WARNING: This story includes mature and sexual elements. Readers, proceed at your own discretion.

Chapter 8: As the Goddess' Whims

Two years prior, Harry Antinous had struck out from his family in search of new potential, citing Zakkaria to be his target of interest due to its trading advantage and great activity. And he wasn't wrong; with it being the primary settlement between the far-end Rulid and the great Centoria, practically sitting in the very middle of these two, it was an essential part of the trade route, becoming a hub of constant activity and bartering.

There were quite a number of accounts as to what his dealings were. He dealt with merchants in procuring silk, established a new route heading westwards to a lesser town that produced wine, and even had a hand in the town's water supply. By all accounts, he was making buck with all of his investments.

So why would such a man see fit to steal a measly necklace from some random merchant in the middle of the day, out in the open for all to see?

That was the only thought running in the back of his mind as he and his two companions marched for the noble's mansion, which was located someplace in the west of Zakkaria. Shops lined up the road on either side, and though he was tempted to grab a bite, he understood that the assignment came first. Everything else would come later.

"So we just walk in and look through his place for anything important?"

"That's the plan. While it's already been investigated from top to bottom, the chieftain wants us to do a final check to make sure we don't leave any stone unturned."

"Talk about meticulous…"

Eugeo wasn't wrong there. Just as the chieftain had promised him the day before, he'd already sent the other guards to search the mansion for any clues. Their group even received a report noting down every significant info they needed to know. Nothing really stood out, which meant that there might not be anything whatsoever.

But something still felt… wrong. It bothered him a great deal. There had to be motivation behind his actions. And maybe there was a chance for there to be some kind of physical evidence left behind.

The great building came into view once they reached the end of the street, and honestly? It looked… normal. He wouldn't call it extravagant by any means; a sandy-yellow colour coated the outer walls, with red accents pertaining to the Zakkarian colour scheme. The roof sloped upwards, tiny metallic spires jutting out at the tips. A stoney structure poked out from somewhere, likely the chimney. The windows were curtained blue, making it impossible to see inside. And the cobble pathway leading up to it had a few flowery bushes on either side, giving it just a touch of colour.

"It's a lot more different than the Zakkarite's mansion, huh?"

"It is," Kirito muttered, only to click his tongue. "It really is…"

"Kirito? You okay?"

"Asuna didn't return last night, did she?" He asked that to Medina, who shook her head in return. "Damn… What is she doing?"

There were times when the worst assumption would come true, and he hated it whenever they did. It was a reminder that there was possibility for the worst to come in every situation, and he despised it even more when there was nothing that he could do.

Realistically, there was nothing stopping him from going on the death march for the Zakkarite's mansion (he obviously wouldn't hurt anyone, but just saying), but Asuna had been adamant about her being capable of watching out after herself last night. And he knew that she would be in no real danger; not with her access to the Goddess account.

But… well, he was still human. So of course he'd be worried about her safety, regardless of everything.

Even despite it all, he knew he couldn't go there to find her since they were already busy with their assignment. They needed to see to this first before anything else.

"She'll be fine, Kirito," his brother patted him on the shoulder, offering him a little smile. It helped a little. "I'm sure they offered her a room for the night since their discussion might have gone on for a little while. Nothing bad happened to her."

"I sure hope so," he muttered. Beside him, Medina let out a hum.

"Knowing her, I don't think they would try anything against her. She's innocent by all means."

She was, but that wouldn't stop them trying to harm her simply because she was related to him; and since he'd been the one to catch Harry, then it stood with reason that they'd try something to punish them.

It was just too suspicious. Why else would they have requested a meeting with her on the same day that he had apprehended a nobleman? It just didn't make sense. Were they going to use her as a bargaining chip to somehow free Harry?

He shook that thought. No, she's… she's probably fine. In every way possible, Asuna was far more capable than he. She really might have spent the night with them. He'll just have to trust her not to get herself into any trouble.

And to not get anyone killed. Somehow, that seemed like a possible concern…

Steeling himself, he moved towards the grand doors of the mansion, his companions with him. It swung open with a heavy sound, the fine carvings into the wooden surface gentle to his fingertips. They stepped into a small corridor with lit lanterns hanging from the walls to their left and right. It lead to a spiralling flight of stairs at the very end, two rooms to the right and another corridor to the left.

In a way, he expected the entire place to be a mess. Detective movies typically do that, don't they? They depict the investigated house as a mess to visualize investigations having been done in the location. But here, with the «Taboo Index» forbidding any form of damage to another person's property or belonging, the place looked incredibly clean and untouched, as if no one had been here.

But to his somewhat observant eye, he could make out faint boot outlines on the clean wooden panels. A single cabinet on their left seemed to be ajar, revealing a few

Humming, he looked to the rest. "Okay then. Since there's the three of us, we should probably split up. How many floors does this building have?"

"Two," Medina answered. "This mansion isn't as large as the Zakkarite's. And there wasn't a basement; the chieftain's report mentioned nothing."

"Two floors… Okay then. Eugeo, Medina, the both of you search the first floor. I'll try and cover the second floor."

"You… Alright," she sighed. "Typically, I'd prefer not being given instructions, but I suppose there's nothing to lose from listening to you."

Eugeo gave him a smile instead. "If you need help, just let us know, alright?"

"Yeah, I will. Now come on, guys, let's get moving."

Splitting off from the two, Kirito moved up the stairs and into another corridor. One room to the left, a door at the end that headed to the balcony, and two rooms to the right. Plenty to investigate, though hopefully, it wouldn't take too long.

The rooms on the right were Harry's room and what seemed to be a trophy room. Talk about prideful. He read the engravings of each trophy, and all the notes he read had painted the proper image of the man; someone who was active in business and work overall, who had already accumulated enough of a fortune for himself. He was practically well-known here in Zakkaria. It was admittedly impressive, and it further cemented the oddity behind his decision to try to steal another person's possession.

His bedroom proved to be a bust as well. Since they'd properly investigated this area, he could find signs of rummaging through the closets and bedsheets, as everything looked a little messier than usual. Kirito found nothing out of place either, so he opted to abandon that place.

The last room to check was the study room. It felt like stepping into a miniature library; a single desk was pushed to the very end of the room, having a small lantern nearby. Countless shelves were arranged at each wall, filled to the brim with countless tomes and journals. He pulled back the blue curtain over the window, looking down on the street to the building's left, where he could find a couple of people out and about already.

"It's usually the study that would have something important, so maybe there's a document or something that they couldn't find."

He wouldn't leave it past the man to have something important stored in here, so he began the tedious work of skimming through every book in his room, flipping the pages over and over in case there was a letter stuffed between them or something of the like.

After a while, he could hear footsteps approaching him. The door swung open, and he leaned his head back to look Eugeo in the eyes. "Hey," he greeted. "Found anything?"

"Nothing so far. The bedroom and the trophy room had nothing of importance. How 'bout you guys?"

"We came up empty as well," the boy hummed, already moving to take a book and check through it. "The servants' quarters, the kitchen, the living room; absolutely nothing."

"That so, eh..?"

While this could have been an isolated case of a single individual opting to work alone, Kirito didn't really believe that. He'd already had prior experience in tackling 'detective cases' with that dumb Golden Apple guild conspiracy, so his mind was already locked in on his assumption that this had a secondary party involved.

If that were the case, and if this worked any way that detective films would do, there'd be some kind of evidence that could pull them in that direction; something like a letter, or a hidden message. Anyone would be hard-pressed to reject such clues, though finding them at all was the real challenge at the moment.

"Hey Eugeo," he called, making the boy hum back. "Is there some kind of «Sacred Art» that lets you detect stuff? Like, sense the presence of an object?"

"Um… I believe so, yes. It uses the 'Umbra' element, if I'm not mistaken—" fitting, as the 'Umbra' element was less of a dark elemental stand-in and more of a spatial spell, though he was aware that there were a couple of offensive 'Umbral' spells. "—it locates the object and moves towards it."

"I see… Okay, let's give it a try."

While he was certain that there were such spells that required an object's identification number (something that he's surprised is used so much in this world, especially since people actively rely on them during the spell-casting, though the specificity ensures that it wouldn't target an unintended item), he knew he couldn't do the same here since they didn't have the item's numbers at hand. As such, they needed to modify the spell a little.

And wasn't that handy? The «Sacred Arts» were a lot less stiff than he would have expected. While they definitely relied on appropriate incantation lines, the formula itself could be altered to fit the spellcaster's needs; unlike 'ALO', where each spell was tailored for individual purposes and had their own chants, with no room for slight alterations.

…Okay, maybe all of that sounded too smart for even himself to comprehend, so he'll just let that thought slide.

Raising his hand, he focused on the room's interior, trying to discern what he wanted to look for. That was the problem here, since it could be a million things, but he opted to go for what might be the simplest one yet.

"«System Call»," he chanted. "«Generate 'Umbral' element. Adhere possession. Object type, paper. Discharge»."

Black orbs lit up at his fingertips, only to disperse all around the room as they bound to every single thing consisting of paper; the books, the scattered papers on the floor, crumbled documents in the bin…

And one stray orb phased through the wall, and towards the bedroom.

Quirking a brow, the two boys met each other's gaze before following after the orb, seeing it phase into the bedroom through the wall. They stepped inside, and watched as the orb seemed to blend into the bed. The slight pull he could feel in his fingers told him it went downwards to the floor underneath the bed.

"Guess there's a document down there," he said. Handy. "Help me push the bed to the side."

"Ah, sure thing."

Both of the boys took to one side and pushed forwards, grunting as the massive thing groaned. It was heavy—far too heavy for just one person—but their persistence and combined strength eventually saw to it fittingly shoved to the wall.

And there, sitting on the floor, was a single envelope with the wax seal of House Aleas.

House Aleas. Another third-rank noble family that has dealings in constructing wagons and making farming equipment. They originated from Southacroith before moving here after the head of the family married a local here. However, they weren't located in Zakkaria, but instead another town altogether.

Yet another family that seemed clean on the outside. While they weren't as well-known as the Antinous family, they had done much work already to help the local towns, as their products served the farmers well. Even the Woldes use their tools to work their farms.

And yet, this made it another family involved in this mysterious conspiracy, as the letter in Medina's hands detailed a connection between the ex-noble and this family. And what was involved within was incredibly disturbing.

"Illegal poaching," she whispered. "In return for precious ornaments, jewellery and trinkets, they would provide him with valuable furs and meats from particular animals. And while certain nobles have callings that allow them to hunt, these animals listed here shouldn't even be allowed to hunt. They're endangered!"

It seemed like this world also had regulations when it came to the protection of animals threatened with eradication. He's surprised that they even knew of such a concept, though he wouldn't put it past the Axiom Church and its ruler to be highly knowledgeable about all these things. And hunting endangered animals was also a listed violation of the «Taboo Index».

But if they knew of that, how come there weren't anything like protection shelters and preserved forests? As far as he knew, any forest was fair game for hunting and logging, unless they were property of a noble.

"And it seemed like the reason why Harry was forced to steal so openly yesterday was because they were looking to try and cheat the «Taboo Index». Gambling on a hope, it seems like."

"Things really don't add up when you put it like that. Were they that desperate to send him out there, even if his chances of success were low?" Eugeo frowned. "It doesn't matter if the officials aren't even at the location. Once you commit a crime, you're discovered no matter what."

Eugeo had once recounted the events leading up to Alice's arrest to him one night, needing someone to vent to. The moment his childhood friend had touched the soil and quickly retracted her hand away, strange humanoid heads tore through space and chanted strange words, preceding her arrest the day after.

While it would have made for a good horror tale, the fact that it had actually happened to Alice meant that the powers involved transcended anything of their level. Perhaps closer to divinity like Asuna's own deific power, on account of having access to such powerful «Sacred Arts».

He had to wonder if the heads had showed up before Harry after he stole from the merchant. Maybe it had while he was currently kept behind bars? It would tally up to everything they knew thus far of how the church operated.

Kirito hummed, then looked back to Medina. "We should probably head back to the chieftain first. He gave us strict orders to report back to him, regardless of whether or not we find something new."

The both of them nodded back, doing one final sweep over the house—and with the use of the searching spell—before finally heading back to headquarters. It didn't take long, and by the heat beginning to build up, Kirito estimated that it was sometime noon at this point. The great bell's tolling confirmed that for him.

Naturally, not even the chieftain was pleased with the news, glaring at the envelope with the look of someone who looked ready to murder. And so did Medina. She was probably unhappy with the idea that nobles were abusing their power to commit all of these atrocities, practically going against the image of nobility that she had been taught growing up. It was reason enough for her to request their participation in the investigations, but he had barred them from doing so.

"The Aleas don't live in Zakkaria. As such, they're outside of our jurisdiction. All we can do is leave it up to Ferolis to handle it."

"But sir, they—"

"I understand that you're upset, girl, but if we interfere, they'll be at our throats for barging on their business. We handle our territory, they handle theirs; that is how it works," and then, his eyes hardened, freezing the redhead in place. "I warn the three of you now. Do not even consider attempting to travel to Ferolis to investigate. If I catch even a single one of you outside of Zakkaria, I will personally hang you outside of my office. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes sir."

His eyes were focused on Medina for the most part, the frustration on her face clear. That's worrisome. Knowing her, she might be stubborn enough to try and go regardless, though he hoped she wouldn't.

After a short debriefing, they were let off, told to take the rest of the day off and be prepared to return to their posts as normal. Medina took her leave in search of the training grounds. Hopefully, she'd be able to vent her anger in a productive manner.

"So, that's that, then," Eugeo said. "What now?"

"Well, we didn't have anything planned, but I'm heading to the Zakkarite's mansion."

"Huh? Why—Ah. To find Asuna, is it?"

He nodded back. Even after they returned to headquarters, he hadn't seen neither head nor hair of his wife. Very concerning, because he had a feeling that she would have known if he'd returned, and that she would have welcomed them with enthusiasm. Her absence was palpable, and he didn't much enjoy the thought of her being far out of sight.

Partially because he did miss her, partially because he was worried about her safety, and partially because he feared for whichever poor bastard thought it would be a good idea to touch her and think they'd get away without much trouble.

And if they thought only Asuna would beat them black and blue, he'd double down and make it even worse for them.

And also to make sure she didn't actually murder anyone. She was completely serious when she said she'd commit to it if it came down to it. And as much as he'd hate whoever thought to mess with her, he wouldn't wish that fate upon anyone.

"Hmm… Well, she's still not back, even though we've already returned from Harry's mansion," his brother figure hummed. "I guess we should go get her ourselves, then. But let me go wash myself first, though. I don't exactly feel fresh."

"Yeah. A quick bath should be fine. And then, we'll head on over to their mansion straight away."

The duty of overseeing an entire settlement's proceedings was no simple task; something he'd gained a minor insight into through Chief Gasupht's management of Rulid. Though small by resident count, it was still a difficult task in managing the economics, wellbeing and safety details of more than a hundred people. It was an esteemed duty that deserved respect for how difficult it could be.

And, to pay respect to such a position, the rulers were often granted homes grand in terms of design and area. That wasn't necessarily applicable for the Zuberg's, who obviously preferred to live modestly and weren't nobles.

Compared to that, however, the Zakkarite family were very much living in luxury. Even compared to Harry's impressive mansion, actually. He'd visited and seen plenty of noble architecture back in 'Sword Art Online', but this magnificent structure towering over both him and Eugeo was still impressive, not left wanting for all the fancy gardening, brickwork and tinted windows. Nothing about this place was intended for modesty.

At first, he assumed it was a matter of pride and showing off. But then he had to wonder if this was simply the way every noble operated. If they didn't show off their wealth, then the other families were likely to look down on them, for whatever reason. And maybe, indirectly, it would dissuade them from offering support in terms of monetary or material donations. It was, quite frankly, ridiculous.

'At least they don't get to the point of being physical, like comparing dicks,' and that was just so much dumber. How something like that even became a thing was beyond him.

"Hey, we're just coming here to get Asuna, right?"

"That's the plan. Why?"

Eugeo shrugged. "A part of me assumed that you would have brought up the matter about Harry to the Zakkarites."

In turn, Kirito scoffed at that. "What would that even achieve? Seeing that they're on the same side, they might try to deflect. Maybe even cover for him."

"That might not be the case. They might be the good nobles, for all we know."

Yeah, but he didn't know who they were. So far, the only example of a 'good' noble he had to work with was Medina, though even he wasn't blind to the fact that she needed work on her personality. Outside of that, he barely had much interaction with the nobility.

Maybe that might change in time. Once they enter the academy, there would be a lot more interacting with the noble students, though how that could go was up in the air. It was either going to be a typical school environment, or a real pain in the—

Metal clinked hard as the two guards at the gate snapped salutes at them, making the two of them freeze. Kirito almost thought they were attempting to threaten them from entering their grounds, if not for the lack of swords.

"You two are guardsmen Kirito and Eugeo, correct?"

They knew of them? Asuna must have told them. "Yeah, we are."

"Lord Zakkarite has been expecting you. We were just about to send a messenger after you. But seeing that you are here now, you are invited to meet him."

They parted ways for the both of them to pass through. Both teens exchanged cautious gazes, though they did eventually move towards the entrance, bidding the two guards a good day.

Walking down the corridor, he greeted the passing servants, noting their looks of curiosity. It was an understandable response. Two rookies walking into what was obviously the most important building in the town definitely looked out of place. Hopefully, this meeting wouldn't take long. They just needed to get Asuna back.

Eventually, they reached the end of the corridor where a maid stood outside of a door. She opened it for them, curtseying in the process, and the two entered what seemed to be a meeting room. It looked incredibly fancy, though; the floor was marble, the windows were large, and there was even a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Gold trimmings on the velvet couches, a nice oaken-carved table, fancy bottles of wine prepared, fancy paintings hung up on the walls…

Gaudy was the one word he'd use to describe this single room. And also headache-inducing from how much red he was looking at. Guess the family were living up to the Zakkarite theme well.

"Oh, Kirito-kun!" His wife's voice had him snapping his gaze towards her. Relief flooded his being, and as he quickly scanned through her being to check for any visible wounds, he found nothing of note. That in itself was a good thing.

"Asuna!"

"So this is the one who caught Antinous, isn't he?"

"Hmm… Doesn't seem very bright to me. Then again, that man was an idiot in his own right."

The other voices had him pausing in his movement, just about to approach Asuna before his attention shifted to the other people in the room. At the end of the table sat a man a greying beard and hair, looking old but firm, dressed in a crimson vest lined with dark brown fur. To his left were two people; one a young man with blond hair wearing a fancy suit, and a younger lady wearing pearls and a pristine white dress.

Judging by their seating positions, the grey-haired one was likely the Zakkarite's head; Kelgam Zakkarite. The other two, however, might be siblings or a couple, though what family they hailed from, he didn't know.

"Appearances can often be deceiving, Lord Aleas," the name had him perking up, almost staring at the man in shock. "Come. The both of you may take your seats."

"Uhh… Right."

Still watching the couple warily, he slowly sat beside Asuna, Eugeo beside him. Asuna proceeded to take his hand in hers and gently squeezed. It was a comforting thing, yet he couldn't find himself relaxing in the slightest. Not when a criminal was sitting in the same room as them.

After a brief moment of silence, Lord Zakkarite spoke up once more. "Now then. With everyone present, let us begin our topic of discussion for today. Namely, the matter of your involvement with Harry Antinous in your recent crimes."

The blond man scoffed, face growing dark. "I've said it once and I've said it again; I have had no part in those schemes of his. This is all a first for me. I know nothing."

"Perhaps, but can it be denied when the chief guard delivered to my study a letter with your stamp on it, written in your handwriting and with your signature?"

Kirito and Eugeo stared at one another. The chieftain had sent him the letter? But it couldn't even have been an hour or so since they'd given it to him. Just how quick was that man?

A chair snapped back as the nobleman stood to his feet. "Do not be ridiculous! I have had no hand in writing this letter! Nor have anyone from my family! This—" He directed his index at the parchment. "—is nothing more than a besmirchment on my family's name! An attempt to falsely accuse us of something we are entirely innocent of!"

"Is that so? Then you would not mind an official investigation by the Axiom Church's knights?"

Everyone paused at that, every wind taken out of the Aleas's sails. He looked shell-shocked, staring at the older nobleman with clear disbelief. "You… You cannot be serious."

"I am," he nodded. "I've already sent a word to the church to look into Harry Antinous's work. While I don't doubt the diligence behind the guards' investigations, this is a serious matter that the church will be entirely concerned of if not informed. As such, I will report your family to them as well."

"Wha—But that's..!"

"Of course, I understand the severity behind my actions. From a family of a different town to another, this may be seen by some as a declaration of war," and yet, despite the weight of his words, he looked hardly fazed by it. In fact, he remained firm, staring the other man in the eyes with conviction. "As such, if your family is truly innocent, then I shall take full responsibility for my actions, and accept any form of reimbursement that you may demand of me."

With such a promise made, Kirito thought that it was incredibly risky. There was no limit as to what he could possibly be asked to give or do in return, which could potentially run his family and Zakkaria to the ground. A debt unpaid was a continuous boil that would eventually kill a man.

But the man knew something, evident by the sudden look of nervousness that crossed the younger one's expressions. His eyes seemed to avert from him for a moment, hardening.

"I… still stand by my words," he forced out through gritted teeth. "We are uninvolved in this conspiracy. And I will not tolerate this disrespect upon our prestige."

Stubborn to the very end. Not unexpected, though if it was his choice to make life difficult for himself, then that was his own pill to swallow. As far as he knew, it wasn't his problem, so who gives a damn how this would go? This was a problem out of his hands.

Beside him, his wife straightened in her seat, meeting the man with a kind smile. "Sir, while I understand that I am unimportant in your eyes, I believe you should heed Lord Zakkarite's words and simply offer your honesty."

"That isn't for you to decide, girl," the other woman in the room finally spoke. And with the venom in her tone, Kirito had half a mind to deck her in the face, but opted not to just so that he didn't make things even worse. "My brother and I have already said our peace, and nothing will change our stance on the matter."

"Perhaps. But, as you know, it is prohibited to break a single clause within the «Taboo Index», of which Harry Antinous had clearly violated. And your crimes are just another example of violating a clause; that any actions taken to sully a person's freedom and wellbeing in the absence of a sin would henceforth be regarded as a crime, and therefore punishable by the Axiom Church."

The sneer on their faces was acidic, making even him flinch. "Someone is well-read. If only they knew not to meddle in matters outside of their jurisdiction."

"Oh, I don't intend to be a nuisance to any of you! I know my place in all of this," and then, her smile widened just a tad. "But I also know how, indirectly, this is an affront to the goddesses as well, for isn't it a fact that they despise liars and killers?" She hummed, nonchalant. "I've read stories of them smiting countless men for such simple acts. Even if you think yourself capable of bypassing the church's ruling, what confidence do you have that you can escape the goddesses' judgement?"

"Hah! What rubbish do you speak of? You truly think the goddesses would care with our business? They are divinity, girl, and you are nothing!"

Anger boiled in an instance, Kirito standing up. "Hey, take that—"

"Goodness! Someone doesn't seem very pious as they advertise themselves to be," she said in a singsong voice, making everyone stare at her. Her expression was far too satisfied, and his earlier rage was suddenly replaced by a cold feeling that settled in his gut. "Then by all means. Be my guest and bear witness to the truth; that any who dare insult the goddess and go against her teachings will suffer her wrath, regardless of position, birthright and destiny."

Those were haunting words. Kirito felt the chill deep in his bones. "Asuna? What are you…"

His words trailed off as he noticed the room grow bright. It was far too noticeable, considering how it was well into the early evening, meaning that the Human Empire was already growing darker. Not even the chandelier offered the appropriate amount of illumination.

What was even more concerning was the fact that the area outside of the mansion was becoming brighter as well. He looked out the window, finding the whole patch of grass and the bordering walls lit up in bright yellow.

The Aleas noble proceeded to stand beside him to look outside as well, confused. "What in the world is going on?"

"This doesn't make any sense. There's never been a weather pattern or phenomenon where it gets brighter nearing nighttime. And seeing that we're approaching fall, our days should not… last longer… Brother, what is that..?"

"What is it?"

Their words fell apart the moment they glanced towards the sky. Kirito did the same, and only then did he finally realize just what had taken their breaths away—and what Asuna had been signalling.

The sky, once adrift with clouds and a sign of an approaching rainfall, was now a bright gold, bright and far-reaching.

Kirito lost his words as well. The sky before him was nothing like a dusk's landscape; this was akin to a person taking a paintbrush and slathering yellow paint on the canvas, uncaring of the lack of detail when this was the utter truth of the world, judging in its whole.

The sky rumbled like a thundering storm, yet not a single cloud seemed to grow heavy. If anything, they seemed to part way, almost forming a circular crater in the sky of which light seemed to beam down upon Zakkaria from. It was blinding, warm, golden—

And like a thunder, devastating, as a single beam of light shot down from the heavens with pinpoint accuracy, touching a single part within Zakkaria's vicinity and disappearing almost immediately.

And then, a flashbang and a deafening boom engulfed his world and all of the empire.

The next moment he came to, his ears were ringing, stars in his vision as he fought off the dizziness. He realized he was on his back, head dizzily turning to his right to find Eugeo in the same state, albeit already attempting to push himself back on his feet. Around him, the three other nobles were in a stunned state of their own, fighting off their own shock, though the lady had proceeded to throw up on the floor a fair distance away.

The ravenette blinked, shaking his head—then moaning in pain as it only exacerbated the pain in his skull. He slowly turned himself around to support himself on all fours, then slowly rose to one knee. The tinnitus was slowly fading away, and he could make out blurry screaming from all around him.

"Eugeo..!" He screamed, unable to hear himself. "Asuna! You two okay?!"

"We're fine!" Eugeo shouted back, slowly getting back on his feet, though clearly unsteady by the way he seemed to tremble a little. "Goddesses, what was that? It happened so suddenly..!"

"Like a bloody thunderstrike, I swear…"

"You're not wrong, though. Lightning is technically energy, and light is energy too, sooo…"

"That's not how it works, Asuna," he sighed. "Pretty sure they're intended to refer to two different things. But whatever. Just… what the hell happened?"

"Guess you can find out yourself. Look, everyone."

Asuna seemed far too calm, and he wished he had known just what she had meant by what she said earlier. To refer to the goddesses' wrath, had she simply forgotten that she, too, was a goddess as well now? Did she simply wish to scare the noble with tales of divinity simply to sell the story that she was every bit a resident of this world as he was?

But when he stared out the window, he found nothing but the truth of her words, and his words died in his throat as he bore witness to a sight he could have only described as fictional, yet it was anything but in the moment.

In the very place where Harry Antinous's mansion had previously been at, the land spanning approximately half a kilometre from the midpoint was now completely scorched dark black, the land ruined and aflame. Not a single soul was in sight, and every building had been utterly demolished in the goddess's wrath, Asuna's promise of judgement having come true.

The Aleas noble bore witness to the scene, and fell to his knees. Kelgam Zakkarite muttered something, too shocked by the destruction that had befallen his home. The lady whimpered in fear. Eugeo—

"Goddesses… What just happened?"

Ironic that he'd just whispered a prayer to the very cause of this dilemma. And, staring at Asuna—who simply stared back with a cute little grin and a wink—he knew just who was behind this mystery.

She hadn't been kidding when she told him she would commit to her words, no matter how drastic they were. Whatever Aleas or Harry had done had rightly pissed her off to the point of pushing her to action. Now if only he could figure out how to fix things… though he had a feeling that it would be much easier said than done at this point.

'Well,' he thought, simplifying all his thoughts in a single word: 'Fuck.'

Author's Notes:

Wasn't sure how to proceed the story after last chapter, so I made this one as a transition into the next portion of the story. And I suppose it's only fair to admit that it wasn't Asuna who did this.

Which would be a good opportunity to finally involve the rest of the cast into the story. Looking forward to writing that myself, yep yep.