Meanwhile, Mikoto, who had been released from her cell by Haruhime, was scouring the Ishtar Familia headquarters in search of Bell and Haruhime.
"Find [Little Rookie] immediately!"
"Where the hell did he go!? Damn it!"
'Sir Bell...'
Observing the prostitutes frantically searching for Bell, Mikoto deduced that he had also managed to escape his confinement for some reason. She immediately activated her skill to regroup with them as quickly as possible.
She pressed her fingers together.
'[Yata no Shiro Hato]'
A pulse of spiritual energy rippled outward.
Mikoto's skill, [Yata no Shiro Hato], allowed her to pinpoint the exact location of kin who had received the Falna from the same Patron Deity. She attempted to use the skill to locate her companions, but...
The energy dissipated into the air.
"Are they beyond my range...?"
'Where could Sir Bell have gone...'
"We have to find them right now!"
The reach of her skill at her current level was insufficient to cover the vast headquarters. Ultimately, she was forced to navigate the Home manually, dodging the voices of the searching prostitutes as she went.
Elsewhere, Bell had entered a secret passage following Haruhime after his release.
"I didn't know such a secret passage existed..."
"Using this path, you can reach the Pleasure Quarter without being detected."
"Um, thank you. For saving me..."
"I've delivered the key to Lady Mikoto as well, so she should have already made her escape."
Bell felt a profound sense of gratitude toward Haruhime's kindness.
"But Haruhime, won't you be in trouble for doing this...?"
"Lady Phryne likely already knows."
"What?! Then aren't you in danger, Haruhime?!"
"...I will be fine."
Seeing the mixture of resignation and sorrow etched into Haruhime's face, Bell felt an unsettling premonition. A gnawing sensation told him that he couldn't simply leave Haruhime here.
"The Ritual of the Killing Stone...?"
'What is this...'
At the same time, Mikoto had discovered a suspicious document in one of the rooms. It contained information about the item Hermes had mentioned—the Killing Stone—and the details of the ritual surrounding it.
"Helping the two of you escape is my final act of defiance. I'm sure Lady Aisha and the others will understand."
"...Haruhime, the truth is, we came here to save you—"
"I already know."
"What...?"
"That brilliant gaze you showed me back then, those warm words... I could tell through them."
'That a hero had appeared for me as well.'
Tears welled in Haruhime's eyes as she spoke. Even knowing their intent, she had betrayed their hearts. As she discarded her own hope, her soul was consumed by self-loathing.
"Haruhime is a happy person... to be loved like this by so many people..."
"Just knowing those feelings... I am satisfied."
**
The Killing Stone (Sessho-seki).
It was a specialized gemstone found only in the Far East.
Its capability was a taboo art that could seal the soul of a Renard.
Through this, the Renard's sorcery would be anchored within the Killing Stone.
Unlike a Magic Sword, the power remains even if the stone is shattered; anyone holding a fragment can wield its ability.
"However... the moment it breaks, the soul dies."
"There is no return. Death is absolute..."
As Takemikazuchi delivered the grim explanation to Hestia and the children while swallowing his rage, Mikoto's hands trembled over the shocking contents of the document.
"Because Bell and Mikoto got involved with her..."
'Is this a warning not to interfere...'
"Take?"
"The ritual to extract the Renard's soul is only possible on the night of the full moon."
"...!!"
"Indeed."
The night of the full moon was rapidly approaching.
Rumble—!!
"Ah...!! Finally, that day is coming..."
"..."
"Aren't you excited? Ein-chan."
"Everything is merely for the sake of my Master."
"Fufu... oh, Ein-chan~"
'Even though you know quite well... that you weren't born to exist for anyone's sake.'
Even the great chaos writhing beneath Orario was waiting for the beautiful moonlight to shine upon them.
**
Step, step—.
"Bell, there you are."
"Brother!"
"Did Haruhime help you?"
After navigating the Pleasure Quarter based on information gathered from the prostitutes, Akumo had finally located Bell and Haruhime together.
"Sir Bell is safe now. Please, flee quickly."
"...Are you truly satisfied with that?"
"The necklace I wear is a magic item that reveals my location at all times."
"Should I choose to step in, such a trifle will not matter."
"...I have already betrayed your hearts."
Despite Akumo's words, Haruhime could not bring herself to look up, her voice laden with rejection.
"Lady Haruhime!"
Thud—!!
"Mikoto?! You're safe!"
Just then, Mikoto came running toward them, her voice trembling as she began to ask Haruhime about the Killing Stone.
"Tell me it's a lie! That you are to be sacrificed!"
"Sacrificed...?"
"...So you've found out, Mikoto."
Akumo understood Mikoto's reaction now that she knew about the Killing Stone. He was just about to explain the truth of the item and Haruhime's ability to Bell when—
"So it turned out like this after all."
Whish—!
"Aisha!"
"I'm glad you weren't devoured by that toad woman, but don't go making more trouble for us."
Aisha appeared, snatched Haruhime, and immediately leaped onto a rooftop.
"Just what is your goal in all this?!"
"War."
"...!!"
"We will crush the Freya Familia. That is our Goddess's will!"
"There's no way that's possible..."
"Have you still not realized it? Even after what I did to you in the Dungeon?"
At those words, Bell recalled the light that had enveloped her in the Dungeon, alongside the power and speed that were incomparable to anything she had displayed before. He finally reached the conclusion he had been dreading.
"Level Boost."
"[Pioneer]... are you planning to participate in this war too?"
"Aisha, I'm sorry to say, but I have no intention of participating."
'Because I know exactly what your intentions are for appearing here.'
"What do you mean by that...!"
Before Aisha could grasp the meaning behind Akumo's words, Bell, overwhelmed by the conversation, voiced his confusion.
"What are you all talking about?! You're speaking as if Haruhime is going to die!"
"...It's because she is."
"...What?"
"Tonight, they intend to use an item called the Killing Stone to kill Haruhime and extract only her ability."
Bell's eyes widened in horror.
"Something like that... is clearly wrong!!!!"
Having learned the full truth, Bell glared at Aisha and shouted. His voice was thick with fury and deep pity for Haruhime's situation.
"Haruhime!!"
"..."
"You said you betrayed us, didn't you?"
"That's right... I used my power to help abduct you, I betrayed your hearts—"
"Haruhime, do you think of yourself as some woman from a fairy tale?"
"...Eh?"
Akumo spoke, his gaze steady and unchanged as he looked at her.
"We aren't here for a saint, nor for some fairy-tale princess."
"Prostitute or otherwise, we simply want to save you!"
"We save you because we want to. Even if your power was used to harm us, that is no reason to abandon you."
Those words left everyone present stunned.
"Lord Akumo is right!"
"He's right! We just want to save you, Haruhime!"
"Everyone...!"
'Why... why would you go so far for a woman like me...'
At the sight of them, Aisha's lips curled into a tiny, almost imperceptible smile.
Was it a reaction to the arrival of the heroes who would save Haruhime? Or was it the spark of a long-forgotten hope reigniting within herself, who was bound by the same chains?
"...Let me tell you a story about a certain prostitute."
Finally, she began to recount a tale she had kept buried in her heart.
"There was a certain girl she couldn't stand."
"A little Renard brat from the Far East."
"That brat had been tricked by some villain, sold off, and dumped in this street."
"No matter how much she was looked after, she always wore a smile that looked like she'd given up on everything."
"She wouldn't open up, she knew nothing of the world, and she never cried."
'Every night, she would just sit in her room, reading fairy tales and smiling.'
"The prostitute hated that brat so much that one day, she took out her frustration in the stupidest way possible."
"She smashed a precious stone that belonged to the Home."
"Of course, the prostitute was caught. She was beaten to a bloody pulp by that damn toad..."
"And she was Charmed by the Patron Deity's hand until her mind was practically broken."
"After that, the foolish prostitute could no longer defy the Goddess's orders."
Bell and Haruhime were stunned to learn the hidden truth behind Aisha's past. Akumo, having expected something of the sort, felt a surge of cold fury beneath a knowing smile.
"Wait for us tonight."
"Hmph! I'll be looking forward to one hell of a night."
'Enough to make me forget the Goddess's Charm...!'
"Let's go, Bell, Mikoto!"
""Yes!""
In their eyes, there was neither hesitation nor resignation.
Aisha laughed in satisfaction as she departed with Haruhime. Reflecting on Akumo's words, her heart filled with a sudden certainty regarding the adventure they were about to display. For the first time in a very long time, she was smiling from the bottom of her heart.
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