Isolde, the vampire princess, approached my group first, her black dress swaying gracefully as she moved. "It seems Wang-Yi-Fei is still as charismatic as always." She said, a teasing smirk on her face. "I can see why he chose you four."
Nia, the nymph with wavy green hair, followed Isolde, her plant dress rustling as she stepped forward. "You're the ones Wang-Yi-Fei has been travelling with, aren't you?" She asked, her voice filled with curiosity. "I heard you're quite the adventurers."
Yuki, the kitsune with the stunning white hair, was the last one to approach, her nine fluffy tails flicking in excitement. "I'm Yuki," she introduced herself, offering the girls a small bow. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
Each of my girls responded in their own way, surprised by the interactions but not entirely unpleasant.
Sera, always the defensive one, crossed her arms and scowled. "What's it to you?" She snapped, clearly feeling territorial.
Kuroko, however, simply laughed. "Well, well," she said, "It's not every day we get to meet Wang-Yi-Fei's exes. Must have been a wild ride."
Aurelia didn't miss a beat, her fiery personality shining through. "Whatever our pasts are, right now, we're the ones by his side," she stated, the pride clear in her voice.
And finally, Lila, the quietest of us all, simply nodded and said, "Nice to meet you too. It's always good to understand the past to navigate the future." Her words, though quiet, carried an underlying strength, proving once again why she was a crucial part of our group.
Seeing the exchanges between my girls and my exes, I stepped in, standing in the middle of the group. I raised my hand for silence, and when I spoke, my voice was serious.
"Listen, everyone." I started, looking at each of them in turn. "I won't pretend that my past isn't complicated, or that it doesn't involve many of you here. I know it does. But right now, we're facing a common enemy, and I need your help. All of you."
I turned to look at Sera, Kuroko, Aurelia, and Lila. "Girls, you've been with me through thick and thin, and I need your strength and courage now more than ever."
Then I turned to Isolde, Nia, and Yuki. "And you," I said, making sure to meet each of their eyes. "I understand if you have unresolved feelings about our past. But right now, I need you not as my past, but as powerful leaders. Your strength, your wisdom, your skills... they're all crucial to us."
The room was silent for a moment as my words hung in the air. "The demon king is powerful, yes," I continued. "But together, we're stronger. I believe we can defeat him, but only if we work together. Will you stand with me?" I asked, looking at each woman earnestly.
The tension was palpable as everyone awaited their responses.
Isolde, the vampire princess, was the first to break the silence. "Fine," she said, a trace of her earlier anger still evident in her voice. "But when this is over, you and I are going to have a serious talk, Wang-Yi-Fei."
Next, Nia, the nymph, sighed heavily. "I suppose there's no avoiding it. We can't just stand by while the demon king threatens us all. I'm in."
Finally, Yuki, the kitsune, stepped forward, looking me directly in the eyes. "I didn't think I'd be fighting alongside you again," she said, her voice soft yet determined. "But for the sake of Pangu, I will."
The tension in the room lessened as the three women agreed to join forces. With their support, our chances of success had greatly increased.
As we prepared to step through the teleportation gate, Isolde, Nia, and Yuki all turned to me, their eyes blazing with a mixture of annoyance and resignation.
Isolde was the first to act. Without a word, she raised her slender, pale hand and delivered a sharp slap across my cheek, her ruby-red eyes glinting. The impact was swift and surprisingly hard, momentarily causing me to lose my balance. The onlookers gasped, but I merely straightened up and nodded at her, acknowledging the hit.
Next was Nia, her eyes filled with a fiery determination that contrasted with her normally playful demeanor. She swung her hand, hitting my other cheek with a sound that echoed in the silent room. I simply turned my face back to its original position and glanced at her. She gave a slight nod, a silent understanding passing between us.
Finally, Yuki approached, her eyes reflecting a sense of betrayal and anger. She looked at me for a moment before raising her hand and delivering a stinging slap to the same cheek that Isolde had slapped earlier. The force pushed my head to the side, but I turned back to face her, my face unyielding.
With that, each of the women stepped through the teleportation gate, leaving me standing there with my face still smarting from their strikes.
I looked back at Lila, Sera, Kuroko, and Aurelia, who all stood frozen, eyes wide in shock.
A moment later, I spoke up:
"Yeah, I kind of deserved that. Alright, let's go, we got a world to save."
Q: What would you do if you were slapped by a long time friend?