245 - - an upper-level dispute

Thor and the others stopped moving involuntarily at the words and actions that suddenly hit them.

The twin sister, holding up a shining altar as if to show her disdain, gives us a reproachful look from the top of the stairs.

Thor meets Kikiriri's gaze, unable to grasp the true meaning of her sudden action.

Sora looks at the twins alternately in surprise, while Yurir sighs and shakes the tips of his ears.

Moe, deprived of his precious ritual object, looks up at his clan with a puzzled expression on his face.

Then, despite the tense atmosphere, he spoke carefree words.

You have one of those, too? You and Mu are the same. You and Moo have the same one..."

At these words, Kikiriri, holding the shiny ring, almost opened his mouth slightly.

But he says nothing and closes his lips, his face looking disappointed.

Again, an indescribable pause occurs.

However, the tense atmosphere seems to have disappeared in that moment.

Sola, who had been looking around at each other with an impatient look on her face, bends down and talks to the child.

Let's see..." she says. That's Moo-chan's."

Moe, who was told the surprising truth in his ear, looked at me as if I was joking again, and then gently reached out his hand to his head.

The child's hand moves back and forth across the empty space a few times, then flicks a strand of hair.

She must have been checking to see if any of her hair had fallen on her head.

It is there that the child finally notices that his favorite piece of equipment has disappeared.

Immediately large tears well up in his lovely purple eyes.

"............ that's Moo's. ............ give it back."

"What? What is she?

It was Kikiriri, who had just a few moments ago been shooting a penetrating glance at us, who uttered an impatient cry.

When she touches a drop of water running down her cheek, her expression changes to one of panic.

"d*mn. Lili, we've been interrupted!"

Her twin sister, who had been standing behind her, suddenly lets out a low voice.

Her eyes were dripping with tears.

"............ lie. ...... have you even tuned into your emotions?"

"No. I can't play!"

"......Mu's,......Mu's."

Thor and the others look puzzled at the bizarre sight of three people with tears streaming from their purple eyes.

Kikiriri, his tear-stained eyes flaring with anger, lifted the ring in his hand high in the air.

"Because of this!"

Just as he was about to hit the floor, a wind suddenly blew at the bottom of the earth.

Kikiriri's eyes widen and he turns to the man standing right next to him.

No signs of life could be detected.

But the man, Thor, had appeared at the top of the stairs without a care in the world.

And his hand is gripping Kikiriri's wrist before he knows it.

"Don't do that. It would be a big problem if he breaks it and cries a lot.

The purple-eyed warrior instantly accepts the impossible situation with his unyielding right arm and the man who stops him.

The moment his free left arm hesitantly reaches for the axe at his waist, Thor's figure is swept away.

At the same time, he feels the weight of the axe being ripped from his hand.

"I'm going to ask you to give it back."

"What?"

I looked down and saw Thor standing at the bottom of the stairs as if nothing had happened.

And, impossibly, he was holding the Thunder Ring of Heavenly Majesty in his hand.

"Here, Mu."

"Oh, thank you!　I love you, To-chan."

The child, who had been held in Sola's arms before she knew it, quickly placed the ritual utensil handed to her on her head.

He then looked up the stairs and pursed his lips.

"Didn't we learn in school that you shouldn't take things from other people!

"I don't know. I've never been there."

Wiping away her tears, Kikiriri replied in a sultry voice.

Then Thor, scratching the bottom of his chin, asked, "What do you want?

So, what do you mean by bad taste?　Can you elaborate?"

At these words, the twins' faces turned into a blatantly troublesome expression.

It seems that they have no intention of having a serious talk with Thor.

What broke the deadlock was a voice coming down from further up the stairs.

"Oh, Mr. Euril, it's an honor to meet you here."

Coming down the stairs with light steps was a man named Chiru, whom we had met before.

Behind him, a woman of the Midoriwa tribe waved her hand in greeting.

"How are you?"

"Oh, Mr. Chita. Yes, I'm fine.

"Hey, I'm in the middle of something. Can you please get out of my way?"

Kikiriri blames him for interrupting in a snide tone, and Chiru looks aghast.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with the mud-breaking hero?　You are being reckless, you know that?

I don't need you to worry about me.

"Don't fight~"

Chita's slow speech had dampened his mood, and Kikiriri clicked his tongue and turned away.

She then leaned back slightly to make room for him to pass.

"I'll let you off the hook this time. Just get on with it..."

"Are you going back up there, hero?"

"Yeah, it's a little early, but I'm going to rest on the sixth floor for the rest of the day."

"That's a lot of work. How about staying here for the night?　It wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to each other for the first time in a while."

"What?　What are you talking about?

No, you don't have enough beds.

"Two people can fit in there if you pack them up, hero. The floor will be enough for the men, and fortunately, I think most of them are thin.

"Don't make up your mind. This bed belongs to the Flame of Platinum.

"Then everyone here is unqualified."

The twins, who had already changed their affiliation, bit their lower lip in unison at Chiru's words.

Now the air was awkward, and Sola suddenly sneezed cutely.

This is when Thor finally remembered why he had come all the way back here.

"I'm sorry, but that will have to wait for another time. I'm in a bit of a hurry.