If Hestia was the kind of goddess who wore her heart on her sleeve, Loki was the kind who kept knives in hers.
The moment Tsukihana stepped into the central market, heads turned.
Not because of her beauty — although that was dangerous enough — but because of the divine signature she carried like perfume. It was subtle to mortals. But to gods?
She was loud.
"Why is everyone staring at you?" Bell whispered, walking nervously behind her.
Tsukihana gave a lazy smile. "Because gods are gossips and mortals are mirrors."
Lili scoffed. "You talk like a riddle."
"And yet, you follow me."
Their destination was a cafe just off West Main — a cozy corner where mid-tier adventurers came to drink too-expensive tea and pretend they weren't risking their lives underground. Bell had suggested it for lunch.
But lunch plans died when she showed up.
A flame-haired woman in a red jacket leaned casually against the far wall, one foot propped up, grin like a knife. Her eyes burned with mischief and memory.
"Oi, oi," Loki said, her voice light but sharp. "So you're the tail-flicking heartthrob causing trouble in my city."
Tsukihana didn't flinch.
She walked right up to Loki, looked her over, and said, "You smell like vanity and ambition. Charming."
Loki grinned wider. "And you smell like trouble and fox fluff. Dangerous."
Bell took a seat awkwardly at the edge of the table. Lili and Welf followed hesitantly. Mikoto just bowed to the goddess with stiff politeness.
Loki waved them off.
"I ain't here to scold anyone," she said, settling across from Tsukihana. "But Freya's been smiling too much. Makes me itchy."
"Poor girl," Tsukihana said, sipping her tea. "I smiled at her once and now she wants to marry me."
Loki barked a laugh. "You're not wrong."
The conversation shifted — not in topic, but in weight.
Loki leaned forward, hands folded. "So. Who are you really?"
Tsukihana smiled, slow and deliberate. "That question is starting to feel like a theme."
"You're not listed. You don't carry a Falna. You move through divine boundaries like they don't apply."
"Maybe they don't," Tsukihana said.
For a brief moment, the air between them pulsed with something ancient.
Loki narrowed her eyes. "You know, I've seen creatures like you before. Once, long ago, before this city was even a rumor. Back when gods walked freely."
"And what did you do to them?" Tsukihana asked, voice gentle.
Loki smirked. "I ran."
Tsukihana's smile faded just slightly.
A flicker of memory stirred again — the sound of clashing metal, divine blood staining white marble, and laughter that turned to screams.
She blinked once.
The cafe's silence returned.
Loki leaned back. "Well, I like ya. You're freaky, but you're polite. Still, Freya's watching you like you're the last star in the sky."
"And you're watching me like I might set it on fire," Tsukihana said.
"Only if I'm close enough to warm my hands."
The conversation ended when a messenger arrived — a young elf girl with trembling hands and a silver envelope.
She offered it to Tsukihana without a word, then ran.
Tsukihana turned it over slowly, tails flicking.
The wax seal was unmistakable.
A stylized rose.
Freya.
Bell swallowed. "W-What's it say?"
Tsukihana opened the envelope with a flick of her claw. Inside was a single card, handwritten in elegant script.
"I would be delighted if you joined me for tea at twilight.
No guards. No tricks. Just truth.
– Freya"
Lili hissed. "It's a trap."
"No," Tsukihana said softly. "It's a confession."
Welf raised an eyebrow. "Of love?"
"Of intent," she replied, standing slowly. "Freya never wastes ink."
Loki whistled low. "You goin'? Most people'd rather face a floor boss than tea with that vixen."
"I'm not most people," Tsukihana said.
"No," Loki agreed, "you're the one the Dungeon flinches at."
Tsukihana smiled. "Flinch? I thought it was bowing."
🕯️ Later, at the Hestia Familia Home
Hestia was pacing.
"You got an invitation to Freya's tower and you're thinking about saying yes?! Are you insane? She doesn't invite people for tea. She lures them!"
Tsukihana lounged on the couch, brushing her tails with lazy elegance. "She was very polite."
"POLITE? She's practically the goddess of dangerous romance!"
Tsukihana tilted her head. "Then I suppose I'm the goddess of dangerous curiosity."
Hestia flopped down beside her, groaning. "If she kisses you, I'm disowning you."
Tsukihana smiled. "She'd need to earn it."
Bell entered the room, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you… want backup?"
"No," Tsukihana said gently. "This is a divine conversation."
"Then take this." Bell handed her a small charm — a rabbit's foot with a flame insignia.
She blinked. "Is this lucky?"
"No," he said, grinning. "It's mine. I want you to come back."
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then, for the first time since arriving in Orario, her smile turned real.
"I will."
🌒 End of Chapter 7
📜 Author's Note
Loki's curious. Freya's bold. And Tsukihana? She's walking straight into the heart of the enemy — with tea on the menu and power in her stride.