Rien walked toward the window and pulled the curtains aside. Morning light flooded the room.
"Friday," he said calmly. "And somehow, every morning still feels good."
He turned around. Kuto was still asleep.
Rien stared down at him with a deadpan expression.
"Hey, Kuto. Wake up."
Kuto cracked one eye open and instantly threw a pillow.
"Don't disturb me."
He rolled over and buried himself under the blanket.
Rien sighed, caught the pillow in midair without even looking, and glanced at it.
"…I'm going for a bath."
He walked toward the bathroom as the pillow floated frozen in the air.
A while later, Rien came out wearing the outfit Lan Xia had prepared for him. He casually picked the pillow out of the air and placed it back on the bed.
"Wake up, Kuto."
Kuto groaned, sat up slowly, and rubbed his eyes.
"Good morning, Rien…"
He stood and shuffled toward the bathroom like a walking corpse.
Rien watched him go, unimpressed, then sat down.
"A great morning," he said flatly.
The door opened.
A beautiful girl entered, holding a plate of chocolate cookies and two cups of tea.
"Master, your breakfast."
She bowed slightly and placed everything on the table, smiling brightly.
Rien looked up at her, gently grabbed her hand, and pulled her closer.
"I need you to do something."
She nodded seriously.
"What is it, Master?"
Rien leaned in and whispered, his tone grave.
"You must hide my chocolate cookies in the secret shelf I made. Don't take them out unless I say so. And absolutely do not let people from other empires find them."
She straightened instantly, clearing her throat.
"I understand, Master."
She left as if entrusted with a sacred mission.
Kuto came out of the bathroom in his red outfit and sat across from Rien.
"I hope we win the battle," he said, sipping his tea.
Rien took a bite of a cookie.
"Don't waste your present worrying about a future that hasn't arrived yet."
Kuto nodded, then glanced out the window at the gathering forces.
"They look strong… and those girls are really beautiful."
Rien stood up calmly.
"Let's see what they can actually do."
They exited the clan grounds and boarded an aircraft.
"That's February," Kuto said, stepping inside. "And it already feels good."
Rien sat down and glanced at him.
"Do you even know where we're going?"
Kuto shook his head.
"No idea."
The door opened again.
A beautiful woman walked in confidently.
"Good morning. I am Xu Yi, commander of the Han-Huo Empire team."
There was authority in her voice as she sat down.
"So," Rien asked calmly, "where will the battle take place?"
Xu Yi smiled.
"Western Han-Huo Empire, near Ling City."
Rien leaned back and closed his eyes.
"I hope we arrive soon."
Kuto leaned forward.
"…Are you single?"
Xu Yi raised an eyebrow.
"I have two sons. One is your age."
Kuto instantly turned away, covering his face with the plate.
"Tell me when we arrive."
He passed out.
The aircraft landed on a massive field.
Rien stepped out and looked toward the enormous palace across the land.
"That's satisfying."
Xu Yi followed, smiling.
"I like this boy."
Kuto sighed heavily.
"I can't believe she's married… with kids."
Inside the palace, empire leaders, clan masters, and warlords sat overlooking the battlefield.
"It's going to be amazing," Kuto muttered.
Rien approached Miss Yin and sat beside her on a throne as if it were his own.
"Hello, my Empress."
She smiled slightly.
"Finally, you're here."
"Of course," Rien replied. "That aircraft was painfully slow."
Xu Yi spoke firmly.
"We must be ready. Failure is not an option."
Rien stood.
"I'll go first."
She nodded, clearly intrigued.
"I want to see what you're capable of."
Yu Shen landed in the battlefield, his cosmic energy crushing the ground.
"Come," he shouted. "Defeat me!"
Rien appeared before him in a flash. The shockwave shook the entire western empire.
Yu Shen snarled.
"Let's begin!"
He vanished and struck from behind—but Rien turned calmly, blue flames glowing in his eyes.
"Too slow."
In an instant, Yu Shen was slammed into the ground.
"So weak," Rien said.
Yu Shen healed himself, energy surging wildly.
"I am the strongest!"
"I don't care," Rien replied. "At least I never needed a penguin to motivate me."
Yu Shen roared and unleashed a massive cosmic attack. It passed harmlessly through Rien and devastated the land behind him.
People screamed and fled.
Rien's expression hardened.
"Let them leave first."
His presence alone sent Yu Shen crashing into a building.
A man ran up to Rien, desperate.
"Please—my wife is trapped! I can't save her!"
"What's her name?" Rien asked.
"Yun Li!"
Rien vanished.
Inside the burning building, he found her.
"Why didn't you run?"
"I can't," she said quietly, pointing to her legs.
Rien lifted her gently.
"What if we die?"
He smiled.
"Right now, you're in the safest hands in existence."
He returned her safely to her husband and turned back toward the battlefield.
Yu Shen was waiting, power erupting around him.
Rien looked at him calmly.
"Let's start again."
Yu Shen looked up at Rien, a cold, wide smile spreading across his face.
"I won't lose this time."
He rose to his feet as his cosmic energy erupted violently, ripping through the ground and tearing apart a massive section of Ling City. Buildings cracked, the land caved in, and the air itself seemed to groan under the pressure.
Rien looked down at him, a faint smile on his lips. He could feel the crushing heaviness of the environment, the distorted gravity created by Yu Shen's power—but it meant nothing to him.
"You are quite strong," Rien said calmly. "But still… you are nothing."
He stepped onto the shattered ground and stood directly in front of Yu Shen, their gazes locking.
Yu Shen's eyes burned as he released his cosmic energy without restraint. White light wrapped around his body like raging flames, surging higher with every step he took toward Rien.
"Ready to die?" Yu Shen said, his voice cold and serious.
Rien smiled.
"I see," he replied softly. "And this time, I'll break you so completely… you won't even be able to imagine what life used to feel like."