The storm and the red lightning bolt caused a big fuss in the city as many wondered what it was. Some thought it was a normal storm while others thought that it was a warning of another kingdom's attack.
Some Ganesha Familia's guards were dispatched to the scene as many heads straight for the Hephaestus Familia's Main Home where the red lightning bolt had struck down upon. While other Familia were told to give assistance in protecting the people in case of an emergency.
At a street where there is a lot of chattering crowd which has the main hot topic of the golden pillar of light and the red lightning bolt; Bell and his Familia are there as they also saw the event beforehand with their own eyes.
"just what was that?" Haruhime asked with a slightly scared face.
"that looked like the light when the goddess Ishtar was sent back to Heaven.." Lili spoke out before she yelped in surprise when Welf suddenly run off. "w-wait! Welf-sama!?"
"that golden light and lightning bolt strunk where Hephaestus-sama's office is at!" Welf exclaimed. "I got to go and check it out!"
"wait a minute! Welf-dono!" Mikoto called out but the red haired blacksmith just ran straight to the Hephaestus Familia's Main Home.
"I don't think he'll stop until he made sure that the light wasn't Hephaestus-sama, would he?" Haruhime spoke out as everyone just nods in agreement.
"still…for a god to be sent back to Heaven in the middle of the day without warning…" said Bell as he looks at the sky that is now cleared of the black storm. "and what was with that red lightning?"
"whatever it was, Lili suggest that we should chase after Welf-sama." Lili proposed. "we might find our answers there."
"right." Everyone nodded in agreement as they started to do a detour from their plan to go back to their Home with their groceries to checking and making sure that one of their ally Familia isn't harmed in any way.
As they run off to chase after Welf; the Familia went to a corner turn on the street to catch up with the blacksmith but as they pass an alley; Bell get grabbed by the arm and then pulled in.
"wha!?" Bell yelped in surprise as he got pulled right into the alley while Lili and the others keep on chasing after Welf; too occupied to know that their captain got taken away from under their noses.
Bell stood in the alley as he looks at the one who had just taken or rather abducted him and to his surprise it is his aunt Makaria along with Melinoe and Polemos.
"A-Aunt Makaria!?" said Bell in surprise as he looks at the masked half elf and then turns to look at the other two Kaisers. "a-and you t-two are…"
"I'm sure you remembered that I said I would check on you a few days back, right?" said Makaria with a smile under her mask. She then stood straight while letting go of Bell's hand before waving a hand towards the other two Kaisers with her. "well, I forgot to mention that I would come to check on you with your other Aunt and Uncle."
"it's great to see you again, Bell." said Melinoe with a kind yet happy smile to her nephew. "you've grown up and look just like your father when he was your age."
"guess the saying 'like father, like son' really does mean something in the world." Polemos stated while having his arms crossed, the Kaiser just chuckles with a small smirk of a smile. "Who knew?"
"Aunt Melinoe….and Uncle Polemos.." Bell spoke out while looking at his aunt and then uncle. "When did you guys…arrive? I mean…could it be…was that lightning bolt?"
"our work." Melinoe replied while placing a hand to her waist. "a little habit that we Kaisers have."
"We always liked making a bit of a dramatic yet frightening entrance." Polemos added in while shrugging his shoulders. "it's an old habit that is very hard to kill when you've been doing for almost several decades."
"i-I see.." said Bell with a slow nod.
"Anyway, now that they're here. I think it's time we have a little chat together." Said Makaria while placing her hands on her waist. "to get some old reunion vibe going on for the family."
"b-but…my Familia are going to Hephaestus-sama's Home and.." said Bell in trying to retort but Makaria grabs him by the shoulder and pulls her towards her. "wha!?"
"don't worry, I asked Hephaestus to tell them about the little show in the sky and you suddenly disappearing when they notice that you're not with them which won't take so long." said Makaria while patting Bell's shoulder a few times. "Come on, there's a good café whose owner is a very old friend of ours. The perfect place for a private chat."
"b-but…my Familia." Bell spoke out.
"don't worry about them." Said Melinoe as she went near Bell and patted his head a couple of times. "besides, its important for us to talk because what we are going to talk is very important for you to know." She then reached a hand into the front pocket of her jacket and takes out an old photo that she showed to her nephew. "it is about your Mother along with the other members of your Family after all."
Bell slowly and gently takes hold of the photo as it has the picture of his parents with the three Kaisers in front of his old house in his home village; they all had big and happy smiles; but Zagreus and Meteria had very joyful smiles because both held the infant version of himself together in their arms who looks happy and jolly.
"This is…" Bell muttered out.
"That was taken on the day you said your first word." Said Makaria while patting Bell's head a few times. "And you know what you first word is?"
"My first word?" Bell spoke out while looking up at his aunt.
"it's actually more like first words." Polemos stated in. "your first words were 'Mama Luv! Papa Luv!'." He then chuckles while smiling a bit. "When Meteria heard those words coming from you; she practically cried in tears of joy and gushed over you for a whole day."
Bell's cheeks went red as he feels extremely embarrassed because of knowing the first few words he spoke out when he was still an infant.
"come on. There's a lot more that you need to know about your childhood." Said Makaria while caressing Bell's head a few times.
Bell looks at his aunts and uncle and then down upon the photo in his grasp, his expression softens when his eyes just gazed at the photo of his parents smiling all happily together with his infant past self. His finger gently caressed the item in his hand before he looks up and smiles then nodded to his aunt.
Makaria nods back while patting Bell's back before she snaps her fingers and the group instantly disappeared in a flash.
Sometime later at the Hephaestus Familia's Main Home. Welf along with the others came running in as they just arrived at the building where the members of the Ganesha Familia were surrounding the area in securing it.
"move back!" A Ganesha guard shouted as a line was made in pushing people back from overcrowding the place.
Welf soon came barging in as the man tries to push and squeeze himself through the gap.
"hey! Move back!" a guard stopped Welf as he pushed the blacksmith back with the handle of his spear.
"you move! This place used to be my Home!" Welf exclaimed as he just pushed him off and runs straight for his former Familia's Home.
"h-hey!" the Ganesha guard shouted while trying to catch Welf but in his action, Lili and the others came slipping in. "hey! You guys!"
"don't mind us!" Lili exclaimed
"excuse us!" Mikoto shouted.
"w-we're very sorry!" Haruhime apologized as she, Mikoto, and Lili hurried in chasing after Welf who went straight to Hephaestus; the goddess of smithing is in the middle of a talk with the god Ganesha and his captain; Shakti.
"Hephaestus-sama!" Welf called out as Hephaestus and the others saw him and his Familia coming. "Are you alright!?"
"Welf? You guys?" Hephaestus spoke while looking a bit surprised and confused to the group who came to a stop near them. "What are you all doing here?"
"We should be asking the question, Hephaestus-sama." Said Lili while taking a quick deep breath after the whole running. "We all saw the golden pillar of light and then the red lightning bolt that struck straight to where your Home is."
"and Welf-dono was very concerned about you that he ran all the way here." Mikoto added in.
"hey!" Welf barked with a blush from how blunt Mikoto had spoken.
"I see." Said Hephaestus with a nod. "I'm fine, but I have to say that I have no idea on what you all mean by the golden pillar of light and lightning bolt."
"what?" said the Hestia Familia group in a confused unison.
"it would appear that everyone is thinking the same thing here." Ganesha spoke out as he and Shakti stepped in. "previously, we had asked Hephaestus the same question regarding the event that had happened previously. She had no idea of any of the events because she was in her Home where nothing was even happening while she was doing her work."
"is this true, Hephaestus-sama?" Haruhime asked as Hephaestus nodded.
"I was working on my paperwork like I always do and the next thing I know, Ganesha and his Familia started to come into my Home all in a big group." Said Hephaestus while crossing her arms under her chest. "They asked me about some pillar of light and a red lightning bolt that came striking down to the top of my Home that I had no idea had just happened since I was inside for the whole time."
"are you sure? It was a very bright pillar of light and a very loud lightning bolt too." Welf added in.
"I'm very sure." Said Hephaestus while raising a hand to the side. "I didn't hear anything while I was doing my paperwork. honest."
"Ganesha-sama." Shakti whispers to the elephant masked god as she pulled him to the side because a pair of Ganesha guards came and started to have a quick whispering report to the two before leaving.
The god and captain pair then returns to Hephaestus and Hestia Familia group.
"a few of our guards just came back from checking your Home and the surrounding area." Said Ganesha to Hephaestus. "They found no signs of any scorch marks on the top of your roof when the lightning had struck. You're telling the truth, Hephaestus."
"Like I have been telling you, haven't i?" Said the goddess in return. "Can I go back to my office now? I have 3 stacks of paperwork that won't be signing themselves, you know?"
"yes, alright" Ganesha replied with a nod as Hephaestus nodded back before bidding everyone goodbye as she left for her office.
"if that light wasn't from Hephaestus-sama. Then what was it?" Mikoto asked as this is a question that is on everyone's mind.
"Lili still thinks that it might be the works of the Kaiser." Lili stated "a golden light, a red lightning bolt, Lili just feels that this is the work of Makaria Kaiser."
"hey, don't start accusing others." Said Welf to the pallum supporter. "She's Bell's aunt and a Kaiser, remember?"
"e-everyone." Haruhime called out as everyone looks at the renard girl who is looking side to side and then to the group. "w-where is B-Bell-sama?"
"eh?" the group then looks around and finally realized that their captain isn't even with them.
"but Bell-dono was just with us a moment ago!" said Mikoto as the group never realized that Bell was gone at the last second.
The Hestia Familia just looks around for any signs of their captain, not realizing that he was taken away from them before they had even arrived at the area.
Meanwhile by the downtown district is located east of Orario. Bell is sitting at a table near an old café with his aunts and uncle; the young man looking a bit weirded out from the fact of how rundown-looking the place is.
"don't let the appearance fool you, Bell." said Melinoe as she sat beside her nephew while in the middle of reading a small book in her grasp. "It may be old looking, but this place used to be and is still the best café in all of Orario."
"Best café in all of Orario?" Bell asked as Makaria nodded.
"Your mom and dad always went here when they go out together." Polemos stated in while having his arms crossed and his back leaning against his seat. "They loved the meals and beverages here to the point that your old man learned a few recipes to make meals for your mother during their anniversary together."
"Meteria always whined to Zagreus to make her those meals, didn't she?" said Makaria with a chuckle while pulling down her mouth mask "Always the glutton no matter how slim she was looking, right?"
"wouldn't be a surprise if Bell had her gluttony, would it?" Melinoe added as this made some laughter be shared amongst the three Kaisers while Bell looks a bit embarrassed.
But before more embarrassing teases could be added into the fire; an old half elf woman came walking in.
"Thank you all for waiting." The old woman called out with a smile as she went and placed down a tray filled with plates of meals and drinks. "Here are your orders."
"Oh! Here they are!" said Polemos as he uncrossed his arms and leans forward with an anticipated face while watching the meals and drinks being placed to the table. "Been waiting for this!"
Bell looks at the dishes and saw that they all look very plain and simple staple food that he could usually find in any food stall within Orario.
"try it and see the difference, Bell." said Melinoe while holding up a small biscuit that she soon takes a bite from.
Bell looks at her aunt and then to the meal before him as he was served a bowl of cream white vegetable and meat stew. He stares at the dish for a moment and then grabs a spoon which scoops up some of the stew before he tasted the dish that made his eyes wide.
"a big difference, right?" said Makaria after sipping her cup of tea while Polemos was scarfing down his plate of fried vegetables and meat in the background.
"t-this tastes like…!" Bell muttered out before he takes another spoonful of the stew and then another after it. with each spoonful he takes; his eyes started to tear up. "why does…why does this stew…?"
"You may not remember it, but that stew was the first dish that your mother cooked for you when you were at the right age." Said Melinoe with a smile in seeing how Bell is just drinking up the stew from the bowl. "Meteria learned how to make it from here and that stew is the dish she loved making the most for you and your father."
Before Bell even knew it, he finished the whole bowl of the stew while in tears.
"when I tasted it….it felt like I had already ate it before but…when I tried to remember where and when I had ate it…I remembered Mom by the kitchen…humming while cooking and then…." Bell spoke as his tears started to spill down even more. "and then…and then she fed me the stew…I…I can't stop.."
Seeing his reaction; Melinoe went and hugged Bell while gently patting his back a few times. The young man reincorporates the hug as he very much needed the comfort.
Makaria and Polemos smiles in seeing Bell hugging Melinoe back while crying to her before both glanced at the old half elf woman who smiles with a soft look on her face.
"he's very much alike…" she spoke softly. "like his mother…and his father."
"yeah." The two Kaiser stated before they look back at Bell who gets a few head strokes by Melinoe while continuing to seek her comfort. "Yes, he is."
The group spend time in the café as Bell learns a lot about Melinoe, Polemos, and the owner of the old café whose name is Mirana and is actually a very good old friend of the Kaisers who is very trustworthy even after years of them being away.
"Your father was very much in love with your mother." Said Mirana as she sat with the group while having a nostalgic smile. "in all my years of living in Orario; never before have I ever seen the love that the two shared together. They were a match made in heaven."
"did my mom…and dad…." Bell spoke out with a slightly flustered looking face. "ever thought about settling down and everything?"
"hohohoho, Zagreus and Meteria always talked about that during their time together at the end of a day." Said Mirana with a chuckle. "Both planned to marry one day and then retire from being adventurers, leave Orario, and just spend the rest of their days at a peaceful village where they will stay with the many children that they want to have together." The old half elf woman sighs before she looks up at the sky. "their wish may not have been fulfilled fully….but I know very well that Meteria lived her life to the best with Zagreus…" she then looks down and smiled at Bell. "And with their beloved son as well."
Bell looks at Mirana for a moment before he smiles and looks down; his heart feeling glad to know that his deceased mother passed away with happiness.
"thank you….i.." Bell spoke out but was cut off when a roar of laughter was heard near him.
Everyone looks at where the laughter is coming from and is greeted with the sight of a gang of 7 adventurers who are in a variety of race, gender, and age; all just looking smug at them.
"what's this!? The Rabbit Foot is so poor that he's eating at this old forgotten place?!" "hahahaha! His Familia's is in debt after all!" "yeah! He is!" "he's the rabbit who is so greedy for fame that he never got it!" "hahahahahaha! He should just stop being an adventurer!" the group laughed and shouted in unison as they are mocking and badmouthing straight at Bell.
"Acquaintances of yours, Bell?" said Makaria as she, Melinoe, and Polemos turns to look at the group with calm faces.
"n-not really…" Bell replied while looking down with a rather awkward look.
"hey! Old hag! Why don't you just close your place down!?" a gruff looking adventurer shouted out at Mirana while having a smug grin. "This place ain't catching any customer nor Valis! Just shut this place down so that we can tear it down and build something better!"
"Seems that they know you too, Mirana." Polemos spoke out with a glance at the old half elf woman.
"I believe so." Said Mirana with a calm smile. "the young ones there have been hassling my shop ever since business been going down, but I haven't obliged to their demands ever since."
"Strong willed as always, Mirana." Said Melinoe with an approving nod.
"Hey! You lot!" one of the adventurers shouted as it is a weretiger man who went and slammed a hand on the table. He looks at Bell and the others with a smirk. "if you lot knows what is best for ya. Leave this place and never show your mugging face here ever again! This is our territory!"
"Your territory?" said Polemos while crossing his arms on his chest and then sighs with his eyes close. "Adventurer of this generation sure have become smug and weak."
"huh? What you say!?" the weretiger adventurer shouted before his neck gets grabbed and gripped by Melinoe's right hand. "ugh?! What are you!?"
"you're so loud." Said Melinoe as she glanced at the weretiger while her right eye glows red in a very menacing way. "I hate annoyingly loud adventurers."
"A-Aunt Melinoe!?" Bell looks in surprise as his red haired elven aunt gets off her seat.
"y-you! Let me go!" the weretiger shouted before he started to choke as Melinoe tightens the grip on his neck.
"you bitch!" the weretiger's team wielded their weapons and went on the attack against Melinoe who went and threw their teammate straight at them. "what!?"
The group fell as Melinoe held her right hand that grips its fingers a few times.
"Makaria, set up a barrier." Said Melinoe as she went to the group of ruffian adventurer.
"don't make too much of a damage." Makaria told her sister as she held a cup of tea that she takes a sip from before she went and tapped her right heel against the ground, erecting a magic barrier to surround her, Bell, Mirana, and Polemos in an instant. "save some for the others."
"No promises." Said Melinoe as her right eye glows red while her hairs slowly flows and flutters around to reveal a scarred yet blind left eye that is glowing red and unleashing blood red vapor.
The group of ruffian adventurers stood back up and looks at Melinoe; but the moment they did; the colors on their faces slowly drained away and they started to have terrified expressions growing upon them.
"it's time you maggots learn a lesson." Said Melinoe in a dark tone while raising her right hand that is coated with static of electricity that grew wild. "a very painful lesson."
At another time; a few miles away from the location. The Hestia Familia have gone all around Orario to find Bell as they were worried about his sudden disappearance in the middle of the day.
"Just where did Bell-sama go to?!" said Haruhime with a worried face.
"Wherever he is, Lili hopes that he is alright!" Lili stated as the group keeps on looking around for any signs of the Rabbit Foot for over an hour.
"g-guys! Look!" Welf suddenly exclaimed as he stopped and pointed at the sky above.
Lili and the others stop to look where he is pointing, and their eyes widened because the group sees that the dark storm returned and unleashing rains of lightning bolts that are directed and focused on one area.
"w-what….?" Mikoto spoke out before the land started to rumble as an earthquake. "This i-is?!"
The earthquake shakes Orario for a minute before a cyclone of dust and lightning tears through a part of the street and unleashed destruction wherever it bore through.
"w-what the heck?!" Welf shouted as he and the others saw the cyclone coming at their direction. "r-run!"
The group instantly run away as many other bystanders did the same action as they did because the cyclone tore through the ground and destroyed many things in its path.
Once the cyclone has dispersed; Welf and the others look back and saw the ground now had been scraped and burned while rains of broken wooden and stone rubble rain down all around the area.
"w-what in the world…?" Lili spoke out.
"e-everyone! Look t-there!" Mikoto exclaimed as she pointed at somewhere where her comrades turned to look.
The Hestia Familia group saw the group of ruffian adventurers who had been hassling them for a while as they were all littered around the scraped and burned ground while looking extremely injured.
"m-monster…" the weretiger groaned in pain before he fainted.
"w-what in the world is going on?" Lili whispered with a very confused face.
Many other people went and checked the scraped and burned street as it was at least 10-15 feet long from up to down. The location of where it first starts came from the area where Mirana's old café is at and where Bell and the others remained sitting.
"u-unbelievable…" Bell whispered as Makaria's magic barrier disappears and the young man could look straight at his Scarlet-haired Aunt who had static dancing around her right hand that is outstretched forward. "w-what was that?"
"There are a few things you should remember about Melinoe-nee and Polemos-nii, Bell." said Makaria as she calmly sips her tea. "They are renowned as the Blade Kaiser and Arc Kaiser respectively. They are also ten times more stronger than myself too."
Bell looks at Makaria for a moment before Melinoe as the scarlet haired elf grips her outstretched right hand into a fist before she swung it to the side then turns to smile at her nephew who is very shaken.
The day soon became night as the city isn't that calm and quiet after the event with the cyclone that tore through a large portion of the eastern part of Orario's streets. This incident caused many to be alarmed as the citizens believed that it was the cause of an adventurer from one of the strong ranked Familias.
Chatters and whispers spread within the whole city as the talk mostly pointed to the Freyja and Loki Familia since both are the top two strongest Familia in Orario which makes them the target of suspicions.
At the Twilight Manor, the Loki Familia's members were all gathered in their Home's Mess Hall where all sat at the tables or stand in line while facing the front and main table where their goddess; Loki along with the top three executives of the Familia; Finn, Riveria, and Gareth sat with her.
"This ain't good." Loki spoke out as her voice is loud enough for everyone in the room to hear her. "We ain't at a good position with Orario's citizens after what has been going on in the day."
"That is to be expected." Said Riveria with a glance at Loki. "The three incidents; the golden pillar of light followed by the storm that unleashed the red lightning bolt and then the cyclone that appeared out of nowhere and tore through the streets at Orario's eastern borders." The high elf then looks forward. "All of this just puts fear to the citizens who believed that it is our Familia's doing or that of the Freyja Familia's."
"Both of which aren't responsible at all." Said Gareth while crossing his arms on his chest. "Whoever caused those events must be trying to decrease the citizens' trust to our Familias."
"The question is…" Finn stated while cupping his chin. "Who?"
"Before we find out the who, we need to know the how, the what, the when, and the other questions that needs to be answered." Said Riveria to Finn and the others before she turned to look at Raul who sat nearby with Annakitty. "Raul, Aki. What did you and the others find at the scene?"
"Nothing much." Raul replied while shaking his head. "The street was very much torn through and scorched. There are only about 5 casualties; each one severely injured than the rest."
"We talked with the victims after they were taken to the Dian Ceht Familia for healing, but all we got were these words." Said Annakitty while taking out a folded piece of paper from her pocket that she unfolds and then reads out loud. "The victims all screamed 'she's a monster! That monster! Her eyes were red! She's a monster!' over and over while looking terrified beyond words."
"so the culprit is a woman with red eyes.." said Loki before she sighs. "That ain't something good to start with, right?"
"Anything else, you two?" Gareth asked. "Is there anything else that you got from the victims?"
"Nothing other than the culprit is a woman with red eyes." Said Raul while waving a hand to the side but he then points a finger up with his face realizing something. "b-but! I managed to learn from one of the victims who told me that it was an elven woman with red eyes and her hair was very red like blood!"
"so the culprit has red hair that is nearly scarlet, red eyes, and is an elven woman, huh?" said Riveria while cupping her chin. The high elf slowly hardens her gaze before she looks at Finn and the others. "a scarlet haired elf with red eyes?"
"it could be….a coincidence, right?" Gareth asked with a slightly curious face.
"it's a 50-50 chance." Said Finn as he leans forward, intertwined his fingers, and pressed it against his mouth while looking slightly nervous. "There aren't that many female Elves who has red eyes and scarlet colored hair…."
"h-hey…Finn…you can't be thinking that the one who caused the damage in the city.." Loki spoke out in a slight stutter while looking nervously scared. "y-you can't b-be thinking that…i-it's her, right?"
"the chances of that are slim but not impossible.." said Finn as his right thumb started to twitch in pain. "it was….a cyclone after all."
Loki looks at Finn baffled before she gulped loudly.
"Captain? What's wrong with you all?" Tione called out as she and the rest of the Familia look confused in seeing the expressions of their senior member and the goddess.
"t-the thing is…." Loki spoke in a nearly small whispering voice. "the features that Raul and Aki gave out on the culprit….it's…"
"It matches someone the four of us are acquaintances with back in the past." Riveria stated in finishing Loki's statement, the high elf's face looks stern, serious, but at the same time worried and nervous. "Someone who we might have enraged terribly."
"who?" Tiona called out as she and everyone else looks curious.
"that's…" Riveria spoke but went quiet as she looks down while frowning.
"Why don't you just tell her who I am, Riveria? It's not like you'll be getting another chance once I'm done with you all." A voice suddenly echoed out as this made all the Loki Familia's members get alarmed in an instant. "a female Elf with scarlet hair, and red eyes, huh? Just knowing those features of mine got you scared and nervous. What a surprise."
"t-this voice!?" Loki yelped while looking pale.
"Where is it coming from?!" said Tione as everyone looks around to find the source of the echoing voice.
"t-there!" Lefiya exclaimed as she pointed at the second floor where everyone looks and saw Melinoe sitting on the upper level's hallway rails where she is sitting while drinking a bottle of expensive looking wine; the liquid just gets drained down to her throat that chugs it.
Melinoe finished up the bottle of wine and then exhaled in satisfaction before she looks down with a smug smirk at the Loki Familia who are looking tense because they could sense an ominous level of power radiating from the red haired elf.
"Long time no see, maggots." Said Melinoe as she twirls the bottle of wine on top of a finger. "Miss me?"
"M-Melinoe…!?" Finn spoke out in a gasp while looking terrified. "w-why? H-How!?"
"Why and How?" said Melinoe as she went and sent a glowing red glare at Finn's direction. "You always ask such stupid questions, brat." She then flips the empty bottle of wine and grabbed it in her right hand's grasp. "for someone who has been entitled the Braver, you really lack intelligence, brat!" the red haired elf proceeds to throw the bottle straight at the pallum who didn't have time to react and was met with shattered glass upon his face that made him fall sideways.
"Captain!" Tione exclaimed as many other behind her gasped in surprise. The Jormugand went and growled at Melinoe. "you bitch! How dare you do that to my Captain!"
"huh?" Melinoe looks at Tione's direction before she smirks with a scoff. "well look at here, Finn got himself an amazon whore of a slut in case he doesn't get another pallum to bear his pathetic offspring. So very predictable yet so pathetic."
"what the fuck you said, bitch?!" Tione exclaimed as her anger switch get flipped and she instantly jumps while lunging straight at Melinoe. "I'M THE CAPTAIN'S FUTURE WIFE!"
"stop, Tione! You can't win against her!" Riveria screamed out as Tione lungs straight at Melinoe with a strong right kick that gets effortlessly caught by the red-haired elf who smirked. "Melinoe is a level 9 adventurer!"
Everyone looks in shock to hear what Riveria had screamed out; they all look at Melinoe who is just smirking while gripping her hold against Tione's right foot that slowly let out bone popping noises from the passing second.
"a-a level 9…a-adventurer!?" Lefiya gasped in shock.
"easy to be provoked and very aggressive." Said Melinoe as she tightens her grip against Tione's foot that went and cracked very loudly when the grip started to increase. "typical Amazon behavior, right!?" the red haired elf then grabs the Amazon's ankle before proceeding to twist the right leg to the point that a part of the skin tears open and a broken piece of her inner fibula bone came sticking out with a spray of blood.
"aaggghh!" Tione screamed in pain.
"TIONE!" Tiona scream out to her twin elder sister as Melinoe didn't stop with breaking her right leg, the female Kaiser proceeds to pull back her left hand and formed a fist that was swung straight at Tione's face and sends her flying straight down against the wall where she crashed straight through.
"Tione-san!" Lefiya yelled as she with Tiona and a few other Familia members run to the Jormugandr who is now outside; her face now has a fist shaped wound on her right cheek while her broken and fractured right leg bleeds terribly.
"w-with just one punch!?" said Annakitty in surprise.
"This Familia sure has a bunch of greenhorn brats for adventurers, huh?" said Melinoe as she grips the fingers of her left hand into a fist a few times while having a dark smirk. "I'm going to have fun breaking all of your bones, body, and spirit once the time comes."
"Why you!" Bete growled out as he and a few other Loki Familia members readied themselves for a fight. "I don't give a fuck if you're a level 9 or 10 or what! you plan a fight with us, then you're getting one!"
"Stop, you fools!" Gareth exclaimed to the werewolf and others. "even if there are a hundred of you, Melinoe will slaughter you all in just a few seconds! Stand down!"
"Do you really think that by telling them to stand down; it would mean that I won't attack them back, Gareth?" Melinoe asked as she chuckles darkly while staring down at the Elgram with hostile eyes. "The moment that slut amazon attacked me; I deemed this Familia very hostile and will be exterminated. But I guess…." The red haired elf then glanced at Loki who squeaks in fear while sweating bullets when she put her attention on the goddess. "Getting rid of a bunch of brats from a Familia of worthless maggots would be a waste of my precious time."
"Why you!" Bete growls out.
"Bete! Stand down!" Gareth exclaimed to the werewolf before he looks nervous and a bit fearful towards Melinoe. "Not one of us can stand against Melinoe…."
"Oh come now, Gareth." Melinoe chuckled with a smirk. "they're eager to beat me, you know? Let them have a shot against me. It'll be a good experience for them to learn the difference of a pro and a noob adventurer" she then looks at Bete with a smug looking face. "But for the dog boy; I believe it would be a good experience to teach him how to sit and be obedient instead, right?"
"You!" Bete shouted with a pissed off face.
"Bete! Don't!" Gareth exclaimed but Bete didn't listen for a third time; the werewolf just jumps straight at Melinoe who smirked darkly. "BETE!"
"eat this!" Bete shouted as he swings a kick forward at Melinoe who just disappeared in a blur. "what!?"
"hey, dog boy." Melinoe's voice called out from above as Bete looks up and saw the red haired elf standing upon the ceiling while having a smirk. "let me teach you a trick that all dogs know." She then jumps off before unleashing a fast spinning kick that hits the werewolf straight on the stomach. "Play dead."
"agh!?" Bete gasped in pain while coughing out blood before he was sent flying straight to the floor where he crashed through the floor marble that shattered and crack while causing a tremor upon the Twilight Manor.
"B-Bete-san!" Raul cried out as a big amount of dust was flying around from Bete's crash.
The Vanargand is lying in a cracked crater as he coughs out blood while his opened stomach has a big purple bruise growing upon the skin.
"e-even Bete himself…" Annakitty whispered as many started to look in fear because two of their level 6 Adventurers were taken out in mere seconds by Melinoe.
When all thought that Melinoe was done with Bete; they were proven wrong because the red haired elf came down and drops a diving kick straight at the werewolf's already bruised stomach and pushed him further down the ground.
"aaghh!" Bete screams while Melinoe smirks in hearing his pain.
Melinoe stood upon Bete who has been forced deeper into the already cracked and destroyed floor before she proceeds to start stomping her right heel down on his bruised stomach very hard and made the werewolf gasp in pain and cough blood each time; she brought her entire weight down with her stomps.
"what's wrong, doggy boy? Play dead" said Melinoe as she smirks and chuckles darkly while continuously stomping down her right heel on the werewolf's extremely injured stomach without mercy. "it's the only way to stop this lesson of mine. just play dead!"
Melinoe lifts her right leg upwards before she drops it right down on Bete's stomach very hard and this one caused the werewolf to cough a massive amount of blood that splattered everywhere.
"B-Bete-san!" Raul cried out as many paled and look terrified to the point of trauma to see the blood that the werewolf coughed out.
"huh? Already playing dead?" said Melinoe as she looks at Bete and saw that he is unconscious. "I guess wolves are really dogs, huh? Who knew?"
The red haired elven woman then turns to look at the Loki Familia members beside her as they all took a step back while looking afraid.
"what's wrong?" said Melinoe as she went and did a taunt at the large group while smirking darkly. "if you call yourself adventurers of a Familia, come and avenge your comrades. It's the least thing that you can do to not put shame on your own Familia's name, right?"
No one dared to take a step forward or speak a word after seeing what the elven woman did to Tione and Bete.
"what? no one?" said Melinoe with a fake disappointed look. "what a shame. You call yourselves the members of the Loki Familia; but deep inside, you are all just cowards when faced against a strong foe, huh?" she then shakes her head disapprovingly before she looks all smug at them. "but I guess, this is a predicted answer since you're all a bunch of maggots and weaklings that are a far cry from real adventurers after all."
Melinoe then chuckles before she laughs very loudly.
"ahahahaha! The Loki Familia sure is a Familia where brats and weaklings gather around!" Melinoe laughed out loud. "Country bumpkins! Maggots! Worms! A bunch of worthless weaklings with no brains but just brawns! They made a big name for themselves outside of Orario, but they're nothing but weaklings! What a laugh! I knew that this Familia was weak no matter how many years have passed!"
Melinoe continues to laugh while the Loki Familia members couldn't do anything but listen to her mocking laughter.
After a few minutes of laughing, Melinoe stopped as she wiped away a tear that is formed on the side of her right eye because of too much laughter. She took a deep breath and then sighs with a smile before she turns and had a very serious dark look at the top members of the Loki Familia.
"now then…straight to business." Said Melinoe as she started to take slow steps towards Loki and the others who could only sat and stand in their place with fearful looks. "I'm here to give you all a heads up." The red haired elf woman stands in front of the table as she looks and stares down at the group with a very dark glowing red one eye glare. "your actions against our rules will be punished very severely."
Melinoe glares down at them before she stood in front of Loki who started to tense up.
"did you forget?" Melinoe spoke out in a very dark threatening voice. "we told you to protect Orario in our absence. We told you to not do anything that we dislike." She then leans down and glares straight at Loki who is sweating furiously while shaking non-stop. "But you betrayed our trust. You went and did whatever you want to make a name for your Puny Familia. did you really think that we were dead? Did you think that there wouldn't be consequences for your actions against our rules?" her glowing red right eye then flashes while an ominous aura started to form around the elven woman's body. "We gave you and the rest of you lot a place in Orario and this is how you repay us? Learn where you stand before us, you useless and pathetic worm."
Loki started to whimper in fright as her body shakes in uncontrollable fear.
Melinoe glares at Loki before she turns her attention to Gareth who sits beside the goddess.
"The Elgram…a dwarven warrior who has kindness and a good nature." Melinoe spoke out as she takes a few steps and stands before Gareth who she stares down like a naughty child getting caught by their parent. "his sturdy body protects his allies and comrades from harm. The Elgram is a dwarf respected as a great hero." She then glares very demonically at the dwarf who started to sweat. "What a bunch of lies those rumors and tales are, right Gareth? They always left out the part on how you are always such a hardheaded fool that needs to be disciplined each time you go into the Dungeon and made a lot of trouble, right? I always wondered if I should've gotten rid of you back then."
the red haired elf glares down at Gareth before she turns and looks at Finn who had gotten back up after Melinoe had thrown the empty wine bottle that shattered and made a bleeding cut on his forehead.
"I'll be dealing your punishment personally when the time comes." Said Melinoe as her expression turns dark and murderous. "the moment your existence is deemed useless, pathetic, and overall unneeded." She raises her right hand and grips her fingers like claws. "I'll make any form of gruesome punishment looks like child's play and i'll make sure that Finn Deimne; the Braver will be forever known as the Coward, Pathetic, and the only remaining Pallum in existence." Static started to dance around her fingers as volts of electricity formed sharp claws made of lightning that caused Finn and many others to look in fear. "it'd be best for you to count your days right now, you useless brat."
Finn sweats furiously while his right thumb twitches uncontrollably to Melinoe's threat that is surely a promise she will keep.
Melinoe looks down at Finn with her dark glare for a minute before she turns and walks to the side then stands before Riveria who looks just as tense and nervous as her comrades. the red haired elf stared down at the green haired high elf as the atmosphere between the two is extremely tense.
"you're lucky that I was strictly ordered to not do anything to you, bitch." Said Melinoe while staring down at Riveria with a sneer. "The moment he comes back with the others; I'll be sure to persuade him to forget and leave you for good." She then leans down and glares directly into Riveria's eyes as she showed her scarred blind left eye that slowly glows red under her scarlet hair. "someone like you truly doesn't deserve to be with him. You're nothing more than a burden on his heart." The red haired elf then leans back before she turns and walks away but stopped for a moment to turn her head sideways in looking at the High Elf. "I always knew that you were the same as your kind no matter how much you denied it. you're just an arrogant, prideful, and most of all a very selfish elven bitch." She then turns and continues to walk away. "he should've never fallen in love with you at all."
Melinoe walks towards the crowd of Loki Familia members who started to back away in forming a path for the red haired elf who paid them no mind before just disappearing into thin air.
Once everyone was sure that Melinoe had left their Home; they all let out a breath that they didn't know that they were holding for how long.
"w-who was that person?" said Lefiya with a scared voice as in all her life's experiences; never she had ever met someone as malicious and merciless as Melinoe.
"whoever she was….she is strong." Aiz spoke out as the Sword Princess was looking very tensed. "She is very strong."
"w-we're doomed…!" Loki stuttered out as everyone looks at the goddess who is trembling while crying in tears of fear. "w-we're dead already! S-She came back! And that means the o-others will be back too!" the goddess then grabs her head and looks in anguishing defeat. "we're dead! We're totally doomed! The Kaisers will come and kill us all!"
"K-Kaisers…?" Lefiya spoke out in a stutter as many looked confused while some look in fear.
Meanwhile at the Hearth Manor; Bell is with Makaria and Polemos in the living room area as the young man is being told stories by his uncle and aunt about his father, mother, and other uncle and aunts who he hasn't met yet.
"your old man had the tendency to be over caring to others." Said Polemos while leaning against his seat before he raised his hands and shrugged. "but that is one of his strong good points after all."
"and we're sure that you got that same trait as he does, Bell." Makaria stated as she sat beside Bell whose head she pats and strokes a few times while having a smile under her mask.
"w-well…I guess so?" said Bell with an embarrassed smile.
While the group continues to chatter in the living room; Hestia and the rest of her Familia were just peeking in and eavesdropping on the conversation.
"I can't believe that there are two more Kaisers who came back to Orario…." Welf whispered before he gulped nervously. "out of them all….it just had to be the second and the third strongest Kaisers of the 8 Kaisers…"
"i-indeed…" Mikoto nodded. "Polemos Kaiser….the Arc Kaiser and Melinoe Kaiser, the Blade Kaiser. One is a former member of the great Zeus Familia, and the other who is of unknown origin…..both are very feared by many people in or out of Orario."
"Polemos Kaiser is the most destructive in the Kaiser Familia.." Lili added in before she gulped nervously. "and Melinoe Kaiser…is the most merciless too."
"t-the stories all tell that out of the 8 Kaisers…" Haruhime whispered with a stutter while looking very afraid. "both are t-the embodiment of d-destruction and death. P-Polemos Kaiser-sama had once caused the destruction of a single kingdom in a single night while Melinoe Kaiser-sama had decimated an army of one thousand solider….in just a single hour..b-both are very strong.."
"w-why does Bell-kun have such s-scary uncles and aunts!?" Hestia yelled in a whispering voice while looking nervous and tense.
Soon enough, the front door of the home swings open and Melinoe came in while carrying bottles of wine in one arm and a bag filled with fried snacks of many kind in the other.
"I'm back!" Melinoe called out all joyfully as she went straight to the living room. "sorry that it took a while! I got so much snacks and drinks from Mirana that it took some time for me to get them all here!"
"you're late, Melinoe." Said Polemos as Melinoe went and placed everything on the table. "what took you so long to get snacks for our story telling? we were getting bored waiting for you."
"she's been gone for only ten minutes, Polemos-nii. Give her a break." Said Makaria while taking a bottle of wine and pulls the cork out.
"i-isn't this too much for a night snack, Aunt Melinoe?" Bell asked with a very awkward look in seeing how much food and drinks that his aunt had brought.
"What are you saying?" said Melinoe while uncorking a bottle of wine and then holding up a wine glass that appeared in her grasp. she then pours the content and filled the glass with the purplish liquid till it gets filled fully. "With how much stories we're going to share you about your mother, father, and other Aunts and Uncle? This will be gone before you know it."
"b-but it's night and…" said Bell but Makaria cuts him off by giving him a kebab filled with fried chicken covered in orange-ish red sauce that made it look delectable.
"Just drink, eat, and listen to our stories." Said Makaria as she gave the snack to Bell before taking a glass of wine in her hand. "you might learn a lot about your Family from us, you know?"
"w-well…" Bell spoke out.
"let's continue on with the story about how your old man who was nearly sought after by many princesses of other kingdoms who just wanted to marry him." Said Polemos while munching on a large fried turkey leg. "your mother really had a hard time trying to keep him for herself, you know?"
"s-sought after by many princesses?" said Bell as he imagined his father being chased by many princesses who are all in a love heat.
The three Kaisers started to tell the stories of Bell's family as the young man listens to them all while his Familia just hides while eavesdropping. None of them knew about Melinoe who came and had inflict pain and conflict on the Loki Familia during her absence in the Home.
But soon enough, Bell and nearly everyone in Orario will learn of the Kaisers who will put order upon the city.
That's a wrap!
Bye bye
