"Hmph. You canāt even control your emotions," Karli muttered coldly. "Iāll wait until I see this mysterious Supreme Leader myself. I hope he doesnāt disappoint us... and isnāt just a trickster who took advantage of the chaos."
She shot a sharp look at both of her parents before rising to her feet.
But just as she turned to leave, a communication stone in Zaeltharās possession lit up.
Zaelthar swiftly pulled the communication stone from his dimensional space and injected his spirit energy into it. As he read through the transmitted message, his expression shifted through a range of emotions.
Once the message ended, the communication stone dimmed.
"Donāt keep us anxiously waiting! Has something happened?" Rhylla asked, a frown creasing her brow.
Her husbandās changing expression made her uneasy.
Karli, too, wore a worried look as she turned to her father.
"Itās nothing to worry about," Zaelthar said, shaking his head as he quickly regained his composure. "It seems we no longer need to be concerned about war breaking out. The mysterious Supreme Leader has returned, and heās calling for our presence."
Rhyllaās eyes widened in surprise before her expression softened with relief. She let out a quiet sigh.
"So that means weāll finally get the information we came here for regarding the Kingās aura," Karli said, her tone solemn.
She was glad sheād finally get to meet this mysterious Supreme Leader, the one who had supposedly tricked both of her parents and several other powerful Spirit Beasts.
"Yes. We will. We should arrive before the others. Letās head out immediately," Zaelthar said, rising to his feet.
Rhylla and Karli nodded in agreement. They stood and followed closely behind him. They unfurled their wings and soared out of the cave, disappearing swiftly into the distance.
.....
Within the White Winged Gryphon floating island...
Orion stood on a vast snowy plain with Celeste, Greta, and Gina beside him.
Iyāyra and Jāgarin stood as well, along with several surviving high-ranking officials of the White Winged Gryphon tribe who had been rescued during the subjugation of the 1112th Celestial Spirit Court External Base and other bases destroyed by Gretaās clone and Viscount Veyrahl.
Along with Ginaās previous clone, they were the only ones who had remained in the Middle Layer of the Spirit Realm while the others returned to Paradise.
Now that a much more formidable clone has emerged, the former has been dispersed.
The snow had ceased falling.
A cold chill filled the air, but to beings as powerful as themselves, it was inconsequential.
"Iāve delivered the message. Those who had taken the oath will all be here soon," Jāgarin said, turning to Orion as he placed the communication stone back into his pocket.
"Go and escort them in," Orion replied calmly. "Iāll explain the reason behind the King-ranked Spirit Beastās aura to them first, then Iāll attend to the others who hadnāt taken the oath. They should wait outside until then."
"I will take my leave, Supreme Leader," Jāgarin said with a respectful nod.
Even if those incoming Spirit Beasts were far more powerful than he was, he wouldnāt delay in his response or dare object because Orion and the beings around him were far more terrifying than any of them.
Jāgarin soared into the sky and disappeared in a blur.
"Supreme Leader, how long are we to remain in the Spirit Realm?" Iyāyra asked, turning to Orion. "With trouble brewing, I donāt think itās safe for us to stay here any longer."
During his last visit, Orion had informed her of the decision to relocate all Spirit Beasts who had pledged allegiance to Paradise, moving them from this territory into Paradise itself.
Orion explained that their new home would be nearly identical to the Spirit Realm, albeit with several significant differences. It was something unheard of.
Iyāyra had been thrilled.
After all, who could truthfully claim to possess a realm comparable to the Spirit Realm itself?
Even the Material Realm didnāt come close.
"However, there are still some matters I need to resolve to ensure the relocation goes smoothly," Orion replied, looking at her.
"If thereās any way we can help, please let us know. We promise to do our best," Iyāyra responded, bowing her head respectfully.
The White Winged Gryphons behind her, having overheard the conversation, also lowered their heads in unison.
"This isnāt something you can handle," Orion said, shaking his head. "Leave it to me."
Iyāyra nodded and raised her head.
Since Orion had spoken so firmly, it was clearly a matter far beyond their reach. All they could do now was trust him.
The others behind her mirrored her action and raised their heads.
"Is there anything else you want to ask me?" Orion asked.
"I wanted to ask... how is Zymera? And Sylvalis?" Iyāyra hesitated before speaking. "Even though we didnāt spend much time together, I already miss them."
"Theyāre both doing well. Donāt worry, youāll see them again soon," Orion reassured her.
Iyāyra nodded, sighing in relief.
Just then, Jāgarin arrived from a distance. Following behind him were several other individuals, up to a thousand. Some were in their humanoid forms, while others remained in their Spirit Beast forms, blanketing the sky with their intimidating presence.
The collective aura they exuded created a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.
Orion raised an eyebrow as he observed the scene.
He had projected an overwhelming presence during his last appearance to ensure the Spirit Beasts awaiting him didnāt act recklessly. While some were visibly intimidated and kept their behaviour in check, it was clear others were still unwilling to bow or restrain themselves.
Orion was sure they would stir up trouble once he gave them the information they had come for and freed them from the oath they had taken. Still, he had no intention of holding back the truth any longer.
After learning of recent events, he also wanted to create a spectacle that would draw out the spies from the Spirit Beast Coalition and various others and send a message to the Vylkr spawns working in the shadows.
He could sense thousands more Spirit Beasts outside the floating island, those who had not taken the oath, waiting patiently as if looking for the right opportunity to attack.
Among them, Orion could sense Spirit Beasts as low as Knight rank and several concealed auras far more formidable, possibly even Royal Prince rank, though he couldnāt be certain.
Due to the recent annexation of the Celestial Spirit Courtās territories and the appearance of a King-ranked Spirit Beastās aura, the information had spread far and wide, attracting even more Spirit Beasts.
He intended to create a scene large enough to also expose these hidden powers. If not for the Spirit Beasts, who had taken the oath to protect this territory in his absence, this region would have already been thrown into chaos.
Orion made sure to reward Avarielle for her hard work.
Jāgarin landed before him and bowed respectfully.
Some Spirit Beasts remained hovering in the sky, while others landed on the snowy plain in their humanoid forms. They created an open space at the centre of the gathering, forming a path that led directly to Orion and the others.
"Iāve brought all of them here," Jāgarin said, his tone calm. "Unfortunately, a few were injured while protecting the residents of this territory from the other Spirit Beasts who didnāt take the oath. They hope that after this meeting, youāll provide the necessary resources to help them recover."
He gestured toward the gathered Spirit Beasts.
At his signal, several Spirit Beasts stepped forward, some furry, others covered in scales or feathers, and some almost humanoid in appearance. Many of them were visibly injured, with some missing limbs.
Orion looked at them and asked, "What kind of resources do you need?" His voice resonated across the gathering.
Seeing that Orion was addressing them directly, one of them stepped forward. He was a Spirit Beast with ice-blue skin and a white mane, wearing a cloud-like outfit consisting of shorts and long sleeves.
"I am Marquis Cyālakai," Cyālakai introduced himself, bowing respectfully, "We hope to borrow your strength to defeat those who attacked us. Once weāve defeated them, we will consume their remains to replenish our bodies, heal our injuries, and regrow our limbs."
Another Spirit Beast stepped forward. He had the lower body of a bird of prey, with metallic spikes protruding from various parts of his form.
"I am Duke Kafla," Kafla introduced himself, "All of us left our own territories to come here. Now that weāve been weakened to this extent, those who attacked us will likely take this opportunity to follow us back, devour us, and claim our lands."
"Thatās why we must retaliate. The only reason we sustained such injuries is that we honoured our oath to protect this territory and its residents. I hope the Supreme Leader will grant us his strength."
He, too, bowed respectfully.
Orion nodded slowly. He examined their auras and noted that even the weakest among them was at least Earl/Countess rank. With strength like that, healing and regenerating limbs should have been a simple matter with enough rest.
.....
The Earl/Countess rank means Earl, for a man. And Countess for a woman.