"You dare!" one of them bellowed, veins bulging with fury. "You dare attack one of ours in this sacred hall?!"
Feathers shimmered into partial visibility across their arms as their beast forms began to awaken. The heat in the room spiked.
Another shouted, "Release Denial this instant—or face the wrath of the West!"
But John didn't stand. He didn't flinch.
He simply adjusted his sleeve and said with a calmness that somehow cut deeper than rage, "He dared me first."
He leaned forward, resting one arm over his knee.
"If this summit is truly about strength and unity, then let the weak minds and foul mouths be humbled. I didn't attack first." He paused, eyes gleaming cold. "But I always finish it."
Bubble chirped once, and the bubble holding Denial rotated slowly in mid-air, displaying the helpless crow like a symbol—an example.
A warning.
Across the hall, some representatives narrowed their eyes, while others leaned back, visibly reevaluating everything they thought about John.
