Escaping their followers, Cirrus and Ai enjoy the festival.

“These stall foods are pretty good!” Ai said, stuffing her face full of food.

“Can I get one more bag?” Cirrus said.

“Sure thing!”

Despite having shaken Kaguya and Susanoo off, Artemis was another story. He could still faintly feel her gaze on him, but she was too far away to pin down.

“Say you were born in Orario right?”

“Hm? uh yeah, I guess why?”

“Well, you must know have gone to this festival plenty of times, right?”

“Uhh not really back then I was too young and well I had no one to take me plus it was ripe full of crime, so they only celebrated the Hero Elegy, and well since I was 7 I was busy with other stuff… haven’t you been to the festival more than me?” Cirrus said looking at Ai.

“I was in the dungeon the last 4 years fighting hordes of monsters to come and to find you, before that I was in the dungeon again making money so this is my first festival a-and um… d-date…” she said quietly and with a blush.

“Hmm…. Well, I’ll be sure to make it memorable.” He said, smiling at Ai.

“S-stop teasing me!” she said, hitting him.

Cirrus could see from the corner of his eye that her tail was wagging rather fast.

“Speaking of being born, where were you born? I know you came from the Far East, but nowhere specific?”

“Hmm… I was born in Fuyukusa Village in the north of the country, where it’s perpetually winter. My family, the Shirakusa, are the village heads who serve under the Empress, Lady Amaterasu. We don’t serve directly to them as we are servants of the Gojouno who are known to do… umm…”

“Unsavory acts? I would assume so based on how effective Kaguya is in battle.”

That was one of the few things they share in common, but if told they even have stuff in common, both would vehemently refuse to accept such a fact.

“Yes, that’s the more polite term... um, so since I was the youngest of the family, I wanted to see what else lay over the sunrise and sunset and so I had asked if I can join the Oceanic Samurai under Lord Susanoo. Of course, I was one year too young to join, but Lady Kushida took me in and started my training early. Lord Susanoo's Familia was the only one that could garner strength as they were most active on the sea as a kind of guard for the nation defending against invaders, but Lady Amaterasu has come to a peace treaty with the nation, Chyong.”

“Oh? I can kinda guess where this is going."

“Hm." she nodded. " Soon he was replaced by the Seven Gods of Luck, who now run the trade and security of the nation. Susanoo was furious and so when he went to confront Amaterasu about what his Familia was going to do now, she said that they will serve as bodyguards to her Familia. In the process, it whittled down all his Familia, and he was only able to keep 3 of his children as they sent the rest to Lord Bishamonten, as they were the strongest fighters in the country.”

'God damn what the actual fuck!? H-how!? I know politics are a shit storm filled with shit outcomes, but my god, those gods must have lobbied to whittle him down. That is the only way possible.'

“That must have been… hard to take in losing your children.”

“It was… one day while still harboring those emotions he drank too much and caused some damage resulting in Lady Amaterasu’s rice fields getting destroyed and various other… matters. It resulted in Amaterasu shutting herself away in grief and anger. She let Lord Tsukuyomi, who was punished for a separate accident, decide what to do with him since back in heaven, the three of them were extremely close.”

"I can guess what happens next."

"Hm." she nods. "We leave our home and traveled to Orario to grow in strength and to... never mind that."

“What?" Cirrus said curiously.,"And to what?"

"It's nothing important really!" she said, waving her hands to disregard it, but Cirrus has seen and met enough liars to know she was hiding something. Also, her tale told him everything.

“Alright I'll leave it be." he would for now. " But if the chance ever comes, maybe one day you can show me around your home village?”

“That will be ni—!!” her face quickly turned red from what she just heard. “A-are you serious!?”

“Of course, even if your Familia is in exile, I’m sure I can at least smuggle you back in with my experience.”

“Really!”

“Of course, and I mean I am a level 7, so it's a very doable promise." he holds his pinky. "I promise."

Ai looks at his pinky and smiles. She gets in close and links her arm with his.

"It's a promise!" she said, giving him her bright smile and bringing him in close to her.

"Y-yeah..." Cirrus said, a bit flushed.

Ai could see the same face as when she surprised him with a kiss. She was happy with Aisha's advice and even some of Lyra's helped get her to see this rare sight twice.

They continued to walk around for a while, talking to one another, arms linked, enjoying the festival.

"What's your favorite color?" asked Cirrus.

"Mmm... purple and green. Yours?'

"Blue and black. Birthday?"

"October 5th. Yours?"

"May 15th. Food?"

They were happy spending time together and having a nice time eating and playing at the stands.

A while later, when the main event was close at hand.

‘Hey Cirrus, it’s almost time to perform. Are you at the plaza?’

‘I’ll get there.’

“Hey Ai, do you mind if we head to the plaza?”

“Oh, is it time for you to perform?”

“Yes, seems the main attraction is coming.”

They move towards Babel, and they met up with Nox, Circe, and Lili.

“Y-you were with the Sunny Saint, Sora!” Lili yelled out.

“Now, now Lili, save that energy for the show.”

“U-um, about that I’m not so um…” Cirrus could see her fidgeting along with the look of terror on her face.

“It's fine. You can stay here with Circe.”

“B-but the show will—“

“It's fine. We can handle it.” Nox said. “You go wait in the crowd.”

“Don’t worry Lili, was it? We will be close by!” Circe said.

“A-alright.”

“Good luck out there!” Ai said.

“Hm.”

As they leave Nox, and Cirrus get themselves ready and off to the side before Babel on a stage, Hermes, and next to him were Lydia and Asfi, now more grown.

Cirrus began to play some background music.

“Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and gods! I’m proud to be introducing our Goddess of Harvest! First is Hathor!”

A goddess in a red dress with turquoise jewelry and tan skin that was much lighter than the Amazoness.

“Damia!!”

A goddess wearing a rather clean farmer’s outfit with some dirt on it showed that she was working in the fields till just recently.

“Then the head of the Demeter Familia, who without her the city would surely experience an eternal winter! Demeter!!”

Walking up was a goddess. Many could say really is “Bountiful” with wavy golden honey hair and orange eyes in a light pink dress with a golden belt around her waist.

Seeing who was coming up next, Cirrus changed a bit of the music to make Ishtar stand out more.

'Job is a job.'

“Then the head of the red-light district and the Ishtar Familia!! Ishtar!!”

A bronze-skinned beauty with an attire similar to those of her Amazoness children having only a single red-orange piece of cloth around her neck that barely covers her with a matching Pareo that goes down to her ankles. She is covered head to toe in expensive jewelry, quickly taking the spotlight from Demeter’s… fields.

But her attention and music were quickly stolen when the next goddess took to the stage.

“And last but not least, the goddess with the strongest Familia in Orario! The goddess of the Freya Familia!! Freya!!!!”

Walking up stage Freya with only a crown of flowers making a kind of veil with a white dress and green shawl and a golden chocker, her simple attire left many breathless.

As they all sat down, many could see them talking amongst themselves, except Freya and Ishtar, who did not speak with one another.

“Now, our special guests! Orario’s famed bards! Yoru and Sora!!” he points at Cirrus and Nox and they both wave. "They are here thanks to Lady Ishtar's generous patronage!"

"OOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!" the crowd cheered as Ishtar bathed in their cheers.

'I can see why Freya is more likable Ishtar is really narcissistic.,' said Nox to Cirrus.

'There was bound to be one Nox.'

After some cheering, they started to play.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪~

The people were enjoying it and the festival was starting to kick into full swing when-

Boom!

Crashing down onto the plaza were Ryuu and Neze.

Thud!! Thud!!

“Guh!!” Neze falls on her back, trying to get up.

“D-damn it!” said Ryuu, using her sword to pick herself up to fight.

As they both tried to get up, a woman jumped down.

Black hair adorned with a gold circlet and a fairly long scarf and a pair of whips, one to her left hip and one currently in her hand.

“I-its Suspensus!!” shouted an adventure.

“Evilus is here!!”

“Run!!!!”

As panic was about to begin, Finn and the Loki Familia stepped in.

“Everyone stay calm!! We will deal with this!!!!” Finn shouted.

“Mata! What are you planning?” shouted Riveria.

“Me? Nothing at all! My goddess simply asked me to deliver a message to Lady Astraea, is all.”

“A-a message?” Ryuu said, confused.

“That’s right! But you didn’t even listen to me and attacked me as quickly as I showed my pretty little face.” She said with a playful attitude.

“What’s your damn message!” Neze said, getting up.

“Ahem! The Alecto Familia hereby challenges the Astraea Familia to a War Games!!”

“!!!!”

The news spread like wildfire, and the look on Mata’s face showed it all. This was the plan, wait until it was the Goddess Festival and steal the spotlight for the duration of the festival, and it worked.

“UUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the screaming crowd turned to shouts of excitement.

Everyone wanted to see this.

NotOriginal

You kinda get the full picture of Susanoo's myth. Also, I gave Ai the same birthday as another white-haired fox that does the Scatman pretty well.