Tsubasa and her friends returned to the city of Vasheen, exhausted and battered from their battle with the fallen hero. They had won, but the fight had taken its toll.

"Ugh, I'm beat," Kemo groaned, stretching her arms above her head.

"Me too," Solomon agreed, her voice muffled by a yawn.

"We did it, guys," Constantia said, her face lighting up with a smile. "We defeated the boss!"

"Yup, we did," Tsubasa agreed, her chest swelling with pride.

"It was a tough fight, but we pulled through," Gwendoline added, her expression tired but satisfied.

"That was fun," Kemo grinned, her tail wagging behind her.

"Now, let's go home and rest," Tsubasa said, leading the group back towards the city gates.

The walk back was a quiet one, the exhaustion and adrenaline of the fight finally catching up to them. The streets were mostly empty, the citizens of Vasheen having long since retired for the evening.

"I can't wait to take a bath," Constantia said, her feathers ruffling.

"I'm gonna eat an entire feast," Kemo said, her stomach rumbling loudly.

"I'm just gonna sleep," Solomon said, her eyes half-closed.

"Same, well after the bath and reporting to our mother" Gwendoline agreed, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah, I could use a good night's sleep," I said, my feet aching.

As we approached the gates, the guards greeted us warmly.

"Welcome back, young masters," the guard said, his voice respectful.

"Thank you," I said, giving him a tired smile.

"Did you have a successful adventure?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Yes, we did," I replied, feeling a surge of pride.

"Congratulations," the other guard said, her expression warm.

"Thanks," I said, returning her smile.

"Well, have a good night, young masters," the first guard said, waving us off.

"You too," I said, bidding them farewell.

As we walked through the gates, the exhaustion of the day finally hit me. In my bedroom I decided I would undress myself and take a small nap.

Vazeth walks into the room and noticing her daughter's sleeping face couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief knowing that her baby was safe from harm. She approaches her sleeping baby and strokes her head, parting the bangs covering Tsubasa's eye.

"Sleep well, my little angel" Vazeth whispered, her voice soft and loving.

"Mmm...mom" Tsubasa mumbled, her face nuzzling against her mother's hand.

Vazeth smiled, her heart warming at the sight. She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her daughter's forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

With that, she also undresses and puts on her nightgown and goes to bed with her little Tsubasa.

------

The next morning, the sun shone brightly through the windows, its rays casting a warm glow over the room. Tsubasa stirred, blinking awake. The events of the previous day came rushing back to her, and she couldn't help but smile.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

"We did it," I murmured, my voice still thick with sleep.

I stretched her arms, feeling the aches and pains of the battle. my muscles were sore, and my body was covered in bruises and scratches, but I didn't care. I had survived, and my friends had too. Not to mention the loot we all got.

"Mom, are you awake?" I called out.

There was no response.

I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My mother wasn't in the room.

"Hmm, I guess she's already left," I muttered, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.

I stood up and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. As I was about to leave the bathroom, I noticed my reflection in the mirror.

"I look different somehow but I can't really put my finger on it" I thought.

"Oh, well," I shrugged, deciding not to worry about it.

I exited the bathroom and started getting dressed, picking out an elegant outfit.

"I wonder where everyone is," I mused, heading out of the room.

The mansion was quiet, the servants going about their daily tasks.

"Good morning, young mistress," one of the maids greeted, her voice polite.

"Morning," I said, giving her a smile.

"Would you like some breakfast?" she asked, her expression friendly.

"No, thanks," I said, shaking my head.

"Alright, then," she said, bowing her head.

"Have a good day," I said, waving her off.

"You as well," she replied, her tone warm.

The maids murmur with each other if the young mistress somehow looked different.

I headed towards the dining hall, hoping to find my friends.

"Morning, guys," I said, spotting the familiar faces.

"Hey, Tsubasa," Kemo said, her mouth full of food.

"Good morning, yo..." Solomon said, her voice sleepy.

"Morning," Gwendoline said, sipping her tea.

"How are you feeling?" Constantia asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"I feel a little different than usual, is something wrong with me?" I said, taking a seat at the table.

"I think you grew an inch or two actually," Constantia said, her expression puzzled.

Kemo took another look at me and spat out her food chunks at Solomon

“AW YUCK BITCH WHAT THE FUCK?!-” Solomon was cut off

“OH MY GOD YOUR HORNS ARE CURLING!” Kemo shouted

“What? No way!” I was flabbergasted

“Did you evolve overnight?” Constantia chimed in.

“I don’t think so maybe I just had an increase in stats which changed my appearance a bit” I said thinking.

"What about you all?" I asked, looking at the others.

"I'm fine, no changes here" Kemo said, her tail wagging.

"Same, yo" Solomon said, her eyes half-closed.

"I'm alright," Gwendoline said, her expression thoughtful.

“Me too,” Constantia said while looking at her sister.

"That's good," I said, feeling a wave of relief.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Kemo asked, her gaze curious.

Gwendoline cleared her throat demanding our attention, "I spoke with our mother yesterday and she's already informing father...don't be surprised if we all get summoned to the throne room and give our report personally.

I asked, "how much do you know about our shared father Gwendoline?"

"Not much if I am to be honest with you" she shook her head, "I only ever met him once but from what I gathered at that young age is that he's a powerful man but he seems kinda aloof. Like he's always busy. I like to believe that he loves each and every one of us unconditionally...or he may be a tyrant I don't know. At a certain age we all meet him at least once".

"Let's just agree to stick together until we are summoned. I think all our mothers will be attending as well. Today is going to be a big day for us all" Gwendoline said with a sigh as she rolled her eyes, "I just hope our mothers won't stoop to petty jabs at each other."

"Why do you say that sister?" Constantia asked Gwen.

"Have you ever even seen our mothers together in one room? We may be friends but do you guys even realize that we're all competitors of the title of Demon Lord. Every child born from the Kings of the three cities are Demon Lord candidates. We are Demon Lord candidates of Vasheen, then there’s Enkidu and Gaelgamora. By all rights we should be at each other's throats."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense," Kemo said, her expression thoughtful.

"Well, we're not," I said, my voice firm.

"Yeah, we're not," Constantia agreed, her gaze resolute.

"We're not," Solomon echoed, her eyes locking onto mine.

"We're not," Gwendoline repeated, her tone softening slightly.

"We'll stick together, no matter what," I said, my expression determined.

"Yeah, we will," Kemo said, her voice filled with conviction.

"We will," Solomon said, her eyes gleaming with resolve.

"We will," Constantia said, her feathers ruffling.

"...we will," Gwendoline said, her expression relaxing. Feeling the soft warmth of companionship for the first time ever.

Look whatever happens we'll show them all that we're a team and we get things done as a team, nothing will ever break us apart, we are Legion first and foremost.

The air in the dining hall shifted, the weight of their words settling in as they all silently acknowledged the challenge ahead. The thought of facing their parents, particularly the aloof and powerful demon king, sent a ripple of unease through the group. Yet, each of them held their ground, their bonds stronger than any potential rivalry.

"We’re ready for whatever comes," Tsubasa said, her voice unwavering, as she glanced around at her friends. "Let’s show them what we've got."

Kemo grinned, her fangs flashing in the light. "Hell yeah! No one's taking us down."

Solomon yawned, her sleepy demeanor betraying her inner determination. "As long as I get food afterward, I'm game."

Constantia’s eyes sparkled with a quiet intensity. "The trials may be tough, but we’ve fought through worse. We'll handle whatever they throw at us."

Gwendoline’s gaze softened as she looked at her friends, her usual guarded nature giving way to something more vulnerable. "Together, we'll prove that we’re more than just candidates. We’re a family."

Tsubasa smiled at Gwendoline's words, her heart swelling with pride. It was true. They had faced countless challenges, fought battles, and grown stronger with each step. Their shared experiences had forged a bond far deeper than mere competition for a title.

As the conversation settled, they all finished their breakfast in companionable silence, each of them preparing for what was to come. Despite the looming uncertainty, they knew that as long as they stood united, no force—be it from their parents or anyone else—could break them apart.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the hall, and one of the maids entered, her face slightly more serious than usual. "Young mistress, your mother has requested your presence in the throne room immediately," she said.

Tsubasa nodded, exchanging glances with her friends. "Looks like it’s time."

The group stood, their resolve firm as they made their way toward the throne room.