The Sky Mountains slowly faded away. The Deity shattered into countless shards of light, and the storming clouds dispersed, revealing the sun that had already risen to dawn.

As soon as the Deity vanished, Azhryx's head fell to the ground as well.

Moments later, Voltrex descended. His torso bore deep wounds, one of his arms was shredded, yet his breathing remained steady and his expression emotionless.

"W-we have really won!!"

"The thirty-two-year-long war has finally ended."

"We can return to our families!!!!"

The Thunderbanes erupted in joy, tears of relief streaming down their faces as they still struggled to believe that the war against the demons had truly ended. Although the war had cost humanity dearly, all forty-six Thunderbanes—including Taranis, Stormir, and Voltrex—had survived, a testament to their overwhelming strength and sheer power.

The cultivators who had fallen unconscious from the Soulforce pressure unleashed by the clash between Voltrex and Azhryx soon awakened, only to find that the war was already over and that humanity had emerged victorious.

Roars of triumph echoed across the scorched battlefield, two names resting upon everyone's lips.

"Long live Prince Taranis!!"

"Long live King Voltrex!!"

The war against the demons had remained at a stalemate until two and a half years ago, when Taranis arrived at the Sentinel Line. From that moment onward, the Thunderbanes stopped holding back and went all out. It was an unspoken truth that Taranis had not only brought a wave of change with him, but also the favour of the heavens themselves—the very reason the cultivators chanted his name.

Gathering themselves, the humans returned to the Sentinel Line, where a feast of the century awaited them. News of humanity's victory quickly spread to every corner of the Western Continent, reaching the Hundred Sky Mountains and the imperial capital in no time.

After remaining with his subordinates for a few more minutes, Taranis moved toward his father, who was discussing matters with several representatives of the Empire inside a meeting tent.

"Father, there's an emergency at home," Taranis said the moment he stepped inside. "Your presence is needed."

Voltrex's eyes shifted to Taranis, and the two exchanged a silent look.

Releasing a sigh, Voltrex said, "I need to attend to this urgent matter." Turning to Stormir, he added, "Elder brother, please take care of the discussions with the Empire."

With that, Voltrex followed Taranis out of the tent. The two walked in silence until they reached Taranis's abode.

The moment they entered, Taranis erected a barrier around the tent, blocking all sound and presence from leaking outside.

At the same time, Voltrex's eyes rolled back. A mouthful of blood spilled from his lips as his body began to collapse forward.

Before he could hit the ground, Taranis caught his father and gently laid him on the bed. From the very beginning, Taranis had been aware of the toll releasing the Soul Domain would take on Voltrex's body. He also understood that, as a king, Voltrex could not afford to show even a hint of weakness and was expected to attend to urgent matters immediately after the battle ended.

This was Taranis's way of temporarily removing Voltrex from the meeting so he could rest, even if only for a short while. Voltrex, too, understood his son's intentions without a single word being exchanged and was fully aware of how desperately his body needed rest, so he silently obliged.

Removing Voltrex's robe, which had turned crimson from inside from the fresh wounds he bore, Taranis applied the medicine Aestra had given him before his departure. It was a priceless remedy, containing secret herbs capable of aiding even a High-Tier cultivator.

After carefully applying the medicine, he moved Voltrex's unconscious body into a sitting position and wrapped bandages around his torso. Although the medicine was rare, it would still take at least a month to show any effect on the body of a Demi-God.

After laying him back onto the bed, Taranis stood outside the tent, his arms folded as he kept watch, ensuring that no one disturbed his father's rest.

Within the next two hours, over fifty people came to meet Voltrex, each with different matters to discuss. All of them were sent away by Taranis to his uncle Stormir, who told them that the king was occupied with an emergency and must not be disturbed.

Half an hour later, Voltrex walked out of the tent. He patted Taranis on the head and murmured softly, "Thanks, son."

"Father, you shouldn't be walking just yet," Taranis whispered back.

"I can't afford to rest anymore, son," Voltrex replied as he moved away.

Taranis understood the reason. If Voltrex failed to appear for a few more hours, people would begin to suspect that his absence was related to his health, something that could not be revealed at any cost.

During the meeting, the Empire's representative, Rhaegar, requested Voltrex to remain for two more days, as Emperor Kharos would be arriving at the Sentinel Line to join the feast and provide compensation worthy of the aid the Thunderbanes had rendered during the war.

Voltrex had no choice but to agree, as his body was in no condition to travel the long distance to the Hundred Sky Mountains.

---

At Frostbane Peak, Hundred Sky Mountains

"Father, the war has ended!!!" Nymeria shouted as she rushed toward her father's chamber, a letter sent by Taranis clutched tightly in her hand.

Aurelion, who was seated on the floor before a low table, practicing calligraphy with a brush in hand, lifted it from the paper the moment Nymeria entered.

"Nymeria, you should knock before entering," Aurelion said without raising his gaze.

"Right! What if your father and I were doing something here that shouldn't be seen?" Lunaria teased, a playful smile dancing across her lips as she sat beside Aurelion, observing his calligraphy.

Casting Lunaria a sharp glance, Aurelion muttered, "Behave, Lunaria."

Lunaria leaned closer, hooked her arm around Aurelion's right arm, and whispered into his ear, "If I had behaved, Nymeria wouldn't have been born."

Her seductive tone turned Aurelion's ears red, though he still tried to maintain his rigid expression.

Having heard every word, Nymeria couldn't resist teasing him further. She grabbed his left arm and sat down beside him.

"Father, is that true?" she asked.

"Th-that…" Aurelion—completely toyed with by both his wife and daughter—stammered, unable to maintain his composure.

"Uhh~" Lunaria let out a soft groan, withdrawing her hand from Aurelion's arm.

"What happened, Lunaria?" Aurelion asked at once, his usual calm voice quickening.

Lunaria guided Aurelion's hand to her swollen belly and murmured, "Your second child has become quite unruly. Here, do you feel the kick?"

Aurelion's stiff expression completely melted the moment he felt the kick beneath his hand as he gently brushed Lunaria's belly.

Seeing her father soften, something that was far from a common sight, Nymeria hurried to her mother's side as well, placing her hand on Lunaria's belly.

"Me too…"

"Woah, my younger sibling is very energetic," Nymeria said, feeling another kick.

Her eyes slowly shifted toward her father, realising this was the perfect moment to ask.

"Father… I need your permission for something," Nymeria said, fidgeting with her fingers.

Aurelion's expression stiffened once again, clearly aware that nothing pleasant ever followed when Nymeria behaved like this.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice turning cold.

"Taranis said there's a feast at the Sentinel Line in two days. Mother Aestra has decided to go there to surprise them, so… I—"

"You cannot go. It's dangerous outside," Aurelion said before Nymeria could even finish her sentence.

"Haannnn!" Nymeria whimpered as she moved behind her father, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Father… please let me go. The five wardens of the Thunderbanes are also going with Mother Aestra, so we'll be safe."

She shook her father repeatedly from behind while continuously pleading.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Aurelion said, "Fine, but under one condition. You must maintain your distance from that brat."

"Yayy!!! Thanks, Father!" Nymeria exclaimed, suddenly planting a kiss on his cheek before rushing out.

"You heard my condition, right!" Aurelion called out loudly.

"I'll only do to him what I just did to you, Father," Nymeria replied with a bright smile.

"Y-you—"

Before Aurelion could say anything else, Nymeria had already left the chamber.

"Why does she have to take after her mother?" Aurelion sighed, facepalming himself, while Lunaria laughed amusedly beside him, thoroughly enjoying his troubled expression.

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