GODDESS WAR

Screams of agony filled the Night District.

What had once been bustling streets fully equipped to meet the exotic desires of its

many clients was an assemblage of smoldering framework. The lucky buildings had

massive holes and long gashes in their outside walls; the rest were nothing but piles

of rubble at this point. Even the red-light district had been torn to shreds. The air was

thick with the eerie residue of spent magical energy. The surviving ajura trees bent

and swayed in the waves of heat coming from the nearby flames. Gusts of wind carried

the sparks in and among their blue petals. Devoid of human activity, the prostitutes

who hadn't escaped in time were being held by the invaders at blade point in an open

courtyard.

Other areas of the Pleasure Quarter were still in chaos; the shrieks of terrified

prostitutes and the clash of swords never ceased. The flames of war spread

throughout Orario's third district, getting ever closer to the palace at its center, Belit

Babili.

"Wh-what happened here…?"

Hestia whispered to herself. Their group had finally forced their way into the main hall

on the first floor of the palace. The young goddess forgot to breathe as she saw with

her own eyes the extent of the damage.

Chunks of the white stone floor and walls were missing, decorative pillars collapsed

and laying on the floor like fallen trees. The bodies of badly injured Amazonian

warriors were mixed into the debris. Judging by their position, Hestia thought the

Amazons hadn't stood a chance against their attackers. Battle was still raging outside

the building. Chigusa and the rest of Takemikazuchi Familia were too stunned to speak.

Lilly gulped down the air in her throat before saying as calmly as possible:

"Most likely a raid. But what familia would attack…?"

Hestia listened intently to her follower thinking out loud. Takemikazuchi looked down

at the goddess with a grim expression. She met his gaze and both reluctantly nodded.

They'd seen the attackers on the way in—more specifically, they'd seen the crest

engraved on their weapons and armor. Hestia knew there was no denying it.

"Freya, she made a move…!"

The sound of a blade piercing armor, closely followed by blood splashing on the floor,

echoed through the higher floors of the palace.

"H-help… m…!"

Gravity pulled her body off a black blade. Separated from her team, a single Berbera

fell to the floor. The dark elf didn't listen to her pleas, silently watching as a pool of

blood spread out at his feet.

"Hegni, no killing," came the sharp voice of an elf just down the hallway. The bodies of

more Berbera lay on the floor behind him, twitching in pain or completely motionless.

One of them struggled to stand, her injured body refusing to cooperate. The elf spun

around, thrust out his hand, muttered an extremely short trigger spell, and mercilessly

sent a powerful bolt of lightning into her chest. The spell hit with so much force that

her convulsing body went through the wall, leaving behind a gaping hole. Jagged burn

marks appeared on the floor and walls as soon as the dust cleared.

"The F-Four Knights of the Golden Flame… Bringar…?!"

On a different floor, four javelins pierced each limb of a terrified Amazonian warrior.

The heels of four boots collided with her torso a moment later, knocking loose the

javelins and sending the Level 3 adventurer crashing to the floor. Four prums, each

equipped with body armor and helmets, split up to engage their remaining targets.

The rest of the Amazons were launched through walls, slammed into the floor, or

bounced off the ceiling in a matter of seconds. None of them could stand her ground.

The four advanced to a stairwell at the end of the hall that led to an outside

passageway. One of them, carrying over his shoulder a war hammer that stood taller

than he did, grinned. SLAM! CRASH!! The stairwell was nothing more than a heap of

wood and stone in the back of the hallway when the dust cleared.

"Every set of stairs in the back of the palace up to the twentieth floor has been

demolished."

"Any fighters still on their feet are next. Take away Goddess Ishtar's options."

The four prums convened to confirm their strategy before splitting up. They

disappeared into separate hallways, streaks in darkness.

Ishtar's remaining forces inside the lower half of the palace couldn't hold their

position, their screams of pain spiraling through the halls of Belit Babili like strokes of

the clock.

"—Hey, big guy! We goin' the right way?"

"Hell if I know! Every staircase is in pieces!"

On a different floor, Welf and Ouka raced through room after room with their weapons

drawn.

Just like in the Pleasure Quarter, the two gawked at the level of destruction as they

cleared the way through the palace with the others in tow. Grateful that the mysterious

invaders hadn't paid any attention to them, they cut through the chaos and panic that

had taken over Belit Babili.

"?!"

"A Berbera!"

One of the warrior prostitutes appeared in front of Welf and Ouka. They'd managed to

avoid encountering enemies since entering the main building, but their streak of luck

had come to an end.

However, the Amazon had already seen a great deal of battle. Blood leaking from fresh

cuts all over her body, she held a long club in her left hand while her right clutched the

side of her chest. Breathing staggered and ragged, she stood just in front of the

entrance to the next room.

"Wa—AWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Her bloodshot eyes flashed open as she charged forward, a nightmarish mix of power

and desperation.

She swung the club over her shoulder like a tiger bringing its claws to bear. Ouka

managed to absorb the blow using his ax as a shield. However, he couldn't keep his

feet and staggered backward.

"Big guy!"

"This one's Level Three!"

The pain shooting through Ouka's hands nearly made him drop the ax. Welf jumped

forward to protect him but was knocked to the floor by the Amazon's next swing.

Welf had exhausted his supply of materials making magic swords for the War Game.

There hadn't been a chance to restock and make more after the move. "Dammit!" he

cursed, wishing that he had some way to overcome the difference in level staring him

in the face. The Amazon's mere presence was overwhelming—but suddenly, a nearby

wall exploded outward.

"!"

Ouka, Welf, and their opponent each watched in surprise as the splinters of wood and

chunks of stone flew into the middle of the room.

One Amazon slid to Welf's feet among the debris.

"You aren't worth my time, whore."

A catman appeared behind the hole in the wall, glaring at the woman's body on the

floor.

Fresh blood dripped from the tip of the long spear in his right hand, short fangs bared

in a sneer. The short-stature adventurer quickly noticed the conscious Amazon frozen

in the middle of the room.

"HYE—HYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

She threw her club to the side and made a break for the exit. But the catman was faster.

He became an elusive blur to Welf's and Ouka's eyes. One moment he was outside the

hole in the wall; the next, the dull end of his spear was sending the Amazon through a

different wall. It was exactly what had happened moments before, just this time they

got to see how it happened. The humans blinked a few times in disbelief.

The catman's eyes shifted in their direction.

"So, what are you?"

His aura was so intimidating that neither of them could open their mouths to speak.

He focused on Welf, and judging by his equipment and the air about the young human,

correctly guessed that he was a smith. The catman was not pleased.

"Smiths belong in a forge… Go swing your hammer, peon."

"Wha… Say that again, you piece of shit!"

Welf's pride as a smith drove him into a rage. The catman ignored him, didn't even

look his way as he left the room.

Only the first of his soft steps could be heard as the catman disappeared through the

newest hole in the wall. Welf was seething with rage, but Ouka was awestruck.

"Level Six, 'Vana Freya'… Allen Fromel."

The name of the top-class adventurer belonging to Freya Familia spilled out of Ouka's

mouth.

A feeling of helplessness overtook Welf as he staggered forward and punched the wall

with a strong thud.

"N-no… Inconceivable."

Ishtar let go of the balcony railing, refusing to believe what she had just seen.

Recovering from the shock, she raced back inside.

The sight of their aggravated goddess sent a wave of fear through the guards still in

her chamber.

"Where is Phryne? Is the ritual finished yet?"

"Th-there has been no word! None of the messengers have come…!"

The first guard in her line of sight gave a knee-jerk response. This served only to

irritate Ishtar even further as she desperately searched for answers.

Just why was it that Freya chose now to attack?

Even if Hermes had alerted her to the presence of the Killing Stone, there was no way

the messenger could've known about Haruhime's sorcery—the Level Boost should

still be a secret. Freya attacking preemptively made no sense.

"… Bell Cranell, is it?"

Was the silver-haired Goddess of Beauty really that attached to the boy?

Attached to the point that kidnapping him was something for which she'd go to any

lengths, including war, to punish her?

"That vixen is doing this for… one child?!"

—That's insane!! Absolute nonsense!!

Ishtar's fists shook as her heart screamed out in disbelief. She'd been playing a prank,

trying to be a thorn in Freya's side, and yet that joke had struck the wrong nerve.

However, it was far too late now.

What to do, what to do? The wheels in her mind turned, going faster and faster. Should

she hide the Killing Stone and Haruhime, and then meet up with Phryne and the others

for protection? Or should she escape from her ruined home—no, from Orario entirely?

She didn't know which way to go.

Ishtar was so caught up in her own dilemma that only now did she notice the lack of

battle cries downstairs.

"Huh? Wh-what's wrong?"

The Berbera whom she had the most affection for, the ones who should be defending

her in this time of need, were silent.

Ishtar made her way to the top of the grand stairwell on the thirty-first floor. Looking

down at the very spot of her second encounter with Bell Cranell, she leaned over the

railing and called out to them.

Her voice echoed through the uneasy stillness surrounding the ornate pillars that

decorated the wide chamber below.

Until… ker-tap, ker-tap.

High heels on stone announced the presence of another goddess.

"No…"

Ishtar's amethyst eyes opened as wide as they could go as locks of silver hair and an

ominous smile came into the light.

Two unblinking silver eyes were locked onto her. Freya pulled her long silver bangs

back behind her ear.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Ishtar? Since the last Denatus, I believe? Have you been

well?"

"F-Freya…?"

"I hate to be rude, but there's something we need to discuss. No—more like a final

good-bye."

Ishtar choked on her own words. The smile didn't leave Freya's lips as she made her

intentions known.

The goddess was alone, her escort nowhere to be seen. Seeing this, Ishtar roughly

turned to her own guards and shouted at the top of her lungs:

"S-seize her! Make that woman kneel before me! Both of you!"

She ordered the last of her personal guards, male and female humans, to attack.

The two had been silently waiting at attention, keeping their eyes down. Both rushed

forward, descending the staircase in a heartbeat.

Freya was already in the middle of the chamber, vulnerable from all sides. Ishtar's

guards drew their weapons and charged forward—and slowed down.

"?!"

The man was the first. His body quivered the moment he set eyes on the silver-haired

goddess, and he fell to his knees.

The deity grinned as the female guard wobbled in place, like a drunk person trying to

insist there was nothing wrong. Freya calmly walked up to the young woman and

whispered something in her ear. Every joint in the human's body gave way as she

collapsed like a rag doll.

The male guard made every attempt to stand up, but his legs just wouldn't obey. He

grew more desperate with each passing heartbeat. Freya walked up to him and gently

ran her fingers down his cheek. The man's body shivered before he fell face-first onto

the floor.

"M-my children…!"

—They had been Charmed. Ishtar couldn't even finish her own sentence.

The same scene must've played out many times. Flashes of light coming in from

outside revealed a long trail of motionless bodies behind the silver-haired goddess,

each of them Charmed into submission.

Male or female, it didn't matter. None of Ishtar's followers could prevent Freya from

melting their hearts.

"They're all very cute, Ishtar."

"Hyeeeee…!"

Turning her back toward the fallen guards, Freya made her way to the foot of the

staircase.

Ishtar could no longer hide the fear threatening to take over. A pitiful squeal escaping

her lips, she made a break for the thirty-second floor.

"Burning…?"

The Amazonian warrior whispered weakly as she gazed down at the battlefield from

the edge of the Floating Garden.

Almost no time had passed since she heard the first explosion. Now the smoke was

closing in on her like the oncoming tide. They were already surrounded, and their

home was now under siege.

Each scream of pain by one of their kin in their territory felt like a blade through the

heart for every Berbera still on the roof.

"Wh-what do we do, Aisha…?"

A young Amazon with her long hair wrapped with many bands asked Aisha in a

trembling voice on the verge of tears.

"We can't reach Lady Ishtar… No one's made it to her in one piece."

Aisha frowned as another of the Berbera wailed in despair.

All the Amazons waited on the edge of the garden for their leader's next words.

"… Ishtar Familia's as good as dead. Lena, lead the others outta here."

The fact that Freya's army had invaded first all but sealed their defeat.

Her declaration hitting home, the Berbera hung their heads in silence.

"The others… What about you, Aisha?"

Lena's thick ponytail swung around her waist as she rushed up to her beloved leader.

"Me? I'm stayin' here."

Aisha broke off eye contact with the girl and cast her gaze toward the altar.

Haruhime was still lying there, unconscious on the stone floor.

"I got a score to settle."

A heavy metal clang rang down from above. Every Berbera looked up at the roof of the

main palace far overhead.

Yet another clash of metal on metal shrieked its way toward the dark-blue sky. The

moon lit up the wispy clouds like a lamp behind many intricate shades.

Two figures collided on awnings, roofs, and the outside wall of the palace, destroying

bits and pieces along the way.

A grand battle-ax sliced through the air until its momentum was stopped by a rising

broadsword. An explosion of sparks erupted every time the weapons smashed into

each other.

"Gwah!!"

"NuRAAH!!"

Bell and Phryne's duel had arrived at the highest point of Belit Babili. There was

nothing between their battle and the heavens above.

Ishtar had fitted the tallest point of her fortress with many exotic plants and an

extravagant water feature that included a fountain. It was, without a doubt, a space fit

for a goddess. Her quarters stood in the middle of a space that rivaled the Coliseum in

size. Now it was nothing more than the eye of the storm as the battle raged around it.

Bell absorbed another downward strike of the ax and guided it safely to the side with

the broadsword. Bracing his muscles to withstand the impact, he spun forward toward

his opponent and brought the blade back up toward her chest.

Phryne easily knocked the weapon out of the way and swung her own. Bell's

broadsword made it back in position in time to block her counterattack.

"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! Dance for meeeee!"

The gash on her cheek opened a little wider as a crazed smile grew on her lips.

Phryne's eyes never blinked.

Unrelenting rage coursing through her veins, the massive Amazon moved in for

another attack with a joyous bloodlust in her eyes.

"Isn't it amaaazing~~~~!! Haruhime's sorcery?"

Thanks to her Magic, Uchide no Kozuchi, Bell was able to keep up with Phryne blow for

blow. The Amazon was right, Haruhime's Level Boost granted incredible power.

However, it wasn't perfect. While Bell's speed was on par with her, she still had every

other advantage.

Even with the assistance of an enchantment that should be illegal, Bell couldn't

overcome the wall that separated him from top-class adventurers.

Bell gritted his teeth as he desperately tried to use his elevated Status to hold back the

onslaught of attacks coming from one of Orario's most powerful fighters.

"With that kind of power, Level Six doesn't mean nothinggg!! Makes the Kenki a mere

giiirl!"

"!"

Only Bell's swift combination of steps allowed him to protect himself against Phryne's

attacks. Frustration boiling over, the Amazon launched into a verbal tirade while

keeping up the pressure.

Her eyes and lips twitched with each wave of anger building to a crescendo.

"That little rag doll, Orario's most beautiful adventurerrr? Like hell she is!"

"…!"

"The way you fight, it's pissing me off more and more every second! Her shadow's in

every dodge!"

Just as Ishtar held a grudge against Freya, Phryne had the same kind of ferocious spite

toward Orario's strongest female knight.

The raging fire within her had two sources: the girl's blond hair and golden eyes that

could pass for those of a deity and the fact that the puny human had ascended past

her to Level 6. It was no surprise that she could see the effects of Aiz's teachings in

Bell's movements. Phryne's jealousy fueled her fury to the boiling point.

"With that power, I could stomp the VARMINT INTO DUUUUUST!!"

Grabbing her ax with both hands, Phryne unleashed the swing with every intention of

crushing the visions of Aiz—along with Bell.

He jumped to the side at the last second, and stone debris exploded from the spot

where the ax came down. Ignoring the new massive hole in the floor, Bell instead

looked at his opponent.

The girl he held in the highest esteem, his idol, had just been insulted. A new fire

burned bright within Bell as he screamed at the top of his lungs, charging his enemy

blade-first.

"UWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Nuh!"

Bell's surging wave of attacks forced Phryne into a defensive position for the first time.

She raised her ax to protect herself against his stolen weapon moving in from every

angle imaginable among the flashing beads of light surrounding the boy. Her large

frame shook every time their blades collided.

Bell focused all his strength into one diagonal slash to inflict as much pain as possible.

A wide-eyed Phryne spun out of the way in the nick of time but lost her footing as a

wave of debris washed over her.

"—No getting cockyyy!"

"!"

She knocked Bell's follow-up attack out of the way. The next moment, her body was a

blur.

His weapon above his head, Bell's chest was completely exposed. Phryne buried her

foot between his ribs with a powerful front kick.

"GaWAH!"

Despite getting his knee up in time to prevent a fatal blow, Bell was launched through

the iron-grated fence that surrounded Ishtar's private garden. The barrier crumbled

under the sheer force of impact. With nothing to break his fall, Bell tumbled off the

edge, toward the ground far below.

"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH!"

Croaking laughter filled the air. Phryne was ready to jump after him to deliver the final

blow.

The sound of someone calling out to her reached her ears just before she could.

"Ph-Phryne! Lady Ishtar's in trouble—save her!"

"… A-AhhNNN?"

The Amazon turned around just as two Berbera emerged onto the roof from a

stairwell.

Out of breath, the two panicking Amazons rushed to her side. Exhaling through her

nose, Phryne ignored them. Turning her back, she caught a glimpse of the Pleasure

Quarter for the first time and froze in place.

"What the hell is going on…?"

Many columns of smoke emerging from the city below reflected in her bulging eyes as

she somehow chained her rage.

Phryne finally noticed that something very bad was happening around her home.

"There you are! Where have you been?"

"Watch your words, varmint. Now tell me—what's all that?"

"O-our territory, the Pleasure Quarter, was invaded…!"

Phryne listened in disbelief as the two Amazons brought her up to speed.

They fell silent as all three women felt the presence of another on the roof.

"…?"

It came from the opposite side of the garden. The Berbera stood on the east side of the

roof; the newcomer emerged on the west side.

Moonlight blocked by passing clouds, the newcomer was shrouded in darkness.

"—So this is the highest point."

A low male voice came from a hulking frame.

He had at least a head over the two-meder-tall Phryne. The three Amazons watched

the muscular newcomer quietly walk through the heavily damaged garden.

Judging from the outline of the shadow… he was an animal person.

"D-dammit, dammit all…!"

"Ha-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Phryne watched him with suspicion. The Berbera, however, launched themselves at

the newcomer in desperation. Whether it was the Amazonian blood in their veins or

the dire situation that drove them, the two warriors charged the mysterious figure at

full speed.

The muscular shadow watched the two armed adventurers rush toward him and

calmly swung his right fist.

" "

BANG!

The fist hit the first Berbera with the force of an explosion, her unconscious body

hurtling through the air.

Tumbling through the piles of stone like a cannonball, she didn't stop until her back

slammed into the water fountain. Even Phryne didn't see the blow. She could only

stand and watch with trembling eyes as the newcomer reached out with his left hand

and grabbed the face of the second Berbera, like a hawk snatching a fish from a lake.

His grin spanning from ear to ear, the shadowed figure lifted her up like a sword before

slamming her onto the floor.

"—KAH—"

A crater in the shape of her body appeared on the stone surface as every bubble of

oxygen was expelled from her lungs. All four limbs fell limp at her sides. Water rained

from the sky a moment later, soaking the area. It had come from the fountain, the

impact causing the water to jump several meders into the air and come back down

like rain.

Phryne gawked as the clouds parted, revealing the identity of the newcomer.

Her eyes nearly jumped from their sockets as the boarman warlord came into view.

"O–Ottar?!"

Short, rust-colored fur and the ears of a wild boar.

Bones as solid as iron, with a towering body built like a sheer cliff.

He turned his foot toward the Amazon, a look of stoic, fearless determination glued to

his face.

"Phryne Jamil… the last one."

Ottar's monotone yet overwhelming voice filled the air.

Phryne's fingers trembled. Part of it was awe, but mostly fear.

"Wh-why are you here?!"

Her voice shrieked as she comprehended the severity of the situation at last.

Freya Familia hadn't waited for Ishtar Familia to declare war, and they'd attacked first.

Cold beads of sweat rolled down her fat cheeks. She struggled to clear her throat.

This was inevitable—picking a fight with Freya Familia meant that they would

eventually have to deal with Ottar. Therefore, they already had a plan in place.

Phryne and the top Berbera, boosted by Killing Stone shards, would have used various

types of anti-Status Magic and curses to make him as physically weak as possible.

Trying to engage this man in combat without doing so was the same as suicide. They

didn't stand a chance against him at full power.

Even if the Level Boost gave her the strength to surpass the Kenki, Aiz Wallenstein, it

would do little to protect her against the warlord.

He wore no armor and carried no weapon but still overpowered his opponents by his

very presence.

The very top of Freya Familia.

Orario's strongest adventurer.

The Labyrinth City's one and only—Level 7.

The Zenith.

Oujya "Warlord" Ottar.

"Guh… gahhh… ge-gih…!"

His genuine power was stifling. Phryne gripped the handle of her ax in terror, each digit

soaked in sweat.

It was the same feeling as standing in front of a floor boss in the deep levels of the

Dungeon.

The horrifying knowledge that the moment she showed her back, it was all over.

The only option on the table for the Level 5 Phryne Jamil was forward.

"GEH-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Howling with all her might, Phryne took the fight to the enemy.

Raising the grand battle-ax high in her right hand, she decided to use all her

momentum to drive the weapon into his shoulder.

"…"

Ottar knew exactly why she had been given the title "Androctonus, the Man Slayer," as

thousands of male adventurers had fallen to her blade. The same blade that was

coming at him at this very moment.

But he silently stuck out his left arm.

"?!"

He stopped the attack—by grabbing Phryne's right hand and the ax handle with his

left.

Complete protection. The silver blade of the ax didn't come anywhere close to his skin.

Ottar's boulder-like hand completely enclosed his opponent's meaty fist.

As for the collision, a slight bend in his elbow was enough to absorb it without his feet

budging in the slightest. Phryne's attack had come to an abrupt halt.

Rust-colored eyes narrowing in a frown, Ottar clenched the muscles in his left hand.

"GIEE—GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Many snapping sounds shot out from beneath Ottar's grip. The weapon handle broke,

along with most of the bones in her hand.

Her scream pierced the night air. Phryne bent backward in pain the moment the

powerful man released her.

The blade of the grand battle-ax hit the floor at her feet with a clacking thud. At the

same time, Ottar stepped behind the still-reeling Phryne.

"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

The Amazon was grasping her disfigured appendage as the boar hooked his arm under

her shoulder and threw her to the ground. Her round body slid and rolled through the

piles of stone built up on the surface of the floor. Dust rose, making a small cloud as

she came to a stop on her stomach at the base of the fountain.

Writhing in pain, Phryne caught a glimpse of her reflection in the water.

Her tan skin was covered with hundreds of cuts, most of them bleeding.

Her face, unequaled by anyone in the world, was caked in blood and dust.

"My… My beautiful… MY BEAUTIFUL FACE~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

She howled at the sky, eyes turning deep red. Wet black hair was plastered to her skin.

Fury unleashed once again, she launched herself at Ottar.

Her target: his throat. Both hands, intact or not, were wide open and yearning to

squeeze the life out of him.

"DIE, BOARMAN! DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

More stone tiles broke beneath her feet as the Amazon rampaged forward. Ottar

brushed her left arm to the side.

"Too much noise."

Then he drove his own fist directly into her path.

"GeHEE!"

Landing squarely in the middle of her face, Ottar's punch propelled Phryne skyward.

Whistling through the air, the frog-like Amazon's large frame arced over the side of the

garden and toward the ground.

The whistling grew louder, loud enough to hurt her ears, as she plummeted.

"GIHEEE…!"

Taking the impact of landing on her shoulder, Phryne rolled to a stop in the front

garden.

Despite falling from more than forty stories above the ground, her Level 5 Defense, far

stronger than the average Dungeon monster's, kept her alive. Blood gushing from her

broken nose stained her hunting gear a deep red.

Phryne grabbed her face with her good hand, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Uh—uHEE!"

The boarman warlord followed.

Jumping down the decorated exterior of the palace, he bounded a few times before his

two feet shattered the stone path through the front garden upon impact.

Phryne was still planted on her rear end and desperately tried to shimmy backward—

but the two were not alone.

From the front, from the side, from all directions…

Eight figures united. A catman, dark and white elves, and four prums appeared.

Looking at the faces of the adventurers surrounding her, all the color drained from

Phryne's skin.

"Vana Freya, Level Six Hegni and Hedin, and even the Gulliver Brothers, Bringar…!"

All the fight left in her vanished in an instant with the knowledge that the most

powerful members of Freya Familia were closing in on her from all sides.

After completing their mission to incapacitate enemy personnel, the group had

reunited to take on Ishtar Familia's most formidable member.

Ottar was directly in front of her, his ring of allies preventing her escape.

"HYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! S-SPARE MEEEE!"

Supporting her head with one arm, she looked from one person to another and started

begging for her life.

"What did I ever do to youuu? Surely nothing that would deserve thisss?"

"The fact that you're still breathing is sin enough," came a sharp retort from the

catman, but Phryne never heard him.

"I-I'll do anything! Anything for the one who spares me! O-OH! THAT'S IT! My body, I'll

pay with my body! I'll lay with you, so please LET ME GOOO!"

"UGH!" came a unified snap of disgust from the top-class adventurers.

"No woman could ever hope to rival me! NO ONE! Even goddesses can't handle my

beauty! And you can ravage meeee, do whatever you will! You can't pass that uuuup!"

Each of the top-class adventurers was glaring at her with the eyes of death itself, but

Phryne was too focused on talking herself up to notice.

The face of every Berbera around her was blank, completely devoid of emotion. Ottar

cracked his neck before looking at the ground at the Amazon's feet.

Then—an ominous smile grew on Phryne's lips as she made her final bid.

"Even that Freya looks ugly next to me!"

With that…

The boar looked up.

"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ottar lost it.

"GHEE!"

"You have soiled the name of a goddess most sacred!"

Red light shone like magic-stone lamps from behind his eyes as he roared with

unimpeded fury.

Allen and the others donned similar looks of outrage, each seething with anger as

veins throbbed and muscles twitched.

"There is only one fate worthy for the likes of you."

"Death, death, death!"

Ottar's voice grew as his allies chanted around him.

Phryne's face turned a ghostly white. The ring of adventurers was closing in in unison,

step by terrifying step.

Ignoring every plea, eight dark shadows fell over the large Amazon.

"UW—UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

A chilling scream echoed through the smoky skies of the Pleasure Quarter.

"… She's not coming after me?"

Bell regained his bearings during the fall and landed safely on the roof of a midsize

brothel behind the palace. He looked up toward the top of the tallest tower, wondering

why he didn't have company.

Bell stood with the broadsword ready, beads of light still flashing around his body.

There was no movement coming from the highest point of the palace, so Bell slowly,

cautiously lowered his weapon.

That was when Bell noticed that he was surrounded by a black shroud of smoke

emerging from the Pleasure Quarter. His battle with a top-class adventurer had

prevented him from seeing any of the flames or picking up on any of the magical

energy residues hanging in the air like static electricity. It went without saying that

this view was about the last thing he expected to see.

That could explain why Phryne dropped her pursuit—she'd gone to deal with this new

threat.

In that case… Bell thought to himself as he jumped off the roof.

He could use this chaos and confusion to rescue Haruhime. Landing on the outside of

the main tower, he set his sights on the stone bridge.

Taking advantage of every smidgen of the strength and speed boost of his temporary

Level 4 Status, he jumped from awning to awning and used the stones that jutted out

from the tower's exterior to ascend to the bridge that extended from the fortieth floor

of the tower. While his ears registered the sounds of battle surrounding him, Bell

focused all his energy into making it across the stone bridge as quickly as possible.

The Floating Garden was dead silent the moment he arrived.

All the injured Berbera, who had been lying motionless on the floor, were gone. An

uneasy stillness had settled in under the night sky. Even the blue cloud of light

emanating from the stones had become thin and wispy. Either too many of the lunatic

light–infused stone slabs had been destroyed or too much of the moon's light was

blocked by the cloud cover to maintain a constant glow.

Bell took a few steps into the scarred battlefield. Charred fragments of stone were

scattered all over the place and large swaths of the floor were missing. The boy weaved

his way through the debris until…

There she was, lying at the foot of the altar, alone.

"… So you're here."

A single Amazonian warrior stood up from behind the altar. Aisha's long hair swayed

around her shoulders as she turned to face Bell.

Haruhime lay right next to her. Unconscious, she had been positioned comfortably

against the stone altar.

It was almost as if Aisha had been waiting for Bell, knowing he would return. The boy

didn't say anything, only continued to walk toward them. Lifting his heavily damaged

broadsword into position, he came to a stop a few meders in front of Aisha and

Haruhime.

The tip of Aisha's wooden blade had been thrust into the floor, sticking straight up.

Aisha stood next to it, arms crossed in front of her chest as she listened to Bell's decree.

"I'm taking Haruhime with me."

There was no hesitation in his voice. Aisha narrowed her eyes and cocked an eyebrow.

"… Now that's more like it."

The face of a man with conviction—Bell finally had the look of a determined male, a

hero.

Aisha couldn't have been happier.

"But, you know, I can't just say 'go ahead' and leave you to it."

She curled her lips into a dauntless smile and put her hands on her hips.

Aisha's long black hair and minimal dark-purple clothing shook from side to side as

she dug her heel into the floor.

"Rules of the familia must be obeyed, it's in our blood… You know what I mean?"

"…"

The power of a god's Blessing, ichor, flowed in their veins. It also prevented them from

easily escaping from the will of their god.

No matter how much pain the group caused them, no matter how many outsiders tried

to assist them, the chances of successfully breaking free were almost nil. Aisha

reminded Bell of that fact.

Bell knew, but there was nothing to say.

"Oh yeah, never got a chance to ask. Why did you go this far? Got a thing for her?"

A bit of humor was laced into her voice. Aisha grinned again and waited for Bell's next

words.

The boy's gaze fell to the ground, but he'd opened his mouth to speak.

"… Being a prostitute was too painful for Miss Haruhime. So I decided to help her."

"… Don't know what gave you that idea, but she's a virgin who doesn't know her way

around a man."

"Eh?"

Bell blinked a few times, wondering if he'd heard that right.

"She'd always pass out right before the main event. The sight of male skin made her

lightheaded, the dimwit."

"…"

"Even just the other night, she keeled over onto the chest of a customer. Totally killed

the mood and the guy didn't pay."

Bell had a feeling he knew exactly what she was talking about.

The night they first met, the same thing happened when she saw his muscles…

"B-but she said she'd given herself many times… to many different men."

"Maybe she was having some frisky dreams after passing out. Horny li'l fox."

Aisha was growing bored. Bell couldn't say anything more as he cast his gaze on the

unconscious girl lying next to the altar.

"… Or perhaps she's been through so much that she can't tell the difference between a

dream and reality anymore."

"!"

Kicked out of her own house and forcefully removed from her homeland.

Brought into a city where she didn't know anyone or anything and sold to the highest

bidder. Haruhime's life had been a series of tragedies one after another.

Unwillingly becoming a prostitute, exposing her skin and being touched.

She had always been oppressed. Losing everything she knew in an instant and trapped

in a cycle of darkness, Haruhime would have been consumed by despair.

Her life was a living nightmare.

With no escape, it was plausible she'd forgotten the difference between dream and

memory.

All the more reason to save her from this.

To remove from the lineup the girl with eyes longing for the outside world.

"—She's worth a lot, even as a crappy prostitute."

Aisha's tone changed once again as Bell's determination grew by the second.

"Say she did leave this familia, others would eventually learn what she can do and try

the same ritual. She's better off with us than some other dirtbags… Lady Ishtar's curse

keeps telling me, don't let her go. So you know."

Aisha cracked the knuckles in her right hand as she spoke.

All the while, her eyes were asking one question: Can you protect her?

Plucking her sword out of the ground with her right hand, Aisha pointed the tip of the

weapon directly at the still-sparkling Bell.

"Brace up. When a man rescues a woman, it's gotta be by force."

Bell could tell by Aisha's smile; he had no choice.

Just as his opponent wanted, Bell gripped his broadsword with both hands and took a

defensive stance.

Bell and Aisha stared each other down, the distant sounds of roaring flames and

screams wafting up from the Pleasure Quarter below.

"One minute."

Aisha said out of the blue.

"I didn't just look after Haruhime around here, she's been in my battle party. I know

that magic like the back of my hand. Trust me, you've got only one minute."

She could tell just by looking at the flickering lights around the boy. Uchide no Kozuchi

was about to wear off.

The lights were fading out one by one. She'd seen it and experienced it herself more

times than she could count in the Dungeon. Haruhime might have poured all of her

Mind into casting the Level Boost on Bell, but it wasn't going to last much longer.

Bell looked around at the lights that bathed his body in warmth.

"Attack right now, and you'd wipe the floor with me before saving yer girl."

Aisha jerked her chin toward Haruhime.

Bell kept his eyes trained on Aisha but only lifted the broadsword to protect himself.

His feet stayed firmly planted in place.

Moments passed in silence.

"Such a moron…"

Aisha arrogantly narrowed her eyes, clearly put off by Bell's righteousness.

The light around Bell's body faded even further as the two of them locked eyes. The

air around the two adventurers was so thick, even the breeze slowed to a crawl.

A loud crack came from the damaged stone pillar behind the altar. The last of the beads

of light faded out of existence at the same moment that a piece of stone fell from the

pillar and crashed to the floor.

The opening bell. The two warriors charged forward, weapons flashing in starlight.

"But—I don't got a problem with it!"

Wood and metal slammed together; Aisha's grin reflected off the broadsword.

Bell kept his eyes, burning with resolve, locked on his opponent.

More echoes pierced the night as the warrior prostitute and the white-haired boy

exchanged blows at high speed.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

Their bodies overlapped, weapons clashed. Aisha couldn't contain her excitement as

she drove her own weapon forward and laughed at the top of her lungs.

The endless collisions and eruptions of sparks brought her a feeling of joy she hadn't

felt in a long time.

"This! This is why I can't keep away from real men!"

Blades pressed against each other, Aisha leaned in and smiled from ear to ear in front

of Bell.

"Arrogant, violent, strong…!"

Bell's body, Bell's glare, Bell's power—she took it all.

Joyous ecstasy made her entire body shake with anticipation.

"Only real men can get a woman's blood boiling!"

Aisha shouted as she raised her weapon high above her head and brought it down

with tremendous force.

Bell stepped out of the way and paid no attention to the debris flying past his face as

he stepped into his own counterattack.

She flipped away, and Bell kicked off the floor to pursue her. Picking up speed, the two

traded even more blows as they raced around the Floating Garden.

Until finally, Aisha's elation reached that point at which her body couldn't stand the

heat swelling within her.

"—Come, reckless conqueror!"

And she started casting.

Panicked footsteps rushed up the last set of stairs. Quick, hurried breaths echoed

inside the thin stairwell.

Cool air caressed her sweat-covered body, distant flames illuminating her silhouette

in the night.

A view of the red shell of the Pleasure Quarter opened up beneath her as she ran

through the aftermath of an epic battle.

"How far are you going to run, Ishtar?"

"F-Freya…?!"

Ishtar's terror-filled eyes looked over her shoulder and saw the first strands of Freya's

silver hair emerge from the eastern stairwell right behind her.

The moment the goddess's piercing silver eyes met hers, Ishtar's grudge against the

goddess faded away and was replaced by fear.

Her territory in ruins, entire familia scattered, everything she'd worked so hard to

create was being pulled out from under her by this extraordinary deity. Tripping over

chunks of stone, getting back up, running, looking over her shoulder again and

tripping, Ishtar repeated the cycle over and over in a desperate attempt to escape from

Freya's wrath. The garden she knew had been torn to shreds by an ax and broadsword.

She darted her way toward her private quarters, her last possible safe haven at the

highest point of her palace's tallest tower.

"No…!!"

She discovered a fatal flaw in her plan.

The path that would lead her to safety wasn't beyond her trees and water features.

That part of the garden had been completely destroyed. Only a stark cliff remained in

its place. Ishtar had no way of knowing that it was Phryne who put it there.

She froze in place, looking down at the incredibly long drop below. Ker-tap, ker-tap.

Freya had arrived.

"Thus ends our game of tag. Enough is enough."

"HYEEEEEE…!"

Turning to face her pursuer, Ishtar struggled to control the scream of fear escaping

from her lungs.

There was another crater directly behind Freya in Ishtar's line of sight. Bell had

created this one toward the end of his mad rush.

Ishtar and Freya stood face-to-face, no more than ten steps between them.

"I-it was just a little tease, Freya. I had no idea you cared so much for that boy… I-I

won't do it again, I swear."

None of her followers remained inside the palace. Ottar's team had wiped them out.

Without any of her pawns to play, Ishtar resorted to asking for forgiveness.

A light breeze blew between them, making Freya's silver locks dance around her

wicked smile.

"Ishtar? Your little pranks up until now have been laughable… but this went over the

line. You will not be forgiven."

Freya's eyes showed no emotion, and yet her smile grew.

"I will make that boy mine."

Flares of anger flashed through her silver pupils, but she kept smiling.

"I will not forgive any woman who tries to take what is rightfully mine."

Freya's desire to have sole possession of Bell had been brought to bear. Ishtar was lost

for words.

It was as if she were looking into a mirror. The same fires of jealousy and hatred that

burned within Ishtar were now looking back at her in the form of Freya's obsession

with Bell.

Eyes narrowing, Freya's lips started moving once again.

"This—is your final hour."

The knowledge of her fate made Ishtar's face turn white as a ghost.

"—Concurrent Casting?!"

Bell couldn't contain his surprise as his ears picked up the unmistakable melody of the

trigger spell between the constant collisions of their blades.

"Masculine warrior, strong soldier, greedy and unjust hero!"

Every word was clear, pulsing with controlled magical energy as her lips moved in

rhythm with her stride.

Slicing forward with her wooden sword, meeting Bell's broadsword head-on, all the

while not missing a beat of her trigger spell, Aisha was pulling out all the stops.

Offense, movement, evasion, and defense—not a single attribute of her fighting style

suffered. It was as if Antianeira were giving a street performance, dancing and singing

for an audience. Mastering the complex and dangerous Concurrent Casting was proof

that this Berbera was indeed stronger than Hyacinthus.

"Prove your desire for the Empress's throne!"

—Not good. Bell's mind raced.

Willing his arms to move faster, Bell upped the pressure on Aisha. While he did

manage to slice off the very end of her ponytail, none of his strikes hit home. He

couldn't even force her onto the defensive. Her long legs kept Bell from entering pointblank range as she led him back to the center of the Floating Garden. He pursued her

to the best of his ability, but several hours of running for his life and intense combat

were taking their toll.

"Satisfy my body, penetrate and kill it to show your worth!"

At this rate…?

Every syllable of her trigger spell made another bead of sweat roll down his face.

He was in danger of being caught up in her Magic. Becoming even more desperate, Bell

raised the broadsword high and brought it down in a large arc, only to have it rejected

by Aisha's heel. The Amazon kept spinning, jumped into the air, and nailed Bell in the

face with the same foot.

"Gwah!"

Bell was knocked backward on impact.

"My famished blade is Hipporyute!"

Aisha completed her trigger spell as the space between the two fighters opened for a

few vital seconds.

Bell regained his feet, eyes on his opponent. Having never seen the spell before, he had

no idea what was coming his way. He shifted his weight to dodge the attack—when he

realized where he was in the Floating Garden.

The very center, in front of the altar, right in front of the unconscious Haruhime.

If he avoided Aisha's spell, Haruhime would take a direct hit.

His eyes snapped back to Aisha, unsure if she would actually use the spell knowing

that Haruhime was in the line of fire. Bell forgot to breathe once he saw the look in her

eyes.

Show me you're can protect her.

Bell could feel it in her gaze.

If you're gonna take her, then prove you can.

Seeing the determination in Aisha's eyes—Bell knew what he had to do.

"!!"

"Argonaut."

He started the charge in the face of an attack he could not avoid.

White specks of light started to swirl around the broadsword in preparation to stop

Aisha's full power.

"P-please, I beseech you!"

Freya took a step forward. Ishtar shifted backward as far as possible, heel against the

cliff, and screamed with everything she had.

Eyes open wide, Ishtar caught a glimpse directly behind the other Goddess of Beauty

of the scar in her garden created by Bell.

Suddenly, smack! A hand appeared from beneath and took hold of the outer layer of

stone. Next, the head of the badly injured but handsome young man with tan skin

popped above the surface.

It was Tammuz. Despite his still-bleeding wounds, no doubt inflicted by someone in

Ottar's battle party, the faithful servant had returned to his mistress in her time of

need.

There was hope! Ishtar hid the joy in her heart and desperately tried to buy him some

time.

"Freya, I'll tell you something interesting!"

Tammuz was now halfway onto the roof.

"That child, Bell Cranell, is immune to our Charm! Don't you want to know why?"

Freya's thin shoulders jumped in surprise. Just behind her, Tammuz's second foot

landed squarely on an intact slab of the garden's stone floor.

"Should that be true, it makes him even more alluring. Now I want him even more."

Freya's eyes smiled, getting caught up in her own fantasy for a moment. Meanwhile,

Tammuz held his breath as he quickly but silently snuck up behind the goddess.

"However, there is no need for me to hear it from you."

Freya took another step forward. Tammuz chose that moment to strike.

I win! Ishtar screamed to herself, a malicious smile on her lips.

Just as Tammuz's hands were a mere heartbeat from Freya's neck—she calmly turned

to face him like she knew he'd been there the entire time.

Ishtar's poor follower was hit by the full force of Freya's beauty. Taking it all in at once,

Tammuz came to a sudden halt.

Ishtar watched in horror as Freya stepped toward her prized child, slid her fingers

down his cheek, and smiled back at him.

"Ah… ahhh…!"

Tammuz collapsed to the floor.

Cheeks blushing and slack-jawed, the human looked up at the silver-haired goddess

with glistening, quivering eyes.

The man who had received every bit of love Ishtar had to offer had been Charmed by

Freya in the blink of an eye.

"Would you give us some privacy?"

Nodding over and over at Freya's request, Tammuz climbed to his feet and drifted

away from the two deities as if walking on a cloud.

Time stood still for Ishtar.

Her man had just been stolen. It happened right in front of her eyes.

He had sworn loyalty to her, been overwhelmed by her beauty, and still that woman

had been able to nullify her love. Tammuz had been Charmed to the point he should

have been her devout servant. There wasn't enough humanity left within him to be

Charmed by another.

Despite all that, Freya stole him.

Her Charm had been overwritten.

In other words, it was undeniable proof that Freya's beauty exceeded her own.

Ishtar's pride snapped, crumbling into nothingness.

"... hhy."

Whispered sounds weren't strong enough to become words.

Fingers clenched into fists; molars ground against each other.

Her tan skin, her luscious, curvy body, every feature of her face shook with anger and

humiliation.

"WHY?!"

Ishtar howled at Freya, her skin flaring red.

Men who prized beauty above all else went to Freya, not her.

Just a moment ago, she had seen her own Charm erased. She could steal anyone from

her.

They were both Goddesses of Beauty, so why was this possible?

Freya took another step closer, causing Ishtar to lash out once again.

"You and I—just what the hell is the difference?!"

"Essence."

A clear assertion.

" "

Petrified, Ishtar fell silent while Freya laughed at her in jest.

"Nothing else makes sense now, does it?"

A moment of silence.

Followed almost immediately by one deity's tormented scream.

"UHH—UwwAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her mind burning white, Ishtar charged Freya with all the ferocity of a wounded bear.

The image that triggered Argonaut, the hero Issen Douji.

Despite his small stature, the legendary samurai from the Far East had fought a horde

of over a thousand ogres in order to protect one little girl.

Gathering strength using one of Haruhime's favorite heroes, Bell braced the

broadsword against his shoulder.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Directly in front of him, Aisha's war cry ripped through the air as she slammed her

massive wooden sword into the stone flooring at her feet.

The gallant female warrior used every muscle in her body to trigger her Magic.

"Hell Kaios!"

An immense crimson shock wave emerged from the point where the tip of her weapon

pierced stone.

Magical energy poured down her sword and followed the shock wave onto the

battlefield. The energy spike grew larger, like the dorsal fin of a colossal shark

emerging from the surface of the sea. Crimson wave engulfing the Floating Garden, the

blade of energy careened at Bell.

Bell met it head-on. It had grown to twice his size by the time it came within range of

the glowing broadsword. Bell stepped forward and put his entire body into one

overarching swing.

A five-second charge.

The chimes of Argonaut filled the air as Magic collided with Skill.

"GEH—UUAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Crimson energy and white light detonated at the point of impact.

Flashes of crimson and white illuminated the Floating Garden under the moonlit sky.

—The charge wasn't enough.

Not enough power, not even close. Bell's feet were pushed backward by the crimson

onslaught.

The heat of the magical energy singed his skin. CRACK! Several lines snaked their way

through the blade of the broadsword.

Bell's eyes shot open as wide as they could go—but he refused to give any more

ground. Thinking of Haruhime, he gritted his teeth and started to push back.

Mikoto had entrusted him with her mission. He had promises to keep, the resolve to

see this through. And there was a girl's smile he wanted to see.

Power flowed back into his limbs. His spirit bellowed. His Status flamed to life.

Bell drove the broadsword through the crimson blade with all his body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

BOOM! A blinding flash filled the night.

The two energies offset each other, dissipating into flickering specks of light as they

faded into nothingness.

"Canceled it out…?!"

Aisha spat in anger as she watched her Magic disappear. However, the right corner of

her lips was still curled in a smirk.

Hell Kaios dissipated along with Argonaut's energy. Only the moonlight and the soft

glow of lunatic light illuminated their standoff. At the same time, the explosion had

triggered a burst of wind and a thin cloud of smoke—through which the white-haired

boy charged with all the speed he could muster.

" !!"

The broadsword overwhelmed by Argonaut's energy, Bell threw the broken weapon

to the side as he closed the distance.

The sight of an empty-handed opponent rushing toward her made Aisha's smirk turn

into an all-out grin. Tossing aside her own weapon, the Amazon set her feet.

—Too slow!!

The toll of Argonaut.

Executing the Skill required a great deal of physical and mental energy. Mind and

muscles taxed to their limit, the boy's body was a far cry from peak condition.

Aisha could see it. She carefully watched his movements, including the absurd amount

of sweat flying off his body. She saw her chance and prepared to unleash a reverse

roundhouse kick.

In range.

"GIEH—"

The incredible reach of the Amazon's leg allowed her heel to hit Bell on the side of the

head before the boy had a chance to defend.

She felt the impact, his head bending down. Her grin opened wider, feeling his hair on

the back of her foot—slide under.

The boy was still moving forward.

Bell's momentum carried him even closer to Aisha.

Bell hadn't tried to defend. Instead, he focused all his remaining strength into

attacking.

All the energy not sapped by Argonaut, all the energy left in every cell of his body, was

poured into this strike.

Aisha watched helplessly as Bell's fist had a clear shot at her exposed stomach.

Ruby-red eyes shining with determination, the boy put everything he had into one

punch.

"UWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The white rabbit's "vorpal fang."

"GuUUH!"

Aisha's body bent under the force of the blow to her gut.

Although her feet left the ground for a moment, her Defense was strong enough to

withstand the hit. However—

Bell wasn't done.

"FIREBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLT!"

Point-blank range.

"GAHHHhh!"

A bolt of magical energy surged forth from the fist still buried in her abdominal

muscles.

Aisha's body was launched skyward by several flaming lightning bolts.

Bell had committed his entire store of Mind to unleash every ounce of firepower his

Magic could produce. The backlash in this explosion of energy through his weakened

body erupted into the air as well. A quick flip, and he landed on his left hand and feet,

sliding backward in a cloud of dust.

The boy's right hand was burned to a crisp, smoke still rising from his clenched fist.

The jagged electrical burn marks jutting out from Aisha's stomach were much more

severe. Wide eyes hidden by her long bangs, a small smile grew on her lips as she fell

through the air.

A smoking comet over the moon, the Amazon landed flat on her back and remained

silent.

She had been defeated.

"UhhUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The roar of a Goddess of Beauty echoed through the dark evening sky.

A sudden gust of wind ripped through her private garden as Ishtar launched herself

at Freya, her face warped into a visage unbecoming of a deity. As for Freya…

… she calmly stepped out of the way with a small twirl.

"?!"

Long locks of silver hair and the silky white skin of her opponent's shoulder blades

flashed before Ishtar's eyes. Her momentum carried her past her target like a boat

riding a raging river past its dock.

The steep cliff behind Freya came rushing into view. The pupils of her eyes shrank to

nothing but dots as Ishtar slammed her feet into the stone flooring in a desperate

attempt to stop herself. A small cloud of dust rose into the air at her feet as she came

to a halt with less than a celch to spare.

However… ker-tap, ker-tap.

"HYE—"

Thin high heels echoed behind her. Panicking, she spun around, only to feel a hand hit

her square in the chest.

Freya stood there, ice in her eyes, and gave Ishtar a push.

Her heel was off the edge. There was nothing between her and the cliff. Nothing to

save her.

Ishtar stretched up her body in a desperate attempt to avoid falling into a dark abyss

that spread out beneath her at the base of her palace.

"Wai—"

Wait, Freya.

Those words were abruptly cut short.

SLAP.

Freya's hand left a red imprint on Ishtar's cheek.

"—a."

A silent plea that fell on deaf ears. Body twisting, Ishtar lost her balance and fell off

the edge.

Freya peered over the side and watched from the very top of the palace as the other

deity became smaller and smaller.

She enjoyed every moment of the look on her former rival's face before she fell out of

sight. It brought a smile to her lips.

Until finally—THUD!

The cracking of divine bones shattered the silence.

Arcanum activated at the moment a fatal wound had been inflicted on an immortal

body.

Ishtar's divine power sprang to life in the form of light more beautiful than anything

ever before seen on Gekai—which violated the rules of their game.

Freya watched with glee and snapped her fingers the moment that Arcanum's light

reached her eyes.

A heartbeat later, countless glowing orbs descended on the spot where Ishtar fell—

BOOOM! A new, deeper explosion shook the Pleasure Quarter. A pillar of light took

over the night sky.

A bridge of light that signaled a goddess's return to Tenkai.

Any deity who lost the game could never return.

A cruel smile appeared on Freya's lips as she watched her rival on Gekai meet a

permanent end.

"Hopefully you've learned not to antagonize your superiors. Either way, it's too late

now."

With one last grin, Freya turned her back on the pillar of light.

The score was settled.

With Aisha defeated, Bell stumbled his way toward Haruhime, kneeled, and braced

her upper body against his knees.

A sudden pillar of light rose to the heavens right in front of his eyes, the sonic boom

pushing against his skin.

"What is that…?"

No way, he thought to himself as he looked upon the celestial light in awe.

A deity had been sent back to heaven.

The boy had never seen anything like this colossal beacon in his young life. He wasn't

the only one to behold it for the first time, either. Other citizens of Orario looked out

their windows with their own eyes to see the gigantic pillar dominating the landscape.

The songs of fairies that had been passed down through tales of heroes and mythical

stories, or perhaps the roars of ferocious monsters that shook the land under his feet,

were the only things that could rival the mythical light before him at this moment. All

were seared into his memory.

Bell's breathing slowed as he watched the pillar part the clouds and continue on

beyond the sky. It was as if this new light were illuminating the whole world at once.

The shaking that accompanied the pillar suddenly stopped like the stillness after an

earthquake. A sense of calm descended over Gekai.

Putting his arm around Haruhime to support her shoulders, Bell sat in silence for a

few moments.

His mind wandered as he looked off into the distance. Gaze shifting, a certain divine

being came into view.

"… A goddess?"

She was standing on the roof of the main tower.

The Floating Garden wasn't quite as high as the main tower, but Bell could clearly see

the deity standing close to the edge.

Even at a distance, the goddess's perfect body was mesmerizing. There was a different

aura to it, compared to Ishtar's beauty gone too far. Yes, a tranquil beauty that he could

look at until the end of time, almost magical. Her silver hair flowed in the breeze,

sparkling like the stars in the night sky.

The goddess turned to face Bell, who had lost all concept of time as he stared up at her.

That's when the boy realized she was smiling at him.

And also, he felt a jolt!

A foreboding wave of cold sweat ran down his spine.

He knew this feeling. He'd felt it many times before. The feeling of being seen—a gaze

that didn't hold anything back.

The boy was speechless as his eyes registered the deity's lips moving. While her voice

didn't reach him, their meaning washed over him like rolling thunder.

"I love you."

Each one of the silent syllables echoed through his mind.

—It's her.

Bell was sure of it. Every time he'd felt the strange twang of an intense stare, she was

the one behind it.

The nervous beating of his heart pounding in his ears, Bell stared in fascination at the

being looking down from above… when she suddenly disappeared. As if awakening

from a dream, Bell took control of his quivering lungs and came back into the moment.

"Nhh…"

At long last, the eyes of the girl in his embrace started to flutter.

Her green pupils emerged moments later and she looked up toward his face.

"Master Cranell…?"

Her green eyes met Bell's ruby-red gaze.

The girl was slowly but surely waking up. Bell watched her eyes clear for a moment

before he gathered the girl's long golden hair and laid it over his right arm. Ignoring

the surprised look on Haruhime's face, the boy put his right hand behind her head and

pulled her close into his chest.

Haruhime's fox ears and tail twitched nervously, her cheeks blushing bright pink.

With Haruhime's body braced against his, both of Bell's hands were free. His fingers

ran down her thin neck.

And slipped beneath the black collar still attached to her. CRICK! He grabbed both

sides of the magic item and pulled. SNAP!

"Ah…"

Realizing what just happened, Haruhime cautiously brought her right hand up to her

neck in disbelief.

The black curse of a leash that had restrained her for years had finally been lifted.

Her eyes jumped up to the boy's face. Just one look at his bloody, wound-riddled visage

told her all she needed to know. Tears flooded her eyes, making them sparkle in the

moonlight.

What are you supposed to say at times like this again…?

Supporting the sitting Haruhime with both his arms, Bell's mind went to work.

Thinking through all the heroes the girl liked, Bell desperately searched for the right

words.

Then… in the end…

He found the simplest, right words to say:

"I've come to save you."

The first tear rolled down Haruhime's cheek, followed closely by a smile as radiant as

a beautiful flower blooming in the early morning sun.

The distance was gone. Her real smile had finally surfaced. One look at her and Bell

couldn't help but do the same.

"Thank you… my hero."

Those words made Bell's cheeks turn pink. A carefree, almost childlike smile grew on

his lips.

Bell shared a moment of joy and happiness with the crying yet smiling renart.

"BELL!"

"Mr. Bell—!"

The two basked in each other's warmth until the boy's family came to meet them.