The Shadowbane residence was currently enveloped in an atmosphere of joy as Isolde was overjoyed to see her younger brother return in perfect health, without any harm. Celestia and Isolde sat on either side of Lucius as the trio indulged in watching television in the living room.
These two women nestled closely to Lucius's right and left, resting their heads gently on his shoulders. Isolde, the older sister, was on his left, while on the opposite side, his mother maintained her place just as she had the day before.
Lucius felt no discomfort with this display of affection. On the contrary, he found solace in it, gently stroking the hair of both women with tenderness and care. Much like affectionate puppies, the two women relished this attention wholeheartedly, yearning for more.
"Finally, I can cuddle with my dear brother," Isolde purred, nuzzling against Lucius with a playful tone.
This scene was, of course, quite astonishing to Melina, who sat on a small sofa to the right of the long couch occupied by Lucius and the two affectionate women beside him.
Amidst this serene moment, the sudden ringing of Celestia's phone interrupted the tranquility. Melina swiftly retrieved the device from the small round table beside the sofa and checked the caller ID.
"Matriarch, it's the supreme leader of the Duskbringer family," Melina announced with a neutral tone.
After pondering for a few moments, Celestia gave a slight nod, signaling her consent for the call to be answered. Melina, acting promptly, accepted the call and handed the phone to Celestia.
"Hello Celes, how have you been?" inquired the caller warmly, her voice that of a mature woman.
Celestia responded with a gentle tone, "I am well, everything is under control without the slightest hitch." After a brief pause, she continued with a curious yet neutral tone, "So, do you have a specific reason for calling, Liora? It's not your usual manner to contact me like this."
With a deep sigh, Liora spoke with a serious undertone, "Celestia, what are your thoughts on arranging an engagement between your son and my daughter, Eleonora?"
Due to the speakerphone being activated, everyone in the room could hear Liora's proposal. Contrary to Lucius's expectations, neither Celestia nor Isolde seemed perturbed by the suggestion.
"Hmm—an engagement, you say?" Isolde mused softly, her hand resting on her chin as she pondered deeply for a moment. "I have no objections, as long as the woman who becomes my brother's fiancée is exceptionally beautiful, intelligent, strong, possesses character, is steadfast, loyal, and talented," Isolde declared with an earnest expression.
"Of course, she must also understand and embrace our desires wholeheartedly," Celestia added, exchanging a glance with Isolde, who nodded in agreement with her mother's statement.
'Desires?' Lucius tilted his head slightly, puzzled by what his mother and sister's desires entailed in this context.
"It would be best if we discuss this in person," Celestia suggested to Liora, who seemed to consider for a moment before responding.
"Very well, I will welcome your visit to my home. Additionally, there is an issue that your son needs to address personally," Liora replied with gentle eagerness, agreeing to Celestia's proposal with pleasure.
After reaching an agreement, the two women engaged in small talk for a few more minutes before bidding farewell and ending the call.
∆∆∆
The ancestral home of the ancient Sorcerer family, the Duskbringers, is nestled at the southern edge of the capital. This majestic estate sits on a private island spanning 40,000 hectares, surrounded by breathtaking white sandy beaches.
To the north of the island, a series of towering hills rise dramatically, connected seamlessly to the island's most exquisite beach. Atop the highest peak stands a grand manor, a formidable structure reminiscent of medieval European architecture.
On the balcony of the manor, two women enjoy their morning tea, taking in the panoramic view of the surrounding sea.
These women, nearly identical in appearance, both possess long, straight platinum blonde hair. Their golden eyes are pure, warm, and beautiful, akin to the morning sun's rays. Their alabaster skin is flawless, like porcelain, and while their temperaments differ slightly, they share a common elegance.
The elder woman is Liora Duskbringer, while the younger is her daughter, Eleonora Duskbringer. Though they appear relaxed as they sip their tea, the conversation between them grows increasingly serious.
"I never thought you would so casually arrange your daughter's marriage to a stranger," Eleonora remarked, a hint of annoyance in her voice at her mother's unilateral decision.
Liora took a delicate sip of her tea, setting her cup gently on the table, and addressed her daughter's mild complaint with a soft, explanatory tone:
"You must remember, my dear, that Sorcerers with exceptional talent and great power must not form unions with ordinary Sorcerers or, heaven forbid, mere humans."
After a brief pause, she continued, her expression turning serious as she reminded:
"This is an immutable law for the descendants of esteemed ancient Sorcerer families like yours."
Eleonora shrugged helplessly and replied in a resigned tone:
"Honestly, in this modern age, it's astonishing that such noble matchmaking traditions still persist."
Suddenly, they both sensed a concentration of immense mana energy fluctuations. Liora, slightly startled, murmured softly:
"Hmm—this energy doesn't belong to Celestia or the Shadowbane family. They dare to unleash such massive waves of mana energy in our territory. How audacious."
Narrowing her eyes, Liora took another sip of her tea.
"Nyx," Liora called out firmly, summoning someone.
In the blink of an eye, a woman with short black hair styled in a bob, dressed in a maid's outfit, appeared beside Liora.
"Madam, at your service," Nyx spoke with a neutral, expressionless tone.
"It seems these uninvited guests are from the Phoenix's Dominion sect. Escort them to the guest house on the western side. Eleonora and I will follow shortly after informing Celestia," Liora instructed clearly and decisively.
"Understood, madam," Nyx nodded slightly and vanished instantly.
"The Phoenix's Dominion sect, are they the renowned practitioners of the spiritual techniques of the Phoenix spirit, mother?" Eleonora elegantly sipped her warm tea and inquired.
"Yes, indeed. They are those who long ago abandoned their inherent magical talents to pledge allegiance to the seven Phoenix spirits," Liora nodded slightly, providing a concise explanation about the Phoenix's Dominion sect.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion and intense vibrations enveloped the senses of both women.
"What on earth is that?" Eleonora exclaimed loudly, directing her gaze toward the source of the chaos to the west.
On the opposite side, Liora frowned deeply with irritation. She despised disruptions during her peaceful morning tea ritual.
∆∆∆
Meanwhile, chaos reigned at the guest house on the western side of the Duskbringer family's island, as a clash between magical and spiritual forces erupted in the garden outside the building.
Or more precisely, a battle between aura and spiritual power.
Ten minutes prior, Lucius and his sister Isolde had arrived using Isolde's space-time dissolution abilities, landing in the same area as the members of the Phoenix's Dominion sect.
Upon witnessing Isolde's divine beauty, the men from the sect hurled lewd and filthy verbal harassment, attempting to seduce her with vulgar remarks.
Without hesitation, Lucius drew his sword and unleashed a horizontal slash, sending a crescent-shaped wave of violet aura toward the offenders.
Sensing the imminent danger from Lucius's attack, an elderly man, seemingly the sect's elder, dashed forward, blocking the destructive aura wave with a colossal phoenix claw enrobed in crimson flames.
The clash of unsynchronized forces resulted in a massive explosion.
"You dare to attempt to kill my disciple so casually," the bald, thick-mustached elder roared in anger at Lucius's unhesitating lethal intent.
Still seething with rage, Lucius swung his sword again, this time in a vertical arc, releasing a high-intensity destructive aura wave that surged forward like a torrential river.
The wave's immense power instantly annihilated several sect disciples standing in its path.
Even the sect's elder found himself powerless, paralyzed by absolute terror, with cold sweat pouring down his body.
'Damn, it seems we underestimated the opponent's strength!' the old man screamed in fear within his mind.
"Young man, there seems to be a misunderstanding here—arghh!" The elder tried to speak politely, attempting to calm Lucius's seething anger, but his expression twisted into one of agony as his body suddenly felt overwhelmingly heavy, forcing him to the ground with tremendous force.
Wielding his sword, Lucius exerted absolute control over the gravitational field within his domain, a manifestation of his Empyrean Dominator aura power.
Not just the elder, but all the disciples experienced the same or even worse predicament, lacking the strength to withstand the intensified gravitational pull.
One by one, the sect disciples struggled to breathe as Lucius incrementally increased the gravitational pressure within his domain.
The sickening crunch of bones echoed loudly for a few moments as the overwhelming gravitational force disrupted their skeletal structures.
With their breathing impaired, the disciples couldn't even scream in agony in response to the intense pain.
"I won't let you all leave unscathed. At the very least, I'll steal your years!"
With resolute determination, Lucius canceled the gravitational manipulation within his domain. Shortly thereafter, he accelerated the flow of time beyond the speed of light within his domain.
In a fraction of a nanosecond, the sect disciples aged into decrepit old men with malformed skeletal structures, a consequence of the accelerated time healing their bones without adjusting the fractured or shattered segments.
As for the sect elder, he had long since been reduced to a pile of dust, leaving behind only a skull and skeletal remains.