After exiting the chamber, I was back in luxurious nightclub again, a scene unfolded before me that set my teeth on edge. A group of boisterous, clearly inebriated men had encircled the girls.
"Hey, pretty kitty, why don't you ditch these two and come hang with us?" one of them, a particularly burly orc with a sloshing mug of ale in his hand, was taunting Kuroko.
"And you, miss ice queen," another, a smirking elf with slicked back hair, had turned his attention to Sera, "Your cold demeanor gives me chills, but I like the challenge."
A third, a human, who appeared to be the ringleader, stepped closer to Aurelia. He was tall, dark and looked like trouble. His grin revealed a set of perfect teeth as he leaned in, "The fiery ones are always the most fun, don't you agree, darling?"
And there, in the corner, was Lila, her silver eyes wide as she looked at the spectacle unfolding before her. I couldn't help but smirk at the scene, knowing well that the girls could handle themselves, yet still intrigued by their reactions.
As the loud orc's laughter filled the club, his drunken gaze was fixed on Kuroko. Clearly misunderstanding the situation, he dared to let his hand wander down her back. Without missing a beat, Kuroko slyly reached for his wallet tucked in his back pocket. Like a professional thief, her hand movement was quick and unnoticeable, her charming smile never leaving her face.
"Oh, aren't you interesting?" Kuroko played along, her cat-like eyes twinkling with mischief. Her comment was met with a mix of confused laughter and surprised silence from the orc and his friends.
While this was happening, an elf, bolstered by his friend's audacity, reached out for Sera. However, the moment his hand grazed her arm, Sera shot up from her seat, her foot connecting with his groin with a resounding crack. The elf's laughter was abruptly replaced with a yelp of pain as he crumpled onto the floor.
"Try that again and you'll lose more than just your pride," Sera warned icily. The fallen elf could only whimper in response, clutching himself and turning a sickly shade of green.
Finally, the leader of the group, a bulky human, attempted to make a move on Aurelia. No sooner had his hand touched her shoulder than Aurelia's fist met his face, launching him into the ceiling. The thud of his impact echoed through the club as he then fell to the floor, unconscious.
"Choose your targets wisely next time," Aurelia advised, her voice ringing with authority, her golden eyes flaring with indignation.
Throughout the whole scene, I was standing nearby, watching the spectacle unfold. As soon as the dust settled, I walked over to the girls, a grin spreading across my face. The girls sure knew how to handle themselves.
As I walked over, Sera was the first to notice me, her silver brows furrowing. "Who did you meet?" She inquired, her eyes shimmering with curiosity.
I gave her a nonchalant shrug, "Just an old acquaintance," I replied, opting to keep the details vague.
"Old acquaintance?" Kuroko asked, her curiosity piqued, "Anyone we should know about?"
"Nah," I responded, giving a dismissive wave of my hand. "It's not important. Anyway," I redirected the conversation, "Are you all enjoying yourselves?"
Aurelia, ever the confident one, smirked at me. "Despite the minor interruption," she flicked a glance at the groaning men nearby, "I'd say we're having a good time."
Lila, who had been quiet till now, gave a small nod of agreement. "Indeed, Master," she chimed in. "The surroundings are most... exotic."
"Well then," I said, clapping my hands together. "Let's keep it going and enjoy the rest of our night here." The girls seemed to agree, their earlier brush with the crude men forgotten as they immersed themselves back into the luxurious atmosphere of the VIP nightclub.
Sera's eyes widened, her normally stoic expression fading as her grip on her drink tightened. "Maroth..." she whispered, so low it was barely audible. The smile that had been on her lips moments ago had completely vanished, replaced with a stone-cold glare.
"Did you say something, Sera?" Kuroko asked, leaning in to hear better. The normally feisty cat beastkin was instantly on alert, her catlike eyes scanning the room for any threat.
Aurelia turned to look at Sera, her eyes narrowing in concern. "What about Maroth?" she asked, recognizing the name from the many heart-wrenching stories Sera had shared about her past. The usual arrogance in her voice was replaced by a hard edge, and her hand subtly drifted towards the handle of her weapon.
Lila, always attentive to my reactions, glanced at me with a worried expression, her crimson eyes reflecting the severity of the situation.
"It's him," Sera said, her voice a dangerous whisper as she continued to stare in the direction of Maroth. "The man who destroyed my family... He's here."
The atmosphere around our table instantly tensed, our carefree night in the VIP nightclub overshadowed by the presence of this man from Sera's tormented past.
"Sera, wait," I said, catching her wrist in a firm grip as she made a move to stand. My touch caused her to stop, but she didn't sit back down. Instead, she turned to look at me, her silver eyes blazing with a dangerous light.
"What? Are you just going to have me sit here and do nothing?" she snapped, her voice laced with frustration and a thinly veiled rage. Her whole body was tense, the muscles in her arm straining against my grip.
"No," I replied calmly, meeting her gaze without wavering. "We are not going to act impulsively and put everyone at risk. Mamoth is a neutral city. If we start a conflict here, we'll have the whole city's guards on our necks."
Her glare intensified, but she didn't pull away. "So, what do you suggest then?"
"We wait," I said, releasing her wrist but not breaking eye contact. "And then we follow him once he leaves the city."
A moment of silence passed as Sera seemed to wrestle with her emotions, her gaze never leaving mine. Finally, she nodded slowly, her anger simmering down into a cold, steady determination. "Fine," she agreed, her voice quieter now, but no less serious. "We'll do it your way, Chang. But know this... He will pay for what he did."
Q: Have you ever taken revenge before?