Victus violently slammed a deer into the ground by its neck, holding it down. The deer struggled, squirming and jerking its head against the snowy dirt. Normally this would bother Vick, but he felt little remorse for it. Maybe his humanity really was waning...

He sniffed, identifying the deer's vital organs. Then he took out one of his blades and plunged it deep into the deer's heart, ripping it out so that the animal would quickly bleed to death. The deer slowly stopped moving, staring into his eyes as its very life dissipated. With a short heave, he lifted the large deer over his shoulder and carried it back to the cabin.

Lilith followed him, hovering above the ground, "I could have just charmed it you know. That way you could've killed it without a struggle.."

"The deer deserved to know it was going to die," Victus replied harshly. "It didn't attack us."

"So you only want me to charm anything that attacks us?"

"..Sure. Magni's the exception, though. You can charm him whenever he's being dumb. Which is all the time."

"Ho-kay~!"

They arrived at the cabin, where Victus hung the deer outside before entering the house. He could hear arguing coming from the living room.

"You're the one who said not to use my hammer!" Magni shouted.

"Wow! So it's my fault?" Vackerie rebutted. "They should call you the god of being stubborn!"

"You two are such a headache.."

At the same time, they both shouted, "Quiet, Morelli!" and "Shut up, Davon!"

He winced, holding his head, then stared past them as Victus entered the room, "You're back.."

"I've been back," Victus responded dismissively. "Found your sister.."

"Really? Where is she?!" He tried getting up but paused when he felt the intense pain in his chest, coughing.

"Take it easy, brother," Lilith hovered into the room. When he saw her, he felt both shock and awe in her appearance. She looked almost like her old, human self, aside from the bright red skin and horns.

"Y-You're.."

"Beautiful again?"

"Yes, I suppose so..How did this happen?"

Victus interrupted their tender moment, "I've been meaning to ask you the same thing."

After a short explanation, Davon couldn't stop glaring at Victus, his fist clenched in anger. He wanted to get up, but he knew that he would only make his condition worse. "You should've just left me to die in the woods.."

"Maybe I should've!" Victus glared back, stepping towards him. Lilith blocked his path, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Darling.."

He grunted, looking over at Vackerie, "Vack, know anything about dispelling the curse?"

"Well, it's not really a curse, so it can't be easily cured. The only way I can think of would be to somehow exchange your demon essence for more human essence," Vackerie was flipping through the pages in her spellbook, pushing up her glasses. "I don't know how to go about doing that, and even if I did, the components required would probably be harmful to the other person involved."

"So what you're saying is that the other person would have to give us consent," Victus leaned to the side. "Otherwise, it'd be bad.."

"Don't look at me, I'm not going back to being an ugly demon!" Lilith was examining her extended black nails, floating in the air like she was sitting on an invisible stool, though she subtly hovered up and down every few seconds.

"You're barely dressed, no one wants to look at you. Actually, Vack, do you have any extra clothes?"

Vackerie looked up from her book, shaking her head. Magni barged his way into the conversation, "I have extra clothes! Us Aesir cares a lot about fashion."

"Great, give it to Lilith so I can have my coat back. It's cold."

Later that evening, three of them sat in the dining room, eating charred venison. Vackerie looked at the food in disdain but forced herself to eat it. The meat was tough to chew, somehow cold despite being burnt to a crisp on the outside. Victus and Magni devoured the flesh like it was a gourmet meal, however.

"So..Who cooked this?" Vackerie tried to ask politely. Vick gestured at Magni, not bothering to take the time to swallow.

"I know, I should be a chef, right?" Magni beamed. "This hammer can cook anything with enough lightning!"

"Oh.."

Lilith hovered into the room, wearing nothing but a tight, brown leather vest that was originally meant to accentuate Magni's muscles and tight navy blue leggings that concealed her lower half. She refused to wear shoes, however, and still decided to let her wings and tail move around freely.

Magni was easily charmed by her appearance, "Wow. You look pretty good in my training gear."

"Think so?" She made an exaggerated twirl, "What do you think, Victus, my love?"

"I think it makes you look even more like a whore," he responded honestly.

"Oh, Vick, your harsh words endear me so!" She hugged herself in arousal. Victus gave no reaction.

"..So, Lilith, you're Vick's new girlfriend?" Vackerie asked bluntly, as usual.

"Mhm!" She replied at the same time as Victus did, except he said, "No."

Vack only became confused, before coming to a wild conclusion, "Ohhh, I see what's going on." She hid her mouth from Lilith's line of sight, whispering, "She's the other girl, isn't she?"

"What?" Now Victus was confused, "N-No..? We're not dating. We haven't done anything."

"Darlingg~! There's no need to be so shy around your friends," she hovered behind him, slowly wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He remained unfazed. A meatless bone then landed on the table, capturing all of their attention.

"We shall leave for Eircrest first thing tomorrow morning," Magni stood from his chair.

Vackerie also stood up, "But Davon's not fully healed yet."

"Can't he walk?"

"No!"

"Then I'll carry him."

"And if we get attacked again? You were so useless last time!"

"I was useless? That's very amusing," Magni unholstered Mjolnir, sparking with blue electricity. "If I remember correctly, those men died saving you. Mortals like yourself are the very reason Midgard is a terrible place to live."

"Ugh! For a god, you're nothing without that hammer! You pick that thing up and suddenly, all the realms owe you something! What about my people?!" Vackerie's face was contorted with rage, angrier than she's ever been. "I owe you nothing, understood?! Nothing!"

Magni raised his hammer and slammed it onto the table, shattering it into fragments of timber. Victus immediately stood and put his arm in front of Vackerie, glaring at him. She backed away, frightened.

"My father gave his life so that the end of all realms would not arrive," Magni gripped his hammer. "When he prevented Ragnarok, he told me to keep innocent mortals safe at all costs."

Victus spoke calmly, "Magni, put the hammer away.."

"As if it could ever be that simple. You all think it's so easy to be a god. To live for ages. To see so many die in vain."

"We never said that, Magni.."

"You're right, I was born a god of nothing. Even my strength is drawn from these bracers.."

There was a long silence between them.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"..I'm sorry. All I know is the thrill of battle."

"Then learn something new," Victus extended his arm. "Lilith!"

"Mhm!" She instantly flew over to Magni, holding his face and giving him a peck on the nose. He froze as the sparks surrounding him went out, and then he fell back with a clamorous thud. "Nuh-Night~! ♥"

Victus and Vackerie ran in the snow, Lilith flying along with Davon in her arms. It was still dark and snowy out, but at least Vick could wear his fur coat now. After running for a while, they took shelter in a cave, panting. Davon's body was dropped onto the ground, "Oops!"

"Lily!" Vackerie turned around, kneeling to check if he was okay. He groaned, just barely waking up.

"He's heavier than he looks!" She shrugged.

"Where are we..?" He muttered.

"A cave," Victus answered. "Vack, see if you can get a fire going for us. Looks like we'll be staying here tonight. Tomorrow, we'll go to Eircrest and you can get Morelli to a doctor."

"You're saying that like you won't be joining us," Vackerie took out a pouch full of everything needed to create a campfire. She poured it out onto the ground, arranging it so that it would catch fire easily. "Feu," she whispered, igniting the campfire.

"I won't. Me and Lilith are going to the dungeon." Lilith got excited when Victus said this. "I can still try and save Alyza." Her excitement quickly evaporated.

"Are we even sure how this bifrost station works? Do you even know where it is?" Vack dusted off her hands by patting her lap, standing up.

"..I'll figure it out."

Davon interjected, "And you're just going to take my sister without asking me first?"

"David!" Lilith pouted. "I'm not a kid anymore! I wanna go with him."

"Tch. You don't even know him-"

"Victus Knightsilver," Lily began. "Age: 20. Height: 5'3. Blood type: A. Foot size-"

"You don't needa give him a physical report!" Vick lightly smacked her upside the head.

"Oww~!" She rubbed her head, wearing a mischievous smile.

"Look, I'm not taking her with me. I need help, and she's tagging along."

Davon groaned, "Word it however you wish. If she goes with you, I swear, once I'm better-"

"Do whatever you want when you're better, Morelli. But right now, I've gotta save my fiancee." He sniffed, then turned to Vackerie, "The city's not far from here, I can smell it."

"You can..smell it?" She tilted her head, confused.

"Will we be able to go tomorrow? I don't mean to sound like Magni, but I can carry him."

Vackerie looked down at Morelli, catching him clenching his teeth, "We ran out of Alyza's analgesic potions. He'd be in a lot of pain if we moved him. And if we run into any monsters.."

"We'd be screwed, got it.."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Davon coughed, holding his chest.

Vackerie knelt down, "..Go, Vick. I'll take care of him in the meantime."

"What? But-"

"Go," she turned her head, looking up at him. "You've kept Alyza waiting long enough."

After a brief silence, he nodded, "..Alright. I'll still send a carriage for you and Davon when I get to Eircrest. Keep him alive till it gets here." Victus turned around and began leaving the cave, "C'mon Lilith."

"Mhm!" She nodded, flying alongside him as he began to run. His legs carried him much faster than ever before, and he found that his stamina was unwavering. The city's walls faintly came into view against the cloudy night sky, standing as tall as a mountain. His effortless stride was cut short when he was blindsided by a wild animal that pinned him to the ground.

"Ngh!" He held the beast back by its throat as its jaw snapped at him multiple times, before finally throwing it to his side. He got up, glaring at the cougar as it growled back at him. He glanced back, just now realizing he outran Lilith's flying speed. "Damn it.."

The mountain lion roared, pouncing at him again. He forgot about his strength for a moment, still thinking he was as weak as before. In a moment of desperation, he held his arms up, and the cougar's jaw latched onto one of them. He cried out in pain as the animal's teeth tore a good chunk of flesh off of his arm. As his blood spilled onto the ground, his eyes flashed red just like all those times before.

Except this time, they kept glowing. His anger, masked and controlled, finally became unrestrained. With a loud roar that scared birds out of the trees, he slammed his foot onto the ground, cracking it. He grabbed the cougar by its head and swung it at the nearby tree, its body hitting the thick wooden trunk with a fatal crunch. It struggled to get up, but he let it, his fingers curling excitedly.

The cougar suddenly scratched at his chest, drawing even more blood. For some reason, it hurt more than anything ever has, like his pain was amplified. This only made him angrier.

He tackled the predator to the ground. Or maybe, he was the predator. His hand gripped the cougar's arm, twisting and ripping it off. This was more than even. Afterward, the animal whined, trying to escape, but he pulled it back by its tail, putting it in a chokehold. The cougar kicked its feet desperately, fearful and afraid. Victus's hand reached up and wrapped around the cougar's lower jaw, uncaring for how its sharp teeth cut his fingers.

With a tight, quick pull, he ripped the cougar's jaw clean off, dropping the animal to the ground. It struggled for a moment longer before finally going limp. He breathed heavily, his heart racing. His hands were covered in blood. No, his whole body was stained with blood now. He slowly lifted his hand to his bloody face, just now realizing he'd been grinning this whole time. Was this the hidden power Wolfe had mentioned a while ago?

"Darling~!" Lilith called out, flying towards him. Vick's glowing eyes finally faded back to normal, and his malicious smile disappeared too. When she caught up with him, she noticed the carcass, "Oh, got it done without me, did you?"

"Yeah," he grunted, facing her, "Couldn't you unseal Fenrir already? I'm gonna need him, ya know."

"I could, but then I'd be sealed away if you ever summoned him.."

"How's that work?" He continued on the path.

"You can only summon one Evolution at a time," she followed. "I'd be forcefully dismissed."

"That's pretty specific, but you couldn't have inherited that information from me."

"I didn't. When I bonded our essence, I realized I'd have to use some of your mana to keep my physical form. Using Fenrir drains all your mana, so I would be dismissed."

Victus thought back to how she was feasting on his neck when he came to, near his shoulder. Is that where draining mana is the strongest? Actually, how did he end up there, anyway? He passed out in front of Fang and was sure she would've killed him given the chance. If she really spared him and dragged the both of them to safety, he owed her a huge thank you the next time he saw her.

"So you've been secretly draining my mana this whole time?"

"Hehe, kinda.." She twiddled with her fingers. "Since we're bonded, we share the same mana pool. So yes and no."

"I guess that's a relief. So if I dismissed you before summoning Fenrir, I'd be able to keep him present for longer?"

"Yeah, but you really wanna get rid of me that badly? We can have so much fun when I'm around..~"

"I beg to differ. Unseal him and give me the ability to dismiss you. We'll need mana to spare if we're to go dungeon diving."

"Darling! That's so unfair! I won't be able to smother you with my love!"

Victus thought for a moment, then smirked, "If you do it, I'll give you a kiss."

"R-Really?! With tongue?!"

"Tongue and all."

"O-Okay!" She immediately flew in front of him and held her hands out, making an odd sign with her fingers. A series of red and pink pentagrams appeared around Victus before they all shattered. He didn't feel any different, though. "There we go! Now pucker up, sugarli-"

Victus immediately dismissed her, and she formed a ring around his pinky finger. She was so gullible that he almost felt guilty. Almost. If this worked, he could definitely summon Fenrir if he needed to. Now that he could enjoy some silence, he continued on his speedy pace to Eircrest.

When he got to the wall, some guards with spears stopped him. The tall wooden doors that stood before him were closed shut. "Hold it right there, elf!" The guard pointed his spear at him.

"Half-elf."

"Do I look like I care?" He gripped his spear. "State your business."

"..I've news about Miss Alyza Nox Sylvain."

He was surprised the half-elf knew her full name, "Nonsense. Miss Sylvain has been missing for years."

"She was in Virunia when I met her," Victus crossed his arms. "We were headed this way after she received a letter about her father getting sick."

"..You're a suspicious one, muddied, but I suppose that lines up. If you were with her, though, then where is she?"

"That's why I came to tell you.."

"She's been kidnapped?!" Lord Andarius slammed his fist onto his desk, not concerned for his bandaged arm. Her father was largely built, with salt and pepper hair. He kept his face cleanly shaven, and his eyes were brown, wrinkled with wisdom. Despite his injuries, he was still dressed like royalty.

Victus was sitting across from him, each guard at every corner of the room watching him intently even though they were in his study, where he would have meetings with various people about the state of the city. "By a god, no less.."

"More like a demigod," Victus explained, but he didn't bother continuing about that when Andarius gave him an irritated look. "..That's why I need to get to Asgard, sir. Do you know where the dungeon beneath the city is?"

"Yes, but even I've yet to explore it. Surely, this is a job most well suited for the best adventurers I can find."

Victus stood, causing each of the guards to step forward. He paused as Andarius gestured for them to be at ease. "Thanks. Listen, we don't have that much time. I'm not sure I can even work with this team-"

"Team? No, you won't be joining them."

"What? Sir, with all due respect, I'm more than qualified for this type of quest. You see, your daughter and I.."

Andarius suddenly had a very intimidating shift in expression, but Victus didn't back down.

"..We've got something special going on. We're uh.."

Her father raised an eyebrow, "You're what?"

"..We're..really close friends. Besides, I won't be alone. I'm technically a summoner.."

"Oh, a summoner, you say? Even Eircrest could use one of those," Andarius looked down at his desk. There was a map of the continent of Freyrun. It was riddled with X's and knocked-over models of soldiers. "Alright, fine. I suppose you can pursue this quest until I band a team of S-Ranked adventurers together. Regardless of if you're successful or not, I'll be sending them in when they're ready."

Victus smiled, "That's fine with me, sir!"

Lord Andarius admired the young man's enthusiasm. He pulled open his drawer and presented him with a rolled-up map, and an amulet. "Take this. You can activate it when you're at the bifrost station, and you'll be transported to Asgard. I should warn you, however, traveling to the other realms is extremely dangerous and extremely classified. Do not let a word of this slip out, not to anyone."

"Y-Yessir. I won't tell a soul. Thank you, sir," Victus made a quick small bow and left in a hurry. Lord Andarius watched him leave with a look of worry on his face, followed by a look of relief.