Chapter 77: The reunion

「Seriously, I know that's not Adela but seeing that face, I can't help but get all defensive.」Said Ryuu while carefully studying the homunculus body, which was now inhabited by Reuk.

After having "resurrected" by Kibadios, it took Reuk a few minutes to fully regain the sensation of "his body" again. Instead of quickly getting some clothes to wear, the former elven archer elected to cloak herself in a large blanket, just enough to cover part of her body's impressive breast, while giddily trying to get used to having a body in the physical world by walking around the room.

「... You're … really… Reuk?」Ryan had simply not believed that his deceased childhood friend was now summoned back into this world.

「Of course I'm Reuk!」She grinned in the same manner that Reuk's old body used to do.「What? You don't believe me? Fine… How about I reveal something that only you and I know?」

「Something only us know?」

「Yeah, like how you wet your bed until you were ten!」Reuk spurted out, much to the hero's embarrassment.

「Shut up! It's not like you were any better!」Ryan's face was all red.

「Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? Maia chan is standing right there! What would she think about me if she knew I used to be a bedwetter like you?」Reuk angrily pinched Ryan's cheek.

「You're one to talk! Kibadios sama is just right there, too!」Retaliated Ryan with a cheek pinching attack of his own.

「... and they're now fighting just like brothers. You really were able to bring Reuk back, Master.」Maia let out a light chuckle as she watched the fight raged on.

「...Oh, by the way, did I ever tell you that Reuk was always trying to take a peek when you're naked from inside me, Maia?」Kibadios nonchalantly revealed the elf's behavior to the alchemist as he slowly sat down onto a wooden chair, knowing full well what such revelation would lead to.

「...」Maia smile suddenly turned murderous as darkness descended onto the room they were in, much like when Gandalf angrily scolded Bilbo with "Do not take me for some conjurers of cheap tricks." 「He did what?」

Noticing Maia's threatening approach, the pair quickly stopped fighting, with Reuk cowered against the wooden wall, trying to think of an excuse while his best friend simply smirked from the side, knowing the bloodbath Reuk was to experience.

「Maia… chan? I can explain… I can…Ryan, help me… Kibadios? Don't you just stand there!... ARGHHHHH」Reuk screamed in desperation, though it elicited no response from anyone in the room since they, too, would not dare to come in between the angry Maia and her prey.

「Well, now that Reuk got the punishment he deserves, let's get going!」After Maia finished "teaching" Reuk a lesson, Kibadios finally stood up and gave an order, though not one of them would understand.

「Go where, Master?」Yuusei tilted his head in confusion.

「No, you, Ryuu, and Maia can stay here.」The hybrid ruffled the mutant's head. 「This business only concerns Ryan and Reuk. I will come along with them, of course.」

「Concerning only us?」Ryan also did not know what Kibadios meant.

「... So, this is also the reason why you bring me back to the physical world?」The bloodied and poisoned Reuk grimmly asked since she had figured out what Kibadios wanted to do. A hint of anger could be heard from her usually cheerful voice.

「Yeah, partially.」nodded Kibadios.「I know I promised to seek revenge for you, but I figure you rather would like to do it yourself.」

「Revenge for Reuk kun?」Maia asked.「... Ah! You mean Desmond? Didn't you say Adela had already killed him?」

「No, he's still alive.」Kibadios shook his head.「He took advantage of the situation and crawled away like a maggot that he was. But I knew better so before I was trapped in Ryan's barrier, I had already discreetly summoned a spirit to monitor him. Right now, he's recovering from his wound, though I know exactly where he is. I figure Reuk and Ryan would like to personally take care of him, that's why I let him live until now.」Explained the Hybrid. 「Also, I want to take Reuk away from here for some time. Since he now occupies the body of Adela, it'd be bad if either Amber or the Princess find "Adela" walking around in this wood elf settlement. I don't even know how to explain to them about Reuk's existence.」

「That makes sense.」Ryuu nodded.

「You're right, Kibadios.」Reuk slowly stood up.「I'm itching to settle this.」

「... Are you sure you don't want us to come with you, Master?」Ryuu asked worryingly.

「The situation of the Vernys forest has yet to fully settle. I heard from Lord Uran that they are planning to elevate Yllaner to the title of Shilna's Clan Head soon, that's why they have called the elven twins who acted as the Forest's high shamans here, to conduct the ceremony. Anyways, until Yllaner successfully assume full control of Shilna and Vernys Confederation and quell any potential unrest, I'd like it better if you guys stay by her side.」

「I understand, Master…」

「Don't be worried.」Kibadios made his way toward the dragonoid and pulled him in for a reassuring hug.「This is not like the time I departed to deal with Adela. There's no risk involve this time, I promise, my adorable little dragon!」The hybrid's hand reached out to Ryuu's round, firm ass before giving it a squeeze then whispered into his ear.「I promise I'll take care of you once I get back… to make up for our lack of intimacy these past few days.」

「I… I'll be waiting for you, Master.」Ryuu timidly said while his face burned bright red and his cock slightly twitched in anticipation of his master's pounding.

「That's good.」Kibadios turned to Reuk and Ryan. 「Now, let's go! And Reuk, make sure to hide your face as we walk out of here.」

「Sure! Sure!」She dismissed the hybrid concern, prepared to confidently walk out of the room before being stopped short by Yllaner.

「Reuk! You're still fully naked!」

「... Ah… That's right.」

「Master!」As Maia pulled Reuk to the side, trying to find some clothes that might fit her, Ryan discreetly tugged on Kibadios' sleeve. 「... Thank you, Kibadios sama, for bringing Reuk back… I… I just can't than…」

「It's fine, my little hero-slave.」Grinned Kibadios before pulling Ryan in for a deep, wet kiss. 「Think of this as your reward for helping me deal with Adela… Besides, putting his soul into that homunculus body can help me get rid of his incessant ramblings while being inside me… HaoS is getting tired of him.」

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「... Ryan…」Reuk called out as both him and the hero effortlessly traversed through the dense forest by jumping through the tree branches like they were jounins from Naruto, while the hybrid leisurely flying up above, guiding them to Desmond's location.

「Yes?」Ryan turned to the homunculus body.

「I have been meaning to ask…You know what Kibadios will do… you know that he plans to personally carry out the "Harvest", eliminate 99% of lives and gather all the perish souls all by himself to deprive the Astrals of their source of fertilizer for Yggdrasil… you know that he will be no better than the Astrals themselves, yet you still chose to stand by his side?」Reuk awkwardly glanced at her childhood friend.

「... Yes.」It took the hero a few seconds, though his answer was without hesitation.

「And do you know that he pretty much does not care about the world? That his action did not stem from the desire to protect the future from further Astral's meddling but from his own desire for vengeance? That just like the Astral, to him, the lives of those in Esthar are nothing but pawns in his grand chess game against them?」

「I may be naive but I fully understand the implication of his plan, Reuk. Yet, I still want to be by his side.」Ryan coldly declared.

「Even if he's just another evil force? Even if he and the Astrals are nothing but two sides of the same coin?」Reuk raised her eyebrows.

「Yes… Don't try to convince me to betray Kibadios sama, Reuk. I'm no longer a hero that cares about protecting the fabricated world balance that was maintained by the Astral. I'm now merely Kibadios' loyal servant and no matter what happens in the future, I will always be by his side… Even if the path he's walking would lead us all toward an impending doom.」

「You've changed, Ryan.」noted Reuk with a faint defeated smile.「I guess there's no point in continuing this conversation… I wonder, though, if Kibadios ever order you to kill me, would you do it?」

「I…」

「Actually, you know what? You don't have to answer. Whatever your answer is, it would either hurt my feelings or piss off your lovely hybrid master up there, haha.」Reuk laughed it off.「During my first few conversations with him after he absorbed me, I was adamant that you would stop him if you were ever to break free of this <Hypnosis>… I guess I was wrong.」

「Will you ever betray him then? Stab him in the back?」Ryan asked. 「Even if he's the one who bring you back to this physical world, Reuk?」

「... I doubt that I can ever harm that monstrous hybrid you call "Master", so don't worry about it, Ryan.」Reuk smiled.「After having witnessed his past memories in person, I do sympathize with him… I just don't think his plan is the right way to solve this.」

「Then what will you do?」

「Heh, if there's something I learned after staying inside him for all this time, it's that I can change his mind.」answered Reuk with a grin.「He wants to believe that he's merely a cold blooded monster, but in truth, he cares about others more than he thinks he does. Granted, he was a cold asshole at first, but I'm pretty sure that was because he did not have any interaction with others for the first year of his current reincarnation. After he took in Rowan and Maia, then you, then Ryuu, then Yuusei, I think his supposed ice-cold feelings are melting down. That's why he protected you guys against the Prime Minister and that's why he's frantically looking for Rowan right now.」Reuk pointed to her own body. 「And my existence is the prime example of how much he cares for you, even if he acts like he doesn't. Such a tsundere. But I do hope that once he rekindles his feelings, he will rethink his plans. That's why I will stay with him and hopefully, I can somehow convince him not to carry his genocide. And it's not like I have any other choice since my existence is tied in with that jerk.」

「Don't call my Master a jerk!」Ryan frowned.

「Aww, look who's being so protective of his master.」teased Reuk.

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「Ouch!」The monk quickly touched his bandaged wound after angrily kicked the large pebble he found at his feet. 「It's been more than a week, yet it still fucking hurts. Damn it!」Desmond slowly sat down on top of a rock next to the fire pit he made the night before. The degenerate monk had spent days trying to get out of the Forest after having been stabbed by the Astral, yet, due to his injury, he has yet to exit from the forest. The place where he made camp, on the top of a large cliff, laid almost 100 miles from the edge of the forest so it would take the man another few days to reach Maeg's territory. He had hoped that the wound he received would start healing after he chucked down dozens of healing potions, yet, due to the nature of the blade, the wound still took forever to close up, which caused him to be delayed and still trapped in this god-forsaken forest, away from human towns that could help treating him more properly.「You fucking maggot! Is that soup ready yet?」Desmond frustratedly hurled a rock at the male slave who was preparing his food for him as order. The man, whose real name has not been called for more than a decade, shot his hated master with his bloodied eyes. Although Desmond was severely weakened, due to the slave collar the monk placed on him, the slave could not have attacked or harmed his master, even if he desperately wanted to. The one silver lining out fo the experience was the fact that due to his pain, the monk did not try to pin him down and mercilessly fuck him like usual, providing him with a slight window of relief that he could ever hoped for. Still, he knew this despicable master would soon recover and he would again bear the brunt of his anger. If there was one thing he learned during his suffering, it was that there was no happy ending that awaited him.

「Why would you worry about your meal, Desmond, if you're going to die soon anyways?」A voice cheerfully asked.

「Wha…」Desmond jolted for he knew the owner of this voice. For the voice belonged to the nightmare that he was actively running away from. 「How are you still alive?」Desmond looked up to the sky, screaming as he saw the hybrid flapping his wings. On top of his shoulder stood a bird-looking spirit, whose feathers were covered in white blue frosts.

「Well well well, it takes a few days, but we finally catch up to you, Desmond.」A female emerged from the woods, walking alongside with a pissed off looking youth.

「What? Adela sama? Why are you here?」Desmond was confused. 「Why are you with that hybrid and Ryan? What's going on?」

「I'm no Adela, Desmond.」Reuk cracked her finger. 「I merely borrowed this homunculus vessel.」

「What? Does it mean Adela sama lost?」The monk stood up while groaning in pain. 「Who are you?」

「I'm the one who recruited you to our little party a little more than year ago, don't you remember me?」Reuk was smiling, yet, it was a sinister smile that quickly sent chills down the monk's spine.

「Reuk!!!」Screamed out Desmond. 「How can it be?」

「I've been looking forward to our reunion for months, Desmond.」Reuk's Arte, which took the form of a conjured elven bow made from Nen, slowly appeared on one of her arms.

「Wait a minute… Wait a minute!」the monk panicked, though his extensive shaking movements had caused his wound to bleed again. 「Arrghhh…Maggot!! Fight them off for me! I command you to protect your master with your life! 」He knew Hayden, the slave that he kept calling "Maggot" would not be able to fend off the three standing in front of him even if he was in his prime years ago, let alone when he had been transformed into nothing but a punching bag for years. Yet, the slave should be able to buy him sometimes, even at the cost of his life, for Desmond's quick thinking mind to come up with an escape strategy.

「Ugh!」Although he did not want to, Hayden's slave collar quickly reacted to Desmond's command, forcing him to stood in front of Reuk and Ryan's wrath.「... Kill… me.」The man slowly uttered the first human speech he ever said in years, his eyes seemed to have given up on life…