Emerging from his meeting with Finn, Akumo was immediately greeted by a truly staggering sight.
"....."
CRACK-!!
The numerous Amazons who had been loitering outside were now completely encased in ice, sealed away like statues. However, their eyes were still fixed on Akumo with an intensity that sent a chill even through a veteran like him.
"Riveria....?"
Tighten-!!
"We need to have a talk."
"Uh...."
Tighten-!!!!!
"Yes..."
Being dragged away by Riveria, Akumo detected a subtle but lethal intent radiating from her, forcing him to remain still.
Stroke— stroke—
"You truly are a philanderer, aren't you?"
"No, it's not like that...."
'It's even scarier when she strokes my head while smiling like that...'
Returning to the room where Finn remained, Akumo found himself forced to lean against Riveria's lap, enduring her rhythmic, almost hypnotic stroking of his hair.
Riveria, no longer intending to hide her possessive streak, ignored Finn's presence and stared at Akumo with unwavering focus, as if the existence of Argana and Bache were mere background noise.
"Hey now~? Just who do you think you are, getting so cozy?"
"....."
"Our darling~♡ So he already had a woman—"
CRUNCH-!!
Riveria lightly gripped the table, crushing the wood beneath her fingers. While her lips were curled in a smile, her eyes were void of warmth, cold as the abyss.
"My, how violent. Do you act like this even in front of Darling?"
"At least I am not as loose as you lot."
"....What?"
"Since you are only intact because of his benevolence, the least you could do is maintain a shred of dignity. Or are you lacking the intellect for even that?"
Rumble-!!!!
As Riveria and Argana traded blatant provocations, the air in the room began to vibrate under the pressure of their clashing wills.
"W-Wait! Both of you, calm down!"
"Argana, fighting serves no purpose right now."
Finn and Bache stepped in, attempting to stabilize the volatile situation, but the momentum of the two women showed no signs of receding.
"Stuck-up Elf...!"
"Coming from the woman who only happens to be here because she lost to Akumo."
"Ha! That's what we call destiny!"
Grab-!
"Why don't you go look after your subordinates outside? They should be thawing out by now."
Snap-!
"Ha...!!"
Riveria smiled provocatively, pulling Akumo deeper into her embrace. Veins throbbed on Argana's forehead as she clenched her fist—until.
Swish-!
"Both of you, stop."
"....Akumo."
"Darling?"
Akumo intervened, his voice carrying the weight of his experience.
Rising from his seat, he prepared to sort out the current mess properly.
Grip-!!
"Riveria...?"
Squeeze-!
"Argana?"
"....Just where do you think you're going?"
"Darling♡? You didn't think you could just brush this off by bringing up 'official business', did you?"
It was as if they could read his thoughts with ease. Caught between Riveria and Argana, Akumo felt the suffocating atmosphere of a battlefield, pinned down by their intense gazes.
Slide-
"I am here as well, you know."
"I know...."
Bache attached herself to him naturally while checking his condition. While she seemed more on his side than the others, looking at the fire in their eyes, Akumo realized they all possessed the predatory ferocity of lionesses.
**
"He is a marvel every time I lay eyes on him."
'To possess such singular fighting spirit... and to remain so utterly composed even after such a bloodbath?'
Kali, who remained bound after her defeat the previous night, watched Akumo intently.
In her eyes—the eyes of a Goddess of War—Akumo appeared more warrior-like than anyone she had ever seen. Yet, the way he tamed his own bloodlust and combative instincts to make them his own piqued her divine interest.
"Wipe yer drool, midget."
"I am a God of War. How could I possibly ignore such a warrior?"
"He ain't the type to follow ye, and I wouldn't let 'im go easy anyway."
'As if I'd let ye just snatch 'im up...'
Loki shot Kali a chilly look, issuing a silent warning.
"Never mind that, ye best worry about yer own Familia."
"....Are you saying that seriously?"
-Waaaaaaah♡!!!!!!
"It's just their nature, what can ye do?"
"Haa.... To think all my warriors have fallen in love...."
'Is that his influence as well...?'
Loki and Kali watched from a distance as Akumo was pursued by a mob of Amazons.
-Die!!!!!!
-I'll kill you!!!!!!
Simultaneously, the Elves of the Loki Familia were chasing him from behind with murderous auras of their own.
"By the way, you truly are a mischievous god."
"It's his own cross to bear. I've done naught wrong~"
'Serves 'im right for seducin' so many of 'em.'
Loki felt not a shred of guilt for telling her Elven members about the "something" going on between Akumo and Riveria. She, too, found the sheer number of women flocking to him somewhat irritating.
"Loki...!!!!!!!!!"
"Ye're on yer own, kiddo~"
**
"I am sorry! Truly."
"I understand your plight, but please, do not do such a thing again."
'Evilus acts beyond the bounds of common sense after all...'
"You realize Njord-sama himself could have been in danger, right?"
"....If it's for the sake of the children of the lower world, I'd gladly give up a few limbs."
Faced with Njord's clear, honest eyes, Akumo couldn't press him further and instead turned his gaze toward Loki.
"The corrupt Guild Branch Manager Luvit has been dismissed and turned into a fisherman, and we've cleared all the Man-eating Flowers in Melen, but...."
"The problem is the mastermind wasn't caught in the end, right?"
'Collating the info, it's clearly Evilus. But according to Njord-sama's testimony, while the perpetrator was emaciated and needed massive amounts of gold, they weren't someone simply obsessed with money.'
"....I can't even begin to grasp what their objective was."
Akumo rack his brain, contemplating the identity of the mastermind. The members of Evilus he had encountered so far were all chaotic, but they shared the common goal of wanting the world's destruction.
Yet, the Evilus elements involved in Melen didn't fit that mold. They didn't commit a simple terrorist act; they just took the money and left—a suspicious discrepancy.
"And then there's the Ishtar Familia."
'Not a permanent Level Boost, but a temporary ritualistic transcendence...'
"Is it that girl I crossed paths with briefly after all?"
"Ye said she was a Renard, right?"
"Yeah. But her situation seemed complicated, so I couldn't apprehend her separately."
'Even if the Ishtar Familia behaves problematically, they are a major power that supports one pillar of Orario. One cannot simply touch them; inciting a War Game would be even more out of the question.'
"It's complicated... very complicated."
With multiple incidents intertwined and numerous factors to consider, the possibility of the Loki Familia being dragged into further trouble was high.
"What happens will happen, anyway."
"....If that's the case."
"Then we just gotta smash 'em all into bits, right?"
"Ahaha! That's exactly right!"
Despite Akumo's contemplation, Loki grinned at him.
The Kali Familia incident was over, but the movements of Evilus and the Ishtar Familia's Level Boost magic filled the situation with elements that could have been lethal even for the Loki Familia.
The thrill of it was enough to make her skin crawl with excitement.
'I can't wait to see what this brat shows me next.'
"The lower world is truly...."
**
"Children who have received my Falna!"
"By following my divine will, I swear upon my name that your wishes will be granted at the end of the path you walk!"
"I, Thanatos, shall fulfill your desires!"
Inside a deep cavern, numerous surviving members of Evilus were gathered.
"""""Hail Lord Thanatos!"""""
Whether to reunite with family who had returned to the heavens, to fulfill their own desires, or to uphold their twisted beliefs, these fanatics worshipped Thanatos, ready to offer their very lives.
Step, step—
"Phew...."
"It seems you've grown accustomed to that grand and noble act, Thanatos."
"Heh!"
The benevolent face Thanatos had shown his children moments ago vanished, replaced by a twisted smirk as he addressed the woman watching him.
"As the organization grows, you need followers, and managing them... it's quite a chore, you know? Valetta."
"Forget that. We have a guest."
Step, step—
"Ah~ Revis-chan. What brings you here after all this time?"
"A message from Einn. It is time to begin preparations for the Loki Familia."
"You mean [Aria] and the [Sword Princess], right?"
Thanatos laughed at Revis's words, but Revis simply stared into the distance, recalling something in silence.
"....."
"Hmm? What's the matter, Revis-chan?"
"It's nothing. Is that thing ready?"
"Ah~ you mean that? Of course, it's ready."
"....Use it against him without fail."
"Yes, yes, I get it. With you and that thing, the Loki Familia might just be annihilated, don't you think?"
Revis didn't bother responding. She simply turned and left the cavern.
Thanatos briefly wondered about her reaction before moving to the storage area to meet another guest, Ishtar.
"Seems things are going smoothly."
"Well, it helps that Ishtar-chan is our sponsor."
Crunch, crunch—
"If I were to give it a name.... I suppose we should call it [The Bull of Heaven]."
The goddesses smiled at a certain existence inside a massive pit, which was ravenously devouring magic stones.
CRUNCH, CRUNCH—!!!!
Ignoring the divine smiles of the goddesses, the creature simply continued to feast upon the stones before it.