Rise of the Eromancer

"So, what are you doing out here again?"

There was a place in Wilder's city that was perhaps the quietest, and also the loudest at the same time — where you could really only hear your own breaths and your thoughts. But at the same time, from time to time, you could hear the entire city just coming alive.

It was at the rooftop of the HQ, where one had a clear view of the entire city as it continued to move and grow. And there, Rhys was just once again standing on the edge of a building; this time, however, he wasn't looking down at all.

His eyes were reflecting the endless horizon of the Danger Zone, as well as the blue sky that veiled it from above.

His moment of silence, however, was interrupted as Margryth just suddenly flew from below and completely covered his view.

"Maybe I wanted to be alone, Ma'am," Rhys could really only let out a sigh; shaking his head as he stepped down the edge of the building.

"You wanted to be alone, while there are a charcuterie of women waiting in line to be with you?" Margryth then flew toward Rhys and on his shoulder while facing the other way; her eyes were still on the horizon, while Rhys was already looking down at the floor of the roof,

"I don't think that's right, Rhys Wilder."

"I hurt one of them," Rhys let out a small sigh as he sat on the parapet, "That is what's not right."

"You were unconscious, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shook her head and sighed, "You didn't even know what you were doing."

"If that had been someone else than Ayesha, they would have died…" Rhys closed his eyes and also shook his head, causing Margryth to fly away and just sit beside him on the ledge, "...I hurt Ayesha."

"You also did completely devour the man that just cured not only your sister, your lover, and your limbs," Margryth shrugged, "Your arm devoured him, leaving not even a single trace — and where did he even go inside your body? It was horrifying — his bones were crushed bit by bit while he was being sucked inside you."

"I heard," Rhys looked at his right hand, "Is the reason you're here because you know what that is?"

"I am at a loss as you are, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shrugged, "But one thing I do know is that you…

…you are not just the Descendant of Eros."

"Then whose blood is it?" Rhys let out another long and deep sigh as he started walking, "No one even knows who Eros is, and now you're saying there's another blood active inside me, that I'm guessing you don't know who?"

"That is exactly what I am saying, Rhys Wilder," Margryth flew in front of Rhys.

"..." Rhys just looked Margryth in the eyes for a few seconds before shaking his head again, "...I hurt Ayesha."

"You did."

"And I didn't even know that I did it. Why didn't she just tell me about it in the first place? She knew that something like that already happened, and yet—"

"Because she was trying to protect you, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shrugged, "Like how you are trying to protect them all, they are also trying to protect you — they were not even planning to tell you about the doctor at all. But of course, they completely disregarded the one who crawls in the shadows who is completely and blindly loyal to you."

"Hm…" Rhys once again looked at his hand, "...Are you sure you don't know whose blood it is?"

"No, but I know someone who might," Margryth smiled at Rhys as she started spinning in the air, "But talking to him would mean that you are ready to face the fate you have been trying to run away from, Rhys Wilder…

…and the vague prophecy will start."

"I don't care about the prophecy," Rhys looked Margryth in the eyes, "But if this prophecy needs to run its course for all of this to be over…

…then so be it."

"A whole lot of the world is about to open up to you, Hero of Prophecy…" Margryth flew closer to Rhys's face as she returned his gaze, "...But for that to happen, you need to abandon everything. Everything that you have ever accomplished, everyone that you have ever loved."

"That's fine," Rhys breathed out, "That would be for the best — I don't even know when my arm, or whatever it is would act up again…n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

…I do not want to drag them down with me."

"Bring the cenleon, the gorgon, and the one snooping around in the shadows right now," Margryth then started ascending into the air, "I will give you a month to say your goodbyes and sleep with your women, Rhys Wilder. I suggest you make the most of it…

…you may never return again."

And with that, Margryth truly did not show herself for an entire month — and Rhys did what she said he should do.

Rhys absolutely hid himself from the world — there were thousands who wished to interview him about what happened in Nihon and about Orpheus, but he refused all of them, even his own journalist who was on his payroll.

The only thing he did was spend time with Katarina, Ayesha, Lina, Agatha, Vicky, Talia, and Olga — spending time with them equally, and sometimes even at the same time. Of course, those who knew how he normally acted knew something was up, but Rhys just brushed them all off like nothing was happening.

He did make love to them, but he spent most of his time just sharing all sorts of personal moments with them that only they could really know. And after a month had passed, Rhys just quietly snuck out of the HQ, not even saying goodbye to any of them — moving through the shadows until he was outside the city, where Edissa and Malenia were already waiting for him inside a van.

"Do you know where we're going?" Rhys quickly asked as he got into the passenger's seat.

"The nymph already sent me the coordinates," Maria, who was in the driver's seat, just started driving away without even letting Rhys look back at the city, "Are you really sure about this, Wilder?"

"Yes, and—"

And before he could finish his words, Maria suddenly kissed him on the lips before she just casually continued to drive.

"...What was that for?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he slightly leaned back into the door. Edissa and Malenia, who were at the back, could not help but also just glare at Maria as she did that.

"You neglected me for a month, Wilder," Maria scoffed.

"...Because you're coming with me, Maria."

"Still," Maria just shrugged as she stepped on the gas even harder, "Also, these coordinates — there's something wrong with them."

"Why…?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the navigation on the infotainment system of the car, "How far is it?"

"It's not that it's far…" Maria breathed out,

"...It's in the city."

"The… city?"

***

"I was getting bored of waiting for you, Rhys Wilder."

"Margryth, this place…"

"I know."

After several hours of driving, Rhys and the others were led to a building that was extremely familiar to him — but at the same time, now that he was walking down its hallways when it was completely empty and devoid of any people, it also felt quite strange and unfamiliar.

"He's in here," Margryth then slightly struggled to twist the knob as she opened the door of an office that was also quite familiar to Rhys.

"Hoho…? Now, what brings you here, Boy?"

"Mayor—"

"It is president now, Rhys my boy." It was Joseph Hayden, closing a large book he had on his desk as soon as Rhys entered his office, "Were we supposed to be meeting today?"

Hannah was also there, just casually sitting on the sofa while shaking her head and chewing gum.

"Stop it, Dad," Hannah then scoffed before looking at Margryth, "Stop acting like you didn't ask dear old Sis here to bring him here.

"...Sister?" Rhys's eyes turned wide as he quickly looked at Margryth, "Joseph Hayden is… your father?"

"I guess so," Margryth shrugged.

"Ah, Margareth — do you not care for the theatrics at all?" Joseph shook his head, letting out a loud sigh as he stood up and towered over everyone else in the room, "I have been softly easing the boy here with all of this, and yet you two sisters just reveal crucial details like that like it's nothing."

"Ack, stop with the suspense, Dad," Hannah just waved her hand a couple of times, "Enough's time already been wasted."

"Rhys Wilder…" Margryth flew toward Rhys and sat on his shoulder, "...I know someone had already told you that gods walk among you, our father is one of them. He is quite famous, you know — you might know him by another name…

…Hades, the God of the Underworld."