[3 weeks later]
"So, you have finished making the demi-god weapon, but you aren't going to show us?" Kayda said, looking at me, annoyed.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it will be my mother's present when I win the tournament," I explained, making her breathe out annoyance.
"But why can't you show it to me?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing how I find the act quite cute with her.
"Because you will go and blabber everything," I explained, looking away this time.
"I won't," Kayda whined, grabbing my arm.
"Kayla, you are very important to me but still terrible at keeping secrets." I softly explained, holding her hand softly.
"I am good at keeping secrets, though," Kayda said, trying to sound convincing.
"Yes, to outside sources, but if someone is close to you, they will realise how easy it is to get harmless information out of you," I explained, making her raise an eyebrow at me, a bit confused.
"... A demi-god weapon isn't harmless."
"Well, for the person who it will be going to, it is," I explained, knowing how close Kayda and Mom are.
"So, you are saying I will spill the beans to Stacy the moment she asks," Kayda said, this time glaring at me.
"Yes."
"You aren't very nice today." She said this, puffing her cheeks up and looking away.
"I am only stating facts. Don't get mad at me, please. It's for the surprise, okay?" I said, trying to make her look at me again.
"I don't agree with you, though," Kayda said sideways, glancing at me before looking away again and pouting.
"I know, but it's for the best. It's only Steve and me who have seen the weapon. Not even his brother knows how it looks." I explained, making her slowly look at me.
"Sigh, fine, but if I hear someone other than me see this weapon, I will strangle you." Kayda sighed before glaring at me, ensuring I understood her seriousness.
"Sorry, I am not into that," I said sarcastically.
"Hmm, we will have to test it before you decide that." Kayda teased, making me look at her seriously this time.
"Kayda." That was all I said before she backed down.
"Alright, I won't sexually strangle you," Kayda said, giving me a last tease.
"Back to more serious things. Is the plane on its way?" I asked, shaking my head at her teasing.
"Yes, it will be here in 5 minutes to take us to the capital."
"That's good to know."
"By the way, you finished earlier than we planned, and the tournament starts only in a week," Kayda explained.
"Damn, what the hell am I going to do for a week?" I said thoughtfully, holding my head in my hands.
"Well, the Kuni children are coming with us. You can train them if you want." Kayda suggested making me shake my head.
"No, there is no point in me doing that," I said, denying her suggestion.
"They can learn a lot from you, though." Kayda countered, not very enthusiastically.
"But I can't test my new skills, Kayda. They will die the instant I try it on them." I explained, making her nod in understanding.
"Hmm, that's true, but I can't help you, sorry," Kayda said, sounding quite down that she couldn't help me train.
"Yeah, I know you are one of the tournament organisers," I said, thinking about what I could do for training.
"Yeah, I fucking hate it," I muttered hatefully.
"Well, you are a dragon and aren't really part of the country's upper logistics," I said, shrugging at her.
"So what? My girlfriend is going to be part of the tournament. Why don't they think I will be biased?" Kayda countered, annoyed at the logic of the reasons they do things like this.
"Well, that's true, but you also did my spar against the furry while being my soulmate," I said, trying to make the time pass faster.
"Yeah, but we weren't a thing just yet," Kayda said, shaking her head.
"True, but you know how the soulmate bond can be," I said with a raised eyebrow, making her nod in understanding.
"True, true."
"Anyways, so I can't look after the kids."
"They are the same age as you."
"They aren't reincarnations."
"Right, so what are you planning to do?"
"To find some fights with the commanders and generals in the capitol," I said, shrugging, not really knowing what to do for training.
"Ah, I don't think that's a good idea. Firstly, they won't take that smiling." Kayda said she did not like my idea at all.
"Yeah, so?" I said, looking at her as if I cared what they thought about me.
"They are your colleges. You guys might need to fight on the same battlefield one day." Kayda explained, making me nod.
"Ah, I didn't think of that. Hmm, then I will spar with Marquis Anabald." I said, tilting my head at Kayda.
'If I fight with people on the battlefield later in life, I will most likely be the strongest there, so it shouldn't matter too much right now, but the future is unknown.' I thought about how to get Marquess Anabald to spar with me.
"That isn't a bad idea."
"Yeah, but is she already in the capital?" I asked, looking at Kayda.
"She should be. Her daughter is also joining the tournament after all." Kayda said, nodding.
"Are all the kids joining?" I asked, hearing that the tomato girl would join as well.
"By the noble kids in your age group. Yes, they are." Kayda said, nodding in confirmation.
"Hmm, I wonder."
"If someone will give you a run for your money," Kayda said, looking at me thoughtfully.
"Yes."
"Your sister might push you a bit, but that's about all," Kayda said, shrugging, not knowing the answer.
"Seriously, only her?" I said, annoyed, not seeing the point of the tournament anymore.
"Probably. Not so sure, though."
"Ugh, then what is the point of joining? I want to have a fight where we don't have to play each other like puppets."
"Kitsu, you always fight like that. That's literally your main fighting style."
"I only fight like that because I fight people at a higher level than me every fucking time. But in the tournament, I don't have to worry about outside sources interfering in my one-on-one fight. Or if they are older and more experienced than me." I explained, making Kayda sigh before shaking her head.
"I think you got a lot of experience in fighting the last few months, though," Kayda said, referring to the bandits, the devil group, and all that.
"That's not going to make up the levels and years other people have. Like the first guy I fought at the mansion, that guy was way stronger than me." I said, remembering almost dying a few times back then and with the overprotective mother.
"You have defeated a few older people who had more experience than you." Kayda countered, making me look at her like she was dumb.
"That was mostly luck and them underestimating me," I said, giving her a deadpan.
"True."
"How are the bandits doing?"
"I thought they were yours, and we are not allowed to butt in," Kayda said, giving me a side glance.
"I said Mom isn't allowed to butt in. You can, though." I said, shrugging at her.
"Did you?"
"Yes." I lied, holding a straight face.
"Whatever, they are doing fine. However, their name hasn't changed in any rumours." Kayda explained, making me raise an eyebrow at that because I heard them helping quite a few people, but they are still known as bandits and are a problem.
"So, they are still known as bandits," I said, shaking my head in disappointment.
"Yes and no, they are more known as mercenaries than bandits, but their name itself still has bandit in it." Kayda clarified.
"Ah, I guess that's fine then."
"It is," Kayda said, making it so that I can't disagree later on about their name.
"So, how is the daughter doing?" I said, changing the subject again.
"She is doing fine. However, she is getting a bit too psycho for her mother's taste." Kayda explained, making me nod, knowing it was coming at some point.
"Hmm, it should be around the time that comes up, I guess. If I see her again, I will wake her up from her psycho mode."
"And how are you going to do that?"
"Torture her, of course."
"..."
"She is at the point where she thinks she can do anything she wants but doesn't actually realise what she is putting the people through when she is torturing them."
"So, feeling what they feel will 'wake up' her up?"
"Yes."
"Did you go through that? Like, did you do that to yourself or someone else?" Kayda said, making me glare at her in annoyance.
"Kayda, for half of my life, I have been tortured. Do you really think I don't know what I am doing to them and how they feel?" I said, sounding very aggressive about it.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"Don't feel bad about it. You know how I feel about them."
"Yeah, you hate them and want to destroy their souls."
"Yes, and you gave me a way to do that. Now, all I need is to find them." I said, covering my hand with devilfire and staring at it menacingly.
"Sigh, with that, I can't help," Kayda said, shaking her head at my antics.
"I know, but I think I can ask that gluttony guy before Mom kills him," I said thoughtfully.
"You want to talk to that psycho," Kayda said, looking at me weirdly.
"I want to try, but Mom's revenge comes first," I explained more, making her shake her head.
"Again, I just don't understand that brain of yours."
"But you still love me," I said, teasing her.
"True, true," Kayda said, nodding with a slight blush.
"Well, anyways, are the two kids ready to go?"
"They are ready and on their way. Also, don't call them kids. They are the same age as you in this world, okay?" Kayda's warning again made me look away from her.
"I will try," I muttered, making her sigh.
"Just accept that you are 14 years old." She fumed, frustrated.
"No, then my girlfriend will be double my age. That sounds weirder for you than me, though." I said, making her shake her head again.
"I am a dragon. People won't think much of it."
"Old habits never die. You only suppress them." I said, teasing her and making her glare at me this time.
"Sigh, here is the plane," Kayda said, looking up at the jet coming down to land slowly.
"And the two kids?" I said, looking back at the mansion and seeing the two kunis on their way, carrying their luggage.
"Well, with that, we can go to the capital," Kayda said, walking to the plane.