Chapter 501: What kind of power is this?
"What kind of power is this?" The Judge said in utter surprise.
"This is our composite power: the Eternal Flame, Hellfire, the Power of Devouring, and infinite energy." The overlapping voices of the four women spoke from the mouth of The Composite Being.
Hearing their words, The Judge's white eyes lit up for a moment.
"The power of fusion! Truly a surprising power. To be able to push me to this step, you are truly worthy of pride!"
As it spoke, The Judge's white lightsaber rotated half a circle in its hand, shifting the tip from pointing upwards to pointing downwards.
Its body squatted slightly, center of gravity forward, and the sword in its left hand pointed obliquely at the ground.
"Next, you are going to die!" With that said, The Judge's body turned into a streak of white light and vanished on the spot.
Meanwhile, 2B and the others' bodies turned into a crimson red light and vanished as well.
The two lights collided in the center of the Chaos Space.
In the collision, the white light and red light exploded into an energy sphere several kilometers in diameter, intertwined with red and white.
On the surface of the energy sphere, pale blue flames and dark red lightning leaped, and spatial cracks constantly appeared and healed.
Wanda was at the edge of the Chaos Space, pressing her hands against the spatial wall. Her lips were moving, silently reciting spells to reinforce the space.
Her body was trembling, and her Chaos Magic was being torn apart by the power of the energy sphere, but she did not let go.
Inside the energy sphere, The Composite Being formed by 2B and the others and The Judge were trading blows at a frequency of thousands of times per second.
The sound produced when 2B and the others' light blade collided with The Judge's white lightsaber was not metallic, but rather a high-frequency tremor during energy annihilation.
The frequency of the tremor exceeded the limit that the Chaos Space could transmit, and all sounds were compressed into silent, visible ripples that spread outward from the collision point.
2B and the others' speed was increasing.
From the initial three thousand swords per second to five thousand swords per second now, The Judge's speed had nearly doubled.
However, the strength of the four people after fusion had reached a qualitative leap, so their speed increased even faster.
From three thousand swords per second to seven thousand swords per second, every single slash she made was faster than the last.
Cracks appeared on The Judge's white lightsaber.
It was not cut out, but rather the cumulative damage inflicted by The Composite Being's flames on the sword body.
The scorching of the Eternal Flame, the soul erosion of Hellfire, the energy absorption of the Power of Devouring, and the continuous output of infinite power.
These four forces left irreversible damage on The Judge's lightsaber.
The Judge noticed this.
Its left hand let go of the lightsaber, and the lightsaber turned into white energy and dissipated the moment it left its palm.
Its hands clenched into fists, and dark red energy condensed on the fists, forming a pair of gauntlets.
On the surface of the gauntlets, Symbiote-like textures flowed, and each texture was a tiny energy channel, transmitting the energy within The Judge's body to the fists.
"Weapons do not suit me." The Judge's voice echoed in the consciousness of The Composite Being formed by the four.
"My body is the strongest weapon." As The Judge spoke, its right fist struck out fiercely.
The Composite Being parried with the light blade. The gauntlets and the light blade collided, exploding a ball of red and white intertwined energy.
The Composite Being's body was pushed back dozens of meters by the force of the fist. Her right arm went numb, and the pale blue flames on the light blade jumped violently under the impact of the gauntlets.
The Judge's left fist swung from another direction, and The Composite Being's body flipped in the air, dodging this punch.
However, the dark red energy on the gauntlets turned into a tiny energy spike, cutting a wound on The Composite Being's cheek.
Pale blue blood—no, not blood, but energy seeped out from the wound, turning into pale blue spots of light in the Chaos Space.
"You are injured," The Judge said.
"So are you," The Composite Being retorted unyieldingly.
The Judge looked down at its right fist.
There was a tiny crack on the gauntlet, and pale blue flames burned at the edge of the crack, preventing the gauntlet from self-repairing.
Its energy was leaking from the crack, and the rate of leakage was neither fast nor slow.
"Truly an annoying power," The Judge said with a hint of annoyance on its face.
It rushed fiercely toward The Composite Being, throwing its fists alternately, each punch carrying enough power to destroy a Planet.
The Composite Being's light blade weaved between the two fists, blocking one punch, dodging another, parrying a third, and counterattacking with a fourth.
The figures of the two moved rapidly in the Chaos Space, and every collision would leave a brief, glowing mark in the space.
Fighting from this end of the Chaos Space to that end, and back from that end to this end.
The energy sphere expanded from a diameter of several kilometers to a diameter of hundreds of kilometers, shrouding the entire Chaos Space within it.
Wanda's spatial wall developed countless cracks under the impact of the energy sphere, and the red light in her eyes had grown as faint as a candle about to go out.
"Sister Wanda!" Ikaros's voice came from the edge of the Chaos Space.
She had also entered the Chaos Space and had been guarding Wanda by her side.
"You can't hold on anymore!"
"I... can..." Wanda's voice squeezed out from her throat, hoarse and broken.
"Sister Wanda, I will help you!" Right at this moment, Nymph's voice sounded in Wanda's ear.
Immediately, a power capable of altering reality rules burst out from the blue-haired Nymph, and then merged into one with Wanda's Chaos Magic.
Nymph was an electronic warfare multipurpose Angel. Although she did not know Wanda's Chaos Magic, she also possessed the ability to hack into the real World.
Her ability had wondrous similarities to Chaos Magic, so the two could completely merge.
With Nymph joining, Wanda's pressure immediately eased a lot, and the Chaos Space constructed by her became even more solid.
Inside the energy sphere, the battle between the four-person composite body of 2B and the others and The Judge had entered a white-hot stage.
On The Composite Being's light blade, pale blue flames burned frantically.
Her speed had reached ten thousand swords per second, and The Judge's double fists barely kept up with her speed.
The attacks of the two formed a dense, red-and-white interlaced net inside the energy sphere.
Every collision would explode a small, red-and-white intertwined energy flower at the nodes of the net.
But The Judge's power was decaying—not an illusion, but true decay.
The Composite Being's Power of Devouring absorbed energy from The Judge's gauntlets with every collision.
Her Eternal Flame and Hellfire accumulated in The Judge's wounds, and her infinite power made her output power continuously increase.
As one waxed and the other waned, The Judge's advantage gradually disappeared bit by bit, while The Composite Being's advantage grew bit by bit.
The Judge knew this, and something was changing within its white eyes.
It was not fear, but a decision.
It suddenly retreated several kilometers, pulling a distance away from The Composite Being.
The Composite Being did not chase. She hovered in place, holding her light blade horizontally in front of her chest, looking at The Judge with deep blue eyes.
Her breathing was heavy, her battle suit had several cuts torn by the gauntlets, and there was still the wound left by the energy spike on her cheek.
But her gaze was bright, and her energy fluctuation was steady.
"You are strong," The Judge's voice echoed in her consciousness.
"Much stronger than I expected. But do you think this is my full strength?"
Chapter 502: I said, you are not my match!"
As the words fell, its body glowed again, this time not white, but dark red.
A profound dark red, like congealed blood.
Its body began to expand in the dark red light, expanding from normal human size to two meters, three meters, five meters.
A new carapace grew on the surface of its body. The carapace was dark red, with silver-white patterns on the surface.
Two curved horns grew on its head, and the tips of the horns were glowing with white light.
Behind its back, a pair of huge wings condensed from energy spread open. The feathers of the wings were dark red, and every single feather was an energy sword.
"This is my strongest form." The voice of The Judge was no longer transmitted directly into the consciousness, but came from its mouth that finally opened.
"The last time I used this form was in a battle with another member of the Celestials. In that battle, I tore its body apart and devoured its core."
Its voice paused for a moment.
"Your core looks delicious."
The Composite Being looked at the new form of The Judge, her deep blue eyes without any ripples.
Her light blade rotated half a circle in her hand, the tip of the blade turning from upward to forward.
"Your form has changed, but you have become weaker."
The mouth of The Judge widened, emitting a low laughter like a great earthquake splitting.
"Weaker? Feel it."
Its body suddenly shook, and a dark red energy ring exploded from its body, spreading around.
The speed of the energy ring was close to the speed of light, leaving dark red, expanding halos in Chaos Space.
The light blade of The Composite Being drew a circle in front of her, and the crimson blade light formed a shield, blocking the energy ring.
But the power of the energy ring was too great, and her body was pushed backward, sliding for thousands of meters.
Her feet stepped out silver-white light traces in the void, her arms trembled, and the pale blue flames on her light blade leaped violently under the impact of the energy ring.
The energy ring dissipated.
Several tiny cracks appeared on the light blade shield of The Composite Being.
The wings of The Judge spread open, and its entire body turned into a dark red light, shooting toward The Composite Being.
Its speed was so fast that the eyes of The Composite Being could not capture it, not just because it was faster than before.
But also because the energy field around its body was interfering with annihilation's perception, making her vision, hearing, and energy perception all produce deviations.
The Composite Being closed her eyes; she no longer relied on vision, no longer relied on hearing, and no longer relied on any perception that could be interfered with.
Her consciousness sank into the intersection of the four forces within her body, and the consciousness of four people operated simultaneously within her, observing the battlefield from one direction at the same time.
She'saw' The Judge, not with her eyes, but with the perception of the soul by Hellfire.
The soul of The Judge was a huge, dark red, burning energy cloud.
At the center of the energy cloud was a white-glowing, star-like core.
The fist of The Judge hit the abdomen of The Composite Being, her body bent down, her mouth opened, and pale blue energy poured out from the corners of her mouth.
Her light blade slipped from her hand, rotating in Chaos Space.
Her body flew backward, crashing into the boundary of Chaos Space, leaving a humanoid dent on the space wall.
Wanda let out a short, suppressed scream on the other side of the space wall.
She suffered the backlash of energy, her mouth was full of blood, but she did not let go.
The Composite Being bounced back from the space wall, and her hand recalled the light blade.
Her deep blue eyes suddenly opened, and pale blue light burned in her pupils.
"Your fist... is very strong." The voice of The Composite Being was somewhat hoarse. "But this still cannot shatter our core!"
The wings of The Judge flapped slowly behind it, and the dark red energy feathers fell off during the flapping.
Turning into individual energy swords in Chaos Space, suspended around its body.
"If I cannot shatter your core, I will shatter your body. Once your body is shattered, the core will have nowhere to attach, and by then, your core will be my food."
It reached out its hand, its five fingers open, and hundreds of energy swords suspended around its body shot toward The Composite Being simultaneously.
The light blade of The Composite Being drew countless circles in front of her, and the crimson blade light formed an airtight net, blocking all the energy swords outside.
The energy swords hit the blade net, making a dense sound like rain hitting banana leaves, and every single energy sword exploded a dark red spark on the blade net.
But the number of energy swords was too large.
The first wave was hundreds, the second wave was thousands, and the third wave was tens of thousands.
Under the impact of the energy swords, tiny gaps appeared in the blade net, and an energy sword drilled in from the gap, piercing into her right shoulder.
A pale blue flower of blood instantly burst open on her right shoulder.
The swinging speed of her light blade slowed for an instant, and more energy swords drilled in from the gaps, piercing into her left arm, right leg, abdomen, and chest.
Her body trembled violently under the piercing of the energy swords, and pale blue energy poured out from the wounds, turning into pale blue spots of light in Chaos Space.
Her battle suit was torn, and the golden, pale blue, and dark red patterns on her skin broke at the wounds, energy leaking from the fractures.
The Judge withdrew the energy swords, and The Composite Being suspended in the void, with dozens of wounds on her body, pale blue energy constantly leaking.
Her light blade was still held in her hand, but her hand was trembling, and the pale blue flames on her blade had become weak.
"I said." The voice of The Judge came from its mouth, low, slow, carrying a cruel satisfaction.
"You are not my match, any effort is a dying struggle."
The eyes of The Composite Being looked at it, the light in her pupils not extinguishing.
"I am not dead yet."
The wings of The Judge folded up, its body descended from mid-air to the same height as The Composite Being, slowly walking toward her.
Its pace was not fast, every step very steady, like a person taking a walk in their own garden.
"You won't die immediately; I will dig your core out from your body and devour it slowly."
"Your four forces, Eternal Flame, Hellfire, the power of devouring, and the infinite power reactor will all become a part of me."
"I will use your power to kill your creator, Loren Morgan."
In the eyes of The Composite Being, a monstrous killing intent burst out.
"How dare you!"
"Of course I dare!"
The Judge walked up in front of The Composite Being, less than a meter apart.
It lowered its head, its white eyes looking at her pale blue pupils.
"You no longer have the strength to resist. Seventy percent of your energy has leaked, your power is shrinking, your body is collapsing, and you can't even lift your sword anymore."
The light blade of The Composite Being slipped from her hand, not because she let go voluntarily, but because her fingers no longer had the strength to hold it.
The light blade rotated in Chaos Space, then turned into a crimson light and dissipated.
Chapter 503: Did you not even do a background check?
Her body fell from the air, plunging toward the ground below, though there was no real ground in the Chaos Space.
But to give them a foothold, Wanda created a translucent red platform condensed from Chaos Magic at the bottom of the space.
The body of The Composite Being slammed onto the platform, bounced once, and then went still.
Her silver-white long hair spread across the red platform like a silver river washed ashore.
Her deep blue eyes remained open, staring at the zenith of the Chaos Space and those swirling red energy clouds.
The Judge descended from the air and stood on the platform.
Its feet stepped onto the red platform, leaving dark red footprints behind.
It walked to the side of The Composite Being, lowered its head, and looked at her with its white eyes.
"Contribute your core! It has been a long time since I have tasted the core of someone as powerful as you. How exciting!"
The Composite Being did not speak; she looked expressionlessly at The Judge before her.
The light in her eyes was slowly dimming, like an oil lamp about to burn out.
The Judge squatted down, extended its right hand with fingers spread, and aimed at the chest of The Composite Being.
Dark red energy condensed in its palm, forming a spinning energy drill glowing with white light.
Then, the energy drill stabbed directly toward the heart position of The Composite Being.
However, just when it was less than a centimeter away from the chest of The Composite Being, the energy drill stopped.
It did not stop voluntarily, but was caught by someone's hand.
A silver-white, slender hand with distinct knuckles reached out from the void and grasped the wrist of The Judge.
That palm was not large, but the hand of The Judgeseemed welded in place, completely motionless.
The white eyes of The Judge moved away from The Composite Being and looked up along that hand.
Loren Morgan!
He was wearing a dark shirt and trousers, without any armor or weapons.
His hair shimmered with a soft luster in the red light of the Chaos Space, and his eyes were as calm as two windless lakes.
There were no energy fluctuations on his body; to be precise, it was not that there were none, but that they were too strong.
So strong that even the Chaos Space could not bear his existence.
All energy fluctuations were compressed within an inch under his skin, not leaking a single bit.
His digestion period had ended.
He had been staring at this battle in the Chaos Space from his study all along.
He had felt the disadvantage of 2B and the others, the terrifying pressure endured by Wanda, and the murderous intent of The Judge.
He stood up, walked out of the study, and did not tell Tifaor anyone else.
He reached out, sliced open a silver-white spatial rift in the void, and stepped inside.
Now, he was standing right here.
The white eyes of The Judge looked at him, its pupils contracting violently.
"The madman who killed my people, you have finally appeared!"
For the first time, a truly undisguised wariness appeared in the voice of The Judge.
Loren looked at it with a calm expression.
"Since you already know I am a madman, how dare you come all this way to find me? Are you not afraid of death?"
"It is hard to say who lives and who dies right now, but your subordinates are about to die!" said The Judge, looking at Loren playfully.
Hearing this, Loren smiled and shook his head, saying, "Rest assured, my people will not die, because you are not qualified enough!"
As the words fell, the wrist of The Judge made a creaking sound under Loren's grip.
It was not his bones making the sound, but his energy shield deforming under Loren's grip.
His energy shield was crumpled like paper under Loren's fingers.
Dark red energy seeped out from the cracks of the shield, turning into a dark red mist in the Chaos Space.
"You!!!" The voice of The Judge became hoarse, its tone filled with shock.
Loren did not let it finish; he raised his right hand, brought his index and middle fingers together, and flicked The Judge lightly on the forehead.
The sound of the finger flicking against the forehead was not loud, like snapping a marble.
But the body of The Judge was pushed away by a huge, irresistible force.
Its body tumbled hundreds of times in the Chaos Space, crashing into the boundary of the space.
It left a huge, humanoid dent on the spatial wall.
Its body was embedded in the spatial wall, its limbs hanging limply, and the light in its white eyes turned from dazzling white to dim gray.
Loren did not look at it; he squatted down and helped The Composite Being up from the ground.
His left hand supported her back, and his right hand brushed away the silver-white long hair scattered across her face, revealing her deep blue eyes.
"Master, our performance did not embarrass you, did it?" The voice of The Composite Being was very soft, as light as a whisper in the wind.
"Not only did you not embarrass me, but you are also the pride in my heart. You did a really great job!"
Loren rubbed her head and said with a pampering look.
"Alright, your fusion time has been too long, you can separate now, leave the rest to me."
Something flashed in the eyes of The Composite Being—relief, trust, and the ease of handing over the heavy burden.
Her body began to glow, and silver-white, pale blue, golden, and dark red lights gushed out from beneath her skin.
Enveloping her entire body in a huge, four-color intertwined cocoon of light.
The cocoon of light contracted and shattered.
Four figures fell out of the cocoon of light: Number 18, Eve, 2B, and Mai Shiranui.
They lay on the red platform; everyone had injuries on their bodies, everyone's breathing was heavy, but everyone was alive.
Wanda flew over from the edge of the Chaos Space and landed on the platform.
Her Chaos Magic was almost exhausted, but she was still standing.
Right at this moment, Nymph walked to the side of Number 18 and Eve, squatted down, placed her hands on their wounds, and began healing them.
At this time, Loren stood up, turned around, and faced The Judge.
The Judge crawled up from the platform, a huge crack on its silver-white carapace.
It was not left by Loren's flick, but by when it crashed into the spatial wall.
The light in its white eyes had dimmed by more than half, but it was still standing, and its fists were still clenched.
"Your power..." The voice of The Judge came from its mouth, no longer deep and slow.
But rather a hoarse, broken sound like a dying candle in the wind.
"How could you... possibly have this kind of power..."
Loren looked at it and smiled: "You seem quite surprised. Could it be that you did not do a background check before coming?"
"You did not even know what kind of strength I possess, yet you dared to come find me. If this is not courting death, what is?"
As he spoke, he walked toward The Judge.
His pace was not fast, but every step was very steady, like a man walking in his own manor.
Chapter 504: "This is impossible!"
Hearing Loren's words, something exploded in The Judge's White eyes.
It wasn't fear; it was anger!
A pure, primitive anger that had been suppressed for billions of years and had never been looked down upon like this before.
Its body violently trembled, and dark red energy burst forth from its body, forming a circular Impact.
The power of the Impact was enough to tear an asteroid into pieces, but Loren's body remained motionless.
His shirt wasn't even blown by the wind; he looked at The Judge as if looking at a child making futile struggles.
"You—" The Judge's other hand clenched into a fist, condensing dark red energy compressed to the extreme on it.
The energy formed a needle-tip-sized, glowing White-light singularity on the edge of the fist.
The singularity's gravity pulled the surrounding Chaos Space inward, forming a tiny, rotating gravitational vortex around the fist.
The power of this punch was enough to pierce through the core of a Planet.
But The Judge's fist hit Loren's chest without making a single sound.
Because the singularity was swallowed the instant it hit Loren's chest.
It wasn't blocked; it was swallowed and absorbed.
Loren's chest was like a bottomless black hole, sucking in all the singularity's energy, gravity, heat, and Impact force, leaving no trace behind.
The Judge's fist stopped at Loren's chest, and the dark red energy on the edge of the fist extinguished the instant it touched Loren's shirt.
Like a Water drop falling on a red-hot iron plate, it made a sizzling sound and then disappeared.
The Judge's White eyes widened to the maximum, its pupils contracting frantically.
It had lived for tens of millions of years and had never seen such an existence.
Its full-strength blow hit Loren, yet he didn't even budge.
Loren lowered his head to look at the fist on his chest, then raised his head to look into The Judge's White eyes.
"You're done?"
He released The Judge's wrist, and The Judge instinctively retreated a few steps, widening the distance.
There was a clear, silver-white handprint on its right wrist, left by Loren's fingers.
The energy shield around the handprint had completely vanished, revealing the silver-white carapace underneath.
A thin layer of silver-white energy was flowing on the carapace.
That was Loren's residual energy inside its body, slowly eroding its body.
The Judge's left hand pressed against its right wrist, and dark red energy gushed out from its palm, attempting to drive away Loren's residual energy.
But the silver-white energy seemed rooted, clinging stubbornly to the carapace without moving at all.
Its energy was bounced away the instant it touched the silver-white energy, unable to get close at all.
"This is impossible!" The Judge's voice grew hoarse.
"Your energy level is the same as mine; your power cannot be so much stronger than mine."
Loren took a step forward; the step wasn't large, just a single step, but The Judge's body instinctively retreated two steps.
It wasn't that it wanted to retreat; it was an instinctive reaction made by its body when facing an irresistible force.
"Your energy level is the same as mine—who gave you that illusion?"
Loren's voice was calm, like reciting text from a textbook.
His right hand raised, index finger pointing at The Judge's face.
"You have no qualification to stand before me."
The Judge's fear was swallowed by anger.
Its body began to glow—not dark red, but White, a dazzling, pure White like the core of a star.
The silver-white carapace on the surface of its body began to melt—not shedding, but melting into liquid silver-white metal.
Flowing, reshaping, and solidifying on the surface of its body.
Its armor transformed from a thick, bulky combat carapace into a tight-fitting, streamlined combat suit that resembled a second layer of skin.
Dark red energy patterns flowed on the surface of the combat suit, and two curved horns grew on its head, with the tips of the horns glowing White.
Behind it, a pair of huge wings condensed from energy spread open.
The feathers of the wings were White, and every single feather was an energy sword.
This was its strongest form, the Judgment Angel form.
Its body turned into a streak of White light, disappearing on the spot.
But in Loren's eyes, its trajectory was as clear as a fuse burning in the dark night.
Loren didn't move.
The Judge's fist appeared from his left side, striking towards his temple.
Condensed on the fist was all of The Judge's power, resembling a collapsing star compressed to the size of a fist.
The temperature of the fist reached billions of degrees along its path, completely evaporating the energy clouds in the Chaos Space.
But Loren merely extended his left hand, opened his palm, and caught The Judge's fist.
The instant the fist and palm collided, the entire Chaos Space violently vibrated once.
Wanda at the edge of the space, pressing her hands against the space wall, felt a power she had never experienced before.
The Judge's fist stopped in Loren's palm.
The collapsing star on the fist was extinguished the instant it touched Loren's skin.
It wasn't blocked; it was absorbed.
Loren's palm was like a bottomless pit, sucking in all the star's energy, heat, gravity, and radiation, leaving no trace behind.
The Judge's arm made a creaking sound under Loren's grip.
It wasn't its bones making noise, but the wailing emitted by its energy channels as they were eroded by Loren's energy.
"You—" The Judge's voice squeezed out from its throat, hoarse and shattered.
Loren's right hand swung out from his waist, striking The Judge's abdomen.
It wasn't a fierce blow, just a short uppercut with a distance of no more than ten centimeters.
The instant the fist collided with The Judge's body, there was no sound, no Impact.
The Judge's body bent into a V-shape under Loren's fist.
Its mouth opened, and White energy gushed out from its mouth, turning into a patch of White mist in the Chaos Space.
Its wings detached from its back, spinning in the Chaos Space, and then dissipated into White energy.
The horns on its head snapped from the base, tumbling in the Chaos Space before extinguishing.
Countless cracks appeared on the surface of its combat suit, spreading outward from the abdomen like a web of spider silk opening up.
The Judge's body slid off Loren's fist, flying backward.
Its body tumbled thousands of rounds in the Chaos Space, crashing into the boundary of the space.
Leaving a humanoid crater hundreds of meters in diameter on the space wall.
Wanda's Chaos Magic bounced The Judge's body back from the space wall.
The Judge crashed onto the red platform, bounced twice, and then stopped moving.
Its White eyes were still open, but the light had dimmed by more than half.
Its body was covered in cracks, and White energy oozed out from the cracks, turning into a patch of White mist on the platform.
Its limbs trembled slightly—not out of fear, but because its body was trying to repair the damage.
But Loren's residual energy remained inside its body, preventing any repair.
Chapter 505: You have no choice, but I do!
It crawled up from the platform, its movements very slow and difficult, like a machine that hadn't been maintained for thousands of years rebooting.
Its hands supported the ground, its knees were trembling, and its head hung low. White light seeped out from the cracks on its face, like a lamp about to go out.
After standing up, its body swayed and it almost fell back down, but it stabilized itself.
It raised its head, its white eyes looking at Loren.
"You... are not single Universe level." The voice of The Judge came from its mouth, hoarse and broken, like a flickering candle in the wind.
"You are... multiverse level..."
Loren stood in front of it, less than ten meters away. His gray eyes looked at The Judge without answering.
The body of The Judge began to glow, not white, but dark red—a dark red like dying embers.
The cracks on the surface of its body were expanding, and white energy surged out from the cracks, intertwining with the dark red energy to form an unstable red-and-white glow.
It was burning its remaining vitality, transforming its entire existence into a single attack.
"I... will not... die... here..." The voice of The Judge squeezed out from its throat, every word seeming to use up its last ounce of strength.
"I... am part of the Celestials... I am... The Judge... I... have lived... for thousands of years... I... will not... die... at the hands... of a human..."
Its body suddenly expanded, growing from the size of a normal human to two meters, three meters, five meters, ten meters.
The cracks on the surface of its body were stretched open, revealing the glowing white, lava-like interior beneath.
Its arms turned into two giant blades condensed from energy, with dark red lightning dancing across the blades.
Its head turned into a sharp, spear-like cone, the tip shining with blinding white light.
Behind its back, a pair of wings condensed from energy opened once again.
But this time the wings were not white; they were dark red, with countless glowing white, eye-like runes on their surface.
The final form of The Judge—the sacrificial form.
It burned all its vitality, energy, and soul, turning them into a devastating attack.
The power of this strike was enough to shatter a star and erase a stellar region from the Universe.
Its body turned into a red-and-white intertwined beam of light, shooting toward Loren.
The speed was so fast that Wanda's eyes could not capture it, so fast that 2B and the others' eyes could not capture it, and so fast that Chaos Space itself could not bear the trajectory of this light.
Where the light passed, space was torn apart, time was distorted, and the laws of physics were completely shattered.
Loren looked at the light shooting toward him, his gray eyes calm.
His right hand raised, fingers spread open, aiming at the source of that light.
"Your attack is very strong." Loren's voice was calm. "But compared to my strength, it's still lacking a bit!"
He clenched his fist—not punching, but clenching.
The moment his five fingers closed, all the energy in the entire Chaos Space—red, black, white, and dark red—converged toward his fist.
It wasn't absorbed; it was dragged.
His fist was like a gravitational singularity, pulling every shred of energy in Chaos Space toward his palm, condensing it into a fist-sized, glowing white energy sphere on his fist.
The light transformed by The Judge struck Loren's fist.
Suddenly, a black sphere several meters in diameter without any light appeared between Loren's fist and the light of The Judge.
That was the collapse of space, a wound left behind after Chaos Space was torn apart by the collision of two forces.
The black sphere existed for less than a thousandth of a second before exploding.
The Impact spread in all directions, blowing away all the energy clouds in Chaos Space and shaking countless cracks into Wanda's space wall.
Wanda's body was bounced off the space wall by the Impact, rolling dozens of times in the void.
Her Chaos Magic was completely exhausted in this strike, and her body fell from the air, caught by Ikaros.
The light of The Judge dissipated.
The body of The Judge emerged from the light, no longer ten meters tall, but shrunk back to the size of a normal human.
The cracks on its body were no longer cracks, but huge fissures running through its entire body.
White energy surged out from the fissures, turning into white fog in Chaos Space before dissipating.
The light in its white eyes had completely extinguished, leaving only a thin, dead-fish-eye-like grayish-white layer.
It knelt in front of Loren, not because it wanted to kneel, but because its legs could no longer support its body.
Its knees slammed against the red platform, producing a dull thud.
Its hands supported the ground, its fingers trembling slightly.
Loren stood in front of it, looking down at it.
"What is your mission?"
The voice of The Judge came from its mouth, hoarse, weak, like a whisper in the wind.
"Protect... the seeds of the Celestials... hatch... a new God... maintain... the balance... of the Universe..."
"For this mission, how many people have you killed?"
The Judge fell silent.
"I am asking you." Loren's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a hammer striking the consciousness of The Judge.
"Countless." The voice of The Judge was very soft.
"Let me tell you! Billions, tens of billions, hundreds of billions.
Every Planet that nurtured a seed had billions of lives, but they were all destroyed by you.
On every Planet, there were countless civilizations just like Earth.
Yet all their lives, their dreams, and their futures were erased by you."
Loren looked at it; in his gray eyes, there was no anger, no sadness, only a cold, blade-like calm.
"Do you regret it?"
The Judge was silent for a long time.
"No regrets." Its voice squeezed out from its throat.
"Because that is my mission. Ever since the day I was created, I have had only one mission.
It's not that I want to do it, but that I must do it. Just like the Sun must shine, just like a Planet must revolve, I have no right to choose."
Something flashed in Loren's gray eyes.
"You have no right to choose, but I do."
He raised his right hand, index and middle fingers together, pointing at the forehead of The Judge.
"You are not protecting the balance of the Universe; you are destroying the diversity of the Universe.
Every Planet that nurtures a seed is an independent, irreproducible civilization.
Humanity has only one Earth, just as other races have only one home Planet; you have no right to take it away."
The last trace of light in the white eyes of The Judge went out.
Loren's finger flicked gently against the forehead of The Judge.
The body of The Judge turned into countless silvery-white specks of light, drifting away in Chaos Space.
Chapter 506: Finally, I can rest properly!
Not an explosion, not a combustion, but a more essential, more thorough disappearance.
It was as if someone was erasing his name stroke by stroke from the scroll of the Universe with an eraser.
His carapace, his blood, his energy, his consciousness.
Everything turned into spots of light, slowly drifting in the Chaos Space, and then extinguishing.
Nothing was left.
Loren withdrew his hand, turned around, and faced the women on the red platform.
Number 18 lay on the platform, with dozens of wounds on her body, and pale blue energy seeping out from the wounds.
Eve sat beside her, with the all-black the necroswordleaning against her shoulder, her dark brown eyes half-closed, breathing weakly.
2B lay prone on the ground, the Miao blade stuck in the platform, and the Eternal Flame beating weakly on the blade.
Mai Shiranui lay beside 2B, her iron fan scattered on both sides of her body, and Hellfire burning weakly at the edges of the fan.
Wanda was held in Ikaros's arms, the red light in her eyes had completely extinguished, but her lips were still moving, silently chanting something.
Perhaps it was a healing spell, perhaps a spell to maintain the Chaos Space, or perhaps just an unconscious murmur.
Ikaros raised her head, her amber eyes looking at Loren.
"Master, they are all alive."
Loren nodded, then waved his hand, and a majestic surge of energy was transmitted into their bodies.
In an instant, Number 18's wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
She opened her blue eyes, looked at Loren, and nodded.
The all-black the necrosword lit up in Eve's hands, and the silver-white light flowed across the blade once again.
Eve's dark brown eyes looked at Loren, and the corners of her mouth formed a slight, relaxed arc.
The Eternal Flame reignited with a crimson-red light on 2B's Miao blade.
2B crawled up from the platform, kneeling on one knee, her eyes beneath the black blindfold looking at Loren.
Mai Shiranui's Hellfire reignited with a deep blue light on her iron fan.
Mai Shiranui opened her eyes, her black pupils reflecting Loren's gray eyes.
Finally, he walked over to Wanda, took her from Ikaros's arms, and held her in his own arms.
His right hand pressed against Wanda's forehead, and silver-white energy seeped in from her forehead, flowing along her blood vessels to her whole body.
Her broken ribs reconnected under the infusion of the silver-white energy, and her depleted Chaos Magic re-condensed under the transformation of the silver-white energy.
Red light reappeared in her eyes, faint yet stable.
"Chaos Space, retract," Loren said.
Wanda nodded. Her hands made a simple gesture in the air, and the boundaries of the Chaos Space began to contract.
The red energy clouds gathered from all around towards the center, turning into a red point of light before extinguishing.
They appeared high above Morgan Manor.
Sunlight spilled down from the gaps in the clouds, falling on them and gilding everyone's face with a layer of gold.
On the lawn, Tifa and the other women raised their heads, looking at Loren in the sky, looking at those bruised and battered yet living sisters.
The corners of Tifa's mouth formed a slight, relaxed arc.
Hancock stood beside her, her long black hair fluttering in the wind, and her golden snake-shaped earrings glinting in the sunlight.
Loren descended from the sky and landed on the lawn.
Number 18 landed on the lawn and was supported by Tifa.
Eve landed on the lawn and was supported by Hancock.
2B landed on the lawn and was supported by A2.
Mai Shiranui landed on the lawn and was supported by Mary General Ross.
Wanda fell from the sky and was caught by Sister Commander White.
Loren stood in the center of the lawn, his gray eyes looking at the sky.
Millions of light-years away, more Celestials were awakening.
The Judge was not the first, nor was it the last.
But he knew that when those Celestials arrived here, he would be even stronger.
"Master!" Tifa's voice came from behind him, and he turned around.
Tifa stood in front of him, her black eyes looking at him with a slight smile on the corners of her mouth.
"The tea is brewed, Ceylon black tea, less sugar."
The corners of Loren's mouth curved up slightly.
"Alright."
He walked towards the study, the sunlight dragging a long shadow behind him.
Now that the crisis was resolved, he could live a few days of peaceful little life again.
On the third day after the death of The Judge of the Celestials, Morgan Manor ushered in a truly sunny day.
There were no alarms, no battles, and no energy fluctuations coming from the depths of the Universe.
The sky was a pure, impurity-free blue, like a sapphire washed by Water.
Sunlight spread over from the eastern horizon, passing through the branches and leaves of the oak trees, casting mottled light and shadows on the lawn.
Dewdrops glittered on the tips of the grass blades, each one looking like a meticulously cut diamond, refracting shimmering multicolored light in the morning light.
The Hudson River flowed quietly in the distance, with white mist rising on the river surface, covering the water like a thin veil.
A few white seagulls hovered over the river, making crisp cries that carried far in the quiet morning.
Loren stood in front of the study window, his gray eyes looking out the window.
His silver-white hair gleamed with a soft luster in the morning light, and his dark shirt had the topmost button undone, revealing his collarbone.
In his hands, there was no teacup, no book, nothing at all.
He just stood there, enjoying the tranquility of this moment.
The digestion period had long ended.
The energy of the Celestial embryo had completely integrated into his body, and his power level stabilized at the early peak of the Multiverse level, missing only an opportunity to reach a higher realm.
The Judge's energy was completely wiped out by him, leaving no residue behind.
His body felt no discomfort whatsoever; on the contrary, it was lighter and more acute than before.
The door was gently pushed open.
Tifa walked in, holding a tray in her hand, upon which sat a pot of hot tea and a teacup.
She wore a simple white dress, her dark brown long hair draped over her shoulders, and without makeup on her face, yet her beauty needed no embellishment.
"Awake?" Tifa's voice was not loud, but very gentle, like the wind blowing across the lake in spring.
"Didn't sleep." Loren turned around and looked at her. "Thinking about things."
Tifa placed the tray on the desk, poured a cup of tea, walked over to the window, and handed it to him.
Loren took the teacup, his fingertips brushing against her fingers, and the fingers of the two lingered on the cup wall for a moment.
Tifa's fingers were warm, with thin calluses at the fingertips, which were traces left from long-term practice of combat techniques.
"What are you thinking about?" Tifa asked.
"Thinking about what to do next. The Celestials will come again, but I don't know when. Maybe years, maybe decades, maybe centuries. Before they come, I have a period of time to rest."
The corners of Tifa's mouth curved up slightly.
"Then rest. How long has it been since you truly rested?"
Loren took a sip of tea.
Ceylon black tea, less sugar, brewed by Tifa, as just right as ever.
The tea soup unfolded on the tip of the tongue, with a faint fruity aroma and a slight bitterness, followed by a sweet aftertaste.
"A long time."
"Then let's start today."
Tifa took the teacup from his hand, placed it on the windowsill, and then knelt directly in front of Loren.
"Master, let me give you a wake-up service first!"
Loren looked at her drooping eyelashes and her serious expression, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curling up slightly.
"Then I'll have to trouble you!"
"This is all what I should do!!"
"Thank you."
Chapter 507: I Will Reward You Properly!
Tifa looked up while swallowing, her dark eyes gazing at Loren, filled with charm and deep affection for him.
Seeing her expression, Loren's heart was filled with doting fondness, and he couldn't help but stroke Tifa's soft hair.
In an instant, overflowing affection poured out, rushing straight toward Tifa.
And Tifa was already prepared, her eyes slightly closed, waiting for Loren's sweet dew to fall.
"Master, do you feel much more energetic than before?" Tifa asked with a smile as she sucked on her fingers and looked at Loren.
Loren nodded with satisfaction: "Yes, much more energetic, thank you, Tifa!"
"Master, this is all my duty!" Tifa shook her head.
"Go take a shower! I'll go wake up the other sisters!" Lorensaid.
"Mm, okay!" Tifa nodded, turned around and walked out of the study, her footsteps echoing in the corridor, growing more distant.
The second floor of Morgan Manor is a long corridor, with bedrooms on both sides.
The door of each bedroom is different; some are dark oak doors, and some are white painted doors.
Some doors have doodles drawn by Nymph pasted on them, and some door handles have Hancock's snake-shaped earrings hanging on them.
Loren walked in the corridor, his footsteps making a slight creaking sound on the wooden floor.
He first walked to the door of Tifa's room and escorted Tifainside.
Then he walked to Number 18's room. The door was not locked, and he pushed it open gently.
Number 18 lay on the bed, her long golden hair scattered on the pillow, and her blue eyes closed.
Her sleeping posture was very orderly, with her hands placed on both sides of her body, her body straight, like a carefully placed sculpture.
Her breathing was very light, almost inaudible.
Loren walked to the bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed.
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair from Number 18's face behind her ear.
Number 18's eyes did not open, but her lips moved slightly.
"Awake?" Loren said.
"I woke up when you came in." Number 18's voice was very soft, carrying a kind of laziness from just waking up.
Number 18 opened her eyes, her blue pupils appearing exceptionally clear in the morning light.
She looked at Loren's face for a few seconds, then reached out and placed her hand on his.
Her fingers were very soft, holding his hand as if holding something precious.
"Does the wound still hurt?" Loren asked.
"It hasn't hurt for a long time. Your energy healing is very effective."
"That's good."
Number 18 sat up from the bed, her long golden hair sliding down from her shoulders and hanging to her waist.
Her pajamas were a white silk slip dress, very thin, and almost translucent in the morning light.
She didn't care, reaching out to gather her hair to one side, revealing her fair neck.
"What are we doing today?" Number 18 asked.
"Rest, we aren't going anywhere."
The corners of Number 18's mouth moved slightly, which was her smile—very small, but very genuine.
"Okay."
Loren leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead.
Number 18 closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of that kiss left on her skin.
Her hand held his hand without letting go.
"Want to go for a round?" Number 18 said suddenly.
"Mm, I was just thinking the same thing!" Loren nodded.
Not knowing how much time had passed, Loren stood up and walked out of Number 18's room.
He walked to Eve's room. The door was half-open, and he pushed it open.
He saw Eve sitting on a chair by the window, with all-black the necrosword leaning next to the chair, her dark brown eyes looking out the window.
She was wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt and dark blue jeans, with her black hair tied into a low ponytail, looking like an ordinary college student.
"You're awake." Loren said.
Eve turned her head and looked at him.
"The battle between you and Sister Number 18 was so intense that it would be hard for me not to wake up!"
"Hehe, sorry for disturbing you."
"Shh, Master, I don't need an apology, what I want is equal treatment!"
Loren walked to her side and sat on the armrest of the chair.
Eve naturally leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder.
Her hair had a faint shampoo scent, not floral, but a fresher scent like a forest after rain.
"Then come on!" Loren's hand rested on her head, gently stroking her hair.
"Mm!" Eve nodded, got up and sat in Loren's arms, wrapping her arms around Loren's neck and closing her eyes.
"Master."
"Mm."
"Love me fiercely!"
"Okay."
After a long while, Loren walked out of the room, and then walked to 2B's room. Her room was at the end of the corridor.
When Loren walked over, the door was open.
2B stood in front of the window, with her back to the door, her silver-white hair shimmering with a cold light in the morning light.
She was already wearing her combat uniform: a black dress, white long hair, and the Miao blade at her waist.
But her posture was relaxed, with her hands resting on the windowsill, looking at the lawn illuminated by the sun outside the window.
Loren knocked on the door frame, and 2B immediately turned her head, then eagerly approached Loren.
"Master, you're here!"
2B threw herself into Loren's arms like a koala. Lorensmiled and hugged her, setting her on the windowsill, and then they looked at the scenery outside the window together.
"Are your injuries healed?" Loren asked.
"They healed long ago. With Master's energy repair, even the heaviest injuries can be recovered instantly. Thank you, Master."
2B said, looking at Loren with full admiration.
"You're welcome, this is all what I should do!" Loren smiled and said.
2B turned her head and looked at him.
The black blindfold covered her eyes, but Loren knew that behind that layer of black fabric, she was looking at him.
Her expression was calm, but her lips were slightly pursed, which was her way of expressing emotions.
"Master!"
"Hm?"
"When fusing with the other sisters, I felt your power.
It wasn't injected from the outside, it surged out from within our bodies.
You made preparations before we fused, didn't you? Were the fusion earrings reinforced by you?"
The corners of Loren's mouth raised slightly into an arc. "You felt it?"
"I felt it, your energy is in the earrings.
When we fuse, your energy flows inside our bodies, protecting our consciousness from being torn apart by the fusion process."
2B paused for a moment. "You have always been there."
Loren reached out and tucked a strand of hair hanging beside her face behind her ear.
2B didn't dodge, just stood there quietly, letting his fingers gently brush across her auricle.
"You are my family, I definitely don't want to let you get hurt."
Hearing Loren's words, 2B's face was filled with a look of being moved, and then she slid down Loren's body to the ground.
Then she looked up with her mouth slightly open, looking at Loren, her face full of infatuation.
"Master, you are really too good to us, I will reward you properly!"
"2B, if you want it, just say so, what reward are you talking about! I really can't handle you!"
Chapter 508: Don't rush, everyone will get a share!
Having dealt with 2B, Loren walked towards the next room.
Mai Shiranui's room was next to 2B's, and when Lorenwalked over, the door was closed.
He knocked on the door, and a lazy, sleepy voice came from inside: "Please come in!"
He pushed the door open and saw Mai Shiranui lying on the bed.
Her quilt had been kicked under the bed, her red cheongsam was wrapped wrinkled around her body, and her long black hair was scattered on the pillow like a black cloud.
Her eyes were half-closed, and the corners of her mouth held a dazed, sleepwalking-like curve.
"Mai, time to wake up."
"No..." Mai Shiranui rolled over and buried her face into the pillow.
"Sleep for five more minutes..."
Loren walked to the bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed.
He reached out, pushed her hair away from the pillow, and exposed her ear.
On her earlobe was a small silver earring, a miniature version of the fusion earrings, which she treated as an accessory.
"Breakfast is going to get cold."
"Let Tifa heat it up..."
Loren smiled, a smile as warm as sunlight appearing on his face.
Mai Shiranui slightly raised her head from the pillow, and seeing him smile, she smiled too.
"Alright, alright! I'm getting up."
She sat up from the bed and stretched.
The red cheongsam slid up a section during the stretch, revealing her fair waist.
She didn't mind, rubbed her eyes, and then reached out, hooking her arms around Loren's neck.
"Master, good morning," Mai Shiranui said.
"Good morning."
She leaned over and lightly pecked him on the lips.
It wasn't a deep kiss, just a dragonfly-touch-the-water kind of sleepy kiss, like a cat acting coquettishly.
"Carry me to wash my face."
Loren picked her up from the bed.
Mai Shiranui's body was very light and soft, like a lump of boneless cotton.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent.
"Master."
"Hmm."
"Next time we fight, I want to fuse with the sisters again. That feeling... is wonderful.
It doesn't feel like just one person; it's four people's heartbeats together, breathing together, wills together.
I've never had that feeling before."
Loren carried her toward the bathroom.
"Alright."
Wanda's room was on the first floor, close to the garden. Loren came down from upstairs, walked through the corridor, and pushed open her door.
Wanda was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, holding a book about ancient spells.
The red light in her eyes had recovered; it wasn't the blazing intensity of battle, but a soft red like candlelight.
Her hair was scattered over her shoulders, and she was wearing loose white pajamas, looking very relaxed, but Loren noticed her fingers trembling slightly on the pages.
"Wanda."
She raised her head and looked at him, a tired yet genuine smile on the corners of her mouth.
"Master. Morning."
Loren walked to the bedside and sat down.
He took the book from her hand, placed it on the bedside table, and then held her hand.
"Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore. Your energy is very effective," Wanda said softly.
"I'm just a bit tired. Chaos Space was stretched too large by your powers, and my magic almost couldn't hold it."
"You held on."
"Because you came in time. If you had been a few seconds later, the spatial barrier would have collapsed. By then, the energy backlash of Chaos Space would have torn me to pieces."
Loren's hand tightened a bit.
"No, I won't let you be torn to pieces."
Wanda looked at him, her eyes full of emotion.
"I know, so I held on. Because I knew you would come."
She pulled her hand out from his grasp, then leaned over entirely, resting her head on his shoulder.
Her body was light and weak, but her heartbeat was steady and firm.
"Master."
"Hmm."
"I want to stay with you for a while, just for a while."
Loren's arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her a little closer.
"Forget about a while, a lifetime is fine too."
The sunlight outside the window spilled in, falling on the two of them.
In the garden, Nymph was talking to a butterfly, her antennae gently swaying in the breeze.
In the distance, the sound of Tifa bustling about and the clashing of spatulas came from the kitchen.
The morning at Morgan Manor was quiet and warm.
On the long dining table, it was filled with food.
The bread was freshly baked, with a golden, crispy crust and a soft interior.
The coffee was freshly ground, and the aroma permeated the dining room.
The milk was warm, and the fruit was fresh.
Strawberries, blueberries, oranges, and apples, cut into uniform sizes, were placed in a large bowl.
There were also fried eggs, bacon, vegetable salad, and a large pot of steaming oatmeal.
Tifa stood by the table, placing the last dish, a dish of her special jam, in the center of the table.
Her eyes swept across the long table, counting the seats.
Twenty-four seats, twenty-four people.
She counted again, confirmed everyone had arrived, untied her apron, and sat down in her seat.
Loren sat at the head of the long table, with Tifa on his left and No. 18 on his right.
Eve sat next to No. 18, 2B sat next to Eve, and Mai Shiranuisat next to 2B.
Twenty-three women, twenty-three pairs of eyes, were all looking at Loren.
Loren picked up his teacup and took a sip.
Ceylon black tea, low sugar, brewed by Tifa.
"Let's eat."
Everyone started eating.
Hancock used a fork to spear a piece of strawberry and gracefully put it into her mouth.
Her movements were slow and calm, every detail looking like a performance.
Her black eyes looked at Loren through her gold snake-shaped earrings, a slight, arrogant curve at the corner of her mouth.
"Master," Hancock's voice wasn't loud, but clear.
"Is that The Judge really that strong?"
"Very strong," Loren said.
"Stronger than Thanos, stronger than Naer, stronger than any enemy encountered before."
Hancock's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Is my petrification ability effective against it?"
"Its energy tier is too high; your Medusa power might not be able to pierce through its shield."
The corners of Hancock's mouth curved up slightly in a smug arc.
"I don't think so. No man can resist my charm."
No. 18 took a sip of water and said calmly: "It's not a man, it's not human, it has no gender, no emotions, no desires. Your charm is useless against it."
Hancock's eyes narrowed into slits, and the fork in her hand poked at the strawberry.
The strawberry was pierced, and red juice seeped out from the gaps of the fork.
"That's impossible!"
"I'm stating facts."
Hancock was about to refute when Tsunade reached out and pressed down on her arm.
Tsunade's fingers were very strong, and Hancock's arm couldn't move a fraction under her grip.
"Eat properly, don't argue," Tsunade's voice wasn't loud, but it had a majesty that people couldn't help but obey.
"The battle is already over, what's there to argue about?"
Hancock glanced at Tsunade, snorted, shoved the strawberry on the fork into her mouth, and chewed it forcefully a few times.
Chapter 509: Can I?
Mei Terumi sat next to Tsunade, holding a coffee cup, with a slight, spectator-like smile at the corner of her mouth.
Her brown eyes moved back and forth between Hancockand Tsunade, and finally landed on Loren.
"Master, that punch you used to kill The Judge was simply too strong; Chaos Space almost collapsed."
Mei Terumi's voice was gentle, but within that gentleness was a sense of earnest inquiry.
"If you suddenly used that power on us, we'd definitely be killed by you!"
Loren put down his teacup, looked at her, and smiled, "Rest assured, I won't use this power on you guys. After all, you aren't idiots!"
Hearing Loren's words, Mei Terumi's face instantly flushed red, and she gave a coquettish snort, "Pervert!"
Hinata sat next to Mei Terumi, holding a cup of milk with both hands, looking at Loren with her white eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Ever since the battle ended, she had wanted to speak with Loren, but every time the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back.
Her fingers rubbed against the rim of the cup, and her lips trembled slightly.
Loren noticed her, looked toward Hinata, and the curve of his mouth became a bit softer.
"Hinata, did your Byakugan discover anything during the battle?"
Hinata's face turned even redder; she lowered her head and looked at the milk in her cup.
"I... I saw The Judge's energy flow. Its energy core is right in the center of its chest cavity, surrounded by three layers of shields."
"The first layer is a physical shield, composed of compressed carapace; the second layer is an energy shield, composed of dark red energy; the third layer is... is a spatial shield."
"It hides its core in a tiny spatial wrinkle. If you don't break the spatial wrinkle, shattering the core won't be able to hurt it."
Loren nodded.
"You observed very carefully."
Hinata lowered her head even deeper.
"Th... Thank you... Master!"
Mary General Ross poked her head out from beside Hinata, her golden twin tails bouncing on her shoulders, her blue eyes flashing with a gossipy light.
"Hinata is blushing! Hinata is blushing!"
Hinata's head lowered beneath the table.
Mai Shiranui smiled, and 2B's mouth twitched slightly.
Nymph jumped down from her seat, ran barefoot to Loren's side, and tugged on his sleeve.
"Master, can I not go to training today?"
Loren looked down at her.
Nymph's golden eyes were filled with anticipation, and her antennae twitched slightly, like two small blades of grass swaying in the wind.
"Why not go?"
"Because there is an injured butterfly in the garden, and I want to take care of it."
Loren reached out and patted her head gently. "Go ahead."
Nymph's eyes lit up. She tiptoed, pecked Loren on the cheek, and then ran out of the dining room, her bare feet pattering against the wooden floorboards.
Astraea watched Nymph's retreating figure as she ran out, a trace of envy flashing in her golden eyes. She turned her head and looked at Loren.
"Master, I want to go too."
"Are you injured too?"
"No, but I want to go keep Nymph company."
Loren looked at her, smiled, and nodded: "Go."
Astraea smiled, bounced off her chair, and rushed out of the dining room.
Ikaros floated above her chair, her pink long hair hanging down both sides of her body, her red eyes looking at Loren.
"Master, I'm not going."
"Why?"
"I don't want to take care of butterflies."
Loren looked at her and fell silent for a second. "Then what do you want to do?"
Something flashed in Ikaros's red eyes.
"I want to stay with Master."
At this time, the Commander White turned her head from beside Wanda, looking at Ikaros and then at Loren.
Her golden long hair drifted slightly in the air conditioner's breeze, with no ripples in her golden eyes, but the corners of her mouth held a slight, almost invisible curve.
"Ikaros, do not monopolize Master."
Ikaros's red eyes turned toward Ikaros.
"Commander White, I am not monopolizing him. Everyone can stay together; shall we play cards later?"
"That's a good idea!"
A2 sat next to Ikaros, holding a piece of bread in her hand and chewing slowly.
Her silver-white long hair was draped over her shoulders as she looked at Loren with a calm expression.
She rarely spoke, but her presence was very strong, like an unsheathed blade, quiet yet sharp.
"Master."
"Mn."
"Next battle, I want to take the field too."
Loren looked at her.
"Rest assured, you will have that chance!"
Hearing Loren's words, the corners of A2's mouth twitched slightly, and a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.
"At that time, I want to combine with them—Android 18, Eve, 2B, Mai Shiranui, and me, five people combining."
2B turned her head from beside Mai Shiranui and looked at A2.
Although the eyes beneath her black blindfold were covered, anyone could feel that blade-like gaze.
"A2, with your joining, we will be even stronger!"
"I think so too!"
Loren's gray eyes looked at A2, and then at 2B.
"We can try it another day."
Both of them looked at him at the same time.
"Thank you, Master!" A2 and 2B nodded and said.
After breakfast, Loren returned to the study.
He sat in the high-backed chair, holding a cup of tea in his hand, and looked out the window.
On the lawn, Nymph and Astraea squatted by the flowerbed, talking to a butterfly.
No, Nymph was talking to the butterfly, while Astraeawatched from the side, her golden eyes filled with curiosity.
In the distance, Android 18 sat on the terrace railing, tilting her head back to look at the sky.
Her eyes shone with a soft luster in the sunlight, and a slight smile hung at the corners of her mouth.
The door was pushed open.
Hancock walked in.
She had changed into a new outfit, a deep red long dress with the hem trailing on the ground, bound at the waist by a golden belt, perfectly outlining her figure.
Her black long hair draped over her shoulders, and her golden serpent earrings flashed in the sunlight.
She walked to the desk, pressed both hands on the tabletop, leaned forward, and looked at Loren with her black eyes.
"Master, this concubine has something to say to you."
Loren put down his teacup and leaned back against the back of the chair.
"If you have anything to say, just speak your mind. Don't forget, we are husband and wife!"
Hearing the words 'husband and wife', a sweet expression appeared on Hancock's face. She walked around the desk and came before him.
She lowered her head, squatted down, placed both hands on his knees, raised her head, and looked at him with her black eyes.
Her pride vanished at this moment, replaced by a soft, fragile, girl-like expression.
Loren reached out and tucked a strand of black hair hanging beside her cheek behind her ear. His fingertips brushed against her auricle, and her ears turned slightly red.
"This concubine knows that you slept with the other sisters this morning, so this concubine can..."
"You can."
Hancock stood up, bent down, and kissed gently.
Chapter 510 Russian Roulette
In the afternoon, Loren was in the garden.
He sat in the shade of an oak tree, leaning his back against the trunk, holding a book on botany in his hand.
His gray eyes moved slowly across the pages, but his consciousness was not entirely on the book.
He was listening—listening to the sound of the river water in the distant Hudson River, the rustling of the oak branches and leaves above him in the wind, and the talking and laughing of the women busy in the garden.
Nymph and Astraea had given up talking to the butterflies.
The butterflies had flown away.
They were now squatting by the flower beds, digging the soil with small shovels, trying to plant a new rose.
Dirt was stained on Nymph's antennae, and a few petals had fallen onto Astraea's golden hair.
The two talked while digging, their voices not loud, but carrying far in the quiet afternoon.
"Astraea, the hole you dug is too shallow."
"It's not shallow. Rose roots are very shallow."
"Rose roots are very deep. Tifa said so."
"Tifa was talking about monthly roses. Not roses."
"Aren't roses and monthly roses different?"
"They're different. Monthly roses have big flowers, and roses have small flowers."
"Then what are we planting?"
"...I don't know."
The two fell silent at the same time, and then laughed at the same time.
Tifa walked out of the kitchen, holding two cups of lemonade in her hands.
She walked over to the flower beds, handed the lemonade to Nymph and Astraea, then squatted down and inspected the hole they had dug.
"This is a monthly rose, not a rose."
"Astraea said it's a rose," Nymph said.
"I said it's a monthly rose," Astraea said.
"You said rose."
"I didn't."
Tifa stood up, looked at the two of them, and smiled.
"Whether it's a monthly rose or a rose, the hole is too shallow. Dig it a bit deeper."
She picked up a small shovel and demonstrated.
Nymph and Astraea studied earnestly.
Number 18 jumped down from the terrace, walked under the oak tree, and sat down beside Loren.
She leaned against the trunk, tilted her head back, and looked at the leaves above.
Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadow on her face.
"Master."
"Mm."
"That star named Number 18 cannot be seen during the day."
"It can only be seen at night."
"I know, but I want to see it during the day too."
Loren put down the book and looked into her blue eyes.
"The stars during the day are also there, it's just that the Sun's light is too bright and covers them up. Once the Sunsets, they will come out."
The corners of Number 18's mouth twitched slightly.
"Are you teaching me astronomy?"
"I am coaxing you."
Number 18 did not speak, a sweet smile appearing on her face.
She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Her breathing was light and steady, like the tide of a distant sea.
Loren did not move, letting her lean against him. His hand rested on hers, their fingers intertwined.
On the other side of the garden, Eve and 2B were practicing swordsmanship.
It wasn't serious practice, but relaxed, game-like sparring.
all-black the necrosword and the Miao blade gleamed in the sunlight, and the crisp, pleasant sound of the blades clashing was like wind chimes in a temple.
Mai Shiranui sat on a nearby rock, holding an iron fan in her hand, with faint blue flames flickering weakly along the edges of the fan.
She watched Eve and 2B sparring, the light of the blades reflected in her black eyes.
"2B, your blade is deflected," Mai Shiranui said.
2B retracted her blade and stood opposite Eve.
Her Miao blade spun half a circle in her hand, the tip pointing downward.
"It wasn't deflected, it's an angle issue."
"What I saw was deflected."
"The angle you saw from is wrong."
"My angle is right."
Eve stood between the two of them, all-black the necrosword sheathed at her waist.
Her dark brown eyes looked at Mai Shiranui, then at 2B.
"Don't argue, come again."
The three of them started sparring again.
Wanda sat on a garden bench, silently watching all this, and then a smile appeared on her face.
Hinata sat beside her, likewise watching everything in the garden.
Her cheeks were still slightly flushed, but much better than in the morning.
Her hands rested on her knees, her fingers gently drawing circles on them.
"Sister Wanda," Hinata's voice was very soft.
"Hm?"
"Aren't you tired?"
"A little, but sitting here, soaking up the Sun, and listening to their voices, I'm not tired anymore."
Hinata nodded.
"Me too."
The two sat quietly.
Hancock stood on the second-floor balcony, holding a glass of red wine in her hand, the wine glowing with a deep red light in the sunlight.
"This concubine's man, this concubine's sisters, this concubine's life—truly wonderful!"
She took a sip of the red wine and smiled.
The Sun began to sink westward.
The sky turned from blue to orange-red, and the clouds under the setting Sun looked as if they had been ignited, with golden edges and deep red interiors.
The surface of the Hudson River was dyed a golden-red, sparkling like a flowing river of lava.
Loren stood on the terrace, looking at the sky being swallowed by the twilight.
His hair turned golden in the setting Sun, and his shadow dragged very long behind him.
Tifa walked up to him holding two cups of tea, handed one to him, and kept the other for herself.
"How was your day?" Tifa asked.
"Very good, I haven't been this leisurely in a long time." Loren took the cup and took a sip.
"We can be like this often in the future."
"Perhaps, before the Celestials come."
Tifa's black eyes looked at him.
"If they come, we'll just go fight them!"
The corners of Loren's mouth curved up slightly.
"You're right."
Tifa smiled, leaned against his shoulder, and looked at the sky being swallowed by twilight together with him.
After dinner, everyone returned to their respective rooms, and Morgan Manor grew quiet.
Loren sat in front of the study window, at which moment the door was gently pushed open.
A group of women walked in, wearing pajamas with long hair scattered over their shoulders.
"Master, aren't you going to sleep yet?"
"If I went to sleep, would I still be able to wait for you?"
Loren said meaningfully.
"That's true!" The women laughed, walked up to him, and reached out to pull him up from the chair.
"Since you're not asleep, let's play something fun together!"
"What fun thing?" Loren asked, knowing full well.
"Of course it's the Russian Roulette! You are the pointer, and we are the rotatable wheel!"
With that, the women gathered around Loren, then turned their backs to him, knelt on the ground bending over, forming a circle.
Seeing this scene, Loren nodded with a smile, "Alright! Since you want to play so much, I'll humbly accept!"
Saying this, he closed his eyes and began to spin. After spinning about three times, he stopped and opened his eyes.
And the woman kneeling before him at this moment was none other than Hinata!!