Chapter 116 a heavy revelation.

August looked at Denki with disappointment apparent on his face, he never expected his friend to say all those things to Froke, he knew that Denki was angry, but that was just crossing the line. Especially since he knew what Froke had been through.

This made the young samurai scowl, he dodged August's gaze, looking at the ground while biting his lips, he didn't understand why August was siding with Froke on this one. In his mind, the hybrid had abandoned them at their lowest point, and now that August is back, she's back as well. "No..." he muttered, anger can be clearly heard in his voice.

August was a bit taken aback, he took a deep breath and glared at Denki. "I know your angry, but there's some line that you don't cross. Especially since you're talking to a friend" August spoke in a calm voice, trying to be as understanding as he can. "And you Denki, crossed that li-"

"You weren't here!" Denki angrily scowled at August, he stood and walked towards his captain, looking straight at his eyes. "You don't get it, because you weren't here! She abandoned us! Right where I... No we needed her the most!" he spoke with a raised voice as he pointed at Froke who flinched at his actions. "And now that you're back, now that you're awake she's back with us as well?! That's not a friend, that's a parasite!"

August just stared at Denki, he didn't realize how angry his friend was, but now Denki was letting it all out. "I was here!" he screamed as he pounded his chest. "I was here when you were bed ridden! I was here for the familia! I was here when you were in a coma when you almost died trying to protect everyone in Orario! She didn't even made one visit! And you except me to apologize for what I said?!"

Froke who was at the side bit her lips, she never realized what her actions might do, she knew that Denki would be angry, but not to this point. She watched as Denki's face turn red, she could see the veins in his forehead, his arms shaking, emotions all to palpable in his face. Seeing it, she knew. Denki wasn't only angry, he hated her.

"You were gone! And she abandoned us! What am I supposed to do?!" he chuckled and gave Froke a glare. The tone of his voice was mocking as his eyes glued at Froke, standing there like a statue. "Welcome her back like nothing happened?!"

August looked at Froke, seeing the tears filling her eyes, he regretted ever making the promise of keeping her secret. Because if it was up to him, he would tell Denki everything right at this moment. "That's enough Denki..." August sighed and extended his right hand to Denki's shoulder, but the young samurai slapped it away.

"And you! You're siding with her? She was never our friend, hell she didn't care about me, nor you! She's only back here because now that you're awake, she'll earn more money! She's tra-"

"ENOUGH!!!" August yelled, his voice was filled with frustration, anger, and disappointment. "That's enough Denki. You don't know what you're talking about. You're angry, I suggest you shut the fuck up before you say something you'll fucking regret."

August took a deep breath, he looked at both Denki and Froke, seeing two different emotions in his two closest friends. On one hand, he could see anger, a sense of betrayal, and uncompromising vendetta in the face of Denki. On the other hand, Froke was filled with guilt, longing, sadness, and emptyness, and what he hated most... Self doubt and blame. He knew those emotions well, he had faced those emotions head on, he knew it was poison for the mind and the body.

He massaged himself on his temple and let out a frustrated grunt. Heracles hadn't thought him how to handle this situations. He couldn't get why Froke was hiding everything from Denki, if she would just open up, then maybe everything would go well. But at the same time, he knew he has no right on her decision, it was her secret to tell, not his.

"Froke leave us." August looked at the hybrid and smiled gently, he needed to talk to Denki, but not in the state that he is in now. And August knew that with Froke here, Denki couldn't think straight. He needed Denki to be his usual calm and rational self.

Froke looked at August, and then at Denki, she then hooked her head and answered. "No... I-I'm done running away." her voice was filled with courage and determination but her eyes was still filled with hesitation. She looked at August for support.

August can see the mixture of fear and courage in her eyes, he nod, as if saying that he was here for him, and that it was her choice if she wants to share it now.

Froke mouthed a thank you to August, she closed her eyes, a tear falling due to her actions, she roughly wiped it with her hands, and with a deep breath, she opened it and looked at Denki. "Look, I know you're angry, you made it clear. And can't say I blame you for it. Truth be told, maybe you're right, maybe I am trash..." her head was filled with the amount of times everyone in Apollo familia had called her that name.

"But you got one thing wrong!" Froke raised her voice, her eyes stared deep within Denki's. "I have always thought of the two of you as my friend, everything I did is because I cared for the two of you two! I didn't abandon you Denki. I left so that I can protect you, to protect the two of you!" she then looked down, a mocking smile on her face, not towards Denki, but to herself. "After all, what can two mortals do against a god?"

August listened and closed his eyes, he knew all about it when he came to her Froke, the anger in her heart slowly boiling back to the surface, he really wanted to kill Apollo right then and their, but he knew that the consequences of doing so will only make things worse for Froke and Heracles familia. He didn't only learn how to use the spear in Beowulf's dimension, he also learned about control, primarily his mana, but also his emotions as a whole.

Denki on the other hand had a confused scowl on his face, he listened attentively to Froke's words. Multiple questions forming in his head. 'Protect us? From a god? Why? What the hell is she talking about?' His mind was a cluttered mess.

Froke returned her eyes on Denki, she clinched her fist, as every memory she had buried deep within her mind returned. Recalling everything at every painful details. "You must be confused... You see Denks..." She called him by the nickname she used when they were diving regularly which made the young samurai twitch at the memories. "...I wasn't a regular member of Apollo familia. I was Apollo's plaything."

Denki's eyes widened while August had an ugly look on his face, he clenched his spear tightly as he tried his best to reel in his bloodlust.

"He raped me, abused me, used me as his own personal toy. And you know what's the kicker, he wouldn't even update my status, making me a level 1 forever. I was his slave, and can't do nothing against a god." she laughed painfully to herself, she tried desperately to hold back her tears, but to no avail, she roughly wiped it dry, her face sticking to her hands due to sweat and tears mixing. "And my only joy was at those times where I was diving in the dungeons with you and August. Those were the only moments where I felt that I was even alive!"

Her hands was shaking, emotions are running wild inside her head and it can be seen clearly on her body. The slight twitching of her ears, her tail limping down, the tears that were forming on her face, and the way she keeps on sniffing as her voice cracks and falter at every word she said.

"I-I thought it was gonna go on forever, the three of us diving in the dungeon, going deeper and deeper..." There was a nostalgic smile on her face as she remembered those memories, but it quickly vanished as she said the next part. "Oh how naive I was... Hyakinthos and that whole incident in the hostess had woken me up from that dream, and Apollo had pulled me down into a nightmare. And I was afraid, what if you leave me, afraid of what Apollo might do you? Or if you didn't, what if you tried to get me out, and in turn, incurred the wrath of the god?"

Denki stared at Froke, he saw how the girl trembled as she tell her story, she saw the pain in her eyes, how she fiddled with her hands, how her feet are restlessly tapping the floor, how the are below her eyes are puffed up, she stared at her thoroughly for the first time, seeing whip scars at her shoulders which she tried to hide with her cloths, how she's always wearing a long sleeve, how she always seems to twitch whenever he touched her by surprise. And he remembered it, how she react at the hostess of fertility when that man appeared and called her, how afraid she was and how she begged for them to stand down.

It all came crashing towards him. Ge realized, he really was the asshole.

August closed his eyes, there's a slight tremble in his fist as the grip on his spear became much more stronger, he swallowed his saliva, trying his best to calm himself down. He already made a promise to kill Apollo, and right now, he doubled down on it.

Froke looked to the side, avoiding Denki's eyes, she couldn't stand how he looks at her, it was filled with sorrow, pitty. She never wanted that, that's why in the first place she never wanted Denki to know.

She felt dirty as she reveled her secrets, she wanted nothing more than to take a hot bath to scrub away the filth that she was feeling, to scrub off Apollo's touch on her skin. Just thinking back and telling her story makes her wanna vomit, she bit her cheeks trying to hold the vile that was attempting to exit her mouth.

As Denki continue to look at her, his mind came back to everything he said, the scowl on his face became even uglier. 'What the fuck! I must be the shittiest person in the world.' Denki looked down on the ground, his heart hurts just thinking about it. He feels like shit, he let anger blind him.

"N-now you know my story." Froke's voice made him flinch, he clenched his fist in frustration as he bit the inside of his cheeks, drawing blood at how hard he bit it. He looked up seeing Froke also gazing at her feet.

He moved closer to Froke, he extended his hand to place it on her shoulders, but decided against it. He didn't know what to say, a he could feel is anger, anger at himself, and anger towards the Apollo familia. He started at Froke, not knowing what to do, he opened his mouth, but he couldn't say a word. 'Fuck!' he thought to himself.

"Captain?" Denki said without looking at August, his eyes are glued to the tearful hybrid who was dodging his gaze.

"Hmm..." August response curtly, not in a talking mood himself, he was trying his best to control the anger that was bubbling inside him.

"Punch me again." Denki laughed mockingly at himself as he said those words. "I deserve a good beating for being a shitty fri-"

*Boom!*

Denki fell face first in the ground as August punched him without second thought, he didn't even get to finish his words.

Denki lay face first in the ground, he could taste the iron inside his mouth as blood filled it. But he wasn't angry, in his mind, he deserved it. He pushed himself up, and spat the blood on the ground. He looked at August who nodded at him. "Was that ok?" August asked.

"Yes... I... I needed that." Denki answered as he stood up, listing himself with his hands. "Thank you." he continued and then looked at Froke. Who was staring at him like he was crazy. After all, who in their right mind would asked August Kaizer himself to punch them.

Denki saw Froke looking at him, and in an instant, he went in for a hug, this was all he could think of doing right now. He gulped feeling nervous, thinking that the hybrid would push him away, after all, he did say some nasty things about her. He noticed it as well, the slight twitch in Froke's body when he hugged him. Anger filled his heart, not towards Froke anymore, but towards Apollo, and his familia. His face inched closer toward Froke's ear, and he whispers, sincerely and with all his emotions on full display. "I'm sorry... I-I didn't know."

Froke eyes widened because of the sudden hug, she was caught by surprise, she failed to notice the twitch she had, after all for her it was natural, but what caught her off guard again was the whisper Denki said on her ears. She nods as dug her face in his chest. 'Gods, I'm becoming such a cry baby now.' She though to herself as she smiled in happiness now that she had finally made up with Denki, tears continuing to fall from her eyes. "I'm sorry as well... I shouldn't have left!"

August watched the scene and smiled, he breathed a sigh of relief, but then he turned and had a sinister look on his face, his mind moving on how he could kill Apollo without it leading back to him, he knew after what he saw and what Froke had told them that the god wouldn't let his friend go. And he wanted to fix that, and the only solution in his mind is...

"War games huh?" he muttered as he walked away, leaving Denki and Froke alone to talk and catch up. He walked as the smile on his face grew, the sinister aura of death leaking making the those he passed by shake and shudder by his very presence. "Then war games it is."

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Chapter 116 is now complete. How are you all enjoying the story so far?

Hey guys, need your help with something, if you noticed in the story so far, I haven't really put any thought or written anything close to romance in it. Well truth be told, I think I'm bad at writing romance. Anyway here's where I want your help.

Who should August LI be?

Should it be Ais and a love triangle angle with Bell?

Should it be Froke, and maybe a love triangle angle with Denki? (Truth be told, I see Froke pairing well with Denki but someone commented that "August was here to protect his wife." when he punched Denki so it got me thinking about it's potential.)

August X Ryuu perhaps.

August X Sophie.

August X Chloe.

Or

Others or maybe non at all?

Thoughts?

By the way, this isn't a poll, I just want to read your comments and suggestions and maybe go from there. Because truth be told, I still have no idea how to write anything close to romance, but would give it a try if my mind allows me.

Please leave a comment, review, and feedback to help me improve this fanfic. Every little thing helps me understand your preferences and will contribute to writing a better fanfic for you all to enjoy.

Thank you for following this fanfic. I hope you're enjoying it.

Have a good day, everyone. Love y'all.