Sariel moved down the street, her six wings gently flapping behind her as she walked. Her angelic beauty and flowing white hair glimmered like starlight as sunlight fell onto it, and her inherent charm caused heads to turn.
Sariel, Seraphina's eldest daughter, was already 34 years old. She had matured into an incredibly beautiful alraune. Her lower half, which floated in the air as she moved, was like a holy lotus flower covered in soft hair. It looked fluffy, soft, and pleasant to touch.
Her female body, starting from the middle of her thighs, was nothing short of an artistic work. Neither too curvy nor too slender, Sariel caused awe to the point that no woman could even feel envy.
The final and best touch was the three pairs of white wings behind her. The white wings, with leaves as feathers, were large but not overwhelming. What was most surprising was that Sariel could not be considered the most beautiful among her sisters, be it those of her own species or the others.
Finally, Sariel arrived at the
Sariel tucked her wings formally, closed her eyes for a moment, and then muttered a small verse before entering. "Eternal Her gaze. Boundless Her gentleness. Thank you one more day for allowing rest below your resplendent canopy."
As she finished her small prayer, Sariel walked forward and entered the
A root appeared from the Eternal Cathedral's side and gently caressed Sariel's head before retreating. Sariel smiled with squinted eyes, feeling delighted. Then she walked into the cathedral and moved toward one of the wings where Saintesses in training gathered.
As she walked, many saintesses nodded in acknowledgment but didn't show any preferential treatment. It was known to all of them that the Heavenly Willow didn't discriminate or favor people by bloodline. So, showing excessive respect to Sariel, who was a direct descendant, would not be courteous toward their belief system.
"You are here, Sariel."
As she entered through the door, Elyne waited for her on the other side. The woman's jade-green hair waved softly, and her amethyst-colored eyes shone with profound strength. Sariel felt a surge of respect for her as she lowered her upper body and took a postrating pose.
"Apostle Elyne, I am here to ask to pass the test."
Elyne glanced at Sariel with a faint smile. Right after Sariel finished her education, she applied to the church and became a saintess in training. Truthfully, the number of
After conquering so many Solar Systems, Liu Shu had become a big influence in most of those Solar Systems. Only the four that previously belonged to the Covenant and Nexus were still adapting. Her presence, which could only be described as divine, caused the religious envoys to fall with the force of meteors striking the earth. It took less than ten years for most previous religions to be crushed and overshadowed, not by force, but by sheer influence.
By now, the number of
Even then, among the
"You are rushing, Apprentice Sariel. Is there something that makes you impatient?"
Elyne's words caused Sariel to flinch slightly. While Sariel was confident she could become an
Sariel didn't hide her feelings. "Lady Heavenly Willow's grace is vast. I feel that I must start as soon as possible so that I can return even a little of her grace."
Elyne sighed softly. "Liu Shu would not want you, her daughter, to speak like that."
Sariel, of course, knew that. "However, only
Elyne glanced at the gorgeous and angelic woman and asked gently. "Then, have you made sure to speak comfortably when you are outside the cathedral?"
Sariel paused for a moment and began thinking. When was the last time Sariel visited Liu Shu as her daughter? As she began pondering, Sariel noticed that it had been several years. Even if Liu Shu talked to her from time to time, she had not truly spoken to her face to face for a while.
Elyne noticed her look and spoke. "Here is your test, Sariel. Go and talk with Liu Shu. Before you speak, this test is not favoritism. Even if we must not look at bloodline or influence when choosing, it is also the unchangeable truth that you have a deeper and more special connection with Liu Shu. If you truly want to walk this path and reach a high position that will help Liu Shu, you must tread your own path as her daughter. Being a daughter and her Saintess are not mutually exclusive statements."
Sariel listened to her words with a deeply thoughtful look. She didn't speak for a bit, absorbing Elyne's words. "...I understand. I will do my best, Apostle Elyne."
Sariel raised her body from her prone position and extended her vines to walk out after giving Liu Shu's statue one last look.
After she left, Elyne smiled gently and turned to look at Liu Shu's statue. She had been here for a long time already, and she was always grateful to her past self for seeing beyond the Covenant and appreciating Liu Shu's existence. She was not grateful because of Liu Shu's potential, but because of her attitude.
Compared to all the World Trees Elyne had seen during her stay in the Covenant's Church, Liu Shu was unique. "Sigh… I've done my best, Liu Shu. I hope she can become a model for her sisters."
It was more than clear that most, if not all, Seraph Blooms born from Seraphina would choose the church as their career path. So, Elyne was personally guiding Sariel as the first to make her an example for the rest.
Liu Shu's gentle voice reached Elyne. "Thank you, Elyne. I know it's a lot of work, so I am always grateful."
Elyne laughed softly, showing a respectful yet also understanding smile. "Do not worry. This life is nothing short of a dream come true for me. All the efforts I make are rewarding, and serving you is my joy. This, I mean it from the bottom of my heart."
Liu Shu gently caressed Elyne's face with her root and retreated. 'Truly… I am grateful.'
***
Sariel arrived home for the first time in a while. Seraphina visited her from time to time, and as mentioned before, Liu Shu spoke to her as well to ask her how she was doing. However, she had been away for a while.
When she arrived, she felt a chill rush at her from behind at incredible speed. Sariel, though, didn't panic.
Purplish tentacles bound Sariel as she was pulled back and landed in an incredibly soft and abundant body. "Sister! You are back~?"
The voice that reached her ears was eerie yet seductive, and when Sariel turned to look, she couldn't help but sigh with a smile. "Malyra, your greetings are always so… enthusiastic."
Malyra, Obsidianis's eldest daughter and a
The charm she exhuded was sticky, dangerous, and, in a way, terrifying. If you looked at her simply, you saw a voluptuous woman with marble-white skin. She didn't appear sickly, but the fairness of her skin revealed the veins below her skin in an alluring manner. Her bursting chest, especially, made one gulp with just a glance.
Her red lips, dark eyes and hair, and long eyelashes and straight nose stacked to create facial features that could make onlookers bite their lips to suppress something blooming from deep inside them.
However, when the beauty's red lips arched, all that beauty morphed as her grin went far beyond the normal human bounds. An earsplitting smile was nothing short of accurate, in a literal way, to describe it.
From her shoulders, some purplish tentacles wriggled, and from her coxis and lower half, even more bloomed and entangled with each other. The flower-shaped lower half was nightmarish, and a single look could make you feel as if your sanity was taking a hit.
Slimy, dark tentacles entangled and wriggled into the shape of an unholy flower, and some of those tentacles climbed up Malyra's plump and otherwise tempting thighs, squeezing them to show just how elastic they were.
If one was not careful, Malyra looked like an alluring and seductive woman entangled in the maws of a creature whose intent could only be described as impure.
Even then, Sariel only felt warmth when she saw Malyra's terrifying smile. It was normal knowledge in their family that Nightmare Blooms showed terrifying smiles only when they were delighted. It was an instinct hard to restrain even as adults. Plus, the tentacles would also entangle gently and caress the bodies of those whom they loved.
So, the way Sariel was currently entangled and receiving that ear-splitting smile was nothing less than Malyra showing delight and love for her sister, whom she had not seen in a few years.
"I am home, Malyra. How are you doing lately? Is there anyone bullying you?"
Malyra rubbed her face with Sariel, the two of them hugging, appearing to onlookers like a demonic, lustful entity entangling a sacred, pure angel. "No one bullies me now, Sister! Hehehe. Thank you for asking~."
Malyra's tentacles moved both of them inside, and Sariel allowed her Little Sister to drag her. Both Nightmare Blooms and Seraph Blooms got along with each other strangely well. They were like polar-opposite magnets, attracting each other in a healthy way.
The two eldest, especially, got along close enough to even share baths after becoming adults. Of course, their affection was purely familial. Sariel laughed gently at her sister's creepy facial expression. 'She is so cute…' A small shadow flashed in her face. 'Those bastards back then got what they deserved. How dare they bully my Little Sister? Hmph.'
The life of Nightmare Blooms was not easy-going, following a similar trend to Tempestria's children, the Sylphaiths. Even then, the family had showered them with love since they were young, so most incidents passed without any truly dangerous situations. The Nightmare Blooms grew up healthy, with mischievous yet incredibly loving dispositions despite their external appearances.