Chapter 36: Clash of Titans

Ding!

A translucent blue screen materialized directly in Karina’s sea of consciousness, completely invisible to the tense men posturing around her. Cheshire’s robotic voice echoed inside her head, sounding far too excited for the situation.

[SYSTEM ALERT: CLASH OF TITANS DETECTED!]

"Host! Look at those auras! The ambient male aggression is off the charts," Cheshire chirped. "And I know you said you didn’t care about it again, but remember the purpose of the Yandere System! It is why you are even here in the first place, so do not lose sight of it! You terminated the quest with Rafael, but I will allow it!"

"Anyways, nothing breeds obsession quite like fierce competition. In fact, pushing through with that divorce might be the perfect catalyst to drive them absolutely feral."

Karina kept her face perfectly blank, staring at the two men, refusing to let her internal annoyance show.

"So, in short," Cheshire added, a smug digital lilt echoing in her mind. "Good luck, host. Seems you have a potential new love interest."

Tsk.

Karina clicked her tongue internally, her mental voice filled with disdain. I am not collecting oversized, emotionally stunted cats, Cheshire. I would rather jump back into the toilet. Can it.

"Can a Sovereign not visit his own flesh and blood?" Cassian placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "Especially when there are such... delightful new developments in the castle."

Cassian’s mismatched eyes flicked deliberately toward Karina.

The veins on Leonidas’s neck bulged, his panther instincts screaming at him to tear this white-haired flirt limb from limb for even looking at Karina. He took another thunderous step forward.

Here we go.

"Before this turns into a pointless ego war," Karina interrupted.

Both men froze, turning their gazes toward the Empress.

Karina stepped out from behind General Aldric. She completely ignored Leonidas’s brooding presence and fixed her icy red eyes entirely on the Sovereign of the Glacier’s Crown.

"What do you want, Lord Cassian?" Karina demanded, her tone leaving no room for pleasantries.

Cassian cocked a brow. Straight to the point. Not bad.

"Hmm," Cassian hummed, his lips curling upward. He decided to drop the playful act for just a fraction of a second. "The feral sickness has spread to my domain."

Karina felt panic seize her heart.

Cassian looked at Leonidas again, the mockery returning to his dual-colored eyes. "I was hoping my dear old cousin would have found a solution by now. But seeing as the borders are still bleeding, I suppose I expected too much."

Leonidas’s hands shook. "No, I have not," the Panther King gritted out. "Now return to your frozen wasteland. You are not welcome here."

Cassian didn’t even flinch at the threat. In fact, his smirk only grew wider.

"No," Cassian said simply. "I think I would like to spend some time here, too. Shadow’s Edge has suddenly become vastly more entertaining."

He turned his full attention back to Karina, his white hair falling artfully over his eyes as he flashed her a smile.

"Perhaps I could play with my nephew," Cassian purred. "I could be a very good uncle, Your Imperial Majesty. Trust me."

Ugh, they’re all just arrogant.

Karina tilted her head. Her face was as blank as a sheet of untouched parchment.

"Oh?" Karina said. Her voice was terrifyingly deadpan.

Cassian’s smile remained, but confusion began to swirl in his chest.

"Is that all?" she asked.

Cassian looked stunned. The gears in his head ground to a halt.

"Uh?" he stuttered, the single, inarticulate sound slipping past his lips before he could stop it.

Karina pursed her lips, feeling her head heat from anger.

"You called me all the way here to this reception room," Karina said. "When your main business was clearly with Leonidas regarding this feral sickness. Do you have any idea how valuable my time is?"

Cassian opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"You may stay here in Shadow’s Edge for as long as you want, or you may leave immediately," Karina continued, completely dismissing him with a lazy wave of her hand. "I don’t really care. Just do not waste my time again."

Without waiting to see the sheer shock on his face, she turned around on her heel.

"Let’s go, Aldric. Sophie," Karina commanded.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty," Aldric replied swiftly, shooting one last warning glare at Cassian before falling into step behind the Empress.

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

The sound of her heels faded down the corridor, leaving a ringing silence in her wake.

Cassian stood completely frozen in the center of the room.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

He placed a gloved hand over his chest. His heart was racing.

Ugh? Why was it racing?

The shock in his eyes slowly, inevitably, melted into a look of burning fascination. A strange, breathless heat washed over his body.

Damn. Cassian thought, a manic thrill shivering down his spine. What a woman!

He had to know her. He wanted to peel back those layers of ice and see what kind of fire burned underneath. He wanted to earn her trust. He wanted to see her look at him with something other than complete irritation.

Before Cassian could fully process his newfound masochistic awakening, a massive shadow completely engulfed him.

Swoosh!

Leonidas crossed the room in a blur of terrifying speed. The Panther King grabbed Cassian by the collar of his coat, hauling the Sovereign completely off his feet with sheer, brute strength.

"You imbecile," Leonidas roared, his fangs bared. He lifted Cassian effortlessly, his grip tightening until the expensive fabric groaned in protest. "Showing your face here. Getting near her. I will tear you apart."

Cassian, despite dangling a foot off the ground, didn’t look afraid. In fact, his signature smirk effortlessly slid right back onto his face. He looked down at his furious cousin, winking at him.

"Careful, cousin," Cassian chuckled. "Your grip is slipping. Both on my coat, and on your wife."

Leonidas’s pupils constricted to thin slits.

With a guttural roar of pure rage, Leonidas violently flung him.

Cassian flew through the air like a ragdoll. He crashed heavily into the stone pillar, the impact shaking the dust from the ceiling, before sliding down and hitting the floor.

Leonidas didn’t even stay to watch him bleed. The Panther King spun around, and stormed out of the reception room, his heavy footsteps echoing with terrifying force as he went to hunt down his wife.

The room fell silent once more, save for the sound of someone coughing.

Nalani facepalmed. What did I sign up for? Sigh.

She walked over to the base of the pillar and extended a calloused hand downward.

Cassian took it, groaning slightly as his Second-in-Command hauled him back to his feet. He brushed the dust off his coat, wincing as he rolled his bruised shoulder.

"Why," Nalani asked, her frustration bleeding through, "do you insist on making yourself so incredibly hateable?"

Cassian paused, wiping a small drop of blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb. He stared down the empty corridor where the Empress of Zyleria had vanished.

He chuckled.

"We’ll stay here for some time, Nalani," Cassian murmured, ignoring her question. "I want to get to know the new Empress more."