Chapter 56 - A Troublesome Goddess

---Orario, Mael POV---

While my Body Doubles hung out with the girls in the other two worlds, I went to Orario to check in. I had the meeting with the Elder Gods in a day's time, and I had been distant from the four Goddesses lately so I wanted to make some time for them. When I arrived, I heard they were in a meeting with many other Goddesses so I decided to kill some time while I waited.

Browsing things in the Market District, I was looking for ingredients to cook a meal with tonight. As I was doing my grocery, I heard a commotion growing in the market. Turning my head, I saw Kaguya and Bella pursuing a small group of people. Thinking they might be criminals, I confirmed it when I saw Alise and Lily flank them.

"Stop thieves!", Alise shouted at them.

Pushing their way through the crowd trying flee, they were knocking over several elderly people and kids who were getting their daily food. Seeing their goods get trampled over, I told the stall owner I would be back in a moment. Stepping into the center of the street, the thieves tried to go around me not realizing who I was. Clotheslining them, the four bandits gasped for air as they fell to the ground clutching their throats.

"What the fuck was that for!?", the leader spat getting up, "Do you fucking know who we..."

Looking where a person's head would normal be, he realized there was only a shirt. Raising his head till he saw my face, immediately dropped his weapon and fell on his butt.

"Did you happen to say something?", I inquired leaning down to look him in the eyes, "I couldn't hear you."

Foaming at the mouth, the man fainted on the spot. As the other three recognized me, they didn't attempt to flee and just laid on the ground. Waiting for the four women to arrive, I gave them a smile as they saw the four thieves on the ground.

"Thanks for the help Mael.", Alise said restraining the thieves.

"What are you doing here?", Bella asked me.

"Bella, he is probably shopping.", Kaguya laughed, "We are in the Market District."

"Opps, I forgot about that. We have been chasing them forever so I was confused for a moment.", Bella admitted.

Telling her I was getting groceries for tonight's dinner, I said we could talk later as she was working right now. Nodding her head, she helped her friends haul away the thieves.

"By the way gentlemen...you won't give these nice ladies any issues, right?", I asked exerting my Killing Intent on them.

Shaking their heads violently, they started pulling them towards the jailhouse. Grinning at that, I walked back to the stall and paid for my food items. Stowing them away I turned back to the people that were trying to salvage their groceries. Judging by how they weren't tossing the smashed food away, I made the assumption that they couldn't afford to replace it. Buying them replacement items, I handed it to them and said to just pitch the destroyed food.

Thanking me repeatedly as they accepted the food from me, they disappeared into the crowd as they headed home. Nodding my head, I headed back to the church where the three Goddesses stayed.

Walking in the door, I was certain Hestia and Ristarte were at the meeting. No one was home so I put away the groceries, and cleaned the home with a snap of my fingers. Deciding whether or not I should stay here and wait, I heard the women approach the church from Babel.

"You really have done well with the place.", Hephaestus said, "It looks nothing like the place I helped you get initially."

"We put a lot of work into making a home.", Hestia boasted, "I will put some tea on for us."

"Yah know when Mael is going to be back?", Loki inquired, "We haven't been able to find him."

Opening the door for them, I shot her a smug grin.

"Was I missed that much?", I chuckled.

"So this is where you were hidin!", Loki spat in anger.

"I just got back in town today, I brought some gifts.", I said with a carefree shrug, "If you are saying you don't want some of the wine I brought, then I-"

"All is forgiven.", Loki assured me, "Tell me more about this wine."

Welcoming the group in, I sensed some people were watching us. Spotting two different groups watching them from a distance, one appeared to be from Aphrodite's Familia and the other I couldn't be sure. I could pick Aphrodite's group out because they were a bunch of very good looking people. It was well known that you have to beautiful/handsome to join her Familia so the most attractive people joined her Familia. As for the other group, they were only two Amazonian women. They weren't that uncommon in Orario so I wasn't sure whose Familia they were from, or even if they were from one.

'Hopefully they aren't from Kali's...last thing I need to worry about is a hit job on my lover's familia.', I thought deciding to place security measures in place to protect them.

"Somethin wrong?", Loki asked taking a seat at the Dining Room table.

"Hopefully nothing too bad...you were followed back here by two different parties.", I replied closing the door.

"Told you.", Ishtar snickered, "I have a knack for that sort of thing."

"Pretty sure one of them is Aphrodite's group.", I stated.

Seeing an annoyed look appear on Ishtar and Freya's faces, it was clear that something happened between them and her. Asking them for the detail, Ishtar gave me the details about her. She was similar to Freya and Ishtar in that she was well known for using her body to get what she wanted, but unlike them...she had no problem using it with any mortal she wanted to take. Ishtar and Freya had only slept with a handful of mortals whereas Aphrodite regularly had orgies with her Familia.

"She is also a bitch among bitches...", Freya said, "When Ishtar or I are turned down, we will still pester people to join us...Aphrodite takes it as a personal insult to be told no. Her Vice Captain, he once a very kind man with a wife and children so he turned her down when she asked him to join her Familia."

"Rumor has it, she forced him to watch his family be torn apart by monsters in front of him. He disappeared for nearly six months before showing up again as her Vice Captain.", Loki crossed her arms, "When she sets her eyes on someone, she will do whatever it takes to get them. She has turned two countries upside down just for a Princess and Prince that turned her down."

"So then...she has her eyes on me then?", I questioned.

"Exactly...she proclaimed she'd take our man in front of the Goddesses.", Freya said with an angry smile.

"Haha, you don't have to worry about that. I like strong willed women, not bitches.", I laughed pouring them a glass of red wine.

"Ya hear that, I am a strong willed woman.", Loki snickered.

"Doesn't do anything to fix that washboard chest.", Hestia sniped.

"What's so good about your mounds of fat!", Loki retorted smacking Hestia's breasts.

Locking hands, the two of them began their usual fighting as they insulted one another. Having seen this in the past, I left it alone as I knew they wouldn't seriously hurt each other physically. At worst they might walk away with disheveled clothes, but I wasn't complaining.

"You sure you can handle her? It's well known that you have a soft spot for kids, that Bella and Lily are your adopted siblings, and that you are close to Astraea's Familia on top of other Familias. She has multiple ways to get to you.", Hephaestus reminded me.

"Of course, if she causes problems for the important people in my life...I won't hesitate to sever her head from her shoulders. A pretty face doesn't make a quality, strong willed woman.", I stated, "Freya, Ishtar, Loki, Aqua, Ristarte, and Hestia are all quality, strong willed women that I cherish."

Choking on her wine, Ristarte set her glass down while Hestia pushed Loki away and looked at me.

"So you do want us to join!?", they inquired.

"Of course, but I know that both of you wouldn't just settle for any man. Let me say it now, I want to be with both of you in a serious relationship. You can take your time giving me your answer, but I can assure you I won't ever let you go.", I told them.

"Oh my goodness!", Ristarte shouted shaking violent and hugging herself, "Is this one of those love confessions?!"

"Hehe...", Hestia laughed as her pigtails twitch around with excitement.

Noticing that Hephaestus was staring at me intently, I could tell she was judging whether I was being honest. Even though many people thought she was cold and uncaring, she deeply valued those she considered her friends. To her Loki and Hestia were dear friends, especially Hestia who didn't treat her any different whether the eye patch was on or not. In my opinion, Hestia and Loki were fortunate to have such a good friend in their lives.

"So you are saying you won't mistreat them, abandon them, or hurt them? I am sorry, but someone that has a harem...I don't see why you'd care. Harems were very common in Heaven, and people were replaced easily when the Gods were tired of a Goddess.", Hephaestus stated matter of factly.

"I encourage you to watch, and see for yourself that I am not like any God you have ever met.", I said with a confident smile.

Closing her eyes, she didn't give me a response but I took that as her accepting my answer for now. Suggesting that she stay for lunch, I offered to make something light to eat for lunch. Accepting the offer, she took a sip of her wine while I stepped over to the kitchen to make lunch.

---Aphrodite Familia Home, 3rd Person POV---

Returning from their recon mission, the five men knelt down before their Goddess. Eating some grapes, she turned to them and asked what they had learned.

"The Goddesses you requested us follow retired to Goddess Aqua, Ristarte, and Hestia's home. The Unknown Entity Mael was already at the residence, and he seemed to know where we were.", the Vice Captain stated.

"I see, so they are patterning with him then...this makes things a bit more complicated.", she said biting her nail, "He doesn't have any issues kill Gods, provoking him directly will only result in our deaths..."

"Goddess Aphrodite, maybe we should try to get on his good side by getting close to his adopted siblings Bella and Lily.", one of her Adventurers suggested.

"That is equally dangerous...they are apart of the Astraea Familia. She has strong ties to Hera, Zeus, and Ouranos which makes things even more difficult for us.", she responded, "Hmm...Hestia, Hephaestus, and Ristarte were in that group right? Hestia and Ristarte are still virgins which means they likely haven't joined his harem yet. They are best chance to get close to him, arrange a meeting at once."

"Yes My Lady!", the Vice Captain said taking his team away.

---Outworld, 3rd Person POV---

It had taken Shang Tsung little time to grow the sample he had taken from the blob into it's own organism. Imbuing it with Dark Magics and Souls had turned it from a Sky Blue color to a black and red mixture. The creature obeyed his every command, and was easily able to kill a Tarkata Soldier. By now it had devoured several soldiers and members of Sheeva's personal men, and was more than ready to feast on something more substantial.

"Follow me.", Shang Tsung ordered taking the blob into the Flesh Pits.

His collection of people had grown substantially over his searching. He had taken anyone that had captured his attention, but most of them had died from the torture he inflicted on them. That said a few of them had managed to survive the torment, and one of them was about to be his pet's meal. Strolling into the room where they were chained up the newest addition, a woman calling herself Shion, leapt at him. Stopping a few feet from him, she kept pulling on the chains even though they were causing her to bleed.

"Still so feisty, evolution certainly has it's benefits. It's been only a day since I cut you open yet you move around like it never happened.", he snickered.

"How dare you twist Lord Rimuru's body into something like that!!", she seethed, "I will kill you!!"

"Haha, you are certain of that?", he jabbed, "I am already cultivating your cells now to unlock the secrets you contain, same goes for all of you."

Staring at the Fox Tailed Woman next to her, she shrank away from his gaze. The red headed man next to the Fox Eared woman only glared at him full of hatred and rage, but he knew it was well deserved. After all, he was responsible for kill the man's parents right in front of him. Looking over a few more people, he stopped at a very gorgeous woman he had taken from the same world he got the sword from.

"If I remember right, your name was Aphrodite right? Your name certainly lives up to the image I know, Goddess of Beauty and Sexuality.", Shang Tsung said.

"Please...I will do...anything you wish.", she pleaded.

Having been unable to prevent her own capture, since Olympus was in ruins, she had been experimented on dozens of times by him. All she wanted was for the suffering to end, and she would gladly give him her body for that.

"You wish to be freed, at any cost?", Shang Tsung asked with a devious smile.

Noticing that the blob was moving towards her, Shion and the red haired man shouted out at her.

"Don't take his offer!!", Shion screamed.

"Get away from him!!", the red haired man howled.

Unfortunately, the Goddess paid them no mind as she saw an opportunity to be free of this suffering.

"Of course!", she assured him.

"Wonderful.", he said turning back to his pet, "Devour her and take the Divinity she contains!"

Realizing what he said, Aphrodite tried to back away only to see the blob expand and leap at her. Letting out a terrified scream, she thrashed around violent trying to get away but she couldn't do anything. Watching their former cellmate continue to struggle till she was completely absorbed, everyone present looked on in horror as Divine Energy started radiating from it.

"Haha, success!", Shang Tsung cackled, "Now then, it is time to end this little game with Shao Kahn and Sindel!! That woman will pay for insulting me!!"