Aphrodite was like a panting golden retriever puppy; being a Goddess of Beauty as well, she clearly didn't get along with Ishtar.
Because their concepts were too different.
The young Goddess of Beauty from Olympus pursued a romantic and aesthetic love, just like in the stories.
On the other hand, the Goddess of Beauty from Mesopotamia, aside from "love," also presided over "fertility," "war," and the most direct "sex..." Because of this, she was also the patron deity of prostitutes, and currently managed the Pleasure Quarter in the city.
Although there was no evidence, Aphrodite heavily suspected that the [Holy Grail] in her hands might have actually been tossed into the mortal realm by Ishtar.
However, she probably wasn't thinking of watching some melodramatic love triangle.
Rather, she wanted Belinda, whose fiancé had been stolen by the Spirit maiden, to use the Holy Grail's hypnotic power to directly steal her lover back, and then... get pregnant... to create an established fact...
Yeah.
This was truly Ishtar's style!
Very fleshy, very direct!!
Just like how she appeared in front of her and Artemis right now. The dress she wore was almost entirely woven from translucent gauze ribbons, revealing far more than it covered. Just walking down the street was enough to make her the center of attention for countless men and male gods.
But so what, hmph!
Both Aphrodite and Artemis decided to ignore her. Even though the Ishtar Familia was considered a very strong mid-tier Familia in the city, boasting not only a First-Class Adventurer as their captain but also numerous Lv.3 and Lv.4 "combat prostitutes."
But her own Familia didn't operate in Orario anyway, so what was there to be afraid of!
Twitching her small nose, under the intense, cloying scent coming from the other party that was sweet to an extreme.
Aphrodite followed behind Artemis, at the same time not forgetting to pull along her Familia child, Harmonia, directly brushing past Ishtar.
In response.
The incredibly charming Goddess of Beauty didn't make a move to snatch it—she had merely sensed the appearance of the Holy Grail nearby by chance, so she came over to take a look.
Since Aphrodite wasn't giving it up, she naturally wouldn't go up and snatch it either.
That would be too shameful.
Goddesses of Beauty were arrogant—on this point, Ishtar and Freya shared a certain similarity. Perhaps it was because the authorities both presided over also included "war," so they weren't as "pure" as other Goddesses of Beauty.
Since she herself didn't want to make a move.
The Familia children naturally had no way to do anything either; they couldn't go and block the goddess from leaving.
Besides, Aphrodite was also a Goddess of Beauty. Even a pushed rabbit will bite; she could also use "Charm," which was simply an "unsolvable" ability for the children of the lower world.
So they could only let them leave.
However.
Watching the retreating backs of the two young goddesses leaving.
Ishtar merely spoke quietly to the Familia vice-captain who constantly guarded her side, who was also the only male in the Ishtar Familia, her "pet"—
Tammuz Belili.
"Go notify that side."
"Yes, Lady Goddess."
...
The spring night was quietly still.
The stars and moon scattered their light generously, shimmering against the pitch-black canopy of the sky.
Walking along the brightly lit long street, Aphrodite was in an extremely good mood. While inviting her Familia's Harmonia to "play" in Orario for a while longer, she chatted with Artemis beside her.
"Didn't you say you wanted to test Isagi a bit? How is it going now?"
"I don't know..."
The Moon Goddess shook her head.
She had returned to the city because the Guild requested her to hand over the "God-forged Weapon" capable of killing gods,[Orion's Arrow], to Isagi.
For the sake of that uncertain possibility, and, to allow the "Hero" to obtain the power to slay gods.
What exactly was Ouranos thinking?
Artemis had no idea at all, but naturally, she couldn't just hand over such an important item casually; it naturally required careful "judgment"!
"At the very least, I need to confirm if he truly is a [Hero]."
"Then what exactly is a hero?"
"Unafraid of hardships, unafraid of the strong, stepping forward even if the world is about to end, to save the world—"
"Ah, isn't that way too difficult?"
"Otherwise, how could he be considered a hero!"
After Artemis finished speaking, she saw Aphrodite suddenly turn her head to look at her.
Stare—
"?"
What are you looking at!
"Artemis really is like a child."
"Hah?!"
"It's simply like a fantasy Heroic Tale—no, like the perfect protagonist in a fairy tale even faker than that."
Aphrodite said, shaking her head.
"Such a good man doesn't exist in this world, and even if there were, it wouldn't be Artemis's turn~"
"???"
"Someone else would have snatched him up long ago!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Her pretty face suddenly flushed red, as if Aphrodite had pierced through something. Even the Moon Goddess herself didn't know why she suddenly "overheated"!
What men or no men, she wasn't thinking in that direction at all!
Although the guy who could gain the recognition of [Orion's Arrow] was indeed her destined—
"Kyaa!"
A small cry suddenly rang out.
Because this idiot Aphrodite wasn't watching the road, she accidentally bumped into a little girl.
"Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine."
The little girl clumsily climbed up from the ground, quickly shook her head, and ran off into the distance in a flash.
What the heck.
Aphrodite blinked, wondering if she was that scary. Why run so fast?
Until...
Upon returning to the Court of Stars, the young Goddess of Beauty suddenly let out a fierce "miserable shriek."
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
It's gone!
The Holy Grail is gone!!
"It must be that guy!!"
Recalling the events along the way, the once again bristling young Goddess of Beauty clearly figured out where the problem lay!
It wasn't Ishtar.
But on the way back, a cute little girl bumped into her.
She even let out a "yo" and plopped onto the ground on her butt!
"It was stolen right then!"
"Wait!!"
As if recalling something, Aphrodite blinked, thinking back to that little girl's face. Although her attire was completely different from what she remembered, that punchable face couldn't be mistaken.
It was the Goddess of "Creation" and "Destruction".
[Kali]
—
Midnight.
At the Central Park beneath Babel, Isagi, as always, finished gathering with the girls here.
The spring moon was cold and clear, obscured by thick clouds. The stars were nowhere to be seen either. He reckoned that in a while, or maybe tomorrow, a drizzling rain would definitely fall again.
The city had been a bit "noisy" lately.
It was said to be a conflict between two Goddesses of Beauty, the Freya Familia and Ishtar. A few days ago at home, Isagi even heard Demeter and Goddess Astrea discussing whether they should go mediate—because the mature Goddess was the organizer of the "Goddess Alliance" in the city.
Similarly, in name, Freya and Ishtar were naturally also members of the "Goddess Alliance."
"Don't worry about it!"
As Heith from the Freya Familia, she spoke nonchalantly, even carrying a considerable amount of disdain.
"It's just Goddess Ishtar simply being jealous of Lady Freya. It's not a one-or-two-day thing anymore; it doesn't matter at all."
"That's true—"
Speaking of which, it was indeed like this. The Ishtar Familia was considered very strong in the city, but compared to the Freya Familia, they were completely insufficient.
Naturally.
The haughty Goddess of Beauty couldn't even be bothered to lift a finger to crush the annoying "little bugs." Although it didn't sound very nice to say, it was the truth.
Isagi, however, was thoughtful about this—
[He had previously said he wanted to punch the Loki Familia and kick the Freya Familia, making the Astrea Familia the strongest in the city.
This was not an empty promise.
Isagi really intended to do this, and besides, didn't the city have "War Games"? Since this feature existed, naturally, it had to be utilized.
If that was the case.
Before that, could he use the Ishtar Familia as practice first...
After all, there was still a Level gap with the Loki and Freya Familias right now, but Ishtar's side seemed just right?
If they only had one Lv.5.
Then when the time came, he would just go alone. Hmm, as the vice-captain of the Astrea Familia, initiating a War Game alone against the Ishtar Familia didn't seem bad.
He could just use this opportunity to change his title as well.
[Rise to Fame]!
Starting right from this moment!!]
The thoughts in Isagi's heart at this moment were completely unknown to the girls beside him.
Right now.
The party was already advancing towards the Dungeon.
The goal of this adventure was clear: to defeat the "Nameless Hero" they encountered in the [Place of Truth] previously, and at the same time, try to continue exploring more of the storyline and figure out the situation here in the Middle Levels.
As for the Great Cathedral they discovered earlier, if they had enough time, they would go in and explore a bit; if not, they would forget about it.
The goal was clear.
Thus, very quickly, the group, as always, took the elevator from the 12th Floor to the "bottom-most" part of the 24th Floor, the outpost fortress built by the Goblins.
Subsequently, they passed through the pitch-black interior of the fortress, arriving at the Path of Pain that required constant upward climbing.
Then, following the map where the route was already drawn, they found a certain tree hollow located deep in the woods. Walking inside and traveling for a long, long time, they finally arrived at the wasteland filled with scattered rocks.
The "Pearl Tree" in the distance was still emitting a pure white light.
After he and the girls entered, it began to spread rapidly towards them, as if even if they didn't go looking for it, it would proactively come to their doorstep.
Very quickly.
So unbelievably fast.
That pure white light swallowed everything around them, and immediately after, a Fog Gate unfolded right before their eyes.
Isagi switched his Character Card, watching the original Sculptor's Idol transform into a floating golden Site of Grace, before walking in together with the girls.
Inside, that Dark Elf youth in the ice coffin still existed beneath the Pearl Tree. The moment he passed through the Fog Gate, the crystal sealing him simultaneously cracked open—
[Nameless Heroes · "Dawn-Dark Moon" Airon Delmos].
The rematch, begins.
____
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