"Alright, Mister Judas, we've gathered everyone who got hurt. Please... do your magic."
Eina said with a small bow, her voice filled with admiration.
Beside her, several guild workers slumped with relief, guiding injured citizens and adventurers into a loose formation.
Judas nodded and stretched out his hand.
『Heal』
A soft hum filled the air as a wave of green light burst outward, flowing past him like a gentle breeze.
The glow washed over the injured crowd... children clutching scraped knees, adventurers bleeding from gashes, shaken civilians trembling on the ground.
Gasps rippled through them.
Bruises faded. Cuts sealed. Pain vanished like morning mist under sunlight.
A small boy blinked down at his arm, watching the discoloration disappear before breaking into a brilliant smile.
A woman who had been clutching her leg collapsed to her knees, tears streaming as strength returned to her once again.
"M-Miraculous..."
One guild worker whispered.
"It's beautiful..."
Misha breathed, eyes sparkling.
Eina let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Thank you, Judas. This will make the evacuation so much safer."
But Judas didn't respond immediately.
His gaze drifted past the healing crowd, toward the distant street... where smoke curled upward, where faint roars continued to echo through the city.
His purple eyes narrowed.
"This area is safe now," he finally said.
"But the monsters aren't stopping."
He lowered his hand, magic still faintly crackling at his fingertips.
"I need to head deeper into the city."
Rose nodded, though worry clouded her face.
"Just... please be careful."
Judas stepped forward, preparing to leave.
The moment he turned away, another explosion shook the ground.
And Judas broke into a sprint.
...
On a random street deep within the city, another plant-like monster rampaged unchecked.
Its massive body tore through stalls and stone alike, thick vines smashing into buildings and sending debris flying as panicked screams filled the air.
"Goddess... run!"
Belle's voice rang out as she grabbed Hestia's hand and pulled her along.
Behind them, the monster thrashed wildly, its tendrils crushing anything in its path as it surged forward.
Belle glanced around desperately, eyes darting from street to street in search of an escape.
"Goddess... take cover over there!"
She pointed ahead, toward a narrow, secluded alley barely wide enough for two people.
They slipped inside just as a wooden stall was thrown where they had been standing moments before, splinters of wood exploding outward.
Both Bell and Hestia crouched low, backs pressed against the cold wall, breathing hard.
"Th-thank goodness..."
Hestia panted, pressing a hand against her chest.
"That monster isn't chasing after us."
"Seriously..." she added, forcing a weak laugh.
"What's wrong with Orario lately? Incidents like this just keep happening one after another."
Belle didn't answer.
She shifted closer to the wall, carefully peeking out from the edge of the alley.
There, in the open street, the plant monster continued its rampage.
Adventurers rushed in to stop it... steel flashing, magic flaring... but the difference in power was immediately clear.
With a single violent swing of one of its massive tendrils, several adventurers were sent flying, bodies crashing into buildings as blood sprayed from their mouths.
Belle clenched her teeth.
In the wake of Judas' rematch with the Freya Familia's executives, the Freya Familia had largely secluded themselves in Folkvangr.
To outsiders, it looked as though they were laying low.
In truth, having witnessed Judas' overwhelming power firsthand, the executives and members alike had been driven into a frenzy of training, their competitive spirit burning hotter than ever.
The Ishtar Familia, for reasons unknown, had chosen not to intervene... as if the chaos unfolding in the city had nothing to do with them.
The Astraea Familia was currently away on an expedition.
And so, none of these factions could offer immediate assistance.
The Loki Familia had already been deployed elsewhere, dealing with similar incidents across the city.
Meanwhile, the Ganesha Familia was being stretched thin, splitting their forces between evacuating civilians and exterminating monsters wherever they appeared.
With nearly half of Orario's strongest factions unavailable...
This was one of the worst possible moments for the plant monsters to launch an attack.
Belle watched as another adventurer was knocked aside, skidding across the ground and failing to get back up.
She bit her lip.
"Goddess..." she said quietly.
Hestia turned toward her just in time to see her hand drifting toward the daggers at her waist.
"You stay here. I'm going out to help."
"Huh?"
Hestia blinked, confusion flashing across her face before realization hit her like a thunderbolt.
"No... wait!"
She grabbed Belle's arm tightly, her fingers digging into the latter's sleeve.
"What are you doing? Do you want to get yourself killed?"
The Goddess of the Hearth snapped, her voice sharper than usual as her gaze shifted back toward the distant street where the plant monster continued its rampage, crushing stone and steel alike.
"I don't know much about monsters, but even I can tell that scary, giant plant thing is far too strong for you to handle."
Hestia continued, her brows knitting together.
Her worry was written plainly across her face.
Belle saw it... and that made her hesitate.
For a brief moment, she could only offer Hestia a wry, apologetic smile.
"Even so... I can't just stay here and do nothing when people are in danger."
She said quietly, tightening her fists.
"Please, Goddess."
The plea wasn't loud.
But it was sincere.
Hestia stared at her, searching her face, and let out a long, defeated sigh.
'Dammit, Alfia... if only you were here.'
If that woman were present, this situation would already be handled.
Of course, given Alfia's extreme aversion to noise, being anywhere near a festival... or chaos like this... was the last thing she would ever choose.
'A hero, huh...'
Hestia knew better than anyone how deeply her child longed to become one.
It was a naïve dream. Childish, even.
And yet Belle pursued it with a seriousness that left no room for doubt.
'The hero's path...'
'A road paved with thorns and hardship.'
That was exactly why...
"You want to save those people, right, Belle?"
She nodded without hesitation.
"...Alright," Hestia said softly.
"You can go."
But before she could move, her gaze sharpened, locking onto her crimson eyes.
"First, let me update your status."
"That's not all," she added.
Hestia reached between her breasts and pulled out a small object wrapped carefully in cloth.
Somewhere far away, Loki would have been grinding her teeth hard enough to burst a blood vessel.
Belle blinked, momentarily distracted by a single thought.
'How did that even fit in there...?'
But her attention was immediately drawn to the item in Hestia's hands as she placed it into her palm.
"I was planning to give this to you when you ranked up," Hestia said, smiling faintly.
"But... I think now is the right time."
Belle carefully unwrapped the cloth.
Inside was a dark-colored knife, its blade etched with intricate runes.
The moment his fingers closed around the handle, the runes shimmered... glowing a bright, vivid blue... before slowly dimming once more.
"I call it... The Hestia Knife."
Hestia said, her voice gentle but resolute.
---
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