In the middle of town, Ais and the others could be seen gathering together.
"Miss Ais! One of the fishermen saw some members of the Kali Familia down by the pier!"
A female member reported.
"Alright… I'll go check it out. Meanwhile, if you guys see anything, shoot something into the sky as a signal."
"Also, remember that you are not to engage them by yourselves. Wait for either me or Riveria to arrive before you do anything."
Ais said, to which the rest of the members nodded.
"Roger that."
They replied in unison before turning to leave.
Ais also departed, heading toward the pier.
"Lefiya… Tiona… Tione…"
She muttered under her breath before breaking into a sprint.
From a balcony high above, Ishtar watched the scene unfold, a pipe resting between her fingers.
"It's quite nice watching the ants scurry about from all the way up here."
She said, blowing a thick cloud of smoke past her lips.
Burp****
Phryne, the captain of the Ishtar Familia and a Level 5 adventurer, let out a loud burp as she busily chomped down on her food.
"Hehe… a delicious feast before a big fight is always the best."
The giant toad-like woman cackled, licking her lips with a bloated, disgusting tongue.
Ishtar exhaled another stream of smoke.
She didn't bother scolding Phryne for her complete lack of manners, expecting little from a giant toad.
"Kali… she is quite bold, to even dare take on the Loki Familia… well, I guess you could say the same thing about me, once I finally tear down that slutty bitch, Freya."
Ishtar recalled the conversation she had with Kali the previous night.
…
"Oh? You want my help to take down the Freya Familia? A Goddess' jealousy is truly terrifying."
Kali said with a grin, seemingly unfazed by the fact that someone was talking about bringing down the most powerful Familia in Orario.
'I knew there was some sort of one-sided feud between Ishtar and Freya… Ishtar… she is insane.'
Despite thinking that, there was a hint of excitement in Kali's eyes.
Just the thought of engaging in a bloody war against Freya and her children made her blood boil with anticipation.
As a Goddess of Death, Kali thoroughly enjoyed witnessing bloodshed and destruction.
No… she simply relished it.
Like many gods, she descended to the lower world in search of entertainment.
For her, extreme violence and gore were the ultimate forms of amusement.
"So, what's the plan? I assume you have one. The opponents are the Freya Familia after all…"
Kali asked, maintaining her grin.
"My Familia will attack first. We'll lay siege to their home base from the east… you'll strike from the west."
Ishtar outlined coldly.
"A pincer attack, huh? Then what else? Don't tell me that's it. A half-assed plan like that might work on other Familias… but Freya has a Level 7 monster among them, you know?"
Ishtar subtly shifted her gaze toward Haruhime, who stood quietly in the corner, causing the corner of her lips to curl upward.
Noticing her goddess looking at her, Haruhime lowered her head in fear and fidgeted nervously.
"No need to worry… I have a trump card up my sleeve. I just need your cooperation and the extra pair of hands your Familia provides."
"I'm basically handing you victory on a platter."
Ishtar said confidently.
Kali raised a brow.
'For her to be this confident… well, unless she's a complete fool, besides asking for my help, she must be relying on some unconventional method to close the gap between herself and Freya.'
She rested an elbow on the sofa's armrest.
"Sounds good… I'm in."
Kali agreed without hesitation.
"However, as payment for my cooperation… I don't need money, valuables, or anything like that."
"Instead… I want something else."
Kali added as she plucked a bunch of grapes from a nearby bowl.
"I'm sure you already know this, but the Loki Familia is also here in this town, and it seems they're investigating those creatures called Violas that appeared here."
Hearing that, Ishtar's eyes flashed with recognition.
"Simply put, I want a piece of them."
Kali continued, her voice growing predatory.
"Specifically, I want those Amazon twins, Tiona and Tione."
Ishtar's brow furrowed.
"You mean those Amazon twins from Loki Familia?"
"What are you getting at, Kali?"
A single bead of sweat rolled down her face.
Facing the Freya Familia was one thing, but taking on the two strongest Familias at the same time was something Ishtar had no desire to do.
"Don't be so anxious. I merely want your forces to keep Loki's heavy hitters at bay... specifically the Sword Princess and Nine Hell... while Bache and Argana deal with the twins directly."
Behind her, Argana let out a low chuckle, her eyes flashing with a violent bloodlust, while Bache kept her eyes closed, remaining entirely silent.
"Fine. I will accept those terms."
"But the very moment something goes awry, my Familia and I are retreating immediately."
Ishtar declared firmly.
"That is perfectly fine by me."
Kali smirked, and the two goddesses shook hands to seal their pact.
"I want to see just how much those two girls have truly grown."
Kali murmured, her eyes glazed with anticipation.
"The sisters who left their home and the sisters who stayed… I wonder, who will come out on top?"
Sticking her tongue out, Kali violently crushed the grapes in her hand.
The dark red juice splattered across her fingers and face, making her look as though she had just bathed in fresh blood.
"A beautiful bloodbath between two pairs of sisters… what a magnificent spectacle. I want a front-row seat."
…
Back to the present.
"Well, that is the current situation. Can I trust you two to handle your end of the bargain?"
Ishtar asked calmly, taking a slow sip of her wine as she cast a glance toward the entryway.
Entering the room were a pair of elven sisters.
Even Phryne, who had been busy eating on the floor, narrowed her eyes when they appeared.
"Hehe… an opportunity to butcher the Loki Familia? How delightfully fun."
Dina Dis chuckled softly to herself.
"Exactly, big sister Dina."
Vena added, her lips curling into a menacing, sharp grin.
"This is also the perfect stage to avenge our humiliating loss. That bastard, Judas Spade… isn't he a member of the Loki Familia? I can't wait to see the pathetic look on his face when we present him with the broken corpses of his precious comrades."
Ever since the disaster at the Elsos Ruins, the Dis sisters had sworn a blood oath of vengeance against Judas, harboring a lethal, obsessive grudge.
"As I promised… if you deliver on your end, I will ensure substantial financial backing is funneled directly into Evilus' upcoming operations."
Ishtar stated smoothly, reclining further into her throne.
"Hehe… the Dis sisters, huh? Look, I don't give a damn what you two freaks do."
Phryne grunted, stepping forward heavily.
"But the Sword Princess? Leave that little bitch to me. I have a personal score to settle with that ugly, blonde whore."
Phryne turned her massive frame around, her eyes landing squarely on Haruhime, who was still standing quietly in her corner.
"Speaking of blonde ugly bitches… prepare yourself, Haruhime. We're about to head into battle."
Haruhime kept her head pressed down, desperately trying to suppress the violent trembling of her body.
'S-S-Scary...'
The sheer malice radiating from the occupants of the room was suffocating.
"Yes… ma'am."
She whispered, her voice barely audible.
Closing her eyes, she silently wished for a hero to appear, rescue her, and take her away from this place.
However, as a prostitute who believed herself to have already been tainted, she kept telling herself that she wasn't worthy of being saved...
...and that only a grim future awaited her.
…
Meanwhile… at the shipyard.
Tiona and Tione walked in tandem, their boots clicking against the wooden docks as they approached a large, imposing group of Amazons gathered at the edge of the pier.
Tione paused, narrowing her eyes when she spotted her former mentor, Argana, standing at the front, exuding an overwhelming killing intent.
"I've been waiting for you, Tione… Tiona."
Argana purred, a wide, sadistic grin splitting her face.
"Hmph… Argana, let's settle this once and for all."
Tione replied with a glare.
The two locked eyes, looking as though they were about to throw down at any moment.
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