Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Kryssia stood frozen for a moment, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to process Strax's words. She wanted to retort, wanted to keep holding onto her anger, but something in his truth hit her hard. He was right, in a sense. Letting Xenovia go now... that could very well ruin everything. She knew it, but her loyalty to the Kingdom still tied her down, making her question her own choices.

"So... you really think this is the only way?" Kryssia asked, her anger giving way to uncertainty, her voice now quieter. She looked at Strax, trying to find any weakness in his words, any sign that there was another way. But he remained firm, like a rock, as if nothing could make him change his mind.

Strax kept his gaze fixed on her, his expression unwavering, like a storm about to break. "I just want to get my sister to safety. The war is coming, whether you like it or not, but you're stuck in a system that's going to destroy itself. If you keep down this path, you'll only delay what's inevitable."

Kryssia felt the weight of his words pressing down on her. Her eyes narrowed, and she lowered her head for a moment, her thoughts crossing her mind. "And what if I stop you now?" She asked, almost challenging him, but without the confidence she had before.

Strax took a step forward, his eyes glowing with implicit threat, his voice deeper, like distant thunder. "If you do that, you'll prove you're not her friend. I'm not asking permission to take my sister. I'm warning you that I'm leaving with her, and you can't stop me."

The air between them was heavy, and Kryssia knew she was on the brink of a decision that would define more than just her own fate. She looked at Xenovia on Strax's back, the young woman's expression clearly showing pain and the need for safety, and then, with a heavy sigh, she made a difficult decision.

"I won't stop you," Kryssia finally said, her voice a little quieter, but full of resignation. "But know that this won't be left like this. The Kingdom won't ignore this." She looked at Strax with a mix of respect and frustration. "Do what you must, but know that, in the end, we'll all pay the price."

Strax didn't respond immediately. He just kept his gaze steady, his eyes burning with the intensity of his own decision, as if every word was a commitment to what was coming. "We don't have a choice," he said with a quiet, threatening calm, before turning away, preparing to fly higher, taking Xenovia away from all of this.

And with one last look at Kryssia, who still seemed lost in her own thoughts, he shot into the sky, his dragon form receding from the impending battle.

Several hours had passed since Strax, Xenovia, Tiamat, and Ouroboros had left the chaos of the battlefield and taken refuge in a distant city, far from the oppression of the Empire.

The hotel room was simple and cheap, with worn furniture and thin walls, but the darkness of the night covered the city in a cloak of silence. The smell of old wood and dust filled the room, but to them, it didn't matter. They were far from immediate danger, and that was enough to give them a brief moment of peace.

Tiamat was leaning against the wall, arms crossed as she calmly watched the bed where Xenovia lay, finally asleep after the exhaustion that had overtaken her. Strax's sister was covered by a thick blanket, breathing deeply, but still pale and weak from the energy she had expended in their escape. She was almost out of mana, but had put in enough effort to be drained completely... The stress and pain from her imprisonment, combined with the physical fatigue, had been too much for her.

Ouroboros was sitting in the chair near the window, her eyes fixed on some distant point. Her expression was serious, more concerned about the future than the current situation. The tension from the battle and the words exchanged with Kryssia still echoed in her mind, but she knew the most important thing now was to give Xenovia time to recover.

Strax was by the bed, watching his sister with a look of concern. He knew that, although the immediate danger had passed, the next steps would be even harder. The weight of the responsibility of taking her away from the Empire, to a place where they would be safe, was starting to sink in. And, though he was powerful, he still worried about what lay ahead.

"She'll wake up soon," Tiamat said, breaking the silence with her soft yet firm voice. Her golden eyes were fixed on the still figure of Xenovia. "It doesn't seem like she's in danger, just exhausted."

Strax nodded, but the concern in his gaze was palpable. "She couldn't handle what happened. Too much has built up. She needs rest. I just hope the time she has here is enough."

Ouroboros finally turned, her words heavy. "We can't stay for long. The Empire won't overlook the fact that we managed to escape. They'll send forces after us."

"I know," Strax replied with a heavy sigh, "But for now, there's nothing we can do but wait. If she wakes up and has the strength, we can move on."

The minutes felt like hours as they waited, the silence filled only by Xenovia's soft breathing and the distant sounds of the city outside. It was a small refuge, but a brief pause in the inevitable confrontation that was to come.

When the young woman finally moved in the bed, making a slight sound with her lips, all three of them stood up at the same time, their gazes fixed on her. Strax was the first to approach, lowering himself beside the bed, his expression concerned.

"Xenovia," he said softly, placing his hand on her forehead. "It's okay. You're safe now."

Xenovia slowly opened her eyes, a faint, tired glimmer still present in them. She looked around, seeing the familiar faces of Strax, Tiamat, and Ouroboros.

"I... I was so tired..." she murmured, her voice hoarse from exhaustion.

Strax smiled slightly, relieved. "You're safe now. No one will hurt you anymore."

Tiamat approached with a gentle expression, her voice kind. "Rest. We'll leave in the morning once you recover, just focus on getting some sleep."

Xenovia closed her eyes for a moment, absorbing the words, then with a sigh, she settled more comfortably into the bed. "Thank you... all of you," she said, with sincere gratitude. "I just need a little more time."

"Rest is all you need right now," Ouroboros said in her deep voice. "But soon we'll have to move on. The Empire won't rest."

Strax looked out the window, sensing the familiar presence drawing near. Xyn, the Black Phoenix and Xenovia's Spirit, was there, and he knew exactly who was behind it.

"Xyn, let's go outside," he said, jumping out of the window with ease. The fiery bird followed.

"You're the Primordial of Darkness, Nyx. Aren't you?" Strax asked directly, with no preamble, just waiting for a confirmation.

Nyx smiled, appearing amused. "Well, it seems someone figured me out... I guess it's kind of obvious, considering I'm using my name backward."

She fully transformed into her human form, casually sitting on a box and crossing her legs. "What do you want, Strax?" she asked, her calm voice contrasting with the tension of the situation.

Strax stared intently at Nyx, his eyes burning with a mix of curiosity and distrust. "I already have the homunculi to bring her back to life," he said firmly. "But before that, I want an explanation."

Nyx raised an eyebrow, her piercing gaze on Strax. "Explanation about what?" she asked, her voice soft but with an undercurrent of something deeper, as if preparing to tell something important.

"You, a Primordial Goddess... Sealed in a sword and reduced to a spirit. How did that happen?" Strax asked, his tone now more intense, the mystery gnawing at him. "Why were you reduced to this?"

Nyx fell silent for a moment, her enigmatic expression shifting into an unsettling lightness. "Ah, that story... Well, it's not something many know. But, you must understand, even gods have their own enemies, and in some cases, they prefer to... stay out of the spotlight."

She leaned back, as if contemplating the best way to explain the situation. "It was an ancient war. I was... 'confined.' Not for lack of power, but by choice. A kind of protection, if you will." She looked at Strax, her eyes intense. "But this is more complicated. And, honestly, the reason I'm in this form now has to do with what happened afterward... I'm not sure you're ready to understand everything."

Strax observed Nyx closely, waiting for her to continue, knowing she was holding back more than she was willing to reveal.

Without wasting time, Strax summoned the sword Artorias had given him, the weight of the blade pulsing in his hand. It seemed to glow with a dark aura, its ancient runes softly resonating in the air, as though they were in tune with something much greater.

Nyx froze instantly upon seeing the blade. Her once calm and indifferent expression became vacant and petrified. The color seemed to drain from her skin for a moment, her eyes widening with the terror of a primal fear that cut across all boundaries of time and space.

"That sword..." She whispered, her voice hoarse and trembling. "Where did you find it?"

Strax watched her in silence, his gaze cold. He knew what the sword meant, and it was clear that Nyx's reaction was no coincidence. "Artorias gave it to me. He said it would help me achieve my goals. But now I understand that it's probably the same sword that sealed you, isn't it?"

Nyx swallowed hard, a subtle shudder passing through her body. "Yes... It's the sword that imprisoned me. The sword that... took me out of my place in the cycle of the primordials."

"I see..." Strax murmured, before rising and pointing the sword at her. "Are you still going to lie to me?" He asked, infusing the blade with mana, as thousands of spirits began to manifest behind him.