ZZZZZZTTT—
The dark purple teleportation circle closed with a hiss, depositing Kaze, Morvana, and her servant creature, who still carried the unconscious Kin'iro. They arrived in an open courtyard within an ancient forest, greeted by two waiting men.
The first stood rigidly, his black hair reflecting glints of sunlight. His gaze was cold and emotionless, like a sheathed sword. The second sat casually on a large rock, his gloved right hand resting on a staff. His platinum-blond hair shone softly, and his faint smile radiated a formal, polite, yet simultaneously condescending aura.
"Well, Morvana?" spoke the platinum-blond man, his voice smooth yet authoritative. "Did you acquire what you desired?"
Morvana smiled, her pitch-black eyes gleaming. "Yes, Valen. I have obtained it." She pointed to Kin'iro's body. "And this special one will become a perfect child, complementing the collection I have gathered."
Valen nodded in satisfaction. "Good. He will be a very useful weapon later."
"By the way, Valen," Morvana continued with a slightly mischievous tone, "we happened to meet Kaze's little brother back there. And the moment the poor younger brother saw Kaze, without a second thought and with such a naive, angry expression, he attacked immediately. Of course, his foolish action was easily handled by Kaze. Unfortunately, Kaze didn't kill his weak little brother right then. If I were him, I would have finished off that weakling."
SHIIING!
A nagamaki was suddenly pointed at Morvana's throat, held by Kaze, whose face was dark.
"You remember my warning, Morvana," Kaze hissed, his voice low and lethally threatening. "It is none of your business whether I should kill him or not. Never speak of my brother, or anything related to my past, again. Or I will kill you."
Morvana merely smiled wider, slowly raising both hands in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, alright. I won't mention it again."
Kaze withdrew his sword and sheathed it with a rough motion. He then walked over to the black-haired man standing beside Valen and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for assisting our teleportation, Williams."
Williams only gave a cold nod, without a single word.
Valen, who had been watching, called out as Kaze turned and walked towards the forest edge. "Kaze, where are you going? There are still important matters we all need to discuss."
"I need some quiet for a moment, Val," Kaze replied without looking back, his steps unwavering until he disappeared among the trees.
Morvana let out a fake sigh. "It's just Kaze's habit. Every time someone touches on matters of his past, he gets emotional and leaves, using the excuse of seeking tranquility." She then turned to Valen, her eyes full of curiosity. "Valen, do you know about Kaze's past? Why is he like that?"
Valen smiled faintly, but his eyes remained sharp. "Morvana, everyone has their own secrets. You don't need to know." Then, in a firmer voice, he said, "Very well, let's begin our meeting. We'll proceed without Kaze for now."
---
Elsewhere, in front of the Nexus Gate ruins, Leon stood proudly before his entire assembled dark army. "Your task is complete," he declared in a resonant voice.
The dark army bowed in unison before their bodies condensed into smoke and vanished into the spatial cracks opening around them, leaving silence behind.
Nix, now returned to his human form, observed Leon's still-pale condition. "Alright, let's return. Since Leon is still too exhausted to help us teleport, we will fly. Climb onto my back."
Kazan, who was back on his feet though still somewhat unsteady, asked, "What about the Princess of the Asmodeus Kingdom and the others? Do we just leave them here? And one more thing, Leon and I actually recruited two new members. They're still unconscious here. Should we wake them first?"
Nix shook his head. "Regarding the Princess and the others, we'll leave them be. They have been healed, and surely troops will come searching for them later. As for our new members," he glanced towards the still-unconscious Veylin and Sylphine, "let them recover on their own. They will likely wake up during the journey."
Kazan nodded and promptly hoisted Veylin onto his back. Zephyr approached the mysterious figure X – Sylphine in disguise. As he lifted her body, a strange sensation washed over him—a familiar vibration, a faint connection that seemed to link his soul to the figure in his arms. His heart beat erratically, but he couldn't place the feeling.
Leon, watching from the side, smiled inwardly. If Brother Zephyr knew that the person he's carrying is his own sister, Princess Sylphine, he would be so happy.
Nix took a few steps back, his body suddenly enveloped in a blinding golden light. In an instant, a majestic Phoenix with feathers of fire and gold stood before them, its wide wings spread powerfully.
"Climb on," Nix's deep, echoing voice sounded in all their minds.
After everyone—Leon, Zephyr (carrying Sylphine), Kazan (carrying Veylin), and the fox-woman—was settled on his broad back, Nix beat his powerful wings.
WHOOSH!
With a powerful thrust, they shot into the sky, leaving Nocturne's End behind. The city slowly shrank, becoming a mere speck on the land below, as they flew away carrying their victory, their casualties, newly revealed secrets, and the seeds of conflicts that might sprout in the future.
=== CHAPTER 47 END ===