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"Any recommendations?" Yuto asked.
"Our house wine is a specialty. You should try a glass," the catgirl waitress replied, her tail swishing behind her as she discreetly admired the handsome, refined young man. As a connoisseur of pretty boys and a bit of a pervert, she couldn't help but sneak a few glances at Yuto's backside.
"Alright, I'll take that, and add a few servings of grilled monster steak and a salad," he ordered.
It didn't take long for Chloe to bring over a hearty platter, struggling slightly under its weight. The perfectly grilled monster steak, with its tantalizing char and exotic sauce, made Yuto's eyes light up. Paired with the rich wine and fresh salad, his appetite surged.
"Not bad," he mused, savoring the unique flavors. "Especially this sauce, it's a perfect complement."
Yuto waved his fork, giving his critique, then beckoned the catgirl waitress, whose eyes were still lingering on him, to bring ten more servings.
As he indulged in the otherworldly cuisine, a group of adventurers entered the tavern, their presence immediately commanding respect. The other patrons stood up, clearing a path with awe in their eyes. These were members of the Loki Familia, one of Orario's strongest Familias, and their reputation was well-earned.
Every member was formidable, especially Ais Wallenstein, the golden-haired sword princess who had reached LV6 at just 16, making her one of the city's top adventurers and earning her the title of the strongest female swordswoman of her time.
As the Loki Familia settled in, the tavern's boisterous chatter quieted to hushed whispers. Ais, with her ethereal beauty and cold demeanor, was the center of attention, though she seemed unfazed, merely casting a cool glance at the onlookers before sitting with her companions.
"Alright, everyone worked hard today! As your generous goddess, drinks are on me, enjoy yourselves!" Loki, the red-haired goddess with her signature squinting eyes, raised her glass enthusiastically, kicking off the revelry.
Glasses clinked, and the atmosphere warmed. Even the usually reserved Ais joined in, lightly tapping her cup against those of the Amazoness sisters, Tiona and Tione.
"Haha, I'm beat! But at least we scored some good magic stones," Tiona laughed.
"Hmph, you know how tough I am. Without me, you'd be monster chow by now," Tione boasted.
"Yeah, yeah, you're amazing… but not as amazing as Ais!" Tiona teased.
"Well, I'll give you that," Tione admitted.
(Tiona and Tione are twins)
The alcohol loosened tongues, and the group bantered freely. Ais, used to such scenes, quietly ate her food, unfazed by the praise.
But as the group reveled, a tipsy Bete Loga, sitting diagonally from Ais, stumbled while reaching for more wine, bumping into Yuto's table and sending his mountain of plates and glasses crashing to the floor.
"?"
Yuto, who had been happily eating, looked up with a frown. No one likes being interrupted mid-meal, and seeing that it was Bete, the obnoxious white-haired werewolf from the original story, only deepened his scowl.
"Hey, what's with that look?!" Bete, already drunk, glared back at Yuto's cold stare. "It's just a few dishes. You think I can't pay for them?!"
With that, he tossed a few thousand Valis onto the table. "That should cover it."
'Typical, Bete' Yuto thought, his eyes narrowing. In the original Danmachi story, Bete was arrogant, looked down on weaker adventurers, and had a foul mouth, especially when drunk. He once humiliated the protagonist, Bell, in front of the entire tavern, making him run off in tears.
But Yuto wasn't Bell. He wasn't about to let someone step on him and walk away. As a tyrant, he never let slights go unpunished.
"If you just came out of the bathroom after eating, I wouldn't mind sending you back for seconds," Yuto said, his words dripping with insult.
Bete's face turned beet red, his drunken haze sharpening into a murderous glare. "Kid, if you don't want to die, get on your knees and apologize right now. I'm not some chick who's gonna go easy on you just 'cause you've got a pretty face."
Yuto's merciless mockery enraged the already short-tempered Bete, who stomped forward, his judgment clouded by alcohol. Seeing Yuto's handsome features only fueled his jealousy. 'This damn pretty boy. Rip his face off, and he'll be bawling like a baby.'
"Hmph, you think you can make me kneel?" Yuto scoffed, unfazed by Bete's threats. His eyes suddenly glowed, one red, one blue.
Buzz…
As the star-like lights flared, every adventurer in the tavern felt a tightness in their chests. An indescribable terror gripped them, like countless blades piercing their skin, making them shiver and nearly drop to their knees.
"Uh-oh!" Bete, a LV5 adventurer known as the "Fierce Wolf," felt his pupils contract in fear. His hair stood on end as an instinctive dread washed over him. It was as if disaster itself had descended, and he wanted nothing more than to flee.
"Too late to run now," Yuto's cold voice echoed.
No one saw him move, he seemed to materialize from the shadows. In Bete's despairing eyes, a slender hand clamped onto his head like gnarled roots.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the floor cracked into a spiderweb of fractures. Bert let out a scream, slammed face-first into the ground, and passed out cold.
In the stunned silence, Yuto slowly straightened up, his tall figure casting a shadow like a god looking down on a mere mortal.
"Is this all a LV5 can do?"
Silence. Absolute silence.
The tavern was frozen in disbelief. Bete, the fierce wolf of the Loki Familia, had been taken down with a single slap?
Everyone stared at Yuto as if he were a monster, their minds reeling.
How did he do that?
Bete got knocked out with one slap?
Tiona, the dark-skinned Amazoness, covered her mouth in shock. "He took him down instantly. His strength is definitely above LV5!"
Riveria, the elven mage, couldn't help but glance at Yuto. "Hah, Bete's bad drinking habits finally caught up with him. Picking a fight and getting slapped down, he had it coming."
Loki squinted her eyes, a signature look, but as she met Yuto's gaze, an uneasy feeling crept up her spine. It was a primal instinct, a warning from her divine senses. Even with her powers sealed, she could feel an innate threat emanating from this unnaturally handsome boy.
'No, this can't be… It's been years since I felt this kind of danger. Does this boy have the power to kill me?'
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Loki's pale forehead.
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