*WHOOOSH*
The beloved child of Sagittarius was so focused on attacking, that he didn't even notice the hand of the black-haired man cutting through the air and locking his head in a claw-like grip.
"Kid. If I promise to play with you later, will you be a good boy and let the adults have a talk?"
Zoemi asked, easily picking up the boy.
"HEY! TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!"
*BOOOOOOOOOM*
"...!"
Aaron growled in anger after realizing that he can't pry his opponent's fingers open no matter how much he tried – as punching the wrist of the black-haired man was also useless, the boy picked the second best option and punched himself.
Although extremely reckless, that strategy worked and the Aaron managed to free himself.
"...wh... why aren't you taking me seriously...?"
After the last exchange, Aaron's approach to the situation shifted completely from the joy at the discovery of someone who could withstand his attacks, to the devastation over the fact that nothing he does phases his opponent in the slightest.
It was the first time in Aaron's life that he faced a hurdle like that – the problem was that it wasn't some speed bump in the road – a whole mountain range appeared in front of him out of nowhere.
His whole life he was told that he is someone special, a giant amongst the martial artist.
But this fight?
Within only a few seconds Aaron realized that it wasn't a meeting of two giants.
It was him, a small child, against an unmovable object.
A pebble against a literal mountain.
His whole world was flipped on its head.
"Is there even a need for me too? A man who hired me asked me to not kill anyone from the Great Ram sect."
Zoemi shrugged his shoulders and responded in a casual voice.
"Huh?! But I am not from the Great Ram sect!"
Aaron gasped, getting wide-eyed, and clenched his fist.
"Kid, are you trying to tell me you want me to kill you...?"
"M-maybe...!"
The black-haired man asked, raising his brow questioningly to which the boy trembled and stuttered with no conviction in his voice.
---------
"What in the world is going on?! Who is that man?! Who hired him and for what?!"
The head of the justice magistrate growled, looking around trying to get an answer from literally anyone.
"H-he is a member of the dark sect that we contact you about..."
The vice-leader of the Great Ram sect gulped down his saliva and responded in a fearful tone, sweating buckets.
"Are you insane?! If that was someone from the dark sect, do you think that our nation would still exist?!"
Daniel glared at him as if Steven was out of his mind and pointed at the black-haired man.
"WHO IS HE?!"
The steel-gray-haired man roared.
-----------
"I came here to kill you! Stop treating me like a child!"
Aaron's pride was deeply hurt and his mouth run way faster than his head...
"..."
*WHOOOSH*
"!!!"
The
light in the obsidian eyes of the black-haired man gleamed coldly and the next moment Aaron's head was in his grip, shocking the younger boy to the core.
*BOOOOOOOOOOM*
"H-huh...?! But it worked last time...?!"
Without wasting tie on hitting his opponent, Aaron immediately punched himself to escape just as he already managed to once before...
...and fail...
"You didn't break free last time. I released you because it looked like you could hurt yourself. But since you are not a part of the Great Ram sect, said to not tea you like a child, and you declared that you came here to kill me and are ready to die..."
"!!!"
Zoemi lifted Aaron up to his eye level and told him in a cold, matter-of-fact voice.
There was no threat – it was simply a piece of information about the definitive fact – and it was the scariest thing that the beloved child of Sagittarius experienced in his whole life.
"Face the consequences of your own decision."
Zoemi added and his grip tightened on Aaron's skull.
"N-noooooooo...!"
It wasn't like an iron grip – it felt as if a whole mountain was pressing against his head – there was no doubt or misplaced hope – it was the end and the boy could only burst into a pitiful cry while kicking his legs in the useless struggle.
"ZOEMI! STOP! DON'T KILL HIM!"
At the moment when all seemed lost and Aaron's skull was about to shatter, Alan stepped forward and shouted in desperation at the black-haired man.
"As you wish."
Zoemi glanced over at him and nodded, gently putting down the bawling boy.
"G-grandpaaaa....!"
Aaron cried, bawling his eyes out, and run up to the steel-gray-haired man and hid behind him, pressing his face into his back.
"..."
"..."
"...you better have a good explanation for all of this..."
As Viola and Steven were staring speechless at their child and the black-haired man, Daniel put his hand protectively on Aaron's back and glared at them.
"Master Alan, I haven't been your attendant for nearly long enough to cause you to forget how to dress up. What's up with those clothes?"
Zoemi smirked and motioned with his chin at the young marital artist dressed up in the custom feminine uniform.
"Sh-shut up! Didn't you say that our deal is canceled?!"
Alan flinched and took a step back, surprised by the warm response.
"As per your mother's request, I canceled my contract with a girl named Alice, haven't I? It was pretty strange though, considering that the only deal I made was with you, master Alan.."
"Huh...?"
The black-haired man shrugged his shoulders and explained, causing the reddish-brown-haired marital artist to freeze in place and let out a shocked voice.
"What? Did you think I canceled my contract with you? Even after the talk, we had outside the sect? I feel hurt. I try really hard to keep my word, you know?"
Zoemi tilted his head and asked, gasping theatrically and covering his mouth in an exaggerated movement.
*thump*
"...pfft... I... you dumbass...!"
Alan plopped on the ground, staring dumbfounded at Zoemi before letting out a snort and shaking his head with a warm feeling growing within his chest.
"Alright, let's get you to your room and put your clothes in order. I don't want to hurt your pride, but in this arrangement, you can't even blame others for mistaking you for a girl. Up you go. I don't know where your room is."
The black-haired man nodded with satisfaction and approached his employer, offering him his hand to get up while looking around the courtyard devastated by his fight with the beloved child of Sagittarius.
"I DEMAND ANSWERS!"
While Alan was getting up with Zoemi's help, the head of the justice magistrate shouted with fury as if he was on his home turf.
"Yeah, me too. First of all, why you are making a child kill people, you fucking pervert? If you won't come up with a satisfying answer until I will deal with my master's wardrobe malfunction, you are the one getting beaten up."
"...!"
Zoemi turned around and shut him up with a single glare, but then went a step further and declared, pointing his index finger at the steel-gray-haired man threateningly, making him subconsciously take a step back.
"Hmph."
Satisfied with the reaction, the black-haired man nodded and moved and started walking away together with Alan.
"L-law of Sagittarius!"
Embarrassed over his own fearful action, Daniel activated his star power and launched the concentrated energy right at the back of the leaving Zoemi.
*tsss*
"..."
The attack reached its target, but the energy of the law of Sagiatrius merely dissipated without dealing any damage to the black-haired man whatsoever – that said, not being harmed did not mean that Zoemi wasn't pissed off about getting shot in the back.
"...old pervert... If you don't start acting like a respectable human being, I will kick your shit in so hard that it will break your teeth on its way out..."
"!!!"
Zoemi stopped only for a moment and just to inform the steel-gray-haired man about the consequences of his actions if he will choose to continue the annoying behavior.
Just as Aaron up until that point never met someone so overwhelmingly stronger than him, Daniel never met anyone who respected him less than the black-haired man.
"Zoemi, you really shouldn't speak like that towards the head of the justice magistrate from the Star Pagoda..."
Alan grabbed onto the black-haired man's clothes and whispered with a worried expression.
"He is in such an important position and still shoots people in the back? Master Alan, give it to me straight. Is the Heavenly Star nation extremely corrupt or something? Because that's how things look like from my perspective."
Zoemi shook his head in disbelief, making sure that Alan is shielded from any attacks that could be shot their way.
"What?! Of course not! Mister Danel is a respectable man!"
"...who shoots people in the back and makes his grandson attack people... I will definitely need to have you explain your definition of respect to me, master Alan."
The young martial artist gasped and declared with conviction – a conviction that fell flat in Zoemi's skeptical eyes.
"About the clothes... my mother said to not alter them in any way..."
Right before entering the right door, the young man looked back and spoke apologetically.
"We will not do that. Not permanently at least. And we will have to change that hairstyle of death too. It's a bit unnerving that it suits you..."
"A... a hairstyle of death...?"
Zoemi nodded and gave the young man a reassuring smile before pointing at the long braid of reddish brown hair resting on one of his shoulders, confusing Alan to no end.
"Don't mind me, we will change it anyway, as I said. Alright, sit down, show me to the brush and comb and see the magic happens~"
Zoemi waved his hand dismissively and after entering the room, he pointed his employer at the first seat he noticed and asked of him with a visibly increased excitement.
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