A/N: FYI. The ark is coming to an end and we will be going back to the Shinobi world. ENJOY!
The wind pressed against Kuro as he saw visions that were not his own. He saw that there were more routes to unlock after the step-sister route. He didn't particularly like the jail route, as he was not into that. At the end of the vision, he saw the daddy route.
"If there is a next life, I wish to watch the daddy route." Kuro waited and waited for the pain to come.
After a while, he opened his eyes since it took Bercus forever to attack.
"What?" He opened his mouth as he saw that Bercus was chained by numerous white chains.
"ARGGGHH! WHY NOW!? JUST ONE MORE SECOND AND I WOULD HAVE HAD HIM!" Bercus's roar echoes across the tattered battlefield.
"You F@cking tower! Let me have him!" Bercus screamed, his face twisted with frustration and rage. His veins bulged as he continued to fight, but it was clear he wasn't getting anywhere.
Kuro couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction watching his foe struggle, but at the same time, he wondered who or what had intervened. "Did someone else pull the strings?" he muttered, his gaze narrowing as he observed the chains. They were like nothing he'd ever seen before.
He looked as the chains tightened around Bercus and dragged him toward the ominous clouds that were forming in the sky.
Giant golden flashes of lightning dance within the dark clouds. Bercus started screaming out of his mind, seeing them.
"NO! NO! NO! NO! At least let me …"
He could get to finish whatever he was saying as bolts of golden lightning descended and obliterated him. There weren't even ashes left as the white chains slowly turned transparent and disappeared.
Kuro felt a pang of regret as he considered reviving Bercus as one of his shadows. With Bercus's strength, it would have been a valuable addition to his ranks. He also couldn't help but think of the loot he missed out on.
"Then again, Bercus was right," Kuro mused. "I rely too heavily on my shadows and neglect my own strength." He remembered how ineffective his shadows had been against a truly powerful opponent. He had easily overwhelmed the slime in the pyramid, as it wasn't much stronger than him. But against someone like Bercus, his shadows barely made a difference in the battle.
Kuro lay in the pit, the echoes of Bercus's screams still ringing in his ears as the battlefield fell silent. The sky darkened, and the remnants of the golden lightning flickered and faded into the distance.
"There's only one path forward now," Kuro muttered, his voice quiet but firm. "The one where I crush every enemy on my own."
With great effort, he pushed himself to his feet and made his way toward Kisara. His shadow soldiers materialized around him, their heads hung low in shame. They couldn't meet his gaze.
"Don't just sit there moping," Kuro commanded, his tone stern. "Get moving—take care of the monster horde." He knew it wasn't their fault. His own weakness was to blame.
A moment passed before the shadows stirred to life. Without hesitation, they formed a tight, disciplined line and set off toward the chaos that still echoed in the distance, where Kisara was holding off the horde along with some awakeners who showed up at some point during the fight.
Kuro staggered toward Kisara and leaned against a charred tree, his body weary. Kisara fell back, letting the awakener and shadow soldiers handle the rest.
"You nearly got yourself killed. You were reckless… and too compassionate," Kisara remarked, her voice laced with concern instead of anger. Her usual cold demeanor had softened, revealing frustration with him.
Kuro glanced up at her, but said nothing.
"So, what's next?" she asked.
"Let me rest for a moment," he replied, closing his eyes. Kisara stood beside him in silence, her gaze lingering on him.
Meanwhile, Kuro's attention shifted to the system notifications.
Tti-ring!
[The Tower of Heavens is satisfied with your achievements.]
[You and those contracted to you can transport to the next floor within 48 hours.]
[Your rewards have been changed due to your wish.]
[Rewards: ]
+ 3 Levels
+ 20 Stat Points
+ Complete Season of Daddy Route
Tti-ring!
[Monarch Domain has leveled up.]
[White Lightning has leveled up.]
[Shadow Exchange has leveled up.]
Kuro scanned the rewards and felt a sense of satisfaction. However, a wry smile tugged at his lips as he saw "Season of Daddy Route" listed among them. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity of it.
With that, Kuro started to meditate to recover from his injuries.
Two hours later, he opened his eyes and rose to his feet. He'd healed enough to walk around and engage in light combat.
Kuro stood up, stretching his sore limbs. His body felt lighter, more responsive now that the worst of his exhaustion had faded. He glanced over at Kisara, who had remained by his side, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.
"You good to go?" she asked, her tone still laced with concern, though her eyes betrayed a sense of readiness.
Kuro nodded. "Yeah."
"Are you not going to say goodbye to Brian and Anne, after trying to save them from Bercus?"
Kuro's gaze shifted to the distant horizon where the camp was.
"No. I have a feeling we will meet again in the future."
"Your call." Kisara nodded as she stepped beside Kuro.
Kuro waited for a while for the shadow soldiers to help thin down the monster horde. He recalled all of them back to his shadow's except for two regular soldiers.
"You two, keep an eye on Brian and Anne for me."
The two nodded before melting into the shadows and making their way north.
"Now then, shall we?" Kuro turn toward Kisara.
"Sure." She nodded.
Kuro willed to be teleported to the next floor as a giant spell circle appeared below them.
After a blinding flash of light, both Kuro and Kisara disappeared from the first floor of the Tower of Heavens.