The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy-Chapter 429: The Beginning Of The End [XCI]

Fifteen days had passed since Aestrea had returned to the lower realms, and there, he spent a lot of time sealing back the realm with a much stronger barrier this time.

Along with that, he killed all the remaining gods that had invaded his planet. He had no mercy at all for them.

Only after the last threat was gone did he finally slow down.

And now...

They were celebrating.

Click, click...

"HEY, THAT’S MY CHUG!"

"YOU JUST DRANK BOTH MINE AND YOURS, THAT’S YARA’S!!!"

The tavern was loud, warm, and packed to the brim.

Long wooden tables filled the space, scratched and worn from years of use.

Mugs slammed against wood, and plates of meat and bread were stacked high. Laughter bounced off the walls and mixed with music from a badly tuned lute in the corner.

It smelled of alcohol, roasted meat, and sweat.

Aestrea sat near the center table, surrounded on all sides.

Vivian leaned back in her chair with her boots on the table, laughing loudly. Zeva had already emptied two mugs and was working on her third.

Ruli and Leaf were sharing snacks while whispering excitedly.

Lumi floated lazily above a chair, sipping something far too sweet. Lilith was being loudly scolded by Zeva for trying to seduce Aestrea with her tail!

Tap...!

James stood up suddenly, wobbling a little as he lifted his mug high.

The tavern slowly quieted.

Derek stood up beside him, steadying him by the shoulder.

"Ahem," James cleared his throat.

"So, fifteen days ago, the world was about to go straight to hell."

A few people laughed.

"And then this idiot shows up," James continued, jerking his thumb at Aestrea.

"Kills gods like he is cleaning dirt off his boots. Fixes the sky. Fixes the land. Fixes literally everything in our dear!"

"And still finds time to ignore us for his lovers." Derek nodded seriously.

The table burst into laughter.

"Yeah. That part hurt." James snorted.

"But," Derek added, lifting his own mug, "we are still alive. Our home still stands. Our people still sleep safely."

James raised his mug higher.

"So this toast," he said, voice firm now, "is to the man who left, came back stronger, and punched fate in the face."

"To Aestrea!" Derek grinned.

"TO AESTREAAA!"

CLACK!

Mugs clashed loudly, causing Aestrea to smile lightly.

He stood up, lifting his own cup.

The room slowly grew quiet, and even the music stopped. A few chairs scraped as people turned their bodies toward him.

Aestrea took a breath.

"When I left... I told myself it would be short. I said one job. One climb. Then I would come back."

His fingers tightened around the cup.

"I lied to myself."

No one laughed.

"Time passed differently for me. Days felt small. Years felt thin. But here... nine years passed. Nine long years where you lived, fought, aged, bled, and buried people."

A few faces lowered.

"I was not here when walls broke. I was not here when fear filled the streets. I was not here when gods came down and treated your lives like dust."

His voice dropped.

"That weight sits on me."

He looked around the table, meeting eyes one by one.

"But you did not fall. You stood. You protected children who had no power. You healed wounds that never closed right. You made choices that hurt because someone had to make them."

Lucas clenched his jaw while Isabella’s hands started trembling.

"This world did not live because of me," Aestrea said.

"It lived because of you."

A sharp breath sounded from somewhere as someone had sniffed.

"I came back strong," he continued, "but strength means nothing without people worth protecting."

He raised his cup higher.

"So this drink is not for my return. This drink is for your years without me. For every night you thought you would not see the sun. For every friend you lost. For every day you stayed anyway."

His voice roughened.

"I am here now, and this time I’m taking everyone with me!."

The place fell silent for a moment.

"Sniff... uwuu..."

Then someone started crying.

Vivian wiped her eyes and laughed through tears. Isabella bowed her head, shoulders shaking. James stared at the floor, biting his lip hard.

Aestrea lifted his cup.

"To all of you."

The room exploded.

Laughter burst out right after, the kind that shook tables and made mugs slosh over the edges.

"DRINK!" Derek yelled, slamming his mug down.

"DRINK OR YOU’RE A TRAITOR!" James added, already half drunk.

Aestrea sat back down, shaking his head with a smile as someone refilled his cup without asking.

The tavern turned noisy again.

Music picked back up, with a bard strumming strings so hard one snapped mid-note.

"Worth it!" the bard shouted.

Vivian jumped onto a chair, raising her mug high.

"To him coming back alive!" she laughed.

"And not fighting gods for at least a month!"

"Make it a year!" Lucas called out.

"Make it forever!" Maya added, already tipsy.

Isabella sat beside Aestrea, but she did not drink right away, and instead, she leaned close, her shoulder touching his.

"Let’s drink," he said, gazing at her lightly.

"...Okay!"

Her hand trembled as she lifted her cup.

’...She still feels like this is a dream, huh? How... sad did I make them?’ he frowned inwardly.

’...Never again.’

Clack!

They clinked mugs softly, just the two of them, before the noise swallowed them again.

Ruli and Leaf ran circles around the table, laughing, Lumi floating above their heads like a glowing balloon.

Zeva argued with Yara over who had suffered more while Aestrea was gone, both pointing fingers and listing insults.

Alaine laughed so hard she nearly fell backward.

Violet tried to pull her back onto her chair, but failed miserably.

At one point, James stood up again, swaying.

"I still feel cheated," he said loudly. "Nine years. No letters. No warning. And he comes back with gods, wings, and half the tavern in love with him."

"Sit down! You sound like a damn jealous ex."

"I AM!" James shouted.

Everyone laughed at their bicker.

At that moment, Lilith took the opportunity and quickly slid down behind Aestrea, her heart-shaped tail wrapping around his strong arm.

"Ahh~"

She breathed into his ear, causing his body to quiver in surprise.

"L-Lilith?"

"M-Master~... I-I’m so d-damn w-wet for you~" she breathed onto his ear once again, taking the opportunity to lick the earlobe, causing him to quiver again.

"Lilith, not now..." Aestrea said with some difficulty as her tail was getting increasingly mischievous, trailing down his chest.

"But I can’t hold back a-anymore~~, don’t ya know the amount of lust a succubus has? N-not to mention that I w-waited for you n-nine whole years!" she purred into his ear.

"Nine whole years without sex~! I had to masturbate twelve times a day for the whole nine years since I didn’t have you to satisfy me~"

Hearing her words, Aestrea fell silent, and noticing that everyone was already lost in their own world, he closed his eyes for a moment.

Snap!

He snapped his finger, and both he and Lilith disappeared, reappearing at what seemed to be the main bed of Aestrea’s palace.

Rustle, swoop!

Almost instantly, she flipped him onto his back, straddling his waist and pinning his shoulders to the mattress.

"Lilith..."

He called out her name, and hearing her voice, her eyes instantly changed into heart-shaped pupils, glowing with an intense, almost otherworldly lust.

Swish!

In an instant, her casual clothes transformed into a revealing succubus outfit that accentuated every curve of her body.

The outfit consisted of a deep red, form-fitting bodysuit that left little to the imagination, with strategic cutouts that hinted at her most intimate areas.

The bodysuit was adorned with intricate, shimmering black lace patterns that seemed to change with her every movement, casting mesmerizing shadows across her skin.

Her breasts were barely contained by the plunging neckline, and her thighs were barely covered by the high-cut skirt that seemed to be made of the same seductive material.

The outfit was completed by a pair of matching, knee-high boots that hugged her legs tightly, emphasizing her long, toned legs.

Not to mention, Lilith’s tail, now a vivid red, coiled around Aestrea’s waist, holding him firmly in place as she leaned over him, her breath hot on his neck.

"Haagh... Master, haa...♡"

"I’ve waited so long for this moment...! I need you to satisfy me, to fill me completely! Let me just show you just how much I’ve missed you..." Her hands started roaming over his body, exploring every inch of him with an almost palpable hunger.

At the same time, Lilith’s lips descended upon the sensitive skin of his neck, not kissing, but branding him with a series of open-mouthed, wet kisses.

"Nngh... slurp... you taste even better than I remembered, Master..." she whispered, her voice a husky vibration against his throat.

She nipped at his pulse point, her sharp canines grazing him just enough to send a jolt of pleasure-pain through his veins.

"Mmph... so warm... I can feel your heart racing for me..."

Aestrea, unable to resist her, tilted his head back, offering her more of himself.

’...I’ll let her take control for now. Succubus do tend to be the dominant figure during sex, so I’ll let her enjoy it for now,’ he added inwardly.

"Lilith..." he groaned out.

Hearing him calling out her name, she shifted, capturing his lips in a ferocious, demanding kiss.

"Mwah... ah, yes... give me that tongue..." she moaned into his mouth, her own swirling against his.

She broke the kiss for a split second, panting, her glowing heart-eyes locked with his.

"I’ve dreamed of this taste... mmph... every single night..."

While her mouth waged its delicious war on his, her free hand slid down his chest with purpose.

Her fingers danced over the fabric of his trousers until they found the hard, straining evidence of his desire.

"Oh... gasp... Master... you’re so big for me..." she cooed, her voice dripping with sinful delight.

Her palm began to massage him in slow circles, feeling him throb against her touch through the barrier of cloth.

"Feel that? Thump-thump-thump... that’s my heartbeat, right here in your pants... just for you..."

Aestrea’s hips bucked involuntarily, pushing himself harder into her hand. He broke the kiss, his own hands finally free to roam.

They tangled in her silken hair, pulling her back down for another searing kiss as his other hand gripped her waist, pulling her tighter against him.

He reciprocated her passion, his tongue battling with hers, his own groans mixing with her whimpers.

Quiver...

Lilith shivered at his aggressive response, her tail coiling tighter around his leg.

"Yes... huff... that’s it, Master... take what you want...♡" she panted, her hand working his bulge with more urgency.

"Schlick... schlick... I can feel you getting so hard...♡ so ready... Are you going to finally fill this ache I’ve had for nine long years?" Her voice was a desperate, lustful plea as she nibbled his lower lip, her glowing eyes promising an eternity of ecstasy.

At this moment, Aestrea’s eyes changed slighly.

’If she continues like this, I won’t be able to hold myself back!’