Walking through the capital of Velora, Ash and the two women were just admiring the differences between the two. This kingdom, like Solace and Voss, was unranked, yet it sprawled far richer and wider than Solace had ever managed.
White marble boulevards lined with floating crystal lanterns that burned soft azure, canals of liquid starlight running beneath bridges of living ivy, markets where the air itself shimmered with preservation arrays keeping fruits eternally fresh.
Towering pillars of pale gold and sapphire pierced the clouds; each crowned with deep-indigo banners bearing the silver crescent moon cradling a single blooming rose. The people wore flowing robes stitched with constellation patterns, and every corner had musicians playing harps strung with threads of pure mana. It was beautiful, prosperous, and blissfully unaware of the change soon to come.
Vaeloria's golden eyes swept the crowds with open fascination and growing unease.
'Just how long was I locked away? Nothing even looks the same…'
Then it hit her—no pointed ears, no scaled skin, no wings folded against backs, no tails but her own.
Only humans. Everywhere.
'By the primordials... what the hell happened to everything else?'
She was still processing when Nia's voice cut through her thoughts.
"What's your rank, Ashy?"
She couldn't read him anymore, and it was driving her insane.
Ash shrugged like he was mentioning the weather.
"A-rank. Nothing too major."
"Nothing major?!" Nia squeaked. "That's stronger than Mother and Father combined, and they're older than dust!"
Vaeloria's lip twitched. If those two were "old," then she was practically a fossil.
Ash shook his head, amused.
"Alright, enough sightseeing. Let's go take this kingdom for ourselves. We can explore more later."
"What's the plan?" Vaeloria asked, tails swaying with predatory interest.
Ash's smirk could have cut glass. "Well, since this is about to become our home base, I'll try the nice way first. Give them a chance to kneel politely."
Then his eyes flashed,
"But if they'd rather, do it the fun way… I've been itching for a real fight since Draven."
After a few moments the trio found themselves outside the gates to the Velora Palace—walls of moon-white stone veined with living silver, guarded by two sentinels in full rune-forged armor that shimmered like liquid starlight.
Ash's eyes flashed gold-pink.
[Name: Gavren Torvath – Captain of the Outer Guard]
[Rank: Late B – Existence Level 1,847]
[Name: Lirien Vozt – First Blade of the Gate]
[Rank: Peak B – Existence Level 2,312]
"Halt! State your name and purpose!" Gavren barked, leveling a halberd that crackled with lightning runes. Lirien's twin swords followed suit. Ash's casual smile never left his face.
The moment hostile intent locked onto him, both weapons exploded into glittering dust that rained across the marble like dying fireflies.
He tilted his head, voice light and mocking.
"Uhh, didn't your parents teach you anything? It's bad manners pointing those things at your future king."
Seeing this the two guards decided to attack. However the moment the thought crossed their minds, they collapsed to the ground.
CRACK.
CRACK.
The sounds of their cores shattering echoed like gunshots. Both men dropped unconscious, ranks plummeting to early E before they even hit the stone.
Nia's breath caught, golden eyes wide, heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with fear. Just seeing the display of power Ash was showcasing stirred something in her.
'I can't get complacent… If Ashy doesn't need protection anymore, then I'll stand beside him as his equal.... I have to get stronger.' She thought as her eyes narrowed.
Then the two women followed behind Ash as they walked through the gates. Ash smiled as he saw the look on Nia's face. This was exactly what he wanted. He could easily subjugate this kingdom in a blink, but he wanted to truly stretch his legs.
All while showing Nia he was truly powerful now. He didn't need her protection, just her presence. Although he might be an arrogant and lustful bastard, one thing he would never go for was his women being "housewives." No, he didn't need nor want that.
Although it was good spending time with one another, he didn't want them under his skin 24/7. He wanted them to have their own journeys, their own paths, all while having a peaceful home to return to.
So right now, he needed to make a statement. Not just to Nia, but to the lofty sovereign as well. Because as much as Vaeloria knew he was a monster… she didn't truly know yet. He needed them both to realize he could stand on his own, no matter what. So, with this in mind he smirked and said,
"Ladies, don't move a muscle. Just sit back and enjoy the show."
As he said this the trio barged into the palace of Velora under the eyes of collapsed guards and anyone who thought to have a hostile thought toward Ash. The entire time they walked he ignored the small fries as his brand did the work passively.
Just because of a mere thought, a few hundred cultivators—all B-rank and below—found their cores fracturing, and their bodies hitting the marble in perfect silence as they fell all the way back to mortal.
Ash never broke stride.
Today, Velora would learn who its new king was.
And tomorrow... just maybe the world would follow.