Dionysus stared into Alex's rainbow-colored eyes, which seemed devoid of any warmth. All he could see in those eyes was cold disdain, fueling his growing anger. Feeling his jaw being clenched tighter and tighter, he tried to suppress the waves of rage caused by the failure of his plan. His gaze flickered to the adventurers who were watching the scene, and his eyes filled with arrogance. How could these pathetic mortals dare to look at him, a god, with such expressions?
Trying once more to summon his divine power, Dionysus realized it was blocked. His Arcanum, which was supposed to serve as a shield, proved useless. Understanding that his power was suppressed, he looked at Alex with hatred, suspecting that he was the reason. But when their eyes met, a wave of fear ran through Dionysus's body—there was something hidden in those rainbow-colored eyes that he couldn't comprehend.
Alex, however, calmly observed the changes in Dionysus's expression—arrogance, anger, and despair flickering across his face. Deep down, Alex wondered: what was the point of this god's actions? Was it all just to assert his divine superiority? Why do villains like Dionysus strive so hard to prove their exceptionalism? Alex simply sighed, realizing he was facing yet another idiot with primitive motives.
"Listen carefully, Dionysus. When I let go of your jaw, you'd better answer my questions and not spout nonsense. Got it?" Alex tightened his grip, emphasizing the seriousness of his intentions. "Now, before I remove my hand, Loki, give me my box."
"Mmm, and why do you need it?" Loki drawled lazily, narrowing her eyes mischievously.
"Loki, are you serious? Or do you just want to keep the box for yourself?" Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Maybe," Loki shrugged playfully.
"Hand over the box, or I'll spank you in front of everyone," Alex threatened, pointing a finger at her.
"I don't mind if it's in private," Loki began to wriggle coquettishly.
"Ugh, pervert," Hestia said with disgust, wrinkling her nose.
"Shut up, shorty!" Loki snapped back.
Alex watched this scene unfold, unable to understand why they started arguing now. Wasn't there a crucial interrogation happening in the middle of the street, in front of everyone? Tired of yet another pointless squabble, Alex sighed again and turned his attention to how Hestia and Loki were pulling at each other's cheeks, exchanging insults.
Someone on the side was already taking bets on who would win, and even Alex was tempted to place a wager. However, he decided it would be rude to the girls he had relationships with.
"Alright, you'll have time to fight later," Alex said, raising his voice to distract the two goddesses from their latest clash. "We have more important matters at hand."
"She started it," the goddesses said simultaneously, pointing fingers at each other.
"If you want to fight, go home and have your duel in the arena as usual," Alex added with a tired look. His words only elicited disappointed grumbles from those who had placed bets. Even the girls from Hestia's familia had managed to bet on the fight.
"I'll talk to you both at home," he added quietly, turning to them, causing them to guiltily avert their eyes.
The goddesses' battle ceased, but they still glared at each other with a clear desire to continue. Alex could only sigh in exhaustion: wasn't there a hostage here who was trying to escape?
If he hadn't been restraining Dionysus, the god would have long since bolted, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust behind. Feeling another attempt by Dionysus to break free, Alex tightened his grip on the god's jaw even more, forcing him to stop resisting. Dionysus heard a crack in his mouth and thought that with such force, he might have lost a tooth.
"Alright, Loki, hand over the box. I just want to ask him a couple of questions before taking him for his 'procedure,'" Alex said in a tired voice, reaching out to the goddess.
"Boo, you're such a bore," Loki grumbled as she started rummaging through her bag, pulling out a pile of empty alcohol bottles.
"Loki-sama, were you drinking again during the battle?" Riveria, who had remained calm, asked, causing Loki to start fidgeting nervously.
"No! How could I? I'm an exemplary goddess!" Loki defended herself with obvious nervousness, but her voice betrayed her unease, and under Riveria's piercing gaze, she began to lose her composure even more.
"Ah, here it is!" Loki hastily handed the box over to Alex, hoping Riveria would stop looking at her that way.
"Here you go, my sweet," Loki said, passing the box, prompting Alex to look at her with suspicion.
"'Sweet'? Since when do you call me that?" Alex asked in surprise, noticing how Loki fidgeted under Riveria's gaze.
"It's nothing, my sweet," Loki brushed it off.
"Well, if you say so, but maybe you should call me something else," Alex replied, feeling a shiver run down his spine at the nickname.
"What's wrong with that nickname?" Loki asked, noticing Alex's grimace as if he had tasted something sour.
"No offense, but it sounds pretty unpleasant," Alex responded, looking at Loki, who tilted her head to the side, clearly not understanding what he meant.
"Then what should I call you? Cupcake, pie, or maybe my honey bun?" Loki teased with a smirk, listing off options that only made Alex's grimace deepen.
"Loki, there's no need to come up with nicknames for me. Just call me as usual. I won't change my opinion of you, no matter how strange your habits are, so it's better to just be yourself," Alex said with a kind smile, looking at Loki.
"So, you don't mind that I drink?" Loki asked, peering into his eyes.
"Everyone has their bad habits; don't worry about it," Alex calmly replied, still smiling kindly at her.
"Hmm," Loki smiled proudly, knowing that Riveria, who had gripped her staff in disapproval, clearly didn't approve of her carefree behavior.
Alex took the box and, after weighing it a little in his hand, understood why Loki had managed to knock out Dionysus with it. Though the box was of ordinary size and easily fit in his hand, it was heavy enough to bring down the arrogant god. Tossing it up a couple of times, Alex turned his gaze to Dionysus, who was still glaring at him with anger and arrogance clearly readable in his eyes.
Alex knew that Dionysus would likely start spouting his divine nonsense again, but that only amused him—he was curious how Loki had managed to take down this overconfident fool with a simple box.
"Sorry for the delay, Dionysus. I got a little distracted," Alex said, turning to the god, who continued to look at him with hatred. "You understand that family comes first, so I hope you won't be too mad at my inattention. That's beyond you, right?"
These words, spoken with a kind smile, elicited approving nods from his familia. However, Alex added a sarcastic note at the end, only fueling Dionysus's rage, causing him to try to speak again.
"Now let's talk peacefully. When I remove my hand, you'll stay quiet and answer the questions, and everything will be fine," Alex said, tightening his grip on Dionysus's jaw to remind him of the situation he was in.
"So, the simplest and dumbest question: why are you doing all this?" Alex asked, looking at Dionysus, who seemed to have calmed down a bit. When Alex removed his hand, Dionysus began to rub his cheeks, trying to ease the unpleasant sensation.
"Why should I answer to a dog of the gods who carries out their orders?" Dionysus replied arrogantly, looking at Alex with disdain. However, Alex just smiled, having expected such a response.
"Sorry, but I'm not a dog—I'm a kitty. Look," Alex said, pointing to his head where a pair of cat ears had suddenly appeared, and behind him, a tail slowly swayed from side to side.
The group watching the conversation between Dionysus and Alex listened intently, trying not to miss a single word. When they heard Dionysus's arrogant words, some of them scowled, while others became angry, ready to pounce on the god and beat him. This anger was especially strong among the goddesses who were romantically involved with Alex. Their rage reached its peak.
However, when they saw cat ears and a tail appear on Alex, the male members of the group were bewildered, while the females couldn't believe their eyes. The goddesses who had been ready to fight Dionysus just moments before were now flustered and blushing from embarrassment.
"Hey, shorty, am I dreaming?" Loki asked, not taking her eyes off the smiling Alex.
"Shut up, flat-chested! I see the same thing you do," Hestia snapped, wiping the drool from her mouth.
"He looks so cute with those ears," Freya said, resting her hand on her cheek and gazing dreamily at Alex. Allen, observing this, only grimaced. Didn't he also have ears and a tail? What was the difference? Why was this guy getting such attention from Freya, while he didn't?
"I knew he could do something like this, but I've never seen him in such a grown-up form," Lily added, wiping blood from her nose.
"Captain looks so beautiful with those ears," Bella said with flushed cheeks.
"I wonder if he can turn into an elf," Ryu mused, keeping her eyes fixed on Alex's tail, which slowly swayed in the air.
"It gives me strange feelings," Asfi admitted, feeling something start to flow from her nose as she watched Alex.
"Perhaps," Riveria replied calmly, though internally she really wanted to approach and pet those cat ears.
"I'm curious if he can make me have ears like that," Tiona giggled, imagining the various pranks she could pull with Alex.
"Cute," Ais said quietly, pondering whether to ask Alex to give her a pair of cat ears.
"Hmph, showing off again," Betta muttered, turning away. The male members of the group merely shook their heads, choosing not to comment on the situation, fearing for their lives.
"I wonder if he can do that to gods as well?" Hermes pondered, stroking his chin, attracting the attention of the goddesses, whose eyes suddenly lit up.
While the group discussed Alex's new appearance, the man himself continued to smile at Dionysus, further irritating him. Alex knew that the god had run out of arguments.
"Well-nya, have you shut up, nya?" Alex asked, tilting his head to the side, deliberately irritating the god.
"It changes nothing! You are still a dog of the gods, carrying out their orders," Dionysus replied arrogantly.
"Not true, nya, I'm doing this of my own volition, nya," Alex answered, continuing to add "nya" at the end of each sentence, which only further enraged the god.
"The point, nya, is that you idiots, nya, are ruining my peaceful life, nya," Alex continued, not forgetting to annoy Dionysus.
"If you hadn't interfered with our plans, we would have already completed what we were born for," Dionysus replied, gritting his teeth in anger.
"Oh, you're so angry, nya. Who gave you the right to think you're superior to others?" Alex asked, losing his playful tone.
"You're a fucking bastard, thinking you're above others just because you're born a god? Maybe I should show you where your real place is," Alex said, grabbing Dionysus by the head and starting to squeeze, causing the god to desperately try to loosen Alex's grip by clutching his hand.
Alex tightened his grip on Dionysus's head, wanting to crush it like a ripe watermelon, but he restrained himself, knowing that the god still had many more "fun" moments ahead in Alex's workshop.
Dionysus felt the grip on his head growing tighter and did everything he could to prevent his skull from cracking, but the harder he tried, the stronger Alex's grip became.
"You should understand, Dionysus, that no one will protect you—neither that bastard Erebus, nor even Uranus, who will just send you back to the divine realm," Alex said calmly, releasing Dionysus's head.
"You realize your life is literally in my hands right now, and I decide when you live and when you die," he continued, looking at Dionysus, who was breathing heavily after having his head nearly crushed.
"How dare you speak to me like that? I am a god! You, pitiful mortal, should worship me!" Dionysus shouted, completely losing his mind, blinded by rage and arrogance.
"You're not a god. You just think too highly of yourself. You're a pathetic god of wine, a mere creature who thinks it deserves more than it actually does," Alex replied contemptuously, ignoring Dionysus's hysteria.
"People like you should grovel before me! Crawl like worms! Pitiful mortals who can be crushed with a single finger!" Dionysus screamed, trying to unleash all his fury.
"And those fucking gods who consort with these insignificant mortals, playing family games with them—they are even more disgusting. How can a god play family with these swine?" he continued to scream.
"And Freya! That pathetic slut who fell for a mortal bastard like you, thinking she's better than others and ignoring the gods who truly deserve to stand beside her!" Dionysus said with hatred, pointing at Freya, whose face remained calm despite all the insults.
"How dare you insult Lady Freya!" Allen shouted, drawing his weapon.
"Allen, shut up," Alex said calmly, stopping him.
Dionysus didn't stop, continuing to insult everyone he pointed at. He called Hestia a vile recluse, insulted Loki as a drunkard who harassed her family members. Nyx also fell under his wrath: he called her a useless fool who failed to die in the dungeon as was destined.
Listening to this, Nyx was furious and wanted to attack Dionysus to tear his mouth off, but she realized he knew about Erebus's plan to sacrifice his sister. Alex remained outwardly calm, though everyone knew this was a worrying sign.
The girls who knew him best couldn't understand why he wasn't angry—usually, he would have already beaten Dionysus just for insulting Freya. And Dionysus had insulted everyone Alex considered family.
"Are you finished shouting?" Alex asked calmly, looking at the enraged Dionysus.
"How dare you interrupt me!" Dionysus exploded again, pointing a finger at Alex.
"I can afford to do a lot of things. And now you'll find out," Alex said, grabbing the finger Dionysus was pointing at him.
"You know, before I came here, I had issues with anger and irritability, not to mention a tendency for self-destruction," Alex began, squeezing Dionysus's finger.
"But everything changed when I found friends and family in this city, especially when those I loved came into my life. The anger that had always been boiling within me began to subside, and the urge for self-destruction gradually disappeared. All my thoughts are now occupied with caring for those around me," Alex continued, breaking Dionysus's finger, causing him to scream in pain.
"But when you came and started destroying my peaceful life, I thought: to hell with you, I'll deal with you and continue living in peace. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Alex asked, watching as Dionysus clutched his broken finger and cried out in pain.
"When I killed Thanatos and turned Indra into a vegetable, I thought they deserved it for all they had done. I only lost control once, when I found out what Apollo wanted to do with Hestia. And since then, I've tried to keep myself in check," Alex said, looming over Dionysus.
"Have you deluded yourself into thinking you're a righteous hero trying to 'fix' me by telling your pathetic story? I don't care about you and your story, mortal," Dionysus hissed through gritted teeth, holding his broken finger.
"You're right, I'm not a hero and never aspired to be one. I know that villains can change—that's true. But who said I'd give you a chance to do so?" Alex replied, grabbing Dionysus by the collar and lifting him, staring into the god's eyes. At that moment, instead of anger, Dionysus felt fear, realizing that something terrible awaited him.
"And now everyone turn away or you can leave," Alex said, turning his head toward the onlookers.
Hearing Alex's words, the group was confused, not understanding why he said that. But some realized he simply didn't want them to see what would happen to Dionysus and asked everyone to turn away.
"What are you going to do?" Hestia asked nervously, trying to approach Alex, but Freya stopped her, shaking her head.
"Hestia, it's not the time to interfere," Freya said softly, holding her shoulder.
"What do you mean, Freya? Why are you stopping me?" Hestia asked, looking into her eyes.
"Alex needs to let out all his pent-up anger, otherwise, it will only get worse later," Freya replied with a hint of concern in her voice, understanding how long Alex had been holding back.
"Hestia, Freya is right. I don't want to see him like this either, but he needs to deal with it himself. We can only support him later," Loki added in a serious tone.
"But why? Can't we help Alex so he doesn't end up like last time?" Hestia asked, still trying to approach him.
"He managed on his own last time too. We just need to wait," Loki said, shaking her head.
"Hestia, we need to support him, but he must handle his anger on his own. If he loses control, the consequences could be terrible. You've known him the longest; you should understand what he's really like," Freya said, pointing to Alex, who was holding Dionysus by the collar and looking in their direction.
"He's kind and caring, but a bit naive. I don't want his anger to consume him," Hestia said sadly.
"Everything will be fine. He's just angry that this idiot insulted us. Alex is expressing our collective anger, though he might go a bit overboard," Freya tried to reassure her.
"Are you lying?" Hestia asked with doubt, looking at Freya, who was smiling and trying to calm her.
"I'm sure Alex will be okay. You know he has people he cares about. That's why he won't let his anger take over completely," Freya assured her.
"I hope so," Hestia said quietly, looking at Alex's face, which showed an angry expression.
"And what happened last time?" Hermes asked, wanting details from the goddesses who were present during the previous battle.
"Go away, Hermes, this isn't about you right now," Loki said sharply, dismissing him.
"How rude," Hermes muttered, stepping aside and continuing to watch Alex.
The girls who knew Alex watched the situation with anxiety, seeing how he had become completely enraged. They feared that in his fit of anger, he might do something irreversible. But hope that everything would turn out alright still lingered in their hearts.
"He's angry again," Lily said with a panicked expression.
"I think this time it will be okay," Tiona said cautiously, observing Alex.
"It will be fine," Ais said confidently, believing in him.
"Maybe we should try to help him?" Ryu suggested, unwilling to leave Alex alone at such a moment.
"It won't work," Cassandra shook her head.
"Why not?" Riveria asked, looking at Cassandra.
"Last time, he only managed to cope after beating those who insulted him. In this situation, we would only make things worse if we don't let him vent his anger," Daphne replied.
"So, there's nothing we can do to help the captain?" Bella asked, looking at the girls who were pondering her words.
"Don't worry, Bella, he'll be alright. He'll just get a bit angry, beat Dionysus, and then we'll go back home," Lily said reassuringly, recalling Alex's previous outburst of anger.
"And what happened last time?" Asfi asked, not having been as interested in the details as Hermes and thus not knowing many details about the battle against Apollo's family.
"Well, it didn't end very well," Lily replied with a crooked smile, causing Asfi to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
Alex noticed that no one had turned away or left, as he had asked. His anger subsided for a moment, and he was bewildered—why wasn't anyone leaving or turning away? But since no one wished to follow his request, he had another way.
Alex created a barrier around himself that prevented anyone from peeking through. Once the barrier was completed, he turned back to Dionysus, and his rage flared up anew.
Alex didn't care about being insulted—he was used to that. But he could not contain his anger when someone insulted those dear to him.
"Now it's just you and me," Alex said coldly, looking at Dionysus.
"What's going to happen to you now is just a small part of what awaits you in the future," he continued, releasing Dionysus, who collapsed to the floor. Fear and bewilderment were evident in his eyes.
"Grind your teeth tightly so they don't fall out," Alex added, striking Dionysus in the face with a box he had taken from Loki.
"How dare you!" Dionysus managed to squeeze out after the first blow.
"Oh, I dare," Alex replied, hitting him in the face with the box again. This time, a crunch was heard—Dionysus's nose was likely broken.
Alex continued to strike, showing no restraint. He didn't want to kill Dionysus, but he wasn't planning to stop either. Each blow inflicted agonizing pain on Dionysus, who tried to crawl away to avoid the beating.
However, Alex, with a smile on his face, kept hitting him, not worrying about Dionysus dying—he could always resurrect him and start over.
"ARE. YOU. HAVING. FUN. NOW?" Alex shouted, landing a new blow on Dionysus with each word, who was desperately trying to protect himself, covering his head with his hands.
"Do you think covering your head will save you?" Alex taunted, crouching next to the battered Dionysus, who had curled up into a fetal position.
Dionysus mumbled something, but his words were too quiet to make out.
"What did you say?" Alex asked, grabbing Dionysus by the hair and pulling him closer.
"Please, stop," Dionysus rasped, pleading for mercy.
"Oh, no, no, no. This is just the beginning. All of this is happening because you don't listen and think you can insult anyone just because you're a god," Alex shook his head.
"Stop, I'll tell you everything, just let me go," Dionysus groaned, desperately wanting to end his suffering.
"You should have thought of that earlier. Now, it's round two," Alex said, throwing Dionysus's head back.
"Please, I beg you, stop," Dionysus pleaded, tears in his eyes.
"No," Alex replied coldly, slamming Dionysus's head into the ground with such force that it took Dionysus's breath away.
Alex continued to smash Dionysus's head into the ground, aiming to turn his face into a bloody mess. With each blow, he put more force into it but used his abilities to heal Dionysus and prolong his suffering, preventing his head from bursting like a watermelon.
When Alex finished beating Dionysus's head, he moved on to other parts of his body, wanting to make Dionysus experience unbearable pain and thereby calm his own rage.
What happened inside the black dome remained a mystery—no one could see the horrors Dionysus had endured so that Alex could release his anger. When the dome disappeared, everyone saw Alex standing with a slight smile on his face and Dionysus lying on the ground, covered in blood, with limbs twisted in unnatural directions.
Nyx, seeing this, was overwhelmed with panic. She decided that it was better to tell Alex everything she knew than to risk ending up like Dionysus.
"Alex, are you okay?" Hestia asked cautiously, running up to him.
"Yeah, just a bit angry," Alex replied, patting Hestia on the head.
"This is what you call 'a bit'?" Ishtar asked with disbelief, pointing at the mutilated Dionysus.
"Well, it happens," Alex shrugged.
"And why are you still here?" he asked, addressing Ishtar's group, who hadn't left yet.
"Just out of curiosity," Ishtar replied, trying not to look at Dionysus's mangled body.
"Well, as you wish," Alex said, ignoring her answer and looking at the others who were watching Dionysus, unsure if he was still alive.
"Now we can go home and relax. It's been a terrible day," Alex said, lighting a cigarette.
"I think you're right," Finn agreed, trying not to look at the disfigured god.
"What are you planning to do at home?" Freya asked, approaching Alex, who was watching the adventurers disperse.
"I wouldn't mind watching a movie. I miss it," Alex replied, exhaling smoke and looking at the sky.
"What's a movie?" Loki asked with interest.
"I'll explain at home, and if my idea works out, I might even show you," Alex said with a smile, hoping his plan would succeed and he could enjoy watching movies again.
"I'm interested too. If you don't mind, I'd like to join as well," Freya said, stepping closer.
"Before we leave, Loki, remove the barrier, and then we can go home," Alex said. Loki quickly retrieved the cube from her bag and deactivated it.
"So, Nyx, would you like to visit my workshop?" Alex asked, approaching the goddess, who was lying on the ground and quickly shook her head, clearly refusing.
"Oh, you're silent? As they say, silence is a sign of agreement. I'm so glad you agree!" Alex said with a smile, picking up Nyx and throwing her over his shoulder.
Alex carried Nyx and approached Dionysus, who lay on the ground like a dead dog. He grabbed him by the hair and dragged him towards his home. Realizing they might be noticed, he instantly teleported to his workshop.
Leaving the two new captives there, Alex returned for his family and immediately teleported them home to finally end this foolish adventure and relax, quenching his exhaustion. At the same time, he planned to introduce the fantasy world's people to the delights of modern cinema.
To be continued...