The air hung thick with impatience, a palpable energy mirroring the tempest brewing inside Josephine. She sat perched on a grey, jagged boulder hundreds of kilometers from the enemy stronghold, the deep lines of frustration etched on her face.

​"Why is he taking so long?" she grumbled, her voice a low, gravelly sound.

​She turned her head, her sharp gaze sweeping the distant horizon: "He said I should wait for his signal before attacking?" Her jaw tightened.

"We could easily flatten that stronghold now, but that fool will surely use the captives as leverage... I get his plan, saving the people first. But I can't just stand here and wait to deal with that monster! And if something goes wrong, he'll escape!"

​A sense of control, or rather the lack of it, was gnawing at her.

​"Why are you so upset?"

​Josephine snapped her head to the left, her eyes narrowing as she saw Leonardo approaching, his sword resting comfortably in the crook of his arm. The old man, always polite, always reserved, smiled.

​"You? Why are you here?" she asked, her frown deepening with suspicion.

​"It seems my Queen knows me," Leonardo said, offering a surprisingly deep and formal bow.

​'Huh? Why is he so respectful?' Josephine thought, a flicker of confusion crossing her face.

​"Why are you here?" she repeated, pointedly ignoring his overly-courteous remark.

​"Of course, to help God Wolf... I just didn't expect you would tag along."

​"Tag along?!"

The phrase ignited the banked embers of Josephine's temper. She jumped down from the boulder, landing with a silent thud, and an Aura of Divine Rank burst from her.

​"I am not a follower! I am his wife—I don't tag along!" She strode towards the old man, her gaze cold and challenging.

​"I fight beside him!!" She stopped directly in front of him, her presence overwhelming. "Those who tag along follow behind him!! Get that!"

​Leonardo swallowed hard, his seasoned facade momentarily cracking. 'Why does she feel different? And when did she enter such a rank?!?' he thought, and quickly nodded his head.

​"I understand," he managed, his tone genuinely subdued.

​Josephine scoffed, the sound laced with contempt, then spun on her heel and walked away, the sudden outburst momentarily settling her nerves.

​'Was that her pressure? Impossible, I am way stronger than her. Her pressure wouldn't be able to affect me...' Leonardo thought, trying to rationalize the unease clinging to him.

He was the First Elder of the Immortal Council, after all. He was realizing that her strength wasn't just in her rank; it was in her sheer, unyielding force of will—a will that was now inextricably linked to Sunny's ambition.

​"Hey!" Josephine's sharp yell jerked him from his thoughts. He looked up at her.

​"You aren't to interfere with this battle! If you want to tag along... Follow behind and keep your distance." Her command was delivered with the authority of a general and a queen.

​"...?!"

​'I am the First Elder of the Immortal Council, respected by all, and this lady just asked me to tag along?'

The irony was thick. Yet, beneath his wounded pride, a slow realization dawned.

"Did she just?!"

His eyes widened in surprised, and after a moment of heavy silence, he simply nodded.

​"Alright."

​"Good." Josephine nodded, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips.

​DING!!

​'Done Love... You can make your entrance.' Sunny's voice, warm and reassuring, resonated only in Josephine's mind.

The genuine smile bloomed instantly, transforming her fierce expression.

​"I can attack now."

​"Wait!" Leonardo quickly raised a hand. "The enemy have two peak stage God Rank warriors! And they're more than ten thousand Wendigos! Attacking alone isn't safe!"

​"Elder Leonardo, who said I am attacking alone?" Josephine asked with a playful smirk, staring at him over her shoulder.

"....??"

​Leonardo blinked, and a fully-starred Grand Class armor appeared around Josephine. Then, the space before her tore open with a sharp rip, and a swirling gateway of pure energy formed.

​"See you on the battlefield," she added, stepping into the portal with the casual grace of someone walking into their own living room. The gateway closed shut, leaving a stunned Leonardo behind.

​"I thought she said I should 'tag along'?" He let out a long, incredulous exhale.

​"How did God Wolf survive with her?" he murmured, a hint of dark humor in his question, before vanishing from sight.

____

​[Planet - Outermost.]:

​Morgana sat on her mansion's balcony, the scene below framed by her relaxed pose. She was holding a delicate glass of red tea—unmistakably blood—and her crimson gaze was fixed on the imposing warship that had just landed outside the city gates.

​"Oh... It seems a show is coming up?" she muttered, recognizing the Eldoria's banner: a beautiful, artistic depiction of fire and water flowing in harmonious unity.

​"What a beautiful flag," she added, her lips curving into a wry smile. She watched as Nioh, Nicolas, and ten Eldoria guards disembarked, marching towards the gate, all encased in fully-starred Grand Class armors.

​"How wealthy is that kid?! To fully star a weapon costs trillions! Buying Grand Class equipment will be billions... Should I have charged more last time?" Her financial instincts flared as she took a slow sip.

​"STOP!!" The two massive guards, the same ones who'd confronted Sunny and Nioh before, bellowed their challenge.

​"Alert all the people in this city! I want them gathered in five minutes!" Nioh commanded, his voice ringing with newfound authority. He emphasized his demand by smashing a pouch filled with l Galaxy Crystals onto the chest of the eight-foot-tall guard, then walked past with his group, Nicolas right on his heels.

​"...??"

The guard opened the pouch, his eyes widening in stunned shock at the fortune contained within. The pure, unapologetic display of wealth broke his resolve instantly.

​"Right... Right away!!" He scrambled toward a speaker, grabbed the microphone, and yelled with desperate enthusiasm:

​"Everyone!!! We have a special VIP guest here!!! All of you must gather here in five minutes!! If you do, you might gain some favor, or better, work for this special guest!! Oh!! He is very generous! Gathered at the city square, now!!"

He dropped the mic, abandoned his post, and quickly rushed after Nioh, Nicolas, and their group of ten, hastily securing his newfound wealth.

​Morgana listened to the cheesy, money-driven announcement, a light giggle escaping her.

"Money made that big pig spat out such cheesy words... Just to get everyone running." She lowered her gaze, watching the residents rush toward the square—drawn by the siren call of wealth and opportunity.

​"Important guests rarely visit, and they only visit here to employ either guards or hunters, with good payout... But, what is God Wolf planning, sending these kids here. He does know I own this city." She raised an elegant eyebrow.

​"Is he planning on taking over this planet, or forcing me to join him? Well, both options won't end well for him." She slowly rose to her feet, her attention fixed on the square miles away.

​"Let first hear him out. He now has Zohar's memories and powers, he won't do anything that affects me, or the hidden master." She rested her elbow on the balcony railing, taking a measured sip from her glass.

Morgana's position was clear: she was the sovereign of this domain, and she would wait to see how the young king would negotiate for a piece of her territory.

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