The moment Ace woke, even though he had been travelling through the Forest of Darkness for training, Leo had se via their bond.

  Ace’s being put in a a was hard on everyone, but Leo was actually one of the ones who took it hardest.

  He was supposed to be his partner, but aside from the first few months of being together, where they were around the same strength still, Leo hadn’t truly been of much actual help. Whehere was a truly strong oppo, Ace would always be the oo face them by himself, whilst Leo was forced t up the rear.

  To make matters worse, there was nothing he, Leo, could say as he khat if he tried to stay and help, of ten times, he’d only end up making things worse aing in the way.

  As such, after Milianedly assured Leo that Ace would be okay when the power of his will eventually recovered, Leo, along with his father, who had barely, but thankfully survived that day, ventured off into the Forest of Darko temper themselves.

  After a year, Leo had matured into a genuine high-ranking divi reag the seventh rank. He had also grown to the size of a small building.

  Even before Ace had slipped into a a, Leo had struggled to find oppos in the ninth rank, but now, fet the ninth rank, Leo had to challenge magical beasts at the early stages of the saint rank to find a challenge.

  Leo let out another excited roar when his human partered his sight, but he showed no iion of slowing down.

  In faot only did he seem to be speeding up, but a bzing crimson aura also coated his paw as he charged at Ace.

  “e!” Ace grinned when he uood his familiar’s iion. “Let’s see just how strong you’ve gotten in this st year.”

  Ace took off like a bullet, this was his first time taking a sihat day, ae being in a a that whole time, the speed he showed was enough to make the him that fought Olivier that day look like a snail.

  His foot was like a blur as it kicked off against the ground over 50 times instantly, leaving a fire trail in his wake as he shot into the sky like a fming arrow.

  His fist was jet-b colour and also coated in fmes, with a jet of fire shooting from his elbow to enhahe speed and power of his strike as he met Leo’s strike head-on.

  A giant explosion sounded for miles as the two separated. But whilst Leo took three steps back before stabilising himself, Aly mao stop after ten.

  After ing out on the losing side of that exge, although he wasn’t jealous ry, Ace would be lying if he said his petitive nature hadn’t been ignited. Aion that only served to excite the obsidian lion further.

  Finally, he had gone from only being able t up the rear to finally being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with his partner – how could he not be excited?!

  Both Ad Leo took off at the same time, about to csh for the sed time.

  “Did you already fet?” Amira said, her figure moving like a fsh of light at a speed that caught both Ad Leo by surprise. “I already called first!”

  Ad Leo had been over 100 meters away after their first csh, aher had been holding back when they moved. Still, by the time they were in striking distance of each other, Amira had already arrived, holding a silvery-white treasured katana in each hand as she sshed at both Ad Leo, her swracefully arg through the air whistling as it moved.

  Both man and lion had to go from attag each other to evading the swords aimed at their the st moment.

  “You…

  Your prehension…” Ace stammered as he looked at Amira in disbelief.

  “You uimate me if you thought a year wouldn’t be enough time for me to start prehending a profound mystery,” Amira smirked as her Spiritual Maion appeared behind her.

  “A Profound Mystery?” Ace asked back. “I’m pretty sure I sensed you using two profound mysteries there.”

  “You’re not the only genius in the Pavilion,” Mira grinned.

  “Clearly,” Ace said, his lust for battle growing with each passing sed.

  The bodies of all three youe once as they prepared to fight when a chilling, but angelic voitered their ears, sending shivers up each of their spines. “I know you three aren’t about to make a mess of my home now, are you?”

  Just like that, the raging battle i of all three was doused like a flickering dle thrown in a river.

  “No, Mom,” Ace gulped as Amira and Leo looked aretending to be ily minding their own business.

  In the end, Milianna gnced lightly at the three young troublemakers before shaking her head with a gentle sigh and turning ba.

  Carter, who had apanied his son back from the Forest of Darkness, could only stare at Milianna.

  No matter how many times he saw her, it never got any easier to believe that frail, fragile woman from before was the same woman before him now. The differeweewo of them was like night and day.

  Even he felt a hint of awe in front of the regal yet warm aura she subsciously radiated.

  “Uncle Carter,” Ace called out respectfully after his mother had gone baside. “I ’t thank you enough for everything you did for us in the O’Brien Empire. If not for your help, I don’t know what would have happened.”

  “I was only repaying my debt to the Pavilion for all the support they’d given me,” Carter snorted. “You have nothing to thank me for.”

  “Still,” Ace replied, smiling in respoo his familiar’s father’s abruptness, taking no offence. “If there’s ever anything I do, please don’t hesitate.”

  “Hmph, you’re still way too weak to be of ao me, brat!” Carter snorted. “If you really want to pay me back, then just promise to take good care of my son iure!”

  “That goes without saying,” Ace replied sincerely. “Leo’s like a brother to me, and as long as I’m alive, I will tio treat him as such!”

  A low grunt escaped Carter’s lips, but he was no longer bothered with Ace as he turned back to his son. “I’m guessing yoing to stay with your human from now on?”

  “Yes, Father,” Leo growled back, with only Ad Carter being able to uand him.

  “Okay,” Carter nodded, having no iion of standing in his way, knowing full well that the pce Ace held in his heart was inparable to even his. “I’m heading back to the Forest of Darko tiraining with your brothers and sisters. I’ll see you when I return.”

  “I uand,” Leo nodded, hiding the hint of unwillingness as he saw him off.

  “Ooh, and father,” Leo called out as Carter was flying off. “Thanks for everything.”

  Carter was right, Ace was still number one in Leo’s heart, but after all the time they’d spent together since reuniting, especially over the st year, the love Leo felt for his father was undeniable.

  “So what do you intend on doing first?” Amira asked after Carter left.

  “You should head over to the Pavilion,” Milianna suggested as she returned back outside. “Without the help of Master and the others st year, things would’ve ended a whole lot worse than they did. The least you do is thank them all personally.”

  “You’re right,” Aodded. “Let’s head to the Pavilion first.”

  “Hmm?” Ace sounded wheiced Milianna turning to head baside. “Aren’t you ing, Mom?”

  “You don’t need your mother to hold your hand,” Milianna jokingly scolded. “You kids go on; I’ll be waiting for you here when you return. Ooh, and if you see that stubborn fool, Laell him it’s time he came home.”

  “Uhm, okay,” Ace replied in fusion as he leapt into the air with Mira and Leo following.

  “Did something happeween my mother and Lance?” Ace asked when he was sure his mother was out of earshot.

  “It’s plicated,” Mira sighed. “After everything that happened, we were all worried, but if I’m ho, the person who took it hardest was Uncle Lance.”

  “He did?” Ace asked in surprise.

  “It shouldn’t e as much of a surprise,” Mira replied as she flew alongside Ad Leo. “Not only was he ultimately uo protect Aunt Milli, she ended up being the oo protect him and the rest of you. Then, to add insult to injury, he had to live with the fact that his choice, choosing to prioritise your mother over you, resulted in you ending up in a a.”

  “He has nothing to feel guilty about,” Ace voiced resolutely. “I was the one who told him to do that should a situation like that arise.”

  “Im a situation like that, it doesn’t really matter if he obeyed your wishes,” Mira shook her head. “After all, in his eyes, it was his decision that led to things ending up the way they did.”

  Ace could only sigh because he khat if it had been him in that situation, he would probably feel no different. “So what happened after that?”

  “As you imagine, your mother didn’t hold it against Uncle Lance,” Mira expined. “Still, the guilt and responsibility he felt was too much to bear to just go back to how things were.

  Uncle Lance vowed to spend every day until you woke up in training so that iure, he wouldn’t be so useless to you and your mother.”

  “Stubborn fool!” Ace sighed.

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  P.atreon./ACoilingDragon

  Book 12: Part 3 – Aiden’s Revetion