The Four Overpowered Phoenixes
In reality, their assumptions were off the mark. If any of them had the courage to ask Eriri directly, she wouldn't have hidden anything. She would have openly revealed her capabilities without hesitation.
As for whether or not they believed her, that was no longer Eriri's concern.
...
By the time the superpower testing concluded, it was already past 3 PM.
On the boys' side, the tests had also proceeded smoothly. Since the proportion of male students with awakened superpowers was slightly lower than that of the females, the male students had already completed their tests and were waiting outside the testing area when Eriri and the others emerged.
The ten female instructors then planned to lead the group to the combat zone.
Although practical combat exercises weren't required for the first superpower course, it was still necessary to give the students a tour of the combat zone and explain the guidelines and precautions for future practice sessions.
When the group arrived at the combat zone, they were immediately greeted by the sight of ten massive dueling platforms evenly distributed across the area.
Upon seeing the platforms, some students' faces lit up with excitement, eager to jump onto one and start sparring, while others displayed apprehensive expressions.
"Teacher, do we really have to engage in combat?" a timid-looking male student hesitantly asked a short-haired female instructor standing at the front.
"Of course. If you want to grow stronger, practical combat is essential," the short-haired instructor replied matter-of-factly. "But don't worry. Fighting here won't cost you your life—at most, you'll suffer a few bumps and bruises."
Hearing this, the boy's face fell even further. He had been hoping to avoid combat entirely because he was afraid of pain.
"But—" the boy began to protest, only to be cut off by the short-haired instructor.
"The school already made it clear beforehand: participation in the superpower course is entirely voluntary. If you don't want to take part in combat exercises, you're free to drop out. Just don't show up next time," she said, her tone completely indifferent, as if discussing something trivial.
And to the instructors, it truly was trivial. They weren't here to nurture the students but to fulfill one of Eriri's whims. Losing a few unimportant students wouldn't matter in the slightest as long as it didn't dampen their young mistress's enthusiasm.
After touring the combat zone and listening to the instructors' guidelines, it was already nearing 4 PM.
Normally, classes would have ended by now, but the students in the Superpower Zone seemed reluctant for the session to be over.
Each superpower class lasted three hours, from 1:15 PM to 4:15 PM. With only ten minutes left until the first session officially ended, time quickly slipped away.
As the 100+ students and a few cultural studies teachers emerged from the white barrier marking the entrance to the Superpower Zone, the inaugural superpower course came to a successful close.
...
...
The day after the superpower course concluded, Eriri received an invitation from Ais to visit the Danmachi world.
After finishing her breakfast, Eriri decided to head there alone. Since she didn't plan to stay for an entire day, she chose not to bring Kohina along this time.
At that moment, the high-ranking members of the Loki Familia, along with Ais, were all gathered in the conference room, eagerly awaiting Eriri's arrival.
When they saw Eriri step out from the world portal, everyone—including Riveria, who had already seen her in person before—was momentarily stunned.
The most exaggerated reaction came from Loki herself, who stared at Eriri with sparkling eyes, a trace of drool unconsciously slipping from the corner of her mouth.
"So... so beautiful!" Loki murmured, her voice tinged with awe. Then, as if she had discovered a newfound treasure, she broke into a smitten grin and launched herself toward Eriri.
This sudden action snapped Riveria out of her daze, her face paling as she instinctively reached out to stop Loki's reckless behavior.
"Loki, stop immediately!" Riveria exclaimed, her voice tinged with alarm.
She was unsure if Loki's antics might offend Eriri. While Loki was a woman, sparing her from certain harsher consequences, such behavior was still risky. If Loki were a man, such a transgression would already be grounds for a death sentence.
Unfortunately, Riveria was a step too late. Loki had already leapt to within two meters of Eriri, seemingly about to crash into her.
But there was no way Eriri would allow Loki to tackle her. Truth be told, Eriri had no interest in a tomboy like Loki.
With a calm gaze, Eriri merely glanced at Loki, and in an instant, Loki's entire body was abruptly stopped mid-air. She dropped straight onto the conference room floor with a loud thud.
However, Eriri had no intention of seriously punishing Loki. She simply immobilized her completely, leaving her sprawled helplessly on the floor.
Riveria's assumptions were partly correct—because Loki was a woman, and due to Ais's connection, Eriri refrained from taking any drastic action. Otherwise, Loki would have met the same fate as Eriri's past enemies: reduced to ashes under her gaze, with even the possibility of resurrection permanently erased.
"Lady Eriri, I deeply apologize," Riveria said quickly, stepping to Loki's side and bowing her head anxiously in Eriri's direction.
Finn, who had been seated nearby, immediately stood up from his chair and joined Riveria, his brows furrowed.
"We sincerely apologize, Lady Eriri. Loki's actions were impulsive, and we ask for your forgiveness for her disrespect."
His mood was clearly dampened. Finn had been looking forward to Eriri's visit, only for this situation to unfold as soon as she arrived. While he had always considered Loki's habit of teasing beautiful girls a harmless quirk, it was now proving to be a serious headache.
Gareth and Ais also joined Loki at her side. Gareth's eyes were filled with apology, while Ais's expression remained as stoic as ever.
Based on her understanding of Eriri, Ais knew that if Eriri truly intended to punish Loki, there wouldn't even be a trace of her body left. The fact that Loki was still alive and immobilized was a clear indication that the situation wasn't dire—at least Loki's life wasn't in danger.
As she lay on the ground, unable to move, Loki was internally panicking. She deeply regretted her impulsive, habitual action of trying to pounce on Eriri, only realizing the gravity of her mistake once she was subdued.
Despite her predicament, Loki couldn't help but marvel at Eriri's beauty. She's so stunning... so captivating! Loki thought to herself. If someone like Eriri existed in her familia, Loki was sure she would wake up laughing even in her dreams.
Looking at the nervous group before her, Eriri gave a soft, gentle smile.
"You don't need to be so tense. I'm not going to harm Loki. Otherwise, she wouldn't be lying there unscathed," Eriri reassured them.
Her words brought a collective sigh of relief from Riveria and the others, including Loki herself, who was still sprawled on the floor.
"Thank you, Lady Eriri. We'll make sure to keep a close eye on Loki from now on and guarantee that this won't happen again," Riveria said respectfully.
Eriri nodded slightly, then released the power that had been immobilizing Loki. The moment the restraints lifted, Loki felt control return to her body and scrambled up from the floor in one swift motion.
"Finally, I can move again," Loki muttered, shaking herself off. Scratching her head awkwardly, she gave Eriri a sheepish smile. "Ah, sorry, sorry. I got a little too excited. You're just so beautiful that I couldn't help myself."
Her gaze swept over Eriri again, unabashed admiration shining in her eyes. "No wonder Riveria said Freya's beauty doesn't hold a candle to yours, not even a fraction of it. Seeing you now, I completely understand. You're unbelievably gorgeous."
Loki had lived for over a hundreds of millions of years, yet in all her time in the heavens and the lower world, she had never encountered anyone—be it a god or mortal—whose beauty rivaled Eriri's.
"Well, of course!" Eriri said smugly, tilting her chin up with pride. "After all, I am the number one beauty across all the realms."
Rather than refuting her, Loki and the others nodded in agreement, their faces filled with unshakable conviction.
"Although Riveria might have already mentioned this," Loki began, her tone unusually serious, "I still want to personally thank you. Thank you for helping Ais. Thank you for what you've done for Riveria and Tione as well."
Over the past few days, both Riveria and Tione had fully absorbed the energy seeds they received during the free battles. Their strength had undergone a dramatic transformation. While their adventurer levels hadn't changed due to the constraints of "Great Feats," their actual combat power had far surpassed that of Freya Familia's Ottar, making them the second and third strongest adventurers in Orario.
With such newfound strength, their ability to achieve Great Feats would undoubtedly accelerate, and ascending to higher adventurer ranks was only a matter of time.
"Enough with the thanks," Eriri said, waving her hand dismissively. "I already told Riveria before: you all see Ais as family, and I see her as a close sister. There's no need to thank me for something like this."
"Alright then, I won't say more," Loki said cheerfully, nodding. "Eriri, since you're here, how about we show you around Orario, our labyrinth city?"
"Of course, but just Ais accompanying me is enough," Eriri replied.
"Alright," Loki said, her voice tinged with disappointment.
She had hoped to spend more time with Eriri, perhaps even growing closer to her. While the chances of earning Eriri's favor seemed slim, one could always dream. After all, what's the point of being a god if you can't have aspirations?
But her grand plans were dashed by Eriri's decisiveness.
Unaware of Eriri's preference for women, Loki didn't think much of Ais and Eriri venturing out together. Her jealousy was always reserved for men trying to get close to Ais—not women.
After the decision was made, Eriri led Ais out of the conference room. Loki and Riveria followed behind to escort them to the castle gates.
Finn and Gareth stayed back, left exchanging glances. They realized they had been completely sidelined. It was clear that Eriri had no interest in getting acquainted with them, leaving the two feeling somewhat helpless. Even so, they eventually joined Loki and Riveria, following them out of the room.
…
As Eriri and Ais stepped out of the conference room, they immediately saw Lefiya, Tiona, and Tione waiting outside, along with Bete, who stood off to the side with an annoyed expression.
Lefiya, Tiona, and Tione were thrilled to see Eriri again, but Bete froze in place. His usual scowl turned into an awkward, almost comical expression.
"Lady Eriri, it's only been a few days, but you've become even more beautiful," Tiona exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement as she approached Eriri.
"Tiona, it seems you've become even better with words in these few days," Eriri replied with a smile.
The radiant smile nearly overwhelmed Tiona. She wasn't like Tione, who had all her attention on Finn, or Lefiya, who adored Ais with all her heart. Tiona didn't have anyone she particularly admired or loved, making her utterly defenseless against Eriri's charm. Her heart raced, skipping several beats.
"Hehe," Tiona chuckled, her face flushed as she scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"Ais-san, Lady Eriri, are you heading somewhere?" Lefiya asked curiously, standing to Tiona's left.
"Yes," Eriri replied. "Ais and I are planning to explore the city."
Upon hearing Eriri's response, Lefiya's eyes sparkled with envy. She hesitated before raising her hand shyly. "Um… Could I join you?"
"I want to come too! Take me with you!" Tiona immediately chimed in, raising her voice in excitement.
At that moment, Loki, Riveria, Finn, and Gareth emerged from the conference room one after another.
"Captain~!" Seeing Finn, Tione immediately plastered on her signature smitten grin and rushed toward him.
Even though Tione's strength now far surpassed Finn's, her feelings of admiration and love for him had not diminished in the slightest. However, Finn had no intention of reciprocating her affection. As someone who prioritized the revitalization of the Pallum race above all else, his choice of partner would inevitably be someone from his own kind.
Despite being over forty years old, Finn, as depicted in the original story, had proposed to Liliruca Arde, a fellow Pallum who was only fifteen years old. This emphasized how strongly he adhered to his racial ideals.
"No can do. This time, it'll just be Ais and me," Eriri said with a smile, gently turning down Lefiya and Tiona's request. She quickly added, "Of course, I'm not restricting your movements. You're free to go out and explore anytime you like—just not with us."
Lefiya pouted, casting a troubled glance at both Ais and Eriri. She was well aware of Eriri's preferences and couldn't help but worry about Ais being "snatched away," even though she knew there was no real possibility of her ever being with Ais herself.
Tiona, on the other hand, didn't dwell on the situation as much. While she felt a tinge of regret about not being able to join Eriri and Ais on their outing, she knew better than to disobey Eriri's wishes.
And so, with a crowd watching them from the Loki Familia base, Eriri and Ais set off on their way.
Just as they stepped outside the base, a series of system notifications echoed through the chat group.
Walking side by side along the streets, both Eriri and Ais diverted part of their attention to the chat group.
When Eriri saw the content of the notifications, a delighted smile spread across her face.
[Adele has joined the chat.]
[Yuna has joined the chat.]
[Azusa Aizawa has joined the chat.]
[Kaede Honjou has joined the chat.]
The chat group had finally welcomed its long-awaited ninth batch of newcomers.
Interestingly, all four newcomers shared a notable trait: they were the so-called "Four Overpowered Phoenixes" from their respective worlds, widely recognized in their own universes.
Of course, while they might seem extraordinary in their worlds, their strength was unremarkable compared to the seasoned veterans in the chat group.
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 5, Stage 9): Welcome, newcomers! Confetti.jpg]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 5, Stage 9): Welcome, newcomers! Confetti.jpg]
[Arifureta (Level 6, Stage 2 / Group Leader): Welcome, newcomers! Confetti.jpg]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Welcome, newcomers! Confetti.jpg]
[Kaguya Shinomiya (Level 5, Stage 7): Welcome, newcomers! Confetti.jpg]
[Kaede Honjou (Level 1, Stage 2): Umm... What is this? Is this a gaming group? The name of this chat is kind of strange.]
[Adele (Level 3, Stage 7): Huh??? A chat group? How is this thing appearing in my head? Shocked.jpg]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 5, Stage 9): Oh my, does the newbie already know about chat groups? You seem pretty familiar with this, judging by that emoji usage.]
[Adele (Level 3, Stage 7): Although I'm currently living in a sword-and-magic world, I used to live in the 21st century. Of course, I know what a chat group is. ArmsCrossed.jpg]
[Adele (Level 3, Stage 7): I just didn't expect a chat group to directly invade someone's mind. How does that even work? Curious.jpg]
[Kaede Honjou (Level 1, Stage 2): An alternate world? Past life? What are you talking about? Isn't this the NewWorld Online game group?]
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