Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While Phyrne was being tended to by Allen, elsewhere in the Belit Babili there were several minor skirmishes still ongoing. The elite members of the Freya Familia had invaded the interior of the Ishtar Familia's compound and were slaughtering anyone that bothered to put up a fight. Since Freya actually had the blueprints of all the surrounding buildings, she had stationed people at every conceivable exit to prevent Ishtar's escape. She knew this incident wouldn't be over unless she was able to weed out the root of the problem herself. As long as Ishtar was at large, she could simply charm any number of people to do her bidding and slowly build up her forces to become a pain in the neck in the future.Since the lowest Level of the elites within the Freya Familia was Level 5, they made short work of the Amazon warriors that had retained their loyalty to Ishtar. Though the premier combat forces of Ishtar had long fled, it didn't mean everyone in her Familia had abandoned her. There were quite a number of people, like Tammuz, that were fiercely loyal to the goddess of beauty that had 'tended' to them in the past. Even without her charm, they would fight to protect the place that had been their home and provided opportunities to them. Of course, there were a number of them that simply fought due to their nature of belonging to a criminal Familia. They were rather cruel and bloodthirsty individuals that thought too highly of themselves and were paying the prices of their hubris.Some of the most prominent fighters on the scene for the Freya Familia was a group of four Pallum warriors known collectively as the 'Gulliver Brothers'. Though it wasn't abnormal for Pallum's to give birth to twins, or even triplets, they were the rare exception of quadruplets within their race and were well-known for their skill and coordinated attacks. Their members consisted of four 120cm tall, white-haired Pallums named Grer, Alfrig, Dvalin, and Berling. Each member of the brothers was Level 5, and they wore matching black armor with black visors that concealed their faces. Nobody knew which brother was which and the only difference between them was the weapons they wielded. Though some had made an attempt to identify the brothers based on their weapons, it had been noted that each was capable of using the weapons of the others with nearly identical prowess. The only thing for certain was that the 'eldest' brother, Grer, was the one that almost exclusively used a greatsword.Using their coordinated strikes, they quickly cut through several tens of Ishtar Familia loyalists and prostitutes without batting an eyelid. Even when a slightly stronger enemy showed up, Grer would immediately pressure them as the other three took to the flanks and overwhelmed any resistance with incredible precision. Though the majority of their enemies were much weaker than they were, the brothers still teamed up and treated every engagement seriously without showing any leniency. Because they always maintained the mystery of their identity, they cut through the masses silently without uttering a single word throughout the massacre.Of course, though their capabilities were impressive, they were nothing compared to the tyrannical might of the man that had charged deep into the heart of the Belit Babili without stopping to draw a single heavy breath. Though his body was covered in blood, there wasn't a single scratch on the 210cm tall muscular frame of the Boaz man. He wielded two massive greatswords that typically required two hands to wield, each in a single hand as he swung them around as if they had no weight to them at all. Anything that crossed his path was immediately cut down without hesitation, including any obstacles that might get in the way of the beautiful goddess following behind him.Almost as if their progress hadn't been barred by more than fifty people, Freya and Ottar effortless made their way into the heart of the Ishtar Familia, all the way to the inner sanctum where Ishtar typically staged her nightly orgies. The area was more than 30m in diameter and was surrounded by curtains with pungent incense situation on each pillar that had a tantalizing aroma. The entire center of the huge circle was a gigantic bed that was covered with a variety of pillows, blankets, and instruments of pleasure. Seemingly unaware of the chaos that had occurred outside, Ishtar was currently being tended to by two muscular men before her eyes widened at the unexpected intrusion.Before Ishtar could say anything, Freya began laughing in an overly elegant manner as she mused, "Oh, please continue my dear Ishtar. It would be a shame if your final moments in the mortal plane weren't spent enjoying what time you have left~." There was an incredibly cold glint in Freya's eyes as she observed the scene as if she was watching animals on display. Though the two men near Ishtar had well-developed bodies, she could tell they were insignificant men that spent more time improving their bodies than actually developing their strength. They were very likely men personally cultivated for pleasure and served no other purpose whatsoever. In Freya's perspective, they looked like pitiful ants that had never broken free of their small little world.Ishtar looked at Freya with eyes that had widened as if they were trying to compete with the full moon. Her gaze wandered to the mountain-like Ottar and gawked at the sheer presence of the man known as the 'King' amongst all others within the City. He had a body as if it had been carved from granite by a heavenly artisan and she could see the line of his figure through his clothing almost as if it served no purpose other than to tease women. When she turned her attention to his eyes, however, Ishtar's eyes opened even wider because the only thing she could see was a complete lack of interest even as he witnessed her naked figure. The fact that he was covered in blood and also wielded two giant swords sent danger signals to her mind and she suddenly felt like she was fresh meat served up on a silver platter.Waving away the two men, Ishtar stammered, "W-w-what are you doing here Freya!? Y-y-you have n-no business here! This is my home, not your playground where you can wander about freely!" Even though she put on a brave front, Ishtar already had tears in her eyes as she looked at the cold and amused expression of Freya. She had been constantly trying to charm Ottar, but he didn't waver in the slightest and continued to stare at her as if she was insignificant. Seeing that Freya didn't respond to her words, the worry in Ishtar's mind continued to grow as she asked politely, "Freya, t-to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Is there a matter I can help you address?" The only way forward was to take two steps back and put herself in a submissive position even though she had a profound distaste for the goddess before her.Freya's smile widened partially and a 'gentle' look appeared on her face as she stated plainly, "Of course Ishtar~! You see, there had been this really frustrating pain in my neck for the last few years..." Freya released a sigh and theatrically rubbed her neck as if trying to remove some discomfort as she continued, "If it isn't too much trouble, perhaps you'd be willing to help rid me of it~?" Even though she knew what Freya was implying, Ishtar asked with a wry smile on her face as tears dripped from her eyes, "W-would you like me to help m-m-massage you?" Ishtar was doing her best to keep her nerves, but her teeth had already started to clatter and she regretted sending her servants away. Even though both men were just Level 1, Ishtar suddenly felt very alone and afraid even though she was in the room that brought her the most comfort over the last fifty years.As if she were amused by Ishtar's words, Freya laughed like a bell as she covered her mouth in a very elegant gesture before saying, "Silly girl, I have capable men like Ottar if I need things like that~! Unlike those pitiful toys of your's, my partners are quite capable you know~?" Ottar understood Freya's intentions as he swiped one of the greatswords in his hand through the air and a line of pressure bissected every single pillar in the area cleanly. Even though the 'pleasure circle' was 30m in diameter, Ottar was able to split each one in half with a single swipe of his blade. There wasn't even in extra wind pressure trailing behind the sword and Ishtar hadn't even seen the movement clearly with her eyes. The only thing she was aware of was the small bald spot that had appeared at the very top of her head.Seeing Ishtar's state, Freya began to laugh with an incredibly amused expression on her face as she said, "That is quite a look, perhaps you're trying to start a new fashion trend~?" Though she was profoundly afraid, Ishtar still glared at Freya through her tear-filled eyes and screamed, "Freya, you bitch! What right do you have to do something like this!? Why must you embarrass me and put me down at every turn!?" In response to her words, Freya began to walk forward and Ishtar immediately fell onto her butt with her legs spread slightly as if by some primordial instinct. Even now, there was the proof of her licentious behavior dripping out from her inner thighs and it added a strange peculiarity to the otherwise serious atmosphere.Unaffected by the immortal sight, Freya continued to walk forward as she said, "It was your decision to oppose me when you arrived in the City those many years ago. Even though I ignored your actions and let you do as you please, you continued to act in spite of my generosity and constantly sought to oppose me. Did you honestly have the expectation that my patience was without limit~?" Within Freya's eyes, there was the visible light of a predator eyeing its prey and Ishtar wasn't able to move a single centimeter under the gaze of the goddess she hated. She had always been fiercely jealous of Freya's success and the fact that her charm was much stronger than her own. Even though Freya had never proactively acknowledged their rivalry, Ishtar continued to undermine Freya whenever she got the chance just to vent her own frustrations.Ishtar looked up at Freya and realized that they were never even on the same playing field from the outset. Freya had slowly built up her forces and focused on nourishing elites while she just haphazardly charmed whoever caught her eye and tried to build an empire. The majority of her subordinates disliked her, and even refused her commands at times, while each of Freya's showed an unwavering loyalty toward her. Even now, though she had tried more than a hundred times to charm Ottar, he hadn't even flinched in the slightest. The only woman in his eyes was the beautiful, silver-haired, goddess that was looking down on her as if she were an insect.With tears streaming down her face, Ishtar asked, "Tell me Freya...what is the difference between us? Why do you get to be so happy and experience so much success even without working hard? Why do you get to sit at the top of the tower above everything else while I have to slough away in this foul district surrounded by criminals and incompetent subordinates? Why do you get to live in the light and enjoy everyone's adoration while I have to live in the darkness surrounded by filth, drawing the ire of everyone around me?" From an objective standpoint, Ishtar knew that Freya was more beautiful than she was, but they were both goddesses of beauty. She couldn't understand why Freya enjoyed so much success while she had to struggle endlessly and constantly suffered setbacks.As if she were seriously considering Ishtar's questions, Freya tilted her head slightly as she gently stroked her chin in a gesture of deep thought. After waiting for Ishtar's expression to break down a bit, Freya smiled and responded, "It's an interesting thing, really, that you thought we were ever comparable in the first place. I wonder where I went wrong to be compared to such an insignificant creature~?" For a brief moment, the indignity Ishtar felt from Freya's words overwhelmed her fear and she tried to scream out a rebuttal. However, the moment she opened her mouth, Ishtar felt a 'sickening' feeling followed by an intense pain as she raised her hands up to her throat.At the moment when Ishtar had been stunned by her words, Freya drew a black dagger and slit the pitiful goddess's throat before she could say anything to defend her own dignity. Freya watched as her expression turned into one of pain and incredulity as she tried to stymie the flow of blood from the gaping wound on her neck. Her healthy brown complexion quickly began to grow pale as she activated her Arcarum to try and stop the flow of blood. Unfortunately, the dagger Freya used was a cursed weapon and the wound couldn't be healed so easily. Since Freya didn't want to face the matter of 'killing' a goddess on her own, she simply pushed Ishtar into a corner and forced the goddess to activate her own Arcarum. As compensation for breaking the taboo, Ishtar's body began to glow with a Divine Light as she scowled at Freya and tried to form words, but the only thing that came out of her lips was a line of blood that spatted along Freya's face.Freya continued to watch the light slowly dissolve Ishtar's body as she was forcibly returned to Heaven. Since she was 'ejected' for breaking her vow, she would be able to return in a few short decades instead of waiting for hundreds of years. This was the common outcome for disputes between gods since it wasn't considered a heavy penalty to spend a few shorts years in Heaven to settle any enmity. After Ishtar had completely vanished, Freya wiped the blood off her face and remarked, "A curious thing, that you were able, in your death, to actually manage to leave an impression on me. Sadly, it wasn't a lasting one..." As she spoke, Freya wiped away the blood on a handkerchief before throwing it onto the sweat-stained cushions beneath her feet. Turning around, she smiled elegantly at Ottar and said, "Ottar, dear...please burn everything. I don't want a single building belonging to the Ishtar Familia to remain~." Without a change in expression, Ottar bowed subserviently and proclaimed, "As you will."(A/N: People aware of the original canon might draw some parallels with Ishtar's current fate and the original plot. Please keep in mind that Ishtar's fate was more or less sealed from the moment she decided to make Freya an enemy. The only thing Freya ever needed was 'any' excuse to eventually get rid of her~! Also, I always found it strange that Ishtar never spread word of Haruhime's magic even when she died in the original plot. It's really weird, since 'oracle' magic is totally a thing and there is a direct line of communcation with Heaven. Since the original Author completely ignores this fact, I'm going to take a note out of their book and pretend Ishtar simply didn't care about Haruhime when she was returned to Heaven and kept the information to herself kappa (O,...,O)~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Chuuni Brothers Quatro','Soundproof rooms go both ways, unlucky.','Till nothing remains...')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

Vahn continued to sit on the balcony while trying to come up with a solution for how to, not only increase his own strength, but the strength of those around him. He knew that, through 'The Path', he could eventually become stronger than anything else. However, Vahn also knew it would require an incredible amount of personal effort, comprehension of his skills, and manipulation of the laws. Because of the restrictions of the laws within the record, Vahn had to undergo the same process of everyone else within the world to become strong, albeit with access to a system that made the process much smoother for himself. He could use items to enhance, not his parameters, but how his parameters will develop later on if he puts in the effort.For example, even if he did millions of push-ups, ran for thousands of kilometers, and performed precise training for decades, Vahn's actual parameters wouldn't change much at all. For the Falna to actually enhance someone's parameters, they had to undergo the trials of the record, which was to kill monsters and face calamities. It wasn't possible to get to Level 10 by just killing goblins on the second floor, he had to constantly push himself in the pursuit of self-mastery while exposing his mind and body to stressful situations. With the use of items to increase his foundation, Vahn was able to get more growth out of his parameters when undergoing the same tasks as others. However, this also created a problem that he was just now beginning to face...Vahn was outscaling the natural growth and development of the Status Board.Vahn hadn't thought of it before, but increasing his parameters instantly instead of having his blessing updated through the normal method was actually going to restrict his growth unless he constantly put his life in danger to push his limits. One of the reasons other people could undergo massive leaps in development was because they could restrict their own capabilities by not updating their status. This allowed them more time to acclimate to their own skills and learn how to fight progressively stronger monsters even without their Status changing. By the time they finally updated their status, they would have huge leaps which would allow them to progress forward and slowly acclimate themselves again. Since his status automatically updated, it meant he would eventually hit a bottleneck where his parameters wouldn't increase much at all. The problem was that his Innate abilities and equipment simply made most threats 'negligible', so Vahn wouldn't actually get a lot of exilia from the fight even if he killed powerful monsters...As he was sitting on the balcony, Vahn released a sigh and looked toward the horizon to see that the sun was going to be rising soon. There was a gentle, warm, light that began to push against the darkness of the night and it would soon be time to train. Though he wasn't necessary for their exercises, Vahn liked to watch the girls train so he would have a better understanding of their capabilities for the future. He might be concerned about his own strength, but Vahn knew that the key to progressing further into the dungeon was having stronger allies. Most people took several years to reach upwards of Level 5 and higher, but Vahn was determined to help the girls reach that point within a short few years. Especially for girls like Haruhime, Vahn knew she would likely be the key to his own growth since he could exceed his limits temporarily and push himself further against much stronger foes. The problem was finding a method to increase her strength without actually exposing her to danger, even though she was required to be exposed to danger to increase her strength...Just as Vahn was preparing to head downstairs, he heard a notification within his mind and nearly fell from the balcony after he read the contents. Unable to comprehend what had happened, Vahn read over the information several times before making his way inside the Manor to ask Aki if she had heard about any operations against the Ishtar Familia within the last few hours. Though he didn't mind someone stepping in to help complete his own mission, Vahn was still very confused about everything that was happening because it almost seemed 'too convenient' since he had just been thinking of how to improve the strength of others.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------//Quest Completed//[Quest: Rescue Sanjouno Haruhime]Rank: B (C-S)Objective: Rescue Sanjouno Haruhime from her captors.Optional Objective: Defeat and/or Kill captors: 2/10Rewards: 'Upgrade' Function Unlocked, 10x[Upgrade Stone], 14,000OPGrade Rewards: [Menor:C] Development Ability unlocked, 1x[Seal of the Challenger:S][Upgrade]Use: Increase attributes of a piece of equipment by 1% of current stats and adds a +(n) suffix to the item. Requires [Upgrade Stone]s and has a higher chance of failure depending on the number of upgrades already on the item. [Upgrade Stone]s can be acquired for 100,000OP and are also a random drop from mobs within the record. 10x[Upgrade Stone]s can be exchanged for 1x[Upgrade Stone+]. 10x[Upgrade Stone+]s can be exchanged for 1x[Upgrade Stone++].[Upgrade Stone]Rank: UniqueUse: Upgrades a piece of equipment until +10 without any chance of failure. Failure increases by 10% per successful upgrade after +10 and has a chance to destroy the item after +15.[Upgrade Stone+]Rank: UniqueUse: Upgrades a piece of equipment until +20 without any chance of failure. Failure increases by 10% per successful upgrade after +20 and has a chance to destroy the item after +25.[Upgrade Stone++]Use: Upgrades a piece of equipment until +30 without any chance of failure. Failure increases by 10% per successful upgrade after +30 and has a chance to destroy the item after +35.[Mentor]Rank:CUse: Increases exilia gain of an ally when paired together. Allows for commands to be clearly heard by the paired ally under duress. Skill efficacy based on the number of allies present. Current Maximum (1).[Seal of the Challenger]Rank:SSlots:0P.Def: 0M.Def: 0Abilities: Indestructible, Challenger(S)A collar that grows a chain link that doubles base experience rate. Each link also doubles the amount of damage received by the wearer and increases the likelihood of receiving critical hits. (Critical hit chance depends on the Power of the attack compared to the Endurance of the wearer).----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn knew that 'The Path' usually helped him whenever there was something he wanted to do, but he hadn't expected such a windfall at this moment. He was previously brooding over what he needed to do in order to become stronger and then, moments later, someone else completed his quest for him and he received the exact reward he needed to continue forward. Since 'The Path' was supposed to exist in order to grant his 'wish', Vahn had a smile on his face knowing it was looking out for him even when he was coming to a standstill on matters.With the [Seal of the Challenger], Vahn would be able to artificially increase the risk he faced during a fight while also increasing the amount of exilia he would gain in the process. Within the record of Danmachi, it very well might be one of the most powerful items he had ever seen. But, this wasn't the main reason for his excitement, as Vahn stared at the 'Abilities' section of the black collar with an expectant smile. Since 'Challenger' was the ability of a piece of equipment, Vahn knew there should also be other ways to enhance the amount of exilia gained if he created items with that intent in mind. He expected it would be rather difficult, since the item gave no other defensive stats at all, but Vahn knew it was theoretically possible now.When Vahn arrived at Aki's room, she didn't immediately answer the door when he knocked and he heard her voice from the interior so he entered the room. Aki was currently staring into the 'logbook' that recorded the information from the network and was also directly corresponding with someone at the same time. Vahn knew he wasn't supposed to interfere with the girls' line of communication, so he asked Aki what was going on without looking at the contents for himself. Since she hadn't gotten ready for the day yet, Aki was still wearing a cream-colored nightgown and looked over with a somewhat incredulous look on her face as she said, "The Ishtar Familia was destroyed overnight...we're still collecting information, but it looks like the culprit behind the attack was the Freya Familia. Loki-sama wanted me to inform you that, no matter what happens, do not approach the Freya Familia for the time being."Hearing that the Isthar Familia was 'destroyed', Vahn had a mixture of emotions that ranged from relief, perturbance, anxiety, and apprehension. He was happy that the biggest threat to Haruhime had been dealt with, but Vahn was also worried about Aisha and anyone that had been forcibly charmed by Ishtar. He hoped they were able to escape the destruction and were able to find better lives for themselves in the future. Unfortunately, that hope was also tainted with a fair amount of anxiety because Vahn was afraid there was a very real chance they may come to him for assistance. He didn't mind helping out, but the last thing Vahn needed to worry about was a group of 'experienced' Amazons invading his home. Tiona and Tione were already high on his priority list for matters that needed to be addressed in the future, and it would only complicate the matter if even more Amazons were present. Of course, the biggest issue, as Loki seemed to suspect, was the fact that the perpetrators of the attack had been the Freya Familia.Even without meeting her, Vahn was already very cautious of Freya for various reasons, including his own inability to resist women. Vahn knew that Freya was supposed to have an 'unnatural or 'unrivaled' beauty, so he was actually somewhat afraid to meet her since he didn't have much confidence in his own ability to maintain his sensibilities. He knew her charm magic wouldn't work against him, but Vahn still had an interest in someone purportedly as beautiful as she was claimed to be. The most important reason he didn't want to meet her, however, was because Vahn knew that she was actually a very 'difficult' person to deal with and had brought about great harm to several people.Even in the original series, she was one of the driving forces behind Bell's struggles because she was trying to cultivate him into becoming stronger. Because of his own potential, and the fact he had an item like [Enkidu], Vahn knew she would likely become one of the biggest obstacles he faced in the future. The influence of her Divinity and the amount of power she wielded within the City made her one of the most dangerous people he could ever associate with. Now that she was taking action, Vahn expected there to be some kind of clash between himself, the Freya Familia, and potentially the Alliance within the near future.After promising Aki to avoid any contact with the Freya Familia, Vahn went downstairs and met up with Ryuu who told him a very similar thing. She had an especially serious look on her face and Vahn could see the concern in her sky-blue eyes. Though he hadn't been able to observe Freya's influence within the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn knew she had a connection with a number of the girls he commonly associated with there. Even though they had 'cut ties' with her, Mama Mia still bore the Freya Familia crest while Syr had been the protege of Freya within the past. Vahn had actually expected Freya to approach him much sooner through the members of the Hostess of Fertility, but he was happy to see that none of them had ever tried to sway him toward her direction so far.Because of the matters taking place presently, Vahn and Ryuu had cut the training short while explaining the details of everything happening within the City. Haruhime had a similarly conflicted expression on her face when she heard about the destruction of the Ishtar Familia, and Vahn knew she was probably worried about Aisha and some of the other girls as well. Mikoto herself seemed genuinely relieved, but she still showed support for Haruhime and concealed her own emotions regarding the matter. Vahn informed them that they may be venturing into the dungeon after things begin to settle down, so he wanted them to make sure they were both mentally and physically prepared for what was to come.Ryuu had decided to stay over for the day, just in case anything happened, and she was going to be lecturing the girls about things they needed to consider before venturing into the dungeon. She took everyone to the study where they usually practiced reading and writing while Vahn kept Haruhime back for a short while and tried to console her. He hadn't been spending too much time 'petting' the girls lately, so Vahn sat next to Haruhime on a bench and stroked her hair and ears while stating, "Don't worry, I had removed the charm effect on Aisha on the night I saved you. She should have been able to escape and assist others as well..." Hearing his words, Haruhime's tail flickered a bit and she turned her droopy green eyes toward him and asked, "Is that really true?"Vahn showed a gentle smile and nodded his head as he explained how he was able to drive away the charm effect using his own 'pseudo divinity'. He had come into contact with Aisha outside Haruhime's room at the time and they had a short conversation where he was able to free her from Ishtar's control. After that, Aisha left to go undermine Ishtar's plan while entrusting Haruhime to his protection. When she heard about everything that had happened, Haruhime had tears beginning to build up in her eyes as she muttered, "Aisha...thank you for everything..." As if relieved by the revelation, Haruhime leaned into Vahn's chest with her face and gingerly held onto his tunic with her fingers as Vahn stroked the back of her long blond hair.Before they separated, Vahn explained to Haruhime about his [Mentor] skill that he had suddenly learned about after his fight against an intruder this morning. Though she was shocked to learn about the attempt to 'kidnap' her, Haruhime's face blossomed into a beautiful smile when she heard about Vahn's efforts to keep her safe without even alerting her that anything was wrong. Though she also wished she had been there to help, Haruhime was happy knowing that Vahn put in so much effort on her behalf and the image she had of him as a hero become even stronger. When he mentioned the [Mentor] Development Ability and explained its effects, Haruhime's ears were twitching about rapidly and there was even a subtle blaze of motivation within her placid green eyes.Haruhime was very excited to know that she would probably be able to spend time alone with Vahn within the dungeon while also growing stronger at the same time. Without him having to explain much about its use, Haruhime wanted to try experiencing the skill herself and implored Vahn to use it. Since it was a Development Ability, that meant it had an 'active' component before it took effect and Vahn was able to experience it for himself after following his intuition when using the skill. It allowed him to place a small seal on the body of a person, and Vahn noticed it looked like a cartoonish depiction of his own face and it made him feel a little embarrassed. Coincidentally, a very small image of Haruhime's face appeared in a similar location on his own body which made the Renard girl's eyes blaze with a fiery resolution.Because Vahn hadn't known about the effect of the skill, he had placed the seal on the back of Haruhime's left hand and now they both had caricatures of each other's face on the backs of their hands. Since Vahn wanted to test its efficacy and range, he used Shundo after having Haruhime calm down and dashed to the end of his domain. He noticed that the seal was still present and continued forward for a few dashes until he was around two-thousand meters away from Haruhime's location. The seal on his hand faded away and Vahn now understood the effective range of the ability and was pleased to see that it was actually quite far.After returning to the backyard, Vahn saw Haruhime with a somewhat dejected look on her face as she said, "The mark went away..." Vahn smiled at her reaction and wanted to laugh a bit since she was acting in an adorable manner. He was tempted to place the seal in an unconcealed location to prevent his own feelings of embarrassment, but Vahn also figured it would cause a misunderstanding if someone saw the mark without knowing its purpose. He explained the matter to Haruhime and said he would tell everyone about the skills effect when they returned to the study. Though she was in somewhat low spirits, Haruhime nodded and followed alongside Vahn before her face bloomed into a smile when he said, "Don't worry, when I show off the skill in a bit, I'll make sure to demonstrate it on you." Hearing his words, Haruhime crossed her hands in front of her body in an elegant manner before wrapping the end of her tail around Vahn's arm with a happy smile on her face.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lemme, lemme upgrade ya~!','Vahn is a man of culture','Uncertain Future : Moving Forward')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

As Phyrne made her way through the corridors of the Belit Babili, the Ishtar Familia compound, she came across a group of fellow Amazons and remarked with a snide tone, "Shouldn't you ugly bitches be guarding the perimeter or off earning some money for the Familia? Why are you lazing about here like a bunch of idiots, huh~!?" The primary target of her snide remarks had been a relatively seductive looking Amazoness with a lean figure and very revealing clothing reminiscent of a dancer. She was currently the second highest authority within the Ishtar Familia, just behind Phyrne, and also the leader of their primary fighting force, the Amazon combat troupe, Berbera. If Vahn had been present, he would have recognized the beautiful woman as Aisha Belka, the Amazon he had freed from Ishtar's charm during the rescuing of Haruhime.Aisha stared at Phyrne with venomous eyes and stated plainly, "We know about what happened to Tammuz, so I had everyone gather just in case something happened. That boy, Vahn Mason, has incredible infiltration skills and might attack if we lax our guard." The large group of Amazons behind her nodded their heads in agreement while Phyrne spat a large wad of spit directly onto Aisha's chest and said, "Eh, you would be the one to know that kind of thing after you let that snot-nosed kid steal that bitch out from under your nose, wouldn't you~!? Well, whatever, go and find me a handsome boy and bring him to my quarters unless you want to be their replacement!"Without waiting for Aisha's response, Phyrne walked away while laughing boisterously in a manner reminiscent of some crazed animal. Aisha wiped the spit from her face with a cloth that had been handed to her by a nearby Amazon. She saw it had a disgusting green and yellow hue and felt a strong urge to vomit before seeking out Phyrne and fighting her to the death. If not for the fact she wasn't a match for the frog-like behemoth, Aisha wouldn't stand by and accept such mistreatment. Her primary concern right now, however, was trying to convince the other members of Berbera to avoid any future conflicts that might find their way to the Ishtar Familia. She didn't want to draw attention to her actions by opposing Phyrne, who she had no chance to defeat in combat. Even if she used poison, the monstrous Amazon had an S rank resistance against abnormal status effects.After the blob of flesh had disappeared through a corridor, Aisha turned to the group of Amazons and said, "As long as Phyrne is in charge, the Ishtar Familia will continue down a path that puts all of our lives at stake. We can't continue to wait for Ishtar to lead us to our deaths as she provokes the alliance between the Hephaestus and Loki Familia. After Tammuz's invasion of the Hearth Manor, we need to be prepared for a counterattack and use the opportunity to escape. I know most of you have no real loyalty to Ishtar, so this is the best opportunity for us free ourselves from her licentious clutches."For the past few days, Aisha had been proactively colluding with the members of Berbera to stage something akin to a coup in an effort to escape Ishtar's clutches. Fortunately, Ishtar wasn't capable of managing things on her own and had almost zero leadership capabilities. Because of this, she had put Aisha in charge of Berbera in an effort to 'shame' her for having the 'audacity' to protect Haruhime in the past. Even though the members of the combat troupe were 'loyal' to Ishtar because of the effects of her charm, they had also been ordered by her to follow Aisha's commands. Though Vahn hadn't realized it at the time, he had set events in motion that would inevitably change the lives of dozens of people after freeing Aisha from Ishtar's control.As if set about by some divine cue, a loud explosion sounded within an area of the Belit Babili, ironically in the direction that Phyrne had disappeared to earlier. Aisha wasn't sure what was going on, but she assumed it was related to Vahn and the Alliance at large. She knew the boy was the decisive type, so it made sense to her that he would use the opportunity after being attacked to seek vengeance against Ishtar. Without delay, she turned to the largest combat potential of the Ishtar Familia and said, "We're moving, don't fall behind. If you wish to die for Ishtar, feel free to stay." Aisha motioned for the troupe to move and led more than thirty Amazons, eleven of which were Level 3, away from the sound of conflict. Their destination was the brothels owned by the Ishtar Familia, and their mission was to gather as many Amazons as possible and urge them to escape the aftermath.---Phyrne had been very pleased with Aisha expression when she spat in the ugly girl's face. She never liked the way the inferior Amazon looked at her and wanted to teach her a lesson but spared her since it was a hassle to manage things on her own. Phyrne would rather drink delicious alcohol, eat whatever she fancied, and sleep with whoever she pleased. The only thing she was missing in her life was a 'worthy' man to sire her some children and was now eyeing Vahn with the intent of adding him to her collection. Though she destroyed the bodies of the men she had killed, Phyrne had a habit of preserving their genitals within jars that were hidden away in her private residence.Wondering about the 'worth' of Vahn, Phyrne nearly stumbled into a figure that walked out and blocked her path. She stared down at the small figure and shouted, "The fuck are you standing in my way for you little shit!?" However, the moment she saw the figure completely, Phyrne's frog-like eyes widened into saucers as she jumped back and barely evaded the spear strike that would have pierced her neck. The 'small figure' had been a cat person wearing pitch-black armor that included a visor that covered his eyes. He had onyx-grey hair and carrying an unadorned silver spear that shone with a lethal light. Even though they hadn't met often, Phyrne immediately recognized the cat person as Allen Fromel, one of Freya's loyal subordinates.Were it almost anyone else, Phyrne would have crushed the 'foolish' person that attacked her, but Allen was Level 6, and closer to Level 7 than she was Level 6. Since he was an agility fighter and notorious for his skill with a spear, there was no way for Phyrne to actually fight against him without assistance. As she evaded his strike again, Phyrne shouted in a shrill tone, "Why the fuck are you here Allen!? Don't tell me that ugly bitch Freya is helping that brat too!?" The moment she uttered the words 'ugly bitch Freya', Allen's ears twitched and a visible red light shone through his black visor.Phyrne felt a powerful premonition of dread overtake her as a cold sweat built up on her already clammy skin. Without even seeing the path of the spear, Phyrne felt a powerful collision near her own heart as her body flew through the air and collided with a wall, destroying it in the process. She coughed up a mouthful of blood as heavy steps echoed from the corridor that she had just been sent flying from. Before she could climb from the debris, Phyrne her a cold voice speak through clenched teeth, "You filthy sow...you dare insult my goddess with your vile mouth!? Go die you frog-faced slut~!" Allen leaped through the hole and created by Phyrne's body and began thrusting his spear toward her appendages in an attempt to disable her. Even though he told her to die, he actually intended to cripple her permanently so she would spend the rest of her life suffering.Even though she knew she wasn't a match for Allen, Phyrne did her best to trade blows with the much smaller cat person. He was more than 30cm shorter than she was and less than a third of her weight. All she had to do was land one good blow with her [Fist Strike] and she would be able to turn the fight in her favor. Unfortunately, Allen was far too quick for her and accurately targeted near her vitals without actually piercing them. It was an incredibly one-sided fight because he was far more nimble than she was and outranged her with the use of his silver spear. In less than ten minutes, she had more than thirty wounds all over her body before she screamed out like an animal being slaughtered, "WHERE THE FUCK IS EVERYONE!?"Since it hadn't been that long since she separated from Aisha and the Berbera, Phyrne had some small hope that reinforcements would arrive to help her. However, the longer the fight dragged out, the more injured she became and the less likely it seemed she would survive even if help arrived. She had tried to heal some of the wounds on her body, but noticed that Allen's weapon seemed to carry some kind of curse that prevented the wounds from closing. She was steadily losing blood and had already started to become light-headed from the severity of her injuries.Though it wasn't the true answer to her question, Allen showed a cruel smile and said, "Scream you dirty pig! Lo and behold, the intrepid and mighty Phyrne, the touted 'Man-Killer', bested by a man half her size~! I'd say you're enjoying your just desserts, but I can tell by you're figure you've more than indulged plenty, hahahahaha!" At this point, they were no longer fighting each other in a life and death struggle. In the ten minutes they had been fighting, Allen had spent the majority of the last five just playing with Phyrne. It was rare he had such a 'large' target without it being an actual monster, so he was curious to see just how much blood she could lose before passing out. Though he couldn't be sure, he was almost certain she had lost enough to fill an entire washbasin.Unable to continue the fight, Phyrne kneeled and looked down on Allen as she asked, "What is your purpose here Allen? Even if Ishtar and Freya are enemies, there is no enmity between the two of us...if you spare me, I'll willingly become your woman and let you do whatever you want with my bo-." Before she could continue her words, Allen's spear cut through Phyrne's mouth and severed her tongue while destroying several of her teeth. He literally spat his response, "Fuck you, you filthy fucking pig! You think I'd give up my goddess for a literal sow!?"Phyrne held her hands to her mouth and mumbled inaudible words before launching a desperate series of attacks toward Allen with the hopes of landing a lucky blow. She knew that she would die if she couldn't defeat him in the next few minutes and find a way to stop the flow of blood from her wounds. However, no matter how much she tried to push her wounded body, she was already much slower than she was at the beginning of the fight. Even when he was enraged, Allen still fought with a level-headed mentality and easily avoided all her desperate blows while severing the tendons in her arms and legs with ease. After a long string of attacks, Phyrne eventually fell face-first into the ground with glossed eyes that were quickly losing their light.(A/N: Serious trigger warning ahead. Nothing 'significant' happens after this point, so move on if you have weaker sensibilities~!)Seeing Phyrne fall to the ground, Allen walked around her gigantic body and confirmed that he had cut all of her tendons. Even if she was 'playing dead' and wanted to get him to drop his guard, there was nothing she could do with her body in the current state. A cruel glint appeared in the red eyes shining through the black visor as Allen walked over to one of the windows that was fixed with iron bars, almost like a prison. He swiped his spear across and picked up several of the long metal rods in his hand as he made his way over to the catatonic Phyrne.Uttering a short chant, Allen gathered flames in his hands and began to heat up the rods as he remarked, "So the reputed Androctonus falls to a man, rather ironic isn't it~? Well, I wouldn't want you to be lonely after you made an effort to seduce me, now would I? Here, as a parting gift, I'll leave you with an everlasting memory of today's events." With a crazed look in his eyes, Allen went around to the backside of Phyrne and skewered the damp mound of flesh with the red-hot metal pipes. She squealed like a pig and managed to move her limbs slightly even though the tendons were cut. Incited by her muffled squeals, the cruel glint in Allen's eyes grew in intensity as he inserted the remaining five rods alongside the first one. Even though the putrid smell of burnt flesh made him slightly nauseous, he couldn't help but feel a sadistic glee in Phyrne's suffering. From the moment she slandered his goddess, Allen had decided that her fate would not be a kind one.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Aisha's Plan : Ripples of Fate','Phyrne engages a handsome man','Smells like teen spirit')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

Chapter 296: Comparison