"DIE!" Rage infusioned shout
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[-Dungeon-]
Flashback
KSHH! Thump! These were the only sounds heard as Taka jumped out the window falling into a tuck and roll once landing. (Never will he ever underestimate the power of the LOOK OVER THERE) Now on his feet running to the exit like a bat out of hell the alarms of the Apollo familia sound off behind him.
Front gate now in sight Taka hugged a wall as a number of guards and familia members searched the grounds. "Were is he? Lord Apollo wants him back. Maybe he ran out back." Taka silently sighed as he looked seeing the stone wall much to high to climb. As the voices scattered in different directions he saw only two guards manning the gate. Tossing a nearby rock into a bush drawing the guards focus Taka silently made it to a climbing the bars till he made it to the top. "Yeah there he is!" only to fall when he was spotted.
"Oww." the argent haired boy groaned as he got to his feet. "Hey wait stop!" a voice shouted not that he listened taking off down the street the familia hot on his tail.
Flashback End
[-Dungeon-]
Today was the day after three agonizing days of waiting it was finally time for the banquet held by the Apollo familia. In those three days his party must of spent at least three fourths of it in the dungeon (Bell would join in on and off during that time). The other one fourth was spent sleeping or helping Welf making the final touches on Taka's armour and apparently new weapon.
Looking around the room Taka could actually smile at the work done to there home. Sure it was still pretty bad but the roof stopped leaking and the draft was gone. The only thing missing was an Alter, after forming the familia Hestia casually revealed that as the Guardian of the Sacred Flame, she rules over the protective fire, also called Eternal Torch revealing her ability of the Protective Fire. That night Taka swore he would get her an alter for all she's done for him, that was the first time he'd gotten a boob pillow from the busty Goddess.
"Hmm are you sure this is me?" Taka asked looking at himself in the mirror. Looking back at him was the grey haired, green eyed adventurer wearing a charcoal grey suit, black dress shirt with matching dress shoes and a grey tie.
"Oh of course Master Taka you look good enough to eat." Lili said eyeing the rouge adventure like a tigeress would it's prey. With a lick of her lips. "In fact Lili would like to..."
BOOM
She was cut off as just then the door was slammed open out walked their Goddess jaws dropped as they got a look at what she was wearing. Stepping into the middle of the room the Goddess of Vesta is wearing a strapless spiral frilled dark blue dress that went around her body and seperated the bottom of the dress into the blue color and a light-blue that made up the bottom left of the dress. Being strapless a large amount of cleavage was on display causing the goddess to smile as her childern ate it up. Finishing the outfit was a pair of blue heels.
"Freya eat your heart out." Hestia thought, swaying her hips as she sashayed over into the room before wrapping her arm around Taka's. "We'll be back in a few hours Lili watch the house."
"Right." Lili gave a salute with a strained smile.
Noticing the look Hestia walked forward wrapping the smaller girl in a hug. "Oh don't be like that we'll go grab a bunch of food and have a little party of our own." she explained whispering the last bit suggestively as she reached down giving her rump a pitch.
Leaving the blushing Pallum to her own devices the two left to the banquet complete unprepared for future events.
[-Dungeon-]
"I'm glad to see you've all come prepared for this." Taka said eyeing all the Gods/Goddess with their respective child. "I hope your ready to tackle a task of epic proportion."
"Taka were at a party; held by the God you personally have a vendetta against and some how roped in the rest of us as backup. I'm pretty sure were are ready for this." Naaza as always the sleepy tone laced in her speech.
"Naaza a delight as ever." Taka said getting raised eyebrows by both Welf, Mikoto and their respective God's/Goddess. "Hey Taka how do you know Naaza? I mean sure she runs the pharmacy but between this and the Soma thing you two seem oddliy familair with each other?" Welf asked.
"We have an understanding." the two simultaneously (Naaza deadpanned as Taka smirked)said.
Naaza remembers very well just the kinda person she was dealing with. It was just a few weeks since Taka first began his career as an adventure and like every rookie especially those not from a big time familia he needed potions. And like the good Docter she was Naaza made it her personal mission to take advantage of the boy's rookie nature by convincing him to buy her more higher priced products that she diluted. Things were going great until Taka decovered the truth about her scheme this wouldn't have matter much until he found her one weakness: Miach that kind, compassionate,friendly,lovable fool of a God that couldn't help handing out free potions to anyone in trouble.
For weeks every morning Taka would walk right past her shop locking eyes all the way smirk on his face fresh high grade potion in his hand. Adding insult to injury by nightfall he would do it again sometimes would several new potions mouthing the words: It was free!
After apologizing and explaining her woes (that she was pretty sure Taka didn't care as he to was also in a financially struggling familia however Goddess Hestia did) they agreed to a truce. Since then he got top quality potions at a discount in exchange for keeping his mouth shut and helping out if he needed so extra muscle so long as it wasn't dungeon related. She got paid for it so... beneficial.
"Ah nice to see the whole gangs together." the Messenger of Gods Hermes exclaimed wrapping his arms around Miach and Takemikazuchi shoulders.
Giving a nod to the Messenger God's Captain/Date. "Asfi I see your still carrying Hermes." Taka said eyeing said God smiling while talking to his fellow deities.
At that moment everyone went silent as in walked the Goddess of Beauty Freya on her arm was her ever loyal captain Ottar walked into the banquet hall.
Taka being who he was started looked around as everyone remained frozen. "W..."
"SShhhhh." Hermes lightly shh'd him before he could finish his thought.
"W-When can we start talking." Taka asked whispering as lowly as possible to the God.
"As soon as she stops walking."
True to his word the second Freya stopped walking more gliding actually everyone resumed their own conversations.
"Hestia damn that must be stressful in that familia, no wonder Bell part-times my party." Taka thought to himself as the Goddess of Beauty made her way over to their little group.
"Don't look at her Taka!" Hestia meal forgotten opting to jump onto Taka's back doing her best to cover her first child's eye. "Of you stare at a Goddess of Beauty for to long you'll end up falling under her spell." she explained several woman sporting looks to said this wasn't that far off.
"Ah Goddess Hestia you are just as lively as ever." Freya said a smile present on her face. " as her captain nodded at Taka who looked through one of Hestia's finger one in return as Hestia moved to cover his face again.
Hold still on her child Hestia growled at the Goddess. "Hello and Goodbye."
"Oh I do enjoy that blunt honesty of yours." she said with a laugh.
As this was going on Freya made her away over to Taka. "I wonder if I'll be able to see something spectacular this evening." she looking at the adventure or more specically his aura.
With her Discerning Eye seeing the color and brilliance of souls was something she had come to enjoy vaguely estimating the statuses of adventurers by looking at them. Where as Loki's child Ais was Gold and her own Bell was transparent it was Hestia's child that always lefting bewildered as when he first arrived in Orario his aura was the standard blue with a light tint of red here and there. That all changed after what she's dubbed the Apollo Event since then it has gotten darker and more sinister as time moved progressed now it was black as the night sky.
Whenever Freya saw this she was always intrigued, so many questions roaming her head so many theories. Was it just his relationship Apollo, was it how he felt toward the Gods as a whole, is this what happens when God enrages a mortal, was this every negative aspect in his life taken form, or was it a defense mechanisms to allow him to survive a rather cruel and unforgiving world the God claimed as their own?
Who can tell, what she does know is where it will lead him. Right to Apollo's door.
"HEY! I DON'T THINK SO!" Hestia noticing the event quickly barged in seperating the Goddess of Beauty. Placing herself between this woman and her beloved Taka she just started getting so loving from him and wasn't stopping now.
"Does this always happen?" Welf asked his own Goddess as Naaza and Mikoto attended to theirs. "Leave it to a Goddess of Beauty to mess with the boys." Hephaestus said with a smirk as her best friend continued to glare up at Freya. Let it be know no matter their status or background Hestia would always be Hestia.
"I apologize for any unintentional offense I may have caused you darling Hestia, please excuse me."
"HEY FREYA!" A voice playfully shouted revealing to be Loki with Ais on her heels looking as uninterested as always waving at everybody.
"Great the two most annoying Goddess in the Lower World present and accounted for." Hestia growled out clearly unamused. "Just when I was starting enjoy myself."
"Little Imp! Surprised you can even afford a dress, hows that familia of oh I don't know o-two going?" the smile on Loki's face was evident she was enjoying this.
Hestia's own shiteating grin spoke volumes all it's own. "That's great Loki I barely have a familia but then you barely have any boobs. How's it feel being a member of the itty bitty titty committee?!"
"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!" Loki shouted waterfall tears flowing down her face reaching out to Ais for comfort only to grab air.
[-Dungeon-]
As the two Goddess continued there bout Taka went outside to get some air, leaning over the rail noticing something that put him on edge. Right below him standing under a street light were two captain he would prefer never being near each other.
Hyakinthos Clio and Zanis Lustra
He couldn't hear what they were saying but he knew it wasn't a social call. "Danmmit if I was only..."
"HEY TAKA!" The Messenger God himself burst into the scene taking all of Taka's willpower not to jump in surprise. "Just gonna blatantly watch those to huh?"
"Subtlety has never been my thing." he answered only to turn back to the two captain who disappeared. "So what do you want there's no girls for you peep on like a creep." (For real he's a God that's been alive for eons, that doesn't age if he doesn't go out and get laid.)
"You know you shouldn't talk like that, people won't take to kindly to a mortal mouthing off to a God." he stated matter a factly.
"In the last half a year or so of my life I've learned something important about that."
"Ohh what would that be?" Hermes was actually quite curious maybe the lesson he tried to instill on the rogue adventurer in the dungoen finally sank in.
Sighing at this Taka turned around leaning against the rail. "At this point Gods, Mortals hell even Monsters thoses title mean very little to me."
"Wait...What!" this didn't sound right.
"In fact I can barely see the difference between them at this point. I mean at least monster's do bad things because of instinct but what excuse do the others have. What you would think beings that once literally lived above everyone would act better then this. But instead they're just as smug, selfcentered and arrogant as the people they govern." he lamented clearly this was something that's been bothering him.
The Messenger God's eyes widened at this declaration never in his years in the lower world has he ever heard a mortal make that kind of claim. At that moment Hermes made a vow to never let Taka know he cheats on his taxes.
"Do you want to hear I opintion of the Guide cause that might take a few hours."
Hermes jumped at this waving his hands in the negative."No no no Darling Hestia asked me to go get you it's time."
"Thanks." making his way back inside Taka comes to stop before the God. "Oh one more thing.." placing his hand on the Gods shoulder. "Don't call her darling." a dark aura surrounded the adventurer as he glared at Hermes (only to quick fade before walking inside).
Before Hermes could react the music stop as something in Taka's sight made his blood run cold as a glare appeared seconds later. Descending down the stairs to the banquet was The of God of his Wrath, The one that set him on the path he now walks.
Apollo- The God of the Sun, Leader of the Apollo Familia. (With the same stupid wreath on his head like always.)
It was only the hand of his Goddess grasping his that stopped him from charging the stairs reguardless of the number of adventurers currently in his way.
"Hello one and all how are we enjoying the banquet!" wasting no time Apollo made his way down the stair, through the banquet until he was face to face with his (in his own mind) runaway child.
If looks could kill Apollo and by proxy everyone in this building would be dead with the intense glare Taka gave (it only looked worse as in the last few minutes he only blinked maybe three to four times).
Apollo on the other hand couldn't be more of the opposite gone was his more serious gaze replaced with rather perverted smile. "It's been a long time Taka."
"No it hasn't."
"Oh so you've been watching me?"
"No because a few months isn't that long especially to a God, I mean a year for me might as well be a blink from your perspective." Taka's glare slowly rescinded to a look of indifference as he spoke.
"Oh I do miss you smart mouth."
"No Apollo I will not make out with you."
"Never say never."
"Is your ass jealous of how much shit comes out of your mouth?"
"Oh don't worry soon you'll experience it first hand." Hestia shouted jumping into the scene ready to defend her child doing her best to hold back laughter.
"Oh my Beloved Goddess Hestia looking as ravishing as always." the Sun God said with a lick of his lips.
The smile dropped as the little Goddess glared upward. "First off eww, second there hasn't nor will there ever be chance of you and I getting together." The Vestia claimed with as much fire as her name sake. She already had a man and she's not giving him up now that she just got him. "You should be more focused on your own familia."
"No truer words have ever been spoken. I heard a rather nasty rumor, it seems our childern got into a rather nasty run in."
"Ah what?"
"Really?"
"Lord Apollo what happened?"
"It's happening again." The agrent haired boy thought already seeing the signs as the crowd started to form."The fight your boys started." Tilting his head back looking to the rest of the party goers. "I claimed self-defense! Everyone there heard me!"
The red haired God merely smirked smuggly completely ignoring the actually legit claim. "Well one of mine suffered serious injuries at the hands of your child." at the one of the light flashed on revealing a familiar Pallum only he was bandaged up.
"Oww it hurts!" the Pallum whined out loudly garnering sympathy.
"Wait didn't this happen before?"
"Yeah it's that Taka kid that raided the Apollo Familia."
"Danm that kid must hit hard!"
"I thought they locked him up?"
"Guess he's coming back for round two."
"Hmm so that's how he did it." Freya spoke quitely to her captain who nodded in already putting the pieces together.
"Why Does This Keep Happening to Me!" Taka asked himself wanting to simply lighting bolt the room grab his Goddess and run like hell. "Hey I did hit him but Welf was the one throwing hands everywhere else so take it up with the Hephaestus Familia."
"Ah ah ah naughty boy letting a member of your party take the fall for you how unbecoming." Apollo wagged his finger as one would to a child. "Now we demand compensation."
"Compensation?!" both Hestia and Taka said. With another tilt of his head something caught his eye freezing him in place.
("DON'T LOSE! BE THE MAN THAT CAN STAND ABOVE ALL OTHER! MAKE EVEN THE GODS ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR STRENGTH!") a voice shouted in his head. It lasted for only a moment that was more then enough for a fire to light itself in the rogue adventurers eyes.
"That's right as such Taka Helmer shall join my Familia." (Imagine if you will a switch in Taka's head being flipped at these words.) "So we chall..
"WAIT HOLD UP!" While cutting off a God mid speech felt great Taka didn't show merely looking up at the Apollo defiantly. "Okay before you finish let me ask a question. Your saying the Wittle Boy over here was hurt this badly during our fight?" The Pallum growled at the nickname as Welf did his best to hold back a snort.
Smirking down at the shorter child, a smirk no one not on some type of list wouldn't have Apollo answered. "Why yes about that compens...
"I'm not done yet." Taka made a shoo motion with his hand sending Apollo a step back. "Relax this won't take long, I've done this before. So your telling me you with a familia of hundred you left one of childern this badly injuried and made no attempt to heal him."
"I...
"Let's review you're this much of a failure of a leader that you willingly let one of your childern suffer for..." he paused for dramatic effect. "Let's say three days just to prove a point. This point at the cost of hi personal heath." Taka gave a smirk while moving his hand in a "so-so" gesture. "Kinda shows were your priorities lye ain't it Fire Crotch."
"You little bastard!" one of the names Apollo childern shouted.
"Oh your right Lord Fire Crotch."
"PFFT!" the sound was released as everyone's reactions to the response differed while some were stunted silent at the thougt of a Mortal speaking to a God like that others were holding back laughter at the insulting nickname for the God. (The fact that some of them were red heads themselves weren't lost to anyone.)
Hestia made no such attempt her child holding her up to avoid letting her fall on her backside as she laughed at the red faced God.
"Thanks for the food. But I think we've had enough." Still high on this unexplained burst of energy Taka adjusted his coat.
"Enough?"
"Yeah I didn't want to come to this at all but it gave me the chance to see my Goddess all dolled up so I guess it was worth it." Taka looked to his Goddess as he said this who smiled with a wink. (Jumping down to the ground) She quickly latched onto him sandwiching his arm between her breasts.
"Wait What?!"
Apollo asked snapping out of the shock. This wasn't how this was suppose to go he intented to use Luan Espel injury as a chance to start a War Game with a familia of two there was no way Hestia could prevent him from finally adding Taka to his familia. Since when had Taka gotten so good at this, sure he'd always been quick on his feet but never like this patronizing. And now he was just hoping to leave no no no that won't do with a quick to his captain who quickly nodded in turn.
But like any good captain Taka didn't get far as a hand gripped his shoulder forcing him to look into the angry visage of Hyakinthos. "My God was speaking to y..." whatever he was going to say was halted as Taka spun on his heel his backhand swung at the red head. Hyankintos ducked under to attack letting go of his rival in the process (As this proceeded the on lookers cheered at the prospect of a dinner and a show).
Hands up in a boxers stance Hyakinthos charged in throwing a straight, uppercut, followed by a roundhouse that surprisingly Taka actually dodged before grabbing the outstretched tossing him through the air. With a quick adjustment the redhead landed on his feet with a shocked look on his face. "How? How did you do that you were not this strong three days ago?!" While he was still stronger the gap was closer then Hyakinthos expected in the time of his level up.
Rather then answer Taka rushed forward (with enough intensity to leave behind a crater in the tiles) once he was within range he jumped into the air running on a nearby wall only to use it as a springboard sending a fkying kick to Hyakinthos's head. The Apollo Captain jumped back just enough as he leaned his head back dodging the kick before punching him away. After a quick guard Taka immediately countered with his own punch but the older adventurer managed to block it and landed a blinding fast kick the force sending Taka to the ground.
Back on his feet the two rushed at each other smashing their wrists together locking each other in a stalemate. Taking his left hand off his wrist Taka swiftly punched him in the face. Once. Twice. Thrice. The first strike much to Hyakinthos's shock actually hurt so shock he failed to block the other two. In retaliation Hyakinthos spit a glob of blood into his face kicking the back of his legs sending him to the ground as he sent a punch railing him into the ground a black eye was definitely going to form. Seeing his down but not out opponent Hyakinthos raised his foot stomping down. "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh." Hyakinthos wheezed in pain as a foot slammed in between his legs. Quickly rolling out of the way Taka jumped to his feet until a pair of arms wrapped around him.
"The Apollo familia fights together whenever Lord Apollo wishes it." the Elf Lissos growled in Taka's ear. At that moment four more Apollo adventurers surrounded (as if already preparing for this) each wielding a weapon of their own. "For the Apollo Familia! (One of the random fodder holding a sword shouted)"
[-Dungeon-]
The moment the Apollo familia decided to join in Welf along with the rest of group attempted to rush over to even the odds if Ottar didn't stand before them keeping them in place. "Hey what are yo..."
"Please all of you stay your hands." with only her back in view none of them could see the smile covering Freya's face. "If Taka's resolve was so weak that he'd lose here then he never was ment to be anything more then mediocre. It is times like this were adventurers are put against a wall were they show the world what they are trully capable of." Raising of of her delicate hand up and out toward the Goddess of Vesta. "Look at Goddess Hestia it's her child in battle but even she stays her hand."
As if trying to prove the Goddess of Beauty right Taka stomped on Lissos foot before grabbing one of his arms throwing over his shoulder into one of the charging Apollo adventurers.
[-Dungeon-]
"Taka." Hestia watched the battle going on with wrapped attention. Taka engaged the third guy ducking under sword swipe as he punched into their foot throwing off their balance giving Taka the chance to slam their head into the ground. "This is different?" while she has seen Taka fight this was different. The fourth member spun her staff over her head rushing in once in range her swung right (why he choose to attack from the front is beyond anyone) at Taka's head who blocked the attack and in one motion grabbed the staff pulled her forward headbutting her.
Now finished with the just of the fodder staff in hand Taka wasted no time bolting back to Hyakinthos who was now back on his feet. "My name is love, precious child of light. I offer my body to my sun. My name is sin, jealousy of wind. I call a gust of wind to my body. Released ring of fire - come, wind of the west-Rupele!" His hand raised high in the air a ring of fire roughly the size of a human torso. "Aro Zephyros!" with a shout the ring soared through the air.
Not stopping his stride Taka slammed the staff into the ground vaulting over the disc. "Pathetic." with a jerk of his hand Hyakinthos made the disc stop on a dime shooting itself backwards the disc cutting the airborne Taka's arm as he dodged to the side. Ignoring the injury Taka rolled over to one of downed adventurers much to the shock of everyone in the banquet tossed him into the direct path of the disc. "GASP!" was anyone could say at the sight of someone getting cut in half as a small explosion went off blasting the corpse to pieces.
Distracted by the demise of one of his comrades Hyakinthos wasn't prepared for a staff stab to the throat followed by a twirl strike to the chin. Stopping him before he could attack again Lissos (and the rest of the three no name grunts) rushed forward shoulder bashing the argent haired adventurer into one of the tables.
"You two attack!" Hyakinthos bellowed at Daphne and Cassandra who both went to work chanting. The two look rather reluctant before noding at each other as Daphne rushed into the battle as Cassandra began chanting. "Heavenly light, once rejected. Merciful arms that save my shallow self. Rescue my miserable companions in place of my words that cannot reach them. Oh sunlight, may you beat back ruin!" The area lit up as healing light got her captain back to his feet.
[-Dungeon-]
"I'm Bored!" Lili cried out skimming through one of her Goddess books and while interesting not how she wanted to send her evening. "When will Goddess Hestia and Master Taka be back." Even Welf was at that stupid banquet so there was no one she could hangout with.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK content to simply spend the rest of her evening alone the sudden pounding on her door jolted her to her feet. "They're back! Hope they brought back a lot of food?" Lili walked to the door swinging it open just as the world went black.
[-Dungeon-]
"CRASH!" Taka grabbed a bottle smacking the elf across the face shards of glass embedding itself in his eye. Using the broken bottle to stab one of the fodder in the throat before grabbing another from behind slamming her head into the ground with a German Suplex. "AAHH!" Daphne shouted charging in her short sword swung out, back on his feet Taka with his higher level saw the move in slow motion causing him to catch the arm pullng it forward as he closelined her.
Sending the last two of the fodder to the ground the two captains locked eyes as they rushed each other both with murder in their eyes a fist was thrown by both.
"Okay that enough, stop them." a voice said boredly as a gust of wind picked up as a figure took off. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed in the banquet. Noticing they were no longer in motion Hyakinthos and Taka looked at their fists to see another hand stopping them.
"Nice party Apollo, Sorry I'm late."
Author's Note
Yup another two parter what can you do it's either this or a massive chapter that no one has the time energy or patience to read.
More Flashbackness
Who stopped the fight? What happened to Lili?
Yes Freya's charm came in clutch a real game changer.
This banquet covered a lot, Taka's aura which I wanted to show for a while, no he isn't evil it simply the worldview of his life on display (I'm pretty sure he's the only one to ever attempt to challenge a God like this) as you saw from his interaction with Hermes. Which is ironic as Hermes willingly commits Tax Evasion thus proving everything Taka said is right. (Am I the only one who finds that last part really fucked up.)
(I might be repeating myself but the point remains) In a sense Taka owes Apollo, he wasn't actually suppose to be anything more then an average adventurer never making past level 2 level 3 if he was lucky. Say what you want revenge gets you out of bed. And yes I know stats and levels matter but getting snuck up on by a number of level 2's that actually know how to work together would at least slow you down.