2970 Strong Enough (Part 2)

"Only Byt and I." The Shadow Dragon replied. "I had no clue what Pharek looked like or who the people Menadion gave the pieces of her set were. Bytra recognized him from the picture and informed me.

"It happened during the call with Raagu so even though I had muted the amulet while Bytra told me about Pharek and the Ears, I didn't have the time to cool off." She sighed in regret. "After that, we decided to not alert the rest of the Organization to avoid repeating what happened with the Mouth.

"Convincing the Master to also give you the Ears would be hard and he might suspect something."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Solus jumped for joy at the idea of getting her hands back on another piece of her mother's legacy.

The fact that this time it wouldn't fall into the Organization's hand sweetened the deal and eased her worries about Vastor's plans.

'If the Professor makes something bad out of my mom's work, I'd feel responsible. Luckily, Zoreth has no idea we possess the tower and that we just need to touch the artifact, not possess it.' She thought.

'Cynicism 2156 – Naivety 4. You are welcome.' Lith replied, pissing her off big time.

'Since when are we keeping score?'

'Since ever.'

"Don't mention it." Xenagrosh replied. "I know that your grudge with Bytra is not easily settled and none of my business, but please, believe me when I say she's not the person of your past.

"Ever since she learned about Pharek's death, she's been obsessing about how you must feel and how to help you. Also, please make no mention of this conversation to her or she'll kick my ass.

"I was supposed to underplay her involvement in the matter. Some bullshit about doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do and not to get something in exchange." Zoreth shook her head, clearly not sharing Bytra's sentiment one bit.

"Hey!" Solus felt offended at the remark.

"Tell me about it." Lith shook his head as well while pointing at Solus.

"Hey!"

"We'll see you in a while. Say hello to Kami and kiss Elysia for me. Zoreth out."

"Who's we?" Solus pondered as the Shadow Dragon's hologram faded.

"Bytra is probably going to come along as well." Lith shrugged. "Vastor favors the buddy system to make up for the hybrids' lack of Spirit Magic. There's little love and even less trust between his Organization and the Council."

"What about Tezka? He always works alone." Solus' good mood and gratefulness toward the Fourth Ruler of the Flames disappeared like snow under the sun at the idea of meeting her again.

No matter how many good words and deeds Bytra performed, Solus had still nightmares about the Raiju's horn piercing her chest. She could still see the bodies of her fellow apprentices lying in pools of blood all over the tower at night.

"After seeing him fight with Grandma, do you think there's someone who can hurt him?" Lith found the idea preposterous.

"Definitely not." Solus had to admit.

The first thing Lith had to do was to inform Kamila of his absence. He had no idea how long the investigation would take. It might even be the first time since Elysia's birth that he spent a whole day away.

Also, he needed someone to inform the academy of his leave and that the Void Magic lessons would be suspended.

"I don't like this." Kamila paced the room nervously while Lith held the baby girl in his arms. "Do you really have to do it?"

"What do you mean?" Father and daughter shapeshifted together from one of their four forms into the other.

The resonance between them helped Lith to safely study the changes in the different aspects of his life force, especially the Abomination one. For Elysia, instead, it was a way to become accustomed to her powers and learn how to control them.

More importantly, it was a moment of bonding for both of them, allowing them to touch each other's minds and hearts.

"I get that Solus needs the Ears, that it might help the tower to recover more quickly, that it's her mother's legacy, and bla bla bla. But do you really have to stick your neck in this mess after what happened on Jiera?" Kamila stopped in her tracks.

Despite her anxiety, seeing father and daughter smiling warmed her heart.

"You're going after a killer. Someone who could murder a bright violet Awakened, like you, in his own home. And that was before the murderer got his hands on the Ears of Menadion. It sounds awfully dangerous to me."

It also made her terrified of losing her husband.

"And don't try to say that you are not going in alone. I trust Solus, but away from a geyser she has limits. We both know you'll try to ditch the Hand of Fate as soon as you can, so they don't count.

"Sure, Bytra and Zoreth are coming, but that's exactly the reason you shouldn't go. They are trustworthy and don't need your help. Can't you stay here and wait for their return?" She asked as Elysia grabbed and sucked Lith's finger.

"It is dangerous, Kami, and you are right. I could sit back and leave Zoreth to deal with it but then I would learn nothing. Pharek might have had my same core, but he was much older and powerful than me.

"I need to know first-hand how to defeat someone like that so that I can do it too and no one can do it to me." Lith said while looking Kamila in the eyes. "Even once I reach the peak of the bright violet, I'm still going to be a twenty years old runt.

"To get stronger, I need battle experience. Otherwise I'll never fill the gap with old monsters like Tezka and Grandma."

"Stronger?" She echoed in disbelief. "You are a bright violet-

cored Divine Beast! You are the farming Supreme Magus! You have no need to get stronger. You should think of our daughter!"

"It's exactly for her that I'm doing it." Lith replied while cooing at Elysia. "I don't want her to grow up while watching me fight like I've done in the past. I don't want her to witness the violence and bloodshed I needed to protect everyone.

"I want to be strong, Kami, strong enough to be gentle. So strong that I can afford to be kind without it biting my back in the future. The weak are not gentle nor kind. They just pretend to be to cope with their helplessness."

When Kamila met his gaze, she read all the pain from his past life on Earth and his early life on Mogar. Above all, she saw his will to not let their daughter have to endure any of it.

"Okay." Kamila sat down beside Lith, holding him in an embrace. "Just be careful, will you?"

"I'm more than careful. I'm paranoid." Lith replied while kissing her head, making her chuckle.

"I guess that it has its perks." Kamila gave him a sweet kiss, then she took Elysia from his arms to kiss her as well.