A new dawn arrived in Horizon.

  That very day, a few hours past noon, Orion called out his family at the dining table.

  "It's rare for you to call us all."

  Amelia lowered her head, her fingers entwined together above the table.

  "I have to agree. We had to stop what we were doing to come here."

  "It was boring anyway! You're not going to complain, sis?"

  Shrugging her sister's comment away, Mia stared at the person who called them.

  Everyone was here. Orion, his nine companions and wives, his daughter, his brother, his parents, and the important friends he made during his journey.

  Titania, Henrietta, Elliott, Layla, Marie, and, through a two-way portal linked to Ormrdivin, Monolavir and Ruminona.

  The other Remnants weren't present, as this was a matter for those presents.

  "If Orion called all of us, it can only be important."

  "You're right. I don't see any other reason to explain this."

  Karteira and Olivia talked between each other, letting others nod to their assessment.

  While most of them weren't completely aware of Orion's inner struggle, a few of them were already focused on the matter.

  Mainly, May, Tetra, Titania, Henrietta, and Elliott.

  "There's something I needed to speak to everyone."

  Orion finally spoke, a grave expression on his face.

  "I need to let you know that Elliott and I have brought Blanc back."

  The room fell silent. Everyone, except for the Remnants and the concerned party, dropped their gazes and slightly twitched their shoulders.

  Their reactions were mixed between discomfort and genuine disagreement.

  "We made this choice, knowing the matter at hand. I understand any potential disapproval."

  "In that case, simply place the blame on me."

  The stares of shock coming out of his companions changed the entire mood.

  "We would never!"

  Senia almost jumped out of her chair, while the others frowned.

  "If you made that choice, we believe it wasn't on a whim. You need that man, right?"

  May, her arms crossed, threw a quick glare at him, which was more directed at the situation than toward him.

  "It is closely related to the matter I want to discuss with everyone today. That's why I began with it."

  Nodding, Orion sat down at last.

  "I'm going to put the realm on lockdown."

  "Huh?"

  Out of everyone around the table, only Amelia, Karteira, Tetra, Henrietta, and his parents knew about it.

  "What does that mean?"

  As Stella asked this simple question, Amelia took over and explained without wasting Orion's time.

  "It happened once before after creating Horizon. We were sealed into Horizon for a long time, training ourselves and Kamala before facing Ivan."

  "Ivan? The Apostle?"

  Marie inquired while tilting her head slightly to the sight, her gaze drifting toward her master.

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  "That's right. Remember when we heard about Kamala being attacked by Ivan?"

  "Oh. Now that you mention it, I remember the letter you've received at the time."

  Olivia nodded, making sure her head maid remembered that event, which happened a year before.

  "For us, an entire month went by while inside Horizon, while only a few days past on Triazils."

  It was an event that was never brought into a conversation before. Since Orion had lost the ability to manipulate his realm's time, he never talked about it.

  Neither did Amelia nor Karteira.

  "Does that mean that you're going to make time dilate for Horizon?"

  Tetra asked with an exceptionally serious glare.

  "I will need your help for that. We'll stop Triazils' time completely, but not just that."

  What Orion was about to say would become the most unrealistic, grandiose idea ever spoken out loud.

  "We'll stop time for anybody who enters this planet's doorstep."

  "What?!"

  Both Tetra and Henrietta exclaimed. It was slightly too complicated for the others, so they simply listened quietly.

  "Orion, are you out of your mind? Do you know the amount of energy this would require?!"

  Freaking out, Henrietta tried to understand why he would go that far.

  "She's right. It would be eating at you constantly to maintain this state. How long do you even intend to make it work?"

  Orion closed his eyes and brought both hands in front of his hands with his elbows pressing on the table.

  "An entire year."

  "Madness!"

  Even Titania began to curse his idea.

  "You guys are freaking out over nothing."

  While the idea itself was bad for anyone with finite stamina and magical energy, the same couldn't be said for him.

  "You might be powerful, far more than I can comprehend."

  Tetra was shocked, but she tried her best to stay focused through sheer fortitude.

  "But stopping time for an entire year is far past anyone's capabilities. I don't want you to suffer for such a stupid idea."

  But as she finished, Orion shook his head from side to side.

  "This isn't a stupid idea."

  "He's right."

  At the same time, Nylon and Elliott spoke and agreed with him.

  Looking at each other, they smiled. One at a time, they continued, starting from Nylon.

  "I heard from one of you..."

  He looked toward Marie.

  "You know far too much for simple maids. I think you guys are even more aware of your status than Orion's wives."

  Everyone twitched at that comment.

  "Pardon?"

  Amelia lifted an eyebrow and glared at him.

  "It wasn't meant as a jab at any of you. They are being given more information about Orion's plan while spending time with him."

  Nylon looked at his brother.

  "You've already told them, right?"

  Marie nodded, confirming that she knew things that even Olivia didn't.

  "How much time do we actually have without that plan of yours?"

  Elliott asked while gripping Vanitas tightly. The reality was about to hit hard, and he needed to be ready for it.

  "At best?"

  An incredibly disapproving sigh escaped his mouth as he prepared to explain.

  "Two weeks. If not, five days."

  "Considering our luck with those matters, the latter looks more probable."

  Marie, Nylon, and Elliott froze up entirely, causing the room to fall silent.

  "That's why I called everyone."

  "In the incoming days..."

  "If we don't do anything, we'll be invaded."

  Silence. Complete unnatural silence broke through the room.

  Then suddenly, a tough voice echoed in the room.

  "What are we facing off?"

  Monolavir asked through the opened rift.

  "The beings that killed the Valkyries. Henrietta learned their names."

  "They are called the 'Devourers of Purity'."

  The dragon grunted.

  "Why are they even invading us? From that name, they seek anything with purity, is it not?"

  "Do we even have anything pure for them to devour?"

  His other half asked right after.

  Orion turned his gaze away, hiding the fact that he was biting his lips.

  "Actually, there is. Nine people."

  "..."

  Everyone around the table froze once again. Orianne lifted her finger and unconsciously began to count Orion's wives, starting from Amelia.

  "One, two, three, four, five, ..."

  Amelia, Karteira, Mia, Nia, and May.

  "Six, seven, eight, nine."

  Senia, Olivia, Deveralna, and Tetra.

  "Actually, count ten. Stella is close to being perfectly pure."

  Orion closed his eyes with a very displeased expression.

  "Me too?!"

  Shocked, Stella opened her eyes wide.

  "I cannot hold off these beings alone."

  "One might be doable, but anymore, and I fear losing any of you."

  "This is unacceptable after all we've been through together."

  He took a deep breath and continued, purging any feeling hindering his thought process.

  "I need a year. An entire year when you all push past your limits."

  "It goes for Layla, as well."

  The woman jumped at the sudden call. She wasn't expecting to be called out.

  "What do I need to do?"

  Having recovered her voice, she asked with a gentle voice.

  "Like Elliott, I would greatly appreciate any improvement in mastering the Remnant source you've acquired."

  "I need as many fighters as possible."

  Her expression hardened. Giving him a firm nod, she acknowledged his request. Seeing this, Elliott smiled and made the same gesture.

  "With the threat being at our doorstep, there is no other option than to hinder their progression."

  "What if..."

  Orion smiled deviously.

  "We were the ones to invade them first?"

  A shudder ran through Reon as he weighed the odds in his mind.

  "This would be possible!"

  He suddenly stood up from his chair and stared at his son.

  "Do you have a plan, dad?"

  "I do."

  His gaze of excitement was the only answer Orion required.

  "How long would it take?"

  "Not even the afternoon. I already have everything ready."

  "It wasn't its original purpose, but we can use it again."

  Bringing a finger to his chin, Orion pondered.

  "Oh. That machine."

  Just about everyone around this table knew what they were talking about.

  "If I tweak some options on it, we can use it as a catalyst."

  "A catalyst... Huh?"

  Orion's eyes slowly drifted toward his daughter.

  Then, slowly, Orion placed his hand into his pocket.

  "Would you need this, perhaps?"

  A crystal with the purest essence of void itself was placed on the table.

  "Yes!"

  Stella, who knew exactly what the conversation was about, jumped from her chair, watching the crystal she couldn't obtain from his father a few days ago with joyful anticipation.

  "You already had one available?"

  "I might be cautious, but I'm ready to make sacrifices for little things like these. Here, take it."

  Sliding the crystal on the table with just enough strength to make it stop in front of Stella, Orion closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

  "When you need me and Tetra, call for us. This crystal wasn't made with just my power alone."

  The pink-haired woman blushed slightly while looking down, playing with a strand of hair.

  An embarrassing memory returned to her as he brought the crystal out, forcing her to avert her gaze.

  "When?!"

  Almost everyone shockingly stared at her. They had no idea she had been spending time with Orion. She was usually seen with Henrietta at all times.

  "No comment..."

  With this information revealed, it was known that all nine of them had now been intimate with Orion.

  "I hope you understand that time is against us."

  Bringing up the serious conversation back up, Orion opened his eyes.

  "What do you want to do?"

  Monolavir asked.

  "Come with your children in Horizon. I need you to fuse with Amelia and bring your and her potential to new heights."

  The mighty dragon fell silent. Unknown to him, he was actually excited by the prospect since the day his companion fused with Amelia.

  "We'll lock the entire realm for an entire year, so you won't have to be afraid of leaving your faction behind."

  "When you'll get out, everything will be the same as when you've left."

  Ruminona grunted behind the portal.

  "What a strange concept."

  "But a suitable one."

  With this, Orion turned to his companions.

  "For everyone else..."

  "You'll have to improve fast."

  With a dark stare, only his anthracite eyes glowed behind a veil of darkness.

  "Or you will die and join the Valkyries."

  Cold sweat poured from their backs as they observed Orion in an unusual mood.

  With this, the conversation came to an end, and the plan entered its first phase.

  Later that afternoon, everyone gathered outside the house.