"All right," Nyx spoke up, the clamor in the room dying down. "You've proven yourself in battle, Fjord. But what else can you offer our Cabal besides combat capabilities?"

  "I can help with that," Lotte spoke up, recalling her conversation with Fjord about his faster-than-light travel ability.

  ...

  "...So you're able to move faster than light, is that it?" Nyx asked, her distrust melting into intrigue.

  Fjord relaxed his hold on Brittany enough to give Nyx a nod.

  He knew it sounded insane. But the truth had already been confirmed the moment he got here, so might as well go for broke...

  "Yep," he confirmed breezily. "I can travel at the speed of light—no, faster. Just give me any point in space and I can be there in an instant."

  "HOW though????" Iris asked in amazement.

  "Easy," Fjord shot back calmly, "Space-time manipulation."

  The entire room exploded again in a symphony of gasps, shouts, and outbursts.

  Cassie slammed her hands on the onyx table hard enough to make it rattle:

  "WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL DID HE JUST SAY?!"

  Mathusalem looked like he was about to pass out from sheer awe: "DUDE. YOU CAN DO WHAT."

  Sylvie's grin turned absolutely feral as she leaned forward in interest.

  Vilho’s usually unshakable composure also cracked for once—his eyes widening slightly before narrowing again with suspicion.

  Nyx's voice came out dangerously soft:

  "...Explain that last part again."

  Brittany whirled around on Fjord's lap now, straddling him before jabbing him in the ribs sharply:

  "You're telling me you could have avoided ALL those attacks earlier by just warping space itself?"

  Fjord shrugged lazily.

  "Yeah. But where’s the fun in that?"

  Nyx’s grip on her sword tightened—not in anger, but something far more dangerous: dark interest.

  The entire room had gone dead silent now. Even Mathusalem wasn’t laughing anymore.

  "...So," Nyx said slowly, each word measured like she was walking a knife's edge between disbelief and absolute fascination, "you're telling me that you don't just have access to faster-than-light travel..."

  Her eyes burned into Fjord's.

  "You can fold reality itself."

  Fjord grinned, wide and sharp.

  "Oh? And here I thought it was obvious."

  And then?

  Cassie let out the loudest shriek of pure delight anyone had ever heard before slamming both fists onto the table again:

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  "I WANT HIM IN THE CABAL! OFFICIALLY! IMMEDIATELY!!!"

  Brittany looked at Fjord with awe, realizing that right now, she legit might be straddling an actual god.

  Sylvie whispered reverently:

  "...He could erase an army from existence with a snap."

  Mathusalem nodded rapidly.

  "We are all officially living rent-free in his head."

  Nyx snapped her fingers, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the room. "All right. It's time to make a decision. Who is in favor of this young man becoming the final member of our Cabal?”

  The room erupted into chaos again, but this time, it was pure excitement.

  Cassie: "HELL YES! I'M VOTING FOR HIM!" (She slammed her fists on the table so hard a crack formed.)

  Sylvie: "Oh absolutely. A being who can fold reality? That’s not just an asset—that’s a game-changer." She grinned like she'd already won something.

  Mathusalem: "I vote yes! And also...can he teach me how to do that?" He looked at Fjord with starry eyes.

  Brittany, still straddling Fjord, hesitated for only half a second before scoffing and muttering: "...Fine." But there was no real bite in it anymore.

  Vilho gave the barest nod of approval after studying Fjord carefully, so did Chisaru.

  Courtney just shrugged and said:

  "I don't care who joins as long as I get paid more for this mess."

  Danemon leaned forward slightly under hooded eyes, his voice low but carrying weight:

  "...You will prove your loyalty when war comes."

  Not an outright yes...

  But not rejection either.

  The remaining Cabal members all immediately nodded or voiced an affirmative:

  Lotte: "Yes. He's in."

  Malika: "I say we get him on our side. A reality-bender would tip the scales."

  Iris: "My vote goes to ‘Yes’. He'd be an asset no matter what."

  Kaz: "Hell to the yes."

  Mariko: "I agree. He'd be a valuable ally."

  Nyx raised a hand and leaned back, steepling her fingers as she took a long look at Fjord:

  "...He's in."

  The room exploded in excited shouts, cheers, and celebrations.

  But all Fjord's attention was on one person: Brittany, still straddling him.

  "So..." he said lightly, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. "...Guess you're not so indifferent about me anymore, hm?"

  Brittany just crossed her arms and grumbled: "Oh shut up before I punch you in the face."

  She didn't make a move to get off his lap though.

  Fjord didn’t even flinch, he only smirked as her fist stopped a hair’s breadth from his face.

  "Aw," he cooed, voice dripping with fake sympathy. "You're so cute when you pretend to be scary."

  Brittany's left eye twitched.

  Then with zero warning, she ducked down…

  …and BIT HIS SHOULDER.

  Cassie collapsed into hysterics while Sylvie clapped like an excited child watching the best drama unfold.

  Fjord's reaction was a bout of laughter—low and amused—as if getting gnawed on by Brittany was exactly where he wanted to be.

  "...So," Nyx said dryly, rubbing her temple like this whole thing was giving her a migraine, "is everyone done proving how utterly ridiculous they are?"

  Silence fell.

  ...For about two seconds before Mathusalem whispered:

  "I still think we should get them matching rings."

  Brittany snarled without looking away from Fjord:

  "I WILL MURDER YOU IN YOUR SLEEP."

  Fjord just cackled, clearly delighted by her reaction:

  "See? She's a tsundere!"

  Brittany scowled: "Shut up, you absolute moron. You wouldn't know the difference between a tsundere and an asteroid if one hit you in the face!"

  "Oh, really?" Fjord's tone lowered into a taunting hum, his arms tightening around her waist again. "Sureee I wouldn't. Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart."

  By now, nearly everyone else in the room had turned away (except for Cassie and Mathusalem—they were just openly squealing with glee) like they were trying to give them privacy…which left Brittany to glare at Fjord in fuming silence.

  ...Until he winked, and her face got even redder.

  "...This isn't how a ‘misanthrope’ acts, dammit," Brittany spat, poking the Black Star emblem on Fjord's sternum.

  Fjord just grinned wider, completely oblivious to Brittany's internal struggle.

  "You know what this really means? You just admitted I’m special.”

  Brittany bristled. "Don't put words in my mouth, you arrogant idiot."

  "Oh? Does that mean I can put something else in your mouth then?" Fjord wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  Brittany nearly choked at his blatant innuendo. "...You know exactly what I meant!”

  The entire room erupted into chaos.

  Cassie nearly fell out of her chair, cackling like a maniac: "OH MY GODDESS HE JUST SAID THAT!"

  Brittany turned crimson all over again—but this time? She didn't have an insult ready. Instead, her fist collided with Fjord's face in one brutal punch that sent shockwaves through the room with a loud THUD.

  Silence fell for a moment until...

  "WORTH IT," he groaned through bloodied lips and an absolutely shit-eating grin as he wiped at his mouth.

  Brittany stood completely still, looking like she wanted to murder him twice now.

  Mariko signed to Chisaru:

  "...Should we help?”

  Chisaru thought for a moment, watching Brittany's shaking fists with wary eyes.

  ...Then he shook his head as if to say: "Let them hash it out."