8

Chapter 8

"I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first, Ray?" Lucas asked his son as he just arrived from work. He looked quite haggard like someone put him through the grinder.

"Let's start with the bad news first," Raynold said as he muted the TV. Kiana who was using him as a pillow started to pay attention as well.

"It appears the news of the birth of the second Golden Core Cultivator has leaked outside, if my sources are right, the cultists and the terrorists know that there are TWO of you at the same time." He explained with a tired sigh.

Raynold slowly nodded when he heard that. He had a thoughtful look, as he was thinking about how to proceed with this information.

"...What does this mean to us?" Kiana was slightly worried when she heard that. She is a Herrscher and anti-Honkai organisations know of their existence.

Does this mean their tranquillity is going to be disturbed?

"Nothing."

Her eyes widened for a second when he said that with an utterly convicted tone. What is he planning!?

"...But."

"If they breach my territory then they will have to survive the exposure to a natural catastrophe." He said that with cryptic tons. Everyone in the house knows what 'natural catastrophe' means.

If that means he is considering using his core powers.

"...Are you sure?" Kiana said with a small frown, she understood what he was considering doing.

"Oh very, VERY sure… I Will show them why they, themselves, call me Lord of Stars." He said that with a snort. He is not calling himself Lord of the Stars. They are calling him like that!

He has not accepted that because he doesn't think that he is strong enough to call himself with such a pompous title.

[That's my Ray! Kiana don't you dare to chicken out! If he is willing to crush them, then believe me, I am extra ready to do the same!]

This made her slowly nod. Before becoming serious.

"Since you are willing , so am I. No one will interfere with our lives." She said that with extra serious conviction. Her Herrscher eyes for a second glowed.

"It's good to hear that you two are so serious about this. But don't forget that you two don't need to fight. Showing your crushing power is enough. You two wield Gravity and Space. Just send them back if they enter our territory. There is no need to lower yourself."

"Pffff…hahaha. Father, you are far more cruel than I expected!"

Lucas just shrugged as he proceeded to walk to the kitchen and get some beer.

"They are not martial artists, son. You don't need to show them your face."

Raynold laughed even louder when he heard that. Is his father using his quotes in front of him? Good damn!

"You are right!"

After saying that he proceeded to snuggle with clueless Kiana who is still wondering what on Earth they talked about!?

Once Lucas got his beer he proceeded with the good news.

"Now about the good news. You two will be starting to attend school soon."

Raynold's eyes bulged out while Kiana pulled her head up and looked at her adoptive father.

"We will!?"

"Yes. It took some time and a bunch of meetings but you two are now students in third grade."

"Hold It… But…we kind of have random responsibilities. You know… Being a walking natural phenomenon… And there are a bunch of people who are naturally terrified of us.

While we did surround ourselves with good and positive people, not everyone likes that."

When Raynold said that Kiana's eyes had an understanding glint.

She remembered the party… Every single person she met at that party was quite good. It's like a selective thing… Which appears it was.

In other words, Raynold and his family have specific friends which makes sense… He is a Herrscher and Honkai is quite sensitive to emotions.

"Indeed. And this is important. We had this discussion for the longest. It's an experiment. In the future, there will be more Herrschers around regular people. You started that, son, and the world now is watching you and waiting to see what kind of step you will take."

He hummed upon hearing that. While Kiana even with her airheadedness understood how super important this was! Though what was Raynold's reaction?

"I see."

'What is with that!?'

[Do you think the pressure would affect him? He is THE embodiment of one of the fundamental forces. He is gravity itself…] Sirin said with a proud and arrogant tone. Which made Kiana roll her eyes.

'And I am void what of it? I don't feel any different!'

[Then your training is lacking if you don't comprehend that.]

'Hey! Are you calling me weak!?'

[Maybe?]

'Now you're just messing with me!'

[Hmph…you are easy to be messed with.]

After that Sirin retreated to the Herrscher core. Though this made Kiana think…she should start practising her Void powers.

Is this what Sirin thought about? She does need to find more ways to use it. Like how Raynold uses his powers. In her eyes, the uses of his powers are already at the level of master. And she is pretty sure he is not done with his training.

No, never…she doubts he will ever stop with his training.

"Good to hear that you are up for that. Don't worry, the school is just a 10 minute walk from our house. You will have a blast there. The gymnasium is getting upgraded just for you."

"Heh, already pulling the strings?" He commented on his father's possible scheme.

"As if. It's all government funding. They want to see you." Lucas said with a shrug as he opened his can of beer.

Once again Reynold just snorted and returned to stroking Kiana's hair.

He needs to think. School sounds… boring? But he will attend it just because Kiana most likely wants to experience it.

"I suppose, what do you think, Kitten?"

"...Sounds interesting… I have never been in one, I only saw it on TV."

The pair who listened to her stayed quiet.

"I see… then we will go there and conquer it," Raynold said with quite a serious tone.

"...I don't think you need to conquer the school, son."

"I don't mean in a literal sense, dad. I mean in an objective sense. Once we are there we ace everything and reach the apex of that place." He said with a shrug.

"...ah yes. My apologies for misunderstanding you. But, yes, do that." Lucas said with a small smile. He is satisfied to know that he will soon most likely make his teachers dumbstruck because he knows in person how absurd his son can be. After all, he became Herrecher just through his absurdity.

"...ummm…I will try…" Kiana said with a nervous tone.

"Don't worry my Kitten. I will help you along the way." As he said that he hugged her and channelled his positive emotions. This made her nervousness disappear. She then hugged him back.

~~~~~~Later~~~~~~

Kiana and Raynold arrived in Siberia. In front of them was the orphanage. This was the first time for Kiana as a Golden Core cultivator she kind of wants to show off her new void powers.

Inspiring them to try becoming one as well!

As they walked over there he knocked on the door. A few minutes later one of the girls opened the doors. When the girl saw him she smiled widely.

"Big Brother!"

Kiana's eyebrow twitched for a second.

[Don't worry, you are his Kitten. There can't be more than one. But he can have as many sisters as he wants. They will remain just that…sisters.] Void Queen said to her as she was chilling inside the core.

'Right… I Forgot that…'

[You need to develop some resistance to such a basic thing.]

'Right back at you. Don't you plan to kill me if I think about someone else?'

[I am simply safeguarding him. And your thoughts towards that is simply treachery and I kill traitors and worms.]

'Right…'

"Morning Lili. Is everyone at Orphanage?"

"Yep! Come in! Seele's stigmata started to act up again. She has been pushing back how you instructed but she is not that good yet." The pink haired girl said with quite a serious tone. It's rare to see it on her.

"Understood. Let's go in."

…

…

…

Training Seele is quite interesting for Raynold because of how pacifist she is. The girl simply refuses to hit anyone. But Raynold wouldn't be a Master of Martial Arts if he didn't know how to train a pacifist in the art of fighting.

It started with parry. Parrying and pushing enemies away. Then he included tripping enemies. Following by self-defence in other words not hitting back but fully utilising hands to deflect and eventually bring it down and lock their limbs up.

The thing was even if she was shy even if she was a coward she would do something in face of danger. Usually, one would cover themselves with their hands and try to look as small as possible.

These are animal instincts, but instincts evolve when one has claws and fangs. Where one's body knows it can do something.

This was what Raynold had been doing. Training her instinctual side once she has it improved she won't be afraid. And once you are not afraid… Then one can learn Shaolin arts… After all, they are pacifists… Pacifists who can break bones with ease. Nonetheless, they are pacifists.

As he was thinking about that stuff the pair arrived upstairs where they found Seele with purple veins running through some portion of her body. One could see that she was resisting its effects as hard as she could.

But it was a losing battle. Raynold walked over to her side and swiftly absorbed all the wild Honkai from her and then swiftly refined and added to his reserves.

Then he proceeded to seal the stigmata once again.

When he was done with it Seele woke up and swiftly hugged him. Kiana needed to close her eyes and ignore this. Sirin inside her mind told her to relax. It was just nothing more than her sister showing off her affection to her brother.

They are above that.

"Good. It appears you can finally resist it."

"Umm…not by much. It is still overwhelming." The girl said with a sad tone.

"Progress is progress. You can't just make it happen. Before this, you could not even resist but now you can. And that is worth celebrating.

Regardless. Now that you are fine we should return to training."

Seele gulped down nervously when she heard training. She always ends up unconscious after the training is done. So she is slightly afraid of it.

"Relax… nothing to worry about. We are only going to make your muscles work."

"...Yes…that." The girl said with a sweet but nervous smile.

~~~

Cocolia looked with a slight smile when she saw that Seele can do some…serious damage by this point. She could shatter the ground with a stomp and break a tree with a small thrust of her hand.

Yet, this was not enough to overcome the stigmata of death. If she is right then Seele would become a powerful Herrscher who could command death itself.

But then her eyes went to that white-haired girl… she was wondering what she would do… Then her eyes bulged out when she saw this girl transform…

'By God! She-She-She is a Herrscher as well!'

A loud gulp escaped from her mouth as she saw this girl start opening portals and doing what looks like exercising.

'That's void… Does she possess the second Herrscher core!? He can even make people who have those cores and learn them to control?'

"Impressive isn't it?" Raynold said from the side as he saw how Cocolia was looking at Kiana.

"She has the core of the second Herrscher isn't it?"

"Yes. I suppose she does."

She shook her head when he said that with no caring tone.

"Though there is something you could do for me." Raynold's request piqued her curiosity.

"Oh?"

"Yes. You have a network of people, don't you? I want you to look for people who have Stigmatas like Seele does."