No one's POV

(Flashback)

Ever since she could open her eyes, Tione had been a part of that country. The forsaken island of Telskyura. A nation of female warriors, Amazons, whose ceaseless rituals of bloodshed had been continuing since their goddess had come into power. The first two things she could remember were a searing heat on her back and the sound of someone crying—she didn't know if it was herself or someone else. Falna. Since the moment they were born, Tione and the other girls of Telskyura had been christened as children of their goddess.

She didn't know what the warmth of a mother's hand felt like. She wouldn't know her parents if she saw them. She wouldn't be able to pick out their voices.
She had no semblance of family save one—the girl she'd recognized instantly as her other half the moment they saw each other. And she was sure it had been the same for Tiona, too.

Tiona: They told me you're the big sister and I'm the little sister!

Tione: Hmph.

The word sisters had been nothing more than a word to the young twins, but it would grow to become a powerful bond. To be respected in Telskyura, one had to be a true warrior. Strength was everything in this holy land of the Amazons. It was truth.

Those with strength were lauded, given status and prestige. Contrastingly, the weak, who were defeated in combat and denied even the honor of a noble death, were forced to serve their country and superiors as part of the labor force. Bloodshed was a means of attaining true warriorhood, a staircase, a time-honored national custom. Telskyura was an embodiment of Amazonian instinct in every way.

Enter the goddess Kali, who was every bit as fond of combat as the Amazons. Her blessing further developed the Amazons' abilities, making their battles all the more violent. The warriors revered this bringer of strength as their one and only god, and the perpetual fighting and bloodshed flourished.
Did Tione feel remorse for the endless days she'd been forced to fight?

No. Truthfully, she'd had no real problem with it. Had she been unable to fight off the monsters coming at her, she'd have been killed. This was simply basic instinct. Above all, she was an Amazon— it was in her nature. Fighting gave her a natural high that got her blood pumping.

No, it wasn't the days and nights she spent in combat, experiencing all that power, that filled her with such enmity. In fact, that was all she'd known back then. Defeat the monsters in the arena, then return to her large stone room with naught but the necessities of life—her days had consisted of nothing but this back-and-forth path. Her entire world had consisted of the zealous cries of her brethren and the cold, cold stones of the battlefield.

It was when she'd first had to face off against her own sisters that her days of fighting had begun to lose their appeal.

By the time the monsters in the arena had turned into her fellow Amazons, it had already been too late for Tione. Her peers, similar in age and height, had fought harder than the monsters she was so used to, and though it had been difficult at first, soon, she was picking them off as quickly as the monsters that had come before.

Tione: Ahhh...

The first time she'd heard one of her sisters' dying cries, it had sounded so weak.

Though the same blood spilled from their veins as the monsters she'd slain, it seemed somehow even more vivid.

As she'd watched the life fade from the eyes of the girl beneath the mask she had to wear, Tione had felt her heart stir. It had been a strange feeling she couldn't quite describe. Upon returning to her room of stone, she'd found her sister, Tiona, normally uncontainable in her excitement, simply staring off into space with the blood of her brethren staining her skin. That night, Tione had washed herself again and again and again in the icy cold water.

The number of girls she'd had to fight only grew from that day forth.

She cut them down with her weapons, bludgeoned them with her fists, wrung their necks using the skills she'd acquired. She'd practically been born on the battlefield, and she knew nothing of right from wrong. And yet, the stirring in her heart refused to be assuaged. She couldn't understand why— why was this any different from the monsters she'd once slaughtered so easily? She could still feel the give of their skin beneath her fingers, the crunch of their bones against her fist. Even long after the battle was over, she could still hear their screams, those agonizing wails that escaped their lips mere moments before death.

The cheers from the women in the audience would go on and on and on when she won. They'd revered her, the devourer of the weak. This is right, their voices had said, as her goddess Kali sat on high, looking down at her with a smile on her face.

Maybe she'd just grown weary and learned to ignore the stirring in her heart, dulling it with apathy. Still, she began to yearn for the days when she'd had to fight nothing but monsters.

And yet, even in the darkest of times, light finds a way.

It had come in the form of another Amazon who was almost like a sister, generous and caring. Tione, Tiona, and the other girls, too, had all been quite fond of her. Every time Tione would return to their room after another battle, she'd been there to greet her with a warm smile. She'd been strong, too, the strongest of them all, always there waiting before anyone else.

Perhaps Tione even thought of her like a mother. Her hands had tended to her wounds, rough yet gentle. They'd all gathered around her, craving the warmth of another's touch as they'd slept side by side on the floor. That room, that cold stone room, more like a prison than anything else, was the only "home" Tione had ever known.

The rites had a law that prohibited combat between Amazons of the same room—a law that the girls had begun to discover the longer they fought.
This law had been a breath of relief to Tione. She wouldn't have to fight the girl who'd long taken care of her, nor the girls whose faces she knew so well, nor her own sister, Tiona. That place, the home she'd created, would never change.

That's what she'd believed.

And then her fifth birthday had arrived, and she'd been summoned to the arena, the same as any other day... The sky had been blue that day, too. And it was stifling hot, baking the arena in the fiery heat of the sun overhead. The ground of packed earth was already stained a brilliant red from the day's fresh blood.

Amazons: Se wehga! Se wehga! Se wehga!

The deafening roar surrounded her. Cheers. Cheers for her, Tione, standing her ground in the middle of the arena. Praise and adoration rained down on her tiny frame from every corner of the stands.

"Se wehga" was a phrase unique to the Amazons of Telskyura. Translated roughly, it meant "Thou art the true warrior." She couldn't make out anything over the thunderous ovation, her sense of hearing all but useless as she made her way toward the opponent in front of her. Hands shaking, she pulled the mask off the prone body—from the Amazon she'd killed—as the girl's blood spilled out like a fountain onto the ground below.

She knew this face. It was the face of the girl who'd tended to her wounds, who'd slept beside her so many nights, who'd breathed life back into her cold, dry heart. The girl who'd been like a big sister to her, a mother to her, one of the most important figures in her life.

Tione: Seldas...

Though the name passed Tione's trembling lips, Seldas's eyes had already descended into darkness. Never again would they respond to her voice. There had been a rule regarding who fought whom in the rites. But Tione and the others had misunderstood that rule.

The reason they'd not yet had to fight any of the girls from their same room was simply that the right moment hadn't come. As they strengthened the vessels of their flesh, so, too, did they strengthen their bonds with their roommates. They created friends, family for them to love.

And then, they were made to kill those loved ones. This was their way of unleashing their anger. Of forcing them to overcome their grief. Of drying the tears from their eyes. This was how they created "true warriors," ones free from all manner of emotions and perfectly molded for combat. Everything was part of this procedure for manufacturing warriors.

Tione: No...NO...

Something shattered. The world Tione had once known crumbled around her the moment she removed that mask. For the very first time in her life, as she laid her hands upon the girl she'd loved, she knew how to differentiate right from wrong. She realized how twisted, how mistaken she'd been—cutting down her peers without so much as flinching, just as she'd killed the monsters before them.

On that day and in that place, the girl she'd so looked up to, the only mother she'd ever had, had taught her an important lesson—the agony of losing someone you loved.

She'd hurt her. No, her country, her goddess, these warrior-manufacturing traditions, her brethren had— As tears of fury cascaded from her eyes, Tione turned toward the sky and roared.

Amazons: Se wehga! Se wehga! Se wehga!

Thou art the true warrior. Thou art the true warrior. Thou art the true warrior.

The chant was deafening. Lauding the tiny girl in the arena, howling at the heavens. Christening her a warrior of old, having passed the test and now one step closer to the gods. But to Tione, the words were nothing but a curse.

It was her fifth birthday. The day Tione had killed the one she loved...and advanced to Level 2. Tione's eyes would never see clearly again.

(Present Timeskip)

Currently, Loki, Riveria, and Asuna were at the local bar at Melenot to far from the inn where the whole Loki Familia were currently staying as the three of them were talking about the recent event that happened.

Loki: How's Tione lookin', Riveria, Asuna?

Riveria: Even with Tiona and Aiz at her side...she isn't faring well.

Asuna: Well, she did take quite the beating. Especially her heart. It doesn't look good.

Both Riveria and Asuna look guiltily, as though blaming herself for not having been able to come the scene of the fight faster. Still busy collecting information, by the time Riveria, Alicia, and the others had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, all that was left was a deserted street and the girls of Loki Familia watching over a motionless Tione.

Once they'd finished repairing the storefronts they'd destroyed after apologizing to a very flustered Rubart and company, it was already evening. Since then, most of them had returned to the inn, which was exactly where Riveria and Asuna had been prior to this meeting, doing their best to heal and soothe a broken Tione. As Riveria sighed, and Asuna's sullen face, Loki took a swig from her mug of ale.

Loki: I know we've gotta continue this investigation, but...it's startin' to look like we might need to get Tione and her sister back to Orario sooner rather than later.

Riveria: Tiona should go quietly, but I doubt Tione will back down without a fight...

Asuna: Hmm...lets talk to her later.

As concerned as they were for the two Amazonian sisters, however, they had a more important topic to discuss. The real reason they were meeting in this bar was to exchange the information they'd uncovered regarding their elusive violas. And so, the goddess and the 2 vice captain of Loki Familia began their conference, away from the prying ears of the rest of their familia.

Loki: All righty then, let's go over everything we know first. We know that Tiona and Tione found nothin' off-kilter on the lake bottom. The ol' seal was tight as ever. While they didn't probe every nook and cranny down there, I think it's safe to say the second Dungeon entrance we're lookin' for isn't in the lake..."

Asuna: Which would mean that however our flower fiends got there, they used a route on the surface.

Riveria: Yeah. If I had to guess, they're in the sewers. And someone's cartin' them to the lake. We just need to look for somethin' fishy...boxes or cages or somethin'...and then we'll find the mastermind behind this whole thing.

Loki and Asuna nodded. The remnants of the Evils, and perhaps their one possible connection to the creatures, could well be somewhere within this very port.

Loki: You two learn anything new from your huntin' today?

Asuna: Mostly more of the same.

Riveria: Given how calm things have been on the waterfront lately, everyone's more concerned about pirates than they are about any sort of monster. No one had even caught a glimpse of a viola before yesterday's attack.

Loki: What about the folks at the Guild?

Asuna: We were only able to speak with the branch manager—a human man named Rubart.

Riveria: Admittedly, I...have my suspicions.

Loki: Anything you can pinpoint?

Riveria: There was just something unnatural about the whole conversation. The way he brought up the topic of Kali Familia, completely drawing my attention away from the violas...

Loki wasn't one to second-guess Riveria's judgment. While Finn may have been the brains and intuition of the group, Riveria was surely its all-seeing eye of perception. Her ability to discern others' hearts could prove victorious even against Asuna and Aiz's defenses, much like a motherly sort of insight.

Loki: What about Alicia and crew's trip to see the gov? They learn anything?

Asuna: Unfortunately, they were thrown out on suspicions of Guild involvement. Nigh unapproachable, it seems. The conversation itself was entirely one- sided.

Loki: Hmph...Involved with the Guild, sure, but we're still not from around here.

Riveria: And what of you? Were you able to acquire any new information? You went to see Njord, did you not?

Loki grew even quieter. Fork hand coming to a stop, she threw a quick glance up at the two high elf.

Loki: Hey...you don't think Njord could be up to something, do ya?

Surprise flashed in Riveria's jade-colored eyes while Asuna only narrow her eyes.

Riveria: You really suspect Njord could have anything to do with this?

Asuna: He's a deity.

Loki: It was just a thought...

Riveria: I find it difficult to believe, even absurd. While I may not have spent a great deal of time with him, the lengths he went to in order to help others like me when we first arrived on our journeys to Orario were extraordinary. He is, above all else, a man of character.

Riveria asserted, not a trace of doubt in her voice. Asuna held her hand on her chin thinking to all possibilities. Loki scratched at her head awkwardly. Having known the other god since their time in the upper world, this was something she knew all too well, herself. And yet, there was something she just couldn't shake from their earlier exchange.

Loki: Us gods have a hard time tellin' when another god is lyin'. S'not like with you kids. Still...Njord, he...was never very good at it. At least from my perspective.

Loki explained, recalling the image of Njord with his back to her, avoiding eye contact. It had been that moment that Loki knew.

Loki: He's hidin' somethin' from me. I know it. He definitely has something weighing on his conscience. Whether it's about the violas, I don't know for sure... But he was hiding something from me.

Asuna: Good grieve...

Riveria: I don't believe it...

As Loki sat there, her follower's eye narrowed at her in disbelief, a strange feeling washed over her—one she'd never before felt. There was a flower-shaped shadow looming over this peaceful port town. And while it didn't unsettle her, so to speak, it was still in sharp contradiction to everything Aiz and the others had uncovered today. That's what bothered her. The fact that she just couldn't figure it out. Loki let her head fall.

Loki: This whole thing might be bigger 'n all of us...or maybe more tangled would be the better way to put it.

There were a number of characters she couldn't bring herself to trust. Three, if she only included humans and gods. Rubart at the Guild, Borg at the manor, and the patron deity of Njord Familia himself. There was a good chance one of those three was the puppet master Loki was searching for.

Riveria: What are we to do about Kali Familia?

Riveria finally asked, still mulling about Njord. Loki and Asuna grew quiet.

Asuna: Do you believe they've nothing to do with any of this? That girl Argana is clearly targeting Tione.

Loki: As much as I worry 'bout Tione and her sister, they're not high on my radar. Whether or not they're completely innocent, though... I can't help but feel like there's some sorta thread connecting 'em. It's tiny, one you can't see no matter how hard you squint...but a thread nonetheless.

Loki mused, almost to herself, as her eyes widened ever so slightly. Riveria brought a hand to her chin in thought. Asuna brought her hand on her head as if having a headache. The din of the pub around them wove itself through their silence. Craving alcohol to lubricate the gears of her thoughts, Loki sought out her mug only to find it devoid of ale. She stuck out her tongue in displeasure before waving the empty stein high.

Loki: I need a top-up over here, old man!

Bartender: Guzzlin' them down tonight, I see, milady. Somethin' on your mind?

Loki: Oh, this and that. Lots to think about when my cute little kids are involved, you know? Only choice is to drown my troubles!

Riveria: If you have any Alb Water, I'll take that.

Asuna: I'll take some ice tea.

Loki: Come to think, you notice anything weird goin' on lately, old man? Doesn't have to be big. Just somethin' you might have noticed in passin'.

Loki said nonchalantly, downing half her ale in one gulp.

Bartender: Anything weird, huh...? You know, just so rightly there was somethin'! Amazons! Been seein' 'em everywhere in the streets lately...

Riveria: Amazons...?

Asuna: Isn't that just the Kali Familia?

Bartender: No, actually this was before that Goddess came. From that one lady god's familia. We might have our fair share of brothels on the backstreets, but these ain't no ladies of Meren! Don't recognize a one of 'em...Then again, could just be my mind playin' tricks on me. After all, this town's the gateway to Orario, so we get all sorts of folks comin' through here from one day to the next...

He mused, head cocked to the side as though suddenly unsure of himself. Loki Riveria, and Asuna could only look at each other in silence.

Loki, Riveria, and Asuna: More Amazons...?

(Elsewhere)

Velvet curtains lined every wall in the magic-stone-lit room. The velvet rug, the vases, the sofa—everything was dyed a deep crimson. There was something almost licentious about it as every corner oozed a brothel-like aura. It contained not a single window; the entirety of the room was underground. Inside, its walls were filled with Amazons of Kali Familia, clothed in warriors' attire.

Argana, Bache, and others were lounging around the room, each one idling about on their own, as Kali lay sprawled out upon the couch, petite lips parting for a lethargic yawn.

Bache:...

Without warning, Bache, who was standing off by herself in silence, turned her eyes toward the entrance. As if in response, the room's sole door opened.

Kali: You're all here. Perfect.

The newcomer was a copper-skinned goddess. Her body was adorned in gold, from the circlet around her head to her earrings, necklace, bracelets, and anklets. As far as clothing was concerned, she wore nothing but a loincloth and a few strips of fabric for a top, all of it tied together by a belt at her waist. Everything about her seemed molded to incite the lust of male eyes, from her ample chest and supple limbs to her salaciously curved hips. She was stunningly gorgeous. So much so that clothes would only hinder her beauty.

The Amazons of Telskyura, having known nothing but combat their whole lives, were taken with her immediately.

Even if the "femme fatales" they'd heard of only through word of mouth did, indeed, exist, something told them they'd still pale in the face of the beauty before them now. It didn't matter that they were all women the same as she—the mouths of everyone in the room dropped in an entranced stupor, and their cheeks flushed a brilliant red. As Argana directed her eyes toward the newcomer in delighted curiosity, Bache furrowed her brows in an attempt to resist before turning her gaze away.

A fiendishly bewitching allure filled the room, strong enough to captivate men and women alike and liable to put even other gods in their place. The goddess twirled a long kiseru pipe between her fingers as her eyes narrowed in provocation.

Kali: Finally! We've been waiting for you!

Kali piped up with her usual smile of confidence as she rose from the sofa, the only one in the room unaffected by the newcomer's charm. As the goddess entered the room, a trail of women followed her. They, too, were Amazons, similar to Kali Familia. Every one of them boasted a monstrous body, practically mistakable for a two-meder-plus monster, yet stunningly beautiful with long legs.

There wasn't one among them who was nothing short of a goddess herself, clad in combat garments that accentuated the cascading valleys between their breasts and the bare curves of their hips. And yet, even in spite of their beauty, it was clear from how they carried themselves, with not a single visible opening, that they were every bit living, breathing weapons of destruction.

Their beguiling patron deity took her seat on the sofa across from Kali. Kali's followers, in turn, took their places behind Kali, while their visitors did the same opposite them. With the table in the center of the room between them, the two goddess- led factions faced each other.

Kali: This may be a little off base this late into the game, but I just wanna confirm—you're Ishtar, correct?

Ishtar: Indeed. I am the only Goddess of supreme beauty, Goddess Ishtar.

Ishtar Familia. A large familia known for its superior combat prowess even among the familias of Orario. Reigning over the Pleasure Quarter in the southeast, its enormous sphere of influence was said to be the greatest in the city, and its warrior courtesans, known as the "Berbera," were easily strong enough to rival the most skilled first-tier adventurers.

Their patron deity was the goddess of beauty Ishtar. A goddess whose enchanting guiles could ensnare the hearts of thousands —the very embodiment of beauty itself—and who kept the brothels of the city firmly under her thumb. Kali, however, didn't hesitate a moment in the face of Ishtar's authority.

Kali: You're a bit of an odd duck, you know that? Sending a request to a far- off country like ours.

Ishtar: Which is why I explained my reasoning in great detail in the many letters we exchanged. I'm not afraid to use whatever means necessary.

In fact, it was at Ishtar's behest that Kali and the rest of her followers had journeyed to Meren in the first place—a certain request letter, signed by the goddess of beauty herself, had simply shown up on her doorstep one day.

Ishtar: I will bring down that woman—Freya.

Ishtar asserted, a dark flame burning in her amethyst eyes. There was no one Ishtar despised more than Orario's other twin head, and coincidentally the other "goddess of beauty," Freya. It was jealousy that spurred her hatred—she envied the other goddess's prestige, renown, and, most of all, the fact that she was considered the most beautiful goddess in all the world.

Kali: Oh my, nothing more terrifying than a Goddess' Jealousy, huh. Indeed, she is enviable. Leading Orario's strongest Familia. The most beautiful Goddess in the world.

Ishtar: Shut your mouth! Regardless of this alliance, I won't allow you to say anything else.

Kali: You won't allow us? Why don't we see if you're all talk?

Ishtar refused to be known as simply the "Goddess of Jealousy," deity of an envy so powerful, the gods had warned them it would upend the fate of humans and plunge the lower world into chaos. No, Ishtar had pledged herself to bringing her rival down. Which was exactly why she'd requested the help of Kali Familia in realizing her scheme now.

Kali: I had no idea what to expect when that first secret message of yours came.

Kali remarked, thinking back to the first letter she'd received from Ishtar more than a year ago.

Freya Familia was easily the strongest in Orario, and Ishtar wasn't stupid enough to think she could take them on herself. Her only option if she had any hopes of proving victorious was to request help from one of the world's much smaller powers—Kali Familia, with its warriors that rivaled Orario's first-tier adventurers. And so she'd felt them out time and time again, not only with her letters but through the observations her messenger Amazons brought back from the island nation.

Though Kali hadn't believed the letters at first, after multiple envoys and tributes of Superior-grade armaments, she'd finally agreed to give Ishtar's request some thought.

Ishtar: All things considered, it didn't take much to catch your interest.

Kali: It's a great opportunity! To do battle with the famed Freya Familia...and really, you musta done your homework before comin' to us. You knew this'd be right up our alley.

The true reason Kali Familia had decided to heed Ishtar's request, even going so far as to leave their own country, was because of the chance it offered—to fight against the irrefutably powerful Freya Familia, the strongest in a city already known for its capable factions.

This was an offer Kali and her combat-craving Amazons simply couldn't refuse, and it was a serendipitous meeting of interests for the two goddesses. Ishtar crossed her slender, tanned legs as she and the young goddess across the table exchanged smiles. Catching the sidelong glances of Kali's followers eyeing her every move, she brought the tip of her kiseru pipe to her lips.

Ishtar: I'll only let you know my initial plan for now. Wouldn't want you and your girls to run wild or anything, now would we?

Kali: What, you don't trust us?

Ishtar: I'd watch my tongue if I were you, little Neanderthals.

Ishtar's warning was accompanied by a puff of purple smoke from between her lips. Behind Kali, Argana and the other Kali Familia Amazons sported contentious smiles directed at Ishtar's followers. The enormous women behind Ishtar responded in kind. Though the alliance had been formed, the atmosphere in the room seemed liable to combust at a moment's notice.

Ishtar: Samira.

Ishtar called out, slicing through the tension. An ashen-haired Amazon approached the short-legged table between the two goddesses, unfolding a scroll atop its surface. It was a map of Orario.

Ishtar: Our territory is here—the Pleasure Quarter in the southeast. Freya Familia's home, on the other hand, is located here, right in the middle of the Shopping District. To put things in perspective, Melen is located to Orario's southwest.

Ishtar explained, her thin finger pointing out each location on the map.

Kali: Hmmm...interesting. Then the enemy's already nicely sandwiched between us. A pincer attack, then?

Ishtar: Precisely. My familia will begin the attack, and while Freya and her followers have their full attention on us, you and your warriors will sneak in from behind.

Ishtar had chosen an ally outside the city itself not only to ensure her plan's secrecy but also to guarantee their attack would come as a complete surprise. Even the strongest familia in Orario wouldn't expect an attack from outside the city's walls. Even more so if the attackers boasted Level-6 combat power.

Kali: And what're we supposed to do about those crazy-high walls, huh? I'm sure they've got guards, yeah?

Ishtar: There's a certain...company I've got wrapped around my finger— Albella. Simply come in by freight, and you should be able to pass by without an inspection. If you'd like, I can even open the gate for you myself the day prior. Once you've finished preparing, we'll invade Freya's territory...And once the fighting begins, that will be your sign to attack.

Her aura embodied callous ferocity despite her commanding allure. Helping an outside force infiltrate the city was a serious crime, but Ishtar had no qualms about making enemies with the Guild. Such was the tenacity of one who'd spent too long ruminating on her own humiliation. As Ishtar finished relaying her plan, Kali's eyes narrowed.

Kali: Heh. The jealousy of a goddess truly is a terrifying thing. A shame, really, that one so beautiful could have fallen so far.

Kali mused, chuckling at the irony. While her outward appearance and voice resembled a young girl's, the bite behind her words and the way she stared daggers made it plain that she was no child. Ishtar made her rebuke while she smiled.

Ishtar: Say what you will, but I will do anything to bring that woman's world crashing down around her.

As the goddess's smile widened, her gorgeous features bordered on the demonic. The sheer intensity exuding from her every pore had reached the point where it was overwhelming Kali's followers.

Ishtar: At any rate, that's as much as I can tell you now. Even barbarians like you should be able to follow such simple instructions, yes?

Kali: Heh, charming as ever. But simple's good. After all, this is our first time meetin' face-to-face. Can't expect too much, now, can we? What day we lookin' at?

Ishtar: Preparations are taking longer than planned; however, feel free to use this inn as you like until the day arrives.

Kali: How generous.

Ishtar: I know. You should feel honored.

Ishtar had taken care of everything since the Amazons' arrival, from their port-entry permit to their lodgings, while her followers made constant treks in secret between Orario and Meren. In fact, the "Amazons" mentioned in a certain bar in another corner of the city were the Amazons of Ishtar Familia.

Kali: Still, even with the lavish fineries, we're still here just twiddlin' our thumbs...My girls wanna get out there and fight, don't you, Argana?

Kali leaned back against the sofa and glanced back to where Argana was currently standing behind her.

Argana: We do.

A snakelike smile gracing her lips.

Argana: That Warlord especially. Gotta see what he's really made of.

Ishtar: That boaz is just one of many in Freya's entourage. Don't act out of turn.

Ishtar hissed, purple smoke escaping her teeth.

Kali: I know, I know! We'll wait like good little girls.

Kali responded with a wave of her hands, looking more and more like a mischievous child.

Kali: Speaking' of, this your whole familia, Ishtar?

Ishtar: Are you really that imbecilic? My familia is equally as large as yours. I left most of them back in the city and brought only my top girls with me here. Why do you ask?

Kali: Just wondering if your girls here would be the only ones tackling the front end of the pincer attack, is all. Our friend the Warlord's a Level Seven. He alone would be enough to take down my Argana and Bache. Just don't want the whole thing to be over before it even starts.

Kali remarked none too delicately as she glanced at Ishtar's entourage. She, too, had left the majority of her familia back in Telskyura. From her point of view, what with her party of mostly Level 5s and 6s, Ishtar Familia didn't exactly seem the best choice for a frontal attack. While Ishtar's followers were quick to anger at the remark, Ishtar herself simply smiled.

Ishtar: There's no need to worry. We have a trump card.

She assured, throwing a glance at one of the women behind her. The woman in question was the only one in the group of a different race.

Kali: Hmm?

Kali eyed the girl curiously. In return, she found a set of gorgeous green eyes staring back at her from behind her facial covering. Almost immediately, however, the long-legged woman next to her blocked her view, face stern as she hid the veiled girl behind her back.

Ishtar" I'm basically serving you victory on a platter. Any leftovers are yours for the taking...Feel free to have a ball.

Ishtar offered, and her followers behind her responded with bestial smiles. Kali's followers couldn't help but grin in return at the alluring proposition.

Kali: While I'm not sure how I feel about this trump card of yours...I guess it'll have to do. So long as I get the gist of it. For now, we're just supposed to sit tight, yeah?

Ishtar: Exactly.

Kali: That bein' the case, I'd like it if we finished this whole business of my compensation, then.

Ishtar's dark hair fluttered, glimpses of purple visible amid the rich obsidian.

Ishtar: I'd be glad to pay you as much as you'd like. Simply name your price, and I'll—

Kali: Keep your money. I don't need it anymore. I want somethin' else.

Ishtar: Oh?

Kali: And I want it before all this goes down, too.

The miniature goddess asserted, the tiniest of trembles audible in her voice. Ishtar scowled. Eyes sharpening like needles, she looked at the other
goddess head-on.

Ishtar: Go on.

Kali: Loki Familia's currently here in this port. Don't get me wrong—it's got nothin' to do with us. Just a coincidence, is all. Seems like they're here huntin' some kinda man-eating flower monster or whatsit.

Ishtar: Man-eating flower...? Ah yes. Those. And? Don't tell me...?

Kali: You got it. I want to fight them.

Ishtar's eyebrows rose in identical arcs.

Ishtar: You can't be serious!! Going up against Freya and her followers is ludicrous enough. Loki Familia would be even more so. I can't have you bloodied and bruised before the fight with Freya even begins!

Kali raised her hands in supplication.

Kali: Sorry, sorry...I wasn't being clear. By 'them' I didn't mean the whole familia...but two certain sisters within the familia.

At the word sisters, Argana's lips broke into a smile behind the goddess.

Kali: You see, Loki's gotten her hands on a few of my kids. Well, former kids, at least. I lost the two of 'em in a rather...unfortunate incident. Still tugs a bit at my heartstrings, you know?

Ishtar: You speak of the two Amazonian twins?

Kali: One and the same! I'd very much like it if my Argana and Bache could go up against 'em.

Ishtar tossed a puzzled glance at the two Amazons in question. The two were sisters, the same sand-colored hair falling over their shoulders. While one wasn't even trying to contain her mirth, the other remained stony and silent. And yet, while their attitudes may have differed, both of them were imbued with the same carnal desire to fight.

Kali: Two sisters who left...two sisters who stayed...Which ones turned out stronger, I wonder? Will the ones who come out on top break free of the vessel they're trapped in? Will they reach new heights—a new level?

Kali mused, half to herself, as her eyes stared off in the distance.

Kali: I want to see that battle. The carnage. I want to witness for myself which choice was correct...in a shower of blood.

With a quiet intensity, Kali's voice grew more and more heated as she spoke. Her eyes glinted beneath her mask, her throat trembling in imminent ecstasy.

Kali: But in order to make that happen, I need you folks to keep the rest of their familia at bay. We learned well enough today that they've got a number of girls in their ranks who'll cause us trouble if we try again, their Berserk Healer in particular. That elf is not someone you should take likely. And I want this to be a fight between sisters only.

Ishtar: Are you out of your mind?! You want us to handle that elf?! Don't you know that girl is almost on par with that Warlord, or maybe even stronger!!

The petite goddess demanded haughtily. Ishtar, however, would have none of that.

???: Hee-hee-hee. Let them have their funnnn, Lady Ishtar.

A certain giant of a woman who'd been silently watching the scene unfold from behind Ishtar finally opened her enormous mouth.

Ishtar: Phryne...

Phryne: It's finnnne, isn't it? A warm-up for the fight with Freya, if you will. Besidesssss, sooner or later even Orario will find out Kali and her followersssss are here in Melen. If they're convinced their purpose in coming was to fight Loki Familia, there's no chance of the Guild or Freya and her lot raising any suspicionsssss...

While her limbs were strangely short, her bust size was substantial, and atop her large body and even larger head was a patch of short bobbed hair, the profile almost reminiscent of a toad's. Her voice, too, hoarse and guttural, sounded as though it had been ripped straight from a frog, the husky croaking eliciting looks of disgust from both Kali's and Ishtar's entourages. It was none other than Phryne Jamil, Ishtar Familia's captain.

At Level 6, she was the strongest in the familia. Or to be more precise, someone who recently rank up and haven't inform the guild yet.

Phryne: I'll take care of that Berserk Healer for them.

Despite the good argument the toad woman had given, Ishtar still suspected she had ulterior motives, and, indeed, she didn't miss the deep- rooted enmity burning in those giant ogling eyes the moment Phryne mentioned the Berserk Healer. She sighed, long and low, but finally recovered her earlier smile.

Ishtar: All right, then. Phryne does make a good point. And I can't say I'm all too fond of Loki and her merry men, either.

She finally agreed, her distaste for Freya Familia's rivals all too obvious.

Ishtar: Having said that, if we find we've bitten off more than we can chew, I'm pulling my girls out, and you'll have to handle the rest yourselves.

Kali: I'd assumed as much.

Kali nodded coolly. The inklings of a smile were finally beginning to show on the cherubic goddess's face.

Kali: There's nothing that excites me like the spray of blood, and nothing lights a fire in my gut like the cries of agony when some poor soul crosses over the line between life and death. There exists no greater thrill in all the world! And a treat my more frivolous brothers and sisters will never get to taste—real war, with real lives at stake. That...that is the true thrill of the lower world...and exactly what I seek.

Ishtar:...

Kali: The only truth my children know is that of fighting and bloodshed.

From Ishtar's point of view, as someone whose entire being revolved around love and sex, love was the true, unchanging universal truth, but since they would never see eye to eye on such things, she kept her mouth shut. Kali continued caustically, her bloodred eyes narrowing within the empty sockets of her mask.

Kali: The end of this struggle. I want a front row seat.