In a secluded alleyway, Aengus, Bella, and the Sky Phoenix Queen stood alone, their expressions tense yet filled with unspoken emotions.
"I can't believe how beautiful you've beco," Chrystia said, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "The last ti your mother showed a glimpse of your grown-up profile, I was in awe. Her skills in such matters are unparalleled."
"My mother still rembers ?" Bella asked, her voice steady, though her heart raced with suppressed excitent.
Chrystia smiled warmly. "Yes, she does. She misses you every mont of these past years. You've never left her heart."
Bella's eyes shimred with a mixture of joy and sorrow, but she quickly masked her emotions.
"But, niece," Chrystia continued, her tone shifting to one of concern, "tell , why have you co here? And why do you look more like a human than a demon? What's going on?"
Aengus imdiately signaled Bella with a subtle gesture, cautioning her to tread carefully.
Understanding his intent, Bella replied calmly, "Aunt, there are so secrets I cannot share with you just yet. I hope you can understand."
Chrystia's expression softened, though worry still lingered. "And why have you co here, Bella?"
Bella straightened, her voice resolute. "We're here to et my mother. I want to ask her if she still wants to co with us."
"To where?" Chrystia asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"To our ho," Bella said, her gaze softening as she glanced at Aengus.
Chrystia fell silent, her brow furrowed as she pondered the situation deeply.
After a long pause, she asked, "And what if she says no?"
"Then we'll leave," Bella replied bluntly.
"I see... Don't you want to et your grandmother and grandfather?" Chrystia asked cautiously, her tone probing.
"Hmph… my grandparents…" Bella scoffed, her voice filled with a mixture of bitterness and disdain.
"I'm sure they don't care about . Otherwise, they wouldn't have allowed my mother and to be separated in the first place. But I'm not scared of them either," Bella declared, her tone growing fiercer as Phoenix flas flickered around her clenched fist. "Let them co if they dare."
Chrystia chuckled lightly, though her gaze shifted warily to Aengus. "Oh, my niece is so confident… Is it because of him?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she studied the man standing calmly beside Bella.
She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The rebellious human she'd once dismissed as insignificant now exuded an overwhelming aura, as though a storm of unimaginable destruction lay dormant within him. The re proximity to Aengus sent chills down her spine, forcing her to reconsider everything she thought she knew.
The tales of his crushing victory over the Kairos Emperor resurfaced in her mind. Back then, she had thought they were exaggerations, myths spun to embellish his reputation. But now, seeing him in person, she was beginning to believe every word.
Bella's radiant smile broke through Chrystia's thoughts. "Yes," Bella said with unshakable confidence, her voice ringing with pride. "No one can stand in his way. Even if it ans going against you all."
Chrystia's eyes narrowed, sensing the underlying threat.
Her own niece was now siding with the man she loved.
Though she must admit, Aengus was a man worth putting everything on the line for.
"Why are you silent? Do you truly want to wage war against us, oh Ruination Emperor?" Chrystia asked, her tone solemn.
"It's not war that I want," Aengus replied nonchalantly. "I want liberation—a united world, free from the suffering of ordinary people caused by the senseless wars between the so-called gods."
Chrystia was angered beyond asure.
"You're talking about seizing power right in front of a queen of this empire. Do you realize what you're saying? Has your power gone to your head? What if we trap you here? How foolish are you?" Chrystia flared into a blazing sun, her entire body engulfed in flas.
Aengus looked up at her fiery display, unimpressed.
"YOU CAN TRY."
In an instant, Aengus closed the distance between them, his piercing gaze locking with hers. His eyes seed to pull Chrystia into a void of chaos and destruction, a vision of eternal oblivion that sent chills down her spine.
For a brief mont, Chrystia felt as though her very existence was being unraveled. Just one signal from Aengus could have obliterated her entirely.
With Bella's pleading eyes, Aengus let go of Chrystia, his expression softening until he appeared harmless.
Chrystia regained her composure and looked at Aengus speechlessly.
The boy she had once known was now unfathomable to her. He had beco a genuine force of nature, a threat that couldn't be taken lightly.
"Aunt, please take us to my mother. We promise we will do nothing else if she refuses to leave," Bella pleaded earnestly.
Chrystia studied Bella's face for a mont before nodding.
"Okay, co with ..." she said calmly, turning to lead the way.
Aengus observed the queen closely, peering into her heart to judge her sincerity. Though she seed genuine in her intentions, he knew that didn't an their request would be granted so easily.
But Aengus welcod challenges. No one had forced him to his limits since he had risen to power like an unstoppable tide.
On the way, they encountered Evan and Stella.
Aengus stopped in front of the duo, who stood nervously, unsure of what was about to happen.
"Tell ," Aengus said, his tone calm yet commanding. "Do you want to join my Empire? I will give you a chance at a second life as thanks for your small but valuable help."
Evan and Stella didn't hesitate for even a second. "We accept, Your Majesty!"
Having learned his true identity as an Emperor, only a fool would let such an opportunity slip through their fingers.
Bella and Chrystia glanced back curiously, watching the interaction unfold.
"Very well, off you go," Aengus said with satisfaction.
With a wave of his hand, a spatial portal opened before Evan and Stella. The siblings exchanged a grateful look before stepping into the shimring gateway, disappearing into the Liberation Empire.
Aengus turned back, eting Chrystia's wide-eyed, impressed gaze.
"Did you really send them to your Empire just like that?" Bella's aunt asked incredulously.
"And what if I did?" Aengus replied, his voice cold but calm. "Are you already thinking of blocking space to prevent from using that skill? If so, rember this—you'll only bring doom upon yourself by attempting to force my hand."
Chrystia clenched her jaw but said nothing further. The sheer conviction in his words and the imnse aura he exuded left her with no retort.
With a flick of her fiery robe, she turned around and resud walking, her attendants following closely behind. Bella walked beside Aengus, throwing him a proud smile.
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