Haruhime's screams had finally reached her.
"!!"
Mikoto's eyelids flew open.
The human girl stood up strong, light back in her eyes.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Seriously, are you Level Two?"
Clearly impressed that Mikoto had taken the brunt of her full assault and
remained standing, Samira joyfully complimented her fighting spirit.
Another round of fists, knees, and elbows slammed into the bruised and
bloody Mikoto. However, she now had a good understanding of her opponent's
attack pattern and did her best to protect herself and avoid a fatal blow.
She even tried some more of her techniques when a window presented itself.
Unfortunately, the ash-gray-haired Amazon could sense when something was
coming and always managed to evade.
Winning as an adventurer is impossible!!
Mikoto screamed inside her mind as her body just barely avoided an elbow
that would have broken her shoulder.
As long as they remained on an even playing field, there was no way for
Mikoto to gain the upper hand. Coming to this realization, Mikoto threw her
pride, compassion, and battle etiquette on the back burner.
"Listen well, Mikoto. Ninjutsu is…dirty."
Takemikazuchi's voice popped into her mind.
"Sneak attacks, ambushes, traps…A ninja uses every option, any means to
reach their goal."
The god she loved and respected had said this with a stern face.
"So, to be blunt, someone as straightforward and honest as yourself might
not have much use for it."
While he wasn't eager to teach her the techniques, the deity explained his
reasoning.
"True ninjas act out of devotion. Be it to a lord they must protect or someone
very important to them."
Then Takemikazuchi smiled.
"Should that someone be in mortal danger—then even someone as
straightforward and serious as you can become a ninja of legendary
proportions."
Devotion.
Her devotion was to Haruhime.
If it's to save her, then any method—!
Samira's last kick caught her under the chin. Even while spinning in midair,
Mikoto reached for her item pouch, took something out, and threw it onto the
floor.
"Huh—smoke?!"
"A smoke bomb!"
Samira and the surrounding Amazons took a step back in surprise as a thick
gray gas spewed into the air.
Along with a flash grenade, it was one of the items that Mikoto had taken
from the vault. The Berbera were more surprised that one of their own items had
been used against them than its actual appearance on the battlefield.
The cloud overtook Mikoto and Samira in the middle of the ring, completely
hiding them from view.
"Where is she?!"
A few of the Berbera retreated to protect the altar. Meanwhile, Samira's head
was on a swivel as she searched for Mikoto within the cloud. Her own senses, a
second-tier adventurer's enhanced sight and hearing, couldn't find the human.
For the first time, her air of confidence was gone.
A black shadow appeared behind her a moment later.
"—Got you!"
A crazed grin appeared on her lips as Samira jumped high into the air and
brought her heel down on top of the shadow.
Her reflexes had been spot-on, delivering an accurate blow from a nearly
blind angle at blazing speed. However, her grin was gone and eyes opened wide
in shock.
"Cloth?!"
Her foot had made contact with the short robe that Mikoto had been wearing
as a shirt.
Substitution technique—Utsusemi.
Then Mikoto approached her opponent in earnest from behind.
"!"
She came in high, high enough to wrap her thighs around Samira's head.
Blocking her opponent's vision, Mikoto roared with all her might as she
thrust her body back in the other direction.
"—HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
Full-Moon Throw—Mikazuchi.
Samira was lifted off her feet. Her body arced through the smoke cloud with
her head pinned between Mikoto's knees. BAM!! It made contact with the stone
floor in the blink of an eye.
"GUAH!"
The sound blasted through the air, the impact strong enough to break the
stone slab and leave Samira's head buried under its surface.
"Haa…haa…!"
Mikoto gasped for breath as Samira's body fell limp to the ground beside her.
That was the scene that the Amazons were greeted by the moment the smoke
cleared. There wasn't a sound to be heard.
Her shirt gone, only the fabric wrapped around her chest protected Mikoto's
dignity as she struggled to climb to her feet. However, her fighting spirit hadn't
left her eyes despite all the injuries she'd sustained. That got the attention of all
the Berbera.
"…Ge-ge-ge-ge-geh. Quite the fighter, aren't you."
Mikoto scanned the ring, shoulders going up and down as she waited for her
next opponent.
"Such a waaaste."
"…?"
Mikoto turned to look at the possessor of the deep, croaking voice: the
Amazon commander, Phryne.
The large face grinned. Aisha, who had been silent up to this point, opened
her mouth to speak. But just before she could…
"This ain't over."
From behind.
More specifically, from below.
" "
A cold chill ran down Mikoto's spine as she slowly looked over her shoulder.
The tan body on the ground had both hands up where its head should be.
Muscles flexed, causing a loud pop. Suddenly, the body had a head.
The Amazon briefly looked up through the dust and debris on her face while
on all fours. Shaking her head like a wet dog, she jumped to her feet.
"Definitely felt that one…Very nice."
Jerking her head from side to side to crack her neck, Samira's eyes narrowed
as a grin returned to her lips.
Mikoto's spirit fell into a dark despair. She'd exhausted all options, thrown
everything she had at the Amazon, but it hadn't even fazed her opponent.
That was the true meaning of Level, a barrier not so easily overturned.
"Come on, next round!"
"GAHhh!"
Samira's fist collided with Mikoto's cheek before she could react.
Mikoto had inflicted damage, but it wasn't enough. Her normally beautiful
white skin was dotted with black and blue craters and streaks of blood all over
her body. She just couldn't compete.
"AAahh…!"
Haruhime couldn't watch, tears rolling off her chin as Samira vented her
frustration on her breathing punching bag.
One girl locked in torment as the sound of fist to flesh created a melody of
pain in the background. Phryne watched everything unfold with glee…when
another Amazon appeared from the stone bridge with a message. The newcomer
came right up to Phryne and whispered in her ear.
"Ahhnn...The bunny's on the looose?"
"Y-yes."
"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! Looks like Lady Ishtar ain't so tough."
Phryne couldn't contain her laughter at the news. Her voice grew so loud that
Samira's barrage was little more than background noise.
Insulting her goddess over and over, she opened her wide mouth and took in
a deep breath.
"—Little Rookie, you're watchin' us right now, aren't you? Better hurry up,
your precious friend can't take much morrre!"
The surrounding Amazons had to shield their ears as Phryne's voice erupted
like a volcano. The massive woman's eyes went from tower to tower, searching
every corner of the Floating Garden.
Phryne was absolutely sure that the boy would come to rescue Haruhime
after escaping from Ishtar's grasp.
"…"
—And she was right.
Five minutes after Mikoto, Bell had finally arrived at the Floating Garden.
He'd given up on finding a safe route inside the tower that connected to the
stone bridge, opting instead to take advantage of the ziggurat's intricate carvings
to scale the outside wall all the way to the top.
Bell hid himself behind one of the towers surrounding the Floating Garden.
Mikoto was following their plan to the letter, drawing the attention of as many
Amazons as possible to give him an opening to destroy the Killing Stone—but
he couldn't ignore her once he got a glimpse of her horrible condition. He stood
at another crossroads, hands tightening into fists.
I can't take it! His mind was set. Just when he was about to jump in…
"SIR BELL!"
Mikoto's scream stopped him in his tracks.
He wasn't the only one. Every set of eyes in the garden was suddenly locked
on the bloodied human. Arms limp at her sides, Mikoto stood up to her full
height and took a step forward. Slowly but surely, her hands made fists.
Mikoto's voice echoed throughout the garden long after she fell silent, as if
searching for the boy she knew had to be here. Resolute eyes burning, she turned
her shoulders to face Samira once again.
"Ohh…But what are we gonna do about this now?"
Samira kicked high, the heel of her foot colliding with Mikoto's collarbone.
She bent backward but didn't lose her balance.
Gritting her teeth, Mikoto prepared for the next merciless attack.
"There ain't no time left!"
The girl's eyes shot open as the Amazon's fist dug into her gut.
Indeed, the tips of soft blue light emanating from the stones beneath their feet
were starting to get a red tint.
The altar at the center of the Floating Garden was also changing. The lunatic
light in the stone was reacting to the full moon almost directly above, pulsing as
if calling out to a long-lost brother. Streaks of red light leaped out from the blue
and toward the sky.
It wasn't long before Haruhime was chained inside the eye of a crimson
vortex reaching out toward the moon far above.
"Sharay. When the time is right, do herrr."
Phryne's eyes narrowed in anticipation before issuing the order to an Amazon
standing at the base of the altar.
The warrior named Sharay nodded, the ceremonial longsword in her grip.
The Killing Stone glowed with the same ominous light emitting from the altar.
Aisha saw all this transpire and turned her right foot toward Haruhime.
"You stay right therrre."
"…"
Phryne's massive frame blocked Aisha's path.
Two Amazons glaring daggers at each other and one white-haired boy—his
eyes filled with disbelief.
Just out of their view was Mikoto, still absorbing punch after punch from
Samira.
"…Go beyond…"
Mikoto whispered with a spark of determination in her dark-purple eyes.
"…the enemy's…"
Samira was enjoying the rush of her assured victory so much that Mikoto's
voice never reached her ears.
"…expectations."
Mikoto let her voice fade out.
Slipping past one of Samira's punches, Mikoto wrapped her limp arms
around her opponent's chest and held on with everything she had left.
"Haah?"
The Amazon sounded vaguely annoyed that her toy wanted a hug rather than
to try to fight back.
Mikoto didn't pay attention to her and started casting.
"Fear, strong and winding—"
Samira smirked at the human girl, who was trying to cast magic while draped
over her shoulder.
"I get it, I know how you feel. But don'cha think using magic now is a bit, I
don't know, amateurish?"
Magic—an ace in the hole that could turn the tables of battle and bring
anyone back from the brink of demise.
However, Mikoto's choice under the circumstances disappointed Samira to
no end.
"You know, I saw your magic in the War Game. It's a kick-ass spell, but the
trigger takes forever!"
"GAH!"
Samira drilled her elbow into Mikoto's defenseless ribs in an effort to show
her how pointless the attempt really was.
"I call upon the god…the destroyer of any, and all for…"
Even still, Mikoto did not stop casting her spell between grunts of pain and
staggered breaths.
"Enough of this, you're boring me. Just cut it out, will you?"
"GuWAH!"
A second hit, a third. Samira's elbow hit harder and harder each time.
Mikoto made no attempt to pull away or dodge the blows as she continued to
push her magical energy forward.
The Amazons watching the pitiful spectacle just laughed or shook their heads
in discontent. Samira had to find some way to enjoy the rest of this fight as the
blue cloud beneath her feet became redder with each passing moment. She
decided to see how many blows it would take to knock the human off her—when
something clicked in her mind.
"H-hey…You wouldn't seriously…"
Mikoto's magical energy was beginning to overflow.
Like a bowl that couldn't hold any more water, like a flooded river that
wouldn't obey its banks, a storm had been let loose.
The small body could no longer handle the surging magical energy coursing
through it.
"Guidance from…the heavens…"
Mikoto's mind drifted further and further into darkness even as the trigger
spell continued to pass through her lips.
"—Watch your opponent, learn their habits, their expectations. And then go
beyond them. All ninjas must think this way to succeed."
Takemikazuchi's voice came to her as her blood-caked body went beyond its
physical limit, her consciousness on the verge of shutting down.
He had told her that all the techniques were just for show.
"Grant this trivial body…"
He had tried to convey one truth through his teachings:
The reason why he, as a god, considered ninjutsu to be dirty.
"A ninja learns the way the enemy thinks—and goes a step further."
Betray the enemy's expectations, an unthinkable sneak attack.
"…divine, power beyond power…!!"
The God of Combat's words ringing through her heart, Mikoto pushed her
magical energy even harder.
"No, you wouldn't dare—!"
Samira's shrill voice was laced with unmistakable fear.
But it was too late. The energy was free.
It coursed through her muscles, desperately searching for an exit, like too
much water in a thin pipe.
"O-OFF!! GET OFF MEEEEEEEEEE!"
Mikoto had converted all her Mind into magical energy without completing
the trigger spell. This caused a chain reaction that would inevitably lead to an
explosion.
Desperation overtook Samira as she assaulted the girl hanging onto her chest
with all her might, panic in her bloodshot eyes.
More of Mikoto's vulnerable ribs cracked with each hit, but her grip didn't
falter.
Quite the opposite. Despite her searing headache and the most physical pain
she'd ever experienced, a bloody smile appeared on Mikoto's lips.
"All of you! Get this thing OFF MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
No matter how many times she struck her, no matter how hard she thrashed
around, Samira couldn't break free and finally sought help. The Berbera
responded immediately, charging in with weapons drawn—all too late.
The magical energy had found its exit and started to squeal like a boiling
teapot.
Mikoto's body became the epicenter of a deafening explosion that enveloped
the entirety of the Floating Garden.
Samira, Phryne, Aisha, the Berbera, Haruhime, and Bell.
All sets of eyes flew open as rampaging magical energy overtook them.
"Protect, purifying light !!"
—Ignis Fatuus.
"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
An explosion of pure magical energy.
Sparkles of it reflected in all the awestruck eyes just moments before
everyone was caught up in the shock wave. The Berbera who'd charged in took
the brunt of it, getting blown off their feet and crashing to the stone floor.
This was how one smith's anti-magic Magic worked—an explosion caused
by an overloading energy within a body rather than using chemicals from
without.
It could happen by mistake when young adventurers were still learning how
to control their magical energy, an outcome that most avoided at all costs.
Mikoto, on the other hand, lost control on purpose and used it to turn herself into
a bomb.
Her opponent's assumption was the magic couldn't trigger if she couldn't
finish casting. The fire of life burning within her went beyond that expectation.
"GAH "
The explosion launched Samira's body skyward. She landed in a heap and
slid all the way to the edge of the garden. Burned to a crisp and leaking blood,
the Amazon showed no signs of trying to stand up. More than half the Berbera
who were caught up in the blast lay motionless on the floor. The ones who had
managed to avoid a direct hit—Phryne, Aisha, and the rest of the Berbera who
were lucky enough to be outside the blast radius—still felt the intense burst of
energy wash over them. Even Haruhime, still chained to the altar, felt the heat on
her skin.
Echoes of the blast kept bouncing around the wide-open garden.
" ah."
Mikoto was falling.
Her Ignis Fatuus explosion sent her flying in the opposite direction of Samira
and off the edge of the Floating Garden. Arcing through the air like a limp spear,
she plummeted headfirst toward the ground.
The wind whipped the smoke emerging from her body into a frenzy as she
fell. Mikoto's skin was black, charred from the inside.
There was no pain, no feeling at all. Her eyes clouded as the last bits of
physical and mental energy she had were whisked away by the howling wind.
"Sir Bell…!"
The very last drop of strength in her body went into yelling his name.
Her words did not reach Haruhime.
She could not save Haruhime.
Just like in that memory of a moonlit night, she could not become
Haruhime's hero.
Misty eyes started to close. All her sadness, pain, and a wish that went
beyond all of it gathered in the back of her throat.
Somehow, somehow.
That girl's curse.
Her ruin.
Her tears—get rid of them all!
Somehow, somehow!
Bring back her smile once again!
Reach—please reach!!
"SIR BELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!"
He ran.
The moment the explosion of life went off, he ran faster than anyone.
He heard.
The words of the girl who'd put her life on the line, and the yearning within
them, reached him.
Bell emerged from his hiding place the instant the shock wave blew past and
committed every muscle, every tendon, to reaching the altar one heartbeat
sooner.
He had to break through the line of Amazons in his way.
" !!"
Bell tore through the hanging smoke so quickly that the Amazons couldn't
respond.
His speed wouldn't allow any to give chase. The white rabbit was on a direct
line straight for the altar. The Berbera he passed couldn't even follow his
movements, only watch the smoke twist in his wake. Even Aisha couldn't make
a move.
No one could keep up.
"—GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH!"
Except for her.
"I don't think soooooooooooo!"
"!!"
The frog-like Amazonian queen suddenly entered Bell's line of sight with
unbelievable speed.
It was a reaction that only top-class adventurers were capable of.
She had withstood the explosion and overtaken Bell at full charge. Now she
stood as an insurmountable wall in his way.
The corners of Phryne's lips curled up as she arched her back, pulled back
her right fist, and braced for impact.
"IT'S OVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!"
She focused all her strength into this one punch.
Less than a heartbeat was left between the incredible force and vicious
object, presenting Bell with very little time to make an important choice.
Left, right, or stop.
Or perhaps up.
Bell could already see the crimson altar and the girl chained to it just behind
the behemoth obstacle.
It was the moment of truth.
Bell's ruby-red eyes flashed.
He lowered his shoulder—and kept going forward.
"?!"
Faster.
Slivers of glowing stone sprang into the air as his feet kicked off the ground.
Bell was determined to go through the wall.
Riding this simple train of thought, Bell collided into Phryne.
A direct attack was the last thing the huge Amazon thought would happen.
Her fist changed course at the last instant to adjust to Bell's trajectory.
However, Bell managed to get beneath the overly showy punch and didn't
slow down even as his shoulder collided with her exposed flank. WHAM!
Twisting ever so slightly, his momentum bounced him into the air with minimal
damage and knocked Phryne off her feet.
"GUH!"
An airborne Bell, a reeling Phryne.
He had safely cleared the deadly attack.
Phryne's grunt of surprise behind him, Bell landed directly at the base of the
altar.
The Amazon looked up from her seat on the floor and yelled at the top of her
lungs:
"Sharay! DO HARUHIME, NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!"
Phryne's scream hit the Amazon like a wrecking ball. But she did as told and
lifted the longsword high into the air.
Blade forward, she aimed the tip directly at Haruhime's chest like a javelin.
The moon was in perfect position, the now crimson altar pulsing like a beating
heart.
Haruhime sat motionless, her gaze following the shining Killing Stone until
dropping to the base of the altar the moment the boy touched down.
Bell fought through an awkward landing. One foot, second foot—and he
jumped.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAH!"
Bell launched himself skyward like an arrow fired from an overstressed bow.
A set of blank green eyes. The ceremonial longsword held high. The
resonating Killing Stone.
Gaze locked on the stone, Bell withdrew the Hestia Knife from its sheath.
The Amazon's back threatening to overtake him, Bell made his move.
A dark violet streak arced through the air the moment Bell tackled the
Amazonian guard from behind.
"YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
The tip of the jet-black blade pierced the Killing Stone—and shattered it.
Pieces of the stone fell to the floor as the yells of the blade's owner filled the
night.
Haruhime saw it all unfold in slow motion. The Amazon tumbling through
the air, the blade landing at her knees, the white-haired boy flying over her head
and directly into a stone pillar, breaking it before sliding to a stop at the edge of
the Floating Garden.
And finally, the last of the shards falling to the ground.
The ominous red light filling the garden flickered before fading out.
"Ugh—gahhh…!"
Bell's exposed skin scraped over the stone surface as he slid all the way to
the edge of the Floating Garden. Knees, elbows, and the palms of his hands raw
and bleeding, he climbed back to his feet.
The red light that had consumed the garden before was now barely a soft
glow. The altar now had a withering, dull red appearance due to Bell accidentally
knocking down one of the pillars that focused the moon's light. The sparkles that
had poured upward like a confused waterfall only moments ago were nowhere to
be seen.
Catching his breath, Bell returned the knife to its sheath. The sound of many
bare feet racing across stone swarmed around him within moments.
The infuriated faces of over fifty Amazons were waiting to meet his eyes
when Bell finally looked up. He was completely surrounded.
More accurately, they cut off his escape routes with a half encirclement,
trapping him against the outer wall.
"Now you've done iiit…!"
A massive Amazon stepped in front of the ring with such force that the
ground shook beneath her feet.
At the end of her meaty arm was Haruhime, forcefully pulled from the
chains.
Phryne had a fistful of the renart's golden hair clutched in her mighty fist,
roughly pulling her forward. Bell's body jerked into action, preparing to rush to
her aid. However, the infuriated aura of the rest of the Amazons following their
commander's lead made him think twice.
"Brat, just wait till I get my hands on you…!"
"Ah…!"
Phryne slammed Haruhime to the floor by her hair, eyes bloodshot with rage.
"Miss Haruhime!" Bell yelled as the girl stayed down. A low, booming voice
cut him off.
"So how you gonna pay, breakin' our Killing Stone like that?"
The sheer power in her voice made Bell lean backward, goose bumps
jumping up on his skin.
The Killing Stone lay in pieces. The very sight of the darkening crimson
shards served only to make the Amazons even angrier.
Bell had completely ruined the ritual that they'd spent years preparing.
Flames and smoke still rose from the spot where Mikoto's Ignis Fatuus had
ignited, and pieces of the pillar Bell tackled slowly rolled across the floor. At
least fifty Berbera lay motionless on the ground, looking like little more than
corpses dotting the scene of a massacre. They would not be rejoining this fight.
Bell scanned the crowd of Amazons surrounding him and made eye contact
with Aisha. He couldn't read her expression in the slightest. Looking away from
her gaze, Bell turned to face Phryne.
"All you did was bring us back to square ooone…!"
"…"
The muscles in Bell's face tightened as he stood beneath Phryne's icy glare.
It was true. All his efforts had accomplished was to reset the situation.
That's why he wasn't celebrating. Ishtar Familia could acquire a new Killing
Stone.
Just like with Aisha, Bell's destroying the stone only delayed the inevitable.
This wasn't over.
…In order to protect Haruhime…
In order to save the girl collapsed at Phryne's feet…
There was no other option than to secure her freedom from the goddess who
had set all this in motion.
"…Please release Miss Haruhime."
Overcoming his fear, Bell made his appeal to the Amazons surrounding him.
Lips twitched, fists clenched; the Berbera were not in the mood to listen.
Haruhime's green eyes shook as she looked at the boy from beneath an imposing
shadow.
Aisha's mouth narrowed into a frown, but the only audible response was
Phryne's croaking laughter.
"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! Ain't you a joker, Little Rookie!"
The Amazon's massive eyes suddenly unleashed a piercing death stare at the
white-haired human.
"Get off your high horse, puny braaat! Who do you think you are?"
"Ahhgh…!"
She grabbed Haruhime's hair again and pulled her up to her feet. Then the
frog-like Amazon leaned down to the point that her face was next to her
captive's. Phryne's jaw hid Haruhime's shoulder as she opened her mouth to
speak.
"This here is our tool! One that we'll use to smash Freya's lot to bits! This
has nothin' to do with the likes of you!!"
The Amazons were too hungry for war with the Labyrinth City's most
powerful familia to let go of Haruhime's power so easily.
Bell couldn't stand the look of pain on Haruhime's face and tried to repeat his
demands, but Phryne wasn't finished.
"Just who do you think kept this varmint alive—a varmint so useless she
couldn't even make money as a prostituuuute…? It's her duty to use that body to
pay us baaack!"
"…"
"Isn't that righttt, Haruhimeee? You tell him how it isss."
Haruhime's body shook. The Amazon's wide lips whispered into her ear with
all the affection a chef would have for a rat.
Momentarily released from Phryne's grasp, Haruhime made eye contact with
Bell.
"Master Cranell…"
The young girl's hands came together in front of her chest, still well within
grabbing distance of the fleshy boulder behind her. A range of emotions passed
through Haruhime's eyes.
"Please take your leave…I'm fine…"
"…"
"Leave me be...I beg you, do not bother yourself with my situation any
longer."
Haruhime's voice trembled out of fear of Ishtar and the Amazons around her.
Bell watched the renart look away as menacing grins appeared on the lips of
every Amazon in his line of sight.
Bell kept his eyes trained on the girl and opened his mouth to speak.
"Stories of heroes."
"Eh…?"
"I made my decision based on the heroes we talked about."
Haruhime's head shot up in surprise. Bell's voice never wavered as he
continued.
"I decided to save you."
"How do you mean…?"
"To save you and to prove you wrong…I've made up my mind."
—No hero would ever come for someone as lowly as myself.
—Prostitutes are the ruin of heroes.
Bell declared that he'd come all this way to refute the words she had uttered
that night in the red-light district.
Haruhime recoiled, but Bell's confidence only grew.
"The heroes you and I admire—they aren't like that!"
The strength in Bell's voice caught everyone's attention. Aisha and Phryne
blinked, the Berbera shifted on their feet, and Haruhime stood in stunned silence.
"A prostitute, a cause of ruin—none of that would matter to a hero!"
"Th-that can't be true…"
"Heroes would fight, no matter how many frightening, powerful enemies are
in the way!"
"It can't be like that…"
"My idols, the heroes I look up to, they would protect you to the very end!"
"!"
He had said his piece.
Bell fought off his fear, anxiety, and unease to say exactly what he wanted to
since that night, in a voice loud enough for all to hear.
Just like the heroes the two of them aspired to, he would reach out and take
her hand.
In fact, he was reaching out to her at this very moment. His outstretched hand
reflected in her green eyes, Haruhime's body quivered.
"Ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-geh! The brat thinks he's a heeeero!"
Bell ignored Phryne's chuckling as his eyes burned with the determination he
felt in his heart.
The boy's powerful gaze scared Haruhime. She held her own body tight and
shook her head back and forth.
"I…I am a prostitute!"
She thrust the words out of her mouth, declaring the title that had become her
fate.
"I don't want to become your burden! I am a soiled being, not worthy of
anything!"
Bell's chin shot up and he glared down at the renart.
"Don't think that we can't do anything, that you're not worth it!"
"—!"
It was the first time Haruhime had ever heard anger in Bell's voice. He
wasn't finished.
"Being laughed at, pointed at, being called names, being called dirty—that's
not shameful at all!"
His grandfather's words.
They had become rooted within his heart. Now he brought them crashing
down on Haruhime.
"The truly shameful thing is standing still because you can't make up your
mind!"
The renart's eyes went wide.
"I still haven't heard what you want!"
Bell's words—and his right hand—reached out even further. He yelled:
"I want to know the real you!"
The boy's voice cut through the remaining smoke and flames still inside the
Floating Garden.
It rang out into the night under the full moon. Even as it disappeared into the
distance, everyone standing above the weak red cloud felt a change in the wind.
The Amazons stood in silence. Haruhime met Bell's gaze.
Drop. One solitary tear rolled down her cheek and dropped off her chin.
"…Haruhimeeee."
A new sound.
A warning from Phryne from directly behind her ear.
Haruhime's shoulders jumped. Looking at the boy for another moment, she
let her gaze fall to the floor.
Her body, hair, and tail shook softly.
Her lips slowly opened.
"—Grow."
And she started casting.
"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! That'll wooork!"
Phryne laughed with joyous mockery. Despite the boy's call, the renart began
to chant instead of answering him.
"Miss Haruhime…!"
Bell grimaced as she clenched her eyes closed tight and continued the
incantation.
"That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until
the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion."
She reached forward from her chest, as if surrendering something to an
unseen recipient. The renart's regal voice continued to grow louder.
"Callin' yourself a hero gets you nowhere. Ge-ge-ge-ge-geh! Now I'm gonna
show you why!"
Haruhime's beautiful song reverberated throughout the garden as two
Berbera handed Phryne a grand battle-ax.
The other Amazons took that as their cue. Weapons were being drawn left
and right all around Bell.
"—Grow."
The intimidating clashing of metal and the stomping of feet on stone joined
the ensemble of sounds swirling within the garden. The Berbera flexed their
muscles and flashed their blades in the moonlight.
Out of all of them, Aisha was the only one who kept her eyes on Haruhime.
She was the only one who noticed something strange about the flow of magical
energy emanating from the golden-haired fox.
"Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from
above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon
you."
The energy of her spell went past all the members of her familia and into the
chest of the human boy.
Her incantation nearly complete, a misty cloud of magical energy started to
swirl around him.
"Anybody, stop Haruhime!"
Right after Aisha's suddenly frightened scream reached the ears of her
allies…
A magic circle appeared above Bell's head as sparkles of white light fell
around him like a veil.
The boy glanced around in surprise. It wasn't until he looked above his head
that he saw it: a pillar of light—no, a handleless hammer of light forming
directly over his head.
He felt the warmth of its light on his skin. His eyes fell onto the renart. Tears
were rolling down her cheeks, but she was smiling.
"—Grow."
The Berbera finally realized what was happening and jumped at the two of
them, but they couldn't make it in time.
Because the name of her spell escaped Haruhime's lips at that exact moment.
"Uchide no Kozuchi."
The sparkling hammerhead fell, surrounding Bell's body in a radiant light.
The light flooded his body and spirit with pure power, like a shot of
revitalizing adrenaline.
A spark had been lit within him, each flake of light emerging through his
skin.
"HAH—HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The Berbera threw caution to the wind and charged in blades-first.
One particular Berbera brandishing a broadsword came straight at Bell from
the front. Her weapon flashed before Bell's eyes, when suddenly he grabbed
hold of its hilt.
"Huh?!"
He stepped outside the weapon's path and into his opponent's space.
Tripping her with his foot and knocking her over with his free hand, Bell
forced the weapon into a wide sweep. All of the closest Berbera were knocked
backward.
"GAH!"
Five Berbera hit the floor as Bell put his other hand on the broadsword that
had belonged to their ally. It was his now.
It was also at that time that Bell realized the flakes of light emerging from his
body were the same ones that had come from Aisha during their fight in the
Dungeon. That was the final piece of the puzzle.
Haruhime's Magic, "Uchide no Kozuchi."
It had the power to grant its target a temporary level-up.
While active, the magic allowed the recipient to move with power and speed
one level above their Status. That was the reason Ishtar kept her existence under
wraps, why she was the trump card against Freya Familia—"Level Boost."
The thing that made the Goddess of Beauty swell with glee; she'd worked so
hard to conceal the most powerful form of sorcery.
The reason that Phryne and the Berbera refused to let her go was that she
possessed a rare magic so powerful it should have been illegal. What Eina had
told him at the Guild, about Aisha's sudden increase in strength and speed and
Ishtar calling Haruhime her ace in the hole—everything made sense now.
Phryne and the Berbera froze in place. There was no stopping the power,
Haruhime's power, from flowing into Bell. He felt it, embraced it, and was fully
prepared to use it.
"T-TAKE HIM DOWNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
More Berbera charged in with a battle cry, but Bell was ready to meet them
head-on.
"—FAHH!!"
One swing of the broadsword sent several of the Amazonian warriors flying
into the air. Each one crying out as their feet left the ground, they spiraled into a
hard landing on the stone surface.
Bell's strikes were too fast for their eyes to see. The broadsword had become
a wall they could not break and a weapon they could not block. Sparks flew into
the air, joining the pinpricks of light around Bell as even more Berbera were
thrown from their feet. The Level 2 Amazons didn't stand a chance, knocked out
in the blink of an eye. Even the Level 3s who should have been on equal footing
with Bell were tossed aside like tissue paper.
Haruhime had bestowed upon him the abilities of a Level 4 adventurer, and
he wasn't about to hold any of it back.
"H-HARUHIMEEEEEEEEE!"
"UwAH!"
Phryne roared as the one-sided slugfest unfolded in front of her eyes.
A flash of gold within the rush of Amazons caught her attention. She reached
out with one meaty hand, grabbed the girl by the neck, and hoisted her off the
ground.
"You betrayed usss! Break the spell, you worthless prostitute! Break it now!"
As soon as Uchide no Kozuchi was triggered, its effects would last until time
ran out or the caster chose to end it. Even if Haruhime were knocked
unconscious or worse, the spell would not wear off. Phryne resorted to force out
of desperation, but even then, the renart didn't give in.
Neck cracking between muscular fingers and feet swinging through the air,
Haruhime clenched her eyes shut. Her cheeks shone in the moonlight, wet with
more tears.
Fighting to stay conscious, she forced weak words through her quivering lips.
"I do not want to sell my body ever again…!"
She said it; that shy girl actually said it.
"I do not want to hurt anyone ever again…!"
Afraid of others, terrified of the world, the fragile renart gathered up all the
emotion, every desire, every grievance she'd kept bottled up.
"I do not want to die…!"
And put it into two words:
"Save me…!"
She asked for his help.
"!!"
He heard. Bell's eyes instantly zeroed in on her.
Dashing through the horde of Amazons, he hurled himself at Phryne with the
force of a cannonball at full speed.
"Wha—?!"
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
The massive Amazon barely managed to get her ax in position to block the
incoming blade. However, the impact knocked her back toward the center of the
garden.
She let go of Haruhime in mid-fall, sending the helpless girl into the air. Bell
reached out to catch her, but a quick shadow got to her first.
"Miss Aisha…!"
"…"
Holding an unconscious Haruhime in her arms, the Amazonian warrior's long
black hair danced in the wind behind her. Her narrow eyes were focused solely
on Bell.
A heartbeat later she was airborne, jumping backward high into the air to
allow a fresh wave of Berbera to attack.
"B-blooood…?!"
Bell engaged the Berbera head-on in an attempt to follow Aisha. At the same
time, Phryne climbed to her feet and felt something unusual dripping down her
face.
The blade of her ax had carved a gash into her own cheek. Bell's attack
caused the injury. She slowly traced the wound with her thick, trembling fingers
in disbelief.
"My beautiful face…is BLOODYYY…?!"
Her whole body shook before erupting like a volcano.
"OUTTA MY WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
She charged forward like an enraged bowling ball, knocking Berbera out of
the way as she made a beeline for the white-haired boy. Bell froze for a moment
as he watched the bodies hit the stone floor in her wake.
Grand battle-ax and broadsword collided in an explosion of sparks a second
later.
"…!"
"I had a soft spot for you, but no morrre! YOU DIE NOWWWWWWW!"
Fueled by pure rage, she spun into a swing that sent Bell arcing through the
air.
Landing close to the wall at the edge of the Floating Garden, Bell barely had
time to get on his feet to block the Amazon's follow-up attack.
"Ai-Aisha, what do we do? Those two are almost outside the garden!"
"That toad…She's completely lost it."
Phryne drove Bell back onto the bridge amid sharp clashes and showers of
sparks. At this rate, they would be in the main tower before any other Berbera
could catch up. A younger Amazon came to Aisha for orders.
Aisha watched the battle for a moment before looking down at Haruhime's
head resting on her chest.
Trails of dried tears crisscrossed the unconscious renart's cheeks. Aisha
closed her eyes.
Then she set the girl who had asked for help for the first time in her life
gently on the floor and immediately stood back up.
Just as she was about to issue orders to the Berbera still able to fight—
something exploded.
"What was that…?"
Searching for its source, Aisha ran to the edge of the garden to look over the
Pleasure Quarter.
"Mr. Welf, that explosion just now…!"
Hestia and her familia saw the flash of light burst out from the Floating
Garden as they ran through the brothel-filled streets of the Pleasure Quarter.
Lilly knew that sound and had seen that color of flame many times before.
She quickened her steps to catch up with Welf and made eye contact as they ran.
"Ignis Fatuus…!"
Welf groaned under his breath. He knew out-of-control magical energy when
he saw it.
Something or someone with magical energy was in a dire enough situation to
trigger Ignis Fatuus on top of the building behind the palace.
Hestia wasted no time in declaring that Bell and Mikoto were there. The
entire group veered right and set a course directly for Belit Babili.
"Stop right there, intruders!"
"Tsk, not again…!"
Yet another group of Amazons arrived to bar their path through Orario's third
district.
Ouka spat in frustration at barely making any headway. Even so, he charged
into battle with ax held high.
"Luckily, the opponents aren't strong enough to keep us back!"
"Yes, their forces are spread too thin…!"
Lilly shot her bow gun to distract the closest Amazon while calling out in an
attempt to raise morale. Chigusa added her own voice from the middle of the
formation as she jumped into the fray, spear a blur.
Ishtar Familia's forces had been split between protecting the Killing Stone
Ritual and capturing Bell. Street patrols, the lowest priority, had been assigned to
the weakest of the Berbera. It wasn't long before Welf and Ouka carved a path
through the lower Level 2 Amazons and the Level 1 animal people and humans
sent to support them. Slowly but surely, the patrol guards fell by the wayside.
Thanks to Welf's unusual anti-magic Magic and Takemikazuchi Familia's
incredible teamwork, the group worked their way through waves of enemies.
"Can we make it through?"
Takemikazuchi called out to Hestia from behind the protection of his
followers. The goddess, however, was silent and in deep contemplation.
Why—why did it come to this…?
The War Game against Apollo had just ended. So why was Bell being
targeted by so many gods?
Of course his quick growth would perk their interest…but was this really a
coincidence?
Welf and the others rushed to meet the next wave of enemies as Hestia ran
through the sequence of events in her head once again. "Outta my way!" the redhaired young man yelled at the Amazons who blocked his path—KA-BOOM.
"Huh…?"
Hestia, Lilly, Welf, and all of Takemikazuchi Familia looked over their
shoulders to find the source of the latest explosion.
They immediately spotted a column of smoke emerging from a completely
different direction. Flames licked the sky as the pyre rose even higher.
It was the same explosion that caught Aisha's attention in the Floating
Garden. An eerie silence continued for a few seconds before…BOOM, KABOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
More explosions came from around the Pleasure Quarter—no, the entire third
district.
That's when the first screams reached their ears.
"What is going on?!"
Ishtar herself had joined the hunt for Bell in the main palace when the
explosions started going off outside. She was quick to demand a report.
Without her most trusted servant at her side, she addressed the first member
of her familia she could find. The unlucky passerby dropped to his knees and
hastily strung words together.
"S-some intruders are attacking the Pleasure Quarter…!"
"Attacking…?"
Pausing for a moment in shock, Ishtar then ran out of the hall and onto the
closest balcony where she could see all of the Pleasure Quarter. Waves of hot air
washed over her bronze skin the moment she stepped outside.
The condition of her territory made her jaw drop.
Loud noises, flashes of light, screams, and explosions erupted from every
corner of the Night District under the moonlight.
Countless human figures advanced through the streets, her streets, under the
cover of smoke and darkness. Shadows of the invading adventurer army flashed
in every direction as new explosions went off all around them. Ishtar was lost for
words.
Her familia was under siege.
The invading adventurers were moving swiftly among the brothels. Members
of her familia fell one by one with each swing of a blade, each Magic casting,
each flash of a magical sword. Ishtar could see it all.
What is this, what is going on?! Her mind raced as she tightened her whiteknuckled grip on the balcony railing.
Her voice trembled as she watched the flames of war dance their way through
the Pleasure Quarter.
"Wh-what? Nobody would have the gall to…!"
She was the grand and mighty Ishtar, head of Orario's feared Ishtar Familia.
Who would show up with this many warriors, unannounced, weapons drawn,
and start a fight with someone as powerful as she? That was as far as her train of
thought needed to go.
The color drained from her face.
"It…it can't be…?"
"E-ENEMY ATTACK !"
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"
Yells and screams laced their way through the buildings.
Moonlight and the occasional magic-stone lamp cast light on the golden seal
of a nude female warrior in profile—the symbol of Ishtar Familia.
It could be found on discarded armor and weapons scattered throughout the
streets. Another flash of steel brought another Berbera to her knees, buckler
rolling to the middle of the street and coming to a stop with her familia's
emblem facing the sky.
They had been overrun. Elves, dwarves, animal people, prums, Amazons, all
types of demi-human and human warriors surged into the Pleasure Quarter. They
took over strategic positions, kicked over barrels in the streets, advanced over
rooftops and eliminated Berbera resistance with ruthless efficiency. The invading
men and women didn't try to hide their faces—quite the opposite. They wore the
beautiful and handsome features that had captured the attention of their goddess
like badges of honor. They wielded the power that kept them in her good graces
without any hesitation. An elf with a fluid spear, an animal person with pulsing
magical energy in the palms of his hands, a dwarf with a war hammer that
overshadowed him in size—every single one of them showed no mercy to the
opposition.
Swarms of noncombatants and prostitutes ran for their lives in the face of this
one-sided assault. Male customers, literally caught with their pants down,
cowered in fear as the invaders pointed their weapons toward only those who
attempted to bar their advance.
"E-Eina? EINA! Big problem—really, really BIG PROBLEM!"
—The onslaught was being monitored from the Guild Headquarters
northwest of the Pleasure Quarter.
Caught off guard by the panic in her coworker's voice from outside, Eina
jumped up from her desk and went to join her. She wasn't prepared for what was
waiting for her.
Joining the masses of Guild employees who had gathered on the front garden,
Eina saw that every set of eyes was glued to the flashes of magical light,
billowing smoke, and orange-red glow emerging from the southeast.
"That direction—the Pleasure Quarter…? Could it be—Belit Babili is
burning?!"
Eina found her coworker Misha pacing back and forth among the nervously
chattering staff of the Guild. Coming to a stop next to her, Eina cast her unsteady
emerald-green gaze toward the pandemonium on the other side of Orario.
"An outbreak? What familia would be powerful enough to launch an
offensive against Lady Ishtar?"
Eina thought out loud, unable to shake her disbelief.
Then it hit her like a jolt of lightning.
"It can't be…"
"It can't be…"
Other deities living in Orario watched the flames rise from the southeast.
"There's no way…"
Some watched from their homes; others climbed to the tops of tall buildings
for a better look.
"She wouldn't…"
From the Shopping District, from the engineering wards, from trading
outposts, deities young and old watched from a distance.
"Could that be…Ganesha?"
The divine beings all had the same reaction as Eina. A certain vermilionhaired goddess watched from the tallest tower of her home, Twilight Manor. Her
thin eyes opened wider than usual; Loki kept a sharp vigil on the events taking
place on the opposite side of the city.
Windows beneath her swung open as the heads of her followers appeared one
by one. They yelled to one another, trying to figure out what was happening.
Loki whispered to herself:
"Couldn't be…Freya?"
Loki's tongue snapped at the thought, vermilion eyes opening wider.
"That airhead, makin' a move…"
Ker-tap. Ker-tap.
The sound of high heels on stone echoed through the scream-filled streets.
The bodies of fallen Amazons littered the streets, their faces illuminated by
the flames reaching to grasp the sky. And yet her beauty managed to remain
intact, a diamond traveling through the rough.
With her warriors clearing a path before her, she advanced through the
Pleasure Quarter at her own fast pace.
"The Pleasure Quarter is under our control."
"Ottar's team has reached the palace."
A man and woman appeared at her side to bring her up to speed. Freya kept
walking, only saying, "I see," without looking at the messengers.
The invaders showed no remorse for their actions. They traveled north
through the third district with either an air of arrogance or resignation to the
knowledge that their goddess's will was absolute.
"Both of you, go to the front. That boy, he should be there."
The goddess's unblinking silver eyes remained focused on her target: the
gleaming golden palace in the distance.
The first explosion hadn't alerted only Hestia and Takemikazuchi to Bell's
position, it showed Freya exactly where to go.
"But My Lady, your escort…"
"Not needed."
Freya didn't listen to her follower's concern.
"Eliminate all who stand in your way."
And find the boy. Those were her orders.
The two gave a quick bow and left her side. Freya kept walking, speeding up.
Her straight silver hair swayed in the breeze. The sounds of battle around her
never ceased. Surrounded by clashes, screams, and roaring flames, Freya
continued to walk down the middle of the street, all the way to what was left of
Belit Babili's front gate.
Passing by a crater with random poles of warped steel littering the ground,
Freya could feel the traces of magical energy on her skin as she passed through
the front garden and stepped up to the palace. Then she just happened to look up.
Her silver eyes caught a glimpse of a bronze-skinned deity looking down at
her with amethyst eyes from a balcony.
Freya returned the scowl with a glare menacing enough to intimidate a hawk,
an ice-cold grin on her lips.
The other Goddess of Beauty's face took on a ghostly shade of blue.
—Mere minutes had passed since Freya Familia began the invasion.
"…"
The mountainous frame of the boaz with the title of warlord stood with a
human girl lying limp in his arms.
The hair band that kept her black ponytail in place long gone, her singed hair
listlessly drifted in the breeze. She had fallen from the top of the building behind
the palace. The large man saw her in time and caught her before she hit the
ground.
"…Self-sacrifice to protect your allies, was it?"
Ignis Fatuus—the unique markings of internal burns gave Ottar a clue to the
young girl's fate.
She lay motionless in his gentle embrace, eyes closed.
The girl's actions had earned her the boaz warlord's respect. He lay her down
on the ground and brought out an elixir from his item pouch before carefully
pouring it on her skin.
The girl's body, which was on the verge of falling apart due to the sheer
number and severity of her injuries, started to heal on the spot. Life once again
took root within her.
"Hey, Ottar. Quit playin' around."
"Don't waste time on that girl," a catman—Allen—snapped from behind
him. Glaring coldly at his ally as he walked past, the top-class adventurer flipped
a spear over his wrist.
Four more 120-celch-tall figures emerged from the shadows behind him: four
prums. Two more sets of eyes were lurking in the darkness, those of an elf and a
dark elf.
"We're going to say this only once, Ottar."
"The boy who has taken over her favor—Bell Cranell. We don't like him."
"We will follow the goddess's will and eliminate all threats."
"But we refuse to help him."
"…Do as you will."
The four prums showed no fear in speaking frankly with their familia's
commander. The other three said nothing, their silence indicating they shared the
same opinion.
Ottar's expression remained stoic despite his borderline insubordinate allies.
However, he did draw a line.
"Goddess Ishtar does not escape. Block the exits."
"And the ones who get in our way?"
"—Obliterate them."
Ottar's tone remained cool and collected as he led the team of seven
adventurers toward the golden palace.
The strongest battle party in Orario, composed completely of top-tier
adventurers, entered Belit Babili.
Roaring flames illuminated the streets of the Pleasure Quarter in place of the
broken magic-stone lamps.
The flames worked in unison with other adventurers to isolate the third
district, keeping everything inside. It was indeed the final hours of a once-proud
fortress. Even more explosions were still ringing out in the distance, signaling
the battle was not over yet.
Of all the spacious districts in Orario, the one that had given in to desire and
adultery was now burning red under the full moon.
"To think it would come to this…"
A dandy deity stood on the southeastern portion of the city wall that wrapped
all the way around Orario. He stood right up against the guard wall, looking
down over the carnage.
Feathered hat planted firmly on his head, Hermes watched the flames rise
with Asfi standing a few paces behind him.
"The one who told Ishtar about Bell in the first place was none other…than
me…"
The words fell out of Hermes's mouth, his eyes tracing the ring of flames
around the once thriving district.
His orange hair wavered in the blasting heat, the precisely laid inferno
reflected in his orange eyes. His breaths were short, as if he was struggling to
hold back tears.
"I'm the reason all this happened…Ahh, what is this piercing guilt in my
chest…?"
He opened his arms wide and shook them, as if trying to cleanse himself. The
deity looked down and quietly brought his hands together in front of his chest.
Directly behind the deity, his follower looked at his back with a cold stare
through her glasses.
She sighed to herself at the same moment the light from a large explosion
washed over them.
"So, how much of this was according to plan?"
Hermes lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. An unmistakable grin
grew in the corners of his lips.
The remorseful aura was gone. Dropping the dramatic act, Hermes turned
around to face Asfi and give his answer.
"First off, I wasn't trying to make something on this scale happen. I just
thought that something interesting might be set in motion if I provided a spark…
That's all."
Asfi's eyes twitched, a sure tell that she was keeping her opinion to herself.
Hermes had sown the seeds.
All he did was tell Ishtar about Bell under interrogation.
All he did was alert Freya out of concern for Bell's safety.
That was it. They were very small seeds in the bigger picture.
Hermes once again turned around to watch the battles unfold amid the flames
and moonlight.
"I'm not saying they're dancing in the palm of my hand. This completely
outdid my expectations. Ishtar's jealousy was far more intense than I expected,
just as Lady Freya was more attached to him than I thought."
He had no idea something this big would happen so soon.
His grin grew wider with each word.
"Well, even the best laid plans, you know? Nothing scarier than a jealous
goddess, right, Asfi?"
"…"
His voice was laced with excitement. Asfi continued to stare at the back of
her god's head but didn't say anything.
"But most importantly…Bell's good nature outdid my wildest dreams."
Hermes cast his gaze at the palace in the middle of Orario's third district and
narrowed his eyes.
The only information he'd given Bell was the existence of the Killing Stone.
Bell figured out the rest on his own without being provided with any hints.
Most likely, Freya wouldn't have made a move if Bell escaped from Ishtar's
grasp. The course of today's events changed two or three times based on Bell's
actions alone—and the boy had no idea.
He just went to save one renart he couldn't leave behind.
But not recklessly. Bell was ready to lose everything.
Asfi listened to her god. She let his words sink in for a moment before asking
a question of her own.
"Was your intention to destroy Ishtar Familia or entertainment? Or was it
perhaps…a trial?"
Hermes heard her question.
But he chose to smile at her instead of answering.
"People, gods…Everyone is seeking a girl like that. Every single being."
At the base of the city wall…
Hundreds of humans and demi-humans ran past in a desperate effort to
escape the Pleasure Quarter.
The many gods watched the Pleasure Quarter from afar.
And a renart girl still lay unconscious in the Floating Garden.
Hermes raised his arms as he took it all in—the battle still raging on the roof
of the palace between a large woman and a white-haired boy. Then Hermes
made his point.
"The world wants a hero."
The last of the Three Grand Quests: the Black Dragon.
A darkness hanging over the city.
And the root of it all, the Dungeon.
It was hidden by a veil of peace, but in reality there was a ticking time bomb
to complete destruction lurking in their midst.
Hermes declared that what the world needed, was yearning for, was the birth
of the true hero.
"As for the one who can save the world from this tragic fate…I choose Bell."
"Not someone from Loki Familia? Not even Freya Familia?"
"That's right."
Shrouded in darkness of night, Hermes finally gave Asfi a straight answer,
despite not turning around to look at her.
The deity continued staring into the flames, talking to no one in particular,
like a monologue.
"Zeus, I, Hermes—no, Orario as a whole—shall finish what you could not."
A dandy smile emerging on his lips, Hermes looked to the heavens.
"We shall mold him into the last hero."
Then—
Hermes tipped his hat to the sky before returning his gaze to the burning
district. His eyes narrowed.
"And for that to happen…Ishtar and all the children who follow you, please become his first stepping-stones. What? It's not like you're not going to die."
If it was for the hero…
Hermes had no qualms about using the jealousy of a goddess to his
advantage.
Hermes watched the flames engulf even more of the battlefield around the
boy, a cruel smile on his face.
"Uh-oh…looks like she knows. Better get out of here before she really gets
pissed."
Far away at the base of the palace, two silver orbs were aimed in his
direction.
Hermes was quick to cover his face with his feathered hat, and he broke off
eye contact as soon as the Goddess of Beauty noticed his presence.
"Scary, scary," he muttered to himself with a grin, and left his spot on the city
wall behind.
"…Zeus, I'm betting everything on that white light."
That brilliant shine that took down a floor boss. The boy's blindingly pure
soul.
To Hermes, it was but a sign of things to come—the boy's familia myth.
With those words, Hermes turned his back on the battlefield.
The flames of war climbed high into the sky, tinting the heavens bright red.