Chapter 265

[Third Person's PoV] 

As Cid soared through the air on Kaisel's back, he observed the battlefield below. Giant roots spread across the ground, piercing through multiple giants and dragons, tearing them apart with ease.

His gaze shifted to Alpha, Bellion, Eta, and Epsilon, who were all moving in different directions, assisting the shadow soldiers in expanding their forces and dealing with the remaining monsters. Though they were spread out, they remained within a respectful range of each other, never straying too far from the group.

Standing near Kaisel's head, Cid commanded, "Land between them. Draw their attention."

Kaisel let out a thunderous screech, overpowering the explosions and screams of agony below. Slowly, he flapped his wings and began his descent, landing amidst a sea of corpses.

The moment he touched down, the four warriors turned toward him, immediately recognizing his summons. Bellion knelt, while the others gave slight bows in greeting as Cid casually walked down Kaisel's back.

"My Lord!" Bellion boomed, pressing his fist to the ground in reverence. "Congratulations on your victory against that detestable Dragon Monarch! With Antares gone, true victory is now all but assured!"

Cid gave a small nod. "You all worked hard. Taking down Legia together was no easy feat—I know that from experience."

Bellion smiled proudly. "You flatter us, my Lord, but it was your wisdom in choosing such a commendable wife by your side that made this possible."

His voice brimmed with joy. After millions of years of war between the Rulers and Monarchs, an end was finally in sight.

Eta, adding a sweet tone to her voice, chimed in, "Are you here to relieve us from our duties, Venerable Husband?"

Alpha sighed, already exasperated. "Please do not succumb to her words and pampering, dear."

"I promise to make it worth your while, oh Great Venerable~" Eta cooed, unbuttoning the top of her dress shirt, revealing her cleavage and the purple bra underneath.

Epsilon rolled her eyes. "You are truly unbelievable…" she muttered, shaking her head.

Eta merely shrugged. "What? If it helps me clock out early, I'm willing to do anything to get some—" she yawned, "—much-needed sleep."

Alpha looked to Cid with pleading eyes. "Cid, dear, please do not fall for her temptations."

Eta simply raised an eyebrow as she 'adjusted' her bra.

Cid scoffed. "Have you ever known me to fall into temptation so easily?"

"..."

"Anyway, I have another job for you before you can rest."

The group collectively gave Cid a deadpan look—he was clearly speaking while staring directly at Eta's chest.

He chuckled before patting Eta's head. "In all seriousness, I really do have just one more task for you. I need you to protect Epsilon while she ascends as a Monarch. That's when she'll be most vulnerable."

Eta sighed but ultimately accepted the mission. "Alright… if you say so. Guess I don't have much of a choice."

Epsilon's eyes widened. "Wait… am I really going to become a Monarch?!" she exclaimed excitedly. She dropped to her knees and pumped her fist toward the heavens. "FINALLY!!!"

Then she froze. "Wait… you're not planning on turning me into… him, are you?" She hesitantly pointed toward Legia's massive corpse.

Cid smirked. "If you grow in size, so do your boobs"

Epsilon's expression instantly shifted into the exaggerated style of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. "I am ready to abandon my race and embrace my destiny as a giantess! It is my true calling!"

Thinking about becoming much larger and towering over everyone around her made Epsilon giddy with excitement. She exhaled sharply through her nose and grinned.

"Alright! So when do we begin, my lordly husband?"

Cid shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I won't be the one turning you into a Monarch. I need to help Alpha."

"What?! Why?! What's with this favoritism?!" Epsilon stomped her foot in protest, pouting.

Cid ran a hand gently through her light blue hair, soothing her. "This isn't about favoritism. Alpha's transformation will be much more dangerous. She'll be absorbing the Monarch of Destruction, and I have no doubt that it'll be far more painful than the others."

Epsilon huffed but knew she couldn't argue with that logic. Still, as Cid's hand continued to caress her head, her pout slowly softened.

"How about this," Cid offered. "Once this is all over, you'll be the first one I spend time with. What do you say?"

Her pout disappeared entirely, replaced by a mischievous smile. "Alright, I'm fine with that… as long as the day ends with me being pregnant."

Before Cid could react, she pumped her fist excitedly. "Alright then! Let's turn me into a Monarch!!"

Cid chuckled and called out, "Yukime."

A few seconds later, Yukime emerged from his shadows, bowing gracefully as her tail swayed back and forth. "You called, my lord?"

Epsilon's eyes immediately darted toward Yukime's chest, which was nearly spilling out of her Yukata. She then glanced down at her own—not small by any means, but in comparison…

"Tch!" She clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned away, spitting on the ground.

Yukime tilted her head in confusion before glancing at Cid for an explanation.

He ignored Epsilon's antics and got straight to the point. "I need you to do me a favor. Use your Virtue to transfer the essence of that giant over there into Epsilon."

Yukime nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, Cid's shadow expanded, and out came a broken and battered dragon corpse. Its scales were missing in places, burn marks covered its body, and it was barely recognizable.

"Bellion, you'll be the one to protect us in case any monsters decide to interfere."

"As you wish, my lord." Bellion bowed before positioning himself protectively near Alpha and Cid.

Alpha sat by the roots of her tree, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. "I'm ready when you are."

Cid exchanged a nod with Yukime, signaling her to begin. She pressed a hand against Legia's corpse while Cid placed his on Antares' dragon corpse. Immediately, Legia's body dissolved into bright green particles that flowed into Yukime's hands, while Antares' essence turned into a mix of red and purple energy.

Both then transferred the essence into the ones before them—Yukime placing her glowing hand on Epsilon's back, and Cid doing the same for Alpha.

Epsilon and Alpha both tensed, their expressions twisting in discomfort. But Alpha's reaction was far more violent—she threw her head back and let out an anguished scream.

A volatile magical aura burst from her body, expanding rapidly before detonating outward in a shockwave so strong it nearly sent Cid flying.

Cracks began to form on Alpha's skin, starting from beneath her eyes and spreading outward. Bright energy seeped from the fissures, crackling with destructive force.

Cid steadied himself, keeping his hands firmly on her back, doing everything he could to help her contain the overwhelming power that threatened to consume her.

Meanwhile, Epsilon shifted uncomfortably, crying out in pain as her body stretched taller and taller. Her slime suit struggled to keep up, continuously expanding to match her increasing height.

Cid's intervention helped seal the cracks forming along her skin, but the energy within her still resisted, threatening to tear her apart. It refused to be contained.

"You'll have to gain control and dominate the energy within you," Cid advised. "If you don't, it won't acknowledge you and will keep breaking your body apart until it succeeds."

Alpha nodded, biting her lip as she concentrated, forcing herself to adapt.

Meanwhile, Epsilon's growth finally halted as she reached seven meters in height. She flexed her fingers, inspecting herself with a satisfied grin.

"Hmmm, this is good," she mused. "I feel like I can control my height—whether I want to grow taller or shrink."

To test her theory, she started decreasing in size, gradually returning to her normal height. But as she turned her gaze toward Cid and Alpha, her expression shifted. Alpha was visibly struggling—her face drenched in sweat, her entire body trembling under the immense pressure of the energy she was trying to control.

Cid sighed. "The authority she's trying to wield is almost the complete opposite of what suits her. It's adapting to her, which is making the process even more painful. It'll take a while before she's done…"

Epsilon crossed her arms, nodding in understanding. "Well then, in the meantime—"

"Zeta."

At Cid's call, Zeta emerged silently from his shadow, kneeling on one knee with her head lowered, awaiting his orders.

"Go retrieve Tarnak's body—the one you defeated. It's your turn to become a Monarch as well."

Zeta nodded without hesitation and disappeared in an instant. A minute later, she returned, dragging Tarnak's lifeless corpse behind her.

Cid exhaled. "Now come. You will be the last Monarch I awaken before we end this war and finally go home."

A rare note of relief crept into his voice