All advice is appreciated.

Danmachi: D16, SO12.

"Spoken"

"..." Audible silence

'Thought'

*Sound Effect*

"So, you want to be even stronger" A voice whispered from far above.

Deep below, a white-haired boy is fighting for his life.

A woman's excited yet agitated eyes followed this boy with the utmost intensity.

Clouds in the night sky shifted, flooding the woman's room with moonlight. It was a dark, clean room with almost no light. A single magic stone lamp hung from the ceiling, with a fireplace opposite a wall of glass. The entire outer wall of the room was made of glass. The woman standing next to the glass wall was so clearly illuminated it was as though the moon were casting a spotlight on her. Her thin yet luscious body was wrapped in a sheer black nightgown. Her fair, light skin gave off a mysterious air as it was bathed in the lunar glow. Silver hair reaching almost to her waist sparkled as if made of ice.

"That's wonderful. However, you mustn't die. I want you to shine even more..."

Her outrageously beautiful figure reflected off the glass. It was the highest floor of "Babel Tower". She resided in the most glamorous room of the whole building. With a wonderful view of the horizon atop of Orario.

That boy, in the dungeon... I want to watch him grow much longer...

She could see he was improving by leaps and bounds.

I want to save him.

She laughed to herself like a little kid. She wanted to play the hero of the one she loved, just as if she were an immature child. For every moment she couldn't be with him. Her love was driving her forward like a twinge of pain deep in her chest. Yet, she couldn't stop.

She wanted to see him scared, see him cry, see his courage, but above all, she wanted to see his soul shine. She wanted it to shine brighter than any soul before, even if it would blind her. His soul was a colour that her sights had never seen before: clear. What colour would he become? Or would he stay clear? Anything with an element of uncertainty could keep a god interested indefinitely.

If he dies... I'll go after him.

If his spirit left Genkai, she would chase it to the ends of time and space.

I will hold him.

Once she caught him, she would hold him against her passionate breasts. Her eyes glowed with love and tenderness, but her face showed a love of cruelty. A sinister smile unrolled from her lips.

I want him.

That emotion went through her since first sight. It had been a long time since she started to feel like that. Her whole body shook lightly in anticipation; her stomach jumped; a breath of euphoria escaped her lips. Just as it had always happened, she became no better than a child who'd found a new toy in a toy store. A pure but monstrous urge to possess him consumed her. However, she decided to wait and watch. It would be fun to transform him into her own colour, except she felt that there would be plenty of time to do so later.

"I can't wait. How strong will you get? How bright will you shine? What colour will you become?"

That's why she couldn't stop. There was indeed love in her silver eyes as she watched the boy from her room, but it was a corrupt love. She placed a finger on her full lips and playfully bit the tip. For a moment, a provocative scent filled the room.

"What's this...?"

He had noticed her the first time when she saw him on West Main. He noticed her gaze when she focused on him with all the excitement built up in her body. However, through the "Divine Mirror," that should be impossible? Her gaze must've been too strong. Looking back at that moment when she first saw him, maybe she should have made her move. She believed that she could have easily controlled him like a puppet, as she'd watched him speak with familiarity to a girl on the street. Even though he had another god's blessing, she had no doubt she could have persuaded him. She restrained herself because she didn't know which Familia he belonged to —which god would move to protect him. She didn't want to quarrel with someone like Loki. That, and after seeing his innocent smile, her urges waned.

that boy is mine...

"I will make you mine... It's strange, part of me doesn't want you to come. Now might be the time when thoughts of you dance in my mind the most."

Just like everyone before him, once they became hers, she would lose interest over time. They would become a preferred toy on a shelf, one of her dolls sitting in a row. Occasionally she would remember them, take them off the shelf, play with them, and then put them back. The hope and excitement of the first moments would always fade away. Emotions deteriorate.

The same was true of love. Once it hits its peak, it was fated to crumble. No one longed for a love that had gone cold. However, she didn't feel that it was pointless. That was simply the nature of love, and as the goddess of love, she felt that having a collection on the shelf that was just a little too big, was somehow just right. She hooked a few strands of hair that had fallen to her cheek and pulled them back behind her ear. Her bare shoulders were showered in the moonlight. While looking like a girl falling in love for the first time, she continued watching him with loving eyes.

"Ma'am?" A rigid voice called.

A person had either been standing inside the room the entire time or was just outside the main door. Boar-like ears stood out above short, rust-coloured hair. This male animal person stood more than two meters tall and had a body as solid as a rock. He stood like a statue next to her, a guard dog waiting for his master's commands.

When the Boaz came closer the goddess lovingly stroked his cheek.

"I want you to-..." She stopped. Closing her mouth, she looked down at the boy in the mirror.

"Does something trouble you?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I want you to go to him, make sure he doesn't notice you"

"Ma'am, do I intervene?"

"Only if death is truly imminent."

"Yes, goddess" he gave a short nod and took a step back, as she smiled at the boy.

That's right. Her treasured servant didn't need to save the boy immediately. Plus, if this behemoth were to show up in front of him and attempt to save him, the boy would be terrified. While entertaining to think about, it wouldn't do.

I want him to try first...