Defiance: Meeting of the Gods Part 4

We are reaching the end, hooray.

Around 5-6 more chapters?

Anyway, enjoy.

------------

Join my Discord!

//discord.gg/zpAgtPBAMK

If you wish to support this series, take a look at my P@treon.

//www.p@treon.com/join/AbadomWriter?

You can also find the links on my Disc@rd in case it doesn't work here.

And if you are bored, remember to check my other Novels.

(Including the one on my other account, its called: Azimuth: The Elden Throne

You can also find it by searching for my other account: Follower_of_Abadom)

-----------

.

.

.

----------

"OI! Get away!" Hestia said as she pulled him back

"I..."

IMPOSSIBLE! I must be seeing double, this can't be possible...

Strength, Vitality, Dexterity, Agility, Magic! All a-a-above S RANK?!

No! What is this?! SSS RANK?!

S rank is already an extreme rarity to see... Enough to sing praises about it.

1-1-1... 1499?! What are these numbers?!

'Hermes was so stunned by his Stats he didn't even take a look at his Skills, Magic, and Development abilities.'

'But perhaps this was for the best...'

I-If he's like this... This means his previous limits were also...

Adding everything together... His total Status would be no less than a peak Level 5... If the difference in level isn't accounted for.

Not just any Level 5, but one whose main focus was on the high numbers!

Wait... Since all of his Stats are this balanced, his combat power is way above just that...

He possesses no visible weaknesses, with such a great balancing, taking out a... Level 6 might not be out of the window.

But, First Class adventurers and above will have their own specialties to improve their strengths, if they don't, they won't survive for long, or the pressure from the outside world will push them into mediocrity.

I'm afraid Stats aren't enough to compete with them... Yet this situation is absurd as it is!

I'm comparing a Level 3 with a Level 5 here!

What about the res...

"Humph! Silver! put back your shirt, he saw enough!" Hestia said as she blocked his Status with her hands

'And so he did, and by the time the numbers were blocked, Hermes snapped back, realizing he had forgotten to check the rest!'

"Wait! I didn't see the rest..."

"How shameless of you! You confirmed his Level and saw everything you needed to see, do you want me to off his pants too?!"

"Please do..." Someone exclaimed in the stone chairs above, and by the looks of it, a man

"Who said that?!"

/Chuckles/

'The Gods laughed and Hestia jumped around in frustration.'

'Hermes on the other hand sweated hard as he looked at the ground in disbelief.'

'Silver approached him, smiling, he had his hat in his hands.'

"So? What do you think?"

"I-I... Just..."

Did he... Know this would happen?

His look... I understand now...

'Silver's expression did not change, and as he noticed his reflection in his eyes, Hermes grabbed his hat with a shaking hand, placing it in front of his face as he calmed down.'

'When he pulled his hat up again, his expression had gone back to normal.'

'And as everyone was expecting, he relayed to them his verdict.'

"I saw no interference in his Status, he achieved everything within the rules of the mortal world... Everything was a product of his own efforts!"

/Silence.../

'If people would believe this or not didn't matter, now they had to accept the truth laid in front of them.'

'But it was far from over yet.'

"Wait." Silver said as he looked at Hermes

"I-Is there something missing?"

"Of course there is."

'He turned to Ishtar.'

"Since you brought up the subject of legitimacy, I'll also do the same."

'Pointing at Tammuz, Silver said "Go on, check his Level as well, I'm sure you'll be very surprised." with an ironic smile plastered across his face.'

"H-huh?"

'Hearing his words, Hermes cringed.'

Please, let me go, Loki is already quite upset with my presence here...

If one is not enough, you want me to get on bad terms with yet another scary woman?

"Hm? My Tammuz? Different from you, he grew up at a believable pace, I don't see what there is to see."

"Are you going to play dumb with me? There's no point in excuses."

I'm not really someone to point at others like this...

But I want everyone to be very clear of what I'm about to do.

"Just admit it already, you're also hiding their Levels."

"..."

/Gasp!/

'Yet another juicy revelation! This Denatus was incredibly fun!'

"Go on, if you don't admit, then I'll accept another charge."

"Tough, if he's truly Level 4, what is there to lose? Hermes is quite the trusty guy..."

"... Fine." Ishtar said with a small sigh

"Tammuz has indeed leveled up, I was planning to use the next Denatus to convey this, I have done nothing wrong."

"..."

Playing with words now?... Fine.

'Silver didn't bother to argue.'

"What about your other Level 5?"

'Ishtar's expression darkened.'

"And your Berbera too? They felt a bit different, care to explain?"

"..."

Mellios Silver... I see what you're trying to do now.

'Ishtar smiled.'

"Indeed, Phryne has Leveled up, and a considerable number of my Berbera have also improved their capabilities, as I said before, this happened not long after the Denatus so I..."

"How convenient." Silver mumbled, albeit loud enough to cut her off

She's going to keep her methods a secret... Predictable.

Alas, her plans of War are now completely and utterly foiled, she planned on keeping her forces a secret as she recovered from this mess I caused, recovering Haruhime in the process before finally hitting Freya once everything was done.

That would likely be in the near future, while she attacked her, those that backed her would also move and deal a hit and spread chaos, perhaps succeeding in pushing Orario onto a mini-dark age.

She's merely a tool in their hands.

But with this, many will investigate her, and she'll have to remain even more hidden than before else her connection with those guys will get revealed...

I wonder what they think of this situation, do they take me as a fool as well?

Or are they planning something in the disguise of the dark?

How will they react once she's lost her value?

"..."

'While Silver remained silent, observing the Gods discuss with each other, Ishtar's expression was reddening, but she kept her smile... Her mouth twitched as she tried to reign in her anger.'

'Everyone else, however, was on the verge of exploding!'

'Trully! The juiciest of news!'

"..."

'Hestia looked at Silver, even more concerned as she started to realize the magnitude of this event, but he only nodded to her with a reassuring smile.'

'Without a choice, she and Hermes made their way back to their seats while Loki looked at Silver with a complex gaze.'

"Is something wrong?" He asked with a deep gaze

"No... Let's just continue."

The atmosphere changed a little, have those guys realized this is the real deal?

Everything by his own efforts huh...

Is it really possible through effort alone?

And that bitch... What is she planning by keeping such things under such tight wraps?

No one keeps Levels 6 and 5, together with a small army of Level 3s under the curtains.

'Loki didn't know what to believe anymore, she only understood that something seemed to be happening.'

'And she wanted to know what that was.'

...

"Then, let's get this over with."

The fun's only starting, and my frustration is really high...

So get ready.

"Did she really attack you first?"

"She did, multiple times."

'Loki's eyes seemed to flash for a moment before she scoffed.'

"He's being honest."

/Whispers.../

'The Gods went into disarray, talking with each other...'

'But Loki wouldn't give them time to think.'

"Next question!"

'She pressed her index finger against his chest, asking:'

"What she said before, how you infiltrated her home, was it true?"

'Silver did not deny it.'

"I did infiltrate her home, but she greatly exaggerated. It's like hearing a cat 'meow' in the woods and then telling someone else you heard a tiger roar."

"It's not a lie, but it's not the truth either, it depends on the perspective."

"Heeee?..."

'Loki was having a lot of fun while Ishtar's expression darkened.'

"What about the big event? Why did you do it?"

"... I lost my patience for a moment, in other words, I became emotional."

'Loki raised an eyebrow.'

"Emotional? Why?"

"Because I had my morals tested in ways I didn't wish to, feeling pathetic with myself, I guess I just forego of everything and decided to act."

"This isn't that easy of a question for me to answer"

"That wasn't what I wanted to hear..."

"But you're not lying either... I'll let this one slide."

Mortals are emotional, and this is what brings spice to everything.

"..."

'Ishtar seemed a bit unsatisfied.'

"Then, what did you see to make you so distressed?"

"... Something I was already aware of, something not proper to divulge here." Silver said with a serious expression

"That's not important, in here, you'll answer me, yes or no."

"Then no, I refuse to show it here." He said with a resolute stance

'Silver smirked, his voice heavy as he said:'

"I'll deal with this situation on my own, I do not need your understanding... Or pity."

/Whispers.../

'The Gods were clearly not satisfied with this, most of them at least.'

"..."

'Loki could barely contain her smile, a dangerous glint crossing her eyes.'

"Then we can jump that as well."

'She took a side glance at Ishtar, finding it funny how she wasn't interfering.'

'It simply meant that were she to intervene, the situation would get worse for her.'

"Next question, how did you attack her? Why?"

"I infiltrated her room and had one of the guards call Phryne, it was never my intention to harm Ishtar or the guards in the first place."

"I was there to deal with Phryne."

"Though to make sure I hit her with my all, I had to force her to make a choice."

'Loki understood everything, a situation slowly formed in her head...'

"..."

He's lying...

Crazy kid, did he intend to...

"... And what if she didn't?" She asked slowly

/Silence/

'Yes, what if Phryne hadn't moved?'

'Ishtar would've died... And a mortal ending a God's stay in the mortal plane was a very controversial topic, no matter how evil the God in question is...'

'It's up to the Gods to deal with themselves, this was the rule stated by them ever since they first came down.'

/Smile.../

'Silver's smile widened.'

"Who knows?"

'Looking directly at Loki, he said:'

"Though, hypothetical scenarios don't really matter do they?"

'Loki's eyes opened, staring directly at Silver. Not long after, she shrugged, saying, "Guess they don't." as she proceeded to the next question.'

"Next question."

"What was that beam of light in the sky?"

"It was my Magic."

"Why was it there? Was there a need for it to have covered such a wide scope?"

"You do understand that you potentially endangered the lives of many, do you?"

"Yes, I'm fully aware of my actions."

"So why did you do it?"

"I already said that."

"... Fine... So?"

"... To deal with Phryne, I only had a single idea in mind, my strongest attack, and that was what came to mind."

"But her body was stronger than I thought." Silver said with a shrug

"... Sigh."

'Scratching her head and taking a step back, Loki was a tad lost.'

"So you caused such trouble just for the sake of it?"

"For the sake of it, you say... If that's how you see it, so be it."

"I'm not here to prove anything to anyone at the end of the day."

/GASPS!/

"#! Huh?"

Boy, I stuck my ass out of kindness, and is that how you talk?

"Is-that-so?..."

"Hahaha... I imagine that's all for the questions Loki..." Hermes said, realizing Loki's aura was getting twisted

"Don't interfere Hermes... I'll say when it's over."

'She used her index finger to push him back, and even though he didn't move, she still kept pushing his chest, having her nail press onto his shirt.'

"Then tell me, what do you think I would've done had that one of those beams of light clashed against my home, or injured anyone?"

"You would've stormed my home, throwing everything upside down, demanding answers, and you've kept doing that until the others returned from their Expedition, once they were back, you would've brought them to me to kick my ass." He said with a small smile

"You think this is funny, huh?"

"On the contrary."

"So why the cheeky grin?"

"... Who knows?"

"###!!!"

This guy...

'Loki's expression started to twitch as she pulled her sleeves, she felt this guy needed a good punch!'

"L-Loki! Please, stay calm..."

Why does he keep provoking her like this?...

'Hermes was having difficulty staying calm.'

"Alright then... What do you think we should do with you?"

"Hm... First, the conflict between the Hestia and the Ishtar Familia needs to be resolved."

"How?"

'Silver smiled again.'

"Simple really, I already gave her my answer..."

"So... Why don't you answer that?" He asked as he turned to Ishtar

"Given their actions towards me, and my actions towards her... What do you think we should do?..."

'He looked down on her, light reflecting on his face...'

"What do you think I said to her?"

'Silver was the only one smiling at that moment.'

'Loki looked at him with her usual poker face.'

"..."

His actions so far have been so aggressive.

It's unlike how he usually acts, being courteous and tolerant.

Not like I care anyway.

'Silver words made Loki frown.'

'His tone made it seem like… Like…'

"?!"

'Her expression twisting in realization, she grabbed his shirt and exclaimed:'

"Bastard! Do you want to die that much?!"

I'm here, trying to keep you alive, and this is what you do?

'Letting himself be shaken by the Goddess, Silver grinned.'

"Looks like you realized…"

'He gently pushed her aside.'

"You should be mindful of your neutrality a bit more…"

Though I know she's here more for fun than anything else, I can see she's offering her support for me, despite my recklessness.

It must be difficult to make this choice, especially when she has to keep in mind her other Familia members...

Finn wants to become the light of his race, and for that, he must be perfect...

This includes his Familia's reputation.

"If you don't mind, this has lasted long enough already."

I won't inconvenience you any longer, thank you for being here.

'He walked past her, smiling.'

"Grr..."

Whatever, do what you wish!

'Loki shuffled her hair in distress.'

…

/Step step…/

'He walked next to Ishtar again, but he didn't stare at her for long, instead, turning to the Gods.'

'Raising his voice, he said his lines:'

"Pointing fingers at each other won't resolve anything."

"In the end, the Hestia Familia is the victim of this situation, I imagine there are no misunderstandings about that anymore.'

/Inhale.../

/Exhale.../

'Silver let out a sigh.'

I would like to say that my actions are mine and mine alone... But that won't work.

I already challenged Ishtar as the Captain of the Hestia Familia, saying those words now would only be an insult to everyone.

Both me and Hestia alike... And the people that follow us.

Even though... I don't want them to be dragged into this shit.

'Regardless of his wishes, he had to keep talking.'

"My apologies for creating such trouble, I'll take on the punishment once everything's over."

'For now, it would be up to the Gods to decide what to do of this situation, who was in the wrong, and who was in the right…'

'But Silver wouldn't wait for that.'

/Unfold…/

'Taking out a green envelope from his chest pocket, he read its contents out loud.'

"At this point, I would call this matter resolved, but we can't move without the main plate now, can we?" Silver asked with a smile

"Since the Ishtar Familia isn't pronouncing themselves on this matter, allow me to share it with you all."

'Magical words started to form in the air as Silver's mouth opened…'

"As of yesterday night…"

"The Hestia Familia courteously invites the Ishtar Familia to a War Game!"

/GASP?!/

'The Gods went into a frenzy.'

"The details can be discussed today."

'They couldn't believe it!'

"Another War game?!"

"Ohh boy, its a fat one this time."

"But don't you think they're being too cocky?"

'Like always, the Gods' opinions on this matter were divided into many fronts.'

'Some were flabbergasted...'

'Some expected this, albeit not from Hestia's side…'

'To preserve her reputation, Ishtar would have to challenge Hestia, even if it meant a dark stain in her history… For likely many centuries to come.'

'Yet, Hestia struck first, even if it meant a faster death...'

'To some, such determination was commendable...'

'You must understand that from their perspective and with the proof Silver displayed, the Gods couldn't tell the details going on behind the scenes.'

'They didn't know if Hestia had planned this beforehand or not, though most were inclined in believing she had a certain hand in it, even if little.'

'Others were amused…'

'Most, on the other hand, laughed.'

'Hestia had always been some sort of laughing stock, even in heaven.'

'She was known for being a Goddess with one child, unable to rake in more…'

'A failure whose only good aspect was her beauty and "assets", mostly talked about by other Gods who somewhat desired her... Or when she caused some sort of trouble.'

'Someone that was poor and would steal food from parties to feed herself, someone, that didn't care that much about her own image, shaming herself many times in the mortal plane.'

'While in Heaven she wasn't very well known apart from her big Title, being mostly a shut-in taking care of her duties, and even when she did interact with others, it didn't really leave behind a good impression on these Gods.'

'With the help of her rising star, the sole child she recruited, her reputation increased, and small time Familias stopped looking down on her after Apollo was taken down against all odds.'

'Yet, what of it? To reach such heights all thanks to one mortal...'

'It proved nothing of her capabilities, and on the contrary, even, it proved she was nothing without him.'

'It didn't help Hestia never tried to change what the Gods thought of her, because in fair honesty, she never really bothered to or even realized the extent of their contempt.'

'Nevertheless, it wasn't like she didn't have any self stem, she'll still get angry and try to counter-attack if someone else went wild around her.'

'She also had many allies, mostly female in nature, they would be very keen in helping her were some fool to overstep his boundaries.'

'Hestia's kindness and good nature gave her friends all across Heaven, to the point even Goddess that didn't know very well knew she was somewhat trustworthy.'

/CHUCKLES/

/CHATTER!/

'Regardless, they still laughed.'

'This situation was simply too absurd.'

'How could they not make fun of the overconfident mortal in front of them?'

'Though some remained silent, enjoying the show…'

"GUGH?!"

'Hestia had another attack, this time, she fell "unconscious".'

'Silver looked at her and felt sorry, though he also smiled, such a dramatic girl…'

"I thought you had some sort of plan, but I didn't expect you to dig a coffin."

'He turned to the side, looking at Ishtar, who was now smiling, looking at him as if she was looking at an injured puppy.'

"I certainly did, didn't I?"

"..."

'She looked at his expression, she felt something was wrong.'

'But she shook those emotions away, there was no way anything could go wrong.'

'She had an army of Level 3s and 4s, plus one 5 and 6.'

'Even if he had Haruhime on his hands… Could he deal with everyone together?'

'Phryne wasn't taken out as she claimed, and was only mildly injured by his attack.'

'If they were to repeat that situation, what would be the result were she to be fully prepared and equipped?'

'Would he even have a chance? Would she even get hurt?'

'He might even lose to Tammuz… That was what she believed.'

/Chatter chatter…/

"Silence."

/ECHO…/

/Stop…/

'From bellows of Babel, a voice echoed…'

'It was Ouranos, he was listening to it all, and he was fed up with the lack of discipline from the Gods.'

'Their mockery knew no bound, and it was time for them to start acting like it.'

"Since a War game has been declared, it's time to start with the discussion, we shall leave other matters for later."

'His elderly voice was loud enough to make all of the people in the room hear him without a problem.'

'Silver tried to pinpoint its origin, but the voice seemed to come from everywhere, and no matter how far it went, the sounds of his voice carried on without dissipating.'

"Considering all evidence shown, it is clear the Ishtar Familia is at fault."

"But…"

"Do you have proof of the contrary?" Ouranos questioned Ishtar

"..."

Tsk, I've never seen Ouranos act like this? What's going on with this old coot?

Is he on their side?... Impossible, the Guild wouldn't move for a no-name Familia.

I'm I over-reacting?... This might be the case, I'm still on edge after what happened.

Though, this means that from his perspective, his defense was convincing enough to make him take a stance.

I must change that... If possible.

"Then as per the accord, the Hestia Familia shall begin with an advantage…"

'Ouranos' voice slowly vanished, leaving everyone behind.'

'He had proclaimed, it was time to deal with this matter.'

'Even if most were already getting bored, thinking this situation was a waste of time to even consider, they had to wait...'

"..."

'Silver felt it was his cue to start talking, but he didn't, in the end, he had to follow their rules, it wasn't wise to make little of them…'

'But he felt himself in a bind as his Goddess was still half stunned…'

...

"..."

This girl...

'As he waited, some of the Gods near Hestia such as Hephaestus started to shake her up, and soon enough, she was rushing down the stairs…'

/Trip…/

"UWAA?!"

'Hestia ran so much she ended up tripping, it would be quite the painful fall were her to fall on those stone chairs...'

/Flash!/

'The moment she was about fall face first, Silver flashed, grabbing her gently.'

"!"

'This bout of speed shocked many of the adventurers all around, as mostly didn't even see him move.'

'This surprised even Tammuz and Ottar, that even though their expressions didn't shift, remaining stoic like they usually did, they started to access and calculate just how fast Silver truly was.'

'Tammuz himself felt a bit odd, having woken up from his unconsciousness not that long ago, he felt shame for having been defeated without even reacting.'

"You shouldn't run in stairs…"

"That doesn't matter now!" She said with puffed cheeks as she flayed around, prompting Silver to let her on the ground

"Yeah, it doesn't." He replied with a smile as he turned to the center of the room

"Mnn... You have a plan?..." Hestia whispered as she felt the gazes of everyone else in the room

"I came this far, I wouldn't be me if I hadn't at least something in mind at this point."

"Phew..."

'Feeling a bit better, Hestia went down the stairs.'

...

'Silver led Hestia to the main table, pushing one of the chairs aside gently so she could sit on it, and standing behind her like an aide.'

'And technically, this was what he was, a Captain of a Familia could be said to be a God's closest aide, though it would differ closely from Familia to Familia and God to God.'

'Tammuz did the same on the other side, not even flinching.'

'He had obviously done this so many times it was engraved on his flesh and bones.'

"Siiigh..."

How did I fall into this situation again?

Tsk! It's all due to her! Why did she attack Silver?!

There's no way to stop this now is there?...

'And thus, here was Hestia again, discussing War game details with another God…'

'This time, it was Ishtar, the Lord of the entertainment district!'

'She couldn't understand why, everything was going so well, her children were all working so hard, improving so fast...'

'Why did she attack him? If there was something missing, he would've told her wouldn't him?!'

'H-He would, right?'

"Let's get this over with." Ishtar said with a smile

I didn't expect Loki's intervention, much less Ouranos'... Though it's not like that changed anything.

I was afraid Loki would take his side, but she ended up being very neutral, and that makes sense, I don't know why I was so on edge...

Though... That little girl does tend to be unpredictable... Well, there was no harm in being careful.

As for Ouranos, I'm thankful for him, those guys were speaking a tad too much for my tastes.

They are always so noisy...

Regardless, his words said it all, I'll have to give this one to Hestia.

"You may choose the time, the type of War game, and the varying details as well, I'll be willing to accept it all with some exceptions of course."

"..."

'But Hestia did not say anything, instead, she looked at her with a frown.'

'She bit her lips for a moment, unsure of what to say or do...'

"..."

Look at her all nervous…

My apologies Hestia, but it's nothing personal.

Consider it your bad luck for having such an unruly child, and your inability to teach him common sense.

If the opportunity ever comes, I wouldn't mind giving you a helping hand in the future...

Once I take down Freya and become queen.

'While Ishtar lost herself in her own thoughts, Silver bent over, whispering into Hestia's ears…'

"Hm?... Y-You sure?... O-Okay."

'After listening to his words, light came into her eyes as she regained her focus.'

/Cough/

'Hestia cleared her throat, speaking her line.'

"I've decided on the theme of the War game."

"Oh?"

What did he tell her?

"So soon? You can give it more thought if you want."

'Ishtar spoke in a carefree way, her anger slowly dissipating…'

'This was because she felt she had already won, and as such, confidence was at its highest.'

/Thud!/

"It'll be 3 bouts of Single combat, and at the end, the one with the most wins shall be the victor." She said as she slapped the table with a smile

/Whispers…/

'The Gods talked with each other, this form of resolving disputes wasn't uncommon.'

'Gods would always get angry at each other, or wish to play around and bet...'

'Since it would be unsightly for them to punch each other in the face... Minding a few exceptions, they would use their children to resolve those bouts, as such, the War game was born.'

'A form of proxy War, their children fought each other at the behest of their patron.'

'With single combat being the most used one between simple disputes, this idea wasn't exactly unseen.'

'Not all of these games were bloody or massive on scale like Apollo's.'

'Some were small and very private, others only had money at stake, sometimes it was purely honor, with the loser apologizing to the other God due to a conflict they had in the past...'

'Sometimes these conflicts came with them from Heaven, only to be resolved here, by the mortals... Rather ironic.'

'Some felt disappointed, after the last War game, they expected something of the same magnitude…'

"Single combat and the one with the highest points wins?... Alrigh…"

"Wait, I'm not done."

'Hestia pointed at Ishtar and said strongly:'

"Each member is allowed to fight twice, but not more than two times, and it must be back to back from a win."

"If there's a draw, they won't be allowed to fight again."

"There is a time limit of 10 minutes between each fight and at the end, if the fight has yet to end, it'll end in a draw."

"If there are two draws, the dispute will end in the last fight, if all three are draws, then we'll continue choosing challengers until one of them wins decisively."

"This also includes the other draw condition, 1 victory for both sides and one draw, in this scenario what I said previously is then applied."

"Phew..."

'Hestia took a deep breath to recover her energy, Silver patted her shoulders, reassuring her and praising her for talking well.'

'And she struggled to smile, honestly, she wanted to hit his head!'

'But life was cruel, she couldn't do it...'

"Oh?"

I see it now, she finally used her brains…

'Ishtar looked at Silver.'

Or should I say, the one behind her.

But... Unfortunately...

'A full-on siege would be bad on Hestia's side, especially since she was no Apollo, her Familia was still growing and they had no Level 3s...'

'While in Ishtar's case, many members of her Familia were high-quality combatants, so moving to single combat was the best option for her.'

'Adding a point system makes it easier for her to win since Phryne would win one regardless, but that's just a point…'

'Even if her Captain were to guarantee a point, it would still only end in a tie, 1 point vs 1 point...'

She must be aiming for 1 victory on both sides and a draw... If she can achieve that, then through Haruhime, she can aim for a victory against the Berbera.

How naive can you be?

'Ishtar smiled, this wasn't anything special, it just meant her victory had become that easier to achieve.'

'She could just have Phryne fight from the start and win twice, nothing wrong with that as it was within the rules Hestia applied.'

'Though… Would it be fun?'

'She even thought it was weird... Why allow such a massive disadvantage for her?'

'The only possible explanation would be that she's aiming to let her Captain fight twice and win twice... And the more she thought about it, the clearer it became.'

'It also explained why she hadn't aimed and declared single combat as she can't control who she'll send... And it's obvious... Or is it?'

'Slowly, Ishtar's worries turned from desperation to amusement… And now, she was thinking of the best ways to profit from this situation and improving her reputation while at it.'

'Ishtar had already started to invision how everything would go...'

'She would send her strongest Berbera, Aisha, first to gouge his combat ability, and if he lost, then it didn't matter, she would win and that's that.'

'Though it would be best for her that they had a close fight, regardless of weather or not he won or lost.'

'If her warrior lost, then she would send Tammuz and be done with it.'

"I'll accept that as well." She said with a smile

'Hestia did not reply...'

"Uhum… Alright… R-Really?!"

'Hestia once again listened to Silver's words.'

'She showed some surprise, but regardless, she complied.'

"I've decided on the time."

"Today's night."

/GASP!/

"That's too soon Hestia!" Ishtar said with a frown

Is she aiming for the lack of sleep from my Familia members?

They are already tired from constantly training, and yesterday their night was interrupted if they were to fight today...

They would be far from ideal.

As if!

"3 days at minimum."

I need time to gather some other things just in case Freya...

"Weren't you supposed to agree with anything?" Hestia said with a frown of her own

"Sharp words don't suit you, Hestia, I'm not just talking about myself, I'm talking about others."

"Half a day isn't enough to prepare a suitable place for a War game…"

"It is."

"?!?!"

/Gasp!/

'Once again, everyone was stunned.'

'They all turned to look at the speaker… Someone at the top seats...'

"F-Freya?..."

W-Why is she dipping her hands in this?!

"Fufu…"

'Freya smiled, one hand in her chin, gazing bellow as Ottar stood behind her.'

'Indeed, why was Freya butting in this matter?!'

...

.

.

.

Notes

I choose individual fights because I thought it was the best option.

Originally, I wanted to make a surprise attack, but I scratched that.

Then, I wanted to make some sort of capture the flag, but I thought... It might be too boring to make it fun.

Though I have some ideas for that, it would take a bit of complex thinking and it might stretch this already stretched Volume even further.

As such, I settled with this since I could end it with a few fights that are honestly the essence of the Ishtar Familia.

There will be the impact I wanted and the speed I desired, so I think it's suitable.