[Lilac]

After the waves subsided, everyone breathed a sigh of relief to see that Grey had emerged unscathed. However, the axe had sliced through his shirt, revealing dozens of welts and bruises on his chest and abs.

"I'm a demigod; if you think I wouldn't notice something so...." Minx's rant ceased when she looked at the teen's body. "I-I didn't know…." While she was right about bruises, she didn't expect to see a gradient at various healing stages.

"I said that I run events—I didn't say they were [my] events," Grey sassed, leaning back against the rock. "My adoptive father forces me to run them, practically for free. As for why I made a hefty profit and still look like I've been in a fight…"

-

═─┈─═[Two Hours Before]═─┈─═

The office door of Luna Noir swung open, and a sharply-dressed man in a black suit strode in. He had piercing blue eyes and a tipsy demeanor. "How much did I make tonight?"

"Hmmm…" Grey replied, twirling a poker chip between his index and thumb. "After accounting for bribes, expenses, and the 70% cut to the Lycans, you made a profit of 1,385,536 credits tonight, Maxwell."

"Excellent," Maxwell grinned, clearly delighted. "Next week will be even better. Robert Roe has wagered twenty million that you can cuck that whore's boyfriend."

In a textbook display of degenerate gambling, Robert Roe, reeling from his massive losses, attempted to recoup everything with an outrageous bet. However—

"I refuse," Grey replied without a moment's hesitation.

Maxwell's face scrunched up, his breath heavy with the stench of whiskey. "The fuck you just say to me, boy?"

-

─┈━═[Lake of Cleansing, Lower Realm, Myriad]═━┈─

"Why haven't you killed him?" Minx asked, her eyes glowing neon purple after Grey recounted the attempted exploitation. "You have the resources, connections, and power to do it!"

"I'm not concerned about the man; it's the organization backing him," Grey explained. "I have a contract with them."

An oppressive silence fell over the hot springs, punctuated only by the sound of rippling water. Grey glanced around, confused, to see the women clutching their trembling fists and biting their lips.

"I'm not sure what the term 'contract' means to you, but it's not permanent where I come from," he chuckled, breaking the silence. "It's just a matter of time before I gain the power to break free and exact my revenge. So spare me your pity—you'll need all the emotional strength you can muster just to read the news story."

"Hoh? So it's a matter of power, after all?" Minx grinned, turning to the others with renewed energy. "Hey, ladies, we can't harm or steal from mortals, and we can't raise his entity grade. That doesn't include what we do, does it?"

"No, it doesn't," Lilith beamed, her eyes glittering excitedly. "Since he has no power, no one will notice regardless."

"Wait, what's going on?" Grey asked, sitting up abruptly.

"Stop actin' like we're trying to jump your bones, kid," Minx rolled her eyes. "You want power, and we're offering to remove the barriers. No one will notice now, but it will help you over time."

-

─┈━═[Offer Initiated]═━┈─

Demigod Lilith and Lower Demigod Luna have made you an offer:

Name: Ethereal Body Cleansing

Grade: Demigod [III]

Description: Purifies the user's body and meridians, removing ailments and blockages to transcendence and physical recovery.

Amount: Complimentary.

Do you accept the offer? [Yes/No]

─┈━═━┈━═━┈━═━┈─

-

Grey scrutinized the women's expressions. "If this doesn't change my status and grants me power, I'll gladly accept," he smiled, mentally selecting [yes] and dismissing the status window.

"Wise choice," Lilith giggled, standing and pulling him up by a hand. Then she circled him, gently pulling his torn shirt off his shoulders. As it fell, she froze, "What's this?"

"It's the mark of the Lycan," Grey explained. The full-back tattoo depicted werewolves and sharply-dressed humans, narrating the story of the Lycans, an international crime syndicate. "This tattoo is proof of membership for the syndicate my adoptive father and I belong to. It symbolizes the birth and eventual death of a member—that part of the contract is permanent."

"An ink tattoo..." Luna glanced at the other women. "Will it..."

"Yes, it'll dispel the ink if we cleanse his back," Minx frowned thoughtfully.

Grey's fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, and he raised his hands defensively. "On second thought, I decline," he declared. "Game or not, removing this tattoo is grounds for immediate execution." The women immediately backed off, carefully studying his expression.

"Let me help you, mister!" a cute voice pleaded, triggering shocked, full-body turns from the demigods. "A little sparkle power is all you need to protect that trite doggy piece!"

A slender, giggling redhead emerged from the mist, sporting shoulder-length red hair, gentle green eyes, and faint freckles, giving her a charming appearance. Like the others, she was unabashedly nude, but there was a small difference—she was only a foot tall.

"A fairy?" Grey murmured, puzzled by the sight of her wings. He had always imagined a fairy small enough to lounge in a martini glass, but this woman would be as tall as his head if she stood on his shoulders. The surprises didn't end there. "Wait! You look like—"

"A pixie, mister—I look like a pixie!" the tiny redhead huffed cutely, cutting him off. "Just because I'm taking a personified form doesn't mean you can treat me like a skanky fairy!"

"Forgive me for my ignorance in pixie-fairy relations," he breathlessly scoffed, rolling his eyes. "It's just difficult to take you seriously right now. Aren't pixies supposed to fly?"

Despite her elegant white wings, the tiny woman waded waist-deep in the water for seemingly no reason, her elbows cranking back and forth with determination. It was frustrating to watch.

"Hyrumpha!" Lilac snapped, thrusting her adorable fists down. "This is a hot springs, mister! What extra parched cob gobbler goes to a hot spring and flutters above it naked? That's not just ratchet—it's rude! I'd have more self-respect hottubing in a ramen house!" she huffed, folding her arms and turning, then opening one eye to check if he felt remorse.

"Well, I can't argue with any of that..." Grey sighed, attempting to erase the image from his mind. "I apologize for my rudeness. I'm just confused because you look like—"

"I was just kidding, you silly worry warrior!" the pixie giggled, interrupting him and raising her hands in the air as her wings fluttered.

Splish.

After a cute splash, the tiny naked woman soared before his eyes, unashamed of her exposed body being a mere foot from his face.

"Hiya, mister!" the pixie beamed. "I'm Lilac, but you can call me Lily, like the cool kids. What's your name?" she asked, extending her tiny hand for a shake.

"Hello… Lily… My name is Alyx Grey," Grey blushed, averting his gaze as he cupped her hand with his index, middle finger, and thumb. "Can you tell me why you're being so friendly?"

Minx, Lilith, and Luna's ears perked up. Everyone wanted to know the same thing!

"Because I'm a fan of your cold, conniving trickery," Lilac declared, creating tiger claws with her hands with a deep growl.

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Grey asked, unable to confirm because he couldn't look at her.

"O-Oh, yes...." she blushed, averting her gaze, clasping her hands behind her back, and kicking invisible rocks in the air bashfully. "We pixies are tricksters by nature, you see. So it's only natural for your performance to catch my eye...."

"Wait, you mean with Matious and Loki?" Grey asked, rolling his eyes at her act.

"Yup~!" Lilac chimed, dropping the act. "It was the best, I tell you. The BEST! It was so flawless that I suffered from secondhand embarrassment!

You were like: [sup bitch; you want a slice of pwnage pie?]

And he was like: [did you just say pwnage pie? I'd love some!]

Then he drank it! Hahahahahaha!"

Grey looked at the other women for support or advice, but they were dying of laughter, watching his uncomfortable expressions.

"Oh, and Athena's expression when she saw him crumple—that was a treat!" she cried, wiping tears from her eyes. "It was like watching a war god realize she lost the Jenga game!"

He couldn't help but smile after her words. "I'm glad my performance met your expert standards."

"You bet it did! That's why you must live a long, healthy life so I can enjoy some more," Lilac smiled cheerily. "Let's start by checking the damage."

In a single graceful movement, the pixie flew around Grey, creating an unnecessary chem trail of pixie dust for flare. Minx, Luna, and Lilith giggled at the teen's exasperated expressions; they didn't know why the pixie flustered the typically-unshakable teen, but they enjoyed the show.

"I see, I see..." Lilac pondered, scrutinizing the tattoo while resting her fist on her chin. "On the dawn of the full moon, your people turn into bipedaling doggie snappers. Yet, despite having jaws perfectly suited for tearing humans apart, they cap their enemies with firearms instead. How barbaric... no wonder you're wary of angering them."

Grey's eyes glazed over, "Is it going to be okay?"

"Yep~! There should be no problem protecting this pooch-glyph," the pixie clapped. "So the only thing we have to worry about is the poison corroding your organs."