Collection 1 Chapter 56 621-630

Chapter 621: I Think I Am Really In Love With You

William Von Ainsworth, that was his name.

I came to know about it after I mustered my courage and asked for his name. Strange, it was such a good name, how did I forget it? How could I possibly forget the name of the person, who extended his hand to me when I needed it the most?

Okay! This time, I will not forget his name. I will remember it with all of my heart!

"Big Brother, when are we going to leave?" I asked. "I don't have much luggage with me, so we can leave anytime."

Big Brother, Ian, and Princess Sidonie looked at me at the same time.

Um? Why are the three of you looking at me like that? Isn't it a given that I will follow Big Brother wherever he goes?

From what I could gather from our earlier conversation, he was planning to climb a tower named Babylon. This was the first time that I had heard about such a place, but that didn't matter. As long as I was with Big Brother, any place we went would be wonderful!

"We?" Big Brother looked at me with a dumbfounded expression. "Sorry, Chiffon. I will not be taking you with me either."

I tilted my head in confusion, because I thought that I misheard Big Brother's words.

"You're not taking me?" I asked.

"No," Big Brother answered. "Stay here in the academy with Ian and Sidonie. They will look after you while I'm away."

I didn't know what expression I was making, nor did I care. Only Big Brother's rejection echoed in my mind.

'Why? I've been a good girl. I did everything right. Why are you leaving me behind?'

These were the things that I wanted to say out loud, but I wasn't able to do it. I felt light headed, and Big Brother's next words made me feel as if the ground under my feet was being torn apart.

'Did he say that he is going to be away for a month? What will I do then? Wait for him to return? What if he doesn't return? What if he just leaves me behind?'

'Am I going to be abandoned once again? No! I didn't want to be alone! I don't want to be alone!'

It was at that precise moment when I felt a gaping hole inside my heart. This was similar to the feeling I had when my mother died. This was the feeling of parting with someone forever.

"Big Brother, you're going to leave me?" I asked in a desperate attempt to convince Big Brother to take me with him to the Tower of Babylon. "You're going to leave me alone?"

I watched as Big Brother wiped away the tears in my eyes, and assured me that Ian and Princess Sidonie would look after

me.

But, I didn't want them to look after me. I only want to be with Big Brother.

My mother once told me what falling in love felt like. She said that love was a feeling that makes you feel that you were unable to live without that person by your side. Being apart from the one you love would make your heart ache.

Simply put, it was a painful experience.

Yes. It is very painful. Right now, I feel like my heart is breaking.

'I don't want Big Brother to leave me,' I thought. Deep inside, I know that there was only one thing that I could do in order to make Big Brother and I stay by each other's side forever.

Yes. There was only one way.

Just thinking about it made me feel hungry.

'Big Brother… I want to eat you…'

That was the last thought in my head before Big Brother grabbed hold of me and took me to a place I hadn't seen before.

The place was very beautiful. There was a house near the sea, and it gave me a very relaxing feeling.

'Um? Big Brother? Where are you going? Why are you running away? Don't run. Let me just take a bite, I promise it won't hurt!'

When I came around, I couldn't see anything. I thought I still had my eyes closed, so I opened them wide.

But, nothing changed.

Darkness…

Darkness as far as I could see…

It was one of the saddest things in my memories…

I didn't know how long I stayed in that dark, and lonely world.

It could have been a few minutes.

It could have been hours.

Days…

Months…

Perhaps, even years had passed.

I wanted to lay down, close my eyes, and just sleep forever. Maybe the next time I opened my eyes, I would be with my mother again. I missed her terribly. If possible, I wanted to be with her again.

As I was about to lay down on the ground, I saw light in the distance. The light was very small, just like the light of a candle that could disappear at any moment.

'It must be an illusion,' I thought. 'I should just lie down and sleep.'

However, the light expanded and it was drawing closer to me.

When I saw that familiar red hair, and those beautiful green eyes filled with worry, I felt like crying.

That's what I did.

I cried.

Not long after that, I found myself enclosed in a tight embrace.

It felt warm, it felt nice, it felt safe, it felt like love.

"Big Brother, please, don't leave me," I pleaded. My voice sounded very weak because I felt really exhausted. In fact, if Big Brother wasn't supporting me, I would definitely collapse on the ground due to how weak my knees were.

"I promise that I'll be a good girl, so, please, don't leave me behind." I held him as tightly as I could, but I didn't have enough strength. I could feel my grip weakening, and my consciousness was failing me.

Just before I closed my eyes to sleep, I heard Big Brother's words that were filled with tenderness.

"Okay. I won't leave you behind. I promise," Big Brother replied. I could feel his embrace getting tighter. It was as if he was unwilling to let me go.

'Big Brother, I think I am really in love with you.'

That was the last thing I thought before I fell asleep in his embrace.

—–

The Guardian who was observing Chiffon from the Heavens smiled. He could tell that the pink-haired girl was at the last phase of her Heart Devil. The red crystal floating above her chest was now littered with cracks.

The light inside it was very bright. Bright enough to illuminate the desolate plane where he currently resided.

The Final Phase of the Heart Devil was to make the person feel very happy, at least, for a brief period of time.

When that happiness reached a turning point, that was when the Heart Devil would strike, and shatter that happiness into a thousand pieces.

The Guardian pointed his finger, and a red beam of light shot out from its tip. This beam hit Chiffon's red crystal and made it glow brighter.

The Guardian was multiplying the power of the Heart Devil, to ensure that when Chiffon's heart finally broke, her body and soul would completely belong to him.

Chapter 622: We Won't Lose To Those Puny Mortals!

Just as everyone expected, the Amazon Princess, Lilith, won her match with relative ease. It was not because she had it easy, but things happened during the fight that nobody was able to explain.

Whenever her opponent, Luther, was about to deliver a deadly blow, the weapon in his hand would be pried loose from his grip, breaking the momentum of his strike.

Every time this happened, Luna would deliver a deadly strike of her own which rendered the challenger from the Gunnar Federation unable to make a comeback. In the end, Lilith kicked her opponent off the stage, ending the match in her favor.

With her victory, the Final Four were now headed to the Semifinal Matches.

– Jason Hal Kraetor (Kraetor Empire)

– Kenneth Xin Ashleigh (Silvermoon Continent)

– Ephemera Fortuna – Gunnar Federation (Edelweiss)

– Lilith Lynn – Ares Empire (Amazon)

Princess Sidonie sighed when she saw the final outcome of the match. Two of the people she disliked had made it to the Semifinals.

One of them was a Prince that wanted to make her his bride.

The other was someone who wanted to break her engagement with William.

Both of them wanted different things, and yet, the end goal was still the same. Their goal was to separate the beautiful Princess from the person she loved.

Ian, who understood what Sidonie was thinking, shook her head helplessly. It had been a few days since they had lost contact with William and Chiffon. Both of them were getting worried, but there was nothing they could do about it.

They even asked the residents of the Thousand Beast Domain if they heard any news from the two. Unfortunately, none of them knew what the Shepherd's current circumstances were.

"The Semifinals will be held tomorrow," Ian said in a low voice. "Perhaps Prince Jason and Kenneth will face each other. If that happens, one of your worries will disappear."

They were currently inside the VIP box for the Kraetor Royal Family, so she didn't dare let the other Princes and Princesses hear her words. That might cause complications in the future, so she decided to play it safe.

Princess Sidonie sighed for the second time before nodding her head.

"Ephemera is quite strong. Princess Lilith, on the other hand, is a crafty and opportunistic fighter. I'm sure that they will prove troublesome to their opponents," Ian added.

"I wish that Ephemera and Lilith will fight against those two annoying people in separate matches and eliminate them," Princess Sidonie replied. "That way, the representative of the Gunner Federation and the Amazon Princess will be the ones competing in the Finals."

Ian chuckled as she looked at the beautiful girl beside her. Princess Sidonie didn't mince her words and said what was on her mind. Not to mention, she didn't bother to lower her voice, which made the people in the Kraetor Empire VIP Box look at her with complicated expressions on their faces.

Although Prince Maximilian was at odds with Prince Jason, he was someone that could look at the bigger picture. This was the grandest tournament that had happened in the past decade, and it would be a great honor if a representative of their Empire had won the

championship.

Princess Vanessa was also troubled because of this outcome as well. She loved Prince Jason, so naturally she wished for him to win. This was what every woman wished for their beloved. However, she also knew the reason why the Prince joined the Tournament.

If Prince Jason won the tournament, he would ask for the Emperor to make Princess Sidonie his bride, which was something Princess Vanessa didn't want to see.

As for the other Princes' and Princesses' they wished for their cousin to win the tournament. That way their pride as the members of the Royal Family would be remembered by all the powerful factions that vied for supremacy in the Central Continent.

The next day, the Grand Coliseum was jam packed with people. All the seats were occupied, and several flying artifacts were used to accommodate those who wished to watch the show, above the arena grounds.

Several viewing crystals were also arranged outside of the Grand Coliseum to allow those who weren't able to get inside, to watch the matches in real time.

Emperor Leonidas stood on a raised platform and addressed the audience with a smile.

"Today, four of the powerhouses of the current generation will fight for the honor of their homeland," Emperor Leonidas said. "Among them, only two will remain and they will advance to the finals. Great rewards await the final victor of this tournament. So without further delays, I present to you the Final Four of the Tournament of Champions!!"

As if waiting for the Emperor to finish his words, a powerful roar was heard from the sky.

Everyone looked up and saw a white blur descending from the heavens.

It was none other than a White Tiger, and seated on its back was a handsome young man with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a confident smile on his face, which made the ladies look at him fondly.

The Kraetorians cheered for their Prince who looked so imposing in his full battle regalia. Prince Jason landed in the center of the arena and raised his fist as if proclaiming his victory in the tournament.

Amidst the cheers, and whistling, an arrogant shriek spread across the Grand Coliseum. The audience wasn't able to stop themselves from gasping in shock when they saw a giant bird swoop down from the sky.

A giant bird with a wing span of twenty meters circled the grand coliseum twice. It was a Roc that served as the flying beast of the Amazon Royal Family. Lilith giggled and jumped off its back when the bird flew down the arena.

She raised her head arrogantly because she was able to shut everyone up with her entrance.

Empress Andraste had a smirk on her face when she saw the antics of her daughter. Clearly, she was very happy with her performance, and decided to forgive her for taking the Empress' Roc without permission.

While the audience were trying to recover their bearings, two more creatures appeared and circled the Grand Coliseum from the West and the East.

One was black, the other white.

Ephemera grinned as her Alicorn flew above the audience's heads, creating gusts of winds in its wake, as it flew clockwise on the arena.

(A/N: Alicorns are Winged Unicorns, or Pegasus with horns. They are born from the union of Pegasus and Unicorns.)

Opposite her, a black fox with four tails, and a silver crescent moon on its head flew in a counter-clockwise direction. Kenneth sat on its back with a calm expression on his face.

When the Alicorn and the Black Fox finished their circuit, the two magical beasts dove down into the arena. Their two passengers jumped at the same time and landed perfectly on the ground.

A thunderous applause broke out, which put a smile on Emperor Leonidas' face. This was the first time that his Empire had hosted such a grand event, and he was quite satisfied with the preparations that his subordinates had made for the Semifinals.

Kasogonaga, who was seated on top of a Golden Dragon's head, snorted. They were perched on one of the pillars of the Grand Coliseum and were watching the festivities from their own VIP Seat.

"Let's go Garganta!" Kasogonaga ordered. "We won't lose to those puny mortals. Let us show them something truly memorable!"

Garganta didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he heard the rainbow-colored Anteater's orders. Even if he had recognized Kasogonaga as its boss, it didn't dare to follow its command blindly.

It knew that if they were to steal the limelight of the contestants, they would be immediately kicked out of the Grand Coliseum. Not only that, there was a possibility that both of them would be locked up in the Bestiary until the competition ended.

"Let's go!" Kasogonaga repeated its orders with its cute voice. "Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility!"

The rainbow colored Anteater stomped its adorable foot on the Golden Dragon's head to urge it to go.

'Responsibility? What responsibility?' Garganta thought. 'When trouble arrives, you will just hole yourself up in that domain of yours, and leave me to clean up your mess!'

In order to preserve World Peace, Garganta pretended that it didn't hear its boss orders. It would rather get scolded by the Rainbow Anteater than be beaten up to a pulp by the Elite Warriors of the Kraetor Empire!

Chapter 623: The Semifinals [Part 1]

After the impressive entrance ceremony, three of the four contestants were each given a dart of different colors. Prince Jason wasn't given any because his grandfather had already told him what he was planning to do for the Semifinals.

There was nothing special about the darts, except for the fact that it would decide who their opponents would be.

In order to make the match as fair as possible, Emperor Leonidas decided to choose this method of pairing the contestants with each other. This way, no one would say that he had rigged the tournament and chose an advantageous opponent for his grandson.

A spinning board with the design of a Yin and Yang appeared at the edge of the arena. Although the four contestants already had an idea on what they would do with the dart in their hands, they still waited for Emperor Leonidas to explain the mechanics of the Semifinals.

"When that spinning wheel starts to spin, the three of you will throw your darts," Emperor Leonidas explained. "If two darts land on the same color then the owners of the darts will fight each other in the Semifinal round.

"If all three darts landed on the same color, we will base it on which ones landed first. Of course, the one who didn't get a pair would be matched against my grandson. Do the three of you have any other questions?"

Lilith smiled because the method the Emperor used for the Semifinal Match was fool proof.

'As expected of Emperor Leonidas,' Lilith thought. 'He surely knows how to appear fair and just on the surface.'

She had to admit that she didn't expect this kind of method would be used for the pairings. In truth, she wanted to fight Ephemera in the Semifinals. Lilith believed that among the four of them, she was the weakest.

Of course, this was just Lilith's excuse.

The truth was that she didn't like the Seven Virtues. Ephemera represented Justice, and just like the name suggested, she only believed in her own Justice. Even if she was in the wrong, she would insist that she was in the right.

Lilith had long wanted to beat the crap out of one of the Seven Virtues, and Ephemera was her first target.

Prince Jason crossed his arm over his chest. He didn't care who his opponent was, because he was confident that as long as he had Aamon's artifact he would win the tournament.

Emperor Leonidas and the rulers of the various factions had a meeting a day ago about the artifact that Prince Jason was using. Surprisingly, the representative of the Gunnar Federation, and the Silvermoon Continent didn't care whether Prince Jason had an artifact that would boost him to the Saint Rank.

For them, this was something trivial and they weren't worried about it. Even Empress Andraste didn't comment about the issue. Because of this, no one raised an issue about the bracelet that the Prince of the Kraetor Empire used during his last battle.

Since the representatives were fine with it, there was no longer any need for discussion.

The first one to throw the dart was Ephemera. Not wanting to be outdone, Lilith threw hers as well.

Kenneth was the third to throw. He didn't really care who he would end up fighting up against. For him, no matter who his opponent was, he would strive to come out as the victor.

In time, the spinning wheel slowed down, showing the pairings of the matches.

Kenneth's and Ephemera's darts landed on the black portion of the spinning

wheel. Lilith's dart landed only a centimeter away from Ephemera's dart, but it had hit the white area. With this, the pairings had been made, and no one would be able to find fault in the outcome.

Prince Jason glanced at the Amazon Princess who was going to be his opponent. Lilith was an Amazon Warrior and her body was filled with vitality and strength. Even so, her womanly curves were still present. Not only that, her sun-kissed skin was quite appealing as well.

Perhaps if Prince Jason wasn't dead set on Princess Sidonie, he would consider Lilith as a potential bride candidate. The Prince raised his head to look at the seats where the Kraetor Royal Family was located.

His gaze briefly stopped on Princess Vanessa before shifting to the beautiful Princess with long reddish-brown hair. Even though they were far apart, he could tell that Princess Sidonie wasn't looking in his direction.

This made him feel a bit irritated, but soon, this irritation disappeared without a trace. Prince Jason knew that when his match started, his beloved Princess would have no choice but to watch his fight.

He intended to show his best performance in order to win her heart.

"Who among you wants to fight first?" the referee asked the four contestants. "The rules for the matches are not too strict for the Semifinals. We can start the battle as soon as all of you are ready."

Prince Jason took a step forward and threw away his princely robe. Since there was no order of who would fight first, he would take the initiative to take the limelight and secure the victory for the first match.

He had already seen how Lilith fought, and for him, it was such a clumsy performance, so he didn't think of Lilith as a worthy adversary.

"I'll go first," Prince Jason declared. He then glanced at the warrior standing not far from him and gave her a brief nod. "Is that fine with you, Princess?"

The corner of Lilith's lips curled up into a smirk as she nodded her head. "Might as well be the first."

Ephemera and Kenneth glanced at each other before leaving the arena at the same time. Their time to fight would come, but for now, they would give the stage to the Prince of the Kraetor Empire, and the Princess of the Amazons.

Empress Andraste chuckled before glancing at Emperor Leonidas.

"Who do you think will win?" Empress Andraste asked.

"My grandson, of course," Emperor Leonidas answered without even looking at her.

"Oh? Then do you want to have a bet with me?"

"Sure."

Both the Emperor and Empress had full confidence in their representatives, so they were not afraid to have a bet with each other.

"If my daughter wins, I'll be taking your grandson's bracelet," Empress Andraste said.

Emperor Leonidas frowned. The bracelet belonged to the Temple, and it was not his place to use it as a betting material. Before he could reject the Empress' condition, the Oracle of Aamon's Temple voiced her opinion on the matter.

"Go for it, Your Majesty," the Oracle commented from the side. "I approve of this bet."

Empress Andraste looked at the Oracle and smiled. There was a common understanding among the people that the Oracles could see the future. However, this was far from the truth.

The Oracle's main duty was to receive the message of the Gods that they serve. Although there were Gods that had the power of Clairvoyance, not all of them did.

Aamon was a God from Hell and his specialty lay in warfare. If Empress Andraste was up against the Oracle of one of the scholarly Gods then she might find the situation rather tricky. Fortunately, Aamon was not a scholar, and his Oracle couldn't see the future.

As long as no one knew the outcome of the match, Empress Andraste was confident that her daughter would come up as the winner.

"Very well. If you win then the bracelet is yours to keep," Emperor Leonidas replied. "Then how about if I win?"

"Feel free to state a condition." Empress Andraste rested the side of her face on the palm of her right hand. "As long as you don't ask for too much, I will agree to anything."

Emperor Leonidas pondered for a bit before giving his reply.

"Gleipnir," Emperor Leonidas said. "I want Gleipnir."

This time, it was Empress Andraste's turn to frown. Gleipnir was one of the treasures of the Amazon Race and it held great powers. It was said that anyone that it bound would not be able to break free, even if it was a Demigod.

Emperor Leonidas smirked when he saw Empress Andraste's expression.

"How about it?" Emperor Leonidas asked. "The artifact of a God for the artifact of another God. I think this is fair trade, don't you think so?"

The other rulers didn't say anything and simply watched the outcome of the negotiation. Deep inside, they were tempted to join the gamble. The artifacts of Gods were very different to the artifacts created by mortals.

The power they possessed was enough to tilt the scales of war in their favor.

After weighing the pros and cons, Empress Andraste resolutely nodded her head.

"Fine," Empress Andraste replied. "I accept this bet."

"Good. Don't go back on your word."

"Between the two of us, you are the ones whose words can't be trusted."

Emperor Leonidas and Empress Andraste smiled at each other. The two had been lovers in the past, but they were now the rulers of their respective Empires. They needed to prioritize their own gains, and this bet was one of those opportunities where they could legally take a priceless treasure from each other's hands.

The two once again shifted their attention to the arena, where the two young warriors were preparing to fight with everything they had.

No one knew the outcome of this match, not even the Gods. The audience watched with bated breath as they waited for the first battle of the Semifinals to begin.

Chapter 624: The Semifinals [Part 2]

Prince Jason summoned his sword and took a fighting stance. He believed that he didn't have to use his artifact in order to win against the Amazon Princess.

Lilith, on the other hand, didn't use her sword and shield. Instead, she summoned a War Axe that was almost as tall as her body.

Prince Jason's expression immediately changed when he saw the confident smile on Lilith's face.

This was the first time the Amazon Princess had used this weapon, so no one knew if she was proficient in it or not.

Empress Andraste smirked when she saw the War Axe in Lilith's hands. Her daughter was proficient in all kinds of weapons. It was a blessing that the Royal Family of the Amazon Race received from their Patron God.

The God whom the Amazons prayed to was the Goddess of War and Sexuality, Astarte.

Her blessing gave the Amazons incredible strength and the ability to wield many kinds of weapons.

Because of this, the Amazon Empire rose in prominence and very few dared to challenge the might of the female warriors.

"That's a large axe," Prince Jason commented. "Are you sure you can lift that up, Princess?"

Lilith smiled as she leaned her body on the War Axe that was embedded on the ground.

"Of course I can," Lilith answered. "Come, Prince. Show me how strong you are. Who knows? I might take a liking on you and let you follow me around as a subordinate."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not interested."

"Such a shame."

After that brief exchange, Prince Jason took a step forward and the ground under his feet shattered. A few seconds later, several steel spikes jutted all over the arena.

Lilith didn't do anything and simply leaned on her War Axe. The smile on her face turned into a smirk as she looked at the handsome blonde boy who had erected a wall of steel spikes to prevent her from running around the battlefield.

"Oh my, so this is how you deal with the ladies," Lilith said in a teasing voice. "Not bad, but not all women like clingy men."

Prince Jason ignored her and took another step forward. This time, he disappeared from where he stood and reappeared right in front of Lilith, stabbing her with his sword.

When the sword was only inches away from the Amazon's Princess amorous chest, the tip of Prince Jason's sword suddenly pointed upwards.

It happened so unexpectedly that the Prince wasn't able to fully dodge the Amazon's Princess' counterattack, which was a kick that was aimed at his manhood.

At the last minute, the Prince was able to twist his body to the side. Because of that, Lilith's kick connected with his hip, sending him skidding on the ground.

The Amazon Princess clicked her tongue as she ran towards the Prince, leaving her War Axe behind.

Prince Jason didn't expect that Lilith's physical strength was greater than his. He had heard that the Amazons were strong, but he didn't expect that they were this strong!

Before he could even stand up from the ground and muster a defense, Lilith's foot kicked the side of his body sending him flying to the air.

The crowd gasped at the unexpected display of skill that the Amazon Princess didn't show in her previous battle. The Prince of the Kraetor Empire was kicked repeatedly in the air like a soccer ball.

Empress Andraste giggled when he saw this scene. In the past, she had wanted to do the same to Emperor Leonidas, but she didn't get the opportunity to do so. Now that her daughter was beating the crap out of the Emperor's grandson, she felt like the years of frustration that she had held inside her chest for many years, had been repaid in full.

"Are you regretting the bet now?" Empress Andrasted asked in

a teasing tone.

Emperor Leonidas didn't even glance at her as he continued to watch the one-sided beating of his grandson in the arena.

"The match is not over yet," Emperor Leonidas said. "It's too early for you to feel smug."

Empress Andraste chuckled before shifting her gaze to the arena.

'The match isn't over yet? That's what you think, old fool.' Empress Andraste sneered internally. 'The moment my daughter stepped on the Arena, your grandson was doomed to lose.'

With a loud shout, Lilith delivered a powerful palm strike that connected with Prince Jason's chest. Although he was wearing light-weight armor, the power of Lilith's strike ignored his defenses.

A loud cracking sound was heard, and the Prince of the Kraetor Empire slammed on the arena, creating a small crater.

Two of his ribs were broken by Lilith's strike, and blood seeped out at the corner of his lips. He forcefully used his magical ability to hold the broken bones in place as he glared at the Amazon Princess who was looking at him with a devilish smirk.

"I admit that I underestimated you, but you made a grave mistake," Prince Jason said as he raised his right hand. "You should have finished me when you still got the chance!"

The Prince activated the artifact that was given to him by the Oracle of Aamon's Temple. He had decided to return the Amazon Princess' favor in full. He would break her arms and legs and make her beg for mercy.

After that, he would humiliate her in front of everyone, by stripping her clothes. That way the arrogant Princess wouldn't be able to act arrogant and raise her head in front of him ever again!

Prince Jason waited for the overwhelming power to surge inside his body, but it never came. He wondered if something happened to the artifact, so he looked at the bracelet on his arm to see what was wrong with it.

His eyes widened in shock, and his expression paled when he didn't see the bracelet on his wrist. That was the Trump Card he was planning to use to win the tournament, so he couldn't afford to lose it at all cost!

"Are you looking for this?" Lilith asked as he held up a crimson bracelet in his hand. "You should take better care of your treasures. If you're careful enough, the things that are important to you might get stolen right under your nose. Just like this."

Lilith casually placed the bracelet on her wrist and sneered at the dumbfounded Prince who thought that he could win against her just by relying on a divine artifact.

"You Wench! Give that back to me!" Prince Jason shouted as he charged at Lilith with fury.

Lilith smirked as he ran towards her War Axe that had remained stationary at the center of the arena.

"I think it's about time I give you a taste of your own medicine," Lilith stated.

She activated Aamon's bracelet and a crimson armor covered her entire body. Lilith wasn't able to stop herself from moaning in pleasure at the incredible power that was flowing inside her body.

Prince Jason's eyes became bloodshot as he swung his sword with fury, with the intention of cutting the Amazon Princess in half.

Unfortunately, the moment he lost the bracelet, his chances of winning had already become non-existent.

A metallic sound reverberated in the arena as Prince Jason's sword was stopped by Lilith's thumb and index finger. No matter how much Prince Jason struggled to free his weapon, Lilith's hold didn't budge.

"Time to end this farce."

That was the last thing Prince Jason heard before he found himself hurtling into the air.

Lilith had casually tossed him outside of the arena as if she was just throwing away a piece of trash. She didn't even need to turn around to see the expression of disbelief in Prince Jason's face.

Just like Empress Andraste mentioned earlier, the moment Lilith stepped on the arena, Prince Jason's fate was already set in stone.

The Amazon Princess grabbed the War Axe that she hadn't had the opportunity to use. She thought that she would be able to go all out with the Prince, but the reality didn't meet her expectations.

Clearly, the Prince had relied way too much on the power of the artifact that he had forgotten to use his own strength to fight Lilith in a fair battle.

"Quite disappointing," Lilith muttered as she returned her weapon inside her storage ring. "Aren't there any good men around? A man that is worthy of me?"

As soon as Lilith finished her complaint, the referee raised his hand and declared the winner of the match.

"The winner of this match is Princess Lilith!" the referee announced. "She will now proceed to the finals!"

The Amazon Princess gave the Prince who was lying on the ground outside of the arena a side-long glance before heading towards the resting area. The battle had disappointed her greatly, and she hoped that her next opponent would be able to give her the thrill of battle that she was looking for.

High above the arena stands, Princess Sidonie had a wide smile on her face. She wanted to shout out loud and cheer for the Amazon Princess, but because of her position, she refrained from doing so.

Morgana roared with laughter inside their shared mindscape. Clearly, she was very happy with the outcome of the match.

With this, one of their problems was out of the picture. All that remained was the silver-haired pretty boy who was going to fight in the next match.

Princess Sidonie and Morgana hoped that the representation of Justice, Ephemera, would put Kenneth in his place. That way, all the problems that had made her anxious these past few days, would finally disappear.

'One down, one to go,' Princess Sidonie thought.

< Don't worry! That Ephemera is one of the Seven Virtues. How can she possibly lose to that silver-haired bastard? >

Although Princess Sidonie agreed with her other half, she still couldn't rest easy. Kenneth was a mystery to her. She had no idea how strong he was, or whether he was hiding some tricks under his sleeves.

She just hoped that Ephemera wouldn't put the Seven Virtues name to shame, and be defeated by a delicate looking boy, who was out to break her engagement with William.

Chapter 625: The Moment A Heart Breaks [Part 1]

"Tomorrow is the day…," Chiffon muttered as she looked up at the moon in the sky. "Tomorrow, I will tell Big Brother that I… love him."

Chiffon closed her eyes and the memories of her mother resurfaced. It had been a while since she had thought of her.

Since the day that she had met William, everyday that passed was filled with happiness. The pink-haired girl allowed herself to face the bitter memories that she had kept inside her heart.

She wanted to hear her mother's words.

She wanted to remember her voice.

—–

"You're going to be twelve soon, Chiffon," April said. "A few more years and you will be old enough to marry. I wish I could see that day."

"Mama, what do you mean old enough to marry?" Chiffon asked. "What is marry?"

She had been too young then to understand her mother's words. Even so, April was patient enough to answer her inquiry with a smile.

"Marriage is a ceremony where you say your vows to someone you love. Once this is done, both of you will be partners for life."

Chiffon could still remember her mother's expression when she looked in the distance, as if reminiscing a distance past.

"I hope that you will find someone who will truly love you," April said as she patted Chiffon's head. "Someone who will never leave your side in times of happiness as well as hardship."

—–

Chiffon opened her eyes as a tear slid down the side of her face. It had been so long since she had seen her mother's face, and her heart ached because she missed her too much.

"Don't worry, Mama," Chiffon said softly. "I found the one I love. If it's him, I'm sure that he will definitely love me back."

The pink-haired girl looked at the moon for a few more minutes before going to her bed to sleep. When morning came, she would gather up all her courage and ask her Big Brother to make her one of his wives.

She had already known that he had intended to have nine wives. Ashe and Princess Sidonie were two of his future wives. According to them, there were two others who were waiting for William in the Southern Continent.

Although she still didn't understand what marriage meant, Chiffon had decided to become one of William's wives. She wanted to be with him, and be his partner for life.

—–

Right after afternoon classes, Chiffon looked for William. The Half-Elf hadn't joined the class today because he said that he had some important things to do.

It didn't take long for the pink-haired girl to find her Big Brother. There were very few places that William visited in the academy, so it wasn't that hard to find him.

When Chiffon entered Princess Sidonie's room, she heard weird sounds coming from her bedroom. Out of curiosity, she lightly opened the door and took a peek.

There, he found William holding the beautiful princess in his arms. The two were sharing a passionate kiss. What caught Chiffon's attention was Ashe, who had her head lowered and seemed to be licking something on her Big Brother's lower body.

All three of them were naked, and were so busy with what they were doing that they didn't notice someone peeking at them from the door.

This was the first time Chiffon saw the art of love making, and she didn't know what to do. Her instinct was telling her that she should go away, but her curiosity made her stay.

She watched silently as the three people shared kisses, and pressed their bodies against each other.

Chiffon could feel her cheeks heating up, but she was unsure what was causing the feeling. All she knew was that her Big Brother's current performance was making her feel things that she had never felt before.

She watched everything from start to end. The pink-haired girl didn't

know how much time had passed. All she knew was that she had seen something that she shouldn't have.

Chiffon was about to leave the room when she heard Princess Sidonie ask William a question. It was a question that made her stop in her tracks and prevented her from leaving.

"Darling, I think Chiffon has feelings for you," Princess Sidonie said. "What are you planning to do about it?"

Chiffon perked her ears up as she inched closer to the small gap on the door. This way, she would be able to better hear her Big Brother's reply. Since this question concerned her, she wanted to know the answer to Princess Sidonie's question.

"Chiffon has feelings for me?" William asked back. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. I am a woman, so I can understand women best. That little girl might be in love with you."

"I see…"

Ashe, who was resting her head on William's chest, joined the conversation with a light-hearted mood.

"Will, I know that it is not my place to say this, but I think that you should turn her down," Ashe commented. "We don't know anything about her background. It is better to be careful."

Chiffon silently cursed Ashe inside her heart. She wanted to complain, and tell the girl that had started to nibble William's ears to mind her own business!

"I agree with Ashe," Princess Sidonie stated. "Chiffon is a very adorable girl. However, what if she is hiding a dark secret? Who knows, that secret might come back to bite us later on."

Chiffon gritted her teeth. She had been getting along well with Ashe and Princess Sidonie. The pink-haired girl thought that they were her friends. Their sudden betrayal left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

William chuckled as she kissed both girls.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of making her my lover," William replied. "You're right. How can I possibly accept a complete stranger as my lover?

"Also, I can't bear the thought of kissing her lips. She had been eating trash for who knows how long. If I kiss her, wouldn't that mean that I'll be kissing trash? That's so disgusting!"

Chiffon pressed a hand over her chest. She felt a sudden ache that made her breathing ragged. Dragging her feet, she left the room as fast as he could.

After stepping in the hallway of the dormitory, Chiffon leaned on the floor as she struggled to breathe.

She felt suffocated.

She needed to leave as fast and as far as she could before she was discovered.

In the outside world, the cracks on the crystal that hovered above Chiffon's chest, widened. Red light was starting to spill from those cracks, threatening to burst out at any moment.

Chiffon used the walls as support as she tried to leave the girl's dormitory, but it was of no use.

Her legs felt too weak, so the girl had no choice but to slowly lower herself to the floor as she tried to calm her senses.

It was at that moment when the door of Princess Sidonie's room opened. William, Ashe, and Princess Sidonie came out of the room and looked down on Chiffon, who was sitting on the floor, gasping for breath.

William's upper part was naked, and he was just wearing pants. Ashe and Princess Sidonie, on the other hand, were wearing nightgowns of blue and red.

Chiffon looked up at William with a pale expression. She appraised her Big Brother's face, looking for any signs of tenderness or affection but she found none.

"Did you hear us?" William asked.

Chiffon hurriedly shook her head in denial. She was afraid that if she said yes, her Big Brother would abandon her completely.

"Liar," Princess Sidonie said with contempt. "You've been peeking on us the whole time. Did you think that we were not aware that you were behind the door?"

Ashe stepped forward and lowered her head. "You thieving little cat. Do you really think that you can steal William away from us? You sure got guts, little girl."

"N-No," Chiffon stuttered. "I don't plan on stealing Big Brother. I just want to be like the two of you. I want to be by his side as well."

Ashe raised an eyebrow when she heard Chiffon's reply. She then glanced at the Half-Elf who was just listening on the side.

"Will, you heard her," Ashe said. "She wants to be like us. Chiffon wanted to become your lover. What is your answer?"

William took a step forward. Ashe gave way and straightened her stance to allow her lover to approach Chiffon.

The Half-Elf knelt in front of Chiffon until they were eye to eye with each other.

"Do you love me?" William inquired.

"Yes," Chiffon replied. "I love you, Big Brother. I love you very much."

"Then, do you want to marry me?"

"I do. Please, marry me, Big Brother."

Chiffon pleaded. Even if William didn't love her as much as Ashe and Princess Sidonie, as long as she was by his side, she would be happy. The pink-haired girl looked at William with a face filled with longing.

William cupped the side of Chiffon's face.

The little girl shivered because William's hands felt cold. Also, his eyes… his eyes stared at her with disdain.

"Me? Marry you?" William sneered. "The only thing that you are good at is eating trash. Do you really think that I'll marry trash? What a delusional girl you are."

Tears formed at the corner of Chiffon's eyes, and her eyes became dull and lifeless. The last thing she heard was a loud cracking sound, before her world shattered, and her consciousness descended into darkness.

—-

(A/N: To those who doesn't read author notes, and is still asking me why there are only 2 chapter updates at the moment it is because I have Omicron. Like I said, this week, I may only publish 1 – 2 chapters until I recovered from it. I ask for your understanding because believe me, its a hassle to write chapters while feeling dizzy and nauseous.

To those who have cursed me for not giving them the usual number of chapters, I pray for your souls. Know that you're just making me feel worse because of your ungrateful comments. I could have stopped uploading and focused on my recovery, but I still do my best to give you 2 chapters a day, despite my suffering. I hope all of you are happy because you have made me suffer more due to your lack of empathy.)

Chapter 626: The Moment A Heart Breaks [Part 2]

A beam of light shot out towards the sky, accompanied by the sound of crystals breaking.

The red crystal that hovered above Chiffon's chest shattered into thousands of pieces, and was replaced by a beautiful pink flower in full bloom. The flower glowed brightly, but its light would flicker from time to time like the beating of a heart.

The old woman's smile widened as she watched Chiffon slowly descend towards the ground. The little girl's eyes were open, but it was like a window covered by fog. No light, nor hope, could be seen within their depths.

Only lifelessness, as if her soul had left her body.

The old woman approached Chiffon and caressed the side of the little girl's face. It felt smooth to the touch, which reminded her of her youth that had withered away after staying in the Tower of Babylon for hundreds of years.

"Such a beautiful flower, but it has not bloomed completely," the old woman said as she looked at the pink flower that hovered above the little girl's chest. "Your Heart Devil was due to love and marriage?"

The old woman chuckled, "It's good to be young. I was like you, once. Young and naive. Clinging to dreams and thinking that love would be enough to make me happy for the rest of my life."

The old woman sighed as she continued caressing Chiffon's cheeks. The pink-haired girl just stared in front of her, looking at nothing. She was like a doll that was waiting for someone to play with her.

"Worry not, My Dear," the old woman commented. "His Excellency is benevolent and kind. He will grant your wish. You want to get married, right? Very well, tomorrow, we will hold the grandest wedding in this tower.

"Tomorrow, your dream will be fulfilled, and at the same time… his Excellency will feast on your heart, body, and soul."

Chiffon didn't reply, or say anything. In fact, it seemed as if she hadn't heard a single thing that the lady had said. Her lifeless eyes simply stared straight, devoid of sadness, happiness, and other emotions.

"Take her away, and make the necessary preparations," the old woman ordered. "Clean and purify her body so that she will be worthy to be His Excellency's bride!"

Two women wearing veils appeared behind the old woman. Both of them held Chiffon's hands and led her away. The old woman watched them go with a smile on her face.

She then snapped her finger and several red vines protruded off the ground. They rose to the sky and entangled William's arm, and legs. The vines didn't stop there and wrapped itself around the Half-Elf's body until he was covered up like a cocoon.

"I don't know why your Heart Devil hasn't advanced, but it's not a big deal," the old woman said. "I can always use force to hasten the process."

Soon, the vines glowed bloody red. The crystal that hovered above William's chest started to glow as well. What the old woman was doing was trying to forcefully mature the Heart Devil in William's heart.

That way, she would have full control over him, the moment his heart fell into corruption.

——

"No! Chiffon!" William roared in anger.

He had seen his fake self, the fake Ashe, and the fake Princess gang up on the

little girl and say harsh words to her.

The Half-Elf was so angry that he had trashed his fake self over and over, but no matter how hard he tried, he could only pass through them without dealing any kind of damage.

William watched as Chiffon's eyes became dull before collapsing on the ground. After that, the world shattered, and he found himself falling from the sky.

The Half-Elf couldn't forget the look on the pink-haired girl's face before she and her world disappeared.

William's heart was aching. He wanted to fight the mastermind behind Chiffon's suffering. But, for that to happen, he needed to break out of the world he was in first. The Half-Elf had already known that he was in some kind of Dreamworld.

He had walked the land of Dreams so many times in the past, so he was quite familiar with its sensation. The only problem was, he couldn't break out of the dream he was in. A powerful law prevents him from doing so.

After a discussion with Optimus, both of them agreed that In order to break this law, William needed to clear his own Dream World first.

As William descended from the sky, the powerful sound of a horn spread across his surroundings.

William narrowed his eyes and saw a man standing on top of a rainbow bridge. He held a giant horn in his hand and was blowing on it with all of his might.

Upon hearing this unfamiliar yet familiar sound. A flood of memories rushed towards William's head, causing it to ache.

Gritting his teeth, William activated his flight skill, while fighting off the headache that was tearing his head apart. With a thud, he crashed towards the ground and rolled for several meters before coming to a stop.

"Gjallarhorn…," William muttered as he propped himself from the ground. He then looked at the warrior that was continuing to blow his horn from on top of the rainbow bridge.

"Heimdall."

For some reason, William had recognized the warrior's features and knew for certain that his assumption wasn't wrong.

A few moments later, the ground trembled, and the Half-Elf had to plant his feet firmly on the ground to prevent himself from collapsing.

William looked to the South and saw an unfamiliar, yet familiar scene. Countless numbers of Giants, Monstrous Beasts, spectres, and everything that spelled the end of the world was marching towards the plains of Valhalla.

Among them, a Giant stood out from the rest. He was holding a flaming red sword that burned so brightly that Soleil's full powered attack would look like a small flame that came from a matchstick.

"Ragnarok." William grimaced because he understood what was about to happen. The memories that had rushed to him earlier had given him a glimpse of the outcome of this fateful battle that would end all life in the world of Yggdrasil.

For some reason, William felt the need to look at the Bifrost Bridge.

There he saw a small giant, with long pink hair standing behind Heimdall. She was looking at the approaching Giant army with a fearful gaze.

She was the traitor of the Giant Race.

The Giantess that had sided with the Aesir due to her feelings for the silver-haired Einherjar who had brought her back with him to the land of Asgard.

"Chiffon." William felt like there was a lump on his throat when he saw the Giantess.

The Half-Elf knew that although her body was shaking right now due to fear and anxiety, Chiffon would be at the frontlines of the war, fighting against her own race.

William knew that she was not fighting for herself.

He knew that the small giantess was fighting for love.

She was fighting for his love.

"No!" William shouted as he ran towards Chiffon. "Leave! Go to Ithavllir! You will be safe there!"

William's tears fell unabated as he held unto the Giantess calf. This time, he was able to touch Chiffon, but the latter didn't seem to be aware that there was a human hugging her calf beside her.

The Half-Elf cried.

He already knew the outcome of this battle, and the fate that awaited the pink-haired giant. He didn't want to see it again.

William knew that if he were to relieve that scene again, his heart would burst to pieces. Everyone thought that Ragnarok and the destruction of Asgard was just a myth.

However, for those who had fought in that great battle that decided the fate of the Nine Realms, it was a heart-wrenching experience. It was a day that no living being would be able to forget.

It was the greatest battle that was written in recorded history. It was a Myth, a Fairytale, a Saga, an Epic that people on Earth had read about or watched someone's interpretation of the events at some point in time.

Many thought that it was a good form of entertainment. But, what they didn't know was that everything that was written down on those fragmented tablets that had survived up to the modern day were all real.

It wasn't a Myth. It was a reality that had been lost through time like the legendary city of Atlantis.

As William cried his heart out, Heimdall stopped blowing Gjallarhorn.

The Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge had already played his role. The twilight of the Gods was at hand, and the battle of Ragnarok was about to begin.

Chapter 627: I Will End Your Sinful Existence!

"I will give you one last chance," Ephemera said as she looked at the silver-haired teenager whom she had pushed to the edge of the arena.

The moment their fight started, Ephemera had unleashed her power and clashed with Kenneth numerous times.

With each collision, Kenneth felt a searing pain in his shoulders. If possible, he didn't want to have a head-on confrontation with the beautiful lady from the Gunner Federation. However, he was left with very little choice because his opponent had outclassed him in both speed, and power.

"Just jump off the arena," Ephemera stated as the golden blade in her hand buzzed with power. "There is no shame in losing against me. You didn't have any chance from the beginning."

Kenneth looked calmly at the warrior in front of him. He firmly gripped the hilt of his short sword as his eyes scanned a way for any blindspots that he could take advantage of, in order to return to the center of the arena.

Just like Ephemera had said, he was at the very edge of the arena. Just a step was enough for him to fall off completely.

'I guess I have no choice but to go all out,' Kenneth thought. 'It is really difficult to deal with one of the Seven Virtues.'

Kenneth's eyes glowed in a subtle manner as he prepared for Ephemera's strike.

Seeing that her opponent didn't have any wish to surrender, Ephemera nodded her head in appreciation. In truth, he admired Kenneth because the latter had reached the Semifinals with the meager ability he had.

Ephemera thought that the Silver-haired Elf just got lucky with his opponents. She firmly believed that the moment Kenneth's path crossed with hers, his luck had all run out.

"In respect to your bravery, I will try my best to not kill you," Ephemera declared. "However, since I plan to go all out, I can't guarantee your safety. This is my final warning. Concede now, or get seriously injured. What is your choice?"

"Thank you for the offer," Kenneth replied. "But, I'll have to pass. This tournament is important to me."

"Is that your final answer?"

"Yes."

The golden blade on Ephemera's rapier radiated with power. Kenneth had no way out, so all she needed to do was unleash one last attack to end the battle.

Although she looked carefree, the lady that hailed from the Gunnar Federation was not stupid. She could tell that Kenneth hasn't given up hope, which only meant one thing.

'He still has a trump card,' Ephemera thought as she prepared to unleash her attack. 'No matter. I'd like to see what you can do in this situation!'

"Explosion Infernale!" Ephemera shouted as she slashed sideways, leaving no room for Kenneth to maneuver.

(A/N: Excuse my French.)

A powerful explosion took place that shattered the two barriers that were a few meters away from the arena. Fortunately, there were five barriers in place, so the blast didn't spread too wide.

Ephemera narrowed her gaze because she believed that Kenneth wouldn't be able to survive her attack. However, just as she was about to drop her guard, a silhouette passed through the wall flames and headed in her direction.

The people exclaimed when they saw the silver-haired teenager survived Ephemera's powerful attack.

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Princess Sidonie who was seated in the VIP Room with the other members of the Kraetor Royal Family couldn't believe what she saw.

'N-No, this can't be happening.' Princess Sidonie's eyes widened in shock.

< This… there's no doubt. She's one of us. >

Morgana also looked at Kenneth in disbelief. She never expected that William's Ex-Roommate had hidden his identity deeply. Princess Sidonie and Morgana had approached Keneth a few times in the past, but neither of them had detected anything unusual about him.

Both girls understood now why the latter refused to concede to Ephemera's suggestion earlier.

Kenneth ran towards Ephemera, while his long-silver hair fluttered in the air like a living creature. With a glance, one could estimate that it was at least three meters long.

Ephemera gritted her teeth as she brandished her weapon to strike her opponent, who for some reason, had unleashed a power that was equal to her own.

Kenneth's hair wrapped itself around Ephemera's weapon, preventing her from continuing her attack. When he arrived at striking distance, he immediately unleashed a palm strike that hit his opponent squarely on the chest.

Ephemera had channeled her magical power on her chest to cushion Kenneth's strike. However it was still powerful enough to send her flying a few meters in the air.

"So this is your true form!" Ephemera said hatefully as she landed on the ground. "You are one of those b*tches!"

Kenneth ignored her as he stood with his hair fluttering in the wind.

"Concede," Kenneth said. "I am returning the favor that you gave me earlier."

His voice was calm and the intonation he used was neutral. Clearly, he didn't want to offend the Virtue of Justice. Even so, Ephemera found his words condescending, so she ignored him and unleashed the full power of her Divinity.

"I will end you and your sinful existence!" Ephemera shouted as a pair of golden wings sprouted behind her back. She flew into the air and channeled the power of her Divinity into her weapon.

"Frappe Du Dragon Radieux!" Ephemera roared and a blinding explosion reverberated in the arena.

This was her strongest attack which was meant to obliterate everything in its path. This was a concentrated version of Soleil's full-powered attack.

Although its range could only encompass the entire arena, it was more than enough for Emperor Leonidas and the Grand Archmage Evexius to work hand in hand to erect, and strengthen the barriers that protected everyone inside the arena.

"That was a strong attack. Unfortunately, it was still too slow."

A voice that was as soft as silk whispered from behind Ephemera.

A moment later, a pair of delicate hands pressed down on her shoulders.

"Sorry. I need to win this battle," Kenneth whispered in Ephemera's ears. "No hard feelings."

Before the justice-minded lady could even reply to Kenneth's words, she felt that the world around her was starting to slow down at an alarming pace. Within that slow moving world, Kenneth moved normally and pushed Ephemera away.

The beautiful lady could feel her body falling to the ground, and yet, she could do nothing about it. Her brain functions had slowed down drastically. Even though she wanted to move and prevent her fall, her body wasn't responding fast enough to execute her thoughts.

Her actions were half a snail's pace, so no matter what she did, she couldn't stop the inevitable.

The moment her body hit the ground, Ephemera knew that she had lost. Kenneth was kind enough to not push her into the bottomless pit that the lady from the Gunner Federation had made after unleashing her strongest attack.

Kenneth hovered above the arena with his hair flapping in the air like the wings of a bird.

'Not good,' Kenneth thought. 'I am feeling sleepy.'

He then glanced at the room where Ashe and Princess Sidonie were seated. Without any hesitation, he flew towards their location.

As soon as Kenneth landed beside Ashe, he collapsed on the floor, asleep. His long hair shortened until it returned to its normal length.

However, before he closed his eyes to sleep, he managed to pass a message to Ashe. He knew that Princess Sidonie didn't like him, so he decided to pin his hope on William's lover.

Kenneth already knew Ian's true form, so he decided to take a gamble and ask for her help. He couldn't trust anyone else to look after him, while he was unconscious.

Ashe looked at William's Ex-Roomate with a complicated gaze before sighing internally.

After hearing Kenneth's words, Ashe was duty bound to keep him safe. After all, the message that he had passed to her telepathically were the words.

"I bear a message from William's mother. Keep me safe, so that I can pass this important message to her son."

Ashe would be lying if she said that she wasn't interested in hearing the message that came from William's mother. The Half-Elf had shared a few stories of his mother with her.

The mermaid had long wanted to meet her future mother-in-law and wanted to know what she was like. Since Kenneth was her messenger, she had no choice but to protect him from the Princess beside her, who was half-tempted to kill the silver-haired Elf while he slept.

Chapter 628: Is He A Boy Or A Girl?

Princess Sidonie glared at the sleeping silver-haired Elf on William's bed.

If not for the fact that Ashe had told him that Kenneth was holding a message that came from William's mother, she would have already strangled him in his sleep.

Ashe looked at the Princess who was clenching and unclenching her fist, as if she was waging an inner battle. She could only sigh internally because she understood what Princess Sidonie was going through.

"Tomorrow is the Final Match between him and Lilith," Ashe said in order to draw Princess Sidonie's attention away from William's ex-roommate. "Who do you think will win between the two?"

"If it were up to me, this bastard wouldn't be able to go to the arena tomorrow," Princess Sidonie pinched Kenneth's cheeks and pulled it hatefully.

Ashe couldn't stop herself from chuckling because of the funny scene in front of her. After having her fill of laughter, her expression became serious as she addressed the thing that had been nagging at her mind.

"Earlier, you said that he is the same as you and Chiffon." Ashe looked at the silver-haired teen whose cheeks were now slightly red due to Princess Sidonie's pinching. "He's one of the Seven Deadly Sins?"

"Yes," Princess Sidonie replied. "There's no doubt that he is one of us."

"I thought all the Sins were girls?"

"They are."

Ashe then tilted her head to the side and looked at Princess Sidonie in confusion.

"He's a boy, right?" Ashe asked with uncertainty.

Princess Sidonie didn't answer Ashe's question and simply pulled down Kenneth's pants. She was also confused, so she decided to confirm Kenneth's gender.

Ashe was lost for words because of Princess Sidonie's action. She didn't expect that her friend was bold enough to undress Kenneth while he was asleep. The mermaid hastily averted her gaze because she didn't want to see any man's lower half, except for William's.

Even so, she was still rather curious so she decided to ask the Princess the result of her investigation.

"Well, is he a girl or a boy?"

"A boy."

Princess Sidonie pulled up Kenneth's pants as a frown appeared on her beautiful face. She was certain that the Seven Sins were all girls. There had been no precedent about a boy being one, so she didn't know what to feel about Kenneth's existence.

While she was pondering, the Princess shifted her attention to Ashe who was looking back at her in disbelief.

"How can you suddenly do something like that?" Ashe asked. "You are bolder than you look."

Princess Sidonie snorted, "I am the Sin of Lust. Do you think I will be fazed just by looking at a man's privates?"

"Well, when you saw Little Will for the first time, you got dazed for a few seconds before regaining your composure," Ashe countered.

Princess Sidonie wasn't able to retaliate because it was the truth. When William and her had first shared some intimacy with each other, Morgana became naugthy and reached out to touch his…

That was the first time that the beautiful princess

had seen a man's asset, and it caught her completely by surprise. Of course, she got used to it after kissing Little Will a couple of times, but she wouldn't be able to deny the fact that it was different from what she originally thought.

"I got dazed because it was Will's," Princess Sidonie replied with a beet red face. She didn't want to admit that her first time caught her completely by surprise.

While the two girls were arguing, the hand of the sleeping boy twitched.

After that, his eyelids fluttered before a sigh escaped his lips.

Ashe and Princess Sidonie immediately shifted their attention to him.

Half a minute later, Kenneth opened his eyes and looked at the two girls in the room. He was still feeling drowsy, so after seeing that he was not in any immediate danger. He once again closed his eyes to sleep.

Clearly, he didn't want to move his body. Not even by an inch.

"Oi! Don't go back to sleep!" Morgana swapped with Princess Sidonie and pinched the Elf's ears. "You still have some explaining to do. Who are you and what is your relationship with Darling's mother?"

Kenneth opened his eyes and looked at Morgana with contempt.

"Darling? You call Will, Darling?" Kenneth asked. "Don't you have any shame?"

Morgana smirked because she could tell that Kenneth didn't like the way she called William her darling.

"Why should I be ashamed?" Morgana replied. "Darling is already my fiance. Isn't it right, and proper, to call him my Darling?"

"You think too highly of yourself. Lady Arwen will not appro–"

Kenneth wasn't able to finish his words because he had a feeling that not only would his Master approve, she would also welcome Princess Sidonie with open arms.

Arwen was already aware of what had transpired in the Southern Continent due to Skyla's report. The Saintess of the World Tree had also mentioned that she wanted to meet William's lovers who fought by his side during the war against the Elves.

Also, Arwen was very curious about the Princess of Freesia, who managed to rope William into becoming her fiance by asking her son to put the slave collar on her neck.

When William's mother first heard this from Skyla, she even laughed out loud and complemented Princess Sidonie for being daring.

Kenneth was there when Arwen praised the beautiful Princess. For some reason, the method that Princess Sidonie used to trick William to become her partner didn't sit well with him.

For him, it was his duty to look after William in his Master's stead and ensure that he lived a safe and happy life in the Southern Continent. This was also why he volunteered to spy on him and prevent the other Elves from monitoring the boy and disrupting his peaceful life.

"Hah? What were you about to say?" Morgana sneered. "Mother-in-law is not going to accept me? That is not for you to decide. I will personally visit the Silvermoon Continent with William and get her blessing on our marriage!"

Kenneth turned a deaf ear to the babbling princess and decided to resume his sleep. This was the side-effect of tapping onto the power of his Divinity for an extended period of time.

In his earlier battles, he also used the power of his Divinity, but he only used it sparingly. This was why Princess Sidonie, Ephemera, and Lilith weren't able to sense that he shared the same qualities they had.

If he wasn't pushed into a corner, he would have kept his secret for as long as possible. Fortunately, William wasn't around. With this, Kenneth's secret would not reach him until he was able to have a proper talk with the Half-Elf.

A talk with just the two of them.

"Oi! I said don't sleep on me!" Morgana shook the Elf, but the latter had already decided to sleep. If Kenneth wanted to sleep, not even an earthquake would be enough to wake him up from his slumber.

"This hateful person!" Morgana tossed Kenneth back to the bed with a huff. She wasn't able to get her answers because the Elf had no intention of saying anything.

"Fine, if you want to play it the hard way then so be it." Morgana placed her hand over Kenneth's head. "Since you want to sleep so badly, I'll let you sleep forever!"

Ashe immediately grabbed Morgana's wrist and pulled it away .

"Don't do it," Ashe said. "We don't know his relationship with Will's mother. If something bad happens to him, our relationship with our mother-in-law might get sour."

Morgana knew that Ashe was right, but she was still feeling angry. In the end, she settled on pulling the cheeks of the hateful Elf until they reddened to oblivion.

Chapter 629: The Past Cannot Be Changed, But The Present Belongs To Us

Thunderous drum beats permeated the air.

Towering Giants wielding their weapons of war shouted their war cries.

Beasts of all shapes and sizes roared in defiance.

And the Spectres of the Undead screamed in the sky as they waited for the Aesirs in the Plains of Asgard. This was the unwritten rule that both parties had agreed upon, and so they formed their ranks and waited for their opponents to arrive.

The Aesirs, the proud defenders of the Tree of Yggdrasil, answered their challenge. The gates of Valhalla opened and millions of human warriors marched towards the greatest battle that would decide the destiny of the entire world.

They were the human warriors who had been slain on the battlefield, and personally ferried by the Valkyries back to Asgard, in order to fight for the long-standing peace of the Nine Realms.

These mighty warriors stepped on the Bi-Frost Bridge and, among them, a silver-haired teenager, wielding a spear, led his contingent to war. All the warriors of Valhalla had mobilized for this moment, and none of them would shy away from this war.

The God of Trickery, Loki, sneered when he saw these human warriors. When half of the warriors had passed through the bridge, the vengeful god snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, the bridge shattered, causing millions of human warriors to fall to their doom. This unexpected turn of events not only surprised the Asgardians, but the Giants who were also allied with Loki.

Both parties didn't expect that the God of Tricks had already planned for this for many years, and he was only waiting for an opportunity to use the seed he had planted long ago.

"LOKI!"

A loud roar followed by the rumbling of thunder and lightning pierced the sky.

Thor, the Champion of Asgard, rode his mighty chariot pulled by two Goats. Their names were Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr.

He had never hated Loki as much as he hated him at that moment. Not only did he betray them, he also schemed to exterminate the majority of the Einherjars that Valhalla had raised for thousands of years.

"William!" A valkyrie with golden hair and blue eyes dove towards her Beloved that was about to fall to his doom.

Several other valkyries rushed to save their champions from certain death.

William reached out his hand and Wendy caught it without fail. She then flapped her mighty wings and flew upwards. Deep inside she wished she could have done more, but there was very little that she could do.

At the very least, she wouldn't allow her husband to fall to his death due to the scheming of the hateful God, Loki.

Out of the millions of warriors that had fallen off the bridge, only several thousand had been pulled back from the jaws of death.

All of them had already died once, but if they died one more time, there would be no going back. The Goddess of the Dead, Hel, one of Loki's children, wouldn't allow these warriors to revive a second time.

Heimdall raised his sword and the bridge was reconstructed. This time, all the remaining warriors that were waiting their turn to cross the rainbow bridge, ran towards it in fury. They had seen how their brothers died without glory or honor.

For these warriors, this was their everything.

The only thought in their minds right now was to kill as many giants as they could in order to pacify the souls of their dead brethren who had failed to die on the battlefield. They vowed that they would make Loki pay for his underhanded trick that led them to their second demise.

"To war!" Odin shouted as he sat on top of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse, which was also one of Loki's children. "For Asgard and the Nine Realms!"

""For Asgard and the Nine Realms!""

The Asgardians flew towards the battlefield with their mighty steeds and chariots.

Loki watched all of this with a sneer. He had long waited for this day. A day where he would personally see the downfall of everything Odin and Thor held dear in their hearts. While he was at it, he would also destroy the World Tree, and end the other worlds that resided within it.

"Death!" Loki shouted as he raised his sword. "Kill the Asgardians! Send them all to Hell!"

""Death!""

The ground trembled as the Giants advanced, Trolls, and Monstrous Beasts advanced.

The Human Warriors and the Aesirs charged at them fearlessly. When the two forces collided, blood sprayed in the air en masse. Everyone fought against each other, without holding back.

Roars, war cries, screams, and curses rang out in the bloody battlefield.

It was complete pandemonium, and in the middle of all of this chaos, a silver spear shone brightly. William Pendragon, fought fearlessly as he thrust his spear into the head of a Mountain Troll.

"Ignite! " William roared. "Flame Tempest!"

Immediately, the head of the Mountain Troll exploded, making its giant body collapse to the ground. Although they had very strong regeneration, they were not invincible. Fire and acid were their weaknesses, and William had been bestowed the power of Ice and Flames after he had received the Right of Purification in order to become an Einherjar.

Suddenly, William jumped to his right side and rolled to the ground. A few seconds later, a corpse of one of the warriors of Valhalla smashed on the place where he stood. The poor warrior almost turned into meat paste after being thrown full-force by a giant that found William an eyesore.

William gritted his teeth as he faced the towering Giant alone.

The giant smashed his Giant War Axe towards the pesky little man, but the attack was disrupted halfway due to a powerful attack that collided with the Giant's waist.

"I won't let you hurt him!"

The Giantess, Chiffon, had seen that William was at a disadvantage and rushed to his rescue. It was because of the silver-haired teenager that she left her homeworld and traveled with him back to Asgard.

Chiffon didn't care about the purpose of the war. All she cared about was William. She wasn't that smart, but she would fight to the teeth to protect the person she loved.

The Giantess' weapon was a giant spiked club that Wendy had taken from the treasury of Valhalla. It was one of the prizes that Thor had brought back to the battlefield, and it belonged to one of the Giants he had slain in battle.

Since none of the Human Warriors could wield such a weapon, it had remained in the treasury for hundreds of years. Now, it had found its new owner, and its new Master was not afraid to use it to brutally smash her opponents with all of her strength.

William wasn't being idle either. After Chiffon had made the Giant lose its balance, he imbued the spear in his hand with both Magic and Battle Aura.

"Frostfire Fury!" William shouted as he threw the spear towards the Giant's chest.

The silver spear was covered in red and blue flames that made it transform into a small blazing comet. This was one of William's strongest attacks and it had enough power to pierce through a Giant's protective armor, and cause massive damage to its body.

As expected, the Giant roared in pain after receiving William's deadly attack. However, it was far from dying.

Chiffon jumped high in the air shouting a warcry before smashing her spiked club on the giant's head. Due to William's sudden attack, the Giant wasn't able to defend itself and died a gruesome death from Giantess' merciless strike.

"Traitor!" one of the Giants who had seen his fallen comrade die under Chiffon's hands bellowed. "I will kill you!"

Chiffon was unfazed as she stood in front of William.

The silver-haired warrior raised his hand and the silver spear returned to its rightful owner.

"Chiffon, let's fight together," William said.

"Yes," Chiffon replied as she smiled happily. "Let's fight together, Will!"

Not far from them, a Half-Elf with tears streaming down the side of his face, watched helplessly. His heart ached, for what was about to come. He knew, more than anything else, that no matter how fierce the silver-haired warrior and the pink-haired Giantess fought, the outcome would remain the same.

"The end of the world cannot be stopped," William said sadly. "The outcome of this battle has long been set in stone."

William raised his hand and reached out towards the sky.

"The past cannot be changed, but the present belongs to us," William's voice gained strength.

"You made a mistake."

"You shouldn't have shown me this past."

"You shouldn't have made me angry!"

Optimus had been with William ever since he was a child. It was very easy for it to know what the Shepherd wanted to have happen.

< Initiating Merging of Job Classes >

< Choosing the Optimal Job Classes for best results >

< Choices Confirmed! >

– Prince of Thunder

– Runemaster

– Ninja

– Elemental Lord

– Gladiator

< Proceed to Merging Job Classes >

< Merging in progress >

< Current Progress 1% >

William eyed the progression bar, and ignored the battle that was happening around him.

Since the past couldn't be changed, no matter how much he cried, pleaded, and screamed, nothing would change. Right now, the only thing he could do was wait.

Wait for the time when he would break free from his prison.

Wait for the time when he would unleash his fury upon those who touched his reverse scale.

Wait for the time when he would be reunited with the pink-haired girl, who had already found a place inside his heart.

Chapter 630: Wedding Preparations

Chiffon's body was submerged in a small pool filled with flower petals. Her body had already been cleaned, and purified. What was left were the finishing touches, before she wore the bridal gown that the Guardian had personally chosen from the Shop of Babylon for her to wear.

A few minutes later, a lady wearing a veil approached the pool, carrying a bath towel.

"Come," the lady ordered.

Chiffon stood up and waded towards the lady, who had the towel spread out wide. As the lady dried the body of the little girl, she couldn't help but be amazed at how smooth, and radiant Chiffon's skin was.

Perhaps it was due to the cleansing, or the purification ceremony, but the young girl's skin had returned to its clean and untainted state.

After drying her off, the lady led her to a room where a two-meter-tall mirror stood. Chiffon gazed at this mirror unflinchingly, and stood straight. No ripples of emotions could be seen in her eyes.

Two ladies wearing veils that covered their faces helped her put on her wedding dress. After they finished, they then moved to arrange Chiffon's hair.

The little girl's smooth, and silky long hair was arranged neatly into a princess hairstyle that highlighted her natural beauty. The boys in the academy that had ridiculed her in the past, would definitely widen their eyes in disbelief were they to see Chiffon's current form.

Back then she was like an ugly caterpillar that no one wanted to touch, now, she was a bewitching butterfly that everyone wanted to covet.

The two ladies worked hand in hand, and soon they finished the bride's preparations. Chiffon faced the mirror wearing a pink bridal gown.

"Young Lady, you are very beautiful," one of the ladies that dressed her up said softly.

Chiffon didn't reply. Perhaps, she didn't even hear the lady's flattery.

The pink glowing flower hovered above the little girl's chest, and acted like a matching accessory. It looked so beautiful, so radiant, and brimming with life. It was the complete opposite of its owner, whose consciousness had been sealed inside the flower itself.

A moment later, the door of the room opened.

The old woman entered and looked at the young bride with satisfaction.

"Both of you did well," the old woman said to Chiffon's two handmaidens.

She then turned to the pink-haired doll who was blankly staring at the mirror and gave an order.

"Come, Chiffon." The old woman extended her wrinkled hands to the young bride. "His Excellency, Belial, awaits. You shouldn't keep your groom, and future Master waiting."

Chiffon turned around and walked towards the old woman. She then placed her hand on the old woman's wrinkly palm, and allowed the old hag to guide her towards the portal she had opened.

After passing through the portal, they arrived on a wide open plain. It was a crimson world, in which everything, as far as the eye could see, was the shade of red. From the ground, to the sky, to the towering pyramid where the little girl's wedding would take place, everything was dyed in the color of blood.

Countless Yara-ma-yha-whos, Cockatrice, Basilisks, and other monstrosities gathered at the bottom of the pyramid. When the old woman and Chiffon

appeared, the horde of monstrosities parted, and allowed the two to pass.

The old woman stood in front, Chiffon at her back, and the two ladies behind the little girl. Several other ladies wearing veils walked alongside them.

The monsters looked at this procession with excitement. They had already been told that their Master was going to get married today, and with it, they would be freed from the tower.

Belial's aim was to first conquer the City of Babylon and make it his base of operation. After this was done, he would increase the number of his army and start his conquest of the nearby lands. He wasn't afraid of any kind of opposition, for he was confident in his strength.

The Guardian of the 51st Floor had long prepared for the day of his conquest, and only a handful of individuals had the power to stop him in his tracks.

When the procession arrived at the base of the Pyramid, a red mist descended from the heavens. The old woman smiled and walked to the side, allowing her Master to take a look at his young bride.

The red mist gathered and transformed into a handsome man with dark blue hair and eyes. There were two curved black horns on his forehead which signified that he wasn't a Human.

Belial walked towards his bride and lowered his head until the beautiful flower that hovered in front of Chiffon's chest was mere inches away from his face.

The Guardian of the 51st Floor inhaled deeply and savored the fragrance of the heart that he coveted.

"Such a sublime fragrance," Belial praised. "Worthy of the last offering that will free me from this tower."

He took another whiff before sighing in pleasure.

"My bride is such a beauty," Belial said as he gently caressed the side of Chiffon's face. He liked how soft and smooth Chiffon's skin was, and it almost made Belial lose to the temptation that he was trying so hard to suppress.

"Come, Chiffon, my little pet," Belial said as he held the young girl's hand. "I will grant your final wish to marry someone. After that, I will feast on your heart, body, and soul."

Belial led the little girl to climb the steps up the pyramid. He would glance at his young bride from time to time. Clearly, he was looking forward to plucking the innocent girl's flower, and savoring it, to his heart's content.

It didn't take long before they reached the top, where an Altar had already been set in place. Standing on a small podium was a lady wearing a veil. She would be the one to officiate Chiffon's and Belial's wedding.

The old woman and the ladies standing beside her, looked up at their Master. The monsters of the Devil's floor also looked up. They were all looking forward to seeing the flower on Chiffon's chest bloom to its fullest once her Heart Devil's final wish was fulfilled.

The Priestess who stood before Chiffon and Belial opened the holy book in her hand and recited the opening phrases.

"We are all gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Chiff–"

Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder roared in the sky with a fury, preventing the Priestess from finishing her words.

A large bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and striked near the base of the pyramid, obliterating the monsters who were unlucky enough to be in its landing site.

Belial, the Priestess, and the monsters gathered around the pyramid stared at the gatecrasher who dared to appear before them.

A teenage boy with blazing red hair looked up at the tower with his glowing green eyes. His gaze landed on the young bride, and the anger that he had bottled up in his chest broke out like a raging river.

—–

< Merging Successful >

< The Unique Prestige Class, Einherjar, has been unlocked! >

—–

"Get your filthy hands off my bride," William declared. "The one she will be marrying is me."

William's red hair lengthened and slowly changed color until it became silver-white. It looked exactly like the hairstyle he had in his past life when he still bore the name William Pendragon.

The Half-Elf summoned Stormcaller and Soleil, and held them in each of his hands. Clearly, he was planning to go all out, and make the bastard, who stood beside Chiffon, regret his decision for setting his eyes on his woman.

Lightning crackled on Stormcaller's body, and Soleil's body blazed.

The old woman's eyes widened in shock because she recognized who the troublemaker was. She had already made sure that the Half-Elf wouldn't be able to break free of his prison, by increasing the power of the Heart's Devil that would corrupt William's soul.

The old woman was already looking forward to making William her pet after his Heart Devil finished eating away his consciousness and willpower. Never in her dreams did she think that her future toy would be standing in front of her, with the intention of fighting against them.

It was at that moment when the loud toll of a bell spread across the entire floor.

It marked the beginning of a battle that would shake the very foundations of the Tower of Babylon, and change the course of its history, forever.

Chapter 56 - 621-630

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