The Netherworld, Western Shrine—
BOOM! BOOM!!
Massive rumbles echoed from within the stone mountain sealing the Cult Leader, causing the ground to tremble. Cracks had begun to appear on the seal, which the Great Sage had formed with his divine power, looking as if it could shatter at any moment.
Nearby, two beautiful figures floated in the air within a spherical barrier of divine energy.
Athena maintained her usual cold and indifferent expression, while Yuri stood with her hands clasped, a worried look on her face.
Suddenly, the space nearby distorted, and three figures materialized: Sora, Metis, and Hikari.
A flicker of emotion crossed Athena's placid face. She instantly teleported with Yuri to Sora's side.
"Sora! Hikari!"
"Big Sister!"
Overjoyed, the two sisters, Yuri and Hikari, embraced each other.
"Hmph."
With a soft snort, Athena obediently returned to Sora's arms. After long-term "training" by a certain evil fellow, Athena had sorrowfully discovered that she had developed an instinct where she only felt safe and secure when being held by Sora.
"Athena, were you worried about me?" Sora asked, his gloomy mood instantly lifting as he looked at his exclusive "huggy bear." He playfully nuzzled the little goddess's cute face with a wicked grin.
I was worried about you, my foot! Athena thought. Knowing the detestable guy was teasing her again, she simply turned her head away and ignored him.
Sora shrugged, having been snubbed. His huggy bear certainly had a temper.
But then again, that's what he liked about her.
"Yuri, where are Erica and the others?" Sora asked, not seeing his three knights.
"Erica had us wait here while the three of them went back to the mortal realm to investigate the situation," Yuri explained. "Sora, you were..." She was also concerned about how Sora and the others had been suddenly summoned away.
"We were summoned by Ena's grandfather, that bearded old man named Susanoo. He had a few things to say. Don't worry about it," Sora said, gently stroking her forehead.
BOOM!!!!!
Just as they were about to say more, a tremendous explosion erupted from the side.
The stone mountain created by the Great Sage's power shattered completely. A giant golden hand shot out from within, flying to the far horizon before disappearing.
With an otherworldly posture and a peerlessly beautiful face, a woman in an elegant, white Hanfu floated down from the sky as if she were an immortal from the moon palace. Landing softly beside Sora, who else could this be but Luo Hao?
"Husband," she murmured, her pink lips parting to call out to Sora. Her slightly flushed face was still beaded with sweat, adding a hint of charm to her beauty.
She could have used a more clever method to break the monkey's seal, but she chose this direct and brutal approach. She was the proud Luo Hao; she disdained shortcuts. This was both her arrogance and her confidence.
Sora was speechless when it came to his Elder Sister Cult Leader, but he couldn't help but admire her for it.
"Well done. I'll reward you properly later."
Remembering how she had unhesitatingly chosen to stay behind to help them escape, Sora felt a wave of emotion. He gently brushed back her somewhat disheveled hair and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Mm..."
Her response was as quiet as a mosquito's buzz. Her heart fluttered, and a rare blush appeared on the Cult Leader's face.
A stir of excitement rose within him. The Cult Leader was simply too tempting like this. If the timing weren't wrong, Sora would have been unable to resist ravishing her right then and there.
"Alright, just in case, let's get out of here and regroup with Erica and the others," Sora said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. With Sun Wukong having escaped to the mortal realm, there was no longer any reason for them to stay here.
There were no objections. Luo Hao used her Daoist art, the "Sky-Walking Technique." A ball of cyan light enveloped Sora, Yuri, and Hikari. They transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the exit to the mortal realm...
…
Ara, has Little Sora not told you? The truth is, he and I are boyfriend and girlfriend!" Princess Alice said in a playful, casual tone that left Erica and the other two girls completely stunned.
This legendary White Hime-Miko Princess, Alice, was in a relationship with their King?!
Considering that even the goddesses Athena and Metis, and even the Cult Leader Luo Hao, had become Sora's women, perhaps this shouldn't have been so surprising. The one thing the three of them couldn't understand was why they didn't know about it.
They were aware of everything that had happened since Sora became a Campione. Erica, in particular, was with him almost every day. She even knew about the times Sora would hide in his room, flirting on the phone with that great witch, Zola.
If Alice and Sora were a couple, did it happen before he became a Campione?
But back then, her Demon King was just a nameless nobody, whiling away his days. Princess Alice was a superstar in the world of magic, the former head of the Witenagemot and now a special advisor. Their statuses were worlds apart, not to mention the geographical distance. It was simply impossible!
Though she knew it was impossible and repeated it to herself over and over, Erica couldn't help but feel a sense of unease and panic.
Being Sora's first knight and first lover had always been Erica's greatest source of pride. Right now, she was terrified that what Princess Alice said was true, which would mean her pride, her glory, would be stolen away.
"Princess, that kind of joke isn't funny at all. With your status, aren't you afraid of tarnishing your good name?" Erica said, forcing herself to calm down, her expression dark.
Liliana and Ena also noticed the tense atmosphere. Seeing Erica's strange behavior, they knew her well enough to understand what was happening.
"Erica, do you think I'm joking?" Princess Alice asked, brushing back her platinum hair, her expression still one of graceful, calm amusement.
Erica's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't tell if the princess was being truthful or not. Her face grew darker, and her mood hit rock bottom.
If Erica were an impartial observer, her sharp mind would have immediately seen the truth. However, she cared for Sora too much—a feeling that surpassed everything else and had clouded her usually rational judgment.
Seeing Erica's state, Princess Alice's lips curled into a slight arc. Feeling she had teased the girl enough, she spoke again.
"My dear Erica, I wasn't lying to you. Sora and I are really good friends. I'm a girl, and he's a boy. A 'male friend' and a 'female friend,' don't you see?" she said, winking at Erica with an expression that seemed to say, Did you misunderstand something?
Silence. The scene suddenly became deathly quiet.
"Eh?!!"
Stunned, Erica finally came to her senses.
She had almost been driven mad by this infuriating princess. You're talking about a male friend and a female friend, don't leave out the most crucial distinction!
Although she was still glaring daggers at Princess Alice, Erica let out a long sigh of relief inwardly.
That wretched Princess Alice, how dare you tease me, Erica Blandelli! You just wait! she roared internally. Thinking back on her performance just now, Erica's face turned beet red with shame and anger.
It had always been she, Erica, who teased others. Today, she was the one who had been played for a fool!
Liliana and Ena couldn't help but stifle their laughter. The devious Erica had teased them more than a few times. It truly was a case of "there's always someone better."
Seeing Erica's frustrated and gloomy expression brought the two of them immense joy. The way they looked at Princess Alice was now filled with even more admiration.