At the crack of dawn, Zane rose from his bed and quickly got to his feet. He no longer suffered from things like fatigue or drowsiness. Even if he wasn't a morning person by nature, this was merely expressed by a means of habit, rather than actual, genuine exhaustion.
And today was not a day for such frivolities. Instead, he quickly accessed his inventory page of the system, where he equipped all of his gear. His stats were displayed on the screen, instantly raising as he did so, clearly reflecting the significant bonus that his equipment had on his performance.
After doing this, Zane left his room to see Maya standing in the doorway. She had a smug look on her face, as if she knew the outcome of what was about to happen even before it began.
When she spoke to Zane, it was in a voice filled with motherly affection, which was slightly unnerving considering it came from an elementary school aged girl, and with a matching voice.
"If I were you, I would reserve Gwen's blood crystal for yourself... There is no use giving those little strumpets who follow you around like trained hounds a third skill before you yourself get one..."
Zane sighed heavily. Despite all the time Maya, or should I say Death, spent around them as a family, she still disapproved of the women in Zane's life. Perhaps a mother would never see eye to eye with the bride(s) of her son. It was a common enough trope across all cultures after all.
But ultimately Zane left it be, as he pat the girl's head, causing her to pout, before walking off to the individual rooms of the women who made up his party. A quick knock, followed by a callout, was all that was needed to wake the women, if they had not already done so.
"Oi, fifteen minutes, mess hall, be there or get spanked!"
It was clearly Madison's room that Zane was knocking on, judging by his provocative statement. Zane continued this trend until he had knocked on all the doors before finally sitting down in the mess hall.
He had no need for breakfast; it had simply become a tradition for him to engage in, and one that signified the luxurious nature of their settlement, considering it was the end of the world, and maintaining a constant food supply was still a difficult thing for the majority of remaining human settlements to achieve.
One by one they arrived, each of them taking part in making a short breakfast. And by a short breakfast, I mean a simple matter of oatmeal and milk. Something to get their stomachs full, despite the anxiety which they all currently felt.
After all, Gwen was the only Horde King which they had encountered thus far that had nearly killed them in the process. Other than Eliza, that is. But they were at a really low level when they first encountered her, a sort of poor luck on their part.
And thus when Zane and the girls stepped out of their Humvee they were surprised to see the streets of Fernley completely empty, empty that is besides the lone cheerleader waiting for them all in its center with a pretty smile on her face.
Gwen instantly greeted Zane, and Zane alone as she posed an offer to him, all the while assuring that she had not prepared a trap for him.
"Relax, big brother... I sent my horde away, take my life, and they are all yours to command. I propose to you a simple offer, you versus me, 1v1. Leave the pretty little things by your side to wait for our little competition to be over. This is how it is meant to be..... Just the two of us? A lovely little date, don't you think?"
Zane looked over at the others at his party. They all shook their heads, silently conveying their thoughts on the matter. They did not want him to take such a risk, sure his skills had improved by leaps and bounds after becoming a Horde King. But... Was Gwen really something he alone could handle?
Yet, Zane heard that voice in the back of his head... That voice which he now knew belonged to death herself, his mother. It was soft and gentle, confirming that this was how things should end between him and his "sister."
"Go ahead Zane, it will be alright, I promise you..."
With a heavy sigh, Zane raised his hand, signalling the girls to stand back. He wore a confident grin on his face as he expressed his desire to accept Gwen's offer, bewildering the five of them in the process.
"It's fine.... She's right. This is how it is meant to be..."
Elena wanted to protest, but was held back by Olivia and Angelica, both of which shook their heads, forcing her to remain quiet, as Zane equipped his two sickles, resting one on his shoulder, as he pointed the other in a challenging gesture to Gwen, asking her a simple question before they began their fated duel.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I am much more powerful now than I was during our last encounter...."
Gwen smiled as she nodded her head, taking a slight curtsy, as if displaying her respect to her opponent before confirming this was indeed what she wanted.
"You know as well I that so long as this damn crystal remains in my head, there can be no peaceful resolution between the two of us. So let's just get this over with. It will be my honor to fight you, big brother... I promise you, when I see our mother, I will let her know the man you have become!"
Zane could only smirk and shake his head. Their mother knew all too well the man he had become. She was, after all, near constantly by his side in the form of a little girl. With this said, Zane took an aggressive stance, as did Gwen. The two of them vanishing into thin air as they began their assault on one another.