DanMachi Universe, Lower World, Orario.
By the time breakfast ended, the members of the Loki Familia all sported happy, dazed expressions. Meanwhile, the members of the Aislynn Familia looked at them with amused expressions on their faces.
"So, are you guys still up for those spars?" Tatsuo asked curiously while swirling a cup of after-meal tea.
"Of course!" Tiona shouted, Tatsuo's question immediately sweeping away her daze. "I'm really curious to see what you can do, Handsome."
Tiona finished her sentence by winking at Tatsuo with a wide smile on her face.
"Does that mean you'll be the one sparring with me?" Tatsuo asked eagerly.
"*Sigh* As much as I'd like to, someone else already reserved that honor." Tiona replied with a hint of unwillingness a she glanced at Ais.
Hearing Tiona's tone and seeing where she glanced, Tatsuo also turned to look at Ais. And when he did, he saw her staring at him with an intense gaze.
"I see." Tatsuo replied with a nod. "So, she's still kinda salty about me flipping her over and pinning her to the ground with a blade to her throat, huh?"
"What?" Tione exclaimed.
"No way!" Tiona exclaimed at the same time. A moment later, her eyes lit up as she leaned forward and stared into Tatsuo's eyes. "Did that really happen?"
*Smack!*
"Of course it didn't." Tione replied while slapping Tiona upside the head.
"That's right." Ais replied without taking her eyes off Tatsuo. "I want to know how you did it. How you can be so strong?"
"Tch! I wanted to fight her." James said after clicking his tongue. "I wanted to see just how good she is with a sword."
"Then, you can fight her." Tatsuo replied uncaringly. Then, he spread his arms and shrugged his shoulders as he continued. "Because there's really nothing for her to see while fighting me. I just have good technique and extremely fast reflexes. There's really nothing more than that."
Hearing that, a hint of disappointment flashed in Ais' eyes. However, she was not the type to strongly insist. Instead, since Tatsuo said it was because of his technique, she would make sure to watch him closely to see how he could have thrown her so easily.
However, Tione was not happy with Tatsuo's casual dismissal of her friend. So, she turned towards Tatsuo with a harsh glare.
"That's quite the arrogant thing to say for a Level 1." Tione said with a frown.
"Fight me with your strength capped at Level 1 and I'll show you if it's arrogance or not." Tatsuo shot back.
"Fine." Tione spat through gritted teeth. "I'll make sure to teach you the cost of arrogance."
"You should teach that mutt in your Familia first." Tatsuo said disdainfully. "Or is it that you're just like him, only bothering to teach lessons to those weaker than you?"
And just as Tatsuo expected, being compared to Bete caused Tione's anger to explode. Yet, because of her fear of Aislynn, she did not lose it completely. Even so, Tatsuo figured that Tione, while restricted to Level 1 power during their spar, would face him with power at the peak of Level 1, giving him a much bigger challenge than if she were to face him while trying to match his strength.
"Then, that means I can see just how good the best swordswoman in Orario is." James said while smiling widely.
"Then, who wants to fight me?" Tiona asked while pointing her right index finger at herself with a wide smile of her own.
After asking her question, Tiona turned her head back and forth while looking at the others at the table. However, she found herself disappointed when she did not get the enthusiastic responses she was expecting.
"Come on, doesn't anyone wanna play with me?" Tiona asked while pouting.
"I'll do it." Elicia said while raising her hand. "I haven't really fought anyone hand-to-hand in a while. And I can't really use my needles in a spar. So, this might be fun."
To Elicia's surprise, Tiona got much more excited than she expected. Jumping up from her seat, Tiona flashed around the table, reappearing next to Elicia. Then, she pulled the older woman out of her seat and started dragging her towards the dining hall's exit.
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"Hey, hold on..." Elicia said in an amused tone shortly after Tiona dragged her out of the dining hall, her voice drifting back for everyone to hear. "The training field is that way."
"Oh, okay!" Tiona replied, her excitement undiminished. "Hurry! Hurry! Let's go!"
With that, the sound of footsteps outside the dining hall hurriedly changed directions. Hearing that, Aislynn and Loki exchanged glances. Then, they shrugged their shoulders in unison before standing from their seats and walking towards the exit.
"Come on, let's go." Aislynn said without stopping or turning back. "I think this is a good opportunity for everyone."
"Yeah, let's go." Tione said as she stood up while glaring at Tatsuo. "It's definitely a good learning opportunity. Someone's gonna find out what can and can't be said."
Then, without looking back again, Tione followed after Aislynn and Loki. Seeing that, Ais also stood up, shot a glance at Tatsuo, and followed the others.
Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Aislynn Familia exchanged glances. Then, when they were the only ones left in the dining hall, James stood up.
"Looks like someone is gonna get a reality check." James said with a grin. "As long as she keeps her Stats at Level 1, that girl is gonna get thrashed."
"Probably." Alfonzo said with a shrug as he, too, stood up. "T is specialized in fighting humans. There's no way he'll lose if she doesn't completely outclass him in strength and speed."
"On top of that, he provoked her on purpose." Akatsuki said as she stood up to follow the others.
"And she fell for it." Violet added as she stood up, as well. "Hook, line, and sinker."
"The game starts way before the whistle ever blows." Tatsuo said calmly as he rose from his seat. "Anyway, let's go. If we take too long, Lici and Tiona will start fighting before we get there."
Then, without another word, Tatsuo led the other members of the [Dimensional Chat] out of the dining hall and to the training field in the backyard of the Dragon's Nest. And when they arrived, they found Elicia and Tiona standing in the center of the field while Aislynn, Loki, Ais, and Tione stood off to one side to watch the upcoming fight.
Elicia had even changed into a different outfit. Though, no one knew when she had the time to do that.
"I'm not even gonna ask." James muttered, referring to Elicia's costume change.
"That's probably for the best." Alfonzo replied while shaking his head. "I gave up on that shit a long time ago."
"Alright, now that everyone is here, you two may begin." Aislynn said with her right hand raised before slicing it down as she finished speaking.
Having been waiting to hear those exact words, Tiona rushed forward, her speed much lower than her maximum. Meanwhile, the playfulness in Elicia's expression disappeared completely
Because contrary to her usual cheerful, upbeat personality, when fighting, Elicia operated like a machine, her movement even more precise than her husband, Alfonzo's.
Lowering her stance, Elicia raised her left arm before gently pushing it outwards just in time to catch the inside of Tiona's elbow as she threw a straight punch at her chin. Then, once Tiona's punch sailed just past her left cheek, Elicia stepped forward and raised her left knee towards Tiona's abdomen.
Reacting quickly, Tiona swatted down with her left hand, stopping Elicia's knee in its tracks. Yet, that did not stop Elicia's momentum, as she used the counterforce from Tiona's block to slam her foot onto the ground, pivot, and lash her right leg at Tiona's head.
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*Bang!*
Even so, Tiona reacted quickly, using the same counterforce from knocking down Elicia's knee strike to raise her arm, blocking Elicia's kick with her forearm. And when that kick forced her to take two steps to the side to bleed off the force, her smile widened even further.
"Whoa!" Tiona exclaimed excitedly a she pushed Elicia's leg back. "You're a lot stronger than I thought."
"No, not really." Elicia replied while shaking her head as she took her stance once again. "I just know the right way to exert force. So, it seems like I'm stronger than I actually am."
As an instinctive fighter, Tiona did not really understand what Elicia was talking about. As a result, she only tilted her head in response. However, she did not spend too much time thinking about it… Or rather, she was not given much time to think about it, as she was forced to raise her arms to block another kick, this one aimed at her stomach.
"Either way, you're better than I expected." Tiona said, her smile never fading. "So, I guess I'll get a little more serious."
By "get serious," Tiona did not mean that she would increase her strength. Rather, she intended to fight at the best of her capabilities while using the power of a Level 1. As a result, her speed increased lightly, the power behind her strikes rose marginally, as well. And on top of that, her attacks grew sharper, too.
Yet, despite being outmatched physically, Elicia never found herself at a disadvantage. Instead of trying to parry Tiona's blows, she now dodged. Using her acrobatic fighting style and agility, Elicia avoided every attack Tiona threw by a hair. And with little effort, she slipped in quite a few counterattacks.
"There's no way she's only Level 1," Tione muttered in an astonished tone. "Even if Tiona is only using Level 1 strength, most newly promoted Level 2 Adventurers would struggle to keep up with her. But that woman isn't even at a disadvantage."
"Hmph!" Aislynn snorted disdainfully while throwing a side-eye at Tione. "Don't underestimate those I've taken an interest in, Girl. Otherwise, you'll end up embarrassing yourself."
"Easy, Aislynn." Loki said while stepping between Aislynn and Tione, blocking the Dragon God's line of sight. "he's just stating something that is common sense for Adventurers. There's no need to get angry."
"Oh, I'm not angry, Loki." Aislynn said while shifting her gaze to Loki. "I just don't like anyone looking down on my treasures."
"Damn dragons and their protectiveness towards their hoards." Loki muttered.
"Besides, I doubt any of the gods have even seen talent like these mortals." Aislynn said as she turned her attention back to the sparring match. "In fact, I'd be willing to bet my entire fortune on the fact that at least half of them will match, if not surpass the three you brought with you in less than two years."
"Oh ho!" Loki exclaimed with a wide smile spreading across her face. "That sounds like quite the bold statement. And for you to put your treasure on it… I gotta admit, I'm kinda interested."
"Are you, now?" Aislynn asked with an eyebrow raised and a lazy smile on her face. "But what are you willing to bet if you actually accept the bet, Loki? As someone who knows the value of my hoard, you know it would be no simple thing to accept my bet, don't you?"
Hearing that, Loki's smile immediately crumbled into something much more hesitant.
"What do you want if I accept?" Loki asked in a tone filled with trepidation.
"Riveria Ljos Alf," Aislynn said calmly. "I think she would fit in rather well with the children of my Familia."
Not only Loki, but Ais and Tione also looked at Aislynn with shock when they heard that. Meanwhile, the members of the Aislynn Familia, other than Elicia, all looked at Aislynn with interest.
"Oh, she's already looking to invite the new member." Alfonzo said with a grin. Then, he nudged Zelretch with his elbow. "Or maybe she's trying to find a wife for our old bachelor."
"Well, she does fit rather well with the Kaleidoscope." James added while throwing an arm over Zelretch's shoulders. "I'm sure he has no interest in younger women. And although Riveria is still young by the standards of an Elf, she's definitely has more life experience than everyone other than Aletia."
"You two should stop teasing this old man." Zelretch said with a good-natured chuckle. "Not to mention that Lady Loki probably won't agree, whether Miss Riveria would even be interested in an old man like me is another matter entirely."
"Oh, but that means you're interested, though." Tatsuo said while leaning closer to Zelretch with interest in his eyes. "Then, according to the bro-code, we'll do everything we can to get her interested."
Zelretch could only smile helplessly at the three younger men surrounding him. Meanwhile, Loki felt her anger rising to never before seen heights. However, just before she could turn to yell at the four men, she noticed Aislynn's provocative gaze.
"But we both know you'd never accept that bet." Aislynn said while spreading her hands in a mock-helpless gesture. "You're way too protective of your children to ever wager one. And since I can't take her through a War Game, there's really no need to talk about it with someone too afraid to take the bet."
In Orario, most disputes between Familia's that cannot be settled peacefully, are settled in what are called War Games. And these War Games are held to strict rules enforced at a specially called Denatus.
At this special Denatus, the match type, rules, and winner's rewards are decided by the gods and goddesses of Orario. And under the watch of of the gods, all rules are upheld strictly. They especially make sure that the loser does not renege on their promise after the War Game has ended, whether that be the forfeiture of the Familia's property, the forceful transfer of a member of their Familia, the disbandment of their Familia, or even being forced to leave Orario altogether.
However, Loki did not have the leisure to think about a War Game at the moment. Instead, she was more focused on the fact that Aislynn just called her a coward. Add to that the fact that Aislynn just implied that her children were more talented than her Ais-Tan, and she was about ready to blow a gasket.
However, before Loki could say anything, Aislynn poured more oil on the fire.
"Then again, even if you did accept, you would probably just make it impossible for my children to explore the Dungeon if it looked like they were getting too close to winning." Aislynn said, once again spreading her hands with mock-helplessness. "After all, I've known you since we were back in the Heavens. And I know exactly how the Goddess of Trickery operates."
And that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Just because you're stronger than me whether in the Heavens or the Lower World doesn't mean you should look down on me, Aislynn!" Loki shouted indignantly. "Yeah, I might use underhanded tricks when it suits my needs, but…"
"And she's proving her point." Tione said while holding a hand to her forehead in exasperation.
"… if you think any of your children are more outstanding than my Ais-Tan, you've clearly lost your mind!" Loki continued, Tione's words not even registering with her in her state of agitation. "But since you're so eager to lose all of your money, fine! I'll take that bet. If I lose, you can have Riveria."
Immediately after she finished speaking, Loki realized what she was saying and her expression changed, turning from one filled with righteous indignation into one of abject horror.
"Oh no!" Loki shouted in terror. "What did I just say? Mama is not a bargaining chip!"
"Great." Aislynn said while smiling radiantly. "Well then, it looks like the terms of our bet are set. We can revisit this in two years. Oh, and remember, no playing dirty. If you do, I'll know, and Riveria will have to come over to me immediately. Otherwise, I'll just take her by force and leave you without a Familia."
"Damn it, Aislynn, you tricked me!" Loki said, more bothered that she had been goaded into taking the bet than Aislynn threatening to wipe out her Familia. "We're supposed to be friends, how could you do this to me?"
"It's because we're friends." Aislynn said while patting Loki on the shoulder. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to come up with such a convoluted way to get what I want. I would have just taken it. Oh, and it looks like the match is over with Elicia's victory."
Hearing that, Loki, Ais, and Tione snapped their heads towards the sparring ring. And what they saw was Tiona lying on the ground with Elicia's arms and legs wrapped around her neck and waist, respectively. And although Elicia was nowhere near strong enough to actually choke out Tiona, Tiona had no way of freeing herself without using strength greater than that of a Level 1, giving Elicia the win in the first of the three sparring matches.
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