Refusing My God’s Advances

Arriving outside the clothing store, the name Hades in the title was no understatement. Still, even though the store was clearly run by someone who came from the underworld, it was clear that they had taste.

"What is this place?" Scarlet asked curiously from beside me. 

The redhead hadn't let go of me once, and I didn't mind at all. She didn't really say much, but I was sure that would change in the future.

"A place to buy clothing. Depending on what the girls got, we might be able to get you something else to wear," I said, and Scarlet smiled warmly, rubbing herself into me.

"That would be really nice, Leon," She said in an innocent tone with big eyes that made me feel as if I might just keel over from her cuteness.

I smiled the best I could without looking like a dork and then headed into Hades Hotspot Fashions. 

The first one I was was Lyra, who was looking at dresses with two other little female demons. They were the same size as my little princess, and the three of them spotted me right away and came over.

"Who is this?" Lyra asked curiously as she poked Scarlet's breasts, and the blue-haired girl tried to compare her head size to one.

I shook my head with a smile. "This is Scarlet Siren. The last time I was at Amina's golem shop, I interacted with her. After I left, her core came to life, and she now has a personality that is attached to me."

"Oh! That is really cool! I have never heard of a core coming to life without someone helping it!" The girl with red hair exclaimed, and I nodded.

"Yeah. Anime said it was a pretty rare thing, and I don't think she was too happy about having to give up her floor model, considering the price," I said, starting to feel queasy just thinking about it.

Suddenly, my danger bells went off, and a hand was placed on my shoulder. I tried to turn, but my body froze.

"Come to the back of my shop, boy. I would like to have a word with you. My daughters can hear as well, so they will keep your women entertained and show them around," an eerie and cold voice whispered.

The hand left my shoulder, but it felt like a cold hand had gripped my body. That voice must have been Hades, but I wonder what he wanted to talk about? I was also wondering where Mary had gone. I just hoped she hadn't gotten into trouble or something.

"Leon needs to go talk to Papa, but we will show you around," The blue-haired demon girl said, pulling on Scarlet, but she didn't budge. 

Instead, she looked up at me. "Is it okay if I am not with you?"

I leaned down and kissed her forehead, making her blush slightly and smile as I pulled back. "Yes. You can do whatever you would like, but I would prefer if you stayed in the store. Maybe try on something a bit more comfortable that you are wearing, okay?" I asked, and she gave me a determined nod that felt strange, but I didn't push it.

For better or worse, Scarlet was with me, but I had fallen for her the moment that I laid eyes on her. I felt as natural as it would be for me to do the same for Shelli or Lyra. Maybe something about the kiss was shared, even though Anima was controlling her body, that made a connection. 

After The girls all pulled Scarlet into the rows of clothing, I headed to the back of the store. There was a door open, and in the room was a well-dressed demon with sleek black horns. His black suit looked impeccable, and his black hair was slicked back, but his eyes stood out the most.

Red pits of boiling blood, but it wasn't the type of thing you could see without staring into them. So this was Hades.

"Leon, come and sit down. I would like to have a little chat with you," Hades said calmly, but I looked around.

"Where is Mary?" I asked when I focused on him again.

"I froze her in time," Hades said but put up a hand right away. "Not to hurt her, or anything nefarious. Mary is a Legendary ranked spirit, and her hearing is incredibly sharp; something you should remember going forward. I froze her so we could have a talk without her hearing."

My heart rate hadn’t risen, nor did I get the feeling that I was going to snap. Even if his intentions had been bad, I knew, without a shred of doubt, this man could kill me. I would have had to calmly think up a plan, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Still, I was more than curious to know what Hades wanted to talk about, so I walked in and sat down. Hades closed the door, and I looked around the office.

The office was surprisingly elegant, adorned with dark wood furniture and intricate carvings. The walls were decorated with paintings that seemed to shift and move, depicting scenes from various realms of existence. Hades gestured to a plush chair, and I took a seat as he sat across from me.

"Now, Leon, I am sure you know who I am, and I already know much about you, so we will dispense with formalities. I invited you into my office to ask you to take on two tasks. One of them will be a quest for yours truly, and the other is a personal request that will benefit you. What do you say, my boy? Are you interested?" Hades asked, and I paused for a moment.

This was what I wanted, but I still had to be careful. This man was clearly dangerous, and I had no idea what his motives could be. He was a god after, just like Garland, and Eldros had warned me to watch myself.

"I will listen to what you have to say, and make my decision after that, if that is fine with you?" I asked, and Hades nodded.

"Don't worry, I will make this worth your time!"