YEARNING OF A HERO

"Bell and Mikoto have to be here. Let us through!"

The last of the natural sunlight was fading from the evening sky as Hestia arrived at

the outer corner of the Pleasure Quarter. Guards moved to block her path almost

immediately.

They were standing at the edge of Orario's third district, the place where Ishtar

Familia's territory officially began.

Hestia was accompanied by Welf and Lilly, as well as Takemikazuchi, on her mission

to rescue the rest of her familia. They were blocked by two Amazons just before

entering the main strip of brothels on Main Street. A standoff ensued.

"My pardon, goddess, do you have any proof?"

"Watch your words. Any funny business and we'll remove you by force."

"Grrr…" Hestia started growling, getting steadily louder as the two female warriors

gripped the weapons strapped to their backs: One carried a battle-ax; the other pulled

twin longswords just far enough out of their sheaths to make the blades flash.

A group of Amazons had attacked Lilly and Welf in the Dungeon, but they had no

evidence.

"UGHAAA!!" Hestia's voice erupted, her hands rising in the air as the two enemy

warriors grinned at her frustration.

"They sure are giving us the runaround…"

"Well, were we expecting anything else?"

Male customers who started arriving on Southeast Main Street and their prostitutes

stopped in their tracks to gawk at the enraged deity. Lilly could only sigh at her

goddess's childish arguing technique. Welf crossed his arms but watched the Amazons

like a hawk.

Takemikazuchi stood not too far away from them, his black hair in the usual bobbed,

triangular style. His own followers started emerging out of the crowd and gathered

around him. Their scouting mission complete, it was time to make a plan of their own.

"Ouka, what did you see?"

"They have this area completely locked down. Not even a rat could sneak in

unnoticed."

"Amazons and prostitutes are blocking every street… There's no opening."

Takemikazuchi listened to Ouka, Chigusa, and his other followers. "I see," he muttered,

eyebrows sinking.

He reasoned that it was likely this was a cage to keep Bell and Mikoto from revealing

the existence of the Killing Stone to anyone else. At the same time, it acted as a barrier

to keep anyone else from interfering with the Killing Stone Ritual.

While he was still unsure why they had captured the two humans, he was sure they

were inside.

"Mikoto…"

Concern for the girl's well-being written all over his face, Takemikazuchi looked up at

the full moon that was peeking out from behind rolling clouds.

"Sir Bell, please take this potion with you as well."

"If you're sure, thank you. I'll take it."

At the same time two deities were trying to get into Orario's third district, Bell and

Mikoto were undergoing their last preparations in their hidden alcove under the night

sky.

The two of them were planning to break into the palace alone and rescue Haruhime.

They had to be ready for anything.

They had briefly considered leaving the Pleasure Quarter and returning with

reinforcements. However, they thought better of it. Deep in the heart of Ishtar's

territory, they might not get a better chance to strike at this range. If they left now,

there was no guarantee that they'd get a chance to strike at all. Therefore, they stayed

hidden and divided up the high-quality healing potions and supplies Mikoto had taken

from the vault.

Mikoto sat on the ground, tying her clothing to her joints to reduce the sound of the

fabric. Dressed completely in black, she looked more and more like a ninja every

second. Even while talking with Bell, a conversation she had with Takemikazuchi

many years ago floated to the front of her mind.

"Mikoto, you are the most physically suited to learn ninjutsu out of everyone. However,

you don't have the right mind-set."

At the time, her god had already trained her in how to use many weapons and in styles

of hand-to-hand combat, so the time came to train her in the ways of the ninja.

"Listen well, Mikoto. Ninjutsu is… dirty."

"D-dirty?"

"Yes. A ninja is not picky about the methods used to complete the mission."

Mikoto had been sitting on her heels, sweating in the humid air as she listened to her

god say these things as though it was common sense.

"Sneak attacks, ambushes, traps… A ninja uses every option, any means to reach their

goal. So, to be blunt, someone as straightforward and honest as yourself might not have

much use for it."

Even so, Takemikazuchi taught her everything he knew. Once they came to Orario,

Mikoto distinctly remembered Takemikazuchi telling her while smiling to himself that

she was much more suited to be an adventurer.

She truly missed being around him. His calming smile at the forefront of her mind,

Mikoto took a deep breath and used the image to calm her nerves.

She was using Bell's Ushiwakamaru in place of the katana that was broken in the

Dungeon. She also borrowed his item pouch and filled it with everything except the

potions she had liberated from their enemy.

Feeling light as a feather, she nodded to herself.

"Sir Bell, I would like to confirm the plan one last time."

"Of course," said Bell as he kneeled in front of her.

"According to the scrolls I read, the ritual must be performed when the full moon first

reaches its brightest peak, approximately eight o'clock tonight. Location will be at the

top of one of the palace towers, an area called the Floating Garden… but please ignore

that last piece of information."

Mikoto proceeded to explain the Killing Stone Ritual, including the time limit and

other details. She glanced up at the clouds blocking the full moon from view, knowing

they were almost out of time. "There will be no ploy," she said before explaining the

attack plan.

"First off, Sir Bell will garner the most attention, break into the palace, and cause a

diversion…"

"While Miss Mikoto rescues Miss Haruhime."

Bell echoed their simple plan before Mikoto could finish. However, her eyes were

clouded with concern.

"This may be our only option… But are you certain, Sir Bell? All danger falls squarely

on your shoulders."

Bell knew full well that if he was drawn into combat, countless more enemies would

swarm in in an attempt to overwhelm him. Clearing his throat, he simply said, "I'll do

it."

"… Give me twelve—no, ten minutes. I will find Lady Haruhime and get her to safety."

Bell's ruby-red eyes locked onto her dark-violet gaze; both shone with the light of

determination.

Seeing Bell's conviction empowered Mikoto with even more courage and resolve.

"… Lastly, what we should do should our plan fail."

Neither of them wanted to talk about it, but Mikoto knew they had to cover all bases.

Bell lent her his ears, his expression just as serious.

"Once I have made contact with Lady Haruhime, I will send up a flare. Green if I've

succeeded, and red if—"

"Not… and in that case…?"

"… We break into the most heavily guarded area in the enemy stronghold and destroy

the Killing Stone. That's our only choice."

It wouldn't solve the problem of Ishtar Familia acquiring another Killing Stone, but it

would buy them time, as well as cancel tonight's ritual.

"Should it come to pass, improvisation will be necessary… One of us will need to draw

attention while the other breaks the stone. I believe that is all we can plan for at this

time."

Bell had no objections to Mikoto's plan of attack. Every item necessary for the ritual

was set in the Floating Garden, waiting for the moonlight. The location of the ritual

could not be moved at the last minute. Their plan in place, the two humans exchanged

one final nod.

"Well then, Sir Bell… May the tides of battle flow in your favor."

"You, too, Miss Mikoto. Take care of Miss Haruhime."

Then they split up.

Emerging from their dark side path, Bell and Mikoto moved out to get into their

respective positions.

Careful to evade the eyes of Amazons and prostitutes alike, Bell made his way to the

front gate of Ishtar Familia's home. Staying just out of sight, he eyed the front gate and

weighed his options.

"…"

Well hidden in the shadows of a nearby brothel, Bell took a knee and looked at the

palm of his right hand.

Bell knew exactly who might show up—Aisha, the Berbera, and, of course, Phryne.

As for what to do when that Level 5, top-class adventurer appeared, he had no clue. Of

all the scenarios that played in his head, not one of them ended in victory.

Bell glanced at the rest of his body. Light armor completely destroyed, only a layer of

cotton protected his skin. BA-DUM BA-DUM. The thumps of his heart banged against

the inside of his chest.

"This is all I've got…"

Ring, ring. Bell whispered to himself as soft chime sounds echoed and points of light

started swirling around his right arm. He focused as hard as he could and bit down on

his lip.

More light started to gather in the palm of his hand. But would it really hit his target?

Would he even be able to charge it in time to use in battle? Even more questions surged

into Bell's head. Shaking it from side to side, he ignored the voices and clenched his

fist.

I have to make it work, he said to himself as even more of the specks of light slipped

into the center of his fist between his clenched fingers.

A heartbeat later, Bell jumped out of the shadows.

"Wha…?!"

"Little Rookie?!"

He could clearly see the golden palace and the front gardens beyond the main gate, as

well as the stunned faces of all the Amazons who had been assigned to protect it.

None of them had even considered the possibility that he would come to their home

base on his own. Panicking, each of them reached for their weapons or turned their

backs to sound the alarm.

Bell thrust his right arm forward before any of the Amazons were able to get very far.

Ten-second charge.

A small bell sound rang out, signaling the start of the battle as the boy roared at the

top of his lungs:

"FIREBOLT!!"

The pillar of white light accompanied the thunderous roar of a flaming lightning bolt.

The front gate of the palace was utterly destroyed in the ensuing explosion and every

single one of the guards was launched skyward.

Screams and shrieks rose into the air, along with an enormous amount of smoke. Bell

charged forward, right through it all.

Running as fast as he could, he quickly reached into his leg holster and withdrew two

potions he'd received from Mikoto: a high potion and a high-mind potion. He downed

them both in one gulp and discarded the empty vials in one swift motion. Emerging

from the smoke, Bell raced up the front steps of the palace and into the building.

The mission to save one girl was now officially under way.

"You wanna explain that explosion?"

Greatsword balanced on his shoulder, Welf yelled at the two Amazons.

Everyone in the area was looking at the mushroom cloud rising from the middle of the

third district. Even Hestia stopped glaring at the guards the moment the explosion

reached her ears.

Lilly ignored the sudden chaos and used the opportunity to press the Amazon

roadblock.

"There's the undeniable proof!! That explosion was caused by Mr. Bell's Firebolt!"

"Out of the way!"

The Amazons knew there was no way Lilly and Welf could discern a type of Magic from

this distance, but they also figured out there was no way to prove them wrong.

Snapping their tongues in frustration, the two drew their weapons in earnest.

"So what if it was? You trying to start a war?"

"We're Ishtar Familia!"

Lilly hesitated for a moment, the reality of her actions hitting home—a mountain of a

shadow passed over her.

The enormous man reached out and grabbed the closest Amazon by the throat, lifted

her up, and threw her to the side.

The other guard was just as surprised as the thrown Amazon, watching her ally tumble

down the stone pavement. Then she looked up at a pair of furious human eyes honing

in on her. The massive human, Ouka, took another step forward and said only one

word:

"Move."

Ouka had had enough of standing idly by while Mikoto and Haruhime were in danger.

His decisive action inspired the rest of Takemikazuchi Familia to draw their own

blades and prepare for battle. Ouka unhooked his great ax from his back and led the

party of humans from the Far East into a line of red-faced Amazons.

"Everyone together!"

"Ha-ha-ha, that's what I'm talking about!"

Welf laughed and joined their formation as Ouka led the opening charge. The battle

had officially begun.

Lilly loaded her bow gun and surveyed the battlefield. Orario's third district had

become the stage for the opening acts of an all-out war.

"So it came to this after all…!"

"There was no time, couldn't be helped."

Welf and Ouka were powerful Level 2 adventurers, but their enemies had the

advantage of numbers. Hestia watched the events unfold and sighed to herself,

thinking that the situation couldn't be helped. She followed after Takemikazuchi and

entered the street her allies had forcibly broken into.

—If there was a true beginning to all this…

It started with one-sided animosity.

Ishtar hated Freya from the moment the two Goddesses of Beauty first met.

It could have been something as simple as a sibling rivalry, or perhaps it was caused

by jealousy, wanting something she did not have. But in the end, she despised Freya to

the point that she had tried to topple her many times.

On the other hand, Freya didn't have a strong opinion of Ishtar at all.

She would laugh off all the "provocations" and enjoy watching Ishtar retreat with

every failure. That was the only time Freya ever paid any attention to her, so she didn't

care one way or the other.

She didn't know if her indifference came from her power, fame, or influence.

Freya had reached the summit of Orario, undisputedly second to none. Meanwhile,

Ishtar's rise had stopped at becoming queen of the debauched streets and districts in

the metropolis.

Freya's name had spread like wildfire. Her followers were wrapped in fear. It was said

that her beauty was unequaled throughout the world—and other nonsense like her

charms could turn heaven and earth on their heels. The claims and compliments for

Freya never halted.

This was the moment when she laughed at the jealousy of other goddesses.

That's when and why black flames surged within that glare of animosity, or perhaps it

was destined to happen this way no matter how events came to pass.

However, if there was one thing that could be said…

The difference between the two Goddesses of Beauty, Freya and Ishtar, it was—

"My Lady."

The voice of her trusted follower pulled Freya's eyes away from her own reflection in

the wineglass she was holding.

She placed the glass on a circular table at her side. Ottar took that as his signal and

approached her.

"Allen has submitted a report. Ishtar Familia abducted Bell Cranell and is behaving

suspiciously… Also, an explosion in the Pleasure Quarter occurred moments ago."

Freya stood up from her chair before Ottar had completely finished his sentence.

"The entire familia has been assembled, yes?"

"Yes."

"Issue a decree."

"Then your will is set."

"It is. Ishtar crossed the line."

Freya's voice was cool, calm, and collected. Her silver eyes narrowed as she spoke.

"All her little jokes were laughable until now. But this… No. I won't allow it."

Ottar watched Freya take a step away from her table—and then he turned to address

a large crowd.

"To arms! Our goddess desires glory on the battlefield!"

All her warriors had gathered and were standing at attention in the main chamber

beneath her throne. The sounds of marching boots filled the room as her followers

filed out in ranks.

They readied their weapons of choice and moved out, wasting no movement. Their

discipline was evidence of their deep-seated loyalty.

Without even a whisper of idle chatter, the household warriors assembled outside on

the grounds of the silver fortress, Folkvangr. It was so organized it seemed as though

they had practiced and arranged the movements beforehand.

Numbering well over one hundred, every one of them was ready to carry out their

goddess's bidding.

"… Deplorable."

Following the last of the echoes through the hallways, Ottar escorted Freya out of the

building.

Caught off guard by his goddess's sudden utterance, Ottar responded in a hushed

voice:

"What is?"

"This turn of events."

Ottar frowned but kept walking.

Freya didn't notice. She shrugged to herself as the two of them arrived at the front

door of their home.

"I, too, shall head out. We leave as soon as preparations are complete."

Belit Babili was overrun in a flash by loud, angry voices.

"Intruders!"

"How many?"

"J-just one, the Little Rookie! He charged the front gate!"

Bell could hear all the Amazons shouting orders, caught glimpses of them pointing

him out to their kin as he raced through the palace.

Making his way toward the center, he could see a tower, similar to Babel, rising toward

the heavens. The base of the looming structure was composed of many long, wide

floors. Bursting out of the outer ring and into the courtyard, he raced toward it and

entered the first floor. Everything from stairwells, to pillars, to spaces between stones

became his route to higher and higher floors up the inside of the tower.

"STOP HIM—!"

A large group of fully armed Berbera was in hot pursuit.

Bell immediately changed course whenever he caught a glimpse of anyone in his path.

Wave after wave of arrows relentlessly rained down from every direction but, at the

same time, gave him the best indication of where to run.

If I stop now, it's all over…!

This was the enemy stronghold. He had to avoid hundreds of warriors on his own.

If he lost even a step, a single second in combat facing any one of them, the rest would

catch up and he'd be forced into a fight he could never win.

Flashes of his enemies zoomed by every corner of his vision. Bell knew he couldn't

allow any of them to get close.

"Firebolt!"

"Ughhaa!"

He fired multiple rounds of his magic without breaking stride.

Spell chants—time to prepare magic abilities—were unnecessary with Bell's SwiftStrike Magic. The Amazons had no answer for a ranged attack that was faster and

stronger than their arrows. They were either blown backward or stayed out of range,

which meant they couldn't get close enough for a blade or fist.

Trying to carefully avoid hitting the noncombatant prostitutes he could see huddled

up in fear in the hallways and chambers as he passed through, Bell aimed his Firebolt

at any enemies, ceilings, and floors he could reach. Thunderous flames rained down

within the central tower as Bell tried to cause as much chaos as possible.

"Loose!"

"Whaa?!"

Bell had just turned off a hallway onto a stairwell only to be greeted by a group of ten

Amazonian archers with their arrows at the ready.

The twangs of their bowstrings rang through the stairwell as the arrows were

launched before Bell had time to call forth his magic. While he was able to deflect most

of them with his Hestia Knife, the awkward swing made him lose his balance and he

fell back down the stairs.

There was no time to recover; the next round of arrows was already on its way. Rolling

out at the last instant, Bell caught a glimpse of the ten Amazons as each of them drew

swords and jumped down the stairwell. Even more were coming from either side of

the hallway. He immediately charged under the jumping Amazons, past the stairwell,

down the hallway toward a window, and dived into it headfirst.

"He's outside!"

Breaking through the glass, he felt cool night air envelop his skin.

The moon was still partially hidden by cloud cover. Bell landed on the awning of the

window below and used another to continue his ascent up the tower.

One window after another was shattered as the Amazons followed the agile rabbit

outside and up the tower. They weren't giving him any breathing room.

It hasn't even been—three minutes?!

Beads of sweat flew off his skin. His lungs labored for breath. Even more dark shadows

were on his tail. Bell decided now was the time to take the third potion out of his leg

holster.

His heart beating so hard that his chest might implode at any second, Bell urged every

muscle to keep firing. Feeling the effects of the potion kick in, Bell discarded the empty

vial without losing a step. He kept drawing their attention, trying to get away while

making as much noise as possible.

The evening lights of the Pleasure Quarter spreading out beneath him, Bell continued

to lean on the one thing he knew surpassed the Berbera: his speed.

"Sir Bell, you have my gratitude."

—Meanwhile, on the complete opposite side of the palace…

Mikoto slipped into a window on the backside of Belit Babili completely unnoticed.

Many guards had been pulled away from their stations. Even the patrols on the inside

were much less frequent. No one could catch Bell, their original target. The only choice

was to corner him with numbers. And those numbers had been pulled from the

patrols.

Words of gratitude and apology on her lips, Mikoto moved swiftly and silently through

the hallways. She hid in the shadows the moment approaching footsteps revealed the

location of enemy warriors. Three or four groups of Berbera went past her without

detecting her presence. At last, Mikoto came upon a single Berbera. She sensed the

same spiritual pressure in the Amazon as herself, another Level 2.

Wasting no time, she withdrew a spherical crystal from her item pouch and rolled it

at the Amazon coming toward her from farther down the hallway.

"… What's this…?"

The moment the Amazon bent down to inspect the shiny object, Mikoto dropped down

from the ceiling and landed directly behind her target. Before her victim knew what

happened, Mikoto had her arm around her neck.

What's more, the Ushiwakamaru blade was resting on top of the coppery skin of the

Amazon's throat.

"Where is Lady Haruhime?"

"F-fortieth floor. Close to the Floating Garden."

That was all she needed to hear. She moved slightly to put her prisoner in a choke hold

and, a moment later, the Amazon fell unconscious to the floor.

Mikoto wasted no time in dragging the limp warrior out of the hallway and into a room

before disappearing without a trace. She was on her way to the fortieth floor.

"How dirty…" whispered Mikoto as she remembered Takemikazuchi's face. It was true;

an adventurer would never want to pull off such an underhanded ambush.

Finding a window, Mikoto climbed outside and started scaling the building.

Far above, she spotted light coming from an open window.

Haruhime was sitting in front of a certain window, trembling.

Just when she thought something unusual was going on, a report came in saying that

the Little Rookie—Bell Cranell—had forced his way into the palace.

She stood up and made a break for the door but was caught by two Berbera and

roughly escorted back to her seat. Now two of the intimidating warrior prostitutes

stood on either side of her, watching her every movement with the same emotionless

glare.

Haruhime had changed into a formal red kimono imported from the Far East. She cast

her anxious gaze back out the window, her drooping golden tail twitching behind her

chair.

"That boy did what…?"

No one had told her anything. The words involuntarily spilled out of her soft pink lips

when her ears picked up the news from the conversations going on around her.

Thoughts like why, how, and please stop, among other fragmented thoughts, weakly

spilled from her mouth.

Haruhime's gaze fell to the floor as she wrapped her arms around her thin body like

she was afraid of what was going to happen next.

"All of you go help out. I'll stay here."

Aisha issued orders to the other Berbera in the same room where Haruhime was

trying to make herself as small as possible.

Aisha volunteered to stay behind and protect their person of interest, but a rather

large woman was much more concerned about capturing Bell and voiced an even

larger dissent.

"You ain't leavin' the group, Aisha. You're comin' with me on the rabbit hunnnt."

"… Aahh?"

"Already forgotten the beatin' you got at our hands when you smashed the first Killing

Stone, Aishaaa?"

The overgrown frog out of water, Phryne, squared her shoulders in front of Aisha and

looked down on the thinner Amazon.

"Plannin' to use the chaos to let Haruhime escape, ehhhh? Can't trust you. So I want

you where I can see you."

Other Amazons in the room seemed a bit confused by Phryne's words.

"You idiot," Aisha spat back. She felt the effects of Ishtar's Charm far more than anyone

else present in the room and couldn't even think against her goddess at this point.

"The Little Rookie is an obvious decoy. The Eternal Shadow is comin' here for

Haruhime."

"That's what I'm sayin'. Let the others handle the Level Two, third-tier shrimmmp.

They don't need you or me."

With the exception of Phryne and Aisha, all the Berbera in the room were Level 2.

Every single one of the second-tier adventurers was currently pursuing Bell, their

Statuses matching his at Level 3.

Phryne's nostrils flexed as she claimed with absolute confidence that someone at

Mikoto's level wouldn't stand a chance against these numbers anyway.

"That girl used an unbelievable spell during the War Game. If she's underestimated–"

"Shut up alreadyyy!"

Phryne bellowed loud enough to shake the room. The Berbera and Haruhime all

recoiled in surprise.

Her bloodshot eyes once again fell onto a surprisingly unfazed Aisha.

"All you have to do is follow my orders. Or do you want me to smash in that faaace?"

Aisha did her best to ignore the incredible stench emerging from Phryne's wide mouth

as her face shifted into a frown.

When she destroyed the first Killing Stone, Aisha had been thoroughly "disciplined"

by Phryne's brutal methods before being dragged before Ishtar as a nearly lifeless

wreck.

"Or perhaps… you'd like all your other little varmints to have a taste?"

Aisha's stoic expression suddenly showed a flash of concern.

That, more than anything else, struck fear into the hearts of the other Berbera as they

watched on.

Those Amazons trusted Aisha far more than their leader, Phryne. That was especially

true for the younger ones. Aisha treated them like younger sisters—as she did with

Haruhime—and looked after them.

"Did you forget, Aishaaa? Next time you stick a toe out of line, it won't be just you who

gets devoured. All the others get their turn… Lady Ishtar warned you herself, didn't

sheee?"

Ishtar had been testing Aisha's loyalty. Perhaps "playing with it" would be a better way

to describe her demeanor.

Despite being overwhelmingly Charmed by her goddess, Aisha still possessed her own

free will and would never become a true puppet. However, that meant that she felt

every ounce of fear as she was forced to choose between Haruhime and the well-being

of her adopted younger siblings. She was constantly balancing a scale that would

break her heart should either side fall.

This state of constant unease was Ishtar's punishment for breaking the Killing Stone.

"Well?" came a pompous demand. Aisha's lips twitched before she finally opened her

mouth.

"… Fine."

The gorgeous Amazon decided to follow orders.

"Ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-geh!" Phyrne's croaking laughter echoed throughout the room.

They equipped their weapons and prepared to find the intruder.

"Keep an eye on the time, then go to the altar. See to it that Haruhime is brought to

Samira and the others when everything is set."

Phryne turned to address the other Berbera just before leaving the room, and she

issued her last orders.

Then the massive woman led Aisha and a group of her most trusted allies out the door.

"Oh? He broke in?"

The divine voice echoed on the top floor of the main tower inside Belit Babili, the

goddess's private quarters.

Ishtar sat on a lavish sofa and listened to a report on Bell's sudden attack.

"It appears he's running wild through the inside of the palace… All attempts to capture

him thus far have failed."

"Running wild, you say. No one charges into a lion's den without a reason."

Ishtar held her long oriental pipe in one hand, purple smoke emerging from one end.

She listened to her assistant Tammuz's report before taking a long drag from the pipe.

The windows on all four sides of her quarters had been opened. A light breeze blew

the smoke from her lips and the tip of the pipe.

"Perhaps he left something behind… A woman who found her way into his heart?"

The goddess narrowed her eyes, deep in thought.

"He will be captured at once."

"No, don't. Call them back."

Tammuz didn't know what to say as Ishtar stood up from her comfortable sofa.

She didn't pay any attention to her human follower. Instead, an ominous smile grew

on her lips.

"This could be interesting. I'll go myself."

Standing up to her full height, the goddess didn't say another word as she descended

the closest staircase toward the sounds of battle.

Bell had reached the thirtieth floor of the palace tower.

He was already more than a hundred meders above the ground. Frantically avoiding

the incoming Berbera attacks, he made his way up a grand staircase.

The intense battle hadn't lasted even ten minutes yet. Once he'd avoided capture for

more than ten minutes, he decided he would give up without a fight. But for now, he

had to keep pressing forward. It was his duty, his mission.

Every muscle burning, every sense screaming out in pain, he continued to evade every

attack the second-tier-adventurer Berbera were throwing at him. Firebolt was

proving to be an effective shield for the white rabbit as he recklessly poured all his

energy into making it past the next obstacle alive.

Continuing to find openings in the net that the Level 3 Amazons had set for him, he

saw visions of Haruhime's and Mikoto's faces sear themselves into his heart.

A trail of shattered stairs and walls in his wake, Bell's dramatic run persisted as even

more Berbera joined the hunt.

"—Outta the waaay!!"

"?!"

Bell heard the scarily familiar voice rain down from above from the center of the tower

as he rounded another corner. It was followed almost immediately by the sound of

destruction coming his way.

Something big and sharp was spinning at him with high speed—a grand war ax. Bell

bent backward just in time. The tip of the blade sliced through a few strands of hair

just in front of his eyes.

The heavy weapon continued on its way, turning the railing, floor, and even the wall

into a gaping hole that went down another four floors.

A cold chill ran up his spine as Bell looked at the spot that he had moved through less

than a second ago, now nothing but shards of wood and other debris.

He knew right away, she was here.

"Phryne…!"

Bell looked up at the path from which the grand war ax had come. Indeed, her twomeder frame was not hard to spot.

The frog-like Amazon bearing the title Androctonus, the Man Slayer, looked down on

her prey with a hungry grin on her thick lips.

That was when Bell recognized someone else standing next to her—a heroic-looking

female warrior with long black hair: Aisha.

"Did you miss me so much you came baaack? Ahh, how sweeeet!"

Other Amazons handed Phryne two more grand battle-axes before she narrowed her

eyes at Bell.

A heartbeat later, she kicked off the floor.

"—!"

"I'm comin' for yoooou!"

Bell wasted no time in turning tail and taking off at full speed as Phryne plummeted

toward him.

His escape route brought him into the main hallway, with doors to many rooms lining

the walls. The impact of the gargantuan Amazon's landing nearly knocked him off his

feet. A shock wave littered with debris blasted out of the doorway he'd just run

through.

"Let that toad handle the rabbit. All of you, to the thirtieth floor!"

Aisha's sharp orders cracked through the air like a whip. However, Bell didn't have

time to listen due to the living wrecking ball closing in from behind.

Muscles searing in pain, the young human didn't care which direction he went

anymore, just as long as it was away from Phryne.

Eyes frantically scanning the hallway, he caught a glimpse of the cloudy skyline. A

window, a path away from the mass of impending doom only a few meders away. He

dashed—when a familiar high-speed whistling sound reached his ears. Another ax.

"?!"

"Goin' somewherrre?"

The grand battle-ax was closing in with blinding speed.

Bell dove to the floor, protecting his neck and bracing for impact as the ridiculously

large weapon destroyed everything in its path. Walls, floor, ceiling, and finally the

window—chunks of jagged wood showered his body as the blade passed over him. He

looked up and saw Orario's full skyline. The outer wall was gone.

There was no time to gawk at the damage.

A dark shadow fell over him where he lay.

"?!"

Phryne had closed the distance in a matter of seconds. The Amazon lifted her

remaining grand battle-ax and brought it down.

Bell rolled to his left without a moment to spare. Another second later and the ax

would have landed right between his shoulder blades.

Instead, the weapon plunged into the floor, causing the ground around her to cave in

slightly. Phryne lost her balance for a moment. Bell desperately leaped up and thrust

out his right arm toward the Amazon.

He didn't have the luxury of lining up a shot or worrying about his remaining Mind.

Bell pulled his magic's trigger.

"FIREBOLT!!"

An electrified inferno burst forward from his palm.

It came together to form the sharp tip of the spear—that Phryne dodged with a quick

backspin.

"No way…!"

Bell couldn't believe his eyes.

Firebolt—missed?

At that distance?!

The bolt continued down the hallway, scorching the walls as it went. Bell was absently

stunned that someone as large as Phryne could evade something like that so easily.

However, his would-be target was back on the offensive.

"Tricky piece of magic you got there!"

With that, her ax became a blur as she took swipe after swipe at Bell. It was all Bell

could do in his panicked state to get out of the way.

Bell couldn't help but tremble at the knowledge that Phryne was fast enough to evade

a lightning bolt with no warning. Her speed and agility didn't match her body type in

the slightest.

It didn't make any sense.

Even as Bell evaded the weapon, the backlash from the air pressure cut into his skin.

The true power of top-class adventurers hit home.

"You done yet?"

Phryne continued to take chunks out of the wide hallway as she forced Bell into the

center of the tower.

The walls, ceiling, and floor bore deep gashes, the claw marks of a crazed beast. The

expensive rugs and ornate magic-stone lamps were utterly destroyed by Phryne's

onslaught. However, she was enjoying herself like a cat that refused to kill a dying

mouse. Bell had become her toy.

Argonaut—Bell had no time to charge his Skill. He couldn't focus on it and fight against

an opponent like her at the same time.

He would lose a limb the moment he thought about trying.

Phryne's overwhelming figure filled his quivering eyes. His ace in the hole, the one and

only backup plan, wouldn't work. Only one option remained. Bell drew

Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki to use with the Hestia Knife so he could attack—no, so he

could defend—with a dual-blade style.

"KEHH!"

Shaking off his fear, he managed to guide a sideways swipe of the ax past his body.

With that came a series of un-dodgeable attacks, bringing forth visions of a different

Amazon, the berserker Tiona, and her massive blade during his training on the city

wall. Just as he did then, Bell took a defensive angle and slashed the incoming weapon

out of the way.

High-pitched metallic screeches rang out every time the weapons collided. Short

bursts of arcing sparks accompanied Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki's screams.

However, Bell was quickly overpowered and kicked farther down the hallway when he

was most vulnerable between swipes.

"GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! So you can dance!!"

Phryne complimented the young human as he tumbled backward.

Flipping over two, three times, Bell rolled out of the hallway and into a larger chamber

before finally coming to a stop.

Body covered in cuts, sweat, and bruises, Bell jumped back up to his feet.

What he saw next made his blood run cold.

"Miss Aisha…?!"

The chamber was completely filled with Berbera. Bell had rolled into a trap and was

now surrounded on all sides.

The heroic Amazonian warrior stood tall, holding her favorite large wooden blade

against her shoulder, her gaze firmly locked on the boy.

"… You did good, getting this far."

Aisha stood in front of a staircase leading to a higher floor, her voice loud enough to

echo throughout the chamber.

A shock wave rumbled through the floorboards a second later. Phryne had arrived.

This particular chamber was decorated with fine artwork on the walls and ornate

pillars framing each of the ceiling-high windows. With Aisha guarding the way up and

Phryne preventing him from turning around, Bell had nowhere to run. That would've

been bad enough without the countless other Amazons encircling him, bouncing their

weapons against their shoulders with anticipation.

Oh shit…! Bell cursed to himself as he desperately looked for another way out. His

mind raced almost to the point of bursting when suddenly:

"Back down, all of you."

A powerful voice came from the top of the stairwell.

Every set of eyes in the chamber snapped in that direction in surprise. Slowly but

surely, the figure of a bronze-skinned goddess, boasting a peerless level of beauty,

descended into the chamber with an oriental pipe in her hand. A sweet scent strong

enough to drive the strongest of mortals mad wafted into the room before her. It

enveloped Bell, seemed to burn him from his nose. His unblinking ruby-red eyes were

drawn to her body like magnets.

The Goddess of Beauty Ishtar seduced any observer with her divine figure, but

nonetheless, she was thoroughly pleased seeing Bell's reaction as she continued

smoking.

"Wh-what's the meanin' of thisss, Lady Ishtar? Bargin' in?"

Phryne wasted no time voicing her displeasure with her goddess. Ishtar looked

toward her towering follower as her assistant Tammuz made his way down the stairs

behind her.

The frog-like Amazon's face turned a deep red, veins pulsing in her forehead.

"Did you not hear me, Phryne? I said back down."

Her emotionless black amethyst eyes flashed. Her words conveyed one simple

message from her divine will: obey.

The corners of Phryne's wide mouth twitched.

It was the first time Bell had ever seen a hint of fear in her eyes.

"All of you, to the Floating Garden. Heads will roll if the Killing Stone Ritual fails again."

The completely overwhelmed Berbera sheathed their weapons. It didn't take them

long to disappear from the chamber.

They filed out one by one. Aisha's eyelids sank as she looked at Ishtar for a moment

before turning her back and following her kin out of the room. Just as she reached the

door, she looked back over her shoulder at Bell, her long hair swaying.

Phryne clicked her tongue in frustration. She was the last one left. A few long seconds

later, she put one foot in front of the other and left the chamber behind.

Bell breathed a momentary sigh of relief. His thoughts immediately went to Mikoto

and Haruhime. He turned to leave, thinking to help them avoid more danger—when

Tammuz scared him senseless.

The handsome, black-haired tan man's glare overpowered him.

"Little brat, I've come all this way to meet you myself. It's rude to turn your back on

me."

Beads of sweat pouring down his face, Bell froze in place as he watched the Goddess

of Beauty slowly descend the remaining stairs.

Ishtar approached Bell, a thin smile on her lips. Bell's body twitched back in her

direction.

"Lady… Ishtar…"

She stood at his height, their eyes on the same level. Bell couldn't hide his

bewilderment as the deity came even closer.

Two against one. No, gods and goddesses were physically weak and could not fight for

themselves. In reality, it was one-on-one, Bell against Tammuz.

Bell's wide eyes jumped back and forth between the goddess and the human standing

just behind her. It might have been a direct order from their goddess, but the boy still

couldn't understand why Phryne and the others left without a word—that's how far

his train of thought went before the goddess came to a stop.

"Most impressive, child of Hestia. You have more backbone than I thought, offering

yourself up as a diversion and forcing your way in like that."

In reality, Bell's spine wouldn't stop trembling in her presence.

A seductive body, a voice that melted his ears, a sweet aroma, and alluring eyes.

Bell fell to the full force of divine beauty and immediately understood the reason the

Amazons had given up so easily.

He had already been ensnared by a beauty that no mortal could resist.

The Amazons knew: Bell's fate had already been decided.

"Was it a woman's pull that brought you back here?"

The goddess commented on Bell's reckless valor, amethyst eyes sparkling as if they

could see all.

Bell didn't know where to look, standing in the face of a goddess who was too beautiful.

An ornate golden crown, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets decorated her

body. The only cloth to be found on her perfectly proportioned tan figure was a strip

of cloth covering the bare minimum of her breasts and stomach as well as another,

slightly thicker strip wrapping around her lower back and thighs. Her long, braided

black hair shone with the flickering light of the magic-stone lamps.

Any unprepared, unfortunate soul who happened to glimpse any part of her body ran

the risk of being Charmed without warning.

That fear worked its way into Bell's mind. He blushed, trying to resist her erotic aura.

All he could do was take a defensive stance.

"So, this is our second meeting. At first I doubted that vixen's sanity, taking an interest

in you… But then again, I should reconsider. You have a nice face."

The goddess's smile broadened as she listened to Bell constantly clear his throat,

apparently at a loss in the face of her allure.

The boy did his best to ignore shakes and tremors coursing through his body and did

his best to force words out of his mouth.

"… Wh-why did you attack us in the Dungeon?"

He asked her the one thing that he could never figure out. To his surprise, she gave

him a straight answer.

"You caught my attention and interest during the War Game. After that… it was to stick

a thorn in the side of a certain vixen I can't stand."

Ishtar's words meant nothing to him. The look of confusion on Bell's face only caused

her grin to grow even wider.

"Rejoice. I will Charm you and you will be mine."

A fresh wave of her enticing scent filled his nostrils. Her words sending more shivers

down his spine, Bell took a step back.

However, a conversation with Haruhime's goddess was worth every second and he

decided to press further.

Even if he didn't understand everything, this kind of opportunity might never come

again.

Under the watchful gaze of Tammuz, Bell kept his distance from the Goddess of Beauty

and continued asking questions.

"… Please, tell me."

"Oh?"

"Why… are you going to sacrifice Miss Haruhime?"

It took every ounce of willpower for Bell to string those words together. The enticing

goddess's laughter filled the chamber a moment later.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You can talk about another woman in front of me!"

"A-answer me, please!"

Ishtar calmed down enough to take a long draw from her pipe. She was pleasantly

surprised by the sudden demanding tone in Bell's voice.

She rolled her shoulders a few times as her interest in the boy grew. Ishtar's mood was

improving by the second as she started speaking again.

"Well, let's see. First, I bought Haruhime. I saved her from a life no better than livestock

at the hands of those dirty men. In fact, I should be shown gratitude for treating her

like a valuable treasure all these years."

The reality of Haruhime being sold like some object at the marketplace to become

someone's plaything flustered Bell. He had thought she was "sold" in name only, that

the reality could not be so cruel.

A goddess who had just happened to walk in on an auction, a still young renart girl.

Drawn in by her natural beauty and an interest in her race, the goddess used her divine

gifts to force the miserly merchants into selling her the young girl.

Ishtar enjoyed the flavor of the oriental pipe, taking another long drag as she told Bell

about the first time she laid eyes on Haruhime.

"Her life was born anew, thanks to me… Children serve their parents, do they not?"

"That's…?"

"And you know, Bell Cranell? I don't think of this as killing Haruhime. She will get her

soul back as soon as the vixen falls. I'm only borrowing it for a short while."

What cheap logic! Bell screamed inside his head.

The chances of no shard being misplaced during a war with Freya Familia were

extraordinarily slim.

Even after everything was over, the innocently smiling Haruhime whom Bell knew

would never return.

Bell glared at Ishtar, his eyes shaking with rising anger.

"Let me just say this… Even if I did not seal Haruhime's soul, it is her destiny to be used

by someone else. That is the true meaning of her power."

"…!"

"Can you comprehend how I felt… the moment I gave that girl a Status? I shivered. The

instant I realized that the possibility of finally toppling that wretched goddess was

right in front of me!"

That wretched goddess—the profile of the Goddess of Beauty who led Orario's most

powerful familia formed in Bell's mind.

Ishtar's jubilant voice echoed throughout the chamber, saying that the renart put the

possibility to negate any and all divine expectations in the palm of her hand.

"Haruhime is my trump card! My chance to cast Freya into the abyss!"

Ishtar poured more and more energy into her voice, her excitement palpable. Bell

fought back his anger enough to ask the next question.

"What makes you hate Freya Familia that much…?"

"What, you ask? Everything! I hate everything about her!"

Ishtar's eyes flashed with animosity for the first time. A rage-filled rant ensued.

"Men ignore me and flock to her instead, claiming that she is the most beautiful for

absolutely no reason! You must be joking! How could that pig sow ever surpass me?!

Have all men gone blind?!"

Ishtar roared at the floor, her jealousy rearing its ugly head in an explosion of hate.

Bell recoiled in fear of a divine passion that beings of Gekai could never fully

understand.

Even Tammuz was careful not to draw the attention of his goddess.

"… B-but that doesn't give you the right to use Haruhime…!"

Bell fought to brace his buckling knees before willing the words out of his throat.

Ishtar seemed to get a handle on her rage and flashed another thin smile at the boy

who had claimed that it was too cruel a fate.

"How insulting. If I were a goddess without blood or tears, I would have Charmed her

into a faithful puppet long ago. But she is loyal; that fox listens to only my orders."

"That's only…"

"I have my own way of showing mercy. That pitiful girl was treated very well, you

know."

Swish, swish. Ishtar spun her pipe between her fingers.

"Can't be helped if she felt uncomfortable from time to time. But I gave her beautiful

clothing and delicious food… Not to mention I blessed her with many opportunities to

know the joys of being a woman."

"…!!"

Bell could no longer contain the rage bursting forth from within his heart after hearing

the way Ishtar described forcing Haruhime to sell her body and cooping her up in little

more than a birdcage.

He even forgot that he was confronting a deity. His voice erupted in unbridled fury.

"WHY?! WHY DID YOU MAKE HER BECOME A PROSTITUTE?!"

"This is my familia. Everything I decide becomes law, rules that everyone must live by.

It's common knowledge."

Bell's outburst sounded like nothing more than the cry of an ignorant child during a

temper tantrum. Ishtar chuckled to herself, wondering what his problem was after

coming all this way.

The one major downside to being a part of a familia was being subject to any rules

they create.

They had no choice but to obey. The main reason that many average people chose not

to receive Falna—outside of avoiding the inter-familia conflicts—was because they

were scared of what they might have to do should their god demand it. Finding a deity

with good character was a long shot at best.

That's what it truly meant to be a follower, a member of their family.

"So tell me, boy, why is it you avoid prostitutes? Bodies coming together in beautiful

passion is sacred. It controls the wild aggression of men, allowing women to become

a pillar of stability in this world."

"Wha…?!"

"The difference in gender on Gekai is what allows new life to be born, for fertility to

thrive. Sharing this bond with many different men is by no means unclean. Why can't

you children see this? It is beyond me."

Gods and mortals had very different values.

This difference in the thinking of the deusdea came as a complete shock to Bell.

Perhaps it could be as she said. Just as the Guild had accepted the Pleasure Quarter's

activities, prostitutes might be an irreplaceable part of society.

That prostitutes weren't abhorrent outcasts at all, that they were necessary.

But…!!

There had to be many who couldn't live like that.

The image of a young girl staring out the window with longing eyes had been burned

into Bell's memory. He clenched his fist with all his might.

"Even so… Even if that's true, there are people suffering because of it!"

Bell stood tall, squaring his shoulders at Ishtar as he unleashed a booming voice,

demanding that she release Haruhime from the life of a prostitute, from being an

object of destruction.

Unfortunately, Ishtar wasn't the least bit moved by the zealous display.

"It will not happen."

Bell's plea could not reach the goddess of sensual desire. She couldn't understand

Haruhime's pain.

Ishtar stared at him for a moment before pulling her pipe out from between her lips.

"Your selfishness and the truth will never align. Most of all, I have no interest in playing

along."

She frowned and snapped her fingers.

Tammuz moved with blinding speed and knocked Bell to the floor in the blink of an

eye.

"Guwaah!"

He'd gotten so caught up in his conversation with the goddess that Bell had forgotten

about her assistant. He let his guard down.

No, more than that—Tammuz was fast.

Bell never had time to resist. Now he was pinned to the floor and completely

immobilized.

"He may not look it, but Tammuz is Level Four. You can't break his grip."

Ishtar gave a quick introduction to her familia's second in command.

Then she closed the distance between them—and started to disrobe.

"UWAHH?!"

The tension from a moment ago gone, Bell blushed and yelled in surprise.

"Eh—eh—EHHHHH!"

"Such a child. Hasn't Hestia taught you anything…? Ah, wait, she's one of the virgin

goddesses, that's right."

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-why are you taking off your…?!"

Facedown on the ground, Bell tried to hide his eyes under his shoulder. However,

Tammuz took hold of his hair and forced his head back up.

Bell's wide eyes were greeted by a small pile of clothing and golden accessories at the

feet of a completely nude goddess.

"Like I said, I'll make you mine."

Released from the cotton restraints, her breasts swayed from side to side as she

stretched her supple, voluptuous body. Ishtar ran her fingers down all her seductive

curves, finally stopping on her bulging bottom. Her moist, bronze skin was emitting

the strongest erotic aura it had thus far that day.

A refined smile grew on her lips as she watched Bell's entire body blush bright red.

"I'll Charm you—'til your bones melt."

Her eyes had taken on a sadistic glint, dead set on stealing his body and soul.

Bell's face turned from dark red to light blue as her shadow fell over him.

Several buildings formed the palace of Belit Babili. Other than the palace for the

goddess and the buildings where familia members lived and slept, there was one other

massive structure within the main gates.

It was constructed out of white stone and stood at the back of the complex almost like

an afterthought. However, it rivaled the main tower's palace in elegance and had been

designed to resemble a ziggurat from the Ancient Times.

Constructed five years ago as a new brothel, the building's true purpose was to

provide the stage for a certain ritual. It had been ready to fulfill its role three years ago

when a certain prostitute destroyed a Killing Stone that had taken years to acquire.

The structure had laid dormant ever since. Now it sat under the full moon, again

waiting to fulfill its purpose.

The roof of this building was connected to the palace by one long stone bridge.

Haruhime began her journey across it.

Despite standing forty stories above the ground, this bridge had no ceiling. Only a

chest-high parapet prevented people from plummeting to the ground below. There

was also no protection from the wind that gusted past. Haruhime held her hair in place

as three Berbera assigned to escort her to the Floating Garden urged her forward.

"Move it, Haruhime!"

"R-right…"

Thud! The lead Amazon gave her an extra push, causing Haruhime to step on the front

of her kimono.

The Berbera were completely focused on the night sky. Haruhime recovered her

footing before she too looked up into the dark, starry abyss. A full, golden moon was

staring back down at her from behind thinning cloud cover.

The light that will kill me.

—Haruhime said to herself in a silent voice.

Lowering her gaze to the bridge, she could clearly see the garden on the other side.

Soft blue light rose from the center, as if beckoning her to come closer.

Face devoid of emotion, Haruhime continued forward.

Her pace quickened, as if there were people who could be saved if only she went

through with it as quickly as possible.

"Weird girl…"

The Amazons stayed right beside her, looking down with thinly veiled disgust.

All three of them sneered at the girl who refused to put up a fight despite knowing that

she was walking to her own doom. She had already given up. For brave and bold

Amazons, her resignation to this fate came across as cowardice. That was the only

thing more reprehensible than weakness to the proud warriors.

The Amazons kept their eyes on Haruhime as she walked a few paces in front of them.

They let their guard down.

There was nowhere to hide on this one-way bridge that was completely exposed.

As this was the least likely place for an ambush to occur, the three women focused

solely on carrying out their orders. Being able to see in every direction only increased

their confidence. That's why they failed to notice the presence of someone lurking

under the bridge.

A human hand silently grabbed hold of the guard wall. Her black hair whipping behind

her in the night, Mikoto flipped over it and landed behind the Amazons.

"—Huh?"

The last of the three was jerked backward by the throat before she was thrown up and

over the side.

The screams of their fallen comrade alerted the other two Berbera, but the closest

couldn't react in time, knocked off balance before she could defend herself. The human

figure used a quick succession of grappling techniques to throw her over the side as

well.

"Y-you?!"

The remaining Amazon shuddered as she listened to her falling comrades. Seeing that

they fell from the left and right sides of the bridge, she took a central position and

drew a longsword. The black shadow drew a crimson blade in response—but felt

something strange in the air and ducked to the floor.

A strong gust of wind hit the bridge a moment later. Haruhime stumbled in the sudden

push of air. The Amazon was rushing forward, her sword held high as she took the

brunt of the wind. Next thing she knew, her back hit the guard wall.

"Wai—!" she started to say, but the black shadow had already closed the distance

between them. Planting its foot, the shadow drove a heel into her chin.

"… Lady… Mikoto?"

The last of her escort gone from the bridge, Haruhime cautiously came to a stop and

turned around. The black shadow, Mikoto, wasted no time in rushing to her side.

"Why are you here…?"

"To rescue you."

Mikoto answered the stunned renart's question with no hesitation in her voice.

The human girl's reflection in her large green eyes, Haruhime watched as Mikoto

reached out and took hold of her hand.

"Let us escape together, Lady Haruhime. Quickly."

Time was of the essence. Mikoto didn't want to waste any of it exchanging words in

such a vulnerable location.

However, Haruhime didn't move despite Mikoto's pull.

"Miss Mikoto… I'm fine, please save yourself."

"Wha…?"

Now it was Mikoto's turn to be stunned. Her grip going slack, Haruhime pulled away

her hand.

"Why did you come, Lady Mikoto? Master Cranell, as well. I'm a burden, I would put

you and your friends in danger. I thought everyone understood this."

"That was…!"

Mikoto had been forced to weigh the importance of Haruhime against her family just

hours ago. Her heart still ached from having to make that decision.

Haruhime continued with an expression of sorrow on her face.

"Because of me, Lady Phryne and Lady Ishtar would never let you rest. My presence

would put everyone you know in harm's way… That's what I am."

"Even so! Sir Bell swore to me that he would protect you!"

Frantically trying to wash away Haruhime's words with her own, Mikoto stepped

forward and grabbed Haruhime's shoulders. The renart's eyes shot open in surprise.

"He will fight for you, become stronger for you, protect you! Those were his words!"

"That is because… Master Cranell is kind."

"That's not why! He's not fighting for you out of guilt or pity!"

Mikoto didn't allow Haruhime time to question Bell's resolve.

The girl looked down, desperate to avoid Mikoto's gaze.

"Lady Mikoto, I beg of you, leave me be… I am not worthy of this pain and suffering."

"Tell me why… why have you already given up? Your life is at stake!"

Tears flew from her eyes as Mikoto's fingers buried themselves in Haruhime's

shoulders. The human's voice overpowered the wind that was making her hair whip

to and fro.

Then.

Haruhime's lips fluttered. All the emotion, all the pain she'd kept bottled up over the

years was threatening to spill over.

"I can't ask for help…"

The breeze carried her words off into the moonlit night. Mikoto didn't take them lying

down.

"There is nothing to be frightened of!! Should Lady Haruhime ask, Sir Bell would never

abandon you! He's not that kind of man!!"

"…"

"Lady Haruhime!"

Mikoto's voice jumped an octave higher in desperation. A heartbeat later—

Haruhime looked up.

"You don't understand, Mikoto!"

Tears poured down her cheeks, eyebrows standing on end.

The dam had fallen. Everything Haruhime had kept under wraps burst forward.

"…?!"

"Giving your body to someone you have no feelings for, selling it for money! Could you

forgive yourself for doing that, Mikoto?"

A childlike tone had taken over Haruhime's voice. Even the politeness that had been

drilled into her since birth was gone. That was Mikoto's first clue something big was

coming, and it scared her.

"Look at me. I'm a prostitute!"

Mikoto's eyes shook as Haruhime's reality struck her like a blow to the head. She had

no words to respond.

Haruhime shook her body left and right, cheeks soaked with tears.

She wrapped her arms around her chest after pulling her shoulders free from Mikoto's

slackened grasp.

"I should ask him to help, is that what you're saying? I should ask him to fight for this

soiled body, ask him to allow me to stay beside him after all I've done? All while

knowing it would put him in danger?"

She looked at Mikoto with the eyes of a lost child.

Haruhime's eyes squeezed shut as she poured out more of her sadness.

"I can't! I just can't…!"

Her eyes closed, moonlight reflecting off her wet eyelashes as she looked back down

at the floor.

Soft hiccups interrupted her cries, making Haruhime's shoulders jump every few

seconds. The stones around her feet were dotted with fallen tears. Mikoto could only

stand there like a frozen statue and watch her childhood friend lament.

If she had been in Haruhime's position, what then?

Would she be able to ask Ouka, Chigusa, Takemikazuchi for help?

As a prostitute, would she really ask to be saved?

Quite the opposite. She would ask them to look away.

As another woman, she couldn't refute Haruhime's words. She sympathized.

"…!!"

She chanced another look at Haruhime as both of them stood bathed in moonlight.

Filled with a feeling of powerlessness, Mikoto forgot where they were for one moment

too long.

"—Open fire!"

They'd been discovered.

A bolt of lightning emerged from the main tower, searing the night air. It hit Mikoto

directly in her back.

"GUAH!"

Her body shook as the bolt ripped through her shoulder.

A magic sword.

More Berbera had appeared from the palace. The forward ranks brandished several

magical weapons.

Haruhime watched in horror as her friend's body spasmed and stumbled toward the

guard wall.

"Mikoto!"

Haruhime reached out to help her. Another bolt made contact with Mikoto's side.

The human girl managed to block the fatal blow with her crimson dagger, but the

impact was enough to knock her off the bridge.

Unable to grab hold of Haruhime's outstretched hand, Mikoto fell through the air.

"AAHHH…!!"

Haruhime hid her face with both hands, a fresh wave of tears flowing from her eyes as

she collapsed to her knees.

Stricken with guilt, she rocked back and forth, whispering, "Sorry," over and over.

"…!"

Meanwhile, a still-plummeting Mikoto gritted her teeth and grabbed her injured

shoulder.

The bridge where she left her friend behind shrank in the distance.

"Failure…!"

She reached into the item pouch with her other hand and withdrew a flare.

As much as it pained her to do it, she flipped the trigger and let it fly—a spray of red

sparks arced over Belit Babili.

"—Can't you open your eyes?!"

Ishtar's rage was undeniable.

And all of it was targeted at the boy, Bell, who was currently pinned to the ground by

her assistant Tammuz.

Eyes clenched shut, the bright-red boy wasn't listening.

"I c-c-c-c-can't! Please put on some clothes!"

Bell screamed at the top of his lungs as he thrashed about, trying to break out of the

stranglehold. "Hold still!" snarled Tammuz in frustration that he couldn't keep a Level

3 adventurer completely still. Only when Ishtar added her own body weight did the

panicked rabbit fall in line.

The boy still refused to look at her. It was time to change her strategy.

Just what the hell is going on with this one…?

The boy shouldn't have a choice. Whether or not he opened his eyes, the very fact that

Ishtar had taken an interest should have Charmed him on the spot. That's the way it

worked.

Her beauty in their eyes, her smell overwhelming their nostrils, her voice melting in

their ears, the sensation of her skin on theirs—none of the senses was safe from her

allure. She could use any one of them to turn an army of ten thousand into her slaves.

She didn't even have to touch them. It should all be over on eye contact. No one should

be able to resist her gaze.

Yet the boy beneath her had resisted at every turn. Not only was it strange, but his

innocent reaction was making her embarrassed.

"Why isn't he being Charmed?!"

Tammuz was taken aback by his goddess's fit of rage.

While the Goddess of Beauty's Charm was similar to a monster's poison, even the

Advanced Ability Immunity shouldn't be able to block it.

Ishtar's pride was reeling. She bit her lip and menacingly eyed the boy's back.

"Tammuz, strip him!"

"U-understood!"

Without armor, only a thin layer of cloth hid his back from sight. Tammuz did as he

was told and placed his hand on Bell's back.

The white-haired boy tried to struggle, but his inner shirt was ripped to shreds in the

blink of an eye.

His Status was exposed.

Even though the black hieroglyphs were hard to read, there was no lock protecting the

information. Ishtar raised an eyebrow, surprised that her picking skills would not be

necessary before leaning in for a closer look.

A moment later, she was speechless.

Bell Cranell

Level Three

Strength: I 94 Defense: H 144 Dexterity: I 95 Agility: G 299 Magic: I 78

Luck: H Immunity: I

Magic

(Firebolt)

• Swift-Strike Magic

Skills

(Learis Freese)

• rapid growth

• continued desire results in continued growth

• stronger desire results in stronger growth

(Argonaut)

• charges automatically with active action

"What in the—"

While his Luck ability got her attention at first, Ishtar couldn't take her eyes off a

specific Skill the moment she deciphered the sloppy handwriting.

Learis Freese.

A yet undocumented Rare Skill that affected growth rate.

Ishtar couldn't believe it.

If the information written in his Status was to be believed… The goddess froze in awe

of the mortal boy struggling under her weight.

He possessed an immensely strong will, powerful enough to create Skills.

A will powerful enough to force his own growth out of sheer desire.

A pure, yet one-track mind that came around once in a millennium at most.

Learis Freese's unintended side effect: a goddess's Charm had no effect on him!

"A-are you an idiot?!"

Ishtar's voice exploded from her throat the moment she connected the dots and

realized the truth.

Ishtar was devastated and completely lost her composure once she learned the secret

of a boy too pure to be true.

All people of Gekai, including monsters and even the gods, shouldn't have the power

to escape the Charm of the Goddess of Beauty. And yet, here was one human boy with

the ability to nullify it, canceling out the overwhelming power at her command.

Inconceivable. Absolute nonsense.

Ishtar leaned back, her amethyst eyes alight with a new flame.

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

She glared at the white rabbit who still wouldn't obey her. The goddess's entire body

shook with a mixture of anger and humiliation.

Tammuz had never seen his goddess lose her poise, not to this extent. He looked up

from Bell, shaking in fear.

"Ha-pwaah!"

"AH!"

That was the window that Bell needed to break free from the young man's

stranglehold.

Noises similar to his own goddess, Hestia, escaped Bell as he rolled away and was back

on his feet before either of his captors could react.

He dashed past Ishtar as Tammuz realized what had just transpired. Bell chanced a

glance over his shoulder as he made a break through the middle of the room toward

the closest window.

Not worried about minor details, Bell threw himself through the glass and into the

night air.

"The rabbit escaped! Capture him, now!"

Tammuz ran to the window, leaned out, and yelled to the Berbera stationed below.

Ishtar, who had lost all sense of calm, screamed at the top of her lungs.

"That boy cannot be allowed to get away! Bring him to me, I don't care how!"

Tammuz didn't waste a moment following his enraged goddess's order. Forgetting to

help her get dressed, the young human left the chamber and raced down the stairs.

Ishtar donned her garments with her own hands before ascending the other staircase.

"Make a fool of me, will you…?"

As a Goddess of Beauty, she wouldn't allow the existence of anything that could not be

bent to her will.

Envisioning the boy's neck between her fingers, Ishtar snapped her oriental pipe in

half.

Bell fell from the thirtieth story of the palace.

"GAHH!"

His body hit the wall of the tower and more window awnings than he could count

before he managed to catch the inside of an open window with his right hand.

Despite the jarring end to his descent, Bell still had enough strength in his arm to pull

himself into the room.

"Wuh—WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

A group of gorgeous young men and women screamed at the unexpected intruder; all

the helpless servants scattered, yelling at the top of their lungs. Bell's eyes met those

of the young animal person. "S-sorry!" He apologized out of reflex.

"Ah, I apologize…!"

Bell's Status was still out in the open for anyone to see. Pulling the rest of his black

inner shirt off his body, he helped himself to one of the shirts already in the room, a

servant's shirt. Stuffing his head into the garment, Bell flew out the door and into the

hallway.

"Miss Mikoto, Miss Haruhime…!"

He took the last remaining potion out of his leg holster and downed it in one gulp.

The voices of his pursuers came from above and below. Bell searched for the path that

would lead to his friends.

That's when he saw them.

Bang! The sound of an explosion drew his attention outside.

"Red sparks… It didn't work?"

Red light was coming through all the outside windows. With wide eyes, the boy

watched the light flash and fade.

It came from behind the palace—a red light that told him Haruhime was still in danger.

He ran to the closest window, looking skyward in disbelief.

However…

"—Not yet!"

He kicked off the floor at full speed.

It wasn't over yet, and Mikoto would never give up!

Bell set his sights on the Floating Garden to carry out their backup plan: to destroy the

Killing Stone.

"There's still a chance…!"

—At that exact moment, Mikoto looked at the Floating Garden with determination in

her eyes. She'd made an emergency landing on the outside wall of the palace but was

back on her feet.

Nothing had been set in stone, and Bell would never give up!

She bit down on the sleeve of her black kimono and tore off strips of fabric. Mikoto

wrapped them around her injured shoulder while on the run, eyes completely focused

on her destination.

Their rescue operation was becoming a matter of life and death.

The roof of the ziggurat—the Floating Garden.

Several towers extended well beyond its forty-story height to protect it. The palace

reached farther into the sky just beside it. Each stone block that made up the ground

of the wide building had been meticulously placed to be exactly level and to have

absolutely no cracks between each slab.

The stone slabs that made up the Floating Garden were a synthesized hybrid of a black

ore called darubu mixed with a large amount of lunatic light stones. Each of them

reacted to the moonlight shining down from above by releasing a steady stream of soft

pale-blue light that spread across the surface like a floating carpet.

"Samira, everything ready yeeet?"

"Yeah, can't you use your eyes? All that's left is waitin' for the moon to get in position."

Half of Ishtar Familia's Berbera, including almost all the members Level 3 and higher,

had gathered in the Floating Garden.

Over one hundred Amazons were walking barefoot across the pale, bluish-white slate,

congregating in the center. Phryne walked up to the one in charge of overseeing the

preparations for the ritual, Samira. The gray-haired Amazon jerked her chin toward

the center.

There, in the middle of the solemn, dreamlike Floating Garden, stood three tall and

thin stone pillars, arranged in a triangular formation around an altar.

The stone altar itself glowed even brighter than the stone slabs of the roof. Its light

reacted with the pillars, breaking off into sparkling streams as it mixed with the

moonlight.

The garden and the altar were designed to serve one purpose: increase the power of

the Killing Stone. There was a risk of splitting the soul should the stone be used by

itself. With this much energy to draw from, the Killing Stone would be able to seal the

soul in its entirety.

Phryne's eyes narrowed as she grinned. Samira stood next to her, watching the sky.

A great deal of the clouds had disappeared. An unobstructed night sky filled with stars

and a stunning full moon spread out over the Floating Garden.

All the Amazons were waiting for one thing—for the light emanating from the altar to

turn from light blue to dark red. Then the ritual could begin.

"Haruhimeee! Stop loafin' around and get to the altarrr!"

Phryne turned away from the altar as her booming voice filled the air.

The mass of Amazons stepped aside to make way. A renart girl dressed in a gorgeous

red kimono quietly put one foot in front of the other as she silently marched toward

the front.

With the exception of the whites of her green eyes being red, her face was

expressionless. She kept her gaze fixed on the blue light rising from the stone beneath

her feet. There was no personality or emotion in her demeanor; she was like a doll

walking on a cloud.

"…"

The Amazons made many faces at her as she passed. Aisha watched Haruhime's

approach and opened her mouth just before the renart walked in front of her.

However, no sound came out.

Haruhime briefly looked up in her direction, a weak smile in her eyes as if she was

trying to convey something to Aisha. But the Amazon closed her mouth, hands shaking

as the young girl passed by.

Haruhime arrived at the altar and climbed to the top.

"Kneel here."

"Yes…"

She placed her knees on top of the center of the glowing stone as ordered.

Several chains fit with shackles hung from the tall pillars surrounding the altar. In the

next few moments, they were attached to her wrists, ankles, waist, and neck.

It was said that the renart experienced extreme pain when their soul was being

transferred from their body to the Killing Stone during the ritual. These chains were

to prevent Haruhime from thrashing wildly when the time came.

"…"

On her knees and in chains, Haruhime truly looked like a maiden about to be sacrificed

to a deity, or at the very least the centerpiece to some ancient ceremony. Even the

Amazons surrounding the altar lost themselves in the poignant beauty of the scene.

"With this, we can finally fight against Freya Familia."

From the opposite side of the Floating Garden came a sight that brought grins of

anticipation to their lips: the Killing Stone had arrived.

The fist-size, bloodred crystal had been attached to the end of the hilt of a ceremonial

longsword.

Its blade would pierce Haruhime's body and give the stone direct access to her magical

energy. It would become the bridge her soul would travel across as it was sealed inside

the Killing Stone. The blade itself glistened in the moonlight while the stone on its hilt

released an ominous red glow.

Haruhime felt a twinge of fear the moment the weapon came into view. She quickly

closed her eyes, shook her head, and looked up at the stars.

Her eyes were greeted by countless sparkles of light behind a golden moon.

The light that would kill her.

Then again, it would be the light that would save her from the pain and suffering in

this world.