Olivia flicks her flashlight to and fro as she continues with her inspection of the crater that formed as a result of my punting of the assassin in midair. I slink back deeper into the darkness. The last thing I want happening is either Olivia or her partner spotting me. If Olivia asks me what I am doing here at this time of the night, I would have no good explanation. And while I am flailing about trying to find a way out of theat predicament, Olivia and her partner might just decide to give me a hands on lesson on 'being a man'.

Come to think of it, if it was Don Kuat vs Olivia and her gofer, who would come out on top?

Me, most definitely. Even if Olivia and the gofer were rank A Valkyries, I could handle them if I didn't hold back. That's the advantage of being isekai'ed. OP powers put me several heads and shoulders above the locals. The problem is what would happen during and after the fight.

Unlike the battle with the assassin, there's no zone of darkness that can interdict surveillance. And me not holding back means going loud, very loud. The whole neighborhood and beyond would be alerted to the fight. Then there's how fast I can take out Olivia and her partner. Assuming I can take them out in one blow each, and that's a bit of a stretch already, that would give either Olivia or her gofer the opportunity to radio for help while I'm dealing with the other one. Unless I want to be dog piled by the Yellow Roses, that idea's are non-starter.

But the real issue is stake is the serum situation. Every time I use the power package, I need to pump myself with serum after the fight to recharge it. Dealing with the assassin already ate into a large chunk of my serum stash, and now I need to help Lisa awaken her powers as well. Depleting my already strained stockpile on a pointless battle is not going to help matters.

So the decision has already been made for me. I need to get out of here before Olivia notices my presence and forces me into a confrontation. I begin retracing my footsteps back to my car, my mood steadily worsening. Will Olivia try to arrest me tomorrow? Should I show up for work? With these stray thoughts gnawing at my mind, I decide to divert and head to a nearby park for a stroll. Going back home and stewing in the apartment would just make me feel even more restless. I justify the decision with the reasoning that even if Olivia decides to patrol this way, she would just catch me in the act of unwinding after work. A perfectly innocent act.

I pass through the entrance of the park and purchase a bag of chickpeas from a nearby vendor's stand. Lamps illuminate the park, showing a few people drifting aimlessly past the greenery. Boxed in by roads, the park itself is not very big, but it is nevertheless important. Because this park is home to one of the stele commemorating the divines.

Seven divines forged this world. So seven stele were erected throughout the Citadel in their honor. One such stele is located smack dab in the center of the park. Though it would be more accurate to say that the park was built around the stele rather than the other way round. A convenient spot for the people living and working in this neighborhood to show their devotion to the gods at lunchtime or after dinner. I begin making my way towards the stele with the most solemn look on my face that I can manage.

Each stele is topped by the image of the divine it commemorates, as well as a prayer carved into the length of the structure. The prayer is standard form, something you mutter to yourself during the odd free moment. During my training as an operator, all candidates were forced to learn the prayer by heart. I always failed that part of the exam, so this time I walk straight up to the stele instead and begin reciting the prayer by reading it.

"To the Seven, foundations of this world, hear me as I respectfully say your names,

Regina, goddess of beauty and victory,

Bernadette, goddess of wisdom and statesmanship,

Serusha, goddess of the land and harvest,

Haiwal, goddess of the fang and horn,

Elune, goddess of inspiration and art,

Demak, goddess of industry and craft

and Iros, goddess of compassion and mercy.

Seven divines, one world, one people. Bless me, so that I can further your works. Bless us, so that our world may endure. In the title of the Leader, seven times blessed, am - AGH!"

My prayer is broken by a someone pinching me hard in the ass. I whirl around angrily and come face to face with someone I'd never thought I would ever see again.

"So which goddess is your favorite, Mr Auxila who does not like men?" the Valkyrie asks with a smile on her face, "I bet its Bernadette. She has the largest chest of them all."

"You're that Valk I met the other night." I mutter, "At Loveless."

"Its Sammie, in case you didn't remember my name." the Valkyrie pouts, "Anyway what are you doing here? Doing some remedial praying?"

"What? No." I snort while settling down on a bench, "Just taking a breather before heading home. Catching up on some theology in the bargain. You?"

"Remedial praying." Sammie gestures at the plastic bag she carries in one of her hands, "Going to lay out some offerings and get to it. Mind helping me?"

"Sure, why not?" I shrug and begin reaching into Sammie's bag, taking out a box of cake and putting it before the stele. Sammie begins arranging a hamburger and fries side by side at the base of the stele, making sure the offerings cover a one hundred eighty degree angle in front of us.

"Junk food? Seriously?" I ask.

"Its all I could get at this time." Sammie grumbles as she kneels before the stele, "I'm sure the divines will understand."

"They won't even notice." I snort, "You want to pray, you go fill up a form at the transmission station. Everyone knows that."

"Maybe. Maybe." Sammie muses, "Hey Mr Auxila who does not like men?"

"Its Don." I say, "I do have a name you know."

"I remember." Sammie smiles, "I just like messing with you. Anyway, what if I didn't want the divines to actually take action on my behalf?"

I gaze upwards at the stele, where the figure of a muscular, savage beauty with antler horns growing out of her head and dressed in barbarian furs has been installed. So this is the stele of Haiwal? Could this be fate? I usually don't put much stock in things, but my coming here could not just be a coincidence, right?

"Then you've come to the right place." I smirk, "Haiwal has never responded to a prayer ever since the age of exile. Whenever an operator tries to contact her divine realm, all we get is an engaged tone."

"I heard about that." Sammie nods, "Haiwal is the patroness of animals isn't she? The priestesses say that Haiwal is so preoccupied with dealing with her animals that she has no time for people."

"Yeah. That's the main theory." I agree, bending down and helping myself to a fry from the offerings.

"There are other theories?" Sammie exclaims, eyes alight with curiosity.

"None that I know of." I grunt noncommittally, "Though I'm sure there are crackpots with their own revelations on the matter out there." Crap, I got careless there. Almost let slip with something I should not have. I quickly school my expression to be as bland as possible. From Sammie's sigh of disappointment, I can assume that I'm back in the clear. For now.

"So what's this you're praying about?" I ask, trying to shift the conversation to safer ground, "Why can't the divines find out about it?"

"Its not that they can't, but ..." Sammie frowns, "Look, its like this, alright? I worship Regina, and she's the divine of victory."

"And?" I ask with an eyebrow raised.

"And!" Sammie sputters, "Regina is victorious in everything. War. Love. I can't let Regina know that one of her Valkyries is having, uh ..."

I stare at the woman as her voice trails off impotently. A sudden thought comes to my mind.

"Boyfriend problems." I say as deadpan as possible, "You're praying because you have boyfriend problems." Sammie just nods in silence.

"Yeah. You did the right thing by coming here." I continue while turning to leave, "No way an Operator would give you time on his transmitter for that. Later."

The next thing I know, I am sent flying face first into the dirt. Damn it, did that woman slug me from behind? I brace for another blow, but it seems like Sammie is done hitting me.

"You're laughing at me aren't you?" Sammie yells, "Nobody knows how difficult it is! No one cares!"

I pick myself up while cleaning my face as much as I can before addressing Sammie, "Its not difficult. Don't you Valkyries have that home invasion ritual that you do to grab a mate?"

"Home invasion?" Sammie sputters, confused.

"Yeah. You know, the one where you storm into a man's home," I explain, "and try to subdue and rape him on the spot."

"The Rite of the Midnight Visitor?" Sammie cries, "That's a demonstration of a Valkyrie's passion for her mate! Its not a home invasion! And its not rape either!"

"Whatever you want to call it." I shrug, "My point is, just do your midnight visitor thing, and bam, problem solved."

"The rite is only used in legends and fairy tales." Sammie frowns, "Hardly anyone actually carries it out."

I point to myself, "I was born thanks to that rite."

Sammie whispers, "Really? No way!"

"Yes way." I confirm, "My mother home invaded my father's tent and got pregnant with me. I heard that she did repeat performances with a bunch of other men as well."

"You were born during the war right?" Sammie asks, "In a mobile war band?"

"Bingo." I say, "Things were less conventional that time, you know? All of us, adults, kids, we were part of the war effort against the Fallen."

"So, you are the child of a Valkyrie?" Sammie leans closer, deeply interested, "Who was she? Which unit was she in?"

"No idea." I shake my head, "My mother bit the dust before I even had the chance to remember her. The only thing I have of her is the name. Kuat."

"And your father?" Sammie presses.

"No idea. Could have been anyone in the camp." I spread my hands helplessly, "The kids were raised by my mother's most senior concubine. A Battle Lord. We all called him father. But as to whether he is my blood father, maybe, maybe not. Who knows."

"That arrangement can't have been very healthy." Sammie comments with her arms folded across her chest.

"Wouldn't know." I shrug, "Wasn't very close to the family anyway."

"Well, thanks for the story." Sammie says clapping her hands together, "Not exactly the relationship advise I was looking for, but, y'know thanks anyway."

"You're not sharing your life story?" I quiz.

"Not tonight." Sammie smirks, "I may not be doing the tent invasion as you suggested, but I still have time to meet up with my boyfriend. Talk with him. Clear the air."

With that said, Sammie rushes out of the park with a careless wave of her hand. I turn away and lock eyes with the statue of Haiwal. What would that stupid woman say, if she knew the truth about her world?

Oh, she wouldn't say anything, of course.

Because I would have killed her.