I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

[BONUS CHAPTER- GT]

PRESENT TIME.

Things had easily been rounded up after Rachael and Derick arrived.

The Gusion Apes were quickly subdued, leaving no leeway or means to escape. Their deaths were swift and precise. It was evident that they were lacking compared to other Grand Devils.

Morganna had decided to take a last look at the Bastion and got careless at one point.

The Outward appearance of the Bastion was fine, even standing supreme, but the inward appearance was a mess to say the least.

Morganna and Gloria often stole glances at Aria, their thoughts reeling in.

Gloria had witnessed her abilities firsthand, while Morganna heard of it from her mother's and sister's descriptions.

It seemed…they might have underestimated this fox lady.

The sky was suffused in a golden afterglow as the sun began to hide its brilliant rays behind the clouds.

A brilliant darkness soon began to encroach on the crimson hue of the skies, suffusing the atmosphere with a gentle sensation as a cool breeze swept through the environment.

The Bastion stood tall, basking in the dullness, as droplets of rain began to descend.

Most of the beastkins had been evacuated now, and the Patriarch of the Son Goku Family had arrived, handling matters of the beastkins with great concern.

It was no surprise that his fury was palpable; in fact, it may have been a better choice to choose Bryne over Derick, since the cat lady wouldn't have found a means of escape.

The heavy descent of rain began to increase, forcing the guards to hasten their approach.

The rest of the individuals present simply made use of their aura or mana to form a thin line of dome around themselves, shielding them from the rain.

It was a technique easily mastered once one had full control over their energy source.

"Rina…" Morganna muttered, a wave of emotions and fatigue settling in the depths of her eyes.

About an hour had passed since the devils were taken care of, and their brother, Raph had yet to return.

Rachael had been observing the rest of the events unfold, though her expression failed to hide her worry.

The Guards helped Bryne and Aria as they gathered the beastkins and boarded them on the empty carriages. Their numbers totaled a hundred and eight. And all of this had been occuring, technically in their backyard.

While all this was going on, the three Jun ladies simply watched, biding time, tension rising as they waited for Raffaelo's return.

"He wouldn't be….doing something else, would he? Perhaps he's gone back to the Colosseum even…" Morganna muttered under her breath, her worry etched on her face.

Gloria laughed out loud. "If anything, he should be fine….he's probably forgotten how much time has passed, but he will be here soon enough".

Rachael stood further ahead of them, but overheard their conversation nonetheless.

'this son of mine'. She thought, when she noticed Bryne approaching her.

His feet echoed on the muddy soil that dug into the sole of his boots.

Her lips curled up, forcing a little bit of a smile.

"I see you arrived on time?" She asked, folding her hands.

Bryne nodded. "Your husband was rather worried; he could hardly stop himself from accompanying me". His accent accompanied his statement nicely, his gaze fixed on her.

"I see you're not planning on returning anytime soon? I would have asked you to accompany us with your daughters…"

Rachael shook her head. "Sadly, my son has decided to keep us waiting, so we have no other choice but to wait". She replied, her tone even.

"Oh…I see". Bryne replied, his tone sounding much more disappointed than he intended to. He bowed lightly, turning around to walk away, a hidden past reflecting in their short conversation.

Aria had watched the event unfold, her jaws clenched, but she soon turned away as Bryne approached.

They were about to enter the carriage, when a sudden energy from an unfamiliar presence was picked up.

It approached the Bastion at a fast rate, a speed that was unexpectedly daring. Bryne and Aria had gotten themselves in defense, and Derick had prepared himself for a quick attack, though the reaction from the Juns was different.

Rachael's lips curled into a tight smile as she turned towards the direction of the familiar presence, and her daughters had very similar reactions.It seemed like he had finally arrived, albeit after fighting a long battle. Derick noticed their lackluster reactions and eased a little, his gaze fixed on the direction the presence was coming from.

Perhaps it was thanks to their mana and aura, but sensing others within a certain radius was possible. Discover more content at empire

They could register the energy level of those who walked into that radius, and from the unknown presence, they felt a high energy…something akin to a veteran in the battlefield.

It seemed like something to be cautious of; the ferocity of the aura of the presence was sharp and deep.

A deep insight into such energy only revealed how large it was, how vast it was…and nearly how alien it was….as if it was a mix of something that ought not to be. A silence descended, broken only by the steady heartbeat of the rain, its rhythmic beat weaving a soothing melody.

The presence had quickly approached them, reaching the fence in only about five seconds, and soon enough, a familiar figure jumped over it, landing on the muddy soil with a loud thud.

"Hah shit…The rain just had to". Raph said, raising his feets from the wet soil, an expression of disgust etched on his face.

"...no matter".

After a few seconds, he walked forward, his gaze slowly looking up when his body froze on the spot.

His eyes widened in shock; the number of people he had expected to see was much more than he thought, and the number of Patriarchs and Assistants present raised questions.

He scanned the group of people who had similar expressions of his. It seemed he wasn't the only one surprised…but what they were surprised about, he did not know.

He turned to his mother, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Go– Good day?" He said out loud, walking towards his mother as the others resumed their activities nearly instantaneously, almost like they had not stopped to find the source of the energy a moment ago.

Raph's gaze lingered on the beastkins that were being taken away, a sigh of relief exuding from his lips. He at least could tell that things had been handled properly. He looked away, catching a glimpse of Tiara standing next to Derick for a short moment.

"He– Hello Mother". Raph muttered awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

Rachael stared at him sternly, her gaze would have glared down at him, but he was rather tall for his age.

She was barely taller than him by one or two inches.

"You have a lot of explanation to do, young man".

He chuckled lightly, Morganna and Gloria walking towards them quickly.

"You're late !" Morganna cried out, pulling him for a tight hug. Her actions contradicted her earlier statement, causing Gloria to chuckle at her reaction.

"Sorry about that, Gonzalo was much harder to deal with than expected" He replied, lightly tapping her back, when Gloria and Rachael exchanged glances. Their gaze flickered.

"Did you say Gonzalo?" Gloria turned to her brother, her gaze intense and curiosity etched on her face. Raph nodded, still locked in the embrace of his sister. "Yes, Gonzalo Jean…I took care of him to the best of my ability…though, I don't know if he found a means to escape…"

Rachael shook her head. "You coming back alive like this just proves to me how strong you've become…nevermind whether or not he escaped".

Raph nodded.

Gonzalo Jean was a notorious and infamous man.He had not yet made a name for himself in the underground society, but his activities were slowly being made known to the upper echelons.

He was ranked at least an A+ threat by the Adventure Guild.

It was no wonder they had this reaction.

"We should quickly get back to the Colosseum, your father is worried sick at the moment".

Rachael said, ruffling his head as she walked away, calling one of the guards.

'Seems we'll be boarding a carriage then'. Raph thought, his gaze lingering on the droplets of rain that made pores on the mushy soil.

'Rain…'. He was using the same aura dome around him, and memories of his past life flashed through his thoughts.

It was on a rainy day like this when the war had begun… was this what it felt to be nostalgic?

Well, he couldn't dwell too much on the past.

The trio heard footsteps approaching them, and they turned to the direction, Gloria's eyes narrowing on recognizing the source.

"Is there something you need, Lady Aria?" She asked, her tone even and stern, much like her mother.

Morganna had finally released Raph from her grasp, as they both turned towards the woman.

Aria's gaze lingered on Gloria, her playful smile growing from her lips.

"Why so defensive, dear? I only want to see young Raph". She said, her melodious voice sending waves within the rain.

Raph's eyes narrowed. He recognized that voice, and something about it egged him the wrong way.

Their gaze were locked on each other, and his transparent, white eyes were met with pink, ethereal ones. Aria's smile never left her face, a pink afterglow exuding from her eyes, stretching forth towards Raph without his sisters knowing.

It crept into the boy's head like fingers,  diffusing into it in an attempt to suffuse its colors through and through.

Her gaze never left Raph, intensifying the sensation, ready to swallow him up in an instant, but at that moment, her head went blank.