With Miria and Selene by his side, Asterios sat down on the undamaged part of the floor. The black smoke still kept escaping his mouth each time he coughed again, trying to calm his breathing after the intense battle.

“Are you okay, Master? Maybe Bryn should—”

He raised his hand to stop Miria and gently brushed through her soft hair.

“I’m fine. Those men are in a much worse state. Let her focus on healing them.”

“But…”

“I don’t feel any pain or such, besides being a little sore after this little training. I think the smoke is just what was left after the fire breath. My throat seems alright. I’ve never done anything like this so it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that I did something wrong, trapping that smoke inside instead of letting it all out,” Asterios explained, affectionately scratching behind Miria’s ear.

“Alright…”

The worried panthergirl finally backed down and they all watched how Bryn treated the demons on the other side of the hall while Asterios continued to take deep breaths, trying to remove the leftover smoke from his respiratory system. Silvia, Svertaniel, and Radir came closer, stopping by the trio’s side.

“Now, that was a real something.” Radir smirked after they glanced up at the newcomers.

“I agree. I would have never thought I would get the chance to witness a real Dragon’s Breath,” Svertaniel added while nodding.

Asterios chuckled, coughing up some more smoke. “I wouldn’t call it a real one yet. I’m fairly sure it was nothing when compared to an actual Dragon’s Breath coming from an experienced user.”

“But, Master, yours was almost as intense as that woman’s from summoning!” Miria protested, pouting at him adorably.

“She is right.” Silvia crouched by their side. “I saw both from the sidelines. It’s true that yours felt a little… awkward and jaggy when compared to hers, but it wasn’t by much. Just like back then, something resonated within my own affinity, even stronger, actually. I know it might sound stupid but… your fire felt beautiful.”

“I don’t think that sounds stupid.” Selene shared her opinion. “It certainly was beautiful to me. That woman’s fire was more vicious and nasty.”

“We’ll see how it feels after I get some practice,” Asterios replied then glanced at Silvia. “I’m glad to know that it had a positive effect on you. I hope it will further aid your growth.”

She answered with a faint smile and tiny nod. “Perhaps I could be of use to you too? You’ve given me so much insight yet I wasn’t that helpful during our time together.”

“I wouldn’t say that but I think we can both gain a lot if we further train together, especially when it comes to fire. We should spar more in the future. I do need to get a hang of this.”

“So… How does it feel?” Radir asked with his arms crossed over his chest and a raised brow.

Before Asterios got a chance to have the man elaborate a little on his question, Miria poked his head with her finger.

No. She didn’t poke his head but somewhere higher, and he quickly realized that Grea’s father was talking about his draconic parts which had shown up during the duel and remained on Ast’s body after it had ended.

“Honestly, it will take a moment to get used to,” he answered in a pondering tone. “The horns are kind of like my bones but… I do receive some sensations from them, like when a certain curious panthergirl is making me ticklish by repeatedly tapping on the tough surface.”

Miria hastily took her hand away and giggled while turning a little rosy on her cheeks.

“And well, there’s also this.”

Suddenly, something coiled around her waist and quickly lifted her into the air above Asterios. Miria started laughing and hitting Ast’s firm tail with her fists as her legs kicked around.

“Hey! Let me down, Master! Hahahaha! Not fair!”

“For this, I’ll need quite some practice. It’s like a third arm but in the back. Moving it consciously is not as easy as it looks. Perhaps I will need some lessons from someone with much more experience in that regard.”

He slowly lowered Miria towards himself and she stopped trying to wriggle herself out. Ending up close to Asterios, hanging just above his face, she blushed a little as they stared each other in the eyes. After she leaned forward, Asterios pulled her closer and joined their lips in a tender, loving kiss. His tail unwrapped itself from around her waist as Miria fit into his lap from the front.

“I will be happy to give you a hand, Master.” She offered quietly after their lips parted, still gazing deep into his charming crimson eyes.

Asterios placed one more peck on her delicate mouth and Miria hugged him closely, resting her head on his shoulder. He had felt how worried she was about his well-being and Asterios let her relax in his arms while affectionately grazing her back.

A soft chuckle reached his ears as Selene left a quick kiss on his cheek.

“Don’t forget about me, Master.” She showed a jubilant smile. “When it comes to tails, I’m quite far ahead of Miria.”

The panthergirl in question giggled cutely at Selene’s little joke and Asterios chuckled too, nodding at his vulpine mate.

“I wish I had one too…” Tina whispered under her breath while looking down but Asterios heard every single word as clear as day.

He reached out with his free hand and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, surprising Tina greatly. Seeing his kind smile, she answered with the same and scooted closer, leaning her shoulder against Ast’s. She didn’t need to hear his words to understand what he meant. He appreciated her help and effort even without it.

The sound of footsteps caught everyone’s attention and they looked ahead just to see Zegion, Bryn, and the four men walking toward them. The latter looked fine even though they still kept supporting each other, most likely due to heavy mana overexertion.

Arriving closer, the slightly anxious Valkyrie trotted to Asterios and knelt down in front of him.

“How are you feeling, Master? Where should I start?” she asked with genuine concern.

“Thank you for the worry, Bryn, but I’m alright. There are no serious injuries you have to take care of. The smoke is almost completely gone now. My throat was and is fine. What about the others?” Asterios looked past her at the demons.

“Your friend handled my boys really well,” Zegion answered on behalf of everyone. “I’m thankful for her assistance. They just need some rest and they will be good as new.”

“What was that near the end? They suddenly disappeared from inside our barrier. Of course, if I may ask.” Tina politely lowered her head after finishing her question.

“Don’t sweat it. It’s not really a secret. They aren’t just my companions and aides but also kind of like my bodyguards. Pure physical strength can overpower a lot of things but it isn’t omnipotent, especially when it comes to powerful magic.”

He smirked and glanced at the four spent men.

“Each one of us is part of a bigger formation,” the green-skinned demon spoke up. “Just a single person is enough to nullify certain attacks but it shines the most when we work together.”

“The recent situation was a great example of that,” the blue-skinned man continued. “We have never blocked anything this ferocious but I’m glad to know that the technique can stop even a Dragon’s Breath. To some extent, at least.”

“They are bound to me, kind of,” the Demon King added. “Not much I can tell you about that but they can teleport to me from almost anywhere when I'm in danger. These idiots have willingly gone through an extremely painful and complex ritual to achieve that even though I told them not to. Seriously…”

As Zegion shook his head, the four men chuckled together and bumped their fists. Asterios asked Miria mentally if she would let him stand up and she hastily got off his lap with a tiny flush. He gave her ears a few more rubs after she helped him rise from the ground.

“Anyway, it looks like it worked well.” The Demon King looked Asterios all over with his hands resting on his hips.

“Better than well, I’d say,” Asterios answered, taking a peek at the path of destruction behind the demon man.

Zegion turned around and laughed while waving his hand. “Just a minor inconvenience. I always wanted to replace the old pile of junk. I should thank you for giving me a reason to finally do so. But, my advisors certainly won’t be happy about that huge hole in the back wall. To think that you’ve melted through two more behind it…”

“Hopefully, no one was there.”

“No one should have been. Those lead to various storages. Nothing too important, though, so no problem.”

“Are you going to stay like this?” Silvia asked curiously, moving her eyes over Ast's new features.

“At least while we are here, yes,” Asterios answered. “I want to stay… transformed as long as I can to get a good feel of it. Hopefully, I won’t have too many issues trying to achieve this form again when we will be trying to practice later.”

“Well, worst-case scenario, we at least know what your trigger is,” Zegion commented.

“And what is it?” Tina glanced at the Demon King.

“You, of course.” He showed a wide smile.

She immediately turned red and dropped her gaze to the ground. Asterios wrapped his arm around her waist and rubbed it gently.

“Plenty of tales and legends warned us that trying to even sneak a peek at a Dragon’s hoard could cost a person their life but I think that, in your case, getting any ideas about your women might be as deadly if not worse,” Zegion continued with a laugh.

“That’s not even a surprise.” Selene hugged Ast’s other arm with a warm smile. “I think everyone knows that Master values his friends, familiars, companions, and mates more than any riches in the world. He might be a fierce Dragon but he doesn’t lack kindness and love.”

“Alright, alright. That said, what are we going to do now?” Asterios smiled back at her and turned to Zegion.

“If you are asking about the damage, we’ll take care of it. Since most of us here are quite sweaty and dirty after the impromptu fight for the throne, I suggest we take a dip in the baths and meet up afterward. I wanted to go and take a look at your discovery right away if you don’t mind. If it’s inconvenient, I can wait until you have time,” the Demon King replied.

“That won’t be an issue. My familiar can bring us back to the Tri-Valor Valley in a blink, as long as you don’t mind trusting him with it.”

“The shadow that brought Princess Silvia here, right? If she has no qualms with it, and even that nannyish father of hers has none, then there’s no reason for me to doubt you. Let’s meet up in an hour. How many servants would you like to accompany you?”

“We’ll be fine on our own!” Miria hastily rejected the offer, snuggling to Asterios from the back while sending the king a dubious glare.

All of Ast’s girls had the same thought. They would rather not risk having him send a bunch of half-naked men to assist them in the baths.

Zegion laughed again. “Fine. One of the guards will lead you there. Have fun. No need to hold yourselves back. I certainly won’t.” He smirked at them.

“Don’t you feel like we are forgetting something?” Svertaniel scratched his head.

Everyone looked at each other for a good few seconds until the Demon King shrugged.

“It must be nothing important if none of us has any ideas.”

And so, they headed out of the throne room, with the king leaving through a side exit and Ast’s group being led through the main entrance.

Half an hour later, the workers tidying up the complete chaos in the chamber stumbled on a passed-out demon woman lying behind one of the pillars. Quite bewildered, they brought her to the castle’s infirmary.

A female guard guided Asterios and his friends through the metal corridors. Naturally, he had withdrawn his transformation before that. For a brief moment, it felt like he lost a limb and he couldn’t get used to not having the tail with him. He had always thought it would be the other way around.

Reaching the locker rooms connected to the baths, they split into groups. No surprise that Miria, Selene, and Tina chose to go in with Asterios. Svertaniel and Radir took off to another exit while Silvia sent Ast’s group a short glance before picking a different one.

Seeing that Tina was starting to get a little embarrassed undressing with them, Asterios gave her a hand while peppering her soft lips with gentle pecks and she didn’t even notice when all her clothes were gone. He then picked her up into a princess carry and they walked into the open bath, all for themselves.

Miria and Selene got to washing Asterios right away and Tina tried her best to pitch in. Smiling to himself, he let them shower him in tender caresses, watching the enthusiastic panthergirl explain to the uncertain human lady how to best take care of him.

Afterward, Asterios teamed up with each of the three to show some affection to the other women. He washed all the tails, ears, hair, and bodies, of course. Somehow, with the presence of another slightly shy girl amongst them, Miria got a boost in confidence and didn’t show much of her usual embarrassment.

Finished with the main part, they submerged themselves in a hot pool and melted together, with the girls leaning all over Asterios. Tina received the privilege to sit in Ast’s lap, resting her back on his chest as he hugged her dearly.

As they were enjoying their time in such pure bliss, someone’s soft footsteps echoed on the ceramic floor of the bath. A little surprised, they opened their eyes and glanced toward the source. Ast’s brows rose up after noticing Bryn walking towards them while holding a white towel over her front, barely long enough to cover her lady bits. A slightly uncertain smile painted her lips.

“May I… join you in this bath?” she asked a little hesitantly.

“Of course. You are welcome to, if that’s what you would like to do,” Asterios replied.

He straightened himself up and let Tina’s body slide down his own, having her sit on the pool’s floor in front of him to cover his waist. She sensed his concern and wiggled herself closer to hide him better, getting a bit redder as Ast’s member tickled her back.

Bryn stepped into the pool and sat down on the opposite side, about five meters apart from the others. The pool they were in wasn’t that big, most likely meant for smaller groups of people. A few more like this one had been set up in their bath.

A slightly awkward silence fell onto them as no one knew what to say or talk about. While Ast’s side was completely naked, Bryn used one hand to brush over her body and magnificent wings while clutching the towel to her shapely chest with the other, sneaking them a few fleeting glances now and then. A faint shade of rosiness decorated the gorgeous Valkyrie’s face.

“If you would like, I can turn around or leave for a moment so that you can have an easier time washing yourself without needing to hold onto the towel,” Asterios suggested, speaking up first.

“Ah, no, it’s alright. It’s not that inconvenient.” Bryn shook her head lightly.

“It certainly looks like that, though. I’ll just turn the other way for a moment. There’s no need to force yourself when my gaze clearly makes you uncomfortable. We can relax together after you are done.”

“Oh, it’s not like that. It doesn’t bother me that you look at my body, Master. I’m not a shy person.”

“Then why are you hiding behind a towel?” Miria asked, slightly confused.

“I… I don’t want to make things awkward… There’s no need to make Asterios uneasy with the sight of my chest… While I wanted to accompany you, I would hate to sour your moods,” Bryn explained, glancing to the side as she clutched the towel tighter.

Asterios almost rolled his eyes but stopped himself at the last moment. He let out a soft sigh and looked straight at the dazzling woman in front of him.

“Bryn, please, there’s no way that would happen. We know that it’s a bit different at your place but I’ve also already mentioned that your figure is extremely desirable in our realms. Rather than be disgusted, even judging just by the alluring shapes created by your towel, I’m certain I would have a hard time not admiring your beauty if it was revealed to me.”

He stared the Valkyrie straight in the eyes with a serious but calm expression after she faced him again to further emphasize his point.

“To be honest, I’m very anxious about making you really uncomfortable due to my body being vastly different from anything present in your world. Actually, not from anything. There are those monsters you have called the Scourge which have similar physiques. You certainly wouldn’t take a bath with one, would you?”

She hastily shook her head with more vigor. “I do not view you as a monster, Master. I’m really sorry for making that comparison when we first met. I haven’t felt anything repulsive from what I have seen that day. Frankly speaking… I’m actually really curious… about the differences…” she admitted with a barely noticeable blush. “But, if you insist that it truly is fine…”

Still with a trace of hesitation in her movements, Bryn took her towel away, letting everyone see her well-trained body. Just like Asterios had expected, the Valkyrie’s generous bosom was a sight to behold. The armor she wore hardly did her breasts any justice, and the tight material that squeezed them even more also didn’t help.

He caught himself staring for a few seconds before moving his eyes up to Bryn’s face again. She seemed a bit nervous but he could tell that it was because she was judging his reaction. Therefore, Asterios smiled at her kindly.

“You are as beautiful as I thought, Bryn.”

A tiny smile curved her lips as she nodded politely, moving her arms under her breasts, displaying their size even more to them with that motion.

Miria stared at Bryn’s chest with wide eyes and glanced at her own, cupping her firm breasts up a little. She then looked at Selene, but the situation there was exactly like it had been, with no visible changes. With some hope surfacing in her mind, she took a peek at Tina and frowned visibly. The much shorter girl was slightly bigger than her. She still had the smallest breasts out of all of them.

Asterios considered Bryn’s earlier words for a moment and decided to not hide too. He kissed Tina on the cheek and helped her squeeze herself between him and Selene, uncovering his front in the process. He had sensed Miria’s distress and pulled the panthergirl in for a few affectionate scratches and kisses as he caressed her waist, sending her lots of reassurance that he was in love with all of her.

After getting enough of his sweet words to think about only how much she loved him back, she glanced at the winged woman and noticed her sneaking a few glimpses at Ast’s body.

“Would you like for Master to help with your wings?” she asked, getting an idea of how to let Bryn get a better look.

“Miria.” Asterios gave her a stern glare, to which she replied by sticking her tongue out.

“If… he doesn’t mind…” Bryn responded with a reserved voice.

He sighed quietly and stood up. Pondering for a second if he should reach for the nearby towel to hide his dangling erection, Asterios chose not to. If Bryn was curious about his physique, she would certainly like to compare that part too.

A little awkwardly, he arrived in front of the stunning, golden-haired beauty and rubbed the back of his neck as they glanced at each other.

“So… Would you mind giving me some instructions?”

Bryn quickly sat on her knees and put her palms on her thighs, spreading her wings slightly to the sides.

“If you could pick up some water and run your fingers through the feathers, from the top to the bottom, that would be… appreciated, Master.” Her gaze jumped a few times to his nether regions, and she paused for a brief moment after catching a longer look at his manhood.

Asterios knelt down not to tower over the Valkyrie and did as instructed. Leaning a bit closer for a moment, he glanced at her face after forcing himself not to stare too much at Bryn’s alluring figure from up close.

“It’s okay if you look as much as you want. I admit that it’s a little embarrassing but that’s fine,” he whispered to her and Bryn nodded, not trying to run away with her eyes anymore. “So, ummm, is it… any different?”

Staring down almost directly at his hard member, she smiled softly and gently shook her head. A little moan escaped Bryn’s lips as she began to reply. Ast’s caresses were very pleasurable.

“Mmmm… I don’t think so…” she answered with some more crimson surfacing on her fair skin. “Well, perhaps it looks more… appealing? More… proud? Maybe because of how unusual and curious this is. I feel like I lack a proper word to describe your penis and beautiful body, Master.”

Asterios chuckled softly. “Perhaps you are thinking of manly? I guess it doesn’t exist in your realm. But, it’s not like I know how they look in your world to judge.”

“Can’t I share my memories with you? Or would that be too uncomfortable?”

“Oh. That’s true. You can. I surely am a tad curious.”

Bryn focused her mind for a moment and shared a bunch of pictures from her memories through their connection. She had often visited public baths and those rarely were separated into sections for Valkyrs and Valkyries.

“I see.” Asterios nodded after a few seconds. “They certainly look a bit… softer... more delicate... but seem to be built the same way, judging by a few glances, at least.”

“Right? That’s why I’ve been very curious. If your body looked different, I wondered if your genitals did too. I apologize if I pushed you into something uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine.” Asterios smiled at her warmly and stood up to take care of the feathers higher up. “I’m sure it will be easier for us to work together after learning more about each other and satisfying our curiosity. If it will reassure you at least a little, I can admit that your ample chest and pretty lady parts are incredibly attractive.”

Then, another set of footsteps echoed through the bath and Ast’s head snapped to the side. He certainly hadn’t expected another visitor, and while Bryn’s entrance wasn’t that shocking, seeing Silvia slowly parade their way with just a towel wrapped around her figure stunned him completely. Her bountiful hair had been woven into a single bun, revealing Silvia’s dazzling neck in all its glory.

The princess stopped by the edge of the pool and glanced down at Ast’s waist for a second. A faint blush surfaced on her noble cheeks but her calm expression didn’t waver even for a moment. Asterios felt his face grow warmer, realizing how they looked with Bryn from Silvia’s angle, especially with his member hanging not that far above the Valkyrie’s face.

Silvia stepped into the pool with elegance and unhurriedly moved to where the rest of the girls sat together. Reaching them, she unwrapped the towel from around her body, revealing all of her charming, lithe figure to everyone, and placed it over the edge. She turned around and slid deeper into the water to join Miria, Selene, and Tina, exhaling softly as her moderate chest rose up and down.

Asterios paused taking care of Bryn’s wings and stared at the princess with a confused expression. Noticing it, Silvia glanced at him, with her face still tainted by a faint shade of rosiness.

“Is something the matter?”

“Ummm… I just… didn’t expect you to join us, Silvia,” Asterios answered honestly.

“It was a bit lonely bathing by myself while knowing that everyone is here. I hope it wasn’t rude on my part to come here uninvited. I assumed that you wouldn’t mind if I asked.”

“I mean, yeah, I wouldn’t, most likely. I guess I’m surprised that you took off your towel.”

“It would be impolite to be the only one covering myself. Besides, I think you have seen plenty of naked female bodies so another one wouldn’t make that much of a difference,” Silvia explained, glancing at the other girls present in the pool.

“Right. I can’t disagree with that. Perhaps I should cover myself, though? Just not to… wave it around in front of a princess…”

“I appreciate your consideration, Asterios.” Silvia’s eyes jumped to his waist for a moment and she slowly looked away. “It’s not necessary unless my presence makes you uncomfortable. I’ve seen… Father’s… plenty of times when we bathed together as I was younger. I’m not unused to the sight…” she admitted with a more apparent flush.

“Okay.”

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Asterios turned to Bryn again and they smiled at each other awkwardly. He nodded at her and resumed caressing her wings.

On the other side, Silvia noticed Miria's downcast gaze and a sad pout.

“What's wrong?” she asked, a little anxious.

“There was still a chance after Bryn joined us… but there’s no way Master will agree to it with you present…”

Silvia’s cheeks turned a shade redder after she quickly realized what the always cheerful panthergirl meant.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your moment—”

She started standing up but Miria grabbed her wrist. “It’s okay. Please, stay with us. I’m sure it will be fun nevertheless.”

Met with Miria’s pleading gaze, and all the other girls next to the panthergirl looking at her, Silvia nodded politely and sat down again. She stared at Ast’s firm back as he helped Bryn with her wings. Her face grew a bit hotter from a bunch of images involving him and Miria surfacing in her mind. Perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to come here.