MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Vega, upon seeing Anthony land gracefully before her, instantly and dramatically bowed, her movements exaggerated yet playful. She spoke in a teasing but reverent tone, her voice carrying a mixture of humor and admiration.

"Oh, god of all gods, why have you bestowed your divine presence upon this unworthy woman?"

Anthony stood there, smiling faintly as he watched Vega fool around, her antics lightening the atmosphere. He decided not to let her play alone but to join in the act himself. With a mock-serious expression, he raised his voice like a deity addressing a mortal.

"My faithful follower, this gracious one has descended to bless you with the fruit of the womb," he declared dramatically.

As he spoke, a golden radiance ignited around his body, bathing him in a light so pure and divine it seemed as though he truly had descended from the heavens themselves.

Vega lifted her head, meeting his eyes as though she were an actor on stage continuing the scene. "But oh god of all gods, this unworthy woman lacks a man," she replied with exaggerated calmness, her lips curving in amusement.

The golden radiance flickering around Anthony vanished instantly. He blinked at her in mock offense, his voice sharp yet playful.

"What do you mean you don't have a man? What am I to you then… just a brother?"

"Pfftt—" Vega tried to hold it in but burst out laughing slightly, covering her lips with her hand. "Don't take it too seriously."

Anthony exhaled softly, chuckling along with her. He had only been playing around, his real intention being to ease some of the heaviness that had lingered around her after everything that had happened.

"Are you okay? Were you injured by the Demon King or Lilithra?" Vega asked suddenly, her tone softer now, concern hidden beneath her calmness.

"I'm perfectly fine," Anthony replied warmly, reaching out to pinch her cheeks gently. His smile radiated reassurance.

Though he didn't voice it aloud, Anthony could feel a distinct emotion radiating from Vega. He understood precisely how she felt, even if she masked it behind her teasing.

Vega was undeniably happy to see Anthony alive and well, relieved beyond measure. But at the same time, disappointment weighed heavily on her chest. Under the suffocating presence of the Demon King, she had felt powerless, forced to kneel, her head pressed into the ground.

When had such a thing ever happened to her before? Never. Absolutely never.

But that wasn't the part that unsettled her the most. What truly gnawed at her heart was not merely the humiliation of being forced to her knees, but the helplessness that consumed her.

She had been unable to help Anthony, unable to stand by his side and face those terrifying foes with him.

Vega had no desire to be some fragile woman protected by a man, nor did she want to become the type of woman who would one day serve as the single weakness for her invincible man.

She was neither. She would never allow herself to be either.

But then the cruel thought came to her, what if something had happened to Anthony? What if, despite his strength, he had fallen before the Demon King or that demonic woman, Lilithra?

What would she have done? Would she have merely cried and screamed in despair? Would she have begged the Demon to exchange her life for his? Would she have run to her powerful father, like a spoiled child desperate for rescue at the first sight of trouble?

Her man, her Anthony, had fought against one of the Forsaken Cult leaders, battled the vicious Lilithra, and then faced the overwhelming might of the Demon King himself.

And she? Aside from her contributions in the earliest battle, she had not aided him in the last two at all. She had only watched, only hoped.

And Vega was not a woman who lived by hope. She was a woman of action, a woman who made destiny bow to her will.

The realization burned into her, igniting both her mind and her heart with determination.

Yes, she was naturally gifted, a prodigy of immense talent. She was usually lazy, disinclined to cultivate with true effort because her talent had carried her so far with little struggle.

And despite that, at only nineteen years of age, she had already achieved things that most would never accomplish in their lifetimes.

But now? Now she swore there would be no more laziness, no more complacency.

This moment was her awakening.

Anthony might not have been injured, not even once, nor had he shown any signs of weakness, but that was irrelevant to her. She vowed that in battles of such scale, she would stand beside him, not behind, not in the shadows, but beside him.

If the heavens themselves collapsed, she would hold up the sky with her own hands. She would become someone he could count on with absolute certainty.

With a soft, renewed smile tugging at her lips, she turned her gaze toward the soldiers who were laughing and chatting with the resurrected ones, the air around them filled with relief and joy. Then, in a tone that carried both admiration and joy, she spoke.

"It seems you've done one of the things mortal minds would consider impossible. The world will remember this day."

Anthony simply smiled at her words. For him, it hadn't been about recognition or remembrance, he had only done what he wanted to do, nothing more, nothing less.

"How was your battle?" Anthony asked gently.

At his question, Vega's eyes instantly brightened. Her face lit up as she eagerly launched into the story of her fight with Judith, the undead zombie woman.

She spoke vividly about how the battle had unfolded, her voice brimming with energy as though she were reliving the fight. Then she moved on to describe the moment she destroyed several massive battleships, her tone filled with triumph.

And after Judith came an even stronger opponent, a Titan Cultist, towering and monstrous, a foe she had ultimately defeated.

Anthony said nothing to interrupt her.

Instead, he simply listened attentively, his gaze fixed on her as though nothing else in the world existed. Though he had witnessed these battles himself, he refrained from telling her.

He wanted her to have her moment, to let her speak, to let her voice echo with pride and confidence. Whenever it seemed like she was running out of words, he asked questions, gently encouraging her to share more details.

She talked about the combat experience she had gained, how the battles had sharpened her instincts and skills. She spoke about the thrill of switching seamlessly from one weapon to another in the midst of combat, her body flowing like water through every transition.

Anthony watched her, trapped by her beautiful, perfect face and lips as she spoke with such energy. His chest swelled with pride and happiness.

How many men in existence could boast of having such a woman by their side?

The answer was clear, none. Not a single one.

Vega went on, explaining even the improvements she had made to her Intent, her mastery of hand-to-hand combat, and her proficiency with weapons under real battle pressure.

She felt as though her true talent had finally bloomed, fully awakened by the intensity of the fights she had faced.

Anthony could feel countless eyes on him from every direction. Some people were clearly trying to approach him, to speak with him, to seek his attention. But with a mere expansion of Infinity, he halted them all in their tracks, freezing each and every one where they stood.

This moment was not for them. This moment belonged to Vega. Until she was done, the entire universe could wait for his queen to finish.

And so, the world stared at them, the most handsome man and the most beautiful woman in existence, gazing at one another with nothing in their eyes but pure, unshakable love.