CH. 360: Loyalty

Asahi pulled back the spear before it blew up Ddraig's head. It shivered, revealing the shred of sentience it possessed. Looking at the giant spear trembling in his presence, Asahi folded his arms on his chest.

"Surprises never end with you." Ddraig threw her head back and guffawed. "Your growth is nothing short of a miracle, Asahi. Let me ask you again, what drove you so far? What keeps pushing you to these limits? What makes you break past them?"

Asahi smiled at her question. "My family. You won't understand it."

"Family."

It was a foreign word to her. Most dragons in the world were born from excessive magic power. She was one of those who weren't born from a parent. She did take some dragons as her kin before, but they ended up dying of old age. They simply weren't strong enough to fight against their fate.

"Will I be your kin once I become a part of your Emperor Gear?"

She was curious about his family now. Will she get strength from them like him?

Asahi blinked his eyes. "Is that a proposal?"

"Proposal?" Ddraig narrowed her eyes. She couldn't deny she was attracted to his strength. Every dragon prioritized their mate by strength. "Simple kin is enough for me."

She was too old to be mating and laying eggs.

"Your defeat is official. You'll fulfill your side of the bargain."

"I shall. Let's fight again in ten years."

"Ten years," Asahi whispered with a wry smile. She won't be able to touch him in one year, much less an entire decade.

"It was a part of our deal. I will help you for ten years, and you will recreate my body."

"Yup. Give me some time. I need to confirm if God has finished the tool."

Ddraig nodded and scratched the light spear with her nail. "Don't be down, little one. You showed commendable resolve in striking down your master's enemy."

Asahi stared at the giant spear wiggling like a pup.

'Another one of my creations goes to a fiery woman.'

"Guess I'll leave this one here."

"You're leaving this divine weapon here?" Ddraig questioned, looking at him like he was an idiot. "I can create thousands like it if I want."

Ddraig examined the spear again. It was full of vitality like a living being. "Creation and Destruction. We're opposite of each other."

"Not really. I enjoy both."

Or he wouldn't bother spending his time learning the art of crafting.

"Off I go then," he pulled himself out of the astral plane and returned to the room. He took the Astral Pod mechanism and teleported to God's workshop. The old man was writing some formula on the board.

"You showed up today," God mused with a smile. "You cracked that tough dragon nut?"

'She doesn't have nuts.'

He safely placed the pod in the corner. "Ddraig agreed."

"Splendid work. Let me add some royal touch on the gauntlets."

"Sure. I'll be spending some time with Sandalphon."

God turned around with a humorless grin. "You're giving that child a false hope."

"I mean I can take her if that's what she wants," he said with a shrug. "I'll let her make the decision."

He wasn't going to shy away from taking in an angel with pure feelings, especially one with a mature aura like Sandalphon.

God appreciated his determination with a nod. "Also, don't neglect Gabriel. You don't want to see her pouting."

"She is cute either way."

Giving a light nod to God, Asahi followed Sandalphon's aura to her home. He snuck past her door. Sandalphon practiced sword techniques inside a dojo. Her drenched golden ponytail swayed about, scattering droplets of shining sweat everywhere. Asahi leaned against the door, smitten by the anime-esque scene.

'A woman truly shines when they're having fun.'

For Sandalphon, it was growing stronger and protecting her home—Heaven. That alone was her purpose when God created her.

As if sensing his gaze, Sandalphon slowly turned. "Asahi, what… are you doing here?"

Asahi watching her in this state made her embarrassed as though her father had caught her skipping on her duty. Though it never happened, the entire scenario gave her that feeling.

"Just came to meet you."

Sandalphon took his reason at face value. "Let's have a rematch for our battle in the church."

Asahi's lips formed an amused smile. "You know you won't win."

"I never won against my father." Sandalphon returned a bright grin. "It only motivated me to become strong like him."

He conjured a longsword with his water element and solidified it with his life element. "Get ready for some teaching then."

Sandalphon almost shouted out of pure joy. She had been waiting for this fight since the day she lost to him. She tossed her dull practice sword and created a sword out of her light element. "I'll give my all."

Asahi blinked past her field of perception. As Asahi's afterimage vanished, she felt a cold blade on her nape.

"You took too much time."

After training Ais, Asahi came to enjoy 'teaching' others. He could bully girls, toy with them, then bully them more under the disguise of teaching. Wasn't it wonderful?

(Asahi-sensei! I-I failed my exam! Please punish me.)

'I'll be your sensei in bed tonight.'

Asahi drew back his sword and patted her head with his left hand. "We're not on the same level anymore. Would you like me to hold back more?"

Instead of being dejected, Sandalphon just flashed a dazzling smile. "Can you teach me, Asahi?"

It may be too much to ask from her future lord, but she had to do it. No one else could teach her how to grow past this roadblock except for her father. Her twelve wings restrained her in a cage that was Satan-Class. The growth she experienced over the hundreds of years couldn't compare to a week's worth of growth in Asahi's life. Her desires might insult her creator; they might remind him that she wasn't just a "tool."

"What will I get for this?" he asked with a smirk, obviously not aware of her thoughts.

"Um." Sandalphon blinked her eyes in a stupor. She hadn't expected him to ask something in return. "My eternal loyalty?"

"You won't be loyal to the future ruler of heaven?"

She gave a sheepish laugh. "Then my undying friendship?"

(M-My love, you're getting friendzoned!)

'Shit.'

"Give me your heart."

"Heart?" She looked down at her chest and patted her bust. "I can't live without my heart."

(Hahahaha.) Klyscha was having fun.

'Too pure and untainted. Another Gabriel.'