-Bell Cranel-
The streets of Orario were much more lively today, and the closer they got to the Colosseum, the more evident it was. Monsterphilia wasn’t just an event for the common folk, as even Adventurers gathered to have a relaxing time.
As for Bell, following Midna around while the petite girl went food-stand to food-stand to satiate her hunger was… embarrassing.
Much less embarrassing than facing Roy after yesterday night, though. What was she thinking?! Bell couldn’t possibly miss Lady Hestia—Uh, miss contact that much, could she?!
‘But it felt really nice…’ Her mind started reminding her of just how it felt being between Roy’s arms. His smell, soapy and fresh but with a distinct woody aroma. Not to mention, the warmth of his body—
‘’Yo, bun-bun.’’ Her head snapped to the goblin. Midna looked at her with a deadpan. On her left hand rested a half-bitten Jagamarukun. ‘’You’re dozing off on me? I ain’t that boring, am I?’’
Bell blinked, immediately shaking her head in denial. ‘’N-no! Not at all. It’s just… Sorry, I was thinking about something.’’
Midna sniffed. ‘’Yeah, thinking about Hoomie’s pecs against your face, I bet.’’
She froze, spine and ears completely straight. For a second, the noise of people chatting disappeared as Bell focused completely on the goblin.
‘’W-what?’’ Bell cursed herself internally for that stutter of hers.
‘’Hey, I ain’t gonna bite your head off.’’ Midna said with a smirk, accentuating the words by using those sharp fangs of hers to take another bite of the cheese-filled pastry. ‘’Buuuut I did see you leave our room in a rush this morning~’’
Damn her, Bell knew she should have woken before dawn’s arrival!
‘’You…’’ She paused, gathering her thoughts. However, confusion struck as Midna remained… calm? ‘’Why are you so calm a-about this?’’
The goblin blinked, shrugging as they finally passed the vendor stands. The giant colosseum where the monster event itself was happening was now clear in sight.
‘’Why would I be bothered?’’ She said and gestured to Bell. ‘’Cute bun-bun wants a piece of my man? That just means I get to take a piece of her.’’
A shiver went down Bell’s spine. The way Midna’s lone red eye scanned her up and down so intensively made the bunny-hume feel naked.
‘I don’t think she’s lying.’
‘’I’m not.’’ She nodded.
‘’D-did you read my mind?!’’ Bell shouted, grabbing a lot of bystanders’ attention before she settled down, flushed embarrassment on her face.
‘’Nah. You’re just that easy to read.’’ Midna smiled.
‘’But… We are both girls.’’ Bell said, confused. Unconsciously, she also checked the goblin girl up and down, and heat rose to her cheeks as the goblin grinned. The memory of yesterday’s happenstance was still clear in her mind. ‘’Isn’t that… weird?’’
‘’Weird, huh?’’ Midna scowled, pointing at her accusingly with the fried pastry. ‘’Oh, but when you ogle our Goddess’s amazing rack and get to snuggle those puppies it’s fine?’’
Bell’s mouth hung open. ‘’I-I don’t—I wouldn’t ever dare to see Lady Hestia in that light!’’ She defended seriously.
But Midna merely stared at her flatly. One hand on her hip. Bell maintained the gaze, but as the seconds ticked down, a drop of sweat started gathering at the back of her neck.
…It’s not like she never saw them. It was normal, really. Ever since joining Lady Hestia, Bell had been pampered by the deity endlessly, so it was only natural that she knew… parts of her body, right?
‘Especially that one time we took a bath together to save water. Lady Hestia is… way too beautiful not to look at—’ Bell slapped her own right cheek, hard, making a stinging red mark appear on her face.
Midna raised an eyebrow, and Bell had to look away. ‘’M-maybe… just once or twice?’’
The goblin cackled, which only made Bell all the more embarrassed.
‘’It’s alriiiight~ You know what I’ll do to those funbags if she let me?’’ The words made Bell try to shake off the mental image from her head. ‘’Heck, I may have a dumpy, but our Goddess has the puppies and some junk on her trunk. If anyone’s a shortstack in our household, then it’s that woman—‘’
Midna was cut off by Bell pressing a hand to her mouth. Even with her face contorted in a scarlet hue, she frowned down at the goblin. ‘’P-please refrain from speaking about Lady Hestia that way…’’ Bell said, looking around in nervousness. ‘’Especially in public, it’s not—‘’
Something wet touched her palm, and Bell recoiled.
With a grossed-out expression, she stared at her saliva-covered palm and the goblin blowing her a raspberry.
‘’If you want me to shut up, then there are better ways, bun-bun.’’ She cackled while Bell tried to wipe the goblin spit off. ‘’Like, say, if you let me choke on those bunny-tits—‘’
‘’I-I get it! So please stop saying embarrassing stuff!’’ Bell didn’t care if her shouting brought them attention anymore. Maybe then, this goblin passing as a Pallum would stop being so shameless! ‘’…P-please?’’
Midna’s lips pursed, lone eye widening as she cursed under her breath. With her superior senses, Bell could pick up the words perfectly.
‘’Stupid bunny-eyes, way too cute…!’’ She’ll pretend she didn’t hear anything, lest she die of embarrassment.
‘’B-but then… how do I… um…’’ Bell tried to formulate the thought into words, but saying it out loud was way more embarrassing than she thought. ‘’How do I… tell Roy?’’
Midna snorted. ‘’Adorable, really.’’
‘’Don’t tease me!’’ Bell huffed.
‘’Fine, fine~ Though, I’ll say it now, you’re way too nervous, bun-bun.’’ The goblin shrugged. ‘’You just have to, like… say it. There’s no magic word that’ll get that stud to rail you stupid—Well, other than shoving your ass on his face… Though that’s not really a word, now is it?’’
‘…Why am I asking her?’ Bell deflated, ignoring Midna’s insane and degenerate ramblings. ‘But I can’t just say that I like his smell! Or his warmth, or the h-hug we shared last night… It’s way too embarrassing—‘
‘’Heeeey! Midna, Bell!’’ A voice cut through the busy crowd, causing Bell’s ears to perk up and turn to her right. There, she saw a black-haired Amazon, being swiftly followed by a blonde, unexpressive girl and a redheaded elf. She recognized them both from that night at the Hostess. ‘’So you two are also attending the Monsterphilia? Have you been having fun?’’
‘’Lady Tiona!’’ Bell greeted with a shy wave, trying to subdue her blush and not be awkward in front of the nice Amazon. ‘’Yes! Well, we were, but…’’
‘’Got hungry.’’ Midna cut her off, biting into another Jagamarukun that she pulled from… somewhere. ‘’But we are heading straight for the monster-fucking event now!’’
Bell smacked her face. Tiona, similarly, could only hold a flat stare while Midna cackled to herself, having succeeded in flustering Tiona’s companions.
The blonde, whom Bell now recognized as Ais Wallenstein, the holder of the fastest Level-up record in all of Orario, contorted her face into a disgusted scowl.
‘’…Gross.’’ Her glare sent a wave of terror down Bell’s spine.
‘’M-monster what?!’’ The elf had a similar reaction, only that with a blush on her cheeks. ‘’What types of degeneracies go through your head to think of such a… such a… Ew!’’
Bell frowned, knowing very well that sort of ’’degeneracy’’ had plagued her head for more than one night now.
‘I… I think I’m getting too used to Midna.’ After all, the notion didn’t bring the usual grossness out of her that one would expect.
…Maybe because the Monsters from the Dungeon were way too different compared to the particularly bottom-heavy goblin at her side—Mind out of the gutter, Bell!
‘’Midna likes saying stupid things. She doesn’t really mean it.’’ Tiona explained to her companions with an easy smile… before turning a knowing glance their way.
Bell gulped, following the explanation with a nod.
‘’Sure.’’ Midna shrugged, giving her own knowing stare. ‘’So, Hot Caramel, don’t think you ever introduced us.’’
‘Hot Caramel?!’ Bell thought but didn’t voice. ‘Midna, please stop embarrassing us in front of people! Roy does it enough already!’
Tiona, however, took it in stride and puffed her chest, gesturing to the two girls at her side. ‘’This here is Ais, and the shy elf is Lefiya! Oh, girls, these here are Midna and Bell, though you probably remember them from that night at the Hostess, hehe.’’
‘’…Hi.’’ The blonde gave a minute nod before something caught her attention.
‘…Never thought I’d see someone more awkward than me.’ Bell sweatdropped, giving a nod back.
‘’My… condolences. Our Vanargard’s attitude wasn’t the most proper that night, and I know he regrets it too! I… think.’’ The Elf cleared her throat awkwardly before giving a proper bow with a gentle smile on her face. ‘’In any case, greetings to you too. I heard some nice things from Tiona, so… I hope we can leave that event out of the way and get along!’’
‘And this one is so friendly!’ Bell thought, the bitterness of remembering the beastman’s words somewhat mitigated by the elf’s mannerisms. Without hesitation, she matched the girl’s smile. ‘’O-of course! If you’re friends with Tiona, I bet we’ll get along!’’
‘’Huh…’’ Tiona frowned, looking between Midna and her before tilting her head to the side. ‘’Where’s Roy? I thought he’d be with the two of you, maybe causing mayhem around here.’’
Bell’s ears twitched at the mention of the man.
‘’Didn’t come.’’ Midna shrugged.
Funnily enough, the goblin was currently waving her Jagamarukun in front of Ais, and the girl was following the movement of the potato pastry for some reason. The elf-girl looked in mortification as Midna threw the food into the air, only for Ais to catch it in less than a blink.
‘’Huh… So you left him alone.’’ Tiona stated.
‘’…Yes?’’ Midna tilted her head to the side, confused.
‘’You left Roy alone.’’ Tiona reaffirmed, but even Bell was starting to get confused. ‘’Like… the same Roy we know.’’
Realization fell on their faces like a bag of bricks. Bell’s healthy pink hue went completely pale, but before she could think about the ramifications of their actions, her ears twitched.
She heard it long before it happened, but she hissed all the same as an explosion made the plaza-center rumble.
Everyone went on high alert. The civilians all around them panicked and started running away from the coliseum in waves, and many adventurers present drew their weapons.
All because of one simple fact.
‘’Roooooooooooooar!’’
From the tall walls of the structure, breaking their way out via brute strength, or even chasing after bystanders of every kind through the same exits they had taken, creatures with red, angry eyes, sharp claws, towering frames, or menacing fangs filled the previously peaceful plaza.
Monsters were loose.
Bell saw with wide eyes as tiny, red creatures with maddening laughs conjured fire mid-air. Green-skinned, towering monsters with pig-like faces searching around for things to grab.
And most damning of all, she saw a brown blur absolutely clear the streets, followed close by a giant silver ape with broken chains on its ankles and wrists.
‘’W-what is happening?!’’ The Elf shouted, but one of the group was already on the move, with Lefiya hot on her trail. ‘’Ais, wait!’’
The blonde did not wait, shooting herself at the danger with her sword drawn. Like a hot knife through butter, the sharp blade cut through a group of Orcs before they could even try to do any significant damage, be it to people or buildings.
‘’Aw man… and I really wanted this day off, too!’’ Tiona complained, but followed along without hesitation.
Bell locked eyes with Midna. A second later, the Goblin was draped over her shoulders, clutching Bell tight. Shadows started pooling around the Bunny-Hume’s legs. Read the latest chapters at NovelPing.
‘’You’ll be okay without your daggers, bun-bun?’’ Midna asked.
Bell frowned, looking around before spotting two pieces of discarded wooden planks belonging to a little crafts stand, now empty thanks to the outbreak. In a show of strength, she broke them without hesitation, turning the wood into sharp, rudimentary stakes.
Spinning them in her hands before tightening her grip, Bell nodded. ‘’I’ll make do.’’
‘’Bitchin’.’’ Midna chuckled, patting her side twice. ‘’Onwards, my adorable steed—Whoa!’’
Bell became a blur, while not nearly as fast as the blonde, who dispatched monsters with deadly precision. Bell had a great deal of situational awareness and noticed the giant gorilla-like monster stray from the pack, where a good portion of Orario’s citizens lived.
With a target in mind, Bell ran as fast as her legs would carry her. On the back of her mind, there was a single thought and the image of a brown-haired man.
‘Please be safe, Roy…’ She thought.
…Though knowing the man, Bell would bet he got himself into some sort of trouble again.
-X-x-X-
-Rose Fannett-
She… was going… to kill… this bastard!
Rose panted heavily. Her shoulders sagged as she clutched a brick house’s corner. Her chest rose up and down; sweat ran down her brow. All because of chasing that idiotic man all the way up to Daedalus Street.
Her ears twitched, and her gaze rose minutely to stare at one Roy Raynolds, who looked down at her, chest puffed up and exuding such smugness that Rose wanted nothing more than to punch him straight in the face.
…If she could, that is.
‘’Just how damn high… is your Agility…?’’ She half-panted, half-growled.
The man paused, scratching his chin in thought. ‘’Well, Hestia hasn’t been home for a few days now, but I’d say like G?’’
‘G?!’ Rose blanched, a pit of dread pooling in her stomach. This man, who started his Dungeon delving not even two weeks ago… was halfway through the stats required for a level up?! ‘’You’re lying.’’
‘’Bitch I don’t lie unless it’s funny.’’ He snorted.
And Rose couldn’t help but believe him, but that only made her worry even more. If their Familia captain and that Pallum girl had statuses anywhere near what Roy was claiming… they would surely start to go deeper and deeper into the Dungeon soon.
Rose bit her lower lip, hiding it under the pretense of catching her breath. A sudden pain clutched at her chest, and the memory of a tiny, blonde-haired girl bothering her about how to ‘level up’ appeared at the forefront of her mind.
She shook the memory off. Slowly rising to her full height, Rose glared at the man, an energy that he matched with an amused stare.
‘’You know, if you wanted me that bad, you could at least treat me to dinner first.’’ Roy’s words made her teeth grind together. ‘’I’ll definitely put out for some mean pasta. Heck, twenty dollars is twenty whole dollars.’’
Rose didn’t know what a ‘’dollar’’ was, but she had heard the same expression spoken by Deities in the past, and she was not amused.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she counted down from ten before releasing a full-body exhale. ‘’…I should have retired.’’
‘’But then who would I annoy during my guild visits?’’ The man said, holding back laughter.
‘’I will choke you.’’ Rose spat, taking a step forward.
But something that would be intimidating for anyone else only made Roy’s smirk widen. Shamelessly, he locked eyes with her and spoke. ‘’And I would thank you for it. Odin said, and I quote, only those who have died in battle… and those who passed on while in the clutches of a fair maiden may enter Valhalla!’’
‘Just what sort of teachings are the Gods implanting on mortalkind?!’ Rose really, really hated this man. His insufferable face and attitude made her throb with anger.
That must be the reason why her face felt hot, and why she turned away from him with a scowl. Totally not because of him indirectly calling her a ‘fair maiden’ or his shameless flirting.
It certainly didn’t help that time of Spring was near the corner…
‘…Damn it!’ She growled under her breath. Roy looked at her with a curious raise of his eyebrow as she turned away. ‘’Forget it, do whatever you want. I’m not paid nearly enough for this bullshit.’’
‘’Aw, really? I thought we were having a moment here, Rose.’’ The… disappointment? In his tone made her breath hitch. She snapped her head back to him, bewildered. ‘’With promises of extreme violence and all… Don’t tell me you’ll give me up so easily? I’m hurt, Rose. What a way to lead a man on…’’
Her knuckles cracked with how tight her fists balled up, but the blush on her face diminished any weight her words could carry. ‘’There was no ‘moment’ you depraved little shit—‘’
‘’GYYYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOH!’’
Rose’s eyes widened, and the tiny crowd that had gathered because of their constant bickering froze. While she had not set foot in the Dungeon more than a few times in her life, Rose could distinctly recognize the sound of a monster’s bellow.
And as she turned around, her heart dropped to her stomach. An orc, with a giant club of stone, appeared from a corner. Its glowing red eyes settled on her, as she was the closest one to it, and that ugly face contorted into a cruel smile.
The improvised weapon rose high into the air, and Rose felt herself being pulled aside forcefully.
Clap.
CRACK!
Stone met pavement, and the crowd panicked.
‘’Everyone run!’’
‘’WHAT’S AN ORC DOING ON THE STREET?!’’
‘’…I… I want my mama!’’
Her ears flattened against her skull. Rose cursed herself internally for freezing up. Even without the same experience as a proper Adventurer, she still held a Falna on her back; she couldn’t just freeze up!
However, now that Rose looked properly, the orc was half a street away from her, instead of right on her side. How was she moved this far?
That’s when she registered the hand clutching her by the waist, pulling her close. The firmness of the smaller body against her side. A pair of chocolate eyes stared at her with a seriousness she never knew of the man, and it made her… squirm.
‘’You alright?’’ Roy asked, looking her over with an analytical stare. ‘’No bleeding? No ouchie, all douchie? How many fingers am I holding up?’’
Rose scoffed, but she couldn’t bring herself to move the man away. ‘’I’m fine… Thanks.’’
For some reason, the man cringed. ‘’Now I’m starting to get worried. A thank you out of your mouth has to be the same as the trumpets during the Last Judgement.’’
An angry tick appeared on her forehead, but before she could berate the man any further, he stepped forwards… in the Orc’s direction, twiddling with a throwing knife between his fingers.
‘’W-wait!’’ Rose reached out. ‘’You have not registered to have gone a single floor past the Sixth! I haven’t even taught you what Orcs do! You can’t just—‘’
‘’Yo, Rose.’’ The man cut her off, giving a relaxed grin and a two-finger salute. ‘’It’ll be fine. Stop worrying so much, will ya?’’
Rose stared in befuddlement as Roy ran straight at the monster. Why was he so confident in taking down the beast?! Sure, he may have a high Agility for a rookie, but the Monster had the higher reach advantage, and one single strike from that pillar would turn him to paste!
But most importantly… why were his words kind of smooth?!
‘Mind out of the gutter, Rose!’ She released a low growl. ‘If you don’t do something—Anything, your adventurer will die!’
Yet, as her body started bulging with muscle, and she was about to jump in—reckless as the action may be—to at least pull Roy out of danger, she froze.
Because the man was… winning?
The Orc’s weapon came down and hit the ground with an echoing thud, missing Roy by a hair’s breadth. Embedded in its flesh, the monster had two knives, though the pain only seemed to enrage it further.
But Roy didn’t remain still. He was… dragging stuff?
Slowly but surely, he was moving odd things. Wooden crates, a few feet of rope he had taken from a nearby residence, even a plate of metal. It was bizarre.
‘I… I always thought he was an idiot.’ Rose stared, astonished. ‘But just what is he planning now?’
That’s when it happened. A misstep, a swing that reached just a bit too far. The man’s provoking nature got the best of him, and the Orc managed to swipe him off the ground with its meaty hand.
Rose froze. Dread clutched her heart, but the man… was still smiling, hands high in the air.
Clap.
Suddenly, he was on the ground, and in the Orc’s hand rested a wooden barrel that it crushed effortlessly. The Monster howled, angry, but Roy just crossed his arms from his place on the ground.
‘That was… Midna’s Warp Skill?!’ Rose recognized the technique immediately. It was, after all, the tool that the Pallum used the most when trying to annoy people. Yet, no matter where she looked, that black and white Pallum was nowhere to be seen. ‘How?! How is Roy able to use his ally’s Skills?!’
The more she thought about this man, the more nonsensical he got!
‘’Sheesh, they should put a muzzle on you.’’ He said, and threw a knife high into the air, above the Orc’s head. ‘’Let me do the honors.’’
Clap.
Another switch. This time, the knife was exchanged for a crate… that fell directly on top of the Orc’s head, obscuring his sight.
‘’Now, let’s end it ala Looney Tunes style!’’ He cackled, another clap, and the rope appeared in his hands.
Roy started running in circles around the giant monster. The Orc, too preoccupied with regaining its vision, was too late to notice the tied rope it had stepped on. In a flash, both of its legs were entwined together. Yet, the monster retained its balance.
‘’Nutshot~!’’ Roy chanted as he jumped… and planted his boot straight under the green monster's underclothes.
Rose winced, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t find the scene strangely amusing. Never had she heard of an Adventurer taking care of a Monster in such a… comical way.
‘’GOOOOwwww!’’ The monster’s pained groan echoed in the street as he started falling forward and into a crate. Yet, at the last second and with the sound of a clap, the crate was replaced by a plate of sharp metal. ‘’Guh—‘’
Shing.
The Orc lay immobile on the ground, its severed head just a few feet away, rolling on the ground and leaving a trail of foul-smelling blood in its path before exploding into a burst of dark smoke.
Rose saw as the man patted himself over while whistling. Around her, she heard the cheers of hiding civilians, but more importantly…
She approached with a frown, and before Roy could react, she clutched his face.
He blinked. ‘’…Am I getting a celebratory kiss?’’
‘’You wish.’’ Rose huffed, pulling a handkerchief from one of her work clothes’ pockets. ‘’Your nose is bleeding, idiot.’’
‘’Oh.’’ Roy pursed his lips as the maroon liquid fell on them. Rose started wiping them off and tilted his head back ever so slightly to try to stop the blood flow. ‘’Yeah, that happens from time to time. Guess five? Six switches? Is my max.’’
‘’Skill Issue.’’ He nodded sagely, causing her grip on his jaw to tighten ever so slightly.
Once the blood was cleaned, and her handkerchief ruined, Rose looked him over once more before nodding. For whatever reason, Roy was smiling dumbly at her, and it was starting to piss her off something fierce.
‘’What was up with that anyway? You shouldn’t be able to use somebody else’s abilities—‘’
FWOSH!
Her hair blew back. Her golden eyes were barely even able to perceive what happened, but she caught sight of brown feathers and… a small, bird-like creature.
‘’Jack Bird?’’ She whispered, shaking her head.
‘’What’s that?’’ Questioned Roy, watching the bird Monster disappear a second later with its incredible speed.
‘’It’s an upper-floor Monster. It doesn’t attack, but it's as fast as a Level Two, maybe bottom Three... Though that’s just speculation.’’ Rose explained with a huff. ‘’It’s drop item is why the thing is searched up and down. A golden egg worth a million… valis…’’
Rose realized her mistake far, far too late.
Roy’s mouth hung open, and she saw the spark of a very stupid idea appear in those otherwise captivating chocolate eyes.
‘’Roy, don’t—!’’ But the man had already slipped past her grasp like the slimy creature he was.
‘’COME HERE, LITTLE BIRDY!’’ The man shouted, running past the crowd of people and ignoring her completely. ‘’DADDY WANTS A NEW PAIR OF BOOTS, A GUN, AND A YACHT!’’
‘’Why do I bother…’’ Rose deflated, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Just like before, her muscles bulged, furry, red hair appeared around her limbs in odd patches, her eyes became sharp, as did her canines.
A partial transformation, as she preferred not to rip her working clothes to pieces.
And she followed right after the man, because she knew the bastard would get in trouble somehow, and fire would rain from the sky before she would be made to take the blame for it!
-X-x-X-
-Hestia-
When she ran through the market district, in the direction of her home, the last thing Hestia expected to see was common folk running around and screaming.
‘’There are monsters loose in the street!’’
‘’Someone get the guild, the adventurers!’’
‘’I’ve seen the Loki Familia running around. They’re taking care of it, I’m sure!’’
With ragged breaths, Hestia opened the door to her home with a slam. The hope that her children had maybe stayed inside through this whole mess was quickly flickering out like a candle in the wind as she saw no one at the entrance or living room.
‘’Roy, Midna, Little Bell?!’’ She shouted, but to no avail. There was no one to answer her. ‘’Ugh… How am I supposed to find them in all of this mess?!’’
Yet, as she turned around, intending to storm off to try and find the trio, she froze.
Standing in front of the door was a tall, buxom woman with a black dress draped over her form, which hugged her curves sinfully tight.
Label, the tamed War Shadow, tilted her head to the side, staring at Hestia with those dark, lost eyes of hers. The split smile opened minutely, reminding Hestia that while she may look like it, this creature was not a human in any way of the word.
‘’Label, I, uh… could you move aside? Just a tad?’’ Hestia asked with a drop of sweat falling down the back of her head.
‘’…Outside?’’ Label asked so softly that Hestia almost missed it with all the commotion going on.
‘’Yes, outside, I need to get to—‘’ Her eyes widened as an idea came to mind. Taking a deep breath, as she didn’t know what her words would provoke, she took a cautious step back. ‘’Label… Bell, Midna and Roy are in… danger! Yes, they are in danger, so you need to get me to them right—Ah!’’
A shiver went down her spine. Label’s eyes sunk, mouth opening in a monstrous scowl with dozens of sharp, black teeth. Her form shifted, and Hestia watched in astonishment as that dress became plates of strange, shadowy armor.
Label retained some humanoid features, like her oddly beautiful face and feminine figure, but her body language had changed completely, with those lost eyes sharpening to a point.
‘’Faster…’’ The rumble that was the shadow’s voice abandoned the soft undertone, replaced by raspiness akin to a cryptid whisper. ‘’…Up.’’
Hestia hesitated as Label crouched, showing her back to her. Clearly intending to carry the petite Goddess.
‘Maybe… maybe she can tell where Roy is? He is her, um… Master, right?’
With that in mind, Hestia climbed on top of the War Shadow’s shoulders, making sure the cloak and daggers were well-secured to her form.
‘It’s so odd… Her body is cold, but also warm, and the flesh doesn’t feel like flesh.’ Hestia shivered, but clung to the Monster’s shoulders nonetheless. ‘’I’m ready, Label. Let’s—Oi, oi! Slow dooooooooooooooown!’’
Label’s footsteps were loud like a hammer striking iron, but the speed was nothing short of impressive. The shadows around the woman seemed to be strengthening her natural prowess, as she easily cleared entire streets in just a few steps.
And while it was a blessing to have someone who could speed the searching process along…
‘I’m going to puke, I’m going to puke, I’m going to puke…!’ Hestia thought, clutching the shadow for dear life.
It certainly came with a few drawbacks.
-X-x-X-
-Bonus Scene: Soul Slut-
-Freya-
Atop Babel’s tower, a beautiful silver-eyed Goddess stared at a mirror with nothing but pure ecstasy on her face. Her hands roamed her own body, teasing erogenous zones as she bit down on her lip to try and contain her wanton moans.
Reflected in the mirror were two separate situations.
On one side, there was a serious Bunny-hume with a Monster on her back. Her rudimentary weapons did nothing to the giant Silverback who was causing mayhem everywhere. But as any hero did, she focused on leading the creature on, trying to make it chase her instead of the running, innocent bystanders.
Her soul was so pure, just barely touched by a smidge of reality… Freya practically frothed at the mouth at the thought of getting her hands on her.
On the other side, a madman of brown hair with a giant, crooked smile on his face. Chasing around a strange but no less fast Jack Bird while a wolf woman tried to keep pace with him.
He was not pure, not at all, but his soul shone, oh so brilliantly, with those muddy, strange colors that Freya couldn’t help but squirm.
Freya was aware, ever since she laid eyes on that ‘’Pallum’’. That was clearly a monster, and its soul reflected just that. Yet, even that dirty, tainted, dark soul sent tremors down her body. The ability of the brown-haired human to make such a thing happen with his touch alone…
The thought of him touching her divine vessel, just to see if that corruption could even taint the divine, was maddeningly sweet.
‘’Yes… they’re so perfect, the two of them…~!’’ She moaned softly. Slowly but surely, the two monsters each was facing would encounter the other, and Freya would be able to witness these two souls mix and mash together again! ‘’Mngg… I should go, I really should… I need a front-row seat to watch this spectacle~’’
A knock on her door reminded Freya that her dear Ottar was still waiting for her command. With a disappointed hiss, the Love Goddess managed to calm down… and take over the mask of an innocent maiden once more.
It was like flipping a switch; her dear child became her, and she became her child. A friendly, clumsy waitress, with a girl-next-door vibe that made the whole disguise come together. Yet, both minds remained linked, and while her personality shifted, her memories did not disappear.
Freya disappeared for these lone moments, replaced by Syr, and as her silver eyes focused on the two Adventurers reflected in her mirror, Syr’s sly grin turned into a loving, friendly smile.
‘’Oh, Ottar…~’’ She called out. The Boaz entered the room immediately, his expression unmoving. ‘’I really wish to reward these two for their arduous efforts. Say, we had one or two Grimoires lying around, yes?’’
The rust-haired Boaz nodded after a small pause. ‘’We do, Lady Freya.’’
‘’Perfect!’’ She cheered happily, clapping her hands. ‘’Make sure to deliver them to my room later tonight, yes? Also… It’s Syr now, not Freya, you hear?’’
The Boaz blinked slowly. For a moment, the hidden Goddess even thought he may be deadpanning, but her Ottar was way too gentle for that. ‘’Yes… Lady Syr.’’
She nodded proudly before turning away, the soft clack of her heels echoing against the hardwood of the tower.
‘’After all, I still needed to get my ’forgotten’ purse from one Roy Raynolds, don’t I? hehehe~’’ She giggled, like an innocent schoolgirl with a crush.
-X-x-X-.
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Author's Note:
Roy's always chasing that bag, umu.
Think this may answer some of the doubts that the previous chapter created, where most people said that Freya would ignore/not be interested in Roy if Bell wasn't thrown in the mix, but from her POV, we see that isn't the case.
Bell's is, as always, pure and beautiful. Her ''Odr'' as she put it in canon, with just a smidge of reality thanks to the bond she shares with Roy.
Roy, for his part, is muddy but not ''tainted''. However, considering he's not originally from the Danmachi world, I thought that he may be unique in his own right, which is why it ''glows''. As far as Freya is concerned, it's like... witnessing a car crash? You know something went wrong, but you can't take your eyes away from it, and for our depraved goddess of love, that is beautiful in its own right.
Another thing that adds to it (because being an otherworlder isn't enough in my opinion), Roy's soul is sprinkled over with his power, which he, in turn, passes on to the Monster Girls he ''tames''. Freya's assumption that he may be able to ''taint'' her divine soul through her mortal vessel is, however, just her horny rambling...
...Or is it?
Nah... Or, well, maybe? Hmmm.
Food for thought.
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