The day prior to the international.


    The day started off like any other and proceeded as normal. Enyo did keep subtly glancing at Ares like a dog begging for treats on the sly but Ares didn''t bite. He knew what she was after. She was keeping tabs on him to try and sneak a peek when he went to go and get changed! The second he stood up to go and do anything she watched him like a hawk and Ares understood now what it was like to be a vulnerable person walking the streets at night. That omnipresent stare... Shivers ran up his spine every time he escaped the room for literally any reason. There was even one instance in which he was simply taking a shower and Enyo''s silhouette came creeping at him from the other side of the curtains. Despite the running water clearly indicating he wasn''t getting changed Enyo still threw back the curtains with an ''AHA! I''ve caught you in the act'' kinda look plastered on her face. Just to spite her Ares told her he would get changed in the void and she would have zero chance of seeing him dressed up early. He would arrive at the party at a separate time compared to her because walking there with her constantly ogling and inappropriately touching on the way, in public, would be the death of Ares. Both his sanity and his physical state as he would be tirelessly fending off the would-be ''attacker''. At least she would restrain herself at the venue... Maybe? That was what Ares sincerely hoped... Also, shouldn''t the roles be reversed here!? Shouldn''t he be the touchy feely one trying to sneak a hand on her rear or something? Then again this was just standard Enyo at this point so Ares dealt with her in the most effective way possible, abstinence through absence. Simply avoiding her would somewhat quell her rampant desire. It would only come back worse later, sure, but it bought valuable time at least. Besides, tonight she would be able to let it all out and that would hopefully calm her down in the future... Ah who was Ares kidding? She would probably just end up way worse after having gotten a taste. It was like feeding a gremlin after midnight. What were his options, though, exactly? Not have sex with his wife? Enyo would actually just tie him up and solve that issue herself plus Ares wasn''t going to resist that temptation ever anyway. The fact that he''d gotten this far around Enyo without giving in to temptation was a mind-blowing accomplishment in its own right. Enyo would discover tonight that she wasn''t the only one with an aggressive side, it''s just that Ares frequently restrained himself. He was just as eager for this as she was... Not to the extent that he was following her around trying to catch her getting changed, anyway. That was an Enyo specific trait.


    It did eventually dawn on Enyo she wasn''t going to get anywhere with Ares so she started pestering Bellona instead. At this point Ares had convinced himself Enyo just wanted to bother naked people and flush out some of her bubbling excitement. Ares had an out but God knows what Bellona would do. She looked to him, silently, desperately, sending him a plea for assistance but Ares just turned away and whistled to himself. She''s your sister. You deal with her!


    Even during lunch and, later, dinner, the subtle war between these three raged on. Ultimately, Bellona became the proverbial sacrifice and thus the hot potato that was Enyo had been successfully dumped on her. Enyo wouldn''t jump her but she would be in the room to appreciate the view and make all sorts of comments and that was embarrassing enough. After that was decided, everyone went to go get changed with Ares fleeing to the void precisely as he said he would. A few people weren''t making any effort whatsoever, namely Sadie and Rhea, because they just didn''t care for this sort of formality in a lower domain. If something like this were hosted in Vraizon by powerful people then they''d get involved properly but they were mostly only here to see their children, sect members, and clan members. Hell they wouldn''t even show up to the tournament at all if the people they knew and cared about weren''t participating so their presence at the party was a step above and beyond that most wouldn''t take to begin with. Everyone else was lucky to have them grace their presence. Then there was also Fate. She was lazy and childish so getting dressed up properly was a hassle. Plus if her mother caught her all dressed up like a doll she would never escape ever again. There was one more reason she didn''t bother... She didn''t want to stand out. The reason for this was two fold. One, she wanted to prowl around and gather dirt on people stealthily during the event. The more she blended in to the background the better. Then there was reason two... Unbeknown to most, even to Ares himself, Fate was in fact a competitor at the international. As for how this was possible if she wasn''t on the Red Sun team... Well she was a sly critter. Originally Fate had been with her family in a different country but she went travelling to search for the main branch of the Legion family and see what they were up to. When she found Enyo, she ''joined'' the sect to keep tabs on her with the secondary goal of sabotaging her should she participate in the tournament. Fate would join the team and just leave after the competition started, leaving Enyo''s team a member short and high and dry in more difficult fights. Unfortunately, the detestable Eagerton had sniffed her out and prevented the matter, plus Ares complicated things on that front too. Fate used to pay her family more regular visits when she returned to her actual sect but she stopped doing so when she decided to keep track of Ares. Although she hadn''t gone back recently she was still a fully fledged member of their team. As for how they got to the internationals without Fate, the answer was simple. Her family was strong! Four members were enough to get them this far easily so losing one to send out into the wider world as a scout and saboteur was incredibly valuable. Now that the international had rolled around she was finally going to one up her dumb dog brother Ares and betray his trust! After having been looked down on by him for the last couple of weeks it would be time for sweet sweet revenge... Not that he''d care... He really wouldn''t and knowing that bugged Fate but what could she do? Actually, now, more than anything, Fate was worried about what would happen afterwards. It wouldn''t be too shocking if she was barred from ever entering the sect again, and that was a problem because chef Ares was here! Losing easy access to good food was a real heavy blow...


    These three aside, everyone else was getting ready. Aejaz and Allie had no problems getting changed together so they helped each other figure out anything they were uncertain about. Neither had prettied themselves up like this before so it was a new undertaking. The same could be said for Enyo but Bellona helped her with that... At great cost to her own bodily safety as Enyo took every chance she got to fondle her in return. An hour and a half later, Bellona and Enyo emerged in front of their mother who immediately took out a camera and started snapping photos before her brain could even digest what the two were wearing. A few pictures later, Rhea finally stopped and appreciated her daughters'' dresses.


    Enyo wore a satin open back dress that combined classiness and sexiness in a blend that that brought out her beauty perfectly. The long blue dress covered her front entirely and formed a collar around her neck. The blue was darker near the top, almost black in colour, but got lighter the further south you looked until it became a sort of ephemeral blue. If Enyo''s dress had to be described in one word, that word would be ''aurora''. It gave her an otherworldly type of presence and was the source of her elegance. Of course the more carnal charms of her bare arms and back, down to around her middle back area, were also a feast for the eyes. Her arms were slightly thick due to her well-controlled muscle mass that she''d spent years perfecting but weren''t so big as to change the overall level of slenderness. The refined muscles on her back were more apparent and the contours of her skin weaved around them, highlighting her raw power. A slit along the leg portion of her dress also allowed for a peek at her sleek legs and was designed to entice and invite. Additionally, she wore plain black high heels; the lack of any pomp on which served to accentuate her legs nicely. Finally, to wrap it all up, and this was the real big change, she''d cut her hair short. It was now just long enough for her hair to come down to the halfway point of the back of her neck and most of it was slightly shorter than even that. A few strands of Lavender remained amidst the abundantly layered hair, shining through the rest and providing a touch of glamour. To put it simply, Enyo was drop dead gorgeous in this dress and even Bellona was red faced and fidgety around her. Her icy cold resting face and sharp gaze paired flawlessly with her curves and charm. Most people would kill to be assaulted by a woman who looked even remotely like Enyo so Bellona had trouble complaining when she''d been touched all over by such a beautiful woman. Saying ''no'' felt like it would be sacrilege and so she just handed her body over for inspection by the angelic queen her sister had morphed into. Even the makeup applied was minimal because Enyo really didn''t need it. If anything it would make her look considerably worse if not handled properly and there were no experts around so flubbing it and ruining the big day was unthinkable. Better safe than sorry and it''s not like Enyo wasn''t going to be the biggest eyeball attraction anyway. She had that position on lockdown.


    That''s not to say Bellona hadn''t made an effort to look striking too. It wasn''t her big day, and she had been considering not even bothering, but after everything that had happened with Ares the dress she bought just in case came in handy after all. Wearing it and being second fiddle was a bit hard to come to terms with but she''d done this to herself so she wasn''t going to complain. As long as he at least looked at her, complimented her, and danced with her, she would be satisfied with today''s outcome. As for her dress, she wore blue like Enyo but her dress'' colour was a static dark teal from top to bottom. It was also long like Enyo''s but that''s where the similarities ended. Bellona''s covered more of her back but opened up more at the front. The two top parts of the dress came to an end just shortly above her breasts, at which point a pin joined them to a piece of fabric that covered the lower half of Bellona''s neck and a part of her shoulder. This fabric was studded with small diamond that sparkled, complimenting her amber eyes above which were now visible thanks to Bellona tidying up her hair for today. She''d cleared most of it off to the side and behind her ear except for two long strands that came down on either side of her cheek and some tufts around her forehead. She''d pierced one ear and was wearing a small rose on one side of her head. Further down, her arms and the side of her abdomen were uncovered by the dress. Although her abdomen was there in all its glory for all to see, her arms were covered in black dress gloves that were also studded with diamonds near her armpits. She wore a gold bangle over one of her wrists that shone when viewed at the right angle. Back at the midsection, the dress was tied up in a knot, causing it to be shorter on side than the other. This would have been incredibly revealing had Bellona not been wearing opaque tights underneath. the black really contrasted well with the blue above it and made Bellona look like a high class socialite. This look was further cemented by her glossy black heels with an ankle strap. Her overall look was refined, with tight black clothing close to her flesh and a blue dress to cover parts of it. The aesthetic was a mix of intrigue, sophistication, and clever chic. To boot, her unique charms were all displayed and as she boldly refused to hide what other people might consider her flaws. Though her chest was flat she didn''t cover it, instead flaunting it like any other woman in such a dress would. Her dress gloves curved around her biceps and her toned abdomen had been purposefully left in full view. Bellona was beautiful in her own right but this was still a look that would turn away otherwise would-be suitors. Compared to her more feminine sister, the somewhat masculine undertone was something that would make her standout from the crowd in her own way. That was just who she was, though, an attention hog. She liked it when people stopped and stared, regardless of the reason behind the action. With a dress like this it wouldn''t be unnatural for her to be centre stage any other day but with her sister going all out she didn''t stand much of a chance. Still, she wasn''t jealous or anything, she really didn''t care much about this stuff. There was one person she wanted to be seen by and that was it. She''d basically put this on for him and him alone and everyone else could stare at Enyo al they wanted. In a way, it almost made her feel closer to Ares knowing he would be the only one at the venue with his eyes on her. So it wasn''t jealousy she felt towards her sister, or even envy, but rather pity. Being hounded by others when all either of the sisters wanted was to spend the night with Ares was going to be a pain, one Enyo would have to deal with more than her. Bellona had her own appeal too, though, and she''d really done a good job of her makeup which was helping prove that point. Her lips were a softer colour than before and her eyelashes were a tad longer. Objectively, her face was very attractive like this. Though she refused to put away her abs, just for today she decided to let Ares see some femininity in her face. He was the first person to make Bellona willingly choose to be just a bit more girly for and her heart was racing wondering whether he''d appreciate it or not. Maybe he really liked her normal look and this had all been pointless? She had such doubts but wasn''t too concerned. Ares was a gentle man and would never make her feel uncomfortable with his praise. He would be honest but find a way to compliment her in a way that left her satisfied regardless of what he believed; of that Bellona was certain. She was also reassured by Enyo practically drooling over her back in the room as well as Rhea''s squeals of joy upon seeing her.


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    Both sisters looked absolutely fantastic. They had each dressed up in a way that took full advantage of their body types and features. Rhea was over the moon seeing her daughters as mature women that looked like bona-fide models ready to rock the world with their enchanting looks. So much so she started taking countless more pictures that she would cherish forever. Especially Enyo as this was her first time ever wearing a dress of literally any kind. She wore it with pride too and that brought a tear to Rhea''s eye as she was indescribably happy seeing Enyo strut her stuff instead of hiding behind that stupid armour. It was almost like a fever dream and Rhea nearly fainted again. And Bellona was no slouch either! Last time Bellona wore a ''dress'' she''d half-assed it and given zero shits. She''d clearly put in effort for this and Rhea knew why so she gave her thumbs up in her mind and kept taking photos. The picture taking had to stop eventually though as it was time to leave so they picked up Appa, who was also ''dressed'' in her own unique way, went through the front door, and found Aejaz and Allie standing hand in hand and looking at the stars above in the night sky.


    Their outfits were a more standard affair. They weren''t too fussed about being the best in the room or impressing one another, they were just here to enjoy each other''s company on this fine evening, share a dance or two, and love each other like a happy couple. In a way, the simplicity of their approach was cute and endearing. Aejaz wore a simple brown suit. It was eerily fitting, actually, because in some ways it was loud and showy but in others it was muted and quiet. It resembled his personality to a tee and, given that he was a handsome individual from the start, he looked incredibly good in his attire... His tie was a little crooked, though, and his shirt wasn''t tucked in at all. He clearly wasn''t used to this, which was why he opted for an extremely casual method of wearing his suit, but that was to be expected considering the life he and Ares had lived. It did raise the question of whether Ares would look sloppy if he was doing his own clothes by his lonesome. Still, the two sisters trusted him to take today seriously. Unlike Aejaz and Allie who had already said and done everything they needed to, today was special for Ares and Enyo so he better get it right! As for Allie, she wore a mini-corset dress with flower patterns on it. Again, very suitable. Cheery and bright. From the side Aejaz and Allie had somewhat of a retro style to them and they were undoubtedly the couple that were going to be the most chill and relaxed during the party. While everyone else was there to impress or scout competition, make allies and gather intel on enemies, these two would just be doing whatever they felt like in the moment. Eating, dancing, having fun. In a way, they were the only ones really doing things right tonight. Kudos to them for not giving a damn about anyone else.


    And thus everyone set off. Fate remained low key by hiding behind Rhea lest the guard dogs that were her children tried to bite her the second she reared her head. Getting caught having lunch with her other siblings the day before was disastrous as now all of Enyo''s siblings recognised her. Infiltrating their ranks and disguising herself became that much harder as a result of yesterday. Her goal at the party was to remain imperceptible until she found her brothers and sisters and then stick to them like glue, never straying too far away from them as she spied on others.


    It took everyone about twenty minutes to arrive as the venue was in the core disciples area. Verification was needed in order to enter usually but Enyo, Bellona, Aejaz, Sadie, and Rhea''s presence all made the process far smoother. Enyo and Aejaz were members of the outer court team, Bellona was Enyo''s sister, and Rhea and Sadie were impossible to stop regardless of who they were. Anyone with a cultivation base like these two ladies could enter and exit their sect''s inner sanctums freely whenever they damn well chose. Of course they were well known anyway so there was no need to be worried. Sadie was an elder here now and Rhea visited yearly for the tournament and was somewhat of a regular.


    As for the building to receive guests, it was multifloored and decorated in flowers of all sorts. This wasn''t done specifically for today but rather it was like this all year round. It wasn''t the grandest venue ever, and it certainly wasn''t anything special compared to what people like Sadie and Rhea had seen before, but it was serviceable considering the circumstances. It''s not like Heaven''s Path was rich enough to afford anything better so even something of this quality was pretty respectable. Plus the inside was fancy in its own right so no one who visited ever left with any complaints. The C.O had tried to bargain countless times, offering to upgrade the venue and a few other benefits providing Yulo worked for them, but naturally they were refused every single time. As for the floors, where everyone went would be dependent on which team they were competing in. Outer courts, or anything comparable in other countries, were on the top floor. Inner courts on the second, and core on the first. Very rarely did anyone pay any attention to a floor they weren''t involved with but today would be an exception as Eagerton had zero interest in his own floor. He, and undoubtedly his mother, had a lot more curiosity towards the happenings on the third floor so they would spend the night up there instead whenever they arrived. Of course Edgerton would be dragged upstairs too, not that he gave a damn about any of this hoopla. He wanted nothing more than to go home and practice one of his new songs...


    The group made their way inside and entered the room on the third floor through a set of gilded white double doors and the sprawling venue lay before them. The room was both wide and long to accommodate a large number of people and yet the decorations weren''t sparse to compensate. A beautiful chandelier hung from the centre of the room, acting as the main attraction and grabbing everyone''s attention the second they entered the room. Anyone looking to hog the spotlight tonight would be looking to stand under this this thing for as long as possible. A few of the egotistical sort were already mingling below it. Of particular note was an elf with a floating rock chatting away to an older lady who was presumably his mother. Naturally this was Mako, Terros, and Serene. From a distance, it looked like Serene was warning Mako about something and he was being dismissive. He was respectful to his parent of course, but he wasn''t taking her words to heart.


    Around the sides of the room were circular tables covered in pretty cloths with complex patterns around the edges. Each table had around ten seats surrounding it and a flower vase resting atop it in the middle. Certain vases, and the flowers within, represented the respective competing countries attending and was essentially a more classy guide on where to sit instead of the usual name cards... Although there had already been an incident where some annoying revenant swapped around the vases to get closer to their desired target... Fate could already just about see her dumb dog sister Venus hassling one of Enyo''s smaller siblings in the distance... She smacked her forehead and decided to pretend not to know her for the rest of the evening.


    On the walls were various paintings of influential figures throughout Red Sun''s history. There was even a mock-up painting of a man by the name of Vargaraad that had been placed next to the founder of the Myriad Masks. Other such figures also included the sect masters of bygone eras and a few of the mayors... Although Maro was left out. There really weren''t many people who liked him so anyone even showing him an iota of respect was always a rare sight. Even the people bribing him only really tolerated him at best. He was here today but he was hanging around on the bottom floor as he viewed it as the place with the highest prestige. There certainly were a lot of big shots down there, to be fair. People looking to take talented cultivators into their fold needed look no further than the best of the best of the next generation downstairs to find a hidden gem or two. Big gun investors were all over the bottom floor like flies on shit. The less money, treasures, cultivation resources, and opportunities you could offer a cultivator the higher the floor you were subtly relegated to. That being said, there were occasionally one in a million cultivators who bucked the trend and were really impressive on these floors so the people here were typically keen eyed and always paying attention to every little detail of every little interaction that went on in these floors. It wasn''t just the competitors fussing around today, everyone here other than the organisers were all on edge. That''s not to say the C.O wasn''t judging potential recruits too, they just had the confidence they had all the leeway when it came to approaching their desired targets. What they could offer a cultivator was boundless, even sects and clans from Vraizon wouldn''t be guaranteed to one up them as they had resources scavenged from across an entire domain at their disposal. Plus, treasures that were too strong could be harmful to weaker individuals so even if someone had better resources to negotiate with that wasn''t always a benefit.


    There wasn''t anything else that particularly stood out but it was undeniably a visually satisfying room to be in. Even the waiters and waitresses had been handpicked from the sect disciples who were arguably some of the best looking to attend to the guests. They were more than happy to be eye candy considering how much they were being paid for their work. Also, sometimes, some of the guests would offer to take them away from the sect and have them work for them privately. It would probably wind up being the end of their cultivating career but they would live a comfortable, and mostly safe, life for as long as they lived. It was a good chance for people here to find long term work or even marriage partners. They had their good looks to thank but there were also some that wanted to just get a little extra stardust and that was it. Slick''s presence here was solely to protect the staff that were uninterested in these people so he mostly kept to himself as he patrolled the different floors. All the other elders were here too for a similar reason but they had more opportunities to relax and enjoy the atmosphere than Slick who was working full time.


    As Enyo''s group entered the room, it turned silent. It was almost like a wild west saloon in the sense that every time anyone new entered the room everyone stopped and stared. It usually never got this quiet as everyone would continue their conversations shortly after but Enyo was attracting a lot of attention. She was an absolute stunner of a woman and the only noise anyone could make in her presence involved accidentally dropping their wine glass on the floor and mumbling curses under their breath as their attire was soaked. For better or for worse, Enyo was a very literal showstopper and had garnered everyone''s gaze. This was to be expected though, so she just ignored it to the best of her abilities. She was considerably better with this kind of stuff than she used to be so a slight flush on her cheek was as bad as it got for her. She didn''t have time to be fretting over something like this because tonight was going to be a long, long night; and things were only just getting started!