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nSilence reigned after Prince Belmont closed the door. Many, having good impressions of Dyon, felt pity in their hearts for what he had to go through just to be with the women he loved. And just as many, not understanding the type of person Dyon truly was, assumed that his nonchalant attitude was a shield he put up between himself and his worries.

nHowever, these glances didn’t stop Dyon from continuing to fill plate after plate for himself. In fact, he didn’t stop until he had practically ten separate and elaborate meals laid out for himself.

nRi glanced at Dyon’s side profile before looking at Little Lyla who still sat on his lap. She somehow felt reassured by Lyla’s carefree attitude. Being the only person here who could understand Dyon’s true thoughts, Little Lyla was the best gauge… However, Ri still didn’t feel settled.

nSeeing that Dyon wanted to eat, and suddenly feeling the urge to continue himself, Little Black latched onto Lyla, taking her to a separate chair.

nDyon smiled at this, ‘It seems my little siblings are getting along really well. I still can’t understand what threshold Little Black’s strength is at… but, all in due time.’

nDyon remembered fully well that even back in the demon sage’s legacy world, Little Black could already boost his celestial will to a first level intent… Just what did that mean for his power now? Was it the same in his human form? Was he stronger? Weaker? There were too many questions that Dyon wasn’t sure even Little Black knew the answers too… after all, could Celestial deer’s and demon qilin’s normally conceive together at all? It didn’t seem like this was a very common occurrence from the 25th White Mother’s memories.

nThe pensive look on Dyon’s face as he thought these things through made Ri’s heart stutter, ‘Is he worried about Madeleine?’

nDyon started out of his trance when he felt a delicate hand lightly squeeze his thigh.

n“Hmm?” Dyon looked at Ri, immediately noticing there was something wrong, “Did I do something bad again?”

n“Are you worried about Madeleine?” Ri said quietly, “There’s not a single person here that doesn’t want to help you.”

nSudden nods of affirmation resounded through the room.

nDyon looked around quietly. Diligently looking into the eyes of each and every elf here. Akash. Zaltarish. Opal. Celine. The Cormyth twins. Academy students. Guild apprentices. The orphans.

nThis was the very first time since Dyon left the human world that he felt that he had any support… Although Dyon found it a bit silly that they thought he cared about Elwing’s words, this was heart warming nonetheless.

nSuddenly, Dyon smiled, grabbing onto Ri’s hand and helping her up, “Do you know why I love it here?”

nDyon led a confused Ri to the center of the hall, suddenly stopping to face her. Dyon smiled gently, looking into Ri’s pure blue-silver eyes.

nRi was left in such a trance that she forgot to answer.

n“I love it here because it’s the first place in this martial world I’ve earned an actual place. It’s where I have two adorable siblings. It’s where I’ve found my little feu glace.”

nDyon gently stroked Ri’s cheek before bringing his hand to prop up her back, taking her hand in his other.

nRi was stunned by the sudden new position.

nShe buried her head in Dyon’s chest, “I don’t know how to dance,” she said softly.

nThe Elvin younger generation smiled at Ri’s reaction and Dyon’s ability to fluster her. Ri had always been unabashed and unreserved, a true genius among them. This was definitely a new side to her.

nDyon smiled, “You only have to follow my lead. Let me show you how I feel.”

nSuddenly, Dyon’s aurora blazed to life, melding perfectly with Ri’s. Fires of blue-gold danced at their feet, causing the elves to widen their eyes in shock.

n‘Ri is has an innate aurora?!’

nMany had this thought at once. But, it was quickly tempered. It didn’t make sense, so the only explanation was that…

n‘Ri awoke her aurora to 100%?!’ Akash’s eyes glittered, ‘This year’s campaign…’ She turned, training her gaze on Dyon, ‘You’ve single-handedly changed everything.’

nRi looked up at Dyon as they stood in the flames of blue and gold. Something felt different about the melding of their auroras now… but, she didn’t know what it was.

nSuddenly, they started moving… and along with each stride… each spin… each pause… A note resonated in the air leaving a trail of flames.

nThe melody immediately incapsulated everyone. It was as though Dyon’s feelings were theirs… Like his thoughts were theirs… Like his love was theirs…

nThey saw Dyon and Ri first meet. How they played off of each other… how they laughed together.

nThen they felt pain. They watched an orphanage burn down, they saw the tears of children and the corpse of a beautiful old woman with a heart of gold.

nThen they felt determination. The will to push on – the flames of anger and passion. They watched as Dyon diligently planned, as Ri diligently trained, and how they came together in the end. They saw Dyon’s endless sleepless nights in dead kings valley. They saw Ri almost lose her life to its stairs. They saw them stand side by side against their ancestors… against the Daiyu… always together – whether that be in defeat… or their eventual victory.

nAnd then… the music reached a peak. The flooding of their melding auroras nearly blinding the hall. Ri followed Dyon, giving him her everything. All of her trust, her wants… her hopes for the future…

nSuddenly, the thoughts of everyone were filled with endless worry – sleepless nights of devotion. They saw Ri sit by Dyon’s bed day after day, taking care of him unmatched fervor.

nThen, they felt an endless flood of happiness. The images of green pastures filled with flowers as far as the eye could see, of rivers and waterfalls of untold purity… it felt like rising into the sky, a tempest of untainted emotions and… Love.

nBut then, everything abruptly changed. Ahead, there was a road… and on it, two people stood hand in hand, facing each other.

nDyon finally stopped moving, leaving the last note resonating in the air as he looked down as Ri.

nHer face was flushed, a thin sheen of sweat on it… But, she had never looked so beautiful.

nDyon smiled gently at her as they stood at the center of a raging inferno of blue and gold.

n“This is my third present to you…”

nEveryone looked up in shock, ‘He used arrays to make music and a creation at the same time?’

nZaltarish suddenly felt like taking down notes as he subtly glanced at Mithrandir.

nRi’s eyes could no longer hold in her tears. She gripped Dyon’s back tightly with her arms as though he was the only one who could stop her trembling.

nAll around them, the blue and gold flames distorted, rising in a flash before slowly condensing.

nThen, it solidified… a beautifully embroidered sculpture took the breath of everyone in attendance… assuring this was something they would never forget.

nIn the air, a flower with endless petals radiated down an unmatched feeling, gently rotating in the air.

nIt was a promise for the future… A vow that would never be broken.

n“This will be our Ice Petal’s Dance.”

nLater that day, Ri sat on her bed back in a comfortable pair of sweats and a sports bra. However, the bed was decidedly more filled than she was used to.

nTo her left was Dyon, but Lyla and Little Black were here too, happily playing.

nDyon smiled at the scene, leisurely reclining in the piles of endless pillows, “So tell me Little Black, what changed?”

nDyon felt he had failed, in a way. He knew so much about so many things, but in a lot of ways, today was probably the most he had ever learned about beasts. The worst part was that he learned it from Elwing.

nAll Dyon knew up until now was that, other than his coincidental run in with the 25th White Mother, her husband, and Little Black, many of the creatures of the martial realm were simply evolved forms of creatures from the mortal realm.

nA perfect example of this was Ores’ white tiger. From afar, it looked no different from one you might find in a mortal realm zoo, until you took notice of its striking stripes and crystalline teeth.

nFrom what Dyon could garner, this was the perfect representation for what an earth level beast might be: slightly evolved forms of well-known creatures from the mortal realm. Their differences were probably due to cultivation, specialized pills, and selective breeding. The thought of this intrigued Dyon about the concept of a beast related profession… But he hadn’t heard talk of it. After all, even if you were in such a profession, would you breed worth while beasts? How viable would such a profession be in the future?… it wasn’t like you could breed transcendent and supreme level beasts… could you?

n‘Hmm, I guess it earth level beasts might be quite useful at this level though…’

nDyon had read about specialized units used during campaigns that relied heavily on such beasts. And, obviously, in a gate capped at the peak of essence gathering, weaker beasts like this might be quite useful.

nDyon was finally snapped out of his thoughts by Little Black’s response, a bit surprised to find the little boy blushing.

n“Ah, Big brother, about that… I could have turned into a human whenever I wanted, it’s just that I grow faster in my beast form. So, I wanted to stay in that form longer so I could help you sooner…”

nA sudden realization hit Dyon, ‘So that’s why he looks like he’s around eight years old despite being one year old…’

nBut, then, Dyon grinned, “I get it.” Dyon looked to Little Lyla who was getting her hair combed by Ri.

nDyon sighed. Little Black wanted to grow up beside Little Lyla, he couldn’t fault him for that. Dyon took Little Black as his younger brother, so, Little Black’s happiness came first.

nStretching out his fist, Dyon smiled, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be a normal kid Little Black. Let your big brother handle everything else.”

nLittle Black’s face lit up with happiness as his small fist bumped against Dyon’s.

nDyon smiled, rubbing his little brother’s head, “Tell me more about it.”

nLittle Black nodded seriously, “High ranking beasts are often born with an advantage of having ingrown legacies… much of the information I need about wills, cultivation, and techniques are already within me. Only when I surpass my parents would I infuse myself with more information to pass it onto to my own kids,” Little Black blushed adorably saying this, but he tried his best to continue, “For example, my father had his legacy etched into his horns…

nThe truth is that human can do this too, but their bodies are much weaker in comparison to ours… The passing on of transcendent and supreme level beast legacies to your offspring is part of what makes it extremely difficult for high level beasts to have high level children. But, at the same time, even lower level legacies would be too much for a human new born to handle.”

nDyon nodded, ‘This much mean that male dragons have the ability to limit the amount of legacy they pass on to have lower ranking children… Or maybe, they’re the only beasts who are willing to do something like that?’

n“So, the ingraining of a baby with legacies to help their future cultivation is more detrimental to humans than the benefits it would provide?” Asked Dyon.

nLittle Black nodded, “So, basically I have all of the information I need. But, with this information comes a choice. I had three paths: the beast path and the human path, and the much more complicated path that combines both.

nIf I chose the beast path, I would never be able to turn into a human again. But, with that, comes a great boost to my body cultivation. However, there’s also a drastic dip in my energy and soul cultivation capabilities.”

nDyon smiled, ‘He’s quite well spoken for an eight-year-old. Seems both my little brother and sister are special.’

n“If I chose the human path, I’d have a direct boost in soul and energy cultivating, but my body cultivating would suffer. Also, I would lose many of my legacies. Although the beast path loses you legacies as well, it isn’t anywhere near as many that disappear.

nAnd then there’s the final path, the path my mother and father took – combining both.”

nDyon pondered for a bit, “So, you can turn back into your beast form if you want to?”

nLittle Black nodded, “I can, but my growth will slow in proportion to how long I stay in human form. Meaning, if I spend a year in human form, I’ll only experience that level of change. A year in beast form is worth a bit more than five times that.”

nDyon smiled, “Little Black, I’m here to protect you. Take your time and live your life the way your parents wanted you to. When the time is right, we’ll go wreak havoc on your father’s enemies.”

nLittle Black’s eyes glistened listening to Dyon. He had long since accepted this big brother of his, but it seemed like with every passing day, that respect only grew larger.

n“Big Brother, can you pick a name for me?”

n“A name?” Dyon asked questioningly.

nLittle Black nodded, “Beasts usually have two names. One at birth. And another when they choose their martial path.”

nDyon pondered for a bit, “I see…”

nLittle Black’s eyes glistened, “Can you give me a really cool name that means destroying mountains or grabbing the sky?”

nDyon chuckled, he had almost forgotten Little Black was still a kid, “Alright then. How about… Zaire Sacharro?”

nA smile spread across Little Black’s small face, “What does that mean big brother?”

nRubbing Little Black’s dark hair Dyon smiled, “It means ‘river that swallows all rivers.’”

n“Big bro, that’s super cool! Hehe.”

nRi and Little Lyla giggled at Zaire’s pure reaction. This was a really nice moment they were all content with. So, just like that, the small family of sorts spent some time together before Dyon and Ri sent them off to bed.

nDeep into the night, Dyon and Ri had opened up the large draped windows to step into the cool night air.

nThe balcony was large and looked out into the surrounding forest. There were beautiful gardens and garden paths below that had been recently replaced. After all, they had been destroyed by the words in the sky just a few months prior.

nDyon and Ri lounged on a reclining chair, looking up at the full moon – quiet and practically half asleep.

nRi shifted a bit, nestling her head into Dyon’s chest and breathing in his scent.

n“Tell me how you really feel,” she suddenly said. It wasn’t a question and she left no room for debate. Dyon could only sigh, knowing he had to answer.

nBut before he could, Ri continued, “I don’t doubt that you love me. And I also don’t doubt that you would be happy to be with me had you met me first. I also know that the Elvin Kingdom has become a good home to you in recent times. But, I still want to know how you really feel.

nIf you dare lie to me, don’t believe I won’t beat you up.”

nDyon suddenly laughed. He loved how Ri could be so domineering and yet still so feminine.

nHe stroked her hair lovingly, pondering for a bit.

n“I feel angry. Frustrated. I hate this world and everything about it.”

nDyon closed his eyes, holding Ri tighter.

n“I don’t want anyone I love to ever have to suffer. I want to stand at the top of everything. To be able to look down with those people by my side, knowing that they’re safe.”

nDyon breathing calmed under Ri’s soft touch as he vented for what seemed like the first time in his life.

n“The idea of Madeleine spending time with another man is irrelevant to me. What fills my heart with rage is the fact she’s facing dangers without me. That I can’t stand in front of her. And that in the end, she wouldn’t even have to put herself at risk if it wasn’t to make up for my being so useless.

nWhat angers me is the fact I pretend as if I handed her to her master willingly, when really it was because I knew I had no choice. Because I knew with her being cured, I lacked the power to keep her by my side.

nIt’s the fact I stood there with a smile on my face, explaining what sounded like an elaborate plan to everyone else, but was really just the final plea of a weak man to spend just a week with someone he loved.

nIt’s the fact that now I love you. With just as much passion and fervor – and yet I fear I’ll lose you in the same way.

nI hate the fact that through all of this, all I do it smile and pretend I don’t care. As if pretending to be arrogant will fix all of my problems.

nI have no great family. I have no greater power. I’m only good with arrays because I happened to like computers. My body is only so strong because I lucked into a great master. I’m only not dead, because as ironic as it may sound, the only thing I’m great at is pretending I have everything dancing in the palm of my hand.”

nThe more Dyon said, the quieter he became. It was as though saying these words were taking his everything.

n“And now I have a little sister who can see right through me. A little girl I’m supposed to be protecting and yet she can see all of my flaws – all of my faults. The amount of times I’ve infused Little Lyla with celestial will… again and again, trying to make sure she’s never in pain, and yet I know that I’m the cause of most of… It hurts RI.”

nRi’s grip tightened around Dyon as she leaned upwards to kiss him softly.

n“In this life…” Ri pulled away slightly, her lips hovering a fraction of an inch from Dyon’s, “And in any life I live after this… I’ll be by your side,” Ri said softly, kissing Dyon again.

n“Your pain will be my pain. Your hate, my hate. Your love, my love. If we have to stand against the world together. If we have to fight together. If we have to die together. I will never have any regrets,” Ri kissed Dyon again, lingering much longer this time.

nDyon wrapped his arms around Ri’s waist, pulling her for his side to his lap.

n“You carry too much of a burden by yourself,” Ri said softly, cupping Dyon’s face with both of her hands as she enjoyed the feeling of him gripping her waist.

n“With me here, split the load in half,” Ri leaned backwards, her skin glistening under the moonlight as she slipped her top off.

nDyon was greeted with an unmatched sight… One that had him greedily pulling Ri back to him.

nHe enjoyed the soft feeling the invaded his hand as his other flashed with an array on Ri’s waist, ripping everything covering her lower half away.

nRi softly moaned through Dyon’s war with her tongue, gently grinding her pelvis into him as familiar wild emotions resurfaced.

n“And when we save Big Sister Madeleine,” she said through gasps, “Split it in three.”

nDyon couldn’t be bothered with words anymore. The feeling of Ri’s soft body riding on top of him, the way her blue-silver hair and eyes shone under the moonlight, the words of endless care she spoke… There was no need for anymore.

nDyon’s celestial will and aurora raged to life, leaving trails of golden light along Ri’s skin as she writhed with pleasure.

nRi’s hands ran along Dyon’s body, her lips never leaving his as she played with the straps of his sweat pants.

nDyon groaned, feeling a soft hand grip him. He suddenly felt the urgent need flip Ri over and take her, but he suddenly felt a finger on his lip.

nRi kissed Dyon’s cheek softly, “Let me…”

nRi gripped Dyon, lightly but firmly, pulling his member out and playing with it along her entrance.

nDyon shivered. The soft and wet feeling was something he couldn’t describe… But when he felt Ri slowly lower herself onto him, kissing him softly… he felt as though he had entered another world.

nRi trailed kisses along Dyon’s neck as she slowly rode him, savouring the feeling of celestial will being poured into her endlessly.

n“You feel so good inside me…” Ri moaned into Dyon’s ear, lightly kissing it.

nDyon felt himself tremble at her words. His hands tightened on her hips, but he made no move to control her motions.

nRi’s hips grinded and rotated, it was as though Dyon never felt the same sensation twice.

n“Oh God…” Ri’s hips suddenly increased their pace as she attacked Dyon’s lips with hers.

nDyon’s arm wrapped tightly around Ri’s waist as he started moving himself… Slow strokes as they both reached their peak.

n“Yes…” Ri bit Dyon’s lip as her back arched inwards. Her walls convulsed around Dyon as she felt and endless gush fill her insides.

nRi trembled violently, almost wanting to escape the pleasure but Dyon’s grip wouldn’t allow her to.

nAnd just like that, they laid there, falling asleep under the moon’s light…

nDyon’s final thoughts were of a concealment array… but probably most importantly, was the fact his burden was half of what it once was.

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