CHAPTER 95: CHAPTER 94: KLAIRE’S NUMBERS

Klaire smiled at Kyubi, then stepped onto the system scanning floor tiles. Kyubi wasn’t sure whether the smile was friendly or hostile, all she knew is that whatever numbers showed up she was ready for it to be over.

Her continued silence was conditional and far more painful than she could have imagined. What started as a simple fancy to use Lillim’s phrasing, had started when Carl first came and took her from her refuge.

The young, naive boy who was so kind he tried to accept punishment on behalf of his species and whose determination she found captivating.

She then watched him deliver on his promise to revive her species, not only that, but offering to shape it around her vision for the future. She had already thought him rather special, particularly for a human, but then the little kitsune he had made clung to him.

To see a young kitsune girl cling to their father was a first and the image of Carl being special was cemented. She watched him quite closely after that; she saw him awaken first, see everyone fed, tolerate Kitsunoko’s relentless pranks, train, study, push himself harder than any of the others.

Over time, it became something deeper, she had casually asked Lillim if the humans were still tied to their "ridiculous" ideas of monogamy for the most part and was surprised to see Lillim of all people act so defensively.

She remembered the spat they had when she first came to the base, she had assumed Lillim was just using it as an excuse to spar, but it made her realise there was more going on than she or they knew.

When Lillim told gave her a choice between keeping her feelings secret or leaving, she decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest for her to stay and agreed to the contract.

She couldn’t bring herself to submit to Lillim completely however, so she demanded three conditions on a whim, that she never thought she would use.

They both had to act as though nothing had changed.

They weren’t allowed to let Carl know or impede his own decisions.

If Klaire and he ever became immortals, she would have the right to challenge Klaire and declare her feelings.

What Kyubi was witnessing as Klaire’s system was displayed, made her heart both flutter with excitement and sink with apprehension.

[ SYS BUILD = NEO STARLIGHT EX V -2.0.6 ]

[ NAME = KLAIRE BASHE-REAGA ]

[ RACE = HUMAN + CRIMSON BANSHEE PROGENITOR *** ]

[ LEVEL = 300 ]

[ VIT = 2,200,000 ] [ DEF = 1,950,000 ] [ INT = 1,520,000 ]

[ STR = VIT + DEF ] [ DEX = 2,575,000 ] [ CHA = 1,289,000 ]

[ MP = INT x LVL ] [ HP = VIT + PET VIT ] [ DIV = LVL / 3 X 1000 ]

[ SOUL-EATER CULTIVATION = 33% ]

[ VAMPIRIC CULTIVATION = 0%

[ SKILLS = NEO CELESTI, NEO DEUS, NEO COSMA, CARL’S CHOSEN, NEO STARLIGHT EX BATTLE SKILL = MAX, LAW OF DEVOTION, LAW OF LIFE, LAW OF DEATH, LAW OF SOUL ]

[ SKILL RANKS = UNQUANTIFIABLE ]

"Klaire, yours doesn’t make any sense, it doesn’t say you’re a hybrid it says your both and what the hell is this law of devotion? Laws don’t just pop into being." Lillim started ranting like a teacher being educated by a student.

"Actually, they literally do, all the law of Divinity or Creation or Change need to do is want to." Carl interjected, his newfound knowledge on the origin laws offering far more insight than age alone. "I want to know why there is a skill called "Carl’s Chosen" though."

"Simple, because I’m devoted to you, if it wasn’t a two way street it wouldn’t be devotion. The law of devotion lets me use that mutual bond to become an extension of your power. Still not sure what this "Neo Deus" one is though."

"Me neither..." As Carl agreed, they realised everyone had started looking at the like they were idiots. "Okay, what are we missing?"

"The Old Deus, that is another name for us elder gods..." Nergal began.

"We thought it was obvious that you were essentially marked as candidates for some new generation of divinity. Carl the human god, Klaire the hybrid god. Two leaders for two groups that have been severely lacking in leadership and at odds. What better way to bring them together than their respective deities being married?" Lillim declared as though it was common knowledge.

Everyone present soon piped in and by the end it became clear that almost everyone had reached the same conclusion.

"What I want to know is, why do you two have less skills now?" Blanc asked.

"They don’t, they just have so many I compiled them." Sis answered with a look of exasperation. "Seriously, I’ve been doing the same for all of the Householders. Looking at those messes you call "systems" was making me sick."

Everyone chuckled lightly as Sophie moved a bit closer to Blanc, as though threatened, shortly before Sis announced she has no interest in romantic involvement and told her not to worry.

"I wish that helped, but knowing Blanc makes that more concerning." Sophie said, turning slightly more red.

"Kyubi, can we have that chat now? As for the kids, I think we should give them their own day in the spotlight."

"Can someone please tell me why you two are being weird first?" Carl’s question was not answered with words, but rather a smack over the head from Lillim, Alisha and Faylorna.

It also received a plethora of other response including a rather unusual look from Nergal and ending in Gillian dragging him away for their own talk.

"I think we should go pay the dragons a visit, as well as Gaia and Golgia." Lillim said to Nergal as everyone else went their separate ways.

Nergal nodded, he had seen enough to know things were far from how he imagined they would be at such an early stage, what he needed most was to get a broader opinion.

Kyubi and Klaire found themselves on Archyon.

"Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m going to get Carl to finish this world for you. I want you to have everything before our challenge happens."

"It’s customary to declare your meaning when saying that, I think you have been with Carl too long already... Don’t take it the wrong way though, I hope you enjoy a grand eternity with each other."

The two smiled until silence became awkward. "You know everyone but Carl knows you love him right? Except I only found out about the contract you made with Lillim recently."

"I guessed, I’m not oblivious or distracted enough to not notice you being more reclusive and distanced in front of me. Which, ironically, is why Lillim put the contract in place."

"Truth be told, I have made it clear to her I don’t approve of it. I’d rather you just declared it and found closure, I trust you to accept the outcome whatever it is and I promise I won’t interfere at all..."

Kyubi froze, taking her words to mean she wouldn’t be opposed to Carl accepting her feelings, but not daring to ask if that was the case. "I think I know what you mean..."

"I mean if he accepts you, I will accept it, I honestly don’t think he will though and I want to make it clear that if it seems to become a torture for you..."

"I will trust a Bashe girl’s sense of heartbreak."

"Good, well then, how did she say I do this?" Klaire lost herself to thought for a time then cheered for herself.

A contract appeared formed from her black mist, penned in crimson.

"You truly wish to bind yourself to this? You won’t regret it if he surprises us both and accepts?"

"Probably, but that will be my way of making things right... I feel awful for dragging you into that one conversation, I was trying to get it brought into the open and didn’t know about the contract."

"Klaire you don’t need to go that far."

"I know, but I want to. You have helped us so much, you have put yourself in danger and always put us first, but most importantly you see Carl the same way I do and I owe you the chance to make him aware."

Kyubi signed the contract and felt both a relief and an ache, she knew that everything Klaire said about him rejecting her would be right, she only hesitated with the contract in the hopes Klaire would save her at the end.

"Klaire, if I am rejected, would you hate me for retiring with Kitsunoko for a while? I know you love your children dearly."

"Stop that, I’m not going to start acting is a head-wife or anything. Things will be the same between us, no matter what."

"Sorry, I honestly have no idea when it comes to human relationships, some of you are strictly monogamous, some are polygamous, some like you are truly devoted but accept whatever makes their partner happy..." Kyubi trailed off into a long rant about how awkward humans make the subject.

"Kyubi, honestly, we don’t really understand it either. I would have shot you point blank if you declared it the first day we met, now I’m practically pushing you to confess."