Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

The calm, soothing voice of a woman filled the skies. She didn't appear, but the solidification of the environment told a tale of just what kind of standing she held.

This wasn't the Phoenix Queen. It was the Mother of Phoenixes, an Ancestor who stood above even the former.

The fact that she had to appear spoke all the words that needed to be said.

Eska didn't reply, instead looking toward Ryu. But Ryu only smiled as though telling his wife to have her fun if she so pleased. It was only then that she deigned to speak, and the subtlety of their actions couldn't escape the sights of the sharp.

"Juniors shouldn't hide barbs in their words, and they should respect their elders," Eska said lightly.

The Mother of Phoenixes paused.

"I think that we can forgive a child for making assumptions considering who your husband is, no?" she finally said with the same gentle tone.

"I see where your disciple learned her tone from. Unfortunately, one day, this will get her killed. As for those here…" Eska swept a glance, her pressure making the juniors feel as though they couldn't even withstand her gaze. "… Your words seem to imply that they stand on the same level as my husband. Nothing I've seen proves that to be the case."

After speaking these words, Eska turned away, ignoring the happenings and focusing her attention on the family around her.

The light chuckle of the Mother of Phoenixes echoed and then she too vanished. There was nothing more to be said. Even if Ryu wasn't already an enemy of those here, those words would have certainly made him one.

But Ryu himself didn't seem to have noticed at all.

The Phoenix Princess slowly regained her calm, her wings wrapping around themselves until she shrank back down to human form, her gaze sharp for a moment before receding in a placid chill.

She gazed not toward Eska this time, but Ryu. It was hard to tell exactly what she was thinking, but her playfulness had vanished as well.

Xalvador's eyes narrowed and the situation seemed to only grow more tense. The only people who seemed to be having any fun at all were those around Ryu, but even Ryu himself seemed to be slowly growing more focused.

As time ticked by, and more, much less substantial groups finally managed to complete the trek across Existence, Ryu was finding it harder and harder to suppress his urges.

At that moment, Ryu felt a small hand slip into his. He looked down to find that Elena was smiling up at him, her lips spread into a happy curve.

"What is it?" Ryu asked.

"You're happy," she said, the sweetness practically overflowing from her eyes.

"Am I?"

"I can see it. I've never seen you so happy."

Ryu smiled. Yeah, maybe he was.

It was about time that he displayed his might to the world.

"Do you want to go?" Ryu asked.

Elena looked to the Title Stele. "… Not really, you know I don't like to fight."

"But you will?"

"Yes."

"And why's that?"

"Because I don't want to be useless to you."

Ryu brushed a thumb across her cheek before he looked up toward her family in the far-off distance. He swept by her mother, then her father, then his eyes locked with her little brother. He had never met the latter of them, or her mother either, but it only took him a glance at Fate to see through them all.

"You don't need to," Ryu said softly. "You can if it makes you feel better. But it's entirely unnecessary."

Elena smiled. "Okay. Then I won't."

Ryu chuckled. As happy as Elena thought he felt, he was far happier to hear her say such words. It meant that she was willing to trust him with her future. And what more could a husband ask than that?
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He could imagine how much blood, sweat, and tears she had put into the last several years… but cultivating was never her ambition. Her love for Ryu and her hope to make something better of herself for his sake was what had kept her going. She also didn't want to be a burden or a stain on his legacy.

Would she be the reason her husband was one day looked down upon by others because she was too "weak" for him?

But since her husband had said such words, there was truly no need.

His meaning was quite clear… with him here, was there a need to worry about such things?

"But hubby…"

"Hm?" Ryu looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"I want a baby too," she said with sparkling eyes.

Ryu erupted with laughter, his booming cadence trembling the otherwise silent atmosphere.

"Whatever my wife wants."

Elena's eyes glowed and she practically skipped over to Hope, a devious light in her eyes.

Of course, she would be asking for one of Hope's pills. But what Ryu didn't expect was that Elena was the only one. In fact, Eska also politely asked for one.

Ryu chuckled. It seemed that he would have his hands full very soon.

Selheira and Mae didn't ask for one. And technically, neither did Isemeine. She and Eska might share the same body, but they wouldn't be pregnant at the same time.

But he didn't take offense to such a thing. His wives were their own people and they had their own ambitions. Those three… were still quite eager to grow stronger on their own.

However, this wasn't the stage for them. They would be returning to his Inner World.

On this day, he would well and truly be letting loose.

One after another, his wives kissed him goodbye and returned to his Inner World. Then, standing in the vast expanse, completely alone, his blood erupted.

Ryu's gaze swept across the skies until he landed on the World of Rocs, his gaze sharp. A grin spread across his face as memories pulled on his heartstrings.

Reaching up, he patted Little Gem and then put her away as well even after a little protesting on her part.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, his bones crackling with the might of thunder.

WHOOOSH!

A strong wind buffeted the surroundings as the pulsing lights of the Title Stele spread out in all directions.

It was well and truly time now.

Ryu took a step forward and vanished before anyone else could say a word.