Back to Filo’s side, she was still racking her brain on how to introduce herself.
Too strong, and it might cause trouble. Too weak, and she’d get looked down on. So, compromise a bit, right?
Uh… how do you compromise?
Ignoring the two dragons, Filo pinched her chin, head down, lost in thought, unconsciously activating [Brain Thought Acceleration].
Bingpo quickly grabbed the “mic” to cover for her. As she took a deep breath to introduce Filo, dizzy Chiyan stabbed her in the back again.
“M-Master’s super awesome… s-she j-just, like, pfft pfft pfft, beat the Dragon King down,” Chiyan mumbled, still woozy, tossing Bingpo’s instructions into the “trash bin.” Bingpo slapped her face. This dimwit’s her sister? Dad, your genes are too strong—wiped out Mom’s good ones!
Bingpo shuddered at the thought. Good thing she inherited mostly Mom’s smarts. If her brain was like Chiyan’s… nope, can’t even imagine it.
No time for that now. Bingpo gulped, looking at her parents.
“Beat the Dragon King? Like a roleplay game? You played the Dragon King, and your master beat you?” Chiyan’s dad brain-stormed a wild scenario.
Bingpo’s lips quivered. Handling Dad’s easy—it’s Mom who’s tricky.
Mom’s eyes narrowed, lips curling into a classic squinting, kindly smile.
That look’s iconic. If Filo wasn’t deep in thought, she’d point and yell, “Squinting eyes are monsters!!!”
Bleach—Gin Ichimaru.
Detective Conan—Subaru Okiya.
Prince of Tennis—Shusuke Fuji.
Invasion! Squid Girl—Chizuru Aizawa.
Gintama—Kamui.
Squinting eyes? Always hidden powerhouses, never pushovers. That squint alone screams who runs this household.
“Ice, what’s going on? Explain clearly. You know what happens if you lie to me~” Mom said, squinting and smiling.
Bone-chilling cold burst from her. Even with ice immunity, Bingpo felt crushed by Mom’s “superior species” pressure.
No matter how strong you get, parents have an unwritten skill to dominate their kids.
“Spill it, Ice. You’re my good girl—just explain,” Mom said, her tone dangerously sweet.
Sweat dripped like a waterfall from Bingpo’s forehead. She was ready to give up, but not without one last struggle.
“Mom, I’ll explain, but you have to stay calm and keep Dad steady. I’m worried you guys can’t handle it,” Bingpo said, clutching her chest, panting.
“We’re your parents. If you can handle it, how could we not? Just say it,” Dad said.
“Yeah, don’t worry. I may look like this, but I was a Dragon Clan inspector in my youth—tough training. I can handle it… usually,” Mom added.
They stared at Bingpo, who smacked her lips. No choice now—Chiyan ruined everything.
She sighed helplessly. “Fine, I’ll say it.”
“Out with it!”
Bingpo sidestepped to Filo, placing both hands on her shoulders. “This is my master! Just earlier, the Dragon King came looking for trouble, and Master took her down in a few moves. She’s being hauled back by Sky Dragon and Nether Dragon now,” she said, lowering her voice.
She wasn’t chickening out—she’d seen this before, multiple times. Her parents fainted often, and after so many incidents, she knew their limits.
Her parents were dumbfounded. The Dragon King, knocked out? Impossible.
Especially Dad—once, the Dragon King punched his IQ back to normal, leaving a bump that took ten years to heal. In his mind, beating her would take a thousand of him.
“Ice, you’re joking. The Dragon King can’t be knocked out. She’s an Ultimate Be—”
“Master’s an Ultimate Being too. She’s the True Ancestor of Vampires.”
“…”
Bingpo’s words froze the air. Her parents stood speechless, rooted in place.
Bingpo shut her eyes tight. One second, two, three…
Huh? No reaction?
She peeked, finding them still standing, staring blankly at her and Filo.
Since when did they get so tough? They should’ve collapsed by now… wait! They did collapse—they’re out cold standing up!
Bingpo rushed forward, yelling at Chiyan, “Chiyan! Help! Stop spacing out—pinch their philtrum… er, dragon philtrum!”
“W-Wah, got it!”
Bingpo and Chiyan scrambled, pinching… somewhere. Where’s a dragon’s “philtrum” in human form? No clue.
Filo, still in her thought bubble, suddenly snapped up, clapping her hands. “I’ve got it! I’ll handle the intro—leave it to me… uh… what’s going on?”
She blinked, baffled, at two dragons lying down, two sitting, all a mess.
Bingpo, propped on all fours, sweat dripping to the ground, gasped, exasperated. “Master! Your reaction time’s too damn slow!!!”
***
[T/N: True ancestor of otakus lol]