After a much-needed shower and a few hours of sleep, Zen dragged Maya out of the penthouse. If they were going to step into Aurelia’s territory, they couldn’t do it looking like Academy students. They needed armor of a different kind.

They stood in the VIP lounge of Eclipse, a high-end boutique suspended in a glass spire above the city. The store catered exclusively to A-Rank awakened and corporate elites.

"Zen, this place is insane," Maya whispered, looking at a price tag on a simple silk scarf. "That costs more than my entire tuition."

"Don’t look at the tags," Zen replied, sipping a glass of complimentary synthetic wine. He was sitting on a mountain of untraceable credits he hadn’t touched in a while. "Just find what fits."

A sleek, robotic attendant hovered near the fitting room. The door hissed open, and Maya stepped out.

She wore a dark green, floor-length gown. It was sleeveless, with a subtle slit up the side and faint gold threading that perfectly matched the new, mutated aura resting in her core.

She looked completely different from the timid F-Rank healer from the Scrap Dorms. She looked like she belonged next to an Emperor.

She did a nervous twirl. "Is it too much?"

"It’s perfect," Zen said, setting his glass down. He pointed to the attendant. "We’ll take it. And box up the charcoal suit with the imperial lapels for me."

As Maya beamed and ducked back into the fitting room, Zen approached the store manager, a polished human woman with silver cybernetic eyes.

"I need three more boxes," Zen instructed quietly. "Private collection. Sleepwear, lingerie, and beachwear."

"Of course, sir. For the young lady?" the manager asked.

"No. For two women waiting back home," Zen said, pulling up his terminal. "One is built like a Valkyrie. The other hates anything impractical. Make them bold, but make them different."

The manager’s cybernetic eyes whirred as she processed the request. "I know exactly what you need, sir."

When Zen and Maya returned to the penthouse, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

Nyx and Valeria were exactly where they had left them, glaring at each other from opposite sides of the newly repaired living room. The moment Zen walked through the door, both Goddesses snapped to attention.

"Finally," Valeria grumbled, crossing her arms under her heavy breasts. "I was five minutes away from tearing the city apart to find you."

Zen ignored the complaint and tossed the shopping bags onto the glass coffee table.

"The Zenith Gala is in a few days," Zen announced. "Maya and I have our formal wear. But since I can’t bring you two into the event without triggering a war, I brought you something else."

He kicked the black boxes toward them. "Consider it a reward for not blowing up the penthouse while I was gone."

Valeria raised an eyebrow, catching her box effortlessly. Nyx used a brief pulse of gravity magic to float hers directly into her hands.

"What is this, Emperor?" Nyx asked, her purple circuitry flaring with curiosity.

"Open them and show me," Zen challenged, leaning back against the edge of the sofa. "I want to see if the boutique got your measurements right."

Neither Goddess hesitated. The moment they realized it was a direct request from Zen, it stopped being a simple gift and instantly became a battlefield. They locked eyes, silent threats passing between them, before they both vanished into separate rooms to change.

"This is going to end badly," Maya muttered, escaping toward the kitchen with her own bags.

Less than two minutes later, the doors hissed open.

Valeria stepped out first, and she completely owned the room.

She wore a striking crimson-red lingerie set that clung to her athletic, battle-hardened body like a second skin. The sheer silk robe hung open, barely covering anything and giving a provocative glimpse of her form.

Intricate gold straps framed her full, heavy breasts, lifting and pressing them together invitingly.

The tiny lace panties sat high on her powerful hips, with the thin fabric doing almost nothing to hide the smooth swell of her mound.

With every movement, the silk shifted teasingly over her toned abs and thick thighs.

"The brute looks like a wrapped piece of cheap candy," Nyx’s voice dripped with venom.

Then she stepped out of the shadows.

Her midnight-purple nightgown was pure elegance. The ultra-thin, shimmering material clung to her pale skin like liquid night, almost translucent under the right light.

It plunged dangerously low between her full breasts, the holographic lace accents shifting and sparkling with every breath. The gown was slit high up both sides, revealing the smooth length of her legs with every step.

Valeria bared her teeth, stepping right into Zen’s line of sight to block Nyx.

"Look at me, Emperor," Valeria demanded, doing a slow spin.

The sheer crimson robe fluttered open completely, giving him a full view of her sculpted body — the way her breasts strained against the delicate gold straps, the curve of her firm ass, and the powerful lines of her thighs. "This color was made for me. Tell me it looks better on my body than it ever would on hers."

Nyx scoffed and immediately stepped forward, refusing to be outdone. She arched her back slightly, pushing her chest out as the purple fabric clung to her stiff nipples.

"He appreciates sophistication, Valeria, not a distraction," Nyx purred, running her hands slowly down her own curves. "Not brute strength wrapped in red silk. Look how perfectly it fits me, Zen. How it moves with my body. Doesn’t it make you want to tear it off?"

Valeria shoved Nyx’s shoulder lightly, stepping directly into Zen’s line of sight.

"Stop trying to hide behind fancy fabric," she growled, turning sideways to show off her round, jiggling ass. "My Emperor likes strength. He likes something he can grab onto."

Nyx pushed back, deliberately brushing her breasts against Zen’s arm as she moved closer.

"Come on, Zen," she whispered, leaning forward so the plunging neckline of her gown offered him a breathtaking view of her pale cleavage. "Don’t you like what you see?"

The two S-Rank Goddesses were now standing inches apart, chests rising and falling rapidly, practically vibrating with tension as they fought for Zen’s gaze.

Their bodies were flushed, nipples visibly hard beneath the thin fabric, and the air between them crackled with both hostility and raw, desperate lust.

The silence was heavy, and electric.

"Stand side by side," Zen commanded.

Both women instantly stopped shoving. They stood shoulder to shoulder, chests heaving, glaring at each other before turning their hopeful eyes entirely onto him.

Zen took his time. He let his gaze drag slowly over Valeria’s fierce, athletic crimson display, and then shifted to Nyx’s sleek, hypnotic purple curves. Both Goddesses practically held their breath, waiting for him to declare a winner.

A slow, wicked smirk spread across his face.

"The manager at the boutique was right," Zen said in a low, rough voice. "You both look completely fucking devastating."

Valeria’s cheeks flushed a deep red that matched her lingerie. Nyx tried to keep her cold composure, but the purple circuitry on her neck and chest flared brightly with barely-contained pride and arousal.

Zen stood up slowly and stepped between them. He placed one hand possessively on Valeria’s waist, fingers digging into her warm skin, while his other hand settled on Nyx’s hip, thumb brushing just under the edge of her nightgown.

"So..." he murmured, his voice dropping into a dark, dangerous tone, "how far are you willing to go to please me?"