บท 2241: De-escalation
Understanding that it might not be the best idea to allow Wu to stew in her fury, Vahn rose from his resting position with the intent of drawing things to a conclusion. This was immediately noticed by Nobu, who, without rising from the bed he had brought out for them, asked, "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
Gazing in Nobu's direction, Vahn took a moment to appreciate the view of her lying on her stomach before answering, "Against all odds, Kefla managed to strike Wu's planet with a stray ki blast. I don't want things to get out of hand so I'm going to head out and wrap things up."
Rolling onto her side, Nobu moved her hair out of the way to reveal a massive grin on her face. Wu had never officially joined their Alcohol Appreciation Society but that hadn't stopped the infamous drunkard from stopping by to have a bit of fun. Nobu liked how 'daring' Wu got whenever she was drunk, so, while they couldn't be called friends, they got along surprisingly well.
"I say you let matters take their course and just console both sides once things have been settled. If you underestimate a woman's capacity to hold a grudge, it's bound to come back to bite you."
Smiling wryly in response to Nobu's words, Vahn took a seat on the bed in order to give her a kiss before saying, "I am well aware of that. I'm just taking action to prevent things from getting out of hand. The longer Wu is forced to wait, the angrier she will become."
Nodding her head, Nobu didn't attempt to refute Vahn's words. If she was in Wu's situation, she would feel a lot better knowing Vahn was doing 'something' rather than simply pretending things were okay. If she found out that he hadn't even reacted to her being eliminated, she might not say anything, but, deep in the back of her mind, she would be extremely pissed off.
Grabbing Vahn's collar, Nobu seized another kiss before playfully snapping at him and saying, "See you on the other side." in an aggressively alluring tone. She always enjoyed getting in the final kiss. It was her way of reminding Vahn that she wasn't simply his woman. He was also her man.
Understanding Nobu's thought, a light chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he stood up and promptly teleported away. In the very same movement, he intercepted a charging attack from Kefla before blasting away the massive serpentine dragon with a wave of air pressure.
Under normal circumstances, Kefla, or, more specifically, Caulifla would be over the moon to see Vahn. His appearance in the middle of a fight was rarely a good thing, however, so, despite forcing a smile, her brows gradually creased into a furrow as she asked, "Vahn? What are you doing here?"
Before Vahn could answer, Mikoto appeared next to him with an incredulous expression on her face as she stated, "Your ki attack struck Wu's planet..."
Though Kelfa tilted her head with an expression that seemed to ask, 'What is this dumbass talking about?' it was the giant dragon that answered, "Please tell me you're joking..."
Shaking his head, Vahn showed the final moments of Wu's planet via a magical projection. When he saw it, the sapphire-blue serpent appeared to pale before a mystical light shrouded his body. Once it faded, a tall, lean, and handsome figure with black hair and a single, brilliant blue eye appeared in place of the 1.8km dragon. There was an eyepatch covering his left eye, and, like many high-ranking Gods affiliated with the Heavenly Domain, a billowy, cloud-like shawl coiled around his arms before framing his head and shoulders like a halo. His outfit consisted of a form-fitting black top, a long-sleeved, open-breasted tunic, baggy pants, a bluish-white sash, and a pair of traditional, hanfu-style boots.
"I, Kouryuu, hereby announce my intention to yield. My Undersea Volcanic Palace will no longer participate in this Gift Game."
Though he couldn't do anything about his Gate Number being lower than Wu's, Kouryuu, better known by his titles as the Saurian Demon King and the Great Sage Who Devastates Seas, knew he would pay an even greater price if he secure an even better Gate. Kefla may have been the one to destroy Wu's planet, but, as her attack had been directed his way, Wu was bound to impose part of the blame on him. He wouldn't be able to escape a beating, but, at the very least, he could ensure his recovery didn't take more than a few months.
The sequelae from Wu's beatings had a habit of persisting even if her victim's possessed the ability to regenerate.
Following Kouryuu's words, both he and the ocean beneath him promptly vanished. The members of the Undersea Volcanic Palace also found themselves ejected from the Game Board, but, as none of them were nearby, it wasn't noticed by the trio standing above a now desolate planet.
Realizing the severity of the situation, Kefla's complexion noticeably paled as she asked, "Did I fuck up...?"
Understanding that Wu was probably paying close attention to the displays present in her waiting room, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he nodded his head and answered, "Indeed..."
As Vahn was usually quick to comfort her or play things off as inconsequential, Kefla was given the impression things were even more serious than she anticipated. In many ways, she was even more concerned by Vahn's reaction than the possibility of Wu doing something irreversible to either her or Kale.
Fortunately, though it certainly wouldn't earn him any brownie points from Wu, Vahn had never been the type to take sides. The destruction of Wu's planet was more so a quirk of fate than any of the people involved. It was a complete accident, so, following his words, he hugged Kefla's head to his chest and added, "Don't worry. Despite what some people seem to think about her, Wu isn't an overtly malicious individual. She may be angry at the moment, but, once things have calmed down, this will invariably become an event the two of you joke about over drinks..."
Feeling at ease in Vahn's embrace, Kefla exhaled a sigh of relief as she wrapped her muscular arms around his body. Whenever Caulfila and Kale fused together, their muscles became markedly more defined. Some people were put off by muscular women. Vahn was almost the inverse in this regard. So long as it wasn't too excessive, he found that muscles greatly amplified a woman's beauty. After all, many of his earlier women were warriors and blacksmiths by trade.
After planting a kiss atop Kefla's head, Vahn gave her body one final squeeze before releasing her to say, "I want you to withdraw from the competition and go and apologize to Wu. You don't have to bow or anything but you should do your best to show a bit of sincerity. Don't worry, I won't be too far behind."
Though she still wanted to rampage for a bit, Kefla didn't try and argue with Vahn's decision. She had scrapped with Wu dozens of times in the weeks leading up to the Gift Game so she was well aware of the petite monkey's temperament. If she was allowed to continue participating, Wu was bound to hold a grudge. Wu was the type that vehemently hated watching others have fun while she was forced to sit on the sideline...
"I, Kefla Caulifla Kale, hereby announce my intention to yield..."
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Seeing the scene playing out on-screen, Wu would be lying if she said she was happy with how things were developing. A part of her had been looking forward to thrashing Kefla, Caulifla, and Kale. Now that such a touching development had taken place in such a high-profile manner, she felt like a tiger that just had its claws and teeth clipped...
Exhaling a sigh, Wu muttered, "I guess I shouldn't have expected Vahn to take my side in things like this..."
Shaking her head, Wu attempted to cheer herself up by reminding herself that she knew what she was getting herself into when she decided to fall for a man surrounded by an extensive harem. She also knew that Kefla's destruction of her planet had been an accident, so, rather than brooding over the matter, she decided she would simply increase the intensity of Caulifla's and Kale's training.
As that thought crossed her mind, two flashes of bluish-white light appeared near where Wu was sitting. Immediately thereafter, Caulifla and Kale manifested out of thin air. When the duo saw Wu seated atop Vahn's chair, chills ran through their bodies as they hadn't expected her to go as far as sneaking into the Sage Dragon's Hearth's waiting room.
Though she adopted a cold glower, most of Wu's anger had already vanished up as she said, "Take a seat..." in an authoritative tone.
Looking towards Caulifla, Kale muttered a fretful, "Ane-san..." before instinctually stepping behind the former's body.
Patting Kale's head, a confident smile developed across Caulifla's face as she teased, "Don't stress yourself out. There are some weirdos among them, but none of the women that have fallen in love with Vahn are truly evil. Come on. So long as we apologize properly, things should be okay."
Though Caulifla had whispered her words as softly as possible, Wu's extra sensitive ears allowed her to make out everything that was said. It annoyed her that Caulifla was trying to downplay the issue, but, understanding she was just trying to make Kale feel better, Wu did her best not to let it bother her. Instead, she waited for the duo to take a seat before pulling out a melon-sized peach, taking a large bite, and asking, "Do you know what you did wrong...?"
Speaking on behalf of herself and Kale, Caulifla adopted a serious look as she said, "We destroyed your planet with a stray ki attack..."
Nodding her head in both affirmation and approval, Wu took another large bite out of her peach before saying, "That's right. It's good that you can admit your faults. Now, how are you planning to make it up to me? An apology is a good start but actions speak a heck of a lot louder than words. If you really want my forgiveness-"
"I was going to receive a reward from Vahn once everything had settled down. Since I was the one in control, I'll let you take my reward if you agree to leave Kale out of any future plans for revenge."
"Ane-san...!"
"..."
Though she was a little annoyed by Caulifla's interruption and Kale's sudden outburst, Wu didn't rebuke them. Instead, she finished off the remainder of her peach while seriously contemplating whether or not to accept Caulifla's proposition.
Based on her knowledge of Vahn, Wu knew he would probably do anything she asks even without 'earning' it. In other words, just by knowing what Caulifla was going to receive, she would be able to receive it regardless. The only advantage of this exchange would be denying Caulifla the reward she was meant to receive. However, given Vahn's nature, there was a pretty good chance he would just give Caulifla her reward in some other form...
Pulling out another peach, Wu decided to leave the Saiyan duo in suspense for as long as possible before answering, "Very well. I will agree with your terms. However, in exchange, I expect the two of you to refer to me as Venerable Wu or Grandmother from now on. The whole lot of you Saiyans are clearly inspired by my legend. From now on, you should regard me as you would a Matriarch or the Grand Ancestor of your people."
As someone born and raised in the Heavenly Domain, Wu held the status associated with being an Ancestor in high regard. She was a being born from a magical stone found at the very center of Mt. Huoguo, and, as far as she knew, it was impossible for her to leave behind descendants. There was a fairly high probability that Vahn could address this particular issue, but, as she was secretly terrified by the prospect of having children, Wu had absolutely no intention of broaching the subject.
In spite of her personal misgivings regarding parenthood, Wu enjoyed it when people regarded her as their Ancestor. She frequently used it as a means to humiliate people, but, when it came to those she cared about, it was a way for her to feel closer to them. It was a stretch to say that Caulifla and Kale were people she genuinely cared for, but, as 'sisters' who shared the same man, Wu figured it was only a matter of time before they shared much, much more. To that end, she intended to make sure she was always in the 'superior' position in their relationship...
Seeing no harm in regarding Wu as her Ancestor, Caulifla simply shrugged her shoulders before saying, "If you're really okay with being called a Grandma, I don't mind. What about you, Kale...?"
Though she was pretty close with her maternal Grandmother, there were actually a number of Elders that Kale referred to as Grandma, Granny, Nana, and other terms of endearment. Wu was the furthest thing from a person she held in high esteem, but, if it was for her Aneue's sake, Kale could tolerate pretty much anything. Thus, without having to consider her response, she nodded her head and answered, "Granny Wu..."
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Nobu is a good girl (O w O)...','Kouryuu be like, "Nope, nope, nope."','Wu be like, "I, your Grandmother, carry a big stick."')
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