As I looked at the arena, I sighed loudly, feeling a bit annoyed.
As we expected, the angels were doing all the work. While they were mostly defending, they did counterattack, slowly but surely taking down the opponents in the arena.
It's funny how it was a battle royal that turned into a 32 vs. the rest, with all the other participants working together as well as fighting against the angels' faction. It was effective to some extent, but the Angels' teamwork was simply superior.
"What's wrong?" Mom asked sarcastically.
"We won't be able to see what he is up to." Samantha muttered and annoyed herself.
"Yeah, with his little followers around him like that, he won't have to lift a finger at all. I added thinking about other things.
"Hmm, we should really bring in rules about teaming." Samantha's suggestion made Mom and me shake our heads.
"Yeah, then our little useless nobles can't team up as well." The silent man next to me uttered these words.
"Hmm, I disagree. If some of our nobles don't team up, none will get through to the next round." Mom explained why she was not agreeing to their rule.
"Hmm, they should just be stronger." I said, shrugging. Attempting to examine him once more caused me to furrow my brow.
'I mean, I know you get blockers and all, but how does it say it's not available at all or has no target to analyze?' I was annoyed.
"Now that I think about it, if it's true that he is level 800, why hide your class name or rarity?" I looked at the silent guy next to me as I spoke these words.
"Like you said, Kitsu, they're planning something. What will it help to show you in class now?" Samantha countered, making me raise an eyebrow.
"Well, that's true."
"Anyways, it seems this will be a waste of time; I am leaving." The quiet guy left the room, followed closely by the others.
"Well, what are your honest thoughts about what's going on?" I asked, seeing as it was only Mom and me alone.
"We're going to have many unnecessary deaths." Mom said this, which caused me to tilt my head in surprise.
"No war can be won without death." I hummed, shaking my head.
"This isn't war, Kitsu. It's just one battle." Mom countered, and I nodded in agreement.
"It only takes one battle to start a war." I added while nodding.
"That is not the case in this country." It takes way more than that to make us start a full-on war." Mom spoke, her gaze fixed squarely on mine.
"Hmm,"
"Well, anyways, I am pretty sure this guy doesn't have an offensive class." Mom suddenly said, making me raise an eyebrow.
"Why are you saying that?"
"Well, the Angels are fighting with higher stats than what they should have." Mom clarified the situation, prompting me to attempt an analysis of the angles, but to no avail.
"So he buffed them." I muttered, realizing what it might be.
"Seems so."
"Hmm, then he will be fragile in the final stage." I said, not really believing myself.
"I doubt they would have brought him in without knowing that." He is most likely quite a smart reincarnation. It might be that friend of the princess and prince." I added with a thoughtful expression.
"What makes you so sure?" Mom asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Buff classes are indeed quite beneficial; you can enhance your abilities, strengthen your muscles, or engage in similar actions. While I am not entirely certain of the mechanics, I believe it is possible to apply multiple buffs to a single individual." I don't know how it works, but I'm sure you can give one person more buffs. I replied, recalling the lessons Kayda had imparted to me.
"That might actually be true. I haven't thought about buff classes like that." Mom expressed her surprise.
"Of course I am intelligent myself, Mom." I said boastfully.
"You may be smart in some areas, but socially you struggle." Mom shook her head, dismissing my comments.
"That hurts." I muttered.
"So why are you saying he might be one of the royal's previous friends?" Mom, he said, changing the subject.
"If I recall correctly, he was the supporter of the group, always in the background but crucial to the final ideas those three came up with. There was a reason why he always got credit with them even though he was the quietest one." I explained, remembering the quiet one.
"So he was the brains of the three."
"No, he just knew what to say when and where. He knows how to help people when needed. Haha, I remember this one time he tried to cheer me up as if I wasn't already happily content with my life back then." I said with a chuckle.
"Hmm, do you think we can recruit him?" Mom asked, not sounding very hopeful about it.
"No idea; it's been 16 years in a new life, a lot of change in that time." I shrugged, feeling a slight joy as I watched two angels pass away.
"Well, we can still try." Mom said, shrugging her shoulders.
"True, but how are we going to speak with him with all the angles around him?" I said with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, the final stage is a 1v1 matchup, so you will just talk to him there," I said. I looked at my mother with a smile.
"What, are you guys going to put him against me in the first round?" I said, shaking my head.
"Yeah."
"Ugh, why me?"
"Because you are the strongest." Mom said, still keeping her grin.
"Touché."
"Wait, why send me in immediately? What if they are a complete counter to me?" I said, annoyed.
"Hmm, you have a point, but who else will stand against him?"
"Just send Zagen in to test him. He went through after the ages of the other people got exposed." I said, trying to throw Zagan under the bus.
"I will think about it," Mom said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, then put me against a paladin. I want to see how strong that class is." I said happily.
"They can't do anything special. They just use holy magic." Mom said, shrugging.
"Yeah, no shit, but what can that magic do to me, a demon fox?" I said, holding my grin.
"Well..."
"I don't want an explanation; I want to feel it myself. Thank you."
"Masochist?"
"You wish, Mom."
"Touché."
"So how is it going with you and Kayda's relationship?" Mom abruptly changed the topic.
"Man, our vacation together was great, but since we got back we haven't had much time for each other." I said I was not happy about how busy she has been.
"What about night? I hear you joined Kayda in her room." Mom said, grinning.
"Yeah, sleeping in the same bed for a few months does get you used to it."
"Even though you're back to your tree."
"Yeah, I was surprised about that as well." I said this while reflecting on how much I love that tree and enjoy sleeping in my fox form under it.
"Well, I understand that I don't like sleeping without Dean next to me after all these years." Mom said, chuckling.
"Hmm," I hummed while nodding my head, noticing that the battle royale was nearing a point where only angles remained. I stood up.
"Where were you going?"
"I think I will have to start preparing for him." I said, gesturing at the person in the middle of everything.
"Hmm, I am sure your stats will be higher than his, though."
"Yes, but the federation will have something planned, so I want to make them underestimate me." Or more, I think my stats are lower than they really are. I mean, they shouldn't know I have wrath, right? So it's already way higher than they are thinking." I explained thoughtfully.
"It's important to ensure they remain informed." Mom said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah." I agreed with a curt nod.
"So how are you going to do it?"
"Heh," I chuckled, ignoring her walking out of the room.
'It will be easier not to tell anyone.' I thought of changing into ice crystals.
[Amari's POV]
"So how are you?" I asked, standing next to Zagan outside in Mom's garden.
"I don't know." Zagan replied, as depressed as always.
"Hmm," I hummed while recalling the promise I made him keep a year ago. Grabbing his hand softly, I looked at him hopefully.
"Sorry, Amari." Zagan walked away from me and let go of my hand.
'I should probably abolish that promise.' As I thought this, tears streamed down my face.
"It might be for the best." A sudden voice spoke from behind me, surprising me.
Turning around at the voice, I locked eyes with Apricot, who was staring at me with her colorful eyes full of pity.
"Ahah, right, I will be fine on my own." I said, trying to seem strong.
Without any words, Apricot hugged me tightly.
"Amari, it's okay. He may return to you or not, but he's currently broke; don't place too much blame on him." Apricot spoke softly.
"I am not blaming him." I cried, wrapping my hands around her.
"Hmm,"
"I know it's not his fault."
"Let it out."
"I know all this, but how can he… How can someone be that pathetic after not even killing someone? I killed 78 kids! I took their lives away." I shouted, crying.
"You didn't know, Amari. It was all an accident." Apricot said this without losing the tenderness in her voice.
"Murder is still murder." I countered.
"Anything in life is debatable, Amari." She said, making me annoyed, remembering what Kitsuna said.
"Murder isn't." I tried, knowing the answer to it already.
"It is. If you kill someone to save someone, you can never call that outright murder." Apricot spoke, his voice increasingly resembling that of the infamous fox.
"Apricot, why are you even here?" I said this in an attempt to change the subject.
"Heh, I don't know; Mom told me to come here." She said, shrugging.
"Kitsuna? Why?"
"She probably saw you guys, and we both know how bad she is at showing family love." Apricot's statement made me chuckle.
"Right."
"Are you good?"
"No, can we stay like this for a while?" I said, hugging her tighter.
"Sure."
"… Apricot, do you hate the federation?"
"Absolutely." The girl said it with the most hatred in her voice I have ever heard from her.
"Do you want to destroy them?"
"Of course."
"Haha, dumb question." I said, chuckling at her.