Gatecrasher

The first thing Ren saw upon waking up was an auburn-haired beauty staring at him. He smiled, not unfamiliar with this situation. "No need to sound rude beautiful, but I seem to have some gaps in my memory about last night, I think I might need some reminders." He patted the bed next to him invitingly.

Ellen's face twitched while Raul laughed his ass off at the beauty of Karma. Ren looked at the laughing Raul and silent Marina and realized the situation wasn't what he first thought.

"I'm flattered, but I'm in a very happy relationship. As for reminders, you got drunk and Raul brought you here." Ellen said politely.

She deliberately left out the part about his injury because she didn't want him to involve them. She'd be grateful if he would just say thanks and leave.

"Whoa, first time I've passed out in a while. Sorry about that." Ren apologized while laughing. "Thanks for looking out for me mate, didn't mean to pass out on you." He apologized to Raul this time.

"Don't mention it, just happy you're ok. So what do you want to do? Do you have a plan in mind?" Raul asked.

"Aw, you worried about me? I'm good bro, I have a plan to deal with my business." Ren assured him.

"You sure?" Raul asked again, causing Marina to lightly step on his toes.

"I'm sure." Ren said firmly, not wanting to drag them into his mess. "Where are we anyway?" He asked while looking around.

"We're at the Chateau Hotel, my house is using it as its base for the exam. You're real tough though man, I woke up with a wicked hangover but you look fine." Raul raised his thump in recognition and a little jealousy.

Ren paid no attention to the compliment however as a frown overtook his previously cheerful face. "Wait, so you're from a family?"

"Eh? Well, yeah. We're from the Vault Family." Raul answered warily, feeling a shift.

Ren burst out laughing, causing the others to look at him strangely. "Of course, I should've known." He muttered self-mockingly.

"I'm leaving." He got up as abruptly as he laughed and spoke in a tone that held a hint of warning.

"Eh?" Raul couldn't keep up with the tone shift.

"Take a left for the stairs and follow the signs to reach the lobby." Marina spoke up.

Ren nodded in recognition and wordlessly went for the door.

"I'll guide you." Ellen followed him, unwilling to let a stranger wander around Vault grounds, albeit temporarily, unsupervised. Raul wordlessly followed as well, and Marina followed closely behind him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.

'The heck was that? He was fine when he woke up. Is it because I'm from a house?' Raul looked at Ren in annoyance. He could practically see the wall Ren put between them and it pissed him off. 'Hmph, if he wants to be an ass then that's his problem.'

They had a fun time last night, and Raul rather liked Ren, but he had his own pride. He didn't do anything wrong and wouldn't lower himself to figure out Ren's problem. Since he's got his own plan then he can run with it.

Like that, they reached the lobby in tense silence.

"Oh? And here I thought I'd have to drag you down." A sweet voice said.

A young man with a feminine face and long blond hair held a hand to his chest while waiting for them with a smile on his face. He bore more than a passing resemblance to Ren.

"Cool, looks like your sister came to pick you up." Ellen said in relief, feeling she could cleanly wash her hands of this situation.

Marina originally assumed the same, but she noted how tense Raul got since she'd been watching him the whole time. She tilted her head as a frown spread across her face. The situation seemed more complicated than she'd first thought.

"Akito." Ren said in a tense voice. He forced himself to appear casual and snorted. "Hmph, so she sent you instead huh? I suppose I should've expected it from that woman, always avoiding her issues." He said spitefully.

Akito's smile deepened, but there was a clear hint of threat in it. "Watch your tone. Do you think this little Viscount House can protect you if you continue insulting our Elder?"

Raul and Ellen's face immediately turned ugly as their hostility cranked up to an eleven.

"Sigh, so even you've started talking like that. You should really pay more respect to the brother who changed your diapers brat, otherwise I'll have to teach you a lesson." Ren raised his head high as he looked down on him.

At the same time a red glow hovered around Ren for a moment and caused Raul and them to step back as an overwhelming feeling of threat radiated off him. Ellen couldn't help looking at him in shock, but Marina's eyes were filled with sudden recognition.

Instead of backing off like Ren expected, Akito's smile widened even further in genuine happiness.

'Not good.' Alarm bells rang through Marina's head. "Move!" She yelled loudly while dragging Raul back. A difficult task considering her poor physical condition and his lack of cooperation.

Akito swiped his hand and a blade of water flew at Ren. Ren's eyes widened in shock as the deadly blade split the air. He had no way to defend against it, this blow would split him in half. The sound of tearing filled the hall, followed by splashing as liquid hit the ground.

"Don't you think you're being a little impolite?" Ellen questioned with a frown after splitting the water blade. In her hand was a long and sharp stabbing awl, but it had a proper handle with a ring at the bottom of it.

"A mere Ascension Realm, is this your confidence?" Akito sneered and pointed his palm at her. The lights flickered and the sounds of the chandeliers cackling filled the room as Akito unleashed his aura. It was vast and deep, completely encasing the lobby and causing the building to tremble. Ren's aura may give off a more threatening feeling, but it couldn't compare to scope of this one.

'True Pillar Realm!' Raul cursed in his mind and stopped fighting Marina for every step. He knew there wasn't a thing he could contribute against an opponent of this level.

Ren who was still reeling in shock that his brother attacked him snapped out of it as the aura smothered him. "Wait! They have nothing to do with this Akito!"

"Tell that to the woman in my way. I'm generous though, move" Akito warned. He didn't come with the intention of fighting the Vault Family, but he didn't mind going through them if he had to.

He might've thought twice if there were any formations in place or an elder present, but his spirit sense showed nothing above the other spirit Ascension Cultivators watching, and they were no threat to him.

"Move Ellen! It's not worth it." Marina yelled. She realized who Ren was now, and she knew Akito as well. It was too dangerous an opponent to take on for no reason.

"Oi, we can't just abandon him." Raul argued, the situation being even worse than he'd previously thought. He thought at worse Ren would get beat up once caught, he didn't think his own Family would actually try to kill him. He might be angry with Ren's sudden attitude, but he didn't want to see him die.

"You're planning on risking her safety to protect your friend?" Marina scolded.

"Guh." Raul gritted his teeth in frustration and looked on anxiously as he really couldn't ask that of Ellen. Stronger, he had to get a lot stronger. It wasn't enough being a cultivator, he had to have actual power if he was gonna have a say.

"We're not friends! All of you just mind your own business, I can handle this myself." Ren insisted and tried to move past Ellen, but she stopped him.

Her face was calm, but something about her made Ren back up. It took a moment for him to realize what it was. She stood right before him, but it was like she wasn't there, like a ghost.

Ellen might look apathetic, but she was truly enraged now. Bad enough Akito showed up at their home unannounced, but to then insult them and even go as far as to attack their guest showed blatant disregard for the Vault Family. She might've had to take it if it were a Duke or Marquess house, but an Earl couldn't cause any big waves for them.

"If you want to harm a guest of the Vault Family then you have to go through me." She didn't care for Ren, especially with the way he's acting, but handing him over like this would be a shame to the house. It'd practically be announcing to the world that the Vault Family was a carpet that would kindly take care of any mud on your shoes.

"Alright, just don't say I didn't give you a chance. Aqua Bomb." Akito fired a ball of water forward.