"As I said we're playing tag, you're all it and have to catch me, if you give up or collapse then you won't be able to stay. If you catch me, then you pass... Good job!" She declared that whilst doing an impression of Leeson, which had everyone in a good mood.
"Little one, I'm sure if you're their child you are pretty good, but wouldn't it be fairer if you chased us?"
"I'm not Little One, that's future little sister Cosma, I'm Quatal and if I chased you I could grab you all in my tail in no time." She then transformed to display all three hundred meters of fact she had just spoken, then changed back. "A boring game is just work and Papa says that only grown-ups work, because children don't have to avoid their wive's lecturers."
For a second, there were laughs, then divine prescence suffocated them for a moment before disappearing. "Oh, Auntie Astra just told me to tell you that, "Daddy got angry with another group for being mean to Auntie Layaera. If you want to hear another lecture from your wives or give another to your husbands, then don't be mean to his wife and daughters especially, but he has no patience left at all."... Aww poor Paoa and Auntie Layaera. We need to get this done so I can hug Papa better, the game goes until the barriers drop."
She then spent the entirety making them almost glad to fail.
Meanwhile...
"As I just demonstrated, I have divine power like my husband, I want to remind you all that even as the ex-high-priestess of Abelegia, I was already stronger than most humans and now I have left that level behind. I will obviously hold back, but please know your limits, I don't have experience fighting with this new power so if you aren't careful, you could die." She then demonstrated the different spells she was limiting herself to.
A fire spell that moved across the ground, a version of the light blade spell that was more like razor sharp hale stones and a wind spell that would periodically push them back.
After the greeting and demonstration, she gave them some time to prepare themselves, growing annoyed when none of them communicated at all. 'Oh for the love of... I could be at home right now making a baby and instead I have to deal with idiots.'
'Err, Eve... You remember Adam told me to stay connected with everyone right?'
'Actually... I did not... Why else do you think I asked you to babysit tonight? Adam's device said today is the day to start.'
'Now I get it... Well, kinda glad... Sorry Eve, have work to do...'
After that, Eve was about to start when a wave of divine pressure pushed her group to their knees, not that she cared, she only wanted to know what had angered me so greatly and her own presence began to resonate.
'Woah! Calm down Eve. Adam's fine, everyone's fine, someone was about to insult Layaera and since he finished already I asked him to intervene, he already was in a bad mood, but think that just broke the dam, can you finish up when you're ready.'
Astrael had forgotten that creation itself came second to Eve's love for her family, on that day though it had been pushed to third, right behind salvaging enough of my mood to work on expanding the family.
"Alright everyone, nothing to worry about, some idiots just annoyed my husband. On your feet and ready to go, then shout ready." Again, everyone stood on their own, which used up her last shred of patience.
That said, she still didn't go particularly hard on them, her power was controlled, she cycled through each spell twice, then initiated a combo of the small fire wave and light hale and that ended it when their defences completely shattered.
Eve groaned as she healed them all, then ran off, through the barrier towards me.
In my area at the same time...
'Well all these idiots standing in front of me getting ready fail... Why would they even try? Byurik and Leeson I get, they want the chance to stretch their legs and have nothing to lose. I just challenged these guys to survive and they're getting ready to try and fight... Not even as a team.'
"You lot, are you stupid?" Leeson called out to them. "He put you in a group to survive an impossible fight and you aren't even working together or defensively."
"Leeson's an idiot, but he's right, you do remember when he wanted to see if you could survive right? He is literally a god, why are you acting like you are gonna try and win?"
Their announcement made them all realise they messed up, their faces filled with frustration.
"They aren't wrong, you all failed. Let that be a lesson... I think it would be a waste though, we might have to do this again, so why not learn something from the experience? Organise yourselves and we will begin as planned." My announcement filled them with hope, they accepted their mistake, but were grateful for the opportunity to learn and rallied to my friends as the team leaders.
As soon as they shouted ready, I unleashed my presence over my area, the suffocating angry side of The Black that I had used at the party engulfed my area.
"Shake off the disorientation, bite your lip, nick your arm, as though you are trying to stay conscious." Leeson ordered like a soldier, well he was a soldier, I had just forgotten that as anyone who knew him would.
"Barrier! Deflect, don't take the attack head on, he'll smash through it like paper!" Byurik added, showing how he earned his position as guild master. It came in time to, deflecting a lance of water, then of earth, then of fire, then...
"Fire at the floor full heat not power, next is wind. He's testing for weaknesses." Leeson shouted, this time though the mages able to answer barely made it, forced to invest so much mana in negating my attack fast enough they were spent. "Damn it. I can't even see him. Get the exhausted on your backs!"
'Adam, the girl in Kriel's group... She was...'
'Don't finish that sentence, I may kill my friends accidentally. I will assume you were going to say robbed, how despicable, have Kriel help her best he can, comfort her, then when this is finished, find the thieves and punish them... severely, the same way those thieving merchant's guild members were punished.'
"Where was I? You two know my memory is bad. What comes after wind?"
"Light... Arsehole... Stop toying with us." Byurik grunted with a hint of amusement.
"My daughter isn't a fan of me using light, says it makes me smell weird... How about I use the next best thing and just turn on the lights now your eyes have adjusted?" With that I reabsorbed The Black and was about to use a darkness pulse to paralyse them.
'Adam, sorry...'
'Is the girl ok?'
'She's fine, but three of Layaera's group just released real blood lust. Can you help her while I'm helping Kriel? I know you have finished already.'
My divine presence was released reflexively. "Sorry, I have some fools to clean up." I announced to the group who had been forced into the ground, all apart from my friends who were merely brought to all fours after getting used to the feeling somewhat.
As I stepped through the barrier, thoughts started flowing into my mind, I could see Layaera was about to pass the three now targeting her after second guessing herself for being harsh. I could hear the three of them wondering what the "monster" was doing as my presence forced them into the sand.
I was already pushing the limits of my patience so I said my peace made sure they weren't stupid enough to try anything then returned to my area. That was when I realised that I had become telepathic somehow and decided to use Parcella's advice to switch it off, but first...
I decided to check on everyone's progress and when I saw that all the teams were done I released the barriers, then cancelled the telepathy.
Eve, Quatal and Cosmael ran over to me and hugged me. "I'm fine girls but I've had enough, can I leave it up to you all."
"I'm done, this reminded me that not all mortals are like those we call friends. I'll come with you and let them earn their dinner tonight."
"Dad... I know something happened with Astrael, is she going somewhere tonight?"
"Yes, she is Little One... You want to go with her, don't you? Selfishly, I would rather you didn't, but it is up to you."
"Dad, I want to be Astrael's sister one last time, I heard her think of me as your daughter first earlier and it made me really realise I won't be her sister much longer. I still want to be your daughter, but I want it to be like I'm leaving this me with Dad and becoming your you."
"That's very sweet, girl, do as you will, but it won't be pleasant so cuddle your sister when you get back, it will make you feel better. We will have breakfast as a family on this side with our new members."
"Then can we have a bath as a family Mama?"
"Sure, Papa will be speaking to the two newcomers anyway, then when he gets back we have work to do."
I then sighed and announced the final round of the testing when a man approached me. "Sorry to interrupt, I only passed because I offered her a biscuit and tag-"
"He didn't play fair... He passed though, the biscuit was good."
I told the man to do what he thought right and told him if we did do it again he could just turn up and we would retest him differently.
"As I was saying, we now only have three successful testers. I will leave you in the capable hands of Kriel, Layaera, Quatal, Astrael and my Little One... Regardless of pass or fail, you all made it this far, join us for dinner, I wish to talk. Unfortunately, some things make me dangerously unsociable. Girl... Quatal will take you to the hot springs after, it's in my own dimension and great for relaxing. No men either."
"I'm fi-"
"Girl, I don't want to have to kill anyone who troubles you, please accept the invitation at least until the deva have liberated you a little."
"Then... Thank you."
I nodded and Eve and I left, we wanted to go pick up the job cards for our honeymoon and then head back to the house to raid the larder for mana infusions, water and energy energy bars.