Several Amazons quickly stuffed Ryoji into a burlap sack.
"Take this to the Loki Familia." Argana pulled the Familia emblem she had torn from Ryoji's clothes, slashed it to pieces with a knife, and handed the ruined badge to one of the Amazon girls. "And deliver this letter too. Make sure only Tione and Tiona see it."
"Yes, ma'am." The Amazon hurried off.
"This time, we'll finally settle things." A crazed grin spread across Argana's face.
The group threw on black robes in unison and headed for the Dungeon exit. The thought of finally deciding the score with Tione, and enjoying the world's one and only beautiful boy afterward, made Argana's steps grow even lighter.
"Hm?" As they made their way toward the exit, a werewolf shot them a suspicious glare. Their appearance was far too similar to the remnants of Evilus. Having spent the last several days buried in the Dungeon, he noticed them immediately.
"That scent... Where's that guy?" he muttered to himself in confusion.
---
'They're leaving the Dungeon?'
Inside the sack, Ryoji listened carefully to everything happening outside. The voices around him gradually became louder, and the light filtering through the fabric grew brighter. It was obvious they had reached the surface.
'So they aren't taking me into Knossos after all... What a shame. Hopefully Ishtar and Kali won't disappoint me.'
---
Twilight Manor
"Tiona! This is bad!" Tione rushed over with the letter and the shredded Familia emblem in hand, her face dark with anger.
"Damn that Argana! That bitch!" The moment Tiona finished reading the letter, rage exploded across her face.
Its contents were simple: Ryoji had been captured. The two of them were to come alone to the Ishtar Familia, and they were forbidden from informing anyone else in the Familia, or Ryoji would be killed. Before that, they even promised to thoroughly humiliate him.
"I'll never forgive them! Those bitches! How dare they steal my man!" Tiona was so furious she was nearly beside herself. "We have to go now! Otherwise Ryoji's chastity is in serious danger!"
"Right!" Tione answered without hesitation.
The sisters grabbed their weapons, burst through the Familia gates, and sprinted toward the southeastern district of Orario.
"...Are we really not telling everyone?" Halfway there, Tiona suddenly broke the silence.
"...This is our responsibility." Tione slowed for just a moment, but she never stopped running. "We have to end this ourselves. If we don't settle it now, there'll just be a next time."
Today it was Ryoji. Next time it could be Lefiya, Ais, or someone else. As long as Argana and the others wanted to, they could always seize another member of the Loki Familia as a hostage unless this was ended once and for all.
And the only way to do that was the way Argana wanted most, to let the four of them fight with everything they had and fulfill the wish they had carried as warriors. Only after satisfying that desire for battle would Argana finally stop pursuing them, and only then would the Loki Familia no longer have to fear more hostages being taken.
That was why they had to go alone. With their own hands, they would put this shameful chapter of the past to rest.
---
After a while, the constant jostling stopped. Suddenly, the surroundings erupted into a sea of voices, and even from inside the sack, Ryoji could smell the heavy fragrance of cosmetics.
Argana and the others removed their black robes, crossed the bustling streets, and headed deep into the entertainment district. Before long, they arrived at a towering Familia headquarters that rivaled the Tower of Babel itself, Belit Babili.
After entering the palace, they made their way to the very top floor. The room was lavish beyond belief, decorated with countless gold and silver ornaments. In one corner stood an enormous bed draped in purple curtains that immediately drew the eye. Two goddesses, one tall, one small, sat facing each other on opposite sofas.
"Kali-sama. Ishtar-sama." Argana entered the room, opened the mouth of the sack, and dropped to one knee before them. "We have completed the mission without fail."
"Ooh! Great work, Argana! You really outdid yourself!" The petite goddess Kali hopped off the sofa with obvious excitement and skipped over to the sack. After circling it a few times, she suddenly bent down and planted a kiss on it. "Huh? This beautiful boy even tastes sweet?"
She smacked her lips, clearly tempted to go in for another kiss.
"Hey. We agreed I'd go first." Ishtar walked over with an annoyed look and shoved Kali aside.
"What the hell? Why are you so stingy?" Kali landed on her backside. She didn't seem bothered about losing her composure in front of her followers and simply grumbled to herself.
"Enough. I'm going to make this boy one of us first. The rest of you can leave." Ishtar waved them away as casually as if she were shooing flies. "Of course, if you'd rather stay and watch, I won't stop you."
She flashed the pair a captivating smile.
"Eek! Let's go, let's go!" Kali suddenly shivered, grabbed the confused Argana by the arm, and dragged her out of the room.
'No way am I staying. If I'm not careful, I'll end up as her pet.'
---
Soon, only Ishtar and the sack containing Ryoji remained.
"Mm..." Ryoji let out a groan before suddenly opening his eyes in apparent confusion. "Where am I...? Lady Ishtar? Why am I here?"
"My, your timing is perfect. You just saved me the trouble of carrying you to the bed." Ishtar walked over, crouched down, and peeled the sack off him.
The position left the revealing fabric beneath her robes fully exposed, yet she didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
"Well? Like what you see?" She turned back with a teasing smile.
"Not bad." Ryoji nodded with complete seriousness.
"Hehe... I didn't expect you to be such a little pervert." Ishtar laughed seductively. Far from being offended, she casually swung one leg over and sat astride his waist. "I wouldn't mind having a little fun with you right here on the floor... but before that, I have something more important to do."
She leaned down, the thin gauze outlining every curve of her body. Resting against his chest, she gently brushed her glowing fingertips across his face, admiration filling her eyes.
"To think a beautiful boy like you exists in the Lower World... I never would have believed it. Ah... I almost got carried away." She caught herself, suppressing the fascination in her gaze. A bewitching smile spread across her face. "Then again... perhaps that's for the best. I'll reward you while I take care of business."
Without a sound, Ishtar's entire figure seemed to shine with an even more dazzling radiance. Her hand slowly slid downward, undoing the buttons on Ryoji's shirt before pressing against his chest.
She was going to charm him. That had been the real reason Ishtar asked Kali's Familia to capture Ryoji.
"Lady Ishtar, by working together with the Kali Familia... does that mean you've allied yourself with Evilus as well?" Ryoji's expression darkened, grief written across his face.
"You're asking 'that' at a time like this?" Ishtar sounded mildly displeased, finding him rather unromantic.
Still, everything that was about to happen was already inevitable, so she decided she might as well answer his questions while she worked her charm.
(End of Chapter)
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