150 CHAPTER 150(New Year Festival)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene

CHAPTER START---

"This is a lot more than I expected," Yang says as looks around Bable Plaza.

The area surrounding the base of Babel that was usually empty with the exception of a single fountain was currently walled off with food stalls and games.

Around the far edge of the circular plaza were countless stands with everything from street food to alcohol. Adventurers and citizens alike were happily partying in celebration of the new year beginning tonight.

With the scents of different foods and the sound of music in the air, he walks out of the elevator with his team, Hephaestus and Tsubaki.

Hephaestus, Tsubaki, and Thalie were in short dresses while Welf was in more business casual wear with a button-up shirt and pants. Yang was still in his usual battlemage pants and boots with a black shirt under his blue coat.

The winter air was fading away as the season ends, still bothering some but most everyone would be fine to change out of their winter clothes tonight.

"Let's get some snacks," Yang says as he begins marching off. Passing through the large space between Babel and all the stalls.

"No alcohol," Hephaestus calls out to him as he walks off into the crowd.

Nudging his way through the crowd, the swarm of people only getting denser and denser as he approaches the stalls Yang finds himself struggling to politely get past.

Finally arriving at the food stalls, Yang immediately makes his choice. One of the stalls looked to be selling some type of meat on a stick, he couldn't help but try it.

While Yang was just another face in the crowd, not too far away was someone who couldn't hide even if she wanted to.

Freya was walking through the plaza guided by Ottar.

Unlike the newer level-7, Ottar was a definitive presence. Whilst Yang was just another face in the crowd Ottar had the presence of a king. While Yang had to fight his way through groups of people they simply parted for Ottar to walk. The main difference not being in their power or stature, Ottar was almost a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier whilst Yang was more powerful, although only a very select few knew that particular fact.

But the crowd parted simply because of his will.

Ottar had the will of a king, ready to defend his people from any would-be threat at a moment's notice. His willingness to dispatch any who opposed with lethal force was felt by everyone around him. This kept everyone at bay, he guided Freya through the plaza to the few tables set up whilst Allen was a step behind the goddess to fully protect her.

Whilst none would approach them without a very good reason, for Yang, nobody would even bat an eye at him. Unless they recognized him somehow nobody would care, his presence was that of another casual adventurer in the festival. Content with keeping to himself, he was easygoing and enjoying the festivities...a luxury he could afford for only he and his team knew the truth. Nothing here could really pose a major threat to him. At least nothing that could also surprise him.

Truth be told this is the very first of these festivals Freya has ever attended. She dislikes crowds and especially drunk crowds. This was everything she avoided daily. But looking at a certain shattered soul in the crowd she just had to make an opportunity to bump into him. Seeing him would be worth a night of discomfort, and with two level-7s plus Allen to protect her, she felt rather safe.

"Freya dear," a seductive voice calls out from the crowd. She'd been so tunnel-visioned on Yang that she was completely oblivious to the world around her.

Looking toward the voice Freya couldn't help but release an annoyed sigh, seeing a large toad-like woman in a green outfit as well as a shirtless human man flanking Ishtar, a fellow goddess of beauty, the goddess had brown skin and purple hair with a small golden crown on her head. Her outfit barely had enough fabric to cover herself enough for it to be called clothing.

"Ishtar, what brings you here?" Freya asks, a polite smile on her face as she prepares for the verbal battle that always happens between them. Yet Ishtar has never bested her.

"Some of us like to leave our ivory tower once in a while, what good is beauty hidden away after all," Ishtar says as she walks up to Freya. Only standing a meter away with Phryne, the frog-like woman and the male adventure at her sides, staring down Ottar and Allen. They had no chance in an actual conflict, but the rivalry between these gods was never more than petty.

"Well, as they say, even a glimpse of beauty is priceless...I suppose that explains why you're sold so cheaply," Freya digs at the world's most expensive prostitute. Ishtar runs the red light district for a good reason after all.

Ishtar narrows her eyes at the woman, "some of us use our gifts rather than hoard them, we came to the lower world for fun after all, although I doubt you've been having any of that lately..."

"Oh," Freya raises a brow at this, "please do tell, as far as I know, I've been having a grand time as the number one goddess of Orario, or dear I say this entire world."

Ishtar grits her teeth, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Freya knows exactly what she wants, that title is her goal and the woman had an iron grip on it, but Ishtar could always attack her with what she didn't have, with what she lost.

"Rumor has it, you went from a happy couple, to abandoned by a mortal," Ishtar says with a disgusted look on her face.

"T-that," Freya stutters, impossible.

Ishtar saw a chink in the armor and took her chance, this could be the night she finally gets the upper hand, even if it's something this small.

"He left you, the oh-so legendary goddess that has men falling at her feet," Ishtar raises her voice slightly, drawing more attention to them.

"No, he---"

"Got bored of you, all that time locked in your tower left you lacking," Ishtar raises her arm, pulling the people's attention to her side.

"We, we were," Freya hesitates for a moment.

"Nothing, because all he wanted was to get a taste of you 'divinity'. And he figured he could get better from mortals. What's the point of you after all... a used goddess but out of practice, even that brat Hestia would have more merit...at least she'd be fresh," Ishtar says with lethal venom.

If not for Freya's explicit orders to stay out of her feud with Ishtar, Ottar and Allen would have sent her back to heaven quickly followed by her entire familia. They were both staring the goddess down with murderous intent that she simply ignored, the surrounding crowd was just waiting for this volcano to erupt.

"He didn't use me, he, we were happy," Freya was beginning to doubt herself. Maybe Ishtar had a point, did he just think he could get better...but there was no better, right? She was happy, was he happy?

"Until he probably found something else... someone he didn't have to be so stiff around and could just be himself maybe, someone who knew how to please him the right way...hmm," Ishtar raises a hand to her chin as she leans forward to look Freya in the eyes, "maybe I should be that someone," she says with a Cheshire smile.

Freya saw red.

Her taunts, the crowds murmuring, her insecurities, her loneliness, it all came to a head.

Before she knew it her hands we reaching forward to wring Ishtar's neck, gone were the thoughts of having Ottar or Allen deal with this, she wanted to feel the life leave Ishtar's corpse with her own hands.

Before Ishtar could lean away from Freya, or the goddess herself could make contact, her hands bounced off the air itself.

A thin wall of wind was erected between both goddesses. Saving Ishtar to reside in the lower world for tonight at least.

"Freya," a familiar voice calls out. The goddess doesn't even want to look his way, the last thing she wanted was for Yang to see her so undone.

Walking out of the crowd toward the stunned adventurers and gods, he sees everyone staring at him before all he can focus on is her. Wearing the hoodie she barged out of his apartment in that was once upon a time his with some black pants, it took him a moment to snap his eyes away from her and focus on what was going on.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Ishtar asks, seeing the man walk up and completely disregard her presence, his mind was obviously only focused on Freya. A bitter truth she despised.

"You were just talking about me, I'm Yang Shen, who are you?" he asks, moving to stand and look at both women.

"So you're the child who saw through her false beauty and left, well done," Ishtar says, glancing over at Freya to see the woman still staring at the floor, doing anything but looking over at Yang.

"Actually, she dumped me," he lied with ease. Everyone including Freya looked at him in surprise, in a split second she schooled her features to bring back the elegant and stoic beauty she acted as.

"That's not what I heard," Ishtar narrows her eyes at him.

"Well it's what happened, I was so enamored by her beauty that I got a bit... overbearing," he gives a light shrug. "But can you really blame me, she is the goddess of beauty after all right."

" A goddess of beauty. Not THE goddess of beauty," Ishtar corrects him, almost growling her words out, her number one most hated thing in this world was being overlooked for Freya.

"Sorry sorry," Yang raises his hands in surrender, "I haven't met any of the others yet, I spend most of my time in the dungeon," he says innocently, as if he were ignorant to the woman standing in front of him.

"You little... I am a goddess of beauty," Ishtar was seething with rage, walking over to the man and pressing her exposed chest against his shirt, craning her neck up to look him in the eyes, trying to not so subtly charm him.

Seeing her trick, not unlike what Freya used a long time ago Yang takes a step back, leaving her completely speechless. "Sorry miss, I couldn't tell," he says a gives an apologetic look.

As one would expect everyone watching was shocked, from the adventurers and civilians in the crowds to Freya herself, but none more than Ishtar. This was worse than if he'd spit in her face. And she couldn't kill him because as much as she doubts the information that he's a level-7, it's a chance she couldn't take.

Standing up straight she looks back at Freya before giving Yang one more seductive smile, licking her lips to entice him as much as she can, "when you're ready to experience true bliss come see me, whenever, however, and for as long as you want, on the house," she says before turning on her heel and strolling off. Putting more of a sway in her hips than ever before.

"If you ever touch her I will cut it off," Freya says as she races over to him, giving him an intense stare. Ottar and Allen immediately step away to break up the crowd.

"Jeez can't even get a thanks for saving your ass," Yang says while giving her an annoyed look.

"Right, thank you, she started talking about you and I almost made a fool of myself," Freya says.

"You mean by strangling Ishtar in the street, yeah, I noticed. But one of the perks of being me is I can't be charmed and you gods can't see when I'm lying by looking at my aura or whatever remember, figured I'd use it for once," he says.

"Mhm, honestly I forget that most of the time," she says.

"Why are you even here? This really isn't your kind of thing."

"I like fireworks," she says.

"Mhm... do you want me to pretend you don't have the best view from the top floor of Babel then you can try that lie again?" he gives her an amused smirk.

"Alright fine, I was trying to see you...happy now, I admit it?" she pouts and folds her arms, looking away from him.

"Yeah actually, and you're wearing my hoodie because you miss me still?" he asks.

"And it's comfortable, and I actually like the way snowfalls at the end of winter for the record," she looks up at the clear sky, "but I think it's all done, I was hoping for one more day maybe, plus I don't think you'll miss this one," she reaches out and lifts the right sleeve of his coat. Feeling the soft material and taking a glimpse at the ring on his right hand, confirming what Syr showed her. A broad smile forms on her face as she sees it, her heart immediately speeds up.

"That one is actually the only thing I have from home," he says.

Her smile immediately drops as she looks down at the hoodie that was slightly drowning her.

"Oh, I'll just," she immediately begins to unzip it, only for his hands to stop hers.

"It's ok, I think it's better like this. I try not to think about home remember, at least you have a use for it," he gives her a gentle smile.

Looking past him she can see him hurting.

"Right... it's my favorite anyway," she says as she zips it back up. "Would you like to join me for the fireworks?" Freya asks, getting her hopes up once more. Reaching out she barely wraps her fingers around his hand before he pulls away. For barely a moment she felt the warmth she'd been missing before being cast back into the cold.

"You know that's a bad idea Freya, if we keep this up then this night doesn't end with us apart."

"I still don't see what's so wrong with that. We can make each other happy, so many people can't even find that in their lifetime, we can have it tonight," Freya says. Lunging forward and grabbing his hand. "We have it right here," she squeezes his hand.

"I already told you," Yang pulls his hand away from her, "that's not how this ends."

"Fate says otherwise," Freya says as she turns around, and makes a beeline to a Babel elevator.

As Yang ventures off to find his teammates Freya and Ottar are riding the elevator up to floor 100. Having sent Allen back to the mansion the goddess stands in the middle of the elevator hugging herself. Focusing on the fabric of her clothes, should her thoughts stray to anything else right now, she may not be able to keep her composure.

"You guys got good seats," Yang says as he walks up to this team. They were fortunate enough to get a table in the plaza that can actually fit them all.

Sitting at the table they had small plates of finger food in front of them with some drinks, not missing a beat Yang withdrew one of the snacks he bought earlier and took a spot right beside Tsubaki.

"So, new years resolutions?" he asks.

Everyone simply gave him blank stares.

"Right, back home you basically make a promise to yourself to keep for the new year. Like read a book or exercise more, that kinda stuff," he says.

"Hmm, make better equipment," Welf says.

"Same," Tsubaki follows.

"Same," Hephaestus says as well.

"To achieve my goal no matter what," Thalie says as she downs her drink.

"And what goal is that?" Welf asks.

"Haven't decided yet, but I've got a pretty good idea," she says.

"Well, I'll just stick with what I'm already doing. Continue my adventure," Yang says.

A few minutes of idle chatter later, the fireworks begin to go off in the sky. Marking the beginning of the new year.

The entire plaza goes from conversations to hushed murmurs as everyone basks in the beauty of the show.

"Fuck it, happy new year," Yang mutters to himself, too soft for anyone else to hear as he cups his hands.

Focusing his magic he channels water, wind, and cold into this one move.

A minute of complete concentration later and he opens his hands for a loose and fast rotation snowball to be revealed, small cold winds picking up around it. He missed much of the show just to focus on this, but he thinks it'll be worth it.

Taking it in his right hand he stands up, and with all his might he throws it like a baseball toward the top of Babel.

"What was that?" Tsubaki asks.

"Fireworks probably?" Hephaestus gives him a strange look.

"Nope, that one wasn't for us..." Yang says while taking his seat as if nothing happened.

At the very top of Babel a few moments later, Freya was sitting on the floor at her window look at all the fireworks. An almost empty bottle of wine in her hand, face grim and eyes sleepy. The greatest light show in the world couldn't fix her mood, being rejected once more would have that effect on almost anyone.

Suddenly something flies past her window.

A ball of ice slightly glowing blue, leaving a trail of snow behind it.

As it reaches the roof of Babel the ball shatters and erupts, forming a cloud.

A dense cloud, that brings snow.

Before her very eyes, snow was falling past her window, light snow that wouldn't even make it to the city below.

The adventures and citizens wouldn't experience this one extra, and oh so beautiful snowfall, and she knew this wasn't meant for them.

This was meant for her.

He made this only for her.

Reaching into the collar of Yang's hoodies she fishes for the chain around her neck, raising it up until her side of their pair of message rings was in her hand. This one carrying the Norse symbol of Freya, a perfect pair with his symbol of Odr.

Raising it to her lips she tries to formulate words, but the bitter, although reluctant rejection he gave her earlier that night weighed heavy on her mind.

Dropping the ring for it to hang around her neck she places her hand on the glass. As if the snow was him reaching out to her, because for her that's exactly what it was.

Taking a deep breath she looks at the falling snow and the hope this represents, "happy new year, my Odr," she whispers softly as she enjoys her one extra snowfall.

END CHAPTER---

Every time I write some Yang X Freya I feel like I 1UP myself.

Power stones please, top 100 end of the week would feel pretty good :)