Can someone tell me how I would ever expect this to have happened? No seriously, can anyone tell me how… There was an inkling thought at the back of my head that it would happen, but not this soon…

Amy meeting my sister was bad enough, but for my sister to insult Amy at their first meeting was really unexpected. She had no reason to. But apparently, she does when she explains her line of reasoning.

“So you are the one who put all these rebellious thoughts in Cosmo?”

“Wait, Sister. You got it all wrong!”

“Zip it, little brother. The grown-ups are talking.”

She slapped me in the chest with her palm, and though it was painful, I didn't think much of it. Yet when I tried gathering my mana, I knew that she did something to me.

Mana wasn't gathering. It's like something was put around me and it prevented mana from circulating through me. I was about to complain yet when I saw the same look my Mother gives me when I'm in trouble, I quickly zipped it.

My sister turned to Amy, gazing at her from head to toe, sizing her up as if he was judging her for something. Amy stayed silent, only looking back at my sister, not even intimidated by her in any way. She had her sword drawn, its tip pointed to the earth yet I felt that it would be changing directions soon.

“Who are you?”

“Amy”

“No no, I think you are mishearing me. I don't care for your name, nor even who you are, what I am asking is, Who are you to Cosmo?”

Amy did not reply. Instead, she looked back at me, annoyance filling her eyes yet also questions. I opened my mouth and said.

“Ehem, Amy this is my big sister, Annabeth Le Strange.”

“Cosmo.”

“Yes?”

“The grown-ups are talking.”

My sister clapped her hands once, and soon small chains of mana wrapped around my mouth. I tried speaking again yet it felt like a bear was trapping my mouth shut.

“Now as I was asking, Who are you to Cosmo? My brother.”

Amy seemed to be deep in thought. Thinking of what our relationship ship even was. Now I feel sad, I thought we were friends. I wanted to sigh but there were chains wrapped around my mouth. Now that I think about it, chains have been wrapping around me quite a few times recently.

Amy looked up and replied.

“A friend.”

“I see…”

My sister seems to be also in deep thought, thinking of some things that hopefully include letting me go from the binding.

She slapped her hands in unison, seemingly concluding what she was going to do, and at the same time the chains that bound my mouth, started encroaching every part of my body. Soon the chains became longer, and I was soon wrapped around it like a cocoon.

I fought, tried wrestling my way out, and even used brute force to break out. I tried summoning my mana to break out, despite knowing that my full circulation of mana had been prevented somehow.

My sister held me from the scuff of my neck and started to drag me away. I kicked and pleaded, staring at Amy as I was asking for help. She just stood there, with a deadpan expression that seemed to be just seeing me off. I felt a little depressed when I saw that. I stopped making a fuss. It would be useless at the moment.

But it did not mean I would give up. I closed my eyes and took the time to ponder and rest. There would be an opening. An opening I would exploit and escape. I would be back soon enough.

With this conviction, it made me realize something. I can't hoe on other people to rescue me, it's up to me now…

And just when I planned to sleep while being dragged away. The procession stopped. Confused, I opened my eyes open yet i couldn't see anyone from the front. I only heard their voices.

“What are you doing.”

“Let him go.”

“You seem to be mistaking something, but he's coming with me and you have no say in the matter.”

There was a slight pause in the air. The atmosphere seemingly freezing. But Amy still replied.

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“Let. Him. Go.”

Nice, Amy was still saving me I see. I'm not complaining, I may not be hoping for people to save me, but it didn't mean that i don't want to be saved if the opportunity strikes. I don't mind this development at all. But then it hit me, there was going to be another fight. Not again.

I felt myself dropped to the ground, with the sound of steel being drawn from their sheathes. I changed my position and was able to see what was going on in the front. And it was worse than I thought.

The mana in the air was chaotic, seemingly in a battle of wills and power. A blood-red aura gathered around Amy like a vortex of pure energy. While my sister had a calm face, seemingly not bothered by the show of force.

She only smiled, and soon the chaotic mana was seemingly put in place. Its chaotic energies calming down, and yet the scarlet mana was still gathering around Amy.

“You're good.”

“Likewise.”

“Stop being in the way. My brother will go home with me, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

“We will see.”

The chains that seemed to have bound loosened, and using that opportunity, I broke out and quickly stood up. Just as they were about to start fighting, I shouted.

“Stop! Enough! Enough fighting. There will be no more fighting today.”

Both women looked at me with eyes filled with battle intent, yet i didn't flinch. I swore to myself that I would take control of my fate and I will.

“I will be choosing where I would go and that is it.”

“Little brother you-”

“Sister that is enough.”

Somehow I felt my mana circulate through me, and without wasting any more time, I willed mana to my command. Thunder started coursing through my veins, lightning flickering through my eyes.

My emotions started simmering down, dying out like a candle in a torrent of rain. I belatedly noticed it and instead of letting the strange state take control, I took control instead.

“For once in my life, let me decide my dear sister.”

I looked straight at my sister with stern eyes. Not backing away as I took the full brunt of her aura. The moment it collided against me I felt the sheer weight of it, making me want to kneel.

My sister stared at me in complete silence, though her aura was very much still in complete full power. I stood my ground, enduring her pressure for as long as it takes. Amy was at the side, clear to her that interfering at the moment was counterproductive.

Finally, I saw my sister smile. Thinking that it was a good sign, I was about to smile back yet when she opened her mouth, my smiling froze.

“No. Okay, let's go home.”

Her aura, which I thought was already at max power, climbed to higher proportions, sinking my feet to the ground a few inches. At any other time, I knew that I would be kneeling at this moment, yet my strange state helped me overcome some of the pressure.

I proceed to walk to her step by step, lightning still snaking around my body. My sister's smile froze, and the pressure she mounted against me increased. I took another step and another and another.

With every step I got closer, her aura became even harder to endure. A groan escaped my mouth, feeling as if my legs would shatter in the next moment. In my exhausted state, I looked up and saw my sister's expression.

She was no longer amused, her face reverting back to an indifferent state.

“Stop.” my sister commanded.

I only smiled in response, spitting the blood that accumulated in my throat to the ground. She saw my condition and was about to stop it but I held my hand up.

“Continue.”

“Wait, little brother-”

“I said continue!”

My sister, no longer showing any amusement, was startled by my response. But she obliged, the pressure in her aura became twice as strong. My feet which already sank to the ground, sank even deeper. I heard the sound of my bones creaking and breaking, finally shattering under the unreasonable pressure.

Yet I did not stop. I continued walking, the distance between me and my sister already shortened, yet I felt it was so far. My consciousness started slipping, my vision turned blurry. I slapped my face as hard as I could, waking me up from almost fainting. I smiled, impressed with myself that I was able to last this long.

All of a sudden, I felt that I bumped into someone. I looked up and saw my sister, her eyes full of worry and concern, her expression being twisted to not knowing what to feel. I only smiled in response and felt my body fall forward, with that my consciousness finally slipped away into a deep slumber.

…

Amy stood in silence, observing the current situation in front of her. Cosmo lay passed out in his supposed sister's arms. She had doubts about whether she really was his sister, for one she was surprised that she wasn't dumb as a boulder like Cosmo.

Just based on her short interaction with her, she thought that she was competent yet a little rude, though she had no idea why. She saw her long pitch-black hair, cascading like a tidal wave that almost covered Cosmo, as she hugged him in her arms.

Her sapphire-like eyes were affixed to Cosmo, ignoring her presence as if she never existed in the first place. She withdrew her weapon and aura and was about to leave the two be when she looked forward and saw that Cosmo’s sister was in front of her.

She was surprised that she moved so fast that she didn't notice, but she didn't let it show on her face. She continued observing her in silence, seemingly waiting for her to speak.

“Who are you to him?”

She pointed towards Cosmo, who was currently lying in a bed of grass, probably in another dream Amy suspected. She noticed that he was very prone to it.

Amy pondered deeply on her question, confused as to what exactly was her relationship with Cosmo. On one hand, it was simply an employee-employer relationship. Yet they were close enough to be considered as ‘Friends’.

Being friends with Cosmo… Amy thought about that notion, and wasn't sure whether she was friends with Cosmo. She knew that she treated Cosmo sometimes a little cruelly and yet she saw that he kept interacting with her with a silly smile plastered on his face.

Deep down, she wanted to consider Cosmo as a friend, because for one she doesn't have many of the so-called ‘Friends’. So with that, Amy is considered to be a little shameless today, taking a lesson from Cosmo, which she never thought would happen in her life.

“A friend. I'm his friend.”

“I see…”

Annabeth held her chin in thought, swirling with various emotions, not knowing what to feel at the current moment. She needed more information, sure Cosmo may seemed like he was a completely different person to her, yet in her mind, he was still the same idiot little brother who still needed help putting on his robes.

Needless to say leaving him in a politically unstable continent was out of the option. But with his recent action, she was considering it. She decided. She needed more information.

She looked up and had a bright smile on her face, grabbing both of Amy’s hands with hers, holding it up to their chest, and said.

“Hello! Let's be friends.”