Chapter 202: Plaides He turned toward the voice, only to realize the person wasn’t speaking to him at all. The words were aimed squarely at Nyala. And by "person," Azel quickly corrected himself — it wasn’t a person at all. A child hovered a few feet away, no older than Lillia by the look of him. He floated effortlessly in the air, robes shimmering with a faint constellation-like glow, his long blue hair spilling past his waist, rippling in the phantom wind of this strange realm. His eyes, bright like twin stars, fixed on Nyala with an intensity that belied his youthful appearance. Nyala stepped forward with a small smile, though Azel could see at a glance that she was tense. "It’s been quite a while, Plaides," she said warmly. "I heard the Familiar Zone was re-opening, and naturally, I decided to come for a familiar." Plaides’s gaze narrowed, his expression twisting into mild annoyance. He rolled his eyes, his long hair shimmering as it caught the glint of the strange ambient light. "I shouldn’t allow you inside after what you did last time." His tone was flat but it gradually softened. "But... since we know each other, I’ll grant an exception." He sighed, like a teacher exasperated by a misbehaving student, then finally turned his attention to the group at large. "Greetings, Divine beings. My name is Plaides, and I am the Watcher of the Familiar Zone." Kyone leaned forward slightly, her lips parting to speak, perhaps to give the courtesy of an introduction. But Plaides cut her off with a dismissive wave of his small hand. "Save it. I already know who you are... Lesser Goddess Kyone." His voice was dismissive and condescending. Kyone stiffened, her eyes narrowing, though she said nothing. Azel, meanwhile, found himself locked under the boy’s gaze. And it was... uncomfortable. Despite being no older than a child, Plaides’s stare carried the weight of an ancient being, pressing against him like invisible fingers prying into his soul. It wasn’t merely looking... it was dissecting and probing as though Azel were a puzzle to be solved in seconds. After what felt like an eternity, Plaides finally leaned back, his expression shifting into surprise. "Oh... how peculiar." A small smile tugged at his lips as he tilted his head. "One of the first cases I’ve seen in... well, ages." His eyes slid to Nyala, gleaming mischievously. "I can’t believe an insufferable woman like you actually got married." Nyala bristled, averting her gaze, her cheeks tinged with the faintest color. "And worse," Plaides continued, now with a pout, "I can’t believe I wasn’t invited to such a happy day." Azel blinked. Wait. Did... did this childlike being just sulk about missing a wedding? The playful tone evaporated in an instant, his star-bright eyes darkening. "Well then. Greater Goddess Nyala, Lesser Goddess Kyone..." His gaze flicked briefly to Azel. "...And Divine Apprentice Azel Winters. Welcome to the Familiar Zone." Before Azel could so much as open his mouth to ask what in the hell a "Divine Apprentice" was, the world around them shattered into sparks of purple light. And then everything was gone. ... ’What the fuck?!’ Azel landed hard on his backside, groaning as the wind was knocked out of him. He pushed himself upright, brushing shimmering motes of dust from his clothes. Wait... wasn’t outside supposed to be the Familiar Zone? Then why had they been dragged somewhere else again? Kyone’s hand slipped into his line of sight and extended her hand. "Here." She pulled him to his feet effortlessly. They stood in a vast field. The grass was the color of polished sapphire and it swayed under a gentle breeze, glowing in the dim light. The air smelt far cleaner than the air back on Earth by a lot. Azel’s mouth went dry. Before he could question anything, Plaides’s voice boomed across the heavens, echoing in every direction at once, neither close nor far. "Ah, forgive me. I was lost in nostalgia and neglected to mention the new rules of the Zone." Azel stiffened. The voice wasn’t loud, but it pressed directly into his mind, he hadn’t even done an agreement like he did with Kyone and Plaides was able to speak in his head. "You cannot use magic, nor force, to compel a Familiar to submit. They must follow you willingly, of their own volition. If and only if you succeed in gaining one’s loyalty, speak my name to finalize the Contract." Plaides’s voice shifted and became harsher "And above all, you cannot kill a Familiar. Nor may you brutalize them. Do so, and you forfeit everything." There was a brief pause. "Divine Apprentice Azel, please keep watch over your wife... so it does not happen again. Nyala, I have placed you and your companions in a different zone so you won’t meet the other godly beings that are currently here." Azel froze. His eyes darted to Nyala instinctively. She looked away. ’Did she... really kill one?’ he wondered, he was pretty interested in what led to that though. Plaides’s voice disappeared from their minds. Kyone gently took Nyala’s hand, her expression firm. "Do not worry, Esteemed Husband," she said, meeting Azel’s eyes with solemnity. "I’ll watch over Nyala. You should focus on finding what Familiar you desire." Before Azel could argue, she leapt away, dragging Nyala with her in a blur of divine motion. In seconds, they were gone, vanishing beyond the horizon. "...Great." Azel rubbed his temples, groaning. "I wanted to ask what a Divine Apprentice even is..." He sighed, pushing the thought aside. He could ask the system too... A sound broke through the silence. Azel’s instincts flared, and without hesitation, he unsheathed the goddess’s sword. The blade gleamed faintly as the air around him dipped in temperature, a chilly aura spilling outward. He turned just in time to see a massive foot slam into the earth several dozen meters away. The impact shook the ground violently, sending Azel tumbling backward through the blue grass. His heart raced, adrenaline spiking as he rolled to a stop. Dust and wind exploded outward from the crater where the foot had landed yet... there was no sound. No thunderous crash. There was only silence. Azel looked up, and his breath caught. A giant loomed above him. Its body was hewn from jagged stone, shaped like a titan sculpted by careless hands. Cracks lined its rocky hide, glowing faintly with molten light, but it moved as if it was a ghost. Its head rose higher than a fortress tower, its faceless visage fixed northward as though it had a destination only it could sense. It marched forward, leaving dents in the earth with every step, there was still no sound but the wind still hit against his face. Azel gritted his teeth, steadying his stance. His sword felt small, insignificant, against the sheer scale of the creature. ’Is this really a Familiar?’ His palms were damp against the hilt of his weapon. The rock titan’s colossal shadow swept over him as it continued its march northward, ignoring him entirely. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢 ’This place... is dangerous.’