Behind high, white walls, fully armored figures patrolled the simple garden, holding golden spears and fully golden heavy armor sets. In the middle stood the Spire of Malevick, and its thick, golden doors were opened wide, guarded by four huge figures, easily reaching three meters in height. None of them uttered a word at all times; only their breathings rang out rhythmically, like a weirdly composed symphony.
"General." stepped one armored figure into the main hall, going onto one knee, lowering his head, wearing a helmet that looked like Zelig's own face, the same as any other soldier's in the courtyard.
"Mmh. Is it about the battle in the city last night?"
"Yes."
"I already know about it. I was watching from the top of the Spire. Ignore it."
"Understood!" he slapped his chest but remained kneeling before the Lord of the Spire, Malevick. He was the only member of this 'family' who had his face out in the open and not hidden under a helmet.
Malevick's features resembled Zelig in a way a grandson or descendant would resemble his grandfather's. His head was shaved, except for a short, linear patch in the middle, ending in a long, braided ponytail. His violet eyes were strict and stone cold, giving out a feeling he wouldn't even blink if the sun rose from the west one day.
"Speak if you have more to say." he looked down at the kneeling soldier of his.
"Corvux is causing trouble. There is a chance for a real battle inside Rozex. We can't let important places be damaged! It would compromise the formation's effectiveness!"
"Send out some brothers in disguise. Do not interfere in anything. Only if key points are endangered! If possible, only protect the surroundings and not break up any fight that occurs! Let them go at each other. It is best if that fool can weaken the prey before we are ready."
"Yes!" he slapped his chest plate once again before leaving.
"Mh…" Malevick leaned to the side, resting his chin on the back of his hand. "We still need time to power up the formation; it has been sitting around, never to be activated, even once, for two thousand years now… but, oh well!" He smiled softly and with anticipation. "I am honored to be the one to see it in action… the formation of our forefather!" Malevick sighed with proudness in his voice. "Designed to kill that freak of nature, Aerthus!" He chuckled, unable to rein in his excitement of the prospect of finally using Zelig's trump card, which had never had a chance to be fired since the day it came into existence.
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"You were correct, Master." Ariana walked into Ren's room as she was still just sitting on her bed with messy hair and sleepy eyes, not wearing anything at all, only the thin blanket over her legs.
"Mmhm… whaaaat…?" She moaned with a long and elongated yawn while Ariana opened the window before sitting down on the bed, quickly brushing and straightening out her Master's hair. By now, it was a reflex for her, something she found great enjoyment in, and she always tried to be there when her Master woke up, helping her kickstart the day. "Mmmh… nyaaah~ You are getting really good at this~" Ren smiled with childlike innocence, letting Ariana do as she wished. "LeiLei always did it for me exactly like this… Mhhh! So gooood~."
"Master…" She whispered with a blushed face.
"Ehehe, I'm not a morning person… So thanks for everything~" Ren looked back over her shoulder with a happy smile, drawing an ever deeper blush onto Ariana's face. "So? What is it? The thing I am correct with?"
"Corvux!" she shook her head, concentrating on brushing Ren's hair, running it through her fingers, enjoying the silky touch of it.
"Ugh… tell me he did not have a stroke!" Ren flinched immediately, twitching her eyelids.
"Huh? No! He did not. Huh?" Ariana tilted her head left to right, not really understanding why she was asking something like this… someone in the Harmony Realm should not have any problems with their health! At least not from any natural cause.
"Haaahhh, lucky!" Ren let out a relieved sigh. "I told Sentios, if he dies from a stroke tomorrow, I'll dance naked on the main square!"
"Pft! M-master?!" Ariana exclaimed, pulling on her Master's hair.
"YEOW?! Careful!" She moaned, but it was accompanied by a grin. "I only like my hair being pulled when we do it from behind~ Then you can even spank me~."
"..."
"Hm?" she turned her head after Ariana gave none of the expected replies. She was met with an utterly frozen-up girl, holding weakly onto her hair with a face resembling that of a ripe tomato. "Uwaaah… If you don't breathe, you will change into purple!" Ren laughed as she turned completely around, tickling Ariana's sides, finally making her draw breath amongst panicked laughter as Ren pushed her down. "Geez, your mind is still too easily thrown into chaos~" Her Master grinned, sitting on top of her, "You need more training!"
"I can't help it… and…" Ariana murmured, hiding behind her hair.
"Hm? And?"
"It is because of you, Master!" she said, panicking, trying to find an escape from under her, but she was unsuccessful.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Hm? So you are trying to tell me if it was a naked guy sitting on you, you wouldn't be this flustered?" Ren asked with an innocent voice, biting onto her nail, clearly enjoying how easy it was to tease Ariana.
"Eh?! Noooo!" shrieked her disciple. "I would be furious!" she shook the bed with her shout as some black tentacles even rose up beside the bed frame.
"Ooooh? Okay!" Ren nodded, unperturbed by what was happening. "So… you are into girls then?" she held down her wrists, leaning forward over her, so Ariana's gaze was trapped in Ren's, unable to wander around or hide behind her bangs.
"I'm… not into… anybody…" Ariana whispered, biting her lips and breathing heavily while sweating all over.
"Hmmm… Well, you do know I made a vow, don't you?" Ren asked, leaning closer to her while Ariana just nodded, whispering back at her.
"Um… you won't have another husband or boyfriend ever again…"
"Yep!"
"I know…" she murmured, closing her eyes, shutting them tightly.
"I said nothing about girlfriends!" Ren giggled, and Ariana felt like she was zapped as her whole body jumped, throwing Ren off of her. "Uwah?!" She yelped as her Master landed on her back on the hard floor. Ren hit the back of her head on it, sounding like a giant gong.
"Master!" Ariana exclaimed, panicking, crawling to the side of the bed, and looking down at the grinning Master of hers.
"Ahaha… geez, you are waaaay too easy to tease!" she groaned, holding the back of her head.
"Hauh… stop that, Master!" Ariana moaned, trying to turn invisible without any success. "I was answering honestly… you are so mean!" she threw a pillow over at her that she had just caught with a grin.
"Me too~."
The upcoming silence was almost touchable, but before Ariana could explode like a bubble of magma, judging by the color of her face, Ren just walked over to her bathroom, starting to clean up herself.
"So? What did Corvux do?"
"At first, he threatened us," she answered after a short pause, clearing her throat in the process. "He sent over a messenger with a letter, demanding you to hand me over to him," she explained while she was making the bed, letting her nerves relax and her mind switch topics so she would not be so flustered… yet her heart was still throbbing so hard she could hear it alongside her Master's words.
"Pft, fat chance!" Ren smacked her lips, "Or… wait…."
"Master?" Ariana froze in place, looking at her as she walked out of the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe, letting only her long hair be her dress.
"I'll hand you over!"
"Eh?!" Ariana's gaze turned completely blank.
"It would push you over your limit, and you could advance to the second stage by killing him!" She flashed a grin.
"..." Ariana wanted to say so many things but could not formulate any correctly-sounding sentences at that moment.
"The 2nd stage of Harmony is all about your connection with nature… the only gate you have to pass is built out of your own emotions." Ren walked up to her, gently hugging Ariana, stroking her head while she just snuggled up to Ren's flat chest, closing her eyes. She was enjoying the warmth and gentle voice of her Master, feeling a bliss she only felt when she was a little girl in her parents' embrace. "Your ability reflects you… you were abandoned once. Yet others took you in even if they could not afford it themselves…. Losing such caring parents is not something that anyone should ever experience… and you never want anybody else to go through what you did."
"I have you now… Master… That is enough for me…." She whispered softly, pressing her face against Ren's smooth skin.
"And you can stay with me as long as you like! I always noticed how you reacted when it came down to family. Be it here or back at the Thunder Valley. What I am trying to say to you is; you value family above all else. Corvux is everything that is the exact opposite of your whole being, my dear girl~" she ran her fingers through her hair, tucking it behind Ariana's ear. "Do you trust me?"
"With my life, Master!" She answered without hesitation, looking into Ren's eyes.
"Then, believe me when I say you can beat Corvux."
"..." Ariana felt lost in Ren's amethyst-colored eyes, seeing her own reflection in them. In the end, she just smiled with an innocent look. "Um! I will, Master!"
"Hehe~ Good girl~" She pecked the tip of her nose, quickly painting her disciple's skin completely red once again, but now she just lowered her head, fidgeting in place, flushed away by warm and fuzzy feelings all over her body.
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"Did they answer yet?" Corvux asked, standing on his own balcony, looking towards the Spire of Ren.
"Not yet." Yavik knelt behind him, deathly pale, and his body was bandaged from head to toe while his eyes were dim and almost lifeless.
"I gave them time until sunset. If they don't hand me that bitch we are going to march."
"The troops are ready."
"Only a few will do. After that, I'll have Veponia make me as many resources as she can and work her to death!"
"It will be done." Yavik's monotone voice replied.
"What about Rabout and Keina?"
"Nothing, Your Majesty. The former is mostly at Wonder Emporium, helping the youngsters of the Spire of Ren. The latter's troops monitored us for a day, but since then, they retreated."
"Keep an eye on them. Our first focus is that mini-bitch. After she is gone, I'll turn her selected mutts into door ornaments!"
"I'd like to see that." traveled a thundering boom through the air above Rozex as the sky started to darken, dark clouds swooping in from nowhere, blocking out the sun while lightning flashed high above them.
"..." Corvux's brows quickly furrowed as his crossed arms grabbed into his own biceps, feeling a strange pressure when he looked up to the sky. He was watching Ren, who appeared above his courtyard.
"You asked for my disciple. So be it! Let me see how you handle her!"
As soon as she finished, Ariana appeared beside her, slowly floating downwards, still wearing a maid outfit that Corvux immediately took as another insult.
"At least you spared me the trouble to go to you… and you were even dumb enough to come to my domain!" Corvux scowled, rising to the air, and his Spire lit up, forming a reddish energy shield around the courtyard, blocking their escape. Or so he thought, at least.
"You overestimate yourself." Ren shook her head, but when Corvux's aura blasted out, it was only a hair away from someone in the second stage of Harmony. Maybe even strong enough to stand up to those 2nd stage cultivators who had nothing special as an affinity.
"I could say the same!" Corvux laughed. "And it is already too late to back out!" He licked his lips as he focused on Ariana, who was looking down at him coldly.
"You… monster…" She murmured, barely audible, yet her hands were shaking. The moment she stepped above the courtyard, her senses picked out so much pain and terror she almost puked herself. The amount of despair concentrated here was something she never thought possible. "Master was right… You must not live a day more…" she took a deep breath, releasing her own aura, and when Corvux felt the dark and almost demonic-like darkness spread from her body, even his eyes turned serious as they were facing off against each other.