Tensions were rising within the Ishtar Familia. Since Haruhime's escape, Ishtar was enraged and determined to find those responsible. An Amazon, visibly uncomfortable, appeared before her.
— "Goddess Ishtar, I have information regarding the intrusion."
Ishtar looked up, her piercing gaze fixing the Amazon.
- "Speak."
— "Phryne had the intruder in front of her, but she made no attempt. She let him escape."
A heavy silence fell. Phryne, who had been listening discreetly from the corridor, felt panic rising. She knew she had to act quickly to deflect suspicion.
Some time later, Phryne entered the room, her demeanor overly confident.
— "Great goddess, I have irrefutable proof regarding the escape of this cursed fox."
Ishtar crossed her arms, intrigued but skeptical.
— "Speak, Phryne. But if you lie, you know what it will cost you."
Phryne made a theatrical gesture, presenting a torn piece of black cloth and a slightly damaged stone.
— "These items were found near the escape scene. This cloth belongs to Aisha, and this stone shows that she attempted to sabotage the ceremony once again, as she has done in the past."
Ishtar frowned as she examined the evidence. She knew Aisha had shown signs of rebellion before.
— "Immediate summoning of Aisha."
In the courtyard, Aisha was training, unaware of what was going on. The Amazons came to stop her violently, binding her arms before dragging her in front of Ishtar. Bell, for his part, was trying to walk in a remote corner, still weakened by his injuries from the debris.
Aisha was forced to her knees in the great hall, her arms restrained by two Amazons. Ishtar stared at her with cold anger.
— "Aisha, it seems you are connected to Haruhime's escape."
Aisha looked up, furious.
— "That's absurd! I have nothing to do with it."
Phryne stepped forward, playing her role to perfection.
— "Oh, really? Then why was this piece of cloth belonging to you found at the scene?"
She held out the piece of black cloth in front of everyone. Aisha recognized it immediately: it belonged to one of her old clothes that she had recently thrown away.
— "It's a set-up!" she shouted.
But Ishtar was not convinced.
— "Enough. You will answer only one question, Aisha. Do you know the identity of the intruder?"
Aisha froze. She knew that if she lied, Ishtar, as a goddess, would detect it. But she couldn't betray Bell.
— "I don't know anything." she answered, trying to keep calm.
However, Ishtar sensed a hint of doubt in his answer. She interpreted it as a lie.
— "Take her away. I want her tied up and watched. If she refuses to talk, we'll break her in another way."
Aisha was dragged out of the room, tied with her arms in the air in a dark room.
For his part, Bell continued to walk with difficulty in a small alleyway off to the side. He had no idea what was going on with Aisha. He thought everything was under control, but the whispers of the Amazons were beginning to arouse his suspicions.
As he passed a group chatting in low voices, he heard Aisha's name mentioned.
— "It's Aisha. They caught her. She's believed to be connected to the intrusion."
Bell's blood ran cold.
— "Aisha… No, that's not possible." he muttered to himself.
End of chapter
Chapter 48: Under Pressure
Bell, after several hours of observation and discreet questioning, finally understood what had led Aisha to be accused: a significant detail, a fabric that Aisha had given him once that he used as a lucky charm that he had dropped during Haruhime's escape. This small clue had been connected to Aisha, jeopardizing her apparent loyalty to the Ishtar Familia.
He realized it was his fault, and the guilt ate away at him.
— "It's because of me that she's in this situation...", he murmured, his gaze lost.
Meanwhile, Aisha suffered the consequences. Hanging by her arms, her body marked by blows, she faced the incessant questions of Ishtar and the Amazons.
— "Who was the intruder?" Ishtar asked, her voice cold.
Aisha, despite her pain, remained silent. Her breathing was ragged, but her eyes, full of defiance, did not tremble.
— "You disappoint me, Aisha. And you know I hate being disappointed."
But Aisha remained silent.
Bell, knowing he had no time to waste, went to Lili's place. She was working at the jagamaru stall with hestia, customers filing past her. When she saw him, she frowned, feeling something was wrong.
— "What's wrong, Bell? Why that face?"
— "I need your help, Lili. It's important."
He briefly explained the situation to her, keeping the details of his plan to himself. Lili looked at him with growing concern.
— "What you're asking me is risky, Bell. If it goes wrong, we could all be in danger."
— "I know," he answered, his voice trembling. "But I can't just sit back and do nothing. Aisha is suffering because of me."
After a long moment of thought, Lili sighed and nodded.
— "Okay. But I hope you know what you're doing and you owe me a ton of jagamaru after this.."
By nightfall, Lili, thanks to her shapeshifting ability, had taken on the appearance of an Amazon. She stood in a small room rented by Bell in the Ishtar family quarters after her old room had been destroyed, waiting for the next day with palpable apprehension.
Bell, for his part, was adjusting the final details of his plan. He knew he was playing for high stakes, but he was ready to do anything to save Aisha.
— "Do you know what to do?" he asked Lili, his gaze fixed on her.
— "Yes. But don't die, Bell. I wouldn't want to have to explain this to Haruhime and Lady Hestia who care about you."
A thin smile crossed Bell's lips.
— "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
The next day, Ishtar summoned her Amazons for another attempt to interrogate Aisha. This time, she brought a truth serum, determined to break the warrior's will.
— "If you don't talk, I'll find a way to make you tell the truth," Ishtar whispered, holding the vial in front of her.
The Amazons, forming a circle around her and Aisha, stood ready. Among them was Lili, in her disguised form. She watched intently, her heart pounding.
Aisha, weakened, stared at Ishtar with a defiant smile.
— "Do what you want. I won't talk."
Ishtar administered the serum. Aisha closed her eyes, a shiver running through her body. The Amazons held their breath.
— "Now tell me, Aisha. Who was the intruder?"
There was silence for a moment. Then, Aisha's lips moved faintly. She raised a trembling finger and pointed to an Amazon in the crowd: Lili.
A murmur ran through the assembly.
— "She… It was her."
Ishtar immediately turned to Lili, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
— "Catch her!"
But before anyone could react, a small smoke object exploded, filling the room with an opaque mist. Lili took advantage of the confusion to disappear into the crowd, using her small size to evade the Amazons.
When the smoke cleared, an angry Ishtar turned to Aisha again.
— "Why did you wait so long to answer? You're protecting someone."
Aisha, although weak, answered in a clear voice:
— "I never betray an apprentice I have taken under my wing. That is an Amazon's word."
This answer struck the other Amazons, who saw in her a warrior faithful to her convictions.
Ishtar, though still displeased, realized that pushing further would risk an uprising among her own warriors. She growled and motioned for Aisha to be untied.
— "Be grateful that I let you live. But I'm watching you, Aisha."
From afar, hidden in the shadows, Bell and Lili watched the scene. Bell clenched his fists, relieved but aware that Ishtar would not give up so easily.
— "This is just the beginning," he whispered, determined. "But I will protect her. No matter the cost."
To be continued