Chaos Heir

Chapter 1524: Son

Khan blinked, his senses sharpening to search for anything relevant, only to come back empty-handed.

Nevertheless, the mental connection and Liiza’s gesture delivered an unmistakable message, prolonging Khan’s silence and stupor, even making his glowing eyes go wide.

Liiza seemed to have no interest in speaking, but Khan’s self-restraint started to dwindle after a few seconds in that situation. He peeked at the head nestled on his shoulder, hoping to receive a response, only to retract himself when he didn’t get any.

Removing Liiza’s warm and cozy resting spot would have normally earned Khan a pout, but a coy smile ended up blooming in his vision. Faint traces of a pale blush even started to affect Liiza, who kept pressing Khan’s hand on her.

"[Are you-]?" Khan asked, instinctively using the Niqols’ language, but failing to complete his question.

Liiza’s smile broadened, growing brighter as her mouth leaned forward, searching for Khan’s lips. She succeeded, trapping Khan into a kiss, even releasing his hand to reach for his braided hair.

Khan let the kiss distract him for a while, but his forehead eventually went on Liiza’s, pushing on it to separate their lips, interrupting the kiss so that they could have room for words.

Yet, when Khan met Liiza’s eyes, no words escaped his mouth. Instead, he only watched as she returned to his shoulder, as if in a daze, while his hand kept clinging to her waist.

"[We fight for four now]," Liiza eventually said, immersing Khan’s face in her white glow. "[One day we’ll be five, and they’ll outnumber us]."

Liiza did her best to hide it, but Khan was as sharp as she, especially when it came to her heart. Evident happiness filled her voice, but Khan couldn’t help but spot the faint trace of concern under it.

At that point in time, Khan and Liiza didn’t need words to communicate. He could see and sense the real reason behind that veiled concern, which had to do with the war, but not in the immediate sense.

The war was indeed concerning, but Liiza had made her peace with its inevitability. The regulated universe had to fight. That enemy had to die so that all the mana-based existences could have a future.

Instead, Liiza’s current concern was deeper and more personal, especially now that Khan had fulfilled his goal of reaching the closest possible step before a complete attunement with mana. His next, and probably final, transformation was right around the corner, and Liiza was worried.

That worry came from a mixture of the plan’s danger and Khan’s terrible habits. Liiza knew he was on the right path to getting rid of them, but the fate of the universe could very well make them flare again.

It would also be reasonable. One life, one family, was incomparable to the entire regulated universe. Yet, Liiza didn’t care for math or the greater good. She had given her future to Khan, and losing him or what made him himself would erase it.

"[I’m not going anywhere]," Khan promised, reassuring. "[I will save the universe, but only on my own terms]."

"[I believe you]," Liiza said, "[But I fell for your stupid selflessness, and I know it’s not gone. It will never go away]."

Khan wanted to reassure Liiza but couldn’t lie to her. Truth be told, if push came to shove, he would consider sacrificing himself.

That obviously wouldn’t be for the universe. It was simply Khan’s job as a father to give everything for his family, even his life, and Liiza knew that far too well. After all, both her mother and Bret had done that for their children.

Still, Liiza didn’t press the issue. She knew Khan couldn’t give her the answer she wanted to hear. He wouldn’t be him if he could, and everything about the war was too uncertain to make proper promises.

"[Just hold me throughout this week]," Liiza requested, closing her eyes while rubbing her face on Khan’s shoulder. "[I want to go to battle with your warmth still lingering on my skin]."

Some conflict formed inside Khan. After all, his hand was still on Liiza’s waist. She had basically confirmed what that meant, which would also increase the danger for her on the battlefield.

However, the two had already gone over that issue once, and Liiza was quick to scold Khan before he could even mention the matter.

"[We must both lead by example]," Liiza said without opening her eyes. "[Our son will be a great warrior like his father. I won’t insult him by avoiding this fight]."

Liiza had almost sounded like a Thilku there, and Khan usually wouldn’t miss the chance to tease her about that. Yet, something far greater caught his attention, leaving him unable to think about anything else.

"[Son]?" Khan whispered.

Liiza opened her eyes, meeting Khan’s glowing gaze while reaching for the warm hand on her waist again. She pushed it closer, seemingly wanting Khan’s palm to pierce her, displaying the intensity usual of her species.

"[Can’t you feel him]?" Liiza wondered. "[My blood is telling me he is a he]."

Obviously, Liiza had no way of knowing the child’s sex. It was hardly a child at all now, but Khan knew better than to question her mystical, and often scary, intuition.

Moreover, Khan couldn’t really care about that now that a proper confirmation had arrived. The most unlikely of the miracles had happened. Liiza was pregnant again.

"[You beautiful, incredible woman]," Khan gasped.

Liiza giggled, wanting to say something, only to find her lips sealed by a kiss. Khan didn’t hold back anymore there, even pushing her down to the brittle ground.

Khan kept the kiss short, seemingly containing his festive mood to avoid causing problems for the sleeping Yeza, but Liiza soon found an arm wrapped around her head, squeezing her on a warm, muscular chest.

The squeeze was quite suffocating, but Khan quickly interrupted it to lean down to Liiza’s eye level, taking her pale cheek in his palm.

"[I will give you this week]," Khan promised, "[And my every breathing second after the war]."

"[Those are already mine]," Liiza declared, forcefully turning Khan on his back so that she could climb on him. "[So, you can’t sacrifice them, even if the universe has to pay the ultimate price]."

Khan straightened his back, sitting down to face Liiza, who clawed her hand on his chest, seemingly wanting to pierce it to hold his heart.

"[Believe in us]," Liiza continued. "[Believe in our family. Come back to us, even if you have to become a monster in human shape to do so]."