Demonic Pornstar System

Talia found the situation significantly less amusing.

Even Tessa froze in place, not knowing what to say.

"Absolutely not!" Talia hissed.

"Twenty percent of Runewoven is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and we're only just getting started! Even I only own twenty-eight percent. The rest is split between the board, our top executives, and senior stakeholders."

"What you're asking for is outrageous."

For a moment, silence reigned supreme again.

Then came a silky chuckle.

"Is it, Miss Talia?" Nyx leaned back in her seat with a gorgeous foxlike smile. "You might've been an up-and-coming guild with a promising future, but you're slipping. You don't have a foundation anymore."

Her voice was sweet and musical, unlike her sly eyes.

"You sent twenty of your most promising rookies into that last dungeon. Only Diaz made it out. It was a monumental failure as far as the association is concerned. Your guild wasted the lives of nineteen promising youths because of poor decision-making or perhaps a lack of training. And now, you'll outright fail to clear this next attempt. Even with the generous grace period the Association gave you."

Talia flinched.

Luna, grinning from ear to ear, took over smoothly. She sent her friend a gaze of joy, beyond happy to see her friend back in action. Comparing the current Nyx to the one that was in a coma for a week in the hospital made the Storm Valkyrie's heart flutter.

Her voice, when it came, was warm, almost teasing, as if the boardroom tension was her favorite new sport.

"Maybe you won't be forced to disband. Maybe you won't be forced into a merger with a guild that actually knows how to manage their awakened."

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "But…"

Aria's legs crossed over one another with otherworldly feminine grace.

"Will the Awakened Association let you continue operating like this? Will they let you rebuild, which can only be done by poaching even more newbies from the others, only to possibly fail for a third time straight?"

She turned toward Kaiden, her expression softening with affection as she gave him the floor.

"We don't believe so. You'll have Association agents crawling through every branch of your operations. Oversight, audits, and mandatory personnel placements. No more privacy. No more control. Every move is scrutinized. At least a portion of your guild will become government property."

Then, he tilted his head as his eyes locked with Talia's.

"So… why not give us a silent twenty percent?"

Nyx let out a satisfied sigh.

"No interference. No boardroom games. We won't even participate in meetings."

"In fact," Aria purred, "we'll even help you keep your seat when the sharks come swimming."

Luna leaned on the table now, eyes gleaming.

"Because they will come. Chances are, they're already plotting behind your back. I imagine you're not very popular among your colleagues anymore, are you, Miss Talia? I bet they're thinking that a crafter like you should remain in the smithy and let the proper managers call the shots."

"…"

Silence.

Contrary to what they expected, Talia didn't argue.

Didn't fire back.

Didn't even scoff.

Instead, her lips began to tremble.

Her hands clenched on the table's edge, knuckles going white as her entire body tensed. Her breaths came out shallow. Her eyes shook as her vision blurred.

Tears spilled before anyone could realize what was going on.

She shoved her chair back with a screech and stumbled sideways… collapsing into Tessa's lap like a broken child who had finally reached her breaking point.

"I hate this! I hate this! I hate this!" she chanted, voice breaking as the sobs overtook her. "Everyone's so cruel and calculating. Everyone's playing games, making threats, and manipulating. I just want to craft cool stuff and live in peace, but nooo! The guild—this goddamn guild—is all I have left of my dad, so I can't let the execs run it to the ground for short-term profits!"

Tessa blinked, momentarily stunned, but instinct quickly kicked in. She let out a motherly giggle and began gently stroking Talia's hair.

"There, there~ It's going to be okay…" she cooed with uncharacteristic warmth. "You're strong. You're so, so strong, Talia. Things will work out. You know they will."

"Will they?! I'm being outplayed by a bunch of kids who weren't even awakened two months ago!" Talia shrieked into her shoulder, tears soaking through the woman's elegant blouse.

Tessa smiled nervously, glancing at the others for help that wasn't going to come.

"They're not normal kids…"

"That's right!" Talia snapped, lifting her head just long enough to send Aria a glare. "They say I'm surrounded by sharks, but if the shareholders are sharks, then what are they?! The freaking megalodon?!"

"There, there~" Tessa murmured again, stroking her hair even firmer now with a shaky hand. "I'm here for you. Let it all out…"

But Talia suddenly stopped her sobs.

She pulled back just enough to look up at Tessa with wide, glassy eyes. These were eyes filled with hurt.

And accusation. A crippling amount at that.

"You…" Her voice was quieter now. Sharper. "Why are you even consoling me? You're no different. You saw my weakness and used it to get your own terms passed! You're just like the rest of them!"

"N-no!" Tessa stammered.

"That's not true… I-I'm just doing what I have to do. You know how it is. We're both guild leaders, right? I had to look out for my people. It wasn't personal! I even shed a tear when I said those words…"

Talia narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the brown-haired woman with a mixture of disbelief and petty fury.

"Hmph! I saw no such tear."

And with a loud sniff, she buried her face back into Tessa's shoulder, sobbing again.

"You're one fucking manipulative bitch… But I still love you…"

Kaiden, sitting dead center with a fresh cup of wine he hadn't touched once during the entire exchange, slowly turned toward his Valkyries.

Luna looked at him.

Aria met his gaze with a helpless shrug.

Nyx sipped her drink with zero expression.

They all silently shared the same, painfully awkward thought:

What the actual fuck?