Others Summon, I Forge Beast Armor

118:119

The Kingsley sisters refused to give up as they played tennis for up to an hour.

How could a fight end when neither side was willing to admit defeat?

”Haa... Haa...” Raven and Vivian panted after sabotaging themselves just for a game of table tennis. Raven’s hair was tousled, blocking her eyes, but her bat was still in position to show she hadn’t backed down, while Vivian was holding the ball, but the rest of her body was lying on the floor, exhausted.

All that was left of the tennis table was the skirt because Raven and Vivian had destroyed the surface.

But there was one spot remaining on each side, and as long as the ball could bounce, the game wasn’t over. Since Vivian had the ball on her side, she had the advantage and could still make it 119:119 and force a tie.

So, she served one last time to her sister and manipulated the ball’s trajectory as it bounced.

”Yes...” Vivian whispered expectantly for the tie, but Raven did the unexpected.

”SUPREME ECHO! LIMITLESS REFLEX!”

Raven’s body became a black mannequin with red lightning coming out of her eyes. This state she activated let her see everything in slow motion and react to Vivian’s manipulations of the ball.

”HYAH!” Raven cried as she struck the ball and destroyed what was left of the tennis table.

118 : 120

”NOOOOOOOO!!!!” Vivian wailed and flopped to the floor, more exhausted than sad. Meanwhile, Raven deactivated Supreme Echo, leaving her as both the last man standing and the winner of the game.

”Cheaters don’t win, Vivi,” Raven said, folding her arms while smirking at Vivian’s wails of defeat.

Unfortunately, there was no hiding the damage that followed Raven’s win. The table was destroyed beyond repair, and the floor was scorched. There was nothing left for either sister to compete over. In fact, they had some explaining to do.

”My ladies,” a voice said from the doorway. It was a maid, curtsying. ”Lord Cedric and Madam Roselyn have returned.”

*****

Raven and Vivian walked outside to the bailey to welcome their father and stepmother, who arrived in a convoy of SUVs.

Cedric Kingsley stopped speaking to his men when he saw his daughters standing on the stairs.

He was supposed to be happy, but the sight made him sad because everything had changed since he banished Luke. Before, Raven and Vivian would walk or run to him and hug him, but they didn’t bother to do that anymore.

Cedric knew it wasn’t just adolescence. They were rebelling against him because of Luke.

If they didn’t want to walk to him, he walked to them instead.

Cedric was 6”4 and stocky, with silver hair and silver stubble. But his looks didn’t intimidate his daughters because it was the same face they’d been seeing since childhood.

”Hello, children. It’s nice seeing you again. I just returned from the embassy, and I have plenty to tell you. We can talk about it over breakfast tomorrow.”

”Isn’t it the same embassy you weren’t invited to?” Vivian asked.

The question stunned Cedric because he wasn’t invited, indeed. He had squeezed himself in because he wanted to spend some time with the President and discuss some ”personal matters”—like changing his opinion on cancelling the marriage contract between their families.

Vivian had exposed his intentions.

”I am on the Presidential Council,” Cedric said, keeping his face straight. ”I don’t need an invitation.”

Roselyn was in the bailey, directing servants to the luggage in the SUVs. Then she saw the conversation between her husband and his daughters, and she walked to his side. Unsurprisingly, her presence made Vivian gag.

Meanwhile, Raven was saying, ”I’m sorry, Father, but Vivian and I aren’t interested in hearing about your expedition over breakfast. We’re leaving early for the Trials tomorrow.”

Cedric clenched his jaw.

His daughters were deserting him faster than he wanted to admit.

”Why are you in a hurry, Raven?” Roselyn asked. ”I hope you’re prepared. We met your tutor, Ruth, on the way, and she talked about your distraction during cultivation and your failure to compress your soul projection.”

”Oh my gosh. It’s none of your business, Missus ROS-A-LINE!” Vivian spoke for Raven. ”Focus on your son, Adrian.”

The mockery burned Roselyn from the inside out, and she looked at Cedric in disbelief, expecting him to say something, but when he remained silent, her frustration overflowed.

”Is this how you let your children disrespect me?” Roselyn demanded. ”First they tried to kill Adrian, and now they’re making me a fugitive in my own home?”

Cedric was a great man and a great summoner, but he was not the best judge of justice, so Roselyn’s complaint met a wall, and Vivian smirked because her father’s inertia had always been her advantage.

Roselyn continued in Cedric’s silence.

”Why should I care?” she said. ”It is only a matter of time before you two are married off anyway. I have already secured my place in the Kingsley family, and my son will inherit the Duchy. You two will eventually marry into other families and take their names.”

Vivian’s smile disappeared, and she clenched her jaw, while Raven knitted her brows, dumbfounded by their aunt’s audacity.

The bailey went quiet because servants, guards, and men of the Kingsleys heard what Roselyn said. Cedric realized those words couldn’t be ignored, or the situation would become worse. He tried to say something, but as usual, he was better at dealing with enemies than family arguments.

”Roselyn, perhaps you should—”

But Roselyn stormed into the palace.

Vivian and Raven crossed their arms after Roselyn left because what she said bothered them. Imagine being married off and leaving the family they knew. Who wanted to be sent away to a random man just to make babies? The worst part was that marrying into another family in the Silver Order would mean marrying down because the Kingsleys were already at the top.

Cedric saw their distress and said, ”Raven, Vivian, do not worry. Your father will make the right choices for you and make sure you’re happy, but don’t destroy the family before that time comes. Don’t try to kill your brother again, and don’t insult your aunt anymore. Adrian is my heir, and Roselyn is my wife and the Duchess.

Unfortunately, you two are just... my daughters, and I have to accept that from now on.”

--

--

--

--

--

--

A/an: Thanks for reading