A fearsome dog with three heads, though still small as if it were young—it was Cerberus.

The young Cerberus was covered in blood. One of its three heads was already crushed and limp, while the remaining two were in such a condition that it was hard to say they were intact.

However, what shocked her more than its horrific appearance was the familiarity of the little beast’s face, fiercely biting Zagreus’s thigh and forearm with its underdeveloped teeth.

That creature, that little monster, was….

“…Mumu?”

Because it was her family.

Yelp! Yap! Yapyap!

The man pried the young Cerberus off his thigh with one hand and threw it to the ground. He tossed it so roughly that young Mumu writhed in pain, letting out a whimper.

At that moment, sparks flew from Livia’s eyes. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Mumu again right before her eyes.

With a strength she didn’t know she possessed, she pushed the man away and wrapped Mumu in her arms. Then she shouted sharply at the approaching man.

“Don’t kill it! If you kill it, I’ll kill you too!”

“…Kill me? You? How? Do you have a way?”

The man asked back, like he was genuinely curious. His head tilted slightly, and his eyes sparkled with interest, but he didn’t seem to be mocking or ridiculing her.

A way? If she had known such a way, she would have killed the god of the sea first. She didn’t really know how, but she had to make some kind of threat to protect Mumu.

Even though she was blinded by revenge enough to come to the underworld, she was aware of how insignificant and worthless she was compared to these divine beings.

However… there were moments when one couldn’t back down.

Even if, as the man said, her soul were to vanish, Livia felt she had to be defiant at that moment.

Yelp… Whimper.

Because she had to protect her family, the dog that had died for her.

She felt the rough tongue licking her wrist. Everything in the underworld was cold, yet Mumu’s tongue remained warm.

With tear-soaked eyes, Livia looked at Mumu. Its teeth had grown, and its once-soft fur had become stiff, but this monster was undoubtedly Mumu.

The small creature that always looked at her so warmly.

The loyal dog that had protected her until its death, her eternal puppy.

“…So it was you, barking all along, right?”

Livia looked at the puppy with a sad smile. Whispering tenderly in her quavering voice, she hugged the wounded dog tightly, stroking it gently.

More important than how it had ended up like this or how it had gotten hurt was the fact that she was willing to sacrifice herself for Mumu, who had died protecting her.

That one thing.

With determination, Livia hugged Mumu tightly and glared fiercely at the man.

But for some reason, the man, who had seemed ready to tear her and Mumu apart at any moment, was now just staring at them. Tilting his head in curiosity, he watched her holding Mumu tightly, as if he found it fascinating….

After observing them for a while, the man suddenly spoke, “I don’t die.”

“What?”

“Death can’t threaten me. It’s been that way since I was born.”

Mumbling, he approached Livia and Mumu, kneeling to meet their gaze.

Then, like he was expecting something, he said something strange.

“So, try a different threat.”

What could it be? She felt like this man wanted something.

Feeling both flustered and desperate to find an answer, Livia racked her brain.

“Warm.”

“I want to keep touching.”

“There’s a scent.”

“If you stay still, I won’t kill you.”

The words the man had spoken flashed through her mind. And now, what he was looking at was also Mumu, nestled in her arms.

‘Could it be…?’

It might be wrong, but it didn’t matter. It was better to try something than to sit idly and die in vain.

Licking her dry lips, she cautiously spoke in the softest voice she could muster, “Do you want a hug?”

The man’s previously expressionless eyes twitched slightly. He seemed to bite his lips tightly, like he was suppressing some emotion.

Livia observed him carefully and spoke again in a gentle voice, “Would you like me to hold you tightly, warmly, like the puppy nestled in my arms?”

The man’s chest, which had been calm, swelled as he took a deep breath. Watching him inhale deeply, Livia offered her final bait.

“You said you liked my warmth. If you don’t harm Mumu, I’ll give you a hug. As much as you want.”

Was this really what he wanted? Could she persuade him with something so simple? The odds were fifty-fifty, but Livia decided to trust her instincts. After all, it had worked with Triton.

She held her breath, watching for his reaction. Finally, he slowly nodded and spoke.

“Alright, fine.”

Relief washed over her, and Livia bit her lower lip to keep from sighing with relief.

“…You promise not to harm him, right?”

She asked again for confirmation, and the man nodded once more, as if he had become a gentle ‘dog.’

Whimper—

Mumu, now a young Cerberus, rubbed its head against Livia’s thigh, looking at her with concern.

Livia reassured Mumu by stroking its head and then carefully set the puppy down beside her.

She spread her arms toward the man standing awkwardly and asked, “By the way, what’s your name?”

“……”

“…If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”

Livia then approached the man, who had come near without any defenses, and hugged him tightly.

It was almost comical how he had seemed ready to pounce on her, yet now he stood stiff as a board when she pulled him close.

However, she put aside any stray thoughts. This wasn’t the time for such feelings. Livia simply embraced him, offering her warmth.

She felt his chest expand and contract roughly, and his breathing became ragged, as if he were trying to steady it.

After a while, he whispered in a small voice, “Zagreus.”

“…What?”

“…Zagreus.”

She pondered for a moment, trying to make sense of his words, and realized that was his name.

Zagreus.

…What kind of god is he? I’ve never heard of him.

No matter how much she searched her mind, she couldn’t recall ever hearing the name of this god. Well, there were so many gods in the world, it wasn’t possible to know them all.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Livia. Livia Horn.”

“Livia Horn… Livia, Horn.”

As Zagreus murmured her name repeatedly, as if he was trying to memorize it, he suddenly jerked his head around, startled, and glared somewhere with a fierce look.

A black mist, exuding a terrifying power, surrounded Livia as if to hide her. Mumu, who had been lying down, suddenly rose and bared its teeth toward the shadowy forest.

“What, what’s happening all of a sudden?”

When Livia, who couldn’t sense anything, turned her gaze to where they were looking, she saw two daemons (lesser gods) in black hoods appear.

Zagreus stepped forward as if to shield Livia and spoke harshly.

“You’ve got some nerve entering my hunting grounds without permission. Do you want to become my prey?”

The daemons hesitated upon seeing Zagreus but soon spoke, as if they had no choice.

“Our master has ordered us to find and bring that woman.”

“This woman is my prey. I’ll report to the king myself, so you should withdraw.”

At Zagreus’s retort, the daemons fell silent for a moment. They seemed taken aback, but it was hard to read any expression on their eyeless, gray faces.

Soon, one of the daemons spoke in a slightly firmer voice, “That is not possible. The woman does not belong to the underworld. She disrupts the order.”

Someone who doesn’t belong to the underworld….

At those words, Livia recalled what Zagreus had told her earlier.

‘You’re not dead yet.’

…Was he telling the truth? Am I really alive?

What surprised Livia, who widened her eyes in disbelief, was Zagreus’s next words.

“If that’s the case, there’s no choice. I’ll have to make her part of the underworld.”

Zagreus muttered ominously and turned to look at Livia.

Sensing something unusual in his gaze, Livia watched as Zagreus bit into his own hand, drawing blood.

Crunch!

He bit so hard that more than half of his finger was nearly severed, yet he seemed unfazed. The dark red blood gushed from the wound, dripped down his hand and wrist, and splattered onto the ground.

But what was more shocking was that he grabbed Livia’s chin and tried to force her to drink the blood.

“What are you doing…. Ugh!”

Horrified, Livia clamped her mouth shut and leaned back, but his grip was too strong. The daemons, who seemed as surprised as Livia, quickly rushed in to restrain Zagreus.

“No, Zagreus! The queen is looking for her!”

The man’s body, which seemed unstoppable, suddenly halted. His restrained arm trembled, and Zagreus’s blood dripped down Livia’s chin and into the hollow of her throat. The daemons sighed in relief, but Zagreus’s face twisted in frustration.

The queen’s orders….

Even Zagreus couldn’t defy them. His hand, which had been gripping Livia’s chin so tightly that it left red marks, slowly released. His face, pale and drawn, bore the tangled expressions of a wounded child and a man angry at having something taken from him.

Sensing his diminished resolve, the daemons hurriedly grabbed Livia’s arms. They needed to act quickly, as Zagreus’s mood could change at any moment.

“Let’s go! There’s no time to waste.”

“Ugh…!”

As she was being dragged away, Livia felt a chilling gaze on the back of her head and turned to look.

Zagreus….

The mysterious god of death stood there, silently watching her. When their eyes met, he gazed at her with calm eyes before suddenly stretching his lips into a smile.

‘See you again, Livia.’

His blood-soaked hand moved lightly in the air. The sight of him, smiling with delight and whispering about meeting again with such a bloodied appearance, was more than terrifying—it was grotesque.

He was someone she never wanted to encounter again.

—

T/N: Zagreus, probably: B-But I just wanted a hug 🙁