P/N let me know if there's any mistakes and I will try to fix them
CHAPTER 6
YEARNING OF A HERO
"Bell and Mikoto have to be here. Let us through!"
The last of the natural sunlight was fading from the evening sky as Hestia
arrived at the outer corner of the Pleasure Quarter. Guards moved to block her
path almost immediately.
They were standing at the edge of Orario's third district, the place where
Ishtar Familia's territory officially began.
Hestia was accompanied by Welf and Lilly, as well as Takemikazuchi, on her
mission to rescue the rest of her familia. They were blocked by two Amazons
just before entering the main strip of brothels on Main Street. A standoff ensued.
"My pardon, goddess, do you have any proof?"
"Watch your words. Any funny business and we'll remove you by force."
"Grrr…" Hestia started growling, getting steadily louder as the two female
warriors gripped the weapons strapped to their backs: One carried a battle-ax;
the other pulled twin longswords just far enough out of their sheaths to make the
blades flash.
A group of Amazons had attacked Lilly and Welf in the Dungeon, but they
had no evidence.
"UGHAAA!!" Hestia's voice erupted, her hands rising in the air as the two
enemy warriors grinned at her frustration.
"They sure are giving us the runaround…"
"Well, were we expecting anything else?"
Male customers who started arriving on Southeast Main Street and their
prostitutes stopped in their tracks to gawk at the enraged deity. Lilly could only
sigh at her goddess's childish arguing technique. Welf crossed his arms but
watched the Amazons like a hawk.
Takemikazuchi stood not too far away from them, his black hair in the usual
bobbed, triangular style. His own followers started emerging out of the crowd
and gathered around him. Their scouting mission complete, it was time to make
a plan of their own.
"Ouka, what did you see?"
"They have this area completely locked down. Not even a rat could sneak in
unnoticed."
"Amazons and prostitutes are blocking every street…There's no opening."
Takemikazuchi listened to Ouka, Chigusa, and his other followers. "I see," he
muttered, eyebrows sinking.
He reasoned that it was likely this was a cage to keep Bell and Mikoto from
revealing the existence of the Killing Stone to anyone else. At the same time, it
acted as a barrier to keep anyone else from interfering with the Killing Stone
Ritual.
While he was still unsure why they had captured the two humans, he was
sure they were inside.
"Mikoto…"
Concern for the girl's well-being written all over his face, Takemikazuchi
looked up at the full moon that was peeking out from behind rolling clouds.
"Sir Bell, please take this potion with you as well."
"If you're sure, thank you. I'll take it."
At the same time two deities were trying to get into Orario's third district,
Bell and Mikoto were undergoing their last preparations in their hidden alcove
under the night sky.
The two of them were planning to break into the palace alone and rescue
Haruhime. They had to be ready for anything.
They had briefly considered leaving the Pleasure Quarter and returning with
reinforcements. However, they thought better of it. Deep in the heart of Ishtar's
territory, they might not get a better chance to strike at this range. If they left
now, there was no guarantee that they'd get a chance to strike at all. Therefore,
they stayed hidden and divided up the high-quality healing potions and supplies
Mikoto had taken from the vault.
Mikoto sat on the ground, tying her clothing to her joints to reduce the sound
of the fabric. Dressed completely in black, she looked more and more like a
ninja every second. Even while talking with Bell, a conversation she had with
Takemikazuchi many years ago floated to the front of her mind.
"Mikoto, you are the most physically suited to learn ninjutsu out of everyone.
However, you don't have the right mind-set."
At the time, her god had already trained her in how to use many weapons and
in styles of hand-to-hand combat, so the time came to train her in the ways of the
ninja.
"Listen well, Mikoto. Ninjutsu is…dirty."
"D-dirty?"
"Yes. A ninja is not picky about the methods used to complete the mission."
Mikoto had been sitting on her heels, sweating in the humid air as she
listened to her god say these things as though it was common sense.
"Sneak attacks, ambushes, traps…A ninja uses every option, any means to
reach their goal. So, to be blunt, someone as straightforward and honest as
yourself might not have much use for it."
Even so, Takemikazuchi taught her everything he knew. Once they came to
Orario, Mikoto distinctly remembered Takemikazuchi telling her while smiling
to himself that she was much more suited to be an adventurer.
She truly missed being around him. His calming smile at the forefront of her
mind, Mikoto took a deep breath and used the image to calm her nerves.
She was using Bell's Ushiwakamaru in place of the katana that was broken in
the Dungeon. She also borrowed his item pouch and filled it with everything
except the potions she had liberated from their enemy.
Feeling light as a feather, she nodded to herself.
"Sir Bell, I would like to confirm the plan one last time."
"Of course," said Bell as he kneeled in front of her.
"According to the scrolls I read, the ritual must be performed when the full
moon first reaches its brightest peak, approximately eight o'clock tonight.
Location will be at the top of one of the palace towers, an area called the
Floating Garden…but please ignore that last piece of information."
Mikoto proceeded to explain the Killing Stone Ritual, including the time
limit and other details. She glanced up at the clouds blocking the full moon from
view, knowing they were almost out of time. "There will be no ploy," she said
before explaining the attack plan.
"First off, Sir Bell will garner the most attention, break into the palace, and
cause a diversion…"
"While Miss Mikoto rescues Miss Haruhime."
Bell echoed their simple plan before Mikoto could finish. However, her eyes
were clouded with concern.
"This may be our only option…But are you certain, Sir Bell? All danger falls
squarely on your shoulders."
Bell knew full well that if he was drawn into combat, countless more enemies
would swarm in in an attempt to overwhelm him. Clearing his throat, he simply
said, "I'll do it."
"…Give me twelve—no, ten minutes. I will find Lady Haruhime and get her
to safety."
Bell's ruby-red eyes locked onto her dark-violet gaze; both shone with the
light of determination.
Seeing Bell's conviction empowered Mikoto with even more courage and
resolve.
"…Lastly, what we should do should our plan fail."
Neither of them wanted to talk about it, but Mikoto knew they had to cover
all bases.
Bell lent her his ears, his expression just as serious.
"Once I have made contact with Lady Haruhime, I will send up a flare. Green
if I've succeeded, and red if—"
"Not…and in that case…?"
"…We break into the most heavily guarded area in the enemy stronghold and
destroy the Killing Stone. That's our only choice."
It wouldn't solve the problem of Ishtar Familia acquiring another Killing
Stone, but it would buy them time, as well as cancel tonight's ritual.
"Should it come to pass, improvisation will be necessary…One of us will
need to draw attention while the other breaks the stone. I believe that is all we
can plan for at this time."
Bell had no objections to Mikoto's plan of attack. Every item necessary for
the ritual was set in the Floating Garden, waiting for the moonlight. The location
of the ritual could not be moved at the last minute. Their plan in place, the two
humans exchanged one final nod.
"Well then, Sir Bell…May the tides of battle flow in your favor."
"You, too, Miss Mikoto. Take care of Miss Haruhime."
Then they split up.
Emerging from their dark side path, Bell and Mikoto moved out to get into
their respective positions.
Careful to evade the eyes of Amazons and prostitutes alike, Bell made his
way to the front gate of Ishtar Familia's home. Staying just out of sight, he eyed
the front gate and weighed his options.
"…"
Well hidden in the shadows of a nearby brothel, Bell took a knee and looked
at the palm of his right hand.
Bell knew exactly who might show up—Aisha, the Berbera, and, of course,
Phryne.
As for what to do when that Level 5, top-class adventurer appeared, he had
no clue. Of all the scenarios that played in his head, not one of them ended in
victory.
Bell glanced at the rest of his body. Light armor completely destroyed, only a
layer of cotton protected his skin. BA-DUM BA-DUM. The thumps of his heart
banged against the inside of his chest.
"This is all I've got…"
Ring, ring. Bell whispered to himself as soft chime sounds echoed and points
of light started swirling around his right arm. He focused as hard as he could and
bit down on his lip.
More light started to gather in the palm of his hand. But would it really hit his
target? Would he even be able to charge it in time to use in battle? Even more
questions surged into Bell's head. Shaking it from side to side, he ignored the
voices and clenched his fist.
I have to make it work, he said to himself as even more of the specks of light
slipped into the center of his fist between his clenched fingers.
A heartbeat later, Bell jumped out of the shadows.
"Wha…?!"
"Little Rookie?!"
He could clearly see the golden palace and the front gardens beyond the main
gate, as well as the stunned faces of all the Amazons who had been assigned to
protect it.
None of them had even considered the possibility that he would come to their
home base on his own. Panicking, each of them reached for their weapons or
turned their backs to sound the alarm.
Bell thrust his right arm forward before any of the Amazons were able to get
very far.
Ten-second charge.
A small bell sound rang out, signaling the start of the battle as the boy roared
at the top of his lungs:
"FIREBOLT!!"
The pillar of white light accompanied the thunderous roar of a flaming
lightning bolt.
The front gate of the palace was utterly destroyed in the ensuing explosion
and every single one of the guards was launched skyward.
Screams and shrieks rose into the air, along with an enormous amount of
smoke. Bell charged forward, right through it all.
Running as fast as he could, he quickly reached into his leg holster and
withdrew two potions he'd received from Mikoto: a high potion and a high-mind
potion. He downed them both in one gulp and discarded the empty vials in one
swift motion. Emerging from the smoke, Bell raced up the front steps of the
palace and into the building.
The mission to save one girl was now officially under way.
"You wanna explain that explosion?"
Greatsword balanced on his shoulder, Welf yelled at the two Amazons.
Everyone in the area was looking at the mushroom cloud rising from the
middle of the third district. Even Hestia stopped glaring at the guards the
moment the explosion reached her ears.
Lilly ignored the sudden chaos and used the opportunity to press the Amazon
roadblock.
"There's the undeniable proof!! That explosion was caused by Mr. Bell's
Firebolt!"
"Out of the way!"
The Amazons knew there was no way Lilly and Welf could discern a type of
Magic from this distance, but they also figured out there was no way to prove
them wrong. Snapping their tongues in frustration, the two drew their weapons
in earnest.
"So what if it was? You trying to start a war?"
"We're Ishtar Familia!"
Lilly hesitated for a moment, the reality of her actions hitting home—a
mountain of a shadow passed over her.
The enormous man reached out and grabbed the closest Amazon by the
throat, lifted her up, and threw her to the side.
The other guard was just as surprised as the thrown Amazon, watching her
ally tumble down the stone pavement. Then she looked up at a pair of furious
human eyes honing in on her. The massive human, Ouka, took another step
forward and said only one word:
"Move."
Ouka had had enough of standing idly by while Mikoto and Haruhime were
in danger. His decisive action inspired the rest of Takemikazuchi Familia to draw
their own blades and prepare for battle. Ouka unhooked his great ax from his
back and led the party of humans from the Far East into a line of red-faced
Amazons.
"Everyone together!"
"Ha-ha-ha, that's what I'm talking about!"
Welf laughed and joined their formation as Ouka led the opening charge. The
battle had officially begun.
Lilly loaded her bow gun and surveyed the battlefield. Orario's third district
had become the stage for the opening acts of an all-out war.
"So it came to this after all…!"
"There was no time, couldn't be helped."
Welf and Ouka were powerful Level 2 adventurers, but their enemies had the
advantage of numbers. Hestia watched the events unfold and sighed to herself,
thinking that the situation couldn't be helped. She followed after Takemikazuchi
and entered the street her allies had forcibly broken into.
—If there was a true beginning to all this…
It started with one-sided animosity.
Ishtar hated Freya from the moment the two Goddesses of Beauty first met.
It could have been something as simple as a sibling rivalry, or perhaps it was
caused by jealousy, wanting something she did not have. But in the end, she
despised Freya to the point that she had tried to topple her many times.
On the other hand, Freya didn't have a strong opinion of Ishtar at all.
She would laugh off all the "provocations" and enjoy watching Ishtar retreat
with every failure. That was the only time Freya ever paid any attention to her,
so she didn't care one way or the other.
She didn't know if her indifference came from her power, fame, or influence.
Freya had reached the summit of Orario, undisputedly second to none.
Meanwhile, Ishtar's rise had stopped at becoming queen of the debauched streets
and districts in the metropolis.
Freya's name had spread like wildfire. Her followers were wrapped in fear. It
was said that her beauty was unequaled throughout the world—and other
nonsense like her charms could turn heaven and earth on their heels. The claims
and compliments for Freya never halted.
This was the moment when she laughed at the jealousy of other goddesses.
That's when and why black flames surged within that glare of animosity, or
perhaps it was destined to happen this way no matter how events came to pass.
However, if there was one thing that could be said…
The difference between the two Goddesses of Beauty, Freya and Ishtar, it was
—
"My Lady."
The voice of her trusted follower pulled Freya's eyes away from her own
reflection in the wineglass she was holding.
She placed the glass on a circular table at her side. Ottar took that as his
signal and approached her.
"Allen has submitted a report. Ishtar Familia abducted Bell Cranell and is
behaving suspiciously…Also, an explosion in the Pleasure Quarter occurred
moments ago."
Freya stood up from her chair before Ottar had completely finished his
sentence.
"The entire familia has been assembled, yes?"
"Yes."
"Issue a decree."
"Then your will is set."
"It is. Ishtar crossed the line."
Freya's voice was cool, calm, and collected. Her silver eyes narrowed as she
spoke.
"All her little jokes were laughable until now. But this…No. I won't allow it."
Ottar watched Freya take a step away from her table—and then he turned to
address a large crowd.
"To arms! Our goddess desires glory on the battlefield!"
All her warriors had gathered and were standing at attention in the main
chamber beneath her throne. The sounds of marching boots filled the room as
her followers filed out in ranks.
They readied their weapons of choice and moved out, wasting no movement.
Their discipline was evidence of their deep-seated loyalty.
Without even a whisper of idle chatter, the household warriors assembled
outside on the grounds of the silver fortress, Folkvangr. It was so organized it
seemed as though they had practiced and arranged the movements beforehand.
Numbering well over one hundred, every one of them was ready to carry out
their goddess's bidding.
"…Deplorable."
Following the last of the echoes through the hallways, Ottar escorted Freya
out of the building.
Caught off guard by his goddess's sudden utterance, Ottar responded in a
hushed voice:
"What is?"
"This turn of events."
Ottar frowned but kept walking.
Freya didn't notice. She shrugged to herself as the two of them arrived at the
front door of their home.
"I, too, shall head out. We leave as soon as preparations are complete."
Belit Babili was overrun in a flash by loud, angry voices.
"Intruders!"
"How many?"
"J-just one, the Little Rookie! He charged the front gate!"
Bell could hear all the Amazons shouting orders, caught glimpses of them
pointing him out to their kin as he raced through the palace.
Making his way toward the center, he could see a tower, similar to Babel,
rising toward the heavens. The base of the looming structure was composed of
many long, wide floors. Bursting out of the outer ring and into the courtyard, he
raced toward it and entered the first floor. Everything from stairwells, to pillars,
to spaces between stones became his route to higher and higher floors up the
inside of the tower.
"STOP HIM—!"
A large group of fully armed Berbera was in hot pursuit.
Bell immediately changed course whenever he caught a glimpse of anyone in
his path. Wave after wave of arrows relentlessly rained down from every
direction but, at the same time, gave him the best indication of where to run.
If I stop now, it's all over…!
This was the enemy stronghold. He had to avoid hundreds of warriors on his
own.
If he lost even a step, a single second in combat facing any one of them, the
rest would catch up and he'd be forced into a fight he could never win.
Flashes of his enemies zoomed by every corner of his vision. Bell knew he
couldn't allow any of them to get close.
"Firebolt!"
"Ughhaa!"
He fired multiple rounds of his magic without breaking stride.
Spell chants—time to prepare magic abilities—were unnecessary with Bell's
Swift-Strike Magic. The Amazons had no answer for a ranged attack that was
faster and stronger than their arrows. They were either blown backward or
stayed out of range, which meant they couldn't get close enough for a blade or
fist.
Trying to carefully avoid hitting the noncombatant prostitutes he could see
huddled up in fear in the hallways and chambers as he passed through, Bell
aimed his Firebolt at any enemies, ceilings, and floors he could reach.
Thunderous flames rained down within the central tower as Bell tried to cause as
much chaos as possible.
"Loose!"
"Whaa?!"
Bell had just turned off a hallway onto a stairwell only to be greeted by a
group of ten Amazonian archers with their arrows at the ready.
The twangs of their bowstrings rang through the stairwell as the arrows were
launched before Bell had time to call forth his magic. While he was able to
deflect most of them with his Hestia Knife, the awkward swing made him lose
his balance and he fell back down the stairs.
There was no time to recover; the next round of arrows was already on its
way. Rolling out at the last instant, Bell caught a glimpse of the ten Amazons as
each of them drew swords and jumped down the stairwell. Even more were
coming from either side of the hallway. He immediately charged under the
jumping Amazons, past the stairwell, down the hallway toward a window, and
dived into it headfirst.
"He's outside!"
Breaking through the glass, he felt cool night air envelop his skin.
The moon was still partially hidden by cloud cover. Bell landed on the
awning of the window below and used another to continue his ascent up the
tower.
One window after another was shattered as the Amazons followed the agile
rabbit outside and up the tower. They weren't giving him any breathing room.
It hasn't even been—three minutes?!
Beads of sweat flew off his skin. His lungs labored for breath. Even more
dark shadows were on his tail. Bell decided now was the time to take the third
potion out of his leg holster.
His heart beating so hard that his chest might implode at any second, Bell
urged every muscle to keep firing. Feeling the effects of the potion kick in, Bell
discarded the empty vial without losing a step. He kept drawing their attention,
trying to get away while making as much noise as possible.
The evening lights of the Pleasure Quarter spreading out beneath him, Bell
continued to lean on the one thing he knew surpassed the Berbera: his speed.
"Sir Bell, you have my gratitude."
—Meanwhile, on the complete opposite side of the palace…
Mikoto slipped into a window on the backside of Belit Babili completely
unnoticed. Many guards had been pulled away from their stations. Even the
patrols on the inside were much less frequent. No one could catch Bell, their
original target. The only choice was to corner him with numbers. And those
numbers had been pulled from the patrols.
Words of gratitude and apology on her lips, Mikoto moved swiftly and
silently through the hallways. She hid in the shadows the moment approaching
footsteps revealed the location of enemy warriors. Three or four groups of
Berbera went past her without detecting her presence. At last, Mikoto came upon
a single Berbera. She sensed the same spiritual pressure in the Amazon as
herself, another Level 2.
Wasting no time, she withdrew a spherical crystal from her item pouch and
rolled it at the Amazon coming toward her from farther down the hallway.
"…What's this…?"
The moment the Amazon bent down to inspect the shiny object, Mikoto
dropped down from the ceiling and landed directly behind her target. Before her
victim knew what happened, Mikoto had her arm around her neck.
What's more, the Ushiwakamaru blade was resting on top of the coppery skin
of the Amazon's throat.
"Where is Lady Haruhime?"
"F-fortieth floor. Close to the Floating Garden."
That was all she needed to hear. She moved slightly to put her prisoner in a
choke hold and, a moment later, the Amazon fell unconscious to the floor.
Mikoto wasted no time in dragging the limp warrior out of the hallway and
into a room before disappearing without a trace. She was on her way to the
fortieth floor.
"How dirty…" whispered Mikoto as she remembered Takemikazuchi's face.
It was true; an adventurer would never want to pull off such an underhanded
ambush.
Finding a window, Mikoto climbed outside and started scaling the building.
Far above, she spotted light coming from an open window.
Haruhime was sitting in front of a certain window, trembling.
Just when she thought something unusual was going on, a report came in
saying that the Little Rookie—Bell Cranell—had forced his way into the palace.
She stood up and made a break for the door but was caught by two Berbera
and roughly escorted back to her seat. Now two of the intimidating warrior
prostitutes stood on either side of her, watching her every movement with the
same emotionless glare.
Haruhime had changed into a formal red kimono imported from the Far East.
She cast her anxious gaze back out the window, her drooping golden tail
twitching behind her chair.
"That boy did what…?"
No one had told her anything. The words involuntarily spilled out of her soft
pink lips when her ears picked up the news from the conversations going on
around her.
Thoughts like why, how, and please stop, among other fragmented thoughts,
weakly spilled from her mouth.
Haruhime's gaze fell to the floor as she wrapped her arms around her thin
body like she was afraid of what was going to happen next.
"All of you go help out. I'll stay here."
Aisha issued orders to the other Berbera in the same room where Haruhime
was trying to make herself as small as possible.
Aisha volunteered to stay behind and protect their person of interest, but a
rather large woman was much more concerned about capturing Bell and voiced
an even larger dissent.
"You ain't leavin' the group, Aisha. You're comin' with me on the rabbit
hunnnt."
"…Aahh?"
"Already forgotten the beatin' you got at our hands when you smashed the
first Killing Stone, Aishaaa?"
The overgrown frog out of water, Phryne, squared her shoulders in front of
Aisha and looked down on the thinner Amazon.
"Plannin' to use the chaos to let Haruhime escape, ehhhh? Can't trust you. So
I want you where I can see you."
Other Amazons in the room seemed a bit confused by Phryne's words.
"You idiot," Aisha spat back. She felt the effects of Ishtar's Charm far more
than anyone else present in the room and couldn't even think against her goddess
at this point.
"The Little Rookie is an obvious decoy. The Eternal Shadow is comin' here
for Haruhime."
"That's what I'm sayin'. Let the others handle the Level Two, third-tier
shrimmmp. They don't need you or me."
With the exception of Phryne and Aisha, all the Berbera in the room were
Level 2.
Every single one of the second-tier adventurers was currently pursuing Bell,
their Statuses matching his at Level 3.
Phryne's nostrils flexed as she claimed with absolute confidence that
someone at Mikoto's level wouldn't stand a chance against these numbers
anyway.
"That girl used an unbelievable spell during the War Game. If she's
underestimated—"
"Shut up alreadyyy!"
Phryne bellowed loud enough to shake the room. The Berbera and Haruhime
all recoiled in surprise.
Her bloodshot eyes once again fell onto a surprisingly unfazed Aisha.
"All you have to do is follow my orders. Or do you want me to smash in that
faaace?"
Aisha did her best to ignore the incredible stench emerging from Phryne's
wide mouth as her face shifted into a frown.
When she destroyed the first Killing Stone, Aisha had been thoroughly
"disciplined" by Phryne's brutal methods before being dragged before Ishtar as a
nearly lifeless wreck.
"Or perhaps…you'd like all your other little varmints to have a taste?"
Aisha's stoic expression suddenly showed a flash of concern.
That, more than anything else, struck fear into the hearts of the other Berbera
as they watched on.
Those Amazons trusted Aisha far more than their leader, Phryne. That was
especially true for the younger ones. Aisha treated them like younger sisters—as
she did with Haruhime—and looked after them.
"Did you forget, Aishaaa? Next time you stick a toe out of line, it won't be
just you who gets devoured. All the others get their turn…Lady Ishtar warned
you herself, didn't sheee?"
Ishtar had been testing Aisha's loyalty. Perhaps "playing with it" would be a
better way to describe her demeanor.
Despite being overwhelmingly Charmed by her goddess, Aisha still
possessed her own free will and would never become a true puppet. However,
that meant that she felt every ounce of fear as she was forced to choose between
Haruhime and the well-being of her adopted younger siblings. She was
constantly balancing a scale that would break her heart should either side fall.
This state of constant unease was Ishtar's punishment for breaking the Killing
Stone.
"Well?" came a pompous demand. Aisha's lips twitched before she finally
opened her mouth.
"…Fine."
The gorgeous Amazon decided to follow orders.
"Ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-geh!" Phyrne's croaking laughter echoed throughout the
room.
They equipped their weapons and prepared to find the intruder.
"Keep an eye on the time, then go to the altar. See to it that Haruhime is
brought to Samira and the others when everything is set."
Phryne turned to address the other Berbera just before leaving the room, and
she issued her last orders.
Then the massive woman led Aisha and a group of her most trusted allies out
the door.
"Oh? He broke in?"
The divine voice echoed on the top floor of the main tower inside Belit
Babili, the goddess's private quarters.
Ishtar sat on a lavish sofa and listened to a report on Bell's sudden attack.
"It appears he's running wild through the inside of the palace…All attempts
to capture him thus far have failed."
"Running wild, you say. No one charges into a lion's den without a reason."
Ishtar held her long oriental pipe in one hand, purple smoke emerging from
one end. She listened to her assistant Tammuz's report before taking a long drag
from the pipe.
The windows on all four sides of her quarters had been opened. A light
breeze blew the smoke from her lips and the tip of the pipe.
"Perhaps he left something behind…A woman who found her way into his
heart?"
The goddess narrowed her eyes, deep in thought.
"He will be captured at once."
"No, don't. Call them back."
Tammuz didn't know what to say as Ishtar stood up from her comfortable
sofa.
She didn't pay any attention to her human follower. Instead, an ominous
smile grew on her lips.
"This could be interesting. I'll go myself."
Standing up to her full height, the goddess didn't say another word as she
descended the closest staircase toward the sounds of battle.
Bell had reached the thirtieth floor of the palace tower.
He was already more than a hundred meders above the ground. Frantically
avoiding the incoming Berbera attacks, he made his way up a grand staircase.
The intense battle hadn't lasted even ten minutes yet. Once he'd avoided
capture for more than ten minutes, he decided he would give up without a fight.
But for now, he had to keep pressing forward. It was his duty, his mission.
Every muscle burning, every sense screaming out in pain, he continued to
evade every attack the second-tier-adventurer Berbera were throwing at him.
Firebolt was proving to be an effective shield for the white rabbit as he
recklessly poured all his energy into making it past the next obstacle alive.
Continuing to find openings in the net that the Level 3 Amazons had set for
him, he saw visions of Haruhime's and Mikoto's faces sear themselves into his
heart.
A trail of shattered stairs and walls in his wake, Bell's dramatic run persisted
as even more Berbera joined the hunt.
"—Outta the waaay!!"
"?!"
Bell heard the scarily familiar voice rain down from above from the center of
the tower as he rounded another corner. It was followed almost immediately by
the sound of destruction coming his way.
Something big and sharp was spinning at him with high speed—a grand war
ax. Bell bent backward just in time. The tip of the blade sliced through a few
strands of hair just in front of his eyes.
The heavy weapon continued on its way, turning the railing, floor, and even
the wall into a gaping hole that went down another four floors.
A cold chill ran up his spine as Bell looked at the spot that he had moved
through less than a second ago, now nothing but shards of wood and other
debris.
He knew right away, she was here.
"Phryne…!"
Bell looked up at the path from which the grand war ax had come. Indeed,
her two-meder frame was not hard to spot.
The frog-like Amazon bearing the title Androctonus, the Man Slayer, looked
down on her prey with a hungry grin on her thick lips.
That was when Bell recognized someone else standing next to her—a heroic-
looking female warrior with long black hair: Aisha.
"Did you miss me so much you came baaack? Ahh, how sweeeet!"
Other Amazons handed Phryne two more grand battle-axes before she
narrowed her eyes at Bell.
A heartbeat later, she kicked off the floor.
"—!"
"I'm comin' for yoooou!"
Bell wasted no time in turning tail and taking off at full speed as Phryne
plummeted toward him.
His escape route brought him into the main hallway, with doors to many
rooms lining the walls. The impact of the gargantuan Amazon's landing nearly
knocked him off his feet. A shock wave littered with debris blasted out of the
doorway he'd just run through.
"Let that toad handle the rabbit. All of you, to the thirtieth floor!"
Aisha's sharp orders cracked through the air like a whip. However, Bell
didn't have time to listen due to the living wrecking ball closing in from behind.
Muscles searing in pain, the young human didn't care which direction he
went anymore, just as long as it was away from Phryne.
Eyes frantically scanning the hallway, he caught a glimpse of the cloudy
skyline. A window, a path away from the mass of impending doom only a few
meders away. He dashed—when a familiar high-speed whistling sound reached
his ears. Another ax.
"?!"
"Goin' somewherrre?"
The grand battle-ax was closing in with blinding speed.
Bell dove to the floor, protecting his neck and bracing for impact as the
ridiculously large weapon destroyed everything in its path. Walls, floor, ceiling,
and finally the window—chunks of jagged wood showered his body as the blade
passed over him. He looked up and saw Orario's full skyline. The outer wall was
gone.
There was no time to gawk at the damage.
A dark shadow fell over him where he lay.
"?!"
Phryne had closed the distance in a matter of seconds. The Amazon lifted her
remaining grand battle-ax and brought it down.
Bell rolled to his left without a moment to spare. Another second later and
the ax would have landed right between his shoulder blades.
Instead, the weapon plunged into the floor, causing the ground around her to
cave in slightly. Phryne lost her balance for a moment. Bell desperately leaped
up and thrust out his right arm toward the Amazon.
He didn't have the luxury of lining up a shot or worrying about his remaining
Mind. Bell pulled his magic's trigger.
"FIREBOLT!!"
An electrified inferno burst forward from his palm.
It came together to form the sharp tip of the spear—that Phryne dodged with
a quick backspin.
"No way…!"
Bell couldn't believe his eyes.
Firebolt—missed?
At that distance?!
The bolt continued down the hallway, scorching the walls as it went. Bell was
absently stunned that someone as large as Phryne could evade something like
that so easily. However, his would-be target was back on the offensive.
"Tricky piece of magic you got there!"
With that, her ax became a blur as she took swipe after swipe at Bell. It was
all Bell could do in his panicked state to get out of the way.
Bell couldn't help but tremble at the knowledge that Phryne was fast enough
to evade a lightning bolt with no warning. Her speed and agility didn't match her
body type in the slightest.
It didn't make any sense.
Even as Bell evaded the weapon, the backlash from the air pressure cut into
his skin. The true power of top-class adventurers hit home.
"You done yet?"
Phryne continued to take chunks out of the wide hallway as she forced Bell
into the center of the tower.
The walls, ceiling, and floor bore deep gashes, the claw marks of a crazed
beast. The expensive rugs and ornate magic-stone lamps were utterly destroyed
by Phryne's onslaught. However, she was enjoying herself like a cat that refused
to kill a dying mouse. Bell had become her toy.
Argonaut—Bell had no time to charge his Skill. He couldn't focus on it and
fight against an opponent like her at the same time.
He would lose a limb the moment he thought about trying.
Phryne's overwhelming figure filled his quivering eyes. His ace in the hole,
the one and only backup plan, wouldn't work. Only one option remained. Bell
drew Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki to use with the Hestia Knife so he could attack—
no, so he could defend—with a dual-blade style.
"KEHH!"
Shaking off his fear, he managed to guide a sideways swipe of the ax past his
body.
With that came a series of un-dodgeable attacks, bringing forth visions of a
different Amazon, the berserker Tiona, and her massive blade during his training
on the city wall. Just as he did then, Bell took a defensive angle and slashed the
incoming weapon out of the way.
High-pitched metallic screeches rang out every time the weapons collided.
Short bursts of arcing sparks accompanied Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki's screams.
However, Bell was quickly overpowered and kicked farther down the
hallway when he was most vulnerable between swipes.
"GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! So you can dance!!"
Phryne complimented the young human as he tumbled backward.
Flipping over two, three times, Bell rolled out of the hallway and into a larger
chamber before finally coming to a stop.
Body covered in cuts, sweat, and bruises, Bell jumped back up to his feet.
What he saw next made his blood run cold.
"Miss Aisha…?!"
The chamber was completely filled with Berbera. Bell had rolled into a trap
and was now surrounded on all sides.
The heroic Amazonian warrior stood tall, holding her favorite large wooden
blade against her shoulder, her gaze firmly locked on the boy.
"…You did good, getting this far."
Aisha stood in front of a staircase leading to a higher floor, her voice loud
enough to echo throughout the chamber.
A shock wave rumbled through the floorboards a second later. Phryne had
arrived.
This particular chamber was decorated with fine artwork on the walls and
ornate pillars framing each of the ceiling-high windows. With Aisha guarding
the way up and Phryne preventing him from turning around, Bell had nowhere to
run. That would've been bad enough without the countless other Amazons
encircling him, bouncing their weapons against their shoulders with anticipation.
Oh shit…! Bell cursed to himself as he desperately looked for another way
out. His mind raced almost to the point of bursting when suddenly:
"Back down, all of you."
A powerful voice came from the top of the stairwell.
Every set of eyes in the chamber snapped in that direction in surprise. Slowly
but surely, the figure of a bronze-skinned goddess, boasting a peerless level of
beauty, descended into the chamber with an oriental pipe in her hand. A sweet
scent strong enough to drive the strongest of mortals mad wafted into the room
before her. It enveloped Bell, seemed to burn him from his nose. His unblinking
ruby-red eyes were drawn to her body like magnets.
The Goddess of Beauty Ishtar seduced any observer with her divine figure,
but nonetheless, she was thoroughly pleased seeing Bell's reaction as she
continued smoking.
"Wh-what's the meanin' of thisss, Lady Ishtar? Bargin' in?"
Phryne wasted no time voicing her displeasure with her goddess. Ishtar
looked toward her towering follower as her assistant Tammuz made his way
down the stairs behind her.
The frog-like Amazon's face turned a deep red, veins pulsing in her forehead.
"Did you not hear me, Phryne? I said back down."
Her emotionless black amethyst eyes flashed. Her words conveyed one
simple message from her divine will: obey.
The corners of Phryne's wide mouth twitched.
It was the first time Bell had ever seen a hint of fear in her eyes.
"All of you, to the Floating Garden. Heads will roll if the Killing Stone Ritual
fails again."
The completely overwhelmed Berbera sheathed their weapons. It didn't take
them long to disappear from the chamber.
They filed out one by one. Aisha's eyelids sank as she looked at Ishtar for a
moment before turning her back and following her kin out of the room. Just as
she reached the door, she looked back over her shoulder at Bell, her long hair
swaying.
Phryne clicked her tongue in frustration. She was the last one left. A few long
seconds later, she put one foot in front of the other and left the chamber behind.
Bell breathed a momentary sigh of relief. His thoughts immediately went to
Mikoto and Haruhime. He turned to leave, thinking to help them avoid more
danger—when Tammuz scared him senseless.
The handsome, black-haired tan man's glare overpowered him.
"Little brat, I've come all this way to meet you myself. It's rude to turn your
back on me."
Beads of sweat pouring down his face, Bell froze in place as he watched the
Goddess of Beauty slowly descend the remaining stairs.
Ishtar approached Bell, a thin smile on her lips. Bell's body twitched back in
her direction.
"Lady…Ishtar…"
She stood at his height, their eyes on the same level. Bell couldn't hide his
bewilderment as the deity came even closer.
Two against one. No, gods and goddesses were physically weak and could
not fight for themselves. In reality, it was one-on-one, Bell against Tammuz.
Bell's wide eyes jumped back and forth between the goddess and the human
standing just behind her. It might have been a direct order from their goddess,
but the boy still couldn't understand why Phryne and the others left without a
word—that's how far his train of thought went before the goddess came to a
stop.
"Most impressive, child of Hestia. You have more backbone than I thought,
offering yourself up as a diversion and forcing your way in like that."
In reality, Bell's spine wouldn't stop trembling in her presence.
A seductive body, a voice that melted his ears, a sweet aroma, and alluring
eyes.
Bell fell to the full force of divine beauty and immediately understood the
reason the Amazons had given up so easily.
He had already been ensnared by a beauty that no mortal could resist.
The Amazons knew: Bell's fate had already been decided.
"Was it a woman's pull that brought you back here?"
The goddess commented on Bell's reckless valor, amethyst eyes sparkling as
if they could see all.
Bell didn't know where to look, standing in the face of a goddess who was
too beautiful.
An ornate golden crown, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets decorated
her body. The only cloth to be found on her perfectly proportioned tan figure was
a strip of cloth covering the bare minimum of her breasts and stomach as well as
another, slightly thicker strip wrapping around her lower back and thighs. Her
long, braided black hair shone with the flickering light of the magic-stone lamps.
Any unprepared, unfortunate soul who happened to glimpse any part of her
body ran the risk of being Charmed without warning.
That fear worked its way into Bell's mind. He blushed, trying to resist her
erotic aura. All he could do was take a defensive stance.
"So, this is our second meeting. At first I doubted that vixen's sanity, taking
an interest in you…But then again, I should reconsider. You have a nice face."
The goddess's smile broadened as she listened to Bell constantly clear his
throat, apparently at a loss in the face of her allure.
The boy did his best to ignore shakes and tremors coursing through his body
and did his best to force words out of his mouth.
"…Wh-why did you attack us in the Dungeon?"
He asked her the one thing that he could never figure out. To his surprise, she
gave him a straight answer.
"You caught my attention and interest during the War Game. After that…it
was to stick a thorn in the side of a certain vixen I can't stand."
Ishtar's words meant nothing to him. The look of confusion on Bell's face
only caused her grin to grow even wider.
"Rejoice. I will Charm you and you will be mine."
A fresh wave of her enticing scent filled his nostrils. Her words sending more
shivers down his spine, Bell took a step back.
However, a conversation with Haruhime's goddess was worth every second
and he decided to press further.
Even if he didn't understand everything, this kind of opportunity might never
come again.
Under the watchful gaze of Tammuz, Bell kept his distance from the Goddess
of Beauty and continued asking questions.
"…Please, tell me."
"Oh?"
"Why…are you going to sacrifice Miss Haruhime?"
It took every ounce of willpower for Bell to string those words together. The
enticing goddess's laughter filled the chamber a moment later.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You can talk about another woman in front of me!"
"A-answer me, please!"
Ishtar calmed down enough to take a long draw from her pipe. She was
pleasantly surprised by the sudden demanding tone in Bell's voice.
She rolled her shoulders a few times as her interest in the boy grew. Ishtar's
mood was improving by the second as she started speaking again.
"Well, let's see. First, I bought Haruhime. I saved her from a life no better
than livestock at the hands of those dirty men. In fact, I should be shown
gratitude for treating her like a valuable treasure all these years."
The reality of Haruhime being sold like some object at the marketplace to
become someone's plaything flustered Bell. He had thought she was "sold" in
name only, that the reality could not be so cruel.
A goddess who had just happened to walk in on an auction, a still young
renart girl. Drawn in by her natural beauty and an interest in her race, the
goddess used her divine gifts to force the miserly merchants into selling her the
young girl.
Ishtar enjoyed the flavor of the oriental pipe, taking another long drag as she
told Bell about the first time she laid eyes on Haruhime.
"Her life was born anew, thanks to me…Children serve their parents, do they
not?"
"That's…?"
"And you know, Bell Cranell? I don't think of this as killing Haruhime. She
will get her soul back as soon as the vixen falls. I'm only borrowing it for a short
while."
What cheap logic! Bell screamed inside his head.
The chances of no shard being misplaced during a war with Freya Familia
were extraordinarily slim.
Even after everything was over, the innocently smiling Haruhime whom Bell
knew would never return.
Bell glared at Ishtar, his eyes shaking with rising anger.
"Let me just say this…Even if I did not seal Haruhime's soul, it is her destiny
to be used by someone else. That is the true meaning of her power."
"…!"
"Can you comprehend how I felt…the moment I gave that girl a Status? I
shivered. The instant I realized that the possibility of finally toppling that
wretched goddess was right in front of me!"
That wretched goddess—the profile of the Goddess of Beauty who led
Orario's most powerful familia formed in Bell's mind.
Ishtar 's jubilant voice echoed throughout the chamber, saying that the renart
put the possibility to negate any and all divine expectations in the palm of her
hand.
"Haruhime is my trump card! My chance to cast Freya into the abyss!"
Ishtar poured more and more energy into her voice, her excitement palpable.
Bell fought back his anger enough to ask the next question.
"What makes you hate Freya Familia that much…?"
"What, you ask? Everything! I hate everything about her!"
Ishtar's eyes flashed with animosity for the first time. A rage-filled rant
ensued.
"Men ignore me and flock to her instead, claiming that she is the most
beautiful for absolutely no reason! You must be joking! How could that pig sow
ever surpass me?! Have all men gone blind?!"
Ishtar roared at the floor, her jealousy rearing its ugly head in an explosion of
hate.
Bell recoiled in fear of a divine passion that beings of Gekai could never fully
understand.
Even Tammuz was careful not to draw the attention of his goddess.
"…B-but that doesn't give you the right to use Haruhime…!"
Bell fought to brace his buckling knees before willing the words out of his
throat.
Ishtar seemed to get a handle on her rage and flashed another thin smile at the
boy who had claimed that it was too cruel a fate.
"How insulting. If I were a goddess without blood or tears, I would have
Charmed her into a faithful puppet long ago. But she is loyal; that fox listens to
only my orders."
"That's only…"
"I have my own way of showing mercy. That pitiful girl was treated very
well, you know."
Swish, swish. Ishtar spun her pipe between her fingers.
"Can't be helped if she felt uncomfortable from time to time. But I gave her
beautiful clothing and delicious food…Not to mention I blessed her with many
opportunities to know the joys of being a woman."
"…!!"
Bell could no longer contain the rage bursting forth from within his heart
after hearing the way Ishtar described forcing Haruhime to sell her body and
cooping her up in little more than a birdcage.
He even forgot that he was confronting a deity. His voice erupted in
unbridled fury.
"WHY?! WHY DID YOU MAKE HER BECOME A PROSTITUTE?!"
"This is my familia. Everything I decide becomes law, rules that everyone
must live by. It's common knowledge."
Bell's outburst sounded like nothing more than the cry of an ignorant child
during a temper tantrum. Ishtar chuckled to herself, wondering what his problem
was after coming all this way.
The one major downside to being a part of a familia was being subject to any
rules they create.
They had no choice but to obey. The main reason that many average people
chose not to receive Falna—outside of avoiding the inter-familia conflicts—was
because they were scared of what they might have to do should their god
demand it. Finding a deity with good character was a long shot at best.
That's what it truly meant to be a follower, a member of their family.
"So tell me, boy, why is it you avoid prostitutes? Bodies coming together in
beautiful passion is sacred. It controls the wild aggression of men, allowing
women to become a pillar of stability in this world."
"Wha…?!"
"The difference in gender on Gekai is what allows new life to be born, for
fertility to thrive. Sharing this bond with many different men is by no means
unclean. Why can't you children see this? It is beyond me."
Gods and mortals had very different values.
This difference in the thinking of the deusdea came as a complete shock to
Bell.
Perhaps it could be as she said. Just as the Guild had accepted the Pleasure
Quarter's activities, prostitutes might be an irreplaceable part of society.
That prostitutes weren't abhorrent outcasts at all, that they were necessary.
But…!!
There had to be many who couldn't live like that.
The image of a young girl staring out the window with longing eyes had been
burned into Bell's memory. He clenched his fist with all his might.
"Even so…Even if that's true, there are people suffering because of it!"
Bell stood tall, squaring his shoulders at Ishtar as he unleashed a booming
voice, demanding that she release Haruhime from the life of a prostitute, from
being an object of destruction.
Unfortunately, Ishtar wasn't the least bit moved by the zealous display.
"It will not happen."
Bell's plea could not reach the goddess of sensual desire. She couldn't
understand Haruhime's pain.
Ishtar stared at him for a moment before pulling her pipe out from between
her lips.
"Your selfishness and the truth will never align. Most of all, I have no interest
in playing along."
She frowned and snapped her fingers.
Tammuz moved with blinding speed and knocked Bell to the floor in the
blink of an eye.
"Guwaah!"
He'd gotten so caught up in his conversation with the goddess that Bell had
forgotten about her assistant. He let his guard down.
No, more than that—Tammuz was fast.
Bell never had time to resist. Now he was pinned to the floor and completely
immobilized.
"He may not look it, but Tammuz is Level Four. You can't break his grip."
Ishtar gave a quick introduction to her familia's second in command.
Then she closed the distance between them—and started to disrobe.
"UWAHH?!"
The tension from a moment ago gone, Bell blushed and yelled in surprise.
"Eh—eh—EHHHHH!"
"Such a child. Hasn't Hestia taught you anything…? Ah, wait, she's one of
the virgin goddesses, that's right."
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-why are you taking off your…?!"
Facedown on the ground, Bell tried to hide his eyes under his shoulder.
However, Tammuz took hold of his hair and forced his head back up.
Bell's wide eyes were greeted by a small pile of clothing and golden
accessories at the feet of a completely nude goddess.
"Like I said, I'll make you mine."
Released from the cotton restraints, her breasts swayed from side to side as
she stretched her supple, voluptuous body. Ishtar ran her fingers down all her
seductive curves, finally stopping on her bulging bottom. Her moist, bronze skin
was emitting the strongest erotic aura it had thus far that day.
A refined smile grew on her lips as she watched Bell's entire body blush
bright red.
"I'll Charm you—'til your bones melt."
Her eyes had taken on a sadistic glint, dead set on stealing his body and soul.
Bell's face turned from dark red to light blue as her shadow fell over him.
Several buildings formed the palace of Belit Babili. Other than the palace for the
goddess and the buildings where familia members lived and slept, there was one
other massive structure within the main gates.
It was constructed out of white stone and stood at the back of the complex
almost like an afterthought. However, it rivaled the main tower's palace in
elegance and had been designed to resemble a ziggurat from the Ancient Times.
Constructed five years ago as a new brothel, the building's true purpose was
to provide the stage for a certain ritual. It had been ready to fulfill its role three
years ago when a certain prostitute destroyed a Killing Stone that had taken
years to acquire. The structure had laid dormant ever since. Now it sat under the
full moon, again waiting to fulfill its purpose.
The roof of this building was connected to the palace by one long stone
bridge. Haruhime began her journey across it.
Despite standing forty stories above the ground, this bridge had no ceiling.
Only a chest-high parapet prevented people from plummeting to the ground
below. There was also no protection from the wind that gusted past. Haruhime
held her hair in place as three Berbera assigned to escort her to the Floating
Garden urged her forward.
"Move it, Haruhime!"
"R-right…"
Thud! The lead Amazon gave her an extra push, causing Haruhime to step on
the front of her kimono.
The Berbera were completely focused on the night sky. Haruhime recovered
her footing before she too looked up into the dark, starry abyss. A full, golden
moon was staring back down at her from behind thinning cloud cover.
The light that will kill me.
—Haruhime said to herself in a silent voice.
Lowering her gaze to the bridge, she could clearly see the garden on the other
side. Soft blue light rose from the center, as if beckoning her to come closer.
Face devoid of emotion, Haruhime continued forward.
Her pace quickened, as if there were people who could be saved if only she
went through with it as quickly as possible.
"Weird girl…"
The Amazons stayed right beside her, looking down with thinly veiled
disgust.
All three of them sneered at the girl who refused to put up a fight despite
knowing that she was walking to her own doom. She had already given up. For
brave and bold Amazons, her resignation to this fate came across as cowardice.
That was the only thing more reprehensible than weakness to the proud warriors.
The Amazons kept their eyes on Haruhime as she walked a few paces in front
of them. They let their guard down.
There was nowhere to hide on this one-way bridge that was completely
exposed.
As this was the least likely place for an ambush to occur, the three women
focused solely on carrying out their orders. Being able to see in every direction
only increased their confidence. That's why they failed to notice the presence of
someone lurking under the bridge.
A human hand silently grabbed hold of the guard wall. Her black hair
whipping behind her in the night, Mikoto flipped over it and landed behind the
Amazons.
"—Huh?"
The last of the three was jerked backward by the throat before she was
thrown up and over the side.
The screams of their fallen comrade alerted the other two Berbera, but the
closest couldn't react in time, knocked off balance before she could defend
herself. The human figure used a quick succession of grappling techniques to
throw her over the side as well.
"Y-you?!"
The remaining Amazon shuddered as she listened to her falling comrades.
Seeing that they fell from the left and right sides of the bridge, she took a central
position and drew a longsword. The black shadow drew a crimson blade in
response—but felt something strange in the air and ducked to the floor.
A strong gust of wind hit the bridge a moment later. Haruhime stumbled in
the sudden push of air. The Amazon was rushing forward, her sword held high as
she took the brunt of the wind. Next thing she knew, her back hit the guard wall.
"Wai—!" she started to say, but the black shadow had already closed the
distance between them. Planting its foot, the shadow drove a heel into her chin.
"…Lady…Mikoto?"
The last of her escort gone from the bridge, Haruhime cautiously came to a
stop and turned around. The black shadow, Mikoto, wasted no time in rushing to
her side.
"Why are you here…?"
"To rescue you."
Mikoto answered the stunned renart's question with no hesitation in her
voice.
The human girl's reflection in her large green eyes, Haruhime watched as
Mikoto reached out and took hold of her hand.
"Let us escape together, Lady Haruhime. Quickly."
Time was of the essence. Mikoto didn't want to waste any of it exchanging
words in such a vulnerable location.
However, Haruhime didn't move despite Mikoto's pull.
"Miss Mikoto…I'm fine, please save yourself."
"Wha…?"
Now it was Mikoto's turn to be stunned. Her grip going slack, Haruhime
pulled away her hand.
"Why did you come, Lady Mikoto? Master Cranell, as well. I'm a burden, I
would put you and your friends in danger. I thought everyone understood this."
"That was…!"
Mikoto had been forced to weigh the importance of Haruhime against her
family just hours ago. Her heart still ached from having to make that decision.
Haruhime continued with an expression of sorrow on her face.
"Because of me, Lady Phryne and Lady Ishtar would never let you rest. My
presence would put everyone you know in harm's way…That's what I am."
"Even so! Sir Bell swore to me that he would protect you!"