Wooo!
I was supposed to be studying for exams while writing this but here goes! This is the last chapter of the beach arc! Next arc, involve a timeskip for a few months and will start a few months before Canon. Shenanigans will happen, be warned.
Disclaimer: I don't own Danmachi.
What does a bored young man do? Well, do something to relieve his boredom?
On the last day, I decided to have fun with my adorable daughter. Just us two, a father-daughter adventure. Sadly, life had other plans. Syr managed to squeeze some time in to join us and it was fine but...
"So... Do you mind telling me anything?" I asked the sword princess beside me. The both of us were dressed in our respective swimsuits and while Ais has ice cream, I have a coconut cocktail. This is life.
"About what?" Her reply was short and straight to the point.
"Why are you and your group here?" I asked while looking at the Hostess group mingling with the members of the Loki Familia while the both of us sat under a tree.
"Loki said so,"
"I am banning more redheads in my life!"
"How about Rose? Didn't you used to have a crush on her?" Syr said suddenly as she looked at me while making sure that Alise was in play. Damn you woman! I know where you live! "You know, you do have a habit of spouting something about redheads, are they your type?"
Ignore her and she will go away.
"Ara, oh no~ Vana Yngvi will take me away- guh!" Without looking, I caught red menace Numero Uno, Loki, in my hand.
"I thought you liked Ryuu, naughty playboy~" Fuck... this is your fault, Syr!
"Have no fear, mood kindred!"
Anya! My beloved mood kindred! Help me!
I will treat you to an all-you-can-eat dessert!
Truly, mood kindreds are the greatest companion of all time!
"Ren prefers women who can kick his us while still being loving enough to spoil him from time to time! He also has a preference for Nya!" You evil kitty! I will stuff you in a box!
I trusted you! You were the chosen one! You were supposed to protect me, not tease me!
"Oh, Bossman also likes girls that have a beautiful voice and smile!"
Nobu! You evil woman!
"Ais-tan! Restrain him!"
"No..." Thank you, Ais! You are now my little-
"I'll treat you to Jagamarkun!"
"Fine," Oh no! The little girl managed to confiscate my Devouring Apocalypse and wrap a rope around my body.
"Now," The fuck?! Don't use me as a chair, you evil Red menace! "Tell me more about Vana Yngvi's type.
"Papa? Why is pretty lady Loki sitting on you?" My beautiful Nahida! Please! Help daddy!
"Nahida, please! Help daddy! " Yes, my darling sweet little girl! Daddy needs help!
"Loki, stop teasing Ren. Ais, we will be talking about this."
"Come on, Riveria-Tan~" What Loki was going to say was interrupted when a vine erupted from the ground and gently removed Loki from my back.
"Thanks, Nahida," I said while focusing a tiny amount of Distortion world, destroying the rope and flexing my bruised muscles. "Thanks for taking care of her last night, Riveria,"
The future queen of the elves gave me a smile. She should smile more, she looks cute. Nahida, smiled as she ran up to me and showed me.
"A starfish?" the young girl smiled brightly as the vine holding Loki disappeared.
"Kid... you're not an elf, are you?" Loki said as she looked at Nahida and before I knew it, Distortion world already activated and formed a barrier of distorted space around me while Nobu summoned her flames. The members of the Loki Familia were tense and were prepared to protect their patron. One move and it will be a fight
"Cruz, calm down!" Riveria's voice cut through the tension as she got between us. "Loki, stand down."
"I don't know what's going on but no fight will be taking place here," Alice Lovell cut in as she stood beside Riveria, followed by her newly revived(?) Familia members.
Knowing that a fight would be more of a hassle and threat to Nahida, I slowly lowered the barrier while blaring a pattern discreetly to prepare an extraction for Nahida and Syr to the hidden Freya Familia members.
"I see, a simple yet cleverly placed illusion and concealment spells," Loki said, breaking down the spells Rukkhadevata put on her Daughter.
"We should continue this in a private area," Riveria offered while looking at us, mostly at me.
"We should," I said while holding Nahida in my arms.
The walk towards a cabin owned by Riveria was quiet. Awkwardly so.
"D-did Nahida do something wrong?" The elven girl in my arms asked.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong, sweetie."
"Riveria, do you mind?" I asked, but sadly, I did not need to. She already finished chanting an elven privacy spell or something and now, I find myself surrounded. Nobu, as my bodyguard, was on my side with Fou on her shoulder. Anya was on the side with Ryuu, and the Astraea Familia while Loki and her Familia were in front of me.
"Kidnapping spirits are a crime," Loki said as she looked at me. "Especially a great spirit and someone so young,"
"A great spirit?" Anya asked before noticing how Nahida flinched.
"Cruz... did you?" Ryuu, calm down.
"I didn't kidnap Nahida, her 'Mother' entrusted her to me after... after I... I failed to save her," I could still feel her blood on my hands, how she tried to save us even while dying.
"Ren, Spirits can't have children," Alise said as she looked at me.
"Yes, but Nahida... Nahida is a fragment of the original great spirit of Nature," Rukkhadevata explained it to me, that just like nature, Nature spirits were special and that she was once a fragment of a fragment. Well, to be precise, it was similar to how Jellyfish are. "Right now, she is only as strong as a high-grade spirit until she reaches a century in age and she will officially be the great spirit of nature."
"Lady Rukkhadevata informed me of the news that she was having a daughter 8 years ago." Riveria said as she effortlessly took Nahida from my arms. Honoring tradition, Father decided to appoint an honor guard for Lady Rukkhadevata. Sadly, not even elves are immune to corruption.
"Rukka... Rukka found out too late and she made me muggle Nahida away from her domain and I somehow managed to inform Larfal. Sadly, that ba... dummy managed to put Rukkhadevata in his mind control. It was too secure and..."
"Ren had to kill Lady Rukkhadevata to stop her rampage. Before she faded, she left Ren in charge of Nahida."
Knowing what they wanted to know, I looked at Nahida and smiled at her.
"Rukka wanted me to show Nahida the world. She wanted me to help Nahida experience the world. A chance for Nahida to do what she was not to have, a family that will love her. Rukka wanted Nahida to not be tied as a tool to be used or praised all her life."
"You... you fell in love with her," Loki's voice echoed in my ear. Did I? Yeah... I fell in love with her. for a week, we only knew each other for a week. How fucking cliche!
"Yes, I fell in love with Rukka." Remembering the first time we met in that hidden part of the forest, the way she danced and sing before smiling as she noticed me. Every story we shared, either good, bad, or just plain silly.
I wanted to see those places with you and Nahida...
Please... take care of Nahida...
Don't blame yourself...
Live... l...ve... you.