We Brought Snacks

Nia tapped a man on the shoulder, smiled nervously, took a deep breath, and looked him in the eyes. Her whole body trembled; she had never done something like this before.

"W-would you like to have a se… sexy time, sir?"

The man raised an eyebrow, glanced around as if to make sure she was talking to him and not anyone else. Then, the man continued walking without giving an answer. Nia, shoulders slumped, returned to Soul and Lilith at the jewelry stall.

"That…" Lilith struggled to keep herself from laughing. "You… are still young, I guess. Don't be upset."

"Yeah…" Nia muttered, eyes downcast. "I'm sorry."

"That was pathetic," Soul said with a boring voice. "You're an idiot."

"Hey! You try to charm someone if it's that easy!" Nia yelled.

"I'm not the Nierman-blessed here. You are."

"Okay… I'll try again. I'll… this time it'll work. Trust me."

"Y-yeah. We trust you." Lilith supported. "Go, Nia. Go."

Nia stepped in front of another man, stopping him in his tracks. She locked eyes with him, her eyes briefly flashing purple, and his doing the same. The man dropped the two bags he was carrying, entranced. Nia moved closer, pulling him toward her, and whispered in his ear.

"If you punch someone, we're going to have sex."

"S-sex…" The man stammered, saliva dripping from his mouth. "Of course… sex!"

The charm worked, and the man walked to the nearest person... Soul. Without warning, he punched him in the face. Soul fell to the ground, clutching his chin, and stared at Nia with deadpan eyes. Both Nia and Lilith slapped their foreheads, realizing that while the charm had worked, it had failed miserably in execution.

Lilith touched the man in the head, making him lose consciousness. Nia, even more red than before, joined the group once more.

"I am just… so sorry," Nia apologized.

"That could've gone worse," Lilith said. "So… new plan?"

"No! Third time's the charm." Nia refused. "Let me try again."

"That's enough," Soul sighed.

Suddenly, a rift opened in the sky, and uncanny figures began to fall, dying as soon as they hit the ground. The impact sent blood everywhere. The guards at the front entrance sprang into action, readying their spears and rushing into the market. Soul grabbed Nia and Lilith, who were still stunned, and pulled them toward the entrance of Ur's temple.

Lilith quickly closed the gate doors behind them, and all three hid behind a long bush. The rift closed, and everything returned to normal, though the corpses of the figures still littered the market among the fleeing people.

"That was dangerous!" Nia exclaimed.

"I know," Soul replied. "Let's not dwell on it. Move."

"Opening rifts like that –" Lilith began. "Does it consume energy?"

"Focus," Soul interrupted. "Move."

"Okay… you're right."

"I was going to handle it!" Nia protested. "Idiot!"

"How? By getting more random men to punch me?"

"Ugh!" Nia groaned.

They moved quickly to the backside of the building. As they had guessed, there was a hidden backdoor guarded by two bowmen and three swordsmen.

"What happened there?" one of the bowmen asked. "People are screaming!"

"I know and I don't care." another one replied. "Don't forget, we can't move an inch from here."

"Yeah, but… maybe there's an attack in the market? Shouldn't we be helping them?"

"No, we shouldn't. Now, keep your mouth shut, open your eyes, and don't let your guard down. Got it?"

"Yeah… okay."

The blood on Lilith and Nia's faces formed masks, adjusting themselves as if alive, seeking the best position to hold. Soul created a bow from his blood and nocked five arrows, each formed by his own blood.

He released the arrows, hitting the guards in their legs. Before they could scream in pain, Soul controlled their blood from the wounds, draining just enough to make them pass out without killing them.

"Let's go," he urged.

"I didn't know you were so good with the bow, Soul," Lilith remarked. "Wow."

"Yeah, Liana taught me."

"Good teacher, huh?" she replied, impressed.

The group quickly moved the guards into the bushes, hiding them before entering through the backdoor. They pressed against the walls and moved stealthily toward a large pillar for cover. From their vantage point, they could see the interior of Ur's temple. The walls were covered in detailed carvings depicting the deity's supposed benevolence and power.

In the main hall, worshippers knelt before a towering statue of Ur, their heads bowed in reverence. Some held candles, their soft light casting shadows on the walls. Others clutched personal belongings, likely mementos of their deceased loved ones, as offerings.

They hadn't gone far when the door behind them opened again. Soul drew his bow, Nia pulled out a dagger from her belt, and Lilith conjured a longsword and they turned toward the door at the same time.

"Hey," Hyun-Ki greeted. "Ten minutes is up."

"What was that?" Ji-Hye asked. "Did you open a rift?"

"That was awesome!" Ayame exclaimed, trying to keep her voice low. "Wow! That was… wow!"

"Ssh," Nia hushed. "Keep it quiet!"

"Sorry, sorry," Ayame whispered back. "But wasn't that awesome! He can basically take over a whole city with those weird human-looking thingies!"

"D-don't give him any ideas, please." Hyun-Ki chuckled nervously. "Right?"

Finding the unremarkable door again, they opened it and discovered a small room with descending stairs. They cautiously descended, the only light source coming from the glowing palms of Nia and Ayame. After about a minute, they faced a rotting wooden door.

Soul peered through a gap in the decayed wood, hearing the cries of prisoners and the laughter of guards. Unlike the previous temple, this area was well-lit by an orange lantern hanging from the ceiling. The walls, covered with thorny ivies, and the moldy ceiling added to the room's oppressive atmosphere.

The room was filled with at least thirty cages, each so small that the prisoners had to remain standing. There was barely enough space to lie down or even to bend slightly.

"Are you guys ready?" Lilith asked as she prepared to open the door. "We're about to declare war on Ur."

"We are," Nia said, accepting the challenge. "That… 'god' blessed me. It makes me feel disgusted."

"Yes," Hyun-Ki agreed. "We are ready."

"So am I," Ji-Hye confirmed. "Open it."

"Oh, I'm excited!" Ayame whispered. "This is so good!"

"Okay… here goes nothing."

Lilith opened the door, and the guards immediately noticed them. They drew their swords, while the prisoners gasped in fear.

"Surprise!" Lilith announced with humor in her tone. "We brought snacks!"