32. Let me know if you guys see any major typos or grammatical errors. It'll be a huge help.
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(3rd)
As expected, when Kyoka, Himari, Shushu, and Nei discovered that Cain not only knew Uta—one of the strongest people in the world—but was also in a romantic relationship with her and that Uta was the mother of Cain's firstborn, they understandably lost their shit—especially Zero upon learning that the singer was the mother of Cain's firstborn.
However, the humanoid Shuuki, unlike the others, struggled to comprehend the significance of Uta. She didn't indulge in human activities, so she had no idea why everyone was making such a fuss over a woman who resembled a walking candy cane.
When Zero asked who Uta was, Cain provided the relevant details, and upon learning more about the singer, the humanoid Shuuki's eyes narrowed slightly. Not only was Uta the first to bear Cain's child, but she was also a prominent figure.
With this knowledge, Zero perceived Uta as her biggest competitor for Cain's affection and felt an overwhelming urge to assert her dominance over her. Unfortunately for Zero, before she could cause any trouble, Cain shot her a look that made her reconsider.
After the introductions, Uta got to know everyone, and the interactions went well for the most part. She got along with the members of the 7th, as well as Tenka and Honami. Uta particularly enjoyed Shushu's company, as she found her amusing and lively, and thought Nei was utterly adorable.
The only person she couldn't seem to find common ground with was the lone non-human in the room—Zero.
Whether due to female intuition, instinct, or a combination of both, Uta sensed that she wouldn't get along with Zero and didn't want to. Unlike the others, she regarded the humanoid Shuuki solely as a rival, leading to a few brief and passive-aggressive exchanges between them.
A few hours later, everyone gathered in the kitchen, enjoyed the food that Cain had prepared, and engaged in pleasant conversations.
"Oh my god, this food is so fucking yummy! It's almost as amazing as sex!" Uta exclaimed as she chewed and swallowed her food.
The meal consisted of gigantic burritos stuffed with high-quality steak, white rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, and diced baked potatoes.
Cain's cooking easily surpassed anything Uta had ever tasted before, with each bite delivering a multitude of pleasurable sensations that were reminiscent of an orgasm, though, of course, to a lesser extent.
Upon hearing Uta moan, everyone except Cain, Lanius, and Zero blushed.
Ignoring his mother's moaning, Lanius looked at his father. "Since when did you get this good at cooking?"
"I was taught by a girl named Erina," Cain replied.
At the mention of Erina's name, everyone except Zero paused their eating and turned their heads toward Cain.
"Erina...as in Erina Nakiri?" Himari asked slowly.
Like Uta, Erina Nakiri is a well-known figure, though not quite to the same extent as Uta. She's a world-class chef hailing from the prestigious Nakiri family, which is practically royalty in the culinary industry.
What truly sets her apart is her legendary "God's tongue," an extraordinary and natural ability that allows her to detect even the smallest imperfections in any dish with just a single taste.
"That's the one," Cain replied, his lips twitching into an amused smile.
"Okay, how the fuck do you know her?" Uta questioned.
"I met her and her family in Denmark a few years ago. If you're curious about how we met, it wasn't complicated. I saved her and her cousin from getting kidnapped by their family's competitors." That certainly caught everyone by surprise.
"Seriously... isn't that a bit much?" Shushu asked. "I get that they're competitors, but do they really have to resort to kidnapping? I mean, at the end of the day, it's just food."
The girls, except for Zero, all nodded in agreement with Shushu, while Zero remained lost in thought. Meanwhile, Cain, Uta, and Lanius exchanged knowing glances and shook their heads at the group's naivety.
"There's no such thing as 'too much' when it comes to human nature, especially regarding the big four: fame, wealth, status, and power. People will go to great lengths to achieve their goals. Just look at me, my siblings, the hybrids, and Himari's family. We're all clear examples of what people will do for their ambitions. So, is it really that far-fetched to think the Nakiris' competitors would resort to kidnapping?"
The members of the 7th and 6th took a moment to consider Cain's words, and they slowly arrived at the same conclusion: he had a point.
"I mean, he's not wrong..." Himari said reluctantly.
As much as she wanted to disagree with her boyfriend's words, the young Azuma couldn't bring herself to do so, as she knew they were true. The youngest Azuma was in no way ignorant of humanity's capacity for cruelty; she had witnessed her family commit horrific atrocities in their relentless pursuit of power, which filled her with a deep sense of shame.
This was one of the many reasons why she dreaded the thought of returning home. Unlike her family members, she didn't have a ruthless bone in her body, and because of that, she was often treated harshly for her inability to 'keep up.'
"Anyways—" Cain shifted back to the subject at hand. "After I saved her, the head of the Nakiri family said I could ask for anything as a reward, and you guys know the rest."
"That's all you got?" the blonde teased, a playful smirk on her face. "I've seen pictures of Erina and Alice Nakiri, and they're quite the beauties. And you're quite the stud. I wouldn't be surprised if they offered themselves to you on a silver platter."
Cain rolled his eyes. "Calm your tits, Tenka. At the time I saved them, they were only sixteen, which is a big no-no for me. Not to mention, they were severely traumatized from nearly being kidnapped and, from what I later learned, being turned into breeding stock." At that revelation, everyone except Zero froze.
"W-What did you just say?" Honami asked, her voice trembling.
"The Nakiri competitors were planning to use Erina and Alice as breeding stock to produce descendants with the God Tongue. Then, to add salt to the wound, after they got what they wanted, they'd ransom the two back to the Nakiri family."
"That's so fucked up..." Himari said.
"That's human nature for you, I'm afraid." Cain shrugged nonchalantly. "We like to see ourselves as victims while, in reality, we're the biggest monsters of all."
In the ongoing debate about who is truly monstrous, humanity indisputably takes the prize over the so-called "monsters" from the gates. Sure, the extradimensional invaders have killed and devoured a significant portion of humanity and destroyed everything in their path, but beyond that, what else have they really done?
Humans have committed unspeakable atrocities against each other and other forms of life for as long as they have existed. If someone were to attempt to tally the lives humanity has directly and indirectly taken within that amount of time, it's clear that the so-called monsters would lose to humanity by a landslide.
"That's a bit cynical, don't you think?" Kyoka questioned, frowning slightly as she processed Cain's words.
"Not at all. It's a fact that's been proven time and again. That doesn't mean I believe we're incapable of doing good—we absolutely are capable of it. We're just much better at being total assholes."
There was a brief moment of silence before Lanius decided to change the subject. "So, are you still in contact with them?" he asked, referring to Erina and Alice.
Cain shook his head. "I haven't had any contact with them for about a year."
"How come?"
"I've been pretty busy with many things. But maybe I should reach out to them...but that can wait for now." A smirk formed on Cain's lips, and his eyes glowed slightly. "So I hear from your mother that you're pretty strong," he said, leaking a subtle amount of his bloodlust, which caused everyone except Uta, Zero, and Lanius to stiffen. "Care to show me what you've got?"
Lanius mirrored his father's smirk and began to release his bloodlust.
"I thought you'd never ask."
End.
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Bronze Tier [1.50]
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