Thirteen was on his way to the meeting room, where the leaders of the Jinns, the Wanderers, and the Artemians had gathered.
Cranky trailed close to him, having volunteered to come along to ensure that no one would dare intimidate Thirteen into agreeing with their demands.
Until now, everyone struggled to process that the Savage Honey Badger, who had fought tooth and nail with the King of Artem, had taken a human form and had become a Celestial.
Of course, Cranky could still turn back to his Honey Badger form, in which he could fully unleash his powers, as he wished.
However, he had already taken a liking to his current form. His original form was too large for buildings, but with his new form, he could finally fit inside them.
If there was one thing Cranky disliked about being in human form, it was wearing shirts or anything that covered his upper body. He refused to wear them, making ladies blush at the sight of him.
As a Celestial, he carried a charm that couldn’t be ignored.
Some sort of glowing halo accompanied him, making him look like a divine being who had graced the world with his presence.
His temperament was also like that of an aloof emperor who looked down upon the world, only softening whenever he listened to Thirteen, as well as those who were part of the teenage boy’s inner circle.
"You know, Cranky, we should probably come up with a better name for you," Thirteen said as he continued to walk beside his friend, who matched his pace.
"Then, you should think of a good name for me," Cranky replied, finding the notion of being given another name quite amusing.
He had already gotten used to being called Cranky in the past, but he never really understood what his name meant.
Only after becoming a Celestial did he come to know that the name that Thirteen gave him was from his cranky personality.
If it were other people, Cranky might have already smacked them and turned them into meat paste for giving him such a dastardly nickname.
But since it was Thirteen, he just thought that the teenage boy was being playful, so he didn’t mind being called Cranky, even as a Celestial.
"A new name, huh?" Thirteen stopped to ponder for a bit.
The teenage boy then glanced at the handsome man, who was looking back at him with a smile full of expectations.
"Before I answer that, what’s your relationship with my sister, Shasha?" Thirteen asked.
"We decided to start as friends," Cranky answered. "But I do plan to visit your family soon in Aldebaran. I want to meet them very much."
Thirteen thought that as soon as his mother saw Cranky, she would definitely approve of him as her future son-in-law.
As for his father, Gerald... his opinion didn’t really matter in their family!
If his wife, Alessia, said she approved of Cranky as Shasha’s boyfriend, Gerald would only have two choices.
Accept, or be kicked out of the house!
There was no third option!
Thirteen offered a silent prayer to his father, knowing he would soon be fighting a losing battle.
The teenage boy only wanted the best for his family, and truth be told, if Shasha really liked Cranky, then they had his blessing.
The Honey Badger had been with him through thick and thin, and they had fought many battles together.
Whenever Thirteen needed help, the first creature he would look for was Cranky, assured that the Honey Badger always had his back.
Since that was the case, the teenage boy would also support his friend in whatever he wished to do in life.
"Name...." Thirteen muttered.
Finding a nickname for a Celestial was very important.
Names held power, and if Cranky was given a good name, it might even make him stronger.
"Azrael," Thirteen said as he looked at Cranky’s face. "I think it’s a good name. But it’s up to you if you want it or not."
"Azrael..." Cranky muttered. "I like it. But feel free to call me Cranky from time to time, so I don’t forget the name you first gave me."
"Okay." Thirteen nodded. "I’ll call you Cranky when it’s just us or when we’re with friends. But during official meetings, I’ll call you Azrael."
"Good," Cranky replied.
Suddenly, a clap of thunder echoed across the sky above the city, even though there was not a single cloud in the sky.
It was as if the world had recognized Cranky’s new name and had added it into the weave of time and space to be forever remembered and registered as the name of a newly born Paragon.
Thirteen also felt a stronger connection with Cranky, which made him smile faintly as he resumed walking toward the meeting room.
Unbeknownst to him, Cranky—no, Azrael, suddenly felt strong fluctuations in his body, which appeared on his skin like tattoos.
Since Thirteen was walking two steps ahead of him, the teenage boy didn’t notice the changes on his friend’s body.
Fortunately, the tattoos disappeared after quite some time, leaving no trace of what had transpired during that short moment.
When they finally arrived at the meeting room, everyone’s gaze landed on Thirteen’s body. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs N0veI.Fiɾe.net
He was the last one to arrive, but he didn’t mind their gazes too much.
After all, he understood he was the VIP in the room, and taking his sweet time getting there did nothing but result in a more impactful entrance.
As soon as Thirteen sat, the atmosphere inside the room changed completely, as if everyone was waiting for him to say something to start the meeting.
Since he could easily read the mood, the teenage boy decided to make an announcement first.
"From this moment onward, all you will refer to the Celestial seated beside me as Lord Azrael," Thirteen declared. "None of you can call him Cranky. You can try, but he might just get cranky, and that will be the end of you."
Everyone’s gaze became solemn. During the meetings when Cranky was present, all of them did their best to be respectful of him.
Sitting in the same place as a Celestial was suffocating, but they had to admit that his mere presence was something that all of them wished to possess as well.