Ding...

"Congratulations! The Host has successfully absorbed the Heart of the Fallen! The second seal on the Host's bloodline has been undone!" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Ding...

"The Host's authority has risen!

New features have been unlocked."

Ding…

"Congratulations! You have completed the Main Quest.

[Claim the reward]"

One after another, numerous windows appeared, but I didn't pay them any mind. After a long time, my mind was finally at ease.

The rhythmic sound of my heart slowly returned to normal. The pair of wings on my back vanished, and my hair turned black again.

More than a minute had passed, yet Nymeria and I continued kissing each other, our lips moving in slow, deliberate motion, savoring each other's taste.

"Y-you two! Have some decency!" Ume's flustered voice echoed, drawing our attention.

She was still on the bed, her face burning red. She had covered her face with her hands but was still peeking through the gaps between her fingers.

"Decency? But we are only kiss—" I began, but my words stopped mid-sentence as my eyes drifted lower, scanning Nymeria's bare figure.

"Have you had your fill?" Nymeria asked sharply, narrowing her eyes at me.

"N-no, I wasn't trying to l-look," I blurted, quickly closing my eyes.

The flow of my Soulforce faltered, and both of us fell directly onto the bed.

---

An hour later...

"Th-thank heavens," Mother Lunaria cried, holding Nymeria in her embrace. "Forgive me, my daughter."

"Mumma, please do not say that," Nymeria replied gently. "I have never blamed you for anything. Moreover, it should be me asking for your forgiveness for the delinquent behavior I showed over the years."

All of us had moved to the upper room of the castle. Ume was sleeping on the sofa, resting her head on my lap. Nymeria, my mother, and Mother Lunaria stood near the bed.

Once Mother Lunaria parted from Nymeria, my mother stepped forward to hug her next.

"You have suffered so much, my child," Mother said softly. "If only I had not taken you with me, that day—"

"I wasn't the only one who suffered, Mother Aestra," Nymeria replied, wrapping her arms around her. "We all did."

After their emotional reunion, Mother Lunaria and my mother left the room, leaving me with Ume and Nymeria.

"What did you do to Ignis? How did you become so strong? How did you save me? I have a lot of questions," Nymeria said, sitting beside me. "I want to know everything."

"I also want to know," Ume demanded, opening her eyes.

"Go to sleep, silly. I will tell you later," I chuckled gently.

"No, I'm not tired anymore," Ume shook her head.

"Look at you two, being all lovey-dovey," Nymeria remarked with a side glance.

"Who was the one kissing in the air, completely bare, without a care in the world?" Ume replied with a sly smile.

"Sister Ume, I was the victim there!" Nymeria insisted loudly. "And please do not tease me. Aren't we on the same team?"

Ume's ears fluttered in excitement upon hearing Nymeria's words.

"Now that you mention it, you are certainly correct, Sister Nym."

Both of them looked at me with excited eyes and demanded,

"Now tell us the story of your adventure."

'Looks like I won't be resting for the whole night,' I sighed inwardly.

I began with how I punished Ignis, leaving out some of the more extreme torture I inflicted upon him. Nymeria listened silently, her hand tightly gripping my thigh.

"From now on, no one will lay a finger on you, Nymeria," I said, kissing her forehead. "That bastard does not deserve your worries."

"I'm not worried about him," Nymeria replied. "I just do not want you to stain your hands for someone like him. It would have been better if you had simply executed him."

After that, I told them the tale of how our small army conquered the fortress of Ironvale. The story continued with saving Father, teleporting the enemy army, and the final clash between the two forces.

I deliberately left out the parts about suffering from the Corruption of Death, losing Sovereign Lightning, and meeting Ume's parents.

"Wait a minute, you are telling me that in just two weeks while I was unconscious, you declared and won the Second Ultimate War, bringing the mighty Azure Sun Empire to its knees?" Nymeria summarized with widened eyes.

"Well, that is one way to put it," I chuckled.

"Haven't you become so dependable, my hubby?" Nymeria exclaimed, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Our hubby!" Ume added, hugging me from the other side.

"Oh, right, our hubby," Nymeria corrected herself.

Both of them narrowed their eyes, their smiles vanishing.

Nymeria's hand moved toward my side, where my arm should have been, while Ume fixed her gaze on my face.

"Why are you wearing a cloak?"

"Why are you wearing a face-changing mask?"

Both of them asked in unison.

I rose to my feet and said with a smile,

"I came directly from the battlefield, so I'm covered in blood."

"I'm exhausted from the long war. Rest for the night." I began moving toward the door, but was stopped midway as both Nymeria and Ume grabbed my cloak from behind.

"Do you think we only just noticed your strange clothing?" Ume muttered firmly.

"We didn't say anything because of Mother Aestra," Nymeria added.

"Take off your cloak," both of them said in unison.

"C-calm down, ladies," I said in a teasing tone. "I know we have been apart for a long time, but it's too fast for m—"

Before I could finish my sentence, Nymeria pulled the cloak off my shoulders while Ume grabbed the mask from my neck and removed it.

"Oh h-heavens," Nymeria whimpered, tears forming in her eyes.

"T-Taranis..." Ume murmured, her hand rising to cover her mouth.

This is why I was trying to run away, I sighed inwardly.

Beneath the cloak, my bare upper body was revealed, covered in numerous deep scars across my torso, each one seemingly lethal. A deep slash mark remained on my neck from the countless times Aruma had beheaded me.

Both of my arms were missing, and on my forehead was a deep horizontal scar, not to mention the cross-shaped scar on my cheeks and the vertical cut running from the corner of my lips.

"Haha... I must be looking hideous right now," I chuckled with a smile.