The next day, Aaric woke up with a naked Luna resting in his arms. She had her face on his chest and was clinging to him. Aaric smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist gently, caressing her softly as he watched her.
Luna smiled at that moment, her eyes still closed.
She moved herself to be closer to Aaric and laid there like that for some time.
When she finally opened her eyes, she found him watching her. "Good morning," she murmured, her voice still heavy with sleep. She shifted to sit astride his stomach, her legs on either side of him, hair cascading down like pale silk as she leaned forward to kiss him.
"You make this the best kind of morning," Aaric said, grinning against her lips making her giggle.
Aaric grinned and flipped her over, with him being on top of her. Aaric flipped her over, his weight pinning her playfully as he trailed kisses from her mouth down her neck and stomach, until she gasped and arched beneath him, looking at Aaric with anticipation.
Moans were heard in the room for an hour.
After the best morning they had, they took a bath and got ready to leave for the Labyrinth. Luna raised her hand and created a portal, using Daphne as an anchor.
They entered the portal to see Daphne talking and playing with a girl with silver hair and curved-up horns. She wore a long black coat and a light-colored skirt.
The girl's eyes widened at the sudden arrival but relaxed when Daphne ran straight into Aaric's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him deeply.
"You missed me this much? It was just one night, Love," Aaric said with a teasing tone after he broke the kiss as he held Daphne by the butt to support her.
Daphne hummed and started nibbling on Aaric's neck.
"Who is your new friend?" Aaric asked with a chuckle as he saw how clingy Daphne was being.
Daphne paused and looked at Aaric stiffly before glancing at the girl who was giggling with Luna. Daphne got down from Aaric hurriedly and swatted his chest. "This is all your fault," she said with a blush and went to greet Luna as well.
"This is Venti, I met her here," Daphne introduced Venti to Luna as she completely ignored Aaric.
"You were the one who assaulted me," Aaric muttered with a smirk and a hand on his chest as if to protect himself from her.
Daphne heard his words and just stomped her feet on the ground, glaring at Aaric.
"Hello, I am Aaric. Nice to meet you," Aaric introduced himself to Venti.
Venti smiled and shook Aaric's hand excitedly. "Hello, I am Venti, Daphne told me about you... a lot," Venti said with a smile.
"All good things, I hope," Aaric said with a chuckle.
Venti tilted her head innocently. "Hmm… not sure. She used the word 'pervert' quite a lot."
Aaric's expression went blank. "Did she now."
He glanced toward Daphne, who suddenly found the floor fascinating.
"She's the real pervert here, as you just saw. Don't you agree?" Aaric said to Venti.
"I agree," Venti said cheerfully as Daphne stood there devastated, unable to say anything as Aaric, Venti, and Luna laughed.
"So, are you an adventurer?" Luna asked Venti, glancing at her scythe.
"No, I am the pet of Lord Adalmann, the boss of this floor," Venti said casually.
Aaric was holding Daphne from behind and consoling her as he heard that. "Did she say pet?" Aaric asked in shock, still holding Daphne by the waist, his face just beside Daphne's neck.
"I think she did," Daphne said, also in shock, as it seemed she had not known about the pet part.
They glanced at Luna, who was also shocked, and Daphne removed Aaric's hands from her waist before moving over to Venti.
"Why don't we go over to this... Adalmann," Daphne said with anger, wanting to meet this guy who calls her new friend his pet.
Venti smiled and held Daphne's hand to lead her to the boss room. "Come, I want to introduce you to him as well," Venti said.
Aaric and Luna followed behind as she led them to a towering white door made of bones.
Venti opened the door as a majestic throne room became visible on the other side. The throne room was like a giant cathedral made of black marble with colored windows depicting Rimuru in his slime and human form as a god.
A skeleton sat on the throne, with a sword-wielding blonde young man by his side.
"Welcome, challengers. I am Adalmann... a devoted priest of the great god Rim—huh?" The skeleton named Adalmann started his speech but paused as he saw Venti standing with the challengers, who were glaring at him.
"Is he the one?" Daphne asked Venti, who nodded with a smile.
In an instant, Daphne's crown and cloak materialized. She vanished from sight and reappeared before the throne, her spear's tip pressing against Adalmann's skull.
"Do you call my friend a pet?" Daphne asked Adalmann coldly.
The blonde swordsman, who was about to attack, paused as he heard those words and gained a look of understanding.
"Huh?" Venti stood there, stunned, as she seemed confused about what was even going on.
"Please, my lady," he said quickly, stepping forward with calmly. "Allow me to explain. I am Albert, and I believe this is a misunderstanding."
Adalmann nodded so vigorously his skull almost rattled loose.
"Venti, please transform into your true form," Albert asked the still-confused girl.
Venti nodded and transformed on instinct, turning into a colossal undead dragon, her wings brushing the ceiling.
Albert smiled faintly. "She has considered herself Lord Adalmann's pet for centuries, ever since her resurrection. Lord Rimuru recently granted her a name, and with it, a human form. We've been trying to help her see herself as more than a beast." he explained.
Venti has been the undead dragon pet of Adalmann for a thousand years and was given a name by Rimuru just some years ago that gave her a humanoid form.
After gaining her humanoid form, Adalmann and Albert were trying to change her perception of herself, as a humanoid pet is just another word for a slave, and Adalmann did not wish to be seen as having a slave.
They explained the whole thing to the party, which decreased their anger as they understood what was going on.
"See? You worried your friend by calling yourself a pet," Albert started talking to Venti and explained to her the reason for Daphne's anger.
Venti turned back to her human form and bowed to Adalmann and Daphne after she understood the situation. "I'm sorry," Venti said.
Adalmann and Daphne waved away the apology awkwardly.
Daphne turned to Adalmann to apologize, but he stopped her. "Please do not apologize. I understand your reasons, and it pleases me to know she has a friend who worries for her," Adalmann said, waving his skeleton hand.
They talked about their stories for a little bit after that and got to know each other.
"Forgive me, but I cannot allow you to pass to the next floor without defeating us, as I have a divine mandate from my God to guard the entrance to the next floor," Adalmann said after the group expressed they wished to explore the Labyrinth further.
Daphne glanced at Venti and gained a little frown.
"We can fight, just us two if you do not wish to fight Venti," Albert said as he understood the reason for Daphne's frown.
"Well, it will be a two-on-two then, to make it fair," Aaric said and glanced at Luna, who nodded as well.
A/n: Please give me your thought on the chapter and reviews on the fic.
Oh! and where are you going? Leave the power stones.. punk.