Chapter 136: Upcoming TUNA

Chapter 136: Upcoming TUNA Eren and Kiran stood before the heavy wooden door, its surface carved with twisted symbols that seemed to writhe in the dim torchlight. The sound of splashing water and soft voices drifted from beyond. "Ready to see your precious little friend, Veilwalker?" Kiran snarled, her voice dripping with malicious anticipation. "Time to shatter whatever pathetic fantasy you’ve built up in that thick skull of yours!" She grabbed the iron handle and yanked the door open with vicious force, the hinges groaning in protest. Eren stepped through the doorway and froze. The chamber beyond was massive, filled with warm steam that carried the scent of lavender and exotic oils. What made him pause wasn’t the luxury—it was the women moving throughout the space. They weren’t warriors at all. They were attendants, dozens of them, wearing nothing but simple cloth strips wrapped low around their hips in the ancient style. Their breasts were completely exposed as they moved with practiced grace, carrying oils, sponges, and pitchers of water between the various pools. This was how bath servants had always dressed in the old kingdoms—practical for their wet work, unashamed in their femininity. "LOOK AT YOUR STUPID FACE!" Kiran shrieked with delight, her laughter echoing off the marble walls. "Were you expecting an army of warriors, you fool? These are bath slaves! The lowest servants in the kingdom! And look how they flaunt themselves!" She gestured wildly at the exposed women. "This is what your precious rescue mission led you to—a bathhouse full of half-naked servants!" But Eren’s attention had already shifted to the centerpiece of the chamber—a large marble tub filled with steaming, perfumed water. And there, being gently bathed by several of the attendants, was a figure with silver hair that caught the light like liquid moonbeams. Three of the servants worked around her—one washing her hair with careful hands, another gently scrubbing her shoulders with a soft sponge, while a third poured warm water from a silver pitcher to rinse away the soap. "Viva," Eren breathed. "THAT’S RIGHT, YOU LOVESICK FOOL!" Kiran screamed, her voice reaching a fever pitch. "There’s your precious silver-haired princess! Getting pampered like the spoiled little thing she is! Look how they wash her like she’s some delicate flower!" "VIVA!" Eren shouted across the chamber. The silver-haired woman turned at the sound, and when she saw him, her entire face transformed with joy and disbelief. Without hesitation, she stood up in the tub, water cascading from her naked form as the attendants stepped back in surprise. "Eren!" she cried out, her voice breaking with emotion. She stepped out of the marble tub, water streaming from her body as she reached for the towel one of the startled attendants quickly offered. Wrapping it around herself swiftly, she ran toward him across the wet marble floor. They collided in the middle of the chamber, Eren catching her in his arms and holding her tight. She buried her face against his chest, her whole body trembling. "Are you hurt?" Eren asked urgently, pulling back to examine her face with gentle hands. "Did they harm you in any way?" "No, I’m unharmed," Viva assured him, tears of relief streaming down her cheeks. "I knew you would come for me. I never stopped believing." "DISGUSTING!" Kiran spat, her voice filled with venom. "Look at this pathetic display! All this tender emotion makes me sick! You’re both weak, sniveling fools!" She began pacing like a caged beast. "The great Veilwalker, reduced to tears over some silver-haired wench! How absolutely revolting!" Eren turned to face Kiran, his expression hardening into something dangerous. "You kept your word about bringing me to Viva. But if you think this ends with us simply following you to whatever trap awaits—" "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Kiran interrupted, her eyes blazing with manic fury. "You think I care about your pathetic escape fantasies? You think any of this matters to me beyond my own amusement?" "Wait," Eren said quietly, but his voice carried such cold authority that even Kiran’s ranting faltered. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Eren’s posture changed, his shoulders squaring, and suddenly there was something lethal radiating from him—an aura of power that made even the exposed attendants shrink back in fear. "You’ve brought me to Viva as promised," he continued, his voice low and deadly. "That bargain is complete. But I’m not leaving here as your prisoner." Kiran stared at him for a long moment, then threw back her head and released a sound that was half-laugh, half-shriek. "FINE! FINE, FINE, FINE! You want to play the hero? You want to pretend you have power here? GO AHEAD!" She gestured wildly around the chamber, her movements erratic and violent. "This whole place is a web of traps anyway! Every door, every corridor, every pretty little room is designed to cage you! So try your heroic nonsense, Veilwalker! I’ll enjoy watching you fail!" "Towel," Viva requested quietly from one of the nearby attendants, who quickly provided her with a larger, thicker cloth to better cover herself. For several long moments, Eren and Viva stood close together, their eyes meeting and holding. No words were spoken aloud, but something passed between them—an understanding, a plan forming in the silence. Viva gave the slightest nod, and Eren’s jaw tightened with grim resolve. "The combined forces of Moonlight and Thornvale Kingdom have already infiltrated this place," Eren murmured to her, his voice barely a whisper. Viva’s eyes widened fractionally, but she kept her expression carefully neutral. "SECRET WHISPERS!" Kiran howled, having caught their quiet exchange. "Planning your little escape, are you? How wonderfully predictable! The hero and his rescued maiden, plotting together!" She spun in circles, her laughter becoming increasingly unhinged. "Go ahead! Make your plans! See how far your schemes take you in this place! I’ll be here to watch you both break!" But before anyone could respond, the heavy door they’d entered through suddenly burst open with tremendous force. Kaida glided into the chamber with predatory grace, her presence immediately commanding absolute attention. The change in atmosphere was instant and crushing. Every single attendant in the chamber—all those half-naked servants—immediately dropped to their knees, pressing their faces to the wet marble floor. Even Kiran, for all her manic energy, fell silent and sank into a deep, respectful bow. Only Viva remained standing, instinctively moving to position herself behind Eren’s protective form. "My lady," Kiran said, her voice suddenly subdued and deferential, all traces of her earlier shrieking replaced by careful respect. "I must apologize for the disruption. I brought the Veilwalker here as arranged, but perhaps I should have awaited your explicit permission before—" Kaida raised one elegant hand, and Kiran’s words died instantly. "Dear Kiran," Kaida said, her voice like poisoned honey. "You have performed exactly as I hoped. This is precisely where I wanted them both to be." "Is that so?" Eren replied, his voice carefully controlled but edged with steel. In one fluid motion, he raised both hands. The water from the massive marble tub responded instantly, surging upward in a towering wave before spreading out to form a protective barrier around him and Viva. His left hand gestured sharply downward, and chunks of marble flooring tore free, rising to reinforce the water wall with solid stone. Before Kaida could react, tendrils of water shot out like striking serpents, wrapping around Kiran’s torso and dragging her forward. She stumbled with a surprised curse, and as she did, more water flowed around her wrists, hardening into unbreakable restraints. "Clever move, Veilwalker!" Kiran laughed even as she found herself bound. "Though I have to say, if you wanted me this close, you could have simply asked!" Her grin turned feral. "But you have no idea what you’ve just started." Kaida’s expression remained perfectly serene, as if watching a mildly interesting performance. "You don’t want to do that, Veilwalker," she said conversationally. "There truly is no escape from this place." "I have both Kiran and Viva now," Eren replied, his voice hard as forged steel. "I’ll take my chances against whatever comes next." "You really don’t want to do that," Kaida repeated, her tone still maddeningly calm. "And why not?" Kaida’s smile turned absolutely predatory. "Because, my dear Veilwalker," she said, gesturing toward the doorway behind her with casual elegance, "I have Naia." Eren’s concentration shattered like glass struck by lightning. The water barrier collapsed in a thunderous crash, stone chunks smashing into the marble floor. His sister was pushed roughly into the chamber, looking small and terrified among the kneeling servants. "Eren," Naia whispered, her voice barely audible above the sound of settling water. The restraints around Kiran dissolved instantly as Eren stared at his sister, his worst fears made manifest. "What do you want from me?" he demanded, his voice rough with barely contained rage and desperation. Kaida’s laugh was light and musical—somehow more terrifying than any scream could have been. "Are all Veilwalkers truly this dense?" she asked, tilting her head with mock curiosity. "I want exactly what I have always wanted, nothing more and nothing less. For you to complete the remaining TUNA rituals." She paused, savoring the moment like fine wine. "The only question that remains is who you’ll be performing them with this time." Her smile became absolutely wicked. "My number six, of course." The chamber fell into dead, oppressive silence. Even Kiran had stopped her manic commentary, watching the unfolding drama with fascinated eyes. Eren stood frozen between impossible choices, while Kaida waited with the infinite patience of a predator who knew her prey had nowhere left to run.