The Extra's Rise-Chapter 557: Six Superpowers (2)

"Ha!" I exhaled as I finished the final swing of my training sequence, the blade cutting through the air with precision that would have been impossible just months ago. I wiped sweat from my brow as my lips curled into a satisfied smile, feeling the familiar burn of muscles pushed to their limits.

Finally.

I closed my eyes and reached inward with my consciousness, seeking that inner landscape where magical development could be observed and measured. And there it was—clear as daylight now.

The Wall.

I had reached peak Integration-rank at last. The months of relentless training, the countless hours spent pushing my limits, the careful cultivation of my magical core—all of it had led to this moment. In front of me, visible in my mind’s eye, stood the legendary barrier that separated Integration-rank from Ascendant-rank. This was what I needed to cross in order to step beyond mortal limitations and join the ranks of those who could truly shape the world.

The Wall loomed before me like a crystalline barrier, simultaneously beautiful and intimidating. I could feel the immense power required to break through, the fundamental transformation that awaited on the other side.

"You are training hard," a familiar voice said with obvious amusement, making me turn around from my contemplation.

"Big sis," I greeted my cousin Lilith, who leaned against the courtyard wall with characteristic casual elegance. Even in relaxed posture, she carried herself with the confidence of someone who had reached high Immortal-rank at only twenty-five—a level of power that put her among the continental elite.

"Peak Integration-rank, not bad at all," she grinned as she approached, her eyes taking in the obvious signs of my breakthrough with approval. She reached out to ruffle my hair in the same affectionate gesture she’d used since we were children, though now she had to stretch slightly to reach. "You got so tall I have to extend my arm to reach your head now."

"Well of course," I responded with mock seriousness, "My father is tall, so I should be tall too, right? Basic genetics."

"Windward blood," she sighed with exaggerated resignation. She was quite tall herself, standing around 5’10" thanks to the same bloodline, but my 6’3" frame had definitely outpaced her growth. "You men always have to show off with your height."

I chuckled at her familiar complaint. The Windward family had always produced tall, imposing figures—a trait that served us well in both political negotiations and combat situations.

"Anyway," Lilith said, shifting the conversation with the smooth transition that marked her as a skilled diplomat, "those two have gotten quite acclimated to Northern life now." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as they met mine, and she gave me that sleazy grin I’d learned to be wary of. "The future brides of our family are settling in well, I see."

"Big sis," I complained, feeling heat rise to my cheeks as she laughed at my obvious embarrassment. Despite my protests, I couldn’t deny that her observation held more truth than I was comfortable admitting aloud.

The "two" she referred to were indeed special to me—Seol-ah Moyong and Deia Solaryn, both of whom had found sanctuary in the North under circumstances that had forever changed their lives.

"They’re not exactly ’future brides,’" I protested weakly, knowing even as I said it that Lilith wouldn’t let me off easily.

"Oh really?" she raised an eyebrow with theatrical skepticism. "So you’re telling me you don’t have feelings for the ice princess from the East who practices sword forms with deadly precision? And you definitely don’t care about the flame-haired beauty from the Southern Sea Sun Palace who looks at you like you hung the moon?"

I opened my mouth to deny it, then closed it again. Lilith had always been able to see through my attempts at deception, a skill that made her invaluable as a diplomat and insufferable as a cousin.

The truth was that I did care about both of them, deeply and in ways that sometimes kept me awake at night. But with everything happening—the ongoing aftermath of the war, the political instability, the trauma they’d both been through—I had been holding back. I didn’t want to complicate their lives further when they were already dealing with so much.

"It’s complicated," I said finally, which only made Lilith’s grin widen.

"The best relationships usually are," she replied knowingly. "Come on, let’s go find them. I want to see how they’re adjusting to their new lives here."

We made our way through the Windward family compound, a sprawling complex that seamlessly blended traditional architecture with cutting-edge technology. Climate control systems maintained perfect temperature throughout the interconnected buildings, while holographic displays provided real-time security updates and communication feeds. The compound housed not just our immediate family but also retainers, guests, and various refugees who had found sanctuary under our protection.

We found both young women in the family’s private training facility, an advanced space. Seol-ah was practicing sword forms with her usual methodical precision. Deia stood nearby with her own blade drawn, waiting for her turn in the training cycle, both of them at high Integration-rank and approaching their own confrontations with the Wall.

"Seol-ah, Deia," I called as we approached, noting how both of them stepped back from their training routines at my voice, their practice blades automatically powering down as the facility’s AI recognized the session pause.

"Lucifer," Seol-ah acknowledged with a small nod, though I caught the way her golden eyes lingered on my face a moment longer than strictly necessary. Her neural interface still displayed training metrics in the corner of her vision. "Your training session went well?"

"I reached peak Integration-rank," I reported, unable to keep the pride entirely out of my voice.

"Congratulations," Deia said warmly, her golden eyes lighting up with genuine happiness. "That’s incredible progress. You’ll be crossing the Wall soon."

"Eventually," I agreed, settling down on a nearby bench while Lilith made herself comfortable on a stone ledge. "It’s not something to rush."

There was a moment of comfortable silence before I found myself looking at both of them, really looking at them. These weren’t just guests in our compound anymore—they had become integral parts of my daily life, my thoughts, my concerns for the future.

"Actually," I said, my voice carrying a note of nervous determination, "there’s something I need to talk to both of you about."

They exchanged a meaningful glance, and I caught something that looked almost like relief in their expressions.

"We were hoping you’d say that," Deia said softly.

"Your mother spoke with us when I first arrived," Seol-ah explained, her usual composure intact but her golden eyes watchful. "She asked about our feelings, our intentions."

My heart began to race. Mother had always been direct, but I hadn’t realized she’d been having these conversations. "What did she say?"

"She told us that she could see how we looked at you," Deia replied, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "And she said that the Windward family values honesty above propriety."

"She also said," Seol-ah continued, "that if we were serious about our feelings for you, we shouldn’t wait indefinitely for you to make the first move."

I felt heat rising to my own cheeks. "And what did you tell her?"

"The truth," Deia said simply. "That we both love you."

"More than love," Seol-ah added quietly, her reserved exterior cracking to reveal something raw and honest. "That we’ve been waiting for you to acknowledge what we all know is between us."

The words hung in the air, carrying weight that seemed to alter the very atmosphere of the training facility. I found myself staring at both of them, these remarkable women who had somehow become the center of my world.

"I..." I began, then stopped, taking a deep breath. "I owe you both an apology."

They looked at me with surprise, clearly not expecting that response.

"I thought I was being helpful by keeping my distance," I continued. "I thought that with everything you’ve both been through—losing your homes, dealing with political upheaval, adjusting to life here—the last thing you needed was me adding romantic complications to your lives."

"Lucifer—" Deia started, but I held up a hand.

"Please, let me finish. I realize now that what I thought was consideration was actually just cowardice. I was protecting myself as much as trying to protect you, and in doing so, I was dismissing your agency, your ability to make your own choices about what you wanted."

Seol-ah’s expression softened in a way few people ever saw. "You were trying to be thoughtful."

"But it wasn’t what either of us wanted," Deia added gently. "We didn’t need protection from our feelings. We needed honesty."

"I’m sorry," I said, looking between them both. "I should have trusted you to know your own minds, and I should have been honest about my own feelings instead of trying to make decisions for all of us."

"Apology accepted," Seol-ah said with a small smile.

"Definitely accepted," Deia agreed. "But what matters now is what happens next."

I took another deep breath, feeling like I was standing on the edge of that Wall in more ways than one. "The truth is, I love you both. I’ve been trying to figure out how to handle these feelings, how to choose between you without hurting anyone. But your mother—" I glanced at where Lilith had been sitting, only to find she had quietly disappeared "—suggested that maybe I don’t have to choose."

The smiles that spread across both their faces were radiant.

"She mentioned that noble families often form political alliances through marriage," Seol-ah said with her characteristic analytical precision. "And that our situations create exactly the kind of circumstances that justify unconventional arrangements."

"Plus," Deia added with a mischievous grin, "we’ve grown quite fond of each other as well. Living here, training together, sharing our feelings about you—it’s created a bond between us that goes beyond just both loving the same person."

I looked at both of them, these extraordinary women who had somehow found a way to turn what could have been a rivalry into a partnership. "So what are you saying?"

"We’re saying," Seol-ah replied, "that if you’re willing to love us both, we’re willing to share you."

"And each other," Deia added warmly. "This isn’t just about you being with both of us separately. We want to build something together, all three of us."

I felt something tight in my chest finally relax. "I want that too. More than I can express."

"So we’re really doing this?" Deia asked, her voice carrying excitement and hope.

"We’re really doing this," I confirmed. "No more holding back, no more second-guessing. If we’re going to be together, let’s be together properly."

"Dating then?" Seol-ah asked with a rare, genuine smile.

"Dating," I agreed. "With both of you. Let the compound gossips make of that what they will."

Deia laughed, a sound like silver bells. "Oh, they’re going to have a field day with this."

"Let them," I said, reaching out to take both their hands. "I’m tired of hiding how I feel about you both."