Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

The Reigning Beauty

It was a peaceful morning in the Den. All was quiet and at rest. The morning sun had just arisen over the horizon, but silence had still ruled over the earth as gray clouds covered the sun's warming light. A light rain had fallen on the morning making all sleep longer in a soothing doze. And the same applied to Soma who rested in his bed. His warm covers shielding him from the cold morning. He laid there so peaceful, so relaxed, in one of those rare moments he let all of his guard down.

BAM!

"Where is she?" Azar practically growled as he broke Soma's door open, bashing it to the ground.

"!" Soma had shot up awake, alarmed at the murdering aura leaking from his unexpected guest. He had to fight the urge to look to his right to see if Fia was still there, cause now would have been a horrible moment to give anything away. "What the hell old man?! She's not here!"

"Don't lie to me, boy. I can smell that she's been here, her room has been empty all night."

"!" How the hell did he know that?

"You're lucky you're still wearing all your clothes or I would have shot you."

"?!" That's right, he had been too tired to change out of them last night. Azar must have summed nothing happened between Soma and his daughter because of this. "The hell?! I didn't touch h-"

"I know you're here, Fia." Azar interrupted, inviting himself into the room. "I can smell your fear. It's pouring out as much as the rain."

"?" Soma felt himself shaking, but it wasn't him, he wasn't afraid.

"You can't hide from Daddy, Sweetie." Azar grinned. "I always win in hide-and-seek."

"!?" Soma began to panic when Azar stopped right in front of his bed and grinned wider down at him.

"Found you." He chuckled out.

"!" The world had suddenly flipped on him as Soma found himself on the floor. Azar had tossed his mattress to the floor along with Soma. Apparently Fia was hiding between the mattresses. She must have snuck back into her room to change out of her pajamas and back to her trademark clothes some time that morning. But Soma wandered why she had to hide here? It was like she was begging her 'Daddy' to shoot his ass off.

"H-hi Daddy." She nervously laughed up at him.

"Don't you 'hi Daddy' me. We've got some training to make up. This Den has turned you soft."

"No, Daddy, no!"

"Yes, Daddy, yes!" Azar mimicked her, grabbing her ankle before turning to Soma with a pointed finger. "And you!"

"!" Soma was taken by surprise when Azar grabbed his ankle with a free hand and started dragging them both out of the room.

"You're coming with me. You could use some good training if you can willing harbor fugitives."

"!" Soma began to struggle, gripping whatever he could to get out of Azar's grip. He wondered why Fia wasn't putting up a fight like she normally did. "What the hell?!"

"Soma." Fia called to him in a defeated voice as she limply let her father drag her off.

"?!" He had never seen her so defeated before.

"I can't stop what's going to happen nor do I know what will happen. Daddy's a little hard to predict at times." She sighed as she turned to look a Soma, her cheek dragging on the floor. "I just want you to know I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare give up on me, Fia! I didn't sign up for this!" Soma growled, refusing to give up. He turned to look at Azar retaliation. "And you! You must be insane if you think treating us like this is okay!"

But Azar just simply grinned. "Bitch, I might be."

*** Wailing Plains ***

It was early morning, it was raining, and it was cold. Soma's fists was literally twitching in irritation at the whole situation. He could've been sleeping for a few more hours but he was out here looking for an Aragami that was supposively out in this infernal rain.

"Are you guys as excited to face a new Aragami as I am, because I'm practically salivating right now."

"..."

"Let's just get this over with, Dad."

"Christ, fine, we're going. You kids are just buzz killers." Azar complained as they all jumped from the Starting Point. They had circled around the arena before they spotted their prey... a Venus. This Aragami was big, but not at the Ouroboros level. It had four legs and a tail with purple hued armor, oracle bulges were spread around its body, and in its front was two horns and the upper half of a woman. She had a voluptuous body, long red hair, and two horns that looked like a devil's. "Nice ta-tas."

"Daddy!"

"What?! Your mom's hotter!"

"Knock it off you two, it's coming!" Soma warned as the Venus charged at them.

They all dashed out of the way when the Venus brought it back in reverse trying to get them again. Soma had busied himself with the weak spot bulging from its back leg and tail. While Fia and Azar circled around the Venus firing at it with wild abandonment.

"Rather weak form, didn't I teach you better?" Azar lectured as the Venus almost got a hit on Fia when one of its bulges extended into a horn.

"O forgive me, father, it's just hard fighting an opponent I've never seen before in my life!"

"Quit your bitching. Life is full of surprises and the unknown. You have to face it, charging like a bull, if you truly want to live. Not like some duck with one flipper!"

"Hate to ruin your father-daughter moment, but could you both just shut up and fight!" Soma growled at them as he destroyed the oracle bulge on its leg. Angered it began slapping its tail to try and hit him.

"Soma, get back! Chick's going to hurricane!" Fia warned. Soma jumped back at the last second as the Venus twirled around in a strike than fired some Divine attacks.

"Did she just fire that from her butt?" Soma said in disbelief as the blast came from the oracle bulge under her tail.

"Does that count as a fart?"

"Quit joking around, it's coming!" Soma growled, grabbing her hand to run out of the way as its horns expanded with Divine sparks at the tips as it charged at them. Once missing them it let out a Divine explosion around itself, on instinct Soma shielded Fia with his body even if they were a safe distance away.

Leaping at the Venus even as the explosion was still around it, Azar shot off the bulge on its back by the tail. The Venus fell to the ground from the shot. Breaking loose from Soma's arms, Fia went to strike its front.

"Soma, you hypocrite, get your head in the game." Fia laughed at him.

"Spare me, woman!" Soma growled at her, taking his annoyance out on the Venus's legs.

The Venus was down on its last legs as the others relentlessly sliced at it. Azar moved to its front while Fia sliced at its horn. Fear came over its face as Azar looked at it with those blood-lust eyes and his eat-shit grin. He gripped onto one of its head's horns and pointed his barrel at its collarbone.

"When you see the Devil in the Underworld, tell him Azar said 'hello.'"

BANG

"Fatality. Well now that that's over, why don't we head back for some breakfast." Azar said to them as they extracted the core.

"The Mesh Hall isn't even open yet, Dad." But the news just had Azar smirking wider.

"No lock can stop me. Your friend's door can vouch for that."

"It's Soma, and you're fixing my door." Soma growled out.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get to that later."

*** Later that Morning ***

It was an early morning than usual for the First Unit, but they had woken up early to be the first ones in the Mesh Hall. It was a special day today, aside from the showers going on outside. It was Pancake day in the Mesh Hall, a rare treat that actually was delicious compared to what they're usually served. And they wanted to get to them before the others woke up and the lines built up.

Lindow and Sakuya left their room to go get their teammates so they could get going. They were going to get their closest teammates when they noticed Fia's door wide open and Soma's was broken down. And if they looked toward the wall by their room they could see claw marks as if someone was trying to resist being dragged away. They didn't see any blood meaning Soma and Fia were fine, because if those two were in real trouble the hallway would look more like hell.

So they went to get Kota and Alisa who were ready to go. They were ahead of their predicted time so they would have to wait for the Mesh Hall doors to open. But when they got there the doors were broken open. Well... more like someone shot off the door handles. With caution they opened the doors, scouting for any possible threat. But they only spotted Fia and Soma sitting at a table with Azar... eating pancakes.

They were soaked over, covered in mud, and their teammates looked tired. Soma looked irritated as his fork poked at his pancakes, while Fia tiredly ate hers. While Azar tore through his pancakes like a wild beast.

"You guys have been quiet for a while now." Azar said between chewing. "Are you guys upset, or something?"

"..." They didn't even look up at him from their plates.

"Oh I know why you're angry! It's because I spilled all that juice isn't it?"

Soma just stood up from his sit. "I'm out."

"Soma, where are you going?" Fia practically pleaded out to him.

"To take a damn shower." Soma growled back at her. Not in irritation of her but at the fact he was soaked to the bone and was as cold as a homeless Eskimo.

"Aw, come on, kid. Don't be like that."

"It's Soma." Soma barked, not giving a damn at their difference in rank.

"Looks like the poor boy can't handle a little rain." Azar chuckled.

"Actually, Dad, I could due with a warm shower myself." Fia countered, getting up to leave too.

"Aw, come on, you're leaving me hanging too." Azar whined as Fia caught up to Soma.

"Ah, ah, ah, none of that fuss." Fia shot back at him with a wagging finger as she temporarily walked backwards to talk.

"Ugh, fine." Azar gave in. "But it better be damn separate showers!"

Soma and Fia had almost tripped on their feet at his words. Turning their heads to yell back at him like angry tomatoes.

"Sir!" "Dad!"

"Just checking. Oh and Fia we still got some training to do this afternoon! Don't make me have to look for you again."

Fia had slightly picked up her pace at his words making her move a little ahead of Soma. As they were moving out they spotted the others at the doors.

"Hi, guys! Sorry we already had breakfast!" Fia greeted them as her and Soma left.

"W-wha? But Soma, you didn't finish your pancakes." Kota pointed out.

"Fuck pancakes! I just want to take a shower and get my damn door fixed."