The Duke was here.
Thaddeus moved like a storm incarnate.
His sword was a blur, crackling with raw mana, each slash sending arcs of energy tearing through the creatures as though they were nothing but mist. Every strike carried precision—cutting through hardened flesh, severing limbs, erasing anything that stood in his way.
And the soldiers—
They followed him.
The knights regrouped, shields raised, formations tightening. The mages rallied, their spells intertwining in devastating waves of elemental fury.
They were no longer just surviving.
They were winning.
Thaddeus did not stop. His blade flashed, a crescent of storm energy carving through the air, slicing through a massive serpent-like horror that had lunged toward one of the ships.
A sickening howl erupted as the beast collapsed into the water, its body disintegrating into black ichor.
The Duke turned, his sharp eyes sweeping across the battlefield. He could feel it.
The fight was shifting.
The tide was turning.
But—
Something else pulled at his attention.
A pulse.
Not from his blade. Not from the sea.
From his core.
It was a subtle thing at first, just a faint, distant sensation. But then—it grew.
A presence.
A connection.
One that felt familiar.
His breath hitched.
His mana—his very blood—was reacting.
“…Aeliana.”
The name escaped his lips before he could stop it.
He felt it, deep inside, through his Storm Sovereign’s Dominion—through the very cultivation that had defined his lineage.
The connection was real.
Alive.
The only person in existence who could make him feel this way—who could make his core resonate like this—
Was his blood.
Was his daughter.
And for the first time since she had been taken—
He knew.
She was alive.
Duke Thaddeus’ grip on his sword tightened.
The battlefield around him was still steeped in chaos, but his mind was elsewhere—locked onto that feeling.
That pulse.
That unmistakable bond.
Aeliana.
She was there.
She was alive.
The realization struck him like a lightning bolt to the chest. His Storm Sovereign’s Dominion had never once responded to something beyond his own control. It was a technique of absolute mastery—the power of the ocean and sky bending to his will.
But now—
It was reaching.
Not to the sea. Not to the storm.
But to her.
Thaddeus knew his daughter was out there. He could feel it in his core, his bloodline resonating in a way it never had before. There was no doubt. No hesitation.
And if she was alive—
Then he would reach her.
His eyes sharpened.
The battlefield was still choked with monstrosities, the waves still thick with writhing bodies—but it no longer mattered.
Everything before them was now irrelevant.
His decision was made.
His voice cut through the storm, through the madness, through the clamor of battle like a blade forged from thunder itself.
“All forces—move forward!”
The command was absolute.
The battlefield shifted.
The knights and adventurers who had been locked in formation, holding their ground against the onslaught, reacted instantly.
The fleet surged forward.
Sails snapped as ships redirected, turning toward the path ahead. The mages who had been maintaining defensive formations shifted their focus, casting spells to clear a path rather than merely holding their ground.
The monsters howled, sensing the shift—but they were too late.
Momentum had changed.
This was no longer a desperate defense.
This was a march.
A march toward his daughter.
Thaddeus felt it.
Each step closer, the connection strengthened. The pulse in his core pounded like a heartbeat, like the rumble of an oncoming tempest.
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She was there.
Somewhere ahead—
Somewhere past this storm.
And nothing in this accursed sea was going to stop him.
******
Lucavion’s laughter finally settled into a deep, satisfied hum, though his smirk remained as sharp as ever. Aeliana, still half-straddling him, glared.
And yet—
She didn’t move.
Not immediately, at least.
Her amber eyes studied him, watching the way his chest still shook slightly from laughter, the way his black eyes gleamed with undeniable mischief.
Then—
Lucavion met her gaze.
There was no teasing in his expression now. Not fully.
Just amusement. Amusement and something else, something quieter, something only half-spoken.
And then—
“Should I make you some tea?” Lucavion asked, tilting his head, his voice smooth, casual. “Maybe it’ll help you calm down.”
Aeliana’s eyes narrowed.
Tea.
The word alone made her suspicion spike like a well-aimed dagger.
Lucavion saw it, of course. Saw the way her expression sharpened. And so—
He lifted a hand in mock surrender.
“This time, I will add nothing strange,” he swore, his black eyes glinting.
Aeliana did not look convinced.
“Really?” she asked, voice flat.
“Yes,” Lucavion nodded, his smirk deepening. “I don’t lie.”
Aeliana stared.
Then—
Without a word—
She reached out and pinched his cheek.
Lucavion blinked.
Aeliana’s fingers dug into his skin, pulling it ever so slightly as she leaned in, her amber eyes flashing dangerously.
“If you dare,” she said slowly, “I will take your head.”
Lucavion chuckled. “This is the second time you’ve threatened my life today.”
“That is right.” Aeliana huffed, releasing his cheek with a sharp flick of her fingers. “And I, Aeliana Thaddeus, never forget.”
Lucavion rubbed his face, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“That is good,” he murmured, his voice softer now—more thoughtful, more knowing.
Aeliana frowned slightly at the shift in his tone, but before she could dwell on it—
Lucavion’s smirk returned.
“So, tea?” he asked, far too casually.
Aeliana scowled. “Humph.”
Aeliana crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she hmphed.
Because, at the end of the day—
She knew.
Knew that this ridiculous, infuriating, arrogant bastard wouldn’t do anything to her.
Why?
Because she felt like it.
That was it.
There was no need to elaborate. No need to justify. No need to overthink.
She just knew.
Lucavion, watching her with that ever-present smirk, finally exhaled, shifting slightly beneath her weight.
“But,” he started, voice still smooth, still too damn pleased with himself, “ahem… you should move, you know.”
Aeliana raised a brow. “Why?”
Lucavion’s smirk widened—just slightly.
“I am a man too.”
Silence.
Aeliana blinked.
Then—her gaze lowered.
Just for a second.
Just long enough to realize where exactly she was sitting.
Where exactly her legs were positioned.
Where exactly—
“…!”
Her face heated.
It wasn’t much. Just a slight blush. A flicker of pink dusting her usually sharp features.
But Lucavion saw it.
Of course, he did.
And the moment he did—his smirk turned wicked.
Aeliana snapped her gaze back up, her grip tightening around his collar again.
“YOU—”
Lucavion laughed.
Loudly.
Richly.