CHAPTER 137: LOYALTY

The bath was meant to loosen the tension between Luna and Peri—especially now that they were both completely naked.

They eased into the water and flinched at its cold bite.

It was the first time for both of them to show their naked self other than Hades or their guardian.

But maybe because they share a bond with Hades or because they have grown close these few days, they didn’t feel that awkward.

Both of them glanced up as Hades padded over with towels and set them on the poolside so they wouldn’t shiver raw.

He shrugged off his shirt, revealing a rugged torso scored with faded cuts—proof of fights and long, hard days. His body looked carved by sun and steel, the sort of shape only hours of training and survival could make.

Peri swallowed hard. Up close and in the light, he was exactly her type—more than she’d guessed in the dark.

She let out a small, breathy laugh and muttered, "Stop me before I do something...unholy."

Luna giggled, "Close your mouth before you drool."

Hades, who was unaware of their conversation, unbuttoned his pants and took it off along with his underwear.

Now...both women held the same expression.

Embarrassed, shy but too tempting to look away.

Hades was feeling embarrassed now as he hurriedly jumped into the water.

It felt like he was exhibiting himself.

The two girls turned to look at him.

Hades sighed, "The water is cold."

Luna softly approached him, and after hugging his arm between her cushiony bust, she whispered, "You can use me to warm yourself up."

Hades stiffened, his eyes drawing towards those soft buns between which his arm was squeezed.

It was warm and soft against him, making him hard already.

Suddenly, his other arm was wrapped in warmth too as he glanced at Peri.

Embarrassed she might be, she wasn’t going to back away as she said, "I am warm too."

Hades smiled warmly and then wrapped his arms around the girls.

Bringing them close, he whispered, "Well, I am all hot and bothered now. What do you say, want my help to clean you?"

Luna and Peri glanced at each other before they shared a mutual nod.

...

Far from the grand castle, another fortress stood, carved into the heart of a raging sea.

The waves battered its walls with a fury that shook the night. The rain was heavy, drenching the surface with its fury and lightning cracking the skies often.

Despite the cold and wetness one might feel irritable to, for a certain someone, it didn’t matter.

Atop a mountain of corpses sat a lone woman, drenched yet unmoved, her presence colder than the storm.

Beneath her were dragons—once mighty beasts of the sky—now reduced to butchered carcasses. Their throats were torn open, heads severed clean from their bodies, eyes glazed with death. Some had been run through so many times their scales were nothing but ragged flesh, others split in half as if the killer’s blade had scorned the very idea of mercy.

The smell of blood mingled with salt and rain, painting the scene with a cruelty that not even the storm could wash away.

Long violet hair clung to her face and shirt as she sat unmoving atop the dragon heap. Rain streaked across her skin, but her eyes showed no trace of remorse for the slaughter.

Her shadow stirred, and another woman stepped into the dim light. "Didn’t you go a little too far?" the newcomer asked, voice flat.

She was in her early thirties, black hair neat, dressed in a plain maid’s uniform.

The violet-haired woman’s gaze hardened. "They insulted a name they had no right to speak."

The maid sighed. "Everyone in this realm—and beyond—hates the being you worship. Are you planning to kill them all?"

"Yes." The answer left her without a tremor. "Whoever speaks ill of my Lord deserves death. Giving them death is mercy. I free them from worthless lives." Her hands tightened, her face flushing with fervor. "A life without devotion to the Great One is meaningless."

The maid drew a slow breath. "Lady...remember why we set out on this journey."

A shadow crossed the violet woman’s face. "I remember. I will find the one who carries his blood, his inheritance, his will."

Her purpose had been single and burning ever since she first learned that the heir of her God had awakened. That truth had rooted itself deep in her heart, growing into an obsession that left no room for distraction. She would track him down—whoever he was, wherever he hid—and she would decide his fate with her own hands.

If the heir carried the Divine’s essence with dignity, if he bore the weight of the bloodline without faltering, then she would kneel and devote herself entirely to him.

But if he was weak, if he cowered beneath the shadow of a name too great for him to bear, then she could not allow him to exist.

The thought of someone unworthy being called the Chao Heir filled her with revulsion. To her, it was worse than heretics blaspheming the Great One’s name. No—such a disgrace could never be permitted.

That was why, if the Chao Heir could not prove himself, then his life would have to be cut short. She would deliver that judgment herself if necessary, even if it meant staining her own soul beyond redemption. And if her Lord willed it, she would follow by taking her own life. Devotion was absolute. Loyalty was without limit.

Then, the maid’s calm voice cut through the silencd.

"He is here."

The violet-haired woman stiffened, her entire body reacting before her mind caught up. Slowly, she turned, her eyes narrowing on the maid. "What... did you just say?"

The maid, her expression as unreadable as ever, let out a weary sigh, as though she had expected this very reaction. "I’ve received reliable intel," she said, each word measured. "A certain man was personally escorted by Matriarch Kaelith herself. And tell me, Lady—can you think of anyone else she would lower herself to retrieve in person? Someone she values so much she would abandon her usual dignity and act as an escort?"

The violet-haired woman’s breath caught. Her chest rose and fell, the fire in her eyes blazing brighter with every heartbeat.

The maid’s voice lowered, firm and certain. "No one fits that description but him. Her son—the Chao Heir."

The woman clenched her hands, nails digging into her palms as her lips curved into something between a smile and a snarl.

Stepping forward to stand before the maid she spoke with her gaze burning, she said,"Take me to him."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, please drop a review.