BXBX NOVEL Chapter 80: Three Challengers At Once.
"My love," Ikaris chuckled at Sol, holding her hand against his cheek and nuzzling against him like a cat. "You do not need to wake just yet, allow me to leave first." She raised her torso and leaned over him, kissing him and then sitting up with a yawn and a stretch.
"Meeting you has made me grateful for not descending as human before; my first with you have been the highlights of my existence," Ikaris hovered over his lips with a phantom kiss again. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Sol."
Sol blushed and reached for her face with a kiss to her cheek. "Don\'t you have somewhere to be?"
"Of course!" She grinned and rolled from on top of him, standing and stretching again before yelping and falling on the floor. "Hm?"
"Are you okay?" Sol quickly sprinted off the bed and bent down at her side, but she seemed fine other than a bit of shock from her sudden clumsiness.
"I am well, just surprisingly, tired,"
"You slept all night though..." Sol helped her to her feet and checked her from heat to toe twice. "Are you sure you\'re alright?"
"Yes." Ikaris nodded and then grabbed his hand and vanished with him, falling in the heroes\' bathroom where Sara was already waiting for their arrival with the shallow bath pool at the ready.
"Good morning, Sir and Milady." Sara greeted them with a low bow, and Sol sunk in the water while Ikaris turned to her with a grin.
"Have you already prepared for the day, Sara?" Ikaris asked, and the maid smiled.
"As usual lady Ikaris, I will be joining you a little later after I have prepared everything.
"Come here," Ikaris gestured, and Sol sunk a little lower when Sara inched closer with confusion etched across her face. "Closer~" Ikaris continued to flex her fingers until Sara was right at the edge of the pool. "Good!"
"Milady- waah!" The maid screamed out when Ikaris suddenly stood and grabbed her dragging her in the warm water and submerging her to the neck with a fit of laughter. "M-my uniform!" Sara tried standing but was met with a splash of water across her face as Ikaris dropped back in the pool and laughed.
"You have done so much for me lately, keeping Sol company in my absence and being the most loyal to us otherwise as well, and I am in an especially good mood today, so let me treat you for a change!" Ikaris tackled the startled maid again, while Sol who had already retreated to the other side smiled and turned his back with a sigh as the warm water soaked into his skin.
"S-sir!" Sol heard Sara calling for mercy from behind, but he dared not intervene, he instead started humming to himself to drown out her cries for help.
Some minutes later Ikaris had calmed down and exited the water, and for once was in the process of dressing herself, with Sara\'s help while Sol sat on the side watching them, already clothed and armoured.
"Sol," Ikaris spun after having the maid dress her ladylike instead of going for the usual getup of a blouse and plain dress. "How is it?"
"Beautiful." Sol stared at her, not even the dress but just her smile; a good mood was an understatement, the goddess was absolutely beaming with happiness, and he couldn\'t help but smile because of it, not just him, but her mood radiated and influenced everyone around her as well. Sara in particular was seemingly overjoyed as she did her job with a bounce to her step and a song on her lips.
"I am ready." Ikaris stood still, and summoned armour over her new dress, looking more than any other time like an angel ready for battle.
"Wow," Sara Smiled in awe, before extending her hands at the two, and Sol quickly walked over and took her hand while Ikaris grabbed her in a hug at the last moment before they disappeared through the shadows.
"Somehow you made it on time this time around," Dina was reading a rune-book, seated on Ikaris\'s bed in the heroes\' tent, but as soon as she looked up at them a blush came over her face when she was tackled by Ikaris with a hug as well, causing Sol to sigh and reach for the two of them.
"Good morning, Dina." Ikaris stood and cleared her throat.
"What the heck happened to you?" Dina asked staring at her attire and then at Sol who just smiled and shook his head.
"Milady is in an especially good mood today," Sara smiled and bowed to Dina who nodded as Ikaris clung to her. "Please excuse me," She turned and vanished after taking a step toward the exit.
"Did you take her on a date or something?"
"Eh..." Sol scratched the back of his head. "Not necessarily." He shook his head and then cleared his throat, causing Ikaris to look around at him and calm down a bit.
"Today, correct?" She asked, and Sol nodded. "Then take my blessing," She reached out and pulled him into a hug, and then to both his and Dina\'s surprise, she grabbed Dina as well and hugged them both, and Sol in turn rested his hand on Dina\'s back and hugged her as well.
"The world must be ending," Usami commented after witnessing the moment Dina was pulled into a hug. "Ikaris sharing a hug with Sol and adding someone to it; I never thought I\'d see the day."
"Eeeeeeek!" Dina stepped away, hiding her face behind her palms after blushing so brightly she seemed to start steaming. "I-ka-ris!" She grabbed her and shook her with her face bright and burning while Ikaris laughed haughtily while being swung like a pendulum.
"She couldn\'t be more obvious," Usami raised a brow, and then looked at Sol who despite the situation had a somewhat serious expression. "Vestic, aren\'t you under-reacting to being hugged by two beautiful women.
"Let him be, my dear Sol has an experience ahead of him that requires a serious approach." Ikaris inched closer to Usami next and stood before her grinning. "Silly little girl, always watching and never acting, you even gained a title that I have yet to, how cunning~" Ikaris grabbed her hands.
"Aren\'t you 20 years old, just like I am?" Usami blushed and averted her eyes as Ikaris\'s radiance made her feel the urge to start laughing and going along with it.
"I am a goddess, every girl is a little girl to me!" Ikaris laughed out and grabbed her cheeks, stretching them. "You are being cute today Usami, did you perhaps want to have a hug from my beloved as well, did you think I would permit it?" She asked.
"Dina is my close friend, she has permission to hug him, you on the other hand have kept your distance from everyone, at best you can only get headpats!"
"Beloved?" Dina looked around at Sol who watched passively, and then at Ikaris again.
She was sure now that something had changed about the two of them; for one, Sol seemed a lot more reserved than his usual self, he\'d always have this air of edge and discomfort whenever she interacted with someone else, but not only was he relaxed, he was smiling at her antics, a happy smile, something she hadn\'t seen on his face for years.
Their dynamic had been that of master and attendant before, but they seemed like a couple through and through now, even Usami had noticed it as she was being doted on by the self-proclaimed \'goddess\'.
"Ow~ get off me," Usami pulled herself free of Ikaris\'s grasp and raised her hands defensively. "Breakfast is in a few minutes, I came to tell Ikaris after I saw Sara outside since where Sara is, Sol is close by, and wherever Sol goes, Ikaris is always at his side-"
"Oh, so you were being nice for real." Dina seemed shocked.
"Unfortunately I won\'t be joining you for breakfast," Sol adjusted the gloves on his hand and tapped his chestplate, and Ikaris quickly turned to him again, doing a double-check of his attire and grabbing his hands.
"Are you sure?" She abandoned her cheerful attitude and went serious, causing Usami and Dina who watched them to share glances with each other. "After the last time..."
"Don\'t worry, Ikaris, it won\'t be like the last time," He locked her hands around his waist and pressed his forehead onto hers. "I have you to fight for, after all."
"Promise?" She asked quietly, closing her eyes and hugging him.
"Of course, I promise,"
[The goddess of love is melting, she inquires about what happens when the two of you vanish from the eyes of the system]
[The god of stories considers these lapses in his viewing time plot holes and wishes to know as well]
[The goddess of war is eagerly awaiting the next battle]
[The god of destruction is anticipating a brutal fight]
[The god of creation has noticed new species of flowers across Arkadia with divine properties and is most curious about their conception]
[You have accepted the challenge of Yama, god of strength]
[You have accepted the challenge of Sorath, godddess of the sun]
[You have accepted the challenge of Nathanael, god of vengeance]
[This is a three-on-one battle to the finish, the loser will forefeit their right to challenge using the system, do you accept the overall challenge?]
[Accept]