Midnight Eternity

The three raiders gave each other perplexed looks and occasionally glanced at the magigold spine shortsword before Korth put on an unphased expression and looked at the floating golden light.

"And what might that ability be?" Korth asked. The golden light rapidly spun around and flew around the shortsword.

"Wouldn't it be more interesting to find that out yourself?" the golden light asked in such a way that it made Korth think the offer was some kind of trap for a split second. The golden light assured Korth that there wasn't any sort of strings attached or side effects to using the weapon.

"N-no, that wasn't my intention it's just that we're more used to using longbows and various firearms," Korth stated. The golden light bobbed up and down before stating that this issue can be amended. Shroud leaned backwards and let himself fall to the ground before spinning around mid-air and landing next to the magigold spine sword. Shroud picked up the sword and the raiders watched as the sword morphed in Shroud's hand.

The sword finished morphing and took on the form of a large curved spine with a thin beam of rainbow-coloured mana for a bowstring and some kind of magic circle on the bow's grip. Shroud glanced at all three of the raiders before handing the magigold spine longbow to Kallia. Kallia almost dropped with the longbow to the ground and clumsily stood up straight. Shroud was about to assist Kallia but she stopped him.

"Don't worry... I got it," Kallia said as she managed to stand up straight and Shroud lowered his arm. Shroud shuffled to the side and gave Kallia a clear view of a combat dummy. Nen asked if the bow needs special arrows; the golden light explained that it shoots special arrows but can use any ammo. Nen slowly nodded his head and handed Kallia the spruce steel tip arrow he was holding. Kallia quickly lined up her shot and as she pulled back the bowstring, the entire arrow transformed into magigold.

"Oh, so the bow version is one of those weapons," Nen muttered. Kallia told Nen not to throw off her focus before she fired the arrow. Everyone, including other raiders around the camp, watched the magigold arrow speed through the air and pierce through the bullseye on the chest of the combat dummy. The dummy rapidly transformed into magigold before bursting into a cloud of dust, and the arrow reverted to normal as it fell to the ground.

"Woah... and kinda scary; I deem you the Gold Duster: Longbow Mode " Kallia uttered as she, Korth and Nen looked over at Shroud and the golden light.

"So, what do you think, my good fellow?" the golden light asked. Korth glanced at the Gold Duster before glancing over at the aytherkati cub as she was knawing on the bone left from the boar leg. Korth heavily pondered over how he should reply.

"Although, it was a pain to get the aytherkati cub; this bow would certainly make our endeavours in the future significantly easier," Korth said mentally before sighing when he came to a decision, especially when he noticed how infatuated Kallia was with the Gold Duster.

"Very well," Korth stated. Kallia was grateful towards Korth; both because he accepted the trade and that doing so meant those snobby rich people in Lumias City wouldn't get the aytherkati cub. The mention of the place called Lumias City made Shroud look over at kallia and tilt his head. Kallia noticed that Shroud was staring at her and she panically blushed.

"O-of course that doesn't include you, sir," Kallia nervously stuttered as she frantically waved her free hand around. The golden light amusedly chuckled and told Kallia something as mild as an unintentional slight wouldn't be enough to offend Shroud. Kallia let out a relieved exhale and said she'll go find the lock for the cage before she hurried off.

After a few minutes, Kallia returned and handed Shroud the key to the cage that held the aytherkati cub. Korth asked Shroud and the golden light if they would need any help with moving the cage to where ever they came from. The golden light stated that although his lord appreciated the offer, it wasn't necessary, as Shroud strolled over to the cage holding the aytherkati cub.

The aytherkati cub, while still knawing on the boar leg bone, glanced up at Shroud as he crouched down next to the cage and grabbed one of the bars. The aytherkati cub assumed Shroud was planning on opening the cage but was slightly surprised when Shroud effortlessly picked up the cage; raising the cage over his head and holding it over his head with one hand. Nen was left stunned at how effortlessly Shroud was able to lift the cage and was only able to repeatedly blink as a response.

"Pleasure doing business, if it ever presents itself again my lord would gladly do business with you again," the golden light stated before it flew after Shroud as he was walking off. Kallia commented on how Korth will have to tell their now ex-client they were out bidded and how funny the ex-client's reaction is going to be, which Korth agreed with. As the two slightly laughed, Kallia noticed that Nen was being oddly quiet and looked over at him.

"You're not mad because we gave away the cage you spent months designing are you?" Kallia asked, and after she nudged Nen's shoulder he snapped out of his stunned state.

"Huh? Oh, it's just the cage had darksteel beams between the bars, so I was shocked at how easily that masked guy was able to lift it is all," Nen explained.

"Wait really but isn't darksteel like super heavy; no wonder we needed six people to lift it," Kallia remarked as she recalled six of the physically strongest raiders struggling to lift the cage. Kallia placed her hand on her chin and pondered something when it crossed her mind before she looked over at Korth.

"What is it?" Korth asked as he crossed his arms.

"What is a day anyway?" Kallia asked. Korth appeared visually stumped at Kallia's question and lightly shrugged.

"Maybe it's a saying the super wealthy say," Nen replied as the three continued to discuss various topics.

Meanwhile, in a highly futuristic city located at the centre of a large lake that shone like a beacon in opposition to the area outside of the city that was experiencing nighttime, a young girl (short scruffy pink hair with purple and violet tips, purple eyes, light pink skin, and six large pink angel wings; while wearing a dark royal blue dress with white frills and a silver tiara) tiredly looked out the large window of her expensive-looking royal bedroom. Her head slowly drifted down her arms as he weariness started to take her over before she abruptly swung her head up and snapped herself awake.

"The week before my birthday is always such a drag; why can't I just sleep normally or sleep non-stop until it's my birthday," the princess-dressed girl angrily murmured as she heard a knock at her bedroom door before a young boy (a humanoid demi-human shiba inu: slick dark blue hair, orange eyes, short slightly dark blue fur, and three shiba inu tails) in a butler outfit entered.

"Princess Fai, dinner preparations have been finished," the butler said. Fai yawned and hopped off the window sill; she walked out of her bedroom and the butler closed the door behind her. Fai and her butler walked through the large furnished hallway of the castle.

"It seems you're looking forward to your birthday like usual, Fai," the boy remarked, making Fai angrily huff and rub the black rings under her eyes before she cross her arms.

"You don't need to rub it in, Cole," Fai said. Cole joked that maybe Fai should try counting sheep or using one of those heated blankets like the queen does; although Fai didn't like the heated blanket suggestion it did give her, in her mind, a better idea.

"Heated blanket huh? But they make me all sticky," Fai commented as she came to a stop, followed by Cole stopping too. Cole asked if something was wrong but Fai said it was nothing as she placed her hands together. Fai turned around pleadingly stared at Cole with the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster.

"Would you be willing to be-," Fai managed to say before Cole raised a hand to stop her from talking.

"That would be a very inappropriate thing for a butler to do; besides, I'd rather not sleep at the foot of your bed again," Cole stated with a calm and collected tone. Fai frowned and disappointedly spun back around.

"Fine... but you wouldn't be opposed to having a sudo-sleepover right?" Fai asked with a disappointed tone.

"Of course not... just to be clear I mean I'm okay with the sleepover," Cole stated while giving a quick bow. Fai lightly fist pumped as she started to walk again which made Cole's ears drop; he had a worried expression on his face as he slowly followed behind Fai.