Once Orion recovered his stamina, he stood up from the ground, and glanced down at the dark expanse.


    (I''m ready.)


    He took a step back, before throwing himself off the edge. One last time, he looked at the beautiful sunset in the distance, before everything became darker.


    His body dropped into the darkness like a droplet of water, before the world the trial made vanished, devoured by the void as if all of it was fake.


    ~


    ''The third trial...''


    Orianne watched as the circle of dark matter shrank surrounding her son. Reon quietly watched the screen, while he got the gist of the situation just by looking at what was happening.


    ''He made it.''


    All of these trials were difficult, making every part a fight against one''s self. But Orianne knew, nothing could be harder than the fourth trial.


    Reverence.


    A challenging trial that Orianne almost failed, because of its unnecessary lack of explanation.


    Until the very end, she gave her everything to break through her weaknesses, just to have a chance to obtain an overwhelming power.


    To walk on the same path as the man she loved, who destroyed his body repeatedly and entered a different realm than everyone else during their life.


    With her eyes fixed on the screen, she thought.


    ''Don''t fall into a trap, Orion. Hang in there.''


    With confidence in her heart that he would succeed after going this far, Orianne wished him luck.


    ~


    "When?!"


    A group of women suddenly exclaimed in the middle of town. That group composed of Amelia, Olivia, Tetra, Deveralna, and Senia. The rest were escorting Stella around town now that their swimsuits were completed.


    "..."


    Kamala looked away with a faint red tint on her cheeks.


    "You have to tell us!"


    With curiosity taking over her, the lamia Queen, Deveralna, asked her.


    "A few days after returning from the fairy village."


    Their mouths opened similar to a fish, as they stared at her with excitement.


    "What happened?"


    Amelia, who loved these kinds of developments, pressed Kamala to answer. The poor woman avoided her gaze as much as possible, before sighing.


    "I should''ve kept quiet."


    "Oh! Please. It would''ve been obvious at some point. I had no idea Florian would go out of his way to ask you out, though."


    "As if I were expecting that either. He took me by surprise."


    With stars in her eyes, Olivia looked at her.


    "So? What happened?"


    Like Amelia, her curiosity required answers.


    "Fine, fine."


    Finally giving up, Kamala dropped her shoulders in defeat.


    "After returning from Horizon, he took me home to rest. While he still had his duty to fulfill in Albriar, he ignored them and stayed with me."


    "Once he saw that I had recovered plenty, he dragged me out of the house, and pulled me along into one of the restaurants I told only once I liked."


    "..."


    She stopped speaking and thought, seemingly bothered by her own words.


    "I say dragged, but he gallantly escorted me. I have never been treated this perfectly, ever. Other than blushing, I was unable to think rationally until we arrived."


    Everyone in the group held their breath, and nodded, imagining the whole scene in their head.


    "We had dinner, unbothered by the usual noisy atmosphere of the restaurant, and before long, we walked out of it."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "He took my hand as we walked into town. We enjoyed the night-life of Hocride, and while it was very fun and incredibly peaceful, time went by rapidly."


    Her eyes turned to the harbor area, which was bustling with various people, be it traders, tourists, or citizens.


    "Before I knew it, we were walking on the beach, in the middle of the night. We looked at the stars while listening to the waves crashing on the beach. The flickering lights of the boats made it even more beautiful than I remembered, which is probably why..."


    Hesitantly, she looked down.


    "I wasn''t prepared to be proposed on the spot."


    "Woaaaah!"


    A loud outcry of elation escaped their mouths.


    "And?! What did you answer?"


    "I..."


    Kamala placed her hands on her face in embarrassment.


    "Accepted."


    Happiness filled the group.


    "Awesome!"


    "We''re happy for you."


    "Congratulations."


    Celebrating the sudden news, they genuinely felt happy for the woman.


    She did not speak about the exact words that Florian told her that day, but they didn''t need to hear them to believe he did a great job getting through Kamala.


    Amelia suddenly stopped smiling and placed her hand under her chin.


    "Hmm~"


    A devious scheme formed in her head, one that would make the picnic more interesting. She looked at Olivia, and spoke frankly.


    "Why don''t we invite Florian too?"


    "Eh?!"


    Kamala removed her hands from her face and looked at them with a shocked expression.


    ''You wouldn''t do that, right?''


    That thought was so obvious that it made them smile even more. Her expression was pretty cute for a woman her age.


    "Sure. One more person is fine. I''m sure that Stella would be happy too."


    "Kh... The two of you are disgustingly devious."


    "Thank you. I''ll take that as a compliment."


    Amelia looked at her with a smug face.


    "Joking aside, this is a good opportunity to have a long chat with him. You have some unanswered questions you want to ask him, don''t you?"


    "I''m pretty sure it went over your head, and you don''t know how to face him."


    She stopped playing around and seriously asked Kamala.


    "..."


    Choosing the silent option, she looked at the situation, before she nodded.


    "You''re right. It might be the perfect chance to clear everything up."


    Seeing that they were thinking about her seriously, she accepted the help.


    "Then it''s settled. We won''t interfere nor spy on you during that time, so you can relax. It''s best to hear it directly from you anyway."


    They all nodded with a smile on their faces.


    "Thank you."


    With a warm smile, Kamala thanked them. But on the side, a certain Remnant woman was licking her lips.


    ''I knew I smelled love from her. She already seems to have her answer on what to do, so I most likely have no need to push her in the right direction.''


    She decided not to interfere either, and simply observe.


    With that conversation out of the way, they continued on their shopping spree, and joined with the other group before long.


    ~


    Orion stood in the middle of a platform with three paths, leading to three other platforms of the same type.


    ''This place. It''s different once again.''


    Compared to the previous trials, this one had no road to run on, no mountain to climb, and no matches to see.


    Just three paths that led to people he recognized.


    In front of him, on the largest platform, a woman with long blonde hair sat on a throne and glared at him with her pearl colored eyes. This was an emotion he had never seen on that person, which worried him.


    On his left side, another woman he knew. Crimson hair that flew elegantly, and a piercing orange reptilian eyes that could petrify anyone enthralled by them. Her long snake tail vibrated, showing her animosity.


    Lastly, on Orion''s right, a blonde man stood motionless, both hands on a sword''s hilt. The long blade of the sword was firmly planted into the ground, radiating a dangerous gleam of light. The man was patiently waiting, his eyes closed.


    Orion wasn''t sure what to make of this trial. Even though he knew those three, he felt something was off with them.


    Still, he had to complete the trial.


    ''Who do I start with?''


    While thinking, he looked in front of him, directly at the blond woman, who looked down upon him with a deadly glare.


    ''Amelia...''


    His feet moved, but instead of continuing forward, he turned left.


    (I''ll start with Deveralna. I want to see what this is all about before going to these two.)


    Each step echoed in the white void, with each one growing louder.


    The path seemed incredibly long for Orion, even though just a few meters separated them. In front of him, the path kept growing longer, making it impossible to reach the next platform.


    (I see. Just getting to them will be a pain. Fine by me.)


    Orion placed his hands in his pockets, and nonchalantly walked forward, as if he was on a stroll. With nothing on his mind, he continued forward.


    (...)


    After walking for what seemed like half-an-hour, the path returned to normal. Orion stepped on the platform, greeted by a lamia was seemed very upset to have him in her presence.


    "Who are you?"


    Her threatening tone made Orion frown.


    (I am Orion Feales. An agathion.)


    They stared at each other for a minute, before she slid on the ground away from him. Behind her, a throne with snakes engraved in them appeared, which she sat on it instantly.


    "You are in the presence of the lamia Queen. Be it a peasant, or an agathion, I will have you kneel in front of me."


    ''There it is, the feeling that something isn''t quite normal.''


    The Deveralna in front of him seemed incredibly distrustful. She had the same appearance and voice as the lamia he knew, but she was acting so high and mighty that it irked him.


    ''Deveralna isn''t this overbearing. I don''t know what this is about, but I''m not going to bow in front of a pale copy.''


    Orion glared at the clone, and crossed his arms.


    (Why should I kneel in front of you? I have no reason to without knowing who you are. Be it a Queen or a King, unless you introduce yourself, what blood flows in your veins is of no importance to me.)


    Her head slowly inclined backward, as her eyes squinted. Her dark orange eyes displayed a dissatisfied expression at his words.


    But, even though she looked angered, his words seemed to have made it across.


    "I understand your point. I am Deveralna, Queen of the lamias. From your perspective, my status may be insignificant, yet, I can''t have you show disrespect."


    "Either kneel, or leave. If your pride cannot tolerate such an act, you are not fit to walk on the path of ascension."


    "Now, choose. Will you let go of your pride, or refuse to do so?"


    Two choices, one correct answer.


    Orion glared at the lamia, and prepared to turn around.


    ''I''m not bowing in front of a fake.''


    The moment his right foot left the ground, he suddenly stopped himself.


    (A fake?)


    His eyes returned to the fake Deveralna.


    "..."


    She ignored his words, and placed her head on the back of her hand, looking down upon him.


    ''What if this Deveralna was one of many paths she was meant to go through? Would it justify my attitude?''


    He pondered for a moment.


    ''Even if she is a fake, I swore to respect her.''


    Orion made up his mind. He took a step forward and answered her.


    (I will kneel in front of Deveralna, the lamia Queen.)