Neo was sitting on his knees on the cold stone floor.

This was a punishment called fa gui, kneeling as discipline.

He didn't know the exact name or the rules behind it, but he had seen it often enough in the Sect.

When children messed up, elders would push them down like this and make them stay until their legs shook.

At first, Neo hadn't thought much of it.

Now, after hours, he was reconsidering.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Elizabeth asked.

She was sitting on a chair in front of him, her posture straight, her expression calm but sharp.

Her eyes looked down at him without warmth.

They were inside Elizabeth's residence, in the main hall where she usually met Sect elders.

Paul was still unconscious in one of the inner rooms, being treated by her Technique Spirit.

Neo looked up slightly.

"Nothing?" he said, putting on an innocent expression.

Elizabeth's eyelids twitched.

That single word almost made her lose her composure.

"Nothing," she repeated slowly. "That's your answer."

Neo nodded as if he truly believed it.

Elizabeth inhaled, then exhaled, steadying herself.

"Is that how you are supposed to talk to Paul? He is going to be your son. And in the first place, the two of you are millions of years old. Why are you bickering like children?"

Neo opened his mouth.

"Don't interrupt me," she added.

He closed it again.

Elizabeth continued, "You provoke him. He provokes you back. And then both of you act surprised when things escalate. You think I don't see it?"

Neo kept quiet.

"Paul is a child compared to you. You know that. And instead of being the adult, you decided to poke him until he snapped."

"I didn't—"

Her gaze sharpened.

Neo swallowed the rest of the sentence.

The lecture continued.

Minutes turned into an hour. Then another.

Neo stayed kneeling the entire time.

Because he was currently mortal, his body couldn't ignore the strain.

His legs slowly went numb.

After that came the pain.

It was dull at first, then sharp, like needles digging into muscle and bone.

His knees felt locked in place, and every small shift sent a jolt up his spine.

He wanted to move.

But he couldn't.

Elizabeth's cold gaze never softened.

After some time, footsteps echoed from the inner corridor.

Paul emerged, fully awake now, his injuries already mostly healed. He walked over and stopped beside Elizabeth, his arms crossed as he looked down at Neo.

There was an arrogant smile on his face.

It was subtle, but Neo saw it.

Elizabeth saw it too.

Without even looking at Paul, she said, "Kneel."

Paul blinked. "What?"

"I said kneel," she repeated calmly.

His smile froze.

"You were watching with far too much enjoyment. Since you're clearly energetic enough to stand there smirking, you can join him."

Paul hesitated.

Then, reluctantly, he lowered himself to the ground and knelt beside Neo.

Neo glanced sideways and smirked.

Elizabeth raised a hand.

Her Technique Spirit stirred.

A moment later, Paul's expression changed.

His brows furrowed, and his jaw clenched.

The ground beneath him hadn't changed, but the pressure on his body had multiplied several times over.

To him, it felt like a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders.

He gritted his teeth.

Elizabeth finally turned her head and looked at him. "You're a Martial Artist. If I don't increase the weight, this won't even count as punishment."

Paul said nothing.

Neo's smirk widened just a little.

Paul noticed.

Their eyes met.

Paul glared.

Neo looked away, clearly satisfied.

Elizabeth massaged her brows, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"They really are fighting like children," she muttered.

She leaned back in her chair again.

For a brief moment, her expression softened, just a little.

"I wish Clara was here," she said quietly.

Her gaze drifted, unfocused.

"She would've been more sensible than these two."

Clara, however, was far away.

She didn't know about Paul's plans or his actions.

She was living normally in another universe, courtesy of Julie and Ultris.

The punishment ended hours later.

Neo could barely stand when Elizabeth finally dismissed them.

Paul didn't look much better.

Weeks passed after that day.

Elizabeth deliberately assigned Neo and Paul to the same tasks.

They taught the children of the Sect together. They went to the market together. They handled minor errands, inspections, and supervision work side by side. Elizabeth made sure of it.

She hoped proximity would help them get closer and friendlier.

She hoped shared responsibility would smooth things out.

Instead, the opposite happened.

They argued over trivial things. Teaching methods. Discipline. Even how to organize supplies.

Their conversations were never explosive, but they were sharp, filled with small jabs and unspoken hostility.

Elizabeth had to keep an eye on them constantly.

She genuinely didn't know when one of them might cross a line and try to eliminate the other for good.

And both of them were fully capable of it.

Just like that, two years passed.

In that time, Elizabeth finished inheriting everything left behind by the former Witch of Pride.

The knowledge, the Technique Spirits, the remnants of power. All of it was finally hers.

Once that was done, she established a council to manage the Sect's daily operations.

It was stable now.

Even if she left, the Sect would continue functioning without disruption.

That was important.

One quiet afternoon, Neo was sprawled lazily across a chair in Elizabeth's residence, munching on chips she had made for him. Crumbs littered the table.

Paul had returned to Apollyon's mansion.

Officially, he was serving as a servant. Unofficially, he was still acting as a spy.

With him gone, Neo had no one to annoy, and he was enjoying the peace.

"Are you ready to enter my Cosmos?" Neo asked casually.

Elizabeth looked up from the documents she was reviewing.

"Yes," she replied.

"Alright. Please talk to Amelia. And…"

He smiled bitterly.

"Tell her I'm sorry for everything."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you tell her that yourself?"

"Hahaha."

Neo just laughed, trying it wave it off like usual.

This time, Elizabeth didn't let it slide.

"You haven't talked to your academy friends either. I know you think all the suffering they went through is your fault. But that isn't true."

"It's fine—" Neo started.

"This is your bad habit. Instead of talking things out, you just run away."

She stood up and walked over, stopping right in front of him.

She looked him in the eyes.

"You haven't talked to your parents either, have you? If you haven't, then when I enter the Cosmos, I'm going to ask Hades why he abandoned you in your first life, and I'm going to—"

"You will not do anything to him."

Neo cut her off.

His tone was calm, but firm.

Elizabeth stopped.

"Just let it be," he said.

Years ago, Elizabeth had entered the Great Net of Life—the Sea of All Consciousness—for her own reasons.

There, she had gathered vast amounts of knowledge before returning.

One of those pieces of knowledge concerned the life of the Devil of Tyranny.

Naturally, she knew how Neo had been treated by his father, the Devil of Serenity.

"So I can't attack him? Why do you still care about him?"

"He must have had his reasons," Neo replied.

Elizabeth's gaze hardened.

He refused to meet Hades.

He refused to confront him.

He refused to release his anger.

He was running away.

"What about your mother? She cares about you. Are you going to ignore her too?"

Neo didn't answer.

The silence stretched.

"…So that's your answer," Elizabeth said quietly. "Then, what about Moraine?"

Neo froze.

The chip paused halfway to his mouth.

That name hadn't been spoken between them for a long time.

In fact, it was only the second time Elizabeth had said it since the day they met in the True Blessed Land.

Until now, it had been an unspoken agreement. A topic deliberately avoided.

Neo's gaze changed.

The careless look vanished.

His shoulders stiffened, and the relaxed slouch he always had these days straightened without him noticing.

"Are you going to meet Moraine inside my Cosmos?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then I can't allow you to enter it," Neo said immediately. "I'll bring Amelia out instead."

Elizabeth frowned. "Why?"

"Because you'll try to kill Moraine."

"I won't."

"You think I'd believe that when you're clenching your fists like that?"

Elizabeth lowered her gaze.

Only then did she notice it.

Blood was slowly dripping from her palm, dark red against her pale skin.

She hadn't even realized when she started clenching her hand so tightly.

But now that she looked at it, she understood.

It had happened the moment she said Moraine's name.

She closed her hand again, not caring about the wound.

"What are you going to do about Moraine and me?" Elizabeth asked directly.

She no longer had any intention of avoiding the subject.

Neo didn't answer.

Instead, he finally brought the chip to his mouth and chewed slowly, his eyes fixed somewhere far away.

The casual action felt almost insulting.

Elizabeth let out a short, humorless laugh.

"Hah. So you'll stay silent. Of course you will. All you know how to do is run away from problems you don't want to face."

She clenched her injured hand again, ignoring the pain.

Elizabeth had wanted to make peace with Moraine.

Not because it was easy. Not because she didn't feel jealousy or resentment.

But because she loved Neo, and she didn't want him to suffer anymore.

But watching him now—unable to even say what he felt, unable to acknowledge either of them properly—made her chest tighten.

"You're just going to keep us separated and spend time with each of us? What are we to you, Neo? Your mistresses?"

Neo didn't respond.

"Say something," Elizabeth snapped.

Her own voice surprised her.

It was unlike her to lose control like this.

Normally, she would suppress her emotions, analyze the situation, and do what was right.

That was how she had always lived.

But now, the lid on all those bottled emotions had been torn open.

They spilled out uncontrollably.

Finally, Neo spoke.

"I… don't know what to do."

He raised his head and looked straight into her eyes.

"I love you both."

Elizabeth stared at him.

"Both? Do you even hear yourself?"

She hadn't planned to say any of this. She hadn't planned to confront him like this.

But once it started, she couldn't stop.

"What if I tell you I love someone else too? Would you accept that?"

"I'd kill that guy."

The answer came instantly.

Elizabeth laughed, sharp and bitter.

"And yet you're telling me that you love someone else too. I feel the same as you. I want to kill Moraine. I really do. And… and…"

Her voice broke.

Elizabeth stopped speaking.

Her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes reddened.

She turned her head away, trying to regain control.

After a few seconds, she spoke again, quieter this time.

"No. I won't kill her. Don't worry."

Neo stiffened.

He had never seen Elizabeth like this before. Not once.

She was always composed.

Seeing her eyes redden, her voice unsteady, made something twist painfully in his chest.

Before he realized what he was doing, his body moved.

He stood up and pulled her into his arms.

Elizabeth froze for a split second.

Then she hugged him back, burying her face against his chest.

Her grip was tight, like she was afraid he would disappear if she let go.

"Just… just be happy, Neo. I don't want you to suffer anymore. If sharing you with Moraine is what it takes, then I'm fine with it," she said softly.

Neo gently patted her back.

He could feel her struggling.

She was forcing herself to accept something that hurt her deeply, all for his sake. That realization made his heart ache.

At the same time, he felt pathetic.

Elizabeth was trying to face the problem head-on, even offering to make peace with Moraine.

And here he was, doing what he always did—running away.

"Elizabeth," he said carefully. "If you want, I can use Severant."

She pulled back slightly.

"…What?"

"The 'me' you knew was up to Tartarus. I didn't have memories of my first life back then. So even if I sever myself into two halves—one that you knew, Neo, and one that lived in the Ninth Eon, Nameless—I would be—"

"Never say that again."

Elizabeth's voice cut him off sharply.

She lifted her head and glared at him.

"Never say something so horrific again."

Neo blinked.

Only then did he realize how close they were. Their noses were almost touching.

Elizabeth, someone who maintained a cold expression. was glaring at him with tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

A strange thought crossed his mind.

'Cute.'

Before he could stop himself, a small smile appeared on his face.

"Don't worry. I was just joking."

Elizabeth snorted. "Your jokes are terrible."

She took a step back, wiped her eyes, and regained her usual composure surprisingly fast.

"Now, open your Cosmos. I need to meet Amelia, Moraine, and everyone else."

Neo nodded.

He was still worried about Elizabeth meeting Moraine, so he instinctively thought about leaving Heavenly Record behind to secretly watch over them.

As if she could read his mind, Elizabeth spoke again.

"I will meet Amelia first. And later, Moraine. Don't eavesdrop on my conversation with her."

"…."

"Am I clear?"

"…Okay."

Neo hesitated for a moment, then decided to leave his mother there instead of Heavenly Records.

With her present, at least someone could watch over both of them.

As Elizabeth prepared herself, she paused.

"Also, meet Hades."

Neo didn't respond.

He activated Ignition, burning his Life Flame briefly, and sent Elizabeth into his Cosmos.

As the space closed, her words echoed in his mind.

She was right.

He needed to stop running away.

'Just do it.'

He noticed his hand was trembling.

'Fuck, just do it.'

'Don't think about it.'

Neo opened another portal, this time targeting Hades.

Hades was inside Neo's Cosmos, walking through one of the constructed realms on his way to study something.

For once, he wasn't being followed by five different versions of Persephone.

He noticed the portal immediately.

His gaze remained calm and unreadable.

After observing it for a moment, he stepped through.

In the next instant, he appeared outside, standing in front of Neo.

Father and son stared at each other.

Neo had imagined this moment countless times.

He had thought about what he would say, how he would act, what questions he would ask.

But now that Hades was actually standing there, all of those thoughts vanished.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.