Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 50 (Patreon)

Sorry, this took a little longer than I thought! It just kept getting bigger! Hope you all enjoy!

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! The Hestia Familia manage to escape Ishtar Familia’s attempt to use a Pass Parade to kidnap Bell. In the battle, not only did Bell—a Level 3—manage to keep up with a (temporarily Level 4) Aisha, but he nearly killed the Level 5 Phryne Jamil too! During the melee, he grabbed Haruhime as well! With not only the kidnapping a failure, but Haruhime taken as well, Ishtar’s plans are crumbling right in front of her. With justification on their side, Hestia Familia can gain the backing of the Guild…and they will definitely have the backing of both Freya Familia and even Loki Familia, thanks to the previous help with the Knossos raid. Not to mention that Ais, Tiona, and Tione are DEFINITELY going to have something to say about the attempted kidnapping of their boyfriend/lover.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 50 – Divine Hubris Begets War

In Belit Babili a divine rage nearly shook the air as Ishtar’s Divinity escaped her.

“YOU FAILED?! HARUHIME WAS TAKEN?!” Ishtar yelled—more like screeched—as the prismatic light of her Divinity radiated off of her. All of the Berbera that had gone into the Dungeon to kidnap Bell Cranel were face down on the floor, prostrating themselves, unable to look upon Ishtar’s Divinity…and feeling the sharpness of her War Domain like spears against their skin. Ishtar grabbed a fine porcelain bowl filled with the freshest of fruits and threw it across the large room, shattering it against the floor in her rage. “HE’S A LEVEL 3!!! HOW COULD YOU HAVE SCREW THIS UP?!” She raged at Phryne and Aisha specifically.

Unfortunately, neither of them could answer as Ishtar’s Divinity pressed down on them, practically stealing their voices from their throats. They could only press their heads further into the floor and shake slightly from the Divine Aura pressing down on them.

All of the Berbera were prostrating with their heads on the floor and unable to move. Even Tammuz, the Vice Captain, was pressing his forehead into the floor in absolute submission, the Charm Ishtar had put him under long ago only making her released Divinity worse for him. Not giving a single thought to the state she was putting her ‘children’ into, Ishtar continued to rage and throw thing about for a while longer before slowly calming down a little.

“Sss…” Ishtar hissed through her teeth in anger, her purple eyes filled with nearly fiery rage at what had happened. That anger slowly went from burning hot, to cold and sharp as Ishtar’s eyes narrowed into a piercing glare. “Fine then… If that’s how it has to be.” Her voice was just as sharp and cold as her eyes. ‘Tonight is the full moon…the Killing Stone ritual MUST be done tonight. I won’t allow my greatest chance to rip that BITCH down from her perch to vanish!’ Her Divinity shifted, the pressure pulling back from her ‘children’ while still surrounding them like an array of spears. “Prepare for war!” Ishtar ordered her entire Familia like a general to their troops. “We will take Haruhime back! Her retrieval is priority! The ritual MUST take place tonight! Kill ANYONE that gets in the way!”

“Yes, Goddess!” The entire Familia said in unison, none daring—or able—to speak against Ishtar’s orders.

“We leave at nightfall! HURRY UP!!!” Ishtar ordered as her Divinity flared up, her War Domain sharpening further. It was already sunset, a few hours having passed since the failed abduction of Bell Cranel, and the ritual needed to take place while the full moon was high in the sky tonight. That only gave them a few hours to take Haruhime back. ‘A surprise attack on the Hestia Familia will be more than they can handle. We’ll lay waste to them and take Haruhime back swiftly…then we’ll perform the Killing Stone ritual and I’ll finally have the piece I need to take what should be rightfully mine!’

As divine as the Gods and Goddesses were, they still had many faults of their own. One that many Deities suffered from was hubris…the excessive pride and arrogance that led to foolish over-confidence to the point they ignored signs of warning and would commit acts that overstepped morals and ethical limits.

As the entirety of the Ishtar Familia rushed off to grab weapons and items in preparation for their all-out assault against the Hestia Familia, none of them knew that said Familia was being surrounded by friends and allies at that very moment.

-Hearth Household-

Hestia was holding Bell close; her arms wrapped around him as she gave him as much comfort as she could. “How dare Ishtar do this to my Familia…” The normally sweet and warm aura around Hestia was nearly gone as her righteous anger burned hotly within her.

Haruhime sat on one of the couches with Mikoto at her side. She worriedly touched the black metal collar around her neck, knowing that Ishtar would send members of the Berbera to bring her back to Belit Babili. “P-Please…you must send me back…” The Renard said, her voice thick and nearly choaked with emotion. “Ishtar-sama will send a force here to take me back if you don’t!” Her green eyes filling with unshed tears, hating that she only seemed to bring misfortune to those around her.

“We won’t.” Bell said strongly, his voice warm and full of conviction as he looked at Haruhime. “No matter what happens, you don’t have to go back to that place, Miss Haruhime.”

“Cr-Cranel-sama…” Haruhime couldn’t stop the little sniffles that escaped her as the first tears escaped her eyes. The warmth in her heart was a feeling that she’d never experienced before and it reminded her of the Heroic Tales she’d read as a child. “I’m not someone who should be saved…”

Mikoto pulled Haruhime into a hug. “You’re the most deserving to be saved, Haruhime-dono!” She looked into her childhood friend’s eyes, small tears in the corner of her own. “You who took pity on us poor and starving peasants back then, shared food and clothing with us so that we’d survive the harsh winter, and even after everything that’s happened, you helped Cranel-dono escape the Pleasure District without worrying about what might happen to you. How can you say that you don’t deserve to be saved?!”

Haruhime’s tears fell faster now as she was pulled deeper into Mikoto’s embrace, burying her face into her friend’s chest as she wept for all the horrible things that had happened over the years they’d been separated. The sobs pulled at the heartstrings of the entire Hestia Familia. It was obvious that Haruhime had been suffering alone and in silence for a long, long time…and now she finally had a chance to let it all out.

The front door opening after only a single knock got Hestia and Bell’s attention. Eina entered and behind her were three higher-ups from the Guild, all of them still dressed in their uniforms as it was still within work hours.

“I’ve brought my superiors to check Miss Haruhime’s Falna.” Eina said with a concerned look towards the crying Renard.

“We’ve come to begin the investigation into Ishtar Familia’s failure to report their members.” The redheaded Werewolf woman, Rose Fannet, explained concisely as she looked at the young Renard woman.

While the Guild members moved to where Haruhime was, being respectful and letting the young woman get herself together first, Welf nodded to Bell and Hestia as he headed for the door.

“I’ll be back shortly.” Welf said to his Goddess and his Captain. “I hope I’m wrong, but better to be safe than sorry.”

“Thank you, Welf.” Hestia gave him a thankful smile.

Bell nodded back to Welf. “If it doesn’t work out, just come straight back.” He didn’t want Welf to waste time arguing if Lady Hephaestus denied to get involved in what might quickly become a messy confrontation.

Welf agreed with a serious look and a short nod. “Got it.” He was certain that Hephaestus would help out…but his former Goddess did have to consider her Familia’s position when it came to conflicts like these. He was out the door only a second later.

“Daphne…” Hestia gently let go of Bell and grabbed a blank paper and a pen from the coffee table. She quickly wrote a note detailing everything that Bell and the Party had told her about Ishtar Familia’s attack in the Dungeon and their attempted abduction of Bell. “Could you deliver this to Loki Familia for me?” She folded up the letter and then stamped it with her seal in red wax.

“Yes, Goddess.” Daphne said with respect as she took the letter from Hestia, her expression serious, knowing that the current situation could easily grow into an all-out war. “I’ll return shortly.” She gave Cassandra a small smile before leaving out the front door, closing it behind her.

Rose and the other female Guild employee took Haruhime into another room with Mikoto and Eina. The two higher-up men stood outside the door of the room almost like guards, assuring that the investigation of Haruhime’s Falna wouldn’t be interrupted.

Inside the room Rose held out her hand and the other Guild employee handed her a small vial of a black-colored liquid.

“Is that…?” Eina didn’t have to finish her question.

“Yes, Status Thief.” Rose confirmed the illegal substance…or illegal in anyone else’s hands. The Guild allowed its controlled use in investigations like this, but to possess it outside of such situations was illegal for any one person or Familia and carried a excessively high monetary fine as well as an investigation into the source. “This won’t hurt, Miss.” Rose assured Haruhime as the Renard slowly undid her kimono and slipped it off her shoulders to expose her bare back.

Haruhime gently pulled her long blonde hair over her right shoulder to keep it out of the way. Her free hand was held comfortingly by Mikoto the whole time. They both held each other’s gaze as a single drop of the black ichor was dropped onto Haruhime’s skin.

Rose and the other female Guild employee watched on as the black lines of a Falna appeared upon Haruhime’s soft skin.

“Ishtar Familia’s Falna confirmed.” Rose said while the other woman started filling out a report immediately. “That’s a failure to report Familia members. Add falsifying documents and tax evasion as separate charges.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The other woman quickly wrote in the three charges on the form.

Rose gently pulled the kimono back onto Haruhime’s shoulders. “Now, Miss Haruhime…” She pulled out a notepad and pen of her own to take Haruhime’s statement. “I need to ask you questions about your enslavement.” Rose saw Haruhime flinch just slightly at that, but she had to press on. “I need to know where and when it took place, and how you came to be in Goddess Ishtar’s…employ.” She used a much softer word instead of calling Haruhime property.

“Y-Yes, ma’am…” Haruhime nodded as she closed her kimono properly before turning to face the Werewolf woman.

-Freya’s Floor ~ Babel Tower-

“My lady.” Ottar handed her a folded paper that had just been brought by one of the MANY people in Orario who constantly watched and listened for information that his Goddess would want to know about.

“Thank you, Ottar.” Freya smiled softly as he took the paper form the Boaz man. Flicking the simple letter open, she began to read. After the first two sentences her alluring silvery eyes narrowed sharply and her Divine Aura noticeably shifted into her War Domain. “It would seem that Ishtar has decided to make another attempt on Bell Cranel.” Her voice lacked any of the playful warmth or teasing it normally held…now almost as cold as a blizzard in the frigid north.

Ottar looked at Freya, his expression like stone. “Should I handle this?”

Freya shook her head once as she stood up from her luxurious chair. “No. We will be heading home to Folkvangr. It would seem that the time to end Ishtar’s little rivalry with me has come.” She started walking towards the door, Ottar following behind her, ready to carry out his Goddess’s will.

-Valka’s Crimson Chamber-

Welf got more than a few looks of curiosity for being back in the Familia Home after converting to Hestia Familia. He ignored them all as we was led towards Hephaestus’s office. He watched as the older blacksmith knocked on the door and then opened it.

“Crozzo is here to see you, my lady.” The man said to Hephaestus with a short bow.

“Welf?” Hephaestus perked up a little, a small smile on her lips as she spotted Welf in the doorway behind her ‘child’. “Come in.” She bid Welf to enter as she leaned back, sitting on the edge of her desk.

Welf entered and the door was closed behind him. “I’m sorry to visit without notice, Goddess.” He apologized with a short bow of his head.

Hephaestus waved it off with a little smile. “That’s not a problem, Welf.” She noticed the seriousness in his expression and her smile shrank noticeably. “Is something wrong?”

“Potentially, Goddess…” Welf began to explain everything that had happened to Hestia Familia today, leaving nothing out about the Pass parade tactic, the attack and attempted abduction of Bell, and Haruhime’s situation since they’d taken her with them in their escape.

“Hah…” Hephaestus let out a heavy sigh and lightly massaged the bridge of her nose with two fingers. “Hestia…how do you keep getting into things like this?” She asked her aunt, even though the short Goddess wasn’t even there. “If you’ve come to ask me to help in a potential fight, I’m afraid I can’t help you, Welf. I cannot, in good conscience, force my Familia to fight in a conflict between two other Familia.”

Welf lowered his head, bowing at the waist nearly ninety degrees. “That isn’t what I wanted to request, Goddess.”

Hephaestus raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh? Then why did you come to me with this situation?”

“Please, protect the Hearth District.” Welf requested, not looking up from his deep bow. “If the Ishtar Familia launches a full attack on Hestia Familia, the Hearth District will be the first target. We have too many people living there now to evacuate them all…especially when we don’t know when said attack might occur.”

“That’s not much different than getting involved in the conflict, Welf.” Hephaestus pointed out that her Familia would have to fight regardless of being involved if she acquiesced to this favor. “Why do you think I’d agree to do such a thing?”

Welf didn’t move from his bow, but he did look up, his eyes meeting Hephaestus’s lone red eye with confidence. “Because the Goddess that I admire isn’t the type of person to leave someone she cares about in trouble!”

Hephaestus blinked once, twice and then felt her cheeks heat up at the absolute belief in her that she could see in Welf’s eyes. She brought her fist up to her mouth and lightly coughed once before looking to the side a bit, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. “I see…” She could barely stop the smile from spreading on her face. “Well, I suppose if it was just as a precaution…” Hephaestus said as she tried to get her expression back to normal.

“Thank you, Goddess.” Welf beamed at Hephaestus, seemingly not realizing that he was making her blush as she waved off his thanks.

-Hostess of Fertility-

“Lili?” Ryu approached the front entrance of the tavern as soon as she saw her ‘sister’—a much warmer and more familial term than ‘fellow lover of Bell’—enter, looking worried, but with a clear anger in her chestnut brown eyes. “Are you alright?”

Lili nodded once. “Lili is fine…but Bell…” She glanced around the somewhat busy tavern, clearly not wanting others to overhear.

Ryu noticed immediately and gently took Lili’s hand, walking with her through the tavern, into the back corridor, and outside into the back courtyard. “What’s wrong? Has something happened to Bell?” Her worry for her love clear in her beautiful blue eyes.

“Today, in the Dungeon…” Lili began to tell Ryu everything that had happened in the Dungeon, How Ishtar Familia had used a Pass parade to attack Hestia Familia and attempt to kidnap Bell for reasons unknown.

“I understand.” Ryu said, her voice tinged with relief that Bell was safe and uninjured after clashing with a Level 3 and a Level 5. But her tone was noticeably cold and almost eerily composed. “I will return in a moment. Please wait here for me.” She requested of Lili.

Lili nodded once, almost feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up from the Ryu’s voice alone. “Sure…”

Ryu re-entered the Hostess through the back door and walked back out to the tavern’s serving floor. She was met by Lunoire, Chloe, and Anya, her three friends and fellow waitresses looking confused by Ryu’s sudden change.

“Please cover for me.” Ryu requested of her friends, already heading for the stairs that led up to the second floor. “There’s something I need to do this evening.”

Anya and Chloe’s ears nearly flattened against their heads while the fur on their tails bristled outwards. Lunoire leaned back just slightly, goosebumps rising up on her arms and neck from Ryu’s cold tone and the dangerous air about the Elf woman.

“Wh-What do you think that was about? Nya…” Chloe asked nervously.

“N-No idea…nya.” Anya shook her head.

Lunoire quickly headed towards the bar. “Mama Mia! Ryu’s got that old look in her eye.” She told the Dwarf woman, making sure to not give away what that actually meant to anyone that didn’t know.

Mia looked slightly concerned at that. She still recalled the look in Ryu’s eyes back when she’d first arrived at the Hostess. A mix of listlessness, loss, and a rage that had burned down into smoldering embers after there was no one left to take revenge against. “You three handle her tables for her. I’ll figure out what’s going on.” She instructed Lunoire, getting a nod from the young woman.

She didn’t know that Ryu would leave through an upstairs window in the back instead of walking down the stairs in her old Adventurer gear. That was merely an oversight on her part…mostly made because she was still in the middle of filling drink orders for the bar. So, Mia waited for Ryu to come down for long enough that the Elf and Prum had headed back to the Hearth Household without anyone noticing.

-Twilight Manor-

Daphne stopped in front of the closed gates, the two members of Loki Familia currently acting as guards holding their hands up to stop her.

“Who are you? What business do you have with Loki Familia?” The one on the right asked Daphne, his tone not harsh, but strongly inquisitive.

“I’m Daphne Lauros from Hestia Familia. I’ve come with a letter from my Goddess to deliver to Goddess Loki.” She held up the letter, making sure the red wax with Hestia’s seal was visible to both guards.

The guard on the left looked at the letter and then at the guard on the right. “I’ll take the letter to our Goddess. He held out his hand to Daphne and gently took the letter when she handed it over. In only a moment he was through the metal gate and jogging towards the front doors of the manor.

“Thank you for your assistance, I’ll take my leave.” Daphne gave a nod to the remaining guard and quickly started walking…nearly jogging, actually…back towards the Hearth District.

The Loki Familia member with the letter quickly headed upstairs and towards Loki’s office. He knocked twice on the door and waited to be called in.

“Enter.” Loki’s voice came a couple of second later.

“Goddess, a letter from Hestia Familia just arrived for…you…” The guard blinked as he saw most of the executives of the Familia all in Loki’s office, clearly having a meeting. “Sorry.” He apologized for interrupting with a short bow.

Loki waved the apology off. “No big deal. You said a letter came from itty-bitty?” She held out her hand for it and her ‘child’ quickly walked over to hand it to her.

‘Why are they watching me like that?’ The guard wondered about the intense gazes from Tione, Tiona, and Ais…not realizing they weren’t looking at him, but the letter itself.

“You’re excused.” Loki said as she took a letter opener to the wax seal. The guard quickly bowed and left the office, closing the door behind him. “Let’s see…” Loki started reading the letter, her eyes opening fully after only the first two lines, revealing her red irises. “You’ve got to be kidding me…” She breathed out once she finished the letter. “Why is it always Goddesses of Beauty and War that cause so much trouble?” Loki bemoaned though her expression was noticeably sharp as she put the letter on her desk for Finn, Gareth, and Riveria to read.

Finn’s eyebrows rose slightly as he read the letter. “I see.” He took up a thinking pose as he considered the new information. “This does present us some justification to act.”

Gareth looked at Finn seriously. “We are, technically, in the Hestia Familia’s debt at the moment. Not many could argue that us taking action is unwarranted.”

“We do believe that one of the ‘keys’ that we’re looking for may be in Ishtar’s hands…” Riveria said thoughtfully, her tone a bit guarded considering what taking action in this scenario would entail.

“What’s up?” Tiona asked with a curious look as she poked her head around Finn to read the letter herself.

Tione looked over Finn’s other shoulder too, wanting to know what had their top three so serious, and if it had anything to do with Bell. “Today in the Dungeon…” She read the first words aloud before reading silently.

Ais, normally one to wait for information like this, had also stood up and moved to stand beside Riveria so that she could see the letter. ‘It came from Hestia Familia…so maybe it’s about Bell?’ She felt the soft warmth in her chest, the pleasant one that she knew to be her love for Bell, as opposed to the ugly black flame of revenge that often burned within her.

“THEY DID WHAT?!” Tiona roared out in anger, her previous warm expression vanishing in an instant.

“THOSE FUCKING WHORES!!!” Tione’s rage erupted just as badly as her sisters.

Ais’s reaction got just as much attention from Loki, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth, even though she didn’t verbally explode…because it was the first time any of them had ever heard Ais’s knuckles audibly pop from how tightly she was squeezing her hands into fists at her side. “Bell…” She said with a mix of longing and protective rage, her golden eyes sharp and almost hyper focused.

“Stop.” Finn’s sharp voice cut through the air like a blade.

Tione, Ais, and Tiona all stopped mid-step, each of them having been nearly to the door of the office…all three of them planning to head for the Hearth District to check on Bell. After that, however, they’d DEFINITELY be heading straight for the Pleasure District.

“You can’t go flying off the handle.” Finn said strongly, firmly in his role as Captain.

“We know the Ishtar Familia’s connected with the Evilus remnants. We can take the fight to them, but only with justification.” Gareth told the three young women. “If you three rush in there swingin’ then things will get complicated.”

Riveria, quite motherly in her own way, spoke calmly. “I know you three are angry…but you must calm down. There is a proper way to go about this; a way which helps our Familia and allows you to take a measure of restitution from those that attempted to abduct Mr. Cranel.”

Tiona and Tione clenched their fists, but took deep breaths before exhaling long and slow to rein in their anger…even if only a little.

Ais also took a calming breath, the fierce black flame within her having flared up powerfully after reading the letter from Hestia Familia. She gently placed one hand over her heart as she worried about Bell. “Can I…we…can we go see Bell?”

“If Ishtar has made a move like this, it means she’s done bein’ patient or subtle.” Loki said, tapping the letter with her index finger. “I think we need to gather everyone together and…pay Ishtar a visit.” The Trickster Goddess said, her red eyes open, showing a hint of the chaos of her Divine Nature to all.

-Hearth Household-

The front door opened and Lili entered with Ryu. Before the door had even closed, Ryu was standing in front of Bell and looking him over carefully, her blue eyes filled with concern.

“I’m alright, Ryu.” Bell smiled warmly at his Elf lover, gently pulling her into a warm hug as he saw her worry…and the cold anger within her eyes. “Thank you for worrying about me.” He whispered softly into her ear as he held her close. He didn’t bother mentioning that she was in her Adventurer gear, deeming it not as important as assuaging her worries.

“Always, Bell.” Ryu said back just as softly, her cheeks pink and her heart filling with warmth as she held Bell close to her. She let out a soft little gasp when Bell lightly kissed her pointed Elven ear. “Bell…” Ryu had the cutest little coo in her voice as her ears wiggled just a little from happiness. She was glad that Bell was alright, a pressure that had been gripping her heart since Lili had told her what happened in the Dungeon was finally eased.

Hestia smiled softly at the love that Bell had for the women he shared his heart with. Ryu was clearly planning to take some measure of retribution against the Ishtar Familia, given her attire, but Bell’s reassurance and love had obviously helped ease Ryu’s heart. “I suppose we just have to wait for Welf and Daphne to get back.”

Cassandra entered the large living space, having just come back from checking over Haruhime. “Lady Hestia… Miss Haruhime is uninjured…but she’s fallen asleep already. I believe she’s emotionally exhausted.”

“Lili can’t blame her after everything she went through.” Lili fully empathized with the suffering Haruhime had gone through. Both of them had been trapped in Familia they hated and that treated them badly. ‘Lili will make sure to offer Miss Haruhime her ear whenever she’s ready to talk about all of it.’

“Mikoto is staying with her, so I’m sure she’ll be fine once she gets some rest.” Hestia gave Cassandra a soft smile. “Thank you for looking Haruhime over, Cassandra.”

Cassandra smiled a little and gave Hestia a short bow. “It was no problem, Lady Hestia. I’m just glad I was able to help.”

The front door opened and Daphne entered. She saw Hestia and immediately approached the short Goddess. “Lady Hestia, I’ve delivered the letter, as you asked.”

“Good work, Daphne.” Hestia smiled and gave Daphne a thumbs up. “We’ll have to wait and see what they do with that information.”

While Hestia Familia was waiting for any kind of response or actions, something was happening within the Hearth District that night. A rather large number of customers at the various restaurants, food stalls, and bars in the restored section of the formerly abandoned district. This wasn’t all that uncommon as the more the Hearth District grew, the more people were visiting. But the fact that a majority of the current visitors were members of the Hephaestus Familia was a little odd.

“I mean, the architecture isn’t how I’d do it.” A large, burly blacksmith said as he motioned towards a building across the street from the outdoor bar he was drinking at with his buddies. “But Goibniu Familia has a whole section of their members that focus on architecture, so maybe that style is popular right now or something.”

“Hah! What do you know about architecture?” One of his drinking buddies laughed before downing the rest of his booze.

The burly man scoffed. “I’ll have you know that, before I took up the hammer, I was a stonemason! I built buildings in my hometown for a few years as an apprentice before the song of the forge called to me!”

Their other buddy snorted out a laugh. “Look at this guy trying to be all poetic! Song of the forge!” He laughed while wiggling his fingers at the burly blacksmith.

A waitress—the daughter of the bar owner—brought another round of drinks to the blacksmiths with a smile. Both she and her father were happy for the rush of business tonight as the sun was almost fully set now. “Here you are, gentlemen!” She didn’t think it strange in the slightest that all of their Hephaestus Familia customers each had a weapon with them and were wearing some armor.

“Hey, this is some good stuff!” Tsubaki Collbrande, the Level 5 Captain of Hephaestus Familia, said with a bright laugh as she ate a piece of grilled and seasoned meat off a skewer and then washed it down with some booze. She had her normal red hakama pants on, sandals on her feet, and her white and pink top on with just one button done up, barely covering her sarashi-wrapped breasts at all. On her hip was her favored katana, a true High Grade masterpiece of a weapon, though most wouldn’t be able to tell that at a glance.

“Thank you, ma’am. We’re happy you like it!” Mr. Lonnette said with a smile, the Werewolf man already cooking up some more grilled meat skewers. “You and your friends can order all you like!”

-Pleasure District ~ Early Night-

The sun had completely set and the entirety of the Ishtar Familia was armed and practically marching towards the main gate of the Pleasure District like a small army. The Amazons weren’t in step or anything, everyone walking at their own pace, more like a huge warband than a military march. At the very front were Phryne and Aisha, the Captain of Ishtar Familia was armed with her large battle axe, Gorda, and in her full plate armor that looked vaguely toad-shaped. Unlike the vast majority of Amazons, Phryne not only wore clothing that covered most of her body, but also wore shoes, and when in serious combat she covered herself in full armor. She was practically the opposite of the rest of her race, both in habits, dress, and physical appearance.

“Come on, you bitches!” Phryne bellowed out loudly. “None of you better screw this up! You know where we’re going and what we’re supposed to do!”

“Yes!” The rest of the Amazons called out, even if most really didn’t want to answer Phryne at all.

The most notable missing member of the Familia was Tammuz, as the Vice Captain was staying at Ishtar’s side back in Belit Babili, just as he always did.

Phryne reached the closed gates of the Pleasure District—the entire area closed tonight by Ishtar’s order—and bellowed loudly. “Open the gates!”

As the gates opened, the massive force of Amazons walked out at first, before they picked up the pace into a jog, and then broke into a run.

They didn’t make it to the end of the street before they were stopped.

“Going somewhere tonight, Ishtar Familia?” Finn asked as the streetlights illuminated him, and the majority of the Loki Familia behind him.

Phryne skidded to a stop, nearly making the Amazons behind her slam int her back. “Braver?! What the hell is Loki Familia doing here?!”

Finn’s expression was nearly flat, giving nothing away. “Just repaying one debt, and collecting another.” He tapped his long spear against his shoulder lightly. “Or did you all happen to forget that you attacked us in Melen?”

That got a few noises from the crowd of Amazons that recalled the beating they’d received from the Loki Familia before.

“We don’t have time for you!” Phryne declared, pointing her battle axe at Finn. “Move aside!” She ordered, as if any of the Loki Familia would actually obey her.

“I don’t have any business with misbehaving children.” Freya’s voice nearly made everyone present go still. The Goddess of Love, Beauty, Desire, War, and a few other Domains walked down the street in the light of the streetlamps, the immense figure of Ottar behind her, and a MASSIVE force of her Familia members following their Captain, including all of the Freya Familia Executives.

Loki, however, wasn’t one to go still at Freya’s presence. “What the heck are you doin’ here, ya airheaded vixen?” She asked, her hands in the pocket of her shorts.

Freya gave Loki a small smile, but Loki easily saw the cold anger in Freya’s silvery eyes. “I have something to discuss with Ishtar.”

“Well, isn’t that a coincidence? So do I.” Loki said, leaning forward a little bit, her red eyes looking straight into Freya’s silver gaze. “You mind waitin’ while I chat with Ishtar first?”

“I don’t’ mind you coming with me, Loki. But I’ll hardly wait around.” Freya replied evenly, the two Goddesses not breaking eye contact in the slightest.

Phryne, never having much patience to begin with, nearly growled at being completely ignored. For all she deluded herself with talk of her beauty and sex appeal, she despised it when traditionally beautiful women ignored her…always taking it as an insult to her looks. Even if it was two Goddesses that were the ones ignoring her…and one said Goddess being a Goddess of Beauty at that. “ARE YOU IGNORING ME?!” Phryne bellowed out, enraged.

“Yes.” Loki and Freya both said at the same time, turning to look at Phryne like she was a particularly annoying child demanding attention.

“You bitches!” Phryne snarled out as she launched herself at the two Goddesses, the afterlife consequences for slaying a Deity’s mortal form not even entering her mind due to her rage.

A blur met Phryne before she’d even cleared half the distance.

“SHUT UP YOU BITCH!!!” Tiona roared out, her fist cracking the metal visor covering Phryne’s face. Phryne’s momentum not only stopped, but the force of Tiona’s punch sent her rocketing backwards, over the heads of the Berbera members, and slamming into the closed gates.

A second blur flew through the air straight at Phryne a split-second later. “DON’T YOU EVER TOUCH OUR BELL, YOU WHORE!!!” Tione’s foot crashed into the breastplate of Phryne’s armor and shattered it like it was clay instead of metal. Phryne hacked out a mouthful of bile and some blood as her body was forced through the gates, ripping them from their hinges embedded in the stonework of the gate arch.

BAM

The gates crashed to the ground loudly, Phryne further down the main street of the Pleasure District, her breastplate no more than scattered pieces around her.

“Well, my girls opened the gate for us. So I’ll be heading in.” Loki said, hands still in her pockets as she started walking forward. “Finn, come with me, would ya?”

Finn nodded before looking at Riveria and Gareth, and then at the rest of Loki Familia. “Capture all of the Berbera!”

“Yes, Captain!” The Loki Familia called back.

Finn walked after Loki, his spear still resting over his shoulder.

Freya turned to look over her shoulder at her Familia, a small smile on her lips. “Make sure none of Ishtar’s children escape.” She started walking forward, matching her stride with Loki’s. “Ottar, come with me.”

“As you will it, Goddess!” Th entire fighting force of the Freya Familia chorused to their Goddess.

“Oh…” Freya turned back once more, smiling at a few of her more aggressively devout ‘children’. “…and destroy Ishtar’s holdings while you’re at it.”

All of Freya Familia bowed to their Goddess. “By your will, Goddess!”

“YAAAAHHHH!!!” The Berbera let out a war cry as they charged forward, their Amazon Blood singing for the battle that was about to become, even if they realistically knew they had no real chance of victory.

“Shields to the front!” Gareth called out as Loki Familia quickly got into formation for a large scale battle.

“Mages, begin casting!” Riveria called out as she held her staff before her and all the Mages of the Familia lined up with her.

The Freya Familia were less inclined to team formations. They charged in as a crowd, some swifter than others, but the entire fighting force was like a wave crashing into the charging Berbera.

“FOR GODDESS FREYA!!!” The war cry went up as the first line of Amazons were knocked backwards, aside, or through the air from the clash.

The Freya Familia members that didn’t directly clash with the Berbera ran right past them and into Ishtar’s Pleasure District; smashing walls, kicking in doors, shattering windows, and starting fires. Anything that would ‘destroy Ishtar’s holdings’ as their Goddess had requested.

Phryne hacked and coughed as she slowly sat up. Seeing Loki and Freya walking her way with Finn and Ottar behind them, she force herself to her feet, bringing her battle axe to bear again. “Y-You fucking…bitches…”

A white and green blur hit Phryne like a meteor and knocked her through the wall of the nearest building. Ais stood where Phryne had been, her green wind swirling around her, making her golden hair fly wildly. The anger visible on her face was a sight that neither Loki or Finn had seen in a while, not since Ais was a child, in fact.

“Protect your bunny, Ais.” Loki said with a backwards wave as she and Finn kept walking towards Belit Babili.

“Yes…” Ais said, though it was barely heard over her wind. She vanished straight through the hole in the building. A second later the roof exploded upward as Phryne was knocked through it.

Tiona and Tione were racing across rooftops to catch up with Phryne’s flying body.

“WE’RE NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!!!” Tiona yelled as she kicked off the roof—shattering it beneath her feet from the force—and slammed a kick into the airborne Phryne, sending her rocketing towards the ground again, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and gravel when her body slammed into the paved street.

Tione was little more than a blur as she reached the area that Phryne crashed down at. She ignored the dust cloud and slammed her fist into the downed Phryne, sending her bouncing along the ground and through an entire building that happened to be in the same direction. “GET UP, BITCH!!! THIS ISN’T NEARLY ENOUGH!!!” She stomped through the broken building while cracking her knuckles.

“Ack!” Phryne hacked out, her rage the only thing keeping her from passing out. “You…ugly little…whores…” She took up a stance with her battle axe and charged straight at Tione. “I’ll kill you and then fuck Rabbit Foot in front of your corpses!”

Ching

Desperate sliced straight through Phryne’s battle axe. The axe head cleanly split in two, leaving barely any of the sharp edge left near the bottom. The whistling wind of Ariel quickly became a howling whirlwind as Ais’s golden eyes burned with fury at what Phryne had threatened to do.

“Shut up!” Ais’s voice rose more than Tione or Tiona had ever heard before. Within her the ugly black flame burned wildly, but at the same time…the warmth of her love for Bell burned just as powerfully, almost mixing together as Ariel howled and blasted Phryne through another building, shredding most of her remaining armor in the process.

Phryne’s blood splattered across the ground and rubble, but Tione, Tiona, and Ais couldn’t care less. They charged after Phryne, determined to protect their love from the horrid woman that had already gone after him once.

“Huuaah…” Phryne could barely breathe; the wind having been knocked out of her. She had dozens and dozens of cuts opened up across her body from the beating she was taking, most from Ais’s wind, while all of the huge bruises across her body were from Tione and Tiona beating the hell from her. “I…I can…” Her eyes blinked, one of them tinged red from a popped blood vessel, as she saw a figure in a green cloak standing a meter away from her. “Who…?”

Tiona stopped upon seeing the woman in the green cloak. “Ryu?” She asked, recognizing the face of one of her ‘sisters’ even with her hood up and a green mask covering her lower face.

“What’re you doing here?” Tione questioned, knowing that Ryu didn’t have a Familia participating in the raid of the Pleasure District.

Ryu looked between Tione, Tiona, and Ais, before looking down at the struggling Phryne. “I’ve come to protect Bell.”

Phryne hacked out some blood from her throat as she glared angrily up at the Elf woman. “Another…of Rabbit Foot’s…whores?”

Whack

Ryu’s wooden sword slammed into the side of Phryne’s head and sent the toad-like Amazon bouncing down the street, a trail of blood splatter left behind her.

“You’re worse than I’d heard.” Ryu said coldly, her blue eyes locked on the injured Phryne. “And the rumors about you were already horrible.”

“Let’s get rid of her.” Tione said, pulling her two kukri knives from their sheaths.

Tiona cracked her knuckles, her Urga having been destroyed in Knossos, prepared to beat Phryne to death with her bare hands. “You should’ve never tried to touch a claimed man.” By Amazon traditions, that was an offense that was often dealt with by killing the offending party.

Ais said nothing, the black flame of revenge practically screaming for blood, while her love for Bell wanted to get rid of Phryne for trying to take him. She simply walked towards the injured Phryne with Ariel wrapping around Desperate’s blade powerfully.

‘This is justice.’ Ryu thought to herself, recalling the days when she and her Familia fought for Orario’s peace while seeking their justice as members of the Astrea Familia. If even half of the rumors about Phryne Jamil were true, then execution was more than lawful for all the people she’d hurt, sexually assaulted, and killed.

“N-No…” Phryne forced herself to sit up as she tried to scramble backwards. “Y-You must forgive me! I-I didn’t know he was claimed!” She tried to make excuses for her horrid actions and intentions now that she saw death coming for her. A lifetime of taking everything she wanted, causing what pain she wanted, and forcing herself onto people had finally come back to bite her.

-Belit Babili-

“What is going on?!” Ishtar screamed as she saw fires spreading across the Pleasure District, the flames getting closer and closer to her Familia Home. “How did this happen?!” Looking down from the high floor balcony, she caught sight of four figures entering the large courtyard of her tower as if they owned it. “Freya…” Ishtar hissed out, easily noticing the large form of Ottar and the other Goddess that she envied and despised so much.

“Braver and Loki?” Tammuz seemed confused as he saw the other Goddess and her Captain walking side-by-side with Freya and Ottar.

KRAKBOOM

Belit Babili shook as a massive clap of thunder resounded through the air. A equally loud crashing sound was hear a few seconds later. Ishtar ran around the wraparound balcony of her tower and stopped in her tracks as she saw her hanging gardens—where she had set up an altar to perform the Killing Stone ritual—had been destroyed and the wreckage had crashed into the ground below.

Hedin Selland stood at the edge of what had once been the bridge to the hanging gardens, electricity still sparking around the destroyed end of the bridge. The Elf man glanced upward, a disdainful look meeting Ishtar’s eyes for the briefest of moments before he turned away. In only a moment, he was gone from Ishtar’s view entirely, the crackling of lightning magic and the following explosions making it certain that the Level 6 Elf was still destroying whatever he came across.

“That bitch!” Ishtar raged, not knowing if Freya had somehow found out about the Killing Stone ritual or if she’d simply ordered Hedin to destroy her Familia Home just because, but hating the other Goddess all the more anyway. She rushed back into the large room she’d been in earlier, Tammuz following her obediently as always. Footsteps on the stairs got Ishtar’s attention and she recoiled a bit, certain of who it would be.

“Goddess.” Tammuz put himself between Ishtar and whoever was ascending the stairs instantly.

Loki and Freya, walking up the steps side-by-side, appeared first, neither Goddess appeared angry…it was almost as if they’d simply come for a visit. Ottar’s massive frame appeared next as he followed behind Freya. Finn’s shorter stature was last as he had the smallest of smiles on his face, still resting his spear against his shoulder.

“Yo, Ishtar!” Loki greeted the other Goddess with a little wave, her other hand remaining in her pocket. “Got somethin’ to talk to you about.”

“It’s been a while, Ishtar. Are you doing well?” Freya asked, moving a lock of her long silver hair over her shoulder, an almost amused smile on her lips. “I’ve come…to say farewell, I suppose.”

Ishtar glared at both Norse Goddesses. “Freya, Loki…” She looked at Tammuz and saw he was close enough to grab at least one of them. “Seize them!”

Tammuz leapt forward, his hands outstretched towards Freya and Loki.

Ottar’s arm was less than a blur and more a gust of displaced air. He slammed a backfist into Tammuz and the other man was embedded into the far wall, spiderweb cracks spreading across the masonry for over a dozen meters in every direction. The Boaz man’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest, his face still firm and unmoving, like a stone mask. Only his eyes gave away his brief rage that any man would attempt to lay hands on his Goddess without her permission.

“Those Evilus remnants you’ve been working with…” Loki said, her red eyes locking onto Ishtar. “…did they perhaps give you something? A certain ‘key’ to some big ol’ doors, maybe?”

Ishtar nearly snarled at Loki. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“So, you DO have one.” Finn wasn’t a Deity that could see through all the lies of mortals, but many Deities weren’t the greatest liars themselves…and no one lied well while under the kind of pressure Ishtar was now facing. “If you could hand it over to us, we’d appreciate it.” His hand reaffirmed its grip on his spear, a subtle reminder that he was an immense threat right now, with Loki there with him to shield him from Ishtar’s Divinity.

“I’m not interested in anything you have. Let’s just end this little ‘rivalry’ of yours, Ishtar.” Freya said as she took a step forward.

Ishtar hissed angrily, rage twisting her beautiful face into something ugly. “Why? What is it about you?! What makes them think you’re better than me?!”

Freya seemed bemused by Ishtar’s continued envy. “Character.”

Ishtar lunged at Freya, her fist cocked back to punch the other Goddess in the face. “YOU BITCH!!!”

Slap

Ishtar’s cheek burned as her head rocked to one side and she staggered a step in the same direction. “Aack!” Ishtar gingerly cupped her face for a second before lashing out again, this time at Loki who was closer.

Paf

Loki pulled her hand from her pocket and threw reddish sand straight into Ishtar’s face. Her expression dead serious now as Ishtar wailed and staggered backwards, wiping at her eyes to remove the powder. “You and those Evilus bastards have hurt my children over and over again. I nearly lost some of my kiddos in that manmade Dungeon that you were cozying up to them in.” Ishtar managed to open one eye to see the death stare that Loki was giving her. “No one touches my ‘children’ and gets away with it, Ishtar. No one.”

“You…trickster bitch…” Ishtar lashed out with a slap of her own, but Loki just leaned to the left and avoided it. A second slap was avoided by leaning to the right, Ishtar’s depth perception thrown off by only having one eye open.

Freya strode forward and slapped Ishtar across the other cheek this time, staggering the other Goddess of Beauty since it had come from her blind side. Ishtar stumbled, tripping over her orange silks as she staggered out onto the balcony. She turned as she saw Loki out of her good eye and tired to punch the Trickster Goddess. Loki swayed to the right and stuck out her foot, tripping Ishtar and making the Goddess slammed into the railing harshly, breaking one end of it from the pillar that held it.

“You bitches…” Ishtar hissed as she managed to finally clear her other eye from the sand. “You’ve always been like this! Teaming up on other when it was convenient for you! Stealing the top spot by attacking the Zeus and Hera Familias when they were weakened! You have no room to judge me!”

Freya and Loki said nothing to the accusations of the cornered Ishtar.

“Raaah!” Ishtar had gone too far into rage to be able to think clearly as she tried to slap Freya again.

Freya caught Ishtar’s wrist and used her other hand to slap Ishtar harder than before, the other Goddess’s head rocking and her body jerking to one side. As Ishtar stumbled backwards, Loki stuck out her foot again.

“Oops.” Loki’s tone was flat as Ishtar tripped over her extended leg and crashed backwards through the broken railing.

“FREEEEEYYYYAAAA!!!” Ishtar screamed as she fell towards the ground.

The entirety of Orario could watch as a titanic tower of light shot upwards from the ground and pierced through the clouds high above. It was an ominous outpouring of seemingly endless power and energy that could only be seen upon the death of a Deity’s mortal form. The tower of light was a portion of the fallen Deity’s Arcanum that was used to shelter their life and bridge the gap between Gekai and Tenkai, returning the Deity to the heavens.

Once the light vanished, Loki let out a ‘humph’. “Well, now I guess we gotta search this entire place for that key.”

Freya, feeling a little better now that she knew the current threat aimed at Hestia and her Familia was dealt with, simply walked over to the barely conscious Tammuz, her eyes glowing a soft purple. Tammuz’s eyes glowed with the same color for a second, his cheeks becoming flushed. “Where is the key that Loki seeks?”

“In Ishtar’s room…” Tammuz answered absently, seeming to be unaware of his own injuries at all.

“There you have it.” Freya said to Loki with a little smile that practically screamed ‘You own me one’ on her lips.

Loki ‘tsked’ at Freya but Finn gently put his hand on her arm. “I know, I know…”

-Pleasure District-

All fighting stopped the instant the tower of light appeared.

The Amazons of Ishtar Familia felt their strength fade away as their Falna vanished. Most of them had already been beaten anyway, and those left were barely standing. Now that they were Unblessed, there was no way to win…any more fighting was just suicide at this point. The Amazons dropped their weapons and sat on the ground, not resisting when members of the Loki Familia moved forward to secure their hands behind their backs with rope.

“Hah…” Aisha let out a sigh of relief. “Looks like it’s finally over.” Having her freedom back from Ishtar’s Charm was worth more than all the upcoming trouble with the Guild. ‘Though, with Ishtar gone, we’re not a Familia anymore, so can they really punish us for what she made us do?’ Regardless of what happened, she’d make sure to look out for her friends, just like she always did. There were plenty of Familias that would take in a bunch of Level 2’s and 3’s.

“You put up a hell of a fight, lass.” Gareth said as he stood next to Aisha with rope in hand.

Aisha nearly snorted, seeing the few injuries she’d managed to leave on Gareth at all. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” It had been one of the hardest battles of her life, and she’d still been standing against the Level 6 until Ishtar had been sent back to Tenkai. She allowed the Dwarf man to tie her hands behind her back, letting her mind ponder on the next move for her and her fellow Amazons.

-Inner Pleasure District-

Ais, Tiona, Tione, and Ryu watched as the tower of light faded away.

“I guess Goddess Ishtar is gone.” Tiona said as she looked up at the sky.

“She went after Bell, for some reason, so she got what she deserved.” Tione stated with a sharp finality. She didn’t care who they were; anyone that came after Bell was an enemy in her eyes.

Ais said nothing as she looked towards the clouds in the sky, specifically at the perfectly round hole where the light had pierced. Her feelings were still clashing within her, but the ugly black flame of revenge was slowly losing out to the warmth of her love for Bell. ‘I want to see Bell…’

Ryu briefly glanced down at the corpse of Phryne Jamil. The Amazon that had been more monstrous than most of the actual Monsters spawned by the Dungeon. She’d only be recognizable by her body size and shape after all the injuries they’d inflicted on her. But Ryu still didn’t feel as if they’d gone too far. ‘In the end, she reaped what she’d sown. Bell will be safer now that this woman isn’t around to threaten him anymore.’ It felt good to make Orario just a little better and safer again. Pleasant memories of her time with her Familia passed through her mind, and the warmth in her chest from her love for her fallen friends and her love for Bell drove away any of the sadness that remembering her Familia usually brought her.

-Hearth Household-

The Hestia Familia weren’t yet aware of what had just happened.

All of their members were inside their home, most watching over the room that Haruhime was sleeping in while Mikoto stayed by her bedside. With the covers pulled up around Haruhime, Mikoto didn’t even notice when the black metal slave collar around her friend’s neck fell apart into tiny little pieces.

Hestia was only just finishing up Bell’s Status Update as a ‘just in case’ measure against any potential attackers. Though their hadn’t been any sign of such a thing yet…and Welf had managed to get a large number of Hephaestus Familia’s Level 2 and higher blacksmiths to practically fill the Hearth District this evening as an added layer of protection.

“And we’re done…” Hestia smiled as she saw the numbers stop climbing on Bell’s Falna. Not seeing anything new manifest either, she placed a blank paper onto Bell’s back and copied the update over with a twirl of her finger. “Here you go, Bell.”

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell smiled as she took the paper, turning over onto his back when Hestia raced her hips, only to grin a little when she immediately straddled him again.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 3

Strength – H 102 > F 301

Defense – H 100 > G 298

Dexterity – H 106 > F 305

Agility – H 110 > F 312

Magic – H 103 > F 309

-Magic-

Firebolt

Vesta Enhance

Enchant Magic – Incantation: ‘Rise’

(Increases all Basic Abilities for five minutes. Then can’t be cast for five minutes after the increase wears off. Effect rises based on the Magic Stat.)

Thunderbolt

-Skills-

Liaris Freese – Fast growth as long as feelings last. The strength of the effects corresponds with the level of the user’s feelings.

Dual Wield – Significantly increases Strength and Dexterity when wielding a weapon in each hand.

Argonaut – Executes automatically after charging from active actions.

Heroic Will – Raises Stats when the user refuses to give up in the face of adversity. Those with lower Stats see the user as near unassailable.

Dragon Slayer – Heavily increases all abilities when fighting Reptilian Monsters, massively increases all abilities when fighting Dragon Type Monsters, potentially making the user stronger than their actual Level when fighting them. Passive.

-Developmental Abilities-

Luck – H

Hunter – I

Anomalous Resistance – I

-Status-

“Fighting so hard against a high Level 3 and a Level 5 to protect someone you swore to save makes for quite a large amount of Quality Excelia, Bell.” Hestia smiled at him warmly, her blue ees practically glowing with how proud she was of him and his heroic nature.

Bell considered the fight he’d had against Aisha, who he was still fairly certain somehow had the strength of a Level 4, and then Phryne where he’d fought and even purposefully poured every last bit of his Mind into his Thunderbolt spell to try and defeat her. “I guess so…” He couldn’t really argue with the results he was seeing right in front of him.

He didn’t know that he’d technically defeated a Level 5, as Phryne had been in no shape to stop Bell from killing her, had he not fallen into a Mind Down from his spell. But his Falna reflected it in his growth and the amount of Quality Excelia that he’d gained, pushing him one step closer to overflowing his vessel again and reaching another Level Up.

“We should keep watch the rest of the night, just to be safe.” Bell said as he sat up and kissed Hestia gently.

“Mhmm…” Hestia agreed, humming into their kiss.

Neither could’ve predicted the frantic knocking that would come from the front door only a couple of minutes later.

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

And so Ishtar Familia falls. The hubris of an envious Goddess leading to ruin.

With both the Freya Familia and the Loki Familia attacking at the same time, the Ishtar Familia never had a chance.

Ais, Tiona, Tione, and Ryu exact retribution against Phyrne for her attempts on Bell. That’s very different from Canon, huh?

Welf requested some indirect help and got it from Hephaestus. For the residents of the Hearth District, it was just a good night of business. None of them even realized that they were potentially in danger, or that they were being protected. And that’s how you know everything was done right.

The Guild started the investigation, confirmed Ishtar’s wrongdoing, and were set to go ahead with punishment…only for the Loki and Freya Familias to ‘take care’ of things WAY faster. That’s going to require a whole lot of NEW paperwork though.

Now that Ishtar Familia is gone, will the Hestia Familia be able to return to normal for a while and focus on the growth of their Familia and the Hearth District?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!