Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"Where are Florine and the others!? How's the 'Killing Stone' doing!?"

"This...this, we can't get in touch!? None of the messengers we sent have returned...!?"

The words written by the group members around her made her click her tongue. Overwhelmed by restlessness and wavering, she racked her brains and tried desperately to think.

Why would Freya choose this moment to attack?

Even if the beast-giant had leaked the "Killing Stone" to Freya, Haruhime's "Sorcery"—the effect of its level-up—should not have been exposed, so it shouldn't have made her realize the danger and attack.

"...Is it Bell Craney?"

Is that silver-haired goddess so obsessed with that boy?

We absolutely cannot allow Ishtar to take the boy away; it has come to the point of starting a war.

"That woman, really, all for a brat...!?"

This is way out of the ordinary!! Are you kidding me!?

Ishtar, her heart pounding, screamed inwardly. Only now did she realize that what she thought was a small act of revenge had stepped on a landmine set by the goddess.

What to do, what to do? She asked herself. Should she first ensure the safety of "Killing Stone" and Haruhime, and reunite with Frini and the others, or should she escape from the enemy's base (headquarters)... No, she should simply escape from this city (Orario)—Ishtar stood there, hesitant.

Then she noticed that the noise around her had stopped.

"...Hey! What's wrong!?"

In this situation, however, the panicked and uneasy voices of the group members could not be heard—the voices of the fighting prostitutes were not heard.

Ishtar stood in front of the grand staircase on the thirty-first floor, overlooking the lobby of the thirtieth floor where she had her second encounter with Bell. She leaned forward from the handrail and called out to the people below.

The hall, with its large, bowl-shaped decorative columns, remained eerily silent.

Soon, a "click, click" sound was heard.

With delicate footsteps, a goddess appeared from the passageway.

"ah……!?"

Ishtar's amethyst eyes widened to their maximum, and in front of her, the goddess Freya smiled.

She stared intently at Ishtar, tucking her long silver hair behind her ear.

"It's been since the Conference of the Gods, Ishtar? How have you been?"

"Frei...!!"

"There's something I need to tell you right away. No—should I say goodbye?"

Freya smiled coldly at Ishtar, who was choking back tears.

Seeing that the goddess had come alone without any guards, Ishtar tossed her hair and shouted at the top of her lungs:

"You...you guys, hurry and grab that goddess!?"

She gave orders to the male and female members of the group beside her.

The two, who were initially panicked, obeyed the command of the main god and jumped down the grand staircase.

They launched an attack on Freya, who stood in the center of the hall—their speed noticeably slowed just before they reached her.

「!?」

First, the male member of the group was stared at by the goddess's silver eyes. He convulsed and knelt down.

Then, the female member was struck by the goddess's gentle smile, as if a wave of intoxication washed over her, and she staggered. Then, when Freya approached her and whispered something in her ear, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

The male member of the group, who was desperately trying to stand up, collapsed to the ground after the goddess touched his cheek with her delicate hand.

"You...you took my child...!?"

—"She's bewitched." Ishtar groaned.

Was the same scene repeating itself the whole way? Did she "bewitch" everyone who stood in her way?

Freya's exquisite techniques melted the hearts and souls of all the members, regardless of gender.

"What lovely children, Ishtar?"

"Alas……!!"

Leaving behind her two teammates who were no longer able to fight, the silver-haired goddess walked up the grand staircase.

The goddess (Ishtar) no longer hid her fear of her, letting out a small scream as she fled alone to the upper floor of the palace.

■

"The red-light district was..."

Looking out over the battlefield from the sky garden, the Amazonian girl murmured weakly.

Not much time has passed since the first explosion was heard. Smoke billows from the Third District, where war is raging everywhere; the enemy has surrounded the area and even stormed the palace.

Seeing their faction's territory crumble, the fighting prostitutes left in the garden were filled with panic.

"W-What should we do, Aisha..."

The Amazonian girl with her long hair tied up spoke to Aisha as if she were about to cry.

"We can't contact the goddess Ishtar again... It seems the people we sent were all killed en route."

"I've heard that the Freya Familia... and even the main god (Freya) herself have already invaded the palace."

The others also trembled as they delivered the bad news, and Aisha closed her eyes.

The Amazons, huddled in a corner of the garden watching the battle on Fengyue Street, were all waiting for her to speak.

"...The Ishtar Familia is finished, Lina, you all better run."

If their faction is attacked by Freya and others first, it's as if they've already lost.

Aisha, having fully realized everything, told everyone this, and the fighting prostitutes all lowered their heads.

"You told us to run away, but... what about you, Aisha!?"

The girl named Lina, who had just been there, swayed her long, tied-up hair and approached her.

"I'm waiting for someone."

Aisha stopped looking at the girl and turned her gaze toward the altar.

She gazed at Chun-hime, who lay unconscious on the stone slab.

"I have an opponent I must settle things with."

Then, her gaze drifted to the palace rooftop where the sounds of fierce swords and halberds echoed.

■

The sound of silver ingots clashing echoed through the vast night sky and reached the bright moon.

Two figures moved across the rooftops and walls, destroying footholds as they went, raising their weapons and clashing again and again.

The great axes and greatswords, slashing downwards and scooping upwards, emitted fierce sparks.

“Guuuu!?”

"Drink!"

On the highest floor of the Goddess's Palace of Prostitution, on the rooftop of the palace closest to the sky in the brothel district, Bell and Freni are engaged in battle.

The building's top floor, adorned with artificial vegetation and a pool, presents a beautiful scene worthy of being called the "Goddess Garden." The two utilize and destroy the entire spacious rooftop platform, comparable in size to an arena, as they continuously clash around the goddess's (Ishtar's) residence, which stands like an observation post.

Bell bravely fought back against the advancing battle axe, channeling his strength into his limbs to resist the powerful impact, and delivered a spinning slash as a counterattack.

Frini shot it down in an instant and launched a series of attacks, which Bell blocked all of.

"Hehehehehehe!! You've got quite a knack for that!?"

With her face contorted and the wounds on her cheeks visible, Freni stared wide-eyed, her bloodshot eyeballs twitching.

His eyes, still blazing with rage, pierced through Bell with a mixture of murderous intent and pleasure.

"How was it? It was great, wasn't it?! How was Haruhime's sorcery?!"

Only through the magic [Mega Hammer] was Bell barely able to fight against Freni. Just as she cheered, Haruhime's level-up effect was truly powerful.

However, this power is not perfect; even when trying to close the speed gap with the opponent, the opponent still has a slight advantage.

Even with the extraordinary favor, he still couldn't surpass the peak of a first-class adventurer.

Bell's senses couldn't keep up with his massively increased power level. He struggled to control his abilities and gritted his teeth as he faced Frini, who possessed top-tier strength in the city (Orario).

"As long as I have this power, so what if I'm level 6?! What's that little brat [Fiora] compared to me?!"

"!"

The Female Titan launched a fierce attack on Bell, who was using her legs to the fullest extent to defend herself.

Enraged, she unleashed a powerful blow, expressing her resentment towards the girl.

"They actually said that female doll is the strongest and most beautiful?! Are you kidding me?!"

"...!"

"...Seeing your fighting style makes me furious!? That woman's figure keeps flashing around!!"

Like the chief goddess (Ishtar) who is jealous of the goddess of beauty (Freya), she also harbors hostility towards the female swordsman who is hailed as one of the strongest adventurers.

Her goddess-like blonde hair and golden eyes, along with the strength of the girl who had pursued her and reached Level 6, fueled a burning hatred within her. Bell had once been Ais's student, and Freni likely saw her shadow in his actions, thus unable to conceal her rage.

"With that power, those ugly monsters are nothing to be afraid of! Aa ...

Just as if she wanted to destroy Ais from Bell's every move, Freni unleashed a powerful vertical strike.

Bell jumped aside, dodging the giant axe that had shattered part of the roof platform, his brow furrowed in anger.

Bell's mind was disturbed when his idol was scorned, and he angrily slashed at his opponent.

"Ughh ...

“Hmm!?”

Faced with Bell's overwhelming and relentless attack, Frini put up a decent defense for the first time.

Her continuous slashes, imbued with a multitude of additional light particles, made the great axe creak and groan. Countless strikes from multiple angles shook her massive body.

As if to retaliate, Bell unleashed a powerful vertical slash, which Freni dodged, but the blade shattered her footing.

"—Don't get too cocky!?"

「!?」

Frini deflected Bell's greatsword as it launched its attack, and her massive body flipped over.

The boy's upper body, along with his weapon, fell backward as a front kick struck his torso.

"ah!?"

Bale tried to defend himself with his knee, but was still kicked away, crashing into the iron railing of the rooftop platform.

His body traced a gentle parabolic trajectory as he flew, crashing down from the top floor of the palace.

"Hehehehehehehehehehehe!?"

Frini let out a frog-like laugh and tried to give chase.

But just then, a voice called out to her.

"Friline!? Goddess Ishtar is in danger! Quick, save her!?"

"……What?"

Two combat prostitutes who ran up the steps and appeared on the roof called to her.

They rushed over, breathless and anxious. Frini snorted, initially intending to ignore them, but then she saw something from the rooftop and stopped.

"What... what's going on...?"

Her anger, which had finally begun to subside, turned her gaze to the red-light district where several plumes of smoke were billowing from.

She then finally realized that the area around the headquarters was under abnormal conditions.

"Finally found you! What have you been doing?!"

"Don't order me around, you two ugly hags! So, what happened?"

"Headquarters...the red-light district is under attack by the enemy...!?"