The salty, sun-baked breeze of the Port City of Meren was a refreshing change from the stone walls of Orario.
It was a city of life, commerce, and screaming seagulls. But above all else, it was a city that smelled violently of fish.
"Ah, smell that air! The ocean! The freedom! The seafood!" Loki cheered, stretching her arms wide as she walked down the bustling street. "Welcome to Meren, girls! The ultimate vacation spot!"
Following a few steps behind her were all the female members of the Loki Familia, eager to finally be away from the suffocating murder pit that was the dungeon.
Riveria Ljos Alf pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ignore the overwhelming stench of gutted fish. "Loki, I am still questioning the wisdom of this trip. We just returned from a catastrophic expedition. We suffered casualties. Parading around on a vacation feels...deeply disrespectful."
Loki waved a hand dismissively, though her eyes lacked their usual carefree warmth. "Don't get yer knickers in a twist, Mama Elf. This was Finn's idea."
Riveria blinked, her emerald eyes narrowing slightly. "Finn ordered this?"
"Yep," Loki snorted, crossing her arms. "He kicked us out of the manor. Said we were yapping too much and he needed absolute silence. Apparently, that ambush at our camp on the 56th floor gave him a 'revelation.' He's locked himself in his office, piecing together a massive conspiracy."
Riveria bit her lower lip, the horrifying events playing back in her mind.
They had barely survived the 59th floor. The Demi-Spirit Titan Alm was an intelligent, magic casting monstrosity beyond anything the Guild had on record, reducing their vanguard to a groaning, broken mess. But after dragging themselves back to their camp on the 56th floor, believing the worst was finally behind them, the world threw another brick at their heads.
Olivas Act.
There was no mistaking the unhinged, sadistic former Evilus commander. He was a dead man walking—literally. Half of his body had been replaced by hideous plant matter. He had commanded a swarm of Violas to overrun their exhausted defenses.
He hadn't fully engaged them. Instead he watched the chaos unfold with a sickening grin before retreating into the dark, likely deciding his prey wasn't quite vulnerable enough to wipe out.
Ten lives lost. Four of their own, and six of Hephaestus's smiths.
Riveria knew, with absolute certainty, that the mastermind behind these new monsters had expected the Loki Familia to die on the 59th floor and had sent Olivas to wipe their camp to finish the job.
The only reason they were all still breathing was because of Ais.
Riveria turned her gaze over her shoulder.
Ais Wallenstein walked mechanically in the center of their group. The bright Meren sun did absolutely nothing to chase away the deep, sunken shadows under her golden eyes.
She looked like a haunted, fragile doll being dragged along by invisible strings. Riveria had noted that her mental state had already been fracturing before the expedition, but after that fight against the Demi-Spirit...she had resorted to that foul, hateful Black Wind to slaughter the monster, pushing herself to the absolute brink of a physical and psychological breakdown.
She was hurting, deeply. Riveria needed to speak with her as soon as possible.
"By the way, Riveria..." Loki called for the high elf, her voice dropping the theatrical cheer and turning suddenly serious.
"What is it?" Riveria asked, stepping closer.
"I've heard some rumors around Meren...some kind of green serpent monsters were spotted attacking merchant vessels," Loki muttered, her eyes scanning the docks. "Might wanna keep an ear open."
Riveria understood the mission. This vacation was acting as both a pastime for the girls and a quiet investigation. "Let's hope it's a missing piece of the whole picture."
Meanwhile, at the back of the group, the Loki Familia girls were trying their absolute hardest to cheer up their Sword Princess.
"Ais, look! They have jagamarukun stands here too! I think it's a seafood flavor!" Tiona cheered, practically bouncing around the blonde swordswoman.
"And the clothing shops have really nice foreign imports," Tione added, trying to find an angle that would spark some life into her friend. "Maybe we can find a new dress for you?"
"There's a famous restaurant right on the pier!" Anakitty chimed in, her cat ears twitching hopefully. "I hear they serve the best grilled fish in the city. We could grab a bite?"
"Or we could visit the eastern bazaar!" Alicia offered with a bright smile. "They have beautiful silks and accessories from the far east."
"A-And the sweets!" Lefiya said nervously, wringing her hands as she watched Ais's blank face. "They have this Meren-exclusive shaved ice with fruit syrup! We have to try it, Ais!"
Ais blinked slowly, staring at the cobblestone street beneath her boots. What was the point of doing all that? She'd rather be back home and kill monsters.
"No, thank you," Ais replied. Her voice was flat, empty, and completely devoid of any real emotion. "I'm fine."
Loki saw the depressing aura radiating from her favorite child and immediately stepped in, trying to force a change in the atmosphere.
"Oi! Enough with the funeral faces!" Loki shouted, walking backward with her arms spread wide. "You survived! Tiona, Tione, Ais—and even Bete, wherever that edgy mutt is—all hit Level 6! That's worth celebrating! My girls are the strongest in the world! Drinks, food, whatever you want! It's all on me today!"
"Yeahhh!" the girls erupted in excitement, eagerly taking advantage of the generosity of their usually stingy goddess.
Ais, however, remained a hollow shell amidst the cheering, her mind still trapped in the dark, suffocating depths of the dungeon, and many other events that had transpired on the surface...
༻❁༺
Away from the bustling docks where the Loki Familia paraded, the deeper streets of Meren offered a slightly different atmosphere. The scent of fish was still present, but it mixed heavily with the sweet, sticky aroma of street food and blooming coastal flowers.
Standing in front of a colorful wooden stall, Aisha Belka handed over a few Valis to a vendor. In return, she received a tall, wooden cup overflowing with finely shaved ice, drenched in a bright, Meren-exclusive tropical fruit syrup.
She turned around and held it out to the cloaked figure standing quietly beside her.
"Here. Eat it before it melts," Aisha said curtly.
Underneath the hood, a pair of green eyes widened in delight. Sanjouno Haruhime took the cup with both hands, a bright, breathtakingly childish smile breaking across her face.
"Thank you, Aisha-san!" she beamed, immediately digging a wooden spoon into the colorful ice.
Aisha watched her for a second, a soft smile tugging at her lips before she quickly masked it with her usual gruffness. "Let's go. We should get back and make sure everything is ready for the Goddess's arrival."
Haruhime paused, the spoon hovering near her lips. "Is it...is it really alright for me to be walking around out here like this? Ishtar-sama might get angry if she finds out I left my room."
Aisha clicked her tongue, placing a hand on the fox girl's hooded head. "Idiot fox. We're out here checking the city for threats. It's part of our advance preparations. If the Goddess complains, I'll tell her I needed a second pair of eyes on the streets."
Haruhime looked down, accepting the excuse. She went back to eating her shaved ice silently as they navigated the crowds, following Aisha back to their temporary base of operations.
It didn't take them long to reach it. The Ishtar Familia had rented out the entirety of one of Meren's most expensive, luxurious coastal hotels. The lobby was stripped of regular patrons, occupied entirely by heavily armed and bored Amazonian warriors.
As Aisha and Haruhime entered the main lounge, Samira and Lena approached them.
"You're back," Samira greeted, crossing her arms. "Our gear just got delivered by Fallujah and her group. Ishtar-sama is arriving by sundown with the Toad. We should start locking down the building and sorting out the security rotations."
Aisha let out a irritated sigh, rubbing her temples. "Where is that lazy freeloader? This whole 'advance preparation' was his idea anyway. Shouldn't he be out here doing some actual work?"
Lena scratched her cheek, looking slightly awkward. "Ehh...Toji's asleep in the master suite. He said if anyone wakes him before his weapon arrives, he'd throw them out the window."
Aisha felt a vein pop over her forehead. "Well then. Since it's here, I will gladly go and stick it straight up his ass for him." She turned to the Renard. "Haruhime, you squirm back to your room."
Haruhime flinched at the fiery anger radiating off the Amazon. She nodded nervously, a spoonful of sweet ice still in her mouth, and quickly went toward the grand staircase.
Walking down the carpeted hallway of the upper floors, Haruhime kept her eyes locked on her wooden cup, chewing thoughtfully on the sweet ice as she thought about the man who was currently infuriating Aisha.
Toji Fushiguro. A man from the Far East just like her!
But not nearly as timid. The rumors surrounding him were endless, contradictory, and scandalous—stuff Haruhime could never dream of being able to do.
Some of the girls whispered that he was a deceitful, silver-tongued gigolo. Others called him an ungraceful, lazy freeloader who leeched off the Goddess's wealth. Yet others swore with flushed cheeks that he was an unmatched bed partner. But the most terrifying rumor of all was his overwhelming strength.
Haruhime chewed on the sweet ice. "Handsome, lazy, but also dangerous. Like a tiger," she muttered, trying to picture a face.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts and her shaved ice that she didn't realize she wasn't alone in the hallway.
BAM!
"Eeek!" Haruhime collided hard with what felt like a solid wall.
She stumbled backward, and the wooden cup slipped from her grasp. The beautiful, Meren-exclusive shaved ice plummeted to the floor, splattering in a tragic, colorful mess across the expensive rug.
"M-My shaved ice..." Haruhime whimpered, her fox ears drooping beneath her hood as a wave of sadness washed over her. She quickly shook her head, remembering her manners. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking—"
She looked up. And the words died in her throat.
Standing above her, wearing loose white pants and a fitted black shirt, was Toji Fushiguro, back in his battle gear.
"Watch where you're going, furball," Toji said, his voice echoing in the quiet hallway. "Hm? Don't think I've seen you around before," he leaned forward as his eyes swept over her shrinking figure.
"Ah, right. You're the boss's pet fox," Toji muttered in recognition, Ishtar did mention her once.
"Y-Y-Yes...?" Haruhime stammered, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Toji hummed. Without a shred of hesitation or warning, his hand reached out and grabbed her by the chin.
Haruhime froze in pure terror as he casually moved her face from side to side, inspecting her as if she were a piece of fruit at a market stall.
"You don't look like sorcerer material," Toji muttered, his thumb brushing against her jawline as he analyzed her physical build. "Your bones are like twigs. No muscle mass at all. I could accidentally snap your neck right now."
Haruhime's brain instantly malfunctioned. All the color drained from her face, only for her cheeks to immediately flood with a furious, burning red at the feeling of a man's hand resting on her chin.
"Get your filthy hands off her!"
Aisha stomped down the hallway, grabbing Haruhime by the shoulders and yanking the flustered fox girl out of Toji's grip, shielding her behind herself.
"Relax, busty. I was just checking the merchandise," Toji said, letting out a dry chuckle. "What's with the face anyway? Is it that time of the month or something?"
Aisha gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing with absolute murderous intent. "I swear to the gods, if you weren't the Goddess's favorite pet right now, I would castrate you."
Toji's lips curled into a mocking grin. "Funny. I don't remember you talking this much when you were kissing the floor."
Aisha's eye twitched violently. She reached to her hip, grabbed a long, heavy wrapped bundle, and threw it straight at his head.
Toji caught the heavy bundle effortlessly, merely inches from his nose.
"Your weapon arrived. So congratulations, you can finally stop sleeping all day and start being useful for once." Aisha spat.
"Definitely that time of the month," Toji muttered under his breath, ignoring her death glare as he unwrapped the weapon.
It was a katana. The sheath was a sleek, polished black, but as Toji drew the weapon an inch, the steel revealed itself to be a vicious, blood-red color.
It was a custom-forged Cursed Tool, uniquely crafted for him by a man named Barca Perdix. Its specifications had been relayed to him prior: any wound inflicted by this red blade could not be easily healed by magic or potions. It was essentially an inferior version of the Split Soul Katana. It couldn't bypass durability or strike the soul directly, but the anti-healing property was more than enough for now.
"Balance is a little off," Toji noted, testing the weight. "But it'll cut."
Satisfied with the weapon, Toji rested the blade over his shoulder and started walking.
"I'm going out for the day," He announced. "You're in charge, busty."
Aisha whipped around. "Where the hell do you think you're going? Stop and help with the preparations! Setting this up early was your idea!"
Toji paused, looking genuinely thoughtful for a second. "Was it? Well, good job then. I knew I left it in capable hands."
Aisha's eye twitched. "Why you—!"
Passing by the two, he looked down at Haruhime. The fox girl wasn't looking at him anymor, her teary green eyes were fixated on the melted puddle of fruit syrup and ice ruined on the floor.
"Heh." A brief chuckle escaped Toji as he walked down the stairs. This was the girl Ishtar was so confident about?
"That arrogant, freeloading bastard!" Aisha hissed, punching a hole in the stone wall beside her. "Thinking he owns us just because Ishtar let him into her bed! I can't stand him!"
Behind her, Haruhime let out a tiny, soft sniffle.
Aisha immediately turned around, her anger melting into concern. "Are you alright, Haruhime? Did that fucker do something?"
Haruhime pulled her hood down slightly, hiding her face, and pointed a finger at the floor.
"M-My shaved ice..." she whispered tragically.
Aisha stared at the puddle, then let out a heavy sigh.
༻❁༺
The noise of the bar was a dull, meaningless roar to Ais Wallenstein. The clattering of wooden mugs, the boisterous sea shanties, the heavy scent of grilled fish and salt. It all washed over her without leaving a trace.
She sat in the dimmest corner booth, her gaze fixed on the stained wooden table. Her fingers traced invisible circles over and over again. Her mind was miles away, trapped in the suffocating darkness of the 59th floor, still listening to the melodic voice of that monster calling her by her mother's name.
"Why did you refuse to go with the other girls to the beach?"
The calm voice broke through the fog. Ais blinked, her golden eyes snapping up as Riveria Ljos Alf slid into the booth across from her. The high elf looked completely out of place in the rowdy tavern, radiating a refined, aristocratic elegance.
Ais looked back down. "I didn't feel like it."
Riveria rested her hands on the table, her eyes filled with maternal concern.
"And what about you?" Ais asked, her voice flat. "Why didn't you go with them?"
A vein popped on Riveria's forehead, her serene expression cracking for a brief second. "I would have, if not for that napkin Loki tried to pass off as a swimsuit. I will not degrade myself by wearing such a scandalous scrap of fabric in public."
The image of the high elf aggressively rejecting Loki's perverted swimsuit choices pulled a tiny chuckle from Ais's lips.
Riveria smiled softly, relieved to see a spark of life in the girl's eyes. But the smile quickly faded, replaced by a gentle firmness. "How much longer are you going to keep this up, Ais?"
Ais froze, her fingers going still.
"Do you enjoy making me worry?" Riveria asked softly. "You know you can talk to me if something is bothering you."
Ais didn't reply. She just stared at the table, her emotional walls slamming back into place.
Riveria sighed, deciding to press the issue with what little information she had. "Ever since we returned from our expedition, you've been detaching yourself from the Familia. But the truth is, this started before the 59th floor. One morning, you came back to the manor visibly shaken and refused to tell anyone what happened." Riveria paused, her gaze turning all-knowing. "However...I managed to coax a minor detail out of Lefiya. She admitted you were sneaking out to meet a human before our descent."
Ais clicked her tongue. Lefiya, you traitor!
Riveria hummed, confident in her assumption. "Don't worry, Ais. It is perfectly normal for girls your age to be curious. And you shouldn't let one bad experience break your spirit. As they say in this city, there are plenty of fish in the sea."
"Plenty of...what?" Ais looked up, tilting her head in blank confusion. What was she talking about?
"You don't have to explain it. I'll respect your privacy," Riveria said, swiftly clearing her throat to abandon the awkward topic.
"O...kay?" Ais murmured. She still didn't understand what Riveria was referring to, but if it ended the interrogation, she wasn't about to argue.
However, Riveria wasn't done. "I also wanted to talk to you about that monster...the Demi-Spirit. I suspect that encounter was what truly pushed you over the edge. Do you want to talk about it?"
Ais's eyes instantly narrowed, and the temperature around their table seemed to drop. "No."
"Ais—"
"What is there to talk about?" Ais cut in, her voice trembling with sudden, sharp intensity. "That the monster could talk? That it called me Aria? That it toyed with us like we were nothing?" Her golden eyes flashed with a dark, familiar hatred. "If I hadn't unleashed my wind, my friends and family would have been slaughtered...!"
"Ais..." Riveria whispered, her heart aching at the raw pain in the girl's voice. The Black Wind was a manifestation of Ais's deepest trauma. Using it always tore her apart from the inside out.
"I did what I had to do," Ais said coldly. "You cannot question me over something that saved our lives."
Riveria let out a long, defeated sigh. "Alright. You win. I won't press you further." She stood up from the booth. "Stay here. I'll go get us some refreshments."
Ais watched Riveria's tall figure navigate through the tavern's busy crowd. Left alone, Ais immediately zoned out again, her gaze falling back to the table. The darkness began to creep in at the edges of her vision—
"What kind of bullshit is this?! Are your fingers coated in grease or what?!"
"C'mon, don't puss out on me now."
That voice.
It was deep and dripping with lazy arrogance. It was the voice attached to the man responsible for half her current misery: The realization of her weakness. And the one who had ruthlessly exposed her harmless secondary motives to Bell, shattering their connection.
Ais's golden eyes snapped wide open.
A large crowd of sailors had gathered around a round table nearby, all wearing the emblem of the Njord Familia. Sitting in the middle, leaning back with one leg crossed over his knee, was Toji Fushiguro.
"You're just ass, buddy. Accept it," Toji yawned, lazily tossing a blood-stained dagger into the air and catching it by the tip.
Across from him, a beefy Njord sailor was clutching a bleeding hand, cursing loudly. They had been playing Five Finger Fillet.
Toji suddenly paused, his sharp instincts tingling. He turned his head, his eyes cutting straight through the crowd until they landed directly on Ais in her corner booth.
Was the Loki Familia in Meren? Those useless Amazons couldn't even give him a heads-up about them?
Welp, it doesn't matter.
Toji offered Ais a mocking wink before turning back to his game. He was just a man on a vacation, there is no reason to blow his cover.
Toji reached out and greedily swept a large pile of Valis into his pouch, completely ignoring the sailors' angry grumbling.
"Don't act like I forced you to play," Toji said, cracking his fingers. "Who's next? My pockets are feeling a little light today. Line up if you want to lose."
The Njord held their purses tightly. No one was eager to step up against a freak whose hands moved faster than the eye could track.
Then, the wooden chair opposite Toji was pulled back with a sharp, aggressive pull.
Toji lazily looked up.
Ais Wallenstein was glaring down at him, her golden eyes burning with pure hatred.
"I challenge you," Ais declared, her voice ringing clearly over the tavern's din. "To a duel."
This was the opportunity she needed. It offered everything: the satisfaction of grinding this arrogant man into the dirt, revenge for ruining her and Bell's relationship, and absolute proof that her new Level 6 strength meant something.
"Whoa, she's gorgeous...Wait, isn't that the Sword Princess?"
Rod, the captain of the Njord Familia, pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "Yeah, that's her! She hit Level 6 recently, and from the looks of it, she's here to make this cheat pay!"
Toji sized her up. Level 6? Explains the confidence. "No."
Ais's eye twitched. Her hands balled into tight fists at her sides. "Why not?"
"There's no money in it," Toji said, resting his chin in his palm. "I don't fight for free. Besides, I prefer jumping people from behind. You should know that by now."
Ais gritted her teeth at his dismissal. This coward...!
She slammed her right hand flat onto the table, spreading her fingers wide. "Then I challenge you to this game."
"Yeah! Teach the cheat a lesson, Sword Princess!" the tavern erupted into cheers.
Toji eyed Ais up and down, taking in the dark circles under her eyes and her unusually pale skin. "You look like shit, doll face. What's this about? You hit Level 6 and suddenly think you're untouchable again?"
"It will be more than enough to trash you," Ais stated coldly. She was certain of her new strength, there was no doubt she would win this time.
"Heh. I like the new attitude," Toji chuckled, sitting up straight. "Cash first."
Ais tossed a pouch onto the table. It was her entire allowance for the Meren trip, a cheap price to pay for a chance to get back at him. "If I win, you owe me a duel."
Toji grinned, genuinely entertained by her aggression. "Why not?"
"Ais! What in the world are you doing?"
The crowd parted as Riveria stormed to the table, holding two wooden mugs. "Do not involve yourself in this crude tavern game! Stand up, we are leaving—"
"Oi. Pipe down, pointy ears. We're trying to do business here," Toji interrupted, shooting Riveria an annoyed glare.
Riveria's eye twitched violently. "What did you call me—"
She stopped. Her eyes locked onto his scarred face, recognition flashing across her features.
It was the mercenary from the 18th floor!
And then the secondary realization hit her, she had seen the Guild's official portraits of the new record breakers.
This was the second record holder, Toji Fushiguro. The Ruinous Gigolo. A Level 2.
Riveria looked back and forth between Toji and Ais, trying to make sense of the situation. Was Ais bitter about having her record broken? Or was she trying to extract information out of him that's why she's challenging him?
"Rules are simple," Toji said, sliding the dagger across the wood. "Back and forth between the fingers. Fastest pace wins. You nick yourself, you lose. You go first, princess."
Ais snatched the dagger. She didn't hesitate to start immediately.
Her hand moved in a flawless blur, the steel striking the wood with mechanical precision. After a rapid rotation, she slammed the dagger toward Toji.
Toji finished his rotation a full second faster, his smirk never fading as he slid the dagger back.
Ais went again. Faster.
Toji matched her easily.
The tavern fell silent as the game escalated into a terrifying demonstration of superhuman dexterity.
"You know," Toji casually remarked, his hand a blur as the blade danced between his fingers, "I'm flattered. Still stalking me around? Explains why you came all the way to Meren."
"I am not stalking you," Ais growled, snatching the knife back and upping her speed. "This is a coincidence."
"Could've fooled me," Toji teased, leaning forward slightly. "Why are you so desperate for round two anyway? I thought I made my boundaries pretty clear that day."
Behind Ais, Riveria physically jolted.
Round two? Boundaries? Is this...is this the human Lefiya was talking about?!
"I won't let it end that easily," Ais snapped, her golden eyes burning as she slammed the knife down with confident force. "I'll get you eventually."
The wooden mugs in Riveria's hands cracked under her grip, all the color draining from her face as she witnessed Ais's desperate conviction.
What on earth had this girl gotten herself into? How could she have fallen for this greedy, arrogant, unfaithful old brute of all people!?
"Please," Toji scoffed, his hand turning into an absolute blur. "You were the easiest target I've ever had. Don't get head over heels, doll face. You're not that special."
'EASIEST?!' Riveria felt her soul practically leave her body. To be used and discarded so casually by this walking scum! 'Is Ais really that naive!? Did I completely fail to teach her self-worth!?'
The speed of the game had reached an absurd level. A current of wind whipped up around the table, blowing back the surrounding sailors' hats.
Watching the blinding blur of steel, Riveria's emerald eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
This Toji was supposed to be only a Level 2,how is this foul mouthed mercenary outperforming a Level 6? It defied all logic!
"You're losing focus, princess," Toji whispered, his voice slicing through the wind.
Ais hissed.
The tavern went dead silent.
The tip of the blade had grazed the side of Ais's index finger. A thin line of red sliding against her skin.
"And that's game," Toji said, a grin spreading across his face.
Ais stared at her bleeding finger, her breath coming in ragged hitches. The humiliation, the trauma, the sheer frustration of losing to him again: it all boiled over internally.
"That is quite enough of this!" Riveria blurted out, her face hardened with silent, horrified maternal panic as she forcefully grabbed Ais by the shoulder. "We are leaving. Right now! You and I are going back to the inn to have a very long conversation about standards!"
The Njord sailors groaned in collective disappointment, begrudgingly exchanging their side bets.
Toji took Ais's pouch of Valis. "Honestly, I expected more from a Level 6. But I guess you're still the same fragile little girl I broke that day."
He didn't even wait for a response. With a lazy stretch, Toji stood up and walked casually toward the exit.
Ais remained frozen at the table as Riveria tried to pull her away, staring at the empty doorway. Her shoulders slumped, and the hollow, dark exhaustion immediately flooded back into her eyes. She hadn't gotten her rematch. She had only been humiliated again, left sitting amidst the ruins of her shattered pride.
Yet, deep beneath the fatigue, the dark flame refused to go out.
She would win next time.
༻❁༺
The next day, Ishtar overseas guests arrived in the city, docking with one hell of a grudge against the Loki Familia.
The air inside the master suite was thick enough to choke on, practically vibrating with raw bloodlust and divine ego.
On one side of the massive room sat the Kali Familia. At the center was Kali herself, the Goddess of Slaughter. She looked like a wild, petite menace with fiery red hair, draped in revealing clothes befitting her status as ruler of the Amazons of Telskyura. She wore a bone mask with fangs, giving the small goddess a menacing aura that perfectly matched her sharp, powerful gaze.
Flanking her were her two Level 6 captains: Argana Kalif, a blonde haired, crazy eyed Amazon with a sadistic grin, and Bache, her younger sister.
The sisters looked very similar, and were incredibly well-endowed, barely contained by their chosen clothing, though Bache wore a thin veil to cover the bottom half of her face.
What was certain was that these two were no joke.
On the opposite side of the room sat the Ishtar Familia. Ishtar being in the center, fanning herself with practiced elegance, while the hulking, grotesque mass of Phryne Jamil loomed loyally next to her like a lazy toad.
And leaning against the far wall, was Toji Fushiguro.
He had been in the room the entire time. He had walked up the stairs behind Ishtar, stepped through the double doors, and picked a quiet shadow in the corner.
Toji watched the meeting through half-open eyes, unimpressed.
Ishtar had explained what and who exactly the Kali Familia were. Rulers of Telskyura, the isolated, blood soaked nation in the deep south of the continent, run entirely by Kali's death cult.
In Telskyura, Amazons were forced into gladiatorial pits from early childhood, raised for the sole purpose of murdering their own sisters in ritualistic slaughter to farm Excelia.
It was a sick, twisted system. Raising kids like pit dogs just to see which one bit through the other's neck.
How exactly Ishtar had gotten in contact with this death cult was still a mystery to him. Not that he cared.
"...I agree to the dynamic of this alliance, Ishtar," Kali's sharp voice echoed across the room, snapping Toji from his thoughts. The goddess leaned forward, her predatory eyes gleaming. "But I have my own conditions. I saw the famed Loki Familia wandering this port town, and within their ranks were two of my former daughters."
Ishtar's fan paused mid sway.
"Tione and Tiona," Kali continued, her grin widening. "I will join you to crush Freya without a second thought. But in return, you and your forces will aid me in retrieving them."
Ishtar frowned. Taking on the Freya Familia was already a massive threat. Antagonizing the Loki Familia at the exact same time? It was a death wish.
"Yes! Yes, Ishtar-sama!" Phryne croaked, her eyes widening with delight. "Let us destroy them! That bitch the Sword Princess thinks a pretty face and a slim body make her more beautiful than me!? I'll crush her and teach her the true meaning of beauty!"
Behind them, standing near Toji, the lesser members of the Ishtar Familia exchanged nervous glances.
"Is the toad completely insane?" Aisha Belka whispered harshly under her breath to Lena and Samira. "Loki has four Level 6s in this city right now. If we pick a fight with them before Freya, it's suicide."
Lena bit her lip, while Samira nodded grimly. Off in the corner, Haruhime kept her head bowed entirely, doing her best to become completely invisible to the bloodthirsty warriors dominating the room.
Kali rested her chin on her knuckles, locking her gaze onto Ishtar. "Well? What do you say, Ishtar? Are you willing to perform this grand rite with me? Or is your desire to dethrone the Queen of Beauty not hot enough to burn?"
Ishtar clicked her tongue. She hated being backed into a corner, but she needed Kali's high-level muscle. She opened her mouth, intending to swallow her pride and agree to the suicidal terms—
"You're not actually considering that, are you, Goddess?"
The lazy voice cut through the room like a dull axe.
Every weapon in the room cleared its sheath. Argana and Bache spun around, their bodies tensing into lethal stances, eyes wide in shock. A man? A human male had been standing there this whole time?!
Toji pushed himself off the wall, lazily scratching the back of his neck as he stepped out of the shadows.
"Who is this?" Kali demanded, her smile instantly vanishing.
"He is...my personal guard," Ishtar said smoothly, masking her surprise at his sudden interruption. "You don't need to concern yourself with him."
"Ah," Kali smirked, the tension melting into a cruel laugh. "I see. Must be your favorite mate. You beauty goddesses are so obsessed with your little mortal toys."
"Let me stop you right there." Toji raised a hand, his expression deadpan as he looked at Kali. "You're sending your idiots after the Loki Familia?"
He let out a dry scoff. "You'll run out of Amazons before they run out of bodies to drop."
"Excuse me?" Kali whispered, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"You heard me, pipsqueak," Toji said, entirely uncaring of the death glares directed his way from the Kali executives. "You're telling us to pick a fight with the second strongest faction in Orario while the first is still standing. It's a sucker's bet."
"I have heard enough from this insolent trash," Argana, the bloodthirsty captain of the Kali Familia, snarled.
The Level 6 Amazon moved. She crossed the room in a fraction of a millisecond, planting herself right in Toji's personal space, her heavy hand clamping down onto his shoulder like a vice.
"Such a loud little toy." Argana smirked as her grip tightened. "Let's see if you can keep that confidence when your body—!"
Toji didn't let her finish.
Rather than trying to brute force her grip away, Toji's hand shot up like a viper. His thumb drove precisely into the vulnerable cluster of nerves between Argana's wrist bones. With a ruthless twist of his fingers, he crushed the nerve bundle, forcing her elbow to lock out painfully.
Argana's eyes widened in shock as her bone-crushing grip was instantly broken, her entire upper body forced violently off-balance.
Instinct taking over, Argana snapped her kick upward, aimed directly at his ribs, carrying the full weight of a Level 6's momentum.
Toji subtly shifted his torso, letting the kick breeze past him. Using her own tremendous forward momentum against her, Toji hooked her extended foot and casually tossed her away from his personal space.
Argana was launched backward, her feet skidding across the floor to keep from falling over.
Bache immediately stepped forward, her hands clenching into fists, ready to jump in and beat this indolent man to a pulp.
"Take another step, and your head's coming off," Toji stated coldly, casually tapping the hilt of his new cursed katana at his hip.
"You have a death wish, dog?" Bache shot back, ready to fight.
"Stop." Kali raised a sharp hand, halting Bache from rushing in. She stared at Toji, her interest fully piqued. Was this man a Level 6 as well?
"Ishtar," Kali said, her voice dropping. "Leash your pet before this alliance ends before it begins."
"Listen, shrimp," Toji interrupted smoothly, stepping forward and eyeing Kali. "Let me spell this out so even a pit dog can understand. Loki has four Level 6s in this city right now. You jump them, you blow your element of surprise, and you burn half your forces just trying to drag two runaways out of their camp. You know what happens next? Freya hears us bleeding each other out, sweeps in, and mops up the winner."
Kali scowled at his words. "There is room for strategy, insolent mate. But indulge us, what is your brilliant alternative?"
"You're thinking as big as you are tall, shorty." Toji leaned back, ignoring the insulted look in Kali's face. "Why waste time swatting at the pieces when the queen is sitting right there? Take Freya down, and you get everything. Money, reputation, a mountain of Excelia for your Familia. Your little sandbox country probably wouldn't make that much in a century."
Toji pointed a thumb behind him. "With our support, and your girls freshly leveled-up from crushing Freya, Loki goes from being a threat to a minor inconvenience. You get your girls back, you wipe the two strongest Familias off the board, and you functionally conquer the city."
"BULLSHIT!" Phryne slammed her foot into the floor, her bulging eyes locking onto the others. "The Sword Princess is right there. Why waste time with plans and games? If we wait, they might leave the port! We outnumber them, we can crush them now!"
Ishtar scowled at her captain. "Silence, Phryne. Toji makes a flawless point. Crippling our forces prematurely on Loki is foolish. The risk far outweighs the reward."
Phryne gritted her teeth, her massive frame trembling with repressed rage as she glared murderously at Toji's back.
Silence fell over the suite as Toji watched the gears turn in Kali's head.
He was selling them a pragmatic route that benefited his ultimate goal: crushing the Freya Familia all at once. Whatever happened to these idiots afterward wasn't his problem.
Kali's eye twitched slightly at being denied her immediate gratification, but a slow, wicked grin crept back onto her face as she looked at Ishtar.
"Conqueror of Orario..." Kali murmured, rolling the words around on her tongue. "Yes...that does have a nice ring to it." She leaned back, crossing her arms. "Very well. We do it your mate's way, Ishtar. Freya first. Loki second."
"Tch. Cowardice," Argana spat, glaring violently at Toji while flexing her sore wrist. "We could rip them all apart now!"
Kali ignored her captain. Outwardly, she was smiling, playing the part of the convinced ally. Inwardly, however, a completely different calculation was running through her head.
Trust Ishtar? Please. Kali knew exactly what kind of Goddess she was.
A treacherous snake. Trusting her to share the spoils of Freya's defeat, or hoping Ishtar wouldn't just use the Kali Familia as cannon fodder, was a fool's errand. Kali had absolutely zero intention of waiting to hunt her runaway daughters.
But for now, she needed Ishtar's resources to distract the bulk of the Loki Familia to achieve her goal.
Kali's piercing gaze drifted back to Toji. There was something unsettling about the man. He carried himself like a lazy fool, but beneath that façade was a predator's mind. Cold, calculating, searching for the most efficient way to spill blood.
'Fascinating,' Kali thought, a smile slowly forming as she watched him. Once the blood rite was completed, perhaps she would bring this man back to Telskyura. A warrior like this was too rare to waste. She wanted to see how long he could survive against her Amazons before falling apart.
Her eyes slid over Toji's shoulder, landing on the seething, furious mass that was Phryne Jamil. The toad captain was practically hyperventilating with the desire to attack the Loki Familia right this second.
Kali's dark grin widened into something sinister.
༻❁༺
The doors of the master suite clicked shut. The guests returned to their respective rooms, while the Ishtar executives scattered back to their duties, most choosing to hang out in the main lounge of the hotel.
"Ishtar-sama, this is madness!" Phryne Jamil roared, her massive hands slamming onto the wall next to her, cracking the stone. "You cannot seriously be listening to this parasite! Toji knows nothing of our strength! We can crush the Loki Familia tonight and drag that flat-chested Sword Princess through the mud!"
Toji didn't even blink. He remained leaning against the far wall, casually inspecting the nails of his left hand. "Do you ever wash your breath, Toad? The whole room smells like a swamp now."
Phryne's eyes snapped toward him, filled with homicidal rage. "You insolent dog! I am the captain of this Familia! The most beautiful, powerful warrior in Orario! I will not have my glory stolen by a pet who hides behind our Goddess's skirts!"
"Phryne. That is enough."
Phryne froze, her massive frame shrinking.
"You forget your place," Ishtar said coldly, her beautiful face hardened into a scowl. "I make the decisions here. Toji's logic is sound, and it secures us the absolute destruction of Freya without risking my forces in a pointless skirmish. You will follow my command, or you will answer to me. Do I make myself clear?"
Phryne gritted her teeth as she fought the urge to argue.
"Yes...Ishtar-sama," Phryne grumbled out, the words tasting like dirt in her mouth.
"Good. Now get out of my sight," Ishtar dismissed her with a lazy wave of her hand.
Phryne shot one last, venomous death glare at Toji, who merely offered her a mocking smirk. With a guttural growl, the massive Amazon turned and stomped out of the suite, slamming the doors behind her so hard the hinges groaned.
Ishtar let out a exhausted sigh, rubbing her temples as she walked over to the velvet chaise lounge and gracefully collapsed onto it. She reached for her smoking pipe, lighting it and taking a deep drag.
"That insufferable woman," Ishtar muttered, exhaling a cloud of sweet-smelling purple smoke. "Her strength is undeniable, but her ego is a constant headache."
Toji pushed himself off the wall, walking slowly toward the center of the room. "You need to put a leash on that ugly thing, Boss."
"Please," Ishtar scoffed, leaning back and crossing her elegant legs. "Phryne is entirely loyal to me. She is just shortsighted. She doesn't like that I am listening to a man over her. But she would never disobey a direct command."
Toji stopped at the edge of the chaise, looking down at her with a deadpan expression. "If you say so. But what about the shrimp? She agreed way too easily. You're not really falling for a death cultist promise, are you? That would be stupid."
"Of course not," Ishtar laughed, a dark, melodic sound. "Kali is an unpredictable, rabid dog. She will absolutely try to pull a fast one over us when we clash with Freya, likely using the chaos to snatch her runaways and flee back to her wretched kingdom."
Ishtar pulled him by the waist, forcing him to sit on the edge of the velvet lounge. She crawled forward, her revealing dress leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into the crook of his shoulder.
"But until that moment," Ishtar purred, "she has no choice but to follow my lead. Without my forces, she cannot move against Orario's strongest."
"Fair enough," Toji said, resting his hands on her hips.
Ishtar pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, her divine charm flared up, her gaze smoldering with lust.
"You played your part perfectly today," she whispered. "You secured me Kali's muscle and kept her on a leash."
"Happy to help."
"Good boy," Ishtar murmured, her lips brushing against his. "Now...shut up, and earn your keep."
༻❁༺
Down the hall, standing on one of the balconies overlooking the bustling streets of Meren, Phryne Jamil was practically vibrating with fury.
Her massive hands gripped the stone railing so tightly the rock was beginning to crumble beneath her fingers.
"Parasite! Gigolo! Arrogant, handsome trash!" She monologued venomously. How dare Ishtar-sama side with him? How dare she deny Phryne the chance to crush Ais Wallenstein?
"I am the ultimate beauty," Phryne muttered feverishly to herself, her eyes reflecting the city lights. "I am the strongest. The Sword Princess is nothing but a fragile twig. If Ishtar-sama could only see her broken at my feet, she would realize I am the only one she needs, and not Toji!"
"A frustrating predicament, isn't it?"
Phryne whipped around, her combat instincts flaring.
Stepping out from the shadows of the balcony entrance was Kali, a wicked smile stretching across her face. Flanking her were Argana and Bache, both radiating terrifying bloodlust.
"What do you want?" Phryne sneered, keeping her guard up. "Come to mock me too?"
"Mock you? Heavens, no," Kali chuckled, walking forward with slow steps. "I actually came to offer my sympathies. It is truly tragic to see a warrior of your...magnificent caliber leashed by a Goddess who is clearly blinded by her lust for a human toy."
Phryne's eyes narrowed, but Kali's words struck the exact nerve the Goddess of Slaughter was aiming for.
"Ishtar-sama is wise," Phryne defended, though her tone lacked conviction. "She has her reasons."
"Does she?" Argana chimed in from the back, her sadistic grin mirroring her Goddess's. "Because from where I was standing, it looked like that trash man was doing all her thinking for her. And you, the captain, were treated like a disobedient dog."
Phryne's face flushed a dark, ugly shade of purple. The stone railing beneath her hands shattered completely into dust.
"That Toji is a plague!" Phryne hissed. "He has poisoned her mind!"
"Exactly," Kali whispered, stepping close enough that Phryne could see the mad gleam in the petite goddess's eyes. "Ishtar is making a grave mistake. Waiting to strike gives Loki time to prepare. It gives Freya time to notice our movements. Your instincts are correct. The time to strike the Loki Familia is right now."
Phryne blinked, her brow furrowing. "But Ishtar-sama forbade it."
"Goddesses can be short-sighted when blinded by their bedmates," Kali said smoothly, weaving her web of manipulation flawlessly. "But you are her most loyal servant, are you not? Sometimes, true loyalty means doing what is necessary for your Goddess, even when she cannot see it herself."
"Think about it," Kali whispered. "You march out tonight. Catch the Loki Familia before they know what's coming. You tear down that arrogant Sword Princess and bring her head back to Ishtar."
She leaned forward. "How could she deny you then? She will see who her true champion is."
Phryne's breath hitched. The image Kali was painting in her mind was intoxicating.
"My girls want their fight," Kali added, gesturing toward Argana and Bache. "My Familia does the heavy lifting. You get your glory, I get my entertainment. Everyone wins."
Phryne stared at the Goddess of Slaughter. The logical, disciplined part of her brain—what little of it existed—screamed that this was treason. But her ego, massively bruised by Toji, completely drowned it out.
A hideous, wide grin split Phryne's face.
༻❁༺
The main lounge of the luxury hotel was filled to the brim. Dozens of Ishtar Amazons were milling about, exchanging stories, chatting, and gossiping about the port city.
Aisha Belka was sitting on a comfortable couch, her mind still focused on the meeting's outcomes. With the Kali Familia secured, it would accelerate the timeline for that twisted ritual...
Suddenly, Phryne marched into the lounge, fully armored, her massive dual battle-axes strapped to her back. Her face was set in an ugly scowl.
"Everyone! Attention!" Phryne bellowed, her voice echoing off the high ceilings.
The entire lobby went dead silent. Lena, Samira, and the other executives quickly snapped to her direction. Aisha slowly stood up, her brow furrowing in suspicion at the Captain's battle ready state.
"Change of plans," Phryne announced, stopping in front of the gathered Amazons. "The Goddess has reconsidered Toji's cowardly strategy. We are mobilizing immediately."
Murmurs of confusion instantly broke out among the ranks.
"Mobilizing?" Samira asked, stepping forward. "Against who?"
"Against the Loki Familia!" Phryne roared, raising a fist in the air. "They are weak and distracted! The Kali Familia has pledged their full support! We strike together, crush their executives, and claim their heads for Ishtar-sama!"
The Amazons exchanged nervous, yet excited glances. They were warriors, the prospect of an immediate bloody battle was always appealing, but this was a massive shift in strategy.
"Hold on a second, Toad," Aisha barked, completely ignoring the others. "Toji's plan was specifically to avoid Loki. Are you telling me Ishtar-sama completely 180'd on a strategy she agreed to less than an hour ago? Where is the Goddess to confirm this?"
Phryne's eyes narrowed violently as she glared at Aisha. "Ishtar-sama busy with that bastard. She gave me the direct authority to oversee this operation. Are you questioning my orders, Aisha?"
"I'm questioning your sanity!" Aisha shot back, her instincts screaming that something was fundamentally wrong. "Taking on four Level 6s is a suicide mission!"
"Silence!" Phryne roared, taking a threatening step toward Aisha. "The Kali captains will handle the Hiryute sisters. You lot will stall that ugly elf, Riveria. I'll take the Sword Princess!"
She jabbed a thick finger toward Aisha. "If you're too much of a coward to fight for our Goddess's glory, then stay behind! But anyone who calls herself a true Berbera will follow me!"
She turned toward the others. "And someone go get Haruhime! That stupid fox better be ready!"
The challenge to their pride was all it took. The Amazons were ready for the battle.
Aisha looked around the room, her jaw clenched tight. As an executive, she couldn't openly incite a mutiny against the Captain without absolute proof of treason. And in a Familia entirely built on a hierarchy of strength, defying a direct call to battle was career suicide.
"That arrogant bastard Toji is gonna throw a fit when he finds out about this," Aisha muttered bitterly. But right now, her priority was making sure Haruhime was protected. There was no time to double-check orders.
༻❁༺
The End
༻❁༺
And done with halfway through the Meren arc. I tightened as much as I could because I didn't want it to stall the plot or become background bloat for you dear readers
In fact, there's about 8k worth of content that was completely deleted or will be reused for Part 2
I was planning on making this entire arc into one chapter, but then the word count started reaching 15k+ so I abandoned that idea. Two parts will cover everything while keeping the pacing good enough to include all the important events clearly, along with a good fights
Next chapter will be focusing on a lot of stuff, but mainly on a peak fight as a pissed-off Toji tears through Kali lol. You guys will really enjoy it probably if I don't fumble it
Poor Haruhime getting bullied by Toji
Aisha and Toji's married dynamic is fun to write. He's like the deadbeat husband and she's the nagging wife lol
Ais is depressed as fuck, Bell is depressed as fuck. It's like they're meant to be! (I'm an Ais/Bell shipper)
Suffering! Suffering builds character! Ais is now more hardened than ever! The Toad will be having a very unpleasant time with her...
Also, Mama Riveria's panic attack over her misunderstanding about her daughter being fooled by an older man whose alias is literally Ruinous Gigolo lol
Hope you liked this part. I tried to put as much Toji into this chapter as possible as an apology for the previous chapter
Cya in part 2
Leave a like/comment/review to support this work.