Dai Zhi promptly fixed his posture and recalled the killing intent when the sound of footsteps came from behind him. He recognized who it was before they even spoke.
"Micha, is it done?"
Micha stopped next to him, giving a respectful bow from the waist. Even at night he was wearing the gold-rimmed circular sunglasses.
"Yes. The Ether Beasts arrived safely just as Lord Inquisitor said they would. The distraction worked as intended since all the runes went straight for the tear he created. Although a fair few of the diseased creatures spilled out before it was dealt with. There was even a big one hidden amongst them that no one picked up on. I think we should keep an eye-"
Dai Zhi abruptly turned to face him. His eyes still held the iridescent shade of red and when Micha saw it his expression turned solemn.
"Are you okay? It hasn't stopped since then?"
Realizing that he couldn't hide the changes any longer Dai Zhi looked away. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling all kinds of scents from the soldiers below.
"No, that's why I need to feed again. Bring me the usual kind, at least a dozen."
Micha hesitated for but a moment before bowing to him again, "As you wish, brother."
A torrential whirlpool of blood appeared out of thin air and surrounded Dai Zhi from top to bottom. It became smaller and smaller and by the time it reached the ground Dai Zhi was nowhere to be seen.
It vanished as quickly and mysteriously as it had appeared, leaving Micha standing alone on the hill.
***
Three days ago. (CH 967)
The chaos leaked into the golden energy surrounding Hao Xuan and since Princess Ceni was close to him she could feel its effects better than anyone else.
The Chaos felt cold, disorderly and 'loud' all at the same time. There was just a little bit of it but she could feel it ever so clearly. Her own blood was calling out to it in fact. It felt familiar, like a pleasant childhood memory that she had forgotten.
But the golden energy was something entirely different. It felt new and exciting as if all her future was laid bare in front of her.
"YOU! STOP HIM, BRING HIM BACK OR HE WILL BE WIPED OUT OF EXISTENCE!"
Princess Ceni was awoken from her trance by the Grand Priestess who was shouting at her from the side. She looked at the barrier but didn't know what to do. Interfering haphazardly could do more harm than good.
"HOW?! I CAN'T GET ANY CLOSER!" she remarked.
"YOU CAN, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUSH THROUGH AND A NEW FUTURE WILL BE WRITTEN, ONE WHERE YOU BOTH ARE MEANT TO BE!"
'Meant to be?'
She reached out ready to pull back her hand at a moment's notice but it easily went through the golden energy barrier. There was some resistance at first but it vanished the very next second.
She stepped through and realized that the world outside had vanished. It was all cut off by the barrier. There was nothing and no one else other than her and Hao Xuan now.
She could feel his elevated heartbeat, the blood coursing through his veins. Never before in her life had she had felt so close to anyone, as if they were of one body separated a lifetime ago.
She had stared at that face for a thousand nights in that ship, talked to him about everything even if he wasn't completely there. It didn't matter, she had faith he would be hers in the end, he HAD to.
She bent down to hold Hao Xuan's face in the palm of her hands. The moment they came in contact with one another she saw a vision of their future together. She was standing on a balcony overlooking a city, a metropolis created by the union of magic and technology on which the sun set and rose at the same time.
All the roads below were filled to the brim with an uncountable number of beings. Millions upon millions of faces of all kinds of beings all looking up at her.
She looked to her right and saw Hao Xuan standing there gently cradling a newborn in his embrace. He was smiling at it and when he felt Princess Ceni looking at him he also met her gaze.
"He is perfect, my love. An heir to the throne, a symbol of our love," he whispered in a low voice so as not to disturb its sleep.
She reached out and held Hao Xuan's face just as she was doing in reality. Suddenly her eyes glowed with a crimson light as she stared into his unfocused gaze, unleashing the full strength of her bloodline, the succubus bloodline.
"You will be mine, always and forever, for all of eternity."
