"Where did he go again?" Welf ponders. "Oh..Ichigo went down into the dungeon yesterday. Man, you should have seen the look on his face when he had his first Recruit-Hopeful. Of course, He turned her down, But still. That scowl could freeze over the underworld." Tsubaki said, as she was tinkering with a knife-in-progress, that was on the table.
"Really? Wow. And I thought Hephaestus was mean when she denied people." Welf said from across the table, with a raised eyebrow.
"Eeeugh" Tsubaki grimaces with a shiver. "Don't remind me"
()()()()()(Flash back)()()()()()()()
"Next...Who are you." The Blacksmith god, Hephaestus said. Sitting at a booth that said 'Now accepting applications!' with a line reaching to the end of the street.
"I'm the best blacksmith in Orario, Darinn Ormanu! Here's my Knife." A man in his early twenties said, Rather proudly.
Taking the weapon into her hands, She gazed and inspected the weapon quite thoroughly. "Hell yeah. No sheathe." The woman said, Disappointed in the lack of safety.
"What is this?" Hephaestus Inquired, as she held out a knife to leather armor clad Darinn.
He ponders for a second, as he questioned the seriousness of the question.
"It's a knife?" He answers, Unsure.
Hephaestus glares at him with her eye. She picked up a filed piece of metal and ran it down the spine of the blade. She chuckled when the file actually tore into the metal and said. "Did you even heat-treat this...Piece of metal? Did you make sure that your grip was sufficiently secured to the tang? (She lightly sways the blade, Seeing that the handle subtly moves back and forth) What about this bit of rust under the hand-guard?" Hephaestus said, Popping off everything that was wrong with the blade.
"It's polished sure, But that's about all you seem good for. Maybe you can go into the Cordwainer business. I hear they're low on shoe polishers." Hephaestus said, Offended that the man would boast before handing her actual garbage.
"But! But!" Darinn didn't get to finish as his blade was snapped in two by Hephaestus, and thrown into the ground.
"If you make shitty weapons, People will die. You better make damn sure that next time you come back to me, You better have good quality to put out. 'Cuz if not, your shitty blade will lie down another adventurer into that damn graveyard." Hephaestus said, Jabbing a finger into the guy's chest.
Darinn's face paled as he walked away.
"Next!" Hephaestus said with a sigh, and sat down.
"u-Um, Good morning!" A clearly nervous Half-Dwarf Woman said.
Hephaestus opened her eye and Looked over the woman in scrutiny.
"Who are you." The goddess ordered.
"Yes, Of course...Tsubaki Collbrande." Tsubaki said, And held out a sheathed wakizashi.
Hephaestus took the weapon into her hand and raises her eyebrow. "Hm. Sheathe...Smooth and laminated...Wrappings..tight... File work..Hmph. Needs work.. Heat treat.." The divine smith takes that same metal file from before and runs it along the spine of the Wakizashi. She sported a small grin when the file skated off the blade, leaving no scratches.
"Good heat treat, Straight blade...Narrow edge" She continues as she touches the blade with her index fingernail. "Ooh, One thousand layers. Nice." The smithing god's mood improved immensely.
Tsubaki's grin grew more and more with each praise.
*Click* Hephaestus slid the blade into it's sheathe, and smiled at Tsubaki.
"Welcome to Hephaestus familia, Captain Tsubaki." Hephaestus said with a smile, as she handed the blade back to it's Maker.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()(End flashback)()()()()()()()()()()()()
"Damn, so she rejected all 89 others who were in that line because your weapon had become the new bar?" Welf asked, In disbelief.
"Yep! Best part was nobody with horrible talent was taken in. She sees everyone for who they are, The minute she touches their blade." Tsubaki said with a smug look.
"Ok, Ok. I wouldn't go THAT far." Welf chuckled out.
"Yeah." Hephaestus said, from behind Tsubaki.
"EEP!" Tsubaki jumped three feet in the air, While Welf chuckled.
"SO. Where's the strawberry?" The divine smith inquired.
"Strawberry? Who's that?" Welf asked, While Tsubaki got her breathing back to normal.
Hephaestus sat down her bag, and put out a couple papers on the table, Each with Oranos Familia's Official crest stamped onto them.
"Strawberry? Isn't that what Lord Takemikazuchi calls Lor-Uh...Ichigo?" Tsubaki asks.
"Yes, I do think it fits. Even after Take took time to translate what 'Ichigo' means in his language." Hephaestus said. Sharing a giggle with Tsubaki.
"Anyhow. Where is he."
"He's in the dungeon, Should be back shortly."
"...Damn it." Hephaestus said, Facepalming.
This warranted both familia members to look at their Matron in confusion.
"Well, As of today. He's officially ordered to start his own Familia." Hephaestus said, as she opened the documents and read them over once again.
Welf sighed. He was just getting to Know Ichigo too "Damn. That sucks. Even after he told Eina that he didn't want to."
"Yeah well, Eina still went ahead and added in the whole "god" part to what race he was. Makes sense, Since I couldn't give him a falna last time I tried." Hephaestus said, Remembering the time she tried to bestow unto Ichigo, A blessing.
"...He really is a god, Isn't he." Tsubaki asks.
"I believe so...What I'm about to say, Cannot leave this room." Hephaestus said, And both Welf and Tsubaki nodded their heads and confirmed that they were alone.
"Alright, Whats up." Welf asked.
Hephaestus sat down in a chair, and the other two did the same.
"Ichigo withstood a blow from Loki, With her powers. Unfazed. Infact, He seemed really bored." Hephaestus revealed in a low tone.
Welf's face paled, and Tsubaki gasped.
"N-No way!" Welf said, Stuttering.
"That's not even all of it. Ichigo even released a portion of his energy, and cleared a stormy sky, And even then, It still seemed like flexing a finger to him. We had full authority to order our familia to destroy him, But Ganesha decided it would be better if we hadn't gone that route." Hephaestus said, Her forehead cold with sweat.
"We attacked a god." Tsubaki said, Fully realizing the weight of Orario's Would-Be situation if they had made an enemy.
"Affirmative." Hephaestus said, as she rested her head on her hands.
"Wow. Thats...Alot to process." Welf said, as he looked off into the distance, Trying to imagine the scenario.
"It's taking me all I had to not say 'Lord' Before addressing him." Tsubaki confessed as she leaned her head on her hand.
Hephaestus chuckled. "Yeah, It would make sense if you did though. He IS a god. Even if he doesn't believe so, He has divinity that I and the others can feel. Oranos said that it would be problematic if Ichigo was to continue to go down into the dungeon."
"So...Do we get him? Or not." Welf asks, as he prepares himself mentally for the long journey ahead.
"No." Ichigo said, Right behind Welf.
"!" Was Welf's expression. He froze in place and let out a huge breath of air, while Tsubaki began giggling the words "Sucker!"
Welf regained his breathing and Ichigo put down the bag of Valis onto the table, and pulled up a chair.
"When'd you come in?" Welf asked, Hephaestus and Tsubaki looked on in wonder.
"Around the same time Miss Hammer came home." Ichigo said, as he shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
"But..We didn't see you.." Welf pointed out. "How?"
"Speed. Anyways, So I heard everything, and I gotta say...That sucks. I guess I'm going to move out of Orario." Ichigo says.
"But, you still can use your powers." Hephaestus retorted, And handed Ichigo a piece of paper.
Ichigo's eyebrow raised and he took the paper while brushing the hair away from his eyes.
- To The god of Death, Ichigo.
Welcome to Gekai, The lower World.
As you know, This city has the World's only Dungeon. Thus, Adventurers with a god's Blessing can 'Level up' and Grow stronger.
From time to time, Orario goes to war with the Neighboring Nation, "Rakia" Founded and Lead by the rogue god of War Ares.
I have given Hephaestus this letter to give to you in order for you to grasp a little more of Orario's situation.
The main topic of this letter is this: You have been Classified as a Deity by the Council of Oranos, and the Guild of Orario. Therefore, You are to either Start a Familia, Or return to your own world.
Because of your Peculiar predicament, Your powers will not be ordered to be supressed as it will cause more problems than there are solutions for.
If you should choose to start a Familia, Simply find humans to join you, and I'm sure Hephaestus can fill you out on all of the specifics.
Good luck, god of Death.
-Oranos -
"...Whatever." Ichigo said, as he folded the letter and tossed it back onto the table. Tensa Zangetsu's sheathe clacked against the chair in that movement.
"Hmm What do you mean by 'Whatever'?" Hephaestus asked.
Ichigo scowled harder as Welf and Tsubaki shrunk.
"I mean whatever! I'll start a stupid familia." Ichigo said with a hand on his face.
"Didn't know you were gonna act like such a teenager about this" Hephaestus chuckled, Teasing the Substitute.
"...whatever anvils." Ichigo smiled a little, His tease hitting it's mark.
"So...What do I do?" Ichigo asked.
"Hmm...Maybe, I'm not saying you should or anything, But I dunno maybe you should get a nice house for your Familia to be in. Perhaps that's a start." Hephaestus grinned.
"Oh Really? Okay, Speaking of Which, I saw a really nice one within my price range." Ichigo said, as Hephaestus pouted at the man, Because he disregarded her sarcastic tone.
The sun began to set and Twilight shown through the blinds while the two humans in the room could barely contain their laughter.
"Thanks Hammer-head" Ichigo says with a smile, as he stands up. Both Welf and Tsubaki laughed openly, Disregarding The divine smith's glare.
"Hammer head? Sounds nice coming from Strawberry!" Hephaestus calls out to Ichigo, Who was already leaving the room.
"S-strawberry? Where did you Get that from!" Ichigo said, in distress.
Hephaestus gained a smug look, as she pointed a finger at him.
"I dunno, Call me hammer-head again and I'll call you even worse!" Hephaestus said as she stepped up to him and jabbed a finger onto his chest
"Oh yeah?" Ichigo said as he stepped into her finger, Pushing her arm back lightly
"Ohh you're pushing it, boy!" Hephaestus halfheartedly growled out
Tsubaki and Welf stepped up awkwardly smiling and began to hold Hephaestus back.
"No duh im pushing it, I'm walking towards you" Ichigo retorted, albeit, More playful than malicious.
"Gah! Just get out already!" Hephaestus said, as she pulled a hammer out of her back pocket and threw it at Ichigo...Who just side-stepped it as it lodged itself into the wall.
"Throwing hammers? you bet your ass I'm gonna go!" Ichigo said as he left using Shunpo.
"Ughh That man! GAH!" Hephaestus said, Seething as she stepped back and sat down.
"Ah...um I'll get you a pillow." Tsubaki said, as she disappeared down the hallway.
"Hmph." Was all Hephaestus responded with as welf spent the better half of an hour trying to remove the flattened hammer from the stone wall.
()()()()()()()()()()()(Later that Night)()()()()()()()()()()
"Welf, I forgot some of my things" Ichigo said, as Welf opened the door to the Hephaestus Familia Mansion.
"Alright. *YAWN* Come on..in.." Welf said, as he stretched.
"Sorry for waking you." Ichigo said, as he walked in.
"It's not a problem, Lord Ichigo.." Welf said, Drowsy.
"Don't call me...never-mind" Ichigo began, but realized that Welf was probably too tired to care.
"Goodnight, I'll be quick." Ichigo said as Welf layed down on the couch.
The shinigami used flash step through the mansion, all the way to his old room, and walked in.
He grabbed his bags of valis, his pack, and his blanket, and crept down the hallway. Not wanting to use Shunpo because the valis would clink together in a cacophony of noise.
He also came back to say sorry to Hephaestus for making her angry, earlier that day, But it seems that would have to wait until the sun rises.
Carefully stepping down the hallways, Ichigo stumbled apon the Balcony that Hephaestus would frequiently read in, And there she was. Passed out with a book in her hand.
Ichigo cracked a small smile, and walked forward to make sure she was asleep.
"Sorry for today" Ichigo whispered, as he walked forwards.
"..." Nothing but light breathing was heard.
A chilly breeze blew throughout the patio, and Ichigo got goosebumps.
"Jeez, Miss hammer's gonna catch a cold." The death god said, as he unrolled the black blanket he used, and covered the woman.
The moment Ichigo left, Hephaestus curled into the blanket.
()()()()()()(Next day)()()()()()()
"Really? Why do you want to join." Ichigo asked, as he took Hephaestus's earlier recommendation to start a booth. There was a good sized line, That didn't really seem to grow much.
"Well, You look strong, and I, Laska Ormanu, don't concern myself with Weak Familias." Laska said.
Ichigo scoffed, and said "Uh-huh. Is that right..." Ichigo said, His eye twitching at this guy's audacity.
"Oh yes, I would have joined the Loki familia, If they didn't have such a weak goddess." Laska said, as he struck a pose.
"...No thank you. Next?" Ichigo said with a frown.
Laska seemed offended as he said
"Huh?! But! Bu-" The man stated, But Ichigo interrupted with "Look, Come back when your interests align with something other than yourself." and shooed him away.
"you will regret this.." Ichigo heard Laska say under his breath while stalking off.
"Doubt it, Next?" Said the substitute, Trying to be optimistic.
"Uhh.. H-Hi!" Said a shy girl.
Ichigo's eyebrows raised
"Hey, Weren't you that one girl I turned down the other day? What was it...Brooma?" Ichigo said, propping his head up on his arms.
"What? No! It's Mirba! Mirba Tuganis!" The girl pouted. Her hair was long and blonde, Her face was heart shaped and she has green eyes with a well manicured appearance.
Ichigo chuckled. "SO. Question one. Why do you want to join?"
Mirba looked around in a bashful manner before answering
"In my seventeen years of living, Its a-always been to help others, I'm a s-supporter." She said pretty quietly. The snickering she received from the next one in line didn't help her case at all.
"I see. Well, Next question. What motivates you." Ichigo asks
Her face somewhat solidifies and she says: "The happy looks that the adventurers I protect give me."
Ichigo grins, and says: "Really? How convenient. Welcome. you're free to leave, But come back in two hours." Ichigo says.
Mirba beams at him, and says "T-thank you, Lord Ichigo!" and before he could respond, She runs off giggling.
"Next!" Ichigo calls out.
()()()()()()()()(two hours later)()()()()()()()
"Gah, What is up with these people?" Ichigo says, Yawning, Thoroughly disappointed in the lack of morals in this city. It's like nobody cares about their fellow man, Not unless you have both power and money. Nobody else was recruited that day.
Ichigo stands up, and walks over to the booth vendor, and pays him accordingly.
"Good afternoon, Lord Ichigo!" a cheery voice said next to him. It would have surprised him if he hadn't sensed her beforehand.
"Good afternoon. We can head back to the house as soon as we're done here." The substitute says, as they get to work cleaning up the booth.
Twenty minutes later, Ichigo and Mirba arrive at the 'House' Ichigo was talking about.
"...you said House..." She blanched.
"I did. I figured you'd react this way." Ichigo said, Opening a gate that lead to a massive front yard, and an equally massive house.
"So, First I guess we gotta Update your falna." Ichigo proposed, as he sounded unsure.
"Y-yeah"
"Come on." he simply said as he motioned for Mirba to follow him inside.
Mirba nearly tripped a couple times due to her lack of care of her surroundings, and also because of her constant gawking at her surroundings.
The house was clean and organized, as well as properly decorated. What's more, Is the house interior wasn't painted in the same hospital-white that nearly every other mansion was. It was a warm color, and it gave off a comforting feeling. She was in love with the mansion.
"Hello? You gonna come in or what." Ichigo called out from a room.
"Oh! S-sorry!" Mirba said as she ran into the room. It was a nice sized room with the same feeling of home, And she had a feeling that this is where Ichigo would bestow a falna to her!
"So, Falna...Close the door and come here." Ichigo said, as Mirba did what she was asked.
She began to take off her shirt, But Ichigo spun around and said
"W-Wait wait wait! I was just going to have you lift up the back of your shirt and lay down! You don't need to take it off completely!"
She quietly giggled and layed down on the bed with her back showing.
"I'm ready" She said, As Ichigo turned back around with a scarlet red face.
"Okay." was his response as he grabbed a knife from the dresser drawer, and walked over to her.
He stood over her and pricked his finger...except the tip of the knife broke off.
"...Damn it." Ichigo said, as he ran the edge of the knife down his thumb, But the knife dulled.
'Wait a minute...Didn't this same thing happen with that other knife?' Ichigo reminded himself of his last experiment.
Ichigo chuckled as he drew Zangetsu out of his sheathe a little bit, and pressed his finger lightly against the edge.
That seemed to do the trick, As Ichigo's lightly bleeding finger would suggest.
The Shinigami could only get out a single droplet of blood before his would healed, and what surprised him more was that the drop of blood hit an invisible barrier and her back started to glow.
Before his very eyes, A tattoo started to take form on her back, with the main design being an oddly familiar skull with two lines running down its face, and surrounding it was a pentagon. There were words written in Japanese, that showed who exactly Mirba was and a multitude of stats.
Mirba Tuganis, Lv3
Human
Str A 630
Vit D 298
Dex B 452
Agi C 354
Mag B 500
-Skills-
{Supernova} An attack of great explosive magnitude focused around the caster, That is only available when in Mortal danger.
{Stallius} An ability that grants great strength when carrying heavy objects.
-Magic-
[Greater Healing] Healing magic.
[Focus Boost] Negates the mental side effects of Adrenaline
-_-Ichigo Familia-_-
Three minutes of reading later, Mirba began to fidget with her fingers in anticipation. Ichigo whistled in surprise that it even worked, And that Mirba's stats were pretty good. (He had been told that the average adventurer was level 1-3).
Ichigo looked to his left, and grabbed a blank piece of paper, But his eyes lingered on the window, that was currently being pelted with rain outside.
He sighed and pressed the paper down on her back, It glowed and began to get hotter before it lost it's light. Ichigo then told her that it was done and that she could pull her shirt down.
She eagerly sat up, and Ichigo gave her the paper and walked over the door.
Mirba smiled and scanned it excitedly before clumsily rushing over to Ichigo and hugged him with very little grace.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Was all the eccentric Blondie could get out while rubbing her face on his sleeve.
Ichigo was caught off-guard again, and said "H-Hey, Get off me!"
"okay sorry, sorry!" She said, Feeling embarrassed that she had violated the god's personal space.
Ichigo's eyebrow raised, and he shrugged. "Its whatever. But this is your room, Or you can take which ever room isn't being used. Goodnight"
"Goodnight Lord Ichigo!" She called out to him, after he closed the door.
"good grief..." Ichigo muttered, as he disappeared via shunpo.
()()()()()()()()()()()(Twilight manor)()()()()()()()()()()
Loki, The trickster goddess, Was currently drowning in Soma with angry tears streaming down her face.
"That..that b-bastard! How could he..." She muttered, While Riveria patted her back.
"He didn't even apologize!" Loki cried out again.
"Loki.." A bandaged Ais said, From across the table.
*Glug* *Glug* *Glug* "AHH!...He has disgraced me by not dying from my power..." Loki said, as she stood up on wobbly legs, But Riveria, The 'Nine Hell' helped her stand straight.
"Well..He IS a god too, So that would make sense." The Loki familia's Captain, Finn Deimne, said. used to the Drunken goddess's drunken angst.
"We were breaking taboo by attacking a god." Ais said, Massaging her sore side.
"I guess." Said a new voice. Instantly Everyone in the room was at the ready, and Riveria got in-front of Loki protectively.
"Show yourself!" Finn ordered.
coming through a window, The newcomer was bathed in artificial light, as he seemingly walked on air.
It was the newest addition to Orario's pantheon of gods, Ichigo.
"L-Lord Ichigo." Finn said, Surprised as he lowered his weapon.
"Ichigo? THAT ICHIGO!?" Loki said, Angrily.
Ichigo deadpanned, as he planned on speaking to a sober Loki.
"Hold on" The death god ordered "I'm not here to pick a fight."
Every occupant in the room paused their hostility awaiting an explanation.
"I'm here to Apologize." Ichigo said. "And, even though you recognize me you still have your weapons out? After you all talked about a TabOo?" Ichigo said, grinning at their hypocrisy.
They looked down in hesitation and shame.
Loki gave an awkward look of confusion, And hiccuped.
"I never really stopped by to apologize to...Hughes..For injuring her." Ichigo said, Butchering Ais's name
"..Ais" Riveria corrected.
"Eyes?" Ichigo tested, To Riveria's ire, and Finn's amusement.
"No, Not Eyes, It's Ais." Riveria said, A little more annoyed.
"...Whatever. Anyways, I'm here to apologize to her and see if theres any way I can compensate." Ichigo said, Disregarding the Elf's annoyance.
Ais stood up and walked towards the god with an apologetic look on her face.
"...I was planning to apologize to you first, It's a very bad thing if someone were to attack a god. Even worse to kill one." Ais explained.
"How so?" Ichigo asked, Leaning on the wall.
Riveria finished sitting down a passing out Loki, And continued: "When someone who killed a god dies, Their soul is taken by that god they killed, and is put in that god's eternal damnation realm...Like hell." Riveria said.
"Ah. Makes sense." Ichigo nodded "Anyways, I'm not mad anymore, I kinda understand why you guys attacked in the first place. Though, I probably shouldn't have used that much force on you." Ichigo said, as he bowed his head towards Ais in apology.
"And I'm sorry for attacking you while your back was turned." Ais returned the gesture.
"Anndd yOu shOULD Be sssorry... You made me a laughing stalk" Loki said, as she moved to take a drink from the cup of soma, That Riveria had moved away from her reach.
"..." Ichigo had half a mind to lie and say 'But you did actually hurt me, I was putting up a front', But she'd just get even more offended that he lied to them.
The rain was still coming down pretty bad, as Ichigo looked behind him through the open window.
"I'm sorry, Loki. I'll make it up to you somehow."
She stopped her drunken ramblings and looked at Ichigo with a small blush painted on her cheeks.
Loki Hiccuped again, And then sat down saying "Whatever...I need more soma.."
Ichigo smiled and then said "Well, It's raining. I've gotta get back home and make sure Mirba didn't burn down the mansion. See you later."
"Goodbye Lord Ichigo." Ais waved.
The Death god nodded and then disappeared from sight via Shunpo.
..
..
"Anyone gonna talk about how he's still using his powers?" Finn asked, Hands on his hips.
Riveria shook her head in exasperation, as she rubbed slow circles on Loki's back.
Speaking of which, The goddess was resting her red face on her hands, Muttering complaints on how Ichigo's too nice.
"..woah...Loki's blushing!" Finn pointed out.
"shuddup" Loki said,as she shifted her head downwards so her hair hid her face from view.