Morgan stayed silent far longer than she had expected herself to, staring at her nephew with a storm of emotions churning in her head.

The most prominent among them was… fear.

Not fear for herself, of course — Morgan Kaizer Theosbane hadn't known that luxury in years — but fear for him.

Fear that he truly meant every word he'd said. Fear that he would rather risk annihilation than bend. Fear that, despite arriving here in time, she might not be able to protect him.

There was guilt, too. Guilt for not intervening properly after Freida, her sister-in-law, sacrificed herself for Sam.

Heavy and suffocating guilt, buried under duty and power and the comforting lie that someone else would step in, that Arthur would recover, that time would heal everything, that Sam would be… resilient.

And, at last, there was also anger. So, so much anger. At herself, at the clan elders, at her brothers, and at a family that prided itself on strength and wealth yet failed catastrophically at being exactly that — a family.

But most of all, right now, she was angry at Sam himself.

At the way the idiot was challenging her. At the thought that he was willing to risk his own precious life for a bunch of lowly peasants, insignificant nobles, and a pair of slaves!

For the first time in years, she felt her temper flare. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Go ahead and try to forcefully take my soul if you want," he said, his tone every bit as provocative as he probably intended it to be. "I won't go with you of my own will, Queen of Smiles."

Morgan stifled a grunt. If she were in her body, she would have slapped him hard right then and dragged him back exactly as he requested — forcefully.

Because she could see it… the look in Sam's eyes wasn't teenage defiance or simple stubbornness or wounded pride.

It was pure resolve.

And any other time, under almost any other circumstance, she would have been proud to see him showcase that unwavering resolve.

After all, it was one of the trademark traits of their family — murderous wrath, sky-high ego, and a will so unyielding it bordered on madness.

Resolve like that was what had let the Theosbanes carve their name into western history with blood and ash.

Resolve like that was also what got them killed.

…Resolve that was going to get him killed.

"Do you have any idea," each word she spoke now as measured as her tone was low, "how stupid you sound, willing to gamble everything away for people who wouldn't even be remembered if they died here?"

Sam didn't even flinch. He met her gaze head-on, staring straight into the depths of her golden eyes.

"I know," he said simply. "And I'm staying."

That answer struck harder than any insult ever could've had.

Morgan closed her eyes for a moment and began running some mental calculations, weighing them against his words.

She could forcefully rip his soul from his body, just like he said.

It would take time. But she could.

The problem was, time was one thing she didn't have.

Because to tear Sam's soul free, she would need to stop suppressing her own. And the moment she lifted the suppression wards placed on her, the Reflection Beast would awaken to her presence.

Can I risk it? she thought.

That was the question it all came down to.

…Could she risk the escape of one of the most powerful Spirit Beasts ever recorded, and the utter devastation it would wreak upon the world?

The answer came to her far faster than she would have liked.

No.

Not for anything.

Not even for him.

If the Reflection Beast gained her powers, it would be able to break free of its seal.

The loss of life that would follow would not only be immense, but also immeasurable.

Morgan's jaw tightened as she opened her eyes again.

Then she straightened her back, just as her ghostly form flickered, growing bright and dull. She had to immediately double down on suppressing her Soul Rank. The pressure in the air eased slightly.

Her focus was slipping. The strain of using astral projection for so long was becoming too much. She needed to wrap this reunion up soon.

"…You really are your father's son," she murmured. Then, after a breath, amended, "Unfortunately."

Sam didn't take the bait.

That, more than anything else, unsettled her.

When did he grow up so much?

Morgan sighed and turned away, pacing a few steps as her fingers flexed at her side. The jungle around them remained deathly silent.

"If I force you," she said at last, "I won't only risk our lives, but millions of others. I can't do that. So fine… you win. I won't force you."

Her nephew almost smiled a triumphant smile, until she raised a finger.

"But don't misunderstand me. This does not mean I approve of this idiotic stunt of yours. And it certainly does not mean I'm leaving you to your fate. Because you will die on this path."

Sam frowned.

Morgan continued, "So I'll improve your chances of survival, even if by only a little. Go. Call your friends."

But before he could move an inch, she spun and glared sharply at something on the ground a short distance away.

Samael followed her gaze and saw a… a small drone, half-hidden beneath wet leaves and creeping moss. Its camera lens was pointed directly at them.

He didn't even need to guess. It was Ray, livestreaming everything to his device. What was that idiot thinking, trying to spy on an SS-rank Hunter!?

"Or no need," his aunt hissed. "They can come out on their own, since they've obviously been listening."

•••

Within seconds, everyone was standing in a neat line before the Queen of Smiles like scolded children.

And, unsurprisingly, every single one of them was terrified.

Even Michael. Hell, even Kevin! Kevin, a fucking Spirit Beast that fed on negative emotions like fear, was also terrified!

Samael didn't think he'd ever seen them this anxious, not even when they were fighting for their lives every single day in this hellish jungle.

And speaking of Kevin, Morgan gave the large, fluffy bird a deeply quizzical look before turning to Samael in hopes of an explanation.

But her nephew merely shrugged, as if that was somehow a perfectly reasonable answer.

Only Alexia and Juliana were exceptions. The short redhead looked mildly annoyed, while the psychopath appeared… lost in her own thoughts, whatever they may have been.

In stark contrast to the two girls, Ray was sweating bullets. The color had long since drained from his face, leaving him looking pale as a corpse.

His drone had already been deactivated and now lay useless on the ground beside him.

And he refused to look up, his eyes glued to the mud as if desperately praying for the earth to swallow him whole.

The poor guy was already shaking like a leaf, but when Morgan stepped directly in front of him, he started whimpering! Actually whimpering.

"What's your name, boy?" she asked.

"R-Ra—" Ray's voice cracked. He coughed, still trembling. "Ray Warner, ma'am!"

Morgan raised an eyebrow, as though something about that answer displeased her. "Real name?"

All went quiet for a moment, and everyone exchanged confused looks. As far as they knew, that was his real name. Right?

Ray stopped trembling. When he looked up again, every trace of mock fear had vanished from his expression.

"Ray. Warner." He repeated it in a way that made it very clear he didn't appreciate her questioning it.

Morgan paused, then narrowed her eyes.

"Alright, Ray Warner," she said, placing deliberate emphasis on the last part. "You're the farthest from ascending your Soul Rank out of everyone here. Let me help you with that."

Ray blinked in confusion. "Wha—"

That was all he managed before Morgan's hand lashed forward and plunged into the boy's chest, sending a surge of Essence deep into him.

"Oh, and for future reference," she smiled down at him, "don't meet my gaze when you speak to me. I don't like that."

Ray's eyes flew wide as it felt like he'd swallowed a smoldering coal. His mouth opened in a silent scream, but only wet, choking gasps escaped his throat.

When she withdrew her hand, his knees gave out. He crumpled to the ground in a writhing heap, clutching at his chest in a vain attempt to try and claw the fire out of himself.

Sweat poured down his face, mixing with mud as his body convulsed uncontrollably at her feet.

Vince and Lily dropped to his side, screaming his name. Alexia, Kang, and Michael nearly drew their weapons.

Fortunately, Juliana was there to stop them with a raised hand, a gesture that told them to hold off.

Samael also wasn't worried. He knew Morgan had just forcibly pushed Ray's soul toward ascension.

It could have been dangerous if Ray's rank had been higher, or if he hadn't already been close to achieving B-rank. Then, and only then, the whiplash could've killed him.

But in this case, it wasn't dangerous.

Just excruciatingly painful.

By the time Samael lifted his gaze, Morgan was standing in front of him. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and kissed his forehead tenderly.

Samael didn't pull away.

She lifted his chin to make him look at her directly. "I wish I could do more, but I don't have even a second to spare now."

As if on cue, the ground under their feet started to shudder. The entire forest was rocked by a very, very violent earthquake.

Samael knew what was happening.

Morgan had lifted the suppressors on her soul, allowing the Reflection Beast to sense her presence.

If she didn't leave quickly, the beast would awaken.

So she did.

"Please return to us alive, Sam. Please…"

With those final words, Morgan Kaizer Theosbane vanished before his eyes, dissolving into shimmering specks of silver light.

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.