Kaida felt her eyes flutter open at the hum of her internal clock. "It must be morning."

She tried to move an arm but quickly realized her current predicament. The shorter goddess had pushed her back into her chest and gripped her arm tightly. Escaping without waking the woman would be difficult.

After more time than she'd like to admit, she did eventually get out of the goddess's; ironic, death grip. That said, now that she was free, she could go make breakfast for the two of them.

The breakfast she decided to prepare wasn't anything she considered to be fancy. She had gone a little overboard on the rice yesterday, so she had the perfect dish in mind. It was a simple egg-fried rice dish, a plate she had prepared enough to say she'd mastered it. Considering the time, it'd probably be best to wake the goddess now. As nice as sleep was, keeping a solid schedule was even more important.

However, it would appear that her services in waking the woman were unneeded. Peering out from the kitchen with two plates in hand, she spotted a drowsy goddess already at the table. She couldn't help but feel a faint smile appear on her face as she stepped out.

"Good Morning, Lady Ereshkigal. How did you sleep?"

Ereshkigal suddenly looked up to her and around the room before swiftly turning red. "You mean to tell me that all wasn't a dream!"

She laughed. "Would you have rather it been a dream?"

"N-no, not at all!" Ereshkigal responded swiftly and quietly. "…and I slept a lot better than I usually do."

Placing the dishes on the table, even she felt a faint blush ride on her cheeks. "I'm glad to hear. Anyway, I've made breakfast so eat up before it gets cold."

Ereshkigal quickly grabbed a spoon and nodded. "R-right!"

As they ate, she opted to lay out her plans for the day. There were a couple things she needed to do; the sooner the better. Namely, getting registered at the Guild was on the priority list. However, before she could say anything, the goddess had said something that completely derailed her train of thought.

"You know… I didn't question it the other day, but you sure do eat large portions…"

She looked at her plate and felt a somber smile rest on her cheeks. "You aren't wrong about that."

Ereshkigal quickly caught onto the tone and frantically attempted to apologize. "I didn't mean to make fun of you, I just…"

Kaida could only shake her head. "Think nothing of it, I was simply reminiscing about a good friend of mine. We both have a condition where our physical bodies are far stronger than the average person at the cost of needing to eat more."

"I see… it must be difficult being separated from those you care for?"

She met Ereshkigal's downcast gaze with a confident one of her own. "It is, but I'm not going to let it stop me from trying to find a way where everyone gets a happy ending!"

Ereshkigal could only return her words with a faint smile. "If you continue to think like that, you just might. If nothing else though… I have faith in you. Call it my divine intuition!"

She gave a nod and offered to take her plate. "I plan on heading to the Guild after this, and I'd appreciate your company while I get registered."

"You want me to come along?"

"Only if you want to, of course."

Ereshkigal put a hand to her chest and nodded. "I suppose I could enlighten your path with my company, yes indeed."

She giggled at the reply. This must be her 'public' persona. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes then, if you need to grab anything."

As they headed for the main streets of Orario, the pair had traveled in relative silence. At least, until she broke that silence for some small talk. She may as well take the time to learn some more about Goddess Ereshkigal.

"I've been meaning to ask, but how long have you been here? You seem to be fairly well off."

Ereshkigal glanced to the side and stepped a little closer as they began to push through the crowds. "Well, I've been six, seven months maybe? The other divines have always looked down on me or tormented me for no reason really. Even here, they'd sometimes pull pranks or just be flat out obnoxious whenever given the chance. I eventually got some compensation from the Guild when the worst of them were all caught, so it hasn't been so bad lately. But, I still can't help but keep an eye out."

She let off a frown. She knew that most gods in legend and myth had their own way of doing things and how they treated others, but it still wasn't right of them to bring that into their lives here. At least, those negative aspects of it, it was hardly fair to those seeking a new beginning.

"Hm." She was settled on it. "Then I'll have to be sure to make those gods regret ever treating you in such a way. Those that get results can hardly be made fun of, so let's work real hard!"

Ereshkigal felt that fluttery feeling fill her chest once again. Kaida sure knew how to rile her up. She couldn't help but bring a genuine smile to her cheeks. Her new Familia member was right, they would just have to blow everyone else out of the water; together.

After a couple minutes, they had reached the main building of the Guild without a hitch. Kaida could only surmise that they had arrived early enough to avoid the rush due to the lack of traffic. Not that she was complaining, of course. Stepping through the saloon-style gates, she spotted a familiar face among the employees.

Greeting a red-headed werewolf, she approached the counter with Ereshkigal in tow. "Good morning, Miss Fennett. I take it that yesterday's events were solved nicely with you around?"

"How did you… never mind that, did you need something?" Rose asked with a level of curiosity.

She nodded and pat Ereshkigal on the back slightly. "I had come in request of getting registered as an adventurer. This here, is my patron."

Rose eyed over the twin-tailed blonde and nodded. She was without a doubt a god, but she was unfamiliar with them. "Well, if that's what you want, let me get the paperwork." She hated doing registrations, it was as if she were giving them permission to go kill themselves. That said, her opinion often mattered little and she knew very well just how important the role of "Adventurer" was.

The werewolf leaned over some and sifted through the drawers at her station. After a moment, Rose stood straight with a sheet of paper and quill. The process was simple, Rose would ask the questions, all she had to do was answer.

"Alright, here we go. Name?"

"Kaida Rengoku."

"Race?"

"Human."

"Age?"

"Seventeen, nearly Eighteen."

"Residence?"

She gave a slight glance to Ereshkigal. "Currently with Lady Ereshkigal."

Rose nodded. "I'm assuming you've also joined Goddess Ereshkigal's Familia then?"

"Indeed."

Rose set her quill down and placed the paper into a wooden tray. "That covers the registration then."

"Well, as Miss Tulle said, that was relatively painless. Is there anything else we need to do?"

"Well, you wouldn't be sent into the Dungeon unequipped, so the Guild gives a starter kit to you lot." Rose explained, casually pointing to one of the leftmost back rooms.

She nodded. It made sense, it was a way to hold Adventurers accountable and to also gain some monetary benefit as a business. She had been in a similar scenario when she was starting out with the Demon Slayer Corps. Equipment cost money, after all.

Ereshkigal chimed up as they were led into the back room. "Does she also get an advisor, Miss Rose?"

The werewolf nodded. "She'll be assigned one based on availability, yeah."

"Then, if I may, would you be available to be my advisor, Miss Fennett?" she added. The redhead had already interested her some, but she was also someone she knew now. Working around that would be much easier than meeting someone completely new.

Rose, who stopped in her tracks, didn't meet their gaze. She was too busy mulling over the thought. It was not something she expected to hear, she figured most hardly liked to be around her as it was. Yet, here she was with a choice. Would she risk growing attached to an adventurer who may very well kick the bucket the next day? Then again, this one hardly appeared to be just any regular adventurer; their encounter yesterday told her that much.

Rose grumbled slightly but gave in. It had been a while since she had advised anyone anyway, if they didn't like it, they could always switch advisors. "Very well, but don't get mad at me if you can't keep up."

Kaida felt a soft smile fit her cheeks. "You have my thanks. I look forward to working with you."

"Yeah, yeah, well the sooner we get your equipment, the sooner we can start talking Dungeon matters. I'd rather not hear of your death anytime soon." the guildswoman stated, rubbing the back of her head slightly.

The newly appointed advisor picked up one of the average sized wooden crates lining the shelves and made her way back to the pair. As Rose placed it onto a nearby table, she began to open and unpack the neatly prepared box. "All equipment is made uniform for the Guild, gives newbie crafters a chance to show their ability to follow a commission. What you get is fairly simple," she explained, describing each item within the crate, "Some light armor, a dagger, two healing potions, a backpack, and a pouch to collect your earnings."

Kaida was a little disappointed by the lack of options; concerning weaponry, at least. But, perhaps it was best to look at it as incentive to branch out from her usual techniques and work extra hard to get her preferred weapon until then. She would make do with what she had and then some.

Having been given the bag alongside the rest of the equipment, she slung it over a shoulder. There was still one item she had not been given just yet, as it seemed Rose wanted to speak on it some before they left the room.

"These won't save you from a fatal wound, but they'll heal small injuries and gashes in a pinch. Do what you want, but I'd recommend you keep these potions on your person. In the Dungeon or not, there's always some danger lurking." Rose warned before handing off the remaining consumables.

A firm expression planted on her face, she gave a nod. She knew very well what the woman was getting at. No world was without its problems, this one was no exception. Her people may not have been graced with a convenient item like potions that could heal wounds, but she would use it to its utmost potential.

Feeling a tug at her haori, she turned her gaze to the woman at her side. "Is something wrong, Lady Ereshkigal?"

The goddess let off a faint smile. "No, nothing's wrong, I just wanted to let you know I have to head to work soon. I'll be home before the night ends. So, whether or not you venture into the Dungeon today, I expect to see you home before it gets too late."

She gave a confident grin. "Of course! How else would I be able to hear more about this job of yours?"

Ereshkigal returned a nod. "Right, I'll see you later then."

She waved off Ereshkigal as she headed out of the building and turned to face Rose once more. "I'm ready to begin whenever you are, Miss Fennett."

"Just as your goddess expects to see you tonight, I expect to see you return alive and well from this day on too."

"That's a promise I intend to keep to all those that have helped me get to where I am now. You have my word on that." she replied with a resolute gaze.

The werewolf gave a content nod and glanced around the still empty guildhouse. "Good. Doesn't seem busy, so we can start now. I'll rent out a conference room for us."

"- and that covers matters for general adventuring and the Dungeon itself." Rose said with a brief nod.

She returned the nod. "Is there anything else I should know, around what's been covered, that is?"

"Yes. I was just about to get to that." Rose said with slight irritation, but it faded as quickly as it came. No complaints came from the girl and she digested the information quickly. Honestly, Kaida was something she would consider an ideal adventurer. She would be hard-pressed to stay mad for long.

"Anyway, you should keep in mind as a Level One, going in alone is dangerous. You should try to find a party as soon as possible." Rose began, her words trailing away from her usual guildswoman demeanor. "I can't stop you from going deeper than recommended for your Status, but considering what I saw from you yesterday… just don't do anything too stupid. Try to stick to the first few floors until you get used to the Dungeon. Knowing about the further levels is one thing, actually being there is another. Can't help ya' if you're dead." Rose stated simply.

Kaida nodded with a smile. Her words may have been blunt, but she could tell it was out of care. "I'll do my best. As I said, I have no intention of dying anytime soon."

Rose hazarded a peek out into the main foyer and let out an audible sigh. "No other questions then, I take it?"

She shook her head. "None here. I've kept you long enough as it is."

Rose shrugged and finished packing up her items with a faint smile. "I don't mind. It's better than dealing with the other ninety-nine percent of adventurers that come through here. I just don't look forward to having to go back behind the counter."

"Do you not like your job, Miss Fennett?"

"You could say that. There's definitely parts I'm not a fan of. But, it pays well and I have my reasons for sticking around. And please, just call me Rose; I hate formalities." the werewolf said.

She gave a kind and understanding nod. The Demon Slayer Corps were full of many who held similar thoughts. Certainly, it did pay well. But, more so than that, it was often a personal choice based on circumstance. Whatever the case, everyone had their reasons for what they did; personal or not.

Giving her advisor a brief farewell, they parted ways.

Stepping out of the Guild and into the growing masses, she felt her gaze wander subconsciously. Eyeing the tower based at the center of it all, Babel, she took in a heavy breath. Her adventure begins now. In this city of Orario and the grand world beyond it.

Tsss… puff. The goblin-type monster fizzled into a fine mist of particles as a dagger decapitated the small monster.

A small shine poked through the ash that dispersed along the ground. Picking up the shiny object, Kaida recalled Rose's words. "These must've been the magic stones she was referring to. Most, if not all, monsters have them apparently. Strike them directly for quick elimination, but risk losing the stone itself. Or, try to land a lethal strike while still avoiding its core to maximize profit." she thought.

That was the gamble she could take at any moment. Thankfully, her prior training had prepared her for this sort of focused attacking. The Demons that existed in her world had very few weaknesses, but their necks were one of them. Like most other humanoid creatures, she certainly could aim for more than just their necks, but it seemed to get the job done the most quickly. She'll likely need to work on the habit some if she encounters any trouble because of it. But, until then, she wasn't going to worry about it.

She stowed the purple, fingernail-sized stone into her earnings pouch and continued through the first floor of the Dungeon. So far, despite her initial awe of the structure itself, she hadn't been all that impressed with the foes themselves. Making money on this floor would likely prove to be difficult if she stuck around for long.

Taking a look at the map Rose had given her of the first few floors, she gave a slight nod to herself. "The size of the floors within the Dungeon increased as one got further down. If I were to make the trip, there should be less adventurers in the area that may interfere." she mentally concluded.

Weighing her options, she decided to go deeper without much hesitation. She hardly had a choice, admittedly. Her eating habits would not fund themselves, and it's not like she wanted Lady Ereshkigal to be stuck eating the same thing all the time.

The First Floor was not composed of only goblin-type monsters, but it sure felt like it. She had been lectured on the variety of monsters that could appear within these floors, yet none of that variety had been seen. She wasn't asking for the rarest of the rare monsters rumored to have been on these upper floors, a few kobolds or dungeon lizards would do just fine.

As she followed the map given to her by Rose, she made sure to eliminate every monster along the way. Perhaps fun would have been the wrong way to put it, but plowing through dozens of monsters without so much as a beat, was somewhat satisfying. That said, it wasn't as if she'd run around careless. She knew all too well what could befall those who let their guard slip in enemy territory. The Dungeon was still a place where many adventurers risked dying with every breath they took.

Laying a hand against the cobalt wall of the Dungeon, she looked on from the entrance into the next floor. The terrain appeared relatively the same as the First Floor. The walls still remained the same color, the faint shine of crystals still lit the area, but ideally the spawns of these monsters should be more plentiful.

…

Plentiful they were not. More than a few hours had since passed her descent into the Second Floor, and she really didn't have much to say for it. She managed to encounter one kobold near the end of her excursion, but there really wasn't much else worth mentioning. The pack-type monsters one on one weren't particularly threatening creatures. It was likely even a newbie fighter could handle one without too much difficulty.

Par for course, the upper floors acted as such. They weren't particularly difficult and made good practice for new adventurers. It was probably unfair to expect anything challenging right off the bat knowing her experience. She could imagine others who were fighters before adventuring felt the same.

When everything was said and done, however, she did feel as if she made out pretty well for her first day in the Dungeon. Night was on the horizon by the time she returned to the surface, and it was time to turn in her magic stones.

She spotted a teller she hadn't met before at the trade-in station and gave them a quick greeting. "Good evening, sir. I'd like to exchange some magic stones if possible?"

The teller returned the brief exchange and pushed out a wooden box from behind a glass pane. "Right, just drop them into this box and we'll get you settled."

She nodded and emptied her earnings pouch into the tray. At the least, she could be happy with the quantity of stones she had gathered. They may be small, but she felt as if she were pretty efficient in gathering them. The teller then spent a moment in thought before suddenly speaking once more.

"Quite the haul for a bunch of goblin stones." he mused, pushing the wooden tray back out. "13,000 valis. Have a nice day."

"You as well, thank you." she returned with a light smile, grabbing hold of the handful of coins.

Stepping out of the Guild shortly after, she took a glance at the sky and nodded. If she was quick, she could grab some groceries on the way before nightfall fully hit. In a way, celebrating her first successful day could be a good excuse for her to cook some more. She couldn't deny that a lot was on her mind, and cooking was a good way of distracting herself from it.

With a meal plan formulating in her mind, she made haste towards the foot stalls still set up.

Creaak… click.

Ereshkigal let out an exhausted sigh as she stepped in her home. "The Guild sure has some nerve… I should really thank that strange god next time I see him." she thought to herself before an aroma suddenly found its way under her nose. "What's that smell…?"

Ereshkigal hadn't smelled this type of dish before. Granted, it wasn't saying much for someone who didn't go out to eat, but she had been surprised nonetheless. Quietly peeking through the kitchen doorway, she felt her heart skip a beat for a moment. "Is that…"

"Is that you, Kaida?" she unconsciously mumbled.

"In the flesh," Kaida said, turning to the goddess with a content smile. Her hair was damp and lowered from its usual ponytail, drifting down between her shoulder blades. "How was your day, Lady Ereshkigal?"

Ereshkigal jumped slightly, having thought she was still unnoticed, before stuttering out a response. "U-uh, fine, I guess. I see you got some…" She folded her arms and looked away with a light blush. "Seems like you've been busy."

Kaida giggled and held a large bowl in each hand. "You could say that, let's take a seat and eat though. I'd hate for it to go cold."

"R-right, but y-y'know, you didn't have to. I could've made something when I got-"

"I appreciate the thought, but I enjoy cooking as well. We can split the load now and then if you prefer?" she interjected with a kind gaze. "And the Dungeon wasn't particularly eventful today, so I wanted to make up for it."

Ereshkigal relented and felt a faint smile of her own form. Despite the happy feeling, she kept her gaze on the bowl as it was placed in front of her. She was having a hard time looking at her Familia member. "… why am I feeling so weird!? She just washed her hair and got some new clothes, she was bound to do it eventually! So why…" she yelled at herself internally. Finding no reasonable answer to come, she focused on the food and began to eat her thoughts away.

Kaida had done similar, but did notice her goddess's subtle shift in demeanor. Not wanting to wait on discussing a potential problem, she jumped right into it. "Is something the matter, Lady Ereshkigal?"

The goddess, rather comedicaly, patted her chest with a fist, waiting for the food to go down first. "W-what makes you think something's wrong? I'm completely fine, nothing wrong here!"

"I won't pry, but something comes up, we can talk about it when you feel comfortable."

Ereshkigal sighed and looked blankly to the side. "She's seen right through me… again. She's in my Familia now anyway, so why do I feel the need to hide it? Ugh, why am I like this?" Mulling over the thought, she recalled the events of today and set her eating utensils down. "W-well, now that you mention it…"

She did the same with her utensils and reached an arm out to Ereshkigal's shoulder with a smile. "We have all night, take your time."

"R-right…" Ereshkigal took a deep breath and began to speak once more with a pained voice. "I make cages, it's one of my specialties due to my domain. But, the Guild executives seemed pretty insistent that it was my work that let the monsters escape from Monsterphilia."

"Were the cages damaged by something then?"

Ereshkigal shook her head. "Not in the slightest. Someone had let them out deliberately." She felt both sadness and anger welling in her voice. "Once again… I'm assumed to be the villain, just because I'm a Goddess of the Underworld! I came down to the Lower World because I wanted to show I wasn't what everyone thought me to be. It just… hurts." she said, tears starting to stream down her cheeks.

She gave an understanding nod and got up from the table. Reaching her arms around the goddess from behind, she tried to reassure the woman. "That's what I'm here to help you do. You're not alone." Now that she had the woman's attention, she swung around once more and raised a thumb to her face. "We just have to show them just how positively flamboyant we really are!"

The Goddess laughed between the tears as they slowed. "Why are you talking like that? You sound so silly, but… thank you."

"A friend of mine was very flashy, to say the least, but he embodied it much better than I ever could." she explained with a light laugh of her own.

"I figured as much, and I guess it isn't all so bad. One of the other gods; a strange one, but kind nonetheless, did vouch for me. Perhaps the only one that did, but his reputation really helped my case." Ereshkigal recalled. "I think his name was Ganesha?"

Kaida beamed. "Is that so? Seems like we're already making progress then!"

The blonde felt her heart leap again, and returned the wide smile. "I suppose you're right!"

The two of them finished eating and retired to the bedroom of the modest home. Ereshkigal had wanted to update her only Familia member's Status before anything else. Despite being fairly tired, she was excited to see what kind of growth one day in the Dungeon granted.

Kaida, now knowing the process, had quickly removed her top in order for the goddess to get to work. Though, it would seem that becoming slightly flustered was still inevitable. Sometimes she really cursed Mitsuri for introducing her to this aspect of life, she was certain the Love Hashira would get a kick out of this situation every time.

Kaida Rengoku

Level One

STR - I 0 I 70

VIT - I 0 I 58

DEX - I 0 I 95

AGI - I 0 I 41

MAG - I 0 I 35

Magic:

[Flame Breathing] - a Breathing Style that mimics flames and replicates them with the user's movements, techniques, and abilities through enchantments.

Skills:

[Total Concentration: Constant] - An esoteric breathing technique. Immensely increases all stats and abilities. In addition, renders the user capable of clotting wounds from severe injuries and slowing down the circulation of poisons in the bloodstream.

[Indomitable Will] - Renders the user immune to charms and grants high resistance to other mental attacks. In addition, grants the user the ability to fight above their level when near death.

Ereshkigal was surprised. How could she not. As a diety, she could view her follower's experience through the excelia she gathered. Of all the eliminations, nearly all of them were via decapitation. It wasn't as if Kaida struggled to pull it off either. "Were all Otherworlders so scary?" she thought. "I knew their abilities grew most where they excelled in life, but… just what kind of life did she live for this? Maybe I'm reading too much into it… I should be happy about this kind of growth."

"Is something the matter, Lady Ereshkigal?" Kaida called with hints of concern.

Ereshkigal shook her head and pressed her forehead to the girl's back. She was her goddess, but she still didn't know all that much about the woman. Maybe it was unwise to pry, but she wanted to at least put it on the table for discussion. "No… but I'd like to hear more about what you did in your old world sometime. If you're okay with it, that is."

The Flame Hashira nodded. "I can't say my line of work is a bright one, but I'll be sure to mention some of the better things about my homeland as well." She glanced to the clock on a nearby nightstand with a sigh. "Though, it'll likely have to wait for another day. I should probably look for an inn before it gets too late…"

Ereshkigal pressed into her back and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I don't mind sharing the b-bed. If anything, you should be happy that a g-goddess like me would offer such a thing. Mhm, I think it'd be a foolish idea to skip out on that offer."

The sudden feeling of the Goddess's hands made her blush as they tried to stop her from moving. "Maybe, but there really isn't any good reason to want to sleep with me, is there? I feel as if I'm intruding enough as it is." she countered.

Ereshkigal didn't relent and kept her demeanor up. "You're warm, that's all."

"Then what of all these blankets?"

"… it's not the same." The goddess tightened her grip slightly.

She leaned forward to grab the basic shirt she had purchased earlier, and tossed it on as best she could with one hand. Once the shirt was sufficiently on, she quickly removed the Goddess's hands and flipped the encounter. If the goddess was going to insist she stay and act like this, she was at least going to take a page out of Mitsuri's book and have a little fun with it.

With a growing blush rising onto her cheeks, she leaned towards the Goddess's ear as she yelped at the sudden shift. "I've noticed when you get flustered you tend to change your demeanor. Why not just be honest with yourself?"

Ereshkigal's face quickly deepened into a dark shade of red. "W-what do you mean! I do not, I'm always honest! I-"

"Is that so?" she retorted, moving to get off the bed.

"W-wait, wait, wait!" the goddess stammered out in a hurry, reaching a hand out only to bring it back to cover her face. "… okay, fine. I just… I just don't like being alone! I'm sorry, it's just ever since we slept together yesterday…"

She merely giggled and crawled back towards the goddess. "It's just…? What? You can tell me." she said playfully.

Ereshkigal couldn't meet her gaze but relented nonetheless. "I know you may not be home all the time as an adventurer, but when you are… I can't find it in me to go back to how things used to be if there's a chance. I won't force you, but… please?"

She could now see why Mitsuri acted the way she did at times like these. Treating this like a sleepover would be one thing, but this was far more interesting. Honestly, getting the goddess to open up more was probably a good thing anyway. She felt a light blush settle down as moved the large bear plush to the side of the bed and properly laid down next to Ereshkigal, much to the approval of the goddess.

The pair laid in relative silence. One was still trying to adjust to the now seemingly permanent sleeping arrangements, and the other trying not to be too clingy in her rest. As the night drew on and fatigue finally caught up to the goddess, she fell asleep with faint words hanging in the air.

"Thank you."

She soon followed thereafter with a faint smile on her own cheeks.

A/N: I had a fair amount of fun writing for both Rose and Ereshkigal this time around, and I feel I'm starting to get a good grasp on their characters. Though, perhaps a bit too much fluff in some parts I'm sure, things are starting to develop and it's only a matter of time before we get past the more 'intro' parts of this story I've got. That said, I plan on releasing chapters within the first week of every month, maybe twice a month if I have a spurt of writing progress. Take it easy and be safe!

If you feel like supporting me and my motivation, check out my pa treon/lockhardt. If commissions are your thing, check out my Fiverr under lockhardt_. I've been trying to take more initiative in commissions for fanwork, it's like fanart, but with words!