Chapter 11: Avalon and Bloodline

                              ***

"Ahhh~ mn~♡.. Ahhngh~!"

Bored sighs, tinged with a slight sensual tone, escaped from the pink lips of a young woman lying on her back on a royal couch in the style of the Middle Ages.

Her long black hair, with its sea-blue highlights, spread out over the sofa cushions, and her half-closed blue eyes reflected all the boredom she was going through at the moment. Her back was arched, causing her voluptuous breasts to involuntarily protrude against the thin fabric of her dress.

She wore an elegant dress with a plunging neckline that was slit up to her thighs, revealing the garter belt attached to her stockings. Her long, thin, slender legs, covered with stockings, floated lazily in the air.

The sighs of sensual boredom multiplied according to the young woman's mood, which could be misinterpreted when heard.

"Raah, can't you stop making those weird noises? It's getting a bit much!" a male voice shouted.

"Ahhn~! But I'm so bored~!" replied the young woman, turning her entire body to the left and looking at the seated man, one leg crossed over the other, on the armchair next to her, who was reading a book.

The man had sleek, black hair that was well-groomed. The square-framed glasses he wore, along with his serious demeanor, gave him the air of a top student.

He deftly replaced his glasses, while his gaze roamed the young woman's body from head to toe, examining her from every angle.

“If you’re that bored, pick up a book. I can’t concentrate on reading if you keep moaning like a whore. It’s annoying me.”

"How vulgar! That's not how you talk to a lady, you bespectacled maniac!" she said, noticing the man's gaze.

"A lady isn't supposed to stand like that. You can see everything from here," he said, glancing over.

The young man could see a lot from where he was standing, and that was largely due to the young woman's revealing outfit. The pose she was in offered a glimpse of her panties, which he didn't fail to observe with his inquisitive gaze.

"You dirty pervert! Stop staring at me!" she cried, sitting up on the couch.

She now sat properly, like a lady, pushing her hair behind her back.

"Who's the real pervert in this story? The one who's just watching, or the one who's shamelessly showing off in such an outfit?" he asked rhetorically.

"I know why you wore that dress, nothing escapes me," he said, as the light reflected off his glasses, as if he had made a deduction worthy of the greatest detective.

The woman felt a shudder run through her body. She hugged herself, pressing her chest as if to hide it, and glared murderously at the bespectacled man.

"Stop! I forbid you from peeping into my head, you filthy voyeur! Do you know what privacy is all about?" the woman exclaimed angrily.

"I didn't even need to read your mind to know that you spent all night yesterday looking for an outfit to seduce Kai in, when we were called for the meeting," he said.

The woman blushed slightly, feeling exposed, even though she wanted to appear natural.

"You should let it go; Kai isn't interested in a woman like you."

"Tss... Say you're jealous, eh, it's true. A woman that beautiful and seductive is out of reach for an Otaku. I'm inaccessible to you, poor thing," she laughed in his face.

The man's sigh expressed both exasperation and annoyance. The young woman never missed an opportunity to mock the young man's passion and life, while boasting about his beauty.

“Women like me, you can only see them in your virgin fantasy stories and wet dreams, hehehe!”

"Shut up, nymphomaniac! And first of all, you're not even my type... yet," he declared, his voice almost a whisper towards the back.

"That foul language again. Don't be surprised you're a virgin talking to girls like that," she said, arms crossed beneath her overflowing breasts.

“Haa… if only Simon were here, at least he’s a gentleman. A real man.”

She gave a look that conveyed the message.

"He left because he couldn't bear to remain in the service of a pervert."

"The only pervert with lecherous eyes here is you."

"Bitch!"

"You rude person!"

“That’s enough! Stop talking!”

A loud shout put an end to the argument. A blond-haired man joined the scene. He had a sharp gaze that silenced anyone who met his gaze.

"Marion, Marinette, I'm calling you for an emergency meeting, not to hear you bicker like children. So shut up and stay calm!" the blond man exclaimed in an authoritarian tone.

None of them dared to answer. They avoided his gaze and remained silent as ordered. His authority seemed unquestionable.

Marion went back to her reading, hiding behind her book, a barrier between him and the man.

Marinette sniffed and looked at him, thinking to herself, "Another man with no delicacy."

“Don’t be so rigid, Abel.”

Another man appeared on stage. A young blond man with sky-blue eyes. His name was Kai Richter, the CEO of the financial firm that bears his name. A wealthy heir, descendant of a famous line of great entrepreneurs.

However, he had another identity that was unknown to the general public. In the shadows, he was the leader of Avalon's dominant faction, known by his full name Kai Von Richter, a title inherited from his noble lineage.

His arrival broke the morbid silence that Abel had established.

"You are being too lenient, Sir Kai. The members of this faction lack discipline and rigor. This must be remedied as soon as possible," Abel declared.

"Pfff..."

Marion and Marinette protested, sighing simultaneously.

Marion closed her book and stood up to greet Kai.

Marion Di Santo was a 21-year-old otaku. He loved manga and anime, and collected all things Japanese. He had a passion for fantasy novels, which led him to write his own web novel.

The novel, The Fall World, which tells of the apocalypse of a fantasy world with a tragic ending that leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of readers, became a success and was even published in physical format. The book became a bestseller, and the aspiring young writer's popularity grew.

Some believe that he was inspired by the Apocalypse according to Saint John, with its monsters having invaded the world, similar to the Beast of the Apocalypse mentioned in the Bible.

Only the heirs recognized in his work the legends passed down by their ancestors on Eldrath, and as a member of Avalon, Marion was one of them.

“An organization is nothing without its members, and I appreciate each of them as they are. No need to overdo it, just keep it natural,” Kai said.

Marion looked at Kai with such intensity that he seemed to want to probe deep within him the truth behind his words.

"You're always so honest, Kai," Marion said with a sigh.

He seemed relieved that Kai was telling the truth, but there was a slight annoyance in his sigh, as if he was unhappy that his leader was honest all the time.

Suddenly, Kai felt himself pressed from behind. He felt a softness on the back of his head, sandwiched between two soft cushions of flesh. Mariette was hugging him, her arms around his neck.

She towered over Kai, being taller than average at 6'1". She leaned forward just enough for her warm breath to brush against the back of Kai's neck. Everything about her was sensual and stimulated all the senses.

Mariette Bonnet was a beautiful 27-year-old model and supermodel. Her beauty, charm, sex appeal, voluptuous figure, and tall stature made her the perfect model. Her body, bordering on perfection, made men and women around the world dream.

She hugged Kai from behind, her arms around his neck, her large chest pressed against him, and her breath tried to stimulate his senses and charm him.

"Kaichou~♡! I'm watching your interview and I agree with you. Human life expectancy is too short, and since there are no prerequisites, you don't mind if we get together? Time is running out, we need to have lots of children to leave a trace of our passing. You won't find a better one than me," she said in a seductive voice.

"No, but look at her thinking she's Miss World. I swear," said Marion.

She didn't ignore Marion's jealous words and continued her seduction. Her face moved closer to Kai's, as their lips were about to touch.

"If we both get involved, it will instantly solve the problem of purity and ensure the continuity of the lineage."

In the past, on Eldrath, the genetics were too different and it was impossible for two individuals from two different species to unite and have offspring. However, on Earth, when the different species had all transformed into humans, this caused the unification of the races through earth magic. Now, very similar genetics made mating possible.

In their human forms, two heirs of different origins could unite and have descendants. The child born from this union would inherit the genes and origins of one of its parents. The chances were 50% in each case, meaning there was a one in two chance that the child would be of the same origin as the father or mother.

Now, if an heir were to mate with a normal human, the child would always inherit the dominant gene and origin of its heir parent. However, this comes with a major problem of degeneration which disrupts the purity of the heir's lineage.

A human and an heir gave birth to an heir, and that heir received a degenerating genetic marker. If the marked heir were to mate with a human, their child, who is also an heir, would receive a double degenerating marker. With a double marker, if the child mates with a human, the child will be a normal human.

A marked heir gives birth to marked heirs, regardless of the partner with whom he unites, whether human or heir. And an heir with a double genetic marker will give birth to an heir who also has a double marker in his genes, but only if he mates with another heir. If an heir with a double marker mates with a human, he will automatically produce a human, which means the end of his lineage.

In other words, by mating too many times with humans, the genes of the heirs were lost and suffered degeneration. A line of heirs with a marker could disappear after the third generation if the union with humans was repeated successively. The genetic markers of degeneration were like a warning, a sign of the decline of the lineage.

It was for this reason that alliance with humans was highly reprehensible among the ranks of Avalon, who advocated the supremacy of their race over humanity.

“I am very touched that you are concerned about our lineage and I do not reject the idea of being with you. However, I have not yet reached my goal, which requires a lot of time and attention. So we'll talk about this another day, okay, Marie?" Kai said, looking over his shoulder.

The charming smile and the nickname he said made Marinette blush, who let go of him and stood in front of him, pouting.

"If you keep me waiting this long, my body will waste away, become old and ugly, and I will end up an old lady in the blink of an eye," she said disappointedly.

“Poor ignorant woman, you know nothing about true beauty. The older a woman gets, the more her beauty stands out. Women blossom over time and reach their peak in their prime, around their thirties. Maybe in 3 to 5 years, You will be more beautiful and your body will get in better shape; then I could give it a try,” Marion announced in a lively voice, without restraint or shame.

"Ugh! I don't want to know anything about your perverted fetishes and otaku fantasies," Marinette spat.

“Haa…” Abel sighed.

“Hahaha!” » Kai laughed.

It was not the kind of meeting one would expect from a criminal organization. The atmosphere was so relaxed that it might have been a gathering of friends having tea, which, to some extent, it was.

"So, what did you want to talk to us about, Abel?" Kai asked, returning to the topic of the day.

"It's about Konrad and Simon, am I right?" Marion said.

Abel glared at him, even sharper than before.

“Calm down, I didn’t read your mind. It’s just that the prolonged absence of the Richter Company’s head of security is easily noticeable, and Marie keeps complaining that her flunky isn't there to cater to her star whims," he said, elaborating on his remarks.

"Hey!" Marinette protested at this slander.

Abel calmed down, but his gaze remained as menacing as ever, even though it had lessened its intensity.

Abel calmed down, but his gaze remained as menacing as ever, even though it had lessened its intensity.

"Konrad was looking for an amulet and went to look for it, taking Simon with him, but they haven't given any sign of life for several days," Abel announced.

"Seriously, they can't get a single amulet back? I brought back two just last week," Marion boasted.

Amulets were powerful magical artifacts that allowed one to travel between worlds. They were highly coveted objects by the heirs, who alone were capable of using them. The Legacy Guild and Avalon were fighting to acquire as much as possible so that they would be the only ones with access to the other world and to monopolize the resources and relics found there.

“This is not just an amulet,” Abel said to Marion, who was boasting about it.

Marion sniffed, not understanding where he was going with this, waiting for him.

"It was an amulet from the first series," Abel declared, attracting everyone's attention.

"An amulet like the Boss's. Interesting!" Marion exclaimed in turn.

“An amulet from the first series? I think they’ve all been found already,” Marinette said.

"The amulets of the first series are the first artifacts created on Eldrath before its fall. There were ten of them, one for each of the ten great clans. They possess a power superior to that of the amulets of the second series, and it is thanks to them that our ancestors were able to land on Earth,” Kai explained, taking his amulet out of his jacket pocket.

The metal plate was hexagonal in shape, with ancient and foreign inscriptions engraved on it, as well as an inlaid green stone.

Marinette reached into her cleavage and rummaged to pull out an amulet attached to a thin chain around her neck, comparing the two. The amulet she possessed also had engraved inscriptions and an inlaid stone, except its shape was different from Kai's. Hers was round, while Kai's was shaped like a hexagon.

“The second series amulets were crafted on Earth using the first series amulets to travel to Eldrath and retrieve the materials needed to create them. But the knowledge of the ancients was lost over time, and the artisanal method was different, that's why the result was too," added Kai.

The difference between the first and second series is not limited to the shape of the object, but is also found in the magical powers they confer. The same materials were used to make both models, but the original technique for creating the first series had been lost over the ages. It was therefore impossible to reproduce an amulet from the first series. The less efficient method made the second series less powerful.

Upon closer examination, one could see differences in the inscriptions engraved on the amulets.

While the second series was less efficient and less powerful than the first, it still allowed travel between Eldrath and Earth. Moreover, the number of second series amulets was greater than that of the first, at least ten times more. Thanks to its simple manufacturing method, some craftsmen with the required knowledge and materials could easily reproduce it in large numbers.

“Over time, amulets pass from hand to hand or are lost in the wide world. The first series was highly sought after and to this day we, Avalon, possess five of the ten amulets from the first series,” Kai said.

"That means there are five of them out there."

"And Simon and Konrad went to get one."

“Indeed. They had seen an ad on an antiques auction site seeking information on an ancient object, which turned out to be an amulet from the first series. They had found a trail and left despite my warnings not to go there. But, as always, Konrad does what he wants and he took Simon with him." grumbled Abel, not wanting to see his authority overstepped.

“Why stop them from leaving? I would have gone too if I had known. It’s not every day you get the chance to recover a legendary artifact,” Marion said.

“This story seemed suspicious to me. Such a coveted amulet, missing for years, suddenly reappears on a public site accessible to everyone… It smelled like a trap. I told Konrad about it, but he still ignored my warnings.

"Looking at it like that, it makes sense," Marion replied, finally agreeing with Abel's assumption.

Abel sighed, shaking his head.

“For once, I wish I were wrong… but their radio silence means something has happened to them. There’s a good chance they’re now in the hands of the Legacy Guild.”

"Really? You think the guild is involved?" Marinette asked, looking puzzled.

"Without a doubt. I even think the five remaining amulets are in their possession. That would make sense. "If none of them have resurfaced in all this time, it must be because the guild has them," he said confidently.

"It's true that something of such value wouldn't end up in the hands of just anyone, let alone on an auction site like this," she says.

"So we can deduce that this is a trap. The guild used the amulet as bait to get us," Marion added.

"I don't think that's it!"

Marinette and Marion had bought into Abel's theory and were convinced that the organization's arch-enemy was behind it all. So it was only natural that all three of them were puzzled when their leader, Kai, refuted this hypothesis. 

Seeing the incredulous looks directed at him, Kai stated his point of view.

“The guild isn’t the kind to stoop to using this kind of ploy to trap us. They have other priorities than needlessly hunting us down. Of course, they always try to thwart our plans, but they have never attacked us directly."

It was strange, in a way. Despite a war that had lasted for centuries, Kai seemed to hold the Legacy Guild in high regard. To him, the guild was only acting against Avalon to thwart his schemes. His subordinates, although annoyed by the praise given to their sworn enemy, still had to revise their judgment.

"Nevertheless, the disappearance of Konrad and Simon is worrying. And if, indeed, there is an amulet from the first series loose in the wild, I must have it at all costs," Kai continued, squeezing

“With the five amulets from the first series that we have, we only need one more to reach our goal,” announced Abel.

“I thought we’d never get there in our lifetime, but we’ve finally reached our goal!” exclaimed Marion.

"We haven't reached the goal yet, so don't get too excited, bespectacled man," replied Marinette, calming the young man with glasses' ardor.

“It is only a matter of time before we have six amulets, which will allow us to open the portal between the worlds and seize the ancient army, the flying fortress: Avalon. And then the world will be again in 'order'."

They all smiled triumphantly in jubilation. The dominant faction's goal was about to come to fruition.

“Abel, go see our informant at the guild and find out all the information you can about this. You need to find out what happened to Konrad and Simon, but more importantly, who has the amulet," Kai ordered.

"Very well, Sir Kai! I'll set out on the hunt at once," Abel replied solemnly, determined to complete his task and not disappoint his master.

Abel Jäger was the assistant and steward of the Richter household. A loyal servant, utterly devoted to his master, Kai, to whom he owed blind loyalty. His only hobby was hunting, and when he started hunting, his prey never escaped him. This is how he inherited his nickname: the Predator.

He had never failed in a mission. Not once.