I didn't run home.
First I passed by a cafe and had a proper meal.
I couldn't believe I spent almost two days in a Nest, so I was starving.
The guys at the cafe stared at me for a moment, as if I was some homeless person or what, and by the time I had ordered my meal, I heard some of them whispering stuff about me, which got me a bit irritated.
"You know that it's not polite to whisper about someone behind their backs?" I said, out loud, to everyone that I heard. "Now, why don't you guys speak you mind? Out loud, so I can hear you!"
I was irritated by them saying things behind my back, but somehow, I felt angrier than I should have.
[MIDNIGHT'S EMBRACE] felt warm around my finger, and then I realized why I was angry.
I still remembered it.
It was as if I could feel the bond shared between Orkas and Arias.
And seeing Arias die had shattered me, even though I hadn't known her.
So I was pissed off.
And I just let it flow.
The guys who talked stood up and surrounded my table.
"Or what?" One said.
"Are you gonna beg us to take back what we said?" Other retorted.
"Shut up, guys." The third of them intervened.
He looked a bit more reasonable than the other two, but as my perception was a lot higher than before, I could sense that he wasn't saying that, for me to feel safer.
He had a threatening aura around him, so he should be a strong wielder.
"Can't you see we're disturbing the young lad? We should help him, instead of making jokes. How about that..." he kept saying, as he shoved his hand against my face.
Which I didn't allow, of course.
I activated [INVISIBLE HAND] right away, and his hand stood there, inches from my face.
"Wha..."
But I didn't let him finish.
I stood up, and activated [SHADOW WALK], looking at their wide, shocked eyes.
After that, I waked by them, and when I was behind the reasonable-looking man, whom I imagined to be the leader of the trio, I summoned one of the [MIDNIGHT SISTERS] and leaned it against his throat.
I wanted to cut him, but I held back, just letting the blade touch the skin of his neck, gently, and uncloaked [SHADOW WALK].
"if you don't want to die, I'd kindly suggest that you'd become a bit more reasonable. And one more thing..."
Then I wrapped my hand over the back of his head, and shoved it down the table, immediately breaking it, to my absolute surprise. But I didn't let my shock keep me from finishing what I had to say.
"... If you're a wielder, act like one."
I turned around, ignoring the two completely astonished and scared lackeys, and going straight to the cashier, to get my order.
"I'm sorry, if you let me, I'll pay for the table by the end of the week, because I don't have much credits on me by now. Is it okay?"
The cashier, a young-looking woman, with brown hair and coppery eyes, looked at me with a bit of shock.
"You don't have to worry about it, young sir." She said. "These three have been causing trouble around here for a while already, so we did need someone to teach them a lesson."
I smiled at her and she smiled back, I took my order and went back home walking slowly, eating my extra big burger while I walked.
***
when I got home, it was almost 3PM, and Quintus was waiting for me in the living room, which took me by surprise, because it was still Wednesday, so he certainly had work to do at the association.
"What were you doing that it took so long at the guild?" His tone was ice cold, and I knew that there weren't any worries in his voice.
Just pure, cold anger.
"I called Roderick, and he said that he still had business with you, and that he invited you to spend the night and have breakfast with him at the guild. Now..."
He got up and walked towards me, but my senses told me that he felt much less of a threat than before.
'Is he truly an A-rank?'
When he got close enough, he poked me with his index finger, right into the wound left by Kotur'Ah.
"... Did he take you on a raid with him? You look like trash. And what business is it that he has with you, that he can't even tell me about it?"
Good thing, that I was already recovering from the damage, and Quintus poking it didn't hurt as much.
"Don't do this, brother." I felt strangely bored by his actions.
I had taken so much of his bullshit from ever since I learned to walk, that I was already over my head with it. "Also, isn't Roderick the leader of Shadow Guild?"
Quintus paused for a brief moment, his jaw dropped a little. And I used the momentum to strike a deadly blow on him.
"So, if he's the leader of the guild, why should he answer to you?"
Emotional damage.
Quintus stood right there, his lips bobbing up and down, as if he wanted to say something back, and just didn't know what.
Then his rage built up and he couldn't take it any longer.
His fist, loaded with mana, flew towards my face.
I knew it was a huge bet, but I had to show him that I wasn't the Kurt he once knew anymore.
I had to show him that I was way stronger than before, and I had already won against him once, even though it was by sheer luck.
I'd make sure that this time it wouldn't be like that.
So I just let his fist hit my face.
And my head went immediately down.
But it didn't hurt as much as the attack from Kotur'Ah's claw.
I looked up at him, and smiled, spitting a little bit of blood from the damage, that were still there.
"Is that all you got, older brother?"
I had a smile on my face that even I couldn't describe if I saw it.
Quintus' eyes glowed, bright red, and I felt the familiar grip of his telekinesis around me.
"How do you want to die, brother?"