"Master..."

Veridia’s voice was much softer than usual, with a faint, almost imperceptible trace of attachment in its trailing note.

She gazed at Aster Grant, and deep within those cyan eyes surged an incomparably complex emotion.

Under the corrosion of the Slaughter Law, to be dragged back by Aster Grant at any cost...

Certain things that had long been buried were like seeds soaked through by rain, no longer able to hold back, breaking through the earth, growing clear and intense.

But she remembered.

Once, she had also mustered her courage and clumsily laid bare her feelings.

Yet what she received was not Aster Grant’s response!

Thus, she took a deep breath and pressed down all the love in her eyes.

"Master, thank you!"

She spoke again, her voice having recovered a measure of its former chill, only the faint tremor at the end betraying the unrest.

"If it weren’t for you... Veridia might have long since sunk completely into that endless desire for slaughter, never to return."

But when Aster Grant heard this, he slowly shook his head.

He took a step forward, opened his arms, and once again gently drew Veridia into his embrace.

His movements were so natural, his palm carrying a comforting warmth as it softly patted her back, one stroke after another.

"Veridia, don’t think so much."

"You are my Beastbond, I am your master. Saving you, protecting you, is only what I ought to do."

"Besides, I thumped my chest and promised your father and grandfather that I’d bring you back in one piece and as pretty as ever."

However, Veridia hardly heard a single word of what followed.

The instant Aster Grant’s warm palm pressed against her back, a current of warmth pierced through all her defenses.

A faint blush uncontrollably bloomed on her face, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.

This feeling...

So unfamiliar, yet so intoxicating.

Since childhood, she had always been the firmest shield in front of her younger sister.

She was used to hiding all her weakness, used to wrapping herself in a hard shell of strength.

But at this moment, in her master’s arms, she was for the first time so clearly experiencing what it was like to be unreservedly protected, cherished...

Even doted on.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Aster Grant’s profile just inches away.

The lines of his jaw were clean and sharp; there was still a faint weariness between his brows from the fierce battle just now, yet he remained so good-looking she couldn’t move her eyes away.

On a whim, perhaps it was the lingering Slaughter Law dulling her reason.

Perhaps it was the surging emotions breaking through the dam.

Or perhaps the atmosphere in that moment was simply too beautiful, too intoxicating...

She lightly rose on tiptoe, and her cool lips, like a butterfly sipping water, brushed his cheek in an instant—so fast, so light.

The moment that touch came, time froze.

Aster Grant’s hand, patting her back, abruptly stopped, his body tensing almost imperceptibly for a heartbeat.

Veridia was even more startled by her own action.

She jerked back, the flush on her face exploding all at once.

It burned from her cheeks down to her neck, as if steam might start rising.

Those cyan eyes, usually so cool and tranquil, were now round and wide, full of panic.

"M-Ma... Master! I—I didn’t mean to! I..."

She stumbled over her words, wishing she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

And just as embarrassment and lingering sweetness tangled together, a repulsive force suddenly acted on Aster Grant’s consciousness.

"Eh?"

Aster Grant only had time to utter a soft exclamation of surprise before the scene before his eyes blurred and began to spin.

The next instant, his consciousness was abruptly ejected from Veridia’s sea of awareness.

...

Outside.

While Aster Grant and Veridia were conversing, in the real world, a sudden change occurred.

After canceling the Demon Clan Contract, this member of the Demon Clan’s Power began to slowly enter Recovery.

Seeing that there was absolutely no hope of completing Veridia’s conversion, a hint of madness flashed through his eyes.

Since he could not turn this Ghost Race girl into his own combat strength, then he would annihilate everyone.

"Die!"

The instant his Power recovered, without any warning, his figure vanished from where he stood.

The next moment he appeared above Aster Grant’s Soul Body!

His five fingers curved into claws, and he viciously raked down toward the crown of Aster Grant’s skull!

So long as this strike landed, Aster Grant’s fragile Soul Body would be obliterated on the spot.

"Don’t even think about it!"

Lazuli, who had been locking onto his movements without pause, reacted the instant his figure stirred!

"Divine Protection! Absolute Defense!"

"Wong—!"

A dazzling golden spherical shield, flowing with runes of the Supreme Guardian Law.

It expanded instantly with Lazuli at its center, enclosing her and the bodies of Aster Grant and Veridia behind her all within!

"CLANG—!!!"

The Demon Clan’s claws slammed viciously into the Golden Shield, emitting a loud, metallic ring like clashing steel!

Yet this strike, into which that Demon Clan member had poured all his Power, had no Function whatsoever before this Golden Shield.

"What?!"

His blow having failed, his body was flung back several zhang by the force of the rebound, his face full of shock!

"How is this possible?! How can a Totem Tier Two Angel block my attack?"

He stared fixedly at the slowly dissipating Golden Shield, the contempt in his heart vanishing in an instant.

Lazuli’s gaze was just as solemn.

She knew the true trial was only now beginning.

Divine Protection could only be activated once.

From here on, she and Vera would have to rely on their own strength to stall this Demon Clan member!

Except...

With Aster Grant’s Power boosting them, the strength of the two of them could barely match the Totem Ninth Tier.

Now that Aster Grant was still unconscious...

The two of them could only rely on their own Power!

At this moment, the Demon Clan member also snapped out of his shock.

His scarlet eyes narrowed as he carefully checked Lazuli’s Status.

No...!

After such an attack, it seemed this Angel could only use that ability once!

Realizing this, he let out a cold laugh.

"So that’s how it is!"

Before his voice had died away, the Demonic Qi around him surged again, even more terrifying than before!

"Since you’ve ruined my plan, then you can all die together!"

The next moment.

The dense Demonic Qi turned into dozens of pitch-black spears.

They tore through the air, pouring down like a storm toward Lazuli, Vera, and Aster Grant behind them!

Upon them was condensed the full Power of the Totem Ninth Tier.

Lazuli and Vera pushed their own Power to the extreme, attempting to intercept.

"Boom boom boom—!!!"

The Demon Spears crashed one after another into the Holy Light Barrier and the Vine Net, erupting in a series of thunderous blasts!

Lazuli let out a muffled groan, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her lips, her delicate body swaying—she was clearly holding on with great difficulty!

Vera’s vines were torn and corroded by large numbers of Demon Spears, and her face too turned pale.

Facing the enraged strike of a Totem Ninth Tier.

Even though Lazuli and Vera both had very strong Talent, it was not something the two of them could easily withstand!

"Hahahaha! Like a mantis trying to stop a cart!"

Seeing this, the Demon Clan member burst into wild laughter, preparing to unleash an even stronger attack and bring this battle to a final end.

Yet in that very instant—

Veridia, who had kept her eyes tightly shut and was being shielded behind by Lazuli and Vera with their lives, had her long lashes tremble ever so slightly.

Then those eyes, now rippling with a newborn dark-gold radiance, slowly, fully opened.

...

...