"N-no way!"
"N-Nani?!"
"She really chose someone?!"
"Impossible!"
"M-masaka!"
"Unbelievable! I can't believe this!"
One after the other, the Constellations spouted words of shock that stunned everyone present.
This was a momentous occasion, one that deserved to be recognized through all of reality.
However…
"We are currently facing a massive threat to the world. Can we all focus, please?"
The moment Aquarius said this, the noises caused by her surprised siblings slowly went into a lull.
She sighed in relief, happy that her embarrassment could finally be diminished.
However…
"I knew you would get addicted after one try, Aquarius. Congrats, big sis."
… Virgo was not done yet.
Her sly smile once again betrayed the purity she was meant to display. The way she winked so sensually made Aquarius nearly give out.
The humiliation she was experiencing was too much to bear.
However, as someone who had been present since everything began, Aquarius tapped into the deep recesses of her patience and endured.
"Let us proceed." Aquarius managed to croak, taking her eyes off her naughty little sister.
"Ciara Epilson, you have the right to accept or reject my offer. What do you say?"
Even though Aquarius said this calmly, she was panicking within.
The last time she had tried suggesting something, Ciara completely ignored her and focused on Jerry.
What if something similar happened again? What if Ciara didn't want to be her Host?
What would she do then?!
'No one else is compatible with me here! I don't want to have to settle. No… I won't settle no matter what!'
If Ciara didn't accept her, then she would have to—
'Should I force her? Ah… no, I can't…'
In the end, she had to make her own choice.
That was the right thing to do.
"You're the strongest Constellation, right? I have no reason to refuse!" Ciara's response was genuine, but it also stung Aquarius a little.
If she wasn't the strongest, would Ciara's answer have been different? She couldn't help but think down that line.
"Besides… we made a pretty good team last time. It would be cool having you as my Familiar."
Upon hearing this, Aquarius' heart leaped a little.
Just a little.
"A-ahem! Likewise. I look forward to working with you."
Ciara broadened her smile, and even though Aquarius had no such facial features… she would be smiling if she had one.
For a few moments, there was silence. No one uttered a word—almost as if waiting for Aquarius and Ciara to be done with their staring contest.
"Alright, alright! We can initiate the Bonding Process once we all choose our respective Hosts." Libra spoke, stepping forward.
"It'll be annoying if we do this in order of strongest or weakest since that line is pretty much blurred with the rest of us." They added.
Unlike in Aquarius' case, where everyone recognized her as the most powerful, the rest of the Constellations existed on a similar level.
They had differing areas of jurisdiction, but their levels remained on the same tier.
"If no one objects, I'll choose my Host now." Libra raised one of their six hands and pointed it in the direction of one.
"Aloe Vida. I choose you."
For a moment, no one spoke. Aloe's face was etched with some measure of shock, but she controlled herself.
Then…
"Libra, you cheat! You knew I was going for her!"
"No wonder you quickly wanted to pick!"
"I should have known!"
A few Constellations complained, but Libra shrugged and looked at Aloe with a smile.
"So… what do you say?"
Aloe remained quiet for a while, and then she nodded slowly.
"I would be honored."
Her response caused Libra to smile and nod as well.
"Same as me."
Libra walked away after their brief exchange, looking at the few Constellations who were still complaining.
"You can also choose her. There's no rule against someone having more than one Constellation as a Familiar, you know?"
This was only a joke, though.
Every Constellation knew how immensely possessive they were.
They would never choose to share a Host with another Constellation, talkless or more than one.
The only exception to this was Neron.
He had three Constellations as his Familiars, a feat no one else had achieved in the entire Aether Tree.
But, that was only possible because of who he was—a Singularity
The most special being in all of existence.
Having three Constellations at his side was only to be expected.
Compared to Neron, Aloe did not compare at all. As a result, the other Constellations instantly backed away.
"My turn! My turn!" The next to step forward was Taurus.
His usual rowdy personality instantly caused him to steal the spotlight, which allowed the other Constellations to back off.
This too was an unspoken rule amongst them.
The courtesy of Constellations.
"I choose you, Serah Crimson." Taurus pointed at the redhead with pride.
Contrary to what he expected, though, she had the same expression on her face.
"I see. Thank you." Was her response.
"E-eh…?" Taurus was conflicted. He had never gotten such a response before.
Anyone would jump at the opportunity to be his Host, yet what was with her lackadaisical attitude.
"I also choose you, Serah Crimson!" Another Constellation took advantage of the current situation, most likely hoping Serah would choose them instead.
It was none other than Scorpio!
"Scorpio, don't you have any shame? I already chose her!"
"Shame? What's that? Can I eat it?" Scorpio chuckled to himself.
"You snooze, you lose! She clearly doesn't think you're her type."
"W-what?! That's not true!" Taurus protested, and then a bead of sweat formed on his face.
The possibility that maybe, just maybe, Scorpio was right began to seep into his thoughts.
"T-that's not true… right?!"
"Of course, it's not true." Serah spoke up, causing Taurus' paling fade to gain a bit of color.
"You're exactly my type." Her declaration caused Taurus to grin.
"See, Scorpio? Turns out I—!"
"You're also my type, Scorpio. I choose the both of you." Serah declared, arms folded.
The instant she said that, both Constellations paused and stared at each other in surprise.
"E-eh?"
There was definitely something wrong with this arrangement, and they could see it instantly.
"Um… Serah Crimson… we're the ones meant to do the choosing. Not you." Scorpio spoke out.
"Ah… is that so? Then I accept your choosing me. The both of you."
Once again, her brazen words struck them.
"Is that fine now?"
The way Serah's crimson eyes focused on the both of them, unmoving and unyielding, and the unfathomable depths of her resolve, won them over.
The two Constellations stared at each other for a moment, and then shrugged slightly.
"Fine. The two of us, then…"
This was a surprise amongst those who witnessed the event. Even if Scorpio was to agree, no one expected the meathead Taurus to do the same.
That went to show just how valuable Serah was to him.
The only thing Taurus valued was strength, and the fact that he desired Serah to such an extent only proved one thing.
Serah Crimson was immensely strong.
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading, everyone!
The rest are yet to get Familiars, but do you think there'll be anyone left out of the equation?
