My Life With An S&M Maid - NEW

by Curiosity44

Anime worlds are fun as a story, but what happens when that story becomes your reality? Join Dante on his journey through a world full of adventure, romance, immortals, magic, magical beasts, and a lovable S&M maid. Join him as he takes the world by storm as the Ouroboros Potioneer! Slight AU Fairy Tail, starts years before canon. At the moment - Solo Romance.

9. Friends, Tattoos, and Emotions

AN: Hey everybody. Sorry for the wait. In this chapter I changed a good amount of the character interactions and added a few other elements to things. The OG version was painful to read lol. Hopefully, I did better this time.

A few quick notes, again, I'm well aware of the wiki and canon knowledge of Fairy Tail, I mostly try to keep things similar but expand or alter things in minor ways. One such thing is character ages. I adjusted a few characters to be aged a few years up, it won't have any big change on the timeline, I just wanted to make things fit better.

VIRGO is a character I'm trying to flesh out some more. If anyone wants to complain about her being an OC, I will point out that she was pretty out of character from the start. I don't want the plain canon 2d image of her character, I want her to feel more real and distinct. So I apologize if some of you are offended by this chap.

And a final note, the word Parfum is French for Perfume. Thank you.

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"Somebody speaking."

'Somebody thinking.'

{Telepathy}

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, or any other anime/novel/manga/fanfic that I may use.

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Chapter 7: Friends, Tattoos, and Emotions.

Two weeks passed since Dante finished the months' worth of Constitution potions while having his trip down memory lane.

He was currently out on the balcony, enjoying the beautiful summer day while working on a skincare potion for a client using his balcony's fire pit.

The Beautification Potion was a popular one among older women since it allowed them to shave years off their appearance. Anywhere between three to five years of topical aging could be rewound, although internally, nothing changes, and their lifespan remains the same. It was similar to Tsunade's technique from Naruto, but it could not be stacked and wouldn't wear off.

"Grind the petals of three fairy flowers, add .5 ounces every three seconds."

He watched it dissolve absentmindedly into his cauldron. 'I can't believe I've really almost filled up my client list already. Its only my third year since I opened shop, and I was extremely picky about who to add.'

His client system worked well the first two years, but soon serious issues began cropping up for how to run things long-term. It took a bit of shuffling to adjust the rules and services so he wouldn't get overwhelmed with orders and could have his own life outside his lab.

Bronze lacrima cards were given to Temporary VIPs. There could only be a max of 10 at any time. They could only move up a rank if a spot opened up, which tended to happen a few times a year.

Silver lacrima cards were given to General VIPs. There could only be a max of 25 at any time. They would only lose a slot if they went back on a deal, tried to do any shady actions, or if they didn't purchase a potion for two consecutive months. In the last case, they would simply swap with a Bronze ranker.

Gold lacrima cards were given to Premium VIPs. There was no limit, but the list was small as it was only for personal friends and allies who knew Dante by face. Currently, less than 7 people held Gold cards.

Every lacrima card gave each tier a list of potions they could order, as well as allowing them to place orders and receive additional information.

Bronze could order from the list once a month. Their orders would be added to a queue, first come, first serve.

Silver could order from the list two times a month. Their list was also much larger than the Bronze tier, and they were served first before Bronze. Silver members could participate in monthly auctions.

Gold members had the largest list of potions and could order three times a month, participate in auctions, and request custom orders outside the provided potion list.

The amount given for every single order was up to how much was paid. A Bronze member could order a Health Potion, but if they paid enough, they could get one hundred Health Potions at once. The rarer and more difficult the potion, the higher the price increase.

Payment was accepted mainly in trade, with a worse trade-off rate for paying in currency. Clients usually only paid with Jewels for low-grade potions.

There were also discount rates for tiers. Bronze had 5% off specific types. Silver had 10%. And Gold had 20%. It wasn't an across-the-board discount, but it was aimed toward more health-orientated potions that could save lives, as well as whatever random clearance potion he happened to experiment with that month.

Already his potions had made a difference in the world for survival rates among S-class mages.

"Stir slowly clockwise with ash wood, add seven drops of Silver Morning Dew."

Some might say that if Dante wanted to make more money, he needed to expand. Others might point out that he should be helping everyone he could because he had the power to. Few may even say he needed to step up to become some kind of emperor and conquer the lands.

People with such ambitions could die in a ditch for all Dante cared.

He made his business for three reasons. To gather ingredients and recipes from those who have them. To build connections with influential people for backing and information. And to live his life as he pleased as he worked toward his personal goal.

The goal of becoming free. Free from others' ambitions, powers, consequences, time, space, and even the very dimension he was currently in. His dream was freedom, and the first step was gaining immortality to break the shackle of time and be with Virgo forever.

And so, he didn't need to conquer the world; he just needed the people who mattered to have good connections with and help them while they helped him. Most rational beings understood how to make a deal where both parties could benefit.

People like the current rulers of the various nations of Ishgar. Of his Silver VIPs, five of the fourteen countries of Ishgar had rulers who were his clients. Six if you included Toma, who was a Gold member.

Two other rulers had already been excused as members, no matter how they tried to obstruct his business within their borders. The fat whale of a king on the island nation Caelum off Fiore's coast, as well as the mole king of Joya, were both kicked from the running within a month.

Caelum was a kingdom famous for their ships that evolved from pirates gathering in one place long enough to establish their own territory, and their current king emphasized that attitude strongly. The few deals attempted on their land ended bloody, and Ouroboros Potions were outlawed, with Virgo and Katakuri being treated as criminals on their land. 'A perfect example of why I wanted Toma as an ally. It would be a pain to become an underground business.'

Joya was similar but different, with a reputation for its mining and ore exports. The small extremely mountainous kingdom had a population of smaller humanoids that Dante was sure originated from dwarves somewhere down the line. The king was a greedy and selfish man who wanted Ouroboros Potions to serve under his throne. Things didn't end well, although at least there was no standing order for their arrest on the kingdom's lands.

"Stir vigorously counterclockwise with pine nine times and heat the mixture to a boil for four minutes."

Other rulers, like the military-focused nation of Pengrande, whose king defends the eastern borders of Ishgar from the creatures of the main continent, and the strong-willed queen of Bosco who has to deal with the constant raids from the illegal slave trade nation of Stella, were a pleasure to deal with. The two took no crap from anyone, but neither put their citizens beneath them.

The two made orders, paid directly, and never caused a single issue. The greatest types of clients.

The last three were honorable clients.…if annoying to deal with.

The warrior king of Iceberg, the frozen kingdom famous for its raw lacrima crystal deposits, was a boisterous man who simply never stopped talking. Great man, a good ruler, a strong warrior with a hammer, and the biggest mouth in all of Ishgar.

The king and queen of Seven, the nation famous for magical engineering and enchanting, were endlessly curious research types. The number of attempts they make to question the process of his potions was downright annoying, but since they were made with personal interest and they never made an overt attempt to force anything, Dante didn't reject them as clients. 'Let them test my potions all they want; I'll gladly accept a crafting rival.'

The final ruler was the motherly queen of Minstrel, a nation famous for its silk production. A strong and cunning woman she might be, she had certain….qualities that sent shivers down Dante's spine when her hungry gaze landed on him. His disguise was stripped away just as with Toma and Jade, but without actually revealing his face to the queen. It was like standing before a prowling jaguar looking at you like a piece of juicy steak with a paper bag over your head.

Of the remaining six territories, Enca and Sin were lawless areas, considered the dumping grounds for all the criminal elements in the peninsula.

Midi was a tiny religious state that rejected magic.

Desierto was a massive desert populated by cowboy-style villages with no central government.

Stella was run by an organized crime organization that took over the previous monarchy and caused numerous problems to its neighbors. How they remained in power is very confusing and political.

Finally, Bellum was a territory famous for its naturally grown special types of lumber and run by artisan guilds that formed a Union. The Bellum Guild Union were a peaceful group that pursued their crafts through the use of magic. They took care of their own and had little interest in expanding outward, making fantastic trading partners with their neighbor Pengrande and helping supply them with the military resources to keep the eastern border secure.

Bellum happened to be the only one of the six monarchless lands that had Silver members among Dante's clients. They were the hard-ass crafter types who welcomed one of their own with open arms. 'I'd appreciate their council more if they stopped trying to get me into their Union. It's not like they're malicious but take a hint you bastards.'

They were his largest clients for buying quantities of low-grade potions to assist their crafters in their various fields.

"Add seven petals of a fresh rose that bloomed within the last three days."

Of his other Silver clients, the guild masters of the top five guilds of Fiore were among them. Makarov of Fairy Tail, Bob of Blue Pegasus, Goldmine of Quatro Cerberus, Jose of Phantom Lord, and Mistress I of Mermaid Heel.

The last one came as a surprise when Dante heard of her, but it solved a minor mystery from canon he was always curious about.

Among the rest of the Silver and Bronze clients were an assortment of business owners, mages, and guild leaders spread over the seven nations he operated in.

Which didn't include the connections built from past clients who left peacefully and small side jobs done for favors.

The only truly noteworthy members of the Silver members remaining were, surprisingly, a still acting council member of Fiore's magic council and two of the four gods of Ishgar.

The magic council of Fiore had been scrubbed heavily by Toma and Jade after their assassination attempt. Members were replaced, investigated, and in some cases jailed or executed for their actions. The chain of command had a heavy sweep, and the king put much heavier security on its members while restricting what they were capable of doing.

Dark guilds, especially, were given much less leniency.

But more or less, the council gained the members that held their seats during the canon timeline, and Dante wanted to keep an eye on them to see how things changed and turned out. Hence, Yajima, a former member of Fairy Tail, was accepted as a client, and Dante found the man quite pleasant.

As for two of the four top wizard saints of Ishgar, Dante owed a third member for such a coincidence.

While searching for a certain ingredient a year before, Dante ran into none other than Warrod while the man-tree was doing one of his environmental protection projects down in Desierto. The man was single-handedly stopping the desert's expansion.

Their meeting was coincidental, but the result was very satisfying for both of them.

Dante was sure the man had a few screws loose, but he was fascinated with how the man had been alive for centuries, his growth magic, and the stories the man would share.

Warrod greatly appreciated a young mage who could see ethernano in its pure form and connect with nature. The man dabbled in potion creation through his years and was more than happy to have someone to trade knowledge with.

The two spent a week in each other's company discussing various things, from life, to potions, to where certain ingredients grew, to philosophy, to studies of the nature of magic, and more.

Dante's disguise likewise failed within the first hour of meeting with the man, and he was sure he only lasted an hour because Warrod didn't deem to point it out sooner. The disguise wasn't perfect and wouldn't hold up to a discerning eye, as he was coming to realize, but as he grew stronger, the need for such a disguise grew less.

When the week passed, and they went their own ways, it was as friends and respected colleagues as researchers. Dante handed the man a Gold membership card without any hesitation.

And within the next half a year, Warrod dragged in his old friends Draculos Hyberion and Wolfheim to become members. Neither had met Dante in person, but they were reclusive as it was. They both complimented him on his cautiousness, well aware of what people would do to him if he were weak and in the open.

Draculos was a humble man, while Wolfheim was a stubborn grumpy old coot. Both were traditional old-school types of men, and Dante couldn't blame them since neither was under three hundred years old. 'I would ask them about their life spans, but I can't ever bring myself to do it considering they keep asking for potions to fix back pains, neck pains, and bladder issues. Even the legendary vampire and werewolf ancient magic styles aren't perfect it seems.'

His clients were truly varied, and Dante couldn't help but pat himself on the back for the all-star lineup he managed to build.

The only clients not mentioned were the handful of Gold members, but those were reserved for friends. Toma, Warrod, a very surprising manly addition, two close friends, and an annoying best fri…. "Yo! Bitch boy! Where you at?!" The front door of his home slammed open alongside the shout, and Dante sighed as he added the final tablespoon of powdered ginger root.

'Why do I hang out with this guy again?' He called over his shoulder in a semi-shout. "I'm on the balcony sparkles."

A flash of lightning appeared to Dante's right, and the foreign voice appeared much closer. "Oh~? Calling me that so quickly. You must have been feeling bored without a sparring partner pretty boy."

Dante didn't take his eyes off the potion as he calmly flipped off his guest. "Pretty boy huh? I didn't know you felt that way about me man, I'm sorry but I'm unfortunately taken and can't reciprocate."

The mana presence intensified as a dark chuckle rang out followed by cracking knuckles. "Them's fighting words you bastard."

"Maybe start with an actual greeting next time then you little shit." The cauldron's contents levitated out and entered a waiting space vial to hold its contents before Dante finally looked to his side.

Standing at around five foot ten, with dark-rimmed stormy grey eyes, a lightning bolt scar going over one eye toward his cheek, and shoulder-length spiky blonde hair reminiscent of his great grandfather, was a seventeen-year-old Laxus Dreyar, only a few months shy of his own age, and Dante's first real guy friend in this world. Laxus wore his customary magic headphones around his neck, but contrary to his large framed mature self, he was still a bit on the side with baggy pants and a double-layered shirt.

The two stared each other down as their mana pressure crashed and fought for dominance for a minute before the two smirked and clasped hands. "Good to see you bro." "Yeah, it's been a while."

Dante levitated the finished potion vial into his lab to sit on a stand with a wave of his hand as he went over to a mini fridge. "So what brought you over this time? Couldn't find anyone to pick a fight with?"

The ease with which Dante passed off the fighting intent and handed the guy a chilled glass bottle while plopping down on a couch took the wind out of Laxus's sails.

The guy sighed as he sat across from his friend. "Yeah, yeah, maybe I was looking for a fight. Your lack of intent throws me off every time man."

Dante chuckled and waved a hand. "It's your own fault for being so used to that rowdy Fairy Tail lifestyle. I told you a dozen times that you shouldn't leak intent unless you want your target to be ready for you. A quick and sudden strike from behind a calm persona is the way to go."

Laxus scoffed at those words. "Bah, screw off with that crap. It's more fun to get up in their face and see them rise up to the challenge or quiver like a leaf and fuck off."

Dante internally rolled his eyes. 'I get that most mages don't go for the kill so easily, but they lack a certain edge that fighting in the wild teaches you. Not that he isn't powerful, but Laxus could be so much more.'

His friend eyed the bottle in his hand and popped the lid with his thumb. "Not that I mind, but are we really drinking this early? I thought we had plans for the day?"

Dante's hand twitched as he realized what day it was. 'Fuck, I completely forgot that was today.' His twitch didn't go unnoticed as Laxus gave him a glare. "You forgot, didn't you?"

Dante coughed into his hand and denied. "Not at all, why do you think you drinking fruit juice right now?"

Laxus eyed the bottle again and took a sip before giving a grudging nod; the man had a weakness for orange juice few knew. Meanwhile, Dante internally thanked his lover for replacing his outdoor mini fridge with nonalcoholic drinks so he wouldn't drink on the job. 'I think I owe her an apology for whining about that one.'

Laxus gave him a considering look. "Well, I guess you did remember. It's not every day you of all people drink juice."

Dante gave him a flat stare. "I don't drink that often man."

Laxus barked out a laugh in return. "Yeah, ok. That's like saying my guild has a grudge against alcohol. You have your own fucking distillery for a reason dude."

Dante raised a finger to argue his case before pausing and considering the statement. 'Maybe he has a point.' His years of drinking constitution potions had boosted his body's durability and toxin resistance to low dragon slayer levels. His organs, such as his liver, were enhanced, making the effects of alcohol much less effective on him. Combine that with a love of good booze and a profession that revolves around combining new things to make various liquids, and you have a recipe for a heavy drinker.

It doubly didn't help that Virgo had an even stronger constitution and also enjoyed a good drink, so with neither of them easily intoxicated, they tended to drink a lot.

"Eh whatever, point to you. Not like you don't enjoy the free drinks."

"I never said I didn't. This and that are different things."

The two shared a laugh. "So how you been man? I think I saw something about you in the news the other day."

Laxus shrugged. "Not too bad, I'm recovering my reputation after that year of being banned from A-class missions, but I'm still aggravated about the two year ban on taking the S-class exam. Before meeting you I might have been more pissed off about it, but now it's just annoying, I'm fucking bored."

Dante winced in sympathy at the memory of how he got that punishment.

The two of them met a little over a year before when 'Katakuri' filed a mission request for an S-class lightning magic focused mage to accompany him to a Danger Zone called 'Thunder Mountain.'

Dante needed a type of bamboo that grows at the peak and absorbs nutrients from lightning strikes, but the entire mountain was crawling with giant thunder salamanders, not even mentioning the spontaneous lightning that rains over the mountain like literal raindrops.

He could have gone alone, but he wasn't arrogant enough to admit it would take him a lot more time and effort to reach his goal solo. So he put in the request to get a helping hand, and to his surprise, a sixteen-year-old Laxus showed up.

Not really knowing what to do about it, Dante just shrugged and accepted the help as the two went along.

Whether it was overconfidence in his own abilities or his metaknowledge making him think Laxus was as strong as his older self, the two were in for a rude awakening as the mountain showed them why it was labeled a Danger Zone.

The journey up the mountain was difficult as the lightning charges only increased in intensity the higher you went, and then Laxus, the arrogant fuck, had to go challenge a giant salamander to get a thrill. What soon became obvious was that the magic creatures were in fact very united against intruders and before the first one fell, a dozen more swarmed them.

It took six hours of running and fighting before they could find a cave to hide in and recuperate their wounds. Dante's disguise having fallen away in the fighting and Laxus too injured to give a fuck. The two bonded a bit through the fighting and recovery as they talked.

Dante admitting his identity while Laxus admitting he wasn't actually an S-class mage yet. He stole the mission when he saw the lightning focused job, just like Natsu did in canon. He went off on a rant more than explained that his grandfather was stifling him after his father got the boot.

Unlike canon, or perhaps in tune with canon, Laxus fully understood how much of a bastard his father was. He never forgave the man for the pain caused by forcibly implanting a dragon lacrima into his young ten-year-old self. And that's not to mention the fact that Makarov actually showed Laxus a few pictures of what was left of Ivan's 'experiments.' Many of whom were former civilians of Magnolia and even a couple members of his guild that Laxus had spoken with before.

It wasn't said all at once, but Dante pieced together the picture over the course of the week the two spent on the mountain, the teens a bit delirious from their injuries and the side effects of the potions healing them.

But it wasn't his father's actions that made him change but living in his grandfather's shadow that did it. He wanted to be his own man, his own name, and slightly even prove to his grandfather that he was S-class material.

And to be fair, he was S-class in combat ability at least. He and Laxus were rivals in a way, as their fights could always go either way. Laxus was physically stronger, his magic much more powerful, and his dragon slayer magic only amplified that to another level.

But Dante was physically faster, and his numerous ways of both striking quick and being ruthless with chains or potions, or simply dragging things out and wearing the guy down, could take the wind out of his sails.

So for the two sixteen-year-olds who were confident in their strength at the time, getting their asses kicked all over that mountain helped humble them a good bit. It gave them pause to take a step back and look at their abilities questioningly. They brainstormed and fought enough times since then to develop a strong respect for the other and naturally became each other's best guy friend.

To summarize that first trip, the two made it to the top, fought the alpha lightning salamander, got the bamboo, and crashed for three days in a hot spring village before Virgo got fed up waiting and came to collect Dante just as Makarov had arrived to grill – step on him with a giants foot - his grandson. The comparison of their treatments was not lost on Laxus, who could hold a petty grudge.

Especially since Dante could sense Makarov's massive mana signature approaching like an angry titan and left Laxus with a Gold lacrima card before grabbing his lover and vanishing in a teleport back home.

Laxus got stuck with a ban on taking the S-class exam for two years while being limited to B-class jobs at the max for a year. If the old man expected Laxus to rant and rave, he was surprised to see him humbly accept the punishment without much of a fight.

The two friends met up every once in a while to hang out, go on unrecorded jobs so he wouldn't get in trouble, and spar to push themselves, so Laxus never felt like he was really losing anything with his punishment except his public reputation.

He was also the first guest Dante had at his home. All his Gold members have been to his home at least once by that point. Brought through a single-use teleportation circle invitation, Jade and Toma visited on two occasions to visit. The royals took a shine to Dante and Virgo as they enjoyed having another couple to relax around.

Warrod himself had come out once and reinforced Dante and Virgo's home by running his magic through the tree.

His few friends had visited a few times, but only Laxus held a pass to reach Dante's territory by teleportation. The rest had no idea where his home was beyond knowing it was inside the Mirage Mountains.

Dante finished his drink and pointed a finger at his friend. "Yeah, I'm not sorry you had to go through that. If what you told me of your personality before we met was any indication, you needed a good ole fashion ass beating just as much as I did."

Laxus scoffed but didn't argue the point. "Whatever. You ready for today?"

Dante nodded and tossed his bottle into a trash bin. "Yup. I've been trying to find this Ink-mage for years and our drinking buddy just so happened to bring the artists up a few weeks ago. I almost strangled the drunk but I needed him to set up an appointment for us."

Laxus sent a smirk his way. "'Wanted to' eh? I was there jackass and you left him with half a dozen injections from that annoying weapon of yours."

Dante waved a hand carelessly. "I said I didn't strangle him, not that I didn't take out some frustration. And don't word it that way, it comes off wrong. Besides, the bastard didn't go down without a fight, my ribs were bruised for a week."

"You can't say it wasn't funny."

"Maybe a little, but you dicks left me to clean up the bar."

"Sorry, I wasn't able to out drink you two freaks and still be able to walk in a straight line, let alone clean a fucking bar."

Dante looked down his nose at his friend. "Weak."

Laxus sparked dangerously with a twitch. "I've been wanting a snakeskin wallet…."

Dante smirked but didn't rise to the bait. "You got your design ready?"

Laxus grunted in agreement and laid back with a sigh. "Yeah, took a while to think of it, its nothing big as your planning but this shit was never my strong suit."

"And the affects you chose?"

"Protection from mind fuckery magic and increased affinity to my lightning mana."

Dante hummed at that. "You really don't want to branch out beyond lightning? You know you can't reverse this right?"

Laxus scoffed and closed his eyes to enjoy the sun. "I'll never be as skilled with versatility as you man. My style has always been loud and proud, lightning is my way to go. Besides, there's a hell of a lot of branch magic for lightning spells."

Dante shrugged in ignorance at that. He studied a lot about magic, but that didn't make him all-knowing about things. He never put much effort into studying specifically lightning spells so he wouldn't get in Laxus's face about it.

Today was a day Dante had been planning on for years. It was the day he found a rumored Ink-Mage who was a real expert compared to the amateur that worked on Dante's wrist Requip tattoo. The mage had hidden for the exact reason Dante wanted them for: magic tattoos. A highly dangerous act that, with one wrong smidge, could cripple a mage for life. One mistake in the design and the mana pathways could be occupied for the rest of your life. And even when it works, there is always a price to pay. Thankfully, money talks and tripling the mage's rates did the trick to do it quietly and forget it ever happened after they were done.

Dante twirled a marble-sized ball of water between his fingers as he thought about it. "What do you think the others will get?"

Laxus waved a hand casually. "Honestly? I wouldn't be surprised if everyone wants the mind fuckery protection. After you explained the various kinds of mind and control magics, I think everyone shivered at least once thinking about the scenario."

Dante nodded seriously. "It's a legitimate concern. But I was talking about the personal choices."

Laxus shrugged. "For the drunk I'd say something to enhance his liver heh. The others? No idea. Probably something cosmetic for the blond."

Dante shaped the marble-sized ball of water into a snake as he absentmindedly played with it. "Heh, yeah, I would put money on that one."

Magic tattoos were quite literally spell formulas branded on the body and molded to the mana pathways to function as mediums for holder magic. You couldn't just slap a spell formula from a book on your body; the body wasn't a flat canvas, and who even knew if the one who drew the formula in the book was as precise in each stroke of a pen to make things exactly right.

Dante only got his Requip tattoo after a heavy study into the Requip storage spell, and he only stepped forward with his idea after he could actually cast the spell on his own first. Further, he had to adjust the formula he knew worked to fit his actual body.

The reason the two could discuss choosing what they wanted was because Dante made a trade with the king and queen of seven for a research journal on their studies of magic tattoos.

The journal had the precise formulas of dozens of spells that their dedicated research teams had gone over and verified the use of. Many were implemented into their military forces, but just as many were tossed away not for lack of usability but for lack of mana.

Having a magic tattoo came with downsides. Not only the risk in getting it, but if you decided to increase your affinity to a specific element, you would make it that much more difficult to cast any other elemental spells.

Affinity here references a mage's ability to convert neutral mana into the elemental mana needed for their branch of magic. As well as a mage's sensitivity to the element itself and their learning curve in delving into that path of magic. In no way does it add actual power to a spell.

Although very few ever really branch out to more than their particular branch of caster or holder magic, to those who getting the tattoo would matter to, it's more common to find those who branch out slightly.

If you chose the wrong boost, you could make the journey to a tier 3 mage take centuries instead of decades.

There was also the matter of the upkeep cost, as even when not in use, a spell formula carved into the mana pathways will still absorb internal mana at low levels. To the weaker grades of mages, such a thing could cripple them in a fight. Although, if they had the patience to do what Dante did and take a hit to their mana while fighting physically for years, they could greatly expand their mana pools.

Dante was a special case on account for, well…. Everything. The potions, the training environment, the thick ethernano in the air, the mana-draining fog, Virgo nearby to pull him out of danger, and the list goes on.

So to Dante and his friends, each S-class in ability, if not name, they were more than capable of handling a magic tattoo or two. Each had chosen options from the research journal, and now with the best Ink-mage around on board, they could finally go through with it.

Laxus passively eyed Dante's hand, seeing a detailed water snake moving through his fingers and internally respecting his friend for the dedicated mana control such an action requires. "What about you man? You said something about enhancing your senses?"

Dante focused back on his friend and waved his free hand in a 'so-so' gesture. "Kinda. You can look inward at your mana and core right?"

Laxus nodded. "Yeah, gramps made me focus on that when I was young. It was only when I started taking more jobs that I realized most low grade mages didn't even know about it."

Dante snapped his fingers, and a trail of flame shaped into a snake formed to join the water snake. "Yeah, I noticed the same thing. Virgo told me there had been empires that made it standard knowledge in the distant past, but I guess things just changed with the eras. Nowadays, it's not exactly hidden, but you have to either be a natural at it or learn from someone who does know. You can't advance your caster magic without it, so holder mages are mostly entirely ignorant of it as well."

Laxus processed that and shook his head. "Damn, it's always weird to think how old that maid of yours is."

Dante chuckled. "I know what you mean, don't let her hear that though, not sure what she would do to someone besides me saying it."

Laxus shivered and rubbed at goosebumps on his arms absentmindedly. "Dude, don't joke about that. Do you even know the rumors that go around about what she's done to people?"

Dante shrugged uncaringly. "Nah, she's my adorable and sexy love of my life. I know her well enough to not want to know that kind of information."

Laxus huffed and kicked his feet up on the table. "You know your weird right?"

Dante laughed and made the mini water and fire snakes hiss at his friend. "I'd rather not hear that from someone who gets his kicks off punching things with lightning, but then again, when was being normal fun?"

Laxus joined in the laughter. "Touché."

The two calmed down a minute later as Dante continued. "Anyway, so yeah, you can see inward to your mana and core. When I was first learning that on my own, I tried looking outward as well. Whether I was lucky or just naturally sensitive to it, I succeeded and was able to 'see,' for lack of a better word, the world around me in its natural ethernano state. I could see the raw particles flowing into things, see it change colors depending on the elements, see how it is absorbed, converted, and reverted. It's quite beautiful and serene, and it helped tremendously on my survivability rate as well as my potion craft."

Laxus calmly absorbed that in deep thought. "Isn't that similar to the mana sonar technique? I learned that one from a book in the guild library. It's not a spell with a formula, but just a way to pulse your mana outward to see if anything is nearby, as well as recognize familiar mana signatures. Gramps said it was a staple technique for veteran S-class mages."

Dante pointed a finger up and made the twin snakes intertwine without directly touching. "Exactly. I read about the sonar as well. If you wanted to put things in stages, energy sensing for mages could be marked into seeing inward, sensing mana outward, sensing energy outward, and seeing outward.

For most mages, they have to learn to see inward first. Then they learn how to sense mana outward like a sonar. Then they need to learn to sense raw ethernano outward. And finally, they learn to see outward.

If there are further stages, no one has told me or written it down where I could find it. Hell, I accidentally stepped into the seeing outward the first day I awakened my magic, so I completely skipped the process, but from what I hear, learning to see inward usually makes one blind to sensing outward, making the learning process much harder as it progresses.

Of course, there are those mages with an enhanced sense of hearing, smell, sight, and so on that rely on their own tricks, but for the general mages, that's how they go about it."

Laxus hummed while rubbing his chin. "Thanks for the lecture, at least it gives me something new to focus on."

Dante rolled his eyes. "Oh fuck off."

Laxus chuckled. "So why did you explain all that again?"

Dante sighed. "Right, went on a tangent there. Anyway, I'm looking to get a boost to seeing outward. I've hit a wall in training and can't seem to see further than fifty meters in a circle around me. It doesn't seem to be related to my mana pool as I have a passive spell that can sense out to a kilometer if I push it, and my mana control is….well, you can see that for yourself." He gestured to the little snakes in his hand made of fire and water, which he had intertwined tight enough to have no gaps without the fire or water affecting the other.

Laxus hummed in respect. "Yeah, I can see that you show off. So you want to see farther? Whats the point?"

Dante's eyes shined. "I can't really explain it without you experiencing it yourself. Its like you have this domain around you where nothing can sneak up on you if your aware enough. You can just know where things are as long as energy is flowing through it, and since ethernano happens to be within 99.9% of everything on this planet, its quite accurate."

"Point."

He went on. "Further, its incredibly useful for meditation, crafting, and understanding magic more. I used the way I saw ethernano flow in nature to form my own mana pathways on instinct the first day I awakened my magic and its been one hell of a foundation to build on."

Laxus grumbled at that. "Fucking bullshit cheat. Do you know how much of a pain in the ass it was to fix the fucking mess I made of my mana pathways?! I formed them when I was fricken nine, they looked like an abstract art case! It took years to fix that shit."

Dante made a finger gun pose. "What can I say, some of us have skills others don't. Intelligence was not your friend."

Laxus sparked violently. "Ok, that's it!"

Dante laughed and backflipped off the couch to dodge a lightning-fast punch that was carefully controlled to not actually damage the furniture. One stare down from that crazy maid was enough for Laxus for life.

"Whats wrong sparky? Your looking a little energized there."

The voltage increased instantly as Dante, knowing who he was dealing with and already moving before the bolt passed by him, jumped off his balcony into the trees with his laughter trailing behind him. Laxus growled and chased his frenemy. "Get back here and take your beating like a man!"

The two raced through the trees at speeds that generated high winds. "Man? You were blushing like a schoolgirl when that waitress flirted with you!"

Laxus's eyes turned white. "Forget the snakeskin wallet, I'm making a fucking jacket!"

"Oh you want to wear me around you? Should have just said so sparky! I got hugs for day!"

"GRAH!"

It took two hours of them sparring before the two young men got back to the balcony covered in dirt, minor wounds, and rags for clothes.

The two friends were laughing loudly at how a few of the local snake kids decided to jump into the brawl and make a chaotic fight even wilder.

In a mix of lightning, fire, water, clinging chains, scales, feathers, and fangs, the two mages went on a wild rollercoaster of a live action obstacle course. The fact that their actions seemed like roughhousing to the Occamy and Runespoor kids went unsaid as said kids tried to catch the two faster humans.

"I swear man, those kids of yours are crazy for magic beasts. What the hell are you feeding them?"

Dante shrugged. "A potion here or there may wind up in their diet, but I think they benefit more from the mana rich meat of the beasts in the mirage mountains. I've been studying that and it seems like the whole survival of the fittest really means eating your enemies makes you stronger for them. Human biology isn't effected the same way. I even…"

Laxus's larger hand shoved Dante's face away. "Enough with your theoretical crap! My brain is fried as it is."

Dante rolled his eyes. "Meh, you just can't appreciate intelligent curiosity for mysteries."

Laxus's dry stare bored into the back of Dante's head as he ignored his friend with a smirk and walked inside. "Come on, we we're supposed to meet up at five."

His friend grumbled and followed, ever so grumpy. "Yeah, yeah, it matter which shower I use?"

Dante shook his head. "Nah, just use the usual room you sleep in when you're here. There should be a change of clothes that can fit you in there."

The two walked casually through the hall to split up and clean up. Laxus called over his shoulder. "Where the hell do you even buy your clothes? I can never find shit like this in Magnolia."

Dante shrugged. "Virgo may be ancient, but some things are universal with women, and she owns everything I own as far as I care, so my bank account is hers."

Laxus scoffed in amusement; there was something just teeth rottenly wholesome about that couple. The idea of being so committed and loyal to someone else appealed to him with a shiver of desire, but he was a while away from finding such a person.

Dante's parting comment made him shiver in a different way. "And that was before our blond friend got her claws in me." The hollow and dead words sent a new wave of respect through Laxus for his best friend. Although the thought of said blond took his thoughts to weird places, he shook it off as hormones and went to get cleaned up.

Dante used his own shower on the fourth floor and grabbed a more open outfit for the outing. Looking through his magically expanded dresser, he couldn't help but fondly smile at everything being folded and separated neatly for every style of clothes he had. 'Damn woman, gone half a day and I miss you already.'

Virgo took the day to go visit some friends in the Celestial Realm. Despite the initial contract starting off by saying she could take a single day off a week, that clause got thrown right out the window when the two ignored the days off to stay together anyway. As far as Dante was concerned, she could take a day off whenever she wanted, not that she took them often. He had to word it to her as employee benefits, which was a loophole he threw in the contract to give her more freedom. In Dante's mind, all the days off she skipped were accumulative, so her employee benefits clause meant she could take any day off until she ran out.

Feelings of love and affection transferred over the bond like a river, breaking Dante from his thoughts and making him chuckle. {Sorry love, got lost in thought.}

Her voice rang back with only a slight delay from the time difference. {I'm always with you my love. I'll be back tonight.}

He smiled and threw on the clothes. {No rush; enjoy your time. Feel free to grab any drinks for your friends; I put out a barrel of your favorite this morning.}

She didn't verbally respond, but the emotion sent back was all he needed as an answer. He slightly chastised himself as he closed the dresser. 'I might not be broadcasting my thoughts, but I really should get better at controlling my emotions.'

Ever since the bond was first formed, Dante learned how to think normally without sending his thoughts to Virgo. Nowadays, he actively pokes the mental connection to speak to her. But the bond was so strong that it was practically impossible to shut off the emotional connection. The more one thought of the other, the easier the emotions slipped through to be felt by the other.

His reflection in the mirror caught his gaze, and he shook his head with a wry smile. 'Sometimes I can't believe this is really my life.'

He threw a fresh shirt on and closed the dresser just as Laxus's voice called up from below. "Yo Dante! We gotta go or we're going to be late!"

'Yeah, yeah.' He stopped in a storage room to grab a flying carpet and met Laxus by the door. Together the two of them took the teleportation gate to the mark in the forest of Magnolia.

With ten marks spread around the nations Dante had clients in, one was set near Magnolia for convenience since it was close to many other towns and since Dante knew that many future events would happen there.

The marks were placed on marble blocks and buried deep in the ground. The blocks themselves set with a dozen safety measures.

The two popped out and jumped on the flying carpet as Dante set course for the town. He grabbed two bottles of blackberry mead and tossed one to his friend. "We got about twenty minutes of fly time, get comfortable."

Laxus shrugged and popped the cap.

"So now you don't care about early drinking huh?"

"Oh shut it, that was hours ago. Besides, you know damn well you make the best ale around. I still don't know whether to hate you or thank you for making the regular mugs I used to drink at the guild taste like piss in comparison."

Dante shrugged. So what if he had his own distillery, magic about making liquids, and a desire to rip off fantasy booze ideas from various anime and games for his own pleasure. "I'll take it as a compliment."

Laxus's grumbles rang out for a while before the guy recalled something and sent a smirk Dante's way. "Oh right, I may or may not have set a blood thirsty shark after you, completely by accident of course."

At Dante's raised brow, his friend went on. "Remember those liquor sample assortment you sent the other day?"

Dante took a sip of his drink and nodded. "Yeah, I wanted you opinion on what worked and didn't work."

Laxus tried to suppress a laugh. "About that, I left the bottles on a table when I went to the bathroom and came back to find my guilds resident alcohol enthusiast giving me a death glare after emptying each one. That little girl who usually ignored me had the balls to stand up to me and demand my source; I was actually impressed.

I didn't say anything about you, but that girl is as relentless as a bear that smells honey when it comes to booze. She nagged me for days till I just decided to throw you under the bus and tell her I got it from Ouroboros potions and directed her toward gramps since he's a Silver member of yours."

Dante sighed at the story. 'It's not like I can't sell booze, but I'm a potion master damn it, why do people keep requesting my liquor?! How many damn alcoholics are in this world?'

It was still something that nagged at him that despite all his efforts as a genius and revolutionary potioneer spreading unheard-of potions, it was the day he randomly threw a couple barrels of various liquors he made in excess on clearance that his reputation practically doubled overnight.

He got so many orders for booze he had to make a new section on the menu list just for liquor. Even if it took a clients only slot for the month, some went for the booze over an actual potion.

Dante pulled out his journal and opened it to a dedicated page for a list of names of the more extreme type of people who are trying to hunt him down for assorted reasons. At least non-malicious ones. Those had their own list, and said list didn't tend to stay full long.

He added a new line. "Name, profession, and age?"

It wasn't that he didn't suspect who Laxus referred to, but she would have been eleven at this point, and he hoped she wasn't that bad.

Laxus smirked and held up his empty bottle. Dante rolled his eyes and tossed him two. One for now and one he threw in a small pouch at his waist. Very few put in the time and effort to get a Requip space, but most S-class mages had some sort of enchanted item for small item storage. It was an essential tool for the weight class.

He popped open the new bottle with a happy smile and absentmindedly answered. "Cana Alberona, Card mage, and fifteen years old."

Dante paused in his writing. 'Fifteen? Wasn't she supposed to be eleven? Another divergence from canon? She's already the seventh person with a different age I've met... wait, that's not the main point here.'

"How the hell is a fifteen-year-old girl that heavy of a drinker?!" He really considered filing child support on the guild if the adults turned a blind eye to a young girl getting wasted every day.

Laxus shrugged at that one. "No idea man. She was strangely obsessed with ale ever since she first tried it. My gramps and a few others tried to wean her off it but she probably just started doing it where no one could see. After a few events, the guild just decided to watch over her where they could see her rather than the alternative."

He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I admit even I was a bit concerned for a bit, and you know my thoughts on brats, but that girl is putting grown men down in drinking contests. Whatever kind of physique she has, it seems to run off booze at this point. She's not a bad person, but Cana is the type who would sell her father for a barrel of rum kinda girl. So yeah, have fun with that."

Dante damn near choked on his drink at that last line. 'Damn if that isn't an accurate statement. In canon her drinking issues started from a result of her frustration at herself and Gildarts. Combine that with that mans insane genes and I guess it makes sense in a weird way. Maybe I could help her with that? Who knows, it's not my problem for today.'

He added her to the list and paused as he shut and dismissed the book. "Wait a sec, you gave me a detailed report on that liquor sampler I sent you. I was wondering what put you in such a good mood to actually write me so much, but if you didn't drink it…."

Laxus laughed. "Yeah, that wasn't me dude. I told her it was a job and she felt bad so she wrote her own answers to what she thought of each drink."

Dante's brow twitched at his friends 'help,' but then he hummed and rubbed his chin in thought. "Those were some great answers; maybe I could…." He trailed off as Laxus pointed down. "Oi, we're here, don't space out and overshoot it again."

Dante gave him the finger. "I did it one time, let it go."

"One time? Dude, we were passed out drunk and you overshot the destination by five hours! We were over the goddamn ocean. And something was trying to eat us!"

"Oh poor baby, one little giant sea monster tried to eat you. Grow a pair, I was twelve when a giant monster first tried to eat me."

"That's not the point I was trying to make!"

"Well it's the point the stuck out, maybe try going for a camping trip in the Mirage Mountains, put some hair on that chest."

"You don't have hair on your chest."

"It's a figure of speech."

"Your about to do a figure T with my foot up your ass."

"Kinky, save that for your girlfriend…oh right…."

"You wanna go?!"

"Bite me Scarface!"

The two dropped down in an alley behind their destination and went to punch each other, only for a ball of flesh to twirl and damn near sparkle into existence between the two, getting a punch to each cheekbone as it smashed into a wall with a cry of 'Men!'

The two friends paused fist out with befuddled looks. ""What the fuck.""

"Did a sparkly goblin spawn in this exact spot and moment?"

Laxus scoffed. "You play to many games dude." He peered into the rubble and saw a chin sticking out. "Oh, it's just Ichiya."

Dante hit his fist into a palm. "Oh, easy mix up."

The two nodded in understanding and turned left to leave the alley. They made it to the exit just as the rubble exploded and Ichiya, man among men, popped out with a twirl. "Friends! It's wonderful to smell your lovely parfums!"

While the smoke was clearing, Dante elbowed his friend. "Oi, pretend to knock me out and I'll give you a barrel of that drink."

Laxus processed that quickly with a grimace but held up two fingers. "Two barrels."

Dante grit his teeth but nodded, and Laxus slugged him into a wall. He let himself fall and get caught by Laxus, who threw him over his shoulder.

Just in time as well as the smoke cleared, and Ichiya's eyes landed on the two.

Ichiya was a long standing friend of Dante's and a Gold member, but how he got that membership was different from the rest. The man's perfume magic was scary good at tracking scents, and when Dante first met him and guild master Bob, the man got Katakuri's scent. After that, he kept popping up in cities Dante would go to with his 'Men' 'Men' 'Men' speech impediment, and he eventually lost his shit.

He flipped the table, the street under the table, and even the bedrock, and then buried the four-foot-tall midget underneath it all. Only after calming down and being confronted by a giant muscled Ichiya did he realize his disguise was gone in his rage.

Thankfully, no one else was around. Annoyingly, Ichiya was a pretty loyal and friendly guy. It took a few hours for Dante to just give him a gold card and get out of there before he really tried to stab the smaller man.

After a while, he found the troll hilarious, but that went right out the window when he was the target of Ichiya's interest.

Ichiya took a look at Dante over Laxus's shoulder and rushed over in a twirl. "Oh no! My friend! What injustice has been brough upon your masterful Parfum."

Laxus tried to cover this one. "Yo Ichiya, he's just taking a quick nap, what brought you around these parts?"

Ichiya eyed them both seriously before striking a pose. "Men, young Jenny invited me out to this wonderful outing. I was refilling some of my important ingredients for my manly perfumes at the wonderful shop next door when I sensed your arrival. You both greeted me so enthusiastically; I was overwhelmed for but a moment."

Laxus and Dante shared a thought of strangling that blond.

Ichiya did a rapid spin and brought out a vial. "And not to worry, I shall have young Dante awake in but a moment."

His eyes flashed with an unholy light as he reached for the cork. "Perfume magic! Manly armpit smelling wake up parfum!"

In an action that might have broken the sound barrier, Dante kicked his friend into the wall he previously occupied and pretended to yawn. "Ah~! I'm up! What a wonderful nap. Oh, Ichiya my friend, is that you?"

"Men! What a wonderfully powerful wake up." He spun and did a finger pose. "My friend, Dante, it is wonderful to see you once more. Your parfum is as manly as ever."

Dante twitched and tried to think of how to respond while Laxus groaned and pulled himself off the wall. He sent Dante a heated glare but just let it go as his friend saved him from having to smell….that horror.

"Er… yeah, it's a surprise to see you here."

Laxus grunted and came back over. "Yeah, yeah, greetings and all that. If he's here to join then he's here, let's head in before we're late."

Dante nodded at the point and the two semi-ignored Ichiya's poetic response. The street they were on was filled with shops run by mages.

Small's Perfumed Parchments, Scented Sorcery, Walaric's Cloak Boutique, Wild Wizardry, Spotless Scrolls, Dreux's Blissful Botanics, Untested Trinkets.

Random small-time business's by mages who took paths besides combat. The shop they approached was aptly named 'Inkjection.'

The door jingled as they opened it and came into a classic tattoo parlor you would expect to see. Grey hardwood floors, swiveling leather chairs, work tables filled with bottles of colored ink, and picture frames of dozens of previous tattoo jobs done inside the shop.

The only thing out of place was a smallish bar at the back of the shop where their friend was waiting. "Yo! What took you guys so long?"

Laxus scoffed as they made their way inside. "Blame snake boy, he just has to pick a fight every time." He made a tiny head nod with his chin, and the new member looked over to see Ichiya and choked on his drink.

"Ah! This parfum! Young Bacchus, such a wild parfum as always!"

Bacchus was a tall, muscular, tan-skinned guy with straight black hair kept in a Chinese-style bun. He had slanted eyes with black pupils circled by lighter irises, each bearing five irregular black forms below it. He wore brown earrings and casual sweats while a gourd filled with booze was strapped to his waist.

The guy's brow twitched as he held up his mug to Ichiya. "Always happy to be called wild, man; good to see you too."

Bacchus was the second guy friend Dante made. Another S-class guy at seventeen being held back from the official rank by his master to let him mature mentally.

The two met the same as how he met Laxus, but instead of taking an S-class job, he took an A-class job that was horribly mislabeled. Dante needed a mushroom that grew underground in a place called the Mole Pit. It was inhabited by giant blind moles who sensed prey through vibrations in the ground.

The latest information was that only a single colony of moles was active. The reality was a dozen colonies. It was all fun and games until you stepped into a dark cavern and suddenly noticed hundreds of pale eyes glowing in the dark surrounding you.

It was a week-long arduous bonding experience for the two young men, and they left as good friends. He was a chill and loyal guy up until he got pissed drunk and went full martial artist/berserker combo on whoever was around him.

He got up and greeted everyone. "You ready for this guys?"

"Been waiting for it for a while. You?"

"Hell yeah man, I've been amped up for this wild experience."

Laxus pulled out a chair and sat down. "What two options did you decide to go with? Dante and I have a bet on it."

Bacchus smirked. "Mind fuckery and regen enhancement."

Dante and Laxus groaned in tune. "Fuck, I thought you would go for a toxin resistance."

"Fuck that, it would take the kick off my drinks. I don't want to be like snake boy here and make it hella hard to get my rocks off."

Dante flipped him off. "If I really wanted to get wasted I could just make a potion for it."

He chuckled at that. "Fair, still not my style. We got you as our golden goose if we needed something temp."

Dante shrugged. "Also fair. Regen is good for a guy like you. The faster you heal, the faster you can get stronger."

Laxus scoffed from the side. "Ha! He just wants less hangovers."

Bacchus made a finger gun gesture. "He's got me there. It's a little of both."

They all chuckled at that while Dante looked around. "So where's Jenny and this artist?"

Bacchus shrugged. "She got here before me and went into the back to iron out the design she wanted. Girl's gotta be careful with her money maker you know."

A curtain to the side drew back as said young woman stuck her head out. "My money maker is my fists you mutt; my body is my vanity."

Jenny Realight, a seventeen-year-old young woman renowned throughout Fiore for her beauty. A celebrity with a natural predisposition for the spotlight and a fierce woman who knew what she wanted and grabbed it by the balls.

She was one of the first age-changed characters from canon Dante ran into, and one he ended up befriending in another weird event.

Her smiling face without a single flaw, using not an ounce of makeup, beamed at the group with her wavy flowing blond hair framing her face. She flew out of the back and threw her arms around Dante in a hug. "Dante! It's been too long." She kissed his cheek in greeting, and he returned the gesture.

"It has. Your beauty just keeps growing every time we meet."

She laughed and slapped his chest lightly. "Oh~ such a flatterer as always. Where's that lucky girl of yours?"

"With some friends at the moment."

She sent him a wink. "Maybe I'll just steal you then."

Dante laughed and gently pushed her back. "Not a chance Jen, go find your own lover."

She pouted up at him. "Boo~, where am I supposed to find a guy like you."

A disgruntled grunt from the side rang out, and the two turned to a twitching Laxus. Jenny covered her mouth with a hand and faked her surprise. "Oh! Laxus sweety, I didn't see you there."

He sparked dangerously, and everyone laughed at his reaction. Jenny pulled him into a hug and kiss greeting before he could lose his temper.

Dante smiled at the two. When he first met Jenny, she came on strong and even wanted to join Virgo and him in their relationship. It took a while, but she eventually calmed down seeing how devoted the two were to each other and saw no room for herself. He found it very amusing that a year later, she and Laxus would be flirting around each other.

"Oi bro, can I get a drink." Bacchus gave him a wave, and he shrugged before tossing the guy a bottle of the blackberry mead he and Laxus were drinking earlier.

"Much obliged." He popped the cap and went to take a chug, but before he could make it that far, Ichiya's head appeared faster than a Redditor could meme a movie, and placed his nose ON the bottle lid. "What a fascinating parfum! The tantalizing blackberry, the strong hint of honey, the aroma of the oak barrels used for what must have been decades! The combination of smells and ingredients work in perfect harmony with the rich mana to create an explosive symphony! Men!"

He posed legs up in the air in a V, miming an explosion, and four pairs of eyes bled internally at the visual experience. A sound of glass breaking came from Bacchus as he robotically handed Ichiya the bottle. "All yours man. I just realized I didn't want a drink."

Ichiya frowned and took the bottle. "Nonsense young Bacchus! We must celebrate this glorious creation among friends! Join me brothers and sisters, for we shal-"

"Would you shut up for one fucking moment?!"

Laxus jumped the midget and got a closeup wink with a heart-shaped projectile sent his way for his troubles.

Dante stood back and watched the chaos explode as Jenny tried to hold Laxus back while Ichiya kept rapidly posing and Bacchus questioned his life choices to drink.

The curtain opening a second time got his attention as he turned and almost choked on his spit at the sight of the ink mage they all came to see. Standing before him was a real life replica of Revy from Black Lagoon, a crazy badass chick who put a bullet through a skull for looking at her the wrong way.

"Whats with all the noise?" She nudged her chin at the bar where Ichiya was spinning on his head and saying something manly to Bacchus while Jenny explained why she invited the guy.

Dante composed himself quickly and responded with a casual smile. "Nothing, we're just meeting up for the first time in a while is all. Should I assume you're the owner of this shop?"

She gave him a smirk showing sharp canines and nodded. "You got that right handsome, the names Revy. And I'm assuming your that dumb fuck with a pair of brass balls who paid three times my rate to get one of the most painful experiences a mage could officially pay money for."

Revy was a tan-skinned woman of moderate height in her mid to late twenties with burgundy hair that she kept in a low loose ponytail with rather large bangs falling onto her forehead on either side. Amber-brown eyes adorned her face, and she had a tribal tattoo that reached all the way up to her neck from her upper right arm. She was dressed in a black crop top that left her stomach exposed, very short cut-off jeans, and combat boots.

Dante smirked right back with the same intensity. "That would be me beautiful, would you like to ignore the morons and talk shop?"

The two faced off like predators meeting for the first time, and she chuckled before gesturing to a work table. "Names Revy hot stuff, I'm going to say this from the start, but you should be well aware of the risks of what you're asking. I ain't gonna go over that crap with you. I'm no rune researcher; I'm a tattoo artist, you give me a design, and I'll put it anywhere you want exactly as it was given to me."

Dante nodded appreciatively and pulled out some papers from his Requip space. "It's a pleasure, I'm Dante. And no worries, that's exactly why I wanted to find you. Did you have to make yourself so hard to find woman? I spent the better part of a year."

Revy laughed loudly at that. "Ha! You got any idea what kind of sketchy freaks want a piece of my ass for the things I can do with Ink-make magic? Every fucking psychopath with delusions of grandeur wants me to make them some fancy satanic ritual circle. There was only so long of me shoving the barrel of a gun up some shmucks asshole before I ran into some bigger fish."

Dante clicked his tongue in shared sympathy. "I feel your pain woman."

She raised a brow at him appraisingly and felt like he really meant those words. "What line of work you in?"

Dante chuckled humorlessly. "Crafter, I'm pretty good at what I do and got safe houses around the peninsula. If you ever need a hand getting out of sight or setting up somewhere else, give me a ring."

She hummed thoughtfully. "I'll think about it. Buy a girl dinner first before you try to take her back to your place."

"Heh, sorry beautiful, I'm not on the market."

She waved a hand carelessly. "Everyone's on it handsome; it just depends if someone's entering solo or in a group." She sent him a wink before grabbing the papers he had put down. Dante meanwhile took the hint for what it was and blinked. {Hey babe.}

Virgo's voice rang back. {Can't go a few hours without me my love?}

Dante internally smirked at her. {Of course not, the world lacks color without your beauty.}

He could feel her rolling her eyes. {Shush you, did you need something?}

He eyed the ink-make mage before him. {Yeah, I got an interesting offer from a woman. Want to have a change of pace tonight?}

Virgo's emotions stilled for a moment before he could feel her attention focus on him fully. {Oh~? Rating?}

Dante's eyes trailed Revy's figure. {Solid eight, personality is a ten.}

He could feel the interested lust flow in. {I'll join you in a few hours.}

{We got time, no rush.} She pulled back, and Dante knew she was wrapping things up on her end.

The two had never once shared a bed with someone else unless they were both doing it together. Virgo was bisexual by preference, and while Dante's heart was completely hers, the two were not against an occasional addition to their night. It was pure fun without emotion, and Virgo liked to be the head bitch sometimes.

Dante was thoroughly straight though.

Revy's voice broke into his thoughts just as he finished his quick conversation with Virgo. "Stop checking out my ass for a second and tell me how you want this piece here to fit."

"It's a great ass to be fair. As for this one…."

The two turned away from the topic of sex and got into the tattoo Dante wanted. He was getting the largest tat of the night, and it had multiple pieces that needed to fit together well on his back.

Laxus, Bacchus, and Jenny, in comparison, were only getting pieces done, it being their first experience with this kind of procedure; they wanted to start small and see how they felt.

Dante could respect that; he did the same thing when he got a wraparound wrist tattoo for his requip space. His own piece he wanted that night was filled with hundreds of runes that blended like artwork.

Revy whistled just seeing it all fitting together. "Damn man, you sure about this? Its gonna hurt like a bitch and one fuck up in your math and your screwed for life."

Dante chuckled at that and sent her a challenging smirk. "If there are any issues, it won't be from my end. Think you can step up to the plate?"

Revy almost looked offended by the insinuation. "Careful hot stuff, don't get me all excited now."

The two laughed casually, but both knew how serious it was. Dante had done enough research to make him an adept in the specific area he was focusing on, and he cross-referenced with half a dozen researchers in Seven for confirmation and tweaks. Only Virgo knew he tested the formation on a few death sentence prisoners and disposed of them.

He had no interest in being unnecessarily cruel, nor did he test things on humans all that often, but he did it when it mattered. Humans or magic beasts, his potions occasionally needed a test dummy. Virgo showed the same care she did to the few humans he used as she did to the maids back in Everlue's mansion. Some people just cross lines that can't be undone, lines Virgo herself never crossed in her entire existence.

There were dark places in everyone's mind, but for Virgo and Dante, they would never be without the other to shine a light and be a hearth for the other to be warmed by.

Dante playfully rested an elbow on her shoulder. "Each of them have been tested out, you don't gotta worry about crippling us based on what we give you."

He noticed the slight trace of worry in her gaze as she looked at the papers and she sighed. "Don't point out a woman's inner thoughts Dante. Have some tact." She chided him and playfully smacked his arm.

The noise from the bar quieted down as the others realized they were looking at the designs and came over.

Revy matched up each tattoo to each person. "Alright, you gave me quality sketches to go off of, but I need to know where you want it and what you want added if you want it to look pleasing to the eye."

Dante leaned back on a desk and pointed at Laxus. "Why don't you go first man, I think a pec tat should be relatively simple."

Revy hummed and held up his design to his chest. "Yeah, I could knock this out quick. Take your shirt off big boy and get in my seat."

Laxus blushed at the wording and Jenny laughed and bumped him with her shoulder. "Get your head out of the gutter you lug." He shot her a glare but went to sit. Jenny and Revy shared a laugh before splitting.

Jenny went to Laxus's other side and blatantly ogled his chest while Revy mixed ink's from various containers.

Dante tossed Ichiya a small book. "I know your just jumping in here but take a look and see if any of those spell formula catches your eye. You can work on the design while we all get ours done."

He spun and opened the book while shooting him a two fingered salute. "Men, much obliged."

Dante waved it off with a chuckle and hovered near Revy while she worked. "You mind sharing how you calculate the ratios?" He asked professionally and Revy shrugged. "Sure, for this part here I'll need to mix…."

The two talked as one specialist to another while the rest of the gang got situated around Laxus's seat and chatted.

Revy soon came over and pulled up a stool next to Laxus. "Alright buddy, this is gonna sting like a bitch, I'm directly connecting the ink to your mana pathways, so whatever you do, don't move. Alright?"

Laxus grit his teeth and nodded gamely. Revy chuckled at that. "Good grit, don't tense up."

The enchanted needle turned on and Revy's hands glowed as a palm sized magic circle enveloped the base as it vibrated. Laxus's brow twitched violently as she went to work, but he refused to move. He chose a tribal design to cover the spell formula that would cover his left pectoral and shoulder for the lightning affinity enhancement, and a spread of lines like a lightning strike to stretch over the side of his neck for the mental protection.

He got halfway through without a peep despite him sweating dangerously, but a twitch was forming on his arm from the pain. "Your doing good big guy, I've seen grown men cry over this shit. Oi, handsome, help your friend out will you?"

Dante nodded and in the blink of an eye, chains shot out from Starlight on his wrist to restrain Laxus to the chair.

He sighed in relief at having something to rely on and let out a pained chuckle. "I thought you only wrapped prey or Virgo in these."

Dante winked at his friend. "Yes."

Laxus rolled his eyes and went silent while the rest laughed. Jenny stayed close to him without getting in Revy's way.

Bacchus cringed slightly seeing the restrained veins on Laxus's skin. "Oi bro, I got second thoughts on that drink. Got something with a real kick to it?"

Dante pondered that for a moment. "Potion or a legit drink?"

"Make it a drink, less memory with that option."

Dante shrugged and tossed him a gourd. "Don't chug that shit man, I made it to get myself drunk."

His eyes shined in interest. "Oh~?"

Jenny commented from her side. "If you get your ass wasted in here I'm turning into a cannon and launching you across Fiore's border."

Bacchus winced with a smile. "Oof, don't want to get wild babe?"

Her arm turned into metal with her magic as a Mecha cannon pointed his way. He held up his hands playfully. "Oi, oi, my eyes are up here woman."

Jenny laughed and dismissed her weapon. Her Mecha-Soul magic was truly deadly in the right combinations. It allowed her to turn herself into machines as long as she spent enough time meditating on the inner workings of the machine in question. For such a supermodel, she was privately one hell of a mechanic.

Revy finished up within a half hour of work, her ink flowing smoothly with her years of magic practice on detailed work. For any regular tattoo artist, it would take hours for a pectoral tat with quality, but Revy could do a specialized one in a fraction of that time due to pure skill.

Laxus grunted as she switched off the needle and grabbed a cloth dabbed in a solution before wiping over the skin. "Your good big guy, well done. With a mage's constitution, your skin should heal up in a few days. How quick you adapt to the effects of the tat is up to your own skills. Go meditate in the back and focus on it, it's gonna be fresh for a few hours and it's the perfect time to integrate it fully. Longer you wait, the more it's gonna be a bitch."

Dante released the chains and Laxus stood while cracking his neck and giving Revy a nod. "Thanks." His vocals were off as he suppressed the hitch of his voice from the pain and walked off.

Jenny watched him go in slight worry, and Dante chuckled before dropping a towel on her head. "Oi! Watch the hair or pull it; none of this in between crap."

Everyone shared a laugh as Dante jerked his chin. "Go help him out, I'm sure he could use a towel."

She gave him a thankful smile and followed the electric mage. Revy chuckled as she left. "I like her, she's got that fire. And that ass, damn."

Three heads nodded in agreement at that. """Aye."""

"I can hear you perverts! But I agree anyway!" She called back and got half hearted responses. Revy clicked her tongue. "Alright, that one wasn't bad; who's next?"

Bacchus eyed his drink, and Ichiya was still deciding, so Dante stepped up. "Guess it's me for now."

Revy nodded and pointed at a different chair. "Strip pretty boy, you wanted it on your back so that's your seat."

Dante followed and removed his shirt before sitting chest down against a leather rest. "You sure you don't need a rest?"

Revy scoffed and pulled up next to him. "Please, I can go a few hours just fine. Although, I might need a break between you and the rest, yours will take a good bit of time, and that's me saying it."

She strapped him in with leather straps, but a quick tug on them showed how much they would hold him. His chains once more extended out to wrap around his own limbs. "Bacchus, you mind?"

He threw up a thumbs up. "I got you bro."

The chain extended to him and he wrapped it around his forearm to secure it and keep Dante from pulling it back unintentionally.

He sent an amused looking Revy a smirk. "You might want to use a sharper needle; I got thick skin."

She eyed the scars over his skin and slapped his back with a surprising amount of strength. "Don't worry about me stud; I can handle ya." She tugged a chain playfully with a cheeky wink, and he rolled his eyes. "Do your thing."

Her expression focused, and she held out a hand to his back. "Ink-Make: Tattoo Layout." Ink formed from the air and spread over Dante's back in a pattern as she held up a paper to make sure she created a perfect sketch. "I didn't need to do this with the blond one, but yours is a different size and needs a careful hand."

Dante chuckled at the double meaning. "Of course."

She smirked but kept her focus for a few minutes before she was satisfied.

The ink spread from the center of his back in a sphere and split into four thick tendrils. Two went up over his shoulder blades and would come down to his upper pectorals just below the collarbone. The other two would wrap around his sides to rest on his abdominals.

She sighed when it was done. "Alright, the annoying part for me is done. The next part's gonna suck for you. Ready?"

He quickly put a cap over his emotions. 'No need to bother Virgo with pain.'

He grunted in confirmation, and she switched on the needle. Just like the first time he experienced it, it fucking hurt.

Ichiya and Bacchus sat back and watched for the most part as they chatted. Ichiya glanced over at Revy whispering in Dante's ear. "It seems Lady Revy is quite taken with young Dante hm?"

Bacchus swayed from the buzz of his drink. "Heh, I don't doubt it. Revy's an alumni of my guild, she's a real wild gal you know? Dante's got talent for attracting them, I wonder what that says about that polite maid of his? Hahaha."

Ichiya struck a pose. "Indeed. Dante's parfum is indeed wild, like a predator in a forest. Lady Virgo even more so, her parfum is unforgettable." The short man shivered for a fraction of a moment.

Bacchus laughed. "Damn straight, she sets my instincts blazing, can't tell whether to fight or run."

Ichiya's eyes shined with a sparkle, and he appeared in a flash to V pose in front of Bacchus. "Run young Bacchus! Live to fight another day."

"Gah! I won't live long if you keep doing that shit man!"

The two fell into a mini brawl as Jenny watched over Laxus in the back. The young man was sweating heavily as he tried to focus on his inner pathways. The young blond woman wiping away the sweat with the towel she was given and trying to help him focus.

Revy absentmindedly commented while she worked. "Lively friends you got."

Dante gritted his teeth and kept his words simple. "The best."

He was experiencing pain unlike all the injuries he had received up till that point in his life. Even when he got caught off guard and was used as a semi chew toy by some panther-type beasts, he didn't feel this way.

It was like a razer scraping off his flesh from the bone, but the pain wasn't simply skin deep. No, the actual physical damage wasn't all that painful; just another tattoo there. But it was the part where it connected to the pathways that stabbed into his self-control.

Damage to the mana core and pathways was always a very different breed of pain from physical pain. But pain was something Dante was very familiar with. The first two years of his training journey were mostly pain. Physical pain more than anything, but Virgo was there to soothe the mental pain.

He didn't make a sound as Revy worked, and the woman was genuinely impressed. They had been going for the better part of an hour and a half when she stopped. "It's a bit creepy how silent your being; you doing ok hot stuff?

He grunted in reply but didn't trust his voice. Thankfully, Revy caught on and didn't push him. she was quite gentle as she tugged the chains. "Good, I like a man with some will. Ease up on the chains, I need to turn you over."

Dante separated himself from the control of his chains to not give in to any temptation at the start and only now reached out to control it. Already he could feel his mana flare in agony as he channeled it into the chains.

A growl built in his throat as he peeled off the sweat-covered chair and turned around with Revy's help. Bacchus and Ichiya were giving him thumbs up from the back in support.

"Looks wild as hell man."

"A truly manly design."

Dante felt a spark of amusement and breathed deeply to let the pain flow. Revy straddled his waist in the chair, and he raised a brow at her in question. She smirked down. "Not just yet stud, still some more to go."

He nodded and leaned back on the headrest as his back throbbed. She went to work on the ends of the tendrils for his upper pectorals and abdominals, the ends forming into vicious yet artistically elegant serpents.

It took the better part of a half hour for her to finally finish and flip off the needle. She was breathing deeply herself as she pressed a hand on his chest while sitting on his lap. She shuddered a few times while sitting there as she ground herself into his lap while working, and the smirk she sent him every time they made eye contact had him hoping Virgo finished up soon.

She breathed deeply through her nose and arched back. "Damn, it's been years since I worked on a single project this long. Good thing you make a good seat."

Her plump ass pressed down hard, and he groaned in a mix of pain and pleasure. Thankfully for both of them, she grabbed a water bottle and poured it over his chest to clean off much of the blood, getting their waists wet in the process.

"Good, not a drop out of place. I think we could both use a wash from that, think you can make it to the bathroom in the back?"

Dante just grunted in reply and sat up as she got off. She smirked and leaned down to whisper. "If what I felt was any indication, the offer is more than open tonight. Bring your lover stud." She slapped his shoulder with a laugh and walked off as Dante groaned from the ache. 'Why am I so turned on by wild women?'

He shook his head and wobbled a bit as he stood, but Bacchus was quick to grab his arm. "I got ya."

Dante sent the clearly drunk guy a thankful nod but otherwise kept his mouth shut as he walked off to the bathroom. He passed by a much more calm Laxus, breathing easy with Jenny sitting in his lap. She sent him a concerned look, but he just smiled a bit and shook his head as he walked off.

He fumbled on the door knob and stumbled into the bathroom. It was a small half bath, but at least it had a shower. He turned it to the coldest temperature and stepped in half-clothed without care. A groan of pleasure washing over him as the temperature soothed his ache. 'I know I did this before, but that was just my wrist; this was a fifth of my available skin. Fuck that sucked.'

A weak flash of light behind him went off and he was too mentally strained to focus before a pair of familiar arms wrapped around him. "You foolish master. Just because you try to spare me your pain doesn't mean I don't know whats happening."

The loving voice struck through him, and he smiled despite the pain and spoke without worry if his voice hitched or not. "How was your trip love?"

She took a cloth and gently began wiping the blood and sweat from his skin with an ease of familiarity. "I had fun, my friends appreciated the gifts, although you didn't have to make them." He chuckled at that. "What can I say? Maybe I wanted to impress your friends and make you look good."

She giggled softly and kissed his back outside the tattoo lines. "What am I supposed to do with you my love?"

Dante raised a hand to intertwine his fingers with one of her own. "In the words of a great cat of legend: Love me, feed me, never leave me."

She snorted in amusement and turned him around softly. "Shush you, let me get your front. You need to hurry and meditate."

He smiled and leaned into her strong petite form. "I'm in your capable hands darling."

She rolled her eyes and cleaned him off with a huff before ripping off his pants and getting him in new ones she brought from home. They left the bathroom quickly, and Virgo marched him to a place to sit in the back near Laxus. Jenny waved to the maid and sent Dante a highly amused look that he ignored.

Virgo placed him down and held his gaze. "Do you need my help master?"

Dante chuckled and leaned in to kiss her. "I think I've got this love. your always welcome to come in, but don't worry yourself. I had a good teacher." He sent her a wink and closed his eyes to look inward while Virgo flushed rosily and thought to herself. 'Ugh, how does keep doing that? I planned on lecturing him and now I want to be wrapped in those arms.'

She huffed lovingly and delved into the bond to look over him for a bit. She smiled at his precise actions, blending the changes to his pathways wonderfully. 'I did good.' She nodded to herself and pulled back. There were a few spots she could improve on, but she would do it when he slept so as to not discourage his growth.

If there was anything she knew of the soul bonded so deeply to her own, it was that he needed no motivation to keep improving. She knew his goal and desire well, and both hoped and dreaded the outcome in equal measure. Those who chased immortality were almost guaranteed an ending of madness in the pursuit.

His actions since the day they met were the only reason she allowed herself to hope. Hope for a life where she didn't have to fear losing the person she loved so deeply to time.

She found it funny in a way; time seemed so distant before she met him. In the celestial realm, it moved fast and slow in various intervals depending on where you were, and so while she was millennia old, much more time had passed in Earthland while she lived.

Masters came and went; some meant more to her than others, and she enjoyed some pages of her life while becoming numb to others. There were better times and worse times.

But time itself wasn't something she focused on. She was immortal and would continue to be without change until the stars burned out from the heavens. However, having met and fallen in love with Dante, time started truly moving for her.

She felt the passage of days and weeks more clearly than she had in centuries. And the more she fell in love, the bigger her fear grew of losing it, losing him.

It was tempered by a long life of patience, and he always responded as soon as she let that fear slip to reassure her, but it was always there, simmering.

Truthfully, she wanted him to take in more women and make a harem. She wanted him to have kids with those able to give it and have a safety line to be able to serve his descendants and watch over them in case anything happened.

But he rejected it time and again, and she just fell further for him. It was as exhilarating and intoxicating as it was terrifying.

"You his woman?" A voice cut into her deep thoughts, and Virgo looked up from her seated position to see Revy looking down at her with a smirk. The two women sizing the other up

with interest.

"I am; you would be the ink-mage." She responded with her usual calm and noted the increased smile on the woman's face.

"I am. Stud over here impressed me; you open for some fun tonight?"

Virgo trailed her eyes over the other woman's body in interest and bit her lip. "I don't think there will be an issue, master should be physically healed by then."

Revy laughed. "Master huh? I was wondering with that outfit you got on. Kinky ain't ya?"

Virgo's chains extended from her wrists as she sent the woman a silent smirk in reply that only made her laugh more.

"Ha! I knew I liked his style, I guess he gets some of it from you. Want to give me a hand? With stud over her out of commission, I could use someone to restrain these tough guys from breaking my chairs."

Virgo looked over to see a giant muscled Ichiya trying to hold down Bacchus to a chair while the drunk man violently rejected the 'assistance.' She chuckled into her sleeve and looked back at her love meditating.

Dante's eyes peaked open as he felt her gaze and mentally nudged her. {Go, I'm sure you'll have fun. Revy's a riot.}

She huffed in affection and kissed his cheek. {I'll be back soon.}

Revy shook her head and muttered about diabetes while moving off to get started on Bacchus. "Oi you fucks! Don't get all sweaty on my chairs without me."

"That is not what this is woman!"

"Men! trust in my manly embrace young Bacchus, I shall support you with my all."

"I'M NOT DRUNK ENOUGH FOR THIS SHIT! DANTE! I NEED MORE BOOZE!"

Virgo appeared in a flash and knocked the guy unconscious with a smack to the head. "Master is busy, don't interrupt him."

"Young Bacchus!"

Revy sweat dropped as the muscled man guy verbally debated doing CPR and addressed the maid. "I kinda need him awake for this. The mana pathways react differently while they are out."

Virgo nodded seriously. "I will rectify this."

Revy raised a hand to question how but stopped when the maid pinched a nerve, and the young man was shocked awake. She shook her head in amusement. 'Something tells me it's gonna be a wild night.'

It took Dante the better part of a half hour to work through his mana pathways in meditation. Thanks to his years of experience, he was able to finish his work in a fraction of the time it would have taken Laxus.

'Alright, I think that's all the connection points, let's try it out.'

His mana flowed into the new pathways like a dam being lifted, and he hissed as the mana entered the raw pathways.

In the center of his back, an artistically designed Ouroboros symbol in a figure eight lit up with a soft greenish-violet glow as mana traveled through it.

The symbol was an incredibly detailed snake eating its tail connecting the figure eight, and inside the empty circle on both sides, a potion vial filled the space. Plant like vines crawled along the potion vials with thorns connecting the vials to the figure eight like cracks in the earth.

Outside the circle, the tail end of the four tendrils that split off in the design of serpents hovered a bare inch off the figure eight.

The two lower snakes wrapped around his waist to rest on his abdominals. One in the design of a beautifully colored Occamy, and the other the incredibly detailed scales of a Runespoor.

Over his right shoulder, the snake slithered over his collarbone and rested above his pectoral in the vivid image of a Horned Serpent. The blue gem in its forehead glowing ominously, and the bone-white horns contrasting with the black scales.

Over his left shoulder, a different serpent, one of scales that gleamed emerald, stood proud and strong over his left pectoral with pockets of storm clouds obstructing the image of its form in places.

All four snake heads bearing their fangs to the world.

And at the very center of it all, in the direct center of the figure eight, a hollow space allowed enough room for the symbol of Virgo to be placed, protected in the center of his being.

The entire tattoo was a mix of colors to define each point. The Runespoor a striking red, the Occamy a mesmerizing blue, the Horned Serpent ominous black, and the final a gleaming emerald.

It all glowed faintly with the inclusion of his mana, and the spell formula came alive like a machine.

Dante felt it work, felt the magic reach for his mind as what felt like an impenetrable bubble formed around his mind. His connection to Virgo was completely ignored, but he could already feel its protective embrace.

'Passive mental control protection looks like it's up. In theory, it should warn and protect me form any mental effects, although I'll need to supply it more mana to fight off whatever is attacking me. At least with this I can feel safe from being caught off guard. I'll need to try out some mind effecting potions later and see the results.'

He turned his gaze elsewhere as mana fueled into the four limbs or snakes wrapping around his body. Each one glowed softly as he pushed his awareness outward, and the world came alive. His 'gaze' looked at the ethernano flowing around him as he took in the changes. 'It's so….clear.'

Ever after years of focus, the world around him was fuzzy, with the ethernano particles themselves being distinct. Now, however, it was like a camera lens came into focus. Everything was so clear. Even while blurry, he used his sense to help with almost everything he did. From sensing around him to working with potion mixtures, to spell formulas, to a dozen more. 'Amazing, I can't wait to try this out in my lab. For now, let's check the range.'

For years he worked his way up until he hit the fifty-meter limit and could push no further. Now he opened his senses and pushed. Ten meters, twenty, forty, eighty, a hundred sixty, he kept pushing. He could see so much, feel the mana of every mage in the town and beyond its walls, and see distinct differences in them all. It was intoxicating and almost godly in a way.

And then it all came crashing down as he pushed past three hundred meters, and a raw spike of intense pain pierced his brain. And then there was nothing.

Blood leaked from his nose, eyes, and ears as his world bleached white. He distantly heard someone calling his name but found it hard to focus. How long he felt like that went unsaid before a liquid entered his mouth, and the world sharped rapidly.

"Dante." It was like a whisper.

"Dante!" It was reaching in.

A different voice spoke up. "Back up woman, I got this."

His world came alive as electricity sparked through his veins, and he shot up off the floor, where he had unknowingly collapsed only a minute prior. "Son of a bitch! I'm up!"

There was a collective sigh of relief as he looked around with wide eyes to see everything gathered around him. "Please tell me no one kissed me."

The worried looks changed to subdued laughter as Laxus extended a hand to pull him up. "Scared the crap out of us there man. Virgo suddenly screamed bloody murder and rushed over. What the fuck did you do?"

Virgo spoke from the side while gripping Dante's shoulder painfully. "My master decided to ignore the advice of his teacher." Her voice was strangely robotic in a way he hadn't heard since he first met her years before.

Before he could take a closer look at her, she stuck a towel in his face and roughly wiped at the blood there. He winced and knew she was at least upset, so he was quick to pull her into an embrace while explaining to the group. "Right, sorry about that guys. As my teacher over here said, I rushed things a bit. Laxus, you know what my enhancement did, for the rest of the class, it's basically an enhancement for my energy sensing outward into the world.

I hit a wall a while ago in range and hoped to breach it with this, but considering I added four boosts, one for each snake head, instead of the one in the original design, I got a bit carried away."

Bacchus looked like he understood only half of that in his inebriated state. "And you bled out all your holes because…."

Everyone shared a laugh at that. "Information overload. My brain couldn't handle all the information flooding into it from the increased range and I guess I got concussed."

Virgo's hold on him increased, and he was suddenly aware of a very concerning lack of emotions coming from his lover. {It was much worse than that you fool.}

Dante was growing more concerned but hid that from the others. "Alright, it was a bad concussion, I bled out my holes as Bacchus so eloquently stated, and Virgo gave me a potion and some love. I'm good guys, sorry for the worry."

Laxus shrugged and eyed him over once more before going back to the front, where Jenny had been in the process of getting her tattoo after Bacchus finished. "Aight, good enough for me. Crazy tattoo lady, let's keep going."

Jenny groaned at having to go back but got dragged along by a laughing Revy. "Don't scare us like that Dante, I'll get grey hairs." She sent him a relieved smile as she was led to the block.

Bacchus hiccupped and knocked his fist against Dante's own before he went to go back to meditating. "Stay wild dude, Imma sit back down till the world stops spinning."

And Ichiya did a dramatic spin-flip and applauded his quick recovery before returning to pondering his own tattoo.

Virgo didn't move from his embrace. {My love?}

He delved into the bond and was shocked to feel a massive block from her side. He experimentally touched it and recoiled at the sheer amount of fear building there. Not knowing what the hell was going on, he quickly sent waves of reassurance and love her way and felt her cling to it like a lifeline.

Only then did she speak in his mind. {You blinked out.}

Dante's confusion was clear. {Blinked out?}

Virgo's frustrated voice rang back. {Your brain short circuited you fool! You were having a seizure! Pieces of your mind fractured! If you didn't activate that passive defense first, and if I weren't so quick to grab the pieces and hold them together long enough for the potion to take effect, you could have gone brain-dead! I! ALMOST! LOST! YOU!} Dante felt her emotional wall crack dangerously. Her body violently shook, and he decided on a quick course of action. His voice called out from the back. "Yo Laxus, I'll be right back."

His friend looked over from where he was holding Jenny's hand, took one look at Virgo clinging to him, and sent him a thumbs up without asking a thing.

Dante appreciated having the guy as a friend as he carried Virgo into the back. He wiped some of the blood still on his face with a thumb and drew a quick magic circle into the wall. It was a temporary teleportation circle that would connect to the closed circuit using his blood as the master key holder. The blood had to be fresh, the central pattern was custom coded by him, the circle would last no more than two hours, and it was a single-use return point, not a sending point.

The two flashed as Dante pulled them home, and they appeared in the burrows beneath their front door. Almost immediately, Virgo threw him into the center of the courtyard and restrained his limbs with the earth as she mounted him. "Why do you keep doing this?!"

Dante looked up in shock seeing the tears and actual anger on her face, but she went on. "I've watched you for years as you got cut up, torn apart, and ravaged by beasts. I knew you were doing it to get stronger, but there was never any risk to your health because I could stop it!

But lately, you keep taking risks! You keep testing potions that we can easily find others to test on! You carve spell formulas into your mana pathways that could go wrong with the slightest touch! You ignore my warnings and put your health at risk again, and again. WHY!"

Her tears fell onto his face as she cried. "My heart stopped when the bond flickered. You were effectively brain dead for half a second. I couldn't do a single fucking thing. I had no time to react. So many things could have gone wrong. Why would you ignore my warnings!" Her voice was slightly hysteric as she shouted.

The earth fractured around them as her emotions churned and her energy levels spiked high enough to make the earth rumble in the surrounding ecosystems. She kissed him desperately as she kept crying, and Dante was frozen both by her words and the incredible amounts of fear coming through the bond.

To him, the mental experience only lasted a moment. Just pain, fog, and then coming back when Laxus shocked him.

Virgo pulled back and cradled his head. "You keep growing and I can't always be there to stop things from going too far as I did when you were weaker."

Her voice dropped to a frightened whisper. "Why did you make me love you so much when I have to live with this fear of losing you?"

Something in her voice as she asked that question broke his mind from the wave of fear coming from her end. A fire that had been growing in him raising up in a blaze as he pushed all the love and affection he had for her through the bond to fight back against her fear.

At the same time, he flexed his arms and shattered the earthen restraints to wrap his arms around his love and pull her flush to his chest and kiss her.

He didn't say a thing for long minutes as he fought through her fear and invaded her soft and warm lips. The two dueled inside and out as he reassured her. Only when he had to pull back or risk suffocating did he release her mouth and hear her whimper at his absence.

"Virgo, look at me." Her eyes remained shut as she hugged him. "My love, look at me, please."

The blue eyes he loved so much opened, rimmed with red. "I'm here Virgo, I'm right here."

She teared up again and silently cried on his chest. "I'm not going anywhere Virgo. I'm never going anywhere. I made an oath to you, till the end of time and beyond, remember? Where is all this fear coming from?"

She clung to him as she hiccupped and answered. "It's grown. I've never loved a singular thing like I love you. I'm immortal Dante, I can't stop the thoughts of what will happen one day. The thought of losing you terrifies me. And now I felt you flicker. My fears gained proof that it could really happen. I can't lose you Dante, you stole my heart and I don't want it back."

Dante felt his own eyes tear up as he embraced her. He thought over her words and responded as strongly as he could. "My love, do you trust me?"

She didn't respond verbally, but he felt her confirmation in her emotions as he went on. "I trust you. And I fear many things, but fear isn't a bad thing, it's a light that shows us our weaknesses. We are each other's weaknesses, just as we are each other's strengths. I wasn't able to react to my own mistake just now, but you did. I trust you Virgo, I trust you to be there when I need you, and I hope you can trust me to be there when you need me.

This fear of yours? Let me take it; I'll take all of it; send me all of your fear, and I'll respond with all the love I have for you."

He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. "Let me be there when you need me, your burdens are my own, your fear is mine, come my love, I'm right here, I always will be."

She stared deeply into his eyes through her tears before they bubbled up, and she let them fall. Like a band of tension being released, she cried and clung to him while he held her and reassured her.

The fear she held within her was like a tsunami, consuming everything in its path. Their bond had grown deep, and the daily influx of emotions had changed them slowly. Virgo was feeling love and fear she never knew she could feel, and Dante was being influenced by the ancient qualities of her emotions that a mortal couldn't replicate.

He gave all of himself to her, and she gave in tune.

How long passed went unsaid, but when she finally stopped crying, her need took on a new form as she ground into him. "Dante, love me. I need you."

He didn't verbally respond but just kissed her. The next hour was a violent chain of moans, cries, and destruction as the clearing around them was shattered in Virgo's emotional turbulence.

Through it all, Dante was unable to use more than a basic mana reinforcement as the tattoo procedure effectively crippled his magic use beyond extremely basic actions for a few days.

Laxus's little lightning bolt back there was actually the best he could do in his current state.

Thankfully, he was able to equip his chain weapon and inject himself with healing potions as Virgo was occupying his mouth.

By the time she calmed down enough, he had carried the mewling maid into their home and put her down on the couch. He kissed her forehead and whispered. "I'll be right back my love." She grabbed onto his hand with a raw need that almost made him change his mind, but he shook it off. "Trust me."

She hesitated before swallowing and pulling back. "Don't make me wait my love."

Dante smiled and kissed her a final time before stepping back to teleport back when Virgo coughed. He sent her a questioning look, and she pointed down with an amused smile.

Only then did he realize he was buck-ass nude. "Right, thanks."

She laughed softly, and he was happy to see her joy coming back to the front. The storm of fear finally breaking inside her.

A quick change of clothes and he flashed back to the tattoo parlor just in time to have his eyes bleed as Ichiya stood on a bar top with a spotlight despite the absence of an actual light, in a thong with a clear and defined tramp stamp. "Men! Young Dante has returned to us!"

Seven consecutive spins, four flips, and three junk wiggles were unfortunately counted by his newly recovered brain out of his control before the abomination stopped in a sliding pose on his side and shot him double finger pistols with a shining white teethed smile. "Men. The great Ichiya has overcome his trial and is here to support you."

{Virgo.}

{Hm?}

{Do me a favor and just say anything over ten words. I need your voice to soothe a completely different kind of mental damage.}

There was a pause as she reached over the bond to look at the memories he allowed her to see. A beat passed before his mind was overcome by bellyful laughter from her end.

{Hahahahahaha}

In her current emotional state, Virgo could barely control herself as it was and released the incredible amusement she felt at the timing of this random sight, acting as the final strike to break the hold of her fear.

Her voice was crackling with laughter as she responded. {Do you need me to come punish someone?}

Something ironically shattered in his mind this time, and it wasn't his memory, unfortunately. {No. For the love of the celestial realm, please do not put that image in my brain. All I need is your voice.}

Her amusement was clear and strong as her mind came back into focus, and the love she felt poured through with her words. {Right away my master.}

The cleanup passed in a blur as Dante helped Laxus and Bacchus recover from Ichiya's grand reveal. Revy and Jenny were half dead from laughter mixed with their own exhaustion.

Even Ichiya was out of it by the lack of rapid and repeated spin movements. He only did half as much as usual.

Ichiya's choice of tattoo or not, the effect still came through as he chose to get a singular effect of an all-around enhancement to hand-eye coordination.

Apparently, he struggled for years with accidentally causing chaos by dropping perfume vials or grabbing the wrong ones when he meant to use others. It took many years for the coordination between his movements to be fluid, but he was still unsatisfied and wanted to be even better. The world may just thank him for this forethought one day.

Laxus had his tribal design and lightning lines. His lightning affinity shot through the roof, and he would have to retrain his control even after his mana calmed down in a few days.

Jenny went with a blooming flower on her spine between her shoulder blades and trailed it with petals that very delicately reached up to the lower portion of the back of her neck. With her side gig as a model, she needed something elegant that enhanced her beauty rather than took from it.

By the looks Laxus was giving her, she definitely succeeded. Dante gave her a hug in congratulations and complimented her before backing off as Laxus growled. He punched his friend's shoulder and told him to chill, the unsaid message clear as no toes were stepped on.

Jenny went with mental protection as well as an ethernano absorption enhancement. Her magic was highly mana intensive, and she wanted to recover faster so she could train more and expand her mana pool.

Bacchus was an interesting one. The guy was pissed drunk during the process, and Revy pouted at not being able to see him squirm.

What he got was a Chinese-style yin-yang symbol on the center of his upper back with a design of a bamboo shoot straight down his spine with the four letters for 'WILD' interspaced along it. Its branches stretched over his shoulders to go straight down to his hands on both arms. And despite the surface space, it still came of light and artistic. The self-regen boost ingrained itself, and already his body was heating up as it went to healing the skin wounds from the needle.

It would go a long way to helping him improve.

Bacchus was a rare type of guy who thought outside the box from most mages. Born with a weak affinity for magic in general and with a known weak branch of caster magic, he refused to back down and chased his dream of being strong from an early age.

He single-handedly took a magic branch everyone considered weak, Palm Magic, a magic that allows one to concentrate mana into their palms and release it in waves and then pushed it to a league of its own.

He was a genius and a freak in one. He studied martial arts from books, never had a single teacher, and trained singular martial movements tens to hundreds of thousands of times. He was like Bruce Lee in a fantasy world.

A dozen magic styles were combined and adapted to form his own personalized style. An art he named Chop Hanging Palms Style. He used it to break his body over and over and build up all his traits stronger without doing any lasting damage.

The young man was a monster in close combat and was only weaker in mid-range combat due to a smaller mana pool.

Laxus was physically stronger and magically faster than him. Dante was physically faster and magically more durable, mana resistant, and agile. And Bacchus was physically their equal, if slightly weaker in their strengths, but he eclipsed them by far in terms of pure skill. Without magic, the two would lose a close combat fight eight out of ten times. His magic made him deadly, but in a pure magical duel, Laxus and Dante would win at the same ratio.

He had yet to invent the drunken style he used in canon, but based on his fighting ability while wasted, Dante doubted it was a long way off before he started working on it.

The three friends were rivals to each other and kept pushing themselves to improve and not fall behind. But they didn't abandon the others but helped them along. Dante supplied potions, Bacchus corrected martial forms, and Laxus was very creative with how to use magic in a variety of ways. The three were like soundboards against each other.

Jenny made it a quartet as her Mecha-Soul magic was highly versatile and clashed with Dante's own versatile style. The two had the most long drawn out spars of the group.

By the time the shop was cleaned up, everyone was practically dead on their feet.

They collectively decided to postpone the celebration, Revy giving Dante a wink and raincheck, and chose to meet back up in a week.

Bacchus could barely walk. "I'll just….be here for a little while…you know….until I can feel my arms again."

Revy just shook her head and tossed the guy on a couch in the back. She left them with a parting comment on the tattoos. "Remember little ducklings, no casting anything above weak spells for a few days unless you want to cripple yourselves. Just sit back and recover; you're going to be sore and feel pain. Thankfully, once your mana pathways settle, you got nothing to worry about if someone cuts up your skin and ruins the tat aside from me putting my foot up your ass for ruining my work. The enhancement is in the mana pathways beneath exactly where the tat was placed; the tat is just an added bonus now.

Alright, that's all; now get out so I can sleep."

The group broke up as Dante tossed Laxus his flying carpet and told him to take Jenny home. He got happy for all of five seconds before his world shattered as he realized Ichiya would be joining them as he took them both to Blue Pegasus.

Dante just laughed and waved them goodnight as he returned home, only having been gone under an hour with Virgo and him speaking the whole time mentally.

{I'm home love, where are you?}

{Bath. Come.}

He chuckled and went to the third floor to the large bath where Virgo rested in the steaming water. Her long pink hair floated around her like a mane of hair as the water framed her petite figure. Her curves obvious as her perfect hourglass shape enchanted his mind, cutting right through the protection he had just set up like a knife through butter.

Her full B-cup breasts floated as a smooth pale foot stuck out of the water. A finger gestured his way and made a come closer motion. He lost his clothes and rinsed himself off quickly before stepping into the water.

Virgo watched him silently as he approached and sat back against the wall of the bath, pulling her to rest her back against his chest. The two were silent as their hearts beat in tune in their minds and bodies. Virgo pulling his arms tighter around her.

Minutes passed in silence before she spoke softly. "I'm sorry you had to see that my love."

Dante hummed and kissed the top of her head. "See what?"

She huffed. "Don't tease me right now."

Dante chuckled. "But I so love to tease you."

She play bit his arm, and he relented. "You have nothing to be sorry for; if anything, I'm sorry for not realizing how afraid you were."

She looked down at the water. "I'm so much older than you Dante, I shouldn't be so emotionally unstable."

Dante hummed again. "I can't say I'm an expert on immortal life here, yet." He kissed her ear. "But since when does age mean you can't be afraid? Its ok to be afraid but bottling it up can have consequences when they boil over. You do know you fractured my bones seventy eight times in our short hour of sex right?"

She didn't look up at him at his words, and he bent down to kiss her cheek while sending her feelings of amusement and reassurance. "I'm not mad my love; you were very sexy."

She scoffed wetly. "I was a mess, not sexy."

"Your always sexy to me."

"I thought I was adorable?"

"You're a full package."

"Pft."

The two laughed and glowed in their love.

Dante turned her head to kiss her lips. "I love all the parts of you Virgo, you have nothing to fear. Be needy, be greedy, take whatever you need, its yours. I'll tell you if you go too far and punish you accordingly." He finished with a tease and flicked her swollen nipple.

She whimpered at the sensation and grabbed his hand to bite his finger. "Would you punish me now master?"

"Oh? And what crime have you committed?"

"I harmed my master, I'm ashamed as his maid."

"I see, I guess we will have to settle things then."

Moans, groans, and much laughter rang out from the bath as the two played their games long into the night, moving from the bath to their bed as they reveled in each other's flavor over and over, and shrunk the fears inside their minds to tiny pricks.

Never eliminated and always there but inconsequential.

When his eyes finally closed that night, Dante realized what the flame inside him was that sparked during Virgo's outburst. It was the heat of his ambition to be free, to stand by her forever.

He would become immortal, even if it killed him.

The red potion kept in stasis would have its turn soon enough.

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AN: I wanted to end here, but it seemed like a waste not to finish with the rest of the chapters contents.

If you prefer stopping on a more serious note then stop here. If you want to end on a more humorous note, enjoy the rest.

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The seven members of that night met up a week later to celebrate at the Jade Palace, a tastefully designed high-class bar and brothel with a dozen floors. The women were not whores per se but courtesans.

A courtesan traded sex and sensuality, but also was required to possess a daunting variety of other skills, including singing, musical instruments, dancing, writing, drawing, magic, tailoring, and many more, like tea ceremonies.

Dante rented out a VIP room on the upper floors for the group. They were provided robes and guided to a beautiful room with an open wall to the night sky and a floor table full of cushions to relax on.

A hallway to the side led to six bedrooms enchanted with soundproofing.

Four courtesans came in bringing food and drinks. It was a feast for the celebration.

Laxus and Bacchus didn't argue with him footing the bill; they knew how loaded he was.

Dante held up his cup and toasted the occasion. "Well, it's a bit delayed but now that we're all standing and functional again, let's get this celebration going. We planned this for over a year, even if one of us came in at the last minute and said Ink-mage was a pain in the ass to find."

Ichiya posed, and Revy gave a peace sign as everyone laughed while Dante went on. "But anyway, cheers to us! We succeeded and came out on top!"

""Cheers!""

Everyone drank and fell into conversation.

Laxus was groaning about his control. "Holy fucking hell that was annoying. I learned a whole new meaning of what electricity can do to a guy."

"You manage to get an attack off yet?"

The guy smirked dangerously. "Oho, it worked wonders. Give me a month or two to refine my control and we're having a rematch. I want my winning streak back."

Dante scoffed. "Winning streak? Did I hit you too hard when I won? I'm pretty sure it's eleven to seven with me in the lead."

He growled, and his body unconsciously released sparks. "Excuse me?"

"Hey, it's not my fault if I hit you too hard. I thought that dragon slayer thing makes you have a thick skull."

His rage only increased as Dante's smirk grew wider. "Them's fighting words."

The magical pressure increased between the two and weighed on the room before Jenny and Virgo rolled their eyes and pulled the guys away from each other.

"Fight later, play now."

"Control yourself master."

The two pouted as their fun was taken away, but the women were quick to get them off track. Bacchus pouted as well as he was just about to jump in but both the courtesans on his arms successfully distracted him.

Virgo and Revy were huddled with Dante, Bacchus and his twin courtesans were laughing at a story he was sharing, Laxus and Jenny were talking with a third courtesan while Jenny's eyes were shining between Laxus and the girl mischievously, and Ichiya was somehow sitting in the lap of the final courtesan as she listened to him speak.

Dante happened to notice Virgo and the final courtesan exchange certain understanding glances, and Dante realized Ichiya had fallen into a net he couldn't escape. There was an unholy light in that woman's eyes.

And speaking of unholy, Ichiya was telling the tale of the tattoos and decided a demonstration was needed.

He appeared in the center of the table in a handstand and performed a thrust action that sent his clothing flying into Laxus's face.

"Men, behold, my magnificent and handsome parfum!"

Within a three second interval, the entire room went from battle ready, to confused, to traumatized as Ichiya turned around to show his tramp stamp to all.

"Pft."

"MY EYES!"

Bacchus did a violent spit take, Laxus fell back while holding his eyes in pain, and Dante's head was placed in Virgo's bosom as his mind retreated to his happy place to preserve its sanity. Virgo's amusement was plain as day as she laughed openly and stroked his head.

The group celebrated into the night, drinking and eating as they pleased and talked. Revy became a diehard fan of Ouroboros Potions after Dante broke out his liquor stash. If one of the courtesans brought a bottle out of the room to give to the matron, he didn't say anything in his good mood, although he took note of it if he would have to deal with it later.

Revy finally got the ride she wanted as she hauled Dante and Virgo into a room and locked the door. She was just as fierce as Virgo could be, and the lioness was on a dry spell that desperately needed some assistance.

The night passed in a blur of action as he dominated the two insatiable women, and when he finally opened his eyes to the morning sun rays, he was on his back with a woman in each arm.

Revy was clocked out blissfully while Virgo and he shared amused smiles as they snuggled. {She's a fun one, right?}

Virgo chuckled. {Definitely. It could be a fun change once in a while.}

Dante hummed. {Not gonna push for me to make a harem again?}

Virgo huffed and snuggled deeper into the crook of his neck. {I'm not going to let my fear control me again. If you find room in your heart for another, we can talk. But I don't think we need any help in bed. Or do you?}

Dante rolled his eyes. {Woman, the stronger I get, and the more I enhance myself, the more insatiable you seem to get. Just how much are you holding back from breaking me?}

Her dimpled smile was mischievous as she kissed his neck. {Who knows~.}

The tone of her voice and her soft lips were like an aphrodisiac to his system, and he couldn't stop the morning wood. His bruised soldier came to attention despite its wounds, and unfortunately, it poked the sleeping lioness as Revy was draped over his waist.

His morning wood slapped against her mound and stirred her awake. "Hm… the stud still isn't down? I feel like my pride is being challenged here."

Dante's brow twitched at seeing her fierce and hungry eyes waking up, and turned to see Virgo having a similar gaze. {You really have been holding back, haven't you?}

Her hands trailed his body as she leaned up to bite his ear and whisper. "Why don't you find out."

He groaned as Revy trapped his soldier between his thighs and quickly lifted his waist to raise the woman up and pin her beneath him. "Fine, you girls wants to be satisfied? Bring it on!" Revy and Virgo's laughter and moans rang true for hours before they finally left to come face to face with a very unamused elderly matron of the Jade Palace.

He may or may not have damaged the room during the night and morning of activity. He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. "Right, I'll pay for the damages."

Her judgmental gaze wouldn't be leaving his mind anytime soon.

Chapter end.

AN: Thoughts? Did Virgo's scene come on too strong? It kinda hit me and I just went with it. Which ending did you prefer?

Response to reviews:

/: Le Phoque Blanc

Thanks! Its an interesting project but pretty fun. I'm always unsure if people prefer long or short chapters, it seems it's a big division of opinions.

/: yonalkaru

Thanks man, hope you enjoyed this chap.

/: Kyo

As always, thanks for the awesome reviews. A lot of stories on here seem to just want to jump into things while skipping over the details. I love details and RPG's with the grinding for each skill. It irks me sometimes when I see a 10K story have the potential for 100K if the author just fleshed things out.

I'm glad you enjoyed my take on Toma and Jade. They were fun to write although I think they came off a bit dryer than I wanted.

As for potion ideas, funny enough, I checked out Parallel World Pharmacy and ended up realizing I read the light novel for it years ago. The anime was a nice trip down memory lane. Not very helpful for potions but I appreciated it.

Hope to hear your thoughts on this chap.

/: Sagicknight

Always a pleasure.

/: HughJasz

Thank you! Virgo is love. I hope you enjoyed a little more fleshing out of her character this chapter. Potions have a lot of potential fun, the trick is not getting thrown off course by using to many other abilities instead of focusing on potions.

/:

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the chap.

/: Eranore

The clenching of the butt cheeks was done in fear. Always fear. Lol.

/: gatoloco600

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the chap.

/: LionComet

Slow and steady wins the race. I hope lol. Always a pleasure my friend, hope you enjoyed the chap.

/: Ea-Calibur

Thank you. and the 'red-head' in the cover picture is a 'pink-head'. It's Virgo in her alter form. I wanted to make a picture of Dante in his chair with the two forms of Virgo on both sides, or even Virgo in his lap, but it didn't work out well so I picked the best of my available options. It's not that bad, right?

/: UnknowingGodz

Thanks! I wanted to expand on the lore while staying within the bounds of the world. Too many stories of dragon slayers and god slayers, I wanted something fresh. As for Virgo, solo romances in general are rare, and a side character like Virgo being used for one is practically impossible to find. They probably exist, just in very small numbers. Thanks for sticking around and the potion rec.

/: CrazyRecluse

Thank you! Support classes are for sure broken if you used right. I was always a fan of someone like Tang-san from Douluo Dalu who used controlling aspects to a high level. Or you could look at stories like Azarinth Healer where support classes can really become broken. Don't fuck with the crafters lol.