"Is it so strange that I have humanity now?" Adam glanced at Medici calmly, pausing before adding, "Of course, if you ever surpass me, you're welcome to do so."
"You'd better wait for that day!" Medici gritted his teeth, catching Adam's unspoken permission... a tacit agreement that Medici could exact revenge if he grew strong enough.
"I look forward to it." Adam said with a faint smile.
The room fell silent again. Medici took a few more bites of his apple, then glanced at Adam. "Why are you still here?"
Adam met his gaze and said softly, "Didn't you want to stab me? Do you need me to provide the blade?"
Medici paused, looking at Adam. He smiled, munching on the apple as he approached.
When they were close enough, a dagger appeared in Medici's hand. Still chewing, he thrust the blade into Adam's abdomen, twisting it before pulling it out.
Blood gushed from the wound. Adam grunted, pressing a hand to his abdomen as he met Medici's eyes. "Happy now?"
"Very satisfying." Medici spat out, turning back to his seat. He tossed the apple core into the trash and planted the bloodied dagger into the desk.
"Medici, stick with Alaric." Adam's voice sounded again. "He may not always act human, but he treats his friends better than many actual humans."
"No need to tell me that." Medici said without looking up.
Adam glanced at him, perhaps shaking his head, before vanishing, leaving only one comment: "Clean up the cigarette butts."
Medici scoffed, staring at the bloodied dagger. He sighed softly. "We're even now."
From now on, he wouldn't hate Adam anymore. If he targeted him, it would just be because Adam annoyed him.
He was no longer trapped by that past.
"All done, huh? Good thing they didn't fight…" In the next room, Alaric yawned. He'd meant to nap, but halfway through, his gossip radar pinged, and sure enough, Adam had shown up.
So, fighting sleep, Alaric stayed up to witness the drama.
It was hard to say whether this was out of concern for Medici or just his insatiable love for gossip.
Probably both... he genuinely cared for his friends and had a relentless gossip streak.
"Good. This way, Medici can finally move on." Alaric said, shaking his head with a hint of regret. "Such a pity, though... that was an King of Angel's blood!"
Regret aside, Alaric wasn't about to barge into the study to collect any spilled divine blood. He just sighed and went back to napping.
Azik, blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding among his roommates while he focused on planning tomorrow's family outing, would've sighed if he knew, patted Medici's shoulder, and told him to look forward. Who didn't have a messy past?
But Azik didn't know, so he happily finalized his outing plans, too excited to sleep, staying up all night.
Luckily, as a Sequence 2 Death Consul, a sleepless night was no issue. The next day, meeting his children, Azik was as radiant as ever.
The family time was perfect, even stabilizing his humanity, which had been slightly shaken by his recent soul fusion.
Afterward, seeing everyone else busy, Azik felt awkward idling and volunteered to help Medici, adding another angel to the Aurora Order's base.
Time slipped by, and soon it was the day Alaric planned to move against the Numinous Episcopate.
"…The factional struggles within the Numinous Episcopate have reached a boiling point. The Pale-White Empress Sia, unwilling to submit to Azik's 'God of Death' persona, has been recalling Royal Family Faction members from abroad." Alaric, in his Lucifer persona, said, pointing at a map. "Combined with Haiter, who's recalling Artificial Death faction members under Azik's orders, over half the Numinous Episcopate's mid-to-high-level members are gathered here…"
"So, if we take this place, the scattered remnants won't pose a threat. Plus, with the Death Consul as insurance, we can minimize chaos." Alaric said, looking at Azik. "Azik, you'll handle this region's Numinous Episcopate members."
Azik, listening intently, glanced at the area Alaric indicated and nodded. "Alright."
"Medici, do I need to spell it out?" Alaric said, smiling at him.
"As long as you deal with Sia, I can handle the Royal Family Faction." Medici said, legs crossed, a mint cigarette dangling from his lips, looking every bit the boss.
Alaric nodded, then turned to Will with a smile. "Will, can you be our backup?"
Though the plan was near foolproof, caution was still wise. A Snake of Mercury who could bring luck and reset time in the area was perfect for mitigating any mishaps.
"No problem, but I want ice cream... Jack's homemade kind, for a month." Will said, stating his terms.
"Why's this on me?" Jack Jones, standing nearby, protested. "If anyone's making ice cream, it should be the boss!"
Alaric, still in his Lucifer persona, smiled at Will. "One week, max. If you eat ice cream, Lil' Amon will want some too. He's grown up a lot, but too much could still make him sick."
"Cough, I was really young back then… I won't overdo it now." Lil' Amon said, coughing awkwardly. He looked like an adult now, though his face retained a youthful softness.
***
Every 100 Power Stones and 5 Reviews will earn you a Bonus Chapter.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)