“Jaji-boy, we were just—”

“What the f*ck is your problem, Epagogia! Stop the ‘Jaji-boy’ crap! You forced Juliet almost to use a Forbidden Technique that would have forced put her out for weeks! You are one of the oldest being on this fu**ing planet. Why the f*ck did you push her like that?”

Jacob’s face was a darker shade of red than it should be possible to be. His veins were popping out of his neck and forehead.

“And you!” Jacob turned with a baleful stare toward Juliet, “I gave you that Forbidden Technique to vanquish great foes, not for a stupid catfight!”

“I—”

“What the f*ck Juliet, what the actual f*ck!” Jacob immediately interrupted her, too angry to listen. “I don’t care whatever bullsh*t you two were acting up for! You should have never done that, both of you! We are on the same fu**ing side!”

Juliet nodded.

She could feel all his rage through the Ancestral Bond; therefore, she understood the origin of it. She could instantly perceive his point of view, and that had made her feel so foolish she didn’t even know where to start with her apology.

“Jacob, I’m sorry,” Juliet hung her head on her chest.

Jacob was panting after the outrage and the run.

“Honey, I—” Epagogia was going to apologize too.

“Oh no! I’m not accepting an apology from you, Epagogia! You knew exactly what you were doing, including the risks! So cut out your manipulative bullsh*t with Juliet, or I swear to God…”

“What, Jaji-boy, you are going to cut me?” Epagogia smiled. “I was just trying to make her see she was trying to change herself for you.”

“Christ, Epagogia. I know your games! Do you forget how many years we spent together?” Jacob was even more furious now.

“I mean, Jake, what she said made sense,” Juliet argued in favor of the Devil.

“Oh, so you going into a frenzy and hurting your body, potentially losing a precious month for cultivating, that’s fine? Juliet, she’s the Queen of Devils, for Christ’s sake. She wants to be the one who ends up by my side, and you are the greatest threat. You have been doing so good, turning into a better leader and teammate!”

“So, she was lying to me to injure myself?” Juliet asked in surprise.

How was that even something you had to think of among allies?

“Juliet,” Jacob said with wear in his voice, “she didn’t know you had such a powerful Forbidden Technique, but I’m sure she didn't see that as something bad.”

Juliet was shocked.

How could Epagogia do something like that to her?

I don’t even like Jacob, GOD!

“You just played me, you wh*re?” Juliet was now regretting not going in for the kill.

“Not played. I tested, birdy-boy. My Jaji needs someone level-headed by his side. But with that Ancestral Bond, you have a very unfair advantage,” Epagogia said, recognizing Juliet as a threat aloud for the first time. “So, I provoked you a bit. Or, if you want to use your words, played you like a fiddle.”

Juliet’s anger now was terrifying. As soon as Jacob felt it starting to brew through the Ancestral Bond, he took Juliet by the arm and shouted toward Epagogia.

“I will talk to you later!”

…

Jacob had brought Juliet to an empty house in Blacksoil, and he used a simple Inscription Pattern to heat some water and light up his cigarette. He poured the tea with both hands while juggling the tobacco stick between his lips.

“She has done the same to me multiple times if it’s any consolation,” Jacob half-smiled toward Juliet.

“How could you stay with a person like that?” Juliet asked, repulsed by the sole thought of them together.

Jacob sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

“Juliet, my past life was complicated. Second, Epagogia is much more caring than she lets other people see. She’s nuts, yes, but she is also loyal and, if you can close an eye on the antics—”

“With ‘antics,’ you mean the treacherously selfish wh*rish behavior?”

“Tomatoe, tomato,” Jacob smiled.

For more than a minute, they both stayed silent. Juliet was observing the inside of the house to avoid looking at Jacob; the latter, instead, was simply puffing and looking at her with a sad expression.

“She is not going to stop, is she?” Juliet asked after a while.

“Not even if I threatened to kill her.”

Jacob took out a second cigarette as soon as the first one died.

“So, what should I do?” Juliet asked, a little lost.

“Be yourself. She is going to test you multiple times, and she will tease you, even fight you like today. But she knows you are a threat, both in the power game and the…” Jacob choked on the last word.

“Romantic one, yeah. About that, Jacob, you know I am not in love with you. I am open to discuss, but that’s it.”

“One would hope that cues and non-verbal communication would be enough when someone shares a bond capable of passing pretty much every emotion to the other person,” Jacob grimaced.

“I don’t like how Epagogia seems to take for granted that I will fall for you or something like that,” Juliet replied.

She felt an emotional groan through the Ancestral Bond and frowned.

“She did that on purpose too, didn’t she? She wants me to dislike through some sort of reverse psychology bullsh*t. Unbelievable!”

Juliet was on the verge of literally flipping the table.

“You will get used to it.”

Jacob had enough experience to know that he had gotten used to the Devil’s antics at some point.

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