Chapter 75 - A Circle of Friends

Surprised, Niniola asked, still hugging Sunday.

"You want to kill yourself for my Sunday?"

"Ha!" Ibiyemi scoffed. "He's my Sunday too." 

THUD! THUD!! THUD!!!

Three sounds of weight dropping down as Tobias, Elisa and Elias landed from their leaps.

This time, neither of them have any masks on, an evidence of the battle that they had had with the seven Guard Irunmoles but aside from that, they are mostly unscathed. A testament to just how much they held their own against the Guard Irunmoles.

With only heartbeats apart, several steps thudded down, behind them, the rest of the Irunmoles coming to view. Earlier, their black haired Irunmole with the Shooting Star technique had gone into to assist the Captain, this leaving the six of them to deal with the mercenaries who happened to be just on par, in terms of power with them.

However, even themselves are not scathed, revealing that the battle must have been dragged to a stalemate between them earlier.

"Wow! Heir to the house, you did it. You have cornered the two bounties in one place already." Elisa crooned, her hands on her sensual appealing waist as she leaned her upper torso forward.

"Alright, Mercenaries of the BlueMoon Mercenary Alliance House, you've been warned." The Captain of the Squad flexed his shoulders as he walked to meet the mercenaries before them. "I must tell you, any further step now would be a disaster to you! Sunday is not a bounty! Don't get on my bad side for any much than you have already."

Around them was a shadow of what used to be a Storage room. The spatial compression that allowed it to store many more things than the room could contain had been destroyed by the Eagle earlier and right now, Obedi lay on the ground, his back pinned down by Draxia's knee. 

Seeing that, Ibiyemi struggled to rise while Niniola remained so, backing the Irunmoles in the already destroyed room.

"Oh, really? Did you forget already that the heir to the house already has them with her? So, make any move on us and watch her destroy them both." Elisa grunted, his head tilted to look at the Guard Irunmoles.

Hearing that, the Irunmoles froze. The Captain froze too but soon, he dared to let a smile spread across his lips.

"You're bluffing!" He said, continuing to walk.

"Hey, Heir to the House, knock 'em out! Start with Niniola, the abomination first!" Elisa called out, pointing a finger to the barely standing Ibiyemi.

"Huh?" Ibiyemi frowned.

"Hey!" Niniola sighed, looking at Ibiyemi.

Being the one who spent long time with Sunday trying to stabilize him, she was in pretty much bad shape already, having been drained of so much energy. 

"Are you with them? Those mercenaries?"

Startled, Ibiyemi scowled, pointing a finger at Niniola.

"You're that girl? Don't you dare talk to me, abomination!" She threw her a disgusted look.

"What?" Niniola frowned, raising her head from Sunday, huffing and staring daggers at Ibiyemi.

"What are you waiting for?" Elisa screamed her lungs out. "A mercenary who delays directs order for a bounty is a dog, You hear me, Dog, that's what you are." 

"What?" Ibiyemi gasped, trembling visibly, shock all over her face for the name calling.

"Hey, aren't you been too harsh on the girl?" Tobias questioned only to gulp as Elisa stared daggers at him.

"For refusing a direct order from the member of the BlueMoon Mercenary Alliance House Disciplinary Committee, you are worse than a dog. You are an abomination to the Alliance House!" Elisa spat out, pointing an acussatory finger at Ibiyemi.

Ibiyemi's knees nearly buckled, her hand on her c.h.e.s.t as her face reveals horror. "D-dont say that, Elisa. Don't!"

"Why shouldn't she?" Niniola spoke. "You don't want to be called an Abomination, yet, you call me one. Look!" She sighed, huffing.

"Shut up!" Ibiyemi transferred agression to Niniola in words.

"See, you are not any different from me. I don't know why they call you heir to the house but from the way she talks to you? It's like she hates you." Niniola said.

"If you're the heir to the house, shouldn't she respect you, at least? Even at that, the anger and ill intent she has for you, it's as if she dispises you that she can't wait to be rid of you. People hate me and can't wait to dispose me." Ninola's voice dropped as she looked down again. "And right now, I don't see any difference between you and me."

"Oh, you shut it!" Elisa yelled out again. "Ibiyemi, ignore whatever she says and strike her down. If you don't, oh, I swear, even your father would not save you from the wrath of me."

"Ha!" Niniola exhaled softly. "You should do what she says. I'm weak already. Just knock me out because I don't thinks she's joking about that. I like you and I don't want you getting more hurt than you already are." 

Ibiyemi huffed, whispering without moving her lips. "I'm not even strong to knock you out."

"I know. We can fake it!" Niniola whispered back again, her lips unmoving.

Hearing that, she turned, fisting the air downwards. "I can't! I can't hurt my friends." She cried out.

"Friends? Or, you mean, Friend?" Niniola mumbled inaudibly to the side, shocked at what she heard.

Meanwhile, Tayo who had been standing in the background since, between the mercenaries and the Guard Irunmoles and the girls but staying close to the edge of the destroyed walls frowned.

Right now, he was here, his mission ought to be complete. Find Sunday, delay him from going to Earth and send the signal back home for a team to neatly take him to Ilu Ogun.

It was that simple. 

But, hearing the words, Friends, he froze. He had seen how the two girls had thrust themselves in to save Sunday and was shocked.

Was that what friendship meant? To be able to stand for someone, no matter the odds?

If so, he wanted to enjoy this... It didn't matter if they did not recognise him but he's try to stick close.

So that, someday, he may truly acknowledge the meaning of friendship.

The meaning that was stolen from him when they separated him from Sunday, back then.

And to do that, the mission could wait.

"How dare you speak back to me? I'll teach you manners!" Elisa blasted as she dashed, throwing her hands to the back, racing like the wind.

Tayo's eyes flashed, his body throwing into a rush. "Law of War: Light Feet" He chanted, gaining lightness on his feet as he dashed to intercept Elisa's charge.

"Phantom Blade!" He muttered, swinging the sword in a horizontal slash. 

Briefly alarmed, Elisa wove her hands just as the blade cut through her and she dissipated into the air.

However, footsteps kept running further away. Tayo looked back, realising he only struck a clone as Elisa's hand is zooming for Ibiyemi's neck.

Inches away from contact, Elisa squeals as a flaming yellow hand clung to her neck.

It was Sunday, in Partial Sage.

"Hey, that's enough from you!" He frowned, throwing her away.

Or attempted to before Tayo appeared beside him.

"Valorous Stance!" Tayo chanted.

Tayo's weight left the ground, throwing himself into the air with bent knees, one higher than the other as he rammed into Elisa's jaw, throwing her into the air.

She crashed down, only to be caught by Elias, resting in his tight grip at her shoulders.

"Hey, that's enough" Elias' voice rumbled above her.

"S-so, I-i was bested by Children?" Elisa gasped, unable to understand how.