SWNOVELXO Chapter 74: chapter 74
Chapter 74:
– Haru –
The large, blue-skinned alien gracefully hopped down from her flying dinosaur mount and immediately hissed at me, baring her teeth. It wasn't exactly aggressive, but it definitely felt like a warning—a clear message for me to stay away.
Honestly, the action reminded me of a territorial cat.
As the alien stared intently, I realized there was recognition in her yellow eyes. She'd obviously noticed the similarity between me and Kunou.
…I sighed internally. My little sister certainly knew how to make life complicated. Trouble practically followed Kunou wherever she went—but as her big brother, I still loved her regardless. Keeping her safe and out of trouble (as best I could, anyway) was part of the job.
The blue alien kept her focus locked on me, her muscles tense as if she expected trouble. But suddenly, her gaze shifted to confusion as Councilor Tevos stepped calmly in front of me, raising her hands slightly in a universal gesture of peace.
"Please allow me to handle this," Tevos said gently, her voice calm but firm. "First-contact situations require great delicacy, Haru."
I nodded in agreement but moved slightly closer to her, carefully watching the alien. "I understand. But if she makes any move to attack, I'm stepping in front of you immediately."
Tevos turned her head slightly toward me, and, to my surprise, a soft, uncharacteristic giggle escaped her lips. "That's very noble and sweet of you, Haru," she said warmly. "But despite spending most of my days stuck in meetings or micromanaging galactic politics, I assure you, I'm more than capable of defending myself with my biotics."
I couldn't help smiling at her confidence. "Fair enough, Councilor. Just wanted to be clear."
Meanwhile, the alien warrior had tilted her head, obviously bewildered by our interaction. Her bright yellow eyes darted from me to Tevos and back again, confusion deepening in her features. Her ears twitched slightly as if trying to understand our conversation but failing entirely.
A faint blue glow surrounded Councilor Tevos as she activated her biotic powers. Her eyes turned completely black. Slowly and carefully, she extended her hand toward the wary alien warrior, palm open in a gentle gesture of peace.
The tall, blue-skinned female stared cautiously at Tevos's outstretched hand for a long moment, clearly hesitant about this interaction. Eventually, curiosity seemed to win out, and she carefully reached forward, placing her palm lightly against the councilor's. As their fingers touched, both women froze. Their gazes locked in silent communication, and the air felt heavy as I waited patiently. It took a couple of minutes, but finally, Tevos withdrew her hand and released a deep, steadying breath. Her biotic glow faded slowly, her eyes returning to normal.
She turned toward me with a wide, fascinated smile. "Wow… Haru, this planet and these people are absolutely amazing! I learned so much just now—and that was only scratching the surface."
I chuckled softly, nodding at her excitement but quickly raising my hand before she could say more. "I'll just take the language for now, Tevos."
Tevos laughed gently and gave a slight nod of understanding. "Very well. Brace yourself, though—it might feel a little strange." She stepped closer, placing her fingertips gently against my temple.
The sensation was immediate and overwhelming, like thousands of alien words flooding into my mind all at once. I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes tight, tails twitching behind me in discomfort. As soon as the download ended, I shook my head vigorously, trying to clear the lingering dizziness.
"Damn," I muttered, rubbing my forehead. "You weren't kidding about that being unpleasant. But at least we can communicate now."
Tevos smiled sympathetically. "Sorry about that. Biotic mental transfers are intense, even at the best of times."
With the new language freshly imprinted in my mind, I turned my attention fully to the towering blue alien. I now knew her species called themselves the Na'vi.
"Hello," I said gently, carefully speaking in her own language. "My name is Haru, and I'm a demon fox."
Tevos stepped forward, gracefully joining the introduction. "And my name is Tevos. I'm an Asari from a planet called Thessia. Might we ask your name?"
The Na'vi female studied us cautiously, still slightly defensive but clearly surprised we spoke her language so fluently. "I am Neytiri," she finally replied, her voice guarded and wary. "Why have you come here, sky people? And why do you both look so strange?" She turned her yellow gaze fully on Tevos, suspicion clear in her expression. "Are you another dream walker, like the others who pretend to be us?"
Tevos shook her head gently, speaking in a calm, diplomatic tone. "I think you misunderstand, Neytiri. Neither Haru nor I are humans—or sky people, as you call them. We aren't associated with those who have come to your world previously. My species is known as the Asari. I come from Thessia, a vibrant garden world very similar to your Pandora."
Neytiri tilted her head, clearly confused but listening intently. She then glanced back at me, her eyes narrowing again. "And you? You look similar to the tiny creature who attacked my people. Is that your child?"
I sighed, offering Neytiri an apologetic smile. "Not my child—my little sister, Kunou. She's young, mischievous. I'm truly sorry about the trouble she caused. She got carried away playing…hero."
"She and the other one hurt many warriors," Neytiri said bluntly, and in anger.
I bristled slightly at Neytiri's bluntness, my frustration surfacing before I could contain it. "Maybe your warriors should have thought twice before attacking a little girl out of nowhere," I snapped back sharply. Of course, I knew Kunou was unharmed, but that didn't mean I liked the fact that the Na'vi had attacked her.
Neytiri hissed at me again, her ears laid back aggressively, teeth bared in clear anger. She stepped forward, clearly offended, but before either of us could escalate things further, Tevos quickly stepped between us, raising her hands in a calming gesture.
"Haru," she reminded me gently but firmly, "we came here to make peace, remember?"
I took a deep breath, forcing my tension back down. "You're right. I'm sorry," I said grudgingly, though my annoyance still lingered.
Tevos then turned back toward Neytiri, her voice gentle and diplomatic. "Neytiri, was anyone from your clan killed or permanently injured during the fight?"
Neytiri's yellow eyes flicked away from us, clearly uncomfortable with the question. She shifted her weight uneasily and finally admitted in a quiet, reluctant voice, "No one died. There's nothing that will not heal eventually."
"Then," Tevos continued calmly, "no lasting harm was done." She hesitated briefly before adding in a softer, but pointed, tone, "From what I understand, Neytiri, your warriors were the ones who attacked first without any provocation. Unless, of course," she glanced at me cautiously, "Kunou and Milim lied about what happened?"
I immediately shook my head. "Kunou and Milim might cause trouble, but they're not liars. If they said your warriors attacked first, then that's exactly what happened."
Neytiri visibly bristled at that response, her tail flicking sharply in agitation, eyes narrowing further. Clearly, she didn't appreciate the implication, but she said nothing in response.
Tevos seemed to sense the growing tension between us and quickly shifted the conversation to a safer topic. She turned to Neytiri, her voice softening considerably. "Let's not argue about blame anymore. Neytiri, could you tell us more about yourself and Pandora? Your world seems truly incredible."
Neytiri immediately hissed again, defensiveness flaring up once more. "Why should I tell you anything about our home?" Her voice was sharp and bitter, full of mistrust. "So you can exploit my people, just like the sky people already are!?" She then turned angrily toward me, pointing an accusing finger in my direction. "And your filthy building sits right beneath our sacred Home Tree! Are you planning to steal our home from us as well?"
I blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her accusation.
My restaurant, filthy? Now, that genuinely offended me!
"Hey!" I snapped back. "My restaurant is not filthy! The Fox Hole is always clean and tidy! It's outside is enchanted specifically to stay spotless, you know. I'm not even sure it can get dirty!"
Tevos placed a calming hand on my shoulder, clearly suppressing a smile at my reaction. "Haru, please. I don't think that's the main concern here."
I crossed my arms stubbornly. "Still. She could have just called it 'unwanted' or something. But filthy? That's just rude."
Tevos sighed gently, shaking her head with amusement before turning back toward Neytiri. "Please understand, neither Haru nor I want to harm or exploit your people. Why would you even think we would do such a thing?" she asked.
I watched as Neytiri's eyes hardened with bitterness, anger blazing openly across her features. She let out a long, frustrated breath before finally beginning to speak, her voice trembling slightly with barely contained rage.
"You wish to know why I distrust you so deeply? Why my people distrust all outsiders?" Neytiri spat the words sharply, her yellow eyes locked onto mine, then shifting accusingly toward Tevos. "The sky people came to Pandora in massive metal ships that darkened our skies. They burned and ripped apart vast areas of our sacred forest, forever scarring Pandora, disgracing Eywa herself with their careless greed." She clenched her fists tightly, her entire frame tense with fury and sorrow. "At first, they promised us friendship. They promised to share their knowledge with us, to learn from each other. But all they truly wanted was to exploit our trust. They tricked my people into revealing sacred places—sites of great spiritual importance—only to rip them open and mine their cursed metal from deep within our world."
I felt my stomach twist with disgust at her words, realizing just how familiar humanity's greed sounded, even in a completely different universe.
Neytiri continued passionately, her voice growing louder as she poured out the pain of her people. "We have begged them to stop. We tried to reason with them, to make them see the damage they were causing, but they refused to listen. The sky people are greedy and powerful, armed with terrible weapons that we cannot fight against. Many of my people have died trying to protect our home, but still, they destroy more each day, mining until nothing is left." By the end of her rant, Neytiri was breathing heavily, her eyes glistening with tears of anger and frustration. Her voice dropped lower, becoming almost a whisper. "So forgive me if I do not trust your kind words. The sky people made promises too, and now look at the damage they've caused."
I exchanged a meaningful glance with Tevos. The councilor's expression was one of deep sympathy and barely contained anger. She stepped forward slowly, nodding gently as she absorbed everything Neytiri had shared.
"What you're describing is a catastrophic violation of sentient rights," Tevos said gravely, a cold edge of fury coloring her words. "To exploit and destroy the home world of a sentient species simply for resources—that goes beyond unethical. Such actions violate every law of basic galactic civilization. What the sky people have done would be considered a massive breach of Citadel law." She huffed in outrage, clearly disturbed by what we'd just learned.
I felt exactly the same.
"True," I pointed out cautiously, "but I doubt the Citadel Council even exists in this universe. Or, if they do, humanity here definitely hasn't encountered them yet." I whispered to Tevos. We had not gotten to the point in the conversation yet where Neytiri found out we weren't from her Universe. Honestly, I doubt she'd even understand what I was talking about. She wasn't dumb, obviously far from it, just a bit primitive…
Tevos sighed quietly, her shoulders slumping slightly in resignation. "You're probably right. Still, it is deeply troubling to hear such a blatant disregard for life and sentient rights." she whispered back to me.
Neytiri looked between us, confusion mixing with her lingering suspicion. "What is this Citadel Council you speak of? And why would they care about what happens to my people?"
Tevos paused thoughtfully before stepping closer, clearly trying to phrase her explanation carefully. "The Citadel Council is the governing body of the galaxy. It's composed of multiple advanced species who've come together to uphold peace, prosperity, and the rights of sentient beings. When a species like yours is discovered, especially one inhabiting a garden world like Pandora, strict protections are put in place immediately. Your world and people would have been under immediate council protection—any attempt to exploit or harm you or your world would result in severe consequences."
Neytiri stared at Tevos with widened eyes, clearly stunned at the idea of such a powerful organization existing solely to protect people like hers. "Such a thing truly exists?"
Tevos paused at Neytiri's question, and a sly, knowing smile slowly formed on her lips. She glanced at me briefly, her eyes sparkling with mischief before turning confidently back toward Neytiri.
"Yes," she answered firmly, her voice full of diplomatic authority. "The Citadel Council truly exists. And as a sitting member of that Council, I've now heard firsthand the plight of your people. You have my word—I will do everything within my power to address this injustice."
I shot Tevos a strange, questioning look, raising an eyebrow at her sudden and unexpected statement. What exactly was she doing? We didn't even know if the Citadel existed here in this universe, let alone if it would have any jurisdiction or power. Was she making promises she couldn't possibly keep?
Tevos subtly waved her hand at me, silently signaling me not to interrupt or question her openly. She seemed confident in her approach, so I decided to trust her and stayed quiet.
Neytiri studied Tevos closely, clearly assessing the sincerity behind her words. After a tense pause, she turned her sharp gaze toward me again, her suspicion slowly giving way to cautious curiosity.
"Neither of you are sky people, then? You truly are not humans?" Neytiri asked again, clearly wanting to be absolutely certain.
Tevos nodded firmly once more. "That's right. Neither Haru nor I are humans."
Neytiri's stance relaxed slightly, and she finally gave a cautious nod. "Then…I suppose I can allow you both into our home," she said carefully. "But understand clearly—we extended the same courtesy to the sky people once before. They betrayed us and spat on our trust."
I gave Neytiri a reassuring smile, acknowledging the gravity of her warning. "We understand. Thank you for giving us this chance."
Tevos grinned at me, clearly satisfied with the progress we'd made. Despite the rocky start, it seemed we were beginning to build some genuine trust. With tensions easing, an idea suddenly struck me—a practical way to smooth things over further.
"Neytiri," I began carefully, offering a respectful gesture of goodwill, "earlier, you mentioned that many of your warriors were injured during their encounter with my sister and Milim. I'm a chef by profession—I run that 'filthy building' beneath your Home Tree." I paused, smiling slightly to soften my words. Neytiri's ears twitched with mild embarrassment at my gentle jab. "What if I prepared food for your people tonight, as a way to make amends? I love cooking, especially with ingredients I've never used before."
Tevos turned toward me with approval clear on her face. "That's a wonderful idea, Haru. Sharing food is often one of the simplest yet most effective ways to build trust."
Neytiri considered my offer thoughtfully for several seconds before slowly nodding. Her suspicion hadn't entirely disappeared, but curiosity had clearly won out. "Very well…Haru... My people will accept your offer…"
– Eywa –
…Eywa had been asleep for a very long time, but even in her slumber, she dreamed vividly. Her dreams were filled with the lives of those who lived upon her surface, her children—the Na'vi and all the creatures of Pandora. She felt relief seeing that her beloved children had slowly begun to recover from what they now called "the Time of Great Sorrow."
Eywa herself was still in the process of healing, slowly regaining her strength and energy after the devastating damage inflicted by the sky people. She hadn't intended to awaken so soon. Regaining her power required deep rest, and yet something unexpected had forced her into consciousness.
Yesterday, Eywa had opened her senses fully, feeling every heartbeat and breath on Pandora clearly again. She was intimately connected to all beings born or living upon her, from the smallest insects to the largest predators and her beloved Na'vi. Yet yesterday, something extraordinary and utterly foreign had stepped upon her surface—something powerful enough to rouse her from her healing slumber!
The being had arrived in the form of a small, pale-skinned female with vibrant pink hair. At first, Eywa thought this creature might have been related to the "sky people," the humans who had recently arrived and were trying to exploit her and her children.
But as she observed further, Eywa quickly realized that assumption was incorrect.
This creature—who referred to herself as "Milim" in front of Eywa's naïve and impulsive Na'vi children—was definitely not a child of the humans' dead and broken homeworld. She felt completely alien, possessing a vast, almost unimaginable amount of raw power!
When Milim had first encountered her Na'vi, Eywa had feared the worst. She'd expected death, destruction, and another tragic period of sorrow, as this terrifyingly strong being could have easily annihilated her children with ease. Could have even devastated all of Pandora…
But to Eywa's surprise, Milim had merely roughed them up and then retreated into a mysterious wooden structure that appeared from nowhere—one crafted from materials not born of Eywa herself.
…She watched the building closely ever since, curious and wary.
Her curiosity grew stronger today when two more beings emerged from the same unusual structure. One was a male who bore striking similarities to the small golden-haired fox-girl from the previous day, clearly related by blood, yet he carried a distinctly different aura. He felt powerful too, though not nearly as overwhelming or threatening as Milim. Beside him was another alien female, one with blue skin who seemed oddly similar yet much smaller in stature than Eywa's precious Na'vi children.
Intrigued, Eywa silently observed their interactions with Neytiri, carefully listening as they spoke together and shared information. She found their discussion enlightening and unexpected, especially learning that the enormously powerful pink-haired entity was something called a "cook," one who prepared food for others to eat.
A cook? Eywa pondered thoughtfully, surprised by such mundane behavior from a being of such incredible strength. It had been countless centuries since she herself had actively partaken in anything resembling a meal. She drew sustenance and strength from her world and her people's spiritual connections, never needing or even considering physical nourishment.
Yet, as she sensed the sincere intentions and gentle compassion of the male fox-being called "Haru," an unusual curiosity stirred within her. If beings of such immense power and alien nature wished to share food with her children in goodwill, perhaps she, too, should partake of this offering.
After all, Eywa mused, when was the last time she had ever enjoyed the simple act of sharing a meal?
– Trudy Chacon –
"This is a terrible fucking idea," Trudy muttered loudly into her headset mic, her eyes fixed on the looming shape of the gigantic fucking Tree in the distance.
The Samson's rotors thumped rhythmically overhead, filling her ears as she guided the aircraft toward their destination. Behind her pilot seat, fifteen heavily armed marines checked their weapons, completely unconcerned about the insanity of the mission.
Colonel Miles Quaritch had personally ordered this operation without informing the company leadership. Trudy wasn't officially part of the strike team—just their glorified taxi—but she didn't need a crystal ball to see how catastrophically this was likely to end.
Their orders were simple–storm into the bizarre wooden building that had mysteriously appeared beneath the Na'vi's Tree, apprehend the two "human-looking superweapons"—a tiny blonde girl with literal fox ears and tails, and another girl with bright pink hair dressed like something out of old-time Earth comics—and drag them back to base for interrogation.
Trudy shook her head again. It sounded even stupider every time she replayed it in her mind.
From behind her, one of the marines laughed dismissively, overhearing her complaint. "Relax, Chacon. We'll be fine. We've got iron, and I didn't see any guns in that drone footage."
She snorted, glancing back over her shoulder at the soldiers with irritation. "They didn't need guns, you idiots. They kicked the shit out of dozens of Na'vi warriors bare-handed! Not to mention that freaky-ass blue fireball shit. Seriously, did none of you actually watch the footage? It's fucking magic or something."
Another marine scoffed, loading a fresh magazine into his rifle. "Magic ain't real, Chacon. Those girls probably used some fancy special effects or smoke bombs to fool those dumb aliens. We'll show 'em how real soldiers handle things."
Trudy rolled her eyes dramatically and sighed. "Whatever you say, tough guys."
She tightened her grip on the controls as the Samson approached Home Tree, descending carefully to hover above the clearing. Through her cockpit window, she spotted the strange wooden structure beneath the massive roots of the tree. It looked oddly pristine, totally out of place in the lush Pandoran jungles.
"What the hell…?" Trudy muttered, her eyes narrowing. A large wooden sign stood out front, prominently displaying the name in two languages: Japanese and English. She zoomed her cockpit camera in, reading aloud to herself with confusion. "The Fox Hole?"
Before she had time to ponder further, the marines began jumping out, hitting the ground in practiced formation. All fifteen moved quickly toward the mysterious building, weapons raised, clearly eager to complete their mission.
Trudy maneuvered her Samson higher, pulling back to maintain a safe distance—about half a mile away—but she kept the camera focused on the unfolding situation. Her instincts screamed that this whole thing was about to go spectacularly sideways, and she fully intended to be far enough away to escape the aftermath.
"Not my fucking problem," she whispered softly, relieved at least that none of the trigger-happy idiots currently rushing toward the wooden building were her friends. Most of them were fresh off the shuttle from Earth, cocky and inexperienced.
Pandora didn't fuck around, and now they were about to find out.
– Enri –
Enri glared at Milim, hands planted firmly on her hips. Once upon a time, the pink-haired Demon Lord might have terrified her, but after everything she'd witnessed since meeting Lord Haru, Enri found herself a lot braver. Sure, she was still just a squishy, ordinary human girl—but she knew bravery came in many forms, and right now, it meant telling off an absurdly powerful and very impulsive Demon Lord.
"Lady Milim, Lord Haru and Lady Yasaka are both going to be very angry with you," Enri scolded, her voice carrying clear annoyance.
Milim just pouted, crossing her arms defiantly beneath her chest. "But I wanted two new adorable little sisters!" she whined childishly, her pink twintails bouncing with each exaggerated movement.
Enri pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning slightly. The trouble had started just minutes after Lord Haru and the blue-skinned woman had left for the Na'vi village.
In their absence, Milim had taken it upon herself to 'name' both Erza and Kunou, despite explicit instructions from Lord Haru that neither girl was to undergo such a major change without proper discussion first—especially Kunou. Haru had explained a little about the naming process to Enri, enough for her to understand it was serious business. It affected both mind and body, and he had wanted to wait until Kunou was older and ready. Perhaps he and Lady Yasaka had even wanted to do it themselves, which would have made it special.
Enri sighed again, shaking her head slowly. "Lady Kunou is already Haru's sister," she reminded Milim firmly.
Milim tilted her head, still pouting stubbornly. "Yeah, but I'm going to be Haru's wife anyway, which means Kunou would be my sister just the same!"
Enri stared at Milim blankly, utterly confused by the strange logic. She was very certain Milim still had no idea what the term 'wife' actually meant. Was no one ever going to explain it to her? Enri decided with resignation that she would probably have to be the one to clarify things later—though she wasn't looking forward to it.
Nearby, in one of the restaurant's comfortable booths, Kunou and Erza lay quietly sleeping, unconscious from the sudden rush of magical energy caused by Milim's naming. Milim had carefully moved both girls to the seats and watched over them protectively. Erza seemed to stir first, blinking awake after nearly half an hour had passed.
Enri didn't know much about Erza, other than the fact she was a powerful human magic swordswoman…although now, after Milim's meddling, Erza probably wasn't fully human anymore.
…Enri couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of jealousy at that thought.
"What happened?" Erza groaned softly, rubbing her eyes as she slowly sat up, clearly disoriented.
Before anyone could answer, Milim sprinted over with a delighted cry and practically tackled Erza in a hug. "Yay! You're awake! You're way stronger now—and you smell a lot more like a dragon! I bet you'll even be able to transform into one if you practice a bit!"
"Wait, what?" Erza asked, still groggy and clearly confused. Her eyes widened slightly, and she firmly pushed Milim back, holding her at arm's length. "Milim…didn't I say I wanted time to think about this first? You completely ignored what I said!"
Milim suddenly looked sheepish, glancing down at the floor. "Sorry, Erza… I was just so excited to meet another half-dragon. It's been a really long time…" Her voice dropped quietly at the end, sadness creeping in.
Seeing the awkwardness rising, Enri decided to interrupt gently. "Lady Erza, would you like something to eat? You must be hungry after all that."
Erza turned toward Enri gratefully, a relieved smile on her lips. "Actually, yes. I feel incredibly hungry."
"Dragons always eat tons of food!" Milim said proudly, her earlier melancholy evaporating instantly.
Erza sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Great, now my food budget is going to skyrocket... I'll have to take on even more guild missions."
Enri chuckled lightly to herself as she moved toward the kitchen, planning to whip up something simple but hearty for the newly minted half-dragon. However, before she could even start cooking, the peaceful atmosphere of the Fox Hole shattered abruptly.
The restaurant's doors were kicked inwards by someone very rude! Enri spun around in alarm as heavily armed soldiers stormed into the dining area, rifles raised and aimed directly at them.
"Hands in the air!" shouted the lead marine, his voice cold and demanding.
"Nobody move, or we'll shoot!" another barked.
"You're all coming with us," a third growled menacingly, glaring around the room. "Try anything funny, and we'll put you down."
Enri froze for a heartbeat, her blood running cold. Her eyes darted nervously to Milim.
Milim's playful, bubbly smile had completely disappeared. Instead, her face transformed into something far darker. Her expression hardened dangerously, her crimson eyes narrowing into a predatory glare. For the first time in a long while, Enri felt genuine fear ripple down her spine.
Even more surprising, though, was the sudden shift in Erza's demeanor. It was as if the gentle swordswoman had vanished entirely, replaced by an enraged dragon eyeing its prey.
Enri swallowed nervously and sighed, sensing exactly where things were headed. She ducked beneath the safety of the restaurant's sturdy counter, to hide away from the imminent violence…
These strange soldiers clearly had no idea just how badly they'd messed up.
XXX
Thanks for reading!!! You can check out more of my stories on my profile.
Wanna read more of my stuff ahead of regular release?
You can Support me on Pat-reon.-com / Starwaves
Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters on there:
The Fallen Gamer ch 328-332
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 6
The Fox Hole 80
Thunder and Black Wings 20
The Fox Hole 79
Thunder and Black Wings 19
The Fox Hole 78
The Blood Queen 43
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 5
The Fox Hole 77
Thunder and Black Wings 18
The Fox Hole 76
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 4
The Fox Hole 75
The Blood Queen 42
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 3