"It's been a while since I've been back here." Looking over the scenery of Glory City with warm eyes, Wulin felt like he could see the robotic young boy with scarlet hair wandering down these very streets.
"It's only been three years." Giggling softly Gu Yuena allowed him to drag her around the city, the stares they received inconsequential compared to the nostalgia in Wulin's eyes. He truly had missed this place whether he knew it or not.
"...I guess so." Laughing softly Wulin slowly wandered around with her in tow, occasionally telling her little stories of his youth. The time he accidentally walked into a streetlight and broke it, the numerous explosions he made when learning to blacksmith, the silly things he watched his former classmates do, and so many more memories were made here.
"It sounds like you had a lot of fun." Lightly nudging him with her shoulder, Gu Yuena couldn't help but fall in love a bit more. The way he looked over the world so warmly was admirable but what truly made butterflies in her stomach was the realization that his eyes were even gentler with her.
Among all these good memories, she stood above them all. She was his best memory, an eternal presence by his side brightening his days. With that realization came another, the epiphany that he was the exact same presence for her.
"Yeah, I guess I did." It took him a while to answer her, genuine surprise in his eyes as his smile fell slightly. In hindsight, he loved this little city he once called home but did he care for it at all at the time? No, not in the slightest.
Those little memories, tiny joys, and idle moments were what made a bond. He knew that now but when he was first reborn he didn't even understand that basic truth. No, rather than not understanding it he actively scorned it.
Why would he spend time with his family when he could train? Why would he grow stronger if it wasn't required to continue living? Why would he make a fortune if he didn't have a world power to grow? He had moved purely on logic, flawed logic at that. Life wasn't about absolutes, it was about these small moments that piled up to create a wonderful life.
"..." Looking over the city he grew up in the reality that he had changed, that he truly wasn't the same boy… it was undeniable. Squeezing her hand tightly Wulin looked toward her, a sense of surety that wasn't always present held within those crimson eyes. "I love you."
Those words spilled from his lips with such sincerity that Gu Yuena doubted even she could put such love in her voice. Squeezing his hand in turn she smiled softly, the gentleness in his eyes something that Gu Yuena had never quite received before. No, that wasn't quite true. She had seen such eyes every day soon after she met this boy.
Xie Xie's playful bantering, Wu Zhangkong's silent yet steadfast backing, Xu Xiaoyan's cheerful babbling, Mu Xi's fake maturity and dedication to her craft, and so many more. Unlike the cold and calculating gaze of the Spirit Beasts who spoke of loyalty yet moved behind her willfully humanity was unbelievably warm.
And he was the warmest of them all. Always by her side, always supportive, and always willing to guide her down the right path. He was her everything and she was his everything. But their hearts had room for more than just each other, there was a little bit of room for the more silly joys of life.
"Why don't you show me where you grew up?" Smiling softly, Gu Yuena had seen all this city had to offer during her many outings to watch him but she wanted to see it from his eyes, from the perspective of her one and only equal.
With him, even such trivial days will last a lifetime.
|DD|
A crimson and purple rift in space formed in the hurriedly made FUG base, the room silent despite the commotion occurring all over the base. Five pairs of eyes turned toward the portal, the familiar entrance of the two enigmas even among FUG.
The first to step out of the portal was a tall man wearing black and red robes, his long black hair darker than even the shadows in the room and his eye a step darker. The man radiated a sense of boundless power that made even the world powers in the room feel insignificant, his every step containing a weight that couldn't be ignored.
Grace Mirchea Luslec, All the World's Darkness, and the God of Devils had made himself known to the rest of the Slayers. His presence was as all powerful as expected, his standing unshakable even in the predatory group that was FUG.
However, the next person to step through that portal was met with far less positivity. Crimson hair braided to leave only two large strands on either side of her modest chest, her neck adorned with large black stars, and her smile almost always coming off as mocking. Her eyes were strange, a beautiful silver on the right and a striking vermillion on the left.
She wore a large witches' hat atop her head and her dress was quite simple, her attire odd but not overly so. What truly made her receive the dissatisfaction of the Slayers was the simple fact that she didn't deserve her position in their eyes.
Arlene, the Sixth Slayer, was one of only three Slayers who received her position by Luslec's personal recommendation. Pephomemore Seto and Imort had proved themselves long ago, however, Arlene? She had no results to her name. At least, none beyond the theoretical.
Baring the two newest entries, the rest of the five slayers rose and bowed deeply toward the Absolute Darkness as he took a seat, lazily resting his head on his fist. His gaze was apathetic, eerily so, and yet it was the gaze that belonged to a ruler. An absolute dictator who ruled the world from the shadows.
"""""Greetings, my God!""""" The chant of the Slayers signaled the start of this suddenly called meeting.
****
Hey there, hope you liked the chapter.
Not much I can say without getting into spoilers, but I've got two questions for you. First, who do you think Arlene is? I feel like I left a pretty big clue so maybe it's obvious but who knows. Second, what do you think the meeting was called for? To make it fair, I'll tell you that it is intrinsically connected to the second Sea God's Pearl.
If you want more chapters, head to patre*on.com/TrapOverlord for up to 25 extra chapters. It isn't required but it'd be much appreciated.