Athena spoke in a calm tone, looking toward him: "Were you able to obtain the Sword of the Lords of Destruction?"
Yuta did not utter a single word in response; the power of the sword prevented Athena's voice from reaching him—a clear sign that he had finally secured the Sword of Death.
She let out a sigh of relief, clenching her hand tightly. She was finally free, and after millions of years of being trapped in the mortal realm, she could now exact her revenge upon the Higher Rulers.
She turned her gaze toward Yuta as he approached. He paused before her, returning the Sword of Death to a pocket dimension—paying no mind to the tremors shaking the dungeon—and said in a calm tone: "Of course. I came here specifically for it; there was no way I'd let it slip through my fingers. Besides, we need to leave—this place is collapsing."
"Also, regarding the monsters in your world—why did you seal their power so severely that even the strongest among them were only Rank XXX? A Rank X hunter could easily take them down. But don't worry; I've broken the seals. They'll return to their true level of power now."
Athena remained silent, unable to offer a proper answer to his question. Had she done it because she wanted to follow the original narrative, or had she simply come to accept her own fate? After all, she was the embodiment of the concept of Death—not of the end itself. Elsewhere, Yuta watched her with a calm gaze and a faint smile, then came to a halt in the middle of the path.
Speaking in a tone dripping with sarcasm—which earned him an annoyed look from Athena—he remarked, "I just remembered we have a teleportation ability; why don't we use it?"
As he spoke, another explosion rocked the area, causing the very fabric of reality to fracture rapidly. Yuta immediately grabbed Athena's hand.
Without a moment's hesitation, he triggered an instant teleportation. They reappeared outside the "Tomb of the Rulers" dungeon, only to find a large crowd gathered—including high-ranking hunters of classes X, XX, and XXX. The King and his son stood among them, watching the pair with calm, composed expressions.
The area was packed with powerful hunters and residents of the city of Ghasmburg. Feigning surprise and confusion, Yuta asked, "Why is everyone standing by the gate? Is something strange going on?"
No one replied; they were all too stunned by the sudden disappearance of the Tomb of the Rulers dungeon.
Loud whispers began to ripple through the crowd. Athena found the commotion deeply irritating, while Yuta remained entirely indifferent.
"The Tomb of the Rulers dungeon—destroyed by a young man and a woman, both looking to be in their twenties!"
"That's one of the most dangerous dungeons in the world! How could they possibly have destroyed it in under three hours?"
"It seems some terrifyingly gifted individuals—previously unknown—have emerged this year." ...........….....…
......….......
.........…...…
Yuta glanced back toward where the gate had once stood, feigning surprise to preempt any unnecessary suspicion or doubt. "Really? Yes, as you can see."
Turning his gaze toward the King, he spoke in a loud, enthusiastic, and joyful tone: "Your Majesty, I heard that the reward for clearing the 'Tomb of the Rulers' dungeon is two million platinum coins—is that true?"
Both the King and his son looked visibly shocked as they listened to Yuta's exuberant, cheerful words. The King replied in a calm, yet clearly stunned and bewildered, voice: "Yes, Yuta. The Kingdom did indeed set a reward of two million platinum coins for whoever could successfully clear the Tomb of the Rulers dungeon."
Raising his voice with great excitement—drawing the attention of everyone present—the King continued, "Yes, that reward belongs to the one who clears it—and you managed to clear it in under three hours! You have truly accomplished something magnificent, something that commands great respect."
All eyes turned toward Yuta Casiral. Inwardly, however, he scoffed, "Nothing but useless fools, gathering around someone else's success. Still, let them continue; building this kind of reputation will prove useful to me. Hahahaha!" He turned his gaze toward Victor, the ruler of the city of Berhais, and asked in a calm tone, "Well, when will I receive the reward for clearing the 'Dungeon of the Rulers'?"
Some time had passed since the destruction of the Dungeon of the Rulers, and Yuta had already collected the reward for conquering it. As they wandered through the city of Berhais, Athena wore a calm expression and a warm smile. Yuta, who was walking beside her, remarked, "Athena, you need to get some new clothes; your current attire is drawing suspicion."
Athena looked surprised, then realized that her garments—typical of the Rulers—were unfamiliar to ordinary humans. Moreover, people kept glancing her way from time to time.
She spoke in a quiet, slightly frustrated tone—a Ruler, now compelled to purchase clothing from the mortal realm.
They headed toward a nearby clothing shop—one of the finest in the city of Berhais.
As they walked through the store, Yuta said calmly, "Go ahead—choose whatever you like."
Athena did not say a word. She had remained silent ever since leaving the dungeon, feeling as though she were unable to speak to anyone. Having been trapped in total isolation for millions of years, it was only natural that she would struggle to converse with another being so soon—even if she herself was an absolute entity—with the sole exception of Yuta, with whom she had been forced to communicate. Yuta sighed in frustration and headed toward a staff member, all while under the gaze of Athena, who felt deeply annoyed by her own inability to speak.
She let out a long, deep sigh as her energy surged throughout her body; she managed to resolve her own psychological block by effectively extinguishing the very concept of such a block within herself.
She turned her attention toward Yuta, who was speaking to the staff member with great respect—a gesture that left the woman momentarily stunned. Yuta was exceptionally handsome, and on top of that, news had already spread of how he had completely destroyed the "Dungeon of the Rulers' Tomb" in a mere three hours.
"Excuse me, could you please help her pick out some clothes? She's quite shy."
She shifted her gaze toward Athena, then back to Yuta, and said in a calm, respectful tone, "Very well, I shall assist her. Mr. Yuta Caseral—and you, miss—it is a pleasure to meet you."
Athena studied her for a few moments before speaking in a quiet voice—a sign that she had overcome her inhibitions sooner than expected, which Yuta found quite convenient. "My name is Fredika, though I am called Athena."
The shop assistant clasped her hands together before her face, offering an engaging, professional smile—realizing, to her relief, that this would be far less difficult than she had anticipated. "Right then! Let's find some outfits that suit you perfectly," she said, leading Athena deeper into the shop.
Athena followed without a word, intent on acquiring new attire, while paying no mind to Yuta, who made his way toward a nearby seat.
Five hours later, the selection process was finally complete. They found Yuta reclining on a bench, staring up at the ceiling with an expression of deep regret—cursing the very moment he had decided to buy clothes for Athena. For his mortal body, those five hours had felt agonizingly slow.
Athena reached out and tapped his forehead gently. Yuta glanced at her with a flicker of mild annoyance, then stood up and headed toward the checkout counter, where the same assistant was stationed.
As Athena tucked her new garments away into his personal dimensional storage space, Yuta asked, "Now then—what is the total for these clothes?" The shop assistant nodded calmly, signaling for them to wait a moment, then began tallying the cost of the clothes with lightning speed. A few minutes passed before she spoke in a gentle tone, handing the bill to Yuta: "That will be 10 platinum coins."
Yuta produced the 10 platinum coins, casting an annoyed glance toward Athena—who pointedly avoided his gaze. In truth, he wasn't really bothered by her; rather, he used the moment as a pretext to keep a close watch for any suspicious activity from those lurking in the shadows. "Very well—here you go. Apologies for the trouble."
The assistant placed the coins into the till and said cheerfully, "Not at all! Thank you for visiting our humble shop, Master Yuta and Lady Athena."
Athena shot the assistant a sharp look. *Humble? Are you kidding me? Where exactly is the 'humble' part? I don't see it!*
Yuta pulled her along—Athena was glaring at him, clearly unimpressed; to her, as a supreme ruler, these clothes were utterly trivial. Yuta offered a calm farewell to the bewildered assistant: "Goodbye."
An hour later, Athena and Yuta were making their way through the city, heading back home.
Without looking at her, Yuta asked in a quiet, steady voice, "Did you like the clothes?" Athena sighed, lowering her head—marks from a beating still visible upon it, a single tear rolling from her left eye—after having refused to wear the clothing she deemed trivial and cheap. "Yes... it is truly beautiful."
A few minutes later, Yuta and Athena arrived home.
Looking toward Siri, Liri, and Kira—who were playing together—Yuta spoke: "Siri, she will be looking after you while I'm away. I've changed my mind; we're going to live here. Furthermore, I've asked the Duke to prepare a mansion for us, and we'll be moving there next week—alright?"
Athena remained silent, her gaze fixed on Siri. She could sense a pure, destructive power emanating from her, while the energy radiating from Liri and Kira was beyond her comprehension.
Yet, her attention remained locked on Siri, who felt hauntingly familiar.
As she pieced together fragmented memories of the one person who had chosen to stand by her side against the Rulers during the first Ragnarok War, she wondered to herself, "Could she be the Supreme Ruler of Destruction, Higurashi? She bears a striking resemblance... though her power seems unstable at the moment."
Her thoughts were interrupted by Yuta's voice. He was gently stroking Siri's hair, drawing everyone's attention. "Get to know her—this is Frederica, though she goes by the name Athena. She is the Dungeon Master of the Rulers' Graveyard."
Yuta's tone was warm, yet his words struck them like a bolt of lightning. They spoke in unison, their voices filled with shock: "Are you serious, brother? You defeated the five strongest fighters—ranked X, XX, and XXX—three mages and two warriors—and you actually managed to overcome them?"
Yuta replied in a calm tone, glancing at them from the corner of his eye—a gesture that put their hearts at ease: "Don't be afraid. She's actually a very kind person. She was forced to remain inside the dungeon due to a curse, much like what happened to you two, Siri and Kira."
Siri stared at him for a few seconds before approaching Athena—hesitant and slightly fearful—and, clutching at her clothes, said, "Since my brother says you're kind, I'll trust him... but stay away from him! He's a good person."
Athena knelt down to her eye level and gently patted her head, saying, "Oh, there's no need to worry. My job is to look after my adorable little angel, Siri."
End of flashback.
Athena opened her eyes and gazed up at the crimson moon. She rose to her feet with a faint smile, then descended from the mansion's rooftop into the interior.
"It's been nearly a year since I became a member of the Casiral family," she mused to herself, her tone quiet and reflective. "Time flies so quickly."
Noticing Siri entering Yuta's room, she walked over and guided her back to her own quarters. She then entered Yuta's room, only to find her climbing into his bed and burying her face against his chest—smiling, though only half-awake. Seeing this, she offered a faint smile of her own before slipping out of the room, murmuring, "Good evening, Aunt. Good evening, sister Siri."
The following day, July 15, 675, at 8:30 AM, Yuta's room remained dark; the curtains were drawn tight, not allowing even a sliver of light to filter inside.
Yuta was in such a deep slumber that he had overslept his usual wake-up time by three hours and forty-five minutes—a fact that left both the servants and Athena quite puzzled.
Gia, too, was taken aback, as she was accustomed to seeing him complete his training sessions between 5:00 AM and 7:05 AM. Yet, despite this, there was a strange sense of comfort within him, accompanied by a terrifying power surging through his being.
She decided to let it go; after all, the place they had visited was so bizarre that she suspected Yuta might have been affected by it—which was hardly surprising, given that the venerable "Great Story-Merchant" Stefan Telmore was an immensely powerful figure.
Back in his bedroom, Yuta opened his crimson eyes, feeling refreshed and alert. His slumber had been brief—only eleven hours. Yet, his attributes—speed, strength, perception, and the rest—had all dropped to zero, leaving him completely unable to sense his surroundings. Fortunately, they were returning to normal at a rapid pace.
As he leaned back against his pillow, he felt someone embracing him. While his attributes continued to recover over the next few seconds, he pulled back the covers to find Sira, who was clinging tightly to his arm.
He offered a faint, gentle smile, then—pretending he hadn't noticed a thing—he lay back down and pulled the covers over himself once more.
The current summer break, which would span three years, promised a mix of complex challenges, minor troubles, and, ultimately, some well-deserved rest. There was no immediate danger or critical flaw to worry about just yet; they still had those three years ahead of them. Moreover, the adversaries they would face later on would be far more formidable than 99% of the opponents they encountered today.
He turned his gaze toward Sira, who was beginning to wake. She looked at Yuta, rubbed her eyes, and let out a yawn, before resting both of her hands upon his chest. He watched her in silence as she sniffed his clothes, her eyes only half-open. In a semi-conscious, dazed tone, she muttered, "Brother Yuta, why do your clothes smell like a woman? Have you become some foolish womanizer? If you love them, marry them—don't just keep them as lovers. It's ridiculous."
Yuta said nothing, merely looking at her. He had, in fact, just embraced the Most Venerable Blessing of the Heavens, Islabith—his own mother. Was he supposed to marry his mother to prove his love for her? Certainly not.
He flicked Seri on the forehead, finding her suggestion both absurd and nauseating. While Yuta was prepared to do anything to further his own interests, marrying his mother—the Most Venerable Blessing of the Heavens, Islabith—would only result in his head being severed by his own triplet siblings. Besides, he had no interest in incestuous relationships.
Seri clutched her forehead, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Yuta ignored her completely, which only fueled her growing rage and frustration.
She began pummeling his chest with her fists. Yuta looked on with a hint of mockery, until she delivered a blow infused with pure energy of destruction. Taken aback for a fleeting moment, Yuta caught her fist.
Though the strike wouldn't harm him, its nature as pure energy of destruction meant it would warp the reality around them; had he carelessly deflected it with his own body, the surrounding world would have suffered the consequences. Realizing the situation, Seri looked at him, tears streaming down her face as she pulled away from Yuta. "I'm a terrible sister! I tried to kill you again! Waaaaah!"
Yuta watched her with a calm expression, his mind drifting back to that day—the time she had tried to kill him while they were at the Casiral family estate.
He hadn't been upset; in fact, he had felt a sense of joy in that moment—a feeling sparked by what he had discovered within the embrace of the Casiral family—something the Yuta who had become the prophesied hero for the realms of humans, dragons, demons, and celestials would have found impossible to believe.
Flashback
As Yuta was gathering his belongings, he sensed a dark energy—a power of destruction—permeating the entire mansion. Its source was a room nearby. Puzzled by this ominous presence, he remarked in a calm, steady tone, "That is the sealed power of a supreme 'Ruler of Destruction.' What is an entity of the ORR-05 rank doing here?"
"Hyun, can you tell me who this energy belongs to?"
[Well, the source of this destructive energy is Seri Casiral, the youngest daughter of the original body's family. She is ten years old. Her origins—and any other details about her—remain unknown. I only have information covering the last ten years, from her birth until today—the same information that you, too, possess.]
[Yuto, I must head to your other half now; he might be a bit confused.] "Hahaha, goodbye."
Yuta stared at the system interface before dismissing it. He immediately left the room, moving with a light, steady pace toward the source of that "energy of destruction"—an energy that seemed uniquely tied to […]. He surmised that it would prove useful for his future plans; the fact that its origins were unknown suggested it had a history that predated the fantasy world they currently inhabited.
Furthermore, Barko—who was, at least in name and on paper, her relative—was a vile wretch who took pleasure in beating her. Yuta saw this as the perfect opportunity to step in and play the role of the heroic savior.
Inside Siri's room, Barko was delivering brutal kicks to her. Energy of destruction leaked from her body, though Barko remained oblivious to it—had he sensed it, he would have fled long ago.
Shielding her face with her arms, Siri cried out, "Barko, stop! Please, stop! I haven't done anything to you—why are you treating me like this?"
A look of twisted amusement crossed Barko's face as he listened. He delivered a powerful punch that sent her flying several meters, slamming her into a wall; blood began to stream from her head.
In a voice dripping with both contempt and mockery—evoking a surge of intense rage and hatred within Siri—he sneered, "What's the matter, you son of a bitch? Did your family just exist to serve as a sacrifice for us? You're nothing but nauseating trash." "Don't worry; you'll make a suitable concubine for me once you're older—just as my father did with your mother. He kept her for four years before casting her into the underworld as a sacrifice to its ruler, destined to serve as his sexual slave there as well."
Siri's face froze in shock as she listened to Barkwa's words. Suddenly, an aura of pure destruction erupted from her body—so intense that even Barkwa could sense it. It was a frigid, overwhelming force of ruin and devastation, striking him with such terror and astonishment that he collapsed backward onto the ground.