The Grand Opening
Orario:
3rd person POV:
"LAAADDDIIIEEEES AND GEEEENTLEEEEEMEEEN! ARE YOU READY TO BE AMAZED!!!!" (Magus)
Magus's voice rang throughout the city.
The citizens were baffled.
"Who is that?" (Young Child)
"What's going on?" (Random Citizen)
"That guy is flying!" (Random Adventurer)
"No! He's standing on air!" (Random Adventurer #2)
"Is it a god?" (Random Citizen #2)
"Who knows?" (Chuck Norris)
"Mmnn~ I could just eat him up." (Okama Adventurer #2)
Every citizen was staring up at Magus in amazement, cautiousness, confusion, excitement, perversion. In the case of three goddesses, who were notified in advance + the girls, who were watching the scene from a projected screen on a couch with a plate of cookies back home, they thought he was looking really hot.
Music began to play in the background of the noise the crowds were making. It was raising the tension, and the air became electrifying.
When the mood reached its peak, the man in the air smiled behind his mask before speaking.
Loki POV:
"Ahahaha~! This is great!" (Loki)
'I knew it was happening tonight, but he never told us how it was going to happen.'
I prepared my Familia to move out and take the lead to support Magus, but after seeing Magus's entrance, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Goddess! This isn't a joke! Look at the chaos he is causing!" (Finn)
"I know! Isn't it great!" (Loki)
Controlled chaos is the best kind of chaos.
My Familia members gave me strange looks.
"Loki-Sama?" (Familia member)
I caught my breath and stood back up while waving them off.
"Don't worry so much, the funs about to begin~." (Loki)
I looked back up at Magus as his voice rang out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please,
Would you bring your attention to me~?" (Magus)
His voice sounded out in a hypnotic sing-song way that gathered everyone's full attention.
'Oh, he's perfect~.'
Hephaestus POV:
"For a feast for your eyes to see,
An explosion of catastrophe~." (Magus)
'This is one way to make an entrance.'
I broke out of my daze of staring at Magus to look at my gathered Familia members.
"Everyone! Get ready to move out to the closest light pillar!" (Hephaestus)
'Those were his instructions anyway.'
"Hephaestus-Sama, what light pillar?" (Familia Member)
"It should…" (Hephaestus)
Before I finished my sentence, three pillars of light exploded up from the earth in different locations of the city.
Massive light constructs that reached high above the babel tower to reach the clouds in the night sky.
'I have so many questions….'
I shook my head of thoughts and began walking toward the closest pillar, which happened to be near the center of the city.
'Questions later, I'll deal with this for now.'
Freya POV:
"Like nothing you've ever seen before
Watch closely as I open this door~." (Magus)
'How fascinating...
First Your hidden soul, your ability with space, that aura of yours...., and the bracelet that even now is restraining my charm...'
I stared at his confident and charismatic form standing in between the lights and explosions of colors.
'And now, standing on air while showing off your beautifully sculpted chest, and this city-wide performance, just how many secrets do you have Magus~ oh~ I can't wait to find out~.'
"Freya-Sama, should we move out?" (Otter)
I broke free from my thoughts at Ottar's voice and looked down at my gathered Familia and their eyes of utter devotion.
'Sigh, even with my charm suppressed, these children are too far gone in their infatuation with me. It will be difficult to change a mind that has been seduced by my charm for so long.....'
Just then, I looked back up at Magus.
'Yes...maybe this auction might have something that can help me.'
A rare hopeful expression passed on my face before I hid it well behind my emotionless mask.
I nodded at Ottar.
"Move out." (Ottar)
He spoke simply but firmly, and no one questioned him. The Freya Familia might have members with a few screws loose, but they would never step out of line in their goddess's presence.
Bella POV:
"Your jaws will be on the floor
After this, you'll be begging for more~." (Magus)
"*Sigh* He said he would handle the grand opening, so much for the subtle approach." (Bella)
"Ahahaha~ This is great, I'm all for the quiet and mysterious route but doesn't it seem so much more fun to be loud and noticeable yet still completely mysterious? People will drive themselves insane trying to figure out his identity." (Yoru)
"*Munch* *Munch* Mn, he looks like he's having fun. *Munch*" (Akame)
We were sitting in our living room, observing the situation through a projection while relaxing and having tea and snack time.
"Akaammee~ Can I have a cookie? Pleeasse~." (Yoru)
"Mn." (Akame)
I broke my gaze from the screen to look at these two.
Akame was munching away on the cookies like a squirrel, and despite Yoru's insane speed and reflexes, no one can touch Akame's food without her permission.
It's not just her high ability in divination but the fact that you will feel like you committed a sin against life itself when she looks at you with her blank eyes after someone takes her food.
Only Magus can adequately handle her.
"Oh~ Your so adorable!" (Yoru)
"Mn, you're in the way, bad kitty." (Akame)
Yoru ditched the cookie to pull Akame into her embrace and cuddle her. This led to the problem of Yoru's breasts blocking Akame's full line of sight.
"Girls~." (Bella)
They both turned their heads slowly in my direction to see a poisonous Hanya mask form behind me while I smiled gently.
It's a new skill I learned where I can manipulate my elemental aura to take on various shapes that are simply illusions that give off pressure.
*Hisssss* Yoru's tail became rigid, and her body unconsciously started flickering with lightning.
Akame's eyes sharpened, and her muscles tightened to move at any second.
"Let's quiet down and focus, ok?" (Bella)
I asked with an innocent voice and got two nods in return before we refocused on the projection, and the room fell into silence.
'Good, now I can refocus on the sexy performance dear is giving. That open jacket look really does wonders to show off that body….Mn~ Mine~.'
Unknown to myself at the time, Yoru and Akame were having very similar thoughts.
Ouranos POV:
"Welcome to the show~." (Magus)
"Ha! This is the best shit I've seen in decades!" (Ouranos)
I was watching the show while relaxing in the air above the Babel tower invisible to the public eye while having some popcorn.
'It's a good thing Magus warned me in advance. I managed to get the entire guild out on the streets, calming the people while I do what I do best and relax and enjoy the show.'
*Pop*
*Sip*
"Ahhh, that's the stuff. Go young Magus! Give me a good show!" (Ouranos)
Nyx POV:
"Please come inside~." (Magus)
"Nyahahaha! Oh, its one thing to be told about the plan and another to actually see it!"
I was relaxing on a cloud of darkness in the void and watching a projection of little Magus's show with rice crackers.
*Crunch*
"Oh! I know! Let's make the situation even more fun! Ahaha~!"
When the ultimate Loli gets excited, the multiverse trembles….
Magus POV:
'Haha, this is great, let's do this with style.'
When the mood and tension reached its peak, I smiled behind my mask and spoke while my voice was amplified by a high-powered Sonorous charm and magic speakers spread around the city, which were also playing music in the background.
["Ladies and gentlemen, please,
Would you bring your attention to me~?"]
Millions of eyes focused on me.
["For a feast for your eyes to see,
An explosion of catastrophe~."]
I used my voice changing ability to add an announcer's flair mixed with a sing-song tone to my voice.
["Like nothing you've ever seen before,
Watch closely as I open this door~."]
I mentally activated the light pillars in three specific places around the city. They exploded from the earth to touch the sky.
["Your jaws will be on the floor
After this you'll be begging for more~."]
I spread my arms and gave a short bow while activating the main event fireworks.
["Welcome to the show~."]
I gestured toward the pillars of light while the auction house orbs were activated and grew to full size in the air before lowering toward the ground.
["Please come inside~."]
I lifted my head and shouted while the explosions of colors and lights appeared throughout the sky.
["Ladies and gentlemen!"]
{BOOM!} (Fireworks that took the shape of weapons)
["Do you want it?!"]
They cheered.
A certain blond man with a feathered hat smiled.
{BOOM!} (Fireworks that took the shape of alcohol and food)
["Do you need it?!"]
They shouted.
A man with black hair, golden bangs, black goatee, and six pairs of jet-black feathered wings hidden on his back with magic looked up and gave off a loud and good-natured mischievous laugh.
{BOOM!} (Fireworks that took the shape of animals and various items)
["Let me hear it!"]
They screamed!
A tall man who looked like a jester with a muscular physique silently watched. He had a shirt with various suit card symbols and face paint with a star and teardrop under each eye, respectively. If anyone was nearby, they would be assaulted by the sheer bloodlust coming off his person while he smiled sadistically.
["Ladies and gentlemen!
I give you! The. Lions. Den. Auction House."]
{BO-BO-BOOOOM!} Fireworks shot up into the air in massive amounts and formed the three words 'The Lion's Den' in sparkling bright colors.
They lost their minds, and I'm pretty sure most of them didn't even know why they were excited; it was just the mood.
'Heh, that was fun…..'
{ROOOOAAARR!!!}
'What the fu…'
An ear-splitting roar sounded out and honestly scared the crap out of me. I turned around and saw the fireworks had formed into a massive and majestic lion.
It finished roaring and turned to me before winking and running off into the sky to explode in a massive firework display that reached every corner of the city.
One of the sparks touched me, and I instantly felt more excited and refreshed.
'*Sigh* Good one grandma, that actually got me that time.'
I turned back to the crowds of people and spread my arms to make sure they didn't notice anything off.
[We are open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 6PM to 6AM! Membership rates apply! Locations will vary! Thank you!]
And with that, I cast a disillusionment charm on myself before shadow traveling back home.
*Line Break*
3rd Person POV:
Once the man in the sky vanished, the majority of people, whether they were civilians or adventurers rushed to one of the three light pillars to see this auction house for themselves.
The building was made from a mixture of pure white and pure black marble that mixed together to create a grand style.
The four corners of the building had mythical beast statues that felt lifelike, and a few people could swear they saw the eyes move.
The building was square-shaped with the front having the words 'The Lion's Den' shining above a glowing door made of light.
On both sides of the door were two glass panels with slots with an unknown purpose, but they both had the word 'Registration' above them.
All of this gave the people an incredibly new and unique feeling, but…. there was a different problem….
"Oi! What auction house?! This building looks like it can barely hold a hundred people!" (Random civilian #1)
"And why can't I go inside! I tried walking in and got bounced off!" (Random civilian #2)
"How the hell does this work?" (Random civilian #3)
"Should I try hitting it?" (Random Adventurer with a hammer)
"Yeah! Violence always works best!" (Random Adventurer with a sharp pointy object)
"If it doesn't, then you not using enough of it!" (Random Adventurer with a hammer AND a sharp pointy object)
"Morons…" (Random Elf #1)
"Leave them, humans are no different from animals." (Random Elf #2)
"Move aside!" (Adventurer with a purpose)
Just then, a group of people rushed into the area.
"Oh! It's the Loki Familia!" (Random civilian #4)
"And the guild staff!" (Random Adventurer without a sharp point object)
"Alright, everyone! This is how things work around here!" (Loki)
Loki, in all her glory, stood high above the people and spoke.
"Is Loki-Sama…. standing on that guy's head?" (Random Civilian #5)
"Yeah, I think his name was Bete?" (Random Civilian #6)
"Yup, he's an up and coming guy whose level 4, but I heard he had a bad temper." (Random Adventurer with…. Chest Armor)
"Oh…. That explains the pissed off look on his face." (Random civilian #5)
With the Loki Familia.
"Oi! What the fuck are you doing!?" (Bete)
"Oh, shush Bete, you were the tallest option besides Riveria, and she will most likely blast me across the city if I tried." (Loki)
Riveria nodded in confirmation.
"Indeed, I would." (Riveria)
Bete stayed silent, but that was the closest sign to acceptance he could make.
Loki smiled and started addressing the people.
She explained how the registration works and how the space inside the building was different from what it appears on the outside, but even she was skeptical about it.
'I swear to you Magus, if I look like an idiot because I believed you, I will haunt you for the next century. Don't look down on a woman's ability to hold a grudge.' (Loki)
Once she finished explaining, she left it to the guild staff to organize the people to line up for registration and rushed toward the entrance with her VIP pass and only her three level 6 children.
She felt that Magus wouldn't harm her, but there was no harm in being cautious.
A rare sense of excitement began to build up in her small body.
Once she touched the entrance, an emotionless voice sounded off in her head.
["Please choose VIP party members. Five spots are open."] (Auction house AI)
Loki looked down at the VIP pass, which was glowing slightly.
'Mental magic?' (Loki)
Keeping the surprise off her face, she mentally indicated her three children and with her own version of mage sight and saw a line of mana extend from the VIP pass to her children before a bright light flashed and they were pulled through the entrance.
When the light left their eyes, what greeted their sights was something truly out of a fantasy.
"What…. is this?" (Finn)
Finn dropped his spear.
"How is…. this…. possible?" (Riveria)
Riveria's mouth hung open.
"The fuck….?" (Loki)
Loki's usually slit eyes bulged out comically.
"…." (Gareth)
Not hearing a fourth voice, they all turned to Gareth, who was just smiling in wonder.
Gareth felt their gazes and shrugged while laughing.
"What? I'm a dwarf, don't expect some fancy exclamation hahaha! I'm fascinated just as much as you guys." (Gareth)
They nodded and looked back at the place they ended up.
Rather then the small space that most would expect when stepping inside, it was like they entered a whole new world.
Bright blue skies, fluffy clouds, and warm sunlight poured down on the area.
From the entrance, a wide paved stone path led straight towards a massive circular fountain in the distance with marble benches placed along the way.
To the sides of the path were ancient and beautiful trees with blooming flowers and vibrant green leaves.
On the ground were patches of multicolored flowers and fauna that glowed slightly and gave off an incredible mixture of scents that pleasantly overwhelmed their sense of smell.
A musical mix of birds chirping and wind chimes ringing created a serene atmosphere.
The whole scene created an enchanting and fantastical image.
"This…is incredible!" (Loki)
Her three children nodded along.
"I feel like I entered the inner section of the Elf kingdom forest. The environment here is as clean and fresh as one of the most guarded places in elven culture. This is amazing." (Riveria)
Riveria's voice sounded out with honest amazement and bafflement.
"Haha! What a great place for a drink." (Gareth)
"Come on, let's keep moving." (Finn)
The others nodded, and they all started moving forward as the gate began to flash, and more people entered and fell into a daze of amazement.
"Look at that!" (Loki)
Loki pointed at the sky in excitement, where large soap bubbles began to appear and gently float down around the path.
Finn raised his spear in caution, but it was unneeded.
The bubbles began to show holographic images of random items with names inside them
such as:
[Flaming lance, Grade Red] [Ice Bow, Grade Red]
[Lightning Arrow, Grade Blue] [Alihotsy Draught, Grade Green]
[Antidote to Uncommon Poisons, Grade Green] [Thief's Knife, Grade Black]
[Phoenix Egg, Grade Purple] [Beautification Potion, Grade Green]
While other bubbles gave off directions in funny ways:
[Buying Hall that way *Arrow* you noobs!]
[You blind!? Walk straight!]
[Heed the rules, or the rules will come for you!]
[The journey of a thousand steps begins with the first one! And then 999 more]
[I'm not calling you stupid, I'm just saying you have bad luck when it comes to thinking]
[The path to enlightenment is open to those with fat wallets]
[I can only please one person a day, today isn't your day]
"Ahahaha! This is great! I can already see some of those arrogant gods' faces!" (Loki)
Loki started cracking up while reading the quote bubbles while Riveria's eyebrow was twitching, and Finn was blatantly ignoring them and kept walking.
Only Gareth was admiring the random items being shown.
They soon reached the central fountain with the black monolith, and the rules spelled out.
Loki's eyes sharpened on the warning for not just mortals but gods as well.
'Magus has some real balls, I will give him that. Since he has Ouranos's backing, I don't have to worry, but I'm curious about how exactly he will punish others? I'm sure one moron will be stupid enough to test their luck tonight.'
Unknown to Loki and her children, the other two auction houses were similarly being visited by Freya and Hephaestus.
They were having similar reactions to the environments with Freya in the 'Underwater' environment who walked the coral forest path until the central area and Hephaestus in the 'Underground' environment who walked the shining/glowing crystal/mineral path to the central area.
With the three lead Familia's taking the lead and the guild supervising, other people were less cautious and proceeded to register and enter the auction houses.
Soon people began flooding in and marveling at the fantasy-like environments.
"This is insane!" (Random dude)
"This shouldn't be possible!" (Random chick)
"A god must have done this!" (Random unknown gender)
"Yeah, no way a mortal could." (Random some fourth gender)
"Look at the items they are showing in these bubbles!" (Any gender left?)
"What the fuck! Mine just has this smartass quote! Who are you calling blind!" (I'm out of ideas)
Excitement, bafflement, amazement, it was a whole mess of chaos as something beyond their understanding was presented to them.
Most people used the 'Free Pass' and were thus unable to pass the central areas, but that was enough for most of them.
Of course, just like the three goddesses and Magus predicted, there was at least one idiot who decided to stand out.
A tall blond man with shining white teeth and a large group of Familia members behind him walked up to the fountain.
Every member of his Familia was handsome or beautiful, but most of the weaker ones had dead eyes or eyes filled with hatred for the god leading them.
"HAHAHA! This is great! This place is perfect for a god like me! Only a handsome and strong male god should own a place like this! I declare this the Apollo Familia territory!" (Apollo)
And just like that, the sky turned from blue to red, and a projection screen lit up the sky in all three auction houses.
An emotionless voice spoke out.
[Rule Breaker: Registration identity: God Apollo.
Rule Broken: Attempt at theft by declaring the master's territory as his own.
Rule Broken: Attempt at causing a disturbance.
Rule Broken: Attempt at obstructing others.
Seizing culprit.]
Under everyone's eyes, a magic circle spread around Apollo and his Familia and froze them in place. Apollo was frozen with his arrogant face as if no one could touch him.
The circle pulsed and scanned the Familia.
A bubble surrounded Apollo and raised him into the sky before the voice continued.
[Scan has shown Familia members with physical and mental abuse. Commencing forceful mental scan on the culprit.]
The bubble holding Apollo glowed.
[Scan complete. God Apollo: 2,241 cases of individual rape, 2,150 mortal, 91 god/goddess. 792 cases of torture. 412 cases of enslavement. 211 cases of forced Familia branding. 6,450 cases of blackmail, 42 other crimes. Requesting higher authority….]
Silence.
Pure and utter silence descended on everyone who just heard those words.
Then one voice spoke out.
"THAT BASTARD!" (Enraged random person)
The voice was joined by others.
"Was that true!?" (Enraged random person #2)
"My sister is in that Familia!" (Enraged random person #5)
"My brother is in there!" (Enraged random person #7, have you been counting?)
"Haven't you ever seen those Familia member's eyes?" (Enraged random person #42, who's keeping count?)
"I always thought they were from the things they saw in the dungeon!"(Enraged random person #4)
"That's what Apollo told the public!" (Enraged random person #9)
The crowds of people were in an uproar. At first, not everyone believed it, but those who noticed signs began speaking, and fewer and fewer people spoke up in Apollo's defense.
Even Loki, Freya, and Hephaestus were stunned.
"That scum!" (Loki)
The ground cracked from the pressure Loki released.
"Did a worm like that escape my notice?" (Freya)
The area around Freya chilled rapidly.
"How the hell did no one notice!" (Hephaestus)
The area around Hephaestus heated up abruptly.
None of the three women doubted Magus for reasons even they weren't sure about despite barely knowing him.
Call it a women's intuition.
Just then, the emotionless voice came back.
[Orders given:
First-line punishment: Single-day banishment: Canceled
First-line punishment for light offenses: Containment box: Approved
Second-line punishment: One-month banishment: Canceled
Second-line punishment for heavier offenses: Containment box level 2: Approved
Third line punishment: Permanent banishment: Approved
Third line punishment for extreme offenses: Containment box level 3: Approved.
Special circumstances: Ouranos's judgment: "You are a disgrace."
Special circumstances: Masters judgment: Imprisonment: Approved.]
Under everyone's eyes, a glass box was formed in the air, and Apollo was dropped inside roughly before the charm freezing him vanished, and he was able to stand up.
He began banging on the walls in anger while shouting arrogant lines the author is too lazy to make.
[Commencing level 3 containment box.]
Nine spheres were summoned into the air, and a single one was dropped into the box before it exploded, and Apollo screamed in agony with every bit of the sphere's explosion contained in a small space.
Only Loki and her Familia knew what that sphere was and paled a bit.
The Apollo Familia was scanned next, and its captain plus four other members were separated for crimes they committed. They experienced varying levels of the same punishment as Apollo, while the rest of the Familia was teleported away.
Even while the crowds were furious with Apollo, they mentally recorded one crucial thing that stuck deep inside them.
'Don't fuck with this place.'
Just then, the announcer's voice spoke out.
*Line Break*
After Magus left:
Magus POV:
Mansion:
I shadow traveled from the sky of the city into the lounge area of the mansion where the girls were.
"I'm back~." (Magus)
I got three smiles in response.
"""Welcome back~.""" (The girls)
I smiled back and plopped down on the couch.
"Woah!" (Bella)
Seeing as how Yoru had Akame cuddled in her lap, I pulled Bella over into mine.
"Someone's excited to see us~." (Yoru)
I smiled at Yoru while cuddling Bella in my lap, which she didn't fight at all.
"Of course I am~ What kind of man wouldn't be excited to see his beautiful girls~." (Magus)
"Mn, good answer." (Bella)
We shared a laugh, and I gave them each a kiss.
"Good job on the opening love. (Yoru)
"Yeah, you kept being all mysterious about it and wouldn't tell us." (Bella)
"Mn, but it turned out great." (Akame)
I smiled.
"Thanks girls, I rehearsed it a few times, but that ending *sigh*, grandma got me good." (Magus)
"Wait, that wasn't on purpose?" (Yoru)
I gave a wry smile.
"Not a bit, the lion roar was perfect, but I was point-blank and completely off guard. I barely managed to not flinch and take a look before I blasted an attack." (Magus)
Yoru and Bella took a moment to blink and register that before bursting out laughing while Akame just gave me an encouraging look and put her hand on my shoulder with a silent message.
I appreciated it, but I still felt wronged.
I showed how wronged I felt by play tackling Yoru and Akame with Bella, and play wrestled with them a bit.
The play wrestling turned into a light make-out session that started gradually getting heated up as we rolled around.
{Boom!}
We got startled by a large bang sound and quickly jumped up and outside.
"Master." (Virgo)
Virgo appeared before us.
"Virgo, what just happened?" (Magus)
"Master, someone attempted to follow the teleportation route you took and slammed into the wards. I have immobilized them, should I punish them?" (Virgo)
"Someone followed me?" (Magus)
I was honestly surprised.
I got some pointed looks from Yoru and Bella.
"Dear~, you didn't hide the trail?" (Bella)
"Love, you know better than that!" (Yoru)
I quickly held up my hands to calm them down.
"Wait, wait, wait, I know that was my bad, but, in my defense, I never had any reason to suspect someone in this world would have the ability to follow me!" (Magus)
In the harry potter world, it was a standard procedure to scramble your apparition destination to prevent yourself from being followed.
Only trained wizards and witches knew that of course. Everyone else never even questioned how they were so easily tracked.
Anyway, I never expected to be followed in a world where teleportation was supposed to be impossible or, at the very least unheard of according to their magic standards.
I shook off my thoughts and got serious, and the girls backed off for now.
"Virgo, bring this person to a holding cell. I want to see who was able to follow me." (Magus)
"Yes master." (Virgo)
Virgo bowed and disappeared while the girls and I walked towards the cell.
"Wait, we have a holding cell?" (Yoru)
"Mhm, you didn't know?" (Bella)
"You know about it?" (Yoru)
"It wasn't exactly brought up before, Bella knows because she helped me design it. When I made the empty Biodome for us to practice, I reformed the old dark magic testing area and bunker beneath the mansion into a holding area since we had nothing else to do with it." (Magus)
As a reminder, the three towers of our mansion are the Main bedroom at the top of the back tower with a bath area of the middle floor and the treasury on the ground floor and continuing underground.
The right-side tower is for the Library and my personal study.
The left side tower is for the potion's lab at the top, a storage area that used to be a training area in the middle, and the old bunker which I made into a prison beneath it.
The hallways between each tower hold the numerous rooms and utilities that have their own expanded spaces and special properties.
It was hilarious when we had Sirius and a few others visit. They would get lost easily, and the girls and I would just watch their journey through the maze of our mansion while having some drinks.
I may or may not have had Bron scare the crap out of Sirius while he was drunk and lost.
'Damn, I miss that guy, maybe I should look for a new male friend in this world?'
We descended into the prison and up to the only occupied cell when I broke out of my thoughts to observe our stunned captive.
He was a tall man who appeared to be in his twenties with an average build, black hair, golden bangs, and a black goatee. The other point to note was the six pairs of jet-black feathered wings growing out of his back.
And he was currently wrapped in mana suppressant chains and hung upside down from the ceiling.
He saw us and gave a cheerful smile.
"Hey there! Unusual weather we're having, right?" (Mystery man)
Virgo appeared before us.
"The prisoner is secure master, shall I begin the punishment?" (Virgo)
There was a sadistic gleam in her eyes that matched the intensity of her masochistic gleam.
"Wait! Wait! No need for punishment! Look! This is just a big misunderstanding alright!" (Mystery man)
I ignored the guys begging and spoke to Virgo.
"Hold on a minute Virgo, let me speak to him first, you can have your fun if he is uncooperative." (Magus)
I spoke loud enough for the guy to hear us while the Yoru cracked a smile, but I could easily tell she was cracking up behind her mask.
Virgo looked toward the man with expectation, probably hoping he would stay silent.
"Oi! Lady, don't look at me like that! I will be honest!" (Mystery man)
"Master, do I have permission to cover our prisoner's mouth?"
"The hell? What kind of maid is this!" (Mystery man)
'Damn, maybe I should just leave them alone for a while, this is gold haha.'
"Sorry Virgo, hold off for a minute." (Magus)
"Yes master." (Virgo)
She backed off.
I entered the cell and conjured a chair to sit on. The girls decided to watch from the outside.
I looked at the man and confirmed my thoughts.
'Yup, this is definitely him.'
"Why are you here, Azazel?" (Magus)
The man's eyes widened for a second before he smiled.
"So, it really is you huh?" (Azazel)
'*Sigh* I just know grandma had something to do with this.'
"Why don't we start from the beginning, mister governor-general of the fallen angels." (Magus)
He smiled.
"Good, you know me, that makes this easier. Any chance you can let me down first?" (Azazel)
He flashed me a charismatic smile.
"Talk first." (Magus)
I was unaffected.
He sighed and began his tale.
To make a long story short, Azazel got sealed off with Trihexia, along with many other leaders of various groups, and died in the battle.
While his soul was passing on, a voice spoke out to him and asked if he wanted to continue living but in a different world.
Obviously, a man of culture like himself thought it was a unique opportunity and took the deal.
His words were: 'I was so excited! I thought I would be meeting an elderly grandpa who would give me some wishes!'
His dreams were shattered in the next moment because his formless soul body was being manhandled by a loli with unfathomable power and the only thing he was told before being tossed into a new world was 'My grandson needs some male friends, in three days, look up into the night sky, and you will find him. Have fun!'
He woke up outside the city in his normal body, explored the city, fell in love with a certain elf at first sight, and learned all the essential information like how OP his magic skills are compared to this world but that he was very vulnerable physically compared to higher leveled adventurers and decided to stay hidden.
He followed my trail after I left the city tonight and slammed headfirst into wards he never expected to find.
*Sigh*
'So, dad or grandma noticed a strong soul passing through dad's domain and thought I could use a male friend so after getting a light confirmation from the soul, grandma tossed him into the Danmachi world without an explanation. I can almost imagine the sound of dad's facepalming at grandma's actions.'
I turned my eyes back to Azazel.
"So that's my story man, can you please let me down now?" (Azazel)
I narrowed my eyes and released some of my bloodlust.
"Answer one question first." (Magus)
He swallowed and nodded.
"I heard you had a fetish for married women, is that true?" (Magus)
"What! No! Damn it! That was a rumor some asshole spread because his wife had a crush on me! I'm into demi-humans! Especially elves! That was one of my biggest fantasies that finally came true! I refuse to die before I get my elf waifu!" (Azazel)
He started going on a rant about the beauty of elves and breasts, and while on the inside I wanted to let him keep going and nod along, my wives were right there, so I unhooked the chains with a charm and watched him drop face-first onto the ground.
"Ow! Was that really necessary!" (Azazel)
I nodded and put a hand on his shoulder.
"let's change locations." (Magus)
"What? Wait, ok, where?" (Azazel)
I shadow traveled and dragged him along back to the living room; the girls used their own ways to teleport over.
Azazel fell onto his knees and tried hard not to shiver.
"What kind of teleportation was that!? That was terrifying!" (Azazel)
I gave him a confused look.
"What's wrong with it?" (Magus)
He looked at me incredulously.
"Teleportation is not instant, it takes a few seconds to lock coordinates before moving, and even when appearing, a magic circle would signify your location so nothing is standing in the exact spot you teleport to. Your way just felt like walking through an ocean of freezing shadows and whispering voices! It was terrifying! And it was instant!" (Azazel)
'Hm? Oh, right. Sirius said something similar when I brought him along before. Anyone connected to my soul is fine and protected, but those not tied to my soul can get easily freaked out.
"Sorry about that, different magic systems." (Magus)
He gave me a doubtful look, but I didn't feel like explaining it.
We all sat down, and Tom brought us some refreshments.
I introduced the girls who Azazel was very polite in greeting.
Hey, he might like to troll people from time to time, but even he knows not to mess with women who give him dangerous vibes unless they are good friends.
Seeing as he was from another world that had some pretty crazy things in it, I began by giving him a light explanation of who grandma was and how the multiverse worked.
"Nyx? My world had a goddess of darkness named Nyx as well." (Azazel)
I nodded.
"That's a common misconception. Like I said before, world gods are gods born from a specific world and are thus stuck in their world without ever knowing about the multiverse.
Primordial gods who were born from the multiverse are the true and highest form of themselves.
My grandma has many world god versions of herself in different worlds, just like how my father has a counterpart here in this world.
The world god version of my father, Thanatos, in this world, is just some deadbeat who my father is embarrassed by." (Magus)
That last part was true, dad actually asked me to remove this deadbeat version of him. After Evilus was destroyed, the world god Thanatos just found an abandoned building and proceeded to do drugs and laze around.
He was not even evil, just extremely apathetic since he can't control his divinity and thus lacks any interest in living or emotion.
Anyway, I'll deal with it if I find him.
Just then, our conversation was cut off when Virgo reappeared.
"Master, there is a problem." (Virgo)
'Another one?'
Seeing me refill my sake cup in annoyance, Bella decided to handle it.
"What's the issue Virgo?" (Bella)
"There was a disturbance at the Garden auction house." (Virgo)
*Cough*
I almost spit out my drink.
"Already!? It hasn't even been an hour!" (Magus)
Bella gave me a pitying look.
"Dear, you're being a bit naïve, you can't expect to show people the carrot without the stick and not expect them to act out." (Bella)
I rubbed my forehead.
"She's right you know, unless you flex your muscle a bit, you will get walked over if you have nice stuff." (Azazel)
Azazel spoke from experience, and while I couldn't argue with them, I still wanted to hope for a smooth beginning.
"And you have to do it regularly, humans and other races are predictable creatures who love to prove the truth of the quote: 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.'" (Azazel)
I snorted at the truth in those words and turned to Virgo.
"Virgo, what happened?" (Magus)
Virgo explained Apollo's scene and how the AI detected signs of abuse when it scanned the Apollo Familia and used a forced Legilimency attack on Apollo to reveal how many crimes he committed.
We programmed the AI to do that if there were clear signs of something very wrong like that. For the shady people who remain in the shadows, the AI would use subtle mental probes during transactions.
Unfortunately, Apollo made a public scene, and we ordered the AI to make the first idiot who acted out into an example for others.
The girls were obviously furious and emitting high levels of bloodlust while Azazel and I had hard faces.
"*Sigh* this has already gone public, let me contact Ouranos." (Magus)
I pulled out the communication orb and called him.
It rang for a few seconds before he picked up.
"Oh, Magus. How may I help you?" (Ouranos)
"We have a situation." (Magus)
I explained it to him and sent over the recorded memory scan on Apollo as proof.
To say he was furious was an understatement.
"That brat! I tried to teach them right from wrong! Even if there were a few bad eggs, it was usually due to their divinity corrupting them! Apollo has it fucking easy with his! Do what you wish Magus, he will have no protection from me!" (Ouranos)
I nodded and hung up before turning to Virgo.
"Virgo, activate the highest level punishment in the AI's perimeters, I believe that's nine consecutive magic onions in a small confined space.
Have it broadcasted as a warning to others.
Then teleport Apollo to a holding cell, we will seal him and destroy his consciousness in his avatar and his real body." (Magus)
Virgo nodded and sent the orders while the girls nodded in agreement, and Azazel gulped.
"Damn man, you don't fuck around." (Azazel)
I gave him a sharp look.
"There are many things wrong with species way of life throughout the multiverse, and I am no hero, I won't go looking for trouble, but there are two things I despise above all else, and if I see them, I will act.
Slavery and rape. I refuse to sit by if I see them.
Death doesn't punish souls like most believe. Religion is only made up by mortals. Death is fair, it wipes the memories of a soul, and based on their positive or negative karma, it sends them to higher or lower worlds for their next life in many different forms. Be it an intelligent species or a blade of grass.
Imprisonment is a joke as well, that is not a punishment for ruining the lives of others.
To truly punish someone for their sins, it has to be done while they are still within your grasp, and you have to do it with your own hands.
Don't wait around for others to do it, don't expect a higher power to do it. The universe doesn't care about our problems. Only we care about our problems." (Magus)
I finished my small rant, and we were all silent while that sunk in before Akame spoke.
"Magus, don't forget the Apollo Familia." (Akame)
I turned to her and nodded.
"Virgo, move the Apollo Familia to an open area in the VIP area, but don't let them move around. Use energy from the power core to hit them with healing charms for their bodies and minds. Break any curse or limiter on them. Then release them back outside. That's enough, they can handle themselves after that." (Magus)
"Yes master, that will use 2.8% of the power core. Should I proceed?" (Virgo)
I nodded, and she sent the orders.
"We should probably address the people as well; otherwise the event will be ruined." (Yoru)
"Yeah, as much as I want Apollo to suffer, we shouldn't ruin the grand opening for him." (Bella)
I nodded and connected to the auction house interface to make an announcement.
I adjusted my voice to match my announcer persona.
"*Cough* Attention everyone! That was an unexpected occurrence, and I apologize for that display, but that is an extreme example of what will happen to those who break the rules. Lighter crimes will have lighter repercussions, beware the warnings. Apollo will be dealt with under Ouranos's supervision.
Now that that's done with, let's get back to the grand opening! Quickly people! The auction house is open and ready! Limited quantities are available now! The bids close at 5:30AM Sharp!
Please remember, no Familia can monopolize the items and are limited to five items at any one time! We aim to let everyone win something!
Enjoy and improve your membership grade to enjoy our higher-grade products and services!
Once more, I welcome you to The Lion's Den." (Magus – announcer's voice)
And with that, I cut the connection.
"*Sigh* That was annoying." (Magus)
Yoru leaned on my back while Akame patted my head.
"Good job love~." (Yoru)
"Mn, good job." (Akame)
Bella just wrapped her tail around my waist to show her support.
I enjoyed their presence and relaxed.
"Thanks girls." (Magus)
I smiled and looked back at Azazel, who was surprisingly smiling warmly at us.
He noticed my look and laughed.
"Haha, I can enjoy a heartwarming scene Magus. Anyway, can you see what happened after your speech? I'm interested in their reactions." (Azazel)
I nodded and brought up the connection.
A holographic screen appeared in front of us showing the three auction houses.
*Line Break*
Loki POV: Garden Auction House:
After Magus's voice calmed down the people, I observed one of the things I despised about the masses.
In the face of benefits, Apollo's situation was thrown to the back of their minds. The tense atmosphere easily got replaced with excitement, and those who paid for membership rushed to the white auction house to look at the listing.
Of course, it's easy to take advantage of people if you can predict them, but that doesn't stop this heavy feeling in my stomach.
"Goddess?" (Finn)
I was broken from my musing by my Familia captain and hid my feelings behind my mischievous smile.
"Sorry~ What were you saying?" (Loki)
He gave me a worried look but decided to move on.
"Where should we go?" (Finn)
I smiled and pointed to the central path with enthusiasm.
"To the VIP area of course! We are one of only three VIP groups! We can check out the other stuff later~." (Loki)
"Right." (Finn)
He nodded, and we moved past the crowd.
The free pass members were just enjoying the environment and looking around.
The one-time members and the Bronze members were rushing to the White buying building.
The black selling building was empty for the moment.
We walked onto the central path while I observed the fountain.
It was quite an artistic piece, and it gave me a strange feeling of the animals having a special meaning to Magus. I don't know what it was, but my curiosity was ignited.
The central path was covered in a thick white fog.
"Loki-Sama, this fog is laced with mana, please be careful." (Riveria)
I rolled my eyes at her.
'I can see that child.'
"Ease up mama Riveria, you're such a worrier~." (Loki)
She huffed but didn't argue while I smiled.
'It's always fun to tease her.'
We walked through the fog, and I felt many layers of magic protection I wasn't familiar with being bypassed.
After a minute, the fog cleared up to show the sight on the other side.
"Woah…" (Loki)
My words very accurately matched my thoughts at that moment.
"How is…" (Riveria)
"This is insane…" (Finn)
"Haha! This is incredible!" (Gareth)
The sight from the fountain of a floating island in the distance must have been an illusion because what appeared before us was that same floating island up close, and the bottom half was wrapped in clouds.
Beneath the island was an utterly massive crater that looked like a titan or giant scooped out the earth and compressed it into a rock to make that island.
A robust cloud floated down in front of us along with a bubble around it that created an enclosed space.
That emotionless voice from before sounded out from the VIP Badge.
"VIP Party, please step onto the platform to reach the island." (Auction House AI)
"Woah!" (Loki)
I was completely caught off guard by that and accidentally played hot potato with the VIP pass.
We shared a skeptical look before I tested it by putting my foot on the cloud.
To my surprise, my leg passed through the bubble film easily, and the cloud was solid.
"This is so cool!" (Loki)
My eyes had stars in it while my children followed my example and tested out the cloud before cautiously sitting down on it.
"Please hold on." (Auction House AI)
The cloud took off and brought us to the island.
Other POV'S:
In Freya's case, she ignored the mass's reaction and walked through a mystical crystal tunnel on the seafloor that showcased the seabed with different sea life and glowing multicolored coral beds.
The path led to a floating palace that had a truck-sized sea turtle with a bubble on its shell with seats for VIP's to sit on and brought them to the palace.
In Hephaestus's case, she was the only one of the three goddesses that couldn't help but show her anger at the masses reactions and stormed off with only her Familia captain to the central path which was a multicolored earthen tunnel covered in glowing mineral stones that made it look like a path of bright stars in a night sky.
It led to an underground cavern with an obsidian palace built into the earth with a massive pit of lava separating the path from it. An enormous fire crab came out of the lava with a bubble on its back with seats inside for VIP's to cross.
Back with Loki:
"This is so cool! Look Riveria! That must be the auction stage for high-quality items!" (Loki)
I pointed at the giant stage in the center of the island, it was a massive stage surrounded by floating clouds with their own bubbles.
The emotionless voice spoke up to explain.
Apparently, each of those floating clouds acted like private booths for VIP's with comfortable seats, refreshments, auction listings, voice changing speaker to bid on items, and the bubble can be blacked out so you can see out but not in.
"Ohhh, and what would that area on the right be?" (Gareth)
Gareth pointed at the dome-like area on the right of the stage.
The emotionless voice explained the various functions of each area that VIP's had access to.
The dome was a training simulator. It created environments similar to specific dungeon floors or extreme environments and created virtual enemies with programs to train individuals in different skills.
Of course, that explanation flew over our heads, but we understood the main point of what it does.
The other areas were a spa, a game area, an area where they could view certain auction items on display and make early bids, a teleportation area where you could move directly to the VIP area of the other two auction houses or back outside the entrance to the auction house, and a few others.
All in all, it was a fantastical place in our eyes.
I was almost bouncing in excitement.
"Come on! Come on!" (Loki)
I rushed off like a kid on a sugar rush.
I mean, this place was amazing!
This place has a mana concentration that can match heaven, and it has an architecture style that I have never seen from a god before.
'Who the hell are you Magus!?'
Despite my chaotic thoughts on the inside, I ran around like a pinball with my children doing there best to catch up.
'Haha~ They might be physically stronger than me, but I'm a slippery one~!'
The bar was fully stocked, and we lost Gareth, who stayed behind for *cough* 'research purposes.'
'I will join you soon my child!'
I tore myself away from the dazzling sight of that bar and ran around the area.
The game area was a massive lounge with casino games, something called a hookah lounge with sheesha with magical effects, a gumball Russian roulette table, and a bunch of other fun looking stuff.
'I gotta max out my party and bring more of my kids here! Maybe Magus will join us if I ask.'
The spa was super high-quality but empty.
We ditched Finn at the training simulator area while he eagerly ran inside while I shook my head.
'He stagnated for so long, I was afraid his confidence might have taken a hit.'
Riveria was fascinated by the reading area. The books on the shelves could be rented as long as you stayed inside the area.
I shook my head and continued exploring by myself.
The whole place was like a real palace of the gods but more in the style of a hotel.
I wandered the pathways with the pockets of gardens and floating bubbles in fascination.
'This is so beautiful…'
I was mesmerized.
Eventually, I slowed down and got lost in thought and started reminiscing about my life while walking around.
'Heaven was so lonely. So many petty wars for equally petty gods and goddesses. It became so monotone and boring. You could barely trust anyone, and no one was comfortable next to a goddess with divinities like me except for a few.
Then I came down here and… what was I doing exactly? Fooling around? Treating it all like a game? Sure, I made my Familia into one of the most powerful forces, but…it feels empty? Like a game of chess that I eventually won and then I lost purpose.
My Familia grows by itself, and I only update statuses like a machine…It continued for years until Magus showed up.
Magus, your presence baffled me the first time we matched eyes, the feeling of your mana, the aura you released in our meeting, the various abilities you possess…You sparked my interest like nothing I have ever felt before…I…I want to continue feeling like this... I want to know more about you… I..I want to truly live..'
I brought my hand up to feel the earing Magus gifted me.
'You already gave me back some of my abilities that I haven't been able to touch since I came down from heaven.'
I absentmindedly kept walking while deep in thought until a voice broke me from my thoughts.
"Ex…me…lo..sa.." (???)
I stopped and turned around to face a fox woman who was speaking to me.
"Wha..?" (Loki)
That was not the most intelligent response.
The fox woman smiled.
"Excuse me Loki-Sama, my superior has asked that you please follow me to the auction area." (Mu's subordinate)
I blinked.
"Oh, ok. Who are you again?" (Loki)
"My name is ***, and I work under lady Mu, who works directly under the master." (Mu's subordinate)
'Interesting.'
"Ok~ Lead the way!" (Loki)
She smiled and led me to the auction stage while we made small talk.
It seems Magus holds an incredibly high position in her mind, and she is obviously well versed in politics seeing as how I was unable to get any information out of her that she didn't want to tell me.
We arrived, and one of the cloud platforms descended to me, which the fox woman asked me to enter.
I did so, and it took off into the air and activated that so-called privacy mode where the bubble got blacked out from the outside.
I sat down on the comfy cloud chair with a drink from the selection and waited.
'I guess this Mu will come to me? A private meeting? I wonder what will happen next.'
Just then, a magic circle lit up, and another fox woman with seven tails appeared.
My eyes widened.
"Teleportation magic?" (Loki)
The woman smiled at me.
"Excuse me for the abrupt entrance Loki-Sama, my name is Mu, and to answer your question, that was not teleportation, this is not my real body, just a projection." (Mu)
I usually would have been extremely baffled by that, but I just sighed.
'*Sigh* Too many new things in one day.'
I nodded to move things along.
"I'm currently projecting to you, Freya-Sama, and Hephaestus-Sama at the same time." (Mu)
Now I really was baffled despite how many things I had seen today.
Mu waved her hand, and two more projections appeared next to me to show the other goddesses.
Freya and Hephaestus were just as baffled by what they were seeing and hearing.
Freya was sitting in a private VIP coral bubble in the underwater palace and was studying everything with fascination.
Hephaestus was seated in a private VIP crystal-based bubble and was examining everything with a critical eye, trying to understand how everything was made. The underground palace stage has different floating platforms made from giant crystals such as sapphire, ruby, emerald, and so on.
Mu smiled and went on to explain to all three of the goddesses at the same time.
"This auction house has many functions that I believe you have already seen for yourselves. The VIP section is private, and while it has many services, be aware that some things have extra charges such as higher quality drinks, renting books, the spa, and the training areas.
Some of our services, such as the spa, require a reservation. As you know, you can enter from any auction house entrance, and each VIP area is connected for ease of travel as well as exiting directly to the streets.
We have special services as well that are only offered on occasion, such as the restaurant when my master feels like having fun." (Mu)
That got raised eyebrows from all of us.
"Magus cooks?" (Freya)
She looked very interested.
"Just how talented is he?" (Hephaestus)
Hephaestus just smiled wryly.
I stayed silent, but my eyes were shining with excitement.
Mu smiled and nodded.
"Master is truly skilled, but it is only a hobby for him. Back on topic, seeing as there are only three VIP's at the moment, the high-quality auction items will be kept to a maximum of six items and a minimum of one at a time.
Other than that, you have full access to the catalog list, but please remember that even if you are a VIP, you cannot monopolize the market.
All members have a five-item limit to bid on, and as you three are the only VIP's, only you three have full access, your party members do not.
I shall leave the joint conference projection up, and you can close your channel with the remote on the coffee table.
The remote controls the privacy settings, call settings to myself or another member, bidding settings for the catalog and VIP auctions, as well as being the key to leave the bubble.
Please check the listings. The VIP auction will begin in an hour.
For future reference, the VIP auction will always begin at 9PM sharp every Saturday. Tuesdays will not have a VIP auction.
Please enjoy your time, and thank you for joining us." (Mu)
And with that, she abruptly vanished, leaving three silent goddesses.