----- Ryuu POV -----
This was stupid.
Yes, this situation was insanely, utterly stupid.
A foolish endeavour of the highest magnitude.
"Hahaha! Alright, now this is something I can get excited for!" Said the stupid brute.
I think I finally realize why my homeland was so against other races, believing themselves to be higher beings just because of some elongated ears and lifespans.
"Come at me, I'll even let you two have the first move! C'mon~, you aren't scared now, are you?"
It was because of morons like this.
Wasn't the Poseidon Familia supposed to be full of just and respectable heroes?
Why would their captain decide to fight my wife and me, and for fun at that?
Why not Sirius?
I look over to my husband, seeing that he's sitting alongside our children, watching on with a twitching eyebrow, eyes conveying annoyance, worry... and trust.
Trust in Alise and I's abilities to get out of this just fine.
Seeing that, I can't help but feel my blood boil in excitement.
My husband was really a crazy man, being able to level up so fast and with the skills to fight above his level, it had started, very slightly, to make me feel... lacking.
But this was a chance.
The legendary 'Knight of Knights'... this was a chance to remind myself, my children, and everyone else, that even if Sirius surpasses us, our strength is by no means inadequate.
We had defeated the legendary Alfia the Silence at level 3, even if she was weakened, it was an impressive achievement.
So let's see what we can do now at level 6, shall we?
"Ryuu. This guy's getting on my nerves. I wanna burn off his stupid beard." Alise says with a scowl.
"I agree." I say with a nod.
With Evilus gone, we hadn't had a chance to test our new magic and abilities against a fellow person.
I just hope this old man isn't all talk.
Watching the man for any movements, I begin chanting Spirit of Boreas, intending to deal a quick strike alongside my wife.
My body coated in a layer of rotating wind, I prepare to step forth with both my swords at the ready.
"Let's go, Alise!"
"Yeah! Flagellum!"
The air hisses as Alise finishes chanting her magic, a tendril of roaring flames jutting out from Crimson Justice and licking across the ground.
A beat of silence passes.
And then, with the tensing of my legs being the signal, we both leap forward towards the man, his face unusually serious with his large greatsword held steady in both hands.
While I was by no means a master of intent or my husband's so-called 'anime bullshit', I could tell this guy was strong.
Perhaps even as strong as Alfia was.
The wind howls, muting the rest of the world to my ears as I quickly reach his right side with Alise doing the same on his left.
I was proud to call my speed top class in the world, as I had allowed my agility stat to grow to S with each level up, and that wasn't even considering the speed boost Spirit of Boreas gives me.
So imagine my surprise when a wall of water instantly appeared to intercept my strike.
But water, in front of two swords travelling past the speed of sound, should be able to do nothing to stop a strike.
So why...
Why were both of my swords travelling over his head?
I was sure of my accuracy.
Even as a level 1, my accuracy was never in question thanks to my high dexterity and Kaguya's... intense training.
Yet I had missed.
And with my slashes tracing a path upwards into the air, it's almost as if...
As if it had been redirected.
So that was it.
What an interesting magic.
Or was it a skill?
Breaking me out of my thoughts, the man's greatsword begins tracing a path toward my exposed side while his leg snaps out toward my shins.
If I crouch, I get hit by his leg, and if I jump, I get hit by his sword.
And I'm already too deep into my movement to leap backwards.
A total loss.
But luckily, this wasn't a one-on-one fight.
A whip of fire reaches across the grass, aiming directly for the man's back, forcing him to turn and parry.
Normally, I would use this opportunity to correct the path of my sword, perhaps even step back to correct my stance.
But I had a feeling that wouldn't work on this guy.
He was far more experienced than I and could easily read my moves, so I would need to do something unexpected.
Besides, his movements gave me an idea.
He was, in one word, fluid.
Not unexpected for the Poseidon Familia captain.
But, I also remember something Sirius said in passing, something about his classes in science back in his home world.
'You know Ryuu, when you think about a fluid you think about water, wine, blood and all those liquids, but wind is also a fluid. Or rather, air is. Isn't that interesting?'
Yes, a useless piece of small talk to pass the time.
But right now, it means everything to me.
While I am by no means fluid like water, wind is also a fluid.
Sharp and feral, rather than tranquil and calm.
Knight of Knights, you may be a stream, a river, or whatever you prefer to use, but you are not the only personification of fluidity.
Because I... am a Gale!
The wind howls as I jump up, my swords tracing a path through the open air as my leg lashes out, coated in wind, only to be stopped by his free arms.
But that's fine.
Like a passing breeze, a simple obstruction means nothing to me.
Rotating in the air, my swords that were whistling in tandem through the atmosphere reached the man's torso.
The faint sound of fabric tearing reaches my ears as I finish my dual slash, the air trembling at the raw power I had used.
Leaping back to not receive a retaliatory attack, I look at the thin red line across the man's side, blood oozing in beads from the cut.
So he dodged even that, huh?
But I got him.
He's strong, immensely so.
Perhaps even as strong as Sirius.
But he's not unreachable.
We can do this!
----- Alise POV -----
This guy was tough.
Not tough in the endurance sense, but in his technique and his magic.
A wall of water seemed to appear with every lethal attack, redirecting it in order to make it miss, or at least be redirected toward his sword.
A wonderful defence magic that worked unconsciously.
But at least we found the trick to it in that it could only deal with one attack at a time.
Perfect for our little team-up.
But even without that, he was one hell of a combatant.
Sirius was still above him in pure swordsmanship, and honestly, Ryuu and I were able to keep up with him too on that front.
But his body... his prediction abilities... his martial arts... how he seamlessly flowed through every action as if dancing...
Now that was the problem.
While we had gotten a few burns and slices in, it wasn't enough, and it wasn't like he was sitting idle either.
Grimacing, I wipe off the dirt from my cheek, courtesy of him sending me tumbling across the ground after blocking his sword.
Definitely asking for a massage with Aqua Corona tonight, or maybe at the beach?
Either way, we had to deal with this duel first.
While we could use our ultimate combined move, that was a little overkill.
After all, while this 'Knight' was annoying, he wasn't a bad guy.
Plus, we needed him alive to tell us where the beach was.
"You girls are damn tough! But not tough enough!"
As unfortunate as that was...
"Haa, as I thought. Compared to the Leviathan, adventurers like you are like a fly buzzing around. I mean, I just need a healing potion to get back to full strength, and there goes all your progress!" The man says with a light chuckle.
Ryuu and I's brows simultaneously twitch in annoyance.
Yet still, the annoying man continues.
"C'mon~ Do something!"
Fuck it.
If he wants us to do something, we'll definitely do something.
"Ryuu."
"Yeah, let's."
No more words need to be said as we both begin chanting our magic, myself slowing down, focusing on building power as Ryuu goes through her much longer chant.
With the years we've fought together, synching up like this is nothing.
"Oh? Finally bringing out the big guns, eh?"
The Knight of Knights then raises his sword and begins chanting, water droplets forming in thin air to wrap around his blade.
So he's finally using an attack magic huh?
And how cliche is it to be water?
Well, water versus fire, I guess we'll see who wins.
"Arvelia!" "Luvia!"
Our chants finish in tandem as I let loose a slash containing all my fire enchantment, ensuring it merges into the multiple balls of stardust launched by Ryuu.
A torrent of flames, one we've used time and time again.
The Knight of Knights, on the other hand, brings down his sword at the same time, sending a tidal wave of condensed water to confront our ultimate move.
The strongest magic of three top-class level 6's, all connecting in one place.
...Wait, isn't this like, a really stupid idea?
This is only a duel after all.
Just before the attacks intersect, a flash of gold lands between them, a small purple-black orb beaming towards the tornado of fire as a familiar black katana slashes down toward the tsunami.
The orb grows larger as it quickly swallows our ultimate move before dissipating into nothingness while a web of white lines forms around the water wave, dicing the attack so that it evaporates into the air.
...I don't think water is meant to be cut, but that's my crazy husband for you.
"I think that's quite enough, you three."
His calm voice echoes through the silent surroundings, not bearing a hint of the previous worry or anticipation I had noticed from him earlier.
Oh... he's a little mad, isn't he?
Turning his head towards the Knight of Knights, the old man who was stunned in awed surprise slowly raises his hand in surrender.
"A-Ah, yeah. Seems that we got a bit carried away. Sorry 'bout that! Hahaha..."
Ignoring him, Sirius then turns his gaze towards me and Ryuu.
Narrowed striking blue eyes, radiating love, concern, and... veiled annoyance.
While I definitely felt embarrassed about that, there was also a bit of... excitement radiating from my loins.
This was definitely not the time or situation to be feeling this way, but I can't help but imagine him looking at me like that in bed.
Haa~
Oh.
Oh no.
Do I have a kink like that?
I absolutely cannot let this get out.
"Sorry, Husband. We may... have taken things a little too far." Ryuu says with a faint blush on her cheeks, yet still trying to maintain her serious facade.
A cute combo I've come to really enjoy, much to the thanks of Sirius.
'Gap moe', huh?
"You don't say..."
With a deadpan expression, Sirius looks over the makeshift arena, particularly the two paths of scorched grass and upturned dirt leading straight to him.
...Yeah. Again, went a little too far.
But, ignoring that, I can't believe he just removed both of our attacks like that.
He's... really becoming a monster, huh?
And it seems that the Knight of Knights agrees with me, as he's now looking at Sirius not only with respect but also a mix of fear, excitement, and... sadness?
Why sadness?
Ah, maybe he's upset he wasn't born sooner, or something like that?
I mean, it was said that the slaying of both the Behemoth and the Leviathan caused immense casualties despite the victorious battles, so I imagine there is some... regret there.
...And it's not like I never wished Sirius could have arrived before Ardee died.
But that's in the past.
Now, we have to look forward to the future!
Specifically, the future where my cute Elf wife gets into her new swimsuit.
----- Stella POV -----
...What?
"What?"
My three siblings vocalize their... confusion? Amazement?
I... don't know.
What I do know, was that that whole thing was, quite frankly, insane.
Cliff... Cliff Aradie... I could faintly remember the few times we met on our Familias' joint quest to take out the Leviathan.
A nice man, if not a bit prideful, after his exploits in the slaying of that monster, he was granted the title 'Knight of Knights'.
...Considering he didn't give his actual name while introducing himself, it seems that the title got to his head.
I also noticed Ellie's eyebrow twitch when he asked them to call him 'Knight', so I wasn't alone in my feelings of disappointment.
But, rather than that, holy shit my parents are strong!
Some might not think that Mama Alise and Mama Ryuu did anything special as they only kept one man on the same level to a draw.
Well, those people would be stupid.
A pompous title fit for a pompous man, but it's not like he didn't deserve it.
He was strong, amazingly so, and was often talked about in the same way Zard and my sister were.
Not because of strength, as the two-level 7s were quite obviously above him, but rather that those three were the ones that could easily challenge those above them in levels.
With his natural martial skill paired with his two magics, Spring of Protection, the automatic protection magic that diverted any strikes, and his attack magic Poseidon's Kiss, he was truly a monster on the battlefield, especially on the sea.
But... why did Papa laugh when he chanted Poseidon's Kiss?
Is it some joke from another world I don't understand?
Well, anyways, Mamas are cool, but Papa... well, he's even cooler.
Sorry Mamas, but he took down your attacks like nothing.
"What a crazy man."
I look over to see Leo shake his head in exasperation before calming down with a smile.
A smile bearing a mix of pride and relief.
Hmm... weird.
He told us the story of how his old world went to shit and that his past father died from it, so maybe he's happy his father this time is strong?
Either way, his story, while cool, is also... terrifying.
The Asuras and the other continent, I didn't really care about.
We have monsters here too, after all.
But rather, how his parents reacted to his truth... that was scary.
I'm not under any impression that our secret will survive receiving a falna, not only will Ellie and likely Leo already receive skills and magic from their experience, Hera explained to me that when a God imprints a falna, and updates it, they get a view into the soul's experiences.
So that's... not great.
I just hope, really really hope, that Papa and my Mamas will still love me as their daughter.
After all, my parents... my family... I truly love them.
And unlike Leo, and I guess Alea a little bit, they are the first true family I've had, Alfia not included.
So, even if it's selfish, I want to keep them.
...And hopefully not get that damned disease again.
----- Ryuu POV -----
This was stupid.
Yes, this situation was insanely, utterly stupid.
A foolish endeavour of the highest magnitude.
"Hahaha! Alright, now this is something I can get excited for!" Said the stupid brute.
I think I finally realize why my homeland was so against other races, believing themselves to be higher beings just because of some elongated ears and lifespans.
"Come at me, I'll even let you two have the first move! C'mon~, you aren't scared now, are you?"
It was because of morons like this.
Wasn't the Poseidon Familia supposed to be full of just and respectable heroes?
Why would their captain decide to fight my wife and me, and for fun at that?
Why not Sirius?
I look over to my husband, seeing that he's sitting alongside our children, watching on with a twitching eyebrow, eyes conveying annoyance, worry... and trust.
Trust in Alise and I's abilities to get out of this just fine.
Seeing that, I can't help but feel my blood boil in excitement.
My husband was really a crazy man, being able to level up so fast and with the skills to fight above his level, it had started, very slightly, to make me feel... lacking.
But this was a chance.
The legendary 'Knight of Knights'... this was a chance to remind myself, my children, and everyone else, that even if Sirius surpasses us, our strength is by no means inadequate.
We had defeated the legendary Alfia the Silence at level 3, even if she was weakened, it was an impressive achievement.
So let's see what we can do now at level 6, shall we?
"Ryuu. This guy's getting on my nerves. I wanna burn off his stupid beard." Alise says with a scowl.
"I agree." I say with a nod.
With Evilus gone, we hadn't had a chance to test our new magic and abilities against a fellow person.
I just hope this old man isn't all talk.
Watching the man for any movements, I begin chanting Spirit of Boreas, intending to deal a quick strike alongside my wife.
My body coated in a layer of rotating wind, I prepare to step forth with both my swords at the ready.
"Let's go, Alise!"
"Yeah! Flagellum!"
The air hisses as Alise finishes chanting her magic, a tendril of roaring flames jutting out from Crimson Justice and licking across the ground.
A beat of silence passes.
And then, with the tensing of my legs being the signal, we both leap forward towards the man, his face unusually serious with his large greatsword held steady in both hands.
While I was by no means a master of intent or my husband's so-called 'anime bullshit', I could tell this guy was strong.
Perhaps even as strong as Alfia was.
The wind howls, muting the rest of the world to my ears as I quickly reach his right side with Alise doing the same on his left.
I was proud to call my speed top class in the world, as I had allowed my agility stat to grow to S with each level up, and that wasn't even considering the speed boost Spirit of Boreas gives me.
So imagine my surprise when a wall of water instantly appeared to intercept my strike.
But water, in front of two swords travelling past the speed of sound, should be able to do nothing to stop a strike.
So why...
Why were both of my swords travelling over his head?
I was sure of my accuracy.
Even as a level 1, my accuracy was never in question thanks to my high dexterity and Kaguya's... intense training.
Yet I had missed.
And with my slashes tracing a path upwards into the air, it's almost as if...
As if it had been redirected.
So that was it.
What an interesting magic.
Or was it a skill?
Breaking me out of my thoughts, the man's greatsword begins tracing a path toward my exposed side while his leg snaps out toward my shins.
If I crouch, I get hit by his leg, and if I jump, I get hit by his sword.
And I'm already too deep into my movement to leap backwards.
A total loss.
But luckily, this wasn't a one-on-one fight.
A whip of fire reaches across the grass, aiming directly for the man's back, forcing him to turn and parry.
Normally, I would use this opportunity to correct the path of my sword, perhaps even step back to correct my stance.
But I had a feeling that wouldn't work on this guy.
He was far more experienced than I and could easily read my moves, so I would need to do something unexpected.
Besides, his movements gave me an idea.
He was, in one word, fluid.
Not unexpected for the Poseidon Familia captain.
But, I also remember something Sirius said in passing, something about his classes in science back in his home world.
'You know Ryuu, when you think about a fluid you think about water, wine, blood and all those liquids, but wind is also a fluid. Or rather, air is. Isn't that interesting?'
Yes, a useless piece of small talk to pass the time.
But right now, it means everything to me.
While I am by no means fluid like water, wind is also a fluid.
Sharp and feral, rather than tranquil and calm.
Knight of Knights, you may be a stream, a river, or whatever you prefer to use, but you are not the only personification of fluidity.
Because I... am a Gale!
The wind howls as I jump up, my swords tracing a path through the open air as my leg lashes out, coated in wind, only to be stopped by his free arms.
But that's fine.
Like a passing breeze, a simple obstruction means nothing to me.
Rotating in the air, my swords that were whistling in tandem through the atmosphere reached the man's torso.
The faint sound of fabric tearing reaches my ears as I finish my dual slash, the air trembling at the raw power I had used.
Leaping back to not receive a retaliatory attack, I look at the thin red line across the man's side, blood oozing in beads from the cut.
So he dodged even that, huh?
But I got him.
He's strong, immensely so.
Perhaps even as strong as Sirius.
But he's not unreachable.
We can do this!
----- Alise POV -----
This guy was tough.
Not tough in the endurance sense, but in his technique and his magic.
A wall of water seemed to appear with every lethal attack, redirecting it in order to make it miss, or at least be redirected toward his sword.
A wonderful defence magic that worked unconsciously.
But at least we found the trick to it in that it could only deal with one attack at a time.
Perfect for our little team-up.
But even without that, he was one hell of a combatant.
Sirius was still above him in pure swordsmanship, and honestly, Ryuu and I were able to keep up with him too on that front.
But his body... his prediction abilities... his martial arts... how he seamlessly flowed through every action as if dancing...
Now that was the problem.
While we had gotten a few burns and slices in, it wasn't enough, and it wasn't like he was sitting idle either.
Grimacing, I wipe off the dirt from my cheek, courtesy of him sending me tumbling across the ground after blocking his sword.
Definitely asking for a massage with Aqua Corona tonight, or maybe at the beach?
Either way, we had to deal with this duel first.
While we could use our ultimate combined move, that was a little overkill.
After all, while this 'Knight' was annoying, he wasn't a bad guy.
Plus, we needed him alive to tell us where the beach was.
"You girls are damn tough! But not tough enough!"
As unfortunate as that was...
"Haa, as I thought. Compared to the Leviathan, adventurers like you are like a fly buzzing around. I mean, I just need a healing potion to get back to full strength, and there goes all your progress!" The man says with a light chuckle.
Ryuu and I's brows simultaneously twitch in annoyance.
Yet still, the annoying man continues.
"C'mon~ Do something!"
Fuck it.
If he wants us to do something, we'll definitely do something.
"Ryuu."
"Yeah, let's."
No more words need to be said as we both begin chanting our magic, myself slowing down, focusing on building power as Ryuu goes through her much longer chant.
With the years we've fought together, synching up like this is nothing.
"Oh? Finally bringing out the big guns, eh?"
The Knight of Knights then raises his sword and begins chanting, water droplets forming in thin air to wrap around his blade.
So he's finally using an attack magic huh?
And how cliche is it to be water?
Well, water versus fire, I guess we'll see who wins.
"Arvelia!" "Luvia!"
Our chants finish in tandem as I let loose a slash containing all my fire enchantment, ensuring it merges into the multiple balls of stardust launched by Ryuu.
A torrent of flames, one we've used time and time again.
The Knight of Knights, on the other hand, brings down his sword at the same time, sending a tidal wave of condensed water to confront our ultimate move.
The strongest magic of three top-class level 6's, all connecting in one place.
...Wait, isn't this like, a really stupid idea?
This is only a duel after all.
Just before the attacks intersect, a flash of gold lands between them, a small purple-black orb beaming towards the tornado of fire as a familiar black katana slashes down toward the tsunami.
The orb grows larger as it quickly swallows our ultimate move before dissipating into nothingness while a web of white lines forms around the water wave, dicing the attack so that it evaporates into the air.
...I don't think water is meant to be cut, but that's my crazy husband for you.
"I think that's quite enough, you three."
His calm voice echoes through the silent surroundings, not bearing a hint of the previous worry or anticipation I had noticed from him earlier.
Oh... he's a little mad, isn't he?
Turning his head towards the Knight of Knights, the old man who was stunned in awed surprise slowly raises his hand in surrender.
"A-Ah, yeah. Seems that we got a bit carried away. Sorry 'bout that! Hahaha..."
Ignoring him, Sirius then turns his gaze towards me and Ryuu.
Narrowed striking blue eyes, radiating love, concern, and... veiled annoyance.
While I definitely felt embarrassed about that, there was also a bit of... excitement radiating from my loins.
This was definitely not the time or situation to be feeling this way, but I can't help but imagine him looking at me like that in bed.
Haa~
Oh.
Oh no.
Do I have a kink like that?
I absolutely cannot let this get out.
"Sorry, Husband. We may... have taken things a little too far." Ryuu says with a faint blush on her cheeks, yet still trying to maintain her serious facade.
A cute combo I've come to really enjoy, much to the thanks of Sirius.
'Gap moe', huh?
"You don't say..."
With a deadpan expression, Sirius looks over the makeshift arena, particularly the two paths of scorched grass and upturned dirt leading straight to him.
...Yeah. Again, went a little too far.
But, ignoring that, I can't believe he just removed both of our attacks like that.
He's... really becoming a monster, huh?
And it seems that the Knight of Knights agrees with me, as he's now looking at Sirius not only with respect but also a mix of fear, excitement, and... sadness?
Why sadness?
Ah, maybe he's upset he wasn't born sooner, or something like that?
I mean, it was said that the slaying of both the Behemoth and the Leviathan caused immense casualties despite the victorious battles, so I imagine there is some... regret there.
...And it's not like I never wished Sirius could have arrived before Ardee died.
But that's in the past.
Now, we have to look forward to the future!
Specifically, the future where my cute Elf wife gets into her new swimsuit.
----- Stella POV -----
...What?
"What?"
My three siblings vocalize their... confusion? Amazement?
I... don't know.
What I do know, was that that whole thing was, quite frankly, insane.
Cliff... Cliff Aradie... I could faintly remember the few times we met on our Familias' joint quest to take out the Leviathan.
A nice man, if not a bit prideful, after his exploits in the slaying of that monster, he was granted the title 'Knight of Knights'.
...Considering he didn't give his actual name while introducing himself, it seems that the title got to his head.
I also noticed Ellie's eyebrow twitch when he asked them to call him 'Knight', so I wasn't alone in my feelings of disappointment.
But, rather than that, holy shit my parents are strong!
Some might not think that Mama Alise and Mama Ryuu did anything special as they only kept one man on the same level to a draw.
Well, those people would be stupid.
A pompous title fit for a pompous man, but it's not like he didn't deserve it.
He was strong, amazingly so, and was often talked about in the same way Zard and my sister were.
Not because of strength, as the two-level 7s were quite obviously above him, but rather that those three were the ones that could easily challenge those above them in levels.
With his natural martial skill paired with his two magics, Spring of Protection, the automatic protection magic that diverted any strikes, and his attack magic Poseidon's Kiss, he was truly a monster on the battlefield, especially on the sea.
But... why did Papa laugh when he chanted Poseidon's Kiss?
Is it some joke from another world I don't understand?
Well, anyways, Mamas are cool, but Papa... well, he's even cooler.
Sorry Mamas, but he took down your attacks like nothing.
"What a crazy man."
I look over to see Leo shake his head in exasperation before calming down with a smile.
A smile bearing a mix of pride and relief.
Hmm... weird.
He told us the story of how his old world went to shit and that his past father died from it, so maybe he's happy his father this time is strong?
Either way, his story, while cool, is also... terrifying.
The Asuras and the other continent, I didn't really care about.
We have monsters here too, after all.
But rather, how his parents reacted to his truth... that was scary.
I'm not under any impression that our secret will survive receiving a falna, not only will Ellie and likely Leo already receive skills and magic from their experience, Hera explained to me that when a God imprints a falna, and updates it, they get a view into the soul's experiences.
So that's... not great.
I just hope, really really hope, that Papa and my Mamas will still love me as their daughter.
After all, my parents... my family... I truly love them.
And unlike Leo, and I guess Alea a little bit, they are the first true family I've had, Alfia not included.
So, even if it's selfish, I want to keep them.
...And hopefully not get that damned disease again.
