Ok so im going on vacation and I wont have internet for a week so im gonna have to set up the chapters for next week on a schedule release but I have no clue how that works so if it doesn't work right sorry ahead of time.
Chapter 59: Charybdis and plans
The battle had been raging for nearly an hour.
From a reinforced rooftop at the edge of the city, Varion and Rimuri watched as Tempest's forces clashed with Charybdis and its Megalodon familiars. Benimaru led the main assault with Hakurou and the Goblin Riders supporting him, while the High Orcs and Souei's clones worked to contain the lesser threats. Even from a distance, it was clear the fight was grueling. Charybdis's Magic Jamming neutralized most magical attacks, and its regeneration was absurd. The army was holding, but they were starting to tire.
Varion stood with his arms crossed, watching in silence. His instincts were quietly nagging at him to destroy it but it was a mild annoyance at best. They had agreed to let the army fight first and he'd stick to it.
Rimuri stood beside him, her expression focused as Great Sage ran constant analysis.
<
Rimuri let out a small sigh. "Yeah… I was thinking the same thing." She glanced at Varion. "You ready?"
Varion nodded once. "Let's end this."
Rimuri's golden-yellow eyes sharpened. "Greay Sage, Coordinate everything. I'll handle the restraint. Varion will deliver the finishing blow. Pull as much of Veldora's magicules as we need."
<
The shift was immediate.
A massive surge of storm-like magicules flooded into Varion. His body reacted on instinct. Scales of deep, stormy blue mixed with crackling lightning patterns spread across his skin, replacing his usual coloring. His crimson hair took on a faint bluish tint, and his eyes glowed with a mix of golden light and Veldora's storm energy.
Both of them stared for a second.
"Whoa …Your colors changed" Rimuri muttered, eyes wide. "They look like Veldora's."
Varion looked down at his own arms, just as surprised. "I didn't expect that."
<
Varion shook off the surprise and spread his wings. He launched into the sky.
Below, Rimuri raised both hands. GS guided the flow of power as she used a combination of spatial magic and her strings to restrain Charybdis. The massive sky-whale roared as invisible chains wrapped around its body, locking it in place mid-air.
Charybdis fought violently against the restraints, but Rimuri held firm, her expression calm and focused.
Varion hovered above the monster, power crackling around him like a living storm. His hands came together as he began condensing an enormous amount of energy. Pure stardust mixed with Veldora's storm magicules swirled between his palms, forming a devastating spear. Because it was stardust, Charybdis's Magic Jamming had almost no effect on it.
He took a deep breath, then unleashed the attack with a name he had clearly been thinking about for a while.
"[Stellar Dominion Tempest: Eternal Starfall Cataclysm of the Dragon Sovereign!]"
The spear that left his hands quickly turned into massive was a roaring lance of pure stardust and storm energy that tore through the sky. It struck Charybdis directly in the center of its body. The monster's Magic Jamming and regeneration were completely overwhelmed. The beam ripped through it with almost no resistance, carving a devastating path straight through just besides its core.
Varion hovered in the air afterward, looking particularly proud of his new attack. As he looked to rimuri for praise.
Rimuri stared up at him for a long second.
"…No," she said flatly. "Varion, just no. You are officially banned from naming attacks. That's final."
Varion's proud expression immediately deflated. His shoulders slumped as he slowly descended, looking genuinely sad like his hope and dreams had just been shattered.
"But…but I thought it was good," he muttered.
Rimuri didn't even give him any more time to sulk.
The moment the beam faded, she released the restraints and shot forward with perfect precision. Her hand plunged into the intact core of the monster. Great Sage guided her movements with flawless accuracy. She ripped the core free and immediately began separating the foreign presence within it.
Phobio's unconscious form was gently pulled out of the core and lowered toward the ground, where Ranga was already waiting to catch him. The core itself was absorbed into Rimuri without resistance.
Charybdis's remains dissolved into light and scattered across the sky.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Varion landed beside Rimuri, his form shifting back to normal as the excess Veldora magicules faded. The stormy blue coloring disappeared, returning to his usual appearance. He still looked a little sulky.
Rimuri glanced at him, then sighed and slipped her hand into his. "Come on. Let's go check on everyone."
Varion followed without complaint, still looking mildly offended about the naming ban.
-Two months later-
Tempest had finished repairing the damaged area, and life had returned to its usual rhythm. The army had grown stronger and more confident, just as Prinz had hoped.
Now, in the quiet living room of their residence, Rimuri, Varion, and Prinz sat together around a low table with several documents and maps spread out between them. The atmosphere was relaxed, but focused.
Rimuri leaned back slightly, tapping one of the papers with her finger. "I need to head to Blumund soon to finalize the trade agreements I talked about with Fuze. After that, I'm planning to go to Englasia to check on Shizu's students I've already put it off long enough."
Varion nodded without hesitation. "Alright. When are we leaving?"
Rimuri gave him a small, knowing smile. "We're not. You're not coming with me."
Varion blinked, clearly confused. "What? Why not?"
Before Rimuri could answer, Prinz stood up and walked around behind him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind in a gentle hug, resting her chin lightly on top of his head.
"Because," Prinz said softly, "Rimuri and I already talked about this. While she goes to Blumund and Englasia… I want to take you to see my homeland, Sarion."
Varion tilted his head slightly, still confused. "Your homeland? Sarion?"
Prinz nodded against his hair. "Yes."
Varion frowned lightly. "I thought we agreed that the two of us would stay here and help look after things while Rimuri handled the kids. We can't both leave at the same time for that long."
Rimuri shook her head, her expression gentle but firm. "Benimaru and the others can handle things here for a while. I trust them. This isn't just about me going to help Shizu's students." She looked at Prinz, then back at Varion. "This is important to Prinz."
Prinz's arms tightened slightly around him. For once, her usual confident and teasing demeanor was gone. Her cheeks had turned a faint pink, and her voice came out quieter than normal, almost shy.
"…I want you to meet my family," she muttered, burying her face a little more into his hair. "I want to be with you… the way you and Rimuri are together. But I want it done properly. According to my culture. I want my parents to know. I want them to approve."
Varion went still.
It took him a full second to process what she was actually saying.
Prinz wasn't just asking him to visit Sarion for a trip.
She was asking to introduce him to her family as someone she wanted to marry.
The realization hit him quietly. His eyes widened just a fraction as he turned his head slightly to look at her. Prinz's face was still flushed, and she refused to meet his eyes directly, clearly embarrassed by how vulnerable she was being.
Rimuri watched them both with a small, warm smile, clearly already knowing this conversation was coming.
Varion was quiet for a moment longer, letting the weight of her words settle.
"…Prinz," he said softly.
She finally peeked at him, still blushing.
He reached up and gently took one of her hands that was resting on his chest.
"You want to do it properly," he repeated, understanding now. "Meeting your family… getting their approval."
Prinz gave a small, shy nod.
Varion's expression softened completely. The confusion faded, He looked up and back at her then gently pulled her into a kiss after a few moments he pulled away staring her in the eyes.
"I see," he said quietly. "Then… we'll go to Sarion."
Prinz let out a small breath she hadn't realized she was holding and hugged him tighter, hiding her face again.
Rimuri reached across the table and lightly patted Varion's hand.
"See? I told you you had other plans."
Varion gave a small, slightly overwhelmed laugh and leaned back into Prinz's embrace.
"Yeah… I guess I do."