The Ouroboros Potioneer - Book 2: Chapter 19 (Patreon)

AN: 3rd of October's quota for Tier 1!

Book 2: My Life With An S&M Maid Teacher

Chapter 19: I Was Just Looking For The Bathroom

"Alright, if we are done with the distractions." Dante glared at the tied-up and restrained form of Bacchus. "We can begin."

Vinnie was smoking off to the side, tipping his hat in a salute.

“I don’t remember these ropes being this strong.” Bacchus tugged on them with his teeth, glaring at the rope spirit.

“I grow with the boss, mutt.” Vinnie met the glare undaunted.

Bacchus growled. “I don’t miss you.”

Vinnie blew smoke. “Feelings mutual.”

Their old rivalry of canine versus rope had evolved.

“As I was saying.” Dante spoke over them and removed his knife from the map. “We’re crushing Blackvein Brewery.”

“I get why.” Laxus rubbed his chin. “They came after you in force back at Thunder Mountain, wanting to kidnap the brewer and shit, but it’s another thing to smash an official business in the capital of Fiore.”

“He means illegal, Dante.” Jenny flicked a manicured nail as she studied the map. “I’ll stab a bitch for you, but I’m not all that interested in becoming a wanted criminal.”

“As the message and transport should have explained, we’re being endorsed by the kingdom.” Dante plopped down in his chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “I’ve been playing tag with their agents since I visited Fanta City.” His gaze slid to Bacchus. “Actually, since we took down that dark mage at Jubit Town.”

Arnold, the King's Agent who handed Dante the invitation card back then, flashed through Dante's mind, briefly making him wonder what ever happened to the coal miner-looking man.

Bacchus’s eyes widened in surprise. “Shit, since back then?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure they were trying to recruit me back in Fanta City as well.” He looked at Jenny, who blinked in surprise.

“Oh, that’s who those weirdos were?” Her lips twitched up as she laughed loudly. “I released the full force of Fanta’s rumor mills on them as a distraction. That’s hilarious.”

“Rumors?” Dante’s eyes narrowed on Jenny’s bright smile before he decided to move on and look at Laxus. “Anyway, they were also there in Thunder Village.”

The lightning mage looked momentarily surprised before he understood. “The ones who were fighting that crazy bitch in town while we were halfway up the mountain.”

“Yeah.” Dante saw that the damage they'd done to the area was already mostly repaired as he passed through. "I left Monty behind to confirm who came to clean up, and a group of agents was the first to arrive."

Monty wanted to get close and listen in, but Dante didn't want to risk it, so he told her to come back, and then they bolted before the government spies could catch wind of his moonshine.

“I was wondering why I wasn’t getting yelled at for the destruction.” Laxus scratched his chin with a smirk, having thought his gramps was going to read him the riot act for property destruction. “Working with these guys is nicer than doing jobs for the Magic Council.”

“Agreed.” Jenny and Bacchus spoke as one and then shot each other disgusted looks.

“They are direct.” Dante appreciated that, at least. “I’m not sure what their interest in me is, but we have a common target this time.” He tapped the building on the map. “I was told that we would have a sixty-minute window to act while they keep the streets clear.”

“Anyone interesting to fight?” Bacchus asked with a yawn. “I’m not really into punching Civi’s.”

Laxus grunted at the idea, and Dante sent the blond a teasing smirk for getting his ass kicked by #14.

“Despite being a brewery, they are practically an underworld mercenary group.” Dante held out a hand as Virgo placed a file on the table. “Their ranks are spread between Grains at the lowest, Malts second, and Casks as the elite layer.”

Dante flipped open the file and let them look through it.

Grains were barely mages, more mercenaries with cold weapons and occasional Holder items.

Malts were mostly Holder mages, the stronger mages among the chaff.

Casks were the Caster mages with rare Holders.

"And there are only twenty of these Casks?" Jenny frowned down at a shadowed half-image of a man named Yomi, Cask #12. 

"It seems so, but our information only comes from interrogation." Dante side-eyed Virgo, who was rubbing a spot of dust out of her shirt with a smile. “For now, take it as truth, and we’ll pivot if it turns out to be false.”

“Why do none of these feel as annoying as that crazy bitch?" Laxus read over the known Cask agents who had arrived in recent days. "She was #14, right? These others don't seem nearly as annoying."

"Perhaps rank is determined not by power but by other things, like achievements?” Jenny considered thoughtfully. “They certainly have records.”

The files they were reading might not have been public knowledge, but each Cask agent had a track record in other nations.

“That woman had a pretty unique Caster magic.” Dante had thought that over. Even if some of them didn’t have specific information on their magic on file, there were some things known. “#10, Shell, seems to be a defensive mage.”

“Defense?” Bacchus snorted, the chair groaning as he fought the ropes enough to grab a bottle of ale. “Let’s see if I can’t crack that shell.”

“Good, I was hoping you would deal with him.” Dante nodded to the martial artist. “Remember, our job isn’t to defeat them. We have sixty minutes to get in, do enough damage, take down the manager, and retrieve any dirt we can on them.” He paused to raise a finger. “And this is just a personal choice, but I’m aiming to nab their distillery.”

“Oh? Are you finally stepping out of that silly ale obsession?” Jenny raised a delicate brow with a smirk. “I do prefer my cocktails, you know.”

“Heathen.” Bacchus hissed, struggling in his restraints. “All booze is sacred.”

“Couldn’t really care as long as it has flavor and burns.” Laxus surprisingly added his two cents, drawing a betrayed look from Bacchus and an appreciative one from Jenny. “But I’m curious what you would make.”

“Oh, I have ideas.” Dante’s eyes shone with an inner light, an abused notebook peeking out of his pocket and drawing a whine from the Quatro Cerberus mage. “But I’ll let them be a surprise.”

Virgo gave him an amused look, feeling pure excitement flow through their bond. "Master, I will secure the distillery."

“Thanks, love.” Dante sent her a smile that made her want to pin him down, restraining herself to only threading her fingers through his own.

“Not that you two aren’t adorable.” Jenny cut in with a giggle. “But will you be taking action, Virgo?”

“I will not.” Virgo shook her head. “As Dante’s teacher, I cannot obstruct his growth. Dealing with this situation should be a good challenge.”

“Raiding an official business teeming with underworld mercenaries and who knows what other traps, within the capital of Fiore, on a time limit, is a test?” Jenny asked in surprise.

“Yes.” Dante deadpanned.

“Sounds like the old man.” Bacchus agreed.

“This is my S-Class exam.” Laxus grunted.

Virgo smiled and nodded at the easy acceptance while Jenny’s brow twitched.

“And I thought my guild was crazy.” Jenny shook her head with a laugh and leaned her chin on a palm. “Alright, I don’t really mind who I run into, although I’d rather avoid #11.”

A teleporting knife user named Ghost seemed very frustrating to deal with.

“I’ll handle her.” Dante volunteered. “Unless she runs into Laxus first. In that case, heh.”

The blond grinned wide as electricity sparked around him. “Let’s see who’s faster.”

“We’ll have to prepare for multiple scenarios.” Dante tapped the file. “We can go over what we have and build a few plans.” He looked around at the group. “But should I take it that we’re all in agreement to act?”

“You’re paying me.” Laxus nodded at him. “But even if my gramps didn’t make this my S-Class exam, I’d have your back.”

“I appreciate it, Sparky.” Dante chuckled at the lightning bolt that washed over him and turned to Bacchus.

“Do ya even need to ask? I’ve been wanting to shit on Blackvein ale for years.” Bacchus cackled, the chair finally being the weakest link in his restraints as he flexed and broke free, kicking his legs up on the edge of the coffee table. “Plus, the guild would kick my shit in if I missed a party ya are throwing, bro.”

"Remind me to send them a New Year's gift." Dante smiled fondly at the memory of the dog house. “Been playing with a few brews recently.”

Bacchus’s eyes lit up, but Dante was already ignoring him to look at Jenny.

The beach blond model was twirling the vial Dante had given her between her fingers. “No one’s ever given me such a thoughtful gift without wanting anything from me before.”

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t received gifts before. Her guild was getting closer, and gifts were common, yet mainly the common things like clothing, cosmetics, or juicy information.

And as a model, she received attention and gifts from fans of her looks and style, or from agencies wanting her to work with them.

However, Dante's gift wasn't generic. It wasn't something he gave to buy her help. It was something he made himself, from a small rant of her struggles she had shared with him a year earlier.

He didn't even want to flirt with her; he just wanted to support his friends.

“I’m glad I met you back in that store.” Jenny flicked the vial back into her storage and turned a bright smile on Dante. “I’m with you, Dante.”

Dante smiled back, sensing her thoughts. “Technically, you stalked me to that store.”

“You stalked me!” Jenny shot back with a laugh. “After getting manhandled by Ichiya and Anna.”

“Would you stop reminding me of that?” Dante winced and downed his own drink as if the burn would help him forget. “Nosy woman.”

Jenny only laughed harder. “Besides, Blackvein Brewery has been sniffing around my guild for years, trying to get our members to work for them." She raised her chin like a highborn lady. "It's a running joke to see how far we can push them before they get fed up and storm out."

“It would probably help their advertising to have Blue Pegasus endorsing them.” Dante mused.

"Yeah, Sir Ichiya almost got their recruiter to agree to a male swimsuit advertisement." Jenny winked at him. "Almost had them."

Dante, Laxus, and Bacchus scrunched up their faces as one, all taking a long drink while Jenny tittered.

Virgo was equally amused even without context at Dante’s grumpy face, feeling his emotions underneath, and shifted in her seat to reach over and pat Jenny’s head. “We thank you for helping, Jenny.”

The model blinked at someone actually having the balls to pat her head and stared at Virgo for a moment before she glomped her and ripped her away from Dante’s side. “You’re too adorable! Oh, we should do some photo shoots together!”

“Hell no.” Dante growled at the woman. “Only I get to see her goods.”

“No woman likes a controlling man, Dante~.” Jenny wagged a finger. “The world should see a woman this beautiful strut her stuff.”

"I will be the only one strutting her stuff, Jenny." Dante pointed at his eyes, then at hers. "Mine."

“How territorial, what do you think, Virgo…” Jenny trailed off as she saw Virgo’s blush.

“Master will punish me.” Virgo whispered and held her cheeks.

It was Jenny’s turn to blush, a hand over her lips. “Oh, never mind.”

“If you are done messing around.” Laxus cut in with a sigh, already tired of Dante’s weird relationship mechanics. “Can you put down the celestial spirit so we can get to work?”

Bacchus choked on his drink, having been enjoying the show.

“Yeah, yeah.” Jenny hugged Virgo one more time and let her go, the maid easily sliding back into Dante’s chair. “I guess we can…” Jenny trailed off once more, this time looking confused. “Celestial spirit?”

“Ya mean like the rope?” Bacchus forked a thumb at Vinnie, who was casually enjoying a drink at the bar.

"Not like me, mutt." Vinnie ashed into an expensive-looking tray and pointed up. "The boss lady is higher up the chain, you hear?”

“How much higher?” Jenny asked openly.

“I didn’t think it was important to mention.” Dante shrugged and wrapped his arm around Virgo’s shoulder. “Want to introduce yourself properly, love?”

“Very well.” Virgo sat up straight, if straight was at a right angle into Dante’s side, and coughed into her fist. “Hello everyone. I am Virgo, sixth of the Celestial Realm’s Zodiac spirits.” She looked over and met their gazes. “The Maiden.”

Bacchus and Jenny gaped.

“And she’s older than dirt.” Laxus added unhelpfully with a mutter under his breath. “Cradle robber.”

Virgo turned to him with a smile.

And then Laxus was swallowed by the floor and found himself within the building's foundation.

Ten floors down.

Bacchus and Jenny slid a few feet away in their seats.

“Now then.” Dante ignored their looks and rubbed his hands together, ignoring the missing lightning mage. “Let’s plan a heist.”

0000

“Are we sure this is the best course of action?” Severin Voll questioned from within Kama’s office. “I planned to at least have a few agents on standby to record what we can get.”

"Too risky." Kama shook his head, eyeing a clock that showed it was a few hours to midnight. "The king wants good relations with Ouroboros. What we show to his apprentice will reflect our standing."

“Damn mysterious mages.” Severin growled in annoyance.

Even if Dante wasn’t an enemy, he at least wanted to build an intelligence file on his capabilities.

“It is admirable to hold suspicions.” Kama gave the man an appreciative glance, easily seeing him rise to the director position one day if he only tempered himself. “But you have a bad habit of jumping at shadows.”

“The shadows have eyes.” Severin responded with a bit too much seriousness.

Kama chose to let it go. “Who is watching Blackvein?”

“I have teams Wolfsbane and Nightshade on standby near their headquarters." Severin pulled out a file and handed it over. "As well as six teams to run interference with civilians and Rune Knights. The local guards will be distracted with a false alarm near the castle."

"Well done." Kama reviewed the file, not simply taking the man's word for it, as he double-checked all the contingencies. "Once the timer expires, I expect Wolfsbane and Nightshade to retrieve necessary documentation and capture Vance Holleran.”

“It will be done.” Severin nodded forcefully. “And the mages working with The Hunter?”

"Let them be; they will have done their kingdom a service." Kama stamped the file. “Let’s just hope the building remains standing.”

“It's five floors of triple-reinforced Akel Concrete, Markew Steel, and who knows what else they paid a fortune for.” Severin shook his head. “We had to approve their building permits for the things they revealed, and even then it was excessive.”

Kama just raised a brow.

“Powerful they may be, they are just four mages, Sir.” Severin could read the doubt on his superior’s almost expressionless face. “Barely adults at that. Sixty minutes shouldn’t be enough to-.”

The communication lacrima on Kama's desk activated, cutting off Severin's sentence as Agent Wolf's voice came through. "Sir, The Hunter's building has taken structural damage."

Kama and Severin looked at each other before the director waved him to respond.

Severin grabbed the crystal. “What happened?”

“It appears…” Wolf trailed off as his team member sensed the disturbance. “That Laxus Dreyar has been buried beneath the building.”

Only an agent's sensory magic let them notice. 

“…” Severin’s mouth opened and closed for a moment. “Is he alive?”

"Yes, Sir." Wolf turned away as the ground in front of the building broke apart and Laxus crawled out with loud muttered curses. "He seems unhurt and is returning to the sky lounge."

Kama silently tapped his desk, saying nothing, yet Severin felt sweat on the back of his neck.

"The building is repaired." Rose, Nightshade's team leader, spoke from the side as she pressed her face into the communication lacrima. "All structural damage has been removed."

Severin sighed in relief. "Good work. Keep monitoring the situation." He hung up and grunted. "Damn mages."

“As I was saying.” Kama went on undaunted. “Make sure to prepare in case the building does not survive.”

“Are we sure that’s not an excessive use of manpower? We have quite a few other tasks that need-.”

Severin was cut off once more as the communication lacrima lit up with Wolf's voice. "Sir, it would appear Bacchus Groh has now been buried beneath the building."

Kama nodded as if it was expected and slowly slid over a manpower requisition form.

“Ah, there he is.” Agent Rose spoke up as Bacchus pulled himself out of the earth. “Wait, he’s walking the wrong way. And swaying. Is he drunk?”

Severin’s face twitched as he took the form and shut off the communication lacrima just as his agents reported a rope seeming to extend down and reel in the drunk martial artist.

“I’ll handle it.” Severin turned to the door.

Kama nodded. “Mn.”

0000

The sun fell beyond the horizon, daylight fading from the world as a bright moon shone over Crocus.

Thick clouds floated heavily, blocking out the stars as the moonlight came and went in waves.

Cold winds blew in, the temperature dropping quickly.

Yet despite the late hour and weather, the capital was never fully asleep, as multiple sectors were lit by the bright glow of ongoing night activities.

Civilians and mages in thick coats were spread around, joyous laughter and shouts mixed with bars, clubs, restaurants, and everything in between.

Rune Knights and Crocus’ own guard forces patrolled the streets, keeping things orderly and safe.

Crocus was home to nearly a million individuals, the largest concentration of human society in all of Fiore, all going about their lives.

And yet, in a sector a distance away from the royal plateau, street lights had begun to dim. The noise began to taper off. Restaurants and bars were closing early. Traffic was redirected.

Crouched like a curled snake on the edge of a flagpole, Dante stared down at the only brightly lit building on the block, forest-green eyes glowing in the dark.

Four figures stood or sat on the edges beside him, an equal gleam of eagerness in their gazes. 

Bacchus cracked his knuckles.

Laxus reined in his lightning.

Jenny whirred with shifting gears.

And Virgo stared at a picture of a distillery in hand, tilting her head as she tried to commit it to memory.

The picture had key points circled in bright red marker.

A bell tolled in the distance, and Dante stood from his crouch. "60 seconds.”

The group scattered without a word, mana barely escaping as they each employed their methods.

Laxus zipped through the streets as a bolt of lightning, taking a long way to reach the north side of the building so as not to be seen.

Jenny shifted into some kind of mechanical spider, shooting out grapples and zipping off to the west side of the building.

And Bacchus simply took a sip from his gourd, shooting Dante a grin as he cracked the roof and sped off in a blur, pure muscle taking him to the east side of the building. 

Dante shook his head and glanced at Virgo. “You sure you want to remain here?”

“Yes, Master.” Virgo stepped forward, the stone of the roof extending to let her stand at his side. “I will monitor the overall situation and restrain those who flee.”

From her vantage, she could take control of the earth surrounding the building on all sides.

“Good, that will make this easier.” Dante sent her a smile before closing his eyes and taking a breath as the cool winter breeze blew his hair back.

He knew it would be simple to utilize Virgo.

She could count the number of enemies. Tell him where they were. Turn the very stone of the building against their targets and finish them with only mana being the price.

And yet, that would do nothing for him.

Would teach him nothing.

She was right that this was a good learning moment, and Dante wouldn't waste the chance.

Not when the future held enemies of far higher scales that wouldn’t hesitate to finish him off.

Fragments of distant memories flashed through his mind, some clearer, and others vaguer the longer he lived within the world.

The roar of a black and blue dragon. The xenophobic hatred of alchemically created demons. The drums of international war. And more.

Much more he knew would come yet couldn’t recall enough to prepare for.

So, all he could do was push forward.

Dante exhaled and opened his eyes, locking onto his first targets who thought themselves hidden. ‘Survival of the fittest.’

He stepped off the edge, arms spread wide as if to embrace the world, a final whisper to his partner. “I’ll be off.”

“Have fun.” Virgo waved to his falling form, a grin on her lips that he had seen a thousand times over their training months. “Hunt well.”

She watched him fall with pride in her chest before closing her eyes and sensing through the earth as each of the young adults made their move.

‘May you all prosper.’

000

Doors slammed open one after another on the third floor as the building shook.

“What the hell is going on?!” Vance Holleran yelled into the hall, bloodshot eyes looking around in confusion.

“Intruders.” Shadows wrapped around Yomi, his eyes gazing at the floor. “Three. Strong.”

“Did the kingdom make a move?” Shell stepped out of his room, armor pieces clinking as they shifted into place. “I expected them to back off.”

“Who cares who it is?” Ghost appeared outside her room with a growl, her hair a mess of bed hair as she twirled a knife. “They woke me up. They die.”

Vance paled at the thought of the King’s Agents taking action. “Stop them! As long as we are standing at sunrise, I can press the courts and demand reparations." He swirled a glare at the Casks. "Don't kill anyone, or you're on your own. King Toma will not stop if lives are taken.”

Ghost made a face of disgust, but Shell and Yomi nodded in understanding.

“Secure yourself within your office, Manager.” Shell stepped past him and gestured for the other two Casks who walked out of their rooms. “I will guard the main passage. Yomi, what can you tell me?”

“Lightning.” The shadow mage’s eyes glowed with dark light as he pointed to the north. “Metal.” He pointed to the west. “Unsure.” He pointed to the east.

"Lightning?" One of the two new Casks laughed as a bronze-skinned woman stepped forward. "I'm not 14, but I can handle some electrical charge."

“Good, 13 will go north to the employee lounge.” Shell pointed to the wall of muscle behind her. “17, go with her.”

The muscled man grunted like a wild animal. “Weak mages are a waste of my time.”

“Strong.” Yomi pointed north and made 17 consider it.

“Fine.” He turned left with #13 shaking her head and following behind.

“Ghost, take the unknown.” Shell pointed east. “They are near the distillery, and we cannot afford to damage anything with area magic."

“My kind of hunting ground.” Ghost smirked and flipped the guy off before she vanished in a teleport.

“Yomi, take the metal mage.” Shell looked at the shadow mage. “You should hold the advantage over a physical mage.”

“Understood.” Yomi complied easily and melted into the shadows as he slithered off.

“If only more of them were that easy to deal with.” Shell shook his head and turned to the manager. “Let’s go.”

"What about our hired help?" Vance quickly moved to the armored man's side. "Where did she go?"

“Where do you think?” Shell rolled his eyes and headed for the office, activating every security trap behind him for good measure. ‘I’m not paid enough to deal with something like her.’

Vance gulped and followed behind.

000

 "Is this the best Blackvein has?" Laxus frowned, arms crossed as he stood in a large lounge, torn-up couches and spilled ale everywhere.

“He’s just one mage! Get him!”

Magic flashed through the room as over a dozen Malts lit up with various magic tools, spells of a dozen schools flying at a bored-looking Laxus.

A single flick of his finger had a curving bolt of lightning meet all the attacks, stopping them before they could even reach his coat.

“Shockwave Stomp." Laxus came up with the name on the spot as he gathered magic in his foot and slammed it down, the wave-like force spreading out in a dozen branching bolts.

Mercenaries screamed as they were electrocuted, clothing charring as they fell over with spasms.

‘Fucking weak mages.’ Laxus scoffed in disgust and walked forward at a casual pace, taking out one group after another with lazy bolts. ‘After dealing with Dante, the maid, and that crazy bitch, I forgot how boring frying weaklings was.’

Laxus was about to blow apart the double doors leading deeper into the building before they caved in from the other side.

He flashed back a dozen meters, looking at the large, grey-skinned animal that stood in the doorway. A long lethal horn extended from the beast’s nose as a pair of intelligent eyes glared his way.

“Found the intruder.” The beast spoke out loud and scratched the ground with a paw as it prepared to charge. “Removing intruder.”

"I could hear him just fine from halfway across the building, 17!" A pissed-off dark-skinned woman kicked open a fragment of the door blocking her way. "Why did you break the door?! The lounge has all the snacks!"

“Shut it, 13.” The beast growled back, its eyes locked onto Laxus. “I will remove this weakling.”

“Weakling?” Laxus didn’t know their names, but he knew 17 was supposed to be some kind of takeover mage. “You bark loudly, beast.”

"Hey, he knows your name." 13 whisper-shouted and elbowed the four-legged creature.

"I AM BEAST!" 17 roared, and the ground caved in beneath his mighty legs as he glowed with magic and charged forward. "DIE, WEAKLING!"

“You’re not supposed to kill him!” 13 yelled from behind, but 17 ignored her as he lowered his horn to skewer Laxus.

Laxus was unimpressed.

13 had to look away at the massive explosion of lightning, her arms darkening as errant bolts hit her. “Holy shit, who the fuck is this guy?”

The smoke quickly cleared, revealing a fallen beast covered in scorch marks, the magic fading as a bulky, muscled man fainted, his eyes white.

“I know brats who could put up a better fight.” Laxus disregarded the failure of a mage to look at 13. “Was that supposed to be impressive?”

"Ahaha…" The woman scratched her head awkwardly. "He's pretty hard-headed. Sorry about that."

"I don't really care." Laxus started toward the open doorway, but the woman stepped in front of it. "You want to take a nap too?"

“Sorry, sorry, but I can’t just let you pass.” The woman chuckled nervously under Laxus’s stare, the mana coming off him making her sweat. “Gotta do my job and all that.”

“Respectable.” Laxus nodded before he glowed with lightning, a large bolt slamming out to smack into the woman’s stomach. “You’ve got guts, at least.”

He started walking again, only to nearly be taken off guard by a speedy punch aimed at his torso.

“Ahaha, shit. You really pack a punch, don’t you?” 13 stood up with a sharp grin. “If it was anyone else, they’d be down in a flash.”

“You…” Laxus narrowed his eyes, another bolt flashing out only to be blocked by her crossed arms. Metallic arms. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

He looked up with a sigh. ‘Dante, I blame you. I’ve met like three mages who weren’t bothered by lightning before I met you.’

Metal screeched as 13 bent down and grabbed the edge of the fallen door, grunting as she slammed it back up into the hole leading to the hallway. "Sorry, scary lightning guy, but I'm gonna have you play with me for a bit."

“You’re not my type.” Laxus waved lazily and launched more lightning at her, his eyes observing very carefully to make sure she wasn’t absorbing his magic. “And you’re not that crazy bitch 14.”

“You think I’m like 14?” 13 laughed with her hands on her hips, lightning slamming into her copper skin and flowing into the ground without any sign of damage. “That bitch was insane. I’d buy you a drink for taking her out.”

“The answer is no.” Laxus flashed forward, his fist glowing with electrical charge as he slammed it into the woman’s face, smashing her through a couch and into the wall. “And you’re in my way.”

He frowned at the ache in his knuckles. ‘That felt like punching solid metal.’

“Well, I like you!" 13 burst from the debris, coughing but otherwise unbothered by the metallic grin on her face. "I'm a copper mage, blondie." She launched forward at a decent speed, arms up like a boxer. "And a scrapper to boot, let's have some fun!"

Laxus dodged the wild blows, his lip twitching as he realized what kind of woman he was dealing with. ‘She’d fit in back home.’

He sighed and punted her away, the force making his leg ache even as she popped right back up like a jack in the box. ‘This might take a bit.’

000

"Why are you sniffing me?!" A Malt screamed and stabbed out at Bacchus, her wrist caught before she could bury the wind-enchanted weapon in his flesh.

“Ya smell like fermented grains.” Bacchus took another sniff before he shook his head and popped her in the jaw, making her lights go out as he dropped her. “It’s not the same as what Dante made. Damn it, where is the ale?”

A long line of knocked-out Malts and Grains was behind him, leading from a large hole in the wall where he literally punched his way inside.

Red lights were flashing somewhere above, and Bacchus cleaned out his ear with a pinky. “Did they have to make that shit so loud? Heh, Rocker still plays heavy metal louder.”

The martial artist casually strolled through the odd hallway of shifting pipes and running water, his nose guiding him toward the increasingly strong scent of ale.

Occasional opposition popped up, but Bacchus mowed them down before they could put up a decent fight, each one hitting the ground with naught but a bruised or cracked bone.

He walked on casually, seemingly unaware of the ghost stalking him from the shadows.

#11 frowned down at the bodies of the fallen mercenaries. ‘He’s adjusting his strength for each strike. Just how fucking precise is he to not seriously hurt any of them like this?’

“Aha!” Bacchus’s call made Ghost nearly flinch, yet the shattering metal doors made her deadpan as she watched him break into one of their brewing rooms. “Fucking shit, this stuff smells rancid!”

Ghost blinked to a new hiding spot, her vantage point letting her watch the martial artist on his knees, holding his nose with a green face.

“Who would do this to booze?!” Bacchus slammed a closed fist on the ground, his armor clacking with the movement. “This is an outrage!”

The room before him was a seemingly automated, enchanted conveyor belt that brought ingredients and barrels to different points.

Unlike Dante's careful, focused brewing methods, this one literally dumped ingredients into pools before stirring, straining, draining, and moving them to the next area.

Not an ounce of care went into the liquid that filled the bottles.

Ghost rolled her eyes at the dramatic idiot. ‘Who the fuck cares about ale? We’re practically just an underworld ring wearing the face of a brewery at this point.’

She had a decent idea of what was going on back home in Caelum; even if she wasn't included in their plans, her magic made her a vital asset to her employers.

And she liked that.

Ghost changed positions half a dozen times before she was poised directly above the distracted mage.

‘For all your skill.’ Ghost fell silently, her cruelly serrated knives gleaming in the faint light with a faint yellow liquid on the blades. ‘You will fall like all the rest.’

Like an expert assassin, Ghost left nothing to chance and blinked the last few feet, blade biting at his unprotected neck.

“Heh.” Bacchus grinned, his body moving before his mind could process as glowing palms slapped at Ghost’s arms, the blades deflected by inches as he spun out with a kick that almost took Ghost in the gut if she didn’t blink back a dozen feet. “Ya finally showed yourself.”

“You sensed me?” Ghost rubbed her wrists with a murderous look. “Bull fucking shit! No one senses me!”

“Ya haven’t met me yet, babe.” Bacchus cracked a cocky grin and popped the lid on his gourd, taking a sip. "Welcome to the school of Bacchus; we only got one lesson, and that's how to be wild!"

“That makes no fucking sense.” Ghost growled and vanished in another blink, appearing behind him with a swiping blade. Bacchus reacted, moving to slap out at her with a wind-tearing glowing palm, only for Ghost to vanish an inch away and appear behind him, knife inches off his skin. ‘Dodge this.’

But Bacchus didn't dodge; he slammed his palm into his other arm’s shoulder armor and sped up the movement of his elbow to deflect the blade off the armor in a shower of sparks, making Ghost's eyes widen.

Without a word, he flowed into a follow-up strike, a blink once more saving the Cask agent from a quick nap.

“Who the fuck are you?!” Ghost cursed loudly at failing twice in a row to so much as draw blood.

“I’m Bacchus Groh, babe.” Bacchus cackled, arms spread wide as he lowered his stance. “Ya seem like ya like it wild. Let’s party!”

“Fuck off, you damn mutt!” Ghost blinked up onto a piece of enchanted machinery to get some space, only for Bacchus to crack the ground and appear before her in a rush of parting air. “Holy f-!”

Ghost blinked again at the sound of crashing metal as the expensive machine was destroyed and sent tumbling down with a loud crash.

Ghost winced, knowing that she would be blamed for that.

“Heh, that works too.” Bacchus grinned wide and turned to her. “Ya wanna play tag, babe?”

“Tag?” Ghost gritted her teeth, veins bulging as she gripped her knives even harder. “I’ll fucking skin you.”

Bacchus only laughed and charged.

Their fight wouldn’t end anytime soon.

000

“Come on, boys.” Jenny skated through dozens of attacks, minor bursts of mana leaving the thrusters on the back of her ankles to boost her through the large warehouse she found herself in. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

She ran her hands through her luscious hair, expression at ease as she strolled through all the attacks coming her way.

“Someone slow this bitch down!”

“That’s Jenny Realight!”

“Do I look like I care?” One of the malts in charge yelled down from a scaffold. “She’s mowing us down! Pin her down!”

Jenny giggled at the last comment, fingers shifting as a grappling hook shot out, the steel cable attached to it reeling her to the speaker. “I’m glad you understand.”

“You!” Magic flashed from an earring, water generating in a defensive shield that Jenny smirked at.

Her arm shifted once more, electric prods extending and sending high voltage through the man who spasmed and collapsed.

The crowd of nearly a hundred mages, the largest gathering of Malts and Grains in the building, swallowed as she looked down on them. “Let’s have some fun, everyone~!”

Jenny's cheery voice was at odds with her shifting body, yet she successfully distracted half the crowd, who had hearts in their eyes, as she grappled another ledge and swung down.

Her arms shifted into pistons, metallic fists launching out to smack down anyone she could reach.

“Stop right there!” A woman swung a staff, earth rising to block Jenny’s path. “You can’t distract all of us, slut!”

"Is that envy I hear?" Jenny laughed, her boosters launching her forward as her arm shifted once more into a spinning drill, piercing right through the earthen wall meant to stop her and bringing her within range of the gaping woman with the staff. “You need more self-confidence.”

Jenny smiled and smashed her in the face with a metal piston fist. "And now a dentist."

A beep sounded in her ears, and Jenny’s boosters ignited, letting her spin and jump over a lance of ice.

She locked eyes with the man who was pointing a magic stave at her. “That wasn’t nice.” The man gulped as her arm rapidly shifted into a cannon. “Goodnight.”

A laser reached the man before he could think of dodging, his body slamming into the wall as he was out like a light.

“Maybe I overcharged that.” Jenny frowned down at her steaming arm cannon, eyeing the lacrima crystal she had inserted into her arm. “Might as well finish this one off.”

She grappled to a better vantage point, legs shifting into clamps that stabilized her as her arms combined with hundreds of shifting gears and parts.

A gleaming barrel pointed at the crowd of mages as Jenny's face grinned on the aiming trigger. "What was it Monty said? Ah, right." The barrel spun. "Say hello to my little friend."

The mages ran for their lives as hundreds of mana bullets roared out into the warehouse.

It barely lasted a few seconds, and yet over half the remaining crowd was down, leaving a bit over twenty mages still standing.

Jenny shifted back into her human body, breathing out with a bright grin as she caught the empty lacrima crystal. “Worth it.”

“Utilizing Lacrima Crystals to offset mana expenses.” A void suddenly spoke up from beneath Jenny, her eyes widening as sensors blared in her ears. “Expensive.”

Boosters roared to life as Jenny just managed to dodge a shadowy tendril that tried to grab her, spinning around and smashing another mage in the face with a metal fist. “Expensive depends on who’s talking.”

She watched as a lithe, shrouded form rose from the shadow that attacked her, black eyes staring out from behind a covered face. "I like rich targets."

“I prefer my men to pay for things themselves.” Jenny winked, her sensor picking up someone charging her from behind. “Sweaty brutes are not my type, however.”

Said sweaty brute roared as he swung a large hammer at her. "This is for George!"

An ear-piercing clang rang out, and the Malt swinging the hammer felt his arms nearly fly out of their sockets as he dropped his hammer.

“Sorry, don’t know who that is.” A deep rumbling voice echoed as the Malt looked up with a gulp at the massive iron grate before him, glowing with heat. “I’m terrible with faces.”

The grate opened, and hot steam exploded out of the iron boiler, having turned the kinetic force of the hammer into heat that sent a dozen mages flying with burns.

“I never showed you my face.” Yomi’s whisper-like voice rang in her ear as Jenny felt her body freeze up. “Yomi, #12, welcomes you to Blackvein.”

Shadows climbed her metallic body, numbing her limbs and mana, making her unable to automatically shift out of her current form.

Jenny narrowed her eyes.

"Coming on too hard is a turn-off." Gears popped from her steel chassis, cracking and shifting as Jenny manually controlled her shift, a hundred internal clockwork pieces swapping under her mental control as grappling hooks launched from shoulder pads, grabbing onto the ceiling and yanking her free. "Easy way to get a drink thrown in your face."

Her laser arm cannon pointed at his face, launching a beam that slammed him back into his shadows with a loud hiss of pain from the man.

"Dangerous!" His whispered shout echoed all around the warehouse, and shadows spread; the man no longer popped out as he controlled shadows to lash out at her.

“Damnit.” Jenny clicked her tongue and idly kicked out a whip to take out a trio of mages trying to sneak up on her. ‘This is why I didn’t want to fight the shadow mage.’

She spun away from a tendril and stabbed it with an electric prod, hearing another hiss from Yomi, but the man didn’t reveal himself.

‘Great.’ Jenny boosted around the warehouse, taking out stragglers as she dodged the shadow mage’s attacks. ‘This might take a while. I hope we distracted enough of them for Dante to get through.’

000

"How did… you… find us?" A bleeding, cracked-tooth face wheezed out from the ground, eyes taking in the form sitting on his passed-out partner, #16.

“You called that hiding?” Dante blew out smoke, having accepted a smoke from Vinnie while they waited. “You would be eaten alive by Wilson.” 

“Who’s… Wilson?” #15 croaked out.

“An asshole.” Dante grumbled and signaled with his chin. “Night.”

Vinnie wordlessly swung a knotted rope and finally knocked out the Cask agent after Dante got everything he needed out of the man.

"How much time has passed?" Dante got off the female sniper of the duo, brushing a few drops of blood off his pants.

“Five minutes, Boss.” Vinnie was wearing a watch Dante gave him as a gift a while back. “Just about time to get going.”

"I can't believe they left these two to guard the roof." Dante shook his head and looked around the wide rooftop in the moonlight, a dozen Malts and Grains in blankets out cold from a mild poison bomb he dropped, the stuff even weaker than the simple mist of Aurora’s Throat second layer, but enough to drop this bunch. “At least they had nice guns.”

Dante appreciated the well-cared-for long-range rifles he took off the two Cask agents who had some kind of Gun magic.

“Do you even know how to shoot them?” Vinnie fixed his hat.

“I know how to shoot, but I’ve never tried magic guns.” Dante shrugged and summoned Pocket, the little ball of flame slamming a mighty burning form into Dante’s cheek. “Hey bud, store these for me, will you?”

Pocket nodded quickly and expanded before gobbling down the guns and returning home with a flash.

“So why take them?” Vinnie asked.

“Why not?” Dante asked back.

“Good point.” Vinnie nodded, moving the mana-drained Casks away from the door. “Shall we go?”

“Mortal, a moment.” Dante paused as his tattoo glowed, Gluttony’s avatar slithering out of his collar. “Are you going to finish that?”

The demon pointed at the downed crowd.

"What? You can't eat their souls." Dante denied instantly. Unlike the jackass who attacked him at the end of his trial, this bunch was just in the way. "I'm not going to casually feed you souls."

“Disappointing, but not what I meant.” Gluttony waved a limb lazily. “I want to eat their mana. They’ve been defeated, so it makes it easier.”

"Why?" Dante narrowed his eyes at the demon.

“Because I can do something fun with my cauldron if I do.” Gluttony grinned back. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Not even a little.” Dante replied without missing a beat.

“Fair.” Gluttony shrugged. “I can empower the cauldron with a boost depending on how much mana I gather. It will boost the quality of the product.” He raised a claw to stop the next question. “It’s not that much of a difference. You need a LOT of mana for me to make a big change.”

Dante paused to rub his chin in thought, sharing a look with Vinnie, who shrugged back, willing to follow his call.

“Any permanent damage?” Dante finally asked after a minute.

"Unfortunately, no." Gluttony rolled his orb at Dante's morality. "They'll be weak for a few days or so before they recover. You mortals absorb ethernano from the world; it'll just be slow for a bit."

He considered it, sending a questioning feeling to Virgo and almost immediately getting back a feeling of disgust followed by grudging acceptance.

“Show me.” Dante’s eyes lit up with his spell as he pointed to a random Malt.

"Ha, I knew I liked you for a reason." Gluttony's avatar hopped off and ran up to the downed man on two small feet. His orb glowed red as he breathed in, and Dante watched the downed mage groan as mana was literally pulled from his veins, a glittering cloud of light swallowed into Gluttony’s form.

Dante walked over and checked the man’s condition, seeing his mana organs only strained, rather than damaged.

Gluttony burped. “Oh, that’s good stuff.”

“Finish with the rest.” Dante stood up, no longer blocking the demon.

“Yes! Mortal, we’ll make the world fear our name just yet.” Gluttony ran around sucking up mana like some kind of leech.

“You sure this is smart, boss?” Vinnie asked from Dante’s side.

“Not even a little.” Dante shook his head and headed for the stairs. “But I’ll take whatever resources I can get.”

The threats to come weren't even in the same league as his current level, not to mention what he'd need for his growing desires.

“In that case, I’m with the demon.” Vinnie chuckled as they entered the building, climbing down to the fifth floor. “It’s about time we kick off our underworld business empire.”

Dante huffed in amusement. “How happy are you that we’re trashing a brewery?”

“I’m fucking ecstatic.” Vinnie said with a calm face. “Taking out the rivals is the first step. Now we steal their shit and use it better.”

“I’m glad you’re focused on the target.” Dante chuckled, feeling Gluttony’s avatar return home as his tattoo glowed with a new sensation. “Hm.”

“What is it?” Vinnie asked.

Dante didn't say anything for a moment as he summoned the cauldron, its heavy weight settling in his palm.

He stared at it, watching the flowing green lines spread through its matte black casing, pulsing ever so lightly.

“Nothing.” Dante commented and sent it back into storage. “I’ll check out the cauldron later when we’re free.” Dante waved it away and tapped Monty’s key as they approached a long hall with doors.

The lizard popped out atop his head. “Monty time?”

“Monty time.” Dante scratched under her chin, feeling the building shake beneath their feet. “Monty, go with Vinnie and clean up anyone you find on this floor.”

The 5th floor, according to the Cask agents on the roof, held all of Blackvein’s communication signals, even the one connected to the main manager’s office, and Dante wanted a thorough cleanup to cut off any surprise calls that might screw him over.

“Master, the best.” Monty hugged Dante’s head with all four legs before jumping off to land on Vinnie’s hat. “Rope, forward!”

"Call if you need me, Boss." Vinnie sighed and walked off, his ropes already extending into rooms as screams of surprise resounded before they were silenced. "Gecko, call me rope again, and I'll hang you."

“You try.” Monty laughed and sped off to stab someone before they could press an alarm.

‘I’m glad I found those two.’ Dante shook his head with a chuckle and climbed down the stairway to the 4th floor. ‘The file said the main office is at the center of the fourth floor, and those Casks confirmed it.’

He entered the next floor and looked down the halls, his eyes narrowing on the glint of a wire.

‘Traps? Really?’ Dante cracked his neck and pulled out his knife. ‘Been a while since I had fun with this.’

Minutes passed as one trap after another was dismantled. Wires cut, plates pried open, and magical traps unable to escape Dante’s eyes as [Deep Scan] spotted the glow of mana. 

The building kept shaking as Dante closed in on the main office until he burst into a wider hall, the traps stopping as he spotted a man leaning against the wall leading to the next hallway.

Purple eyes met his own, looking surprised. “Well, those traps were a waste of money.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Dante tossed aside a pressure plate and stepped into the hall, taking in the surroundings. It wasn’t all that much wider, just enough for desks to be set on each side where secretaries likely worked. Still, it was much taller, nearly spanning two floors as some sort of impressive welcoming hall for visitors looking to see upper management. “It would have been difficult for an inexperienced trapper.”

“Yet they were used on an experienced one.” The man seemed to chuff in amusement as he stood up fully, his armor plates clacking as he stood before the final hall leading to an ornate wooden door. “You are the brewer mage we came here to hunt, no?”

“It seems that way.” Dante stopped a dozen feet away from the man. “And you are Shell, #10 of the Cask agents.”

“You know much.” Shell rubbed his armored chin. “Were you recruited by the King’s Agents?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Dante flexed his mana, seeing the man doing the same as the air in the hall grew heavy. “More like we had a common enemy.”

“Is that so? Rare for them to compromise like that.” A chuckle echoed from beneath glowing armor pieces. “It seems we really must have pissed off King Toma for them to act like this.”

“I had a similar thought.” Dante focused his mind, watching mana flow through each of his foe’s armor pieces. “You shouldn’t have targeted me.”

“Not my choice, I’m afraid.” Shell tapped his toes against the ground, mana surging around him. “But now that you’re here, you’ll have to stay.”

"Counteroffer." Dante watched the swirls of mana the man likely thought were invisible. "I want to see the manager."

Shell paused for half a second to snort a laugh before his mana surged and massive conjured armor pieces slammed into both the entrance and exit to the hall. “I’m afraid the manager is otherwise occupied.”

Dante frowned at the blocks. “How are you conjuring something this big?”

“Armor-Make Magic.” Shell surprisingly answered openly. “My foes despair beneath my impenetrable defense.”

More armor pieces stacked on each entrance, only enhancing the death zone he trapped Dante in.

“Shell is just lazy naming.” Dante burst forward, knife sparking off a suddenly appearing armor piece half the size of the man. “What about Bob? Bob sounds intimidating.”

“Bob, hm?” Shell didn’t seem to mind the banter, watching as Dante prowled around him, striking at points as if to test for weak spots. “You remind me of my colleague.”

“If you are speaking of Ghost, #11, then I am insulted.” Dante returned to his original starting spot and snapped his fingers. “I had a teacher.”

Shell opened his mouth, only to hear the sound of something sizzling, and looked around to see the floor smoking in a circle around him.

The floor cracked and shattered as something ate through it while Dante tossed aside a potion vial. ‘Metal Dissolving Acid Potion. Not my best name, but I’ll figure it out later. I didn’t expect to need it this soon.’

It was one of the few potions he played with making on the way here, and something that genuinely took Shell off guard.

“I am impressed.” Shell spoke out, unmoving from his original position. “You identified that I couldn’t move while my magic was active. In less than two minutes.” He didn’t seem bothered to be sinking. “It was wrong to compare you to Ghost.”

“I’m glad we’re past that.” Dante waved. “Have a nice trip.”

“Smart brat.” Shell grumbled. “Must be some teacher.”

The floor caved in around the man, his armor still conjured around him, now protecting him from underneath as he fell to the 3rd floor.

“What the fuck?!”

“Shell?!”

Two voices yelled from below, and Dante looked down with a scrunch of his nose at the smell of rotten grains and yeast.

Below, a storm passed through a workshop holding what used to be some kind of enchanting machinery, and at the center of said storm was a surprised-looking Bacchus fending off the teleporter, Ghost.

Shell crashed down in the center of the large room, the man grunting but seemingly unbothered. “Ghost, would you mind dealing with that one?”

He pointed up at where Dante stood, and Dante returned it by pointing at himself as if in confusion.

"Oi, Dante!" Bacchus yelled up with a vague gesture at Ghost. "Let's trade! This bitch is pissing me off; ya deal with her.”

 “That’s my line, jackass!” Ghost stomped her foot, her aggravation having reached its peak, found a new mountain to climb, and then climbed that mountain. “How are you even standing?! My blades injected you with enough paralyzing magic to drop a Vulcan!”

“My blood runs hot, babe.” Bacchus howled and drank from a nearly empty gourd, spilling some on the sharp cuts she’d nicked on his forearms. “Need more potent stuff to get me out of the fight.”

"Saints, I hate this broken fucker!" Ghost blinked away next to Shell and pointed at Bacchus. "You take that one. I'll gut the wild-looking one."

Dante silently pointed at Bacchus, making the martial artist spit out his mouthful and laugh. “Ya hear that, bro? I’m too wild for her!”

“GRAH!” Ghost blinked at him, not even using her knives as she went for a choke, only for an armor piece to appear and block her. “SHELL!”

“Take the foe you are more capable of handling.” Shell calmly pointed upward. “Go. We need the one above alive.”

An armor piece appeared near the man and shot up toward the hole in the ceiling, and Ghost clicked her tongue as she blinked up in the hall above before it slammed shut.

Bacchus raised a brow at the guy. “Ya sure that was a good idea?”

“I don’t believe you are a threat to me.” Shell turned to the martial artist as more armor pieces appeared around him.

“Now those are fighting words.” Bacchus grinned, seeing a fun new challenge before him. “But I wasn’t talking about myself.”

He launched into a strike, palm slamming against an armor piece as Shell’s eyes widened.

000

“A line-of-sight teleporter entering an enclosed room with a trapper.” Dante shook his head, blood leaking from a few cuts as he spoke to the hanging body wrapped in wire. “I can’t tell if you all are far too arrogant, or just lacking information.”

“Y-You… b-bastard.” Ghost stuttered her curse, hissing at the barbs digging into her flesh.

Dante didn't even bother sipping a brew, feeling his body counteract and eliminate the weaker poison from his blood, unlike Bacchus, whose blood was likely so alcoholic that poison would cry entering his veins.

“Don’t worry, you won’t bleed out.” Dante poked her foot, causing her to sway and groan as the metal barbs wiggled. “I’ll leave you for the King’s Agents to play with.”

“F-fucker.” Ghost muttered before finally passing out from the pain.

It took minutes to entrap the arrogant woman, a one-trick pony who was far too confident in her magic.

He checked his own watch and frowned. ‘Twenty-two minutes have passed.’

Dante hoped to be done in a half-hour, but things didn't always go as planned.

The entrance hall he met Shell in was quite a bit damaged at this point with barbed wire spread through the hall, Dante having used it to slowly box the teleporter in.

The ceiling was covered in a pink fog, the slowly dissipating poison having forced Ghost down into Dante’s web.

“Maybe my maid is bleeding off on me.” Dante shook his head and eyed up the conjured armor piece still blocking his way forward. “I didn’t want to waste the mana using this on that guy, but this should work.”

He tapped a rarely used key as Boomba appeared in a flash.

“Boom time?” Boomba muttered with a yawn, Dante’s passive mana now enough to at least keep him awake when summoned.

“Boomba time.” Dante retorted with a grin and pointed at the wall. “Think you can pierce that?”

Boomba turned to the wall, his eyes narrowing as Dante’s mana started fueling into him. “No wall shall block the whistler’s path.”

“Might want to gather more mana for this one, bud.” Dante chuckled and whistled loudly.

Boomba vanished in a burst of air, circling the high ceiling in rapid spins. “More.” He called down.

Dante sent 3% of his mana pool.

"More!" Boomba called down louder, his deep voice resounding.

Dante furrowed his expression and sent another 3%.

Flames ignited along the arrow's shaft, electric sparks, and even green wisps of wind.

“MORE!”

“You really are a glutton.” Dante shook his head and sent a full 5% for a total of 11%.

The arrow spirit exploded as a sonic boom shattered windows throughout the building.

“BOOMBA TIME!” Boomba slammed into the armored wall, the conjured magic cracking in a second before he slammed into the next piece behind it, shattering it as he shouted. “I AM BOOMBA!”

His tip lit up like a blazing star as three armor pieces shattered, and Boomba broke through in a shower of fading armor fragments, his momentum taking him straight to the door at the end of the hall and shattering the door as he went through.

A loud shout of surprise and fear rang out from within.

“That guy needs to learn moderation.” Dante shook his head and waved away the debris, stepping into the final hall to the office door. “But a damn good job.”

"Oh?" A second voice called out from within, and Dante froze a few feet from the door at the sharp, feminine tone. "A spirit?"

“Huh?” Boomba’s voice sounded out next. “Ah, Leo. Did I hit you?”

"Thankfully not, Boomba." Another voice spoke up, slightly warm. "Would your summoner be behind the door?"

“I cannot answer that.” Boomba replied.

"Well said." The warm voice spoke again before a gold light flashed in the room, and Dante felt Boomba return to the Celestial Realm as the room beyond shook from a strong impact. “But it’s time to go home.”

The gold light seemed to target the door, and the remains of the wooden door fell away as a cloud of dust billowed up.

“Do come in, young man.” The sharp feminine voice spoke up again. “You came all this way for a reason, no?”

Dante frowned, his instincts warning him not to enter.

The voice turned to disgust. “And this is the reason for my problems?”

A moment of silence stretched as the dust cleared to let Dante meet eyes with furious brown framed by light green hair. "You fucking snake."

Mana pulsed outward, pressing not just on Dante but throughout the rest of the building as the weight of one Karen Lilica made itself known.

Dante's eyes widened as a familiar face in a suit, as well as a pink-haired woman with goat horns, stepped in front of the desk, both sending him apologetic expressions.

Zodiac spirits, with the full experience and mana pool of an experienced S-Class mage fueling them.

Dante opened his mouth and coughed into a fist. “I was just looking for the bathroom.”

He smashed the Virgo button.

Repeatedly.

Karen smiled unkindly. “Get him.”

Chapter End.

AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think!