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In the distance, Finn saw the great pyre of power stretching up towards the sky, as Thanatos was forcibly returned to Heaven by the other gods. He let out a sigh as he stared at it. It felt so final, so complete. They had tracked down and removed the god responsible for the strange monsters. Surely it was all done now, and they could take a break, at least until some new problem arrived.

But he knew it wasn't true. Thanatos had been allied with Enyo, who had luckily not been present when Xulia had gone into the belly of the beast. The Thanatos familia was made up of suicide bomber fanatics - he idly wiped his shoulder, trying to get off some of their viscera - but also of those descendants of Daedalus who still carried his curse. The former would likely simply throw themselves into the maw of the Loki familia in the hopes of winning a better next life. The latter, however...

On the one hand, their motives were... sympathetic. He could understand their position, and they hadn't chosen it. Additionally, they had plunged into the deepest parts of the Dungeon by going around, an incredible feat that the Loki familia would be happy to benefit from. On the other hand, they had willingly worked with Evilus and could probably safely be considered 'mad' in any reasonable sense of the word, being obsessed with the continuation of their ancestor's work. And right now, they were largely located inside of Knossos, no doubt particularly keen to use whatever tricks and traps had kept the Loki familia at bay up to this point, to kill them if they went inside.

What would his ideal solution be? Perhaps simply their quiet removal and execution...

He couldn't help but feel his gaze drift inexorably to Rei, who managed to look smug despite being about as drenched in blood as anybody else.

She had made her rather intense criticisms of his style of heroism known. Perhaps she was right. If he considered it from that sort of perspective, the more heroic thing would be to reform the descendants of Daedalus... but the rest of the Thanatos familia could not really be reformed. If they were aware that their falnas were no longer working, then they would suicidally attack any member of the Loki familia who stepped foot inside Knossos, hoping that in heaven their god would reward them with their next life being one of blissful heaven-sent kindness. Or at least, reuniting with their lost loved ones in the next life.

"We'll need to move into Knossos and clear it out," Finn said at last, making the gathered Loki familia members instantly turn their attention his way. "Unfortunately, many of those in Knossos will almost certainly attempt to kill us. Even without their falna, the amount of explosives they have makes them a danger. Ideally, we will take as many captives as possible. Some of them were likely coerced." That was just a lie, said to make the other members of the familia a tad more sympathetic to them. Technically, though, one could argue that the curse of Daedalus was itself a form of coercion. "Be careful, thorough, and do not allow any of them to escape," he said. He most certainly did not want to have to deal with them joining some other Evilus remnant familia and reclaiming the inside of Knossos again.

"Keep together, by the way," Rei added. "There's a ton of fucked up trap doors and shit in there. Probably bombs in the walls, too." By this point went unsaid. Another point of evidence for some type of future knowledge. "You'll get ganked if you get separated from the group."

"As Rei said," Finn agreed. "Does anyone else have thoughts they'd like to add?" Drake raised his hand, making Finn snort. He almost looked like a boy in a classroom. "Drake?"

"What are we planning to do with the captured members?"

Ah. The moralist position. "I am unsure. Ideally, they would join a familia that was... more prosocial. Or be held to account for their crimes, if any. But we can make those determinations in more detail once we have had the chance to interrogate him." He paused, his gaze going to Tione, who perked up instantly as his eyes fell on hers. "Proper interrogation, Tione. Not beating them around the head."

"A-ah, General! Of course I wouldn't do something like that!"

"I am glad to hear it," he said. "On that basis, please ensure you do not activate your Berserk skill unless absolutely necessary."

* * *

Elsewhere, I was quenching a sword, the hiss rising from where the hot metal was submerged in oil (water would have cooled it too quickly). Hephaistos watched with some interest. I did have some natural talent in the matter of crafts, thanks to Venus. She was a goddess of love, but also of creation, which is exactly what this was. "Hephaistos," I asked, as I continued to work, making her gaze leave the sword to go to my face, "what do you think of Daedalus?"

"Daedalus?" Hephaistos looked at me, letting out a small laugh. "He was an architect, not a smith. There's some overlap, of course, but... why do you ask?"

"It's rather important. I'd like your opinion on him, as a person and a designer, then I'll tell you why."

She let out a sigh. "As a person, I never knew him. As a designer?" She shrugged. "There's a tendency among architects to design buildings as an..." she trailed off, looking for the word, "an artistic project. No, a prestige project. The work is not about being beautiful or effective, but about proving that one can do the most absurd things. Something that can be shown to another architect and impress them. Towards the end of his life, Daedalus clearly fell very deep into that particular hole, thus the corkscrew design of Daedalus Street. If one makes a map of it, there are numerous quite creative and fascinating tricks employed, ways to make passage for somebody who knows it that little bit better - but it is so circuitous and labyrinthine that nobody lives there but the absolute poorest and the criminals seeking to hide from justice. It serves neither beauty nor function. All that technical talent was put towards finishing a truly atrocious work."

I nodded in response. It was a familiar enough idea to me. It was the same sort of process that made so many modernist, ugly buildings back on Earth. I pulled the sword out of the oil, rubbing it down with a towel, cleansing it of the oil that had covered it. "Did you know that in his final days, he decided that what he wanted more than anything else was to complete a project to rival the Dungeon?"

Hephaistos laughed at that, even as she tilted her head to look at my sword. "I think that would be well beyond any mortal man. Even I wouldn't know quite where to start on that, if my Arcanum weren't leashed." She reached out for the blade, running her finger along it, scraping off the clay that had been used to make sure the center cooled more slowly than the sides. "This is very good for a first sword, Drake. You certainly have talent. How did you know?" She asked me. "You've said this is the first time you've done blacksmithing."

"Ah," I started, having no idea what the next word should be. "I have something sort of like a Skill?" I suggested. "It helps me with the arts and..." with sex, I didn't say, "...with social interaction."

She looked at me, peering at me closely. "I see," she said. "Why did you ask about Daedalus, again?"

"He cursed his descendants to complete his biggest project," I explained. As her eyebrow rose, I explained the broad strokes of the story - Knossos, Thanatos, Ikelos, the constant thirst for more funds... Her expression darkened as I continued. "I was hoping that-"

"I know what you were hoping, Drake," she said. "That I could help them. It's nice that you think so much of me, but from what you've said, they have spent enormous amounts of money buying orichalcum and adamantite to produce Knossos. Something which, of course, earns them no money whatsoever."

"They could start selling passage through it?" I suggested. "A sort of toll."

"If they were willing to do that, why would they not have begun doing it already?" Hephaistos shook her head. "I'd be willing to speak to them, but I can't guarantee anything, and it sounds unlikely."

"I guess I could ask Hestia about it."

Hephaistos gave me a look. "Please do not. It won't help Hestia or these people. Hestia is a dear friend, but... for how much she talks my ear off about you, it's clear that you have interacted enough that you should really know better."

I let out a chuckle at that. "You're probably right. It's just - there are powerful adventurers there, and what they want to do isn't actively malevolent. It could even be beneficial to a familia able to take advantage of it."

"All true enough," Hephaistos agreed. "But any familia that wants them is more likely to be trying to take advantage of them. And I don't think the strongest familias - the ones least likely to be taking advantage of them - are likely to want them." She tilted her head. "It might be best to scatter them among many familias. Being divided among Ikelos and Thanatos doesn't seem to have stopped their work thus far, after all."

I hummed in acknowledgement.

* * *

Lefiya glared quietly at Rei, as they made slow, forceful progress through Knossos. It was a tight-knit group of some of the strongest familia members, plus the 'Fairy Force' of its many mages, pressing ever-deeper into Knossos. Behind them was a sort of supply train, though really, it was just lower level adventurers whose job was to transport captives back to the surface.

She wasn't glaring at Rei because she wouldn't be helpful if they got trapped or some (more) former Thanatos members tried to blow themselves up. The girl could transform into animals and monsters that filled a wide variety of functional roles, even including an Amphisbaena. She was glaring at Rei because Rei was corrupting Ais!

She'd overheard some of what Rei had told Ais, and she absolutely agreed with Riveria that the girl was nothing but a terrible influence on Ais! Poor Ais was being led astray by this... this horny monkey! She'd say things like, Ais should wear sexy underwear to seduce Drake! It- it was completely obscene! If Lefiya had been stronger, she would definitely have done something! But how could she tell Ais what to do? She was just a Level Three... Ais was too amazing for her to just go around- o-ordering her around! Telling her what to do! No way!

She was jarred out of her thoughts when Riveria's head snapped up, her expression intense. Finn and Gareth had done much the same, and after a moment, Rei did as well, all four of them moving to ready themselves for a fight. Whatever they could hear, it was too quiet for Lefiya to hear, no matter how she strained her ears. She was the same Level as Rei, why was Rei's hearing so much better?

"That's going to be one of the strong ones," Rei said. "Enyo, or something."

"Mhm," Finn replied, accepting her words without much thought. He stared at one particular door in this labyrinthine construction, biting on his thumb. "They sound very fast. Level Six, or maybe even Seven."

Everyone stilled at that. Thanatos had been killed. This should have been an easy mop up - but that was why Finn had brought so many people together, in force. "Should we retreat?" Riveria asked.

Finn considered the question. "No. We'll make a stand here. Everyone, positions!" Finn and Gareth took a position ahead of the casters, weapons out, ready to fight.

Everyone was on edge, as the footsteps became louder, loud enough for even Lefiya to hear. Their owner wasn't walking or sneaking - they were rushing forward, and they seemed to grow ever closer. Riveria and Lefiya both began casting defensive magics, readying themselves for what was about to come. Even Haruhime joined in, casting her own particular magic on Finn - Lefiya didn't know what it was, exactly, but by the incantation it seemed likely to be some similar type of empowerment magic.

Then they arrived. The figure simply leapt around a corner, moving with blinding speed. It was female, with short, red hair, and a black longsword in hand as the figure simply rushed forward. Finn met her blade with his spear, casting it to one side, moving faster than he had before, and the figure slid back, reappraising the situation. For a long moment, she simply remained crouched, sword held in front of her to ready to defend herself. "We are willing to parlay," Finn said. "I understand you likely-" the figure lunged forward again, trying to break Finn's guard during his momentary lull to talk, but he moved fast, faster than she'd ever seen him move before, catching her sword with his spear, then pushing it to the side. She followed the movement, Gareth following up with a huge smash of his axe at the spot the woman was, but she dashed backwards at that point, gaining distance on them.

Her eyes slid across all of them, cold and alien. Lefiya felt goosebumps run across her skin, knowing she was being eyed up in much the same way a butcher would consider each cow in turn before picking the one to kill.

"What is there to parlay about?" The woman asked.

"It depends. Why are you attacking us?"

"You killed Thanatos."

"Not myself, but my goddess, yes," Finn replied. "You aren't part of his familia. Are you part of Enyo's?"

The figure tilted her head, eyes narrowing. She didn't say anything. Lefiya kept concentrating, keeping up her magic, though she was beginning to feel the drain of it. "I'm outmatched," she said, at last. "You win."

"Well, thank-" Finn began, but the woman immediately began to run, just bolting down the corridors. Her footsteps were just as loud and uninhibited coming as going, and for a few seconds it looked as if Finn might chase her down, before he shook his head and sighed. "She'll know this place better than us." He pushed his thumb against his lower lip, considering the circumstances carefully. "We'll continue to push. We'll never have a better moment to do so than right now. It seems Enyo has very few adventurers, judging by the fact that this is the first we've met."

They began their slow and steady push into Knossos again. By the time Finn decided they should turn around, they had spent six hours in the strange environs, seen probably more than fifty men blow themselves up (generally to no avail, though they did wind up using a few healing potions), and captured twenty-nine former Thanatos members to be transported back to the surface.

As they withdrew, it was with a sense of finality. Lefiya didn't understand everything, but from the way Finn spoke, he considered it very unlikely a second attempt to invade Knossos would go nearly so well.

* * *

Loki peered down at Barca Perdix, who had been the first captive former Thanatos member brought to her. According to Rei, he was a Level Five. Right now, though, he was weak as a baby.

He didn't really look good. Not just aesthetically, but also in the sense of looking like he'd never taken care of himself a single day of his life. His long white hair reached down past his shoulders, scruffy and unkempt, and he was a skinny fuck. Not in a good way, like how Loki was thin, but in a bad way, like some chick with anorexia so bad her boobs started shrinking. Even his face was gaunt.

"I hear you're a pretty strong adventurer," Loki said. He just grunted in acknowledgement, hands bound in front of him. "Look, Barca," she said, squatting down so they were at eye level with one another. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt anybody. I get it. Your great grandpappy cursed you, you had to do whatever to accomplish his work, so you fell in with a bad crowd. If you stop working with that bad crowd, we can cooperate. Work together. Imagine joining a familia that doesn't plan to blow up Orario! You'd be able to work together with us."

"Can't," Barca said. Loki just raised her eyebrows, gesturing for him to go on. "You'll... ruin the work."

"No... no! Come on. Why would I ruin the work? It's useful."

"That's why," he said, finally gaining a certain amount of real emotion in his voice. "The work isn't supposed to be useful. It's supposed to be better than the Dungeon. A Dungeon made by human hands, superior to the original."

"Well, sure," Loki agreed. "I don't see why that makes using it bad. We pay you some money, get to skip on down to the twentieth floor or however deep you can get us to, pop out and in. You get money, get to build some more floors to ever deeper in Knossos." Given all the fucking adamantite and orichalcum used in making Knossos, it'd be absurdly expensive. Frankly it was baffling it was as deep as it was. She doubted Finn would live long enough to see more than another floor or two added, and that was with an adventurer's longevity. But hey, mortals loved doing shit that lived on after them, and this was one hell of a project to leave to your children.

"It's supposed to be dangerous. It's supposed to be unpleasant. It's supposed to be deadly." He said those words like they were a mantra. Hell, more than. Like they were a prayer from a true believer in gods, the sort who didn't just think they were real but that they would really save them. "It's Knossos. The manmade Dungeon. Not..." his expression darkened. "Not some toll bridge."

"Ah... I get you," Loki agreed. Fucking dumb as hell bullshit. "But that's fine. It can still be deadly. In fact, it's good if it's deadly, then people can't just speedrun on through without paying you! People'd be willing to pay a lot in tolls to go up and down Knossos. Money you could use to make Knossos better. And when it's finished, hey, you can stop charging people, stop letting them through, and just clamp down." That'd be like, a thousand years from now, so she could burn that bridge when she came to it. "Come on..." she said, leaning in. "You know you want to."

Barca's glare made it quite clear he didn't want to. "You're profaning the great project."

"I can't profane shit, I'm a god."

Barca just stared at her for several long seconds. He took several long, deep breaths, as he glared at her, then turned his head to one side, as if he was done talking.

She sighed. "We found all the entrances to Knossos. If we want, we can block it off to you and all your cousins. Kill all the Daedalus kiddos who were in the Thanatos familia. I bet that'd delay your great project by months or years, wouldn't it?" Barca turned his gaze up to her and glared. "I can make a big mess of all your shit, all your centuries of work. Or we can be friends. Your choice."

His silence spoke volumes, the look on his face one of a guy who had just gotten pretty thoroughly kicked around the room by her superior intellect. "Enyo won't appreciate that."

"Right. I heard from Finn there was some badass redhead chick down there, making problems."

"Revis. She's Enyo's." Loki nodded, gesturing for him to go on. "There's another, Ein, who is as strong as her." From what Finn had said, Revis sounded like she was strong as a Level Seven, or at least a very strong Level Six - so whoever this was had two Level Sevens?! What the hell? "If you want us to..." he trailed off. "If you want me to. You'll have to be able to take care of Revis and Ein."

Well, shit. Two Level Sevens.

Haruhime could pump up Finn to that level, but that was one person. Even her precious Finn was a mere mortal. That meant...

She grit her teeth. "Thanks for the chat," she said, straightening up, stomping out of the room. Such a crock of shit. She found Drake in short order, locked eyes with him, and just reached out for his chest to grope those nice muscular pecs of his. "Nnn... I'm so stressed Drake... let me just grope your pecs..." she continued, leaning in to push her cheek into his chest. He stroked her hair. "I wanna grope Kori too..."

"Kori says you can grope her if you ask."


"Nnn..." Loki grumbled. She was actually considering asking... Drake was a bad influence on her! After a minute or so of nuzzling Drake's muscular chest, she pulled back. "I have to go do something I really don't want to."

"I guessed it was something like that," Drake told her. There was this gentle smile on his lips, that insane, endless patience still on display, and gah she was turning into a teenage girl with a crush!!!

"I should do it now," she declared, wheeling around on one foot and heading off.

* * *

Freya adjusted the hood of her cloak, her expression dim. Loki was here asking for her help? "You know, the Black Agony did interrupt my beauty sleep earlier."

"Yeah, I heard. If she hadn't done that, we'd still be dealing with Thanatos, rather than having cleared him out. So you should thank her, frankly."

Freya had to admit that relations with the Loki familia had truly reached a miserable nadir. She couldn't even entirely blame the problem on the filthy maggot soul, either. After all, some of her actions taken to polish her Cassandra's soul might be fairly viewed as offensive by Loki. At last, she sighed. "I understand. Hn." She considered the question idly. "If I were Enyo, I would not barrel my last two pieces directly into Ottar and Finn."

"We'll track them down through Knossos," Loki replied.

Sometimes Freya really did wonder at Loki's strategic acumen. "Even if you had a complete map of Knossos, that would not let you locate Ein and Revis. Any more than you could hunt down a single person in the Dungeon with a map."

"People've done it," Loki replied with a shrug.

"When they knew, broadly, where their targets would be. Shall Ein be hiding on the first floor? Seventh? Seventeenth?"

"I get it, blah blah," Loki said, crossing her arms. "Fine, let's hear your brilliant scheme."

"No. I have, rather than a plan, a question. Where does Revis sleep?"

Loki frowned at that. "You're saying we get her while she sleeps?"

"No. I am asking, where does she sleep? Has she spent her entire life in Knossos? That seems unlikely, from what you've said. She is aligned with Enyo, not Thanatos, and is not directly connected to Daedalus either. Therefore, she is an outsider - and therefore, she must have come from outside."

"I get it. You want me to track Revis down up here, huh?" Loki crossed her arms, tapping her foot against the ground. "I don't see how she could be up here. We'd've heard about a Level Seven. Or, hell, even a Level Six, if she's not that strong."

"Perhaps she was a Level Three or Four, before joining this Enyo, and acquired her further Levels in the Dungeon." Freya hummed. "There are many such people. Easily missed or forgotten about, particularly if this matter dates back years. Have some sketches drawn of this Revis. Ask around. Acquiring information is the best opening move."

Loki sighed, clearly not fully believing her. "Fine. Bitch," she added under her breath.

"You dare-" Allen started, but Freya simply raised her hand, silencing him.

* * *

Bella yawned and stretched as she woke up. Hestia was curled up next to her, because apparently the goddess was afraid she'd get molested in her sleep or something. Frankly, given how cuddly Hestia was, it seemed more like Hestia was the one molesting her! (Obviously, that wasn't really true, a goddess wouldn't do that kind of thing with a mortal - but still!)

Plus... well... if Drake molested her in her sleep...

Her cheeks burned at that thought. No! That was grandpa talk! Drake was a really nice guy who would never do that sort of thing to a sleeping girl! He was romantic and sweet and protective, not that kind of horny bastard! She shook her head to get those thoughts out of it, quietly extricating herself from Hestia's grabby arms, clambering up off the bed and getting herself changed into new clothes.

She smelled something fresh being cooked downstairs, following the scent. It smelled like... tomatoes and baking bread and maybe some cheese? Whatever it was, she hoped Setsuko had made enough for her! She was a really good cook, and those Far Eastern dishes were really, really, extra-special delicious!

She stepped down into the kitchen and her brain stuttered when she saw who was at work. It wasn't Setsuko at all, but some busty redhead girl wearing an apron. Wait! Was this the housewife from the other night? The one who said that Drake was super masculine and vigorous and she was happy to be his housewife? She'd missed that woman when she'd left! Given the way that the redhead was humming as she worked, and the fact that she was actually pretty darn pregnant, it just might be!

"Hello?" Bella asked, nervously. If this was Drake's one and only housewife, then- well, then she should be extra polite, right? Probably? She should definitely be polite.

"Ah!" The woman said, her voice unmistakable as she turned to face Bella. "Hello, Bella! Worry not - I planned to make more than enough for everyone in the household, so there will be plenty for you!"

This was the housewife, for sure. How did you treat the guy you liked's housewife?! She'd heard their dirty talk almost all night that night, and pretty much drifted off to sleep to it, so she knew... way too much about their relationship! Her cheeks were burning just thinking about it. "Thank you," she said. She paused, fidgeting in place, not sure what to ask, or even if she should ask anything. She could ask Setsuko, who was also Drake's wife!

"Is something the matter, Bella?" The housewife's expression instantly became firm. "If there is a problem, don't hesitate to tell me! I know it is only our first time meeting, but I am certainly more than willing to offer you aid!"

"D-do you know his other wives?" Oh that was so terrible and dumb a thing to say, ahhh!

"Yes! I think of them all as my friends, except perhaps Ganko, simply because she spends all her time attached to Drake!" Bella had absolutely no idea what those words meant in that order. "I'd gladly be her friend if we got more than the very occasional chance to talk! Ah, but of course, would you like to learn about Drake's other wives?" Bella nodded dumbly. "His first wife, who is clearly meant to remain in a dominant position - though, I believe it is because Drake thinks she has been through too much - is Noriko Iwakari. She helps in the Dungeon as a supporter, but she has also recently become a powerful mage, able to summon eleven different monsters of her choosing! She's even stopped passing out!"

"Wow..." Bella said. A spell that summoned monsters? Eleven at that! That was a really incredible spell!

"Of course, Drake has more wives than just Noriko and Setsuko! Oh, and Noriko is Setsuko's daughter, if you didn't know." Bella blinked in surprise at that. "There's Cassandra Cain, who has an honest heart, the ability to read others with a glance, and who fights for justice without hesitation. The Prettiest Princess, who wields firearms of incredible power, and can become invisible. Rei Maxwell, who transforms into all sorts of monsters! She's even recently acquired the form of the Amphisbaena!"

Bella felt a certain uncomfortable pressure in her chest as the housewife spoke, her stomach twisting up into knots. All these women sounded incredible! She'd actually heard about some of them, and not from Setsuko or Drake or Hestia, but just on the street! The story of the time that Rei Maxwell was bewitched by Ishtar, before overcoming the power of a goddess's Charm to crush and eat the goddess in question - that was the sort of thing people still talked about! Those were the sorts of women that Drake liked! A girl like her, who just was wandering around the city like an idiot and barely knew anything?! She didn't have a chance, did she?

No! No, she was being silly! Right in front of her was the proof that Drake didn't mind girls who weren't that strong! She was a happy little housewife who just loved doting on her husband, and here she was, looking like exactly that as she turned her attention to her cooking, continuing to speak positively of all her co-wives.

It was a little strange, though. She'd heard about that War Game against the Ishtar familia a couple times, just listening to the local gossip, and she knew that all the participants were Drake's wives (well, plus Drake himself). But the housewife didn't mention the most incredible one of them all, the one who had instantly taken down a half-dozen members of the Ishtar familia in a handful of seconds once unleashed on them: Erza Scarlet!

She figured that the list was just still going, but then the housewife continued in a way that made it clear it wasn't: "There are also the women I'm hopeful will soon become my co-wives! Jahanara is sweet, but has some crushing self-esteem problems. Aisha simply needs to ask, I think! That sort of thing comes with more difficulty to an Amazon," the housewife said, nodding to herself. "Oh! And Syr! Syr is really in love with Cassandra, but I think that if she searches her heart, she may soon realize that she would be happier as Drake's wife, sharing time with Cassandra that way! It's such a tragic love triangle, really... although, there was the unfortunate results of that reading..." she added, her expression darkening as she contemplated it.

"Um. What about Erza Scarlet?"

"Hm?" The housewife jerked her head to Bella. "What about what?"

"What about Erza Scarlet?"

"You must speak more clearly!"

"Erza Scarlet!"

"Yes!"

"What about her?"

"What about who?"

"Erza Scarlet!" Bella was becoming exasperated. "Erza Scarlet, Titania, the Level One who defeated a Goliath!"

"Yes?"

"She's Drake's wife too, isn't she?"

"Oh!" The housewife seemed to finally realize what was being asked, making Bella let out a sigh of relief. "I am Erza Scarlet! I am sorry for not introducing myself to you properly, Bella! Please, strike me to punish me for my foolishness!"

Bella stared.

And stared.

Her brain slowly ticked through all the necessary conclusions - and then she turned cherry red and just fled. "Bella?" Came Erza's voice from behind her, but Bella was skedaddling.

If that was Erza Scarlet, that meant she wasn't really a housewife. That was just dirty talk.

That meant all of Drake's wives were powerful, skilled adventurers.

In fact, they were all incredibly powerful. Only Haruhime sounded like the sort of person Bella had any chance to beat, and that was because she was entirely magic-focused, and that magic was useful as a boost to others.

That meant...

That meant she had absolutely no chance with Drake! Not as long as she was this weak! She needed to go train in the Dungeon, now, if she ever wanted to have any chance!

* * *

The Hostess of Fertility was as loud and lively as ever, though as Ryu emerged from the back room with a fresh cake for Erza to enjoy, she overheard Anya speaking. "Nope! Never seen her before, nyaa! She's cute, though, nyaa!"

"Ah, well. Could I perhaps ask some of the other waitresses about her? It's my understanding you originally come from different familias, after all."

"Nyaa! Ryu!" Anya called out.

"Here is your cake, Erza," Ryu said, completely ignoring Anya for the moment.

"Thank you very much, Ryu," Erza said, nodding seriously. "Your friend appears to be calling for you, however."

Ryu sighed, glancing over at where Anya was waving rapidly at her. She walked over to her. "Yes?"

"Finn wants to ask you about this lady!" Anya said. She snatched a piece of paper right from the table, placing it in Ryu's hands, and Ryu went still as she looked at it. It was a very detailed sketch of a particular woman, and it made a shiver run down her spine as she looked at it. "Have you ever seen her before?"

Ryu just stared. Oh, no. She was being foolish. Of course it wasn't what she thought. It couldn't be. "What is the significance of her?"

"She's someone the Loki familia is looking for," Finn replied. "We encountered her recently, and would like the opportunity to speak to her."

"I see." Ryu held the piece of paper in her hands, feeling as if she had just been dipped in ice water. This wasn't possible. No. None of this was... her mind was playing tricks on her. Yes. Yes. That made sense. She shuddered softly as she came to that realization, calming herself down. "What color is her hair?" She asked of Finn. If it was any color but red-

"Red."

"Red," Ryu repeated. Red. Red. The color of Alise's hair. "And her eyes?"

Finn looked at her with interest. "Green." The color of Alise's eyes. There was no mistake.

Alise.

Tears arrived in her eyes spontaneously.

How could she be alive?

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