"Do you not have friends, Naira?" Nyx asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I do… Or I did… Years ago."

"Hmm? What happened? Can you tell me? A young lady such as yourself shouldn't be out here. Were you not aware of the monster outbreak? Do you have a tribe?"

Naira didn't answer right away; her eyes were focused on the dirt as if searching for something to say. Nyx opened her mouth to try again, but the noise of movement cut her off.

Branches swayed, then parted.

A group stepped through the undergrowth in formation, armed and alert.

At the front was a tall man in heavy armor, Jack. Behind him strode a woman with a glaive strapped to her back. Her expression was sharp, and she was sure of herself. Kaiden knew that face. Caitlyn. The B-tier glaive wielder. The one Tessa had described as a woman with a fondness for pulling rank.

Following them was Sasha, her red hair tied in a loose braid, bow raised. Next came Vaelira, blonde and composed, her steps perfectly matched by the rhythm of the puppet soldiers surrounding her. Behind them, a man with a sword kept his distance, scanning the area.

The easy air around Kaiden that came from such a great victory turned sour. He felt it settle on his tongue like iron. His expression didn't change much, but the tension in his shoulders said enough.

Luna spoke first, her tone dry. "Didn't Tessa promise we wouldn't have to deal with your nonsense on this mission? Why did they have to send you?"

Indeed, Nyx called for backup when Naira surfaced with five more Ravager monsters. However, Tessa ensured they would be far from each other; they shouldn't have met.

Vaelira's eyes coldly turned toward the Storm Valkyrie, ready to answer the question with something that clearly wasn't going to be uttered with utmost professionalism.

But before she could part her lips, Caitlyn stepped forward. "That's enough, Vaelira," she said without looking back. Her voice was full of authoritarianism. Vaelira visibly looked frustrated because she hadn't even done anything yet, but she was already being told off. However, Caitlyn did not seem to care for her thoughts one bit.

The woman came to a stop in front of Kaiden. For a heartbeat, neither spoke. Then she extended her hand.

"I've wanted to meet you for a while, Kaiden Grey. My name is Caitlyn, Squad Leader of Nova Circuit," she said with a confident grin.

Caitlyn stood a step too close when she spoke. Her armor fit tight around her frame, emphasizing the kind of curves that didn't go unnoticed by most men. Her red hair was tied high into a ponytail, and her sly eyes held a mix of charm and calculation in them.

Kaiden didn't take the bait. His gaze stayed level with hers, not wandering one bit.

Even when she pushed her chest forward under the guise of adjusting her armor, his eyes didn't drift. He simply reached out and shook her hand. The grip was firm, businesslike. Nothing more.

The mere audacity of the woman nearly made the man laugh out loud; how dare she think he'd be so easily charmed when he had four beyond gorgeous women by his side already?

She was a pretty lady, no doubt, but a whole league beneath his girls.

For a moment, Caitlyn studied him before the corner of her mouth turned upward, forming a foxlike smirk. "Seems like you're a hard nut to crack… Even when a loving lady makes the effort to talk nicely, you pretend to be made of stone."

Her eyes drifted past him toward his Valkyries, all young and striking. The smirk deepened as she sized up the group. "Ah… I see how it is," she said, amused.

Did she think her being a few years older than them was the sole thing making her poor attempts at flirting fail?

From a small pouch, she pulled out a folded photo and showed it to Kaiden. "What do you think of her? Pretty, isn't she?" A similarly red-haired girl smiled in the picture, showing off a V sign with her fingers. "My little sister. Nineteen. She's a big fan of yours, actually."

Kaiden's brow lifted, unsure why none of the Nova Circuit people seemed to be able to act in any professional capacity, but he didn't speak.

Caitlyn leaned closer, her grin sharpening. "She's not awakened yet, though. Poor little girl is a dejected college student with big dreams of awakening. You know, it's her last few months of hope, but I can tell she's all but given up."

The woman was referencing how, save for the initial arrival of the mana apocalypse a decade ago, only children and young adults below the age of 20 had a 15% chance of awakening, save for the one in a million late bloomers.

The slyness of the woman increased even further as she winked and purred, "All she needs is a hero to help her achieve her dreams. I'm sure if someone can help her, she'd give them her everything… Everything~"

Her eyes flicked toward the Valkyries again. "Odin had seven, didn't he?"

The air shifted.

Aria's hand landed on Kaiden's. Firm. Possessive. Her glare could've cut steel.

Without a word, she forced his hand free from Caitlyn's and stepped forward, taking his place. Kaiden didn't stop her in the process. He only looked amused as his beloved moon was about to center stage with flaring jealousy and a sassy attitude as her weapon.

Aria extended her hand toward Caitlyn. Her voice was calm, but the edge in it was sharp enough to draw blood. "Kaiden isn't Odin. He doesn't need to copy another man to be great, don't you even dare imply such a thing."

Her eyes narrowed. "And you were late. The fight's already done. You can turn around and head back."

Caitlyn looked her up and down with one brow raised. The smirk, however, never left her face. "Well…" she murmured, clearly entertained, "aren't you a spirited one."

Nyx was the one to speak up next, displaying even more slyness than Caitlyn had.

"I'll give you credit, it was a nice try. I respect the attempt. But don't you think you're being a bit too optimistic?"

Her tone carried that teasing smoothness she was known for, playful but edged this time around, showing that she did not appreciate the woman's attitude either. "Kaiden already has four very loving and extremely clingy girlfriends. Add to that the endless queue of fangirls trying to get his attention, and you really think he'd fall for someone because of a cute photo?"

Caitlyn laughed. The sound of which was unbothered. Her hand was still locked with Aria's. She didn't pull away. If anything, she leaned into the tension. "Then how about a two-for-one combo? A young, dedicated girl and an experienced lady. That might get his attention, don't you think?"

Aria's hand tightened around hers even further. If the redhead wasn't a strong awakened dressed in armor, her hand would've turned into a gory mess.

The two women's gazes locked, neither blinking. "You can stop pretending," Aria said with a cold tone. "I know what you're doing, and I'm not so easy to manipulate. Keep this up, and I promise I'll submit a complaint to Tessa."

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