Baren was strong, indeed strong. Istrid and Reinal were not worthy opponents for him, the difference in power between them was palpable and visible even to a re guest who didn't understand anything about it.
But... he was hardly the strongest. At the very least, because Gladius was here.
"What the hell...?" Baren muttered, blinking several tis.
Just a second ago, he was in the banquet hall, in the middle of nowhere, with only white tables, bewildered guests, and a destroyed chandelier around him.
But... now Baren was looking up at the clouds, the night sky covered in hundreds of bright stars.
The cold night wind blew by his side, bringing freshness and ruffling his hair.
Small pebbles from the debris rolled slightly to the side under the wind's force, as if wanting to continue their journey after such a powerful tug.
Baren slowly stood up, leaning on the largest piece of rubble before looking forward.
A wide hole appeared in the banquet hall wall as if soone exploded a bomb there, but it was only the aftermath of Gladius's flick.
Many eyes were staring at Gladius and Baren, but more often than not, the spectators were focused on Baren to make sure he was fine.
Baren lowered his gaze down, his clothes were in good condition, they weren't even wrinkled, just a little dusty.
Step.
Silvana, who had been watching the events for a long ti took a step back, goosebumps went down her body and fear was in her eyes.
'No way... Did Gladius decide to fight Baren? That's bad... That could ruin everything. Shit, why did he do that? I'm sure Baren will be furious!
Gladius doesn't know what he can and can't do! He just does whatever he wants!'
Silvana wasn't the only one with similar thoughts, many of the guests were expecting to see a fight between Baren and Gladius. They didn't know much about Gladius except that he was extrely strong.
"Hahaha..."
A short laugh rang out.
"Hahahahahahahaha! Damn, that was aweso!"
Baren exclaid with a fiery look, a joyful, wide smile on his face.
"Let's do it again! Did you attack at full strength? Damn! It was just a flick and I flew more than ten ters away breaking through a concrete wall with my back!"
Baren looked at his hands, feeling his fingertips tremble with anticipation.
It seed that the only one who wasn't surprised by Baren's reaction was Gladius, though... no, there was soone else here.
Gladius's gaze shifted sideways, from Baren to Adam.
'Yeah, those two are definitely alike in so ways. Most would beco aggressive, so would be wary or frightened, a few would run away, and amongst all that, there's no wrong choice. After all, I attacked him for no reason, though I didn't inflict any wounds on him.'
Gladius looked at the smiling Baren, continuing his musings.
'Those two want more, and here's the curious thing... Agh, maybe Aiden is right and the difference between Natural and Artificial Phantoms isn't about Spark, Artifacts, Evolution Tree, and so on at all...'
Gladius narrowed his eyes, rembering how Adam reacted when he let out his intimidating aura, instilling fear even in Zarot and Mariel.
'Do they want to see more power and experience such a thing again because they are Natural Phantoms or did the part of them responsible for that desire help them survive at the most crucial mont? I doubt the Spark or their Evolution Trees made them smile now, the reason is sothing else...'
Step. Step. Step.
While Gladius was pondering, Baren already walked back with a fiery, joyful look. He hadn't released his aura yet, but for so reason, the guests next to which he passed got shivers on their bodies, their instincts telling them that it was better to move back to a safe distance.
"Hey! Stop wondering! Let's fight!" Baren said confidently.
Mariel's eyes went wide, quickly filling with terror when she realized what Baren wanted to do.
Zarot smirked for a mont, but then quickly regained his serious expression. No one was supposed to see this.
Realizing that disaster could happen, Mariel reached forward, going to say sothing, she should stop Baren, for his own sake.
Sweep.
Gladius waved his hand as if trying to get rid of a pesky fly that picked an opponent beyond its powers.
"Nah, let's do this so other ti." Gladius calmly said before pointing to his uniform, "I'm busy right now. I'm a waiter here, so this isn't going to work out."
Baren looked at Gladius's outfit, tilted his head, and asked with a raised eyebrow: "Are you an idiot?"
When Mariel heard this her heart beat faster and her eyes went blank.
"Hahaha, no!"
Gladius laughed, turning around and stepping aside to one of the nearby tables that sohow miraculously remained intact.
"I'm not dumb, I consider myself pretty smart, at least above average." Gladius shrugged before abruptly turning around and throwing sothing at Baren.
Oddly enough, Baren didn't have ti to react, Gladius's throw was too fast, even for him.
'Hmm? Did I catch sothing in my teeth?' Baren pondered, feeling so sort of round, slightly elongated object wedged between his teeth.
Throwing a glance at Gladius, Baren waved his hand nonchalantly and clenched his teeth together. His eyes went wide for a mont, sparkling like gems.
"Oh, an olive! Where did you get it from?" Baren exclaid joyfully.
Gladius only stepped aside, revealing a table covered with appetizers and alcohol.
Baren looked around and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Right, it's a wedding. I guess I was the one who acted stupidly."
Gladius spread his hands apart.
"That's okay, it happens to everyone. Anyway, we took on too much attention. One way or another, the wedding has to have so outco."
Baren's eyes went wide for a mont when he glanced at Adam.
"The Rule of Power. Hah, so... what happens next? The Marzo Family has to pick a fighter?"
Gladius nodded deeply before pulling his phone out of his pocket and tapping the screen a few tis, he paused before the last one.
Then, slowly and intriguingly, Gladius turned to the side, his narrowed devious eyes complenting his twisted smirk.
"It's ti to raise the stakes, isn't it?"
Gladius pronounced predatorily, glaring intently at Franz, who gulped at his tone and eerie aura.
Tap.
Gladius tapped the screen one last ti, triggering an unstoppable reaction whose outco was that every family of the Twelve Branches, every nobleman both high and not, beca aware that Adam Vinter had used The Rule of Power, right at the wedding between the Marzo and Rouzet Families.
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