Chapter 64:

Bell sat there. Then he blinked, and his mouth fell open. His first instinct was to deny what he heard. That this random girl was his twin sister. But there was no way to deny how similar they looked. Or the way that it just…made sense. There was something in his heart that told him it was true. Maybe it was wishful thinking or deep-rooted insecurity about not having a real family, but Bell knew it was the truth.

"You're my sister, like for real?" he asked.

She nodded, giving a two-finger salute. "You got it, bro! I'm the one and only, separated at birth by the Gods, Iris Cranel! Level four of Poseidon Familia, and captain of the good ship Wayward Journey. And for this day and this day alone, I am at your service." She bowed, sweeping low. "Of course, this comes with fifteen years of good-natured ribbing and teasing to catch up on."

Bell didn't respond, his brain still processing what he had heard. Eventually, Iris stood back up, frowning. She put her hands on her hips.

"You know, I was hoping that you could at least introduce yourself. I mean, this feels like a lot of me talking and you sitting there like an idiot."

Bell blinked. "I'm not an idiot. I'm just trying to process what is going on here!" He got up from the rooftop. "What am I supposed to do when my long-lost sister, who I didn't even know existed, shows up out of the blue?"

"What do you mean you didn't know I existed? Didn't Zeus tell you or something?" asked Iris.

Bell shook his head. "No, Zeus didn't tell me anything. Why did he tell you?"

"No, Poseidon told me. But it was Hera that grabbed me…and then gave me up to Poseidon," replied Iris. She looked off to the side, face twisting in frustration. "I see how it is. Just another secret that Zeus was trying to hide." Her eyes darted over to Bell. "One of his stupid stories."

Bell opened his mouth, about to ask her what she meant, but then an explosion rocked the building. The two shared a glance.

"Yo bro, want to continue this conversation later?" asked Iris.

Bell nodded. "Sounds good to me. Do you have any magic that works at range?"

"Yeah, how about you?" she responded.

"I've got something, but not a lot of energy. You good to cover?" She nodded. "Alright, follow me then. I want to get back to my Familia."

The two adventurers took off then, bounding from the roof. There was still too much to say, but they didn't have the time. Freya stood in their way, and that made Bell angry. This moment of reunion had been ruined. As they ran, members of Freya Familia started to pop up and follow them. Bell, still recovering, focused on putting one front of the other.

"You're holding back," said Iris as they ran. "What level are you?"

"I'm a level six," said Bell sheepishly.

Iris frowned. "How rude! Not waiting for your twin to catch up to you!" She winked. "Well, guess it's my turn to pick up the pace then."

With a bend of the knee, Iris took off. She started bouncing from spot to spot, and all the while, she began to glow a deep blue.

"Deep protector, rise from the depths and give me strength. From the turbulent seas, lash out and bring me your power. Physalia Sting!"

Iris reached out her hand and, from it, stretched five blue tentacles. They whipped around, and Bell heard the sound of lightning with every adventurer they hit. Their enemies fell over, paralyzed and twitching. This continued for some time, and with each movement, Bell saw his sister get faster and faster. Eventually, Freya Familia started to give them some space. She bounced back towards him, the glow dissipating.

"That's a really interesting magic!" shouted Bell, the wind whipping his hair. "How long does the paralysis last?"

Iris shrugged. The two of them vaulted over a street top. "It depends on the adventurer. If they have Abnormal Resistance, the effect will be shorter. The damage remains pretty consistent, though." She pulled out another grappling hook. "What about you? Show me some magic!"

Bell wanted to deny her, but she looked so excited. So, with a sigh, he stopped and planted his feet. His arm outstretched and braced, he took a deep breath.

"Firebolt!"

Blasts of flame fired out in rapid succession. When it was done, Bell took off running again, quickly catching up to Iris. She looked mildly impressed if a little put out.

"How come you got the fancy no chant magic?" she asked. "That is so not fair! I want a cool no-chant magic!"

Bell's response was to jump again. Even though they were on the roofs, Daedalus Street was still a major mess. He had no idea which way was in or out. On top of that, he knew that it would still be a long journey through Freya Familia-infested streets before they got back to Hearthfire Mansion. And from the sounds of it, the fighting was already beyond the pale. The sounds and screams of battle were unlike what he had known. It didn't have the life-and-death intensity of the war with the Xenos, but it carried a raw and untampered fury. The anger of Freya Familia toward anyone that would defy their Goddess and the rage of a city tired of living in her shadow.

"So, not that I'm not happy to get an impromptu tour of the poor district," commented Iris. "But I was wondering when I would get to see where you live. Make sure that your digs live up to my personal standard, as it were."

Bell snorted. "I promise that we'll get there; it's just that there's a whole Familia standing in the way. In case you didn't hear the sounds of combat."

"What did you do to these people?" she asked.

"I turned down an offer from a Goddess of Beauty," he replied.

Iris's mouth fell open. "You turned down the opportunity to bang a Goddess of Beauty? Damn, that is the stupidest decision I've ever heard!"

"Well, just wait till you meet my girlfriend. It will definitely make sense then," he explained.

"A girlfriend! How come you got a girlfriend, and I don't?" asked Iris. "This is bullshit! She better not be that pretty, or else I am going to be terribly jealous!"

"She's gorgeous!"

Iris threw out her grappling hook. There was a clanking sound as it latched onto a nearby spire. She took a running leap and started running on the sides of buildings. Bell followed her from above. The twins kept up their race through the city. And for the first time that day, there was a lightness to Bell's steps that wasn't there before.

With Otohime:

Meanwhile, Oto and the Amazon twins ran through the streets, looking for Ura. They knew that Freya was holed up in the Tower of Babel, so they figured he would be somewhere between Hearthfire Mansion and there.

"Why in the world would she want to kidnap him?" asked Tione. "He's not Bell or even Hestia or Ais. No offence, but he's not important to her like the others are."

Oto kept running. "I don't care what her plan is. I'm going to find him, then I'm going to rescue him, and finally, I will smother him with kisses and affection."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" replied Tiona.

The trio continued on their way, cutting through boulevards and plazas. In the back of their minds, they all registered the same fact. The streets were empty. Though the sounds of battle raged around them, it was nowhere to be seen. Slowly, by an unspoken agreement, they stopped in one of Orario's large city squares. The fountain in the centre was not gushing forth. It had either been broken or shut off.

"This is too quiet, right?" asked Otohime.

Tione shifted the grip on her knives while Tiona readied her Urga.

"If things are working out the way the Captain and Lili thought they would," said Tione. "The elves are duking it out, Wolfy is fighting the cat with your friends, and the Captain is fighting the King. So, all that leaves for us is…."

"It leaves us."

Four voices spoke at once then. There were four roads into the plaza, and a small, armoured figure stood at each of them. Their weapons were comically oversized, but only a fool would laugh.

"Big whoop, you're all just a bunch of level fives," said Tione. "Even if you're working together, there are two-level sixes here. You'd get creamed."

There was the sound of cracking, and Tione was defending a thrust from a mighty spear. The armoured figure bounced away.

"You're in for it now."

"We've been pushing ourselves extra hard."

"And now we've reaped the benefits."

"We'll be more than a match for you."

Tiona tilted her head. "Wait a minute, did you lot all level up? How come none of us heard about this?"

There was the sound of eerie laughter. It came from everywhere and nowhere, and the brothers started marching forward together.

"A little bit of charm."

"A little bit of money."

"You were none the wiser."

"It was too easy to bribe those fools."

Tione, Tiona, and Otohime went back-to-back. Oto cursed under her breath and made ready to chant her magic. The odds would still be against them, but it would be three level-six fighters instead of just two.

"But we're not here to fight you just yet," said the one with the spear. "Our Goddess has something special in store. There is a performance she wants to see and two hearts she wishes to test."

When he finished speaking, there was a quiet whoosh of air. Tione and Tiona did not hear it, but Otohime did. She knew who it belonged to. It was a reflex for her to raise her spear.

In that one moment, Oto's hatred for the Goddess of Beauty grew beyond measure. If she was an animal, she would be frothing at the mouth. Her fingers felt like they were about to shatter her spear shaft, and her teeth would crush themselves into dust. Her rage was a palpable thing. It burned so intensely that ally and foe alike stepped back in fear.

In front of Oto, long knives were bearing down on her. They had been forged from the remains of a great and mighty dragon that Otohime herself had vanquished. Holding them was an all too familiar set of metal arms. And looking down at her were the eyes of her beloved Ura. And those eyes were shining silver.

"For the Goddess," he muttered. "A sacrifice for the Goddess. Kill her for the Goddess."

He moved then, going on the attack. But unlike his usual fighting, which was fluid and precise, this was clunky and mechanical. Every moment was like a monster freshly hatched from the Dungeon.

"You have to fight it, Ura," said Oto. She spoke like she was begging. "I know you're fighting it deep down inside. You have to keep going! You can't let her win!"

As she spoke, she could feel the tears streaming down her face. Her bisento sang a song of sorrow. Each reverberation against Ura's knives was a note of melancholy.

"Please!" She would have fallen to her knees if she hadn't been fighting. "Please, Ura, don't fight me! We're not supposed to be fighting each other! We were supposed to be happy! We're supposed to finally be together!"

If Ura was in there, he did not hear it. All he did was mutter his prayers to Freya and attack the love of his life. Otohime Nakamura was screaming now, like a beast in pain. The sound was a knife to the heart of all who heard it. And still, Urashima Taro continued his assault, his eyes like a dead fish's. The Gullivers were not moving, and neither were the Hyrutes. This dance of anguish captivated the attention of all. And still, Otohime continued to call out to her beloved Urashima.

"We've been in love since we were children, Ura! You followed me across the world and into the Dungeon!" His blades caught on her spear. "Everyone hated me but you. Everyone wanted to kill me, but you stood at my side." Her voice became a whisper. "Please, don't do this."

There was a pause, and Urashima took back his weapons. Oto dared to smile, hoping that Ura was fighting. Between his skill and Hestia's blood, she thought that Urashima could resist even a direct attack from Freya's charm.

"Please, Ura, you have to keep fighting."

Ura stepped back, eyes closed in concentration. He was muttering incomprehensibly, shaking his head back and forth.

"Come on, you're almost there!" cheered Otohime.

The Gulliver Brothers stepped forward, raising their weapons. They didn't believe what was in front of them, but they knew that it would be their duty to see their Goddess's will fulfilled. Unfortunately, they weren't needed.

Urashima Taro snapped into place like a puppet pulled taut. His head rolled up, and Otohime flinched in fear. Where had once been his eyes, so clever and caring, there were only silver orbs.

"FOR THE GODDESS!"

Otohime, shocked by the look of her beloved, didn't raise her spear in time. There was a wet and meaty sound, and there was nothing. Otohime looked down; the daggers she had given as gifts were now in her abdomen. She looked up, and Ura's face was close enough to kiss now. She could see every detail, every hair out of place, and even in the throes of the Goddess, Otohime found him to be beautiful. His mouth was gaping wide, and there was a look of shock on his face.

Otohime's hands went to the daggers in her stomach, but she couldn't help herself now. If she took them out, she would bleed like a stuck pig. Instead, she only wanted to hold her beloved's face one more time. She raised her hands, stained with her blood. Slowly, she grabbed him and removed them from their weapons. Oto brought his hands against her cheeks. She could feel her strength ebbing. But she wanted to speak to him.

"Your hands, these beautiful metal hands that you hate. You always found them so cold and lifeless. But even now, to me, they're still so warm."

Her tears mixed with the blood on her palms. And at that moment, Urashima Taro started thrashing. He pulled back, and Oto fell to her knees without his support. He held his hands to his head and started to shake back and forth. The silver in his eyes flickered back and forth.

"No, no, no."

His fingers dug so far into his scalp that hair started to fall.

"Not supposed to hurt her! Never her!"

He started screaming then, and it wasn't the scream of a human. His face tilted towards the heavens.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

And then he was still. His eyes became his own, and he looked his Princess in the eye. There was a moment of a thousand words then. Emotions and desires passed between them. And then he mouthed three simple words. That final moment would be the last they shared for quite some time. Then, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he frothed at the mouth. Like a puppet cut from his strings, he collapsed to the floor. His body looked eerily limped.

Otohime saw it all and did not want to believe it. She crawled towards him on her hands and knees, still bleeding from her stomach. The pain should have been like iron nails in her skin, but she didn't care. All Oto wanted to do was get to him.

"Come on, wake up, my Ura."

She finally got to him. Panting and out of breath, she sat back on her legs. She cradled his head in her lap. The tears kept falling as she brushed the hair from his face.

"You did it; you fought your way past the Goddess! That's how much you loved me. It's a story we will tell our kids. But you have to wake up!"

As the Princess wept, nothing but a total wreck, the four pallums advanced on the Amazons.

"This was not our intent."

"But still…this outcome."

"Is most desirable."

"Now it is just the two of you."

The four-spoke as one.

"We will defeat you for the Goddess."

Tiona and Tione stood back-to-back. The only sound to be heard was the shrill crying of the Dragon Princess.

With the Greatest:

Ottar and Finn stood across from each other, panting and bleeding. They were covered in wounds and had battled so well that even the legends of Hera and Zeus Familia would have been impressed. But they could also feel it drawing to a close. It was time for a do-or-die tactic. And it would be a clash between their most potent attacks.

"So, this is it," said Finn, panting.

Ottar grunted.

There wasn't a soul around. Civilians and adventurers alike had fled the scene. Even the animals knew better than to stick around. For three blocks in any direction, there was not a single person in Orario. The two strongest warriors in the city slowed their breathing. They felt their hearts pounding in their heads. There was no loud declaration, only a quiet murmur. And then, they started to glow.

The prum was red. It was the scarlet colour of his Goddess and of his blood. It was a magic born of contradiction. The ordinarily cautious pallum had to give it his all. Every secret had to be laid bare. There were no clever schemes with this magic. It was one attack born of frustration. It was a rage for his people, who were always looked down on. It was anger at their own compliance for sitting around and waiting for others to save them. Finn Deimne claimed to carry the future of the prum race on his shoulders, including its defiance.

"Tyr na Nog."

He pulled back his spear and could feel all the strength leave his body. After this, he would be as weak as a newborn kitten. He couldn't risk adding Hell Finnegas on top of it, though. His aim needed to be true. One hand wrapped loosely around the shaft of his spear; Finn took aim. He used his thumb for a sight. For a moment, with one eye closed, it looked like it was blocking out the King. The thought made Finn chuckle. He shifted his feet. And then he heaved.

In response, the Boaz was bright silver. The simple-minded would say that it was to honour his Goddess. But that was only a half-truth. The silver of his magic was for his mother. It was she that had rescued him as a starving child. Freya had given him everything. And Ottar would give his life in return. For him, it was a simple transaction. Many viewed him as strong, but the King knew otherwise. Deep down, he knew he was still just a starving child hiding in an alleyway.

So, the spear came hurtling towards him. If it was any other adventurer, they would be dead. But Ottar was stubborn and determined. He bent his legs slightly, and his keen eyes took everything in. For him, it was as if time slowed to a crawl. As much as he wanted to activate Vana Arganture, he knew this would not be the last battle. The day would be long, and Ottar was not a tactician. He was simple-minded, a hammer that existed for the sole purpose of crushing those that stood in Mother's way. When Ottar swung his sword at that moment, it was closer to judge with a gavel than an adventurer with a weapon.

"Hildis Vini."

Sword met spear, and the world exploded.

With the Twins:

As they bound across rooftops, Iris and Bell both felt it. The hairs stood on the back of their necks, and only their keen intuition got them to drop into an alleyway. And even then, they were not fast enough.

The shockwave of the oncoming attack smacked them both. They were sent careening like a couple of pinwheels, crashing into walls and falling through crates. And then the sound hit them. The only comparison that came to mind was when Bell helped Welf in the forge. The smith was a master of his craft and would spend days banging a sword into place. But every once in a while, when the monotony got to him, Welf would be ever so slightly off. His hammer would hit the blade by the tiniest of margins at the wrong angle. But the sound it made would rattle Bell's bones every time.

This moment was like that, except it was magnified to an uncountable scale. Bell's bones felt closer to jelly. Next to him, Iris held her ears. Her mouth was open like she was trying to scream, but nothing came out. The noise of Orario's strongest dominated every part of the world then. It was the clash heard around the city.

After what felt like hours, it finally subsided. And when it did, Bell was at his sister's side in a flash. She had fallen to her knees, crying from the pain in her ears, so Bell covered them too. She looked up at him, and rubellite met rubellite. He couldn't say anything, but Bell willed the message across. Focus on him, not the pain. Everything was going to be alright. Iris smirked, and Bell could feel the sarcasm hiding on her tongue.

When it was done, both Cranels stood on shaky feet. Their knees were wobbling, and their ears were still ringing. They wouldn't be hearing anything for quite some time. Bell didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to see Finn, to see if he had won. But then Iris was tugging on his sleeve. She jerked her head down the alleyway, away from the fight. Her mouth was set in a grim line before she took off running. It was decided. Bell took off after her. As much as he wanted to support Finn, Iris was right. His Goddess was waiting for him.

With Otohime:

In the plaza of the fighting level sixes, everyone involved had only distantly registered the shockwave. The twins were too busy fighting off the Gullivers and vice versa. Meanwhile, Otohime was deaf to even the fighting. All she was doing was crying.

"We need her to snap out of it!" shouted Tione. "If that attack means what I think it means, then the Captain just gave it his all! We have to take down these damn pests and get back to the others!"

Tiona kicked a brother away, causing her more pain than him. The first-class armour they wore was no joke. Combined with their teamwork, it was like trying to fight a swarm of cannonballs. If the pairing had been any different, Loki Familia would have lost. But they were the Hyrute sisters, and they knew each other at least as well as the Gullivers did.

"Not that I don't think we can do it," replied Tiona. "But she's kind of useless right now, no? I mean, she's just been crying nonstop!"

Urga was a blur as it caught a hammer and a spear. Tiona set her feet and leaned into the attack. Tione tried to help her sister but was stopped by the one with the sword. Which left the one with the axe to attack Tiona's exposed flank.

One sister was knocked into the other, and then they were both flailing on the ground. They were a mess of limbs, both frustrated at their lack of ability.

"All we need is to get rid of one of them. We break up their weird hivemind thing, and we can take them. We're better fighters than they are, and we've got the edge in status. It's just that there are four of those half-pints," said Tione, slamming her fist into the cobblestone.

Tiona frowned, lightly knocking her fist on her head. "But how are we gonna remove one of them? Do you think they would do it if we asked politely?"

"So, this is the strength of Loki Familia?"

"It's a pitiful performance for sure."

"Our Goddess was worried for nothing after all."

"You're as pathetic as that useless lump."

The final voice belonged to Alfrigg, the oldest sibling. And it was that last phrase that caught Otohime's attention. Still gently holding Urashima's comatose body, her head looked up. She focused on the pallum that spoke. In her soul, the dragon roared.

But no one was paying attention to her. The battle had resumed, and they were at each other's throats once again. Alfrigg bobbed and weaved around Tione's attacks. He leapt away from the crashing movement of Urga. But wherever he went, Oto's eyes followed him. In a whisper, her lips began to move.

"Great Destroyer, thou are the devourer of worlds. You who would cleanse the world of the pure and impure, I beseech you, give me a fraction of your form. Let me strike true terror into those who would look upon me. Let me be the one who would burn the world. Black wings envelop me. Burn this sack of flesh and give me thine true scales. Harbinger of Doom. Give me your strength. Dracona Forma."

As she prayed, her body grew dark. It was a soul-sucking pit of despair that slowly drew the fighting to a close. The Gullivers and Hyrutes stopped their fight. Tione had wanted Otohime to join in and help, but now she was scared. As the young woman grew scales and claws, Tione felt fear grip her heart. This was a beast without control. It was only driven by rage.

The dragon grew. Its wings and tail sprouted with a sickening pop sound. Urashima's daggers were pushed out as black scales formed. Otohime vanished, and the dragon took its place. And its beady eyes were fixed on a certain pallum.

The churning miasma of Oto's spell dissipated, and the dragon stood on its feet. There was a scraping sound as its tail pulled along the cobblestones. It was like when a monster pulled itself from the Dungeon Walls. It drew itself up to its full height, easily ten feet tall. The raw power of it was palpable. Otohime Nakamura had levelled up, and her dragon had grown in response. Then, it opened its mouth. Everyone braced themselves for a shattering roar. What came instead, though, was much more terrifying.

"…kill…you…."

The dragon's voice is like a shifting mountain of gravel. It rumbled and rolled around, unsure of how to speak.

Alfrigg felt the killing intent and felt himself scrambling backwards.

"KILL…YOU!"

There was the beating of wings. Then, the dragon and the pallum were gone. And in their wake was a trench of broken road. The amazons and prums that remained stared down the path of carnage. Then, Tiona looked to Tione.

"Hey, hey, didn't you say we could take three of them?"

Tione brought her fists together. She was smiling, but it was not warm. The Amazon cracked her neck.

"Yeah, I think it's time to end this. Ready to have some fun, Tiona?"

Tiona gave a blinding smile.

"I'm ready when you are, Tione!"

The Gullivers stood together in a triangle formation.

"Oh boy."

"This is."

"Really, really."

The sentence went unfinished.

With the Goddesses:

After the great clash of their champions, Loki and Freya watched the dust settle. Neither had said a word the whole fight, and both had been holding their breath all the while. The two Goddesses had been strangely quiet while their children fought in the city. It was as if they knew that there was nothing to be said. This was a moment that needed to happen. The closes they had come to a conversation was when Urashima Taro had fallen over, frothing at the mouth. Freya had made a small noise of surprise, and Loki had looked about, ready to throttle the Goddess of Beauty. But still, they kept watching.

With the King:

Ottar felt that he was still standing. But he also couldn't feel his left arm. When he had deflected the pallum's blow, he realized that the spear hadn't been aimed at him. It was ever so slightly off. The point of the spear had missed the side of the blade by a fraction of a fraction. It was such a minuscule movement that even Ottar's trained eyes hadn't noticed the difference until it was too late.

When spear and blade clashed, and magic met magic, the spear had been brushed to the side. Now, Ottar saw that it was on purpose. The damnable Braver had calculated that throw and Ottar's reaction. He had planned for it to be knocked off course. And since it did not hit Ottar's blade head-on, the movement did not take away any of its power. Instead, the King of Orario had been led to guide it down a new path. One that went straight through his shoulder.

The movement had caused an explosion of pain that even Ottar was not used to. The flesh near his collarbone had practically erupted outwards and was now bleeding profusely. As Ottar tore off a strip of clothing to staunch the wound, he growled in Finn's direction.

The pallum was face down on the ground, out of the fight, but now Ottar was down an arm. Finn Deimne had known he could not win. He had lost this battle, but there was a sliver of a chance now. Ottar was tired and could not use his full strength. If he tried to use his arm, it would rip clean off. If pushed to, he would do so. Anything for the glory of his Goddess. But Ottar did not want to do it right away. He was still a warrior and wanted to fight for another day.

"You damn fool."

With those words practically spat at his opponent, Ottar stomped off through the streets. The Braver would be fine. And as he slept, he put his faith in his allies. He put his faith in his friends.

With the Amazon:

In a different part of the city, Aisha screamed. When the dome had come down, and the Berbera were free of Freya's charm, the Amazon's immediate plan had been to return to the stupid fox and her partner. That coward Van had already left, saying something about laying siege to Hearthfire Manor. Then there was the shockwave of the strongest's clash. It had sent most amazons to their knees, and many had run off afterwards. They had screamed that this was beyond them, that this was not a fight they wanted a part of. Hippolyta had shouted after them, calling them fake amazons and traitors to themselves. Fighting was supposed to light their spirit aflame. But in the face of that clash, it appears that it had been drowned out.

In the end, Aisha did not care about that, though. The only thing she cared about was keeping Haruhime safe.

"Half of you start causing chaos for Freya Familia and anyone that fights at their side!" she had shouted.

Samira had taken half the force and had run off.

"The rest of you, stay with me. We're going back to where Haruhime and the Black Crow are!"

But as soon as she had given the order, a burst of deep laughter filled the road. The sound of which sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"All of you, get out of here!" ordered Aisha. "Everyone with Samira! Go and help those kids!"

"Yes, listen to Aisha, you mongrels! If you're not quick about it, I'll snatch you up and eat you myself. I'll devour you whole!"

Aisha's legs turned to stone. She was a brave warrior, but she couldn't help the terror that gripped her heart. All the years of agony and torture came rushing back to her then. Standing down the street, twin battle axes drawn was the toad of her nightmares.

It was Phryne Jamil.

"Freya says that I can have whoever I find, and now I've found you all!"

She pointed one axe at Aisha.

"And I will start with you, traitorous whore!"

Aisha tried to take steady breaths. She was a level five now. Phryne wouldn't be able to take her again. She could defend herself!

"So, they call you Hippolyta now, eh? Pretending to be some queen! But you're not, are you? You're just an ugly little bitch, Aisha Belka!"

The toad's long and disgusting tongue snaked out from behind its teeth. She licked her lips in anticipation.

"Now, let's fight!"

She came crashing forward with a speed Aisha did not expect. The smaller Amazon dodged out of reflex. The terror of her years with Ishtar stopped her from trying to meet Phryne head-on. The toad laughed before shaking her head. She turned away from Aisha.

"Well, are you going to fight me, or can I scoop up those other cheeky brats?"

The thought of Jamil laying a hand on her sisters finally drove Aisha into action. With her great Padao, she swung for Phryne's midsection. However, what should have been a cleaving blow met nothing but air.

When Aisha looked up, she found Phryne standing at the top of a building.

"Surprised at elegance? The Goddess Freya graced me with her blessing! I am now a beautiful level six!" Phryne clicked her teeth. Her gaze roamed Aisha's body like a starving predator. "And you will be my first meal in a truly long time."

Aisha screamed her defiance.

With the Twins:

Bell and Iris continued to fight their way through the streets. The rest of Freya Familia had started to regain their senses, so that meant that they were under attack again. Thankfully, Bell had finally had enough time to recover. He was feeling well enough to fight back.

Bell fell into familiar patterns with King's Blade in one hand and the Hestia Knife in the other. He kept his movements quick and precise like he was battling through the Deep Floors of the Dungeon. Next to him, Iris was showcasing her own style.

She was dual-wielding scimitars, but how much she moved was more important. Many people had told Bell that he fought like he was in a rush. He was quick, so he used that to his advantage. Iris wasn't just fast, though. She fought like an animal.

Even now, as she duelled a large man, she continued to move. It was a step, heel pivot, bob and weave, and then a slash when she was inside his guard. And the thing that Bell noticed first? She kept getting faster. With every little change in direction, her speed increased. Not just that, but so did how nimble she was. Her fighting got sharper the faster she went. Before her opponent realized it, he was tumbling backwards into some crates. And Iris was already onto the next one.

Bell was also pulling his weight, of course. The young Cranel was two levels higher than her, after all. And now he had a bit more power behind his attacks. His sword was cleaving through his opponents. The King's Blade was one of the finest swords in Orario. It was a blessing and mark of Welf's skill as a smith. Even Tsubaki had whistled appreciatively when she saw it. Armour was like paper to Bell's attacks, and the enemy weapons practically exploded into shrapnel. In fact, Bell almost had to be careful with his new sword. The strength behind its blows could kill someone if mishandled.

The twins fought side by side and slowly pushed their way through the street. There were simply too many opponents to clear quickly, and Bell needed more raw physical power or magic to clear a large area of enemies. Argonaut could do it, but with the shape Bell was in and with the fights possibly still to come, he wanted to save it.

Thankfully, there was a third fighter.

"Tempest."

Ais' wind blew away the enemy. Suddenly, there were three people in the alleyway. Bell and Ais fought side by side, and their enemies gave way like wheat against a sickle. Before long, they were falling back in retreat. They shouted profanities all the while, but they knew they were beaten.

When the last one was gone, Ais took Bell's hand and gave one of her adorably tiny smiles.

"I saw all the people mobbing together. I knew they would be near you."

"Well, who do we have here?"

Ais turned at the sound to find Iris standing nearby, hands on her hips. Ais looked ready to start fighting again, sword in hand, but she stopped. She looked at Iris and blinked once. Then she looked at Bell. Back to Iris, and then back to Bell.

"…two…rabbits?"

Ais tilted her head and puckered her lips. Bell couldn't help but think she was the cutest thing he'd seen all day. However, now was not the time to say so.

"Well, aren't you just all kinds of cute, adorable, and badass," commented Iris.

Bell held his head in his hands. His sister was proving to be quite the flippant adventurer indeed.

"Who are you?" asked Ais, moving to stand in front of Bell. "And why do you look like my Bell?"

"Oh, that's an easy one. I'm Iris Cranel, Bell's long-lost twin sister. We were separated at birth by Zeus because he's a bastard, and I was raised in the mythical city of Atlantis in the third unexplored region of the world. My adopted parents are from Poseidon Familia, and we are here to help you beat Freya and save the city from her tyranny."

Ais stood there.

"…no lying."

Bell put a hand on her shoulder.

"She's not lying, Ais. She really is my sister, and everything she said is true." He looked to Iris. "Except, I don't know why she called Zeus a bastard. But I'm sure we'll talk about that later."

Iris waved it off. "Not much to say except that he's a donkey's ass." She turned back to the way they were running. "But you're right, bro. We need to keep moving before one of those scary executives shows up."

The three started running down the street. While they did, Iris ran up close to Bell.

"So…is there a reason your girlfriend called us rabbits?"

Bell groaned while Ais looked over, totally serious.

"Bell is a bunny. His hair is soft like rabbit's fur."

Iris barked out a laugh, head towards the sky.

"Sword Princess, I already love you. I am going to be asking so many questions when it is done!"

Ais smiled. "That sounds like fun."

Bell wanted to scream.