Danmachi: Luki's Adventure Chapter 121: 118- Love ( 16)

Leaving the noise of Rivira behind, the tension of the eting finally dissolved. High above, the colossal ceiling crystal pulsed with a dim twilight, casting a soft, soothing glow over the quiet forest. With every step, the distant torchlights of the town faded until they vanished completely.

The only sound in the serene silence was the gentle crunch of the damp grass beneath their boots. The cool, still air carried a peaceful solitude that seed to cradle Luki's thoughts, while Hestia's warm hand kept him firmly anchored.

They walked through an archway of ancient, very tall trees and stepped into a small, hidden clearing.

In the center sat a simple mound of fresh earth and stones. A plain stone tablet stood at the head of the burial site, carefully engraved with a single na: Lili.

Hestia stopped, her grip on his hand softening. She looked up at Luki's three-eyed face with quiet sorrow.

— There she is... — Hestia whispered, her voice barely breaking the profound tranquility of the place.

They stood there at the edge of the clearing. Luki remained completely still, his hands buried deep in his pockets, his expression utterly impassive. Hestia didn't try to pull him closer to the grave. Instead, she gently slipped her arm through his, resting her head softly against his shoulder.

The silence stretched, heavy and profound, until the world around them seed to fade away.

Eventually, Hestia broke the quiet, her voice a fragile whisper.

— Luki... what was she like?

Luki shifted his gaze down to her. Hestia looked up, eting his eyes. Reading the subtle shift in his face, she offered a small, bittersweet smile, tightening her hold on his arm.

— I know how much she ans to you... after everything you did for her. This isn't the ti for sothing foolish like jealousy. I just... I want to understand. I want to know the girl who managed to capture your heart too. — Hestia murmured softly, her eyes reflecting the dim crystal light.

Luki gave a slow, quiet nod. He turned his eyes back toward the stone tablet, remaining silent for a long mont as he gathered his thoughts. When he finally spoke, his voice carried a deep, lingering warmth.

— She is a strong and determined girl who dreams of being an adventurer. Famous, rich, desired, admired, feared, — Luki said, his tone thick with affection. — No matter how many tis life beats her down, she keeps fighting.

Hestia listened intently, her heart aching at the sheer emotion in his voice. She offered a soft, lancholic smile.

— She sounds like soone truly incredible...

— She has her flaws, too. She used her circumstances as an excuse to herself, to trick innocent people who have nothing to do with her problems... Soone probably died because of it.

— And does that change how you look at her? — she asked gently.

— I don't judge her for it, — Luki replied, shaking his head. — Anyone in a desperate situation would do the sa, even if it's not sothing I like. To be honest, it just makes her more real to . A real person with different sides to her... and I like to think that I know all of them.

— How did you two et? — she asked softly.

Luki began to speak, and as the minutes bled into hours, the words flowed effortlessly. He described every single piece of their journey together. He spoke about their very first day, both nearly dying and saving each other, the terrifying adventures, the precarious situations where survival hung by a thread, and the low, hopeless monts where they only had each other.

Finally, he spoke of her confession of love.

As she said, Hestia didn't feel jealous or let her emotions blind her, allowing him to let it all out, the longing and sadness, as he relived their monts together in his mind and shared them with her.

By the ti the story reached its end, the two of them had moved. They were now sitting together directly in front of the tomb. Hestia was semi-reclined on the cool grass, her arms wrapped tightly around Luki as she leaned against him.

— You two really had quite an adventure together. — Hestia said softly, staring at the stone.

— Yeah... — Luki agreed, his voice barely a breath.

Hestia hesitated for a second, her grip on him tightening slightly as she asked the one question weighing on her mind.

— Do you... want her back? — Hestia asked, her voice cracking slightly under the weight of the question.

Luki turned his head sharply down toward her, his three eyes widening in surprise. He opened his mouth, on the verge of questioning the hidden aning behind her words, but paused when he noticed a subtle shift.

Hestia had tilted her chin away, just a little, but it was enough to hide her full expression from his view. However, his sixth sense allowed him to perceive far beyond regular sight, he could see the muscles in her jaw tightening under the skin.

She wasn't even trembling, but she was holding back, hiding sothing.

Deciding not to press her on it just yet, knowing Hestia had never been one to lie or keep secrets from him, Luki focused on giving her a direct answer.

— No... I don't want her back. — Luki replied, his voice calm and entirely steady.

Hestia gasped, her eyes snapping back to his in utter shock.

— Luki, what do you-

— Because after all, — Luki interrupted smoothly, — I never lost her to begin with.

Without waiting for her reaction, Luki rose to his feet. He carefully shifted Hestia so she could remain resting on the grass, and walked over to the grave.

He stopped right in front of it, staring intensely at the freshly turned earth.

Bam!

With a swift, devastating kick, he struck the mound. The raw force launched the earth away, scattering dirt in a violent burst.

— Luki-kun! What are you doing?! — Hestia scread, scrambling to her feet in absolute horror.

Luki didn't look back. The strike exposed the figure resting beneath. It was Lili, her body looking completely untouched.

Kneeling down without a shred of hesitation, Luki unceremoniously yanked the corpse out of the shallow grave.

He stared into its lifeless face for a brief mont, expressionless.

— You are not her... — Luki whispered.

He tossed the fake body aside. It rolled like a ragdoll until the ground beneath it liquefied like wet clay, swallowing the imitation whole before sealing back up.

Luki exhaled a ragged breath, turning his back on the empty grave and walking back to Hestia, who was frozen in pure shock. Seeing her, he closed the remaining distance and pulled her into a tight, protective embrace.

Hestia didn't resist. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, her voice a fragile whisper.

— Luki-kun... What just happened? What was that?

— A fake, my skill allowed to see the truth. That wasn't Lili's body. It's insides were wrong for living beign, and it wasn't decomposing or swallowed even at all after days. — Luki murmured into her hair, his grip tightening as he finally let his calm facade slip slightly.

Hestia blinked against his chest, trying to process the words.

— A fake...? But why?

— The Dungeon created. It fabricated her death to shatter my mind. It wanted to force into an unstable emotional state... just to trigger my awakening.

Hestia pulled back just enough to look up into his eyes, her expression a mix of lingering shock and sudden, desperate hope.

— If that body was a fake... then where is the real Lili? — she whispered, her hands gripping his shirt.

— I don't know, maybe she's trapped sowhere else in the deep floors... or maybe it's sothing worse... — Luki admitted, his tone darkening.

— But it doesn't matter, if the dungeon went to the trouble of faking her death and not just killing her, then it ans she's safe. And I will find her.

A strange, fierce glint flashed in Hestia's eyes. She tightened her hold on him, her voice dropping into a low, surprisingly intense register.

— Yes. You have to go after her, Luki-kun. You have to take back what is yours.

Luki looked down at her, his three eyes narrowing slightly in surprise. The phrasing felt off, a bit too sharp... for her usual gentle deanor.

He shook his head slightly, deciding to let it slide for a mont, but the comnt dragged his mind straight back to the question that had been eating away at him right before he destroyed the grave.

He didn't let her pull away. Keeping his arms wrapped firmly around her waist, he looked directly into her eyes, the atmosphere between them shifting into sothing tense and interrogative.

— Hestia... — Luki began softly, his voice dropping into a quieter, more questioning register. — What did you an earlier? When you asked if I wanted her back?

Hestia flinched, her cheeks instantly flushing as her usual, expressive panic flared up. She puffed out her cheeks slightly in her classic, pouty manner, shifting her weight awkwardly while refusing to et his gaze.

— Oh! It's nothing, Luki-kun! Really, just... just a goddess's random curiosity! — she stamred, her voice pitching up a bit too high.

— I know you, Hestia. It's not nothing, — he insisted gently, his grip on her waist tightening just a fraction to keep her from squirming away. — Your body can't lie to .

Hestia let out a soft, nervous giggle, leaning into him to mask her anxiety. She looked up through her eyelashes, a spark of playful defiance returning to her eyes as she pressed her chest flush against his.

— My body can't lie to you, huh? — she teased, her tone dipping into a sultry purr. — I didn't know you were paying such close attention to a goddess's body, Luki-kun. Are you sure you aren't just looking for an excuse to hold tighter?

Luki's heart gave a slight, sudden thud against his ribs. A faint smirk tugged at his lips, his grip on her waist tightening reflexively in response to her closeness.

— That is just one of the many perks of my ability, but that's not important right now. — he replied, his voice a little rougher than before, refusing to let her throw him off completely.

Hestia's playful facade vanished instantly. Her shoulders dropped, and she averted her gaze toward the dark forest. Sensing her sudden withdrawal, Luki didn't hesitate. He reached up, his fingers gripping her chin gently, forcing her face back toward him.

— Hestia, look at ... — he demanded softly.

They stared at each other in the dim twilight, the air between them thick with unspoken tension. Luki wasn't just quietly curious anymore; his gaze was piercing, demanding the truth she was trying so hard to hide.

Unable to handle the raw weight of his stare, Hestia suddenly leaned upward, closing the distance between them.Their lips t, and any remaining restraint shattered.

Their mouths parted slightly, moving together in a deep, heavy rhythm, molding against one another with an intense, possessive warmth. It was a heavy, consuming kiss: a desperate attempt from Hestia to make him forget his questions.

With a soft, wet sound, their lips parted.

Luki blinked, his breath visibly uneven, his chest heaving slightly from the sudden intensity of the embrace. He stared down at her, montarily dazed.

— What was that for? — he asked, his voice lower, strained.

— Nothing, — Hestia whispered, a bittersweet smile touching her lips as she buried her face against his chest. — I just really wanted to kiss you.

Luki let out a low sigh, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. He leaned down and pressed a firm, lingering kiss to the top of her head, holding her close.

But the comfort lasted only a second. Hestia grew completely rigid against him. She pushed back just enough to look at him, her voice suddenly carrying a heavy, devastating weight.

— Luki-kun... Maybe we can't be together.

Luki's three eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated shock. He involuntarily took a half-step back, his grip on her waist slipping as his entire body went rigid.

— What...? — Luki gasped, a sudden spike of raw revolt cutting through his usual calm as he stared down at her.

He didn't wait for her to break. Striding forward to close the distance he had just created, he grabbed her by the shoulders, his grip firm and urgent.

— Why? Why would you say that? — Luki demanded, his voice dropping into a low, harsh register that vibrated with a dangerous intensity.

— Because I broke the rules, Luki-kun... severely, — Hestia whispered, her fingers clawing desperately into his shirt. — There is no hiding what I did.

Luki's hands slid down from her shoulders to her waist, tightening until it was nearly bruising as his frustration boiled over.

— Then we run away, — he snapped, a fierce, rebellious edge in his voice cutting right through her panic. — We leave Orario tonight. We leave all of this behind.

Hestia tilted her head up, her tear-brimming eyes searching his face in sheer disbelief.

— Are you... truly willing to cast your adventures aside for ?

— Yes, — Luki answered without a single second of hesitation, his eyes blazing as he looked down at her. — You are far more important than so stupid dream.

A bittersweet smile touched Hestia's lips, her heart swelling at his words. But the warmth died instantly. She shook her head against his chest, her posture slumping.

— It wouldn't matter... Even if we fled to the end of the world, they would find us. We are talking about the gods, Luki-kun. There is no running from them.

Luki squeezed her tighter, his powerful fra trembling slightly under the weight of her words. Sensing his rare vulnerability, Hestia leaned up, pressing a quick, desperate kiss to his lips to anchor him.

— That is why I asked if you wanted her back, — Hestia murmured against his skin, her voice breaking. — I am already going to be banished for the next thousand years. Reviving a mortal soul... it won't make my sentence any worse.

She paused, a lone tear finally escaping her eye.

— If I do this, you won't be alone. You can forget about and live your life with her. I would be far more miserable watching you suffer, unable to move on. So, you have my permission. Have as many lovers as you need. Build a big family. Have children... I will be content just watching you from afar.

— Shut up. — Luki growled, abruptly cutting her monologue short as he slamd his mouth against hers.

— Mmh~!

This ti, all restraint vanished. Their tongues t in a heated, chaotic clash of pure agony, their lips trembling as their shared desperation spilled over. There was no poetry in the kiss, just raw, biting hunger and the quiet sound of their tears mingling before dropping onto the dirt.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were completely breathless. Luki cupped the side of her face, his thumb wiping away a tear, while Hestia tangled her fingers tightly into his hair. They slamd their foreheads together. A sharp discomfort throbbed where his third eye pressed against her forehead, but he fiercely ignored it.

— I don't want any of that, — Luki snarled, his voice raw with pure, unfiltered anger. — I want you. Here. By my side.

— I am so sorry, Luki-kun... — Hestia sobbed, her forehead still grinding against his. — It's not possible. I made a terrible mistake...

— I don't care, — Luki interrupted her, his three eyes blazing with absolute defiance as he held her impossibly close. — Gods or not, nothing is going to separate us again.

Hestia looked at him through her blurred vision, a defeated, heartbroken smile gracing her lips.

— I don't care about their laws, and I am not letting you go. If loving you ans becoming an enemy to Heaven, then I will gladly watch the world burn. Let them try to take you. I will drag you back from the afterlife itself if I have to. You belong here, with . — Luki growled, his fra trembling with a dangerous devotion.

— Luki-kun...

Before the na could fully leave her lips, Luki closed the remaining distance. He initiated the embrace with a sudden, near-violent urgency, slamming his mouth against hers in a kiss born of pure, desperate possessiveness.

The last thread of Hestia's restraint snapped completely. Her arms whipped around his neck, her fingers digging painfully into his shoulders as she pulled herself upward. The kiss was chaotic, bruising, and heavy with a shared panic, a frantic battle against the lingering ghosts of the Dungeon.

— Mmh... Luki... — Hestia whimpered against his lips, a broken sound caught in the back of her throat as she tried to crawl closer, to physically rge into his solid fra.

— Hestia... — he rasped back, his breathing ragged, his three eyes tightly shut as he tilted her head to deepen the collision of their mouths.

They pulled and clawed at each other, desperate for friction, desperate for proof of life. Wet, breathless sounds filled the quiet clearing as they traded desperate gasps of air. It was a suffocating, violent hunger, fueled by the terrifying adrenaline of everything they had just uncovered. They were drowning, and they only had each other to hold onto.

But as the initial panic began to exhaust itself, the rhythm shifted. The violent desperation slowly bled out of their movents, but the proximity didn't loosen. Instead, the air between them grew thick, heavy, and intensely hot. The frantic clashing of their lips slowed down, transforming into sothing far deeper, deliberate and consuming.

The frantic pulling turned into heavy, calculated touch. Luki's hands slid down her spine, his large palms gripping her lower back and pulling her flush against him, before one hand slid lower, firmly squeezing her rear.

— Nnh... — Hestia let out a low, trembling sigh as the kiss turned agonizingly deep. Their mouths parted further, their lips sliding together with a wet, heavy rhythm.

— Slick... smack... — The soft, wet sound echoed between them as they tilted their heads, over and over, completely losing themselves in the heat of the collision.

Driven by the sudden warmth, Hestia shifted her weight, lifting one leg up to wrap it tightly around his waist.

— Ahh~ Luki... — she gasped out against his mouth, her voice catching as he caught her thigh instantly.

His strong fingers dug into her leg to lift her slightly, holding her in place as she tried to pull herself even higher against him.

The clothes suddenly felt like an unbearable, frustrating barrier between their skin. Her thighs brushed against his waist, instinctively seeking the heat he was radiating, her body completely pliant under his heavy touch.

Shivering from the friction, Hestia's hands abandoned his cloak, sliding frantically upward and slipping right beneath the hem of his shirt. Her bare palms pressed flat against his hot skin, her fingers scratching lightly against his muscles as she whimpered into his mouth, wanting nothing more than to tear away the remaining layers between them.

— Mmh... suck... — The heavy, rhythmic friction of their lips leaving a lingering thread of warmth between them as she gasped for air.

Months of repressed longing finally forced their way to the surface. It was a desire that had been locked away in the dark for many months and suffocated by the terror of a permanent goodbye. Now that the dam had broken, the raw, unadulterated need for one another completely took over. Every touch carried the weight of everything they had been forced to hold back.

Between their deep, slow, and wet kisses, a soft, breathless gasp escaped her lips, her voice trembling with a different kind of desperation now.

— Ah... Luki... kun... — Hestia arfed against his lips, her chest heaving violently as she tried to catch her breath between his deep kisses. — Haa... not... not here... please...

She groaned, her hips trembling against him as she tried to pull back just a fraction to ground herself.

— Soone... haa... soone might... nn-nh... see us...

— Fuck... where is your ho? — Luki's voice was a low rasp against her lips, his concentration wavered between the conversation and the irresistible urge to press his lips to hers.

— The city... two floors... your swo- Ah~! — She scread, feeling a tremor in her groin and her underwear getting wet.

Guided by a sudden surge of adrenaline and a fierce need to reach a sanctuary, Luki allowed his sixth sense to extend far beyond the clearing, until he located a specific structure by the unmistakable presence of his own weapon resting within its walls.

The space around them buckled, and in a heartbeat, they were no longer in the dim light of the Dungeon. They stood in the center of Hestia's residence.

Neither of them spent a single fraction of a second looking around. Without breaking the fierce locking of their lips, Luki slid his hands down and aggressively lifted Hestia up by her backside, hoisting her off the floor. Hestia gasped into his mouth, instantly wrapping her thighs tightly around his waist to lock herself against him, grinding her hips against his bulge.

Moving as a single, desperate storm, Luki carried her forward. They collided heavily into the hallway walls, stumbling and knocking over chairs, the small table and ornants, completely ignoring the chaos and noise they were making as they crashed their way into her bedroom.

Luki practically threw himself forward, slamming them both onto the mattress with a heavy thud, pinning Hestia beneath his weight. Their hands moved with frantic, trembling rage, tearing any buttons or leather straps.

When the buckles proved too frustrating for their lost patience, they simply ripped and shredded the fabric apart, completely consud by an primal hunger. All rationality was entirely gone, replaced by the desperate need to feel skin-to-skin warmth until every single barrier between them was torn to pieces on the floor.

Pulling back just an inch, Luki pinned Hestia's hands flat against the mattress, intertwining his fingers with hers and locking them firmly above her head.

He stopped for a split second, his three eyes wide, dark with desire, scanning every single inch of her exposed skin. In the dim shadows of the bedroom, she looked absolutely breathtaking, a goddess completely unraveled for him.

— You are... srizing, Hestia... — Luki breathed out, his voice a low, heavy rumble of pure adoration. — I love you. Gods, I love you so much...

Hestia's chest heaved, as her nipple hardened, sensitive to the cold air, and her heart hamred wildly against her ribs as she looked up at him through tear-blurred eyes.

She squeezed his hands back with a fierce, burning strength, arching her back slightly to bring herself closer to his heat, poking his belly, hard as steel.

— Then take ... — she pleaded, her voice a fractured, lascivious whisper that broke between her lips. — Make yours, Luki... pull apart... ravage ... I am your woman... only yours...

— Haa... Hestia...

Luki let out a raw, guttural groan, completely undone by her words. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, his lips attacking the sensitive skin of her throat with a sequence of hot, bruising kisses that made her toes curl.

Hestia threw her head back against the pillows, whimpering loudly as his weight pressed her deep into the mattress.

— Mmh... ah... Luki... please...

Their shared desperation lted into a primal, consuming rhythm. The lingering fears of the Dungeon and the looming threats of the heavens were entirely forgotten, burned away by the raw fire of their connection. There were no more words left to say, only the heavy sound of their breathing, the friction of their skin, and the overwhelming certainty that they belonged together.

Beneath the quiet shadows of the room, the night was still very long, and the true dawn of their path was only just beginning.