Chapter Seventy: Not My New Kitchen
The warm hum of domestic life filled the kitchen, a symphony of clinking dishes and the sizzling of food on the stove. Zephyr stood by the sink, rinsing plates and setting them aside with practiced ease, while Selene moved between the stove and counter, chopping vegetables and stirring pots. The aroma of a hearty meal filled the air, a stark contrast to the tension that lingered between them.
“Do you think he’ll ever forgive us, Zephyr?” Selene asked, her voice soft but heavy with guilt. Her knife paused mid-chop as she looked at her husband, her lavender eyes clouded with worry. “For not telling him the truth about who we are… about what happened?”
Zephyr sighed, setting a plate on the drying rack. His silver hair caught the light of the overhead lamp as he leaned against the counter, his blue eyes thoughtful yet shadowed with regret. “I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice deep but gentle. “Yozora’s strong-willed, like you. Once he feels betrayed, it’s not easy for him to let it go. But we did what we thought was best at the time.”
Selene shook her head, returning to the vegetables but chopping with less precision. “Best for us, maybe. Not for him. He deserved to know the truth, Zephyr. About us, about the dangers… about what we’re protecting.”
Zephyr was about to respond when a sudden chill swept through the room, the air crackling with an unfamiliar pressure. Both parents froze, their senses immediately sharpening. The comforting domestic sounds fell away, replaced by an eerie silence that seemed to vibrate with tension.
“Mi amor,” Zephyr said, his voice low and urgent. He turned to her, his body tensing. “Do you feel that?”
“Yes,” she replied, her voice a whisper, her knife clattering to the counter. Her hands instinctively flickered with Hindo, a faint glow encasing her fingertips. “We’re not alone.”
Before they could say more, a violent explosion tore through the house, obliterating the kitchen walls and sending debris flying in every direction. The sound was deafening, the sheer force leveling the once-cozy home in an instant. Smoke and dust billowed into the air, choking what had been a warm, inviting atmosphere with sudden chaos.
Amidst the destruction, Zephyr and Selene stood untouched. Just before the explosion hit, they moved with fluid precision, their reflexes honed through years of experience. Now, they floated above the wreckage, glowing faintly with Hindo, their expressions calm but their auras crackling with anger over their destroyed house and dinner.
Selene’s face twisted with anger as she looked down at the ruined kitchen, her fists trembling. “My new kitchen,” she hissed through clenched teeth, her voice low but sharp enough to cut glass.
Standing amidst the rubble were three figures, their presence oppressive and their auras radiating aggression. The leader of the group stepped forward, his smug grin spreading wider as his eyes scanned the destruction.
“You must be Yozora’s parents,” the Tuner sneered, his voice carrying across the devastated space. “You’ve been quite the nuisance, haven’t you? Time to end that.”
Zephyr exchanged a glance with Selene, a silent understanding passing between them. The warmth that typically radiated from his easygoing demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold, piercing stare. His aura flared to life in a burst of shimmering silver light, a calm yet devastating pressure radiating from him. Beside him, Selene mirrored his intensity, her lavender glow bright and razor-sharp as she flexed her fingers, preparing for battle.
The leader, noticing the shift in their aura, smirked, his confidence unshaken. “Oh, you really think you stand a chance?”he said mockingly, his tone dripping with disdain. “Your baby boy should be six feet under by now.”
For a brief moment, the battlefield was silent. Then, without warning, Zephyr and Selene burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Selene doubled over, tears streaming from her eyes as she clutched her stomach. “Did… did he just say Yozora could be dead?” she gasped, barely able to get the words out through her laughter.
Zephyr wiped his eyes, shaking his head. “Honey, he did. He really did. What a joke,” he said, his voice filled with amusement.
Their laughter cut through the tension like a blade, leaving the leader’s smug grin faltering, confusion flashing across his face.
Zephyr’s amusement faded just as quickly as it had appeared. His expression hardened, his voice calm but edged with lethal intent. “You picked the wrong house,” he said, his silver aura flaring even brighter, crackling with power. “And the wrong family.”
Selene’s gaze locked onto the leader, her lavender glow pulsing dangerously. “Who sent you?” she demanded, her tone icy and unyielding.
The leader ignored her, snapping his fingers instead. “This whole region has been pocketed,” he declared, a wicked grin spreading across his face as the air shimmered behind him. Dozens of Tuners stepped through glowing portals, their auras flaring as they joined the battlefield.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Selene cracked her knuckles, her lavender energy swirling around her like a storm. “You just ruined my kitchen,” she said, her voice deceptively calm. “Now you’re going to pay for it.”
Zephyr smirked, raising his hand as his silver aura surged. “This is going to be fun,” he muttered, his gaze locked on the leader.
Shaking his head, Zephyr muttered, “Damn, must have a powerful Dimensional Bender helping them to pull off a stunt like this.” With a sarcastic flair, he made a gesture with his hands, forming tiny spheres. “Bolas diminutas,” he added with a smirk.
In response, the leader of the group scoffed, his expression darkening. “Tsk. My name is Hakon. To my left is Eira, and to my right is Sigvard. We are The Hunters.”
Selene’s lips curled into a faint smile, though her eyes remained icy and detached. “Oh, never heard of The Hunters. Must be some bullshit merc team.” Turning to her husband, she quipped, “Papi, let’s make this quick. If they sent a group after Zora, then he most likely already eliminated them and is heading here as we speak.”
Zephyr rolled his shoulder, a casual grin spreading across his face. “It’s been a long time since someone thought they could come after us. Look,” he said, waving a hand toward the wreckage around them, “nobody’s gonna laugh if you idiots decide to leave now. Just make sure you send the check to cover the house you trashed!”
Hakon threw his head back and laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed through air. “What the hell? I’ll even tell you who sent us. You’re both gonna die here anyway, no matter the cost.”
His voice dropped, his tone dark and menacing as his eyes glinted with a devilish glare. “We were hired by an unrestricted Beyonder. You don’t need their name, and hell, I dare not even say it.”
Selene’s sharp mind quickly pieced the situation together, her tone hardening as she turned to Zephyr. “Papi, don’t hold back—anything. Even if it means breaking the laws restricting our power.”
Zephyr raised an eyebrow, his usual playful tone giving way to something more serious. “Mi amor, es tan malo?” (My love, it’s that bad?)
Selene hesitated, her gaze steady. “Sí, it’s that bad. Don’t expect backup from S.T.A.R.S. It seems Zora being back has stirred the pot more than we expected.”
Zephyr stepped to the forefront, his silver hair faintly glowing under the ominous, shifting sky. The ruins of their home surrounded them, the air thick with ash and tension. His aura radiated lethal calm, a predator sizing up his prey.
Amid the destruction, he turned to Selene, his expression softening for a brief moment. Reaching out, he gently cupped her face, pulling her closer. He pressed his lips to hers in a lingering kiss that spoke of trust and unspoken understanding, a quiet reassurance in the midst of chaos.
As their foreheads touched, Zephyr whispered, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, “Bailemos sobre estas perras.” (Let’s dance on these bitches.)
Selene’s lavender eyes sparkled with quiet intensity, her lips curving into a faint smile as she took a step back. With a fluid motion, she flared her coat.
“It’s been a while,” she murmured, her voice carrying a mix of anticipation and deadly intent. The katana began to shimmer as it materialized fully in her hand, its dark, polished blade reflecting the dim light around them.
“Kagekuro,” she whispered, her tone reverent yet deadly.
Zephyr straightened, his stance shifting into that of a predator about to strike. His piercing blue eyes gleamed—not with rage, but with a chilling clarity that promised devastation. “Keijo Seishū: Severance Technique,” he said, his voice steady, yet carrying an edge sharp enough to slice through the rising tension. “Kiri no Jutsu: Bunshi Mu.”
The atmosphere shifted violently. The air around Zephyr rippled and froze, then vibrated with an unsettling hum, like the tense resonance of a plucked wire drawn too tight. It grew louder, a sound that seemed to press against the very fabric of existence, as Zephyr raised his hand.
Invisible tendrils of energy stretched outward, their presence marked only by the distorted air, shimmering like heat waves on an endless desert. Then, they struck.
The first wave swept across the battlefield with eerie silence. No explosion, no chaos—just a soundless, sickening disruption. The reinforcements the Hunters had called upon disintegrated into absolute nothingness. Molecules unraveled, bonds broke, and the very concept of their existence was erased.
Hakon froze mid-step, disbelief plastered across his face. “It’s no wonder their kid is such a monster,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. The rest of the Hunters visibly faltered, their confident ranks now trembling as the reality of what they faced set in.
Weapons shook in hands that had once been steady. Those poised to charge were now paralyzed, their resolve shattered. Zephyr hadn’t just defeated their reinforcements—he had unmade them. It was as if they had never existed, leaving behind nothing but an empty void.
“What the hell is this?!” one of the Tuners shouted, his voice cracking with panic as he stumbled backward, eyes wide with terror. “This isn’t possible—no one’s supposed to have that kind of power!”
“Fall back! Regroup!” another barked, his voice trembling as he gestured frantically to his squad. But their retreat was chaotic, a mess of flailing limbs and scattered steps. Fear had consumed them completely, turning their once-disciplined facade into a disordered scramble for safety.
Zephyr tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, his expression as cold and calculated as the destruction he had wrought. His hand remained raised, his fingers twitching slightly as he directed the tendrils toward the retreating Hunters.
“Running?” he murmured, his voice barely audible but cutting through the battlefield like a scalpel. His words dripped with disdain, yet they carried a quiet, chilling amusement. “You came to hunt, didn’t you? Let me show you what it feels like to be prey.”
The tendrils surged forward, swift and precise, weaving through the chaos to snare those who thought they could escape. One by one, they fell. No screams, no resistance—just the soundless erasure of lives as Zephyr’s Severance Technique consumed everything in its path.
Hakon stood frozen, his composure unraveling as he watched his comrades vanish into voids where matter no longer existed. His breath hitched, his chest tightening as he whispered, “This… this isn’t a fight. This is annihilation.”
Zephyr lowered his hand slightly, the tendrils retracting like obedient serpents. His faint smile remained, though it was devoid of warmth. “If you think this is annihilation,” he said softly, his voice carrying across the battlefield like a death knell, “you’re underestimating me.”