Chapter 673: The fight for the main distortion (part 1)
After killing those three, the oldest of the three sisters casually deprived them of their spatial rings, while Nina and Lina got a bit too into the fight and ended up destroying or damaging the rings of their opponents alongside their bodies, Mina's attacks and her flames perfectly avoided the loot.
It was understandable, after losing everything they owned and she being the oldest of the three, or more accurately the oldest of the four if we include Iris who is a few months younger than Lina, it was Mina the one in charge of managing the resources and wealth they obtained.
And not only theirs, Iris trusted all her assets to Mina, since in public they were her maids, though she openly treated them as her sisters and at closed door they accepted that, it was all to keep up appearances in front of the eyes of the Blazeheart, luckily it didn't matter anymore.
Not only because they were now "subject" to the whims of the Lord of the Twin Sword Valley, who was an existence that the Redheart family couldn't touch, but because the Blazeheart had started to target them in the open like back then, so there was no use to keep feigning anymore as it won't make a difference.
Andas strange as it might sound it was liberating for the three sisters as well as for Iris, for example Mina finally could get back at that trash of a father, even if it was just by getting rid of the pawns he sent after them.
'They were disposable but he should have still invested quite a bit into them, specially that spear user, so…', thought the oldest of the three sisters to then take out a simple looking spatial ring from one of her pockets to then sent those three's corpses into it.
Very much to the fear of the girl from the Fireheart, just think about it for a second, no one else, Aster included, took the corpses of any of the enemies they killed throughout the battles so far, in part because there was no merit for it, but mainly because a lot of people, including those related to the ones that were turned into corpses, were looking from the observation area.
'S-She didn't burn or destroy the corpses but stored them!', inwardly screamed the sole survivor, she didn't know what was she going to do with them, but the options were quite varied and compelled by the fear she was feeling, her imagination ran wild, making her body start tremble, not realizing that the paralysis had started to fade away.
"Don't make that face, you won't be so lucky the next time we see each other, but today is your day", said Mina as she hit certain areas on the back and chest of the girl from the Fireheart with her pretty index finger which was cladded in light gray flames, making the eyes of her target roll back to then faint.
"Phew, these flames are quite something but they surely are a pain to use", mumbled Mina as her flames turned completely orange like before, before they were dispelled.
"That's not something that the only one among the three of you who could choose the exact moment to "awaken" those flames should say though", Mina looked upwards just to see a black-haired youth descending from the sky with an amused expression.
The surprise on the oldest of the three sister's face was noticeable for a second, but then she was reminded of who she was dealing with and she cleared her throat.
"Ahem, I know that…", for a second Mina found herself at a loss not knowing how to refer to Aster, as they hadn't interacted with each other at all, in fact the only one among the three sisters who has crossed the line between being practically strangers and becoming acquittances, would be Nina, of course there was Iris whom Aster treated as a friend, a feeling that was reciprocated by the red-haired sword obsessed girl.
"Just call me by my name, you three are acting like Iris's sisters in the open now, so it would be weird to have you call me by tittle, that sister in the middle of yours preferred to call me "Great Lord of the Twin Sword Valley" though", casually said Aster, making Mina feel embarrassed about that playful sister of hers.
"Sorry about that, Lina is just… free spirited", said the oldest of the three sisters to then continue where she left earlier.
"As I was saying, I expected you to able to tell the difference in my case since this change seems to be related to that medicine you prepared for us, but please don't mention it out loud… every bit of "uncertainty" I can make those guys feel is of help to us", she said, amusingly enough she sounded like an older sister lecturing her younger brother.
And she realized her mistake a second later, not that she was to blame since that is the role she has lived with for more than half of her life, she even scolded Iris when needed while she was growing, but that was one thing and this was a complete different one.
The black-haired youth in front of her, even dared to treat direct descendants and an heir from two of the main family branches of the Fey as if they were trash, though she firmly believed she was right to state what she said, she also knew she was out of place.
But just as she was about to apologize, Aster chuckled as he snapped his fingers, then a large barrier of golden light became visible all of a sudden, naturally Aster used the light protection from the Paragon Body to isolate the sound around them, he could chose whether it should be visible to others or not and since it was meant to protect those inside and had no ill intent, Mina couldn't detect it until Aster showed it to her.
"Don't worry, of course I wouldn't want to ruin the "terrorizing" play someone put so much effort to stage and what you said is perfectly reasonable so there is no need for an apology", he said to then add.
"Also, when I said to call me by my name, I meant that I don't like formal stuff, the little one seemed to be quite relaxed around me anyway", he was of course referring to Nina.
Mina couldn't help but frown before saying.
"Aren't you being a bit too careless, I played with the minds of my opponents, turned them against each other and then crippled their bodies, all before killing them in a messy way while purposedly leaving one live so that the tale would spread, I even kept their corpses for future purposes", her curiosity was genuine, though they were exiles at the Blazeheart, that didn't mean they had no one that could have become their friends after they joined Iris at the Bladeheart family.
Lina and especially Nina had quite a few friend candidates, since they were rather sociable and because they were being trained by Layla, who is an idol for the children of quite a few of the branches of the Bladeheart family.
But the result was always the same, they became a bit closer to those two but ended up distancing themselves due to Mina's reputation, since those around the age of the oldest of the three sisters avoided her like the plague.
"Yeah, so?", the answer she got from Aster was a raised eyebrow with a casual tone of voice.
"So, wouldn't it be normal to avoid getting close to someone like that?", asked Mina only for Aster to nod at her, which made the oldest of the three sisters think that the black-haired youth finally came to his senses, until she heard him say.
"Ah right, you three still don't know about it, it's pointless to put on a facade of any sort in front of me, under certain "conditions" I can instinctively know if someone is lying or feigning whether it is to act as a saint or as a devil".
'Said conditions being that the other party is a girl… damn dragon lineage', inwardly added Aster to then say.
"But that wasn't the case here, the movements, expressions and even the aura around those that find joy in harming others and those who do so out of necessity look completely different for me".
Mina's eyes glowed for a second upon listening to Aster's words.
'I see, I guess this is what little Iris meant with "I feel at ease with him", what a dangerous guy… if he would have been trash like them', thought the oldest of the three sisters, naturally she who experienced betrayal by her own father and those whom her mother helped, wasn't a greenhouse flower.
She couldn't allow herself to be one, since she took upon herself the role of becoming the wall between those disgusting bastards and her younger sisters, despite she not being that much older than them back when everything started.
She was a normal child that grew up being loved by her mother who was the one at home most of the time, of course she didn't enjoy what she did to that guy who openly bragged about coveting them, it simply needed to be done for the sake of her younger sisters who were about to lose the illusion that they even had a father, so she followed through it until the end.
After all, it was Mina the one who went to the Punishment Hall to inform her father about her suspicions, so out of the three, only she saw the complete lack of any kind of sadness, loss or anger on her father's face when she expressed her worries regarding their mother's death.
Lina and Nina originally only realized the kind of scum that guy was because of the disowning matter and only after they grew up enough to not be considered children anymore, did Mina tell them about that other situation, it didn't take anything for them to completely believe what their older sister told them though.
"We should get going, your distortion is about to spit out its content and the little one should be waking up anytime soon", said Aster as he started floating upwards, to then add.
"Ah right, don't forget to bring that prisoner, since we are going to make the Firehearts bleed until they beg for mercy", he jokingly said to which Mina actually smiled, it wasn't that subtle smile she has on her face all the time, but a true one.
"Mm" with a soft nod, the oldest of the three sisters casually grabbed the fainted girl from the Fireheart by her neck to then follow Aster high into the sky, on the way she obtained the thing that came of the distortion assigned to her and was taken aback by what it was.
'Did he foresee all of this, that's… amazing!', she excitedly thought as she kept the object that came out of the distortion in her spatial ring.
It's normal that the oldest of the three sisters thought that way, since the focus of her fighting style is "control", as in she aims to keep the battlefield beneficial for herself and her allies, who normally are her sisters.
That's why her sword has the longest reach out of the three and that's also why she is the most balanced out of them, being able to fight at close, middle and long range, as those three had the infortune to experience.
"I didn't expect to see someone using "accupoints" as targets to restrain and cause long lasting pain and paralysis, were you originally aiming to become a soul cultivator?", asked Aster out of nowhere.
"Those are some scary eyes indeed", she said, to which Aster bitterly smiled in response.
"If it's something you don't wish to talk about, then it's fine, it was just curiosity", he said making Mina shake her head almost instantly.
"It's not that, I find it incredibly reassuring to have an ally with such an amazing ability", Aster now understood the oldest of the three sisters a bit better, despite the complex front she put on for others to see, she was quite a realistic person, if one couldn't discern through her façade you'll think she will make use of you and then throw you away when it's convenient… similar to her father.
With the difference that she openly acts like a "bad girl", while her father hides behind the mask of a benefactor, like it happened to those guys sent after them, or the three sisters who didn't have a single bad memory of their father previous to the death of their mother.
"It's just a little trick that I learned thanks to my mother, our ancestor was the one that compiled the first three levels of "Blaze Commandment" for the usage of the young generations, the generic disposition of the physical bodies of the people from the Redheart family is the same, it only becomes more "solid" for those with a purer lineage or a better talent".
"I simply used the maps of said disposition I memorized to create a technique to specially target those of the Blazeheart family in order to instill fear on them, based on a relaxing massage that my mother used on us when we were little, it wouldn't work on those outside of the Redheart family", she said, to which Aster smirked as he added.
"I think you mean it wouldn't work on others, prior to today".
Mina slightly pouted, she was used to keep others in the dark regarding her methods as much as possible, but the black-haired youth in front of her, saw right through her quite easily, something she should hate since the last time that happened, the investigation regarding her mother's death was dismissed and the case was closed as it being an accident, but she strangely didn't find it unpleasant.
"Yeah, those flames seem to have the capacity to invade and restrict everything they touch, I was also surprised to see that those guys lost the ability to even feel their dantians, it's something that perfectly complements my Phantom Snake Swordsmanship", she said to which Aster nodded.
'Flames that make up for the areas where they were previously "lacking", I guess we can discuss about it later with the three of them as well as Iris and Layla', he thought to then return to the real world since the area where the representatives, as well as Lilia and the others were.
"Good job kid!", the first one to welcome Aster, though just with words was William, since he didn't dare to take the first step in front of that "average" looking woman who was smiling from ear to ear at him, as he had theorized what her real identity was.
Valentina also nodded at Aster, at this point the sky around the main distortion was basically empty, the junior disciples from the Myriad Occupation sect had all finished their fights as well, they either defeated and then looted their opponents while sparing their lives, or directly killed them to then loot them, following the example of their admired senior brother.
And they were already returning to the resting area where the elders in charge of them were waiting for them, some naturally greeted Aster earlier wanting to show him what they obtained from the distortions, but he just answered by smiling at them and telling them to keep it a secret from outsiders, and that was enough for those curious young girls.
"It's good to see you, we have a little "something" to discuss with you", said Alice with a smile that wasn't a smile, strangely enough quite a few of the others nodded in agreement, naturally Aster knew what they meant.
He told them that the one who obtained the best resource, treasure or whatever came out of the distortions, will get to go first during the next round of dates, but after they all gathered together to compare, they realized that… all the things they obtained had a similar level, according to Camila's lineage at least, in other words, they got tricked by Aster.
"I only accompanied Mina, the main distortion is about to open, besides you would have complained of the result, since I was the one who assigned a distortion to each team", said Aster to that wild dragon sister of his, making Alice softly snort.
"You could have just "secretly" given me the winner one", she exclaimed to which Kana immediately said.
"That wouldn't be fair sister Alice", and that started a little debate between the girls, giving Aster the chance to slip away in secret.
Naturally, this was all an act, as the giggles coming from the mothers and the others who didn't participate in the battle so far, suggested, even the grumpy ligress girl Mira chuckled at the sight of Kana defending herself from the selfishness of the dragon princess.
Feeling refreshed after flirting with the girls and also getting a close glimpse to the murderous expressions on the representatives of the forces and families hostile to him, not including the Fey and the Redheart who hadn't returned from their spaceships yet, Aster soared high into the sky until he reached the vicinity of the main distortion, which had expanded over the time, until it reached more than twenty times the size of an average one.
"Heh, surprisingly they aren't even trying to pull a fast one, I guess even idiots will learn after being punched on the face time after time", said Aster as he observed his surroundings, which were empty.
At the border there were still fights ongoing, but none of the girls from the sect were involved in them, so Aster didn't care, they were mostly locals that were lucky to be nearby when the distortions started appearing, or rogues and mercenaries trying to obtain some benefits.
Aster came out of his daze, upon feeling the atmosphere trembling, a slight sensation of pressure rained from above, to then be followed by a relaxing sensation.
'This is…', he wasn't the only one to notice the previous, the representatives from the families and forces whose eyes were glued to the main distortion, suddenly all smiled at the same time, the restriction set up by the distortions had… loosened up.
"What the hell are you waiting for, go and move that bastard out of the way!", exclaimed the protector from the Pleasure Palace.
"Elders from the Marsh Domain, kill!", seconded the protector from the Marsh Domain, and soon all the other forces followed in.
Naturally Valentina and William also gave the order to the ones from their side that could participate instantly got on the move, unfortunately the limit was the Sea of Knowledge realm and there wasn't anyone particularly outstanding from their side present at the moment, at least not someone strong enough to block the swarm of elders that were flying at Aster as of current.
And the representatives knew it, they wouldn't have dared to act so rashly had the restriction allowed the participation of Genesis Manifestation cultivators, because of Agnes and Layla, a Fey princess who was already at heir level despite not having a position of authority within her family and the Bladeheart princess who was considered the most talented to have appeared since their current Ancestor, who instilled fear in the hearts of others, was born.
"OUT OF THE WAY!!!", but then a deafening clearly angered shout reached the ears of the all the ones that were flying in Aster's direction, it came from a blue robbed man in his late twenties, he had the badge of the Ocean Aquamarine family and was accompanied by a woman with a brown uniform wearing the badge of the Mountain Amber family.
'This time you are dead, brat!', poisonously thought the female protector from the Pleasure Palace, naturally the moment the restriction loosened up, she sent a word of it to the Fey's.
And she wasn't the only one that did so, as the pair of red robbed men that followed after those two from the Fey suggested.
But that wasn't all, a silver robbed man from the Iron Hall of the Supreme Elemental sect was also sent by the green robbed protector, who couldn't overcome the sense of uneasiness that has been revolting in his stomach since earlier.
Naturally the around half a dozen of elders from the Myriad Occupation sect who were sent by Valentina and William, didn't back away, in fact they each took around two to three opponents at the same time, but they only managed to reduce the numbers of the enemies going straight for Aster, in a bit less than a half.
Not to mention that the really dangerous ones of course didn't get tangled with the elders from the Myriad Occupation sect, since others fulfilled that role, they all had reached the tacit understanding to take down the really annoying obstacle in their way.
Seeing the incoming wave of angered elders from the forces whose juniors he crushed earlier, said obstacle not only didn't move an inch, but he even smirked as he said.
"Or maybe not, I guess some people never learn", casually said Aster.
"Shut up and go die!", shouted the female elder from the Mountain Amber family as she punched in Aster's direction.
"Booom!", the brown stream of spirit energy shot by the female elder's fist a second earlier suddenly exploded into countless wisps of spirit energy as it impacted against, an ice wall?
"Humph!".
"It's a shame their treasures don't look too good".
"Finally, we get to have some fun as well".
"What a troublesome "benefactor" we have".
"Time to get back at them for targeting little Kana, right, husband~
The remaining around twenty something elders that made it to the vicinity of Aster, were suddenly stopped in cold by five beauties that appeared out of nowhere.
Now imagine their expressions, when Aster sat down on the air, high into the sky to then look at them with contempt, it was the kind of gaze a noble would give to a peasant who tries to act up in their presence, one of disdain due to them not knowing their place.