— — — — — —
At such close range, Annie could clearly hear the voice on the other end of the phone.
It was a young man's voice—calm, respectful, almost deferential. Definitely one of Ryo's subordinates.
And his report was clear: "We didn't find any trace of Asherah at the location provided."
Could her intel really be wrong?
Annie frowned at the thought, unease bubbling inside her.
She glanced at Ryo, thought for a moment, then spoke. "In that case, let's postpone this deal. I need to double-check Asherah's whereabouts."
She paused, then rose to her feet.
"If we really can't pin down Asherah, I'll offer you another divine ancestor's whereabouts—or maybe a track on a Heretic God—in exchange."
With that, Annie excused herself and swept out of the café in a rush. But as she moved, her mind kept churning.
Asherah hadn't shown up at the spot her intel suggested. Which could only mean Asherah had been baiting her.
And from experience, that meant Asherah was planning something big.
Annie had no choice but to leave and track her down.
She had been looking forward to seeing Ryo put Asherah under his heel, but clearly that wasn't happening tonight.
"Feels like buying a movie ticket and then missing the perfect showtime…" she muttered, slumping into the passenger seat of her car.
West slipped into the driver's seat, shut the door, and asked, "Your Majesty, did the negotiations fail?"
"No, actually. It went smoother than I expected. Ryo Yagami didn't try to give me a hard time."
Annie shook her head, then her brow furrowed again. "But I've got a bad feeling. And I think it's about Asherah."
"The King of Flies?" West's face turned grim. "That one's no gentle opponent."
"No, it's not just Asherah. Something even more dangerous is brewing." Annie drew in a deep breath.
"Drive. Head into downtown Los Angeles. I need to check Asherah's last known intel myself."
"Got it!" West stomped the gas, and the car shot forward.
From the backseat, Jack Milburn stirred from the jolt and groggily raised his head. "Huh… what's happening?"
"Nothing. Go back to sleep."
Annie gave him a sharp slap that sent him right back into unconsciousness. She frowned, biting her nails.
"This uneasiness just keeps getting stronger…"
---
Inside the café.
Once Annie and West had left, Liliana leaned closer, glanced around, then carefully whispered, "My king… does this mean the plan worked?"
"Shh."
Ryo pressed a finger to his lips, motioning for silence. "Based on the coded message Hawk sent, yes—it worked."
Keeping Asherah's capture under wraps had been part of the strategy he and Athena set.
After all, news of a Divine Ancestor being captured could spark unnecessary panic.
The ones who would panic included not only those fools from Japan who were bound to be purged, but also the hidden existences lurking in the Netherworld.
For safety's sake, Ryo had no intention of making a spectacle that could draw the attention of the gods of Little Garden.
Once the world of Godslayers merged into Little Garden, Ryo didn't believe any of the remaining gods would survive.
The strong naturally absorb the weak.
And those beings hiding in the shadows of the Netherworld would eventually get swept into the domain of the stronger Little Garden gods.
If even their memories got consumed, then Ryo's bold movements would be directly exposed under the gaze of Little Garden's deities.
That would be far from ideal.
As long as he avoided direct contact, Athena's divine authority could still mask him.
But if contact did happen… then Ryo would have no choice but to kill the opponent, bind them within the Circle of Usurpation, and dispose of them outright, denying the gods any chance to absorb them.
That much was crystal clear to him.
Liliana, ever the knight, asked cautiously, "So what's our next move?"
Ryo lifted his coffee cup and chuckled softly. "Nothing. We wait. Annie will bring us intel on the next Divine Ancestor soon enough."
He smirked. "And after that, we'll welcome the Goddess of Wisdom back—with her spoils."
At his words, Liliana's eyes lit with sudden understanding.
And with that understanding came a flicker of pity.
Asherah's intel, then another Divine Ancestor's intel, and on top of that, Athena would get the chance to plant her unique spellwork.
Pluto was being played like a fiddle.
---
Los Angeles - The apartment where Asherah was hiding.
By 7 p.m., Annie had arrived. She stayed in the car for a while, observing the area.
A single glance told her everything—cultists were lying in wait all around the building.
But she frowned.
"Strange. These guys are definitely the King of Flies' men. So Asherah's still here?"
West, who had been checking contacts nearby, also frowned.
"The Lu family from Harbor City was spotted in the area earlier. But he didn't clash with the cultists—looks like he left after checking things out."
Annie let out a short laugh.
"Looks like he got fooled by Asherah. Makes sense, though. That slimy snake's concealment skills are top-notch. The Lu kid getting tricked is perfectly normal."
She tilted her head with a mischievous grin. "Wonder what kind of face Ryo will make when he realizes his men had failed because of their own incompetence?"
"So should we report Asherah's location to him now?" West asked.
"No need." Annie shook her head, pulling open the car door.
"Since I've found Asherah's nest, I'll be the one to bury her."
West sighed, exasperated.
"You're impossible. You could just sit back and watch them fight it out, but no—you just have to step in yourself. And later you'll waste even more time chasing down another Divine Ancestor. I'll never understand you."
"Maybe it's just my instincts." Annie's outfit shimmered and shifted. A plumed helmet and cape appeared on her, her body clothed in a man's black tailcoat, a sleek black firearm in her hand.
"I can't shake the feeling something in that building is calling to me."
"Then good luck," West muttered, shifting the car into reverse. Under the wary gazes of the surrounding cultists, he casually drove off.
But the cultists no longer cared about him.
All their attention was locked on the figure striding toward them—a figure dressed as though he were heading to a masquerade ball.
John Pluto Smith.
Annie raised her gun with theatrical flair. "Now then… let the atonement ball begin, you worthless trash."
...
Two minutes later.
She stepped over shredded limbs and gore to reach the third-floor apartment. Pausing at the door, she politely knocked.
"Good evening, miss. May I come in?"
"Please do," a familiar female voice answered—sharp, frenzied, unhinged. Asherah. No doubt about it.
Smiling, Annie twisted the knob and pushed the door open.
"I've come to claim your life, Ash—"
Her words caught in her throat.
Asherah hung suspended in midair, bound by black chains.
On the sofa sat a short-haired blonde girl, her irises glimmering with a strange rainbow sheen. She looked up at Annie with a serene smile.
On her raised hand, faint golden light shimmered across her slender fingers.
Then a cool, unfamiliar female voice rang out.
"Take her down, Pemptos."
Instantly, alarms blared in Annie's mind.
And in the next heartbeat, golden light exploded in her eyes.
.
.
.