"Is your goal to become 'true warriors'?"
"Then, step forward."
"Rejoice, Amazon."
"For right now, I am the closest thing to that peak on this entire earth."
A crushing sense of awe overwhelmed her in the face of that majesty. This level was worlds apart from the rabble she had faced before. The person standing before her was a monster among monsters—a true beast in every sense of the word.
── No, not a monster. He was an undisputed hero. A hero who embodied those legends she used to recite to Tiona; a being who was a hero with every fiber of his soul. She realized this was the true identity of the white-haired youth.
In contrast to his previous movements, which resembled swatting away insects, Al turned toward her slowly. To Bache, he loomed like a massive, towering wall.
She felt a genuine killing intent directed at her, unlike anything before. In that instant, Bache's limbs moved beyond her capacity for thought.
"Devour it!!"
She reactivated her fading poison magic and raised her fists—her only weapons.
Fear did not drive her; rather, a primal combat instinct ignited, forcing her body to rise and urging her fighting spirit forward.
Yet, it was not enough. The previous strike, which hadn't even been a proper defense, forced Bache to face the bitter truth.
She knew she lacked the power to face a hero who outclassed her in 'techniques and maneuvers,' and even in raw, physical strength.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah──!!"
Bache let out her first scream as she faced a hero who embodied the meaning of 'the strongest.' She no longer had room for thought.
She cast aside the mask of the silent, composed warrior and lunged with everything she had, heedless of the consequences.
She challenged the hero with her entire being. Not as a subordinate, nor as a woman, but simply as a warrior raising her fists.
Amazonian instinct crushed every spark of fear within her. By stoking her fighting spirit, Bache moved past her terror.
A sense of fullness surged through her limbs. The pulse of power she felt—unlike anything she had ever known—did not result solely from the Level Boost granted by the "fox-girl."
Bache's body surpassed its limits as if she were a completely different person.
She lunged at the hero like a hatchling trying to break its shell. But Al was waiting to strike back.
He lunged toward her with a step that made his previous blow look like a joke. While Bache invaded his space in an instant, Al remained still, not yet moving.
Her fist roared, encased in black-purple magical energy like a shield, the embodiment of death-poison.
Bache's added magic, Vilus, affected both offense and defense. Any physical attack the opponent received—whether parried or deflected—would accumulate as certain damage.
Even at Level 6, her fist carried a poison that could dissolve rocks and melt the bodies of those who had received the "Blessing." If struck, one would not last five minutes without treatment, regardless of how strong their "Abnormal Status Resistance" blessing was.
The poison was that heinous, representing a certain killing blow in close quarters.
Furthermore, under the effects of the "fox-girl's" magic, which raised her rank to Level 7, the toxicity of that attack evolved into something even more horrific.
A wave of virulent poison dissolved and corroded everything it touched, whether living or inanimate.
The restraints she had unconsciously placed on herself before the hero, Al, snapped. The color of the magic shifted from purple to pitch black.
Her state and magic had transcended Level 6, stepping into the realm of heroes, even if only temporarily.
Her poisoned arm turned into a double-edged blade, gnawing at her own body before her enemy's. Yet Bache recognized the danger and threw her punch anyway.
As her skin, flesh, and bone burned with her own poison, Bache struck with all her might.
That poisoned arm, capable of killing a first-tier adventurer, lunged forward with Bache's body exhibiting supernatural vitality. She closed in on a single human with speed beyond all bounds, driven only to kill.
The speed made her vanish from Tiona's sight—a desperate strike that surpassed even that "red-haired man" who was willing to destroy his own body. But──.
── (Sound of a sudden catch).
"Sorry, but poison doesn't work on me."
The white-haired youth stopped her life-or-death strike as easily as if he were catching a bean. Amidst the sensation of time slowing down, she saw his hand move with lightning speed, like a blade aimed at her. This was the last sight Bache saw before losing consciousness.
── The battle in the Sea Corrosion Cave and the fight on the ship settled by Finn ended. Thanks to the intervention of their comrades, the curtain fell on the battle of the Hiryute sisters.
The sisters smiled, feeling grateful that they had companions now, and that those companions had rushed to their aid.
The following day, thanks to secret measures taken by Fels, the close aide to Ouranos currently in Meren, the conflict between the Loki Familia and the Kali Familia concluded with a final decision.
Following the defeat of Argana and Bache, the Familia leaders, and the fall of all Level 3 and 4 Amazon warriors, Kali reluctantly admitted defeat.
The Guild declared the Kali Familia responsible for the destruction of homes and facilities during the conflict.
They decided to wrap up the matter by describing the event as a riot caused by a group of ignorant, barbaric Amazons from the border regions. Thus, the matter was settled as an unfortunate incident caused by some rural folk, placing the full responsibility on them.
They claimed that the man-eating flower monsters had accidentally risen from the lake and had no connection to the incident. Consequently, the city's residents did not suspect that the entire affair was anything more than a barbaric act by the Amazons.
As for the Guild's high administration, they did not want to escalate things further. Nor could they expose the scandal involving the god Niord, the city mayor, and Guild employees in smuggling operations.
It was necessary to hide that fatal stain—the involvement of Guild officials with the "Dark Sects"—especially with the presence of man-eating flower monsters.
Against this background, the case saw a temporary resolution.
Of course, it did not end there. Mountains of tasks remained regarding the incident's aftermath, treating the wounded, and repairing destroyed homes.
The biggest problem was that the intentions and whereabouts of the goddess Ishtar, believed to be pulling the strings from behind the scenes, remained unknown.
In fact, it would have been possible to unravel the threads of the case, but doing so would reveal the Guild's weaknesses one after another.
So they had no choice but to let the mastermind move freely for a while while monitoring her. However, the Guild is not so naive as to remain silent forever.
The Guild will use the information gathered from this incident to begin pursuing the remnants of the "Dark Sects" who might be hiding in the city.
Although port operations will be paralyzed for a time, no one died in this incident.
Furthermore, the damage from the man-eating flowers was less than expected, and human casualties were minimized. Once the cleanup of this riot is finished, Meren should regain its calm once more.
"Now, you foolish brat, it's your turn. You need to empty everything you have."
In a Meren café, Loki sat with Al after the procedures were finished, taking a seat outdoors. Before Loki's eyes, Kali sat with her head slumped completely over the table.
She was tied securely to the chair with ropes, looking nothing like a goddess leading a state-affiliated Familia.
The child goddess was undergoing interrogation now. This was obvious, as Loki had to extract information regarding the schemes of Ishtar, who had been working covertly behind these events.
Ishtar was utilizing man-eating flower monsters, which meant she was exploiting survivors of the "Dark Sects."
No matter how different the Kali Familia was from the rest of the Dark Sects by being a force from outside Orario, their clear involvement with them could not be overlooked.
Otherwise, the matter would not only touch the Guild's credibility but also significantly affect the city's future management. For this reason, it was necessary to tighten the noose around her here.
"Tch, damn it."
Kali turned her face away in annoyance under Loki's sharp gaze, still appearing to be in a foul mood. After Bache's defeat by Al, she had admitted defeat and simply withdrawn.
Given her frankness, Loki and her companions did not resort to rough methods, sufficing with binding her to try and talk to her, but she had not uttered a word.
After defeating Bache, Al treated Tiona, then easily neutralized the rest of the Amazons fighting in the city.
After treating them as defeated and providing medical care out of pity since they showed no intent to resist, they were tossed into their ship, while Kali remained alone, sitting before Loki.
"First, vow to us that you will not interfere in the affairs of Tione and the other again. And make sure to make that battle-obsessed Argana understand this clearly."
Argana Kalif; the hero and monster who holds the position of Kali Familia captain alongside Bache.
Her stats are at Level 6, like Finn and the others, and her brutality transcends normal limits, as evidenced by her possession of a combat-specialized curse.
It isn't just her; all the Amazon warriors from the Kali Familia who participated in this conflict possess a dangerous mindset that can be described as Berserker warriors.
Among them all, Argana's brutality was uniquely prominent, representing the embodiment of the berserk Telskyura warriors whom Kali considers an ideal.
Because she possesses cunning and cruelty akin to poisonous snakes, and holds a specific grudge against Tione.
Loki, who is careful to protect her dear subordinates, set this condition as a non-negotiable command.
But Kali's response was surprising. Though she didn't raise her head, Loki noticed she let out a snort as if mocking her.
"Argana is no longer good for anything."
"Huh?"
Loki knit her brows at Kali's words while she was still slumped on the table. What did she mean by 'no longer good for anything'? It was true Argana lost to Finn, but he certainly didn't inflict injuries that would prevent her from returning.
"It's not just Argana, but the others too... Bache and everyone your men defeated, they're all like that."
Kali sat up and looked at Loki sharply. She pursed her lips and did not hide her grumbling, like a pouting child.
With hollow eyes, Kali began muttering words like, "Was that also a woman?" and "Girls in love... good heavens" and "The future is dark."
Loki's confusion grew; she did not understand what Kali was rambling about. The primary goal she wanted to know was Ishtar's movements, so why open this subject?
While Loki was immersed in her confusion, Kali continued.
"Maybe the country is finished... Ah, my paradise... All of this is because of you, 'Sword Saint.' You have completely ruined my subordinates..."
Kali directed her gaze toward Al, who was acting as a guard for Loki in case of any ambush, but Al was closing his eyes in boredom.
"Ah, the reason I came was the 'Freya Familia.' It was at the request of that jealous goddess. I wanted to make Argana and the others face that famous 'Hero,' but..."
●○●○●
"How stupid of Kali... As I expected, Loki repaid the favor twofold."
In Orario, Ishtar, who had already left Meren, listened to the reports with a bitter expression.
She had learned of the Kali Familia's defeat and the capture of the Amazons despite the assistance she had provided.
She was gathering information through her spies in Meren and the enchanted believers, but the results were disappointing, increasing her resentment.
Although she didn't like the Loki Familia, they weren't directly linked to her plan, but Kali's defeat meant a delay in the schedule.
However, this delay fell within an acceptable range. Originally, it was almost impossible for Kali's forces to stop the Freya Familia.
They were merely a sacrificial pawn to use the real trump card correctly.
Ishtar, appearing annoyed, walked down a dim stone corridor, followed by the vice-captain of the Familia, a young man from the pleasure houses.
Fortunately, no noticeable losses occurred in the Ishtar Familia's strength because of this. In fact, she felt satisfied because she had been able to test the status-debuff and magic-blocking curses.
As she puffed smoke from her pipe, Ishtar scrutinized the information Kali had gathered. The information she obtained wasn't just to measure the curses' impact, but also to probe the depths of the power of that hateful white-haired hero.
According to spy reports, that man crushed the Kali Familia captain who had gained power equivalent to Level 7 thanks to Haruhime's magic.
It was almost unbelievable, but considering that the Loki Familia had just returned from an expedition and their stats had presumably risen significantly, it made sense for him to defeat Bache, who hadn't yet adjusted to the sensation of a Level Boost.
"As I expected, they cannot be relied upon... If it comes to it, I'll have to use 'this'."
Ishtar walked, the sound of her footsteps echoing on the stones, and pulled a metallic ball resembling a jewel from her pocket. It was a type of magical tool, representing the 'key' to this artificial corridor.
When Ishtar focused her will on that tool, the massive orichalcum door opened with a heavy creak.
The scene widened to reveal a vast space designed from special stones—a strange place born from the obsessions of a certain tribe.
Inside, people in suspicious white robes moved busily. Some operated massive devices on the floor, while others stared into crystal balls.
In the center of the room stood a hideous altar. Ishtar walked toward it.
Ishtar looked out from that balcony-like spot, a smile full of pleasure crossing her face as she looked down.
That was the center of the hall, where the echo of an annoying creaking sound resonated. When she directed her gaze downward, she saw a massive monster restrained by numerous thick chains.
A bluish-black hide and fur with a metallic sheen covered its body. Its lower half was a massive bull, while an unnaturally human upper half was attached to it.
The monster's face was extremely hideous, and foam leaked from the corners of its mouth. Its eyes were unfocused, and its body trembled occasionally as if it had lost its mind.
This monster was Ishtar's real trump card and her hidden surprise.
"We could call it the 'Bull of Heaven,' so to speak."
●○●○●
"You're speaking with uncharacteristic frankness."
"No, rather... because it's impossible."
Kali mocked with a light whistle, indicating that even if the Ishtar Familia possessed trump cards, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Freya Familia, which possessed a 'hero' matching Al, whether he was Level 7 or Level 8.
"Ah, we are moving to live in Orario."
"What?"
"It seems those stupid girls will grow stronger there after falling in love~"
"What?!"
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