informed him before driving off to the Mansion he owned in this city.

He no longer bothered Ian again, and the Inheritor of Volos did not speak to him about anything either.

Ian was busy trying to clear his mind and curb the temptation to ask Keith what his words implied earlier. But he knew that he would fall into the trap as soon as he raises that question.

Thursday, June 1st, 2045
Netherian Secret Base, Nineveh, Iraq

Dozens of miles to the east of the Ancient Nineveh city, in an underground compound, which was first built at the beginning of the 20th Century, a few people sat inside a control room, which was filled with screens, surveillance feeds, and other data that Iseul was keeping tabs on.

At a rough table, Keith sat looking at the tablet which held some information about the targets they planned on hitting in the next few days, and the targets that had been hit last night by the forces of Purgatory Island.

The war had finally begun, and it was Hades who made the first move.

"The situation is getting very tensed." Julian frowned as he looked through the details of last night's attack.

"Senpai, the Werewolf venom has taken effect." Iseul suddenly said, but Keith only nodded and raised his head to look at Julian and Naomi. "Scared?" He playfully asked.

"Since the two of them requested him to take them along, his entire Cell was present in Iraq now.

Only Zor was not at the base as he was busy with his tasks in another part of the country.

"No, Captain." Naomi resolutely shook her head and smiled. "To be honest, I am itching to beat up some puppies."

"We shall see." Keith chuckled at her words and then looked at Iseul.

"Iris, has Erra conveyed his forces yet?"

"No, Senpai." She shook her head.

"Looks like he is looking forward to meeting Hades tonight." Ian, who was quietly looking at the screens spoke. "But since Hades has already made his move, given Erra's temperament, I doubt that he is planning on sitting down and having a dialogue with him."

"Of course." Keith chuckled and then secretly sent Isuel a set of coordinates from the tablet, which belonged to a location in Syria.

He had used the System Points to know what Erra was planning, and the Warmonger was indeed planning something fun.

Without saying or asking anything, Iseul monitored the place with the satellite, not letting anyone else in the room suspect anything.

"Hey, Ian."

"Yes?" The man turned to look at Keith and raised his brow.

"Want to go and meet Hades and Erra tonight?" He playfully asked as he put his tablet away.

"You are going to reveal our presence?" He frowned.

"No." He shook his head. "So, want to come along?"

"No, thanks. I am staying here." Tronten shook his head.

"Suit yourself." Keith shrugged and then stood up. "Hodur is the chosen Arbitrator, with Abuzar and Ashur as witnesses from the Babylonian side. Hades only has Aphrodite as a witness tonight. So, I can go and be the second."

"I thought Hermes was going to be his second witness." Ian frowned.

After all, Hermes was usually a Witness at every Arbitration that took place in the last century.

"He's not coming anymore." Keith smiled and then left the room.

He walked down the tunnel and arrived in a room where Yingying and Minami were sparring with each other, and they both stopped as soon as he arrived.

"Get ready." He said. "We are going to Van, and we are going to attend an event there."

Two hours later, the three of them, now wearing disguises and different clothes, arrived at the Ninevah Airport, where they got on a scheduled plane to Istanbul.

Even though their disguises were perfect, Keith still used his magic to make them unnoticeable, and even on the Plane, the Hostesses and the passengers did not look at them.

There was already a plane waiting for them at the Istanbul Airport, and they got on it before removing their masks and changing into evening dresses.

As expected, their arrival caught a lot of attention at the Van Airport from the members of the Underworld Society.

But there was nothing they could do, other than inform their superiors.

A team organised by Hermes stepped forward and bowed to the three of them, and then took them to the Lake-Side Castle where the Arbitration was going to take place.

"Lord Erebus!" An old man with pure-white hair and a pair of very dark glasses stepped forward and bowed to him.

"Lord Hodur." He smiled and nodded before politely continuing. "I hope you don't mind me coming to your house unannounced."

"Of course, not." The old man laughed. "Lord Hermes informed me a few hours ago that you would be attending the Arbitration in his stead."

"Are they here?"

"No. Lord Hades and Lord Nergal have not arrived yet." Hodur informed him. "Lady Aphrodite is here, and so are Lord Ashur and Lord Abuzar."

He has just said that when the three people he mentioned walked out of the castle to greet him.

"Lord Erebus!" The two men greeted him first with a bow and he nodded to them with a smile.

"Lord Erebus!" Valerie bowed to him, and then curiously looked at Minami.

"Aphrodite." He acknowledged her presence before he looked at the two Inheritors of the Babylonian Gods.

The Inheritor of Ashur was a tall young man, almost as tall as him, and quite handsome with those black hair and dark eyes. On the other hand, the Inheritor of Abuzar was an interesting fellow.

He was quite old, one of the oldest Inheritors in this world, but he looked like he was a sixteen-year-old boy of average stature with brown hair and light brown eyes. And he exuded a sense of joy and happiness that could put everyone around them at ease.

But it was given, after all, he was the Inheritor of a God of Light, Peace, and Life. And funnily enough, his real name was Abuzar too.

"What piques your interest, Lord Erebus?"

"You will be leaving us soon, Lord Abuzar. I am just curious if you plan of Initiating it today or in the coming few days."

His words surprised the other Inheritors who incredulously looked at the young man, but Abuzar now had his eyes narrowed at Keith.

Even though Keith had not explained his words, they all understood that Abuzar had reached the limits, and there was no point for him in staying in this world anymore.

The Inheritor of the Babylonian God of Light, Life, and Peace had already started submitting himself to the Divine Law of Judgement.

"You have sharp eyes," Abuzar commented but then smiled again. "I will leave in a few weeks" He admitted.

"If you don't mind, I would like to be there to bid you farewell." Keith smiled. "I haven't seen someone ascend before."

It was true, and Keith was genuinely curious about it.

"You are welcome." The boy brightly smiled, not showing any hesitation, and then looked at the others around him, who seemed a little agitated as well. "You are all welcome. I planned on throwing a party anyway."

"Thank you, Lord Abuzar." Aphrodite seductively smiled at him, and Hodur was happy too.

However, the inheritor of Ashur seemed a little disturbed by the news.

It was understandable, after all, with Abuzar gone, only he and Erra would be left in this world.

Erra would leave too in some years, and then he would be left all alone here.

Though he could leave too, any time he wanted to, he was reluctant to do it.

This world was a haven for them, which provided them the time to grow. If he left now, his time in the Lower Heaven would not exactly be easy, not as easy as what Abuzar was going to have.

"Please." Hodur suddenly said and gestured for them to enter the castle.

Since Keith had not had lunch, he informed Hodur about it, which immediately had a Supper prepared for all of them.

"Lord Erebus," Valerie finally couldn't keep it and spoke.

"Yes?"

"May I ask who this lady is?" She looked at Minami and asked.

The rest only respectfully glanced at the girl in question. They too were curious since they could sense a constriction from the young girl, which was something strange as they could not sense any Divinities protecting and guarding her as theirs did.

She was not an Inheritor of some God, and yet her presence constricted their hearts.

"Her name is Minami, and she serves me as my maid." He informed them, not really giving out any information since they were already aware of this, but then he playfully said something that made their hearts tremble. "She's also a Princess and my daughter."

"What?" Valerie confused looked at him and then at Minami, not understanding what he could mean by those words, but Keith did not speak again.

The rest thought over his words and concluded that she was just special to Keith and he had adopted her.

No one said or asked anything about it again, and Keith was not going to answer them even if they asked.

"Excuse us." Keith politely said after he finished his meal.

"Lord Erebus." Abuzar suddenly spoke, and Keith looked at him. "I invite you to a cup of tea later tonight."

"I will be there." He did not think much about it and nodded with a smile before leaving the dining room with Minami and Yingying.

A maid led them to the room that was prepared for them, and Keith simply went to bed without a care.

A delicate touch of soft lips made him smile in his sleep, and when it landed again and his mind registered her familiar scent, Keith opened his eyes to meet Minami's smiling face.

"It's time, Master," She told him, and he reached up to capture her lips.

"Thank you." He nudged his nose with hers before getting up and then entered the restroom to freshen up.

Exactly five minutes later, a maid knocked on the door, and she surprisedly stepped back when the door opened on the first knock and Keith smiled at her.

"Let's go." He told her, and she obediently nodded her head before leading them to the place where everyone was waiting for them.

Inside a large room, on top of a risen Platform, an ornate and large silver table was placed in the center, with three seats around it. And all three seats were occupied.

Sitting adjacent to each other were Qin Feng and Azdaar were sitting, the Inheritors of Hades and Nergal in this world. And at the head of the table, sat the old man Hodur, still wearing his dark glasses.


Hodur stood up as soon as he entered the room, and both Qin Feng and Azdaar reluctantly stood up too, both looking at him with the same confused expressions, as if trying to see through him.

"Good Evening, Gentlemen." He smiled at them before simply ignoring them and walking to take his seat next to Valarie and Abuzar, which was on a higher platform, adjacent to Hodur, who was sitting at the table of Arbitration.

Yingying Obediently stood behind his chair, whilst he pulled Minami to sit in his lap, hugging her waist.

No one said anything about it, and then the three men at the table of Arbitration sat down again.

"Qin Feng, Azdaar, the two of you have been called here today under the will of the Lady of Night." Hodur reminded them, and the two albeit reluctantly, still nodded their head at his reminder. "On May 5th, the two of you fell into an argument in the City of Sin, and you proceeded to break the rules of the city and evoked your Divine Presence, harming those around you, and then you proceeded to exchange fists..."

Hodur recollected the events that took place a month ago and then asked the two if he had gotten anything wrong.

Neither Azdaar nor Qin Feng denied his words, and under the eyes and wars of the witnesses, Hodur asked the first question of Arbitration.

"Do the two of you wish to settle your dispute with dialogue?"

"No." Qin Feng immediately smiled and gave Nergal a proactive smile.

"I am afraid it is too late to settle our dispute with dialogue." Strangely, Nergal did not seem to care about his enemy's provocation. "His men attacked one of my Warlords last night and killed him."

Hodur frowned at those words and glanced at Hades, finding him not denying Nergal's words.

"And so, I made things even today by killing one of his commanders." Nergal's words brought a pin-drop silence in the room, and Qin Feng dangerously narrowed his eyes.

His face did not give away any emotions, and it was hard to guess if he was agitated at Nergal's words, however, both Keith and Minami did not miss the slight change in his heartbeat.

"You don't believe me?" Nergal smiled. "Why don't you give a call to your hideout in Syria and see if that man named Jun Huang picks it up or not?"

A wave of Divine Presence washed over everyone as Qin Feng stood up on his feet, and this time, it was Nergal who proactively smiled at him as he shielded himself against the pressure.

"Hades!" Hodur bellowed as he stood up and his Divine Presence countered that of the Lord of Purgatory Island.

"There will be no peace." Qin Feng retracted his Aura and Presence and then turned around to leave.

"Please Respect the Table of Arbitration." Hodur reminded him.

Qin Feng stopped at those words and then turned to look back at Nergal.

"I will let you choose the rules you want to play by. Consider them your last wish fulfilled." And then he turned around again to walk out of the room.

"Mr. Qin." A light voice sounded out in the room and the Inheritor of Hades halted in his steps.

He did not turn around to look, but he heard some very light and calcined steps approach him.

A sense of dread washed over him when he felt Keith stop right behind him, and he finally turned to look around.

"Yes?" He asked, but Keith smiled at him before he turned to look at Nergal.

"What are the rules?"

"There are no rules." Nergal narrowed his eyes at him.

Hadur frowned at those words and so did the witnesses.

"Are you going to pull the other Inheritors in your War?" The old man seriously asked.

The question made both Qin Feng and Nergal frown.

"I have no intentions of seeking help from someone," Azdaar replied. "But things might change if he runs to find help."

"Then settle it between the two of you. There is no need to drag your forces and mortals in your War." The Inheritor of the Babylonian God of Peace stood up and spoke.

"If one of us falls, can you guarantee that our forces would not seek revenge?" Qin Feng smiled at him. "The weeds must be eliminated from the roots."

"Well said." Nergal grinned at him. "I want to see how loyal your forces are. Would the fear bend their knees or would they seek vengeance like you believe they would?"

The truth was that both of them wanted to swallow each other's forces, but it was not going to be possible if the men loyal to the two still lived.

Besides, Nergal loved carnage. He was never going to miss out on the chance to let thousands die in their war. He enjoyed the misery, pain, helplessness, fear, and hatred of people.

Abuzar too understood the intentions of the two men but no longer said anything.

"Well, now that the things have been cleared. I think I must raise my concern about your War." Keith smiled at the two of them before he looked Qin Feng in the eyes. "You owe me Ingvild Carmilla, Mr. Qin. And I can't risk you dragging her in this silly War of yours."

The words piqued everyone's interest, especially Nergal, who wanted the younger Carmilla Princess he had found out that Hades was keeping at Purgatory Island.

Qin Feng felt a sinking feeling in his heart at those words, and the playful smile on Keith's face evoked his hatred and fear.

"Erebus, don't go too far." Nergal grimly said. "I want the Carmilla Princess. You already have her older sister."

"Oh." Keith narrowed his eyes as he looked at them. "What make think I care what you want?" He bluntly asked, and then ignored the glare that Nergal sent his way. "I need her by tomorrow." He looked at Qin Feng and gave him an ultimatum.

The atmosphere in the room took a very strange turn. Suddenly, it felt like Keith was considered an enemy by both Nergal and Hades, who were looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"I still have nine months, Lord Erebus." Qin Feng gritted his teeth.

"But you have already solved your problem." Keith smiled at him. "You have gathered the forces and stabilised them as you wanted to achieve." He pointed out, catching Qin Feng by surprise, who was alarmed at how Keith knew about it all. "You do not need to keep her now or do you want to drag her in this war of yours?"

"A deal is a deal." Qin Feng shook his head.

"Let's make another deal then." Keith smiled at him. "Hand her over, and I will kill Nergal for you."

"Erebus!!!" Nergal bellowed when he heard those words and unleashed his Divine Presence.

"We are talking here. Shut up." Keith, who was unaffected by the pressure dawning on him, sent the raging man a glare before smiling at the Inheritor of Hades.

Nergal felt humiliated by his action, but he had not completely lost his mind yet.

He could not attack Keith here, if he did, he would likely fall at the hands of at least four of these Mortal Gods.

"What do you say?"

Qin Feng looked into Keith's eyes, and he felt a suppression in his heart that he could not explain.

His mind reasoned that he should hand over Ingvild to avoid any confrontation with Keith right now. But his intuition told him that it would not be the end of everything.

At the same time, his heart was unwilling to hand Ingvild over, whom he had stated seeing as his little sister.

"Stay for dinner. I will need an answer by the end of it." Keith patted his shoulder and then turned to look at Nergal. "Nothing personal, it would be his call." He playfully said.

Everyone could see that Nergal did not even care about Hades anymore. All he wanted to do was kill Keith, and he would do it right here if he got the chance.