Chapter 131

[Third Person's PoV]

In a secret Laboratory…

"So, did you get them?" A young boy with shoulder-length white hair and red eyes coldly asked a man with brown hair who seemed devoid of emotions.

"Yes, Lord Fenrir, but they were much more difficult to acquire than we would have liked, so we weren't able to gather many of them," the man replied.

The boy looked towards the man in displeasure. "Are you saying they were too strong for you to acquire their corpses?"

"Yes and no, my lord. Yes, they were strong and difficult to defeat, but that wasn't the reason we failed to collect the monster corpses. It was due to the interference of these shadow beings. We tried to attack them, but we stood no chance, and when left alone, they focused entirely on eliminating the monsters."

Fenrir gritted his teeth in frustration and muttered, "Shadow Garden, curse them."

"Were you at least able to enter the portals that spawned?" Fenrir asked, hoping for a positive answer.

"Yes, but those who went in never came out. The shadow beings were the ones who entered, and as they came out, the portals closed immediately, not giving us a chance to examine them," the man explained.

Fenrir banged his fist on the metal wall, causing a large indent as the outer part crumbled towards the center of the impact.

"They are seriously getting on my nerves. The worst part is how elusive they are; no one knows where they come from or where they are located. They just come and go as they please. All we know about them is their mysterious power to wield shadows and that they possess soldiers made of shadow…"

As Fenrir mentioned that, he put a hand on his chin and began to ponder. 'They arrived very fast, too fast even. They might be aware of something, something we don't know. Which shouldn't be possible, but we don't know much about Shadow Garden either, so there's that as well. They might know the cause of the realm collision or whatever just occurred; they may very well be the cause of it.'

After thinking it over, Fenrir released a tired sigh. "Bring me the corpses you were able to collect; they are still of use," he ordered, causing the man to nod in acknowledgment and carry out his instructions.

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**Lawless Town: White Tower**

Yukime looked at her two servants with an acknowledging glance after their report, her face hidden behind a fan.

"Alright, so none of my girls were killed during this invasion of monsters and shadow beings, which, if I had to guess, belong to Azrael, or as he calls himself now, Shadow, killed all of them," Yukime summarized, nodding her head.

"Thank you; you girls are dismissed," Yukime said with a smile.

The two beastkin girls bowed before they left Yukime alone in her room. Sensing solitude, she let out a wistful sigh. "If only I was able to talk to him more and sincerely express my thanks."

"Hehehe, I know how you feel," the soft, beautiful voice of a woman said, causing the hairs of Yukime's tails to stand on end.

Yukime rose from her seat, assuming a defensive stance with her fan, scanning the room for the source of the voice.

"Show yourself, intruder," she demanded coldly, her magical powers surging.

A giggle emanated from the voice. "Is that any way to talk to your mother, young lady?" she teased.

Yukime's expression grew colder as her killing intent intensified. "Show yourself," she authorized.

"I'm right below you," the voice softly stated.

Confused, Yukime looked down warily, witnessing a pair of purple eyes manifesting in her shadow.

Her shadow extended outward, and a figure emerged—a being with purple glowing skin, dark hair, fox ears, and nine black tails with purple glowing tips.

Yukime was surprised to see her and lowered her fan, quivering.

"Hey—" Before Yukihime had a chance to introduce herself properly, she was practically tackled, causing her to step back.

Yukime wrapped her arms around Yukihime as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Mommy," Yukime choked.

Yukihime looked towards her daughter with a soft smile tinged with sadness, wrapping her arms around Yukime reassuringly. "How much you've grown, my little one."

"Mommy," Yukime kept repeating over her own sobs. She held on tightly, as if afraid that if she let go, Yukihime might disappear forever.

"There, there, I'm here," Yukihime said, patting Yukime's hair gently.

Yukime looked up after a few long minutes of crying. "It's really you, but how? We buried you; I was there to witness it," she asked, forcing herself to calm down.

"How did you figure out so quickly that I'm really your mother?" Yukihime teased, seeing her daughter had no doubt about who she was.

"You, of all people, should know we beastkins have sharp senses and instincts. I just knew right away when I saw… so how?" Yukime sniffled.

Yukihime smiled. "Look at me, what do I remind you of?"

Yukime grew confused and examined her mother carefully before her eyes widened in shock. "Azrael…"

Yukihime nodded. "Thanks to my lord, I'm now able to walk the land of the living once more."

Yukime looked at her mother with sadness. "So you truly did die that day, didn't you?"

Yukihime nodded again. "If you go back, you should still be able to find my corpse. What you see before you is a manifestation of my soul."

Yukime softly smiled. "It looks like I owe Azrael another debt. I don't know how I'll possibly be able to pay him back."

Yukihime looked at her daughter teasingly. "You can always become his supportive wife."

Yukime was surprised by the idea, especially coming from her mother. 'I'm still a virgin, so I should make a great offering.'

Yukime unexpectedly started shedding more tears. Yukihime wiped her tears with her thumb as she gently held her cheek. "Why are you crying now, my little crybaby?"

"These are tears of joy. I'm so happy… I'm so happy I get to be with you again."

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A/N: This is a short chapter with 1k words, it's made to show what's happening around the main cast.

Ps. Auntie... Aun(ti)e... TiTi... you uncultured swines.