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The [Phoenix Tears]—the ultimate treasure of the Phenex family. Rumored to be capable of bringing the dead back to life and healing even the most grievous wounds with just a single drop.
But due to their exceedingly strict conditions of creation—only pure-blooded Phenex family members could produce them, and they had to shed tears within an intricately designed magic circle, into a special chalice filled with specially prepared water, and only when their heart was completely empty of emotion—production was incredibly scarce.
Any tears shed with even a hint of self-pity, regret, or sentiment simply wouldn't count. Thus, the actual output was extremely limited, making these tears exceptionally rare and astronomically expensive.
Even among the noble families of the Underworld, a powerhouse like the Bael clan, led by Sairaorg as heir apparent, would usually have just one or two Phoenix Tears as their absolute trump card.
Therefore, for Ravel to readily promise three vials as a personal reward showed she'd placed considerable stakes on this matter.
True enough, to Bokue—who already possessed a mastery of [Cellular Reconstruction]—these tears weren't necessarily indispensable.
But even if he himself didn't need them, he could always hand them off to Rias or the others in case of emergency. Thus, this reward was certainly nothing to scoff at.
In short, he accepted.
And so the scene transitioned swiftly to the Phenex family estate.
Compared to their last visit two months prior, the Phenex castle hadn't noticeably changed—except perhaps that the main gate had been replaced. Clearly, Riser's previous defeat hadn't caused any substantial damage to his family's foundations.
Notably, the last time Bokue and the others visited, they had spent half a day riding in a carriage. But with Ravel's assistance this time, the entire journey was condensed into less than thirty seconds:
Everyone gathered—
Magic teleportation circle rose—
Magic circle descended—
And when their eyes opened, they were already standing before the Phenex estate's imposing gates.
A simple solution, really.
Frankly, Bokue couldn't help but wonder why they'd wasted so much time with the whole carriage thing before.
With Ravel leading the way, nobody dared block their path this time around.
The blonde-haired Phoenix girl marched decisively ahead, guiding Bokue and the Gremory party swiftly through the main hall, up stairways, down long corridors, until finally they reached a huge, closed bedroom door marked clearly with the Phenex crest.
Utter silence filled the air, both outside and within.
Under normal circumstances, a room like this—especially belonging to someone like Riser Phenex—would have servants or maids standing by, ready to enter and attend at a moment's notice.
But apparently, the Phenex family's third son had shattered his own spirit so completely, not a single soul stood waiting in the entire hallway.
Ravel stared up at the tightly shut door, biting her lip gently. She took a step forward, softly calling out through the heavy wood.
"Brother, it's me, Ravel. Are you awake?"
Silence.
"Brother, are you there? Please answer if you hear me."
Still nothing.
"I'm coming in then."
Only after she'd asked twice did a voice finally drift from behind the door.
"…Ah, Ravel. Don't… Don't come in. Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to anyone."
It was unmistakably Riser's voice, but unlike the arrogant young nobleman he'd been two months earlier, now he sounded like a broken man—his tone lifeless, weak, completely devoid of any vigor or pride. Like some miserable drunkard in the midst of a midlife crisis.
Standing quietly nearby, Venelana subtly tugged at the corner of her lips, fighting back a smile.
Of course, it wasn't exactly proper for someone of her standing to take pleasure in a younger generation's misfortune—but remembering how Riser had boasted and threatened her daughter before, only to end up in such a pathetic state… it was impossible not to feel somewhat amused.
"Is something wrong, Lady Venelana?"
Grayfia asked softly, noticing the matriarch's difficulty managing her expression.
"No, it's nothing…"
Venelana shook her head quickly.
Yet perhaps due to the door's less-than-ideal soundproofing, the exchange reached Riser clearly. Almost immediately, his voice panicked and frantic as he shouted from within.
"Who…who else is out there?! Ravel, you brought someone else?!"
Ravel sighed internally, resigned.
"Yes, Brother… We're all worried sick about you. It's already been two whole months. I had no choice but to visit the Gremory family…"
"The Gremory family?! You didn't bring Rias here, did you?! Wait, wait, wait—is that bastard Bokue here too?!"
Riser's shrill voice rose to near-hysterical levels, words stumbling over each other.
"Go back! All of you, just leave! I don't want to see any of you!!"
Tsk.
Seeing that conversation was no longer possible, Bokue clicked his tongue quietly.
He stepped forward decisively, placing a reassuring hand on Ravel's shoulder to halt her attempts, gently moving her behind him.
Then—without another word—he kicked.
BOOM!
Reenacting an iconic scene, Bokue's powerful kick instantly shattered the room's door open. The formerly sturdy lock couldn't even hold out a second, the doors flying inward violently.
There, sprawled pathetically on the floor near the door, sat Riser Phenex. He wore rumpled sleepwear that probably hadn't been changed in weeks... his golden hair a tangled mess, his once-handsome face covered in scruffy beard stubble.
Before Riser could clearly see who'd barged in, either due to the sudden bright light or simple shame, he frantically threw his arms up to shield his face.
"GET OUT! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!!"
"Shut up!"
Bokue strode directly inside, utterly ignoring the worried look from Ravel behind him. He bent down, roughly grabbing Riser by his crumpled sleepwear, hauling him up forcefully to his feet.
"Just what are you yelling about? Your sister, your family—everyone who cares about you has spent the past two months desperately trying to pull you out of this, and yet here you are hiding in your room drinking yourself stupid?!"
Indeed, the room reeked strongly of alcohol. Glancing around, Bokue noticed countless bottles stacked haphazardly along the walls, most empty. Among them were numerous rare, expensive collector-grade liquors, all drained by Riser's reckless binge drinking over the past two months.
"A request was made. So, I'll do my job properly."
Bokue's voice grew icy cold as he stared down at the broken young noble.
"Looks like you need a refresher course."
With that final, harsh sentence, an immense golden spiritual pressure exploded out from Bokue's body.
The very next instant, gripping Riser tightly, Bokue shot upward—smashing straight through the sturdy stone ceiling and castle roof in a magnificent burst of debris and golden light.
In mere seconds, the two of them vanished completely from view, leaving only a dazzling streak of gold soaring off into the distant sky.
Within the damaged room, Ravel stared numbly at the enormous hole now punched through the wall. Her mouth opened, yet no words came out.
Then, after a brief silence, Kuroka—who'd remained silent until now—clapped her hands lightly, a matching golden aura flaring gently from her own body as she grinned brightly.
"Alrighty~! Let's hurry and see just what our darling Bokue plans on doing, nya~!"
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