"Speak without thinking, and your words can cut like a dagger. Be wise, and your words can heal." -Proverbs 12:18

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Laban DaeMon: "Well Skalmönd, I originally wanted to act humble when the time came, but now knowing your previous ’mouth blade’ is burnt to a crisp, I’ve also come in clutch for you as well."

Shelly’s eyes now narrow in skepticism of her most toughest opponent beaten yet.

Shelly: "What are you getting at?"

Laban turns around, smirking and over her shoulder, uses her pointer finger to signal them to come with her.

Laban DaeMon: "Follow me Skalmönd, and Yang Vessel.

I’ll show you, your special trophy for beating me.

Plus, it will be good practice for when and if you can steal back my older sister’s dagger, Lævateinn."

The three of them make their way to a separate, unopened crate behind the now empty wooden boxes that once held guns.

With a head cocked glare, Shelly is carefully watching Laban to make sure she doesn’t do anything fishy.

Using a crowbar, Laban pops the top off of the crate and inside, there are multiple smaller black and white wooden cases. Each case is gold embroided, and all of different lengths ranging from 2ft(~.6m) to 3ft(~1m) in length

Shelly’s eyes grow wide, knowing exactly what type of cases they are.

She slowly walks over and stands behind Laban while the DaeMon looks back smiling and steps aside holding one of the longer cases, but this one is gold.

Skeptical Shelly doesn’t reach out for it, but instead, she puts her hands on her hips.

Shelly: "What, is it a cursed blade or something?"

The face tatted woman snickers and shrugs.

Laban DaeMon: "Maybe."

Shelly: "Nice try DaeMon, but Madame Fryer was different."

With Madame Fryer attached to her hip, the Valkyrie descendant pats on her trusty, passed down sheathed sword and the encased Madame Fryer nuzzles tighter to her owners hip.

Shelly: "I’m not just going to accept a random weapon from you.

She’s proven well capable enough and useful enough to be my toothed blade.

So whatever is in that box there you can shove it up your own b-"

Right before the flyting ’cousin’ can get the last of the negative recommendation out, Shelly feels a hand on her shoulder and looks back to see her purpose Katsu, giving her a soft smile from behind.

Katsu: "Shelly, come on.

Like I said before, she’s trying.

It could be presented better, but still she’s trying.

Remember what I told you when we had met up with her yesterday?"

[FLASHBACK]

The DaeMon looks at Shelly and breaks her hug with Saku. The golden haired Valkyrie steps in front of Katsu as Laban walks over. Madame Fryer unsheathes herself, floating next to her ally, and Shelly’s pink/gold SeiõrShield surrounds her.

Katsu: "Shelly, relax. She’s changed, trust me, I can tell too. She might be purposely trying to make Itsuka jealous, but as long as Saku is on our side, she’s on our side."

Shelly relaxes her SeiõrShield and Madame Fryer floats carefully back into her holster.

Don Laban: "It’s exactly what your boytoy says, Skalmönd. I only live for Saki’s acceptance and if he says to jump, I’ll ask him how high. If he says change my ways, I change in the way I believe he wants. And I am sorry, Skalmönd, for trying to kill you...again."

[END FLASHBACK]

Shelly stares across while Laban is still holding onto the closed case.

Laban DaeMon: "I said it before Skalmönd..."

Once again, Laban looks over at her one true God, her purpose, Saku, and sees him turning his eyes away just as she looks over to him.

Laban DaeMon: "...As long as my Saki is still alive, you have no reason to believe I will betray you."

She holds out the all gold case.

Laban DaeMon: "Go ahead Skalmönd take your temporary practice Lævateinn.

Don’t get too use to this either.

This is the only gift I’m gunna give to you.

And know that this is also cuz at this point I’ve realized, if you lose to my sisters now they’ll either kill me on the spot with the rest of you or torture me to death for joining you and so I can’t have my Saki.

So I’m just picking the lesser of two evils here."

Shelly reluctantly takes the case and carefully opens it up to reveal something within a silk sack.

She opens the silk and from inside is a long sheathed dagger.

Shelly slowly slides out the 14 inch(35.5cm) rectangular box cutter shaped blade while holding the soft grip handle.

The blade and handle are the same dark black tint, with a single black tasle on the butt of the hilt.

Katsu is behind her, smiling happily while seeing Shelly’s eyes glow in wonder.

Laban DaeMon: "I present to you, Ehud’s Seax.

It may not have the spirit of a God like Surtur, but it’s still badass looking."

While looking at cute clothes with her little brother, Drakania catches another reference to an old tale she’s heard before from her mother.

Drakania: "...’Ehud’?"

Laban looks over and grabs the blade from Shelly examining it.

Laban DaeMon: "Yep!

While not actually being the dagger, one of the most badass lines from those religious fairytales was titled ’The Message’.

It has a man named Ehud who sneaks his way into a fat king’s estate and right before he merks the fat SoB, Ehud tells him..."

Drakania: "...’I have a word for you, from God’, and then plunges the dagger and hilt into the fat King’s stomach. That way, because of the king’s hubris, the dagger could not be removed."

Laban DaeMon: "Uhhh, Yeeea...

Your Ma told you these stories as a kid?"

Drakania nods.

Laban focuses back on the conversation and hands the fairly long blade back to the young blonde who had defeated her.

Laba DaeMon: "It’s not magical, and it’s not as long as your fried katana, but it’s the exact length as the dagger Herfjötur had claimed from your dead grandma.

Until you beat her, you can have this one...I guess..."

Shelly looks back and Katsu nods in support before she locks her blue eyes with her "cousin’s" matching azule left eye.

Shelly: "Just so we’re clear, this doesn’t completely patch things up between us."

Laban DaeMon: "I never said it did."

She finally reaches and willfully accepts the exchange.

Katsu looks down at his watch and notices the time.

Katsu: "Shelly, can we head outside now? I wanna get some fresh air."

Shelly sheathes the blade and nods as she follows him out the door passed Saku, but as Katsu passes by...

Katsu(telepathy): *Stay here with them, shitbag.*

Saku doesn’t respond as the Izanagi Captains both leave.

Meanwhile Dom and Char are admiring their new weapons.

Charybdis is curessing the sniper as he is examining his new silent reaper.

Sitting cross legged on the ground next to him, Dom finishes attaching his vertical iron sights and a 3.0x scope to the gifted AR-57.

He gets up, examines it and looks down both sights before the young energetic Gunner jumps up to his feet.

He has a look of pure enthusiasm as he looks over at his superior.

Dom: "Hey Char, can we go hunting and practice with our new toys?"

No longer mad at the young dumbass for breaking his weapon, in a comedic look of bliss, the more experienced Gunner matches Dom’s.

Charybdis: "You freakin’ know it!

I’ll go run and get our ammo bags.

You go to the cafeteria and grab one of the empty potatoe sacks for our killed game."

They both place their guns down gently and hurry out the door passed Saku, Friend, Itsuka, and Xaaydagaay.

Saku, already knowing what goodies are in the training room, is still pouting over the unwelcomed morning intrusion into his bed.

Itsuka is standing with him, and Xaaydagaay, trying to calm down her own love interest..

Itsuka: "What’s wrong Saku, aren’t you happy to see everyone else happy?

Sanpaku has all these resources and materials to rebuild again.

So why are you so pouty right now?"

Saku has his arms crossed and looks down at his prone buddy at his feet.

Saku: "When we finally escaped those mountains, I just wanted to be alone and free with Friend.

Ever since I became the ’Vessel for all that is Yin’ I’ve had to deal with even more bullshit than before.

I remembered how we all first felt when D told us he had three wives."

The tall, fit woman next to him with her exposed abdominals also gets a little annoyed remembering how they all felt about it. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Itsuka(annoyed): "Now it’s five."

Saku: "I guess I’m just a little ticked off about this morning.

I get it, Dom has already made it very clear, there are tons of guys who think they would love to be in my position, but I’m not some aspiration-less baboon whose only goal in life is to get laid.

Every animal can reproduce and have a child, it’s not special.

Even the biggest scumbags can have a harem, just to create more losers.

But that’s not what I’ve ever wanted."

Listening to her Captain’s rant, Itsuka’s right hand grips her left elbow tightly, listening to the man she loves unconditionally say he isn’t interested in having children.

Suddenly, after her gifting to Shelly, Laban presses up against Saku and annoys him even more.

Laban DaeMon: "Ohhh Sakiii, are you sassy right now? Don’t worry, I have a couple more surprises for everyone else and then I’ll present to you, the grand finale!"