(Riven POV – Hearth of Threads)
I move immediately.
First, Hestia.
I pry her off me as gently as I can, ignoring her confused protest as I lift and set her down behind me, putting as much distance as possible between her and the incoming disaster.
"Stay back." I say quickly, before stepping forward, only to find Ais halfway through drawing her sword.
I close the distance in an instant and press my palm down over her hand, stopping the motion.
"Ais… we can talk about this. No need for violence." I say softly, trying not to provoke her.
But she doesn't respond.
"Mm…?" She hums incoherently, followed by a small hiccup that escapes her lips.
Her eyes are unfocused and glassy… fixed on me, but not quite seeing me.
Then, her free hand reaches for mine, probably to pry away the obstacles in her quest to cut us all to ribbons.
So, I catch it immediately, not giving her the chance.
Now I'm holding both her wrists, and for a moment, things seem peaceful. The crisis resolved.
Then Ais frowns.
It's barely noticeable through the faintest dip of her brows. And accompanying that frown is an immense pressure, born through a sudden, overwhelming surge of strength pushes through her arms.
My grip tightens instinctively, but I know…
'This won't work.' I think, before releasing her.
And the moment I do, she goes right back to drawing her sword, which I once again intercept, placing a palm over her hand.
We stop, then she reaches for my hand… and the previous sequence repeats itself over and over again, with seemingly no end in sight.
It sounds easy. Almost like we're playing some strange game.
But in reality…
It's chaos.
Our movements blur together, hands travelling so fast that the untrained eye would fail to follow.
Each exchange creates sharp bursts of wind that whip through the shop, sending clothes flying from racks, and fabric snapping violently through the air.
Wood creaks, while the glass windows rattle.
The entire room feels like it's caught in a storm.
And that's just the difficulty of repeating moves.
Mentally, it's harder.
Every motion has to be perfect, and every angle precise.
If I misread her even slightly, grab too hard or softly, too quickly or slowly…
If I mess up in any way, she won't reach for her sword.
She'll just punch me.
And while I enjoy fighting, I'm not a fan of getting beat up unnecessarily.
'Left—no, feint—hand coming up—grab—release—again—'
Thought Acceleration activates at full power, while GS works efficiently, predicting her next action. I read her expression, eyes, and body language for any signs of irritation and preemptively adjusting course.
Trying to guess what a drunk Ais will do next is much harder than fighting monsters… but for a brief moment, I think—
'I can manage this. I'll just wait for her to pass out.'
…
Such thoughts survive for only three seconds.
Ais's movements continue speeding up. And while I could initially keep up, I'm not her match when it comes to speed.
Eventually, I'm forced to take shortcuts to keep her docile, and slowly… her frown deepens.
The strength behind each act of resistance rises, and the winds battering the room grow more erratic.
'I won't last much longer.' I think, wondering where my backup is.
I grit my teeth, risking a moment by glancing sideways, only to see…
"Tiona!"
Already halfway to the door, sneaking away.
Our eyes meet, and she freezes, before trying to continue "sneaking" away.
Really?
"Tiona." I repeat, sharper this time.
She flinches.
Then lets out a long, suffering sigh, like she's being dragged to her execution.
"…I don't think this is a good idea…" She mutters under her breath, slowly trudging back.
'You're also Level 5. You should be here, not me.' I curse internally as I lack the time to vocalise my complaints.
And as soon as she begins approaching, That's when drunk Ais has finally had enough.
She stops reaching for her sword altogether, her hands freezing for a fraction of a second.
Then, while staring me directly in the eyes…
Her unfocused gaze sharpens with irritation .
I'm still holding her wrists, so I feel it before I see it.
Slowly, her fingers curl inward, her hands tightening…
Into fists.
'Ah… I'm about to die again.'
(Loki POV – Hearth of Threads)
'Shit, shit, shit, shit—'
I clamp both hands over my mouth, crouching under the counter like I'm being hunted, clutching the bottles of wine to my chest like they matter more than my own life…
Which… they actually might.
"If I'm gonna die anyway…" I whisper to myself, voice trembling as I fumble the cork loose with shaking hands. "…I might as well die drunk."
I tip the bottle up, and take a long, desperate swig.
Behind me I hear crashes, shouting, and continuous impacts… one of them sounding suspiciously like a body hitting a wall.
I squeeze my eyes shut.
'Nope. Not my problem.'
Riven gave her the wine, so it's his mess to sort out.
'I ain't taking the fall for this.'
Another crash echoes, louder this time, followed by Hestia's panicked scream.
"Riven—!"
My grip tightens around the bottle.
'Don't listen. Don't think. Drink.'
I tilt it again.
Then—
Silence.
It falls so suddenly that it actually feels scarier than the noise.
My breathing slows, suddenly worried I could be heard.
'…Is it over…?' I wonder, barely daring to hope, before shaking my head in denial. 'No way. That was too fast.'
I chew on my nail, nerves spiking again. Every instinct in my body screams at me to stay hidden.
But then…
"Nooooo! Riven!" Hestia wails.
I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest.
Then…
Crunch.
My eyes widen.
Crunch.
'…No way…' I think, horror creeping up my spine.
Crunch.
Each sound lands heavier than the last.
"Get away from Riven!" Hestia screams, her voice breaking in desperation.
"I'm holding her!" Tiona yells back, sounding strained and breathless.
I hear more struggling… but the sounds persist.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
'Is she… breaking his bones?' I shiver and my hand slips, almost dropping my bottle.
'No—no, no, no…' I shake my head, panic clawing up my throat. 'He'll be fine. He has to be fine. We'll just get a healer… yeah… he'll be fine…'
I realise that until now… Riven hasn't made a sound.
Not even a single scream.
'What kind of monster can endure that much pain?' I think, deciding that it's impossible. '…Is he even still conscious?'
That's the only possibility. Ais wouldn't kill him… but beating him to the edge of death is very possible.
I hug my wine tighter, fingers digging into the glass.
"…I have to take responsibility…" I mutter, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. "Can't let Ais get blamed for this…"
My legs tremble as I stand.
This is it.
I'm going to die.
I take one last gulp for courage, then step out.
"…What are you—" My voice dies as my brain just stops working. "…doing…?" I finish weakly.
And then, reality hits. "DOING TO MY AIS?!"
The scream comes instinctively.
Tiona hugs Ais from behind, pinning her arms to her side as she restrains Ais.
Hestia is behind Riven, pulling on him, panicked and desperate.
And Riven—
Riven is standing in front of Ais unbothered by anything, like he's taking a stroll, holding something in his hand.
And Ais—
Her face flushed red from the wine, eyes glazed… leaning forward?
Then opening her mouth, and…
Crunch.
My brain short-circuits.
"…What is this?" I croak.
Riven glances at me, completely unfazed.
"Oh. You're back!" He gestures lightly. "Nothing to see here. I'm just feeding AIS some popcorn."
He smirks. "She likes it a lot."
I stare.
I stare.
Because Ais…
My Ais…
The Sword Princess.
The walking natural disaster.
The girl who was just about to turn this entire shop into rubble…
Is just standing there, quiet and obedient, getting fed like a pet cat… by someone who's not me.
"…No…" I whisper, something deep inside me cracking.
He feeds her another piece, and she takes it.
I sense a faint, almost imperceptible emotion on her face… contentment.
"…She's enjoying it…" I breathe, my voice hollow as my vision begins to swim.
My heart pounds erratically in my chest.
No.
No, no, no, no—
On one hand, I should be furious.
He nearly got us all killed.
On the other, he's…
"UNFORGIVABLE!" I roar, rage finally breaking through the shock. "Tiona! Let go of her!"
"Huh?!" Tiona blinks at me, stunned. "But we just calmed her down! If I let go, she'll—"
"I don't care!" I snap, eyes wild. "That's an order!"
Better we all die here, than let this bastard steal her from me.
Tiona hesitates, but I glare at her with manic eyes, and she flinches.
"…Fine!" She blurts, immediately releasing Ais and jumping back like she's been burned.
Everything stays still for a split second, and—
Ais just stands there?
"Hehe. Good job, Ais." Riven reaches out, and pats her head. Then he feeds her another piece of popcorn.
She leans in again and takes it.
Still calm, focused… compliant.
"…This…" My voice trembles as my knees buckle beneath me. "This can't be happening…"
My world tilts as it shatters.
"My Ais…" I whisper weakly, staring at the scene like it's a nightmare I can't wake up from.
Riven glances at me again, that same irritating smirk tugging at his lips. "Maybe she just likes me more than you, Loki."
Each word lands like a blade.
"She's not really… 'your' Ais anymore, is she?"
Something inside me snaps, breaking completely.
"…No…"
The room spins as darkness creeps in.
"…no, no, no—"
And then—
Everything goes black.
(Riven POV – Hearth of Threads)
I blink.
'…She passed out?'
I stare at Loki's unconscious body for a moment, genuinely impressed.
'Wow…' I muse internally. 'I really underestimate myself sometimes.'
Knocking out a god with nothing but words…
That's quite the achievement.
'Shame.' I sigh inwardly. 'She dropped before I could land the finishing blow.'
I had a whole speech ready too.
Something dramatic and villainous. Maybe a "Ais belongs to me now" thrown in for good measure—
'Could've made her cough blood from anger like those arrogant young masters…' I shake my head slightly. 'It's a missed opportunity.'
"Well—"
"Loki?! Are you okay?!" Tiona yelps, snapping me out of my thoughts as she rushes over, kneeling beside her and shaking her shoulders in panic.
"She's fine." I say calmly, already grabbing another piece of popcorn and holding it up to Ais before she gets violent. "Just passed out from shock."
Tiona lets out a shaky sigh of relief, slumping slightly. "What do we do now…?"
"Hmm…" I hum, pretending to think as I turn my attention to Ais.
'I could keep her here…'
Loki's face when she wakes up, and realises that would be quite temptin—
"Don't even think about it." Hestia cuts in instantly.
Her voice is flat, carrying a warning tone.
I feel her grip tighten around me, arms wrapped firmly around my torso like restraints.
I smile. "Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of it."
"Don't lie to me!" She snaps immediately, pinching my side hard.
"Ow—okay, okay, I'm sorry!" I surrender quickly, raising a hand slightly in defeat. "Just a thought. A fleeting, harmless thought."
"Hmph." She huffs, but doesn't let go, hugging me tighter instead, like she's afraid I'll vanish if she loosens her grip for even a second.
"…I'll forgive you this time." She mutters, nuzzling into my back, while glaring threateningly at Ais.
I wisely choose not to comment.
'How do I get her to leave voluntarily…?' I think, returning to the main issue.
I already tried having Tiona feed her instead, but that almost got her punched through a wall.
'…This is troublesome.' I sigh.
But thankfully, I don't have to figure it out.
Because after a few more minutes, Ais sways.
"…Mm."
And then, due to being a lightweight, blacks out. I catch her before she hits the ground, much to Hestia's displeasure, but I'll suffer for that later.
"Tiona." I say immediately. "She's your problem now."
"She finally passed out." Tiona sighs happily, taking Ais and placing her over her shoulder.
"…And Loki too…" She mutters, glancing down.
"They ought to get some rest." I say, waving lightly.
She nods quickly, not needing to be told twice, and hurries out.
Finally, silence settles.
I exhale. '…What a day.'
While I couldn't keep Ais and piss Loki off…
'I took something just as important.' I chuckle in satisfaction. 'It's a shame I won't get to see her reaction.'
"What a mess…" Hephaestus sighs from behind the counter, rubbing her temple.
"Agreed." I nod.
And then, for some reason, a chill crawls up my spine.
"Riven…" My entire body stiffens at Hestia's voice.
It's soft, sweet… gentle. But something about it feels eerie.
"Now that you're back…" She continues, tightening her arms around me just enough to make it clear escape is not an option. "Why don't you tell me…"
I don't move.
"…what you've been up to?"
"…Ah." I stare straight ahead.
'…I'm dead.'
"What?" she tilts her head slightly, smiling beautifully… dangerously. "Can't find the words?"
Her grip tightens just a little more.
Just enough.
To remind me—
I'm not going anywhere.
(Loki POV – Loki Familia)
"—Ais!" I jolt upright with a gasp, clutching my chest as my heart pounds wildly.
"Where's Ais?!" I blurt out immediately, scanning the room in panic.
"Calm down, Loki." Riveria's voice cuts through my chaotic thoughts.
She's sitting beside my bed, calm as ever.
"Ais is fine." She says. "She's resting in her room. Tiona brought both of you back."
"Phew." Relief crashes into me all at once as I sag back slightly. "That's good…"
"I've already heard everything from Tiona." Riveria continues, watching me carefully. "So for now, you should—"
"I need a drink to soothe my aching heart." I interrupt immediately, dragging a hand down my face. "Where's the wine I got from that bastard?"
Just thinking about him makes my blood boil.
That smug face.
That tone—
Riveria goes quiet.
"…What?" I frown, noticing her hesitation.
She sighs, before handing me a piece of paper.
"…He left you this."
My frown deepens as I take it and begin reading.
[My Best Bud, Loki. Hope you're doing well.]
My eye twitches.
[Turns out Ais can't drink alcohol, so I took back 3 of the bottles.]
"…What?" My grip tightens.
[I was also worried Tiona might have the same issue, so I took back the 3 meant for her as well.]
My vision blurs slightly.
"…My… alcohol…"
[I also took another 2 as compensation for the damage caused to our shop.]
A vein throbs in my forehead.
[And out of concern for you, My Best Bud, I took back the last one, just in case Ais got to it while you were unconscious.]
My hands start shaking as my breathing grows heavier.
[And finally—]
My eyes tremble as they scan the last line.
[Do let our Ais visit again. We get along quite well.]
—
Silence.
Complete.
Utter.
Silence.
"Loki—" Riveria starts cautiously.
"…"
My head lowers.
My shoulders tremble.
"…He…"
My voice comes out hoarse.
"…took…"
A pause.
"…my alcohol…"
My grip tightens so hard the paper crumples.
"And—"
My eye twitches violently.
"—called her…"
My aura spikes.
"…our Ais…?"
Something inside me snaps.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The scream tears through the manor, raw and unrestrained.
"RIVEN!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
My vision goes red.
My blood boils.
My heart drums within my chest.
And once again—
Everything goes black.
********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
Firstly, the repetition of that one line wasn't a mistake. Important things need to be emphasised 😂.
So, how was the chapter? Quite chaotic, and I entertained some comedy, which I think went well. I mean, Loki had to suffer a bit... But let's just call it character development? Well, a lot of people are suffering, and Riven is next.
But, was I too mean? I took away everything she's ever loved in life🤣🤣🤣. Didn't even leave her a drop of alcohol. But, such is life. I will admit that somehow, her passing out feels in character, but the real Loki would never faint (given how old she is), but let me have this🥲.
This chapter also ended up super long somehow. 2.6k words before the A/N.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
But anyway, that's all from me. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night😁