"KYAAAAAAA!!!!! SOOOOO CUUUUTTTEEEEE!!!!" Dakota squealed! Immediately abandoning the droning demon as she swiftly scooped the tiny infant from sera’s arms, cuddling him fervently..

"So cute.. so cute.. soooo cuuuteeee!!"

"Err.. sera, I think you broke Dakota." Tian muttered, looking at the scene of the ravishing woman smoldering the little infant with affection, yet before he could finish,

"Give him here!" Raven pushed the vampire away, swiftly snatching away the infant.

"Dante... hehehe.. my Dante..." and started her own delirious mutterings.

"BITCH! Give me back my husband!"

"He’s still a child! And he’s NOT! Your husband!"

"Fufufu ladies, how about letting me hold little Dante as well?" Clarissa tried inserting herself,

""MOVE!!"" Only to get blasted aside by the two spiraling women. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Ughh... hey sera, this is bullying no? I’m also considered his aunt, why are those two the only ones who get to cuddle him?" She pouted, complaining to the only person who could probably help her out.

Seraphina merely shook her head at the whimsical behavior of her friends.

...

...

Done with their arguments and fightings, the group gathered once more, the mood now more relaxed.

"Do you guys really have to go?" Dakota asked, still unwilling.

"We really do, but don’t worry, I plan on having one of you guys come with us, I can’t possibly look after little Dante alone, now can I?" Seraphina smiled warmly.

"I’ll do it!" Needless to say, Dakota instantly volunteered herself.

"No! Let me instead!" Trust raven to interject herself as well.

"Bitch! Stay out of this!"

"Make me!"

"Gladly!"

"Ladies! Ladies! Hold it, there’s one easy way to fix this." Regulus intervened promptly.

"Oh? How? Do you plan on picking someone yourself?" Clarissa asked, cradling little Dante, who’s eyes were just looking around, curiosity clear in his golden jewels.

"What? Of course not!" Regulus grinned, "I’ll have them fight for it! Hahahahahahahaha!!!" As he burst into laughter.

"Haa.. what did I possibly expect from that fool?" Valen sighed, exhausted beyond belief.

"Aha! I agree! Let them fight!!" Tian bellowed.

"Hohoho! The temperamental leech against the stuck up Draken? I don’t mind." The demon Absalom chuckled.

"Humph." The elven woman merely snorted.

"Absalom..." Valen’s grave voice immediately silenced the large demon.

"Big brother, you’re not really planning on having two beautiful women fight are you?" Raven asked, clearly in disbelief.

"What? Of course not! I would never ask beautiful women to fight, why would you ever think so low of me?" Raven was almost sighing in relief before, "I’m only having you and K here slug it out, nothing wrong there."

""BASTARD!!!!!!!"" Both women immediately sent the blond man flying.

....

...

"So what are we supposed to do now that you guys have decided you aren’t interested in adventuring anymore?" Tian was the one to ask this time around.

"Come on guys, don’t make this so difficult, you can always go do things you always wanted to do, I mean like valen here, he’s accepted the old man’s request for him to succeed the position of dean."

"What?"

"He did? Wow!"

"Can’t say I didn’t expect it, he and that old man have perfect synergy."

The group exclaimed, most congratulating the stoic figure.

"So, what does it mean to succeed the dean?" Tian asked.

"I don’t know, ask him." Regulus pointed at Valen.

All eyes turned toward the indifferent figure.

"I don’t know either, the old man said I’ll be given the full details after succeeding him." He replied curtly.

"Of course he did."

"That old bastard and his ridiculous mysteries."

"It’s called old man syndrome, eventually they all get it." The moment Clarissa said this, all three women, Dakota, Raven, and herself, looked towards Regulus, Tian and Valen, pitying expressions on their faces.

"What, why are you giving us those looks?" Tian.

"Nothing~~ fufufu." Clarissa.

"So, that’s one person, what about the rest of us? I mean, I can go and finish what I started in nightingale but I don’t think you guys will want more fire on your backs." Dakota mused.

"Well, I wouldn’t.."

"Please K, don’t do that, think of Dante’s peace." Sera used her secret weapon, and just as expected.

"Fine I won’t, but only because I don’t wish to disturb my husband." She relented.

"Thank you."

"But what am I going to do then?"

"Well, you can come with me to the abyss, I heard they found something called an infernal dragon, I want to know what it tastes like." Tian offered.

"What? Then I won’t be able to see Dante often." Dakota pouted.

"You already lost that bet to Ravena anyways, so I don’t think you’re losing anything here."

"Pooh... my husband is going to grow up without his wife beside him." She pouted.

"Don’t worry, noo such thing will happen, afterall I’ll be right beside him." Raven laughed.

"BITCH!!!!"

"Hey hey hey! Reggie~~~ can I come? I’m not like these temperamental women right??" Clarissa cooed..

"Huh? You? Hell no!!" The man denied instantly.

"What? Why??"

"Because I want my child to grow up healthy and strong, not looking drained and lifeless." He replied, crossing his arms before his face.

"What? I wouldn’t do that to little Dante, not until he’s of age at least."

""BITCH!!!"" Both Dakota and Raven yelled simultaneously.

"Yea! What they said, I’d rather take the murderous and emotionally volatile Dakota, at least then I know what to expect."

"Hey!!"

"Yay! I’m going."

"Nope! You’re not."

"Pooh.."

"Hahahahaha...." A soft calming laughter suddenly burst through the air.

All eyes turned, focus shifting to the culprit.

"Sera? What’s funny?" Regulus asked his wife.

"Nothing my love, it’s just, I’m going to genuinely miss these interactions of ours." The room quietened as she continued, "K my friend, my sister, this goodbye is merely for a moment, I promise you, we’ll be back to the central continent before you even know it." She turned towards Tian,

"Old Tian, you’ve been a friend, a guardian, a big brother, I never had brothers of my own, but you and valen have made it so I experienced exactly what it feels like to have big brothers that are ready to tear the world down just to see you smile, I’m exceedingly grateful to have you in my life, I hope you know that."

"Damn.. sera, don’t make me cry.." the large dragon sniffled, causing soft laughter to ring out.

"Clarissa, sister, you’ve always made sure my life was filled with laughter and joy, be that at the expense of our enemies or even our friends," she chuckled as the entire room grimaced whilst Clarissa puffed her chest proudly, "I couldn’t have wished for a better big sister, I’m happy to have had you in my life."

"Awww... don’t worry sera, so long as I’m here, you’ll never have a dull day in your life, neither you nor my little Dante." Clarissa smiled.

"Ravena, my dearest sister, I hope you never lose this cheer you’ve recovered, your spark and livelines should never be hidden, the world doesn’t deserve you, but you deserve all the joys it has, it has been my greatest joy to call you my dearest sister."

"This must be how you convinced big brother to elope isn’t it? Damn!" Raven.

"Hahahahahahahaha!!!" The entire room erupted in laughter.

"Absalom..."

"Sera..." the large demon’s face became complicated, the room going silent.

"You’ve been a friend, a protector, someone who was there when most weren’t, I can’t say enough how happy I am to have known you dear friend, and I am unfathomablly happy to have had you in my life and to call you the godfather of my child."

"Sera...." The demon’s eyes flashed with a myriad of complicated feelings, feelings he couldn’t quite get out.

"Selina.. you’re the youngest amongst us, the most brash, but which one of us hasn’t been there? Just don’t let your pride and arrogance blind you to the truth of the world my dearest friend, and I hope you find something fulfilling after all this."

The elf merely stayed silent as she stared at Seraphina.

"And you, Valen..." Seraphina finally turned toward the stoic figure that had kept silent all this while.

"Don’t." He finally spoke up.

"But I haven’t even said anything yet?"

"I already know what you’ll say, just don’t."

"Haaa... why’re you so stubborn?"

"You’re making this whole thing sound like some stupid farewell, when you’ll only be taking a break from all the fighting, so, don’t."

"You don’t wish to hear my goodbye?"

"I’ll listen to your congratulations instead when I come out of seclusion and succeed the old man’s position." Saying so, he turned around, walking towards the door, the group merely watching him leave.

On reaching the doors, he stopped, tilted his head back, "until then, hold your goodbyes, I don’t need them." He turned around, calling behind him,

"Regulus!"

"My friend."

"Your past, the one you wish to bury here and leave, it won’t leave you be."

"I know."

"You will be fighting alone this time, I wont be able to save your foolish self if things go wrong."

"Hahahahaha... that’s too bad then old friend."

...

...

"You’re not alone anymore my dearest brother."

"No... I am not." Regulus replied, looking at sera and the little infant in Clarissa’s arms as the whole room quietened.

"You will protect my godson and Seraphina."

"With my life."

"Not with your life, you’re not allowed to die, not until I finally defeat you, is that clear."

A beat of silence passed, before regulus grinned, a sharp toothy expression.

"Crystal."

"Good."

Woosh!!

Valen’s figure immediately vanished the moment he was done speaking.

"Man, that guy always has to steal the moment doesn’t he?" Tian grumbled.

"Hahahahahahaha... it’s valen, what can you say? That stuck up bastard is notoriously cool when he wants to be." Regulus laughed.

"True.."

"Well then everyone! It has been a beautiful ride, and I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly, but unfortunately, I have to call it quits here, as family life awaits me."

"I don’t know what to expect, I have no idea what I’ll do as a father, since all I know is how to swing my weapon, but I’ll work it out, WE, will work it out, together, and when next we see each other," his eyes scanned everyone within the room,

"Tian."

"Dakota."

"Ravena."

"Absalom."

"Selina."

"When next we see each other, it shall be at a welcome banquet like no other, to welcome my son to the true world and introduce terra to the truest genius of all, my own son!"

"DANTE DRAVEN!"

"CHEERS!!!"

"HOOOOORAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

Regulus looked around the room.

At his friends.

At his family.

At the people who had stood beside him through blood, war, loss and victory.

A feeling of fulfillment welled up from somewhere deep within him.

Then his gaze fell on the little child in Clarissa’s arms.

Dante was already looking back at him.

Gold met Gold.

And suddenly...

The child smiled.

For a moment, the world felt perfect

*************

A/N: damn! Valen called it.... Somehow I want to strangle this demon but I can’t strangle the past unfortunately, anyways...

*************

Thanks for reading...