000 - What Makes The Sky Blue

Eugen guided his daughter toward the rest of the group.

Both of them noticed the others chatting amongst themselves while waiting for Eugen to finish his business. However, Apollonia's gaze was fixed on Rei, particularly on Orchid, who was clinging to him.

Orchid was pressed close to Rei, while Lyria stood in front of them, pouting.

"I want in too," Lyria's voice echoed as she spoke to Rei and Orchid.

"No, I still want to hug him by myself," Orchid replied, unwilling to share Rei with Lyria.

The two stared sharply at each other, Orchid refusing to let go while Lyria insisted on joining in.

"Lyria, can you heal Apollo?" Eugen's voice suddenly broke the tension, making everyone turn their attention to him.

When their eyes landed on Eugen, they were visibly shocked. His face was battered, swollen, and bleeding profusely from several places. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth, and bruises covered him.

"What in Bahamut happened to you, Eugen? Did you fight a primal beast or something? Why does your face look like that?" Rei asked bluntly.

Apollonia flinched at Rei's comment comparing her to a primal beast. She admitted to herself that she might have gone overboard, but it was his fault for neglecting her during her childhood.

Lyria quickly began healing both Eugen and Apollonia, while the others bombarded Eugen with questions. Eugen merely shrugged it off, stating that it was retribution for his past mistakes and that they shouldn't worry.

Lyria's healing abilities had significantly improved after spending time in Gran's timeline, particularly with Gabriel's help. Her efficiency had grown remarkably, and it didn't take long before both Eugen and Apollonia were completely healed.

The group decided to rest for the night on this island before continuing to Ravi Island, where Orchis's soul resided. Rei also planned to complete Orchid's replacement body for the entire night and warned the others that he would be busy and likely wouldn't emerge from his room until morning.

With rooms provided by Monika and Lecia in the vast headquarters, everyone settled in. Rei informed the group he needed to work alone to focus, and the rest of them gathered for dinner.

At the table, Apollonia sat stiffly, unused to casual interactions, but the others gave her space, understanding she needed time to adjust.

The dinner conversation turned lighthearted.

"By the way, Djeeta, can you still use that blue power?" Lyria asked curiously.

"Nope, ever since Future Lyria disappeared, I can't use it anymore. But at least I got to keep the outfit that came with it," Djeeta replied with a mischievous smile.

Rei had previously commented on how alluring that outfit looked on her, especially the exposed stomach. Djeeta loved teasing him about it and often wore it during intimate moments.

"Isn't that outfit supposed to belong to a group called the Eternals or something? What if you meet one of them and they ask why you're wearing it?" Lyria asked, concerned.

"Nah, it's fine. We've been adventuring for months and haven't run into any of them, so no worries," Djeeta replied casually.

"Just make sure to think of an excuse if we ever do," Katalina said, resuming her meal.

Monika, Lecia, and Tzaka, however, were completely lost, unable to follow the conversation. Terms like "blue power," "another timeline," and so on were entirely foreign to them.

"Can someone give me some context, please?" Lecia finally asked, frustrated.

Her bewildered expression drew laughter from the group, much to her dismay. She pouted, her cheeks puffed in irritation.

"I'm sorry," Rackam said between chuckles, "but your expression reminds me of how we felt when we first met Rei."

"Yeah, I remember meeting him for the first time," Eugen added. "We were fighting Primal Beaat Yggdrasil, and suddenly he came down from the sky and defeated it in a single attack."

"Let me explain," Djeeta said, smiling as she began recounting their adventures in the alternate timeline. Though she kept the explanation brief, it was enough to captivate Monika, Lecia, and Tzaka.

"Are all Astrals like him? With the same level of power?" Monika asked, wide-eyed.

"I don't think so," Lyria responded. "Rei mentioned that Astrals are categorized into higher and lower classes."

"And Rei's powers are special," Katalina added. "He's not just an Astral; he's also a Primarch and has absorbed the abilities of several primal beasts."

"He has multiple primal beasts' powers?" Tzaka asked, astonished.

"Yes, even Colossus is part of him. All he needs to do is command their powers," Katalina confirmed.

"That's... too much," Monika muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Even with all that power, he doesn't hesitate to help people," Djeeta added. "So if you ever have a job for us—or him—don't hesitate to ask."

"You're just advertising now," Orchid quipped.

"We need the money," Djeeta shot back. "With so many people in our group now, our expenses for food and supplies have gone through the roof."

Her remark drew laughter from everyone, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere for the rest of the evening.

----

In the middle of the night, in one of the guest rooms where Djeeta and the others were staying, the space was bathed in a glowing purple light that illuminated the entire room.

At the center of the room stood Rei, his gaze fixed upward. In front of him floated a figure suspended midair—a delicate, incomplete vessel. Its features were soft and serene, with white hair gently rippling as though moved by an unseen breeze. Rei hovered before it, his sky-blue eyes gleaming with intense focus as tendrils of power streamed from his hands, weaving into the vessel before him.

This was his third attempt at creating this body.

He relied entirely on his instincts as an Astral, letting them guide him through this intricate process to ensure every detail was precise.

Sweat trickled down his temple as his fingers traced complex patterns in the air. Each motion conjured glowing strands of energy that seamlessly merged into the vessel, forming its structure.

He had to make sure to fulfill Orchid's specific request: the vessel's eyes must be sky blue.

Hours passed as he worked tirelessly, the room silent except for the faint hum of power. The clock now read 3 a.m. when he finally took a step back, his hands lowering. The vessel was complete.

After weeks of relentless effort, Rei had successfully created Orchid's vessel. Now, there was one final step left to complete.

Focusing deeply, Rei channeled his Astral power into his right arm, following the instructions he had meticulously studied in the ancient journal.

Creating a primal beast core.

That was his goal. He intended to place the core within Orchid's vessel, ensuring she would not only exist as a human but also possess the unique power of a primal beast.

Each primal beast held a distinct power and authority, and the one Rei was crafting would be unique to Orchid—something special, just for her.

It would be a surprise for her, a gift she hadn't expected.

After Rei was done, he collapsed onto the bed, sprawled out and utterly drained. His breathing was heavy, not from creating Orchid's vessel, but from crafting the primal beast core. He hadn't expected it to drain so much of his power.

The vessel was no longer in sight, safely stored back in his Zero Dimension.

Suddenly, a flicker of black light materialized above him, and moments later, Belle appeared.

Her curvaceous figure only added to her striking presence. She wore a cropped black lace top that emphasized her chest and revealed her midriff, paired with a loose black jacket with swirling, shadowy ends that gave her an air of mystery. Her fitted black skirt was adorned with gold chains, accentuating her hips, and one of her legs was covered in a fishnet stocking, the other left bare. She completed the look with knee-high lace-up boots, a bold and alluring combination.

[IMAGE]

"You took so long there," she teased, her mischievous tone filling the room. "Even Luci doesn't take that long to create something like that."

"It's my first time creating something like that. Of course, it took longer," Rei replied, not even glancing at her, too tired to bother.

Belle smirked as her fingers began to trace along his well-toned muscles, her touch light and teasing as she on top of him.

"Then let me help ease your exhaustion," she purred, licking her lips suggestively.

"You know that'll just make me even more tired, right?" Rei replied, his tone flat but tinged with exasperation.

"Ahh, don't be like that," she teased, leaning closer. "You know I've been holding myself back. If that Sandy knew I've been inside of you this entire time, she'd be furious—and probably try to kill me."

Belle's smirk widened as she leaned in closer, her face mere inches from Rei's. Her hand reached up, her fingers brushing gently against his cheek, tracing the curve of his face with a deliberate slowness. Her eyes glimmered mischievously, yet there was an undeniable intensity in her gaze.

"You look so exhausted, but still... so tempting," she whispered, her voice soft and sultry.

Rei didn't move, his sky-blue eyes fixed on her, his exhaustion evident, yet his gaze was steady. He knew her games well enough by now, but his body was too drained to offer much resistance.

Belle's hand lingered on his cheek before sliding down to his jawline, her touch feather-light yet deliberate. Slowly, she brought her lips to his, brushing them lightly against his in a teasing manner before pulling back just slightly, her breath warm against his skin.

Her free hand moved to the edge of her jacket, tugging it off her shoulders and letting it fall to the bed in a graceful motion. The lace top she wore hugged her figure, but she didn't leave it on for long. She began undoing the delicate clasps, her movements deliberate as she maintained eye contact with him, her gaze never wavering.

"Belle..." Rei muttered, his voice low, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't quite find the strength.

"Shhh," she murmured, pressing a finger gently to his lips. "Don't overthink it. Just let me take care of you..."

Leaning back in, her lips pressed fully against his this time, the kiss deep and slow, filled with a passion that matched her mischievous demeanor. Her movements were fluid as her hands slid down his chest, tracing every muscle and curve.

Rei's exhaustion warred with the undeniable allure of the moment, his body tensing under her touch. Yet despite his weariness, there was something about her persistence and closeness that made it hard for him to resist entirely.

Belle's hands moved to remove more of her clothing as she deepened the kiss, her soft laughter mingling with the silence of the room. "You deserve a little reward after all that hard work," she whispered against his lips, her tone as teasing as ever.