I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

Aria Son Goku had decided to follow Rachael's summon for reinforcements for two reasons. One was due to her husband's nudge, and the other was Raffaelo Jun. Honestly, the thought of listening to that woman, Rachael Jun, only caused a boiling warmth to grow within her abdomen – a seething rage….and an unprecedented jealousy.

Rachael Jun was a beauty even at her age, and it didn't take much guesswork to realize how many admirers she must have had in her youth.

Sadly for both of them, Bryne Son Goku was one of them. It was ironic how Rachael's beauty was admired when she was one herself, even better if you thought about it. Her youth lasted much longer than humans, and as a beastkin of the Ancestral Fox clan it was no wonder her beauty was unparalleled.

She was often compared to Rachael in their early marital days, but soon enough, she was able to woo Byrne's stubborn heart, though not purely.

When has pure methods ever gotten you the exact results you wanted? And even if they did, how much effort and time must one invest? She never had the time to waste on such, and stole his heart and mind within a year.

Her hatred towards Rachael was deep and long lasting, eventually stretching towards the Jun household. And that anger only grew after her kids began to raise names for themselves at such a young age. It was like the world had been programmed so Rachael would take the spotlight. Not only was she lucky with love, but her luck had granted her a strong household and talented kids.

Wouldn't it be nice if something didn't go her way for once? And for a while, it seemed like that. Rachael had birthed powerful kids, yes, but they were girls. It wasn't like girls couldn't take the reins in a family – after all power was what mattered within the twelve great families.

As long as they had power, they could take the reins, but the necessity of a son amongst the twelve great families was necessary, even if in just name.

It was a joy to have a son, and she had two, so for once, she thought it was her victory. At least it was so until Raffaelo Jun was born, sending waves amongst the twelve great families. It was a cause for concern, as 'only sons' of major families had raised storms during their time.

And it was about five or so years later that she had received the first invitation.

The source was unknown, but the content of the letter left her lusting for air.

It was then that the decision to bring down the Jun household was set in motion, and to bring its destruction or at least destroy its foundation, their only son, Raffaelo Jun, would have to be under their control.

And that's why when he appeared, her shock had been quickly subdued. It was no more surprise to her at this point – the Jun household would never reveal their true abilities. Even if the imprint of his energy was much vaster and deeper than what he had portrayed on the Arena, she wouldn't give a damn, ignoring the reason he had decided to do such in the first place.

'Sorry, Blue Rose, I'll handle this one'. She walked towards Raph, her gaze fixed on his actions as Rachael walked away.

Her husband, Byrne, followed her movements with his eyes, but ignored it altogether, trusting his wife's judgment without fault, and entered the carriage.

The sound of the rain was muted, and everything else was locked away from her senses. Aria had a single thought in mind: subdue his mind…make him yours, steal him from her.

With that thought, she approached the trio, her steps echoing on the mushy soil, but that too was isolated from her senses.

She faced him, her gaze flickering for a moment, but then returned to its former intensity.

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

Morganna released Raph from her grasp, and they both turned towards Aria.

Aria's gaze lingered on Gloria, her thoughts escaping her mind before returning as a playful smile grew on her lips. "Why so defensive, dear? I only want to see young Raph".

Her melodious voice sent waves through the rain. 'Yeah, I'm going to see him and steal him' She thought, lost in the depths of the boy's luminescent eyes.

She noticed his minute change in expression, especially as his eyebrow raised, as if recollecting something.

'Well, that doesn't matter'.

She focused deeper, nullifying all other sensations and amplifying a single one.

Her pink eyes shimmered with brilliance, and a pink fire ignited within their depths as she stared deeper into his eyes, absorbing the glowing incandescence and milky radiance, replacing it with ethereal projections of pink aura. The aura reached forward, spreading, diffusing, and suffusing as it crept towards his brain.
Experience tales at empire

'Hah…easy'.

She attempted to invade further, in an attempt to completely seize his being, but something unexpected happened. The pink aura turned white, spreading like cancer as it reached the source. Finger-like projections stretched out in frenzy, like a swarm of Hornets consuming their target whole.

It was instantaneous and quick, nearly suffocating, and would have swallowed her whole if she had not quickly cut off the connection.

Her eyes flickered, and her gaze widened, her pupils dilating as the luminous, ivory hue of his eyes shimmered like two moons in the form of orbs, radiating a cold and chilling light that suffused itself within the depths of her eyes. She couldn't look away, and yet felt an urge to escape.

"Are you alright, Lady Aria?"

Raph's voice was like a wake-up bell, literally. She shook her head, her eyes flickering as she rubbed her temples.

"Ye–Yes…Young Raph". Her voice was shaky, her expression etched with shock and confusion at the sound of her own voice.

She stared at Raph again, then glanced at his sisters, noticing their concerned expressions, but wondered if it was genuine concern. She couldn't tell.

At the moment, she felt out of place and disoriented, but that was all.

With a curt nod, she turned and walked away, leaving them more puzzled than they had been when she approached them. The trio watched as she entered her carriage, the footman closing it, and the coachman stirring the horses forward with a light whip.

Gloria and Morganna exchanged glances, then turned to their brother, his gaze still stuck on the carriage.

"Raph, What was that?" Gloria broke their silence, her hand resting on his palm before quickly retreating. She clicked her tongue, a hissing sound echoing as she spread aura to her hand to break off the ice that had begun to spread rapidly.

Morganna's eyes narrowed, but then, was this reaction new?

"Did she try something?" She asked, her tone laced with curiosity, as Gloria walked around her brother to face him.

Her reaction was unexpected, as she flinched, taking a step back. His eyes seemed to be glowing–not the ethereal, magical kind but a malevolent, luminescent glow, as if something otherworldly dwelled in their depths….something she didn't want to tap into.

"Raph" She called out, spreading aura to her right hand as she raised it and pulled it down, jolting him out of his daze.

Raph exclaimed, snapping out of whatever trance he seemed to be in."Sister?" He protested, his gaze returning to normal.

"You good?" Gloria asked, rubbing his head lightly. It was surprising how he was still standing even after receiving a blow like that from her.

Raph nodded, sighing deeply.

"She tried to take over my mind, don't worry about it. My eyes are more than enough to prevent something like that from happening".

He waved his hand, trying to belittle the matter, but his sisters wouldn't let it slip them. "She did what?!". Morganna's voice raised higher than she had anticipated, and she quickly clasped her mouth shut, ignoring the questioning looks from the guards. She repeated the question a second time with a hushed tone this time. "She did what?"

The left side of Raph's lips curled upwards, and a cold sweat began to form on his head as he scratched the back of his head. "Don't make a big deal out of it….I took care of it, so there's no need to worry".

His sisters stared at him, seemingly lost in thoughts. This wouldn't be the first time their brother took something serious like this for granted…or maybe they took it a little too seriously?

He was their only brother, and it was second nature to be overprotective.

They sighed, noticing their mother approaching them, and turned towards her in unison. May as well let their mother in on it and decide what to do about it, though there wasn't much they could actually do.

Raph watched the scene unfold, a smile plastered on his face, and an amused chuckle escaping his lips. It seemed he was able to perfectly hide the cold bloodlust that dwelled in the depths of his soul, creeping and pulsating within as he subdued it.

'Those eyes…..she's the one'.