Meanwhile, at that same time, elsewhere.
"Aaaah, seriously! What is with these Amazon bastards!?"
Where the hell had they all come from?!
Under the black night sky, the irritated shout of a Pallum girl rang out.
Beside her, the red-haired young man who was supporting and covering for her answered with a slightly stiff expression, his tone serious.
This was a pretty bad situation, he said.
"There's nothing but Amazon attackers around us. But these guys feel different somehow. They seem different from the ones we saw yesterday afternoon."
"You saw that right, Welf. If Lili's guess is correct, these guys are definitely all from the Pleasure Quarter. There's nowhere else where a bunch of Amazons would reek this much of perfume."
"The Pleasure Quarter? Don't tell me it's the Ishtar Familia?!"
No, why?!
As Welf let out a short cry while parrying the enemy's sword with his greatsword, Lili gave a slight shake of her head.
Even for her, who prided herself on being fairly sharp, there was no way to know exactly what was going on.
"I don't know. We're missing too much information. But if I had to make a few guesses, I'd say the Kali Familia and the Ishtar Familia have joined forces. And their target isn't us, but the Loki Familia."
We're just the unlucky little shrimp caught in the middle of a whale fight.
A small sigh slipped from her lips.
"This and that... it's all because of An. Why do we always end up suffering for it? Haa."
In truth, that complaint was completely reasonable.
If it hadn't been for the Magus's business, they wouldn't have come to this port city at this time in the first place.
If he hadn't gone missing, they wouldn't have come out searching for him at night and gotten dragged into other people's trouble like this.
In other words, as she said, this and that were all the Magus's fault.
At that, everyone in the Hestia Familia let out a small sigh of their own.
"Then, Lili. What should we do from here?"
"What else? The damage is already done."
Welf answered in place of Mikoto, who had just knocked down yet another Amazon attacker.
Yes, one way or another, there was really only one thing they had to do.
"Well, if you put it like that, Lili-doll, I guess you could say this is someone else's fight."
"But now that An has been taken, it's no longer someone else's business."
"Heh heh, as expected, as expected."
Using the catchphrase he had learned from the Magus before, Welf swung his greatsword.
And with that, another attacker went down.
In a situation harsher than they had expected, their mood only grew heavier.
And yet.
The members of the Hestia Familia continued chatting among themselves as if nothing was wrong.
"Still, for all that, you look surprisingly fine. Or is it only natural since the one who got taken was that Magus guy?"
"Well, something like that."
The news of the kidnapping had come from Riveria, a senior member of the Loki Familia whom they had run into by chance while searching for the missing Magus.
According to her, he had been taken as bait to lure out the Tione and Tiona sisters from the Kali Familia.
"Lili realized something while getting to know An up until now."
"Hm? What's that?"
"There isn't a single thing involving that man that ends quietly."
"Uh, you mean...?"
"I don't know how they took him, but it's really unfortunate."
The fact that that man had been captured without anyone noticing meant that even that was within his plans.
As she said that, the corners of Lili's mouth curled up slightly. Welf decided to hold his tongue, thinking it would be better for his own well-being not to say or think anything more about that expression.
He might look hot-blooded, but in truth he was surprisingly perceptive.
Life was easier when you were careful about everything.
"Whoa, damn, I got a little chills there. No joke, seriously."
"It's a little late to say this, but... I really never want to fight against Magus again."
"Tell me about it. That insane stunt during the War Game. If someone told me to do that again, I absolutely wouldn't. No, I couldn't. I can't."
"Still, thanks to that incident, didn't both of you raise your Status a lot? I heard Mikoto's Magical Energy stat even went up by a whole digit."
"...Lili, I really thought I was going to die back then."
"Lili-doll, you really are too kind. No matter how good a reward you got, to forgive so easily after he blew off a healthy person's arm... If it were me, I'd just...!"
"What are you talking about, Welf? Lili hasn't forgiven him yet."
Ping! Thud! Agh!
Someone was hit by a crossbow bolt fired without even looking.
Immediately after, an Amazon who had been sneaking in from the rooftop beside them let out a short scream and fell to the ground.
Without even turning to look, Lili smiled brightly and said...
"An still owes me plenty of debts. There's no way I'm just going to let them all be wiped out to zero because of someone else's business that I don't even fully understand, right?"
[[...No! That is absolutely not a smile!]]
Welf and Mikoto both shouted the same thought in their heads at the same time.
As expected of that Magus's highly capable and terrifying talent.
What thoughts and calculations were hidden behind that sunny smile?
Even though she was on their side, the two of them both felt an instinctive reluctance to even think about it.
They would never, ever get on her bad side.
"...Yeah. Like master, like disciple. The two of you really are a perfect match."
"Well, aren't you saying the obvious. In that case..."
Let's speed things up a little more, Bell.
Thud!
As if answering Lili's call, the last Amazon attacker collapsed.
In front of her, the white-haired boy Bell Cranel nodded quietly without turning around.
"Yeah. Let's do that, Lili."
"Whew~ That's amazing. We helped a little, but you handled almost all of it by yourself, didn't you? Is that the power of Level 4?"
"There were more than twenty attackers. And he still overwhelmed them like that. At this point, an average Level 2 or 3 wouldn't be able to stop Bell anymore."
"As expected of Bell! The best, the best!"
Amid everyone's praise, Bell could only answer with an embarrassed smile.
After the incident in the previous War Game, there had been two happy developments for the Hestia Familia.
One was that, as everyone knew, they had finally obtained a Familia home of their own and escaped their miserable poverty. (Setting aside for now the dreadful reality that most of their assets were still tied up in debt-ridden claims.)
The other was the level-up of two members within the Familia.
[Bell Cranel Lv. 3 -> 4]
[Liliruca Arde Lv. 1 -> 2]
Well, if you thought about it, after going through something like that and barely pulling through...
And if you looked at the amount of experience, the amount of Excelia, they had accumulated beforehand...
This could be called a natural result in some sense.
It would be hard to pretend otherwise and act modest, considering how brutal everything they had gone through last time had been.
"By the way, how do you feel, Bell? Does your body feel more balanced now?"
"Yeah. After moving around as much as I wanted, I think I've gotten back to normal to some extent. Thanks for worrying about me, Lili."
"Hehe, don't mention it... Hm?"
That was when it happened.
Boom
Rumble rumble rumble
Kwooooooo—!
A considerable tremor shook the area.
Then, all across the city, several monsters appeared that looked like giant plants.
Twisting and writhing like disgusting tentacles, they rampaged through the city, smashing buildings to pieces. The horrific sight left everyone staring with their mouths open.
"Wha—! What the hell is this now?!"
"Those are... monsters?!"
"That's impossible! How can there be that many monsters on the surface, and right in the middle of a city like this...!"
"I see. So this must be it. The incident the Loki Familia has been so focused on lately. I've heard about those hideous new monsters from An before."
The Hestia Familia had climbed onto the rooftop of a nearby tall building and was looking down at the port city, which was rapidly descending into chaos.
Then, amid all that...
"Ais?"
Bell spotted something impossible to believe.
A beautiful blonde female swordswoman was being pushed back one-sidedly by a huge armored warrior and struggling badly.
"What is it, Bell?"
"Lili! Over there, Ais is...!"
When he looked again at the battle from afar, something was clearly wrong.
Ais was fighting awkwardly, unlike her usual self, as if something had gone wrong with her movements.
More than that, the wind that could be called her signature was not blowing at her side at all right now.
And that was a strange sense of incongruity that even Lili, watching the scene beside Bell, could faintly notice.
What on earth happened?
Whatever the circumstances, Bell Cranel could not just stand by and watch the dangerous Ais in that state.
His hand tightened around his weapon before he even realized it, and after a brief struggle with himself, he made his decision.
"Hmm, I don't know exactly what's going on, but the situation doesn't look good."
"Sorry, Lili. But I..."
He apologized to Lili, one of his companions and precious people, and asked for her understanding.
If she scolded him or resented him for this selfish, arbitrary decision of his, he had no excuse to offer.
But Bell had already received too much from this Pallum girl to ask only for mercy and understanding now.
"Go on."
"Lili...!"
But the boy's worries were short-lived.
To his surprise, Lili took a step back without complaint and gently pushed on Bell's back, even though she was sorry to see him go after already making up his mind.
Then she found an excuse for herself.
"If I hadn't seen it at all, maybe it would be different. But now that I know, what can I do? We should help, if only so Loki Familia doesn't catch us later and grill us about it."
Mikoto, please go with Bell.
And so, in the spirit of absolutely refusing to let him go alone, she sent Mikoto along with him.
Bell had no right or reason to refuse even that, so he accepted the suggestion with a nod.
"Sorry."
"It's fine. Lili will make sure to get everything back later, with interest."
You can look forward to that, Bell.
Unlike before, Lili smiled as if she really was fine, though there was a faintly forlorn look somewhere in her expression.
Bell nodded at her and then quickly ran toward the battle scene visible in the distance.
Mikoto followed right behind him.
"You're awfully grown-up, Lili-doll."
"Hmph! Lili is already a grown-up who's seen all the world has to offer. I absolutely refuse to be treated like a child."
"Haha, is that so."
The two left behind teased each other as usual, easing the regret of being the ones left behind because they were slower on their feet.
But even so...
"Still, are you really okay with this? Sending Bell off like that?"
"That's why I sent Mikoto, the only one among us who can at least keep up with Bell's speed, along with him. I already told her to do whatever it takes to ruin the good atmosphere if things go south. So it'll be fine. Even if she can't interfere, we'll still get information that something happened, and then we can think of countermeasures in advance."
"Wow, as expected of our Hestia Familia's strategist. Yeah! You're amazing, Lili-doll!"
"Are you mocking me right now, Welf?"
"Hahaha! As if I'd do that to you. You're misunderstanding, misunderstanding."
"Hey, cut it out! Don't mess up my hair while laughing like that!"
Hair is a woman's life, you know!
Lili growled like an angry cat, and Bell kept increasing the speed of his hand on top of her head in response to her cute reaction.
Tap!
Step, step, step.
Then, more attackers emerged from the darkness and approached them.
This time, there were slightly fewer than before.
Roughly thirteen, if she had to count.
"My, my. That welcome is a little too enthusiastic. I'm not sure my body will hold up."
"Quit whining. Just do what you always do and cover Lili's front line. And don't go charging off on your own and leaving your position like last time."
Even if we get dragged into it, Lili will just pretend she doesn't know.
As they grumbled, the two of them took their battle stances and steeled themselves.
In response, the attackers moved as well.
"Kill them!"
"""Yaaaaaaah!"""
"Damn it, why do they all have to be so stacked?"
How am I supposed to survive as a member of the small-bodied race with a growth plate like this?
Lili let out a quiet sigh.
Then, from behind her back, an unexpected attacker who had been hiding there tried a surprise strike...
Thwack
"Guh!?"
"Well, that's how it is."
This useless irritation.
Sorry, but I'll be taking it all out on you guys.
Well, not that I feel the least bit sorry, really.
"We're enemies, after all. And your side was the one who attacked us first while we were just standing here."
So everyone's okay with that, right?
The attacker who had tried to ambush her stared at Lili in disbelief.
She was clearly still right in front of him, wasn't she?
Then who was this girl behind him...?
"Ah, right. Just like An always says."
Lili is never wrong.
Shhk!
Pulling the blade attached to her prosthetic arm out of the attacker's body, Lili smiled again and said,
Only this time, a faint shadow of something eerie had settled over that smile.
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