The dining hall basked in the soft glow of the ever-present purple moon outside the massive windows. The quiet hum of morning chatter and clinking dishes filled the room as everyone gathered for breakfast.
Laughter bubbled up easily, all thanks to one topic: Kazimir and Tyrone running for their lives from Riah last night.
Raijin leaned casually, slinging his arm around Tyrone's shoulders. His voice was low but teasing, "It's okay, man." He smiled. "I would've run too if flames that hot were coming after me. Honestly, I didn't even know Riah was that fast. She passed me in speed — and that's just crazy."
Neve giggled softly, locking her sharp eyes on Tyrone. "You didn't stand a chance, honestly. Not even Kazimir escaped her wrath." She burst out laughing. "When it comes to Rmir, she's like a mother bear—don't mess with her cub."
Tyrone groaned, burying his head on the table. "Sigh... I don't even want to imagine the power she'll have when she has her first kid. I'm not going near that child if I want to live."
Kamaki grinned, nodding in agreement. "You're not wrong. That'd be one scary sight."
"Yeah," Tyrone added, rubbing the back of his neck. "As dangerous as Kazimir might seem, Riah? She's way scarier."
At that very moment, Riah quietly stepped into the room behind Tyrone. Her hand landed on his shoulder, and she leaned in close, her voice a soft whisper: "Can I join the conversation?"
She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, and Tyrone immediately tensed, sweat beading on his forehead. "Uhh, y-yeah... We were just talking about training. You know, gotta prepare for what's coming next—no slacking."
Riah smiled slyly. "Hmm, yeah, you should. That way, you won't be knocked out after just one hit from me."
Jessie glanced over with a smirk. "Damn, Tyrone. Personally, I'd grab my weapon and tell her to take it outside if she disrespected me like that."
Tyrone gave her a deadpan look. "Uhh... I'll pass. She kind of inflicted a fear debuff on me."
Laughter erupted around the table.
Lihanna gave Tyrone a reassuring nod. "Don't worry. At least you survived the hit. That's something."
Gendai shot Lihanna a skeptical look. "Look at you giving him the benefit of the doubt."
Lihanna raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, are you saying that because you haven't caught a proper win in your life?"
Gendai slammed her hand on the table. "The fuck did you just say to me?!"
Lihanna held up her hands innocently. "Oh my bad. Didn't think you'd take that seriously. You're so high-tempered."
Suddenly, the sliding door to the dining room parted, and Kazimir appeared.
He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a towel draped low around his waist — fresh from the hot springs.
The entire room fell silent.
Raijin was the first to break it, grinning. "Nice physique."
Neve and Gendai stared openly, their expressions a mix of admiration and disbelief.
Then Riah stood sharply, grabbed Kazimir's hand, and whispered, "Bedroom now!"
Before anyone could react, she pulled him from the room, and the two disappeared down the hall.
Gendai blinked and shook herself free from the distraction. "Alright, back to what I was saying. But what makes you think you're better than me?"
Lihanna smiled lightly. "I don't think I'm better than you… maybe as a person, but in a duel? Who knows?" She gave a small, teasing smile.
Gendai narrowed her eyes. "So now you're backing down from a fight?"
Lihanna giggled softly. "No, not at all. If that's what you want, then so be it. Don't think the meteor you dropped on Foogle would be enough to stop me."
Tyrone, Kamaki, Jessie, Raijin, Jessie, Neve and Felicia all stood silently, watching the tension mount.
Gendai locked eyes with Lihanna. "Then meet me outside. Somewhere far from this city."
Lihanna smiled wide. "Oh? So it's that kind of battle. Guess I really struck a nerve, huh? Fine, I accept your proposal."