Perseus POV
"So...what went wrong?"
"What do you mean?" Ruka asked
"What's wrong with going out last? I'll still treat you all the same."
"Yes, but in a harem, there's going to be competition for number 1. And I rather not be last."
"Yeah, but why work so hard?
Aren't I one of the last on your list?"
"The reason for that was the harem, I would prefer having you for myself. And because you were quite young physically, you're not now, as for the legal part..the legal age for this village isn't that old compared to your standards."
"Oh, so if it wasn't for the harem, you would be like Leilah?"
"Eww no, she's a psycho."
"Hey, don't talk about her like that, I'm engaged to her."
"Well, if you sign that, I'm going to be your first wife." she pointed at the certificate and placed down her coffee before leaning in close, "And...we can consummate our marriage right after if you want."
"Hmm, that will have to wait, Rosa and I are going to go after Zach first, you can stay here and rest for a bit, also tell my parents where I'll be after they wake up, I tried earlier, but they wouldn't budge at all, probably because they finally got actual sleep without any worries."
"So, are you going to sign the paper?"
"Eh, might as well if it means me winning the bet."
*****
I'm going to the black market and headed directly toward Zach's location, but I will have Rosa and Buddy go in first, he will recognize Buddy and try to explain himself, but too late, and this would be when all the guys came out of the shadows and reveal their numbers, making it easier for me to take em down.
And even if Zach isn't here, he'll be close by and prepare to run, there's where I'll end the head of the operation, he wasn't lying about having family, which...I don't know how anyone would fall in love with a stereotypical shota, but I doubt that they know the full extent of his activities, so I'll just cripple him or something.
I would kill him under normal circumstances, but...with him alive, people wouldn't be able to take his mantle, if his position is empty, someone worse might take his place, and I can't risk that.
Having him alive would scare them a little, and I'll let the problem be resolved by some other guys, Zach isn't strong himself, he's just a really good businessman, the roses or even regular mages can take him and his goons on.
*****
3rd Person POV
While Perseus is in the underbelly of the black market and dealing with Zach, the heroes rush to have an immediate and emergency meeting after Perseus' appearance, his latest power level couldn't be measured for some reason by their latest technologies, so that meant that he was stronger than a normal 10 star.
He was always stronger than a 10 star since he had the powers of the blue and black rose, but what happened lately was a mystery, did he sell his soul to the devil? No one knows and is willing to get close to find out.
The discussion was chaotic, but one suggested angering him on purpose, to make him mess up his thought process and moves. THen one brought up his family.
"His parents are definitely formidable fighters since they were raised in that village." A noble said, "But they are also not invincible, killing them would be easy."
"Yeah, but that's if we know where they are, so we can aim for Laker instead, he's a retired 7-star mage, he's old, and even if his magic is formidable, there are things in which he can't perform to their fullest potential." another noble suggested, "We have some of the best assassins in the world all gathered in one place, it's hard, but it's less time-consuming."
"No." Sarah rejected the idea, "Remember the scarecrows and Perseus' warning? They have more like that, Perseus wouldn't bluff about that kind of thing. Those crows are invulnerable to physical attacks and there's more of them probably in hiding in the shadows. So sending assassins, who only work in the shadows, is going to be disadvantageous."
"Send Mark." the third noble chimed in, "He's a hero who specializes in assassinations, right? This is a good thing."
"I'd say luring them out is better, and I'd rather the assassination attempt not be on my former teacher."
"Who would you suggest then?"
"Their chief." Sarah answered and laid back in her seat, "He's close enough to Perseus, the most experienced fighter as well. Killing him is advantageous for us in many ways, first, we can anger Perseus as planned. Second, it'll remove their general and cause turmoil. Lastly, it'll have Perseus replace him, his lack of experience will cause further chaos, and we'll increase our chance of winning."
"I would disagree with immediately going to the village and doing that." Trevor objected and raised his hands, "Before anyone can say that it's because I'm somewhat acquainted with him, I want to clarify that I'm not as close to him as you think and any relationship that we may have had has been erased after this war."
"Go on." Sarah urged
"First, focusing our resources on him will leave us vulnerable to the demon lord, even though he's occupied with the rebellion, I heard that it's going to be a month at best before he returns, so we do not have time." Trevor reasoned, "And If Perseus is truly Loki's reincarnation, killing anyone close to him will risk damaging his sanity or whatever he has left.
"Loki was definitely a pitiful figure, and the powers he had were estimated to be able to cause an apocalypse if uncaged. He's been healed due to the people he has surrounded himself with, but they are nothing but fragile chains, if we were to do this, we'd be risking releasing him from this chain.
"He's been not as bloodthirsty as his fellow people, but if we let him loose...what's stopping him from doing so much damage that we'll have no strength to fight the demon lord after we win?"
"What's your suggestion then?" A noble asked with a slightly accusing tone
"Simple." he shrugged, "The demon lord doesn't like him either, right? Why not work together with him regarding Perseus?"
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3rd Person POV
"Didn't you just say that enraging him further wasn't an option?" Mark inquired
"Yeah, that's my opinion." Trevor then sighs, "But I know that not going for him isn't an option with you guys, so I came up with a way to divide his rage, and lessen our losses while going along with you guys."
"What makes you think that not attacking him wasn't an option?"
"I know you all well enough, Rowan and Reiner would prefer getting their hands on him themselves, so they would not agree with any of your plans since they are not directly involved, as for the rest of you...well, all of you were always scared of the village from the beginning.
"Not eliminating Perseus, not eliminating the biggest threat toward our sovereignty after the war ends, it didn't help when Rowan discovered that the black rose was spying on us the whole time he wasn't here...every one of our secrets then leaked out, and I've also had a sneaking suspicion that Perseus staged the king's kidnapping a while back as well...
"Perseus is better off dead, sure, but I'd rather we leave him for last as the demon lord should have been our priority, but it is what it is, before you raise your objections to work with the demon lord, think about it. His general was killed to protect him, his right-hand man was then next, Perseus infiltrated his home and humiliated him as he left since the demon lord couldn't manage to kill him...
"He also would want to lessen the number of losses against Perseus so that he'll stand a chance against us...with him...the village's defensive prowess will finally meet an unstoppable force. Though of course, our goal here is to just kill the chief, right? Or would you rather cooperate longer and raze the whole thing?"
*****
Leilah POV
I came back home after writing down all the information I've gathered, I'm not confident in my typing skills using the stupid phone, it's too small, and I'm still confused with some of the interface or whatever the features are called, so I've written it down.
I came home to see Nyra and Rylee slightly infuriated at Perseus not putting more effort into waking them up and telling them himself, but they were more accepting this time, and Nyra had apparently run out of knives as Perseus was completely immune to her knives and strangling, it was described as prickly and ticklish.
Ruka was sitting with this weird slight smile on her face while using some of them to eavesdrop on our targets, basically working from home, usually not recommended since there's still a small chance to trace it back here, very unlikely since we have goddesses on our side, but still, we rather not take the chance.
"What's going on with you?"
"What do you mean?" Ruka asked and put her stuff down
"You look weird."
"Oh...did you not check your texts?"
I then took out my phone and checked my notifications to see several missed calls from Perseus and her. I then went on to the messaging app.
'I won and lost the bet.'
She then used her hand to put her hair behind her ear and I saw a ring.
"You're engaged?!"
"What?" Nyra and Rylee responded from where they were and Ruka only had this smug smile in return
*****
Perseus POV
Rosa and Buddy slipped in past the initial guards. It was like tossing a match into a box. They strolled in like they owned the place, which got them past the first guards, but once they were inside, it was very different.
"Hey, ain't that the demon's furry friend? The ones the boss warned us about?" one of the goons pointed out
"Yeah, it's them! I knew it!" Another recognized
"The big boss said the hunter's on his way! Scram!" the other shouted
They scattered like startled pigeons, bumping into each other, yelling nonsense, and tripping over crates. You could practically taste the fear in the air, thick enough to slice with a butter knife. Some of them, the bolder ones, tried to rally the troops.
"Get it together, you lot! The boss will skin us alive if we mess this up! Form a line, protect the goods!" a grave lackey ordered
As the chaos brewed among the goons, I seized the opportunity to focus on the real threat. From my hidden vantage point, I spotted movements in the shadows, soldiers, and mages emerging out of hiding like ghosts materializing in the mist. They weren't the run-of-the-mill lackeys either, these were the dangerous ones, more dangerous than the members of his crew that I'd met before.
To think that he would come from that village...do they know the full extent of his operations? If they do...can I use it to sever the enchanters from the heroes' party?
I scanned every corner, every shadow, trying to catch even the faintest hint of the man we were after. Nothing. No sight, no sense of his presence. It was unnerving, but I couldn't let it throw me off course.
My focus had to remain sharp. Can't believe that he got past my heightened senses...I should steal whatever he used to make that possible, the black market keeps surprising me every single time.
Among the frenzied commotion, a swift figure caught my attention as they made a determined exit. It wasn't an immediate recognition of the Soul Merchant, but the entourage surrounding this individual spoke volumes. These guards exuded a level of strength and assurance that hinted at someone of significant importance.
Much stronger than the ones that Buddy and Rosa have to deal with.
Without a second thought, I bolted into action. My feet barely grazed the ground as I navigated through the chaos, the urgency propelling me forward. The sounds of the warehouse faded behind me as I ascended to the rooftops and did an awesome parkour chase scene.
I leaped across gaps, rolled over obstacles, and flowed seamlessly from one rooftop to another.
Then, with a final, gravity-defying leap, I landed squarely in front of Zach. Dust and debris scattered as I touched down, a silent specter materializing before him. His guards, initially taken aback, quickly assumed defensive positions, their expressions shifting from surprise to cautiousness.
"What's up, Zach? How have you been?"
"I've always hated superhero landings." he responded
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