Chapter 9: The Aftermath and a Promise

[1st POV]

"Damn, brat, you've sure caused an outrage, haven't you?" Mia asked me as she slid my glass of juice across the counter before it stopped within my open hand, the two of us ignoring all the whispers around me from the Adventurers who were staring my way.

It had been a few days since I had defeated the Loki Familia's four Executives and had my talk with Loki and her Top Executives. Thanks to all of the spectators who had seen me kick their collective asses and catch Ais' sword like I was some kind of discount Aizen, word spread around about what I had done and about Sakanade. Needless to say, I'd been getting bothered no small number of times since then about Sakanade by some of the many Adventurers here in Orario, especially from the Hephaestus Familia. Damn blacksmiths wanting to get their paws on my weapon. I'm pretty sure I had to look over my shoulder a few times to avoid the Hephaestus Familia's Captain, Tsubaki, at some points until she had called it quits to work on her commissions.

That's not to say that I'm surprised about this recent turn of events. I knew that it was inevitable that once I show off my Shikai, people will begin to think that it's a magic sword of some kind, but I wish that they weren't so bothersome about it. Thankfully, I managed to scare them off with the threat of a possible visit to their Familia if they kept bothering me. When in all doubt, always just claim that they're harassing you and if you're confident in your strength, then War Game them.

Say what you want, but while admiration and respect is all well and fine, fear is also a good motivator for people to stay away from you, especially if you have the strength to back it up.

Actually...I wonder why I haven't gotten a visit from some people who popped up in my mind. Isn't Welf here in Orario now? You'd think that he'd be interested in checking out Sakanade, even if he'll never be able to reproduce a Zanpakutō...unless he can wrangle up some Spirits or similar beings and pull off some shenanigans to make a unique magic sword. Then again, I'm not too worried since he'll make his own set of magic swords in the future, so hey, power to him. But if he still seeks me out, even more power to him.

And of course, I'm surprised that Hephaestus herself hadn't reached out to Miach about setting up a meeting...oh well then. Thankfully for all of her flaws, Loki knows to keep a lid on stuff that is told to her, because if she ever did tell Hephaestus about my claim of the gods being unable to replicate the creation of a Zanpakutō, which was completely true, then I'm sure she would have already made a beeline for my ass.

"What's this I've been hearing for a while about about you beating all of Loki's Level 5 brats some time ago?" The Dwarf woman continued as she walked over and leaned over the counter to give me a look that pretty much screamed 'What nonsense are you up to this time'.

Figures the former Captain of the Freya Familia would be curious. I think she's already heard about me long before this moment, but she had the decency to not pester me about it at first since she essentially left that life behind, but something tells me that her curiosity really got the better of the former Adventurer since I did something that was out of the ordinary.

"Oh, it's nothing...just a little test." I answered with an innocent smile as I looked up at her, but Mia unfortunately knew me too well as she just let out a hum while staring down at me.

"Oh really? A little test? Cyrus, you must have a large pair on you if you're telling me that you wanted to do this as a small test. A test that threw Orario into a bit of chaos as a result when the Captain of a middle ranking Familia beat all four of Loki's Executives at the same time. So if this is a little test, then what's the end goal supposed to be?" She asked me, her eyes briefly going over to the direction of where the girls were as if to make sure they were doing their jobs, but I didn't need to follow her gaze to know where she was looking. She was looking at Syr, otherwise known as Freya. I guess she has an idea of what that end goal is.

"Hm...we're not idiots Mia." I shot back, using the same line that Mia had used a few days ago when we had talked about Ryuu. I'm certain that she knew what my show of power was supposed to be. After all, doing something like that, regardless of whatever reason it was for, can be easily read as a challenge, and it's clear that the number of people who can answer said challenge has been culled down to be counted on a single hand, specifically four people. The Top Executives of the Loki Familia, and then the King himself, Ottar. And considering my cheat code that let me advance so far with the Falna in just four years...

"We both know what the endgame is going to be like. This was always bound to happen one way or another because of my unnatural growth. But let's just say that I recently took on the burden of working on some problems that have been left unresolved and they happened to help push up the deadline, so the sooner I can get stronger the better." I went on, my eyes moving to Ryuu as she was delivering drinks to some of the patrons, Mia following my gaze before letting out a laugh.

The days following my spar with Tione, Tiona, Ais, and Bete, between the hecklers I had to deal with and working at the Blue Pharmacy, where I had been interrogated every so often by Sétanta, Aífe, and Naaza, I'd either come over to Ryuu's place to hang out with her and cook us breakfast, depending on how our mornings looked, or see her at the Hostess of Fertility in the afternoon and help out a tiny bit for fun if I'm not helping at the Blue Pharmacy. Afterwards, at the end of service at the tavern, we'd spend the night at my place and just chill, telling each other some more stories about each other amongst other things, after which, I'd take her home with Shunpo, or vice versa where I walk her home and she would invite me inside to pretty much do the same stuff before I leave for home, and we'd always end the night with a hug so that Ryuu could get accustomed to the feeling.

All in all, I pretty much spent the past few days just hanging out with her as we took the time to bond with each other in a more romantic sense. As it is, I'm pretty content with the two of us just holding each other's hands and giving the occasional hug when the moment seemed right for us, and I think she's been happy with what we've been doing so far as well with how much she seems to be smiling ever since the two of us became a couple.

"You really are dedicated aren't you?" She asked me, picking up a plate with a large slab of steak and setting it in front of me. I swear her food never gets old.

"Who knows? Maybe I am dedicated. After all, she's my girlfriend, and I like to think that even before we began our relationship, we had a lot of trust for each other. Why wouldn't I care about her happiness? Besides, she deserves a chance to be happy after all and I wouldn't want to leave her behind while I'm fulfilling my own goals. Not that she isn't happy here, cuz I know she is. It's just that...well...I want her to be able to step out of the shadows of her past and truly enjoy her life unshackled by everything that's happened to her." I explained as I glanced from my food back to the Elf who we were chatting about.

"I hear what you mean. Goodness, if it wasn't for Syr, who knows where that girl would end up?" Mia asked with a shake of her head as she watched her Elf daughter not-of-blood tending to one of their many patrons. I can only imagine what she's thinking. After all, it was Syr who had brought the Ryuu to the retired Adventurer, where she proceeded to patch up my best friend and take her in. And to think that Ryuu had at one point given up on the thought of living, even if for a brief moment. Honestly, that was a scary thought to this day.

"That said, you sure are very ambitious this year aren't you? I don't mean to make light of everything you've done in just four years, but don't you think you're probably trying to bite off more than you can chew this time around?" The Dwarf went on to ask. I just merely looked at her with a raised eyebrow before shaking my head and giving her my answer. While she makes a good point, I'm not overly worried.

"If I thought I couldn't take all this stuff on, then I would have never considered doing so in the first place. Don't worry about me Mia. You're part of the old guard now, and you made a life for yourself outside of who you used to be." I assured the Dwarf, referencing back to her time at an Adventurer and how she got out of that life. Even if I knew beforehand that she was part of the Freya Familia, it wasn't hard to learn that in the first place just by listening to the old folks here in Orario who avoided the Dungeon life and pursued other venues. Even if her name isn't as well known in this current generation, "Demi Ymir" Mia Grand is still a name to be wary of. Besides, anyone carrying the Alias of a Norse giant, or *the* Norse giant, is just someone that you don't fuck with.

"I figured you already knew who I was. You were always too smart for your own good." She said and sighed before shaking her head in resignation.

"If nothing else, just make sure to be careful, you got that Cyrus? You may not be one of my girls nor were you part of my Familia, but I've seen you grow up from being that 13-year-old squirt that you used to be when you first came over here to eat. As far as I'm concerned that makes you one of mine. So you watch your ass, ya hear me?" Mia asked with a stern glare as she looked down at me, even using my name as emphasis, my hand pausing as I had been eating my steak when she had handed it over and talking between bites.

Well damn, never thought I'd ever hear that words from her mouth, even after knowing the woman for four years. I'm honestly very touched. Of course, I'm not gonna let her know how I felt about that, so I just opted to let out a laugh and nodded.

"Don't worry, Mama, I'll definitely keep an eye out on my own ass. And I'll also be having someone with me to watch my beautiful ass as well." I told her with a small snicker, Mia just smiling at me. I can probably guess the reason, being the obvious fact that I had called her 'Mama' for the first time after she had told me what I was like to her.

"Good. Though I gotta say, I never pegged you for someone who partied with another? Is there something I should know?" The Dwarf women asked me and I nodded in preparation for what I have to say next.

"Yeah. You see...I need two favors. A minor one for this week that I can owe you back for, and the other one being the main favor I wanted to ask you. I need..."

...

...

"You're asking a lot out of me, you know this right?" Mia asked and I nodded, understanding how much I was asking out of her, considering what I will be doing in the future.

"I know that. But I'm not going to apologize though." I said to her, and she just signed in a resigned manner before laughing.

"I'm not gonna ask you to apologize brat. Besides, why would I even say no in the first place. So consider that favor granted, but remember that you owe me big time, you got that?"

"Yes ma'am, I understand you, clear as crystal." I answered with a small laugh and then continued to eat my meal when Mia went back to the kitchen to help May with the orders.

"You seem to be in a good mood." An all too familiar voice said to me as she placed another glass of juice next to me.

Ah, Ryuu. You're too good for me. Even if you'll still do everything you can to make me buy more stuff here, as expected of one of the Hostess of Fertility's waitresses.

"Well, why wouldn't I be in a good mood when I get to see you, my beautiful girlfriend?" I asked her and sent her a wink, to which she gave me a deadpan stare, even if her cheeks were a bit pink.

"You see me every day, Cyrus, seeing as that you always come here for Mama Mia's cooking and for our juice. And flattered as I am, please refrain from teasing me while I'm working." She said to me, giving a small smile at the end to show that she was still happy from what I had said.

Score one to me.

"Alright, fine you got me." I conceded and took a sip from my glass of juice before setting it on the table.

"Let's just say that I have a few surprises for you that I'll tell you later, alright?" I asked her, giving my partner a smile. "I'm sure that you'll enjoy them when you find out. Well...at least I hope you do."

And I mean it. I do have some surprises for her, but I'm not exactly sure how she'll take them since I never brought it up to her.

"I'm sure I will enjoy them, Cyrus." Ryuu said and gave me a smile that I returned before she cleared her throat after a few seconds of gazing.

"Excuse me, I'm going to get back to work."

"No worries Ryuu, don't wanna hold you up." I assure her and she walked off to tend to the other patrons.

Well Ryuu...let's see what your reaction will be.

{Timeskip...}

Some hours later, after I had finished my meal and left to continue on with my night, I eventually returned to the Hostess to pick up Ryuu, where we began to walk back to her home with our hands locked together so that I can unload her surprise. And once we were inside, we took a seat in her couch in her apartment, where we started talking.

"So what were these surprises you had in store for me Cyrus?" Ryuu asked me as she gave me a curious look, clearly wondering that they could possibly be.

[3rd POV - Ryuu]

"Well, let's start with the first one alright? I managed to talk Mia into giving you Friday off because I wanted to go on a date with you." Cyrus started, dropping the first bomb on the Elf today.

A date? Him? With her? Like an actual romantic outing with just the two of them that isn't confined to just hugging and holding hands at one another's home? Wait, don't couples kiss at the end of a date? Isn't that what Lunoire told her once?

"Oh my." Ryuu murmured as she could feel her cheeks flaring up from the thought of the two of them going on a date. She's never been on a date before...and if Lunoire was right...

"You want to go on a date with me?" The former Adventurer asked her best friend for confirmation, who gave her a look with a raised eyebrow.

"Well yeah, of course. We've not been on an actual date yet since you've been working and I've been for the most part laying low because of my spar against Loki's Familia. And I figured that we should actually go on our first real date, so shopping, foods, and all that stuff. Just spend time with each other in the actual daylight without being bothered by the girls especially." He answered and then simply gave her a teasing smile.

"Unless...you don't want to go on a date?"

"No, I do." Ryuu was quick to answer as she shook her head, wanting to go on a date with Cyrus. Maybe she was overthinking and maybe her friend was just exaggerating. "I'm honestly looking forward to going on a date with you Cyrus. I'm sure that it'll be fun."

And she really is looking forward to it. After all, he is her boyfriend now, and she wants to continue enjoying his presence around her.

"Same, I'm looking forward to our date too." Cyrus reciprocated with a small grin before he sighed and then rubbed the back of his neck.

"Now onto the other surprise...I'm gonna ask you ahead of time to not hit me Ryuu."

This honestly had Ryuu quite confused. Why would she hit him?

"I don't understand? Why would I hit you Cyrus? I doubt you've done something to make me want to strike at you." The Elf asked him in confusion, not sure why he would request something like from her. How strange.

"Whatever the case, I promise that I won't hit you." She promised him anyway and waited to him him out.

"Well ah...how do I put this...I'm planning on leaving Orario and I don't plan to come back for a while." Cyrus said to her once he got past his hesitation.

What did he say? Did he say that he was going to leave Orario? Why is he telling her this all of a sudden?

"What? Why are you leaving Orario, Cyrus?" Ryuu asked him with wide eyes as she scooted closer to her boyfriend and took hold of his hand out of concern for him.

"Is everything alright? There's nothing wrong is there? You know you come to me if there's something wrong Cyrus."

She doesn't understand. She knows that Cyrus has always been a strong person, and even with everything that had been going on since he defeated the Executives from the Loki Familia, he seemed to be fine, even with his hecklers about Sakanade. So why is he planning on leaving all of a sudden, and why didn't he tell her? Is there something happening that she doesn't know about?

"Whoa whoa, hold on Ryuu, calm down, let me finish." Her partner quickly said to her, squeezing her hands gently, an action that she reciprocated as she felt the warmth of his hands. "It's not as bad a reason as you might think it is."

"O-Oh..."

Hearing that there wasn't a negative reason for Cyrus to leave, she relaxed a bit and after a brief moment, she was able to get a hold of herself.

"You feeling better?"

"Yes I am...I'm sorry Cyrus, I'm afraid I started coming to conclusions too soon."

"No, it's fine Ryuu. I know that this is my fault for springing this on you out of nowhere. But let me tell you why, okay? This is where my surprise comes in. You see...I'm going to go find *her*, wherever she went after she left Orario."

'Why did he emphasize the word 'her' just now? The only woman who I know who left Orario and is somewhere in this world is Lady-'

Ryuu cut her train of thought and looked Cyrus in the eyes with a look of realization on her face.

"You're going to look for Lady Astraea?" She asked him, to which he nodded his head.

"Sure am. And I just so happened to get permission from Mia to take you with me so that we can bring her back to Orario. You deserve this Ryuu, and I think it's time for her to come back to her last child, even if you don't feel like you deserve it. So what do you say? Wanna go on an adventure with me and find your goddess?" Cyrus asked her with a small grin, waiting for the older girl to answer him.

"But why? I'm the one who drove her from Orario just so that I could get my revenge on Evilus! I went against the justice that our Familia stood for! She deserves more than to see me-"

"Stop, Ryuu." Cyrus cut her off with a stern tone and she closed her mouth, her hand gripping onto his own like a powerful vice that he returned.

"Maybe you did drive her away. Maybe you did stand against the justice that the Astraea Familia represented. But the thing is, we're mortals. Sometimes it's easy for that line to be muddled because justice and vengeance are simply two sides of the same coins at times. Your vengeance could be seen as you enacting justice on behalf of all those who may have lost their loved ones to Evilus all those years ago, or it might just be what it originally was: you getting your revenge for your friends' deaths. And while I mean no disrespect, sometimes, Gods can never understand mortals because of how inherently different they are from us, and because of that, their views and ours may never be the same, especially when it comes to Lady Astraea's sense of justice that is far detached from that of mortals, from what I've been told once upon a time.

Even more than that, at the end of the day, you're still her child. Her last child. And you both deserve to see each other after so long. You deserve to step out of the shadows of your past, Ryuu, and be happy, especially with Astraea back. And when we find her, but for some ridiculous reason she won't accept you, then it's simple. She doesn't deserve you and if you want, you can leave her Familia and join the Miach Familia with me. It'll be the two of us together, and I'll always have your back."

Cyrus wrapped an arm around Ryuu's waist and pulled her in for a side hug as he had been speaking, the Elf reciprocating by wrapping her arms around around him and pressing her head into his shoulder.

"Cyrus...thank you." Ryuu murmured into his shoulder, her heart touched by his words. She doesn't know whether or not he's ultimately right or wrong in his words, but it touched her all the same. Maybe he has a point. Maybe she should seek out Lady Astraea.

"You're welcome Ryuu." Her boyfriend said to her and placed his head on top of hers. "So, your answer?"

"Yes, I'd like to come with you and find Lady Astraea. You're right. I suppose it is time for me to step out from my past."

"Sounds like a plan then. It won't be anytime soon since I have some stuff to do and business to take care of, but we will definitely head out within the year, so wait just a little longer okay?"

"Alright...Cyrus?"

"Yes, Ryuu?"

"Thank you..."

"No need to thank me, Ryuu. But you're welcome."

"Can we stay like this for a while longer?"

Ryuu's question was answered by Cyrus tightening his hold around her waist as she basked in his warmth, her heart feeling the lightest it had ever felt in so long.

'This feeling...is this what love is Alise? If so...thank you for your advice to not let go of the man who could hold my hand. And thank you Cyrus, for being the one who was able to do such a thing.'

[Omniscient POV]

And so the gears continue to turn, albeit now in a different way through Cyrus' unexpected presence.

An Elf who once thought that she was a terrible person is now taking the chance to step out into the light, unshackled by the past, huddled in the embrace of her loved one.

A red haired blacksmith stared at his bound sword with a hidden spark of resolve, knowing that the seemingly impossible feat is now possible to perform after hearing of how one of the strongest Adventurers had a unique magic sword of sorts that did not break, his determination lit to perform that act himself. He now knows that it's possible, and now a fire that hadn't been there has now been lit.

The Sword Princess trained with even more fervor in the hopes of overcoming a new challenge that has been placed in her way to reach her ultimate goal. How did he manage to become so strong so quickly was the only thought to plague her mind, and that thought pushed her to train even further with the goal of taking her mother back from the One Eyed Black Dragon.

A large man remained standing on the top of Babel, his gaze aimed downward towards the city in anticipation upon hearing about the strength of the newest Level 6 Adventurer who had defeated all of Loki's Level 5 children. His thoughts can only drift to how much of a challenge the Devil can be if the two were to eventually duel, the strongest Adventurer watching the city with a sense of anticipation, while his Goddess merely smiled in a mix of amusement, happiness, and anticipation as her gaze was cast upon two souls.

The Goddess' dear Elven friend and her potential lover. The murky color that had once plagued her friend's soul began to give way to display a beautiful green that had never been so clear when she had discovered her friend in that alleyway. And she can now see the love that emanated from that friend. What is beautiful sight this was indeed. And to think that it could have been caused by the other one.

The soul that was the most unique that she had ever seen. A soul that was a mix between white, yellow, and black, as if there were multiple facets in regard to her friend's lover's soul. It was a strange mix between normal, beautiful and disgusting when she laid eyes on it, but without a doubt as the boy grew, those color became more bold. But she could only read the color and nothing else. The yellow and black protected the white, and she knew that if she had overstepped her boundaries, even as a goddess, there would be consequences so she just let that soul be and watched as it interacted with her friend. And how she has been rewarded for her patience, even if it wasn't for her personal gain.

And so the gears continue to spin and will keep spinning.

{AN: Please read the Creator's Thoughts below}