Hare of Misfortune

Rachel looked up in shock as an endless sea of beings filled a stadium grander than she could imagine. ”So...after this round, Conner and I fight? What about the upgrades? I want to free Nia of the age curse she’s under.”

”I think you have had enough preparations,” Izanami smirked, gesturing to Eostre, who was still marveling at the extent of her handiwork. ”What do you think about the new rewards I have set for this Legend Quest by uniting the potency of both in this balance?”

Eostre raised her hand to show them a System Message that made her grin.

[Winner’s Prize]

[Conner - All accumulated EXP and two requests of the Arbiter.]

[Rachel - All accumulated EXP and two requests of the Arbiter.]

”Naturally,” the autumn-haired woman explained, ”all of that EXP will be spread amongst your party members if you so choose. With all of the excess energy gained used for the requests, it should provide some unique rewards.”

”Indeed, it will,” Izanami said, her thoughtful gaze drifting to her. ”I look forward to what your creative minds—hmm-hmm, excuse me, mind- will craft for us to fulfill... Now, Conner, here are the options for Rachel’s next opponents. Who will she face in Yomi, under the Hell Moon?”

She pointed overhead as the clouds parted, revealing the devilish symbol on its burning surface. It was very clear the Legend Quest was in new—and far more capable—hands, as the Hell Moon’s hellish rays didn’t touch her, the same way as the sun’s hadn’t when the stadium was brought back to its default state.

Izanami’s throne floated into the air with Yseress, a second, extravagant throne appearing for Eostre to take; the goddess of death was now in control. Conner looked up at the Challenge Rating 3 message overhead, tight eyes shifting to her, and Rachel put her thumb up.

”Don’t tell me you’re getting shy after our heart-to-heart, Conner... Give me a challenge.”

”You’re right,” he laughed, vigor returning to his voice. He swiped through options until pausing over a rather curious figure that had Nia shaking her head and Rachel rubbing between her eyes. ”Huh? Is this really what I think it is?”

Three wolf-like girls wearing chains and other hellish dog bobbles emerged out of varying shades of fire: blue, red, and green. Izanami motioned to each of the provocative, vicious-looking girls with an entertained smirk.

”You are Greek, after all, Conner... One that is three, and three that are one. Would it shock you that Cerberus has had many female companions, some of which result in situations like this? Half-Cerberus and half-human. Triplets and individuals, yet also one and in disorderly harmony.”

”Would they be a challenge?” Rachel asked.

Yseress doubled over with laughter. ”Personally, I would say it was suicide without the support of the Hell Moon and its effects on you. At least, I hope it will be enough to handle Aleka, Irida, and Thalia. It would be nice to have something to talk about if you ever meet their father! He adores his girls; the boys can shove off.”

”And if I kill them?” Rachel asked with a forced laugh.

A wicked smile lifted Izanami’s lips. ”Impossible for you at this time, be it with the Blood, Black, or Hell Moon as your support. The girls are playful in nature; their goal isn’t to kill you but to give you a fighting chance to prove you can scrap.”

Conner roared with laughter as Rachel’s sparkling clover eyes narrowed. ”I’m guessing that lit a fire in you?”

”It lit something,” she snickered. ”You good to go, Soldier?” Rachel asked, kneeling down to brush back Nia’s silver hair; they’d gained a decent amount of energy from the three moons that Eostre had made earlier.

A determined, slightly frightened look came over the five-year-old. ”I’m tough! I can beat up some puppies.”

Rachel figured all that bravado would probably melt the second the triplets started breathing fire, and she’d run like the little bunny she was, but that was fine. Nia was one broken curse away from being a good soldier again.

Conner returned her thumbs up and locked it in.

”Monster: the half-cerberus sisters.”

Rachel breathed out a long puff of air as she turned in a slow circle, observing the growing audience; Nia held onto her skirt, moving with her and trying to keep a brave face.

New entities were showing up to watch as word of Dionysus’ downfall no doubt spread amongst the higher beings under the 5th-dimensional weight class. The stronger deities would naturally want to know what changes were happening to the figurative board.

She could see Cerridwen’s hand moving the pieces more and more with every passing second. The nightmarish deity was putting a spotlight on her, which would draw others to try and jump on the bandwagon and dissuade many from making them an enemy. There was an agenda here, but it was played on such a high level that she’d need help to decipher it.

With the selections made, the stadium of ballsy lower deities, studious angels, or rowdy devils and demons began to fade away. Rachel caught Yseress’ teleport in a flash of black flames to Conner’s side in the VIP box, and whatever the fallen Nephilim was laughing about wasn’t amusing the legend.

Looking up at Izanami and Eostre, sitting on their thrones above, a smirk lifted the corner of Rachel’s lip as the radiant Hell Lady stepped through space to stand in front of her.

Nia jumped. ”What are you doing? You’re not going to do shady stuff like Dionysus did, right?”

Rachel reached over to prompt Nia forward. ”It’s okay, Nia. Izanami is here for something entirely different than him. But... what’s the point of going up on your chair only to teleport back down to me?” she asked with a short chuckle.

”Atmosphere,” the woman chortled in return, her long gown shifting as she gestured to the sky, peeling back the layers to show Eostre and her still in their place. ”My way of doing things diverges from Dionysus, little bunny, yet there are rules that must be abided by. Walk with me, Rachel.”

”I’m coming, too!” Nia hissed, squaring her shoulders and mechanically stepping out beside Rachel; she was trying really hard, for having the temperament of a five-year-old.

Izanami nodded at the kid, slowly making her way to the city’s dry dirt roads, where blue spirits moved, phasing through objects. ”Naturally.”