Desire and Jarina were currently walking in the hallway of Lionel's mansion.

Of course, they talked to each other as they walked, but it was mostly Jarina asking Desire about what happened to him.

It was only natural for her to be interested in this as Desire just got...big all of a sudden.

What's more, Jarina could feel just from Desire's presence alone. She could feel that Desire...has become a lot stronger.

In fact, Jarina was curious. She was curious if she was still stronger than Desire or not.

After all, even though Jarina could feel that Desire has become a lot stronger, she couldn't exactly compare it with her own strength.

It's not like she already saw Desire fight or something like that.

However, it seems that she couldn't ask Desire any more questions as she soon saw the huge door that reached the mansion's ceilings.

It was the door where Lionel was currently staying, and Jarina spoke as soon as she saw it, "Ah, we're here."

Of course, Desire also knew that they were here as he remembered this huge door that he saw before when he returned from the Muscula's Nest.

"So...should I open it?" Desire said as he turned his head towards Jarina.

"No, I'll do it. You probably don't know what magic is used to unlock these, so just to be safe." Jarina said as she took away her hand and walked towards the door.

Desire just backed away without saying anything as he just watched Jarina do her thing.

And it seems that Jarina was able to finish those things fast as the same scene of chains falling and disappearing happened.

And right after Desire saw those chains, he soon saw the door opening up.

"Let's go." Jarina said as she looked at Desire. Of course, when Desire heard that, he quickly walked towards the door and disappeared in it.

Jarina quickly followed after him, and it was in this way that the two disappeared into the room.

"Hmmm..." A humming resounded out in this place as the shadow from the ceiling moved.

It moved...as it went into the direction where Desire and Jarina came from.

"Missy is overthinking, hmmm." A voice resounded out in this place, but that soon faded out into silence as the shadow disappeared into the shadows.

****

"Hmmm? What's happening?" Desire spoke as soon as he entered the room.

His deep voice reverberated in the room as he just spoke casually as he looked in front of him.

In front of him was...a table and a chair where he could see Lionel sitting, and there was someone standing diagonally from him.

And that someone was Fyu, the one that Desire saw before.

However, there was someone else in this room, but it was not only one.

In total, there were...four people that Desire hasn't met before.

'Humans.' Desire thought as he could feel hatred rushing at his chest when he looked at the strangers.

Well, Fyu was a human, too, but Desire already saw him before, so he didn't care about him at all.

Of course, Desire...didn't show any hatred that he was feeling right now on his face.

He just had that casual look on his face as he looked at the strangers.

However, it was then that Desire could feel that a stranger was staring at him with heated eyes.

"Who!" An angry voice resounded out in Desire's ears, but...before even Desire could turn his head to look at the source of the voice, he could feel a hostile intent coming at him!

This hostile intent was so thick that Desire's senses alerted him all over his body.

'What?!' Desire thought as he willed for the cracks to appear in his right arm, and brought his right arm to his head.

He was preparing to defend himself in case this...stranger attacks him out of nowhere.

"How dare you come in here without any permission!" The same angry voice resounded out, but it seems that the stranger was not done as he spoke once more.

"I'll punish you in the name of the Lion King!" And as soon as the stranger said those words, Desire saw one of the strangers suddenly disappear!

He disappeared, but that was not important as Desire could feel a large amount of mana was circulating right above him.

"Shit!" Desire cursed out loud as he looked up in a hurry. And there he could see...the stranger with a sword in hand.

The sword was extremely sharp, and Desire could feel that he would be sliced in half, even if he defends with his right arm.

"Die!" The stranger said as he swung the sword as he aimed for Desire's head to split him apart.

However, before even Desire could move away or try to do something against this stranger, someone...stepped up.

A figure suddenly appeared right in front of Desire as this figure's hands were raised in the air towards the stranger.

And without even saying anything, Desire and the one who stepped up were enclosed with some kind of barrier.

Tang! The sound of the barrier and the sword clashing resounded out, but...that was not all as the figure in front of Desire...Fyu spoke.

"RYU!!!!" Fyu said as he looked at the man in the air...Ryu with some heated eyes.

After all, Ryu...basically attacked Desire, the Lion King's successor.

"STOP IT!" Fyu continued as he pushed some more of his mana in the barrier that enclosed both Desire and him.

And the barrier...became a little bit thicker and it was completely spotless even though Ryu just attacked the barrier.

Well, that was only normal considering that Fyu was known to be the Lion King's shield.

"Fyu! What are you doing?!" Ryu said as he landed on the ground with his sword aimed at Fyu and Desire.

"That's a spy! There's no way that a subordinate would suddenly come in here!" Ryu continued as he began to churn more of his mana towards his sword.

Ryu then raised his sword as he tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword, "Did you betray us, bastard?!"

It was then that Ryu saw someone appear behind Fyu and Desire, and that was...Jarina.

"Fyu. What's happening?" Jarina said as she saw the barrier covering him and Desire.

However, that was not all as Jarina also saw Ryu pointing his sword at Fyu...no, at Desire.

"Ryu? Why do you have your sword out in papa's room?" Jarina said as she looked at Ryu.

Ryu was...about to answer as he was worried for Jarina's safety as Jarina was near to the 'spy,' but he couldn't.

Another voice resounded out in this place, and it was a voice that Ryu was very familiar with.

And that voice was...the laughing voice of Lionel.

"Kuhahahaha!!" Lionel laughed as he looked at Ryu, Fyu, Desire, and Jarina.

This made all of the people present in the room turn their heads at Lionel.

Except for...Ryu. Right, Ryu couldn't turn his head at all. No, it would be more correct to say that Ryu couldn't move his body.

"Ryu...Haven't I already told you that you should think first before doing something?"

"How come you just went straight at the 'spy' that came in and just attacked him out of nowhere?"

"Huh? Did you think about it?"

Lionel then...stood up as he began to walk towards Ryu. He waved his hand as a signal for Fyu to put down his barrier, and when Fyu saw that, he quickly made his barrier disappear.

After all, there was no need to do anything in this situation since Lionel...the master of the house was going to solve it himself.

And it seems that Lionel was really pissed at this situation as all of the people present here, even Desire could see it.

They could see Lionel's face that was full of anger!

"It seems that you haven't looked back on your past mistake at all, huh."

Lionel was now...right besides Ryu, and even though Ryu was a big man, Lionel makes him look cute.

Right, Lionel was towering over Ryu, and Lionel spoke as he looked down on Ryu.

"Do you know who that little bastard you just tried to kill?"

And when Ryu was asked, he...he pushed himself to answer. After all, it was his lord and master that was asking him.

It was only right for him to answer him at all costs.

"N-no, lord..." Ryu said with great effort as he felt like the world's greatest and tallest mountain was bearing down on him.

And when Lionel heard what Ryu said, he quickly spoke with a heated voice, "That's my disciple, you bastard."

Silence. Right after Lionel said those words, silence prevailed over the room.

It was only after Ryu realized what Lionel meant by those words that the silence broke.

"Ahh..." Ryu exclaimed as his two eyes widened as he finally could understand why Lionel was acting like this.

After all, he just basically...tried to commit treason against the king.

He tried to kill Lionel's disciple.

"Ahh, ahh, huh?" Lionel said as he mimicked Ryu. He then clicked his tongue as he whipped his head towards Fyu.

"Take him away. I'll deal with him later." Lionel said.

Of course, since his order was passed down, Fyu quickly moved as he began to escort Ryu out of this room.

And when Ryu and Fyu were out of this room, awkwardness and silence took over the mood.