The sound of cutlery softly rang out in the Guild hall’s dining room. A small group gathered to enjoy a festive dinner before the day passed.
"Psst. Can you taste anything, Bianca?" Charlotte asked.
"Yep! When I am using Chiara’s body, I can. This dessert is subli, Lottie!"
Hearing Bianca’s positive comnt, Ned chuckled in satisfaction, "Haha, if you only knew how much Lottie worried about this dinner, Bianca. She was a nervous wreck."
"Neddy! You promised not to tell!"
Despite Charlotte’s outburst, her partner simply smiled and massaged her hand. Like magic, she settled down and murmured, "Hmph! I will definitely complain later!"
Those around them laughed awkwardly at the exchange. Despite it being a dinner, only a handful were eating food. The rest were instead eating various monster cores.
From the standpoint of humanity, it was a gathering of beauties and gentlen who were out of this world. Their skin and sky, while the sa as people’s, couldn’t hide the fierce power and presence underneath.
The Beowolves, Bastion, Silent, and Fluffy. The Fla Phoenixes, Sunny, and her husband Flare; Karnathians, Woody, and Blooms. There was also Yearns, who represented Virexar, and Epsilon for Ysh-Natul.
There was only one non-representative, non-family, present, Burny who was perched on Fluffy’s seat. Along with the three humans, it totaled thirteen.
Of course, the thirteen gathered at present were at the command of Elian and Bianca. The two in particular grew pleased to see the mbers of their faction. Each one present represented a power they could tap into.
All of which they would desperately need for the coming battles.
"I’m glad you two seem closer. Char don’t go breaking my brother’s heart now. I still need him," Elian joked.
Charlotte glared at Elian, then looked away in annoyance. "That will never happen! Ned is an amazing lover and still sane. Please do not lump him in with the likes of you!"
At her disrespectful comnt, Epsilon the Naga-Harpy by the side snarled in anger, "You do well to hold your tongue in the presence of the Tyrant, you at sack!"
She created a short blade and was about to attack Charlotte, only for two people to dart away from their seats.
Ned abruptly stood up and shielded his lover behind him. Although he had no weapon, he raised his fists without fear.
anwhile, Fluffy moved so fast she teleported behind Epsilon and twisted her arm, taking away her knife. "Chill out, lil sis, Char is family. We do not attack our own. Apologize now."
Although Fluffy’s voice was kind and gentle, it left no room for compromise. Epsilon looked around the dining table and noticed that no one else batted an eye at the brief exchange. She bit her lip in frustration and bowed her head to Charlotte.
"I apologize for my ignorance. Please forgive . It will never happen again."
Charlotte, bewildered that she almost got attacked for what she said, gulped in nervousness before replying.
"I-It’s alright, Epsilon. I was also too careless. I forgive you."
The Naga who didn’t even have legs made a faint smile and returned to her post beside the door. Despite everyone’s insistence that she join them, she didn’t and acted as a guard instead.
When the commotion died down, Katri rebuked her friend in a teasing tone.
"I told you many tis, you harlot. When Ned cos into the picture, you lose your common sense. You really are Bianca’s best friend. You two are like peas in the sa pod."
Ned smiled wryly while Charlotte flushed red in embarrassnt. "That’s hardly my fault, all right! I am his wife; I will not allow anyone to disrespect him, even Elian!"
The table began to turn lively at Char’s fierce declaration. Sunny, in particular, was ecstatic.
"Well said, human! A wife must always stand by her man no matter the opposition. Bianca has managed to find a diamond in the rough!"
Before Charlotte could even enjoy the attention, the n at the table also gave their two cents.
"Hmm. Such a woman is fine indeed. But if she cannot control her emotions, she will only make her husband’s life harder," Bastion remarked.
Flare sighed heavily as he slipped in a comnt. "There are tis to stand and tis one must bend; being obstinate in the face of overwhelming might blurs the line between bravery and stupidity."
"Fools think by the second, while the wise by the day. I have watched the young Charlotte; she is no fool, but she is quite young. She should gain command of her emotions as the years pass. Young Ned, guard her well," Woody also cautioned.
"Ah, yes! I will, Sir Woody!"
Elian couldn’t help but feel warm at the exchange. Charlotte, from what he knew, only had a sharp tongue when Bianca or he was involved. As Woody had observed, most of the ti she was quite put together.
He grew amazed at how much the Weapon valued her and Ned. If one disregarded the difference in race, that exchange just now sounded like uncles and a grandfather worrying about their niece.
A hand slipped into Elian’s and intertwined their fingers. Bianca whispered with a smile.
"I am glad they accepted her. She often worries about not having trustworthy allies. I can tell that Lottie is finding all of this overwhelming in a good way; see her shoulders?"
Elian followed Bianca’s line of sight and noticed that Charlotte’s shoulders were hunched, and although she tried to hide it, her body trembled, and her eyes were watery.
"I see. Then that is good. A closely-knit family is the best."
"Yep. The best."
As the two of them flirted, Elian then felt a steel pellet smack his temple.
The source? A disgruntled Fluffy who seed to grow more annoyed as ti passed.
"Stop flirting already, you horny bastard. Why did you call all of us here?"
Before Elian could comnd, a paper fan smacked Fluffy in the face with a loud twack. Like a belligerent delinquent, Fluffy raged at the blatant disrespect, "Who the hell—"
But the perpetrator simply fixed her hair as she snapped, "I know you’re annoyed, but try to have so class, you mongrel. Stop getting angry that you are still single."
"This bitch! I don’t see you shacking up with anyone! I don’t think anyone who cries at night about not having a partner has any credibility to stand on! For your information, I have a partner!"
Dauntless, Katri smacked Fluffy in the face again, "Shut up! Who says I cried! Also! Having a firecracker with wings tell you sweet nothings at soone else’s command is not a partner! Have so sha!"
Elian burst out laughing at the spectacle before him. The fact that Fluffy allowed Katri to smack her around spoke volus about how close they were.
Bianca similarly enjoyed the skit, "Hehe, Fluffy got whacked. Twice!"
Add to that the annoyed faces of the people around, and you could tell these types of exchanges happened often. Disregarding the world outside, it seed like a real family dinner. However, the people gathered at present, while close, were not a normal group.
"Enough."
A beautiful woman stood up; her presence and beauty were on another level. But rather than that, what people noticed was the overwhelming bloodlust pouring out of her.
"Son-in-law, I have waited long enough," Silent practically snarled in hostility.
Knowing what she wanted, Elian didn’t mind her aggressiveness and began the discussions.
"Tomorrow, I intend to assault Virexar," he declared, "imdiately after, I wish to attack Ysh-Natul."
Silent slamd her fist on the table and grew angrier, "Why waste ti with the snake or insect bastards? If all you need is a successful invasion, just strike Averignis or Karnathi and claim the result. Every day we delay, the humans are getting away!"
Although she had the appearance of a human, Silent’s eyes glowed orange and her teeth elongated into fangs. Elian knew why she was so obsessed with attacking humans. Specifically the leaders of the Big Three who made Bianca’s life hell.
"I suppose you have yet to speak to Woody, Mother-in-law?"
"Why would I?" she snapped, "He is but a failure of a man! Everyone knew that his wife was taken, yet he left her and caused millions of his race to die. He is the sha of Karnathi, known as the Tyrant of Indecisiveness!"
It was subtle, but Elian saw Woody flinch; Blooms also tried to stand up but was stopped by Fluffy, who sat beside her.
In the end, Bianca quickly stood up and pacified her mother. Silent Frozen Star was so consud by rage that she cried in frustration.
"Son-in-law, these insolent humans mock my weakness; they hard my baby yet they still breathe! It is my greatest sha as a mother and as a Weapon. Didn’t you say you would help ? Why aren’t you doing anything?" Silent shrieked.
Bastion and Sunny also tried to calm her, but she began to get hysterical. Elian couldn’t bla her, as he knew she was already showing signs of obsession even before he left. And that was a month ago.
Hmm. I wonder if this is due to her original personality, talent, or to being a weapon.
Shaking his head, Elian stood up and approached Silent. He took her hand in his and spoke in a tone as cold as ice.
"Mother-in-law, don’t worry. They won’t get away. Woody told that after I complete all the rules for Tyrants, I can begin the Crucible for Earth. When that happens, the Tyrant Candidates and I will be locked in an arena with our Knights and fight."
In that mont, Elian allowed all the rage, hurt, and regret he had been keeping inside his heart to co out. A bloodlust so thick it choked the humans pervaded the air. And the skin and bodies of every Weapon in Crestfall City rippled.
"There, they will all die horribly."
Silent cald down upon bearing the brunt of Elian’s emotions. With a sadistic smile, she asked, "You’re bringing with you, right?"
"Naturally," Elian replied.
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