Several hours after the battle ended, Asmodeus vanished with Yuina.

The Empress finally awoke from her mind control. Her eyes gazed at the wounded soldiers as they loaded themselves into carriages—many noble heirs and children suffered injuries and death in this event.

Their actions ruined the grand hunt.

There was no great push for any blame by the demons who served Asmodeus.

This attitude shocked the Empress because they lost several knights and spear maidens in this cursed and pointless battle.

''He wouldn''t want further death today...''

''I will find him later, but Yuina is the only one who can comfort him other than myself right now.''

These were the thoughts Alice had for herself while pulling the body of a wounded knight from a crater and carrying her to the expensive black carriage.

Alice and Liana took control and didn''t push the issue while helping the wounded into their carriages and preparing the return to the capital.

"Empress, allow me the honour to speak with you in private once we reach the palace."

"Ah... Understood, Duchess."

Although Alice might be a duchess in Grigor, that held little meaning in the Beast empire because of what happened and where Asmodeus came from. The Empress showed more respect for those who came from Grigor. "I will leave first, and prepare for your arrival."

"That''s fine, but call me Alice in the future."

"Understood, Lady Alice."

The rain died down, leaving the scent of wet earth in the forest—thankfully, it washed the thick scent of blood and ammonia as the hunting grounds slowly became empty. There were several women concerned Asmodeus didn''t show himself.

"Should we leave, Alice?"

"Vinea, take Ciela and Sariel with you in your carriage. I will ride with Liana and Aki."

Thankfully, Fredricka recovered from her wounds rather quickly and helped escort the troops, including Fuuka, back to the capital.

Yet, the women awaiting Asmodeus were his lovers, and they didn''t want to leave without asking his permission. Levia looked a little strange in her armour, with a beautiful muscular body and long hair like midnight, tied high and hanging over her shoulder. "I will join you too, Alice."

''Well... Levia was the one most injured among us all.''

''She seemed like a monster, determined to protect even the weakest knight from damage...''

"I don''t mind."

"Then... Should we depart for our castle, Duchess?" Liana asked with a cheeky smirk before gently placing her hand on Alice''s shoulder.

She trusted Alice a lot because she loved her Aunt. For some reason, Liana and Vinea felt the subtle changes in their Aunt, while Velvet looked stern, her eyes with dark rings underneath from the battle and blood loss.

"Let''s head back. I am sure Asmodeus will come back when he recovers."

"See, much warmer."

"Ah... this is nice." Yuina''s face turned a deep red as she looked down and mumbled.

''Even though I have seen him doing more... This still feels exciting.'' Yuina''s tails swished faster as Asmodeus pushed their bodies even tighter together. Yuina noticed the calm atmosphere and spoke with a soft voice.

"Do you regret it?"

"...A little."

"You must remember this; those that died are now in a better place and they won''t suffer anymore..." Yuina didn''t want Asmodeus to suffer or feel like he did earlier in the day. Her blue eyes narrowed while gazing at the darkening sky.

''Am I too selfish, telling him to rest here instead of heading to the capital?'' Yuina worried to herself.

Asmodeus rested his head against her shoulder, noticing her tails wrapped around his waist. The soft golden fur brushed his leg and gently stroked him. He knew what she was trying to do, and he couldn''t help but give her another hug.

"We should return in the morning; that''s what you planned, right, Yui?" His deep voice bounced off the walls slightly.

She wanted to keep this moment for herself since she desired Asmodeus more than anything else. "Of course... If I told anyone where we were... Well..."

"Wouldn''t they take you back!" Her cheeks puffed out as she pouted, gazing up at Asmodeus with her lovely blue eyes sparkling like gemstones.

''This cute girl is so lovely.'' Asmodeus thought.

***

Meanwhile, in the Inukami village, Yumiko sat in the clan head office, the place where her sister had spent the past decade working hard in her absence. She felt a sense of comfort and calm washing over her as if something connected her to both her sister and Asmodeus simultaneously.

"Did you finally take the first step, Yuina? It took a lot longer than I thought."

''Asmodeus, normally you eat the new girls so quickly...''

In reality, she didn''t know that the pair didn''t have that relationship, and the sense of calm and comfort came from how Asmodeus felt.

Because of the words and support of Yuina, the red star of calamity, something that grew stronger each day, now seemed to be bound by seven different threads.

These changes caused the previous sense of destruction and danger to fade—instead, a comforting warmth emanated from the red star.

However... Yumiko''s ears flickered as she suddenly slammed the desk.

"But somehow, since it''s my twin sister... why does it make me want to beat him?"

The female fox didn''t like the idea of Asmodeus playing with her sister.

"I am powerless to stop it now..."

Yumiko didn''t know she would suddenly feel this way after learning that Yuina and Asmodeus were becoming closer. Yet she felt happy it wasn''t towards her sister but Asmodeus, who she wanted to punch and ensure that he treated Yuina well.

''Well... I am her twin sister.''