Chapitre 198: Loki's Stage

Hephaestus sighed at Loki's outburst but also had a grim expression on her face as she explained, "This elevator leads to the throne of Ouranos...and the seal that keeps the dungeon sealed." Unable to understand why Loki and Hephaestus were upset, Takemikazuchi asked, "Is it a bad thing that the dungeon is sealed? Isn't it necessary to keep the One-Eyed Black Dragon at bay?"

In response to his words, Loki nearly spat, "If that was the only thing it did, it wouldn't be a problem. But did you ever ask yourself what keeps the seal powered?" Seeing that none of three understood her implication, Loki continued in a grim tone, "It uses the vitality and mana of the people that enter the dungeon. The greater the number of deaths and the more mana expended to slay monsters, the stronger the seal becomes. As the seal grows in strength, so to does the strength of the monsters which causes more people to die and a higher expenditure of mana..."

This time, Miach frowned as he asked, "Though it sounds terrible and will result in more death, it should still be a good thing since it keeps the dragon sealed." Loki began to laugh at his words before explaining, "If the dungeon is advancing at a pace faster than the growth of adventurers, it leads to a cycle where it cannot be conquered even as the dragon grows progressively stronger. Eventually, things will progress to the point where even high ranking Adventurers can't enter into the deeper floors. When that happens, there will be fewer and fewer people killing the high leveled monsters and the dragon will eventually escape. When that time comes, the majority of strong adventurers would have died just to keep the seal functional!"

At this point, everyone in the elevator had frowns on their face as they processed Loki's words. If what she said was true, that meant it was next to impossible to conquer the dungeon and it was only nurturing the calamity within. Seeing they had started to understand, Loki said, "The only way to guarantee the death of the One-Eyed Black Dragon would have been with the cooperation of various gods and the use of their Arcanum to destroy it completely. Instead, Ouranos created the pathway from Heaven to the mortal world and we're restricted in the use of Arcanum to the point where it would immediately eject us from the world and return us to Heaven. Now, after Zeus and Hera failed to subjugate it, all gods are prevented from entering with the excuse that it makes the dungeon evolve in an uncontrolled manner. Ouranos demands that mortals be the ones to kill the One-Eyed Black Dragon, but he has created a death trap that prevents them from ever becoming strong enough to do so!"

As her words finished, the elevator came to a stop and everyone stepped off the platform that opened up into a dark space where even the ceiling couldn't be seen. The only light within the room shone down from the void onto a large throne where and elderly, yet powerful looking, figure that they all recognized sat. Even when sitting, Ouranos was more than two meters tall and had a proud expression with piercing blue eyes. He had long white hair that curled toward the ends and a neatly trimmed beard with a powerful physique clothed in traditional ceremonial attire with a hooded cloak covering his upper body and head.

The moment they entered the room, everyone could feel a subtle pressure throughout the entire room as Ouranos sat with a perfectly upright form and asked with a deep and powerful voice that resonated through the air, "Loki, Hephaestus, Anubis, Miach, and Takemikazuchi...what matter brings you here to my domain so late in the evening?"

As they had agreed on previously, it was Loki who answered with her usual expression and devious smile, "An interesting question considering it comes from you, Ouranos. Even if you took a vow to personally attest that you had no involvement in this matter, I still wouldn't be able to believe it~!"

Ouranos frowned slightly and said in a heavy tone, "I've no patience for your riddles, Loki. If you've nothing to discuss, I will have you leave this place. It is not a playground for your galavanting and licentious behavior."

In response, Loki began to laugh as if she didn't consider his words seriously at all. Ouranos's frown deepened further before Loki's expression turned serious and she said, "Do not play me for a fool, Ouranos. Do you truly believe you can scheme and trick the goddess of trickers herself!? Even if you had no direct involvement with the events that transpired tonight, there is no way your cohorts weren't involved. I imagine you've been plotting to get more information on the Vulcan since the moment he awoke."

Ouranos didn't immediately answer her accusation as he stared at Loki coldly before passing his eyes over each of the other gods and goddesses at her back. Ignoring Loki's words, he turned to Hephaestus and ordered, "Hephaestus, tell me why you have come here this evening."

Hephaestus had a cold, but fiery, look in her eyes as she said in a low voice, "I am of the same mind as Loki on this matter. I don't believe for a moment you're unaware of everything that has been happening. There are far too many coincidences and everything lines up too perfectly with how your men usually act." Though they had no proof, both Loki and Hephaestus knew how Ouranos operated. There was no way he would allow Vahn to keep secrets from the moment he became aware of his existence.

Ever since Hephaestus confronted Freya and forced her to take an oath before Ouranos, he had likely already started targetting Vahn. Even if this event had nothing to do with him, Ouranos wouldn't be able to deny having any involvement with the matters concerning Vahn. Though they wouldn't be able to force a confession out of him, as long as they stood their ground they would be able to edge out an advantage by taking advantage of his character.

Though he had expected her to do so, Ouranos was still displeased hearing Hephaestus side with Loki and her accusations. He had indeed been investigating Vahn and even had Fels gathering information on him since the last Denatus. Because of the protection of Hephaestus and Loki, it had been very difficult to gather any concrete information and he had used the events of tonight to extrapolate various pieces of information that he wanted to make use of. Vahn made an excellent pawn for his future plans, but now he would have to somehow deal with the two troublesome goddesses before his plans were even set in motion.

As the voice of moderation in the mortal world, Ouranos was under a powerful oath to never lie. Even if he could be misleading or dismissive, if they truly continued to press him he would be unable to refute his involvement, even if it was indirect and unprompted. If it was just a single god or goddess, he would have been able to pressure them to silence, but now two of the top three goddesses were confronting him with the support of three others.

Squinting his eyes slightly, Ouranos spoke out confidently with a challenging look in his eyes, "I will admit to knowing the events that have transpired tonight as well as the fact that I have been investigating Vahn Mason. I will also state that I, nor any of my subordinates, had any involvement in the matters that have come to pass. It is my job to be informed of all matters that take place within the City, and you'll find your accusations and libelous claims have no weight."

Contrary to his expectations, Loki's smile grew wider and she seemed like she was about to burst into laughter. Ouranos's frown grew deeper as he glared toward the tricker goddess with his cold blue eyes. His domain began to spread, but it was immediately offset by Loki and Hephaestus before the other three joined in shortly thereafter. Gritting his teeth slightly, Ouranos pretend to be unaffected as he focused his pressure on Loki who continued to laugh.

After a few seconds, Loki stopped laughing as she looked toward Ouranos with the eyes of a snake and said, "If you're aware of the matter, you know that Vahn Mason cannot be held responsible for the death of Laverna. It was her Familia and their actions against Milan Yuel and Tina Yuel that led to his counteraction in order to save the Mother-Daughter pair. Not only was she the goddess of an unlawful Familia, but she violated several of the laws and prohibitions that all gods and goddesses are meant to follow in the mortal world."

Ouranos listened to her words in silence before immediately responding in a heavy tone as he continued resisting the combined Divinities of the five opposite him, "That may be the case, but it stands that Laverna was killed, not by a god, but by the unlawful action of a mortal. He may not be personally responsible, but his actions led to her death without trial or judgment. It was not his right, nor place to-"

Before he could finish, Hephaestus's pressure grew stronger as a pale red light covered her body and her ruby eyes began to glow crimson. She gave Ouranos a fierce look and said, "If Laverna hadn't died by the actions of another, I would have killed her myself! If you think you can justify her death by making an example of her victims, you'll find I'm not going to stand by passively!"

A sky blue and purple aura began to spread from Ouranos as he locked eyes with Hephaestus and spoke in a voice that caused the void around the ripple, "Someone must answer for this, or there will be chaos amongst all the gods!" For Ouranos, maintaining order was of paramount importance as chaos would lead to the collapse of everything he had fought hard for a millennium to build.

In response to his outburst, Loki said plainly, "We have already discussed the matter and planned concessions of our own. You have no moral grounds to hold Vahn accountable, but you will be able to press that he relinquish his position in the Hephaestus Familia for failing to cooperate with the investigation. You'll find that, even with Laverna's testimony, the identity of the assassin is unknown and there is no justifiable means to force Vahn to reveal the information given the fact Laverna's scheme not only involved the people he cared about..." At this point, Loki paused before congealing her own godly aura which took on a chaotic glow.

She continued in an icy voice, "Her scheme was also was an affront against the rank 1 and rank 3 Familia within the City! She plotted to steal billions of Valis in items and compromise one of the core members responsible for the Alliance we had established. If she got her hands on Vahn and forced him to take a vow, it would have caused no small amount of chaos to disrupt the precious 'order' you're so fond of! If anything, you should be rewarding the assassin for ridding this City of a tumor! Not to mention, you even have the gall to use this situation to your advantage and conduct a joint investigation to purge even more criminals and corrupt Familia!"

As Loki continued her tirade, Ouranos sat silently with a stone-faced expression as he glared between each of the opposing gods and goddesses. Each of the things Loki said had some degree of credibility, and it was true that he used the situation to further his future plans. He had actually benefitted a great deal from the death of Laverna and the swift and spontaneous actions of Vahn. Not only did he obtain more information on the 'demigod' but, even now, there were a number of thorns that had been deeply rooted in his side being removed by the Hephaestus and Loki Familias.

Ouranos considered his words before speaking in a firm voice, "Very well, I will propose that Vahn Mason is exiled from the Hephaestus Familia henceforth. He will also be prevented from joining any of the Familia that he is currently associated with. I will have you all swear an oath to offer him no aid for the probationary period of one year an-"

Before he could continue, Hephaestus unraveled the package that she had been carrying on her back since parting ways with Vahn earlier. The moment the cloth was undone, she gently waved the massive sword through the air and it caused an oppressive aura to spread out. Ouranos frowned and glared at Hephaestus for daring to interrupt his words, but he was also drawn by the power he could feel emanating from the sword. As far as he could tell, it seemed to almost possess the power of Divinity and shouldn't be something that existed in the mortal world.

Hephaestus stroked [Lævateinn] affectionately and explained, "Though he is not yet a [Master Smith], this sword was forged by Vahn Mason. I will be announcing it during the upcoming Denatus, but it is my intention to marry him after the Monster Feria comes to a conclusion...You should be able to sense it as well, but this is no ordinary sword. I will allow you to 'force' Vahn to withdraw from my Familia; I will even agree that he be unable to join any of the Familia present...but, I will not allow you to cut him off from us and be at the mercy of your goons and the people that would conspire against him!"

Loki piggybacked Hephaestus's words and continued, "Vahn Mason will become an important figure in the future and is already the lynchpin of the Alliance between two of the top three Familia in the City. I can almost guarantee that, once certain matters come to light, there will be a number of gods and goddesses that will ally with him as well."

Ouranos had been distracted by the sword in Hephaestus's hands, but he turned his gaze toward Loki after hearing her words. He asked in a questioning tone while squinting his eyes, "I see...that must be why even someone like you has taken to his defense? I knew he had some involvement in the formation of your alliance, but I couldn't determine what was special about him at the time...is it related to his origin?"

Loki laughed at his inquiry and said in a taunting tone, "I guarantee it will be something that benefits your future plans and impacts the lives of every god and goddess in both the mortal world and Heaven. Even that bitch Freya will likely come to his aid the moment she finds out about it, so do you really want to stand against the three strongest guilds just to uphold the honor of a degenerate goddess?"

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to get any answers in the present moment, Ouranos continued to remain silent for several minutes before turning his attention back to the sword in Hephaestus's hand. He said in a somewhat muted, yet still powerful, tone, "Allow me to inspect that weapon. I will weight my decision based on what I am able to infer from it."

As it had been part of their initial plan, Hephaestus handed over [Lævateinn] before cautioning, "Be careful, the flames emitted by the sword cannot be extinguished by anyone other than the wielder." Hearing her words, Ouranos's brows raised slightly as he stood from his throne and towered over the others in the room. His standing height was nearly three meters unless he changed his size to accommodate his environment.

Taking the sword into his hands, Ouranos admired its make and the power he could feel resonating from the blade. Though subtle, he could detect the Divinity of fire and darkness within the blade and it caused even him to feel a bit of pressure. Though he was one of the more prominent and influential gods in both the mortal world and Heaven, he could feel a tyrannical 'pride' emanating from the sword in his hands.

Swinging the sword, Ouranos felt his mana drain as a large swath of flames spread from the blade and began to char the floor black as they began to corrode the reinforced stone in his temple. Using his Divinity, Ouranos tried to forcefully suppress the flames and even used a powerful magic spell to try and extinguish them. As Hephaestus had claimed, none of his actions had any effect on the flames other than causing them to spread more quickly. It wasn't until he willed the flames to extinguish by focusing on the sword in his hands that they finally burned out.

Ouranos understood the power of the weapon and the significance such a thing would have in the future. Though it wasn't to the extent Loki claimed, it would certainly influence the position of several gods and goddesses if they found out Vahn could create such weapons. However, Ouranos also understood that the weapon in his hands had little to do with what Loki had been hinting at. Since the sword was already something so impactful, he couldn't help but be curious about what else Vahn had hidden. Until he could find out, Ouranos determined it would be a detriment to take a hard line against the two goddesses before him.

Handing the sword back over to Hephaestus, Ouranos took his position back on his throne and resumed his authoritative demeanor. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke out in his characteristic and powerful voice, "Very well, you have my attention..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Loki Takes Control','Ouranos likes playing with fire','Hephaestus's Intentions')

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commentaire Commentaire 133

Voter

Chapitre 199: Embrace

Unaware of the meeting going on between the gods and their eventual confrontation with Ouranos, Vahn continued along the way with the rest of his entourage while carrying the sleeping Tina in his arms. Everyone remained relatively silent along the way as it was already late into the evening and the atmosphere wasn't exactly conducive to conversation. Even Syr, who was often cheerful and outgoing, had a quiet and reserved demeanor as she led the way. The only person that didn't seem to be affected by the atmosphere was Arnya, who kept whispering words to Ryuu and asking various questions that caused the taciturn elf to sigh.

Milan walked alongside Vahn and kept her head down for the majority of the trip as she turned her attention between Tina and Vahn respectively. Vahn could tell that her aura was still chaotic so he spread his domain to a small radius of five meters and began using the calming effect of his [Hands of Nirvana]. Everyone briefly paused when they felt the warm energy before turning toward Vahn who had looked at Milan with an expression of concern on his face.

Milan had also stopped and turned her attention toward Vahn and could see the worry in his eyes. Her heart felt a bit of warmth and the energy seeping in through the atmosphere drove away the cold night air and brought her some degree of security. Seeing him cradling Tina gently while still paying attention to her mentality made the older cat woman feel almost fortunate. Were it not for the fact that she had phantom pains and the memories of the past events periodically flashing through her mind, she would have been genuinely happy by the current events.

Vahn could see that, though her aura had stabilized a bit, Milan was still in a bad state of mind. Furrowing his brows slightly, Vahn spoke in a quiet, yet firm, tone, "I swear, Milan, I will never allow something like this to happen again. No matter what it takes, I will protect you and Tina from now on."

In response to his statement, Milan gave him a soft smile and nodded her head before standing a little closer to him. Even though she couldn't truly believe in his words, given everything that happened, Milan knew that Vahn would do his best to keep his word. She had learned the motive behind the attack earlier and it had left a deep impact on her mind, but she didn't blame Vahn at all. It was the greedy and cruel nature of the men and their deviant goddess that had led to the incident taking place.

Now Milan felt the desire to grow stronger after a long period of inactivity and wanted her daughter to also do the same. She knew that associating with Vahn and the people around him would be the greatest guarantee of their safety in the future. However, it was also this thought that made Milan feel unnerved. If Vahn refused to take care of them, even though Milan believed he would never do such a thing, she and her daughter would have nothing. This was why she accepted the offer to stay and work at the Hostess of Fertility. Though she wanted to trust Vahn wholeheartedly, Milan couldn't place her trust in a man right now.

The group continued on their way until arriving at side entrance near the Hostess of Fertility. After exchanging a few parting words, Vahn gave Milan a gentle hug after passing Tina over to her. Though he could feel her body shake slightly, Vahn wanted to comfort her and continued using [Hands of Nirvana] to calm her body. Her shivering stopped by a large amount after a few seconds and she showed Vahn a slight smile before following Arnya inside.

Syr remained in the alleyway and placed her hand on Vahn's shoulder and said in a gentle tone, "Don't worry, we'll take care of them. Make sure to stop by later and visit...everything will be okay." Finished with her words, Syr gave Vahn a short hug before following the other girls inside. The only ones left the alleyway were Tiona, Ais, Naaza, Lili, and Ryuu who had remained behind and approached Vahn.

Though she usually wasn't very expressive, Ryuu had a gentle and comforting smile on her face as she placed her right hand over Vahn's chest. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and said in a quiet voice, "Your heart is stable...you will be okay. It isn't easy to walk the righteous path, but find some comfort in knowing that you saved those you care about."

Vahn could see Ryuu's aura fluctuate and saw the sadness in her eyes as she was likely speaking from past experience. He knew from the manga that Ryuu had belonged to a 'righteous' Familia called the Astrea Familia which had been wiped out due to the machinations of an evil organization. In her pursuit of vengeance, she had killed a number of their members before nearly succumbing to the wounds she suffered. If not for being found by Syr, she would have met the same end as the rest of her Familia.

Placing his right hand over the one she had over his heart, Vahn spoke in a solemn tone as if he were making a vow, "There are too many people that rely on me and too many things I want to obtain. I will not lose my way...I will continue to grow stronger in order to wash away any future regrets. I want to become a light that guides the way forward for others to follow."

Ryuu smiled and continued staring at Vahn's hand over her own. His resolute nature and kindness resonated with her own beliefs and she wanted to help him walk the path he had set his sights on. She believed that he was a light that already shined brightly and wanted to see the future that he would create as he continued to pave the way forward for others. Even if she couldn't walk at his side, Ryuu wouldn't mind walking behind him...or even clearing away some of the darkness ahead.

After separating their hands, Ryuu had a happy smile on her face and Vahn felt like he could see a soft light in her sky-blue eyes. Without saying anything else, Ryuu nodded her head slightly before turning to the other girls and repeating the action. Once she had acknowledged everyone present, Ryuu turned to look at Vahn one last time before entering through the door where the others had disappeared earlier.

Taking the opportunity when nobody was near, Lili came over to Vahn before hesitating right in front of him. Vahn saw the concern on her face and remembered she had been relatively quiet ever since he came out of the safe house. With a smile on his face, Vahn reached out his hand and affectionately stroked Lili's hair for what felt like the first time in a long time. She showed a silly smile and cradled his hand with her own before stepping forward and hugging his body around the waist.

Since she was only 110cm, compared to Vahns 162cm, Lili was only around 2/3rds Vahn's height after his inexplicable growth spurt. Though she used to come up to his chest, she now nuzzled slightly below his pectoral muscles, right above his diaphragm. Vahn continued to stroke her hair and could even feel a bit of moisture soaking into his tunic as he noticed she was stifling her tears as she hugged him tightly. Even though he hadn't been in any actual danger, Lili couldn't help but worry every time Vahn ran off on his own.

Naaza was standing at the side and looked a bit lonely as she used the right hand that Vahn had saved to move aside the hair dangling over her face. She had also been very worried about Vahn and had even contacted the Miach Familia to request support just in case he or the other two girls got injured. Though she wanted to be pampered by Vahn and comfort him, Naaza couldn't easily show her affection around others. She knew Tiona and Ais were both in a relationship with Vahn, and the idea of embracing him in front of the two girls made Naaza uncomfortable. They were both powerful girls that could immediately rush into a dangerous situation and try to support Vahn while the only thing she could do is wait anxiously aboveground. Comparing herself to the powerful Amazon and the Sword Princess, Naaza couldn't help but feel inadequate.

Seemingly unconcerned with how she felt, Tiona walked over to her before bending over with her hands behind her back. Since Naaza had been keeping her head down, Tiona had bent over far enough to where she could look up at the dejected chienthrope girl. She had a knowing smile on her face as she asked, "Aren't you going to hug Vahn as well?"

Ais had also been looking over and couldn't understand why Naaza was hesitating. She spoke out in a somewhat monotonous voice with her head tilted sideways, "Why do you hesitate?" As if reacting to her own words, Ais walked over to where Vahn was still consoling Lili and stared at the two for a few seconds before walking around to Vahn's back. As Vahn looked over his shoulder, Ais put her hands around his arms in a loose hug and rested her body against his back while placing her head near his shoulder in a position where she could see Naaza and Tiona.

As if having verified something, she smiled slightly and said, "Pleasant..." Since Vahn had still been using [Hands of Nirvana] on his domain since earlier, the closer someone got to him the more prominent the calming effect. Tiona dragged over the hesitant Naaza with an encouraging smile before lining her up next to Ais. Though she seemed to hesitate a little, Ais removed herself from Vahn's back as he continued to stand in silence. He felt a little awkward, but he knew they were just trying to comfort him after everything that happened tonight.

Naaza continued to stand without taking action even when Tiona nudged her a little and whispered encouraging words to her. It wasn't until Ais looked like she was about to hug Vahn again that she finally stepped forward slightly and grabbed the sleeve of Vahn's tunic with her left hand. Vahn had been looking toward the group and locked eyes with Naaza and gave her a gentle smile after staring at the hand that grabbed his tunic.

With a slight blush on her face, Naaza lowered her head a bit and said in an almost silent voice, "Excuse me..." She then performed a similar action as Ais and drew herself close to Vahn without fully leaning against him. Naaza could feel the warmth radiating from his body as a result of his naturally high body temperature and the calming effects of his domain. She felt very comfortable and rest her head against his back for several seconds before doing something that startled everyone other than Lili who seemed lost in her own world on Vahn's stomach.

As if driven by some primordial instinct, Naaza began to absentmindedly sniff Vahn's back as her bushy tail began to wag slightly. It wasn't until several seconds later that Naaza noticed something was wrong since everything had suddenly turned silent. Raising her head, she saw Vahn giving her a somewhat strange look while continuing to smile at her. She then turned to see Tiona nearly on the verge of laughing while Ais stared at her tail and asked, "Sniffing Vahn makes you happy?"

Ais's question caused Naaza's blush to deepen immensely and she hid her face against Vahn's back and refused to answer or even look at anyone. She felt incredibly embarrassed because, even now, she was very tempted to sniff the back of Vahn's tunic. Since he had been exerting himself a lot, his sweat had soaked into the fabric and it was making her heart itch a bit.

Curious at Naaza's behavior, Ais walked over to Vahn before finding an empty spot that was easy to approach and leaned forward with her face near the nape of his neck. She then began to sniff his body as if trying to discover what drew Naaza's interest to the point where she absentmindedly lost herself in the scent. All Ais could smell was Vahn's normal musk and didn't think it was that pleasant of an odor. However, the more she smelled it, the most pleasant it seemed to become and Ais began to believe she understood why Naaza had been engrossed in the act earlier.

Tiona saw how Ais was behaving and walked to the other side of Vahn's body and began smelling the opposite side of his nape. After a few seconds, she smiled and said, "It smells like sweat and the earth. It isn't unpleasant, but I think you need to take a bath when you get home~." Tiona's words had caused Vahn to begin laughing awkwardly, especially when she began smelling his body again.

At this point, Vahn was also aware that Lili had long since started inhaling the fragrance on the front of his tunic and now he was in an incredibly hard to describe situation. Though they had varying ages and degrees of beauty, it was a very strange feeling to have four different girls smelling his body at the same time in a manner where it didn't seem like he could move at all. After a few seconds of tolerating the awkward situation, Vahn couldn't resist following the momentum any longer and his nostrils began to twitch ever so slightly as he smelled the different fragrances of the four girls.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Trauma','Ais is curious','Olfactophilia')

I'll be increasing the number of chapters starting next week~

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