"That food was phenomenal!" Enyo''s trademark radiant smile was beautiful as ever... And also somewhat insidious as it was founded on all of the food she''d nicked from Ares who was still a little peckish. The alcohol had also been finished and both Ares and Enyo''s cheeks were flushed, they were somewhat tipsy but not drunk just yet. Ares had some alcohol at home now, though, so if they wanted to get fully blotto, the option was available to them when they returned. Taking some more wine into the bedroom and lapping it up off each other''s body as they got drunk was a pretty good outcome for the day considering how ass-up things had been during the last conversation. Well, honestly, it hadn''t been that bad. Ares just accepted something he thought he wouldn''t. Really, Enyo had it worse because of what she had to do to get what she wanted.


    "It was, it''s a shame there wasn''t much of it to go around... I''ll bring you to all the good restaurants in Red Sun after I''ve earned more money and can afford more dishes per person. Doing so beforehand would result in my own portions disappearing before I could even blink, leaving me with nothing... Again."


    Enyo got up out of her seat and sat next to Ares, leaning on him and stroking his arm. "Ares. Thank you for agreeing. Today is precisely why you mean everything to me. I love you."


    "I love you too... Now can you explain to me why I have to marry all nine? Bellona I understand, but what about the rest? Why can''t we just end it at us three?"


    "Why not? At that point we might as well have fun with all of them."


    "You totally mean you want to have fun with all of them, right?"


    "Yes. I won''t deny it. Ares, you wouldn''t marry anyone you don''t care about, and I wouldn''t let you marry anyone that doesn''t care about you. The only remaining candidates are people I wouldn''t mind having around permanently. Let''s expand the family and have people we can both love and trust around us. Wouldn''t it be fun? Seeing Bellona''s dedication to you awoke feelings in me for her I didn''t have before. You aren''t the only one who''s going to love your wives, I will too. If they''re as obsessed with you as I am, I''ll be able to love them for that reason alone. Anyone and anything that makes you happy makes me happy. Isn''t that similar to what you said to me a while ago after we left Baja? Bellona made me realise I''m attracted to women who are attracted to you. I want them to be rewarded for their loyalty to you. I want to see you fulfil their wildest fantasies and I want to see their precious faces distort with the pleasure you grant them. You have no idea how many times I''ve dreamt about watching you claim Bellona. Watching her writhe on the bed after you''ve had your way with her before climbing onto her and having all the fun I could want with your leftovers..." Enyo was panting as she let her inner degenerate come out to play. "You might as well start considering it our harem, not just yours. There may even be some wives I love more than you do. The fact that someone else will have a greater ''obsession'' over you than I do... I want to do unspeakable things to them, Ares. We''ll both love them all, so don''t worry about not having enough love to go around because I''m telling you I have enough. These aren''t random strangers... Well they are right now, but these will be people we love Ares, not like, love. Don''t dread it, look forward to it. That''s what I''m doing... Every day... When I look at Bellona''s waist. Mmm"


    "... You are incredibly articulate about the weirdest things, Enyo. You know what? Fine... One, two, nine... Screw it. If we''re bending the rules for Bellona, why not bend the rules for the rest of them too? Let''s just make our home a madhouse of Ares fanatics. What''s the worst that could happen? I get swamped in sex pests? Bring ''em on!... Although I seriously doubt anyone will ever topple you in that department... You are truly one of a kind regarding your sexual deviancy. How repressed were you actually before we met?!"


    "More than I care to remember. Ares, I''m glad you''re on board. I know you still have mixed feelings deep down, but you''ll see this was the right decision down the line. I promise you won''t regret it. If nothing else, someone else can take your whippings in your stead..."


    "Thank God... About Bellona, when should we have this discussion with her?"


    "Not until she feels comfortable to tell you on her own. You have to swear to me you won''t tell her because she''ll be devastated."


    "Obviously I won''t then. What about you though?"


    "What do you mean, what about me?"


    "Are you going to play with your sister before then? You''re gonna be alone for a while when I go to Xasca, you can start getting closer to her already if you want."


    "... You don''t mind if I taste her before you do?"


    "No. You not going insane from sex deprivation is my main goal here."


    "Ares, you handsome devil you. I''ll reward you extra tonight and try my hardest to go a little deeper."


    "Mmm, good girl."


    Enyo shivered. "Gets me going every time I hear it... Oh! I just realised I can also record everything!"


    "Record?"


    "Yeah, I wanted to record us together for Bellona, but I can also record me and Bellona for you!"


    "Enyo. You are a dirty woman. I like it."


    "Oh God. I just imagined being Bellona''s first while a video of our first time plays in the background to get her off! See? More women equals more good!... For me anyways. I need to go back the Bea''s shop with Bellona in mind..."


    "Well, I''m glad it''s all settled. Still though, I am curious about the rest of the wives and what kind of people they''ll be..."


    "Well the first after Bellona is ''mate'', meaning you''ll either be great friends with this person or they''ll be animalistic in nature. If it''s the former, knowing literally anything about them other than their rough personality is impossible. Still though, I think you and Bellona are great ''mates'', right? It''s hard to see you getting along better with anyone else other than her. As much as I hate to admit it, your personalities are more suited to each other than ours are. Of course we make a better couple, but it is still irksome how perfect a match you two are. That aside, if mate is meant in the other manner, which is far more likely, then you might be marrying a demi-human? Ooohhh, good choice Ares! I like the way you kink! I mean think... I like the way you think..." Enyo giggled at her own Freudian slip.


    "I''m going to be honest, I don''t think I would ever be interested in someone who''s all furry... It would likely be the more predominantly human variant of demi-humans, so keep that in mind. Now I''m curious as to what race they''d be from... Guess we''ll just have to wait and see."


    "Mhm, I hope it''s a cattian. Cat girls make me feel all kinds of ways, and I''d really like to pull on their tail..." Enyo licked her lips before returning to the conversation at hand. "After that comes ''acceptance''. Not that you aren''t the kind of person who needs to be accepted for who they are, especially considering the path you''re going to take in the future... But I don''t think that''s what it means. It''s probably the other way around. Let me guess, outcast who falls in love with the one person who shows her kindness? I can see you being your friendly, idiotic self to someone in a dark place mentally and having them fall for you... I can''t believe someone out there might actually fall in love with you because of your dumb jokes. All sorts roam these lands apparently..."


    "I happen to think I''m quite funny, thank you very much! I don''t know how to feel about this wife though... It kinda feels like I''m taking advantage of someone who''s not in the right state of mind. I feel bad knowing that they''re out there right now upset at the life they''re living, but swooping in like an opportunistic bird and saving them for the sole purpose of making them my wife seems kinda... You know... Weird?"


    "I''m sure it will be a more natural process than that. Don''t go around looking for your wives, let them come to you. Fate is unavoidable, you trying your hardest to run into it is wholly unnecessary."


    "Yeah, that makes sense... After that is ''solace''. There are a lot of similarities between this one and the last one. I''m not sure how to dissect this. It does feel good knowing I''ll be easing someone''s anxiety and burdens, but that''s not much to go off. I do want the people I''m around to feel comfortable being themself, so that might have something to do with how the relationship comes to be."


    "Or maybe it could be related to your race? You aren''t a human, so maybe this one could be a revenant... Or maybe even a dragon? Solace and solidarity in similarity?"


    "Could be... Could be. What was after that? My head is still spinning from our earlier conversation..."


    "Obsession... How? How is it possible someone other than me got ''obsession?'' Are you going to have a stalker? No, you''d notice with Omniscience like you did with the pest that''s been following us the whole day..."


    "TSK. You two animals in heat knew I was here the whole time?!" Fate appeared from thin air and grumbled in agitation.


    Ares shook his head at this petite nuisance. "Fate, I know you''re trying to dig up dirt to blackmail me into working with the Umbra Wolves, but I''m on a date here. Please get lost, pipsqueak. I first saw you when I used my Omniscience on the pagoda and caught you snooping around. I only let you follow us this whole time so I could waste yours. Let me make it clear to you, I can see you now and I will always see you in the future. You aren''t sneaky." Ares patted Fate on the head. "Now go back home, it''s getting late and the adults are having adult conversations."


    "Adults? You people are lechers! It''s been nothing but sex this, sex that the whole damn day! Don''t you two have any modesty? Any shame?!"


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "No. Besides, I''m sure you''ve already figured out what kind of person Enyo is. Do you think it''s possible to have a date with a woman like Enyo and not have the topic of sex come up with regular frequency? It''s unavoidable. Also, did you think Yulo wasn''t aware of you hiding in the tent? You should be grateful he didn''t kick you out. Make sure to thank him next time you see him for generously tolerating you and going along with your childish whims."


    "HMPH!" Fate stormed off in a huff, all the while muttering something about ''dumb dog Ares paying the price when Calla dealt with him''.


    Ares ignored the tiny menace and went back to his discussion with Enyo, the big menace. "Yeah, so unless my ''stalker'' is a real sly fox, I don''t see how it would be possible for them to avoid my detection."


    "Maybe they really aren''t a stalker? You''ll be incredibly famous when you make it outside the Blade''s interference due to your position as a fundamental pillar user. Maybe someone will just be unreasonably addicted to your ''heroic'', and I do use that word lightly, exploits?"


    "That is a possibility... Penultimate on the list was... ''Ambivalence'', right? There are a lot of weird treasures and existences out there that can conjoin people, so Yulo may very well have hit the nail on the head when he said this might have something to do with marrying nine. If you have two people in the same body... I would kinda feel bad for the one that doesn''t actually like me. Or you never know, they could just be a massive tsundere."


    "If they don''t like you, I will correct them."


    "... Wow, authoritarian much?"


    "Don''t care. Ambivalence is the only word on the list I''m not happy about. It shouldn''t be there unless, and only unless, they really are a tsundere, then I''ll allow it. But if that''s one half, then the other must be the opposite, something to do with openly revering you like worship perhaps? You will be a God after all, that''s guaranteed. That would be comical. A devout fanatic and a blasphemer in the same body... I really do wonder. Ambivalence is the one, or two I suppose, that I''m most curious about, but they''re also one of the last partners you''ll meet... How unfortunate. Patience is a virtue though. As is fealty. "Servitude'' is a strange one. I don''t see you taking on a slave now or ever, I know you just wouldn''t. you''re the kind of bleeding heart that would much rather be freeing slaves than purchasing them for your own gain no matter how useful they''d be to you. I''m assuming it means you''d become their master or something of that ilk, but even then ''servitude'' is a bit of a weird phrasing for it. Unless you plan on becoming a daimyo with a loyal samurai under your command, I think this one will be the one I understand the least until I actually see it. I do like the potential for roleplay in the bedroom though. Master and servant. Now that''s a dynamic I can get behind, or underneath if it''s more convenient..."


    Ares shook his head at Enyo''s antics and looked out the window. He realised it was getting quite dark out so he patted Enyo and spoke. "Can you wait here for a minute? I''ll be right back."


    "Mm."


    Ares shifted away to a nearby store, purchased exactly what he was after, and returned all in under a minute. Shift was incredibly convenient for moving around without keeping people waiting for too long. He held out his hand to Enyo and helped her stand. She was definitely not steady on her feet as she''d had a little more to drink than Ares, but it was fine as they were only going to stop off at one more place before they went home for the night. Ares led Enyo to the exit and said goodbye to Scratch who waved them off before going around and cleaning up the table.


    "Hm?" Enyo''s world spun after exiting the restaurant as Ares picked her up in a princess carry and activated Voidwalk, taking her high up into the air. Up and up, Ares climbed way above the city and hovered in the night sky. A single shiver ran up Enyo''s spine as the altitude came with a chilly breeze but Ares had that covered as the Stygian Zephyr wrapped around both of them, creating a warm cocoon for them to hide in together.


    Ares took a seat in the air and held Enyo on his lap as he cuddled with her under the stars. Thousands of bright dots and a crescent moon lit up the darkness before them as they sat peacefully together. Ares brought out his last gift of the day, a bouquet of deep blue hydrangea. Enyo took them off him and clutched them close to her chest as a floral scent tickled her nose. Her hand drifted and reached upwards, gently caressing Ares'' face as he looked down at her with an amorous gaze. His own hand clasped hers as she let go and they interlocked their fingers, rubbing their thumbs along the back of each other''s hands.


    Streaking through space, a shooting star left a dazzling trail for the couple to peacefully watch together. Ares, with a voice that was warm, deep, and playful, asked, "What did you wish for?"


    Enyo''s intonation mirrored Ares'' as she looked him in the eyes and repeated his question back at him. "What did you wish for?"


    Ares looked down at Enyo as he moved aside her windswept hair to get a view of her deeply enamoured gaze. Enyo looked up at Ares'' cocky but caring smile as his hand gently slithered down her neck. He was larger than life under the starry backdrop and she was transcendental above the common people below. They leaned in and shared a brief kiss before resting their foreheads together, staring right into each other''s eyes.


    ""You.""


    A deep, passionate kiss followed before Ares took Enyo home. They spent the rest of the night living lavishly, indulging in alcohol and sensual pleasures of the flesh. Their intoxicated desires were let loose as they slaved the night away pleasuring one another and expressing their heartfelt love. As morning drew closer, their tongues danced one final time before their naked bodies were wrapped tightly around one another as they went to sleep in their lover''s arms, thus finally bringing and end to a rather jumbled, but romantically fulfilling, date night.


    —--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Expecting to wake up with a banging headache but, instead, only feeling the soothing hand of the fairy from heaven opposite him was a pleasant surprise for Ares. He was perplexed as to where his and Enyo''s hangover had run off to, but he assumed that Enyo had learnt a detoxifying art of some kind either via the holy or the technical pillar. Of course the truth of the matter was that it was pleasure pillar art called ''Dionysus: Boon Of Inebriation''. The obvious effect was that it could cure a hangover and the state of drunkenness, but that wasn''t all it could do. Although Enyo hadn''t used the other half to not give the game away in case Ares happened to be familiar with the art, she could have converted the hangover into a buff that empowered them both for the rest of the day. Get drunk the day before, reap the rewards the day after. The pleasure pillar was good at delayed gratification, ironically. Two of the aspects that came under the pillar were useless in a fight but could help you with one if you knew about it in advance. The Dionysus art series came under the ''make love and war'' aspect which specialised in converting pleasure into benefits for the cultivator. Have intercourse to enable unleashing devastating attacks, abstain to enter a berserk state, act like a glutton to decrease mana and stamina consumption, etc. This was an aspect that allowed cultivators to indulge themself and receive delayed boons for participating in any of the cardinal sins. The second aspect that could benefit the cultivator is called ''the path we walk'' and is based around dual cultivation. It places a greater emphasis on long term, permanent benefits like raising cultivation by having sex, strengthening the minds and bodies of everyone involved, or cleansing impurities, curses, and poisons. It was also better at benefitting the cultivator''s partner than ''make love and war'' so a lot of powerful cultivators would have trophy wives or husbands who were encouraged to specialise in this aspect. It was considered a fair trade off. The person with nothing would get money, status and protection and all they had to do was learn how to dual cultivate. It was demeaning but effective in terms of navigating through a harsh society that had no sympathy for useless losers. The last aspect was famous as the only aspect that literally couldn''t harm or protect a fly even if it wanted to. It had no combat applications whatsoever. The ''emissary of rapture'' aspect enhanced the cultivator''s prowess in the bedroom and did nothing else. It was an entirely selfish aspect that only existed for the sake of having fun. It was a common aspect amongst escorts and brothel whores alike but was generally avoided by any serious cultivators who were busy learning actual means of survival. You might occasionally find a few dedicated citizens learning how to cultivate just so they could learn to use arts under this aspect but that was about as ''widespread'' as it was. That''s not to say it wasn''t good at what it did though... It was very good. No one ever belittled any cultivators that leaned heavily towards this aspect, it was more along the lines of respecting them immensely for bringing untold levels of pleasure wherever they went. Most cultivators didn''t have time for relationships so prostitutes and brothels were a common source of stress relief and those who could use this aspect were rolling in stardust as they were always sought after. Anyone with a strong affinity for the aspect was half-jokingly referred to as a national treasure. Cultivators with immense control and status would often ignore potential marriage candidates as they searched high and low for a partner with an affinity for this aspect instead. It was just worth it. The real trick to this pillar was combining all three at the same time, that was when it became well and truly mind blowing as you could gain short and long term benefits just from having fun. Enyo being Enyo, she had an immeasurable affinity for all three aspects, blowing her one affinity for the holy aspect out the water. Let''s not even mention how strong her affinity to the emissary of rapture aspect was... Even the pillar of pleasure itself would be jealous...


    Ares got up went off to go make breakfast before anyone had to come stumbling into the room to beg him for it. As if to prove his assumption correct, the second he went outside, Bellona''s fist was raised and ready to knock. That or she was going to punch him again, but that fiasco should long since have ended... Not that Ares wasn''t going to still joke about it. "Not the face!"


    "Why? Not like you''d lose anything of value." Bellona snickered.


    Ares had to resist the urge to say ''no, but you would''. After all, this was the face of the man she was going to marry, so she better get used to it! "Bellona, if people were allowed to punch things just because they had no value to lose, I would be entitled to hit you in the chest until the end of days."


    "Let''s see if there''s anything for you to lose in that thick head of yours! I doubt it very much you brainless mutt!"


    Thwack


    Bonk


    Bang


    The rough and tumble rumble rolled its way into the living room where Ares was defeated by the gorilla and pinned to the floor directly in front of Appa... "Appa, sweetie... Daddy loves you! Don''t be mean to me!"


    "Dad... I am disappointed! I will keep freezing you until you learn to be a good person!"


    Crackle


    In a series events that all too closely resembled the day prior''s morning, Ares was tossed into the kitchen and left to thaw out on his own. While everyone else chilled in the living room, he, well... You get the point... Still, Ares held no resentment. The bickering was to be expected and being frozen like this meant things were alright in casa del Ares. As long as everyone was having fun, that was what truly mattered.


    Another hearty breakfast was served up when Ares was freed from his imprisonment, the main difference being that today''s breakfast would actually be relevant as a fight couldn''t be avoided any longer. Curiosity had driven Bellona to find out who Ares would be fighting today, so yesterday she went and asked around. As breakfast was being greedily wolfed down, Bellona informed Ares, Aejaz, and Enyo their fight today would be against the furries. She also indicated that they were apparently quite displeased with Ares in particular as they had vowed to get revenge against him for humiliating Ramsey. Whether that was a good decision or not was debatable as, now, Ares just felt a strong desire to humiliate him further. technically Ares was a wolf himself, so it would be a furious furry fight for the ages. Who would be the victor? Ramsey the slow, giga behemoth, or Ares, the nimble all rounder packing an explosive punch? Ares. The answer was obviously Ares. Back when Ares had been ''rocking'' Ramsey''s world, he''d eyed up the fella and judged him as being considerably weaker than himself overall. Ares looked forward to running circles around the ram. Still, it was a team-fight, so whether Ares could win a 1vs1 was mostly irrelevant. Today was going to be the day Red Sun unveiled the power of teamwork in the form of combination arts and, boy, the Bhorashka contenders were not going to know what hit them. Ares almost felt bad knowing what was in stock for them... Almost.