chapter 300
<b>Chapter 300:</b>
<b>– La –</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">I woke up feeling mentally better than I expected, considering the madness of yesterday. I stretched out, noticing the bed beside me wasn’t empty. Turning my head, I grinned. Carol was lying there, sound asleep, her chest rising and falling in a soft, steady rhythm. The sheets had slipped down her body, and she waspletely naked. She looked beautiful like that. After everything we went through against Cul and his brainwashed mutants,st night had been a…rewarding ending.
<span style="font-weight:400">My slight movements must’ve disturbed her because, a few secondster, her eyes flickered open. She yawned, rubbing her face as she sat up, and I shamelessly took in the sight of her. The sheets slid down further, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her chest. I’d never get over how gorgeous she was.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Good morning, beautiful," I greeted her with a grin that I knew was way too smug. But, hey, I’d earned it.
<span style="font-weight:400">Carol’s cheeks flushed as she looked down, suddenly realizing she wasn’t exactly dressed. She grabbed the sheets and pulled them over herself, looking adorably embarrassed. "Good morning, La. Last night was…" She trailed off.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Amazing?" I offered, the smirk on my face only growing.
<span style="font-weight:400">She nodded, a shy smile creeping across her lips. I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before hopping out of bed. She stared after me, and I made sure to give her a show, strutting naked toward the bathroom with a little extra sway in my hips. The hot water was practically calling my name after yesterday’s chaos.
<span style="font-weight:400">After about twenty minutes, I was refreshed, wrapped in a towel, and feeling like I could take on the world again. When I stepped out, though, Carol was gone from the bed. I could feel her energy in the living room, and…wait. I could sense the rest of them, too. My entire harem. Every single one of them. They were all here, in the same room…
<b>[Hey… The gangs all here…]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">In the back of my mind, I heard the Systemughing at me. It loved this sort of chaos.
<span style="font-weight:400">I rolled my eyes, muttering a few choice words under my breath, and tossed on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Thefy, casual outfit would do, especially with what I was about to face…
<span style="font-weight:400">H, Yasaka, Sif, Natasha, Rias, Sona, Serafall, Artemis, Lady Death, and now Carol were all in my living room. Some were sitting on the couch, others leaned casually against the wall or stood near therge windows. As I walked in, the entire room went dead silent. All those beautiful, powerful women turned their eyes on me, and I felt a sudden, awkward lump form in my throat. The confident smirk I had when I left my bedroom slipped a little.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey, everyone,” I said, raising a hand in a half-wave. “This is a... first,” I added, forcing a smile.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Indeed it is, my Champion,” Lady Death said, her voice carrying that same hypnotic, dangerous allure it always did. I noticed a couple of the others shift ufortably, shivers running down their spines.
<span style="font-weight:400">H crossed her arms over her chest, her dark eyes narrowing in on me. “Why is it that every time we leave you alone, La, you end up doing somethingpletely insane? Like getting attacked by some ancient Asgardian no one even knew existed until now.” She let out a low growl, muttering curses that I could only guess were directed at Odin. That man really had a habit of leaving his messes for us to clean up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“This time wasn’t even my fault,” I said, raising my hands in defense.
<b>[Yes it was…]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">I ignored the sarcasticugh in my head from the system. It seemed to think it absolutely was my fault. <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Stupid system…’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Rias’s eyes lit up as she pped her hands together, breaking the tension. “Can we see them, La? Your new wings?” She was practically bouncing with excitement.
<span style="font-weight:400">I felt my lips twitch into a real smile for the first time since stepping into the room. “Sure,” I said. With a deep breath, I let my wings unfurl behind me. Three pairs were no longer ck. The topmost pair was a gentle gold, reminiscent of my oldest brother Michael''s. But it was the next two pairs of wings that drew their eyes, their colors shifted as well after I absorbed the powers of the <b>Power Stone</b><span style="font-weight:400"> and the <b>Reality Stone</b><span style="font-weight:400">. They shimmered in hues of deep purple and rich crimson.
<span style="font-weight:400">The room stayed silent for a moment, the awe on their faces saying more than any words could. Natasha was the first to step closer, her hand reaching out but stopping just before she touched one of the wings. She nced at me, a silent question in her eyes. I nodded, and she traced a finger over the glowing feathers, a smile breaking out on her face. “They’re beautiful,” she whispered. Around her, a couple of the others nodded in agreement.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah,” I said, letting myself smile wider. “They are.”
<b>– Lady Death –</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">Lady Death observed the scene before her with a mix of admiration and amusement. La hade so far in so little time, amassing power that few beings could even dream of. She was strong, formidable, but Lady Death knew that she had not yet reached her full potential.
<span style="font-weight:400">Around La, the other women were eagerly touching her new wings, their fingers exploring the smooth, vibrant feathers. Some of them were being far less subtle, letting their hands wander to other parts of La’s body. La didn''t seem to mind, she had always been shameless, taking pride in who she was and who she loved. Lady Death found it endearing, but she was here for more important matters.
<span style="font-weight:400">The room stilled when Lady Death spoke again. Her voicemanded attention. Conversations halted, and all eyes turned to her. “La, is it your objective to merge with all of the <i><span style="font-weight:400">Infinity Stones?”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">A collective gasp rose from the women, and La’s eyes met Lady Death’s. La nodded slowly. “I’m not just going to merge with the <i><span style="font-weight:400">Infinity Stones</i><span style="font-weight:400">,” La said, her voice steady and certain. “I’m going to im the <i><span style="font-weight:400">Stones of Life and Death</i><span style="font-weight:400"> as well.”
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“Stones of Life and Death?”</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Sona Sitri asked, confusion clear in her tone. “What are those?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ve never heard of them either,” Serafall added, her brows knitting together.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know much about the <i><span style="font-weight:400">Life Stone</i><span style="font-weight:400">,” La admitted. “But I think I have an idea of what the <i><span style="font-weight:400">Death Stone</i><span style="font-weight:400"> is. Isn’t it one of the Deathly Hallows?” she asked Lady Death.
<span style="font-weight:400">Lady Death’s expression shifted, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. She shook her head. “No, my beloved. That trinket may allow one tomunicate with the souls in my realm, but it is not the <i><span style="font-weight:400">Death Stone</i><span style="font-weight:400">. The true <i><span style="font-weight:400">Death Stone</i><span style="font-weight:400"> is an object of immense power, far beyond the reach of mere mortals. It resides under my guard, bound by rules even I must follow. If you wish to im it, you must first possess the <i><span style="font-weight:400">Life Stone</i><span style="font-weight:400">.”
<span style="font-weight:400">La’s eyes widened slightly. “And how do I do that?” she asked, a touch of challenge in her voice.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You must obtain it from the Phoenix Force,” Lady Death said. A murmur swept through the room as the other women exchanged worried nces. “But she will not simply hand it over. She will give you a task, one that will push even you, my beloved champion, to your very limits.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The tension in the room deepened. The women closest to La nced at her with concern. Natasha crossed her arms and frowned. Sif clenched her jaw. Yasaka’s warm eyes darkened with worry.
<span style="font-weight:400">“La,” Rias said, “do you really need all those stones? Aren’t you powerful enough as you are?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lady Death noticed the subtle shift in La’s demeanor. The confident smile she usually wore slipped a little as the voices of her harem filled the room. The majority of them didn’t want her taking risks that would put her life on the line, not when she already held so much power. But amidst the worry, there were a few voices of support—H and Artemis.
<span style="font-weight:400">“They’re right,” Lady Death finally said, nodding at the two flustered Goddesses. Her gaze shifted to La, and her expression was serious. She hadn’t wanted to bring this up so soon, but there was no choice. La couldn’t afford to second-guess her path, not with what was at stake.
<span style="font-weight:400">“La,” Lady Death began, her voice even, “you can’t afford to turn away from this. Over the past two years, there have been attempts made by beings from <i><span style="font-weight:400">beyond the multiverse </i><span style="font-weight:400">to get in. They’ve been pushing in, testing the boundaries, and probing for weaknesses.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Sona adjusted her sses, eyes wide with curiosity and concern. “Outside of the multiverse? How is that possible? Isn’t the multiverse infinite?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Natasha’s skepticism shone through as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “What would beings like that even want?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lady Death’s eyes flicked to Natasha. “What does any being of immense power want? More. To conquer, to spread their dominion. They seek more territory, more worlds to bend to their will.” She shrugged, though the tension in the room didn’t lighten. “So far, it’s only been scouts. Probing attempts. But it’s enough to know that we can’t take chances.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Artemis stepped forward, her usual calm reced by a look of intense focus. “Interesting,” she said, almost to herself. “I wasn’t aware that existence was truly so vast…”
<span style="font-weight:400">The silence that followed was heavy, each of La’s lovers processing the implications. The room felt smaller, the weight of Lady Death’s words pressing down on everyone.
<span style="font-weight:400">La’s eyes darted between the worried and determined faces in the room. She took a deep breath. “Then I have to do this,” La said. “For all of us. For everything.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Lady Death nodded approvingly. It was the response she had hoped for.
<b>– La –</b><span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Natasha leaned back, eyes narrowing as she looked at me. “Did you know about the existence of other universes outside of our multiverse? Are they a threat?”
<span style="font-weight:400">I paused, feeling a bit exposed under her stare. After a second, I gave a nod, deciding to just go for it. “Yeah, I know about them. And I guess I owe you all a bit of an exnation. You’ve all seen my <b>Rinnegan</b><span style="font-weight:400"> eyes. I know a few of you must’ve wondered where they came from.” I took a breath, my gaze drifting over the curious faces around me. “The truth is…<i><span style="font-weight:400">I traded for them.</i><span style="font-weight:400"> With someone from outside our multiverse. That’s why they’re so unique.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rias’s eyes lit up with excitement, her face practically glowing. “That sounds so cool! Why haven’t you traded for other things?”
<span style="font-weight:400">I grimaced, feeling a pang of unease. “I got lucky with my first trade. But I don’t want to risk it again and expose our universe to all the… messed-up people out there.” I didn’t bother to mention the worst of it—that those messed-up people were other<i><span style="font-weight:400"> Gamers</i><span style="font-weight:400"> who let all that power destroy their sense of right and wrong.
<span style="font-weight:400">The room fell silent for a moment, my confession sinking in, until Sif stood up, her sudden movement snapping everyone out of it. “Enough of this,” she announced, eyes sparkling as she looked at me. “I want to go on my date now!”
<b>[Now that’s a way to change the topic!]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">I chuckled, unable to hide my amusement. “You remembered?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Sif’s expression turned into a yful re, her lips tugging up in a smirk. “Of course, I remembered. I came homest night, expecting at least a good battle story, and what did I find instead? You in bed with a new woman!”
<span style="font-weight:400">H snickered, throwing in her two cents. “A woman who, might I add, has quite the set of lungs on her,” she teased, giving Carol a wink.
<span style="font-weight:400">Carol’s face went bright red as every single pair of eyes turned to her. “We weren’t… we weren’t that loud…” she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, you were! And it was hot!” Serafall jumped in, clearly having way too much fun. She turned to me with a grin. “But we have plenty to catch up on ourselves, La. We can deal with that tonight,” she said, then faltered when she caught the re Sif was giving her. “Or, uh, I mean tomorrow morning,” she corrected quickly.
<span style="font-weight:400">I chuckled, shaking my head. It looked like Sif had officially imed my bed for tonight, and I had noints about it.
<span style="font-weight:400">…
<span style="font-weight:400">Sif was already waiting for me by the time I finished getting ready. She looked stunning, of course, her blonde hair pinned back, wearing a tight shirt and a pair of jeans that perfectly emphasized her toned thighs. She smirked when she noticed my tant ogling.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where are we going?” I asked her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“We’re going shopping for evening gowns.” Sif told me. “I want everyone to see that I have the most beautiful woman in the realm hanging off my arm tonight. Nowe, there are over a dozen stores I want to visit before midday! We must be prudent to make time!”
<span style="font-weight:400">And she wasn’t kidding. As soon as we entered the first boutique, Sif dove right in. She pulled dresses off the racks with quick precision, stacking them in my arms with absolutely no mercy. After what felt like a small fashion show, Sif finally gave a satisfied nod when I tried on a sleek, deep red dress that hugged my every curve. “Now that,” she said, “is the one. Absolutely stunning.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I nced at myself in the mirror. I had to admit, the dress was perfect. And I couldn’t deny that I loved the way she looked at me in it.
<span style="font-weight:400">We left the store, bags in hand, but before we even made it to the street, we were swamped by a group of fans who must’ve spotted us. They surrounded us in an instant.
<span style="font-weight:400">“La!” one of them, a young woman, said, her voice breathless with excitement. “Thank you so much for saving us. Again!”
<span style="font-weight:400">A few others nodded, a chorus of thank-yous and admiration pouring out. I couldn’t help but smile at the genuine appreciation in their faces.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you,” I said, making eye contact with as many of them as I could. “I promise, I’ll fill you all in soon, but you’ll have to wait for my next press release.” I smirked, adding, “And who knows, maybe I’ll wear a bikini again, considering how many views thatst video got.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The crowdughed, some of them cheering, a few of them pulling out their phones to snap pictures. After a few more thank-yous and waves, Sif and I managed to pull away and make our way to a nearby café.
<span style="font-weight:400">Once inside, we settled at a small table in the corner. Sif ordered something strong, of course—her Asgardian side demanded it. I opted for regr coffee.
<span style="font-weight:400">Sif took a sip of her drink, her eyes gleaming as she looked over at me. “I can’t wait to see you in that dress at dinner tonight,” she said, her voice low and a little wicked. “I already have our table reserved at one of the fanciest ces in town. They’ll see using from a mile away.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I grinned, leaning forward. “Just remember who’s doing all this showing off, Sif. I don’t think it’s all just about me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">She smirked back, a glint of challenge in her eyes. “Oh, don’t get toofortable, La. We’re not done yet.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I still want to see you in a few more beautiful outfits before dinner,” she replied with a grin.
<span style="font-weight:400">…
<span style="font-weight:400">We were seated at an exclusive restaurant, the kind that had a waiting list longer than most people’s lifespans. Luckily for us, I didn’t ever have to wait for anything. Sif looked radiant across from me, her blonde hair pulled back, wearing a deep green dress that entuated every bit of her goddess-like body. The soft lighting made the gold ents of her jewelry glimmer, and I couldn’t help but admire her.
<span style="font-weight:400">We both went all out with our orders. I picked the most decadent steak on the menu, paired with some kind of truffle-infused side that had a name I couldn’t pronounce for some reason, even knowing everynguage. Sif ordered three of them herself…
<span style="font-weight:400">We were halfway through our meal,ughing over some story Sif was telling about her childhood—something about Thor getting stuck in a barrel of ale—when I saw someone special approaching us. My eyes, sharper and more attuned since merging with the <b>Reality</b><span style="font-weight:400"> and <b>Mind Stones</b><span style="font-weight:400">, picked up on it immediately.
<span style="font-weight:400">The waitress uniform didn’t fool me for a second. I sighed, setting my fork down, knowing this was going to ruin the mood. “Mystique,” I said, my voice t as I looked at her. “What do you want? And you do realize you’re interrupting my <i><span style="font-weight:400">lovely date</i><span style="font-weight:400"> with Sif, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Sif’s blue eyes narrowed, and she shot the disguised mutant a re that could have killed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mystique’s blue skin flickered for a split second before settling back into her fake waitress disguise. “I need answers, La of the Fallen. What did you do to Mao after you fought him?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mao’s alive, but he’s being kept in aa for now,” I said. “The mind healers of Asgard are set to work on him when they have time. He was pretty messed up, courtesy of Cul. And, in case you didn’t know, Charles Xavier left some nasty mental programming in him, making him susceptible to following anymand given by anyone. We can’t let him wake up like that and cause even more problems.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Mystique’s eyes red with yellow, the fake persona slipping as her anger got the better of her. “How long will that take?” she demanded.
<span style="font-weight:400">I nced at Sif, knowing she had the most up-to-date information on the healers. She sighed, her jaw tightening. “Asgard just returned from a victorious campaign in the underworld,” Sif exined. “But it was a bloody one. Many of our newer troops need care from the mind healers first. Mao is a foreigner, so he’ll be treated only once they are free. You might see him again in a few Earth years…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s uneptable!” Mystique spat.
<span style="font-weight:400">Sif and I exchanged a look, both of us shrugging. “That’s the best we can do,” I said inly.
<span style="font-weight:400">And honestly, that was more than I thought he deserved. The truth was, even if Mao was healed, I didn’t want him back in the world. Mind control or not, he nearly destroyed everything. I would have preferred to see him rot in an Asgardian prison, but that was a detail I kept to myself. For all I knew, the old man might just keel over from old age before we had to deal with him again.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mystique’s eyes burned into mine for another moment, then she turned on her heel and stormed out.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, that was fun,” I said dryly, picking my fork back up.
<span style="font-weight:400">Sif chuckled, the sound low and rich. “Always attracting trouble, aren’t you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Part of my charm,” I replied with a grin. “Now, where were we? Oh right, dessert!”
<b>XXX</b>