The metaphysical tension and the eerie lull that lingered in the air was cut suddenly as Eris let out a loud yell and bolted forward. Her voice cut through the weighed anxiety and the two familiars also got into their respective stances.
Almanfi reached out for the sword strapped to his back, holding it in a reverse grip and brought it towards his face, blocking the sword strike from Eris. Her silver blade----Phoenix Dragon Sword gleamed with a lustrous glint.
His eyes widened as he absorbed the impact from her blow. The ground beneath his feet shattered as the force of the blow didn't completely get absorbed and spread behind him, sending a shockwave of wind and trembling earth that uprooted the plants and trees behind him.
Officially, Eris was a Sword King and a North Saint. One of the rarest, generational talents in the way of the sword. However, she didn't care about Rank promotions, which was the reason why she was still referred to as Sword King. Her talent in Sword God Style had long reached Emperor Class...although on a lower side of the general spectrum.
That placed her on the same level as the familiar---Almanfi.
Although he was defeated by a 10-year-old Julian almost 7 years ago when he was just at Saint Rank, it was simply because of Julian's spell that even Perguis had never seen before, let alone Almanfi.
As his left foot dug deep into the ground from Eris' blow, he spun around her and made a horizontal slash at her waist. Eris pivoted forward, placing both her hands on the ground and then pushing herself upwards, doing a front flip and then faced back right after at the blonde familiar.
Almanfi disappeared as broken photons flashed like shattered crystals of ice before reappearing behind Eris. She bent back, so much that her head almost hit the ground. However, planting her hands on the ground once again, she delivered an upwards cartwheel kick towards his jaw, making him bounce into the air.
Eris landed on her feet immediately afterwards and got into a certain stance.
She spread his legs, lowered her waist, put her hand on the sword hilt, and took her stance as if to hide the sword.
The stance of 『Laido』
It was Ghislaine's Dedoldia's specialty, a killing technique.
The Sword God Style possessed the commonplace practice of thrusting the heaviest sword as fast as you can. However, there were three stances.
One was the 『Middle Step』, the basic form of Sword God Style, which was capable of dealing with any kind of combat flow.
Another was the 『Upper Step』, an offensive stance which was fit for someone who can impede the opponent's flow of combat before they got to attack.
The last was 『Laido』. A defensive stance which was fit for someone who can calculate the best timing of attack by sniffing out the opponent's flow of combat.
In short, 『Laido』for someone who can read their opponents, 『Upper Step』 for someone who can impede the opponent, and those who specialise in neither take the 『Middle Step』.
Julian had a natural affinity towards both 『Upper Step』and 『Laido』, however, he was more used to using Upper Step. Impede the opponent and reply with a Water God Style flow immediately afterwards. If that failed, he could use North God Style's unorthodox methods and other techniques such as Dual Wielding and using objects.
Eris as well, held a natural sense of rhythm and was someone who could assertively impede an opponent's flow of combat, so she specialized in Upper Step. As a Beast race possessing both extraordinary hearing and smell along with great intuition and hindsight, Ghislaine specialised in Laido.
Despite assuming a stance, she was not familiar with, she was grinning from ear to ear, a sinister smirk as if basking herself in the thrill of the battle.
She lowered even further, hand on the hilt of her sword.
Almanfi looked down at her. "I am The Light. That longsword of light you hold dear to yourself is just an imitation of the actual light. This is pointless, Eris Boreas Greyrat. Hand over Julian Greyrat's kid and we shall leave. Our lord has neither expressed interest or disdain for Rudeus Greyrat. You don't have to..."
『Longsword of Light』
Eris moved regardless. She was overwhelming in brute strength. However...
Strength wasn't the everything that was the deciding factor for a Sword God Style practitioner.
Eris, eyes locked on her opponent, had closed the gap before anyone could blink. The edge of her blade seemed to merge with the very air, leaving only a finger's width of space between her Silver Phoenix Dragon Sword and Almanfi's blade.
But...
But...
That final finger was an abyss of difference—a chasm too great to bridge for the decisive, killing blow.
The tension between then was unbearable, time crawling like a fatigued slug.
The slightest twitch of a muscle, the faintest shift of balance, could tip the scales in favor of one or the other.
Eris, the defiance clear in her eyes, pushed for it.
On the other hand, Dothbath of Destruction was thrown into a nearby wall as a giant crater formed behind him. Blood oozed out of his skin pores as a shadow blurred by him and he lost his arm.
Wisps of mana leaked out of Adam as he placed his foot on his chest and pressed it. Dothbath's ribs started cracking with an ominous crunch. Before he could muster last of his strength to try to destroy a part of Adam, his boot penetrated through his chest, crushing his core that was inside his chest.
With a repulsive look on his face, he receded his foot, cleaning it against the grass.
"I came here for nothing, haha. She isn't faring very well it seems." Randolph who was sitting idly on a patch of grass complimented Adam and then motioned towards Eris.
Glancing over in Eris' direction, Adam shuddered as he saw Almanfi block and redirect Eris' Long Sword of Light.
"You call this Sword of Light? How arrogant!" His own sword came crashing down at Eris who was completely defenseless. He wanted to jump in to save her but suddenly looked back at the house. Someone else was approaching towards the house.
Gritting his teeth, he unsheathed his sword once again and made a run towards the inside of the house. Randolph's forehead creased as he stood up as well. Unsheathing his sword, the blade formed an ominous green shade on the ground below.
Almanfi's sword reached Eris' neck, the blade piercing through the skin with ease. However, Eris had kicked his knee at the last moment, making the blade stick inside her collarbone instead of the original trajectory towards her Carotid Artery.
Tumbling, she tried her hardest to regain her footing, but the damage was done. She couldn't user her left hand, rendering her unable to unleash another Long Sword of Light. It was a fight against the clock as Almanfi landed one heavy blow after another, all the while moving at light speed.
In the faraway distance, a magic circle formed on itself beneath a mage. Extending his hand toward the heavens, he summoned the electrical energy within the atmosphere. This was a delicate process as he collect electrical currents from the clouds, gathering them in his outstretched palm.
The gathered electricity was then channeled through the mage, converting it into a potent, azure-hued flame. The lightning crackled and popped as it was forcefully merged with light blue flames.
The mental image of the intended target visualised inside his mind.
『Malevolent Lightning. Fire of Ether. May all Hell break loose』
『Divine Judgment』
With the crackling blue flames now ready, he chanted as the potency increased even more before releasing the concentrated energy from his hand. The blue fireball streaked across the sky, arcing with electricity and leaving a trail of ethereal sparks in its wake.
Almanfi tripped Eris and raised his sword. However, he felt his hair stand on their edge.
In the blink of an eye, he teleported, and Eris rolled over.
As the spell reached the specified target point, the blue fireball exploded with a deafening roar. The electrical energy was unleashed in a torrent of lightning, while the azure flames engulfed everything in a spectacular blaze.
The combined force created a cataclysmic explosion, causing massive devastation in the area. The ground was scorched, and many structures were reduced to ashes as the earth trembled under the unleashed power.
As the light faded away, Eris looked up as she saw Almanfi's left side blown away, his whole left arm blown to bits.
"Tch, I missed." Rudeus entered leisurely through the front gate...or rather where the front gate once was and extended a hand towards Eris. However, his face lost its colour. "Ah fuck...I didn't mean for it to be this strong...maybe chanting is a bad idea."
"Rudeus!" Eris hugged Rudeus while Almanfi fell on his bum, watching as Dothbath disappeared. The familiars couldn't die. They would be back into one piece inside the Chaos Breaker. However, they could feel and remember the pain.
A shrill shriek filled the air as another figure kept hurtling down towards Almanfi. He extended his single hand and caught the figure.
She had near-white, golden hair draping down her shoulders and was wearing a white mask of a bird and a gown-like white robe, while holding an expensive-looking magic staff that carried a magic stone that was opaque and dark. From her back there was a pair of jet-black wings.
Was.
That was how Almanfi remembered her.
But right now, the staff was broken, and the magic stone was missing. One of her wings was missing as well as blood gushed out of it in a fountain. It was just severed with a sword. It seemed like someone had forcibly corkscrewed it since the base of it still remained sticking to her back.
It was Sylvarill.
Sylvaril of the Void, was the only one of the 12 servants of Perguis, the Armored Dragon King. A member of the Heaven Race. She was the only servant of who wasn't a summoned spirit.Hence, if she died, she would die for good.
Almanfi looked up as he saw a familiar face looking down at him. There was no change in air, no shift in mana. It was like he was always standing in front of him. Cold sweat broke on his body. Randolph was walking right beside him, his skull-like face droopy and apologetic.
"Tell Perguis, if he wants something, come down here." Julian spoke and turned around.
"You will die. Along with your family. No one dares to tarnish our lord's name and not face death."
Julian stopped and looked back at him.
"Fear of death, huh? Sorry, but I can't comprehend that feeling. Death can claim me when it has deserved me. Until then, I refuse to meet my end at the hands of someone so weak. Be it you, or your master."
"Know your plac---"
"Adam."
A thin teal line went from left to right, drawing a straight cut in the middle of his face as the upper side of his face fell down on the ground. Adam appeared beside Julian, his sword returning to its sheath with a slow, morbidly baleful click.
"What about her, master?" Adam asked, pointing towards Sylvarill.
"Throw her in the open field towards the West." Julian said as his eyes turned green and looked up at the sky, "He can pick her from there. He won't be coming down here now. At least for the time being."
"Yes, master." Adam replied and stooped down, gripping Sylvarill by her hair and yanking it, pulling her through dirt.
Once they were gone, Julian turned towards Rudeus and extended his hand. "One hundred gold coins."
"Huh?"
Julian motioned around the house, the absolute damage that Rudeus' mindless spell had occured. "Now."
"Ah fuck....can I get a brother's discount?"
"No."
"Bloody hell..."
As Rudeus took out a pouch of coins from his pocket, he tossed it towards him. "This is all I have now..."
"Hm, this would work." Julian replied and placed it in his pocket before flicking his fingers as the damaged walls rebuilt themselves. The house was made with mana and magical bricks that was a specialty of Shria.
"Hah? Why did you even take money from me when you could do this?"
"So, you don't shoot a spell that is capable of destroying a whole city next time."
(***)
The sky gradually darkened, painting the horizon with shades of orange and pink as the sun sank below the edge of the world.
In the following few moments, the night fell like a soft velvet curtain over the city of Sharia. Streetlamps illuminated by summoned familiar flickered to life, casting pools of warm, amber light on the cobblestone streets.
The faint hum of cicadas filled the air, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees.
In the Greyrat mansion, an air of quiet contentment and exhaustion settled in, once everything was over.
The day had been a whirlwind of emotions.
Rudeus had already taken his three wives—Sylphy, Sara, and Eris—back to their home to rest after the momentous meeting with the newborn children.
The birth of Ariel's child and the surprising revelation of Nanahoshi's twins had left everyone with a sense of wonder, anticipation...but most of all---worry.
There was no saying what Julian would do. All of them knew what could happen if his brain flipped after seeing the green haired baby.
Julian, having completed his errands outside the mansion, returned with a little bit of baggage.
"Hm?"
The mansion seemed quieter than usual. The hallways that were usually bustling with activity at this point of the night as dinner time came close, were now hushed. The warm glow of candlelight illuminated the grand foyer, but it felt somewhat subdued.
Julian looked around with anticipation as he made his way through the mansion, his footsteps echoing softly on the polished marble floors. The footsteps vanished as he took his shoes off and started walking on the part of the house that was completely covered in carpets.
"Adam." Julian muttered but the boy that only came to his summons never came. "Hm. Strange." Speaking to himself, Julian made his way to the first room on the lower floor. The door opened with a slight creak.
The light from the hall penetrated into the room, flushing it with a slight rush of illumination.
"Mmm, who's this?" A voice sliced through the darkness, tired, scared yet hopeful---all at the same time.
"Who--oh, welcome back, master." Eva who was sitting beside the girl stood up and bowed. Slowly, making her way to the lamp, she illuminated it, finally making the whole room alive.
"Wait outside." Julian slightly motioned his head towards the side. Eva nodded and bowed once again, walking away from the girl and left the room. The door behind Julian closed with almost no sound.
Walking towards her, Julian sat in the chair beside her bed that Eva was sitting on a while ago, the seat still warm.
"You seem to be recovering, Ariel." Julian spoke, leaning forward as he hovered his hand above her. A light glint of green light permeated from his hand, checking, probing for any signs of internal complications.
"I wasn't the one who got the shorter end of the stick, fortunately and unfortunately so." She replied as she struggled to sit straight, pushing the mattress.
"Keep lying down." Julian placed a hand on her forehead and pushed it down, telling her to not move.
"You're awfully considerate at times." She giggled and then suddenly coughed. Her lungs felt stuffed up.
"When have I not?" Julian replied with a nonchalant shrug as he casted some healing magic. "Hm. You don't have an injury. It just seems like you are internally weak. Were you not eating enough?"
"Uhm, I think I was eating enough..." She spoke with a bit of hesitation.
"Enough for one?"
"Yeah...maybe." She averted her gaze away from him. "Sorry."
"Hm? You're awfully docile today." It was Julian who commented on her demeanor this time.
"Well, it is strange if I am being honest. I thought about kids being like just something I would give birth to and then let him grow himself. You know, just like me. It's just...ugh. Hm, how to put it. I feel way too attached to him, even though he was born just now. Too bad he won't have both of us with him..." She paused as a sullen look appeared on her face. "...don't worry too much about it though. I will go back with him in a few days."
"Hm? Go back? With whom? And why?"
"Our...I mean, my kid. Of course. Who else? It would be natural for you to not want to take responsibility of him. It was a mistake on my part. I will hold myself accountable for him."
"Oh? So, it's a boy. Also, why do you think I won't feel accountable for him?" Julian asked, intrigued by her thought process. Usually, she wasn't the one to come to these kinds of conclusions. If anything, he expected her to jump on him.
"Why would you...?"
"Hm. I have a few reasons. But the main reason would be that he mine. That's it." He spoke with iron clad firmness in his voice.
"You make it sound like he's your possession." Ariel pouted, crossing her arms.
Leaning forward, he placed his hand on hers. "Both of you are." Saying that he slightly kissed her forehead before standing up. "Oh, there he is." Leaving the petrified, stunned out of her mind Ariel in the bed, Julian walked over to the crib that had his firstborn.
As he stood in front of it, his figure casted a looming shadow over the little baby boy. His blue eyes curiously met Julian's own. His cheeks were flushed, like cherries while his hands were holding on to the latticed sides of his crib. He repeatedly opened and closed his eyes as the few strands of golden blonde hair interrupted his vision.
The boy was wearing a white silk shirt with golden accents around the collar and sleeves. The crib was actually a comfy basket that was perfectly sized for him to move about his limbs with plush pillows tailored to his size.
Julian bent down and gently placed his finger on his locks, brushing them aside from his eyes. The boy let out a giggle and extended his hands upwards once the hair was away from his eye, finally relieved.
"A-anyways, have you decided on a name?" Ariel spoke, breaking out of her reverie. Despite the fact that Julian called her, the Queen of Asura his possession, she was oddly turned on by that.
"Hm? Uh, no. But I did come up with something." Julian replied as placed his arms on the edge of the bassinet, one arm over the other as he looked down at him. "Xavier. Let's call him Xavier."
Ariel's eyes were wide but suddenly she chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Xavier it is. Xavier Greyrat. Is it okay for him to have your last name?"
Julian looked at her from the side of his eye.
Receiving the silent message, she raised her hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. I won't say anything like that again."
"Hm. Good. Well, good night for now. I will come back in the morning." Julian told her and started walking towards the door.
"Aww, why don't you stay the night?" She grumbled, placing Xavier in her lap and lifting her shirt up to feed him.
"You just had a delivery. Have some mercy on yourself."
"Oh, hehe~ I am in perfect stat--"
"No."
"..."
"Good night."
"Good night."
Julian closed the door behind him, making no noise. However, it opened again as he peaked through it. "To Xavier as well."
Ariel smiled, holding Xavier's hand and waving it in his direction. His eyes opened wide for a fraction of an inch, and he came back inside. Placing a small bag that had a few stains of oil beside her bed, he turned around.
"What is it?"
"Oh, I went to the restaurant. Fish and chips. You like it, right?"
"I'd say I love it. Thank you~"
"Hm. No problem. Also..." Julian came closer to Xavier who was still attached like a leech to Ariel. Grabbing his small hand, he tied a small thread around it. Ariel smiled, looking at his tiny hand within Julian's massive one.
Leaving him to the side, he saw Ariel open the bag and started eating the chips. Extending his hand, he took out a handful of chips and started eating them.
"Hey!" She slapped his hand away.
"What? I am hungry, you know." He whined, rubbing his hand.
"I know. But this is mine." She pouted and crumpled the top of the bag, not letting him take any more of them out. However, he just tore a small hole into the side of the bag and took some more out.
"Sorry." Despite apologising, he ate them.
"It's ok. I was too mean as well." Ariel replied and placed the bag in front of her, "You want some of the fish?"
"Hmm, no. I brought this for you. I've already eaten a lot."
"A bite won't hurt, you know."
"You never know. It might hurt me this time. Also..." He paused and pointed his finger at Xavier, "...he doesn't seem very happy with me stealing your food."
"Ahaha, well then, you shouldn't do it. Don't want to make him cry now, do we?"
"Mhm, yeah."
Once he was content with looking at his firstborn, he patted Xavier's head and saw himself out of the room.
It was meek, but he felt the warmth.
THANKS TO HYAKKI FOR MAKING THIS. : )
(***)
Julian climbed the grand staircase with a quiet grace, his steps purposeful yet unhurried.
The familiar melody of "Nocturne in E flat major" resonated inside his throat as he hummed the hauntingly beautiful piece. The notes danced in his mind, his throat throbbing as their lilting cadence mirrored his steps.
His hands were tucked deep inside his coat pockets, keeping them warm in the dimly lit corridors.
The mansion's halls were empty and silent, save for the faint echoes of his own footsteps.
A sense of stillness cocooned him, broken only by this own hum. The soft illumination from the sconces along the walls casted elongated shadows, forming a separate haul of chiaroscuro around him.
As Julian reached the end of the corridor leading to his room, he couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the path he now came across with and the one he had taken earlier.
Ariel's room, where darkness clung to every corner was filled with melancholy and only Eva beside her. In contrast, his destination was bathed in soft light, casting a warm and inviting glow while he could feel every mana signature of his family inside this one.
As he pushed open the door, his eyes were met with a room awash in soft, golden light. The room was decorated in a modern-antique style, with ornate furnishings and elaborate patterns adorning the walls.
A grand piano, who's ebony and ivory keys gleamed in the lamplight, sat in the corner.
However, the brightness did little to dispel the sense of gloom that hung in the air. The room had an air of solemnity.
Julian's gaze was drawn to a large window, its curtains drawn back to reveal the tranquil garden beyond. Moonlight filtered through the glass, casting a serene, silvery glow over the room.
"Hello." Julian waved his hand, and everyone seemed to tense up just from his hand moving. "Hm?"
He was a bit confused. Why did it seem like they were going to attack him? That was definitely hostility he sensed from Paul. Even from Zenith. Adam as well.
He cocked his head to the side. Reaching out for his sword, he removed it from the belt and placed it in the corner of the room. However, Paul's muscles were still tense. He was sweating, so was Adam.
Zenith and Lilia were not looking at him, while Aish and Norn were standing in the corner.
"Welcome back, brother." Aisha was the one who broke the tension; however, she stayed beside Norn.
Julian nodded his head before his eyes flicked towards Nanahoshi. She was cradling something in her arms, her knees raised up and her upper body bent over, as if she was trying to hug something to her chest---hiding it.
"Hello...son." Paul greeted him back, a sword strapped to his belt.
"Hm. Hello, father. May I ask why you have a sword inside my room?" Julian asked, moving towards the desk as he removed his robe and unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt.
"Uh, nothing. You know, like before, I was wondering I'd keep it as long as you are not around. You know, your old man is a Sword Saint as well now." Paul replied, faking a grin.
"Yeah, I know. Congratulations on that." Julian pursed his lips and nodded his head in approval and awe.
"Eh, congrats to you. Three kids at once, eh? Looks like you took after your father!" He cackled out loud, however, the tension in his muscles never left.
'Upper step?' Julian thought to himself.
"I'd like to believe I took after mom. Thank you very much." Julian's comment suddenly cracked up a smile on everyone's face. Except Nanahoshi. "Hmm, can I get a few minutes with Shizuka alone?"
However, the warm laughter that had filled the room was suddenly turned into an icy cold horrifying one.
"Can I stay here?" Zenith asked, prompting the others to leave.
Julian turned his head towards her. "Yes, you can." She heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing those words, along with the others. "Once I am done here. So, for now, please, leave the room. Respectfully."
Zenith flinched. The room had a weird air. Everyone was standing still.
"I can stand here all night. Although you'd be making the kids uncomfortable with this petrified statue game." Julian raised his voice.
Everyone was looking at Zenith, due to her closeness with him. She sighed and lowered her head, feeling lost. She had spent most time with him among the family members. She knew that there was no arguing him. With another resignated sigh, she pushed Norn and Aisha slightly towards the door.
Lilia followed closely behind her. Paul left as well. One by one, everyone left the room and the fear and paranoia on Nanahoshi's mind increased. However, her lips stayed shut.
"What part of leave us alone do you not understand?" Julian asked without looking at someone and his eyes gleamed a bright shade of azure as he looked over his shoulder. "Adam."
Adam was kneeling on one knee, his head bent. "If I may, mast--"
"Leave. Now."
"But mast--"
Adam's head lobbed off his shoulders, falling down on the floor. His world spun as the severed head rolled on the ground with a wet squelch. He couldn't see it coming. Fear filled his mind. His dying eyes were quivering.
'Why? All I was doing was my dut---"
"I don't like disobedience. I think you have learned this by now." Julian spoke as Adam coughed, getting on all fours and gasped for breath. Julian lifted his hand from his head and lifted his chin, making his look into his eyes. "Now, leave. This is the third I am saying it."
He gritted his teeth but lowered his head immediately. "Yes."
With a sullen look, he left the room.
Julian turned around and looked at Nanahoshi. Her eyes were moist, with white trails on her glassy skin. Her brown eyes looked tired, huge bags underneath them. Julian walked over to her. She never took her gaze off him. However, instead of moving towards the bed itself, he detoured towards the cradle beside it.
He lowered himself, standing on his knees as he peeked into it. "He's much smaller than Xavier. Well, he came out earlier than expected as well. So, it's normal." Julian spoke to himself, looking at his thirdborn.
He was a combination of both parents, having Julian's hair and Nanahoshi's eyes. This one was wearing a full sleeved white dress, with a small plushie inside the small basket as well. He was holding one of the bars.
"I see...you named his Xavier?"
"Yeah. I am the father, so I should be the one naming. Hmm. On another note, maybe I'll have mom name this one. None of my parents were with her so I did it myself." Julian explained as he slightly touched the boy's nose. In return, the baby grabbed his index finger with one hand and little finger with the other.
"I see."
"You seem quite sleep deprived." Julian commented.
"Yeah...the whole ordeal with Perguis' familiars. I thought he'd be understanding since I met him a few times via Orsted."
"Hm, yeah. Don't think much about that. We'll take care of that."
"We?"
"Don't think much about it."
"Okay...."
He straightened his back and plopped on the bed, beside her. "Where is the other one?"
"I am feeding her..."
"That is a pillow. I can read mana. Where is the other kid, Shizuka?"
His voice hardened like a fist, ready to pummel down.
"What are you going to do?!"
Her eyes reddened.
"The correct thing. If it came down to it."
She recoiled from him. "I won't let you."
Julian tilted his head. "Hm."
He stood up and walked over to the door inside his room that usually led to another smaller room with nothing but books. In the center of it, he saw the final cradle.
Nanahoshi tried to stand up but her stitched hindered her to.
Julian slowly walked up to it. The baby inside was already sniffling. However, when Julian reached it, he saw that although the baby was sniffling, it's face was stoic. It was sniffling from a clogged nose.
The baby had green hair and a pair of shimmering blue eyes. Julian placed his hand over the baby's head as a slight red light permeated from it. "Oh?"
"Julian...no, please no. That is our kid. Please, don't."
Nanahoshi was sobbing, and despite everyone standing right outside, no one dared to walk in.
Only Aisha was the missing one as she had run away to call Rudeus. He was the only one who could hold a candle to him, now that the Dragon God was gone.
Julian came back, his features dark. He was holding the baby. "It's a girl. It isn't what you think. She just has a Laplace Factor. And a stone face like me." Julian spoke as he showed her face to her. Both the daughter and father had the same "I am tired of this life already" look on their visage.
"Huh?"
"What huh? You thought I was going to kill her? Didn't Orsted stay girls can't be Laplace's vessel?"
"I---uhh..."
She couldn't think. She was a mess.
"Enough of this bullshit, you jerk of a little broth--"
"Waaaah...."
As Rudeus kicked the door down, the boy started crying his heart out, obviously scared out of his mind. Rudeus' face twisted into confusion as he saw Julian gently holding his daughter, while Nanahoshi, despite being scared out of her mind a while ago was staring daggers at Rudeus.
"Wait...Aisha! Did you lie to me? This doesn't look like a merciless killer killing his own kid because of a hair colour to me. Mind explaining yourself?" Rudeus huffed angrily. However, Aisha never emerged from behind Lilia.
"I was having some talk with my wife. Can you leave?" Julian asked calmly.
"Sure thing. Sorry. I'll pay for the crack. Next month. I promise." Apologising again and again, he closed the door behind him.
Julian sighed and placed the daughter inside the boy's crib and placed him in Nanahoshi's lap since he was crying. She was wearing a simple light blue frock.
After a while of calming down Nanahoshi, Julian explained everything to his family. Rudeus was also there, of course. He asked Zenith to name his kids, but she was too tired for the day. In the end the responsibility fell into his own hands.
He wanted to call his son Changez Khan for some reason. Paul agreed on it. However, Rudeus kept saying how horrendous it was.
In the end, he thought it was too troublesome to argue with a blabbermouth like Rudeus, so he changed it, naming the boy, Elijah. Elijah Greyrat. While the daughter was named Luna Greyrat.
These names were quite acceptable and aligned with their current world and so ended up deciding on them.
And while all of this drama unfolded, Roxy slept like a sloth in the adjacent room. She wasn't really a heavy sleeper. She was just tired due to being the teacher at Magical Institute and then had to bear with drama that the existence of Julian Greyrat attracted to himself every day.
-----------------------------------------
FIRST-BORN: Xavier Greyrat.
SECOND-BORN: Luna Greyrat.
THIRD-BORN: Elijah Greyrat.
-----------------------------------------
(********************)
Author's Note:
Whelp, there you go. First 3 of the entire NASA team researching Mars. Join discord for madness and losing last of your comatose brain cells. I'll see you all next time. If my bad luck didn't kill me first. Cheers lads (and lassies, if there are any.)