"What? Become your follower?"
Kurose Akira raised a brow, disbelief written plainly across his face the moment he heard the Golden Peony Valkyrie's invitation.
He couldn't make sense of it. Why him? Did she know him from somewhere?
At the very least, he was certain he possessed nothing that should be capable of captivating a god.
"Mhm~"
Golden Peony gave a light nod, a gentle smile curving her lips as she lifted both hands and cupped his cheeks.
A rich peony fragrance flooded his senses in an instant, surging through his nose with overwhelming intensity.
It was a scent unlike anything he had ever experienced—far stronger even than the White Rose Valkyrie's floral aura. It felt as though he had been plunged into an endless sea of blossoms.
"Will you submit to me?" her sultry voice drifted along his ear. "As long as you kneel beneath my skirt, Golden Peony will reward you handsomely~"
"…?"
Akira frowned slightly.
Her accent… was a bit strange.
But there was no time to dwell on that.
"As for faith… I've already pledged myself elsewhere. So I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
"I see…"
Golden Peony smiled faintly, seemingly quite satisfied with his answer.
"What a pity. But if you ever change your mind, the gates of my divine domain will always remain open to you."
"Thank you for your favor, Lady Valkyrie."
Akira returned the smile, though doubt still lingered in his mind—did he truly have some unknown connection to her?
No matter how much he thought about it, no answer came.
"Time's almost up~"
Golden Peony straightened, her ample chest rising slightly as the last half-minute of her manifestation ticked away.
"That woman still has one breath left. Do with her as you wish. As for the priest who escaped—he's already been cursed. His strength has been reduced to less than a tenth. He won't pose much of a threat anymore."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Xu Feiyan, smiling.
"Does this fulfill your wish?"
"Thank you for your efforts!" Xu Feiyan replied immediately.
One dead, one crippled beyond recovery—this outcome far exceeded her expectations.
Originally, she had only hoped to stall them long enough for the New Moon Priestess to complete the ritual.
Yet Golden Peony had effortlessly crushed them both into ruin.
"Mm~"
Golden Peony's gaze returned to Akira. She waved lightly, smiling.
"I'll remember you. If you ever come to the Divine Realm, come find me."
"The Divine Realm…"
Akira paused, then asked,
"Does it still exist?"
"…"
Golden Peony froze for a brief moment, then a strange smile spread across her lips.
"You'll find out when you get there."
With that, her figure faded, dissolving into countless drifting peony petals before vanishing completely.
Her words, however, left Akira frowning.
Damn it.
Another cryptic one.
"Let's go check on that woman."
Without wasting time, Akira left the small world and approached the councilwoman who had been gravely wounded by Golden Peony.
As the vice-chair of the Moonlight Council, Janet was now clinging to her final breath.
Her mana was depleted, her heart shattered—death awaited her with the next strike.
"Y-you… who are you people…?" Janet rasped, her voice hoarse, eyes wide with disbelief.
Even now, she couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Why had the long-vanished Golden Peony Valkyrie appeared?
And why had she chosen to stand against them?
"You're about to die. Why bother asking so much?"
Akira didn't care. He drew his dagger, ready to end her life.
"Wait! Don't kill me!" Janet pleaded frantically. "Whatever you want—I'll give it to you! My husband is the chairman of the Moonlight Council! His wealth is enough to buy my worthless life!"
"That was quick."
Akira raised a brow at how swiftly she surrendered.
Then he turned to Xu Feiyan.
"What do you want to do with her?"
"Let the New Moon Priestess decide."
Xu Feiyan gestured for Petiko to bind Janet and bring her back into the small world.
The moment they returned, crescent-shaped patterns shimmered across the ground.
"Is the ritual about to finish?"
Akira stepped forward expectantly, searching for the New Moon Priestess.
But no matter how long he looked, she was nowhere to be found—as if she had vanished entirely.
"Where is she?"
His confusion deepened.
"Her presence is gone from here."
Lucia shook her head. She had already scanned every inch of the small world with her senses, yet found nothing.
"Akira, come take a look at this!"
Suddenly, Xu Feiyan and Petiko called out, having discovered something.
Everyone hurried over.
Floating in midair was a pitch-black tunnel, as though it led somewhere unknown.
But its diameter was only half a meter.
Walking through it was impossible.
The only way… was to crawl.
"Don't tell me… she went in there?"
Akira raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"Most likely…"
Xu Feiyan held up a tuft of cat fur she had picked up from the ground—proof enough.
"So… do we go in?"
Akira hesitated.
A half-meter tunnel… and who knew how deep it went?
"Someone has to try. But who?"
Xu Feiyan looked around.
"That's easy."
Akira grinned and casually created a spatial ring, summoning Camludia.
"You brat! What do you want? This true ancestor was enjoying her nap!"
Still groggy and irritated, Camludia looked ready to smack his knee.
"You. Go in and take a look."
Akira cut straight to the point.
"You!"
She glared at him, then glanced at the tunnel.
After a moment of thought, she bargained,
"One drop of your essence blood!"
"Fine. Go."
"Hehe~"
Instantly, she transformed into a small bat and flew into the tunnel.
"Let's just wai—"
"AAAAH! A GHOST!!"
Before Akira could even finish—
"Help! Akira! Save me!!"
Camludia came screaming out of the tunnel, darting behind him in panic.
"What happened? What did you see?"
Akira frowned.
As a vampire progenitor—essentially a demigod—how could she be scared like this?
Was she faking it?
"It's coming! It's coming out!"
"AAAH! IT'S HERE!"
She shrieked and dove straight into his pants.
"Hey—HEY! You—!"
Akira's eyes widened.
What the hell is wrong with you?!
Stop flapping your wings in there, idiot!
Just as he was about to drag her out—
A leopard-spotted cat stepped out of the tunnel.
"What are you all doing?"
The cat spoke.
"…?"
Akira froze—then immediately realized.
This was the New Moon Priestess.
"We were looking for you."
"For me?"
She glanced around, then said,
"Thank you for protecting this place. I'll take it from here. Where's the Waning Moon Priestess?"
"They've been defeated. Petiko, bring her up."
Petiko tossed Janet in front of her.
The moment the New Moon Priestess saw the dying woman, her pupils shrank in shock.
They had not only protected the small world…
They had defeated both the Waning Moon Priestess and the council's vice-chair?
How?
After a few seconds, she finally asked,
"Where is he?"
"He escaped, but suffered irreversible injuries," Xu Feiyan replied.
"Incredible… You actually defeated him with your own strength. I'm impressed!"
"Thank you~"
Xu Feiyan smiled—only to notice Akira still fumbling with his pants.
"Get out already, idiot!"
Akira snapped at Camludia, who was still hiding.
"NO!"
She continued thrashing wildly.
Akira sighed.
So she's really afraid of the priestess's leopard-cat form?
And… as expected—
The New Moon Priestess really is a leopard cat.
"Go back to the guild!"
Unable to tolerate it any longer, he forcibly teleported Camludia away, saving his dignity—and his pants.
"Whew…"
He exhaled, then looked at the priestess—
Only to find her staring at him with a strange expression.
"Sorry… a small incident."
He chuckled awkwardly.
"How did the ritual go?"
"With your help, it was a success."
She nodded, licking her fur as she spoke.
"Congratulations on completing your mission. The High Priestess of the Moon will remember your contribution. When moonlight once again shines upon the Moon God Empire—you will be its heroes."
"That's wonderful~"
Xu Feiyan's lips curved into a smile.
This meant one thing—
Her guild had officially advanced to A-rank.
"Then what about her?"
Akira pointed at Janet.
"She?"
The priestess's cold, eerie feline eyes turned toward the dying woman.
"…Kill her. Those who betray the Moon God deserve only death."
"Don't—!"
"AH—!"
Before Janet could finish—
Akira's blade ended her life.
After all, he wasn't about to waste the bonus trait [Blue Moon].
[Killed Janet. Obtained additional trait — Blue Moon!]
At that moment, a white light emerged from her body, floating in midair.
"What's this?"
"That is the embodiment of Moonlight Law," the priestess explained. "When she dies, it returns to the moon. But if a user of equal level is nearby, it can be collected and returned to the Moon God's statue for greater blessings."
She raised a paw to retrieve it—
But nothing happened.
"…Strange."
No matter how she tried, it wouldn't respond.
Then—
Akira casually clapped his hands.
The strand of Moonlight Law drifted straight toward him.
"You—how did you do that?!"
Her eyes widened in shock.
"No idea."
He shrugged.
"…What exactly are you?"
She stared at him suspiciously—
Then suddenly, realization struck.
"Come with me!"
"Me?"
"This tunnel's too small—"
"Annoying!"
She kicked the tunnel, expanding it to two meters.
"Now that's better."
Akira stepped in, following her.
At the end of the tunnel—
He arrived at a familiar place.
The Moonlight Palace.
But this time—
It was real.
Thousands of Moonlight Witch clones filled the hall.
And at its deepest point stood a colossal, hundred-meter statue of the Moonlight Witch.
Yet something felt… off.
In the dream, the statue had been carved from sapphire.
But here—
It looked almost alive.
Lifelike to an unsettling degree.