CHAPTER 7 GODDESS WAR

Screams of agony filled the Night District.

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

of its many clients was an assemblage of smoldering framework. The lucky

buildings had massive holes and long gashes in their outside walls; the rest were

nothing but piles of rubble at this point. Even the red-light district had been torn

to shreds. The air was thick with the eerie residue of spent magical energy. The

surviving ajura trees bent and swayed in the waves of heat coming from the

nearby flames. Gusts of wind carried the sparks in and among their blue petals.

Devoid of human activity, the prostitutes who hadn't escaped in time were being

held by the invaders at blade point in an open courtyard.

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

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

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

Belit Babili.

"Wh-what happened here…?"

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

main hall on the first floor of the palace. The young goddess forgot to breathe as

she saw with her own eyes the extent of the damage.

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

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

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

Hestia thought the Amazons hadn't stood a chance against their attackers. Battle

was still raging outside the building. Chigusa and the rest of Takemikazuchi

Familia were too stunned to speak. Lilly gulped down the air in her throat before

saying as calmly as possible:

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

Hestia listened intently to her follower thinking out loud. Takemikazuchi

looked down at the goddess with a grim expression. She met his gaze and both

reluctantly nodded.

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

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

"Freya, she made a move…!"

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

the floor, echoed through the higher floors of the palace.

"H-help…m…!"

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

Berbera fell to the floor. The dark elf didn't listen to her pleas, silently watching

as a pool of blood spread out at his feet.

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

The bodies of more Berbera lay on the floor behind him, twitching in pain or

completely motionless. One of them struggled to stand, her injured body

refusing to cooperate. The elf spun around, thrust out his hand, muttered an

extremely short trigger spell, and mercilessly sent a powerful bolt of lightning

into her chest. The spell hit with so much force that her convulsing body went

through the wall, leaving behind a gaping hole. Jagged burn marks appeared on

the floor and walls as soon as the dust cleared.

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

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

warrior.

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

loose the javelins and sending the Level 3 adventurer crashing to the floor. Four

prums, each equipped with body armor and helmets, split up to engage their

remaining targets. The rest of the Amazons were launched through walls,

slammed into the floor, or bounced off the ceiling in a matter of seconds. None

of them could stand her ground.

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

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

taller than he did, grinned. SLAM! CRASH!! The stairwell was nothing more

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

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

been demolished."

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

options."

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

disappeared into separate hallways, streaks in darkness.

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

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

like strokes of the clock.

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

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

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

weapons drawn.

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

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

mysterious invaders hadn't paid any attention to them, they cut through the

chaos and panic that had taken over Belit Babili.

"?!"

"A Berbera!"

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

managed to avoid encountering enemies since entering the main building, but

their streak of luck had come to an end.

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

from fresh cuts all over her body, she held a long club in her left hand while her

right clutched the side of her chest. Breathing staggered and ragged, she stood

just in front of the entrance to the next room.

"Wa—AWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

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

of power and desperation.

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

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

keep his feet and staggered backward.

"Big guy!"

"This one's Level Three!"

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

jumped forward to protect him but was knocked to the floor by the Amazon's

next swing.

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

Game. There hadn't been a chance to restock and make more after the move.

"Dammit!" he cursed, wishing that he had some way to overcome the difference

in level staring him in the face. The Amazon's mere presence was overwhelming

—but suddenly, a nearby wall exploded outward.

"!"

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

wood and chunks of stone flew into the middle of the room.

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

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

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

on the floor.

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

fangs bared in a sneer. The short-stature adventurer quickly noticed the

conscious Amazon frozen in the middle of the room.

"HYE—HYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

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

was faster.

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

outside the hole in the wall; the next, the dull end of his spear was sending the

Amazon through a different wall. It was exactly what had happened moments

before, just this time they got to see how it happened. The humans blinked a few

times in disbelief.

The catman's eyes shifted in their direction.

"So, what are you?"

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

speak. He focused on Welf, and judging by his equipment and the air about the

young human, correctly guessed that he was a smith. The catman was not

pleased.

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

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

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

even look his way as he left the room.

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

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

awestruck.

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

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

of Ouka's mouth.

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

the wall with a strong thud.

"N-no…Inconceivable."

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

Recovering from the shock, she raced back inside.

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

still in her chamber.

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

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

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

only to irritate Ishtar even further as she desperately searched for answers.

Just why was it that Freya chose now to attack?

Even if Hermes had alerted her to the presence of the Killing Stone, there

was no way the messenger could've known about Haruhime's sorcery—the

Level Boost should still be a secret. Freya attacking preemptively made no

sense.

"…Bell Cranell, is it?"

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

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

to any lengths, including war, to punish her?

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

—That's insane!! Absolute nonsense!!

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

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

wrong nerve. However, it was far too late now.

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

faster. Should she hide the Killing Stone and Haruhime, and then meet up with

Phryne and the others for protection? Or should she escape from her ruined

home—no, from Orario entirely? She didn't know which way to go.

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

lack of battle cries downstairs.

"Huh? Wh-what's wrong?"

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

defending her in this time of need, were silent.

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

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

leaned over the railing and called out to them.

Her voice echoed through the uneasy stillness surrounding the ornate pillars

that decorated the wide chamber below.

Until…ker-tap, ker-tap.

High heels on stone announced the presence of another goddess.

"No…"

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

and an ominous smile came into the light.

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

bangs back behind her ear.

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

you been well?"

"F-Freya…?"

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

final good-bye."

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

made her intentions known.

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

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

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

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

attack.

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

rushed forward, descending the staircase in a heartbeat.

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

Ishtar's guards drew their weapons and charged forward—and slowed down.

"?!"

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

silver-haired goddess, and he fell to his knees.

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

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

woman and whispered something in her ear. Every joint in the human's body

gave way as she collapsed like a rag doll.

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

obey. He grew more desperate with each passing heartbeat. Freya walked up to

him and gently ran her fingers down his cheek. The man's body shivered before

he fell face-first onto the floor.

"M-my children…!"

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

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

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

goddess, each of them Charmed into submission.

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

Freya from melting their hearts.

"They're all very cute, Ishtar."

"Hyeeeee…!"

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

the staircase.

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

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

"Burning…?"

The Amazonian warrior whispered weakly as she gazed down at the

battlefield from the edge of the Floating Garden.

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

smoke was closing in on her like the oncoming tide. They were already

surrounded, and their home was now under siege.

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

through the heart for every Berbera still on the roof.

"Wh-what do we do, Aisha…?"

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

in a trembling voice on the verge of tears.

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

Aisha frowned as another of the Berbera wailed in despair.

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

words.

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

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

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

"The others…What about you, Aisha?"

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

leader.

"Me? I'm stayin' here."

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

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

"I got a score to settle."

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

roof of the main palace far overhead.

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

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

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

destroying bits and pieces along the way.

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

rising broadsword. An explosion of sparks erupted every time the weapons

smashed into each other.

"Gwah!!"

"NuRAAH!!"

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

was nothing between their battle and the heavens above.

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

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

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

the Coliseum in size. Now it was nothing more than the eye of the storm as the

battle raged around it.

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

side with the broadsword. Bracing his muscles to withstand the impact, he spun

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

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

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

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

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

lips. Phryne's eyes never blinked.

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

for another attack with a joyous bloodlust in her eyes.

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

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

Phryne blow for blow. The Amazon was right, Haruhime's Level Boost granted

incredible power.

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

had every other advantage.

Even with the assistance of an enchantment that should be illegal, Bell

couldn't overcome the wall that separated him from top-class adventurers.

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

back the onslaught of attacks coming from one of Orario's most powerful

fighters.

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

Kenki a mere giiirl!"

"!"

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

Phryne's attacks. Frustration boiling over, the Amazon launched into a verbal

tirade while keeping up the pressure.

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

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

"…!"

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

shadow's in every dodge!"

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

ferocious spite toward Orario's strongest female knight.

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

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

ascended past her to Level 6. It was no surprise that she could see the effects of

Aiz's teachings in Bell's movements. Phryne's jealousy fueled her fury to the

boiling point.

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

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

intention of crushing the visions of Aiz—along with Bell.

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

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

instead looked at his opponent.

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

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

enemy blade-first.

"UWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Nuh!"

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

first time.

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

every angle imaginable among the flashing beads of light surrounding the boy.

Her large frame shook every time their blades collided.

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

possible. A wide-eyed Phryne spun out of the way in the nick of time but lost her

footing as a wave of debris washed over her.

"—No getting cockyyy!"

"!"

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

body was a blur.

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

buried her foot between his ribs with a powerful front kick.

"GaWAH!"

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

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

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

tumbled off the edge, toward the ground far below.

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

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

deliver the final blow.

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

could.

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

"…A-AhhNNN?"

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

stairwell.

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

through her nose, Phryne ignored them. Turning her back, she caught a glimpse

of the Pleasure Quarter for the first time and froze in place.

"What the hell is going on…?"

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

bulging eyes as she somehow chained her rage.

Phryne finally noticed that something very bad was happening around her

home.

"There you are! Where have you been?"

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

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

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

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

"…?"

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

side of the roof; the newcomer emerged on the west side.

Moonlight blocked by passing clouds, the newcomer was shrouded in

darkness.

"—So this is the highest point."

A low male voice came from a hulking frame.

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

watched the muscular newcomer quietly walk through the heavily damaged

garden.

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

"D-dammit, dammit all…!"

"Ha-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

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

themselves at the newcomer in desperation. Whether it was the Amazonian

blood in their veins or the dire situation that drove them, the two warriors

charged the mysterious figure at full speed.

The muscular shadow watched the two armed adventurers rush toward him

and calmly swung his right fist.

" "

BANG!

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

body hurtling through the air.

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

her back slammed into the water fountain. Even Phryne didn't see the blow. She

could only stand and watch with trembling eyes as the newcomer reached out

with his left hand and grabbed the face of the second Berbera, like a hawk

snatching a fish from a lake.

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

sword before slamming her onto the floor.

"—KAH—"

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

bubble of oxygen was expelled from her lungs. All four limbs fell limp at her

sides. Water rained from the sky a moment later, soaking the area. It had come

from the fountain, the impact causing the water to jump several meders into the

air and come back down like rain.

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

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

view.

"O–Ottar?!"

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

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

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

glued to his face.

"Phryne Jamil…the last one."

Ottar's monotone yet overwhelming voice filled the air.

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

"Wh-why are you here?!"

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

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

attacked first.

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

throat.

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

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

place.

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

used various types of anti-Status Magic and curses to make him as physically

weak as possible. Trying to engage this man in combat without doing so was the

same as suicide. They didn't stand a chance against him at full power.

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

Wallenstein, it would do little to protect her against the warlord.

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

by his very presence.

The very top of Freya Familia.

Orario's strongest adventurer.

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

The Zenith.

Oujya "Warlord" Ottar.

"Guh…gahhh…ge-gih…!"

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

each digit soaked in sweat.

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

of the Dungeon.

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

over.

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

"GEH-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

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

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

momentum to drive the weapon into his shoulder.

"…"

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

Slayer," as thousands of male adventurers had fallen to her blade. The same

blade that was coming at him at this very moment.

But he silently stuck out his left arm.

"?!"

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

with his left.

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

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

fist.

As for the collision, a slight bend in his elbow was enough to absorb it

without his feet budging in the slightest. Phryne's attack had come to an abrupt

halt.

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

left hand.

"GIEE—GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAA!"

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

handle broke, along with most of the bones in her hand.

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

the powerful man released her.

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

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

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

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

arm under her shoulder and threw her to the ground. Her round body slid and

rolled through the piles of stone built up on the surface of the floor. Dust rose,

making a small cloud as she came to a stop on her stomach at the base of the

fountain.

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

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

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

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

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

her skin. Fury unleashed once again, she launched herself at Ottar.

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

to squeeze the life out of him.

"DIE, BOARMAN! DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

EEEEEEEE!"

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

Ottar brushed her left arm to the side.

"Too much noise."

Then he drove his own fist directly into her path.

"GeHEE!"

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

skyward.

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

side of the garden and toward the ground.

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

"GIHEEE…!"

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

front garden.

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

Defense, far stronger than the average Dungeon monster's, kept her alive. Blood

gushing from her broken nose stained her hunting gear a deep red.

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

"Uh—uHEE!"

The boarman warlord followed.

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

before his two feet shattered the stone path through the front garden upon

impact.

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

backward—but the two were not alone.

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

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

appeared.

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

from Phryne's skin.

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

Bringar…!"

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

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

After completing their mission to incapacitate enemy personnel, the group

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

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

"HYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! S-SPARE MEEEE!"

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

and started begging for her life.

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

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

the catman, but Phryne never heard him.

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

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

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

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

handle my beauty! And you can ravage meeee, do whatever you will! You can't

pass that uuuup!"

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

itself, but Phryne was too focused on talking herself up to notice.

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

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

feet.

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

"Even that Freya looks ugly next to me!"

With that…

The boar looked up.

"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOO!"

Ottar lost it.

"GHEE!"

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

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

with unimpeded fury.

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

anger as veins throbbed and muscles twitched.

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

"Death, death, death!"

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

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

in unison, step by terrifying step.

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

"UW—UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AA!"

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

"…She's not coming after me?"

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

midsize brothel behind the palace. He looked up toward the top of the tallest

tower, wondering why he didn't have company.

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

body. There was no movement coming from the highest point of the palace, so

Bell slowly, cautiously lowered his weapon.

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

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

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

any of the magical energy residues hanging in the air like static electricity. It

went without saying that this view was about the last thing he expected to see.

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

this new threat.

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

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

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

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

temporary Level 4 Status, he jumped from awning to awning and used the stones

that jutted out from the tower's exterior to ascend to the bridge that extended

from the fortieth floor of the tower. While his ears registered the sounds of battle

surrounding him, Bell focused all his energy into making it across the stone

bridge as quickly as possible.

The Floating Garden was dead silent the moment he arrived.

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

gone. An uneasy stillness had settled in under the night sky. Even the blue cloud

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

of the lunatic light–infused stone slabs had been destroyed or too much of the

moon's light was blocked by the cloud cover to maintain a constant glow.

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

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

boy weaved his way through the debris until…

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

"…So you're here."

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

swayed around her shoulders as she turned to face Bell.

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

comfortably against the stone altar.

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

The boy didn't say anything, only continued to walk toward them. Lifting his

heavily damaged broadsword into position, he came to a stop a few meders in

front of Aisha and Haruhime.

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

straight up. Aisha stood next to it, arms crossed in front of her chest as she

listened to Bell's decree.

"I'm taking Haruhime with me."

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

eyebrow.

"…Now that's more like it."

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

male, a hero.

Aisha couldn't have been happier.

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

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

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

side as she dug her heel into the floor.

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

mean?"

"…"

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

them from easily escaping from the will of their god.

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

outsiders tried to assist them, the chances of successfully breaking free were

almost nil. Aisha reminded Bell of that fact.

Bell knew, but there was nothing to say.

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

her?"

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

Bell's next words.

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

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

help her."

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

her way around a man."

"Eh?"

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

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

made her lightheaded, the dimwit."

"…"

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

Totally killed the mood and the guy didn't pay."

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

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

muscles…

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

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

fox."

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

gaze on the unconscious girl lying next to the altar.

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

between a dream and reality anymore."

"!"

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

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

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

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

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

and trapped in a cycle of darkness, Haruhime would have been consumed by

despair.

Her life was a living nightmare.

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

dream and memory.

All the more reason to save her from this.

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

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

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

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

do and try the same ritual. She's better off with us than some other dirtbags…

Lady Ishtar's curse keeps telling me, don't let her go. So you know."

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

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

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

tip of the weapon directly at the still-sparkling Bell.

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

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

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

and took a defensive stance.

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

and screams wafting up from the Pleasure Quarter below.

"One minute."

Aisha said out of the blue.

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

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

minute."

She could tell just by looking at the flickering lights around the boy. Uchide

no Kozuchi was about to wear off.

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

herself more times than she could count in the Dungeon. Haruhime might have

poured all of her Mind into casting the Level Boost on Bell, but it wasn't going

to last much longer.

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

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

Aisha jerked her chin toward Haruhime.

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

himself. His feet stayed firmly planted in place.

Moments passed in silence.

"Such a moron…"

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

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

eyes. The air around the two adventurers was so thick, even the breeze slowed to

a crawl.

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

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

fell from the pillar and crashed to the floor.

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

starlight.

"But—I don't got a problem with it!"

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

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

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

boy exchanged blows at high speed.

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

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

excitement as she drove her own weapon forward and laughed at the top of her

lungs.

The endless collisions and eruptions of sparks brought her a feeling of joy

she hadn't felt in a long time.

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

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

in front of Bell.

"Arrogant, violent, strong…!"

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

Joyous ecstasy made her entire body shake with anticipation.

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

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

down with tremendous force.

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

face as he stepped into his own counterattack.

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

speed, the two traded even more blows as they raced around the Floating

Garden.

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

stand the heat swelling within her.

"—Come, reckless conqueror!"

And she started casting.

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

echoed inside the thin stairwell.

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

silhouette in the night.

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

ran through the aftermath of an epic battle.

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

"F-Freya…?!"

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

Freya's silver hair emerge from the eastern stairwell right behind her.

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

against the goddess faded away and was replaced by fear.

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

hard to create was being pulled out from under her by this extraordinary deity.

Tripping over chunks of stone, getting back up, running, looking over her

shoulder again and tripping, Ishtar repeated the cycle over and over in a

desperate attempt to escape from Freya's wrath. The garden she knew had been

torn to shreds by an ax and broadsword. She darted her way toward her private

quarters, her last possible safe haven at the highest point of her palace's tallest

tower.

"No…!!"

She discovered a fatal flaw in her plan.

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

features. That part of the garden had been completely destroyed. Only a stark

cliff remained in its place. Ishtar had no way of knowing that it was Phryne who

put it there.

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

ker-tap. Freya had arrived.

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

"HYEEEEEE…!"

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

escaping from her lungs.

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

had created this one toward the end of his mad rush.

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

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

boy…I-I won't do it again, I swear."

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

them out.

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

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

her wicked smile.

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

over the line. You will not be forgiven."

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

"I will make that boy mine."

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

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

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

was lost for words.

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

hatred that burned within Ishtar were now looking back at her in the form of

Freya's obsession with Bell.

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

"This—is your final hour."

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

"—Concurrent Casting?!"

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

melody of the trigger spell between the constant collisions of their blades.

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

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

moved in rhythm with her stride.

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

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

stops.

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

fighting style suffered. It was as if Antianeira were giving a street performance,

dancing and singing for an audience. Mastering the complex and dangerous

Concurrent Casting was proof that this Berbera was indeed stronger than

Hyacinthus.

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

—Not good. Bell's mind raced.

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

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

He couldn't even force her onto the defensive. Her long legs kept Bell from

entering point-blank range as she led him back to the center of the Floating

Garden. He pursued her to the best of his ability, but several hours of running for

his life and intense combat were taking their toll.

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

At this rate…?

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

face.

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

desperate, Bell raised the broadsword high and brought it down in a large arc,

only to have it rejected by Aisha's heel. The Amazon kept spinning, jumped into

the air, and nailed Bell in the face with the same foot.

"Gwah!"

Bell was knocked backward on impact.

"My famished blade is Hipporyute!"

Aisha completed her trigger spell as the space between the two fighters

opened for a few vital seconds.

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

before, he had no idea what was coming his way. He shifted his weight to dodge

the attack—when he realized where he was in the Floating Garden.

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

Haruhime.

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

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

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

the look in her eyes.

Show me you're can protect her.

Bell could feel it in her gaze.

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

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

"!!"

"Argonaut."

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

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

stop Aisha's full power.

"P-please, I beseech you!"

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

against the cliff, and screamed with everything she had.

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

Beauty of the scar in her garden created by Bell.

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

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

tan skin popped above the surface.

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

someone in Ottar's battle party, the faithful servant had returned to his mistress

in her time of need.

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

him some time.

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

Tammuz was now halfway onto the roof.

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

why?"

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

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

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

more."

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

Meanwhile, Tammuz held his breath as he quickly but silently snuck up behind

the goddess.

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

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

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

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

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

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

in at once, Tammuz came to a sudden halt.

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

fingers down his cheek, and smiled back at him.

"Ah…ahhh…!"

Tammuz collapsed to the floor.

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

goddess with glistening, quivering eyes.

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

Charmed by Freya in the blink of an eye.

"Would you give us some privacy?"

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

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

Time stood still for Ishtar.

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

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

woman had been able to nullify her love. Tammuz had been Charmed to the

point he should have been her devout servant. There wasn't enough humanity

left within him to be Charmed by another.

Despite all that, Freya stole him.

Her Charm had been overwritten.

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

own.

Ishtar's pride snapped, crumbling into nothingness.

"...hhy."

Whispered sounds weren't strong enough to become words.

Fingers clenched into fists; molars ground against each other.

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

anger and humiliation.

"WHY?!"

Ishtar howled at Freya, her skin flaring red.

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

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

anyone from her.

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

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

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

"Essence."

A clear assertion.

" "

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

"Nothing else makes sense now, does it?"

A moment of silence.

Followed almost immediately by one deity's tormented scream.

"UHH—UwwAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

HHHH!"

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

wounded bear.

The image that triggered Argonaut, the hero Issen Douji.

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

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

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

broadsword against his shoulder.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

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

slammed her massive wooden sword into the stone flooring at her feet.

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

Magic.

"Hell Kaios!"

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

her weapon pierced stone.

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

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

shark emerging from the surface of the sea. Crimson wave engulfing the Floating

Garden, the blade of energy careened at Bell.

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

range of the glowing broadsword. Bell stepped forward and put his entire body

into one overarching swing.

A five-second charge.

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

"GEH—UUAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

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

Flashes of crimson and white illuminated the Floating Garden under the

moonlit sky.

—The charge wasn't enough.

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

crimson onslaught.

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

their way through the blade of the broadsword.

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

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

back.

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

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

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

life.

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

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

HH!"

BOOM! A blinding flash filled the night.

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

as they faded into nothingness.

"Canceled it out…?!"

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

corner of her lips was still curled in a smirk.

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

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

explosion had triggered a burst of wind and a thin cloud of smoke—through

which the white-haired boy charged with all the speed he could muster.

" !!"

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

weapon to the side as he closed the distance.

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

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

her feet.

—Too slow!!

The toll of Argonaut.

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

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

condition.

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

absurd amount of sweat flying off his body. She saw her chance and prepared to

unleash a reverse roundhouse kick.

In range.

"GIEH—"

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

side of the head before the boy had a chance to defend.

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

his hair on the back of her foot—slide under.

The boy was still moving forward.

Bell's momentum carried him even closer to Aisha.

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

attacking.

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

body, was poured into this strike.

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

stomach.

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

one punch.

"UWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The white rabbit's "vorpal fang."

"GuUUH!"

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

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

enough to withstand the hit. However—

Bell wasn't done.

"FIREBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLT!"

Point-blank range.

"GAHHHhh!"

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

abdominal muscles.

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

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

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

through his weakened body erupted into the air as well. A quick flip, and he

landed on his left hand and feet, sliding backward in a cloud of dust.

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

clenched fist.

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

much more severe. Wide eyes hidden by her long bangs, a small smile grew on

her lips as she fell through the air.

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

remained silent.

She had been defeated.

"UhhUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

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

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

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

Freya…

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

"?!"

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

blades flashed before Ishtar's eyes. Her momentum carried her past her target

like a boat riding a raging river past its dock.

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

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

desperate attempt to stop herself. A small cloud of dust rose into the air at her

feet as she came to a halt with less than a celch to spare.

However…ker-tap, ker-tap.

"HYE—"

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

hand hit her square in the chest.

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

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

Nothing to save her.

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

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

"Wai—"

Wait, Freya.

Those words were abruptly cut short.

SLAP.

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

"—a."

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

fell off the edge.

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

other deity became smaller and smaller.

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

fell out of sight. It brought a smile to her lips.

Until finally—THUD!

The cracking of divine bones shattered the silence.

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

immortal body.

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

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

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

light reached her eyes.

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

fell—BOOOM! A new, deeper explosion shook the Pleasure Quarter. A pillar of

light took over the night sky.

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

Any deity who lost the game could never return.

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

meet a permanent end.

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

too late now."

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

The score was settled.

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

braced her upper body against his knees.

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

boom pushing against his skin.

"What is that…?"

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

A deity had been sent back to heaven.

The boy had never seen anything like this colossal beacon in his young life.

He wasn't the only one to behold it for the first time, either. Other citizens of

Orario looked out their windows with their own eyes to see the gigantic pillar

dominating the landscape.

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

mythical stories, or perhaps the roars of ferocious monsters that shook the land

under his feet, were the only things that could rival the mythical light before him

at this moment. All were seared into his memory.

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

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

at once. The shaking that accompanied the pillar suddenly stopped like the

stillness after an earthquake. A sense of calm descended over Gekai.

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

for a few moments.

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

divine being came into view.

"…A goddess?"

She was standing on the roof of the main tower.

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

clearly see the deity standing close to the edge.

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

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

beauty that he could look at until the end of time, almost magical. Her silver hair

flowed in the breeze, sparkling like the stars in the night sky.

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

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

And also, he felt a jolt!

A foreboding wave of cold sweat ran down his spine.

He knew this feeling. He'd felt it many times before. The feeling of being

seen—a gaze that didn't hold anything back.

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

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

"I love you."

Each one of the silent syllables echoed through his mind.

—It's her.

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

she was the one behind it.

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

fascination at the being looking down from above…when she suddenly

disappeared. As if awakening from a dream, Bell took control of his quivering

lungs and came back into the moment.

"Nhh…"

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

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

"Master Cranell…?"

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

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

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

arm. Ignoring the surprised look on Haruhime's face, the boy put his right hand

behind her head and pulled her close into his chest.

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

pink.

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

fingers ran down her thin neck.

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

both sides of the magic item and pulled. SNAP!

"Ah…"

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

to her neck in disbelief.

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

lifted.

Her eyes jumped up to the boy's face. Just one look at his bloody, wound￾riddled visage told her all she needed to know. Tears flooded her eyes, making

them sparkle in the moonlight.

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

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

work.

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

the right words.

Then…in the end…

He found the simplest, right words to say:

"I've come to save you."

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

radiant as a beautiful flower blooming in the early morning sun.

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

and Bell couldn't help but do the same.

"Thank you…my hero."

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

grew on his lips.

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

"BELL!"

"Mr. Bell—!"

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

them.