Blue Unknown Substance

In the bathroom, under the shower, an utterly handsome man stood silently.

Water traced down his sculpted body, his wet gray hair clinging to his skin, and light gleaming off the intricate scars carved across his back like ancient scripts of war.

Then, quietly—she entered.

A striking silver-haired beauty stepped into the steam, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Her chest pressed to his back, and her hands glided smoothly over his torso.

"So… first: congratulations on losing your virginity," she whispered. "Now that sex didn't cut it, what other hobby are you turning to?"

"I appreciate your willingness to help me," Yam replied, voice low. "And I'm sorry for wasting your time. But it seems only violence is my partner."

"You hot monkey," Vaelora smirked, pinching his cheek. "I should be the one thanking you. I haven't felt that good since I attacked my Master several millennia ago… And getting manhandled was a surprisingly refreshing experience."

"You sound more like a monkey than me," Yam sighed.

"Oh? Is that an absurdly thin, but still noticeable smile I spy?" she teased, stepping in front of him.

"Ah, about that thing I said…" Vaelora heated up, "that I love you; that was just in the heat of the moment, got it?"

"…"

'Hmph! No reaction huh…'

Her eyes lowered toward his crotch. "Tsk! You're the only man who can behold my nakedness and remain still… No matter. I'll just write it off as impotence."

Despite the tease, she leaned in for a kiss.

"Forget it," Yam grunted, nudging her face aside. "My problem, I've confirmed, is not a woman's touch. You were wrong."

She snickered, then rubbed her crotch lightly against his.

"I figured that out shortly after we began," she said with a sly grin. "But I wasn't about to pass up the chance to sleep with you, you grouch. You're a tough nut to crack—unlike most NORMAL men."

Her emerald irises gleamed with mischief as she rested her head against his chest.

"I'll mark this down as one of my greatest achievements—because it is—deflowering the all-powerful Shredder. Hehehe."

"Good for you," Yam replied with a shrug. "I never had any attachment to my virginity. But I'm certain I'll never lay hands on another woman again."

"Because I made you feel that good?" she asked, tilting her head with mock innocence.

"No," he answered coldly. "Because it felt like I was serving you. Like some retainer."

At that, his deep brown eyes finally met hers.

"I serve no one… other than Asherah—our Mistress."

"Hmph," she snorted. "I think it's more accurate to say you serve no one but Asherah AND carnage."

Yam blinked. "Hm? That's what I said."

Riiing! Riiing! Riiing!

The phone ringing from the other room cut through their banter like a knife.

Vaelora instantly stepped back from Yam, grabbed a bathing robe, and walked out briskly to answer the call.

Yam, towel wrapped loosely around his waist, followed in silence. The shift in the air was undeniable—tense and sudden.

Why?

Because Vaelora, the mistress of the entire hotel, had given a strict command that no one—not even her most loyal servant—was to disturb her tonight. And her orders were absolute.

For a call to come through now, it could only mean one thing: maximum urgency.

"Who's that?" Yam asked, his tone grave.

"It's Donnie," she muttered. "My butler."

She picked up the phone.

Her voice was cool and laced with mild irritation—but surprisingly playful for someone speaking to a servant.

That was, until her eyes widened.

"What...?"

She turned sharply to Yam—only to find the room already empty.

"Tsk! That blockhead! I warned him about eavesdropping."

*

THE PHONE CALL:

"Good evening, Lady Vaelor—"

"What is it, Donnie? I hope you understand what will happen to you if you disturbed me for a stupid reason."

"U-uhm... I don't know if it'll interest you, but I do have some crucial information."

"Fine. Let's hear it."

"In Seana... the demons are preparing to launch an attack. A group of humans are about to be caught up nea—"

"I'm hanging up now. And I'm hanging you later."

"Wait, wait, wait—don't hang up! Or me! It's not just about the demons! Actually... they're not the main issue. It's what's with them—"

"Stop beating around the bush, you fool."

"My apologies, ma'am. It's just... with the demons, there's a... thing with them. A bluish mass of glistening gunk."

"What?"

"I said, a bluish mass of—"

"No, I heard you the first time."

"Ah, sorry! It was first sighted by some W.O. agents. Described as 'a bluish comet moving at incredible speed toward the mountain... with zero magical signature. No presence whatsoever.'"

"...What? Tsk! That blockhead... I warned him against eavesdropping."

"Ma'am…?"

"Donnie... are you certain of this?"

"Indeed. What's more—shortly after that blob reached the mountain, one of the demons got blasted away. Violently. Beyond the range of normal perception."

"Hmph. So... whoever it is, must be powerful?"

"No. That demon was identified as Ruben. Heir to the Demon King's throne."

"..."

"Hm? Ma'am, I can feel you grinning evilly through the phone."

"Silence… Ruben is a tyrant. A natural disaster on the level of the Twelve Pillars of the World. That 'blob'... is definitely not ordinary."

"I think so too."

"For now, authorize the elite units in the region. But be careful—if it could toss Ruben like that, you're all basically fodder. I'll be there shortly."

"Eh?! But you're in another continent, enjoying your break—"

"How dare you! I can practically leap between dimensions. What's a continent to me? Oh—and yes. Yam is coming too."

"Yam?! As in Shredder?! He was with you?!"

"Hehehe! You bet! I just stole his virginity just now."

"Ah! As expected of Lady Vaelora—wait, what?! Sh-Shredder was a virgin?! For 2000 years?! And you just snatched it away... Y-you're truly terrifying."

"To be frank, it was no easy feat. I had to lie, deceive, and manipulate him—planting little seeds of lust over several centuries."

"Uhm... Ma'am, should you really be saying that when he might be listening? Shredder is extraordinary. It wouldn't be a stretch to say he's hearing this entire conversation."

"Worry not. He already heard us—and left for Seana."

"Let me guess... on foot?"

"Probably."

"Still, you and Shredder appearing? Isn't that overkill—for demons and a blob? Is it really that much of a threat?"

"If what you described is accurate—something that moves like a comet, made of blue unknown substance, entirely devoid of magic or energy yet capable of launching someone like Ruben into the sky—then yes. It's very possible this threat possesses an Ultra Skill. Meaning a Guardian Candidate is already manifesting in this generation. And if that's the case... they might be a reincarnation of a past Candidate.

There's a chance—slim, but still plausible—that this could be the return of the Conqueror."

"You don't mean—Alexander? Alexander the Conqueror? The one who ruled the world millennia ago?"

"He did swear he would return. On his dying breath. But so many eras have passed. His soul should've been reborn many times as someone else by now... and yet..."

"And yet?"

"That blue substance... It resembles an Ultra Skill only one being ever wielded. A creation of his. He christened it... Ah, yes—He called it [Jericho.]"