ᵥₒₗᵤₘₑ ₅, ₚₐᵣₜ ₈: ₛᵤbₜₑᵣfᵤgₑ ₋ Family Feud.
~5.3k words
A new day dawned on the city of Sharia; its streets bathed in the gentle hues of the morning sun.
The night had relinquished its hold, and the world was once again alive with the promise of a fresh beginning.
The city, nestled between rolling hills and a meandering river, had an enchanting charm that only seemed to intensify as winter's grasp began to wane, giving way to the tender embrace of spring.
As the days grew longer and the temperatures gradually rose, Sharia transformed itself.
The stark, icy landscapes thawed, revealing lush greenery and blossoming flowers.
The transition from winter to spring was a sight to behold, with the cityscape turning into a drapery of vibrant colors.
Cherry blossoms, or rather their lookalikes painted the streets with their delicate pink petals, and the fragrance of newly blooming flowers wafted through the air, enveloping the city in a sweet embrace.
Away from the heart of Sharia, where opulent mansions stopped lining the streets anymore, stood a single grand estate that seemed to embody the essence of royalty.
With its design that was reminiscent of a bygone era...from earth at least, boasted sprawling gardens that sprawled as far as the eye could see.
The mansion was an architectural masterpiece, adorned with ornate pillars, intricate carvings, and sprawling balconies that offered breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.
The melodious symphony of birdsong filled the air around the mansion, as if the feathered creatures were rejoicing in the arrival of spring.
Their happy chirps resonated through the garden, creating a tranquil and serene atmosphere.
Among the various elements that adorned the garden, a young girl with raven-black hair stood out, seated gracefully on a weathered bench.
She appeared to be in her late teens, her features delicate and her demeanor exuding an air of quiet elegance.
Her raven tresses cascaded down her back in a silken waterfall, framing her innocent, petite complexion.
She wore a simple, yet elegant, dress in pastel shades that complemented the spring surroundings.
With her eyes closed, she tilted her head towards the warming sun, basking in the soft sunlight that bathed the garden.
She couldn't care before but recently Nanahoshi had been drawn to the beauty of the nature of this world, finding solace in the embrace of the changing seasons.
As spring began to unfurl its petals, she found herself irresistibly drawn to the garden, where she could immerse herself in the symphony of life that surrounded her.
Yet, a heavy crushing weight stayed on her chest. With her eyes closed as she absorbed the sunlight, she heaved a wavering breath.
A single image kept flashing in her mind. It didn't make her recoil or wake up in surprised.
After all, it was the only solace she had found in this world.
In the opposite corner of the garden, a stark contrast to Nanahoshi's "seemingly" serene presence, a boy who—physically— seemed no older than ten years old was engaged in a relentless, repetitive motion.
His hair, a striking shade of silver, glinted in the morning light as he swung a gleaming sword with precision and determination.
The sword was much bigger than him.
Yet, every swing was swung with an equal force and determination.
Each swing was a testament to his unwavering focus, as he executed a perfectly controlled vertical slash over and over again.
Adam—despite his youthful visage, there was an undeniable air of maturity and discipline about him.
His silver hair and striking crimson eyes were a stark contrast to the lush greenery that surrounded him.
His dedication to protecting his master's house and in extension to the art of swordplay was unwavering.
To him nothing much mattered. His mind was focused on a single order.
Despite being able to swing the sword around 7000 times with the same force, he couldn't even come close to landing a single hit on his master, let alone defeat him.
As Nanahoshi soaked in the warmth of the sun, her senses were attuned to the rhythmic sound of Adam's swordplay.
The symphony of birdsong and the swishing of the sword created a surreal harmony that seemed to echo the juxtaposition of life's various facets—the tranquility of nature and the relentless pursuit of mastery.
Nanahoshi had tirelessly attempted to dissuade him on countless occasions, but her efforts had ultimately proved futile.
Despite his unwavering obedience in all other matters, Adam adamantly refused to cease his relentless practice.
She sighed, her ears filled with the sounds of Adam's strained grunts and labored pants.
A small spherical pool of sweat collected between his feet, while rivulets of perspiration continued to drip from his chin, intermingling with the steadily growing pool on the floor.
This salty pond bore streaks of red as his hands bled profusely, the blood seamlessly merging with the surrounding sweat.
The hilt of his sword had become drenched in his life's essence, yet Adam's countenance remained impassive as he swung his blade, again and again, in a ceaseless rhythm.
'Three thousand and one. Three thousand and two. Three thousand and three. Three thousand and four.'
He counted meticulously within the confines of his mind.
The world around him receded into insignificance as he and his sword melded into one, the two of them finely attuned as he endeavored to replicate a single slash repeatedly, his dedication unwavering.
"The healing scrolls are depleting at a fast rate. I hope Julian comes back...."
Nanahoshi mumbled, looking into the bag that was once full of scrolls that contained Emperor Ranked Healing Spells.
"Orsted was already kind enough to lend me all these. I don't think I should ask him again. If this goes on...."
Her voice trailed off again.
Healing scrolls weren't the main reason she was worried.
She knew Orsted would come again and hand her those scrolls without her asking him. After all, Orsted was always there when Julian was away.
'This is the least I can do in return for all he is doing. Even though I know it is for his own selfish motives.'
She remembered what Orsted said with a smile.
Even she, to this date, had no idea what Julian was planning.
"Haaah..... who am I kidding?"
Nanahoshi scoffed, her voice carried away by the wind as she muttered to herself.
A gust of wind suddenly swept through the surroundings, causing the leaves to rustle in a heavy, susurrating chorus.
"I just miss him."
She mumbled, barely loud enough for her own ears to pick it up.
Sitting in her chair, she picked her feet up and hugged her knees, placing her head on it.
"Haah.... why do I miss him so much?"
She pondered out loud, her thoughts mired in the enigma of her emotions.
*Slurp*
Slow, at first, and as a surge of panic washed over her due to the foreign sound beside her, she suddenly stood up and looked at the source of the sound.
One second, two, three...
She stood with utter shock over her face, her body petrified.
The white hair of the figure swayed by the wind as he took another loud, rude sip from his tea and smacked his lips.
"Your tea tastes quite good now. Not too bitter. Like I said before, just adjust the number of times you bring it to a simmer."
Nanahoshi was still stupefied, her body still—a stark contrast to her heart that continued to beat like violent war drums.
As his hair swayed once again in the breeze, Julian looked into her eyes with an amused look.
"Last time I checked, I didn't had snake for hair."
He tried to joke.
However, much to his own surprise, opposite to his expectations, Nanahoshi's lips cracked into a smile.
"Pfft---"
She suppressed her laughter, placing a hand on her mouth.
A very lady-like behaviour... also a stark contrast to her usual behaviour.
"You seem ok."
Julian commented, placing the cup to the side. The bottom of the cup made a dull thud against the oakwood table.
"You seem to be in one piece."
Nanahoshi replied, an innocent, relieved smile on her face.
She walked forward, standing in front of him. Her hands were behind her back as she fidgeted.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
"Mhm."
Julian hummed in reply as he felt her walk closer to him.
Placing his sword to the side, he got rid of the belt that held his sword.
"I missed you."
Nanahoshi whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Julian looked down at her, a tired look in his eyes. However, they widened ever so slightly.
'Mana congregation? It should be impossib---, hm, no. There is one explanation for it.'
Julian thought immediately, coming to a quick conclusion.
Nanahoshi tip-toed, tilting her head.
Julian lowered his neck but stopped midway.
"Master!"
Nanahoshi froze as she heard the familiar voice.
Adam appeared from behind her, his cute face marred with the stains of blood from his own hands.
Julian's eyes flicked from her to Adam as he let go of her waist.
Walking over to Adam, he suddenly bowed, however...
"Stand still."
Julian ordered and Adam suddenly felt scared.
'Did I make a mistake? Was my greeting too informal? Is he going to beat me? It's ok. I can take a beating. Please don't kick me ou---'
A sudden wave of apprehension washed over Adam.
Thoughts raced through his mind in rapid succession. Had he made a grievous error in his greeting? Was he about to face punishment for his indiscretion?
The anxiety gripped him, but he braced himself, mentally preparing for whatever consequences laid ahead.
His train of thoughts was interrupted as Julian grabbed him by the arm and looked at the inside of his palm.
It was marred by callouses and some areas had broken bones jutting out of his palm.
"What is this?"
Julian asked.
Surely, he knew what it was. However, he was just testing Adam.
The training wasn't just confined to body.
"Training, sir."
Adam responded with a confident and concise reply.
His fear was momentarily overridden by the clarity of purpose.
There were no superfluous details, no idle chatter, and no embellished titles—just a straightforward acknowledgment of the truth.
"What is the point of training if you'd be unable to do it tomorrow?"
Julian asked and a palpable, suffocating veil materialised around Adam, stealing away his air. It seemed like a hand made of prickly ice was slowly pressing against his neck, suffocating him to death.
He didn't fight the feeling, surprisingly.
Nanahoshi watched the two with anxiety.
She couldn't feel the mana pressure building around them, but she was still perceptive to the crackling tension in the air.
She tried listening to them; however, Julian was talking in a frequency only people with mana augmented ears could hear.
Adam's lips moved...one word, two.
And then they stopped.
And as if nothing had happened, Julian's voice reached her ears.
It was toned down---slow and gentle.
"Perfect. Show me your hand."
Julian spoke and Adam handed him his little hands, smothered with blood and bones jutting protruding out of them.
Julian gently pressed his thumb against it and the wounds disappeared altogether---callouses and marks alike.
The granite hardness in his palm remained, however, the marks were gone altogether.
"Thank you, master."
"'Sir' is alright."
"Understood, sir."
Adam replied with a neutral look, however, his eyes glimmered in delight.
"Hm, yeah, Shizuka?"
"Yeah?"
Nanahoshi, who was grinning without any specific reason, suddenly snapped back to reality from her dreamy world.
"Have you experienced anything wrong with your body? Any growth?"
Julian asked.
Initially, she thought it was a joke, however, looking at him dead in the eye confirmed that he wasn't.
She replied, despite not knowing what he was talking about.
"Nope. Nothing."
'Still not enough...'
He thought.
A mystery, spiraling in his mind.
A solution, near, yet so far.
(***)
"So, Void God huh....."
"Void, pfft!"
"Hehe... vapid!"
Amidst the rapport of Orsted, Nanahoshi and Ariel, Julian found himself the subject of their amusement.
He reclined in front of them, seated comfortably with his head resting on the back of the sofa.
His hair cascaded down like a flowing waterfall, partially veiling his closed eyes as a small twitch graced his visage.
It had been 20 whole minutes.
20 minutes of non-stop comments about his name on the world rankings.
Void God.
This title wasn't one Julian had chosen for himself. It had been thrust upon him after he'd obliterated everything in his path during his journeys, leaving behind nothing but a distorted, barren wasteland—a void.
He considered it an adequate name, neither overly remarkable nor terribly objectionable.
However, after twenty minutes of comments like; 'Dude, that is so cringe' and 'Aha, I wasn't expecting you to have such a corny sense of naming. Allow me to name our heirs.'
Although the second comment made Nanahoshi stay silent in contemplation for a while, she returned to her usual cheerful self after a short while.
"Ehm." Orsted cleared his throat and suddenly the two women blaming each other for being the intruder, came to a sudden halt.
Nanahoshi and Julian were immune to his curse, however, Ariel wasn't.
Although the bracelet prototype Julian made it possible to hold a conversation with him.
"Back to the main topic." Orsted spoke and everyone fell silent.
Adam stood in the corner of the room, trying to stand straight to look imposing.
Both Nanahoshi and Ariel found this act cute as the little boy tried to act tough in front of the Dragon God.
"Well, first of all, congrats to you on becoming one of the seven great world powers." Orsted began. "However, as much as it is a time for celebration, I think we need to accelerate our plans. I am still not aware of what you are planning, but so far, it has yielded fruitful results."
Julian yawned, rubbing his eyes and shifted in his seat.
"Mhm. Now we need to take over Asura and put Ariel there."
Ariel felt a shiver down her spine.
'Put her there.'
It meant one thing.
He was going to use her for his own purposes. Although it was a vague statement, Ariel was sharp enough to pick up on his wording. However, she wasn't in a position to be talking back.
She was losing all support. She was declared dead.
Her former supporters were being killed one-by-one.
The only one she could lean on were these two individuals.
And if she had them on her side, she didn't need anyone else. However, there was a certain problem.
She was going to turn into a puppet king.
And it wasn't even confirmed now.
After all, the notorious spellcaster, Rudues Greyrat, was now also one of the Seven Great World Powers. And had gained the title Magic God.
A God Class magician.
He could kill Ariel and everyone in the city right now.
And to top it off, her most trusted subordinate was going to become one of his wives. If she tried to use her, Grabel might order Rudeus to kill him. After all, he held the reins of the Boreas Greyrats---the family of his first wife.
It was a complicated situation.
And everything seemed to be going in a different direction.
"And how are you planning on taking them on? By yourself?"
Orsted posed a question, his brow raising.
"Wait...what?! Alone?"
"Hm. Yeah. Is there a problem?"
Julian asked, opening one of his eyes.
"Of course, there is!"
It was Nanahoshi who spoke this time, standing up and placing her hands on her sides.
"Do you realise the first prince has Water God, Magic God and a North Emperor on his side? No matter how strong you are, you can't handle every one of them."
Ariel jumped in; her anxiety veiled behind her impassive mask. However, the subtle sweat on her forehead didn't go unnoticed.
"I know. But I have a plan."
Julian replied and looked at the neatly decorated chess board in front of him.
"And what is that?"
Orsted asked again.
"The plan is that there is no plan."
Julian shrugged with a glint in his eyes as he stood up. His tall frame loomed over the board. Picking up the black queen, he pushed away the king's pawn and then knocked the king over.
"Man-God is wary of me. Then all I have to do is..."
He then picked up the black king and placed it where the white king was.
"...just ignore the mind games. We are brute forcing our way in."
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
(***)
After a long hour of discussion, everyone left as Julian saw them off at the gate.
Ariel tried staying for a little longer, but as soon as Luke arrived, she left immediately.
She had currently cut all contact with Sylphy.
After being "killed" by Rudeus, Sylphy was living her life as a girl in the academy, so it was not that hard to integrate her relationship.
However, Sylphy was a little depressed due to the fact Ariel had cut all ties with her. She still continued on, waiting for Rudeus at home each day.
It was the perfect life she could've asked for, but it came at a price... or so she thought.
Ariel wasn't mad at her. She just wanted to stay away from Rudeus' radar.
He would kill her without remorse and Sylphy would eventually forgive him out of her undying love.
Julian wasn't going to avenge her. After all, he could always place a fake Ariel in her stead.
Ariel was the one on the losing end in all scenarios.
With a heavy heart she left Julian's house.
Although, some of the tension and second thoughts were erased right before she exited the house when Julian whispered something to her.
It was enough for her to not lose hope and stay loyal to him. Giggling to herself, she went towards the dorms.
"Did you two talk about something?"
Nanahoshi asked, as she watched Ariel's back grow smaller and smaller.
"Hm, yeah."
Julian's response was curt and to the point---blunt even.
However, to Nanahoshi's ears, it was as sharp as a dagger that was made with the intent to kill.
"I've been thinking..."
The words laid trapped within her, a dense and parched lump lodged in her throat.
Despite her best efforts to swallow the lump and articulate the words, they remained stubbornly ensnared, unwilling to find release.
It was the persistence of her own feelings that had become an insurmountable barrier, blocking her path to verbal expression.
Julian tapped on her head, like a door.
"Don't think much about it. You are far too young to be thinking about all this."
His husky—soft voice felt way more charming than usual.
Her eyes widened but relaxed soon after.
It wasn't the first time he had read her like a book. It was not that Nanahoshi was expressive. Julian was just that good in judging human emotions and thoughts.
The irony was quite laughable at times. He could tell what anyone was feeling or thinking, right off the bat, but he had trouble with his own emotions—-in feeling them.
The spark of emotions inside him was dull.
"Normally, I wouldn't have. But in this world...."
Despite his reassurance, she still felt the need of getting this topic into light.
It was a sensitive topic... an acute anxiety inducing one. A source of all her insecurity.
"Hm? Well, it hasn't posed any problem for now, nor is there any need for it. We can talk about it when we get there."
Again, his nonchalance that was supposed to anchor her, served as a point that irritated her.
"Are you even serious about all this?"
"I am."
His reply came in a near instant. Without hesitation.
However, her feminine side was urging her to get the words out of her mouth... despite the fact that they could prove self-destructive.
"Ariel seems nice, doesn't she? You can get along with her."
"Hmmm. Yeah, I guess..."
Julian didn't refuse outrightly.
"...but I am not considering it. If I do, I will discuss about it with you."
He placed a hand over her head again, gently ruffling her hair. The silky black strands became dishevelled as he played with them.
Although, it felt like a stab to her heart, she smiled. She wasn't so selfish.
In all honesty, she knew that she was exceedingly greedy and selfish when it came to Julian. But not enough to hold down the person she loved the most.
Well, what she meant was that he was allowed to at least have some heirs. Not entirely go to her. Of course, if he wanted, she couldn't stop him, at all.
Sighing loudly, she leaned against him.
As the thought of Julian leaving her for Ariel crossed her mind, she jerked her head back, smacking her head in his chin.
"Ouch..."
Julian grimaced and looked down at her.
"What did I do this time?"
"Hehe, nothing!"
Hiding her actual emotions, she hid herself using Julian's long coat and got even closer, until she could feel the warmth from his chest. Wrapping the coat around her she spoke up.
"The wind got cold again, didn't it?"
"Yeah."
He replied and wrapped his hands around her waist. She closed her eyes.
'Is it slow or halted? I can't tell.'
However, Julian wasn't really embracing her. He was analysing something. But he wasn't going to clear this misunderstanding.
'Looks like I have to wait a year. Hm. Until then, I guess... I will enjoy a little more...'
(Thanks to devilkouji for colouring this.)
(***)
A carriage---comprising of six people juddered marginally as it made its way through the rough terrain to the magical kingdom of Sharia.
3 blondes, 2 mahroon haired and one sandy haired person occupied it.
The carriage was pulled by six horses. The tension inside was suffocatingly tangible, as everyone exchanged nervous glances.
They had two letters in their hands.
----Please arrive at this address in the earliest. I will be waiting patiently. I know this sound confusing, but I am ready to explain everything and bear any punishment. Your son.
~Julian Greyrat.
----Please, do not go where that person is leading you to. It is a trap. Julian has died. It is someone else. I do not want to lose you all. I will be reaching there in the earliest. Please, do not go there until I arrive. Your son.
~Rudeus Greyrat.
A wave of anxiety washed over the parents.
"Why are we even considering it? Of course, we have to go to brother Julian!"
Norn exclaimed, crossing her arms.
"Don't you agree, Aisha?"
She continued.
"Uh, um, yeah..."
Aisha's voice trailed off. The obsession of Pax with Roxy and Julian had led to her imprisonment and was later saved by Rudeus. Hence, she had mixed feelings.
Although, since she had spent a huge chunk of her life with Julian instead of Rudeus, she leaned over to his side more. Still, she couldn't shake the gratitude off.
She was still wearing her maid dress, seated between Norn and Lilia.
"Norn! Stay silent."
Zenith placed her thumb between her teeth and bit on it.
Unlike everyone else, she wasn't in a dilemma. She was a mother. She knew if it was her son or an imposter in a beat.
To top it off, she had spent years with him. Or at least, it felt like those in her comatose state... even before that.
However, she couldn't understand why was Rudeus being like this. Paul had met Rudeus so he wasn't a fake.
The family seemed to be splitting into two parts.
And by looking at the choice of adults, Rudeus had the majority to his side. It was only natural.
Julian was declared dead after a testimony by a person who had seen his dead body amongst others. It wasn't just a random person. It was a man that was scouting dead people.
However, now, after 5 and a half years, suddenly the name of their dead son appeared over the Seven Great World Powers along with the other son, on the same day.
The situation was far too complicated than the extent it was visible to the naked eye.
"Miss Zenith... We know you love Julian a lot but---"
"No. I have spent so much time with him and that girl, Nanahoshi. Once we reach there, she will be here. She was always following him like a tail. You will know from that."
She dismissed Lilia's statement before she even finished it.
"But Zenith--"
"You! Stay silent!"
Zenith snapped at Paul. Normally, he stayed silent but this time he didn't just ball his fists.
He spoke back.
"Don't let emotions control your decisions. Rudeus has the Man God on his side. He helped us in times of peril. He helped all of us to reunite. Lilia and Aisha would've died if not for him. We don't even know if he is our Julian. Also, didn't he left Rudeus on the verge of death? He is also affiliated with that evil Dragon God. Think about it."
"I have thought long and hard about it. There is no more room for thinking or reasoning. Are you saying I have been hallucinating all those years?"
Paul winced, but from his perspective, angering her was less dangerous than letting his family get caught at the hands of the imposter or Dragon God.
"You have been in a dreamy state for all these years. Do you even remember anything?"
Paul snapped at her.
Zenith's body suddenly shook at his raised voice. The two sisters suddenly got closer, holding each other's hand.
"I remember everything. Do you want me to spill everything right now, huh? Answer me, Paul Greyrat! Should I tell them about how you creeped up on someone in a vegetative state? Or how you both continued on in the adjacent room thinking I wasn't able to perceive anything?"
Her words seemed to flow out with a pent-up anger and landed in their ears with a heart wrenching intensity.
Norn and Aisha covered their ears with their tiny hands.
"Miss--- I am terribly sorr-"
"Shut up. You doing that in my presence despite saying you would never do it was one thing. But now you want to take over by implementing your decisions against my kids? Not happening!"
"Miss, I would never..."
Zenith's anger had reached a boiling point.
"Sis... we are almost there. What to do?"
Therese---Zenith's sister, who was guarding her along with the green haired Superd, Ruijerd spoke up.
"Stop right in front of the house mentioned."
"Zenith---"
Paul tried to stop her by gripping her arm, but she swatted it away.
"Don't touch me!"
Paul gritted his teeth and looked the other way, folding his arms.
The embarrassment was killing him. He wanted to dig a grave and just bury himself alive. Even after promising all that to Zenith, he still broke his promise.
"We are her---"
Before Therese fully finished her sentence, Norn jumped out of the carriage.
"Norn!"
"Norn---"
"Miss Norn!"
Everyone called out for her, but with tears in her eyes, she ran with as much strength as she could. She wouldn't believe anyone.
She had met Julian. They even ate food, watched and interacted with different species of demons together and he even bought pendants for both sisters. The pendant swayed sideways as her family chased after him.
'It can fulfill a wish.'
Julian's voice from her past echoed in her mind.
Gripping it in both her hands, she wished upon it.
"Please brother. Please come to me."
She prayed out loud.
Suddenly she felt as if she was flying. Opening her eyes, she saw she was lifted high off the ground. However, when she looked down, she saw a familiar face.
The face had matured a lot. But she recognised it at once.
"Brother!"
"The pressure on the pendant activated the beacon I installed that day. I thought I had to run across the kingdom." Julian spoke with a happy tone and placed her down on her feet. "Good to see you, Norn."
Saying that, he hugged the little girl.
Sobbing silently, she hugged him back, placing her head on his shoulder.
"Julian!"
This time, the voice was of Zenith. Looking up, he saw her bolting at her at a speed that could put a Red Leaf Tiger's pace to shame.
"Brace yourself."
Julian mumbled in Norn's ear before picking her up and hugging both his sister and mother at the same time.
"Oh God... my baby..."
Zenith hugged him tightly as Julian bent his knees, lowering himself so she was comfortable doing so.
Julian felt a rapid stroke in his heart. It wasn't adrenaline.
It was a genuine spike in his dopamine.
'Hm.... so this is how it feels, huh? Not so bad.'
He mumbled as a smile started to crack his stoic features.
However, the smile faded away as he saw his remaining family standing at a distance.
'Must be Rudeus' doing....'
He came to the conclusion in a near instant.
Putting Norn down and finally peeling Zenith away from himself, he looked at Paul.
Being an inch taller than Paul, he looked down at him.
"You look terrible, father. Did you cheat on her again?"
Despite the fact he was meeting Paul after six years, seeing Zenith cry like that turned his tone full of scorn and contempt---disgust even. It didn't take him any more than 3 seconds to figure what was going on.
The shy demeanor of Lilia and Paul's anger filled gaze after Julian mentioned cheating.
It all fell into place.
"Can't you see? His hair is white! He is not Julian."
Paul spat.
"Dodging questions, already? Didn't you say you'd keep her happy?"
Julian continued without considering his allegations. His husky voice sent a tremor down Paul's spine and the atmosphere grew heavier. Almost as if Julian's malice became tangible in the form of shadows, engulfing everything.
"Norn. Zenith. Come back, right now."
Paul ordered as Zenith's gaze flicked between Julian and Paul.
"Father." Julian spoke, his voice dangerously hostile. "Do the words Man God mean anything to you?"
"I know about it. I haven't seen him---"
He suddenly shut his mouth up.
"I see."
The murderous intent vanished. Julian felt no hesitation as a sword made of ice almost materlised in his hand.
'They might hate me. But it is what it is.'
Julian thought, however, he stopped instantly.
A small figure approached him. A bit taller than Norn.
"Brother?"
"Aisha! Come back!"
Lilia screamed from behind. The hilt that formed in Julian's hand dissipated.
"You should learn something from your little daughter."
Again, the condescending way of talking ticked Paul off.
Julian used to talk back a lot, but he never talked down to Paul. Just clinging to his fact, he assumed it wasn't him.
Aisha, ignoring every order, leapt towards Julian.
*BOOOM*
Julian had disappeared. The place where Julian was, was now replaced by a gust of warm wind as Julian stood behind Zenith.
"You could've just killed mother."
"She is not your mother. Fuck off!"
The Emperor Ranked stone canon crumbled to pieces as Julian's infinity flickered from the impact.
Rudeus stood with his staff directed towards Julian's face.
The impact had sent a quake throughout the city. Nanahoshi was already coming outside the house. Adam had arrived at the front gate with his teal sword in hand, albeit sheathed.
Orsted felt the impact in his office at the outskirts of Sharia.
"So, it began? Well, he said he wanted to sort family matters with his own hands."
He shrugged and with a clink of nail against the glass, he gulped it all down.
"Should I... hmm, maybe not."
Sitting in a dilemma of whether to interfere or not, Orsted continued to drink alcohol.
"Why do you want all your enemies alive? Why not turn them into allies?"
Orsted tried to trace a pattern.
More enemies. Less allies. Enemies with high amounts of mana. Infinity. Distortion in time-space.
A single theory popped into Orsted's mind. His smirk grew wider.
"Cheeky brat..."
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
So, uh, I have also started writing Swordmaster's Youngest Son x COTE.
Give it a read. It has only 2 chapters right now, and future chapters will be as long as this one so you might have trouble catching up. Give it a try. It won't disappoint. (jk)