Author's Note: Hello everyone! Sorry for the silence for two weeks, I am extremely busy. For the next few days, I won't be free either. If you have any questions want answered, please drop me a personal message through my discord or my email.

I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!

Kiba guffawed, smacking his legs with his hand.

"If you are an enemy trying to infiltrate, you sure have a funny way of doing it! Didn't Haru and Yun say how the four of you have risked your life and time just to help them too?"

Kiba continued laughing.

"There is hardly anyone out there that would throw away their lives like that, just to get on their enemy's good side! They need to stay inconspicuous to get information anyway!"

Xue paused at that.

Cecil and K'xug laughed at the awkward expression on Xue's face.

Xue turned to look at them unhappily.

"Hehe, Xue," Kiyae grinned, standing up and walking towards Xue, ruffling his hair. "Our lord Kiba is really a nice guy, like you said, but he is not stupid either."

Xue clicked his tongue, smacking her hand away.

Kiba wiped away a stray tear escaping his eye. "Thank you, kid, I haven't laughed that hard in a while, especially when it is concern from a stranger."

Xue was speechless from embarrassment. Cecil was still stifling her laughter, she reached out and patted Xue's hand to comfort him.

"Kiyae is right, and you are right too, kid--no wait, Xue." Kiba smiled widely, pouring another cup of alcohol for himself. "However, there is no one in this world that has no ulterior motives. It's not because I trust easily, but because I have no choice but to trust."

Kiba reached out and refilled Xue's cup as well, bumping cups with him.

"Trust and betrayal comes hand in hand, no matter how small or how big," Kiba mused. "I do not want to live a life where I doubt and suspect everyone I meet."

Kiba lifted his cup, taking a sip.

"That sounds like a tiring life to lead, no?"

No one could refute Kiba's words, whether they agreed or disagreed with him.

"So, I'm not stupid. If you are taking advantage of me to gain information, I'll do the same to you."

"We'll take advantage of one another." Yun smiled faintly.

"Oh, don't worry, lord Kiba!" Ryo smirked, swinging his fists around. "If anyone hurts and betrays you, I'll beat them up!"

"It's good to have such loyal kids around me." Kiba grinned.

"So, in exchange for telling us your plans," Cecil questioned. "What do you want to know from us?"

Yun glanced at Xue just then.

"We talked about it beforehand."

K'xug looked at Xue, raising his eyebrows. It was obvious he was questioning Xue about telling them about everything.

Xue contemplated for a moment. He wasn't sure now, he hadn't planned on getting involved with Haru and his crew this much, originally, he was only here due to the fact that Cecil and the others wanted to help. However, now that there were angels and demons stepping into the scene, it became different.

He had enough of them in the heavenly and demon realm, he did not want to see them here as well. In the mortal realm, except for Veau and Zeau, he did not want to meet any of them again.

The heavenly realm and demon realm, he wanted to be far away from them.

At that moment, Xue felt someone brushing against his hand. He turned to look, it was Cecil giving him a concerned look.

"Xue, don't force yourself," Cecil lowered her voice. "In the first place, we were only here to help them temporarily. You don't have to say anything or get involved any further."

Cecil was growing anxious.

She knew Xue had started to form a tiny bond with them, and from his past tragic experiences, forming a bond with others was something that hardly happened with Xue.

Cecil did not have any idea about the personality or motives about Haru and his crew, since they did not appear in the novel. Whether they were trustworthy, whether they would betray or stab Xue in the back, Cecil had no clue.

Once was enough.

She wasn't sure if Xue could go through it twice.

Xue was still looking at her, not responding to her. His expression was soft, but he remained silent.

"I...I just..." she whispered out her words, using her hand to hold onto one of his fingers. "I just don't want you to get hurt again."

It's true.

I don't want him to go through the pain again.

I'm afraid.

I'm afraid of what it would do to him.

At that moment, Xue finally responded.

"With you here, along with K'xug and Hana, I'll be fine and besides..." he smiled faintly, his voice gentle. "Now that angels and demons are becoming involved in the mortal realm, I don't want to let those bastards roam freely around here."

Cecil could do nothing but nod in silent acquiesce.

"Like I promised Yun, I'll tell you everything you wish to know," Xue turned back to Yun with a nod, and looking to Kiba. "I also need to know your role in this matter, since we will be getting involved in it.

Xue looked to Hana and K'xug.

They only smiled back at Xue, nodding at him. They were clearly glad in following along with his decisions.

"Hmmm," Kiba nodded, sipping at his drink. "Now where should I start? From the very beginning?"

Kiba looked to Haru at that moment, as if requesting for his permission for something.

Haru scoffed, resting his chin on his hand as he waved at Kiba. "Go ahead, I don't care anymore."

"Alright," Kiba shrugged. "I will."

Kiyae, Ryo and Yun were awfully quiet.

Hence, just like Kiba said, he started from the beginning.

In the continent of Tul, it was made up of four major cities, each specialising in their own arts. Whether it was an exceptional potter, a renowned architect, a famous dancer or singer, a famed painter or writer. All of them originated from the Tul continent, who later came to be known as the "Four Cities of Arts".

The four cities were governed by a single lord, and their friendship among one another was imperishable.

Among the four continents in the mortal realm, the Tul continent enjoyed peace for a long time. Alas, no peace lasts forever.

New lords took over the positions of the previous lords.

With every new generation, their mindset was bound to be different.

This applied to be true to a new lord named Ephert.

"He was greedy, extremely greedy," Kiba furrowed his eyebrows. "Ephert wasn't satisfied with ruling a whole city to himself, he wanted to rule the entire continent. His ambitions grew bigger and bigger."

"Ephert had put on a complete farce in front of us, and behind our backs, he had been monopolising every resource he could get his hands on. People, money, the mercenary market."

"Due to our tight-knitted friendships between the previous lords, we had no reason to suspect him. It was only when we realised that we were wrong about Ephert, it was too late."

Kiba explained the story with a heavy heart.

"It was a nightmare. That day he launched an attack on the other lords, including me, without any warning. Two lords were lost."

"I managed to barely escape with one arm, due to the help from the two lords. That day, the four cities had been torn apart, and the peace we had was completely shattered."

"The two lords...what happened to them?" Xue questioned.

"One of them was imprisoned and forced to hand over his authority to Ephert," Kiba answered, lowering his head. "And the other...risked his life to help me escape alive."

"That silly and brave old man that sacrificed his life," Haru suddenly spoke up. "It was my father."

Everyone went completely silent.

The horror was evident in Hana's eyes.

Cecil was equally horrified by this revelation.

"It was the first part of the war, uncle Kiba and my father barely managed to survive, and one day," Haru clenched his fists, his eyes shadowed over. "The two of them finally understood Ephert's plans."

"We travelled through our secret passageway to escape, and it wasn't surprising that Ephert knew it. Uncle Kiba risked his life to buy us some time, but in that final moment, my father threw his life away to help us escape, exchanging his place with uncle Kiba."

"The passageway collapsed behind us, and uncle Kiba needed immediate treatment or he would die from blood loss."

Haru closed his eyes.

"I had to leave my father there, and that was...ten years ago."

The pain of losing a parent to a war.

That was a feeling Xue was extremely familiar with.

No amount of consolation would help him, thus, Xue could only continue on with his questions.

"What were his plans?"

"That madman, ruling the continent wasn't his only goal. He had been illegally trafficking humans and making them into his slaves, especially people with skills. He wanted to build a floating island or ship, where it was under his whole rule. After which, he planned to make it into a casino, a place of gambling and money."

K'xug closed his eyes and shook his head.

A madman indeed.

He had never heard of such a deranged mortal.

"In that war, we had lost our money, our resources, our people and our homes. We had nothing, and we could only hide and build our strength, for a long, long time," Haru growled out, an angry flare in his orange eyes. "That's why, now, we are finally fighting back."

"So, that's it..." Cecil murmured out in amazement. "That was the list I heard Kiyae talking about on the ship."

"It was the list of identities of people on that ship, they had been lured over by Ephert," Kiyae explained. "They would be used as slaves. Like the captain said, all that crazy bastard needed was skilled people."

"Those idiots, they wouldn't believe the captain if he told them they were being lured into a trap," Ryo stated, clicking his tongue. "So we had to scare them away instead."

"After a while, we found a foolproof method, we were known as the thieves and wanderers of the sea, pirates," Yun adjusted his glasses. "Rumours of how vicious we were started to spread, a true blessing."

"To add on to the scare tactic, we stole from them and tied them up," Kiyae shrugged. "But just enough to ensure they would survive the trip back to their home."

"Do you know how many complaints I have received from the captains of those ships?" Kiba sighed out. "Sometimes, your act is so real, it truly terrifies them."

"That crazy Ephert bastard, he used his connections to send the navy on us from the first continent," Haru scoffed. "That's how he always is, never lifting a finger to kill us, but commanding others to."

Kiba turned to look at Xue.

"So, our ultimate goal is to thwart Ephert's plans, imprison him for life and rescue the innocent people he had captured."

Kiba gestured towards Xue and the others. "Now, what about your side?"

Now, Xue finally understood why Ephert had those treacherous weapons in his hands.

The man was growing desperate after their successful attempts to thwart his plans. He was so close to his ultimate goal, but it had all slowed down.

He was growing impatient.

However, that doesn't answer one thing.

How did light magic and dark magic equipment come into his hands?

"There is something I need to know, and regardless of whether you need my aid or not, I am planning to get involved," Xue answered, indifferent. "Sharing the information from my end wouldn't be hard."

Kiba chuckled, smiling in amusement. "At this point, we would accept any help."

"Which explains why Haru has a lot of weird temporary partners in the past," Yun smiled as well. "We would welcome any help."

"I want to help too!" Hana chirped, raising her hand. "Bring me along! I can fight well now and I want to save those people!"

"What a horrible thing to do, keeping those people as slaves," Cecilc frowned deeply, a hint of anger in her voice. "He is treating people's lives as if they were livestock. There is no way I'll stand aside and pretend not to hear such a dreadful thing."

K'xug simply nodded his head.

He recalled his time stuck in the cave, tortured and not seeing an inch of sunlight. Moreover, he had been down there for dozens of years.

Having your life and freedom taken away from you like that, it was cruel.

To think that mortals even illegally used their own kind as slaves.

How disgusting.

What a horrid mortal.

K'xug stepped forward, standing beside the other three.

Count me in.

The solemn mood surrounding the atmosphere had gradually faded, and Haru was the one particularly happy out of them all. Gaining such strong comrades, that could help in his journey to avenge his father and save his people, it was no wonder he was terribly happy.

He rushed forward, stretching his arm out to them with a grin.

"Alright, you said so yourself," Haru placed his palm in front of them. "From now on, we are partners!"

"Official partners with strong people!" Ryo placed his palm on top of Haru, smiling. "Now I can fight all I want."

"Partners like this?" Kiyae winked. "I'm in."

Yun joined in without another word.

"Partners!" Hana exclaimed, placing her palm over theirs.

K'xug and Cecil joined in next.

"Yes, partners! You got it, you peasants!" Haru guffawed.

"Call us peasants again, and I'll toss you out the window." Xue threatened.

Haru stiffened.

It was a long roll down the hill, and he was sure he wouldn't survive.

"I thought I told you to get rid of that habit of calling people that, Haru." Kiba chastised with a sigh.

At last, Xue reluctantly placed his palm over the others.

Kiba watched at the side, gulping down his drink. He grinned at camaraderie blooming among these young kids, and he looked towards the smiling Haru.

Living until now...to see this.

If I were to die now, it wouldn't be so bad.

Though, Kiba knew he couldn't die just yet. He still had his own people he needed to save, and to trap that madman away from the world forever.

After the impromptu partnering announcement ceremony was over, Xue started to share the information from his end about the angels and demons, the equipment.

***

"The angels and demons are currently in the middle of a war," Xue explained gravely. "Whether it was an accident that Ephert came into contact with those powers that belonged to them, or intentionally, or if it was stolen, that is what I need to know."

Since Haru and the others have been exposed to the surprising identity of K'xug, they weren't as shocked to hear the newfound information.

However, compared to them, Kiba was the most composed.

"You don't seem surprised." Xue noted.

Kiba chuckled, staring out at the wooden sliding door.

"Someone from the heavenly realm," Kiba muttered out. "Now that you describe it, I have met someone like them before."

Xue and K'xug raised their eyebrows.

Even if angels and demons were allowed to enter the mortal realm they truly wished, it was still considered a taboo to head down there without any official reason.

"It was in a quiet village I visited, to check on their conditions myself," Kiba reminisced. "The villagers told me about a hermit living in the woods, and I went to visit them as well...that's when I saw the person...with wings."

Kiba shook his head.

"I knew it was real, what I had seen. It scared me so much, I ran away, and the next day I returned, the person was nowhere to be found."

He sighed, waving his hand at Xue.

"Anyway, continue on. Don't worry about me."

"Hey, how do you know so much about this anyway?" Haru questioned Xue.

This was the one question he had anticipated to hear the most.

Xue looked towards K'xug, and the man with heterochromia eyes shrugged at him. It was saying as if it was Xue's choice to answer in any way he wanted.

After all, this man was still considered as the ruler of the heavenly realm.

Xue looked back, pausing for a moment before he asked a question of his own.

"How much do all of you know about the heavenly realm and the demon realm?"

All of them looked at one another.

Cecil, Hana and K'xug listened attentively. They wondered about the perspectives of those who had no idea about these two realms.

"Only from the storybooks and those storytellers at the inns..." Haru answered.

The others nodded along with murmurs of agreement.

"What were they?" Cecil asked.

"Magical realms where beautiful people existed, never aging and that time flowed differently," Yun explained, concise. "A different world from ours, power and strength that can never be fully grasped by us."

"The realms, like ours, had rulers. It ranged from many terms, but the ones that were commonly used were "demon lord" and "supreme god". The rest of the details seemed to be exaggerated details of adventurers that were made-up by the storytellers."

"Wow, Yun Yun," Kiyae clapped with a low whistle. "You really did summarise it all."

Xue, K'xug and Cecil were surprised to know that the storytellers were right in their details.

The only possible way for them to know was through the contact of an angel or demon. The stories would have probably been passed down from person to person, and somehow, the most important details remained in the stories.

"Those details...were true."

Everyone looked at Xue.

"You sound so sure..." Haru blinked rapidly. "Is it because K'xug is one of them?"

Xue shook his head, along with K'xug.

"He is different," Xue nudged his head towards K'xug. "This guy right here, he was born from parents that were an angel and a demon, and thus, he is a mixed breed. The blood of both an angel and a demon flows within him."

"Seriously, dude," Haru gave Xue a strange expression. "How do you know about all of this?"

Cecil glanced towards Xue.

Even in the novel, he hated people calling him the Supreme God. It was a title he never wanted, a title that caused him so much misery and a title forced upon him by the judgement from the heavens.

If the person himself detested that title so much, how could he call himself that?

Can Xue call himself that?

It's as if he'll be forcing himself to reclaim the title once more.

Xue pointed to K'xug. "He is the loyal assistant of the Supreme God."

K'xug raised his eyebrows.

Xue was absolutely correct, and it wasn't demeaning to him in any way. He was only shocked since Xue had actually revealed that information.

However, K'xug had no chance to recover from his shock, since Xue's next words left him nonplussed.

"And I..." Xue smirked wryly, leaning in. "I am the Supreme God."

***

《 start 》

As if being greedy wasn't enough, as a ruler among his own people...

He was turning them into slaves.

How sickening.

It doesn't matter where they come from.

Is this how a lord of the people should treat its people?

《 stop 》