"Captain, I've brought them."
At that moment, Jormungand returned from her errand, bringing Raul, Cassandra, and Daphne with her.
Bell glanced down at Loki-sama, still unconscious, then snapped his fingers.
"Hmph..."
As the Runes activated, they forcibly stimulated the divine power within Loki-sama's body, accelerating the recovery of her consciousness.
It was a rather crude method, but highly effective for gods.
Although gods had a built-in "safety mechanism" that triggered their return to Tenkai if their bodies suffered excessive damage, there were ways to bypass it.
With a soft whimper, Loki-sama slowly opened her eyes.
"Tch... Ais, you hit me way too hard!"
As soon as she woke up, Loki teared up and looked accusingly at Ais, who was still hiding her hands behind her back.
Knowing she'd done something wrong, Ais looked visibly flustered. Her expression was unsure, and if one looked closely, a light sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead—a clear sign of guilt.
"…"
But precisely because she was trying to hide it, Ais didn't know what to say.
"...Sorry."
After holding it in for a while, that was all Ais could manage. At the very least, she had to apologize.
"Well~ since Ais took the initiative to apologize, I won't make a big deal out of it."
Seeing Ais sincerely apologize, Loki didn't keep up the act for long. But just as she spoke, a glint of mischief flashed in her eyes. Before Ais could recover from her guilt, Loki suddenly rolled over and lunged at her like a hungry beast.
Level 6 reflexes were no joke. Loki's sudden movement didn't startle Ais—but her own subconscious reaction nearly did. She almost slapped Loki on instinct.
Especially after the earlier warning, and having nearly killed Loki with a punch just minutes ago, Ais froze on the spot, suppressing every instinct.
That hesitation gave Loki the perfect opening.
"Ooohhh!!"
"My life! I have no regrets!"
It was her first time hugging Ais since she'd grown up. Loki's shameless hands latched on with a soul-deep satisfaction. The overwhelming sense of "my life is complete" burst out of her in a declaration that made Ais flush with embarrassment.
Worried she might accidentally kill Loki, Ais didn't dare retaliate—even though she was being thoroughly violated by this lewd goddess.
"Loki-sama, your tastes really are something else..."
"Hah!? Something else, my ass! It's my nature! Do you know how many times I've tried to get a hug from Ais?"
As soon as the topic came up, Loki got fired up.
"Back when Ais was little, she was adorable—but unbelievably strong-willed. Every time I tried to get close, Mama would drag me away to stop me from corrupting her. But I wasn't corrupting her! I was showing Ais the wonders of a new world! It was always Mama ruining my fun."
Bell couldn't help but admire Loki-sama's shamelessness as he glanced toward the person now walking toward the door.
"Loki-sama, when you say 'Mama'... you don't mean 'Nine Hell,' do you?"
"Of course I do! Who else would it be? Every time I try to spend some quality time with the adorable girls in the Familia, it's always Riveria who steps in to ruin it. She even banned me from using the Familia's public baths a few years ago!"
The baths had once been Loki's paradise, a place where she could freely mess around with the girls—one of the few places where she, as a goddess, could enjoy certain 'privileges.' But that joy was shut down the moment Riveria laid down the law.
Only the gods know how crushed Loki was when Riveria forbade her from entering the communal bath.
Bell couldn't help but voice his thoughts.
"That's probably because you were getting handsy with the girls in there. Just like you're doing with the 'Sword Princess' now."
Loki's face darkened as Bell hit her right in the sore spot.
"That's my right as the Familia God! And I wasn't getting handsy—I was simply concerned about their physical development. I just wanted to keep a safe and regular record of their growth."
Yeah... that's just pure, unfiltered perversion—complete with a heavy dose of creep.
Being able to say such perverted things with a straight face only confirmed for Bell how far gone Loki-sama really was.
She might seem friendly at the moment, but Bell had to admit, Loki-sama was beyond saving.
Sure, if you factor in that she's a goddess, maybe it's not a huge deal. After all, girls roughhousing isn't that unusual. But this level of intentional groping was definitely crossing the line.
"And also, Loki-sama, just a heads-up... If you let go of the 'Sword Princess' now, you might at least get off with a lighter punishment."
Loki scoffed at the suggestion.
"Are you kidding? This is the first time I've actually succeeded after all these years. No way I'm letting go now!"
"Is that so?"
Bell gave a slight shake of his head. He'd already said his piece. If Loki backed off now, maybe this would still count as harmless fun. But clearly, that ship had sailed.
"You brat, don't talk like Mama."
"Mama's just old, but you—"
"Aaaaaagh!"
Suddenly, a hand clamped down hard on Loki's head. The entire room echoed with a distinct crack, followed by Loki's pained scream.
Bell instinctively stepped back, quietly offering a prayer for Loki-sama.
"M-Mama!?"
"Loki, did I just hear you call me old?"
What followed was Riveria's voice—calm, serious, even gentle—but to Bete and the others, it was colder than Wynn Fimbulvetr, sharp enough to cut ice.
Everyone in the room slowly turned to look toward the source of the voice.
"N-no... Mama, listen to me—aaaaagh!"
Loki's desperate explanation was drowned out by her own screams.
Everyone could feel their hearts tremble at the sound. Even after the screaming stopped, not a single person dared to look away.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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