'... Lord Nero, there is urgent information I would like to speak to you about.'
Aurelia's mental voice cut through Nero's exhausted thoughts just as he was about to drag himself to the sweet embrace of his bed to crash for the night.
An urgent information? After that marathon strategy session?
The guy could barely keep his eyes open, but the serious tone in her mental transmission made him straighten up in his chair.
"... What's up, angel?"
'I'm not quite sure if I should report this, but... I believe we are being watched.'
"!!!"
Nero's eyes suddenly narrowed down, his drowsiness was blown away.
But surprisingly, most of his facial expressions remained completely neutral.
Almost eerily calm.
… Weird. That was definitely not his usual reaction to potential threats.
'Why do you think that?' His voice came through the connection. None of the somehow nervous energy in his tone that usually had him pacing around when shit got serious.
'It is... intuition, mostly.' Aurelia's mental voice carried unusual hesitation.
'A faint feeling I have experienced ever since my restraint has… ever since I "leveled up".'
She paused, and Nero could sense her uncertainty through their connection.
'I did not mention this earlier because I prefer reporting concrete facts rather than mere feelings. But considering tomorrow's mission...' Her mental voice grew firmer. 'I felt like Lord Nero should know, in case it should prove accurate.'
Nero went quiet for a moment, processing this information.
Deep in his chest, something cold and vicious began to stir.
Someone was watching and tracking them?
… Someone dares to watch their movements?
His hands unconsciously clenched into fists without him realizing it.
The rational part of his brain told him to stay calm, think strategically. But underneath that, something primal and possessive was awakening…
Like a beast ready to tear apart anything that threatened what belonged to him.
"... Lord Nero?"
Aurelia's actual voice resounded this time, not their mental link.
It was gentle and concerned, cutting through the rising tide of instinctual rage in his heart like a warm blade through ice.
And just like that, the anger melted away.
Her somehow stoic and yet gentle voice had this incredible ability to center him, like finding calm in the eye of a hurricane.
Warmth immediately spread through his chest, replacing the cold fury with something infinitely more pleasant.
And without really thinking about it,
*Grab…*
Nero reached out and took her hand.
"Thanks for telling me." His thumb traced small circles on her palm, the gesture feeling completely natural.
'I trust your instincts completely.' This one, he muttered through their summon connection.
But before she could respond or react, he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
"!!!"
Aurelia's golden eyes widened immediately.
Wait… Physical contact like this usually made both of them awkward and flustered, even Nero who was usually shameless was a bit shy and reserved when it comes to these kinds of things…
In the heat of the moment? Sure. But not as smoothly and casually like this…
Right now, her Lord Nero felt... somewhat different.
The way he held her felt like this was exactly where his hands belonged.
"L-Lord Nero…?" Her voice pitched higher, her delicate body going rigid with surprise.
But it seems that her Lord Nero wasn't listening to her.
Instead, he was running his fingers through her impossibly soft silver hair, marveling at how perfectly she fit against his chest.
Her scent filled his senses - something clean and ethereal that made his brain go pleasantly fuzzy at the same time calm.
This was nice… Really, really nice.
He made a deep sniff as if savoring his waifu's scent into the deepest crevice of his lungs…
"Um... L-Lord Nero? Is something the matter?" Aurelia's voice came out again… this time barely as a whisper.
"Nothing much." Nero calmly replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I just thought you looked too worried. This helps, right?"
Her face went nuclear red. "I... I… Perhaps, t-this is very..."
"Very what?"
"Forward…?" She managed to squeak out, although the angel was unsure what she's saying at this point.
To that, Nero could only chuckle, the sound rumbling through his chest.
"Is that bad?"
Honestly, he would probably be freaking out right now… At least, the old Nero wouldn't be this proactive, releasing her immediately at any signs of discomfort, perhaps even reading her reaction and basing his next decision on that.
But this felt right somehow…
It's like his body was finally directly catching up with what his heart had been telling him to do ever since he met her.
"I don't... N-No..." Aurelia's wings fluttered nervously behind her back. "I-It is not bad, exactly, but..."
"But?"
"L-Lord Nero… feels a bit different today."
Was he now?
Nero considered this for a moment, still absently playing with her hair.
Yeah, she was probably right.
He did feel slightly different.
He felt more free and liberated.
More... direct, maybe?
Less worried about second-guessing every impulse.
Only then did he realize…
'Ah… Must be that Heart of the Beast passive skill kicking in.'
Nero internally nodded as he appreciatedly smiled. It was very much a warm acceptance of this new change.
If he could be more direct with his feelings, then so be it.
"Different how?" Nero continued to effortlessly push their boundaries.
Aurelia's blush somehow managed to deepen even further. "M-More... confident? Bold? Like there's no hesitation in Lord Nero's movements…"
"And is that a problem?"
"..."
*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*
By the time he asked that, the poor angel's heart was going places as she could now feel the heat coming off her face.
"I–I… d-don't… uhh…"
Looks like Aurelia.exe has stopped working.
Nero faintly laughed at his angel partner crushing out in real-time as steam was literally coming off her crimson face at this point.
But what could he do?
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
His own heart was beating fastly too…
It's just a matter of converting his emotions through his actions, and it seems this new passive skill of his served as the bridge that filled the gap of his once passive and reserved actions.
Nero had always felt uncertain if he should continue to push or if he should wait for the right moment.
Being a virgin and his traumatic experiences from his past relationships made him doubt his skills and decisions more than he was conscious of.
That's why Nero was observant of Aurelia's reactions… always looking when to push or pull.
In short, he was always waiting, never creating an opportunity himself.
But with this new passive skill… Perhaps, an active instinct inside of him has been awoken.
And to that, Nero has never been so thankful as he continued to strike Aurelia's soft silver hair with the angel waifu continuing to crash out and almost dying from a cardiac arrest.
***
Dawn finally broke the complete darkness of the night, as the fated day had arrived.
Everyone had slept particularly well, and it was more than enough to recover most of their energy.
They were now preparing for their departure.
"Fuel efficiency at current load capacity... estimated travel time accounting for potential monster encounters…"
Juno stood near the vehicles, methodically checking supplies while muttering calculations under his breath.
"The day to defeat the evil villains has come~!." Meanwhile, Yuki called out to the other survivors cheerfully, somehow managing to look like a magical girl even while loading ammunition into tactical vests. "Everyone! Let's do our best~!"
"Yeah!"
"Ms. Yuki is right!"
Looks like everyone is fired up for what's about to go down next.
"Ara ara~, such excitement in the air today… I do hope our children are staying safe until we arrive."
Haori finished packing medical supplies with practiced efficiency, her motherly demeanor barely concealing the worry beneath.
"Of course, they're staying safe! That Haru might be gloomy, but he's not bad when it comes to planning… I'm sure they won't do anything reckless! Well, n-not like I'm worried or anything, okay? Hmph!"
Mina crossed her arms and huffed, the tsundere mom was in full swing early in the morning.
Meanwhile, Gilbert along with a middle-aged mechanic emerged from behind one of the trucks.
"Engines are running smooth as butter. These babies should get us to the camp without any mechanical problems."
The mechanic said while wiping the grease off his hands with a satisfied expression.
Surprisingly, their small convoy of vehicles had survived the Verdant Tyrant attack and were completely intact, apart from some minor damages, of course.
Well, to be fair… the massive plant monster had been so focused on draining life energy and calling other creatures that it never really bothered targeting the trucks and vans they'd originally used for transportation to reach this settlement.
It's a lucky break, considering they would need every advantage for what was coming next.
On the side, Nero watched everyone make their final preparations and felt satisfied with how everything was going.
Thinking about what Aurelia said last night, Nero had a perfect counter in case what the angel said about constant surveillance is really happening.
"..."
Nero made a small daring smirk, his eyes narrowed at the brilliant spark of idea he had proposed to Aurelia through their mental connection.
Needless to say, both were satisfied, although Aurelia was a bit concerned by the boldness of strategy he proposed.
But nonetheless,
'It's time to collect the debt with interest.'
"Positions, everyone!" Juno timely called out, consulting his tactical notes one final time.
"We move in convoy formation - Ren, Mina, and Genya in the lead vehicle for reconnaissance and heavy firepower support, Gilbert, Haori, Jin and Yuki in the center transport for medical support and supply management, Nero and Aurelia taking rear guard in case of pursuit or flanking attempts and to also rest for the upcoming confrontation… the rest can board the vehicles and look out during the transit, as the chances of…"
Juno continued explaining the plan in detail one more time, making everyone listen attentively.
… Originally, Nero suggested in the plan that he and Aurelia should be the only one to go back to the Camp and confront Vincent.
The manipulative bastard most likely has machinations waiting for Nero and Aurelia, and it would be too dangerous for everyone if they were to leave alongside them.
… But the parent group had insisted on coming along despite the obvious dangers.
Their children were trapped in that camp, and nothing short of direct divine intervention was going to keep them from this rescue mission.
Their children might be old enough to be independent, but no amount of age would change how they see their children nor how protective they would be once they knew their offspring were in peril.
And honestly? Nero respected the hell out of them because of that.
Family bonds were something he completely respected and honored.
That's right. It's all about family.
Nothing's stronger than family.
Aurelia appeared beside him as Nero timely finished checking his gear, ready to embark on a war.
"Lord Nero, are you prepared?"
"More than prepared. I'm ready."
He looked toward the direction of the Camp… somewhere beyond the morning mist that seemed to cling to everything like ghostly fingers.
'Lord Nero, the feeling of being observed is still present…' She murmured through the connection.
'The entity watching us… they are definitely tracking our current movements.'
'Let them.'
Nero's grip tightened on Dawnbreaker's hilt, the A-tier weapon humming with barely contained energy.
'If it's Vincent, then I want him to know we're coming… I want him to sweat, to panic, to make stupid mistakes because he's too busy pissing himself in fear.'
Aurelia studied Nero's profile, noting the subtle but significant changes in his demeanor.
"... You have become a bit more confident, Lord Nero."
"Yeah." He met her gaze steadily, no trace of his usual uncertainty. "Is that going to be a problem?"
She was quiet for a moment, then smiled faintly - one of those rare, genuine expressions that made his heart skip beats, making his newly direct instincts purr with satisfaction.
"Not even slightly, Lord Nero."
*VROOOMMM!!!*
Engines roared to life across their small convoy, the sound echoing through the forest like a mechanical war cry.
The noise announced their intentions to anyone within miles who might be listening.
Vincent Cross, and whoever else was waiting at that camp… They were about to discover exactly what happened when you messed with the wrong kind of people.
It's time to go collect his friends.
And time to settle some fucking scores.
***
STATUS UPDATE
---
Name: Nero Walker (Jobless Degenerate)
Race: Human
Level: 20 → 24
Stats:
STR: 1.65/10 → 1.7/10
DEX: 1.45/10 → 1.5/10
INT: 1.35/10 → 1.4/10
VIT: 2.42/10 → 2.47/10
LUCK: 1.005/10
CHA: 1/10
Special Status:
Verdant Core: All magic consumption reduced by 50%.
Active Skills:
– [Fierce Stab (C), Lv: 1]
– [Flowing Slice (C), Lv: 2]
Passive Skills:
– [Greater Instinct (C), Lv: MAX]
– [Valkyria Swordsmanship (SR), Lv: 1]
– [Heart of the Beast (SR), Lv: 1]
Unique Abilities:
– [Waifu Summoner (SSR)]
– [Metalloid Transformation (A)]
---
***
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