บท 67: Star council part 2
As **Law** vanished in a flash of light, teleporting away, the tension in the room began to dissolve. One by one, the members of the **Star Council** raised their heads and returned to their usual, more casual demeanor.
**Kaguya** stretched her arms lazily, letting out a long, exaggerated sigh.
**Kaguya**: "Ugh, finally! These meetings are always so intense. Honestly, why does he take everything so seriously?"
**Morrigan** smirked, her dark eyes flashing with amusement.
**Morrigan**: "Because unlike you, Kaguya, some of us actually care about what happens next."
Kaguya waved her off dismissively, clearly unconcerned.
**Kaguya**: "Please, I could wipe out a few more worlds in my sleep. How about we all grab a drink before we cause more carnage?"
**Erebus**, ever the cautious one, stood with his arms crossed, his face expressionless.
**Erebus**: "You're as reckless as ever, Kaguya. You might want to consider a strategy for once."
Kaguya rolled her eyes but ignored him, already walking towards the exit with a casual sway in her step.
**Victoria** remained leaning against the wall, her eyes on **Zadkiel**, who stood silently, observing the interactions around him with his usual cold indifference.
**Victoria**: "So, Zadkiel," she said with a smirk, flicking away the remains of her cigarette, "still the strong, silent type?"
Zadkiel said nothing, his eyes briefly locking with hers before he turned his gaze elsewhere. His mind seemed to be elsewhere, but Victoria could read his stoic silence as clearly as if he'd spoken aloud. She chuckled softly to herself.
**Victoria**: "You're really no fun sometimes, you know that?"
**Morrigan** approached Victoria, her tone playful yet with an edge of sarcasm.
**Morrigan**: "Careful, Victoria. Keep teasing Zadkiel like that, and one of these days, he might actually respond."
Zadkiel remained impassive, unmoved by the banter around him. He was only here for the mission, nothing more. The casual interactions of the others felt distant, almost meaningless to him. His mind drifted to the next task at hand, the next world to destroy.
**Erebus**, however, couldn't help but give a knowing glance at Zadkiel.
**Erebus**: "You know, one day all of this destruction is going to catch up to us. There's only so much of it we can do before something pushes back."
Zadkiel, still unmoved, finally spoke, his voice low and cold.
**Zadkiel**: "Let them try."
His simple statement silenced the room for a moment. It wasn't bravado, it was fact. He wasn't afraid of retribution, of any force that might stand against them. After all, in his mind, everything had already been taken from him. What more could they do?
The room slowly filled with murmurs again, everyone returning to their casual chatter. Some prepared for their next missions, others drifted into quieter conversations.
As **Victoria** leaned against **Zadkiel**, trying to cuddle up to him, he remained stoic and distant, completely unfazed by her attempts at affection. She, however, seemed undeterred by his coldness, as she always did.
**Victoria**: "I can help you get a new sword," she said in a sing-song voice, trying to pique his interest.
Zadkiel continued to ignore her for a moment, but the mention of a stronger weapon caught his attention. His cold gaze shifted toward her, and he raised an eyebrow, silently urging her to continue.
**Victoria**: "I know a place that can forge something far stronger than what you're currently using. But…" She smiled mischievously, her eyes glinting. "In return, you're going to have to promise to come to my birthday party."
Zadkiel rolled his eyes, letting out a small grunt of annoyance.
**Zadkiel**: "Ugh."
**Victoria** grinned, taking his reluctant grunt as a victory.
**Victoria**: "I'll take that as a yes!"
She finally backed off a little, standing up straight as she stretched her arms, clearly pleased with herself.
**Victoria**: "Now then, how about we go raid a gun base? Sounds fun, doesn't it?"
Zadkiel remained silent, but his eyes narrowed slightly as he considered her words. Raiding a gun base didn't particularly excite him, but if it meant obtaining a stronger sword, he was willing to entertain the idea.
**Zadkiel**: "If it gets me a better weapon…" His voice trailed off, cold and detached as always.
**Victoria** chuckled softly, brushing her red hair back as she started walking.
**Victoria**: "Good enough for me. Let's go."
As **Zadkiel** left the room in a instant, his cold, emotionless demeanor never wavering, **Morrigan** approached **Victoria**, watching her with sharp, calculating eyes. There was something about the way Victoria acted around Zadkiel that had always puzzled her, and now was as good a time as any to address it.
**Morrigan**: "Why do you act like that around Zadkiel, but treat the rest of us completely differently—cruel, even?"
Victoria's usual playful expression faltered for a moment as she considered the question. She took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaling the smoke before answering. Her eyes, usually glinting with mischief or barely concealed malice, softened just a fraction as she thought about Zadkiel.
**Victoria**: "Zadkiel's… different." She smirked but there was a hint of something deeper in her voice. "The rest of you? You're all strong, but you care too much about power, about status. You're all like wolves fighting over scraps."
She paused, flicking the ash from her cigarette, her eyes narrowing as she continued.
**Victoria**: "But Zadkiel? He's not like that. He doesn't care about any of this. He's… broken in a way none of you can understand. His hatred, his pain—it's pure, raw. It's the kind of thing that makes you stronger than anything else, but it's also the kind of thing that eats you alive."
Morrigan raised an eyebrow, intrigued but skeptical.
**Morrigan**: "So, what? You pity him?"
Victoria chuckled darkly, shaking her head.
**Victoria**: "No. I don't pity him. I admire him." She looked at Morrigan, her expression now dead serious. "You don't survive what he's survived without losing a part of yourself. Zadkiel's already lost everything—his family, his humanity, his sense of purpose. Now all that's left is his rage. He's dangerous because he doesn't care about anything. Not even himself."
Morrigan crossed her arms, processing Victoria's words.
**Morrigan**: "But you still treat the rest of us like dirt."
**Victoria**: "That's because I can't afford to let my guard down with any of you." She smiled, but it was colder, sharper. "You're all vying for power, for control. If I show weakness, you'll pounce. But Zadkiel?" She shrugged. "He couldn't care less. That's why I can act differently around him. He doesn't want anything from me."
Morrigan's eyes narrowed, her gaze turning suspicious.
**Morrigan**: "You don't think he'll turn on you one day?"
Victoria's smile widened, a glint of excitement flashing in her eyes.
**Victoria**: "Oh, I'm counting on it." She laughed softly, her voice low and dangerous. "When that day comes, it'll be the most fun I've had in centuries."
With that, Victoria turned away, flicking her cigarette into the air as she began to walk off, leaving Morrigan standing there, contemplating her words.
As **Zadkiel** stood on the isolated hill, gazing out at the breathtaking sight before him, he was momentarily taken aback. The black void of space had vanished, replaced by an expanse of stars, planets brimming with life, and the swirling colors of the galaxy itself. For someone who had spent so long detached from beauty, from emotion, the sight stirred something inside him, even if only for a fleeting moment.
**Zadkiel**: *"It's... beautiful."*
His voice was cold as always, but there was a faint hint of something more—perhaps a long-buried trace of wonder.
**Victoria**, standing beside him, smiled softly. This was the side of him she rarely got to see, the part of Zadkiel that still had some connection to the world, no matter how distant. She took a step closer to him, her eyes on the stars as she spoke.
**Victoria**: *"This is my favorite spot... whenever I want to be alone. Away from everything—the battles, the bloodshed, the endless wars."*
Zadkiel, still captivated by the sight, didn't say anything. His usual detachment was crumbling, if only for this moment, as he stood in silence. He was never one to dwell on emotions, and yet, standing here, he couldn't help but feel something—though he quickly buried it.
And then, suddenly, **Victoria** leaned closer to him. She placed a hand on his arm, her touch lingering for a moment before she moved closer still, lifting herself slightly onto her toes. Before Zadkiel could react, she pressed her lips to his, kissing him.
For the first time in a long while, **Zadkiel** was caught off guard. His body tensed, and for a brief second, his mind raced. This wasn't something he had expected, and emotions he hadn't felt in millennia surfaced, only to be shoved down again by his hardened heart.
When **Victoria** pulled away, she looked up at him with a mixture of boldness and vulnerability.
**Victoria**: *"You don't always have to be so cold, Zadkiel. Not with me."*
He stood there for a moment, silent, his cold demeanor quickly reasserting itself. He turned his gaze back toward the stars, his expression unreadable, the emotional distance between them returning like a wall.
**Zadkiel**: *"This changes nothing."*
His voice was as emotionless as ever, his cold-hearted nature refusing to let him acknowledge the moment. He had lived through too much, suffered too much, to allow any connection—any feeling—take root again.
**Victoria** sighed, but her smile remained. She didn't expect him to change overnight. She knew him too well for that. But maybe, just maybe, a crack had formed in the wall he had built around himself. Even if he wouldn't admit it.
**Victoria**: *"Maybe not now, Zadkiel. But one day, you'll understand."*
Without another word, they both turned to face the stars once more, the silence between them filled with the endless expanse of the universe.
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