On the outskirts of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, Rhydian landed a few kilometers away from Brightclipse City.
Mira, Dominique, Hana, and Elenei hopped off the wolf and looked at the ringed city in the distance.
'It's been a while since I was last here.' It wasn't long after she broke through to the Core Formation Realm and joined the main Battle Maiden Sect that she was here.
She remembered that, at the time, she had been tricked by Hana, pulled into her little scheme.
'Tch. To think I'm still taking care of this little minx who dared to use me.' Mira grumbled, resisting the urge to glare at Hana. However, looking back on it now, she was surprised she didn't just kill Hana and be done with it.
Still, it was a good thing. Dominique made a friend, someone she could play with whenever she was gone, which was quite frequent. Not only that, but she received a technique that has saved her more than a few times.
'Weirdly enough, meeting Hana was one of my luckier moments despite the trouble she caused me.' Mira sighed, thinking about just how complex life can be. One decision to save a child had most likely saved her life, or at least prevented serious injuries, more than once.
Then, a passing thought crossed her mind, '...What if I save a bunch of little girls?' However, she immediately shook her head. 'No! One brat is enough...'
'...but, if it could make me luckier…' Mira's head went in a strange direction before she slapped herself on the cheeks.
NO! What kind of nonsense am I thinking?! Taking care of children?! She'd be lucky if they didn't all end up dead within a week!
"Alright! Let's get going!" Mira declared and started walking toward the city. She received a few weird looks, but they followed her nonetheless.
Suddenly, she felt a tug on her robe. She didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"A-Are you really going to save my Mom?" Hana asked in a shaky voice.
"Only if she's alive," Mira answered coldly, but Hana was already used to that and didn't take it to heart. Instead, tears of happiness started running down her eyes.
"Th-Thank you!" The little girl bowed, but Mira ignored her and kept walking.
Dominique grabbed Hana's hand and gave her a big smile before dragging her off to keep up with Mira. Rhydian and Dominique also smiled at the scene as they felt that Mira had changed in the years they'd known her. If it were before, she would've never done something like this.
As they approached Brightclipse City, the vast, sprawling metropolis unveiled itself in full glory. The city was buzzing with life and energy, all the way from the slums to the rich center city where the Lionel Family resided. The towering walls gleamed under the sun, and the distant chatter of the bustling crowd reached their ears.
Mira led the group through the city gates, her presence commanding attention from the onlookers. Whispers and stares followed them, but Mira remained unfazed, her focus solely on the task at hand.
The Guards didn't even bother to stop her after sensing her commanding presence and the Battle Maiden Sect token hanging off her waist.
Dominique clung to Hana's hand, her eyes wide with curiosity as she observed the new environment. Hana, although nervous, seemed comforted by Dominique's presence. Rhydian, in her human form, surveyed their surroundings with a protective gaze, ensuring their safety.
"How do you want to go about this, little girl?" Mira suddenly asked as they strolled through the town, taking in the familiar sights.
"U-Ummm… What?" Hana didn't understand.
"I'm saying I can either smash my way through, or we can go about this a bit more delicately," Mira said, partially just wanting to get this over with.
'Do you even know what the word 'delicate' means?' Was the thought going through everyone's head, but nobody dared to say it out loud.
"I-I just want to find my Mom. How you do it doesn't matter." Hana replied hesitantly. She didn't really want to go that route, but since Mira was the type to kill first and ask questions later, she was afraid everything would go wrong if they tried anything else.
"Good choice." Mira nodded and took out her scythe. "Rhydian, protect them. Elenei, with me."
"Yes!"
Rhydian grabbed Dominique by the hand and wrapped Hana up with her tail then took to the skies.
A pair of Paragon Wings formed behind Mira as she shot into the air and flew toward the center city ring, followed by Elenei.
All the citizens spotted them flying and pointed, shocked that someone other than the Lionel Family would dare to fly here.
"What are those ladies doing?"
"Don't they know this is the Lionel Family's territory?"
"They're just in the Soul Transformation Realm! They're going to get themselves killed!"
"Wait, isn't that… Mira? From the Battle Maiden Sect?"
"Damn! It really is her!"
"Everyone! Run! Hide! Wherever that woman goes, death is sure to follow!"
As soon as they realized who it was, anyone who wasn't confident in their power or survivability immediately scattered like the wind. Mira hasn't shown her face many times to the public, but every time she does, it's almost always a bloody massacre.
For her to show up in a city like this so boldly, the smarter ones smelled trouble and wanted no part of it.
"Tsk. This is why fame is annoying." Mira frowned slightly but ignored all the chatter.
"Hehe~ Mother is so beautiful~ How could they run away, as if they saw a bloodthirsty monster?" Dominique chuckled as she watched the people below them scatter like rats.
"..."
"Enough of that," Mira ordered as they hovered over the center city, almost directly above the Lionel Family residence. "From what I can remember, the Patriarch is at the 2nd Stage of the Mortal Shedding Realm, and the Ancestor may be even stronger, but his power is unknown. So, stay on guard."
The others nodded heavily as they circulated Qi around their bodies, ready for anything.
As Mira and Elenei soared towards the center of the city, a sudden, oppressive aura enveloped the area.
The force was immense, bearing down like the weight of a mountain, but both Mira and Elenei shrugged it off with ease. Rhydian also felt the pressure, but she shielded the two kids, her eyes narrowing at the source of the disturbance.
Ascending into the sky, a tall, muscular man stopped in front of them, his eyes bearing down on them. His features were distinctively feline, with a mane-like head of hair and piercing golden eyes that radiated authority.
He was Marcus Lionel, the Patriarch of the Lionel Family, known for his Sun Lion bloodline and his position as a powerhouse at the 2nd Stage of the Mortal Shedding Realm.
"Mira of the Battle Maiden Sect," Marcus bellowed, his voice echoing through the streets. "What business do you have causing such a commotion in my city?"
Mira arrogantly stepped forward, unbothered by the authoritative tone he used. Elenei stood beside her, preparing to attack at a moment's notice.
"We're here for someone. A little wolf, to be exact," Mira replied coolly, her eyes locking with Marcus's.
'Little wolf? What the hell is this crazy woman talking about?' Marcus became perplexed, but when he caught sight of Hana, his eyes widened in realization. 'That Silvermoon woman?! Damn! Why is she with this demon?! Don't tell me…'
"Seems like you know who I'm talking about." Mira's cold voice interrupted his thoughts. He frowned, realizing that a once slightly annoying situation just turned to shit.
"I hope you can return this girl's mother. For the sake of your family." Mira glanced in the direction of the Lionel family compound, releasing a sliver of killing intent.
Marcus' expression changed, morphing into anger, as he took out a spear and pointed it at her. "...Is that a threat?" He growled. Flames started to spiral around him, but he didn't take action yet.
This was the Battle Maiden Sect's Prime disciple, after all! If they really fought, and he killed her, his entire bloodline would definitely be snuffed out within the next 24 hours!
"No." Mira shook her head. "It's a promise."
She paused for a moment before continuing, not allowing the man to think. "Now, lead the way. It's not like you need them anymore when the pendant is in the Sect Master's hands."
Of course, that was a lie, but since she knew Marcus couldn't sense it, how would he know?
'Dammit! If this bitch really gave the pendant to Aelina, and that little girl told them everything, it'll be impossible for me to get my hands on them!' Marcus cursed. 'That bastard of a son of mine only had one job! How could he not catch a child?!'
He knew he was screwed. Whether Mira was telling the truth or not didn't matter. He couldn't suffer the consequences of touching Mira, and from what he knew about her, she wouldn't back down from a fight.
'Hell, from the pressure she's radiating, can I even beat her? And what's with those two beasts? Why does my bloodline feel so nervous?' Marcus ground his teeth, hating the fact that he had to put his pride away and back down, but if he didn't want his clan to be destroyed, he could only choose peace.
"...Follow me."
