Disclaimer:
This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the "Danmachi" world (also known as "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?"). All characters from the Danmachi world are characters created and owned by the author Fujino Ōmori, and I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Danmachi. The story I tell here is my own creation, and it is not part of Fujino Ōmori's original storyline. This story is for entertainment only and I am not planning to realize any sort of monetary award for it. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note:
I'm taking a more novel-like approach with this fic. There will be a lot of OCs and I'm taking time to introduce them properly. I really want to practice creative writing and don't want to rush into things. So everything will build up slowly before initial conflicts etc. are introduced. So don't expect a fic consisting out of 500 characters and a sex scene, if that's what you're looking for - you're wrong here :D
However, I initially planned on incorporating lemon scenes in this story. But after drafting the first more suggestive scenes, I decided to keep those parts out of the main story. I will post those scenes in a separate story and let you know if there's a lemon part in the respective chapter. However, that's the reason why I changed the rating from M back to T.
As the title suggests, this story revolves around two tsundere characters. Thus, their interactions are permeated with belligerent sexual tension. If you're not into tsundere-typed relationship dynamics, then better not read this story :)
This story might contain spoilers about events from the 8th Sword Oratoria LN onwards.
"Geez… honestly, stupid Sora didn't need to go that overboard with her stupid punishment.", a red-headed renard girl grouses while sweeping the ground with a besom.
"Tsk… Cleaning the stupid front yard all alone when those damn maple trees littered the whole place with their fucking leaves… what a pain in the ass."
Her red fox-ears twitch with anger as she laments over her cleaning duty. Eventually a sigh escapes her lips. She interrupts her work and slumps down, squatting in front of her besom.
… Honestly… I know I shouldn't be complaining… There are people out there who would kill to witness such beautiful autumn-like scenery. Not to mention that I would normally be one of them myself, but… BUT FOR FUCK'S SAKE I DON'T WANT TO CLEAN THIS MESS!
The huge front yard belongs to the Amaterasu Familia shrine and is littered in red autumn leaves. Since the sun is already hanging low over Orario, the whole city is bathed in a warm, yellowish gleam. A faint wind is blowing, disheveling the fox girl's otherwise sleek, ruby-red hair slightly. Her hair reaches just below her waist whereas her side-swept bangs are bound into a small plait that is attached to the back of her head. The red hue is in striking contrast to her emerald green eyes and her fair complexion.
She is wearing a traditional shrine maiden attire consisting of a white kosode, a pair of green hakama pants as well as geta sandals and tabi socks. These are the clothes all members of the Amaterasu Familia are expected to wear while on duty.
… Well, it's no use. Complaining doesn't get shit done…, the petite but rather foulmouthed renard grouches while getting back up again. As she tries to accomplish the seemingly never-ending task of sweeping leaves, her reddish fox tail wiggles angrily from side to side. At the very moment she manages to clear one small pocket of land and heaps a bunch of leaves into one big pile, she hears a cheerful voice calling her name.
"RAAAAAAAAANAAAAAAAA-CHAAAAAAAN~!", a svelte female pallum with straight black hair reaching just below her chin chirps in an overly joyous tone while approaching the renard with open arms. She is wearing the exact same attire as the fox, aside from her hakama being red (and her whole uniform being a lot smaller, of course). Rana winces upon hearing the voice.
"W-wha…!? H-hotaru! S-stop!", she tries to avert the approaching disaster - only to find herself surrounded by flying leaves the next moment. The fox's cheeks twitch erratically as she meets the blithe and innocent expression from the pallum hugging her.
"Hotaru…", she presses out, trying to keep her temper in check.
"Mmm?", Hotaru hums questioning, not breaking her cheerful smile nor the hug.
"W-what the fuck do you think you're doing, dumbo?! It took me hours to sweep up that shitty pile of leaves! A-and above all, g-get off of me already!", the redhead barks with slightly flushed cheeks, beginning to squirm in the embrace.
After seeing the fox's exasperated expression, the pallum sighs and begins to loosen the hug. Whenever it comes to being touched, it becomes clear relatively quickly that the fox leaves only little room for discussion before getting physical.
"Oh really, Rana. You're such a killjoy! I swear, the day will come when I'll pet your ears and tail, and you'll damn well enjoy it!", Hotaru exclaims, giving the fox a victorious look while rubbing her hands.
"NOT OVER MY DEAD BODY!", comes the exasperated answer.
"Hmm, well whatever. Look!", the small girl holds a paper bag dripping with fat right in front of Rana's face. "While running errands for Sora-dono, we got our hands on some newly flavored Jagamarukun! And guess what? It's pumpkin season so they tried to create an autumn-like flavor! Want to eat with us?"
Rana's eyes wander from the small priestess to the bag when her sensitive nose picks up that new flavor the pallum was talking about.
…wait… is this chocolate too …?! What kind of moron thought that potatoes, pumpkin and chocolate could be turned into anything tasty?
The fox flinches slightly at the questionable combination of flavors. And if that was not repulsive enough, Rana could also smell the sharp, greasy stench of old fat, in which this abomination had been deep fried. It smells like they haven't changed the oil in months.
Rana couldn't help but shudder at the hygienic standards of Hotaru's favorite food stand. In fact, you can tell a good food stall by how many beast people are among the customers. And Rana could only guess that the number of this particular one had to be somewhere around zero. Maybe some hume bunnies, raccoons or sheeps were among their customers but anything with a keener sense of smell? She doubts it.
Rana shakes her head and slowly raises her hands in an apologetic manner.
"Uuum… well… I guess I'll pass… that new flavor seems a bit… too extravagant…"
"Oww, come on. You won't know until you taste it, will you?"
The fox averts her eyes, sweatdropping.
"Yeah.. No… I guess some things don't need to be experienced before I know I don't want to experience them…"
It's not like she is a picky eater or something. Rather the opposite, she is well accustomed to eating whatever the dungeon has to offer to keep her from starving. But eating month old fat is something she isn't about to do at the surface, unless she literally is about to starve.
"Oh come on, Hotaru. Better stay out of that loser's way.", a human girl with long, curly brown hair scoffs while catching up to her miniature-sized colleague. She flings the bag of groceries she has been carrying over her shoulder and eyes the redhead with a disapproving gaze.
"Honestly, I don't even want to breathe the same air as that dud. Perhaps her incompetence is contagious.", the brunette adds shrugging.
Hotaru turns around to the third priestess, who is wearing a red hakama as well.
"Nezu-chan, stop being mean!"
"Hmm? Since when is it mean to call a spade a spade? How else would you put it, that this little freak has been part of the Familia longer than we have, but still hasn't managed to develop a single useful spell? Not to speak of being admitted to the initiation exam.", the brunette continues, totally unfazed.
Rana shoots the brown haired girl an angry glare while desperately trying to contain every muscle's movement in her face. However, she may be able to contain her looks but her language is another matter altogether.
"You stupid bitch… what did you just call me?", the fox mutters under her breath while clenching her hands around the broomstick.
"Mh…? Sorry, did you say anything? If you've got something to say you need to speak louder."
"Tsk…", the renard hisses as she bites her tongue, trying to not let herself fall into a fit of rage. Goddammit, don't get carried away… so what if she called you a freak… she doesn't know shit… just don't fall for her stupid bait…
"Yeah, that's what I thought. How about you keep your mouth shut if you cannot even say it to my face.", the human girl continues, using her hip to support the heavy bag of goods. "Are you just gonna stand there all day? How about you get back to cleaning this mess up, as it seems that's all you're good for."
"Ggggrrr… you freaking bitch… dare to say that again and I swear you gonna regret-", is what Rana mutters when Hotaru steps between the two girls, trying to pull her quarrel-seeking colleague away.
"Nezuuuuuuu-chaaan~! Come on, just stooop it alreaaady~", the pallum chirps in an exaggeratedly sweet voice to which Nezu only scrunches her nose, eyeing the tiny girl.
"Hmph, fine. But don't think you talked me into it. I just don't want to join that little freak in sweeping the front yard just because we kept the captain waiting.", she says while strolling a few steps ahead without paying the redhead another glance.
Hotaru sighs in relief and gives the fox one last apologetic but still cheerful smile.
"I'm sorry, Rana. You know she means no harm.", the pallum whispers as she follows the other priestess into the shrine.
The moment her two Familia members vanish from Rana's sight, she finally gives in to her pent-up anger.
"GAAAAAHHHH, GODDAMMIT! I swear, if I don't vent my frustration in the dungeon anytime soon I'm gonna kill that bitch for real!", she snarls, beginning to vigorously sweep the leaves together again. In her rage, she doesn't even notice the small group of adventurers which is approaching the front yard fence of the Amaterasu Familia estate.
"Wheeew, that was pretty successful, wasn't it? Hey, Hakon. How many Valis do you think we made with today's loot?", a hume bunny who carries a bow on his back asks while rummaging through a bag of magic stones. He has short, dark hair and long bunny ears of the same color.
"Mhh, dunno. But I bet it's enough that we get to go drinking again!", Hakon, who appears to be a blond human, responds to his demi-human colleague with a gleeful expression. He then continues: "I swear, I'm this close to leveling up and when the day finally comes I'm getting royally drunk!", the blond explains further as he shields his eyes from the blinding afternoon sun, his sword dangling from his hip.
…Gaaaah… Goddammit, how the fuck could Finn consider me as the best fit for becoming the freaking teacher for those bastards?!, Bete Loga, one of Loki's first-tier-adventurers silently asks himself in annoyance while trailing behind the small group of six adventurers.
The squad belongs to a recently established rookie training program from Loki Familia. After a massive rise in members, it became harder and harder to bring all the rookies along to their lower-level-expeditions. As a result, Loki Familia's executives had to come up with a new training procedure - and this new strategy involved sending groups of rookies, each accompanied by a high-ranking adventurer, into the dungeon so they could clear floors they would never have been able to reach on their own. And of course, this training program thought up by Loki Familia's captain, Finn Deimne, was quite efficient. In no time, many low tier adventurers progressed quickly and proved Finn worthy of his role as the Familia's captain once again.
"I can hardly wait to level up and get my revenge on that asshole from last week…", Hakon continues as the group strolls along the fence surrounding the Amaterasu Familia's estate.
His conversational partner, the hume bunny who answers to the name of Yata, needs a moment before he catches on.
"Oh… you mean that guy who made a pass at that cute pallum girl when we were at the Hostess of-"
"GODDAMMIT, will ya shaddup already, ya damn brats?!", Bete growls, interrupting the hume bunny midsentece. "We're not going to the dungeon to pick up girls! But to get ya cruddy wimps to a point where ya not being torn apart by some monsters from the mid levels!", the werewolf grumbles with his hands in his pockets, wearing his usual bored facial expression, while still tagging along a few meters behind the group.
The angry growl from their training supervisor brings the six rookies to a sudden standstill, whereupon the wolf seems to be even more encouraged in his nagging.
"I'm so sick of ya sex-obsessed brats! Ya freaking wimps prevent me from getting my own shit done! Seriously, if Finn wouldn't get mad at me for letting ya idiots die I would damn sure do it right away!", he grouches while slowly catching up to the group, not altering his ever so bored posture.
Yata and Hakon exchange an awkward side glance since this is not the first time their training leader is annoyed at their rather obnoxious and pubescent conversations. By now, the young adventurers are used to Betes' big mouth and temper, and they know there's nothing they can do but let the werewolf rant.
Honestly, this whole training thing is so stupid. I swear I'm going nuts if I have to listen to their idiotic conversations any longer…, Bete grumbles as he reflects on his recent life decisions.
He was the one who had been appointed to be the instructor for this particular group of six - and as expected, Bete was not too keen about this task. In fact, Finn and the other executives were only able to cow the wolf into playing the training leader by challenging him to a card game after said wolf already drank himself into a stupor during one of Gareth's and his usual boozings. Everyone in Loki Familia knows that Bete is too proud to break promises, even if he made them when he was barely in control of his senses. This and the fact that he is always up for a challenge when drunk, led to the rather awkward position he currently finds himself in. Because naturally, Bete lost the card game big time.
Hakon is the first to recover from Bete's scolding. He crosses his arms before his chest and takes a few steps towards the wolf.
"Ohhh come on Betey-boy, I bet you're only this frustrated because at 29 years old your grey fur already makes you look like an old dog. Well and your worn out and scarred face doesn't help either.", Hakon mocks their training supervisor who subsequently stops his bored tread.
His amber eyes narrow to slits, a tell-tale sign that Bete's little amount of patience was already running thin.
"Haaaa? What did ya just say, ya stupid brat?", he hisses under his breath.
Hakon's face changes into a bright grin, knowing that he landed a direct hit at Bete's ego.
"Oh boy, did you already become deaf at your age? Should I repeat it even louder, O-L-D D-O-G?", the blond swordsman emphasizes the last two words as if he was talking to a senile old man.
"Ya really have a death wish, don't cha?", Bete snarls, turning his hands inside his pockets to fists.
Gggrrr… goddammit. That must be Loki's handiwork… Bete muses as he tries his best not to kill his trainees. He knows he was more shitfaced than usual when Finn and the others executed their little scheme. And Loki, who never declines an opportunity to get drunk with her children, obviously had been in on the plan. Bete vaguely remembers how after the card game, he and Loki refused to call it a night. He should have known better, but since the alcohol had already clouded his mind, he had opened up to her about… hell he can hardly even remember. However, what he had thought to be a genuine heart to heart with his goddess now reveals itself to be just one of Loki's usual questionable amusements. And like the gossipy, manipulator that she is, it did not even take her a month to spill the beans.
Hakon's grin turns into a confident smirk as Loki's little intel about Bete's issues, with approaching thirty and being single as fuck, turn out to be true.
Seeing his colleagues' impish expression, Yata finally snaps out of his daze and tries to settle down the dispute between the Lvl. 1 swordsman and their instructor, who happens to be no less than a Lvl. 6 adventurer at the brink of leveling up.
"W-whoa, stop it, Hakon! Y-you're in no shape to get into a fight with Bete-san! R-remember last time when we had to pay for your hospitalization with our entire squad funds?! … A-and what's more do you remember Amid's exasperated expression when she heard the reason for your injuries?! Seriously… I don't want to see her face like that ever again…"
But Hakon only scrunches his nose at his comrades' futile attempt to pacify the situation.
"Pfft, stop being a fucking simp. She is out of your league, get over it already.", is what he simply states, causing the bunny to clam up with his face flushed red. "And that doesn't change the fact, that I'm so fed up with these condescending manners of that stupid mutt! I swear today is the day when I will finally smash his ugly face!", Hakon yells while readying his fists.
"Feh, come on. Try it if you want. Last time you weren't even able to touch me.", Bete snorts in contempt, opening his arms and signaling his trainee to come at him.
After seeing this, Yata grasps Hakon's arm, shoving him a few steps apart from the pugnacious werewolf.
"S-stop it already, Hakon! And you-", he turns around to face their hotheaded instructor, "and you stop fueling this fight any further! After all, you're the adult here, aren't you?!"
But before Bete even has the chance to riposte something, Hakon is already continuing his rant.
"Aren't you also fed up with this mutt's behavior?! Honestly, just because he's worked up over Ais-san and that white-haired guy from Hestia Familia doesn't mean he has the right to vent his frustration on us!"
Bete's ears begin to twitch with rage and his wolfish tail puffs up infuriated.
"HELL IF I CARED ABOUT AIS AND THAT STUPID RABBIT-BASTARD!"
The allusion to Ais' relationship with Bell Cranel affects him even more than the gibberish about his age. He closes his eyes and tries his hardest to cool down. Bete knows that Finn, or rather the whole Familia, would get mad if he beats his pupils to a pulp again, thus he tries to contain his anger. While standing on the sidewalk with his eyes closed, he ponders whether the Familia's wrath was worth it or not.
"Tsk, goddammit.", slips out of his mouth eventually.
One single thwack on their stupid heads can still be regarded as a disciplinary measure , he reckons as he opens his eyes, ready to clash - only to find the sidewalk in front of him vacant.
"Huh...?", he growls, somewhat perplexed, looking for his trainees.
The next moment, he spots his disciples bolting for the Amaterasu Familia's entrance gate. Obviously, his trainees have turned their attention to something else rather quickly. And that something appears to be a redheaded priestess who is currently sweeping the ground near the estate's fence.
"Oi! Are you fucking kidding me?! Just fucking stay here when I'm about to smack you!", he complains while falling back into his ever so bored tread to catch up to his pupils.
Honestly… those pubescent fuckers have the attention span of a dead tuna…
As he reluctantly follows his students to the entrance gate, Bete tries to distract himself from the thoughts Hakon's taunting brought up. He lets his amber eyes wander over the Amaterasu Famila's estate. The grounds seem to be built on the former Belit Babili, home of the Ishtar Familia, which had been completely destroyed not only by Freya's attack, but especially by Betes' fight against Valletta Greede shortly after.
So, it's already been seven years since that far eastern goddess showed up in Orario and took the lead in recreating the pleasure quarter, huh?…, he ponders somewhat absentmindedly while looking around the rebuilt area. Not a single trace of the old pleasure quarter and its brothels has been left. Instead, the sun goddess transformed the devastated district into an area that seems reminiscent of her home country. The Amaterasu Familia home has taken the shape of a shrine and is situated in the center of the newly erected area.
As he lets his eyes wander over said shrine, the red maple trees come into his view.
"Huh…?", Bete stops to look more closely at the autumn-like scenery and inspects the colorful maple trees shedding their leaves onto the plaza. Such a landscape isn't supposed to exist in Orario, since this region does not underlie any significant change of season.
Bete narrows his eyes and starts sniffing the air in hopes his sensitive nose might reveal something his eyes cannot perceive.
"Haa...? Don't tell me...?", he scornfully screws up his nose. "Tze, as if it's not ironic enough how this shrine bursting with virgins stands on the ground of a former brothel...but to enchant this whole area to imitate the seasons…?!"
… Not even Loki is stupid enough to spend money on such a trivial thing… Which means this goddess here is fricking brainsick. Probably even worse than Loki, if that is even possible…, he raises an eyebrow. This thought sends a chill up his spine as the gods can be quite frightening when it comes to their petty rivalries, their obsessions, their hunger for dispute and sensationalism.
… if this far eastern goddess is willing to use valuable magic, just so that her little front yard looks pretty, it will be hard to predict what resources she might activate when things get serious. Hell, she might be even scarier than Loki during one of her moods…
Bete shakes his head to get rid of these thoughts.
He continues his bored tread and starts wondering when he had last seen autumn foliage. The sight of the red leaves reminds him of his childhood in his fathers tribe.
"Tsk.", the wolf mutters to himself.
Neither does he want to think about his confused feelings for Ais, nor does he want to be reminded of his past life.
"Oiii, Miko-chaaaaaaaan!", someone shouts, startling Rana and interrupting her cleaning duty, yet again. She doesn't even have time to fully recognize the blond swordsman running towards her nor react to his greeting, when he starts chattering.
"Oh, my! Such a sweet vixen performing such an ugly task! How cruel!", he clears his throat and continues flatulently, "Oh fair maiden, let me be thy gallant prince, who unchains thou from this fardel!", he finishes his clownish chat-up line with a deep bow, then offers the girl his hand, palm up, like a knight asking for a maiden's hand to kiss.
"...eh?", is the only reaction the fox is able to elicit after being interrupted in her anger-filled thoughts. She glances up just to look straight into the sparkling blue eyes of the meddlesome, blond boy.
Rana blinks, puzzled.
The boy blinks, expectantly.
Gallant prince…? Fair maiden…?, she repeats in her thoughts, … does this guy want a fucking slap in the face?
Since the redheaded miko remains silent, Hakon decides to continue with his somewhat clumsy advances.
"Wow, I never thought Amaterasu's children would be so pretty! And yet you have to do all the tedious cleanup all by yourself? What hardworking priestess you are, huh?", the blond twaddles, desperately trying to converse with the renard girl.
... what does my appearance have to do with cleaning?, Rana perks her eyebrows while inspecting the intruder and his companions gathering around her. Judging from their armor they must be adventurers.
… if there's a correlation between looks and work, maybe you should ask yourself if you are fit to call yourself 'adventurer', milk face, is what she would've loved to answer but instead she only remains silent while putting on a forced smile. Her twitching ears, however, are proof enough that she is already struggling to contain her anger again. As if her day isn't bad enough already, but the one thing Rana hates even more than bothersome men commenting on her appearance, are bothersome adventurers commenting on her appearance.
The blond boy eyes her curiously when noticing her twitching ears.
"Ohh, you are a beast human, right? Say, are you by chance a cat person? Or maybe a chienthrope? O-or maybe a werewolf?", as he lists the last race of beastmen, he winces slightly, as if remembering that there's a certain werewolf who most likely did not miss the fact that he had just been abandoned by his pupil - just because said pupil wanted to flirt with a shrine maiden.
Rana stares at the blond with a blank face, her fox tail swaying idly behind her as to emphasize the stupidity of his question.
"You're kind of shy, huh? Will you please just tell me your name then?", the blond solicits, tired of being ignored and eventually grabbing one of her hands.
"G-guh?", Rana stutters, caught off guard by the swordsman once again as she obviously hadn't expected her silent anger to be mistaken for shyness.
N-not this again… honestly, why is the world so fucking keen on making body contact?! Sorry boy, but you picked a rather bad timing… First, that cruddy punishment and Hotaru's regular hugging assaults… not to mention that bitch's bullying… and now this stupid twerp? Gimme a break already…, Rana grouses as she closes her emerald eyes, takes a deep breath and finally begins to utter.
"A-adventurer-sama, would you please let go of my hand? I don't think it's appropriate for a young man to touch a shrine maiden so rashly.", she says, still infuriated by the sudden contact and thus visibly trying to contain her real thoughts behind a mask of studied politeness.
Amaterasu expects her children to treat adventurers with the greatest respect and courtesy. Hence, Rana learned to behave herself accordingly. Or, well - at least she tries to.
The meddlesome adventurer continues his blithe smile and clutches her hand even more, unperturbed from the fox's exasperated plea and still waiting eagerly for the shrine maiden's name to be revealed.
G-grr… just let go of my hand already, you little shitface!
Rana's ears begin to twitch more vigorously. It wouldn't be the first time she picks a fight with a bothersome adventurer while on duty. And since she already has been in an unfavorable position within her Familia as of late, she really could live with one less punishment in her life. So, as not to upset the adventurers in front of her and potentially endanger her Familia's reputation any further, Rana musters all her remaining self control. She withdraws her hand from the adventurer's grip and bows slightly.
"My name is Ikebe, Rana. And as you can see I'm still a novice.", she begins while gesturing towards her green hakama, "If you want to commission a weapon enhancement, I may introduce you to one of the other-", she continues only to be interrupted by the swordsman right away.
"Ahhh, Rana-chan! A beautiful name for a beautiful girl! Please let me introduce myself, I'm Hakon and ...", the blond starts prattling, having the audacity to grab her hand yet again.
Rana stares at him in disbelief. Her eyes wander back and forth between the adventurer's disgusting hands, clutching onto her own, and his stupidly grinning milk face. Whereas Hakon, misreading her unapproachable demeanor as bashfulness, keeps on talking.
Rana tries to withdraw her hand without attracting too much attention, however, every time she does so, the blond only strengthens his grip. From second to second the fox becomes more worked up over the forced physical contact.
Shit , she thinks to herself the moment she feels her blood begin to boil. A slight panic settles into the pitch of her stomach as she desperately tries to contain her hotheadedness - her father's legacy. She really wanted to end this incident without falling into one of her usual fits - but that horse seems to be out of the barn. Her genetic heritage was about to awaken as it usually does if her emotions got the better of her. This is no longer her poor temper management alone. Something else has awakened a primal sort of fury, so great, that she can hardly stop herself from audibly grinding her teeth.
Ggrr.. goddammit, I really tried but ... but…, she desperately clenches her free hand around the broom - only to erupt in anger regardless.
"STOP TALKING ALREADY AND TAKE YOUR SHITTY HANDS OFF ME, YOU STUPID SONOFA-!", she shouts as she readies the broom for a powerful smack, only to be interrupted halfway through.
"Ooii, didn't I just told you guys to stop being fucking creeps?! Get a hold of yourselves already!", Bete scolds, while approaching his pupils and the young shrine maiden.
G-gh? , Rana falls silent immediately, surprised by the sudden arrival of yet another adventurer. Glad that this moment of shock allowed her to regain some of her self control, she turns around hectically only to catch sight of the approaching beast human. Her hackles are up in an instant.
S-shit... a werewolf.
She quickly withdraws her hand from Hakon's grasp and takes one step back.
… if this mutt gets too close, things will go even more downhill , she silently utters.
Notwithstanding that renards are considered beast humans themselves, Rana shuns her kinship as well as possible, even more than any other human or demi-human race. There are a few exceptions where she lowers her guard but these are mostly races with a relatively poor sense of smell (or as she likes to put it: customers at Hotaru's favorite food stall).
Breeds such as weretigers, boaz or werewolves are quite another matter altogether. Under no circumstances would she let this mutt get too close - past experience has proven that a werewolf could immediately recognize something fishy about her scent.
Hakon answers Bete's scolding in a casual voice.
"Ohh, come on Betey-boy! We were just talking about business!"
Bete grudgingly trudges towards the group.
"Haa? Business? Don't tell me ya stupid wimps wanna get one of those crappy weapon blessings?", he lets out a condescending guffaw, "Hah, that's why fish bait will always be fish bait. Better stop chewing the fat with that virgin and get back to training, dumbasses.", the wolf grumbles. "... and don't call me by that stupid name!", he adds exasperated.
The sudden appearance of the wolf ties the renard girl up in knots. While keeping a wary eye on him, she falls into a pondering silence.
… seems like this blockhead is way too self-absorbed to notice me outright... it's better not to attract his attention any further…
The fox nervously clenches both hands around the broomstick.
Tch, fleeing is impossible as it would only make myself conspicuous. Guess I have no other choice but to cope with this awkward situation ...Okay… Just …. try… to act naturally…, the renard girl silently mutters to herself, whereas the wolf and the blond swordsman engage in a petty quarrel. Lying low, she observes the bickering adventurers while trying to put on a brave face.
"Gaah, y'all are really a pain in the ass! Stop wasting my time and get going, ya damn morons!", Bete grouches as he tries to end his dispute with Hakon. But said swordsman doesn't even move a muscle.
"Tch, dammit! I don't care anymore! I'm outta here!", the wolf eventually gives in as he turns around to leave the shrine grounds.
The moment he lets his amber eyes wander over the shrine maiden in passing - he finds her emerald eyes glaring at him with a mixture of terror and disgust.
"Huh?", Bete stops in mid-stride.
Until now, he hasn't even deigned to look at the miko who was the reason for his pupils' fuss - and yet, he finds the girl staring daggers at him.
… What's the deal with that fox?, he wonders, raising one eyebrow. The last time he had felt such an intense anger directed towards him was when he touched that black-haired elf friend from Lefiya. And that was hell of a long time ago. May she rest in peace, that bitch.
Rana flinches as she meets his gaze. Even without her prejudices against adventurers and her fear of beastmen, his icy, penetrating gaze alone would have sent cold shivers down her spine. But with these two predispositions of hers, this unpleasant feeling intensified a thousandfold. Her heart pounds heavily as they stare at each other - and she feels how her boiling blood is about to take over again.
… w-what the fuck?, she comments her loss of control in thoughts.
In the blink of an eye it seemed as if her body and mind were out of sync. An uncontrollable tremor rocks her whole body as the urge to flee assumes control, letting her legs engage in a jerky movement. Not standing any chance to withstand this erratic movement she trips over her own feet. As she stumbles backwards, she falls into a pile of leaves, the broom landing right next to her with a loud clatter. And the next moment, a pang in her ankle makes itself felt.
"Tchh, shit!", she hisses with clenched teeth while grasping her foot - at least, the confusing urge to flee died down for the moment, overpowered by the sudden pain.
W-what the fuck was this?
Meanwhile, Bete only frowns at the girl whereas the group of rookies burst into laughter, mistaking Rana's demeanor for extreme shyness.
"Man, that poor thing. I know you're not very popular among girls, but you really outdid yourself this time, Bete. But… Well to be fair I almost had the same reaction when seeing your ugly face the first time..." Hakon is finally able to elicit after his laughing fit has somewhat subsided. However, his taunting goes in one lupine ear and out the other as Bete is still trying to comprehend the situation.
What the fuck is wrong with that silly fox?, he silently asks himself, narrowing his eyes to slits and mustering the young girl on the ground critically.
Something is off about that girl… but I can't really pinpoint what…
"He, old dog! Yes, that's what we call a female. But as you never grow tired of pointing out: there's no need to be staring like that! Honestly… and he has called us creeps! What a hypocrite.", Hakon teases further only to be consequently ignored by Bete.
After the expected answer of his squad leader fails to appear, the cheeky swordsman clenches his fists. He doesn't like being ignored and if you count this time, it's already the second time this has happened today - first by the fox and now by Bete. But Hakon wouldn't be Hakon if he didn't know a way which would surely get him the wolf's attention.
He turns around to his companions.
"He Yata, look at that mutt's stupid face. Do you think that's what he also looked like, when Ais first brought Rabbit Foot home?"
The hume bunny winces at the allusion to their Familia's most famous swordswoman and her boyfriend. He glances at Hakon with eyes wide as saucers and vigorously shakes his head, trying to signal that the blond has taken it too far. Yata knows by intuition that their rough training supervisor must be on the brink of a temper tantrum.
And as if to verify Yata's assumption, Bete's lupine ears start twitching. The wolf slowly turns his head toward the blond, forgetting all about the fox on the ground.
"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP ALREADY, YOU INSOLENT BRAT!", he shouts the second he knocks his fist on Hakon's forehead.
"Ow ow ow ow, that hurts!", Hakon meekly complains while covering his forehead in pain.
"Tsk. Does anybody else need a break?", Bete yells belligerently to the rest of the rookies.
The adventurers vigorously shake their heads, intimidated by the wolf's growl.
"Great, then let's get going, ya little asshats."
Just when all the rookies were about to follow Bete's orders without further ado, Hakon carries on with his provocation, his hands still rubbing against his forehead.
"Oh yeah, great. First off you frighten the hell out of that girl and now you don't even help her up or ask if she is okay? What a brute you are! No wonder Ais prefers that pretty boy over you smelly mutt!"
Bete's eyebrows start twitching erratically.
S-stop. Talking. Shit. Already! … hell if I care about Ais or that rabbit bastard! Tch. And damn you, Loki! You sure gonna pay for this. 'You can tell me what's wrong. I won't judge', my ass! ... Graaah, why the hell is this nonsense about Ais and that guy even making me mad?!, he complains as he closes his eyes, obviously starting to mull over something.
"Tsk.", comes after a few seconds of silence.
Guess, since I'm not going to be released anytime soon from this babysitting job, this could at least help to reduce that Ais-bullshit to a minimum…, he thinks as he turns around to his pupils, looking nothing but daggers at them.
"Okay, ya little shitheads. I get it. Ya really want me to put on an act and make a fool out of myself, huh? Ya wanna see the Big Bad Wolf playing Prince Charming, right? Then here's the deal: I'm gonna give ya the shitshow ya wanna see and ya cruddy wimps cut the crap and never mention Ais or that rabbit bastard again. Got that?!"
His mentees look at him in astonishment. Hakon and Yata exchange a surprised side glance as they never imagined Bete would be responsive to Hakon's mockery. But despite their disbelief, both of them join in the reluctant nodding of the group.
After seeing the positive answer from his trainees, Bete has no other option but to bite the bullet. He turns around.
"Pft, goddammit. This is so stupid.", the wolf grumbles while reluctantly approaching the fox girl. Trying to put on his usual bored expression, he kneels down and reaches out his hand to help her up.
"Yo. Dunno what I've done to upset you, but… Anyways, as these dumbasses aren't going to shut up otherwise, let me at least give you a leg-up.", he utters while trying to hide his uneasiness.
Rana glances up, shooting the wolf a distrustful glare.
… Yeah. Taking advantage of this mess, you would like that, wouldn't you?! Tch, not over my dead body… But since that mutt hasn't picked up my scent yet, he probably won't do so anytime soon. Still, I certainly won't let this conceited fellow touch me. Not after milk face's nasty paws already made me want to puke …
Like a cornered animal Rana stares back at the wolf. Even though the dull ache in her anke has not subsided, she tries to get up on her own. But to no avail, because aside from the pain in her ankle, her boiling blood still has control over her actions.
Huh, what's with that defiant look? This girl really gets on my nerves. The wolf glances at her, starting to lose his patience.
"Oi, come on. Stop making such a fuss. Don't prolong this crap unnecessarily.", he says while trying to grab her arm.
The moment his hand draws nearer, Rana can feel revulsion surfacing from somewhere deep within herself. And again her body starts moving on its own. Instinctively, her right hand grasps the broom and in a swift striking motion, she whacks it towards the wolf's face.
"O-oi!", escapes out of Bete's mouth, while he reflexively parries the blow off with his arm guard. The impact of the crash smashes the broom to smithereens.
And as if something else had taken control over her body, Rana hisses:
"Touch me and you're dead."
"Haaaa?!"
At first, he was quite startled by the brute force the petite girl was able to put into that blow. But, after hearing her uttering such an empty threat, the surprise vanishes from Bete's face and soon enough gives way to a belligerent grin that bares his sharp canines.
"Uh-oh, sounds fun. What are you going to do, little fox? Stare me to death? Or are you hiding another shitty broom under your robes?", he riles in a calm, confident voice.
"W-what's up with them?", Yata mutters scarcely audibly.
"How the hell should I know?", Hakon answers. He can hardly hide the bafflement in his voice as he and the others watch the last spark of civility between the miko and their team leader vanish into thin air. Instead it looks like a fight would be emerging soon.
The hume bunny raises an eyebrow and gives the blond swordsman a dig with his elbow.
"D-don't give me that! After all, you were the one who pushed both of them to their limits. Now go and clean up this mess!", Yata yells in an uncharacteristically harsh voice.
Hakon only winces in return.
"M-me? No fair! I already got my beating, now it's your turn to get the shit end of the stick! And besides, I'm not good at accommodating quarrels. So would you go? Pretty please-", Hakon immediately cuts his act after seeing Yata's grim face.
He winces again. He rarely sees the hume bunny this exasperated.
"G-guh. Guess you're right…", the blond surrenders eventually while stepping towards the two hotheaded beast humans.
"Hey, Bete. I'm the one you're angry at, so don't vent your anger on that priestess. She has nothing to do with...", the swordsman tries to approach his trainer only to be shoved away with a powerful smack. He stumbles and falls backwards into the group of rookies.
"Shut up, brat. The adults are talking.", Bete says spitefully without averting his gaze from the miko.
"Urgh… well I did everything within my power… the only thing left is to pray for the priestess' survival."
"Geez, honestly...", Yata mumbles since he has already expected his companions' attempt in making things right to be rather halfheartedly. And with Bete being this pissed off, the fight was now clearly inevitable.
"Now, little fox? I'm curious. How are you going to kill me?", he ridicules the girl on the ground.
Rana clenches the end of the broken broomstick. She feels how tiny splinters pierce into her palm and fingers as the brittle wood gives way under her grip. Blood is running down her hands, staining the sleeves of her white kimono jacket.
"G-gch.", slips through her clenched teeth as she lets go of the broken stick, trying to prevent further injuries.
Goddammit, I can't afford another quarrel on the shrine grounds… But I'm just not able to control my body. Tch, shit. What the hell is even going on?
Bete sneers at the now speechless renard. But the instant the smell of her blood hits his nose, he is seized by his primal hunting instinct. Without really thinking about it, the wolf bends forward to look straight into the fox's emerald eyes. His bloodthirsty glare conveys the image of a predator ready to pounce on its prey.
"Tch, guess you're all bark and no bite, huh? Well, too bad I hate weak women the most. Girls like you really piss me off. You play tough on the outside, but when push comes to shove, you're the first ones to die", he clicks his tongue before he continues, "But don't think I will go easy on you - I don't give a shit about you being a priestess, a civilian or just another dumb adventurer. Now, better think twice before you do something stupid.", he hisses with his low, husky voice, in which clear signs of anticipation resonate.
"G-grrr…", Rana croaks out, being at the brink of snapping. Still, she silently withstands his gaze and does her best not to fall for his bait. But by now, Bete has taken a serious liking to mocking the petite girl. He leans down even further, his lips almost touching her vulpine ears as he starts to whisper.
"Or could it be that you're just afraid of sullying your divine, lil' miko-hands by fighting bare-handed?", he comments on her reluctance to fight.
Rana's ears perk up and her face becomes red with anger.
That's enough! He asked for it!, she thinks with fiercely gritted teeth.
She clenches her right hand and lunges out to brace herself for that one punch - only to become aware that her vision is slowly growing hazy.
W-what?! Why now?! There were so many occasions today but only now that stupid skill decides to activate?!
Since Rana already knows that the loss of her physical vision heralds an incoming prophecy she abruptly tries to halt her fist midway. She then notices the wolf's heated breath brushing her ear.
D-don't tell me… h-his breath? B-but usually it takes at least direct contact for 'Heh' to activate…, Rana's eyes become wide as saucers. She slowly raises her gaze to look straight into the wolf's quarrel-seeking eyes. And blacks out the second after.
When the girl suddenly stopped her movement, Bete couldn't help but express his irritation. His belligerent grin disappears from his face the moment he notices that her emerald eyes have become somewhat murky and greyish.
"Haaaa?" he utters more to himself than to the dead-eyed girl to his feet.
In the meantime, Rana has trouble recognizing anything in her rather obscure prophecy. She isn't really able to make out many details, but she gets a rough idea of the overall scene.
T-the dungeon? N-no… an underground chamber …? It is way too dim, but I think it is made of … cobblestones …? The walls are smeared with blood… and I can hear the sound of metal hitting metal…
She squints before her inner eye.
…in the center of the room is a huge, blackish puddle … i-is this blood too? Ugh… and there's something in it that looks like a human … or at least a human-like creature… and its head… its head is missing…?
But before Rana could grasp the whole picture, the vision dissolves as quickly as it has come. She snaps back, feeling her own pulse palpitating through every cell of her body. Her head feels like cotton and any noise seems muffled by a static ringing sound in her ears. As her sight clarifies only gradually, she struggles for air. Although she wasn't able to fully recognize the scene, this mental image brings a lump to her throat. She desperately tries not to throw up while covering her mouth with her bloodied hands, staring blankly into space.
Bete only raises an eyebrow in the face of this sudden turnaround.
Honestly, what's with that silly fox?
Rana is slow to recover from her consternation. As the ringing in her head gradually subsides, she tries to return to reality by focusing on the wolf in front of her. But before she can even wonder how this mutt relates to this terrible vision, she notices the mocking expression in his eyes again.
Grrr… Stop. Being. So. Damn. Spiteful. You damn dog!, are the only thoughts she is able to clothe in words, feeling that the prophecy was the last straw she needed to finally succumb to her body's urges. As she grasps his choker with her left and continues the previously halted punch with her right hand, her gaze becomes fierce. Whereupon Bete finds back to his usual smug grin.
Although he is still a bit puzzled by her random antics he can't deny that her will to act on her threats leaves a lasting impression on him. And so, as a small tribute to her courage, he decides not to dodge her blow. However, he knows that for him, a soon-to-be Lvl. 7 adventurer, her punch will feel like nothing more than a mosquito bite. And after allowing her that small moment of triumph, he is going to beat the crap out of this weakling. As he waits for the girl to deliver her blow, his facial expression turns into that of a madman - a fearsome, terror-seeking glint appears in his eyes and his face contorts into a wicked grin, showing his fangs in their entirety.
"Tch! Foxes don't bark! Stop inferring from yourself to others, you damn dog!", Rana yells inflamed with rage while her fist swings towards his head.
But to complicate this situation even further, the moment her fist is about to reach his face, Bete suddenly notices a wind-typed magic chant that is hurtling towards the two animal people.
What the...?
Without thinking, he dodges the fox's hook in the last nick of time and grabs the petite girl by instinct. He flings her over his back and dodges the magic attack with a skilled jump.
The wind attack flashes past and thuds against the estate's fence only to evaporate a few seconds later.
Bete scouts around as a matter of routine, trying to recognize the spell caster.
Rana, dumbfounded by the sudden run of events, gazes after the deflagrating wind magic. The moment the evaporating breeze reaches her, her fury starts to die down and she feels considerably calmer.
"Haa? A sleep spell?", Bete utters after noticing the calming breeze as well.
Being accustomed to fighting in the dungeon, it doesn't pose a challenge to him to evade surprise attacks. What is more unexpected is that the ambush should put the pair to sleep rather than actually harm them.
Rana identifies the spell caster within seconds.
"G-guh, that's Sora's 'Komori no Kaze'..." she mutters her captain's magic spell name scarcely audible.
Does this mean… Sora has been witnessing the whole shitshow only to intervene if things go downhill?, Rana's face darkens at that assumption.
"Ugh, that's bad. She will be mad again...", the renard girl whines only to realize that the wolf has flicked her over his shoulder. "O-oi!", she shrieks and starts hammering at Bete's back.
"L-let me go! Let me gooo! H-how dare you, you fucking pervert?!"
Bete, interrupted by the girl's struggling, pauses his search for the spell-caster.
"Let me down already! Let. Me. Down. You mangy mutt!", she yells totally in spite of herself since no one has ever dared to throw her over his shoulder.
Bete does as he is told without further ado. Right when he wants to riposte something, he notices her flushed face and turns red as well, realizing that he instinctively decided to 'save' the girl even if they were about to fight seconds earlier.
"O-oi, stop hollering, you crazy bitch! Is this how you say thanks to someone who just saved you from sleeping for weeks?!", he yells with his face now purple from embarrassment.
Rana clenches her fists. Indeed, he had a point there. It wouldn't be the first time that Sora had put her to sleep for several days. Not that this stupid dog needs to know, though.
"Tsk! Who are you calling a crazy bitch, you stupid mutt?!"
Both stare daggers at each other while they play out their petty shouting match. The moment Bete wants to answer to her last insult a hand intervenes their quarrel.
The two beast humans look at the intrusive woman, both have an eyebrow raised as they accidentally shout in sync:
""What do you want, hag!?""
The woman in question however does not befit the image of a 'hag' at all, she is probably still younger than the wolf even if not younger than the fox. She wears a traditional miko attire with purple hakama pants and her long, shining golden hair is tied up in a neat ponytail. It is Sora, the captain of Amaterasu Familia who finds herself peering at two hot headed beast humans.
Just then, Rana recognizes the women that intervened in the fight.
"Ugh… S-sora… I-I can explain-"
"Enough. Go to your room and wash your stained clothes. Moreover, you should probably get your hand and foot patched up. We'll talk later.", Sora says in a calm and collected voice.
Rana pouts but eventually bends down her head. She doesn't cast another glance at the adventurers as she begrudgingly stomps toward the Familia's shrine, her face still flushed with rage and embarrassment.
"Haa? And who are you? Are you the one who plays the chaperone for this whacko?", Bete asks, now back to his usual, overconfident self since his face color has already normalized.
Sora, accustomed to people with fiery tempers (to say the least, since she had to take care of the previously mentioned 'whacko' for the last two years), answers the remaining hothead in a calm and polite voice.
"Yeah, that's one way to put it… However, as the captain of this Familia, I apologize for the demeanor of our miko-in-training. In compensation, I'd like to offer you a free weapon enhancement.", she bows before Bete in practiced courtesy and points at Hotaru who has accompanied her captain and is politely bowing down as well.
Bete raises his eyebrow, somewhat disappointed since he doesn't expect the intrusive captain nor the cheerfully smiling pallum girl to satisfy his pugnacity.
"Tsk, I don't need that crap. If you want to make amends for that silly fox's behavior, you would do me a solid to give these idiots a taste of that sleeping spell. Make it so that they never wake up again and I'll say it was an accident."
The priestess' captain keeps a straight face while holding up Bete's annoyed gaze, not even bothering to answer.
"... tze, yeah. I figured as much. If mercy killing goes against your freaking morals, you rather go ask those idiots for that stupid blessing instead. I don't care.", the wolf grumbles, gesturing towards his pupils. He then assumes his casual posture and starts treading towards the exit gate.
"... As you wish, Vanargand.", Sora mutters to herself before turning around to face the group of rookies. "Now, whom may I offer the enhancement?", she says, bowing in front of the group of young adventurers.
The rookies gape after hearing the proposal from the Amaterasu Familia's captain.
"I-is this really alright, Bete-san?", Yata stammers.
Bete raises his hands as if he tries to flick flies.
"Whatever, I don't care as long as ya asshats keep out of my sight for the rest of the day.", he grouches, without so much as looking at his trainees or the priestesses.
Upon receiving Bete's permission the rookies break into jubilation - only to engage in a quarrel about who is going to receive the weapon enhancement seconds later.
Observing the rookie's brawling, Hotaru's ever so bright smile becomes somewhat wry whereas Sora only facepalms and slowly shakes her head in irritation.