His existence was perfect.
From the beginning of his being, he was perfect. He was designed by the same Supreme Beings above the Superior Beings.
The Supreme Beings were the ones who created everything. Yggdrasil, the universe. Even the World Eater.
On the other hand, the Superior Beings were... Well, one had to wonder what they were not.
From cooks, architects, alchemists, and farmers, to mages of continental destruction level and warriors capable of withstanding a punch from Heracles without flinching.
The Superior Beings came again and again, no matter how many times they died. Sometimes they themselves did not return by their own choice, or changed completely. They dressed in the remains of Gods and monsters as if they were decorative trophies, just to continue with their eternal hunt.
He was no different. He was one of those powerful Gods who had been hunted countless times. Stabbed, incinerated, frozen, plunged into darkness, blinded by his own light, devoured by the jaws of summoned beasts, crushed. He couldn't count the times he had been killed. And when he died, the Superior Beings simply rummaged through his corpse and gutted it, looking for the best resources they could extract from him. Sometimes they even tore mere pieces of his dead soul, they called them 'Data Crystals', and always stripped him of his divine riches anyway. And a few times, they managed to tear out his heart, or a wing. Or even one of his eyes.
Only once, a group of monstrous Superior Beings, led by a powerful Undead, managed to steal his own bow. He heard they destroyed it to create a more powerful one...
Well, he... Amor, couldn't think anything about it. Because he loved them all equally.
They say God loves unconditionally, and while Amor didn't consider himself a God, as he really wasn't one in exactness, he was like God. He loved unconditionally. And while one might consider God a hypocrite for really loving conditionally only those who follow his doctrines, and sending to Hell those who don't no matter what, Amor wasn't that 'hypocritical'. Amor loved them all equally. His fellow 'Gods', the Supreme Beings who created him, the World Eater, the Superior Beings who killed him so many times... The level 2 bandit waiting in the very first world of them all...
Amor had love to give to everyone. He was made as such. His love was given by the Supreme Beings so that he could give it unconditionally to everyone.
And at the same time, he had a duty. He was the Ultimate Cupid. The creator of couples. The giver of love. Not everyone could love. Not everyone loved. There was hatred all over the world. All over the worlds. And it was HIS duty to give so much love, that the hatred everywhere also became love.
That's how he was created.
Therefore, when he was freed from the 'event' shackles, separated from his 'Valentine's Day Event' brethren, on the day when Valentine's was stronger than ever, and was brought to this unknown and new, but weak world, weaker even than Midgard... He could finally fulfill his purpose.
For hundreds of years, he did his best for the world. He gave love. From helping that golden Dragon have so much love to give to other races, to giving love between two of those Superior Beings nicknamed the 'Kings of Greed', to giving love between that Elf and that human. He gave countless amounts of love all over the world.
Of course, those who tried to attack him, those who tried to defeat him, only suffered merciful and swift deaths at the hands of his bow, or were filled with so much love, that they even wanted to love him back.
But today... Hm... Normally it would be just another day. But Amor knew it. Today was 'Valentine's Day'.
There wasn't a day where he didn't miss his 'Event' companions. Therefore, in his love for them, he could do nothing but pay tribute to them... By giving love to the people.
His first target was a couple of farmers who were on the verge of divorce. His second was an Ogre and an adventurer who were about to kill each other. His third was a Dwarf with a Myconid who barely glanced at each other for a moment before ignoring each other, before Amor came. He even managed to encounter one of his greatest successes~ That blonde 'princess' and that blond boy.
Ah~ Giving them love for each other was a good decision. It saved that boy's life, and now they both love each other. It's a pity that their feelings are reserved for themselves, in their own way. Amor didn't judge, so he didn't care how twisted the princess's love was. He respected it.
However... Hm... It's been a while since he encountered Superior Beings...
Seeing the huge palace hidden behind a pile of artificial mountains, and a structural covering similar to the surface of a mountain... Yet easily eluded by Amor. It was a beautiful palace. He didn't know where it sounded familiar from. But something so beautiful surely would be recognized by Valentine if he were here.
It didn't matter. Pushing aside thoughts from his mind, he proceeded to activate some of his abilities, his powers conferred by the Supreme Beings, to enter the palace. He was going to fulfill his purpose. He would give love to everyone. He would make everyone love.
…
"Do you know what day it is today, Bachelory~?" Black Abyss asked the Minister of Titania as they, together, made their way towards one of the rooms in the beautiful palace, towards Dont's office.
The Doppelgänger could see the box of chocolates that the Supreme was carrying in her hands, which reminded him of something...
"My sincerest apologies, my lady, for the oversight. It hath momentarily escaped my mind. I am aware that on this auspicious February 14th, the Supreme Lords art engaged in the celebration of another significant occasion. Could it be linked to the venerable observance of 'Valentine's Day,' perchance?" He said elegantly, curiously, and politely to his lady, touching his chin with his gloved fingers, trying to recall the details of such a festivity.
Black Abyss smiled and nodded.
"That's right~ Usually, it's a day where people who love each other exchange gifts~" She emphasized the box. "Although in the guild, we all gave each other gifts during this day~ And although sometimes it was just 1 gold, the most common were flowers and chocolates~" She said cheerfully, as Black Abyss was one of the few who truly enjoyed holidays.
"Ah, I perceive, my lady. What a splendid holiday, indeed. In light of its nomenclature, might it be a manifestation of love and esteem...? Pray tell, doth the Supreme Lords bear affection for each other?" He asked with quite curiosity and some excitement. The mere idea of a new barrier of knowledge of the Supreme Lords, the consideration that they loved each other, opened up so many possibilities, so many thoughts. So many theories and ideas...
"Well, yes~ We weren't a big Guild, it was quite small, but very powerful because of how united we were~ That's why we all had great affection and appreciation for each other~ Some even fell in love with each other~ Like Minyibay and Hanzel~ Or Puli~Puli with Pablinski95~ Those were successful cases of Valentine's Day~" Black Abyss exclaimed, causing Bachelory to let out a 'Ooh' very surprised, as he grabbed his chin, of the mask, and almost trembled with emotion.
It was one of the answers he was expecting, but it was impressive.
There were several cases where players from G.O.D.S fell in love, the most well-known was, obviously, when ☆King69Jamon☆ fell in love with Black Abyss•White Flower, as many, many in the guild knew that Black Abyss was actually a man, but the poor Guild Leader refused to accept such a thing... And he wasn't the only one who fell for Black Abyss in reality, becoming a funny topic among the guild's friends.
"That's why it's so important~ And since now it's just Dont and me, I want to show her my appreciation~" A bouquet of flowers appeared in Black Abyss' other hand, red flowers with green stems, which she took from her inventory, as well as a cup of hot coffee on top of the box of chocolates.
The Prime Minister let out another 'Ohh~' as he nodded.
"I see... I see... 'Tis indeed splendid, my lady~ That the Supreme Ladies harbor such admiration for one another~ Particularly in the wake of recent occurrences... It doth fill me with felicity~ Ah, I beg your pardon. I should not have broached that topic." The Doppelgänger bowed his head, and practically knelt... But Bachelory knew that doing so would only delay his lady, and therefore, he didn't.
"Don't worry~ Although I was upset for a good while, we resolved things quite well~ And it's not like I enjoyed being mad at Dont, so I'm very happy to be on good terms again~" Black Abyss' ' :D ' face made Bachelory very happy. The things in Titania had been tense at those times... So he was happy, very happy, about how the relationship between the Supremes had become so wonderful again.
They didn't even notice that they were practically at Dont's room door.
"Go ahead~ I don't have free hands~" Black Abyss said, showing the box of chocolates and the flowers.
"Of course, my lady~" The Doppelgänger nodded, and gently touched the office door.
A few seconds later... It wasn't the usual servant, but Maria herself who opened the door.
"Ah, Lord Bachelory, My Lady Black Abyss... Welcome. May I ask what you desire? Lady Dont is currently busy, and does not wish to be interrupted... To be clearer, she is not here at the moment, and asked me to receive whoever comes to inform them of this." The head of the servants, Maria, informed with an educated and perfectly measured voice towards the Doppelgänger and the Paladin, with a deep bow mainly towards Black Abyss.
"Eh... I see, I suppose I'll leave the gifts on her desk then..." The Supreme said, looking at the box and the bouquet of flowers, somewhat disappointed.
"Of course, my lady. I will let her know that you passed by, and that you brought such gifts. I'm sure Lady Dont will be delighted to receive such appreciation from you..." She said somewhat hesitantly... As if she were hiding something.
"Yes... I would have loved to give them to her myself. But if she's busy, there's nothing to be done~" The Paladin said, giving the box of chocolates, the coffee, and the bouquet of black flowers to Maria.
The Angel servant took the pair of gifts, and gave a deep bow to Black Abyss, before retreating into the office.
Bachelory remained silent, looking at Black Abyss.
"Well~ I'll go back to rest for a bit~ Next week I have to go back to doing things as an Adventurer, so I'll take the opportunity to do what I can in Titania~" Black Abyss said, giving a smile to both NPCs.
"Hm. Indeed, Lady Black Abyss. Thou art most welcome to request aught thou requireth~ For the nonce, I must take my leave to attend to the governance of Titania."
"Good luck, my lady. I don't want to give you any more trouble. If you need anything from this servant, just ask." Maria bowed.
Black Abyss just waved her hand, and turned around, leaving the pair of NPCs alone..
…
Amor glided through the beautiful corridors of the palace.
He saw Demons, Fallen Angels, Onis acting as servants here. None of them seemed truly in need of love... Hm...
He continued to float with subtlety, invisible, until finally reaching what was the southern part of the palace, in a way. It was practically a room that led to a huge marble mansion, but filled with insects and knights, and other creatures everywhere beneath the mansion atop the mountain of insect nests made of magnificent white silk, perfectly blending with the mansion's aesthetic in a divine manner.
He hummed to himself and floated, avoiding every moth or butterfly that flew around.
Ironically, it was more of a paradise of white than an insect nest. He flew among the white flowers that surrounded the marble path and finally arrived at the mansion.
He had to enter through an open window into the modern interior that mimicked a beehive mixed with modern marble things. It was strange to describe, really.
Eventually... He came across a pair of individuals who were... Hating each other... Mm... The perfect target~
…
The perfect and absolute Superbia, the Archduchess of Titania, was quietly drinking coffee in a perfect chair within her mansion. In her domain.
Here, she was the owner, only beneath the Supreme Lords.
But... Even so, she couldn't avoid the 'hassles' from time to time... Like the annoying hassle she was having right now...
"I don't like your face. You're ugly." With a neutral voice, the man in front of the table said.
"Hm~ You need a mirror to start saying those things, lizard~" Superbia replied in an attempt to remain indifferent, but a vein was already bulging on her temple.
Achernar opened an inventory and surprisingly pulled out a mirror, placing it in front of Superbia.
"Do you see what I'm saying?"
"Hm~ I only see perfect beauty~ Maybe if you look in the mirror you can see the ugliness you're looking for~" She said as she took another elegant sip.
The servants around the room just remained silent. They couldn't do anything anyway. Whether it was because of the punishment Superbia would give them if they broke etiquette, or the uselessness of wanting to make a superior, one of the Commanders personally made by the Supreme Lords, stop at all.
"Hmp. Listen, insect, tell me everything you know about Valentine's Day." Achernar said, sitting on one of the white chairs in front of Superbia, staring at her intently.
"Mm~? Valentine's Day you say..." Superbia stopped, and looked at Achernar. "And why should I tell you~? First you come to insult me and now you demand things~? Hmp~ What a lizard without manners~" She hummed, taking out a fan, and starting to 'refresh' herself with it.
Achernar let out a slight growl similar to that of a crocodile, before speaking again.
"My creator, the Sacred Black Abyss•White Flower, sent me to you. Supposedly for... Valentine's Day to do its thing. That's why I need to know, moth." The Dragonoid explained, staring at her intently.
Superbia slightly furrowed her brow.
"Valentine's Day to do its thing...? Well... If it was an order from Lady Black Abyss..." The Insectoid sighed, and placed her cup on the table. "To be honest, I'm not very informed about the subject. But Lady Puli~Puli once came to the Mansion with permission from Lord Camello-Soberbio to build a 'Love Nest' as I recall. It's a room here. It's something strange, as it changes the aesthetic from pure white to pink and red, but it's for a couple with certain conditions to enter, and, according to the laws of the room, they can't leave until they complete a condition." She shrugged, taking her cup once more. "I never entered, as I don't have someone to enter with to review such conditions, and such 'laws', as they were not informed to me either, so it's there. My servants can enter and exit individually without any problem to keep the divine place created by the Supremes clean and shining." She said with evident pride... More than she had in her whole monologue.
"I see..." Achernar seemed somewhat pensive for a moment, then staring intently at Superbia. "No time to waste then. If a couple is what is needed, then we are already two. That place may be the reason why my creator sent me here, moth."
The Archduchess made a disgusted grimace for a moment. The idea of being with Achernar itself didn't thrill her much... But...
"Hmp... Very well~ I'll allow it, as this seems to be premeditated by the Supremes. There wouldn't be any other reason for them to send you here, with such doubts, and with me having such a place." The Insectoid held back an undue sigh, and rose after putting away the fan and leaving her cup on the table. "Clean the table. I'll go with Achernar to the 'Love Nest'. Do not interrupt us. Even if you are my guards, and he is insufferable, he is more than all of you combined." She said with emphasis on 'insufferable' towards the servants.
These, among knights, insectoids, and others, could only obey, bowing in silence, and starting to mobilize.
"Alright then, lizard. Follow me~ I'll take you there~" She ordered with a diva smile.
"Hmp. Finally, you're useful." He muttered, going towards her, receiving her deadly, but smiling gaze.
The Insectoid resisted showing any undue display of personality, and only walked with a proud and elegant step through her domains.
Of course, she also enjoyed teasing Achernar by walking slowly~
Therefore, she intentionally lengthened the path even more. Going around the wrong corners that, technically, were a way to get to the room.
She circled around stairs and corridors... Well, like Le Nouveau Versailles, the Southern Mansion of Titania was a maze of pure white.
Except there were no traps on this floor, only some poisons and light effects to affect invaders, and players with sensitive eyes to light. Although G.O.D.S. was once almost sued by an invader for giving him seizures.
Eventually, after long walks of Achernar's complaints and Superbia's measured giggles, the Insectoid got tired, and decided to guide him properly, arriving in front of the only door of a different color.
Instead of being white, platinum, or silver, it was pink, and had a heart-shaped form surrounded by gold decorations.
"This is..." Achernar looked at the door with narrowed eyes. Was this place the reason why his creator had sent him with this annoying moth...?
"It's the Love Nest. Yes. Quite flashy, if I may say. But it's not like I would deny its existence. Nothing the Supremes do should be denied~ They have absolute right after all~" The moth hummed.
"Stop wasting time then, and let's enter." Achernar said approaching the door, grabbing the golden knob and turning it, thus opening the door.
"Hmp~ Very well~" Superbia hummed, and pushed Achernar out of the way with a hip check, passing first with a slight giggle.
"Tch." He grunted at the moth's antics, but walked nevertheless behind her into the room, seeing its pink interior with red lights, having only a heart-shaped bed. There weren't even any windows. What was the purpose of this place...?
Superbia hummed, examining the room carefully for the first time since its creation.
"Wow, it smells like roses." She muttered. She approached a side door and opened it, revealing a... small bathroom, although it had a bathtub, a shower, and a jacuzzi.
Was it some sort of guest room...? She wasn't very sure yet.
"Well~ It doesn't seem like there are many interesting things around here~ I examined some items here, and there are only poisons with effects of charm and lust. Some for drowsiness and others for weakness... It seems to be a trap~ Well, not very useful against high-level beings, obviously." She shrugged, having finished her evaluation of the room.
"No... There must be something else here..." Achernar said, looking around carefully, but both NPCs watched as the door began to slowly close, until it was completely shut, with the lock clicking into place...
A droplet of sweat fell from Achernar's forehead as he approached the door and tried to open the doorknob, but... it wouldn't budge...
"A trap... You were right..." The Dragonoid exclaimed.
"... Ugh, open it, lizard. I don't want to be locked in here with your unpleasant odor~" Superbia pulled out her fan again, covering the lower part of her face.
"Shut up. I don't want to break the door created by Supreme Puli~Puli... It's worth more than you, and me... and anyone else..." Achernar said, crouching down and peering through the keyhole, examining the mechanism... But it didn't seem possible to open it. "How did you say this place works, moth?"
"Well, you can only leave under certain conditions, hypothetically. Ugh. Go under the door or something and open it from the outside. I don't want to waste my abilities on something so trivial~" She ordered. And it was true that they weren't going to break the door under any circumstances.
Achernar placed a hand on the door and closed his eyes slightly.
"[Darkness Being: Fusion]" He said, starting to take on the same color as the shadows of the room, seeming to become a black liquid that fell to the ground, a shadow, which tried to pass under the pink door.
"... Well, lizard? Or are you so useless that you can't even do that? Ohoho~ What a laugh~" Superbia laughed, with a hand in front of her mouth, barely muffling the laughter, but with the poise of a noble.
But then, some sort of hearts emerged from the door, pushing the shadow back, which reverted to Achernar's form.
"A barrier..." He said, standing up and taking his natural color again.
"Hm~ How useless~ And you call yourself a Commander~? Fufu~" Superbia mocked from the side.
He looked at her and pointed to the door. "Surprise me if you can, insect." It sounded like a challenge.
"Hmph~ Watch and learn, lizard~" Superbia chuckled under her breath, and became slightly transparent for a moment, becoming ethereal, and floating towards a wall that led outside.
...A few moments later, some hearts pushed her out of the wall, making her fall onto the bed.
Achernar looked at her, and although her face was covered, Superbia could tell he had a wide grin...
"Tch... What is this barrier anyway?" The Insectoid grunted, getting up from the bed and approaching the door, using an identification spell. "VIP Barrier for Amor Couples...? Amor Escape Denial? Anti-Hate Wall? These are... There are like 19 different high-level barriers just in this room..." She blinked, completely confused. "B-But... Only the Throne Room, the Singular Room, and the Treasuries have more defenses than this room... What the heck...? Why would Lady Puli~Puli set up this trap in a random place in my area...?"
Superbia continued to investigate the barriers until they seemed to 'respond'.
A message in magical letters appeared in front of the door, causing Superbia to step back and Achernar to go on guard...
The duo of Commanders blinked as they read the content.
'You cannot leave this room until you have sex.'
... Huh?
…
Amor hummed happily as he finished placing the barriers to prevent the duo from escaping the room without fulfilling the conditions of the room, which conveniently aligned with Amor's desires.
It seemed that the creators of such a room understood a lot about love.
With his objective accomplished in this place, he proceeded to leave, in search of more entities in need of love throughout the palace.
…
Miia blinked as she looked at the knight in front of her.
"Alucard..." The Fairy murmured monotonously.
"Miia..." He replied.
The duo stared at each other in silence.
"What do you want?" Echidna only watched from behind the Archer, silently.
"I was informed that today is Valentine's Day by Achernar after encountering him earlier. I went to the library to research, and apparently it's an event where a man and a woman give each other flowers and spend time together." He explained without any hesitation, being completely honest with his companion.
The Fairy tilted her head to the side.
"So you came to me for that?"
"Yes. I understand that you're free after the event where you had to use one of your strongest abilities, so I decided to come to you instead of bothering others in Titania. If you don't want to, I can leave." The knight said.
Miia blinked and looked back at Echidna.
The giant armor only gave her a thumbs up and something that was conveyed silently.
"Mm... Echidna says it's okay... What do you want to do then?"
"First, I brought you some flowers. They're made of metal, as I understand they have to suit your taste. I asked Din to make them." Alucard reached into his inventory and pulled out the bouquet of flowers, handing it to Miia.
It was a bunch of colorful metal flowers, perfectly mimicking real flowers.
"... Thank you. They're beautiful." Miia nodded, taking the flowers and handing them to Echidna afterward. "Is that all?" She asked curiously.
"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk around Titania. I understand that strengthens friendship during Valentine's Day." Alucard nodded.
"Mm. Sure. Echidna, also take a rest. If you want, go visit Fanrir, or well, whatever you want." She said to the armor behind her, receiving a 'silent' response.
The Fairy smiled weakly, slightly changing her normally monotone face.
Then she looked back at Alucard and nodded.
"Let's go then. I'd like some ice cream." She mentioned.
"Of course. We can stop by the Silver Citadel." The knight smiled.
The pair of Commanders began to walk away from the West Tower, leaving Echidna alone and in silence.
The Mecha Armor nodded to herself and placed the flowers in a container before deciding to head to the treasury. She would chat a bit with Fanrir~
…
Amor watched the pair of individuals walk away from that towering tower, smiling as he saw the duo getting along. His intervention wasn't necessary. There was plenty of love there~
Nodding to himself, he moved on, beginning to search for some hatred to turn into love~
…
In the Temple of the Spiritual Fox, the interactions between the Mikos were... Quite diverse. And between Black Abyss and Dont, they could spend days without leaving here, just watching the Mikos amusedly.
And even though they were not in this place right now, it didn't stop the Mikos.
"Mochi! Don't grab onto my breasts!" Tamamo said somewhat annoyed to the other Miko.
"Moo~ But you're so cute when I do it~ You make such adorable sounds~ Haha~" The Oni smiled playfully as she squeezed a little underneath the qipao of the other Miko.
"Tch. You know why I do it... You can't just touch me like that..." Tamamo said blushing, watching Mochi's hands do as they pleased.
"Why not~? It's a shame not to take advantage of what one has~ Besides~ Consider it a bonding activity between sisters~ I'm sure Amasu, Saku, and Mikon would agree~" Mochi laughed, squeezing a little tighter while rubbing her cheek against Tamamo's neck.
G-Guh... Tamamo could already imagine the reactions of the others... Saku would blush to her ears and stay still out of embarrassment, Amasu would join in with total joy on the subject, and Mikon... Well, it was actually hard to imagine how Mikon would react. She was quite open but reserved at the same time.
Of course, Mishirifus would definitely put a stop to any 'excess' of commotion with a heavy hand... But Tamamo doubted that Amasu and Mochi wouldn't tease her as well.
"M-Mo... Don't you ever get tired of... This...?" Tamamo murmured, looking away in embarrassment.
"Nyo~ I love squeezing your breasts~ They're so soft~" The Oni purred, before having a great idea, removing her hands, much to Tamamo's relief. "Ah~! I know how to make you feel better about it~!" She said cheerfully.
"E-Eh...? W-What do you mean...?" Tamamo asked hesitantly.
"Touch me too~! That way we're even, and you won't feel so shy~" Mochi lowered the fabric that vaguely covered her chest, stomach, and crotch, causing the other Oni to practically blush like a tomato and release a strong nosebleed. "Come on~ Touch as much as you want, Tama-chan~" The White Oni encouraged as she placed her hands underneath the good pair of flesh orbs, lifting them slightly.
Tamamo regained her composure and growled at her.
"F-Fine! I-If you insist so much on these things!" She said with a loud but embarrassed voice, sounding tender to Mochi, who saw Tamamo's hands grab her breasts tightly, embracing the softness of her flesh with her fingers, then grabbing the two peaks with her fingers and pulling outward. "A-Are you happy!?" Tamamo asked, totally red.
"Mm~ So rough~ But yes~ It makes me happy that you care about me so much, Tama-chan~" The White Oni smiled with a personality twisted thanks to a certain Demon Queen who designed her, before Mochi pounced on Tamamo and hugged her against her chest. "Hehe~ Did you know~? I heard from Mishirifus that it's Valentine's Day~ I would have prepared chocolate if I had known earlier, but I didn't have time obviously~ So~"
Tamamo blinked as she was pulled away from the good pair of soft pillows above her, and received a deep kiss between her lips.
The Hannya could only squeal with embarrassment as the kiss took place before Mochi broke it without a trace of shame. Just a slight blush.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Tama-chan~ We have to have a party to celebrate it among the 6 of us later~ I'll make sure to arrange it and we can exchange improvised gifts among all of us~" The Oni smiled at her before releasing the stunned and somewhat dazed Miko, and pulling up her lowered fabric. "See you later, Tama-chan~" She waved before floating away quickly... She was so energetic...
Tamamo was left dumbfounded and blushing for a moment before shaking her head and sighing with a blush.
"G-Guh... What a troublesome one..." She muttered, but she didn't want to admit that she didn't like her either. And she didn't want to admit it, but she was somewhat looking forward to the night.
…
Amor hummed happily as he left the jungle room, satisfied that there was so much love in this place. Even among these Onis~
It seemed that this jungle and this oriental temple did not need his love, so he also had to withdraw.
It was a pity that he didn't find as many targets as those two from before whom he left in a room, but oh well. It was also good that there was so much love~
Therefore, with a renewed smile, Amor left the jungle room.
He would have to find his next target.
...
Dont-Say-My-Name hummed as she received the [Message] from her subordinate that everything was ready.
She smiled cheerfully and grabbed one of the lists, crossing off a target.
She looked at the next target and blinked. She reached into her inventory, searching for a watch, and checked the time... Wow... Perfect timing~
She thought she wouldn't make it even if she started everything yesterday... But this is magnificent~
When she found out that Valentine's Day was approaching, she decided... To make a big effort. An effort to... At least make amends as a group. She still felt bad about hiding things from Black Abyss... So she started with this list after thinking for a moment~ She told the necessary NPCs and subordinates to keep it a surprise, and worked day and night~ Literally.
Of course. Technically, she was still hiding things from Black Abyss with this... But it was something good, and for her, so it should be fine~ Although he couldn't deny that she was a little afraid she would get angry...
Anyway~ It was time for the last step on the list~
"[Message] Maria~ Invite them~" She smiled widely. Time for a nice surprise~
…
Black Abyss walked through the halls of the beautiful Titania, feeling a slight change in the atmosphere due to Valentine's Day~
She was somewhat sad that she couldn't personally give Dont the bouquet of flowers, chocolates, and coffee... But at least she would receive them~ She just hoped Dont wouldn't take too long, or the coffee would get cold, after all, she really liked that~
Apart from that, she was extremely happy. By this time, Achernar and Superbia would surely be making amends; she had noticed that they didn't get along as well as she had hoped, so she wanted them to become friends~
With that, more or less everything in Titania would have returned to normal~ She was extremely content with that~
Of course... She still felt a little uneasy in the back of her mind about how secretive Maria was being... That... Well... She really didn't want to suspect... She really wanted to trust Dont... But she couldn't help but have at least a little doubt...
Of course, her conscience gave her a mental slap on the back of her head and told her never to lose faith in what she believed in. And it reduced the doubt to just a tiny, insignificant possibility that was crushed into nothing but dust at the back of her mind...
She shook her head and blinked when she felt a [Message] connection request.
She didn't hesitate to accept the request.
"Hello?" She said as she stood still in the hallway, waiting for a response.
(L-Lady Black Abyss~!) The sweet voice of Eyesight came to her mind, shy as always... And excited, for a bit of joy for Black Abyss.
"Ah~ Eyesight~ It's good to hear from you~ How are you?" Black Abyss asked, happy to be able to talk to her.
(I-I'm fine, Lady Black Abyss~ Thank you for asking~) She could almost see the cute little smile on the Gorgon's face~ So adorable~ (A-Ah, right… Am… Y-You are... Erm... F-Formally invited to a gathering at Le Nouveau Versailles, organized by Queen D-Dont-Say-My-Name~ I-If you want, I can take you there~) Eyesight stammered.
Black Abyss smiled and nodded, although she found it a bit strange that she hadn't been informed about it before...
"Very well~ Would you like to go with me?" She asked Eyesight with a smile.
(I-It would be an honor, L-Lady Black Abyss~) The girl said, quite shyly.
"Fufu~ Alright, I'll wait for you here, Eyesight~" The Supreme said, before cutting the connection, waiting for a brief moment before a portal opened in front of her.
The girl hesitated before passing through the portal, somewhat shy... But the two Dragon heads made of red blood or energy, upon seeing Black Abyss, practically lunged at her with pure excitement, pulling the Gorgon so that they could get closer to the Paladin.
"Hello~ Castor~ Pollux~" Black Abyss said with a smile as she saw the draconic heads rush towards her, patting and caressing the excited creatures~
They cuddled against her and licked her hands, making Eyesight feel embarrassed, as she felt just like Castor and Pollux, only much shyer.
"Come here, Eyesight~" Black Abyss said to the little Gorgon.
"Y-Yes!" She chirped timidly, approaching Black Abyss while looking somewhat embarrassed at the ground.
Then, the young Eyesight felt both of the angelic Paladin's hands on her head, giving her lots and lots of pats and strokes on her blonde hair.
"You're such a good girl~ You've been working very hard~" Black Abyss praised her with many pats and strokes, while Castor and Pollux cuddled against the Supreme's legs, extremely content.
Eyesight couldn't help but let out some happy giggles at the pats~
Black Abyss smiled, but cleared her throat, remembering the reason why Eyesight had come. She didn't want... She didn't want to keep Dont waiting~
"Alright, Eyesight~ Let's go then~" The Supreme exclaimed, straightening up proudly again, although Castor and Pollux were gently tapping her hands in search of caresses, which she couldn't resist giving them.
"A-Ah! Yes!" The girl recovered and extended a hand after giving the two dragon heads a little tap on the head to calm them down.
Using [Gate] silently, the abyss of pure red opened into a stellar void of red stars and blood. Black Abyss smiled and took a step forward.
Once she crossed the portal... She blinked.
"This is..."
After all, there was quite an incredible decoration...
Heart cutouts everywhere, white doves flying around and delivering things to those who needed them, as if they were servants... Although they seemed to be made of white chocolate...
Ah, yes, White Heart Doves. Valentine's Day NPCs of little value, and they were free to summon and resummon.
{White Heart Doves PNG}
Chocolate fountains, bonbons, and cake. And any chocolate. They were high-quality kitchen chocolates, most likely made by Manjar de Pan or Mariana Fosa…
From May Breeze, a white chocolate heart surrounded by purple and white flowers.
{May Breeze PNG}
Even a Grand Chocolate, which was a huge dark chocolate heart with the words 'Long Live Love' in pink frosting on each table.
{Grand Chocolate PNG}
And the most typical of Dont, a small table with a bowl of blue ice like waves, with white chocolate acting as sand with candies acting as typical beach items, with blue juice on the side acting as water, and a pair of Ice Penguins, with a small Ice Penguin in front of both~ They were downsized POPs from the Mystic Lake and stood still for decoration... How cute~
{Ice Penguin Island~ PNG}
A huge red heart floating in place of a chandelier as there would normally be at the entrance of the 'Palace of Versailles' that Dont made... All while white feathers fell like a gentle rain.
{Heavenly Heart PNG}
There was even a tower of white chocolate and piles of more candies in the middle of the room, with a blue bow with a crescent moon at the tip.
{White World's End PNG}
I remembered that… It was a… White World's End, or something like that. A joke treat that came from a recipe to make of an event with good positive effects when consumed.
And in the whole room, heaps of other NPCs.
Alucard, Miia and Echidna, Bulldoger, Fanrir, the Mikos, Gandolfo, Kronos in a form not so terrifying for Dont, Bachelory, Mimosa…
Achernar and Superbia, who were very far from each other and with quite similar positions of complete annoyance, but slight blushes on their faces…
Well… It seems they didn't get along very well after all… This was… Wonderful…
But… Eyesight said that this was something organized by Dont… Where was she…? Was this what María was trying to hide…? A Surprise Valentine's Day party…?
"""Welcome, Lady Black Abyss.""" She heard all the NPCs say in unison, making a reverence towards her, who smiled and waved her hand.
But the Supreme looked at Eyesight then.
"And Dont?" She asked to the little one, as everyone was already there…
"I-I… I t-thought she was here too…?" Eyesight stammered nervously, seeming to try to remember if she forgot something…
However, the sound of a door opening was heard, and María was seen standing there.
"Queen Dont-Say-My-Name announces her entrance. Everyone, have a Happy Valentine's Day." She announced with a neutral expression, but clear happiness.
A droplet fell from Black Abyss's forehead at the beginning, but she smiled at the end.
And there she was. The hostess apparently.
Dont was radiant as always, with a wide smile. "Greetings, darlings~ I hope you all have a good Valentine's Day~ I brought chocolate for everyone~ Thank Mariana and Manjar for most of it~ Other things I took from my personal inventory~" Announced the Demon Queen who made her appearance.
Black Abyss simply smiled seeing the NPCs happy, greeting Dont, and looking at the chocolates that several servants brought personally, each one with a tag with names on them.
Achernar received his, a 'Up-to-Date Gifted Confectionery', which were two round and dark chocolates with flower patterns, with about three chocolate plates with golden details, and a red flower on the side of the plate.
{Up-To-Date Gifted Confectionery PNG}
Alucard also received his, a 'Sincere Chocolate With Sermon Included,' a joke item for couples who wanted to voice some loving complaint to their beloved.
{Sincere Chocolate With Sermon Included PNG}
Everyone... Everyone had a special one made just for them, and all present received their Valentine's gift.
Interestingly, Superbia already had a chocolate, a... The Best Sealed Delight? She recalled Puli~Puli using one on Valentine's Day before taking her to a project he had at the South Mansion, Superbia's home for something... Huh... Well, it would be a waste not to use it A beautiful black box crafted with gold details and silver edges, with chocolate gummies inside~
{The Best Sealed Delight PNG}
Well, Black Abyss didn't dwell on it too much.
Although she was the only one with empty hands... Feling somewhat disappointed and... Distanced from the group...
However...
"Black Abyss~" She heard Dont's voice. "How are you~? E-Everything okay since then~?" She asked with a smile, and looking somewhat... Uneasy to the side. "Sorry for keeping this from you... I wanted it to be a surprise~"
"It's okay~ This is indeed a nice surprise~" Black Abyss nodded towards her, giving her a smile that seemed to calm her quite a bit.
"Fufu~ I see~ I'm glad to hear that~" She smiled brightly. "Oh, by the way. You'll notice that, obviously, you don't have any chocolate~" She pointed out the obvious.
"Hard not to notice~..." She said somewhat embarrassed.
"Well... I gave the other NPCs things from my inventory that I saved from Valentine's Day, or asked Mariana and Manjar de Pan to make the chocolate, since they have the skills and all... And... Well... I wanted to..." She moved somewhat shyly. "Give you one made by me~" She said with a smile.
Black Abyss raised an eyebrow, quite curious, because from what little she knew of Dont, she could burn water...
"Is that so~? How interesting~ I also made mine for you, did you receive them?"
"Oh~? Not yet. No~" She tilted her head, and Maria, by her side, smiled.
"My queen. Lady Black Abyss came to your office earlier to give you some gifts. I wanted... Sorry for my audacity, to save them for the right moment for you. Lady Black Abyss wanted to give them to you in person, but you weren't there." The angelic servant said.
Dont let out an 'Oh...', while giving the Paladin an apologetic look.
Maria reached into her inventory... And began to pull out all the homemade delicacies Black Abyss made~
{Black Abyss's Gift PNG}
It was a large square box, red with a golden bow. The moment Dont opened it, another heart-shaped box appeared, a double box~
She saw the golden chocolates from the square box, and the dark, glazed red heart-shaped ones from the box of the same shape.
Additionally, Maria pulled out one more thing. Because if Black Abyss did something, she always did it completely, and she couldn't have all those sweets without that beautiful bitter coffee~
"Happy Valentine's Day~" Black Abyss said, looking at Dont with a smile, while the latter looked amazed at everything the Paladin had made and given her.
"W-Wow~" Dont looked... Well, very happy, she jumped and hugged Black Abyss very tightly, inadvertently suffocating her between her well-endowed attributes. "Thank you, Black Abyss~!... Now I feel bad..." She murmured, backing away at the end.
"Hehe~ Bad~? Why ?" The Angel asked, doubtful, but amused.
Dont laughed nervously and reached into her inventory.
Black Abyss blinked when she saw a huge piece of coal on a black plate.
"What's that?" She asked, looking at it.
"I-It's... Um... Your chocolate..." Dont muttered embarrassedly... "I-It burned... I tried many times but... It didn't work..."
Mariana and Manjar de Pan, on the side, could only cry out of sheer despair at not being able to help their queen cook a chocolate for Lady Black Abyss... Even when they ended up doing 90% of it... I-It wasn't to speak ill of their queen, but... Well... She had negative talent for cooking.
Black Abyss took the piece of coal and observed it for a moment before smiling and approaching Dont, giving her a hug.
"Thank you~ I really appreciate your intention~" She whispered to the Demon.
"Mm~ Well, anyway I wasn't going to give you that chocolate... Well, coal..." She chuckled somewhat touched and embarrassed. "First~" Dont stepped back, reaching into her inventory... And a bouquet of colorful crystal flowers and small diamond roses appeared wrapped in rainbow paper. "A Sweet Bouquet Avalon~ They're edible, as you know, and very sweet~ Cultivated in my part of the Draconic Court Garden~"
{Sweet Bouquet Avalon PNG}
"Wow~ They're beautiful~" Black Abyss said, taking the flowers, then looking at Maria, who nodded and pulled out a bouquet of flowers too. "For my part, I tried to go more traditional~..."
{Roses PNG}
They were beautiful roses, with a pink ribbon and a pink chocolate in the form of a hat on top of them. Black Abyss gently gave them to Dont with a smile.
"They're lovely~" The Demon Queen smiled, taking them and smelling them a little, sighing contentedly and storing them in her inventory~ "Also~ I'm not just going to give you flowers~ You gave me coffee and everything~ I wanted to give you... Let me look for it~" She chuckled a bit as she rummaged through her inventory.
Of course, neither of the Supremes noticed how closely the NPCs were watching them.
Eventually, Dont found what she was looking for, an 'Aja~'... And pulled out a long trident made of red chocolate, with the blades on the sides being more square and long, and the middle one more pointed but short.
{Choclate Trishula PNG}
"It's the Chocolate Trishula~ It's a Legendary weapon from a Valentine's event that you missed once~ I never used it, so I left it in the treasury, but now I want to give it to you~ It's technically edible, and it regenerates even if you eat it, so it's an infinite chocolate~ Plus, it's pretty broken, to be honest~ Although it's not as good as your weapons~" Dont explained briefly, offering her the long spear.
Black Abyss looked surprised at the culinary masterpiece, taking it with one hand, very gently for fear of breaking it.
She didn't put away any of the gifts Dont gave her, holding them in her hands with care, as she opened her arms towards her, waiting to hug her, with a wide smile, a smile that Dont missed a lot unknowingly, until she saw it again.
The pair of Players hugged each other, in front of all the NPCs, their hearts melting at the beauty of it all~
What a lovely Valentine's Day~
...
Amor watched the scene, noticing that a large part of the entities in this palace had gathered there... And couldn't help but be touched by seeing the pair of women exchanging chocolates and flowers with so much love...
That... That was truly the value of Valentine's Day~ What Saint Valentine and many of his fellow 'Event' members wished for...
However, Love noticed something... These two... Superior Beings... Were destined to have different opinions. Not because he was a seer or anything like that. But because, he could see it.
The Angel had a kind, generous heart... And the Demon had a cruel, evil heart... Even if they loved each other as friends... They were destined to have many conflicts like this...
Amor had a lot of love to give... And he smiled.
He took out his bow, and prepared his 'blessings'.
The pair of women didn't even notice this, as they were distracted, with their defenses down, and the attack itself wasn't really an attack...
Their destinies were forcibly changed by a thread that no one could see, tying their fingers together without them realizing it... A thread of red.
With this done... Amor smiled, and concluded his adventure in this beautiful palace.
He had a lot of love to give to the world~ And he would give it~
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Name: Amor
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