YEARNING OF A HERO Part 2

Illuminated by a dazzling moonbeam, Haruhime let her head drop.

There were no tears. It was her heart that cried. But she didn't let it show.

Her tiny body held in all the sadness, pain, happiness, and regret.

All the memories she'd made in the past few days, meeting that boy and reuniting with

that girl, everything was packed tightly together and hidden away.

Her mind a blank slate, Haruhime slowly closed her eyes.

"—The enemy is attacking!"

A shrill voice reached her ears a moment later.

Haruhime's eyes shot open as her head sprang up. The intense sounds of weapons

crashing against one another echoed from the entrance bridge that connected to the

Floating Garden.

What appeared was a young girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail, charging into

the ranks of Amazons.

"Lady Haruhime—!"

Mikoto jumped over the guards at the gate leading to the Floating Gardens and raced

toward the altar.

The guards were already alerted to her presence; trying to hide was meaningless at

this point. She drew in a deep breath of air and shouted loud enough for the girl

chained to the glowing stone to know she was there.

"Again?!"

The Amazons around the altar grabbed their weapons and charged toward the

oncoming Mikoto.

However, they came to a stop about thirty meders in front of the altar. Mikoto, already

badly injured, stopped in the face of the wall of Amazonian muscle and steel. All the

guards she'd snuck past caught up behind her and fanned out. Mikoto was now

completely surrounded.

"Seriously, you came here alone?!"

Samira smiled as if she'd taken a liking to the brave and reckless human.

The rest of the Berbera soon donned the same grin, eager to see what was about to

unfold.

"Hey Haruhime, your hero is here!"

Samira looked over her shoulder at the girl in chains. What color remained in

Haruhime's face drained in the blink of an eye.

Her body tried to jump into action but was quickly held back by the chains.

"Why… WHY?! Leave, now, Lady Mikoto!"

The rattling chains accented Haruhime's screams as she struggled against them.

Despite being rejected before, Mikoto appeared before her once again. The human girl

looked up at her with an awe-inspiring gaze.

"That's impossible, Lady Haruhime. No matter how many times you refuse me, I will

do what I have always done since our childhood. I will take you outside."

Memories of days long past in their hometown in the Far East.

She had told them everyone would get angry, that they should just let her be, so many

times. But they ignored her pleas, not giving any pause to being labeled delinquents,

and still came to take her out of her family's manor.

Nothing had changed. Mikoto was the same as ever and Haruhime knew that look in

her eyes. The emotions that had been so tightly confined within the renart broke free

once again as her eyes glistened with tears.

"You lookin' pretty cool right about now."

The gray-haired Amazon Samira watched Mikoto's dramatic entrance and her long-

distance reunion with Haruhime with delight.

"Hey, Phryne, Aisha. Let me have her!"

She turned to face the commander and the heart and soul of the Berbera, practically

the captain of their familia.

"You two already had time to play! Let me have a turn!"

"… Ge-ge-ge-ge-geh, have some fuuun. We got time anyway."

Phryne glanced at the moon before a vulgar laugh rushed forth from her lips.

Samira had been tasked with overseeing the ritual preparations and hadn't been part

of the rabbit hunt. Phryne didn't see any problem with letting her have her way.

"Yeayuh!" Samira clapped her hands together in excitement.

Aisha made no attempt to stop her and watched on in silence.

"Please! Please stop this! Lady Phryne, Lady Aisha!"

Paying no attention to Haruhime's cries in the distance, Samira stepped out of the ring

of Amazons encircling Mikoto.

"That's how it is, so humor me. Tell you what, you beat me… and I might listen to what

you have to say."

"…"

Already feeling the eyes of all the Berbera squarely on her, Mikoto turned to face her

opponent.

A tenacious grin grew on Samira's face. Mikoto knew that she had no choice but to play

along.

This situation might even work to her advantage. At the very least, it would allow her

to buy time for Bell to arrive, or even open a path for him to the altar. Mikoto's mind

was set.

The human stayed silent as she withdrew Ushiwakamaru, the blade she had borrowed

from him. She held out the weapon in front of her, holding it backhanded in a defensive

stance.

The corner of Samira's lips turned upward, elated that her challenge had been

accepted. She chose not to use any weapons at all and stared down Mikoto as she

stretched her arms and legs.

They stood not too far away from the entrance to the stone bridge. The bloodthirsty

Amazons lined up shoulder to shoulder, creating a ring around the combatants. Their

battle started with the utterance of a simple phrase:

"Here I come!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Samira had launched herself toward

Mikoto in a full-frontal assault.

"—"

The oncoming attack was too fast for Mikoto to block or counter, so she was forced to

focus completely on dodging the first strike.

"!"

The Amazon's large fist passed just in front of her eyes as she got her head out of the

way in the nick of time.

But that left-handed jab was only a feint. Samira turned that momentum downward,

placing her left hand on the ground and sweeping her legs upward.

"Guh!"

Mikoto caught a glimpse of Samira's right heel in time to block the attack with

Ushiwakamaru.

Her arms went numb as if getting hit by the blunt end of a steel pipe. A shock wave of

pain tore through her body, knocking her off balance. Samira wasted no time pressing

her advantage.

"Just like that, try and keep up!"

A barrage of fists and feet rained down on Mikoto.

Each one of the copper-colored streaks that was coming at Mikoto had enough power

to send her reeling. The human focused everything she had on getting far enough out

of the path of each strike that her Defense could withstand the blow if she couldn't

dodge it completely. No wasted motion, no room for error.

—As I expected, Level 3.

Her opponent's ash-gray hair shook back and forth, her minimal clothing holding tight

to her body as she moved. Samira's overwhelming dance of death proved to Mikoto

what she had already suspected: There was a large gap between her own Level 2

Status and the Amazon's. She had no way to overcome her opponent's overwhelmingly

superior power, combat style, and footwork.

How many of the Berbera surrounding her were just as strong as Samira? Their yells

seemed distant to her as that realization set in. Sensing the fear creeping into her

heart, Mikoto shook it off and regained her calm center.

She and Bell had already decided that they would save Haruhime no matter how

insurmountable the odds appeared.

"Hiiiya!"

"Hah! Not bad!"

Samira blocked Mikoto's first counterattack with her right arm.

She smiled as if enjoying the pain shooting through her arm, after taking the full force

of Mikoto's kick. Then she returned the favor.

"UgAHH!"

Mikoto went airborne.

Ushiwakamaru knocked from her grasp on impact, Mikoto watched the blade land at

the feet of their audience while on her back in the middle of the ring. Rolling over her

shoulder to face forward, her eyes opened wide as Samira charged her once again.

"You done?!"

Mikoto's eyes narrowed as the Amazon's right fist came hurtling toward her face.

Now or never! Mikoto grabbed ahold of the fist and guided it over her shoulder—into

a throwing position.

"?!"

The hollering Amazons and Samira herself took notice.

A judo-style arm throw. Another combat style instilled in her by Takemikazuchi—

Mikoto seized her chance to use one of these techniques.

Monsters in the Dungeon came in all shapes and sizes, making her judo training

practically useless. However, this Far Eastern style was extremely useful for

manipulating the bodies of human opponents.

These techniques were designed to help take down larger, stronger fighters. She was

on the verge of accomplishing something grand.

Mikoto exhaled with all her might, her muscles contracting at full power to bring

Samira down onto the stone surface.

"Hey, nice!"

But Samira had other ideas.

Commenting on her technique in mid-throw, she casually twisted her right arm and

broke free.

"!"

The throw was a mere heartbeat away from being completed. Now free, the Amazon

grabbed onto Mikoto's body with both hands—and threw her.

"Wha?!"

Just before the Amazon's back hit the stone floor, Mikoto's eyes registered two flashes

of tan skin go under her left arm and around her neck. The next thing she knew, Mikoto

had been forced skyward by the sheer muscle of her opponent. "Ow!" yelled Samira in

pain as her rear end landed squarely on the hard surface. At the same time, Mikoto

had been thrown all the way to the ring of Amazons.

The closest one watched with glee and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick that

sent Mikoto tumbling back into the center.

"Was that one of those Far East moves? That was pretty."

With that, Samira closed the distance between her and Mikoto in the blink of an eye.

The human girl was still on her back, reeling from the last hit. Samira took a more

playful approach to her next barrage of attacks, kicking Mikoto like she was trying to

juggle a soccer ball with her feet.

"GUAH!"

"Show me more if you got 'em!"

Samira's last kick sent the girl flying. Mikoto bounced once before finally managing to

regain her feet.

However, that just opened her up to the second-tier adventurer's merciless fists.

Mikoto's body jerked left and right as her shoulders, stomach, and cheeks all took

direct hits. Droplets of her blood flew with each blow, cutting dark splashes into the

pale-blue light emanating from the stone floor. Samira's beastly smile grew. In her

eyes, Mikoto was nothing but a toy that had some hidden features. She would stop at

nothing to see them.

Techniques were useless.

Mikoto's thoughts were a mess. The only thing that came through loud and clear was

awestruck horror at Samira's wild yet perfected battle style.

The Amazon was a living, breathing weapon. Years of experience culminated in a body

that could react on instinct, knew how to move without thinking. Each blow that

connected delivered more than just physical pain, they were direct shots to her

confidence and pride. Each impact was also the sound of her breaking down within.

Her talent and skill were outmatched.

Mikoto's knees went weak as each new wave of attacks showed her just how much

distance there was between her abilities and those of a second-tier adventurer.

"Lady Mikoto! MIKOTO!"

Haruhime's screams had finally reached her.

"!!"

Mikoto's eyelids flew open.

The human girl stood up strong, light back in her eyes.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Seriously, are you Level Two?"

Clearly impressed that Mikoto had taken the brunt of her full assault and remained

standing, Samira joyfully complimented her fighting spirit.

Another round of fists, knees, and elbows slammed into the bruised and bloody

Mikoto. However, she now had a good understanding of her opponent's attack pattern

and did her best to protect herself and avoid a fatal blow.

She even tried some more of her techniques when a window presented itself.

Unfortunately, the ash-gray-haired Amazon could sense when something was coming

and always managed to evade.

Winning as an adventurer is impossible!!

Mikoto screamed inside her mind as her body just barely avoided an elbow that would

have broken her shoulder.

As long as they remained on an even playing field, there was no way for Mikoto to gain

the upper hand. Coming to this realization, Mikoto threw her pride, compassion, and

battle etiquette on the back burner.

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

Takemikazuchi's voice popped into her mind.

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

goal."

The god she loved and respected had said this with a stern face.

"So, to be blunt, someone as straightforward and honest as yourself might not have much

use for it."

While he wasn't eager to teach her the techniques, the deity explained his reasoning.

"True ninjas act out of devotion. Be it to a lord they must protect or someone very

important to them."

Then Takemikazuchi smiled.

"Should that someone be in mortal danger—then even someone as straightforward and

serious as you can become a ninja of legendary proportions."

Devotion.

Her devotion was to Haruhime.

If it's to save her, then any method—!

Samira's last kick caught her under the chin. Even while spinning in midair, Mikoto

reached for her item pouch, took something out, and threw it onto the floor.

"Huh—smoke?!"

"A smoke bomb!"

Samira and the surrounding Amazons took a step back in surprise as a thick gray gas

spewed into the air.

Along with a flash grenade, it was one of the items that Mikoto had taken from the

vault. The Berbera were more surprised that one of their own items had been used

against them than its actual appearance on the battlefield.

The cloud overtook Mikoto and Samira in the middle of the ring, completely hiding

them from view.

"Where is she?!"

A few of the Berbera retreated to protect the altar. Meanwhile, Samira's head was on

a swivel as she searched for Mikoto within the cloud. Her own senses, a second-tier

adventurer's enhanced sight and hearing, couldn't find the human. For the first time,

her air of confidence was gone.

A black shadow appeared behind her a moment later.

"—Got you!"

A crazed grin appeared on her lips as Samira jumped high into the air and brought her

heel down on top of the shadow.

Her reflexes had been spot-on, delivering an accurate blow from a nearly blind angle

at blazing speed. However, her grin was gone and eyes opened wide in shock.

"Cloth?!"

Her foot had made contact with the short robe that Mikoto had been wearing as a shirt.

Substitution technique—Utsusemi.

Then Mikoto approached her opponent in earnest from behind.

"!"

She came in high, high enough to wrap her thighs around Samira's head.

Blocking her opponent's vision, Mikoto roared with all her might as she thrust her

body back in the other direction.

"—HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Full-Moon Throw—Mikazuchi.

Samira was lifted off her feet. Her body arced through the smoke cloud with her head

pinned between Mikoto's knees. BAM!!It made contact with the stone floor in the blink

of an eye.

"GUAH!"

The sound blasted through the air, the impact strong enough to break the stone slab

and leave Samira's head buried under its surface.

"Haa… haa…!"

Mikoto gasped for breath as Samira's body fell limp to the ground beside her.

That was the scene that the Amazons were greeted by the moment the smoke cleared.

There wasn't a sound to be heard.

Her shirt gone, only the fabric wrapped around her chest protected Mikoto's dignity

as she struggled to climb to her feet. However, her fighting spirit hadn't left her eyes

despite all the injuries she'd sustained. That got the attention of all the Berbera.

"… Ge-ge-ge-ge-geh. Quite the fighter, aren't you."

Mikoto scanned the ring, shoulders going up and down as she waited for her next

opponent.

"Such a waaaste."

"…?"

Mikoto turned to look at the possessor of the deep, croaking voice: the Amazon

commander, Phryne.

The large face grinned. Aisha, who had been silent up to this point, opened her mouth

to speak. But just before she could…

"This ain't over."

From behind.

More specifically, from below.

" "

A cold chill ran down Mikoto's spine as she slowly looked over her shoulder.

The tan body on the ground had both hands up where its head should be. Muscles

flexed, causing a loud pop. Suddenly, the body had a head.

The Amazon briefly looked up through the dust and debris on her face while on all

fours. Shaking her head like a wet dog, she jumped to her feet.

"Definitely felt that one… Very nice."

Jerking her head from side to side to crack her neck, Samira's eyes narrowed as a grin

returned to her lips.

Mikoto's spirit fell into a dark despair. She'd exhausted all options, thrown everything

she had at the Amazon, but it hadn't even fazed her opponent.

That was the true meaning of Level, a barrier not so easily overturned.

"Come on, next round!"

"GAHhh!"

Samira's fist collided with Mikoto's cheek before she could react.

Mikoto had inflicted damage, but it wasn't enough. Her normally beautiful white skin

was dotted with black and blue craters and streaks of blood all over her body. She just

couldn't compete.

"AAahh…!"

Haruhime couldn't watch, tears rolling off her chin as Samira vented her frustration

on her breathing punching bag.

One girl locked in torment as the sound of fist to flesh created a melody of pain in the

background. Phryne watched everything unfold with glee… when another Amazon

appeared from the stone bridge with a message. The newcomer came right up to

Phryne and whispered in her ear.

"Ahhnn... The bunny's on the looose?"

"Y-yes."

"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! Looks like Lady Ishtar ain't so tough."

Phryne couldn't contain her laughter at the news. Her voice grew so loud that Samira's

barrage was little more than background noise.

Insulting her goddess over and over, she opened her wide mouth and took in a deep

breath.

"—Little Rookie, you're watchin' us right now, aren't you? Better hurry up, your

precious friend can't take much morrre!"

The surrounding Amazons had to shield their ears as Phryne's voice erupted like a

volcano. The massive woman's eyes went from tower to tower, searching every corner

of the Floating Garden.

Phryne was absolutely sure that the boy would come to rescue Haruhime after

escaping from Ishtar's grasp.

"…"

—And she was right.

Five minutes after Mikoto, Bell had finally arrived at the Floating Garden.

He'd given up on finding a safe route inside the tower that connected to the stone

bridge, opting instead to take advantage of the ziggurat's intricate carvings to scale

the outside wall all the way to the top.

Bell hid himself behind one of the towers surrounding the Floating Garden. Mikoto

was following their plan to the letter, drawing the attention of as many Amazons as

possible to give him an opening to destroy the Killing Stone—but he couldn't ignore

her once he got a glimpse of her horrible condition. He stood at another crossroads,

hands tightening into fists.

I can't take it! His mind was set. Just when he was about to jump in…

"SIR BELL!"

Mikoto's scream stopped him in his tracks.

He wasn't the only one. Every set of eyes in the garden was suddenly locked on the

bloodied human. Arms limp at her sides, Mikoto stood up to her full height and took a

step forward. Slowly but surely, her hands made fists.

Mikoto's voice echoed throughout the garden long after she fell silent, as if searching

for the boy she knew had to be here. Resolute eyes burning, she turned her shoulders

to face Samira once again.

"Ohh… But what are we gonna do about this now?"

Samira kicked high, the heel of her foot colliding with Mikoto's collarbone. She bent

backward but didn't lose her balance.

Gritting her teeth, Mikoto prepared for the next merciless attack.

"There ain't no time left!"

The girl's eyes shot open as the Amazon's fist dug into her gut.

Indeed, the tips of soft blue light emanating from the stones beneath their feet were

starting to get a red tint.

The altar at the center of the Floating Garden was also changing. The lunatic light in

the stone was reacting to the full moon almost directly above, pulsing as if calling out

to a long-lost brother. Streaks of red light leaped out from the blue and toward the sky.

It wasn't long before Haruhime was chained inside the eye of a crimson vortex

reaching out toward the moon far above.

"Sharay. When the time is right, do herrr."

Phryne's eyes narrowed in anticipation before issuing the order to an Amazon

standing at the base of the altar.

The warrior named Sharay nodded, the ceremonial longsword in her grip. The Killing

Stone glowed with the same ominous light emitting from the altar.

Aisha saw all this transpire and turned her right foot toward Haruhime.

"You stay right therrre."

"…"

Phryne's massive frame blocked Aisha's path.

Two Amazons glaring daggers at each other and one white-haired boy—his eyes filled

with disbelief.

Just out of their view was Mikoto, still absorbing punch after punch from Samira.

"… Go beyond…"

Mikoto whispered with a spark of determination in her dark-purple eyes.

"… the enemy's…"

Samira was enjoying the rush of her assured victory so much that Mikoto's voice never

reached her ears.

"… expectations."

Mikoto let her voice fade out.

Slipping past one of Samira's punches, Mikoto wrapped her limp arms around her

opponent's chest and held on with everything she had left.

"Haah?"

The Amazon sounded vaguely annoyed that her toy wanted a hug rather than to try to

fight back.

Mikoto didn't pay attention to her and started casting.

"Fear, strong and winding—"

Samira smirked at the human girl, who was trying to cast magic while draped over her

shoulder.

"I get it, I know how you feel. But don'cha think using magic now is a bit, I don't know,

amateurish?"

Magic—an ace in the hole that could turn the tables of battle and bring anyone back

from the brink of demise.

However, Mikoto's choice under the circumstances disappointed Samira to no end.

"You know, I saw your magic in the War Game. It's a kick-ass spell, but the trigger takes

forever!"

"GAH!"

Samira drilled her elbow into Mikoto's defenseless ribs in an effort to show her how

pointless the attempt really was.

"I call upon the god… the destroyer of any, and all for…"

Even still, Mikoto did not stop casting her spell between grunts of pain and staggered

breaths.

"Enough of this, you're boring me. Just cut it out, will you?"

"GuWAH!"

A second hit, a third. Samira's elbow hit harder and harder each time.

Mikoto made no attempt to pull away or dodge the blows as she continued to push her

magical energy forward.

The Amazons watching the pitiful spectacle just laughed or shook their heads in

discontent. Samira had to find some way to enjoy the rest of this fight as the blue cloud

beneath her feet became redder with each passing moment. She decided to see how

many blows it would take to knock the human off her—when something clicked in her

mind.

"H-hey… You wouldn't seriously…"

Mikoto's magical energy was beginning to overflow.

Like a bowl that couldn't hold any more water, like a flooded river that wouldn't obey

its banks, a storm had been let loose.

The small body could no longer handle the surging magical energy coursing through

it.

"Guidance from… the heavens…"

Mikoto's mind drifted further and further into darkness even as the trigger spell

continued to pass through her lips.

"—Watch your opponent, learn their habits, their expectations. And then go beyond

them. All ninjas must think this way to succeed."

Takemikazuchi's voice came to her as her blood-caked body went beyond its physical

limit, her consciousness on the verge of shutting down.

He had told her that all the techniques were just for show.

"Grant this trivial body…"

He had tried to convey one truth through his teachings:

The reason why he, as a god, considered ninjutsu to be dirty.

"A ninja learns the way the enemy thinks—and goes a step further."

Betray the enemy's expectations, an unthinkable sneak attack.

"… divine, power beyond power…!!"

The God of Combat's words ringing through her heart, Mikoto pushed her magical

energy even harder.

"No, you wouldn't dare—!"

Samira's shrill voice was laced with unmistakable fear.

But it was too late. The energy was free.

It coursed through her muscles, desperately searching for an exit, like too much water

in a thin pipe.

"O-OFF!! GET OFF MEEEEEEEEEE!"

Mikoto had converted all her Mind into magical energy without completing the trigger

spell. This caused a chain reaction that would inevitably lead to an explosion.

Desperation overtook Samira as she assaulted the girl hanging onto her chest with all

her might, panic in her bloodshot eyes.

More of Mikoto's vulnerable ribs cracked with each hit, but her grip didn't falter.

Quite the opposite. Despite her searing headache and the most physical pain she'd

ever experienced, a bloody smile appeared on Mikoto's lips.

"All of you! Get this thing OFF MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

No matter how many times she struck her, no matter how hard she thrashed around,

Samira couldn't break free and finally sought help. The Berbera responded

immediately, charging in with weapons drawn—all too late.

The magical energy had found its exit and started to squeal like a boiling teapot.

Mikoto's body became the epicenter of a deafening explosion that enveloped the

entirety of the Floating Garden.

Samira, Phryne, Aisha, the Berbera, Haruhime, and Bell.

All sets of eyes flew open as rampaging magical energy overtook them.

"Protect, purifying light !!"

—Ignis Fatuus.

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

An explosion of pure magical energy.

Sparkles of it reflected in all the awestruck eyes just moments before everyone was

caught up in the shock wave. The Berbera who'd charged in took the brunt of it, getting

blown off their feet and crashing to the stone floor.

This was how one smith's anti-magic Magic worked—an explosion caused by an

overloading energy within a body rather than using chemicals from without.

It could happen by mistake when young adventurers were still learning how to control

their magical energy, an outcome that most avoided at all costs. Mikoto, on the other

hand, lost control on purpose and used it to turn herself into a bomb.

Her opponent's assumption was the magic couldn't trigger if she couldn't finish

casting. The fire of life burning within her went beyond that expectation.

"GAH "

The explosion launched Samira's body skyward. She landed in a heap and slid all the

way to the edge of the garden. Burned to a crisp and leaking blood, the Amazon

showed no signs of trying to stand up. More than half the Berbera who were caught

up in the blast lay motionless on the floor. The ones who had managed to avoid a direct

hit—Phryne, Aisha, and the rest of the Berbera who were lucky enough to be outside

the blast radius—still felt the intense burst of energy wash over them. Even Haruhime,

still chained to the altar, felt the heat on her skin.

Echoes of the blast kept bouncing around the wide-open garden.

" ah."

Mikoto was falling.

Her Ignis Fatuus explosion sent her flying in the opposite direction of Samira and off

the edge of the Floating Garden. Arcing through the air like a limp spear, she

plummeted headfirst toward the ground.

The wind whipped the smoke emerging from her body into a frenzy as she fell.

Mikoto's skin was black, charred from the inside.

There was no pain, no feeling at all. Her eyes clouded as the last bits of physical and

mental energy she had were whisked away by the howling wind.

"Sir Bell…!"

The very last drop of strength in her body went into yelling his name.

Her words did not reach Haruhime.

She could not save Haruhime.

Just like in that memory of a moonlit night, she could not become Haruhime's hero.

Misty eyes started to close. All her sadness, pain, and a wish that went beyond all of it

gathered in the back of her throat.

Somehow, somehow.

That girl's curse.

Her ruin.

Her tears—get rid of them all!

Somehow, somehow!

Bring back her smile once again!

Reach—please reach!!

"SIR BELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!"

He ran.

The moment the explosion of life went off, he ran faster than anyone.

He heard.

The words of the girl who'd put her life on the line, and the yearning within them,

reached him.

Bell emerged from his hiding place the instant the shock wave blew past and

committed every muscle, every tendon, to reaching the altar one heartbeat sooner.

He had to break through the line of Amazons in his way.

" !!"

Bell tore through the hanging smoke so quickly that the Amazons couldn't respond.

His speed wouldn't allow any to give chase. The white rabbit was on a direct line

straight for the altar. The Berbera he passed couldn't even follow his movements, only

watch the smoke twist in his wake. Even Aisha couldn't make a move.

No one could keep up.

"—GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH!"

Except for her.

"I don't think soooooooooooo!"

"!!"

The frog-like Amazonian queen suddenly entered Bell's line of sight with unbelievable

speed.

It was a reaction that only top-class adventurers were capable of.

She had withstood the explosion and overtaken Bell at full charge. Now she stood as

an insurmountable wall in his way.

The corners of Phryne's lips curled up as she arched her back, pulled back her right

fist, and braced for impact.

"IT'S OVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!"

She focused all her strength into this one punch.

Less than a heartbeat was left between the incredible force and vicious object,

presenting Bell with very little time to make an important choice.

Left, right, or stop.

Or perhaps up.

Bell could already see the crimson altar and the girl chained to it just behind the

behemoth obstacle.

It was the moment of truth.

Bell's ruby-red eyes flashed.

He lowered his shoulder—and kept going forward.

"?!"

Faster.

Slivers of glowing stone sprang into the air as his feet kicked off the ground. Bell was

determined to go through the wall.

Riding this simple train of thought, Bell collided into Phryne.

A direct attack was the last thing the huge Amazon thought would happen. Her fist

changed course at the last instant to adjust to Bell's trajectory.

However, Bell managed to get beneath the overly showy punch and didn't slow down

even as his shoulder collided with her exposed flank. WHAM! Twisting ever so slightly,

his momentum bounced him into the air with minimal damage and knocked Phryne

off her feet.

"GUH!"

An airborne Bell, a reeling Phryne.

He had safely cleared the deadly attack.

Phryne's grunt of surprise behind him, Bell landed directly at the base of the altar.

The Amazon looked up from her seat on the floor and yelled at the top of her lungs:

"Sharay! DO HARUHIME, NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!"

Phryne's scream hit the Amazon like a wrecking ball. But she did as told and lifted the

longsword high into the air.

Blade forward, she aimed the tip directly at Haruhime's chest like a javelin. The moon

was in perfect position, the now crimson altar pulsing like a beating heart.

Haruhime sat motionless, her gaze following the shining Killing Stone until dropping

to the base of the altar the moment the boy touched down.

Bell fought through an awkward landing. One foot, second foot—and he jumped.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Bell launched himself skyward like an arrow fired from an overstressed bow.

A set of blank green eyes. The ceremonial longsword held high. The resonating Killing

Stone.

Gaze locked on the stone, Bell withdrew the Hestia Knife from its sheath.

The Amazon's back threatening to overtake him, Bell made his move.

A dark violet streak arced through the air the moment Bell tackled the Amazonian

guard from behind.

"YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The tip of the jet-black blade pierced the Killing Stone—and shattered it.

Pieces of the stone fell to the floor as the yells of the blade's owner filled the night.

Haruhime saw it all unfold in slow motion. The Amazon tumbling through the air, the

blade landing at her knees, the white-haired boy flying over her head and directly into

a stone pillar, breaking it before sliding to a stop at the edge of the Floating Garden.

And finally, the last of the shards falling to the ground.

The ominous red light filling the garden flickered before fading out.

"Ugh—gahhh…!"

Bell's exposed skin scraped over the stone surface as he slid all the way to the edge of

the Floating Garden. Knees, elbows, and the palms of his hands raw and bleeding, he

climbed back to his feet.

The red light that had consumed the garden before was now barely a soft glow. The

altar now had a withering, dull red appearance due to Bell accidentally knocking down

one of the pillars that focused the moon's light. The sparkles that had poured upward

like a confused waterfall only moments ago were nowhere to be seen.

Catching his breath, Bell returned the knife to its sheath. The sound of many bare feet

racing across stone swarmed around him within moments.

The infuriated faces of over fifty Amazons were waiting to meet his eyes when Bell

finally looked up. He was completely surrounded.

More accurately, they cut off his escape routes with a half encirclement, trapping him

against the outer wall.

"Now you've done iiit…!"

A massive Amazon stepped in front of the ring with such force that the ground shook

beneath her feet.

At the end of her meaty arm was Haruhime, forcefully pulled from the chains.

Phryne had a fistful of the renart's golden hair clutched in her mighty fist, roughly

pulling her forward. Bell's body jerked into action, preparing to rush to her aid.

However, the infuriated aura of the rest of the Amazons following their commander's

lead made him think twice.

"Brat, just wait till I get my hands on you…!"

"Ah…!"

Phryne slammed Haruhime to the floor by her hair, eyes bloodshot with rage.

"Miss Haruhime!" Bell yelled as the girl stayed down. A low, booming voice cut him off.

"So how you gonna pay, breakin' our Killing Stone like that?"

The sheer power in her voice made Bell lean backward, goose bumps jumping up on

his skin.

The Killing Stone lay in pieces. The very sight of the darkening crimson shards served

only to make the Amazons even angrier.

Bell had completely ruined the ritual that they'd spent years preparing.

Flames and smoke still rose from the spot where Mikoto's Ignis Fatuus had ignited,

and pieces of the pillar Bell tackled slowly rolled across the floor. At least fifty Berbera

lay motionless on the ground, looking like little more than corpses dotting the scene

of a massacre. They would not be rejoining this fight.

Bell scanned the crowd of Amazons surrounding him and made eye contact with

Aisha. He couldn't read her expression in the slightest. Looking away from her gaze,

Bell turned to face Phryne.

"All you did was bring us back to square ooone…!"

"…"

The muscles in Bell's face tightened as he stood beneath Phryne's icy glare.

It was true. All his efforts had accomplished was to reset the situation.

That's why he wasn't celebrating. Ishtar Familia could acquire a new Killing Stone.

Just like with Aisha, Bell's destroying the stone only delayed the inevitable.

This wasn't over.

… In order to protect Haruhime…

In order to save the girl collapsed at Phryne's feet…

There was no other option than to secure her freedom from the goddess who had set

all this in motion.

"… Please release Miss Haruhime."

Overcoming his fear, Bell made his appeal to the Amazons surrounding him.

Lips twitched, fists clenched; the Berbera were not in the mood to listen. Haruhime's

green eyes shook as she looked at the boy from beneath an imposing shadow.

Aisha's mouth narrowed into a frown, but the only audible response was Phryne's

croaking laughter.

"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! Ain't you a joker, Little Rookie!"

The Amazon's massive eyes suddenly unleashed a piercing death stare at the whitehaired human.

"Get off your high horse, puny braaat! Who do you think you are?"

"Ahhgh…!"

She grabbed Haruhime's hair again and pulled her up to her feet. Then the frog-like

Amazon leaned down to the point that her face was next to her captive's. Phryne's jaw

hid Haruhime's shoulder as she opened her mouth to speak.

"This here is our tool! One that we'll use to smash Freya's lot to bits! This has nothin'

to do with the likes of you!!"

The Amazons were too hungry for war with the Labyrinth City's most powerful familia

to let go of Haruhime's power so easily.

Bell couldn't stand the look of pain on Haruhime's face and tried to repeat his

demands, but Phryne wasn't finished.

"Just who do you think kept this varmint alive—a varmint so useless she couldn't even

make money as a prostituuuute…? It's her duty to use that body to pay us baaack!"

"…"

"Isn't that righttt, Haruhimeee? You tell him how it isss."

Haruhime's body shook. The Amazon's wide lips whispered into her ear with all the

affection a chef would have for a rat.

Momentarily released from Phryne's grasp, Haruhime made eye contact with Bell.

"Master Cranell…"

The young girl's hands came together in front of her chest, still well within grabbing

distance of the fleshy boulder behind her. A range of emotions passed through

Haruhime's eyes.

"Please take your leave… I'm fine…"

"…"

"Leave me be... I beg you, do not bother yourself with my situation any longer."

Haruhime's voice trembled out of fear of Ishtar and the Amazons around her. Bell

watched the renart look away as menacing grins appeared on the lips of every Amazon

in his line of sight.

Bell kept his eyes trained on the girl and opened his mouth to speak.

"Stories of heroes."

"Eh…?"

"I made my decision based on the heroes we talked about."

Haruhime's head shot up in surprise. Bell's voice never wavered as he continued.

"I decided to save you."

"How do you mean…?"

"To save you and to prove you wrong… I've made up my mind."

—No hero would ever come for someone as lowly as myself.

—Prostitutes are the ruin of heroes.

Bell declared that he'd come all this way to refute the words she had uttered that night

in the red-light district.

Haruhime recoiled, but Bell's confidence only grew.

"The heroes you and I admire—they aren't like that!"

The strength in Bell's voice caught everyone's attention. Aisha and Phryne blinked, the

Berbera shifted on their feet, and Haruhime stood in stunned silence.

"A prostitute, a cause of ruin—none of that would matter to a hero!"

"Th-that can't be true…"

"Heroes would fight, no matter how many frightening, powerful enemies are in the

way!"

"It can't be like that…"

"My idols, the heroes I look up to, they would protect you to the very end!"

"!"

He had said his piece.

Bell fought off his fear, anxiety, and unease to say exactly what he wanted to since that

night, in a voice loud enough for all to hear.

Just like the heroes the two of them aspired to, he would reach out and take her hand.

In fact, he was reaching out to her at this very moment. His outstretched hand

reflected in her green eyes, Haruhime's body quivered.

"Ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-geh! The brat thinks he's a heeeero!"

Bell ignored Phryne's chuckling as his eyes burned with the determination he felt in

his heart.

The boy's powerful gaze scared Haruhime. She held her own body tight and shook her

head back and forth.

"I… I am a prostitute!"

She thrust the words out of her mouth, declaring the title that had become her fate.

"I don't want to become your burden! I am a soiled being, not worthy of anything!"

Bell's chin shot up and he glared down at the renart.

"Don't think that we can't do anything, that you're not worth it!"

"—!"

It was the first time Haruhime had ever heard anger in Bell's voice. He wasn't finished.

"Being laughed at, pointed at, being called names, being called dirty—that's not

shameful at all!"

His grandfather's words.

They had become rooted within his heart. Now he brought them crashing down on

Haruhime.

"The truly shameful thing is standing still because you can't make up your mind!"

The renart's eyes went wide.

"I still haven't heard what you want!"

Bell's words—and his right hand—reached out even further. He yelled:

"I want to know the real you!"

The boy's voice cut through the remaining smoke and flames still inside the Floating

Garden.

It rang out into the night under the full moon. Even as it disappeared into the distance,

everyone standing above the weak red cloud felt a change in the wind.

The Amazons stood in silence. Haruhime met Bell's gaze.

Drop. One solitary tear rolled down her cheek and dropped off her chin.

"… Haruhimeeee."

A new sound.

A warning from Phryne from directly behind her ear.

Haruhime's shoulders jumped. Looking at the boy for another moment, she let her

gaze fall to the floor.

Her body, hair, and tail shook softly.

Her lips slowly opened.

"—Grow."

And she started casting.

"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! That'll wooork!"

Phryne laughed with joyous mockery. Despite the boy's call, the renart began to chant

instead of answering him.

"Miss Haruhime…!"

Bell grimaced as she clenched her eyes closed tight and continued the incantation.

"That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls,

bring forth glory and illusion."

She reached forward from her chest, as if surrendering something to an unseen

recipient. The renart's regal voice continued to grow louder.

"Callin' yourself a hero gets you nowhere. Ge-ge-ge-ge-geh! Now I'm gonna show you

why!"

Haruhime's beautiful song reverberated throughout the garden as two Berbera

handed Phryne a grand battle-ax.

The other Amazons took that as their cue. Weapons were being drawn left and right

all around Bell.

"—Grow."

The intimidating clashing of metal and the stomping of feet on stone joined the

ensemble of sounds swirling within the garden. The Berbera flexed their muscles and

flashed their blades in the moonlight.

Out of all of them, Aisha was the only one who kept her eyes on Haruhime. She was

the only one who noticed something strange about the flow of magical energy

emanating from the golden-haired fox.

"Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into

the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you."

The energy of her spell went past all the members of her familia and into the chest of

the human boy.

Her incantation nearly complete, a misty cloud of magical energy started to swirl

around him.

"Anybody, stop Haruhime!"

Right after Aisha's suddenly frightened scream reached the ears of her allies…

A magic circle appeared above Bell's head as sparkles of white light fell around him

like a veil.

The boy glanced around in surprise. It wasn't until he looked above his head that he

saw it: a pillar of light—no, a handleless hammer of light forming directly over his

head.

He felt the warmth of its light on his skin. His eyes fell onto the renart. Tears were

rolling down her cheeks, but she was smiling.

"—Grow."

The Berbera finally realized what was happening and jumped at the two of them, but

they couldn't make it in time.

Because the name of her spell escaped Haruhime's lips at that exact moment.

"Uchide no Kozuchi."

The sparkling hammerhead fell, surrounding Bell's body in a radiant light.

The light flooded his body and spirit with pure power, like a shot of revitalizing

adrenaline.

A spark had been lit within him, each flake of light emerging through his skin.

"HAH—HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The Berbera threw caution to the wind and charged in blades-first.

One particular Berbera brandishing a broadsword came straight at Bell from the front.

Her weapon flashed before Bell's eyes, when suddenly he grabbed hold of its hilt.

"Huh?!"

He stepped outside the weapon's path and into his opponent's space.

Tripping her with his foot and knocking her over with his free hand, Bell forced the

weapon into a wide sweep. All of the closest Berbera were knocked backward.

"GAH!"

Five Berbera hit the floor as Bell put his other hand on the broadsword that had

belonged to their ally. It was his now.

It was also at that time that Bell realized the flakes of light emerging from his body

were the same ones that had come from Aisha during their fight in the Dungeon. That

was the final piece of the puzzle.

Haruhime's Magic, "Uchide no Kozuchi."

It had the power to grant its target a temporary level-up.

While active, the magic allowed the recipient to move with power and speed one level

above their Status. That was the reason Ishtar kept her existence under wraps, why

she was the trump card against Freya Familia—"Level Boost."

The thing that made the Goddess of Beauty swell with glee; she'd worked so hard to

conceal the most powerful form of sorcery.

The reason that Phryne and the Berbera refused to let her go was that she possessed

a rare magic so powerful it should have been illegal. What Eina had told him at the

Guild, about Aisha's sudden increase in strength and speed and Ishtar calling

Haruhime her ace in the hole—everything made sense now.

Phryne and the Berbera froze in place. There was no stopping the power, Haruhime's

power, from flowing into Bell. He felt it, embraced it, and was fully prepared to use it.

"T-TAKE HIM DOWNNNNNNNNNNNN!"

More Berbera charged in with a battle cry, but Bell was ready to meet them head-on.

"—FAHH!!"

One swing of the broadsword sent several of the Amazonian warriors flying into the

air. Each one crying out as their feet left the ground, they spiraled into a hard landing

on the stone surface.

Bell's strikes were too fast for their eyes to see. The broadsword had become a wall

they could not break and a weapon they could not block. Sparks flew into the air,

joining the pinpricks of light around Bell as even more Berbera were thrown from

their feet. The Level 2 Amazons didn't stand a chance, knocked out in the blink of an

eye. Even the Level 3s who should have been on equal footing with Bell were tossed

aside like tissue paper.

Haruhime had bestowed upon him the abilities of a Level 4 adventurer, and he wasn't

about to hold any of it back.

"H-HARUHIMEEEEEEEEE!"

"UwAH!"

Phryne roared as the one-sided slugfest unfolded in front of her eyes.

A flash of gold within the rush of Amazons caught her attention. She reached out with

one meaty hand, grabbed the girl by the neck, and hoisted her off the ground.

"You betrayed usss! Break the spell, you worthless prostitute! Break it now!"

As soon as Uchide no Kozuchi was triggered, its effects would last until time ran out or

the caster chose to end it. Even if Haruhime were knocked unconscious or worse, the

spell would not wear off. Phryne resorted to force out of desperation, but even then,

the renart didn't give in.

Neck cracking between muscular fingers and feet swinging through the air, Haruhime

clenched her eyes shut. Her cheeks shone in the moonlight, wet with more tears.

Fighting to stay conscious, she forced weak words through her quivering lips.

"I do not want to sell my body ever again…!"

She said it; that shy girl actually said it.

"I do not want to hurt anyone ever again…!"

Afraid of others, terrified of the world, the fragile renart gathered up all the emotion,

every desire, every grievance she'd kept bottled up.

"I do not want to die…!"

And put it into two words:

"Save me…!"

She asked for his help.

"!!"

He heard. Bell's eyes instantly zeroed in on her.

Dashing through the horde of Amazons, he hurled himself at Phryne with the force of

a cannonball at full speed.

"Wha—?!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The massive Amazon barely managed to get her ax in position to block the incoming

blade. However, the impact knocked her back toward the center of the garden.

She let go of Haruhime in mid-fall, sending the helpless girl into the air. Bell reached

out to catch her, but a quick shadow got to her first.

"Miss Aisha…!"

"…"

Holding an unconscious Haruhime in her arms, the Amazonian warrior's long black

hair danced in the wind behind her. Her narrow eyes were focused solely on Bell.

A heartbeat later she was airborne, jumping backward high into the air to allow a fresh

wave of Berbera to attack.

"B-blooood…?!"

Bell engaged the Berbera head-on in an attempt to follow Aisha. At the same time,

Phryne climbed to her feet and felt something unusual dripping down her face.

The blade of her ax had carved a gash into her own cheek. Bell's attack caused the

injury. She slowly traced the wound with her thick, trembling fingers in disbelief.

"My beautiful face… is BLOODYYY…?!"

Her whole body shook before erupting like a volcano.

"OUTTA MY WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

She charged forward like an enraged bowling ball, knocking Berbera out of the way as

she made a beeline for the white-haired boy. Bell froze for a moment as he watched

the bodies hit the stone floor in her wake.

Grand battle-ax and broadsword collided in an explosion of sparks a second later.

"…!"

"I had a soft spot for you, but no morrre! YOU DIE NOWWWWWWW!"

Fueled by pure rage, she spun into a swing that sent Bell arcing through the air.

Landing close to the wall at the edge of the Floating Garden, Bell barely had time to

get on his feet to block the Amazon's follow-up attack.

"Ai-Aisha, what do we do? Those two are almost outside the garden!"

"That toad… She's completely lost it."

Phryne drove Bell back onto the bridge amid sharp clashes and showers of sparks. At

this rate, they would be in the main tower before any other Berbera could catch up. A

younger Amazon came to Aisha for orders.

Aisha watched the battle for a moment before looking down at Haruhime's head

resting on her chest.

Trails of dried tears crisscrossed the unconscious renart's cheeks. Aisha closed her

eyes.

Then she set the girl who had asked for help for the first time in her life gently on the

floor and immediately stood back up.

Just as she was about to issue orders to the Berbera still able to fight—something

exploded.

"What was that…?"

Searching for its source, Aisha ran to the edge of the garden to look over the Pleasure

Quarter.

"Mr. Welf, that explosion just now…!"

Hestia and her familia saw the flash of light burst out from the Floating Garden as they

ran through the brothel-filled streets of the Pleasure Quarter.

Lilly knew that sound and had seen that color of flame many times before. She

quickened her steps to catch up with Welf and made eye contact as they ran.

"Ignis Fatuus…!"

Welf groaned under his breath. He knew out-of-control magical energy when he saw

it.

Something or someone with magical energy was in a dire enough situation to trigger

Ignis Fatuus on top of the building behind the palace.

Hestia wasted no time in declaring that Bell and Mikoto were there. The entire group

veered right and set a course directly for Belit Babili.

"Stop right there, intruders!"

"Tsk, not again…!"

Yet another group of Amazons arrived to bar their path through Orario's third district.

Ouka spat in frustration at barely making any headway. Even so, he charged into battle

with ax held high.

"Luckily, the opponents aren't strong enough to keep us back!"

"Yes, their forces are spread too thin…!"

Lilly shot her bow gun to distract the closest Amazon while calling out in an attempt

to raise morale. Chigusa added her own voice from the middle of the formation as she

jumped into the fray, spear a blur.

Ishtar Familia's forces had been split between protecting the Killing Stone Ritual and

capturing Bell. Street patrols, the lowest priority, had been assigned to the weakest of

the Berbera. It wasn't long before Welf and Ouka carved a path through the lower Level

2 Amazons and the Level 1 animal people and humans sent to support them. Slowly

but surely, the patrol guards fell by the wayside.

Thanks to Welf's unusual anti-magic Magic and Takemikazuchi Familia's incredible

teamwork, the group worked their way through waves of enemies.

"Can we make it through?"

Takemikazuchi called out to Hestia from behind the protection of his followers. The

goddess, however, was silent and in deep contemplation.

Why—why did it come to this…?

The War Game against Apollo had just ended. So why was Bell being targeted by so

many gods?

Of course his quick growth would perk their interest… but was this really a coincidence?

Welf and the others rushed to meet the next wave of enemies as Hestia ran through

the sequence of events in her head once again. "Outta my way!" the red-haired young

man yelled at the Amazons who blocked his path—KA-BOOM.

"Huh…?"

Hestia, Lilly, Welf, and all of Takemikazuchi Familia looked over their shoulders to find

the source of the latest explosion.

They immediately spotted a column of smoke emerging from a completely different

direction. Flames licked the sky as the pyre rose even higher.

It was the same explosion that caught Aisha's attention in the Floating Garden. An

eerie silence continued for a few seconds before… BOOM, KA-BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

More explosions came from around the Pleasure Quarter—no, the entire third district.

That's when the first screams reached their ears.

"What is going on?!"

Ishtar herself had joined the hunt for Bell in the main palace when the explosions

started going off outside. She was quick to demand a report.

Without her most trusted servant at her side, she addressed the first member of her

familia she could find. The unlucky passerby dropped to his knees and hastily strung

words together.

"S-some intruders are attacking the Pleasure Quarter…!"

"Attacking…?"

Pausing for a moment in shock, Ishtar then ran out of the hall and onto the closest

balcony where she could see all of the Pleasure Quarter. Waves of hot air washed over

her bronze skin the moment she stepped outside.

The condition of her territory made her jaw drop.

Loud noises, flashes of light, screams, and explosions erupted from every corner of the

Night District under the moonlight.

Countless human figures advanced through the streets, her streets, under the cover of

smoke and darkness. Shadows of the invading adventurer army flashed in every

direction as new explosions went off all around them. Ishtar was lost for words.

Her familia was under siege.

The invading adventurers were moving swiftly among the brothels. Members of her

familia fell one by one with each swing of a blade, each Magic casting, each flash of a

magical sword. Ishtar could see it all.

What is this, what is going on?! Her mind raced as she tightened her white-knuckled

grip on the balcony railing.

Her voice trembled as she watched the flames of war dance their way through the

Pleasure Quarter.

"Wh-what? Nobody would have the gall to…!"

She was the grand and mighty Ishtar, head of Orario's feared Ishtar Familia.

Who would show up with this many warriors, unannounced, weapons drawn, and

start a fight with someone as powerful as she? That was as far as her train of thought

needed to go.

The color drained from her face.

"It… it can't be…?"

"E-ENEMY ATTACK !"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

Yells and screams laced their way through the buildings.

Moonlight and the occasional magic-stone lamp cast light on the golden seal of a nude

female warrior in profile—the symbol of Ishtar Familia.

It could be found on discarded armor and weapons scattered throughout the streets.

Another flash of steel brought another Berbera to her knees, buckler rolling to the

middle of the street and coming to a stop with her familia's emblem facing the sky.

They had been overrun. Elves, dwarves, animal people, prums, Amazons, all types of

demi-human and human warriors surged into the Pleasure Quarter. They took over

strategic positions, kicked over barrels in the streets, advanced over rooftops and

eliminated Berbera resistance with ruthless efficiency. The invading men and women

didn't try to hide their faces—quite the opposite. They wore the beautiful and

handsome features that had captured the attention of their goddess like badges of

honor. They wielded the power that kept them in her good graces without any

hesitation. An elf with a fluid spear, an animal person with pulsing magical energy in

the palms of his hands, a dwarf with a war hammer that overshadowed him in size—

every single one of them showed no mercy to the opposition.

Swarms of noncombatants and prostitutes ran for their lives in the face of this onesided assault. Male customers, literally caught with their pants down, cowered in fear

as the invaders pointed their weapons toward only those who attempted to bar their

advance.

"E-Eina? EINA! Big problem—really, really BIG PROBLEM!"

—The onslaught was being monitored from the Guild Headquarters northwest of the

Pleasure Quarter.

Caught off guard by the panic in her coworker's voice from outside, Eina jumped up

from her desk and went to join her. She wasn't prepared for what was waiting for her.

Joining the masses of Guild employees who had gathered on the front garden, Eina

saw that every set of eyes was glued to the flashes of magical light, billowing smoke,

and orange-red glow emerging from the southeast.

"That direction—the Pleasure Quarter…? Could it be—Belit Babili is burning?!"

Eina found her coworker Misha pacing back and forth among the nervously chattering

staff of the Guild. Coming to a stop next to her, Eina cast her unsteady emerald-green

gaze toward the pandemonium on the other side of Orario.

"An outbreak? What familia would be powerful enough to launch an offensive against

Lady Ishtar?"

Eina thought out loud, unable to shake her disbelief.

Then it hit her like a jolt of lightning.

"It can't be…"

"It can't be…"

Other deities living in Orario watched the flames rise from the southeast.

"There's no way…"

Some watched from their homes; others climbed to the tops of tall buildings for a

better look.

"She wouldn't…"

From the Shopping District, from the engineering wards, from trading outposts,

deities young and old watched from a distance.

"Could that be… Ganesha?"

The divine beings all had the same reaction as Eina. A certain vermilion-haired

goddess watched from the tallest tower of her home, Twilight Manor. Her thin eyes

opened wider than usual; Loki kept a sharp vigil on the events taking place on the

opposite side of the city.

Windows beneath her swung open as the heads of her followers appeared one by one.

They yelled to one another, trying to figure out what was happening. Loki whispered

to herself:

"Couldn't be… Freya?"

Loki's tongue snapped at the thought, vermilion eyes opening wider.

"That airhead, makin' a move…"

Ker-tap. Ker-tap.

The sound of high heels on stone echoed through the scream-filled streets.

The bodies of fallen Amazons littered the streets, their faces illuminated by the flames

reaching to grasp the sky. And yet her beauty managed to remain intact, a diamond

traveling through the rough.

With her warriors clearing a path before her, she advanced through the Pleasure

Quarter at her own fast pace.

"The Pleasure Quarter is under our control."

"Ottar's team has reached the palace."

A man and woman appeared at her side to bring her up to speed. Freya kept walking,

only saying, "I see," without looking at the messengers.

The invaders showed no remorse for their actions. They traveled north through the

third district with either an air of arrogance or resignation to the knowledge that their

goddess's will was absolute.

"Both of you, go to the front. That boy, he should be there."

The goddess's unblinking silver eyes remained focused on her target: the gleaming

golden palace in the distance.

The first explosion hadn't alerted only Hestia and Takemikazuchi to Bell's position, it

showed Freya exactly where to go.

"But My Lady, your escort…"

"Not needed."

Freya didn't listen to her follower's concern.

"Eliminate all who stand in your way."

And find the boy. Those were her orders.

The two gave a quick bow and left her side. Freya kept walking, speeding up.

Her straight silver hair swayed in the breeze. The sounds of battle around her never

ceased. Surrounded by clashes, screams, and roaring flames, Freya continued to walk

down the middle of the street, all the way to what was left of Belit Babili's front gate.

Passing by a crater with random poles of warped steel littering the ground, Freya

could feel the traces of magical energy on her skin as she passed through the front

garden and stepped up to the palace. Then she just happened to look up.

Her silver eyes caught a glimpse of a bronze-skinned deity looking down at her with

amethyst eyes from a balcony.

Freya returned the scowl with a glare menacing enough to intimidate a hawk, an icecold grin on her lips.

The other Goddess of Beauty's face took on a ghostly shade of blue.

—Mere minutes had passed since Freya Familia began the invasion.

"…"

The mountainous frame of the boaz with the title of warlord stood with a human girl

lying limp in his arms.

The hair band that kept her black ponytail in place long gone, her singed hair listlessly

drifted in the breeze. She had fallen from the top of the building behind the palace.

The large man saw her in time and caught her before she hit the ground.

"… Self-sacrifice to protect your allies, was it?"

Ignis Fatuus—the unique markings of internal burns gave Ottar a clue to the young

girl's fate.

She lay motionless in his gentle embrace, eyes closed.

The girl's actions had earned her the boaz warlord's respect. He lay her down on the

ground and brought out an elixir from his item pouch before carefully pouring it on

her skin.

The girl's body, which was on the verge of falling apart due to the sheer number and

severity of her injuries, started to heal on the spot. Life once again took root within

her.

"Hey, Ottar. Quit playin' around."

"Don't waste time on that girl," a catman—Allen—snapped from behind him. Glaring

coldly at his ally as he walked past, the top-class adventurer flipped a spear over his

wrist.

Four more 120-celch-tall figures emerged from the shadows behind him: four prums.

Two more sets of eyes were lurking in the darkness, those of an elf and a dark elf.

"We're going to say this only once, Ottar."

"The boy who has taken over her favor—Bell Cranell. We don't like him."

"We will follow the goddess's will and eliminate all threats."

"But we refuse to help him."

"… Do as you will."

The four prums showed no fear in speaking frankly with their familia's commander.

The other three said nothing, their silence indicating they shared the same opinion.

Ottar's expression remained stoic despite his borderline insubordinate allies.

However, he did draw a line.

"Goddess Ishtar does not escape. Block the exits."

"And the ones who get in our way?"

"—Obliterate them."

Ottar's tone remained cool and collected as he led the team of seven adventurers

toward the golden palace.

The strongest battle party in Orario, composed completely of top-tier adventurers,

entered Belit Babili.

Roaring flames illuminated the streets of the Pleasure Quarter in place of the broken

magic-stone lamps.

The flames worked in unison with other adventurers to isolate the third district,

keeping everything inside. It was indeed the final hours of a once-proud fortress. Even

more explosions were still ringing out in the distance, signaling the battle was not over

yet.

Of all the spacious districts in Orario, the one that had given in to desire and adultery

was now burning red under the full moon.

"To think it would come to this…"

A dandy deity stood on the southeastern portion of the city wall that wrapped all the

way around Orario. He stood right up against the guard wall, looking down over the

carnage.

Feathered hat planted firmly on his head, Hermes watched the flames rise with Asfi

standing a few paces behind him.

"The one who told Ishtar about Bell in the first place was none other… than me…"

The words fell out of Hermes's mouth, his eyes tracing the ring of flames around the

once thriving district.

His orange hair wavered in the blasting heat, the precisely laid inferno reflected in his

orange eyes. His breaths were short, as if he was struggling to hold back tears.

"I'm the reason all this happened… Ahh, what is this piercing guilt in my chest…?"

He opened his arms wide and shook them, as if trying to cleanse himself. The deity

looked down and quietly brought his hands together in front of his chest.

Directly behind the deity, his follower looked at his back with a cold stare through her

glasses.

She sighed to herself at the same moment the light from a large explosion washed over

them.

"So, how much of this was according to plan?"

Hermes lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. An unmistakable grin grew in the

corners of his lips.

The remorseful aura was gone. Dropping the dramatic act, Hermes turned around to

face Asfi and give his answer.

"First off, I wasn't trying to make something on this scale happen. I just thought that

something interesting might be set in motion if I provided a spark… That's all."

Asfi's eyes twitched, a sure tell that she was keeping her opinion to herself.

Hermes had sown the seeds.

All he did was tell Ishtar about Bell under interrogation.

All he did was alert Freya out of concern for Bell's safety.

That was it. They were very small seeds in the bigger picture.

Hermes once again turned around to watch the battles unfold amid the flames and

moonlight.

"I'm not saying they're dancing in the palm of my hand. This completely outdid my

expectations. Ishtar's jealousy was far more intense than I expected, just as Lady Freya

was more attached to him than I thought."

He had no idea something this big would happen so soon.

His grin grew wider with each word.

"Well, even the best laid plans, you know? Nothing scarier than a jealous goddess,

right, Asfi?"

"…"

His voice was laced with excitement. Asfi continued to stare at the back of her god's

head but didn't say anything.

"But most importantly… Bell's good nature outdid my wildest dreams."

Hermes cast his gaze at the palace in the middle of Orario's third district and narrowed

his eyes.

The only information he'd given Bell was the existence of the Killing Stone.

Bell figured out the rest on his own without being provided with any hints.

Most likely, Freya wouldn't have made a move if Bell escaped from Ishtar's grasp. The

course of today's events changed two or three times based on Bell's actions alone—

and the boy had no idea.

He just went to save one renart he couldn't leave behind.

But not recklessly. Bell was ready to lose everything.

Asfi listened to her god. She let his words sink in for a moment before asking a

question of her own.

"Was your intention to destroy Ishtar Familia or entertainment? Or was it perhaps… a

trial?"

Hermes heard her question.

But he chose to smile at her instead of answering.

"People, gods… Everyone is seeking a girl like that. Every single being."

At the base of the city wall…

Hundreds of humans and demi-humans ran past in a desperate effort to escape the

Pleasure Quarter.

The many gods watched the Pleasure Quarter from afar.

And a renart girl still lay unconscious in the Floating Garden.

Hermes raised his arms as he took it all in—the battle still raging on the roof of the

palace between a large woman and a white-haired boy. Then Hermes made his point.

"The world wants a hero."

The last of the Three Grand Quests: the Black Dragon.

A darkness hanging over the city.

And the root of it all, the Dungeon.

It was hidden by a veil of peace, but in reality there was a ticking time bomb to

complete destruction lurking in their midst.

Hermes declared that what the world needed, was yearning for, was the birth of the

true hero.

"As for the one who can save the world from this tragic fate… I choose Bell."

"Not someone from Loki Familia? Not even Freya Familia?"

"That's right."

Shrouded in darkness of night, Hermes finally gave Asfi a straight answer, despite not

turning around to look at her.

The deity continued staring into the flames, talking to no one in particular, like a

monologue.

"Zeus, I, Hermes—no, Orario as a whole—shall finish what you could not."

A dandy smile emerging on his lips, Hermes looked to the heavens.

"We shall mold him into the last hero."

Then—

Hermes tipped his hat to the sky before returning his gaze to the burning district. His

eyes narrowed.

"And for that to happen… Ishtar and all the children who follow you, please become

his first stepping-stones. What? It's not like you're not going to die."

If it was for the hero…

Hermes had no qualms about using the jealousy of a goddess to his advantage.

Hermes watched the flames engulf even more of the battlefield around the boy, a cruel

smile on his face.

"Uh-oh… looks like she knows. Better get out of here before she really gets pissed."

Far away at the base of the palace, two silver orbs were aimed in his direction.

Hermes was quick to cover his face with his feathered hat, and he broke off eye contact

as soon as the Goddess of Beauty noticed his presence.

"Scary, scary," he muttered to himself with a grin, and left his spot on the city wall

behind.

"… Zeus, I'm betting everything on that white light."

That brilliant shine that took down a floor boss. The boy's blindingly pure soul.

To Hermes, it was but a sign of things to come—the boy's familia myth.

With those words, Hermes turned his back on the battlefield.

The flames of war climbed high into the sky, tinting the heavens bright red.