A week had passed since that night.
Drip—!
A single drop of blood fell onto Akumo's back.
Sssss—!
Soon, a light radiated from his back as something began to manifest. It was undeniably his Status.
"Hoho~ Just as I suspected, aye."
Loki let out a mischievous grin as she scanned the contents.
Had he leveled up from this battle? Or perhaps he had manifested another Skill?
A completely shattered Status.
The stats lacked proper numerical values, and even his Level was obscured by errors. His information was a mess.
To anyone watching, it was clear that something had gone wrong with his Falna.
"Hya~ Ye really went all out without any brakes, didn't ye?"
"Heh...! It would seem so."
Despite the shocking revelation, Akumo and Loki simply laughed it off as if it were nothing.
Slide—
"Hmm~"
Loki placed her hand on his back again, feeling the energy of the fractured Status. Because he had reached into the memories of the Pioneer etched into his soul—because he had summoned a domain belonging to mythology—Akumo's Falna had broken.
Even the basic blessings no longer functioned correctly, and there was no telling when they would recover.
"No problems, right?"
"Of course not."
Even so, he was a being who had transcended limits.
—[Divine Artifact] [Ears of Demeter].
Even without a functional Falna, he wielded Divine Artifacts and controlled Divine Will at his leisure.
—[Blood Sword Dance].
Just as when he held the crimson sword dance that decapitated Dionysus, he remained an irregular force that stunned even the Gods.
'Falna is merely a catalyst to rapidly draw out the strength of these runts.'
It was the beginning of the connection that allowed all the bonds of the Pioneer to start. And as if its role was merely to awaken the memories sleeping within him, the Falna had ceased to function, leaving only the connection to Loki behind.
Grin—!
"It's not like it'll cause any issues, so it doesn't matter."
As soon as the update was finished, Akumo rose from the bed and smiled as he always did. Now that the chaos had subsided and he had some breathing room, it was time for a quiet rest.
Grab—!
"Well then, let's get goin'~"
Loki hopped onto Akumo's shoulders, grabbing his head as she hitched a ride. They left the room and walked down the corridors of Twilight Manor. It was a sight that would have shocked many, but Akumo, having experienced this several times already, simply carried her through the building as if he had no choice.
Step, step—
"~♪"
The two hummed as they walked toward the exit.
—...aul!
""?""
'That voice is...'
The familiar voices of the children reached their ears. At the same time, they witnessed a sight that was incredibly familiar, and thus, heartwarming.
"Raul! I said hurry up! We're going to be late even though it's finally a day off~"
"I-I get it...!"
Aki was walking through the garden with a bright smile, dragging Raul along on a date. They were exchanging smiles.
"They're in the prime of their youth, aye!"
Grin—!
"It means they've all grown up~"
Loki and Akumo smiled and continued walking, soon seeing other scenes of daily life.
"Aiz-san! If you have time today, would you like to go to a cafe together?"
"Yeah, I think that would be nice."
From Lefiya, who was smiling at Aiz as they spent their day together, to Aiz herself, who was smiling much more brightly than before.
"Bete-san! You've been too violent again...!!"
Thud—!
"How many times do I have to tell you that fixing things is a pain!?"
Line was scolding Bete, who had once again trashed the training ground.
"Tch, I get it..."
'It really doesn't go well...'
Even the unexpected sight of Bete being unable to say a word back while being nagged by Line was there.
"That brat... he's finally met his match!"
'I was always worried about him, but—'
BOOM—!!
Before they could indulge in the sentiment, a loud noise from the training ground drew Akumo and Loki's attention.
"Hah!!"
CRASH—!!!
"Hup!!"
Swish—!!!
As if stimulated by that day's battle, Finn and Gareth were seen immersing themselves in training. They swung their weapons and moved with precision, striving to reach the heroes they wanted to be and to realize their ideals.
"Did they become like that 'cause they met ye, or were they always the type to be like that?"
The answer was obviously the latter.
"It's the same as the Falna."
Grin—!
"I was merely the catalyst."
Even without him, they would have surely grown to shine brilliantly.
"In the first place, those guys... no, everyone who participated in that fight was a hero."
He truly believed that, and thus, he smiled clearly. His steps eventually led him out of Twilight Manor and toward the outside world.
Clack—
A place that was incredibly familiar to some, and a cozy haven for others.
"Alfia~! I'm home!"
Akumo happily called out his partner's name as he grabbed the door handle.
Creak—!
As if she had heard his voice, the door slowly opened to reveal Alfia.
"[Gospel]."
A heavy, booming blast of sound magic flew straight toward Akumo's face.
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!
Sssss—!
The attack was fast and powerful enough to gouge the ground, striking Akumo directly.
"Whoopsie~"
However, just before the impact, Akumo managed to toss Loki upward to safety. She landed lightly on top of someone who had fallen.
"Uugh..."
Of course, Akumo himself was slammed into the ground, groaning in pain.
Click, clack—!
The sound of heels echoed as someone slowly stepped into the entrance hall.
"...Alfia."
The owner of the voice was Akumo's wife and housemate, Alfia. Her eyes were glowing coldly.
"So you've finally returned, you man who spends his time seducing women outside."
"I-It's a misunderstanding...!"
As soon as she had returned to Orario, Alfia had seen it all. From Loki clinging to her husband, to Freya sending him looks of blatant desire, and even Ein, who had been an enemy.
"Hoho? What exactly is a misunderstanding?"
That elf was annoying enough, but she was worried about how many more would be added to the list. Her icy gaze fell upon Akumo.
"Hee~?"
Slide—
Loki stood there with a playful, mischievous squint.
"If ye're this violent, ye're gonna end up devourin' yer own husband, ain't ye?"
"...."
"If ye're like this, how's (our) Akumo supposed to develop any affection for ye?"
Snap—!
"Ha!"
At Loki's words, which were a clear provocation, Alfia responded skillfully.
"Are you suggesting that a woman lost in a clown's performance is capable of it?"
"Is it somethin' to brag about, not even knowin' what yer husband likes?"
"At least I choose not to do it. It's not like I lack the 'equipment' to do so, unlike a certain someone."
Loki reacted immediately to Alfia's sharp retort, but then she ground her teeth at the specific implication Alfia had made.
Grit—!
"What matters in actual combat is technique, I tell ye...!"
Loki tried to argue, but Alfia still cast a contemptuous glance at her chest and added one more remark.
"Hmph. You talk big for someone who's never even seen 'actual combat'."
"Guh...!?"
Thoom—!
At those words, Loki felt as if something within her had shattered, and she completely sank.
Tremble, tremble—!
"L-Loki...?"
After kneeling and shaking silently for a moment, she suddenly grabbed Akumo's arm with a look of firm resolve.
Grab—!!!
"I can't take this! We're goin' to the bed right now!!"
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about!?"
"I ain't gonna let myself be pushed around anymore, aye!"
At the sudden, insane outburst, Akumo was greatly flustered and tried to peel her off, but Loki clung to his arm as if pleading, trying to drag him into the house.
"Believe it or not, I'm quite proficient in that area!!"
"Stop talking such rubbish!"
Akumo broke into a cold sweat, remembering the spectacular and rather graphic stories he had heard from her in the past.
How much time had passed since then...?
"Whew..."
Having finally managed to stop the two women from fighting, Akumo was walking aimlessly through the streets of Orario with both of them by his side.
Step, step—
While walking, he paused for a moment to look at a certain spot.
"Come to think of it, the Goddess Festival is coming up soon, isn't it?"
The alleyway he was looking at was bustling with people preparing for the festivities. That sight reminded him of the upcoming 'Goddess Festival'.
"Hmph. Just another festival where they go around praising themselves as they please, aye."
The Goddess Festival. Every year, it was a festival centered around several goddesses, where people worshipped them and prayed for blessings. And naturally, among those goddesses...
Glance—
"It's going to be noisy again this time~"
Akumo looked up at the towering Babel. He thought of a certain goddess residing there, known as the greatest beauty in Orario.
Step, step—
"Ah...♡ I can feel that child looking this way...♡"
As if she had felt his gaze, a heated smile spread across the face of Freya, who was looking down at the streets from Babel.
"Get lost, ye!!"
Swish, swish—!!
Of course, Loki immediately waved her arms in the air to block the surveillance.
Pinch—!
"Gyack!?"
"The problem is that you keep giving her a reaction."
Alfia continued walking down the street, punishing Akumo as she went.
"...."
However, none of them knew.
"[Aedes Vesta]."
The peace that had come to Orario was only their peace.
Whoosh—!!!
A massive event approaching from an unexpected place was burning fiercely, waiting for them.