"GAAAHHH!!"
A scream and another pillar of light, signifying the return of the gods. This makes it the 3rd and last one out of all the major gods that were part of Evilius.
I was getting ready to move out and take care of any other remnants. Just then, a voice, or rather several voices, called out.
"Arin!!!" "Arin-san!" I freeze in my tracks, not expecting them to catch on to me this quickly. Having no choice, I turned to face them.
Riviera, Ryuu, Ais, and Asfi approached me at high speed. I was expecting them to hug me, so I just spread my arms to welcome them.
I deserve a long hug from them after all this sh*t I've gone through, though it is a surprise that Ryuu also wants to hug me, but I am not one to deny the blessing—!
"Gaaahhh!" I cried out in pain as I felt four punches landing on my solar plexus, all the air escaping my lungs. The combined strength of a level 6, two level 5, and one level 4 was enough to bring me to my knees.
"We told you not to do anything, Reckless, did we not?!" Scolded Riveria, her eyes narrowed.
"Arin, stupid," said Ais in her usual quiet voice, but I could tell there was an intensity behind her words.
"Arin-san, what you did was not commendable at all. Why did you not ask for our help?" comes Ryuu's words in a disappointing tone.
"Why do you always jump headfirst into trouble?!" said Asfi, glaring at me.
"I-I am sorry," I said, steadying my breathing and getting up on my feet.
"Sorry, won't cut it this time–!"
Before Riveria could continue, Several other people approached us, the whole of Astraea familia, led by Alise, with Astraea in their midst.
"Finally found you, you runaway brute!" Said Kaguya with her usual snarky tone.
"Humph," scoffed Alise, "Arin, I am really mad at you for not inviting me on the hunt," said Alise, a smile tugging on her lips.
"Oh! A lone warrior going alone to fight the dark forces, it's just like the fairy tales of old." The next to speak was Hermes, with his usual theatrics, Lydia following beside him.
"Still killing gods is going a little too far, isn't it?" said Lydia, her ashen blonde hair fluttering behind her.
"Aaagh! I already told you not to do anything stupid!" said Loki, ruffling her own hair roughly, like she was having a headache of a lifetime.
"I was not expecting you to use a blade forged by a god to slay another god," said Hephastus, but there was no resentment in her words.
I could see Artemis among them as well, though she was just staring at the light of gold and silver swirling around me.
Her reaction is similar to Astraea, when she first saw my magic. Maybe because it was a star magic? And Artemis is a goddess of the moon?
"Don't worry, Loki, we can just announce that it was we who sent the gods to heaven. While the method he used might not have been the most righteous, it was the most efficient." Astraea said in my defense, I was happy in my heart seeing someone support me. But her next words dashed my hopes.
"But it is also true that he crossed a limit, so an appropriate punishment needs to be carried out."
"Punishment, huh? But carrying out a punishment will be difficult since we can publicize the cause." Said Lydia, hearing her words, others started to think deeply as well.
No, why do I need to be punished? I did God's work by eliminating those parasites and those evil gods.
"How about we drop him off on the deep floors? That might calm his tendency to jump towards death?" said Kaguya, hiding her smirk behind her hands.
"Do you want to kill me, woman?" I protested, besides, who said I am jumping towards death? All the risks I take are calculated.
"Kaguya, that might be going too far." Ryuu comes to my defense. Thank you, Ryuu. I knew you were an angel, so much different than this devil of a woman.
"Ooh! Ooh! I have an idea!" Alise raised her hand excitedly like a student in class. "We could make him carry around a really embarrassing sign that says 'I don't listen to my friends' for a week! And I could design it to be super cute but also super humiliating!"
"I am NOT doing that!" I protested harder this time. Sh*t, I thought it was Kaguay who was a devil, but it seems it was Alise all along. And why the heck are we talking on premises that I'm going to be punished no matter what?
Ais, who had been quietly thinking, suddenly spoke up. "No magic."
Everyone turned to look at the usually silent Sword Princess.
"No magic?" Artemis raised an eyebrow.
"Mmm." Ais nodded seriously. "Take away fire magic. One week. Like... grounding child."
"Did she just compare me to a child?" I asked incredulously.
"Dangerous child," Ais clarified helpfully. "Need timeout."
"You can't just take away my magic! That's like... that's like taking away someone's sword!"
"Actually," Hephaestus said thoughtfully, "we should take away his sword as well—"
"NO!"
"OH! I just got a good idea!" said Alise, dread consuming my heart. "Since he is so attached to Lion, Asfi, Kenki, and Nine hells, how about we ban him from interacting with them?"
"NOOO!!! Anything but that!" I protested harder than in any previous time.
"I do not know if that's really a punishment, but seeing his reaction, this seems to be the most effective one." Said Artemis, But I was in so much shock that everything became silent to me.
A weak without talking with girls, no, no, being thrown in the deep floors is better than that.
"What do the four of you say?" Alise asked the girls. I had to look up at them as I was on the floor by just hearing Alise's punishment. They seemed hesitant at first, but when they looked at me, an expression of determination came upon their faces, like they were preparing to fight a floor boss.
"If that's what it takes to stop his Reckless streak, then so be it." Said Riveria.
"Although I will miss not working together with a capable and kind-hearted Adventurer like you, Arin-san, But I also do not want you to do something like this again. So I accept it as well," said Ryuu. No, why are you saying like this is the last time we are meeting?
"I will also miss training with you, Arin. But it is necessary, so I will bear with it."
"Haa… I am still doubting that this is a real punishment we are giving him. Can we think of something else?" Hearing Asfi's words, I became a little hopeful.
"Hm? Asfi-chan, are you saying that because you will miss him? Is that it?" Seeing that as a chance, Lydia started to tease Asfi.
"Of-Of course not!"
*Clap* Astraea clapped her hands and started the announcement, "Then it's decided. Arin will be banned from getting in contact with Ryuu Lion, Ais Wallenstein, Riviera Ljos Alf, and Asfi Al Andromeda for a week from now. And just taking it a step further, Arin will also be banned from entering Stardust Garden as well for this period, to minimize his contact with other girls as well." At this instant, to me, Astraea seemed more like a devil than a goddess of Justice.
And why is she announcing it like I only have contact with girls?
"You have my condolences, Arin," said Hermes, removing his hat and bringing it in front of his chest. "But remember this is just a trial that you need to overcome to reach greater heights!"
Yeah, I don't need to reach greater heights; I just want to remain with them!
"Haa… I don't know if that is an appropriate punishment for killing a god, like Andromeda said, but seeing his expression, it seems like the right one."
Looks like they are not going to back off, huh? I guess I will just take the punishment. At least they are not kicking me out of Orario.
"By the way, why are you all gods here?" It was pretty rare to see so many gods in one place.
"Ah… Well, Loki told us about the suspicion she had that you might kill a god and asked us to be present here, and ask us to announce that you are free from the sin of killing a god."
I looked at Loki, a little moved by her thoughtful gesture. "Humph, now you admit that I am an amazing god, don't you?"
"Yup, thank you, Loki." I truly was grateful to her. Though her face twisted as she heard my genuine gratitude.
"Ugh!" Loki shuddered and wrapped her hands around herself defensively. "I suddenly got chills hearing your thank you; it made my whole screen crawl."
"Anyway, we should get going now, there is still some work remaining, and now that we are at it, let's wipe out all the evilius hideout!" Lydia announced.
"I will escort the gods back home," said Kaguya as she guided them out.
I looked at the girls one last time, burning their image in my head, that might provide solace to my heart for the next 7 days.
"Then… see you in seven days, Arin," all four of them said and started walking, turning back several times, until they were pretty much pushed by the other girl.
I stared at their retreating figure until they disappeared in the darkness of the night.
"Seven days, huh?"
It's going to be difficult.