Red String

001

A girl with her long, dark hair tied in a high ponytail was standing in front of the Great Temple of Aphrodite dressed in her Sunday best—a long, white gown fashioned like a toga with a golden beaded belt just below her bust. On her feet she had a pair of silver sandals with wings sticking out from the back of each of them. They were Hermes sandals and had cost her an arm and a leg to purchase off the black market. Extremely rare. All in all this wasn't an outfit that she liked to flaunt very often because it was difficult to move around in and didn't rank particularly highly in specifications, but this was a special occasion and it seemed appropriate.

Today was the day that Gemma was to be married.

Standing beside her was a man wearing a black-and-red samurai outfit, his silver katana blade hanging brazenly at his waist. Usually he liked wearing an outlandish dragon helmet on top of his ash brown hair, but he had done away with it today. Headgear was not welcome at the Great Temple of Aphrodite because the goddess thought of it as an affront to her.

"Ready?" he asked.

Gemma nodded. Taking his hand, they slowly walked up the massive stone steps of the temple, entering into its hallowed halls. On both sides, oil lamps burnt brightly in their bronze vessels, showering the massive hall with a warm glow.

"Lovers," a tinkling voice echoed around them, "welcome to the Great Temple of Aphrodite." It belonged to the beautiful lady who was reclining on her velvet chaise at the front of the hall. Beside her, one servant was wielding a large fan made from white peacock feathers, while another was feeding her grapes. As they approached, she stood up from her perch and smiled at them with those luscious red lips.

Slut.

Gemma never liked Aphrodite. The bitch was always trying to lure men to her side with her winsome smile and unrealistic figure. Did she really need to wear so little? The tiny piece of cloth she had on was barely enough to cover the essentials. Gemma glanced down at her own assets. Even after augmentation, they were fairly modest compared to Aphrodite's Fuji apples. At least Ryu didn't seem enamoured by the vixen. The same couldn't be said about the dude standing behind them—and his female companion looked less than impressed with his salivating.

They were no longer alone in the temple hall. Several other couples had popped up around them, all of whom were now looking at the huge clock face hanging on the wall behind the goddess. The countdown timer had begun. Thirty seconds to go.

"Marriage is sacred, and should you wish to gain the blessings of the gods you will have to prove your sincerity. It will not be an easy task, so should anyone wish to withdraw, I would be most delighted to... entertain you."

Gemma swore she caught Aphrodite giving her a taunting look as she spoke, and she scowled.

Get on with it, bitch.

She snuck a glance at Ryu—he was still stiff as a rock, unwavering in the face of Aphrodite's temptations. Already several other couples had dropped out, choosing to take up the goddess's offer instead. Opting to forge ahead was a big gamble because there could be much to lose if they failed, so it wasn't surprising that others chose the easier path. Marriage wasn't for everyone.

With five seconds left on the clock, Gemma tilted her right foot so she was balancing on the tips of her toes. The tiny wings attached to her shoes fluttered with excitement.

"Ready?" she asked.

Ryu's grip tightened around the black hilt of his katana.

"The time has come. May love prevail. The heart is the key." Aphrodite raised her hands into the air, and in the next second the surroundings went dark.