The afternoon living room was bathed in the soft, golden-orange light of midday, which cast a rich, tranquil hue through the windows and across the wooden interior.
A gentle breeze brushed against the curtains, carrying the fresh outdoor air and a faint scent of summer blossoms, idly rustling the pages of a book.
In that quiet space, the subtle rustle of paper sounded remarkably distinct.
A long silence stretched between them before Talia finally spoke, her tone flat and devoid of inflection as she fixed her gaze on Lanqi.
"Is what your professor said... true?"
During her time in the Demon Realm, she had never heard of such a theory.
Then again, the demon race's principles of card making had always been completely different from modern human card-crafting techniques.
"I don't know either."
Lanqi shook his head.
Though Professor Borao had a knack for pranks at times, he remained one of the rare, exceptionally reliable senior figures in Ikerite Academy. The man practically kept the entire institution running, and he had never once led Lanqi astray.
Talia seemed to fall into deep thought upon hearing this and offered no reply.
"..."
An acute awkwardness settled over the pair, neither knowing what to say.
"Why don't the two of you just go on plenty of dates while you're in the Kingdom of Posen, meow? Think of it as an indispensable step in card crafting—training to improve your tacit chemistry. Wouldn't that be a lot more fun than sitting in this room bickering all day?"
Boss Cat chimed in from the side.
The room plunged into an even deeper silence.
"I have no objections," Lanqi muttered to himself, casting a sidelong glance at Talia.
"Then I have no objections either," Talia replied.
Both looked thoroughly reluctant.
"Meow-sigh."
Boss Cat shook its head and groaned.
It was obvious that both of them had enjoyed themselves yesterday, yet forcing either of them to be the first to suggest hanging out together was apparently worse than killing them.
In this particular regard, both possessed an absurdly stubborn pride.
"Let's get some rest today. Tomorrow we need to head over to the School of Magic Engineering. You'll need to confirm your personal information as accompanying personnel, and the Southern Continent Card Makers Association will help us finalize our travel bookings."
Lanqi stood up, pushed his chair back under the table, and spoke to Talia.
Tomorrow was Monday, marking the start of a new week when the School of Magic Engineering would resume regular hours. Since he and Talia were scheduled to depart for the Kingdom of Posen next week, certain details had to be submitted in advance.
"What time?"
"Around nine o'clock. I'll come find you at Boss Cat Restaurant."
"All right."
Talia was actually quite curious about this old man from the School of Magic Engineering who had suggested they go on dates. Ever since their days in the South Vantina frontier territory, Lanqi had frequently buried his nose in magic engineering textbooks authored by that very professor. The words "By Borao" had left a deep impression on her.
"Oh, right. Didn't Hyperion give you an epic earring?"
Resting his hand on the back of his chair just before leaving, Lanqi remembered something and asked.
"Yes. I plan to help her craft an epic card in the future."
For once, as if recalling something delightful, Talia's lips curved slightly into a gentle smile as she replied to Lanqi.
Staring at Talia, whose aura had softened so visibly, Lanqi found himself at a temporary loss for words.
The difference between how she treated Hyperion and how she treated him was simply astronomical.
Yet the moment he imagined Talia treating him with that kind of gentleness, a shiver ran down his spine.
"Under normal circumstances, that magic card takes up six cost in your slots and is practically useless. While fusing Antanas or Sinora would make you stronger, you'd be sacrificing a great demon on the field in exchange," Lanqi pointed out.
"..."
Talia looked at him.
She knew that in this era, the epic item was somewhat of a white elephant.
Still, Hyperion had given it to her, so she treasured it deeply.
It was far better suited to serve as a tyrant's power—forcibly conquering demons weaker than oneself and compelling them to surrender their innate abilities. If used on companions who already shared the same heart and mind, fusing them wouldn't necessarily be stronger than fighting side by side.
Regrettably, there simply weren't many demons left in the world today.
"Why don't you try fusing Poet of Great Love?"
Lanqi retrieved the golden-orange magic card and asked curiously.
The intrinsic compatibility between the Hymn of Compassion and Talia was likely higher than its compatibility with him. After all, the Talia of the alternate prophetic timeline had been terrifyingly powerful—strong enough that the current Lanqi found it hard to fathom.
What if fusing two relics produced an absolute powerhouse of a monster?
"Does she agree?"
Talia showed no resistance to the idea.
She understood the value of the Poet of Great Love perfectly well.
It was just that, much like Lanqi, Lanfu possessed a personality she didn't particularly enjoy dealing with.
Before Lanqi could reply, the magic card in his hand dissolved into a shimmer of light and shadow. Amidst melodious, teasing giggles, the Poet of Great Love materialized inside Talia's home.
A maiden resembling a floral spirit descended into the wooden living room. Her crimson dress fluttered like scattered rose petals as she moved with graceful elegance, trailing a faint floral fragrance, her eyes gleaming with playful delight.
"I don't mind at all. I always felt you would make a far better host anyway. What a pity it was Lanqi who contracted me. If only your desires ran a little deeper, your rage burned a little fiercer, your obsession gripped a little tighter..."
The Poet of Great Love circled Talia, resting her fingertips lightly on Talia's shoulder before leaning down to whisper teasingly into her ear.
"...Enough to let me manipulate you, control you, until I turned you entirely into my puppet—OW, OW, OW, OW, OW!"
Before she could finish her sentence, Talia seized her in an armlock, pinned her against the table, and reduced her to wailing cries for mercy.
"..."
Lanqi shook his head in silence.
*Lanfu, you really are something else.*
*To dare jump right into Talia's face.*
*Talia is the last person who'd ever indulge you.*
"All right, Tata, let her go. She actually just wants to be close to you. She was born from you, after all—she's just stubborn with her mouth," Lanqi explained from the side.
"Waaah! You're always so mean to me! I don't even dare come near you!" the Poet of Great Love sobbed.
"I'm sorry... I won't hit you next time."
Hearing Lanqi's explanation, Talia hesitated, her heart softening. Feeling guilty about disciplining the Poet of Great Love any further, she released her grip and offered an apologetic murmur.
"Then hand over the earring."
The Poet of Great Love extended an open palm toward Talia, having long been curious about that epic-grade magic card equipment.
Talia produced a pair of dark metallic earrings that looked as though they had been forged straight from the ancient purgatorial depths of the Demon Realm. They absorbed and reflected the subtlest wavelengths of light in the living room, displaying an unstable sheen that shifted from deep crimson to dark violet under the afternoon sun.
The surface of the metallic earrings was etched with a thin layer of faintly shimmering demon incantations, their designs entirely asymmetrical.
The one Talia brushed back her hair to put on was shaped like a sharp, curved fang, reminiscent of a demon's horn.
The other was slender and gracefully curved, evoking the silhouette of a demon's tail.
Wiping the tear tracks from the corners of her eyes, the Poet of Great Love took the earring Talia handed over and clipped it to her left ear.
The previously rock-solid defensive barrier in Talia's room began to ripple, as though disturbed by an overwhelming, supreme force.
Amidst the surging waves of mana, the Poet of Great Love's form began to blur and disperse. Her contours dissolved like a drop of ink falling into water, spreading rapidly through the air.
The runic seals on the surrounding walls flashed with accelerating frequency, shrouding the room in an ethereal black mist.
"Meow, meow?!"
Startled by the sudden upheaval, Boss Cat jumped into the air and scrambled onto Lanqi's shoulders.
The surrounding air began to warp, as if space and time themselves were on the verge of fracturing. Waves of black mist and deep-blue tides converged continuously, enveloping Talia's entire body.
It was not merely a union of flesh, but a confluence of power, consciousness, and even the soul.
In that instant, Talia was shielded by an invisible force, the ambient mana forming an isolated domain around her.
The magical energy gathered and wove itself together in the air until it formed a chrysalis, which soon cracked and molted away. A few breaths later, she slowly opened her eyes once more.
"..."
Talia stared down at her hands in bewilderment. After the fusion, her physical appearance seemed entirely unchanged.
Their facial features had been identical to begin with.
The only difference was her eyes, which had become heterochromatic—one gold, one blue.
"Meow, meow!"
Boss Cat stared at Tata in utter shock.
For some reason, it sensed an indescribable, terrifying demonic presence radiating from her, making every hair on its body stand on end.
After a moment of silence, Talia walked over to the cabinet by the wall, retrieved a pen and paper, wrote a quick note, and held it up for Lanqi to see:
*I feel like... I've learned the Poet of Great Love's Demonic Voice.*
Because of that, she didn't dare speak casually.
Perhaps because their fusion compatibility was a full one hundred percent, Talia's attributes combined with the Poet of Great Love's negligible stats and multiplied by that perfect ratio amounted to virtually the exact same attributes Talia had possessed before.
"Try this ring. It can transmit sound through your thoughts, letting you speak without relying on the Demonic Voice."
Observing Talia closely, Lanqi pulled a metallic ring from his pocket and handed it to her, explaining how to use the thought-transmitting ring developed by Professor Borao.
One taught while the other listened. Once she had grasped the concept, Talia nodded.
"This feels very strange... as if I've contracted a natal familiar of my own, and..."
Finally able to speak without worry, Talia murmured.
Suddenly realizing something, she lunged forward, grabbed Lanqi, dragged him into her bedroom, shoved him inside, and locked the door behind them.
"D-Did I just become your natal summoned entity?!"
Talia leaned against the door, her voice trembling.
This bizarre sensation allowed her to communicate with him through her thoughts without uttering a single word.
"...Yes."
Lanqi closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment, arriving at the exact same conclusion.
He could clearly feel his soul bound to Talia's.
In this state, Talia had replaced the Poet of Great Love, becoming his brand-new natal card.
[Demon Lord of Mad Love - Talia]
[Category: Summon Card]
[Quality: Orange Epic]
[Tier: 8]
[Effect: Influences all living beings through demonic rhythm, stimulating their emotions by an unknown multiple; possesses all inherent abilities originally belonging to the demon princess Talia.]
[Remarks: A brand-new miracle demon born from the confluence of the Hymn of Compassion and demon fusion.]
"Quick, undo it! Having our thoughts completely linked like this feels way too weird!"
Feeling his mana draining at a terrifying speed, Lanqi urgently suggested.
Maintaining the summoned state of an eighth-tier Demon Lord consumed mana at a rate incomparable to a first-tier Poet of Great Love.
If she were to enter combat, the mana drain would be utterly unimaginable.
And excessive mana consumption was not the only problem.
Right now, Talia didn't even need mind-reading magic to hear his inner voice.
Under normal circumstances, Lanqi and the Poet of Great Love communicated telepathically without any hesitation because they shared a state of pure childhood innocence and mutual understanding.
But Talia was a completely different story. Sharing an open mental link with her could literally get him killed!
If he thought about her more than a hundred times a day, she would march straight over from Boss Cat Restaurant to Ikerite Academy just to murder him!
"I... I can't undo it..."
Talia stood frozen in a daze, speaking in a stunned murmur.
This piece of equipment came with a separation cooldown after every use, and the higher the fusion rate, the harder it was to separate.
Her fusion compatibility with the Poet of Great Love had reached an unnatural, flawless perfection. Right now, she couldn't even sense how to separate the Poet of Great Love from herself.
"...What?!"
Lanqi instantly petrified, fracturing into pieces on the spot.
Chapter 644