Chapter 65 - Intrusion

Kkrrkkk--

The old door creaked loudly as it swung open, informing some people inside that there's someone, or more people, entering.

"Oh, what are you little girls doing here in this kind of place? Are you lost, perhaps?" A rugged-looking man was surprised upon seeing two little girls entering the tavern. Especially after waking up from a drunken stupor, their presence in such a place might be just the effects of alcohol still circulating throughout his system.

"W-We're not lost, M-Mister..." Saki answered nervously.

Her hands held tighter onto Aoi, who's looking at the man in front of them with an unfazed look. At the same time, the man started having weird thoughts as he wandered his sights around the two girls.

'Blue and red, blue and red...their beautiful faces makes me want to turn their colors into white...what a jackpot!'

"Hmm? Then, what brought you here?"

"...We're here to look for a certain group of people," Aoi replied.

"Lil brats, as you can see there are so many people in this place that it's starting to get cramped here. Tell me who they are, and I'll bring them to you."

Unimpressed with his words, Aoi spoke. "...We don't need your help. I could easily see the ones we're looking for even from here."

Aoi pointed her finger at a group of people leaning on the wall at the back. Their faces are full of cuts and bruises, after they were beaten up by a group of thugs.

"...We came from Sandy Fish and they are our loyal customers, and seeing them in such a state made us decide to take them away from this horrid place."

"Y-Yes! W-We'll take them back!" Saki added, after mustering enough courage to speak in front of dastard men and women wearing skimpy outfits.

When she said that, the people around them laughed at the same time.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Did you hear that? Some loser's inn from somewhere wants to take these losers back to their place! To make things worse, they sent children to do the task!"

"[Sandy Fish]? Ah, I know that place! Isn't that the inn managed by those two wee brats? I've heard from somewhere that the place looks so bland and boring! Gah, the only redeeming factor of that place is their cheap food and drinks," a woman spoke with an unpleasant grin on her face.

"Cheap food, cheap drinks, cheap service! Just like their name, that place deserves to be buried in the sand!"

Hearing malicious words about her beloved inn being hurled straight into her face, Saki's complexion alternatively turned red then pale from rage and embarrassment.

"T-That's not true! Big Bro and I...we made it into the best it can be, despite our limitations for being young!"

The people around her don't know how much time and effort she and her brother sacrificed to improve the overall quality of their business. Invalidating all of that by unworthy people is the greatest insult Saki received in her whole life as the owner of the inn.

"This...you guys...stop..."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Saki covered her ears as peals of laughter reverberate in her mind. However, no matter how much she tried muffling the noise around her, she could still hear their mocking voices loud and clear.

"Stop it...stop it..." Saki knelt down on the floor as she started to sob.

Witnessing how much the people around her make fun of Saki, Aoi's aura turned darker and thicker.

"Hahahahaha...haaay," the rugged-looking man wiped the tears off his eyes as he panted after laughing so much. "Ah...alright, take these losers back to Loser Fish before we die here of laughter, haha...ha--"

His throat suddenly tightened upon meeting Aoi's gaze. The killing intent leaking out from her is incredibly strong and unexpected for a small girl like her, that he compared it to the ones he had seen from various bigshots in their society.

"Hey you, why are you looking at me like that?"

He took a step forward, trying to look into her eyes more closer.

"...Apologize."

"What?

"...Apologize to Saki. Right away."

"Oh-ho?" The man chucked a laugh at her words. "You want me to apologize to that girl?"

"...Not only you--everyone here as well should do it."

Aoi met everyone's gaze with contempt. 'If not for Saki I might've rampaged and killed everyone here already,' she thought, but she then reasoned that as much as possible she must settle things without relying on her divine power.

"...It's alright if you won't let those people go since I don't really care about it, but for all of you to make fun of a little girl--is this the way you a.d.u.l.ts waste your time? Does doing it make you forget how pathetic and shallow your lives are? If this is the way of becoming an a.d.u.l.t then I suggest humans should stop growing at all!"

Pathetic? Shallow? Everyone's eyes widened. For a mere girl to lecture them for their actions, some of them began feeling annoyed.

"What if we don't?", asked a man with a scar on his cheek.

"...Then I pray that your souls will be damned by the Death Goddess."

Silence. For a moment they were unsure of what they heard, then they all understood her message.

"How bold of you to threaten us?!"

"Tsk, children nowadays are so shameless and disrespectful. I feel pity for their parents..."

"You lass, should be the one who's apologizing instead of us!"

'As expected, these lowlifes are easily offended by anything,' she said with a sigh. 'I could feel their rage in the air getting thicker by the second, how fascinating...'

Crossing her arms together, Aoi spoke. "...We're wasting our time here. Let's go Saki."

"S-Sorry Aoi...", Saki replied.

As they head out of the tavern, they were stopped by a group of men.

"...Out of our way."

"No, no, no, no," the rugged man clicked his tongue, then grabbed Saki's arm. "You intruded here and after you spoke badly of us you're leaving already? Have you girls got no manners? Since it has come to this let's continue the fun for a little longer."

He then pulled Saki closer to him, laughing menacingly as he looked at her frightened face.

"Let me go, Mister! Let me go!"

"Hahaha! It's your fault for going to a place where girls like you shouldn't be. Now, I'll teach you a lesson you won't ever forget."

The man licked his lips. The sight of him doing it made Saki shudder as she desperately try to escape from his grasp.

"Hiii--NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

"...Stop it!" Aoi yelled at him.

"Hm?"

Aoi glared coldly at him. "...You're that kind of person, right? Let her go, and let me be in her place instead."

Cold, beautiful, young--the little girl in front of him hits many boxes on his checklist. If the girl in question is presenting herself to be the sacrifice, how can he refuse?

"Aoi...don't do it!" Saki shouted at her.

Aoi smiled at her in return. "...Don't worry, Saki. This man won't do anything to me."

She took a step closer towards him, with her eyes fixed on Saki. The man, believing her words, pushed Saki away from him, causing her to stumble down the floor.

"You know that doing that would guarantee you losing your head," a woman wearing a striped vest warned him.

The women around him tried to stop him, but they know how short-tempered he is, especially when his interests are being questioned.

"Shut up! I won't do things like that!" He yelled back at him. "Not yet..."

He had no qualms about losing his head in the future. As long as his desires are satisfied, he could die anytime as a complete man.

"...Losing your head? I like that," Aoi's hateful expression turned into a smile. A very morbid smile.

"Oh? Aren't you quite a naughty girl?" His interest peaked even more. "You're just a child, and you're already aware of things like that. I think I need to teach you a lesson for a bit..."

Aoi took another step, and the other people around him too a step back in worry. They may be just thugs or cheap women, but they are not as shameless and immoral as the man in front of them.

"...Come, and I'll let you have a taste of me while being watched by everyone," Aoi beckoned him with her finger.

"A-Aoi, stop!" Saki tried to stop her, but a strange force prevent her from doing so.

"Hehehehe...if you say so then I shall partake without reserve," the man said as he started to drool while also walking towards her.

'What a waste of life force, this man is,' Aoi shook her head in disappointment. Never in her experience, that she saw a mortal look at her with such lecherous intent.

The moment they are within arm's length from each other, Aoi--gently brushed her fingers across the man's neck.

"W-What did you just do...?" The man asked, feeling confused from her actions.

With a faint smile, Aoi said, "...Nothing. I only gave you a touch you won't ever forget."

"T-Tou...--"

Before he could even complete his sentence a cut suddenly appeared around his neck, then his head slid and completely fell off. Rich, crimson liquid sprayed in all directions from the severed neck, drenching everyone who are nearby and leaving them aghast.

RUNNNNN--!!!!!

Men and women screamed and shrieked in terror as they saw the gruesome end of the man at the hands of a little girl. Bearing that illogicality in mind, the only thing they thought of is to run and pray to the gods to save them.

Peace, at last.

Even the people they're supposed to pick up also ran away, making them the only ones remaining inside. Aoi felt satisfied with the result, but on the other hand...

"A...A..."

After falling off from the body the severed head bounced and rolled for a few meters on the ground...until it stopped right in front of Saki.

"A...A-A-A...Awawa..."

His eyes are still open, as the person himself didn't expect he'll meet his end so unexpectedly. It was too late for Saki to avert her gaze, as her memory recorded the way he looked at her even in death.

"...S-Saki--"

"GYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH--?!!!!!" Saki's loud screaming almost made Aoi's eardrums to burst.

"...S-Saki, I..."

"D-Don't come near me!!!"

Saki cried as she kicked the severed head away from her and towards Aoi. She saw what happened with her two eyes, and it's undeniable for her to say that Aoi killed the man.

"Please don't kill me..."

"...W-Wha--"

BLAG! One of the doors opened with such force that it caused the glass windows to shatter.

"Who the hell dares to cause disorder to my place?!" A huge, overly-buffed man wearing only red pants roared in a loud, deep voice.

He was having fun with a handful of women when he heard loud screaming from outside his room. He looked around, and saw only two little girls inside the tavern, beside the body of the man as it lay down headless on the ground.

"Are you the ones who caused this much trouble in my place?" He asked again out of disbelief to the things he's seeing.

"...Yes, and what will you do about it?" Aoi retorted, feeling extremely displeased to see another ugly man appear in front of her.

Sensing the hostility from her words, the man spoke. "What will I do? I will make you regret you chose to mess up with me, Abeiroz!"

Foom! His body quickly glowed into a bright orange. The power emanating from him, and his weight caused the floor beneath him to weaken and form a crater one meter wide.

Unmoved with his display of strength, Aoi said, "...I see, so you're also a god too. How surprising."

"I also felt the same when I saw you," he replied. "You're just a small one, yet your divine power is more or less equal to mine."

He assessed Aoi's divine power based on the intensity of the aura he's detecting. Though his capacity to detect another god's divine power is directly proportional to his own power, he quickly concluded that a goddess having a form of a child is no match to him.

"In this place, I am superior. No one, even the rival gods can oppose me. You, little brat, shall bow down to my strength."

"...Yadda, yadda...I've heard that line for thousands of times already, puny god," Aoi replied mockingly.

She had no time interacting with the guy. Saki saw her powers, and calming her down is her priority but...

'Uh...uh?'

Meanwhile, Saki can't comprehend what they're talking about. Gods? Divine power? If Aoi can kill someone with just a wave of a hand then she's also a...

Abeiroz' face warped furiously after Aoi called him 'puny'. "You brats, I'll crush both of you to bits!"

"...?!"

Aoi looked behind her and saw Saki already cowering in fear and confusion. 'No good', she thought. If Saki were to be put into great harm, how would she explain it to her brother or even to Ren?

DOGUUUNNNNNN!!!

Abeiroz' orange aura grew brighter and stronger while Aoi is looking away. He launched a wave of energy from his hand, roaring like thunder as it flies through air.

"Aoi, watch out!"

"...?!?"

BAAANNNGGG!!! Half of the tavern instantly turned into debris by the explosion. Abeiroz only a small fraction of his divine power for that attack, but the destruction it caused made him extremely satisfied.

"Heh, did that attack already knocked you out, little brats? I'm just getting started."

He can't see their figures from the cloud of smoke and dust that covered the area after the explosion. Just as when he thought they got killed by his attack the cloud suddenly dispersed, revealing a black magic circle floating in the air with the two girls behind it.

"...A weak starting attack coming from a weak god. Even with my attention away from you for a moment, you still didn't use that opportunity well for you to harm us," Aoi spoke with a fearless smile on her face.

'If not for Saki's warning, I might not be able to block that one. That's too close,' she muttered under her breath as she placed her hand on her chest. Seeing a scenario in her mind where she saw Saki being mangled to bits made her heart hurt a bit.

At the same time, Saki thought she's going to die. In a world where magic is commonplace she had witnessed such things being put into practice, but it's her first time to see it being used to inflict damage onto others.

'If not for Aoi, I might be dead by now,' she whispered to herself.

Shock and awe.

A c.o.c.ktail of emotions spun around her mind as she looked at the girl standing in front of her with her eyes opened wide. She's afraid, but enthusiastic for her at the same time.

"Tch! Don't you dare underestimate my power!"

Abeiroz released a volley of energy orbs from his aura, each containing a greater amount of his divine power than the last one.

BANG! BANG! BANGGGG!!!

One explosion echoed after another. Although Aoi managed to absorb the life force of the man she killed and added it into her reserves, the amount of divine power needed to maintain the barrier isn't a laughing matter for her.

'If things would remain like this, the barrier won't last another barrage...'

"...Saki," Aoi called out to her in a faint voice.

"?!" Still petrified because of the explosion, she struggled to say a word to her.

"...While I can endure his attacks, you'll be killed if you get hit even by a weak blast. That's why...leave this place immediately!"

Surprised, Saki shouted. "But I can't leave you alone, Aoi! I-It's my fault for bringing you here, so I must--"

"...Humans like you should run away already!" Aoi yelled angrily at her. "This one here...isn't human, I'm sure he'll kill you if I don't do something!"

Saki's body went stiff at her words. She's just a young girl, why would someone want to kill an ordinary girl like her?

"...His power is surging again. He'll launch another attack any time soo--"

BLAAAAGGGSSSHHHHHH!!!!!"

"...?!"

"I won't let any one of you get away!!!" Abeiroz shouted in a frenzied rage.

Jumping high in the air, he concentrated his aura around his fist and smashed it into Aoi's barrier, effectively breaking it.

"Take this, little brat!"

"...Wha--"

In the nick of time, Aoi--

"...Forgive me, Saki!"

From her shadows, Aoi summoned a huge black hand and pushed Saki out of the tavern.

"A...Aoi?!"

As her body fly away in an arc she saw Aoi looking at her, showing a bright smile on her face.

"...I hope that...we could still be friends after this..."

"Aoi! Wait--"

And then, Saki saw everything turned white.