Thinking about it, Dyon shook with rage once more. Did he have a daughter he never knew he had under his rule then? Had Alauna died in the endless wars he waged? Or had these bastards killed her after getting rid of Luna?
The most heart wrenching part was that the most likely scenario was that Dyon was responsible for his own daughter's death. Even if the Sprite Alliance felt that Luna needed to be disposed of, the birth of a child from a male Heaven's Child and a female Heaven's Child were fundamentally different. Though Little Aiden would be a heaven defying talent, there was no doubt that he would pale in comparison to Little Alauna. There's no way Dyon's enemies would have thrown away such a talent.
Dyon rubbed his little girl's back, soothing her tears and hiding her away from the destruction. He wouldn't ever leave her in this life. He'd make sure she lived so carefree that she got sick of it.
"Mistress!"
The Heaven's Children moved as one, barring Luna from Dyon as though he was an enemy.
Clearly, they had no idea about Alauna's existence and what she meant to Luna. They still believed that Alauna was an illusion Aslan conjured, so their top priority was protecting Luna.
Dyon, however, couldn't be bothered with their reactions.
He sat in the air, forming a defensive array below him as he slowly pulled Alauna from his neck. He met the eyes of his little girl, an undisguised happiness on his face.
He slowly wiped the tears from Alauna's chubby cheeks.
"Ah!" Alauna panicked. Seeing the tears on Dyon's face, she too tried to wipe them away.
A father and daughter pair sat in the skies, trying to stop each other from crying. When Luna saw this scene, she almost couldn't hold herself back from crying aloud.
"Do you know who I am?" Dyon asked with a smile, rubbing his little girl's head.
"Mhm, mhm." Alauna's small head bobbed.
"You naughty little girl, do you like playing with your father's emotions?"
"No, no!" Alauna looked back toward Luna, not knowing what to say. "Momma… Momma told me not to tell you my name… I'm sorry…"
Dyon grinned, holding the pride of his life up.
"Oh? And what's your name?"
Alauna bit her lower lip, looking back toward Luna once more. She felt emboldened by the smile of encouragement she received in response.
"A – Alauna. Momma said my name is Alauna Sacharro."
Dyon grinned so widely her felt his jaw protesting.
"And who am I?"
"…" Alauna's eyes watered once more. She tried to use her little forearms to stop the tears from coming, but this time, she could never seem to move fast enough. "… Daddy…"
Dyon brought Alauna into his embrace once more, holding onto her tightly.
There was a reason Dyon was so enraged when Eli was taken away. It was the same reason he was enraged by Madeleine's parents not claiming her the moment they could.
As a man who lost his parents early in his life, he knew how much it impacted him. There was a time where all he could think about was seeing his parents once more. Seeing his mother's smile, sitting in his father's embrace, feeling their warmth. Those memories were what kept him warm in his youth.
Even right now, even though he had a family… Wives that loved him, a Master who cared for him, little brothers and sisters he could care and look after, there was simply no replacing the memories of his parents.
It pissed him off. The thought of a person willingly interfering in the relationship between a parent and child. What pissed him off even more was the thought of parents removing themselves willingly from their responsibilities. He didn't care what excuses you had, what reasons you had… No matter how justified you believed you were, there were certain things and concepts a child could never wrap their minds around…
All they would feel was an emptiness where they should have felt warmth. They would see other individuals with that warmth as well, a warmth they'd never be able to experience themselves.
Dyon swore to himself that Alauna would never become one of those children. She would have his warmth for the whole of her life, he would never allow her to pine for her father.
'Never again.' Dyon closed his eyes. He would never resign himself to death again. Even if he faced 50 dao experts alone, he would find a path to victory. No matter what. 'Daddy will always be here.'
"What the hell is wrong with him? Does he really have no idea he's being manipulated?" Maura looked toward Dyon with an undeniable disdain. "Why's he treating an illusion like a treasure, how pathetic."
It was at that moment that Dyon's closed eyes snapped open. His gaze seemed to tear through space itself, boring into Maura's own.
He didn't bother wasting words. He stood and walked forward, Alauna still in his arms.
"Stop where you are now!"
"[Devour]."
Nine Heaven's Children suddenly fell from the skies, agony taking over their very souls. The feeling of having their souls repeatedly drained again and again left them without recourse. They couldn't die because the Heavens didn't allow them, but their consciousnesses remained unable to focus on anything but the constant, perpetual death.
Dyon's steps easily passed the Heaven's Children. They could only blame themselves. Dyon was a person who reacted violently whenever his reverse scales were touched. Alauna could now be considered the greatest of his reverse scales. To call her nothing but an illusion to his face? Weren't they asking for this result?
Luna trembled as Dyon approached. Every fiber of her being was screaming to turn away, to run away, but there was something about his gaze that didn't allow her. She didn't even register that her people were now on the ground, writhing in pain.
She suddenly froze.
Dyon's forehead landed on her own. She could clearly see his eyelids shut tight.
