Stardust Garden, Bathhouse.
Warm water flowed over the elf girl's skin, white and flawless like polished jade, washing away the pungent blood of the Titans. Her perfect body was faintly visible through the hazy steam, stirring the imagination.
With her eyes closed, she recalled the danger from earlier—Roy had nearly been crushed to death by the Armored Titan.
"Did he do it on purpose?"
Ryuu murmured. Her sharp intuition allowed her to sense a faint trace of something hidden within the boy's very essence.
A moment later, Ryuu shook her small head like a drenched wildcat, flinging away the chaotic thoughts in her mind along with the water droplets clinging to her long golden hair. Who cared about that guy anyway? They were just partners.
She helped him hunt monsters.
He helped her revive her closest friends and companions.
As for dealing with the Dark Faction, that was him being nosy—she would never thank him for it.
They had spent about two hours in the instance world. By the time they returned to Orario, the sky had already darkened. It seemed the flow of time differed between worlds.
Goddess Astraea returned with ingredients, escorted by members of the Ganesha Familia.
She was still wearing the same familiar evening gown, exuding the gentle, warm aura of an older sister—kind and approachable.
Roy and Ryuu tacitly avoided mentioning anything that had happened in the instance world. The two entered the kitchen. Ryuu's cooking skills were… not great—she could even carbonize a sandwich—so Roy took charge, while she handled the odd jobs.
In less than half an hour, the enticing aroma of food spread throughout the entire mansion. Even the Ganesha Familia members secretly guarding the place outside couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Astraea warmly invited them to join the dinner, but they declined and remained at their posts.
While the three enjoyed their meal, beneath the calm surface of Orario, undercurrents were surging.
The reason was simple—an eighty-million-valis bounty.
Adventurers' eyes everywhere turned red with greed.
No one took Ryuu's proposed War Game seriously. With Ryuu alone, it was impossible to defeat the numerous members of the Rudra Familia.
Most adventurers simply regarded the "War Game" declaration as the elf girl being overwhelmed by anger, or as an attempt to preserve a shred of dignity after her Familia had been wiped out.
Any adventurer who hunted down members of the Rudra Familia in advance could bring their heads to the Guild in three days and exchange them for valis.
At this point, it was all about speed—fast hands got the reward, slow ones got nothing. The entire city launched a massive, high-profile campaign against the Rudra Familia.
"There's a Rudra Familia member here! A Level 1 piece of trash!"
"Kill him! There are three more to the east!"
"Have you found any Rudra Familia executives yet?!"
…
Members of the Rudra Familia were hunted down relentlessly. The sharp clang of colliding weapons rang out as blood flowed like rivers.
Similar scenes unfolded all across Orario.
The orange-haired catman Jura barely managed to escape pursuit and hid in the sewers. Filthy water washed over his face, while his cold eyes burned with intense hatred.
Of course, it was mainly Familias ranked D and below that took part in the hunt. High-ranking Familias such as the Freya Familia and Loki Familia did not personally step onto the field.
The elite Familias chose to watch from the sidelines.
Meanwhile, many gods eagerly observed the conflict. No matter who won or lost, they were thoroughly entertained.
The one suffering the most was the Guild. They had to maintain order, prevent desperate Dark Faction adventurers from storming into residential areas to slaughter civilians, and stop certain adventurers from exploiting the chaos. They were busier than ever.
They complained endlessly, all sharing the same doubt in their hearts—why had the great god Ouranos agreed to such reckless madness? Wasn't this complete chaos?
In truth, it wasn't complicated. When weighing two evils, one chooses the lesser. The current disorder was only temporary. The leak of information about the Juggernaut was not something that could be resolved in a day or two.
Twilight Manor.
The red-haired, squint-eyed, flat-chested goddess Loki lay sprawled on the sofa, hugging her favorite liquor as she drank freely.
"This really doesn't feel like Astraea's style."
She was the goddess who governed justice, after all.
"I heard that Gale Wind has a brat following her… a War Game… tremors in the dungeon… pushing the Rudra Familia into a dead end. Could it be—?"
Loki set down her glass, her narrowed eyes opening slightly.
She summoned a Familia member. "How long until Finn and the others finish their expedition?"
The member in charge of communications replied, "Lady Loki, due to abnormalities in the dungeon, the captain and the others ended the expedition early. If nothing unexpected happens, they should return to the surface in three days."
"Three days…"
Loki squinted again and muttered to herself, "You'd better not get involved with us. Otherwise…"
If Roy were present, he would certainly marvel at how terrifying this clownish goddess truly was. Though it was mere coincidence, when combined with incorrect information, she could still infer his ultimate objective.
Battlefield Plains.
Standing atop a tall building, Goddess Freya radiated a soul-stealing charm with every movement as she gazed down at the chaotic Orario.
"This time, we'll leave it to them. But that girl—I must have her."
"Everything shall be as the goddess wills."
Ottar, whose massive body resembled a small mountain, stood behind her. He knew the goddess had already set her sights on that elf. Rumor had it she had seen a soul color no less brilliant than their own.
The next day.
Ryuu received news that the Rudra Familia was being hunted down and hurried to find Roy.
Seeing that Ryuu wanted to join the hunting parties, Roy looked speechless as he tried to calm her down.
"Relax. This kind of manhunt can at best weaken them. Completely wiping out the Rudra Familia is impossible."
Roy didn't say it outright, but the intelligent elf girl froze—completely wiping out the Rudra Familia?
Roy's ambition was even greater than she had imagined.
This was common knowledge: Familias were founded by gods. And if the gods disappeared…
Roy grinned. "If we're going to do it, we might as well do it thoroughly. If you don't cut the grass by the roots, it'll grow back when the spring wind blows."
Looking at the smile on the boy's face, Ryuu felt a chill run through her—but it suited her perfectly. Right now, she was a beast driven by vengeance.
She asked, "What do we do next?"
Roy laughed. "Invite them, behead them, or take them in as dogs. Which card do we play first?"
Without hesitation, Ryuu replied, "Behead them."
The corner of Roy's mouth twitched. He really shouldn't have asked.
"Invite them."
…
Roy and Ryuu left the Starry Garden. Before departing, they didn't forget to bring out the leftover ice jelly from yesterday to reward the Ganesha Familia members guarding the mansion.
On a blazing summer day, just one bite was enough to fill the Ganesha Familia members' eyes with goodwill.
Roy led Ryuu to the slums—the area where he had previously pitched his tent. Familiar with the place, he went straight to a dilapidated house.
Before they even entered, a foul stench assaulted their noses.
Pinching his nose, Roy said, "You guys really do love living in garbage heaps."
"Roy, didn't you move out already?"
The seven or eight homeless men inside were startled when they saw Roy and shrank back into the corners.
Roy tossed a pouch of coins over.
"Thirty thousand valis. Deliver a message to the Rudra Familia for me—Goddess Astraea wishes to see Lord Rudra."
____________________
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