Chapter 26: Light Banter

At the entrance of the base, Alise and her group encountered Lyra and the others who had already returned earlier. With an unmistakable smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, Lyra shot a teasing glance at the approaching group. Her eyes zeroed in on Akira before she quipped playfully, "Oh my, are you guys done with your group date already? Akira, how does it feel to date three gorgeous women at the same time? Most guys would kill for that." Akira responded without missing a beat. He gave her a bold thumbs-up, his mouth splitting into a wide, toothy grin as he laughed heartily. "It was an absolutely riveting experience! And now, beautiful Lyra-san, you must accompany me on the next date. I insist. Hahaha!" Lyra blinked. She hadn't expected that kind of shameless counterattack. She stood frozen for a split second, then quickly said, "Wow, seriously? So having those three lovely ladies isn't enough, and now you're planning to drag me into your harem too? Wait a second—don't tell me... Akira, you're that kind of guy? A closet lolicon?!" "Ohhh, so that's what this is about." Akira said, feigning heartbreak as he dramatically wiped fake tears from his eyes. "I thought tou were just jealous because you weren't invited. I was even planning to devote an entire day just to you! But I see now... you think so little of me. My heart is shattered!" "Ahahaha! Okay, okay, I'm officially stunned and speechless." Lyra said, shaking her head with mock defeat. "I give up. Where did this come from? Just a few days ago, you were like an innocent little kitten, and now suddenly you're this... this... shameless flirt. My poor brain can't keep up!" "Maybe you should stop saying weird things then. He probably picked it up from you, you damn rascal." Kaguya reached out and bonked Lyra lightly on the head. She then turned to the suddenly composed Akira and scolded, "And you! Stop saying weird things and making those exaggerated faces." "Roger that." Akira raised his hand in mock salute, his face returning to its usual serious look. With a cheeky smile, he shot a "yeah!" gesture at Lyra, clearly unrepentant. Alise couldn't help but laugh, turning to Ryuu with bright eyes. She happily said, "Looks like Akira has really accepted us. If it were before, he wouldn't have joked like that." Ryuu smiled softly, nodding in agreement. "Yes, I'm glad. It feels like he's truly become part of our family." After dinner, the Astraea Familia gathered in the main hall. The air was a bit heavier as they discussed the day's incident. "Astraea-sama, regarding today's confrontation... this is what we encountered." Kaguya stepped forward, her voice steady as she summarized their battle and speculated about the Evilus attack. The gentle but stern goddess listened intently, eyes narrowed in thought. She said, "It's certainly plausible. Loki mentioned something similar—those secret factions have been moving in the shadows. We've been trying to track them down, but their actions are elusive." "Everyone, please be cautious during the upcoming patrols. Remain vigilant and don't lower your guard." Astraea firmly said. "Yes, Astraea-sama!" Everyone responded in unison, their tone resolute. "Whoa, Alise, so you guys ran into those scumbags too?" Someone asked. "Yeah." Alise replied, crossing her arms. "It really seems like these small skirmishes are just distractions for something else." "Tch, when will this nonsense end?" Lyra groaned, collapsing dramatically onto the sofa. "I'm tired of patrolling every damn day. The secret faction can go rot." Maryuu chuckled softly and comforted her, "Thanks for your hard work. But someone has to do it. If nobody steps up, Orario will just fall deeper into chaos." "It's alright." Alise said with a firm smile. "Today, no one died, and we dealt a blow to Evilus' forces. They're not invincible. As long as we spread the wings of justice, we will bring peace to Orario." "I truly believe that if we keep walking forward with determination, our efforts will lay the foundation for defeating the Evilus completely!" Then she raised her fist, her voice rising with fervor, "And after that, we're taking down the One-Eyed Black Dragon! Let's go, everyone! We've got this!" The room fell into stunned silence. Then Akira clapped enthusiastically and declared, "Captain is awesome! Captain is the best! Captain is the strongest!" Everyone turned their heads to stare at Akira, stunned. Meanwhile, Alise beamed at the praise, looking absolutely delighted. Kaguya sighed, massaging her temples. "Captain, it's nice to dream about the future... but we should focus on the task at hand too." "What are you saying, Kaguya?" Alise pouted. "I am focusing! We're already fighting Evilus, aren't we? So taking down the One-Eyed Black Dragon is just the next step. Why not go big if we're going for it?" Kaguya gave her a long, helpless smile and said, "I really can't win with you. Maybe it's your ridiculous optimism that makes people follow you." "Seriously." Noin muttered, shooting Alise a tired look. "She always thinks things will work out somehow." Maryuu giggled softly and said, "But that's why we all follow her, right? Because she is that kind of person." Meanwhile, in the desolate ruins of Orario's 7th District, three shadows gathered in a crumbling base of Evilus. Olivas Act slammed his fist on the old table, his face twisted in rage. He shouted, "Who the hell leaked our location?! The base was almost exposed! Luckily, we threw out some pawns to bait those self-righteous fools." "Who knows? It's not like we got caught." Valetta Grede snapped, flipping her pink hair in irritation. "You made me come all the way here for this petty problem? You should've handled it yourself. Are you that useless?" Vito let out a soft laugh, utterly unfazed. "Relax. We still have our core intact. The bait did its job. But... perhaps it's time to lie low. If they catch us again, we won't be so lucky." "I have no interest in getting punished by Erebus." Valetta growled. "He's still out searching for allies, and if we get discovered again, it's over." Olivas clenched his fists under the table, his expression dark. 'If I had the strength, I'd kill the both of you right now.' But all he could manage was a snarl. "Tch, don't act like you're any better. You've slaughtered your share of adventurers. Maybe you're the one who got us exposed." Valetta pointed a sharp finger at him and snapped, "If I hadn't stepped in, this dump would've been gone already. I've got plans to execute, unlike you! Mess with me again, and I'll cut you up." She stormed out, slamming the door behind her. "Disband!" Vito shrugged and casually followed her out, leaving Olivas alone in the shadowed room, his fury barely contained. "Enjoy your little victory, righteous scum. But soon... I'll crush your dreams." — — — "Rrraaargh!" An orc roared, its massive frame charging forward like a raging boulder. Its meaty green arms swung like tree trunks, trying to crush everything in its path. Akira's eyes narrowed. He bent his knees and ducked low, narrowly avoiding the sweeping strike. With perfect timing, he sprang up and drove his one-handed sword into the orc's armpit. Slash! The sound of tearing flesh echoed as green blood sprayed from the deep wound. The severed arm flopped to the ground, and the orc howled in agony. Without giving the beast a chance to recover, Akira leaped into the air, his body twisting mid-flight. With a howl of wind, he brought down his sword in a fierce arc, cleaving straight through the orc's thick neck. Thud! The massive monster's head hit the ground first, and its body followed with a thunderous crash, kicking up clouds of dust. Akira landed lightly, standing atop the fallen beast, his blade dripping with green blood. Another enemy, another battle... and another victory. 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